Language: English

Live stream event
Hosted by Anna L.: Licensed Tour Guide in Russia and Israel

Key Points

• ROMANOVS HOLY LAND: Mary Magdalene Church in Jerusalem
• Live Q&A
• Closed Captioning Available
• Contents suitable for children

Description

Step into the Church of Mary Magdalene on the Mount of Olives, where golden onion domes glitter against Jerusalem’s skyline and every corner whispers stories of faith, power, and intrigue. Built in 1888 by Tsar Alexander III, the church holds more than exquisite icons and serene frescoes—it conceals secrets of the Romanovs and other extraordinary figures whose lives were shaped by devotion, tragedy, and destiny. Beneath its sacred floors lie a Romanov saint and her loyal companion, victims of a violent revolution, and later, Princess Alice of Battenberg, mother of Prince Philip and mother-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II, who chose this holy site for her final resting place. On this walk, you’ll uncover the hidden histories and surprising connections between Russia, the UK, and the Holy Land, all woven into the architecture and stories that continue to draw pilgrims from around the world. Discover the remarkable story of the Romanovs in the Holy Land—a chapter of history that begins in the mid-19th century, when the Ottoman Empire, which controlled the region at the time, allowed Christians and Jews from around the world to travel freely to Jerusalem. This openness transformed the Holy City into a global crossroads of faith, where Greek, Armenian, Latin, Jewish, and increasingly Russian pilgrims gathered in unprecedented numbers. By the 1850s and 1860s, Russia had become the largest source of Christian pilgrimage, sending tens of thousands of believers every year. The Romanovs quickly realized that caring for these pilgrims, purchasing land, and building infrastructure offered a powerful way to express both their religious devotion and their growing political ambitions in the Ottoman Middle East.