What is the Procession of the Cross and why do believers need to go on a prayer procession with an icon? In order to correctly go through the Procession of the Cross, you need to understand its meaning. Our life is long road and, following this path, we can both grow in piety and commit sins. Many events require self-denial, the ability to overcome difficulties, and walk the long path of life with prayer. The procession of the cross is a symbolic procession along the path of life. We tell ourselves and others that we want to follow the path of Christ, because being with the Lord is the main goal of our earthly life. At this time, we don’t just walk, hoping that the procession with the icon of the saint might somehow magically affect us, we pray. The procession of the cross is a time of prayer and reflection about your life, your path and its meaning. Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered in My Name, there am I in the midst of them.” This is also a “communion of saints,” an opportunity to feel unity with one’s fellow believers. Show love and mercy to those who find it difficult to walk. Pray together. The procession of the cross is important for believers.

People organize a procession with icons and other Orthodox shrines to glorify the Lord. The icons are carried in front so that the saints “lead” the procession with prayer. Processions of the cross can take place along any route. Sometimes they consecrate areas that are notorious for tragic events, sometimes the procession takes place along a route that has some symbolic meaning for the Orthodox. But its essence is not in the distance from point A to point B, but in the desire to glorify God and His saints, in prayer. A religious procession is sometimes a petition (for rain, for improving living conditions, for help for the sick, for the repose of the dead).

Orthodox religious procession: history and traditions in Rus'

The ancient tradition of the Procession of the Cross began to be revived in Russia quite recently. Before the revolution, prayer processions were common. IN Hard times Russian people were supported by religious processions with icons of saints. Not only ordinary pilgrims walked then, but also the highest church clergy, as is the case now. People went for support to St. Sergius, to the Solovetsky saints, to monasteries and churches. The Velikoretsk religious procession went to the place of the appearance of the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. This procession of the Cross is probably the most difficult in the history of Russia. People walk for 150 km on bad roads, in difficult conditions; part of the route passes through the forest, where there are no roads at all. During times of atheism, pilgrims who were going to the religious procession were detained by the police. He was few in number. Now, on the contrary, it is one of the largest gatherings of believers.

The tradition of the Velikoretsk religious procession is 600 years old. It is connected with the history of the Orthodox miracle. It is believed that a certain pious man passed by Great River and suddenly I saw a heavenly light, reminiscent of the flames of burning candles. In awe, he did not dare to approach this place. But, returning home, he saw that the light was still on. He crossed himself and, overcoming fear, went to this place. It turned out that next to a small source there was an image of St. Nicholas. A pious man whose name was Semyon Agalakov in 1383 helped the Church find the Velikoretsk image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

After this event, amazing things began to happen in a nearby village: the healing of the sick. And the pilgrimage to the icon began. At first people walked alone, and then together. People from other places began to come, having heard about the miracle. The icon was eventually transferred to Khlynov, but people annually bring it in a religious procession with a prayer procession to the place of the miraculous discovery. The route is so difficult that the first religious processions were carried out on water.

Modern pilgrims also plunge into the water of the holy spring at the site where the icon was found when they make a religious procession. A small chapel was also built there. And the residents of the villages of Medyany and Murygino kneel and make the sign of the cross as the prayer procession passes by.

Father Alexander Zverev, rector of the Velikoretsk Church from 1994 to 2005, said that another ancient miracle happened when the builders who founded the church at the site of the appearance of the icon discovered logs far from this place in the morning. This was repeated for several days. And one more amazing event: in 1554, a big fire destroyed the cathedral in which the Velikoretsk shrine was located, but the icon was not damaged. A year later, the image made its first journey to the place where the icon was found in a procession of the Cross. The Velikoretsk Icon was seen off with great honor. She visited Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod. In the capital, the image was met by Ivan the Terrible. The Tsar decided to consecrate the chapel of St. Basil's Cathedral in honor of the Vyatka saint. During the difficult years of the Russian Troubles, Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov also asked to bring the image to Moscow.

Types of the Procession

The religious procession can be dedicated to one or another wonderful event, an important date. Church holiday (for example, Easter). Can walk through an area that is important to people in order to consecrate it with universal prayer

It may vary along the route. Both in length of the route and in shape. This is how believers sometimes walk in circles. Such a procession with an icon does not take place by chance. The circle is a symbol of infinity, Eternal life, which the Lord gives us.

But the procession may also have an end point. Like the path of Christ to Golgotha, when he was accompanied by his disciples, or the path of the myrrh-bearing women to the Tomb of Christ.

Along with the icons, people carry the Cross in front of the prayer procession. That is why the move is called “the godfather”. This custom exists not only in the Orthodox Church, but also in the Catholic Church.

Procession of the Cross for Catholics

The very first religious procession, without realizing it, was made by Emperor Constantine I the Great. He saw the Cross in the sky and the words “By this victory.” The emperor ordered the production of banners and shields with the image of the Crucifixion, and so his army went against the enemy. Now this role is played during the procession of the banner.

Mostly religious processions are performed by:

• On major church holidays
• To consecrate places where Orthodox miracles occurred
• For the burial of the dead
• To ask for salvation in difficult times or times of drought in places where rain is needed (for example)

Missionary work also plays a special role. Thus, thanks to the Velikoretsky religious procession, many local residents from nearby villages could join the ancient church tradition and pray.

The religious procession usually goes against the sun.

The prayer procession is now carried out not only on foot. This is how the Orthodox procession is carried out in difficult areas, and the waterways are passed on boats. Therefore, in this case the word “move” has only a formal meaning.

The religious procession can be not only for adults, but also for children. Some dioceses hold a special one.

It is also performed for. In the Kursk diocese, a religious procession is held with sign language interpretation for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Annual religious processions in Russia

Procession of the Cross - prayer procession with an icon

Velikoretsk religious procession

Usually the most numerous. It is held from June 3 to June 8 every year. The number of pilgrims is in the tens of thousands. So in 2008 they counted 30 thousand people. The religious procession starts from Kirov, goes to the village of Velikoretskoye and returns again to Kirov. This religious procession is considered the most difficult in terms of length and route features.

St. George's procession

Performed annually in St. Petersburg. A prayer procession with the icon of St. George is held to honor the memory of those killed in the Great Patriotic War.

Procession of the Cross in memory of all new martyrs and confessors of Russiaconducted by the Saratov diocese. It is dedicated to the memory of those who died during the persecution of the Church by Soviet power. Then the inhabitants of the cave monastery were killed.

Procession of the Cross “The Path of St. Sergius”

Procession of the Cross "The Path" St. Sergius"Walks across the Radonezh land. A prayer procession with the icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh passes through places that are associated with earthly life and miracles through prayers to St. Sergius.

Volga religious procession

The Volga religious procession is organized in the Tver diocese. It goes from the source of the Volga to the Dnieper and Western Dvina, the first Volga religious procession took place with the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus'.

Easter Procession: rules and meaning

The service begins on the evening of Holy Saturday. The Midnight Office is performed first. This part of the service is filled with sorrow over the earthly suffering of the Savior. The Shroud of Christ (the shroud with the image of Christ in the Tomb) is fumigated with a censer and moved to the altar. She will remain on the throne until the Feast of the Ascension. Next comes Easter Matins. The joyful and solemn ringing of bells heralds the coming Resurrection of Christ.

The religious procession is also held on Easter

This is when the prayer procession for Easter begins. They walk around the temple three times, stopping at its doors. The religious procession stands at the doors of the temple. The doors are closed. This is a symbol of the stone that blocked the entrance to the Holy Sepulcher. For the third time, the doors of the temple open, the stone falls, and we hear the Bright Matins. The festive singing of bells during the procession on Easter is one of the most complex types of bell ringing, which is called “trezvon”. If you have heard the expression “bells ringing,” then we are talking primarily about the Easter service and the ringing during the prayer procession. The bells in the temple do not always ring.

The meaning of the procession for an Orthodox person

In Church life there are external traditions and rituals that contribute to spiritual growth within, in the soul of a person. A prayer procession with an icon (procession of the cross) is a new spiritual experience for a Christian, an opportunity to rethink a lot, ask the saints for intercession before the Lord, healing or answers to questions that torment a person. This experience cannot be acquired by the power of thought, no knowledge can give it, the experience that prayers and unity with brothers and sisters in faith give is absolutely unique. In many ways, the Procession of the Cross is also a sacrifice that Christians make to the Lord.

In Orthodox churches there is always a procession of the cross on Easter. This solemn procession symbolizes the path of the church towards the good news of the resurrection of Christ. It is held annually on the night from Holy Saturday to Easter Sunday. The clergy and believers walk around the temple three times, and then, standing at its porch and hearing the good news of the Resurrection of the Savior, they enter the open doors of the church, where from that moment the Easter service begins.

The solemn church procession began to be called a “procession of the cross” due to the fact that at the beginning of the procession there is always a clergyman who carries grand cross. At the heart of this tradition is the belief in the power of communal prayer performed during processions of the cross. Such processions look very solemn. They are led by clergy who read prayers and carry religious relics: a cross, icons and church banners depicting biblical scenes (gonfalons). And after the holy fathers come the believers.

The history of religious processions dates back to the birth of Christianity. And if initially only a religious procession was performed on Easter, then over time, after the end of the persecution of Christians, this custom became widespread and firmly entered into the rites of Orthodox worship. Nowadays, almost all significant events of church life are accompanied by a solemn Orthodox procession.

Since ancient times, religious processions have been held:

• in honor of church festivals;
• when transferring the relics of saints, as well as other religious shrines;
• during various natural disasters, epidemics and wars, when people asked God for protection and salvation from the troubles that befell them.

It is known that the church history of Rus' itself began with a religious procession to the Dnieper, when the people of Kiev were baptized. Orthodox Christians in Rus' often held processions not only in honor of church holidays, but also in the event of various disasters, including natural disasters. For example, they walked around fields with icons during periods of drought, as well as villages and cities during terrible epidemics.

In the chronicles there is a mention of one of the first mass religious processions, which took place in the mid-14th century, when Rus' was attacked by a pestilence, from which the inhabitants of Pskov suffered the most. Then Archbishop Vasily of Novgorod, carrying the cross and holy relics, accompanied by the clergy and townspeople, made a procession around the city. Together with the clergy, almost all the local residents who were still standing took part in the procession, from the elderly to the babies carried by their parents in their arms. All the time while the procession was going on, the priests and believers prayed, loudly calling out in hundreds of voices: “Lord have mercy!”

For a long time, only a walking procession with the participation of clergy and believers was recognized as a religious procession. However, over time, thanks to technological progress, with the blessing of the clergy, non-canonical flight or air religious processions began to be performed.

During the Great Patriotic War On December 2, 1941, a plane flew around Moscow with a miraculous copy of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God on board (according to other sources, it was the icon of the Kazan Mother of God). After this, the capital was saved from the enemy attack.

Easter procession: rules and symbolic meaning

Initially, the religious procession took place only on the day of the Holy Resurrection of Christ. From time immemorial, this procession symbolized not only the church going towards the Savior, but also the fact that before the news of the resurrection of Christ appeared, everyone was forced to wander in the dark until He showed everyone the way to the Light. Therefore, the Easter religious procession, although quite short, is arranged very solemnly, and participation in it is very important for any Christian.

The church service in honor of the Resurrection of Christ begins exactly at 00.00 hours on the night from Holy Saturday to Easter Sunday. Shortly before midnight, a solemn Easter procession takes place in all churches.

Despite the late hour, the procession passes under the incessant ringing of bells. The clergy and worshipers walk around the temple three times, each time stopping in front of its main entrance. The first two times the church doors are closed to the parishioners. The moment when people stand in the darkness of the night in front of the locked temple doors has great symbolic meaning. The church reminds us of how Christ’s contemporaries, before his resurrection, also stood in the darkness in front of the closed entrance to the cave where the Savior rested, as if in front of the closed gates of heaven.

Around midnight, when the religious procession again, for the third time, glorifying the Holy Trinity and the risen Son of God, approaches the doors of the church, they solemnly swing open, revealing light to all those praying in the darkness of the night. Thus, the church seems to open the heavenly gates of paradise for people and show the way to them. After which the entire procession enters the temple, which symbolizes the path of the myrrh-bearing women who entered Jerusalem in order to tell the apostles the good news of the Resurrection of Christ. The myrrh-bearing women, who did not know about the Resurrection of Christ, came to his tomb on the third day in order to rub the Savior’s body with precious oils. And only when they came to the entrance to the cave where, as they thought, Jesus Christ rested, the women learned about the miracle that had happened, after which they headed to Jerusalem to tell everyone about the resurrection of the Son of God.

The fact that the doors of the temple open to believers only for the third time has a deep theological meaning. Jesus Christ rose on the third day, so the Easter procession must go around the temple three times.

IN modern Russia, who has taken the path of spiritual revival, the words of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt come true: “Russia will be saved by processions of the cross.”

More and more Orthodox Christians, putting aside everyday needs and worries, set out on the road, wanting to accomplish at least a small feat for Christ’s sake, enduring the hardships of walking, abandoning the usual comfort and pleasing the flesh.

Alexander Viktorovich Dorodnitsyn, Major General of the All-Great Don Army, Deputy Ataman for work with the church and youth came from Novocherkassk to go together with the Lipetsk religious procession to Zadonsk:

“What is the meaning of religious processions in modern Russia? First of all, in the spiritual unity of the people, in the return of Russia to the Orthodox faith, which has kept it for many centuries from all enemies, both internal and external.

Even during the Soviet godless years, our people retained the Orthodox faith, which the communists were never able to uproot from the hearts of the Russian people. Grandmothers always tried to bring their grandchildren a colored egg, prosphora, Easter cake for Easter - these Orthodox traditions were not interrupted even during the most severe persecution, because the true faith cannot be destroyed either by fire or by sword.

When in the nineties in the new Russia they began to look for an ideological replacement for the party and the Komsomol, no alternative was found, and the Orthodox faith remained the unifying core, as for many centuries.

The Orthodox faith is a genuine Russian idea, capable of uniting our divided people.

I remember that we were with the ataman of the Don Army at the confessor of the Odessa Holy Dormition Monastery, Elder Jonah, who in a conversation noted that only the Orthodox faith and the unity of people in the Church will save Russia.

Today many people complain about economic problems, but their solution also depends on spiritual development.

Just as a flower reaches out to the light, so the human soul reaches out to spiritual light - to Christ, and not to money. In the procession of the cross, even people with little church faith vividly feel the presence of God. This encourages them to make a physically difficult, but spiritually joyful journey another time in order to become stronger in their faith.

Therefore, religious processions are more relevant today than ever - this revived Orthodox tradition of our people is a spiritual need for the whole society. In Russia there has never been, is not and will never be an alternative to the Orthodox faith as a unifying principle and Russian idea. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us!” Alexander Viktorovich concluded his speech with the Jesus Prayer, which every cross-walker will read more than one thousand times during the journey, consecrating his native land by invoking the name of God.

The words of the congregational prayer to the Lord, spoken by hundreds of lips in the spiritual impulse of hundreds of hearts, attract the grace of God to the area through which the procession moves. And the banners fluttering in front signify that the Lord Himself is walking with the pilgrims with His Most Pure Mother and the holy saints, about which St. Philaret of Moscow inspiredly wrote two centuries ago: “When you enter the procession of the cross, think that you are walking under the leadership of the saints whose icons are in They walk in it, and you come closer to the Lord Himself, to the extent that it is possible for us to be weak. The earthly shrine signifies and calls upon the Heavenly Shrine... On the paths and crossroads we make prayers in order to cleanse all the paths defiled by our sins. Let us raise sacred icons from churches, wear out honorable crosses, and sometimes, where available, the most sacred relics of saints in order to sanctify both people and everything that they need for life - that is, houses, paths, waters, air and the earth itself, as trampled and defiled by the feet of sinners. All this is so that the inhabited city and the whole country become partakers of divine grace, rejecting from themselves everything destructive and pernicious; we pray that He who became incarnate for us and took on the form of a slave, Whom they represent, will be merciful to us divine icons and images."

Few people know that prayer processions, like the parishes of new churches, are organized on the initiative of the believers themselves, who express their spiritual desires in a petition to the ruling bishop for permission to hold a religious procession, or to build a temple in their area. This is where conciliar life manifests itself. Orthodox Church. Many religious processions, out of people's special love for them, become annual. This is how ours became - “Lipetsk-Zadonsky”.

Among the crusaders there are those who walked from Lipetsk to Zadonsk for all fifteen years. The chairman of the Orthodox community of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers remembers the first religious procession on the feast of St. Tikhon Georgy Nikolaevich Bernikov:“The first religious procession to Zadonsk took place in 2001. Then there were about forty of us walking. The path ran along a different route: from the Evdokievsky Church of Lipetsk through Bruslanovka, Butyrki, Tyunino, and further to Zadonsk, where we joined the religious procession from Voronezh.

That time we walked without traffic police escort, without prior agreement on accommodation and food, without transport to transport things - we carried all our belongings on ourselves, as was always the case in religious processions in Rus'.

Do you feel the fragrance from the Don Icon of the Mother of God, which is walking with us to Zadonsk? - Georgy Nikolaevich interrupted. – The Lady of the Don went with us to religious processions throughout Georgia, along the Don, in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, and Montenegro. The icon smelled fragrant during all these processions just as it does now. We also visited Mount Athos, in the Serbian monastery of Hilandar.

We had an amazing meeting there. A monk came up to me, greeted me in Russian and said that he once went with us to a religious procession from Lipetsk to Zadonsk. The Athonite monk turned out to be from Lipetsk! What drove him on this journey was the desire to quit smoking. Entering the Zadonsk monastery, he realized that he wanted to stay here forever. Such grace touched his heart. And indeed, he remained in the monastery as a laborer, soon became a novice, and then by the Providence of God he ended up on Athos. Truly inscrutable are the Ways of the Lord!”

Didn’t miss a single religious procession to St. Tikhon of Zadonsk and Spartak Sokolov, baptized Daniil:
“I can’t even imagine life without a religious procession! I know for sure that if I don’t go, I’m lazy, then there will definitely be troubles in life. When the religious procession is underway, everything around is sanctified, and the pilgrims themselves receive help from the Lord Jesus Christ, especially those who are having a difficult time. I have experienced everything in my life. In my youth I sinned a lot: I fought, behaved hooliganly, and used foul language.

How did you come to God? My parents are kind and pious people, but not churchgoers, so they could not advise me to go to church, and they themselves still rarely go to church. A miracle helped: my sister got married and went to live in Italy, where she had a son who fell ill with hemophilia - Tsarevich Alexei also suffered from this disease.

Once I tearfully prayed for the health of my nephew to Tsar Nicholas the Passion-Bearer in front of his icon, and it flowed abundantly with myrrh. At the same time, all the sockets in the house burned out, the fuses were knocked out, the lights went out, and I realized that my prayer had been answered. Since then, Tsar Nicholas has been guiding me through life. When my sister arrived with her son from Italy to Lipetsk, I baptized him in an Orthodox church. And her husband is a Catholic! And it had to happen that on the night after the baptism the baby, who was less than a year, took a cross in his mouth and accidentally cut his tongue. Everyone was terrified - the bleeding did not stop. What to do?

In the morning I gave communion to my nephew in the church, although they tried to dissuade me, and the bleeding immediately stopped! When, upon returning to Italy, he had blood tests done, the doctors could not believe their eyes: you brought another child from Russia! The composition of the blood has changed dramatically. Since then, hemophilia has not even reminded of itself, although this disease, as you know, is considered incurable. Be that as it may, now the boy’s abrasions and cuts are healing quickly, like other children’s.

Emperor Nicholas loves Russia very much. Together with his family, he shared her fate, shared the punishment of the Russian people that followed for apostasy from the faith. Although he could have saved himself by calmly going abroad, he remained with his subjects so that they would strengthen in the faith and become a God-bearing people again. That’s why we go to religious procession to Zadonsk every year.”

Yes, Lipetsk residents go to Zadonsk every year, but there are still few of them: from the half-million Lipetsk there were only two hundred and fifty people, but from neighboring Voronezh, a city with a population of one million, ten times more crusaders come, although their path is much longer than ours .

The first stop on the way was the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh. The parishioners greeted the pilgrims hospitably in Russian, preparing a hearty meal for the travelers as much as possible according to the rules of the strict Dormition Fast.

But first, according to tradition, a prayer service was performed, after which rector of the temple Archpriest Sergius Kosykh, Having sprinkled the crusaders with holy water to strengthen their strength, he addressed them with a pastoral word: “The Lord calls us to the eternal and heavenly. It is a pity that His holy words do not touch many. Why? Because this is not earthly wisdom, not worldly wisdom, this is not experience acquired by a person, but wisdom given from above, which can only be accepted in the simplicity of the heart.

Gospel words: “I am the vine, and you are the branches; He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5), found their embodiment in the popular proverb: “Without God you cannot reach the threshold.” What is a “threshold” in this case? This is the beginning of any undertaking, and it is impossible to take on its undertakings without God’s help - not a single action of ours, even an insignificant one, will be successful without God’s blessing, without prayer.

Living exclusively by earthly interests, people move away from God. They are sincerely surprised - why go to church? What is the point of religious processions? The power of earthly cares bends these people to the ground so much that they cannot raise their heads to God and, not understanding Orthodox values, without even trying to understand, they indiscriminately deny the existence spiritual world and its immutable laws.

And the Lord calls us to listen to Him. The closest disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom He led to Mount Tabor, heard the voice of God the Father addressed to us: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; Listen to Him” (Matthew 17:5).

The Lord calls us to Himself, but where we go depends only on ourselves. The Holy Scripture warns us: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires they will heap up for themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they will turn away their ears from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Tim 4:3-4).

Now we are just experiencing a time when people prefer to listen to fables - they are accessible and understandable, and most importantly, they do not require changing our comfortable life.

But we must understand the full responsibility of our choice: to be seduced by empty fables, or to listen to the saving words of God, even if His words in the Holy Scriptures sometimes seem incomprehensible to us. But even small children who listen to their father do not always understand why he demands something from them. But they hear that it is the father who speaks, because they know his voice, and they do not discuss what they heard, but do as he ordered. And when they grow up, they will understand everything and will be grateful to their father.”

Having strengthened spiritually and physically, the crusaders continued on their way. At the end of the day, many felt very tired. How difficult it is for a modern city dweller to endure the hardships of a religious procession. How tempting the thought seems: wouldn’t it be easier to buy a bus ticket to Zadonsk? An hour's drive and you are at the relics of the Saint. Nevertheless, many choose to overcome their weaknesses with God’s help, to work themselves out for the sake of glorifying the memory of the saint, for the sake of repentance, for the sake of the spiritual joy that the cross-walkers experience when they set out on the journey and enter the holy monastery. Servant of God George
went on a religious procession for the first time in my life:

But when the decision to go was made, what thoughts came into my head! They say, you are sick and old, you should sit at home, it will be calmer - both for you and your family, who from the very beginning did not approve of this idea. Only I stood my ground: I’ll go anyway!

On the first day, the road to the church in Lenino turned out to be very difficult - my heart was racing, my legs hurt, my joints ached. But after Father Vladimir in the temple Holy Mother of God the village of Lenino sprinkled us with holy water, and the next morning we took communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, our strength, by God’s grace, returned, and it was much easier for me to walk to Krutiye Khutory. Now I am already sure that I will reach Zadonsk, and this will not be my last religious procession.

The Lord helps: yesterday, after coming to Krutiye Khutor, I drank ice-cold water and my throat became sore - in city life I am often plagued by acute respiratory infections. But after the unction and spending the night near the altar, everything passed as if nothing had happened. Such is the power of God's grace. Thank God for everything!"

Anyone who went to the religious procession will understand George. Schema-Archimandrite Vitaly (Sidorenko) said: “The power of God’s grace today is the same as in apostolic times, the whole point is in ourselves.”

Every pilgrim knows how palpable Divine grace is in the procession of the cross, “always healing the weak and replenishing the impoverished,” he has experienced its effect on himself. How else can one explain that a person with the first group of disabilities - and there were several such people among the pilgrims! - who in city life has difficulty getting to the pharmacy, in a religious procession covers several tens of kilometers, or even all the way to Zadonsk!? “I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13).

Many crusaders walk, not afraid of difficulties, with small children, even one and a half years old, who travel most of the way in strollers.

Servant of God Tatiana, mother of Fyodor and Vyacheslav:
“Fedor, my youngest son, is only one and a half years old, but he is no stranger to pilgrimage: I went to the religious procession with him the year before last, when I was pregnant with him. Don’t look at how small he is – he already has solid crusading experience! – Tatyana smiles. – Is it difficult with a small child on such a long journey? Yes, he doesn’t cause me any problems - rather, he supports and strengthens me. And Vyacheslav, my middle son, helps.

They tried to dissuade me from taking him with me, they said that he was still too small. But I immediately decided that I wouldn’t go without Fedor - there was some kind of internal call. And I also had a sad experience: one day I decided to leave my eldest at home, and he, exactly on the day of remembrance of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, August 26, broke his arm. You can't live without children! What about difficulties? What difficulties? The Lord will guide and help! My Fedya will not miss a single icon - he always tries to venerate each one, knows how to make the sign of the cross, and soon, I hope, he will master the first prayers. Thank God for everything! True, it happens that he eats poorly, but this is a fixable matter. We go with God's help, the Lord gives grace. I am sure that the religious procession is a family affair, the whole family must go, receive grace from childhood, and join in the holy cause.”

And if Tatyana was unable to gather the whole family, since her husband and eldest son could not take time off from work, then the Lipetsk Kharin family is going in full force - five of them.

Roman Nikolaevich Kharin, wife Ksenia, Elena, Ilya and Lazar Kharin:“We are going for the first time with this lineup, with three children. We started going to church several years ago. Everyday problems and sorrows brought us to the Church. Every person probably has a difficult time life situation when he thinks about where to get help and support? Who to rely on? And happy are those people who turn to God in such situations - they receive consolation and grace from Him.

So, fortunately, when I got into trouble in life, the idea was born that I needed to visit the temple. I remember well the day when I first arrived at the Zadonsky Monastery and entered the Vladimir Cathedral. Until that moment, I was left with no doubts; I was overcome by an internal murmur: why was I even going there? How can they help me there? And who needs me there? And even the close road seemed very long and boring.

But, having crossed the threshold of the temple, I was simply captivated by its blissful atmosphere. I felt like I was immersed in the prayerful singing of a church choir. After that I became a different person. My wife began to join the church with me: on the advice of the priest, we immediately got married, and now we go to religious processions with the whole family. It can be difficult, of course, children sometimes get tired and start to be capricious, but faith and prayer solve all problems. Through the prayers of Tikhon of Zadonsk we go, we rejoice and do not bother!”

Priest Sergius Buryakov, rector of the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in the village of Bolshaya Polyana, Terbunsky district, I first went to the religious procession while still a seminarian at the Voronezh Theological Seminary. He does not change this tradition today. Among the pilgrims he is affectionately called our crusading priest.

“It’s not surprising that people take such kids with them, no. – says Father Sergius. – People walk with faith, with prayer, and the Lord helps. It often happens that during a religious procession, by the grace of God, people’s illnesses recede, and these four days of travel only add strength and health to them. During the congregational prayer, each of the cross-walkers is immersed in the grace of God. To understand this, you need to go through a religious procession yourself at least once.

Notice how joyful the faces of the crusaders are! And this despite fatigue, calluses and sore joints. The religious procession is the threshold of heaven on earth. Participation in it gives you the strength to fight your passions, that’s why I go myself and advise others.”

The next stop of the procession was Church of the Annunciation in Krutiye Khutory, where the crusaders received a traditionally warm welcome. The parishioners of the temple, led by rector Archpriest Mikhail Chepelev They went out to meet the pilgrims several kilometers from the village.

After the water-blessing prayer, Father Michael performed the Sacrament of Unction for the pilgrims. Considering that many of them, after twenty-five kilometers of a day's journey, were not able to stand for long, the priest gave his blessing to put benches in the courtyard of the temple.

After the unction, the clergyman began a lively conversation with the congregation, which lasted almost until midnight.

“People are divided into two categories,” the priest noted. – Some want to succeed spiritually, while others want to succeed financially. They go to the religious procession for the sake of Christ, for the sake of their salvation. The procession of the cross is a living sermon, a living repentance. Just don’t think that it’s your merit that you are going with the procession and have already reached Krutiye Khutor. The Lord said: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you.” (John 14:17). Therefore, you must thank God that He has vouchsafed you such mercy and in no case think that since we have accomplished such a feat, we can now teach everyone how to be saved. Salvation must begin with oneself. Until those around us see the light of Christ in us, they will not listen to us. And when people see in you the good fruits of the faith of Christ, they will want to be like you, Orthodox not only in word, but also in deed.

Remember that Orthodox Christians should not chase after external signs of distinction, because God looks at the quality of your soul - how much goodness, humility, meekness you have.

I am glad that the number of pilgrims in the religious procession is increasing. This is the first year that our church does not have enough room for everyone to spend the night, but before they did. God bless! The Russian people are taking the path of repentance, otherwise the famous prophecy of Anthony the Great is beginning to be fulfilled before our eyes: “There will be a time when they will say: you are mad because you do not want to take part in our common madness. But we will make you be like everyone else” (cf. 2 Tim. 4:3,4).

With any action a person approaches either God or the enemy the devil - he cannot be in the middle. And today’s life is such that for many people the resistance of reason, shame and conscience has been broken, animal instincts have been awakened, leading to personality degradation, the destruction of the family foundations of fatherhood, motherhood, and the responsibility of parents for saving the souls of their children. The high concept of culture is being eroded, which is becoming more and more immoral: not only corruption penetrates into it - mass culture is trying to flirt with evil spirits, chanting the “rights” of the rich and powerful, calling for enrichment at any cost. This spiritual damage quietly penetrates children's heads through computer games and modern cartoons, in which sin is proclaimed not only as the norm, but as the goal of life to which one should strive. And if the public tries to resist this, they hear in response: “Do not violate our rights!”

It’s good that the government of our state is aware of the danger of this pernicious trend,” Father Mikhail continued. – Did you hear the speech of our first person at the Valdai Club? So here it is Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin explained very clearly why he is so hostile to the so-called values ​​of Western civilization. I will quote our President: “We see how many Euro-Atlantic countries have actually taken the path of abandoning their roots, including Christian values, which form the basis of Western civilization. Moral principles and any traditional identity - national, cultural, religious or even legal - are denied. A policy is being pursued that puts large families and same-sex partnerships, faith in God and faith in Satan on the same level.” So, my dears, we are not in conflict with America and Obama - there is a war between God and the devil. And if through our actions we do not become closer to God, then we inevitably draw closer to the enemy of the human race.

There is also such a terrible state as spiritual delusion. For example, a person begins to be proud of himself: I attended a religious procession, took communion, bathed in holy springs, went to Diveevo, I have candles from Jerusalem at home, and he calms his conscience - I am good, I already have a direct road to the Kingdom of Heaven ! But we must understand that all external exploits are not an end in themselves, but a means to acquiring the grace of the Holy Spirit, which is impossible without humility. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble,” says Scripture (1 Pet. 5:5).

We must strive, brothers and sisters, so that our Christian piety there was no show. After all, the Lord says: “Give Me, son, your heart” (Proverbs 23:26). What matters to God is not our external deeds, but what kind of heart they are done with – a humble one or a proud one; We acquired the grace of the Holy Spirit through our deeds, or, being proud of them, we lost it.

Brothers and sisters, you have taken upon yourself a great feat by deciding to go through the religious procession; try to do it with humility, so that this work becomes for you an act of repentance, and not a reason for vanity.

God grant that Lipetsk wakes up spiritually, comes to its senses and begins to live with other goals, so that there are more crusaders in it,” the priest wished at the end of the conversation.

In the morning August 23 Father Mikhail and the parishioners escorted the crusaders to the worship cross on the Lipetsk-Voronezh highway and invited those wishing to take part in the parish procession September 27, on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord.

At the worship cross at the turn to the village of Vasilyevka I joined the procession the rector of the Nativity of the Mother of God Church of the village, Priest Mikhail Novoseltsev.“The religious procession is a special repentant prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ,” noted Father Mikhail. – Processions of the Cross have been known since the times of the Old Testament, when Jews walked around the walls of Jericho seven times with the Ark of the Covenant, which fell from the voice of the sacred trumpets and the prayerful singing of the Jewish people.

In Byzantium, starting from the 4th century, repentant religious processions began to be held during natural disasters: earthquakes, floods and droughts, in which people saw God’s punishment for their sins.

But the Russian people especially loved religious processions. I am glad that in modern Russia this pious tradition is being revived on a large scale. For example, in the Velikoretsk procession in honor of the appearance of the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, almost one hundred thousand people walked this year.

It is known that many people who took part in the religious procession, by the grace of God, resolve various life problems, but the main thing is not even this, the fact is that a person gains spiritual strength to fight sin.

People walk with faith: they pray for mercy for themselves, their country, and their loved ones. And the Lord responds, because a person in a religious procession carries out, albeit a small, feat. And every cross-walker feels that the Lord is getting closer to him. From the consciousness of this, a person becomes more diligent in prayer and good deeds.

Glory to God that He called and united us! After all, without God’s help a person cannot do anything good and soul-saving: “Without Me you can do nothing,” says the Scripture (John 15:5).”

I agree with Father Mikhail cardiac surgeon from Voronezh Nikolai Aleshin.“I’ve been going to religious processions for probably ten years. I am a native Lipetsk resident and on the feast of St. Tikhon I go with the Lipetsk religious procession together with my friends, with whom I once served as an altar boy at the Nativity of Christ Cathedral.

The religious procession provides a rare opportunity in these times to turn to your soul and become closer to God. For me, an operating cardiac surgeon, this is especially important, since I specialize in thrombectomy operations - the removal of blood clots, complex operations, the success of which is largely in the hands of God. I don’t take up a scalpel without prayer!

Processions of the cross greatly strengthen me not only as a believer, but also as a surgeon. After them I feel an influx of strength, everything is going well, the operations go without complications.

I also noticed that believers are much less likely to end up on the operating table, and if they do, their postoperative period proceeds more smoothly. After all, every physical disease has its own spiritual background! And this is not fiction at all, and not pretentious words - I can confirm with concrete examples that this is exactly what happens. Therefore, I am not surprised that after the religious procession many people with serious health problems feel much better. “What is impossible with man is possible with God (Luke 18:27).”

Servant of God Nadezhda, novice of the Mother of God-Tikhonovsky (Tyunin) Monastery confirms the doctor’s words: “Over the past seven years, I have not missed a single religious procession. But God alone knows how many health problems I have. When I worked in production, I received a strong electric shock and am now on disability. For a long time I could not decide to go to the religious procession - it seemed to me that I would not be able to cope with this path. But one day she finally got ready and, through the prayers of St. Tikhon, reached Zadonsk itself.

Amazing thing! The years are getting longer, but the strength is only increasing - the Lord supports the weak. Now I am a novice at the Tyunin Monastery and am doing hard physical work - landscaping the monastery. One day I thought: why did the Lord save me, why did he give me a second life and strength to go to the religious procession? And I came to the conclusion that it was for repentance.”

In the evening August 23 The religious procession came to the village of Arkhangelskie Borki, where it had not been for two years. Parishioners met the crusaders in the village Church of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica, headed by its rector, Archpriest Igor Mosolov:“Brothers and sisters, with your prayer you sanctify our land,” Father Igor addressed the pilgrims. “We are all very glad that the religious procession, after a two-year break, came again to our village, to our church. This is a big holiday for us! The procession of the cross is especially important to us because of its grace-filled power of conciliar prayer - our village is small, poor; The temple is large, but there are not so many believers who regularly visit it. Let us thank the Lord for bringing the religious procession to our village again and giving you the strength to accomplish this good deed.”

And the crusaders, in turn, rejoiced at how noticeably the local temple had improved over these two years.

Son of the rector of the temple Ilya Mosolov, student at the Medical Academy, shared his plans: “From an early age I was raised in the Orthodox faith, and I, naturally, was going to enter the seminary. But after graduating from school, inspired by the life of St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol, in the world professor of medicine Valentin Feliksovich Voino-Yasenetsky, he decided to enter the medical academy.

In practice, at the Lipetsk Regional Clinical Hospital, I chose to specialize in purulent surgery - a branch of medicine in which Professor Voino-Yasenetsky became famous for his works. After graduating from the medical academy, I plan to work as a surgeon, and then, if the Lord wills, I will enter a theological seminary.”

In Arkhangelskiye Borki, a large group of pilgrims joined the religious procession, so many did not have enough room to sleep in the temple, and they spent the night on the grass near the temple, laying tourist rugs on it.

From Arkhangelskie Borok to Zadonsk, the pilgrims had to walk at a fast pace, almost without stopping, so as not to be late to meet the religious processions from Voronezh and Yelets.

A festive atmosphere reigned in Zadonsk itself. The Nativity of the Mother of God Monastery greeted pilgrims with the joyful ringing of bells - just as in the middle of the 19th century. As we approached the monastery, pictures of the national celebration came to life from the memoirs of priest Alexander Kremenetsky about the procession with the relics of St. Tikhon on August 13, 1861 in honor of the glorification of the saint of God as a saint: “The procession stopped for the service of lithium on all four sides of the monastery. It stretched for at least a mile and presented a stunning sight! All the monastery buildings and the fence around the monastery, the high four-tiered monastery bell tower - everything was filled, humiliated with people, in the monastery garden people were hanging on the trees, holding on to branches, in the city, many houses had their tiled roofs dismantled and strewn with people.

The path along which the holy relics were carried was covered with piles of donated items, which made even the religious procession difficult. Victims fell like rain: they threw money, pieces of linen, towels, scarves, Yelets lace under the saint’s shrine; they took off and threw away their belts, vests, caps, hats, etc. One peasant, having nothing, took off his caftan and threw it on the road along which the saint of God was following.”

It is known that after the religious procession, only 50 thousand arshins of canvas were collected, and about 600 rubles of money. By order of Metropolitan Isidore, who presided over the celebrations, the donated items were distributed to the poor. “Let St. Tikhon dress the poor with them,” answered the Metropolitan of Novgorod and St. Petersburg when asked what to do with the collected things.”

According to official statistics, three hundred thousand people gathered in Zadonsk that day, and there were more than five thousand carriages, not counting peasant carts.

More than 150 years have passed since then, but the flow of pilgrims to St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, the mourner of common people, canonized as a saint in the year of the abolition of serfdom.

24 August In 2016, the procession of the cross went around the Nativity of the Mother of God Monastery and entered the monastery through the northern gate. On the porch of the Vladimir Cathedral, the crusaders from Voronezh, Lipetsk and Yelets were met by the holy archimandrite of the monastery, His Eminence Metropolitan Nikon of Lipetsk and Zadonsk. Here, in the open air, icons were installed and a solemn prayer service was performed for the bishops of Voronezh, the miracle workers of all Russia - Saints Mitrofan, Tikhon and Anthony.

After the prayer service, the pilgrims were cordially fed a monastic meal and accommodated in hotels and churches of the monastery.

...Ahead of the pilgrims awaited the joy of the festive divine service on the day of remembrance of St. Tikhon, Bishop of Voronezh, Zadonsk Wonderworker - that spiritual jubilation for which they, leaving earthly cares, labored for four blessed days in the labors and prayer of Jesus, covering more than eighty kilometers on foot, but most importantly , overcoming human weakness with the power of God.

Not so long ago, we all followed the events of the All-Ukrainian procession of peace, love and prayer, which became a real testimony to the faith of our people. However, perhaps not everyone knows how the tradition of such moves appeared among the Orthodox, what its meaning is and its Old Testament origins. Let's try to find out.

Not a flash mob or demonstration

What is important to know? Procession of the Cross(not to be confused with the Crusades) is not called any popular procession, otherwise it could be confused with a demonstration or some kind of flash mob. Even external attributes, presence icons, crosses, banners cannot be a guarantee that he is exactly that.

Firstly, such a procession always has an absolutely specific goal, a reason (we will talk about them a little lower). Secondly, it must be performed only with the blessing of the archpastor, the bishop. Thirdly, such a procession must be led by a legally ordained priest or the same bishop.

But these, too, let’s say, are only organizational, formal signs of moves, which are by no means responsible for their success. The main thing that should be present at such a procession of believers is a common spirit of prayer, unity of faith, mutual love and respect. Without them, any such “action” threatens to turn into an ordinary walk, or even - which is much worse - into a magic trick. Let us emphasize that what is important here is not only a prayerful, but a community spirit, and one that is peaceful towards everyone, even enemies.

Why do people come with crosses and icons?

So, we can say that such church moves are a type of general prayer. Of course, then the question involuntarily arises: why go out into the street, make some kind of processions, if you can pray in church? The answer to it is the same as to the question: why are fasting and bowing necessary? We do this when we want to add some kind of sacrifice to our prayer so that it is heard.

Is the religious procession a manifestation of one's faith? Perhaps from the outside this is exactly what it looks like. But this, of course, is not the main goal. Its goal is to invoke God's grace, first of all, on all people, believers and non-believers, on the place where they pass: the city, the country and, ultimately, the whole world.

In addition, through such prayer solemn processions, natural elements are sanctified: fire, water, air. Previously, people better understood that any natural disasters are not just abstract environmental problems, but the wrath of God for our sins. That’s why they made such popular processions to beg the Lord for mercy.

The crusaders carry crosses with them (which is why it is called a procession), icons, and banners. Banners are sacred church banners that should not be confused with state ones, since the power of Christ is “not of this world.” The very first to carry a lantern (as a sign of the Gospel light, enlightening the whole world).

The cross is the main banner of Christians, a symbol of victory over death, a testimony of faith. Therefore, a move without him is, of course, unthinkable. Through the icons the saints themselves, the heavenly host also invisibly takes part in it. Sometimes, on the day of remembrance of a saint or his glorification, on special occasions, processions are also carried out with the relics of the saints of God.

Old Testament types

The very first prototype of such a procession of believers, perhaps, can be the forty-year campaign of the Israelites through the desert in search of the Promised Land. The most striking example of the effective power of such popular processions is the capture of Jericho. The Book of Joshua tells about this (Joshua 5:13-6:26).

In a special revelation, he was ordered to walk around this city for seven days with the Ark of the Covenant, while blowing the trumpets. The ark was carried by the priests, the soldiers walked behind. On the seventh day, the Israelites blew their trumpets and shouted loudly and with one voice, after which the wall of Jericho collapsed and the city surrendered.

Also, the Jews on the Feast of Tabernacles had a tradition of a seven-day solemn procession around the almemar (a place in the synagogue) with palm branches. Another vivid prototype can be the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant by King David to Jerusalem, in which the entire people of Israel participated “with shouts and the sound of trumpets.”

John Chrysostom and the establishment of tradition

During the Savior’s earthly life, an example of a procession of the cross could be His solemn entry into Jerusalem. Then all the people greeted Him with the words “Hosanna!” and laid palm branches under their feet. We know that already in the first centuries in the early Christian community there was a tradition on Easter day to symbolically, following the example of the myrrh-bearing women, walk around the temple with candles in hand.

This can be considered the beginning of a tradition, but the rank (order) itself did not yet exist. Then, it is known that the newly-discovered relics of the saints were transferred in the same solemn manner by the entire community. These processions took place at night and were accompanied by general prayer in the form of singing hymns (psalms). They were called lithiums (not to be confused with their modern species) or lithiums. They served as the beginning of the modern religious procession.

The authorship of the first rite is traditionally attributed to St. John Chrysostom. At first they were created in opposition to the Arians - the saint did not want people to participate in their Sunday pleasure meetings. Then, during the time when Chrysostom lived (IV century), a series of natural disasters followed. So from a simple pious tradition they moved into general church practice, where they became entrenched.

Procession of the Cross in Rus'

These solemn processions with the participation of believers came to Rus' along with Christianity from Byzantium. Let us remember that baptism itself Kievan Rus was preceded by a large campaign of people to the Dnieper River in response to the call of Prince Vladimir. Also, the glorification of the first Russian saints, the passion-bearers Boris and Gleb, and the transfer of their relics in 1115 was accompanied by a nationwide church procession.

Prayer processions of the people became so widespread in Russian lands that the Holy Synod was even forced to adopt a resolution banning spontaneously held marches. The heyday of the popularity of the religious procession tradition in Russia occurred at the beginning of the 20th century. Even royal families took part in them back then. The most striking example is the glorification of St. Seraphim of Sarov in 1903. Then from one hundred to three hundred thousand people took part in it, including Emperor Nicholas II himself and his family.

It is also difficult to overestimate the role of repentance moves for the history of the Russian state. They repeatedly saved not only Moscow, but also other significant cities from pestilences, fires and military invasions, thanks to which the images of the Mother of God became so famous here, especially Vladimir, Tikhvin, Kazan and many others. It’s not for nothing that the same Seraphim of Sarov said that “Russia will be saved by religious processions.”

Types of prayer processions

There are many types of procession according to different criteria. According to their duration, they are divided into one-day and multi-day. Depending on the time of commission there may be:

• annual(set, for example, on Easter and Epiphany);
• emergency, or disposable(committed for a specific reason).

Depending on the reasons, they are divided into:

• festive, or solemn- performed in honor of a specific holiday;
• thanks- in gratitude for God's help and mercy for some reason, these also include the procession in honor of the consecration of the temple;
• propitiatory- a type of general prayer at the beginning of an important church or state event;
• repentant- processions of believers carried out in times of national disasters (famine, war, epidemics, earthquakes, etc.) with a request for deliverance from them.

Unusual movements of modern times

Today there are many new types of unusual church processions, which, of course, have the same power if performed with faith, and not just with the intention of surprising. It is worth at least mentioning that already in our century such a variety of them as godfather years. The shrine (relics or icon) with prayer is transported by plane or helicopter over long distances.

Besides air, began to be implemented much earlier and aquatic. Such a religious procession is especially convenient for remote, hard-to-reach places. An unusual phenomenon can be called biker movements with icons and banners, in which even priests take part. Today they are also gaining popularity children's prayer processions, especially with prayer for peace. They are also a clear testimony of faith.

But in the monastery of Optina Monastery, an unusual prayer procession also takes place every day, in which... cats take part. This video can be viewed here:

The religious procession is a long-established tradition of believers Orthodox people, consisting of a solemn procession led by clergy who carry banners, icons, crosses and other shrines. It is performed around the church, from temple to temple, directed to a body of water or to another object of the Orthodox shrine. Processions of the cross take place across different cases- for the glory of Jesus Christ, revered saints, church holidays. They are: Easter, memorial, water illumination, funeral, missionary and others.

Processions of the cross have become part of the life of the Orthodox world. The most famous of them are Easter, which begins close to midnight. Easter is celebrated annually and is calculated separately for each year. The criterion is the day of the equinox in the spring and such a phenomenon as the full moon. The first Sunday after these phenomena will be Easter day.

The Easter procession is a great event for the Orthodox who take part in this procession. The main essence is that believers, led by clergy, go towards the good news of the resurrection of Christ. At this time, the church bells ring. Participants in the procession sing festive chants. The religious procession takes place at night from Holy Saturday to Easter Sunday. In accordance with this, in 2019 the procession will take place on the night of April 27-28, in 2020 - from April 18-19.

On days when Orthodox holidays take place, the procession of the cross is determined by the community.

According to established tradition, religious processions take place in many localities: cities and villages and have a specific purpose. Their list is very large. They are timed to coincide with various events and Orthodox dates. Here are some of them:

• Velikoretsky - runs with the revered Velikoretsk icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker from June 3 to 8;
• Kaluga - with the icon of the Mother of God, dates: 28.06-31.07;
• Kursk - with the icon of the Mother of God of the Sign of Kursk-Root 9 Friday after Easter;
• Saratov - held in honor of the memory of the Russian new martyrs and confessors from June 26 to July 17;
• Georgievsky - to places of glory and heroic defense Leningrad from May 5 to 10;
• Samara - with the icon of the Mother of God “Deliverer from Troubles” in Tashlu. It takes place on the first day of Petrov's Fast and lasts 3 days.

The procession is the essence

The procession of the cross always has some purpose and is carried out only with the blessing of the archpastor or bishop. The religious procession expresses the people's unified faith, unites people and increases the number of believers. In front of the passage they carry a lantern, which symbolizes the Divine Light.

They carry Banners - remote banners on which the faces of saints are imprinted.

Icons, Gospels and all kinds of shrines are carried by clergy and believers who participate in the procession. Processions of the cross illuminate everything around - earth, fire, water, air. People's prayers, icons, sprinkling with holy water, incense - have a sacred effect on the world around us.

The reason for holding a religious procession can be different:

• The procession of the cross is organized by a specific church community and is dedicated to Orthodox holiday or event. For example, the illumination of a temple or a celebration in honor of a revered icon.
• Easter - on Palm Sunday, during Bright Week.
• The Feast of the Epiphany - at this time the water is illuminated.
• Funeral - a procession escorts the deceased to the cemetery.
• Missionary, the goal of which is to attract believers into their ranks.
• Public holidays or events.
• Emergencies - wars, natural disasters, epidemics.
• Procession taking place in the temple.

The Procession of the Cross takes place relative to the sun against its movement. Old Believers walk clockwise, i.e. according to the movement of the sun. Depending on the purpose, the religious procession goes around the church, from temple to temple, to the shrine that is revered. There are processions of the cross that are short in duration, for example on Easter, and multi-day ones that take place over several days.

In our age of technological progress, the religious procession can be carried out by helicopter or airplane by clergy who fly over a certain territory with a miraculous icon. On January 2, 1941, copies of the icon of the Tikhvin Mother of God were loaded onto a plane and flew around Moscow with it. There is a high probability that it was this flight that stopped the enemy from attacking the city.

History of the Russian procession

The procession of the Cross dates back to time immemorial. During the battle in 312, Constantine, the Roman Emperor, saw a sign in the sky in the form of a cross, the inscription on which was: By this victory!

Constantine ordered the production of banners on which crosses were depicted, later called Banners.

An example of religious processions in Rus' was the Church of Constantinople. Appeal to God with universal prayer in case of disasters and emergencies. From the time of the Old Testament we know that there were solemn processions. The city of Jericho and its siege - in the book of Jesus Novinus it is written: the city will be subdued if you go around it for six days with the ark of the covenant. The seventh day was marked by the cries of the people and the walls of Jericho collapsed.

In the early days of its existence, the Christian Church held secret night processions. The relics of the Orthodox martyrs were transferred. At the end of the fourth century, Christianity was legalized. Processions of the cross began to take place openly, which the Orthodox rejoiced at. In memory of the martyrs, they held processions of the cross through cities and villages with chants and prayers, and visited the sites of Christ’s Passion. Litany, that’s what these processions were called.

Litany - translated from Greek means fervent prayer.

There is also a known fact about John Chrysostom, who established the rule of the procession so that the people would be distracted from all heresy. This was in the 4th-5th century.

Simultaneously with the Baptism of Rus', a tradition came to hold processions - religious processions. The illumination of the people took place on the banks of the Dnieper, which was accompanied by a solemn passage carrying the faces of the saints. Since then this tradition has become regular. Processions of the cross took place on various occasions. The people believed that by making a procession, reading prayers in the open air, they called on the Lord God to help in their disasters, and God heard them and helped.

The holding of religious processions in Rus' is widely represented in the paintings of Russian artists. Here are some of them:

Zaitsev E. Prayer service on the Borodino field

B.M.Kustodiev

N.K. Roerich

A.V.Isupov

I.E. Repin

K.E. Makovsky

Velikoretsk icon, brief history with photo

The history of the acquisition of the icon dates back to the 14th century. A peasant from the village of Krutitsy, Agalkov Semyon, was going about his business and saw sowing in the forest. On the way back, he was again attracted by the light, which beckoned him. Unable to resist, he approached this divine light and was surprised when the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker appeared to him. Subsequently, it turned out that the icon was capable of healing diseases. They found out this way: a village resident had sore legs and could not walk; by venerating the icon, he was healed. Since then, fame has spread about the icon. This event took place on the banks of the Velikaya River, so the icon was nicknamed Velikoretskaya. The clergy appealed to the peasants to move the miraculous icon to Khlynov in order to ensure its safety and so that more people could venerate the miraculous icon. People wanted to mark the place where the icon appeared, they built a chapel, and subsequently a temple.

The city of Khlynov was renamed first to the city of Vyatka, then to Kirov - that is what it is still called.

The icon consists of engravings that depict the life and deeds of the saint, there are 8 of them:

1. Teachings of Saint Nicholas.
2. The dream of Tsar Constantine and the appearance of the wonderworker Nicholas to him.
3. Rescue of Demetrius from the bottom of the sea by Saint Nicholas.
4. Zion - service of St. Nicholas.
5. Saving a ship from a flood by Saint Nicholas.
6. Deliverance from the sword of three husbands.

Return of Agrikov's son Vasily from Saracen captivity.

7. The resting place of St. Nicholas.

In the middle is the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

In 1555, the icon visited Moscow. St. Basil's Cathedral was just under construction at that time. One of the boundaries of the temple was illuminated in honor of the miraculous icon.

In 2016, a miracle happened again in the village of Velikoretskoye. The Trifonov Monastery became famous in the courtyard of which the face of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was discovered. One of the novices of the monastery wanted to make a shutter for a technical window in the barn where livestock was kept. It was a piece of old iron sheet.

The face of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was discovered on an iron sheet by the head of the courtyard, who came to clear the snow. She felt that someone was looking at her. Thus, the face appeared to people once again.

Velikoretsky Procession route

The religious procession, its traditions and attributes, with the miraculous icon of St. Nicholas, began after it was transferred to the city of Khlynov in the Vyatka region. It was agreed to return the icon to the place where it was found every year. It was kept in the Church of St. Procopius of Ustyug; subsequently, St. Nicholas Cathedral was built specifically for this icon.

In the 30s of the twentieth century, the religious procession was prohibited. When perestroika came, the attitude of the authorities began to gradually change. Gradually the tradition began to be revived. First, a divine service was allowed on the banks of the Velikaya River, then a procession from the village of Chudinovo. The route has now been completely restored. Every year, at the beginning of June, thousands of people want to take part in this event.

The route is quite long and it may seem impossible to walk this way. Its length is more than 150 km. The procession begins with a memorial service in the Assumption Cathedral at 7 o'clock in the morning. At 8 o'clock - in the city of Kirov, in the Holy Assumption Cathedral, the Divine Liturgy takes place. On the Cathedral Square of the Holy Dormition Monastery, Trifonov, at 10 o’clock there is a prayer service and from there at 11 o’clock the procession of the Cross begins. He is greeted by the Trinity Church of the city of Kirov. The next point is the village of Bobino.

You can use the buses that accompany the procession and transport people as they fill up. Buses also await pilgrims in the city of Kirov and deliver directly to their destination, the village of Velikoretskoye.

To perform the procession according to all the rules, you must receive a blessing from the priest. When preparing, you need to stock up on the necessary things and water in advance.

1. Take a couple with you plastic bottles. Water can be collected at stopping points, and water is also specially delivered.
2. Buy a special travel rug for overnight stays.
3. For the necessary medications you will need along the way, pack a travel first aid kit.
4. There is no need to take food, you can buy it. Points for dispensing hot food and tea will be organized.
5. Dried fruits and nuts will not take up much space and will satisfy your hunger.
6. Raincoats in case it rains.
7. From things - considering that the nights can be cold, warm things are necessary.
8. A hat and sunglasses will save you from hot and sultry weather.
9. Comfortable shoes, a second pair may be needed.
10. Insect repellents - mosquitoes and midges.

During stops you can have a snack, there is a field kitchen. At the request of each pilgrim, things can be loaded onto a bus that travels to the stopping places. Everyone provides their own accommodation for the night; some take a tent with them. Along the route, in the villages, good people They invite travelers to eat and spend the night.

When planning a multi-day religious procession, you need to remember that this is a difficult journey and you need to prepare for it in advance.