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Tsar Nicholas the Second was forced to abdicate his throne after Russia's involvement in the First World War. Many people within the country blamed the monarchy for the ruin the war had brought to the country. Over 20 million men lost their lives as a result of the war and the economy of Russia was left in a state of ruin. A revolution sprung up in the country led by Vladimir Lenin. The Tsar and his family were placed under arrest at the Alexander Palace during which time they endured cruel treatment by the soldiers guarding them. The Tsar and his family were moved from the Palace to Tobolsk after it was feared that they would be rescued by counter-revolutionary forces. From Tobolsk they were moved a final time to Yekaterinburg and were housed at the Ipatiev House.

On the night of July 17th, 1918, a telegram was delivered to the house with orders to execute the Tsar and his family. The Romanov's were awoken and ordered to dress. They were led into the basement of the house where the charges as follows were read to them.

"Nikolai Aleksandrovich, in view of the fact that your relatives are continuing their attack on Soviet Russia, the Ural Executive Committee has decided to execute you..." During the reading the Tsar said, "What?" as the firing squad raised their weapons Empress Alexandra and her daughter Olga tried to cross themselves but were unable to due to the gunfire. Nicholas was shot multiple times in the chest, the Empress was killed by a gunshot to the back of the head she was killed in the first barage of gunfire with her husband. The daughters of the Tsar had bullets bounce off of them due to the Russian royal jewels sewn into their clothes but they were stabbed with bayonets. Olga died from a gunshot wound to the head, Maria and Anastasia were crouching against the wall of the basement with their hands covering their heads. Maria was shot and killed while Anastasia was bayoneted to death. Their executioner, a man named Yakov Yurovsky shot and killed the Tsar himself then killed Tatina with a single gunshot wound to the back of the head and her brother Alexei was the last member of the family to be shot. He had survived the initial barrage and bayoneting due to him wearing a shirt containing jewels but shot twice in the back of the head behind the right ear by Yurovsky. The families maid Anna Demidova tried to defend herself with a pillow that contained more jewels but was shot. Among those killed other than the Tsar and his family were Dr. Eugene Botkin, Anna Demidova, Alexei Trupp, and Ivan Kharitonov. After all those in the basement were dead the gunfire and bayoneting continued. The bodies of the Tsar and his wife were shot and bayoneted multiple times by a drunken officer. The bodies of the family and servents were dragged out of the basement and loaded into trucks. Most of the victims with the exception of the two children were buried in an unmarked pit, the other bodies were burned and buried alittle ways off in another part of the woods. The graves of the Romanov family and their servents were discovered in 1991, in 2008 the bones of two individuals were DNA tested confirming the identity of Alexei and one of his sisters. All of the Romanov family members have been accounted for and identified.

Wow communists. Really?

I remember reading that they were told they would be taking a family portrait, which explains why they got dressed. Anyone to confirm this?

Well, I heard something about a photograph, but... same difference, I suppose.