Execution of the Romanovs
The Murder of the Tsar and Family Took Place in Ekaterinburg Russia
The Romanov family, including Tsar Nicholas II, were executed in 1918. The Tsar, Tsaristsa, Grand Duchesses, Tsarevich, a doctor, and three servants were killed.
Tsar Nicholas II and his family were executed on the night of July 16, 1918 in Ekaterinburg, Russia. The murder of the Romanovs has long been seen as a brutal and unnecessary atrocity. Books about the Russian royal family recount the Romanovs' last minutes in the Ipatiev House, and post-execution photos of the room in which the Tsar and his family were shot have become famous. So how did the execution of the Romanovs happen?
Execution of the Romanovs – Who Was Murdered?
Eleven people in all lost their lives on the night of July 16, 1918. In addition, the family dog was also killed. The victims of the murder were:
- Nicholas II – the Tsar
- Alexandra Fyodorovna – the Tsaritsa and Nicholas' wife
- Olga Nikolaevna – the oldest daughter of Nicholas; she was 22
- Tatiana Nikoalevna – the next oldest daughter at 21
- Maria Nikolaevna – age 18
- Anastasia Nikolaevna – the youngest daughter at 17
- Alexei – the Tsarevich, 13 years of age at his death
- Botkin – the family doctor
- Trupp – Nicholas II's valet
- Demidova – a maid
- Kharitonov – the cook
Execution of the Romanovs – How Did Nicholas Know It Was the End?
Yurovsky, the man in charge of the murder of the Romanovs, sent Dr. Botkin to wake the Romanov family and their servants, citing unrest in Ekaterinburg. The family was to be moved to a room in the basement, where they would supposedly be more secure.
The Romanovs did not seem to know that they were to be shot that night. Tsaritsa Alexandra asked for chairs for herself and Alexei, who could not walk, let alone stand. The family was told to line up so that a photo could be taken that would ascertain to a suspicious public that they were, indeed, still in the hands of the Bolsheviks. Instead, this midnight “photo shoot” put them in convenient positions for the executioners, who were then summoned from another room. It was then that Yurovsky announced the Ural Executive Committee's decision to execute the Romanovs.
Execution of the Romanovs – The Final Moments
Each executioner (eleven in all) had his target. However, the murder of the Romanovs did not go as smoothly as planned. While Nicholas and Alexandra died almost immediately, the Romanov children and at least one servant took more than a single bullet. The Grand Duchesses were somewhat protected by the jewels sewn into their clothing. Many of the executioners fired several shots into their victims, took bayonets to them, or kicked and stomped on the fallen bodies.
The bodies were then loaded onto a truck, so the bodies could be disposed of in the nearby woods.
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
