The Chancellery of the Head of the Imperial House of Russia, H.I.H. the Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, with enormous sorrow, wishes it to be known that on August 28/September 10, 2018, Kira Mikhailovna Protopopova (née Rozhdestvenskaya), the wife of the Mitred Archpriest Mikhail Alekseevich Protopopov (Australia), reposed in the Lord after a long illness.

Matushka Kira was born on November 14/27, 1943.  She married Mikhail Alekseevich Protopopov in 1968.  Throughout her entire life she maintained her deep Christian faith, her devotion to the Holy Church, her boundless love for Russia, and her loyalty to the Imperial House of Russia.  She was a kind, cheerful, and considerate person who devoted all her strength to charity and good works.

In 2007, Marushka Kira played a key role in organizing the official visit of Grand Duchess Maria to Australia.

In June 2018, Fr. Mikhail and Matushka Kira celebrated their golden wedding anniversary.  The anniversary was celebrated both as a major event in her family and as a major festive event in the life of the Russian community and Russian Church in Australia.  Despite being already very ill, Matushka Kira withstood all the demands of the occasion, and was a model of kindness, love for others, and noble grace.

Having received the sad new of her passing, the Head of the Imperial House of Russia personally expressed her condolences by phone to Fr. Mikhail and his family.

The Chancellery of Her Imperial Highness enjoins all to pray for the repose of the soul of the newly-departed handmaid of God, Kira.  May the Lord grant her rest in the abode of the righteous!