Large hard cover. 208 pages. Richly illustrated throughout. Russian edition only

The long-awaited edition of Романовы. Путь святости и Голгофы (The Romanovs. The Path of Holiness and Golgotha), has been published by the AST Publishing House. The Russian-language book is the result of many years of research by Dmitry and Ekaterina Ostroumov, dedicated to the Romanov dynasty and the spiritual path of the Holy Royal Martyrs Nicholas II and his family.

The publication is based on the exhibition dedicated to Russia’s last Tsar and his family, which opened in January 2025, in the Museum to the Royal Passion-Bearers. The permanent exhibition takes up the entire ground floor of  the Church of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers in the Russian city of Dno, situated 114 km from Pskov.

The exposition project, which went from a temporary exhibition to a permanent memorial museum. It was here that on 14th (O.S. 1st) March 1917, the Imperial Train carrying the Tsar stopped. The following day, Nicholas II abdicated the throne. The event marked the beginning of his Way of the Cross.

Today, the museum preserves unique archival materials that reveal not only the historical, but also the spiritual aspects of the life of the last Russian Emperor and his family. The museum is a tribute of the deepest respect to their sacrificial feat. The scale of the project attracted the attention of the AST Publishing House, which proposed to transfer the exhibition concept to a book forma.

The large hard cover pictorial is based on authentic documents, diary entries, letters and rare photographs. The album recreates the history of the Romanov dynasty, covering the path from the calling of Mikhail Romanov in 1613 to the glorification of the Imperial Family as passion-bearers by the Moscow Patriarchate in 2000.

The main topic of the book, however, is the last Tsar and his family – from the upbringing of the heir Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich [future Emperor Nicholas II] to a martyr’s death in 1918. Particular importance is attached to the inner world of the Holy Royal Martyrs, their family way of life, their piety and sincere service to the Fatherland.

“Understanding the person of the Tsar in the Russian state today is important not only in its political and administrative significance, but also in its sacred function,” says Dmitry Ostroumov, co-author of the book. “This album, through immersion in the history of the Imperial Family, allows us to take a deeper look at this key role of the bearer of the Tsar’s life and reign.”

Through the fate of each family member, the reader comes closer to understanding the sacred depth of the monarch’s service, where earthly government and heavenly calling are inseparable, and a look into the past helps to see what often remains hidden behind the vanity of time.

The album Романовы. Путь святости и Голгофы (The Romanovs. The Path of Holiness and Golgotha) is currently available for purchase in Russian book shops, online stores, and the official website of the AST Publishing House.

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PLEASE NOTE: This post is for information purposes only. This book is ONLY available in Russia, there is NO English edition available, nor is there one planned. I regret that I do not know any booksellers who offer this book.

The current sanctions imposed by the West on Russia forbid financial transactions, therefore it is not possible to order this title from a Russian bookseller online – they will not accept Western credit cards, nor can you use PayPal, Western Union, etc. Although there are numerous Russian bookshops in the West, please note that some countries such as the United States now impose a 40% tariff on books being imported from Russia.

It is very unlikely that we shall ever see an English edition of this book. Having said that, if and when the sanctions are lifted, and English-speaking tourists return to Russia in the numbers prior to 2022, the Russian publisher may just issue an English language edition of what looks like something many of us would like to add to our personal libraries – myself included!

© Paul Gilbert. 28 April 2026