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Did Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov survive the murder of her Royal Russian family by the Soviet Union and escape to the West?
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00:00In 1917, Tsar Nicholas and his royal family were on the brink of catastrophe.
00:10The sudden violence of the Russian Revolution stripped the Tsar of his power.
00:15The entire royal family was brutally murdered.
00:20A legend endures, however, that the Tsar's youngest daughter, Anastasia,
00:24escaped the massacre and is still alive today.
00:30History tells us that the Grand Duchess Anastasia was murdered by Bolshevik soldiers
00:59in the summer of 1918.
01:03Yet a single woman has for over 50 years claimed that she is Anastasia.
01:10She has been the constant focus of a romantic and baffling controversy.
01:15But her claim has never been disproved.
01:18This series presents information based in part on theory and conjecture.
01:31The producer's purpose is to suggest some possible explanations,
01:35but not necessarily the only ones, to the mysteries we will examine.
01:38In 1913, Russia proudly celebrated 300 years under Romanov rule.
01:48Tsar Nicholas was probably the richest man in the world.
01:51Tsarina, Alexandra, was a German princess whom Nicholas married against his parents' wishes.
01:55They have an ailing son, Alexei, and four daughters, Olga, Titania, Maria, and Anastasia.
02:06Born in 1901, Anastasia is the youngest and most exuberant of the girls.
02:11Life for the royal family was happy and carefree.
02:18Rollerskating on the royal yacht was a favorite pastime for the Tsar's daughters.
02:26A continual flurry of extravagant social events kept the Tsarina happily occupied.
02:32A reluctant ruler, Tsar Nicholas found contentment in the frivolous world of family and court.
02:38He stayed completely isolated from the poverty and ferment of his land.
02:47In much of Russia, food was in short supply.
02:51Hunger, a daily reality.
02:5685% of Russia's people were peasants.
03:00Tsar Nicholas' father, Alexander II, had freed them from serfdom.
03:05And now they wanted to own the land they farmed.
03:08Workers were demanding higher wages and to be treated as other than slaves.
03:14Yet Tsar Nicholas remained aloof in a royal world of privilege and established order.
03:22By 1917, the disastrous war with Germany had cost Russia uncounted millions of lives.
03:31Soldiers deserted by the thousands.
03:34They were threats of revolution.
03:35In the streets of St. Petersburg, angry demonstrators demanded immediate change.
03:42Workers went on strike.
03:44Soldiers joined the people.
03:45In a desperate attempt to restore order, the Tsar's generals asked Nicholas to renounce his throne.
03:57On March 15th, 1917, Tsar Nicholas abdicated.
04:03To ensure their safety, Nicholas and his family were held as prisoners.
04:08Their fate remained uncertain.
04:10Everywhere, the once sacred symbols of Tsardom were torn away.
04:19St. Petersburg became a hotbed of political struggle among several revolutionary factions.
04:25All were determined to wrest control of Russia, to create a new social order.
04:34The radical Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, won the ruthless battle for power when they stormed the Winter Palace.
04:41A Russian film heroically dramatized their conquest.
04:44The royal family was now taken to the small Euro-mountain town of Ekaterinburg.
04:58They were housed in a mansion under strict Bolshevik guard.
05:02According to history, on July 17th, 1918, the entire royal family was brought to the basement of the mansion and murdered.
05:17Their bodies were then hacked apart and tossed into a mineshaft.
05:20More than 50 years after the Romanov massacre, two British journalists, Tony Summers and Tom Mangold,
05:33uncovered startling new historical facts about the fate of the Russian royal family.
05:39We got started on this in the way that most journalists start a story,
05:42which is reading somebody else's story or reading the mail or reading newspapers.
05:46In our case, we read a letter in the Times of London which asked what had happened to the relics of the last Tsar of Russia.
05:53Where were they now in Europe?
05:55And we thought that was vaguely interesting.
05:57Where indeed were the relics?
05:59And what had really happened to the last Tsar of Russia and his family and the Romanovs?
06:04We thought it was an interesting area which had never been fully investigated.
06:07And we set about it.
06:08We thought it would take about two weeks.
06:11Turned out to take about six years.
06:12But the high point of the investigation was finding the original files of the white Russian investigator Sokolov,
06:21who gave history the version of what happened to the Romanovs.
06:24We found these files at Harvard University in the States.
06:27And we found very quickly that he had cheated in what he had given to the world.
06:33In other words, the truth was not as everybody thought the truth had been.
06:37A devout anti-Bolshevik, Nikolai Sokolov, explored the mineshaft where the Romanovs were said to be buried.
06:47Numerous bodies were unearthed, but none were those of the royal family.
06:51Yet based on scant and tenuous evidence, which included fragments of bones, several sets of corset stays,
07:00a denture, which may have belonged to the Tsar's physician, and a dismembered finger, perhaps the Tsarina's,
07:07Sokolov brashly concluded that the entire royal family had been slaughtered by Bolshevik soldiers.
07:12Our evidence, collected from a mass of testimony in many different sources,
07:20in Germany, Britain, and in the Harvard files,
07:23suggests that the females of the imperial family, that's the Tsarina and her four daughters,
07:27including the famous Anastasia, did not die to Katerinburg,
07:31but were taken away by the retreating Bolsheviks to a town about 300 miles northwest,
07:37and that there they were held for three or four months after their supposed deaths.
07:45We know they were alive from the evidence of relatives, of guards,
07:48people who'd been able to catch glimpses of them,
07:51but apparently reliable witnesses,
07:54witnesses whose evidence was completely suppressed in the official inquiry in the 20s.
07:59These witnesses tell us how the family were kept alive,
08:02Anastasia was with them, up to a certain point,
08:05and then sometime in the fall,
08:07probably the first or second week of September 1918,
08:11Anastasia made one and possibly two escape attempts.
08:16In February 1920,
08:18a half-dead person was dragged from a Berlin canal.
08:22It was a young, unidentified woman,
08:24who appeared about 20 years old.
08:28She was admitted to the Elizabeth Hospital for observation.
08:32She seemed frightened and bewildered,
08:34and refused to reveal her identity to the doctors.
08:39After two years of silence,
08:41she claimed she was the Grand Duchess Anastasia.
08:46Dowager Empress Marie, the Tsar's mother,
08:49heard of the girl and sent relatives to investigate.
08:52None could say absolutely that the woman was Anastasia.
08:56They reported that at best,
08:59the ailing girl had only a few years left to live.
09:04Yet others recognized the girl immediately.
09:09Grand Duke Andre, the Tsar's cousin,
09:11identified her as Anastasia.
09:14Titania Botkin, a childhood playmate,
09:17positively recognized her.
09:18For them and others,
09:22there was no doubt that the woman was Anastasia.
09:27The identity of the woman who claimed to be Anastasia
09:30became the subject of a vicious feud
09:32among the surviving Romanovs.
09:34Political intrigue
09:35and the prospect of a huge inheritance
09:37played a major role in the dispute.
09:40For the next 20 years,
09:42her life was unpredictable and erratic.
09:44She spent much of her time
09:46in and out of hospitals.
09:47She was pursued and celebrated
09:49by American high society.
09:51She lived for years
09:52as a guest of European royalty.
09:54Yet still,
09:55she had no official identity.
10:02Trapped in a Russian zone
10:03during World War II,
10:05the supposed Anastasia was rescued
10:07by a former German prince
10:08and given a small house
10:10in the Black Forest.
10:14There she lived
10:15in determined seclusion
10:16under the assumed name
10:18of Anna Anderson.
10:23Plays and movies
10:24based on her life
10:25had brought unwanted attention.
10:28She resented any intrusion
10:29and in 1968,
10:31she abruptly left her hideaway
10:33to marry an American
10:34and thereby achieve
10:36her first legal identity.
10:40Today, she and her husband
10:41are respected members
10:42of a prestigious country club
10:44in Charlottesville, Virginia.
11:03I am Johnny Manahan
11:04of Charlottesville, Virginia,
11:06and this is my wife,
11:08the Grand Duchess Anastasia
11:09of Russia.
11:11We were married
11:12on December 27th, 1968
11:17and we've been living here
11:19in Charlottesville
11:20and have made a number
11:21of trips around the country
11:22since.
11:23I know a lot of people
11:25are wondering
11:25how are we to believe
11:27that you are Anastasia.
11:29How shall I tell you
11:30who I am?
11:31In which way?
11:37Can you tell me that?
11:39Can you really prove
11:40to me who you are?
11:43I can prove who I am.
11:47You can believe it
11:49or you don't believe it.
11:51It doesn't matter.
11:52In no any way whatsoever.
11:54Those people who hear
11:56this mess
11:57and they get up
12:00in the bed
12:00or go to sleep
12:01when they're sleeping,
12:03they don't know
12:03what to hear
12:04or what to see
12:05and they are not interested.
12:08Recently,
12:09compelling new evidence
12:10has added support
12:11to the claim
12:12that Anna Anderson Manahan
12:14is the Grand Duchess
12:15Anastasia.
12:20In a house
12:21nearly concealed
12:22by untended bushes,
12:24the Manahans live
12:25a slow and rarely
12:26interrupted life.
12:28Her numerous cats
12:29are now Mrs. Manahan's
12:30main concern.
12:32Mr. Manahan
12:33is a retired history professor
12:35with a passionate interest
12:37in royal genealogy.
12:38This is a picture
12:40she's coming, I think.
12:41Here is Anastasia
12:42as she was in 1929.
12:44And these are the parakeets
12:47that were brought
12:47from Honolulu
12:48by Princess Xenia of Russia
12:50after she came
12:51on the Berengaria
12:52the year after
12:53the Prince of Wales
12:53had come on the same ship.
12:56And this is the
12:58calendar,
13:02the Russian imperial calendar
13:04showing the four sisters
13:05the Tsar, the Tsarina
13:06and the Tsarevich.
13:07This is about 1913
13:09from Russia.
13:11My pets must buy
13:12for all these.
13:13It's dirt, absolutely.
13:14Come on, sit down.
13:15This is the book
13:16Russian America
13:17about the sale of Alaska.
13:18Just have a seat.
13:19And the fire.
13:19Don't put the hat on.
13:20Take the hat off.
13:21I don't.
13:22I keep that hat on.
13:23Sit in the yellow chair
13:24if you will.
13:25In which chair?
13:26Take the hat.
13:26That's dark.
13:27No, sit in this yellow chair
13:28right here.
13:29I don't sit there.
13:30You're going to sit in that chair.
13:31All right, that's her favorite
13:32chair to sit in.
13:33Can you see her
13:34in that chair?
13:35Yes.
13:36Take the hat off.
13:37I won't.
13:38All right,
13:39now let me see
13:39what else we have to show.
13:41Now over here
13:42are Maria and Tatiana
13:44and I think
13:44this is Maria
13:45and I think
13:46this tall one
13:47is Tatiana.
13:48Now actually
13:49their hair
13:50was all closer
13:50to the red
13:51that you see
13:52of the
13:52without your glasses
13:55can you tell
13:56these apart
13:57is not very
13:58easy to do
13:59is it?
14:00This is a rather
14:01unfamiliar thing
14:02and it's in color.
14:04But I say
14:05Maria
14:06Anastasia
14:07Tatiana
14:08Tsarina
14:10Tsar
14:11Tsarevich
14:12and Olga
14:13seated
14:13and I'm pretty sure
14:15that's Olga
14:15although she looks
14:16smaller than the others
14:17she was actually
14:18the oldest.
14:19I believe that's the way
14:20we've gone over this
14:21quite often
14:21and I think that's
14:22what we settled.
14:24In 1967
14:26the now
14:27Mrs. Manahan
14:27made a rare
14:28public appearance
14:29outside her
14:30black forest home.
14:32A German court
14:33was expected
14:34to rule
14:34at any time
14:35on her longstanding
14:36claim
14:37to be
14:37the Grand Duchess
14:38Anastasia.
14:40Her court case
14:42alone
14:42had made
14:42legal history.
14:44Lasting 32 years
14:46it was the longest
14:47running legal
14:47battle of the century
14:48and drew much attention.
14:51She was represented
14:52by some of Germany's
14:53most eminent lawyers
14:54who virtually
14:55donated their services.
14:58Members of European
14:59aristocracy
15:00spent small fortunes
15:01trying to disprove
15:02her claim.
15:04In the end
15:05the verdict
15:05was unsatisfactory
15:07to both sides.
15:08The Supreme Court
15:09finally ruled
15:10that her identity
15:11as Anastasia
15:12had been neither proved
15:13nor refuted.
15:14Ian Lilburn
15:18a research historian
15:19was present
15:20at much of
15:20the Anastasia trial.
15:22He is the
15:23acknowledged expert
15:23on the case.
15:25Yes, I have
15:26studied the case
15:27now for 14 years
15:29and although I began
15:30from a completely
15:31hostile attitude
15:31I have in the
15:33course of time
15:34come round
15:35to believing
15:36absolutely
15:36in her identity
15:37as the Grand Duchess
15:39Anastasia.
15:41It's not so much
15:42the evidence
15:43there is a vast
15:45amount of
15:45circumstantial evidence
15:47in her favour
15:48but the little
15:50details and anecdotes
15:52which in themselves
15:53mean nothing
15:53in a court of law
15:54are vastly impressive
15:56to anyone
15:57who has experienced
15:59them in her presence
16:01the spontaneity
16:02of her remarks
16:03and her whole
16:04bearing and manner
16:05and her character
16:08is not the character
16:11of an imposter
16:12at all.
16:12she never
16:13cooperated properly
16:15with her lawyers
16:16she is ready
16:18to quarrel
16:19most of all
16:20with the people
16:20who have done
16:21more for her
16:22than anyone.
16:24An imposter
16:25would bend over
16:25backwards
16:26to try to help
16:27her friends
16:28and her lawyers
16:29she's done
16:30quite the opposite.
16:34Today Romanov relatives
16:36live scattered
16:36throughout the world.
16:38Grand Duke Vladimir
16:39spends part
16:40of each year
16:41in Paris
16:42he is the
16:44assumptive heir
16:45to the Romanov throne.
16:46I think that
16:47it's highly unlikely
16:49that Anderson
16:52could be
16:53Anastasia
16:54because of course
16:57you can imagine
16:58that the question
16:59interested me
16:59very much indeed
17:01and I went into it
17:03in great detail
17:04and for many reasons
17:05I think which will be
17:06rather too long
17:08to enumerate here
17:08I eventually came
17:11to the conclusion
17:12that she couldn't
17:14possibly be
17:16my cousin Anastasia.
17:19I'm Prince Frederick
17:20of Saxe-Altenburg
17:21Prince Frederick
17:22of Saxe-Altenburg
17:23has been a consistent
17:24supporter
17:25of Anna Anderson
17:26Manahan.
17:28My both parents
17:29were related
17:29with Romanovs
17:30and my own cousins
17:32have been assassinated
17:33in 1918.
17:35I know
17:40Anna Anderson
17:42for 46 years
17:44and
17:45have been
17:48very often
17:50and very sorrowfully
17:51with her together
17:52and am
17:53absolutely convinced
17:55that she is
17:58a real Anastasia.
18:00We will another time.
18:01In the film
18:02Anastasia
18:03Ingrid Bergman
18:04and Helen Hayes
18:05performed a fairy tale
18:06scene of recognition
18:07which in real life
18:08never occurred.
18:10You say
18:10it was all acting.
18:12She was some
18:13cheap little actress
18:14they hired for money
18:14and in a way
18:16they did hire me.
18:18I was starving
18:18after I ran
18:19from the last asylum.
18:21I had nowhere to go.
18:23Booneen found me
18:24on the bank of the Seine.
18:25Maybe I should have
18:26run away from him too
18:27but I was so tired
18:27of running.
18:30You are ill.
18:32No.
18:33I cough only
18:35because I'm a little
18:35frightened.
18:36It doesn't mean
18:37say that again.
18:42That I cough
18:43when I'm frightened.
18:48When you were
18:49a little girl
18:49you coughed
18:50when you were frightened.
18:51Mayan Kaya
18:56Mayan Kaya
18:58You have come
19:00from so far away
19:01and I've waited
19:01so long.
19:04No, no, no, no.
19:05Don't cry.
19:06There's no need
19:06to be frightened.
19:07No, no, no.
19:08Don't speak.
19:09You are safe,
19:10Anastasia.
19:10You are with me.
19:11You're home.
19:12Recently in Munich
19:18fresh scientific evidence
19:19about the identity
19:20of Anna Anderson
19:21Manahan
19:22was made public.
19:23It is information
19:24which 20 years ago
19:25might have changed
19:26the course of her life.
19:31One of Germany's
19:32leading identification
19:33experts,
19:34Dr. Morris Furtmeyer
19:35has made a careful
19:36anatomical comparison
19:38of Anna Anderson
19:39Manahan
19:39and the historical
19:41Anastasia.
19:43By matching
19:44the cardinal points
19:45of their faces
19:46he has discovered
19:47an overwhelming degree
19:48of physical similarity.
19:51Based on facial
19:52comparisons alone
19:53Furtmeyer believes
19:54that they are
19:55one and the same.
19:57Yet more compelling
19:58evidence has come
19:59from the comparison
20:00of their ears
20:00which like fingerprints
20:02are unique
20:03to each individual.
20:06A photograph
20:07of the historical
20:08Anastasia's ear
20:09was compared
20:10with the ear
20:10of Anna Anderson
20:11Manahan.
20:15Furtmeyer concluded
20:16that the two
20:17were identical.
20:19The Grand Duchess
20:19Anastasia
20:20was absolutely
20:21the woman known
20:22as Anna Anderson
20:23Manahan.
20:24I would like
20:25to see
20:26Anastasia
20:27to live
20:29and have
20:30some reputable
20:32historians
20:33in the world
20:34say yes,
20:35they believe
20:35that this really
20:36is the last
20:38surviving daughter
20:39of the Tsar
20:39and the Tsarina.
20:41Would you like
20:41to see a happy
20:42resolution of this
20:43matter in your
20:44lifetime?
20:45I spit them.
20:48And the fact
20:49remains with
20:50Anastasia
20:50or Anna Anderson
20:52or whoever
20:52the hell she is.
20:53We will never know.
20:55It is now too late.
20:56Even if she were
20:57to become
20:58and tell the
21:00full truth
21:00supposing she is
21:01the Grand Duchess
21:02Anastasia
21:02it could never
21:03be checked out.
21:04It is too late
21:05and all we have
21:06is the dry evidence
21:07and the hunch
21:08and that's all
21:08we're going to have.
21:14For over 50 years
21:15this single woman's
21:16battle for recognition
21:17has captured
21:18the public's
21:19imagination.
21:21Her plight
21:22has been one of
21:22history's most
21:23beguiling mysteries.
21:25Yet still today
21:26only she knows
21:28for certain
21:29if she is
21:30the Grand Duchess
21:31Anastasia.
21:37Today
21:38for Mrs. John
21:39Manahan
21:39the 50 year quest
21:41to establish
21:42her true identity
21:43is coming to an end.
21:45Weary
21:46and frustrated
21:47from a lifetime
21:47of claims
21:48counter charges
21:50and court cases
21:51all she now asks
21:53is to be left
21:54alone.
21:56Weary
21:59and
22:01Weary
22:01and
22:05weary
22:07situation
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