Tonight 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.
On the night of July 16-17, 2018, a procession of the cross was held in the city of Yekaterinburg, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the murder of the Holy Royal Family, in which parishioners and the rector of the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in the city of Chelyabinsk, Archpriest Yaroslav Ivanov, soldiers of the Pediatric Detachment Response and Orthodox activists took part youth movement of the Chelyabinsk diocese PMD74, counselors of the Orthodox tent camp “Heir”.
On the sunny evening of July 16, our group set out for the glorious city of Yekaterinburg, for the religious procession dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the death of the Royal Family.
The route was serious (more than 20 km) from the Church on the Blood to Ganina Yama, but more serious than that was the topic - Tragic milestones in the history of our State.
On the way we stop in the village of Bulzi. The Diocesan Camp “Heir” takes place there. Our ranks are filled with counselors and older guys.
In Yekaterinburg we meet with the friendly organizers of our trip. We are walking in the religious procession in the same ranks with the crusaders from Moscow, St. Petersburg and Tyumen. We receive T-shirts with the image of the coat of arms of Tsarist Russia. The “Double-Headed Eagle” leads to the Path
The procession begins at night from the place where the family was shot - the former house of engineer Ipatiev, and now the Church-Monument on the Blood. The final destination is Ganina Yama, where the holy remains of the martyrs were thrown into the mine. Now a monastery has been erected on this site in the name of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers.
Night time was not chosen by chance. After all, it was precisely at night that the Royal Family, under the pretext of unrest in the city, was awakened and asked to go down to the basement, where the terrible massacre took place.
The procession of the cross is preceded by the Divine Liturgy, which at midnight, on Tsarskaya Street near the Church on the Blood, is celebrated by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' in concelebration with 40 bishops. Among them is Metropolitan Nicodemus of Chelyabinsk and Miass. Rivers of Orthodox Christians flock to the polyphonic singing.
After the Divine Liturgy, the Primate of the Russian Church delivered a sermon, where he named the main lesson that Russia should learn from the execution of Emperor Nicholas II and his family. According to Patriarch Kirill, what happened in July 1918 should teach once and for all that under no circumstances should one be seduced by promises of a better life and outside help, which more “educated” and “advanced” people are supposedly ready to provide. Especially if the path to achieving this “happiness” lies through destruction and blood. He also called for never forgetting about this tragedy of the past, so that the people have strong immunity to any calls to achieve human happiness through the destruction of what exists.
After the liturgy, a column is formed. The number of people who came from all over the world is immense. All around are prayers, chants, Russian and foreign speeches of thousands of pilgrims. Priests, monks, old people, children... Serbs are in front of us, Cossacks are behind us. Descendants of the Romanov family also came to the procession - the great-great-grandson of Alexander III and the widow of Nicholas II's nephew Olga Kulikovskaya-Romanova.
Our “solar” group with banners is numerous. Visible from all sides. Those who came strive to “dive” under the icon of the Royal Passion-Bearers that we brought with us from Chelyabinsk.
The Bishop appears, followed by bishops, archbishops, and metropolitans of various dioceses.
“Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on us!” - is heard in the crowd and is instantly picked up by thousands of voices, scattering in all directions.
It's 3 am. The column begins the procession. We walk around the city for a long time. Faces of townspeople standing along the road, bridges, houses flash by. A human river, you can’t grasp it with your eyes. There are people to the horizon in both directions. Let's sing a prayer in chorus. It's getting light.
By five in the morning, more and more surprised faces appear in the windows of houses, past which the procession of thousands is moving.
Dawn catches us as we enter the forest. On the sign “Ganina Yama 7km”.
The religious procession moves rapidly and only in the forest, where the road becomes narrower, does the procession slow down.
Fatigue is setting in. But realizing that the Patriarch, who by the way is 72 years old, is walking ahead, you forget about fatigue.
We got there, the clergy were already singing on the territory of the monastery. From the loudspeakers the voice of the Patriarch:
“Your Eminence and Most Reverend Masters! Dear fathers, brothers and sisters!
With a joyful feeling, I walked this mournful path together with all of you on the day when we remember and celebrate the tragic event - we celebrate because through this event the royal family was canonized. And we believe that today she, the family of the Royal Passion-Bearers, is with us in this prayer and in this procession.
Offering a prayer to the holy saints of God, we ask them to be intercessors before God for our Russian land, for our people, for our Church, so that the Lord will protect our Fatherland and people, and the Church from all unrest, from divisions, schisms, from all human untruths, so that we may preserve the truth of faith and the piety of our people. We believe that if we preserve this, we will preserve Russia, and the country will be great and the people will prosper. Through their prayers may the Lord protect the Russian land. Amen"
We've arrived. Tired, but happy that we got there. GOD BLESS! The Path was hard.
The area near Ganina Yama instantly filled with people. Volunteers fed porridge from the field kitchen. Those who arrived shared their impressions.
Having rested a little, we headed back. Our bus was at the Shuvakish station, 2.5 km from Ganina Yama. We walked slowly back, smiling at each other, some were silent, some were talking to strangers, who an hour ago had still walked together in the same column and sang in chorus. The procession united those who passed through it.
We also had to stop by the village of Bulzi. There they were already waiting for their counselors.
We were greeted with joy. The guys from the “Heir” camp and the nuns from the women’s monastery venerated the icon of the Royal Passion-Bearers, which went with us throughout the procession.
The night Royal Procession of the Cross of 2018 will be remembered for a lifetime. We thank God that we were honored to be participants in this event. We thank each other for like-mindedness, a comradely shoulder, kind encouraging words, a warm friendly look when it was hard, joint prayer, for the feeling of unity and community, for all the bright thoughts and feelings that we were able to experience during the Procession of the Cross! God bless everyone!
Full photo album from the Procession: watch
Text and photo: Nadezhda Tyutikova
Editor: Anatoly Fursov
On the night of July 16-17, 2018, on the hundredth anniversary of the execution of the royal family, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' led the traditional Royal procession from the place of the martyrdom of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers and their faithful servants to the Monastery of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers in the Ganina Yama tract ( distance – 21 km). Many bishops took part in the procession and served His Holiness at the Liturgy. In total, according to law enforcement agencies, about 100 thousand people took part in the religious procession.
Procession route: st. Tsarskaya - st. Tolmacheva – Lenin Ave. – st. Tatishcheva - st. Bebelya - st. Technical - st. Reshetskaya – Railway Forest Park – Shuvakish village – Ganina Yama tract.
According to tradition, the procession was carried out with banners and icons, including a two-meter high icon of Emperor Nicholas II, created in 2017 for the temple in honor of the “Sovereign” Icon of the Mother of God on Ganina Yama. The weight of the icon with the icon case is about 150 kg. Since the icon is very heavy, special stretchers on wheels were made to move it.
Volunteers from the Royal Days took part in organizing the work of tent camps in Yekaterinburg and on Ganina Yama, night services and religious processions. Among the volunteers are representatives of Orthodox youth associations of the Yekaterinburg Metropolis and other dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church. Representatives of secular organizations also participated in the organization of the Tsar’s Days: the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Union of Rescuers, the Union of Volunteers of Russia, the Sverdlovsk Regional Medical College, etc.
The procession was also accompanied by 25 mobile groups of the Orthodox Mercy Service, consisting of clergy, representatives of the Assumption Orthodox Brotherhood of Yekaterinburg, sisters of mercy, and volunteers. They provided assistance to those people who, due to weakness, were unable to complete the entire way of the cross.
Near the fence of the monastery on Ganina Yama, field kitchens were organized and tents were erected for pilgrims to rest.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill walked the entire route of the procession. On the morning of July 17, a procession led by the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church arrived at the Monastery of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers on Ganina Yama. In the monastery, in front of the worship cross at shaft No. 7, His Holiness performed a prayer service to the holy Royal Passion-Bearers.
Then His Holiness Patriarch Kirill addressed the believers with the Primate’s word:
“Your Eminence and Most Reverend Bishops! Dear fathers, brothers and sisters!
It was with a joyful feeling that I walked this mournful path together with all of you on the day when we remember and celebrate the tragic event -We celebrate because through this event the royal family was canonized. And we believe that today she, the family of the Royal Passion-Bearers, is with us in this prayer and in this procession.
Offering a prayer to the holy saints of God, we ask them to be intercessors before God for our Russian land, our people, our Church, so that the Lord will protect our Fatherland, and the people, and the Church from all unrest, divisions, schisms, all human untruths, in order to protect us the truth of faith and piety of our people. We believe that if we preserve this, we will preserve Russia, and the country will be great and the people will prosper. Through their prayers may the Lord protect the Russian land. Amen".
The procession to Ganina Yama and a prayer service at the Monastery of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers were the last events in the program of the Primate’s visit of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill to the Yekaterinburg Metropolis, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the execution of the royal family.
Brief information
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, iron ore was mined in the Ganina Yama tract. According to available information, miners were called “ganyas”. Subsequently, the mines they left behind became known as Gan’s pits. There were about 30 of them.
In 1991, with the blessing of Archbishop Melchizedek of Sverdlovsk and Kurgan, the first worship cross was installed on Ganina Yama.
On July 17, 1992, the first Royal religious procession arrived at the site of the destruction of the remains of the royal family. This is how the tradition of the Royal Days—the days of remembrance of the Royal Passion-Bearers—was born. If initially about a dozen people took part in such religious processions, today there are about one hundred thousand.
On the night of July 17, 1995, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated for the first time at the cross over Ganina Yama. After this, night liturgies on the tragic day of remembrance began to be held here every year.
At the Jubilee Council of Bishops, held in Moscow on August 14, 2000, the royal family was glorified as passion-bearers.
On September 23, 2000, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II, upon his arrival at the Ganina Yama tract, blessed the construction of the monastery of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers at the site where the remains of members of the royal family were brought after the execution. The monastery was established by the decision of the Holy Synod on December 28, 2000. The builder of the monastery was schema-abbot Sergius (Romanov). Over three years, by September 2003, 7 wooden churches were built and consecrated here (according to the number of members of the royal family) in honor of: the Royal Passion-Bearers, St. Seraphim of Sarov, St. Sergius of Radonezh, the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, the Sovereign Icon of the Mother of God ", St. Nicholas, the World of Lycian Wonderworker, righteous Job the Long-Suffering.
The center of the monastery is shaft No. 7, where the remains of members of the royal family were violated and which essentially became an antimension itself. This is what His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II called it in his sermon after the prayer service: “The entire space of Ganina Yama is a living antimension, permeated with particles of burnt holy relics.”
Holy Rus' led by the holy Tsar Martyr Nicholas. Holy Rus' gathers in the Urals. At the Royal Golgotha. Here are Belgorod and Tobolsk, Tomsk and Moscow, St. Petersburg and Vladivostok... Here are Kyiv and Kievan Rus. Prayer books in white scarves arrived from Kyiv itself. Icons were given with the image of the Mother of God “Look at Humility” and the Cathedral of Kiev-Pechersk Saints...
Unprecedented spiritual power - an immense formation of Orthodox Christians with prayer walks along the night streets of Yekaterinburg. Along the road along which the holy bodies of the Royal Martyrs were taken out.
Procession along this road to Ganina Yama in Yekaterinburg. One hundred years later. Twenty kilometers from the Ipatiev House, where the Church on the Blood is now. On Royal Blood. From the place where demons who took on human shapes brutally dealt with the Crowned Family.
When the Tsar was killed, when the Mystery of lawlessness was committed, the Sverdlovsk demons hoped to hide all traces. The mutilated bodies of the holy Martyrs were taken to a deep and gloomy pine forest. To an abandoned mine - a pit. To Ganina Yama. There the bodies were completely destroyed. Doused with acid and burned. The Sverdlovsk demons carefully hid everything. In the deep Ural forests.
The religious procession stretched for several kilometers. Grown sixty-year-old men, hasty and out of breath teenagers, mincing grandmothers in concentration. Seven-year-old children and babies in strollers. All ages and all of Russia in the procession for the centenary of the Royal Golgotha. At the head walked briskly His Holiness Patriarch Kirill with bishops and many clergy. He went all the way, which impressed many experienced crusaders...
Five hours of endless prayer. - Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God! Have mercy on us! - male voices sing. They are replaced by women. Prayer calls for grace. Prayer sets the rhythm.
Either the Serbs or some other Slavs sang so that the prayer song flew a couple of kilometers ahead. They sang in Russian with an accent, but with all their hearts.
The great July night passed quickly. Before reaching the forest, on the outskirts of Yekaterinburg, dawn broke. Yekaterinburg is a gloomy city. The stamp of the terrible sin of regicide lies on this city. The burden lies on all our people, and here in Yekaterinburg this is especially felt. Although the streets are spacious, the boulevards are decorated with openwork fences and carved benches. Even though the trams, the metro, and the capital’s architecture are pompous and loud. But gloomily for some reason. The religious procession brought us out of this Sverdlovsk gloom. From these faceless residential areas and industrial zones. With the religious procession, Holy Rus' is freed from the dark shackles of the Yekaterinburg tragedy. A hundred years have passed. We are walking in the procession of the Cross. A huge number of crusaders. And yet this is a small handful against the backdrop of all generations of our people who have lived and are living without a Tsar.
The King is the Anointed One of God. We often repeat these words. Yes, presidents, ministers and generals, high secular leaders are ordinary people. The King is God's Anointed. He is responsible for all generations of his people. The Orthodox Tsar is responsible for the whole world. He keeps this world from falling into the abyss of lawlessness. The president answers to his voters. The king is before God.
But now we hear evil speeches. It’s as if the enemy is telling us: “Why do you, Russians, dream of a Tsar, of an invincible power? Well, here you are, Russians and greats, play around for now. Here's a baby doll in a rubber crown, bathe him in a bath, sew royal clothes... Well, have fun with your funny monarchy. And for us, serious people, initiated into the mysteries of lawlessness and committing lawlessness, do not disturb us...”
The Russian Tsar is invisible. He is holy. And his whole Family is holy. Don’t invent a cardboard monarchy for Russia! Don't play with the Russian people!
Rus' is marching in procession, choosing the path of Truth. Truth on the Cross. At Golgotha. The truth is Jesus Christ. In Christ our Russian Tsar dwells forever, having ascended to his Golgotha. In Christ, Holy Rus'.
It's dawn. The Ural sky through the dark green branches of pine trees near Ganina Yama. The sun on the domes of the monastery churches. The air is clear, saturated with pine needles and incense. The crusaders have arrived. They walked all night. Banners, icons, sovereign banners flutter under the monastery sky. Russian faces, tired, happy, illuminated with grace. They read the Akathist over Ganina Yama. - Holy Royal Passion-Bearers, pray to God for us! - the Orthodox sing. Russian prayer is powerful. A strong prayer to the Russian Tsar. The Orthodox are begging for Russia. They beg for the Sovereign Tsar. In the Urals. In the heart of Great Rus', the conciliar prayer of our people flies to Christ.
Romanov Igor Anatolievich , Center for Church-State Relations "Bereg Rus"
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