US embassy cable - 98YEKATERINBURG156

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YEKATERINBURG 0156 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS:  PGOV, RS 
SUBJECT: THE ROMANOVS: THE FINAL CHAPTER IN YEKATERINBURG 
 
1. ON A SUNNY JULY 16 MORNING, THOUSANDS OF 
YEKATERINBURGERS WAITED IN LINE TO PAY THEIR FINAL 
RESPECTS TO NICHOLAS AND ALEXANDRIA.  EXACTLY EIGHTY 
YEARS BEFORE, ON THE NIGHT OF JULY 16-17, 1918, THE 
ROMANOVS HAD BEEN BRUTALLY MURDERED HERE.  THEIR 
REMAINS NOW LAID IN STATE AT YEKATERINBURG'S ASCENSION 
CHURCH ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE SITE WHERE THE 
EXECUTIONS HAD BEEN CARRIED OUT.  THE COFFINS OF THE 
TSAR AND TSARITSA WERE DRAPED WITH THE BRIGHT YELLOW 
IMPERIAL STANDARD BEARING THE BLACK DOUBLE-HEADED 
EAGLE CREST.  BEHIND THEM LAID THE COFFINS OF THREE 
GRAND DUCHESSES AND FOUR MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL 
HOUSEHOLD STAFF. 
 
2. AT MIDDAY, THE ASCENSION CHURCH'S SENIOR PRIEST 
CONDUCTED A MEMORIAL SERVICE: 'WE PRAY FOR THE PEACE 
OF SOULS INNOCENTLY SLAIN AND THEIR NAMES ARE KNOW TO 
THEE, OUR LORD.'   THE LITURGY WAS SOLEMN AND MODEST, 
A WELCOME CHANGE AFTER YEARS OF UNSEEMLY POLITICAL 
INFIGHTING OVER THE BONES.  GOVERNOR ROSSEL AND THE 
REST OF THE LOCAL POLITICAL ELITE ATTENDED THE 
SERVICE.  THEY WERE JOINED BY THE MINISTER OF CULTURE 
FROM MOSCOW.  THE ONLY CONSPICUOUS ABSENTEES WERE THE 
PRESIDENTIAL REPRESENTATIVE TO SVERDLOVSK OBLAST AND 
YEKATERINBURG'S ARCHBISHOP.  NO ONE FROM THE ROYAL 
FAMILY WAS PRESENT.  THE MOST SATISFIED PERSON IN THE 
CHURCH WAS ALEKSANDR AVDONIN, WHO WAS WITNESSING A 
CEREMONY THAT HE HAD DREAMT ABOUT FOR YEARS.  AVDONIN 
HAD DISCOVERED THE ROMANOVS' GRAVESITE NEARLY TWENTY 
YEARS AGO. 
 
3. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE SERVICE, A MILITARY HONOR 
GUARD CARRIED THE COFFINS FROM THE CHURCH SLOWLY PAST 
THE CROWD TO WAITING VEHICLES.  AS THE LEAD 
PALLBEARERS EMERGED FROM THE CHURCH WITH THE TSAR'S 
COFFIN, BLACK CLOUDS APPEARED AND A RAINSTORM BEGAN. 
A FEW OLD WOMEN DROPPED TO THEIR KNEES AND CROSSED 
THEMSELVES VIGOROUSLY.  SHORTLY AFTER THE LAST 
COFFIN WAS LOADED AND THE MOTORCADE DEPARTED FOR THE 
AIRPORT, THE RAIN STOPPED.  BY MID-AFTERNOON, THE 
ROMANOVS HAD LEFT YEKATERINBURG FOR THE LAST TIME ON 
THEIR WAY TO INTERMENT IN ST. PETERSBURG. 
 
4. THE SHOW NOW MOVES TO RUSSIA'S NORTHERN CAPITAL, 
BUT TWO QUESTIONS REMAIN IN YEKATERINBURG: 
 
--WHERE ARE THE REMAINS OF THE OTHER TWO ROYAL FAMILY 
MEMBERS, THE TSAREVICH AND GRAND DUCHESS MARIYA? 
 
--AND HOW SHOULD YEKATERINBURG BEST COMMEMORATE THE 
ROMANOVS' MEMORY HERE? 
 
ON THE LATTER, THE YEKATERINBURG ARCHDIOCESE AND THE 
OBLAST GOVERNMENT HAVE COMMISSIONED A DESIGN FOR A 
'CHURCH ON THE BLOOD' TO BE BUILT ON THE SITE WHERE 
THE ROYAL FAMILY WAS KILLED.  THE FIVE-DOMED CHURCH'S 
DESIGN IS SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW THE STYLE OF NOVGOROD'S 
ELEVENTH CENTURY CHURCHES.  CONSTRUCTION COSTS ARE 
ESTIMATED AT USD 4 MILLION.  UNFORTUNATELY, THE NEW 
CHURCH'S COURTYARD WILL LIKELY BE MARRED BY A 
TASTELESS SCULPTURE OF THE ROYAL FAMILY DESIGNED BY 
YEKATERINBURG'S VERSION OF TSERETELI. 
 
ON THE FORMER, AVDONIN CLAIMS THAT HE KNOWS WHERE THE 
OTHER TWO CHILDREN WERE BURIED IN 1918.  AT A JULY 15 
PRESS CONFERENCE, GOVERNOR ROSSEL SAID THAT A SEARCH 
FOR ALEKSEY AND MARIYA WILL BE MOUNTED.  HE HASTENED 
TO ADD THAT, IF THEIR REMAINS ARE FOUND, THEY WILL BE 
BURIED TOGETHER WITH THE REST OF THE FAMILY IN ST. 
PETERSBURG. 
 
 
RUSSELL