Русская Версия

July 5, 2010
Memorial services were held for Her Imperial Highness, Dowager Grand Duchess Leonida Romanov

On Thursday, July 1, memorial services were held for the fortieth day of the repose of Her Imperial Highness, Grand Duchess Leonida Romanov, in Holy Annunciation Church in Flushing, NY, served by rector Archpriest Alexei Ohotin, as well as in Our Lady of Tikhvin Church in Lakewood, NJ, served by rector Protopresbyter Valery Lukianov and Priest Seraphim Chemodakov. Present in Lakewood was the General Representative of the Russian Imperial Union-Order for the East Coast of the USA, Marina V. von Jahr. Mourners then crossed the road to the basement hall of St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral for a viewing of the documentary "A Russian House in Paris," after which Fr. Valery led a discussion on the impressions of Diasporan Russians upon visiting their homeland for the first time.

Her Imperial Highness was born on October 6, 1914 in Tiflis to the Royal House of Bagration-Moukhransky. Leaving her homeland in 1923, the grand duchess came to France, where she wed the descendant of the Scottish Royal House, though they divorced three years later. At the start of the Secondf World War, Grand Duchess Leonida moved to Spain, where she met the heir to the Russian throne, His Imperial Highness Grand Prince Vladimir Romanov. The wedding of the royal couple took place in 1948. In 1991, the Romanov Family visited Russia for the first time in 74 years. The Grand Duchess returned to Russia another 29 times. Her Imperial Highness reposed in the Lord on May 23rd in the Spanish capital of Madrid. Memorial services for the Grand Duchess were served not only in the far-flung colonies of the Russian Diaspora, but also in churches throughout Russia.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese