The Imperial Children's Remains Discovered FAQs. Please Read!

[September 8, 2007]

September 8, 2007

Senior Procurator Vladimir Soloviev has just announced that the Genetic Testing on the 2007 excavation remains will commence on Sunday, November 11, with the arrival of experts to Moscow from the United States and Ekaterinburg.

The testing will be conducted in Moscow, Ekaterinburg and at the U. S. Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL). New methodologies will employed which have not been performed inside Russia to date.

Soloviev added that AFDIL has expertise in identifying the remains of military personnel from WWI and WWII, which involves the extraction of DNA from highly degraded samples that are compromised by their lack of adequate preservation.

Soloviev stressed that the 2007 samples have been subjected to fire and have deteriorated to the point that their preservation has been poor.

It was initially critical in the early stages of this Inquiry that the Russian anthropologists had to determine the approximate age of the remains, in that they did not belong to say "two males aged 40 yrs".

The anthropologists have assessed that the remains are compatible with those of a young male, 12-14 yrs of age, and a female aged between 17-18 years.

Soloviev concluded by declaring that his Inquiry will also examine documents that has recently surfaced which may provide details as to "who accepted the order to conduct the shootings and how it all happened". In his opinion "the image of the tragedy will not change".

Margarita Nelipa

[Monday November 12, 2007]

Monday November 12, 2007

Announcing that the American team of investigators has arrived in Ekaterinburg.

Presently the AFDIL genetist is examining the remains at the Sverdlovsk regional Forensic Medicine Bureau .

Margarita

[Monday November 12, 2007]

Monday November 12, 2007

The following information has just been publicy announced by Nikolai Nevolin of the Sverdlovsk Regional Forensic Medicine Laboratory:

The parallel DNA tests will be conducted at:

1. The Sverdlovsk Forensic Medicine Laboratory,
2. The U.S. Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) and
2. The Vavilov Institute of General Genetics in Moscow.

"Chief of the Research Section at AFDIL, Dr Michael Coble has examined materials collected from the grave and said that he might be able to identify the DNA and conduct identification studies."

"Dr Coble has warned that the Pentagon laboratory could have limitations."

DNA testing is expected to commence in January, 2008.

Margarita

[November 12, 2007]

November 12, 2007 images (courtesy of Vesti television)

L. to R. Senior Procurator Soloviev, Vladimir Gromov and Anthony Falsetti examining the samples

Screen caption reads: Expertizing the remains of the Romanov Family will be conducted for the fourth time

Anthony Falsetti speaking at the media conference at the Sverdlovsk Regional Forensic Medicine Laboratory

[November 12, 2007]

November 12, 2007

Dr Anthony Falsetti has declared the following via Channel 5 (St. Petersburg):

Безусловно присутствует деградация материала и отрицательное воздействие факторов, которые были в момент смерти и после смерти. Тем не менее этого материала достаточно чтобы сказать, что это останки двух человек. Причем один из них подросток, а другой молодая женщина. И с этим материалом можно работать дальше.

"Certainly there is degradation of the material and negative influential factors which were present during the moment of death and after death. Nevertheless from this material it is enough to tell, that these are the remains of two persons. One of them being a teenager, the other being a young woman. And with this material it is possible to work further."

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Comments by the Channel 5 correspondent:

Окончательные выводы можно будет сделать только после экспертизы ДНК. Она пройдет сначала в США, затем, возможно, и в одной из европейских стран. По словам специалистов, работа будет завершена только в следующем году.

"Final conclusions can be made only after expertizing the DNA. It shall be conducted first in the USA, then, probably, and in one of the European countries. According to experts, work will be completed only next year".

Translation by Margarita Nelipa © [for A. P. Forum members]

[Tuesday, November 13, 2007]

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Following a press conferance at the Sverdlovsk Regional Forensic Medicine Laboratory the following has been announced:

Nikolai Nevolin (Director of the SRFL) has decalred that there will be four independent genetic expertizing conducted,

a. At the Sverdlovsk Regional Forensic Medicine Laboratory,
b. At the Vavilov Institute of General Genetics in Moscow,   also abroad at
c. The U.S. Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL)  and
b. In Great Britain (negotiations are proceeding).

to be continued ...

Translation by Margarita Nelipa © [for A. P. Forum members]

Dr Michael Coble has declared:

"From the presented remains it is possible to extract samples, in order to conduct genetic analysis".

"If during the conduct of the first experitzing  in 1991 we had 4 genetic markers, at the present moment the standard genetic analysis includes 16 markers. Thus, we can obtain more precise results."

"At the first stage the American experts will extract the DNA, then they will conduct genetic expertizing, which may take a number of weeks. Then we shall compare it to the control DNA, which we have. ... research may take from a number of weeks to a number of months."

"At the conclusion the results of the molecular-genetic research by experts from Great Britain, Russia and in the US will are compared and a conclusion drawn if the remains found in the vicinity of Ekaterinburg, belong to members of Romanov imperial family. Such comparisons are planned to be performed at the beginning of 2008."

to be continued ...

Translation by Margarita Nelipa © [for A. P. Forum members]

Russian text in Dr Coble's words

По словам Кобла

«Из представленных останков можно выделить образцы, чтобы провести генетический анализ»

«Если при проведении первой экспертизы в 1991 году у нас было 4 генетических маркера, то в настоящий момент стандартный генетический анализ включает 16 маркеров. Таким образом, мы можем получать гораздо более точные результаты.»

«Hа первом этапе американские эксперты извлекут ДНК, затем проведут генетические экспертизы, которые могут занять несколько недель. Затем сравним с эталоном ДНК, который имеется у нас. ... исследования могут занять от нескольких недель до нескольких месяцев.»

«В заключении итоги молекулярно-генетических исследований экспертов из Великобритании, России и США будут сравнены и сделан вывод о принадлежности останков, найденных в окрестностях Екатеринбурга, членам царской семьи Романовых. Такое сравнение планируется провести в начале 2008 года.»

to be continued ...

Anthony Falsetti stated:

«состояние костей разное - от хорошего до не очень хорошего.»

"The condition of the bones varies - from good to very good."

Senior Procurator Vladimir Soloviev has declared:

«В 1998 г. мы сделали выпилы кусочков костей, где наверняка есть ДНК. ... Это делалось под эгидой Генеральной прокуратуры и сохранялось в Москве. Когда понадобилось я привез это все в Екатеринбург. И отсюда я их забирать не буду - они останутся в Екатеринбурге. Если церковь признает их святыми мощами, то, я, думаю, они [церковь] будут хранить.»

"In 1998 we have made sawn slices of bones, where most likely there is DNA. ... It was done under the aegis of the General Procurator and preserved in Moscow. When needed I brought all of this to Ekaterinburg. And from here I shall not take away them - they will remain in Ekaterinburg. If the church recognizes them as sacred relics, then, I, think, they [the church] shall have custody."

Translation by Margarita Nelipa © [for A. P. Forum members]

The Press conference held at 16.00 local time on November 13, 2007 was held at the Ekaterinburg Interfax-Ural agency. It was titled: 

 «Результаты совместного российско-американского исследования костных останков, обнаруженных в районе старой Коптяковской дороги в июле 2007 года».

"Results of the joint Russian-American investigations of the skeletal remains found in the vicinity of the Staroi Koptyakovskoi Road in July, 2007"

Both Russian and American investigators participatated at the press conference. From the Russian side: the Director of the Forensic Medicine Bureau Nikolai Nevolin and anthropologist Dmitri Razhev.

From the American side: the genetisist Dr Michael Coble, anthropologist Anthony Falsetti and Peter Sarandinaki of the SEARCH Foundation.

(Please note: only part of the press conference has been posted here today.)

Translation by Margarita Nelipa © [for A. P. Forum members]

Nikolai Nevolin, Director of the Sverdlovsk Forensic Medicine Bureau at the Interfax Press Conference

[Wednesday, November 14, 2007]

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Nikolai Nevolin, Director of the Sverdlovsk Forensic Medicine Bureau has addressed the rumors that coins from the 1930's and 1940's were allegedly found at the excavation site.

«Монеты были не рядом с останками, как скажем, пули [рядом с костями, выпущенные из браунинга - таким оружием пользовались в 1918-ом году, кроме того такими же пулями были расстреляны остальные члены царской семьи, останки которых нашли в 1991-м»].

"The coins were not next to the remains, like say, the bullets [which were next to the bones, discharged from a Browning - a weapon that was used in 1918, besides that similar bullets had executed the rest of the members of the imperial family whose remains were found in 1991"].

«Монеты от захоронения лежали на расстоянии около полутора метров. Скорее всего, кто-то их обронил десятилетием позже».

"The coins were lying at a distance of one and half meters from the excavation site.  Most likely, someone has dropped them decades later".

The coins found 1½ meters away from the excavation site

Translation and emphasis by Margarita Nelipa © [for A. P. Forum members]

[CORRECTION]

CORRECTION with apologies

Anthony Falsetti stated:

"The condition of the bones varies - from good to not very good".

Anthony Falsetti stated:

«состояние костей разное - от хорошего до не очень хорошего.»

"The condition of the bones varies - from good to very good."

Translation by Margarita Nelipa © [for A. P. Forum members]

[Thursday, 15 November, 2007]

Thursday, 15 November, 2007

Senior Procurator Vladimir Soloviev has stated the following:

«Мы никуда не спешим. Для нас важнее всего не ошибиться. Именно поэтому мы будем тщательно изучать все, что только можно изучить, а потом сравним результаты этой совместной работы. Сейчас идет большая судебно-баллистическая экспертиза, скоро начнутся серьезные исследования в уральском институте археологии. На все это потребуется время. Речь идет о нескольких месяцах. Что же касается продолжения раскопок на старой Коптяковской дороге, я бы предложил властям области организовать дальнейшее комплексное изучение этой местности».

"We are in no hurry. For us the most important is to not be mistaken. For this reason we shall carefully study everything, that is possible to study, and then we shall compare results of this joint work. Presently there is an extensive judicial-ballistic expertization being undertaken, soon earnest investigations at the Ural Institute of Archeology shall begin. For all, this time is required. It is a question of several months. As for the continuation of excavation on Staroi Koptyakovskoi Road, I would propose to the regional authorities to organize further intense studies of this location".

Michael Coble (L) and Anthony Falsetti at a press conference

Translation by Margarita Nelipa © [for A. P. Forum members]