90,000 people go on the Crusade on the night of the Romanovs’ murder

On the night of July 16 to July 17, 2017, 90,000 people walked 21 kilometers from the Church on Blood in Yekaterinburg along the route which a century ago served as the path to transport the remains of the murdered members of the imperial family…

The church was built in the 70’s on the site of the Ipatievs’ house, where on July 17, 1918, Tsar Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, and their five children, along with 11 members of their household, were shot by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War.

For 25 years now, annually, thousands of pilgrims come to Yekaterinburg from all over the world to participate in the Crusade on the night of the murder of the Romanov family. All-night vigil and the night Divine Liturgy are performed in the open air on a specially arranged platform in front of the church.

In 2014, on the 400th anniversary of the accession of the House of the Romanovs, 100,000 believers from Russia, the United States, Great Britain, China, Moldova, Ukraine, and other countries went through a prayer procession from the Yekaterinburg’s Church on Blood in Honour of All Saints Resplendent in the Russian Land (the place of execution of the Royal Family) to the monastery of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers on Ganin’s Pit (the place of burning of the bodies of the Royal Family and friends). In 2015, Japanese delegation from the Satsuma region fulfilled the promise given to Tsesarevich by the Satsuma prince and personally came to honor the memory of the emperor.

Not only in Yekaterinburg, but throughout all Russia, annual events are held, in commemoration of the tragedy of July 1918. These days, referred to as “Royal,” offer visitors an extensive cultural and educational program.

Here is the footage of the annual Crusade: