The Romanov family was executed by the Bolsheviks late in the night on July 16, 1918. The family was ordered to dress quickly and go down to the cellar of the house in which they were staying. Shortly thereafter, a dozen Bolshevik soldiers burst into the room and rained gunfire on the family. Any survivors were stabbed to death.
According to the story, the bodies were taken to an abandoned mine shaft 14 miles away, doused in gasoline, and burned. They then soaked the bones in sulfuric acid to further hide the evidence. Initially, the remains of Crown Prince Alexei and Princess Anastasia could not be found with the rest of the family. Rumours began to swirl: that the children had escaped and survived the assassination attempt.