Orthodox Churches

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko met with Primates of Local Orthodox Churches

On 29 July 2013, Mr. Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus, met with the Primates and heads of the delegations of the Local Orthodox Churches, who came to Minsk for the celebration of the 1025^th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia. The meeting took place in the White Hall of the Church of All Saints. The Cross of St Andrew the First Called Apostle was brought to the Church of All Saints the day before and will stay there till August 2.

Taking part in the meeting were His Beatitude Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa; His Beatitude Patriarch Theofilos III of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine; His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia; His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia; His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos II of New Justiniana and All Cyprus; His Beatitude Metropolitan Sava of Warsaw and All Poland; His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of All America and Canada; hierarchs of the Local Orthodox Churches, who came for the celebration of the 1025^th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia; and members of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church: Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch for All Belarus; Metropolitan Yuvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna; Metropolitan Vladimir of Chișinău and All Moldova; Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, head of the metropolitan area in the Republic of Kazakhstan; Metropolitan Vikentiy of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, head of the metropolitan area in Central Asia; Metropolitan Varsonofiy of Saransk and Mordovia, chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; and Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations.

Cross of Holy Apostle Andrew in Minsk

In the evening hours on 28 July 2013, the cross of Saint Andrew, on the occasion of the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia, arrived with the special train in Minsk along with primates and representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches.

Primates and representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches traveled by special train to Minsk

The primates and the representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches came to Minsk traveling by a special train from Moscow, on the occasion of the celebrations of the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia which happened in Kiev and Minsk. 

This train had a special passenger car-church in which was the cross of Holy Apostle Andrew. This cross was brought from the Greek town of Patras to the Russian Orthodox Church on the occasion of the great jubilee. During the trip to Kiev His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia held several important official meetings with representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches. 

Solemn Hierarchal Divine Liturgy in Minsk

Church celebrations in honor of 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia from Moscow and Kiev were transferred to Minsk, the capital of Belarus 

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia along with primates and heads of the delegations of the Local Orthodox Churches served on 29 July 2013 the Divine Liturgy at the ruins of Minsk ancient castle,  where the first church of this city was founded in XI century. Among participants there was His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch. 

Minsk: Memory of the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia along with prominent guests from the Local Orthodox Churches which participate in the celebration of the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia, laid a wreath on the monument at the Victory square in Minsk, raised in  honor of the soldiers of the Soviet Army and guerrilla fighters who liberated Belarus from the conquerors during the Great Patriotic War.  In the center of the complex there is a 40-meter-high granite obelisk. In the underground of the Victory square there is a memorial hall in honor of the heroes of the Soviet Union who were killed in Belarus.

The Day of St. Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles marked by Divine Liturgy celebrated by heads and hierarchs of Local Orthodox Churches at Kiev Monastery of the Caves

Thousands of people congregated at the Kiev Monastery of the Assumption for the solemn liturgy to mark the commemoration day of the Holy Prince Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles, the Baptizer of Rus’.

The Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the cathedral square by heads of Local Orthodox Churches including Patriarchs Theodore II of Alexandria, Theophilos of Jerusalem and All Palestine, Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Iliya II of All Georgia, Irinej of Serbia, Neophyte of Bulgaria, Archbishop Chrisostomos II of New Justiniana and All Cyprus, Metropolitan Sava of Warsaw and All Poland, Metropolitan Tikhon of America and Canada and Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine. They were assisted by a great assembly of hierarchs representing Local Orthodox Churches.