What Russian royal family was executed by the Bolsheviks in 1918?

The Russian royal family executed by the Bolsheviks in 1918 was the Romanov family. The victims included former Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra, and their five children: Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Alexei.

After the February Revolution of 1917, the family was placed under guard and eventually moved to Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg. During the Russian Civil War, Bolshevik officials feared that advancing anti-Bolshevik forces might rescue them. On the night of July 16–17, 1918, the family and four accompanying servants were killed by a Bolshevik execution squad.

The killings helped end the Romanov dynasty, which had ruled Russia since 1613. A common mix-up is confusing the Romanovs with other European royal houses: the Hohenzollerns ruled Germany, the Habsburgs ruled Austria and other territories, and the Windsors are Britain’s royal family.

The bodies were concealed and the Soviet government spread conflicting accounts for years, fueling rumors that one or more children had survived. Later investigations and DNA testing established the identities of the family members.