Watch How Russians Celebrated Christmas on Earth and in the Outer Space
Over 2.5 million Russians took part in Christmas services. In the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the service was held by Cyril, the Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus'. All the central Russian TV channels were broadcasting it. In total, Christmas was celebrated in more than 30,000 churches of the Russian Orthodox Church, both here and abroad.
Here's Dmitri Kaystro's report about the events of Christmas Eve.
We’re in the white and golden Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Here, the service starts at 11:30 PM. It's conducted by Patriarch Cyril. The church is all covered with flowers and spruce twigs. These are fragile symbols of the purity of thought and eternal life. Priests in white clothes embroidered in gold give out the Gifts of the Magi under the magnificent dome of the cathedral as it's filled with the sweet sounds of chants and the odors of incense and myrrh.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has come to the Christmas service. Politicians and cultural figures are praying together.
Among the worshipers, there's Schema-Archimandrite Eli of the Optina Pustyn, who's highly respected in Russia and abroad.
Patriarch Cyril has wished all the Orthodox believers a Merry Christmas: "Dear brothers and sisters, I wish all of you to live according to the divine law, thus establishing peace in your hearts, your families, and all around you, therefore, making the world a better place. Let the Savior, who was born in Bethlehem on this day, enlighten all of us, and make us stronger on our way to the Kingdom of God. Merry Christmas to all of you!"
All Russian Orthodox Christians wish each other a Merry Christmas through the collective and unifying Christmas spirit, filled with joy and hope.
"It's a sacred holiday. We came to Moscow just to celebrate it here".
"I'd like to wish all the believers peace and all the best. Let's pray for world peace!"
Christmas is a miracle and a mystery. From now on, we're not alone on this planet. God has come to the world to become a part of our history and space, and the key to salvation.
Christmas is one of the oldest and greatest Christian holidays. In ancient times, it was called the incarnation of God. It's the day when God became human, so that a human being could become one with God. Since then, believers celebrate this event, which changed human beings and the world so much 2018 years ago.
In Vladivostok, the main service was held in the Pokrovsky Cathedral.
In the Urals, one of the main Russian regions, Christmas was celebrated in all the churches, from the biggest to the smallest ones. There were many people who came to worship in the small, cozy St. Catherine Chapel, the Church on Blood, and the Trinity Cathedral.
A believer: "Today, Jesus Christ was born, it's a big day. There is God above, it cannot be any other way. Love rules the world — God's love".
In Sevastopol, where the ancient city of Chersonesus used to be, the place where the Old Rus' was baptized, a Christmas service was held at St. Vladimir's Cathedral.
The believers:
"We've come here with a bright mood. We want to feel the Christmas spirit. Sure, this is one of the main holidays of the year for Orthodox believers".
"This is a great day for us, not only was Jesus born on this day, but many of our hopes for the best. And I want to wish all the best to everyone!"
The servicemen of the Baltic Fleet came to pray at the Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Kronstadt, which was built before the Revolution.
In Chechnya, Russian Orthodox believers also celebrated Christmas. Christmas services took place at St. Michael the Archangel's Church in Grozny and the Church of the Naursky District.
In Donetsk, the main service was held at the Transfiguration Cathedral. All the believers together with the priests prayed for peace, for their land, and their people.
A believer: "Today, we're praying for a Merry Christmas and for a peaceful sky above us".
Christmas is celebrated not only on Earth, but also in space. The International Space Station is flying 400 km higher than the tallest bell tower could reach. During a video call with the cosmonauts, Patriarch Cyril wishes them a Merry Christmas.
Patriarch Cyril: "You're our heroes. You represent Russia up there, in the Earth's orbit. What you do is a great undertaking".
Alexander Misurkin, ISS-54 Commander: "Thank you for finding the time to call us and say these kind words".
Anton Skaplerov, ISS-55 Commander: "In return, I'd like to wish a Merry Christmas to you and to all the Orthodox people on Earth".
The Christmas spirit can be felt days after Christmas as the holiday goes on. The twelve days after Christmas Eve are considered sacred. These days, there's a tradition to gather all the family at the table to thank God for his incarnation as a gentle baby, who brought us joy and the hope for salvation.
Dmitri Kaystro, Anna Kolk, Alexander Terpugov, Sergey Rubanov, Alexander Malyshev, Sergey Soldatov, Vesti.