Home page News
Patriarch Kirill prays in the building in Lon…

Patriarch Kirill prays in the building in London rented from 1813 to 1921 to serve as a Russian church

On October 15, the first day of his visit to Great Britain devoted to the 300th anniversary of the presence of the Russian Church on the British Islands, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia presided over a thanksgiving in 32 Welbeck Street in which a ROC church was accommodated from 1813 to 1921.

Among the worshippers were Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, and Archbishop Yelisey of Sourozh.

Present at the prayer service were A. Yakovenko, Russian ambassador of Great Britain and other diplomats, as well as compatriots residing in Great Britain and benefactors.

The historic iconostasis of the embassy church, which is kept at the Sourozh diocese’s Cathedral of the Dormition, was installed during the prayer service.

After the service, His Holiness Kirill was greeted by Archbishop Yelisey of Sourozh, who said in particular, ‘We thank Your Holiness for blessing this place with your prayer. May the Lord bless your first steps on the British soil in your Patriarchal capacity’.

In his response, Patriarch Kirill said:

“Your Eminences and Graces,

Dear Fathers, Brothers and Sisters:

I am very glad that we begin the celebrations devoted to the 300th anniversary of the presence of the Russian Orthodox Church in the British land with this place in which the church, which was the center of the Russian Orthodox presence in Great Britain, used to be for over a century. The Lord has repeatedly brought me to the capital of Great Britain, but I have never been to this place. And now I have celebrated here with a great emotion.

Looking at the walls of this facility, I understand that the coming of the Russian Orthodox Church to the British Islands was very modest and almost unnoticeable. This facility shows that the first steps were made by a small community. With gratitude we should remember Archpriests Iakov Smirnov and Yevgeny Popov, who were rectors of the Russian Church’s Parish of the Dormition through all the time that Russian people worshiped here.

The prayer service was held here for over 100 years. These walls saw the Emperor Nicholas I, the Emperor Alexander II, the passion-bearing Tsar Nicholas II. Russian monarch, during their visits to London, deemed it their duty to come to this place in which our people worshiped.

After the 1917 revolution, the Russian Orthodox community in London, because of the emigres, grew so much that these walls could no longer accommodate all the faithful. And with gratitude I address the Anglican Church, which offered to our community at a difficult time another, more spacy church.

This place is the cradle of Russian Orthodoxy in Great Britain. I rejoice in the reunification of the two parts of the Russian Orthodox Church, showing the ever-growing number of Orthodox people, who in the 21str century believe it necessary to pray together at an Orthodox church in London. In its history, the Orthodox community in London has reflected the hardest history of our country and our Church by having walked a very long and in some sense tragic path.

We have celebrated a thanksgiving, during which we remembered those who were before us and who laid the foundation of the Russian Orthodox Church in London.

I would like to thank you, Your Eminence Yelisey, for your work, especially for the great preparatory work that preceded my visit. I invoke God’s blessing upon you, upon the clergy and all our God-saved flock in the British Islands. May the Lord preserve you!’

DECR Communication Service

Photos by the Patriarchal Press Service

Share:
Message from the Primate of the Russian Church to His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia in connection with blasphemous act on the ruins of ancient Ulpiana

14.09.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates on the feast of the 300th anniversary of the transfer of relics of St.Alexander Nevsky to St. Petersburg

12.09.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates All-night Vigil at the Christ the Savior Cathedral on the eve of Transfiguration

18.08.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' met with the Ambassador of India to Russia

30.07.2024

Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Awa III: Ukrainian government’s support for schism and persecution of the major canonical Church is a religious pogrom against the faithful Orthodox Christians of that country

24.07.2024

Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church consecrates the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in the city of Tver.

21.07.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Liturgy at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius on the commemoration day of the saint

18.07.2024

The Primate of the Russian Church celebrates All-night Vigil at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius

17.07.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Little Vespers at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius and reads akathist to the saint

17.07.2024

Patriarchal condolences on the death of Boris A. Nelyubov

14.07.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill congratulates His Holiness Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria on his election and enthronement

30.06.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill Met with the Released Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchin and Bratslav

25.06.2024

Patriarch Kirill led the bringing of the icon of the Holy Trinity, painted by the Venerable Andrei Rublev, to the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius

22.06.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with senior Russian Protestants

18.06.2024

Patriarch Kirill's Congratulations to Prime-Minister Narendra Modi on His Re-election as Head of the Government of India

12.06.2024

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with delegation of Orthodox Church in America

16.09.2024

DECR сhairman сelebrates in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Paris

08.09.2024

Nice hosts celebrations marking 50th birthday and 14th anniversary of episcopal consecration of Patriarchal Exarch of Western Europe

06.09.2024

Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations meets with Slovenian Ambassador to Russia

30.08.2024

DECR chairman congratulates head of the Spiritual Directorate of the Muslims of the Caucasus on the occasion of his 7th birthday.

26.08.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates All-night Vigil at the Christ the Savior Cathedral on the eve of Transfiguration

18.08.2024

Holy Synod deems it expedient that Working Group for Cooperation between the Russian Church and Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs should continue its work

25.07.2024

Holy Synod recognizes importance of resuming theological consultations with Assyrian Church of the East

25.07.2024

Session of commission for international cooperation under the Russian Presidential Council for Interaction with Religious Associations takes place.

23.07.2024

DECR chairman meets with representative of the Macedonian Orthodox Church

23.07.2024

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with the Syrian ambassador to Russia.

22.07.2024

Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations meets with a delegation from Lebanon.

22.07.2024

Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church consecrates the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in the city of Tver.

21.07.2024

The Primate of the Russian Church celebrates All-night Vigil at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius

17.07.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Little Vespers at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius and reads akathist to the saint

17.07.2024

Metropolitan Hilarion: Many things in a person's life depend on faith

29.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Holy Spirit is the main treasure of the Christian soul

01.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: Holiness is a constant striving to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ

27.06.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: God does not want to condemn, but to save us

07.03.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord always grants to us the opportunity to display our talents

24.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord has imbued the waters of Jordan with his divine presence to wash away human sins

19.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: to repent means to change your way of life

17.01.2021

On commemoration day of St. Catherine, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk officiated at the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr In-the-Fields  the representation of the Orthodox Church in America

07.12.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We can always show compassion for people

29.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion celebrates on commemoration day of St. Varlaam of Khutyn at the church of ‘Joy to All the Afflicted’ icon of the Mother of God

19.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We should remember that the life of each human being is in the hands of God

06.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: For God there is nothing impossible

25.10.2020

Metropoplitan Hilarion: The cross which was an instrument of dishonourable execution becomes the symbol of salvation for millions of people

27.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Eucharist is the wedding feast, to which Lord Jesus Christ invites each of us

13.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Faith alone is not enough for salvation

30.08.2020

Page is available in the following languages
Feedback

Fields marked by * are mandatory required

Send a message
Рус Укр Eng Deu Ελλ Fra Ita Бълг ქარ Срп Rom عرب