Press Release on the Visit of the Head of the House of Romanoff to Russia for Celebrations of the 400th Anniversary of the Assembly of the Land of 1613 (Moscow, Kostroma, and Ivanovo-Vosnesensk)
On March 5–12, 2013, the Head of the Russian Imperial House, H.I.H. Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, visited Moscow, Kostroma, and the Ivanovo District to mark the 400th anniversary of the Great Church Council and Assembly of the Land of 1613, which were convened after the victories of the Second Volunteer Army led by Prince Dmitrii Pozharskii and Kuzma Minin, and which called to the throne the House of Romanoff and, in so doing, reestablished the Russian State.
On March 5, Her Imperial Highness arrived in Moscow.
On March 6 (February 21 according to the Julian Calendar—the day when the House of Romanoff was called to the Russian throne), a patriarchal service was held in the Dormition Cathedral in the Kremlin in memory of the Great Church Council and Assembly of the Land of 1613. After Matins, a pine Liturgy was served, along with an intercessory prayer service [moleben] to the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers.
Concelebrating with His Holiness the Patriarch were: Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, the Chairman of the Office of External Church Relations; Archbishop Mark of Egorievsk, the Head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Secretariat for Foreign Institutions; Bishop Agapit of Stuttgart (of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad); Bishop Theophylact of Dmitrov; Bishop Ignatii of Bronnitsy, the Chairman of the Synodal Office for Youth Affairs; Bishop Sergii of Solnechnogorsk, the Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchate; Bishop Panteleimon of Smolensk and Viazma, the Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Charities and Social Services; Archpriest Vladimir pakov, the Secretary for His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia for the City of Moscow; Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov), Abbot of Sretenskii Monastery; Archimandrite Savva (Tutunov), the Deputy Chancellor for the Moscow Patriarchate; Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, the Chairman of the Synodal Office for Relations between Church and Society; Archpriest Vladimir Siloviev, the Head of the Moscow Patriarchal Publishing House; Archpriest Mikhail Riazantsev, assistant rector of Christ the Savior Cathedral; Archpriest Alexander Dasaev, Dean of the Voskresenskii District of the City of Moscow; Archpriest Anatolii Kozha, Dean of the Paraskevo-Piatnitskii District of the City of Moscow; Archpriest Anatolii Rodionov, Dean of the Vlakhernskii District of the City of Moscow; Archpriest Oleg Korytko, the Head of the Review Department of the Moscow Patriarchate; Hieromonk Nikon (Levachev-Belavenets); and other clergy of the city of Moscow.
After the conclusion of the pine Liturgy and the moleben, His Holiness led a Procession of the Cross from the Dormition Cathedral to Archangel Cathedral, where a requiem service [panikhida] was served for the repose of the souls of all the rulers of the Romanoff dynasty.
Among those attending the services in the Kremlin cathedrals were: the Head of the Russian Imperial House, H.I.H. Grand Duchess Maria of Russia; the Chairman of the Central Elections Commission of the Russian Federation, V. E. Churov; the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee for Public Associations and Religious Organizations, M. Iu. Markelov; the grandson of H.I.H. Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, Paul Kulikovskii and with his wife, Liudmila Anatolievna; members the Chancellery of the Russian Imperial House; the Chairmen of the Knights’ Councils of the Imperial Orders of St. Anna and St. Nicholas the Wonder-Worker; the Chairman of the Russian Nobility Association, and representatives of numerous civic organizations (for photos, see: http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/2830238.html).
For the first time since the 1917 Revolution, a litany during the pine Liturgy in the Dormition Cathedral included the names not only of all the rulers of the House of Romanoff, but also the name of the current Head of the House of Romanoff—Grand Duchess Maria of Russia. At the commemorative meal in the Kremlin after the service, the hymn “Memory Eternal” was sung for Kirill Wladimirovich and Wladimir Kirillovich, as well as their spouses, Victoria Feodorovna and Leonida Georgievna, respectively.
Later that afternoon, Her Imperial Highness listened to reports from members of her Chancellery and gave instructions on the various projects supported and organized by the Chancellery.
At 5:00 PM, at the Russian State Library, the Head of the Russian Imperial House awarded the Romanoff Prize to Leo Bokeria—Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences and of the Russian Academy of Medical Arts, and Director of the A. N. Bakulev Center of Cardiovascular Surgery: for achievements in the field of Russian medicine; Iurii Solomin—People’s Artist of the USSR and Art Director of the Malyi Theater: for achievements in the field of Russian theatrical arts; Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov)—the abbot of Sretenskii Monastery and author of the important new book Everyday Saints: for his significant contributions to Russian letters; Pavel Pozhigailo—the Chairman of the Foundation for the Study of the Legacy of P. A. Stolypin: for his initiative and leadership in erecting a monument to Peter Stolypin; and collectively to the Russian State Library (President: V. V. Fedorov; and General Director: A. I. Vislyi): for the preservation and advancement of Russian cultural values. (On this award and its recipients, see: http://www.whoiswho.ru/romanov/; http://www.vesti-moscow.ru/rnews.html?id=204542; and http://ria.ru/culture/20130306/926177056.html).
On receiving his award, Iurii Solomin said: “I thank you for this honor. I have directed the art theater for 25 years. I thought that it would be easy, but it turned out that it is easier to create something new than to preserve tradition.” “For me,” said Fr. Tikhion (Shevkunov), “receiving this award is the highest of honors. This is an unforgettable moment. Until recently, this date has not been much celebrated, but this omission has been corrected. With all my heart, I want to thank the House of Romanoff for all that it is doing for Russia.”
The Romanoff Prize was established by the Head of the Russian Imperial House in honor of the 400th anniversary of the ending of the Time of Troubles in the seventeenth century. It is awarded for services to the Russian state; for social, educational, and philanthropic achievements; and for efforts to strengthen inter-confessional and international dialogue, peace, and reconciliation. The Romanoff Prize was awarded for the first time on March 6, 2013.
Laureates of the Romanoff Prize were also presented the commemorative medal “The Anniversary of the Nation’s Victory, 1613-2013.” Several others also received the medal on this occasion, including the Chairman of the selection committee of the Romanoff Prize, S. Iu. Rybas; the Director of the Russian State Archive of Social and Political History, A. K. Sorokin; the Director of the Foundation for the Support and Development of Education, Art, and Culture, E. V. Baiakhchian; V. A. Kim, I. I. Poleniachenko, and Professor Russell E. Martin (USA). (For more information on the medal, see: http://www.imperialhouse.ru/rus/extra/vin3/3170.html.) This was the first time this medal of the Russian Imperial House was ever awarded, as described in Decree № 1 of February 21/March 6, 2013.
That evening, Her Imperial Highness visited the Russian Academy of Arts, where she was made an honorary member of the Academy. The Grand Duchess presented the President of the Russian Academy of Arts, Z. K. Tsereteli, with the Imperial Order of St. Anna, and personally invested him with the devices of the Order, First Class, as well as the medal “The Anniversary of the Nation’s Victory, 1613-2013.” (For more information on this event, see: http://www.rah.ru/news/detail.php?ID=22110; http://www.tsereteli.ru/creation/news/?ELEMENT_ID=1114.) Z. K. Tsereteli later hosted a dinner in honor of the Grand Duchess, which was also attended by numerous other prominent figures in Russian culture.
On March 7, the Grand Duchess visited the Solzhenitsyn Foundation, which was hosting the conference “The Imperial House of Romanoff: 400 Years in the Service of Russia,” organized by the Russian Nobility Association and the social movement “For Faith and Fatherland.” (For more information on the conference, see http://www.bfrz.ru/?mod=news&id=1290). The plenary session of the conference included welcoming speeches and presentations from the following conference attendees: the Chairman of the Central Elections Commission of the Russian Federation, V. E. Churov; the Director of the State Archive of the Russian Federation and Chair of the History Department at Moscow State University, Professor S. V. Mironenko; the Director of the Institute for a National Strategy of Reform, Professor S. N. Baburin; the Vice Chair of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society and Senior Fellow of the Institute of Russian History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, N. N. Lisovoi; and the Vice Chair of the Academic Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences for the Study and Preservation of the Cultural and Natural Heritage, Professor V. N. Rastorguev. During the plenary session, the Grand Duchess presented the medal “The Anniversary of the Nation’s Victory, 1613-2013” to V. E. Churov, S. V. Mironenko, S. N. Baburin, N. N. Lisovoi, and V. N. Rastorguev, as well as to the Director of the Solzhenitsyn Center, V. A. Moskovin; and to the Chair of the Commission of the Civic Council of the city of Moscow for Cultural, Informational, and Urban Development Policy and the Chairman of the association “Lermontov’s Legacy,” V. P. Poterukhin. At this time, the Grand Duchess also presented the devices of the Imperial Order of St. Anna III Class to several awardees who had been previously elevated to the Order: Professor Dr. V. N. Zviagin; P. A. Morozov—Senior Fellow of the Institute for the Study of the Earth’s Magnetism of the Russian Academy of Sciences; V. I. Stanulevich (of Arkhangelsk)—a physician, the Director of the A. F. Karanin Research Group (in Arkhangelsk), and Secretary of the Board of Trustees for the foundation “Emperor.” The device for the Imperial Order of St. Anna III Class was also given to V. I. Stanulevich to convey to T. D. Rumiantsev (of Arkhangelsk), the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the foundation “Emperor.”
During the afternoon, Grand Duchess Maria of Russia received in audience representatives of a number of public and civic organizations.
At 4:00 PM, Her Imperial Highness heard a report from V. V. Pilkevich, the Advisor in the Chancellery of the Russian Imperial House for Coordination with Social Organizations and Governmental Institutions of Ukraine and the Autonomous Republic of the Crimea. Afterward, the Grand Duchess gave V. V. Pilkevich new instructions for his work and wished him a safe journey back to Kiev.
In his meeting with Her Imperial Highness, V. V. Pilkevich reported on a number of activities, including an update on the signing of a Memorandum on October 18, 2012, between the Chancellery of Her Imperial Highness and the Ministry of Resorts and Tourism of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Ukraine); on the opening of an exhibit dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the House of Romanoff and the ending of the Time of Troubles, entitled “The Imperial House of Romanoff: Past and Present” in the cities of Odessa and Kirovohrad, an exhibit that is supported actively by the General Consulate of the Russian Federation in Odessa, by officials of the city of Odessa, and by officials of the Odessa and Kirovohrad Districts; and finally on efforts to organize a celebration in Ukraine of the 400th anniversary of the ending of the Time of Troubles and ascension of the House of Romanoff, which have already culminated in the historic adoption by the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea on February 20, 2013, of a plan to celebrate this anniversary with a series of events throughout the Crimea.
At 5:45, Her Imperial Highness visited the bookstore “Biblio-Globus” and familiarized herself with its various cultural projects. During her visit to the bookstore, the Grand Duchess presented the medal “The Anniversary of the Nation’s Victory” to the President of “Biblio-Globus,” B. S. Yesenkin. (For more on this visit, see: http://www.biblio-globus.ru/history.aspx?controlId=3&recordNo=6824#6824.)
That evening, the Grand Duchess attended a concert at the Moscow International House of Music in honor of the 400th anniversary of the ending of the Time of Troubles entitled “Three Russian Basses.” (On the concert, see: http://tv-soyuz.ru/videonews/martyrs/at34438). The three basses—Andrei Antonov, Valerii Gilmanov, and Fedor Tarasov—sang the romantic songs “Amidst the Noise of the Ball,” “Elegy,” “Autumn Leaves,” as well as “Blushed like an Apple” by Sviridov, “A Farewell Song” by Glinka, and “A Song of Naples.” The audience was also treated to an aria from the opera “Eugene Onegin,” and to the song “Findlay” by Georgii Sviridov, based on a poem by Robert Burns. In the second act of the performance, the trio sang the old Russian romantic songs “Black Eyes” and “Shine, Shine, My Star,” and the Russian folk songs “Ah, Nastasia,” “My Joy Lives,” “It was in the Village, in Olkhovka,” “Along the Streets of Petersburg,” and “The Street, the Street.” The accompanists for the performance were the famous artists Aleksei Nesterenko (on the piano) and the ensemble “Admiral,” under the direction of Mikhail Chernov.
The Grand Duchess then attended a dinner hosted in her honor by the knights of the Imperial Military Order of St. Nicholas the Miracle-Worker.
On March 8, the Head of the House of Romanoff arrived at the construction site of the first new church in Russia’s capital to be dedicated to the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers, located at 6 Novopodmoskii Lane. The church is being built as part of the plan to build 200 new churches in Moscow. The Grand Duchess attended a brief service in the chapel that is located next to the foundation of the new church and then met with the clergy, parishioners, and representatives of the city’s administration, including the Prefect of the Northern Administrative District of Moscow, V. I. Bazanchuk; the head of the District Council, S. S. Sidorov; and several of their deputies. (For more information about this site and this visit, see the following webpages: http://www.200hramov.ru/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=759:2013-03-08-10-37-19&catid=1:2012-08-02-21-06-46&Item; http://www.religare.ru/2_100209_1_156.html; http://200hramov.livejournal.com/16557.html).
Her Imperial Highness received the following letter, dated March 6, 2013, from the Chairmen of the Board for the “Foundation for the Support of the Construction of Churches in Moscow,” His Grace Bishop Tikhon of Podolsk:
To the Head of the Russian Imperial House
Her Imperial Highness
Grand Duchess Maria of Russia
Your Imperial Highness,
I send you my heartfelt congratulations on this significant date: the 400th anniversary of the ending of the Time of Troubles and the reestablishment of the Russian state.
Exactly four hundred years ago, the Assembly of the Land summoned to the throne Mikhail Fedorovich Romanoff. This celebrated event was a starting point for a new epoch in the history of our nation. Over the course of more than 300 years, your ancestors served their people with faith and truth, encouraged Russia’s growth and prosperity, expanded the boundaries of the Empire, and cherished the nation that God had entrusted to them. The rulers of the House of Romanoff made possible the spread of the Christian faith across the entire length and breadth of the Russian state: to Central Asia and Finland, to Alaska and the Caucasus, as well as to other lands of our vast homeland. The deep reverence that the Russian people have today for your ancestors is expressed particularly by their veneration of the family of the last emperor. Their icons can be found in every parish church; and in the near future, a new church will be dedicated to the Royal Passion-Bearers in the Northern District of Moscow as part of the program to build 200 churches across the city of Moscow.
I wish you good health, God’s help in all your endeavors, and many years!
With deepest respect,
Bishop Tikhon of Podolsk
Chairman of Board for the “Foundation for the Support of the Construction of Churches in Moscow”
Later that same day, the Grand Duchess left Moscow for Kostroma: the “cradle of the House of Romanoff.” On her way there, Her Imperial Highness made a brief stop at Pereslavl-Zalesskii, where she met and spoke with residents of the city.
On March 9, in the morning, the Grand Duchess visited the historical center of the city of Kostroma. The official program of her visit to the city began with a moleben before the miracle-working Fedorov Icon of the Mother of God in the Epiphany Convent. At the conclusion of the service, the Head of the House of Romanoff gave Archpriest Valerii Bunteev, the Secretary of the Kostroma and Galich Diocese, an official letter [Reskript] addressed to His Eminence, Archbishop Aleksei of Kostroma and Galich. The text of the letter reads:
From the Head of the Russian Imperial House
To His Eminence Archbishop Aleksei of Kostroma and Galich
Your Eminence,
I sincerely thank you for the warm reception given me by the clergy of the Kostroma and Galich Diocese during my visit to the Kostroma District to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the ending of the Time of Troubles, the reestablishment of the Russian state, and the ascension to the throne of our House.
I am very sorry that circumstances do not permit us to meet, but I hope that the opportunity will present itself soon. I am enclosing with this letter the Imperial medals “The Anniversary of the Nation’s Victory” and “The 400th Anniversary of the House of Romanoff,” along with the accompanying documentation.
I very much appreciate your ministry as archpastor and the enormous contribution you make to the preservation of the holy places that are so dear to our Dynasty and to the entire nation: the Moscow Novospasskii Monastery, as well as the other monasteries and churches of the Kostroma region. I will forever remember in my heart the moral support you offered me and my son and heir, Grand Duke Georgii of Russia, in those difficult days after my most august mother, Grand Duchess Leonida of Russia, had passed away.
With all my heart, I wish you a speedy recovery of health, strength of spirit and body, and God’s help in all your endeavors.
Asking your archpastoral prayers and blessing, I assure you of our continuing favor and deepest respect,
Maria
H.I.H. Grand Duchess Maria of Russia
Kostroma, February 24/March 8, 2013
The Grand Duchess then presented for conveyance to Archbishop Aleksei the Imperial medals “Anniversary of the Nation’s Victory” and “The 400th Anniversary of the House of Romanoff,” as well as the accompanying documents conferring the right to wear the medals. The Imperial medal “Anniversary of the Nation’s Victory” was also presented to Archpriest Valerii Bunteev and to the abbess of Epiphany Convent, Mother Innokentia (Travina).
Then Her Imperial Highness went to the Holy Trinity Ipatiev Monastery, where, on March 14/27, 1613, her ancestor, Tsar Mikhail I Fedorovich, was proclaimed tsar. A panikhida was served at the monastery on behalf of all the rulers of the House of Romanoff. The abbot of Ipatiev monastery, Hegumen Peter (Yeryshalov) was awarded the medal “The Anniversary of the Nation’s Victory.” Grand Duchess Maria of Russia visited the building at the monastery where her ancestors lived and toured the exhibits at the museum that now occupies these premises.
In the afternoon, the Grand Duchess visited the Kostroma State Historical-Architectural and Art Museum and attended a concert of the Academic Chamber Chorus and Chamber Orchestra of the Kostroma Philharmonic in the White Hall of the former Nobility Association of Kostroma. Her Imperial Highness also visited the Kostroma Regional Universal Research Library and an exhibit of artifacts related to the events of the Time of Troubles, the life of Ivan Susanin, and the ascension of the House of Romanoff—artifacts that are part of the private collection of the local historian B. K. Korobov (the former Mayor of Kostroma). B. K. Korobov was awarded the Imperial medal “The Anniversary of the Nation’s Victory,” and the Grand Duchess also presented Imperial medals to the Director of the Romanovsky Rehabilitation Center for the Disabled, P. K. Zaifidi, and to the Physical Therapist at the Center, N. N. Lapshin. In the evening, the Governor of the Kostroma District, S. K. Sitnikov, hosted a dinner in honor of the Head of the Russian Imperial House, at which were present the following guests: The Chairman of the Duma of Kostroma District, A. I. Bychkov; the First Deputy Governor of Kostroma District, A. A. Anokhin; the Head of the Department of Culture of Kostroma District, E. A. Churunov; the Secretary of the Diocese of Kostroma, Archpriest Valerii Bunteev; members of the Chancellery of the Russian Imperial House; the Senior Consultant for the Committee of Civil Service for Novgorod District, A. A. de Ferrero; and representatives of various civic organizations. Governor S. K. Sitnikov and Chairman A. I. Bychkov were awarded the Imperial medals “The Anniversary of the Nation’s Victory” and “The 400th Anniversary of the House of Romanoff,” and A. A. Anokhin and E. A. Churunov were each awarded the Imperial medal “The Anniversary of the Nation’s Victory.”
On that same day, March 9, 2013, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill I of Moscow and All Russia appeared on the television show “The Pastor’s Word.” In answer to a question from one of the viewers, His Holiness articulated the official position of the Russian Orthodox Church on the House of Romanoff and its historical role in the past and in the present.
His Holiness noted that the Holy Church far from idealizes the three centuries of Romanoff rule, but has rather been cautious and critical toward certain policy decisions of some Tsars and Emperors. Even so, the Church respects in general the achievements of Russia’s Romanoff rulers and remembers that no Russian monarch ever betrayed the interests of the nation nor undertook policies that ignored those national interests.
Answering a question about so-called “pretenders” to the throne in our own time, the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church characterized the role today of the Dynasty by replying: “I would like to say right away that there are no such thing as pretenders. Today, none of those persons who are descendants of the Romanoffs are pretenders to the Russian throne. However, in the person of Grand Duchess Maria Wladimirovna and her son, Georgii, the succession of the Romanoffs is preserved—no longer to the Russian Imperial throne, but to history itself. And I should acknowledge with gratitude to this family and to many other Romanoff descendants the contributions they make today to the life of our country. Maria Wladimirovna supports a great many good initiatives, she makes visits Russia, she meets with people, she raises to noble status ordinary people who have in various ways distinguished themselves. I remember very well how, when she was visiting Smolensk, she elevated to noble status an old peasant woman who had done much for her neighbors during the difficult years of the war and immediately after the war. Thus the cultural contributions of this family continue to be very significant in our society.” (For the original video of the interview, in Russian, see: http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/2836965.html).
Patriarch Kirill’s words are fully consistent with the position of the House of Romanoff, which has not abandoned the ideals and values of its ancestors in response to temporary, passing conditions, but has dispassionately assessed the reality of each situation. In a recent interview, Grand Duchess Maria of Russia firmly and consistently stated the opinion she has expressed many times before: “Many mistakenly believe that the Head of the Imperial House is the ‘pretender to the throne.’ In point of fact, this is absolutely not the case. The Imperial House is a historical institution, which preserves an entire range of traditional spiritual values, including, of course, the idea of monarchy. It would be impossible for the dynasty to reject monarchy in the same way it would be impossible for the Church to reject belief in God. We are convinced that legitimate monarchy has a future and can be of service to our country. If our people—freely and fully-informed—should choose to restore the monarchy, then the Head of the Imperial House would be fully prepared to fulfill her or his duty as the legal successor to Russia’s past sovereigns. But we do not desire to force ourselves on the nation, we do not participate in any political activities whatsoever, and we do not have pretensions to anything.
“Both I and my son, Tsesarevich Georgii of Russia, are citizens of Russia. We respect its Constitution and laws. We strive to help the President and government, the Orthodox Church, other traditional religious confessions in the nation, and various civic groups to revive the nation’s historic traditions and to develop these traditions in ways that fit the circumstances of the modern world we live in.
“At the present time, and in the foreseeable future, the main activities of the House of Romanoff are to sponsor charitable activities, to help strengthen the state and civil society, to foster social, religious, and ethnic harmony in the country, to help maintain and preserve the cultures and civilization of the various peoples that once were part of the former Russian Empire, to protect the environment and our common historical heritage, and to promote a positive image of Russia in the wider world. All our activities are of a humanitarian, not a political, character.” (For the entire text of this interview, in English, see: http://www.imperialhouse.ru/eng/allnews/news/2013/3496.html.)
On March 10, the Grand Duchess visited the village of Domnino, the birthplace of the Russian national hero Ivan Susanin. A moleben was served in the Church of the Dormition of the Most Pure Mother of God during the Grand Duchess’s visit. After the service and brief tour of the church, the Grand Duchess presented the Imperial medal “The Anniversary of the Nation’s Victory” to the Head of the Susaninskii Region, S. A. Zhuravlev, and to the church historian, Archpriest Dmitrii Sazonov. Then lunch was served at the Convent of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers. The nuns sang church hymns about the suffering of the martyred Royal Family. The abbess of the Convent, Mother Feofania (Lozhkina), described for her guests the various activities of the sisters of the convent.
The Grand Duchess then honored the memory of Ivan Susanin at the memorial stone located at the traditional place where he was martyred, and then visited and prayed at the chapel located on the original site of the village of Domnino during the 17th century. (For a news report in Russian about this visit, see: http://susnov.ru/chitat-gazetu/632-s-pochteniem-i-lyubovyu.html).
Before the farewell dinner, given in honor of Her Imperial Highness by the local authorities in Kostroma, the Grand Duchess presented the Imperial medal “The Anniversary of the People’s Victory” to the Mayor of the city, V. V. Yemets.
Later, while on the way to Ivanovo District, Her Imperial Highness stopped at the Old Ritualist Savior-Transfiguration Cathedral. She had been invited to visit the cathedral by His Grace Bishop Vikentii, the presiding Bishop of the Yaroslav-Kostroma Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Old Ritualist Church (the Bolokrinitskaia Hierarchy). The Head of the House of Romanoff was warmly greeted by Bishop Vikentii, the clergy, and by parishioners. After prayers were offered for the health of the Grand Duchess, Bishop Vikentii read the following formal greeting to the Grand Duchess:
To the Head of the Russian Imperial House
Her Imperial Highness
Grand Duchess Maria of Russia
Your Imperial Highness, Maria Wladimirovna,
On behalf of the clergy and faithful of the Yaroslav-Kostroma Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Old Ritualist Church, and myself, allow me to express to you our sincere respect and esteem.
We live at a time when our people are returning to their spiritual roots. For many Russians, this was and is the ancient Orthodox faith. Today is the time when the state and the Church work together to affirm in the minds of the people the universal values of Christianity and to foster the moral rejuvenation of society. The best traditions of our people are being revived: a sincere and pure form of religious faith, hope, charity, and love of neighbor.
With deepest respect, and noting your outstanding achievements in promoting peace and harmony, I wish for you, Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, from the bottom of my heart, good health, strength of body, and the spiritual insight which comes from God for the work you tireless perform for the good of the Russian Imperial House.
Wishingyou all