The Visit of the Head of the Romanov Dynasty to America
December 2013
On December 9-14, 2013, Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna made a visit to the United States of America on the occasion of the 400 th anniversary of the end of the Time of Troubles, the reestablishment of the Russian Sovereignty and the founding of the Romanov Dynasty. Her Imperial Highness was invited by His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, President of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. Her visit coincided with the celebration of the feast day of Protectress of the Russian Diaspora, the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God “of the Sign.”
Her Imperial Highness arrived in New York on her flight from Madrid, Spain, on December 9, and was greeted by Metropolitan Hilarion; His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America, Secretary of the Synod of Bishops; Protopriest Serafim Gan, Chancellor of the Synod; Alexander Nikolaevich Zakatov, Director of the Chancery of Her Imperial Highness; and Sergey Panteleimonivch Zhohov and Vladimir Sushko, organizers of the 400 th -anniversary celebrations of the Romanov Dynasty.
Before the celebration of all-night vigil at the Synodal Cathedral of Our Lady “of the Sign” in New York City, Metropolitan Hilarion met for supper with the Grand Duchess at the rectory of Fr Serafim in Sea Cliff, NY, at St Seraphim of Sarov Church, designated in 2007 as a Memorial to the Reestablishment of Unity within the Russian Orthodox Church. Her Highness was also welcomed by All Nikolaevna Ryl (nee Dombrovsky), who in the 1960’s, with the blessing and instructions of St John of Shanghai, helped the Imperial Family by giving lessons in the Law of God to Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna.
On December 10, the Grand Duchess prayed during Divine Liturgy at the Synodal Cathedral. Officiating was Metropolitan Hilarion, along with the hierarchs participating in a regular session of the Synod of Bishops, which had concluded a day earlier: His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America; His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada; His Grace Bishop John of Caracas and South America; His Grace Bishop George of Mayfield, as well as His Grace Bishop Jerome (retired), plus visiting hierarchs, including His Eminence Archbishop Justinian of Naro-Fominsk, Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA (Moscow Patriarchate), and His Grace Bishop Mitrophan of Eastern America (Serbian Orthodox Church). During the Great Entrance, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna and her son, the Heir to the Russian Throne, Grand Duke Georgy Mikhailovich, were commemorated by Vladyka Mark.
Later, an incisive sermon on the importance of the reestablishment of unity within the Russian Orthodox Church was read by Archbishop Justinian.
The First Hierarch of ROCOR then addressed the worshipers:
“In the great list of miraculous icons of the Mother of God, which church historians continue to study and supplement, the Kursk-Root Icon holds a special place. Tatars hacked this icon in two, but the pieces later miraculously grew together, foretelling the reestablishment of unity between the two parts of the Russian Orthodox Church. Godless terrorists tried to destroy the icon with a bomb, but Her image survived. In the time of troubles, a special mission was entrusted to this holy icon that lies before us—to bring consolation to Russian Orthodox Christians who had lost their Homeland and yearned for her rebirth. Visiting all corners of the Russian diaspora, continuing in the same spirit even now, She blesses the process of the rebirth of the Church in the Fatherland, where hundreds of thousands of faithful have prayed before Her image.
“This year, special attention is paid to the meaning of the Feodorovsky Icon, through which the Mother of God helped our people overcome the Time of Troubles and blessed Mikhail Feodorovich Romanov’s ascent to the throne. In connection with this, on behalf of the Synod of Bishops, I would like to especially welcome you, Your Highness Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, on the 400 th anniversary of the Romanov Dynasty which already approaching its conclusion. It was broadly celebrated not only on our historic Homeland, but throughout the world, and I express our hope that everything that your heart wishes for Russia comes true, and all that your great ancestors of blessed memory now pray for before the Divine Throne comes to be, for they made our Fatherland the most powerful Orthodox sovereignty, and they always strengthened the ideals of Holy Russia within our people.”
His Eminence then awarded Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna with the Order of the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God “of the Sign,” of the First Degree, in recognition of the accomplishments of the Romanov Dynasty on the 400th anniversary.
On her part, the Grand Duchess awarded Metropolitan Hilarion with the Medal of the All-Russian Podvig , 1613-2013. The other bishops were likewise given medals, as the staff members of the Synodal Administration: Fr Serafim, Chancellor of the Synod of Bishops; Protopriest Andrei Sommer, Senior Priest of the cathedral; Priest Nicholas Olhovsky, caretaker of the Kursk-Root Icon; Protodeacon Eugene Kallaur, webmaster of the official Synod website; Nicholas A. Ohotin, Communications Director/Jurisconsult; Sergey Yakushin, Warden of the cathedral, Subdeacon George Schatiloff, Building Manager, and Eugene Grigoriak, Assistant Treasurer. Her Imperial Highness also gave a three-tome collection published in memory of the occasion to Holy Trinity Seminary: Holy Mt Athos, the Orthodox Church and the Romanov Dynasty in Exile, along with a book on the history of present situation of the Romanov Dynasty in Russian and English, By God’s Mercy.
After the services, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, the clergymen and a multitude of worshipers from New York and its environs shared a luncheon in the presence of the Kursk-Root Icon prepared by the cathedral sisterhood.
On December 11, Her Highness, escorted by Archbishop Kyrill and Fr Serafim, visited Stavropighial Novo-Diveevo Convent. The Grand Duchess began her tour by visiting the senior home, guided by Maria Nikolaevna Fedorovskaya, matushka of Protopriest Alexander, the Rector of the convent church. Then, the Head of the Russian Imperial House, accompanied by Vladyka Kyrill, Fr Serafim and Fr Alexander Fedorovsky, visited the convent’s St Seraphim of Sarov Church, where a troparion was sung to the patron saint, and Many Years to Her Highness and her son, Grand Duke Georgy Mikhailovich. Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna then awarded Fr Alexander the Imperial Order “Jubilee of the All-Russian Podvig .”
The Grand Duchess then toured the cemetery with the clergymen, where she honored the gravesites of her compatriot emigres. Eternal Memory was sung at the gravesites of His Imperial Highness Georgy Konstantinovich and Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Vera Konstantinovna, along with “all Orthodox Christian lain here.”
