Kirill Vladimirovich. Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich Prince Kirill Alexandrovich Romanov

Kirill Vladimirovich (Kirill, Daka's husband), 1876-1938, Grand Duke, son of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich. Since 1905 he has been married to Victoria Feodorovna, Princess of Saxe-Coburg-Gott. Rear Admiral of His Majesty's Retinue, commander of the Guards Fleet Crew. Betrayed the Sovereign Emperor; even before his abdication, he came to swear allegiance to the rebels at the head of the Guards Fleet crew entrusted to him, thereby contributing to the destruction of tsarist power. In 1924 self-proclaimed himself “Head of the Imperial House of Romanov”, transferring this self-proclaimed title, implicated in treason, to his son Vladimir Kirillovich (1917-1992) in 1938. Kirill, Bishop of Tambov and Shatsk, (Konstantin Illarionovich Smirnov), 1863-1941, a prominent figure in the Russian Church, since 1918 Metropolitan of Kazan and Sviyazhsk, at one time was the 1st candidate for locum tenens of the patriarchal throne. Since 1922 - in exile in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and Kazakhstan.

Materials used from the site RUS-SKY ®, 1999. Biographical reference book, which contains the names of all persons who were mentioned in the emperor’s correspondence.

Kirill Vladimirovich Romanov (30.9.1876, Tsarskoe Selo - 13.10.1938, Paris, France), Grand Duke, Rear Admiral of the Suite (23.2.1915). Eldest son of the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich . He received his education at the Naval Cadet Corps (1896) and the Nikolaev Maritime Academy. Released to the guards crew. Sailed on the corvettes "Russia" (1897-98), "Admiral General" (1899), "Rostislav" (1900), "Peresvet" (1901-1902). In 1902-1903, senior officer of the cruiser Admiral Nakhimov. From March 9, 1904, head of the naval department of the headquarters of the commander of the Pacific Fleet. Participant in the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905. During the explosion on the battleship Petropavlovsk, where most of the staff died, he escaped. In 1905, he was expelled from service for entering into an unauthorized marriage with his cousin, the divorced wife of the brother of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Victoria Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. In 1909-1910, senior officer, 1.1-14.9.1912 commander of the cruiser "Oleg". From July 25, 1914, staff officer for office work and assignments of the naval administration under the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. From March 16, 1915, he was commander of the guards crew, and at the same time, from February 23, 1915, he was the head of naval batteries in the active army. During the February events of 1917 in Petrograd, at the head of the crew, he arrived at the State Duma building and announced his support for the new government. In June 1917 he left for Finland. Then he lived in Switzerland, Germany and finally in France. After the death of Nicholas II and Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, he remained the direct heir to the imperial throne. On 8/8/1922 he proclaimed himself guardian of the throne, and on 13/9/1924 - emperor.

Book materials used: Zalessky K.A. Who was who in the Second World War. Allies of Germany. Moscow, 2003

Certificate of a relative

Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, when the revolution broke out, lived in Petrograd and commanded the Guards crew. In the summer of 1917, he and his wife Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna and two young daughters, princesses Maria and Kira Kirillovna, moved to Finland, to the Etter estate, Heiko, near the city of Borgo. On August 30, 1917, their son, Prince Vladimir Kirillovich, the current head of the Russian Imperial House, was born in Bor. In 1924, Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich was elevated by his father to the grand ducal dignity in the same way as his sisters, and began to be called the heir apparent. In August 1948, he married Princess Leonida Georgievna Bagration-Mukhranskaya and, as head of the Imperial House, elevated her to the dignity of grand duke.
In 1920, Kirill Vladimirovich and his family went to Switzerland on a date with Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna and relatives who were there. From Switzerland they moved to Coburg, where Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna had her own house. They then moved to Saint-Briac, France, in Brittany, where they bought a small estate. In 1922, Kirill Vladimirovich, as a senior member of the Russian Imperial House, accepted the title of Guardian of the Russian Imperial Throne, and in 1924 the title of Russian Emperor.
Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna received in 1924. the title of Empress. She died on March 2, 1936 in Amorbach in Germany from pneumonia and was buried in Coburg in the family tomb of the Dukes of Coburg and Gotha.
Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich died in Paris on October 12, 1938 from sclerosis and was also buried in Coburg, in the same tomb with Victoria Feodorovna.
Grand Duchess Maria Kirillovna married Prince Charles of Leiningen on November 24, 1925 in Coburg. They had six children. Prince Charles was captured by the Red Army during the war of 1939-1945. and died in captivity from starvation typhus. Grand Duchess Maria Kirillovna died in Madrid on October 27, 1952 from angina pectoris and was buried in Leiningen.
Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna married on May 2, 1938, the second son of the German Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm and Crown Princess Cecilia, Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia. They have seven children and the family still lives in Germany, in Bremen-Dorsfeld-Wumenhof.

Materials used from the book: Grand Duke Gabriel Konstantinovich. In the Marble Palace. Memories. M., 2005

Eyewitness testimony

On October 8, 1905, without royal consent, Kirill married abroad Princess Victoria-Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Grand Duchess of Hesse. This marriage was contrary to existing laws, deeply revered by the king .

After some time, Kirill arrived in St. Petersburg. His parents were sure that the young prince would have to listen to reproaches from the head of the family, which he undoubtedly deserved. They also believed that he would be forgiven.

He arrived at eight o'clock in the afternoon and immediately went to his parents' palace. At ten o'clock he was informed that Count Fredericks had arrived and wished to speak with him "in accordance with the instructions received from the king." Fredericks conveyed to the Grand Duke the decision of the sovereign: he must immediately leave Russia and never set foot on its soil again, awaiting reports abroad of subsequent punishments.

That same evening at midnight the Grand Duke left St. Petersburg by train.

This harsh measure outraged the Grand Duke Vladimir . He was furious that his son was kicked out without even talking to him. The next day he appeared before the Tsar and resigned from all positions he held in the Russian army. This was the strongest protest he could express.

It is believed that the king made such a tough decision under the influence of the empress. It was rumored that in this way she took revenge on Grand Duke Kirill for daring to marry a woman who had recently left her husband, the Duke of Hesse, the Empress’s brother.

Notes:

According to Russian law, the permission of the Tsar was required for the marriage of any member of the imperial family; Marriages between cousins ​​were prohibited (Kirill's father and Victoria's mother were brother and sister).

Quoted from the book: Mosolov A.A. At the court of the last king. Memoirs of the head of the palace chancellery. 1900-1916. M., 2006.

Read further:

World War I(chronological table)

Participants of the First World War(biographical reference book).

Romanov Dynasty(biographical index)

Romanovs after Nicholas I(genealogical table)

Grand Dukes Mikhailovich, their descendants(genealogical table)

This September marked the 90th anniversary of such an “epoch-making” event as the adoption by Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of the title of “Emperor of All Russia.” And therefore it seems very strange that supporters of Kirill’s line did not remember such an “important” event. This act of the Grand Duke finally split not only the Romanov family, but also the emigration itself as a whole. In this article, we will try, in chronological order, based on letters from direct participants in the event, to reveal to you, the readers, such a “great” event.

The political games of Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich began back in the days of the February Revolution of 1917. Here we will not dwell in detail on the red bow, guards crew, red flag, etc. Moreover, all these acts of the Grand Duke are described in detail in numerous memoirs of direct witnesses of those significant historical events. Today we are interested in another topic. In the summer of 1917, Kirill Vladimirovich, along with his wife and daughters, fled to Finland, where he found temporary refuge. In August of the same 1917, in the town of Borgo, a son, Vladimir, was born to Kirill and Victoria. In 1920, the Grand Duke's family moved to France, purchasing a villa in the town of Saint-Briac.

Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich with his wife and daughter.

Villa of the Grand Duke in Saint-Briac.

Meanwhile, various monarchical associations began to be created in emigration circles, taking different positions on the main issue - who should reign in Rus'. Some believed that first it was necessary to overthrow the Bolsheviks, and only then decide who was fit to be king. The sovereign must be not so much legitimate as desirable. The most popular “contenders” among monarchists were considered Grand Dukes Nikolai Nikolaevich and Dmitry Pavlovich.

Uncle Nikolasha.

Major and ladies' man Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich

In 1921, a general monarchical congress was held in the Bavarian resort town of Reichengalle, which was attended by about 150 people. The issue of succession to the throne was considered untimely, since the possibility of saving the Imperial Family was not excluded. At the congress, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna was recognized as the undisputed authority. The congress elected the Supreme Monarchical Council (SMC), which decided to make a “loyal request for the indication of a person who, until the accession of the rightful sovereign, will become the guardian of the throne and the leader of the monarchical movement” to Maria Feodorovna. The Navy delegation immediately went to Denmark, to Vider Palace, where the Dowager Empress lived during the years of exile. After a long conversation, Maria Feodorovna decided to avoid leading the monarchical association.

Dowager Empress in exile.

Already in November 1922, in Paris, the Supreme Monarchist Council held its second meeting. The monarchists came to a conclusion, which was reflected in the resolutions, which in particular stated: “ 1. The right to dispose of the guardianship of the imperial throne belongs to the Imperial House. This right is not authorized and not implemented until a decision on this issue is made by the Imperial Family. 2. We should strive in every possible way for Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich to lead the monarchical movement. 3. At present, it is impossible to resolve the issue of succession to the throne abroad, because there is no completely reliable information about the fate of the Sovereign Emperor and his August son and brother, and the current fundamental laws allow for different interpretations that must be resolved by the competent state institutions. 4. In accordance with previous resolutions, the meeting recognizes that the indisputable highest authority in the entire monarchical movement belongs to the anointed Empress Maria Feodorovna.”.

So, we see that the monarchists did not know whether Emperor Nicholas II, Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich and Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich were alive, so the question of the future monarch was not widely discussed. Many saw Nikolai Nikolaevich at the head of the monarchist movement. But I would like to especially emphasize that it was at the head of the movement, and not at the head of the Imperial House or “Emperor Nicholas III,” as some are trying to present it today. Nikolai Nikolaevich has always been a popular figure, especially in the army. It is not for nothing that in 1924 the Grand Duke headed the Russian General Military Union, an organization created by Baron P.N. Wrangel, which united many military organizations of the White Army in exile. It should also be noted that the figure of Kirill Vladimirovich appears almost nowhere.

There was less and less hope for the salvation of the Royal Family and Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, and Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich decided that the time had come to join the fight and enter the monarchical arena. Ambitious plans were also fueled by Kirill’s wife, Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna, who believed that only her husband and son had the right to talk about the throne. In August 1922, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich published a statement declaring himself “Guardian of the Sovereign Throne”:

« RUSSIAN PEOPLE!
From that disastrous day when the Most Illustrious Sovereign Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich, deceived by traitors, left the All-Russian Throne, our dear Motherland experienced unbearable suffering, knew the shame of enslavement by an alien, hated force, saw its Altars desecrated and, bloodied, became impoverished. From the pinnacle of power and glory, Russia has been cast into darkness. But the strength of the people's spirit is invincible, the foundation of Russian power is alive. In all Russian hearts burns a bright faith in the revival of Russia, in the imminent triumph of Russian people's truth. We hope that Sovereign Nikolai Alexandrovich is alive, and that the news of His murder was spread by those for whom His salvation was a threat. Our heart cannot give up the hope that He, the Most Bright One, will return to His Throne. But it is clear to us that until the liberation of the Russian people from evil oppression, He will not have the opportunity to shine openly. If the Almighty is not pleased that His Imperial Majesty or the Heir, Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, should live to see the near day of Russia’s deliverance from the dishonorable yoke, then the All-Russian Zemsky Council will tell us who will be the Lawful Sovereign in Rus'. Until the time when, by the will of the Lord and for the happiness of our revived Motherland, the Lawful Sovereign takes us under His gracious right hand, the Russian people can no longer remain without the Leader of their labors aimed at the salvation of the Motherland. And those of our compatriots who experience great torment in their native lands, and whose courageous work in serving their native cause comes first in the Russian heart - and those of us for whom forced separation from the Motherland is a grave grief, are all equally looking for leadership and unification labor efforts and relief from suffering. Both of them, through their labors for the benefit of Russia, have brought and will bring great benefit to the Russian cause. We all need a free Russia, restoration of Russian glory and national pride, revival. Therefore, in the absence of information about the salvation of Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, I, as the Elder, in the order of succession to the Throne, Member of the Imperial House, consider it my duty to take upon myself the leadership of the Russian liberation efforts, as the Guardian of the Sovereign Throne, from now on until the news of the villainous the murder of the Sovereign Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich and the Heir Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich will be refuted, or, if this hope is not destined to come true, until the day when the Zemsky Sobor proclaims the Lawful Sovereign. Russian people! Through your great sufferings the path to great happiness is paved for you. At the cost of painful trials, you gained the exposure of false teachings that undermined your power! You will return to glory, to the restoration of your future, to the renewal of your powerful works. From now on, Russia will follow its legitimate Sovereign! And now, supported by a single inspiration, we will all go forward to the bright days of the Emperor, to the triumph of the Russian Orthodox Cross! May it be given to me, the dear Grandson of the Tsar-Liberator, to give My life for the salvation of the entire Russian people. May God help us, and may His all-powerful Blessing be on the Russian path».

On the same day, the “Guardian of the Throne” addresses the Russian army - White and Red:

« RUSSIAN MILITARY!
To you, great power, glorified over the centuries in the bright ways of serving the Motherland, My word now turns. The fate of Russia is inseparably linked with the experiences of its defenders. Our Fatherland marched victoriously and powerfully towards a radiant future, until vacillations occurred in your ranks, snatching glory from the Russian Crown, leading to the greatest and most destructive turmoil and depriving the Motherland of unity and power. Since the day this great misfortune happened, our sacred Altars have been defenseless, our wealth has been plundered, Russian labor has been enslaved, and the entire Russian people are languishing in captivity. This must end! Glory to those Russian soldiers who, tirelessly fighting for the liberation of Russia, experienced the hardships of an unequal battle and now in foreign countries endure all the suffering of separation from the Fatherland. Glory to those who, under the yoke of the hated foreign power in their homeland, keep in their souls loyalty to the Orthodox Tsar and, on the day of the bright triumph of truth in their hearts, throw off the painful yoke. There are no two Russian armies! There is a Russian, united Russian Army on both sides of the border, selflessly devoted to Russia, its age-old foundations, its primordial goals. She will save our long-suffering Motherland. I pray to God that His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, having heeded My request, will take the supreme command over the Russian Army; and until then, the proper instructions will be given to her by Me, with the participation of proven and valiant military leaders who have already earned the gratitude of Russia. Russian army! You alone, with the help of the Lord, can return Russia to its former power, glory and wealth, return to Russia the bright future to which it was heading under the leadership of the Tsars. Russian army! Lead Russia to the light again! If our hopes are justified that the Sovereign Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich is alive and the Heir Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich is saved, then the day of our common joy is near. If the Almighty did not preserve the most precious lives for us, then the All-Russian Zemsky Sobor will name us a legitimate Tsar. From now on, may the unity of our God-loving and king-loving efforts be our indestructible power on our native path of bright achievements. May God protect you, Russian Army, and may the Lord grant you victory!»

With this Manifesto, Kirill Vladimirovich wanted to kill two birds with one stone: to gain popularity with a red word among the military and to curtsey to “Uncle Nikolasha”, offering him the mythical post of Commander-in-Chief, thereby hoping to appease his main “competitor”. Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich was a realist, and simply decided not to respond to such a strong urge from his nephew.

Videre - residence of the Empress Dowager during the years of exile.

Grand Duchess Ksenia Alexandrovna in exile.

At the same time, news of Kirill Vladimirovich’s “supervision” reaches Copenhagen. The Empress Dowager was indignant at her nephew's action. The eldest daughter of the Empress, Grand Duchess Ksenia Alexandrovna, also expressed her emotions about her cousin’s actions in a letter to Princess Alexandra Obolenskaya:

« I don't know what kind of politics you're talking about! Believe me, she (probably we are talking about the Queen of Greece Olga Konstantinovna) is the very last person who will mix Mom in any kind of politics and irritate her. She even asked me which issues should not be discussed with her and so on, so you see that she will never bother her or try to influence her. The whole epic of K[irill] V[ladimirovich] has excited everyone - it has mixed all the cards, but this is probably how it will end, en queue de poisson (zilch). It seems that they themselves are embarrassed now and are not glad that they threw it all away and calmed down. It’s just a shame that a rumor has spread that all this was done with Mom’s knowledge».

At the same time, Kirill Vladimirovich tried to get a clear answer from Nikolai Nikolaevich, whose side he was on, who he would support - his nephew, i.e. Kirill, or make a sharp move and put forward his candidacy. Kirill Vladimirovich needed “Uncle Nikolasha’s” supporters, his popularity and leadership traits like air.

The Grand Duke begins to bombard the castle of Choigny with letters, where “Uncle Nikolasha” settled with his wife Anastasia Nikolaevna during the years of exile. Kirill turns to his uncle with a proposal to convene a family council, which would resolve the pressing issue. And this time “Uncle Nikolasha” did not answer. Nikolasha’s brother, Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich, writes to Kirill for him:

« Dear Kirill.
I must, unfortunately, tell You that I do not sympathize with Your proposal to convene a family council, since, in my opinion, it can only lead to new evidence of the discord between our views and principles. I know the contents of your letter to my brother; he was very surprised that you again approached him with a proposal to chair the family council, although you know that he considers it useless. You also know his opinion on how the members of our family should have led in the difficult era of the devastation of our long-suffering Motherland. I completely share his opinion in this regard. I consider it my duty, as a member of the Romanov family, to stand outside of all parties, unions and political agitations, no matter in what form they may appear.

It is true that the Lord will, in good time, show the Russian People a way to restore the law and order of the Russian State, and it is up to the Russian People to judge, and not to us, whether the House of Romanov can serve them.
Uncle Peter, who loves you heartily.
August 30, 1923"

So, the Nikolaevich brothers drew a conclusion from the Russian tragedy and understood that the final word would always remain with the Russian people, and not with the Romanovs.

Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich works for the benefit of his mythical empire.

The title of “guardian of the throne” clearly did not suit Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, much less his wife Victoria Feodorovna, who wanted her husband to be respected and to be accepted as equals by the crowned heads. A new epic was beginning, Cyril’s “courtiers” demanded big and decisive action. But in order to put on the mythical crown, decisive evidence was needed of the murder of the Imperial Family and Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich. And they appear. Investigator for particularly important cases Nikolai Sokolov arrives in Paris, investigating the case of the execution of the Emperor along with his family and servants. In the suitcases Sokolov brought, there are indisputable facts that none of the Romanovs survived that terrible night. So, the evidence was received, and on September 13, 1924, Kirill Vladimirovich proclaimed himself “Emperor of All Russia Kirill I Vladimirovich.”

« There is no limit to the suffering of the Russian people. Enslaved, ruined, exhausted, insulted in their Faith, our great people are dying out from incredibly intensified diseases and epidemics. Now Russia has suffered an even greater disaster - an unprecedented famine. The human word is powerless to express the torment of mothers, helpless witnesses to the starvation of their children. Three years ago, many millions of our compatriots died of hunger in that very Russia, which previously had an abundance of grain and was the breadbasket of Europe. But then responsive, rich and generous America and various organizations came to the aid of the dying population, and many were saved. Now hopes for foreign help are in vain, because the immoral communist government, having ruined Russia, plundered its treasury and wealth, in recent years has been obtaining gold for itself by exporting bread abroad from our starving country. Communists need gold for personal enrichment, to create unrest in all countries of the world and achieve world revolution.

Despite the now clearly visible complete crop failure in a wide swath of the most grain-producing part of Russia, the Communists continue to export grain this year. It is absolutely clear that America, believing that its help will only serve to intensify the destructive activities of the Third International, refuses to make new sacrifices, realizing their hopelessness.

To all My requests for help for the Russian people, I receive the same answer that under the existing political conditions in Russia and under the domination over it of the enemy of Christian civilization, the Third International, no help can be provided until in our Motherland there is legal authority, and only after the Legislative Order is restored in Russia can the already developed measures and methods of broad assistance be implemented.
Let the Russian Army, although called red, but in whose composition the majority are forcibly conscripted honest sons of Russia, say the decisive word, stand up for the trampled rights of the Russian people and, having resurrected the historical Covenant for the Faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland, restore the former Law in Rus' and Order.

Together with the Army, let the people's community stir up and call on its Lawful People's Tsar, who will be a loving, all-forgiving, caring Father, the Sovereign owner of the Great Russian Land, formidable only for enemies and for conscious destroyers and molesters of the People. The Tsar will restore the Temples, forgive the lost, and legally assign the land to the peasants. And then Russia will receive widespread help from hunger and salvation from final destruction, and subsequently will recreate its destroyed economy and find peace and prosperity. The service of the Tsar will be difficult and difficult in Russia, which is ruined and shaken in its foundations. Not for personal glory, not for vain honors or out of a thirst for power, the Tsar will return to His Ancestor Throne, but to fulfill His duty to God, His conscience and the Motherland.

Calling for the holy feat of liberating the Fatherland from the shameful and disastrous yoke, I am the first to fulfill the Law and My Duty in full, sweeping away any hesitation and regardless of the currently forced stay abroad of the Fatherland. Having made the Sign of the Cross over Myself, I declare to the entire Russian People: Our hope that the precious life of the Sovereign Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich, or the Heir Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, or the Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich was preserved, was not realized. Now the time has come to inform everyone: on July 4/17, 1918 in the city of Yekaterinburg, on the orders of the international group that seized power in Russia, the Sovereign Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich, the Empress Alexandra Fedorovna, Their Son and Heir Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, were brutally murdered. Their daughters are Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia Nikolaevna.

In the same 1918, near Perm, the Brother of the Sovereign Emperor, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, was killed. Russian Laws on Succession to the Throne do not allow the Imperial Throne to remain idle after the death of the preceding Emperor and His immediate Heirs has been established. Also, according to our Law, the new Emperor becomes such by virtue of the Law of Succession itself. The unprecedented famine that has come again and the desperate pleas for help rushing from the Motherland imperatively demand that the cause of saving Russia be headed by a Supreme, Legal, non-class and non-party authority. And therefore, I, the Elder in the Royal Family, the only legal successor of the Russian Imperial Throne, accept the title of All-Russian Emperor that indisputably belongs to Me.
I proclaim My son, Prince Vladimir Kirillovich, Heir to the Throne with the title of Grand Duke Heir and Tsarevich assigned to Him. I promise and swear to sacredly observe the Orthodox Faith and the Russian Basic Laws on succession to the throne, and I undertake to inviolably protect the rights of all religions. The Russian people are great and endowed with abundant gifts of mind and heart, but they have fallen into terrible misfortune and misfortune. May the great trials sent to him by God purify Him and lead him to a bright future, renewing and consolidating before the Almighty the sacred union of the King and the People.
KIRILL.
Given August 31, 1924."

To be continued....

More precisely, they don’t walk, but ride in a car where driving is not allowed. Yesterday we welcomed a new hero, Kirill Romanoff, aka @outlaw.777 on Instagram. The guy decided to show by his own example that money can’t buy brains. You’ll buy a BMW X6, but you won’t have the brains (It’s a shame... But nothing can be done. Okay, you have a cool car, your mother, who works at the Tretyakov Gallery, has a pass or a key to the gate, you’re all so cool, you drive into the pedestrian zone and you drive there in your black beautiful SUV. BUT WHY DO YOU FILM THIS AND POST IT? It looks like some kind of mental disorder. That is, it is important for a person not just to give a shit, but to give a shit in front of everyone.

So, our hero took a ride along the Crimean embankment and posted his exploits on Instagram. He later deleted the video, but, fortunately, it was copied to other accounts. There is an Instagram about Russian golden youth. It is now available there.

“When you want to take a walk in the park, but are too lazy to get out of the car”:

It turned out that this is not the first such experience for the author of the video. There were other videos (for example, with trips along the pedestrian Arbat, along the sidewalk of the Borodinsky Bridge, with driving into oncoming traffic, and so on), but they have already been deleted. Kirill Romanoff accompanied the video with the hashtag #untouchable (that is, “untouchable”).

After the story about the exploits of the Muzeon rider was picked up by the media, the Instagram account @outlaw.777 was deleted, like all the videos (although yesterday there were about 200 photos and videos). This profile is now active again. But perhaps now some fake is having fun, using photographs of Kirill Romanov and bullying commentators.

However, the current account owner claims that his page was hacked, but it has now been "cleaned up after the hack." He managed to confirm that the video is genuine, and editing has nothing to do with it.

Where did the version about editing come from? It turns out that “Muzeon” yesterday hastened to give a funny comment:

"No cars can drive on the pedestrian area. If you watch the video, you will see that it is an obvious video montage."

The Moscow Ministry of Internal Affairs believes that there is no question of any editing, it’s just that this version is beneficial for Muzeon, so as not to have to explain where the park security was looking during the BMW’s arrival.

Now the Ministry of Internal Affairs is conducting an inspection, promising to punish the driver based on its results, and Muzeon is conducting an internal investigation:

"We are conducting an inspection, we need to look at CCTV cameras. In addition, we are studying all the applications that we received for the passage of such a car. If there was one, then we must understand from whom this application came. We have tenants on the territory, We have the Tretyakov Gallery, the Central House of Artists, perhaps he was going there."

While the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Muzeon are sorting out what’s what, the identity of the owner of the original account has already been established!

In addition, he posted photographs with his sister, Lera Romanova. And on her VKontakte page there was a photo with her brother, and at the same time her date of birth.


Photo: https://vk.com/id125466646

Both left geotags for the photos. Serafimovich's Moscow address was discovered, 2 - this is the House on the Embankment.

A search in open databases like nomer.org gives only one Lera Romanova, who is registered together with Olga Valerievna Romanova and Valery Shumakov - this is the mother and grandfather of Kirill Romanov. By the way, Romanov’s now deceased grandfather is the famous Soviet transplant doctor Valery Shumakov. There is an article about him in Wikipedia, in which his daughter Olga Romanova is listed. It turned out that she works as a curator of museum objects in the 20th century sculpture department at the Tretyakov Gallery.

If our hero is really the son of Olga Romanova, then it becomes clear how he was able to get into the closed territory;)

By the way, today it turned out that Kirill’s father gave him a BMW to drive. This is what Lyubov Vysotskaya, head of the department for interaction with the media of the capital’s traffic police department, says:

“Based on the posting of the video on the Internet on August 18, traffic police officers conducted an inspection, the results of which established the make, model and owner of the car. According to him, he gave it to his son, a 20-year-old resident of the central district of Moscow, for use.”

Another interesting fact: from February 1, 2016, Romanov was deprived of the right to drive a vehicle for 12 months. The police still haven't found him.

It’s funny, but before deleting the account, Kirill Romanov managed to threaten Viktor Levanov, who figured out his identity.

And at the same time explain to all the haters that everything will be fine with him.

A new hero is in front of you)

UPD: A representative of the Tretyakov Gallery stated that employee Olga Romanova did not request a car pass to the territory of Muzeon even once in 4 months:

“We have an employee Olga Romanova, but over the past four months a pass to the territory of the Muzeon park has never been requested for her family’s cars.

UPD 2: The father of the rider from Muzeon, Oleg Romanov, told Life that the BMW X6 is really his car:

“This is my car, usually it’s me who drives it. Sometimes I let my son drive it if he needs it for some reason. I assume that it could be Kirill’s friends whom he let ride in my car.”

Life calls Oleg Romanov “an honored worker in medicine, and now a businessman who supplies equipment to medical institutions.”

17:07 Kirill Romanov stated that he did not drive a car around Muzeon and did not shoot any video. “This is not me, the video is not mine,” he told reporters (quoted from the same Life).

19:29 Police detained Kirill Romanov after stopping his friend's BMW, Life reports. He is currently in the police department.

20:22 The press service of the Moscow State Traffic Safety Inspectorate in a commentary to TASS:

“Employees of the capital’s State Traffic Inspectorate detained a citizen who, according to preliminary data, committed a gross traffic violation by driving along the pedestrian zone in Muzeon Park. The detainee was taken to one of the Moscow traffic police departments.”

Nicholas II's cousin, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, declared himself Guardian of the Throne in 1922, and on August 31, 1924, accepted the title of Emperor of All-Russia Kirill I.

Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, in a letter signed by himself and the signatures of his sons Princes Andrei, Fyodor, Nikita and Rostislav Alexandrovich, addressed the Sovereign Kirill Vladimirovich: “We pray to God to give You the strength to fulfill the difficult feat that You have taken upon yourself, obeying the Fundamental Laws State. We submit to You and are ready to serve our deeply beloved Motherland, as our Fathers and Grandfathers served it, following their behests... Dmitry is not with us, he works in New York, we informed him about our letter to You." The youngest son of Alexander Mikhailovich, Prince Vasily, according to the Basic Laws, had not yet reached adulthood...

The son of Kirill Vladimirovich said that his parents left St. Petersburg during the period of the Provisional Government, during a time of comparative calm*.

Here is what the French ambassador to Russia Maurice Paleologue wrote about Kirill Vladimirovich’s attitude towards the Provisional Government:

“Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich declared himself for the Duma.

He did more. Forgetting the oath of allegiance and the title of aide-de-camp, which he received from the emperor, he went today at four o'clock to bow before the power of the people. They saw how he, in his uniform as a captain of the 1st rank, led the guards crews, of which he was the chief, to the Tauride Palace and presented them at the disposal of the rebel authorities."**

The paleologist was a great friend of Kirill Vladimirovich’s mother, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna (the elder), and it is difficult to accuse him of biased assessments...***

In the above-mentioned interview, Vladimir Kirillovich did not tell the family legend about the flight of his parents from Petrograd. Alexander Mikhailovich recalled this from the words of Kirill Vladimirovich: “He crossed the frozen Gulf of Finland on foot, carrying his pregnant wife, Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna, in his arms, and they were chased by Bolshevik patrols...”****

In Finland in August 1917, the third child in the family of Kirill Vladimirovich, Prince Vladimir, was born. According to the laws of the Russian Empire, he could no longer bear the title of Grand Duke, but, as the great-grandson of the emperor, he was only a prince of the imperial blood. However, after Kirill Vladimirovich declared himself emperor, his son became heir to the throne and Grand Duke.

Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna - Victoria Melita, whose family name was Duchy - was the daughter of Duke Alfred of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and Maria Alexandrovna, daughter of Alexander II. Maria Alexandrovna was the sister of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich - Kirill's father. Thus, Victoria Melita and Kirill Vladimirovich were cousins. The Russian Orthodox Church did not approve of such marriages; moreover, Victoria was divorced from the brother of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, the Grand Duke of Hesse Ernst Ludwig. (Victoria Melita had a daughter, Elizabeth, who remained with her father after the divorce, but soon died. The Grand Duke, by the way, was also Victoria Melita’s cousin: his mother Alice was the daughter of Queen Victoria, the sister of Duke Alfred of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.)

* Vronskaya J. Crown of the Russian Empire // Ogonyok. 1990. No. 2. P. 28.

** Palaiologist M. Tsarist Russia on the eve of the revolution. M., 1991. P. 353.

***According to the recollections of Colonel B.A. Engelhardt, a participant in those events, the picture seems somewhat different: “At the head of the guards crew, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich appeared. He came into my office. Contrary to existing stories, he did not have a shoulder of a red bow. He seemed dejected, depressed: obviously, it was not easy for the tsar’s cousin to take part in the revolutionary procession. He nevertheless decided to do this, thinking with such a gesture to retain control of the unit in his hands" (Engelhardt B.A. The first chaotic days of the revolution 1917. (From the memoirs of a former member of the State Duma) // Today (Riga, 1937. April 29). Note comp.

**** Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich. Book of Memories. Paris, 1980. P. 323.

Kirill Vladimirovich promised Nicholas II that he would not marry Victoria, but he did not keep his promise. The emperor even wanted to deprive him of the title of Grand Duke, but Vladimir Alexandrovich tearfully asked for his son, and the august nephew could not refuse his uncle.

After the death of Kirill Vladimirovich in 1938, Vladimir Kirillovich did not dare to proclaim himself emperor, remaining the Head of the Russian Imperial House. He was recognized by all three surviving grand dukes by that time - Boris and Andrei Vladimirovich and Dmitry Pavlovich and princes Gabriel Konstantinovich and Vsevolod Ioannovich. The sons of Alexander Mikhailovich, who died in 1933, did not sign the application to recognize Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich as the Head of the House as members of the Imperial House, but in a private letter to Andrei Vladimirovich, the eldest of the brothers, Andrei Alexandrovich, unconditionally recognized the rights of Vladimir Kirillovich: “I personally recognized Kirill as the same Now I recognize his son."*

In August 1948, Vladimir Kirillovich married Princess Leonida Georgievna Bagration-Mukhranskaya. This marriage was recognized as equal, since until 1801 the Bagrations were a royal dynasty, and the ruling princes Bagration-Mukhrani were a branch of the Bagrations*.

* Succession to the Russian Imperial throne. Los Angeles, 1985, p. 71.

Previously, Leonida Georgievna was in a civil marriage with the American Sumner Kirby (died in April 1945), having a daughter Elena from him. Leonida Georgievna's mother, née Zlotnitskaya, belonged to an old Polish noble family that intermarried with the Georgian nobility (her mother was the Georgian princess Maria Eristavova). The marriage of Elena Sigismundovna Zlotnitskaya with Prince Georgy Alexandrovich Bagration-Mukhransky, according to the traditions of the royal house of Georgia, was dynastic.

Vladimir Kirillovich and Leonida Georgievna had a daughter, Maria, in December 1953. When she reached dynastic adulthood, Vladimir Kirillovich issued the “Act on the establishment, upon his death, of the Guardianship of the Russian Imperial Throne in the person of his daughter.” Mary was called the only legitimate heir, since all possible applicants for the guardianship of the throne in the male line were in morganatic marriages and, therefore, were deprived of all rights of succession to the throne.

* The issue of succession to the throne is discussed in detail in the article by S. V. Dumin “The Right to the Throne” (Rodina. 1993. No. 1. P. 38-43). Note comp.

The rescript, in which Vladimir Kirillovich did not recognize the marriages of his relatives, and called their children not Romanovs, but Romanovskys, as princes belonging to collateral lines of the family, caused a serious quarrel in the Romanov family. After declaring Mary heir to the throne, princes Andrei Alexandrovich, Roman Petrovich and Vsevolod Ioannovich stated that they, in particular, did not recognize her right to the throne: “... we consider the proclamation of Princess Maria Vladimirovna as the future head of the Russian Imperial House as an act of arbitrariness and lawlessness.” *.

In 1976, Maria Vladimirovna married Franz Wilhelm, Prince of Prussia, great-grandson of Emperor Wilhelm II. He was granted the title of Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich, which also outraged the descendants of the Romanov dynasty. The birth of Maria Vladimirovna's son Georgy in March 1981 led to a new wave of rejection from relatives. Prince Vasily Alexandrovich, by that time the “elder” of the Romanov family, published a statement that could not but hurt Vladimir Kirillovich: “The happy event in the Prussian royal house has nothing to do with the Romanovs, since the newborn prince does not belong either to the Russian Imperial House or to to the Romanov family"**.

Vladimir Kirillovich died on April 21, 1992 in Miami (USA). The Russian Orthodox Church Abroad refused to perform his funeral service. He was buried at the end of May of the same year in St. Petersburg, in the Peter and Paul Fortress, in the former grand ducal tomb.

Maria Vladimirovna declared herself the Head of the Russian Imperial House. Her arrival in Moscow and St. Petersburg with her mother and son shows that she does not intend to deviate from the course chosen by her father for rapprochement with Russia and the Russian leadership.

Meanwhile, at the end of June 1992, male representatives of the Romanov descendants gathered in Paris: princes Nikolai Romanovich (Italy), Dmitry Romanovich (Copenhagen), Andrei Andreevich (San Francisco), Nikita and Alexander Nikitovich (New York), Mikhail Fedorovich ( Paris) and Rostislav Rostislavovich (London). They had to agree on who would officially become the head of the family. No decision was made, but Prince Nicholas stated: “The Russian imperial dynasty no longer has a head, and the Russian people themselves must make their own decision in this regard.”***.

* Gorokhov D. The Romanovs: the fate of the dynasty // Echo of the Planet. 1990. No. 16. P. 33.

** Ibid. P. 34.

***Echo of the planet. 1992. No. 30. P. 24.

Kirill I Vladimirovich and his family. Part 1.

Kirill I Vladimirovich and his family

After the execution in 1918 by the Bolsheviks of Emperor Nicholas II, Heir Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich and Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, that is, the extermination of all the male offspring of Emperor Alexander III, the rights to the throne passed to the descendants of Emperor Alexander II.

The eldest dynastically among them was Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich. In 1922, not yet being sure of the death of his predecessors in the line of succession to the throne, the Grand Duke declared himself Guardian of the Sovereign Throne. When the last doubts regarding the fate of the Royal Martyrs were dispelled, in accordance with the Basic State Laws of the Russian Empire, on August 31/September 13, 1924, Kirill Vladimirovich accepted the title of All-Russian Emperor in exile.

Ceremonial photography after the monarchist manifestation in Paris. From left to right: Princess Elizabeth, her parents Prince Nicholas of Greece and his wife Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich with his wife Victoria Feodorovna, their son Vladimir Kirillovich, son-in-law Prince Karl Leiningen and brother Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich. Around 1930.

Kirill I made a lot of efforts to alleviate the situation of Russian emigrants, but mainly his eyes were always turned to Russia. The Emperor strongly condemned the reliance on foreign intervention and firmly believed that the day would come when the people themselves would overthrow the communist regime and return to their historical path. He saw his main task in preserving the monarchical state tradition and the legal foundations of the Russian Imperial House, so that there would always be a legitimate Successor of the All-Russian Emperors, brought up in the Orthodox Faith and love for the Motherland, ready to answer the people's call if the people of Russia wish to return the Monarchy. The evil slander of regicides and traitors darkened the life of Emperor Cyril I, but he carried out his royal service with firm faith in God and consciousness of his mission. The outstanding poet of Russian emigration S. Bekhteev wrote about him:

For a holy and great feat
For Rus' and for the Faith of Christ
He went out to violent shouts -
Servant and Protector of the Cross.

He came out without anger, without fear,
Calling to shame the rebels -
Heir to the crown of Monomakh
And the barm of the Orthodox Tsars.

Since 1928, the Sovereign and his family spent most of their time in the Coeur-Argonide estate they acquired in the city of Saint-Briac (Brittany). The death of Empress Victoria Feodorovna in 1936 was a heavy blow for Cyril I. The consequences of the disaster on March 31/April 13, 1904 and longing for the Motherland undermined the Emperor’s strength. In September 1938, signs of gangrene appeared on the Emperor’s legs, which could not be stopped.

Emperor Cyril I rested on the eve of his birthday in a hospital in Neuilly-sur-Seine near Paris. On October 6/19, 1938, he was buried next to his wife in the Family Crypt of the Dukes of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in Coburg, but bequeathed at the first opportunity to rebury him in his homeland. On February 22/March 7, 1995, through the efforts of the Dowager Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna, the ashes of Emperor Kirill I and Empress Victoria Feodorovna were transferred to the Ancestral Tomb of the Romanov Dynasty - the Peter and Paul Cathedral of St. Petersburg. When opening the tombs in Coburg, it was discovered that the remains of the Sovereign were incorruptible. In the history of Russia, Kirill Vladimirovich will forever remain the Tsar-Confessor, who, under the most difficult conditions, preserved the sacred traditions of the Orthodox legal monarchy.

Vladimir III Kirillovich

Head of the Russian Imperial House Grand Duke (de jure Emperor of All Russia) Vladimir III Kirillovich (Borgo, August 17/30, 1917 - Miami (USA), April 8/21, 1992).

The only son of Emperor Kirill I and Empress Victoria Feodorovna (nee Princess of Great Britain and Ireland and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha). Born in the Grand Duchy of Finland, that is, still on the territory of the Russian Empire. He moved to Europe with his family. He spent his childhood in France, in the city of Saint-Briac (Brittany, Ile-et-Villain dept.). His parents made every effort to ensure that he received a truly Russian Orthodox education and was ready at any moment to accept the rights and responsibilities of his royal ancestors.

Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna with her newborn son Vladimir, 1917

Maria, Victoria, Vladimir, Kirill and Kira in Finland.

Vladimir Kirillovich in Paris.

On September 9/October 12, 1938, after the death of Emperor Kirill I, he became the Head of the Russian Imperial House. He considered it best, until the restoration of the Monarchy in Russia, not to officially accept the Imperial title, which rightfully belonged to him by virtue of the Basic State Laws of the Russian Empire. Continued to use the title of Grand Duke.

Proclamation of Vladimir Kirillovich as head of the House of Romanov.

Due to the outbreak of the Second World War, he did not have time to complete a course at the University of London, but received a comprehensive private education, and also took General Staff courses. In addition to Russian, he was fluent in English, French, Spanish and German.

In 1939, in order to better understand the life of ordinary people, he went incognito to Great Britain and got a job there as a factory worker under the name Pyotr Mikhailov, like Emperor Peter I the Great.

The occupation of France by Germany found the Grand Duke in Saint-Briac. Using his connections with anti-Nazi-minded German career officers from the aristocratic environment, the Emperor was able to significantly alleviate the plight of Soviet prisoners of war held in concentration camps in Saint-Malo and on the island of Jersey. He repeatedly personally sent them money, sent his secretary, Colonel D. Senyavin, to find out in what conditions his compatriots were being kept, and took care of organizing church services in the camps.

In 1944, the German authorities forced the Emperor to move to Paris, and then to Germany. There he chose Amorbach as his place of residence. After the end of the war, with the help of officers of the French Foreign Legion, evading arrest by the Soviet occupation authorities in Austria, he went through Switzerland to Spain, where his aunt Infanta Beatrice lived

On November 22/December 5, 1946, at the request of the Spanish Royal House, he issued an Act restoring historical justice to the Georgian Royal House of Bagration, recognizing and confirming its Royal dignity. This event was providential. Soon he met the daughter of the Head of the Georgian Dynasty, Prince Georgy Alexandrovich Bagration-Mukhrani-Gruzinsky, Princess Leonida.

Portrait by Ksenia Vyshpolskaya

Vladimir Kirillovich and Leonida Georgievna

July 31/August 13, 1948 in Lausanne, in the church of St. Gerasima entered into an equal marriage with her, thanks to which the Russian Imperial House became related to the oldest Royal Bagratid Dynasty in Europe, which, according to legend, descended from the biblical King David the Psalmist and was thus related in humanity to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. On December 10/23, 1953, the only daughter Grand Duchess Maria, now head of the Russian Imperial House, was born to Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich and Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna.

Vladimir, Maria, Leonida. 1953

Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich with wife
Leonida Georgievna Bagration-Mukhranskaya and daughter Maria

Standing: Kira Kirillovna, former Kaiser Wilhelm II, Prince Louis Ferdinand, Vladimir Kirillovich. Seated: William's second wife Hermine and Crown Princess Cecilia

Throughout more than 50 years of his service, Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich remained a symbol of historical Russia and the banner of the fight against God and totalitarianism. Like his father, he always believed that communism would be eradicated by the Russian people themselves, like a disease. He welcomed the fall of the communist regime in August 1991, but suffered with pain the subsequent territorial disintegration of the Great Power, grief, suffering and ruin of millions of compatriots. All the peoples of the Russian Empire were dear to him, and he never gave up his call to restore the lost unity

1976

Vladimir Kirillovich Romanov visited the Assumption Cathedral

Vladimir Kirillovich with his family in Helsinki.

In Russia. 1991

On October 23-29/November 5-11, 1991, the first visit of the Head of the Russian Imperial House to his homeland after the 1917 revolution took place. Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich, together with Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna, arrived in St. Petersburg for celebrations in honor of the return of his name to the city. He honored the memory of his Royal Predecessors and the victims of the Siege, bowed to the St. Petersburg shrines and for the first time met with His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II, with whom he had previously only exchanged messages. His Eminence Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, who became the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2009, also took part in this meeting of Patriarch Alexy II with Sovereign Vladimir Kirillovich and Sovereign Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna. The Grand Duke assured Patriarch Alexy II and Vladyka Kirill that he would make every effort to heal church divisions abroad and would always fulfill his duty to protect Holy Orthodoxy and the unity of the Russian Church.

1992

Vladimir Kirillovich and Leonida Georgievna. 1992

On the eve of Holy Wednesday 1992, during his visit to the United States, undertaken with the aim of attracting friendly Western business circles to the revival of the Russian economy, he died suddenly in Miami during a press conference. In fulfillment of the will of the deceased, the coffin with his body was delivered to Russia. On April 16/29, a funeral service for the Emperor was held at St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, led by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus'. In a touching funeral eulogy, the Patriarch especially emphasized the strong impression they made on him“the deep faith of the deceased, his love for Russia and its people.” “May the Lord rest in peace the soul of the newly departed servant of His Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich in the heavenly abodes,- His Holiness proclaimed at the end of the sermon,- and grants him to be a participant in eternal joy in the non-evening day of the Kingdom of Christ!. On May 16/29, 1992 he was buried in the Ancestral Tomb of the Romanov Dynasty - the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

Head of the Russian Imperial House H.I.H. Sovereign Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna

Head of the Russian Imperial House Her Imperial Highness the Sovereign Grand Duchess (de jure Her Imperial Majesty the Sovereign Empress and Autocrat of All Russia) Maria Vladimirovna was born on December 23rd. Art. 1953 in Madrid. She is the only daughter of the Head of the Russian Imperial House, H.I.H. Sovereign Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich and His August Wife H.I.V. Sovereign Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna (nee E.Ts.V. Princess Bagration-Mukhranskaya-Gruzinskaya). According to the tradition of the Imperial Family, the Grand Duchess was raised in the spirit of the Orthodox Faith and devotion to the interests of Russia

Since, of all the male Members of the Russian Imperial House, only her Father entered into an equal marriage, the young Grand Duchess inevitably had to sooner or later become the Heir to the All-Russian Throne. Because of this, Sovereign Vladimir III Kirillovich determined her majority at 16 years old (Article 40 of the Basic Laws of the Russian Empire), and on December 23, 1969, the Blessed Empress Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna took the dynastic oath of allegiance to the Fatherland and her August Father established by the Basic Laws. On the same day, the Head of the Russian Imperial House issued an Act according to which, in the event of his death during the lifetime of any of the still living Princes of the Imperial Blood who entered into morganatic marriages, the Grand Duchess became the Guardian of the correct succession to the throne.

On September 22, 1976, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna entered into an equal marriage with E.K.V. Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia. Since the Grand Duchess was to lead the Romanov Dynasty, before the wedding a dynastic agreement was concluded and legally formalized, according to which Prince Franz Wilhelm accepted Holy Orthodoxy and became part of the Russian Imperial House with the name Mikhail Pavlovich and the title of Grand Duke. He committed himself to raising the offspring that could arise from marriage in the Orthodox Faith. The status of Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich was determined by the provisions of Article 6 of the Basic Laws of the Russian Empire.

The guardianship provided for by the 1969 Act never came into force, because the last, in addition to Grand Duke Vladimir III Kirillovich, male Member of the Dynasty - Prince of the Imperial Blood Vasily Alexandrovich - died during the lifetime of the Head of the Russian Imperial House in 1989. From that moment on, the Grand Duchess became not only inevitable in the future, but also the actual Heiress of her Father.

With the death of Grand Duke Vladimir III Kirillovich, the last male line of the House of Romanov died out and the legacy of the Throne, in accordance with Article 30 of the Basic Laws of the Russian Empire, passed into the female line to his Daughter. The Grand Duchess became the Head of the Russian Imperial House (de jure Empress of All Russia) Maria I.

The Empress graduated from Oxford University. In addition to Russian, the Grand Duchess is fluent in English, French, Spanish, speaks and reads German, Italian and Arabic.

She visited the Fatherland for the first time in April 1992, arriving with her mother and son for the funeral service of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II Grand Duke Vladimir III Kirillovich.

Since then, the Empress has visited Russia more than 50 times, continuing the work of her Royal Predecessors and seeking to help her compatriots in reviving the traditional foundations of the state and society. In her addresses and interviews, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna constantly emphasizes that, being the bearer of the ideal of an Orthodox legal monarchy, she in no way wants to impose a monarchical system on the Russians against their will, does not intend to engage in political or even more so opposition activities, but is always ready to serve her people and use for Russia the entire spiritual and historical potential of the Russian Imperial House. Like her Father and Grandfather, Grand Duchess Maria I Vladimirovna confidently and firmly fulfills the Royal service entrusted to her by God, completely devoting her life to her dearly beloved Fatherland.

E.I.V. Sovereign Heir Tsarevich and Grand Duke Georgy Mikhailovich

His Imperial Highness the Sovereign Heir Tsarevich and Grand Duke Georgy Mikhailovich was born on March 13th. Art. 1981 in Madrid, on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the martyrdom of his Great-great-great-grandfather Emperor Alexander II the Liberator (+ 1/14 March 1881), from the marriage of H.I.V. Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna with H.I.H. Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich. At the sacrament of baptism of the Grand Duke, performed before the miraculous Kursk Icon of the Mother of God in the Orthodox Church of Madrid, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain, King Simeon II and Queen Margarita of Bulgaria were present, and King Constantine II of the Hellenes became the godfather.

with godmother Queen Sofia of Spain

The Tsarevich spent his early childhood in Saint-Briac, and then he moved to Paris. Until 1999, the Heir, together with his August Mother, lived permanently in Madrid, where he graduated from college. From infancy, the Grand Duke was raised in the spirit of the Orthodox Faith and in the consciousness of his royal duty to the Motherland.

With grandfather Prince Vladimir Kirillovich

The heir Tsarevich first visited Russia in April 1992, when the entire Imperial Family arrived for the funeral service of the Sovereign Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich. Since then, he has visited the Fatherland many times, always showing a keen interest in all aspects of the life of the people. An indelible impression on the Grand Duke was made by the ancient Russian Orthodox churches, which, in his opinion, created a very special prayerful mood. Visits to military installations and meetings with soldiers and officers of the Russian Army and Navy also always arouse his joy and deep interest.

The Tsarevich goes in for sports and shoots accurately. In addition to Russian, in which he always passed exams with honors, Grand Duke George Mikhailovich is fluent in English, French and Spanish. He knows Orthodox worship well and takes part in it himself. On April 9, 1998, during the pilgrimage trip of the Imperial Family to the Holy Land, the Blessed Sovereign, Heir Tsarevich and Grand Duke George Mikhailovich took the dynastic oath of allegiance to the Fatherland and his August Mother established by the Basic Laws of the Russian Empire. The ceremony took place in Jerusalem, in the Throne Hall of the Patriarchal residence, where the oath of the Heir to the All-Russian Throne was taken by the outstanding Hierarch of the Holy Church and strict guardian of the purity of Orthodoxy, Patriarch Diodorus of Jerusalem, who blessed the Grand Duke to defend the Orthodox Faith, serve Russia and its people and inviolably protect the legal foundations of the Russian Imperial House .

After graduating from Oxford, wanting to study the processes determining the development of Europe, His Imperial Highness worked in the European Parliament, then moved to the position of assistant to the Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Transport and Energy, Mrs. Loyola de Palacio in Brussels. Then he continued to work at the European Commission, but in Luxembourg, in the department of nuclear energy and nuclear production safety. Over the years, the Grand Duke visited the Fatherland several times on working visits, without attracting attention to himself. In 2006, the Tsarevich’s first independent official visit to his homeland took place. On behalf of his mother, Head of the Dynasty Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, her son performed an honorable mission and, on behalf of the Imperial House, congratulated His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II on the 45th anniversary of his episcopal consecration. At the same time, meetings of the Grand Duke took place with the first deputy chairmen of the State Duma of the Russian Federation O. Morozov and L. Sliskaya, chairmen of Duma committees and deputies.

During his November visit to Russia in 2008, Tsarevich Georgy Mikhailovich accepted the offer of the management of OJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel and in December of the same year took up the post of Advisor to the General Director of Norilsk Nickel V.I. Strzhalkovsky. In his new position, His Imperial Highness represents the interests of this one of the largest Russian companies in the European Union. In addition, Grand Duke Georgy Mikhailovich, together with the First Deputy General Director of Norilsk Nickel O. Pivovarchuk and Deputy General Director V. Sprogis, joined the Board of the Nickel Institute. The Tsarevich’s activities, among other things, are aimed at implementing the Norilsk Nickel company’s program to challenge the decision of the European Commission to classify a number of nickel compounds as hazardous substances. “I have always wanted to use the knowledge and experience I acquired for the benefit of the Motherland and gladly accepted the offer of the management of MMC Norilsk Nickel to take this responsible position. I hope to justify the trust placed in me and contribute in every possible way to the further development of the Company,” said His Imperial Highness