Rehabilitate the former Russian Imperial Family?

[tobik]

Moscow Times, Tuesday, December 6, 2005. Issue 3310. Page 2.


Descendants Call for Tsar's Rehabilitation
By Anatoly Medetsky
Staff Writer

Descendants of the last tsar are urging the Prosecutor General's Office to exonerate Tsar Nicholas II, his wife and five children as victims of political repressions.

"There still are people who say it was right to shoot them dead. We believe it is our duty to restore their good name," said Alexander Zakatov, a representative of Maria Romanova, the heiress to the Romanov dynasty and a granddaughter of a cousin of Nicholas II.

The tsar and his family were executed by a Bolshevik firing squad in Yekaterinburg on the night of July 17, 1918. Soviet Russia's highest authority at the time, the Central Executive Committee, approved the execution.

German Lukyanov, a lawyer for the descendants, said at the same news conference Monday that the tsar and his family were eligible for exoneration under Russian law because they were victims of political repression and did not get a fair trial. Exoneration would not allow descendants to claim any property in Russia, Lukyanov said

He said he had filed an appeal with prosecutors last Thursday and that they had three months to make a decision. He said that if prosecutors rejected the appeal, they would have to send it to court for a final decision.

The exoneration request comes at a time when Russia is trying to come to terms with its imperial past.

[Elisabeth]

How utterly bizarre!!! Let me get this straight: the last tsar and his family are officially saints in the Russian Orthodox Church. And yet, they have never been legally exonerated of "crimes" against the Russian (?)/Soviet (?) state??? (Well, which is it? And why would anything Soviet still be legally binding anyway?)

Also interesting is that this report claims the Soviet Central Executive Committee (Lenin et al.) officially approved of the "executions," when so many historians assure us that this simply wasn't so - the Ural Regional Soviet was acting on its own, and presumably illegally. I have to wonder, does someone have access to documents we don't have?  

[RichC]

I have to wonder, does someone have access to documents we don't have?  

My bet would be that's what this is really about.  If it brings some new facts to light, all the better.

[Tania]

I think that someone had to step forward, and some very important issue(s) had to start the ball rolling so to speak so it could get this far. Slowly, but slowly, as you will see, more and more will come to light. Just this information has been a bit blinding to some, but i fully believe there is more to come, but then again, that's just my opinion...


Tatiana

[elfwine]

Descendants Call for Tsar's Rehabilitation
By Anatoly Medetsky
Staff Writer

      Descendants of the last tsar are urging the Prosecutor General's Office to exonerate Tsar Nicholas II, his wife and five children as victims of political repressions.
     "There still are people who say it was right to shoot them dead. We believe it is our duty to restore their good name," said Alexander Zakatov, a representative of Maria Romanova, the heiress to the Romanov dynasty and a granddaughter of a cousin of Nicholas II.
      The tsar and his family were executed by a Bolshevik firing squad in Yekaterinburg on the night of July 17, 1918. Soviet Russia's highest authority at the time, the Central Executive Committee, approved the execution.
      German Lukyanov, a lawyer for the descendants, said at the same news conference Monday that the tsar and his family were eligible for exoneration under Russian law because they were victims of political repression and did not get a fair trial. Exoneration would not allow descendants to claim any property in Russia, Lukyanov said
      He said he had filed an appeal with prosecutors last Thursday and that they had three months to make a decision. He said that if prosecutors rejected the appeal, they would have to send it to court for a final decision.
      The exoneration request comes at a time when Russia is trying to come to terms with its imperial past.

PLEEEEZ!

   Some people worship them as SAINTS..How much more REHABILITATION is required?

[Tania]

There are countless others who care about the IF and these important issues. For instance on this AP Discussion Board, as well globally, our family of course includes itself ! This obviously is an important issue, and not one lightly to be overlooked. It is well that Russia is looking to address her past, and to come to terms with all that the past represented. Until this is completely addressed, Russia cannot move forward. As a nation, and as a peoples, and for all those who may have suffered in any way, as decendents of Russia's past, all the more do we look ever forward, to finding completeness of closure and mere !.

Tatiana

[elfwine]

...And your point is??
:-/

[Tania]

Oh, I was just making a statement, in response to yours, but I guess I missed the whole point of your statement. Would you try and 'explain' a bit more? I really don't understand what your trying to say, and why you state what you state? What is it based on?

Quote :
"Some people worship them as SAINTS..How much more REHABILITATION is required"

Tatiana

...And your point is??
 :-/

[elfwine]

Sigh

If they are now 'saints' - a rehabilitation would rather NEGATE their current suffering passion bearer status now wouldn't it?  
On this point we may simply have to disagree.  

This entire issue appears to suggest a bit too much "rewriting of history" for me to be comfortable with...
What's next - Happy Carefree slaves in the Southern USA in the 17th-19th centuries?  

[Ssyentz]

I'm befuddled!  What is the current relationship between the Russian Orthodox Church (Pick one, but first deal with the Church as it exists in Russia today.) and today's government?  I think that relationship would effect the consequences of such a proposal's adoption.  

If a valid statement simply asserting their lack of "criminal intent" could be made, legal "guilt" would be a non-issue.  No attempt to rewrite history would then be unnecessary as well as meaningless.

Basically, the history of both situations mentioned (the Russian autocracy and the 19th century U. S. Southern
leaders) is nothing to be proud of and each group (discounting as leaders the extremists in each situation) blindly accepted the continuation of the status quo way of life by silent, passive assent .

[Tania]

Ssyentz,

Why not write to both directly and ask your question as stated below ? I'm sure we would all like to hear the responses you may receive.

Tatiana

I'm befuddled!  What is the current relationship between the Russian Orthodox Church (Pick one, but first deal with the Church as it exists in Russia today.) and today's government?  I think that relationship would effect the consequences of such a proposal's adoption.  

If a valid statement simply asserting their lack of "criminal intent" could be made, legal "guilt" would be a non-issue.  No attempt to rewrite history would then be unnecessary as well as meaningless.

Basically, the history of both situations mentioned (the Russian autocracy and the 19th century U. S. Southern
leaders) is nothing to be proud of and each group (discounting as leaders the extremists in each situation) blindly accepted the continuation of the status quo way of life by silent, passive assent .