Pilgrims from 26 countries made the first Holy Week in Moscow

"Palestine branch" artist from London, Anna herself says laconically: "Twenty-five. Not married. Catholic. " Said that the trip to Russia is waiting for "fresh ideas and inspiration." Interested in the traditions of Russian people and the Orthodox faith. Anna is one of 230 pilgrims from 26 European countries – Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox Christians who came to Holy Week and Easter in Moscow. Arrival of foreign Christians have been blessed Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Kirill. Russian Orthodox Church has helped with the placement of pilgrims to the families of several Orthodox parishes. The organizer of the pilgrimage made ​​famous in the Christian world, the monastic community of Taizé, who has a long history of relations with the ROC. Brother Luke – one of the monks of the community. Frenchman, Luc said that in Russia at the Holy Week came from Kenya, where he lives in the last few years. According to him, European pilgrims want to discover Orthodoxy and "plunge" in worship. "This year, Christians around the world are experiencing the event the Lord's Passion and Resurrection, at the same time. Pilgrimage is a great opportunity, not divisible into confessions and nationalities, together with Russian believers take Holy Week, and together meet the light festival of the Resurrection of the Lord "- he added. According to Igor Garkavy, director of the Memorial Research and Educational Center at the church in the name of the New Martyrs and Confessors Russian Butovo near Moscow, a desire to meet the European Youth Easter together with Orthodox believers "deserves respect". "One of the important qualities of the Orthodox Russian people is hospitality. We can not deny pilgrims to their holy desire to be with us in a great feast. Taking them, we believe that this is our God-given opportunity to testify about Orthodoxy, to tell foreigners about the true glories of the Russian Orthodox Church "- added Garkavy. Russian Golgotha ​​is symbolic that on Good Friday – the day when Christians remember the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his burial, the pilgrims met at the Russian Calvary. So we call Butovskiy ground – a place near the village of Drozhzhinov Moscow region, where the years of Stalinist repression were executed and buried tens of thousands of "enemies." According to archival documents, declassified in the early 1990's, this spetspoligone NKVD-KGB, in force since the late 30's and early 50's, only the period from August 1937 to October 1938 were executed 20,765 people. "On Jerusalem's Calvary committed terrible penalty, there along with the criminals martyred Jesus Christ. At Butovo polygon in general funeral s trenches lie and holy, and righteous, and the terrible criminals "- the director of the Memorial Research and Educational Center" Butovo Igor Garkavy, telling European pilgrims on the Russian Calvary. According to the rector of the Church of New Martyrs and Confessors Russian in Butovo Archpriest Kirill Khaled, this ground – one of the places where clergy and lay people have suffered for the Orthodox faith. It is known that houses the eight bishops and hundreds of priests and monks, more than 300 canonized and revered by Orthodox believers. "On the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church no longer any place, anywhere in one place might have slept so many martyrs," – said his father Cyril. In the mid 90-ies of the landfill site was handed over to the Russian Orthodox Church. It was built a small wooden church in honor of the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors Russian. In 2007 he was illuminated by a large snow-white stone church in honor of the Resurrection and the New Martyrs and Confessors Russian. In the lower chapel of the temple is a memorial museum, which holds the few surviving personal belongings New Martyrs. On the Russian Calvary Worship installed Cross made in Solovki and transferred to the Moscow Water procession, a place where many prisoners, and that is where many ended their lives. According to the rector of the church father Cyril, at the site permanently committed service to the victims is a saint and a requiem for all those who on this earth. Artist Anna after the tour, instead of lunch al fresco, organized for the pilgrims to the temple area, is back on the ground. Says she needs silence to much to understand and cope with emotions.