Easter service at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Broadcast
On the evening of April 20, an Easter service is held in Orthodox churches. The service will begin after 23:00 and last until three o'clock in the morning. Izvestia is broadcasting online from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
The Liturgy is conducted under the leadership of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
Live broadcast of the Easter service from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior now
In 2025, the broadcast of the Easter service in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior is taking place for the 35th time. It will be available on the Izvestia website. The service will also be shown on federal TV channels.
Russians had the opportunity to watch the Easter Service live in 1991. Then it was shown on several TV channels. Initially, with the help of such broadcasts, the Orthodox Church hoped to attract more parishioners. The calculation was as follows: even people who were far from religion, seeing the beauty of the solemn service, could become interested in what was happening and come to the temple.
In the modern world, broadcasts of divine services, especially those related to major church holidays, have long become commonplace. Thanks to technology, believers can share the joy of celebration with other parishioners, even if they do not have the opportunity to personally attend the church.
Easter service in 2025: what time does it start, how long does it last
The festive service traditionally begins after 23:00, but parishioners usually gather in advance. The Easter Midnight Service opens. At this time, the alarm lights are turned off in temples — large chandeliers under the dome. In front of the Royal Gates, they put up a stand in the form of a tomb, in which there is a shroud — a wide cloth with the image of Christ. After reading the canon of Holy Saturday, she is brought to the altar.
Then the clergy invite the faithful to join the procession. Depending on the traditions of a particular temple, it can start exactly at midnight or 15-20 minutes before it. At the end of the procession, the parishioners and priests return to the temple.
Matins are served after the procession. During it, the deacon recites the great litany, and the choir sings the eight-part Paschal canon. Incense is performed for each song of the canon. The meaning of this rite is that the clergy walk around the temple several times with a censer in their hands. In this way, believers are reminded of Jesus' numerous appearances to His disciples after his resurrection.
At the end of matins, the priests and parishioners celebrate Christ by exchanging Easter eggs. At the same time, it is customary to kiss three times and greet each other with the phrase "Christ is risen!". In response, one should say: "Truly risen!"
The Easter service ends with a solemn liturgy, during which the Gospel is read in Russian, Church Slavonic, Latin and Greek. In some regions of Russia, readings are also held in national languages.
The services end at three o'clock in the morning. After that, those who wish can take communion and participate in the consecration of Artos, a special festive bread shaped like a large prosphora. During the week, it will be worn along with other shrines in religious processions, and on Saturday it will be distributed to people.
Easter service at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior: where to watch online
The broadcast of the Easter service in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior is available on the Izvestia website. You can also watch it on federal channels. In addition, a recording of the broadcast will be published on the website of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Large churches, such as the Kazan Cathedral or the Church of the Nativity in Krasnoyarsk, organize their own online broadcasts of Easter services. They can be found on social media.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
