Burial of the Romanovs
Post Execution, the Romanov's Bodies were Moved and Desecrated
The burial of the Romanov bodies after the execution in July 1918 was conducted by Yakov Yurovsky. The remains of the Romanovs were buried in a pit for decades.
The burial of the Romanov bodies was almost as horrific as their execution. Poorly planned, carried out by revenge-hungry Bolsheviks, and all but botched, the burial of the Romanovs was horrifying and inhumane.
The Burial of the Romanovs – After the Execution
Yakov Yurovsky, the leader of the execution squad, had the bodies of the Romanovs and their servants piled into the back of a truck, which immediately set out for the planned place of burial. Disposal of the bodies was initially meant to take place in the area of some abandoned coal mine shafts near Ekaterinburg. The guards placed at the location had been promised live prisoners to shoot for their own pleasure; finding that all of the Romanovs were dead, they proceeded to steal valuables off of all the Romanov remains and fondle the bodies of the females.
The Romanovs' bodies were badly mangled. Faces had been crushed by rifle butts and bullets. The bodies were stripped of their clothing, and Yurovsky supervised the collection of jewelry and other valuables that had been hidden within the seams of the Tsaritsa's and Grand Duchesses' dresses. Then the bodies were tossed down a mine shaft, followed by grenades.
The Burial of the Romanovs – Reburial of the Bodies
Yurovsky did not find that the initial burial site for the Romanovs was secure and secret enough from the Whites, loyalists to the Tsar. He decided the bodies had to be moved. The remains were recovered from the first mine shaft and moved to a more secret location.
It was at this point that the bodies of Maria and Alexei were burned and buried separately, supposedly to keep the Whites from associating the bodies with the Romanovs. Acid and gasoline was used to destroy the rest of the bodies. The final place of burial was determined by the transport truck, which got stuck in the mud on its way from the mine shaft.
The Burial of the Romanovs – 'Missing' Bodies
1970 marked the year of discovery for investigators trying to ascertain the location of the the Romanov's burial. However, two bodies were missing. Much speculation had circulated that one of the Romanov children had escaped execution, and the missing bodies confirmed, in some people's minds, that this was true. Individuals claiming to be Alexei and Anastasia attempted to prove their cases, even in court. It was not until recently that the missing bodies were discovered and proved to be those of Grand Duchess Maria and the Tsarevich.
Because the bodies of the Romanovs were so badly ruined, piecing together the skeletons and identifying remains with certainty has been difficult, at times, for scientists. However, with improvements in technology, identification has become easier, and speculation about what remains belonged to which Romanov needs no more discussion – especially now that all bodies have been accounted for.
References
Lieven, Dominic. Nicholas II: Twilight of the Empire. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 1993.
Massie, Robert K. The Romanovs: The Final Chapter. New York: Random House, 1995
