Believers and priests headed by Father Superior of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery Ignaty make religious processions on the occasion of Easter almost every day during this week. The procession begins in the Church of St. Kirill at the end of the Easter service. People move clockwise around the whole complex of churches located in the central square of the Kirillo-Belozersky museum-reserve and stop four times in accordance with four cardinal directions. When they stop, the priests read the text of the Gospel about Christ’s Resurrection. They return to the Church of St. Kirill, stop for the last time and greet each other saying: “Christ Has Risen”. Then everybody is sprinkled with holy water.
Father Superior Ignaty explains the significance of this Orthodox rite: “A religious procession is a service which takes place outside the church. And the Easter procession also symbolizes the procession of the women with myrrh who came to the tomb of Christ early in the morning, to find it empty as Christ had risen”.
The Easter celebrations last seven days and it means that solemn services will be performed in all churches of our country till Saturday evening and believers will greet each other saying: “Christ Has Risen!”
