Russian clergy celebrate Liturgy in Gethsemane shortly before the Feast of Dormition

DECR Communication Service, 23/08/2025

Every year on 22^nd August, a short time before the Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God, the Russian clergy of the Holy Land traditionally celebrate the Divine Liturgy at the Tomb of the Theotokos in Gethsemane.

Celebrating the divine service were Archimandrite Christodoulos, secretary of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem; Archimandrite Vassian (Zmeyev), head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem; Hegumen Nikon (Golovko), deputy head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission; sacristans of the Mission’s Metochions in Haifa, Jaffa, Hebron and at the Jordan River – Archpriest Miroslav Vitiv, Archpriest Nikolai Zhdanov, Hieromonk Amvrosy (Ignatov) and Hieromonk Matfei (Kozlov); as well clerics of the Gorny Convent in Ein Karem – Hieromonk Innokenty (Bespalov) and Priest Viktor Klinshov; clerics of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission – Hieromonk Filofei (Artushin) and Deacon Makary (Petukhov); and the clergy of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

As reported by the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, among those in prayerful attendance were Metropolitan Joachim of Helenoupolis, Hegumen of Gethsemane; Abbess Yekaterina (Chernysheva) of the Gorny Convent in Ein Karem, with sisters; monks of the Holy Sepulchre Brotherhood; Russian-speaking Orthodox Christians from various localities in the Holy Land; and numerous pilgrims.

The liturgical hymns were performed by the choir of the Gorny Convent. The divine service was celebrated in the Greek, Church Slavonic and Arabic languages.

After the Liturgy, Metropolitan Joachim invited the Russian clergy and worshippers to a repast.

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Russian clergy celebrate Liturgy in Gethsemane shortly before the Feast of Dormition

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons