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Watercolors and artifacts from the collection of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna presented in St. Petersburg
Since 1884, the Beloselsky Palace has been the first family home of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and Sergei Alexandrovich Romanov, the sons of Emperor Alexander II and Empress Maria Alexandrovna.
On Sunday, November 3, the Elizaveta-Sergiyevskoye Educational Society (ESPO Foundation), whose goal is to promote the revival of the traditions of mercy and charity, organized a series of events in the palace dedicated to the 160th anniversary of the birth of the Great King. The Duchess and other anniversaries. All this took place within the framework of the XXVII International Scientific Conference of Elizaveta-Sergiyev Readings "Strength is not in strength, strength is in love." This topic is more relevant than ever.
First, the traveling exhibition "Empress Maria Alexandrovna. Life as a feat of Christian mercy." It was dedicated to the mother of Sergei Alexandrovich, the wife of Alexander II (the couple had eight children in total. - Ed.). Maria Alexandrovna (1824-1880) was a member of the Russian Red Cross. This year marks the 200th anniversary of her birth.
"She was an amazing ascetic of mercy, whose charity had a national scope and character," said Anna Gromova, head of the ESPO Foundation, at the opening of the exhibition. - Having gathered the capital of Sevastopol after the Crimean War from 1867 to 1879 and supporting soldiers and their families, he realized that it was necessary to help all those affected by the war and other disasters, find work and take care of their livelihood after the war. Yes. Disabled people and orphans. We must help! This is where the new charter of the Russian Red Cross of 1879 came from, which provided for comprehensive assistance to the population in the event of epidemics, crop failures and natural disasters.
Maria Alexandrovna's youngest granddaughter was Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna. She was a great artist. The foundation was able to collect works created by her from the 1900s to the 1950s. This exhibition was held in the Oak Hall.
"Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna was the director of many charitable and artistic associations in the Russian Empire. During the First World War, she worked as a nurse and financed a hospital in Kyiv at her own expense," the VSTO Foundation added. "All the children of the imperial family were excellent at drawing and painting, but among the children of Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna, Olga's divine talent stood out above all else.
The themes and topics of the work touch upon the everyday life of the family, tender Russian landscapes, Russian churches, war paintings and revolutionary times. The exhibition also presents the princess's personal belongings: travel boxes, photographs, notes and other souvenirs.
Young students of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy and representatives of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth looked at the exhibits with interest. They especially liked the watercolor "Walking Sisters of Mercy", lyrically recalling the hard work of military hospitals.
- Maria Alexandrovna raised true patriots and honest people. She taught children to love God and their neighbors. These traditions formed the high spiritual status of Russia, and you and I are the heirs of this legacy." Anna Vitalievna seemed to be addressing all the residents of our country. - Today, Russia is once again gaining a high spiritual status, and that is why people from all over the world, people of good will and strong Christian convictions, are drawn to us.
After viewing both exhibitions, the session of the XXVII International Scientific Conference "Elizavetinsko-Sergievsky Readings" "Strength is not in power, strength is in love" began. Incidentally, this is already the second session. The first meeting took place on November 1 in Moscow. The name was not chosen by chance. It is the motto of the Russian Red Cross.
- There is a large community of people in this country who follow the Elizabethan principles of mercy, or so-called Elizabethans. But in order to find out exactly what Elizabeth did and what of her rich heritage we can apply today, when our soldiers need it, archival work is necessary. This is what our conference is being held for,” said Ms. Gromova, explaining the purpose of the meeting. - In addition, the Elizabethan-Sergius Educational Society is the founder and director of the federal historical and educational project “Imperial Route”, implemented in 31 regions. In order for museums and branches along the route, glorifying humanitarian and military exploits, to be based on historical truth and serious research, we actively cooperate with specialists in this area.
"The history of our country is the foundation of our future, what we are building for our children. We know that only by preserving historical memory is a great future possible. And by studying figures like Maria Alexandrovna and Olga Alexandrovna, we understand what is happening today, where our country will go tomorrow, and how we can act to become strong, wise, and worthy citizens of Russia. "I can understand how it should be."
Exhibition "Empress Maria Alexandrovna. Empire. Dynasty. Family". The exhibition is dedicated to the imperial dynasty and various stages of the empress's life. It presents portraits, relics, archival documents and photographs from leading museums and archives of Russia. The organizers were the VSPO Foundation. The exhibition will open in December. It will last until the 12th.
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