Russia’s last tsar, his wife, and their five children were murdered amid the tumult of the Bolshevik revolution 100 years ago today (July 17).
The execution of Emperor Nicholas II and other members of the Romanov family that had ruled for more than 300 years marked the end of imperial Russia. To commemorate the anniversary, the Russian state archive’s #Romanovs100 project has released newly unearthed photos taken by the family members themselves.
The Romanovs had several cameras and recorded many of the most meaningful events of their extremely comfortable lives.
King Edward VII of England, who was Nicholas II’s uncle, visited Russia for the first time in 1908 to improve bilateral relations. Edward’s mother was Queen Victoria.
The family documented events marking the dynasty’s 300 years of rule in 1913, which were part of an empire-wide celebration.
Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man Rasputin befriended Nicholas II’s family—and thus gained significant influence in late imperial Russia.
