 Nicholas II re-established the local canonization, and tried to recover the pre-Petrine format.For the first time since the last local canonization two centuries ago, the tradition has been reawaken in 1900, when 222 Orthodox believers led by St. Metrophanes were martyred during the anti-Christian Boxer Rebellion by the Yihetuan.A high point was the ceremonial canonization of Seraphim of Sarov, where the Emperor personally carried the coffin and thousands of people came to that celebration from all of over Russia.