Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, November 13, 2017
Photo: monasterium.ru Yesterday, in the Ascension Pechersky Monastery in Nizhny Novgorod, the opening of the unique Avenue of Emperors of the House of Romanov was held, as part of the celebrations for the 120th anniversary of the founding of the Nizhny Novgorod branch of the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society (IOPS). The ceremony was led by Metropolitan George of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas, reports monasterium.ru.
The IOPS is a scholarly and humanitarian non-governmental organization, originally formed in 1882. Its statutory task is to promote pilgrimages to the Holy Land, scholarly research about Palestine, and humanitarian cooperation with the countries of the Biblical region. The Ascension Pechersky Monastery is the principal monastery of the Nizny Novgorod Diocese and the seat of the Bishop of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas, founded in the 14th century by St. Dionysios, who came to Nizhny Novgorod from the Kiev Caves Lavra.
The honored guests of the ceremony venerated the Percheskaya Icon of the Mother of God in the monastery’s Dormition Church, then gathered on the avenue where, in the presence of the cadets and standard-bearers of the Nizhny Novgorod Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the head of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese celebrated the rite of consecration of the first six busts of reigning tsars from the House of Romanov between 1613 and 1917.
Speaking after the rite, Met. George spoke about the importance of the newly-established avenue for the younger generations: “Two families—the Ruriks and the Romanovs—gathered our country into a great state. And we found it possible to immortalize the memory of all rulers of the Russian lands in these sculptures. I hope that children and young people, gazing upon these images, will more deeply understand and love the history of our country, preserving our land in integrity and unity.”
Park architect Sergei Tumanin explained in an interview that the Roman Avenue is the first of three avenues of the first historical park on the territory of the monastery. Next to the Romanov Avenue will be another dedicated to the Rurik Dynasty, and the third to Russian patriarchs.
The avenue is 230 ft. long, and will end with a bust of the last emperor St. Nicholas II. The path will be lined with linden trees, the crowns of which will form a natural pavilion.
