"RUSSIA SHALL ARISE"

The Appeal of H.I.H. Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich

This exceptional document is an unabashed statement of Legitimist support for the Emperor-In-Exile Kirill I Wladimirovich.  Issued by HIH Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich in Paris in September of 1924, one month after his cousin Grand Duke Kirill Wladimirovich issued his manifesto on Succession to the Throne.  

After the Revolution, the Russian Imperial Family was known to release public statements through the French press service to French and English newspapers in Europe and the United States in order to better reach Russians in the diaspora.  This appeal originally was released in 1924, and was reprinted in the San Francisco-based émigré journal Vera I Pravda on 20 January, 1932.

The following rare document was released from the archives of the  Russian Imperial Union-Order Los Angeles on their Facebook page on February 9, 2018.  The original post may be seen here.  The English translation was provided by the Russian Imperial Union-Order East Coast later that day, and the original may be seen here. 

"RUSSIA SHALL ARISE"  The Appeal of H.I.H. Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich

[The original appeal has a portrayal of the Holy Cross here]

"Fulfilling his conscientious duty before the Lord God and the Russian people, Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich, in precise keeping with the Fundamental State Laws, adopted, as senior in line, his rightful title of Emperor of All Russia.

I call upon you, the Russian people, without respect to faith, age, or social standing, to unite into one spirit with the spirit of our lawful Tsar.

May personal, party, or other dissensions be silenced once and for all, may all the desires of our souls aspire toward one goal, to the goal of service to Russia – not out of fear, not for personal gain, but only for the sake of conscience.

May none be found, who would stand against the ruler chosen by God.

It must be remembered that discord and disagreement are only to the delight and benefit of those who hold the Russian people in an iron grip, those who regard appeals to God and Christ as a crime against them, those who have wiped the glorious name of Russia itself from the face of the earth.

Strong are they through their unity in evil, through their service to the commandments of the antichrist, that the wicked ends justify the means.

We all, remaining faithful to God and Christ, are not now alone; our orphanage has come to an end.

We have our Tsar.

His service will not be easy; he will have to find in us the strength which will give Him the ability to fulfil his duty to the end.

Our unity must be in Christ, in the service of love, kindness, and beauty; in the service of the Higher truth, without the shadow of hypocrisy and deceit.

Again, as two years ago, I appeal to all in whom the Russian spirit lives to unite under one pure, white banner, under the three-bar Cross, under the standard of Russia and the Tsar.

We must remember that there is no room for party or personal interests, if our spirit yearns to save our holy homeland and people.

We must unite so, that we can deign to look straight into the eyes of Christ. We must forget our corporeal selves, which vanish in death; let us rather remember our spiritual selves, eternal, which will shall stand before Christ our Savior.

Let us remember Christ’s words: “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30).

“MAY RUSSIA ARISE”

Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich.           09.12/25.1924. Paris"

Translated from the periodical “VERA i PRAVDA” (FAITH & TRUTH),

issue #26, pp. 277-8. New Years edition. Published 20 January, 1932 (San Francisco)

Original below:

These images and translation text were part of fully public posts; all copyright belongs to the original authors..