Photos of Easter 2020 in Russia: Celebrating Amid a Pandemic

See how Christians in Russia and elsewhere celebrated Easter in a strange and foreign world environment

Easter, which is usually celebrated with brilliance, crowds and leaping joy in the Orthodox world for a full 40 days, looked very different this year amid the global pandemic. (Contrast this year's photos with the spectacular photo essay from Easter in Russia in 2018).The policies regarding church attendance vary from country to country and from city to city, but even in places where attendance is allowed, it is strictly regulated.Russia in Uzbekistan (@russiauz) | Twitter

In Russia, many cities closed the churches to the public, with only the clergy permitted to participate in the service, while others allowed the faithful to attend as long as rules were followed. People invented various ways of celebrating as a community however. Many organized virtual choirs to sing Paschal chants. In Russia, a hashtag spread the idea for all the faithful forced to stay home to light a candle in their window around midnight on Ester, so as to celebrate Christ's resurrection as a community anyway. 

However strange this Easter may have been for Christians all over the world, the faithful found ways to celebrate Christs' Resurrection and Triumph over Death. See photos below from Russia and other parts of the Orthodox World. Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen! 


In Tbilisi (Georgia), on the eve of the holiday, the Orthodox came to the temple, but strictly kept their social distance.

Easter festive service in St. Catherine’s Cathedral in Krasnodar (Russia) was held without believers and was broadcast on the Internet 

© REUTERS / EDUARD KORNIYENKO

Kazan Cathedral (Stavropol, Russia). The faithful came to church in masks


© AFP 2020 / LOUISA GOULIAMAKI

In Athens (Greece) the faithful were not permitted to attend services due to strict quarantine measures. For this reason, people lit up their candles with "holy fire" from small candles, left on the road in front of the embassy's church of Christ's Tomb. The Holy Fire had been brought earlier from Jerusalem.


© REUTERS / OGNEN TEOFILOVSKI

In South Macedonia, the Orthodox Easter service was St. John's the Baptist's monastery was livestreamed. 


© SPUTNIK / ALEKSANDER KRYAZHEV

In Novosibirsk (Russia) churches were also closed due to the pandemic. The clergy held a procession around the Cathedral of the Ascension without the faithful. 


© SPUTNIK / SERGEI PYATAKOV

The Leader of the Russian Church, Patriarch Kyril, during the service in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow (Russia)

Полицейские объяснили отказ штрафовать толпу верующих в ...

© РИА Новости / Сергей Пятаков

Pokrov region (Russia)

© SPUTNIK / ALEKSEI DANICHEV

In St. Petersburg (Russia) the festive Easter service was livestreamed, as the churches were closed for the faithful. 


© AFP 2020 / SERGEI GAPON

The service in the church in Galshtani near Minsk (Belarus) took place with the faithful following social distancing rules. 


Такого вы больше не увидите: как российские храмы встречали Пасху без прихожан

Many people simply watched a livestream source


Новосибирск. Прихожане собрались за забором храма

Novosibirsk (Russia). Parishioners gathered behind the fence of the church. source


Верующие и служащие оказались по разные стороны забора

В Ростове-на-Дону первыми на службу пришли полицейские

In Rostov-on-Don (Russia), the police officers arrived first to the service source


Ростовский митрополит изначально попросил проявить смирение и остаться на Пасху дома. В храмы никого не пускали

The Rostov Metropolitan initially asked for the faithful to exhibit humility and stay at home for Easter. No one was allowed into the churches. source


Уфа. Пасхальное богослужение в соборе Рождества Богородицы прошло при закрытых дверях

Ufa (Russia) The Easter service in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin took place behind closed doors

В Самаре Пасха-2020 отличается от прошлых тем, что на прихожанах появились защитные маски

Samara (Russia) on Easter night


В Нижнем Новгороде в храме закрыли двери и выключили свет. Служба началась при свечах

In Nizhny Novgorod (Russia), the doors were closed in the church and the lights were turned off. The service began by candlelight


К храмам ни проехать ни пройти. Священники завешивали окна тканью — чтобы с улицы не было видно, что идет служба

Some churches were completely blocked off. Priests covered the windows with cloth so that it wasn’t visible from the street that the service was in progress.

К одному храму верующие все-таки смогли пробраться — через задний вход

Some faithful still made it inside through back doors.

Дистанцию, кажется, соблюдали

Krasnoyarsk (Russia)

Такого вы больше не увидите: как российские храмы встречали Пасху без прихожан

Такого вы больше не увидите: как российские храмы встречали Пасху без прихожан

Пасхальная служба в Храме Входа Господня в Иерусалим в Москве. Фото: Михаил ФРОЛОВ

Moscow (Russia)

Пасхальная служба в Храме Входа Господня в Иерусалим в Москве. Фото: Михаил ФРОЛОВ

Moscow (Russia). Source

Храм Пророка Илии в Апрелевке, Московская область. Фото: Иван МАКЕЕВ

Moscow region (Russia) Source

Празднование Пасхи в Барнауле. Фото: Олег УКЛАДОВ

Празднование Пасхи в Барнауле. Фото: Олег УКЛАДОВ

Barnaul (Russia) Source

Празднование Пасхи в Барнауле. Фото: Олег УКЛАДОВ

Barnaul (Russia) Source

Празднование Пасхи в Красноярске. Фото: Мария ЛЕНЦ

Krasnoyarsk (Russia) Source

Празднование Пасхи в Красноярске. Фото: Мария ЛЕНЦ

Krasnoyarsk (Russia) Source

Празднование Пасхи в Иркутске. Фото: Юлия ПЫХАЛОВА

Празднование Пасхи в Иркутске. Фото: Юлия ПЫХАЛОВА

Irkutsk (Russia) Source

Празднование Пасхи в Самаре. Фото: Светлана МАКОВЕЕВА

Празднование Пасхи в Иркутске.

Irkutsk, Russia source

Photo sources: 

Sputnik.ru

71.ru

Kp.ru

Ria.ru

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