It was midnight when we finally left our apartment to walk over to Danilovsky Monastery for Easter Vigil service. Fireworks were going off in the distance marking the city's welcome of Easter. The streets were quiet, relatively empty of people which seemed so strange for Moscow.
We entered the gates of the Monastery, a 10 minute walk from our house, after passing through a non-working metal detector (not unusual in Moscow). The service from the main Hram (XPAM) was wafting out of speakers in the courtyard. Hundreds of people were milling about carrying candles in a subdued, yet festive atmosphere.
Russian Orthodox houses of worship are relatively small compared to their Catholic counterparts. There's also no seating and worshipers stand throughout the entire service (4 hours for Easter Vigil!). We tried to squeeze (literally) through the doors to get a peak and hear the music. The church was ablaze in light and the enormous golden chandelier radiated from the ceiling. An all male choir sang a repeated refrain in old church Slavonic while three priests encircled the inner part of the church carrying large, ornate candles. The congregation joined in with the choir on the refrain "XPUCTOC BOCKPECE" (khri-STOS vos-KREH-seh) 3 times. A joyful welcoming of the Risen Christ.
XPUCTOC BOCKPECE (khri-STOS vos-KREH-seh), which, in English, means "Christ is Risen!" It's the Paschal greeting, to which the proper answer is, "BOUCTUHY BOCKPECE" (vo-EEST-ih-nu vos-KREH-seh), which means "Truly he is risen!"
This dance of the candles, refrain and congregational response went on for at least half an hour while we were there, and I suspect long before and after we arrived. Growing tired of being packed in like sardines, we wandered to the basement where several icons were being prayed to and priests were offering Easter blessings. The crowds continued to amaze me as they lined up for a blessing. A few words were whispered in the priest's ear, the petitioner leaned over and the priest's stole covered their head, the priest offered the sign of the cross over the stole draped on one's head, a kiss to the cross and the Bible lying on the podium and the sign of the cross finished the ritual.
We wandered to the other XPAM where a mixed voice choir sang in the upstairs sanctuary, icons and frescoes lined the walls. Children lay sleeping in parents arms or sacked out on benches. Again everyone stood and some joined in the acappella singing. There was quiet stillness.
XPUCTOC BOCKPECE
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Hi, Carolyn.
This is Niki Lonski. I currently work at University Christian and formerly worked at Lake City with Dalene & Ken and also at Edmonds with Glen Nestlerode.
In about 1990 I had a mid-life crisis and quit my 13-year employment with the State of Washington to study Russsian. Of course I don't remember much because I only had a year of it and never get to use it.
My maternal grandfather came from North Ossetia before WW1. The only thing my mother ever learned to say in Russian was "Christ is risen," and "He is risen indeed."
I have attended matins at 2 of the Russian Orthodox churches here in Seattle. I especially enjoyed the music. (I have purchased a whole lot of Russian Liturgical music on CD because I like it so much.)
I am enjoying your reports. I hope everything goes well for you and your husband. What an adventure!
Niki,
Thanks so much for your comment. Were you working at LCCC & ECC when I was working with the youth?
I hope you have a chance to visit Russia. It's a fascinating country, but challenging to travel in. The situation in Ossetia is difficult with the South trying to gain independence from Georgia, I believe, but really being used as Russia's way of aggrivating Georgia. It's not covered much in the States and I am just learning about it.
Hope to see you at GA!
Carolyn
Post a Comment