Ingush leader Yunus-bek greets HIH Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna upon her arrival at Magas aiport
The head of the House of Romanov, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna has arrived in the Republic of Ingushetia in Russia's North Caucasus for an official visit.
Ingush leader Yunus-bek Yevkurov greeted the guest at Magas airport and presented her with a bouquet of flowers.
Grand Duchess Maria, who is paying her first visit to Ingushetia, was also treated to traditional Ingush cakes and halva, an Interfax correspondent reported.
She held an official meeting with Yevkurov in Magas on Thursday evening.
"Speaking on behalf of the republic's multiethnic population and me personally, I would like to thank you for coming to Ingushetia. It is a great honor for us to welcome such a distinguished guest. Your visit is a very important historic event in the life of the Ingush people and Russia as a whole because our people have had very warm relations with the House of Romanov for a long time," Yevkurov said.
The Ingush people's courageous service to Russia can be proved by multiple historical facts, he said, adding that ethnic Ingush soldiers had fought in the Russo-Turkish War, the Russo-Japanese War and World War II.
"A vivid example of our endless loyalty to the Fatherland was the great feat of the Caucasus Indigenous Mounted Division at the frontline in Galicia during World War I under the command of Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich," he said.
During her five-day visit to Ingushetia, the grand duchess will be able to gain an insight into the republic's history, culture and economy. She will also visit several educational institutions and meet with the republic's intelligentsia. The grand duchess said earlier that she would like to travel to Ingushetia's mountains, where Tkhaba-Yardy, one of Russia's oldest Christian churches, is located.
© Interfax. 10 November, 2012