In 1991 the remains of the imperial family were exhumed. Pieces of nine skeletons were found, two bodies remain missing, which are those of Aleksey and one of the grand duchesses. DNA testing confirmed the remains included Nicholas, Alexandra, and three of their daughters. On July 17, 1998 the imperial family and those who died with them were buried in the St. Catherine Chapel of St. Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg. The senior members of the Russian Orthodox Church refused to attend the service due to lingering doubts over the identity of the remains. The Russian Orthodox Church canonized the family as royal martyrs in 1981. In 2000, the family was canonized as passion barriers, a minor form of sainthood that recognizes the Christian humility and patience with which they endured their captivity.
The memory of Anastasia lives on through the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death. For many people her death has become a symbol of the wealth and glory of imperial Russia that came to an end with the Revolution. Anastasia is a reminder of the brutality her family faced, as did many Russians during the Communist regime.