On 18th May, the eve of the 156th anniversary of the birth of Emperor Nicholas II, a new bust-monument to Russia’s last Tsar, was installed and consecrated on the grounds of the Orthodox Cultural Center in the village of Zaplavnoye, Leninsky district, Volgograd region.

The solemn ceremony was attended by the founder and head of the Volga-Rast group of companies Igor Vitalievich Kapitanov, philanthropist Andrey Yurievich Morozkin, First Vice President of Gazprombank JSC, as well as guests from Moscow, Saratov, Voronezh and Lubansk.

The opening ceremony began with a solemn parade, led by cadets dressed in ceremonial uniforms. Pupils of the Cadet Corps, along with local high school students and toddlers of the Orthodox Kindergarten, followed behind the cadets through the square, which was decorated with Russian flags.

The bust-monument was consecrated by the rector of the St. Nicholas Church in the village of Zaplavnoye, Hieromonk Nikita (Sergeev).

The installation of the bust-monument to Emperor Nicholas II was made possible by the All-Russian Alley of Russian Glory Project, the purpose of which is to perpetuate the memory of notable Russians who glorified the Fatherland and the Orthodox faith.

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NOTE: since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, more than 100 monuments, busts and memorial plaques to Emperor Nicholas II have been installed in cities, towns and villages across the Russian Federation. In addition, are a number of churches dedicated to him.

© Paul Gilbert. 22 May 2024