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DNA Tests Confirm Bones of Tsar of Russia

The last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II

Just over 100 years ago, Tsar of Russia Nicholas II and his family were killed in a violent revolt.

The remains of Russia’s Tsar Nicholas II and the rest of the Romanovs have been identified more than a century after they were killed and buried at an unmarked grave.

In 1979, bones believed to belong to the Tsar, his German-born wife and his children were found, but their authenticity was never proven.

The Romanovs, Marie, Queen Alexandra, Tsar Nicholas II, Anastasia, Alexei. Standing Olga and Tatiana

The Romanovs: Marie, Queen Alexandra, Tsar Nicholas II, Anastasia, Alexei. Standing Olga and Tatiana.

The Russian Orthodox Church recently ordered a DNA test, which “confirmed the remains found belonged to the former Emperor Nicholas II, his family members and members of their entourage,” the AFP reported, citing the Investigative Committee.

The Romanovs were killed on the night of July 16, 1918, after the Bolshevik rebels had caught and imprisoned them since the February Revolution of 1917.

When the remains were found in a mass grave in the Urals, they were relocated and buried at the St. Petersburg cathedral. However, speculations about their true identities remained.

As part of the latest DNA tests, the remains of Tsar Alexander III, Nicholas’ father, where dug up for a paternity test. After confirming that they were father and son, it was confirmed that two of the children were his daughters, Alexei and Maria.

Just before they were executed by the Bolshevik firing squad, the family was lined up for a group photo.

To mark the 100th anniversary, thousands of Russian pilgrims, led by head of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill, walked from the “Church of Blood”, built on the execution site, to where the remains were found about 21 kilometers away.

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