by Kylie Fox

Created on: October 07, 2008

The deaths of the last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II, and his family in 1918 has captured the hearts and imaginations of the world.

Nearing the end of World War I with a civil uprising from the Bolsheviks imminent in Russia, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated the throne on behalf of himself and his heir, son Alexei, in February 1917. The Romanov family were all placed under house arrest from this point at Alexander Palace in Tsarskoye Selo. Once the Bolsheviks gained majority control of Russia, the family were moved to Ipatiev House, at Yekaterinburg.

Whilst still alive, the Romanovs were considered a major threat the "reds", the Bolshevik army, as many still believed Nicholas to be the legitimate ruler of Russia. The "whites", the army who believed in the Tsar's supremacy, were fighting to restore Nicholas to the throne. If Nicholas and his royal family escaped, his followers would have had someone to lead them and rally loyalists to his cause.

In July of 1918, Ekateringburg was under threat from the advancing Whites. The Reds knew that the area would fall to the better manned and better equipped White Army and that the Romanovs would be liberated. By the time the Whites reached Ekateringburg, however, the Imperial Family had disappeared.

The orders had been made by Yakov Yurovsky to members of the Bolshevik secret police to execute the Tsar and his family. On the night of July 17th, 1918, the family was awoken and told there was trouble in Ekateringburg and that they were to be moved. The whole family, including Nicholas, his wife the Tsarina Alexandra, their daughters, the Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, their son the Tsarevitch Alexei, along with a small circle of servants, were led to the basement. Awaiting them was Yurovsky leading members of the heavily armed execution squad.

Without hesitation, Yurvsky informed the Romanovs that they were to be executed. Nicholas had only time enough to utter "what" and turn to his family before he was struck with a bullet to the head and several to the chest. The death squad then opened fire on the rest of the family. Some of the bullets ricocheted off the bodies of the Grand Duchesses, it was later discovered that they had sewn diamonds and jewels into their corsets for safe keeping which acted as a kind of armour. The death squad continued firing into their bodies and eventually resorted to stabbing the women to death with their bayonets.

The bodies of the now deceased Imperial Family were unceremoniously dumped

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