On the eve of All Saints' Day, who shone in the land of Belarus, at the memorial church in honor of All Saints and in memory of the victims who served to save our Fatherland, on July 13, 2024, the republican bicycle run dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus and the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Cathedral of Belarusian Saints ended.
The start of the bike ride was given in the Brest fortress on July 8. Over the course of six days, its participants traveled through the historical sites of the Brest, Grodno and Minsk regions. The path ran through 40 settlements. The route was built along the memorable places of the Great Patriotic War, where cyclists laid flowers. Also, along the way, the participants prayerfully remembered the liberator soldiers in the temples and asked for the intercession of the holy ascetics of Belarus. Believers from other cities joined the participants of the run along the route.
On the final day, in addition to the main team, columns of cyclists from all regions of the country took part in the bike ride. Solemn events were held at six commemorative memorials in Minsk dedicated to the feat of the liberator soldiers. Then the columns of participants of the bike ride headed to the Memorial Church in honor of All Saints and in memory of the victims who served to save our Fatherland, where a solemn meeting, rally, excursion and prayer service were held, which was headed by the Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavsky.
Addressing the audience, Metropolitan Veniamin noted that the procession is a tribute to the memory of the great feat of the defenders of Belarus, those many innocent compatriots who were tortured and killed during the Great Patriotic War. "80 years have passed since the liberation of Belarus from the Nazi invaders and it is natural for us to thank God for the peaceful sky over our land, to remember with gratitude those who died defending it," the head of the Belarusian Exarchate said.
Throughout the route, the run, which was initiated by the Belarusian Orthodox Church, was supported by the Ministry of Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Belarus, the Office of the Commissioner for Religious and Ethnic Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Minsk City and Regional Executive committees. At the end of the prayer service, Deputy Minister of Sports and Tourism Oleg Andreychik noted that, according to the feedback of cyclists, the run was a success and the ministry plans to support this initiative in the coming years.