Primate of the Orthodox Church in the Czech Lands and Slovakia His Beatitude Metropolitan Nikolaj was buried in Presov

On 4 February 2006, a burial service for the late Primate of the Orthodox Church in the Czech Lands and Slovakia His Beatitude Metropolitan Nikolaj was celebrated in the cathedral church of St.Alexander Nevsky in Presov (Slovakia).

Locum tenens-elect Archbishop Krystof of Prague and the Czech Lands officiated at the divine service attended by many clergymen and laymen.

Taking part in the service were representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches Metropolitan Jeremiah of Switzerland (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Metropolitan Petros of Aksum (Patriarchate of Alexandria), hierarchs of the Churches of Serbia, Romania, Greece, Poland and America.

Archbishop Feofan of Berlin and Germany led a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy. The delegation included Bishop Agapit of Uzhgorod and Mukachevo and Archpriest Gennady Budko, rector of the Russian Orthodox representation in Karlovy Vary. Archbishop Feofan read out a message of condolences from His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia to the Holy Synod, clergymen and laymen of the Orthodox Church in the Czech Lands and Slovakia.

Attending the burial service were President of the Republic of Slovakia Ivan Gasparovich, former president Rudolf Shuster, Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda, the nuncio of the Apostolic See in Slovakia, representatives of the Greek Catholic, Lutheran and other churches. Minister-counselor of the Russian Federation in Slovakia Yu.L.Tsingovatov represented the Russian Federation.

The deceased is rested in a crypt under the sanctuary of the cathedral, which was built with the blessing of the late primate.

On 4 February 2006, with the blessing of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, deputy chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Bishop Mark of Yegorievsk celebrated the Divine Liturgy and Requiem service together with clergymen of the representation church and DECR staff members in the Church of St. Nicholas in Kotelniki, a Moscow representation of the Orthodox Church in the Czech Lands and Slovakia.

• Primate of the Orthodox Church in the Czech Lands and Slovakia His Beatitude Metropolitan Nikolaj was buried in Presov
• Requiem service for the late Metropolitan Nikolai is conducted in the Representation Church of the Orthodox Church in the Czech Lands and Slovakia in Moscow
• В день погребения Блаженнейшего Митрополита Николая Святейший Патриарх Алексий направил послание Священному Синоду Православной Церкви в Чешских землях и Словакии
• The late Primate of the Orthodox Church in the Czeck Lands and Slovakia will be buried on February 4
• Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia presents his condolences on the decease of Metropolitan Nikolai of the Czech Lands and Slovakia
• Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate presents his condolences on the decease of Metropolitan Nikolai of the Czech Lands and Slovakia