The last days of the family of Nicholas 2. Surprising about the royal family of the Romanovs

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A century after the brutal murder of the Russian Tsar Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, and their five children (Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Alexei), the shooting of the royal family continues to capture the imagination. In honor of the 100th anniversary of their death, we publish an excerpt from Helen Rappaport's new book "Race to Save the Romanovs", which describes the details of everything that happened in the last hours of Romanov's captivity.

For the Romanov family at the Ipatiev House, Tuesday 16 July in Yekaterinburg was the same as any other day, interspersed with the same modest meals, short periods of rest in the garden, reading and playing cards. Over the past three months, their lives have been clouded by the extreme restrictions they faced and a complete lack of contact with the outside world. Only the fact that they were still together, and in Russia, supported them. This was facilitated by their deep religious faith and absolute trust in God.

Since they were brought here, they have begun to cherish the smallest and simplest pleasures: the sun was shining; Alexei was recovering from his recent illness, and the nuns were allowed to bring him eggs; they were given the luxury of an occasional bath. Such are the few passing, worldly details from the queen's diary that have come down to us from the family in the last days and hours. Yet, despite their brevity, they give us a clear and unwavering image of the family's state of calm — an almost godly acceptance.

Grand Duchesses Maria, Tatiana, Anastasia and Olga. Daughters of Tsar Nicholas II Romanov. Around 1915. Getty Images

Of course, we do not have the opportunity to see the true work of their hearts and minds, but we know that Alexandra, in particular, by this time had resolutely surrendered herself to God. Her faith was her only refuge. She seemed satisfied that she was going into a state of religious meditation, spending most of her time reading her favorite spiritual books. One of the girls, more often Tatiana, always sat with her, giving up her precious time of rest when the others were released into the garden.

But, as always, none of the four sisters ever complained. They took their situation with incredible tolerance. Nikolai also tried his best, relying on his faith and the loving support of his daughters, although Olga, perhaps the only one in the whole family, consumed by a sense of despair, became very thin and sullen and more withdrawn than ever.

Her brother and sisters, however, all longed for something to ease their crippling boredom. In the absence of access to outside world their only amusement was talking to their more responsive guards, but even they were banned by the new commandant, Yakov Yurovsky, in early July.

By the evening of July 16, we do not even have a few restrained daily comments from Nikolai, because on Sunday the 13th, he finally gave up keeping his diary. His final sentence was an extraordinary and very real cry of despair:

"Outside, we have absolutely no news."

News about the Russia they loved? News about relatives and friends? Or news of their alleged rescue by "loyal officers"? If by then the last king Russia felt abandoned and forgotten, then the family must have felt it too and shared his despair. But they didn't show it. And so we do not know if they had in those last minutes when the guards came and woke them up at 2.15am on July 17th and brought them down the stairs to the basement, any suspicions that this was really the end?

In Moscow, the Leninist government discussed what to do with Nikolai, and the whole family, starting in early April. It became more and more obvious that the civil war that was now raging in Siberia would make it impossible for the former tsar to return to Moscow for a lengthy and controversial trial, but Lenin was inclined to make a decision before counter-revolutionary forces were on the verge of capturing Yekaterinburg.

In early July, knowing that sooner or later the city would be captured by White approaching from the east, it was decided that when the time came, the Ural Regional Council should “liquidate” the imperial family so as not to hand them over to the monarchists. And all of them must perish, so that, as Lenin insisted, not a single Romanov would survive as a possible rallying point for the monarchists. But the killing of children, which the Bolsheviks knew would provoke international outrage, had to be kept secret for as long as possible.

Tsar Nicholas poses with his wife and children before the revolution. Getty Images

On July 14, in the Ipatiev House, the Romanovs unexpectedly held a service by a local priest, Father Ivan Storozhev. He was deeply moved by their dedication and the tremendous consolation they clearly received when they were allowed to worship together; but he was also chilled by the eerie sense of doom that prevailed throughout the singing of the liturgy. It was almost as if the family were sharing, knowingly, their last rites.

Meanwhile, Yurovsky was planning the murder of the family. He selected a site in a forest outside Yekaterinburg where the bodies were to be disposed of, but did not verify how viable the hiding place was. He selected his team of assassins from among the guards in the house, but did so without knowing if they knew how to effectively handle weapons; and he investigated the best method for destroying eleven bodies using sulfuric acid, or perhaps incineration, again without any research in this area.

It was decided that the family would be killed there, in the house, in the basement, where any noise of the shooting could be muffled. On the evening of July 16, Yurovsky handed out pistols. For each guard there was one pistol, for each of the eleven alleged victims, one killer: the Romanovs and their four loyal servants, Dr. Evgeniy Botkin, maid Anna Demidova, valet Aleksey Trup and cook Ivan Kharitonov.

But then, unexpectedly, several guards refused to kill the girls point-blank. Talking to them many times, they fell in love with them and did not understand what harm they caused to anyone? Thus, the alleged firing squad was reduced to eight or nine people who, when Yurovsky gave the order to open fire, fired inaccurately, some of them at first disobeyed instructions and fired at Nikolai. Other victims panicked in horror, requiring the executioners to launch a bayonet attack on those who had survived the first onslaught. One thing is clear: the Romanov family and their servants met their death in the most cruel, bloody and merciless way.

The corpses were then unceremoniously thrown into a Fiat truck and taken out into the woods. But the alleged mine Yurovsky chose for burial turned out to be too shallow; local peasants easily found the bodies and strove to preserve them as holy relics. And so, within a few hours, the mutilated corpses of the Romanov family, stripped of the clothes and jewelry of the tsarina, were hastily dug up. Then Yurovsky and his people made an unsuccessful attempt to burn the bodies of Maria and Alexei. The rest of the family were hastily reburied in a shallow grave along with their servants.

On the night of July 16-17, in the house of the merchant Ipatiev in Yekaterinburg, the family of the last Russian emperor was sentenced to death. Although a hundred years have passed since the tragedy, new, sometimes contradictory facts are still being discovered.

Fact number 1

The last three bullets from the Mauser of the commandant of the Ipatiev house, Yakov Yurovsky, went to the son of the last Russian emperor, Alexei.

Investigator Nikolai Sokolov, who was investigating the murder of the royal family, collected testimonies from all the participants in the execution. So, Mikhail Medvedev, who was at the time of the incident in the special purpose house, said that Alexei Romanov woke up shortly after the massacre of the whole family.

Then Yakov Yurovsky approached him and fired the last three bullets from his Mauser. After that, they allegedly began to check the pulse of everyone and shot at Olga and Anastasia.

Fact number 2

The royal family was shot by 12 people. Participation was voluntary.

According to the version of the investigator Sokolov, out of 12 people there were five foreigners. Pyotr Ermakov stated that he personally shot Nicholas II in the head. Mikhail Medvedev stated that it was he who killed the tsar. He allegedly shot at the Romanov princesses.

Pavel Medvedev not only fired, but also organized cleaning in Ipatiev's house to hide the traces of the massacre. Alexander Strekotin was also in the basement, but it is not clear who exactly he was shooting. In his memoirs from 1928, he only recalled the feeling of confusion after the revolver was handed over to him. Alexey Kabanov and Imre Nagy are also on the list of killers, but their role has not been established. The rest appear as "members of the firing squad."

Fact number 3

Military Commissar Pyotr Ermakov traveled around the country for 20 years after the execution and gave lectures.

Ermakov stated that it was he who led the execution, although the participants in the murder did not come to an agreement on this issue - everyone points to different people.

After civil war worked in law enforcement agencies. By 1927 he was promoted to the head of one of the Ural prisons. During meetings with employees, he lectured on the assassination of the imperial family.

In the Urals, there is a legend that one of the few famous people who treated him with contempt was Georgy Zhukov. When he headed the Ural military district, they met with Ermakov during one of the meetings. And when the killer extended his hand to Zhukov, he answered succinctly: "I don’t shake hands with the executioners!"

Fact number 4

The size of the room where the Romanovs were killed is 5x6 meters.

It still remains a question how 23 people could fit in such a small room (Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, Princess Olga, Maria, Anastasia, Tatiana, son Alexei, life-doctor Evgeny Botkin, life-chef Ivan Kharitonov, room girl Anna Demidova, valet Aloisy Trup and 12 shooters). According to the most widespread version, those who were involved in the liquidation of bodies and also supervised the cleaning of the house were also included in the "executioners".

Fact number 5

Before the murder, a truck drove up to the "special purpose house", the engine of which did not stop working to drown out the sounds of gunfire.

In addition, for the same purpose, they shot in the basement and behind a closed door. The general public became aware of the murder of the Romanov family only by February 1919.

Fact number 6

Vladimir Lenin insisted on an open trial of Nicholas II, strongly opposing the execution.

Initially, the Soviet leadership decided to try Nicholas II. This issue was discussed including in May 1918. Lenin, in particular, was in favor of an open trial of the emperor. Historians Dodonov and Kopylova also indicated that preparations for the trial had begun.

It is noted that the chairman of the Ural Soviet, Alexander Beloborodov, allegedly discussed with Lenin the strengthening of the Tsar's protection. Historian Heinrich Ioffe also argued that Lenin could not have time to approve the actions in the Ipatiev house: even if he really received a telegram and answered in the affirmative, by the time of the execution Lenin's answer simply would not have come back.

Fact number 7

The public became aware of the murder of the entire royal family only in 1919.

Thus, the newspapers Izvestia and Pravda published on July 19 materials that Nicholas II was shot. It was said about Alexandra Fedorovna and the children “sent to a safe place”. Later there were rumors that they were in Perm. Starting from July 30, 1918, it was the murder of Nicholas II that was investigated.

The truth became known after Ivan Sergeev, a member of the Yekaterinburg District Court, stated that on February 11, 1919, Pavel Medvedev was interrogated in the city of Perm. He stated that on the night of July 17, not only the emperor, but also his family, as well as the doctor, maid, cook and footman were shot. Further investigative actions confirmed this information.

Fact number 8

Shortly before the assassination, the emperor's wife and daughters sewed jewelry into their clothes in case of escape.

The family of Nicholas II hoped to the last that they would be saved. Alexandra Feodorovna and her daughters sewed some of the jewelry into bras.

When they began to undress one of the girls, they saw a corset torn in places by bullets - diamonds were visible through the holes ... Alexandra Fyodorovna was wearing a whole pearl belt sewn into the canvas. The diamonds were immediately ripped out. They accumulated about half a pound (more than eight kilograms. - Ed.), - Yurovsky later said.

Something was later found at the then former guards of the Ipatiev house (they could not sell it).

Fact number 9

The only servant who until the last day was with the royal family and survived the execution was the cook Leonid Sednev.

The boy was the same age as Tsarevich Alexei, during their exile in Tobolsk and staying in the Ipatiev house, they often played together.

Suddenly they sent for Lyonka Sednev to go and check on his uncle, and he hurriedly ran away, we wonder if all this is true and if we will see the boy again - such lines are found in one of the last diary entries of Alexandra Fedorovna.

The boy was allegedly saved at the personal order of Yurovsky. However, for whatever reason the child was not killed, it remains a mystery. He was sent home, to the Tula province.

After that, the trace of Leonid Sednev disappears. Information about the date of his death is also contradictory. So, according to some sources, he died in 1941 during the battles near Moscow. And according to others, he was shot in 1929 in Yaroslavl on charges of participating in a counter-revolutionary conspiracy.

Fact number 10

The two executioners refused to shoot the women.

Two of the Latvians refused to shoot the girls, - Yakov Yurovsky wrote later.

They did not explain the reasons for this decision. But, since this became known only on the evening of July 16, it was decided not to change the composition of the “firing squad”.

The last days life of the Romanovs.

The history of the tragic death of the royal family today is overgrown with many legends and versions.

Beloborodov's secret telegram to the secretary of the Council of People's Commissars Gorbunov dated July 17, 1918 reads: "Tell Sverdlov that the whole family has suffered the same fate as the head, the family will officially die during the evacuation." The history of the tragic death of the royal family today is overgrown with many legends, versions and opinions. Until the end, it is probably not possible to reliably establish some facts, taking into account the fact that initially all information was completely classified by the Bolsheviks and was deliberately distorted. And in this article we only provide information from various historical and literary sources.

“On the conscience of Lenin, as the main organizer, the destruction of the royal family: the former Tsar Nicholas II, who voluntarily abdicated from the throne, Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna and their five children - son Alexei and daughters Olga, Maria, Tatyana and Anastasia. Together with them were killed doctor B.S.Botkin, Demidov's room girl, servant Corpse and cook Tikhomirov. This monstrous action was carried out in the basement of the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg on the night of July 16-17, 1918 "- Arutyunov A. A." VLADIMIR ULYANOV (LENIN) Documents. Facts. Testimonials. Research ".

At night, a detachment of Latvians, replacing the previous guard, received an order from Yurovsky, who had completed a corresponding training course in Germany before the revolution, to shoot all prisoners. The Forsaken Emperor, his wife, son, daughters and maid of honor were summoned from their bedrooms under the pretext of immediate evacuation from Yekaterinburg. When they all went out to the Latvians in a room 8 yards long and 6 yards wide, they were told that everyone would immediately be shot. Approaching the Tsar, Yurovsky coldly said: "Your relatives wanted to save you, but they failed. We will kill you now." The Emperor did not have time to answer. Amazed, he whispered, "What? What?" Twelve revolvers fired almost simultaneously. Volleys followed one after another.

All the victims fell. The death of the Sovereign, Empress, three children and the troupe's lackey was instantaneous. Tsarevich Alexei was at his last gasp, the younger Grand Duchess was still alive. Yurovsky finished off the Tsarevich with several shots of his revolver, the executioners killed Anastasia Nikolaevna with bayonets, who was shouting and fighting back. When all had calmed down, Yurovsky, Voikov and two Latvians examined the shot, firing several bullets in some of them to be sure, or piercing them with bayonets. Voikov said that it was a terrible picture.

The corpses lay on the floor in horrible positions, with faces disfigured with horror and blood. The floor became completely slippery ... Yurovsky alone was calm. He coolly examined the corpses, removing all the jewelry from them ... Having established the death of everyone, they began to clean up ... The room in which the beating took place was hastily put in order, trying mainly to hide traces of blood, which, according to the literal expression of the narrator , "swept with brooms". By three (six) o'clock in the morning, everything in this respect was over. (From the testimony of M. Tomashevsky, data from the commission of I.A. Sergeev).

Yurovsky gave orders, and the Latvians began to carry the corpses across the yard to a truck parked at the entrance. ... We set off out of town to a place prepared in advance by one of the mines. Yurovsky left with the car. Voikov remained in the city, as he had to prepare everything necessary for the destruction of the corpses. For this work, 15 responsible members of the Yekaterinburg and Verkhne-Isetskaya party organizations were allocated. All were equipped with new, sharply honed axes of the type used in butcher shops for chopping up carcasses. Voikov also prepared sulfuric acid and gasoline ...

The hardest work was chopping up the corpses. Voikov recalls this picture with an involuntary shudder. He said that when this work was completed, a huge bloody mass of human stumps, arms, legs, bodies, heads lay near the mine. This bloody mass was poured with gasoline and sulfuric acid and immediately burned. They burned it for two days. There were not enough taken stocks of gasoline and sulfuric acid. I had to bring new supplies from Yekaterinburg several times ... It was a terrible picture, - finished Voikov. - Even Yurovsky, and he could not bear it in the end and said that there were a few more days like that, and he would go crazy.

At the end we began to rush. They scooped up everything that remained of the burnt remains of the shot, threw several hand grenades into the mine to break through the ice that never melts, and threw a bunch of burnt bones into the hole ... they threw leaves and moss on it to hide the traces of the fire .... Yurovsky left immediately after July 6 (19), taking with him seven large chests full of Romanov stuff. He undoubtedly shared the booty with his friends in Moscow.

One of the even more monstrous versions about the last days of the Romanovs is described in the historical chronicle of S. A. Mesyats "SEVEN COMMENTS ON THE COMMUNIST PARTY" (Commentary 5 HISTORY OF THE KILLS OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY): “Shortly before the execution of the tsar, the Bolsheviks committed a heinous crime. They raped members of the imperial family, including the emperor himself. The boy Alexei was also supposed to be raped, but the act of pedophilia did not happen: Nicholas II, for the sake of saving the tsarevich, took upon himself torment and humiliation for the second time. This may seem incredible, and I myself did not believe for a long time that this was possible. ... But read the officially published "Diaries of Emperor Nicholas II" (M., 1991, p. 682).

There is not a word about the crime mentioned itself, but what the records of May 24 and 25, 1918 mean: “All day I suffered from pain from hemorrhoidal cones ... Dear Alix (wife - SM) spent his birthday in bed with severe pain in his legs and in other places! " The Emperor, neither before nor after this, expresses a single complaint about hemorrhoids, and this is a long and painful illness that lasts for months and years. And what kind of “dr. places "? Why did the emperor not dare to name them even in his personal diary? Why did you mark them with a significant exclamation mark?

After these recordings, they missed 3 days in a row, although Nicholas II made notes every day for 24 years, not missing a single day. Even the abdication of the throne was not reflected in this rule - an event that disrupted the natural course of events in the imperial family and throughout Russia. (Perhaps the rapists tore out from the diary several pages incriminating them: it is hard to believe that the emperor's punctuality was so unexpectedly violated). What was so extraordinary that happened on the 20th of May 1918? Since there are no intelligible answers to these questions, we are forced to accept that nightmare version.

The family of the last emperor of Russia, Nikolai Romanov, was killed in 1918. In view of the concealment of the facts by the Bolsheviks, a number of alternative versions appear. For a long time there were rumors that turned the murder of the royal family into a legend. There were theories that some of his children were saved.

What actually happened in the summer of 1918 near Yekaterinburg? You will find the answer to this question in our article.

Background

Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century was one of the most economically developed countries in the world. Nikolai Alexandrovich, who came to power, turned out to be a meek and noble man. In spirit, he was not an autocrat, but an officer. Therefore, with his outlook on life, it was difficult to manage the crumbling state.

The revolution of 1905 showed the bankruptcy of the authorities and their isolation from the people. In fact, there were two authorities in the country. The official one is the emperor, and the real one is officials, nobles and landowners. It was the latter who, by their greed, licentiousness and shortsightedness, destroyed the once great power.

Strikes and rallies, demonstrations and grain riots, famine. All of this testified to the decline. The only way out could be the accession to the throne of an imperious and tough ruler who could take control of the country completely under his control.

Nicholas II was not like that. It was construction oriented railways, churches, improving the economy and culture in society. He has made progress in these areas. But the positive changes mainly affected only the top of society, while the majority ordinary residents remained at the level of the Middle Ages. Luchins, wells, carts and peasant-craft everyday life.

After joining Russian Empire in the first world war the discontent of the people only intensified. The shooting of the royal family became the apotheosis of general insanity. Next, we will take a closer look at this crime.

For now, it is important to note the following. After the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II and his brother from the throne in the state, soldiers, workers and peasants began to take the lead. People who previously had no dealings with management, who have a minimal level of culture and superficial judgments, gain power.

Petty local commissars wanted to curry favor with the higher ranks. Ordinary and junior officers simply thoughtlessly followed orders. The time of troubles that came in these turbulent years threw unfavorable elements to the surface.

Next, you will see another photo of the Romanov royal family. If you look at them carefully, you will notice that the clothes of the emperor, his wife and children are by no means pompous. They are no different from the peasants and guards who surrounded them in exile.
Let's see what actually happened in Yekaterinburg in July 1918.

Course of events

The execution of the royal family was planned and prepared for a long time. While the power was still in the hands of the Provisional Government, they tried to protect them. Therefore, after the events of July 1917 in Petrograd, the emperor, his wife, children and retinue were transferred to Tobolsk.

The place was specially chosen to be calm. But in fact, they found one from which it was difficult to escape. By that time railways have not yet been extended to Tobolsk. The nearest station was two hundred and eighty kilometers away.

He tried to protect the emperor's family, so the exile to Tobolsk became a respite for Nicholas II before the next nightmare. The king, queen, their children and retinue stayed there for more than six months.

But in April, the Bolsheviks, after a fierce struggle for power, recall the "unfinished business." A decision is made to deliver the entire imperial family to Yekaterinburg, which at that time was a stronghold of the red movement.

The first to be transferred to Perm from Petrograd was Prince Mikhail, the brother of the tsar. At the end of March, son Mikhail and three children of Konstantin Konstantinovich are expelled to Vyatka. Later, the last four are transferred to Yekaterinburg.

The main reason for the transfer to the east was the family ties of Nikolai Alexandrovich with the German emperor Wilhelm, as well as the proximity of the Entente to Petrograd. The revolutionaries feared the liberation of the tsar and the restoration of the monarchy.

An interesting role is played by Yakovlev, who was instructed to transport the emperor and his family from Tobolsk to Yekaterinburg. He knew about the attempted assassination of the tsar that the Siberian Bolsheviks were preparing.

Judging by the archives, there are two opinions of experts. The first say that in reality it is Konstantin Myachin. And he received a directive from the Center "to deliver the tsar and his family to Moscow." The latter are inclined to believe that Yakovlev was a European spy who intended to save the emperor by taking him to Japan through Omsk and Vladivostok.

After arriving in Yekaterinburg, all the prisoners were placed in the Ipatiev mansion. A photo of the royal family of the Romanovs has survived when they were handed over by the Yakovlevs to the Ural Soviet The place of confinement among the revolutionaries was called a "special purpose house".

They were kept here for seventy-eight days. More details about the attitude of the convoy to the emperor and his family will be described later. In the meantime, it is important to focus on the fact that it was rude and boorish. They were robbed, crushed psychologically and morally, mocked so that they were not noticeable outside the walls of the mansion.

Considering the results of the investigations, we will dwell in more detail on the night when the monarch with his family and retinue was shot. Now we note that the execution took place at about half past three in the morning. Life-doctor Botkin, by order of the revolutionaries, woke up all the prisoners and went down to the basement with them.

It was there that a terrible crime took place. The commander was Yurovsky. He blurted out a prepared phrase that they "are trying to save, and the matter is urgent." None of the prisoners understood anything. Nicholas II only had time to ask to repeat what was said, but the soldiers, frightened by the horror of the situation, began indiscriminate shooting. Moreover, several punishers fired from another room through the doorway. According to eyewitnesses, not everyone was killed the first time. Some were finished off with a bayonet.

Thus, this indicates the haste and unpreparedness of the operation. The execution became a lynching, to which the Bolsheviks who lost their heads went.

Government misinformation

The shooting of the royal family still remains an unsolved mystery of Russian history. The responsibility for this atrocity may lie both with Lenin and Sverdlov, for whom the Ural Soviet simply provided an alibi, and directly with the Siberian revolutionaries, who succumbed to general panic and lost their heads in wartime.

Nevertheless, immediately after the atrocity committed, the government launched a campaign to whitewash its reputation. Among the researchers involved in this period, the latest actions are called a "disinformation campaign."

The death of the royal family was proclaimed the only necessary measure. Since, judging by the ordered Bolshevik articles, a counter-revolutionary conspiracy was revealed. Some white officers planned to attack the Ipatiev mansion and free the emperor and his family.

The second moment, which was furiously hidden for many years, was that eleven people were shot. The emperor, his wife, five children and four servants.

The events of the crime were not disclosed for several years. Official recognition was given only in 1925. This decision was prompted by the publication in Western Europe of a book that contained the results of Sokolov's investigation. At the same time, Bykov was instructed to write about the "real course of events." This brochure was published in Sverdlovsk in 1926.

Nevertheless, the lies of the Bolsheviks at the international level, as well as the concealment of the truth from the common people, shook the belief in power. and its consequences, according to Lykova, became the reason for people's distrust of the government, which has not changed even in the post-Soviet era.

The fate of the rest of the Romanovs

The execution of the royal family had to be prepared. The liquidation of the brother of the Emperor Mikhail Alexandrovich with his personal secretary became a similar "warm-up".
On the night of June 12-13, 1918, they were forcibly taken out of the Perm hotel outside the city. They were shot in the forest, and their remains have not yet been found.

A statement was made to the international press that Grand Duke was kidnapped by malefactors and went missing. For Russia, the official version was the escape of Mikhail Alexandrovich.

The main purpose of such a statement was to expedite the trial of the emperor and his family. There was a rumor that a runaway might help free the "bloody tyrant" from "just punishment."

It was not only the last royal family that suffered. In Vologda, eight people associated with the Romanovs were also killed. The victims include the princes of the imperial blood Igor, Ivan and Konstantin Konstantinovich, grand duchess Elizabeth, Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich, Prince Paley, manager and cell attendant.

All of them were thrown into the Nizhnyaya Selimskaya mine, near the town of Alapaevsk. He resisted and was shot. The rest were stunned and thrown down alive. In 2009 they were all canonized as martyrs.

But this lust for blood did not subside. In January 1919, four more Romanovs were also shot in the Peter and Paul Fortress. Nikolai and Georgy Mikhailovich, Dmitry Konstantinovich and Pavel Alexandrovich. The official version of the revolutionary committee was as follows: the elimination of hostages in response to the murders of Liebknecht and Luxembourg in Germany.

Memories of contemporaries

Researchers have tried to reconstruct how members of the royal family were killed. The best way to deal with this is the testimonies of the people who were there.
The first such source is notes from Trotsky's personal diary. He noted that the blame lies with the local authorities. He especially emphasized the names of Stalin and Sverdlov as the people who made this decision. Lev Davidovich writes that in the conditions of the approach of the Czechoslovak detachments, Stalin's phrase that "the Tsar cannot be extradited to the White Guards" became a death sentence.

But scholars doubt the exact reflection of events in the notes. They were taken in the late thirties, when he was working on a biography of Stalin. A number of mistakes were made there, indicating that Trotsky forgot much of those events.

The second evidence is information from Milyutin's diary, which mentions the murder of the royal family. He writes that Sverdlov came to the meeting and asked Lenin to speak. As soon as Yakov Mikhailovich said that the tsar was gone, Vladimir Ilyich abruptly changed the subject and continued the meeting, as if the previous phrase had not been there.

The most complete history of the royal family in the last days of life was restored according to the protocols of interrogations of participants in these events. People from the guard, punitive and funeral detachments gave testimony several times.

Although they are often confused, the main idea remains the same. All the Bolsheviks who were next to the tsar in recent months had complaints against him. Someone in the past was in prison himself, someone has relatives. In general, a contingent of former prisoners was collected.

In Yekaterinburg, the Bolsheviks were pressured by anarchists and Socialist-Revolutionaries. In order not to lose credibility, the local council decided to quickly end this case. Moreover, there was a rumor that Lenin wants to exchange royal family to reduce the amount of the contribution.

According to the participants, this was the only solution. In addition, many of them boasted during interrogations that they had personally killed the emperor. Some with one, and some with three shots. Judging by the diaries of Nikolai and his wife, the workers guarding them were often drunk. therefore real events cannot be restored for certain.

What happened to the remains

The murder of the royal family took place in secret, and it was planned to keep it secret. But those responsible for the elimination of the remains did not cope with their task.

A very large funeral team was assembled. Yurovsky had to send many back to the city "as unnecessary."

According to the testimonies of the participants in the process, they took the task for several days. Initially, it was planned to burn the clothes, and throw the naked bodies into the mine and fill them with earth. But the collapse did not work out. I had to extract the remains of the royal family and come up with another method.

It was decided to burn them or bury them along the road, which was just being built. Previously, it was thought to disfigure bodies with sulfuric acid beyond recognition. From the protocols it is clear that two corpses were burned, and the rest were buried.

Presumably, the bodies of Alexei and one of the servants burned down.

The second difficulty was that the team was busy all night, and in the morning travelers began to appear. An order was given to cordon off the place and prohibit leaving the neighboring village. But the secrecy of the operation was hopelessly destroyed.

Investigation showed that attempts to bury the bodies were near mine # 7 and crossing # 184. In particular, they were discovered near the latter in 1991.

Kirsta's investigation

On July 26-27, 1918, peasants discovered a gold cross with precious stones in a fireplace near the Isetsky mine. The find was immediately delivered to Lieutenant Sheremetyev, who was hiding from the Bolsheviks in the village of Koptyaki. It was carried out but later the case was entrusted to Kirste.

He began to study the testimony of witnesses who pointed to the murder of the royal family of the Romanovs. The information confused and frightened him. The investigator did not expect that these were not the consequences of a military court, but a criminal case.

He began questioning witnesses who gave conflicting testimony. But on their basis, Kirsta concluded that perhaps only the emperor and the heir were shot. The rest of the family was taken to Perm.

One gets the impression that this investigator set himself the goal of proving that not the entire royal family of the Romanovs was killed. Even after he clearly confirmed the fact of the crime, Kirsta continued to interrogate new people.

So, over time, he finds a certain doctor Utochkin, who proved that he had treated Princess Anastasia. Then another witness spoke about the transfer of the emperor's wife and some of the children of the emperor to Perm, about which she knows from rumors.

After Kirsta finally confused the case, it was transferred to another investigator.

Sokolov's investigation

Kolchak, who came to power in 1919, ordered Dieterichs to figure out how the royal Romanov family was killed. The latter delegated this case to the investigator for especially important cases of the Omsk District.

His last name was Sokolov. This man began to investigate the murder of the royal family from scratch. Although all the paperwork was transferred to him, he did not trust Kirsta's confusing protocols.

Sokolov again visited the mine, as well as the Ipatiev mansion. Inspection of the house was made difficult by the presence of the headquarters of the Czech army there. Nevertheless, a German inscription was found on the wall, a quote from Heine's verse that the monarch was killed by his subjects. The words had clearly been carved in red after the loss of the city.

In addition to documents on Yekaterinburg, the investigator was sent cases on the Perm murder of Prince Mikhail and on a crime against the princes in Alapaevsk.

After the Bolsheviks re-seize this region, Sokolov exported all office work to Harbin, and then to Western Europe. Photos of the royal family, diaries, evidence and more were evacuated.

He published the results of the investigation in 1924 in Paris. In 1997, Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein, transferred all office work to the Russian government. In return, the archives of his family, taken out during the Second World War, were delivered to him.

Contemporary investigation

In 1979, a group of enthusiasts led by Ryabov and Avdonin discovered a burial site near the 184 km station using archival documents. In 1991, the latter stated that he knew where the remains of the executed emperor were. An investigation was re-launched to finally shed light on the murder of the royal family.

The main work on this case was carried out in the archives of the two capitals and in the cities that appeared in the reports of the twenties. Protocols, letters, telegrams, photos of the royal family and their diaries were studied. In addition, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, research was carried out in the archives of most countries. Western Europe and the USA.

The investigation of the burial was carried out by the senior prosecutor-criminalist Soloviev. In general, he confirmed all of Sokolov's materials. His message to Patriarch Alexei II says that "under the conditions of that time, it was impossible to completely destroy the corpses."

In addition, the consequence of the late XX - early XXI century completely refuted alternative versions events, which we will talk about next.
The canonization of the royal family was carried out in 1981 by the Russian Orthodox Church abroad, and in Russia - in 2000.

As the Bolsheviks tried to classify this crime, rumors spread that contributed to the formation of alternative versions.

So, according to one of them, it was a ritual murder due to a conspiracy of Jewish Masons. One of the assistant investigators testified that he had seen "kabbalistic symbols" on the walls of the basement. When checked, it turned out to be traces of bullets and bayonets.

According to the theory of Dieterichs, the head of the emperor was cut off and alcoholized. The remains have also refuted this crazy idea.

Rumors spread by the Bolsheviks and false testimonies of "eyewitnesses" gave rise to a series of versions about the survivors. But the photographs of the royal family in the last days of their lives do not confirm them. As well as the found and identified remains refute these versions.

Only after all the facts of this crime were proven, the canonization of the royal family took place in Russia. This explains why it was carried out 19 years later than abroad.

So, in this article we got acquainted with the circumstances and investigation of one of the most terrible atrocities in the history of Russia in the twentieth century.

Most of the Russian tsars of the great Romanov dynasty lived a relatively short life. The last Russian emperor, Nicholas II, is no exception. Martyrdom is far from the only secret of the royal family. What other amazing facts about the Romanovs does history keep?

Direct descendant of the Romanov dynasty

Nicholas II is a descendant of the great Romanov dynasty, dating back to 1613. She stayed in power for 304 years until February revolution 1917 of the year.

Nikolai was titled since birth. He took the throne in 1894 in the Crimea after the death of his father Alexander III... His predecessor was killed in a terrorist attack organized by the populists. Three weeks after accession to the throne, he married Alexandra Feodorovna. Since during this period there was still mourning for the departed father, the honeymoon passed in an atmosphere of memorial services.

Not many people know that amazing fact that the sovereign was like two drops of water similar to his mother's cousin. In adolescence, "George" and "Nicky" were confused even by close relatives. The "double" was destined to become the English king George V.

Nicholas II, like his eminent ancestors, was very fond of traveling. For trips across Russia, his family had a yacht "Standart" and two trains. He was one of the first in Russia to appreciate such a new "thing" as a car. Nikolai drove the car personally and had a hefty fleet of vehicles.

The ruling dynasty of the Romanovs until the February Revolution of 1917 belonged to the richest families in Europe. Works of art that served as decoration imperial court created the best masters those times. To give the jewels national features, the court jewelers supplemented them with double-headed eagles and golden ears. Chests with relics of the Russian crown were first kept within the walls of the St. Petersburg Winter Palace. With the outbreak of the First World War, they were transported to the Armory Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin. Now they can be found in museums in Russia and private collections around the world.

Achievements of the Russian Tsar

Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov ruled the state for 23 years. A man known for his religiosity was actively involved in economics and foreign policy... During the reign from 1890 to 1913, thanks to the competent leadership, the country's GDP grew 4 times. During the world economic crisis, which lasted from 1911 to 1912, unlike other countries, the economy of the Russian Empire was on the rise. At the beginning of the 20th century, Tsarist Russia was rightfully considered the absolute leader who "fed half of Europe."

During the reign of Nicholas II, the population grew by 40%, reaching 50 million. Moreover, along with natural growth, people were able to increase and general level welfare.

Nikolai became the first global peacemaker. On his submission, the program of an international convention on the universal limitation of armaments was developed. The tsar introduced a military reform, according to which the service life was reduced and the conditions for keeping sailors and soldiers improved. During the First World War, he did not hesitate to take command of the Russian army and gave a fitting rebuff to Germany.

The great sovereign himself was a very educated person who owned the 5th foreign languages and well versed in military affairs, economics and world history. Through his efforts in 1908, a program for the introduction of universal education came into force, thanks to which primary education became public and free.

At the expense of the funds created by the king, 140 thousand schools were organized in different parts of the Russian Empire. As a result, by 1916, the number of literate people in the state was 85%. On the eve of the revolution, over 100 universities were already functioning on the territory of the country.

The life of the royal family

He met his future wife Alexandra Feodorovna in May 1884 at the wedding of Elizabeth Feodorovna. Having entered into a marriage for love, the spouses managed to maintain a reverent relationship with each other until their death. Many people know that the family raised five children: daughters Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia and son Alexei.

Few people know the amazing fact about the Romanovs that, in addition to their children, the spouses raised the offspring of Uncle Pavel Alexandrovich - Maria and Dmitry. The foster children called the emperor and his wife “mom and dad”. By the will of fate, it is Dmitry in the future, together with Yusupov, who will kill the gloriously famous Rasputin, for which he will go into exile. Having withstood all the trials, he will subsequently flee to Europe, where he will even have time to start an affair with the inimitable Coco Chanel.

The life of the imperial family, in order to comply with the rigor of upbringing, was not pompous. The daughters were housed two by two in a room. Young ladies slept on folding army beds, each of which was crowned with an inscription with the name of the hostess. There were small bedside tables and a sofa near the beds. The walls were decorated with numerous photographs for which the king had a weakness, and icons.

As in ordinary families, younger sisters had to wear the outfits of their elders. With the weekly pocket money given out, the girls could pamper each other with inexpensive presents.

The parents paid much attention to the education of their children. At the age of 8, they began to learn the Law of God, reading, arithmetic and calligraphy. A little later, the program was expanded by adding 4 languages: Russian, French, English and German. Also, without fail, girls mastered the rules of etiquette, playing musical instruments, natural Sciences and dancing.

Family relationships were built on mutual love and respect. According to the recollections of contemporaries, the palette of children's feelings for their father was so wide that it included almost religious worship and the most cordial friendship.

Favorite of the Russian emperor

The life of the imperial family was overshadowed by the heir's incurable illness. But her parents were forced to hide their feelings, since her character was a state secret. Realizing that traditional medicine is powerless in this situation, the empress pinned her hopes only on miraculous healing.

One of those people who could alleviate the suffering of the young crown prince was the holy elder Rasputin. Spiritual guide, hieromartyr, spy, sorcerer ... As soon as a layman was not called. Only one thing is clear - he was an outstanding personality.

Researchers believe that the elder helped relieve Alexei's pain attacks and reduce bleeding using hypnotic techniques. Inspiring the idea of ​​improving the boy's condition, Rasputin helped to overcome the crisis and thereby calm the suffering one and his relatives.

Blindly believing in "visions" and the unearthly gift of a person who had alleviated the suffering of her son, the empress began to consult with him on many government issues... Contemporaries noted that people appointed to government posts had to go through the "Rasputin filter". The family's spiritual mentor influenced in many ways even strategic decisions during the First World War. This fueled passions in society and caused general rejection.

Attempts by members of the royal family to influence the ruling couple were unsuccessful. Therefore, starting in 1914, several attempts were organized on Rasputin's life. The desired goal was achieved only in 1916.

The last days of the reign

The widespread assertion that Nikolai Alexandrovich abdicated the throne is nothing more than a myth. The surviving manifesto on the abdication and testament of the army to obey the Provisional Government was recognized as fake. Though great sovereign and had the opportunity to escape with his family abroad, he remained faithful to his idea, for which he died.

On April 30, 1917, together with his family and some servants, the tsar was transported to the Ipatiev house in Yekaterinburg. For more than two months, the family had to huddle in four rooms, two of which were set aside for a restroom and a dining room. The Red Army did not stand on ceremony with them. Food was served in minimal portions.

Throughout the entire time, the top Soviet leadership was deciding how to destroy the "remnants tsarist regime": Publicly judge the sovereign or immediately shoot him. The verdict was put into effect on the night of July 17, 1918. A family with children was shot in the basement of the house. The youngest son Alexei at that time was only 14 years old.

The bodies of the slain were loaded into a truck and taken out into the forest, where they were doused with acid and hastily burned. The information that the whole family died together with the king was kept secret for a long time. The official version: the wife and children were exiled to a safe place. The truthful information was released only a few years later. This misinformation helped spread rumors that some family members managed to escape. Some pretended to be the "miracle of surviving" children of Nicholas II deliberately, others - on the basis of mental disorders... According to the most conservative estimates, over the century since the tragedy, the number of impostors has exceeded two hundred.

The Romanovs today

The remains of the Romanov family, found in July 1991 under the embankment of the old Koptyakovskaya road, were identified and carefully studied by scientists. Most of the researchers were interested in DNA. Years of research have led to the conclusion that there were mutations in the genes of the youngest son of Tsar Alexei that led to hemophilia. This was manifested in the Tsarevich by frequent hemorrhages in the organs, which could be provoked by ordinary bruises. Mother Anna Fedorovna and sister Anastasia were also carriers of the hemophilia gene. But this gene did not show up in the female line.

On July 17, 1998, the remains of members of the imperial family were buried in St. Petersburg in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

In 1917, the new government failed to find and destroy all the representatives of the Romanovs. The house of the great family consisted of 65 people. Those who were abroad during this period were able to avoid a sad fate. Today, 4 branches of "survivors" are officially recognized. These are all male descendants of the sons of Nicholas I:

• The Alexandrovichs are the descendants of Alexander II from the living representatives of the brothers Dmitry and Mikhail Pavlovich Romanovsky-Ilyinsky.
• Nikolaevich - the genus on the female line still exists, and on the male, represented by the brothers Nikolai and Dmitry Romanovich, was interrupted in 2017.
• Kirillovichi - Prince Nikolai Kirillovich, princes Yurievsky. Among the living representatives of the branch are Maria Vladimirovna, who heads the Russian imperial house, and her son, Georgy Mikhailovich, born in 1981.
• Mikhailovich - this branch includes all the other living male Romanovs. The youngest male was born in 2013.

Most of them live in the United States and Western Europe. They are united in the "House of the Romanovs". Descendants of the branch of Alexander II can claim the Russian throne. It is "Kirillovichi" that are recognized by the dynasties of European monarchs.