Yakov Mikhailovich Yurovsky

Details of the life of Yakov Mikhailovich (Jacob Michael's son) Yurovsky. As known to the Department for Protecting the Public Security and Order (Okhrana for those of you not in the know.)
Yakov Yurovsky was (is?) an old bolshevik, revolutionar, and chekist in the Russian communist Part and the red army. His otherwise unremarkable service is dominated by his role as the leader of the exectution team that murdered the Tsar, his family, and their retainers in Ekaterinburg during the night of the 16/17th July 1918.
Early Life Born one of ten children to Mikhail Yurovsky and his wife Elena; there is little information about Yurovky's early life as he had, it seems, a fairly ordinary upbringing in an ordinary family. Romours that his family were Jewish are countered by romours that Yurovsky was Lutheran. Though it is possible he briefly converted as an adult before becoming a communist.
In so far as he had any profession it seems he trained as a watchmaker at some point, at least that is his recorded profession wehre one can be found. He lived breifly in Germany before returning to Russia just in tme for the 1905 revolution. He joined the old Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) bolshevik faction. A committed marxist, he was arrested several times over the years, though never faced serious consequences for his actions.
Following the Tsar's abdication he became a chekists, working in Western Siberia he proved to be an efficient... "agent".
Civil War Following the outbreak of the Civil War proper, Yurovsky was permanently stationed in Yekaterinburg. He seemingly was involved in fortifying the revolution whilst dealing with suspected counter revolutionaries. He commandeered Ipatiev house in Ekaterinburg into the "House of Special Purpose" and in April recived the Tsar, Tratina, and Grand Duchess Maria as prisoners, they rest of the children arrived in May. Yourovsky was responsible for their incarcetation as commandant of Ipatiev House.
Executions As the commandant of Ipatiev House, Yurovsky was tasked with the deaths of the Romanovs and those with them. The remainder of their entourage, from whom the family had been seperated, were largely executed elsewhere about this time.
After putting together a death squad of eleven men, three local bolshevis and eight soldiers. Tsar Nicholas, his wife Alexandra, their son Alexei, and daughters Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, along with the last four members of the imperial household (court physician Eugene Botkin, chambermaid Anna Demidova, cook Ivan Kharitonov and footman Alexei Trupp) were shot in a half cellar room in Ipatiev House. From what reports we have the murders were bungled, potentially taking as much as twenty minutes to kill the eleven victims. The remains were then taken outside the city to be buried, but where remains a mystery. Along with the location of the bodies there is also a question of identity over the composition of the execution team, who killed whom, and what happened to the jewels that were romoured to be conseal by the family.
Whatever the truth of the matter, A few weeks after the murders Ekerinburg was captured by White forces. Yurovsky disappeared in the chaos of the city's fall and is not known to have been seen since.

Relationships

Yakov Mikhailovich Yurovsky

Superior (Trivial)

Towards Pavel Pavlovich Romanov: Paul Paulson Romanov.

-3

3

Dishonest

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Pavel Pavlovich Romanov: Paul Paulson Romanov.

Subordinate (Vital)

Towards Yakov Mikhailovich Yurovsky

-5

-3

Honest

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History

Yakov Yurovsky was an officer and chekist in the red army during the Russian civil war, he lead the execution party that murdered the Tsar, his wife, their children, and servants. 
One of the party was another young officer Paul Romanov, who disappeared the night of the killings along with two other men when the were sent out to find a suitable burial site for the bodies and never returned. Needless to say, the whole affair rather soured their relationship somewhat and their unwelcome reunion 18 years later is a somewhat fraught one.

Legal Status

Errm, it's complicated. But also, it's not; not really.

Born: 19th/7th June 1878, Tomsk, Siberia, Russia
Died: Unknown, disappeared after Ekaterineburg was captured by the Whites in August 1918
Age: 58, if alive
Occupations: watchmaker and chekist

Spouses

Siblings

Note; the last confirmed sighting of Yurovsky was in Ekaterinburg in 1918 shortly before the city was captured by the Czechoslovak Legion. It is not confirmed if he survived. Given the passage of time he may be legally presumed dead, however at this point in time declaring him to be formally dead is considered unwise by the Bureau of Civil War Criminals of the Department for Protecting the Public Security and Order. 
(Can we please just write Okhrana? It's just easier.)