The Greek public met her on the occasion of the funeral of the former Tsar Constantine. Her presence attracted media attention and was widely commented on social media. It seemed that most people did not even know that there were still descendants of the last royal family of Russia.

Today the Grand Duchess Vladimirovna, head of the Russian Imperial House, as she calls herself, speaks to K. It talks about the historical ties of the Romanov dynasty with Greece and with the former Greek royal family, tells about the personal moments of her family with the former King Constantine II.

– The Russian people adopted Christianity from Constantinople. From the very beginning of the formation of Russia as a state, cultural ties between the Russian and Greek worlds were extremely strong and durable. When Byzantium fell in the middle of the 15th century, Russia, then experiencing a period of growing power, political consolidation and the restoration of its sovereignty, inherited the intellectual and historical heritage of the Roman and Byzantine empires. The Russian Orthodox monarchy took on the task of protecting other Orthodox peoples who found themselves in conditions of oppression.

This task was clearly visible during the struggle of the Greek people for independence. The initial concentration of forces that were to lead the national liberation movement took place in the Russian Empire, in Odessa. Many leaders of the Greek people gained experience in state and military service in Russia. Alexander Ypsilantis, for example, was a general in the Russian army and aide to Emperor Alexander I, and Ioannis Kapodistrias was foreign minister of the Russian Empire for six years.

Ultimately, it was Russia’s victory in the war against the Ottoman Empire, in the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829 and the signing of the Treaty of Adrianople that contributed to the widespread recognition of Greek autonomy, and then the recognition of the full national independence of Greece. Greece, which received international recognition thanks to the London Protocol of 1830, which was signed by the representatives of Russia, Great Britain and France.

– My father, Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich, and King Konstantin II were friends. We often talked when the king came to Spain. I fondly remember how he often visited our home with his wife, Queen Anne-Maria.

And I have the most beautiful memories of my conversations with the mother of King Constantine II, the widowed Queen Frederica. I was impressed by her wisdom, common sense and extensive knowledge in many things. He had a brilliant gift for storytelling. I enjoyed listening to her memoirs, her perspective on everyday events and her deep philosophical reflections.

I also developed very friendly relations with King Constantine’s sisters, Queen Sophia of Spain and Princess Irina.

Queen Sofia and King Juan Carlos have always shown us their love and compassion and provided moral support to our family. They shared our sorrows and joys.

I used to attend and admire the piano concerts of Princess Irina in Madrid. I remember that she and I had a common interest in archaeology. For several years, during Holy Week, she came with us to masses at the Orthodox Church of Saints Andrew and Demetrius in Madrid, and then went to her brother’s at Easter.

Returning to the personality of King Constantine II, I remember that from an early age I always considered him very kind and cheerful, but also very intelligent. When we were visited by King Constantine II, the future King of Bulgaria Juan Carlos I and King Simeon II of Bulgaria, they not only, as you might expect, discussed important issues, but also joked merrily with each other. They treated me like they were my big brothers and I was always very happy when we had the chance to be together.

Later, we did not see King Constantine II as often as we did in the 1960s and early 1970s, but it was always an extremely warm event when we did. In 1981, when my son Grand Duke Georgy Mikhailovich was born, King Konstantin II became his godfather.

In my heart I will always keep in my heart my precious meeting in 2006 with King Constantine II and Queen Anna Maria in my homeland, St. Petersburg, during the taking of the remains of Empress Maria Feodorovna, mother of the Holy King Paphophoros Emperor Nicholas. B, whose remains were transported from Denmark to our family’s mausoleum in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul. It was a deeply symbolic and emotional gathering of relatives from different European dynasties at the grave of Empress Maria, the daughter of King Frederick IX of Denmark and the sister of King George I of Greece, who is closely associated with Russia. in Russian years and in her greatness, and during the terrible tragedy of the revolution and civil war, she lost two sons, a grandson and four granddaughters during the Bolshevik terror, died in exile and now, finally, rests peacefully on Russian soil next to her husband, Emperor Alexander III.

Queen Sofia and King Juan Carlos have always shown us their love and compassion and provided moral support to our family. They shared our sorrows and joys.

Although I noted the optimism and cheerful disposition of King Constantine II, I must also add that he too suffered deeply from the separation from his homeland. However, he never took his suffering outside, but everyone who spoke to him felt it. He yearned for Greece. He was always deeply concerned about the events in his homeland and in every way helped his compatriots, the Greeks, both within Greece itself and in the diaspora. He passed on this love for his country and people to his children and grandchildren. I am very happy for someone who, in the last years of his life, was able to live again in his country and be buried in his homeland, next to his ancestors.

– It would be absurd to deny that the state role of the monarchy today has significantly decreased. During the last century, many countries have abolished their monarchies, and where they have survived, the power of monarchs has been greatly reduced.

However, this does not mean that the monarchical idea and the worldview associated with it have become unnecessary and unviable. It’s just that now the functions of the institution of the monarchy are reflected more in the socio-cultural sphere.

Royal dynasties continue to be actively involved in charitable organizations, efforts to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of their countries and protect the environment. They are living symbols of the historical continuity of their peoples. Even when they refrain from participating in politics, they play an important social role. In their homeland they promote national, religious and political peace and understanding. And at the international level, they contribute to peacekeeping efforts, maintain cultural ties between peoples and “build bridges” in cases where formal diplomacy cannot resolve certain disputes.

Royal houses, regardless of whether they have political power or not, always remain “soft power”, an important component of civil society.

“Since the fall of the communist regime in 1991, our dynasty has maintained a relationship of mutual respect with successive Russian governments. Article 13 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which guarantees ideological diversity, allows us to freely express our opinion and publicly defend our convictions. We can visit our homeland whenever we want and without any burden.

The Russian Imperial House is fundamentally not involved in any politics. We are ready for dialogue with representatives of all political parties, except for extremist and terrorist parties, but we cannot take the side of any political party, even one that supports ideas and values ​​close to ours.

We consider it our mission not to try to influence the policy of the government or the opposition, but to remind all our compatriots of our common traditional values, to find common ground and a common patriotic basis for cooperation between peoples with different views.

– I feel that the current international crisis will be overcome. It is inconceivable that conflict between nations should deepen to such an extent that all of humanity is threatened by nuclear annihilation. Throughout history, conflicts, even the most difficult conflicts, have been resolved through compromise. And we must not forget that a compromise is not a victory for one side or the other, but a decision acceptable to all parties.

I sincerely pray that peace reigns again throughout the entire territory of the former Russian Empire. I hope that politicians around the world today, despite their different assessments of what is happening, will have enough common sense, professional experience and patience to prevent a further escalation of hostilities.

I also believe that the historical and long tradition of close relations between Greeks and Russians will not be forgotten and will serve useful purposes.