St. Petersburg, September 15, 2025
mitropolia.spb.ru
More than 70,000 people participated in a cross procession along Nevsky Prospect on Friday, September 12, marking the feast of the transfer of the relics of St. Alexander Nevsky, the patron saint of St. Petersburg.
The procession followed Divine Liturgy services at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra and Kazan Cathedral, led by Metropolitan Barsanuphius of St. Petersburg and Ladoga and Bishop Varnava of Vyborg and Priozersk respectively, reports the St. Petersburg Metropolia.
The celebration included a water procession on the Neva River from Oreshek Fortress to the Lavra, recreating the final stage of the 1724 transfer of the saint’s relics. Bishop Mstislav of Tikhvin and Lodeynopolsky celebrated a service at the Annunciation Cathedral in Shlisselburg before leading prayers at Oreshek Fortress.
After the main procession, Met. Barsanuphius served a moleben at Alexander Nevsky Square, where he addressed the participants.
mitropolia.spb.ru
“I congratulate you on the day of the transfer of the relics of the Heavenly patron of St. Petersburg,” the Metropolitan said. “Traditionally, we meet this feast with the fullness of clergy and believers of the Metropolia, pilgrims and guests. An integral part of the celebration is the procession along Nevsky Prospect, which gathers tens of thousands of people under the banner of the Grand Prince, becoming a symbol of the unity of Orthodox St. Petersburg.”
“We are also his heirs. Today’s celebration is confirmation of that. Our sacred duty is not only to preserve the Orthodox faith, traditions and unity, but also to pass these values on to future generations,” Met. Barsanuphius said.
Governor Beglov emphasized the historical significance of the day: “From this day, when Emperor Peter the First transferred the relics of the Grand Prince to the northern capital, Alexander Nevsky has been its patron and defender. He defended northwestern Rus and returned ancestral Russian lands.”
mitropolia.spb.ru
The celebration concluded with a parade by an honor guard company and military orchestra from the Leningrad Military District headquarters. A wreath was laid at the graves of Order of Alexander Nevsky recipients at the Lavra’s Nikolskoye Cemetery.
The tradition of the September 12 procession dates to 1724, when Peter I ordered the transfer of St. Alexander Nevsky’s relics from Vladimir to St. Petersburg. The procession became an official holiday under Empress Elizabeth Petrovna and continued as a public holiday until 1917. The tradition was revived in 2013 during the 300th anniversary of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.
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