Moscow | Nicholas II

130th anniversary of the Holy Coronation of Emperor Nicholas II

NOTE: when referring to dates in this article, I have used the Old Style (O. S.) Juliann Calendar, which in the 20th century was 12 days behind the New Style Hregorian Calendar used in the West. In the 21st century, the Julian calendar is 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar – PG

Today – 27th (O.S. 14th) May – marks the 130th anniversary of the Holy Coronation of Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna in Moscow. The celebrations – which lasted 3 weeks, from 7th May to 27th May 1896 – marked the crowning of Russia’s last Tsar.

The responsibility for the preparation of the coronation was assigned to the Minister of the Imperial Court Count Illarion Ivanovich Vorontsov-Dashkov (1837-1916), who was appointed to the rank of Supreme Marshal. The preparations began in early as February 1895.

A coronation detachment was formed consisting of 82 battalions, 36 squadrons, 9 hundreds, and 28 batteries under the command of the new Emperor’s uncle Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich (1847-1909).

The coronation of 1896 is considered one of the most magnificent and expensive in the history of the Russian Empire, according to some estimates, about 7 million rubles (about $5.38 million USD)[1]. For the manufacture of three mantles (for Nicholas II, Alexandra Feodorovna and the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna) 6,561 rubles (about $5,046 USD)[1] were paid for the fabric alone.

Tsesarevich and Grand Duke Nicholas Alexandrovich became Emperor on 2nd November [O.S. 20th October] 1894 – the day marking the death of his father, Emperor Alexander III (1845-1894). However, a respectable period of mourning was the reason his coronation was postponed for a year and a half.

After the death of Emperor Alexander III, a year of mourning was declared. All magnificent solemn state events were cancelled during this time. Nicholas II himself selected the date of the coronation, taking into account various circumstances, including the church calendar[2] – church fasts and holidays. There was no need to hurry, because the coronation celebrations were preceded by grandiose preparations.

PHOTO: the Imperial Reglaia is laid out in St. Andrew’s Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, in preparation for the Holy Coronation of Emperor Nicholas II. May 1896

On 1st January (O.S.) 1896, Emperor Nicholas II in his Imperial Manifesto announced the date of his coronation in Moscow.

On 14th (1st O.S.) January, 1896, the Imperial Manifesto “On the Upcoming Sacred Coronation of Their Imperial Majesties” was issued, according to which the coronation ceremony was to take place in May of that year.

On 4th April (O.S.) 1896, the Imperial regalia were delivered by train from the Diamond Room of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg to the Armoury Chamber in Moscow. The Imperial Regalia consisted of the Great Imperial Crown, the Small Crown, the Imperial Sceptre, the Imperial Orb, the Mantle, the Big Chain and Star of the Order of St. Andrew, the state shield, the state sword, and the state seal.

Moscow began to prepare for the celebrations. An eyewitness wrote: “Moscow is now unrecognizable, even for a native Muscovite. As if by magic, here and there, more and more new structures appear – one richer and more elegant than the other. Pavilions, obelisks, masts, towers and turrets decorated with double-headed eagles, monograms, coats of arms – what luxury, what brilliance, what beauty!”

The coronation was covered by both domestic and foreign media sources. Famous Russian artists were also invited to sketch and paint the celebrations: Viktor Vasnetsov, Ilya Repin, Valentin Serov, Vladimir Makovsky, Andrei Ryabushkin and Mikhail Nesterov. Commissioned by the Academy of Arts, their paintings and portraits were reproduced in the Coronation Album, which was published in 1899 in Russian and French editions.

In May 1896, four French cameramen from the Lumiere Brothers (Paris) arrived in Moscow to film the coronation celebrations of Emperor Nicholas II. The organizer of the shooting of the film was Camille Cerf. He filmed the entire solemn procession of the route in 35 mm, duration 1 hour 33 min. It is immportant to note that cameras were not permitted inside Orthodox churches at the time. It was to be he first full-length documentary-film made in Russia. A copy of the film was presented by Lumiere to Emperor Nicholas II, which apparently, met with his approval.

PHOTO: A splendid study of the Coronation of Emperor Nicholas II on 27th May (O.S. 14th) May, 1896 in Moscow. In this work, the Tsar is depicted wearing the Great Imperial Crown of the Russian Empire, while placing a second Small Imperial Crown on the head of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. Artist: Danish artist Laurits Regner Tuxen (1853–1927).

The coronation celebrations lasted from May 6 to May 26 (old style), 1896.

On 6th (O.S.) May – the birthday of Emperor Nicholas II – The August couple arrived at the Petrovsky Traveling Palace near Moscow. Starting from 1797, all Russian Emperors and Empresses stopped here before their official entry into Moscow for their coronation in the Assunption [aka Dormition] Cathedral, situated in the heart of the Kremlin.

Long before the appointed day, guests from all over the Russian Empire and abroad began to arrive in Moscow. By the time of the Tsar’s arrival – his birthday, 6th (O.S.) May – the whole of Moscow was decorated with flags and coloured lanterns. On 9th (O.S.) May, the ceremonial entry from the Petrovsky Palace, situated on the outskirts of Moscow into the capital took place.

According to the memoirs of eyewitnesses of the event, “the life in the city was incredible. People were moving through the streets in continuous streams… The troops, numbering about fifty thousand, stood in trellises along the entire eight-kilometer route to the Kremlin. The first to set off were two golden carriages decorated with precious stones, each drawn by eight white horses, the carriages of the Empress and the Dowager Empress, followed by the Emperor on horseback. He also rode on a white horse. All the people stood with their heads bare, shouting a resounding ‘Hurrah!'”

On the morning of 14th (O.S.) May, the Imperial Regalia were brought from the Armoury Chamber to the Assumption Cathedral, at 9 a.m. At 9:15 the Dowager Empress proceeded to the cathedral. At 10 a.m., the procession of Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna began from the halls of the Grand Kremlin Palace to the Assumption Cathedral.

Princess Maria Sergeyevna Baryatinskaya (1872-1933) recalled: “Emperor Nicholas wore the uniform of the Preobrazhensky Regiment – the oldest Guards regiment, and the Empress was dressed in a white Russian dress trimmed with pearls. Since they had not yet been crowned, no symbols of power were carried before them. The Empress was exceptionally beautiful… The Emperor’s eyes were bright, as if he was looking to the future with hope and confidence.”

Three thrones were placed in the Assumption Cathedral: for the Emperor, the Empress and the Dowager Empress. These were the thrones of Tsars Ivan III Vasilyevich, Mikhail Feodorovich and Alexei Mikhailovich.[3]

PHOTO: Confirmation of Nicholas II in the Assumption Cathedral. 1896.
Artist: Valentin Alexandrovich Serov (1865–1911)

The solemn rite of the Holy Coronation began. The Tsar read aloud the Orthodox Symbol of Faith and crossed himself three times. After the prayers and the reading of the Holy Gospel, Metropolitan Palladius[4] (1827-1898) laid his hands on the head of the Tsar in the form of a cross and read a prayer, calling upon the Lord to vouchsafe “Thy faithful servant the Great Tsar Nicholas Alexandrovich” with anointing “with the oil of joy, to clothe Him with power from on high, to place a crown on His head and to grant Him many days.” Then an ermine-trimmed mantle was placed over Nicholas II’s shoulders, and he wore a diamond chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. The Emperor was presented with the Great Imperial Crown, which was given to him by Metropolitan Palladius. The Emperor took the crown and placed it on his own head. Then the Metropolitan handed the Tsar the scepter and orb.

Wearing the mantle and the Great Imperial Crown of the Russian Empire, holding the scepter in his right hand and the orb in his left, the Tsar sat on the throne. Then Emperor Nicholas Alexandrovich placed on the Empress’s head a small crown, then an ermine-trimmed mantle and diamond chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.

The Divine Liturgy began, at which the Anointing of the Tsar was performed, and the Emperor and the Empress communed of Christ’s Holy Mysteries. It should be noted that the Tsar communed in the altar “according to the imperial rite,” as the clergy do.

In the evening, Moscow lit up with multi-colored lights. The electric illumination consisting of 500,000 lights was created from drawings by artists Nikolai Karazin, Alexandre Benois and Alexei Prokofiev. According to the memoirs of an eyewitness, “the Kremlin illuminations lit up in an instant, at the very moment when the Empress took in her hands a bouquet of electric flowers presented to her. The bouquet lit up, and at that moment the whole Kremlin lit up with multi-colored electric lights, as if painted with a fiery brush in the darkened sky.”

The coronation surpassed all previous ones in pomp and splendour. According to the testimonies of the participants of the event, including foreigners, it was the most impressive sight in their lives.

The last Holy Coronation and Chrismation in Imperial Russia was complete. The Emperor and the Empress were united with Russia, with her subjects.

The 22-year reign of the last Emperor was filled with both glorious and tragic pages. The words of Metropolitan Sergius (Lyapidevsky) of Moscow (1867-1944) came true, who gave the August couple a parting word on the day of the coronation, saying: “just as there is no higher or more difficult royal power on earth, there is no burden heavier than royal service.”

PHOTO: Watercolour depicting the illuminations decorating the Kremlin in Moscow, on the day of the Holy Coronation of Emperor Nicholas II, on 27th May (O.S. 14th) May, 1896. ARTIST: Nikolai Nikolaevich Karazin (1842-1908)

NOTES

[1] In 1896, the official rate introduced during the monetary reform was used for recalculation: the ruble was equated to 0,386 troy ounce of pure gold, and the US dollar was worth about 0,0483 troy ounce. Thus, The ruble was valued at about 0,797 US. Note: the direct conversion of currencies from the 19th century to modern dollars does not have an exact economic equivalent due to changes in the price structure, but taking into account dollar inflation, the purchasing power of this amount would be ten times greater.

[2] Up until 1918 Russia used the Old Style Julian calendar, which was 12 days behind the New Style Gregorian calendar used in the West. In the 21st century, the Julian calendar is 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar.

[3] Following the coronation, the three thrones were moved into St. Andrew’s Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace. The fate of the thrones is unknown, although they could be in the Collection of the State Armoury in Moscow. In 1939 the thrones were replaced by a marble statue of Lenin. When St. Andew’s Hall was restored in the 1990s, replicas of the three thrones were placed in their historic spot of the grand ceremonial hall.

[4] Bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church; 18 October 1892 until his death he served as Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, the first member of the Most Holy Synod.

***

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‘History Returned’ exhibition opens in Moscow

Posted on 26 Days Ago by Paul Gilbert

On 28th April 2026, a new exhibition History Returned opened in the Exhibition Hall of the State Archives of the Russian Federation (GARF) in Moscow. The exhibition is dedicated to the Russian diaspora during the aftermath of the Bolshevik Revolution and the Russian Civil War.

After the Great Patriotic War (1941-45), the Prague archive of the Russian Foreign Historical Archive (RZIA) was transferred to the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, and in 1946 it became part of the funds of the Central State Archive of the October Revolution, now the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF).

This is the largest of the archives of the Russian emigration in Europe of the interwar period, from 1923 to 1945. During the Nazi occupation of Bohemia and Moravia, employees of the RZIA, did not abandon their noble cause in those difficult years, by safeguarding the archives for the history of Russia.

PHOTO: The premises of the Russian Foreign Historical Archives. Prague. 1924

The State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF) stores a unique collection of documents on the Russian diaspora which followed the Bolshevik Revolution in October 1917 and Russian Civil War (1917-1922).

In addition are documents of political, public organizations and institutions of the Russian emigration, printed publications, drawings, photographs, leaflets, posters, maps, banknotes. The archive is further complemented by documents from the personal archives of prominent Russian state, political and military figures and well-known representatives of science and culture of the Russian emigration.

PHOTO: Registration form No. 3169 of Marina
Ivanovna Efron-Tsvetaeva, Prague, August 23, 1922

The first section of the exhibition displays documents that tell about the decades of work by the Prague Archive staff, who carried out “the collection, storage, systematization and scientific processing of materials on the history of Russia and its peoples.

Among the valuable exhibits: documents of the poetess Marina Tsvetaeva (1892-1941) and drawings of the artist Yuri Artsybushev (1877-1952), as well as documents of the First Russian Cadet Corps, the Union of Russian Military Invalide.

Of particular note are exhibits dedicated to the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church [today known as the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), which united Russian emigrants in foreign lands. These document’s became part of the RZIA in 1934, and include the note-testament of Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow and All Russia (1865-1925) of 23rd November 1923, a medal and badges made in honour of the 950th anniversary of the baptism of Russia, which was celebrated by the Russian Orthodox diaspora in 1938, are presented. .

PHOTO: Poster for the grand ball organized by Grand Duchess Kira
Kirillovna to benefit Russian military invalids in France. May 7, 1937.

The exhibition is further complemented by documents, letters, diaries and photographs, gifted to GARF by the descendants of prominent members of the Russian diaspora.

On display are documents and personal items that belonged to General Anton Denikin (1872-1947), transferred in 1992-2000 by his daughter Marina Denikina-Gray (1919-2005), as well as materials from the family collection of Admiral Alexander Kolchak (1874-1920), which were preserved for many years Paris by his widow Sophia, and subsequently acquired for the Civil Aviation of the Russian Federation by a wealthy Russian entrepreneur Leonid Mikhelson. In the same section are documents of Anna Kniper-Timiryova (1893-1975), preserved in the family of her nephew I.K. Safonov and subsequently transferred to the Civil Aviation of the Russian Federation by his son V.I. Safonov and widow L.N. Zubareva.

Exhibition documents reveal the fate of representatives of the Imperial House of Romanov, who were forced to leave Russia after 1917: photographs and other items from the archives of Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich (1879-1956) and collection of the Yusupov-Romanovs.

Among the key exhibits, vistors can see diaries and photographs taken onboard the British battleship HMS Marlborough, when some of the most prominent members of the Russian Imperial Family left Russia from the Crimea. Among them were Nicholas II’s mother the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna (see photo below) and her daughter Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna.

PHOTO: General Anton Ivanovich (1872-1947) Denikin
in his office at Stavka [Headquarters]. Mogilev, 1917.

The exhibition History Returned runs until 21st June 2026, in the Exhibition Hall of the State Archives of the Russian Federation (GARF) in Moscow.

PHOTO: Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna leaves Russia
onboard the battleship HMS Marlborough. 1919

Moscow exhibit showcases items belonging to Dr. Eugene Botkin

Posted on April 26 by Paul Gilbert

On 25th April 2026, an exhibition dedicated to the family physician of Nicholas II, Dr. Eugene Botkin opened at the Museum of Emperor Nicholas II in Moscow. The exhibition By Faith, Loyalty, Work runs until 15th May 2026.

This unique exhibition showcases personal items belonging to Dr. Evgeny (Eugene) Sergeievich Botkin (1865-1918), which which were purchased at auction[1] by collector Alexander Voronov and returned to Russia. “The items will be exhibited for the first time,” said Voronov

“Several items that belonged to the Botkin family, I purchased in Paris at an auction last year. In 1919, when Botkin’s children Tatyana and Gleb fled Russia all they could take with them were a few icons and photographs gifted to them by the Empress. In particular, is an icon depicting John of Tobolsk, dated 1918 with the letter “A”, such an autograph was put by the Empress,” added Voronov. “The second icon in a silver frame is “The Saviour Not Made by Hands”, its story is described in the book[2] of Botkin’s daughter, published in 1921. Empress Alexandra Feodorovna gave the icon to Botkin, who in turn gave it to her daughter Grand Duchess Tatiana, when she was very ill, so that he could bless her with it, ” said Voronov.

Voronov said that the icon of the “Saviour Not Made by Hands” was used at the baptism of Botkin’s great-grandson Jean Smulwood, who put the family heirlooms up for auction in Paris, in the hope that someone from Russia would buy them. According to the collector, the exhibition will also feature a number of the Botkins’ personal belongings, including the author’s copy of the book by Tatyana Botkina, photographs, one of which was autographed by Nicholas II’s daughters Olga and Tatiana, and an icon of the daughter of Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich.

The family physician of Nicholas II and his family, Evgeny Botkin, followed the Imperial Family into exile, first to Tobolsk, and then to Ekaterinburg. The Bolsheviks offered him the option to leave the Tsar, but the doctor remained faithful to him. Botkin and three other retainers were all murdered along with the Imperial Family in the Ipatiev house on the night of 16/17 July 1918.

In 2016, the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church canonized Nicholas II’s doctor, and a decision was made on the church-wide glorification of the passion-bearer Righteous Evgeny (Eugene) Sergeievich Botkin (1865-1918).

The exhibition program includes a series of events – lectures, excursions, etc. The organizers of the exhibition are the Foundation of Emperor Nicholas II and the Russian collector of Russian history Alexander Voronov.

The exhibition By Faith, Loyalty, Work runs until 15th May 2026, the Museum of Emperor Nicholas II in Moscow. Admission to the exhibition is FREE. Donations to the Emperor Nicholas II Foundation for the maintenance of the museum are welcome.

NOTES

[1] View the catalogue from the Auction: Tatiana Botkin Collection – held in Paris on 15 May 2025.

[2] Воспоминания о царской семье [Memories of the Tsar’s Family]. 84 pages. Russian language only.

Lenin’s presence on Red Square continues to rile Russians

Posted on April 19 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: the remains of Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin

More than a century after his death, the body of Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin laying in a marble and granite mausoleum on Red Square continues to raise the ire of many Russians.

During the afternoon of 8th April 2026, upon entry to the “mourning hall” of Lenin’s mausoleum, an 18-year-old student began yelling screaming obscenities about the Bolshevik leader. He then took off one of his shoes and threw it, striking the glass-enclosed sarcophagus holding the remains of the Bolshevik leader.

Konstantin Sergeyevich Bodunov was promptly arrested by police, who stand guard both inside and outside the mausoleum. Bodunov appeared in Tverskoy District Court of Moscow and was sentenced to 10 days in jail. During the trial, the young man pleaded guilty to being in the mausoleum and throwing his shoe. He explained his actions by condemning Lenin’s “economic and religious policy.”

The incident is just one of a string of protests, made over the years by Russians, who share their hatred towards Lenin and the Bolsheviks. Many of these incidents never reach the Western media.

In February of this year, the Kuzminsky District Court of Moscow found Olga Fedosova guilty of threatening to “blow up Lenin’s Mausoleum and set fire to his corpse”. Fedosova was found guilty and sentenced to four years in prison.

On 18th June 2024, a man threw a Molotov cocktail at the Mausoleum, but it hit the fence and did not explode. He was detained on the spot by police officers. The Tverskoy Court of Moscow sentenced Konstantin Starchukov to four years in prison.

In May 2023, Kostya Starchukov, from the Trans-Baikal region, was detained by police on Red Square. The 37-year-old man had two bottles of gasoline on him, and told police that he wanted to set fire to Lenin’s Mausoleum.

Then, on the night of 6th February 2023, a man tried to get into Lenin’s Mausoleum with the intention of “stealing” Lenin’s corpse! The 42-year-old man, tried to open the door of the mausoleum, before he was detained by police. The detainee, who suffered from a mental disorder, admitted that he wanted to steal Lenin’s body.

Even when Lenin was alive, several attempts are known to have been made on his life. The most famous of them was committed on 30th August 1918, by the Socialist Revolutionary Party member Fanny Kaplan tried to assassinate Lenin.

During the Soviet years, several incidents took place against the remains of the Bolshevik leader.

In March 1934, a peasant managed to smuggle a gun under his shirt past the guards. He considered himself “deceived by the authorities and decided to seek revenge”. The man took out his gun in the “mourning hall” of the Mausoleum, and fired two shots at Lenin’s sarcophagous, but he missed. He then turned the gun on himself and committed suicide with the third shot.

In March 1959, a man threw a hammer into the glass of Lenin’s sarcophagus. The crack left by the hammer remains to this day. The man was declared mentally ill, and was subsequently sent to an institution for treatment.

In 1967, a man from Lithuania attempted to blow up an Lenin’s Mausoleum. An explosion thundered outside the building, how he managed to get an explosive past the guards remains a mystery to this day. The bomber later claimed that the guards “paid no attention to him”.

On 1st September 1973, a man with a briefcase went into the “mourning hall” of the mausoleum. Once inside, he joined two wires in the area of the shirt collar – a deafening explosion thundered. A married couple who were in close proximity to the man were killed, two soldiers of the Kremlin regiment and several schoolchildren were among the injured. The sarcophagus was not damaged.

PHOTO: Yuri Shabelnikov life-size cake of Lenin’s body – see below

Why target Lenin?

It is widely agreed that the Bolshevik government came to power by criminal means, and that Lenin personally gave the order to murder Tsar Nicholas II and his family in 1918.

Not only was he responsible for the destruction of the Russian Empire, he was also responsible for the deaths and suffering of millions of innocent people when he unleashed the Civil War and the first Red Terror that followed.

His hatred towards religion led to endless violence and persecution against the Russian Orthodox Church. Lenin also signed the shameful Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany on 3rd March 1918.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991,there have been numerous calls for the removal of Lenin’s remains from Red Square. The topic is a “hot potato”, one of which even Vladimir Putin does not want to address, for fear of a backlash from Russian Communists.

On the morning of 1st April 1997, at 05:25 am, a monument to Emperor Nicholas II near Moscow, was blown up by members of the left-wing extremist organization Revvoensovet [named after the Revolutionary Military Council of 1918]. Their reason, was their opposition to a proposal to remove Lenin’s corpse from the mausoleum in Red Square.

In 1998, Russian president Boris Yeltsin actually considered removing Lenin’s body and burying his remains next to that of his mother in the Volkovskoye Cemetery in St. Petersburg, as the Bolshevik leader had requested prior to his death. Yeltsin’s plan was never carried out.

Lenin’s body was ultimately embalmed and placed in a marble and granite mausoleum on Red Square instead. It is interesting to note that the architect Alexey Viktorovich Shchusev (1873-1949), is the same architect who designed the Church of the Intercession of the Virgin in the Marfo-Mariinsky [Martha and Mary] Convent, founded in Moscow by Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna (1864-1918).

Up until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the preservation of Lenin’s remains was funded by the Soviet government. After 1991, the government discontinued financial support, after which the mausoleum was funded by private donations – mostly Communist sympathizers. In 2016 the Russian government reversed its earlier decision and announced it would spend 13 million rubles [$171,000 USD] to preserve Lenin’s body.

In 1998, a provocative event staged by the Russian artist Yuri Shabelnikov at the Dar Gallery in Moscow, titled “Lenin is in You and in Me”. Shabelnikov created a life-size cake (see photo above) shaped like Lenin’s embalmed body, presented as if lying in a coffin, and invited guests to eat it. The act turned a once-sacred revolutionary icon into something fleeting and consumable, symbolizing how Lenin’s ideological authority had faded in the 1990s and become an object of irony rather than reverence. Such an event would have been unimaginable during Soviet rule. [Source: Constantine Goh]

PHOTO: artist concept of the Church of the New Martyrs
proposed for the site of Lenin’s Mausoleum on Red Square

“Sooner or later, Lenin’s body will be buried”

In October 2020, a Prominent representative of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) spoke out on the burial of Lenin

“Vladimir Lenin has no place in Red Square. Nevertheless, one should proceed with caution in the matter of his burial.” This statement was made by the head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion, on the Russia 24 TV channel.

“I have no doubt that sooner or later Lenin’s body will be buried. It is another matter, however, when this will take place, and under what circumstances,” he said.

The high ranking representative of the Russian Orthodox Church called Lenin a “traitor to the Motherland” who came to Russia on German money. In his opinion, Lenin was a revolutionary who should be judged according to ordinary laws.

“In 1918 Lenin unleashed the Red Terror, which resulted in the repression and mass killings of the Russian population, therefore, the Bolshevik leader has no place in Red Square, he has no connection to it whatsoever,” the Metropolitan added.

“Lenin’s funeral will take place only when the communist ideology finally fades into the past. And this will still take some time,” the priest said.

The Metropolitan proposes to leave the mausoleum as is, since it is the work of the outstanding architect Alexey Viktorovich Shchusev (1873-1949). He supports the idea of converting it into a museum of mass repression during the Bolshevik years.

In September 2025, Advisor to the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation demanded the renaming of all toponyms in Russia bearing the name of the former Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin . . .

Natalia Poklonskaya sent a letter to the Cabinet of Ministers with a proposal to rename all toponyms in Russia bearing the name of Vladimir Lenin: streets, squares, parks, as well as the demolition of monuments to the Bolshevik leader, who ordered the murder of Russia’s last Tsar and his family.

“Each of us recalls the horrors of the Red Terror and the shooting of the Imperial Family,” she noted. “It’s time to get rid of the symbol of the Bolsheviks and Soviet era . . . “

As a replacement for Lenin, Poklonskaya proposed to assign toponyms the names of Nicholas II, Paul I, Catherine II and other Russian monarchs.

In July 2025, a Russian Orthodox social media group proposed the demolition of the Lenin Mausoleum on Red Square in Moscow, and replacing it with a Church of the New Martyrs (see photo above).

The author of this article supports such an idea, and I am sure that I pray and speak for many others, that we shall live to see the day when both Lenin’s corpse and Mausoleum are permanently erased from the Russian landscape!

NEW BOOK – ‘Memories of Russia: My Travels in Post-Soviet Russia’ by Paul Gilbert

Posted on April 15 by Paul Gilbert

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This year marks the 40th anniversary of my first visit to Russia. During the past four decades, I have visited Russia 29 times!

I travelled to Moscow, St. Petersburg – and the suburban towns of Tsarskoye Selo, Peterhof, Pavlovsk, Gatchina and Strelna – as well as Yalta and Crimea, Ekaterinburg and Alapaevsk.

In my new book, which is part travelogue, part history, I share my personal impressions and history of a dozen historic sites, that I have visited – some on numerous occasions. Out of the dozen historic sites covered in my book, all but two have a connection to Russia’s last tsar Nicholas II.

Join me as I revisit such places as the Grand Kremlin Palace, the Petrovsky Travelling Palace and the Russian State Archives – where I explore the Romanov archives in Moscow; learn the fate of Nicholas II’s private apartments in the Winter Palace and the State Hermitage Theatre – venue for the famous 1903 Costume Ball; travel with me to the Children’s Island and the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral – Nicholas II’s favourite church at Tsarskoye Selo; the ruins of the Lower Dacha at Peterhof and much more!

On the cover photo above, I am standing in the magnificent St. Andrew’s Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow. The date is 27th October 2000 – the day in which I marked my 44th birthday. Of all the wonderful memories I have from the 29 journeys I made to Russia between 1986-2018, this is among one of the most memorable!

Richly llustrated with more than 200 black and white photographs!

Every one has one country in which they are drawn, for me it is Russia
– PAUL GILBERT (Retired)

Is the myrrh-streaming icon of Nicholas II predicting a terrible omen for Russia?

Posted on November 23 by Paul Gilbert

Whether you are a believer or not, the following is just one of many miracles reported since the regicide in Ekaterinburg in July 1918 . . .

Last week, a case of myrrh streaming[1] from the icon of the Tsar-Passion-Bearer Nicholas II was recorded in the Church of the Nine Martyrs of Kizichesky in Moscow. The Orthodox community is now discussing the event which many believers and clergy interpret as an alarming omen.

Archpriest Anthony Serov commented on the event, “fragrant oil, myrrh, appeared on the surface of the icon, which is in a special, hermetically sealed case.” According to him, the design of the kiot[2] completely excludes any possibility of external influence or forgery. The myrrh-streaming of the icon has been confirmed by Life.ru[3].

“The icon is placed in a protected case, which excludes any outside interference,” Archpriest Anthony Serov emphasized. “Nevertheless, we have witnessed myrrh streaming from the icon. This, in my opinion, is of great spiritual importance.”

In the Orthodox tradition, the streaming of myrrh from icons is considered a miracle and a special sign of grace. However, myrhh streaming from the face of the saint [Nicholas II] which is enclosed in a protective case, is another matter.

Archpriest Serov regards the incident as a warning addressed not only to Orthodox believers, but to Russian society as a whole. He drew parallels with historical events when such phenomena preceded significant changes and upheavals, such as the 1917 Revolution and the First World War.

“The history of our country [Russia] has experienced examples of the streaming of myrrh from icons became a harbinger of revolutionary events, military conflicts and other difficult trials and tribulations,” the rector of the church explained. “It is necessary to comprehend what happened and learn from them.”

Over the centuries, such cases have been repeatedly recorded in Orthodox monasteries and churches in Russia. As a rule, believers see this as a call to repentance and prayer, especially when the images of the Royal Passion-Bearers “weep”.

Earlier, journalists turned to religious scholar Konstantin Mikhailov for comment of the recent myrrh-streaming incident near Moscow. The confessor said that such events are not uncommon and in most cases have a natural explanation. According to the expert, scientists have always found logical reasons for the appearance of moisture on icons.

In the meantime, parishioners and believers from all over Moscow are coming to the Church of the Nine Martyrs of Kizichesky to personally see the myrrh-streaming icon and pray.

NOTES:

[1] In the Orthodox tradition, myrrh-streaming is one of the most mysterious and controversial phenomena. On the one hand, the Church recognizes the fact of the outflow of fragrant myrrh from icons, relics and crosses as one of the manifestations of God’s grace. On the other hand, each such case is carefully checked by church commissions in order to exclude any possibility of forgery or natural causes.

[2] A kiot is a decorated case or frame used in Orthodox Christianity to protect and display religious icons. It serves to safeguard the icon from environmental factors such as temperature fluctuations, dust, and humidity, ensuring the icon’s preservation over time.

[3] A prominent Russian information portal and news agency.

FURTHER READING:

‘Myrrh-streaming icon of Tsar Nicholas II brought to Ekaterinburg for Tsar’s Days’ + PHOTOS and VIDEO

‘My [Paul Gilbert’s] cancer journey and prayers for the intercession of Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II’

Nicholas II visits the Iverskaya Chapel in Moscow

Posted on August 20 by Paul Gilbert

VIDEO: Vintage newsreel of the Great Pilgrimage of Emperor Nicholas II to Moscow, on May 24-27, 1913. In this video you will hear a unique audio recording of Orthodox hymns for the Transfiguration of the Lord, performed by the Moscow Chudov Choir in 1908. Duration: 3 minutes, 5 seconds

The Iberian or Resurrection Gate is the only remaining gate of the Kitai-gorod[1] in Moscow. It connects the north-western end of Red Square with Manege Square and gives its name to nearby Voskresenskaya Square [Resurrection Square, renamed Revolution Square in 1918].

The gate adjoins the ornate building of the old Moscow Duma [City Hall] to the east and the State Historical Museum to the west.

The first stone gate leading to Red Square was erected in 1535, when the Kitai-gorod wall was being reconstructed in brick. When the structure was rebuilt in 1680, the double passage was surmounted with two-storey chambers crowned by two octagonal hipped roofs similar to the Kremlin towers. An Icon of the Resurrection was placed on the gate facing towards Red Square, from which the gate derives its name.

The Iverskaya Chapel

Since 1669, the wooden chapel in front of the gate (facing away from Red Square) has housed a replica of the miracle-working icon of Panaghia Portaitissa (“keeper of the gate”), the prototype of which is preserved in the Georgian Iveron Monastery on Mount Athos. Hence, the name Iversky (Iberian) that stuck both to the chapel and the gate. In 1781, the Nikolo-Perervinsky Monastery constructed a new brick chapel on the spot. The star-splattered cupola of the structure was topped with a statue of an angel bearing a cross.

According to a popular custom, everyone heading for Red Square or the Kremlin visited the chapel to pay homage at the shrine, before entering through the gate. Beggars and outlaws would pray there next to the highest persons, including the Tsar himself. It was here that the rebel Emelyan Pugachev asked the Russian people for forgiveness a few hours before his execution. The tiny ever-overcrowded chapel, with candles burning day and night, figures in works by Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Bunin, Marina Tsvetayeva, and H.G. Wells, to name only a few.

PHOTO: the Iverskaya Chapel. c. 1890s

Nicholas II, like his father preferred Moscow to St. Petersburg. According to French historian Marc Ferro: “Nicholas II preferred Moscow to St. Petersburg because the old city embodied the past, whereas St. Petersburg represented modernity, the Enlightenment and atheism.”

Three of the most notable visits to the Chapel were made on 26th (O.S. 14th) May 1896, on his way to his Coronation; on 25th-26th August 1912 during the celebrations dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino; and in May 1913 for celebrations marking the Romanov Tercentennary (1913).

On 5th April 1900, Nicholas wrote to his mother about reaching a landmark in his private spiritual life. A letter to his mother, reveals his strong religious feeling:

“What a joy it is to us, dear Mama, to prepare for Holy Communion here in the Kremlin, with all its various churches and chapels . . . This feeling is now much stronger than it was in 1896, which is only natural. I am so calm and happy now, and everything here makes for prayer and peace of spirit . . . “.

During his reign, Nicholas made numerous visits to the former Russian capital, where he always stopped to pray at the Iverskaya Chapel before crossing Red Square into the Kremlin, where he took up residence in the Grand Kremlin Palace. Moscow’s fervent greeting to their Tsar on each of his visits confirmed his feeling for the city.

Three of the most notable visits to the Iverskaya Chapel were made on 26th (O.S. 14th) May 1896, on his way to his Coronation; on 25th-26th August 1912 during the celebrations dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino; and in May 1913 for celebrations marking the Romanov Tercentennary (1913).

PHOTO: Emperor Nicholas II along with members of his family arrive at the Iverskaya Chapel in Moscow, 1912. Note the curious people watching from the windows of the State Historical Museum in the background. The Tsar is accompanied by his daughters the Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia (all wearing white hats), and his son Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, as well as the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna (wearing a nuns’ habit).

In the above photo, Emperor Nicholas II, Empresses Alexandra Feodorovna and Maria Feodorovna are walking towards the Iverskaya Chapel of the Iberian Mother of God before the crowning of Russia’s last Tsar in the Assumption (Dormition) Cathedral in the Kremlin on 26th (O.S. 14th) May 1896.

The photos below depict Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and their children visiting the Iverskaya Chapel to pray in 1912 and 1913:

PHOTO: Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich (being carried by the Cossack Alexei Petrovich Pilipenko (1887-1972) leaving the Iverskaya Chapel in Moscow

***

In 1929 the Iverskaya Chapel was demolished, and in 1931 the Resurrection Gate was demolished by order of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in order to make room for heavy military vehicles driving through Red Square during military parades. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, both structures were rebuilt under Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov’s[2] leadership, on the site between 1994 and 1995. A new icon of the Iveron Theotokos was painted on Mount Athos to replace the original.

On 4th November 1994, Patriarch Alexi II (1929-2008) consecrated the foundation of both the Iverskaya Chapel and the Resurrection Gate. The Iverskaya Chapel reopened to worshippers on 25th October 1995. Every day, every two hours from eight o’clock in the morning to eight in the evening, prayers are performed in the chapel with the reading of the akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos.

PHOTO: view of the Resurrection Gate in 1931, the Iverskaya Chapel was demolished in 1929

PHOTO: a stunning view of the Iverskaya Chapel and Resurrection Gate – the latter of which leads into Red Square, reconstructed between 1994-95.

NOTES:

[1] The Kitay-gorod was a cultural and historical area, built during the 16th and 17th centuries within the central part of Moscow. During the 1920s and 1930s Stalin ordered Kitay-gorod to be demolished. This wanton act of destruction included 10 chapels, the Cathedral of the Nikolo-Greek Monastery, and two monastery bell towers. The last pre-war victim of Kitay-gorod was the *Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan, demolished in 1936, which stood on the corner of Nikolskaya Street and the Red Square. *Reconstructed between 1990-1993.

[2] Yuri Mikhailovich Luzhkov (1936-2019) was a Russian politician who served as the Mayor of Moscow from 1992 to 2010. Under Luzhkov’s leadership, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan, the Resurrection Gate and Iverskaya Chapel were all rebuilt, as well as the construction of Catherine II’s unfinished palace in Tsaritsyno and the reconstruction of the Kolomenskoye Palace of Tsar Alexis (demolished as early as the 18th century).

First Moscow church is being built in honour of the Tsar-Passion-Bearer Nicholas II

Posted on August 19 by Paul Gilbert

The first Moscow church in honour of the Tsar-Passion-Bearer Nicholas II is now being built in the capital’s Annino district, said Vladimir Resin, deputy of the State Duma of Russia, Patriarchal Adviser and curator of the Program for the Construction of New Churches in Moscow.

Vladimir Resin clarified that there are currently 22 churches and chapels in Russia, dedicated to the Tsar-Passion-Bearer, however, this will be the first such church to be constructed in Moscow. These do not include churches and chapels dedicated to the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers, which have been constructed across the Russian Federation, following the Imperial Family’s canonization by the Moscow Patriarchate in August 2000.

“Thanks to the support of His Holiness the Patriarch, donations from parishioners and a targeted patriarchal subsidy, we are confidently moving forward. I note that the project of this large church for 800 people was developed in the style of Russian Art Nouveau. The area of the prayer hall without an altar and a solea is over 400 square meters,” said the Patriarchal Adviser.

Artist concept of church in honour of the Tsar-Passion-Bearer Nicholas II, Moscow

The church complex is being built according to the project of the architect Fyodor Ivanovich Afuksenidi (b. 1961, Krasnaya Polyana), the author of more than 50 Orthodox churches and chapels, who died in 2019. For the creation of churches, he was awarded the Order of Sergius of Radonezh III Degree.

It is noted that thanks to the manufacturer, 20 tons of reinforcement bars were delivered to the construction site in June, and on June 7, the parish youth began to inscribe the names of the donors on the brick walls of the future church.

“By the end of the year, the builders intend to erect the frame of the building along with the installation of drums under the domes. The entire complex is expected to be complete in 2028,” added Vladimir Resin.

Exhibition dedicated to Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich opens in Moscow

Posted on July 5 by Paul Gilbert

On 3rd July 2025, a new exhibition August Master of Moscow, dedicated to the Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, opened at the Museum of Moscow in the Russian capital. The exhibition is timed to the 120th anniversary of the assassination of the grand duke on 17th February (O.S. 4th February) 1905.

Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich (1857-1905) was a son of Emperor Alexander II and Empress Maria Alexandrovna, a younger brother of Emperor Alexander III, uncle of Emperor Nicholas II and husband of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna. He is considered one of the most outstanding statesmen of the Russian Empire.

From 1891 to February 1905, he served as Governor-General of Moscow, and in 1896 he was appointed Commander of the Moscow Military District. It was during his years as Governor-General, that Moscow enjoyed one of the greatest periods of the city’s development, turning it from a dirty provincial city into a city that could rival any European capital.

As Governor General of Moscow, Grand Duke Sergei was in charge of overseeing the arrangements for the Holy Coronation of Emperor Nicholas II in May 1896. His reputation was initially tarnished, however, as he was partially blamed for the Khodynka Tragedy during the festivities following the coronation.

Yhe exhibition in three halls of the museum reveals all aspects of the Grand Duke’s activities. Not only his work as Governor-General of Moscow and Commander of the Moscow Military District, but also his piety and spiritual journey with his wife the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna. Sergei was also a well-known philanthropist and patron of the arts.

The exposition features more than 500 items from 36 leading museums and archives of the Russian Federation, as well as from libraries and private collections. Among the exhibits are photographs, books from the library of the Grand Duke, personal items, awards of charitable institutions and societies, rare archival documents about his activities as Governor-General of Moscow and Commander of the Moscow Military District, correspondence with family members and statesmen, military uniforms, models of weapons and much more.

One of the most interesting items on display is a miraculously preserved tablet from the tombstone of the Grand Duke. After the Bolsheviks destroyed the Chudov Monastery [where he was initially buried] in 1928, it was believed that the grave of Sergei Alexandrovich was lost. However, during excavations of the site in the 1990s, a number of historical artifacts were revealed, including the grand duke’s grave. Another item on display is the icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh, also found in the tomb of the Grand Duke in the Chudov Monastery of the Moscow Kremlin.

On display in the first hall, are letters from the earliest years of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich to 1888. And they reflect his marriage, his service, his first trip to the Holy Land, his appointment as commander of the Preobrazhensky Regiment and so on.

The exposition is complemented by a unique documentary newsreel, a film about Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich and the history of the Chudov Monastery.

The exhibition was solemnly opened by the Mayor of Moscow Sergei Sobyanin [pictured above] and the Chairman of the Elisabeth-Sergius Educational Society Foundation (ESPO) Anna Gromova.

The grand opening of the exhibition was attended by the head of the Department of Culture of the city of Moscow Alexei Fursin, the Chairman of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society Sergey Stepashin, the director of the Museum of Moscow Anna Trapkova, the director of the State Historical Museum Alexei Levykin, the director of the State Archives of the Russian Federation Larisa Rogovaya and the scientific director of the Civil Archive of the Russian Federation Sergey Mironenko. Archpriest Dimitry Roshchin, Head of the Department for Work with Public Organizations of the Synodal Department for Church, Society and Mass Media Relations, representatives of the museums partner of the exhibition, historians, scientists and artists, and representatives of public organizations.

The exhibition August Master of Moscow runs until 21st September 2025 at the Museum of Moscow.

Bas-relief of Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II installed in Moscow

Posted on November 16, 2024 by Paul Gilbert

On 1st November 2024 – a monument to Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich (1857-1905) and Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna (1864–1918) was unveiled and consecrated on the square near the Tretyakovskaya metro station in Moscow.

The installation of the monument is timed to the 160th anniversary of the birth of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, born Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine.

The sculptural composition was designed by the artist Georgy Frangulyan. The grand ducal couple are represented on the day of their wedding on 16th (O.S. 3rd) June 1884.

Behind the two bronze figures are four granite steles, one of which features a bas-relief depicting Emperor Nicholas II – seen in the photo above.