MOSCOW (AP) — Worshipers, including President Vladimir Putin, filled Moscow’s landmark Christ the Savior Cathedral for an all-night Easter service led by Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church and an outspoken supporter of the Kremlin.
The traditional sung service began late Saturday, with Kirill offering congratulations to Orthodox believers that were broadcast on Russian television. A procession of white-clad clergy then circled the vast cathedral, rebuilt in post-Soviet times and widely seen as a symbol of Russia’s rejection of its atheist past, as they brandished smoking incense burners and sang the liturgy.
Most Western churches celebrated Easter on March 31, but the Russian Orthodox Church follows a different calendar.
In his Easter address, Kirill wished “God’s blessings on Russia,” its people and all countries where the Church is present.
In a written statement posted on the church’s website earlier Saturday, Kirill noted that “the awareness of God’s love… gives us the strength to overcome the most difficult states of mind and the most difficult circumstances, rises us from the hustle and bustle of everyday life , helps us correct past mistakes and destroys despair.”
The patriarch appeared to steer clear of political statements this year, unlike last April, when he lamented “grave events on our historic Russian land,” referred to Moscow’s military actions in Ukraine and reiterated the Kremlin’s narrative that Ukrainian statehood is essentially a fiction.
The service, with a mixed choir and worshipers standing with thin red candles, was expected to last well into Sunday.
Among the faithful, Putin was seen alongside Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin as the two delivered traditional Easter greetings together. The Russian leader was later seen exchanging celebratory gifts with Kirill.
Earlier Saturday, Orthodox Russians made their way to churches to have baskets filled with festive food, including hand-painted eggs and traditional Easter cakes, blessed by a priest.
Putin has sought to portray himself as a champion of “traditional values” espoused by the Russian Orthodox Church in the face of what he repeatedly describes as the West’s “demeaning” influence. The country has taken an increasingly conservative tack, with attempts to restrict abortion and sweeping bans on LGBTQ+ activism and gender reassignment surgery drawing support from the church.