300,000 Venerate Sash in St. Petersburg

Since the arrival of the Sash of the Mother of God in St. Petersburg earlier this month over 300,000 people have venerated it despite the waiting line, which is generally 10 to 15 hours long. The Sash is due to remain in St. Petersburg until 19 November, after which it will be transferred to Moscow before its return to Mount Athos on 23 November. More here.

St. Petersburg Officially Celebrates Its Patron Saints

This year marks the first time in recent history that St. Petersburg, Russia's northern capital, has officially celebrated the feast day of its patron saints, Sts. Peter and Paul. Festal services were celebrated at the imperial crypt, the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul on Hare Island, after which a procession was held from the cathedral to St. Isaac's Cathedral nearby. More (in Russian) here.

Catholicos Karekin Visits St. Petersburg

Catholicos-Patriarch Karekin II (Nersessian) of Echmiadzin has begun his visit to St. Petersburg, being welcomed to the city by Bishop Yezras (Nersissian) of Novo-Nakhichevan, who serves the Armenian Orthodox Church in Russia. Catholicos Karekin began his time in St. Petersburg with a visit to the city's Armenian Orthodox Church of St. Catherine before moving on to participate in the launch of a book on Russian-Armenian relations. More on Catholicos Karekin's ongoing visit to St. Petersburg can be found here.

Catholicos Karekin Leaves for St. Petersburg, Riga

Catholicos-Patriarch Karekin II (Nersessian) of Echmiadzin has departed for Russia and Latvia to begin a pastoral visit to the Armenian Diaspora in St. Petersburg and Riga. In St. Petersburg Catholicos Karekin will be participating in the 300th anniversary celebrations of the Armenian community there, whilst in Riga he will consecrate a new Armenian Orthodox church built for the Latvian capital. More here.

Rock 'n Roll Priest Plays in St. Petersburg

An Orthodox priest from Russia's Nizhniy Novgorod region, Fr. Nikolai Kokurin, has made an appearance at an anti-drug rock and roll concert in St. Petersburg to preach and play for the audience. Fr. Nikolai's songs have featured on another musician's album and have also released on his own album. More here.

Patriarch Cyril Visits St. Petersburg

Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow has begun a pastoral visit to the Eparchy of St. Petersburg. Upon arriving in the city Patriarch Kirill was met by Metropolitan Vladimir (Kotlyarov) of St. Petersburg and his auxiliaries, Bishops Amvrosiy (Yermakov) of Gatchina, Markell (Vetrov) of Peterhof, and Nazariy (Lavrinenko) of Vyborg, and then proceeded to visit the Cathedral of the Smolensk Icon where his brother, Archpriest Nikolai Gundyayev, serves.

During his visit to St. Petersburg Patriarch Kirill will be serving in the city's churches, visiting the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, attending a meeting on the restoration of St. Nicholas' Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt, visiting St. Alexander of the Neva's Lavra, and presiding over a meeting of the Holy Synod in the historic Synod building built for the Holy Synod after Peter I's reorganization of the Church. More (in Russian) here.