Why was Leonid Sednev sent away?

[clockworkgirl21]

Doubtful the executioners had any reservations about killing him; it's likely they wanted one less body to worry about. So why were none of the other servants sent away instead?

[edubs31]

Doubtful the executioners had any reservations about killing him; it's likely they wanted one less body to worry about. So why were none of the other servants sent away instead?

Well I'm guessing they had at least some reservation about shooting a child (think he around 15 at this point) who they had no reason to seek revenge against and carried no political weight.

Of course the same could be said for OTMAA and their four servants, but then the IF was ordered to be eliminated. I suppose the decision then was between killing the servants and the boy, letting all the servants go free, or killing the adult servants but letting Sednev go free. Yurovsky and company chose the latter. 

[Forum Admin]

Sednev was a local boy, not somebody who voluntarily left Tsarskoe Selo to accompany the Imperial Family.  He only started to work for them when they got to Ekaterinburg.  There would be questions asked if he suddenly disappeared (murdered) and remember Yurovsky wanted to create the illusion that the family had been moved, not executed.  Sending Sednev back to his family would make certain nobody would start asking questions and would help the cover story.  There was no benefit to shooting him, and to do so would create problems.

[aleksandr pavlovich]

Doubtful the executioners had any reservations about killing him; it's likely they wanted one less body to worry about. So why were none of the other servants sent away instead?

                     This topic about the exclusion of L.I. Sednev from the killings comes up repeatedly over the years, with much quoting, many theories/speculation, etc.  IMO, as the FA basicly remarked, nothing would really have been gained in the overall scope of the matter by killing this peasant child, essentially "one of their own."  
                      There is a 22+ series of pages on Sednev under "Servants, Friends and Retainers" in which this incident is mentioned. Leonid WAS informed by a guard in the Popoff House that the killings had occurred early that morning.  He may well have unknowingly heard the noise, since he was in the house across the street.  He certainly reacted quite emotionally to the news.   AP.

[bkohatl]

Sometimes the simplest explanation is the best. I think this is 100% on the money:

Sednev was a local boy, not somebody who voluntarily left Tsarskoe Selo to accompany the Imperial Family.  He only started to work for them when they got to Ekaterinburg.  There would be questions asked if he suddenly disappeared (murdered) and remember Yurovsky wanted to create the illusion that the family had been moved, not executed.  Sending Sednev back to his family would make certain nobody would start asking questions and would help the cover story.  There was no benefit to shooting him, and to do so would create problems.

[Lady Macduff]

I think there were a number of reasons - yes, the fact that there would be one less body to transport probably was a big factor. But we can't totally discount their not wanting to kill another child. Remember that a few of the guards backed out right before the murders were to take place because they didn't want to shoot the girls and Alexei.

[Sarushka]

Sednev was a local boy, not somebody who voluntarily left Tsarskoe Selo to accompany the Imperial Family.  He only started to work for them when they got to Ekaterinburg. 

On the contrary, Leonid Sednev did work for the imperial family in Tsarskoe Selo. He was an orphan living under the care of his uncle, Ivan Sednev, the grand duchesses' footman. According to statements made by Kobylinsky, Gilliard, and Volkov, Leonid Sednev accompanied the IF to Tobolsk, and was part of the retinue that was transferred with OTAA to Ekaterinburg aboard the Rus.

To my knowledge, no locals (aside from guards and clergy) were permitted inside the Ipatiev house.

[aleksandr pavlovich]

Quote from "Sarushka," Reply # 6, TODAY, 04/29/13

(/quote)  On the contrary, Leonid Sednev did work for the imperial family in Tsarskoe Selo. He was an orphan living under the care of his uncle, Ivan Sednev, the grand duchesses' footman. According to statements made by Kobylinsky, Gilliard, and Volkov, Leonid Sednev accompanied the IF to Tobolsk, and was part of the retinue that was transferred with OTAA to Ekaterinburg aboard the Rus.  (/quote)

         Response:   The above is correct.  Leonid was from Yaroslavl Oblast and followed his uncle. All this background is covered in the 22+ page topic under his name in "Servants, Friends and Retainers." He accompanied his uncle Ivan D. Sednev all the way from Tsarskoye Selo, then on the "Rus" and ultimately to Ekaterinburg. One of the items that we do not presently know,until the Imperial Account Books are found is: What date and at what age was he brought into employment at Tsarskoye Selo?  Likewise, though there may be two contenders, the matter of a debate over a proven and documented "authentic" photo of Leonid is still not proven conclusively !         Regards,  AP.

[Rodney_G.]

My understanding of this business is that young Sednev had been included by the Regional Soviet Executive Committee among those to be killed with the IF simply because he was in the IH. And that Yurovsky at the last minute (not literally)  had a moment of humanity and told him to get lost. Certainly he was harmless enough. (But then ,so were almost all of the eleven actually shot.)

As for Leonid himself, when did he arrive at IH? I know he wasn't among the first arrivals (NAM,and their group), and I don't recall him mentioned as among the second group with the children,Nagorny, etc., arriving three weeks later. Is it possible he arrived at another time ? Also, where did he sleep? Most descriptions of the living arrangements of the occupants refer to eleven people, without L. Sednev. Or was he just overlooked?

[aleksandr pavlovich]

And that Yurovsky at the last minute (not literally)  had a moment of humanity and told him to get lost. (end quote)



 Remark/s to "Rodney_G" 's  inquiries:  

  Yurovsky's fabricated story to get L. Sednev to immediately/willingly leave has been quoted many times.

As to the other points:

                 After listing the members of the retinue (including I. and L. Sednev), Greg King and Penny Wilson in their "The Resurrection of the Romanovs." p. 60, write "These servants slept on sofas or cots in the hallways, kitchen, and drawing room...."

                 As to his arrival at Ekaterinburg, one of our posters/forum members ("nena" in 12/24/09) gives the following from "the Russian Web":   "May 22nd, at 11am they attended the Rus, and at 3pm, they arrived at Tyumen. He is numbered (on the passenger list - AP) as * 14 so he went to Ekaterinburg with OTAA on 'Rus" in May of 1918. "   (The listing and many of the other details are to be found here on the Forum in the 22+ pages under the topic "Leonid Sednev" to which reference has been made earlier.  AP)

                As to his being mentioned/counted prominently:  IMO, Leonid Sednev as simply a younger peasant boy, who could not have offered much stalwart potential physical opposition as the adult males could have (witness the removal/execution of Nagorny and I. Sednev).  He apparently "didn't count" as being of that much concern within the scope of things.  
 
                                                                         Regards,  AP.          

[Lady Macduff]

I know in The Kitchen Boy he sleeps in the hallway room with Trupp and Kharitonov, but I don't know if that's factual or if either of them in fact slept there.

[Rodney_G.]

And that Yurovsky at the last minute (not literally)  had a moment of humanity and told him to get lost. (end quote)



 Remark/s to "Rodney_G" 's  inquiries: 

  Yurovsky's fabricated story to get L. Sednev to immediately/willingly leave has been quoted many times.

As to the other points:

                 After listing the members of the retinue (including I. and L. Sednev), Greg King and Penny Wilson in their "The Resurrection of the Romanovs." p. 60, write "These servants slept on sofas or cots in the hallways, kitchen, and drawing room...."

                 As to his arrival at Ekaterinburg, one of our posters/forum members ("nena" in 12/24/09) gives the following from "the Russian Web":   "May 22nd, at 11am they attended the Rus, and at 3pm, they arrived at Tyumen. He is numbered (on the passenger list - AP) as * 14 so he went to Ekaterinburg with OTAA on 'Rus" in May of 1918. "   (The listing and many of the other details are to be found here on the Forum in the 22+ pages under the topic "Leonid Sednev" to which reference has been made earlier.  AP)

                As to his being mentioned/counted prominently:  IMO, Leonid Sednev as simply a younger peasant boy, who could not have offered much stalwart potential physical opposition as the adult males could have (witness the removal/execution of Nagorny and I. Sednev).  He apparently "didn't count" as being of that much concern within the scope of things.   
 
                                                                         Regards,  AP.         

  Much appreciated, AP.