Russia (bbabo.net), - In society, discussions have been going on for decades about the circumstances of the murder of the royal family, although more than a hundred years have passed since the tragedy.

How many books have been written and films made about the authenticity of the remains found near Yekaterinburg. A few years ago, the Investigative Committee resumed a criminal case on the circumstances of those events. A book and a film devoted to the investigation of this tragedy have recently been released, and the Investigative Committee has a direct relationship to this. Rossiyskaya Gazeta asked Alexander Bastrykin, Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, about the conclusions and secrets of this one-of-a-kind criminal case.

Alexander Ivanovich, why was it necessary to resume the investigation in 2015 at all, and how did it differ from the previous investigations?

Alexander Bastrykin: Some researchers are still arguing about the identity of the remains found near Yekaterinburg, despite the findings of the 1993 investigation, which established their belonging to the royal family and their close associates. And we considered it necessary to fill in possible gaps by continuing the investigation. Over the past years, science has taken a very serious step forward, opening up new opportunities, including in genetics. For six years, 40 forensic examinations have been carried out on the renewed criminal case, including complex and commission forensic (anthropological), molecular genetic, historical and archival and others. For the first time, the investigators examined materials from closed archival funds.

In addition, earlier, in the 90s, investigative actions were carried out, in fact, behind closed doors. Now, on the contrary, it was decided to make everything transparent for society and in cooperation with a special church commission. Intermediate results were carefully discussed, specific actions were planned. The Russian Orthodox Church and the Investigative Committee have done everything to ensure that the new studies are completely objective, and their results are well-reasoned and undeniable.

In the process of removing samples from burials in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, one bone fragment was divided into two parts. Separately for the research of the ROC and separately - a consequence. Moreover, His Holiness the Patriarch himself personally recoded the samples in order to completely exclude the influence of the human factor on the result of the work. In the future, representatives of the church sent them to laboratories that conducted research in parallel with the investigation and independently of each other.

During this investigation, absolutely new examinations were also carried out.

Can you tell us more about these new expertise, which few people know about?

Alexander Bastrykin: This is a comparison of a stereolithographic copy of the prosthesis of Dr. Evgeny Sergeevich Botkin, which is stored in the USA, with the jaw of the remains of N 2 and with a photograph of the prosthesis of Botkin, the life doctor of the emperor's family, found in mine No. 7. The point is that in 1918 the investigation found two false teeth: one - in the house of Ipatiev, the other - at the bottom of a small well of mine No. 7 on Ganina Yama. Studies have shown that both prostheses belong to the remains of N 2, that is, Dr. Evgeny Botkin.

A handwriting examination of the inscription in the basement room of the Ipatiev house established that the inscription from the poem by Heinrich Heine was most likely made by commissioner Janis Svikke. For a more specific conclusion, the experts need a text written by Svikke in Latin, which, unfortunately, was not found in the archives of the Russian Federation.

For six years, 40 forensic examinations have been carried out on the renewed criminal case. Materials from closed funds were studied for the first time

The author's and handwriting examinations of the "Notes of Yakov Yurovsky" and his speech at a closed meeting of the old Bolsheviks proved that it was Yurovsky who was the author of both documents. An examination of the composition of the soil in the Piglet Log showed that there were sandy loams, not peat.

Finally, I would like to especially note the unique genetic examination to determine the signs of hemophilia, for the first time carried out by Professor Evgeny Ivanovich Rogaev.

Document from someone else's archive

Which specialists, from which institutions, were involved in research on this case? And what new documents are we talking about?

Alexander Bastrykin: The main work on molecular genetic identification was carried out by experts from the central DNA laboratory of the Investigative Committee. Experts from Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, Russian State University for the Humanities, Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of History and Archeology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ural Regional Forensic Center of the Ministry of Justice of Russia, RANEPA under the President of the Russian Federation, Center for the Study of the History of Religion and the Church of the IVI RAS, Department of Church History of the Moscow Theological Academy, Institute general genetics. N.I. Vavilov RAS and other institutions.In the process of work, documents from more than 20 federal, regional and departmental archives and museums of Russia, as well as foreign archival collections - the Russian History Foundation in the city of Jordanville, the Houghton Library of Harvard University and the Bakhmetev Archive of Columbia University in the USA, the National Archives of Great Britain were studied.

Documents from personal archives were also studied. Thus, the investigation took into account archival collections of different affiliation and status. At the same time, the work was carried out mainly with the originals, so that there were no contradictions and doubts.

So tell me, what confirmed or refuted the conclusions of genetic examinations about the authenticity of the remains of Emperor Nicholas II?

Alexander Bastrykin: Bone fragments of the remains of No. 4, which were identified as Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov, were compared during examinations with biological samples obtained from the remains of Alexander III. Their results confirmed the probability of paternity by 99.9999988 percent, which confirms that these remains belong to Nicholas II. They were also compared with a genetic profile from the blood taken from the shirt of Nikolai Alexandrovich, stored in the Hermitage. And in this case, it was also established that the blood on the shirt was left by a deceased person, whose remains are conventionally designated N 4.

A separate comparison was made for the male line of the Romanovs. In the course of it, a DNA sample was isolated from biological tissues - blood, seized from the clothes of Alexander II. In this case, the experts were convinced of the uniqueness of this profile and concluded that there was a close consanguinity between its bearer and the profile from the remains, which we identified as belonging to Nicholas II.

Alexander Ivanovich, were members of the royal family also identified?

Alexander Bastrykin: Yes, that's right. The genetic traits of all 11 people were established, while seven of them form a family group, and another four belong to individuals who are not related by blood to the family group or to each other. The family group includes a man, five women and a teenage boy.

Between the remains of N 4 and five more remains, the experts established the existence of a family relationship between father and children. Then, starting from the children's DNA, their family relationship with a woman whose remains (N 7) were also in the burial was confirmed, she is their mother. Thus, the investigation concluded that the remains discovered in 1991 and 2007 belong respectively to Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, their four daughters and Tsarevich Alexei. At the same time, the examinations established the probability of relationship between them at 99 percent and a few more digits 9 after the decimal point.

The remains, discovered in 2007, were identified as belonging to a teenager and a young girl, which is comparable to the data of Tsarevich Alexei and his sister Maria. Famous anthropologists D.V. Pezhemsky, M.V. Dobrovolskaya, T.Yu. Shvedchikova, as well as geneticists from various laboratories, examined these remains and determined, among other things, their gender and age.

As I said earlier, genetic examinations confirmed their relationship when compared with the remains of other family members. In this burial, fragments of bones from different parts of the human skeleton were found - teeth, occipital bones from two skulls, scapular, pelvic and others, in particular, the femur of a male teenager.

Another important argument is the discovery of the hemophilia gene in some samples. From historical documents it is known that Tsarevich Alexei suffered from hemophilia, which was transmitted to him through the maternal line. And the study of the bone remains of a male child confirmed the presence of this disease. It was also established that Alexandra Feodorovna and Grand Duchess Anastasia were carriers of the disease.

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The scar will be seen in a century

- There were many discussions on other grounds that allow us to talk about the belonging of the remains to members of the royal family. For example, after the attack on Nikolai Aleksandrovich in Japan in 1891, a mark was left on his head.

Alexander Bastrykin: This question has been thoroughly investigated by anthropologists, doctors and other specialists in the course of a new investigation. And what anthropologists found was later confirmed by tomographic and rare x-ray studies at a hundredfold increase. Over the past two decades, science and technology have stepped forward significantly. During the resumed investigation using high-tech equipment, including the latest tomography technology, which examines objects dozens of times more accurately, specialists were able to identify these injuries on skull No. 4.

These changes in the bone tissue of the skull, according to experts, indicate long-term intravital healed fractures near the fronto-parietal suture on the right. They just could be caused by a chopping object. And, as you know, on the hat of Nikolai Alexandrovich, located in the Hermitage, there are also traces of a saber strike.Why was the information that Nikolai Alexandrovich had problems with his spine, which was reflected in his gait, not investigated before?

Alexander Bastrykin: These data were established earlier as part of forensic medical examinations. This time, the investigation jointly evaluated the results of expert research and historical and archival documents. Indeed, the examination found age-related, degenerative-dystrophic changes in the spine on the remains belonging to Nicholas II. And there is evidence of Nikolai Aleksandrovich himself, confirming this. In his diary, literally in the last weeks of his life, he writes that he experiences severe pain in his legs and back, and notes that he did not get out of bed for about six days. He even notes with regret that he spent the birthday of his beloved wife Alix in bed due to severe pain in his legs and other places.

If we talk about changes in the gait of Nikolai Aleksandrovich, the inevitability of which some researchers point out, then in this case there are memories of one of the guards of the internal team of the Ipatiev house - Viktor Netrebin. He says that "in his appearance, Nikolai looked quite fresh. However, his step was unsteady. It seemed that he somehow vibrated in his knees ..."

What other aspects of those distant events were investigated during your investigation?

Alexander Bastrykin: During the investigation, all available materials were carefully studied, analyzed and systematized, including not only official documents, but also various testimonies, memories of participants in those events. All this made it possible to form a more complete picture and eliminate contradictions.

The organizers and participants in the murder of the royal family and persons from their entourage have been identified. Also, for the first time, data from the materials of the investigation file of Nikolai Alekseevich Sokolov were compared with the contents of his own book "The Murder of the Royal Family". It turned out that there are certain inconsistencies between the materials of the investigation file and the book, which relate to the details and circumstances of the discovery of certain traces and objects. All this is of great importance.

And the results of our investigation coincided with the conclusions of experts about the circumstances of the actual execution of the royal family and persons from its entourage, about preparations for the murder, concealing the traces of the crime and attempts to destroy the bodies. So, at first they tried to hide the bodies of the executed in the area of ​​​​Ganina Yama. And then nine of them were buried under the roadbed on the territory of the Porosenkov Log and a wooden flooring of sleepers was made over the burial. They tried to burn the bodies of Alexei and Maria not far from this place. After burning, their remains were poured with sulfuric acid, buried, and a fire was lit from above again.

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Alexander Bastrykin: In the book "The Murder of the Imperial Family" Nikolai Sokolov cites the thesis of the complete burning of the bodies of the emperor and his family. But the materials of the investigative case of Sokolov, carried out before the writing of the book, on the contrary, testify to his confidence that the bodies of the murdered were hidden, and he was on the right track, carrying out their search. In 1919, Sokolov, surveying the area, photographed the “bridge of sleepers” already known to our contemporaries in the Piglet Log. At 414 steps from this bridge, as the investigator pointed out, there was a railway crossing, at the gatehouse of which were the remains of similar sleepers.

Sokolov managed to interrogate the watchman of this crossing and his son. They reported that the same "bridge of sleepers" appeared a year ago on the night of July 19, when the Bolsheviks were driving from the side of Ganina Yama. Having compared the facts, the investigator, given the time, would probably have checked this place. But in connection with the approach of enemy forces to Yekaterinburg, on the day of the interrogation of the father and son Lobukhins, he received an order for an urgent evacuation from the city. The investigator indicates this report of the inspection of the area, without completing the investigative action. The next day, July 11, 1919, Sokolov left the city and was no longer able to return there to continue his investigation.

They tried to burn the bodies of Alexei and Maria not far from this place. Their remains after burning were filled with sulfuric acid. And a fire was lit from above

Over the years, the opinions of researchers who did not have access to official documents have evolved based on what has been written in this book.

As we know, investigator Sokolov never completed his investigation, which continued until his death. For objective reasons, he also did not have the opportunity to study all archival documents, eyewitness accounts of those events to which we now have access. In the presence of the indicated data, he would have easily discovered the burial places of the royal family and persons from its entourage.As evidence, scanned and duly certified copies of the materials of the investigation file of N.A. are fully attached to the criminal case. Sokolov, kept in the state archives of the Russian Federation and Harvard University (copy by Robert Wilton).

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The execution room in detail

Why was it necessary to reconstruct the events in the Ipatiev house? After all, the investigation already had enough documents and materials.

Alexander Bastrykin: Yes, indeed, there are eyewitness accounts in the case file, but there were certain differences and inaccuracies in them. The researchers also expressed versions that it was impossible to place 11 people and a firing squad for execution in such a small room. That is why, in order to clarify and verify the facts, it was decided to conduct an investigative experiment with the participation of forensic experts and historians.

The investigation had at its disposal photographs of the room itself in the Ipatiev house, measurement data and descriptions of mechanical damage and traces of blood on its walls and on the floor, recorded by the investigators of that time - I.A. Sergeev and N.A. Sokolov. Based on this, a room model was created.

The results of the investigative action made it possible to find out that some inaccuracies in the descriptions were just related to the different location of the eyewitnesses at the time of the murder. The investigation made sure that the room was large enough to accommodate both members of the royal family and persons from their entourage, as well as those who carried out the execution.

In addition, it was necessary to make sure that the memories of the people who watched what happened through the windows could also be true. For this, photographs of basements and facades were studied, the relative position of window and door openings, the difference between ground and floor levels by the beginning of the 20th century were determined. This made it possible to compare the situation with the testimony of eyewitnesses and establish what exactly they could see through the windows of the house from the places where they were at the time of the execution.

And most importantly: the process of killing was restored in dynamics - the experiment showed that all the victims could receive the injuries that were found on the remains. Even more than that - the modeling of the situation helped the experts to better understand how certain injuries could have been received.

Some researchers have expressed the opinion that as a result of the fact that the remains fell into peat soil, it is impossible to isolate DNA. Explain to me, as an amateur - such statements are justified?

Alexander Bastrykin: In the course of the conducted soil science examinations, it turned out that the soil in this area consists of loams. For research, its samples were taken at various distances and depths from both places where the remains were found. The argument that the soil could have been brought to the burial site and it completely replaced the natural soil was not confirmed. No signs of soil mixing with peat were found either. In addition, it is very difficult to imagine that the road that passed in this place was laid through a peat bog.

Documents from the investigation file of N.A. Sokolov testify that on the car that was used to transport the bodies of those shot in the Ipatiev house, there were traces of clay, not peat. In addition, soft tissues are subjected to the so-called peat tanning, and DNA was obtained from the deepest layers of bone fragments. At the same time, experts from several laboratories independently obtained results that coincided with each other.

Probably, all aspects of this case are difficult to discuss in one interview...

Alexander Bastrykin: Absolutely right. And for a wide audience, a book was prepared - a three-volume book "The Crime of the Century. Materials of the Investigation" (published on the official website of the Investigative Committee). He summarizes the collected materials related to the murder of the former Russian Emperor Nicholas II, members of his family and their subjects, as well as the concealment of their remains and the long-term investigation of this crime. This is a very large joint work of both professionals of the beginning of the 20th century and modern investigators, forensic scientists, scientists, archivist historians, priests and simply caring people. As we have said, the investigation takes an open position. And everyone can see for himself the completeness and objectivity of the investigation, having read the published materials.

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