Monuments / Busts | Nicholas II

Bust of Nicholas II established in Kalach

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Paul Gilbert

Bust monument to Emperor Nicholas II by local sculptor Viktor Grishchenko

On Saturday, 29th August, 2020, a new bust monument to Emperor Nicholas II was unveiled and consecrated on the grounds of the Church of the Ascension of the Lord in the town of Kalach, Voronezh region. According to local historian Pavel Popov, this is the only monument to the emperor in the region.

In addition to the monument made by local sculptor Viktor Grishchenko, a granite icon depicting the Holy Royal Martyrs was also consecrated, to be mounted on the monument at a later date.

Archpriest Evgeniy Bey consecrates the bust monument to Emperor Nicholas II

Granite icon depicting the Holy Royal Martyrs

Fundraising for equestrian monument to Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II

Posted on August 9, 2020 by Paul Gilbert

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The installation of Russia’s second equestrian monument to Nicholas II has been delayed due to lack of funds.

The amount of 2.3 million rubles ($31,000 USD) has already been collected, however, a further 2.7 million rubles ($37,000 USD) is still needed. The equestrian monument to Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II has already been cast and is located at the plant in Zhukovsky.

The following video shows Russian sculptor Irina Makarova making final preparations on her equestrian monument of Nicholas II – 15th July 2020

The monument was planned to have been installed on 17th July on the grounds of the Church of the Holy Martyr Michael (Gusev), in Kulebaki, Nizhny Novgorod Region.

Click on the following links to read Nicholas II Equestrian Monument Planned for the Russian city of Kulebaki and UPDATE: Nicholas II Equestrian Monument in Kulebaki

Monument to the Imperial Family established in Tyumen

Posted on June 10, 2020 by Paul Gilbert

A new monument to the Holy Royal Martyrs was established last month in the Siberian city of Tyumen. The monument depicting Emperor Nicholas II and his family was erected in the garden of the Mother of God-Nativity Convent, which is under the administration of the Tobolsk Diocese. The sculptor Irina Makarova posted a video (above) on YouTube on 31st May, which captures the process of production and installation of the monument. She noted that the Tobolsk Diocese had requested the order. The monument was made last summer in the town of Zhukovsky near Moscow.

“We took as a basis an existing monument to the royal family which was established in 2017 at the Holy Trinity-Saint Seraphim-Diveyevo Monastery. On the initiative of the head of the Tobolsk Diocese Vladyka Demetrius, an old Russian boat was added to the monument – this is a symbol of Tyumen. Inscribed on the side of the boat is “Русь“ (Rus) This is no coincidence as Nicholas II and his family were taken from Tyumen to Tobolsk on the steamboat Rus,” said the sculptor.

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According to Makarova, the monument was planned to be erected in Tobolsk, where the Romanov family were held under house arrest from August 1917 to April 1918, however “the locals were against it.” Therefore, they decided to install the monument on the grounds of the monastery, next to the former Tura railway station, where the Imperial family arrived by train from Tsarskoye Selo. The Royal Pier Museum now stands next to the place from where the Imperial family were sent into exile to Tobolsk

She added that they had planned to open the monument on 8th June of this year, but because of the coronavirus pandemic, the official opening and consecration has been postponed indefinitely. The monastery notes the possibility of opening on 17th July, the day marking the death and martyrdom of Nicholas II and his familyy.

In August 1917, two trains arrived at the Tura station in Tyumen, carrying Nicholas II, his family, servants and other retainers, all of which were accompanied by Red Army soldiers. Here the last Russian emperor made a stop on his way into exile. The Imperial family did not spend long in the city, and on the morning of 5th August they set off on the steamer Rus to Tobolsk, where they lived under house arrest until April 1918. It was then that they were moved to the Ural city of Ekaterinburg. Nicholas II along with his family and four faithful retainers were shot on the night of 16/17 July 1918 in the Ipatiev House in Ekaterinburg.

Moscow Sculptor Captures Last Tsar’s Likeness in New Bust

Posted on May 18, 2020 by Paul Gilbert

Photo © Victoria Alexandrovna Tishchenko

This bust of Emperor Nicholas II, by contemporary Russian sculptor Victoria Alexandrovna Tishchenko, has truly captured the tsar’s likeness.

Photo © Victoria Alexandrovna Tishchenko

Born on 26 May 1986 in Moscow, Tishchenko graduated from the Institute of Management and Fashion Industry of MGUTU with a degree in economics and enterprise management. In 2012 she graduated from the Ilya Glazunov Russian Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, specializing in art and sculpture. In 2015, she graduated from the graduate school of RAZHViZ majoring in art history. She is Member of the Moscow Union of Artists and the Moscow Association of Sculptors.

Photo © Victoria Alexandrovna Tishchenko

Photo © Victoria Alexandrovna Tishchenko

Her other works include a bust of General Count Fyodor Arturovich Keller (1857-1918), one of only two Tsarist generals, who remained loyal to the Russian Orthodox emperor and refused to swear allegiance to the Provisional Government.

UPDATE: Nicholas II Equestrian Monument in Kulebaki

Posted on April 4, 2020 by Paul Gilbert

Photo © Irina Makarova

On 13th December 2019, I published an article Nicholas II Equestrian Monument Planned for the Russian city of Kulebaki (with photos) of a truly splended equestrian monument of Nicholas II by the sculptor Irina Makarova, which is to be installed in the Russian city of Kulebaki in July of this year.

I am pleased to share the following three videos by Max Bataev, which depict the process of creating this impressive equestrian of Russia’s last emperor and tsar:

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Equestrian of Nicholas II dominates the Monument to the Heroes of World War One in Moscow

Note: the Russian media refer to this monument as the first equestrian monument of Nicholas II to be established in Russia. The Kulebaki monument will be the second equestrian monument to Nicholas II in Russia, the first was established in Moscow.

Ministry of Defense on the Frunze Embankment in Moscow

On 16 December 2014, Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu opened a sculptural composition dedicated to the heroes of World Wars I and II on the grounds of the Ministry of Defense on the Frunze Embankment in Moscow. The WWI monument features Nicholas II on horseback, recognizing and honouring his efforts during the Great War.

Nicholas II monument proposed for Tsarskoye Selo

Posted on February 28, 2020 by Paul Gilbert

The above sketch is for a proposed monument of Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II by Russian artist Philipp Moskvitin. Note the crown of thorns that the tsar is holding in his right hand.

The artist’s idea has been presented to Tsarskoye Selo. It would be nice to see such a monument erected in the garden of the Alexander Palace, a perfect welcome to the Museum of the Russian Imperial Family, which is scheduled to officially open on 18th August 2020.

Click HERE to visit Philpp Moskvitin’s web site

Monument to Nicholas and Alexandra to be established in Crimea

Posted on February 20, 2020 by Paul Gilbert

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The above image is an artist drawing of a monument that will be established in the Crimean town of Alushta later this year, in honour of the meeting of Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich and his future wife Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine on 10th October 1894, the date that will be inscribed on the monument.

In April 1894, Nicholas’s engagement to Alix was announced. When it became clear that the health of the Tsesarevich’s father Emperor Alexander III was serious, Alix was invited to the Crimea. The couple met at the Dove Cottage, where Alix stopped on the way to Livadia. Princess Alix travelled with her sister Ella to Livadia to receive the blessing of the dying emperor. Nicholas was accompanied by his uncle Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich (Governor of Moscow). It is this historic moment – the meeting of four people – that will be depicted by sculptors.

According to the project manager, vice president of the St. Basil the Great Foundation, Mikhail Wilter, “the cost is estimated at about 18.5 million rubles. This includes four bronze sculptures, a granite pedestal, and an arch. The height of the monument is five meters, the length of the stone is about four meters, and the height of the figures themselves is more than two meters. We expect this project to be implemented in 2020. Part of the funds will come from the Saint Basil the Great Charitable Foundation, and we hope that Crimeans will also contribute to this important project,” said Wilter.

“The composition will consist of four figures – the couple themselves – Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna, her sister Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and her husband Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, both of whom were present at the meeting of the future Imperial Couple. The arch unites two loving hearts – Nicholas and Alexandra, and is also crowned with an Orthodox cross. I would like the monument to be consecrated so that you can approach, even baptize, as they are saints. Newlyweds can come to the monument to have their wedding photos taken, ”said Irina Makarova, one of the sculptors participating in the project.

“The uniqueness of the sculpture is that all four people died tragically, three of them canonized by the Orthodox Church: Nicholas II, Alexandra Fedorovna and Elizaveta Fedorovna. This is a real human story,” said the author of the project Maxim Batayev, the other sculptor participating in the project.

The bronze and granite monument will be installed in the garden of the city library in October, while the territory surrounding it will be improved and planted with cypress trees.

Click HERE to read my article Love of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna to be immortalized in Crimea, published on 27th September 2019

Church of Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II under construction in Novosibirsk

Posted on December 20, 2019 by Paul Gilbert

The Church of Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II in Novosibirsk

The Church of Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II, is now in the second phase of construction in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, with the final phase due to be completed in 2020.

The Church of Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II is being built on the site of the Zakamensky Cemetery, which was destroyed by the Soviets in the middle of the 20th century. During construction of the stone church, liturgies are carried out in a temporary wooden building nearby, which is intended for the administration building. Construction has been slow, due to lack of funding, much of which has been collected by donations collected by local parishioners.

The consecration of the church dome and cross was performed by
Metropolitan Tikhon of Novosibirsk and Berd on 19th May 2018

The future church is based on the design of the Cathedral of the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery in Moscow. The temporary wooden church is a simple architectural design. It was consecrated on 23rd March 2007. In 2009, a belfry was built. It contains six bells cast at the Svetolitie enterprise, and an evangelist cast at the Litex Moscow plant in 2012. The temporary belfry is an architectural one-story building in the form of an octahedron crowned with a crown – a dome with a cross. The tier of ringing is with eight openings located on the cardinal points.

Icon of the Holy Royal Martyrs in the temporary wooden church

The church is consecrated in honour of the Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II. A decision of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church of 14 August 2000, Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Tsesarevich Alexy, Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia were canonized as holy martyrs.

Monument of Emperor Nicholas II and Tsesarevich Alexei in Novosibirsk

A monument of Emperor Nicholas II with his son and heir Tsesarevich Alexei was established on 17th July 2017, on the grounds of the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Novosibirsk.

Memorial Bas-relief plaque of Nicholas II installed in Voronezh

Posted on December 19, 2019 by Paul Gilbert

Memorial plaque to Emperor Nicholas II by the sculptor Alexander Melnichenko

On 19th December 2019, a memorial plaque in memory of Emperor Nicholas II was unveiled in the Russian city of Voronezh, and consecrated by Metropolitan Sergiy of Voronezh and Liskinsky.

The date marks the 105th anniversary of the emperor’s visit to Voronezh on 19th December 1914. This was the second time Nicholas visited Voronezh, the first was in 1887, when he visited the city as heir to the throne, together with his father Alexander III.

The bas-relief plaque was made by the sculptor Alexander Melnichenko, and placed on the facade of the former Mariinsky Gymnasium (now the Youth House, situated on Revolution Avenue). During the First World War, the gymnasium served as a hospital for Russian soldiers, and it was here that the Emperor met with those who had been wounded.

The memorial plaque was consecrated by Metropolitan Sergiy of Voronezh and Liskinsky

Today, 19 December (O.S. 6 December) is also the day when the Orthodox Church honours the memory of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the patron saint of Nicholas II.

During Nicholas II’s visit to Voronezh on 19th December 1914, an arch to honour his visit was built near Petrovsky Square (which has not survived). The Emperor together with the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and the Grand Duchesses Olga and Tatiana Nikolaevna, attended a Divine Liturgy held in the Annunciation Cathedral, after which, they visited the Mitrofanov Monastery, where the Emperor presented awards to wounded Russian soldiers.

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Russian Singer Has Chapel built in Honour of Nicholas II in Klin

Posted on December 14, 2019 by Paul Gilbert

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NOTE: All of the articles pertaining to Nicholas II and his family which were originally published in my Royal Russia News blog, have been moved to this Nicholas II blog. This article was originally posted on 15 February 2018 in my Royal Russia News blog – PG

Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation (2016), rock singer Olga Kormukhina has financed the construction of a chapel in honour of Emperor Nicholas II in Klin.

The Chapel-monument is situated on the M-10 Russia highway near the Tchaikovsky Museum-Reserve.

“Everything that I was looking for coincided here: the ancient city of Klin, the blessings of two elders, the music of Tchaikovsky, who was revered by the Imperial family, and the imperial route from Moscow to St. Petersburg,” said Kormukhina during an interview with the TASS News Agency.

Kormukhina explained that she had been looking for location to build a chapel for 15 years. It was Nikolay Guryanov (1901-2002), a highly respected spiritual figure within the Russian Orthodox Church and reputed myrrh-bearing starets and priest, and later the elder Elijah (Nozdryn), who turned her attention to this location. After visiting Klin, she agreed that it was here that the Tsar’s chapel should be erected. The city of Klin and the history of the Imperial family shared an important connection. “This was the location of the miracle-working icon of the Mother of God Klinskaya, which was especially honoured by the Romanov dynasty, and Peter Tchaikovsky, the favourite composer of Nicholas II and his family,” noted the singer.

Mosaic bearing the image of Nicholas II

The features of the chapel include a mosaic icon bearing the image of Nicholas II, which is located inside, and a bas-relief in the form of a cross.

The chapel has already become a favourite place for both locals and visitors to Klin. People come here to pray, light candles, and in the evening the glow of light coming from within the white chapel, add a special beauty to its gilded dome. The local tourist office noted that it is included in a new tourist route, which runs from the station to the Tchaikovsky House. “It blesses all those traveling along the Moscow-Saint Petersburg highway,” – said Kormukhina.

The consecration of the chapel is scheduled to take place on Forgiveness Sunday, 18th February, with the blessing of Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna.