The Easter celebration of the Sunday of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women was held at the spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church in Moscow from April 24–27. This holiday, particularly in its “Rogozhsky” interpretation, has a deep history with many memorable pages, and each year adds something new, unique, and, for many, unforgettable to this chronicle.
The events are spread over several days. The culmination of the celebration is a service at the Pokrovsky Cathedral with a prayer service and a procession with the cross, led by the Primate of the Church. To mark this special occasion, ancient church icons are brought out, and to the sound of bells and the singing of the Paschal canon, a procession is made around three churches: the Pokrovsky Cathedral itself, the Church of the Nativity of Christ, and the Church of the Resurrection of Christ bell tower.
By this time in the service, Old Believers from all the capital’s churches, having already completed the Sunday service, flock to the cathedral square. The clergy follow the icons in orderly rows. This year, there were more than thirty priests, deacons, and bishops. For many of them, this procession is a tradition of their fathers and grandfathers. It is a celebration of the triumph of life over death, as it coincides with Easter; a celebration of the original Orthodoxy professed by the Old Believers, as it was established in honor of the granting of religious freedom; and a symbol of the spiritual unity of the Church, as it unites believers from different regions.
After the service, worshipers fill the cathedral square, where a folk crafts fair has just begun. Behind the stalls are vendors of all ages, some already well-known in Old Believer circles, and some just trying their hand at crafts. The four hours of spiritual hymns before evening barely provide enough time to connect with people who are kindred in spirit and faith. This year’s long-awaited meeting wasn’t marred even by the cold rain, which poured down almost the entire day before the procession and resumed after the service.
During the short breaks, we were able to hold planned activities for children and warm the guests with tea. An evening of spiritual hymns and a festive dinner concluded the official portion of this busy day, but did not conclude the overall program of the celebration. More details about other events will be available in our subsequent publications.
