New study on the remains of the Romanov family should be completed by February, 2016

One of the last photographs of the members of the Romanov family - in exile in Siberia after the Russian revolution. — Left: the shallow grave with the remains of the Romanov family, unearthed in 1997 in Ekaterinburg. Right: one of the last photographs of the members of the Romanov family – in exile in Siberia after the Russian revolution.

October 16, 2015 – The Russian government hopes that all the work on the remains of the Romanov family and plans for their reburial will be completed by early February 2016, said a Cabinet source. “By early February, we expect the completion of all tests, the completion of all procedures, to have prepared a report from the investigative team, and furthermore, the restoration of the original appearance of the sarcophagus of Tsar Alexander III”.

This final study on the remains of the Romanov family may become the largest state-church initiative, said a Russian government source. According to the latter, the 2016 burial ceremony will be different from the one in 1998, as in 2000 the Russian Orthodox Church decided to canonize the imperial family. “These may now be holy relics,” – he added.

In turn, Russia’s Investigative Committee expects to receive the results of the study of the remains of the imperial family before the beginning of next year, said the Senior Investigator, Criminologist Vladimir Soloviev. “Currently the expertise studies are very active, and I think that by the end of the year, we will have received some serious results,” – Soloviev said on Friday, when asked about the timing of the completion of the study on

the remains of the Romanov family.