Princess Anastasia of Russia was killed with her family during the Russian Revolution, and later scientific evidence confirmed there was no surviving “lost princess.”
Her death in 1918
Anastasia was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, the last emperor of Russia. In July 1918, she and her immediate family were taken to a cellar in Yekaterinburg and executed by Bolshevik guards as the monarchy was overthrown.
The survival legend
For decades after the execution, rumors spread that Anastasia had somehow escaped, inspiring books, films, and claimants who said they were the missing grand duchess. The most famous of these was Anna Anderson, who fought a long legal battle in Germany seeking recognition as Anastasia but was never legally accepted as such.
DNA evidence and modern conclusion
In the 1990s, remains identified as Nicholas II, Alexandra, and three daughters were found and tested, and later remains of the tsarevich Alexei and another daughter were discovered in 2007. DNA analysis showed that all members of the immediate Romanov family, including Anastasia, died in 1918, disproving the survival stories.