On May 19, 2024, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, visiting Cyprus with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, took part in the celebrations of the consecration of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Limassol, built for the needs of the local Russian-speaking community.
Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk led the rite of the great consecration of the church, which was prayed by Metropolitan Athanasius of Limassol and the hierarch of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, Exarch of the Holy Sepulchre in Cyprus, Metropolitan Timothy of Vostre.
The three hierarchs then celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the newly consecrated church.
The archpastors were accompanied by Vice-Chairman of the Russian Orthodox Church Protopriest Igor Yakimchuk, Archpriest Pavel Povalyaev, rector of St. Nicholas Church in Limassol, Priest Nikolai Vasin, Assistant to the Chairman of the Russian Orthodox Church, and clergy of the Russian and Cypriot Orthodox Churches.
Prayers were offered in Greek, Church Slavonic and Arabic.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary M.M. Zyazikov of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Cyprus, numerous Russian-speaking residents of Cyprus.
In a word at the conclusion of the service, Metropolitan Athanasius of Limassol expressed gratitude to the Lord God and His patron saint and wonderworker St. Nicholas for the fact that the multi-year work of erecting the church dedicated to him has been safely completed. The hierarch also expressed his deep gratitude to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia for his unwavering attention to this construction and for sending a high delegation headed by the Chairman of the Russian Orthodox Church's Department of the Russian Orthodox Church for the consecration of the church. Metropolitan Athanasius expressed confidence that the newly built temple will unite believers of different nationalities in prayers and sacraments and thus contribute to strengthening the unity of Orthodoxy.
Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk in his speech thanked Metropolitan Athanasius for his fatherly care for the Russian-speaking flock of Limassol, noting that she, in turn, responds to the Lord with sincere love and veneration, including for his firm adherence to the sacred canons of the Church. The Chairman of the All-Russian Orthodox Church expressed gratitude to all the numerous donors, thanks to whom the temple was erected. Special gratitude for the work was expressed to its rector Archpriest Pavel Povalyaev, to whom Metropolitan Anthony wished God's help in his further pastoral labors. Then Metropolitan Anthony announced the patriarchal decree on awarding Archpriest Paul the Order of the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov (III degree) and presented him with this high award, as well as a pectoral cross. Patriarchal awards were also given to the benefactors who assisted in the construction of the church.
The chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, presented the church with a pectoral cross in prayerful memory of the consecration. He presented Metropolitan Athanasius with a holy panagia.
After the service a festive reception was held in the parish house of St. Nicholas Church.
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The parish of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Limassol was founded in 1995 with the blessing of Metropolitan Chrysanthos of Limassol in response to the request of numerous believers from Russia and the former Soviet Union. The idea of building a Russian Orthodox church in Limassol received the blessing of Archbishop Chrysostomos I of Cyprus and His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia. The project was fully supported by the current ruling bishop of the Limassol diocese, Metropolitan Athanasios, who ascended to the cathedra in 1999.
In 1997. A plot of land in the Kalogiri neighborhood of Limassol was donated to the Russian Orthodox Church. The construction of the temple was carried out with the participation of the Foundation for the construction of the Church of St. Nicholas. The consecration of the foundation stone on the site of St. Nicholas Church was made on June 9, 2012 by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia during an official visit to the Orthodox Church of Cyprus. The consecration of the foundation stone on the site of St. Nicholas Church was made on June 9, 2012.
The Russian-style temple was designed by Vorontsov Architectural Bureau. The church services are conducted in the Church Slavonic language and in the liturgical tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church. The church services are conducted in the Church Slavonic language and the liturgical tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church. The church has a children's Sunday school, a social service and the center of spiritual and moral culture «Sofia» whose mission is to preserve the spiritual and moral culture of the Russian-speaking diaspora in Cyprus. EOCS Communication Service/Patriarchy.ru
