Greetings from the Head of the House of Romanoff On the Celebrations of the 1150th Anniversary of the Founding of the Russian State

Greetings from the Head of the Russian Imperial House, H.I.H. Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, to the participants of the celebrations of the 1150th anniversary of the Founding of the Russian State

I send my heartfelt greetings to the participants in the celebrations of this landmark anniversary of the foundation of the Russian State.

One thousand one hundred fifty years ago, in the city of Novgorod the Great, a state was formed that would come to cover one sixth of the world’s surface and unite a multitude of peoples into a single convivial family. Laying at the very heart of that fateful decision in the year 862 to transform the existing tribal confederation into a unified government was the desire of our ancestors to live according to law and justice and to strive for a balance between freedom and order. In 988, the people, under the leadership of Grand Prince Vladimir, by their conscious decision to choose their Faith, definitively determined the direction of Russian civilization, which provided future generations of Humanity a priceless treasury of spirituality, a culture of global significance, and a unique example of how to preserve unity in diversity.

More than once has our country undergone tragic upheaval, internal discord, and foreign invasion. But the nation has always risen again and regained its strength. Looking at the centuries-long experience of our ancestors, we should remember that the foundations of our national life have always been love for God and our family, patriotism, the rule of law, service toward others, mutual respect for people of different faiths and national origins, and harmony between the measured power of the state and a reasonable degree of individual freedom.

With all my heart, I wish you all health, happiness, and strength of spirit in all your endeavors.

My son and heir, Grand Duke George of Russia, joins me in sending you these warm greetings.

May God bless you all!

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

Maria

Madrid
September 21, 2012

Certifying this text as identical with the original:

A.N. Zakatov
Director of H.I.H.’s Chancellery