The Last of the Romanovs (Encore)

Discovery

The truth about the Romanov murders began to surface only after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Geologist Alexander Avdanan discovered the remains in 1979, but his findings were not made public until 1989. In 1991, Boris Yeltsin ordered the exhumation and identification of the bodies, revealing nine of the eleven victims 1. DNA testing confirmed the identities of Tsar Nicholas II, his wife, and three of their children in 1998, and they were reinterred at the St. Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg 1.

   

Identification

The search for the remaining Romanov children continued until 2007 when the remains of Alexei and Maria were found and identified a year later. The Russian government reopened the murder investigation in 2010, and further DNA testing in 2015 confirmed the identities again 1. The site of the murders, the Ipatov house, became a pilgrimage site, leading to the construction of a major church in 1992 1.

The Ipatov house where the murders took place became a soviet tourist attraction for years. Communist Party officials would often visit to have their photos taken in the room where the family was killed.

--- Gary Arndt

   

Modern Claims

Modern claims to the Romanov lineage are complex and contested. Prince Karl Emich of Leiningen, recognized by the monarchist party in Russia, claims the title Emperor Nicholas III 2. The Russian Orthodox Church, however, recognizes Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna as the legitimate heir 2.

The person who claims to be the current head of house Romanov is Prince Karl Emich of Leiningen, who has a very german name. His claim comes from being the grandson of Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, who was a cousin of Nicholas II and a grandson of Alexander II.

--- Gary Arndt