Moscow, October 18, 2023
On Monday, October 16, an exposition dedicated to the Royal Martyrs’ participation in charity and ministry to their neighbor opened in the center of monastery, outside of Sretensky Monastery.
The exhibition, which was prepared by the Sretensky brethren, mainly features and photos and material dedicated to the service of the Empress Alexandra and the Grand Duchesses as sisters of mercy in the infirmaries and hospitals during WWI, reports Pravoslavie.ru.
The outdoor exhibition will remain on Rozhdestvensky Boulevard alongside Sretensky until November 16.
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Love and mercy—these two virtues are a golden thread running through the entire life of the Royal Martyrs.
The Tsar, his wife, and their children not only maintained a special love and touching care among themselves but also directed it towards acts of mercy. For example, the royal children were active participants in collecting aid for those sick with tuberculosis and organized various charitable events.
With the onset of World War I, the Empress and the elder Grand Duchesses completed specialized nursing courses and dedicated their wartime service to working in field hospitals. The Tsarskoye Selo hospital was repurposed to receive the wounded. Alexandra Feodorovna, along with her elder daughters Olga and Tatiana, assisted in surgeries, fulfilling all the duties of medical nurses. They did their best to alleviate the pain and distress of the wounded, not shying away from the most difficult and dirty tasks. The young Duchesses made no show of their high status, always being delicate and simple in their communication with the wounded.
Grand Duchesses Maria and Anastasia were too young to become nurses, but they helped the wounded: They sewed clothes for soldiers, prepared bandages, read aloud, and played games. Anastasia, who had a knack for acting and a sense of humor, staged comical performances. Maria loved to sit at the head of a patient’s bed and talk to him about his family, children, and write letters to their relatives. Later, while in exile, the girls recalled their duties with nostalgia and tenderness.
The young Tsarevich Alexei also visited the hospital, enjoying talking with the wounded heroes. Emperor Nicholas II himself tried to visit the wounded in hospitals as often as possible. He personally presented them with awards for bravery and inquired about their heroic deeds.
This beautiful page of Russian history is presented in the exhibition.
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