His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia arrived on October 19, 2024 on a primatial visit to the Smolensk Metropolis.
On the trip, His Holiness is accompanied by: Metropolitan Gregory of the Resurrection, Managing Director of the Moscow Patriarchate; Bishop Alexy of Ramenskoye, personal Secretary of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. 
At the beginning of the visit, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church visited the Holy Trinity Boldin Monastery (Boldino village, Dorogobuzhsky district, Smolensk region).
At the holy gates of the monastery, His Holiness was met by: Metropolitan Isidore of Smolensk and Dorogobuzhsky; Governor of the Smolensk region V.N. Anokhin; rector of the Holy Trinity Boldin Monastery Archimandrite Anthony (Mezentsov); brethren of the monastery.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill proceeded to Holy Trinity Cathedral, where he venerated the relics of the monastery's founder, St. Gerasim Boldinsky, and his disciple, St. Arseny Boldinsky.
Metropolitan Isidore of Smolensk and Dorogobuzhsky cordially welcomed the Primate of the Russian Church to the Smolensk land.   
His Holiness addressed the flock with the Primatial word:
"Dear fathers, brothers and sisters!
It is with a very special feeling that I always visit the Smolensk land, which has been associated with many years of my life. When the Lord called me to the Patriarchal ministry and the first meeting with the current President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin took place, he told me: "It appears in your biography that you served in Smolensk. How much is it?" When I told him that I was almost 25 years old, he looked at me and said: "You know, in the secular world, if a person is elevated up the career ladder, then there must be some moments in his biography related to a simple life: he worked as a worker or worked on a collective farm. But usually such a biography decoration is two or three years of staying in one place or another, but 25 years is not a biography decoration."
Indeed, this is not an ornament to my biography, but a very important part of my life, and I often tell both the bishops and the Moscow clergy that if I had no experience of serving on this earth, had no experience of communicating with this people, then, probably, I would not have been able to serve on the Patriarchal Throne with with full dedication, as I try to do now.
A very special part of my life belongs to Smolensk. I am glad that I still meet the clergy with whom we worked together, although, of course, many newly ordained ones have already appeared. But although there are not many familiar faces left, any contact with the Smolensk land, with the Smolensk diocese, with the Smolensk clergy is always a very significant event for me.
So today, my dear ones, I am glad to see all of you, to pray with you; and from the bottom of my heart I wish everyone and all of you God's help in your life. To the clergy — zeal and strength in the service of the Lord; to the monks — patience, wisdom, love, humility, all that adorns the monastic life.
I am also glad that the first place of my visit to the Smolensk land this time is the holy monastery in which we are located — Gerasimo-Boldinsky. I thank Father Anthony, who has been taking care of this monastery for many years, and who has gathered the brethren here. I remember well how we visited the then-closed Gerasimo-Boldinsky monastery together, discussed something, solved some problems and questions. And I am glad, dear Father Anthony, that the spiritual life of this holy monastery continues under your guidance.
I also thank Vladyka Isidore for the opportunity to visit this dear and dear land, as well as for the work you are doing to nurture the Smolensk Diocese. It was not easy for me to part with the Smolensk Diocese. Indeed, 25 years of life is not an embellishment of biography, but it is a large part of human life. And that's why I wanted the one who inherits my ministry here, as they say, to be in place. So that people would love him, and the clergy would love him, and so that this Vladyka would zealously serve the cause of God, continuing in a sense my ministry. Thank you, Vladyka, for doing your ministry in this way — strengthening church life, taking care of the clergy, the youth, and the faithful people.
The archpastor is, first of all, the father; it is very important to understand this. Of course, the father is not in the flesh, but perhaps the spiritual father is no less important, which means his authority. After all, a father is a father when he is an authority in the family; and when the father ceases to be an authority, and the family breaks up. That is why the holy ministry is very important. If the archpastor gives all his strength to the cause of God, then he is loved and revered by both the clergy and the people, and then church life is strengthened. I believe that this is exactly what is happening now on the Smolensk land.
Once again, my dear ones, I cordially welcome you all. I wish each of you spiritual and physical strength, God's help in life, and the ability to overcome the difficulties that everyone encounters. And so that these difficulties do not overwhelm a person, do not make him physically or, as most often happens, spiritually disabled, God grant that the grace of God and the power of God in response to your prayers accompany each of you on your life path.
In memory of the meeting, I would like to present this icon of St. Andrei Rublev. The great monk became famous for his art, becoming the greatest spiritual artist, icon painter, who was imitated and imitated by many. This amazing combination of spiritual life, asceticism and creativity is a wonderful example for all monks. You need to be able to combine your asceticism, spiritual, prayerful life with pastoral service to the Church of God and people who come to the clergy, including monastics, for good advice and spiritual help. Through the prayers of this holy saint, may the Lord preserve this monastery and each of you, my dear ones. May God help you on your life path. Amen to that."
The abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Anthony (Mezentsov), also greeted His Holiness the Patriarch and presented His Holiness with the Gospel that belonged to St. Seraphim of Sarov.
In response, the Primate of the Russian Church said:
"I sincerely thank you, Father Anthony, for the kind words and for the work that you are doing here, starting with the ruins that were on this place, and ending with the glory that the Gerasimo-Boldinsky Monastery is crowned with today. Of course, and for this very important gift, I thank you. Again and again, remembering our common path, difficult years, I am convinced that the power of God's Providence overcomes all human power. No human power, even the most formidable, the most organized, can withstand the power of God. That's the whole history of our Church, especially in the twentieth century, testifies to this.
Well, what conclusions should we draw from all this? If no state or social force, entering into a struggle with God, can defeat Him, then God is really omnipotent. And if He is omnipotent, how can He not help us? After all, there is only one condition for God to help us: we must sincerely believe in Him. Our faith should not turn into some kind of custom or ritual. It should always be accompanied by sincere, heartfelt prayer, and, as the word of God says, faith without works is dead (James 2:26).
If we combine faith with prayer and good deeds, then we fulfill God's law, and the Lord is present in our lives. And then we can definitely turn to Him for help, and it is quite obvious that the Lord provides this help in such cases.
God grant that the belief that the Lord is with us, faith in His providential power, accompanies us throughout our lives — both in youth and in times of prosperity, and especially in times of old age, when every person is approaching the sunset of his earthly existence. If we live with God, we are not afraid of anything. If we live with God, we live in the hope that not only in this life the Lord will not leave us, but also will accept us into His heavenly abodes at the end of our life path.
Once again, dear Father Anthony, I express my gratitude to you and the entire brotherhood for the efforts you have carried out to revive this monastery from dust and ashes, from ruins, turning it into a wonderful monastery on Russian soil. May the Lord forgive your sins, too, for every person has sins, for the good deeds that you have done, and strengthen you in the worthy passage of the monastic field. God bless you— especially you, my dear Father Anthony, and all the brethren, and all those who visit this holy place with faith and love for the Lord."
Then His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, accompanied by Archimandrite Anthony (Mezentsov), got acquainted with the work done on the territory of the monastery. His Holiness examined the chapel above the altar, the fraternal building and the monastery museum, as well as the church of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, built on the site of the first cell of St. Gerasim, the first revived temple of the monastery, consecrated in May 1991 by His Holiness, then Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad.
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The Boldinsky Monastery was founded in 1530 by the Monk Gerasim Boldinsky, a disciple of the Monk Daniel Pereyaslavsky.
In the XVI-XVII centuries, the monastery flourished, but with the Polish occupation and later with the invasion of Napoleon's army it was destroyed. In the 20th century, the monastery was closed, its buildings were used as museums and utility rooms. It was blown up during the war.
The revival began in the 1990s, and in 2010 His Holiness Patriarch Kirill consecrated the restored Trinity Cathedral. The monastery is actively developing, receiving pilgrims, and work continues on its restoration.