On July 17, 1998 the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II and his family were buried in a small chapel of the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg. The burial occurred 80 years after Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, their children and four close servants were executed by local Bolsheviks in the town of Yekaterinburg, on July 17, 1918.
DNA has been used to identify the remains of Tsar Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, and three of their children. However, the bodies of the heir to the imperial throne, Alexei, and his 19-year old sister Maria were never identified. Since most historians believe the bodies may have been burned, this is not surprising; but the mystery continues.