Over time, people forget their past, and only a few today remember the boyar Mikhail Romanov, who was killed in the Perm region long before the tragic death of his descendants in 1918.

This story begins in 1600, when Russia was ruled by Boris Godunov. Being the first tsar not belonging to the Rurik dynasty, he feared the more noble and popular Romanovs. In the early 17th century, under the pretext of a nonexistent conspiracy against Godunov, all the sons of Nikita Romanov were arrested, including the 40-year-old boyar Mikhail, the uncle of the future first tsar from the Romanov family.

Mikhail Romanov held the positions of stolnik and okólnichiy and was a favorite among Muscovites. In June 1600, he was captured and sent to the Perm region. By Godunov's order, he was to be starved to death, and Mikhail was taken to the village of Nyrabka (now the settlement of Nyrab). Possessing immense physical strength, he desperately tried to push away the cart in which he was brought, but it was of no help. He was placed in a pit and chained to a post, deprived of the ability to even walk. His agonizing death lasted almost two years. Local residents took pity on him and sent children with food and water, which is why he did not die of hunger for a long time. When the guards discovered this, they captured the children. Not wanting to stay for the winter, they killed Mikhail.

After the Romanovs ascended to the throne, Mikhail Romanov (the nephew) ordered the remains to be transferred to Moscow and buried in the family tomb at the Novospassky Monastery. Since then, Mikhail has been venerated as a martyr, referred to as the 'Nyrab martyr.' His chains are still kept in Nyrab, and people come to them daily. In the early 20th century, his canonization was planned, but it was thwarted by the revolution. In our time, there has been renewed talk of canonization. In 2013, Mikhail's chains were delivered to the Novospassky Monastery, and a book about him was presented. Thus, the memory of boyar Mikhail continues to live on.