On July 27, 2016, the eve of the Day of Baptism of Rus and the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the ancient Russian monasticism on the Holy Mountain Athos, the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Onufriy led the festive prayer service at the monument to the Baptist of Russia on St Volodymyr’s Hill. It was reported by the Information and Education Department of the UOC.
On July 27, 2016, the eve of the Day of Baptism of Rus and the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the ancient Russian monasticism on the Holy Mountain Athos, the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Onufriy led the festive prayer service at the monument to the Baptist of Russia on St Volodymyr’s Hill. It was reported by the Information and Education Department of the UOC. The worship was preceded by prayer “Our Father” read 12 times and “Holy Virgin, Rejoice” and the prayer for peace in Ukraine. According to the UOC (MP), praying at the service were the episcopate, clergy of all the dioceses of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, a delegation from the Holy Mount Athos and over 30 thousand Orthodox believers from all over Ukraine (according to the UOC data). The ceremonies were attended by diplomatic representatives of Serbia, Macedonia, Greece, Moldova, Georgia, Russia and Romania. There were also representatives of the Opposition Bloc Yuriy Boiko, Ihor Miroshnychenko, Vadym Novinskyy, Nestor Shufrych. Before the solemn prayer, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy greeted and gave awards to two little pilgrim girls who participated all the way in the procession. Little Margarita from Kramatorsk walked in the procession from Svyatogorsk Lavra andFeodotia from Dubno, who turned 11 years on that day, made a pilgrimage from Pochayiv Lavra. At the end of the prayer, Metropolitan Onufriy congratulated everyone on the feast of the Holy and Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Volodymyr and said a word of instruction.According to the report, Ukrainian procession carries the miraculous icons: the main shrine of the eastern wing became the icon of Our Lady of Svyatogorsk, of the western one – the image of Our Lady of Pochayiv. These and other revered icons from the east, west, south and north of Ukraine were delivered to St. Volodymyr’s Hill. Together with the shrines brought from Athos, these wonder-working icons will be taken to Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra in the religious procession.