On 19th October 2026, a new bust-monument to the Holy Tsar-Passion-Bearer Nicholas II was unveiled and consecrated on the grounds of the Nativity of the Mother of God Convent in the village of Bogolyubovo, Suzdal District, Vladimir Region.

The event was attended by Metropolitan Nikandr of Vladimir and Suzdal (seen in the photo below), Governor of the Vladimir Region Alexander Alexandrovich Avdeev, statesman and public figure Pavel Astakhov, General Director of the Spas TV channel Boris Korchevnikov, abbess of the monastery Abbess Luciana with the sisters of the convent and guests of honor.

The monument was erected by philanthropists and volunteers as part of the Alley of Russian Glory project.

Metropolitan Nikandr consecrated the monument (photo above) and sprinkled those attending the ceremony with holy water. Then a solemn laying of flowers took place at the foot of the monument to the Tsar-Passion-Bearer.

In an address to the honoured guests, members of the clergy and parishoners, the head of the Vladimir Metropolia noted the symbolic significance of the installation of the monument in the Bogolyubsk Monastery and the spiritual connection between the Holy Tsar-Passion-Bearer Nicholas II and the Holy Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky (1111-1174).

“The installation of this monument is indeed symbolic. Nicholas II died for our country on the day when Prince Andrei is commemorated, so they are closely connected, and this connection is carefully preserved within the walls of the Bogolyubsky Convent,” said Metropolitan Nikandr.

During the solemn event, Metropolitan Nikandr presented Boris Korchevnikov and Pavel Astakhov with medals of the Holy Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky 3rd Class.

The Alley of Russian Glory project is carried out with the participation of Pavel Astakhov, Boris Korchevnikov, Mikhail Serdyukov and philanthropists. According to Pavel Astakhov, to date, a total of 79 monuments of Russian leaders have been erected in different regions of the country.

The installation of the monument in Bogolyubovo, is the 19th monument of Russia’s last Tsar to be installed in Russia this year. Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, between 125 to 150 monuments, busts and memorial plaques have been installed in more than 50 regions of the Russian Federation.

Paul Gilbert. 21 October 2026

On 6th October 2026, a new bust-monument to Emperor Nicholas II was unveiled and consecrated on the grounds of the Epiphany Cathedral in the town of Naryan-Mar. It is the 17th monument to the Tsar Passion-Bearer to be installed in Russia this year!

Naryan-Mar is a sea and river port town and the administrative center of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia. The town is situated north of the Arctic Circle on the right bank of the Pechora River, 110 kilometers (68 mi) upstream from the river’s mouth, on the Barents Sea. It is interesting to note that the town was founded in 1930, in the course of the first five-year plan of the Soviet Union.

The opening ceremony brought together representatives of the local authorities, clergy and the public. Before the ceremony, Bishop Sophrony of Naryan-Mar and Mezen performed a Divine Litury in the Epiphany Cathedral. The unveiling ceremony was then performed on the grounds of the temple, whereupon Vladyka addressed those who gathered around the monument:

“Today, as we unveil the monument, we remember the feat of the Tsar Passion-Bearer, we remember his faithfulness to the Fatherland and God. Having endured torments, the entire Imperial Family at the throne of God now prays for us and intercedes for our salvation. Looking at the Tsar Passion-Bearer, let us strengthen ourselves spiritually, preserve the family values that were preserved in this August Family, let us love God and remain faithful children of the Orthodox Church”.

Bishop Sophrony thanked everyone involved in the opening of the monument to Tsar Nicholas II in Naryan-Mar: Pavel Astakhov, Boris Korchevnikov, Anastasia Popova, and the head of the Alley of Russian Glory project Mikhail Serdyukov. Bishop of Naryan-Mar and Mezen presented Pavel Astakhov with a diocesan medal of the Russian Arctic project.

Honoured Russian writer and host of the SPAS TV channel, one of the initiators of the Alley of Russian Glory project, Pavel Astakhov, accepting the award, and noted that he accepted on behalf of the entire initiative group that was engaged in restoring the memory of the outstanding sons of the Fatherland.

“Tsar Nicholas II is probably the most slandered political figure in the history of the 20th century in our country. He was so pious that to the end he stood for faith, for his country, and for his family. He had the opportunity to flee abroad, but did not do so, ending his earthly journey in his homeland. It is no coincidence that Nicholas II considered the pious Job as an example, who, despite all the torments and temptations, did not depart from God,” said Astakhov.

Pavel Astakhov said that under the leadership of the general director and general producer of the public Orthodox TV channel “SPAS” Boris Korchevnikov, a 20-episode documentary about the era of Nicholas II is now in production. It was under him that large scientific expeditions beyond the Arctic Circle took place and the active development of the northern territories began. Bishop Sophrony added that Nicholas II can be called the “Oatron Saint of the Arctic”.

The installation of the monment in Naryan-Mar, is the 17th monument of Russia’s last Tsar, to be installed in Russia this year. Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, between 125 to 150 monuments, busts and memorial plaques have been installed in nearly 50 regions of the Russian Federation.

© Paul Gilbert. 6 October 2026

On 2nd October 2026, busts of Emperor Nicholas II and St. Luke of Crimea were unveiled and consecrated on the grounds of Saint Stephen of Perm Orthodox cathedral in Syktyvkar, the capital and largest city of the Komi Republic in Russia.

Nicholas II was the last Russian emperor. Together with his family, he accepted a martyr’s death. On 20th August 2000, the Moscow Patrichate glorified them as passion-bearers – those who accepted death with meekness and prayer, imitating Christ.

Luke of Crimea (in the world Valentin Voyno-Yasenetsky) was a Russian surgeon, spiritual writer, a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church, and archbishop of Simferopol and Crimea from May 1946 until his death in 1961. He was a laureate of the Stalin Prize in medicine in 1946.

In 1958, writing after Stalin’s death, and under Nikita Khrushchev’s new wave of anti-religious persecution, Saint Luke stated “how arduous it has been to swim against the stormy current of antireligious propaganda, and how many sufferings it caused me, and continues to cause me to this day.”

He was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church on 25th May 1996. Three days later, on 20th March 1996, his relics were transferred to the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Simferopol.

With the monument to Nicholas II, a different story, Pavel Astakhov noted. He first encountered this question in 1996, when he met a descendant of the Romanov dynasty, and was imbued with history of Russia’s last Tsar. The initiative to install the monument in Syktyvkar (among other cities) belongs to the general director of the SPAS TV channel Boris Korchevnikov.

Both monuments were installed on the grounds of Saint Stephen of Perm Orthodox cathedral. On the pedestal of St. Luke of Crimea there are inscribed two of his quotes: “I have admitted that I have no right to do what I like, and I am obliged to do what is useful for suffering people” and “I fell in love with suffering, which so amazingly cleanses the soul, because I really felt that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself was walking next to me and supporting my burden and my cross.”

The bust of Nicholas II also has two quotes inscribed on the pedestal: “It is not evil that will defeat evil, but only love” and “I have a firm and complete conviction that the fate of Russia, just like the fate of me and my family, is in the hands of God, Who has placed me in my position. Whatever happens, I bow to His will, believing that I have never had any other thought than to serve the country whose government He has entrusted to me.”

The bust-monuments were consecrated by Metropolitan Philip of Metropolitan of Syktyvkar and Komi-Zyryansk. He called their installation a “historic event.”

“These are two saints who worked and suffered during the revolution. We know the lives of these people. Emperor of the Russian Empire, who ruled the country for 22 years. Who, probably, loved the Orthodox faith more than anyone else,” the metropolitan commented.

After the opening ceremony, the participants in the work to perpetuate the memory of the saints were awarded by the church. Pavel Astakhov was awarded the Medal of the Syktyvkar Diocese of St. Stephen of Perm, III degree.

According to Pavel Astakhov, any city and region can join the work to immortalize the saints. Similar monuments have already been erected in other cities of Russia as part of the “Alley of Russian Glory” project, on the initiative of federal social activists and the SPAS TV channel.

The installation of the monment in Syktyvkar is the 16th monument of Russia’s last Tsar, to be installed in Russia this year. Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, between 125 to 150 monuments, busts and memorial plaques have been installed in nearly 50 regions of the Russian Federation.

© Paul Gilbert. 3 October 2026

PHOTO: bust-monument to Nicholas II, installed in front of
the Chapel in Honour of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers

On 10th September 2026, a new bust-monument to Emperor Nicholas II was unveiled and consecrated on the grounds of the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveyevo Convent near the Russian village of Diveyevo, situated in the Nizhny Novgorod region. The monument was installed in front of the Chapel in Honour of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers.

The rite of consecration was performed by Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas. Praying at the service were the abbess of the convent, Abbess Sergia (Konkova) and the sisters of the convent.

PHOTO: the rite of consecration was performed by
Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas

Before the consecration, the head of the Nizhny Novgorod Metropolia addressed the parishioners:

“The installation of the monument to Tsar-Passion-Bearer Nicholas II serves as another reminder for all of us of the tragic death of the Imperial Family, and of the events that changed the course of the history of our country.

“Emperor Nicholas II played an important role in the glorification of St. Seraphim of Sarov. The Tsar himself visited the Diveyevo monastery, which was one of the greatest events in the history of this monastery. This monument will become not just another “decoration” of the Diveyevo monastery, but a symbol of the connection between the present and the past.”

PHOTO: Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas, poses next to the
new monument to the Holy Passion-Bearer Nicholas II on the grounds of the Holy
Trinity Seraphim-Diveyevo Convent

The initiator of the installation of the monument to Nicholas II was the “Spas” TV channel, and Pavel Astakhov, a Russian statesman and writer. Thanks to him, similar monuments to Russia’s last Tsar have been installed in the Samara and Penza regions as part of the “Alley of Russian Glory” project.

The installation of the monment in Diveyevo is the 15th monument of Russia’s last Tsar, to be installed in Russia this year. Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, between 125 to 150 monuments, busts and memorial plaques have been installed in nearly 50 regions of the Russian Federation.

FURTHER READING

Did Saint Seraphim of Sarov predict the death and martyrdom of Russia’s last tsar?

© Paul Gilbert. 12 September 2026

On 27th August 2026, a new bust-monument to Emperor Nicholas II was unveiled and consecrated on the grounds of the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in the Russian city of Mariinsk, Kemerovo Region, located in the south of Western Siberia.

The unveiling ceremony was led by Metropolitan Aristarkh of Kemerovo and Prokopyevsk, head of the Kuzbass Metropolia. Before the consecration of the monument, Metropolitan Aristarchus addressed those present with an archpastoral sermon, in which he noted the contribution of Nicholas II to the history of the Fatherland.

Following the of the bust-monument to the Holy Passion-Bearer Nicholas II, Metropolitan Aristarkh then performed the rite of consecration in the presence of members of the clergy and local diocese, parishioners and local residents.

The event was attended by Russian statesman, lawyer, TV presenter and writer Pavel Astakhov, Evgeny Sergeevich Ivanov, Chairman of the Committee for Cooperation with Religious Organizations of the Administration of the Government of Kuzbass, as well as Alexei Sergeevich Yakovlev, Deputy Head of the City of Kemerovo and Head of the Territorial Administration of the Leninsky District. The bishop opened the sculpture.nstalled in Mariinsk.

The bust of Russia’s last Tsar was installed as part of the “Alley of Russian Glory Project”. The project is aimed at perpetuating the memory of famous Russians who glorified the Fatherland, as well as reviving the patriotic spirit of the country’s citizens and educating the younger generation on glorious heroic traditions. In 2026, similar monuments appeared in Tomsk, Zarechny and Tver with the support of the SPAS television network.

The installation of the monment in Mariinsk is the 13th 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. 28 August 2026

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

On 23rd August 2026, a new bust-monument of Emperor Nicholas II was unveiled and consecrated on the grounds of of the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ on the island of Sakhalin in the Russian Far East.

The rite of consecration was performed by Archbishop Nikanor of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and the Kuril Islands.

The service was attended by Senator of the Russian Federation, representative in the Federation Council from the Sakhalin Regional Duma Andrei Khapochkin, members of the diocese, parishoners and local residents.

In his speech, the archpastor stressed that this event is unique, since this monument became the first monument in the history of Sakhalin to the Russian emperor – the only tsar from the Romanov dynasty who was canonized.

His Eminence also thanked Boris Korchevnikov, General Director of the Spas TV channel, and Pavel Astakhov, a Russian statesman and writer, who made it possible to implement this project in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

The installation of the monment in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is the 11th 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. 24 August 2026