Animosity toward Russia’s ruling class had already been building for centuries when the House of Romanov took power. But a series of violent suppressions and a mounting death toll during World War I ultimately led to the fall of the last empire in Russia, the final Tsar Nicholas II, and his family.
These haunting photos depict the lives of the Romanovs before their executions in 1918. The remains of the Romanov family members weren’t discovered until nearly six decades after their brutal slaying. Take a look at the shocking discovery, as well as intimate final photos of the family.
The Romanovs’ Remains Are Discovered In 1979
After the execution of the Romanov family, their bodies lay in two unmarked graves in locations which were kept secret by Soviet Leaders. It wasn’t until 1979 that amateur historians found the remains of family members, which were later reopened and confirmed via DNA testing.
The Romanovs remains were removed and relocated to a room in the Bureau of Forensic Examination in Ekaterinburg. Although the amateur historians uncovered the bodies of Nicholas, Alexandra and daughters Olga, Tatiana, and Anastasia—Alexei and Maria’s remains were not located until 2007. Since then, there have been numerous investigations opened and reopened regarding the murders.
A Day At The Beach
This photograph of the Romanov family was found in six recovered family albums that are housed in the Beinecke Library at Yale University. Many of the photos in the recovered albums were shot by the Russian Imperial family’s head of household—Tsar Nicholas II himself.
Pictured below, the last Tsar of Russia’s children pose for a photo while standing in shallow water during a day at the beach. The photo captures three of his daughters as well as their younger brother Alexei Nikolaevich, the heir apparent to the throne of the Russian Empire. He would’ve been about 13 years old at the time.