Burial takes place of archpriest Nikolai Gundyaev

His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia took the burial service for his older brother the newly-departed archpriest Nikolai Gundyaev on 2^nd January 2020 at the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Father Nikolai departed this life on 30^th December 2021 aged eighty-one.

At the conclusion of the burial service the coffin with Father Nikolai’s body was transported fr om the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral to the Holy Trinity Monastery of St. Alexander Nevsky, wh ere the mourning clergy headed by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill were met by the monastery’s deputy abbot the bishop of Kronstadt Nazarius and the brethren of the monastery.

Archpriest Nikolai Gundyaev was buried at the St. Nicholas cemetery at the St. Alexander Nevsky Monastery.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill took a brief memorial service by the grave of his brother. Praying at the service were the governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov, the metropolitan of St. Peterburg and Ladoga Barsonuphius, the bishop of Vyborg and Priozersk Ignatius, the bishop of Kronstadt Nazarius, the bishop of Tikhvin and Lodeynoye Pole Mstislav, the bishop of Gatchina and Luga Mitrophanes, the rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy the bishop of Peterhof Siluan, the secretary of the diocesan administration of the St. Petersburg metropolitanate archpriest Sergei Kuksevich, the rector of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Geneva, Switzerland, archpriest Mikhail Gundyaev, the personal secretary to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill archimandrite Alexei (Turikov), the clergy of the metropolitanate of St. Petersburg and the brethren of the St. Alexander Nevsky Monastery.

‘Eternal Memory’ was sung to the newly-departed archpriest Nikolai Gundyaev.

After the burial, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church prayed at the gravesides of his spiritual father the ever-memorable metropolitan Nicodemus (Rotov), and the ever-memorable metropolitan Anthony (Melnikov, 19.02.1924 – 29.05.1986) and the ever-memorable metropolitan John (Snychev, 09.10.1927 – 02.11.1995).

Further, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill visited the Trinity Cathedral of the St. Alexander Nevsky Monastery, where he venerated the relics of the Right-Believing Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky and the revered icon of the Virgin known as ‘She Who Hastens to Listen of the River Neva’.

A memorial meal was then held in the Blue Hall of the diocesan administration of St. Petersburg. Memories of the late archpriest Nikolai Gundyaev were shared by the metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga Barsonuphius, the governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov, the dean of the St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral of St. Petersburg archpriest Bogdan Soiko, the bishop of Peterhof Siluan, the dean of the St. Vladimir Cathedral in St. Petersburg archpriest Vladimir Sorokin and the secretary of the diocesan administration of the St. Petersburg metropolitanate archpriest Sergei Kuksevich.

His Holiness Patriarch spoke to those gathered at the memorial meal of the newly-departed Father Nikolai as a loyal colleague of the heads of the Department of External Church Relations metropolitan Nicodemus (Rotov) and metropolitan Juvenaly (Poyarkov). His Holiness said: “He never tried to do anything to obtain a personal reward for his labours, he would generously and without gain share his talents. Both metropolitan Nicodemus and metropolitan Juvenaly were very fond of him, knowing that it was not out of fear but through the prompting of his conscience that Father Nikolai laboured, and that that he would do so without expecting anything in return. He was unmercenary and surrendered himself fully to the hands of God, and this is how we remember him today.”

“I would like once again to thank those who have participated in this prayerful commemoration, who have uttered kind words about my brother, my beloved brother archpriest Nikolai, and I would ask you not to confine your prayers to this particular day. Please include him in your prayers both at home and in church so that the Lord may give rest in his mansions to his faithful and humble servant the archpriest Nikolai. May his memory be eternal,” concluded His Holiness Patriarch Kirill.

At the conclusion of the memorial meal His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, accompanied by the metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga Barsonuphius, the secretary of the diocesan administration of the St. Petersburg metropolitanate archpriest Sergei Kuksevich, the rector of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Geneva, Switzerland, archpriest Mikhail Gundyaev and other clergy, visited the Bolsheokhtinsk cemetery of St. Petersburg.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill took a short memorial service at the graveside of his God-fearing parents archpriest Mikhail and Raisa Vladimirovna Gundyaev.

After visiting the Bolsheokhtinsk cemetery the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church left for Moscow.