On 24th May 2026, a new bust-monument to Emperor Nicholas II, was unveiled and consecrated on the grounds of the Church of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers in the Russian city of Izhevsk.

Izhevsk is located west of the Ural Mountains, about 486 km west of Ekaterinburg and 969 km east of Moscow. It is the 22nd largest city in the Russian Federation,

In the past few weeks, similar bust-monuments to Russia’s last Tsar have been installed in more than half a dozen cities across the Russian Federation. Their unveiling and consecration are timed to the 158th anniversary of Nicholas II’s birth on 19th (O. S. 6th) May and the 130th anniversary of his Holy Coronation in Moscow on 27th (O. S. 14th) May.

The ceremony was attended by Metropolitan Viktorin of Izhevsk and Udmurtia, the mayor of Izhevsk Dmitry Chistyakov, the well-known Russian lawyer and public figure Pavel Astakhov, TV presenter and media manager Boris Korchevnikov, city officials, members of the clergy, parishioners of the church, and local residents.

“Tsar Nicholas II was the Commander-in-Chief of our army. Under him, steel production in the country increased 1.8 thousand times, and mechanical engineering – 44 times. He created a holy country by building 7.5 thousand churches,” said Boris Korchevnikov, one of the initiators of the project and the general director of the “Spas” TV channel. “This justifies the opening of this monument. During his reign, Izhevsk received special patronage as the defense and industrial heart of Russia.”

Bronze plaques were installed on each of the four sides of the pedestal. On one side, there is a quote from the address of Nicholas II to his subjects on the occasion of his accession to the throne in 1894:

“I take a sacred vow in the face of the Almighty to always have one goal – peaceful prosperity, power and glory of dear Russia, and the arrangement of the happiness of all loyal subjects.”

On another side of the pedestal there is an excerpt from the address of the former emperor – following his abdication – to the troops, made on 21st March 1917 (according to the new style):

“To you, my dearly beloved troops, I appeal with an urgent appeal to defend our native land from the evil enemy. Russia is bound to her valiant allies by one common desire for victory. The present unprecedented war must be brought to the complete defeat of the enemies. Whoever now thinks about peace and desires it is a traitor to his Fatherland. I know that every honest warrior understands and thinks this way. Do your duty as before. Defend our great Russia with all your might. Listen to your superiors. Any weakening of the order of service (discipline) only plays into the hands of the enemy. I firmly believe that the boundless love for the Motherland has not faded in your hearts. May the Lord God bless you for further feats and may the Holy Great Martyr and Victory-Bearer George lead you from victory to victory.”

The monument was donated to the region as part of the “Alley of Russian Glory” educational project. The bust was donated to the church by the author of the project, entrepreneur Mikhail Serdyukov.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, more than 100 monuments, sculptures, busts and memorial plaques to Nicholas II have been installed in cities and towns across the Russian Federation.

© Paul Gilbert. 26 May 2026