In 1918, Soviet rebels rounded up and killed every member of the Romanov family, the ruling dynasty in Imperial Russia. This brought about the end of the Russian monarchy after over three centuries.

However, conspiracies following this tragic event rumor that the youngest daughter, Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, survived and was able to flee. Conspiracies revolving around Anastasia have spawned a plethora of popular media, including the popular 1997 musical movie “Anastasia,” and subsequently a musical performance adaptation with music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens that debuted on Broadway in 2016. 

The musical specifically depicts the fictional character Anya, an amnesiac street sweeper in St. Petersburg/Leningrad following the Bolshevik takeover of Russia. Conmen Count Vladimir Popov and Dmitry recruit her to pretend to be the lost Princess Anastasia and collect the reward for her return from her grandmother, the Dowager Empress. 

This is a fictionalized account of Anastasia having lived after the Romanov massacre. But what is the validity of these rumors?

Despite whatever popularity various depictions of Anastasia have accumulated in the century past her death, there is no historical backing for any of the rumors. Anastasia’s “imposters” attempted to convince relatives of the Romanovs and the public that they were Anastasia herself, but none were confirmed. DNA tests conducted on the site of the Romanov family’s murder have confirmed that Anastasia did indeed die with the rest of her family. 

The rumors that surround Anastasia will have to remain elements of public speculation with no grounding in reality; a conspiracy of history enshrined in popular culture.