"The soul has chosen": Pilgrims gather in Kirov for the Velikoretsky cross procession

      "The soul chose this": Pilgrims gather in Kirov for the Velikoretsky Cross Procession

      Today, 17:16 | Alexandra Saitova, Anastasia Karataeva

      On June 2, at the "Labor Reserves" stadium near the Trifonov Monastery, tents have already been set up by those who will embark on a multi-day journey tomorrow morning. Among them are people from Tyumen, Syktyvkar, Orsk, and many other cities. Each comes with their own prayer, but all speak of one thing: they can no longer do without this.

      We visited the pilgrims' campsite a day before the start of the Velikoretsky Cross Procession. People were setting up tents, heating tea on gas burners, and sharing stories about miracles, the soul, and unifying faith.

      "I thought: Why didn’t I know about this earlier?"

      Almost at the entrance was a group from Orsk (Orenburg region). Eight people, from young to old. At the head is Irina. She is going for the third time.

      "I learned about [the Velikoretsky Cross Procession] when it was shown on TV during Easter in 2022," Irina recounts. "I thought: Why didn’t I know about this earlier? I would have gone a long time ago. I was worried all year, even cried. I watched videos every day."

      In 2023, she decided to go. But a few weeks before the start, Orsk was flooded.

      "Our house was completely flooded: up to the head. I dropped everything and went to the procession; I had been planning and preparing for a whole year." At that time, she didn’t complete the entire journey—her leg gave out. But in 2024, she managed to do it fully. "After this procession, my soul feels like it's in heaven. Truly, it's such a state, to tears."

      Next to Irina is her grandson Matvey, who came from St. Petersburg. "Why did you want to go to the procession?" the boy asks again. "Well, the soul chose this."

      Tamara from the same group is a newcomer. She says she decided to go after hearing stories from friends in St. Petersburg who have been going for several years.

      "It enriches you spiritually; it leads to a complete rethinking of life," she explains.

      Tamara, Yaroslav, Matvey, and Irina (left to right)

      "I want this to never end"

      Pavel and Sergey came from Tyumen. Pavel is an experienced pilgrim, going to Kirov for the third time. Previously, he participated in the Tsar Cross Procession in Yekaterinburg (300 kilometers).

      "I had the thought for a long time; I needed to find a company," he says. "Then I discussed it with my partner, who is Orthodox, and we agreed. We went the first time—everything was fine."

      Sergey, his colleague, was previously unbaptized. "I was unbaptized, but now I was baptized, thank God, and I started going to communion," Pavel smiles.

      What do you feel when the procession ends?

      "Happiness," Pavel replies. "I want it to continue, to never end. It’s even sad when it ends; I want to stay here longer."

      Sergey adds: "Trials are given for a reason. The Kingdom of Heaven is obtained through suffering."

      Pavel (left) and Sergey (right)

      A trial for the soul

      A group from Syktyvkar was one of the first to settle at the stadium. There are only four of them, all from the same Russian community.

      Sergey, going on the Velikoretsky Cross Procession for the second time, explains: "This person (in the neighboring tent) inspired us. I had been planning for a long time, and last year I went with him."

      Nearby is a young man named Alexander. "Young and inexperienced," he smiles. He is going for the first time. When asked if he is afraid of difficulties, he replies: "That’s why trials are given."

      Last year, according to the pilgrims, it was "really difficult." However, as one of them admits: "I hadn’t even completed my first procession, and I was already planning for the next year." Alexander says he has personal motives, but the main thing is "to pay homage to Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker. The All-Russian Cross Procession is not something that happens everywhere."

      Alexander, Alexander, and Sergey (left to right)

      Miracles on the way

      Pilgrims eagerly share stories that have happened to them on the road. Irina recounted how last year, after a difficult crossing, they could not find a hotel with the children. "I sat there: 'Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, help, look, our children are tired.' We approached a hotel, entered—there was no one there. I knocked, and a woman in a headscarf came out, just from the shower. I asked, 'Do you have any rooms?'—'Yes.'—'Where are you from?'—'We are from the procession.'—'Oh, sisters, you can all go for free.' She gave us such rooms!" she recalls.

      And one day, she found a bag with money on the road. "I went to the icon and gave it back immediately."

      "Must go"

      Tomorrow morning, the column will move from the Trifonov Monastery. Pilgrims ask to convey to those who doubt: do not be afraid.

      "You must go," says Irina. Pavel from Tyumen adds: "Love your neighbor—that's the meaning of our life. Our soul must be ready for reunion with God. And the procession is precisely the place where thousands of people become one whole, one organism."

      Pilgrims are already all over the city

      We also noticed that participants of the procession can be seen not only at the official campsite. Groups with backpacks are walking through the center of Kirov, sitting on benches in Alexander's Garden, asking passersby for directions.

      Despite the authorities' recommendations to set up tents only at the "Labor Reserves" stadium, a small tent city has spontaneously emerged along the embankment.