Patriarch Kirill led a 100,000 religious procession in Yekaterinburg. Patriarch Kirill led the procession to the Ganina pit near Yekaterinburg Procession with the Patriarch
Andrey Kurnikov
Tonight, the main event of the Tsar's Days took place in Yekaterinburg - the procession from the Church-on-the-Blood to the Monastery of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers at Ganina Yama. The 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 Evgeny, about 100,000 people took part in the Royal procession.
About 15,000 people took communion at the Divine Liturgy. Communion was conducted from 100 bowls.
08:20 Tatyana Merzlyakova, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Sverdlovsk Region:
For the first time I went through the full route of the royal procession. It was hard, yes. When I passed by my house, I wanted to run away unnoticed. But I decided to go all the way. This is the path of repentance that we must walk. Spiritual cleansing. It's worth it, believe me. I am happy that the governor, the plenipotentiary representative of the president, the patriarch were with us. All were together with their people in these memorable days.
08:00 The Patriarch held the morning service at Ganina Yama. The atmosphere is hard to put into words. The crusaders keep walking, the pilgrims will stay here for more than one hour. People are obviously tired, but everyone is smiling
06:42 The Patriarch conducts a service at Ganina Yama.
06:40 Some men in expensive suits at the front of the procession seem ready to trade their patent-leather boots for a pair of worn moccasins at the nearest pilgrim.
06:30 Gypsies stand by the side of the road to the monastery and ask the pilgrims for money to help their "sick children". Even on such a blessed day, there are scammers who are hungry for benefits on the good feelings of believers.
06:20 The closer to Ganina Yama, the louder the ringing of bells in the monastery and the quieter the prayers of the crusaders. Women in an undertone sing "Have mercy on us, Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God."
06:15 For the passage of pilgrims, the EKAD was completely blocked. 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, so that it would be more convenient for pilgrims to walk.
05:50 The pilgrims entered the village of Shuvakish - they had about two kilometers left to Ganina Yama. Ahead, a few 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 earlier than the Crusaders in order to prepare everything for the patriarchal visit.
05:40 The procession goes along the forest road. It smells of dampness and mushrooms. Perhaps, here, in silence, the awareness of the tragedy of a century ago comes more clearly, more clearly than in a bustling city. The procession is approaching the end point.
What was in the area of Ganina Yama 100 years ago?
In the 19th century, they tried to mine gold in these places, there was a mine. It is believed that in the middle of the century, a certain contractor Gabriel, whom the inhabitants 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 in fact it was a quarry filled with melt water. According to historians, there were three dozen old mines, pits and pits around Ganina Yama. In one of the mines, the bodies of the executed royal family and close associates were dumped.
05:30 Nikolai Tsukanov and Yevgeny Kuyvashev listened to the service together, they are walking together in the procession.
05:15 What are the walkers talking about? About life. The girls from the Pedagogical College did not pass their exams well. They go not to pray for good grades, but "because in life you have to try everything and not learn history from Matilda." The guys are discussing the victory of France at the World Cup. "Well, let's go with the procession. Dvizhuha. Why not a sport?" The grandmothers of the pilgrims complain about worn shoes and a small pension. City Hall employees - on too fast patriarch.
Dmitry Sokolov, the founder of the Ural Pelmeni KVN team, is walking ahead of the pilgrim column. He goes along 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 at Sorting, after a night of worship in the Sredneuralsk convent in the name of the icon of the Mother of God "The Conqueror of Bread".
I go and feel light, - he said. - The Holy Family helps us and gives us strength to walk the royal path.
05:00 The procession entered the village of Seven Keys. Here, Technical Street narrows almost one and a half times, so the column of pilgrims slowed down a bit. The sun came out, which cheered up the crusaders, and now they are walking along the royal path with renewed vigor. Dogs bark after them - the village wakes up.
04:30 Sortirovka is a small microdistrict, so people living on Tekhnicheskaya Street can hear the noise of the Orthodox column very well. Local residents wake up from laudatory chants and watch the procession from the open windows.
04:14 The procession goes along the Sorting. On the central street of the microdistrict - Tekhnicheskaya - next to the Tagansky Ryad market, labor migrants lined up. They look with surprise at the column of pilgrims and film the procession on smartphones.
04:10 Pilgrims rocked the bridge on the way to Sortirovka. The bridge is only 30 meters, but people had enough impressions. Especially as impressionable as some journalists of "Oblgazeta" in a skirt. The bridge staggered concretely, it is necessary to find out if this section of the route is safe for such a number of people.
04:08 There are many different people among the crusaders. There are also very marginal personalities. For example, the so-called "gopniks", familiar to many from the television series "Real Boys".
The guys are almost all from small towns in the Sverdlovsk region. They say that the arrival of the Patriarch 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 Surprisingly many parents with prams. Only in the visible column next to us are five carriages.
03:39 The city sleeps and does not know that today is a bright night. There was almost no darkness.
03:25 All streets along the way of the procession are blocked for 100 meters from the procession, the sidewalks are cleared from obstacles for pilgrims. For example, at the corner of Tokarey and Tatishchev 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 parts of the procession - at the beginning of the column, the banner-bearers praise God, and priests and Cossacks sing behind Patriarch Kirill.
03:16 Surprisingly easy is the royal procession. Many believers say that in such processions one does not feel tired, you are walking, picked up by some unknown force. But we still lagged behind the patriarch. The primate walks very cheerfully.
03:05 The procession greets the church of St. Innocent, which is located on Lenin Street in the center of Yekaterinburg, with a bell ringing.
02:58 One of the clergy of the Moscow Patriarchate said that Patriarch Kirill would easily go all the way - every day he walks 8-10 kilometers.
02:55 The procession goes along the main avenue of Yekaterinburg. There is a deputy of the ESD Dmitry Sergin. Truly a feat for a person with disabilities
02:39 Patriarch Kirill walks at a surprisingly fast pace, his escorts barely keep up with him. It seems that people do not even believe that you can just walk through the city center next to the patriarch, without security guards and flashing lights.
02:37 During a conversation with reporters, Tatyana Merzlyakova said that the procession is repentance, and it is important for everyone to feel this.
A century of 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 journalistic pool set off on special buses to the first point of the tsar's route, the journalists of the Oblgazeta, after prayerful standing, selflessly went on foot. With the people. Next to us is Tatyana Merzlyakova, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Sverdlovsk Region, and Yulia Mikhalkova, the star of the Ural dumplings.
02:20 The well-known Ural businessman Andrey Simanovsky takes part in the 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 procession to the end. On foot. It's important for me. Historic day. Then I will share my impressions.
02:15 The patriarchal cortege, accompanied by traffic police and ambulances, is ready for the start of the procession.
02:10 An ambulance is on duty at the Patriarchal Metochion. According to the doctors, five people have already turned to them that night. Basically, people complain of pressure and general weakness. Doctors say that these are pilgrims who came or came from afar.
2:03 Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill personally leads the procession. Recall that Vladyka is 71 years old, but it is hardly worth worrying about his health. A few 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 said that in the past, the patriarch had performed 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 passed along with the participants of the Velikoretsky Cross 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 the worldly hobbies of Patriarch Kirill is skiing. Moreover, he prefers those for which a ski track is not needed - mountain and water.
Patriarch Kirill is a co-author of a trilogy about Sambo co-founder Vasily Oshchepkov, who is the founder of international competitions in judo and other martial arts in the USSR. He repeatedly spoke about what he considers martial arts to be an important means of rallying his flock. The book "And the Eternal Battle" can be easily found in the bookstores of our city or ordered through popular specialized services. The price is quite democratic - about 290 rubles.
2:00 The Divine Liturgy is over. The formation of columns for the night religious procession to Ganina Yama begins.
We remind you that there are 25 brigades in the body of the procession, consisting of clergy, sisters of mercy and volunteers. Those who will not be able to walk throughout the entire route can use the buses that will take the pilgrims to Ganina Yama to the beginning 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 the audience:
Such a crime as 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 vast majority were baptized, because they attended churches. Why did the killer pull the trigger without a twinge of conscience? So, not everything went well.
Apostasy from God, loss of spiritual connection with the church... When, why did this happen to our people? Why did he at some point in time, like a train entering a sharp turn, rush to disaster ... Alien thoughts, alien ideals that had nothing to do with Christianity began to be perceived by the intelligentsia, the aristocracy and part of the clergy as progressive thoughts ...
The most terrible bloody upheavals occurred during an attempt to change life for the better. Having renounced the spiritual birthright, we have darkened ourselves with the idea of drastically changing our lives, and many, captured by this idea, have reached the point of crime... Is it possible to build this better life through the destruction of the 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 crown of the retreat from the most precious was the execution of the royal family. Innocent people.
Having gathered here in such a multitude, we recall 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 to aspire to some better future, so that such tragedies never happen in Russia.
May the Lord keep all the Russian people who came out of the Kyiv font and keep the Orthodox faith.
In memory of his divine service, Patriarch Kirill presented the Temple-on-the-Blood with a golden altar cross, and the Yekaterinburg diocese - 15 gospels for 15 churches.
01:34 Among those who are cheerful on duty are dozens of law enforcement officers. Today they ensure the safety of the commemorative service and the procession. Hundreds of pilgrims passed through metal detectors. I must say that with a record number of visitors, no crush has yet been noticed.
01:30 The first tired ones appear. These are volunteers who practically do not sleep during the Tsar's Days. The overwhelming majority in the square stands on their feet for the entire service. Units brought folding chairs.
01:26 It seems that the smallest pilgrim is not even one year old. He sleeps sweetly in a carriage to the lulling voices of the clergy. Among the people of respectable age there are those who are already over 80.
01:25 Together with Patriarch Kirill, 12 bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church serve. Coincidentally or not, but there were the same number of 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, Krutitsy and Kolomna, Minsk and Slutsk, Chisinau and all Moldova, Astana and Kazakhstan, Tashkent and Uzbekistan, the chairman of the department for 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 a two-year term of his administration of the diocese.
01:20 The whole area reads "Our Father".
01:11 “God, cleanse us sinners and have mercy on us,” His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' says in a prayer. The Divine Liturgy has been going on for more than an hour. People get on their knees.
01:10 The clergy together with the pilgrims pronounced 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 guys and girls among the worshipers. This year, by the way, for the first time Orthodox volunteers are working on the Tsar's Day. They can be recognized by their bright red T-shirts. They help visitors to navigate in a new place, give explanations on the peculiarities of the procession, suggest emergency phone numbers, places where you can get free water,.
00:39 The service is broadcast live on Soyuz TV channel
The vestments of the Patriarch have a special meaning, and each part of the robes has its own special meaning. In the vestments you can see velvet, brocade, gold embroidery and even precious stones. Despite the outward representativeness, the vestment does not weigh that much - 3-4 kilograms. By the way, outside of divine services, the “regular” clothing of a bishop is an ordinary black cassock and a white cockle on his head. Interestingly, the cassock is fastened only at the collar and at the waist.
00:36 Pilgrims from Serbia came to Yekaterinburg to participate in the Tsar's Days. A group of 50 believers, including priests, monks and laity 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 in 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 about 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 should not 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. And we are delighted with your people and their good attitude towards us. You share our pain at the loss of Kosovo and Metohija, and many of you join us in the hope of their return to Serbia.
00:30 There is a service.
00:00 His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' begins the Divine Liturgy. The area near the temple is overcrowded, people are standing shoulder to shoulder, this year the number of pilgrims who came should break all records.
For the first time, Patriarch Kirill takes part in the holding of the Tsar's Days in Yekaterinburg.
23:55 Pilgrims bow before the icon of the holy royal martyr Nicholas. There are only a few minutes left before the long-awaited Divine Liturgy.
23:50 The bell ringing spills over the temple elevation. From the feeling of belonging to a truly historic event, many have tears in their 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 in 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 now the Grand Duchess is 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 procession to Ganina Yama.
According to Francesco, many Russians live in Spain, and there are several Orthodox churches in Madrid.
There are many believers in Russia, but few in Spain,” said Francesco. - Your religion is being revived. The communists, those dictators and murderers who killed many millions of people in Russia, are no longer in power, so more and more people are turning to Orthodoxy in your country. Russia made the right choice by becoming a democracy. In China, Cuba and Nicaragua, where the communists are still in power, people live badly and without faith.
23:35 People pass burning church candles to each other. At dusk, a unique atmosphere reigns. Pilgrims are holding portraits of Nicholas II, photographs of the royal family, old icons. They give each other commemorative cards depicting the holy royal martyrs.
23:30 Prayer readings begin in the square near the temple.
23:18 came to the platform in front of the temple in an elegant lilac hat. Olga Nikolaevna very emotionally answers the question about the recognition of the Tsar's 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 accompanies the epic with the royal remains for more than a year.
This is a solemn day. The main thing for me is the divine service, which we are now waiting for. We pray to the innocent victims and feel help from them. I'm very sorry that this happened... It hurts. But now I want to move on to the news in the newspapers about the recognition of the Tsar's remains. Nothing, absolutely nothing has been decided yet. The same lies that were a hundred years ago are repeated today. We hear this lie even now. They started talking about the remains from the 80s, the remains were taken to London - the 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, the 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 many publications in the foreign and Russian press, member of the Writers' Union of Russia.
- 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), evacuated from Novocherkassk during the Civil War to the city of Belaya Tserkov in Yugoslavia.
- During the Second World War, she was interned in Stuttgart, where she worked in a factory. Subsequently, she moved to Venezuela, received a medical, commercial, 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 Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna charitable foundation “Russian Aid Program”, which provides assistance to hospitals, shelters, organizations and individuals.
Speaks seven languages: Russian, French, German, Spanish, English, Serbian, Italian.
23:15 Ilze Liepa:
An amazing atmosphere among the pilgrims, I feel how the best human qualities are revealed in us. I would like to help each other. A very strong sense of togetherness.
23:10 We are waiting Natalya Poklonskaya.
23:05 Ilze Liepa is crying:
I cannot hear when our emperor is called a weak ruler. I wish the younger generation didn't think that way. It's not fair.
A famous ballerina is hard to recognize in a crowd. She is wearing a black floor-length skirt, a gray windbreaker and a strict scarf, a backpack over her shoulder.
23:00 Famous ballerina visited Tsar's Days Ilse Liepa.
Our whole family reverently treats the royal family. This tragedy is a turning point in the life of the country.
We have a 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 Monk 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, Singapore. All members of the Russian Church Abroad. Vladimir Boykov:
Abroad, the royal family is highly revered. Dozens of people responded to my invitation, they want to follow the royal path. We want the Lord to change the hearts of Russian people all over the world - are we worthy of the feat of the Tsar's martyrs ... It is very difficult for us, but difficulties harden us. Let's keep our Russianness, our specialness before God.
22:55 Archpriest press approach 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 transfer, a 5-hour flight to Moscow and 2 hours to Yekaterinburg. Together with the priest, 42 pilgrims arrived.
22:50 Surprisingly, hundreds of pilgrims have already gathered at the temple, but at the same time, grace-filled silence hung over the square.
22:48 Pavel Kulikovsky arrived on the Tsar's days in Yekaterinburg. With the help of an interpreter, he spoke to reporters. The first question about
As I was informed, this is not yet the final decision of the investigative committee. But I am very glad that the investigation is ongoing. I hope for objective results.
When I visit Yekaterinburg, I have mixed feelings. A sense of responsibility and joy at the same time.
I am sure that the tsarist days will be held in Yekaterinburg in five and many years. I travel a lot in 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 legacy of the Romanovs is 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 the 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 Xenia 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 dynasty of the Romanovs.
He spent most of his life in Denmark, since 2008 he has been living in Moscow.
Since July 2017, the official representative of the Association of members of the Romanov family.
22:30 On the site near the temple at this moment, the last preparations before the Divine Liturgy.
22:18 A group of pilgrims from Serbia sing prayer hymns at the temple from Karl Liebknecht Street. Passers-by listened, they sing very sincerely. 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 from the pilgrims who are gathering at the temple at this moment is that there are a lot of young people.
22:10 Orthodox sisters of mercy of the Yekaterinburg diocese are instructed in first aid to pilgrims during the procession.
Rescuers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations are also ready for emergency situations that can happen during the procession.
21:59 Pilgrims begin to gather in small groups to the Church-on-the-Blood.
According to the estimates of the Yekaterinburg diocese, more than 100 thousand believers from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and far abroad countries - 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 procession, exactly at midnight, the Divine Liturgy will be held in the Church-on-the-Blood. The service will be conducted by the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. The first persons of the Ural Federal District and the Sverdlovsk Region will pray with him. Representatives of the Romanov dynasty, well-known politicians and public figures are expected to take part in the service.
The history of the Royal Days began on July 16, 1989. On this day, in the wasteland where the Ipatiev House had previously been located, the first prayer service was served in memory of the holy royal martyrs. Believers came to the place of execution of the royal family with homemade banners. At ten o'clock in the evening they gathered in a circle, put candles and began to pray. Less than half an hour later, a police officer appeared and demanded to disperse. Following him, the riot police arrived, who did not stand on ceremony with the Orthodox and detained 11 people, including two minors. The rest were rudely dispersed, and the candles were trampled on.
But the attitude of the authorities towards Orthodoxy soon changed, and in the wake of perestroika in August 1990, a wooden Poklonny 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 a saint in August 2000, the number of crusaders began to grow: in 2000, about 300 took part in the procession along the Royal Road believers, in 2002 - already 4 thousand, in 2012 - about 50 thousand, and in 2016 - over 60 thousand.
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.
YEKATERINBURG, July 17. /Corr. TASS Antonina Maga, Marina Sheina/. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' on Tuesday night led a procession of many thousands in memory of the death of the royal family, a TASS correspondent reports.
The procession began from the area of the Temple on the Blood, built on the site of the execution of members of the royal family. The entire route to Ganina Yama - 21 km - the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church plans to go along with pilgrims who came from different parts of Russia, as well as from Ukraine, Belarus, Great Britain, the USA, France, Germany and other countries.
One hundred years ago, on the night of July 17, 1918, the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra Fedorovna, five of their children and four servants were shot in Yekaterinburg. In 2000, members of the royal family were canonized as saints.
The Patriarch celebrated an in-person liturgy on the square in front of the Church on the Blood together with Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine, Metropolitan Vladimir of Kishinev and All Moldova, Metropolitans Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna, Kirill of Yekaterinburg, Vikenty of Tashkent and other church hierarchs. In total, about 40 bishops served the liturgy, including representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. Many people, according to the estimates of the clergy, about 10 thousand people, took communion, for this the priests brought out more than a hundred bowls.
Before the procession, they carry a large image of Nicholas II, decorated with flowers - this is a shrine from the monastery on Ganina Yama. Pilgrims also carry various icons with them, many sing the troparion (praise - TASS note) to the royal martyrs along the way.
Participants of the procession
"Moscow, St. Petersburg, Pskov, Blagoveshchensk, Murmansk - when we took the registration sheets of our tent camp for pilgrims, we saw almost all the cities of Russia," Anzhela Tambova, press secretary of the Yekaterinburg diocese, told TASS. According to her, pilgrimage groups also arrived from Serbia, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, the USA, Great Britain, Germany, Austria, France and New Zealand.
The governor of the Sverdlovsk region, Yevgeny Kuyvashev, also takes part in the procession, hoping to go through the entire route. The procession is accompanied by about 150 volunteers. They are divided into 25 mobile brigades, which also include priests and sisters of mercy who have undergone special training at the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Pilgrims who are tired and lagging behind the main column will be able to board buses, the procession will also be accompanied by ambulances, drinking water distribution points have been organized.
Also among the participants in the procession are the descendants of the Romanov family - Pavel Kulikovsky-Romanov with his family. Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna Romanova and her son also attended the patriarchal liturgy. At the procession, you can also meet a youth group from the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, which includes about a hundred people - members of the Orthodox communities in Australia, the USA, Germany, France, Israel, Georgia and other countries. Young people will not only visit the holy places of the Urals and take part in divine services, but will also hold a sacred music concert and an international youth Orthodox forum in Yekaterinburg.
Another pilgrim, Professor Vladimir Bolshakov, Vice-Rector for Research of the Russian Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture Ilya Glazunov, has been participating in religious processions for many years, he was the organizer of the very first of them in 1992.
“Then, it was as if most of the flights to Yekaterinburg were suddenly canceled on purpose, and we had to take the train. The weather was terrible, but we still decided to make a religious procession, although there were only ten people at the memorial procession. Every year more and more people joined it , and after the canonization of the royal martyrs in 2000, their number immediately increased to tens of thousands," he said.
Feelings of the pilgrims
Two young girls from the Stavropol Territory, Anna and Vera, told TASS that they slept for four days on the bus and endured the Stavropol heat of more than 40 degrees, the transport broke down several times on the way. “But now we feel a great surge of strength, we hope to pray to the royal martyrs,” said the pilgrims.
A pilgrimage group from Western Ukraine said that they "overcame more than 8 thousand km. The bus had an accident in the Sverdlovsk region, the blow was strong, and we miraculously remained unharmed. We felt that these royal martyrs were helping us," Ksenia from the city noted Korets of the Rivne region. - In Ukraine, the royal new martyrs are greatly revered."
For some believers, participation in the divine services of the "royal days" has become a family tradition. For example, Tatyana from Tobolsk said that she had come to Yekaterinburg on the anniversary of the death of the royal family more than 10 times, including when there was no Church on Blood yet, believers prayed at the worship cross, brought her three children here. “The royal family was not yet glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church, and we just served a memorial service. The children ran around, easily took a blessing from the then head of the diocese, Archbishop Vikenty,” she noted.
Her son, 17-year-old Konstantin, said that for the first time he walks the entire religious procession with his brother and cousin, and his mother, although she cannot go such a long way, will take part in all night and morning services.
“I dreamed of coming here all year long. I read a lot about the royal family. I want to tell young people more about it - there is too much untruth about it, and I want people to move away from Soviet clichés,” said Valentina Alekseevna, a school history teacher from the Sverdlovsk region .
In her impression, the pilgrims at the procession show little interest in the topic of identifying the "Yekaterinburg" remains, which is now being discussed in the media.
“The witnesses of those events have already died, and it is already very difficult to understand what is true and what is not. For me, the main thing is that here, in Yekaterinburg, martyr blood was shed. As our Yekaterinburg Metropolitan Kirill said, if a hundred years ago our ancestors could not to protect the royal family from brutal reprisals, today we are obliged to protect their blessed memory from desecration and oblivion. They are still alive - they are standing at the throne of God, "said the pilgrim.
More than a hundred kilometers, six days on the road and thousands of pilgrims, who were joined by Patriarch Kirill. In the Kirov region, the Velikoretsky procession takes place - one of the oldest and longest Orthodox processions. Believers have already reached the place where the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was once discovered.
The original icon was destroyed by the Bolsheviks. Pilgrims carry a preserved miraculous list of the 17th century. More than 50,000 people gather for solemn services.
“Through the prayers of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, may the Lord preserve the land of Vyatka and Holy Rus',” Patriarch Kirill announced.
The last kilometers of a long journey are not easy. 30 thousand crusaders follow the same route as in the fourteenth century. The Cossacks periodically adjust the speed of movement in order to prevent a crush: there are a lot of people, they go mainly along forest paths.
“We always walk with God, God is always with us, because if there is no faith, we are nobody without faith,” says Georgy Plaksa, a participant in the Velikoretsk procession.
The procession reaches the main shrine of the Vyatka region Velikoretsky monastery on the 3rd day of the journey. The pilgrims walked more than 100 kilometers to the place where the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was found in the 14th century.
Through forests and ravines, bypassing the swamp, thousands of people walk in the rain, not only paying tribute to the memory of St. Nicholas. For many, this trip is their last hope.
“The Velikoretsky cross procession is one of the facts confirming that Russia remembers its history, appreciates and confirms its love for Orthodoxy, that Russia is the most powerful Orthodox state,” said Elena Gotkina, a participant in the Velikoretsky cross procession.
During the day, there are only a few stops for rest and eating; at night, a bivouac is set up right in the field.
“Son, daughter are walking, it’s hard, crying, it’s cold, we are overcoming problems,” says Tatyana Smirnova, a participant in the Velikoretsk procession.
After entering the village of Velikoretskoye, a tent camp is set up under the walls of temples. A group of pilgrims from Serbia shows the Christian banner with which they passed in procession through the former Yugoslavia and the cities of Donbass.
"The symbolic unity of the Slavs of Orthodox Christians. Orthodox life is love - we have no division. Serb brothers and Russian brothers, we are one - Orthodox Christians, Slavs," says Milutin Malyshech, a participant in the Velikaya River procession.
The procession does not end. The pilgrims will have an equally difficult journey back to Vyatka, the city of Kirov.
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' on Tuesday, June 6, served a divine liturgy, a water-blessed prayer service and led the Velikaya River procession from the banks of the Velikaya River to St. Nicholas Cathedral in the village of Velikoretsky, Kirov Region, TASS reports.
Addressing the flock, the patriarch noted that the Velikoretsky procession is the largest in length and the oldest of the surviving religious processions. The primate of the Russian Orthodox Church emphasized that every person who passed this route accomplished a feat. "The procession is a feat. And we can do not only a procession, we can perform many other feats. A feat is always a movement forward," he said.
Shortly before the arrival of the patriarch to the Velikaya River, the inhabitants of Kirov witnessed the solemn entry of his cortege into Kirov. As follows from the video that appeared on the Web, the convoy included four police cars and nine foreign cars. According to eyewitnesses, the traffic police blocked traffic and a traffic jam formed in the area.
As sources told MR7.ru, traffic police officers were on duty in the city since morning, and trucks were blocked from passing along a number of streets. From Kirov to Velikoretsky, the patriarch traveled by helicopter.
The Velikoretsky Cross Procession is one of the longest and oldest religious processions in Russia. It takes place with the revered Velikoretsk icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker annually from June 3rd to 8th. The main celebrations are held on June 5 and 6 on the Velikaya River and in the courtyard of the Trifonov monastery in the village of Velikoretskoye.
The acquisition of the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker took place in 1383. Peasant Agalakov from the village of Krutitsy discovered the image on the banks of the Velikaya River. Around 1400, the image was sent to the city of Khlynov, then called Vyatka (later - Kirov).
Until 1777, the procession was carried out by water along the Vyatka and Velikaya on boats and rafts, then it began to take place on land. In the 16th century, by order of Tsar Ivan IV, the icon was brought from Khlynov to Moscow. By decree of the sovereign, one of the chapels of the St. Basil's Cathedral under construction at that time was consecrated in honor of the Velikoretsk icon of St. Nicholas. The miraculous icon was brought to Moscow for the second time in the 17th century by order of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. The day of celebration of the icon - June 6, according to the new style - was established in 1668.
In 1935, during the destruction of the cathedral in Kirov, the miraculous icon was lost. The Velikaya River procession was banned in the 1930s and officially restored in 1989. Instead of the lost icon, believers carry one of its lists. In 2000, Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' granted the procession the status of an All-Russian procession.
On Tuesday, Patriarch Kirill will also visit the Dormition Cathedral of St. Tryphon Monastery. Guests and residents of the city are invited to a meeting with the patriarch, reports
