The world and especially the Romanov-interest groups are intently caught up in the latest news:That the bodies of Nicholas and Alexandra will be exhumed and new DNA samples taken, as well as from Alexandra's sister, Elizabeth, who was also butchered and left to die in a mine pit by the Bolsheviks in l918. Elizabeth was interred in Jerusalem and now consent appears to be given to take her DNA too.This is a severe and troubling story- to think of these people, so brutally killed - and now their bones shaken again. One wishes they could all be reburied forever- together and allowed to rest in peace. I personally don't anticipate any new information. The remains seemed definitely identified by DNA evidence years ago when the first 9 victims, excluding Alexei and Marie were found. In 2007, the last 2 missing of the 11 murder victimes, two children, were believed found and later DNA concluded that they were the Romanovs - sister and brother. Some lingering debate over the girl's body- Anastasia or Marie? With more evidence that the body was Marie's. But since that time, the Russian Orthodox Church has disputed that the burial in Pig's Meadow (the second site) was valid and recognized only the site at Four Brothers' Mine (the first burial site). According to Yurovsky's account and those of several of the killing and burial squad, the bodies were moved from the mine and reburied at the swampy Pig's Meadow and the mass grave covered over by boards. There are photos of the killer Peter Ermakov on the grave and later, the investigator Nikolai Sokolov standing on that spot as well. One new aspect to this new forensic study will be the examination of recently released White Guards' Investigation documents. I am more comfortable with documents than disinterring bodies. But if this will settle the disagreement and allow the family to rest together forever, I suppose it should be done.
Poor tragic Romanovs. It never ends. I visited both burial sites and found them both haunting and fascinating in different ways. The Monastery at the Four Brothers' is rustic - the Koptyaki woods beautiful despite the sinister past and the actualy declivity of the mine is planted with lilies. It is very peaceful there. The separate small churches erected for each victim are almost too perfect and have a Disney "Sugar Plum" look- a Romanov fantasy park. But somehow that doesn't detract from a certain holy feeling which resides there...The Pig's Meadow site is curious- right off a busy highway, like a pullover for trucks. The traffic rumbles by. When I stood there in 2003, I had a sense the missing Grand Duchess Marie and Tsarevitch Alexei were present. Mysterious. But they did turn out to be there, unearthed 4 years later. My lovely guide, a young girl descended from an Imperial naval captain, was wistful and philosophical- "It is a shifting bog," she said, and besides, "these woods are steeped in blood. Not only of the Romanovs but of so many families ..." Her words and both places, haunt me.
This accompanying photograph of the first nine victims, in glass coffins to preserve them, gave me chills- Each girl sealed in like some forensic Sleeping Beauty. A Grimm fairy tale that was all too true. And no one would awake.
The world and especially the Romanov-interest groups are intently caught up in the latest news:That the bodies of Nicholas and Alexandra will be exhumed and new DNA samples taken, as well as from Alexandra's sister, Elizabeth, who was also butchered and left to die in a mine pit by the Bolsheviks in l918. Elizabeth was interred in Jerusalem and now consent appears to be given to take her DNA too.This is a severe and troubling story- to think of these people, so brutally killed - and now their bones shaken again. One wishes they could all be reburied forever- together and allowed to rest in peace. I personally don't anticipate any new information. The remains seemed definitely identified by DNA evidence years ago when the first 9 victims, excluding Alexei and Marie were found. In 2007, the last 2 missing of the 11 murder victimes, two children, were believed found and later DNA concluded that they were the Romanovs - sister and brother. Some lingering debate over the girl's body- Anastasia or Marie? With more evidence that the body was Marie's. But since that time, the Russian Orthodox Church has disputed that the burial in Pig's Meadow (the second site) was valid and recognized only the site at Four Brothers' Mine (the first burial site). According to Yurovsky's account and those of several of the killing and burial squad, the bodies were moved from the mine and reburied at the swampy Pig's Meadow and the mass grave covered over by boards. There are photos of the killer Peter Ermakov on the grave and later, the investigator Nikolai Sokolov standing on that spot as well. One new aspect to this new forensic study will be the examination of recently released White Guards' Investigation documents. I am more comfortable with documents than disinterring bodies. But if this will settle the disagreement and allow the family to rest together forever, I suppose it should be done.
Poor tragic Romanovs. It never ends. I visited both burial sites and found them both haunting and fascinating in different ways. The Monastery at the Four Brothers' is rustic - the Koptyaki woods beautiful despite the sinister past and the actualy declivity of the mine is planted with lilies. It is very peaceful there. The separate small churches erected for each victim are almost too perfect and have a Disney "Sugar Plum" look- a Romanov fantasy park. But somehow that doesn't detract from a certain holy feeling which resides there...The Pig's Meadow site is curious- right off a busy highway, like a pullover for trucks. The traffic rumbles by. When I stood there in 2003, I had a sense the missing Grand Duchess Marie and Tsarevitch Alexei were present. Mysterious. But they did turn out to be there, unearthed 4 years later. My lovely guide, a young girl descended from an Imperial naval captain, was wistful and philosophical- "It is a shifting bog," she said, and besides, "these woods are steeped in blood. Not only of the Romanovs but of so many families ..." Her words and both places, haunt me.
This accompanying photograph of the first nine victims, in glass coffins to preserve them, gave me chills- Each girl sealed in like some forensic Sleeping Beauty. A Grimm fairy tale that was all too true. And no one would awake.