Russian Prosecutor-General’s Office has reopened an investigation into the execution of Russia’s last Czar Nicholas II and his family members after archaeologists discovered the remains of his two children, Prince Alexei and his elder sister Maria, in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, last month.

Archaeologists exhumed the remains of a boy and a young woman from the ground close to the site where the last Czar, his wife Alexandra and their children — Prince Alexei and four Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatyana, Maria and Anastasia were executed in the Ipatyev house by Bolsheviks in 1918.

Bolsheviks also killed their attendants, including physician Botkin, housemaid Demidova, cook Khatitonov and footman Trupp.

The regional forensic bureau chief Nikolai Nevolin told reporters that remains, including 44 bone fragments, teeth fragments, as well as strips of fabric and bullets, were handed over for examination on August 17, and Russian Prosecutor’s-General Office reopened the 1993 case on August 21.

“The bone fragments will allow identification of the gender and the relationship of the bodies,” Nevolin said, adding the DNA tests will be carried out on the bones, believed to be those of Prince Alexei and Maria.

He said the genetic tests would also reveal whether the boy suffered from haemophilia, a rare hereditary blood disorder that afflicted Prince Alexei, pointing out that the examination may take two months.

Nevolin said archaeologists discovered the place after studying written evidence by Yakov Yurovsky, who led the firing squad.

He said the Prince and one of the princesses had been burnt and buried in a place away from the other nine bodies of the murdered Romanovs and their aides in a bid to cover up the scene.

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