The Russian army has begun holding prayer services before the relics of Dmitry Donskoy
The Russian army has begun prayer services in honor of the “acquisition” of the relics of Prince Dmitry Donskoy. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced this on Tuesday morning.
Earlier, the Russian Orthodox Church had raised the possibility of transferring part of Dmitry Donskoy’s remains to the front lines, and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin publicly supported the church’s plans.
The Russian Ministry of Defense released a video that initially shows two men in military uniforms making the sign of the cross in front of an iconostasis. The letter “k” is visible on their epaulets, which may indicate that they are cadets at a military academy.
Another shot shows a plaque with the inscription “Church in Honor of Saint Dmitry Donskoy, the Righteous Grand Prince.”
The video then shows a priest conducting a service in front of the servicemen.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the prayer services were timed to coincide with “the acquisition of the relics of the heavenly patron of the Russian military.”
“For our servicemen, Prince Dmitry Donskoy is one of the most revered figures in military service. His name is associated with courage, loyalty to the Fatherland, responsibility toward his soldiers, and a readiness to defend his native land,” the Russian ministry’s statement reads.
Prayers accompanied by military honors for religious relics are not a new practice for the Russian army.
Previously, Russian military units held services before icons depicting the Savior Not Made by Hands, which Vladimir Putin had presented to the army.
In late August, the Russian Orthodox Church announced the “second discovery” of the relics of Dmitry Donskoy. Putin called this event “wonderful.”
At the same time, the story surrounding the prince’s remains has a much more complex context. The burial site of Dmitry Donskoy was, in fact, never lost.
In 1991, Patriarch Alexy II conducted a service “over the relics” of the prince in the Archangel Cathedral of the Kremlin.
In 2007, he asked the museum to remove part of the relics. Experts then dismantled the tombstone and discovered beneath it “a coffin containing the remains of Dmitry Donskoy.” However, they did not open it because Ivan the Red’s sarcophagus blocked access.
Following the announcement of the “acquisition” of the relics, Vakhtang Kipshidze, deputy head of the Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and the Media of the Moscow Patriarchate, deemed it appropriate to send part of the relics to the front lines.
Subsequently, after examining the relic, Putin stated that he was aware of the Russian Orthodox Church’s plans, effectively demonstrating his support for this initiative.
On Sunday, the relics of Dmitry Donskoy were also carried through Moscow during a citywide procession.
[video width="1080" height="1080" mp4="https://cdn-cabinet.ua.news/uploads/images/moleben-v-cest-svatogo-blagovernogo-knaza-dmitria-donskogo.mp4"][/video]
In the broadcast of the procession on the Russian television channel “Spas,” this was presented as a sign that the prince “is helping us through difficult trials and in our confrontation with the enemy.”
As a reminder, the Russian Orthodox Church has decided to use part of the remains of Moscow Prince Dmitry Donskoy during a religious procession to be held in Moscow on September 6. The prince’s relics, discovered this year in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, will be carried through the city in a special reliquary.
Earlier, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow proposed a law that would prohibit women in registered marriages from having abortions without their husbands’ consent.
A statement was also made there that “Russia will undoubtedly prevail.”
Thus, the Russian authorities and the Russian Orthodox Church are increasingly combining religious symbolism with military propaganda, using images of historical figures and church relics in the context of the war.
