Primate of the Russian Church consecrates Church of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helena in Mitino, Moscow.
Communications Service of the DECR, 22.12.2024.
On 22nd December 2024 on the twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill performed the office of consecration for the Church of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helena in Mitino, Moscow and celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the newly-consecrated church.
Before the start of the service the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church was greeted at the gates of the church by: the metropolitan of Naro-Fominsk Nicander, chairman of the financial and administrative department of the Moscow Patriarchate and administrator of the north-west vicariate of the city of Moscow; the prefect of the north-west administrative district of Moscow A. Pashkov; Father Igor Konstantinov, the dean of the Spassky district of the north-west vicariate and rector of the Church of Our Lady of Vladimir in Kurkino, Moscow; Father Maxim Pavlenko, the acting rector of the Church of Ss. Constantine and Helena in Mitino, Moscow; students fr om the Sunday school and workshop at the aforementioned church.
Three altars were consecrated: the central one in honour of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helena; the south side-chapel in honour of the venerable Kirill and Maria of Radonezh, parents of Saint Sergius of Radonezh; and the north side-chapel in honour of the Right-believing Princes Peter and Febronia, the miracle-workers of Murom. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill also consecrated twenty antimensions.
Concelebrating in the consecration of the church with His Holiness the Patriarch were: the metropolitan of Volokolamsk Anthony, the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate; the metropolitan of Naro-Fominsk Nicander; the bishop of Pavlovsky Posad Silouan; the deputy chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchy the bishop of Ramenskoye Alexius and personal secretary to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill; protopresbyter Vladimir Divakov, secretary to His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia for the city of Moscow; archpriest Sergei Kulikov, the dean of the Znamenskoye district of the north vicariate and rector of the Church of the Holy Unmercernaries Cosma and Damian in Kosmodemianskoye, Moscow; archpriest Sergei Diky, the dean of the All Saints district of the north vicariate and rector of the Church of Saint Spiridon of Trebizond in Koptevo; archpriest Konstantin Mikhailov, dean of the Zelenograd district of the north-west vicariate and rector of the Church of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra in Lycia in Rzhavki in Zelenograd, Moscow; Father Igor Konstantinov; Father Andrei Shumkin, dean of the Dormition district of the north-west vicariate and rector of the Church of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra in Lycia in Schukino, Moscow; Father Maxim Pavlenko and other Moscow clergy.
Attending the service in the church were: the deputy governor of the Orlov region A. P. Biryukov; the prefect of the north-western administrative district of Moscow A.A. Pashkov; the head of the regional administration of Mitino in Moscow A. S. Nizamov; corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Arts, advisor of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction A. N. Obolensky; the acting director general of Sofrino church wares factory V. A. Levin; and director general of Helga Company A. V. Kazantsev.
Praying at the service were the builders, benefactors and donors of the church, Orthodox youth and students from the Sunday school.
The liturgical hymns were sung by the choir of the Monastery of the Holy Trinity and Saint Sergius under the direction of hieromonk Nestor (Volkov) and the Key Children’s Choir from the Churches of the All-Merciful Saviour and Ss. Constantine and Helena in Mitino under the direction T. V. Lokteva.
The Patriarchal service was broadcast live on the Soyuz and Spas TV channels, as well as on the official site of the Russian Orthodox Church patriarchia.ru.
Special petitions were offered up at the litany of fervent application and the Primate of the Russian Church read the prayer for Holy Russia.
Deacon Alexy Arefiev, cleric at the Convent of the Intercession in Moscow, was ordained to the priesthood during the Divine Liturgy.
The sermon before holy communion was delivered by Father Grigory Geronimus, rector of the Church of the All-Merciful Saviour, the Patriarchal metochion in Mitino, Moscow.
At the end of the Liturgy Father Maxim Pavlenko greeted his Holiness the Patriarch and presented to him as a gift an icon of Ss. Constantine and Helena with the church in Mitino.
His Holiness the Patriarch addressed his primatial word to those who had attended the service.
He presented as a gift to the newly-consecrated church an icon of Saint Alexander Nevsky and Saint Daniel of Moscow.
There then took place an awards ceremony. For their labours and help in the construction of the Church of Ss. Constantine and Helena the following people received awards: Father Maxim Pavlenko, the Patriarchal Gratitude Medal; O. N. Silantiev, director general of the Seven Development Company, the Order of Saint Daniel of Moscow, 2nd Degree; A. P. Biryukov, deputy governor of Orlov region, the Order of Saint Daniel of Moscow, 3rd Degree; Yu. M. Gladysh, director general of the Elektrostroi Company, the Order of Saint Daniel of Moscow, 3rd Degree; F. Yu. Turkin, chairman of the board of directors of RSTI Holding, the Order of Saint Daniel of Moscow, 3rd Degree; V. V. Tikhonov, founder of Glavstroigrupp and Seven Development companies, the Order of Saint Daniel of Moscow, 3rd Degree; S. B. Palchikov, director of the expertise group under the ecology management committee of the Moscow Regional Duma, the Patriarchal Certificate; and I. V. Buskin, director of the Babushkinsky Park in Moscow, the Patriarchal Certificate.
At the end of the service His Holiness Patriarch Kirill addressed the faithful with these words: “Once more I thank all those who have laboured in the construction of this church, and all of you, my beloved, who are present here today. I hope vey much that this church will be filled with people not merely on the occasion of its consecration and the Patriarchal service, but also on every Sunday. Churches are built so that people should attend them, pray in them, because prayer in church is a special type of prayer which reaches the footstool of the heavenly king. I congratulate you all on this historical event for everyone who has participated in it, and may God’s blessing be with all of you, your family and close ones and all those who live in the locality wh ere this holy church has been raised up. May the Lord preserve you all!”
His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill then visited the central office of the ‘Moscow Does Not Abandon Its Own’ volunteer movement based at the church, reports the press service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
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The Church of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helena was constructed as part of the programme for the building of Orthodox churches in the city of Moscow. The design of the church complex was done by the renowned Russian architect A. N. Obolensky, who also took an active part in the restoration of the Christ the Saviour Cathedral.
The first church was a simple army tent donated by the parachute regiment located on the present territory of the parish. Many parachutists were baptized in this church.
The wooden Church of Our Lady of Pochaev was built and consecrated in 2004. Construction on the stone church began in 2012 and on 5th August 2023 archbishop Mark of Yegorievsk (now the metropolitan of Ryazan and Mikhailovo) solemnly consecrated the foundation stone for the holy site.
The Church of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helena is one of the major projects of the programme of Orthodox church construction on Moscow. The seven-cupola church in the tent-style can accommodate five-hundred parishioners. The church stands fifty-four meters high and measures 3340 square meters.
On 15th December 2023 Father Maxim Pavlenko was appointed acting rector of the church.