Page "Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia" Paragraph 41

The initial round of gunfire killed only the Tsar, the Empress and two male servants, and wounded Grand Duchess Maria, Dr Botkin and the Empress ' maidservant, Demidova.

At that point the gunmen had to leave the room because of smoke and toxic fumes from their guns and plaster dust their bullets had released from the walls.

After allowing the haze to clear for several minutes, the gunmen returned.

Dr Botkin was killed, and a gunman named Ermakov repeatedly tried to shoot Tsarevich Alexei, but failed because jewels sewn into the boy's clothes shielded him.

Ermakov tried to stab Alexei with a bayonet but failed again, and finally Yurovsky fired two shots into the boy's head.

Yurovsky and Ermakov approached Olga and Tatiana, who were crouched against the room's rear wall, clinging to each other and screaming for their mother.

Ermakov stabbed both young women with his 8-inch bayonet, but had difficulty penetrating their torsos because of the jewels that had been sewn into their chemises.

The sisters tried to stand, but Tatiana was killed instantly when Yurovsky shot her in the back of her head.

A moment later, Olga too died when Ermakov shot her in the head.