News Release on the Visit of the Head of the Russian Imperial House, H.I.H. Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, to Russia
From 15 July to 3 August 2003, the Head of the Russian Imperial House, H.I.H. Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, made an official visit to Russia. The principal events of the visit included: attendance at the consecration of the Cathedral-on-the-Blood in Ekaterinburg, by special invitation given to Her by His Grace Archbishop Vikentii of Ekaterinburg and Verkhotur’e; a visit to Volgograd and Volzhskii, by special invitation given to her by N. K. Maksiuta, the Head of Administration for the Volgograd Region, and other regional and town officials; and participation in Sarov and in Diveevo in the celebration of the 100-th anniversary of the canonization of St. Seraphim of Sarov, by special invitation of S. V. Kirienko (representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Volga District), and of His Eminence Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk and Slutsk (of the Patriarchal Exarchate of All Belorus’), the co-chairs of the “Organizational Committee for the Coordination of Social and Cultural Events Surrounding the Celebration of the 100-th Anniversary of the Canonization of St. Seraphim of Sarov.” In addition, while traveling along the Volga by ship between Volgograd and Nizhnii Novgorod, Her Imperial Highness also visited the cities of Saratov, Samara, Simbirsk, Kazan’, and Cheboksary.
On 15 July, the Head of the Russian Imperial House arrived in Moscow and on the same day flew to Ekaterinburg. Accompanying Her Imperial Highness during the entire time of her visit to Russia were A. N. Zakatov, personal secretary of the Imperial Family and director of the Chancellery of H.I.H., and Prince V. O. Lopukhin, Principal Coordinator of Her Imperial Highness’s visits to Russia. At the airport, Her Imperial Highness was greeted by representatives of government and society in Ekaterinburg, and by the Priest Igor’ Bachinin, who accompanied Her Imperial Highness during her visit in Ekaterinburg. That evening, Her Imperial Highness attended the All-Night Vigil at Holy Trinity Cathedral.
On 16 July, Her Imperial Highness attended the dedication of the Cathedral of All Saints of Russia on the Blood, and, afterward, attended the Divine Liturgy. The services were conducted by an assembly of clergy headed by Metropolitan Iuvenaly of Krutitsa and Kolomenskoe and Metropolitan Sergei of Voronezh. In the evening, Her Imperial Highness attended a performance of an opera and ballet that were part of the local festival then being held, called “Days of the Tsars.”
On 17 July, Her Imperial Highness visited the Monastery of the Royal Passion-Bearers on the Burial Pit. That same day, there was an official meeting between Her Imperial Highness and Metropolitan Vikentii of Ekaterinburg and Verkhotur’e.
On 18 July, the Head of the Russian Imperial House visited the town of Alapaevsk and the Monastery of the New Martyrs of Russia, located on the very place where the murders of Royal Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth, the Nun Barbara, and the others with them, took place. On the same day, Her Imperial Highness sent a personal message to Her Serene Highness, Princess of the Imperial Blood Catherine Ioannovna, the August Daughter of His Highness Prince of the Imperial Blood Ioann Konstantinovich, one of martyrs of Alapaevsk. Her Imperial Highness also visited the Ekaterinburg District Museum, where she had the opportunity to view an exhibit of icons from the Urals region.
On July 19, the Grand Duchess again visited the Cathedral-on-the-Blood before her departure, where, in the chapel on the lower floor—on the very spot where the murders of the Royal Martyrs took place—a moleben was served for the health of the members of the Imperial Family. Then Her Imperial Highness flew to Volgograd. There, the Grand Duchess visited the Museum “Battle of Stalingrad.” In the evening, Her Imperial Highness visited His Eminence, Metropolitan Herman of Volgograd and Kamyshinsk at his residence, where, after dinner, he delivered a very moving speech greeting Her Imperial Highness.
On July 20, the Head of the Imperial House visited the memorial to the heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad on the “Tatar Mound,” where she laid a wreath at the Eternal Flame and toured the newly constructed Cathedral of All Saints of Russia also located there. Then Her Imperial Highness visited the Volzhskii Hydro-Electric Power Station, then visited the town of Volzhskii, where she laid flowers at the monument to F. G. Loginov, who led the construction work on the town and on the hydro-electric station. Then Her Imperial Highness visited the St. Elizabeth the New Martyr orphanage “House of Mercy,” and the also the newly-constructed Cathedral of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian. After a reception given in her honor by the Volzhskii City Council, the grand duchess visited the Cathedral of St. Seraphim of Sarov, and then returned to Volgograd.
On July 21, the Head of the Russian Imperial House met with N. K. Maksiuta, the head of administration for the Volgograd District, in the main administration building. Then the Grand Duchess visited the chapel at the “Pivovar” brewery and toured the facility. Afterward, the Grand Duchess went to the construction site for the Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevskii and laid flowers at the corner stone. The fundraisers for the project hosted Her Imperial Highness to a luncheon at which Metropolitan Herman of Volgograd and Kamyshinsk was also in attendance. During the second half of the day, the Head of the Russian Imperial House visited the Volgograd Tractor Factory where she was shown the latest developments in Russian military technology. In the evening, N. K. Maksiuta, head of the District government, hosted a dinner in honor of the Grand Duchess.
On July 22, Her Imperial Highness and those accompanying her set sail on a river cruise from Volgograd to Nizhnii Novgorod aboard the ship Nikolai Nekrasov.
On July 23, the Head of the Russian Imperial House arrived in Saratov. At the river port facility, Her Imperial Highness was met by Chief Federal Inspector P. Khalikov, and by B. L. Shinchuk, Secretary of the Governor’s Council for Social Relations in Saratov District. In Saratov, the Grand Duchess visited the Museum of Military Glory and the National Village on Sokolov Hill, placed flowers at the monument to P. A. Stolypin, and met with D. Aiatskov, the governor of Saratov District.
On July 24, Her Imperial Highness arrived in Samara. At the river port facility, the Grand Duchess was greeted by P. Ivanov, an official from the office of the governor of Samara District; by M. Gerasimov, the Federal Inspector for the Samara District; and by His Grace, Archbishop Sergii of Samara and Syzransk. The Grand Duchess attended a moleben at the chapel of St. Aleksei, Metropolitan of Moscow, visited the aero-space center “TsSKB-Progress,” the newly constructed Cathedral of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, the Cathedral of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers at Public School No. 54, the Cathedral of St. George the Victory-Bearer, and the Samara Convent of Our Lady of Iveron. After a meal at the convent, the Grand Duchess went to the Museum of the History of Samara, and, along the way, stopped to water a pine tree that she had planted 10 years before at the M. Naianov University. In Samara, Her Imperial Highness was joined by S. Dumin, Master of Heraldry for the Chancellery of H.I.H, and by K. Nemirovich-Danchenko, the chair of the Russian Monarchist Council, who each delivered reports to Her Imperial Highness on their activities in Russia.
On 25 July, the Grand Duchess arrived in Ul’ianovsk. At the river port facility, Her Imperial Highness was greeted by V. Shamanov, the governor of the Ul’ianovsk District and a knight of the Military Order of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker; by his wife, L. Shamanova; by His Grace, Archbishop Prokl of Ul’ianovsk and Melekess; and by P. Romanenko, the mayor of Ul’ianovsk. The Grand Duchess visited the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Most Pure Mother of God, the Cathedral of All Saints, where relics of St. Andrew the Blessed are kept, and laid flowers at the city’s Eternal Flame. In the evening, the Grand Duchess visited the city of Kazan’ where She met with I. Tarkhanov, the minister of culture for the Republic of Tatarstan, and with L. Mavrina, the Director of the Board of Culture for the city of Kazan’. The Grand Duchess visited the Kazan’ Kremlin and venerated the tomb of Metropolitan Efrem of Kazan’ who presided over the coronation of the first Romanov tsar, Mikhail Fedorovich. She then toured the newly-built mosque in the Kremlin.
On July 26, the Head of the Russian Imperial House arrived in Cheboksary. At the river port facility, Her Imperial Highness was met by N. Volodina, the chief of administration for the president of the Chuvash Republic; by A. Muratov, the Chief Federal Inspector for the Chuvash Republic; by His Eminence, Metropolitan Varnava of Cheboksary and of Chuvashia; and by K. Valitskaia, the first deputy to the head of the local government of Chuvashia. The Grand Duchess met with N. Fedorov, the president of Chuvashia, visited the Holy Trinity Monastery and the grave of Maria Shestova, the grandmother of the first tsar of the Romanov Dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich, where she also laid flowers to the monument to the Chuvash national poet, K. Ivanov. The Grand Duchess also visited the Cathedral of the Presentation of the Virgin.
On July 27, The Head of the Russian Imperial House arrived in Nizhnii Novgorod and immediately went to the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel where she attended a panikhida for the Russian national hero, K. Z. Minin. After settling into her hotel, the Grand Duchess was given a tour of the Kremlin and other sites of the city. In the evening, the Grand Duchess received a delegation of the Russian Nobility Association headed by Prince A. S. Obolenskii (the delegation met with the Grand Duchess while on its way to the celebrations in Sarov, which H.I.H. would also be attending), and with representatives of the Nizhnii Novgorod cultural commission, and representatives of the local Nizhnii Novgorod Association of the Nobility.
On July 28, the Grand Duchess, S. Kirienko, the representative of the president of the Russian Federation in the Volga Federal District, and His Grace Bishop Georgii of Nizhnii Novgorod and Arzamaz, took part in the opening of an Orthodox exhibit entitled “My Joy.” Then the Grand Duchess visited the Makar’ev-Holy Trinity Zheltovodskii Convent. In the evening, Her Imperial Highness met with the leaders of the local government, then attended a dinner in her honor hosted by Ju. Sentiurin, the representative of the governor of the Nizhnii Novgorod District.
On July 29, the Grand Duchess attended the grand opening of an exhibit entitled “The Environs of Nizhnii Novgorod: the Land of St. Seraphim.” At the dinner afterward, many of those present offered toasts in honour of the Imperial House, including one especially moving toast by E. Nikoforova, the head of the Orthodox radio station “Radonezh,” that celebrated the 12 years during which Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna has served as Curatrix of the Throne. On this same day, Her Imperial Highness left Nizhnii Novgorod for Diveevo where she visited the Holy Trinity-St. Seraphim Convent and walked the Kanavka, or procession along a path around the convent while reciting prayers to the Most Pure Mother of God.
On July 30, Her Imperial Highness left for Sarov to attend the consecration of the Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov and the Divine Liturgy, presided over by a large assembly of clergy including His Holiness Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and All Russia. Before the beginning of the Divine services, the Head of the Russian Imperial House met with L. Sliskaia, First Deputy to the Chair of the State Duma; S. Kirienko, representative of the president of the Russian Federation in the Volga Region; and with G. Khodyrev, governor of Nizhnii Novgorod. After the Divine services, His Holiness greeted the Grand Duchess and gave her an icon of St. Seraphim of Sarov. After the reception in the refectory of the Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov, the Grand Duchess bathed in the miracle-working waters of a pond fed by one of St. Seraphim’s springs.
On July 31, the Head of the Russian Imperial House took part in a moleben and procession with the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, celebrated by the Patriarch and by a large assembly of clergy on the square in front of the Church of St. Seraphim in the city of Sarov. After the moleben and before the beginning of the procession, the Grand Duchess exchanged a brief greeting with V. V. Putin, president of the Russian Federation, who was also in attendance at these festivities. After her return to Diveevo, Her Imperial Highness again visited Holy Trinity-St. Seraphim Convent, and, in the evening, returned to Nizhnii Novgorod.
On August 1, the Grand Duchess flew to Moscow.
On August 2, the Grand Duchess visited the open-air flea market at Izmailovo. Then, at the Cultural Center of the Military Forces of the Russian Federation, Her Imperial Highness attended the induction of new knights into the Military Order of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Her Imperial Highness delivered a brief speech to the knights and to the assembled guests in which she expressed her sympathies to the family and friends of the victims of the terrorist act in Mozdok, and expressed her confidence in the steady increase in the morale of the military forces of Russia and in their military preparedness. In the evening, the Grand Duchess visited the house/studio of Z. K. Tsereteli, where there was a dinner especially arranged in Her Imperial Highness’s honour.
On August 3, Her Imperial Highness attended a meeting of the officers of “Derzhava,” the Imperial Fund for the Support of Culture, Education, and Architecture. In the evening, Her Imperial Highness left by plane for Madrid.
A. N. Zakatov
Personal Secretary of the Imperial House
Director of the Chancellery of H.I.H.