7/10/2015
Paul Gilbert
The murder of the Imperial Family on 17th July 1918, remains one of the most mysterious and controversial crimes of the 20th century.
Historians and media sources continue to rehash revolutionary myths and slander about the Emperor Nicholas II. Meanwhile, many former revolutionaries and liberals who slandered the Tsar repented in the years which followed the 1917 Revolution.
Emperor Nicholas II reigned over the Russian Empire for twenty-two years. 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 confusion—one which would sweep Holy Orthodox Russia into an abyss that would last more than seventy years.
While the elation exhibited by the revolutionaries is indeed true, it did not reflect the heartfelt sentiments of millions of Orthodox Christians, monarchists and others in the former Russian Empire.
The book draws on letters, testimonies, diaries, memoirs, and other materials never before published in English to present an honest and unique new study of Nicholas II and his family.
Rating: 10|Votes: 3
A copy of the act of abdication of Russia’s last emperor Nicholas II went under the hammer during an auction held on 19th February at Sotheby’s Moscow.
Rating: 4.9|Votes: 14
A new 3-dimensional computer mock-up on a 50-inch screen of the Ipatiev House has been developed by the staff of the Sverdlovsk regional local history museum in Ekaterinburg. Emperor Nicholas II and his family lived out their final 78 days in the Ipatiev House, as captives of the Bolsheviks after the revolutions of 1917.
Rating: 6|Votes: 2
Rasputin's five-room apartment faces the inner courtyard of the building at 64 Ulitsa Gorokhovaya.
Rating: 3.6|Votes: 13
During the Soviet years, numerous architectural monuments of the Moscow Kremlin were lost. Churches, monasteries, and other monuments were destroyed because they were reminders of the tsarist past, and to make way for architectural monuments which would reflect the new regime headed by Lenin and later Stalin.
Ural documentarian Sergei Aliyev has announced plans to release a documentary on the life and reign of Russia’s last emperor and tsar. The 10-part series is scheduled for release in March 2017, marking the 100th anniversary of the abdication of Nicholas II from the throne and the February Revolution.
Rating: 2|Votes: 1
Historical justice is done, a portrait of Emperor Nicholas II - by the Russian artist Ilya Savich Galkin (1860-1915) - hidden from human eyes for some ninety-odd years - was presented at the St. Petersburg Museum of Applied Arts on November 30th.
Rating: 6.6|Votes: 20
Many of the documents were identified as a result of painstaking research in Russia’s state and departmental archives, as well as private archival collections abroad. The bulk of the material, however, was collected during the first investigation into the murder of the royal family in 1919, conducted on behalf of Kolchak investigator Omsk district court Nikolai Sokolov.
Rating: 4.7|Votes: 10
The exhibition is based on a collection of photographs which belonged to the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna’s lady-in-waiting, friend and confidante Anna Vyrubova-Taneyeva.
Rating: 5.5|Votes: 4
Among the contents is a compilation of rare photographs that were taken during the house arrest of Emperor Nicholas II and his family in Tobolsk in 1917-1918. The Imperial family arrived in Tobolsk on 6th August, 1917 and housed in the former Governor’s residence until 13th April, 1918 when they were transferred to Ekaterinburg.
Rating: 10|Votes: 2
The monument was created to mark the Tsesarevich’s visit to the Trans-Baikal region, where he spent 11 days in June 1891. It is the only monument in Russia which depicts Nicholas II as Tsesarevich
Many believe that Patriarch Kirill’s attendance is significant. The fact that His Holiness’ visit is announced two years prior is an indication that the centenary will not only be marked on a grand scale, but one which will be a landmark event for the whole Orthodox world.
While more and more monuments to Lenin and other prominent Bolsheviks and Soviets disappear from the Russian landscape, cities and towns across Russia are planning to restore busts and statues lost or damaged during the Revolution, while others plan to erect new monuments to Russia's emperors and empresses.
Rating: 7.3|Votes: 3
Vasnetsov’s memorial cross was unveiled on April 1, 1908, but was demolished in May 1918 by the personal order of Vladimir Lenin. It would be the first Kremlin monument demolished after the revolutionary events.
This project is aimed primarily at the patriotic education of our compatriots, the popularization of the great history of Russia, its heroes, generals, priests and rulers, who gave all their strength for the prosperity of the country.
Completed in 1783, the beautiful and historic Vladimir Mother of God Cathedral is one of the oldest churches in St. Petersburg and presents a truly fascinating combination of baroque and classical architectural styles. The church is crowned with five onion-shaped cupolas, which rise into the sky above Vladimirskaya Ploschad in one of the most historic areas of the city. An impressive four-tiered bell tower stands adjacent to the church. The church is also home to one of the oldest and most elaborate iconostases in Russia.
During their official visit to the Crimea this week, the Head of the Russian Imperial House Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna and her son Grand Duke George Mikhailovich Romanov took part in ceremonies marking the historic visit to Yalta in 1916 by Emperor Nicholas II.
Rating: 10|Votes: 1
A bronze bust of the Tsar-Martyr was unveiled at the Transfiguration Cathedarl Tambov which the saint visited in 1914, and another in Yalta to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the emperor's final visit to Crimea.
Their arrival is timed to the 100th anniversary of the last visit of Emperor Nicholas II to the Crimea in 1916. Their visit will also include a series of meetings with representatives of the clergy and examine the historical and cultural attractions of the region.
For many years the citizens of Ekaterinburg have tried to come to terms with the murder of Russia’s last emperor and his family in 1918. Earlier this year, a proposal was made to rename the city’s main street from Tolmacheva Ulitsa (Street) to Tsar Ulitsa. This new proposal to rename the city districts is the latest effort to rid Ekaterinburg of crimes crimes committed during Soviet times against the Russian Imperial family and the Church.
Rating: 3.3|Votes: 4
Krupin notes in his letter to Russia's prime minister that "after the murder of Nicholas II, the Soviet government had blackened the name of the Emperor and wiped away his achievements. We want to remind Russians that during the reign of Nicholas II, Russia was a country of strength, power and prosperity. The exhibition project will contribute to the revival of the historical truth, because the history of Nicholas II, is still shrouded in many myths which we want to dispel."
The church takes its name from the eponymous Ukrainian Baroque cathedral that was built in 1718-35 in place of an earlier church commissioned by St. Mitrofan of Voronezh; it was destroyed by the Soviets in the 1950s. The existing bell tower echoes the one designed for the old cathedral built by Giacomo Quarenghi.
Nicholas II announced that ‘… for the sake of Russia I was ready to abdicate the crown in favor of my son but … came to the conclusion that in view of his illness I should abdicate for myself and for him too’.
Rating: 1|Votes: 1
The exhibition features photographs of the Imperial family, reproductions of paintings by Pavel Ryzhenko (1970-2014), diary records, eyewitness accounts, biographies of representatives of the royal family, and other documents. The exhibits tell the story of the life and reign of Russia’s last emperor, and his service to the Fatherland.
The Russian Orthodox Church, which has not officially recognized the "Ekaterinburg remains," is already in discussions with the local government in staking a claim over the place where their remains were discovered in the 1970s at the Pigs Meadow (Porosyonkov Log). Situated on the north-western outskirts of Ekaterinburg, the site was added to the national cultural heritage list in June 2014.
Rating: 2|Votes: 3
The Art and Pedagogical Toy Museum is a unique repository of historic treasures, founded in Moscow in 1918 by artist, collector, museum activist Nikolai Dmitrievich Bartram (1873-1931). With 100,000 items, the museum boasts one of the largest and most unique collections of toys in Russia.
Rating: 5.5|Votes: 2
It honours the memory of Patriarch Tikhon who in 1898 was appointed Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska. During his ten years in the United States he helped translate many Orthodox Christian books into English.
Rating: 1.5|Votes: 4
The kokoshnik was originally commissioned to mark the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty in 1913. It was made in the Nicholas Starotorzhsky Monastery in Kostroma.
The Russian Orthodox Church believes that it is necessary to continue the search for the remains of Nicholas II's children. Presumably, only a small part of the remains of Tsarevich Alexei and Grand Duchess Maria have been found, therefore, the search must be continued, said a spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church.
For more than a century, the people of Serbia have held the name of the Emperor Nicholas II with special reverence, believing him to be their patron and protector.
Rating: 6.3|Votes: 8
Botkin accompanied the emperor and his family into exile to Tobolsk and later Ekaterinburg. The faithful doctor, aged 53 years, was shot along with the Russian royal family and three other retainers in the early morning hours of July 17th, 1918 in Ekaterinburg.
Valentin Serov (1865 –1911) is little known in the West, but he is one of Russia's most important and beloved painters of the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. He is particularly noted for his portraits of the Emperors Alexander III and Nicholas II, among other members of Russia's Imperial and Noble families.
Rating: 6.2|Votes: 14
Situated in the town of Istra, which is about 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of Moscow, the monastery was founded in the 17th century by Patriarch Nikon.
Rating: 4|Votes: 1
St. Isaac’s Cathedral, St. Petersburg's largest Orthodox cathedral, opened its doors on 6 January for a Christmas Eve liturgy, for the first time since 1928.
A new exhibition dedicated to the Romanov and Rurik dynasties is giving lovers of Russian history one more reason to visit Moscow. The long-awaited permanent exhibit, ‘Russia - My Story,’ opened today at the All-Russia Exhibition Centre (VDNKh) in Moscow.
Rating: 3.4|Votes: 5
On 18 July, 1918 Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich, three sons of Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich, and the son of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich, Prince Vladimir Paley were thrown alive into a mine near Alapaevsk. Their remains were then taken via the Siberian city of Chita to China by the retreating troops of the White Army, and buried in Peking in the 1920s.
One Russian official has taken the initiative of revisiting the issue of removing Vladimir Lenin’s corpse from Red Square. There has been a growing movement since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 to bury the Bolshevik leaders remains in a cemetery.
Rating: 4.5|Votes: 6
The personal items which once belonged to Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, had been preserved for decades by Nina Molev’s family. The items had been collected from the private chambers of Elizabeth Feodorovna, after the closure of the Martha and Mary Convent in Moscow. During Soviet times, the contents of the box were hidden from prying eyes, for it was forbidden to own such artefacts associated with the royal family, particularly during the Stalinist years.
Monument to Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich was established in 1999 at the Military Academy in Odessa
Rating: 1.7|Votes: 6
The 1864 diary contains daily handwritten entries by the future Russian emperor. On the last page, he wrote: "A Good Year." The other two volumes - dated 1888 and 1892 are calendars or day timers, with handwritten notes made by the emperor on each page.
Rating: 4.5|Votes: 2
The long awaited demolition of the Kremlin Presidium or "Building 14" began this week. The building was constructed in the 1930s, and up until 2011 the Soviet era building formerly housed the offices of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, the highest legislative body of the Soviet Union.
Our Lady of Kazan church in Kolomenskoe park in Moscow, and the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg are two unique and well-known churches in Russia named in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God which we celebrate today.
The Russian media reported today that authorities are now considering expanding their investigation even further by exhuming the remains of Emperor Alexander III. According to media reports, this procedure is necessary for a more accurate study of the remains of Tsesarevich Alexei and Grand Duchess Maria on the basis of their relationship with the Russian emperor.
The exhibition highlights the milestones of Boris Godunov’s life, stages of his state activity and the most important aspects of his foreign policy, and it familiarizes the visitors with the rich cultural heritage of the Godunov’s epoch.
The much-anticipated, travelling exhibition, The Tsars’ Cabinet: Two Hundred Years of Russian Decorative Arts Under the Romanovs open on October 11th at the Museum of Art in Huntsville, Alabama.
On September 22 (O.S. September 10), 1839 the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was solemnly founded by the Metropolitan of Moscow Filaret on the Alexeevsky hill in Moscow to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the end of the Patriotic War and storming of Paris in March of 1814.
The Tsar Nicholas II Bell - which depicts the images of the Holy Royal Martrs - weighing 16.5 tons was installed earlier this week in the bell tower of the Transfiguration Cathedral in St. Nicholas Monastery in Verkhoturye (Sverdlovsk region), a major spiritual center in the Urals. The bell is the third largest in the Archdiocese of Yekaterinburg and one of the twenty largest bells in Russia.
The multimedia exhibition explores the history of the Romanov dynasty (1613-1917), and the Rurikovichi (the descendants of Rurik) and the 700-year-long history of the Ancient Rus. The exhibition was established under the auspices of the Patriarchal Council for Culture and organized by the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, and the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.
On July 26, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia visited the newly restored Eparchial (Diocesan) House in Moscow. The restoration of the historic compound was carried out as part of the Presidential program of celebrations devoted to the millennium of the demise of the Holy Prince Vladimir.
The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) have confirmed that they have filed a petition to local politicians in St Petersburg to discuss the return of St. Isaac's Cathedral, which is currently an historical monument and a museum. Russian media sources report that the news of the proposal has generated heated discussion in Russian society.
On the evening of 16/17 July, to honour the memory of the murdered Russian Emperor Nicholas II and his family, more than 60,000 Orthodox faithful took part in the 20-km royal procession pilgrimage from the Church on Blood in Honour of All Saints Resplendent in the Russian Land in Ekaterinburg to the Monastery of the Royal Martyrs at Ganina Yama.
A week before the 97th anniversary of the murders of Emperor Nicholas II and his family, the memorial cross which marks the spot where the remains of Tsesarevich Alexei and Grand Duchess Maria were discovered has been vandalized yet again.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has tasked a working group with studying and reburying the remains of two members of the Russian Imperial family who were murdered by Bolshevik revolutionaries almost 100 years ago.
Rating: 5.7|Votes: 3
Princess Irina S. Bagration passed away this morning July 9th at 2 am in New York. The funeral will be at 10 am on Saturday, July 11th at Holy Trinity ROC in Astoria, NY. Burial will be at the Novo Diveevo Convent in Nanuet, New York following the service.
