Pilgrims from the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia completed their Russian trip

A group of pilgrims consisting of forty clergymen and laymen of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia from Australia and the United States of America headed by Archbishop Hilarion of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand visited Russia from July 25 to August 16, 2005.

The pilgrims visited dozens of Russian cities and monastic communities, the Moscow Kremlin, several Moscow monasteries. They prayed at the in Yekaterinburg, where members of the imperial Family died as martyrs, in Alapaevsk, where martyrs Elizabeth and Varvara were murdered, visited the Laura of the Holy Trinity and St.Sergius, St. Seraphim’s convent in Diveyevo, the Tolga convent, the Sanaksary and Ipatiev monasteries, many other monasteries and holy places.

The pilgrims were deeply impressed by their visit to the Korennaya hermitage near Kursk, where the ‘Kurskaya-Korennaya’ Icon of the Mother of God – ‘Hodegetria of Russian diaspora’ appeared. At present the icon, which is deeply venerated by Russian emigrants, is in New York.

Summing up the pilgrimage, Archbishop Hilarion said that it ‘has made an unforgettable impression. We have travelled half the country and formed our impressions of the holy places of the Russian land not by stories and books. We kissed the miraculous icons and holy relics with our own lips, we saw the places where the saints of God worked wonders with our own eyes. We are grateful to all archpastors, clergymen, monastics and laymen of the Russian Orthodox Church who welcomed us so warmly. Russian Orthodox people in Russia and abroad are one in spirit, and we have experienced this unity throughout our pilgrimage’.