17 July 1918: The Martyrdom of the Holy Imperial Family of Russia Around midnight, between 16 and 17 July 1918, they were awakened and taken, together with four other members of their household, to the basement of the house, supposedly in order to be moved to a safer location. After a long wait, they were ordered to stand in a line so that a photograph could be taken of them. Suddenly, instead of a photographer, eleven Bolsheviks entered the small room, led by Yakov Yurovsky, and began shooting their victims. The death of some was slow and agonizing, such as that of the young heir, Alexei, who was finished off with blows to the head, and Princess Anastasia, who was killed with bayonets. They then took from the dead whatever valuables they had on them and hurriedly transported the bodies by truck to a nearby forest, where they threw them naked into a mine shaft. Fearing, however, that the bodies might be discovered, the following night they pulled them out and, after dismembering them, burned them, pouring 300 liters of gasoline over them. To destroy the remaining traces of the martyrs, they poured 190 kilograms of vitriol over them. Finally, whatever remained was hastily covered with soil and branches. This entire horrific process lasted three days and nights from the moment of their murder. The eleven martyrs of 17 July 1918: • Tsar Nicholas II Alexandrovich Romanov, age 50 • Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, age 46 • Grand Duchess Olga, age 23 • Grand Duchess Tatiana, age 21 • Grand Duchess Maria, age 19 • Grand Duchess Anastasia, age 17 • Tsarevich Alexei, age 14 • Physician Eugene Botkin • Cook Ivan Kharitonov • Lady-in-waiting Anna Demidova • Valet Alexei Trupp Saint Nectarius of Optina had prophesied in 1917: “Difficult times are coming soon! The year 1918 will be even worse. The Tsar and his entire family will be tortured and murdered… If we do not repent and return to God, then not only Russia, but all of Europe will collapse. The hour of prayer has come!” Holy Royal Martyrs, intercede for us. ☦️🇷🇺