Moscow, Kyiv Mark Baptism of Rus' Anniversary with Separate Celebrations

MOSCOW/KYIV — The Moscow Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) marked the feast of St. Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles, on July 28 with separate celebrations commemorating the 1,038th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus', each led by its respective primate.

In Moscow, Patr. Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Dormition Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. A reliquary containing a particle of St. Vladimir's relics was brought from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior for veneration during the service.

The liturgy was concelebrated by members of the Moscow Patriarchate's Holy Synod, numerous bishops and clergy, as well as representatives of the Antiochian Orthodox Church, including Metr. Niphon of Philippopolis and Metr. Anthony of Zahlé and Baalbek. Several liturgical petitions and exclamations were offered in Arabic.

During the service, Bp. Ignaty of Perm and Kungur was elevated to the rank of metropolitan following his appointment as head of the Perm Metropolis, while Hieromonk Daniil (Konstantinov) was elevated to the rank of igumen upon his confirmation as abbot of the Zaikonospassky Monastery.

Special prayers were also offered for Russian President Vladimir Putin on the occasion of his name day, asking God to grant him wisdom, strength, and peace for Russia. Patr. Kirill additionally read the traditional Prayer for Holy Rus'.

Following the Divine Liturgy, a procession made its way from the Dormition Cathedral to the monument of St. Vladimir on Borovitskaya Square, where a prayer service was held and the faithful were invited to venerate the saint's relics.

Meanwhile, at the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Metr. Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine presided over the Divine Liturgy in the Church of St. Agapitus of the Caves, joined by Metr. Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, Metr. Clement of Nizhyn and Pryluky, and other hierarchs and clergy of the UOC.

In his homily following the Gospel reading, Metr. Onuphry addressed the faithful gathered for the celebration. During the service, special prayers were offered for Ukraine, its people, the country's authorities, and its armed forces, asking God to grant peace to the nation and mercy to those suffering.

During the Divine Liturgy, Hierodeacon Ambrose (Nebronchuk), a graduate of the Kyiv Theological Academy, was ordained to the priesthood as a hieromonk.

The celebration concluded with a service of glorification in honor of St. Vladimir, after which Metr. Onuphry congratulated the faithful on the feast and sprinkled them with holy water.

The annual observance commemorates the baptism of Kyivan Rus' under St. Vladimir in 988, an event regarded by Orthodox Christians as the foundation of Christianity throughout the lands of the historic Rus'.

Previously, the UOJ reported that Patr. Kirill had consecrated a church founded by Hieromartyr Daniel Sysoev.