Who Were The Last Romanovs and What Evidence Is There To Suggest A Survivor? One of the most persistent mysteries of the 20th century began in a small cellar in Yekaterinburg, Siberia in 1918. Former Tsar Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra and their children; Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Alexei, along with servants Anna Demidova, Dr. Eugene Botkin, Alexei Trupp and Ivan Kharitonov, were brutally murdered. With no sign of remains for 73 years and popular rumors that Anastasia survived the brutal massacre of her family, the question endured as to whether all of the Russian imperial family really perished that night. Nicholas Alexandrovich Romanov was born on 6 May 1868 to Tsar Alexander III and Empress Marie Feodrovna. “Little Nicky”, though highly educated, was extremely sheltered; consequently, on the death of his father and his rise to power in 1894, he was far from prepared. He …show more content…
This discovery only added to the myth of Anastasia’s survival, as two skeletons were missing: Alexei and either Maria (as insisted by the Russian inquiry) or Anastasia (as insisted by the American inquiry) . They were not discovered until 2007 by amateur archeologists in a grave only 70 meters away from the other nine bodies. However some, including the Russian Orthodox Church and the House Of Romanov , don’t believe the remains are authentic: “The statement cites documents that are closed to us. We cannot take these arguments on faith… The fate of the cook Sednev has not been established, either.” The DNA report states in the second grave there is one female aged 15-19, and one male aged 12-15, both of whom are children and siblings of the matching bodies found in 1991. Dr. Teri Melton, one of the first scientists to sequence the DNA states, "If you doubt the DNA results, you don't really understand the science behind them", and other experts conclude: “No possibility [of survivors]
Moss, W., 2014. A History of Russia Volume 2: Since 1855. 1st ed. London, England: Anthem Press London, pp.112-113.
Prepubescence is an essential period in a child’s development. A person’s environment can alter their personality and affect them in ways that will remain throughout their lives. With Ivan and Charles, it is evident that the conditions they aged in factored into their frame of mind. Ivan, specifically, experienced multiple challenging incidents in his childhood. For example, when Ivan was three years old his father, Vasilly III, fell ill and passed away on February 4, 1533. His father recognized the futility of having an infant king rule a country, so he left a small council of nobles to rule. Similar to Ivan, Charles also had the inconvenience of inheriting the throne too early. Charles was only twelve years old when he was appointed king in September 1380, but he was not allowed to rule at first. In the early years of his reign his father arranged for his four uncles to rule until he was of age. To be entrusted with so much power at such a young age can be very stressful and the lose of a father figure proved to be traumatic in their later years. After Charles’ coronation, documents ceased to mention him until he finally took the throne around age 20. Ivan, on the other hand, devoted his life to education in his early years allowing him to document his experiences. Five years after his father passed away, Ivan’s mother was poisoned and killed. This left him, and his brother Iuri, in the care of the
Nicholas II ruled Russia from 1894-1917 and was to be its final tsar. He ascended the throne under the impression that he would rule his whole life as it's undisputed leader. Accompanied by his wife, Alexandra, they lived a comfortable life of luxury while the country suffered around them. Nicholas was determined to rule as harshly as his father; however, he was a very weak and incompetent character who did not posses the qualities capable of guiding Russia through its time of turmoil.
On July 16, 1918, the Russian imperial family, the Romanovs, were executed in the basement of the Ipatiev House by the Bolshevik political party. While The Kitchen Boy, by Robert Alexander, follows the point of view of the family’s young kitchen boy during this event, along with a different possible ending to history, it also follows the boy through the poor treatment of the royal family long before they were killed. During their stay in the House of Special Purpose under control of the Bolsheviks, the Romanov family endured physical, psychological, and spiritual mistreatments.
Grigory Yefimovich Novykh was born on January 23, 1871, in Tobolsk, Russia (DISCovering). “He earned the name Rasputin which is Russian for ‘debauched one’” (Rasputin). “Grigory Rasputin was born in western Siberia, in the town of Pokrovskoe,”says another source (Fuhrmann 1). The name “Grigory” indicates Rasputin may have been born on January 10, the day dedicated to St. Grigory of Nicea (Fuhrmann 1). Although the actual date and place of birth cannot be determined, one fact is known for certain: Rasputin had an influence over the health of the young Aleksey Nickolayovich, “hemophiliac heir to the Russian throne” (Rasputin). Grigory had been against war, but was recognized for his drunkeness (Radzinsky 271). Before Rasputin got his job with the Russian family, he lived off donations from peasants because of his claim of being a “self- proclaimed holy man” (Rasputin).
The Russian revolution of February 1917 was a momentous event in the course of Russian history. The causes of the revolution were very critical and even today historians debate on what was the primary cause of the revolution. The revolution began in Petrograd as “a workers’ revolt” in response to bread shortages. It removed Russia from the war and brought about the transformation of the Russian Empire into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic, replacing Russia’s monarchy with the world’s first Communist state. The revolution opened the door for Russia to fully enter the industrial age. Before 1917, Russia was a mostly agrarian nation. The Russian working class had been for many years fed up with the ways they had to live and work and it was only a matter of time before they had to take a stand. Peasants worked many hours for low wages and no land, which caused many families to lose their lives. Some would argue that World War I led to the intense downfall of Russia, while others believe that the main cause was the peasant unrest because of harsh living conditions. Although World War I cost Russia many resources and much land, the primary cause of the Russian Revolution was the peasant unrest due to living conditions because even before the war began in Russia there were outbreaks from peasants due to the lack of food and land that were only going to get worse with time.
Nicholas 2's firm and obstinant belief of his commitment to autocracy can be clearly seen in a letter of reply he sent to a liberal zemstvo head before his coronation. "I shall maintain the principal of autocracy just as firmly and unflinchingly as it was preserved by my unforgettable dead father (Alexandra 3)"(Nicholas & Alexandra, Robert K. Massie). His ultra-conservative political outlook was influenced greatly when a child Tsar Nicholas was educated by the reactionary tutor Konstantin Pobenonstev, enemy of all reform. If there were any doubts about Nicholas' belief in autocracy they would have been put to rest. Pobenonstev was once called "The Highest Priest of Social Stagnation". He once declared, "Among the falsest of political principles is the principle of sovereignty of the people".
Romanov, Olga Nikolaevna. The Diary of Olga Romanov: Royal Witness to the Russian Revolution: With Excerpts from Family Letters and Memoirs of the Period. Trans. Helen Azar. Yardley, Pennsylvania: Westholme, LLC, 2014. Print.
Czars were the rulers of the Russian monarchy. They held the supreme power. Czars ruled Russia from nearly the 16th century until the Bolskevik revolution in 1917. The word Czar was taken from the Latin word Caesar, which were the titles of Roman rulers. The beginning of Russian Czars began with Ivan the Terrible and ended with Nicholas II. They ruled for nearly 350 years.
In 1934, Sergey Kirov a rival to Stalin was murdered. Stalin is believed to have been behind the assassination, he used it as a pretext to arrest thousands of his other opponents who in his words might have been responsible for Kirov’s murder. These purges not only affected those who openly opposed Stalin but ordinary people too. During the rule of Stain o...
Misunderstandings happen in our everyday lives, but when is one misunderstanding one too many that can ultimately leave a country in ruins? The Family Romanov written by Candace Fleming is a nonfiction piece set in the time span of 1903 to 1918 filled with the experience of life in the Russian autocracy under the Romanov rule as a peasant, royal and rebel. This story tells us about the downfall of the once greatly praised Russian autocracy, Fleming takes the reader on a journey featuring the rise, but more so the downfall of their rule. After centuries of reign, the Romanov line has a final ruler, Nicholas II, decisions are made and blood is spilled. But, how far would the people of Russia go for a fair government and how oblivious is not
("Sergei Eisenstein is Dead in Moscow”, New York Times, 1948). Eisenstein’s more popular works include: Strike, The Battleship Potemkin, October, Alexander Nevsky, and Ivan the Terrible (Hoobler 77-80). To this day, Eisenstein is held in hi...
p. 291.) The aforesaid aforesaid afores As Dmitri grew older, it became apparent to everyone that Dmitri understood complex topics better than others did. When Dmitri turned 14 and entered school in Tobolsk, a second major family tragedy occurred: his mother’s glass factory burned to the ground.
Riasanovsky, Nicholas V., and Mark D. Steinberg. A History of Russia. 7th ed. Oxford: Oxford, 2005. Print.