May 14, 2000

St. Grand Duchess Elizabeth


St. Grand Duchess Elizabeth

How does the granddaughter of Queen Victoria of Britain and sister to the Tsarina of Russia become the founder of a religious convent and end up brutally murdered? Let's begin with some rather intriguing geneology and how England, Germany and Russia became intertwined.

Louis II of Hesse:
children included Charles and Marie
Charles was father of Louis IV (b. 1837) who married Alice Maude Mary, daughter of Queen Victoria.
Marie married Alexander II or Russia; their children included Alexander III and Serge.
Serge (b. 1857) married Elizabeth, daughter of Louis IV and Alice Maude Mary.
Alexander III (b. 1845) fathered Nicholas II (b. 1868) who married Elizabeth's sister, Alexandra.

Elizabeth, also known as Ella, was born in Bessungen in 1864. She married the Grand Duke Serge Alexandrovich Romanov in 1884. Serge is reputed to have been a sadistic man and a homosexual. In 1892, Serge, as governor of Moscow, had the Jewish quarter of that city torn apart by Cossacks and the residents, mostly artists and merchants, thrown out. His brother, Tsar Alexander III, didn't seem to mind as he considered the Jews enemies of Christianity for, as he believed, having killed Christ.

*Note: Grand Duke Serge's reputation is one of much controversy. What is important, here, is the strong evidence that Elizabeth loved her husband dearly and mourned deeply his death. A Godly woman, the assasination of Elizabeth's husband was a turning point in her life; a life that was, from that point onward, totally dedicated to the service of others. In fact, letters written by St. Elizabeth to Tsar Nicholas II indicate that it was the Grand Duke Serge who introduced his wife to Orthodox Christianity. Serge was a favorite uncle of Nicholas II. The purpose of this article is the life of St. Grand Duchess Elizabeth; Grand Duke Serge's reputed nature deserves separate treatment.

Grand Duke Serge (or Sergius) met his death in 1905 when he was assassinated by a terrorist bomb at the Kremlin. His widow, the Grand Duchess Elizabeth was inside the Kremlin and heard the blast. Elizabeth and Serge did not have any children; one possible reason for the alligation that Serge was homosexual; but this is little more than malicious rumor. Serge's mortal remains were interred in a Kremlin monastary, later destroyed by Stalin. The Grand Duke's crypt was discovered in 1995 and he was given a proper burial on September 17, 1995, at the Novospassky Monastery. (Serge in 17th c. royal costume)

Elizabeth was instrumental in the introduction and eventual marriage of her sister, Alexandra, to her nephew (by marriage), Nicholas II. Grandmother, Queen Victoria, was not pleased as she had hoped Alexandra would marry her grandson, Albert Victor. It was little secret that Alexandra was Victoria's favorite grand-daughter.

Elizabeth, as a widow, devoted her energies to helping the poor of Moscow. She founded a hospital and convent in that city. The Convent of Sisters of Mercy of Martha and Mary was founded in 1910 and Grand Duchess Elizabeth was the Abbess. Ironically, the abby was designed by the same architect who would design Lenin's Tomb. The interior design, as well as the pearl colored habits of the sisters, was designed by the Russian artist, Nesterov.

Elizabeth's convent had one purpose; to serve the poor of Moscow. Attached to it was a hospice, hospital and dental clinic. The sisters raised and educated orphans, brought the dying in off the streets and nursed them and those suffering from the worst of diseases could find refuge and comfort at Elizabeth's convent.

During the pre-Revolution days of Russia, this sort of unconditional caring was virtually unheard of. Here you had a Grand Duchess, a member of British, German and Russian royalty, personally caring for the most pathetic conditions of humanity; all of whom were of the peasant class. Elizabeth's ministry was not unlike that of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

Elizabeth and her sister, Alexandra, had a falling out due to the latter's desparate faith in Rasputin and the increasing turmoil in Russia. Elizabeth and her nuns lived a peaceful life, virtually separated from the pre-Revolution events. When Alexandra and her family were taken captive by Bolshevik revolutionaries, other members of the Romanov family were rounded up. Included were several Grand Dukes and the Grand Duchess Elizabeth. The day after the execution of Tsar Nicholas II, his family and household, Elizabeth, a fellow nun, Barbara, and five other Romanovs were thrown down a mine shaft in Alapayevsk, Siberia. Since they did not drown and die immediately, their executioners tossed in a live grenade. After the explosion, the horrified murders heard singing. From the depths of the shaft came the familiar hymn God Save Your People (midi file). A second grenade failed to stop the singing, so the shaft was filled with brush and set on fire. Eventually, singing ceased.

Eventually, Elizabeth's remains were found and properly interred at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem. Elizabeth was canonized by the Orthodox Church and her nuns continued her work, in secret, during the Soviet Era. Princess Alice of Battenburg (b. 1885) re-founded the Convent of Martha and Mary; originally formed by her aunt, in 1949. Today, the convent is home to an icon studio.

St. Elizabeth is honored and loved by those of the Anglican Church (Church of England), as well as the Orthodox Church. A statue of the St. Grand Duchess Elizabeth was installed in Westminister Abbey, the center of the Anglican faith, in London.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
Marooned in Moscow

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955