Why Tsar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra have been exhumed
Romanov royal couple and their five children were brutally murdered by Bolsheviks in 1918

The remains of Tsar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra have been exhumed as part of a Russian investigation into the Romanov royal family's murder.
The couple and their children – Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Alexei – were murdered by Bolsheviks in 1918.
Nicholas II, Alexandra, Olga, Tatiana and Anastasia are buried at Peter and Paul Cathedral in St Petersburg after their bodies were discovered in a mass grave in the Urals in 1991.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Remains, believed to be Alexei and Maria, were found in 2007 at a different spot in the Urals and the Orthodox Church wants to confirm their identities before they are buried with the others. Remains of the two siblings, who were 13 and 19 when they were killed, have been kept in a state repository awaiting burial.
Investigators took samples from the remains of the Nicholas II and Alexandra yesterday, reports Sky News.
A spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church, Vsevolod Chaplin, told The Guardian earlier this month that they wanted the tests done in the presence of church officials. "These people have been canonised, and if their remains are found they will be considered holy relics that believers will pray to. For this reason it's very important to make sure," he said.
Lead investigator Vladimir Solovyov told Russia's Tass news agency yesterday that the exhumation was indeed done in the presence of representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church. Samples were also taken from the blood stains found on the uniform of Emperor Alexander II, Nicholas II's grandfather who was killed by radical revolutionaries on 1 March 1881.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
In a brutal killing, Tsar Nicholas II, Alexandra, their children and four royal staff members were murdered in the cellar of a house in Yekaterinburg in 1918. The BBC says they were "lined up as if for a family photo" and shot by a Bolshevik firing squad. Those who did not die immediately were bayonetted.
-
October 13 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Monday's political cartoons include Donald Trump's consolation prize, government workers during shutdown, and more
-
Can Gaza momentum help end the war in Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Zelenskyy’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles hints at ‘warming relations’ between Ukraine and US
-
The Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners being released
The Explainer Triumphant Donald Trump addresses the Israeli parliament as families on both sides of the Gaza war reunite with their loved ones
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of Taiwan
In the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdown
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations