I really enjoyed presenting this recent class for the International Insitute of Genealogical Studies so thought I’d share it here too.
The last imperial family of Russia, headed by Tsar Nikolai II, were murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918 in Ekaterinburg. Rumours that some members had survived persisted throughout the 20th century and were only finally put to bed in the first decade of this one.
As I have a primary degree in Russian language and history, I knew lots about the Romanovs and have even visited their final burial place in the Peter & Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg. The photo below was taken before the discovery of the final two members of the family who were later reburied there.
This session looks at how scientists used mitochondrial DNA to confirm the identities of the remains – one of the first times DNA was used.