Anastasia

Anastasia was the youngest daughter of Nicholas II of Russia and his wife Alexandra Fyodorovna. Anastasia was believed to have been murdered with her family by the Bolshevik's. However, Anastasia's escape has been rumored since 1918. Many women have claimed to be the missing Anastasia, however no DNA evidence has ever been related to the Grand Duchess.

In 1917, Anastasia and her family were awoken in the night and told to dress. They were told that they were "Being moved to a safer place because of the anticipation of the violence that might occur when the white army arrived". Once dressed the family was herded into a small room in a basement of a house. After a few minutes executioners came in and said that the entire family would be killed. Supposedly the only word that Tsar Nicholas II got out of his mouth was "What?". The executioners shot bullets and killed everyone. The women however were able to survive a little longer because of their corsets. These corsets had diamonds sewn into them so that they would not be found. These diamonds in turn became almost like an armour. It was also said that Anastasia and her sister Maria were crouched up against a wall trying to hide but were soon taken down with bullets. There is also another story that says that Anastasia survived the bullets and was either finished with a bayonet or that as the bodies were being dragged, Anastasia screamed, and was clubbed in the head.

There are many stories about the survival of Anastasia. The most famous of the stories was that "Anastasia" had pretended to be dead among the pile of bodies, and when a guard found her still alive he felt sorry for her and let her escape. This woman who told this story would later call herself Anna Anderson. She made headlines for decades. She made some family members believe she was actually Anastasia, and other not. The battle of Anna Anderson to prove that she was Anastasia was the longest running case running from 1938 until 1970. The court finally decided that Anna had not provided enough proof that she was indeed Anastasia and would not claim the title of Grand Duchess. When Anna died in 1984, DNA tests were conducted and it was concluded that it was very unlikely that she was Anastasia. It was said she was most likely the missing Polish factory worker Franziska Schanzkowska. It was Anna Anderson that truly made Anastasia and her tale famous.

I find it highly unlikely that Anastasia was able to escape. If she was locked in the basement with her family, I'm sure they would have noticed someone alive. Although the remains of Anastasia and her sister Maria were never found, I think that their bodies may lie in another place instead of with the rest of the family. It is said that a possible explanation for the missing Anastasia and Maria is that the two girls were cremated somewhere out in the forest.