On 17th July 2023, a series of events marking the 105th anniversary of the murder of the Imperial Family and their faithful servants and the 25th anniversary of the burial of the remains of the Imperial Family, were held at the SS Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg.
The events were attended by Archimandrite Tikhon (Zatekin), the abbot of the Pechersky Ascension Monastery, and deputy head of the Nizhny Novgorod branch of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society (IOPS). It was during his visit to the SS Peter and Paul Cathedral, that Tikhon laid a bouquet of white roses at the tomb the Imperial Family and their faithful servants, which is located in St. Catherine’s Chapel, a side chapel of the cathedral.
At 12 o’clock, a cannon shot sounded on the Naryshkin Bastion of the Peter and Paul Fortress in memory of these two historic dates. The shot was fired by the Chairman of the Heraldic Council under the President of the Russian Federation – State Herald Master, Deputy Director General of the State Hermitage for Scientific Work G.V. Vilinbakhov.
At 14:00 p.m., a Divine Liturgy to the Holy Royal Martyrs was held in the SS Peter and Paul Cathedral, after which wreaths and flowers were laid near the tomb with the remains of the Imperial Family.
At 15:00 p.m., a round table was held in the conference hall of the St. John’s Ravelin, at which statesmen, historians, architects and journalists who directly participated in the burial ceremony of the Imperial Family in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in 1998 spoke. They presented the facts related to the history of the murder of Emperor Nicholas II and his family, the discovery and subsequent burial of their remains in the Catherine Chapel of the SS Peter and Paul Cathedral.
During the event, documentary newsreels of the burial ceremony in July 1998 were shown; recordings of interviews with participants of mourning events – including Romanov descendants, historians, authors, artists and cultural figures.
On the night of 16/17 July 2023 – the eve marking the 105th anniversary of the death and martyrdom of Emperor Nicholas II and his family – some 40,000 faithful attended a Divine Liturgy and Cross Procession in Ekaterinburg.
Defying Western sanctions, a number of foreigners also attended this years events, including the Italian opera singer and singing teacher Elvis Fanton, who said he felt compelled to come to Ekaterinburg after having a dream about Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich. Fanton is a regular visitor to the Ural capital, where he has performed in concerts dedicated to the only son and heir of Russia’s last Tsar.
PHOTO: Orthodox Christians venerate an icon of the Holy Tsar Martyr Nicholas II on the square in front of the Church on the Blood in Ekaterinburg
PHOTO: Orthodox Christians gather on the square outside the Church on the Blood holding yellow flags depicting the double-headed eagle of the Russian Empire
PHOTO: Orthodox Christians carrying icons, banners and flags
PHOTO: 40,000 faithful gathered for the Divine Liturgy on the square in front of the Church on the Blood for the Divine Liturgy in Ekaterinburg
PHOTO: this year’s outdoor Divine Liturgy was performed by 12 Orthodox bishops
Prior to the outdoor service, a Divine Liturgy in honour of Emperor Nicholas II and his family was performed in the Imperial Room,[1] situated in the Lower Church of the Church on Spilled Blood. Twelve bishops took part, including Metropolitan Vincent of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, Head of the Central Asian Metropolitan District, Representative of the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Metropolitan Niphon of Philippopolis, Metropolitan Kirill of Kazan and Tatarstan, Metropolitan Eugene of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye, Metropolitan Alexy of Chelyabinsk and Miass, Bishop Anthony of Moravichi, Bishop Theodosius of Isilkul and Russo-Polyansky, Bishop Theodosius of Nizhny Tagil and Nevyansk, Bishop Methodius of Kamensk and Kamyshlov, Bishop Vladimir of Shadrinsky and Dalmatovsky, Bishop Vincent of Zlatoust and Satka, Bishop Leonid of Argentina and South America.
The outdoor Divine Liturgy began at 11:30 pm on the square in front of the Church on the Blood, also led by 12 bishops. In addition, representatives of the local Orthodox Churches — Antioch, Serbian, Czech, American — also prayed, some of the prayers were performed in several languages. Abbots and abbesses, monastics, who came to honour the memory of the Holy Royal Martyrs from various monasteries, prayed during the service.
It is sad to note that not a single descendant of the Romanov Dynasty attended this year’s Divine Liturgy, including Princess Maria Vladimirovna nor her son Prince George Mikhailovich-Hohenzollern, the latter of which lives in Moscow with his wife and son.
VIDEO: click on the above image to watch the Cross Procession from the Church on the Blood in Ekaterinburg to the Monastery of the Holy Royal Martyrs at Ganina Yama on 17th July 2023. Duration:
Cross Procession to Ganina Yama
At 3:00 am, tens of thousands of people—including clergy and laity from all over the Russian Federation and beyond began the 21km [13 miles] Cross Procession – headed by Metropolitan Yevgeny of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye and other archpastors – from the Church on the Blood to the Monastery of the Holy Royal Martyrs at Ganina Yama[2].
The column of faithful pilgrims covered the route on foot – part of which was in the rain in about 5 hours. Together in unison, they chanted the prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us!”. They were accompanied by ten mobile groups from the Orthodox Charity Service and Tsar’s Days volunteers.
Upon arrival at the monastery at Ganina Yama, a moleben was served at the “heart” of the monastery—the mineshaft where the Imperial family’s remains were thrown after they had been brutally murdered by the Bolsheviks.
PHOTO: tens of thousands of people took part in the 21km Cross Procession from the Church on the Blood in Ekaterinburg to the Monastery of the Holy Royal Martyrs at Ganina Yama
PHOTO: the Cross Procession winded its way through the streets of the Ural capital in the early morning hours of 17th July
PHOTO: it took about 5 hours for the column of faithful to arrive at the Monastery of the Holy Royal Martyrs at Ganina Yama
PHOTO: Together in unison, they chanted the prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us!”
PHOTO: Metropolitan Yevgeny of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye (center) and other archpastors arrived at the Monastery of the Holy Royal Martyrs at Ganina Yama
His Eminence Evgeny[3] thanked all those who participated, and said a few words about the Imperial Family and their memory.:
“I wish that you would tell your close ones about this, so that in future years even more of you would come, and thus testify to our love for the Imperial family and our desire to receive their blessing upon our world, upon our unity, upon the sanctity of family life, and for peace and prosperity in our Russian land.”
“A lot of churches are dedicated to the Imperial Family. Over the past 30 years, hundreds of churches have been erected in Russia in the name of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers[4]. And in every place where their temple stands, there are a lot of people. If we saw today all those who revere the Imperial family, then, it is possible, that their numbers would be more than the population of the whole of Ekaterinburg,” the metropolitan added.
PHOTO: pilgrims gather around the “heart” of the monastery—the mineshaft where the Imperial family’s remains were thrown after they had been brutally murdered by the Bolsheviks
PHOTO: a large wooden Orthodox cross marks the location of the now collapsed mineshaft where the Imperial Family’s remains were first disposed of by the regicides
PHOTO: a simple icon depicting the Holy Royal Martyrs mounted on the large wooden cross
“Ekaterinburg is connected with the Imperial Family, because it was from here that they ascended to the Heavenly abodes, and therefore the people honour them. I think our city stands thanks to the prayers of a whole family of righteous saints, the holy Royal Family,” His Eminence Metropolitan Evgeny of Ekaterinburg said.
“Tsar’s Days are a special phenomenon in the history of our Church, our country, because Tsar’s Days are our repentance before the Holy Royal Family, before the Holy Tsar-Martyr,” added Dr. Peter Multatuli, who has been researching and writing about the life and reign of Russia’s last Tsar since the early 1990s.
“What is repentance? Repentance is a change, we must radically change our view, our attitude towards the Sovereign-Emperor and his family, who were murdered by the Bolsheviks. For me, the procession is my moral duty,” Multatuli said, adding that his great-grandfather Ivan Mikhailovich Kharitonov (1872-1918), the senior chef of the Imperial Family, was killed together with the Holy Royal Martyrs, “which, of course, makes these days also a family affair for me.”
Holy Royal Martyrs, pray to God for us! 🙏 Святы Царственные мученики, молите Бога о нас! 🙏 ☦️
NOTES:
[1] The altar of the Imperial Room is situated in the Lower Church sanctified in honour of the Holy Royal Martyrs. It was established on the site of the room located in the basement of the Ipatiev House, where Emperor Nicholas II, his family, and four retainers were all brutally murdered in the early morning hours of 17th July 1918.
There is some dispute about whether this sanctuary stands in the spot of the murder room. It is believed that it was not possible to build on the exact spot due to construction issues, and that the actual spot of the murder room lies outside the church along its wall.
As one of my Russian Orthodox friends correctly pointed out: “Whether it is in the exact spot or not to me is irrelevant as when you are in that room, you are spiritually in the exact place it happened”.
[2] Once again, Porosenkov Log was not included in this year’s Cross Procession.
Porosenkov Log is where the remains of the Imperial family were unearthed in two separate graves in 1991 and 2007 respectively. Due to the fact that the Moscow Patriachate does not yet recognize the Ekaterinburg Remains as those of the Imperial Family. Their official recognition rests with the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.
[3] Metropolitan Yevgeny of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye (born Alexei Sergeyevich Kulberg; born 25th September 1972, Moscow). From 9th October 2017 to 15th October 2018, he served as abbot of the Monastery of the Holy Royal Martyrs at Ganina Yama. On 8th December 2020, by the decision of the Holy Synod, he was elected Bishop of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye. On December 25, 2020, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia elevated Bishop Eugene of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye to the rank of Metropolitan.
[4] On 1st November 1981, Emperor Nicholas II and his family were canonized as new martyrs by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR). On 20th August 2000, after much debate, they were canonized as passion bearers by the Moscow Patriarchate
The Moscow Patriarchate canonized the family as passion bearers: people who face death with resignation, in a Christ-like manner, as distinguished from martyrs, the latter historically killed for their faith. Proponents cited the piety of the family and reports that the Tsarina and her eldest daughter Olga prayed and attempted to make the sign of the cross immediately before they died.
The term “passion-bearer” is used in relation to those Russian saints who, “imitating Christ, endured with patience physical, moral suffering and death at the hands of political opponents. In the history of the Russian Church, such passion-bearers were the holy noble princes Boris and Gleb (1015), Igor of Chernigov (+ 1147), Andrei Bogolyubsky (+ 1174), Mikhail of Tverskoy (+ 1318), Tsarevich Dimitri (+ 1591). All of them, by their feat of passion-bearers, showed a high example of Christian morality and patience.
Despite their official designation as “passion-bearers” by the August 2000 Council, Nicholas II and his family are referred to as “martyrs” in Church publications, icons, and in popular veneration by the people.
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PHOTO: Paul Gilbert (far right) joins 50 Romanov descendants, at the funeral of Nicholas II, in St. Petersburg on 17th July 1998. Photo by D. Koscheev, from the book The Last Bow (1999)
It was 25 years ago today – 17th July 1998 – that the earthly remains of Emperor Nicholas II, his wife, three of their five children and their four faithful retainers were buried in St. Catherine’s Chapel – a side chapel of the SS Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.
I was honoured to attend this historic event, thanks to the kindness of a descendant of Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich, who was living in New York at the time. It was through her efforts that she arranged for me to attend the funeral in St. Petersburg, through the Director of the Romanov Family Association in Russia Ivan Artsishevsky (1950-2021), who served as head of the working group on the reburial of Emperor Nicholas II, his family and servants.
It is interesting to note that the only Romanov descendants who did not attend the burial were Princess Maria Vladimirovna, her son Prince George Mikhailovich-Hohenzollern, and her mother Princess Leonida Georgievna (1914-2010). To this day, Maria and her son do not recognize the Ekaterinburg Remains as those of Emperor Nicholas II and members of his family.
Just prior to the funeral on the 17th, I was invited to join more than 50 Romanov descendants in the lobby of the Astoria Hotel. It was here that I met Princes Nicholas (1922-2014) and Dimitri (1926-2016) Romanovich Romanov. From here, I travelled on a special coach with the Romanov’s to the Peter and Paul Fortress. I recall the coach driving along the Embankment which was lined on both sides by thousands of people who had gathered to watch the drive past. Many of them held icons of the Holy Royal Martyrs, others kneeled on the street, making the sign of the cross as the coach passed.
By the time the coach arrived at the Fortress, hundreds of people had assembled on the square in front of SS Peter and Paul Cathedral. The Romanov family descendants walked in silence along the path into the Cathedral. Bells tolled from the SS Peter and Paul Cathedral and soldiers gave a 19-gun salute.
Yeltsin attends, calls for repentance
PHOTO: Russian president Boris Yeltsin (1931-2007) and his wife Anastasia Iosifovna Yeltsina bow their heads at the crypt of the last Russian Emperor and his family
The Romanov family members were joined by Russian president Boris Yeltsin, Prince Michael of Kent of Great Britain, family members of the Oldenburg dynasty from Germany and diplomats from more than 50 countries.
Addressing the funeral ceremony, Yeltsin described the murder of the Russian Imperial family as one of the most shameful pages in Russian history, and urged Russians to close a “bloody century” with repentance. “Today is a historic day for Russia. For many years, we kept quiet about this monstrous crime, but the truth has to be spoken,” he added.
Yeltsin said he had no choice but to attend this funeral in consideration of the fact that the funeral presented a historical chance for the Russian people to exculpate themselves from the sins of their fathers, and the sins of the murder of their Romanov family
St. Catherine’s Chapel
PHOTO: view of St. Catherine’s Chapel, the current resting place for Emperor Nicholas II and his family
In the weeks leading up to the burial, a complete reconstruction of St. Catherine’s Chapel was carried out. In 1997, specialists from the Restorer and Olko firms carried out the work, which included painting the walls and plafond of the chapel. A two-tiered crypt (depth 1 m 66 cm, length 2 m 70 cm, width 1 m 70 cm) was built near the only window in the southern part of the chapel. The seal-tight crypt was waterproofed, thus providing ideal conditions for the preservation of the remains.
On the lower tier are the coffins of the family’s four faithful retainers, and on the upper tier are the coffins of the Emperor, Empress and their three daughters Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana and Anastasia. An openwork lattice divides the crypt into two parts. The coffins were made of Caucasian oak, their surface is covered with a wax-turpentine mixture. Inside, the coffins are upholstered with copper sheet, and on top – a cover of white velour on silk white cords. On the lid of the coffin of Emperor Nicholas II there is a cypress cross (grown in the garden of the Livadia Palace in Crimea) and a model of a sword based on a 1909 model. The rest of the coffins of members of the Imperial Family have lids decorated with bronze, gilded, crosses. The coffins of the servants are decorated with silver-plated eight-point Orthodox crosses. As the valet Aloysius Trupp was a Catholic, a four-point cross decorates his coffin. The side decoration of the coffins consisted of: a brass board engraved (on which the names, title, place of birth and place of death (according to the Julian calendar) and the date of burial are embossed), as well as double-headed eagles for the seven coffins of members of the Imperial Family. Each coffin was secured with brass (non-oxidizing) screws. Lead plates were laid in the lid and in the coffin itself along the perimeter at the place of their connection, making them airtight after closing the coffin.
The coffins were made in strict accordance with the historical traditions of the burial rites of Russian monarchs. After the burial, the crypt was covered with reinforced concrete slabs, through the rings of which a steel chain closed on the lock was threaded. A temporary wooden tombstone was erected over the grave, and later replaced by a marble one. Memorial plaques with epitaphs were placed on the walls of the chapel. Later, the historical coating of the aisle, Mettlach tiles – was also restored.
PHOTO: the Head of the Russian Imperial House Prince Nicholas Romanovich (1922-2014) throws a handful of earth into the grave
At the present time, the crypt in the Catherine Chapel holds a total of 9 coffins:
Emperor Nicholas II Alexandrovich (burial of remains on 17th July 1998)
Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (burial of the remains on 17th July 1998)
Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna (burial of the remains on 17th July 1998)
Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna (burial of the remains on 17th July 1998)
Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna (burial of the remains on 17th July 1998)
family-physician Dr. Eugene Botkin (burial of remains on 17th July 1998)
maid Anna Demidova (burial of remains on 17th July 1998)
valet Aloysius Trupp (burial of remains on 17th July 1998)
cook Ivan Kharitonov (burial of remains on 17th July 1998)
It was not until 2007, that the remains of Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich and Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, which consisted of 44 bone fragments, were discovered in a second grave at Porosenkov Log, near Ekaterinburg. In December 2015, their remains were transferred from the State Archives of the Russian Federation to the Lower Church of the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Novospassky Monastery in Moscow, where they remain to this day.
The fate of the Ekaterinburg Remains currently rests with the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. Once the members of the Council have confirmed the authenticity of the Ekaterinburg Remains as those of the Imperial Family, it is then that the entire family’s remains will be buried together.
The question of whether or not the Imperial Family’s remains are buried together in St. Catherine’s Chapel remain a mystery. The chapel is part of SS Peter and Paul Cathedral, which is a museum, whereby an admission must be paid to enter. No person should ever have to buy a ticket to enter a House of God! So, will the Imperial Family be reburied with great pomp and ceremony in another location? There has been numerous suggestions of reburying their remains in a newly built cathedral in Ekaterinburg or the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral – Nicholas II’s favourite church at Tsarskoye Selo. Please click HERE to read my article The Fate of the Ekaterinburg Remains, in which I discuss this further.
The Burial of the Romanovs | 17 July 1998 VIDEO – duration: 26 minutes
PHOTO:Pyotr Ermakov, Mikhail Medvedev-Kudrin, Pavel Medvedev, Yakov Yurovsky and Grigory Nikulin
The murders of Emperor Nicholas II, his family and four faithful retainers in Ekaterinburg on 17th July 1918, remains one of the darkest pages in 20th century Russian history. To this day, historians and investigators are not entirely sure of all those who participated in the regicide, only the names of some of them are known – those who admitted that they were a participant in the regicide, or those of whom were identified by witnesses. The fate of many of these regicides also ended tragically, their lives being overtaken by disease or an equally violent death.
It is known that the direct leader of the liquidation of the Imperial family was Yankel Khaimovich, better known as Yakov Yurovsky. He lived until 1938 and died of a duodenal ulcer. In Soviet times, they said that his son was not responsible for his father’s crime, but the apple didn’t fall far from the tree in the Yurovsky family. The eldest son Alexander, ended up in the Butyrka prison in 1952, but was released a year later. The daughter Rimma was also arrested in March 1938. She served a sentence in the Karaganda forced labour camp until 1946. Yurovsky’s grandchildren were not spared either, dying under mysterious circumstances. Two died after falling from a roof, while the other two were burned to death in a fire. It is worth recalling that the blood of Tsar Nicholas II was spilled by Yurovsky. He himself recalled: “I fired the first shot and killed Nikolai on the spot.”
The leading Russian playwright and historian Edvard Radzinsky was most intrigued by the idea that there was photographic evidence of the murdered remains of the Imperial family.
PHOTO: Yakov Yurovsky
“Yurovsky was a professional photographer,” he says. “He confiscated a camera from the Tsarina. It was impossible for him to take pictures immediately after the execution — he was a little bit crazy, they continued to be alive, they continued to kill them. But afterwards, he had three days. He had an opportunity to take a camera to the grave. It is impossible for a man who likes pictures not to take such pictures.”
Could there be any truth to his idea, or did Radzinsky give birth to yet another Romanov conspiracy theory? Radzinsky is a playwright, and perhaps his creative imagination got the better of him, but who knows? Yurovsky had already proven what he was capable of, so anything was possible! There is also the possibility that Yurovsky took such photos to take with him when he left for Moscow after the murders, as evidence to Lenin and Sverdlov that the regicide had been carried out?
“IF” such photographs ever existed, we can surely assume that they would have been destroyed. Lenin was both crafty and careful not to leave a paper trail that would implicate him in dubious affairs – murder being one of them.
The personality of Pyotr Ermakov was no less significant in the murders of the Imperial family. According to his own recollections, it was he who killed the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, the cook Ivan Kharitonov and the doctor Evgeny Botkin. He often boasted of his crime, without feeling any sense of remorse: “I shot the Tsarina who was seated only six feet away, I could not miss. My bullet hit her right in the mouth, two seconds later she was dead. Then I shot Dr. Botkin. He threw up his hands and half turned away. The bullet hit him in the neck. He fell backwards. Yurovsky’s shot knocked the Tsesarevich to the floor, where he lay and groaned. The cook Kharitonov was huddled over in the corner. I shot him first in the torso and then in the head. The footman Troupe also fell, I don’t know who shot him … ” Ermakov died of cancer on 22nd May 1952.
Since the 1990s, Ermakov’s grave in the Ivanovo Cemetery in Ekaterinburg. has been repeatedly vandalized by local monarchists, who regularly douse his gravestone with red paint.
The red paint symbolizes the blood which this evil man spilled, and his involvement in the brutal murder of Nicholas II and his family on 17th July 1918.
In 1951, at a reception, which gathered all the local Party elite in Sverdlovsk, Peter Ermakov approached Soviet Red Army General Georgy Zhukov and held out his hand. Frowning in disgust Zhukov looked Ermakov in the eye, and muttered, “I do not shake the hands of murderers.”
Every year on 17th July – the day marking the anniversary of the murder of Emperor Nicholas II and his family – the grave of the Bolshevik revolutionary Peter Ermakov, has been vandalized by local monarchists, who douse his gravestone with red paint.
He left a testimony regarding another regicide: “Stepan Vaganov dealt with the grand duchesses: they lay dying in a heap on the floor and groaned … Vaganov continued to shoot at Olga and Tatiana … I don’t think any of us shot the maid Demidova. She sank to the floor, shielding herself with pillows. Vaganov, later pierced her throat with his bayonet … ” Death found Vaganov in the same ill-fated year of 1918. When Kolchak’s army took Ekaterinburg, Vaganov did not escape, instead he hid in a basement, where he was found by relatives of those killed during the raids. They did not stand on ceremony for long – they killed him on the spot. Perhaps in vain, because he could have given interesting testimony, having fallen into the hands of the investigators who were engaged in clarifying the fate of the Imperial family. But the fact remains: Vaganov did not die of natural causes.
Pavel Medvedev turned out to be not just a murderer, but also a thief. He recalled: “Walking around the rooms, I found six 10-ruble credit tickets under the book Закон Божий (God’s Law), in one of them, and appropriated this money for myself. I also took some silver rings and some other knickknacks.” Medvedev, unlike Ermakov, fell into the hands of Kolchak’s troops. He fled from Ekaterinburg, but, was captured, and he was charged with “murder by prior conspiracy with other persons and the seizure of the property of the former Emperor Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, the heir to Alexei Nikolaevich and Grand Duchesses Olga, Maria , Tatyana, Anastasia, as well as the physician Dr. Botkin, the maid Anna Demidova, the cook Kharitonov and the footman Troupe. “In 1919, Medvedev died in prison from typhus, however, his widow claimed that he was killed by White Guards.
PHOTO: Philip Goloshchekin
It was no coincidence that Sergei Broido ended up in the Ipatiev House, but he also took part in the murder of the Imperial family by order. Mikhail Medvedev-Kudrin, who also took part in the murders, recalled: “It is known that Broido, along with Ermakov and Goloschekin, arrived in a car at the Ipatiev House on the eve of the murder. It is believed that due to a lack of men to carry out the execution, he was recruited at the last minute by order of Yurovsky.” On 8th March 1937, Broido was first convicted under Article 58 of the RSFSR Criminal Code, for being a Trotskyist, and subsequently shot.
The youngest regicide was Viktor Netrebin. At the time of the crime, he was only 17 years old. Netrebin disappeared in 1935. The Latvian Jan Cemles also disappeared.
But there were also those who organized the murders of the Imperial family and their retainers. Among them was Shaya Itsikovich, known as Philip Goloshchekin, who is known to be one of the organizers. It was he who came up with the idea of execution, even travelling to Moscow to discuss his plans with Lenin and Sverdlov. Goloshchekin was not present himself during the murders, but he took part in the removal and destruction of the remains. On 15th October 1939, Goloshchekin was arrested for sympathizing with the Trotskyists. Another fact from his biography is particularly noteworthy. After his arrest, and during interrogation the People’s Commissar of Internal Affairs Nikolai Yezhov, claimed that he had a homosexual relationship with Goloshchekin. On 28th October 1941, Goloshchekin was shot near Samara. A colleague and another organizer of the execution of the Imperial family, Yakov Sverdlov, described Goloshchekin as follows: “I stayed with Goloshchekin for several days, things are bad with him. He has become neurasthenic and becomes a misanthrope.” An interesting fact is that Sverdlov did not die of natural causes. According to the official version, he died of the Spanish flu, which raged after the First World War, but there is a second version, according to which the workers beat Sverdlov in Oryol and he died from the injuries he sustained.
Pyotr Voikov was also an organizer and participant in the murder of Nicholas II and his family. Diplomat-defector Grigory Besedovsky, who knew Voikov personally, recalled: “As commandant of the Ipatiev House, the execution of the decree was entrusted to Yurovsky. During the execution, Voikov was supposed to be present, as a delegate to the regional party committee. He, as a scientist and chemist, was instructed to develop a plan for the complete destruction of the bodies. Voikov was also instructed to read the decree on the execution to the Imperial family, with a motivation that consisted of several lines, and learned this decree by heart in order to read it out as solemnly as possible, believing that thereby he would go down in history as one of the main participants in this tragedy”. Voikov was killed in Warsaw in June 1927 by the Russian émigré Boris Koverda. During interrogation, Koverda stated about the motives of his act: “I avenged Russia, for millions of people.” Boris Koverda spent 10 years in Polish prisons and was granted amnesty. After his release in 1937, he lived another 50 years and died in Washington at the age of 79.
Not only did these men committed regicide, they also helped to drown Russia in blood. Today, streets, squares and even metro stations of Russia’s cities are named after some of them. Is this right? No! These men will forever, have their names inscribed in the history of Russia, not as scientists or engineers, but as murderers.
Holy Royal Martyrs, pray to God for us! Святы Царственные мученики, молите Бога о нас!
***
The following NEW title was compiled and edited by independent researchers and Romanov historian Paul Gilbert was published in August 2024.
This fascinating new study features 14 chapters on this tragic event, which include the memoirs of a British intelligence officer and journalist, and two First-English translations. In addition, 11 chapters were written by Paul Gilbert, based on new documents sourced from Russian archival and media sources over the past decade.
Please refer to the link provided for further details about the content of this new title . . .
The night of 16/17 July 1918, marks the eve of the anniversary of the death and martyrdom of Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia Nikolaevna and Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich.
Please remember to light a candle this evening in honour of their memory . . .
Prayer to the Holy Martyred Tsar Nicholas II
O holy martyred Tsar and passion-bearer Nicholas, the Lord chose thee as His anointed to be the preserver of the Orthodox realm and to judge thy people with mercy and justice.
And with the fear of God thou didst accomplish royal ministry and show care for souls.
And testing thee, like gold in a crucible, the Lord permitted bitter tribulations to assail thee, like Job the much-suffering, and afterwards He sent upon thee the deprivation of thy royal throne and a martyr’s death.
And all these didst thou meekly endure, as a true servant of Christ, and thou dost now delight in the glory which is on high at the throne of the King of all, together with the holy martyrs: the holy Tsaritsa Alexandra, the holy youth the Tsarevich Alexis, the holy Tsarevnas Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, and thy faithful servants, as well as the holy martyred Princess Elizabeth and all the royal martyrs and the holy martyr Barbara.
But as thou hast great boldness before Christ the King, for Whose sake ye all suffered, pray with them, that the Lord forgive the sins of the people which did not hinder the murder of thee, the Tsar and anointed of God, that the Lord deliver the suffering land of Russia from the cruel godless ones who have been permitted to torment us for our sins and falling away from God, and that He restore the throne of Orthodox kings and grant us remission of sins, and instruct us in all the virtues, that we may acquire meekness, humility and love, which these holy martyrs showed forth, that we may be accounted worthy of the heavenly Kingdom, where with thee and all the holy new martyrs and confessors of Russia, we may glorify the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
Holy Royal Martyrs Tsar Nicholas II and Family Pray Unto God For Us! Glory Be To God For All Things!
PHOTO: museum staff dressed in period costume were on hand to greet visitors to the grand opening of ‘The Romanovs in the Urals’ at the Poklevsky-Kozell House Museum
On 14th July 2023 a new permanent exhibition The Romanovs in the Urals opened at the Poklevsky-Kozell House Museum of the Sverdlovsk Regional Museum of Local Lore in Ekaterinburg.
The exhibition is timed to the 105th anniversary of the death and martyrdom of Emperor Nicholas II and his family in the Ural city on 17th July 1918, and the events marking the 300th anniversary of the founding of Ekaterinburg in 1723.
The exhibit was recently transferred from the Romanov Memorial Hallof the Museum of History and Archaeology of the Urals, and now occupies five newly renovated halls of the Poklevsky-Kozell House Museum, which is situated at Ulitsa Malysheva, 46. The museum previously hosted the exhibition The Tragedy of the Family … The Tragedy of the Motherland, which ran from 5th June to 23rd September 2018.
PHOTO: portraits of Peter the Great and Nicholas II are the centerpiece of the staircase leading to the exhibition
Finishing touches on the new exhibition space were carried out right up until the day before the grand opening. The newly renovated halls smelled of fresh paint, specialists fine tuned the multimedia equipment, caretakers brought shine to the display cases and windows, while researchers installed the last of the exhibits. Their activity aroused the curiosity of both museum workers and visitors, who peeked through the partially open door with the hope of get a glimpse of the Ural city’s latest exhibit.
Scientists, researchers, museum workers from across Russia, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Perm, Tyumen, Tobolsk, Vologda, Voronezh, Ekaterinburg, and Alapaevsk gathered to discuss and help set up the exhibit which features hundreds of items.
PHOTO: VIP guests stop to admire a miniature copy of Zurab Tsereteli’s sculpture, “Night at the Ipatiev House”, located in the staircase leading to the exhibit
The idea to move the Romanov Memorial Hall was proposed by the Chairman of the Elisabeth-Sergius Educational Society Foundation (ESPO) Anna Vitalievna Gromova, who is a Candidate of Historical Sciences, and Senior Researcher at the Institute of World History of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Anna Gromova is recognized as one of the Russia’s most prominent adherents to keeping the memories of Emperor Nicholas II, his family, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, and other members of the Russian Imperial Family who were murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918 and 1919. She is responsible for the founding and development of museums, exhibitions and conferences and is the mastermind behind the The Imperial Route.
PHOTO: revolvers used by the regicides – including Peter Ermakov’s – to murder the Imperial Family in the Ipatiev House on 17th July 1918
Upon entering the Poklevsky-Kozell House Museum, visitors ascend a newly renovated grand staircase, where they are greeted at the top by portraits of Peter the Great and Emperor Nicholas II. Recall that Ekaterinburg was founded on 18th November 1723 and named after Peter the Great’s wife, who after his death became Empress Catherine I, Yekaterina being the Russian form of her name. Underneath the portraits is a miniature copy of Zurab Tsereteli’s sculpture, “Night at the Ipatiev House” – the original is on display at the Zurab Tsereteli Museum in Moscow.
The five halls are decorated in the colours of the flag of the Imperial House of Romanov – black, gold, white. Each hall is decorated with unique exhibits and multimedia technologies, which together help to tell the story of the history of the dynasty in the Urals.
In the Golden Hall, are portraits from the era of the chairman of the State Council of the Russian Empire Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich (1832-1909). The highly respected grand duke also served as the Honourary President of the Siberian-Ural Scientific and Industrial Exhibition in 1887, organized on the initiative of the Ural Society of Natural History Lovers (UOLE). When the members of the UOLE created a museum (from which the regional local history traces its history), his son Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich (1859-1909), a famous Russian historian, became its patron. At the turn of the 20th century, six additional members of Russian Imperial House were made honourary members of the UOLE.
PHOTO: VIP guests stop to admire an icon of the Holy Royal Martyrs, painted by the nuns of the Novo-Tikhvin Convent in Ekaterinburg
PHOTO: multimedia display which depicts the Holy Royal Martyrs, in whch they are depicted as saints, Nicholas II is holding a cross
The “black” halls of the exhibit take on a more sombre ambiance, with displays telling visitors about the house arrest and subsequent murders of Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich and Nicholas Johnson at Perm on 13th June 1918; Emperor Nicholas II, his family and four faithful retainers at Ekaterinburg on 17th July 1918; and Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna along with and other members of the Russian Imperial Family and their faithful retainers at Alapaevsk on 18th July 1918.
Some of the more interesting items on display include the ribbon of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, which belonged to Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich and left behind in the Governor’s Mansion in Tobolsk, when the four children joined their parents and sister in Ekaterinburg in May 1918.
A number of pistols and revolvers are also on display, including the Mauser of the regicide Pyotr [Peter] Ermakov, who, according to him, shot and killed Nicholas II.
The sombre ambiance of this hall is offset by the bright and soothing icon of the Holy Royal Martyrs, painted by the nuns of the Novo-Tikhvin Convent in Ekaterinburg.
PHOTO: display about the murders of Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich and Nicholas Johnson at Perm on 13th June 1918
PHOTO: display about the members of the Imperial Family – including Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna – at Alapaevsk on 18th July 1918
The Romanovs in the Urals also contains many elements of décor, decoration and fittings salvaged from the Ipatiev House before its demolition in September 1977, notably the cast iron fireplace from the dining room, and the iron grille from the window of the murder room.
Aside from the items from the Ipatiev House, are many additional exhibits of interest, including a scale model of the Ipatiev House; the reconstructed model of Nicholas II’s head by Russian forensic expert Dr. Sergei Nikitin.
The exposition further explores the history of the investigation of the murder case of the last of the Romanovs in the Urals, which lasted more than 100 years.
On 15th July 2023 a bust of Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich was installed and consecrated in the Tsarsky Center, located in the Patriarchal Compound, across from the Church on the Blood in Ekaterinburg.
The bust was installed on a pedestal at the top of the main staircase in the Patriarchal Compound. It is one of numerous events being held in the Ural city this week, marking the 105th anniversary of the death and martyrdom of the Imperial Family on 17th July.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by Metropolitan Evgeny of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye and Chairman of the Elisabeth-Sergius Educational Society Foundation (ESPO) Anna Vitalievna Gromova.
For many years, this spot was occupied by a bust of Emperor Nicholas II, which has now been moved to the the Museum of the Holy Royal Family, located on the second floor of the Patriarchal Compound.
PHOTO: aerial view of the beautifully restored Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral at Tsarskoye Selo – the restoration took 20 years to complete. The buildings of the Feodorovsky Gorodok can be seen to the right of the cathedral’s cupola.
One of the greatest restoration projects carried out during the post-Soviet years has got to be that of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral at Tsarskoye Selo. The recreation of the Cathedral’s façade and interiors of both the Upper and Lower Churches, are nothing short of a miracle.
Situated a short walk from the Alexander Palace, I recall visiting the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral for the first time in the early 1990s. I was shocked by the appalling state of neglect and disrepair this once beautiful house of worship had endured during the Soviet years. I returned to Tsarskoye Selo many times since, and have been witness to its slow, but magnificent restoration. Glory to God, for all things!
PHOTO: Watercolour of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral (1914). Artist: Gavriil Nikitich Gorelov (1880-1966)
Nicholas II’s favourite church
When Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra took up residence in the Alexander Palace in 1895[1], they were surprised that unlike other Imperial palaces, it did not contain a chapel. Therefore, in 1897, they had the Crimson Drawing Room converted into the home church of St. Alexander Nevsky. But this temporary church was clearly not enough, so the Emperor issued a decree for the construction of a new church in the vicinity of the palace.
Between 1908-1912, the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral was built in the old Russian style – much favoured by the Tsar. It’s construction was financed by Nicholas II, who contributed 150,000 gold rubles from his own personal funds. The foundation of the Cathedral was laid on 2nd September (O.S. 20th August) 1909 in the presence of the Imperial family, each member beginning with the Tsar himself, placing a brick in the building’s foundation.
PHOTO: ‘A Liturgy in the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral in the presence of Emperor Nicholas II’, by the Russian artist Michael Gerasimovich Kirsanov (1889–1958). In 1914, the artist worked on the creation of the ceremonial album ‘Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral in Tsarskoye Selo’.
The Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral served as the regimental church of both His Imperial Majesty’s Own Infantry Regiment and His Imperial Majesty’s Own Convoy. In addition, the cathedral served as the house church for the Imperial family, while they were in residence in the Alexander Palace.
Externally, the cathedral was simple, austere and majestic, with bright reflections of mosaics on the snow-white walls, crowned with a gilded cupola. The interior was striking in its height and magnificent decoration in the style of ancient Russian church architecture.
The Cathedral consisted of two churches – the Upper Church, with a capacity of up to 1000 people, with the main altar in the name of the Fedorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God, the patron icon of the Romanov family. The Upper Church included a side chapel in the name of St. Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow (the completion and consecration of which by 1917 was never realized); and the Lower Church [aka the Cave Church] in the name of St. Seraphim of Sarov.
PHOTO: Early 20th century Russian postcard depicting Emperor Nicholas II entering the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral via the Tsar’s Porch.
PHOTO: the restored Tsar’s Porch is located at the southeastern corner of the cathedral. It was through this entrance, that Emperor Nicholas II and his family, accessed the Cave Church, consecrated in memory of St. Seraphim of Sarov.
The solemn consecration of the Cathedral took place on 2nd September (O.S. 20th August) 1912 in the presence of the Imperial Family. The ceremony was performed by the protopresbyter of the military and naval clergy Georgy Shavelsky (1871-1951), who from 15th (O.S. 2nd) June 1913, served as honorary rector of the Cathedral.
A solemn Divine Liturgy was performed by His Grace Theophan, Bishop of Yamburg (1872-1940), attended by the Emperor and members of his family.
While the Imperial Family were in residence in the Alexander Palace, the Emperor and his family visited the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral on holidays and Sundays. They entered the Cathedral via the Tsar’s Porch, which was located at the southeastern corner of the cathedral.
Empress Alexandra Feodorovna often came to pray in the Cave Church, of which she was particularly fond. A special room was arranged for her, which allowed her to retire in prayer privately. The chapel, a small room less than a meter wide, was installed to the right of the altar. It contained a mosaic icon of St. Seraphim of Sarov.
When in residence, Nicholas II did not miss a single Sunday and holiday service in the Feodorovsky Sovereign’s Cathedral. “The service was solemn and remarkably beautiful in our lovely church,” he wrote in his diary. Many laity wanted to pray with the sovereign, however, they were allowed only with tickets, which could be obtained from the palace commandant or the churchwarden.
PHOTO: the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral, as it looked in the 1970s
The Soviet years
Shortly after the Tsar’s abdication in March 1917, the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral was turned into an ordinary parish church. After the Bolsheviks nationalized churches and monasteries, they wasted little time in looting and pillaging the Cathedral. Between 1911 to 1934, members of the Cathedral’s clergy – including six abbots – were arrested and sent to concentration camps, never to be seen again.
In December 1933, the Cathedral was closed by the local Soviet, who argued that the town had too many churches – a total of five. The Cathedral’s property – including the icons – were transferred to the Russian Museum Fund, and later distributed among several museums in Leningrad. To this day, they remain in the collections of the State Russian Museum, the Kazan Cathedral, in the Catherine Palace, Pavlovsk Palace and elsewhere. Much, however, was lost, sold abroad for foreign currency or intentionally destroyed by the Soviets.
If that wasnt’ enough, the Upper Church was adapted for a cinema hall, the screen was placed in the altar space. The Lower Cave Church was turned into a warehouse and an archive of film and photo documents for the “Lenfilm” studios.
During the Nazi occupation of Pushkin (1941-44), the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral was badly damaged. Given that the Cathedral was the tallest point in the town, it became an easy target for Nazi bombers. The walls of the northern façade and the right wing of the western side were partly destroyed. The vaults were also damaged, and the main dome was shattered by a shell.
During the post-war years, the Cathedral was left in a terrible state of ruin, until the 1980s.
After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church. Extensive reconstruction and restoration work carried out over a 20 year period has restored it to its historic original.
Post-Soviet restoration
In the spring of 1991, the Cathedral was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. In the same year, the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God was found buried in one of the parks at Tsarskoye Selo. It was returned to the Cathedral and has since become one of its most revered shrines. On 1st March 1992, the first Divine Liturgy was held in the Lower Church, and on 29th August 1996, in the Upper Church.
The restoration of both the façade and interiors of the Cathedral lasted 20 years. The dedication and painstaking efforts to restore Nicholas II’s favourite church by an army of artists, restorers and historians is much to be admired, as the photos below will attest:
PHOTO: partial view of the restored iconostasis in the Upper Church
PHOTO: view of the restored main dome of the Upper Church
PHOTO: view of the restored iconostasis in the Upper Church
PHOTO: partial view of the restored iconostasis in the Upper Church
PHOTO: Icon of the Holy Royal Martyrs Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna in the Upper Church
PHOTO: views of the restored Lower Church, where the Imperial Family came to pray
PHOTO: winter view of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral. Note the gilded double-headed eagles perched on the pillars of the main gate
On a final note . . .
There are some Orthodox Christians who have suggested that once the Russian Orthodox Church recognize the Ekaterinburg Remains as those of the Imperial Family, that the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral at Tsarskoye Selo should be considered as the final resting place for the Imperial Family and their four faithful retainers that perished with them in Ekaterinburg. According to one source, such a decision would thus fulfil the wish of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna.
It seems only fitting that they should find eternal rest in a place which they held so near and dear to their hearts, one where they came to pray and find spiritual nourishment. Just a thought . . .
NOTES:
[1] Shortly after the events of Bloody Sunday in February 1905, Nicholas II made the Alexander Palace his permanent residence.
*This title is available from AMAZON in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Japan *Note: prices are quoted in local currencies
Aside from his many duties as God’s anointed Emperor and Tsar of All the Russia’s, Nicholas II took on many other roles from one day to the next: a dutiful husband and loving father, a devoted son and brother, a friend, a sportsman, a diplomat, an ambassador, a dedicated military leader, a devout Orthodox Christian, among others.
This richly illustrated pictorial explores the day-to-day duties of Russia’s last monarch. It is divided into six sections: the Tsar and His Family; Sports, Leisure and Holidays; the Tsar and the Church; the Tsar and Russia; the War Years; and the Tsar Under House Arrest. Each section features full-size historic images which reflect his day to day duties and activities. In total, this unique album includes more than 200 photographs from the author’s private collection.
The publication of this album is timed to coincide with the 155th anniversary of the birth of Emperor Nicholas II on 19th May [O.S. 6th May] 1868 and the 105th anniversary of the death and martyrdom [17th July 1918].
About the author
Paul Gilbert is a British born researcher and writer, specializing in the study of the life and reign of Emperor Nicholas II.
He has travelled extensively in Russia since 1986, visiting archives and historic sites associated with Russia’s last Tsar.
In 1998, he attended the Tsar’s funeral in St. Petersburg, and in 2018, he took part in the events marking the 100th anniversary of his death and martyrdom in Ekaterinburg.
A rare photo album “The Russian Campaign. March to August 1915”, which belonged to Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich and was kept in the Alexander Palace, has been returned to the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum.
The album was one of several rarities purchased at foreign auctions and donated to the museum by the philanthropist and long-term friend of the museum, Mikhail Karisalov. The other items include two paintings by Karl Friedrich Schultz, and a plate from the famous Raphael service, manufactured in 1903 at the Imperial Porcelain Factory. The paintings and plate were originally from the Catherine Palace.
In total, the museum’s collection now includes 226 items donated by Mikhail Karisalov or acquired with his financial support. It is thanks to the kindness and generosity of this man, that the museum has been able to recoup many of its treasures which were lost or stolen during the Nazi occupation of Pushkin [Tsarskoye Selo] in 1941-44.
The photo album “The Russian Campaign. March to August 1915” consists of 168 photographs taken during the Russian campaign of the First World War – from March to August 1915. The photographs were taken by British photographer George H. Mewes, who was appointed official photographer to the Russian Imperial Army. Hewes took photographs for a number of prominent British newspapers and magazines, including The Daily Mirror, The Times History of the War, Field Notes from the Russian Front and The Russian Campaign.
Similar albums about the military campaigns of the Russian Imperial Army during the First World War were presented as gifts to Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, the son and heir of Emperor Nicholas II. Museum researchers believe that the albums were kept in the Tsesarevich’s Classroom, which was located on the second floor of the Eastern Wing of the Alexander Palace. “We can only assume that “The Russian Campaign. March to August 1915″ album, among many other items, was seized from the Alexander Palace during the 1930s or 1940s,” says Victoria Plaude, curator of the museum’s photograph fund.
On the flyleaf of the album is a museum label. The inscription in ink reads: “Alexander./palace/floor. nasl-ka/class/No. 683”. This clearly indicates that the photo album was in the Alexander Palace in Alexei’s Classroom. The label found on the album is identical to those on other items from the Alexander Palace, and now in the Collection of the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum.
The photo album was made in London by Jonson & Sons. Photos of different sizes are pasted on sheets of gray cardboard. On the top cover of the album is an embossed gold inscription: “Photographs by G. H. Mewes, special correspondent of the Daily Mirror”.
The pictures are accompanied by captions in English. On the flyleaf of the album there is an inscription: “It has been the aim of the correspondent to illustrate for the British public the heroic part performed by their Russian Allies in the Great War”.
The photographs are only a small selection of about two thousand photographs taken by Mewes for the Russian Imperial Army, which were reproduced in illustrated magazines around the world.
British photographer George Mewes and American journalist Stanley Washburn were on the Russian front in 1914-1915. In addition to periodicals, these photographs were later featured in Washburn’s book “The Russian Campaign. April to August, 1915”.
Nicholas II 
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