Royalty: Anastasia Romanov

Early Life
Anastasia Nikolaevna was born on June 18, 1901. She lived in Petrodvorets, a Russian
town near St. Petersburg. Anastasia's mother was Princess Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt,
later known as Empress Alexandra after she got married. Her father, Nicholas II, was
Russia's final tsar and part of the Romanov family that had ruled the country for
hundreds of years. Anastasia's parents married in late 1894. Her grandfather Tsar
Alexander III had just died and her father inherited the throne.
Anastasia had three older sisters named Olga, Tatiana and Maria. Her younger brother,
Alexei, was next in line to become ruler of Russia.
When she was younger, Anastasia's mother taught her spelling and prayers. As she
grew older, Anastasia had a Swiss teacher. Anastasia and Maria were looked after by a
nanny. Their older sisters were cared for by their mother's lady-in-waiting, or personal
assistant.

Family's Execution
The Romanov family lived peacefully at Alexander Palace until World War I. At that time,
many people grew to dislike Nicholas II. In March 1917, soldiers rebelled and began
taking royal property. Nicholas II agreed to give up the throne to try and prevent a
Russian civil war. Anastasia and her family were sent to the Ural Mountains and placed
under house arrest. They could not leave Russia.
Unfortunately, a civil war could not be prevented. Some people wanted to get rid of royal
rule and use a Communist government instead. On government orders, Anastasia and
her family were rounded up and led down to a basement on the night of July 16-17,
1918. The family was told they were going to be photographed and were lined up. They
believed they were safe from the chaos outside. Instead, a group of soldiers appeared
and opened fire, killing them.

Mystery

In the years following their deaths, some wondered whether Anastasia and her brother
might have survived. Rumors circulated that they were shielded from the bullets by
family jewelry sewn into their clothing for safekeeping.
For years, there were women who claimed to be Anastasia. Among the best-known of
these women was Anna Anderson. In the early 1920s, she fought to prove that she was
Anastasia. A court rejected her claim in 1970. The mystery remained unsolved.
Anastasia inspired books, plays and movies. A movie about her starring Ingrid Bergman
won an Academy Award.
In the 1970s, a scientist found a shallow grave. He hid this news from the public until the
early 1990s, when the Soviet Union collapsed. In 1991, the nine skeletons in the grave
were identified as Anastasias family members and servants. Anastasia and her brother
were still missing.
In 2007, scientists examined another grave that was discovered not far from the first.
Using modern technology, they positively identified Anastasia and Alexei's bones. This
closed the door on nearly 90 years of mystery and speculation.

1. Based on the information in the biography, which of these statements is TRUE?

A
Anastasia was an only child.

B
Nicholas II was a popular leader.

C
The Romanov family was executed.

D
Anastasia's bones were never found.

2. Which sentence from the biography BEST supports the idea that there was
uncertainty surrounding Anastasia's death?
A
On government orders, Anastasia and her family were rounded up and led down to a basement on the night of
July 16-17, 1918.

B
Instead, a group of soldiers appeared and opened fire, killing them.

In the years following their deaths, some wondered whether Anastasia and her brother might have survived.

D
Using modern technology, they positively identified Anastasia and Alexei's bones.

3. Fill in the blank in the sentence below.

Overall, the biography is organized around...
a person and events

A
B

a person and a place

a place and events

C
D

a place and a story

Read the following paragraph from the section "Early Life".

When she was younger, Anastasia's mother taught her spelling and prayers. As she
grew older, Anastasia had a Swiss teacher. Anastasia and Maria were looked after by a
nanny. Their older sisters were cared for by their mother's lady-in-waiting, or personal
assistant.
How does the paragraph help develop the characterization of Anastasia's life?
It shows that Anastasia had a caring mother.

A
B

It shows that Anastasia had a privileged childhood.

It shows that Anastasia had a nanny.

C
D

It shows that Anastasia had a sister named Maria.