The last Russian Emperor Nicholas II, his wife and five children, ages 14 to 22, and faithful servants who followed them, were slain by the Communists in July, 1918, in the city of Ekaterinburg (Urals region). In the year 2000 the Russian Orthodox Church canonized the Royal Family as Passion-Bearers at the hands of the godless. For decades their bodies were believed to have been destroyed by the murderers. The origin of remains found in recent years has been under question.

His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, Chairman of the Russian Orthodox Church Department for External Relations, addressing the viewers on the state TV channel, presented the results of the recently completed thorough criminal investigation of that murder and genetic identification of the discovered remains.

"As far as I can see," said His Eminence, "there is nothing today that might preclude the recognition of the remains found near Ekaterinburg as authentic. The Holy Synod of our Church has been apprised of the investigating officials’ conclusion, and I see no reason to doubt the authenticity of the remains."

"Yet the decision to that effect is up to the Bishop’s Council of the Russian Orthodox Church which is preliminarily appointed in May, 2022. If the Council of Bishops agrees with the outcome of the investigation, it will mean that the remains are the true holy relics of the Russian Royal Family, and that proper reverence to them will be required," concluded Metropolitan Hilarion.