Part 4: Chapter 34 Summary and Analysis

A house in Ekaterinburg was commandeered for the use of Nicholas and Alexandra. A fence was built around it and it, the Ipatiev, was known as The House of Special Purposes. The lower floor was converted to offices for the guards: the upper floor was the residence for the Romanov family. This was April 1918. Soon the Duchesses received a coded message from their mother telling them to dispose of their medicines. Medicine was a code word for jewels. The staff at Tobolsk started sewing the jewels into the clothing. In May, Colonel Kobylinsky was relieved of his command by troops from Ekaterinburg. This Red Guard unit was headed by Rodionov who check the condition of Alexis on a daily basis.

The children and their party left Tobolsk on May 19, when Alexis was well enough to travel. The children arrived...