The Orthodox Church throughout the world prayer commemorates the martyrdom of St. Tsar Nicholas II Romanov, secretly and brutally murdered at Ekaterinburg by the Bolsheviks 100 years ago, on July 17, 1918, with Queen Alexandra, five children and four servants.
Holy Martyr Tsar Nicholas in Serbia are held in high esteem as a defender and faithful friend in the difficult for the Serbian people during the First world war. Immediately after Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, Russian Orthodox Tsar did not hesitate to stand to the defense of the Orthodox brethren in the Balkans, although this threatened the huge sacrifices of his own people.
In the Holy Royal Lavra Hilandar, the Serbian monastery on mount Athos each year, the feast day of the Holy Royal martyrs. This year, the centenary of the martyrdom of the God-loving King and his family, according to the decision of the Holy Council of the elders in the Monastery served all-night vigil, which started 14 and finished Holy mass on July 15. A prayer of remembrance date moved relative to the calendar date of the holiday, so the service was more formal and was held on Sunday.
After a solemn service at the holiday luncheon was read a conversation of Saint Bishop Nikolai of Serbia (Velimirovic) of the Holy Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II, said the Archbishop in Belgrade in 1932, in commemoration of St. Prince Vladimir Russian.
Hilandarska brethren led by vysokoprepodobny Abbot Archimandrite Methodius, merged with all the Serbian people in joyful worship of martyrdom of the great defender and Confessor of the Orthodox faith, who sing: “… Hail, Martyr of the Russian land! Hail the Holy king Nicholas, faithful servant of God.”