Moscow, July 5, 2018
Photo: pravoslavie.ru Thousands of soccer fans from all around the world have been pouring into Russia during the ongoing FIFA World Cup Championship, breaking all tourist records in the country.
Orthodox churches, monasteries, clergy, and faithful have been taking advantage of the situation, using the opportunity to introduce the guests to the glory of the Orthodox faith and Church. As previously reported, hundreds of fans have visited the Ascension Cathedral in Novocherkassk and Visoko-Petrovsky Monastery in Moscow has been inviting guests with the ringing of their church bells.
Another such event will take place on Sunday, when Moscow youth will go to the central streets of Moscow in Russian folk costumes to congratulate Muscovites and soccer fans from around the world with the day of Family, Love, and Fidelity, reports pravoslavie.ru.
The holiday coincides with the Church feast of Sts. Peter and Febronia of Murom, who are revered as a model for marriage by the Russian faithful.
The Day of the Family, Love and Fidelity was established on the initiative of the Murom townspeople in 2008 and supported by Svetlana Medvedeva, the wife of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The establishment of this feast was approved by the Interreligious Council in Russia and supported by Russian regions. Today it is widely celebrated in all the cities in Russia and in the world.
The youth of Moscow will present a festival of Russian faith and culture in the areas of the city that have proven most popular for soccer fans, such as Nikolskaya Street, which leads to Red Square, and Sparrow Hills where the FIFA fan festival is being held. Every guest of the capital will receive a red souvenir postcard with a description of the holiday in Russian and English.
The children will speak in various languages about the importance of the family unit and the need to maintain orderly familial relationships.
They will also conduct a survey with the guests of the capital, asking, “What does family mean to you?” in order to create an objective representation of the family on different continents.
According to the organizers, the event will not only demonstrate to the world Russia’s pro-family holiday, but will also show that the nation’s youth are aware of the importance of traditional values and a serious attitude towards marriage.
Follow us on Facebook!
