On August 28, the Tomsk community celebrated its patronal feast day for the 110th time. The solemn service for the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God was led by the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church Metropolitan Korniliy. Concelebrating with him were Bishop of Tomsk and Yeniseysk Grigoriy (Korobeynikov), Bishop of Kazan and Vyatka Yevfimiy (Dubinov), rector of the Tomsk church Priest Nikola Korobeynikov, Archpriest Anatoliy Besshtannikov (Gar village), priests Valentin Besshtannikov (Malinovka village, Tomsk region), Maxim Andreev (Shuvoye village, Moscow region), German Chunin (Kirov), Vasiliy Novikov (Minusinsk), Vladimir Shibanov (Kyzyl), Ioann Oshin (Krasnoyarsk), Vasiliy Andreev (Gorno-Altaisk), protodeacons Viktor Savelyev (Moscow) and Dionisiy Korobeynikov (Tomsk), deacons Alexey Dumnov (Barnaul) and Alexandr Usov (Khabarovsk). It is noteworthy that the Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God in Tomsk has been almost never closed for already 110 years. During the years of Soviet power, it was one of the few operating Old Believer churches in Siberia, the only one in the Tomsk region.
“I would like to congratulate everyone on this joyful holiday that has brought together so many guests,” the Metropolitan addressed the participants of the celebration. “Just as the apostles were carried on clouds to the joyful triumph of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God, so you have gathered in this church, which is already 110 years old. The primate of this diocese, Bishop Grigoriy, also has an anniversary: September 13 marks the 75th anniversary of his life, this is also a joyful event. We pray with gratitude for his work, for the continuation of his life.”
As a gift, the Metropolitan presented Bishop Grigoriy with the Gospel of Luke, with a prayerful wish for strengthening from the Lord in his archpastoral service.
Bishop Yevfimiy of Kazan and Vyatka travelled a distance of almost three thousand kilometres by car to congratulate the Tomsk people on their patronal feast day, and Bishop Grigoriy on his upcoming anniversary. The Kazan bishop presented Bishop Grigoriy with the antimis of the Tomsk Church, preserved in the Kazan and Vyatka diocese during Soviet times.
The next day, in the diocesan camp “Siberian Radonezh,” priests gathered for a diocesan meeting with the participation of Metropolitan Korniliy. Tomsk land is full of memorable places associated with the name of the holy priest-martyr Avvakum. One of them is the small ancient town of Yeniseysk, where there is still a small Old Believer community. There are plans to build a small temple here, which could become a centre for pilgrimage trips.
With transfer of father Vladimir Shibanov to Kyzyl the local church was transformed. The gilded domes, however small, made the church much more noticeable among the neighbouring buildings.
Land for the construction of the church was allocated to the Old Believers of Yurga, a district centre in the Kemerovo region. A small community formed here five years ago; on Sundays it gathers for prayer in a private house. At the end of the last year, the city administration, at the request of Bishop Grigoriy, allocated a land plot for the construction of a church complex. Project development and site planning are currently underway.
A joyful achievement of the Tomsk community was the construction of the Church of venerable Sergiy of Radonezh in Kornilovo. Roofing needs to be done here in the near future. On the territory of the church of venerable Sergiy there is a children’s Christian camp, which held its 10th season this year. The Metropolitan got acquainted with the “Siberian Radonezh” camp and the progress of the construction of the church in Kornilovo on August 29.
