Last Great Lent of the Russian Royal Family as Reflected in the Diary of Nicholas II
by Anastasia Parkhomchik
Tsar Nicholas II formally abdicated from the throne on 3 March 1917 and six months later he was exiled to Tobolsk, Russia, together with his family, attendants and servants. The royal family lived in Tobolsk until the end of April 1918. Afterwards, they were dispatched to Ekaterinburg, where its members met their martyr’s deaths on 17 July 1918.
That year — the last in the lives of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers – Easter fell on 5 May, and the Great Lent did not begin until 18 March. The family spent the Lenten period together in Tobolsk, but they were separated for the Easter Sunday.
The Emperor’s diary has survived to this day, with records from each day of the Great Lent of 1918. They are mostly short and factual. Yet despite the brevity, they open a window on the hardships of the exile for the Royal Family and their life there. They also provide wonderful examples of great courage, strong hope and solid faith in the Divine Will, which fill every line of the narrative.
We present to your attention some of the most striking fragments of the Emperor’s diary about the readings, works and worship in his family in those difficult times.… KEEP READING
