On 17 July 1918, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his family were murdered by the Bolsheviks. While Nicholas and his family were Orthodox, their footman Alexei Trupp, who was also murdered at this time, was Roman Catholic.

In 1981, the Russian Church Outside Russia [ROCOR] declared Nicholas II, his family and his servants who were killed by the Bolsheviks on the 17th of July to be martyrs – this would include Alexei Trupp.

The Russian Orthodox Church did not recognize the murdered Royal family as martyrs, instead it considers them to be Passion Bearers – people who lived a virtuous life but did not die for the faith. The Russian Orthodox Church also did not consider Alexei Trupp to be a martyr since he died a member of the Catholic Church. However, it does consider their faithful service to Nicholas and his family to be worthy of remembrance in the published lives of the Holy Passion Bearers.

Thus the now united ROCOR/Russian Orthodox Church does not include Alexei Trupp amongst its recognized saints.

Image of Alexei Trupp
Image of Icon of Holy Russian New Martyrs done for a ROCOR church including and image of St. Alexei Trupp [in middle of top left row]