Rare Photos Captured The Romanovs’ Final Days: What Really Happened To Russia’s Royal Family?
The Romanov deaths marked the end of imperialist rule in Russia and the beginning of the country's long communist regime. The death of the royal family at the hands of the Bolsheviks is shrouded in misinformation, but the one thing that can't lie is the photographs.
These haunting photos depict the lives of the Romanovs before and during their imprisonment at Alexander Palace in 1917 and before their executions in 1918. The remains of the Romanov family members weren't discovered until 1979. Take a look at the intimate, final moments of the Romanovs.
Captivity Started Off Comfortable But Quickly Turned Dark
In August 1917, the Romanovs were evacuated by their own soldiers to Tobolsk, Siberia for protection from revolutionaries. However, when Bolshevik rule began, the evacuation space turned into a prison. Here Tsar Nicholas II sits with Tatiana, Olga, a little boy of a servant, Alexei, and Anastasia on a fence in front of a greenhouse.
The photograph above was taken on September 1917, just a month before life would become difficult for the family. Soon, the servants were removed from the house and the royal family had to delve into their rations.
They Had To Work During Their Exile
This photograph from the United States Library of Congress was taken in the spring of 1917 and shows Tatiana during her captivity transporting lumps of sod on a stretcher with the aid of a soldier. A fellow nurse wrote that Tatiana "pines without work" while she was in captivity.
Tatiana was crafty and hardworking. She reportedly helped her sisters and brother sew jewels into their clothing so they could go undetected by guards. The plan worked, and the jewels weren't discovered by soldiers until after their executions.
The Last Photograph of Empress Alexandra Was Taken At A Private Service
After the Tobolsk, the family was moved into more severe isolation at the Ipatiev House which was surrounded by high enclosures, had windows sealed shut and painted white, and their cameras were confiscated.
Their move to Ipatiev would be the last time many saw the Romanovs, which makes this photograph the believed last photograph ever taken of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. She sits under an umbrella on the balcony of the Governor’s Mansion at Tobolsk in Siberia with daughters Olga and Tatiana by her side.
The Family Was Split Up Before The Second Move
The Romanovs were still at the Tobolsk Alexander Palace in captivity before they were moved to the Ipatiev "Special Purpose House." They weren't all moved together though. Alexei was too ill to journey so he stayed behind with his sisters while Maria, the Tsar, and Alexandra went to Ipatiev.
The May 1917 photograph above shows Olga, Alexei, Anastasia, and Tatiana sitting on the ground while being held captive. Anastasia is holding Tatiana’s beloved French bulldog, Ortipo, on her lap. At this point, the family was still in captivity but at least parents and children were reunited.
Alexei And Tatiana Were Often Surrounded By Soldiers Towards The End
The peaceful photograph of the family enjoying Alexander Park is in stark contrast to this photo taken just a year later. Here Tatiana and Alexei pause for a photo while performing manual labor under the careful watch of soldiers.
Alexei’s hemophilia made any manual labor potentially dangerous. He likely didn't try to get out of it because he was "bored" during captivity. He tempted fate to make time pass quicker, which led to him sledding down Alexander palace's stairs where he severely injured his groin, hemorrhaged, and as a result spent the last weeks of his life in a wheelchair.
Despite The Rumors, Only Joy The Dog Survived
This photograph shows Alexei posing with his dog named Joy. It was taken in 1916 only two years before his death. Joy was a cocker spaniel and loyal companion to Alexei and favorite of the Russian people.
Alexei wrote in many diary entries that Joy would journey with him wherever he went - even when the Romanovs were in captivity. Many people thought that Joy was also executed by the Bolsheviks in 1918. However, a solider remembered that Joy survived and was waiting in vain to be let in at the door by a family member after the execution.
Everything Happened After Tsar Nicholas II's Abdication
Tsar Nicholas II is shown here in a field surrounded by soldiers after his forced abdication on March 15, 1917. Nicholas II abdicated his crown after the end of the February Revolution claiming it was because of numerous military and economic failures during his reign.
Nicholas II was blamed for the Khodynka Tragedy, Bloody Sunday, the violent suppression of the 1905 Revolution, Russia's defeat in the Japanese War, the anti-Semitic pogroms common under his empire, and 3.3 million Russians killed in WW1. Nicholas II handed the crown to his brother Michael, who swiftly abolished the Imperial regime.
The Ipatiev House Basement Was The Final Place They Went Alive
Before their execution, all the Romanovs were moved to Yekaterinburg’s Ipatiev House. On July 17, 1918, in the middle of the night, Yakov Yurovsky ordered the family to move to the basement lying and saying that it was safer in case the White Army reached Yekaterinburg.
This basement was the last room the family would ever be alive together in again. Reportedly, after being informed of their execution, the Tsar had only time to say "What?" before he and his family were gunned down by soldiers.
They Were Forced To Shave Their Heads
The grand duchesses shaved their heads in the spring of 1917 after a bout with measles. The conditions of their exile were hard, and the family was only allowed meager daily rations of tea, black bread, soup, and meat which soldiers frequently raided.
They kind of look like a barbershop quartet here. Unfortunately, it wasn't a funny situation and in reality, captivity was distressing for the girls. Tatianna wrote to fellow nurse Valentina Chebotarev and said, “it's strange to sit in the morning at home, to be in good health and not go to change the bandages!”
In 1979 The Family's Bones Are Discovered
Almost 6 decades after the execution, in 1979 researchers discovered the remains of Nicholas, Alexandra, and daughters Olga, Tatiana, and Anastasia in two unmarked graves. Alexei and Maria's remains were not located until 2007.
Soviet leaders had been covering up the family's fate since 1919. At first, the Soviets denied their deaths. Eventually, they acknowledged it but said they were murdered by left-wing revolutionaries and that Lenin's cabinet had no involvement. Under Stalin's rule, discussion of the Romanovs at all was forbidden. All of this misinformation coupled with the 1979 finding has lead to numerous investigations being reopened.
Anastasia And Her Sisters May Have Initially Survived
Here Anastasia continues to play around with the false teeth. She would become the most mythologized daughter because of the rumors surrounding the execution that she may have survived.
Tatiana's clever idea to sew jewels and stones into their clothing actually protected Anastasia and Maria, as reportedly they survived the initial blast because bullets ricocheted off their corsets. They were executed moments later after guards discovered them alive crouching in the corner. Her rumored escape would fuel countless movie and art interpretations and 10 imposters.
The Romanov Daughters
The Romanov daughters, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia, are pictured in a formal portrait taken in 1916, just two years before their execution. Behind them is an organ that all of Tsar Nicholas II’s daughters learned how to play. The instrument was confiscated in May 1918 by officers.
When Tatianna and sister Olga decided to go shopping for the first time they didn't buy anything. When they got to shops they realized they didn't have any money and wouldn't know how to use it even if they did, so they went home.
Anastasia Sits Reading In Captivity
This haunting photograph of Grand Duchess Anastasia was taken shortly before her execution in captivity at Tobolsk in the spring of 1918. Many believe that the web of Soviet misinformation caused public fascination with her death and the many women who falsely claimed to be her.
The best-known Anastasia imposter was Anna Anderson DNA testing showed no relation to the Romanov family after her 1984 death. She claimed to be the duchess in 1922, and despite family members and members of the royal court who knew Anastasia denying the claim, she was still believed by many.
A Day At The Beach
Tsar Nicholas II was an avid photographer as well as the imperial head of Russia. Hisare some of the few surviving photos of the family that offer glimpses into their final days. This photo is from one of six recovered albums currently stored at Beinecke Library at Yale University.
Pictured are 4 of the Romanov children and the Tsar's wife Alexandra standing in shallow water during a day at the beach. This photo was taken before they were moved to the strict Ipatiev House during their imprisonment where their brownie cameras were confiscated.
A Visit To The Troops Wasn't Uncommon
Tsar Nicholas II and his family supported the WW1 effort and visited troops like many other monarchs. Pictured is the family visiting a regiment of Kuban Cossacks. The Tsar's older daughters Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and wife Alexandra helped nurse wounded soldiers as volunteers with the Russain Red Cross in a private hospital on the Tsarskoe Selo during the war.
During the war, Nicholas II replaced his cousin Nikolay Nikolayevich as the commander-in-chief of the Russain army. Unfortunately, this wasn't a good move for the monarch's popularity as he became personally associated with Russia's losses.
Empress Alexandra Was A Compassionate Mother
Empress Alexandra was known to be an extremely empathetic and good mother. When her son Alexei was born with hemophilia, a recessive genetic condition that afflicted many of Queen Victoria's descendants, she felt incredibly guilty. She'll be known for her kindness forever, as in 2000 she was canonized as Saint Alexandra the Passion Bearer.
Here Empress Alexandra walking with her second daughter, Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna. Tatiana was rumored to be quite the "mama's girl" and was often said to be her mother’s favorite daughter.
Tsar Nicholas II And His Pairs Of Daughters
Tsar Nicholas II is pictured with his daughters, Maria, Anastasia, Olga, and Tatiana. All four daughters were born before Alexei the heir to the throne. When the daughters were younger, Alexandra would dress them in pairs.
Olga and Tatiana were known as “The Big Pair" and Maria and younger sister Anastasia were known as “The Little Pair.” The four girls were raised as simply as possible, and Alexandra even breastfed them herself despite the pushback from Russain aristocracy.
Alexandra Tried Everything Within Her Power To Help Alexei - Including Calling On Mystic Rasputin
Born on August 12, 1904, Alexei Nikolaevich was the long-awaited son of the Romanovs. He was the youngest child and only son of the Emperor and Empress which made him the heir to the throne of the Russian Empire.
Tragically, Alexei was born with hemophilia which was a recessive genetic condition that often resulted in death in the 20th century. Feeling helpless, Alexandra his mother turned to the help of mystic Rasputin to heal him. Alexei spent the last weeks of his life in a wheelchair before he was executed at 13 years old.
The Children Playing at Wolfsgarten
The Romanov children's early life was starkly different from their later lives following the Revolution. They lived relatively normal lives as children as pictured here where Maria, Alexei, Georg Donatus, and Anastasia are playing with a toy car at Schloss Wolfsgarten, a royal hunting lodge.
The photograph was taken when Anastasia was just 9 years old, Alexei was 6, and Maria was 11. None of them would live for many more years, and Olga would live to be the oldest when she was executed with her siblings at age 22.
The Tsar & His Daughters Used To Love Their Yacht
Like every royal family, the Russain royals had a private yacht. Here the Tsar sits with his 4 daughters while vacationing on their imperial yacht, the Standart. The Standart was one of the nicest boats in operation att he time, as it had crystal chandeliers and mahogany wood paneling.
It was rumored that the yacht was also where the Tsar was told in 1914 about the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand that would ultimately be the catalyst for WW1. Shortly following the assassination and sensing the impending national conflict, Nicholas II wrote cousin Kaiser Wilhelm and expressed a desire for peace.
Happy Times At Tsarskoye Selo Before Captivity
This photograph of Alexandra, Alexei, and the Tsar was taken at Tsarskoe Selo in 1916, about a year before the family would be held in captivity on the same grounds. The Alexander Palace wasn't always a prison for the family, it used to be a summer residence where the Romanovs would go to relax.
Olga notably enjoyed their summer holidays and would often swim, play tennis, and go on her walks with her parents when on vacation. These were happy times here that would, unfortunately, be overshadowed later by pain.
Alexei and Tsar Nicholas II Sawing Wood
This photograph of Alexei and Tsar Nicholas was likely taken by Maria. The photograph was taken sometime in the winter of 1917-1918 while the Romanov family was being held captive at Tobolsk.
They're sawing their own wood because at this point the Bolsheviks had risen to power and dismissed the family's servants. This fact explains why Alexei is handling a saw when he should be nowhere near the equipment as getting a bad bruise or a cut could mean a fatal hemorrhage for him.
They Held Onto Their Dogs
This spring 1917 photograph shows Alexei, Tatiana, and her French bulldog Ortipo sitting on the grounds of Alexander Palace. Ortipo was given to Tatiana while she worked as a nurse by infirmary patient and rumored love, Dmitri Malama.
The dog was a favorite of the family and was mentioned frequently in diaries and letters. Ultimately, Ortipo would travel with Grand Duchess Tatiana and the Romanov family as far as Tobolsk. Dmitri gave her a replacement puppy that ended up dying with the family after Ipatiev.
Prince Alexei Sharing A Meal With His Father
The photo captures a very young Prince Alexei sitting at the table with his father, Tsar Nicholas II. This candid moment reveals none of the political turmoil that was brewing beneath the surface as the Tsar's position looked less certain every day.
If he hadn't been executed with the family, Alexei may have lived the life of a soldier. As a child he had journeyed with his father to the WW1 front lines and ate soldier's black bread. Reportedly, at this time if he was offered a regular meal he would refuse because "it's not what soldiers eat."
They Were Kids First And Anastasia Often Fooled Around
This photograph of Anastasia was taken in 1915 or 1916 before the Romanovs were taken captive. While it looks jarring and eerie especially in combination with the family's bloody history, it's just her fooling around with a pair of false teeth.
Anastasia was known to be a bit of a wild child among the children, and was known to play dirty during games. One time during a snowball fight she covered a rock in snow and threw it at Tatiana. In an act that tempted fate, she was also seen eating chocolate without removing her white gloves.
The Sisters Were Close All Their Lives
In this photograph, some of the Romanov sisters are seen posing for the camera. Like Anastasia, the other sisters were often rumored to have survived the execution and many stepped forward claiming to be the duchesses.
During the execution, the initial round of gunfire only killed the Tsar, Alexandra, and two male servants. At this point, the guards had to leave the room to wait for the smoke and debris to clear. The exit and reentry started rumors that some family members may have snuck away during the confusion or had pity taken on them by the guards.
Tatiana Was Serious Just Like Her Mother
Tatiana, the second eldest Romanov sister is seen here during one of her family’s summer cruises. Tatiana is often hailed as the sister closest to and most like their mother and she was known for her wit and sharp tongue.
As a teenager, Tatiana was assigned a regiment of soldiers, given the rank of honorary colonel, donned a uniform, and would go inspect the soldiers with Olga. While she was a very hardworking girl she was also shocked by the soldier's behavior. When a group of officers gave Olga a portrait of Michaelangelo's David Tatiana was appalled by the indecency.
Family Members Felt Uneasy About Grigori Rasputin's Relationship To The Girls
The Romanov family revered the mystic Rasputin and viewed everything he did as “holy” because they believed he was helping heal Alexei. This belief would work against the family, as many relatives, close friends, and Russians were uneasy with his influence over them and his relationship with the young girls.
Sofia Tyutcheva, the girl's governess, was outspoken with her dislike for him after she spotted him in the nursery with the girls in their nightgown. She was eventually fired, and many believe it was because her distaste for the mystic affronted Alexandra.
Tsarina Alexandra Was A Complicated Political Figure
German born Tsarina Alexandra wasn't popular with the Russain people because of her believed blind faith in Rasputin, her being 1st cousins with Kaiser Wilhelm, and her election and dismissal of several ministers during WW1 that destabilized Russia's government.
Alexandra was reportedly extremely shy and in ill health towards her later years. It was rumored that she combated her poor social skills and ailments by turning to drugs. She confided to a friend that she may have had a barbiturate addiction when she wrote "I'm literally saturated with." The "it" was the drug Veronal.
Maria Was The "Sweetest" Sister Of The Bunch
The third born sister Maria was often called the sweetest sister by her family and friends. She was even nickname "the amiable baby" because she was so well behaved. One time when she did steal some biscuits the Tsar said he was "glad to see she is only a human child."
Maria's survival was rumored alongside Anastasia's. Two young women even claimed to be the sisters and were taken in by a priest in the Ural Mountains. They were subsequently buried with the names Anastasia and Maria Nikolaevna.
Alexei Was Always Horsing Around
Alexei’s playful nature is shown in this photograph where he is playing with his father at the river. Alexei played roughly like any boy despite his illness and his mother's undoubted pleas.
Rasputin's hypnotism and suggestions for doctors to leave Alexei alone to heal are quack methods that probably helped him recover. Rasputin also apparently halted Alexei's use of Asprin, a drug that prevents blood clotting and would've worsened his condition. It seems that by doing nothing Rasputin was actually helping Alexei.
Olga Wore Her Heart On Her Sleeve
This photograph shows Olga Romanov lying in bed. Eldest sister Olga’s marriage prospects were often the gossip of the Russian society. She was betrothed at one point in 1912 to her cousin Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich but it was speculated that it was broken off due to his distaste of Rasputin, his ties to Felix Yussupov who participated in Rasputin's assassination, and Dmitri's rumored bisexuality.
Olga also fell in love with Pavel an Voronov officer aboard the Standart whose engagement to another woman left her feeling "sad." She would later have feelings for soldier Dimitri Chakh-Bagov.
A Royal Elephant In The Room
This 1914 photograph shows Prince Alexei with the royal elephant near Alexander Palace in Tsarskoye Selo. The Tsar wrote in his journal that he "took the elephant to our pond with Alexei today and had fun watching him bathe."
The elephant was apparently at the zoo on the family’s royal estate. There was another zoo nearby, the Leningrad Zoo, that was opened in 1865 and changed to state rule in 1917 after the revolution. The zoo was closed only once, during the bad winter of 1941-42.
Mother And Daughters
This photograph shows Olga and Anastasia sitting alongside their mother sometime in 1916. All of the children enjoyed a close relationship with both of their parents, but Olga and her mother sometimes quarreled.
In a letter to her grandmother, Olga complained about her mother's poor health and said "as usual her heart isn't well. It's all so unpleasant." Alexandra often scolded Olga for her capricious behavior, telling her once after Olga signed a letter "Unmounted Cossack" to not be "so wild and kick about and show your legs."
A Photo Of Alexandra Near The End
This photograph of Alexandra was taken a few years before the end of her life. Alexandra's poor public image fuelled her guilt and desire to provide Russia with a male heir. Instead, she let this obsession cloud her judgment of mystic Rasputin.
Reportedly, Alexandra was a carrier of the haemophilia disease like her sister Irene because of her grandmother Queen Victoria. The Tsarina's daughters were also rumored to be carriers. The showed the carrier sign of bleeding more than normal and Maria even hemorrhaged when she had her tonsils taken out.
It Was Hard On Olga To Work As A Nurse
Like many who dealt with the PTSD that came from being involved in WW1, Olga's work ultimately wore on her psyche. She once used an umbrella to break a window when upset and she destroyed the inside of a cloakroom when she was in a rage.
She was later moved to office work because she couldn't stand the operating room any longer. She was prescribed arsenic injections in 1915, which was a normal treatment for nervous disorders at the time.
Alexei Would Have Been Heir To The Throne
This photograph shows the youngest son Alexei playing war with the children of his tutor. World War I had broken out in 1914. Alexei was the youngest son of the Tsar and Tsarina and the heir to the Russain royal throne.
Though he was in place to, Alexei would likely never succeed his father. After the February Revolution and the creation of the Provisional government, the Tsar abdicated th thone to Alexei. He later changed it to his brother Michael because he believed Alexei wouldn't live long. Michael declined and this decision brought the Tsarist autocracy to an end.
Olga, Alexei, and Tatiana Pose For A Minute
This photograph shows Olga, Alexei, and Tatiana. It was taken four years before they were executed in 1914. Olga and Tatiana, the "Big Pair" were extremely close. Once after Olga came down with typhoid fever and Tatiana visited her, Tatiana reportedly cried and said she couldn't recognize the thin sick Olga as her sister.
Alexei was a troublemaking child. Once at a formal dinner, he crawled underneath the table and removed the shoe of a female guest. The Tsar told him to return the shoe immediately. Alexei did but not before placing a strawberry on top.
On A Boat On A Finnish Vacation
This photograph shows Tsar Nicholas and son Alexei out at sea in Finland. Despite being ill for a majority of his life, the Tsar often showed his heir to the throne the royal ropes.
Alexei wouldn't always have such good luck with boats and water as this photo indicates. In 1912 when he jumped into a rowboat from the docks and hit his thigh on an oarlock a large bruise appeared. Within a week the bruise was gone but the healing hematoma ruptured a few weeks later in a carriage and he almost died.
The Sisters Nursed And Visited Soldiers During WW1
This photograph was taken sometime during WW1. Often, the Romanov sisters would visit the soldiers to boost morale, and Maria and Anastasia were able to attend despite being too young to help nurse. One of the nurses that worked alongside Olga and Tatianna was Valentina Chebotareva.
In Valentina’s diary, she claimed that the love of Olga’s life was wounded soldier Dmitri Shakh-Bagov. They allegedly adored each other, and Dimitri even said he'd be willing to kill Rasputin if she wished. However, it was rumored they wouldn't last because he violated her privacy and showed her letters to other sailors.
