Did any of the Romanovs survive?

[Finelly]

A page or so back, someone posted a series of questions that were never answered...I'm going to repost them/summarize them to see if anyone can respond.

1.  There's a period of time in which Nicholas, a consistent diary-keeper, did not write in his diary.  Anyone know anything about this?

2.  Kurth mentions a man who came to look for AA at the hospital, then disappeared.  Any other info on this guy?

3.  Any DNA testing or other work done on the de Graaf family?

[Inquiring_Mind]

A page or so back, someone posted a series of questions that were never answered...I'm going to repost them/summarize them to see if anyone can respond.

1.  There's a period of time in which Nicholas, a consistent diary-keeper, did not write in his diary.  Anyone know anything about this?

2.  Kurth mentions a man who came to look for AA at the hospital, then disappeared.  Any other info on this guy?

3.  Any DNA testing or other work done on the de Graaf family?

Please,who are the de Graff family?

[Finelly]

In Blair Lovell's book on Anastasia, there is a section about a woman named Susanna DeGraaf.  She claimed to be the fifth daughter of A and N, having been put out for adoption or fostering at birth because she wasn't a son.  

AA apparently acknowledged her as her sister, calling her "Princess Alexandra" (which is odd, since she would have been a Grand Duchess, but...)

[etonexile]

In Blair Lovell's book on Anastasia, there is a section about a woman named Susanna DeGraaf.  She claimed to be the fifth daughter of A and N, having been put out for adoption or fostering at birth because she wasn't a son.  

AA apparently acknowledged her as her sister, calling her "Princess Alexandra" (which is odd, since she would have been a Grand Duchess, but...)

Dead brilliant story....I hope it's true....I can imagine a spaniel...found in a Berlin pound...being ackowleged as "Joy", or puppy there of....more...please....

[AGRBear]

..[in part]....
1.  There's a period of time in which Nicholas, a consistent diary-keeper, did not write in his diary.  Anyone know anything about this?
...

After GD Maria disapeared for a time with one of the guards on her birthday in 1918 in the Ipatiev House,  Nicholas II didn't write for a few days.

I'll have to dig out the books to give you exact dates if this is the timeline to which you are referring.

AGRBear

[Finelly]

I don't know if that time frame is what the original poster was referring to, but I sure would like more info on this - I keep hearing references to it, but don't know much.

[lexi4]

Bob Atchison actually viewed the remains before burial. While not a scientist, he has an artist's eye for faces. He told me that Anastasia was definitely one of the sets of remains. I believe him, but that also comes from many years of friendship.

Lisa,
I would trust Bob as well based on his posts here. However, I do have a question. Is there an explanation for why the Russians claim the missing body is Maria and the Americans say it is Anastascia? I need to be clear, is there a political reason that would account for the differences? I understand different methods were used be the teams.
Next question? How did Bob get to see the remains? That is amazing!!!!!

[Robby]

I know that someone survived, it was Maria Nicholaevna Romanov. After the murder she was transported from the truck by an old woman, ho was the trainkeeper. Then Maria built her live up as 'Granny Alina'. The DNA coouldn't be tested because it was too old, but the photo's were clear and profssors from HARVARD said that 'Granny Alina' is indeed Maria, the would buried her with her family, but instead of that, she was buried in a nameless grave in South Africa. I know this from a documantary.

[Finelly]

Granny Alina's dna is not too old.  ANd people know where she's buried.  It's just that the family has declined to have her remains tested.  Probably because they know she was not Maria.

THere's an entire thread on the Granny Alina myth elsewhere on this board......she was not Maria.

[Forum Admin]

Bob went to Ekaterinburg after the remains had been unearthed. There is no political motive at all. The Russians are convinced that it is Maria and not Anastasia missing based on their forensic examination of the remains. period.

[Finelly]

The conflict over the Anastasia/Maria bones is well-described in "The Quest for Anastasia".  It is mainly a difference in technique as well as conclusions between Dr. Maples and the Russian forensic guy who first took charge of the bones.

[lexi4]

Granny Alina's dna is not too old.  ANd people know where she's buried.  It's just that the family has declined to have her remains tested.  Probably because they know she was not Maria.

THere's an entire thread on the Granny Alina myth elsewhere on this board......she was not Maria.

According to the book, A Princess of the Family, the remains of Granny Alina were too contaminated and decomposed to test for DNA. According to the book's author,  Gabriel Duval, persmission was obtained to have the remains tested. But basically there wasn't anyway to test because of the conditions of the bones.

[Finelly]

That seems...........unreal.  If bodies that were covered with acid and left to rot for decades could produce testable DNA, why not Granny's?

[lexi4]

That seems...........unreal.  If bodies that were covered with acid and left to rot for decades could produce testable DNA, why not Granny's?

I'll check the book. But it seems it had something to do with the heat in Africa.

[Finelly]

Interesting, since they can get dna from skeletal remains that are thousands of years old...