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Romanov Imperial Family members hope remains of Nicholas II's children to be buried soon

Crown Prince Alexis and Grand Duchess Maria were slain in Yekaterinburg in the Urals together with their parents, another three daughters of the Czar and a selected group of court servants in 1918

COPENHAGEN, January 13. /TASS/. Members of the Romanov Imperial Family hope all the conditions are there now for interring the remains of two children of the last Russian Emperor, Nicholas II - Crown Prince Alexis and Grand Duchess Maria who were slain in Yekaterinburg in the Urals together with their parents, another three daughters of the Czar and a selected group of court servants in mid-July 1918.

TASS heard this from Prince Rostislav Rostislavovich, a spokesman for the Mikhailovichi division of the Imperial Family.

"Together with other (Romanov) relatives I took part in bidding final farewell to with the Romanov’s elder, Prince Dmitry Romanovich in Copenhagen in the past few days," Prince Rostislav said. "He was an outstanding person who devoted all his thoughts and actions to Russia. He believed it was a matter of paramount importance to put the victims of the Yekaterinburg tragedy to rest.

Members of the Romanov family who take part in the Romanov Family Association "think they should bring to an end the cause that was initiated by the late head of the family."

Rostislav Romanov recalled that the late Prince Dimitry performed an instruction of the Imperial Family in the summer of 1998 and escorted the remains of Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra, and the Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana and Anastasia from Yekaterinburg to St Petersburg to burial in St Peter and Paul’ fortress.

It was also at the initiative of Dmitry Romanovich that the remains of Nicholas II’s mother, the dowager Empress Maria Fyodorovna, were reburied in 2006 from Copenhagen to St Petersburg.

In addition, Prince Dimitry brought to Russia the remains of his grand uncle, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich, the chief commander of the Russian Army during World War II. He thus performed the grand uncle’s will "to be placed to final rest nearby his soldiers."

Prince Dimitry firmly believed that Crown Prince Alexis and the Grand Duchess Maria should be buried together with their parents and sisters.

"Dimitry Romanovich hoped this tragic chapter of Russian history would be turned over during his lifetime," Prince Rostislav said. "He didn’t live through to this moment when he was in this world but we do believe he will see it from heavens.

Prince Rostislav said a decisions was taken at meetings with Prince Dimitry’s widow Theodora Alexeyevna to continue the operations of the Romanov Association at large and keep charity funds going.

Rostislav Rostislavovich, who is 32 said he learned by heart one of Prince Dimitry’s maxims: "Think of what you can give to Russia, not of what you can take.".