July 22, 2021
On the occasion of the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God, Metropolitan Korniliy arrived in Kazan. The Primate of the Church was met here on Tuesday, June 20. The first point in the schedule of the archpastoral trip was a visit to Nizhniy Uslon.
The Old Believer church in the village Nizhny Uslon was built at the beginning of the 20th century. Like most churches, during the Soviet times it was taken away from believers and was used for various purposes until the 90s. It has now been returned to the Church and recognized as a cultural heritage site of regional significance. A small community managed to repair part of the building on its own, make an altar there and organize permanent services. Fr. Vladimir Savelyev comes here to conduct the Divine liturgy. Metropolitan Korniliy expressed the hope that over time the building will be completely restored and return to its former splendor.
The festive service to the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God took place in Kazan, in the church on Ostrovsky street. The summer feast of the Kazan icon is the patronal holiday of this church. The Divine service was concelebrated by The Primate of the Church, His Grace Bishop Yevfimiy (Dubinov) of Kazan-Vyatka, Protopriest Gennadiy Chetvergov, Rector of the Church, Priest Vladimir Savelyev, Priest Roman Dontsov, Protodeacon Viktor Savelyev, Deacon Dimitriy Chetvergov, Deacon Anthoniy Slepushkin. Guests from Novosibirsk, Minusinsk, Shamary, Volgograd prayed together with the Kazan community.
The Divine service ended with a prayer service appropriate to the feast day with the sanctification of water and a procession of the cross.
One of the reasons for the metropolitan’s visit to the capital of Tatarstan was the invitation from the head of the republic, Rustam Nurgalievich Minnikhanov. The completion of work on the reconstruction of the cathedral on the site of the finding of the miracle-working image was timed to the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. This place has always been special for the inhabitants of the republic. In 1595, a cathedral was built here, which was rebuilt at the turn of the 18th–19th centuries. In 1932, by the order of the Soviet government, the majestic building was blown up, but the inhabitants of Tatarstan always remembered the special historical event that took place at this place in the 16th century. The current city authorities decided that the best way to honour the sanctity of this place would be to recreate the cathedral. Metropolitan Korniliy was invited to the official part of the festive event on the occasion of the consecration of the Kazan Cathedral. He was accompanied by His Grace Bishop Yevfimiy and Priest Roman Dontsov.
In the evening, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Old Rite Church met with the Deputy Head of the Office of the President of the Russian Federation for Internal Policy Anatoly Yuryevich Vylegzhanin and Deputy Head of the Office of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Alexander Mikhailovich Terentyev.
The guests arrived at the cathedral. Accompanied by Metropolitan Korniliy, Bishop Yevfimiy, Kazan priests Fr. Gennadiy Chetvergov and Fr. Roman Dontsov, they visited the Museum of Old Believers, located in the basement of the cathedral. The participants of the meeting discussed the role of Old Believers in public activities and the inclusion of representatives of the Old Believers into the Public Chambers, both federal and local. The issues of further development of Old Believer communities in the Republic of Tatarstan, as well as the existing problems in the allocation of land plots for the construction of churches in other regions of Russia were discussed.
On July 22, Metropolitan Korniliy, accompanied by Bishop Yevfimiy (Dubinov), Protopriest Gennadiy Chetvergov and Priest Roman Dontsov, visited the Museum of the Kazan Icon. Its collection includes icons, painted on gold more than a hundred years ago. The exposition is devoted to the history of the appearance and veneration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, as well as its copies painted in different times.
In the afternoon, at the Cathedral of the Kazan Eparchy, Metropolitan Korniliy and the Kazan priesthood met with the State Councilor of the Republic of Tatarstan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Republican Foundation “Renaissance” Mintimer Shaimiev. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Chairman of the State Council of Tatarstan, executive director of the Republican Foundation “Renaissance” Tatyana Larionova and head of the Secretariat of the State Councilor of Tatarstan Oleg Glebov.
The excursion around the Intercession Cathedral was conducted by the rector of the church, Father Roman Dontsov. He spoke about the history of the creation of the church. Mintimer Shaimiev and those accompanying him also visited the Museum of the History of Old Believers in the basement of the cathedral.
