The Last Russian Czar

Born in 1863, Nicholas II was the

last of the Romanov Family who had ruled as czars in Russia for hundreds of years. Like most czars, he was an autocratic

ruler of an unlimited government and wealthy beyond

belief.

You may remember

him as the guy who

was wearing the jeweled hat.Er. . . crown.

With his wife, Alexandria, in their official royal robes.

Alexandria’s Coronationrobe (minus the jewels)

now on display in museum.

Like many European royal couples, Nicholas and Alexandria were distantly related to one another. Royals

were only supposed to marry other royals, so

cousins marrying cousins was fairly

common. But unlike many other royal

couples, the Romanovs were said

to have been devoted to one another.

Official engagement photo.

Wedding ceremony 1894.

The Romanovshad four daughters

and one son.

The Romanov Family had many palaces scattered around Russia. They moved from one

to the other with the seasons or as demanded by the czar’s schedule.

Can you name two of these palaces?

Winter Palace But this palace in the city of St. Petersburg was

the chief residence of the Romanov Family. It had 1,500 rooms and 117 staircases.

Ariel view from the back river entrance.

Front Street Entrance Main Entrance

View fromthe Main Gate

Another of the 117staircases located

throughout the palace.Not all were as grand as these.

Today, the Winter Palace is used by the

Russian government as an office building, but visitors are allowed to tour many of the grand

rooms.

Just a few more rooms!

The Romanovs were known for their luxurious lifestyle. Nowhere was this more evident than in their fabulous collection of jeweled eggs which they had made and exchanged

with each other at Easter. If it looks like gold – it IS gold!

If it looks like a diamond – it IS a diamond! If it looks like a pearl – it IS a pearl!

But Not All That Glitters is Gold

Yet despite all their wealth and power,

the Romanov Family had their share of

trials and tribulations. First and foremost was the health of their son Alexei. Unlike

his four older sisters, Alexei was a frail child and had the sad misfortune of

being a hemophiliac.

Hemophilia was widespread among the royals of Europe

where there had been frequent intermarriages between families. This disease prevents blood

from clotting so that hemophiliacs are often

referred to as free-bleeders. Because of this condition, the slightest cut or bruise might cause the victim to bleed to death. Although

there are medications today that can help these victims,

no such medicine was available back in the early 1900s and because only a small cut could kill him, the Romanovs lived in constant fear for their only son and heir to the throne’s life.

Alexei with family and guardian servant.

Hemophilia causesgreat discomfort toits victims. This painis often reflected onthe face of Alexei in

photographs.

But their son’s health wasn’t the Romanov’s only worry in the early 1900s. Czar Nicholas was blamed for the

Bloody Sunday Massacre of 1905 and

for the defeat the Russians suffered from the Japanese during the

Russo-Japanese War that same year.

Discontented factory workers and peasants

began organizing themselves into strong

political groups opposing the unlimited Russian government. For the first time in centuries, the czar’s

autocratic powers were seriously threatened.

Concerned with all the events that were happening and worried as always for her

son’s health, the czar’s wife, Alexandria, turned to an

unlikely source of help – a peasant mystic who claimed he could see the future and could protect Alexei and the rest of the Romanov Family. His name was Rasputin and Alexandria’s friendship with

him did little to ease the tension within the family or

with the citizens who mistrusted him and his influence over the royal

family. Tensions were high and it was clear that a

revolution of some type was near.

Political cartoon showing Rasputin’s influence over the

royal family.

The End of a DynastyWhen the Great War (WWI)

broke out in Europe in 1914, Russia entered on the side of the Allies and sent soldiers

off to help fight against Germany. But the situation

was so bad and tensions were so high back home in

Russia, that the government was forced to withdraw from

the world war and defend itself against its own people. The Russian Revolution had begun and life as they had known it for centuries was

about to change for the Romanov Family.

Communism was on its way.

Soldiers returning from the war joined with protesters in the streets calling for a new government and for the czar’s resignation. The army disintegrated and the

whole country was plunged into crisis. Members of the czar’s government were arrested and in March of 1917, Nicholas II was forced to abdicate and flee the city with his family. For the first time in nearly 500 years, there

was no Romanov czar on the Russian throne.

Protestors march demandinga new government and an end

to the reign of the czars.

The Romanovs leaving the Winter Palace for the last time.

Having signed his resignation and abdicated

all rights to the throne, Nicholas was sure the new

provisional government would let him and his

family leave the country by train and move to Finland. But the new government

was not so forgiving. Revolutionary soldiers

boarded the train, captured the entire

Romanov family, as well as their servants, and sent

them to a home in Siberia where they were to live in

exile until the new government decided their

fate.

Romanov family in exile.

The Romanovs were exiled to a large home in the town of Ekaterinburg, where they appealed to distant family members, such as King George of Great Britain, for help. No one came to

their aid. On July 16, 1917, the family was awakened in the night and informed there was fighting in the nearby town. Assured they

would be safer in a lower room, the czar’s family was told to dress and go downstairs where they were to have a photograph

taken while waiting for the fighting to end. The family, along with three servants and Alexei’s doctor complied with the order and

waited for the photographer to come take their picture. He never came.

Ipatiev House where theRomanovs were exiled.The white arrow on the

photo indicates thebasement room wherethey were sent to have

a photograph made.

Eleven soldiers entered the room instead. Each

one was assigned a target. They opened fired

and killed the seven members of the

Romanov family, three of their servants and the

family doctor. The bodies were carted off to some nearby woods, doused with acid, burned and

buried in secret graves. Years later, one of the

soldiers reported that the young girls and their

mother required more shots to kill than the

others. The reason: their clothes were filled with hidden diamonds and

jewels which caused the bullets to ricochet.

Recreation photograph of the family just before

execution.

Actual photo of the basement room after the shooting.

Mystery AboundsFor decades following the

death of the Romanovs, people questioned whether all of the

family members had died. The soldier’s story of the girls taking longer to die and

another one reporting that the youngest daughter, Anastasia

had cried out when thrown into the cart, kept alive stories that at least one of the daughters might have escaped and was living in Europe. For years a

woman living in Germany claimed to be Anastasia, and was able to convince many

people that she was the true child of Nicholas II. Years

later, DNA testing proved that her claim was false.

Grand Duchess AnastasiaScience would prove this Would Be Anastasia to be a fake.

In 1991, in a wooded area near the house where they

had been exiled, the gravesite of the Romanov Family was found, and the

bones sent to labs for testing. DNA testing found the bones to be that of the

Romanov Family and confirmed that all seven

members had indeed been killed that fateful night in 1917. Later the remains

were laid to rest in proper graves in the cathedral of St. Paul in the city of St.

Petersburg. The Romanov Family could now rest in

peace.

Gravesite of Czar Nicholas IIScientists examining remains.Final Resting Place

The Romanov FamilyKilled July 16, 1917

The End of an EraWith the death of Czar

Nicholas II and his family, life changed for everyone in Russia. This was just the beginning of the Russian

Revolution that would bring an end to the reign of the powerful czars and nobles. But who or what would take

their place? Would Russia be a better place to live? Would

the government still have unlimited power? What was next for the people of this great and proud nation?