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New monument to Nicholas II unveiled in Mariinsk

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.

Sakhalin Communists want monument to Nicholas II replaced with monument to Joseph Stalin

Posted on August 27 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: Emperor Nicholas II and Joseph Stalin

The Sakhalin regional branch of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation have demanded the removal of a monument to Emperor Nicholas II, which was recently installed in the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, and replacing it with a monument to Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.

Recall that a bust-monument to the Holy Passion-Bearer Nicholas II was unveiled and consecrated on 23rd August 2026, on the grounds of the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ, situated on Victory Square inYuzhno-Sakhalinsk (from 1882 to 1905 – Vladimirovka, from 1905-1946 – Toyohara (from Japanese), situated on Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East.

The Communists consider it inappropriate to place a monument to Russia’s last Tsar, since it was during the reign of Nicholas II that Russia was defeated in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 and handed over the southern part of Sakhalin to Japan.

The Sakhalin regional branch of the Communist Party also recalled that shortly before the opening of the monument, Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi again announced territorial claims against Russia. Therefore, the installation of the monument to Nicholas II can be perceived as a political signal and used by Japanese propaganda, party members believe.

PHOTO: local communists want to replace this
monument to Nicholas II with one of Joseph Stalin

As an alternative to the monument to the emperor, the Communists put forward a proposal to erect a monument to Joseph Stalin on the same square, thanks to whom South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands returned to the USSR in 1945. The proposal was sent to Sakhalin Governor Valery Limarenko, regional prosecutor Vladimir Shaibekov, deputies of the regional Duma, Chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The communists proposal caused a wide public outcry. Many citizens support the proposal, believing that the memory of Stalin should be immortalized in historically significant places. Others, however, expressed their concerns about the need to erect a monument to persons associated with political repressions and terror, which affected tens of millions of people during the Bolshevik and later Soviet years.

One has to wonder if the Sakhalin Communists asked themselves – “why” would an Orthodox Church, want a monument to Stalin, the Soviet leader who declared war on the Church, ordering the demolition and closure of thousands of Orthodox churches, cathedrals and monasteries and the execution and imprisonment of thousands of priests, monks and nuns?

New monument to Nicholas II unveiled in the Tuva region

Posted on August 26 by Paul Gilbert

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.

New monument to Nicholas II unveiled on Sakhalin Island

Posted on August 24 by Paul Gilbert

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.

New monument to Nicholas II and his family unveiled in the Surgut district

Posted on August 19 by Paul Gilbert

On 19th August 2026, a new monument to Emperor Nicholas II and his family was unveiled and consecrated on the grounds of the Church of of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, situated in the village of Bely Yar, Surgut district.

The opening of the monument is timed to the 135 years ago, the heir to the throne visited Ugra.during a trip across the Russian Empire following his Eastern Journey (1890-91).

Historical documents in the district archives note: “On 21st (O.S. 8th) July, 1891, at 5 o’clock in the evening, the heir to the throne, Tsesarevich and Grand Duke Nicholas Alexandrovich [future Emperor Nicholas II], arrived at the Beloyarsk wharf, which is seven versts from Surgut, on the steamer “Nikolai“.

The 3-meter bronze sculptural composition was created by a group of Moscow sculptors. The consecration of the monument of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers was performed by Metropolitan Pavel of Khanty-Mansiysk and Surgut.

The opening and consecration ceremony was attended by the Governor of Ugra Ruslan Kukharuk, co-founder of the Sibpromstroy group of companies Nikolai Storozhuk, as well as local politicians of the Surgut district.

“The opening and consecration of the monument is one of the most important moments in the construction of the temple complex,” the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Surgut reported. “The monument is designed to remind us of love for the Motherland and the desire for a pious life. The Royal Passion-Bearers – Nicholas II, Alexandra Feodorovna and their children – became a symbol of family fidelity and spiritual fortitude. Their canonization [on 20th August 2000] tells us about the importance of mercy, humility and trust in God even in the most difficult trials.”

Construction of the Church of of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God began in the 2010s. The domes and crosses on the building were installed at the end of 2018, work on the interiors and landscaping are currently near completion.

Monument to Russian Glory in Belgrade was the world’s first monument to Nicholas II

Posted on August 8 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: on 3rd August, members of the National Council of the Russian National Minority gather at the Monument to Russian Glory to honour Tsar Nicholas II and soldiers of the Russian Imperial Army, who died during the Great War (1914-18)

Many readers may be surprised to learn that the world’s first monument to honour Emperor Nicholas II was NOT installed in Russia, but in Serbia. The Monument to Russian Glory was completed and consecrated in January 1936, in the Russian Necropolis of the New Cemetery in Belgrade. The monument also honours soldiers of the Russian Imperial Army who died during the First World War.

It is interesting to note, that Russia’s last Tsarwas canonized as a saint by the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1938 – 43 years BEFORE the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) in 1981 and 62 years BEFORE the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000.

Russia’s first monument to Nicholas II was installed on 17th July 1993, on the grounds of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral at Tsarskoye Selo. Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, more than 125 monuments, busts and memorial plaques have been installed in 46 regions of the Russian Federatuon. The Serbian capital Belgrade, features no less than 3 monuments to Nicholas II.

PHOTO: the Monument to Russian Glory in Belgrade, Serbia.
The Iverskaya [Iberian] Chapel can be seen on the left.

The Monument to Russian Glory, was created on the initiative of the Association of the Former Imperial Officers and other Military Conscripts, with the support of members of the White Russian émigré community in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (now Serbia) in the interwar period.

The monument is located at the edge of the Russian Necropolis of the New Cemetery. Situated near the monument is the Iverskaya [Iberian] Chapel, designed by Valery Vladimirovich Stashevsky. The design for the chapel is a replica of the original chapel in Moscow which the Bolsheviks demolished that same year, and reconstructed in 1994-95.

The monument itself, was built according to the project of the prominent Russian architect Roman Nikolaevich Verkhovskoy (1881-1968). The foundation stone was laid on 19th July 1934.

King Aleksandar I Karadjordjevic (1888-1934) donated 5,000 dinars for the monument’s construction. The completed monument above the Ossuary with the statue of the Archangel Michel, as well as the Iverskaya [Iberian] was officially unveiled on 24th May 1935. It was consecrated on 12th January 1936.

VIDEO: on 3rd August 2026, members of the National Council of the Russian National Minority gather at the Monument to Russian Glory to honour Tsar Nicholas II and soldiers of the Russian Imperial Army, who died during the Great War (1914-18). Duration: 17 minutes, 23 seconds

On 3rd August 2026, on the the day marking the 112th anniversary of the Russian Empire’s entry into the First World War to defend Serbia and the 110th anniversary of the formation of the First Serbian Volunteer Division, a memorial service and tribute to Tsar Nicholas II and the Russian soldiers who died for the Serbs.

The event was organized by members of the National Council of the Russian National Minority. May this important date of 1st August and the magnificent gathering in Belgrade in 2026 be remembered.

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FURTHER READING

Nicholas II through Serbian Eyes + PHOTOS

1st August 1914 – the beginning of the end of the great European monarchical Empires

New monument to Nicholas II unveiled in Zarechny

Posted on July 30 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: monument to Nicholas II, set against the
backdrop of the Church of Seraphim of Sarov

On Thursday, 30th July 2026, a new bust-monument to Emperor Nicholas II was unveiled and consecrated on the grounds of the the Church of Seraphim of Sarov, in the Russian town of Zarechny.

It is interesting to note that during the Soviet years, Zarechny was renamed Penza-19. From 1962 to 1992, it was a closed town[1] in the Penza Oblast (District), located 12 kilometers (7.5 mi) east of the city of Penza.

Prominent guests at the unveiling ceremony included Boris Korchevnikov, General Director of the Spas TV channel and TV presenter Pavel Astakhov.

The act of consecration of the monument to Nicholas II, was performed by the rector of the Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov, Father Viktor Storozhev.

Following the unveiling and consecration, he thanked the initiators of the project and philanthropists who donated the monument to the city. He expressed the hope that the newly landscaped park-square, which now surrounds the church will become a place where people will come and reflect on the life and reign of Russia’s much slandered Tsar.

PHOTO: the act of consecration of the monument to Nicholas II was performed
by Father Viktor Storozhev, at the Church of Seraphim of Sarov

The installation of the monment in Zarechny is the 10th 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 46 regions of the Russian Federation.

NOTES:

[1] A closed city or town is a settlement where travel or residency is restricted. In the Soviet Union, closed cities were quarantined for research and military purposes.

Tsar’s Days in Ekaterinburg – 16/17 July 2026

Posted on July 22 by Paul Gilbert

More than 44,000 pilgrims took part in this years’ Tsars Days in Ekaterinburg, marking the 108th anniversary of the death and martyrdom of Emperor Nicholas II, along with his family and their four faithful servants. The event culminated on the night of 16/17 July, with a nighttime Divine Liturgy at the Church on the Blood followed by a Cross Procession to the Monastery of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers at Ganina Yama.

Divine Liturgy

The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by 20 archpastors, led by His Eminence Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, with bishops from throughout Russia, and the representatives of the Antiochian and Serbian Patriarchates in Moscow.

The hierarchs were assisted by local and visiting clergy, including representatives of the Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia and the Orthodox Church in America.

Prayers were offered in multiple languages, including Slavonic, Georgian, English, Arabic, Greek, and Serbian, with pilgrims present from Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Serbia, Australia, New Zealand, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Belarus, and Ukraine, among other countries.

The Holy Gifts were distributed from more than 100 chalices.

During the service, Metropolitan Vikentiy conveyed a congratulatory message from Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ to Metropolitan Evgeniy on his name day. Metropolitan Niphon likewise conveyed greetings on behalf of the Antiochian, Serbian, and American Churches, recalling the historical ties between Emperor Nicholas II and the Church of Antioch.

Procession of the Cross

Following the Diving Liturgy, the Cross Procession began at about 2:30 am local time. The Procession was led by Metropolitan Vikenty and other hierarchs. To the penitential Jesus Prayer “Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us!”, thousands of believers – clergy and laity, walked on foot fromHoly the Church on the Blood to the Monastery of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers at Ganina Yama. The 21-km (13-mile) journey took four hours.

Mobastery of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers

The Cross Procession concluded with a service at shaft No. 7, built on the site where the bodies of the Royal Martyrs were initially discarded by the regicides. They were exhumbed the following day, and moved, and reburied in two sepearate graves, in what is to what is today known as Porosenkov Log.

Metropolitan Vikenty thanked participants for their spiritual effort and also offered congratulations to the local hierarch His Eminence Metropolitan Evgeny of Ekaterinburg on his name day, the commemoration of the physician-martyr Evgeny Botkin. In his remarks, Metropolitan Evgeny noted that portraits of the Tsar and his Family and St. Evgeny had been decorated with white and red flowers by the monastery brethren, symbolizing purity and the shedding of blood in preserving that purity.

A moleben [a liturgical service of supplication or thanksgiving] with the reading of the Akathist to the Holy Royal Martyrs was held throughout the day at the monastery’s large Orthodox memorial cross.

The commemorations marked the anniversary of the deaths of Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, and their children—Tsesarevich Alexei and Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia—along with loyal servants Aloisy Trupp, Anna Demidova, Evgeny Botkin, and Ivan Kharitonov, who were all brually murdered on the night of 16/17 July 1918, in the basement of the Ipatiev House, where the Church on the Blood now stands.

Tsar’s Days and Porosenkov Log

Recall that the first Cross 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. It has been held annually in the Ural capital ever since.

In 2018, the year marking the 100th anniversary of the death and martyrdom of the Imperial Family, more than 100, 000 people from across Russia and around the world attended the historic event, including the author of this article, who travelled from Canada to take part.

Once again, Porosenkov Log will not included in this year’s Cross Procession. Porosenkov Log is where the remains of the Imperial Family were exhumed in two separate graves in 1991 and 2007 respectively. Due to the fact that the Moscow Patriachate does not yet recognize the Ekaterinburg Remains as those of the Imperial Family. Their official recognition rests with the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Cross Procession to Russia’s greatest monument to Nicholas II held near Moscow

Posted on July 20 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: on 15th July 2026, a moleben was served for Nicholas II, near the Church of the Annunciation of the Holy Mother of God, n the village of Taininskoye

On 15th July 2026, a Cross Procession was held in the village of Taininskoye (Mytishchi district). situated 19 km northeast of Moscow. The village is home to Russia’s greatest monument to Emperor Nicholas II – by the Russian sculptor Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Klykov (1938-2006).

A Divine Liturgy was performed in the beautiful 17th-century Church of the Annunciation of the Holy Mother of God [built in 1675-1677]. From there, some 500 pilgrims walked to the nearby monument to Emperor Nicholas II.

PHOTO: View of the Church of the Annunciation of the Holy Mother of God [built in 1675-1677], in the village of Taininskoye [Mytishchi district]

The Orthodox faithful gathered at the monument, where a moleben [a liturgical service of supplication or thanksgiving] was served to the Holy Passion-Bearer The service was performed by Priest Victor Seleznev, who serves as chairman of the Department for Organized Orthodox Recreation, Pilgrimage and Tourism of the Sergiev Posad Diocese.

From there, the pilgrims set off on a 5-day Cross Procession, on foot to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra – a distance of nearly 100 km. [62 miles] This year, they were joined by Cossacks of the Central Cossack Army. The event has been held annually since 2017, one which has the blessing of Bishop Kirill of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrov with the support of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society (IOPS).

Recall that since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, more than 100 monuments, busts and memorial plaques have been installed in 36 regions across Russia. As of 16th July, there have been 9 monuments installed in cities and towns across the Russian Federation this year alone.

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PHOTO: Cross Procession at the monument to Nicholas II in Taininskoye (2024)

PHOTO: Cross Procession at the monument to Nicholas II in Taininskoye (2025)

FURTHER READING

Taininskoye: the site of Russia’s greatest monument to Nicholas II + PHOTOS and VIDEO