The tragic fate of Elizabeth Feodorovna: from the most beautiful princess of Europe to the sister of mercy who was martyred

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Elizaveta Fedorovna was called one of the most beautiful women in Europe. It would seem that a high position, a successful marriage should have brought happiness to the princess, but many trials fell to her lot. And at the end of her life, the woman suffered a terrible martyrdom.

Elizabeth Alexandra Louise Alice was the second daughter of the Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt Ludwig IV and Princess Alice, as well as the sister of the last Russian Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. Ella, as her family called her, was brought up in strict Puritan traditions and the Protestant faith. From an early age, the princess could serve herself, light the fireplace and cook something in the kitchen. The girl often sewed warm clothes with her own hands and took them to a shelter for those in need.

As she grew older, Ella blossomed and prettier. At that time it was said that in Europe there are only two beauties - Elizabeth of Austria (Bavarian) and Elizabeth of Hesse-Darmstadt. Meanwhile, Ella was 20 years old, and she was not married yet. It is worth noting that the girl took a vow of chastity at the age of 9, she avoided men, and all potential suitors were refused, except for one.

Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, the fifth son of the Russian Emperor Alexander II, became the chosen one of the princess, and even then, after a whole year of deliberation. It is not known for certain how the explanation of the young people took place, but they agreed that their union would be without physical intimacy and offspring. Pious Elizabeth was quite satisfied with this, since she could not imagine how a man would deprive her of her virginity. And Sergei Alexandrovich, according to rumors, did not prefer women at all. Despite such an agreement, in the future they became incredibly attached to each other, which can be called platonic love.

The wife of Sergei Alexandrovich was named Princess Elizabeth Feodorovna. By tradition, all German princesses received this patronymic in honor of the Theodore Icon of the Mother of God. After the wedding, the princess remained in her faith, since the law allowed this to be done, unless there was a need for accession to the imperial throne.

A few years later, Elizaveta Fedorovna herself decided to convert to Orthodoxy. She said that she was so in love with the Russian language and culture that she felt an urgent need to switch to another faith. Gathering her strength and knowing how much pain she would cause her family, Elizabeth wrote a letter to her father on January 1, 1891:

The father did not give his blessing to his daughter, but her decision was unshakable. On the eve of Easter, Elizaveta Fedorovna converted to Orthodoxy.

From that moment on, the princess began to actively help those in need. She spent huge sums of money on the maintenance of shelters, hospitals, personally went to the poorest areas. The people loved the princess very much for her sincerity and kindness.

When the situation in the country began to heat up, and the Social Revolutionaries began their subversive activities, the princess every now and then received notes with warnings not to go with her husband. After that, Elizaveta Fedorovna, on the contrary, tried to accompany her husband everywhere.

But on February 4, 1905, Prince Sergei Alexandrovich was killed by a bomb thrown by the terrorist Ivan Kalyaev. When the princess arrived at the scene, they tried to keep her out of what was left of her husband. Elizaveta Fyodorovna personally collected the scattered pieces of the prince on a stretcher.

Three days later, the princess went to prison, where the revolutionary was kept. Kaliayev told her:. Elizaveta Fyodorovna called on the murderer to repent, but to no avail. Even afterwards, this merciful woman sent a petition to the emperor to pardon Kaliayev, but the revolutionary was executed.

After the death of her husband, Elizabeth put on mourning and decided to devote herself entirely to caring for the disadvantaged. In 1908, the princess built the Martha-Mariinsky monastery and became a monk. The princess told the other nuns about this:.

10 years later, when the revolution took place, the monasteries of Elizabeth Feodorovna continued to help with medicines and food. The woman refused the offer to leave for Sweden. She knew what a dangerous step she was taking, but she could not refuse her charges.

In May 1918, the princess was arrested and sent to Perm. There were also several other representatives of the imperial dynasty. On the night of July 18, 1918, the Bolsheviks brutally dealt with the prisoners. They threw them alive into the mine and detonated several grenades.

But even after such a fall, not everyone died. According to the recollections of eyewitnesses, cries for help and prayers were heard from the mine for several days. As it turned out, Elizaveta Fyodorovna fell not to the bottom of the mine, but to a ledge that saved her from a grenade explosion. But this only prolonged her torment.

In 1921, the remains of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna were taken to the Holy Land and buried in the church of St. Mary Magdalene Equal to the Apostles.

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