Easter service at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Live broadcast

Easter Services are held in Orthodox churches on the night of April 11-12. The service starts after 23:00 and lasts until about three o'clock in the morning. Izvestia is broadcasting live from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Live broadcast of the Easter service from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior now

In 2026, the Easter service will be broadcast from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior for the 36th time. The Liturgy is led by the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. You can watch it on the Izvestia website, as well as on federal TV channels.

For the first time, Russians had the opportunity to watch a divine service live in 1991, when broadcasts were broadcast on several channels at once. Initially, the church hoped to attract more parishioners in this way: it was assumed that even people who were far from religion, seeing the solemnity and beauty of the service, would be interested and come to the temple.

Today, broadcasting divine services, especially on major church holidays, has become a common practice. Thanks to modern technologies, believers can join the celebration, even if they do not have the opportunity to personally attend the temple.

Easter service in 2026: what time does it start and how long does it last

Easter worship traditionally begins after 23:00, but parishioners usually gather in advance. The Easter Midnight Service opens. At this moment, the alarm lights are extinguished in the temple — large chandeliers under the dome. In front of the Royal Gates, a semblance of a tomb with a canvas shroud depicting Christ is installed. After reading the canon of Holy Saturday, it is transferred to the altar.

Then the faithful are invited to a religious procession. Depending on the traditions of a particular temple, it begins either exactly at midnight or 15-20 minutes before it. After the procession, the participants return to the temple.

Next, Matins is celebrated: the deacon pronounces the great litany, and the choir performs the Paschal canon, consisting of eight hymns. During each part, incense is performed — the clergy walk around the temple with a censer, reminding the disciples of the apparitions of the risen Christ.

Easter Holiday in 2026: date, history and spiritual significance

The Bright Resurrection of Christ symbolizes the victory of Jesus over death.

At the end of matins, believers and priests greet each other, exchange Easter eggs, kiss three times and greet each other with the words "Christ is risen!", responding: "Truly he is risen!".

The service ends with a festive liturgy. During it, the Gospel is read in several languages — Russian, Church Slavonic, Latin and Greek, and in some regions — and in national languages.

The service ends around three o'clock in the morning. After that, those who wish can take communion and take part in the consecration of artos, a special festive bread resembling a large prosphora. During the week, it is worn in religious processions, and then distributed to the faithful.

Easter service at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior: where to watch online

You can watch the broadcast of the Easter service from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on the Izvestia website and on federal TV channels. The recording is also published on the website of the Moscow Patriarchate.

In addition, large churches, such as the Kazan Cathedral or the Church of the Nativity in Krasnoyarsk, conduct their own online broadcasts, which are available on social networks.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.