Russian Orthodox Church brings Dmitry Donskoy relic to occupied Donetsk region
The Russian Orthodox Church has delivered a reliquary containing a fragment of the right hand of 14th-century Prince Dmitry Donskoy to the part of the Donetsk region temporarily occupied by Russia. It has already been brought to the Saur-Mohyla war memorial and is now being transported along the front line, The Guardian World reports.
Prayer service at Saur-Mohyla
In a statement, the church said that the relic was intended to spiritually strengthen Russian servicemen and help them achieve victory. It also said that Donskoy, described as a holy military commander, was going to the place where, according to the church, the fate of the fatherland is being decided, in order to invisibly stand in the same ranks as Russian servicemen.
At Saur-Mohyla, senior Orthodox clergy held a prayer service together with representatives of the Russian military. Vladimir, the Russia-appointed Metropolitan of Donetsk and Mariupol, said that the presence of the relic would help military personnel and civilians mobilize their strength and defeat the enemy.
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Opening of the remains in the Kremlin
Dmitry Donskoy is revered in Russia for his victory over the Mongol Golden Horde in 1380. His remains were formally opened last month during restoration work at the Kremlin's Archangel Cathedral, where generations of Russian princes and tsars are buried.
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, the aggressor state, attended the ceremony marking the opening of the remains. Critics accused the church leadership of violating religious protocol by opening the centuries-old tomb.
Orthodox priest and historian Alexander Zanemonets, who is outside Russia, believes that the decision to open the relics is connected to wartime patriotism. In his assessment, the image of Donskoy as a defender of the fatherland corresponds to the Kremlin's claims about the allegedly defensive nature of Russia's war against Ukraine. Earlier this year, relics of another medieval prince and military figure, Alexander Nevsky, were also sent to the front.
