My wife and I had the opportunity to take part in the annual “Tsar’s” procession from the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in Yekaterinburg to Ganina Yama (the place where the remains of the Tsar’s martyrs were thrown).
We arrived in Yekaterinburg on July 16, 2018. At the exit from the station we were greeted by a religious procession. Father sprinkled us with holy water, and the fatigue disappeared as if by hand, and new strength appeared to continue our journey further. It was so joyful and unexpected for us.
We arrived at the square near the Church on the Blood early - at 22:10, because the roads were blocked. There were a lot of people (about 100 thousand people took part in the event), there were various icons, which we venerated. The religious procession begins near the church, because here, where Ipatiev’s house used to stand, the life of the Royal Family was tragically cut short.
While waiting for the Divine Liturgy, people rested right on the grass. Screens were installed in the square so that everyone could see the service.
At midnight the bells rang: the Patriarch arrived and the liturgy began.
His Holiness was served by clergy and bishops from our country and neighboring countries, the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. Among them are Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine; Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna Juvenaly, Metropolitan of Chisinau and All Moldova Vladimir; Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Vincent of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, head of the Central Asian Metropolitan District; Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga Barsanuphius, Metropolitan of Volokolamsk Hilarion, Metropolitan of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye Kirill, Archbishop of Baku and Azerbaijan Alexander; Archbishop Peter of Chicago and Central America, Bishop Alexander of Daugavpils and Rezekne; Bishop Theodosius of Seattle, Bishop George of Canberra.
The service was attended by representatives of government authorities, as well as the chairman of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society S.V. Stepashin, representatives of the House of Romanov - Grand Duchess Maria Romanova, Olga Kulikovskaya-Romanova, Pavel Kulikovsky-Romanov.
The Liturgy was prayed by residents of Yekaterinburg and numerous pilgrims who arrived in the capital of the Urals from various regions of Russia, as well as from foreign countries - Azerbaijan, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Germany, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Lithuania, Moldova, New Zealand , Serbia, USA, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, France, Estonia, South Korea, Japan. Not far from the temple, a tent city was organized for food and rest of pilgrims.
Liturgical chants were performed by the choir of the clergy of the Yekaterinburg diocese (regent - priest Alexy Rusin) and the bishop's choir of the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Yekaterinburg (regent - M.Yu. Litvinenko).
After the liturgy, we heard such a sermon, after which we no longer wanted to sleep. And then at 02:30 the Royal religious procession began - 21 km to Ganina Yama. It was headed by Patriarch Kirill.
The religious procession passed through the streets of the city, went out to the Zheleznodorozhny Forest Park, passed the village of Shuvakish and ended up in the Ganina Yama tract.
It was not easy to walk, but prayer helped:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.
It was sung first by men, then by women.
The walk to Ganina Yama became even more difficult.
The nature here is very beautiful - I can’t even believe that 100 years ago this could have happened.
Finally, we came to Ganina’s pit, where we were already serving a prayer service to the Royal Passion-Bearers. Having refreshed ourselves with porridge, we headed to the buses. But since there were a lot of people, there weren’t enough buses. My legs couldn’t move anymore, but I had to walk to the Shuvakish station. We sat down near the station waiting for a taxi, but all the cars were busy, so we went to the train. We barely squeezed into it, but, thank God, everyone left. When we got to the hotel, we were already completely without legs.
We are very glad that we were able to participate in the procession. We should also note that we really liked how actively parish work in Yekaterinburg is developing, how pilgrimage trips are organized, how youth movements and volunteers work.
The video uses video fragments from the channel of the Russian Orthodox Church
Andrey KurnikovTonight in Yekaterinburg the main event of the Royal Days took place - a religious procession from the Church on the Blood to the Monastery of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers on Ganina Yama. The religious procession was led by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'.
Journalists from the Regional Newspaper broadcast live from the scene.
According to preliminary data announced during the briefing by the abbot of the monastery, Bishop of Nizhny Tagil and Nevyansk Evgeniy, About 100,000 people took part in the Royal procession.
About 15,000 people received communion at the Divine Liturgy. Communion was conducted from 100 bowls.
08:20 Tatyana Merzlyakova, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Sverdlovsk Region:
It was the first time I walked the full route of the royal procession. It was hard, yes. When I walked past my house, I wanted to escape unnoticed. But I decided to go to the end. This is the path of repentance that we must go through. Spiritual cleansing. It's worth it, believe me. I am happy that the governor, the plenipotentiary representative of the president, and the patriarch came with us. Everyone was together with their people on these memorable days.
08:00 The Patriarch held a morning service on Ganina Yama. The atmosphere is difficult to describe in words. The crusaders continue to walk, the pilgrims will stay here for more than an hour. People are obviously tired, but everyone is smiling
06:42 The Patriarch holds a service on Ganina Yama.
06:40 Some men in expensive suits at the front of the procession seem willing to trade their patent leather boots for a pair of worn-out moccasins from a nearby pilgrim.
06:30 Gypsy women stand at the side of the road next to the road to the monastery and ask pilgrims for money to help their “sick children.” Even on such a blessed day there are scammers who are hungry to profit from the good feelings of believers.
06:20 The closer to Ganina's pit, the louder the ringing of the bells in the monastery and the quieter the prayers of the crusaders. The women sing in a low voice, “Have mercy on us, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God.”
06:15 The EKAD was completely blocked for the passage of pilgrims. Despite the fact that drivers were warned about this in advance, there are motorists who still drive along the ring road. But they are quickly turned back.
06:00 From the village of Shuvakish to Ganina Yama, an asphalt road was made especially for the arrival of Patriarch Kirill to make it more convenient for pilgrims to walk.
05:50 The pilgrims entered the village of Shuvakish - they had about two kilometers left to Ganina Pit. Ahead, several hundred meters from the column, is Metropolitan Kirill of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye, who will arrive at the monastery of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers 10 minutes before the crusaders in order to prepare everything for the patriarchal visit.
05:40 The religious procession is going along a forest road. Smells of dampness and mushrooms. Perhaps, here, in silence, the awareness of the tragedy of a hundred years ago comes more clearly, more clearly than in the bustling city. The procession is approaching its end point.
What happened in the Ganina Yama area 100 years ago?
In the 19th century, they tried to mine gold in these places; there was a mine here. It is believed that in the middle of the century, a certain contractor Gabriel, whom the residents of the nearby village of Koptyaki called Ganya, became the owner of the plot of land. Ore was mined at the mine and coal was burned, but already at the beginning of the 20th century the mine was abandoned and was actually a quarry filled with melt water. According to historians, there were three dozen old mines, pits and pits around Ganina Yama. The bodies of the executed royal family and those close to them were thrown into one of the mines.
05:30 Nikolai Tsukanov and Evgeny Kuyvashev listened to the service together and are walking together in a religious procession.
05:15 What are those walking talking about? About everyday things. The girls from the teacher's college did poorly in their exams. They don’t go to pray for good grades, but “because in life you have to try everything and not learn history from ‘Matilda’.” The guys discuss France's victory at the World Cup. "Well, let's go in procession. Movement. Why not sport?" Pilgrim grandmothers complain about worn-out shoes and small pensions. City Hall employees are like an overly fast patriarch.
Walking ahead of the column of pilgrims is Dmitry Sokolov, the founder of the KVN team "Ural Dumplings". He walks with his wife and his children: two of them are sleeping in a stroller, and the third child is catching up with his father.
Dmitry said that he joined the procession of the cross at Sortirovka, after a night service at the Sredneuralsky Convent in the name of the Icon of the Mother of God “Spreader of the Loaves.”
“I walk and feel light,” he noted. - The Holy Family helps us and gives us strength to walk the royal path.
05:00 The religious procession entered the village of Seven Keys. Here Tekhnicheskaya Street narrows by almost one and a half times, so the column of pilgrims slowed down a little. The sun came out, which encouraged the crusaders, and now they are walking along the royal path with new strength. Dogs bark after them - the village wakes up.
04:30 Sorting is a small neighborhood, so people living on Tekhnicheskaya Street hear the noise of the Orthodox column very well. Local residents wake up to chants of praise and watch the religious procession from their open windows.
04:14 The religious procession is taking place in Sorting. On the main street of the microdistrict - Tekhnicheskaya - next to the Tagansky Ryad market, migrant workers lined up. They look in surprise at the column of pilgrims and film the procession on their smartphones.
04:10 Pilgrims rocked the bridge on the way to Sortirovka. The bridge is only 30 meters away, but it was enough to impress people. Especially as impressionable as some of the Oblgazeta journalists in a skirt. The bridge was shaking specifically, we need to find out whether this section of the route is safe for so many people.
04:08 There are many different people among the crusaders. There are also very marginal individuals. For example, the so-called “gopniks”, familiar to many from the television series “Real Boys”.
Almost all of the guys are from small towns in the Sverdlovsk region. They say that the Patriarch’s arrival is a very big gift for them. Each of them goes in a column, so that later they can tell their friends about how it was.
03:45 There are a surprising number of parents with strollers. There are only five strollers in the visible column next to us.
03:39 The city is sleeping and does not know that today is a bright night. There was almost no darkness.
03:25 All streets along the procession route are blocked 100 meters from the procession, and the sidewalks have been cleared of obstacles for pilgrims. For example, on the corner of Tokarey and Tatishcheva streets, a flower kiosk was removed so that it would not interfere with the crusaders.
03:20 The column of pilgrims stretched for several kilometers. Orthodox chants are heard from all ends of the procession of the cross - at the beginning of the column, banner bearers glorify God, and behind Patriarch Kirill, priests and Cossacks sing.
03:16 The royal procession of the cross is surprisingly easy. Many believers say that in such processions you don’t feel tired; you walk, caught up in some unknown force. But we still fell behind the patriarch. The primate walks very cheerfully.
03:05 The religious procession is greeted by the ringing of bells at the Church of St. Innocent, which is located on Lenin Street in the center of Yekaterinburg
02:58 One of the clergy of the Moscow Patriarchate said that Patriarch Kirill will easily walk the entire path - he walks 8-10 kilometers every day.
02:55 The religious procession is taking place along the main avenue of Yekaterinburg. Estonian State Duma deputy Dmitry Sergin is walking. Truly a feat for a person with disabilities
02:39 Patriarch Kirill walks at a surprisingly fast pace, his entourage barely keeping up with him. It seems that people don’t even believe that you can just walk through the city center next to the patriarch, without guards and flashing lights.
02:37 During a conversation with reporters, Tatyana Merzlyakova said that the religious procession is repentance, and it is important for everyone to feel this.
The centenary of a regicide happens once in a lifetime,” said Tatyana Georgievna.
02:35 Evgeny Kuyvashev and Vadim Dubichev are also among the participants in the procession.
02:25 In the meantime, the journalist pool went on special buses to the first point of the tsar’s route, the Oblgazeta journalists, after standing in prayer, selflessly walked. With the people. Next to us is the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Sverdlovsk Region, Tatyana Merzlyakova, as well as the star of the Ural dumplings, Yulia Mikhalkova.
02:20 The famous Ural businessman Andrei Simanovsky takes part in the religious procession for the first time. According to him, he came here to escape from work problems and finally think about the eternal.
I want to go through the religious procession to the end. On foot. It's important for me. Historical day. Then I will share my impressions.
02:15 The Patriarchal cortege, accompanied by traffic police and ambulance vehicles, is ready for the start of the religious procession.
02:10 An ambulance is on duty at the Patriarchal courtyard. According to doctors, five people have already contacted them that night. Mostly, people complain about blood pressure and general weakness. Doctors say that these are pilgrims who have arrived or come from afar.
2:03 Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill personally leads the procession. Let us remember that Vladyka is 71 years old, but there is hardly any need to worry about his health. Several years ago, Vladyka spoke about his desire to fly into space. As Lenta.ru reported, he stated this at a meeting with the leadership of Roscosmos. This information was then confirmed by the head of the corporation, Anatoly Perminov, who reported that in the past the patriarch had completed 20 training flights on Mig aircraft, even performing aerobatics.
The Patriarch regularly participates in religious processions. Last year, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church walked together with the participants of the Velikoretsk religious procession, which is considered one of the most ancient in our country. It takes place in early June in the Kirov region, and its total route exceeds 180 kilometers.
One of Patriarch Kirill’s worldly hobbies is skiing. Moreover, he gives preference to those that do not require skiing - mountain and water.
Patriarch Kirill is the co-author of a trilogy about the co-founder of Sambo Vasily Oshchepkov, who is the founder of international competitions in judo and other martial arts in the USSR. He repeatedly stated that he considered martial arts an important means of uniting his flock. The book “And the Eternal Battle” can be easily found in bookstores in our city or ordered through popular specialized services. The price is quite affordable - about 290 rubles.
2:00 The Divine Liturgy ended. The formation of columns for the night procession to Ganina Yama begins.
We remind you that there are 25 brigades in the body of the religious procession, consisting of clergy, sisters of mercy and volunteers. Those who cannot walk the entire route can use buses that will take pilgrims to Ganina Yama at the start of the service.
You can ask for help or find out the location of the bus by calling the dispatcher of the Orthodox Mercy Service - 268-99-29, +7-950-64-69-019.
01:50 Patriarch Kirill addressed those gathered:
A crime like the one that was committed here cannot be accidental. Behind him is the collective guilt of the entire people. A certain turn in the historical life of all Rus'. What happened to our people a hundred years ago? After all, the absolute majority were baptized, because they attended churches. Why did the killers pull the trigger without a twinge of conscience? This means that not all was well.
Departure from God, loss of spiritual connection with the church... When and why did this happen to our people? Why did he, at some point in time, like a train taking a sharp turn, rush towards disaster... Alien thoughts, alien ideals, which had nothing to do with Christianity, began to be perceived by the intelligentsia, aristocracy and part of the clergy as progressive thoughts...
The most terrible bloody coups occurred during attempts to change life for the better. Having abandoned spiritual birthright, we became darkened by the idea of radically changing our lives, and captured by this idea, many reached the point of crime... Is it possible to build this better life through the destruction of a shrine, through blood? History says it's impossible.
We must remember the tragedies of the past. We must be immune to calls to achieve human happiness through destruction and blood.
The crowning achievement of the retreat from what was most precious was the execution of the royal family. Innocent people.
Having gathered here in such large numbers, we remember the tragedy of the Ipatiev House in the hope that nothing like this will ever happen again.
We must learn an important lesson from this - we do not need any outside help. We must remember the past.
We must form a stable rejection of ideas of rushing to some better future, so that such tragedies never happen in Russia.
May God bless all the Russian people who came out of the Kyiv font and preserve the Orthodox faith.
In memory of his divine service, Patriarch Kirill presented the Church on the Blood with a golden altar cross, and the Yekaterinburg diocese - 15 gospels for 15 churches.
01:34 Among those who are alert on duty are dozens of law enforcement officers. Today they provide security for the memorial service and religious procession. Hundreds of pilgrims passed through metal detectors. It must be said that with a record number of visitors, no crowding has yet been noticed.
01:30 The first tired ones appear. These are volunteers who practically do not sleep during the Royal Days. The vast majority of people in the square stand on their feet throughout the service. A few brought folding chairs.
01:26 It seems that the youngest pilgrim is not even one year old. He sleeps sweetly in a stroller under the soothing voices of the clergy. Among the elderly people here there are those who are already over 80.
01:25 12 bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church serve together with Patriarch Kirill. Whether it’s a coincidence or not, there were just as many apostles with Jesus Christ. Among the hierarchs there are permanent and temporary members of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, bishops of the Yekaterinburg diocese.
By the way, the permanent members of the Synod are the metropolitans of Kiev and all Ukraine, St. Petersburg and Ladoga, Krutitsky and Kolomna, Minsk and Slutsk, Chisinau and all Moldova, Astana and Kazakhstan, Tashkent and Uzbekistan, the chairman of the department of external church relations and the manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Any bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church can become a temporary member of the Synod after his two-year term of governance of the diocese.
01:20 The entire square is reciting the “Our Father.”
01:11 “God, cleanse us sinners and have mercy on us,” says His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' in prayer. The Divine Liturgy has been going on for more than an hour. People kneel.
01:10 The clergy, together with the pilgrims, recited the creed. This prayer is a summary of the fundamentals of Christian doctrine and consists of 12 parts.
00:51 There are a lot of young boys and girls among those praying. This year, by the way, for the first time Orthodox volunteers work on Tsar’s Days. They can be recognized by their bright red T-shirts. They help visitors find their way around a new place, give explanations on the peculiarities of the religious procession, suggest emergency phone numbers, places where they can get free water, etc.
00:39 The service is broadcast live on the Soyuz TV channel.
The Patriarch's vestments have a special meaning and each part of the vestments has its own special meaning. In the vestments you can see velvet, brocade, gold embroidery and even precious stones. Despite the outward appearance, the vestment does not weigh that much - 3-4 kilograms. By the way, outside of divine services, the bishop’s “ordinary” clothing is an ordinary black cassock and a white cap on his head. It is interesting that the cassock is fastened only at the collar and at the belt.
00:36 Pilgrims from Serbia came to Yekaterinburg to participate in the Royal Days. A group of 50 believers, including priests, monks and laymen from different regions of the country, arrived in the Middle Urals a few days ago. They have already been to Alapaevsk, and today, after the patriarchal service at the Church on the Blood, they will go in procession to Ganina Yama.
Before the start of the Divine Liturgy, the Serbs communicated with their brothers in faith and sang songs of love for Russia. According to Alexander Milevich, pilgrim from Belgrade, many Russians cry when they hear this song.
We came to Yekaterinburg because we honor the holy Tsar Nicholas II, who lost his family and empire,” said Alexander Milevich. - Our people are grateful to him for the fact that, by his decision, Russia entered the First World War. He shouldn’t have done this - your country was not ready for this war, but the king still decided to protect Serbia from the encroachments of European countries. We are also delighted with your people and their kind attitude towards us. You share our pain over the loss of Kosovo and Metohija, and many of you, together with us, hope for their return to Serbia.
00:30 The service is underway.
00:00 His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill begins the Divine Liturgy. The square near the temple is crowded, people stand shoulder to shoulder, and this year the number of pilgrims arriving should break all records.
Patriarch Kirill for the first time participates in the celebration of Royal Days in Yekaterinburg.
23:55 Pilgrims bow before the icon of the holy royal passion-bearer Nicholas. There are only a few minutes left until the long-awaited Divine Liturgy.
23:50 The ringing of bells spreads over the temple dais. The feeling of belonging to a truly historical event brings tears to many eyes.
23:45 There are many foreigners among the pilgrims. Francesco Rodriguez Bilasco came from Madrid. His grandfather was a major during the Spanish Civil War from 1936-1939 and fought against the communists on the side of General Franco.
Francesco is friends with the family of Maria Vladimirovna Romanova, head of the Russian Imperial House, who lives in Spain.
He said that the Grand Duchess is now in Tobolsk. In this city, the royal family was in exile from August 1917 to April 1918, then they were transferred to Yekaterinburg.
The Spaniard came here for two days, especially to participate in the Royal Days. He is waiting for the patriarchal service, but he will not go to the religious procession to Ganina Pit.
According to Francesco, many Russians live in Spain, and there are several Orthodox churches in Madrid.
There are many believers in Russia, but in Spain there are few of them,” said Francesco. - Your religion is being revived. The communists, these dictators and murderers who killed many millions of people in Russia, are no longer in power, so in your country more and more people are turning to Orthodoxy. Russia made the right choice by becoming a democracy. In China, Cuba and Nicaragua, where communists are still in power, people live poorly and without faith.
23:35 People pass burning church candles to each other. At dusk there is a unique atmosphere. Pilgrims hold in their hands portraits of Nicholas II, photographs of the royal family, and ancient icons. They give each other memorial cards with images of the holy royal passion-bearers.
23:30 Prayer readings begin in the square near the temple.
23:18 came out onto the platform in front of the temple in an elegant lilac hat. Olga Nikolaevna very emotionally answers the question about the recognition of the Royal remains. In her opinion, nothing has been decided yet and it is too early to draw conclusions. Genetic examination, in her opinion, is a lie that has accompanied the epic with the royal remains for many years now.
This is a solemn day. The main thing for me is the service that we are now waiting for. We pray to the innocent victims and feel help from them. I'm really sorry this happened... It hurts. But now I want to move on to the news in the newspapers about the recognition of the Royal remains. Nothing, absolutely nothing has been decided yet. The same lies that were told a hundred years ago are being repeated today. We hear these lies even now. They began to talk about the remains in the 80s, the remains were taken to London - experts already knew the result in advance. It was brainwashing. Let's hope for the truth. It's my opinion. I don't want to guess. Wait and see.
Olga Nikolaevna Kulikovskaya-Romanova, widow of the nephew of Nicholas II and the grandson of Emperor Alexander III - Tikhon Nikolaevich Kulikovsky-Romanov. Public figure, Honorary Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts, author of numerous publications in the foreign and Russian press, member of the Russian Writers' Union.
- Born in 1926 in Yugoslavia in a family of Russian emigrants.
- She studied at the Mariinsky Don Institute for Noble Maidens (a branch of Smolny), which was evacuated from Novocherkassk during the Civil War to the city of Belaya Tserkov in Yugoslavia.
- During World War II she was interned in Stuttgart, where she worked in a factory. Subsequently she moved to Venezuela and received medical, commercial, and architectural education.
- After moving to Canada, she worked as a translator in government agencies.
- In 1986, in Toronto, she married Tikhon Nikolaevich Kulikovsky-Romanov.
- In 1991, the Kulikovsky-Romanovs organized the charitable Foundation “Russia Assistance Program” named after Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, which provides assistance to hospitals, shelters, organizations and individuals.
Speaks seven languages: Russian, French, German, Spanish, English, Serbian, Italian.
23:15 Ilze Liepa:
There is an amazing atmosphere among the pilgrims; I feel like our best human qualities are being revealed. I want to help each other. A very strong feeling of togetherness.
23:10 Waiting Natalia Poklonskaya.
23:05 Ilze Liepa cries:
I cannot hear when our emperor is called a weak ruler. I would like the younger generation not to think so. It's not fair.
A famous ballerina is difficult to recognize in a crowd. She is wearing a floor-length black skirt, a gray windbreaker and a formal scarf, with a backpack over her shoulder.
23:00 A famous ballerina visited the royal days Ilze Liepa.
Our whole family reverently treats the royal family. This tragedy is a turning point in the life of the country.
We have the feeling that everything that happens in Yekaterinburg is a truly great event. We are happy, some incredible inspiration. So many people responded to this great event.
The Venerable Martyr Elizabeth is my heavenly intercessor. Today I will go in procession in memory of her.
22:56 Almost five dozen pilgrims came to Yekaterinburg from New Zealand, Australia, the USA, and Singapore. All members of the Russian Church Abroad. Vladimir Boykov:
The royal family is highly revered abroad. Dozens of people responded to my invitation; they want to follow the royal path. We want God to change the hearts of Russian people around the world - are we worthy of the feat of the Tsar's martyrs... It is very difficult for us, but difficulties strengthen us. Let's preserve our Russianness, our uniqueness before God.
22:55 Press approach of the archpriest Vladimir Boykov, dean of the parishes of the Russian Church Abroad in New Zealand. : 17 of them he flew from Auckland to Doha, the capital of Qatar, then there was a 16-hour layover, a 5-hour flight to Moscow and 2 hours to Yekaterinburg. 42 pilgrims arrived with the priest.
22:50 Surprisingly, hundreds of pilgrims had already gathered at the temple, but at the same time a blessed silence hung over the square.
22:48 Pavel Kulikovsky arrived on the Tsar's days in Yekaterinburg. With the help of a translator, he spoke with journalists. The first question is about .
As I was informed, this is not the final decision of the investigative committee. But I'm very glad that the investigation is continuing. I hope for objective results.
When visiting Yekaterinburg, I experience mixed feelings. A feeling of responsibility and joy at the same time.
I am sure that royal days will take place in Yekaterinburg in five years and many years from now. I travel a lot around Russia, I see how much is being done to preserve the memory of the Romanovs. Love for them will always be kept in people's memory.
I have been living in Russia since 2008. I wanted to see with my own eyes how the Romanov legacy was preserved. I decided to publish the magazine "News of the Romanovs". This is a charity project, we have 18,000 subscribers. Interest in Russian history is growing in society. I am very glad to touch historical events here in Yekaterinburg.
Pavel Eduardovich Kulikovsky , great-great-grandson of Emperor Alexander III, honorary member of the Association of Members of the Romanov Family
Born in 1960 in Toronto (Canada) in the family of Canadian citizen Ralph Edward Jones and Ksenia Guryevna Kulikovskaya, the eldest granddaughter of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna. Olga Alexandrovna was the daughter of Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna, as well as the sister of Emperor Nicholas II. He is a direct descendant of the royal and imperial Romanov dynasty.
He spent most of his life in Denmark and has lived in Moscow since 2008.
Since July 2017, official representative of the Association of Members of the Romanov Family.
22:30 At the site of the church at these moments, the final preparations are being made before the Divine Liturgy.
22:18 A group of pilgrims from Serbia sings prayer chants at the temple on the side of Karl Liebknecht Street. Passers-by listened and sang very soulfully. The pilgrims traveled for three days by bus in a group of 53 people. Some come to Yekaterinburg not for the first time
22:15 The first impression of the pilgrims who are gathering at the temple at these moments: there are a lot of young people.
22:10 Orthodox sisters of mercy of the Yekaterinburg diocese are being instructed in providing first aid to pilgrims during the religious procession.
Rescuers from the Ministry of Emergency Situations are also prepared for emergency situations that may occur during the religious procession.
21:59 Pilgrims begin to gather in small groups towards the Church on the Blood.
According to estimates of the Yekaterinburg diocese, more than 100 thousand believers from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and far abroad - Australia, Singapore, Great Britain, Germany, Serbia and other countries will take part in the pilgrimage. Orthodox Christians have to walk about 21 kilometers. The route will run along the central streets of the city through VIZ, Sortirovka, the villages of Seven Keys and Shuvakish.
Before the religious procession, exactly at midnight, the Divine Liturgy will take place in the Church on the Blood. The service will be conducted by the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. The top officials of the Ural Federal District and the Sverdlovsk Region will pray with him. It is expected that representatives of the Romanov dynasty, famous politicians, and public figures will take part in the service.
The history of the Royal Days began on July 16, 1989. On this day, in the vacant lot where the Ipatiev House was previously located, the first prayer service was served in memory of the holy royal passion-bearers. Believers came to the scene of the execution of the royal family with homemade banners. At ten o'clock in the evening they gathered in a circle, lit candles and began to pray. Less than half an hour had passed when a police officer appeared and demanded to disperse. Following him, riot police arrived, who did not stand on ceremony with the Orthodox Christians and detained 11 people, including two minors. The rest were roughly dispersed and the candles were trampled.
But the authorities’ attitude towards Orthodoxy soon changed and, in the wake of perestroika, in August 1990, a wooden Worship Cross was installed on the site of the Ipatiev House, near which believers began to pray regularly. Despite this, atheists constantly broke it, so by the end of that year the wooden cross was replaced with a metal one.
It was from here that the first religious procession along the Royal Road took place in 1992. Since then they have become annual.
In the 1990s, several dozen people took part in the pilgrimage to Ganina Yama, but after the Russian Orthodox Church canonized the royal family as saints in August 2000, the number of crusaders began to grow: in 2000, about 300 took part in the procession along the Royal Road. there were already 4 thousand believers in 2002, about 50 thousand in 2012, and over 60 thousand in 2016.
Plot
In 2018, Russia celebrates the 150th anniversary of the birth of Emperor Nicholas II and the 100th anniversary of the tragic death of the Royal Family.
The traditional Royal procession from the Church on the Blood will take place in Yekaterinburg on the night of July 16-17, 2016. If you decide to participate in this thousands-strong, 21-kilometre prayer walk, there are some important things to keep in mind.
1. The route of the procession is quite long - 21 km. Travel time is about five hours. Think in advance which part of the route you can cover without harming your health. Remember that the main thing is the spiritual benefit of praying together, and not the number of kilometers traveled.
2. Consider what comfortable shoes to wear so that your feet do not get tired. It is advisable that it have a backdrop, lace up or with clasps.
3. Remember that a religious procession is not an unauthorized procession, but a type of church service, therefore, when participating in it, you must not forget about several important rules:
The royal procession of the cross begins from the Church on the Blood immediately after the night service (02:30), so it is worth confessing in advance and, having prepared, receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ during the night service (the Divine Liturgy will begin at 23:30);
Afterwards, you must wait until the clergy, accompanied by the banner bearers, led by Vladyka Kirill and Vladyka Vincent, begin to perform the procession with prayer;
Having let the priests pass first, you can join the procession (without overtaking the procession or interfering with the prayer workers who are walking next to you);
If you cannot walk the entire route and want to join the procession later, when it has already begun, then you should not overtake those walking or go separately. Wait for the banner bearers and clergy to pass, and then join the column;
Be attentive to those walking nearby. If you or your fellow prayer members feel unwell, seek help from the sisters of mercy or volunteers in white T-shirts;
The royal procession ends at the Monastery of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers on Ganina Yama. Here you will have a meal and buses that will take you to Shuvakish station, Sredneuralsk and children's hospital No.
9. If you didn’t have time to board the first of the buses, don’t worry, the transport will run throughout the holiday.
4. The passage of private vehicles from the village of Shuvakish to the monastery on Ganina Yama will be blocked on holidays. Therefore, it is better to leave your vehicles in a special parking lot in the village of Shuvakish.
5. The procession will be accompanied by 25 mobile groups of volunteer assistants of the Orthodox Mercy Service and 15 buses. Mobile groups consist of a priest, a sister of mercy, a representative of the Holy Dormition Brotherhood, and a volunteer. During the entire religious procession, a representative of the group will hold a sign with the dispatcher’s telephone number (200-07-04), which you can call and ask any question regarding the Royal Procession, bus stop locations, ask for help, etc. Each group has a first aid kit (medicines for first aid), holy water, blessed oil, and a flashlight. The group constantly keeps in touch with the dispatcher, organizes assistance to the person who has applied and, depending on the state of his health, waits for the ambulance to arrive or transfers the person to the bus if he cannot continue the pilgrimage on foot. 
6. Buses will stop along the entire route. Pilgrims will be able to check with any mobile group about where the nearest bus is located. There will be a coordinator on each bus. Those pilgrims who want, but are unable to continue the procession on foot (women with children, the elderly, the disabled) will be able to get to the Monastery of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers by bus. Please note that the buses will not be able to take on board everyone, but only those who cannot physically continue the journey on foot.
7. A point will be set up on the territory of the monastery on Ganina Yama to provide assistance to pilgrims, and ambulances will also be on duty near the entrance to the monastery territory.
8. On July 16 and 17, according to weather centers, rain is expected. Therefore, take care of raincoats and waterproof shoes.
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