The President of Russia prayed at the relics of Saint Prince Dimitry Donskoy at a prayer service performed by the Patriarchal Vicar of the Moscow Metropolis on 08/20/2026translated

On August 20, 2026, the Patriarchal Vicar of the Moscow Metropolis, Metropolitan Pavel of Krutitsky and Kolomenskaya, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', led a prayer service at the newfound relics of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Dimitri Donskoy in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin prayed during the service. The liturgical chants were performed by a small choir of clergy of the Moscow Metropolis under the direction of Priest Sergius Golev. During his visit to the cathedral, Vladimir Putin was accompanied by Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Central Federal District Igor Shchegolev, Deputy Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Central Federal District Alexey Eremin, Deputy General Director of the State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve "Moscow Kremlin" Andrey Batalov and Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director of the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academician Nikolai Makarov.

Access to the relics was gained in July of this year during restoration work carried out in connection with the subsidence of the floor slabs and the threat of destruction of the tombs over the graves of the great princes. Archaeological specialists...