Train travel in Russia is such that even riding on a prestigious passenger train, The Tsar’s Gold, is secondary to the needs of the economic machine. Several times during our crossing of Siberia, our train is shunted onto a siding to sit and wait, while we contemplate the view outside, sometimes for hours, as behemoths carrying lumber, coal and iron blast past. As a result of one such delay, we do not arrive in Ekaterinburg (Yekaterinburg) until long after dinner. Nevertheless, it is a city that must be seen so a midnight tour of the city is quickly organized.

Originally built in 1723 and named after the wife of Peter the Great, this city on the border between Asia and Europe was a nondescript, industrial center of iron ore mining. Then one night in July 1918, Tsar Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, their daughters (Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia) and their son, Tsarevitch Alexis, together with their entourage, were brutally murdered in Ekaterinburg by the Bolsheviks, in the cellar of the farmhouse in which they had been imprisoned.

As we drive through the hushed and deserted streets of the city, an enormous snow-white church can be seen on the hill, domes gleaming in the floodlights. This is the “Church-on-Blood in Honor of Saints Resplendent in the Russian Lands,” built in 2003 on the site where the Royal Family was executed. It commemorates the canonization of the Romanov family by the Russian Orthodox Church and their elevation to sainthood.

Outside, enormous banners with photographs of the Royal family surround the church. Inside the 198-foot high Church, adorned with red granite columns, are several memorials to the Romanovs including memorabilia from their time in Ekaterinburg (the remains of the Romanovs themselves are buried in St. Petersburg.)

Nearby and slightly downhill is the residence of the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, all gold domes and white walls with icons on the sides. Between the two structures stands a tiny wooden chapel dedicated to St. Elizaveta. The sister of Alexandra, Elizaveta who had joined a nunnery after the death of her husband Grand Duke Sergei, was also gruesomely murdered by the Bolsheviks.

The church has become the centerpiece of the city and a pilgrimage site for many. On the 90th anniversary of the death of the Tsar (2008), 35,000 people took part in services to honor them.

Across the river, in the historic center of Ekaterinburg, is the Palace of the Merchant Sevast’hanov, built in the 1860s. It is a green and white three story, wooden gingerbread house, decorated with lattice and swirls. According to the legend, Sevast’yanov wanted to plate the roof of his house in gold but was denied permission by both the mayor of the city and the Tsar, who reminded him that only churches could have gold roofs. He was sentenced to go to church every day to ask for forgiveness for his arrogance.

Our stay in Ekaterinburg was much shorter than planned but sometimes an unexpected turn of events, such as  a delayed train, can surprise you with a different perspective of a place. Ekaterinburg by night was one such experience.

IF YOU GO
Ekaterinburg can be reached by air, with three daily flights from Moscow. There are also several flights a week direct from Frankfurt to Ekaterinburg on Lufthansa and from Vienna on Austrian Air.
Ekaterinburg is a major stop on the Trans Siberian Railway with frequent service in both directions.
The Church-on-Blood is located at 34 Ul Tolmachoyova; It is open from 1000 to 1800 daily. no photography is permitted inside. Women must cover their heads with a scarf before entering.

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