On 25th August 2026, a new bust-monument to Emperor Nicholas II was unveiled and consecrated on the grounds of the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in the Russian city of Kyzyl [formerly Belotsarsk] , the capital of the Republic of Tuva, which lies at the geographical center of Asia, in southern Siberia.

The installation of the monument is timed to coincide with two important dates: the 15th anniversary of the formation of the Kyzyl diocese and the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia.

The bust was donated to the residents of the Republic of Tuva by the he public federal Orthodox TV channel “SPAS”.

“The monument to the Holy Passion-Bearer Nicholas II, has become a new heavenly patron for Tuva, a historical intercessor close in time, glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church,” said Hieromonk of the Kyzyl Diocese Ambrose (Gromov).

Among the guests of honour, the event was attended by the head of the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan Yuri Ananin, the director of the Agency for Nationalities of the Republic of Tatarstan Svetlana Oshchepkova and Boris Korchevnikov, general director of the SPAS TV channel.

The installation of this monument is an important reminder of Emperor Nicholas II, by whose decree Tuva came under the protectorate of the Russian Empire in 1914.

The event attracted many local parishioners and pilgrims. At the end of the consecration ceremony, everyone was invited to visit the photo exhibition “The Romanovs – Tsar’s Service” which officially opened in the lower level of the cathedral.

The above photo depicts the bust of Emperor Nicholas II, before it was installed atop the granite pedestal, it provides us with a close-up view of the detail of the Emperor’s face, his uniform and numerous orders and medals.

The installation of the monment in Kyzyl is the 12th monument of Russia’s last Tsar, to be installed in Russia this year. Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, more than 125 monuments, busts and memorial plaques have been installed in nearly 50 regions of the Russian Federation.

© Paul Gilbert. 26 August 2026