Official documents about Ipatiev house demolition in 1975.

[TimM]

you know the proper term is Communist

I can think of a few others: Butchers, murderers, thugs, criminals, Nazis under a different name, and a few more I can't mention here.

[LisaDavidson]

Yes, I do know the proper term. However, I doubt the history of the Imperial House was of interest to the URS, so I don't think the Commies were aware of the irony.

[Laura Mabee]

Thanks so much for posting these documents. They are a very interesting read! 
I have an article from a royalty magazine, which either interviews, or printed an interview with Boris Yeltsin after 1991 about the destruction of the Ipatiev House. I can post it here if anyone is interested.

[Rodney_G.]

 Yes, could you  please,post that interview, Laura. We could better hear it " from  the horse's mouth", so to speak. My general understanding of Yeltsin's role was that he was reluctant to destroy the Ipatiev House, but did so on higher orders (Brezhnev). What he might say as President of Russia (if he was at that time) might well differ from his views in 1977 for obvious political or other reasons, but in any case it could be interesting.

[Laura Mabee]

I apologize. Upon finding the article I found that it was not an interview, rather, it is an excerpt from his autobiography. (?)
Ahh well, in the end, take it for what you may. Here is a link to the article in PDF.

Here is the article in text format:

My Secret Orders to Destroy the House Where the Romanovs were Murdered
By Boris Yeltsin

Boris Yeltsin, now President of the Russian Republic and the most powerful man in what was until recently the Soviet Union, was born in Sverdlovsk - the town where the last Tsar, Nicholas II, and his family were murdered in 1918. In the Seventies, while he was the local Communist Party boss in the area, Yeltsin received secret orders from the Politburo in Moscow destroy the Ipatiev House where the murders took place. Here, in his own words from his recently published autobiography, he describes the circumstances and events which led to his obeying the secret orders.

Nowadays, in the era of glasnost, there has been much talk about the Ipatiev House in Sverdlovsk, the city which has reverted to its prerevolutionary name of Ekaterinburg, in the cellars of which the ex-Tsar Nicholas II and his family were executed by a firing-squad in 1918. A return to the sources of our distorted and falsified history is a natural process. The country wants to know the truth about its past, including the terrible and unpalatable truths. The tragedy of the Romanov family is precisely such an episode that has not been dwelt upon by Soviet historians.

It was during my tenure of office as First Secretary of the Sverdlovsk Provincial Committee that the Ipatiev House was destroyed. I will describe how it happened.

People have always come to look at the Ipatiev House, although it was in no way greatly different from the other old houses in the neighbourhood. It had been converted for occupation by a number of small offices, but the terrible tragedy that occurred there in 1918 drew people to that place. They would peer through the windows or simply stand and stare in silence at the old house.

As we know, the Romanov family was executed as a result of a decision by the Urals Regional Committee of the Party. I went to the provincial archives and read the documents of the time. Until quite recently, the facts of this crime were hardly known to anyone. There existed a falsified version, written in the spirit of Stalin's Short Course in the History of the Bolshevik Party, so it can easily be imagined how eagerly I read through the documents dated 1918.

It is only very recently that certain detailed documentary accounts of the last days of the Romanov family have been published in the Soviet press, so that when I examined the archives I was one of the very few people who had access to the secrets surrounding the execution of the tsar and his family. It made painful reading. One of the dates connected with the life of the last Russian Tsar was approaching. The results of new research were published in Western newspapers and journals, and some of this material was broadcast in Russian by Western radio stations. This stimulated interest in the Ipatiev House, and people even came to look at it from other cities.

I treated this quite calmly, since it was obvious that the interest was caused neither by monarchist sentiments nor by any urge to resurrect a new tsar. The motives in this case were quite different curiosity, compassion and a tribute to memory, which are normal human emotions.

Information about the large number of pilgrims visiting the Ipatiev House, however, found its way through certain channels to Moscow. I don't know what machinery this set in motion, what our ideologues were afraid of, or even what conferences and meetings were held, but I soon received a letter from Moscow marked "secret".

Reading it, I couldn't believe my eyes: it was a decree of the Politburo, adopted in closed session, ordering the demolition of the Ipatiev House in Sverdlovsk. Since the order was a secret one, this meant that the provincial committee of the Party had to assume all responsibility for this senseless decision. At the very first discussion of the matter in the local Party Bureau I met a sharp reaction from my colleagues to this order from Moscow. It was impossible, however, to disobey a secret decree of the Politburo, and in a few days' time the necessary machinery WaS driven up to the Ipatiev House in the middle of the night and by next morning nothing was left of the building. Then the site was covered with asphalt.

That was yet another sad episode of the Brezhnev's "era of stagnation". I can well imagine that sooner or later we will be ashamed of this piece of barbarism. Ashamed we may be; but we can never rectify it.

[Rodney_G.]

I'm going to say thanks anyway. I think I'd read that or something llike it in his bio. I didn't read the whole book, just the Ipatiev House reference.
I wish he'd had in 1977 the greater power and authority he came to have in 1991, though countering a Politburo order was asking a lot.

[TimM]

I agree.  At the time, Yeltsin simply had no choice.

Little did he know the role that history had planned for him, some fourteen years later.

[HerrKaiser]

Most individuals and groups that have huge poltical power act out of one primary goal...maintaining the power. The growing interest in Impatiev house demonstrated a threat, regardless of it being slight or significant, to the power of those in control. Their decision had nothing to do with historical value; only cutting off any possible ground-swell of interest, sympathy, or worse, questions, about the Romanovs and their demise.

Examples of such actions occur across all spectrums of political ideals; sure the "commies" were probably the worst culprits, but recall how overnight (after Hess "died") Spandau prison in Berlin was leveled to halt its history, Chicago's mayor Dailey destroyed a key airport in the darkness of night to aid local political interests, and destroying underground railway sites, to name a few, tended to remove the "issues" from further discussion. 

[blessOTMA]

.... and in a few days' time the necessary machinery was driven up to the Ipatiev House in the middle of the night and by next morning nothing was left of the building

There's  that middle of the night move again , almost a reenactment. In both cases it shows a sense of wrong doing.  It is amazing that Yelsein , who had to over see the Ipatiev House's  demolition...is the one who insisted the family receive a funeral and final, appropriate  "housing" , as it were, in St. Peter and Paul. I think they might still be in a lab somewhere without his actions . Having to be the one to over see the destruction of Ipatiev House , might have helped fueled his decision. In any case, Thank you Boris....and  thank you Nicola for posting and translating the documents !

[TimM]

Yeltsin himself realized that sooner or later, the Russian people were going to have to face this horrible crime.  He was right.

[bongo]

How soon do you think before the Ipatiev House is reconstructed elsewhere in the city as a tourist attraction by an entrepreneur? I would suggest within 30 years.

[bongo]

I came across a Russian account of the destruction of the house: http://www.rg.ru/2008/06/05/reg-ural/snos.html

Lots of interesting facts including that measurements were secretly taken of it so that it could be reconstructed!

The rough Google translation of a few paragraphs some of which I've corrected where possible:


The city's memories of the Ipatiev house, however are vague. They even disgree on what colour it was - pink, yellow, gray, or "like dirty snow."

- About the color he does not remember - admits Michael Winkies, who lived next door.  Although in the garden of the Ipatiev House he often played, there was an old gazebo, rose apple, lilac. Basement filled with slag, we climbed back through the window, and his father did not allow, catching up on horror, saying that the king was shot there ...

Trees stood still for two decades after the demolition of the building. Centenarians poplar under which the royal family walked in rare moments of walking, was uprooted during the construction of the Temple-on-Blood in the summer of 1998. Then fell asleep well. Discovered during excavation of foundation slab of a historic building was taken to a landfill.

From the Ipatiev House a piece of wallpaper and seven bricks went to the History Museum of Yekaterinburg. Fireplace and cast iron balusters on the stairs leading to the basement, went to the Regional Museum.

With the royal monogram

Things of the royal family were still pilfered after the shooting. In his memoirs, there are mentions of one of the members of the firing squad, which is provided with housing in the same house, in the days he was hanging out the washing in the yard of the sheets with the royal monogram.

- About 30 things Romanov are now held in private collections in Yekaterinburg - chest of the king's subjects of the service - said Vsevolod Slukin ethnographer. - We cherish them. If there is a museum of the Romanovs in our city, give free.

The night before the destruction Slukin two comrades held in the Ipatiev house:

- Around zaborische erected, but only on two sides, there was no protection, the house was open. We all went around the room, sat in the basement, said goodbye to the house. Was so quiet ...

The next evening perimeter fence put up a guard of cadets fire school, then it was part of the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and young firefighters that caused little to protect public order.

- All then quietly and quickly done ... In the evening called, notified of the need to go to the protection of the facility. We, the people in uniform - immediately "in the gun" and went - recalls former political officer Alexander Agroshenkov school. - No data in the forms of our participation in this event has not been preserved.

Top secret

In the Sverdlovsk State Archives only three documents indicate that the Ipatiev house existed: a copy of a memorandum signed by the chairman of the KGB, Yuri Andropov, and solutions Politburo - both marked "Top Secret" and the decision retroactively the decision to demolish the City Council "in Due to the reconstruction of the street. "

In the summer of 1975, Andropov informed the CPSU that "anti-Soviet circles in the West instigated various kinds of propaganda around the royal Romanov family, and therefore often referred to the former mansion of the merchant Ipatiev in Sverdlovsk. Architectural and other value is not a mansion. In Sverdlovsk recently started visiting foreign experts. Therefore, it seems appropriate to entrust the Sverdlovsk Regional Committee of the CPSU to resolve the issue of the demolition of the mansion in the manner planned reconstruction of the city. " Then the Politburo took the appropriate decision - to entrust the Sverdlovsk regional committee demolition party, signed Suslov (Brezhnev at this time resting in the south).

- I was called first the secretary Ryabov - recalled Basil Gudkov, who was then chairman of the executive committee. - READ two papers reported that UNESCO to include the Ipatiev house in the UNESCO list of world importance, it is necessary, says to take action. I said that it is necessary to prepare public opinion, and asked if he could refer to these documents. - "No. You see the neck?"

Since that time, the city rumors not only that UNESCO is going to announce the Ipatiev house, along with Auschwitz monument of human barbarism. Besides abroad allegedly showed up Ipatief heirs who intend to summon their property. About how heirs succeed chtolibo away from Soviet rule, carriers rumors wonder. Attention to the attraction of foreigners also seems exaggerated: they were not allowed to Sverdlovsk, a city at the time was "closed".

And stone by stone, brick by brick

On the other hand conducted "to prepare public opinion": talking about the necessity of urgent reconstruction of the road near the house, otherwise, they say, could collapse in front of the house stood the Palace of Pioneers.

But the city council took the time to take responsibility. Slowly demolished stone cellar, carriage house, and other outbuildings, and rested on. Meanwhile, the first secretary of the regional committee Ryabov transferred to Moscow to increase, Yeltsin took his place. Subject demolition arose again two years later, in 1977.

- With Yeltsin asked, and he, like many others, did not know anything about these documents. I decided to inform him - continues Gudkov. - He called Ryabov in Moscow, he was surprised to say, I thought the house is demolished. Yeltsin asked me, why is not executed? I say that this house - a historical monument, need a solution USSR Council of Ministers to be removed from the lists. Yeltsin on Friday called predsovminu Solomentsev Saturday night to lift the protective paper from the status of Ipatiev House was lying on my desk. We gather with colleagues, then, remember, the chief architect of Belyankin said: "We'll go down in history as destroyers. But we have no choice. Organize measurements to the house in a pinch can be restored."

The house measured the length and breadth. Director of Regional Museum manages to take out the fire. Doomed building with broken windows locals used as a source of building materials for decoration of garden plots - parquet disassembled, dragged alloy lattice. Many picked up some souvenirs.

Demolition instructed the trust "KCD-2" Glavsreduralstroya. Now he turned to West, older workers is not there - all young managers who did not even know that such "Ipatiev house": "Such an object we did not build." Although the name of the company and there is a concrete answer to the question: "Who destroyed the Ipatiev house?" Usually meet him differently: "Yeltsin" - and that this is the general opinion.

The house is approached Baba crane smashed walls, completed the destruction of the bulldozer, razed to the ground remains. Building barely budge, so very strong masonry. Stones took souvenirs themselves destroyers. Guard of fire school students put on a night to townspeople did not encroach on the debris, which hastily disposed of in landfills.

[bongo]

And a final bit....


Secret shooting

The only pictures of "Terminator" did photographer Vitaly Shytov having experience with a hidden camera. According to him, the testimony of local history and local history museum director, destroyed the Ipatiev house in three days - 15, 16 and 17 September 1977.

However, in other encyclopedias specified date - September 22. As the first Deputy Mayor Vladimir Bukin, "the decision on the demolition had to make in hindsight, when I returned from vacation chairman of the city council." Paper signed on September 21, stating the reason - "urgent need to rehabilitate street. Sverdlov and Karl Liebknecht to transform them in the future in prospect Sverdlov."

Now at this point rises Templar Blood, building, built outside the house. Nonexistent Ipatiev house enjoys greater renown than during its existence. Postcards with his picture are sold in souvenir shops.

With full of mysticism its destruction is not connected. Unfortunately there was a life unless Bulldozer. As told his neighbors, a few years he lost his entire family and was all alone.

[Andrei Beanov]

Its all in the wording - Yes it was only 1 day to demolish the building with wrecking crane , but 3 days total of operation - including erect temporary barrier fence , demolish building , remove debris to dump and remove fence and clear site. Both statements are correct depending on perspective of listener and language.......