Unearthed Photos Reveal The Final Days Of The Romanov Family
Beinecke Library at Yale University houses six albums filled with family photographs of the royal Russian Romanovs. Tsar Nicholas II liked to capture all the moments of everyday life with his wife and children. Family vacations, silly snapshots, hugging pets — the normal stills of a happy life. But in turning the pages of the albums, the images become darker as you begin to see the final days of a family held captive.
Sticking Together
The Romanov family tragedy remains one of the most horrific brutalities in recent world history. For Tsar Nicholas II, Tsarina Alexandra, and their five children, life shifted from the trappings of royalty to the confinement of prisoners.
A Deposed Tsar
Nicholas II was the final emperor of Russia. His mishandling of World War I, and the dire consequences his nation faced as a result, led to his forced abdication of the crown. This portrait was taken moments later, before he understood the horrors that awaited his family.
The Little Pair
Before the bleakness, life was good for the Romanovs. Nicholas and Alexandra welcomed four daughters. The two eldest, Olga and Tatiana, were dubbed "The Big Pair." The two youngest, Maria and Anastasia, were logically called "The Little Pair."
Beautiful Tatiana
At the time, the most discussed was Tatiana. She inherited her mother's good looks, with steely blue-grey eyes and auburn hair. Apart from the attention she attracted from her beauty, Tatiana was respected for her wartime efforts, serving as a nurse with the Red Cross.
