Saints about Nicholas 2. Nicholas II: saint or bloody? Modern veneration of the royal family by believers
Appearance of Rev. Seraphim of Sarov (May 1917)
Vision in 1917 of the Diveyevo Eldress
Ksenia Stepanovna Karsavina (+1.08.1940)
Venerable Nectarius of Optina (in 1917)
Saint John (Maksimovich), Bishop of Shanghai (in 1935)
Venerable Kuksha (Velichko) Confessor (in 1930):
Blessed Matrona of Moscow (Nikonova, +05/02/1952)
Hieroschemamonk Jerome, Sanaksar Monastery (+ 6.O6.2001)
If God needs an atoning sacrifice for the sin of my people to save
Russia, I agree to be it! May God's will be done.
Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II
Holy Tsar Nicholas II, with his voluntary mortal suffering, atoned for the sin of perjury by the Russian People of the conciliar vow of 1613 to faithfully serve the lawful Autocratic Tsars from the House of Romanov until the Second Coming of Christ. The feat of St. Tsar Nicholas II is a similarity (icon) to the central feat of Jesus Christ - the atoning sacrifice on the cross for the sins of all people. The atoning sacrifice of the Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II for the conciliar sin of betrayal of his people is an icon of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the original sin of people in paradise. Holy Tsar Nicholas II is the only Saint in the history of the Church who was honored and was able to become like (create an icon) this main feat of Jesus Christ and bear all its burden.
Anyone who fundamentally rejects the very possibility of the existence of such an order of holiness as a redeemer is in the iconoclastic heresy. Since all the New Testament ranks of holiness (martyr, saint, saint, etc.), which the church gradually reveals over the centuries, are icons (images) of the corresponding exploits and ministries of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord, as the Hero of Labor (Prototype), revealed in Himself all the exploits without exception. The ascetic (saint), following the word of Christ: take up your cross and follow me, only becomes likened (the only path to holiness is the path of becoming like God), imitates Jesus Christ, becomes like the Savior in this or that deed, service (i.e. creates an icon of this or that feat, service of Jesus Christ) and thereby, according to the Dogma of the icon (image), becomes a partaker of the Grace of the Holy Spirit resting on the Archetype.
By honoring the Holy Saints of God, we first of all glorify the Lord God, Who rests in the Saints with His deeds. Falling before the Holy icons, we worship not wood and paints, but the essence of what is depicted on them. Honoring the Christ-like redemptive feat of the Sovereign Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich for the sin of perjury by the Russian People of the pious (i.e., given by the Will of God) conciliar vow of 1613, we do not give divine honors to a person, but glorify the Almighty Lord God, who was pleased to rest in this Holy Saint with His central Redemptive feat.
According to the Dogma of the 7th Ecumenical Council on the veneration of icons: the honor given to the image passes to the Prototype (i.e. God) and the one who worships the icon worships the being depicted on it. Therefore, glorifying the iconographic, Christ-like, atoning sacrifice of St. Tsar Nicholas II for the sin of treason of the Russian People, we glorify the atoning suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross for the sins of all people. And by confessing Jesus Christ as the Son of God, Who with His sinless death saved all people from sin, hell and eternal destruction, we thereby save our souls and become privy to Eternal Life.
Regarding the meaning of atonement and who can become the redeemer of someone else’s sin, the Orthodox Church, through the mouth of Metropolitan. Macarius (Bulgakov) teaches (Orthodox-Dogmatic Theology. Vol. II, p. 148. M. 1883.): “The whole secret of our redemption by the death of Jesus Christ is that He, in exchange for us, paid the debt with His blood and completely satisfied God's truth for our sins, which we ourselves were not able to pay; otherwise, in exchange for us, he fulfilled and suffered everything that was required for the remission of our sins. The possibility, in general, of such a replacement of one person by another before the court of God's Truth, such payment of a moral debt by one person instead of another or others, must necessarily be recognized by common sense: a) when this replacement has the Will of God and the consent of the Supreme Lawgiver and Judge himself; b) when the person who has taken it upon himself to pay the debt instead of other unpaid debtors is not himself in the same debt before God; c) when it voluntarily decides to fulfill all the requirements of the debt, which the Judge proposes, and - d) when, finally, it really brings such payment that would fully satisfy the debt.” All these conditions, which are borrowed from the example of our Savior and only generalized, are fully embodied in the Christ-like redemptive feat of the Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II, for the sake of the salvation of Russia.
1) The fact that the Tsar’s redemptive feat had the consent of the Supreme Judge is clear: firstly, from numerous prophecies and Divine revelations, from which it clearly follows what kind of feat the Lord offered to Tsar Nicholas II. Secondly, from the words of the Sovereign, Who Himself clearly understood and extremely accurately formulated the essence of the feat, to which He gave His consent to God. Thirdly, from the fact of the appearance in the Church of the Ascension in the village of Kolomenskoye on March 2, 1917, on the day of Russia’s renunciation of its Sovereign, the Sovereign Icon of the Mother of God, in fact, the Queen of Heaven blessed the Sovereign for a redemptive feat. It is clear that if the actions of our Sovereign were in conflict with the Will of God, then the Mother of God would not have participated in the lawless deed, and therefore this great miracle would not have happened. It should be noted that in order to understand the Tsar’s feat, it is extremely important to understand what happened on March 2. Since the redemptive feat begins with taking on someone else’s sin. After which this sin is taken to the cross, where it is expiated by the sinless death of the redeemer. Those. Golgotha originates in Gethsemane. It is in Gethsemane that our Divine Redeemer impoverished by power[decreased] and looking like[ordinary] Human He took upon himself the sins of all people and humbly carried them to Golgotha, where he trampled our sinful death on the Cross with His absolutely sinless (i.e., uninvolved in any sin) death. The Gethsemane of Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II was the Dno station near Pskov, when 2nd 1917 He is like the King of Kings having become impoverished in power and in appearance becoming like an [ordinary] person signed a telegram to headquarters about renunciation and began His Christ-like way of the cross to Ekaterinburg Golgotha, where He also was sinless (sinless in the sense of not being involved in the sin of betrayal of His People, since in all other respects the Sovereign, like any other person, was in to a certain extent participated in every sin) with death trampled upon the sinful (arising as a result of perjury of the conciliar vow of 1613) of a single conciliar personality called Russia.
2) The fact that Nicholas II was not involved in the sin of betraying his people is clear from common sense. Sin (i.e. disobedience, resistance to the Will of God) is a crime of the law. Sin is lawlessness(1 John 3:4). In 1613, at the Local Council, the entire Russian People, as a single conciliar personality (Russia), made a pious (i.e., according to the Will of God) vow to God to faithfully and truly serve with all their souls and heads the Autocratic Tsars from the House of Romanov until the Second Coming of Christ. Violation, i.e. the perjury of the people of the conciliar vow of 1613 is a conciliar sin. Moreover, the entire Russian People as a whole is guilty of sin (sinner). All the people are like single organism. The people, as a single conciliar personality under the name of Russia, with whom the Tsar, upon his accession to the Throne, enters into the Sacrament of Marriage. Within the framework of this Marriage, the oath of 1613 is the vow of fidelity that the bride (Russia) gave forever to her groom - the Autocratic Tsars from the House of Romanov. If a wife cheats on her husband, then the husband is not involved in the sin of cheating on his wife. Consequently, the reigning Sovereign is the only person who cannot in any way be involved in the sin of betrayal of His people. He can only be a victim of a given sin, the only person against whom this sin is personally directed and to which he is not involved.
3) The fact that the Tsar undertook the act of redemption voluntarily is evident: firstly, from the words of the Tsar himself, spoken by him long before 1917: If God needs an atoning sacrifice for the sin of my people, to save Russia, I agree to be it! May God's will be done; secondly, from the fact that, having the opportunity to leave Russia, he voluntarily remained to drink the cup of suffering offered to him by God for the sin of betraying his people to the dregs. The Tsar loved Russia and the Russian People with true Christ's Love, which, for the sake of saving the perishing, is ready to undergo any suffering, sacrifice everything that it has, and finally even give up its life, if only the lost sheep were saved.
4) The fact that the Sovereign brought a completely satisfactory payment for the sin of betrayal of his people is clear: firstly, from the fact that in the Russian Orthodox Church The Grace of the Holy Spirit was preserved, which could not have happened in principle if we had fallen under the curses of the Local Council of 1613. Secondly, from the events in the basement of the Ipatiev House from July 16-17, 1918. For the price of [our] sin is the death of [the redeemer]. Therefore, genuine redemptive suffering always ends in the death of the redeemer. Thus, our Lord Jesus Christ, with His absolutely sinless (involvement in no sin) death, atoned for the sin of all Adam. And Sovereign Nicholas II, in likeness to the Savior, with his sinless death (only in the sense of non-involvement in the perjury of the vow of 1613) atoned for the conciliar sin of infidelity of His people.
The salvation of our Motherland without accepting the atoning sacrifice of Nicholas II is also impossible, just as it is impossible for a person to be saved without accepting the atoning sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. The atoning sacrifice of the Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II is the only door, the only means that can spiritually resurrect lost Russia. There is no other way to save us. True repentance, as a Sacrament in which the Lord, by the power of His Grace, invisibly removes sin from the soul, begins with the sinner glorifying the redeemer of his sin. The sinner in relation to the Conciliar Vow of 1613 is the entire Russian God-bearing People, as a single conciliar personality. Since the vow of 1613 was made at a local council, the true Repentance of the Russian People should be expressed in the glorification at the Local Council of the Christ-like atoning sacrifice of our Sovereign. Emperor Nicholas II True repentance inevitably entails the fruit of repentance. With God nothing is fruitless, therefore if there was Golgotha, then inevitably there will be a Bright Resurrection. The fruit of the true conciliar repentance of the Russian People (i.e., the glorification at the Local Council of the Christ-like atoning sacrifice of the Tsar) will be a resurrected Russia, which, led by its Tsar, will complete the creation of the icon of the victory of Jesus Christ over sin, hell and death.
In this regard, the prophecy of St. Seraphim of Sarov that We will sing Easter in the middle of summer. Every Orthodox Christian knows that Easter is cleansing blood, an atoning sacrifice by which the sinner’s iniquities are cleansed (removed from the soul), which resurrects and transforms the soul killed by sin, elevating it to new life. Easter is not “what”, Easter is “Who”. Easter is Christ. Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II, the earthly Christ (Christ is translated from Greek as the anointed one), is the Russian Easter, He is the One, thanks to whose atoning sacrifice, the Lord will resurrect lost Russia.
The question is not whether Russia will rise again or not - Russia will definitely exist! But will we be worthy of being in a resurrected Russia? - this is the question that each of us decides for ourselves, accepting or rejecting the Christ-like atoning sacrifice of our Sovereign. Those unfortunates who, out of the evil dictates of their hearts or in the madness of the pride of their minds, do not accept, and even more so blaspheme, the Christ-like atoning sacrifice of the Sovereign should be reminded: the feat of the Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II is an icon of the atoning feat of our Lord Jesus Christ. The attitude towards the image (icon) is elevated to the Prototype, and therefore to all those who does not accept the atoning sacrifice of our Sovereign as the only means to justify the Russian People in the face of God's Justice, and madly says that in order to save Russia and cleanse the Russian People from the sin of perjury in the conciliar vow of 1613, the free Christ-like atoning suffering and death of Tsar Nicholas II were not needed . According to the dogma of the image (icon), such unfortunates are subject to all the same anathemas as those who blaspheme the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every year on the Week of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, the Bride of Christ - the holy Orthodox Church - rightly anathematizes such unrepentant wicked people (excommunication from the Church): see the 4th and 5th anathema on the Week of the Triumph of Orthodoxy.
Thus, glorifying the redemptive feat of the Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II, honoring His Christ-like atoning sacrifice for the sin of treason of the Russian People to the Autocratic Tsars of the House of Romanov, we:
Firstly, we glorify our Divine Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, for, according to the Dogma of the 7th Ecumenical Council on the veneration of icons: the honor given to the image passes to the Prototype and the one who worships the icon worships the being depicted on it. By accepting and honoring the Christ-like atoning sacrifice of our Sovereign, we thereby accept and honor the atoning Sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. And whoever accepts Christ and His redemptive suffering on the Cross - in him abides God, and he in God.
Secondly, we actively repent of collective sin, thereby: a) saving our soul; b) we contribute to the salvation of our neighbors, and ultimately, to the true repentance of the entire Russian People; c) we become partakers of the coming resurrection of lost Russia.
Thirdly, by turning in prayer to the Holy Saint of God, we receive before the Throne of God a bold intercessor for us sinners. Judging what great boldness our Sovereign has before God can be partly based on the huge number of facts of miraculous help. Not a single Saint in our apostasy time is glorified by the Lord with so many miracles as Tsar Nicholas. In general, anyone who has at least once called upon the Holy Tsar-Redeemer Nicholas for help knows that heavenly help follows without fail and, most often, immediately.
“There is treason, cowardice and deceit all around,” the Tsar wrote in his diary on March 2, 1917. In the same day, in the morning On March 2, the Synod decided on the need to “immediately establish contact” with gathered to the Lord and to Christ o: oathbreakers and outspoken servants of Satan (Masons), who called themselves the “Executive Committee State Duma». Telegram to the Headquarters to the Chief of Staff (later issued for the Highest Manifesto on the abdication of the throne) signed by the Sovereign in 15 hours March 2nd. Truly The Tsar's heart is in the hand of God! When even those who most owed their well-being to the God-Anointed One betrayed, the Tsar showed mercy to his Judases - he absolved them from their personal oath (we are talking about the general civil oath that everyone personally took of allegiance to the Tsar) to allegiance to Himself, and, taking the slave, went to His Golgotha to buy with blood the conciliar sin of betrayal of the Russian People (i.e. the sin of perjury of the pious conciliar vow of 1613).
Did the fanatical regicides themselves understand what they were doing?
Investigator N.A., who investigated the case. Sokolov believed: “Many years before the revolution, a murder plan arose with the goal of destroying the idea of the monarchy. The question of life or death of members of the House of Romanov was, of course, decided long before the death of those who died on Russian territory.”
One of the proofs of the above words is a postcard distributed even before the First World War in Western Russia - a rabbi with a sacrificial rooster (“kapores”). The rooster has the head of Emperor Nicholas II with the imperial crown. The inscription read: “Let this be my ransom, let this be my substitute, let this be my sacrifice,” i.e. ritual words spoken before the slaughter. This postcard (repeatedly described and reproduced in the literature) is one of the material confirmations of the substitutionary sacrifice in Talmudic Judaism (i.e., involting). By the way, current Judaists do not deny this either. The parable “Visiting the Tsaddik”, published in 1990 (No. 2) in the Menorah newspaper, tells about the custom of celebrating Purim among the Jews of Russia. Through Kabbalistic spells, a Jew disguised as the Russian Tsar influenced the real Sovereign.
The correspondence of the regicide to the teachings of Talmudic Judaism is obvious. “Kill the best of the goyim (which, of course, first of all, was the Russian Tsar), smash the head of the most beautiful snake!” (Melchita, 11, a, in the chapter Beshalyakh). In the Talmudic treatise Soferim we read: “The most just of the Akum (Christians, literally “worshippers of the stars and planets”) was deprived of his life.” The objections of the Talmudists that the quoted passages speak of allowing murder only during war are refuted by other sources no less authoritative for Judaism. Thus, in the Zohar (1, 25, a) - the second part of the Kabbalah - a book, in a certain sense more authoritative than the Talmud, the current situation of the Talmudic Jews after the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 is characterized as the “fourth (Edomite, Roman) captivity,” time wars for life and death. Hence it is clear that the concept of “Moscow - the Third Rome” for Talmudic Jews and Masons is not at all empty. “All that the prophets said about the destruction of Edom in the last days, they spoke about Rome, as I stated earlier, explaining Isaiah 34:1. “Come now, peoples, listen; for when Rome is destroyed, then will be the salvation of Israel” (David Kimhi at the beginning of the commentary on the prophet Obadiah).” “Whoever is able to free himself from this party (opponents of the Talmudic Jews) is rewarded according to his deserts,” says the Zohar (1, 160, a), “he who manages to get rid of it and crushes it will be forever glorified; and asked R. Hetzkiah: how to crush her? And he opened his mouth. Yehuda and Rec: fight! What kind of fight is this? - Of course, the fight against that wicked part, with which every human son (i.e. every Jew) is obliged to fight; This is how Jacob treated Esau, and Esau belonged to the same part; when necessary, he acted against Esau with cunning. Yes, fight with her tirelessly until proper order is established, until all earthly peoples become our slaves. That’s why I say: there is a great reward for the one who manages to free himself from this part, who manages to subjugate it to himself.”
For example, the Church revealed the rites of holiness: saint and saint in the 3rd-4th century, blessed and holy fools - in the 8th-10th century, passion-bearers - in the 11th century. In His Church, the Lord laid down the fullness of the truth necessary for our salvation. Just as a plant grows from a small seed, so the Church does not invent anything anew, but only reveals, as necessary, certain truths originally embedded in Her (as in a grain). Therefore, if some order of holiness has not yet been revealed by the Church, this does not mean that it does not exist.
This was in 1909. One day Stolypin proposes to the Emperor an important measure of domestic policy. Having listened thoughtfully to him, Nicholas II makes a skeptical, carefree movement - a movement that seems to say: “Whether it’s this or something else, it doesn’t matter?!” Finally, he says in a tone of deep sadness:
I, Pyotr Arkadyevich, do not succeed in anything I undertake.
Stolypin protests. Then the King asks him:
Have you read the lives of the Saints?
Yes, at least in part, since, if I am not mistaken, this work contains about twenty volumes.
Do you also know when my birthday is?
What Saint's holiday is on this day?
Sorry, Sir, I don’t remember!
Job the Long-Suffering.
God bless! Your Majesty's reign ends with glory, since Job, having humbly endured the most terrible trials, was rewarded with God's blessing and prosperity.
No, believe me, Pyotr Arkadyevich, I have more than a presentiment, I have deep confidence in this: I am doomed to terrible trials; but I will not receive my reward here on earth. How many times have I applied the words of Job to myself: “For the terrible thing that I was afraid of has befallen me, and the thing that I feared has come to me” (Job 3:25). If God needs an atoning sacrifice for the sin of my people, to save Russia, I agree to be it! May God's will be done.
This church was built by Vel. Book Vasily III in honor of the birth of the first Russian Tsar-Anointed of God, John Vasilyevich IV, who became truly Terrible for the enemies of Christ and the Russian God-Bearing People (for which, in fact, this glorious Tsar is so hated and the enemies of the Orthodox Faith, Tsarist Autocracy and Holy Rus' are pouring vile slander on him)
A collection of materials about the Great Russian Sovereign himself - the Holy Tsar-Redeemer Nicholas, who, in fulfillment of the Will of God, to Christ in likeness, atoned with his death on the cross on the Ekaterinburg Golgotha for the conciliar sin of betrayal of the Russian GOD-CHOsen People, thereby SAVING RUSSIA: made the resurrection of the Holy Russian EMPIRE INEVITABLE and the complete victory of the Church of Christ over all enemies of God, the Tsar and Russia.
There are no grounds for revising the decision of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), however, discussions in Russian society about whether to consider the last Emperor Russian Empire saints, continue to this day. Statements that the Russian Orthodox Church “made a mistake” in canonizing Nicholas II and his family are far from uncommon. The arguments of opponents of the holiness of the last Sovereign of the Russian Empire are based on typical myths, mostly created by Soviet historiography, and sometimes by outright antagonists of Orthodoxy and independent Russia as a great power.
No matter how many wonderful books and articles are published about Nicholas II and the Royal Family, which represent documented research by professional historians, no matter how many films are made documentaries and programs, many for some reason remain faithful to the negative assessment of both the personality of the Tsar and his state activities. Without heeding new scientific historical discoveries, such people stubbornly continue to attribute to Nicholas II a “weak, weak-willed character” and the inability to lead the state, blaming him for the tragedy of Bloody Sunday and the execution of workers, for the defeat in the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905. and the involvement of Russia in the First world war; It all ends with an accusation against the Church that it canonized the Royal Family, and a threat that it, the Russian Orthodox Church, “will regret this.”
Some accusations are frankly naive, if not ridiculous, for example: “during the reign of Nicholas II, so many people died and a war was fought” (are there periods in history when no one died? Or were wars fought only under the last Emperor? Why are no comparisons made? statistical indicators with other periods of Russian history?). Other accusations indicate the extreme ignorance of their authors, who build their conclusions on the basis of pulp literature such as books by A. Bushkov, pseudo-historical novels by E. Radzinsky, or in general some dubious Internet articles by unknown authors who consider themselves to be nugget historians. I would like to draw the attention of readers of the "Orthodox Messenger" to the need to be critical of this kind of literature, which is subscribed, if at all, by unknown people, with an incomprehensible profession, education, outlook, mental and especially spiritual health.
As for the Russian Orthodox Church, its leadership consists of people not only capable of thinking logically, but also with deep humanitarian and natural science knowledge, including professional secular diplomas in various specialties, so there is no need to rush into statements about “misconceptions” » ROC and see in the Orthodox hierarchs some kind of religious fanatics, “far from real life.”
This article presents a number of the most common myths that could be found in old textbooks of the Soviet period and which, despite their complete groundlessness, are still repeated in the mouths of some people due to their reluctance to get acquainted with new research modern science. After each myth, brief arguments for refutation are given, which it was decided, at the request of the editors, not to be burdened with numerous cumbersome references to historical documents, since the volume of the article is very limited, and the “Orthodox Messenger”, after all, does not belong to historical and scientific publications; however, an interested reader can easily find references to sources in any scientific work, especially since a huge number of them have been coming out lately.
Myth 1
Tsar Nicholas II was a gentle and kind family man, an intellectual who received a good education, a skillful interlocutor, but an irresponsible and absolutely unsuitable person for such a high position. He was pushed around by his wife Alexandra Fedorovna, a German by nationality, and since 1907. Elder Grigory Rasputin, who exercised unlimited influence on the tsar, removing and appointing ministers and military leaders.
If you read the memoirs of Emperor Nicholas II’s contemporaries, Russians and foreigners, of course, in the years Soviet power not published and not translated into Russian, we find a description of Nicholas II as a kind, generous man, but far from weak. For example, French President Emile Loubet (1899-1806) believed that under the apparent timidity the king had a strong soul and a courageous heart, as well as always well-thought-out plans, the implementation of which he slowly achieved. Nicholas II possessed the strength of character necessary for the difficult royal service; moreover, according to Metropolitan of Moscow (since 1943 - Patriarch) Sergius (1867-1944), through anointing on the Russian throne he was given an invisible power from above, acting to elevate his royal valor. Many circumstances and events of his life prove that the Emperor had a strong will, which made his contemporaries who knew him closely believe that “the Emperor had an iron hand, and many were only deceived by the velvet glove he wore.”
Nicholas II received a real military upbringing and education; all his life he felt like a military man, which affected his psychology and many things in his life. The Emperor, as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian army, himself, without the influence of any “good geniuses,” made absolutely all the important decisions that contributed to victorious actions.
The opinion that the Russian army was led by Alekseev, and the Tsar was in the post of Commander-in-Chief for the sake of form, is completely unfounded, which is refuted by telegrams from Alekseev himself.
As for the relations of the Royal Family with Grigory Rasputin, then, without going into details here of the extremely ambiguous assessments of the latter’s activities, there is no reason to see in these relations signs of any dependence or spiritual charm of the Royal Family. Even the Extraordinary Commission of Inquiry of the Provisional Government, which consisted of liberal lawyers who were sharply opposed to the Tsar, the dynasty and the monarchy as such, was forced to admit that G. Rasputin did not have any influence on the state life of the country.
Myth 2
Unsuccessful state and church policies of the Emperor. In defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. It is the Emperor who is to blame for failing to ensure efficiency and combat effectiveness Russian army and the fleet. With his persistent reluctance to carry out the necessary economic and political reforms, as well as to conduct a dialogue with representatives of Russian citizens of all classes, the emperor “caused” the revolution of 1905-1907, which, in turn, led to severe destabilization Russian society and the state system. He also dragged Russia into the First World War, in which he was defeated.
In fact, under Nicholas II, Russia experienced an unprecedented period of material prosperity; on the eve of the First World War, its economy flourished and grew at the fastest pace in the world. For 1894-1914. The country's state budget increased by 5.5 times, gold reserves by 3.7 times, the Russian currency was one of the strongest in the world. At the same time, government revenues grew without the slightest increase in the tax burden. The overall growth of the Russian economy, even during the difficult years of the First World War, was 21.5%. Edinburgh University professor Charles Sarolea, who visited Russia before and after the revolution, believed that the Russian monarchy was the most progressive government in Europe.
The Emperor did a lot to improve the country's defense capability, having learned the hard lessons of the Russo-Japanese War. One of his most significant acts was the revival of the Russian fleet, which occurred against the will of military officials, but saved the country at the beginning of the First World War. The most difficult and most forgotten feat of Emperor Nicholas II was that, under incredibly difficult conditions, he brought Russia to the threshold of victory in the First World War, however, his opponents did not allow it to cross this threshold. General N.A. Lokhvitsky wrote: “It took Peter the Great nine years to turn the Narva vanquished into the Poltava victors. The last Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army, Emperor Nicholas II, did the same great work in a year and a half, but his work was appreciated by his enemies, and between the Sovereign and his Army and victory “became a revolution.” The Sovereign's military talents were fully revealed at the post of Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Russia definitely began to win the war when the triumphant year of 1916 of the Brusilov breakthrough came, a plan with which many military leaders disagreed, and which the Emperor insisted on.
It should be noted that Nicholas II treated the duties of the monarch as his sacred duty and did everything in his power: he managed to suppress the terrible revolution of 1905 and delay the triumph of the “demons” for 12 years. Thanks to his personal efforts, a radical turning point was achieved in the course of the Russian-German confrontation. Already a prisoner of the Bolsheviks, he refused to approve the Brest Peace Treaty and thereby save his life. He lived with dignity and accepted death with dignity.
With regard to the Emperor’s church policy, it is necessary to take into account that it did not go beyond the traditional synodal system of governing the Church, and it was during the reign of Emperor Nicholas II that the church hierarchy, which had previously been officially silent for two centuries on the issue of convening a Council, received the opportunity not only to widely discuss, but and practically prepare the convening of the Local Council.
Myth 3
On the day of the Emperor’s coronation on May 18, 1896, during the distribution of gifts in a stampede on the Khodynka field, more than a thousand people died and more than a thousand were seriously injured, due to which Nicholas II received the nickname “Bloody.” On January 9, 1905, a peaceful demonstration of workers protesting against living and working conditions was shot at (96 people were killed, 330 were injured); On April 4, 1912, the Lena execution of workers protesting against the 15-hour working day took place (270 people were killed, 250 were injured). Conclusion: Nicholas II was a tyrant who destroyed the Russian people and especially hated workers.
The most important indicator of the effectiveness and morality of government and the well-being of the people is population growth. From 1897 to 1914, i.e. in just 17 years, it reached a fantastic figure of 50.5 million people. Since then, according to statistics, Russia has lost and continues to lose on average about 1 million deaths per year, plus those killed as a result of numerous government-organized actions, plus abortions, murdered children, the number of which in the 21st century has exceeded one and a half million per year. In 1913, a worker in Russia earned 20 gold rubles per month, with the cost of bread being 3-5 kopecks, 1 kg of beef - 30 kopecks, 1 kg of potatoes - 1.5 kopecks, and income tax - 1 ruble per year (the lowest in the world) , which made it possible to contain large family.
From 1894 to 1914 budget public education increased by 628%. The number of schools increased: higher – by 180%, secondary – by 227%, girls’ gymnasiums – by 420%, public schools – by 96%. In Russia, 10,000 schools were opened annually. The Russian Empire was experiencing a flourishing cultural life. During the reign of Nicholas II, more newspapers and magazines were published in Russia than in the USSR in 1988.
The blame for the tragic events of Khodynka, Bloody Sunday and the Lena execution, of course, cannot be placed directly on the Emperor. The cause of the stampede on Khodynka Field was... greed. A rumor spread through the crowd that the bartenders were distributing gifts among “their own”, and therefore there were not enough gifts for everyone, as a result of which the people rushed to the temporary wooden buildings with such force that even 1,800 policemen, specially assigned to maintain order during the festivities, could not were able to hold back the onslaught.
According to recent research, the events of January 9, 1905 were a provocation organized by the Social Democrats in order to put certain political demands into the mouths of the workers and create the impression of popular protest against the existing government. On January 9, workers from the Putilov plant with icons, banners and royal portraits moved in procession to Palace Square, filled with joy and singing prayers to meet their Sovereign and bow to him. A meeting with him was promised to them by the socialist organizers, although the latter knew very well that the Tsar was not in St. Petersburg; on the evening of January 8, he left for Tsarskoe Selo.
People gathered in the square at the appointed hour and waited for the Tsar to come out to meet them. Time passed, the Emperor did not appear, and tension and unrest began to grow among the people. Suddenly, the provocateurs began shooting at the gendarmes from the attics of houses, gateways and other hiding places. The gendarmes returned fire, panic and a stampede arose among the people, as a result of which, according to various estimates, from 96 to 130 people were killed, and from 299 to 333 people were wounded. The Emperor was deeply shocked by the news of “Bloody Sunday.” He ordered the allocation of 50,000 rubles for benefits to the families of the victims, as well as the convening of a commission to determine the needs of the workers. Thus, the Tsar could not give the order to shoot civilians, as the Marxists accused him of, since he simply was not in St. Petersburg at that moment.
Historical data does not allow us to detect in the actions of the Sovereign any conscious evil will directed against the people and embodied in specific decisions and actions. History itself eloquently testifies to who really should be called “bloody” - the enemies of the Russian state and the Orthodox Tsar.
Now about the Lena execution: modern researchers associate the tragic events at the Lena mines with raiding - activities to establish control over the mines of two conflicting joint stock companies, during which representatives of the Russian management company Lenzoto provoked a strike in an attempt to prevent actual control over the mines by the board British company Lena Goldfields. The working conditions of the miners of the Lena Gold Mining Partnership were as follows: size wages was significantly higher (up to 55 rubles) than in Moscow and St. Petersburg, the working day according to the employment contract was 8-11 hours (depending on the shift schedule), although in reality it could actually last up to 16 hours, since at the end of the working day, prospecting work to find nuggets was allowed. The reason for the strike was the “meat story,” which is still ambiguously assessed by researchers, and the decision to open fire was made by the gendarmerie captain, and certainly not by Nicholas II.
Myth 4
Nicholas II easily agreed to the government's proposal to abdicate the throne, thereby violating his duty to the Fatherland and betraying Russia into the hands of the Bolsheviks. The abdication of the anointed king from the throne, moreover, should be considered as a church-canonical crime, similar to the refusal of a representative of the church hierarchy from the priesthood.
Here we should probably start with the fact that modern historians generally cast great doubt on the very fact of the Tsar’s abdication of the throne. Kept in the State Archives Russian Federation The document on the abdication of Nicholas II is a typed sheet of paper, at the bottom of which is the signature “Nicholas”, written in pencil and circled, apparently through a window glass, with a pen. The style of the text is completely different from that of other documents compiled by the Emperor.
The counter-signature (assurance) inscription of the Minister of the Imperial Household, Count Fredericks, on the abdication was also made in pencil and then circled with a pen. Thus, this document raises serious doubts about its authenticity and allows many historians to conclude that the Autocrat of the All-Russian Sovereign, Emperor Nicholas II, never composed a renunciation, wrote it by hand and did not sign it.
In any case, the renunciation of the kingship itself is not a crime against the Church, since the canonical status of the Orthodox sovereign anointed to the Kingdom was not defined in the church canons. And those spiritual motives for which the last Russian Sovereign, who did not want to shed the blood of his subjects, could abdicate the Throne in the name of internal peace in Russia, give his act a truly moral character.
Myth 5
The death of Emperor Nicholas II and members of his family was not a martyrdom for Christ, but... (further options): political repression; murder committed by the Bolsheviks; ritual murder committed by Jews, Freemasons, Satanists (to choose from); blood feud Lenin for the death of his brother; a consequence of a global conspiracy aimed at an anti-Christian coup. Another version: the Royal Family was not shot, but secretly transported abroad; The execution room in the Ipatiev House was a deliberate staging.
Actually, according to any of the listed versions of the death of the Royal Family (with the exception of the completely incredible one about its salvation), the indisputable fact remains that the circumstances of the death of the Royal Family were physical and moral suffering and death at the hands of opponents, that it was a murder associated with incredible human torment: long, long and savage.
In the “Act on the Conciliar Glorification of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian 20th Century” it is written: “Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich often likened his life to the trials of the sufferer Job, on whose church memorial day he was born. Having accepted his cross in the same way as the biblical righteous man, he endured all the trials sent down to him firmly, meekly and without a shadow of a murmur. It is this long-suffering that is revealed with particular clarity in the last days of the Emperor’s life.” Most witnesses to the last period of the life of the Royal Martyrs speak of the prisoners of the Tobolsk Governor's House and the Yekaterinburg Ipatiev House as people who suffered and, despite all the mockery and insults, led a pious life. Their true greatness stemmed not from their royal dignity, but from the amazing moral height to which they gradually rose.
Those who wish to carefully and impartially familiarize themselves with published materials about the life and political activities of Nicholas II, the investigation into the murder of the Royal Family, can look at the following works in various publications:
Robert Wilton " Last days Romanovs" 1920;
Mikhail Diterikhs “The Murder of the Royal Family and Members of the House of Romanov in the Urals” 1922;
Nikolai Sokolov “The Murder of the Royal Family”, 1925;
Pavel Paganuzzi “The Truth about the Murder of the Royal Family” 1981;
Nikolai Ross “The Death of the Royal Family” 1987;
Multatuli P.V. "Nicholas II. The Road to Golgotha. M., 2010;
Multatuli P.V. “Witnessing for Christ even to death,” 2008;
Multatuli P.V. "God bless my decision." Nicholas II and the conspiracy of the generals."
Let us consider the testimonies of saints and ascetics of piety who were vouchsafed a revelation from Above about the Lord’s glorification of the Sovereign in the rank of Redeemer of the collective sins of the Russian people.
The redemptive feat of Tsar Nicholas II was spoken of in many prophecies that began to appear long before Nicholas II was born. Some for several decades, two written prophecies for almost a hundred years (the writings of St. Abel the Seer of Mysteries and the letter of St. Seraphim of Sarov, which has come down to us in tradition), some - during the life of Nicholas II. The Lord, through various saints, His saints, addressed Tsar Nicholas II. Therefore, the Sovereign knew about the Will of God over himself.
Prophet Abel wrote that the King is the Peacemaker Alexander III will pass on the royal inheritance to his son Nicholas II - the Holy Tsar, Job the Long-Suffering similar.
“He will replace the royal crown with a crown of thorns; he will be betrayed by his people; as once the son of God. There will be war Great War, world... People will fly through the air like birds, swim under water like fish, and begin to destroy each other with foul-smelling sulfur.
Treason will grow and multiply. On the eve of victory, the Tsar's throne will collapse. Blood and tears will water the damp earth. A man with an ax will take power in madness, and the Egyptian execution will truly come... And then the Jew will scourge the Russian Land like a scorpion, plunder its Shrines, close the Churches of God, execute the best people Russians.
This is God’s permission, the wrath of the Lord for Russia’s renunciation of the Holy Tsar.”
This letter was enclosed in a casket by Emperor Paul the First with the will: “Open to Our Descendant on the hundredth anniversary of My death.” On March 11, 1901, on the centennial anniversary of the martyrdom of his great-great-grandfather, Emperor Pavel Petrovich of blessed memory, Sovereign Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich opened the casket and read several times the legend of Abel the Prophet about his and Russia’s fate. He already knew his thorny fate, he knew that it was not for nothing that he was born on the day of Job the Long-Suffering. He knew how much he would have to endure on his sovereign shoulders, he knew about the upcoming bloody wars, unrest and great upheavals of the Russian State. His heart sensed that damned black year when he would be deceived, betrayed and abandoned by everyone...
To rule the state for twenty-two years, knowing the image of one’s death, to be slandered, betrayed and abandoned by everyone is a real feat in the likeness of Christ. Did Nicholas II understand the meaning of this feat, which he voluntarily lifted, carried and accomplished? Of course I understood. The Emperor knew well these prophecies, which outlined the fate of Russia before the Second Coming and revealed the role of Nicholas II himself in the salvation of perishing Russia.
This and other predictions undoubtedly predetermined the behavior of Nicholas II right up to the martyrdom that he foresaw.
“One day Stolypin proposes to the Emperor an important measure of domestic policy. Having listened thoughtfully to him, Nicholas II makes a skeptical, carefree movement - a movement that seems to say: “Whether it’s this or something else, it doesn’t matter?!” Finally he says in a tone of deep sadness:
I, Pyotr Arkadyevich, do not succeed in anything I undertake.
Stolypin protests. Then the King asks him:
Have you read the lives of the Saints?
Yes, at least in part, since, if I am not mistaken, this work contains about twenty volumes.
Do you also know when my birthday is?
What Saint's holiday is on this day?
Sorry, sir, I don’t remember.
Job the Long-Suffering.
God bless! Your Majesty's reign will end with glory, since Job, having humbly endured the most terrible trials, was rewarded with God's blessing and prosperity.
No, believe me, Pyotr Arkadyevich, I have more than a presentiment, I have deep confidence in this: I am doomed to terrible trials; but I will not receive my reward here on earth. How many times have I applied the words of Job to myself: “For the terrible things that I was afraid of have befallen me, and the things that I feared have come to me (Job 3:25).
The Holy King has said more than once that if God needs redemptive sacrifice for the salvation of Russia, then he agrees to be it, and may God’s will be done. Back in 1903 in Diveevo, at celebrations to glorify St. Seraphim of Sarov, in anticipation of his fate, he said: “Perhaps necessary redemptive a sacrifice to save Russia - I will be this victim».
In one of his telegrams to the Chairman of the Provisional Committee of the State. Duma M.V. Rodzianko, the Sovereign declared: “There is no sacrifice that I would not make in the name of the real good and for the salvation of Mother Russia.” General Dieterichs in his memoirs also cites similar words of the Tsar and Queen: “If only necessary for Russia, we are ready to sacrifice both life and everything.” (Diterikhs M.K. Murder of the Royal Family and members of the House of Romanov in the Urals, M., vol. 2., p. 54-56).
Front commander Admiral A.V. Kolchak General M.K. Dieterichs, in his memoirs about the Emperor, writes: “If He had descended from the Cross, would the Divinity of the idea of His calling on earth have been preserved?... If Nicholas II had not died violently, but had been saved, had fled after his abdication abroad, would the historical the integrity of the idea... of the Russian people, personified in the Sovereign, the Anointed of God?” (Diterichs M.K. Murder of the Royal Family and members of the House of Romanov in the Urals, M., vol. 1., 1991, p. 54).
Blessed Praskovya Ivanovna Diveevskaya testified to the great feat of the Sovereign. She said that Sovereign Nicholas II would be higher than all the tsars, for she saw with spiritual eyes how highly the Sovereign would be glorified by the Lord, and how he would become like Christ by the unusual fulfillment of His Gospel commandments, not as a saint and not as a martyr, but especially distinctive from them.
The words of the famous elder of those years, St. Petersburg, deserve special attention. Barnabas from the Gethsemane monastery near the Trinity-Sergius Lavra about the future rite of holiness of the Sovereign. Sovereign Nikolai Alexandrovich visited Elder Varnava at the beginning of 1905 and received from him a blessing to accept the end of martyrdom, when the Lord would be pleased to place this cross on him and predicted “... unprecedented glory to his Royal name.”
The Diveyevo elder Blessed Ksenia Stepanova testified to the highest rank of holiness of the Sovereign. She had a vision from the Lord, described by the poet S.S. Bekhteev, in which it was discovered even before the death of the Royal Family, how to put together the image of the Lord Jesus Christ and the image of Sovereign Nicholas II merged and for the sake of understanding, it was further shown that Tsar Nicholas II sits at the right hand of the Savior at His table in the Kingdom of Heaven and the Lord told her that He will place the Sovereign first in the Kingdom of Saints.
Orthodox writer S.A. Nilus talks about an unusual vision of a 14-year-old girl Olga, a novice of the Rzhishchev Monastery near Kiev, which she had on the eve of the Emperor’s abdication of the throne:
“Angel and I began to climb up and approached a large, shiny white house. When we entered this house, I saw an extraordinary light in it. In this light stood a large crystal table, and on it were some unprecedented heavenly fruits. Holy prophets, martyrs and other saints sat at the table. All of them were in multi-colored robes, shining with a wonderful light.
Above this host of God's saints, in an unimaginable light, the Savior sat on an indescribable wondrous throne, and next to Him at His right hand sat our Sovereign Nikolai Alexandrovich, surrounded by angels. The Emperor was in full royal attire: light white purple, a crown, with a scepter in his hand... And I heard the martyrs talking among themselves, rejoicing that the last time was coming, and that their number would increase.
They said that they would torture for the name of Christ and for rejecting the seal, and that churches and monasteries would soon be destroyed, and those living in the monasteries would be expelled, that they would torture not only the clergy and monasticism, but also everyone who did not want to accept the seal and would stand for the Name of Christ, for the Faith, for the Church...”
And when a week and a half later (March 12) the girl woke up again after another vision and was told about the news she had received about the abdication of the Emperor, Olga replied: “You only found out now, but we have been talking about this for a long time, we have heard for a long time. The king has been sitting there for a long time with the Heavenly King.” She was asked: “What is the reason for this?” Olga replied: “The same thing happened to the Heavenly King when He was expelled, reviled and crucified. Our King,” she said, “is a martyr.”
Sailor Silaev had a wonderful vision from the cruiser Almaz, testifying to the Tsar’s redemptive feat. This vision is described in the book of Archimandrite Panteleimon “Life, exploits, miracles and prophecies of our holy righteous father John, the Wonderworker of Kronstadt.”
“On the very first night after communion,” says sailor Silaev, “I saw horrible dream. I came out into a huge clearing that had no end; from above, brighter than the sun, a light is pouring down on which there is no strength to look at, but this light does not reach the ground, and it seems to be all shrouded in either fog or smoke. Suddenly a singing was heard in the heavens, so harmonious and touching: “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us!”
It was repeated several times, and behold, the entire clearing was filled with people in some special attire. In front of everyone was our Martyr Sovereign in royal purple and crown, holding in his hands a cup filled to the brim with blood. On the right next to him is a beautiful youth, the Heir Tsarevich, in a uniform, also with a cup of blood in his hands, and behind them, on his knees, is the entire tortured Royal Family in white robes, and everyone has a cup of blood in their hands.
In front of the Sovereign and Heir, on his knees, raising his hands to the heavenly radiance, Father John of Kronstadt stands and fervently prays, turning to the Lord God, as if to a living being, as if he sees Him, for Russia, mired in evil. This prayer made me sweat: “Master All-Holy! See this innocent blood, hear the groans of your faithful children, who did not destroy your talent, and show your great mercy to your fallen chosen people!
Do not deprive him of Your holy chosenness, but restore to him the mind of salvation, stolen from him in the simplicity of the wise of this age, so that, rising from the depths of the fall and soaring on spiritual wings to the heights, they will glorify Your Most Holy Name in the universe. The faithful martyrs pray to you, sacrificing their blood to you. Accept it to cleanse the iniquities of Your people, free and unwilling, forgive and have mercy.”
After this, the Emperor raises the cup of blood and says: “Master, King of kings and Lord of lords! Accept the blood of me and my Family to cleanse all the voluntary and involuntary sins of my people, entrusted to me by You, and raise them from the depths of their current fall. We perceive Your justice, but also the boundless mercy of Your mercy. Forgive me and have mercy on me, and save Russia.”
Behind him, stretching his cup upward, the pure youth Tsarevich spoke in a childish voice: “God, look at your perishing people and forgive them the hand of deliverance. All-Merciful God, accept my pure blood for the salvation of innocent children who are corrupted and perishing on our land, and accept my tears for them.” And the boy began to sob, spilling his blood from the cup onto the ground.
And suddenly the whole multitude of people, kneeling down and raising their bowls to heaven, began to pray in one voice: “God, righteous Judge, but kind, merciful Father, accept our blood to wash away all the defilements committed on our land, and in our minds.” , and in unreason, for how can a person do unreasonable things that exist in reason! And through the prayers of Your saints, who have shone in our land with Your mercy, return to Your chosen people, who have fallen into Satan’s snares, the mind of salvation, so that they may tear apart these destructive snares. Do not turn away from him completely and do not deprive him of Your great chosenness, so that, having risen from the depths of his fall, he will glorify Your magnificent Name throughout the entire universe and faithfully serve You until the end of centuries.”
And again in the sky, more touchingly than before, the singing of “Holy God” was heard. I feel like goosebumps are running down my spine, but I can’t wake up. And finally I hear - the solemn singing of “Glorious be glorified” flashed across the entire sky, incessantly rolling from one end of the sky to the other.
The clearing instantly became empty and seemed completely different. I see many churches, and such a beautiful ringing of bells is heard, my soul rejoices. Father John of Kronstadt comes up to me and says: “God’s sun has risen over Russia again. Look how it plays and rejoices! Now great Easter in Rus', where Christ was resurrected. Now all the powers of heaven rejoice, and after you have labored since the ninth hour of repentance, you will receive your reward from God.” (“Miracles of the Royal Martyrs”, vol. 1., M., 2001., p. 48-50).
These visions testify to the very high rank of holiness of our Sovereign, higher than that of all the saints, and in confirmation of this the Lord showed us evidence already in our time from the lips of His servant Elena, whose soul after clinical death was caught up to Paradise. In it she heard and saw that Sovereign Nicholas II was glorified in the Kingdom of God as the Redeemer: “... as the Great Nicholas the Redeemer and there should be no other appeal to him.” (Video film “At the Line of Eternity.”)
The above revelations accurately describe the Christ-like meaning of the Holy King’s feat. You will not find a more precise word that encompasses this concept than the word “redemption.” As we see, the true rite of holiness of the Sovereign is the rite of the Redeemer.
Based on materials from the brochure “The Spiritual Meaning of the Redemptive Feat of Saint Tsar Nicholas II” Compiled by Alexander Rusinov
Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia
Memorial Day 4 (17) July; Cathedral of St. Petersburg Saints - third Sunday after Pentecost. Temples Feodorovsky Cathedral in Tsarskoye Selo
The future Emperor Nicholas II Romanov was born on May 6 (19), 1868. His father Alexander III gave his son a strict semi-military upbringing; the Tsarevich forever developed the habit of a modest life, simple food and hard work. The boy grew up in an atmosphere of Orthodox piety, and with early childhood he had a deep religious feeling. Those who knew him report that the Royal Child, hearing stories about the Passion of the Savior, felt compassion for Him with all his soul and even pondered how to save Him from the Jews.
In 1894, after the death of his father, Nikolai Alexandrovich ascended the Russian Throne and in the same year married Princess of Hesse Alix, who received the name Alexandra Fedorovna in Holy Baptism. The coronation celebrations were marred by several occasional tragedies, which were popularly perceived as ominous omens.
The Royal Couple had five children: daughters Olga, Tatyana, Maria, Anastasia and son - heir Alexey. The Emperor raised his children the same way he himself was raised - in the spirit Orthodox faith And folk traditions: The whole Family often attended divine services and fasted. Empress Alexandra, born into Lutheranism, like her sister, the Venerable Martyr Elizabeth, embraced Orthodoxy with all her soul and stood out for her piety even among the Russian people. She loved long, orderly statutory services and always followed the progress of the service from books. It is not surprising that the frivolous court society considered her a hypocrite and a saint.
The sovereign actively participated in church life, much more than his predecessors: during the reign of Nicholas II, 250 monasteries and more than 10 thousand churches were opened throughout Russia and abroad. During his reign, more saints were glorified than in the previous 2 centuries. At the same time, the Emperor had to show special persistence in seeking the canonization of the now so revered Seraphim of Sarov, Joasaph of Belgorod, and John of Tobolsk. Nicholas II highly respected St. John of Kronstadt, and righteous John often called on the people to stand for their Tsar, predicting that otherwise the Lord would take the Tsar away from Russia and allow it rulers who would flood the entire earth with blood.
The Tsar's deep, sincere faith brought him closer to the common people. However, the Emperor also patronized other religions, so not only the Orthodox loved him; for example, the Emperor's personal guard were Muslim Caucasians. Sometimes the Tsar's religious tolerance even went against the interests of the Orthodox Church.
The Tsar treated the Royal service as his sacred duty. For him, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich was a model politician - at the same time a reformer and a careful guardian of national traditions and faith. In state affairs, Nicholas II proceeded from religious and moral convictions. On his initiative, the famous Hague Conventions on the Humane Conduct of War were concluded, but his proposal for general disarmament remained ununderstood.
Since the beginning of the First World War, the Emperor was with his army all the time, personally directed, although not always successfully, military operations, and communicated a lot with the soldiers. The Empress and her daughters became sisters of mercy and looked after the wounded. The personal participation of the royal family in the feat of war helped the people to patiently carry out this feat. However, the pro-Western intelligentsia, which had already fallen away from folk traditions and faith before the war, now, taking advantage of the difficulties of wartime, intensified their activities in Orthodoxy and the monarchy. There is no doubt that Nicholas II made significant miscalculations in foreign and domestic policy, he deeply experienced them and was inclined to see his personal guilt in the misfortunes of the Fatherland.
By the spring of 1917, a conspiracy to remove Nicholas II from power had matured in the royal circle. On March 2, betrayed by those closest to him, the Tsar was forced to sign the Abdication of the Throne in favor of his brother Mikhail. “I don’t want even one drop of Russian blood to be shed for me,” said Nikolai Alexandrovich. Grand Duke Michael refused to accept the crown, and the monarchy in Russia fell. The former Emperor and his Family were arrested by the Provisional Government.
Tsar Nikolai Alexandrovich was born on the day of memory of Job the Long-Suffering and often repeated that this coincidence was not accidental: The Tsar, according to the testimony of many, foresaw the misfortunes that would befall him, and in the last year of his life, Nicholas II, by uncomplainingly enduring sorrows, truly became like the ancient righteous man . Together with the Sovereign, all members of his Family bore the same cross. Once in custody, they were subjected to constant humiliation and bullying; the guards took pleasure in power over the former Autocrat. The royal prisoners experienced a particularly difficult time when they fell into the hands of the Bolsheviks. At the same time, they behaved with constant calm and good-naturedness; they seemed completely insensitive to oppression and insults. The most hard-hearted guards, faced with the meekness of the former Tsar and his Family, soon became sympathetic to them, and therefore the authorities had to frequently change their guards. While in captivity, the Imperial Family did not stop praying and reading Holy Scripture. According to the executioners’ memoirs, the prisoners amazed everyone with their religiosity. The confessor, who was allowed to confess them, testifies to the amazing moral height at which these sufferers stood, especially children, as if completely alien to all earthly dirt. From the diaries and letters of the Royal Family it is clear that most of all suffering was brought to them not by their own misfortunes, for example, the constant illness of children, but by the fate of Russia, which was dying before our eyes. Outwardly calm, the Emperor wrote: “ Best time for me it’s a night when I can forget at least a little.”
On April 26, 1918, the Royal Family was transported to Yekaterinburg to the house of engineer Ipatiev, as the Bolsheviks feared that the prisoners would be freed by the advancing White Army. The regime was becoming stricter: walks were prohibited, the doors to the rooms were not closed - security could enter at any moment. On July 16, a coded message was received from Moscow containing an order to execute the Romanovs. On the night of July 16-17, the prisoners were lowered into the basement under the pretext of a quick move, then soldiers with rifles suddenly appeared, the “verdict” was hastily read out, and then the guards opened fire. The shooting was indiscriminate - the soldiers had been given vodka beforehand - so the holy martyrs were finished off with bayonets. Together with the Royal Family, the servants died: the doctor Evgeny Botkin, the maid of honor Anna Demidova, the cook Ivan Kharitonov and the footman Trupp, who remained faithful to them to the end. After the execution, the bodies were taken outside the city to an abandoned mine in the Ganina Yama tract, where they were destroyed for a long time using sulfuric acid, gasoline and grenades. There is an opinion that the murder was ritual, as evidenced by the inscriptions on the walls of the room where the martyrs died. Ipatiev's house was blown up in the 70s.
During the entire period of Soviet power, frantic blasphemy was poured out against the memory of the holy Tsar Nicholas, nevertheless, many people, especially in emigration, revered the martyr Tsar from the very moment of his death. Countless testimonies of miraculous help through prayers to the Family of the last Russian Autocrat; popular veneration royal martyrs V last years the twentieth century became so widespread that in August 2000, at the Jubilee Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, Sovereign Nikolai Alexandrovich, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and their children Alexei, Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia were canonized as holy passion-bearers. They are commemorated on the day of their martyrdom - July 17.
Passion-bearer is the name of Christian martyrs. In principle, this name can be applied to all martyrs who endured suffering (passion, Latin passio) in the name of Christ. Primarily, this name refers to those saints who endured suffering and death with Christian meekness, patience and humility, and in their martyrdom the light of Christ’s faith, conquering evil, was revealed. Often the holy passion-bearers suffered martyrdom not from the persecutors of Christianity, but from their fellow believers - due to their malice, deceit, and conspiracy. Accordingly, in this case the special nature of their feat is emphasized - goodness and non-resistance to enemies. Thus, in particular, the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb, and St. Demetrius Tsarevich are often called.
Troparion, tone 4. (Holy Royal Martyrs)
Today, faithful people, let us brightly honor/ the seven honorable royal passion-bearers,/ Christ’s one home Church:/ Nicholas and Alexander,/ Alexy, Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia./ They, who were not afraid of the bonds and sufferings of many different kinds,/ died from those who fought against God and accepted the desecration of bodies / and improved boldness to the Lord in prayer. / For this sake, let us cry out to them with love: / Oh, Holy Passion-Bearers, / Hear the voice of repentance and the lamentation of our people, / Confirm the Russian land in love for Orthodoxy, / From internecine warfare preserve, / ask God for peace and peace, / and great mercy for our souls.
The Emperor paid great attention to the needs of the Orthodox Church throughout his reign. Like all Russian emperors, Nicholas II generously donated to the construction of new churches, including outside Russia. During the years of his reign, the number of parish churches in Russia increased by more than 10 thousand, and more than 250 new monasteries were opened. The emperor himself participated in the laying of new churches and other church celebrations. The personal piety of the Sovereign was also manifested in the fact that during the years of his reign more saints were canonized than in the two previous centuries, when only 5 saints were glorified. During the last reign, St. Theodosius of Chernigov (1896), St. Seraphim of Sarov (1903), Holy Princess Anna Kashinskaya (restoration of veneration in 1909), St. Joasaph of Belgorod (1911), St. Hermogenes of Moscow (1913), Saint Pitirim of Tambov (1914), Saint John of Tobolsk (1916). At the same time, the Emperor was forced to show special persistence, seeking the canonization of St. Seraphim of Sarov, Saints Joasaph of Belgorod and John of Tobolsk. Emperor Nicholas II highly revered the holy righteous father John of Kronstadt. After his blessed death, the king ordered a nationwide prayerful commemoration of the deceased on the day of his repose.
The desire to introduce Christian religious and moral principles of one’s worldview into public life has always distinguished foreign policy Emperor Nicholas II. Back in 1898, he approached the governments of Europe with a proposal to convene a conference to discuss issues of maintaining peace and reducing armaments. The consequence of this was the peace conferences in The Hague in 1889 and 1907. Their decisions have not lost their significance to this day.
On the eve of the First World War, the population of the Russian Empire was 182 million people, and during the reign of Emperor Nicholas II it increased by 60 million.
Excerpts from “GROUND FOR THE CANONIZATION OF THE ROYAL FAMILY”
FROM THE REPORT OF METROPOLITAN JUVENALIY OF KRUTITSKY AND KOLOMENSKY,
CHAIRMAN OF THE SYNODAL COMMISSION FOR THE CANONIZATION OF SAINTS.”
"As a politician and statesman The sovereign acted based on his religious and moral principles. One of the most common arguments against the canonization of Emperor Nicholas II is the events of January 9, 1905 in St. Petersburg. IN historical information We point out to the commission on this issue: having become acquainted with the contents of Gapon’s petition on the evening of January 8, which had the nature of a revolutionary ultimatum, which did not allow entering into constructive negotiations with representatives of the workers, the Emperor ignored this document, which was illegal in form and undermined the prestige of state power already wavering in the conditions of war . Throughout January 9, 1905, the Sovereign did not make a single decision that determined the actions of the authorities in St. Petersburg to suppress mass protests by workers. The order for the troops to open fire was given not by the Emperor, but by the Commander of the St. Petersburg Military District. Historical data does not allow us to detect in the actions of the Sovereign in the January days of 1905 a conscious evil will directed against the people and embodied in specific sinful decisions and actions.
Since the beginning of the First World War, the Tsar regularly travels to Headquarters, visiting military units of the active army, dressing stations, military hospitals, rear factories, in a word, everything that played a role in the conduct of this war.
From the very beginning of the war, the Empress devoted herself to the wounded. Having completed nursing courses together with her eldest daughters, Grand Duchesses Olga and Tatiana, she spent several hours a day caring for the wounded in the Tsarskoye Selo infirmary.
Royal family
The Emperor viewed his tenure as Supreme Commander-in-Chief as the fulfillment of a moral and national duty to God and the people, however, always presenting leading military specialists with a broad initiative in resolving the entire range of military-strategic and operational-tactical issues.
The Commission expresses the opinion that the very fact of the abdication of the Throne of Emperor Nicholas II, which is directly related to his personal qualities, is generally an expression of the then historical situation in Russia.
He made this decision only in the hope that those who wanted to remove him would still be able to continue the war with honor and would not ruin the cause of saving Russia. He was afraid then that his refusal to sign the renunciation would lead to civil war in sight of the enemy. The Tsar did not want even a drop of Russian blood to be shed because of him.
The spiritual motives for which the last Russian Sovereign, who did not want to shed the blood of his subjects, decided to abdicate the Throne in the name of internal peace in Russia, give his action a truly moral character. It is no coincidence that during the discussion in July 1918 at the Council of the Local Council of the question of the funeral commemoration of the murdered Sovereign, His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon made a decision on the widespread service of memorial services with the commemoration of Nicholas II as Emperor.
Behind the many sufferings endured by the Royal Family over the last 17 months of their lives, which ended with execution in the basement of the Ekaterinburg Ipatiev House on the night of July 17, 1918, we see people who sincerely sought to embody the commandments of the Gospel in their lives. In the suffering endured by the Royal Family in captivity with meekness, patience and humility, in their martyrdom, the evil-conquering light of Christ's faith was revealed, just as it shone in the life and death of millions of Orthodox Christians who suffered persecution for Christ in the twentieth century.
It is in understanding this feat of the Royal Family that the Commission, in complete unanimity and with the approval of the Holy Synod, finds it possible to glorify in the Council the new martyrs and confessors of Russia in the guise of the passion-bearers Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra, Tsarevich Alexy, Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia.”
May 6, 1884 - upon reaching adulthood (for the heir), took the oath of office Great Church Winter Palace.
1884 - the first meeting of the sixteen-year-old Heir Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich with the young Princess Alice (future Empress Alexandra Feodorovna).
May 14, 1896 - coronation celebrations in Moscow, the Crowning of the Kingdom, the Sacrament of Confirmation was performed on the royal couple.
1913 - celebrations in Moscow and St. Petersburg on the occasion of the 300th House of Romanov.
August 22, 1915 - The Emperor assumes command of all Russian armed forces.
March 2, 1917 — The Tsar decided to abdicate in favor of his son during the regency of Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich.
March 8, 1917 - Nicholas II was arrested in Mogilev and sent to Tsarskoye Selo as “Colonel Romanov.”
August 6, 1917 - early April 1918 - exile in Tobolsk, the Royal family lives in former house governor and has the opportunity to attend church.
April 1918 - The royal family was transported to Yekaterinburg and housed in the private house of former engineer N.N. Ipatieva.
Enamel cross in buttonhole
And a gray cloth jacket...
What beautiful faces
And how long ago it was.
What beautiful faces
But how hopelessly pale -
Heir, Empress,
Four Grand Duchesses.
Georgy Ivanov
From the Diaries:
“Perhaps an atoning sacrifice is needed to save Russia. I will be that victim."
“I bear the responsibility, and therefore I wish to be free in my choice.”
“I believe in the honest feelings of working people and in their unwavering devotion to me, and therefore I forgive their guilt.”
“Let everyone know that, devoting all my strength to the good of the people, I will protect the principles of autocracy as firmly and unswervingly as my late, unforgettable parent guarded it.”
“A sacred vow in the face of the Almighty to always have as one goal the prosperity, power and glory of dear Russia and the establishment of the happiness of all loyal subjects.”
“The greatness of the Russian Tsar does not lie in wars and victories, not in wealth and glory. It consisted of serving Christ and Russia. Russia not only today, earthly and material, but also spiritual, universal Russia, Russia of the future century.”
“I was not protecting the autocratic power, but Russia. I am not convinced that a change in the form of government will bring peace and happiness to the people.”
“There is treason and cowardice and deception all around!”
Lit.:
- In memory of the Holy Coronation of Their Imp. Majesties Nikolai Alexandrovich and Alexandra Feodorovna in Moscow on May 14, 1896. St. Petersburg, 1896;
- Traveling around Russia and abroad Their Imp. Majesties Emperor Nicholas Alexandrovich and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, August 13 - October 19. 1896 St. Petersburg, 1896;
- Germany in church-religious relations with detailed description Orthodox-Russian churches / Comp. prot. A. P. Maltsev. St. Petersburg, 1903;
- Gastfreud N. A. Review of charitable institutions in Germany. St. Petersburg, 1905;
- Chamborant A.V. Russian Tsar and Queen at the veneration of Moscow shrines. St. Petersburg, 1909;
- Belsky L. Legends and stories about Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Landgravine of Thuringia. M., 1910;
- From my album: 60 photos. photographs of E. I. V. Empress Imp. Alexandra Feodorovna. Pg.; M., 1915;
- Berezin V.L. Holy example of royal women. Pg., 1916;
- Shcheglov V.V. Own E.I.V. libraries and arsenals: Krat. ist. essay, 1715-1915. Pg., 1917;
- Gilliard P. Emperor Nicholas II and his family. Vienna, 1921. M., 1991;
- Kologrivov K. Arrest of the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and the august children of Their Majesties // Rus. chronicle. 1922. Book. 3;
- Lukomsky G.K. Last night in the Alexander Palace // On the eve. 1922. No. 189. November 18. pp. 2-3;
- Witte S. Yu. Memoirs. M.; Pg., 1923. T. 1;
- Gurko V.I. Tsar and Tsarina. P., 1927;
- Shulenburg V. E. Memories of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. P., 1928;
- Buxhoeveden S. The life and Tragedy of Alexandra Fedorovna, Empress of Russia. L., 1928;
- Orem S.I. Conspiracy: East. notes. Belgrade, 1931;
- Polsky M., prot. Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II and his family are the new Russian martyrs. George, 1949. Part 1. pp. 218-264;
- Melgunov S. Ekaterinburg drama: (From the unpublished book “Revolution and the Tsar”) // Revival. 1949. July. pp. 13-21;
- Shavelsky G.I. Memoirs of the last protopresbyter of the Russian army and navy. N.-Y., 1954. M., 1996. 2 vols.;
- Almedingen E. M. The Empress Alexandra. L., 1961;
- From the papers of A.V. Tyrkova-Williams: Record of the story of the book. S. Vasilchikova // Revival. 1964. No. 156. Dec. pp. 94-100;
- Andolenko S. Slander against the Empress // Ibid. 1968. No. 204. Dec.;
- Kiselev A., prot. Their memory for generations and generations...: What needs to be known, preserved, conveyed. N.-Y., 1981. M., 1990;
- Pilgrimage of the Tsar-Martyr of the Most Pious Sovereign Imp. Nikolai Alexandrovich. N.Y., 1986;
- The death of the royal family: Investigation materials in the case of the murder of the royal family (Aug. 1918 - February 1920) / Comp. N. Ross. Frankfurt am Main, 1987;
- Rudnev V.M. The truth about the royal family and “dark forces” // Bright Youth: Sat. Art. about the Tsarevich-martyr Alexei and other royal martyrs. M., 1990;
- Sokolov N.A. Murder of the Royal Family. M., 1990;
- Diterichs M.K. Murder of the Royal Family and members of the House of Romanov in the Urals. M., 1991. 2 hours;
- Vilchkovsky S. N. Tsarskoye Selo. St. Petersburg, 1992;
- Massey R. Nicholas and Alexandra. M., 1992;
- Russian Imperial House: Diaries. Letters. Photos / Comp. A. N. Bokhanov, D. I. Ismail-Zade. M., 1992;
- Volkov A.A. Around the Royal Family. M., 1993;
- Zemlyanichenko M. A., Kalinin N. N. The Romanovs and Crimea. M., 1993;
- Melnik (Botkina) T. Memories of the royal family and its life before and after the revolution. M., 1993;
- Radzinsky E. S. “Lord... save and pacify Russia”: Nicholas II: life and death. M., 1993;
- Fedorova V. Tsar’s libraries // Motherland. 1993. No. 11. P. 32-35;
- Voeikov V.N. With the Tsar and without the Tsar. M., 1994;
- Nicholas and Alexandra: The Court of the Last Russian Emperors, con. XIX - early XX century: Cat. vyst. / Comp. E. A. Anisimova et al. St. Petersburg, 1994;
- Bolotin L. The Tsar’s Affair: Materials for the investigation of the murder of the Tsar’s Family. M., 1996;
- Methodius (Kulman), bishop. From the spiritual treasure of the Royal Family // ZhMP. 1996. No. 11. P. 68-73;
- Platonov O. A. The crown of thorns of Russia: Nicholas II in secret correspondence. M., 1996;
- Ivanova T.K., Logunova E.P. Nicholas II and his family in Peterhof. Peterhof, 1997;
- Bokhanov A. N. Nikolai II. M., 1998;
- Meilunas A., Mironenko S. Nikolai and Alexandra: Love and life. M., 1998;
- Podurets A. M. Sarov: a monument of history, culture, Orthodoxy. N. Novg., 1998;
- Pchelov E.V. Genealogy of the Romanov family, 1855-1997. M., 1998;
- Ryabov G. T. How it happened: The Romanovs: hiding bodies, search, consequences. M., 1998;
- Sergius (Stragorodsky), archimandrite. Letters from Sarov, July 13-22, 1903. M., 1998;
- Secrets of the Koptyakovskaya Road: A Matter of Faith: Materials for consideration of the issue of the so-called Yekaterinburg remains, presumably belonging to members of the royal family and their faithful servants. M., 1998;
- Sokolov N.A. Preliminary investigation, 1919-1922. // Ross. archive. M., 1998. Issue. 8;
- Den Yu. The Genuine Queen: Recall. close friend of the imp. Alexandra Fedorovna. St. Petersburg, 1999;
- Canonization of saints in the 20th century. / Commission Priest Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church for the canonization of saints. M., 1999;
- Nesin V.N. Winter Palace during the reign of the last Emperor Nicholas II (1894-1917). St. Petersburg, 1999.
- Surguchev I.D. Childhood of Nicholas II. St. Petersburg, 2002.
Source:
- Letters from Empress Alexandra Feodorovna to Emperor Nicholas II / Trans. from English V. D. Nabokov. Berlin, 1922. T. 1-2;
- Correspondence between Nikolai and Alexandra Romanov. M.; Pg.-L., 1923-1927. T. 3-5;
- The Fall of the Tsarist Regime: Transcript. reports of interrogations and testimony given in 1917 in the Emergency Investigation. commission Provisional Government. M.; L., 1924-1927. 7 t.;
- Diary of Emperor Nicholas II, 1890-1906. M., 1991;
- Diaries of Emperor Nicholas II. 1894-1918. M., 1992;
- Materials related to the issue of canonization of the royal family. [M.], 1996;
- Letters from the Holy Royal Martyrs from Imprisonment. St. Petersburg, 1996;
- Definitions of the Holy Synod // ZhMP. 1998. No. 4. P. 10;
- On the problem of “Ekaterinburg remains”: [Materials] // Ibid. pp. 30-49;
- Repentance: Materials of the government commission. to study issues related to the research and reburial of the remains of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II and members of his family. M., 1998;
- Act of the Jubilee Consecrated Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church on the cathedralglorification of the new martyrin and Russian confessors of the 20th century. Moscow, August 12-16, 2000
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