2015-05-10. The Tsesarevich George of Russia visits Berlin for the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of victory in the Second World War, May 7-9, 2015
On May 709, 2015, H.I.H. The Heir, Tsesarevich and Grand Duke George of Russia visited Berlin, where he took part in celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the victory over Nazism in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
On May 7, the Grand Duke arrived in Berlin. His Imperial Highness was greeted at the airport by Iu. V. Myshonkov, an advisor to the Chancellery of the Head of the Russian Imperial House; A. V. Golubev, the organizer of the Grand Duke’s visit; Stephan Seeger, the Managing Director of the Sparkasse Foundations; and Kai-Uwe Döhler, a representative of the business community in Germany.
Upon arriving, the Grand Duke George of Russia went to the residence “Schloss Neuhardenberg.” That evening, he attended a dinner in his honor.
On May 8, the Tsesarevich attended a panikhida service “for the commanders and soldiers who fell on the battlefield” in the Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Resurrection in Berlin. The panikhida was served by Fr. Daniil Saifutdinov. He also laid flowers at the graves of soldiers buried on the grounds of the cathedral. The parishioners of the cathedral presented His Imperial Highness an icon of his Heavenly Patron, the Holy Great Martyr and Victory-Bearer George. The Grand Duke expressed his heartfelt thanks to the parish community and congratulated them on the approaching Victory Day holiday.
On May 9, the Grand Duke George of Russia met with O. Ksenofontov, the head of the branch office of the Russian Federal Agency for International Humanitarian Cooperation (“Rossotrudnichestvo)” in Germany, and the Director of the Russian House of Science and Culture.
That same day, His Imperial Highness laid a wreath at the Soviet War Memorial in Treptower Park. The inscription on the ribbon reads: “To the Ever-Memorable Defenders of the Nation and Victors over Nazism—from the Russian Imperial House.”
Later, H.I.H. The Grand Duke George of Russia laid a wreath at the Soviet War Memorial in the Teirgarten.
That afternoon, the Grand Duke attended a formal reception at the Russian embassy to the Federal Republic of Germany at the invitation of the ambassadors of the Russian Federation (V. Grinin), Azerbaijan (P. Shakhbazov), Belarus (A. Giro), Kazakhstan (B. Nussupov), Kirgizstan (B. Otunbaev), Tajikistan (M. Nematov), Turkmenistan (T. Ataiev), Uzbekistan (D. Amanov), and Armenia (A. Smbatyan).
At the reception, the Grand Duke George of Russia spoke with the Russian ambassador to Germany, V. M. Grinin, exchanging warm and friendly greetings on the 70th anniversary of the victory in the Second World War. His Imperial Highness also met and spoke with other official guests, veterans, members of the clergy and Cossack community, and other guests.
That evening, H.I.H. The Heir, Tsesarevich, and Grand Duke George of Russia returned to Brussels.
While in Berlin, His Imperial Highness was interviewed by “RIA-Novosti.” Here is the text of a portion of that interview: