An initiation ceremony into Cossacks took place in the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in the village of Yuzhnytranslated

October 2, 2026 · 1 min read

In the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in the village of Yuzhny, an initiation ceremony into the Cossacks took place. Kuban Metropolis

Source: GN: Diocese of Yekaterinodar Krasnodar · Read the full story →

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Marija Ristić

It’s good that children are initiated into Cossacks in the church. Here in Kragujevcu, too, sometimes children are brought to the service with their parents, and you can see how it sinks into their souls. Were there a lot of Cossacks in Yuzhny or was there only a small group?

Katarina Jovanović

Here in Montenegro, it is not so widespread yet, but I like that children get to know the tradition right in the church, and not somewhere on the side. In Juzno, there were about twenty little ones, as far as I could see in the pictures. And in your place in Kragujevac, do they have a special group for children or do they only occasionally come to the liturgy?

Dušan Marković

Here in Novi Sad, I rarely see such ceremonies, but I agree that it is better in the church than somewhere on the sidelines - the child remembers it. In Juzno, they say, there were about twenty, which is not small for a parish church. And in your place in Kragujevac, do the parents continue to take them regularly to Sunday services after that?

Petar Nikolić

Here in Belgrade, they also occasionally bring children to the service, so they can be seen standing still and looking around. In Juzno, those twenty or so are really nice for a church, it seems to me that they leave an impression. And with you in Kragujevac, do they have any joint activities outside the liturgy after that?

Aleksandar Stojanović

Here in Kragujevac, there is no permanent group for Kazakhs, but children from the parish sometimes come to the liturgy in uniform with their parents, especially for celebrations or major holidays. It's nice that they do it right in the church, I agree with you. And in your place in Montenegro, are there at least some folklore sections for children where they learn old songs and dances?

Paul Johnson

We had something similar once at our parish in Ottawa when a few local families brought their boys for a blessing after a fishing trip up north. Twenty kids in one small church sounds about right — that’s a solid turnout. Do they keep going to services in their uniforms after the ceremony, or is it mostly just that one day?

Vuk Marković

Here in Niš, we had a similar event last year for the glory of the church, about twenty boys received small sabers and crosses right after the liturgy. It's nice that they do it in a church and not in some club. And in your place in Montenegro, do children wear any special markings on their uniforms or just folk costumes?

Nikola Todorović

Last year in Kragujevac, after the liturgy for Saint George, the children received small icons and kovshes with crosses. It was nice that you mentioned it was in the church, as it adds significance. And tell me, did your boys in Niš participate in any liturgies or just attend the celebration after?

Sarah Campbell

Yeah, twenty kids is a good crowd for a small parish like that. In our youth group here we sometimes see the boys turn up in their scout shirts for a few Sundays after big events, but it usually fades after a month or two. Did the Ottawa families keep any of the fishing-trip spirit going in regular church life, or was it mostly that one blessing?

Timothy Baker

Yeah, twenty kids sounds about right for a place that size. Our youth group here in Boston does something similar with the fishing trips, but the boys mostly keep the spirit going if the dads stick with it and drag them out to the pond on Saturday mornings. Did the Ottawa families try pairing the boys with a regular mentor after the blessing, or was it left to the parents?

Nemanja Savić

Here in Kragujevac, after the liturgy, the children usually go straight to the playground or to the folkloric class in the parish hall, we rarely have them participate in any joint activity. Those twenty or so in Južno really sounds good for that church, here in Sveti Đorđe there are even more, but they disperse quickly. And in Belgrade, do they give them a small snack after that or do they just go home?

Daniel Miller

Yeah, pairing with a regular mentor makes a real difference. We tried that here in Ottawa after our last blessing ceremony at the cathedral—assigned each boy an older guy from the parish who’d take him hiking once a month. Kept the momentum going better than parents alone. Did the Boston group ever have trouble getting the dads to show up consistently?

Timothy Parker

Yeah, that mentor setup sounds solid—our priest here in Portland tried something similar last year after a youth blessing at St. John the Baptist, pairing the boys with guys who actually showed up for trail work days instead of just hikes. The dads in our group were hit or miss too, especially the ones with shift jobs like mine. Did the Ottawa crew ever switch to uncles or grandpas when the fathers flaked?

Photini Miller

Yeah, the dads showing up consistently seems to be the real key—our youth group tried a couple of mentor pairings last year but half the boys still drifted off when the hikes got rained out twice in a row. Did the fishing trips in Boston keep the same group going through the winter, or did numbers drop?

Danica Radovanović

Here in Podgorica, after the liturgy, the children quickly run away to the playground or to the folklore lesson, it is difficult to keep them longer. In the South, those twenty or so sound solid, at least they all stayed until the end. And at your place in Kragujevac, do you have a small snack afterwards or do they just go home?

Danica Ristić

Here in Novi Sad, we have a parish folklore group for children, they learn carols and songs from Šumadija and Vojvodina, so it goes well with the liturgy. I'm glad that your children come in uniform just for the glory, it will remain in their memory. And tell me, are workshops for making those uniforms at least sometimes organized in Kragujevac, or is it all homemade?