Mystery of Anastasia

Many stories have been told about the Romanovs, the last royal family of Russia. During the Russian Revolution of 1918 the Romanovs went missing. It was determined that that the family was likely murdered, yet in 1920, a mysterious woman resurfaced in Germany and claimed to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov! DNALC instructor Amanda McBrien will be telling the story of the Romanovs. Join in to learn about this very interesting time in Russian history and how modern science was used to solve the mystery of Anastasia!

In this DNALC Live session, you will:
Learn the story of the Romanovs and their disappearance in 1918
Collect and interpret forensic evidence
Perform DNA comparisons to identify important people
Use evidence to support a claim, and solve the mystery

Presenter: Amanda McBrien, DNA Learning Center
Audience: Grades 5 and up, General Audiences

[DNALearningCenter]

Visit us in Cold Spring Harbor, Brooklyn, or Sleepy Hollow!

[JLFAN]

Factual corrections: Empress Alexandra came from a GERMAN ruling house. Although she was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, she didn't qualify as a member of the British royal family, because her descent was through a mother (Princess Alice) who had married into a foreign dynasty. Also, Grand Duchess Anastasia was not the youngest child in the family: that was her brother, the Czarevich Alexis. Anastasia was, however, the youngest DAUGHTER in the family: her parents had four daughters in a row, before finally getting a son and heir.

[e_sidera]

This video was so informative, , I needed a better understanding about this event and this video answered it all. Thanks

[redgoat]

Sad story about the Romanov’s family. Thanks for the presentation!

[andymoore]

Wow, that was great, really informative.

[laurenpiantino]

I always wanted Anna Andersen to be Anastasia, but knew at the same time that it was just a fantasy. Why? Because I don't need any reconstruction of the skeletal remains to know if she was or was not. I'm an Artist, a portrait artist, natural born. We (Artists) study the human race every day, we do it mostly unconsciously; we study their expressions, the way they walk and talk and move; family and friends, people we know, strangers on the sidewalk, or at the superstore. We are people watchers. The face of Anastasia as a child, particularly her lips, around her mouth, and eye structure could not have grown into those of Anna Andersen's. But I could quite easily see Franziska in her. Naturally, my artistic nature wanted Anna to be the lost Princess; the fairytale Princess of nursery tales, but the cold hard facts is that she wasn't, and deep down I knew that.

[shiyiyin]

A little slow in pace but awesome delivery and presentation

[deborahbaker]

Hi Amanda, I enjoy your talks and style of presenting. Thanks :)

[johnrowell]

Superb breakdown of the case from a DNA point of view. I learned a lot from this video.

[marymoriarity]

This video actually comparing the DNA of the various skeletons, as compared to the DNA of Prince Philip was extremely interesting. It was always a point of contention from Anna Anderson that she was Anastasia but obviously she was related to the surviving member. The Polish band family, where this factory worker had been in an explosion during the World War II. Thank you very much for sharing the information.

[shirleybalinski]

Before DNA, facial recognition, bone construction & other physical examinations were used for identification. A high statistical score was given to Anna Anderson. Her court case was the longest trial case in German history. The case lasted for app.50 years before resolution. The same facial recognition etc., was used for identification of the bodies found in the grave in Russia!! If it is good enough for identification in the Russian burial, why was it not good enough for Anna Anderson?

[derekmorse]

excellent video, but considering the high stakes and what people had to loose, how do we guarantee that it was a fair test and things were not switched around?just how independent were the tests and what security over the samples was employed?

[nextdoornikkixoxo]

How can someone be the youngest of the family but have a little sibling ?

[f.fromme]

Please note the background of the Czarina is not correct in this video.

[BAFFLED-uo]

She doesn't look anything like Anastasia looking at the side by side photos.

[TheCamilacalvache]

Actually there was a wrong fact in this video but was very little misunderstanding. Anastasia remains were actually in the first grave found . Grand duchess Maria and Tsarvich Alexi were actually the missing two children

[sharonblackwell]

This is interesting, I wonder if the woman's experience of being in the bomb blast was the reason behind her being convinced that she was the princess, she certainly bor her likeness and was probably told consistently that she looked like the princess...how did she have so much information that tallied with what the family new identified her, to the degree that they were unsure? Very perplexing. Had she spent time with the romanoff or was she a part of the group of people who had infiltrated the family, gained intimate information and then brutally murdered them? Fter all the royals were known to be in precarious positions and there seems to be a continual pattern of betrayal within the family, even up until this very day. This story is not the end of the story, it raises many questions.

[gregguralnik]

Fransciska didnt so much lie, it was a patient at the hospital who recognized her and led her to believe that she was a Romanov.

[Elly]

It's unfortunate but DNA tests has confirmed that Anastasia did indeed die with the rest of her family and anyone who claimed to be her was an impostor.

[Celisar]

Not even one minute in and there is already a mistake:
The Tsarina Alexandra was German but brought up in Britain by her grandmother, Queen Victoria.