Christmas in Moscow & Sochi

By way of a Christmas card, here are some images from the Divine Liturgy of Christmas in Moscow and Sochi yesterday.

First, here is part of the congregation at the monastery in Sochi where President Putin worshipped.  They are a few metres away from President Putin.

Here is President Putin:

Here is a member of the choir:

Here is Prime Minister Medvedev. He is worshipping at Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow. He is with his wife. We think the children must be theirs.  The group is standing in an apse just to the south of the solea (i.e. viewing towards the Royal Doors, to the right of the congregation).

Here is a member of the congregation at Christ the Saviour. This was taken after the communion service.

The following pictures were taken at Christ the Saviour before the communion service:

This congregant is reciting the ‘Our Father’ with the rest of the congregation:

This picture was taken at about the same time in the service:

This is Patriarch Kyrillos just before taking communion. Notice the priest in white vestments at the side of the altar to the viewer’s left. He is holding a paten with a piece of consecrated bread that has just been handed to him by the Patriarch as part of his ordination to the priesthood during the service.  The cleric standing next to the priest is the Archdeacon.

Here is another congregant:

Merry Christmas to all our readers.

Orthodox Monk

(These photos were also posted as an update to ‘Open Letter to Josh Whedon’.)