Russian President Vladimir Putin attended an Easter service conducted by the Orthodox Church of the nation on Sunday (April 16). Putin and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church exchanged Easter egg decorations, just the way they have done in previous years. TASS reported that both exchanged Easter gifts during the holiday service.
Russian Orthodox patriarch Kirill led the Sign of the Cross outside having blessed the crowd. The 76-year-old also led night Eater service in Moscow’s Christ the Saviour cathedral.
The Russian president was seen crossing himself several times during the ceremony, but he didn’t speak much. He only spoke after Patriarch Kirill announced “Christ has risen”. Putin and other members of the congregation replied “Truly he is risen.”
During the entire ceremony, Putin was seen on one side in Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral. Dressed in a dark suit with a white shirt and purple tie, Putin was seen holding a candle.
Notably, Russia’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral has strongly backed Putin’s decision to send troops to Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “special military operation”.
Traditionally, the Russian president attends service during high holy days and on Easter, the head of state usually attends services at the Christ the Savior Cathedral. Putin also attended last year.
During his presidency, Putin only skipped the Easter service in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic.
Putin has attended Easter festivities outside Moscow only twice. One was in 2000, at St. Petersburg’s St. Isaac’s Cathedral and the other in 2003, when he attended services at the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Dushanbe while on a visit to Tajikistan.
The entire Christian world commemorates a key moment in the history of Christianity as Easter is the central holiday. It is marked Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead.
Source : WION