Multi-day religious processions have gained popularity in Russia

The season of multi-day religious processions begins in April – it is at the beginning of this month that the longest and longest Romanovskiy procession from St. In May-July, pilgrims can choose from several events of this type in different parts of the country. Finally, the traditional religious procession from Moscow to Sergiev Posad, timed to coincide with the feast of St. Sergius of Radonezh (October 8, according to a new style), closes the season.

The tradition of multi-day pilgrimages, including collective ones, and this is exactly what a religious procession is, was quite developed in old Russia, while in Soviet times almost all religious processions were suppressed as unauthorized demonstrations. Nevertheless, the tradition, although barely, still survived: for example, in spite of everything, the Velikoretsk procession from Vyatka (Kirov) to the place where the miraculous icon of Saint Nicholas was found in the village of Velikoretskoye was held. Now this is the most famous and numerous religious procession in Russia: in 2022, it gathered 23,000 participants.

If you tell the crusaders (such a self-name has developed) that the atmosphere at a multi-day religious procession is somewhat reminiscent of a good sports trip, and something of a subcultural festival (such as Woodstock or “Empty Hills”) – in a good way, of course! – they won’t agree. Because the main thing, and more on that below, is not just unity, but prayer and spiritual work. But for people who are far from churchly, such analogies will partly help explain why the crusaders pack their backpacks again and again.

Strict rules

Those who have ever organized at least a simple field trip for a couple of dozen people who are not necessarily familiar with each other will agree: anarchy leads to disaster, and immediately. When there are thousands of participants, there is no pre-registration, and the main purpose of the event is quite exotic, in the opinion of an ordinary unchurched person, anarchy is completely unacceptable. Therefore, those wishing to participate are met with strict rules.

“The procession is needed in order to suffer, to endure inconvenience for the good of one’s soul,” this is how the memo begins to the participant of the Irinarhovsky procession, who this year for the 25th time passed from the Borisoglebsky monastery in the Yaroslavl region to places in the area of ​​the same name associated with the memory of the holy recluse Irinarch. And further it is emphasized: “If nothing is endured, then this is not a procession of the cross.”

From a theological point of view, the procession is both a symbolic parade of the Host of Heaven and a procession of penitent sinners. “For Russians, the procession was perceived as the only means of atonement for socially significant, so-called people’s sins,” the organizers of the Irinarhovsky procession explain.

Once upon a time, participants in religious processions could wear specially uncomfortable shoes or even chains (metal weights). They wear them (in shifts) and on the Irinarch walk – these are the very chains that the holy ascetic himself wore 450 years ago. For modern crusaders, this is not considered mandatory, but it is recommended not to chase after comfort and arrange a “fast” from a mobile phone and other entertainment, including chatter.

Although you need about the same things for hiking in the procession as just in nature, you should not set yourself up for rest, the organizers of the procession explain. “This is not a camping trip, not a vacation where you can “relax,” the memo to the participants emphasizes. “We must prepare ourselves for the battle, for the battle with our passions. All participants in the procession, without exception, are subject to the “dry law” (drinking alcoholic beverages, including beer, is strictly prohibited).

The rest of the rules: do not smoke (in the camp and on the go – for sure), obey the priests, do not go overboard with food (“There will be no humility, there will be no satiety”). Without the blessing (permission) of the rector – no sermon and agitation, unauthorized trade. Bonfires and a guitar with “worldly” music are also banned. As well as the mat, and garbage in “unspecified places.”

Finally, the organizers of not only this, but also other multi-day religious processions, strongly recommend that before participating in them, ask for blessings from your confessor or parish priest. And this is not an empty requirement: oddly enough, even for people accustomed to camping life, the procession can be too difficult a test.

Everything is providential

“For the first time this year, I found myself in a multi-day religious procession – it was the Velikoretsky cross procession on Vyatka,” says Olga S., a Muscovite. if a person does not have a spiritual goal.

The Velikaya River procession takes place annually according to a vow: in 1383, on the banks of the Velikaya River, a tributary of the Vyatka, the miraculous icon of St. Nicholas was found. Over time, it was transferred to Vyatka (Khlynov, Kirov), but a religious procession takes place every year on June 3-8 to the place of acquisition. The length of his route – there and back – 150 kilometers, cross walkers go along forest and country roads.

“I don’t dare to call my participation a feat, of course, but I see what kind of people are walking,” says the interlocutor of MK. – The sick, the crippled, with small children, strollers, old people, with uncomfortable equipment, with some kind of bags, not with backpacks, are coming. People walk with huge “grave” crosses, with household or parish icons. But this is also a kind of feat: you take on an additional load.

To facilitate physical activity (modern people participate, urban, unaccustomed to the hardships and deprivations) are called mobile lockers: you can take bivouac equipment there every morning, that is, a tent, a sleeping bag and the like. “You take only a part of your things with you, and it’s not easy,” says Olga S., “but you look at the priests and some grandmothers: how do they carry all this? Only the Lord helps!

– This year the weather was strange – it rained heavily on the second day, on the third day they changed the route, – says a participant in the Velikoretsky way. – The boy went with us for the 14th time, and, according to him, this year was the first when the route was changed. There were many difficulties, some went off the route.

With the right attitude, you understand that this is really not a hike: not physical, but spiritual laws work, says Olga. “You are walking, your back hurts or something else, calluses. This is also providential, to whom it is useful, – says a participant in the Velikoretsk procession. – You go and at some point you realize that this simply does not make sense. But you are a small part of something big. And that’s the point.”

Without such an attitude, even experienced hikers cannot master the route, Olga says: she saw how such people went off the route. “It’s too complicated and too pointless if you take away all the spiritual things,” she explains. “But at some point you feel that you are not walking on your own, something spiritual is turning on. It’s as if St. Nicholas and the Lord are carrying you in their arms.”

Most of the participants in the procession go with petitions to the Lord, says the interlocutor of “MK”. Far from always they are fulfilled, but that’s what humility is for: Orthodoxy implies that the Lord knows better whether it is worth fulfilling desires. “This is a school of trust in God, you go and don’t know how everything will work out,” says Olga.

This year, the participants of the Velikoretsky procession got the test of heavy rain: on the second and third days of the pilgrimage, it rained for many hours, the roads were wrecked. However, the crusaders each time managed to dry off, there were practically no sick people.

“You walk for an hour, two, three in the rain, and on the fourth, fifth, there was a feeling that the roof had gone,” Olga recalls. – I thought: even if they give dry things, they will also become wet. Being dry is now impossible. There were inappropriate thoughts. But on the way back, they somehow miraculously dried out completely.

At the final point of almost any religious procession, there is a real fair: from souvenirs to sbiten, ethnic clothes, even barbecue. This is the same at Velikoretsky, and at Irinarkhovsky, and at the Royal (in Yekaterinburg) processions. But there is a route in Russia where there is already a need to create a special infrastructure, modeled on the pan-European El Camino, a pilgrimage route to the relics of St. James in Santiago de Compostela. And this is the route from Moscow to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, the processions along which have been known since the 17th century.

With all conviniences

There is exactly one problem of the foot pilgrimage to the Lavra: the route passes through very densely populated places. Dachas, dachas, dachas… Therefore, usually the routes are laid quite puzzlingly.

The road starts from the Moscow park “Yauza”, near Sviblov. It allows you to overcome the Moscow Ring Road, then winds between Mytishchi buildings, summer cottages, recreation centers and shopping centers. In forest areas, the route is equipped as an eco-trail.

Roughnesses arise where it is necessary to build eco-bridges, as well as negotiate with museum-reserves along the way. If you don’t agree, let the pilgrims not through the park, but bypass or by ticket. Regime enterprises also add headaches.

In this format, the procession becomes, we agree, much more feasible for many thousands of Muscovites – those who are still too much to travel with tents near Yaroslavl or Vyatka. Well, “secular” hikes are of different categories of complexity. But in general, the fact that for a significant part of society there is another great option to spend a vacation can only please.