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At its session on 17th July1997, chaired by the PATRIARCH, the Holy Synod


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CONSIDERED: the work of the State Commission on the Examination and Re-burial of the Remains of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II and Members of His Family.
Background: The Holy Synod session of 6 October 1995 heard a report by Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna, member of the State Commission on the Examination and Re-burial of the Remains of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II and Members of His Family, on the results of the work of the commission. Reports were also given by eight members of the Commission invited to that session.

After a discussion, the following resolution was adopted:

1. That the report by Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna be acknowledged.
2. That the high guests be thanked for their contribution to the discussion.
3. That the great amount of work carried out by the State Commission under the leadership of Deputy Prime-minister Yu. F. Yarov be appreciated.
4. That the State Commission should continue working on the problems which have not yet been solved.
5. That it is desirable to establish an international commission made up of independent experts in forensic medicine, anthropology and criminal detection to resolve any doubts concerning the results of the expertise carried out by the State Commission.
6. That the continuation and deepening of co-operation with the State Commission led by Mr. Yarov and the Russian Experts Commission Abroad led by P. N. Koltypin-Vallovsky be considered useful.
7. That the Holy Synod assure the church and international public that it is committed to the search for the truth with regard to the remains found near Yekaterinburg and is willing to contribute to the completion of the investigation and that it prays that God may help us in this undertaking.
As a result of this position of the Church, the Commission at its meeting on 15 November 1995 set forth the following actions to be taken for further study:
1. A stomatological examination;
2. A full anthropological examination of the bones;
3. Removing differences between the results of the Russian expertise and the conclusion made by Prof. Maples concerning the identification of Remains No. 6 (Anastasia or Mary);
4. An analysis of the conclusion made by Kolchak's government after its own investigation that the Imperial family was fully eliminated and a comparison between other results of the investigation made in the period 1918-1924 and today;
5. A graphological and stylistic examination of Yurovsky's note;
6. An examination of the osseous callus on Skull No. 4;
7. An investigation in the fate of the remains of the hair Alexis and his sister;
8. A conclusion concerning the possibility for a full destruction of two bodies (the amount of firewood, kerosene, acid, time and other conditions);
9. A confirmation or refutation of the ritual nature of the murder;
10. A confirmation or refutation of the evidence that Nicholas II was beheaded immediately after the murder.
These points were listed in a letter of the Chairman of the Commission Yu. Yarov to the General Prosecutor Yu. Skuratov, asking him to "find an opportunity for completing the investigation by experts and for solving the problems posed by the Commission under the criminal case". In his reply, the General Prosecutor Skuratov informed Yu. Yarov that "the decision made on 15 September 1995 to close the case was recognised as premature as the examination of some evidence, including Yurovsky's notes and the objects involved in the attempt at Nicholas II's life in 1891 in Japan, as well as other investigative actions involved indirectly in the identification of the remains had not been made. By the decision of the General Prosecutor of 6 December 1995, the case was resumed. The additional investigation was entrusted to V. Solovyev, a criminal prosecutor of the General Prosecutor's Office".
The last official meeting of the Commission took place on 21 February 1996. It was chaired by its new chairman V. Kinelev. The Commission met for a working session on 17 January 1997, at the office of its still another new chairman, V. Ignatenko. It was attended by some members residing in Moscow. The meeting stated that the ten above-mentioned actions remained relevant. The Commission has never met ever since.

RESOLVED: 1) that the questions posed by the Church at the Holy Synod meeting of 6 October 1995 and those worked out by the Commission on 15 November 1995 be considered crucial for the completion of the work of the State Commission;

2) that the biased presentation of the work of the Commission and the position of the Russian Orthodox Church by the mass media is regrettable;

3) that the position taken by Metropolitan Juvenaly at the Commission be approved.