Moscow, December 1, 2014
On December 8, 2014, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia will head the consecration of the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh at the theological and educational center of the Tsarskoe Selo Deanery, reports the Synodal Information Department.
This ceremony will become the main event to close the anniversary year of the All-Russian celebration of the 700th anniversary of “the Abbot of the Russian Land.” The Patriarch will bestow a reliquary with a portion of Relics of Venerable Sergius upon the newly consecrated church.
The festive events on December 8 will include:
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Consecration of the Church of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh at the theological and educational center of the Tsarskoe Selo Deanery;
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Unveiling of a monument to St. Sergius, Abbot of Radonezh;
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Opening of the theological and educational center of the Tsarskoe Selo deanery: creative workshops and the museum of the 2nd Infantry Tsarskoe Selo regiment of His Majesty with the exposition, “Guards-riflemen in service of the fatherland”;
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Unveiling and blessing of memorial plaques with the names of riflemen of the 2nd Infantry Tsarskoe Selo Regiment of His Majesty, World War I heroes.
Honored guests, which include Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Federation’s Foreign Affairs minister and chairman of the board of trusties of the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh, are to take part in the festivities.
Historical background
The Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh was built for soldiers of the Life Guard of the 2nd Tsarskoe Selo rifle battalion (1910) in 1904. The patron of the military subunit was Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich (1857-1905), son of Emperor Alexander II.
From the moment of its foundation the church became a monument to the heroic riflemen: among those who were buried in its crypt are the builder of the church, battalion commander Major General Sergei Ivanovich Kutepov (1853-1905) as well as some regiment officers killed during the World War I. The regiment’s training hall and armory were once located in the same building with the church.
In 1921 the church was closed, its interior decoration destroyed, and bell tower demolished. In the 1990s and 2000s a driving school and a café were located in the church.
In 2012 the church was officially returned to the Russian Orthodox Church. Work on design and restoration of the church were carried out by “BaltStroi”, a closed joint stock corporation under the auspices and supervision of the board of trusties.
On its 110th anniversary the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh was reconstructed at the theological and educational center of the Tsarskoe Selo deanery. Creative workshops and the museum of the 2nd Infantry Tsarskoe Selo Regiment of His Majesty are arranged at the center.
The event will take place on December 8 at the following address: St. Petersburg, Gorod Pushkin, Furazhny Lane 4/8, Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh, in the theological and educational center of the Tsarskoe Selo Deanery.
