belongs to the Russian Orthodox
Church of the Moscow patriarchate, and he plunged into Lake
Seliger, Rosblat
reports on 19 January.
PUTIN VISITS ST. NIL HERMITAGE WHERE AT NIGHT HE SWAM IN LAKE SELIGER
Portal-Credo.ru, 19 January 2018
On 19 January the Orthodox Church celebrates one of the twelve chief feast days—the Baptism of the Lord, or Epiphany. According to a tradition that has been established in recent years in the Russian federation, on this day Russians participate in mass Baptism bathing.
On the night from 18 to 19 January, Russian
President
Vladimir Putin also bathed in a Baptism ice hole. He visited the
hermitage of
the male monastery of St. Nil of Stolobnoe, which belongs to the Russian Orthodox
Church of the Moscow patriarchate, and he plunged into Lake
Seliger, Rosblat
reports on 19 January.
His press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, reported that for Putin this was "not the first experience of Baptism bathing." "In the course of a number of years the president has already plunged into an ice hole." Peskov added that this year the traditional Baptism freeze has not occurred in central Russia and therefore "the temperature in the region of the lake on this night did not go below 6 or 7 degrees below zero [Celsius]."
Social networks were not slow in reacting to this event. A Rosbalt correspondent writes that opinions varied: from "Muzhik [Mensch]," "Krasava [Bravo]," and "where else is there such a president, I am proud!" to "they heated the water in the lake with an atomic heater." (tr. by PDS, posted 19 January 2018)
AROUND
1.8
MILLION PARTICIPATE IN BAPTISM BATHING IN RUSSIA—M.V.D.
Interfax-Religiia,
19
January 2018
Almost
two
million persons participated in mass bathing and services for
the celebration
of the Baptism of the Lord and their safety was guaranteed by
more than 30,000
troops of police, an official representative of the Russian
Ministry of
Internal Affairs [M.V.D.], Irina Volk, reported.
"In
the
night from 18 to 19 January, more than 7,300 festive worship
services and mass
bathings occurred in the Russian federation, which were devoted
to the
celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, in which around 1.8
million persons
participated," I. Volk said.
She
said that
the securing of public order on territories near Orthodox
churches and
specially equipped fonts was provided by about 34,000 police
personnel. In
addition, around 2,500 troops of the Russian Guard were
activated and also more
than 11,000 representatives of national guards, cossacks, and
private security
enterprises.
"The security of religious events was ensured to the fullest. No violations of public order were reported," I. Volk emphasized. (tr. by PDS, posted 19 January 2018)
MORE
THAN
104,000 SWIM IN ICE HOLES ON BAPTISM IN MOSCOW
More
than
104,000 persons have already plunged into ice holes during
Baptism bathing on
the territory of Moscow, and no incidents have occurred, a
representative of
the press service of the capital headquarters of the Ministry of
Emergencies
told RIA Novosti.
"As
of
12:00 [noon], places for conduct of the ritual of Baptism
bathing were visited
by more than 166,000 persons, of whom more than 104,000 bathed,"
the news
agency's source said.
He
said that no
incidents occurred during the time of Baptism bathing in Moscow.
"In
the
course of patrolling bodies of water along with agencies of
internal affairs,
five unsanctioned places of bathing were discovered and measures
were taken to
prevent access to them by citizens," the representative of the
ministry
added.
Approximately 1,300 personnel of fire and rescue agencies of the capital were involved in measures for guaranteeing the safety of people in places of Baptism bathing along with 335 technical units, including 16 hydrofoils. (tr. by PDS, posted 19 January 2018)
PATRIARCH
KIRILL
THINKS THAT THE FEAST OF BAPTISM OPENS CAPTIVATING PERSPECTIVE
BEFORE BELIEVERS
Interfax-Religiia,
19
January 2018
Patriarch
of
Moscow and all-Rus Kirill noted that the feast of Baptism opens
special
perspectives before Christians.
"The
present
day, which constitutes an integral part of the day of the
Nativity of
Christ, opens before us an especially captivating spiritual
perspective: we
know that we are not alone in the face of grief and difficult
circumstances and
we know that God is with us," he said on Friday after the
liturgy in the
Epiphany cathedral of Moscow.
The
patriarch
recalled that it is no accident that in the Great Compline on
the eve of the
feasts of Nativity and Baptism these words are solemnly intoned:
"God is
with us!"
The
primate is
sure that "the epiphany of the Lord in the flesh for the
salvation of
humankind is the turning point in all of human history."
"And you and I are heirs of all that the Lord accomplished and it is only required of us never to forsake him and never to permit that distrust would paralyze our thinking and our feelings and our will so that our prayer will always be sincere and heartfelt, and then the grace of God appearing in the Savior's coming into the world will accompany us on all paths of our life," he concluded. (tr. by PDS, posted 19 January 2018)
ORTHODOX
CELEBRATE
BAPTISM OF THE LORD
Interfax-Religiia,
19
January 2018
On
Friday,
Orthodox believers are celebrating one of the most ancient of
Christian
holidays, the Baptism of the Lord or Epiphany.
On
this day
Christians commemorate the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan
River with
which his ministry for humanity began. The word "I baptize"
literally
in translation from the Greek means "I plunge into water."
Christ was
baptized by the prophet John, who immediately recognized in him
the Savior who
was awaited by the Hebrew people.
The
first
mentions of the feast day date to the early third century; to be
sure at the
time it was celebrated along with Christmas and the two
celebrations were
separated only toward the end of the fourth century, although
even now in some
ancient churches these holidays are marked on the same day.
The
eve precedes
Baptism when believers prepare themselves by prayer and fasting
for the
upcoming celebration. Christians believe that in the night the
water in all
bodies of water on earth becomes holy and acquires miraculous
healing
properties.
In
Russia,
despite the traditional freezes, on this day baptismal bathing
is conducted in
specially equipped fonts, called "Jordans." Believers come to
bodies
of water and plunge themselves into the icy water, believing
that thereby they
will be able to be healed from spiritual and bodily diseases.
This year the
Ministry of Emergencies expects that about 1.5 million people
will participate
in Baptism bathing.
At
the same
time, representatives of the church remind them that immersion
in the baptismal
font is a pious ritual which should not be turned into showy
action and that,
when plunging into the water, it is necessary to seek not
external health but
inner and spiritual health.
The
great
consecration of the water is also performed on this day in
Orthodox churches.
By tradition, Patriarch Kirill performs the festive liturgy
today and
consecration of the water in the Epiphany cathedral church in
Moscow.
According
to
ancient tradition, on the feast of Baptism it is customary to
consecrate water
not only in churches but also in open bodies of water. Priests
of the Russian
Orthodox Church will consecrate today all four oceans of earth
in various parts
of the world. (tr. by PDS, posted 20 January 2018)
PRIEST
FALLS
INTO ICE HOLE WHILE BLESSING WATER IN UFA
Portal-Credo.ru,
19
January 2018
A priest of the
Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow patriarchate fell into
an ice hole on the
Belaya River while blessing the water in the Nizhegorodka
district of the city
of Ufa (republic of Bashkortostan). As the news agency Fresh
Air reports, he
lost his balance and was immediately rescued by personnel of
the Ministry of
Emergencies. It was reported that the cleric was not injured
and the alcohol
content of his blood was not checked.
The Department for Protection of Citizens of the city of Ufa reports that in the night of 19 January, more than 6,000 persons participated in Baptism bathing in this city. On 18-19 January, the Ministry of Emergencies of the republic of Baskortostan deployed 800 of its personnel at ice holes with more than 200 pieces of equipment and 29 diving machines. (tr. by PDS, posted 20 January 2018)
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