Kiev, July 27, 2018
Several holy and wonderworking icons and relics are being carried through the streets of Kiev right now in the procession from Vladimir Hill to the Kiev Caves Lavra in honor of the 1,030th Baptism of Rus’.
The sacred objects arrived in Kiev yesterday, reports the site of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
At a press briefing, His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary specified that the procession will include relics of St. Vladimir the Great, the Baptizer of Rus’, and the relics of St. Clement the Pope of Rome, which St. Vladimir received as a gift when he received Holy Baptism in 988 in the city of Chersonesus. He transferred the relics to Kiev, where for a long time they remained the only relics that united all the newly baptized Orthodox in the land of Kievan Rus’.
Icon and reliquary with relics of St. Vladimir, the Baptizer of Rus’
Myrrh-streaming head of Pope St. Clement
Foot of St. Andrew the First-Called Additionally, the foot of St. Andrew the Apostle will be brought to Kiev from Odessa, recalling when the holy apostle crossed the Dnieper and arrived at the site where Kiev stands today and prophetically proclaimed that the grace of God would one day visit this place.
Icon of St. Andrew the First-Called with particle of his relics and cross An icon containing a piece of the relics of St. Andrew as well as the cross on which he was crucified, painted in Patras, Greece, was also brought to Kiev for the celebrations.
Zimnensky Icon of the Mother of God The miraculous Zimnensky Icon of the Mother of God, which St. Vladimir gifted to his son Vsevolod for his wedding, is also part of the festivities.
Icon with relics of Hieromartyr Vladimir of Kiev The Church also commemorates today St. Vladimir the Metropolitan of Kiev who died at the hands of the godless authorities 100 years ago. Therefore, an icon with a particle of his relics is also available for the faithful to venerate. A moleben will also be served before his icon.
Icon with relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov Also, an icon with relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, who began his monastic life with a blessing from the elders of the Kiev Caves Lavra, is being carried in the procession.
Relics of St. George the Victorious Relics of the great St. George, given to the Kiev Caves Lavra from Mt. Athos as a sign of unity between the Holy Mountain and the Caves Monastery, are also present at the celebrations. St. Anthony, the founder of the Lavra, received a blessing on Mt. Athos to carry out his ascetic labors on the Kiev slopes.
After the procession, all of the icons and relics will be placed in the Sts. Anthony and Theodosius Church of the Kiev Caves Lavra, where the faithful will be able to venerate them throughout the night.
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