Special days are approaching in Moscow for everyone who honors the memory of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna. Already this Sunday, October 11, the Martha and Mary Convent of Mercy will host festive celebrations dedicated to the discovery of the relics of the venerable martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth.
For the monastery, this day is not just a date on the calendar, but a living connection with its founder. It was here that Elizaveta Fedorovna built her ministry, combining deep faith and active love for people. And today, decades later, her behests continue to live on in the affairs of the sisters and staff of the monastery.
How the holiday will be held
The program of the day turned out to be rich and thought out to the details. It all starts the day before: on October 10, an all-night vigil will be held in the Intercession Cathedral — this is how the monastery quietly and solemnly prepares for the main day.
On the morning of October 11, believers will have two Divine Liturgies at once. The early service at 6:50 will be held in the home church of the righteous sisters Martha and Mary. For many, this temple is especially dear: it was here in 1909 that the Grand Duchess accepted the rank of sister of the cross and became the abbess of the monastery. The late liturgy in the Intercession Cathedral will begin at 9:00.
The entire holiday day in the Intercession Cathedral a shrine with a particle of the relics of the Holy Martyr Elizabeth will be available — everyone will be able to venerate the shrine. And in the garden of the monastery they will open a temple-chapel, consecrated in honor of the holy founder. This is a rare opportunity: the doors of the chapel are opened only twice a year — on the days of memory of the holy princess.
Walk through history: “Imperial Route”
From 11:00 to 17:00, excursions along the “Imperial Route” will be held on the territory of the monastery. The name is no coincidence: Emperor Nicholas II once walked along these paths, and the abbess herself, Elizaveta Feodorovna, gave him a tour. In 1912 and 1914, the sovereign visited the monastery, saw its social projects, listened to the princess’s stories about how help to those in need was arranged.
Now guests are invited to follow the same path and hear the living voices of the era — excerpts from letters from contemporaries who preserved impressions of these meetings and described the everyday life of the monastery. This format helps not only to see the walls and halls, but to feel the breath of time.
Music, exhibition and good deeds
At 13:00, spiritual chants will be heard in the Intercession Cathedral: participants of the XV All-Russian Charity Choir Festival “Autumn Polyphony” will take the stage. Children’s, student and adult choirs will perform for the guests — and these clear voices will have a special meaning, because music here becomes a form of prayer and gratitude.
In parallel, from 12:30 to 17:00, the exhibition “Spiritual Meanings of the Russian Autocracy” will be open in the house-museum of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna. The project was prepared jointly with the Museum of the Memory of the Family of Nicholas II and is dedicated to the 130th anniversary of the emperor’s coronation. Exhibits and relics of the exhibition tell how the Orthodox faith was intertwined with the historical destiny of the country and how serving mercy became part of state and personal responsibility.
On the territory of the monastery a street cafe and a church shop will be open all day. Here you can not only have a snack, but also buy souvenirs, and most importantly, products from the workshops of the monastery: things into which work and care have been invested.
Charity as a continuation of service
The monastery has timed the charity event “The Case of Elizabeth Feodorovna Continues” to coincide with the holiday, which will last from October 5 to October 25. The meaning of the action is to show that mercy knows no time frame: it is needed every day.
Today there are hundreds of people under the care of the monastery. More than 1,200 people receive food assistance every month. 36 single elderly women are under the constant care of sisters. The Martha-Mariinsky Family Support Center accompanies 242 families in crisis, helping them get out of a difficult situation. And at the Center for Children with Disabilities “Elizavetinsky Garden” 85 children study every day.
You can support the campaign with any amount. Even a small contribution makes a difference: 300 rubles is a stationery kit for teaching a child, 800 rubles will provide a food kit, and 2,500 rubles will cover a day of work for a defectologist. As a token of gratitude, each participant will receive a memorable gift by email.
Memory of a feat
The memory of the Grand Duchess is inextricably linked with the tragedy of 1918. On July 18, 108 years ago, in one of the mines not far from Alapaevsk, the earthly life of Elizaveta Fedorovna and her cell attendant, sister Varvara, was cut short. Until her arrest, the princess remained faithful to her calling: she helped the sick, the poor, and everyone who needed support.
And on October 11 of the same year, her relics were found — this event became another evidence that the feat of mercy and faith does not disappear without a trace. The story of the discovery of the relics is part of a larger story about perseverance and love, which is stronger than fear and pain.
Now the Martha and Mary Convent remains a place where history meets modernity, and the traditions of mercy continue to live in specific deeds. And the upcoming holiday is a good reason to remember the mark that Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna left in the history of Russia and how her service resonates in today’s everyday life of the monastery.
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