Russian Orthodox Church

“They Suffered for the Faith”: Russia honours the memory of Nicholas II and his family

On the Day of Remembrance of the Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church

There is a day in the Orthodox calendar when the faithful remember those who suffered during the years of persecution of the Church. This feast day changes from one year to the next. That is, the established date of 7th February (25th January according to the Old Styke Julian calendar) may change depending on the day of the week. Since the feast is always celebrated on Sunday, this year it falls on 8th February.

The Russian Church spoke with the cleric of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Slonim, Priest Nikolai Savitsky.

The meaning of the holiday

On Sunday, divine services will be held in Orthodox churches in memory of the New Martyrs and Confessors. These are the faces (categories) of holiness in Christianity, indicating the feat of faith.

“A martyr is someone who died for Christ, and a confessor is someone who endured persecution for the faith, but survived,” explains Priest Nikolai Savitsky. — On 8th February, the church commemorates the New Martyrs — those who suffered in the twentieth century. At the moment, 1623 saints are known, but research continues. Clergy are given access to personal files and archives. The history of the church is studied, new facts are discovered. It takes time to confirm them — this is very serious and painstaking work. When people did not deviate from their faith until their last breath, they are then considered. We must then learn about them in order to perform glorification.

On the Day of Remembrance of the Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors, it is important to read the biographies of several saints in order to understand how much they suffered.

Vneration of the Tsar’s family

There is an icon of the Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church, in the center of which the Tsar’s family is among the saints. Recall that Emperor Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra Feodorovna and their five children (Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Tsesarevich Alexei) were the last Imperial Family of Russia. After the abdication of Nicholas II from the throne on 15 March 1917 (O.S. 2 March) 1917, the family was initially held under house arrest in the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo, before being sent into exile to Tobolsk. Then they were transferred to Ekaterinburg, where they were shot in the Ipatiev House on the night of 16/17 July 1918.

“Yes, history needs to be studied, but it is so twisted and distorted that it is very difficult to get to the bottom of the truth. Nevertheless, the Tsar’s family are glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church – after this fact, questions should disappear,” the priest emphasizes. – The Emperor, his wife and children were canonized in 2000 as passion-bearers. These are saints who suffered during their lifetime or were martyred, but not for confessing their faith in Jesus Christ. As a rule, they became victims of the hatred and deceit of their enemies for other, very different reasons. Virtue is that they met death without malice and resistance. In order to further increase the evil in the world by their resistance, in truly Christian humility and love for those who have hurt them. In this love, the passion-bearers became like Christ, Who humbly accepted crucifixion, death and forgave His tormentors.

Holy Royal Passion-Bearers, pray to God for us!
Святые царственные страстотерпцы, молите Бога о нас!

FURTHER READING

Prayer to the Holy Martyred Tsar Nicholas II

Lost Orthodox Churches of Imperial Russia – Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (Borki)

Posted on 11 Days Ago by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: view of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour at Borki. 1916

During the Bolshevik and later the Soviet war against the Russian Orthodox Church (1920-1980s), thousands of Orthodox churches, cathedrals and monasteries of the Russian Empire were destroyed. Many of these architectural monuments were blown up, their materials were used to construct new buildings. For instance. the marble salvaged from the demolished Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow in 1931, was used to decorate some of the city’s elaborate Metro stations.

One of the greatest architectural losses of both the Russian Empire and the Russian Orthodox Church is that of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Borki, Kharkov Oblast (today, part of eastern Ukraine).

The cathedral was built in 1891-1894 in the village of Borki, on the site of the crash of the Imperial Train on 17th October 1888, in memory of the dead and in honour of the miraculous salvation of the Emperor Alexander III and his family. The majestic cathedral, was designed in the Russian-Byzantine style, by the Russian architect Robert Robertovich Marfeld (1852-1921).

PHOTO: Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna leaving the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour on 20th August 1898, the day marking the 10th anniversary of the Borki train disaster

History

On 27th April 1889, on the initiative of the Kharkov governor Alexander Ivanovich Petrov (1838/1841—1915), a committee was created to erect a memorial at the site of the crash of the tsar’s train. On 30th May, the committee decided to construct a cathedral in the center of the architectural ensemble, and to erect a chapel on the site of the disaster itself. On the same day, the landowner Apollon Mikhailovich Mernenkov donated the land near the site of the disaster for the construction of the cathedral.

At the time, the crash site of the Imperial Train attracted a lot of people who came to pray at the site, but expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that there was no room for offering thanksgiving prayers for the salvation of the Tsar and his family, Archbishop Ambrose (Klyucharev) of Kharkov and Akhtyrka (1820-1901) and the Venerable Herman of Svyatogorsk (Gregory Ivanovich Klitsa (1816–1890) organized the construction of a wooden church and skete.

In addition, buildings for visitors to the skete, buildings for monastic cells and refectory, and a summer shelter for pilgrims were erected on the land donated by the peasants of the village of Sokolovo, Trees used for the construction of the Old Russian style church came from a pine forest in Moscow, and transported by rail. On 20th August 1889, the opening of the skete and the consecration of a church in honour of the Image of Christ the Saviour Not-Made-by-Hands took place.

PHOTO: view of the iconostasis of Christ the Saviour at Borki. 1908

PHOTO: view of the iconostasis of Christ the Saviour at Borki. 1908

PHOTO: view of the two side chapels of Christ the Saviour at Borki. 1908

The project of the stone Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was developed by Robert Robertovich Marfeld (1852-1921), construction was carried out at the expense of the local manufacturer I. Voronin and numerous donors.

On 21st May 1891, the foundation was laid, the ceremony was attended by Empress Maria Feodorovna, Tsesarevich and Grand Duke Nikolai Alexandrovich [future Emperor Nicholas II] and other members of the Imperial Family.

The cathedral was designed to hold 1400 worshippers. It was a majestic structure, surrounded on three sides by a covered gallery and crowned with a huge golden dome. All the exterior gilding of the cathedral and chapel were made of gold leaf.

The interior of the cathedral was distinguished by simplicity and at the same time elegance. On the right side of the Holy Doors was placed the Image of the Saviour Not-Made-by-Hands, in honour of which the cathedral was erected, and on the left side was an icon of the Mother of God. The Holy Doors were carved from linden wood. On three sides of the church there were extensive choirs.

On 17th October 1891, a chapel was laid at the place where the Imperial Family miraculously came out from under the wreckage of the train. At first, its underground section was erected in the railway embankment, then aboveground, in the form of a tetrahedral tower with a golden dome. The Ministry of Railways at its own expense built two majestic staircases on the slope of the embankment and a platform opposite the cathedral itself.

On 14th July 1894, in the presence of Emperor Alexander III and members of his family, the solemn consecration of the cathedral in the name of Christ the Saviour took place.

A landscaped park was laid out in front of the cathedral, and outdoor lighting was installed. At the place where the Empress tended to the wounded victims of the train crash, a gazebo made of stones and metal was erected.

In 1900, the cathedral complex was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Railways. With the money raised by the railway and voluntary donations, a hospital and a home for elderly railway workers were built at the cathedral complex, a parochial school and a public library were opened, as well as a museum dedicated to the events of 17th October 1888.

On 20th August 1898, Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna along with other members of the Imperial Family visited the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, on the day marking the 10th anniversary of the Borki train disaster.

In 1908, a monument to Emperor Alexander III was erected next to the cathedral.

PHOTO: view of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour at Borki. Only the Chapel of the Saviour (right) has surived to the present day

Destruction

During the Great Patriotic War (1941-45), the cathedral complex was completely destroyed. The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour caught fire, the golden dome collapsed. On 7th September 1943, the cathedral was blown up during the offensive of Soviet troops. It is not known whether it was the Soviets or the Nazis who shelled it. After the war, the ruins of the cathedral were blown up.

Miraculously, only the Chapel of the Saviour, situated some 60 meters from the cathedral survived, although it to was badly damaged during the war. In 1992-1993, the chapel was restored, funded by conations raised by local residents and the Southern Railway. On 27th April 2003, the chapel was consecrated by Bishop Onufriy.

PHOTO: the Chapel of the Saviour at Borki as it looks today

FURTHER READING

Lost Orthodox Churches of Imperial Russia – Part I + 13 PHOTOS

Lost architectural monuments of the Moscow Kremlin + 13 PHOTOS

Nicholas II: defender of the Orthodox faith

Posted on 16 Days Ago by Paul Gilbert

Nicholas II, Russia’s last emperor, is revered by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and the Serbia Orthodox Church as a saint for his deep piety, unwavering defense of Orthodoxy, embodying the traditional role of the Tsar as God’s anointed Defender of the Faith.

A symbol of Steadfastness. Nicholas II serves as an inspiration for Orthodox Christians, representing the ideal of a ruler and believer who remained true to God amidst immense trials and tribulations.

Nicholas II saw himself as the Supreme Defender of the Orthodox faith, fostering church growth, promoting canonizations, and upholding traditional values, while the ROC honours him as an example of steadfast faith and a symbol for believers against modern evils.

As God’s Anointed, Nicholas II could not be displaced during his lifetime. Since the will of God was nowhere manifest, neither in the naming of his brother Grand Duke Mikhail to the throne, nor in the Tsar’s signing of the instrument of abdication, his status as Emperor and Tsar remained inviolate and unassailable.

“The Tsar was a living incarnation of faith in the Divine Providence that works in the destinies of nations and peoples and directs Rulers faithful to God into good and useful actions”
– St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco (1896-1966)

Religion and the Church Under Nicholas II

Nicholas II believed his divine duty as Supreme Guardian of the Orthodox faith and ‘Head of the Church’ in the spirit of his Byzantine imperial predecessors, and to protect the Orthodox Church and its doctrines, viewing himself as the first among believers and God’s chosen ruler.

During his reign (1894-1917), the Russian Orthodox Church expanded significantly with construction of new churches, monasteries, and schools, with the Tsar personally supporting religious publications and artifacts. He personally helped to finance from his own pocket, the construction of new churches, both within the Russian Empire and abroad.

The Russian Orthodox Church under Emperor Nicholas II flourished. In 1914, it consisted of 68 dioceses, 54,923 churches, 953 monasteries, 4 theological academies, 185 religious schools, 40,530 schools and 278 periodicals. The clergy consisted of 157 bishops, 68,928 priests, 48 987 clerics, 21,330 monks in monasteries and 73,229 nuns in convents.

Nicholas II actively supported the canonization of revered figures, most notably St. Seraphim of Sarov, and other saints such as Theodosius of Uglitsk and John of Tobolsk.

Icons of the Holy Royal Martyr Nicholas II are now found in Orthodox churches globally, and many Orthodox believers venerate him as a great saint.

His Canonization as a Saint

The canonization of Russia’s last Tsar, also known as “glorification,” was the elevation to sainthood of Nicholas II as a “new martyr” by the ROCOR on 1st November 1981 and as a “passion-bearer” by the Moscow Patriarchate on 15th August 2000, recognizing his peaceful endurance of persecution and execution by the Bolsheviks. Despite his official designation as “passion-bearers” by the Moscow Patriarchate, Nicholas II is nevertheless spoken of as “martyr” in Church publications, icons, and in popular veneration by the people.

Nicholas II was canonized by the Serbian Orthodox Church primarily for his role as a pious “passion-bearer”—a saint who faced death with Christian humility and resignation—and for his significant support of Serbia during World War I, specifically his efforts to protect Serbia and his solidarity with the Serbian people.

In essence, Nicholas II embodies the historical ideal of the Orthodox Tsar, and his life and martyrdom solidified his place as a revered saint, a defender of his people and his faith until the very end.

***

CLICK on the above image to watch the VIDEO
Researched, written and narrated by Paul Gilbert
Duration: 20 minutes. Language: English

Emperor Nicholas II reigned for 22+ years – from November 1894 to February 1917. With his murder, the last Orthodox Christian monarch, along with the thousand-year history of thrones and crowns in Russia, ended, ushering in an era of lawlessness, apostasy, and terror, one which would sweep Holy Orthodox Russia into an abyss which would last more than 70 years.

This new video production is based on the research of project colleague and independent researcher Paul Gilbert, who also narrates this video.

In the first 24 hours of it’s release on YouTube, some 3,000 people had watched the video! Since it’s release in July 2020, it has been viewed by more than 134.000 people.

The creators have done a remarkable job of incorporating a wonderful collection of photos – both vintage B&W and colourized by Olga Shirnina (aka KLIMBIM) – historical newsreel film footage and music.

One viewer noted on social media: “Only 20 minutes long, this is the BEST portrayal of the last Tsar’s Orthodox faith I have ever seen. Very well-made, historical and moving.”

The crowning moment of this video is near the end, which shows film footage of the actual canonization ceremony of Emperor Nicholas II and his family, performed on 20th August 2000 by Patriarch Alexei II (1929-2008) in the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow. You can hear His Holiness calling out each of the names of the Imperial Family. The footage is extremely moving to watch.

This 20-minute video is presented in the framework of the production of the book The Romanov Royal Martyrs: What Silence Could Not Conceal published by Mesa Potamos Publications in 2019.

***

CLICK on the IMAGE below for more details and to order your copy

‘NICHOLAS II: RUSSIA’S LAST ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN MONARCH’

Compiled and Edited by Paul Gilbert

134 PAGES. ILLUSTRATED

AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK and EBOOK EDITIONS

An illustrated 16-page Introduction by independent researcher Paul Gilbert explores the piety of Nicholas II, and his devotion to the Russian Orthodox Church, which reached its fullest development and power, during his 22-year reign.

This book further examines the trials and tribulations the Tsar endured, which later led to his canonization by the Russian Orthodox Church.

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).

25th anniversary of the canonization of Nicholas II by the Moscow Patriarchate

Posted on August 20 by Paul Gilbert

On this day – 20th August 2000 – after eight years of debate, and at times threatening to split the Russian Orthodox Church, the Council of Bishops unanimously approved the canonization of Emperor Nicholas II and his family as passion-bearers[1]. The rite of canonization took place in Moscow’s newly reconstructed Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.

Patriarch Alexei II of Moscow and All Russia (1929-2008), and nearly 150 bishops debated, once and for all, the issue of the Tsar’s spiritual life and qualifications for sainthood. Supporters of this action had long insisted that Nicholas II was anointed by God[2] and was incapable of stopping the communist takeover of Russia. Those who opposed the Tsar’s canonization insisted that he was weak, indulged in excesses and had little concern for the suffering of his people.

“In the last Orthodox monarch of Russia and in the members of his Family we see people who sincerely sought to live by the commandments of the Gospel. In the suffering endured in captivity by the Imperial Family with humbleness, patience and meekness, in their martyrs’ death during the night of 17th (O.S. 4th) July 1918, the evil-defeating light of the faith of Christ was revealed,” the Bishop’s Council concluded.

The Moscow Patriarchate canonized the family as passion-bearers: people who face death with resignation, in a Christ-like manner, as distinguished from martyrs, the latter historically killed for their faith. Proponents cited the piety of the family and reports that the Tsarina and her eldest daughter Olga prayed and attempted to make the sign of the cross immediately before they died.

The term “passion-bearer” is used in relation to those Russian saints who, “imitating Christ, endured with patience physical, moral suffering and death at the hands of political opponents. In the history of the Russian Church, such passion-bearers were the holy noble princes Boris and Gleb (1015), Igor of Chernigov (+ 1147), Andrei Bogolyubsky (+ 1174), Mikhail of Tverskoy (+ 1318), Tsarevich Dimitri (+ 1591). All of them, by their feat of passion-bearers, showed a high example of Christian morality and patience.

Despite their official designation as “passion-bearers” by the August 2000 Council, Nicholas II and his family are referred to as “martyrs” in Church publications, icons, and in popular veneration by the people.

The four faithful retainers who had been killed along with the Imperial family were also canonized as new martyrs by the ROCOR in 1981 The canonized servants were Dr. Eugene Botkin, court physician; Alexei Trupp, footman; Ivan Kharitonov, cook; and Anna Demidova, Alexandra’s maid. Also canonized were two servants killed in September 1918, lady in waiting Anastasia Hendrikova and tutor Catherine Adolphovna Schneider. All were canonized as victims of oppression by the Bolsheviks.

On 3rd February 2016, the Bishop’s Council of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) canonized Dr. Botkin as a righteous passion bearer. They did not canonize the servants, two of whom were not Russian Orthodox: Trupp was Roman Catholic, and Schneider was Lutheran.

Since the late 20th century, believers have attributed healing from illnesses or conversion to the Orthodox Church to their prayers to Maria and Alexei, as well as to the rest of the family.

On 20th August 2025 – the day marking the 25th anniversary of the canonization of the Holy Tsar’s Family, a moleben[3] was performed at the Church on the Blood (Ekaterinburg), built on the site of the Ipatiev House, where Nicholas II and his family were murdered on 17th July 1918.

NOTES:

[1] Emperor Nicholas II and his family were canonized as “new martyrs” by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) in 1981. The term “new martyrs” refers to those who were killed for their faith in the 20th century, especially during the persecution of Christians in the Soviet era.

[2] “As God’s Anointed, Nicholas II could not be displaced during his lifetime. Since the will of God was nowhere manifest, neither in the naming of his brother Grand Duke Michael to the throne, nor in the Tsar’s signing of the instrument of abdication, his status as Tsar remained inviolate and unassailable.”

by Evgeni Vernigora. ‘A Personal Reflection on the Abdication of the Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II’
Published in ‘Orthodox Life,’ 13th June 2018

[3] a liturgical service of supplication or thanksgiving

FURTHER READING:

The Canonization of Nicholas II + 12 PHOTOS

ROC Report on the Canonization of Nicholas II and his family

Obituary: His Holiness Patriarch Alexei II of Moscow and All Russia (1929-2008)

***

NICHOLAS II: RUSSIA’S LAST ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN MONARCH

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO ORDER FROM AMAZON

PAPERBACK EDITION – PRICE $10.99

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BOOK DESCRIPTION

This book is not only for Orthodox and non-Orthodox persons, but for any one who shares an interest in the life, death, and martyrdom of the Holy Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II.

An illustrated Introduction by independent researcher Paul Gilbert explores the piety of Nicholas II, and his devotion to the Russian Orthodox Church, which reached its fullest development and power, during his 22-year reign.

This book further examines the trials and tribulations the Tsar endured, which later led to his canonization by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Paperback edition, with 134 pages + 23 black & white photographs

BONES OF CONTENTION:
The Russian Orthodox Church & the Ekaterinburg Remains

by Paul Gilbert

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PAPERBACK EDITION – PRICE $13.99

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Originally published in 2020, this NEW REVISED & EXPANDED EDITION features an additional 40 pages, new chapters and 90 black and white photos.

In May 2022, the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, will convene in Moscow during which they will review the findings of the Investigative Commission and deliver their verdict on the authenticity of the Ekaterinburg Remains.

This is the first English language title to explore the position the highly contentious issue of the Russian Orthodox Church’s position on the Ekaterinburg remains. The author’s research for this book is based exclusively on documents from the office of the Moscow Patriarchate, as well as Russian media and archival sources.

Paperback edition. 206 pages. + 90 black & white photographs

MOST PIOUS TSAR
Icons, Frescoes and Holy Images of Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II

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

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

This book will not only appeal to Orthodox and non-Orthodox persons, but for any one who shares an interest in icons and iconography. This book also includes a Prayer and Akathist to the Holy Martyred Tsar. The highlight of this book, however, are the 130+ colour photographs of icons, frescoes and holy images depicting the Holy Royal Martyr Nicholas II.

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

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.

Divine Liturgy for the Imperial Family performed in the Great Church of the Winter Palace

Posted on July 28 by Paul Gilbert

On 17th July 2025, Archpriest Nikita Zverev, the dean of the palace churches, performed the Divine Liturgy in the Church of the Saviour of the Image Not Made by Hands [aka the Great Church of the Winter Palace], situated in the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.

The service marked the 107th anniversary of the death and martyrdom of Russia’s much slandered Tsar, his family, and their four faithful retainers, all of whom were brutally murdered in Ekaterinburg by members of the Ural Soviet in July 1918.

Archpriest Nikita was co-served by Rector Hieromonk Mark (Svyatogorov), Hieromonk Tikhon (Voronov), Archpriest Maxim Kvasov, Priest Artemy Naumov, and Hierodeacon Ilya (Vasiliev). They were joined by the combined choir of singers of the St. Petersburg diocese.

Among the worshippers were the Director of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Mikhail Borisovich Piotrovsky, and museum staff.

“Passing by the Winter Palace, it is a great happiness to see the dome of this church and to know that prayers are heard here again,” said Father Nikita. – “The history of Russia’s last Tsar and his family began with this church. Everyone who comes here sees on the right a picture depicting the wedding of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna [see below]. The sacraments were performed in this very church, . . . and now, many years later, we can stand and pray where they once prayed. This temple is of great historic importance, one which is associated with the fate of the Fatherland. I thank the museum staff who have preserved all this to this day. If we do not know our history, remember the tragedy that happened, there can be no happy future for Russia. Let us appreciate what we have, both sorrows and joys, and remember that the Lord will never leave us.”

Recall that the last Russian Emperor, Nicholas II, and his family were shot on the night of 16/17 July 1918, in the basement of the Ipatiev House in Ekaterinburg. On 1st November 1981, they were canonized as new martyrs by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), and on 20th August 2000, as passion bearers by the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

And let us not forget the four faithful retainers, who remained with the Imperial family during their house arrest in Tobolsk and Ekaterinburg, and who followed them to their deaths in the Ipatiev House, on 17th July 1918: the valet Aloysius Trupp (1856-1918); the maid Anna Demidova (1878-1918); the cook Ivan Kharitonov (1872-1918); and Dr. Eugene Botkin (1865-1918), canonized in 2016.

PHOTO: Wedding of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna
Painted in 1895 by the Danish artist Laurits Tuxen (1853-1927)
From the collection of the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

The Great Church of the Winter Palace was consecrated on 25th July 1763 by Archbishop Gabriel in the name of the image of the Saviour (painted by Theodot Ukhtomsky, 1693), which was located in the prayer room at the altar. After the 1839 renovation, it was consecrated again by Metropolitan Philaret. The Maltese shrines presented to Emperor Paul I were kept here, and every year they were transferred to the Pavlovsk Cathedral [the Cathedral of the Holy Apostle Paul] in Gatchina for a month.

In October 1917, the church was damaged during the storming of the Winter Palace by the Bolsheviks and was closed in 1918. On 9th December 2014, the Great Church of the Winter Palace was opened to visitors after restoration, and on 25th December of the same year, the first Divine Liturgy in 96 years was served.

Myrrh streams from icon of Nicholas II in Ekaterinburg

Posted on July 23 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: Alexander Feodorovich Chernavsky holding the
myrrh-streaming icon of the Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II

On 13th July 2025, the myrrh-streaming icon of the Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II arrived at the Church on the Blood in Ekaterinburg. The icon was brought from Moscow, by the head of the Orthodox Military Mission, Alexander Feodorovich Chernavsky.

According to Chernavsky, the icon has been streaming myrrh since 1998, and again, during this year’s Tsar’s Days in the Ural capital, drops of myrrh appeared in the shape of “diamonds” on the icon itself and on the frame.

“It smells fragrant, it streams myrrh and inspires faithful Orthodox Christians with the fact that the Tsar is alive, he sees all our labours, hears our prayers, reacts to the impulses of our hearts, to our feelings, he believes in the future of Russia. The Imperial Family and other New Martyrs pray for us.”

Chernavsky brings the icon to the Ural city every year for events marking Tsar’s Days, namely the Divine Liturgy held on the night of 16/17 July, followed by a Cross Procession to the Monastery of the Holy Royal Martyrs in Ganina Yama.

PHOTO: detail of the banner depicting the image of Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II

On 16th July 2025, Chernavsky presented Metropolitan Evgeny of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye with a banner depicting the image of Tsar Nicholas II. Such banners bearing the face of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers are sent to Russian soldiers to inspire them by the feat of the Emperor, to embrace the Orthodox faith and become churchgoers.

In the early morning hours of 17th July, Chernavsky – carrying the icon of the Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II – joined tens of thousands of pilgrims, clergy and believers in the annual Cross Procession from the Church on the Blood to the Monastery of the Holy Royal Martyrs at Ganina Yama – a journey of 21-km (13 mile) on foot.

Chernavsky noted that during this year’s Cross Procession, he noticed many young people with banners and flags, which he believes “speaks of the affirmation of the Orthodox faith and the unity of the Russian people.”

PHOTO: Metropolitan Evgeny of Ekaterinburg and Verkhotursky (left) with Alexander Chernavsky holding the myrrh-streaming icon of the Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II, in the Patriarchal Compound of the Church on the Blood. At the top of the stairs behind, you can see a bust-monument to Nicholas II

Recall that the icon of the Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II was painted in the United States even before the glorification of the Tsar by the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church on 20th August 2000, after the Russian émigré Iya Dmitrievna Schmit[1], had a dream in which she saw an icon depicting the Tsar Martyr Nicholas II in 17th century grand ducal attire. She asked the iconographer Pavel Nikolaevich Tikhomirov, who lives in California, to paint the icon she had dreamt about.

At the end of 1997, colour lithographs of this icon were brought to Russia. In the St. Nicholas almshouse in the city of Ryazan, where the Church of the Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II is being built, a colour copy was made and placed in an icon case under glass.

On 7th November 1998, the icon began to stream myrrh. Since then, the icon has been traveling around Russia and around the world. But most importantly, the icons streams myrrh on the anniversary of the Tsar’s death and martyrdom, among other days associated with the memory of Russia’s much slandered Tsar.

NOTES:

[1] In 2000, Ija Schmit (1936-2018) gifted a copy of this icon to the author of this article.

Divine Liturgies celebrated on the anniversary of the birth of the Holy Emperor Nicholas II

Posted on May 21 by Paul Gilbert

On 19th May 2025, the Russian Orthodox Church marked the anniversary of the birth of Tsesarevich and Grand Duke Nicholas Alexandrovich – the future Emperor Nicholas II – who was born on 19th (O.S. 6th) May 1868 – the day when St. Job of the Long Suffering was born..

In connection with this historic date, Orthodox churches throughout Russia and abroad performed Divine Liturgies in memory of Russia’s much slandered Tsar.

From the very beginning of his reign, Nicholas II treated the duties as Emperor and Tsar of the Russian Empire as a sacred duty. As God’s Anointed, he strongly believed that for the hundred million Russian people the Tsar’s power was and remained sacred.

The family of Emperor Nicholas II was imbued with the spirit of the Orthodox faith. They lived in accordance with the traditions of Orthodox piety. Obligatory attendance at divine services on Sundays and feast days, observing fasts were an integral part of their lives. The August couple not only visited churches and monasteries during their numerous trips, venerated miraculous icons and relics of saints, but also made pilgrimages, as was the case in 1903 during the glorification of St. Seraphim of Sarov.

The Emperor paid great attention to the needs of the Orthodox Church throughout his reign. Like all Russian emperors, Nicholas II generously donated from his own funds for the construction of new churches, including those outside Russia. During the 22+ years of his reign, the number of parish churches in Russia increased by more than 10 thousand, and more than 250 new monasteries were opened. The Emperor himself participated in the laying of new churches and other church celebrations.

The personal piety of the Tsar was also manifested in the fact that during the years of his reign more saints were canonized than in the two previous centuries, when only 5 saints were glorified. During Nicholas II’s reign, the following saints were glorified: St. Theodosius of Chernigov (1896), St. Seraphim of Sarov (1903), St. Joasaph of Belgorod (1911), St. Ermogen of Moscow (1913), St. Pitirim of Tambov (1914), St. John of Tobolsk (1916) were canonized, and the veneration of St. Princess Anna of Kashin was renewed (1909).

The Holy Emperor Nicholas II said: “If you see me calm, it is because I have the firm, the absolute conviction that the fate of Russia, my own fate, and that of my family is in the hands of God, Who has placed me where I am. Whatever happens, I will bow to His will, conscious of never having had a thought other than that of serving the country that He confided to me.”

VIDEO: Nicholas II: The Last Orthodox Tsar of Russia
with Paul Gilbert (in English)

In 2020, the Holy Monastery of St. John the Forerunner of Mesa Potamos in Cyprus invited me to research, write and narrate this 20-minute English-language VIDEO, within the framework of the project for the book “The Romanov Royal Martyrs: What Silence Could Not Conceal“, of which I was a project colleague. The VIDEO has been watched by more than 134,000 people to date!

CLICK on the LINK to watch the VIDEO: Nicholas II: The Last Orthodox Tsar of Russia

VIDEO: Piety of His Imperial Majesty Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II
Duration: 11 minutes, 24 seconds

A wonderful collection of vintage newsreels from the Russian State Documentary Film & Photo Archive at Krasnogorsk (RGAKFD).

This newsreel has preserved for posterity those moments when Emperor Nicholas II together with his Family attend the divine services, kisses reverently the cross and the icons, blesses his troops, makes the sign of the cross, participates in the sacred processions and converses with the religious leaders.

Soundtrack: 1) Song «Tsar Nicholas» (written and composed by Gennady Ponomarev; sung by the famous Russian singer Zhanna Bichevskaya in 1999); 2) Fragment of the national anthem of the Russian Empire «God Save the Tsar» (another name: «The Prayer of Russians»; written by Vasily Zhukovsky in 1814, sung by Zhanna Bichevskaya).

CLICK on the LINK to watch the VIDEO: Piety of His Imperial Majesty Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II

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NICHOLAS II: RUSSIA’S LAST ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN MONARCH

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BOOK DESCRIPTION

This book is not only for Orthodox and non-Orthodox persons, but for any one who shares an interest in the life, death, and martyrdom of the Holy Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II.

This book further examines the trials and tribulations the Tsar endured, which later led to his canonization by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Paperback edition, with 134 pages + 23 black & white photographs