Do you want to know more about the procession for Easter in 2019? On the eve of this holiday, which is celebrated by Orthodox believers on April 28, 2019, church services are held in churches.
The service is especially solemn on the night from Saturday to Sunday. It goes on all night and is called the all-night vigil.
When and how does the procession take place on Easter in 2019? What time will the procession be on Easter? Let's talk about this in more detail.
This procession received this name because it is usually led by a priest who carries a large cross. Other clergy carry icons and banners.
On Easter, a lantern is carried ahead of the procession, followed by an altar cross, an altar image of the Mother of God, the Gospel, and an icon of the Resurrection. The procession is completed by the primate of the temple with a three-candlestick and a cross.
In Orthodoxy there are long and short religious processions. The religious procession on Easter, as a rule, is short-lived.
Where and when does the procession take place on Easter?
The church service on Holy Saturday begins in the evening, at 20.00. And the religious procession takes place on the night from Saturday to Sunday.
What time will the procession be on Easter? This action takes place around midnight. All clergy stand by rank at the Throne. Priests and worshipers light candles in the temple. The solemn ringing of bells - the bell - announces the onset of the great moment of the bright holiday - the Resurrection of Christ.
The clergy and congregation walk around the temple three times, each time stopping at its doors. The first two times the doors are closed, and the third time they open. The doors symbolize the stone that covered the Holy Sepulcher and was thrown away on the day of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Now you know when and how the procession takes place on Easter. After the religious procession, with the onset of Easter, the priests change into white festive attire and the service continues.
Bright Matins begins, during which joyful exclamations are heard: “Christ is Risen!” - “Truly he is risen!” After the festive liturgy, at about 4 a.m., believers break their fast with colored eggs, pieces of Easter cake or Easter cake.
If the day before, during Holy Week, the bells in churches were silent, then during Easter week the gospel can be heard everywhere. On Easter, it is customary to visit friends and relatives, treat yourself and treat others.
In the old days, on these days people would organize folk festivals, dance in circles, and swing on swings. This holiday is widely celebrated in our time.
The Velikoretsk religious procession is called the most famous and most difficult pilgrimage route in Russia.
Six days, 150 kilometers. On foot, behind the found icon.
The image was found in 1383, on the banks of the Velikaya River. It is there that the icon goes from Kirov, and then goes back, a different way.
This is what they write in the dictionaries: “Until the 20s of the 20th century, the image of Nikolai Velikoretsky was in the cathedral of Vyatka, and the religious procession began from here. After the destruction of the cathedral, the icon disappeared. From the 30s to the 90s of the last century, the Velikoretsk religious procession was prohibited, but believers, despite the ban, went to the holy place all the years. In 1999, the centuries-old tradition was revived, and in 2000, by decree of Patriarch Alexy II, the Velikoretsk procession was given the status of an all-Russian procession.”
There were 90,000 pilgrims this year
Thus, a list of the found icon travels to the Velikaya River.
Once upon a time, the religious procession was carried out on water, so there is a photograph.
Now tens of thousands of people make this journey along the roads of the Kirov region. This year there were 90,000 pilgrims.
For what
I'm not exactly a religious person. Still, people walk this path with prayer. And maybe I just feel warmth from that “Orthodox side.”
We are greeted by an epic-looking monk. He leans on his staff and looks seriously. Does not say anything. But the sensations, of course... Worse than face control.
There is a mobile storage room nearby. I hand over half of my backpack and look around. There are tents. These are the pilgrims who arrived earlier. I also find buckwheat porridge and sweet tea - they feed everyone before the journey. Well, thank you!
I'm going to the monastery. People are gathering. In the old days they would have said: “people are flocking.” People are very different: young and old, rich and poor, men and women, children. I saw a big Izhevsk boss in the crowd; in addition, the director of the Izhevsk yoga center; in addition, foreigners - Germans, Serbs, Ukrainians. Here is a woman who came from Odessa. It is difficult for her to stand - age. Sits on a bench. “How will you go?” - I say. “With God's help. As much as I can."
They bring out the icon. A prayer service begins, an akathist is sung to St. Nicholas, with whom we will have to walk this path. Festive, solemn. The sun is burning, but I don’t think about difficulties. I'm ready, but with rather youthful enthusiasm.
Governor of the Kirov Region Nikita Belykh and Metropolitan of Vyatka and Slobodskoy Mark deliver welcoming remarks. I don’t see them, but only hear that the religious procession is an act of love: “Go not for yourself, go with love: share a place to sleep, feed the hungry - this will be your cross. What are we st O them if we can’t give anything to anyone?” The crowd is buzzing, and I can discern the last words: “On a good journey, to the Velikoretsk Icon, the miraculous power of which shone forth more than six centuries ago!..”
The procession of the cross is an act of love: do not go for yourself, go with love
A huge river of people spills onto the streets of Kirov. An Orthodox religious procession of many thousands is going past Sovetskaya, Lenin, and Rosa Luxemburg streets, past the signs “Rolls and Sushi,” as well as “Spare Parts to Order.”
Nearby, a hangover man is shaking, smelling, of course, of fumes. The eyes are cloudy, there is a plastic bag in the hand. On the other side, there is a mother with four children, one of whom she is pushing in a stroller. I saw her the next day, and then again. It seems they have gone all the way.
An hour and a half later, the first stop was at the Trinity Church. A prayer service is being served. After it, many pilgrims line up to venerate the icon.
Having read that at rest stops I urgently need to lay out rugs and lie down to save up my strength, I’m already unfolding, but some girl tells me that over there there are dry closets, and there they hand out water, and all this may not happen for a long time. I run for water, go to bed again to “save up strength,” but, to be honest, I can’t imagine how it’s possible to walk 150 kilometers in six days.
I, of course, feel like a kind of pioneer on a mission.
We've been walking all day. We were afraid of the cold and rain, but no, the sun is shining. It gets hot, and when we walk uphill on the asphalt for an hour and a half. This, perhaps, was the first difficulty. Talking is not blessed. During the procession, pilgrims read prayers, an akathist to St. Nicholas. Some do it quietly or silently, and sometimes entire groups begin to sing.
This is so unusual for me that I increasingly begin to think: “What am I doing here? Who signed me up here anyway?” The situation is complicated by the fact that giving up easily was never part of my plans. And somewhere in the rows a friend is walking with her friend. How can I get off on the first day? Well, I go, I listen, I look, I remember those who told me before the move: “You will definitely pass. There is no doubt." Let's see.
Meanwhile, the heat is intensifying. Suddenly we see: a battery of water bottles is stacked on the road. Maybe a thousand pieces. Pilgrims take one for themselves and pass the bottles further along the rows.
Let's go, we'll be patient. The first rows are almost running. I walk quickly, so I also walk with my backpack right behind the singers.
Finally we enter the village of Bobino. This will be our first overnight stay.
I noticed that, despite six o’clock in the evening, the houses were closed and the windows were curtained. They say that in recent years there have been a lot of people walking around, everyone is noisy, everyone is looking for accommodation for the night, sometimes too persistently, so now you can spend the night with locals only by prior arrangement.
I was also somewhat discouraged by the new sensation. I've come a long way. The hard way. You need to get a diploma somewhere, and someone will tell you: “Well done, pioneer and excellent student Olya! Here’s a badge for you too, and let’s clap!” You can go home and go to bed. But nothing like it. No one is shocked, no one applauds. Expectations are not met. Obviously there's something different here. Some internal border needs to be pushed back.
We manage to spend the night in a large army tent.
But you need to get dinner, and you also need to bring a heavy bag from the storage room - there is a sleeping bag, toothpaste, a mug and a spoon. The soldiers distribute food - buckwheat porridge, soup and delicious herbal tea. However, everything is delicious.
The temple in Bobin is small, nice, and stands on a hill. While I was rushing about arranging everyday issues, the service ended. But there is still a line to see the icon. I also found myself in front of her.
It's clear and warm outside. I would like to stay in this place some more, but other pilgrims are already pushing me away. I go for water, for which there is also a queue.
At rest stops, people willingly share their impressions and talk about themselves
Communication is easy to build here. Still at the same time. You don’t talk much while you’re walking, but at rest stops people willingly share their impressions and talk about themselves.
Here is a man from Moscow. He's going for the ninth time. Well, I ask, is there a result? Yes, I haven’t smoked for two years now. There are other results, but they are very personal.
Here is a woman from Kirov. Her daughter is due to give birth in a week or two: “I’m going for her to make it easier for her.”
I go to bed at 21:00. 17 kilometers covered. Experienced pilgrims say that tomorrow is the longest and most difficult trek.
Get up at 2:00, leave at 3:00. The church has its own schedule. Meadows and forests. Moon and forests.
Pilgrims can also carry the icon. Men, of course. It’s best if three come at a time.
We walk, we hear prayer singing - here and there. I somehow got used to it, I listen.
First stop, I lay out the mat in a minute and immediately fall asleep for 40 minutes.
It's hot, it's hard to walk. And morally too. Time has slowed down and for the second day now it has stood still at one point. All life consists of you going, going, going, going. It is unknown when this path will end. Maybe in six months?
Divine services are held at every stop. And I, who at first used the time to sleep, began to come closer to the icon. Since she continued to walk in the front rows, she was in time for the beginning of the prayer service. And gradually something began to change, on its own, without stress. It was as if warmth and protection, peace and tranquility appeared. This can be called in one word – grace.
At approximately 10:00 we approach the village of Zagarye. Ten in the morning is not so much, but it means that we have been on the road for seven hours, and we still have to go and go until eight in the evening. I only dream of sitting down somewhere and nibbling on my crispbread and energy bars. A man by the road sells water, I manage to buy a bottle. Finally Zagarye. The same closed houses with curtained windows. On one, to be sure, there is an inscription: “Do not go behind the gate: the owners are not at home.” But we don’t come in. We hobble on.
A local man stands near a large house opposite the church, smiles, invites us in, and I see: not all, but some of the pilgrims are turning away. Well, I turned - a turn, another turn - I find myself on a large area in front of the house.
And I see a table set with a three-course lunch. A woman invites you to eat. The other one helps her.
The family - of their own free will and on their own - prepared food, medicine, showers, and boiling water in two huge vats for the pilgrims
The family - of their own free will and on their own - prepared for the pilgrims: food (two types of soups, pilaf, porridge, tea, coffee), medicines, toilets, showers, boiling water in two huge vats, drinking water (six new taps especially for pilgrims) . And, of course, she didn’t ask for money for it.
Oleg and Tatyana and, obviously, the mother of one of them - three people - vying with each other, they invite: settle down, relax, this is the way you are going!
And here, friends, I start crying, naturally shedding tears. I never expected that there could be such powerful support around an unknown corner. It was so hard to walk. I stand with this soup and cry.
Trying not to philosophize, I go and sit down with my lunch under the sea buckthorn tree.
And Oleg and Tatyana in response to our question: how can we thank you? - they only ask to pray for their daughter, so that everything will be fine with her; thank God, she has now entered the university she wanted.
“I,” I say, “Oleg, will never forget you now.”
The path of the second day is really difficult. It is also difficult, it seems to me, because you have to walk through abandoned villages, see strong houses where there is no life.
At the end of the day, the first calluses appear on my feet. Legs and shoulders hurt.
They say that the best shoes are wool socks on bare feet plus sandals. But actually, I also prepared: orthopedic insoles plus all-terrain volunteer sneakers (thanks to the Olympics in Sochi!), and then walked for two more days in light rubber boots and these very woolen socks.
We arrive for the night in the village of Monastyrskoye.
I go to the temple, the bells ring, right at the entrance. It's like a portable belfry, or something.
You’re so tired that you feel like you’re in another dimension, a little dazed. In addition, there is nowhere to sit, only on the ground (the so-called “seat”, which is attached below the lower back, was very useful). Pilgrims can be recognized by their gait: they waddle like ducks. And also about green legs: medicine generously waters them with greenery at rest stops. More than 35 km covered.
The organizers make sure that people are fed. At least once a day - hot food, tea, boiling water. They also try to spend the night in large army tents. Plus dry closets. Even if at some times there is something missing, and there are huge queues everywhere (the number of pilgrims increases every year), you still feel a kind attitude. And you feel great gratitude. Thank God for everything! And in the queues, as I already said, there is an opportunity to communicate, find out who is coming from where, who is coming for the umpteenth time, and how everything was in past years. You can also get support there: come on, sister, you will get there with God’s help. In general, I was on the move without any company, without interlocutors, or rather, on this journey there was a different Interlocutor, and this opportunity to communicate with people - at rest stops, in places where we spent the night - brought us closer and made us one force.
Then it turns out that some pilgrims even ended up in a bathhouse. Lucky ones!
I settle down again in the common tent. Nearby is a man of about 60, in dirty shoes - on his and on my rug. The trousers are also dirty. I say: “Now you will dirty both yourself and me.” And I stand, towering above him. How can we even sleep next to each other?!
A woman gets up from the mat opposite: “What are you talking about?!” Yes, this is my grandfather. Look how good he is! We’ll all get settled now.” He speaks with love. The grandfather is offended: “We have two daughters like her, 34 and 42 years old.” - “What are you, this one is very young. What, twenty years old, are you?” “Yeah,” I say. - Like this". “Ugh,” the grandfather turns away. “There’s no one to even talk to.” Greenery!"
In the morning they both ask me how I slept, if everything was okay. "Yes talking. - Excuse me". I move on and think how good it is that I managed to tell them these two words.
I'm starting to notice that life is structured differently. Forces are distributed according to completely different laws
I'm starting to notice that life is structured differently. Forces are distributed according to completely different laws.
You come, settle in for the night, and at 21:00 it’s as if they turn you off, you fall asleep immediately, without dreams, on the floor, on the rug, and ultimately in any company.
I notice that I don’t have any problems getting up at two in the morning and going out at three in the morning.
That before the move my back ached, especially after physical exertion, but here there is no hint of pain.
Every now and then I hear that “Nicholas the Wonderworker leads the newcomers by the hand” (option: “carries in his arms”). Maybe so. I feel protected. Among many, many thousands of people. Protection, of course, was quite visible: all the days of the journey, doctors, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the police with dogs were with us.
But it is absolutely clear that some other power source is turned on here.
We walk through the mud. We go through forests, meadows, fields. Everyone carries backpacks, some pilgrims carry children. Every day we travel for about sixteen hours.
I suddenly start thinking about the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War, the infantry. We are going - we know where, we know that in a few days we will board trains and go home, but what about them? You walked, and it was unknown when it would all end, and it was unknown whether you would be alive. How did they endure, where did they get strength, how did they save themselves, how did they strengthen their spirit? You begin to understand a lot, or rather, to feel it in your gut, when you walk like this for several days with a backpack under the scorching sun, in the rain, through the mud. I also remembered barge haulers on the Volga.
Lonely temple in the village of Gorokhovo. Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. The temple has a complicated Soviet history. And the village is almost gone. There are no residential buildings nearby.
They say that services are held here three times a year, during religious processions.
There is a source nearby. You can take a dip and get some water.
There is a service in the temple. And outside there are strong men and several pots of buckwheat porridge. One of these contains 50 kg of cereal. They feed us and give us tea.
I want to say about the atmosphere of the course. One of the most common words is “sorry.” Outbursts of anger, if they do occur, do not find continuation and do not result in quarrels. General internal concentration and goodwill are stronger than irritation. There is a woman with a child in line at the source. He is capricious, screaming, and the woman, obviously thinking that she is using a pedagogical technique, encourages her: “Can you be even louder? And what else?” The child starts up. The mother smiles joyfully for some reason. Finally one of the pilgrims says: “Sorry, but I already have a headache, to be honest.” And the mother begins to yell at this woman, but then, stopping short, she hurries to leave, along with the child, without waiting in line. This contrast is very noticeable here, in use. In “ordinary life”, I think there would be a scandal. But here it’s simply inappropriate to sort things out like that.
There is a special atmosphere here: one of the most common words is “sorry”
There is a big stop in Gorokhov. You can be on time for work, and relax and sleep. And move on with new strength.
Towards evening we enter the village of Velikoretskoye - this is where the icon was found many years ago. From this moment the holidays of the soul begin.
Here's a shot from above. Pilgrims approach the temple after walking a path of 80 kilometers.
I decided to put up a tent myself (thanks to the GTO, it was not for nothing that I passed the tourist standard). I settle down right next to the walls of the monastery, and a tent city instantly springs up around me. You will spend two nights here. More precisely, one and a half.
Pilgrims are an unpretentious people. Some will sleep on the floor of the temple (it turns out this is allowed), and others will sleep in a red sleeping bag on its steps.
I'm going to look around. A festive fair is already waiting for us - candy-lambs, linen dresses, human-sized nesting dolls, health products. But herbal tea is simply poured from a huge samovar, and the boy with great feeling reads poetry about this very samovar.
The film crew of the Kultura TV channel is also here, making a film about the move.
In Velikoretskoye I went to confession for the first time. Of course I was worried.
When my turn comes, I realize with horror that I am turning on the journalist, or rather, he turns on himself without asking: “Yes, father, I heard you, but here’s another question...”
It was midnight (many thousands of people confess to priests in the church and on the banks of the Velikaya River), the priest, Father George, could barely stand on his feet, and was also selflessly looking for words for me. I surprised you with my progressive outlook on life. He surprised and supported, reassured. And he blessed.
I don’t want to leave, although we’ve been awake for almost 24 hours. I see the same woman from Odessa whom I met on the first day. Maybe she came here to Velikoretskoye on something. She smiles at me: “Well done for getting there.”
The Liturgy begins. A girl from the pilgrims comes up and says that she can’t stand anymore: “Can I lean on you?” That’s how I remember this service: I’m standing and a girl kneeling next to me is holding my hand. And through the open doors you can see how the morning begins.
After communion I go to the tent and immediately fall asleep.
There is a great celebration in the village - we celebrate the appearance of the Velikoretsk Icon of St. Nicholas. The icon was installed on the banks of the Velikaya River - where it was found. There are pilgrims here, local residents, and those who came here for this day - from Kirov, from the region, from everywhere.
By the way, today is Pushkin’s birthday. This is also a holiday for me. I celebrate with a large mug of soldier's porridge.
By the way, I noticed several times that you ask: “If only the rain would stop, and I would go get some porridge,” and the rain stops and resumes as soon as you return to the tent. Or you ask for things to go a little easier, and your strength increases. Such quiet conversations.
I'm going to the river. The consecration of the water has already taken place, and pilgrims are rushing to take a three-time plunge.
There are changing rooms, but there are long queues, so many people get naked in front of honest people, near the bushes.
And again I think, as on the first day, about how close everything is to us: the religious procession, and Lenin Street, and modesty, and lack of Christ, especially if in peace. Young people, and even respectable women, throw off their underwear, and also provoke the police, who maintain order, and laugh. The young policeman blushes. “Yes,” I say, “you have work today.” He smiles and shrugs his shoulders: they say, anything can happen.
I swim too. So my shirt, brought from India, visited the consecrated waters of the Velikaya River.
Maybe here, in Velikoretskoye, for the first time there is a feeling of a path traveled, a job accomplished. My own inner warmth. Neither a diploma nor a badge is needed anymore.
Some pilgrims end their journey here - this is called “getting off the road.” Everyone chooses a cross according to their strength. But still the majority moves on, completing the circle. Moreover, the way back is easier, it seems to me.
Going out at two in the morning is not a problem at all now. Even a little earlier we line up by the road and wait for the icon. A woman comes up to me and asks: “Girl, when is the train to Vorkuta?” I look like she’s in a hurry to explain: “Well, of course, you’re wearing a Sochi jacket.” (Indeed. I mentally send another greeting to the Sochi-2014 Organizing Committee: excellent equipment, and the jacket also folds into a soft, very comfortable pillow.) It turns out that there is such a train “Sochi-Vorkuta”, and many pilgrims arrived on it.
We arrive in the village of Medyany at 14:00. The canon is read. I’m passing on a note with names that are dear to me – for good health.
And again I feel it - grace, as if my soul is straightening up.
But people are tired, hungry (including me) and, having barely completed the service, they run to large vats of pea soup. Yes, there are also crazy pilgrims. Saving face when you really want to eat is another challenge.
I will never forget the girl Vika, about twelve years old. She helped pour the hot soup
I will never forget the girl Vika, about twelve years old. She helped pour the hot soup. Pilgrims, adults, surrounded her and all reached out with their dishes. It was hot, she meekly took mugs, bowls, buckets, filled them with her hands trembling from tension (heavy, hot!) and brought them up. And there were only more people, and they were all very hungry. At some point she whispered: “I don’t have time!” There were tears in her eyes, but she didn’t cry, she just froze for a second and again rushed to the hot vat of soup.
Vikulya, even if you don’t read this, may everything always be fine with you. You are a fighter. That day, many were touched by how innocently and honestly you carried out your work.
In general, then a woman, also from the distribution, saved her and put her on milk, which was intended only for small children.
And one old woman said: “Was it worth going to such a distance, getting blistered feet, enduring all this, if, just then, we again turn into...” And she didn’t finish.
At 19:00 we go to Murygino. This is no longer a village, but an urban settlement, asphalt roads, five-story buildings. It's a completely different feeling. Some of the pilgrims are accommodated in the school, and there is also a first-aid post, where I hobble on sore feet. But nothing - neither everyday difficulties, nor calluses - can overshadow the joy, which, it turns out, grew every day. And it continues to grow.
A temple under construction in Murygin. There is an incredibly beautiful iconostasis, it seems porcelain. As always, there is a large queue to see the icon of St. Nicholas. Lots of locals. I’m standing nearby, and I have one feeling: I came with this icon.
I pitch a tent on the bank of Vyatka. Tomorrow is the last day of the move.
Rise at 2:00, leave at 3:00, after prayer. By 9:00 we are already approaching Kirov. You have to walk around the city all day.
Another battery of water bottles. “Who should I thank?” - we ask. We hear: “Thank God”
In front of Kirov there is again a battery of water bottles. And some man. We ask whom to thank. Smiles: “Thank God.”
We walk across a large wide bridge. The wind rises so much that it begins to blow away. Pilgrims' rugs, bottles, and scarves fly away. For me, the “wind bridge” is one of the most powerful, joyful stages: there is space, freedom. New forces appear on this bridge.
We walk, and the ringing of bells accompanies us everywhere. As a reward for perfect prayer work, for everything that has been accomplished.
In the temples through which pilgrims pass, they try to feed everyone tastier. The grannies from the Church of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia (they, the grannies, are all right there - kind, very sympathetic) roll out pickles, vinaigrette, kvass, porridge, tea, pea soup, fish soup, and squash caviar. Feast on the mountain! I settle down on the rug with this luxurious lunch and remember how a cup of soldier’s porridge helped us out after a long difficult march.
We walk, walk, walk, again on the asphalt. An hour or two. It's hard again, it's hot. Residents of Kirov took to the streets and greeted them. Let's go.
The last fifteen minutes are no longer even a move, but a flight. When you fly, you know that there is only joy ahead.
And finally, at about four o’clock we arrive at the Trifonov Monastery, where we left almost a week ago.
Closing prayer service. Vladyka Mark blesses everyone and hopes to see you next year.
After the service we go into the cathedral, fall on the floor and fall asleep for 20 minutes. We can barely stand up, everything hurts – legs, back, shoulders.
And there is also a font there. Orthodox chants can be heard again in the queue. A handsome, stately man stands out, I noticed him while he was still walking: he walked and sang - in such a voice and so soulfully that there was no doubt: this is a priest. It turned out that a programmer from Moscow, Alexey, was going for the fourth time. Amazing people, completely new to me. Well, as a journalist, I asked him to tell me about himself. And he wrote to me:
“What a joy it really is to walk together with brothers and sisters in faith. Because that’s where God is next to us.”
“Once, an acquaintance of mine, a rather elderly man who had seen a lot in his life, asked why I was going to the religious procession. And I tried for a long time to answer this question for myself. There were a lot of answers, and all of them were different. The religious procession sanctifies the ground on which people walk, and the people themselves. And Elder Nikolai Guryanov said that Russia would be saved through religious processions. Some people go to pray for their loved ones; many go to ask the saints for something in their lives. In 2012, when I returned from the water and sewage system, I had already vowed not to come here forever. But then, about six months later, my heart ached sadly, I again wanted to see people, see the beauty of the Vyatka lands, and enjoy the spiritual triumph. I don't know what's going on inside me. At that moment you want to sleep, your legs hurt, and you can’t wait for good weather, because it is either too hot, or too cold, or too damp, or too dry. You don’t really have time to pray; on the way you read prayers completely incompetently and inattentively. You don’t experience inspiring grace, nor do you experience any emotional disturbances. There is only one goal - to endure and get there. But only then do you realize that you are actually returning home a different person, unaccustomed to the usual routine of life along with all the mental rubbish. Only then does one realize what happiness it really is to walk along a dusty road with brothers and sisters in faith and endure minor difficulties. Because that’s where God is next to us.”
The pilgrims gradually disperse, and the temple becomes quiet. Candles burn softly, semi-darkness. The icon we had been following all these days returned to its place. During this time, she gathered thousands of people around her, and now you can stand alone...
Afterword
The procession of the cross is a practice. You practice kindness, humility, and the ability to overcome yourself
The procession of the cross is a practice. That's what I think you're practicing.
Non-malice, non-traumatic communication.
The ability to love.
The ability to overcome oneself, to deal with difficult things simply. You sleep on the ground, on the floor in the temple, you learn to walk like a duck, because everything hurts.
You humble your anger and pride - you don’t suppress it in yourself, but as if you let it go without effort. Very often the word “Sorry” is uttered here, as I already said. And you spread this feeling - peace and joy - like a wave, and catch it from other people. The procession on the sixth day is very different from what it was on the first.
I remember everyone with whom I had the opportunity to communicate, and I remember everyone with warmth.
Katerina from St. Petersburg says that you come back from a move as if you were coming back from a war—a war with yourself.
There are those who are going for the 19th time. I asked: you know that it will be so hard, how can you walk again? Craving, they say. Pulls. And then, we don’t know anything. Every time something new opens up here.
Basically, of course, the people here are pious. Children, along with adults, sing akathists and know all the prayers.
Well, you seem to float, return to this faith into which you were baptized many years ago. And much is still incomprehensible, much you don’t know, some things cause bewilderment, but, invariably, if you want it even a little, you do spiritual work, you feel peace and joy - God’s grace.
What else do you practice?
The ability to trust.
Ability to work for the long term. Now we need to be patient in order to achieve our desired goal.
In general, this is a very powerful spiritual and physical test. The first two days I just hung around with thoughts: “How did I get here?” And then, on the third day, I began to listen, quietly sing along, participate in prayer, and create my own conversation with my Interlocutor.
A procession of the cross is an open worship service. Worship in nature. The road to living faith. Not to the one where “the priest is a thick forehead,” but to that energy, to the true force that controls everything. An opportunity to feel yourself among life.
It is also an opportunity to see your country: people in a variety of ways; nature, its power and beauty.
And in the finale, I would also like to add the words that I wrote a few days before the Velikoretsk religious procession.
And yet the main thing that I know now is that I have to go anyway. Just move your legs no matter what happens. It happened - and you moved. Go.
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 there are no random people here: those arriving in an organized manner occupy the designated places and 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 are a kindergarten in the Kirov district,” said the other two. – 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! Everyone is 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 of the royal family. It turned out to be a whole forest of portraits. Why are they?
“Because we are from Tsarskoe Selo,” explained a parishioner of the Panteleimon Church. He handed 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’ll let one person out, and then you’ll 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, God’s last hope 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.
Religious processions have recently become 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 icon of the Don 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. “It does not contradict the 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 at different times. 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.
What is the Procession of the Cross and why do believers need to go on a prayer procession with an icon? In order to correctly go through the Procession of the Cross, you need to understand its meaning. Our life is a long road and, following this path, we can both grow in piety and commit sins. Many events require self-denial, the ability to overcome difficulties, and walk the long path of life with prayer. The procession of the cross is a symbolic procession along the path of life. We tell ourselves and others that we want to follow the path of Christ, because being with the Lord is the main goal of our earthly life. At this time, we don’t just walk, hoping that the procession with the icon of the saint might somehow magically affect us, we pray. The procession of the cross is a time of prayer and reflection about your life, your path and its meaning. Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered in My Name, there am I in the midst of them.” This is also a “communion of saints,” an opportunity to feel unity with one’s fellow believers. Show love and mercy to those who find it difficult to walk. Pray together. The procession of the cross is important for believers.
People organize a procession with icons and other Orthodox shrines to glorify the Lord. The icons are carried in front so that the saints “lead” the procession with prayer. Processions of the cross can take place along any route. Sometimes they consecrate areas that are notorious for tragic events, sometimes the procession takes place along a route that has some symbolic meaning for the Orthodox. But its essence is not in the distance from point A to point B, but in the desire to glorify God and His saints, in prayer. A religious procession is sometimes a petition (for rain, for improving living conditions, for help for the sick, for the repose of the dead).
Orthodox religious procession: history and traditions in Rus'
The ancient tradition of the Procession of the Cross began to be revived in Russia quite recently. Before the revolution, prayer processions were common. In difficult times, the Russian people were supported by religious processions with icons of saints. Not only ordinary pilgrims walked then, but also the highest church clergy, as is the case now. People went for support to St. Sergius, to the Solovetsky saints, to monasteries and churches. The Velikoretsk religious procession went to the place of the appearance of the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. This procession of the Cross is probably the most difficult in the history of Russia. People walk for 150 km on bad roads, in difficult conditions, part of the route passes through the forest, where there are no roads at all. During times of atheism, pilgrims who were going to the religious procession were detained by the police. He was few in number. Now, on the contrary, it is one of the largest gatherings of believers.
The tradition of the Velikoretsk religious procession is 600 years old. It is connected with the history of the Orthodox miracle. It is believed that a certain pious man was passing near the Great River and suddenly saw a Heavenly light, reminiscent of the flames of burning candles. In awe, he did not dare to approach this place. But, returning home, he saw that the light was still on. He crossed himself and, overcoming fear, went to this place. It turned out that next to a small source there was an image of St. Nicholas. A pious man whose name was Semyon Agalakov in 1383 helped the Church find the Velikoretsk image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
After this event, amazing things began to happen in a nearby village: the healing of the sick. And the pilgrimage to the icon began. At first people walked alone, and then together. People from other places began to come, having heard about the miracle. The icon was eventually transferred to Khlynov, but people annually bring it in a religious procession with a prayer procession to the place of the miraculous discovery. The route is so difficult that the first religious processions were carried out on water.
Modern pilgrims also plunge into the water of the holy spring at the site where the icon was found when they make a religious procession. A small chapel was also built there. And the residents of the villages of Medyany and Murygino kneel and make the sign of the cross as the prayer procession passes by.
Father Alexander Zverev, rector of the Velikoretsk Church from 1994 to 2005, said that another ancient miracle happened when the builders who founded the church at the site of the appearance of the icon discovered logs far from this place in the morning. This was repeated for several days. And one more amazing event: in 1554, a big fire destroyed the cathedral in which the Velikoretsk shrine was located, but the icon was not damaged. A year later, the image made its first journey to the place where the icon was found in a procession of the Cross. The Velikoretsk Icon was seen off with great honor. She visited Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod. In the capital, the image was met by Ivan the Terrible. The Tsar decided to consecrate the chapel of St. Basil's Cathedral in honor of the Vyatka saint. During the difficult years of the Russian Troubles, Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov also asked to bring the image to Moscow.
Types of the Procession
The religious procession can be dedicated to one or another wonderful event, an important date. Church holiday (for example, Easter). Can walk through an area that is important to people in order to consecrate it with universal prayer
It may vary along the route. Both in length of the route and in shape. This is how believers sometimes walk in circles. Such a procession with an icon does not take place by chance. The circle is a symbol of infinity, Eternal life, which the Lord gives us.
But the procession may also have an end point. Like the path of Christ to Golgotha, when he was accompanied by his disciples, or the path of the myrrh-bearing women to the Tomb of Christ.
Along with the icons, people carry the Cross in front of the prayer procession. That is why the move is called “the godfather”. This custom exists not only in the Orthodox Church, but also in the Catholic Church.
Procession of the Cross for Catholics
The very first religious procession, without realizing it, was made by Emperor Constantine I the Great. He saw the Cross in the sky and the words “By this victory.” The emperor ordered the production of banners and shields with the image of the Crucifixion, and so his army went against the enemy. Now this role is played during the procession of the banner.
Mostly religious processions are performed by:
- On major church holidays
- To consecrate places where Orthodox miracles occurred
- For the burial of the dead
- To ask for salvation in difficult times or times of drought in places where rain is needed (for example)
Missionary work also plays a special role. Thus, thanks to the Velikoretsky religious procession, many local residents from nearby villages could join the ancient church tradition and pray.
The religious procession usually goes against the sun.
The prayer procession is now carried out not only on foot. This is how the Orthodox procession is carried out in difficult areas, and the waterways are passed on boats. Therefore, in this case the word “move” has only a formal meaning.
The religious procession can be not only for adults, but also for children. Some dioceses hold a special one.
It is also performed for. In the Kursk diocese, a religious procession is held with sign language interpretation for the deaf and hard of hearing.
Annual religious processions in Russia
Procession of the Cross - prayer procession with an icon
Velikoretsk religious procession
Usually the most numerous. It is held from June 3 to June 8 every year. The number of pilgrims is in the tens of thousands. So in 2008 they counted 30 thousand people. The religious procession starts from Kirov, goes to the village of Velikoretskoye and returns again to Kirov. This religious procession is considered the most difficult in terms of length and route features.
St. George's procession
Performed annually in St. Petersburg. A prayer procession with the icon of St. George is held to honor the memory of those killed in the Great Patriotic War.
Procession of the Cross in memory of all new martyrs and confessors of Russiaconducted by the Saratov diocese. It is dedicated to the memory of those who died during the persecution of the Church by Soviet power. Then the inhabitants of the cave monastery were killed.
Procession of the Cross “The Path of St. Sergius”
The religious procession “The Path of St. Sergius” goes through the Radonezh land. A prayer procession with the icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh passes through places that are associated with earthly life and miracles through prayers to St. Sergius.
Volga religious procession
The Volga religious procession is organized in the Tver diocese. It goes from the source of the Volga to the Dnieper and Western Dvina, the first Volga procession took place with the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus'.
Easter Procession: rules and meaning
The service begins on the evening of Holy Saturday. The Midnight Office is performed first. This part of the service is filled with sorrow over the earthly suffering of the Savior. The Shroud of Christ (the shroud with the image of Christ in the Tomb) is fumigated with a censer and moved to the altar. She will remain on the throne until the Feast of the Ascension. Next comes Easter Matins. The joyful and solemn ringing of bells heralds the coming Resurrection of Christ.
The religious procession is also held on Easter
This is when the prayer procession for Easter begins. They walk around the temple three times, stopping at its doors. The religious procession stands at the doors of the temple. The doors are closed. This is a symbol of the stone that blocked the entrance to the Holy Sepulcher. The third time the temple doors open, the stone falls, and we hear the Bright Matins. The festive singing of bells during the procession on Easter is one of the most complex types of bell ringing, which is called “trezvon”. If you have heard the expression “bells ringing,” then we are talking primarily about the Easter service and the ringing during the prayer procession. The bells in the temple do not always ring.
The meaning of the procession for an Orthodox person
In Church life there are external traditions and rituals that contribute to spiritual growth within, in the soul of a person. A prayer procession with an icon (procession of the cross) is a new spiritual experience for a Christian, an opportunity to rethink a lot, ask the saints for intercession before the Lord, healing or answers to questions that torment a person. This experience cannot be acquired by the power of thought, no knowledge can give it, the experience that prayers and unity with brothers and sisters in faith give is absolutely unique. In many ways, the Procession of the Cross is also a sacrifice that Christians make to the Lord.
Religious traditions are slowly but surely returning to our lives. At Easter, even people of little faith enjoy coloring eggs, buying and baking Easter cakes, and preparing Easter eggs. It seems that a miracle will happen on this day, people will become kinder, happier, dearer, more sociable. True believers Orthodox people have already washed everything, prepared everything on Maundy Thursday and are going to go through the “path of the soul” - the Procession of the Cross. So, how the procession of the Cross is carried out for Easter 2019, when it will take place, varieties, process and many interesting things - further in the article.
Interesting! The Jews were among the first to go through the prototype of the procession. They made a long journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. How to cook for Easter.
- What is the Procession of the Cross?
- Banners
- Varieties of the Procession
- There are regular ones
- Easter Procession
What is the Procession of the Cross?
The procession with external and altar crosses gave the process its name. It is particularly solemn. The clergy, together with the flock, with church banners, icons and shrines, make a procession around the temple, from one church to another or to some holy place. At Epiphany, the procession goes from the church to the “Jordan” - a special ice hole. It is cut down for the festive illumination of water in the form of a cross.Interesting! Kings Solomon and David took part in the prototypes of the procession, so the procession has a long history.
Interesting! The very first naval religious procession took place across the Black Sea, in honor of the canonization of the most talented naval commander F. F. Ushakov.
It is wrong to think that the procession of the Cross is always festive and joyful. The procession with the shroud, which is held during Holy Week, is suffering, sorrow and crying. When performing it, they remember the burial of Christ.
Easter Procession
Its antipode is the Easter procession. The procession commemorates the meeting of the myrrh-bearing women with the Risen Jesus Christ. The Holy Resurrection of Christ is particularly solemn. In the temple, all dark clothes are replaced by light ones. Believers come to the temple for the festive evening service, which begins on Holy Saturday and continues after midnight. The religious procession is an integral part of it and lasts until midnight.Interesting! The procession around the Russian Orthodox Church moves counterclockwise, the Old Believers - clockwise, according to the movement of the sun.
The priest reads prayers and lights candles together with the believers. The choir begins to quietly sing a song, which gradually gains strength and merges with the Easter peal - in memory of the holy myrrh-bearing women who met the Risen Lord. It is at this moment that the procession begins, the priest and his flock circle the church three times to the sound of jubilant ringing. In the hands of the clergyman is the icon of the Resurrection.
Important! If there is only one clergyman in the church, then the Gospel and the icon are carried by ordinary residents, thereby becoming direct participants in the sacrament.
The Procession of the Cross for Easter 2019 ends in front of the closed western doors of the church,
the bells fall silent. The abbot, facing the East, marks the locked gate with a censer three times in a cross shape. After the clergy sings the troparion three times (a short hymn in which the essence of the holiday is revealed or the saints are glorified) - “Christ is Risen”, the doors of the temple open and everyone, rejoicing and rejoicing, enters it. This action symbolizes the entry of the myrrh-bearing women into Jerusalem with the joyful news of the Resurrection of the Savior.
Important! On Easter, Orthodox people greet each other with the words “Christ is Risen!”, to which they must respond “Truly He is Risen!”
Throughout Easter week, the doors in all temples and churches are kept open, at this time the sky is closer to us than ever.
Interesting! Catholics, unlike Orthodox believers, make a procession after the service.
