At the beginning of July, the largest Orthodox Christian celebration began. procession not only for Ukraine, but for the entire Russian Orthodox Church. All-Ukrainian religious procession, which will take place in the dioceses of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In the east of the country it began from the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra. In the west - from the Holy Dormition Pochaev Lavra - it will begin on July 9. On July 27, on the eve of the celebration of the day of the Baptism of Kievan Rus and the memory of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, these religious processions will meet in Kiev on Vladimirskaya Hill and together will go to the Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

The purpose of the All-Ukrainian Cross Procession, held with the blessing of Metropolitan Onufry of Kyiv and all Ukraine, is a prayer for peace, for unity and mutual understanding in Ukraine: the procession is designed to unite Orthodox Christians in all regions.

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• Ten results of the All-Ukrainian Religious Procession 2016- Vyacheslav Pikhovshek

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The procession of the cross is Orthodox rite, carried out in the form of a reverent procession of believers with icons, crosses, banners and other Christian shrines, organized with the purpose of glorifying God, asking Him for mercy and gracious support.

"Procession to Flora and Laurus." Artist Alexander Makovsky. 1921

The religious procession can be carried out either along a closed route, for example, around a field, village, city, temple, or along a special one, where the starting and final destinations are different.

The religious procession is deeply symbolic. Solemn bell ringing expresses the triumph of the Cross of Christ, majestically worn, surrounded by a host of faithful who follow him like warriors following their sign. The religious procession is led by saints, whose icons are carried in front. Processions of the cross consecrate all the elements of nature (earth, air, water, fire). This comes from icons, incense, overshadowing the altar cross in all directions, sprinkling with water, burning candles...

The practice of performing religious processions has ancient origins. Processions of the cross arose in the 4th century in Byzantium. Saint John Chrysostom organized night processions through the streets of Constantinople against the Arians. For this purpose, silver crosses were made on poles, which were solemnly carried around the city along with the holy icons. People walked with lit candles.

Later, in the fight against the heresy of Nestorius, special religious processions were organized by St. Cyril of Alexandria, seeing the emperor’s hesitation. Later, in Constantinople, to get rid of mass diseases, the Life-Giving Tree of the Honest Cross was taken out of the churches and carried along the streets of the city.

The immediate reason for organizing propitiatory processions could be emergency circumstances, for example, natural disasters (earthquakes, floods, droughts, crop failures), epidemics, or the threat of enemy seizure of territory. Such processions were accompanied by general prayers containing requests to God to protect the land and the inhabitants living on it from harm. In the event of a city siege, the route could run along the city walls or along the walls.

During the spread of heresies, special religious processions were held, motivated by the desire to protect the Orthodox faith from desecration, and the believers themselves from mistakes and delusions.

Over time, the practice of performing solemn religious processions took root in the Church. Such moves were carried out in some holidays, during the consecration of churches, the transfer of the relics of holy saints, miraculous icons.

One of the most ancient, Old Testament prototypes of the Processions of the Cross is the seven-day circumambulation of the walls of Jericho by the people of Israel (Josh. 6:1-4), the solemn transfer of the Ark of the Covenant from the house of Abeddar to the city of David (2 Sam. 6:12).

An integral sign of any religious procession are banners. During the journey of the children of Israel to the Promised Land, all 12 tribes made their journey following their signs, or banners, and every banner was carried in front of the tabernacle, and all their tribes followed it. Just as in Israel every tribe had its own banners, so in our church every church parish has its own banners. Just as all the tribes of Israel traveled following their banners, so with us every parish during the procession follows their banners.

Instead of the trumpet sounding of that time, we now have a church gospel, which makes all the air around and all the people sanctified, and all the demonic power is driven away.

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Religious processions in Russia

We offer you a little information about some famous religious processions in the diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. In reality, of course, there are more of them; religious processions are held annually in almost every diocese.

The St. George's Procession to the places of military glory and heroic defense of Leningrad takes place in St. Petersburg every year. The tradition began in 2005, the year of the 60th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. War veterans, representatives of search teams, the youth organization "Vityazi", scouts, cadets of military universities, and parishioners of St. Petersburg churches gather at the battlefields and burial sites to remember the fallen defenders of Leningrad.

Organizer: Archpriest Vyacheslav Kharinov, rector of the St. Petersburg Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” on Shpalernaya.

Route: From Nevsky Piglet (St. Petersburg) through Sinyavinsky Heights to the Assumption Church in the village of Lezier-Sologubovka, next to which is the Peace Park.

One of the largest annual religious processions in Russia. Passes with the revered Velikoretsk miraculous icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The religious procession has been known since the beginning of the 15th century. Initially it was performed along the Vyatka and Velikaya rivers on boats and rafts on the first Sunday after the feast of the transfer of the holy relics of St. Nicholas to Bar-grad (May 22). Since 1668, with the blessing of Bishop Alexander of Vyatka, a new date for the celebration was established - June 24/6. Later, in 1778, a new route was developed - an overland route, which is still in use today. During the 5-day journey, pilgrims cover 150 km.

Organizer: Vyatka diocese.

Route: Starts on June 3 from the St. Seraphim Cathedral in Kirov, passes through the village of Makarie, the villages of Bobino, Zagarye, Monastyrskoye, Gorokhovo. The final destination is the village of Velikoretskoye, where prayer services are held in churches and on the banks of the Velikaya River. The pilgrims return back through the village of Medyany and the village of Murygino and arrive in Kirov on June 8.

The procession takes place in memory of the murdered royal family every July. Participants in the procession walk from the Church on the Blood to the Monastery of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers on Ganina Yama. They follow the roads along which the bodies of the murdered Romanovs were transported in 1918. In 2015, the procession attracted about 60 thousand pilgrims.

Organizer: Ekaterinburg diocese.

Route: Church on the Blood - center of Yekaterinburg - VIZ - Tagansky Row - Sorting - Shuvakish village - Monastery of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers on Ganina Yama.

The religious procession takes place with the “Kaluga” Icon of the Mother of God, as part of the celebration of the anniversary of the repose of Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir and the day of remembrance of Blessed Lawrence.

Organizer: Kaluga Missionary Department of the Kaluga Diocese.

Route: From the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Kaluga through more than 30 settlements of the Kaluga, Kozelsk, and Pesochensk dioceses with a return to Kaluga

Procession with the Tabyn Icon of the Mother of God

In Bashkiria, since 1992, the Bashkortostan Metropolis has been hosting the annual Tabyn religious procession - a procession with the Tabyn Icon of the Mother of God.

Organizer: Ufa and Salavat diocese

Route: passes through the regions of the Salavat and Ufa dioceses of the Bashkortostan Metropolis to the place of the apparition on the river. Usolke near the salty springs village. Resort in the Gafuri region, where a miraculous image was found more than 450 years ago.

Dates and Duration: Several religious processions may start from different localities in different days, while the end of the passages merging into one procession is timed to coincide with the ninth Friday after Easter - the day of celebration of the Tabyn Icon of the Mother of God.

The Trinity Cross passes around Ufa: pilgrims walk more than 120 km and pray for the health and salvation of all residents of the city of Ufa.

Organizer: Ufa Diocese

Route: Starts from St. Sergius Cathedral in Ufa and runs along the outskirts of Ufa.

Dates and duration: begins annually on the day of the Holy Trinity and lasts 5 days.

Procession with the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God "The Sign"

The Kursk Icon of the Sign of the Mother of God is one of the oldest icons of the Russian Church, found in the 13th century, during the Tatar invasion. On the days of the movement, the icon is transferred from Kursk to the Korennaya Hermitage and back in a solemn religious procession, which stretches the entire way from the Znamensky Monastery in Kursk to the Korennaya Hermitage - 27 versts.

Organizer: Kursk diocese.

Route: Znamensky Monastery - Kursk Root Nativity-Virgin Hermitage.

Dates and duration: 9th Friday of Easter every year.

Procession with the icon of the Mother of God "Deliverer from Troubles" in Tashlu

The religious procession with the Tashlin Icon of the Mother of God, organized by the Cossacks of the Krasnoglinskaya village of the Samara District Cossack Society, began in 2014 and passed through the territory of the Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, Penza and Ulyanovsk regions. Tashlin Icon of the Mother of God "Deliverer from Troubles" - miraculous icon, revered in the Volga region, the main shrine of the Samara diocese, was found on October 21, 1917 near the village of Tashla, Samara province.

Organizer: Samara diocese.

Route: Samara - Tashla village, about 71 km.

Dates and duration: beginning on the first day of Peter's Lent, duration 3 days.

Procession of the Cross in memory of all new martyrs and confessors of Russia

The religious procession has been held annually since 2000. It is dedicated to the memory of all the new martyrs and confessors of Russia, including the martyrs of Vavilov Dol: the inhabitants of a cave monastery killed during the years of Soviet power, which was once located in a picturesque forest area of ​​the Volga region. The total length of the religious procession is 500 kilometers.

Organizer: Saratov diocese.

Route: Saratov - Vavilov Dol

The Volga Cross Procession began its history in 1999. Then, on the eve of the 2000th anniversary of the Nativity of Christ, with the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus', on June 20, a religious procession began from the source of the Volga along the waters of three great Slavic rivers: the Volga, the Dnieper, and the Western Dvina. In 2000, the pre-revolutionary tradition of consecrating the source of the Volga River and the beginning of the Volga religious procession were combined into one holiday from that time on. In 2016, the XVIII Volga religious procession will take place as part of the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the presence of Russian monasticism on Holy Mount Athos.

Organizer: Tver diocese.

Route: Olga Monastery in the Volgoverkhovye - Ascension Cathedral in the city of Kalyazin.

Every year in July, a religious procession is held from the Boris and Gleb Monastery to the source. Venerable Irinarch. It is dedicated to the revered saint of the monastery - St. Irinarch the Recluse and symbolically connects the village of Kondakovo - his homeland and the Boris and Gleb Monastery - the place of his stay and resting place. The religious procession has traditionally been held for over 300 years. In the years Soviet power– was not carried out. Resumed along the old route in 1997. The procession ends on Sunday. Length: no more than 60-65 km. Participants: over 2000.

Organizer: Yaroslavl and Rostov diocese.

Route: Borisoglebsky Monastery – Trinity-on-bor – Selishche – Shipino – Kishkino – Komarovo – Pavlovo – Ilinskoye – Red October – Yazykovo – Aleshkino – Kuchery – Ivanovskoye – Titovo – Zvyagino – Emelyaninovo – Georgievskoye – Nikulskoye – Gorki – Zubarevo – Davydovo – Novoselka – Kondakovo – well of St. Irinarch

Dates and duration: Held annually on the 3rd - 4th week of July. The dates are approved by Bishop Kirill of Yaroslavl and Rostov approximately a month before its start.

Since the morning of Holy Saturday, believers have been asking each other the question, Procession for Easter 2018: what time. We can fully answer this question. Moreover, the date and time of the religious procession does not change from year to year. Or rather, the date changes, but the event - Easter - always remains the same.

On Saturday, after hectic preparations for the holiday, when all the Easter cakes are ready and the eggs are painted, you can relax a little. But, it should be remembered that the Easter evening service begins at 20.00. In general, it is better to get everything done before this time and calmly go to work. If you want to go only to the Procession of the Cross, then you need to arrive closer to midnight.

How does the procession take place?

The religious procession is some kind of independent action in itself. It is carried out within
festive Easter service. Or rather, it divides the service itself into two parts. At first these are still mournful prayers about what happened to Christ during Holy Week. Then the priest, followed by all the ministers, and behind them the believers go out into the street, where the procession of the Cross takes place.

During the procession, church servants carry the most important icons, including banners and lamps. You need to walk around the temple three times and stop at the temple doors each time. The first two times the doors will be closed, and the third time the doors will open. And this is a good sign that tells us that Easter has arrived. After the procession and after the priest informs everyone about the onset of Easter, the clergy change into white festive clothes and the service continues for several more hours.

It turns out that the date for the Procession of the Cross 2018 is April 7. More precisely, the service will begin in the evening, at 20.00 on April 7, but will gradually move on to April 8. The Easter service is amazing and very beautiful. If you have never gone to church this night before, we highly recommend doing so. In principle, you need to at least get to the procession and perform it. Then, if you lose your strength, you can go home.

What to do after the procession

Yes, in church, together with other believers, you were the first to learn the good news that Christ is Risen. This means that Easter has come and will end. Lent. You can eat any food, rejoice and have fun. But you shouldn’t eat illuminated foods immediately after you get home: no matter how much you might want to. According to the church charter, this is fundamentally wrong.

You should definitely go to bed and start celebrating Easter for real in the morning. In the morning the whole family gathers at the table. An Easter cake is placed in the center of the table, in which there is a candle from the church; illuminated foods are laid out around the Easter cake. You should light a candle and start your morning with prayer. Then each family member should eat a small piece of each illuminated product. After this, you can start eating, beat your eggs and simply enjoy such a wonderful, bright and eventful holiday.

So, you already know what time the procession will be on Easter, and how it will take place. All that remains is to find the strength within yourself to be sure to go to church on this holy night. By the way, we remind you that on Holy Saturday it is recommended to adhere to strict fasting. This means not eating until the end of the evening service, and after it eating bread and drinking water. But, there is very little left until Easter arrives and the period of restrictions ends. Christ is Risen, which means we can celebrate this event in full force.

On July 27, a religious procession will take place from Vladimirskaya Gorka to the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. Some perceive this as a demonstration of strength, the power of the Church. Opponents of the Church - as a political demonstration. What is a religious procession really?

In the Church throughout its history, forms of serving God were not limited to verbal prayer. Since the emergence of worship, along with such prayer there has been “prayer with hands” (for example, the sign of the cross) and “prayer with feet” - participation in prayer processions. Such processions were never perceived as a show of force or a political action; it was always a divine service, during which one had to not only pray to God with the mind, but also reinforce one’s prayer with physical labor—sometimes a very long procession.

We find an example of such a prayer procession in the early Church. The 4th century pilgrim Sylvia of Aquitaine describes a large religious procession that took place in Jerusalem on the night from Thursday to Friday of Holy Week. She says that during the night people were very tired, as they walked through almost the entire city, and “every one of them walked - old and young, rich and poor.” The Bishop of Jerusalem encouraged tired people, calling on them to “have hope in the Lord, who will give a great reward for this work.”

It should be noted that similar processions were held regularly not only in Jerusalem, but throughout the Roman Empire. For example, at the same time, the Great Litany arose in Rome - a large religious procession through the whole of Rome, during which the procession moved from one church to another with prayer, trying to visit the burial places of the martyrs. This litany continued all day and ended at St. Peter's Basilica.

Similar processions were made in Constantinople, and Emperor Justinian legalized that these processions should be carried out with prayer and with the obligatory participation of the priesthood, “for will there be a procession of the cross in which there are no priests offering solemn prayers?”

Processions of the cross took place in the Byzantine Empire during times of enemy invasion, drought or disease. The holiday of the Destruction of Trees known to us Life-giving Cross The Lord's Day originates from the procession of the cross, which took place in August in Constantinople with prayers that the city would be spared epidemics, which very often happened at this time.

The tradition of performing religious processions was also inherited by the Slavic peoples. There is evidence of prayer processions in Bulgaria and Moravia. With the adoption of Christianity, religious processions began to be held in Rus'. The first Russian religious procession is considered to be a procession to the Dnieper for the baptism of the people of Kiev. “Vladimir went out with the priests of Tsaritsyn and Korsun to the Dnieper, and countless people gathered there,” The Tale of Bygone Years describes this procession.

It is in remembrance of this religious procession and the subsequent Baptism of Rus' that an annual procession of the cross takes place from the supposed place of Baptism to the heart of Kyiv - the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

It is important to understand that the religious procession was never a demonstration of anything. The procession with slogans, flags and posters is a legacy of quasi-religious communist ideology. For Orthodox Christians, a procession of the cross is a divine service that is performed according to a strictly defined order in the church charter. Of course, the main activity of a worship service should be prayer. I think everyone understands what it should be about on the day of the Baptism of Rus': that our hearts should preserve the gifts that we received in our baptism. After all, this is what we are all called to do.

Alexander Adomenas

I went to the main city event of last week - the religious procession in honor of the transfer of the holy relics of Alexander Nevsky. Besides me, there were another 99 thousand 999 people there (as the organizers calculated), including the governor, metropolitan, officials, state employees, deputy Milonov and actor Migitsko. To participate in the religious procession, I was given a prop - an empty stick.

How did I get the stick?

Columns of participants in the religious procession are formed on the streets adjacent to Nevsky. The most numerous convoys gather on Kazanskaya - regional columns. There are so many people that you can barely walk down the street. But random people not here: those arriving in an organized manner occupy the designated places, receive props - Orthodox flags, icons, paper images. Standing shoulder to shoulder are ladies in heels, ladies in sneakers and headscarves, men in suits and ties, men in robes and yellow clerical robes. Everyone lined up in areas and are waiting for the turn to begin.

-What are you wearing? - I ask the man in yellow, representing the Epiphany Church on Gutuevsky Island.

“I don’t know, I just put it on,” he says, embarrassed.

- This is a surplice. Button up the button! – a colleague from the temple who was running past came to the rescue.

In the column of the Central District, they change clothes right on the street: church vestments are taken out of a large checkered bag, the priests take apart and put on kamilavkas. The Kronstadt district is rehearsing songs with which it will go to the religious procession: “Rejoice to the Mother of God, Virgin,” “Save, Lord,” and others. The priest distributes leaflets with texts.

They brought more sticks than signs. Carry it as is. Then you will return the stick to the Pushkin district

-Why did you come here? - I directly ask the lady in heels and with an expensive bag, standing under the sign “Kirov District”.

“We are all here at the call of our souls.” And they let us go from work! – she snapped ungraciously.

- We - kindergarten Kirovsky district,” said two others. – We also follow the call of our hearts, but at work we will be counted as a working day.

- And I’m still at work. “I am deputy Oleg Ivanov,” said a man from the Vyborg district. - And there is the head of the district - Garnets Valery Nikolaevich, next to him is his deputy, and there is the school director. We're all here! All in in a great mood! This event unites, unites,” the deputy explained why he came.

The Pushkin district was the best prepared for the religious procession. The entire column was armed with poles with portraits royal family. It turned out to be a whole forest of portraits. Why are they?

“Because we are from Tsarskoye Selo,” explained a parishioner of the Panteleimon Church. He gave me a pole too, but without a portrait.

- But there’s nothing there! – I was surprised.

– Just imagine what it is! They brought more sticks than signs. Carry it as is. “Then you will return the stick to the Pushkin district,” the parishioner ordered.

I took the stick.

Then all the columns began to move - the religious procession began. For some time I walked among the royal portraits with an empty stick over my head. There were other people nearby with empty sticks.

Nevsky Prospekt was closed to traffic the day before. But on the streets adjacent to Nevsky, there were columns of stubborn motorists. There were people standing and sitting at the stops, waiting for trolleybuses and buses. They weren’t outraged, but they didn’t join either.

The procession was very strictly guarded. At the intersections, the streets were blocked by heavy cleaning equipment, along the entire Nevsky - every 10-15 meters - there were police officers, volunteer guards, vigilantes, and in some places - metal fences. To prevent strangers from entering the passage, the guards (where there were no fences) held hands - it turned out to be a human chain. A platoon of riot police walked in front of the religious procession.

How they didn’t let me out of the prayer service

The religious procession was led by Metropolitan Barsanuphius, speaker Vyacheslav Makarov, former vice-governor, now State Duma deputy Igor Divinsky, current vice-governor Igor Albin and other officials and priests.

The splendor was disrupted only once: Orthodox activists quarreled with the police. Believers carried banners with the slogans: “Matilda is a slap in the face of the Russian people” and “The honor of the state is the honor of the people.” Law enforcement officers demanded that the slogans be removed, but the crusaders refused.

- Employees, help! - shouted the police lieutenant colonel, whom the Orthodox tried to push away from the slogans.

- Anathema on you! - the believers carrying banners cursed.

The other participants in the procession looked at the brawl with curiosity, but were absolutely silent.

In the end, the police won, the banners were confiscated, but no one was detained.

In an hour we walked from the Kazan Cathedral to Alexander Nevsky Square. There were a lot of people standing here. I wanted to leave, but they didn’t let me out. The policeman did not allow me to leave the fence and blocked my way. We had such a simple dialogue.

- May go out?

- It is forbidden!

- And to the toilet?

- I've told! Go forward. You let one person out, and then you all break away,” the policeman did not back down.

Some lady came to my aid and began asking the policeman whether he believed in God and why he wasn’t happy when there was such a national holiday here. The policeman replied that he was protecting us believers on his day off, and there was nothing to be happy about.

The believers listened to Makarov attentively. Some thought that it was Metropolitan Barsanuphius speaking and were baptized.

And then we all listened to the festive prayer service. We delved into the words of Governor Poltavchenko and Speaker Makarov. The speaker's speech turned out to be the highlight of the event. It has already been taken away for quotes by the media, but in its entirety it makes a very strong impression.

– Russia’s great destiny is to solve problems that no other country in the world can solve! Russia is a world power last hope God on planet Earth! That is why the Lord invisibly protects Russia from its enemies, protects its small world for a saving outcome, in order to preserve Russia in its heavenly and earthly dimensions! I am Russian, I am baptized... I pray for the Russian Tsar and God. It was the authority of the tsar, the strength of the tsar and the strength of the state that allowed our great power - Russia - to be invincible! St. Petersburg is the city of St. Apostle Peter. A city that we must leave to our descendants as a great Orthodox city on planet Earth. The Lord God and the Orthodox faith are with us! - said the speaker.

The believers listened to Makarov attentively. But from the back rows it was not clear who was speaking. Some thought that it was Metropolitan Barsanuphius speaking and were baptized by the speaker.

Crusade Skirmisher

The religious procession in honor of the transfer of the relics of Alexander Nevsky took place in St. Petersburg for the fifth time. About 1.5 million rubles were spent from the city budget on organizing the celebrations. This is 400 thousand more than last year, and 800 thousand more than in 2015.

Processions of the Cross in Lately very popular in Russia. New forms appeared - voyages of the cross and flights of the cross. Thus, on the Ob River, the Altai Cossacks spent a two-week voyage of the cross on the ship “Ataman Ermak” with the icon of the Iveron Mother of God with the relics of the apostles. In Rostov, Metropolitan Mercury and local officials held an aerial religious procession by helicopter. With the Donskoy icon Mother of God they flew around the city and prayed for the well-being of Rostov and Russia. In Taganrog, the flying of the cross was improved. The priests of the local diocese poured eight tons of holy water into the tanks of the Be-200 amphibious aircraft and sprinkled the city and surrounding area from a height of 200 meters.

There are also religious processions on bicycles, motorcycles, buses and catamarans. St. Petersburg demonstrates new approaches to crusade to other regions. This summer the first automobile religious procession took place along the route St. Petersburg - Kronstadt. Dozens of cars took part. For those who do not have their own car, 5 buses have been prepared. This format of the religious procession, according to the organizers, corresponds to the spirit of the times. "He doesn't contradict Orthodox tradition“- says the official crusading website krestkhody.rf.

The voyage of the cross on a catamaran with a list of the “Inexhaustible Chalice” icon came from St. Petersburg to Kerch last week. The event was held by the public organization “Orthodox St. Petersburg”.

The St. Petersburg diocese believes that crucifixion needs to be further developed. Representatives of the diocese appealed to the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation with a proposal to support the idea of ​​holding religious processions throughout the country on National Unity Day. To begin with, Russia needs at least one all-Russian religious procession, otherwise everyone goes separately and in different time. And a single religious procession will contribute to the consolidation and mobilization of society.

In 2017, St. Petersburg will become the absolute leader among Russian regions in the number of large religious processions. According to the portal krestnyekhody.rf, 9 religious processions took place (and will still take place) in St. Petersburg this year. In second place among Russian regions is the Vyatka Metropolis (5 religious processions). The Moscow diocese lags behind - only 4 religious processions.

Elena ROTKEVICH

What can you get for a photo with the hashtag #Walk1209

The St. Petersburg diocese encouraged participation in the procession with the help of an online competition. The competition accepted photographs (family or selfies) taken during the religious procession and published on social networks. A prerequisite is the presence of the hashtag #KrestnyyKrestnyy1209.

The winners will be announced on September 25th. Those who take first place will receive, according to the official press release, a large pectoral “Sea” cross from an Orthodox jewelry company. For second place they will receive an encyclopedia album. For the third - also an album. All winners will also be presented with “an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, consecrated on his relics, which first arrived in Russia from the city of Bari.”

As Gorod 812 was told in the jewelry company’s company store, on August 4, items consecrated on the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker were delivered to the store. The number of consecrated items is limited. The icons of St. Nicholas are still on sale (10 pieces), costing 650 rubles each.

Where did the relics of Alexander Nevsky come from?

Alexander Nevsky died in 1263 and was buried in Vladimir in the Monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin. According to the chronicles, in 1380 his remains were taken out of the coffin and they saw that they had not decayed. This was considered a miracle and the remains were placed “in a coffin (coffin) on top of the ground.”

In 1491, there was a severe fire, after which, according to some sources, the remains were burned, but according to others, they were miraculously preserved.

Alexander Nevsky was canonized in 1547.

In 1723, Peter the Great decided to transport the relics of Alexander Nevsky to St. Petersburg. But on the way they were again overtaken by a fire, probably after which they put a “stuffed figure” - a doll made of cotton wool with a wax head - into the shrine.

In this form, in 1724 the reliquary was transported to St. Petersburg and on September 12 it was installed in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra (then it was the Holy Trinity Monastery). Since then, Alexander Nevsky has been considered the defender of the city in heaven.

In 1917, priests secretly examined the relics. What they found there was reported at the press center of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

“Under the lid of the reliquary they discovered an open cypress coffin with a wax head and a “stuffed” prince made of cotton wool sewn into silk bags. It contained genuine relics - part of a skull, bones of arms and legs and two ribs. On the paper, lying in a bag with small bones, it was indicated that the relics were collected “after the church burning,” says the press center’s website.

According to the same source, the priests placed only “genuine relics” in the shrine and threw away the rest.

In 1922, during the anti-religious campaign, the shrine containing the relics of Alexander Nevsky was publicly opened by the Bolsheviks. The found remains were transferred to the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism. There they were kept until 1989, then they were returned to the Lavra.

For ten years, the topic of religious processions has been exciting Orthodox Russia in one way or another. This year is no exception. By the grace of God, the author of the note himself participated, organized and conducted them for more than five years. The first transition took place in the Urals from Nyrob to Yekaterinburg in 2001, from Yekaterinburg to Kostroma in 2002, the next one - in honor of the 100th anniversary of the glorification of St. Seraphim of Sarov from Kursk to Diveevo and a two-year tour to places of military glory from Pskov through Belarus to Prokhorovka and Kulikovo Field.

Processions of the cross “are carried out in order to sanctify people and everything that they need for life: houses, roads, waters, air and the earth itself, as trampled and desecrated by the feet of sinners. All this in order that inhabited cities and villages, and all the country became partakers of Divine Grace, rejecting from itself everything destructive and pernicious" (Tablets). They are traditional and new, one-day and multi-day. We will talk about specially organized long processions of the cross along new routes, blessed by the archpastors.

Behind last years they have proven themselves to be a special, very necessary (I would even say irreplaceable) part of our spiritual life, and the spirit determines everything: the economy, defense capability, culture, morality... The spirit is lost - and there is nothing on which to build morality, laws, the future of the state. There is the grace of the Holy Spirit, which means there will be honest managers, smart military leaders, conscientious citizens, and the government will be fair. Therefore, for every Orthodox person in any place of his ministry - church, state or personal - the words of St. Seraphim of Sarov about the acquisition of the spirit as the meaning of life is not just a beautiful metaphor, but a guide to action, to rebirth and salvation.

The procession of the cross is a church matter and therefore must be entirely subordinated to this task. It happens that a strategic goal is not always fully achieved, but if there is no understanding of the strategy, the tactics will not be correct. How to acquire the spirit? The condition for the perception and action of grace, according to the holy fathers, is the fulfillment of the commandments of God and the Church statutes. This is a necessary condition for His help in any matter: whether it is a religious procession, a family, a parish, or the construction of a state. And without God, every thing turns into mere appearance, into a plausible fake, into its opposite.

In our evil times, religious processions have turned out to be a living, real testimony of faith. Passing through dioceses, regions and republics, they contribute to the deep churching of participants, teach them how to fulfill the commandments, inspire prayer, and bring many people to the Church. Good news as before comes to people and how many of them were baptized and confessed in the Russian outback - it’s impossible to count. People want to participate in them and always participate - from young to old: they meet, show cordiality, hospitality, go themselves, pray, incl. children, youth, women, old people. The parishioners, our simple compatriots, try to provide the procession with everything necessary - overnight accommodation, a bathhouse, food from their garden. This is their feasible contribution, a sacrifice to Christ. Here the word of God becomes a way of life for many. Through the procession of the cross and the deeds accompanying it, through good deeds and participation, the dream we desire is clearly revived. spirit of Christianity.

At all times it was a national holiday, the triumph of Orthodoxy. St. John Chrysostom describes the greatness of this spiritual work in this way: “What can I say? I am completely filled with joy, I... fly, rejoice and rush around delighted; I am completely intoxicated with spiritual joy. So... what can I talk about? Is it about the zeal of the city? .. Is it about the gathering of the leaders? Is it about the shame of the devil and the defeat of demons? Is it about the power of the Cross? Is it about the triumph of the Church? Is it about the miracles of the Crucified One? Is it about the glory of the Father, is it about the grace of the Spirit? Is it about the joy of all the people and the joy of the city? O Is it the gathering of monks, the ranks of virgins and the ranks of priests? About the multitude of laity, slaves, freemen, rulers, subordinates, the poor, the rich, foreigners, local citizens? It is truly fitting now to ask: “Whoever will speak of the power of the Lord, will proclaim all His praises?.. ".

But this does not happen by itself, not always, but only if everything is done according to Church rules, sound reasoning and with careful preparation.

The procession begins with blessings. To find out the will of God, the blessing of the spirit-bearing elders is sought before starting. There are only a few of them, real ones (although there are many old people, as Father Kirill (Pavlov) said). Further, when we receive the blessing of the bishops, we receive from the Lord grace and the command to fulfill His holy will. If God blessed through the elders and bishops, this is already obedience, it cannot be neglected: Cursed be everyone who does God's work carelessly(Jer 48:10). It either needs to be done well, or it doesn’t need to be started at all.

Not every movement of people is a religious procession. Obvious requirements: at least one priest must be present at all times, who is obliged to serve, instruct, confess - nourish, a general church or special fast, charter must be observed, special rules(see below), movement - with prayer and on foot.

Christ commanded: Go... and preach (Mark 16:15). The main task of the procession is akin to the apostolic one - preaching. Preaching with the word of God, prayer, carefully selected spiritual literature, preaching by personal example, lifestyle, truth. Comfortable flights, swimming and driving are not inherently a religious procession; their spiritual benefits are much lower.

Elder Paisius the Svyatogorets said: “The current situation can only be resisted spiritually, and not in a worldly way... We must boldly confess our faith, because if we remain silent, we will bear responsibility. In these difficult years, each of us must do what "What is possible. And what is impossible, leave to the will of God. So our conscience will be calm."

It is known that prayer supported by bodily exertion, bowing, and fasting is much more effective. Repentance, patience and prayerful work put into the difficulties of walking to the glory of God are a very powerful weapon in the battle for faith and Russia. Here every step is like a bow to Christ, the Mother of God and the saints with repentance and our constant request to help in troubles and sorrows, to cope with this hard time, with the illnesses of relatives and friends, with the invasion of twelve languages, with drunkenness and godlessness of the once Orthodox country.

The creation of a procession of the cross is the creation for a time of a special kind of Orthodox church community, a monastery “on its feet.” Difficulties reveal and aggravate the spiritual infirmities of those walking, they need to be treated on time, here the priest is simply irreplaceable, and not alone - the priests also get tired and sick. Finding confessors for a religious procession is a separate, mandatory and very important task. Under their leadership, it is necessary to build a rule and try to follow it: morning and evening prayers, prayer services, memorial services. It is extremely important to teach everyone how to correctly chant the Jesus Prayer out loud while moving. Where there are two or three in the name of God, there He is among us. Eat different variants such a prayer, it was blessed to us by the elders, hermits and in writing - by the bishops. Without prayer, the religious procession loses its power. Chants and chants are good when entering and leaving the temple, but on the march there should be a battle hymn of the army of Christ, and nothing else is as suitable as the Jesus Prayer. Experienced walkers can teach, there are features here - the pace and length of the step, so that it is equally comfortable for brothers and sisters, the strong and the weak, everyone. In practice, in some dioceses, local priests try to prevent such prayer - God is their judge. In the name of peace, there is no need for conflicts (and not only on this issue), but at the first opportunity we need to pray together and out loud again, to beat the enemy with the main weapon of the religious procession - in the name of God!

Nothing happens by itself, everything needs to be prepared. You can’t rely only on the map - there is too little information and not all of it is reliable. The proposed route must be traveled and, sometimes, more than once. The schedule of traffic, transitions, parking, services, entrances and exits from large cities must be developed in advance by the organizers and agreed upon with bishops, deans, governors, traffic police, and the media. Sports forced marches and distances of many thousands are good for a few; we have other tasks. We walk for five days, pray, for a holiday - parking, service, communion, rest, laundry, treatment, meetings, conversations. The length of the crossings is usually from 25 to 40 km. The strong can go further and faster, but everyone needs to be saved, both the elderly and the infirm. And those who are stronger, upon arrival, can help set up the camp, heat the bathhouse, help in the kitchen, and work in obediences.

They can also communicate with the local population, but not everyone. Not many be teachers, said the apostle. The scourge of religious processions is arbitrariness, jealousy beyond reason, just basic ignorance, amateur performances of the participants, speaking as if on behalf of the religious procession and not only to local grandmothers, but also to various types of media, often non-Orthodox.

To solve these and other problems, simple Rules for the procession of the cross were developed and blessed by the bishops (see below). Any church, parish, or monastery is required to have and implement its own charter, and in our case, rules that limit the willfulness of leaders and the anarchy of the crowd; this is the basis of discipline and responsibility, a criterion for the correctness of actions, a condition for God’s help. Participants, leaders and priests come and go, but the fulfillment of tasks and continuity must be strictly observed. During the religious procession, the leader and confessor resolve all issues.

And those who meet and go ask a lot of them: what’s going on? with whom to save? What is repentance? In general, the eternal Russian questions are “what to do” and “who is to blame.” We tried to systematize them, highlighted the main thing, printed and distributed a small collection “Russian Cross”. Perhaps soon it will be expanded and republished under the title “On the Way of the Cross.”

Just as the Orthodox faith is comprehended by the works of faith, so the procession of the cross is only understood from the inside, from the experience of direct participation. A significant part of the problems stems from the lack of such experience among the organizers and participants or from their irresponsibility; from introducing into the Church a worldly spirit, habits and passions, and therefore other - commercial, vain, political - goals. Then they go "at random", without priests, without confession and sermons, without prayer, do not distribute books, or sell everything at a higher price. Sometimes they smoke, I’m ashamed to say, they swear and drink. They even go without blessings. Then the spirit of the religious procession is depleted to the opposite and disrepute is sown.

Therefore, it is important that the leader, the priest, and at least several other people be spiritually mature, experienced and voluntary like-minded people. Everyone should be like-minded - in Christ, leaving destructive habits at least for a while.

Elder Paisios once remarked: “The goal is to live Orthodoxy, and not just speak or write Orthodoxy (or just walk - author). If the preacher does not have personal experience, then his preaching does not reach the heart and does not change people. It is easy to think Orthodoxy, but in order to live Orthodoxy, you need work." You need fasting, prayer, humility, fulfillment of the commandments and church life in order to learn correctly understand and do every work of God.

Spiritual work is needed amazing example which is a real religious procession. In it, as in life, everything is important. Fidelity to Christ begins with small things and is proven by “little things” (see Lk 16:10). Mostly our simple, ordinary compatriots are coming, those who, as in all times, are fed by the earth. You need to go out when the ground is warm, people were able to cultivate it and sow it. When it is already possible to spend the night in tents and in schools where the holidays begin; when it is easier to feed the always unpredictable number of people and swim in the river (if you don’t wash off the sweat in the evening, tomorrow it will become " sandpaper"). A lot of things need to be thought through, if done well, each move is different, but care for the person should be put at the forefront. “Don’t torture people,” said Father Kirill (Pavlov).

Special planning and holding religious processions in winter, early spring, during Lent, especially during Holy Week - is not out of great love for people. There are special services during Lent, it’s cold, there are already enough difficulties, and confessors do not advise going somewhere without great need.

We need to use every opportunity that the Lord gives to testify to faith and our salvation, but according to sound reasoning and strength. “A disposition towards goodness is... good, but spiritual reasoning and breadth are also necessary so that narrow-mindedness does not become a companion to reverence” (Elder Paisios).

In addition to religious processions, there are also pilgrimage transitions, usually within one’s own or to neighboring dioceses. They are carried out somewhat simpler: blessings must be had, but not necessarily written, there is no strict schedule of transitions, services, and there is not always a priest. But there is always an elder, there is a written and unwritten Charter, for neglecting which the violator risks being left alone in the open field.

On campaigns, at services, at home, in cells, we pray: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.” All of us - those who go, those who help, and those who for some reason couldn’t. In fact, our entire Orthodoxy is measured by how much we can give for another person of our strength, means, time, prayer, health, our blood, our very life. “To pray is to shed blood,” said St. Silouan of Athos. He was probably talking about something else, but he “got” into the religious procession. Here, during prayer, their feet are washed into blood, and more than once - for themselves and “for that guy.” For everyone.

Because everything here is real. Therefore, the religious procession, especially in the outback, is perceived by many as a model, as a piece of true, almost ideal Orthodoxy - you cannot deceive the heart.

May God grant strength and salvation to everyone who walked, who is walking now and who will walk.

Fyodor Tyutchev wrote, without knowing it, wonderful poems about the Procession of the Cross:
"Weighed down with the burden of the godmother,
All of you, dear land,
In slave form, the King of Heaven
He came out blessing."

Let us also follow Christ!

RULES FOR PARTICIPANTS OF THE CROSS PROCESS

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Procession from beginning to end - Orthodox church service, performed by each participant, regardless of rank, position or title, with attention, reverence, diligence and obedience.

The leader (priest or layman) provides all organization and management (regulations, financing, order and mode of movement, food, lodging, security, distribution of obediences, other necessary actions).

From among the priests participating in the procession of the Cross, the senior in rank or ordination, or, if necessary, chosen by the participants as a confessor, organizes the proper services and services in cooperation with the clergy of the dioceses through which the Procession of the Cross takes place.

Everyone participates with the blessing of their spiritual fathers, abbots and the confessor of the procession.

The religious procession is carried out for the glory of God, not human glory. Political agitation, advertising of parties, movements, unions or their leaders are not blessed; National exclusivity, discord and intolerance are not allowed.

The procession moves on foot. In front, the men take turns carrying the cross, banners and the main icon. Next come the priests, then the men with other icons, then the women, and the escort vehicles. Constantly in motion the prayer is sung: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.”

Everything is done only with the permission of the leader and with the blessing of the confessor.

Participants who cannot go or violate the specified rules, fasting, prohibition, discipline, evade obedience, smoke, use foul language - must leave the Procession themselves or by the decision of the leader.

Upon completion, everyone returns home in an organized manner and, if possible, at their own expense.

BARDIZH Andrey Anatolevich; Address for letters: 142403 Moscow region, Noginsk-3, to the east. Bardizh A.A.