# DNA confirms IDs of czar's children, ending mystery **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 30, 2008, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-confirms-ids-of-czars-children-ending-mystery/447535 "2008-04-30T23:34:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-confirms-ids-of-czars-children-ending-mystery/447535/1 "2008-04-30T23:34:50Z")
[At last, the mystery has been solved.](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080430/ap_on_re_eu/russia_czar_s_family) How long until the conspiracy theorists start screaming, “FAKE!!!”? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-confirms-ids-of-czars-children-ending-mystery/447535/2 "2008-05-01T00:27:28Z")
Interesting. I was in St Petersburg in 1991 when the remains of the other members of the royal family were reburied. It was quite a spectacle. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-confirms-ids-of-czars-children-ending-mystery/447535/3 "2008-05-01T06:24:48Z")
Interesting. The article didn’t say how they found the remains. I wonder why they were separate from the other family members’ remains? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-confirms-ids-of-czars-children-ending-mystery/447535/4 "2008-05-01T10:44:58Z")
[QUOTE=nyctea scandiaca] Interesting. The article didn’t say how they found the remains. I wonder why they were separate from the other family members’ remains? [/QUOTE] Apparently, while finding a place in the woods to bury the remains, the truck was stuck in mud, they tried burying them there, but for some reason or another, weren’t able to get the grave complete. I’ll have to check my books later. Already, the Anna Anderson nuts are out, saying it’s a conspiracy. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-confirms-ids-of-czars-children-ending-mystery/447535/5 "2008-05-01T11:01:55Z")
There’s something wonderful and charming about Anna Anderson having nuts of her own, now. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-confirms-ids-of-czars-children-ending-mystery/447535/6 "2008-05-01T11:02:54Z")
**Cunctator** , I wish you would describe more of the spectacle. (And I would love to go to St. Petersburg. Am I right in remembering that when they found the other bodies they weren’t certain whether the smallest body was Maria or Anasthasia? I’m probably not spelling that right. I’ve been fascinated by this subject ever since the movie came out with Ingrid Bergman in the mid 1950s. I also discovered that Richard Halliburton interviewed one of the assassins in one of his books – _The Flying Carpet_ perhaps? I think that Olga was one of the most beautiful young women I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-confirms-ids-of-czars-children-ending-mystery/447535/7 "2008-05-01T14:10:11Z")
Those bones are clearly Photoshopped. [Yup.](http://xkcd.com/331/) ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-confirms-ids-of-czars-children-ending-mystery/447535/8 "2008-05-01T17:43:47Z")
> [@](#): > > The test results were based on analysis of mitochondrial DNA, the genetic material passed down only from mothers to children. That DNA is more stable than nuclear DNA — the material inherited from the father’s side — especially when remains are badly damaged. Someone needs to do more research! ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-confirms-ids-of-czars-children-ending-mystery/447535/9 "2008-05-01T22:35:27Z")
[QUOTE=Zoe] **Cunctator** , I wish you would describe more of the spectacle. [/QUOTE] I meant it in a good way - there was lots of Orthodox liturgy involved: a procession with icons and incense; crowds of people holding up pictures of the late tsar and his family; candelit vigils and a huge service in the cathedral etc. I think it was also the day that the city’s name was officially changed back to Saint Petersburg. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-confirms-ids-of-czars-children-ending-mystery/447535/10 "2008-05-02T01:22:12Z")
Man, now I’m going to have to re-name my [Burger King toy train set…](http://cgi.ebay.com/ANASTASIA--the-Movie-TRAIN-SET-From-Burger-King-NIB_W0QQitemZ130218817722QQcmdZViewItem?IMSfp=TL0804301239a14267#ebayphotohosting)😃 ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-confirms-ids-of-czars-children-ending-mystery/447535/11 "2008-05-02T01:29:10Z")
The Dead Romanovs – band name! ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-confirms-ids-of-czars-children-ending-mystery/447535/12 "2008-05-02T01:30:00Z")
Screw that. I wanna see and hear The Undead Romanovs!