On July 5th accompanied by ringing bells the pilgrim Czestochowa icon was brought to the Orthodox church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on the historic old market (Spaso-Preobrazhensky Sobor - Starojarmarchny) in Nizhny Novgorod.
The church is situated on the left bank of the Oka river where it is flowing into the Volga river. Its establishment in the late nineteenth century was associated with one of the largest markets in Russia. During the Bolshevik persecution after the October Revolution it was converted into a warehouse. Only in 1991 The church become a temple again, and until 2009 also served as a cathedral.
Our Lady of Czestochowa is visiting Nizhny Novgorod until 8 July at the invitation of the Orthodox Metropolitan of Novgorod and Arzamarsk Gregory. After the ceremonial welcome of the Czestochowa icon solemn prayer was led by the local parish priest Arch Priest Nicholas Igoszev, accompanied by clerics from the Nizhny Novgorod seminary. The ceremony was attended by a large number of people.
In her peregrination through the world in defense of life from Vladivostok the Czestochowa icon already traveled about nine thousand kilometers. We should add the initial route from Czestochowa through Minsk, Moscow, Kazakhstan to Vladivostok, which amounts to 11 thousand kilometers. Already the total is 20 thousand km. Through the Far East, Siberia and the Urals. The Icon in the coming days will be welcomed back in Moscow.
Already on July 13th, Our Lady of Czestochowa in her icon will crosses the border with Belarus.