His Holiness Patriarch Kirill at St. Vladimir’s Hill & Kyiv Caves Monastery

On July 27, on the eve of the commemoration of the Holy and Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill set off to St. Vladimir’s Hill right upon arrival to Ukraine.

There thousands of Kyivans and the guests of the city had gathered since 7.00 AM.

Under the people’s chant “Our Patriarch is Kirill” His Holiness followed the lane, blessing the faithful and let out the doves, symbolizing peace and consent.

Thereafter Patriarch Kirill conducted the prayer service (Moleben). Raising the prayers were the episcopate of the Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox Churches, numerous clergymen of the Diocese of Kyiv, the Kyivans and the guests of the city.

Among the high guests there were leader of the Party of Regions Victor Yanukovych, people’s deputy Anna Herman, ombudswoman Nina Karpacheva, Valentina Semenyuk-Samsonenko.

The prayer service was accompanied by the chant of the joint choir of the Diocese of Bila Tserkva.
After the prayer service His Holiness laid flowers to the monument of Prince Vladimir.

Then the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church turned the high guest with a greeting word, underscoring that he expected the spiritual fruit of the visit, fruit of love and peace for the God-loving people of Ukraine.

In his turn His Holiness the Patriarch also addressed His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr, extending gratitude for warm welcome.

Right after the prayer service at. St. Vladimir’s Hill His Holiness the Patriarch arrived to the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, which he previously had defined it as a great shrine, visit to which gives such a charge of spiritual energy one can draw from it for a long time”.

The Patriarch has previously mentioned that here is the first throne of the Primates of the Russian Orthodox Church. “It is from here, from our oldest shrine – the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra – that the monkhood spread throughout Rus, bringing faith, literacy and culture. It is also here that our chronicle-writing, theology and booklore originated.” “When I received, by the tradition, the staff of St. Peter, Metropolitan of Kyiv, as a symbol of spiritual power, from the hands of His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr, I felt internal need to visit Kyiv, the Holy Land of our Church, to bow unto the relics of the venerable Fathers of the Kyiv Caves”, noted Patriarch Kirill in his interviews.

The first hierarch was met at the Near Caves by the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, in particular, by Deputy Abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Archbishop Pavel of Vyshgorod, who addressed Patriarch Kirill with a greeting word.

Then His Holiness called to the Church of Exaltation of the Cross, where he prayed unto the Wonderworking Icon of the Dormition of the Theotokos. Also the Patriarch had his photos taken together with the monastery brethren.

Source:

Snaps From: fotolitopys.in.ua