Skip to main content

Secondary sourceBook

The Last Days of the Romanovs

N. Sokolov

An investigator's written account tracing the final days and murder of Nicholas II and his family.

This investigative account reconstructs the final days and death of Nicholas II after his fall from power.

Ask Tsar Nicholas II about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Full text (public-domain edition)

About this source

What it is

This is a written work by N. Sokolov, an investigator who examined the circumstances of the murder of the Russian imperial family. The text was later translated into English by G. G. Tel'berg, with a related account also involving Robert Wilton, a journalist for The Times of London.

Why it matters

This source reconstructs the end of Nicholas II's life after his abdication, when he and his family were held in captivity and eventually killed. It reflects the efforts made soon after the Russian Revolution to document and understand the fate of the former emperor, using investigation rather than firsthand imperial testimony.

Look closer

  • Why might an investigator's report be useful for understanding historical events, compared to a diary or letter?
  • What does the involvement of a journalist and a legal professional suggest about how this account was built?
  • What questions might remain unanswered by this kind of investigative account?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Tsar Nicholas II on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Tsar Nicholas II sources

Meet the AI Tsar Nicholas II →
Scan of a 1905 Russian newspaper page, Vedomosti Sankt-Peterburgskogo Gradonachalstva, dated 18 October, with the Imperial manifesto printed in large type under the headline, signed by Nicholas II.Newspaper article

Primary source

October Manifesto

Nicholas II of Russia · 30 October 1905

Typed Russian document on aged, yellowed paper headed 'Ставка' with the salutation 'Начальнику Штаба'. The body text announces Nicholas II's abdication in favor of Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich. Dated 2 March 1917 at Pskov, with a handwritten signature at lower right and additional handwritten signatures at lower left.Document

Primary source

Nicholas II of Russia's abdication

Nicholas II of Russia · 2 March 1917 (O.S.) / 15 March 1917 (N.S.)

Handwritten Russian manuscript on yellowed paper, headed with a title in Cyrillic reading 'Рабочая петиция' (Workers' Petition). Dense cursive text in several paragraphs fills the page, addressing the Tsar and describing workers' hardships and demands.Document

Primary source

St. Petersburg Workmen's Petition to the Tsar

Georgy Gapon · January 1905

Document

Primary source

Russian Constitution of 1906

Nicholas II of Russia · 6 May 1906

Dark cover of a book titled 'The Willy-Nicky Correspondence' in red lettering, with smaller red text below naming an author and a foreword writer. The cover is mostly black and the text is faint and hard to read.Letter

Primary source

Willy–Nicky Correspondence

Nicholas II of Russia and Wilhelm II · July–August 1914

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Tsar Nicholas II now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions