CALVARY
Yankel Yurovsky left the prison-house on several occasions. Each absence
lasted many hours. He was surveying the environs of the city for a
convenient place to dispose of the bodies of his victims. His escort
consisted of one or two of the “Letts” mounted on horseback. Several
witnesses deposed to meeting him and his bodyguard in the woods during
the week that preceded the murder. They were seen near the very spot
where the remains were afterwards destroyed.
Whenever he had to absent himself, Yurovsky placed Medvedev in charge.
Besides the latter, there was another non “Lett” in the house, a certain
Nikulin, respecting whom it is known that he came with Yurovsky from the
_Chrezvychaika_. He enjoyed Yurovsky’s entire confidence, and was
probably there to keep an eye on Medvedev.
On Monday, July 15th, the lay sisters came as usual in the morning with
milk for the Imperial family. Yankel took it himself, and graciously
informed them that on the morrow they might bring half-a-hundred eggs.
This they did gladly, thinking that the poor captives would enjoy a
hearty meal, all unsuspicious of the cynical intention that had prompted
Yurovsky’s generosity. (These eggs were boiled by Haritonov, but they
were eaten, not in Ipatiev’s house, but in the woods.)
On the Tuesday morning, a whole nine days before the arrival of the
Czechs, Yurovsky made his final arrangements for the murder of the
family. The boy Leonid Sednev was removed early in the day to Popov’s
house across the lane, whither the Russian guards had been transferred.
There he was seen sitting on the window-sill and crying bitterly,
whether because he was dull without his play-fellow or had some inkling
of his fate is not known. The boy disappeared, never to be seen again.
Later this gave rise to rumours that Yurovsky had been told to reserve
him for future use, perhaps to impersonate his little friend the
Tsarevitch--in short, to act the part of a False Dmitri.
Two important visitors came to the prison-house during the day--namely,
the arch-inquisitor, Isai Goloshchekin, and his humble servant, the
Russian workman Beloborodov, president of the regional Soviet. They took
Yurovsky away in their automobile to some place unspecified, presumably
to a meeting of the Soviet Presidium (Board). Yurovsky returned some
hours later, towards evening.
At seven p.m. Yurovsky gave orders to Medvedev to collect all the
revolvers of the outer guard. Medvedev complied. He brought twelve
Nagans (the Nagan is the Russian service revolver) to the commandant’s
room and handed them to Yurovsky. The latter then confided to him the
plan to shoot the whole “Tsarian family” that night. He (Medvedev) would
have to warn the Russian guards “later,” when he got word to do so.
Meanwhile he must be silent. At nightfall (about 10:30 p.m. in these
latitudes in summer time) Medvedev “told the Russians.” The murderers
were to be the “Letts.”
There is no record of any open protests on the part of these men, who
had been “disgraced” only a few days ago for their “friendliness” to the
“arch-capitalist” and “drinker of blood.” There is nothing to be
surprised at. Beloborodov had been rendered “amenable,” because he had
“stolen”; here the crimes laid to these men’s charge was not only
pilfering but “counter-revolution.” They knew--and we may be sure they
were made to feel--that the Chrezvychaika would know how to deal with
them if they showed truculence. Having “warned” the Russians, Medvedev
returned to the commandant.
Two other strangers now made their appearance. One of them was Peter
Ermakov, “military komisar” of the Verkh-Isetsk iron-works; the other,
his assistant, a sailor named Vaganov. Both these men had distinguished
themselves by their ferocity. They were professional assassins,
“working” for the Red inquisition out of sheer blood-lust. But there
was another reason for inviting these butchers to the approaching feast
of blood. They were both to play a leading part in the “disposal” of the
bodies. Both were friends of Yurovsky. With him they had already, some
days earlier, studied and arranged the whole grisly performance.
When midnight by solar time had gone some minutes, Yurovsky went to the
Imperial chambers. The family slept. He woke them up, and told them that
there were urgent reasons why they should be at once removed; that there
was trouble in the city which might endanger their lives, and that they
must dress quickly and come downstairs. All rose, washed, and dressed
themselves, the grand duchesses donning their jewel-stuffed garments.
Each member of the family and their followers put on his or her
going-out clothes and headgear. The Empress wore her overcoat. Some of
the prisoners even took their pillows--for comfort’s sake or because
they had precious possessions secreted within.
Yurovsky led the way downstairs; the family and suite followed. Alexis
could not walk. His father carried him in his arms. Dr. Eugene
Sergeievich Botkin came directly after the family, and after him came
the chamber-maid Demidova, the cook Haritonov, and the footman Trupp.
The procession descended by the back stairs leading from the upper to
the ground floor. The door from the lower landing (by the kitchen) to
the rooms of the ground floor had been boarded up to
[Illustration: PLAN OF IPATIEV’S HOUSE]
prevent direct communication between their former occupants--the Russian
guards--and the prisoners. One had to go into the yard and then enter
the lower floor by a separate doorway. This was the route followed by
Yurovsky and his victims. The motor-lorry that had come for the bodies
waited outside the gate of this very court-yard, and in the dim light of
the northern midnight the prisoners could probably see the vehicle and
must have felt reassured, even if any suspicion of their imminent end
had assailed their minds.
Still following Yurovsky, they traversed all the rooms of the lower
floor, now tenanted only by “Letts,” and came at last to the small lobby
adjoining the front entrance on the lane (pereulok) side. This lobby was
lighted by a small window, heavily grated, looking into the garden.
Outside stood a sentry with a machine-gun. He could see everything that
went on inside, especially when the interior was lit up for the
execution. This man’s account played an important part in assembling and
corroborating the various depositions dealing with the murder. Opposite
the window, a door leads into a small chamber (18 × 16 ft.) with a
heavily grilled double window facing the lane. Here also stood sentries
outside, able to see what was going on within. This chamber is partly
basement. The guards had used it as a dormitory. A locked door led into
a basement chamber situated immediately under the Tsar’s prison-room.
This corner basement was a store-room where some of the Imperial
belongings had been deposited--and pilfered. There was no escape in that
direction. Besides, there were double barriers outside, intercepting
sight and sound.
The family and their followers were ushered into the semi-basement
chamber and told to wait. They were not suspicious. It did not occur to
them that they were in a trap. As the room was bare of furniture, the
Tsar asked to have some chairs brought. He wished the suffering Empress
to rest and the sick boy to sit down. Three chairs were brought in. One
was passed to Alexandra, who had been leaning against the wall facing
the lobby. Nicholas seated Alexis where he had been standing, in the
middle of the room, and sat down beside him. A pillow was placed behind
Alexandra. Two other pillows remained in Demidova’s arms. The Tsar and
the Tsarevich kept their caps on, as if expecting any moment to go out.
They thought the vehicles that were to convey them away had not arrived,
the lorry being there to take the luggage. On the Empress’s right stood
three of her daughters, on her left the other daughter and Demidova.
Almost immediately, the door into the lobby was obstructed by Yurovsky,
his friends and the “Letts.” There were Nikulin, Ermakov, Vaganov,
Medvedev and seven “Letts”--the remaining three being on guard duty.
There were twelve murderers. Each carried a revolver. The rifles of the
“Lett” guard were stacked in the adjoining room (where they lived).
Yurovsky advanced into the death-chamber and addressed the Tsar. There
are many versions of this utterance. According to the most trustworthy
one he said: “Your relatives have tried to save you. But it could not be
managed by them, and so we ourselves are compelled to shoot you.”
The twelve revolvers volleyed instantly, and all the prisoners fell to
the ground. Death had been instantaneous in the case of the parents and
three of the children, and of Dr. Botkin and two servants. Alexis
remained alive in spite of his wounds, and moaned and struggled in his
agony. Yurovsky finished him with his Colt. One of the girls--presumably
the youngest grand duchess, Anastasia--rolled about and screamed, and,
when one of the murderers approached, fought desperately with him till
he killed her. It seems as if the murderers had not been able to aim
straight at the boy and the girl. Even their callous hearts had wavered.
The maidservant lived the longest. Perhaps the pillows were in the way.
She was not touched by the first volley, and ran about screaming till
some of the “Letts,” seizing their rifles, bayoneted her to death. She
was covered with stabs. Poor Demidova died the victim of a
misunderstanding; the Reds thought that she was a maid-of-honour and
therefore a bourgeoise, whereas she was a simple peasant girl.
Within a few minutes of their entering the room, all was over. No time
was to be lost in removing traces of the crime. The floors and walls had
to be washed quickly and the bodies sent away. Daylight would soon
appear. There was a long way to go through the city. Hardened and
ruthless, secure in the impunity of murder under the Soviet system,
Yurovsky and his associates were none the less hurrying desperately.
They knew that the arrangements for “executing” the Romanovs could not
be regarded as a trial, nor would the people approve the deed. And so
like common murderers, they were desperately anxious to get rid of the
corpses. Here Ermakov and Vaganov became invaluable.
The evidence of three eye-witnesses is given below, namely of Medvedev,
one of the actual murderers, of Yakimov, who was present at the
shooting, and of a Red Guard named Proskuriakov, who helped to remove
traces of the murder. The necessary comments of the investigating
magistrate accompany the depositions so that the reader is able to study
them in their true perspective.
Medvedev told his wife all about it directly after the murder. He did
not conceal the fact that he himself had fired his revolver at the
Romanovs. He even emphasised his active complicity, boasting that he was
the only Russian “workman” who had taken part in the shooting, and that
all the others, besides Yurovsky and his assistants, were “not
ours”--_i.e._, foreigners. Medvedev was caught at Perm while trying to
blow up the bridge over the Kama to cover the retreat of the Red Army.
He confirmed all the statements that he had made to his wife except in
one particular: he denied having stated that he had himself done the
shooting. It is a customary reservation in the case of all who take part
in a joint and prearranged murder. The witness testifies to the fact of
the murder and names the actual murderers, but persists in declaring
that he himself did not do the killing, although he admitted to holding
a revolver in his hand at the time of the shooting. To divert the
evidence from himself he had to invent an _alibi_. Hear what he says in
his signed deposition:--
“Yurovsky sent me out, saying, ‘Go into the street; see if there is
anyone about and if the shots can be heard.’ I went out into the yard
surrounded by the big fence” (he means the space between the outside
wall and the hoardings), “and, before I had time to reach the street,
heard the sound of the firing. I returned at once inside the house--only
two or three minutes had passed--and, entering the room where the
shooting had been carried out, I saw that all the members of the Tsar’s
family--the Tsar, the Tsaritsa, the four daughters, and the Naslednik
(heir), were already lying on the floor with numerous wounds on their
bodies, and the blood was flowing in torrents. The doctor, maid, and two
men-servants had also been killed. When I appeared the Naslednik was
still alive, groaning. Yurovsky went up to him and fired two or three
times point-blank into him. The Naslednik was still. The picture of the
murder, the smell and sight of the blood, caused me to feel sick....”
Anatoly Yakimov, the second witness, is the man who had become
“converted” after remaining a few weeks with the Tsar. He had been a
sergeant of the Russian Guard, and remained so after the Russians had
been relegated to the outer posts. It was his business to place the
sentries and see that they remained at their posts. As the Russian
sentries could see into the room where the murdering was to be done, it
had not been possible to keep them in ignorance to the end, as explained
above. Yakimov “sympathised” with the prisoners, but he did not dare to
give effect to these feelings. There is good reason to believe that he
was present at the murder. Possibly Yurovsky had insisted upon his being
inside the house at the time, in order to implicate him in the deed. His
_alibi_ bears a family likeness to Medvedev’s. Like him, he had a full,
circumstantial knowledge of the killing that corroborates Medvedev in
every essential point, and that could not have come to him unless he had
been actually present. He explains that it was all told to him by the
sentries--two men who stood outside the death-chamber window and two
others who were in the courtyard when the bodies were removed.
He also unburdened himself to his family. According to his own account,
he heard of the murder at four o’clock in the morning, after which he
could not sleep, but “just sat and shivered,” as he says. At eight
o’clock he went to his sister, a woman of some education, who was
married to Agafonov, an official of the Commissariat of Justice. Here is
what his sister deposes:--“He came in without saying a word, looking
dreadfully upset and exhausted. I noticed it at once and asked him:
‘What is the matter with you?’ He requested me to close the door, sat
down and kept silent, his face convulsed with terror and his body
trembling violently. I again asked him: ‘What ails you?’ I thought that
some great misfortune had overtaken him. He still maintained an
obstinate silence, although it evidently caused him suffering. The
thought occurred to me: ‘Maybe they have killed Nicholas.’ I asked him
if it was so. My brother answered something like: ‘It is all over,’ and
in reply to my further questions he said that all had been
killed--_i.e._, the Tsar himself and all his family and all who had been
with them excepting their little scullion. I do not recall my asking him
if he had taken part in the murder, but I remember his saying that he
had seen the spectacle of the murder with his own eyes. He related how
this sight had so shaken him that he could not hold out, and every now
and then had gone out of the house into the open air, adding that his
comrades in the guard had upbraided him for it, suspecting him of
feeling repentance or pity.... I then understood him to mean that he
had been himself in the room or so near that he could see the actual
murder with his own eyes.”
Here are two corroborative depositions of interest. When Yakimov had
left his sister, she immediately ran out to her husband’s office. An
investigating magistrate named Tomashevsky was in the next room, and saw
her standing, weeping, and whispering to her husband. When she had gone,
Agafonov came and told this same story in confidence to Tomashevsky.
Agafonov saw Yakimov later in the day, and relates what
transpired:--“Yakimov came to take leave. [He was going to the front.] I
was struck by his appearance: the face pinched, the pupils distended,
the lower lip quivering when he spoke. The mere sight of him convinced
me that all that my wife had said was true. Clearly, Anatoly had passed
through some terrible experience during the night.... I only asked him:
‘How are things?’ He replied, It is all over’” (_vsi yóncheno_).
Philip Proskuriakov--a youngster, the type of the good-natured
peasant--deposed that he had entered the guard at Ipatiev’s house
principally because he was curious to have a look at the Tsar; not
because he felt hostile to him; indeed, if he disliked anybody it was
the Jews. His narrative impressed the investigating magistrate by its
evident sincerity. He did not see the actual murder, having spent the
evening with some friends and taken copious draughts of “denaturat”
(methylated spirits, which were in vogue since the prohibition of vodka)
and as a result of these libations, Medvedev had placed him under
arrest. He was locked up in the bath-house and sleeping off his “spree”
when Medvedev came to wake him and order him to go into the house.
The bodies had been taken out just before he reached the death-chamber.
Everything that happened in the house immediately afterwards came under
his personal observation. He washed the blood off the floor and the
walls. That he positively admits. He discussed the details of the murder
with Andrei Strekotin, one of the guards, who enjoyed Medvedev’s
friendship and had been selected by him to stand at the lower-floor
machine-gun post during the “execution.” This same Strekotin also
related his observations to one of his brother-guards named Letemin,
arrested later and found to be in possession of a whole collection of
valuables belonging to the family and Alexis’s spaniel Joy (afterwards
brought to England). Letemin’s version agreed with Proskuriakov’s
rendering of the Strekotin eye-witness account. What is still more
important, Proskuriakov heard also Medvedev relate the story of the
killing.
Medvedev told it to all the guards who with Proskuriakov were washing
the floor:--“Pasaka (Pavel--_i.e._, Medvedev) himself related that he
had loosed off two or three bullets at the _Gosukar_ (the Lord--_i.e._,
the Tsar) and at other persons.... I am telling the honest truth. He did
not say anything at all about his not having fired himself on account of
being sent outside to listen to the shots.... That is a lie!”
One pathetic incident escaped the notice of all these witnesses. The
Grand Duchess Anastasia took with her a King Charles spaniel, carrying
it in her arms into the death room. The corpse of little Jemmy was found
above a heap of cinders--all that remained of the family that had loved
her and shared with her their meagre fare. The murderers had knocked the
faithful friend on the head and thrown the body down the iron-pit
without troubling to burn it. Even in her death the little dog watched
over them, and her mangled remains, still recognizable, brought final
unmistakable proof of the end of the family.