On Sunday, residents of the Moscow suburban settlements of Usovo and Ilyinskoye participated in a cross procession in honor of the holy great martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna Romanova. According to the organizers of the event, about three thousand people took part in the Elizavetinsky Cross Procession.

The cross procession dedicated to Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna has been held since 2011 on the Sunday closest to her name day. The Church commemorates the memory of Saint Grand Duchess Elizabeth on September 18th.

As per the organizers, the Cross Procession route passes by historical buildings of a maternity shelter and a hospital for the wounded and disabled veterans of the Russo-Japanese War. Participants crossed the Moscow River to Usovo using a pontoon bridge and rafts. The Elizavetinsky Cross Procession, symbolizing the journey of life, is the only one in Russia that involves crossing a river.

The Ilyinskoye Cross Procession, now in its twelfth year, is organized by the charitable foundation "Elizavetinsko-Sergiyevskoye Enlightenment Society" to promote the revival of traditions of compassion and philanthropy.

Saint Venerable Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna was the wife of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, the governor of Moscow, and the brother of Tsar Alexander III. In 1905, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich was assassinated by terrorists. After her husband's death, Elizabeth headed the Moscow branch of the Red Cross and the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society, through which Russia established itself in the Holy Land. She founded the Marfo-Mariinsky Convent of Mercy in Moscow. Elizabeth was killed by the Bolsheviks at the age of 53. Her remains were buried in the Holy Land, to which the White Army transported her ashes through China.

The holy princess's ashes are interred under the Church of Mary Magdalene in Gethsemane, a place she and her husband visited while serving as the first chairpersons of the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society, which contributed to Russia's establishment in the Holy Land.

In 1981, the imperial family was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad as martyrs, and in 2000, they were canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. A statue of Saint Martyr Elizabeth Feodorovna Romanova stands among nine saints canonized by the Anglican Church.

Photo: ria.ru