On July 28, 2024, on the feast day of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir and the church and state holiday commemorating the Baptism of Russia, President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin visited the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg.
Accompanied by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, President Putin visited the upper church dedicated to Prince Alexander Nevsky within the Annunciation Church of the Lavra. Earlier that day, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church had celebrated the Divine Liturgy in this church, offering special petitions and prayers for the health of President Putin, who celebrates his name day on July 28. The upper church also houses the relics of Prince Alexander Nevsky.
During the visit, Patriarch Kirill awarded President Putin the Order of the Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky of the First Degree. In his address, Patriarch Kirill expressed his gratitude, stating, “Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, I sincerely thank you for the substantial efforts you are making to revive the spiritual life of Russia. Special thanks for the conditions that the state creates for Orthodox people.”
Patriarch Kirill further remarked, “Russia is a unique example of a modern, technologically, and scientifically developed country that successfully combines scientific and technological progress with an advanced and equitable social system, all while respecting the religious faith and spiritual component of its people.”
“We wish you God’s help and strength, so that you may continue to lead the country and its people without deviating from our historical path, adapting it to meet the challenges of contemporary human civilization,” concluded the Patriarch.
President Putin expressed his gratitude for the high honor bestowed upon him, saying, “Your Holiness, thank you very much for this high church award. The Russian Orthodox Church is undoubtedly one of the most important moral foundations of the Russian people. Together with other traditional Russian confessions, it also serves as the basis of Russian statehood. You have done much to strengthen the state today, as there is nothing more powerful than a spiritual foundation. Everything else is built upon this.”
Following the award ceremony, Patriarch Kirill and President Putin visited the lower church-tomb of the Annunciation Church, where they laid flowers at the grave of the great commander A.V. Suvorov.
