Relics of Spiridon Trimifuntsky in Russia: when and where to worship the right hand

The ark with the right hand of St. Spyridon of Trimifunt was delivered from Greece to Russia on August 17. A day later, the shrine was met by Patriarch Kirill in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, but mass accessBelievers opened today on August 20 in Cheboksary.The route will cover 14 cities and will end in the capital on September 20.

The delivery schedule is scheduled by day. After Cheboksar, the Ark will go to Kazan, where it will stay from August 21 to 24. Then Diveevo, Nizhny Novgorod, St. Petersburg, Pskov, Smolensk will follow. From September 5, the geography will shift sharply beyond the Urals: Irkutsk will take the shrine for two days, Khabarovsk for three. Further, the Ark will return to the European part through Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg and Vladimir. The final point is Moscow, where the right hand will remain from 15 to 20 September.

A large-scale procession is planned in Irkutsk on September 6. Between the regions, the relic is transported by aviation, a helicopter is used in some areas.

Spiridon lived in Cyprus at the turn of the III-IV centuries, before the ordination of cattle, then headed the chair in Trimifunt. His contemporary was Nicholas the Wonderworker. Tradition attributes to the saint healing, resurrection and participation in the Council of Nicea in 325, where the question of the Trinity was decided. In Orthodoxy, he is addressed in housing problems, financial difficulties and illnesses.

The right hand of the saint is kept separate from the main remains. After burial in Cyprus, the relics were transported to Constantinople, and after the fall of Byzantium – to the island of Corfu. The right hand was in Rome for about four centuries and returned to Greece only in 1984. Today the body of the saint rests in Kerkyra, where there is a custom to change his clothes and shoes.

The present offering was the first in eight years. The previous visit of the shrine to Russia took place in 2018. The ark is accompanied by Metropolitan Nectarius of Kerkyr. Patriarch Kirill called Spyridon the patron saint of the disadvantaged, stressing that he is most often addressed by people who are in trouble.

Volga and Central Russia: August 20-27

The Russian route of Spiridon’s relics will begin in the Volga region. The first stop will be the city of Cheboksary, then the shrine will be taken for four days in Kazan, and then in Diveev. After that, he will go to Nizhny Novgorod, where he will stay for two days in the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

• Cheboksary — August 20.The relics of Spiridon will be delivered to the Vvedensky Cathedral. You can worship the shrine around the clock (the prayer will be held every two hours).
• Kazan — August 21-24.The shrine will be in the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. Believers from different regions of Tatarstan are expected to come to pray, so queues are possible these days.
• Diveevo village — August 25.For one day, the shrine will be delivered to Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery, one of the most famous places of Orthodox pilgrimage in Russia.
• Nizhny Novgorod — August 26-27.

Northwest and Western Frontiers: August 28 – September 4

The relics will be delivered to the north-west of the country at the end of August: the route will continue in St. Petersburg, Pskov and Smolensk.

• St. Petersburg — August 28-31.In the Northern capital, the right hand of Spiridon will be in the Kazan Cathedral. For an organized passage of pilgrims will provide a special route that will help regulate the flow of visitors.
• Pskov — September 1-2.The next stop will be Pskov. The shrine will be placed in the Trinity Cathedral, one of the main Orthodox churches of the city.
• Smolensk — September 3-4.It will complete the north-western part of the route Smolensk. Within two days, believers will be able to attach to the shrine in the Holy Assumption Cathedral.

Siberia, the Far East and the Urals: 5-12 September

In early September, the route of the right hand of St. Spyridon will continue in the eastern regions of Russia. The shrine will be delivered to Irkutsk, Khabarovsk, Chelyabinsk and Yekaterinburg.

• Irkutsk — September 5-6.The shrine will receive the Znamensky monastery. On September 6, a citywide procession with a shrine is also planned in the city. On this day, a particularly large flow of pilgrims is expected.
• Khabarovsk — September 7-9.In the Far East, the main platform for worship will be the Transfiguration Cathedral. The shrine will remain in the city for three days so that locals and pilgrims from other parts of the region can come to it.
• Chelyabinsk — September 10-11.After the Far East, the right hand of the saint will go to the Urals. In Chelyabinsk, you can touch the shrine in the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ.
• Yekaterinburg — September 12.This stage of the Yekaterinburg route will be completed. During one day, believers will be able to visit the Temple-on-Blood, where the worship of the shrine will be organized.

Vladimir and Moscow: 13–20 September

The final stage of the journey of the relics of Spiridon in Russia will be held in Vladimir and Moscow.

• Vladimir — September 13-14.The hand of St. Spyridon will be taken by the Assumption Cathedral — one of the most famous monuments of white-stone architecture. Within two days, believers will be able to come to the temple to attach themselves to the shrine.
• Moscow — September 15-20.The end of the route will be the stay of the right hand in the Cathedral Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The shrine will remain in Moscow for six days, which will allow to receive a large number of pilgrims from the capital and other regions. Due to the expected influx of visitors, it is expected that the cathedral will be open around the clock.