Patriarch Kirill leads celebration of Alexander Nevsky’s 800th birthday anniversary in St.Petersburg

On September 12, 2021, the feast day of the translation of relics of the Right-Believing Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky, St. Petersburg and the Laura of the Holy Trinity and Alexander Nevsky have become the centre of the nation-wide and church-wide festivities dedicated to the 800^th anniversary of the birth of St. Alexander Nevsky.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in the Laura. On this solemn day, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church marks a significant date in his life: half a century ago, on 12^th September 2917, hieromonk Kirill (Gundyaev) was elevated to the rank of archimandrite.

On arrival in the Laura, His Holiness venerated the relics of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky placed in the midst of the cathedral to celebrate the occasion.

Concelebrating with His Holiness were many hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church and clergymen from St.Petersburg and Moscow.

Attending the service were Valentina I. Matviyenko, chair of the Federation Council of the RF Federal Assembly; Alexander V. Gutsan, the plenipotentiary representative of the Russian President in the Northwestern Federal District; Alexander D. Beglov, Governor of St. Petersburg; Alexander Yu. Drozdenko, Governor of Leningradskaya Oblast; Sergey G. Obryvalin, first deputy of the RF Minister of Culture; Vyacheslav S. Makarov, chairman of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg; and Dr. Zoran Radoijčić, Mayor of Belgrade, the Republic of Serbia.

Liturgical hymns were sung by the choir of clerics of the St. Petersburg metropolia conducted by Yuri A. Gerasimov; the mixed choir of the St. Petersburg theological academy conducted by Raisa G. Gundyaeva; and the choir of the Laura of Alexander Nevsky conducted by hierodeacon Alexander (Urbanovich).

The service celebrated by His Holiness was broadcast live on “Sankt-Peterburg,” ‘Soyuz” and “Spas” TV channels and on Patriarchia.ru, the official portal of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Many worshippers prayed standing in the Alexander Nevsky Square, in Nevsky Prospect and in front of Moscow Hotel and watching the service on large screens placed there.

At the Litany of Fervent Supplication, prayers were lifted up for deliverance of the coronavirus infection, and His Holiness offered the Prayer read during the spread of pernicious pestilence.

After the Liturgy, Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga greeted His Holiness on behalf of clerics of the St. Petersburg metropolia and all the Orthodox of St. Petersburg, saying in particular: “You have celebrated the Liturgy at this wonderful cathedral, in which your consecrations as deacon, priest and bishop were performed. On September 12, 1971, you were elevated to the rank of archimandrite before taking your assignment to Switzerland.”

The head of the St. Petersburg metropolia presented His Holiness with an icon of St. Alexander Nevsky with the Feodorovskaya icon of the Mother of God.

Bishop Nazary of Kronstadt, abbot of the Laura, also greeted His Holiness and presented him with three panagias, one of them with an icon of St. Alexander Nevsky and another with a “Quick to Harken” icon of the Mother of God.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church addressed the worshippers with a homily. Then came the presentation of the church awards, after which His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia led a procession with the relics of St Alexander Nevsky from the Trinity Cathedral to the Alexander Nevsky Square.

Press service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia/

DECR Communication Service