Nicholas 2 in the face of saints. Canonization of the royal family

23.09.2019

Prophetic icon of Tsar Nicholas II August 28th, 2016

God's Providence about the fate of Russia is destined and immutable. According to the predictions of the saints of God, at a historical hour known to the Creator, Holy Russia will miraculously be reborn with the Orthodox Tsar at the head. The mystic monk Abel prophesied about this back in the 18th century. Today, his prophetic verbs have been confirmed by the miraculous discovery of a long-lost ancient icon.

The image was painted by the icon painter Lazar at the behest of Emperor Paul I and according to the prophecy of the monk Abel about the last Sovereign Tsar of Russia. The message of the reigning Monarch to the future Tsar-martyr read: "To my descendant Nicholas, who was born on the day of Job the Long-suffering, to be opened on the hundredth anniversary of my death." Attached to the message was this icon, painted in May 1798, 70 years before the birth of Emperor Nicholas II.

By the will of God, in the troubled years of hard times, the unique icon was not destroyed. The Bolsheviks, not knowing the prophecies and not attaching much importance to the image, sold it to a private collection. The shrine passed from hand to hand several times, until recently its last owner-collector died in Moscow. His apartment was soon robbed and they tried to take the collection abroad. The thieves were detained, and the icons were confiscated. Experts have determined the exact date of writing the icon - the end of the XVIII century. But regarding its cost, they shrugged their shoulders. According to them, it was a fantasy icon.

The old icon really depicts the Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II. There is a clear portrait resemblance! Above the head of the Sovereign, overshadowed by a holy halo, is the inscription: "The Holy Great Martyr Nicholas."

On the margins of the icon, there are traditionally stamps with the life of the future Autocrat and scenes from the history of the monarchy in Russia. The rider on horseback depicted on the right symbolizes Russia's victory in Patriotic War 1812. The fallen warrior lying near the field tents on the left side of the stamp prophetically depicts the defeat of our Fatherland in the First World War. In the lower left corner, it is depicted how the Tsar gives the crown to the clergyman. This is a visible prophecy that it was the clergy who at the beginning of the 20th century were involved in the treacherous overthrow of the monarchical system.

As you know, already on the third day after the abdication of the Sovereign, published by the conspirators, in March 1917, the Russian clergy and clergy began to proclaim at the Liturgy instead of the original: "God save the Tsar" - "God save the Provisional Government", which consisted of Masons and theomachists.

In my time Reverend Seraphim Sarovskiy and Blessed Pasha of Sarovskaya bequeathed Nicholas II to abdicate himself. This is also prophetically depicted on the icon 119 years before the real historical event. The caption reads: "Betrayal."

Below on the right is a scene of the martyrdom of the holy King at the hands of dark forces. You can see the signature: "Shot with family." The last image is a grave with the inscription: "Buried in an unknown place"...

There is no doubt that the acquisition of this icon is a clear sign of the closeness of the predicted times for the fulfillment of the prophecy desired by the Russian heart.

HOLY ROYAL PASSION BEARERS (†1918)

July 17 is the day of remembrance of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers of the Most Pious Autocratic Sovereign Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich, the Wife of His Most Pious Sovereign Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, the Heir of the Blessed Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, the Blessed Grand Duchesses Olga Nikolaevna, Tatiana Nikolaevna, Maria Nikolaevna and Anastasia Nikolaevna.

On the night of July 16-17, 1918, a terrible atrocity was committed - in Yekaterinburg, in the basement of the Ipatiev House, the Sovereign Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich, His Family and faithful people, who voluntarily remained with the Royal prisoners and shared Their fate, were shot.

The Day of Remembrance of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers allows us to see how it is possible for a person to follow Christ and be faithful to Him, in spite of any life's sorrows and trials. After all, what the holy Royal Martyrs endured goes beyond the boundaries of human understanding. The sufferings endured by them (suffering not only physical, but also moral, moral) exceed the measure of human strength and capabilities. Only a humble heart, a heart completely devoted to God, was able to bear such a heavy cross. It is unlikely that anyone else's name was so slandered as the name of Tsar Nicholas II. But even very few with such meekness and with such complete trust in God endured all these sorrows, as the Emperor did.

Childhood and youth

The last Russian Emperor Nicholas II was the eldest son of Emperor Alexander III and his wife Empress Maria Feodorovna (daughter of the Danish King Christian VII). He was born on May 6 (19), 1868 on the day of rights. Job the Long-suffering near St. Petersburg, in Tsarskoye Selo.

The upbringing he received under the guidance of his father was strict, almost harsh. "I need normal healthy Russian children"- such a requirement was put forward by the Emperor to the educators of his children. And such an upbringing could only be Orthodox in spirit. Even as a small child, the Heir to the Tsarevich showed a special love for God, for His Church. He was deeply touched by every human sorrow and every need. He began and ended the day with prayer; knew the rank well church services during which he loved to sing along to the church choir. Listening to stories about the Passion of the Savior, he sympathized with Him with all his soul and even pondered how to save Him from the Jews.

He received a very good education at home - he knew several languages, studied Russian and world history, deeply versed in military affairs, was a widely erudite person. The best teachers of that time were assigned to him and he turned out to be a very capable student.

At the age of 16, he was enrolled in active military service. At the age of 19 he was promoted to junior officer, and at the age of 24 he was promoted to colonel of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. And in this rank, Nicholas II remained until the end.

A serious test was sent to the Imperial family in the fall of 1888: a terrible wreck of the royal train took place near Kharkov. The wagons crashed down the high embankment. By the Providence of God, the life of Emperor Alexander III and the entire August family was miraculously saved.

A new test followed in 1891 during the Tsarevich's journey through the Far East: an assassination attempt was made on him in Japan. Nikolai Alexandrovich almost died from a saber blow of a religious fanatic, but the Greek Prince George knocked down the attacker with a bamboo cane. And again a miracle happened: only a slight wound remained on the head of the Heir to the Throne.

In 1884, the wedding of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich and Princess Elisabeth of Hesse-Darmstadt (now glorified in the face of saints, the Martyr Elisabeth, commemorated July 5) was solemnly celebrated in St. Petersburg. Young Nicholas II was then 16 years old. At the celebrations he saw the young sister of the bride - Alix (Princess Alice of Hesse, granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England). A strong friendship began between the young people, which then turned into a deep and ever-growing love. Five years later, when Alix of Hesse again visited Russia, the heir matures the final decision to marry her. But Sovereign Alexander III did not give his consent. "Everything is in the will of God,- the heir wrote in his diary after a long conversation with his father, - Trusting in His mercy, I calmly and humbly look to the future.

Princess Alice - the future Russian Empress Alexandra Feodorovna - was born on May 25, 1872 in Darmstadt. Alice's father was Grand Duke Ludwig of Hesse-Darmstadt, and his mother was Princess Alice of England, the third daughter of Queen Victoria. In infancy, Princess Alice - at home her name was Alix - was a cheerful, lively child, receiving the nickname "Sunny" (Sunny) for this. The children of the Hessian couple - and there were seven of them - were brought up in deeply patriarchal traditions. Their life passed according to the rules strictly established by their mother, not a single minute should have passed without work. The clothes and food of the children were very simple. The girls themselves lit the fireplaces, cleaned their rooms. Mother tried from childhood to instill in them qualities based on a deeply Christian approach to life.

For five years, the love of Tsarevich Nicholas and Princess Alice was experienced. Being already a real beauty, to whom many crowned suitors wooed, she answered all with a decisive refusal. In the same way, the Tsarevich answered calmly, but a firm refusal to all the attempts of his parents to arrange otherwise his happiness. Finally, in the spring of 1894, the august parents of the heir gave their blessing for the marriage.

The only obstacle was the transition to Orthodoxy - according to Russian laws, the bride of the Heir to the Russian throne must be Orthodox. She took it as an apostasy. Alix was a sincere believer. But, brought up in Lutheranism, her honest and direct nature opposed the change of religion. For several years, the young princess had to go through the same rethinking of faith as her sister Elizabeth Feodorovna. But the full conversion of the princess was helped by the sincere, ardent words of the heir, Tsarevich Nicholas, poured out from his loving heart: "When you find out how beautiful, fertile and humble our Orthodox religion is, how magnificent our churches and monasteries are, and how solemn and majestic our services are, you will love them and nothing will separate us."

The days of their engagement coincided with the dying illness of Tsar Alexander III. 10 days before his death, they arrived in Livadia. Alexander III, wanting to pay attention to the bride of his son, despite all the prohibitions of doctors and family, got out of bed, put on a dress uniform and, sitting in an armchair, blessed the future spouses who crouched at his feet. He showed great affection and attention to the princess, which the queen later recalled with excitement all her life.

Accession to the throne and beginning of reign

Joy mutual love was overshadowed by a sharp deterioration in the health of his father, Emperor Alexander III.

Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich ascended the throne after the death of his father - Emperor Alexander III - October 20 (old style), 1894 . On that day, in deep sorrow, Nikolai Alexandrovich said that he did not want the Tsar's crown, but accepts it, fearing to disobey the will of the Almighty and his father's will.

The next day, amidst deep sadness, a ray of joy flashed: Princess Alix converted to Orthodoxy. Chin of joining her to Orthodox Church performed by the All-Russian shepherd John of Kronstadt. During the Anointing, she was named Alexandra in honor of the Holy Martyr Queen.

In three weeks, November 14, 1894 took place in the Great Church of the Winter Palace wedding Sovereign Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich and Princess Alexandra.

The honeymoon passed in the atmosphere of requiems and mourning visits. "Our wedding, - the Empress later recalled, was, as it were, a continuation of these memorial services, they just dressed me in a white dress.

On May 14 (27), 1896, the coronation took place Emperor Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra Feodorovna in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

Coronation of Emperor Nicholas II Alexandrovich and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

By a fatal coincidence, the days of the coronation celebrations were overshadowed tragedy on the Khodynka field where about half a million people gathered. On the occasion of the coronation May 18 (31) festivities were scheduled on the Khodynka field. In the morning, people (often families) began to arrive on the field from all over Moscow and the surrounding area, attracted by rumors about gifts and the distribution of valuable coins. At the time of distribution of gifts there was a terrible stampede, which claimed the lives of more than a thousand people. The next day, the Emperor and Empress attended a memorial service for the dead and provided assistance to the families of the victims.

Tragedy on Khodynka May 18, 1896

The tragedy on Khodynka was considered a gloomy omen for the reign of Nicholas II, and at the end of the 20th century it was cited by some as one of the arguments against his canonization (2000).

royal family

The first 20 years of the royal couple's marriage were the happiest in their personal family life.The royal couple was an example of a truly Christian family life. The relations of the August Spouses were distinguished by sincere love, cordial understanding and deep fidelity.

Born in autumn 1895 first daughter- Great Princess Olga . She had a very lively mind and prudence. It is not surprising that her father often consulted with her, even on the most important issues. Holy Princess Olga loved Russia very much and, like her father, she loved the simple Russian people. When it came up that she might marry one of the foreign princes, she did not want to hear about it, saying: "I don't want to leave Russia. I am Russian and I want to remain Russian."

Two years later, the second girl was born, named in holy Baptism Tatyana, two years later Maria, and two years later Anastasia .

With the advent of the children, Alexandra Feodorovna gave them all her attention: she fed, bathed herself daily, relentlessly visited the nursery, not trusting her children to anyone. The empress did not like to remain idle for a minute, and she taught her children to work. The two eldest daughters, Olga and Tatyana, worked with their mother in the infirmary during the war, acting as surgical nurses.

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna gives instruments during the operation. Behind are Vel. Princesses Olga and Tatiana.

Habout the cherished desire of the Royal couple was the birth of the Heir. The long-awaited event happened August 12, 1904 , a year after the pilgrimage of the Royal family to Sarov, to the celebration of the glorification of St. Seraphim. But just a few weeks after birth Tsarevich Alexy It turned out that he had hemophilia. The child's life hung in the balance all the time: the slightest bleeding could cost him his life. Relatives noted the nobility of the character of the Tsarevich, the kindness and responsiveness of his heart. "When I am King, there will be no poor and unfortunate, he said. - I want everyone to be happy."

The Tsar and Tsaritsa brought up children in devotion to the Russian people and carefully prepared them for the forthcoming work and feat. "Children must learn self-denial, learn to give up own desires for the sake of other people," the Empress considered. The Tsarevich and the Grand Duchesses slept on hard camp beds without pillows; they dressed simply; dresses and shoes passed from the elders to the younger. The food was the simplest. Tsarevich Alexei's favorite food was cabbage soup, porridge and black bread, "which,- as he said - all my soldiers eat."

The surprisingly sincere look of the Sovereign always shone with genuine kindness. Once the Tsar visited the cruiser "Rurik", where there was a revolutionary who swore an oath to kill him. The sailor did not fulfill his promise. "I couldn't do it, - he explained. “These eyes looked at me so meekly, so kindly.”

The faces that stood close to the court noted the lively mind of Nicholas II - he always quickly grasped the essence of the issues reported to him, an excellent memory, especially for faces, and the nobility of his way of thinking. But Nikolai Alexandrovich, with his gentleness, tact in handling, and modest manners, gave the impression to many of a man who did not inherit the strong will of his father.

The sovereign was unmercenary. He generously helped those in need from his own funds, without thinking about the size of the requested amount. "He will soon give away everything he has,"- said the manager of the office of His Majesty. He did not like extravagance and luxury, and his dresses were often mended.

Religiosity and a view of their power. Church politics

The emperor paid great attention to the needs of the Orthodox Church, generously donated to the construction of new churches, including those outside Russia. During the years of his reign, the number of parish churches in Russia increased by more than 10 thousand, more than 250 new monasteries were opened. The emperor personally participated in the laying of new churches and in other church celebrations. During the reign of Emperor Nicholas II, the church hierarchy had the opportunity to prepare the convocation of the Local Council, which had not been convened for two centuries before.

The personal piety of the Sovereign manifested itself in the canonization of the saints. During the years of his reign, St. Theodosius of Chernigov (1896), St. Seraphim of Sarov (1903), St. Anna Kashinskaya (the restoration of veneration in 1909), St. Joasaph of Belgorod (1911), St. Hermogenes of Moscow (1913) year), St. Pitirim of Tambov (1914), St. John of Tobolsk (1916). The emperor was forced to show special perseverance, seeking the canonization of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov, Saints Joasaph of Belgorod and John of Tobolsk. Nicholas II highly honored the holy righteous father John of Kronstadt. After his blissful death, the Tsar ordered a nationwide prayer commemoration of the deceased on the day of his repose.

The imperial couple was distinguished by deep religiosity. The Empress did not like secular communication, balls. The upbringing of the children of the Imperial Family was imbued with a religious spirit. Brief services in the court temples did not satisfy the Emperor and the Empress. Especially for them, services are performed in the Tsarskoye Selo Feodorovsky Cathedral, built in the Old Russian style. Empress Alexandra prayed here in front of the lectern with open liturgical books, closely following the service.

Economic policy

The Sovereign marked the beginning of his reign with deeds of love and mercy: prisoners in prisons received relief; there was great debt forgiveness; significant assistance was provided to needy scientists, writers and students.

The reign of Nicholas II was a period of economic growth: in 1885-1913, the growth rate of agricultural production averaged 2%, and the growth rate of industrial production was 4.5-5% per year. Coal mining in the Donbass increased from 4.8 million tons in 1894 to 24 million tons in 1913. Coal mining began in the Kuznetsk coal basin.
The construction of railways continued, the total length of which, which was 44 thousand km in 1898, by 1913 exceeded 70 thousand km. In terms of the total length of railways, Russia surpassed any other European country and was second only to the United States.

In January 1887, a monetary reform was carried out that established the gold standard for the ruble.

In 1913, all of Russia solemnly celebrated the tercentenary of the Romanov dynasty. Russia was at that time at the pinnacle of glory and power: industry developed at an unprecedented pace, the army and navy became more and more powerful, agrarian reform was successfully implemented, and the country's population increased rapidly. It seemed that all internal problems would be safely resolved in the near future.

Foreign policy and the Russo-Japanese War

Nicholas II treated the duties of the monarch as his sacred duty. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich was a model politician for him - at the same time a reformer and careful guardian of national traditions and faith. He became the inspiration for the first world conference on the prevention of wars, which was held in the capital of Holland in 1899, and was the first among the rulers to speak out in defense of universal peace. During the entire reign, the Sovereign did not sign a single death sentence, not a single request for pardon that reached the Tsar was rejected by him.

In October 1900, Russian troops, as part of the suppression of the uprising in China by the troops of the Alliance of Eight Powers (Russian Empire, USA, German Empire, Great Britain, France, Japanese Empire, Austria-Hungary and Italy), occupied Manchuria.

Lease of the Liaodong Peninsula by Russia, construction of the China-Eastern railway and the establishment of a naval base at Port Arthur, the growing influence of Russia in Manchuria clashed with the aspirations of Japan, which also laid claim to Manchuria.

On January 24, 1904, the Japanese ambassador presented the Russian Foreign Minister V. N. Lamzdorf with a note announcing the termination of negotiations, which Japan considered "useless", the severance of diplomatic relations with Russia; Japan withdrew its diplomatic mission from St. Petersburg and reserved the right to resort to "independent actions" to protect its interests, as it deemed necessary. On the evening of January 26, the Japanese fleet attacked the Port Arthur squadron without declaring war. On January 27, 1904, Russia declared war on Japan. The Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) began. The Russian Empire, having an almost threefold advantage in population, could field a proportionally larger army. At the same time, the number of Russian armed forces directly in the Far East (beyond Baikal) was no more than 150 thousand people, and, taking into account the fact that most of these troops were connected by the protection of the Trans-Siberian Railway / state border / fortresses, it was directly available for active operations about 60 thousand people. From Japan, 180 thousand soldiers were put up. The main theater of operations was the Yellow Sea.

The attitude of the leading world powers to the beginning of the war between Russia and Japan split them into two camps. England and the United States immediately and definitely took the side of Japan: the illustrated chronicle of the war that began to appear in London even received the title "Japan's Struggle for Freedom"; and American President Roosevelt openly warned France against her possible action against Japan, declaring that in this case he "would immediately take her side and go as far as necessary."

The outcome of the war was decided by the naval battle of Tsushima in May 1905, which ended in the complete defeat of the Russian fleet. On May 23, 1905, the emperor received, through the US ambassador in St. Petersburg, President T. Roosevelt's proposal for mediation to conclude peace. Under the terms of the peace treaty, Russia recognized Korea as a sphere of influence of Japan, ceded to Japan South Sakhalin and the rights to the Liaodong Peninsula with the cities of Port Arthur and Dalniy.

Defeat in Russo-Japanese War(the first in half a century) and the subsequent suppression of the unrest of 1905-1907. (subsequently aggravated by the appearance of rumors about the influence of Rasputin) led to a fall in the authority of the emperor in the ruling and intellectual circles.

Revolution of 1905-1907

At the end of 1904, the political struggle intensified in the country. The impetus for the beginning of mass demonstrations under political slogans was the execution by the imperial troops in St. Petersburg of a peaceful demonstration of workers led by priest Georgy Gapon January 9 (22), 1905 . During this period, the strike movement assumed a particularly wide scope, unrest and uprisings took place in the army and navy, which resulted in mass demonstrations against the monarchy.

On the morning of January 9, columns of workers with a total number of up to 150,000 people moved from different areas to the city center. At the head of one of the columns with a cross in his hand was the priest Gapon. When the columns approached the military outposts, the officers demanded that the workers stop, but they continued to move forward. Electrified by fanatical propaganda, the workers stubbornly rushed to the Winter Palace, ignoring warnings and even cavalry attacks. To prevent the accumulation of a crowd of 150,000 in the city center, the troops were forced to fire rifle volleys. In other parts of the city, crowds of workers were dispersed with sabers, sabers and whips. According to official figures, 96 people were killed and 333 wounded in just one day on January 9. The dispersal of the unarmed procession of workers made a shocking impression on society. Messages about the execution of the procession, which greatly inflated the number of victims, were distributed by illegal publications, party proclamations and passed from mouth to mouth. The opposition placed all responsibility for what had happened on Emperor Nicholas II and the autocratic regime. The priest Gapon, who fled from the police, called for an armed uprising and the overthrow of the dynasty. The revolutionary parties called for the overthrow of the autocracy. A wave of strikes, held under political slogans, swept across the country. The traditional faith of the working masses in the tsar was shaken, and the influence of the revolutionary parties began to grow. The slogan “Down with the autocracy!” gained popularity. According to many contemporaries, the tsarist government made a mistake by deciding to use force against unarmed workers. The danger of a rebellion was averted, but irreparable damage was done to the prestige of the royal power.

Bloody Sunday is undoubtedly a black day in history, but the role of the tsar in this event is much lower than the role of the organizers of the demonstration. For by that time the government had already withstood a real siege for more than a month. After all, Bloody Sunday itself would not have happened if it were not for the atmosphere of a political crisis that the liberals and socialists created in the country.(author's note - the analogy with today's events involuntarily suggests itself). In addition, plans became known to the police to shoot the sovereign when he went out to the people.

In October, a strike began in Moscow, which swept the whole country and grew into the All-Russian October Political Strike. On October 12-18, more than 2 million people went on strike in various branches of industry.

This general strike, and above all the railroad strike, forced the Emperor to make concessions. On August 6, 1905, the State Duma was established by the Manifesto of Nicholas II as "a special legislative advisory institution, which is given the preliminary development and discussion of legislative proposals." The manifesto of October 17, 1905 granted civil liberties: personal inviolability, freedom of conscience, speech, assembly and association. Trade unions and trade unions, Soviets of Workers' Deputies arose, the Social Democratic Party and the Socialist Revolutionary Party were strengthened, the Constitutional Democratic Party, the Union of October 17, the Union of the Russian People, and others were created.

Thus, the demands of the liberals were met. The autocracy went to the creation of parliamentary representation and the beginning of the reform (Stolypin agrarian reform).

World War I

The World War began on the morning of August 1, 1914, on the day of remembrance of St. Seraphim of Sarov. Blessed Diveyevo Pasha Sarovskaya said that the enemies of the Fatherland started the war in order to overthrow the Tsar and tear Russia apart. “He will be higher than all kings,” she said, praying for the portraits of the Tsar and the Royal Family along with the icons.

On July 19 (August 1), 1914, Germany declared war on Russia: Russia entered the world war, which ended for her with the collapse of the empire and dynasty. Nicholas II made efforts to prevent the war in all the pre-war years, and in the last days before it began, when (July 15, 1914) Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia and began bombing Belgrade. On July 16 (29), 1914, Nicholas II sent a telegram to Wilhelm II with a proposal to “transfer the Austro-Serbian question to the Hague Conference” (to the International Court of Arbitration in The Hague). Wilhelm II did not reply to this telegram.

Emperor Nicholas II at headquarters

The First World War, which began with two heroic deeds of Russia - the salvation of Serbia from Austria-Hungary and France from Germany, pulled the best people's forces to fight the enemy. Since August 1915, the sovereign himself spent most of his time at headquarters, away from the capital and the palace. And so, when the victory was so close that both the Council of Ministers and the Synod were already openly discussing the question of how the Church and the state should behave in relation to Constantinople liberated from Muslims, the rear, finally succumbing to the flattering propaganda of the atheists, betrayed its Emperor. An armed uprising began in Petrograd, the tsar's connection with the capital and his family was deliberately interrupted. Treason surrounded the sovereign from all sides, his orders to the commanders of all fronts to send military units to suppress the rebellion were not executed.

Abdication

Intending to personally find out the situation in the capital, Nikolai Alexandrovich left the headquarters and went to Petrograd. In Pskov, a delegation from the State Duma came to him, completely cut off from the whole world. The delegates began to ask the sovereign to abdicate in order to calm the rebellion. They were joined by the generals of the Northern Front. They were soon joined by the commanders of other fronts.

This request was made on their knees to the Tsar and his closest relatives. Without violating the oath of the Anointed of God and without abolishing the Autocratic Monarchy, Emperor Nicholas II transferred the Tsar's power to the eldest of the family - brother Michael. According to recent studies, the so-called. The “manifesto” of renunciation (signed in pencil!), drawn up contrary to the laws of the Russian Empire, was a telegram from which it followed that the Sovereign had been betrayed into the hands of enemies. He who reads, let him understand!

Deprived of the opportunity to contact the headquarters, with his family, with those whom he still trusted, the tsar hoped that this telegram would be perceived by the troops as a call to action - the release of the Anointed of God. To the greatest regret, the Russian people could not unite in a sacred impulse: "For the Faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland." A terrible thing happened...

How correctly the Sovereign assessed the situation and the people around Him is evidenced by a short entry, which has become historical, made by Him in his diary on that day: "All around treason, and cowardice, and deceit." Grand Duke Mikhail refused to accept the crown, and the monarchy in Russia fell.

Icon Mother of God"Sovereign"

It was on that fateful day March 15, 1917 in the village of Kolomenskoye, near Moscow, there was a miraculous appearance of the icon of the Mother of God, called "Reigning". The Queen of Heaven is depicted on it in royal purple, with a crown on her head, with a Scepter and Orb in her hands. The Most Pure One took upon Herself the burden of Tsarist power over the people of Russia.

During the abdication of the sovereign for several days, the empress did not receive news from him. Her agony in these days of mortal anxiety, without news and at the bedside of five seriously ill children, surpassed everything that one can imagine. Having suppressed in herself the infirmity of a woman and all her bodily ailments, heroically, selflessly, she devoted herself to caring for the sick, with full hope in the help of the Queen of Heaven.

Arrest and execution of the royal family

The Provisional Government announced the arrest of Emperor Nicholas II and his August wife and their detention in Tsarskoe Selo. The arrest of the Emperor and Empress did not have the slightest legal basis or reason. The commission of inquiry appointed by the Provisional Government harassed the Tsar and Tsaritsa with searches and interrogations, but did not find a single fact convicting them of treason. When asked by one of the members of the commission why their correspondence has not yet been published, he was answered: "If we publish it, the people will worship them as saints."

The life of the prisoners was subjected to petty constraints - the Sovereign was announced by A.F. Kerensky that he should live separately and see the Empress only at the table, and speak only in Russian. Guard soldiers in a rude form made remarks to him, access to the palace of persons close to the Imperial family was forbidden. Once, the soldiers even took away a toy gun from the Heir under the pretext of a ban on carrying weapons.

July 31 the royal family and a retinue of devoted servants were sent under escort to Tobolsk. At the sight of the August Family, ordinary people took off their hats, crossed themselves, many fell on their knees: not only women, but also men wept. The sisters of the Ioannovsky Monastery brought spiritual literature, helped with food, since all the means of subsistence from the Royal Family were taken away. Restrictions on the life of the Prisoners intensified. Mental anxieties and moral suffering had a strong effect on the Sovereign and Empress. They both looked haggard, gray hair appeared, but the spiritual fortress in them still remained. Bishop Germogen of Tobolsk, who at one time spread slander against the Empress, now openly admitted his mistake. In 1918, before his martyrdom, he wrote a letter in which he called the Royal Family "the long-suffering Holy Family."

All the royal martyrs undoubtedly realized the approach of the end and were preparing for it. Even the youngest, Saint Tsarevich Alexy, did not turn a blind eye to reality, as can be seen from the words that somehow escaped from him: "If they kill, then just don't torture". This was also understood by the devoted servants of the sovereign, who courageously followed the royal family into exile. "I know that I will not get out of this alive. I only pray for one thing - that they do not separate me from the sovereign and let me die with him,"- said Adjutant General I.L. Tatishchev.

The royal family on the eve of the arrest and, in fact, the collapse of the Russian Empire. Anxiety, excitement, sorrow for the once great country

The news of the October coup reached Tobolsk on 15 November. In Tobolsk, a "soldier's committee" was formed, which, striving in every possible way to assert itself, demonstrated its power over the Sovereign - either they force him to remove his shoulder straps, or they destroy ice slide arranged for the Tsar's children. From March 1, 1918, "Nikolai Romanov and his family are being transferred to a soldier's ration."

Their next place of confinement was Ekaterinburg . There is much less evidence left about the Yekaterinburg period of imprisonment of the Imperial family. Almost no letters. Living conditions in the "special purpose house" were much more difficult than in Tobolsk. The royal family lived here for two and a half months among a gang of impudent, unbridled people - their new guards, being subjected to bullying. Guards were placed in all corners of the house and watched every movement of the prisoners. They covered the walls with obscene drawings, mocking the Empress and the Grand Duchesses. They were on duty even near the door to the toilet, and they were not allowed to lock the doors. In the lower floor of the house, a guardroom was arranged. The dirt was terrible. Drunken voices bawled revolutionary or indecent songs all the time, to the accompaniment of fists banging on the piano keys.

Uncomplaining obedience to the will of God, gentleness and humility gave the royal passion-bearers the strength to endure all suffering. They already felt that they were on the other side of life and, with prayer in their souls and on their lips, they were preparing for their transition to eternal life. IN Ipatiev house a poem was found written by the hand of Grand Duchess Olga, which is called "Prayer", its last two quatrains say the same:

Lord of the world, God of the universe,
Bless us with prayer
And give rest to the humble soul
In an unbearable terrible hour.
And at the threshold of the grave
Breathe into the mouth of your servants
Inhuman forces
Pray humbly for your enemies.

When the Royal Family was captured by the godless authorities, the commissars were forced to change guards all the time. Because under the miraculous influence of the holy prisoners, being in constant contact with them, these people involuntarily became different, more human. Conquered by the royal simplicity, humility and philanthropy of the crowned passion-bearers, the jailers softened their attitude towards them. However, as soon as the Ural Cheka felt that the guards royal family begins to be imbued with good feelings for the prisoners, they immediately replaced her with a new one - from the Chekists themselves. At the head of this guard stood Yankel Yurovsky . He was constantly in touch with Trotsky, Lenin, Sverdlov and other organizers of the atrocity. It was Yurovsky who, in the basement of the Ipatiev House, read the order of the Yekaterinburg Executive Committee and was the first to shoot directly into the heart of our holy Tsar-Martyr. He shot at children and finished them off with a bayonet.

Three days before the murder of the royal martyrs, a priest was invited to them for the last time to perform a service. Batiushka served the mass, according to the rank of the service, it was necessary to read the kontakion "Let me rest with the saints ..." in a certain place. For some reason, this time the deacon, instead of reading this kontakion, sang it, and the priest also sang. The royal martyrs, moved by some unknown feeling, knelt down...

On the night of 16 to 17 July the prisoners were lowered into the basement under the pretext of a quick move, then suddenly soldiers with rifles appeared, the “verdict” was hastily read out, and immediately the guards opened fire. The shooting was chaotic - the soldiers were given vodka before that - therefore the holy martyrs were finished off with bayonets. Servants died together with the Royal Family: doctor Yevgeny Botkin, maid of honor Anna Demidova, cook Ivan Kharitonov and lackey Trupp, who remained faithful to them to the end. The picture was terrible: eleven bodies lay on the floor in streams of blood. After making sure that their victims were dead, the killers began to remove jewelry from them.

Pavel Ryzhenko. In the Ipatiev house after the execution of the royal family

After the execution, the bodies were taken outside the city to an abandoned mine in the tract Ganina pit, where they were destroyed for a long time with the help of 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. One of them consisted of four cabalistic signs. She spelled it like this: Here, by order of the satanic forces. The king was sacrificed for the destruction of the State. All nations are made aware of this." Ipatiev's house was blown up in the 70s.

Archpriest Alexander Shargunov in the magazine "Russian House" for 2003. writes: “We know that the majority among the top of the Bolshevik government, as well as the organs of repression, such as the sinister Cheka, were Jews. Here is a prophetic indication of the appearance from this environment of the “man of lawlessness”, the Antichrist. by origin a Jew from the tribe of Dan. And his appearance will be prepared by the sins of all mankind, when dark mysticism, debauchery and criminality become the norm and law of life. We are far from thinking to condemn any nation for its nationality. In the end, Christ Himself came out of this people according to the flesh, His apostles and the first Christian martyrs were Jews. It's not a matter of nationality..."

The very date of the savage murder is not accidental - July 17th. On this day, the Russian Orthodox Church honors the memory of the holy noble prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, who, with his martyr's blood, consecrated the autocracy of Russia. According to the chroniclers, the conspirators killed him in the most cruel way. Saint Prince Andrei was the first to proclaim the idea of Orthodoxy and Autocracy as the basis of the statehood of Holy Russia and was, in fact, the first Russian Tsar.

On the significance of the feat of the royal family

The veneration of the royal family, begun already His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon in a prayer for the dead and a word at a memorial service in the Kazan Cathedral in Moscow for the murdered Emperor three days after the Yekaterinburg assassination, continued for several decades of the Soviet period of our history. During all the time of Soviet power, violent blasphemy poured out on the memory of the holy Tsar Nicholas, nevertheless, many among the people, especially in emigration, from the very moment of his death, revered the martyr tsar.

Countless Testimonies miraculous help through prayers to the Family of the last Russian Autocrat; popular veneration of the royal martyrs in the last years of the 20th century became so widespread that in 2000 By the Russian Orthodox Church, the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and their children Alexei, Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia numbered among the holy martyrs . Their memory is celebrated on the day of their martyrdom - July 17th .

Why was the royal family canonized?

Archpriest Georgy Mitrofanov

Historical facts do not allow us to speak of members of the royal family as Christian martyrs. martyrdom presupposes for a person the possibility, through renunciation of Christ, to save his life. The sovereign family was killed precisely as the sovereign family: the people who killed them were quite secularized in their worldview and perceived them primarily as a symbol of imperial Russia they hated.

In historical notes about Nicholas II, and in his life, a rather restrained, and sometimes even critical assessment of his state activities is given. Bloody Sunday on January 9, 1905, the problem of the attitude of the sovereign and the empress towards Rasputin, the problem of the emperor's abdication - all this is evaluated from the point of view of whether this prevents canonization or not.

If we consider the events of January 9, then, firstly, we must take into account that we are dealing with mass riots that took place in the city. They were unprofessional suppressed, but it was really a mass illegal performance. Secondly, the sovereign did not give any criminal orders that day - he was in Tsarskoye Selo and was largely misinformed by the Minister of the Interior and the mayor of St. Petersburg. Nicholas II considered himself responsible for what happened, hence the tragic entry in his diary, which he, having learned about what had happened, left in the evening of that day: "Hard day! Serious riots broke out in St. Petersburg as a result of the desire of the workers to reach the Winter Palace. The troops had to shoot in different parts of the city, there were many killed and wounded. Lord, how painful and hard!”

As for the renunciation, it was a politically unquestionably wrong act. Nevertheless, the guilt of the sovereign is to some extent expiated by the motives that guided him. The emperor’s desire to prevent civil strife with the help of abdication is justified from the point of view of morality, but not from the position of politics ... If Nicholas II had suppressed the revolutionary uprising by force, he would have gone down in history as an outstanding statesman, but it is unlikely that he would become a saint.

All this allows us to take a somewhat different look at the figure of the last king. However, the Church is in no hurry to justify Nicholas II in everything. A canonized saint is not without sin.

Five reports were submitted to the Synodal Commission for the Canonization of Saints, devoted to the study of the state and church activities of the last Russian sovereign. The commission decided that the activities of Emperor Nicholas II in themselves do not provide sufficient grounds for both his canonization and the canonization of members of his family. However, the reports that determined the final - positive - decision of the Commission were the sixth and seventh: "The Last Days of the Royal Family" and "The Attitude of the Church towards Passion-Bearing".

It is the last period of the life of members of the royal family, spent in captivity, and the circumstances of their death that contain serious grounds for glorifying them in the guise of martyrs. They became more and more aware that death was inevitable, but they managed to keep the spiritual world in their hearts and at the moment of martyrdom gained the ability to forgive their executioners.

The family of Nicholas II was glorified in the rank of passion-bearing characteristic of the Russian Church. The drama of passion-bearing, “non-resistance to death” lies precisely in the fact that it is precisely weak people, who often sinned a lot, who find the strength in themselves to overcome weak human nature and die with the name of Christ on their lips. In this rank, Russian princes and sovereigns are traditionally canonized, who, imitating Christ, patiently endured physical, moral suffering or death at the hands of political opponents. By the way, there are not so many canonized sovereigns in the history of the Russian Church. And of the Romanovs, only Nicholas II was glorified as a saint - this is the only case in the 300 years of the dynasty.

The well-known Moscow archpriest, a deeply convinced monarchist father Alexander Shargunov spoke very accurately about the internal, ideologically deep, purely spiritual and timeless foundations of the feat of the royal family:

As you know, today's detractors of the Sovereign, both left and right, constantly blame him for his abdication. Unfortunately, for some, even after canonization, this remains a stumbling block and temptation, while this was the greatest manifestation of his holiness.

Speaking of the holiness of Tsar Nicholas Alexandrovich, we usually have in mind his martyrdom, which, of course, is associated with his entire pious life. The feat of his renunciation is the feat of confession.

To understand this more clearly, let us recall who sought the abdication of the Sovereign. First of all, those who sought to turn Russian history towards European democracy, or at least towards a constitutional monarchy. The socialists and Bolsheviks were already a consequence and an extreme manifestation of the materialist understanding of history.

It is known that many of the then destroyers of Russia acted in the name of its creation. Among them there were many, in their own way, honest, wise people who even then were thinking "how to equip Russia." But it was, as Scripture says, earthly, spiritual, demonic wisdom. The stone that the builders then rejected was Christ and Christ's anointing. The anointing of God means earthly power The Sovereign has a Divine source. The renunciation of the Orthodox monarchy was a renunciation of divine authority. From power on earth, which is called upon to direct the general course of life towards spiritual and moral goals - to the creation of conditions that are most favorable for the salvation of many, a power that is “not of this world”, but serves the world precisely in this, higher sense.

Most of the participants in the revolution acted, as it were, unconsciously, but it was a conscious rejection of the God-given order of life and God-established authority in the person of the Tsar, the Anointed of God, just as the conscious rejection of Christ the King by the spiritual leaders of Israel, as described in the Gospel parable of the evil vinedressers. They killed Him not because they did not know that He was the Messiah, the Christ, but precisely because they knew it. Not because they thought it was a false messiah to be eliminated, but precisely because they saw that it was the true Messiah: "Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours." The same secret Sanhedrin, inspired by the devil, directs humanity to have a life free from God and from His commandments, so that nothing prevents them from living as they want.

This is the meaning of "treason, cowardice and deceit" that surrounded the Sovereign. For this reason, Saint John Maksimovich compares the suffering of the Sovereign in Pskov during the abdication with the suffering of Christ Himself in Gethsemane. In the same way, the devil himself, in person, was present here, tempting the Tsar and all the people with him (and all mankind, according to the exact word of P. Gilliard), as he once tempted Christ Himself in the wilderness with the kingdom of this world.

For centuries, Russia has been approaching Yekaterinburg Golgotha. And here the ancient temptation was revealed in full. Just as the devil sought to trap Christ through the Sadducees and Pharisees, setting up snares unbreakable by any human tricks, so through the socialists and Cadets the devil confronts Tsar Nicholas with a hopeless choice: either apostasy or death.

The king did not depart from the purity of God's anointing, he did not sell the divine birthright for the lentil soup of earthly power. The very rejection of the Tsar took place precisely because he was a confessor of the truth, and it was nothing else than the rejection of Christ in the person of the Anointed One of Christ. The meaning of the Sovereign's abdication is the salvation of the idea of Christian power.

It is unlikely that the Tsar could have foreseen what terrible events would follow his abdication, because outwardly he abdicated in order to avoid senseless shedding of blood. However, by the depth of the terrible events that were revealed after his abdication, we can measure the depth of suffering in his Gethsemane. The king was clearly aware that by his renunciation he was betraying himself, his family and his people, whom he dearly loved, into the hands of enemies. But the most important thing for him was the fidelity to the grace of God, which he received in the Sacrament of Chrismation for the sake of the salvation of the people entrusted to him. For all the most terrible misfortunes that are possible on earth: hunger, disease, pestilence, from which, of course, the human heart cannot but tremble, cannot be compared with the eternal “weeping and gnashing of teeth” where there is no repentance. And as the prophet of the events of Russian history, St. Seraphim of Sarov, said, if a person knew that there is eternal life, which God gives for fidelity to Him, he would agree to endure any torment for a thousand years (that is, until the end of history, along with all the suffering people). And about the mournful events that followed the abdication of the Sovereign, the Monk Seraphim said that the angels would not have time to receive souls - and we can say that after the abdication of the Sovereign, millions of new martyrs received crowns in the Kingdom of Heaven.

You can do any kind of historical, philosophical, political analysis, but spiritual vision is always more important. We know this vision in the prophecies of Saint Righteous John of Kronstadt, Saints Theophan the Recluse and Ignatius Brianchaninov and other saints of God, who understood that no emergency, external state measures, no repression, the most skillful policy is not able to change the course of events if there is no repentance by the Russian people. It was given to the truly humble mind of the holy Tsar Nicholas to see that this repentance would, perhaps, be bought at a very high price.

After the renunciation of the Tsar, in which the people took part with their indifference, hitherto unprecedented persecution of the Church and mass apostasy from God could not help but follow. The Lord has shown very clearly what we lose when we lose the Anointed One of God, and what we gain. Russia immediately found satanic anointed ones.

The sin of regicide played a major role in the terrible events of the 20th century for the Russian Church and for the whole world. There is only one question before us: is there an atonement for this sin, and how can it be carried out? The Church always calls us to repentance. This means, to the realization of what happened and what kind of continuation it has in today's life. If we really love the Tsar-Martyr and pray to him, if we are truly looking for the moral and spiritual revival of our Fatherland, we must spare no effort in order to overcome the terrible consequences of mass apostasy (apostasy from the faith of the fathers and trampling on morality) in our people .

There are only two options for what awaits Russia. Either by the miracle of the intercession of the Royal Martyrs and all the new martyrs of Russia, the Lord grants our people to be reborn for the sake of the salvation of many. But this will happen only with our participation - despite the natural weakness, sinfulness, impotence and lack of faith. Or, according to the Apocalypse, the Church of Christ is waiting for new, even more formidable upheavals, in the center of which there will always be the Cross of Christ. Through the prayers of the Royal Passion-Bearers, who lead the host of new martyrs and confessors of Russia, may it be given to us to endure these trials and become partakers of their feat.

With his feat of confession, the Tsar shamed democracy - “the great lie of our time”, when everything is determined by a majority of votes, and, in the end, by those who shout louder: We do not want Him, but Barabbas, not Christ, but the Antichrist.

Until the end of time, and especially in the end times. The Church will be tempted by the devil, like Christ in Gethsemane and Calvary: "Come down, come down from the Cross." “Depart from those demands of human greatness that Your Gospel speaks of, become more accessible to everyone, and we will believe in You. There are circumstances when this must be done. Come down from the cross, and things will go better for the Church.” The main spiritual meaning of today's events - the result of the 20th century - is the increasingly successful efforts of the enemy so that "salt loses its strength", so that the highest values of mankind turn into empty, beautiful words.

(Alexander Shargunov, Russian House magazine, No. 7, 2003)

Troparion, tone 4
Today, blessed people will lightly honor the Sedmeritsa of the honest Royal Passion-Bearers of Christ One home church: Nicholas and Alexander, Alexy, Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia. They were not afraid of the bonds and sufferings of many different things, from the God-fighting death and desecration of bodies, and improved boldness to the Lord in prayer. For this sake, let us cry with love to them: O holy martyrs, listen to the voice of repentance and groaning of our people, affirm the Russian land in love for Orthodoxy, save from internecine strife, ask God for peace and great mercy to our souls.

Kontakion, tone 8
The election of the Tsar of the Kings and the Lord of the Lords from the kind of Tsars of Russia, the blessed martyr, the torment of the soul and bodily death for Christ received, and crowned with heavenly crowns, to you as our merciful patron with love and thanksgiving cry: Rejoice, Royal Passion-Bearers, for Holy Russia before God diligent prayer book .

Prayer to the Holy Passion-Bearer Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II
O holy great Russian Tsar and passion-bearer Nicholas! Listen to the voice of our prayer and raise to the Throne of the all-seeing Lord the groans and sighs of the Russian people, once chosen and blessed by God, now fallen and apostatized from God. Resolve perjury, hitherto gravitating over the Russian people. It is hard for a sinner, who has departed from the King of Heaven, who has left the Orthodox faith to trample on the wicked, who has transgressed the conciliar oath and has not forbidden the murder of yours, your Family and your faithful servants.

Do not obey the Lord’s command: “Do not touch my anointed ones,” but to David saying: “He who stretches out his hand against the Anointed of the Lord, will not the Lord smite him?” And now, worthy of our deeds, it is acceptable, even until this day, the sin of the royal blood of shedding weighs on us.

To this day our holy things are defiled. Fornication and iniquity do not fail us. Our children are betrayed to reproach. Innocent blood cries out to heaven, shed every hour in our land.

But see the tears and contrition of our hearts, we repent more, like the people of Kiev once before Prince Igor, who was tortured by them; like the people of Vladimir before Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, who was killed by them, and we ask: pray to the Lord, may he not turn away from us to the end, may he not deprive the Russian people of his great chosenness, but may he give us the mind of salvation, in order to rise us from the depths of this fall.

Imashi bo, Tsar Nicholas, boldness is great, you shed your blood for your people, and you laid down your soul not only for friends, but also for your enemies. For this sake, stand now in the Non-Evening Light to the King of Glory, as a faithful servant of Him. Be our intercessor and intercessor, and protector. Do not turn away from us, and do not leave us to be trampled by the wicked. Grant us the strength to repent, and incline the justice of God to mercy, may the Lord not destroy us to the end, but may He forgive and graciously have mercy on all, and save the Russian land and its people. May it deliver our Fatherland from the misfortunes and misfortunes that have befallen, revive faith and piety, and restore the throne of the Orthodox Tsars, if the prophecies of the saints of God come true. And may the Russian people throughout the universe glorify the all-glorious name of the Lord and faithfully serve Him until the end of time, singing the glory of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit now and forever and forever and ever. A min.

In Russia, many people at the end of the XIX century. it was believed that for a long time in the history of the country a simple principle (or, as they would say now, an algorithm) operated: a good ruler was replaced by a bad one, but the next one was good. Recall: Peter III was bad and very unpopular, Catherine II went down in history as the Great, Paul I was killed, Alexander I defeated Napoleon and was very popular, Nicholas I was feared, Alexander II carried out great reforms, and Alexander III - counter-reforms. Nicholas II ascended the throne in 1894, at the age of 26, received a good education. He was expected to continue reforms, primarily the completion of political reforms.

Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna in costumes of the era of Mikhail Romanov

Nicholas II was born in 1868 and as a teenager was present at the death of his grandfather, Alexander the Liberator. In 1894, after the death of his father, he came to the throne. In 1917 he was overthrown from the throne, and in 1918 he was shot without trial together with his family in Yekaterinburg.

He received a good education, made a good impression on those around him with his manners. Nicholas himself and many of his entourage believed that at the age of 26 he was "not ready to rule." He was strongly influenced by relatives, uncles, the dowager empress, the most influential finance minister S.Yu. “The tsar was a rag, without a single thought in his head, frail, despised by everyone,” Ernest Feterlein, admiral, head of the decryption service until 1917 in Russia, and after 1917 in England, characterized Nikolai.

During his lifetime, Nicholas was called "bloody". In 1896, during the coronation celebrations in Moscow, during the distribution of royal gifts on the Khodynka field, a stampede arose in which more than a thousand people died. On January 9, 1905, a peaceful procession was shot in St. Petersburg. On the day of Bloody Sunday, more than 1,500 people died and more than 5,000 people were injured. During the mediocre Russo-Japanese war of 1904-1905, to which the tsar was pushed by his closest personal entourage, more than 200 thousand Russian soldiers died. More than 30 thousand people became victims of repressions by the gendarmerie, police, cartel expeditions, pogroms inspired by the tsarist police. During the First World War of 1914-1918, in which Russia was drawn into because of the short-sighted, inconsistent and indecisive foreign policy of Nicholas II, Russia had already lost 2 million killed and 4 million maimed by the time the tsar was overthrown.

“The people forgave him Khodynka; he was surprised, but did not murmur against the Japanese war, and at the beginning of the war with Germany he treated it with touching confidence. But all this was imputed to nothing, and the interests of the Motherland were sacrificed to the shameful bacchanalia of rasputinism and the avoidance of family scenes by the power-hungry hysteria. The absence of a heart that would tell him how cruelly and dishonorably he brought Russia to the brink of destruction is also reflected in the lack of self-esteem, thanks to which, amid the humiliation, abuse and misfortune of all those close to him, he continues to drag out his miserable life, unable to die with honor in defending one’s historical rights or yielding to the legitimate demands of the country,” wrote Anatoly Fedorovich Koni (1844-1927), a lawyer, writer, senator, member of the State Council, honorary academician of the Pushkin Department of Fine Literature of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, in his declining years.

In Soviet times, there was such an anecdote. With the introduction of the title of Hero of Socialist Labor in 1938, one of the first to receive this title was Nikolai Aleksandrovich Romanov (posthumously). With the wording "For the creation of a revolutionary situation in Russia."

This anecdote reflects a sad historical reality. Nicholas II inherited from his father a rather powerful country and an excellent assistant - the outstanding Russian reformer S. Yu. Witte. Witte was dismissed because he opposed Russia's involvement in the war with Japan. The defeat in the Russo-Japanese War accelerated the revolutionary processes - the first Russian revolution took place. Witte was replaced by the strong-willed and decisive P. A. Stolypin. He began reforms that were supposed to turn Russia into a decent bourgeois-monarchical state. Stolypin categorically objected to any action that could drag Russia into a new war. Stolypin died. A new big war led Russia to a new, big revolution in 1917. It turns out that Nicholas II, with his own hands, contributed to the emergence of two revolutionary situations in Russia.

Nevertheless, in 2000, he and his family were canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church as saints. The attitude towards the personality of Nicholas II in Russian society is polar, although the official media did everything to portray the last Russian Tsar as "white and fluffy." During the reign of Boris N. Yeltsin, the found remains of the royal family were buried in the aisle of the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

Curious about what activities the last Russian tsar, even biased media can write little about his personal contribution to solving the country's diverse problems. Everything more or less reasonable, promising and important that appeared during the reign of Nicholas II (parliament, the legalization of political parties and trade unions, the reduction of the working day, the introduction of social insurance, the development of cooperation, preparations for the introduction of universal primary education, etc.) was the result of his own positions, and often took place in spite of his active resistance. “Remember one thing: never trust him, he is the most false person in the world,” said I. L. Goremykin, who twice served as chairman of the Council of Ministers under Nicholas II, with knowledge of the matter.

After the revolution of 1917, the elderly Ivan Logginovich Goremykin was killed by peasants from the villages adjacent to his estate.

From a purely human point of view, Nikolai Romanov can be understood and pitied. After four daughters, his beloved wife gave birth to a son, who turned out to be sick with hemophilia (blood incoagulability). The child suffered terribly. At that time, people with hemophilia rarely survived to adulthood. “The illness of the heir was a terrible blow to the sovereign and empress. I will not exaggerate if I say that grief undermined the health of the Empress, she was never able to get rid of the feeling of responsibility for her son's illness. The sovereign himself aged many years in a year, and those who closely observed could not fail to notice that disturbing thoughts never left him, ”wrote A. A. Vyrubova, a lady-in-waiting very close to the royal family, about the situation.

It seems that the family tragedy pushed all other problems into the background for the royal couple. Can the supreme ruler of a huge state afford it? The answer is unequivocal. “There is cowardice, treachery and deception all around,” Nicholas II wrote in his diary on the day of his abdication. And what did he, I wonder, count on if he didn’t care about anyone or anything? The tsar realized that the commanders of the fronts did not support him. The doctor told him that the prince was unlikely to live another couple of years. And the king signed the Manifesto on abdication. “He did it with the same ease as if he had surrendered the squadron,” one of the eyewitnesses recalled.

“The fate of Alexei strikes with some kind of gloomy paradox - the long years of the struggle of parents and doctors to save the life of a seriously ill child ended in an instant brutal reprisal,” writes the author of the special work, Barbara Berne.

From that moment on, the tsar became a private person, a citizen of the Romanovs. His canonization will remain a highly controversial decision of the Russian Orthodox Church, since at least the life of Nicholas II was by no means the life of a holy man, and his death was the result of a struggle of many forces. For some, the dead emperor was more desirable than a prosperous pensioner somewhere in England, where the royal family did not want to accept the English royal family. By the way, none of the more than 100 clergymen went into exile in Siberia with the imperial family. Yes, and the Russian Orthodox Church successfully took advantage of the situation in order to restore the patriarchate in general in the absence of a tsar and a strong government.

The burial of the king in the Peter and Paul Cathedral also seems to be overkill. Under pre-revolutionary legislation, a private person could not be buried with rulers who died "in the line of duty."

The only consolation is that the fuss of the members of the Romanov dynasty around the empty throne has almost stopped. They know that under the Law of Succession, one of the most important laws of the Russian Empire, none of the remaining Romanovs have legal rights to the throne. Does Russia need a new dynasty? This is another question.

In such cases, it is better to refer to the documents:

The first thing is important. The king is not glorified alone personally, as some leaders are paid attention to, there is no leader-centrism.

Act of the Jubilee Bishops' Council on the conciliar glorification of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia in the 20th century
1. To glorify for general church veneration in the face of saints the Cathedral of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia of the 20th century, known by name and until now not revealed to the world, but led by God.

Here we see that the frequent objection "many people were killed, why only the king is remembered" is unfounded. First of all, it is the unknown who are glorified.

2. To include in the Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia the names of those who suffered for their faith, the testimonies of which were received:
from the Alma-Ata diocese:
Metropolitan of Alma-Ata Nicholas (Mogilevsky; 1877-1955)
Metropolitan Evgeny of Gorky (Zernov; 1877-1937)
Archbishop of Voronezh Zakhary (Lobov, 1865-1937)

And only at the end of the royal family with the following wording:

3. To glorify as passion-bearers in the host of new martyrs and confessors of Russia the Royal Family: Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra, Tsarevich Alexy, Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia. In the last Orthodox Russian monarch and members of his Family, we see people who sincerely strived to embody the commandments of the Gospel in their lives. In the sufferings endured by the Royal Family in captivity with meekness, patience and humility, in their martyrdom in Yekaterinburg on the night of July 4 (17), 1918, the light of Christ's faith conquering evil was revealed, just as it shone in life and death millions of Orthodox Christians who suffered persecution for Christ in the 20th century.

At the same time, the church did not idealize the king and considers his activities as follows:

Report on the work of the Commission Rev. Synod for the canonization of saints on the question of the martyrdom of the royal family

Being anointed to the Kingdom, endowed with full power, Emperor Nicholas II was responsible for all the events that took place in his state, both before his people and before God. Therefore, a certain share of personal responsibility for historical mistakes like the events of January 9, 1905 - and this topic was devoted to a special report adopted by the Commission - lies with the Emperor himself, although it cannot be measured by the degree of his participation, or rather non-participation in these events.
Another example of the actions of the Emperor, which had ill effects for the fate of Russia and the Royal Family itself, was his relationship with Rasputin - and this was shown in the study "The Royal Family and G. E. Rasputin". Indeed, how could it happen that such a figure as Rasputin could influence the Royal Family and the Russian state-political life of his time? The key to the Rasputin phenomenon lies in the illness of Tsarevich Alexy. Although it is known that the Sovereign repeatedly tried to get rid of Rasputin, but every time he retreated under pressure from the Empress because of the need to seek help from Rasputin to heal the Heir. It can be said that the Emperor was unable to resist Alexandra Feodorovna, tormented by grief because of the illness of her son and, in connection with this, was under the influence of Rasputin.
Summing up the study of the state and church activities of the latter Russian Emperor The Commission did not find sufficient grounds for his canonization.
However, in the Orthodox Church there are known cases of canonization of saints, even those Christians who led a sinful life after baptism. Their canonization was carried out precisely because they atoned for their sins not only by repentance, but also by a special feat - martyrdom or asceticism.

Nicholas 2 in the face of saints. Canonization of the royal family

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