The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation issued a statement today that the re-examination study confirmed the authenticity of the remains of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. However, the Russian Orthodox Church is still not ready to make a final conclusion on the question of the authenticity of the remains of the Romanov family.
“I think that we should wait for all the results from these studies, and then the church will weigh all available information and will be able to make the decision,” said the head of the Synodal Department for Church and Society, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, who is also a member of the research team on the reburial of the remains of the Romanov family. He stressed that it is impossible not to respect the work of scientists, but reiterated that the investigation will continue.
The criminal case on the death of the last Russian Tsar was reopened in September 2015 in light of alleged new data. Also in September, samples from the remains of Nicholas II, his wife Tsarina Alexandra and from clothing of Tsar Alexander II, Nicholas’s grandfather, were brought from St. Petersburg to Moscow for genetic examination.
Experts managed to extract DNA suitable for genetic analysis, and compare it to previous data. A match confirmed that the Romanov family was indeed murdered and buried outside of Ekaterinburg, as stated by the official representative of the Investigative Committee Vladimir Markin.
However, they still would like to do a DNA comparison with the closest relatives of Nicholas II, including from a blood sample taken from the uniform of Alexander II. It is expected that the case will be closed in early 2016.
According to the Director of the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF), Sergei Mironenko, the burial ceremony of the remains of Tsarevich Alexei and Grand Duchess Maria (which are now kept at GARF) may be held as early as February, 2016. Mironenko also emphasized that neither he, nor any other members of the governmental research team have any doubts about the authenticity of the “Ekaterinburg remains” – they believe they belong to the Romanov family.
It was reported earlier that the official House of Romanov will support holding the burial ceremony of the two imperial children at the Romanov family vault in St. Petersburg, if the new genetic evidence convinces the Russian Orthodox Church that the remains are those of the last Russian imperial family.
Other Romanov descendants, members of the “Romanov Family Association” continue to be confident of the authenticity of the Romanov family remains.
Leave a comment