“Like a wondrous vision, she graced the earth, leaving a radiant trail in her wake. Alongside all those who suffered for their homeland, she became both a redemption for the Russia of the past and a foundation for the Russia to come… Such figures possess enduring significance: theirs is the realm of eternal memory, both on earth and in heaven. Not in vain did the voice of the people proclaim her a saint, even during her lifetime.”
Archbishop Anastassy
A spiritual lily blossomed on Russian soil, her life’s journey stretching from Darmstadt to Jerusalem. Like the Myrrhbearing Women, she followed Christ resolutely, choosing good even when it demanded the greatest sacrifice from her. Her holy name resonates throughout the world today, and the voice of the people declared Grand Duchess Elisabeth a saint while she was still treading this earth. For she was a living testament to eternity in this world, in our earthly homeland. Guiding the Grand Duchess Elisabeth on her path to heaven were the spiritual luminaries of her time, God’s saints, glorified by the Church. In her life of many sorrows, in moments of doubt, she sought their aid, counsel, and intercessory prayers. Sometimes miraculously, the saints revealed the truth, and she emerged from her difficulties.
Born a Lutheran, Elisabeth retained her faith upon marrying Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. The Grand Duke, a deeply devout Orthodox Christian, grieved that his wife could not share the fullness of communion with God that the Orthodox faith offers. Saint John of Kronstadt, Sergei Alexandrovich’s spiritual father, advised, “Leave her be; speak not to her of our faith. She will come to it herself.” Seven years of fervent prayers bore fruit. As Archbishop Anastassy (Gribanovsky) noted, after her marriage, “With her characteristic inquisitiveness and moral sensitivity, the young Grand Duchess began to closely examine the national traits of the Russian people, especially their faith, which had left a profound mark on our national character and our entire culture. Soon, Orthodoxy captivated her with its beauty and the richness of its inner content.”
The Grand Duchess’s decision to convert was carefully considered and deliberate: her heart belonged to the faith her husband professed. After a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1889, Elisabeth Feodorovna wrote to her father, Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse-Darmstadt: “I have been thinking, reading, and praying to God to show me the right path, and I have come to the conclusion that only in this religion can I find the true and strong faith in God that a person must have to be a good Christian…” On Lazarus Saturday, 1891, in the Church of the Nativity of Christ within the Sergius Palace in St. Petersburg, Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna joined the Orthodox Church through the sacrament of Chrismation, and took the name Elisabeth in honour of the mother of St. John the Baptist.
In her journey towards God, Grand Duchess Elisabeth later confided to Emperor Nicholas II:
“My dear Nicky,
Thank you so much for your long letter, full of kind and wonderful advice, with which I completely agree and understand perfectly. In response, I would like to reveal a bit of my inner life, so that you may know the part we rarely discuss.
You mention the spirit of delusion, which, alas, one can fall into and which Sergei and I often discussed. When I was a Protestant, he never imposed his faith upon me, showing remarkable magnanimity and tact. He bore the sorrow of our differing beliefs with great strength – thanks to Father John, who told him: "Leave her be; do not speak of our faith, it will come to her on its own." Praise be to God, it happened just so.
So Sergei, who knew his faith well and lived by it impeccably, as a true Orthodox Christian, nurtured me in the same way. And, thank God, he warned me against this spirit of delusion, which you mention.”
From a letter to Emperor Nicholas Alexandrovich, 18 April 1909
The paths of Father John of Kronstadt and Elisabeth Feodorovna crossed again when she served as the head of the Red Cross. Like Father John, Elisabeth Feodorovna dedicated her life to the Lord through service to others. To establish a haven of labour, mercy, and prayer was her heartfelt desire. In 1896, she founded the Elisabeth Community of Sisters of Mercy, and Father John of Kronstadt became an honorary member of its committee. With his involvement, the community built additional hospital wards and a church.
Grand Duchess Elisabeth maintained a correspondence with the holy righteous John of Kronstadt
In 1886, the Grand Ducal couple met Saint Theophan the Recluse. Close friends from the Naryshkin family invited Sergei Alexandrovich and Elisabeth Feodorovna on a pilgrimage to Vyshensky Monastery. The monastery welcomed these distinguished guests with open arms. The cathedral was festively decorated and filled with flowers. The royal pilgrims first venerated the miraculous Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, and the following day, after the Divine Liturgy, they met Saint Theophan. The details of their conversation remain unknown, but years later, after the founding of the Martha and Mary Convent, some of the Grand Duchess’s friends noted similarities between the lives of Saint Theophan and the Grand Duchess in their correspondence. Like Father Theophan, Mother Superior Elisabeth lived in two small rooms, renouncing all luxury. Their prayer rules were also remarkably similar, and even the diets of the two ascetics were nearly identical.
The Grand Ducal couple visit the Vyshensky Monastery in 1886
Russia, rich in spiritual giants, has gifted the heavenly realm with many saints. Yet, among them, Saint Seraphim of Sarov stands out as a wondrous revelation of love for God and humanity, one who attained visions of divine mysteries while still on earth. Within the Grand Ducal palace lay a sacred relic — the mantle of Saint Seraphim, entrusted to Sergei Alexandrovich upon his mother’s death. Seventy years after the saint’s repose, on 1 August 1903, the day of his birth, his canonisation took place. An all-night vigil preceded the event, during which Seraphim of Sarov was glorified as a saint of the Russian Orthodox Church. With great solemnity, his relics were unveiled and placed in a prepared reliquary. The entire Imperial family journeyed to Sarov. Grand Duke Sergei and his wife were among them. In a letter from Sarov, Elisabeth Feodorovna wrote:
“What infirmities, what illnesses we witnessed, yet what faith! It seemed we were living in the time of the Saviour’s earthly life. And how they prayed, how they wept — those poor mothers with their sick children. And, praise God, many were healed. The Lord granted us to witness a mute girl speak, but oh, how her mother prayed for her…”
In the years that followed, the Grand Duchess often returned to Sarov to pray at Saint Seraphim’s shrine.
Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and her sister Grand Duchess Elisabeth walk through the Sarov forest to St. Seraphim’s spring during the Sarov celebrations, 30 July — 1 August 1903
The tragic assassination of her husband by a terrorist in 1905 shattered Elisabeth’s world, causing a profound change within her soul and forever altering her perspective on this temporal life. Elisabeth Feodorovna laid the Grand Duke to rest in the Chudov Monastery church within the Kremlin. A separate tomb was constructed for Sergei Alexandrovich beneath the reliquary of Saint Alexis.
“The relics of Saint Alexis have brought peace to my heart, tranquillity to my soul and mind. If only you, too, could come to the church, approach the holy relics, and, having prayed, simply touch your forehead to them — so that peace might enter you and remain. I barely prayed — alas, I do not know how to pray well — but I only clung to them: clung, like a child to its mother’s breast, asking for nothing, content just to be with the saint I could lean on and not feel lost alone.”
From a letter to Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova, 23 June 1908
Elisabeth Feodorovna felt the grace-filled aid emanating from the relics of Saint Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow. She entrusted both her departed husband and her own future to his protection: the Grand Duchess believed that it was Saint Alexis who instilled in her heart the desire to dedicate the rest of her life to God. To society at the time, the Grand Duchess’s resolve to disband her court, withdraw from high society, and devote herself to serving God and her neighbours seemed scandalous, even madness.
Disregarding the tears of her friends, the gossip, and the mockery of the world, Elisabeth Feodorovna courageously stepped on her new path with courage.
The Church of St. Alexis in the Chudov Monastery, the reliquary with the relics of St. Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow
The extended period of mourning for the Grand Duke, a time of deep introspection and constant presence in the church, marked a transition. From this crucible emerged Elisabeth Feodorovna’s determination to establish a haven of mercy on Ordynka Street in Moscow. Relics of Saint Alexis were enshrined within the altar of one of the Martha and Mary Convent’s churches.
Pilgrimages to holy sites nourished Elisabeth Feodorovna’s spiritual growth. She actively participated in the veneration and glorification of saints whose recognition occurred during her lifetime: the second uncovering of the relics of the holy right-believing Anna of Kashin, the transfer of the relics of Saint Euphrosyne of Polotsk, and the veneration of the relics of Saints Joasaph of Belgorod, Athanasius of Lubny, Righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye, the Solovetsky saints, the Optina elders, and other holy figures of the Russian Church. Of particular note is the group of spiritual men who, through regular conversations with the Grand Duchess, provided spiritual guidance, nurturing her greatest treasure — grace. It is no coincidence that the Grand Duchess sought the counsel of her spiritual mentors at every stage in the development of the Martha and Mary Convent.
Father Mitrofan Serebryansky, the convent’s spiritual father, who frequently visited them at the Chudov Monastery and the Holy Smolensk Zosimova Hermitage, helped pave Elisabeth Feodorovna’s path to the elders. Meetings with the elders of Optina Hermitage, Fathers Nektary and Anatoly (Potapov), left a lasting impact. Schema-monk Alexis of Zosimova Hermitage offered spiritual support, especially during the convent’s formative years. Every year, Elisabeth Feodorovna travelled to see Archimandrite Gabriel Zyryanov (1844–1915), who resided in the Eleazar Monastery near Pskov. He corresponded with the sisters of the Martha and Mary Convent and visited regularly.
Holy Martyr Grand Duchess Elisabeth and Saint Gabriel of Spaso-Eleazar
The final months of Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna’s life became intertwined with the name of His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon. On 18 November 1917, in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the election of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia took place for the first time in nearly two centuries.
“1917. 21 November. Moscow. Assumption Cathedral. The enthronement of His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon. The Divine Liturgy draws to a close. A deacon emerges from the altar and, on behalf of the Patriarch, presents a large prosphora to a woman in monastic garb, modestly hidden amongst the throng… Evoking images of ancient Russian princesses, the widow of the martyred defender of Orthodoxy, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna, accompanied by Prince Igor Konstantinovich, attends the service, as if representing the Tsar's family, languishing in Tobolsk…
Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev presents the new Patriarch with the simple, black wooden staff of Saint Peter, accompanying it with heartfelt words. Patriarch Tikhon responds, fully aware of the heavy cross laid upon him. A procession exits the cathedral. The Patriarch proceeds, surrounded by the people. The Grand Duchess stands in the square with a small group. The procession approaches. Suddenly, the Grand Duchess rushes into the crowd, disappears for a few moments, and then returns to her companions, who had feared for her safety, radiating a quiet joy. ‘I was deemed worthy to receive the Patriarch's blessing,’ says the Grand Duchess, who, within six months, would herself be martyred by the enemies of Christ the Saviour.”
N. D. Talberg, Holy Russia
Holy Martyr Grand Duchess Elisabeth and Saint Tikhon joined the ranks of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church
A letter from Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna survives, written to Alexandra Olsufieva after the Divine Liturgy celebrated by His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow and All Russia, during which she received his blessing. She wrote:
“The holy Kremlin, bearing the visible scars of these sorrowful days, was dearer to me than ever before, and I felt the extent to which the Orthodox Church is truly the Lord’s Church. I felt such profound pity for Russia and her children, who know not what they are doing. Is she not like a sick child, whom we love a hundred times more during her illness than when she is cheerful and well? I long to bear her sufferings, to teach her patience, to help her. This is what I feel every day. Holy Russia cannot perish. Great Russia, alas, is no more. But God, in the Bible, shows how He forgave His repentant people and granted them blessed freedom once again.
Let us hope that the prayers, intensifying with each passing day, and the growing repentance will appease the Ever-Virgin and that She will intercede for us before Her Divine Son, and that the Lord will forgive us.”
In 1918, on the feast day of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, following a prayer service led by Patriarch Tikhon at the Martha and Mary Convent, Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna was arrested. A brief conversation transpired between the Grand Duchess and the Patriarch before her arrest. What did they discuss? Perhaps the looming trials that awaited her. After the service, the Patriarch remained at the convent until four in the afternoon, conversing with the Mother Superior and the sisters. This was the final blessing and counsel from the head of the Russian Orthodox Church before the Grand Duchess embarked on her own path to Calvary.
The reliquary with the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh, Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, Moscow
Saint Sergius, the great abbot and unifier of the Russian land, remains our eternal contemporary. In his gentle sacrifice, in his love for God and humanity, lies eternal life. His life reveals the mystery of the One in Essence and Undivided Trinity, to Whom our saints dedicated their lives. Through their ascetic struggles, the saints revealed participation in the mystery of Christ’s love, in His sacrificial offering of Himself for others. And when the people’s sins overflowed the cup of the Lord’s patience, the New Martyrs revealed this truth to us anew. Asceticism and martyrdom intertwined in the life of Grand Duchess Elisabeth on 18 July 1918, the day of the uncovering of the relics of Saint Sergius, the heavenly protector of the Russian prince who had revealed to her the beauty of Orthodoxy. Ascending her own Golgotha, the holy martyr wrote to the sisters of the convent:
“Elder sisters, unite your flock. Ask Patriarch Tikhon to take the ‘little chicks’ under his wing… Catherine will return to you soon and tell you how we are settled. We have been given very dear guardian angels. We haven’t slept much, because thoughts, thoughts keep creeping in… I try to read Saint Sergius. I have my Bible; we will read, pray, and hope. For God’s sake, do not lose heart. The Mother of God knows why Her Heavenly Son sent us this trial on the day of Her feast.”
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) These words the Grand Duchess uttered about her executioners in the Alapayevsk mine. Saints are not born; they are made, ascending their own Golgotha, following the Saviour. The path of Grand Duchess Elisabeth teaches us that whatever life’s circumstances, whatever upheavals may change the face of the earth, we must remain in God’s image.
Our Mother, Holy Martyr Elisabeth, pray to God for us!
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:35,37)
Material prepared by the editors of obitel-minsk.ru
Photographs from the Internet
Sources:
1. In Memory of Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna, Archbishop Anastassy. Jerusalem: Printing House of the Greek Orthodox Monastery, 1925.
2. Martyrs of Christian Duty, Abbot Seraphim. Beijing: Russian Printing House at the Ecclesiastical Mission, 1920.
3. “Saint Sergius and Holy Martyr Grand Duchess Elisabeth” (ruskline.ru).
4. “Letters of Elisabeth Feodorovna” — Convent of Alapayevsk (monsvelisavetialap.ru).
5. “Holy Martyr Grand Duchess Elisabeth — Heavenly Patroness of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society” (ippo.ru).
