Russia celebrates the Easter tomorrow as part of the Orthodox Christian community. Some events will be held throughout the city, every borough organizes a show program with the Easter festival being the central event held for nearly a week.
There are a few traditions for Russians to celebrate the Orthodox Easter called in Russian Pascha (Пасха).
Families are baking Easter sweet cakes kulichi (the cover photo) and sometimes present them to friends and neighbors. They’re also painting eggs and playing on a funny game of beating two eggs to check which one is stronger.
It’s accepted that at a first meeting during this day one person says:
«Christ is risen!»
The other answers:
«Indeed He is risen!»
Many people, including representatives of political elite, visit an all night religious service at churches. The attendance is joined sometimes even by unbelieving ones.
On Easter Sunday in St. Petersburg, a bell of the Peter and Paul Cathedral located at the Peter and Paul fortress heralds an opening of the Easter festival across the country.
The Easter festival has been conducted for 26 years, it was launched by then — Leningrad and St. Petersburg mayor Anatoly Sobschak, chief of now President of Russia Vladimir Putin, in 1991 year, when the Orthodox Church was not a big political institute dominating society’s spiritual life as is case in our days.
This year, the festival starts on April 16 with main events being held in the Malaya Konnyushennaya street and the space in front of the Kazan cathedral.
From 13.00 to 18.00, there will be a concert, at 18.00 a solemn worship will be broadcast on large screens. At 19.00, a gala concert will start with live music performed by a prominent St. Petersburg orchestra.
Over course of the next week, till April 23, a few workshops will be opened in the Malaya Konyushennaya street as well as a series of concert will be performed here daily.
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