Elizabethan procession: a prayer procession in memory of the Grand Duchess

On Sunday in the historical imperial estate "Ilyinskoye-Usovo" in the suburbs will be held the annual Elizabethan procession. This year it is held for the fifteenth time and is dedicated to the memory of the Monk Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna.

The prayer procession will begin at 12:30 at the temple of Elijah the Prophet in the village of Ilyinskoye. Pilgrims will pass to the Moscow River, where they will cross to the other shore by pontoon bridge and on rafts, and then continue their way to the temple of the Savior of the Hand-made Image in the village of Usovo. This route is not accidental: it repeats the path that the Grand Duke couple once made the move from summer residence to winter.

Along the way, the participants of the procession pass by historical buildings associated with the charitable and educational activities of the royal family. Among them is the infirmary opened by Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, the maternity shelter in Ilyinsky, as well as the building of the primary public school in Usova, founded by Empress Maria Alexandrovna.

The idea of reviving the processions in the village of Ilyinskoye arose on the initiative of the Elisavetinsk-Sergius Educational Society Foundation. The goal is not only to honor the memory of the Monk Martyr Elizabeth Feodorovna, but also to renew the lost tradition, as well as to remember the historical move of the Grand Duke’s family across the Moscow River.

Traditionally, the Elizabethan procession is held in early autumn, on the day closest to the name day of the Grand Duchess – the day of memory of St. Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist.

This procession is not only a tribute to history, but also a living prayer that unites pilgrims in memory of the feat of mercy and faith left behind by Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna.