“The monument will be a symbol of universal repentance”

Donations are now being collected for a monument to Tsar Martyr Nicholas II, which which will be established in the Russian city of Kulebaki, in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

With the blessing of Bishop Vyksa and Pavlovsky Barnabas, the monument is to be installed on the grounds of the Church of the Holy Martyr Michael (Gusev), located on Admiral Makarov Street in Kulebaki.

According to the initiators of the project, the installation of the monument is planned for 17th July 2020, the day marking the murders of the Imperial Family. The cost of the monument is 5 million rubles ($80,000 USD). To date, more than 1 million has been raised. Work is already underway, which includes the metal frame for the monument.

The sculptor of the future monument is Irina Makarova, the same author of the monument to the Holy Royal Martyrs established in the St. Seraphim-Diveyevo Convent in July 2017. Makarova presents the Tsar on horseback, holding an Orthodox cross in the air – truly impressive!

The initiators are inspired by the famous dictum of the old man Nikolai Guryanov :

“The reason for the spiritual illness in Russia is the conciliar sin of treason against the Tsar, in allowing the slaughter of the Holy Royal Family and in the unrepentance of hearts … We lost the pure, strengthening grace that poured out on the sacred head of the Anointed One, and through him on all of Russia. By rejecting the Tsar, we raised a hand to everything holy and to the Lord. Without true repentance, there is no true glorification of the Tsar. There must be spiritual awareness. ”

In an interview with the newspaper Kulebaksky Metallist, the rector of the church Archpriest Nikolai Boldyrev spoke about the Orthodox initiative:

“The reason for our troubles is the violation of the Cathedral Oath of 1613. The fact is that Russia (the church and the people), taught by the bitter experience of the Polish yoke, at the zemstvo-local Council of 1613 made a vow to God to faithfully serve his anointed, autocratic tsars from the Romanov dynasty, until the second coming of Christ,” recalls Father Nikolai.

“Having shot the Tsar and his family in 1918, the Russian people had broken their oath,” the priest claims. “We rejected and killed the Tsar anointed by God.”

According to Father Nikolai, in order to atone for this crime, “firstly, it is necessary to deeply comprehend and realize your sin, and secondly, to sincerely repent of it. Moreover, this applies to almost all classes, including the clergy, which lacked the wisdom and strength to stop the crime against both Divine and civil laws. We all need to embark on the path of repentance. Without it, nothing good awaits us. And this is the main problem. ”

“Thank God that much has changed in recent years,” noted Father Nikolai – “The glorification of the Holy Royal Martyrs has passed. At the place of their murder, the Church on the Blood was built, penitential prayers are underway, icons are painted, books are published. People began to see spiritually. The construction of this monument in our city is a sign of repentance. We repent with the whole world – both for our ancestors and for ourselves. The monument will be an eternal reminder not only of that terrible sin, but also a symbol of universal repentance. Passing by, anyone can say: “Forgive us, Sovereign, for our sins.”

Expressing hope, Archpriest Nikolai Boldyrev added – “The place, financial expenses, the Lit-Art company from the city of Zhukovsk, which plans to cast the monument in six months, were determined, the sculptor was chosen. Like churches, we will build a monument to the whole world. We hope that Kulebachans will respond to this good deed.”

© Paul Gilbert. 13 December 2019