Bones of Murdered Russian Royal Family DNA Tested, Confirmed Authentic

Moscow. July 16. INTERFAX - The repeated comprehensive study confirmed the authenticity of the remains of Emperor Nicholas II and his family, who were shot 100 years ago in Yekaterinburg, said Svetlana Petrenko, the official representative of the Russian Investigative Committee. 

"At present, the conclusions of the complex commission of molecular genetic examinations confirm the discovered remains belong to the former Emperor Nicholas II, members of his family and persons from their environment," Interfax quoted Petrenko as saying on Monday. 

She noted that, according to the findings of the molecular genetic examination, seven of the 11 found remains correspond to the family group: mother, father, four daughters and son. 

"The results of the comparison of the genetic profiles of bone remains and samples from living relatives of the Romanov family both on the paternal and maternal lines confirm that the remains belong to Nicholas II and members of his family," S. Petrenko said. 

In addition, she said, from the conclusion of the molecular genetic examination on the establishment of the biological relationship of Emperor Alexander III (exhumed in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg) and the deceased person identified as the former Emperor Nicholas II, "it follows that they are relatives at the level of father and son". 

"After the completion of two re-commissioned medical (anthropological), autoriological and historical archival forensic examinations in the criminal case, the final procedural decision will be adopted," the representative of the TFR said. 

She added that prominent scientists have been involved in the production of examinations, which study and systematize about 2,000 documentary sources, including those found in foreign archives and museums in 2017-2018 and those not studied by anyone. 

— historical recap —

On the night of July 17, 1918 in Yekaterinburg, the Bolsheviks had the Russian Emperor Nicholas II and his family executed. 

In July 1991, on the Old Koptyakovskaya road near Yekaterinburg, a burial was discovered, in which were the remains of nine people. In the opinion of the investigators, they belonged to the members of the royal family: Nicholas II, his wife, their daughters Olga, Tatiana, & Anastasia, and also the doctor and servants. 

After the opening of the burial site near Yekaterinburg and the examination, the remains of members of the royal family were buried in 1998 in the tomb of the Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg. 

On July 29, 2007, while carrying out archaeological excavations to the south of the site of the first burial, the remains of two more people were found. Numerous examinations confirm that the remains belong to the children of Nicholas II: the prince and his sister Maria. 

The government working group proposed to hold a burial ceremony on October 18, 2015, in the family burial place of the Romanovs in the Saints Peter and Paul Fortress, for the remains of the Tsarevich Alexei and the Grand Duchess Maria. At the same time, the group allowed additional research to dispel the Church's doubts about the authenticity of the "Ekaterinburg remains". 

Following this, the Investigative Committee resumed the investigation into the criminal case of the death of members of the royal family. This allowed us to begin additional examinations to confirm the authenticity of the remains of Alexei and Maria, stored in the State Archives. 

On September 23, 2015, in the Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, in the presence of Church representatives, samples were taken from the alleged skeletons of Nicholas II and his wife, as well as the clothes of the grandfather of the last emperor, Alexander II, which he was wearing at the time of the murder. A new genetic examination confirmed the authenticity of skulls of Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. In November 2015, the autopsy of Alexander III's tomb was carried out. 

Then the genetic materials of Nicholas II and his wife were compared with the genetic material of Alexei and Mary, the genotype of Alexander III was established, and the existence of hemophilia was identified via the remains of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, her daughters, and Tsarevich Alexei. In addition, the investigators planned to study blood on Alexander II's clothes, and additional investigative work was to be conducted on the servants and close associates of Nicholas II who were executed together with the royal family. 

In turn, the Russian Orthodox Church established a special commission to consider the results of the new study. Upon a positive confirmation of the authenticity of the remains, the question of recognizing them as holy relics will be presented to the bishop for consideration. 

Patriarch Kirill said that the investigation into the murder of the family of Nicholas II will end when the truth is established. "I received assurances at the highest level that there will be no hurry or tying the end of the investigation to certain dates. The investigation will last as long as necessary to establish the truth," the Patriarch said in February 2016 at the Bishops' Council in Moscow.

Source: interfax-religion.ru

Note: A recent news report revealed additional DNA evidence, also helping to confirm the authenticity of the human remains from Tsar Nicholas II and his family.