The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar

Leonka watches as the Bolsheviks bicker over how to deal with the Romanovs’ bodies. Komendant Yurovsky reprimands his men for pillaging the Romanovs for their gems and orders them to cart the bodies into a vehicle for transport. While the Bolsheviks are distracted, Leonka sneaks over to the vehicle and steals the tsar’s gold watch off his wrist; he also steals Aleksei’s candy box.

When the vehicle drives away, Leonka follows it, sneaking through the woods. He sees two bodies fall out the back of the vehicle—the mutilated body of Aleksei and that of Maria, who is still alive but seriously wounded. Leonka tends to Maria with scrap clothing and hides her in the woods.

Maria begs Leonka to bring Aleksei’s body into the woods. After Leonka complies, Maria then orders him to follow the Bolsheviks and retrieve her sister, Tatyana.

The Bolsheviks prepare to bury the Romanovs at the ruins of the Four Brothers mine. Komendant Yurovsky orders his men to strip the bodies and ensure they cannot be identified; he discovers two of the bodies missing. Panicked, he orders his men to find Aleksei and Maria. Leonka leaves before he can be caught.