Holy Royal Martyrs | Nicholas II

Cross procession in memory of the Holy Royal Martyrs held in Ekaterinburg

PHOTO: “Transfer of the Romanov family to the Ural Soviet”. 1927. Artist Vladimir Nikolaevich Pchelin (1869-1941). From the Collection of the Sverdlovsk Regional Museum of Local Lore in Ekaterinburg.

On 30th April 2024, a Cross Procession along the “Path of Sorrows” honouring the memory of Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, and their daughter Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna was held in Ekaterinburg. The day marked the 106th anniversary of their arrival in the Ural capital from Tobolsk.

Accompanying them were a number of servants: Dr. Evgeny (Eugene) Sergeyevich Botkin, Prince Vasily Alexandrovich Dolgorukov, maid Anna Stepanovna Demidova, valet Terentiy Ivanovich Chemodurov and boatswain Ivan Dmitrievich Sednev.

Every year on this day, the Ekaterinburg Diocese prayerfully celebrate the memory of the Holy Royal Martyrs. In churches, prayers are made to the Holy Imperial Family, and people also honour them by taking part in the Cross Procession along the “Ekaterinburg’s Path of Sorrow”, to the places associated with them on the day of their arrival in the Ural capital.

The clergy of the Ekaterinburg Diocese lead the Cross Procession along the “Ekaterinburg Cross Procession”, they are joined by Orthodox Christians, monarchists and other adherent’s to the last Tsar and his family. Together they prayfully walk the Path of Sorrows, walking in the footsteps of the Tsar, his family and their faithful servants, expressing their love and reverence for them.

The “Ekaterinburg Path of Sorrows” begin at the place where Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna disembarked from the train on 30th April 1918. Here, near the Shartash Railway Station (in 1918 – Yekaterinburg-II Station), a Memorial Cross and foundation stone were installed. A church in honour of the Valaam Icon of the Mother of God, one of the three miraculous icons that appeared during the reign of Nicholas II, will be constructed on this site.

The Cross Procession then proceeds along Vostochnaya Street, where the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Port Arthur” was erected at the intersection with Shevchenko Street. Here, according to the historical version, on 23rd May 1918, Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana and Anastasia Nikolaevna arrived by train, placed under arrest, and then taken to the Ipatiev’s House.

In 2008, a memorial stone was laid at the site, and in 2017, the construction of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Port Arthur” was completed, the consecration of the church was performed by Metropolitan Kirill of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye.

Not far from the railway station, in Nevyansky Lane, stands the Church in Honour of the Reigning Icon of the Mother of God. It was consecrated in 2011 by Metropolitan Kirill of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye. In 1918, the Yekaterinburg-I Station was located here, and it was here on 30th April 1918, that the train carrying the Tsar, his family and their servants stood for several hours. An angry mob had gathered at the station, forcing the train to travel to the Yekaterinburg-II Station.

PHOTO: view if the mosaic panel depicting the Holy Royal Martyrs, situated in the Imperial Room, a side-chapel located in the Lower Church of the Church on the Blood

The Cross Procession along the Path of Sorrows ends at the Church on the Blood on Tsarskaya Street. The Memorial Church was constructed on the site of the Ipatiev House, demolished in 1977. It was here, in the early morning hours of 17tj July 1918, that the Imperial Family and four faithful servants met their violent deaths at the hands of a firing squad and their martyrdom. Situted in the Lower Church there is the “Tsar’s Room” aka as “The Imperial Room” – the altar of the side-chapel in honour of the Holy Royal Martyrs, which was erected on the site of the murder room, with the blessing of Metropolitan Kirill of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye for the Tsar’s Days 2018.

Prayer Room in Honour of Tsesarevich Alexei opens in Kazan

Posted on November 23 by Paul Gilbert

On 22nd November 2023, an Orthodox prayer room in honour of the Holy Royal Martyr Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, was opened at the At the Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Surgery of the Children’s Republican Clinical Hospital (DRKB) in Kazan.

In honor of the opening, Metropolitan Kirill of Kazan and Tatarstan performed a Divine Liturgy service and consecrated the room, which is located in a quiet place on the fifth floor of the Center.

Medical staff, parents whose children are undergoing long-term treatment, and their relatives will be able to request assistance and prayers from the Holy Royal Martyrs at any time.

The Metropolitan addressed all those present with wishes and prayers for a speedy recovery, and the doctors with fortitude for the healing of their young patients.

“There is no such thing as too much happiness, just as there is no such thing as too much health and success. There is always a need to turn for help to each other, to our loved ones, to our elders, for help to our Creator and the Saints to whom we can pray,” Metropolitan Kirill said.

“Here, in this prayer room, children, their parents and staff can find such comfort. You can come here and pray to God for health, for salvation, for help for all of us, and for those sorrows that weigh heavily on our hearts. Most of all, we would all like our children to be healed, their health restored, and to bring joy to their parents,” the head of the Tatarstan Metropolia added.

Holy Royal Martyr Alexei Nikolaevich .
please pray to God for us!

NEW BOOK: Most Pious Tsar

Posted on September 8 by Paul Gilbert

*You can order this title from most AMAZON outlets, including
the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia,
France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Japan
*Note: prices are quoted in local currencies

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE HARD COVER @ $50.00 USD

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE PAPERBACK EDITION @ $40.00 USD

English. Large 7″ x 10″ format. 162 pages with 132 photos in FULL COLOUR

In 1938, Russia’s last tsar Nicholas II was canonized by the Serbian Orthodox Church. On 1st November 1981, he was canonized as a new martyr by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR). On 20th August 2000, after 8 years of study, he was canonized as a passion bearer by the Moscow Patriarchate, although the people had already been venerating him as a saint for a long time, and this canonization was simply a confirmation of a fact that already existed by itself.

Since these historic dates, icons of Russia’s last Tsar have been installed in Orthodox churches across Russia and around the world. In addition home icons have been mass produced and sold for veneration by Orthodox Christians. This book features more than 130 of these icons in full colour.

Inside, are a series of articles, plus an introduction, in which the author explains iconography, Nicholas II as a martyr or passion bearer, the veneration of icons, intercession, miracles, non-canonical icons, frescoes, and more.

This book also includes a Prayer and Akathist to the Holy Martyred Tsar.

This book will not only appeal to Orthodox and non-Orthodox persons, but for any one who shares an interest in icons and iconography, as well as adherants to the Holy Royal Martyr Nicholas II.

Imperial Family inspire 12-year-old cancer patient

Posted on August 24 by Paul Gilbert

On 28th August 2023, a special exhibit ‘Dedication to the Romanovs’ will open at the Poklevsky-Kozell House Museum in Ekaterinburg.

The exhibit will feature seven works by Vasilisa Kudrina, a 12-year-old artist from Nizhnyaya Tura (a town located in the Sverdlovsk region).

Earlier this year the young artist was diagnosed with cancer. She spent 4 months in the Children’s Cancer Center in Ekaterinburg, where she underwent two surgeries and four courses of aggressive chemotherapy. During her recovery Vasilisa found comfort through painting and drawing, it was the Russian Imperial Family who inspired her.

PHOTO: Emperor Nicholas II by Vasilisa Kudrina

PHOTO: Empress Alexandra Feodorovna by Vasilisa Kudrina

PHOTO: Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich by Vasilisa Kudrina

Vasilisa is the eldest of three children of Yulia Kudrina, a photographer from Nizhnyaya Tura. The birth of a girl was a miracle for the family. Vasilisa was born pre-mature and forced to fight for her life. Over time, it seemed that everything was getting better. Vasilisa went to school and began to study well. From an early age, the girl was fascinated by painting and drawing. Today, Vasilisa receives a scholarship at the Children’s Art School from the town of Nizhnyaya Tura.

Her favorite genre is portraits, she draws with gouache, ink, markers, even ordinary pencils. Despite her young age, she already shows great talent. Her portraits are very expressive, especially the eyes of her subjects. Recently, she has been fascinated by digital graphics, and is now drawing on a tablet.

Last year, Vasilisa became very interested in the Romanov dynasty, particularly the last Tsar and his family. Her passion for their history is clearly reflected in her work. She created a whole series of portraits of the Imperial Family in her own special style. In the hospital, where she spent four months, Vasilisa continued to paint and draw. She painted portraits of members of the Imperial Family, including Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and their five children.

PHOTO: Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna by Vasilisa Kudrina

PHOTO: Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna by Vasilisa Kudrina

PHOTO: Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna by Vasilisa Kudrina

PHOTO: Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna by Vasilisa Kudrina

When asked about her hobby and her dreams, Vasilisa replied: “I love to paint portraits of people. For example, in the classroom I sometimes draw my classmates, and at home I draw my family. My dream is to study at an art school, and then paint pictures or work somewhere as an artist. I really want to study at the Russian Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. After that, I have not yet made any further plans, but I think that I would like to stay in St. Petersburg and work there in some creative profession.

The exhibition ‘Dedication to the Romanovs’ runs from 28th August to 17th September 2023 at the Poklevsky-Kozell House Museum in Ekaterinburg.

***

Dear Reader

Please join me in offering prayers, hugs and words of encouragement to 12-year-old Vasilisa Kudrina – seen in the photo above – in her battle against cancer. May the Holy Royal Martyrs protect her and intercede for her before Christ. We pray that this dear child will make a full recovery.

Holy Royal Martyrs, pray to God for us! ☦️
Святы Царственные мученики, молите Бога о нас! ☦️

Prayer to the Holy Martyred Tsar Nicholas II

Posted on July 16 by Paul Gilbert

The night of 16/17 July 1918, marks the eve of the 104th 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!

3© Paul Gilbert. 16 July 2023

Program for the XXIII Tsar’s Days in the Urals – 2023

Posted on July 9 by Paul Gilbert

The 23rd annual Tsar’s Days will be held from 8th to 21st July 2023 in Ekaterinburg and Alapaevsk. The festival includes a series of solemn events [16th to 18th July] dedicated to Emperor Nicholas II and his family, who met their death and martyrdom in Ekaterinburg 104 years ago, on 17th July 1918.

The main events include the outdoor night Divine Liturgy, which will be performed n the square in front of the Church on the Blood, built on the site of the Ipatiev House, where members of the Imperial Family and their faithful subjects ended their earthly days, followed by the 21-km [13 miles] Cross Procession – led by Metropolitan Yevgeny of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye – to the Monastery of the Holy Royal Martyrs at Ganina Yama, on the site of which the regicides first disposed of the Imperial family’s remains, before returning the following day to exum thre remains and bury them in two separate graves at *Porosenkov Log.

On 18th July, similar events will be held in Alapaevsk, where 8 additonal members of the Romanov dynasty and their faithful servants [see below] met their death and martydom.

In addition, the XXII International Festival of Orthodox Culture will be held in Ekaterinburg from 12th-20th July. Aside from divine services and religious processions, the festival will feature many events in honour of the Holy Royal Martyrs, including concerts and musical evenings, attended by artists and musicians from various regions of Russia and neighboring countries. A number of conferences hosted by well-known historians, theologians and authors are also planned.

The extensive cultural and educational program includes exhibitions at the Museum of the Holy Royal Family [located in the Patriarchal Compund], the Museum of the Royal Monastery [Ganina Yama], the multimedia park “Russia My History”, the regional museum of local lore; and the XIX International Orthodox Exhibition and Forum “From Repentance to the Resurrection of Russia”.

As part of the Tsar’s Days, the Festival of Bell Ringing “Evangelize, the Ural Land!” will be held, as well as the V Children’s Sailing Regatta named after Crown Prince Alexy, in which more than 200 young yachtsmen of the Ural Federal District will take part; VI tournament “Russian Silometer” and other events.

The Ekaterinburg Martyrs – 11 victims

Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, and their four faithful retainers Dr. Eugene Botkin (court physician), Alexei Trupp (footman), Ivan Kharitonov (cook), and Anna Demidova (Alexandra’s maid).

The Alapaevsk Martyrs – 8 victims

Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich, Princes of the Imperial Blood Ioann, Konstantin and Igor Konstantinovich, Prince Vladimir Paley (son of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich), and two faithful servants: sister of the Marfo-Mariinsky Convent Varvara Alekseevna (Yakovleva), and Fyodor Semyonovich (Mikhailovich) Remez, secretary of the Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich.

PHOTO: icon depicting the Ekaterinburg and Alapaevsk Martyrs

SERVICE CALENDAR

Sunday 16th July

09:00 – Divine Liturgy at the altar of the Holy Royal Martyrs, situated in the Lower Church of the Church on the Blood in Ekaterinburg.

13:00 — Cross procession along the route in which the Holy Royal Martyrs travelled upon arriving in Ekaterinburg [from Tobolsk] on 30th April 1918, from the Shartash Train Station [Kuibysheva street, 149-a] to the Church on the Blood. Route: [Tsarskaya street, 10] along the route: railway station Shartash – Kuibyshev street – Vostochnaya street – Chelyuskintsev street – Sverdlov street – K. Liebknecht street).

15:00 – Small Vespers with Akathist to the Holy Royal Martyrs. Confession. In the Lower Church of the Church on the Blood.

16:30-20:00 – All-night vigil, on the square in front of the Church on the Blood.

17:00-20:00 – All-night vigil, at the Monastery of the Holy Royal Martyrs at Ganina Yama.

23:30-02:00 – Divine Liturgy, on the square in front of the Church on the Blood.

Monday 17th July

~ 02:30 – Traditional 21-km [13 miles] Cross Procession from the Church on the Blood to the Monastery of the Holy Royal Martyrs at Ganina Yama Route: Tsarskaya street, 10 – st. Tolmacheva – Lenin Ave. – V. Isetsky Boulevard – st. Kirov – st. Bebel – st. Technical – st. Reshetskaya – Railway forest park – pos. Shuvakish – Ganina Yama.

Upon the arrival of the procession, a Liturgy to the Holy Royal Martyrs will be performed at the Field kitchen.

06:00 – Divine Liturgy (early). Church on the Blood. In the Lower Church, altar at the site of the martyrdom of the Holy Royal Martyrs aka the Imperial Room [built on the site of the murder room, located in the basement of the Ipatiev House].

09:00 – Divine Liturgy (late). Church on the Blood, Upper Church

09:00 – Divine Liturgy. Monastery of the Holy Royal Martyrs at Ganina Yama.

17.00 – All-night vigil. Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh, at Ganina Yama.

17.00 – All-night vigil. Holy Trinity Cathedral (Alapaevsk).

Tuesday 18th July

00:00 – Divine Liturgy. Holy Trinity Cathedral, Alapaevsk.

02:30 – Procession from the Holy Trinity Cathedral to the Monastery in the Name of the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church, Alapaevsk.

06.00 Arrival of the procession to the Monastery in the Name of the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church, Alapaevsk. Diving Liturgy at the mine.

09:00 – Divine Liturgy with the Episcopal Rite. Monastery in the Name of the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church, Alapaevsk.

Tsar’s Days in the 21st century

The first procession in memory of the Holy Royal Martyrs, headed by Metropolitan of Ekaterinburg and Verkhoturye Kirill, took place in 2002, in which more than 2 thousand pilgrims and about 100 clerics participated. In 2012, for the first time since the construction of the Church on the Blood in Ekaterinburg, an all-night vigil and Divine Liturgy were performed in the open air.

In 2017 an estimated 60,000 people took part; in 2019, 60 thousand participated; in 2020, 10 thousand people [due to COVID], and in 2021, 3 thousand people [once again, due to COVID]. In addition, up to 2 thousand people gathered an alternative religious procession of the schismatic and tsarist monk Sergius (Romanov) in the Sredneuralsk Convent in Honour of the Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In 2018, more than 100,000 Orthodox Christians, monarchists, among others from across Russia and around the world took part in the Patriarchal Liturgy and procession of the cross from the Church on the Blood to the Ganina Yama.

Click HERE to read my article What is Tsar’s Days? – published on 15th May 2021

*NOTE: due to the fact the Moscow Patriachate does not yet recognize the Ekaterinburg Remains as authentic, the Cross Procession does not stop at Porosenkov Log, where the remains of the Imperial family were unearthed in two separate graves in the late 1970s and 2007.

The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) have confirmed that the Bishops’ Council, will meet in Moscow at at a future date, during which they will review the findings of the Investigative Commission and deliver their verdict on the authenticity of the Ekaterinburg Remains.

Faithful to the End: Klimenty Nagorny and Ivan Sednev

Posted on June 28 by Paul Gilbert

Klimenty Grigorievich Nagorny (left). and Ivan Dmitriyevich Sednev (right)

Today – 28th June 2023 – marks the 105th anniversary of the death and martyrdom of two faithful servants to Emperor Nicholas II and his family – Klimenty Grigorievich Nagorny and Ivan Dmitriyevich Sednev.

Klimenty Nagorny and Ivan Sednev selflessly served the Tsar’s children. Nagorny in particular, lay the great responsibility of protecting the Tsesarevich, even the slightest injury could put the heir to the Russian throne in danger, due to his hemophilia. Alexei was very fond of Nagorny, who in turn showed complete devotion to the Tsesarevich, faithfully sharing with him all the joys and sorrows.

Nagorny and Tsesarevich Alexei in Tsarskoe Selo, 1907

Klimenty Nagorny and Ivan Sednev voluntarily stayed with the Tsar’s family during their house arrest in Tsarskoe Selo, and then followed them to Tobolsk, where Nagorny shared a room with the Tsesarevich, serving him day and night. Together with the Imperial family, Nagorny also attended all the divine services, and the only member of the family’s retinue who was a member of the choir organized by the Empress: he sang and read for the Imperial family during services held in the house church.

In the spring of 1918 Nagorny and Sednev once again, voluntarily followed the Imperial family to Ekaterinburg. They spent only a few days in the Ipatiev House, and then were separated from the Imperial prisoners. They were arrested and imprisoned, their sole crime had been their inability to hide their indignation on seeing the Bolshevik commissaries seize the little gold chain from which the holy images hung over the sick bed of the Tsesarevich.

On 28th June 1918, they were shot in the back by the Bolsheviks, in a small wooded area behind the Yekaterinburg-2 railway station (modern name – Shartash). Nagorny and Sednev were “killed for betraying the cause of the revolution” – as indicated in the resolution on their execution. The murderers left their bodies unburied.

When Ekaterinburg was occupied by the Whites, the the half-decayed bodies of Nagorny and Sednev, were found and solemnly buried near the Church of All the Afflicted (demolished). Witnesses at the funeral recall that the graves of the former sailors of the Imperial Yacht Standart were strewn with white flowers. Their graves were not preserved – they were destroyed when the Soviet authorities built a city park on the site of the cemetery.

Both Nagorny and Sednev were canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) on 14 November 1981, and both rehabilitated by the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation on 16 October 2009. They have yet to be canonized by the Moscow Patriarchate.

Memory Eternal! Вечная Память!

Sednev and Alexei Nikolaevich, in the Finnish skerries, 1914

Nagorny, Klementy Grigorovich (1887—1918) – from 1909, he served on the Imperial yacht Standart and appointed as a footman to the imperial children. He received the Court title Garderobshik (wardrobe keeper) in 1909 and accompanied the Imperial family on every tour. In November 1913, he was appointed assistant dyadka to guard the Imperial children. He travelled with the Tsesarevich Alexei to Mogilev during 1914-16. After the Tsar’s abdication, he lived under detention with the Imperial family in Tsarskoe Selo, Tobolsk and Ekaterinburg.

Sednev, Ivan Dmitrievich (1881—1918) – was recruited into the Russian Imperial Navy in 1911, where he began as a machinist on the Imperial Yacht Polyarnaya Zvezda (Polar Star) then transferred onto the Imperial yacht Standart. By invitation he became a Lakei (liveried footman) to the Grand Duchesses, and subsequently to the Tsesarevich. Ivan lived under detention with the Imperial family in Tsarskoe Selo, Tobolsk and Ekaterinburg.

579-4

On 13th June 2022, a new monument (seen in above photo) to four faithful servants – including Nagorny and Sednev – of Emperor Nicholas II, was installed and consecrated on the grounds of Novo-Tikhvin Convent in Ekaterinburg.

More than 2000 flowers planted at Ganina Yama in memory of the Imperial Family

Posted on May 30 by Paul Gilbert

During the month of May, thousands of flowers, apple blossoms and the lilac alley named after Empress Alexandra Feodorovna[1], began to bloom on the grounds of the Monastery of the Holy Royal Martyrs at Ganina Yama [situated 15 km/10 miles northeast of Ekaterinburg].

On 7th June 2022, the laying of an The Lilac Valley named in honour of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna took place at the monastery. Following a Divine Liturgy, 30 lilac bushes were planted next to the church in Honour of the Icon of the Mother of God. The event was one of many held across Russia marking the 150th anniversary of her birth on 6th June 1872 at the New Palace in Darmstadt.

Today, the following varieties beloved by the Empress and her family are presented here – “Madame Lemoine” (1890), “Memories of Ludwig Späth (1883), Alfos Laval (1887) and Charles Joly (1898).” The monastery noted that all the bushes survived the winter safely, took root and are now gaining colour.

Visitors to the monastery will be delighted by the variety of blooms, including numerous varieties of daffodils, tulips, fragrant peonies, lilies, and more than 50 varieties of roses. In addition, are the apple trees that were planted next to the refectory, bursting with the abundance of snow-white inflorescences, and delicate aromas.

PHOTO: The monument to Emperor Nicholas II was installed on 19th May 2008, the day marking the Sovereign’s birthday.

The floral development and landscaping of the grounds of the monastery at Ganina Yama, which preserves the memory of the Holy Royal Martyrs, is being improved from year to year.

This year, the number of flowers has increased significantly. Moreover, they are selected in such a way as to delight pilgrims and visitors with their variable flowering and delicate aromas throughout the summer months.

At the beginning of May, several hundred tulips bloomed. After the tulips, daffodils bloomed, followed by fragrant peonies. In addition, pilgrims and tourists will be able to admire the colourful irises, petunias and other floral arrangements that adorn the grounds of the monastery in abundance, including the pedestals of each of each of the three monuments dedicated to members of the Holy Royal Martyrs [see below].

PHOTO: The monument to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna was installed in 2011.

“There are noticeably more flowers in the monastery this year,” said one pilgrim – “it’s as if you have found yourself in a kind of Garden of Eden. For me, this is Tchaikovsky’s “Waltz of the Flowers” come to life! I like to come on a weekday when it’s not so crowded. You can walk for hours along these paths, enjoy the beauty of God’s creation in peace and solitude, and pray to the Holy Royal Martyrs, praise the Lord” – she added.

By the time that this year’s Tsar’s Days begins, in mid-July, the buds of more than a thousand snow-white lilies – 300 varieties from all over the world – will be in full bloom.

The dean of the monastery, Hieromonk John (Nevryuev), noted that every year on 17th July – the day of remembrance of the Holy Royal Martyrs, Mine No. 7 is decorated with hundreds of flowers. This is the place where the regicides tried to hide all traces of their crime – the murder of the Tsar, his wife, their five children and four faithful retainers. It is this place, in which the blood of the Holy Royal Martyrs was spilled, that is the heart of the monastery.

PHOTO: Monument to Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Tsesarevich Alexei was also installed in 2011.

NOTES:

[1] Empress Alexandra Feodorovna was very fond of lilacs, decorating the rooms of the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo with blooms of various colours: white, mauve, purple and pink, from the gardens and greenhouses at Tsarskoye Selo – even during the cold winter months.

“The lilac is coming out and its fragrance in the evening is marvelous” – letter from Emperor Nicholas II to his mother the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, written at Tsarskoye Selo, 10th May 1895

In January 2022, the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum revived the tradition of placing lilacs in the Mauve (Lilac) Boudoir and the Maple Drawing Room of the Alexander Palace. The white lilacs bloomed over the past winter.

For the first time in more than a hundred years, the fragrant scent of lilacs once again fill the interiors of the Alexander Palace during the cold winter months.

Bikers hold rally in memory of Nicholas II

Posted on May 19 by Paul Gilbert

On 17th May, members of the Tyumen Motorcycle Club began a 6-day a motorcycle rally – “The Way of the Cross of the Tsar’s Family” – dedicated to Emperor Nicholas II.

The small group of Harley Davidson enthusiasts began their rally on 17th May at the Abalak Znamenski Monastery (located 20 km east of Tobolsk) and finish at the Monastery of the Holy Royal Martyrs at Ganina Yama (near Ekaterinburg).

PHOTO: bikers at the monument to the Imperial Family in Tyumen

The route will pass along the route taken by the Emperor, his wife Alexandra and their daughter Grand Duchess Maria, when they were transferred from Tobolsk to Ekaterinburg in April 1918. The route was recreated by local historians from the diaries of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna, as well as archival documents.

Along the entire route, motorcyclists will ride with the flags of the club, the flag depicting the image of Nicholas II and the flag of Russia. The participants will also bring icons consecrated at the Abalak Znamenski Monastery with the face of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the Holy Royal Martyrs. The latter will be presented to the Monastery of the Holy Royal Martyrs in Ganina Yama.

PHOTO: bikers at the Monastery of the Holy Royal Martyrs at Ganina Yama

The entire 6-day route will cover some 2610 km, passing0 through Tobolsk, Tyumen, Omsk and Ekaterinburg. Bikers arrived in Tyumen on 18th May, where they made a stop at the city’s monument to the Imperial Family created by the Russian sculptor Irina Makarova, installed in June 2020.

The rally is timed to coincide with the 155th anniversary of the birth of Emperor Nicholas II on 19th May [O.S. 6th May] 1918, as well as the 105th anniversary of the death and martyrdom of the Imperial Family and their four faithful retainers on 18th July 1918.

Artists assemble mosaic icon of the Holy Royal Martyrs for the Alexander Nevsky Lavra

Posted on May 7, 2023 by Paul Gilbert

A three-meter mosaic icon depicting the Holy Royal Martyrs Tsar Nicholas II and his family is being assembled by a team of artists for the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg. According to one of the artists: “each of the coloured smalt[1] mosaic tiles is so tiny, that the assembly is similar to creating a jigsaw puzzle.”

Alexandra Serditova, executive director of the Kedr Charitable Foundation added: “as the icon is so large, we divided it into two parts. The top half has already been completed – the lower part is almost finished. The most difficult thing has been the faces.”

The beautiful icon depicts the seven faces of the Holy Royal Martyrs: Emperor Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, and their five children: Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich and Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia Nikolaevna.

It is the work of a small group of artists and experts from the Monastyrskaya Sloboda Center, who have alreadly completed other mosaic icons of saints: Alexander Nevsky and his older brother Theodore of Novgorod, Ksenia of Petersburg, John of Kronstadt, and Seraphim of Vyritsky. These four icons now adorn the Alexander Nevsky Lavra[2] in St. Petersburg. The mosaic depicting the Emperor and his family became their most ambitious project, one which utilized all the reserves of the workshop.

“It’s a great team effort! We hope that we will not experience any special challenges in its completion. But there is a possibility that the process may be delayed, so we are not even talking about deadlines at this stage, as we do not want to rush ourselves,” says Alexandra Serditova.

What is so unique about the mosaic icons is that they have been created by artists with disabilities. These include people with hearing impairments, others suffering from mental and cardiovascular diseases, and those confined to wheelchair. These dedicated souls have been making icons since 2019, for them it is not just a hobby, but a job – each of them receiving a monthly monetary reward for their gifted talent.

NOTES:

[1] a deep blue pigment consisting of a powdered glass that contains oxide of cobalt

[2] Saint Alexander Nevsky Lavra or Saint Alexander Nevsky Monastery was founded by Peter I of Russia in 1710 at the eastern end of the Nevsky Prospekt in Saint Petersburg.