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[The following takes place in Imperial Russia in 1905.]

Three weeks later, the tsar’s uncle (and Alexander’s brother-in-law), Grand Duke Serge, did indeed meet death – in an assassination even more ghastly than that of his father Alexander II […]. He was blown to smithereens after a bomb was tossed into his carriage. “The unfortunate grand duke was reduced to pieces and we literally found nothing of his head, which must have been shattered into tiny pieces,” recounted the tsar’s cousin, Grand Duke Nicholas. “Parts of his body, such as two fingers, were found on the roof of the Palace of Justice, and those which were laying on the snow, were fragments full of blood and frightful limbs, etc.”


Author’s Note:

After the assassination of her husband, Alexandra’s sister Ella founded a convent in Moscow and became a nun. Her life of charitable work came to a ghastly end under the Bolsheviks in 1918, when she was tossed, still alive, down a mine pit and left to die with several others.


Source:

Farquhar, Michael. “Chapter 15 – Nicholas II (1894-1917): “An Absolute Child”.” Secret Lives of the Tsars: Three Centuries of Autocracy, Debauchery, Betrayal, Murder, and Madness from Romanov Russia. Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2014. 253. Print.


Further Reading:

Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia (Сергей Александрович)

Alexander II (Russian: Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, tr. Aleksandr II Nikolayevich)

Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich of Russia (Russian: Великий князь Никола́й Миха́йлович)

Alexandra Feodorovna / Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine / Saint Alexandra the Passion Bearer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_Feodorovna_(Alix_of_Hesse)

Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine, later Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia (Russian: Елизавета Фëдоровна Романова, Elizabeth Feodorovna Romanova; canonized as Holy Martyr Elizabeth Feodorovna: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Elisabeth_of_Hesse_and_by_Rhine_(1864%E2%80%931918)

[**The following takes place in Imperial Russia in 1905.**] >Three weeks later, the tsar’s uncle (and Alexander’s brother-in-law), [Grand Duke Serge](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Grand_Duke_Sergei_Alexandrovich_of_Russia_1857-1905.jpg), did indeed meet death – in an assassination even more ghastly than that of his father [Alexander II](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Zar_Alexander_II.jpg_%28cropped%29.jpg) […]. He was blown to smithereens after a bomb was tossed into his carriage. “The unfortunate grand duke was reduced to pieces and we literally found nothing of his head, which must have been shattered into tiny pieces,” recounted the tsar’s cousin, [Grand Duke Nicholas](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Nicholas_Mikhailovich_Grand_Duke_of_Russia.jpg). “Parts of his body, such as two fingers, were found on the roof of the Palace of Justice, and those which were laying on the snow, were fragments full of blood and frightful limbs, etc.” _______________________ **Author’s Note:** >After the assassination of her husband, [Alexandra](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Alexandra_Fyodorovna_LOC_01137u.jpg)’s sister [Ella](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Elizaveta_Federovna.gif) founded a convent in Moscow and became a nun. Her life of charitable work came to a ghastly end under the Bolsheviks in 1918, when she was tossed, still alive, down a mine pit and left to die with several others. _______________________ **Source:** Farquhar, Michael. “Chapter 15 – Nicholas II (1894-1917): “An Absolute Child”.” *Secret Lives of the Tsars: Three Centuries of Autocracy, Debauchery, Betrayal, Murder, and Madness from Romanov Russia*. Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2014. 253. Print. _______________________ **Further Reading:** [Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia (Сергей Александрович)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duke_Sergei_Alexandrovich_of_Russia) [Alexander II (Russian: Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, tr. Aleksandr II Nikolayevich)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_II_of_Russia) [Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich of Russia (Russian: Великий князь Никола́й Миха́йлович)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duke_Nicholas_Mikhailovich_of_Russia) Alexandra Feodorovna / Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine / Saint Alexandra the Passion Bearer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_Feodorovna_(Alix_of_Hesse) Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine, later Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia (Russian: Елизавета Фëдоровна Романова, Elizabeth Feodorovna Romanova; canonized as Holy Martyr Elizabeth Feodorovna: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Elisabeth_of_Hesse_and_by_Rhine_(1864%E2%80%931918)

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