The Death of the Czars:
A. 6
B. 1
C. 2
D. 5
E. 4
F. 3
A. Nicholas II
Shot to death by revolutionaries – Russian Czar Nicholas II was murdered, along with his family and servants, by the Bolsheviks at Yekaterinburg on July 17, 1918. This included his daughter Anastasia, who may not actually have been killed with the rest of them but was almost certainly killed along with them, despite persistent rumors to the contrary – even in the face of almost insurmountable evidence (except when interpreted differently). Even if she wasn’t dead then, she’s certainly dead now. This has been scientifically proven by scientists who ought to know.
B. Peter III
Overthrown by his own wife, imprisoned, killed by his wife’s favorite – It has been rumored that the Czar was murdered at Ropsha Castle by Alexei Orlov, Fyodor Baryatinsky, and a group of compatriots, at the behest of Grigory Orlov (Alexei’s brother), Catherine II’s lover. Grigory hoped to marry his mistress and become consort once Peter was out of the way.
C. Paul I
Struck in the head with a sword, then strangled and trampled to death in his bedroom – Paul was murdered in his bedroom in the newly built St. Michael’s Castle by a band of dismissed officers headed by General Bennigsen, a Hanoverian in Russian service, and General Yashvil, a Georgian. They charged into his bedroom, flushed with drink after supping together, and found Paul hiding behind drapes in the corner. The conspirators pulled him out, forced him to the table, and tried to compel him to sign his abdication. Paul offered some resistance, and one of the assassins struck him with a sword, after which he was strangled and trampled to death.
D. Peter the Great
Caught a chill and died – A rumor has it that Peter had gone to Lakhta, along the Gulf of Finland, to inspect some ironworks. Seeing a group of soldiers drowning near shore, he waded into near waist-deep water to rescue them. His health declined after the event (although probably due to ongoing bladder issues), and he died a few months later.
E. Ivan VI
Overthrown in a coup, exiled, imprisoned, killed while trying to escape – Ivan VI was named Tsar as a child but never truly reigned. He was overthrown by Empress Elizabeth in 1741 and thrown into prison. He languished there, nearly forgotten, until 1764, when a sub-lieutenant of the garrison, Vasily Mirovich, learned of his identity and formed a plan to free and proclaim him Emperor. At midnight on July 5, 1764, Mirovich won over some of the garrison, arrested the commandant Berednikov, and demanded Ivan’s release. His jailers, acting on prior secret instructions from their commander, an officer named Chekin, immediately murdered Ivan.
F. Alexander II
Killed by a bomb thrown by a revolutionary – An anarchist, Nikolai Rysakov, of the radical group People’s Will, threw a bomb that disrupted Czar Alexander II’s motorcade. Startled but unharmed, Alexander thanked God for his deliverance. Another conspirator, Ignacy Hryniewiecki, shouted, “It is too early to thank God,” and threw a second bomb, causing severe injuries from which Alexander bled to death several hours later. (Nicholas II, Alexander’s grandson, was one of the unfortunate witnesses to the Czar’s gruesome death.)
And so it goes
The Haus of Dcaligari 