Crucession

As Cross procession (Russian Крестный ход transcribed Krestny Chod ) is in the Orthodox Churches, so among other things in the Russian Orthodox Church, refers to a solemn procession, which is organized primarily on certain religious holidays. Its name comes from the fact that in such a procession, a large cross is carried ahead.

Description

Usually one takes with the cross either a church building or around from one church to another. Occasion of the Cross procession in the Russian Orthodox Church, mostly Easter and the Feast of the Epiphany. There are also cross processions on special occasions, such as the consecration of a new church, extraordinary state celebrations or even during natural disasters. At Easter a cross procession will be held in Russia every Orthodox church around which is then led by the respective head of the church.

If it is in the procession to move a round, it will be in the traditional Russian Orthodox Church always counterclockwise, ie contrary to the movement of the sun, performed, whereas the round processions Old Believers Christians run clockwise. Often repeated the circular procession during a procession three times. At the front, with a Cross Procession a lantern is always worn, only in the second row is the cross, followed by Icons, Orthodox banners and relics. Accompanying the procession from the church choir singing the hymns to the fixed secret matching.

Known cross processions

Moscow's Red Square In the times of the Russian tsarist empire was always the scene of the most important cross processions. These people were not limited to the Orthodox parties, but also every year on the anniversary of the liberation of Russia from the Polish-Lithuanian invaders ( today, this day, which is celebrated on November 4, known as the day of unity of the people ). This drew the cited both by the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Tsar procession from the Moscow Kremlin towards the Kazan Cathedral.

There was also a particularly long history in the Cross processions:

• From July 28 to August 1, 1991 saw an extraordinary Cross procession from Moscow in the Seraphim Monastery of Diwejewo in the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. The occasion was the retrieval of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, formerly abbot of this monastery.

• The longest cross procession of the story took place from 20 May, 2007 in Vladivostok on the Russian Pacific coast to Moscow. At the same time a number of other processions from other Russian cities was conducted, all of which found their completion in Moscow in June 2008. Occasion was the 2007 sealed Association of Moscow Russian Orthodox Church with the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad and the celebration of the 125th anniversary of Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral in June 2008.