PHOTO: scenes from the final days of the Imperial Family in the Ipatiev House were recreated for the 5-part documentary ‘The Romanovs. The Final Word’

The historical series ‘The Romanovs. The Final Word‘ has become one of the most popular documentary projects ever made for Russian online cinema. The 5-part series premiered on 4th November 2023, and in less than a month has been viewed more than 1 million times.

‘The Romanovs. The Last Word‘ is a detailed historical study of one of the most notorious crimes in 20th century Russian history – the murders of Emperor Nicholas II and his family, based on the memories of the klliers themselves. The series was created by journalist and historian Sergey Minaev together with producer Danila Sharapov.

In 1964, members of the firing squad Grigory Petrovich Nikulin (1894-1965) and Isai Radzinsky, on the orders of Nikita Khrushchev, recorded their memories of the execution of the Imperial Family in July 1918. These audio recordings were subsequently ordered sealed and stamped “SECRET” and placed in the archives. These important historical recordings are now made public for the first time in the documentary series ‘The Romanovs. The Last Word.’

The conversation between Nikulin and Radzinsky at the USSR Radiocomet was recreated specifically for this documentary project. In addition, the Ipatiev House, in which the Imperial Family were murdered, was reconstructed for the documentary, based on original plans, drawings, photographs and memoirs of eyewitnesses.

The actors for the roles of Nikulin and Radzinsky, members of the Imperial Family, and their faithful retainers, based on their likeness to the historical figures they were portraying in the documentary.

The best historical consultants, artists and restorers were involved in the project. Thanks to their participation, it was possible to recreate the events and circumstances of the final months of house arrest, and subsequent murders of the last Russian Tsar and his family, with accuracy through a previously unknown source, and an important historical record.

For the first time, this documentary series shows in detail the last days of the family of Emperor Nicholas II, their execution, as well as the circumstances of hiding the bodies by a team of executioners. The project was narrated by Sergey Minaev.

Click HERE to watch the trailer for ‘The Romanovs. The Final Word‘

FURTHER READING:

The Romanovs. The Final Word + TRAILER

Watch all 5 episodes of ‘The Romanovs. The Final Word’ + VIDEO

© Paul Gilbert. 1 December 2023