Elizabeth Feodorovna

The book that the reader holds in their hands is unique. It is dedicated to the famous Russian saint Elizabeth Feodorovna Romanova, born Princess Ella of Hesse-Darmstadt, the sister of the last Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. Both women earned the martyr's crown, but each embodies a vision of sanctity, like the biblical sisters Martha and Mary, who were honored to receive Christ in their home. It is no coincidence that the convent established by Elizabeth Feodorovna in Moscow is named after them—Marfo-Mariinsky. Nonetheless, we are presented not with a biography, but a tender, vivid account of the earthly life of a beautiful, remarkably kind woman who held a high position in society, was happy, and loved by her husband - Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. The author dispels the myth that the fate of the Grand Duchess dramatically changed only after her husband was assassinated by the terrorist Ivan Kalyaev - Elizabeth Feodorovna withdrew from the world and dedicated herself to helping others. On the contrary, charitable deeds accompanied Princess Ella both in Germany and in her new, true home - Russia. And it was her husband, the dearly beloved Sergei, who set her on the path of helping people, as he cared for the Russian Red Cross and led the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society. The book is written in a bright, lively language and surprisingly leaves a light feeling, even though its heroine was killed in Alapaevsk - a sense of moral victory over evil and hope for a better fate for our Fatherland.