See the extended post for photos of a Russian Orthodox priest consecrating Easter cakes and eggs in the small town of Naro-Fominsk 45 miles outside of Moscow. In the extended post, you will also see photos of Russian leaders attending the Easter night service in Moscow, which was aired on national television.
Easter preparations at a local military base
Naro-Fominsk was severely damaged by the German Army during World War II, and the town's church was transformed by the Soviet government into a Museum to the Glory of the Communist Revolution. After the collapse of the USSR, the church was restored, and the museum's T-34 tank was left behind to honor the memory of the Russian soldiers who died defending the town.
Locals lighting candles
Locals waiting for consecration of their Easter treats...
Babushkas and children with parents standing next to each other...
While babushkas bake their own Easter cakes (or kuhlich - click to see the recipe), young families buy the store-cakes; this year you could get one for between 30 and 80 rubles (approximately $1 to $3 U.S.)...
...finally, here comes the Russian Orthodox priest.
Feelings of community and Christian fellowship are growing in Russia, and here you can see a kid happy to see the head of the local church.
In the evening Russian families either go to church for a long, all-night service, or gather around their TVs to watch the service from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. It is a new post-Soviet tradition for the Russian nation’s leaders to be present at this important service. In the pictures below you can see screen-shots of Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov and Russian President Vladimir Putin attending the service.
Comments
Thank you, I enjoyed this very much.
Posted by: Margareta svjagintsev | April 8, 2007 8:00 PM
We must return to the moist, soft, warm, Slavonic, obshchina, peasant deity of Mokosh and abandon the urban, reptile, mechantile religion of the Greeks and Jews, who want to turn us all into wolves while we are sleeping so they can suck our blood. We Slavs are just one big extended family with no bounds of ownership, we are embraced by our great thunder father Tsar and our long armed earth mother Mokosh. The Tsar is the most wise thundering high priest of Mokosh. The land is our fertile mother Mokosh who nourishes us, that which we put into the ground she returns to us. Plowing is like taking a knife to tear my mother's bosom, then when I die she will not take me to her bosom to rest. Land is loaned, not owned, it is our mother heifer, the great round egg of fertility, which holds the blood of our ancestors in its yolk. No, we must warm the earth with fire and water it so that our ancestors may be with us when our doors and windows are open as the roots of our tree, whose crown is Perun of Thunder, father of all Tsars. We must sew the scalps of the urban reptile people into a big tent where our ancestors may visit us to be warmed by our fire. Cattle are sacred for we must be as cattle and live in herds and abhor the abomination of individualism. It is the wondrous glory of our women to be white heifers. We must get all humans to be as cattle in one grand obshchina for their salvation. Fear of censure binds all into collective behavior for their can be no individualism or privacy. The Greeks and Jews tried to destroy our great communal bonds, with greed, inequality and competition, but we softly fit into the landscape with equality and brotherhood. Mokosh reveals the weather to those who put an ear to the ground and even greater secrets to those who sleep on the ground. Mokosh always works in circles, wind whirls, seasons cycle, history cycles, the sun is a round blini. Birds make their nest in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours. Moskosh is the big round toilet bowl which whirls us all back home. Any attempt to break the cycle of history by modernization can only result in times of troubles. Turn East and say: "Moist Mother Earth, subdue every evil and unclean being so that he may not cast a spell on us nor do us any harm." Turn West and say: "Moist Mother Earth, engulf the unclean power Veles in your boiling pits, in your burning fires." Turn South and say: "Moist Mother Earth, calm the winds coming from the south and all bad weather. Calm the moving sands and whirlwinds." Turn North and say: "Moist Mother Earth, calm the north winds and the clouds, subdue the snowstorms and the cold."
Posted by: Gene Andreiev | April 11, 2007 11:43 AM
To Gene Andreiev
Wow, this is like the most poetic harangue of paganism I've ever read.
I especially like this line: "...Moskosh is the big round toilet bowl which whirls us all back home..." Are we all just big turds in a bowl then? And this "home" we're whirled to is a septic tank or sewer? Very inspiring analogy.
Don't forget to mention the human sacrifices and constant fear in which our pagan ancestors have lived. Like cattle indeed. I'll stick to individualism with just a tinge of collectivism, thank you very much.
Posted by: Al Goroh | April 14, 2007 7:44 PM
I love the beautiful art, history, and liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox church. Thank you for sharing this.
Posted by: Tanya | April 16, 2007 6:03 PM
Here's wishing a very happy Easter 2008 to the people featured in these photographs.
Posted by: R.L. | January 16, 2008 12:32 AM
CHRIST IS RISEN! HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A HAPPY AND JOYOUS EASTER.
mongo
Posted by: andrew mandjikov | March 7, 2008 7:08 AM
Though born in the United States, I was brought up with the Russian tradition. My mother passed away 10 years ago and with her went the Kulich and Paska and going to bless the Kulich at our local churge. Thank you for sharing the photos, it choked me up to see real Russian people celebrating.
Posted by: NINA | March 8, 2008 10:05 AM
I was crying looking at photos. I am missing my Russia with all its traditions...
Posted by: Irina | April 16, 2008 2:20 AM
Dear Russians and all Orthodox peoples,
Happy Easter.
from the USA
Posted by: armchair pessimist | April 27, 2008 8:11 AM