Putin visits ancient Monastery
14/8/2011
On Sunday, the Orthodox Christian Church celebrates a holiday named “Procession of the Precious Wood of the Life-giving Cross”.
This holiday originates from an ancient tradition in Constantinople to make a procession with a particle of the cross on which Jesus was crucified. It was believed that this ceremony saves the city from the summer heat and from diseases caused by it.
In Russia, this holiday is also unofficially named “Medovy Spas” (“the honey holiday of our Savior”). Bee keepers say that only from this day honey becomes ripe enough to be eaten.
After this holiday, Orthodox Christians observe a lent which lasts till August 27.
This Sunday, Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited an ancient monastery of the Transfiguration of Our Lord on the Valaam Island in the northwest of Russia. Valaam is known as a place of ancient monastic traditions.
After Mr. Putin attended a church service, he and the local bishop visited the small secluded monastery of St. Elias nearby. This monastery was closed in the Soviet time and restored in 2005 with Mr. Putin’s help.
