30th September 2023
Our pilgrimage and educational trip to St Albans Cathedral and Knebworth House on 30th September was a great success. About 35 people took part in it, among them about half were members of the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Romanov Society. The event was a combined effort of the parish of the All-Merciful Saviour in St Leonards-on-Sea (Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia), and the Society. We are grateful to our Trustee Father Aleksandr Groves, the Rector of the parish, who managed to organise all the logistics and the service at the Cathedral, where we venerated the true and unique relics of the first Martyr of the British Isles. Most of the people were Orthodox Christians but we were open to everybody and we were joined by the hosts, the Anglican Christians, and visitors of different backgrounds. We had a short service and sung hymns to the Holy Protomartyr Alban.
After the service we had the privilege of a guided tour especially designed for us by Anthony Lizotte, an official guide at the Cathedral and a parishioner of the London cathedral (ROCOR).
He outlined for us the history of the Cathedral (more than 900 years) and concentrated on the wall paintings and on the composition of the statues: the Martyrs of the 20th century on the Nave Altar screen with its sculpture of the Grand Duchess Elizabeth on the right side. The New Martyr of Russia exemplifies the Orthodox connections of the Cathedral which are very strong. Pilgrimage groups from the Orthodox parishes around the country come here regularly, every year, because St Alban is among their favourite saints and he is regarded as their patron in this country. The Fellowship of St Alban and St Sergius was established here in the 1928, after series of conferences, in order to promote Orthodox – Anglican dialogue and to support Russian families who came here after the Revolution of 1917.
Our visit to Knebworth, the estate of the well known aristocratic family of Bulver-Lyttons, was an opportunity to commemorate another martyr, Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, the younger brother of Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II. He lived here with his family 1913-1914, until the First World War started. The only item which was definitely connected to this period was a Meissen figure of a favourite dog of the Empress Catherine the Great. Michael Alexandrovich presented this valuable object to the owner of the house as a mark of his gratitude. Some details of the exterior and the interior were recognisable from the small number of photos of Michael and his wife Natalia Brasova dating from this period. This was one of the happiest periods of their life. The Society is now in contact with the owners of the estate and it is preparing to send them more photos and a large portrait of the Grand Duke.
Our visitors were able to read our specially prepared leaflet about the life and personality of the Grand Duke and about his tragic destiny to be the last Russian Tsar, for just one day, and to be shot by the Bolsheviks soon after. There was a strong family connection and friendship between him and his second cousins – King George V and his sisters, especially Victoria, Tory, who later was involved with efforts to take care of his only son George. Michael was shot together with his faithful servant and secretary Nicholas Johnson, who was born in Russia but had British citizenship. During the shooting the Grand Duke was trying to defend his friend and rushed to cover him with his body instead of worrying about himself. He was a true Christian and his diary offers a testimony for his dedicated church life. The bodies of Grand Duke Michael and Johnson have not yet been found but a chapel dedicated to the Grand Duke’s patron saint Michael of Tver has been built nearby. Michael Alexandrovich was canonised as a martyr by ROCOR in 1981.
We will continue to gather material about this key figure of the historical events of 1918.
By Maria and John Harwood
