Film footage and photographs made available since the fall of the Soviet Union, together with czarist-era survivor interviews, combine in this two-tape Discovery Channel production to give a detailed look at the end of Romanov rule in Russia. "Nicky & Alix" focuses on the royal family’s opulent lifestyle, in contrast to the turmoil around them; "The Shadow of Rasputin" shows the growing problems encircling the Romanovs - including that of the Czarina’s spiritual counselor, Gregori Rasputin.