An Open Letter to Her Imperial Highness the Grand Duchess

Particularly in times of war, one should remember there are histories contained within histories. Here is my own; and, as unbelievable as it may seem, every word is true.

Growing up, I had a pen pal whose dad died when he was only thirteen years old. Not when she was thirteen. When he was.

He, along with his four sisters, his mom, his dad, their household staff, and a small pet dog were executed by firing squad in the cellar of Ipatiev House, Yekaterinburg, in the early hours of July 17, 1918. Their bodies were mutilated, doused with acid, then thrown into an abandoned mineshaft along the old Koptyaki Road and, with their death, the Romanoff dynasty – the ruling family of Russia for over three centuries – came to its brutal end.