Man who died walking his dog in NT had secret Russian royal heritage
An unknown heir to the Russian throne has been found dead under a tree in the Northern Territory.
Leonid Kulikovsky, 72, died while walking his dog in Katherine and was kept in a morgue for two months before any relatives were contacted.
Mr Kulikovsky was born in Denmark in 1943 and was a great grandson of Russian Emperor Tsar Alexander III.
He lived alone in North Bank Caravan Park after the Winnebago he was planning to travel Australia in was stolen and damaged.
Nicknamed 'Old Nick' by locals, he never mentioned anything to locals about his royal roots.
“Old Nick decided it was all a bit much for him and traded his Winnebago for a car. He rented a small unit from us and stayed put,” Caravan park owner Peter Byers told News Corp.
“He said he’d made a few friends in Katherine and was happy here.”
He kept to himself but was known to be a 'lovely man' who got on with everyone.
"He loved his dog and took great care of him," Mr Byers said.
His ancestors the Romanov family were ousted from the Russian throne in 1917 after two revolutions, the Daily Mail reports.
"He died of a heart attack on September 27 when walking with his dog in the city of Katherine [Northern Territory]," Semen Andropov from the Union of Russian Compatriots said.
"As Kulikovsky lived alone, his body was kept in the morgue for two months as no-one contacted the authorities. Police later found his relatives in Denmark."
Mr Kulikovsky reportedly moved to Katherine to retire seven years ago after moving to Sydney in 1967 to work.
