Greetings From the Head of the House of Romanoff To the Organizers and Participants of the Conference entitled “Rostov the Great: Persons, Events, Fate—Grand-Princely, Royal, and Notable Families of Russia in the History of the City of Rostov,” at the Iakovlevskii Savior Monastery:

From the Head of the Russian Imperial House

I send my heartfelt greetings to the organizers and participants of the conference “Rostov the Great: Persons, Events, Fate—Grand-Princely, Royal, and Notable Families of Russia in the History of the City of Rostov,” which marks the 360-th anniversary of the birth of St. Dmitrii of Rostov.

I hope that the presenters at the conference will address not only the historical contributions of the royal dynasty, noble families, and other prominent figures in Russian history and in the history of the city of Rostov, but will also draw attention to the labors and sacrifices of ordinary people, whose names are not always well preserved in history, and without whose love, faith, patriotism, effort, and sacrifices, no emperor or Church hierarch, no clerical or secular leader could have attained any of their achievements that have so glorified our Fatherland.

May the Lord preserve you!

[The original is signed in Her Imperial Highness’s own hand:]

Maria
H.I.H. Grand Duchess Maria Wladimirovna

Issued in Madrid, October 4/17, 2011