Russian Monarchists' Activity. June - July 2010

June and July 2010 were full of events in the Russian monarchical movement.
On 2 and 3 June in St. Peter and Paul’s Cathedral in Saint Petersburg the Dowager Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna was buried. She was August Mother of the Head of the Russian Imperial House Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna. Grand Duchess Maria and Her Son and Heir Grand Duke Georgiy Mikhaylovich participated in the burial. The funeral service was held by the priests of the Saint Petersburg diocese headed by Metropolitan of Saint Petersburg and Ladoga Vladimir. Official condolence to Grand Duchess were sent by Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, King of Spain Juan Carlos I, King of Sweden Carl Gustav XVI, Queen of the Netherlands Beatrix, King of Belgium Albert II etc.
All leading Russian TV channels made a lot of reports during these days about the service. It was one of top news. TV Channel Russia Today took an interview with the Commander of the Russian Imperial Union-Order Sir George Fedoroff. Sir Fedoroff explained his attitude to the future of the Russian Imperial House and possibility to restore monarchy in Russia.
Monarchists all over the former Russian Empire and abroad held their mourning services dedicated to the memory of Grand Duchess Leonida. The services were held in Moscow, Kiev, Minsk, New York (USA), San Francisco (USA), London (UK) etc.
Following the burial of Her August Mother on 4 June Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna together with Her Heir Grand Duke Georgiy Mikhaylovich held official meeting to the Governor of Saint Petersburg Mrs Valentina Matvienko.
Official mourning receipt in honour of dead Grand Duchess Leonida was held on 9 June in Madrid (Spain) by daughters of the Grand Duchess: Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna and princess Helen of Dvina (a daughter of Grand Duchess Leonida from the first marriage).
Obviously the death of Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna changed the plans of the Russian monarchists to their activity in the end of May and June 2010, but this activity was continued.
On 22 June in Madrid (Spain) Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna participated in the board of trustees of the Fund to build a new Orthodox church in honour of the Birth of Christ in Madrid.
In Belgorod with participation of local department of the Russian Imperial Union-Order was organised international competition in paintball in honour of the Head of the Russian Imperial House Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna. Teams from the Russian Federation, the Ukraine, Serbia, Argentine, Venezuela, Ecuador, and China participated.
New political season begins in Russia. December 2011 to be held the general elections to the Parliament, and March 2012 the elections of the President. That is why monarchists began our preparations to use the elections for monarchical propaganda. On 23 June the Commander of the Russian Imperial Union-Order decided to support the activity of the right-wing party the Great Russia to be registered for participation in the elections. The rulers of the Great Russia are famous Russian monarchists and nationalists. The party’s leader is Mr Andrei Savelev, a member of the RIU-O, being the member of the Russian Parliament in 2005 he officially took the oath to the Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna.
On 8 July Russian monarchists celebrated the anniversary of the victory of the Russian Army over the Swedish troops in the Poltava battle of 1709. The solemn procession was organised by Russian monarchists in Poltava (now, the Ukraine), it was blessed by archbishop of Poltava and Mirgorod Philippe.
17 July is a day to remember the Tsar Martyr Nicholas II and His August Family who were killed by the communists on 17 July 1918. All over the former Russian Empire in churches were served Divine Liturgies with prayers to the Saint Tsar Martyr.
In Kostroma (a regional centre in the central Russia, north to Moscow, south to Saint Petersburg) on 16 – 17 July the conference “the Tsar’s Days” was held with participation of the Director of the Chancellery of the Head of the Russian Imperial House Mr Alexander Zakatov and representatives of the Russian monarchists’ organisations.

Chancellery of the Commander of the RIU-O