Press Release on the Visit to Russia of H.I.H. Grand Duke GeorgiiMikhailovich on the Occasion of the First Anniversary of the Enthronement of His Holiness, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, 30 January – 3 February 2010

From 30 January to 3 February 2010, H.I.H. Grand Duke GeorgiiMikhailovich, the Son and Heir of the Head of the Russian Imperial House, Grand Duchess Maria Wladimirovna, paid a visit to Russia.  His Imperial Highness was invited to Russia by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in order to represent his most August Mother, H.I.H. Grand Duchess Maria Wladimirovna, the Head of the Russian Imperial House, at the celebrations for the first anniversary of the enthronement of His Holiness, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

On the evening of 30 January, the grand duke arrived in Moscow from Brussels.  On 31 January, His Imperial Highness heard reports from the Director and from the Head of Departments of H.I.H.’s Chancellery, and discussed with them several on-going social, cultural, human rights, and philanthropic projects in which the Imperial House is currently involved.  In the evening, a reception in the tsarevich’s honor was hosted by the Pilgrimage Center of the Moscow Patriarchate, the general director of which, S. Iu. Zhitenev, and his colleagues and guests, offered their heartfelt greetings to the Heir to the Head of the Russian Imperial House.

At the reception were present the following dignitaries:  V. E. Churov, chairman of the Central Elections Commission of the Russian Federation; S. A. Gavrilov, deputy chairman of the Duma Committee for Transport; Major-General A. V. Kirilin, chairman of the Defense Ministry’s Office for the Eternal Memory of Servicemen who Died in Service to the Fatherland; Colonel O. V. Kuznetsov, chairman of the Military Decorations Service for the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation; P. E. Kulikovskii, the great-great-grandson of Emperor Alexander III the Peace-Maker, and his wife, LiumilaAnatol’evna; A. A. Rannikh, the former Russian ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Latvia; S. N. Baburin, chancellor of the Russian State Trade and Economics University; M. V. Kannabikh, a member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation and president of the Interregional Charity Fund for Aid to Prisoners; V. I. Bragin, former deputy minister for culture of the Russian Federation and the director of the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 on Poklonnaia Gora; Charles Inguanez, the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Malta to the Russian Federation; Major-General V. V. Popov; Archimandrite Zaccheus (Wood), the representative in Moscow of the Orthodox Church in America; the priest Mikhail Guliaev, rector of the Church of the Sign of the Mother of God on Romanov Lane [naRomanovompereulke]; Hieromonk Nikon (Levachev-Belavenets); Ia. N. Shchapov, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and former chairman of the Imperial Orthodox Society in Palestine, and his wife; V. V. Lebedeva, the chairman of the Union of Orthodox Citizens; G. V. Bogoliuova, the president of the Slavonic Fund of Russia; S. V. Korolev, the chairman of the Moscow City Branch of the All-Russian Society for the Preservation of Monuments of History and Culture; V. A. Moskvin, the director of the Library-Fund “Russia Abroad”; A. V. Mateson, the chairman of association “Mosgorarkhiv”; Professor S. N. Gavrov; K. A. Frolov, head of the Ukraine Section of the Institute of the Countries of the CIS and head of the Association of Orthodox Experts; Major-General I. I. Poleniachenko; O. M. Garnaeva, chair of the Charitable Fund “Russian Birch”; the writer and publisher A. N. Krylov-Tolstikovich; I. G. Mashkov, the Distinguished Artist of the Russian Federation; K. Iu. Shuvaev, an official of the Central Apparatus of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and colonel of police; various members of H.I.H.’s Chancellery; Prince G. G. Gagarin, chairman of the Russian Nobility Association; Professor P. V. Florenskii, vice-chairman of the Moscow Nobility Association; other members of the Russian Nobility Association; representatives of the clergy of Moscow, of academic groups, the press, officials and members of the civic group “For Faith and Fatherland”; members of the Russian Imperial Union-Order; members of the Russian Interregional Monarchist Movement; and members of other social and civic groups and organizations.

Major-General A. V. Kirilin, the chairman of the Defense Ministry’s Office for the Eternal Memory of Servicemen who Died in Service to the Fatherland, presented to the tsarevich a portrait of his great-grandfather, Emperor Kirill I Wladimirovich, signed by the emperor, and a book about the knights of the Imperial Military Order of St. George the Victory-Bearer.  O. M. Garnaeva, the chair of the Charitable Fund “Russian Birch,” presented the grand duke with several gifts made for His Imperial Highness by children who have benefited from assistance from the Fund.  The reception was held in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.  All those present had the opportunity to talk to the grand duke, to tell His Imperial Highness about their activities, to present books, periodical publications, and touching gifts to remember the occasion

On 2 February, Grand Duke GeorgiiMikhailovich met with V. I. Strzhalkovskii, the general director of OAO GMK “Noril’sk Nickel,” and with O. M. Pivovarchuk, his first deputy, at the Moscow offices of “Noril’sk Nickel.”  During the conversation, the grand duke, who is an advisor to “Noril’sk Nickel’s” general director, discussed his work advancing the interests of the Russiancompany in the member countries of the European Union.  Afterward, the tsarevich met with members of H.I.H.’s Chancellery, then went to the Christ the Savior Cathedral for a celebratory reception in honor of the anniversary of the enthronement of Patriarch Kirill.  His Imperial Highness relayed to His Holiness a letter from the Head of the Russian Imperial House, H.I.H. Grand Duchess Maria Wladimirovna, offering the Imperial dynasty’s congratulations to the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church.  His Holiness offered his archpastoral blessing to the grand duke and expressed his gratitude for the congratulations.  During the reception, the tsarevich had warm and friendly conversations with the bishops, monastics, and other clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church, with governmental figures and civic leaders, with the leaders of other traditional religious confessions in Russia, and with representatives of academic and cultural groups who were in attendance.

On 3 February, H.I.H. Grand Duke GeorgiiMikhailovich met with the liaison for the Administration of the President of the TransdniestrianRepublic of Moldova in H.I.H.’s Chancellery, A. B. Kravchenko, and with an advisor to H.I.H.’s chancellery, on the charitable activities of T. A. Balashova, and shared perspectives of culture and charity work in the Pridniestria.  He also met with the leaders of the Russian Nobility Association and of the movement “For Faith and Fatherland”, and gave an interview to journalists from the newspaper Zavtra [Tomorrow].  Afterward, the grand duke departed for Brussels.

A.N. Zakatov
Director of H.I.H.’s Chancellery