Church leaders from several countries attended the reburial ceremony

BosNewsLife

UROM, HUNGARY  (ANS) -- After decades of Communist neglect and persecution, Hungary's Russian Orthodox community was able to hold its first church service Sunday, September 12, in the newly renovated chapel and resting place of a 19th century famous daughter of the Romanov family of Russian emperors, known as tsars.

Several Orthodox and Catholic leaders from Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Russia presented the mummy of Grand Duchess Aleksandra Pavlovna of Russia to the public Saturday, September 11, in her original tomb in the village of Urom, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) northwest of Budapest.

The duchess, who died in childbirth at the age of 18 in 1801, was the eldest daughter of Tsar Paul I, and the first wife of Palatine Joseph (1776-1847), an Austrian grand duke and Hungarian royal prince, who experts say promoted the modernization and cultural advantage of Hungary in the first half of the 19th century.

In keeping with her wishes, the tsar's daughter was buried in a sepulchral chapel built on the imperial Habsburg family's Urom estate. The chapel survived both world wars, but was ravaged in 1981. The mummified body of the grand duchess was reportedly damaged and her arms were broken off.

Her remains spent the past 23 years in a royal sepulcher of Budapest's Buda Castle, after thieves plundered the chapel and Soviet backed Atheistic Communist authorities threatened to destroy the historic building, officials said at the ceremony in Urom.

MUMMY TROUBLES

"We very carefully tried to keep the mummy in a good condition, but it was difficult because of the humidity," explained 52-year old restaurateur Janos Seremetyeff-Papp, who is himself of an aristocratic background. He proudly showed his estimated $15,000 medal, made of 109 diamonds, gold and ivory, which he received Saturday from the organizing "Civil Collaboration, Cultural and Spiritual Heritage Foundation" for his involvement in repairing the chapel and mummy, in often difficult circumstances.

"The Communists wanted to destroy everything," he told a reporter. "They were very angry when I started my restoration work about 20 years ago. I had a lot of problems, but I continued anyway."

Archduke Joseph Arpad von Habsburg-Lothringen, 71, was not surprised that hundreds of people attended the opening of Pavlovna's chapel to see her mummy. "The people did not forget her," the softly spoken archduke told ASSIST News Service (ANS) and the BosNewsLife news agency. "People live with the past to better understand the actual times and also foresee the future. We are going slowly to a new era as I think Communism is over because it has proven to be unable to solve problems of society."

YOUNG "INSPIRATION"

He said Aleksandra Pavlovna could be an "inspiration" to youngsters of the 21st century. "She was certainly better educated than the young people now in the sense of cultural knowledge. She was the one who invited (people like composers) Hayden and Beethoven to come here to Hungary."

He stressed her death had been a tragedy for his family. "As many women who gave birth in those days, she died too early. My great-great grand father loved her very much and it took him 15 years to remarry. She was a joyful charming young person." But he added "nowadays she would not marry so young."

Russian Orthodox bishop Hilarion Alfeyev and Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo said the reburial and opening of the chapel was a sign of ecumenical charity between their different denominations, an apparent effort to overcome centuries old quarrels.

"RELATIONS REVIVAL"

The Russian ambassador to Budapest, Valerij Muszatov, told a crowd of Russian Orthodox and Hungarian Christians that the reburial of the duchess could also help to warm relations between Russia and Hungary, which remained tense following the collapse of Communism in 1989 and the subsequent withdrawal of Russian forces. "I think that it could only happen now, because we are witnessing a revival in the relationship between the two countries," he said.

On behalf of President Vladimir Putin he gave the chapel a copy of the duchess' portrait, which was stolen by the Nazis and only last year returned to a Russian museum. Urom Mayor Gabor Laboda saw also reasons to smile.

"The people of Urom had her (remains) here for hundreds of years and we are happy to have her back." His sleepy village of 6,000 people hopes to become a favorite tourist spot for especially Russian, German and Austrian visitors.

RESEARCHER DENIS O. VOLOVIK CONTRIBUTED TO THE STORY

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