The Home of the Last Tsar - Romanov and Russian History

Moscow, October 27, Interfax - Russian investigative agencies do not possess any documents indicating that Vladimir Lenin or other Soviet leaders issued orders on shooting Emperor Nicholas II and members of his family, says Vladimir Solovyov, a senior investigator and criminologist from the Investigative Committee criminology department.

"Even if some oral instructions were given, they were not formalized, and we don't have such documents. The shooting was carried out at the Urals regional council presidium's decision," Solovyov said.

Alexander Zakatov, the director of the Romanov family chancellery, said the Imperial Family also has no documents indicating Lenin's responsibility for the shooting of the Romanovs but has indirect evidence indicating the Soviet leaders' possible awareness of this.

"We have never ventured to say that Lenin issued this order. There are no official documents on this account, but this does not rule out that the Soviet leaders did issue such an order, and there is indirect evidence," he said.

The Imperial Family strongly condemns Bolshevik Yurovsky's actions and his direct responsibility for killing the Romanovs, he said.

"We have no questions about whether Yurovsky was a criminal or whether he just executed orders. It is absolutely obvious to us that Yurovsky is a criminal who executed a criminal order," he said.