Alushta, Crimea, November 5, 2020
Photo: crimea24.tv
A new monument dedicated to the Royal Martyrs Nicholas and Alexandra was ceremoniously opened in Crimea last month.
The new sculpture in Seaside Park in the city of Alushta depicts a meeting of the young Tsarevich Nicholas and his fiancée Princess Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt and by Rhine. The event was honored by the presence of Grand Duke George Mikhailovich, the heir apparent to Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, the head of the Imperial Family of Russia, reports the charitable website Good People.
The monument consists of four sculptures altogether: the young Tsarevich Nicholas II, Princess Alix, and Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, the uncle of Tsarevich Nicholas, and his wife Elizabeth Feodorovna, Princess Alix’s older sister and the future nun and martyr, who accompanied the young couple on their visit.
“On October 10, 1894, the young engaged couple met here in Alushta: Princess Alix of Hesse—the future great martyr, all-Russian Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, and the Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich—the future tsar, martyr, and passion-bearer Nicholas II,” explained Konstantin Malofeev, the chairman of the Double-Headed Eagle Society for the Development of Russian Historical Education, at the opening ceremony.
“They were young then, with a happy life together ahead of them. This couple became a symbol of loyalty, a symbol of large, pious families, and a symbol of service to their state and their people,” he said, honoring the Royal Martyrs.
Photo: travelcrimea.com
The monument was then blessed by His Grace Bishop Nestor of Yalta.
His Imperial Highness Grand Duke George Mikhailovich Romanov noted the great significance of this monument for himself and for future generations, and also thanked all those involved in the creation and installation of the memorial, expressing hope “that such initiatives will find support in other regions of Russia.”
“Millions of guests who will visit our small resort town will have the opportunity to get in touch with the history of our state,” reflected Galina Perepelitsa, the Deputy Head of the Alushta city administration.
At the end of the event, a new tradition was started, with a young newly-married couple releasing a pair of white doves into the sky.
Watch the full opening ceremony:
In May 2015, a bust of Tsar Nicholas II was unveiled at the Livadia Palace in Crimea, and another bust was unveiled the next year in Yalta.
