“Your Pochaev Icon, Mother of God, appeared as a source of healing and the power of the Orthodox faith!”translated

With the blessing of Metropolitan John of Belgorod and Stary Oskol, on August 5, the day of remembrance of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God, Belgorod residents celebrate the liberation of the city from the Nazi invaders. Traditionally, the celebrations began with the raising of the flag on White Mountain, as well as with prayer singing and the Divine Liturgy in the Pochaev Church in the city of Belgorod, which was performed by Metropolitan John of Belgorod and Stary Oskol. The mayor of Belgorod, Valentin Valentinovich Demidov, and the chairman of the Belgorod City Council, Vadim Vitalievich Radchenko, took part in the service. Metropolitan John and the guests of honor congratulated the city residents on the memorable date. During the Divine Liturgy, the Head of the Belgorod Metropolis was concelebrated by the dean of the First Belgorod District, Archpriest Oleg Kobets, the rector of the Pochaev Church, Archpriest Alexey Luporev, and the dean and clergy of the diocese. After reading the Holy Gospel, Vladyka addressed the worshipers with an archpastoral word, in which he recalled the deep connection between heavenly patronage and the historical destinies of Belgorod. Speaking about the spiritual origins of the city, Metropolitan John noted: “Our beloved Belgorod is under the protection of the Mother of God. Evidence of this from ancient times...