On this date in 1918, the fatal machinery was set in motion to slaughter the entire Romanov family. The sulphuric acid had been purchased to obliterate their identities
, the firing squad had been assembled and the kitchen boy, Leonid Sednev, had suddenly been sent away 6 hours earlier(so as not to be killed!). Unknowing but possibly apprehensive, the family went to bed- Alexandra and Nicholas played their favorite card game, Bezique- and Alexandra wrote dow
n the temperature and the time. Below them, the cellar room was being prepared, the firing squad was assembling under Commandant Yurovsky, and a truck was on its way to carry off their bodies. Dr. Botkin was writing his prophetic letter at about 2.a.m. "I orphaned my children..." and recorded that he saw the ghostly face of his wounded son and heard his daughter Tatiana call out to him clearly:"Papa!" He also wrote he knew he would never see them again. He answered the knock at the door and was told to wake the others...They dressed and descended the stairs, crossed the courtyard and entered the death chamber...
