Skip to Main Content

Fall of the Romanov Dynasty

 

 

Rare photographs of the Romanovs

After Tsar Nicholas II and his family were executed by Bolshevik revolutionaries early on the morning of July 17, 1918, a collection of the royal family's personal photographs was smuggled out of Russia. The albums offer a haunting glimpse into the life of a family destined for tragedy. (All photos courtesy of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.)

.

Nicholas II and his wife, Empress Aleksandra (far right), with their four daughters and son.

Tsar Nicholas II wading on the rocky shore of Finland.

Anna Vyrubova (right) wading at the beach with Grand Duchesses Tatyana and Olga.

Tsar Nicholas II and his son, Aleksei, near St. Petersburg.

Empress Aleksandra (left) with Anna Vyrubova, and Olga, the eldest of the grand duchesses.

Empress Aleksandra being greeted aboard the Standart, the imperial yacht that served the tsar's family for holidays and official tours.

Two of the grand duchesses aboard the Standart. When the children were small, each was assigned a sailor to ensure they didn't fall overboard.

Nicholas II and his daughters hiking in Crimea

Tsarevich Aleksei Romanov, the heir to the Russian throne.

Pierre Gilliard, the family's French tutor, with his pupils Olga and Tatyana Romanov. Gilliard was another of the family's retinue who joined them in captivity.

The grand duchesses with their mother and two officers

Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatyana, and Maria aboard the Standart in 1914.

Anastasia, the youngest of the Grand Duchesses, photographed after a round of tennis with an officer and her father, Nicholas II.

Tsar Nicholas II and his son Aleksei sawing wood while in captivity.