On September 7, Orthodox believers marked the Synaxis of All Saints of Moscow – a religious celebration honouring more than 540 righteous men and women whose lives and service were closely bound with the Russian capital.

In 2025, the central event of the feast was the all-Moscow procession of the cross, led by Patriarch Kirill, from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior to the Novodevichy Convent. Pilgrims took part in the event not only from Russia, but also from Greece, Serbia, Czechia, and other countries. More than 40,000 faithful took part in the seven-kilometer cross procession – the largest held in Moscow since 1918.

📜 The local holiday was first established in 1997 by blessing of Patriarch Alexy II and the decision of the Holy Synod, in the year when Moscow celebrated its 850th anniversary. Now it is commemorated annually on the Sunday preceding September 11.

🌟 The list of saints was formally confirmed on March 12, 2024, bringing together ascetics of faith from the Middle Ages through the 20th century. Among the most revered:

• Metropolitan Peter of Moscow (1260-1326), who transferred the Metropolitan See from Vladimir to Moscow under Prince Ivan Kalita, laying foundations for the city’s rise;
• Sergius of Radonezh (1314-1392), founder of the Trinity Lavra, spiritual guide to generations, and the one who blessed Prince Dmitry Donskoy before the Battle of Kulikovo;
• Andrei Rublev (1360-1428), the greatest Russian icon painter of the 15th century, monk of Andronikov Monastery.

❗️ The Synaxis of All Saints of Moscow is not only a religious commemoration, but also an important cultural event that reminds us of the Russian capital’s spiritual foundations – shaped over centuries through prayer, sacrifice, and the creation of churches and monasteries that have given Moscow its distinctive character.