Because of what the Romanov family was shot. “All peoples are informed about this” The main myths about the execution of the royal family

Nicholas II and his family

“They died martyrs for humanity. Their true greatness did not stem from their royal dignity, but from that amazing moral height to which they gradually rose. They have become the perfect force. And in their very humiliation, they were a striking manifestation of that amazing clarity of the soul, against which all violence and all rage are powerless, and which triumphs in death itself ”(Tsarevich Alexei’s teacher Pierre Gilliard).

NicholasII Aleksandrovich Romanov

Nicholas II

Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov (Nicholas II) was born on May 6 (18), 1868 in Tsarskoye Selo. He was the eldest son of Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna. He received a strict, almost harsh upbringing under the guidance of his father. "I need normal healthy Russian children," - such a requirement was put forward by Emperor Alexander III to the educators of his children.

The future emperor Nicholas II received a good education at home: he knew several languages, studied Russian and world history, was deeply versed in military affairs, and was a widely erudite person.

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich and Princess Alice

Princess Alice Victoria Helena Louise Beatrice was born on May 25 (June 7), 1872 in Darmstadt, the capital of a small German duchy, already forcibly included by that time in the German Empire. Alice's father was Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt, and her mother was Princess Alice of England, the third daughter of Queen Victoria. As a child, Princess Alice (Alyx, as her family called her) was a cheerful, lively child, for which she was nicknamed "Sunny" (Sunny). There were seven children in the family, all of them were brought up in patriarchal traditions. Mother set strict rules for them: not a single minute of idleness! The clothes and food of the children were very simple. The girls themselves cleaned their rooms, performed some household chores. But her mother died of diphtheria at the age of thirty-five. After the tragedy she experienced (and she was only 6 years old), little Alix became withdrawn, aloof, and began to shun strangers; she calmed down only in the family circle. After the death of her daughter, Queen Victoria transferred her love to her children, especially to the youngest, Alix. Her upbringing and education were under the control of her grandmother.

marriage

The first meeting of the sixteen-year-old heir to Tsesarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich and the very young Princess Alice took place in 1884, and in 1889, having reached the age of majority, Nikolai turned to his parents with a request to bless him for marriage with Princess Alice, but his father refused, citing his youth as the reason for the refusal. I had to come to terms with my father's will. But usually soft and even timid in dealing with his father, Nicholas showed perseverance and determination - Alexander III gives his blessing to the marriage. But the joy of mutual love was overshadowed by a sharp deterioration in the health of Emperor Alexander III, who died on October 20, 1894 in the Crimea. The next day, in the palace church of the Livadia Palace, Princess Alice was converted to Orthodoxy, was anointed, receiving the name of Alexandra Feodorovna.

Despite the mourning for the father, they decided not to postpone the marriage, but to hold it in the most modest atmosphere on November 14, 1894. So for Nicholas II, family life and the management of the Russian Empire began at the same time, he was 26 years old.

He had a lively mind - he always quickly grasped the essence of the issues reported to him, an excellent memory, especially for faces, the nobility of the way of thinking. But Nikolai Alexandrovich, with his gentleness, tact in handling, and modest manners, gave the impression to many of a man who did not inherit the strong will of his father, who left him the following political testament: “ I bequeath to you to love everything that serves the good, honor and dignity of Russia. Protect autocracy, remembering that you are responsible for the fate of your subjects before the Throne of the Most High. Faith in God and the holiness of your royal duty be the foundation of your life for you. Be firm and courageous, never show weakness. Listen to everyone, there is nothing shameful in this, but listen to yourself and your conscience.

Beginning of the reign

From the very beginning of his reign, Emperor Nicholas II treated the duties of the monarch as a sacred duty. He deeply believed that even for the 100-million Russian people, tsarist power was and remains sacred.

Coronation of Nicholas II

1896 is the year of coronation celebrations in Moscow. The sacrament of chrismation was performed over the royal couple - as a sign that, just as there is no higher, there is no harder on earth royal power, there is no burden heavier than royal service. But the coronation celebrations in Moscow were overshadowed by the disaster at the Khodynka field: a stampede occurred in the crowd waiting for the royal gifts, in which many people died. According to official figures, 1389 people died and 1300 were seriously injured, according to unofficial data - 4000. But the events on the occasion of the coronation were not canceled in connection with this tragedy, but continued according to the program: in the evening of the same day, a ball was held at the French ambassador. The sovereign was present at all planned events, including the ball, which was perceived ambiguously in society. The tragedy at Khodynka was perceived by many as a gloomy omen for the reign of Nicholas II, and when the question of his canonization arose in 2000, it was cited as an argument against it.

A family

On November 3, 1895, the first daughter was born in the family of Emperor Nicholas II - Olga; she was born Tatiana(May 29, 1897), Maria(June 14, 1899) and Anastasia(June 5, 1901). But the family was waiting for the heir.

Olga

Olga

From childhood, she grew up very kind and sympathetic, deeply worried about other people's misfortunes and always tried to help. She was the only one of the four sisters who could openly object to her father and mother and was very reluctant to submit to her parents' will if circumstances required it.

Olga loved to read more than other sisters, later she began to write poetry. The French teacher and friend of the imperial family, Pierre Gilliard, noted that Olga learned the material of the lessons better and faster than the sisters. It was easy for her, that's why she was sometimes lazy. " Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna was a typical good Russian girl with a big soul. She made an impression on those around her with her tenderness, her charming sweet treatment of everyone. She behaved with everyone evenly, calmly and amazingly simply and naturally. She did not like housekeeping, but she loved solitude and books. She was developed and very well-read; She had an aptitude for the arts: she played the piano, sang, and studied singing in Petrograd, drawing well. She was very modest and did not like luxury.”(From the memoirs of M. Dieterikhs).

There was an unfulfilled plan for Olga's marriage to a Romanian prince (future Carol II). Olga Nikolaevna categorically refused to leave her homeland, to live in a foreign country, she said that she was Russian and wanted to remain so.

Tatiana

As a child, her favorite activities were: serso (playing hoop), riding a pony and a bulky bicycle - tandem - paired with Olga, leisurely picking flowers and berries. From quiet home entertainment, she preferred drawing, picture books, confused children's embroidery - knitting and a "doll's house".

Of the Grand Duchesses, she was the closest to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, she always tried to surround her mother with care and peace, to listen and understand her. Many considered her the most beautiful of all the sisters. P. Gilliard recalled: “ Tatyana Nikolaevna was by nature rather restrained, had a will, but was less frank and direct than her older sister. She was also less gifted, but atoned for this shortcoming by great consistency and evenness of character. She was very beautiful, although she did not have the charms of Olga Nikolaevna. If only the Empress made a difference between the Daughters, then Tatyana Nikolaevna was Her favorite. Not that Her sisters loved Mother less than Her, but Tatyana Nikolaevna knew how to surround Her with constant care and never allowed herself to show that She was out of sorts. With her beauty and natural ability to keep herself in society, She overshadowed her sister, who was less concerned with Her special and somehow faded into the background. Nevertheless, these two sisters dearly loved each other, there was only a year and a half difference between them, which, naturally, brought them closer. They were called "big", while Maria Nikolaevna and Anastasia Nikolaevna continued to be called "small".

Maria

Contemporaries describe Maria as a lively, cheerful girl, too large for her age, with light blond hair and large dark blue eyes, which the family affectionately called "Masha's Saucers".

Her French teacher, Pierre Gilliard, said that Maria was tall, with a good physique and rosy cheeks.

General M. Dieterikhs recalled: “Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna was the most beautiful, typically Russian, good-natured, cheerful, even-tempered, friendly girl. She knew how and loved to talk with everyone, especially with a simple person. During walks in the park, she always used to start conversations with the soldiers of the guard, questioned them and perfectly remembered who had what to call his wife, how many children, how much land, etc. She always found many common topics for conversations with them. For her simplicity, she received the nickname "Mashka" in the family; that was the name of her sisters and Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich.

Maria had a talent for drawing, she was good at sketching, using her left hand for this, but she had no interest in schoolwork. Many noticed that this young girl was 170 cm tall and by force went to her grandfather, Emperor Alexander III. General M. K. Diterichs recalled that when the sick Tsarevich Alexei needed to get somewhere, and he himself was unable to walk, he called: “Masha, carry me!”

They remember that little Mary was especially attached to her father. As soon as she started walking, she constantly tried to sneak out of the nursery with a cry of “I want to go to daddy!” The nanny had to almost lock her up so that the baby would not interrupt the next reception or work with the ministers.

Like the rest of the sisters, Maria loved animals, she had a Siamese kitten, then she was given a white mouse, which settled comfortably in the sisters' room.

According to the recollections of the surviving close associates, the Red Army soldiers guarding the Ipatiev house sometimes showed tactlessness and rudeness towards the prisoners. However, here, too, Maria managed to inspire respect for the guards; so, there are stories about the case when the guards, in the presence of two sisters, allowed themselves to let off a couple of greasy jokes, after which Tatiana “white as death” jumped out, Maria scolded the soldiers in a stern voice, stating that in this way they could only arouse hostility relation. Here, in the Ipatiev house, Maria celebrated her 19th birthday.

Anastasia

Anastasia

Like other children of the emperor, Anastasia was educated at home. Education began at the age of eight, the program included French, English and German, history, geography, the Law of God, natural sciences, drawing, grammar, arithmetic, as well as dance and music. Anastasia did not differ in diligence in her studies, she could not stand grammar, she wrote with terrifying mistakes, and called arithmetic with childlike immediacy "svin". English teacher Sidney Gibbs recalled that once she tried to bribe him with a bouquet of flowers to increase her grade, and after he refused, she gave these flowers to a Russian teacher, Pyotr Vasilyevich Petrov.

During the war, the empress gave many of the palace rooms for hospital premises. The older sisters Olga and Tatyana, together with their mother, became sisters of mercy; Maria and Anastasia, being too young for such hard work, became patronesses of the hospital. Both sisters gave their own money to buy medicines, read aloud to the wounded, knitted things for them, played cards and checkers, wrote letters home under their dictation and entertained them with telephone conversations in the evenings, sewed linen, prepared bandages and lint.

According to the memoirs of contemporaries, Anastasia was small and dense, with blond hair with a reddish tint, with large blue eyes inherited from her father.

The figure of Anastasia was quite dense, like her sister Maria. She inherited wide hips, a slender waist and a good bust from her mother. Anastasia was short, strongly built, but at the same time seemed somewhat airy. Her face and physique were rustic, yielding to the stately Olga and the fragile Tatyana. Anastasia was the only one who inherited the shape of her face from her father - slightly elongated, with protruding cheekbones and a wide forehead. She was very much like her father. Large facial features - big eyes, a large nose, soft lips made Anastasia look like a young Maria Fedorovna - her grandmother.

The girl was distinguished by a light and cheerful character, she loved to play bast shoes, forfeits, in serso, she could tirelessly rush around the palace for hours, playing hide and seek. She easily climbed trees and often, out of sheer mischief, refused to descend to the ground. She was inexhaustible in inventions. With her light hand, it became fashionable to weave flowers and ribbons into her hair, which little Anastasia was very proud of. She was inseparable from her older sister Maria, adored her brother and could entertain him for hours when another illness put Alexei to bed. Anna Vyrubova recalled that "Anastasia was as if made of mercury, and not of flesh and blood."

Alexei

On July 30 (August 12), 1904, the fifth child and the only, long-awaited son, Tsarevich Alexei Nikolayevich, appeared in Peterhof. The royal couple attended the glorification of Seraphim of Sarov on July 18, 1903 in Sarov, where the emperor and empress prayed for the granting of an heir. Named at birth Alexey- in honor of St. Alexis of Moscow. On the mother's side, Alexei inherited hemophilia, which was carried by some of the daughters and granddaughters of the English Queen Victoria. The disease became apparent in the Tsarevich already in the autumn of 1904, when a two-month-old baby began to bleed heavily. In 1912, while resting in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, the Tsarevich unsuccessfully jumped into a boat and severely injured his thigh: the hematoma that arose did not resolve for a long time, the child’s health was very difficult, and bulletins were officially printed about him. There was a real threat of death.

The appearance of Alexei combined the best features of his father and mother. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, Alexei was a handsome boy, with a clean, open face.

His character was complaisant, he adored his parents and sisters, and those souls doted on the young Tsarevich, especially the Grand Duchess Maria. Aleksey was capable in studies, like the sisters, he made progress in learning languages. From the memoirs of N.A. Sokolov, author of the book "The Murder of the Royal Family: “The heir to Tsarevich Alexei Nikolayevich was a boy of 14 years old, smart, observant, receptive, affectionate, cheerful. He was lazy and did not particularly like books. He combined the features of his father and mother: he inherited the simplicity of his father, was alien to arrogance, arrogance, but had his own will and obeyed only his father. His mother wanted to, but could not be strict with him. His teacher Bitner says of him: "He had a great will and would never submit to any woman." He was very disciplined, withdrawn and very patient. Undoubtedly, the disease left its mark on him and developed these traits in him. He did not like court etiquette, he liked to be with the soldiers and learned their language, using in his diary purely folk expressions he had overheard. His stinginess reminded him of his mother: he did not like to spend his money and collected various abandoned things: nails, lead paper, ropes, etc. ”

The Tsarevich was very fond of his army and was in awe of the Russian warrior, respect for whom was passed on to him from his father and from all his sovereign ancestors, who always taught him to love a simple soldier. The prince's favorite food was "shchi and porridge and black bread, which all my soldiers eat," as he always said. Every day they brought him samples of cabbage soup and porridge from the soldiers' kitchen of the Free Regiment; Alexey ate everything and licked the spoon, saying: “This is delicious, not like our lunch.”

During the First World War, Alexei, who was the chief of several regiments and chieftain of all Cossack troops, visited the active army with his father, awarded distinguished fighters. He was awarded the silver St. George medal of the 4th degree.

Raising children in the royal family

The life of the family was not luxurious for the purpose of education - the parents were afraid that wealth and bliss would spoil the character of the children. The imperial daughters lived two by two in a room - on one side of the corridor there was a “big couple” (eldest daughters Olga and Tatyana), on the other - a “small couple” (younger daughters Maria and Anastasia).

Family of Nicholas II

In the younger sisters' room, the walls were painted gray, the ceiling was painted with butterflies, the furniture was white and green, simple and artless. The girls slept on folding army beds, each labeled with the owner's name, under thick monogrammed blue blankets. This tradition came from the time of Catherine the Great (she introduced such an order for the first time for her grandson Alexander). The beds could easily be moved to be closer to the warmth in winter, or even in my brother's room, next to the Christmas tree, and closer to the open windows in summer. Here, everyone had a small bedside table and sofas with small embroidered little thoughts. The walls were decorated with icons and photographs; the girls loved to take pictures themselves - a huge number of pictures have still been preserved, taken mainly in the Livadia Palace - a favorite vacation spot for the family. Parents tried to keep the children constantly busy with something useful, girls were taught to needlework.

As in simple poor families, the younger ones often had to wear out the things that the older ones grew out of. They also relied on pocket money, which could be used to buy each other small gifts.

The education of children usually began when they reached the age of 8. The first subjects were reading, calligraphy, arithmetic, the Law of God. Later, languages ​​\u200b\u200bare added to this - Russian, English, French, and even later - German. Dancing, playing the piano, good manners, natural sciences and grammar were also taught to the imperial daughters.

Imperial daughters were ordered to get up at 8 o'clock in the morning, take a cold bath. Breakfast at 9 o'clock, second breakfast - at one or half past one on Sundays. At 5 pm - tea, at 8 - common dinner.

Everyone who knew the family life of the emperor noted the amazing simplicity, mutual love and consent of all family members. Aleksey Nikolayevich was its center; all attachments, all hopes were concentrated on him. In relation to the mother, the children were full of respect and courtesy. When the empress was unwell, the daughters arranged alternate duty with their mother, and the one who was on duty that day remained hopelessly with her. The relationship of the children with the sovereign was touching - for them he was at the same time king, father and comrade; their feelings for their father went from almost religious worship to complete gullibility and the most cordial friendship. A very important memory of the spiritual state of the royal family was left by the priest Afanasy Belyaev, who confessed the children before their departure to Tobolsk: “The impression from the confession turned out like this: grant, Lord, that all children be morally as high as the children of the former king. Such gentleness, humility, obedience to parental will, unconditional devotion to the will of God, purity in thoughts and complete ignorance of earthly dirt - passionate and sinful - led me to amazement, and I was decidedly perplexed: should I, as a confessor, be reminded of sins, maybe they unknown, and how to dispose to repentance for the sins known to me.

Rasputin

A circumstance that constantly darkened the life of the imperial family was the incurable illness of the heir. Frequent attacks of hemophilia, during which the child experienced severe suffering, made everyone suffer, especially the mother. But the nature of the disease was a state secret, and parents often had to hide their feelings while participating in the normal routine of palace life. The Empress was well aware that medicine was powerless here. But, being a deep believer, she indulged in fervent prayer in anticipation of a miraculous healing. She was ready to believe anyone who was able to help her grief, somehow alleviate the suffering of her son: the illness of the Tsarevich opened the doors to the palace for those people who were recommended to the royal family as healers and prayer books. Among them, the peasant Grigory Rasputin appears in the palace, who was destined to play his role in the life of the royal family and in the fate of the whole country - but he had no right to claim this role.

Rasputin was presented as a kind holy old man helping Alexei. Under the influence of their mother, all four girls had complete confidence in him and shared all their simple secrets. Rasputin's friendship with the imperial children was evident from their correspondence. Those who sincerely loved the royal family tried to somehow limit the influence of Rasputin, but the empress resisted this very much, since the “holy elder” somehow knew how to alleviate the plight of Tsarevich Alexei.

World War I

Russia was at that time at the pinnacle of glory and power: industry developed at an unprecedented pace, the army and navy became more and more powerful, and agrarian reform was successfully implemented. It seemed that all internal problems would be safely resolved in the near future.

But this was not destined to come true: the First World War was brewing. Using as a pretext the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne by a terrorist, Austria attacked Serbia. Emperor Nicholas II considered it his Christian duty to stand up for the Orthodox Serbian brothers...

On July 19 (August 1), 1914, Germany declared war on Russia, which soon became a pan-European one. In August 1914, Russia launched a hasty offensive in East Prussia to help its ally France, this led to a heavy defeat. By autumn, it became clear that the near end of the war was not in sight. But with the outbreak of war, internal disagreements subsided in the country. Even the most difficult issues became solvable - it was possible to implement a ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages for the entire duration of the war. The sovereign regularly travels to Headquarters, visits the army, dressing stations, military hospitals, rear factories. The Empress, having taken courses as sisters of mercy, together with her eldest daughters Olga and Tatyana, looked after the wounded in her Tsarskoye Selo infirmary for several hours a day.

On August 22, 1915, Nicholas II left for Mogilev to take command of all the armed forces of Russia and from that day on he was constantly at Headquarters, often with him was the heir. About once a month he came to Tsarskoe Selo for a few days. All responsible decisions were made by him, but at the same time he instructed the empress to maintain relations with the ministers and keep him informed of what was happening in the capital. She was the closest person to him, whom he could always rely on. Every day she sent detailed letters-reports to Headquarters, which was well known to the ministers.

The tsar spent January and February 1917 in Tsarskoye Selo. He felt that the political situation was becoming more and more tense, but he continued to hope that the feeling of patriotism would still prevail, he maintained faith in the army, whose situation had improved significantly. This raised hopes for the success of the great spring offensive, which would deal a decisive blow to Germany. But this was well understood by the forces hostile to him.

Nicholas II and Tsarevich Alexei

On February 22, Emperor Nicholas left for Headquarters - at that moment the opposition managed to sow panic in the capital because of the impending famine. The next day, unrest began in Petrograd, caused by interruptions in the supply of grain, they soon grew into a strike under the political slogans "Down with the war", "Down with the autocracy." Attempts to disperse the demonstrators were unsuccessful. In the meantime, there were debates in the Duma with sharp criticism of the government - but first of all, these were attacks against the emperor. On February 25, a message was received at Headquarters about unrest in the capital. Having learned about the state of affairs, Nicholas II sends troops to Petrograd to maintain order, and then he himself goes to Tsarskoye Selo. His decision was obviously caused by the desire to be at the center of events to make quick decisions if necessary, and anxiety for the family. This departure from Headquarters turned out to be fatal.. For 150 miles from Petrograd, the royal train was stopped - the next station, Lyuban, was in the hands of the rebels. I had to follow through the Dno station, but even here the path was closed. On the evening of March 1, the emperor arrived in Pskov, at the headquarters of the commander of the Northern Front, General N. V. Ruzsky.

In the capital came complete anarchy. But Nicholas II and the army command believed that the Duma was in control of the situation; in telephone conversations with the chairman of the State Duma, M. V. Rodzianko, the emperor agreed to all concessions if the Duma could restore order in the country. The answer was: it's too late. Was it really so? After all, only Petrograd and its environs were embraced by the revolution, and the tsar's authority among the people and in the army was still great. The answer of the Duma confronted him with a choice: renunciation or an attempt to go to Petrograd with troops loyal to him - the latter meant a civil war, while the external enemy was within Russian borders.

Everyone around the king also convinced him that renunciation was the only way out. This was especially insisted on by the commanders of the fronts, whose demands were supported by the Chief of the General Staff, M. V. Alekseev. And after long and painful reflections, the emperor made a hard-won decision: to abdicate both for himself and for the heir, in view of his incurable illness, in favor of his brother, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich. On March 8, the commissars of the Provisional Government, having arrived in Mogilev, announced through General Alekseev that the emperor had been arrested and that he had to proceed to Tsarskoye Selo. For the last time, he turned to his troops, calling on them to be loyal to the Provisional Government, the very one that arrested him, to fulfill their duty to the Motherland until complete victory. The farewell order to the troops, which expressed the nobility of the emperor's soul, his love for the army, faith in it, was hidden from the people by the Provisional Government, which banned its publication.

According to the memoirs of contemporaries, following their mother, all the sisters sobbed bitterly on the day the First World War was declared. During the war, the empress gave many of the palace rooms for hospital premises. The older sisters Olga and Tatyana, together with their mother, became sisters of mercy; Maria and Anastasia became patronesses of the hospital and helped the wounded: they read to them, wrote letters to their relatives, gave their personal money to buy medicines, gave concerts to the wounded and did their best to distract them from their heavy thoughts. They spent their days in the hospital, reluctantly breaking away from work for the sake of lessons.

On the abdication of NicholasII

In the life of Emperor Nicholas II there were two periods of unequal duration and spiritual significance - the time of his reign and the time of his imprisonment.

Nicholas II after abdication

From the moment of renunciation, the inner spiritual state of the emperor attracts the most attention. It seemed to him that he made the only right decision, but, nevertheless, he experienced severe mental anguish. “If I am an obstacle to the happiness of Russia and all the social forces now at the head of it ask me to leave the throne and pass it on to my son and brother, then I am ready to do this, I am ready not only to give my kingdom, but also to give my life for the Motherland. I think no one doubts this from those who know me,- he said to General D.N. Dubensky.

On the very day of his abdication, March 2, the same general recorded the words of the Minister of the Imperial Court, Count V. B. Frederiks: “ The sovereign is deeply sad that he is considered an obstacle to the happiness of Russia, that they found it necessary to ask him to leave the throne. He was worried about the thought of a family that remained alone in Tsarskoye Selo, the children were sick. The sovereign suffers terribly, but he is such a person who will never show his grief in public. Nikolai is also restrained in his personal diary. Only at the very end of the entry for that day does his inner feeling break through: “You need my renunciation. The bottom line is that in the name of saving Russia and keeping the army at the front in peace, you need to decide on this step. I agreed. A draft Manifesto was sent from Headquarters. In the evening, Guchkov and Shulgin arrived from Petrograd, with whom I spoke and handed them the signed and revised Manifesto. At one o'clock in the morning I left Pskov with a heavy feeling of what I had experienced. Around treason and cowardice and deceit!

The Provisional Government announced the arrest of Emperor Nicholas II and his wife and their detention in Tsarskoe Selo. Their arrest did not have the slightest legal basis or reason.

House arrest

According to the memoirs of Yulia Alexandrovna von Den, a close friend of Alexandra Feodorovna, in February 1917, at the very height of the revolution, the children fell ill with measles one by one. Anastasia was the last to fall ill, when the Tsarskoye Selo palace was already surrounded by the insurgent troops. The tsar was at that time at the headquarters of the commander-in-chief in Mogilev, only the empress with her children remained in the palace.

At 9 o'clock on March 2, 1917, they learned about the abdication of the king. On March 8, Count Pave Benckendorff announced that the Provisional Government had decided to subject the imperial family to house arrest in Tsarskoye Selo. It was proposed to draw up a list of people wishing to stay with them. And on March 9, the children were informed about the father's abdication.

Nicholas returned a few days later. Life under house arrest began.

Despite everything, the education of children continued. The whole process was led by Gilliard, a teacher of French; Nicholas himself taught the children geography and history; Baroness Buxhoeveden taught English and music lessons; Mademoiselle Schneider taught arithmetic; Countess Gendrikova - drawing; Dr. Evgeny Sergeevich Botkin - Russian; Alexandra Feodorovna - The Law of God. The eldest, Olga, despite the fact that her education was completed, often attended classes and read a lot, improving in what had already been learned.

At this time, there was still hope for the family of Nicholas II to go abroad; but George V decided not to risk it and preferred to sacrifice the royal family. The provisional government appointed a commission to investigate the activities of the emperor, but, despite all efforts to find at least something discrediting the king, nothing was found. When his innocence was proved and it became obvious that there was no crime behind him, the Provisional Government, instead of releasing the sovereign and his wife, decided to remove the prisoners from Tsarskoye Selo: send the family of the former tsar to Tobolsk. On the last day before departure, they had time to say goodbye to the servants, to visit their favorite places in the park, ponds, islands for the last time. On August 1, 1917, a train flying the flag of the Japanese Red Cross mission departed in the strictest confidence from the siding.

In Tobolsk

Nikolai Romanov with his daughters Olga, Anastasia and Tatyana in Tobolsk in the winter of 1917

On August 26, 1917, the imperial family arrived in Tobolsk on the ship "Rus". The house was not yet completely ready for them, so they spent the first eight days on the ship. Then, under escort, the imperial family was taken to the two-story governor's mansion, where they were to live from now on. The girls were given a corner bedroom on the second floor, where they were placed on the same army bunks brought from home.

But life went on at a measured pace and strictly subject to the discipline of the family: from 9.00 to 11.00 - lessons. Then an hour break for a walk with his father. Again lessons from 12.00 to 13.00. Dinner. From 14.00 to 16.00 walks and simple entertainment like home performances or skiing from a slide built by oneself. Anastasia enthusiastically harvested firewood and sewed. Further on the schedule followed the evening service and going to bed.

In September, they were allowed to go out to the nearest church for the morning service: the soldiers formed a living corridor right up to the very church doors. The attitude of local residents to the royal family was benevolent. The emperor followed with alarm the events taking place in Russia. He understood that the country was rapidly heading towards destruction. Kornilov invited Kerensky to send troops to Petrograd in order to put an end to the Bolshevik agitation, which was becoming more and more threatening from day to day, but the Provisional Government also rejected this last attempt to save the Motherland. The king was well aware that this was the only way to avoid imminent disaster. He repents of his renunciation. “After all, he made this decision only in the hope that those who wanted him removed would still be able to continue the war with honor and not ruin the cause of saving Russia. He was then afraid that his refusal to sign the renunciation would lead to civil war in the sight of the enemy. The tsar did not want even a drop of Russian blood to be shed because of him ... It was painful for the emperor to now see the futility of his sacrifice and realize that, having in mind then only the good of the motherland, he harmed her by his renunciation, ”- recalls P. Gilliard, a teacher of children.

Yekaterinburg

Nicholas II

In March, it became known that a separate peace was concluded with Germany in Brest. . "This is such a shame for Russia and it is" tantamount to suicide”, - the emperor gave such an assessment of this event. When a rumor spread that the Germans were demanding that the Bolsheviks hand over the royal family to them, the empress said: “I would rather die in Russia than be saved by the Germans”. The first Bolshevik detachment arrived in Tobolsk on Tuesday 22 April. Commissar Yakovlev inspects the house, gets acquainted with the prisoners. A few days later, he announces that he must take the emperor away, assuring him that nothing bad will happen to him. Assuming that they wanted to send him to Moscow to sign a separate peace with Germany, the emperor, who under no circumstances left his high spiritual nobility, firmly said: “ I'd rather have my hand cut off than sign this shameful treaty."

The heir at that time was sick, and it was impossible to take him. Despite fear for her sick son, the empress decides to follow her husband; Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna also went with them. Only on May 7, family members who remained in Tobolsk received news from Yekaterinburg: the emperor, empress and Maria Nikolaevna were imprisoned in the Ipatiev house. When the prince's health improved, the rest of the family members from Tobolsk were also taken to Yekaterinburg and imprisoned in the same house, but most of the people close to the family were not allowed to see them.

There is little evidence of the Yekaterinburg period of imprisonment of the royal family. Almost no letters. Basically, this period is known only from brief entries in the diary of the emperor and the testimony of witnesses in the case of the murder of the royal family.

Living conditions in the "special purpose house" were much more difficult than in Tobolsk. The guard consisted of 12 soldiers who lived here and ate with them at the same table. Commissar Avdeev, an inveterate drunkard, daily humiliated the royal family. I had to put up with hardships, endure bullying and obey. The royal couple and daughters slept on the floor, without beds. At dinner, a family of seven was given only five spoons; the guards sitting at the same table smoked, blowing smoke into the faces of the prisoners ...

A walk in the garden was allowed once a day, at first for 15-20 minutes, and then no more than five. Only doctor Evgeny Botkin remained near the royal family, who surrounded the prisoners with care and acted as an intermediary between them and the commissars, protecting them from the rudeness of the guards. A few faithful servants remained: Anna Demidova, I. S. Kharitonov, A. E. Trupp and the boy Lenya Sednev.

All the prisoners understood the possibility of an early end. Once, Tsarevich Alexei said: “If they kill, if only they don’t torture ...” Almost in complete isolation, they showed nobility and fortitude. In one of her letters, Olga Nikolaevna says: The father asks to convey to all those who remained devoted to him, and to those on whom they can have influence, so that they do not avenge him, since he has forgiven everyone and prays for everyone, and that they do not avenge themselves, and that they remember that the evil that is now in the world will be even stronger, but that it is not evil that will overcome evil, but only love.

Even the rude guards gradually softened - they were surprised by the simplicity of all members of the royal family, their dignity, even Commissar Avdeev softened. Therefore, he was replaced by Yurovsky, and the guards were replaced by Austro-German prisoners and selected people from among the executioners of the "emergency". The life of the inhabitants of the Ipatiev House turned into a continuous martyrdom. But preparations for the execution were made in secret from the prisoners.

Murder

On the night of July 16-17, around the beginning of the third, Yurovsky woke up the royal family and spoke of the need to move to a safe place. When everyone was dressed and gathered, Yurovsky led them to a basement room with one barred window. All were outwardly calm. The sovereign carried Alexei Nikolaevich in his arms, the rest had pillows and other small things in their hands. In the room where they were brought, the empress and Alexei Nikolaevich sat on chairs. The sovereign stood in the center next to the prince. The rest of the family and servants were in different parts of the room, and at this time the killers were waiting for a signal. Yurovsky approached the emperor and said: "Nikolai Alexandrovich, by order of the Ural Regional Council, you and your family will be shot." These words were unexpected for the king, he turned towards the family, stretched out his hands to them and said: “What? What?" The empress and Olga Nikolaevna wanted to cross themselves, but at that moment Yurovsky shot the tsar from a revolver almost point-blank several times, and he immediately fell. Almost simultaneously, everyone else began to shoot - everyone knew their victim in advance.

Those already lying on the floor were finished off with shots and bayonets. When it was all over, Alexei Nikolaevich suddenly groaned weakly - they shot at him several more times. Eleven bodies lay on the floor in streams of blood. After making sure that their victims were dead, the killers began to remove jewelry from them. Then the dead were carried out into the yard, where a truck was already standing ready - the noise of its engine was supposed to drown out the shots in the basement. Even before sunrise, the bodies were taken to the forest in the vicinity of the village of Koptyaki. For three days, the killers tried to hide their atrocity...

Together with the imperial family, their servants who followed them into exile were also shot: Dr. E. S. Botkin, Empress A. S. Demidov’s room girl, court cook I. M. Kharitonov and footman A. E. Trupp. In addition, Adjutant General I. L. Tatishchev, Marshal Prince V. A. Dolgorukov, the “uncle” of the heir K. G. Nagorny, the children’s lackey I. D. Sednev, the maid of honor were killed in various places and in different months of 1918 Empress A. V. Gendrikova and Goflektress E. A. Schneider.

Temple-on-the-Blood in Yekaterinburg - built on the site of the house of engineer Ipatiev, where Nicholas II and his family were shot on July 17, 1918

Nicholas II - the last Russian emperor. He took the Russian throne at the age of 27. In addition to the Russian crown, the emperor also got a huge country torn apart by contradictions and all sorts of conflicts. A difficult reign awaited him. The second half of the life of Nikolai Alexandrovich took a very difficult and long-suffering turn, the result of which was the execution of the Romanov family, which, in turn, meant the end of their reign.

Dear Nicky

Nicky (that was the name of Nikolai at home) was born in 1868 in Tsarskoe Selo. In honor of his birth, 101 gun salvos were fired in the northern capital. At the christening, the future emperor was awarded the highest Russian awards. His mother - Maria Fedorovna - from early childhood instilled in her children religiosity, modesty, courtesy, good manners. In addition, she did not allow Nicky to forget for a minute that he was a future monarch.

Nikolai Alexandrovich heeded her requirements enough, having learned the lessons of education perfectly. The future emperor was always distinguished by tact, modesty and good breeding. He was surrounded by love from relatives. They called him "darling Nicky".

Military career

At a young age, the Tsarevich began to notice a huge craving for military affairs. Nikolai willingly took part in all parades and parades, in camp gatherings. He strictly observed the military regulations. Curiously, his military career began at... 5 years old! Soon the crown prince received the rank of second lieutenant, and a year later he was appointed chieftain in the Cossack troops.

At the age of 16, the Tsarevich took an oath "of allegiance to the Fatherland and the Throne." He served in the rank of colonel. This rank was the last in his military career, since, as emperor, Nicholas II believed that he did not have "the quietest and not the quietest right" to independently assign military ranks.

Ascension to the throne

Nikolai Alexandrovich took the Russian throne at the age of 27. In addition to the Russian crown, the emperor also got a huge country, torn apart by contradictions and all sorts of conflicts.

Emperor's coronation

It took place in the Assumption Cathedral (in Moscow). During the solemn event, when Nicholas approached the altar, the chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called flew off his right shoulder and fell to the floor. All who were present at that moment at the ceremony unanimously took this as a bad omen.

Tragedy on the Khodynka field

The execution of the Romanov family today is perceived differently by everyone. Many believe that the beginning of the "royal persecution" was laid precisely on the holidays on the occasion of the coronation of the emperor, when one of the worst stampedes in history occurred on the Khodynka field. More than one and a half thousand (!) People died and were injured in it! Later, significant amounts were paid from the imperial treasury to the families of the victims. Despite the Khodynskaya tragedy, the planned ball took place in the evening of the same day.

This event made many people speak of Nicholas II as a heartless and cruel tsar.

Mistake of Nicholas II

The emperor understood that something urgently needed to be changed in the government of the state. Historians say that is why he declared war on Japan. That was 1904. Nikolai Aleksandrovich seriously hoped to win quickly, thereby stirring up patriotism in the Russians. This was his fatal mistake ... Russia was forced to suffer a shameful defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, having lost such lands as Southern and Far Sakhalin, as well as the fortress of Port Arthur.

A family

Shortly before the execution of the Romanov family took place, Emperor Nicholas II married his only lover, the German princess Alice of Hesse (Alexandra Feodorovna). The wedding ceremony took place in 1894 at the Winter Palace. Throughout his life, a warm, tender and touching relationship remained between Nikolai and his wife. Only death separated them. They died together. But more on that later.

In exactly the time of the Russo-Japanese War, the heir to the throne, Tsarevich Alexei, was born in the family of the emperor. This is the first boy, before that Nikolai had four girls! In honor of this, a volley of 300 guns was fired. But soon the doctors determined that the boy was sick with an incurable disease - hemophilia (blood incoagulability). In other words, the crown prince could bleed even from a cut on his finger and die.

Bloody Sunday and World War I

After the shameful defeat in the war, unrest and protests began to arise throughout the country. The people demanded the overthrow of the monarchy. Dissatisfaction with Nicholas II grew with every hour. On Sunday afternoon, January 9, 1905, crowds of people came to demand that they accept their complaints about a terrible and hard life. At that time, the emperor and his family were not in the Winter Palace. They rested in Tsarskoye Selo. The troops stationed in St. Petersburg, without the order of the emperor, opened fire on the civilian population. Everyone died: women, old people and children ... Together with them, the faith of the people in their king was forever killed! On that "Bloody Sunday" 130 people were shot and several hundred were wounded.

The emperor was very shocked by the tragedy. Now nothing and no one could calm the public dissatisfaction with the entire royal family. Unrest and rallies began all over Russia. In addition, Russia entered the First World War, which Germany declared to it. The fact is that in 1914 hostilities began between Serbia and Austria-Hungary, and Russia decided to protect the small Slavic state, for which Germany was called "to a duel". The country was simply fading before our eyes, everything was flying into tartar. Nikolai did not yet know that the price for all this would be the execution of the royal family of the Romanovs!

Abdication

The First World War dragged on for many years. The army and the country were extremely dissatisfied with such a foul tsarist regime. People In the northern capital, the imperial power has actually lost its power. A Provisional Government was created (in Petrograd), which included the enemies of the tsar - Guchkov, Kerensky and Milyukov. The Tsar was told about everything that was happening in the country as a whole and in the capital in particular, after which Nicholas II decided to abdicate his throne.

October year and the execution of the Romanov family

On the day when Nikolai Alexandrovich officially abdicated, his entire family was arrested. The provisional government assured his wife that all this was being done for their own safety, promising to send them abroad. After some time, the former emperor himself was arrested. He and his family were brought to Tsarskoye Selo under guard. Then they were sent to Siberia to the city of Tobolsk in order to finally stop any attempt to restore royal power. The whole royal family lived there until October 1917 ...

It was then that the Provisional Government fell, and after the October Revolution, the life of the royal family deteriorated sharply. They were transported to Yekaterinburg and kept in harsh conditions. The Bolsheviks, who came to power, wanted to arrange a show trial of the royal family, but they were afraid that it would again warm up the feelings of the people, and they themselves would be defeated. After the regional council in Yekaterinburg, a positive decision was made on the subject of the execution of the imperial family. The Ural Executive Committee granted the request for execution. Less than a day remained before the last Romanov family disappeared from the face of the earth.

The execution (no photo for obvious reasons) was committed at night. Nikolai and his family were lifted out of bed, saying that they were being transported to another place. A Bolshevik by the name of Yurovsky quickly said that the White Army wanted to free the former emperor, so the Council of Soldiers' and Workers' Deputies decided to immediately execute the entire royal family in order to put an end to the Romanovs once and for all. Nicholas II did not have time to understand anything, as random shooting was immediately heard at him and his family. Thus ended the earthly path of the last Russian emperor and his family.

Sergei Osipov, AiF: Which of the Bolshevik leaders made the decision to execute the royal family?

This question is still the subject of debate among historians. There is a version: Lenin and Sverdlov they did not sanction regicide, the initiative of which allegedly belonged only to members of the executive committee of the Ural Regional Council. Indeed, direct documents signed by Ulyanov are still unknown to us. However Leon Trotsky in exile, he recalled how he asked Yakov Sverdlov a question: “- And who decided? - We decided here. Ilyich believed that it was impossible to leave us a living banner for them, especially in the current difficult conditions. The role of Lenin, without any embarrassment, was unequivocally pointed out by Nadezhda Krupskaya.

In early July, I urgently left for Moscow from Yekaterinburg party "owner" of the Urals and military commissar of the Urals military district Shaya Goloshchekin. On the 14th, he returned, apparently with final instructions from Lenin, Dzerzhinsky and Sverdlov to destroy the entire family Nicholas II.

- Why did the Bolsheviks need the death of not only the already abdicated Nicholas, but also women and children?

The extermination of members of the House of Romanov not only destroyed the legal basis for the restoration of legitimate power in Russia, but also bound the Leninists with mutual responsibility.

Could they survive?

- What would happen if the Czechs approaching the city released Nicholas II?

The sovereign, members of his family and their faithful servants would have survived. I doubt that Nicholas II would have been able to disavow the act of renunciation of March 2, 1917 in the part that concerned him personally. However, it is obvious that no one could question the rights of the heir to the throne, Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich. A living heir, despite his illness, would personify the legitimate power in Russia engulfed in turmoil. In addition, along with the accession to the rights of Alexei Nikolayevich, the order of succession to the throne, destroyed during the events of March 2-3, 1917, would automatically be restored. It was this option that the Bolsheviks were desperately afraid of.

Why were some of the royal remains buried (and the murdered themselves canonized) in the 90s of the last century, some - quite recently, and is there any certainty that this part is really the last?

Let's start with the fact that the absence of relics (remains) does not serve as a formal basis for refusing canonization. The canonization of the royal family by the Church would have taken place even if the Bolsheviks had completely destroyed the bodies in the basement of the Ipatiev House. By the way, in emigration, many thought so. There is nothing surprising in the fact that the remains were found in parts. Both the murder itself and the cover-up took place in a terrible hurry, the killers were nervous, the preparation and organization turned out to be bad. Therefore, they could not completely destroy the bodies. I have no doubt that the remains of two people found in the summer of 2007 in the town of Porosenkov log near Yekaterinburg belong to the emperor's children. Therefore, the point in the tragedy of the royal family, most likely, has been set. But, unfortunately, both she and the tragedies of millions of other Russian families that followed her left our modern society practically indifferent.

We do not claim the reliability of all the facts that are presented in this article, however, the arguments that are given below are very curious.

There was no execution of the royal family.Alyosha Romanov, heir to the throne, became People's Commissar Alexei Kosygin.
The royal family was separated in 1918, but not shot. Maria Feodorovna left for Germany, while Nicholas II and the heir to the throne Alexei remained hostages in Russia.

In April of this year, the Rosarkhiv, which was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture, was reassigned directly to the head of state. The change in status was explained by the special state value of the materials stored there. While experts were wondering what all this would mean, a historical investigation appeared in the newspaper “President” registered on the platform of the Presidential Administration. Its essence lies in the fact that no one shot the royal family. All of them lived a long life, and Tsarevich Alexei even made a nomenclature career in the USSR.

The transformation of Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich Romanov into Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR Alexei Nikolaevich Kosygin was first discussed during perestroika. They referred to a leak from the party archive. The information was perceived as a historical anecdote, although the thought - and suddenly the truth - stirred in many. After all, no one saw the remains of the royal family at that time, and there were always a lot of rumors about their miraculous salvation. And suddenly, on you, - a publication about the life of the royal family after the imaginary execution is published in a publication that is as far as possible from the pursuit of a sensation.

- Was it possible to escape or be taken out of the Ipatiev house? It turns out yes! - writes the historian Sergei Zhelenkov to the newspaper "President". - There was a factory nearby. In 1905, the owner dug an underground passage to it in case of capture by the revolutionaries. During the destruction of the house by Boris Yeltsin, after the decision of the Politburo, the bulldozer fell into the tunnel that no one knew about.

STALIN often called KOSYGIN (left) a prince in front of everyone

Left hostage

What grounds did the Bolsheviks have to save the life of the royal family?

Researchers Tom Mangold and Anthony Summers published in 1979 the book The Romanov Case, or the Execution That Wasn't. They began with the fact that in 1978 the 60-year-old secrecy stamp from the Brest peace treaty signed in 1918 expires, and it would be interesting to look into the declassified archives.

The first thing they dug up were telegrams from the British ambassador announcing the evacuation of the royal family from Yekaterinburg to Perm by the Bolsheviks.

According to British intelligence agents in the army of Alexander Kolchak, entering Yekaterinburg on July 25, 1918, the admiral immediately appointed an investigator in the case of the execution of the royal family. Three months later, Captain Nametkin put a report on his desk, where he said that instead of being shot, it was his staging. Not believing, Kolchak appointed a second investigator Sergeev and soon got the same results.

In parallel with them, the commission of Captain Malinovsky worked, who in June 1919 gave the following instructions to the third investigator Nikolai Sokolov: “As a result of my work on the case, I became convinced that the august family is alive ... all the facts that I observed during the investigation are simulated murder.

Admiral Kolchak, who had already proclaimed himself the Supreme Ruler of Russia, did not need a living tsar at all, so Sokolov receives very clear instructions - to find evidence of the death of the emperor.

Sokolov does not think of anything better than to say: "The bodies were thrown into the mine, filled with acid."

Tom Mangold and Anthony Summers felt that the solution must be sought in the Brest-Litovsk Treaty itself. However, its full text is not in the declassified archives of London or Berlin. And they came to the conclusion that there are points relating to the royal family.

Probably, Emperor Wilhelm II, who was a close relative of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, demanded that all august women be transferred to Germany. The girls had no rights to the Russian throne and, therefore, could not threaten the Bolsheviks. The men remained hostages - as guarantors that the German army would not go to St. Petersburg and Moscow.

This explanation seems quite logical. Especially if you remember that the tsar was overthrown not by the Reds, but by their own liberal-minded aristocracy, the bourgeoisie and the top of the army. The Bolsheviks did not have much hatred for Nicholas II. He did not threaten them with anything, but at the same time he was an excellent trump card in the sleeve and a good bargaining chip in negotiations.

In addition, Lenin was well aware that Nicholas II was a chicken that, if shaken well, could lay many golden eggs so necessary for the young Soviet state. After all, the secrets of many family and state deposits in Western banks were kept in the head of the king. Later, these riches of the Russian Empire were used for industrialization.

In the cemetery in the Italian village of Marcotta, there was a gravestone on which Princess Olga Nikolaevna, the eldest daughter of the Russian Tsar Nicholas II, rested. In 1995, the grave, under the pretext of non-payment of rent, was destroyed, and the ashes were transferred.

Life after death"

According to the newspaper "President", in the KGB of the USSR, on the basis of the 2nd Main Directorate, there was a special department that monitored all the movements of the royal family and their descendants across the territory of the USSR:

“Stalin built a dacha in Sukhumi next to the dacha of the royal family and came there to meet with the emperor. In the form of an officer, Nicholas II visited the Kremlin, which was confirmed by General Vatov, who served in the guards of Joseph Vissarionovich.

According to the newspaper, in order to honor the memory of the last emperor, monarchists can go to Nizhny Novgorod to the Krasnaya Etna cemetery, where he was buried on 12/26/1958. The famous Nizhny Novgorod elder Grigory served the burial service and buried the sovereign.

Much more surprising is the fate of the heir to the throne, Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich.

Over time, he, like many, came to terms with the revolution and came to the conclusion that one must serve the Fatherland regardless of one's political convictions. However, he had no other choice.

Historian Sergei Zhelenkov cites a lot of evidence of the transformation of Tsarevich Alexei into the Red Army soldier Kosygin. In the thundering years of the Civil War, and even under the cover of the Cheka, it really was not difficult to do this. Much more interesting is his future career. Stalin considered a great future in the young man and far-sightedly moved along the economic line. Not according to the party.

In 1942, authorized by the State Defense Committee in besieged Leningrad, Kosygin led the evacuation of the population and industrial enterprises and property of Tsarskoe Selo. Alexey walked along Ladoga many times on the Shtandart yacht and knew the surroundings of the lake well, therefore he organized the Road of Life to supply the city.

In 1949, during the promotion of the "Leningrad case" by Malenkov, Kosygin "miraculously" survived. Stalin, who called him a prince in front of everyone, sent Alexei Nikolaevich on a long trip to Siberia in connection with the need to strengthen the activities of cooperation, improve matters with the procurement of agricultural products.

Kosygin was so removed from internal party affairs that he retained his positions after the death of his patron. Khrushchev and Brezhnev needed a good proven business executive, as a result, Kosygin served as head of government for the longest time in the history of the Russian Empire, the USSR and the Russian Federation - 16 years.

As for the wife of Nicholas II and daughters, their trace cannot be called lost either.

In the 90s, the Italian newspaper La Repubblica published an article about the death of a nun, sister Pascalina Lenart, who from 1939 to 1958 held an important post under Pope Pius XII.

Before her death, she called a notary and told that Olga Romanova, daughter of Nicholas II, was not shot by the Bolsheviks, but lived a long life under the auspices of the Vatican and was buried in a cemetery in the village of Marcotte in northern Italy.

The journalists who went to the indicated address actually found a slab on the churchyard, where it was written in German: “ Olga Nikolaevna, eldest daughter of the Russian Tsar Nikolai Romanov, 1895 - 1976».

In this regard, the question arises: who was buried in 1998 in the Peter and Paul Cathedral? President Boris Yeltsin assured the public that these were the remains of the royal family. But the Russian Orthodox Church then refused to recognize this fact. Let us recall that in Sofia, in the building of the Holy Synod on St. Alexander Nevsky Square, the confessor of the Most High Family, Vladyka Feofan, who fled from the horrors of the revolution, lived. He never served a memorial service for the august family and said that the royal family was alive!

The result of the economic reforms developed by Alexei Kosygin was the so-called Golden Eighth Five-Year Plan of 1966-1970. Over this time:

- national income increased by 42 percent,

- the volume of gross industrial output increased by 51 percent,

– the profitability of agriculture increased by 21 percent,

- the formation of the Unified Energy System of the European part of the USSR was completed, the unified energy system of Central Siberia was created,

— the development of the Tyumen oil and gas complex began,

- the Bratsk, Krasnoyarsk and Saratov hydroelectric power stations, Pridneprovskaya GRES,

- the West Siberian Metallurgical and Karaganda Metallurgical Plants started working,

- the first Zhiguli were released,

- the provision of the population with televisions has doubled, with washing machines - by two and a half, refrigerators - by three times.

Hundreds of books have been published about the tragedy of the family of Tsar Nicholas II in many languages ​​of the world. These studies quite objectively present the events of July 1918 in Russia. Some of these writings I had to read, analyze and compare. However, there are many mysteries, inaccuracies, and even deliberate untruths.

Among the most reliable information are the protocols of interrogations and other documents of the Kolchak court investigator for especially important cases N.A. Sokolov. In July 1918, after the capture of Yekaterinburg by the White troops, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of Siberia, Admiral A.V. Kolchak appointed N.A. Sokolov as the leader in the case of the execution of the royal family in this city.

ON THE. Sokolov

Sokolov worked for two years in Yekaterinburg, interrogated a large number of people involved in these events, tried to find the remains of the executed members of the royal family. After the capture of Yekaterinburg by the Red troops, Sokolov left Russia and in 1925 published the book "The Murder of the Imperial Family" in Berlin. He took all four copies of his materials with him.

The Central Party Archives of the Central Committee of the CPSU, where I worked as a leader, kept mostly original (first) copies of these materials (about a thousand pages). How they got into our archive is unknown. I have read all of them carefully.

For the first time, a detailed study of materials related to the circumstances of the execution of the royal family was carried out on the instructions of the Central Committee of the CPSU in 1964.

In a detailed reference “on some circumstances related to the execution of the Romanov royal family” dated December 16, 1964 (CPA of the Institute of Marxism-Leninism under the Central Committee of the CPSU, fund 588 inventory 3C), all these problems are documented and objectively considered.

The certificate was written then by the head of the sector of the ideological department of the Central Committee of the CPSU, Alexander Nikolayevich Yakovlev, an outstanding political figure in Russia. Not being able to publish the entire reference mentioned above, I cite only some passages from it.

“In the archives, no official reports or resolutions have been found that precede the execution of the Romanov royal family. There is no indisputable data about the participants in the execution. In this regard, the materials published in the Soviet and foreign press, and some documents of the Soviet party and state archives were studied and compared. In addition, the stories of the former assistant commandant of the House of Special Purpose in Yekaterinburg, where the royal family was kept, G.P. Nikulin and a former member of the collegium of the Ural Regional Cheka I.I. Radzinsky. These are the only surviving comrades who had something to do with the execution of the Romanov royal family. Based on the available documents and memoirs, often contradictory, one can draw up such a picture of the execution itself and the circumstances associated with this event. As you know, Nicholas II and members of his family were shot on the night of July 16-17, 1918 in Yekaterinburg. Documentary sources testify that Nicholas II and his family were executed by decision of the Ural Regional Council. In the protocol No. 1 of the meeting of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of July 18, 1918, we read: “We heard: The message about the execution of Nikolai Romanov (telegram from Yekaterinburg). Decided: After discussion, the following resolution is adopted: The Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee recognizes the decision of the Ural Regional Council as correct. Instruct tt. Sverdlov, Sosnovsky and Avanesov to draw up an appropriate notice for the press. Publish about the documents available in the All-Russian Central Executive Committee - (diary, letters, etc.) of the former Tsar N. Romanov and instruct Comrade Sverdlov to form a special commission to analyze these papers and publish them. The original, stored in the Central State Archives, signed by Ya.M. Sverdlov. As V.P. Milyutin (People's Commissar for Agriculture of the RSFSR), on the same day, July 18, 1918, a regular meeting of the Council of People's Commissars was held in the Kremlin late in the evening ( Council of People's Commissars.— Ed. ) chaired by V.I. Lenin. “During the report of Comrade Semashko, Ya.M. entered the meeting room. Sverdlov. He sat down on a chair behind Vladimir Ilyich. Semashko finished his report. Sverdlov went up, leaned over to Ilyich and said something. “Comrades, Sverdlov is asking for the floor for a message,” Lenin announced. “I must say,” Sverdlov began in his usual even tone, “a message has been received that in Yekaterinburg, by order of the regional Soviet, Nikolai was shot. Nicholas wanted to run. The Czechoslovaks advanced. The Presidium of the Central Executive Committee decided: to approve. Silence of all. "Now let's move on to reading the project article by article," suggested Vladimir Ilyich. (Magazine "Projector", 1924, p. 10). This is a message from Ya.M. Sverdlov was recorded in the protocol No. 159 of the meeting of the Council of People's Commissars dated July 18, 1918: “We heard: An extraordinary statement by the Chairman of the Central Executive Committee, Comrade Sverdlov, on the execution of the former Tsar, Nicholas II, by the verdict of the Yekaterinburg Soviet of Deputies and on the approval of this verdict by the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee. Resolved: Take note. The original of this protocol, signed by V.I. Lenin, is stored in the party archive of the Institute of Marxism-Leninism. A few months before that, at a meeting of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, the issue of transferring the Romanov family from Tobolsk to Yekaterinburg was discussed. Ya.M. Sverdlov speaks about this on May 9, 1918: “I must tell you that the question of the position of the former tsar was raised by us in the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee back in November, at the beginning of December (1917) and has been repeatedly raised since then, but we have not accepted no decision, taking into account the fact that it is necessary to first accurately familiarize yourself with how, under what conditions, how reliable protection is, how, in a word, the former Tsar Nikolai Romanov is kept. At the same meeting, Sverdlov reported to the members of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee that at the very beginning of April, the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee heard the report of the representative of the committee of the team guarding the tsar. “Based on this report, we came to the conclusion that it was impossible to leave Nikolai Romanov in Tobolsk ... The Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee decided to transfer the former Tsar Nikolai to a more reliable point. The center of the Urals, the city of Yekaterinburg, was chosen as such a more reliable point. The fact that the issue of transferring the family of Nicholas II was resolved with the participation of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee is also said in their memoirs by the old communists from the Urals. Radzinsky said that the initiative for the transfer belonged to the Ural Regional Council, and "the Center did not object" (Tape recording of May 15, 1964). P.N. Bykov, a former member of the Ural Council, in his book The Last Days of the Romanovs, published in 1926 in Sverdlovsk, writes that in early March 1918, the regional military commissar I. Goloshchekin (party nickname "Philip"). He was given permission to transfer the royal family from Tobolsk to Yekaterinburg.

Further, in the certificate “On some circumstances related to the execution of the Romanov royal family,” the terrible details of the cruel execution of the royal family are given. It talks about how the corpses were destroyed. It is said that about half a pood of diamonds and jewelry were found in the sewn corsets and belts of the dead. In this article I would not like to discuss such inhuman acts.

For many years, the world press has been circulating the assertion that “the true course of events and the refutation of the “falsifications of Soviet historians” are contained in Trotsky’s diary entries, which were not intended for publication, therefore, they say, especially frank. They were prepared for publication and published by Yu.G. Felshtinsky in the collection: “Leo Trotsky. Diaries and Letters (Hermitage, USA, 1986).

I am quoting an excerpt from this book.

“April 9 (1935) The White Press once very heatedly debated the question of whose decision the royal family was put to death. The liberals were inclined, as it were, to the fact that the Urals executive committee, cut off from Moscow, acted independently. This is not true. The decision was made in Moscow. It happened during the critical period of the civil war, when I spent almost all my time at the front, and my recollections of the royal family's affair are fragmentary.

In other documents, Trotsky recounts a meeting of the Politburo a few weeks before the fall of Yekaterinburg, at which he advocated the need for an open trial "which was supposed to unfold the picture of the entire reign."

“Lenin responded in the sense that it would be very good if it were feasible. But there may not be enough time. There was no debate, because (as) I did not insist on my proposal, absorbed in other things.

In the next episode from the diaries, the most frequently quoted, Trotsky recalls how, after the execution, to his question about who decided the fate of the Romanovs, Sverdlov replied: “We decided here. Ilyich believed that it was impossible to leave us a living banner for them, especially in the current difficult conditions.

“They decided” and “Ilyich considered” can, and according to other sources, should be interpreted as the adoption of a general decision in principle that the Romanovs should not be left as a “living banner of the counter-revolution”.

And is it so important that the immediate decision to execute the Romanov family was issued by the Ural Council?

Here is another interesting document. This is a telegraphic request dated July 16, 1918 from Copenhagen, in which it was written: “To Lenin, a member of the government. From Copenhagen. A rumor spread here that the former tsar had been murdered. Please tell me the facts by phone." On the telegram, Lenin wrote in his own hand: “Copenhagen. The rumor is false, the former tsar is healthy, all rumors are lies of the capitalist press. Lenin.

We were not able to find out whether a reply telegram was then sent. But it was the very eve of that tragic day when the tsar and his relatives were shot.

Ivan Kitaev- especially for "New"

reference

Ivan Kitaev is a historian, candidate of historical sciences, vice-president of the International Academy of Corporate Governance. He went from a carpenter on the construction of the Semipalatinsk test site and the Abakan-Taishet road, from a military builder who built a uranium enrichment plant in the taiga wilderness, to an academician. He graduated from two institutes, the Academy of Social Sciences, postgraduate studies. He worked as a secretary of the Togliatti city committee, the Kuibyshev regional committee, director of the Central Party Archive, deputy director of the Institute of Marxism-Leninism. After 1991, he worked as the head of the head office and head of the department of the Ministry of Industry of Russia, taught at the academy.

Lenin is characterized by the highest measure

About the organizers and customer of the murder of the family of Nikolai Romanov

In his diaries, Trotsky does not limit himself to quoting the words of Sverdlov and Lenin, but also expresses his own opinion about the execution of the royal family:

"Essentially, the decision ( about execution. — OH.) was not only expedient, but also necessary. The severity of the reprisals showed everyone that we would fight mercilessly, stopping at nothing. The execution of the royal family was needed not only in order to intimidate, horrify, and deprive the enemy of hope, but also in order to shake up their own ranks, to show that there was no retreat, that complete victory or complete death lay ahead. There were probably doubts and shaking of heads in the intellectual circles of the party. But the masses of workers and soldiers did not doubt for a moment: they would not have understood or accepted any other decision. Lenin felt this very well: the ability to think and feel for the masses and with the masses was highly characteristic of him, especially at great political turns ... "

As for the extreme measure characteristic of Ilyich, Lev Davidovich, of course, is archipraved. So Lenin, as you know, personally demanded that as many priests as possible be hanged, as soon as he received a signal that the masses in some places in the localities had shown such an initiative. How can the people's power not support the initiative from below (and in reality the basest instincts of the crowd)!

As for the trial of the tsar, to which, according to Trotsky, Ilyich agreed, but time was running out, this trial would obviously have ended with the sentence of Nicholas to the highest measure. But in this case, unnecessary difficulties could arise with the royal family. And then how nice it turned out: the Ural Council decided - and that's it, bribes are smooth, all power to the Soviets! Well, maybe only "in the intellectual circles of the party" there was some shock, but quickly passed, like with Trotsky himself. In his diaries, he cites a fragment of a conversation with Sverdlov after the Yekaterinburg execution:

“Yes, but where is the king? - It's over, - he answered, - shot. - Where is the family? And his family is with him. - All? I asked, apparently with a hint of surprise. - All! Sverdlov replied. - And what? He was waiting for my reaction. I didn't answer. - And who decided? “We decided here…”

Some historians emphasize that Sverdlov did not answer “decided”, but “decided”, which is supposedly important for identifying the main culprits. But at the same time they take Sverdlov's words out of the context of the conversation with Trotsky. And here, after all, how: what is the question, such is the answer: Trotsky asks who decided, and here Sverdlov answers, “We decided here.” And further on he speaks even more specifically - about what Ilyich considered: "we must not leave us a living banner for them."

So, in his resolution on the Danish telegram of July 16, Lenin was clearly disingenuous, speaking about the lies of the capitalist press regarding the "health" of the tsar.

In modern terms, we can say this: if the Ural Soviet was the organizer of the murder of the royal family, then Lenin was the customer. But in Russia, the organizers are rare, and the customers of the crimes almost never, alas, do not find themselves in the dock.