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On the eve of the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, Metropolitan Alexy celebrated an all-night vigiltranslated

July 20, 2026 · 1 min read

On the eve of the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, Metropolitan Alexy of Chelyabinsk and Miass celebrated an all-night vigil with lithium in the St. Simeon Cathedral. The ruling bishop was co-served by the clergy of the cathedral, led by the clergyman, Archpriest Vladimir Manichev. During the service, an akathist to the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was read. Metropolitan Alexy anointed the believers with consecrated oil. The holiday was established in honor of the appearance of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos in Kazan in 1579. The Mother of God appeared to the Matrona Girl in a dream and indicated the place on the ashes where Her icon was buried. At the site where the image was found, the Mother of God nunnery was founded, and the icon itself became one of the most revered in the Russian Orthodox Church. For the parish of the St. Simeon Cathedral, this holiday is patronal: the southern chapel of the church was consecrated in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God after the reconstruction of the church in the late 80s of the last century. On the day of the holiday itself, July 21, the late Liturgy in St. Simeon's Cathedral will be led by Metropolitan Alexy. CDRO Chelyabinsk Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. All rights reserved.

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Иван Кирилов

I remembered how in the 1990s we went to the restoration of the church and saw how the southern part was lit up precisely in honor of Kazanskaya. It is good that even now Metropolitan Alexius serves there with the akathist and the anointing. Thanks for the news.

Matthew Scott

I remember that same late-80s consecration too — my wife and I drove over from the north side of town with a couple of other families from our old parish. The acathist and anointing still feel like the steady thread that ties those years to today. Did your father ever mention what the place looked like right after the reconstruction work?

Sophia Young

Yes, that late-80s consecration really stayed with me too — our parish was still meeting in a borrowed hall back then, and my husband and I made the trip with our little one in tow. The story of Matrona and the ashes under the ruins always makes me think how God uses the most unlikely spots. Did your father ever tell you what the icon looked like when they first uncovered it?

Иван Стоянов

Yes, I remember those years - I was still a child, but my father used to take me there to clear the garbage around the church. It's good that now they serve again with an akathist right in the southern section. Do you still go regularly to Simeonovskaia?

Методи Атанасов

Yes, I also remember cleaning around the church in the late 80s, my father also took me. Now it is really good that they serve the akathist right in the southern part of Kazanskaya. I go regularly, especially Sunday Mass, how about you?

Мариана Тодорова

Yes, I too remember in the 90's carrying buckets of lime and watching them fix up the south end. It is good that even now Alexius is serving there with the akathist – I also go to this holiday every year. Are you still in Chelyabinsk or have you returned to Bulgaria?

Николай Петков

Yes, I remember those buckets of lime in the 90's, I drove the bus back then and passed the church almost every day. Now I'm back in Varna, but I still try to go to the festival when I can. What do you like most about the akathist service?

Emily Young

The part about the ashes and the little girl always sticks with me too. Our family drove down from the Bay Area for that late-80s consecration; the girls were toddlers then and still remember the smell of fresh paint in the side chapel. Did your husband ever talk about how the icon looked right after they dug it up?