R.P.Ts.
RECOUNTS HOW
MANY PEOPLE THE MAIN CHURCHES OF MOSCOW WILL ACCOMMODATE FOR
TRINITY
by Artem
Budenny
Taking
into account
the sanitary measures, the church of Christ the Savior may
accommodate 300
persons for Trinity Sunday and the Epiphany cathedral in
Elokhovo approximately
150, priests who were asked by RIA Novosti explained.
After a
break
necessitated by the epidemic, on 2 June two RPTs churches of the
capital opened
their doors for parishioners: the Epiphany cathedral in Elokhovo
and the
cathedral church of Christ the Savior. The other churches in
Moscow will open
on 6 June. And on 7 June, Orthodox believers will celebrate one
of the most
important feasts—Pentecost, or the day of the Holy Trinity. It
is also called
the birthday of the church. Traditionally, on the feast of
Trinity and on
parents' Saturday, which is celebrated the day before, very many
people come to
the churches.
In the
secretariat of
the Epiphany cathedral church in Elokhovo, RIA Novosti was told
that on the
first day after the opening (2 June) no more than 60 persons
were in the
cathedral, but by 4 June there were about 120. "We hope that
there will
not be many people for the holiday. Taking into account the
distance of 1.5
meters, our church accommodates about 150 persons," the
secretariat said.
At the same time, if on 6 and 7 June more people come than the
church can
accommodate on the basis of the sanitary rules, "if possible" a
broadcast of the liturgy on territory adjacent to the church
will be arranged.
In his
turn, the sacristan
of the church of Christ the Savior, Archpriest Mikhail
Riazantsev, noted that
other Moscow churches will be opened by the feast of the Holy
Trinity, and
therefore "a great influx of people is not expected; everybody
will be
distributed among the parishes."
"After
Trinity,
a decrease in the flow of parishioners is usually observed. Many
leave for
their dachas. Besides, the main contingent of sixty-five years
and older are
still staying at home. There also are pilgrims from other
regions in the
summer, but this year the situation is different," the priest
explained.
He said that in the upper church where the liturgies will be
conducted on 6 and
7 June, 300 parishioners can be accommodated within the sanitary
requirements
(4 square meters of space per person).
"We have
more
people for Easter or Christmas—a full church. Now there is no
influx. But if on
Trinity there will be more than 300 persons, then there will be
access to the
broadcast of the liturgies on street monitors, on Volkhonka. We
will also make
sure that people do not violate social distancing there," the
sacristan
explained.
Riazantsev
emphasized
that all measures that have been prescribed by Rospotrebnadzor
[Federal Service for Overseeing of Consumer Rights and Welfare]
are being
observed without exception, by parishioners and staff—they are
in masks and
gloves, there are corresponding markings on the floor, and
people observe
distancing. The security guard will see to this. (tr. by PDS,
posted 5 June
2020)
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