Grand Duchess will recognize authenticity of royal remains after Russian church

Sep 30 2007 5:17PM


MADRID. Sept 30 (Interfax) - Head of the Imperial Family of Russia Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna hopes that the remains of the family of the last Russian tsar will be found but her attitude to their authenticity fully depends on the stance of the Russian Orthodox Church.

It was announced a few days ago that the first findings of an examination of the remains discovered last summer near Yekaterinburg indicate that there is a high degree of probability that they belonged to Grand Duke Alexei and Grand Duchess Maria shot dead with the rest of the royal family in 1918.

"If the remains prove to be authentic I will be very happy along with all Orthodox Christians because one of my greatest wishes is the invention of the relics of the royal martyrs," she told Interfax on Sunday.

"The current expert study should be absolutely transparent and its results clear to everyone so that there would be left no doubts as it was with regard to the remains discovered in 1979 and buried in St. Peter and Paul's' Fortress," the Grand Duchess said.

She said the stance of the Russian Orthodox Church will be decisive for the Imperial Family.

"If the Patriarch finds sufficient reasons to recognize the remains as holy relics we will also recognize them to be authentic," she concluded.

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