On September 7, 2026, the ark with the right hand of St. Spyridon of Trimifunt was brought to the Far Eastern land. Several thousand believers gathered at the Transfiguration Cathedral in Khabarovsk to witness this important spiritual event and offer prayers at the relics of the Saint of God.
The bringing of the shrine from the Greek island of Corfu is carried out with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
A flight from Irkutsk took a delegation of the Greek Orthodox Church, representatives of the World Russian People's Council and the Innokenty Sibiryakov Foundation, who are escorting the ark with the relics, to Khabarovsk Airport.
Metropolitan Artemiy of Khabarovsk and Amur Region led the solemn prayer service at the Transfiguration Cathedral.
The service was attended by Dmitry Demeshin, Governor of the Khabarovsk Territory, Sergey Kravchuk, Mayor of Khabarovsk, Nikolai Shevtsov, Chairman of the Legislative Duma of the Khabarovsk Territory, Maxim Ivanov, deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, representatives of the regional government and the city administration, law enforcement agencies, Cossacks, and public organizations.
More than 3,500 thousand people prayed at the divine service.
An appeal by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia was read out in connection with the bringing of the right hand of St. Spyridon of Trimifunt to the borders of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Metropolitan Artemy called the offering of St. Spyridon's right hand a special sign of God's mercy for the Far Eastern land. His Eminence recalled that St. Spyridon, who lived at the turn of the third and fourth centuries, became famous for his gifts of healing, perspicacity, and miracle-working. He is the patron saint of the needy and destitute, a speedy helper of the suffering in any troubles. Metropolitan Artemy called on the faithful to approach the shrine with a pure heart and humble prayer, since there is not a single sorrow, not a single request that this wonderful saint of God would not share with those who come to him. "For the first time, a saint of God of such great spiritual power, so revered throughout the Orthodox world, arrives in the Far Eastern land. This event is a great blessing for us. Therefore, I urge you to offer prayers not only for your own needs, but also for the fate of our city, the entire region and the whole of Russia. May the Lord strengthen our power and army so that we may glorify God with one heart and one mouth. And may God Almighty grant us peace and prosperity through the prayers of our saint!"
At the end of the prayer service, Vladyka Artemy presented the governor of the region with the Order of the Blessed Prince Daniel of Moscow, II degree.
"Khabarovsk is the only city in the Far East that has been awarded this great honor. — Dmitry Demeshi emphasized. — For the first time, the greatest Christian shrine, the right hand of St. Spyridon of Trimifunt, has been delivered to us from the island of Corfu. We accept this priceless gift with all our hearts, realizing its spiritual significance. May Saint Spyridon protect each of us and preserve our land. With God's blessing, we will be able to do even more for the sake of people, for the sake of goodness, for the sake of the prosperity of our region and our entire Homeland."
The Cossacks of the Ussuri Cossack army kept an honorary watch at the ark with the relics. They, together with law enforcement officers, ensured order in the square and in the cathedral itself, helping pilgrims reverently venerate the shrine. The sisters of mercy of the Khabarovsk Diocese also took care of the people who came. They were on duty at the entrance and inside the cathedral, helping elderly and people with limited mobility, families with children.
Believers came to the solemn meeting of the shrine not only from Khabarovsk and the Khabarovsk Territory, but also from neighboring regions: the Jewish Autonomous and Amur Regions, Primorsky Krai, Sakhalin Island and Yakutia. Many people traveled hundreds and even thousands of kilometers to worship the right hand of the saint.
Icons of St. Spyridon with the Patriarchal blessing were presented to the faithful as a memorial.
Representatives of the diocesan missionary department and students of the Khabarovsk Theological Seminary distributed educational leaflets.
The right hand of St. Spyridon of Trimifunt will remain in the Transfiguration Cathedral of Khabarovsk until September 9. During the days of the shrine's stay, the cathedral is open to pilgrims around the clock. Prayer services will be held at the relics.
On the night of September 8-9, the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated. The departure of the ark and the final prayer service will be held on September 9, after which the shrine will go to Chelyabinsk.