Moscow, January 12, 2013
Monks from the Athonite Monastery of St. Paul raised the chest with the Gifts of the Magi, carried it to the general (in a wheelchair), carefully put the chest with the Gifts to his head and crossed him with them, saying, "In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit".
The general was accompanied by his wife Larisa Romanova and other relatives, as well as servicemen of the troops attached to the Interior Ministry of the Russian Federation. L. Romanova presented the monks of the Athonite monastery with a gift from Diveyevo Convent.
General Romanov was commander of the Joint group of the federal forces on the territory of the Chechen republic in 1995. Due to serious injuries in the terrorist attack in October of the same year, he has been confined to hospital bed since then. By decree of the President of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin of November 5, 1995, for his act of courage and heroism in the performance of a special task, A. Romanov was awarded the title of hero of the Russian Federation.