Primate of the Russian Church сelebrates Little Vespers with Akathist to St. Sergius of Radonezh at the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius

DECR Communication service, 17.07.2025.

On July 17, 2025, on the eve of the commemoration day of the uncovering of the holy relics of St. Sergius, Abbot of Radonezh (1422), His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Rus' arrived at the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius.

At the holy gates of the monastery, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church was met by: Bishop Kirill of Sergiyev Posad and Dmitrov, Abbot of the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius and Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy; O.V. Yerokhanova, Head of the Sergiyev Posad Urban District of Moscow Region; and the brethren of the Lavra, reports the Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus'.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill proceeded to the Trinity Cathedral of the monastery, where he venerated the holy relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh, the icon of the Holy Trinity painted by St. Andrei Rublev, and the relics in the Serapion Chamber.

In the Trinity Cathedral, where the holy relics of St. Sergius rest, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill led the celebration of Little Vespers with the reading of the Akathist to the Venerable Saint.

Concelebrating with His Holiness were: Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, head of the Metropolitan District of Central Asia; Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga; Metropolitan Pavel of Krutitsy and Kolomna, Patriarchal Vicar of the Moscow Metropolitanate; Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavl, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus; Metropolitan Grigory of Voskresensk, Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate, First Vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' for the city of Moscow; Metropolitan Antony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations; Metropolitan Nikandr of Vladimir and Suzdal, Chairman of the Financial and Economic Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Feognost of Kashira, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism, Abbot of the Donskoy Stavropegial Monastery in Moscow; Bishop Kirill of Sergiyev Posad and Dmitrov, Abbot of the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy; Bishop Alexy of Ramenskoye, Personal Secretary of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill; Archimandrite Makary (Veretennikov), Doctor of Church History, resident of the Lavra; Archimandrite Jeremiah (Solovyov), resident of the Lavra; Archimandrite Zachariah (Shkurikhin), resident of the Lavra; Hegumen Christopher (Boychuk), Abbot of the metochion of the Holy Trinity Lavra at Kulikovo Field; Hegumen Hilarion (Goyuk), resident of the Lavra; and other residents of the monastery in holy orders.

The liturgical hymns were performed by the combined choir of the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius and the Moscow Theological Academy under the direction of Hieromonk Nestor (Volkov).

Hegumenias of several monasteries and numerous pilgrims who arrived at the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius on the eve of St. Sergius' commemoration day prayed in the cathedral.

Attending the service were: S.A. Pakhomov, Chairman of the State Duma Committee of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Construction and Housing and Communal Services; A.V. Guts, Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for the Preservation and Development of the Solovetsky Archipelago; V.V. Mikhailov, First Deputy General Director of JSC "Russian Railways"; and V.A. Levin, Acting General Director of the Artistic and Production Enterprise of the Russian Orthodox Church "Sofrino."

A live broadcast from the Trinity Cathedral was aired on the television channels "Spas" and "Soyuz," as well as on the official website of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarchia.ru.

In the St. Sergius Refectory Church of the monastery, Little Vespers with the reading of the Akathist was also celebrated by Metropolitan Arseny of Lipetsk and Zadonsk and other hierarchs who arrived at the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius for the feast.

Photos by the Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus'.