The first Divine Liturgy will be celebrated on Aug. 1 at the newly built Church of St. Nina in Kislovodsk, marking the beginning of parish life at a church intended to reflect both Russian and Georgian Orthodox traditions.

The service will be attended by clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Georgian Orthodox Church, according to the Kislovodsk city administration. The celebration has received the blessing of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of All Georgia and Archbishop Feofilakt of Pyatigorsk and Cherkessk.

Construction of the Church of St. Nina began in 2016 on Battery Hill, one of the highest points in Kislovodsk, overlooking the Caucasus Mountains. The project is being carried out with the support of the Foundation for the Revival and Development of Russian-Georgian Relations and the Georgian national-cultural organization Iveria.

In addition to serving as a place of worship, the church complex is expected to include a Georgian cultural center that will host events dedicated to preserving the Georgian language, traditions, and historical heritage.

St. Nina, Equal-to-the-Apostles, is revered as the Enlightener of Georgia and is among the most honored saints in the Georgian Orthodox tradition. According to Church tradition, she preached Christianity in the ancient Kingdom of Iberia—modern-day Georgia—during the fourth century and played a central role in the country's conversion to Christianity. Her missionary work helped make Georgia one of the first states to adopt Christianity as its official religion. Her vine cross, traditionally believed to have been fashioned from grapevine branches, remains one of the principal relics of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Kislovodsk Mayor Yevgeny Moiseyev described the opening of the church as a significant event for the city, emphasizing that it reflects the cultural ties between the different peoples who live in the resort town.

“This is not simply a church service, but the birth of a new parish that will become a place of spiritual fellowship and the preservation of traditions,” the mayor said.