On February 28/March 13, 2021, was solemnly celebrated the birthday of H.I.H. the Tsesarevich and Grand Duke George of Russia, son and heir of the Head of the Russian Imperial House, H.I.H. the Grand Duchess Maria of Russia. The Grand Duke this year turns 40 years old.

March 1/14, 2021, marks the 140^th anniversary of the villainous murder by revolutionaries of Emperor Alexander II the Tsar-Liberator. The senior line of the Imperial House of Russia descends directly from the Tsar-Liberator.

• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
•  

In commemoration of these events, a memorial service (litiya) for Emperor Alexander II and an intercessory prayer service (moleben) for the health of the Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, the Grand Duke George of Russia, and his fiancée Miss Victoria Romanovna Bettarini, were served in the Moscow Novospassky Monastery, in the church of St. Roman the Melodist in the crypt of the Romanoff boyar ancestors, where is also located the grave of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. The services were performed with the blessing of the abbot of the monastery, Metropolitan Dionysius of Voskresensk, the First Vicar of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

Tsesarevich George arrived at the monastery before the start of the services. He was warmly greeted by Fr. Ioann Ignatov, a priest who serves at the Novospassky Monastery.

The memorial service for Emperor Alexander II and the intercessory prayer service were officiated by the head of the Department for Historical and Memorial Activities of the Chancellery of the Head of the Russian Imperial House, Hieromonk Nikon (Levachev-Belavenets). Concelebrating with him was Hierodeacon Arseny (Pisarev), a cleric and monk of the monastery. Both services were conducted according to the royal rubrics.

Others attending the service included: members of the Chancellery, led by its Director, Alexander N. Zakatov; members of the Russian Nobility Association, led by its President, Oleg V. Shcherbachev; the Chairman of the Council of the Military Nobility of Russia, Major-General A. I. Mirenkov; members of the organization “For Faith and Fatherland,” led by the Chairman of the Governing Board, A. V. Kulyomin; the well-known hagiographer and adviser to the Moscow Patriarchate, A.V. Bugaevsky; the Editor-in-Chief of the Internet website Dobrye Liudi [Good People], V. E. Yakobidze; medical researchers, doctors and other medical professionals who had this year been awarded by the Grand Duchess Maria of Russia one of the Russian Imperial Orders or awarded one of the Imperial Commemorative Medals for their contributions to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic; other representatives of public and civic organizations; and regular parishioners of the monastery’s churches.

After the Divine services, Hieromonk Nikon gave a short homily about the significance of the House of Romanoff’s service to Russia today, and about the social work led by the Grand Duke. Fr. Ioann Ignatov read a greeting from the abbot of Novospassky Monastery, Metropolitan Dionysius of Voskresensk, and presented His Imperial Highness an icon of the Saviour. The Chairman of the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society, S. V. Stepashin, then read a congratulatory letter to the Grand Duke on his birthday.

Grand Duke George asked Fr. Ioann to convey his heartfelt thanks to His Eminence Metropolitan Dionysius for his congratulations and the holy icon, and he warmly thanked all those attending the services for their prayers, kind words and best wishes.

That evening, a large reception was held in honour of His Imperial Highness at the Smirnov House on Tverskoi Boulevard.

During the reception, the Grand Duke presented the Vice-Chairman of the World Russian People's Council, Konstantin V. Malofeev, the insignia of the Imperial Order of St. Anne, First Class, which he was awarded for his services to the Russian Orthodox Church and his many charitable activities.

Also during the reception, the Director of Her Imperial Highness’s Chancellery, Alexander N. Zakatov, and the head of the Department for Interregional and International Relations in the Chancellery, Prince Vadim O. Lopukhin, presented on behalf of Her Imperial Highness the Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, a bronze bust of the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich by Vladimir A. Beklemishev as a birthday gift.

A formal dinner immediately following the reception, which was attended by statesmen and public figures; representatives of the clergy; scientists; cultural figures, including the Director of the European Institute for Democracy and Cooperation, Natalia A. Narochnitskaya; the President of the International Slavic Academy of Sciences, Education, Arts and Culture (ISA), Sergei N. Baburin; the Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and Deputy Chairman of the Bank of Russia, Alexander P. Torshin; Deputy of the Russian State Duma, Vladimir A. Krupennikov; Chairman of the Expert Council on Church Art, Architecture and Restoration of the Russian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Leonid D. Kalinin; the research economist Valentin Yu. Katasonov; Prince Zurab M. Chavchavadze, with his wife Princess Elena N. Chavchavadze; the grandson of King Farouk I of Egypt, Mikhail P. Orlov; a representative of the Knights’ Council of the Imperial Military Order of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, V. A. Dvoryankov; the Director of the Borodino Battlefield State Military Historical Museum and Historical Site, I. V. Korneev; the Director General of the Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in Russia, O. B. Prozorov; and many others.

The Grand Duke’s birthday was also marked by Divine services and celebrations in St. Petersburg and a number of other Russian cities.