Thousands of believers gathered in Jerusalem before the descent of the Holy Fire

On the eve of Easter, thousands of believers gathered at the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Jerusalem to witness the descent of the Holy Fire. Footage from the scene of the April 11 events is published by Izvestia.

"Two days ago, it was generally forbidden to enter the Old Town, the holy places, because it was unsafe," said journalist Nikita Kulyukhin.

According to him, this year many pilgrims were unable to fly to Jerusalem because of the fighting in the Middle East. The beginning of the descent of the Holy Fire is scheduled for 13:00 Moscow time.

Holy Fire is the main miracle of Easter: how does it light up and why doesn't it burn

In 2026, the ceremony will take place on April 11 in Jerusalem.

The delegation of the St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation will deliver the Holy Fire to Russia on April 11, Holy Saturday. Upon arrival, the foundation's delegation will deliver the flame to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior as part of the Patriarchal Easter Service.

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