His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II leads celebrations in the Kulikovo field marking the 625th anniversary of the historic victory of the Russian host led by the Holy Prince Dimitry Donskoy

On September 21, 2005, the Feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in the Kulikovo field. His Holiness came to the Tula land to participate in the church-state celebrations on the occasion of the 625^th anniversary of the Kulikovo Battle.

According to a provision of the Law on the Days of Russia’s Military Glory, the Kulikovo field, along with those of Borodino and Prokhorovo, is one of the three ‘Russia’s fields of arms’.

The small church in the Kulikovo field could accommodate only a small number of the pilgrims who came for the celebrations from many dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church. For those who assembled around the church, the service was broadcast on large monitors installed in the square. Among those who attended the celebrations were Presidential Envoy for Central Russia G. Poltavchenko, Minister of Culture and Mass Media A.Sokolov, Minister of Information Technologies and Communications L. Reiman, Tula Governor D. Dudka, Russian Railways joint stock company president V. Yakunin, Ambassador of Serbia and Montenegro to Russia. M. Rocen and other federal and regional officials, Russian and foreign public figures, military commanders and diplomats.

After the liturgy, a procession marched to the column monument to the Holy Prince Dimitry Donskoy to lay wreaths with the names of the cities whose detachments took part in the Kulikovo Battle. The 25 meter-high column at the place where Mamai’s tent used to stand was erected 155 years ago to mark the 470^th anniversary of the Kulikovo Battle.

At this place of a historic victory of the Russian arms, soldiers of the Tula garrison took the military oath. His Holiness Alexy and Tula Governor Dudka addressed them with words of congratulations.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church said a prayer before the monument ‘for the leaders and warriors who gave their lives for the Church and the Fatherland’. The memory of the defenders of the Fatherland was honoured with a silence minute and salute.

During the celebration His Holiness the Patriarch awarded Tula Governor D. Dudka the Order of the Holy Prince Dimitry Donskoy established this year.

A commemorative postage stamp has been issued to mark the anniversary. During the celebrations, His Holiness and Mr. Reiman cancelled it in a solemn ceremony.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church let know of the telephone talk he had with the Russian President V. Putin the previous night. The head of the state asked His Holiness to convey his congratulations to the participants in the celebrations devoted to the 625^th anniversary of the victory in the Kulikovo field.