On the eve of the Feast of Holy Transfiguration, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates All-Night Vigil in Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and officiates at the meeting of the relics of St. Spyridon of Tremithus
DECR Communication Service, 19/08/2026
In the evening of 18th August 2026, the eve of the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrated the All-Night Vigil at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow.
Among His Holiness’s concelebrants were: Metropolitan Grigory of Voskresensk, Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate, Patriarchal First Vicar for the city of Moscow; Metropolitan Tikhon of Simferopol and Crimea, Chairman of the Patriarchal Council for Culture; Metropolitan Arseny of Zvenigorod; Archbishop Savva of Zelenogradsk, Chairman of the Synodal Missionary Department, Deputy Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Bishop Veniamin of Rybinsk and Romanov-Borisoglebsk; Bishop Ioann of Shuya and Teykovo; Bishop Leonid of Argentina and South America; Bishop Alexy of Ramenskoye, Patriarchal Personal Secretary; Protopresbyter Vladimir Divakov, Patriarchal Secretary for the city of Moscow; Archimandrite Yevfimy (Kulikov), cleric of the Shuya Diocese, Bishop Elect of Anadyr and Chukotka; Archimandrite Iosif (Pashentsev), cleric of the Barysh Diocese, Bishop Elect of Skadovsk and Alyoshki; Archimandrite Iona (Cherkasov), cleric of the Melekess Diocese, Bishop Elect of Skopin and Shatsk; as well as the Moscow clergy.
In prayerful attendance were members of a delegation of the Kerkyra Metropolis of the Orthodox Church of Greece who helped bring the holy relics of St. Spyridon of Tremithus to the Russian Orthodox Church for veneration. The delegation is led by Metropolitan Nektarios of Kerkyra, Paxoi and the Diapontian Islands.
Acting as organizer in bringing St. Spyridon’s holy relics to Russia is the Russian Orthodox Church’s Commission for Pilgrimage and the Bringing of Shrines. The initiative is being carried out thanks to the assistance of JSC “GTLK,” the Regional Energy Company, the World Russian People’s Council and the Innokenty Sibiryakov Foundation. The Foma journal acts as media partner.
Attending the divine service were, among others, Mr A.V. Karmakov, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Regional Energy Company; Mr M.L. Parnev, Director General of JSC “GTLK;” Mr K.V. Mayor, owner of the MAER Media Holding; Mr A.V. Shchipkov, Deputy Head of the World Russian People’s Council, Rector of the St. John the Theologian Russian Orthodox University; Mr M.M. Ivanov, Deputy Head of the World Russian People’s Council, Chair of the Supervisory Board of the All-Russian Public Movement “Orthodox Russia;” Mr S.Yu. Rudov, Deputy Head of the World Russian People’s Council; and Mr P.A. Spyridonidis, Assistant to Metropolitan Nektarios of Kerkyra.
Liturgical hymns were performed by the Patriarchal Choir of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour conducted by I.B. Tolkachev and the Chamber Choir of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour conducted by S.S. Sidorenko.
The All-Night Vigil was broadcast live on “Soyuz” and “Spas” TV channels, as well as on the official website of the Russian Orthodox Church – patriarchia.ru.
Prior to the Polyeleos, a solemn meeting of a reliquary containing the right hand of St. Spyridon of Tremithus took place. Officiating at it was His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’.
At the western doors of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, accompanied by hierarchs and clergy, met the shrine brought from the Island of Corfu by Metropolitan Nektarios of Kerkyra, Paxoi and the Diapontian Islands and the delegation of the Kerkyra Metropolis.
After a car with the reliquary arrived, Metropolitan Nektarios handed over the shrine to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. The Primate of the Russian Church venerated St. Spyridon’s relics.
As the Troparion to St. Spyridon was being sung, Metropolitan Grigory and Metropolitan Tikhon brought the reliquary to the centre of the church and placed it on a designated stand under the saint’s icon.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill addressed all those present, saying:
“Dear hierarchs, fathers, brothers and sisters, I extend to all of you my heartfelt festal greetings!
“I am very glad to have this opportunity to pray together with you all in our magnificent church, to glorify our Lord and offer Him our prayer, asking Him to bestow His blessing and peace on our people, our country and our Church the martyr and confessor, which suffered severe hardships in the 20th century and is rejoicing today at seeing people’s great conversion to Orthodoxy that, perhaps, is the fruit of the afflictions and sorrows we endured in the past.
“I would like to cordially greet all of you and wish you God’s help and plenitude of strength!
“Today we have had with us our brothers from Greece – Orthodox hierarchs, fathers and laypeople. While praying each in our own language, we offered the same prayer to the Lord. Of course, we prayed for our Orthodox Church, which is present and serves in many countries; we prayed for our peoples, that God may preserve us in faith, like-mindedness and love. We prayed that regardless of circumstances, unfavourable as they can be in the context of the modern-day civilization, we may preserve the most important thing, without which we cannot inherit the Kingdom of God and find simple human happiness.
“May the Lord help us all to preserve faith and love for Him and to treat one another with wisdom and kindness, so that the Orthodox faith in our people and our national spiritual life may grow stronger.
“God save you all! Blessed feast to you!”
In the altar of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, His Holiness talked with Metropolitan Nektarios and members of the Greek delegation.
Later, in the Throne Hall of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill officiated at the rite of nomination of Archimandrite Yevfimy (Kulikov) as Bishop of Anadyr and Chukotka, Archimandrite Iosif (Pashentsev) as Bishop of Skadovsk and Alyoshki, and Archimandrite Iona (Cherkasov) as Bishop of Skopin and Shatsk.