For centuries already, the hatred towards the Russian ruling class was growing stronger when the House of Romanov took power. But violent suppression and rising death tolls during World War I ultimately led to the downfall of the last empire in Russia, the last Tsar Nicholas II, and his family.
These disturbing photos chronicle the life of the Romanovs before their assassination in 1918. The remains of the Romanov family members were not discovered until more than six decades after their brutal murder. Take a look at the family’s intimate final photos.
The remains of the Romanovs were discovered in 1979
After the execution of the Romanov family, their bodies were buried in two unmarked graves, in locations kept secret by the Soviet leadership. It wasn’t until 1979 that amateur historians found the remains of family members, which were later reopened and confirmed by DNA testing.
The remains of Romanovs were removed and transferred to a room in the Bureau of Forensic Expertise in Yekaterinburg. Although amateur historians discovered the bodies of Nicolas, Alexandra and her daughters Olga, Tatiana and Anastasia-Alexei, Maria’s remains were not found until 2007. Since that date, numerous investigations have been opened and reopened concerning these murders.