22 May 2013

The Head of the House of Romanoff visits Moscow, Dmitrov, Omsk, and Ekaterinburg, May 11-20, 2013

nd paraded before the Grand Duchess with flags and banners.

Later, at the Pushkin State Regional Library in Omsk, the Grand Duchess attended the opening of the International Conference &ldquoMilitary Academies: Their Past and Present Contributions to Science and Culture.&rdquo The conference marked the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Omsk Cadet Corps. The Grand Duchess gave a brief greeting to those attending the conference, listened to the presentations, and recognized the service of the Principal of the Omsk Cadet Corps, Colonel N. V. Kravchenko, investing him with the Imperial Military Order of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The Grand Duchess also presented the devices of the Order of St. Stanislav to Ia. Ia. Korvin-Krukovskii, the Chairman of the Omsk Assembly of the Nobility, who this year celebrated his 95th birthday.

In the afternoon, Grand Duchess Maria of Russia visited the exposition at the Center for the Study of the Russian Civil War, and then visited the M. A. Vrubel&rsquo Regional Museum of Fine Arts in Omsk, where she toured the exhibits &ldquoUnknown Treasures of the Romanoffs (the 400th Anniversary of the Crowned Dynasty),&rdquo &ldquoThe Gilded Storeroom,&rdquo and the exhibit of the works of the local artist and miniaturist Anatoly Konenko.

On May 17, 2013, the Head of the Russian Imperial House met formally with the Governor of Omsk Province, V. I. Nazarov, and with other leading figures of the provincial government. The meeting took place in the Governor&rsquos office. The Governor described conditions in the province for the Grand Duchess, and thanked Her Imperial Highness for Her attention to the work being done at the Omsk Cadet Corps, and to the rebirth of the spiritual and cultural traditions of Russia all across the country. At the conclusion of the meeting Governor Nazarov presented souvenirs to the Grand Duchess and to those accompanying Her. Her Imperial Highness in turn presented the Governor the Imperial Medals &ldquoAnniversary of the Nation&rsquos Victory&rdquo and the &ldquoCommemorative Medal of the 400th Anniversary of the House of Romanoff.&rdquo

Afterward, the Head of the Russian Imperial House and the Governor of Omsk Province took questions from the press.

&ldquoI believe that helping the revival of the Cadet Corps, and in general the system of military education for young people, is very important. Education in these academies is founded on the basis of our core traditions and patriotic service to our country. Cadet Corps are one of the best means for achieving these goals,&rdquo Her Imperial Highness said. According to Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, the absence of a clear national identity&mdashan identity which would be at the root of the development of modern society&mdashis a problem inherent in many countries. &ldquoBut we in this country,&rdquo Her Imperial Highness continued, &ldquofeel this problem more acutely. When individual people become infected with excessive selfishness, it has a detrimental effect on society as a whole. Another big problem is lack of faith, the loss of spirituality. It is no surprise, then, that the Church is trying so hard to instill religious faith in young people. After all, faith is a source of support for one&rsquos entire lifetime. Once an adult, a person can make whatever choice they want in regards to their faith. But the foundations that are laid during one&rsquos school years last a lifetime. Fortunately, in Russia there is no extreme individualism or religious indifference, as exists now in many Western countries.&rdquo

Governor Nazarov emphasized in his remarks the significance of the role played by the Russian Imperial House, that it takes no part in politics of any kind, but directs its energies towards the preservation and development of state and national traditions.

After these remarks there followed a formal luncheon held in the Grand Duchess&rsquos honor.

In the afternoon, Grand Duchess Maria of Russia went to the Omsk State Musical Theater, which played host to an evening reception in honor of the 200th anniversary of the Omsk Cadet School.

The official Statement from the Head of the Russian Imperial House, signed in Moscow on the very date of the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Omsk Cadet Corps (May 1/14, 2013) was read. Here is the text of that Statement:

&ldquoI send my heartfelt congratulations to the students and teachers of the Omsk Cadet Corps on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of its founding.

&ldquoThe Omsk Cossack Military School was founded in 1813 during the reign of Emperor Alexander I&mdashduring the war when the Russian Army expelled the invaders from Russia and marched on triumphantly to liberate all of Europe. The determination and zeal of the founder of the future Cadet Corps, Lieutenant-General Grigorii Ivanovich Glazenap, and the patriotism and selflessness of the officers and Cossacks who donated their personal funds for the construction of the buildings and for the establishment of the School&rsquos curriculum, gave life to this institution, which has played such a significant role in the history of Siberia and of all Russia.

&ldquoDuring the reign of Nicholas I, the Cadet Corps began to be sponsored by the State and flourished. Emperor Alexander II, the Tsar-Liberator, and Emperor Alexander III, the Peacemaker, both cared very deeply about the well-being of the Cadet Corps, which had become one of the best military academies in the Russian Empire. My great-grandfather, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, and Grand Duke Constantine Constantinovich, the &ldquofather of all Cadets,&rdquo both personally visited the Cadet Corps. The Holy Passion-Bearer Emperor Nicholas II also was familiar with the work of the Cadet Corps even when he was the Heir to the Throne, and in 1903 he acknowledged the Cadet Corps&rsquo service with the presentation of a holy military banner. The 100th anniversary of the Cadet Corps coincided with the 300th anniversary of Our House in 1913, and at that time the emperor awarded it a commemorative banner depicting the holy image of the Savior Not-Made-By-Hands.

&ldquoDuring the tragic twentieth century, the cadets and teachers of the Cadet Corps shared with their countrymen the sufferings that resulted from the fratricidal Civil War, the terror, and exile. But in the years following the Revolution, the school continued to educate the future defenders of the nation on the basis of the traditions of the Cadet Corps.

&ldquoThe link with the past was never broken. Before the Revolution, as afterward, many of the graduates of the Corps went on to fame in the army, in service to the State, and in academics. The glorious names of Grigorii Potanin, Georgii Katanaev, Sultan Chokan Valikhanov, Prince Nikolai Gantimurov, Nikola Tsytovich, Dmitrii Karbyshev, Leontii Gurtiev, Aleksei Achair, and many others, will forever be written in the pages of Russian history.

&ldquoNow the Cadet Corps is reviving its glorious traditions, denying none of the periods of its history, but striving to preserve and develop all the best things of its two-centuries-long heritage. It is truly Providential that the restoration of the connection between the Omsk Cadet Corps and the Russian Imperial House took place nowhere else but on the Borodino battlefield.

&ldquoIt is very meaningful to me that it was the Cadets themselves, whom I met on the day the nation marked the 200th anniversary of that important battle in the Patriotic War of 1812, who took the lead in making my visit to Omsk possible.

&ldquoTo all the Cadets, I wish success in their studies and military training. To all their teachers, I wish wisdom and patience. And to all of you, I wish health, strength of body and spirit, courage, and respect for and trust in one another.

&ldquoMy son and heir, Grand Duke George of Russia, adds his own congratulations to mine, and sends his greetings to you all.

Затем Ее Императорское Высочество в сопровождении директора и главного врача больницы посетила хирургическое отделение, где состоялось живое общение Великой Княгини с больными и персоналом, и недавно оснащенную самым современным оборудованием лабораторию.&ldquoMay the Lord strengthen you in your service to our nation.&rdquo

That evening, Grand Duchess Maria of Russia left Omsk by train for Ekaterinburg. The Head of the Russian Imperial House was invited to come to the Capital City of the Urals by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, in order to participate in the celebrations marking the 400th anniversary of the House of Romanoff.

Immediately upon arriving on May 18, 2013, Her Imperial Highness went to the Church-on-the-Blood, where she attended a prayer service, or moleben, in the church on the basement level of the Church on the Blood. The moleben was served by Patriarch Kirill.

After the conclusion of the moleben, which was served at the altar which is located on the precise spot of the martyrdom of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and Her Imperial Highness sat down with each other. His Holiness expressed his joy that the Head of the House of Romanoff was able to be present and to pray in Ekaterinburg during this significant anniversary. The Grand Duchess thanked Patriarch Kirill for his prayers and kind words, and presented him with a copy of the three-volume book Mount Athos, the Orthodox Church, and the House of Romanoff in Exile. The Historical and Cultural Significance of the Relationship between the Church and the Dynasty after the Revolution of 1917.

Later, Her Imperial Highness and Patriarch Kirill together exited the church and on the parvis, the Patriarch addressed the assembled parishioners, reminding them of the main lessons of the tragedy of 1918: &ldquoWhy were justice and prosperity not achieved, goals for which Tsar was murdered and the nation was dragged down into civil war? Because it is impossible to build something good on the basis of blood and lies. We will never achieve these goals, never attain happiness, if we use false propaganda, treachery, and murder.

&ldquoThe Ipatiev House is no more, but instead there is this magnificent Church-on-the-Blood, which reaches up toward Heaven&mdasha monument to the innocent victims and a symbol of a future not built on blood, revolution, or civil discord. May the Lord keep you from all turmoil and false ideals,&rdquo concluded Patriarch Kirill.

After the conclusion of the visit to the church, the Grand Duchess and Patriarch went to the &ldquoPatriarchal Mission&rdquo Religious and Educational Center, which is part of the complex of building at the Church-on-the-Blood, and which includes the Church of St. Nicholas, the Museum of the Imperial Family, the Museum of the Russian Patriarchate, the &ldquoSovereign&rdquo Library, and several exhibition halls.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and the Grand Duchess together toured the Museum of the Imperial Family, including the exhibit entitled &ldquoThe Feats of Service to Russia of the Imperial Romanoff Dynasty,&rdquo which was opened to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the ascension to the throne of Tsar Mikhail Romanoff. Among the items on display were documents, photographs from state archives, unique items from personal collections, rare books from the collections of several libraries, and also personal items that once belonged to Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, which were on loan from the Museum of the Novospasskii Monastery in Moscow.

After a luncheon with the Patriarch, the Head of the House of Romanoff visited the Monastery of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers at Ganina Yama.

On May 19, 2013, the Grand Duchess attended the consecration of the newly restored Church of St. Alexander Nevskii in the Novo-Tikhvinskii Monastery in Ekaterinburg. Her Imperial Highness also attended the Divine Liturgy that was then served in the newly-consecrated church. Both services were officiated by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill I.

In the afternoon, the Head of the Russian Imperial House attended a reception given by the Governor of Sverdlovsk Province, E. V. Kuibashev, in honor of Patriarch Kirill I of Moscow and All Russia. At the reception, Her Imperial Highness had the opportunity to speak again with the Patriarch, and with others in attendance, including His Beatitude Metropolitan Kirill of Ekaterinburg and Verkhotur&rsquoe, other hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church, and members of the provincial governments of Sverdlovsk Province and other Urals Districts, who came to Ekaterinburg to meet with the Patriarch. His Holiness presented to the Grand Duchess an ornate Easter egg as a souvenir of her pilgrimage to Ekaterinburg in this anniversary year for the House of Romanoff.

That afternoon, the Grand Duchess toured an exhibit of watercolors by Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, the younger sister of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearer, Emperor Nicholas II. The Grand Duchess was invited to visit the exhibit by the main organizer of the event, Olga Nikolaevna Kulikovskaia&mdashthe Chairperson of the Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna Charity Foundation. Olga Nikolaevna Kulikovskaia is the widow of Tikhon N. Kulikovskii, the son of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna and her husband, Colonel N. A. Kulikovskii.

After the conclusion of the tour, Grand Duchess Maria of Russia and Olga Nikolaevna Kulikovskaia had a very warm conversation, during which Her Imperial Highness presented Olga Nikolaevna with the book By the Grace of God, on the 400th anniversary of the ending of the Time of Troubles, and a copy of an anniversary calendar for the years 2013-2014. In turn, Olga Nikolaevna Kulikovskaia presented the Head of the House of Romanoff with a book of reproductions of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna&rsquos watercolors.

Afterward, Grand Duchess Maria of Russia went back to the &ldquoPatriarchal Mission&rdquo at the Church-on-the-Blood, where she met with local civic leaders from the city of Ekaterinburg. Her Imperial Highness presented Imperial awards to several deserving local residents, and attended a concert performed of the &ldquoTheater of the Word,&rdquo which enjoys Her Imperial Highness&rsquos patronage and is directed by T. N. Voronina.

On May 20, on the last day of her stay in Ekaterinburg, Her Imperial Highness met with His Beatitude Metropolitan Kirill of Ekaterinburg and Verkhotur&rsquoe in the administrative offices of the diocese.

During their discussions, Metropolitan Kirill was awarded the Imperial Medals &ldquoAnniversary of the Nation&rsquos Victory&rdquo and the &ldquoCommemorative Medal of the 400th Anniversary of the House of Romanoff.&rdquo In his formal greeting, His Beatitude expressed his hope that Grand Duchess Maria of Russia would come back to Ekaterinburg, the Capital City of the Urals, which has for centuries been linked to the history of the Romanoff dynasty.

After the meeting and lunch with the Metropolitan, the Grand Duchess went to the airport and flew to Moscow. That evening in Moscow, Her Imperial Highness gave an interview to the Spanish edition of the TV news service &ldquoRussia Today.&rdquo Later, at Sheremetevo Airport, the Grand Duchess met with members of H.I.H.&rsquos Chancellery and with the leaders of several social organizations, then flew to Madrid.