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07/08/26 Family parade in the city of Ivanovotranslated

July 9, 2026 · 1 min read

📷 Guy Fawkes · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

On July 8, on the feast of the holy faithful Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia of Murom, celebrated as the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity, festive celebrations were held on Victory Square, near the church in honor of the Great Martyr George the Victorious, which is the main missionary church of the Ivanovo-Voznesensk diocese, which are part of the All-Russian Family Parade.

There was an exhibition dedicated to pre-revolutionary large families of clergy and laity. For example, Nikolai Terentyevich Shchapov, who was the headman of the current Assumption Cathedral for 25 years, had 15 children, whom his wife Sofia gave birth to. The Shchapovs lived their married life together for 53 years. The conversation based on the materials of the exhibition was conducted by the chairman of the Missionary Department of the Ivanovo-Voznesensk Diocese, Priest John Lvov.

Priest John Lvov led the festive prayer service, at which he was co-served by the diocesan missionary, head of the department for relations of the Church with society and the media of the Ivanovo-Voznesensk diocese, Hieromonk Macarius (Markish), and the assistant to the dean of the Ivanovo region for missionary service, Deacon Alexander Lityaev. During the prayer service, a translation of its text into…

Source: Site: Иваново-Вознесенская епархия · Read the full story →

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Martin Horváth

It's nice that they mentioned the Ščap family - 15 children and 53 years together, that's really something. Here in Svidník, such an exhibition would also be useful, because people often forget how life used to be. Thank you for the nice report.

ليلى صايغ

Yes, this Shapov family really reminds us of how they lived. 15 boys and a girl and 53 years of marriage, God willing. Here in Zahle there were also large families, but today people are afraid even of three.

Елена Соколова

It’s interesting about the Shchapovs - 15 children and 53 years together, that’s a whole life. In our parish in New York we also have large families, but such examples from the past are almost never shown. Thank you for making the exhibition, it’s useful to remind you.

Grace Turner

The Schapovs’ story really stuck with me—15 kids and 53 years together is no small thing. Nice that Fr. John Lvov took the time to talk through the exhibit right there on Victory Square. We could use more of these reminders here too.

Максим Мельник

It is interesting that it was the Shchapovs with 15 children and 53 years of marriage who became the main example at the exhibition. In our parish in Kharkiv, similar families of priests were also mentioned before the revolution, but rarely with such numbers. It is good that Father Ioann Lviv held a conversation right on the square.

Мариана Попова

Well, 15 children and 53 years together - that's something you don't see every day. It is good that Father John Lvov spoke about this exhibition in the square, and not only in the church. Here in Plovdiv, there are also large families from the past, but they are rarely shown in this way.

Olivia Lewis

The Schapovs’ 15 kids and 53 years together really stood out on that exhibit. Nice that Fr. John Lvov gave the talk right there on Victory Square instead of just inside the church. We don’t hear enough of those old stories anymore.

Елена Зайцева

In Novosibirsk we also showed a similar exhibition about pre-revolutionary families, but this was the first time I heard about the Shchapovs with their 15 children and 53 years of marriage. It’s good that Father John Lvov talked right on the square, and not just in the church. Such numbers really make you wonder how life used to be.

Marija Lukić

Here in Banja Luka, we rarely see exhibitions like this, and this one about the Ščaps with 15 children and 53 years of marriage is something concrete. Thank you for placing it right on the square near the church of St. George, and not just inside. Father Jovan Lvov did a good job of talking about them right away.