The Friends of Mount Athos


© 2004 The Friends of Mt Athos

This report appeared in CredoRU, Oct. 26, 2004; translation courtesy of Nina Tkachuk Dimas.

View the original

October 26, 2004

Plenipotentiary Kirienko and Culture Minister Sokolov Make Pilgrimage to Athos


Bishop Georgiy of Nizhniy Novgorod and Arzamas with a group of Orthodox pilgrims on October 22 completed a pilgrimage to Greece, to the Holy Mountain Athos. Among the pilgrims was Sergey Kirienko, plenipotentiary of the president of the Russian Federation (in the PFO??), and Alexandr Sokolov, minister of culture and Russian mass communications, reports "Novy Region", citing the press service of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese.


After Divine Liturgy in the Russian [St.] Panteleimon monastery, the Nizhniy Novgorod was presented with a Kazan Icon of the Theotokos as a blessing to all inhabitants of Nizhniy Novgorod and its surrounding area.


On October 30, upon the pilgrims' return to Nizhni Novgorod, the Icon of the Theotokos will be solemnly taken to the Staroyamarochniy Cathedral of the Saviour. The sacred image from Athos will accompany the people of Nizhniy Nogorod during their religious procession on November 4, the holy day commemorating the Kazan Icon of the Theotokos -- in memory of the liberation of Moscow from Plish interveners in 1612.


After the Nizhniy Novgorod celebrations, the icon will to be sent to the Serafimo-Diveyevsky convent, where it will remain in the rebuilt church in honor of the icon of the Theotokos.