The priest spoke about the importance of the Ascension of the Lord for the Orthodox calendar

Orthodox Christians celebrate the Ascension of the Lord on May 21, one of the main holidays of the Orthodox calendar, symbolizing the completion of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. In 2026, the date falls on Thursday. This day is of particular importance for believers, as it is associated not only with evangelical events, but also with key dogmas of the Christian faith, Priest Alvian Tkhelidze, head of the youth department of the Stavropol Diocese, told Izvestia.

The priest noted that the Ascension of the Lord is one of the twelve great feasts, that is, it is one of the 12 most important church dates dedicated to the key events of the earthly life of Jesus Christ and the Virgin. It is celebrated annually on the 40th day after Easter.

"It was on this day that Christ finally completed His earthly ministry and revealed His Divine nature to His disciples. Christ was among His disciples, and then ascended to heaven and never appeared on earth again. This event marks the completion of His mission, as well as opens the Sky to people and gives them the promise of the second coming," explained Alvian Tkhelidze.

He stressed that the meaning of the holiday goes far beyond the historical event and has a deep spiritual significance for every believer, reminding people of their true purpose and spiritual nature.

"This event indicates that man was created not only for the earth, but also for the Sky. After the end of human history, all the righteous can also be heirs of the Kingdom of heaven. Thus, the Ascension of the Lord is a holiday that symbolizes victory over death and shows that the path to salvation is open to everyone," said the minister of the church.

The Russian Orthodox Church named the dates of the Ascension of the Lord and the Trinity in 2026

Speaking about the connection of the Ascension with subsequent events, the priest recalled that the celebration is directly related to Pentecost, the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit. Even before His ascension, Christ promised His disciples to send them a Comforter, and this promise was fulfilled 10 days after the Savior ascended into heaven, that is, on the 50th day after Easter.

"As a result, the apostles, no longer seeing the Savior physically, received spiritual strength and inspiration to preach Christianity around the world, which marked the beginning of the history of the Church," added Alvian Tkhelidze.

Earlier, Priest Ilya Savastyanov, in an interview with Izvestia, spoke about the significance of the Universal Trinity Parents' Saturday, which is considered one of the main days of commemoration of the deceased and will be celebrated on May 30.