Cold Open

It’s the early hours of the morning of July 17th, 1918.

In a remote forest in Russia, a group of thirty revolutionaries wait around in the dark, smoking cigarettes and taking turns swigging from a bottle of vodka.

Occasionally they cast anxious, expectant glances toward the forest road that leads to the nearby town of Yekaterinburg.

One of the revolutionaries, a young man with a dark beard and flat cap, steps away from the group and lights up another cigarette. As he exhales a long ribbon of smoke, he reflects on the state of Russia today, a nation plagued by war, factionalism, and ideological discord.

But the man’s thoughts are interrupted when the faint rumble of an approaching vehicle cuts through the still night air. 

Young man flicks away the cigarette, and squints into the darkness. A pair of headlights looms through the trees as a truck comes trundling along the road.

After the vehicle rolls to a stop, a group of fellow revolutionaries clamber down.

They greet their comrades, then gesture toward the truck bed with the points of their bayonets. Whatever’s in there is covered by a large sheet of woven burlap, but it appears like a mess of misshapen logs. At the senior officer’s instruction, two men step forward… and pull aside the burlap covering.

Immediately, a foul stench reaches the young man’s nostrils, making him recoil in disgust.

Piled in the truck bed is what looks like an assortment of bloody animal carcasses. But as the young man peers closer, he realizes they are not slaughtered animals, but human bodies. Specifically, the mutilated corpses of the entire Russian imperial family.

The young man and his comrades are Bolsheviks, members of the revolutionary faction that toppled Russia’s monarchy and replaced it with a socialist government. As a result of this revolution, a bloody civil war has erupted between the Bolsheviks and the White Army - a coalition of monarchists and conservatives intent on reversing the revolution and reinstating Tsar Nicholas II.

By the summer of 1918, the war hangs precariously in the balance. Recently, the White Army seized the upper hand by taking possession of a vital shipping route across central Russia. But the Bolsheviks possess a key asset of their own… the Romanovs - the royal family whose ostentatious wealth and power provoked the working class to rise up in the first place. For over a year, the Tsar and his family have been held captive. But following the enemy’s recent military gains, the Bolsheviks decide to eliminate the very symbol that inspires the White Army to fight, killing the Tsar and his family on July 17th, 1918.

Introduction

From Noiser and Airship, I’m Lindsay Graham and this is History Daily.

History is made every day. On this podcast—every day—we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world.

Today is July 17th, 1918: The Russian Royal Family is executed.

Act One: Abdication

It’s February 1913, in Moscow, five years before the Tsar and his family will be murdered.

A grand ball is taking place inside the Winter Palace, the seat of imperial power in Russia. Beneath crystal chandeliers, members of the Russian nobility waltz in time with the orchestra, while impeccably-dressed servants attend to the guests’ every need.

Tonight’s ball is being held in celebration of the Romanov Tercentenary - the three-hundred-year anniversary of the family’s rule. While the bells of St. Basil’s Cathedral resonate through the crisp winter air, Moscow’s wide boulevards teem with citizens from all backgrounds, from the lowliest peasant to the wealthiest banker, all gathered to commemorate the glory of the Romanovs.

At the center of the ballroom, Tsar Nicholas II and his wife, the Empress Alexandra, graciously receive the warm wishes of their devoted subjects. Nicholas, resplendent in his military uniform, glances at his eldest daughter, 18-year-old Grand Duchess Olga. This evening’s ball is Olga’s formal introduction to society. Now that she is of age, every state occasion presents the teenager with an opportunity to meet a suitor.

Onlookers turn their heads as one handsome young aristocrat cuts a path through the ballroom. He bows deeply to the Tsar, then asks for his E+xcellency’s permission to dance with the Grand Duchess Olga. Nicholas narrows his eyes and fondles his neatly-combed mustache. Then, he nods his approval. Blushing, the aristocrat turns to Olga, who eagerly takes his hand and follows him to the ballroom floor.

A ripple of interest passes through the room as the young couple begins to dance. Guests crane their necks to witness the spectacle, while other young noblemen stew with jealousy, as the aristocrat leads the Grand Duchess in a Polish folk dance. The Tsar notes with amusement that the aristocrat has breached etiquette by forgetting to remove his top hat. This oversight would ordinarily annoy Nicholas, who is deeply traditional and conservative. But tonight, nothing can dampen the Tsar’s irrepressibly cheerful mood, as he reflects how far he has come.

Eight years ago, a major political uprising shook the foundations of Tsarist Russia. Socio-economic grievances and political discontent sparked a wave of strikes and mutinies across the country. Fearing a complete loss of control, Nicholas was forced to introduce a number of reforms. He granted his citizens basic civil liberties, including freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, and he established an elected legislative body. While these reforms constituted a step toward modernization and liberalization in Russia, they failed to bring about systemic change. Because in the years since, the Tsar has gradually eroded these reforms, reasserting his autocracy, and deploying his ruthless secret police to suppress further dissent.

Now at the time of the ball, the Tsar is confident that he has silenced his critics and cemented his power, and the impressive turnout for the Tercentenary celebrations only supports this belief. Smiling, the Tsar turns to his Empress, who returns his loving gaze and says: “Here’s to the next three hundred years, my dear.”

But despite Nicholas’s confidence, resentment is still simmering among the working classes. While the Romanovs enjoy lives of unparalleled opulence, the majority of the Russian population must endure difficult living conditions, economic hardships, and a lack of political representation. This disparity only widens following Russia’s entry into World War I. The burdens of the war combined with food shortages, soaring inflation, and mounting casualties, creates a powder keg of discontent. The marginalized masses grow increasingly disillusioned by the monarchy's indifference to their plight, and they begin again to question the legitimacy of Romanov rule.

And by March 1917, four years after his Tercentenary ball, Tsar Nicholas’s optimism has turned to anguish. From his military headquarters in Western Russia, the monarch follows political events with increasing concern. Last month, riots broke out in St. Petersburg, triggered by food shortages and the deteriorating war effort. The legislative assembly was dissolved and a provisional government established in its place. But despite promising further reforms, the government cannot quell the protests. The people have made their position clear: only the abdication of the Tsar will satisfy them.

So in early March, Nicholas boards the imperial train with the intention of appealing directly to the rioters in St. Petersburg. But he never arrives. By now, the army has turned against him, and the Tsar’s train is diverted by insurgent troops. Inside his rail carriage, he consults with his generals, who urge him to abdicate. And on March 15th, Tsar Nicholas II surrenders his throne, bringing 304 years of Romanov rule to an end.

But the Tsar’s abdication will not stop Russia’s political turmoil. Seven months after Nicholas relinquishes the throne, another seismic political shift will occur, this one orchestrated by a charismatic communist revolutionary and his band of loyal followers: Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks. After launching a successful coup, Lenin and his army of militants will seize control of the government, drastically altering the course of Russia’s future, and sealing the fate of the former Tsar and his family.

Act Two: Incarceration

It’s the spring of 1918, three months before the Romanovs will meet their gruesome fate.

Grand Duchess Olga Romanov stares discontentedly out the window of a train as it wends its way through the Ural Mountains. As she watches the monotonous landscape streak past in a dreary blur, the 22-year-old’s thoughts are preoccupied with fears about the future and what it might have in store for her and her family.

Olga is the eldest daughter of the former Tsar, Nicholas II, and the Empress Alexandra. Following the Communist Revolution last October, the Tsar and his family were captured and placed under house arrest in the far-flung city of Tobolsk. But when a civil war broke out between the Bolsheviks and a coalition of pro-monarchy forces, Vladimir Lenin decided to move the Romanovs somewhere even more remote. A few weeks ago, Bolshevik guards transported Nicholas, Alexandra, and one of their daughters, Maria, to the remote town, Yekaterinburg. Olga’s younger brother, Alexei, was too ill to travel at the time. So Olga and her two other sisters, Tatiana and Anastasia, waited back with Alexei until he was healthy enough to board this train to Yekaterinburg.

Olga reaches over and affectionately clasps the hand of her 13-year-old brother, who sits slumped in a wheelchair. Alexei suffers from hemophilia, a condition that weakens his immune system. His health has always been a cause of concern, given that he is the family’s only son and bearer of the Romanov bloodline. Though of course, following the Tsar’s abdication, none of that matters much anymore. 

Olga flashes a dark glare at the armed guard standing by the carriage door.

She despises these Bolsheviks and everything they’ve done to Russia. Prior to the collapse of the monarchy, Olga’s life was filled with excitement and possibility, with a long line of handsome suitors competing for her hand in marriage. But then came the revolution, and Russia’s aristocrats were either forced into hiding or fled the country. Olga and her family were stripped of their possessions and titles, their life of privilege exchanged for one of captivity.

But all is not lost.

In recent weeks, a glimmer of hope has appeared in the shape of the White Army - a coalition of pro-monarchy forces that have taken up arms against the Bolsheviks in an attempt to reverse the revolution and reinstate the Tsar. Olga spends every night lying awake, praying the White Army succeeds and this nightmare comes to an end.

Eventually, the train pulls into Yekaterinburg station, and Olga and her siblings are transported to a crumbling mansion on the outskirts of town. Olga’s relief at seeing her parents again is swiftly overshadowed by disappointment, as she realizes that her life in Tobolsk was luxurious compared to this. Their new residence is filthy and stripped of furnishings, with the former royals forced to sleep on the hard floor. The windows have all been boarded up, and the bathrooms have been defaced with obscene graffiti. In addition, the guards here are much worse. They’re abusive and cruel, and make frequent sexual passes at the Romanov daughters.

Still, despite the miserable conditions, the Romanovs try to make the best of their incarceration. They stay busy and active. They walk around the yard during their allotted exercise hour and pray together every morning. At night, Alexandra and her daughters secretly sew their jewels into the lining of their clothes. If they ever get out of here, they will need something valuable to trade for food and shelter.

But they may need not escape, because as the months pass, news reaches the Romanovs about the White Army’s steady advance. Apparently, their allies have successfully taken control of the Trans-Siberian Railroad, a vital transportation route for armaments and soldiers. Surely it’s only a matter of time before the White army reaches Yekaterinburg and liberates the Romanovs.

Then, in the early hours of the morning of July 17th, Olga is shaken awake by her father. Nicholas is wide-eyed and fully dressed. When Olga asks what’s going on, her father replies in a breathless whisper: “It’s good news! We’re being rescued!” The Romanovs frantically dress and hurry downstairs. The guards inform them that they’re being transferred to a safer location. Olga can barely contain her happiness as they step outside into the cool night air.

But before their departure, one guard strides over and tells the Romanovs they need to take a quick photograph of the family to prove that they’re safe and well. Nicholas and Alexandra exchange a worried glance, wondering if this is some kind of trick. But they brush aside this concern and follow the guards down into the basement, where the photo is to be taken.

The Romanovs line up against the wall and wait patiently. But no photographer will ever come. And as the minutes pass, it will slowly dawn on the Romanovs that they have indeed been tricked, that they’re not waiting for a photographer – they are waiting for their executioner.

Act Three: Execution

It’s the early hours of the morning of July 17th, 1918, in the house where the Romanovs are being held prisoner.

A squadron of Bolshevik guards stand waiting in the stairwell outside the basement door. They are silent and grim-faced, gripping their rifles tightly to their chests. One of the guards, Viktor, is only seventeen years old. He struggles to conceal his nerves; his breathing is shallow and ragged.

At about 2:30 AM, their captain calls out a signal.

Viktor unslings his rifle and follows the others into the basement room, his bayonet poised. As soon as Viktor sees the Romanov family huddled against the far wall, he feels a stab of panic. The youngest child, Alexei, is only thirteen; the daughters between seventeen and twenty-two. They are all about his age. Viktor shifts his gaze, unable to bear the sight of their petrified, youthful faces.

Tsar Nicholas steps forward uncertainly. He is about to speak when the captain of the guards takes out a piece of paper from his pocket and starts to read: “In view of the fact that your relatives continued their offensive against Soviet Russia, the Presidium of the Ural Regional Soviet has decided to sentence you to death.”

Alexandra gasps, one trembling hand covering her heart. Nicholas shouts: “No!” but as soon as he does, the captain removes a pistol from his pocket and fires a single shot into the former Tsar's head.

After that, pandemonium erupts. While the Romanovs’ tearful screams reverberate around the room, the other Bolsheviks start firing shots into Nicholas’ corpse. Alexandra rushes forward wailing, and within seconds, she too has been peppered with bullets. Young Alexei grips his wheelchair in terror until he is killed by a shot to the head.

Dust falls from the basement ceiling as more gunshots are fired. By the time the air clears, the only Romanovs left are the daughters: Anastasia, Maria, Tatiana, and Olga. They survived the gunshots after the bullets ricocheted off the jewels sewn into their clothing. Now they cower in a corner, shaking violently. The guards stride over to them and, without hesitation, stab the young women to death with their bayonets.

The bodies of the Romanovs will be loaded into the back of the truck and driven to a remote location in a nearby wood. There, they will be dumped down a mine and covered with sulfuric acid to dissolve the evidence.

The Soviets won’t officially claim responsibility for the death of the Romanovs until 1991, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the declassification of previously top-secret documents. In the post-Soviet era, a more transparent approach to history will emerge, and previously inaccessible evidence will shed more light on the story. The admission of responsibility will mark a significant historical moment, bringing closure to the long-standing mystery surrounding the fate of the Romanov family, who met their violent death on July 17th, 1918.

Outro

Next on History Daily. July 18th, 64 AD. When the Great Fire of Rome reduces two-thirds of the city to ashes, Emperor Nero uses the catastrophe as an excuse to persecute a new religious group, the Christians.

From Noiser and Airship, this is History Daily, hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham.

Audio editing by Muhammad Shahzaib.

Sound design by Mollie Baack.

Music by Lindsay Graham.

This episode is written and researched by Joe Viner.

Executive Producers are Alexandra Currie-Buckner for Airship, and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.