In the Kirov region began Velikoretsky procession — one of the largest annual processions of Russia. The oldest known mass pilgrimage, Vyatka land. Crowded — no exaggeration.
In 2000, the year when the Velikoretsky religious procession received the status all-Russia, way off by several thousand people. Since 2008, the year of 150 kilometers from Kirov to the settlement Velikoretskoye is sent not less than 30 thousand pilgrims. About 50 thousand come to the place to meet the revered image of the Velikoretsky icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
this year, However, in a pandemic coronavirus Vyatka eparchy in the person of Metropolitan of Vyatka and Sloboda Mark 13 may, in advance, addressed to the believers. Noting that the Velikoretsky procession of the cross will be held at the time, from June 3 to 8, Metropolitan mark said that “the procession will be made with the changes required by the epidemiological situation.”
namely, the Velikoretsky icon of Prelate Nikolay will be transported by the clergy of the diocese on the car. Canceled a festive service on the Velikaya river. The diocese also warned that “organized Parking places and shelter, food, mobile storage, maintenance, physicians and rescuers will not.”
Separately Bishop mark addressed to believers from other regions. He recalled that “in the Kirov region coming from other regions must undergo a two week quarantine in isolation mode”.
However, the request of the Supreme authority had no validity: in social networks there is “independent” of the page where the true believers were organized in his personal procession. They gave each other advice on how to “bypass obstacle” in the form of quarantine, where to stay, eat, where, in some villages and towns can meetth inhabitants, dissatisfied with the violation of regulations and fear for their health.
as a result, according to local newspaper logored.Ru, just for the solemn Liturgy at the monastery Trifonova Kirov, which begins the procession, “attended by hundreds of people. Volunteers handed out medical masks and reminders”, however, it is clear that “distance on the temple grounds is almost non-existent”.
Now, about three thousand pilgrims from the don, from the Chelyabinsk region, Arkhangelsk, Udmurt Republic, Komi, St. Petersburg looking for and find the support, shelter, storage, transport in the network.
it Should be noted that residents of the region have something to fear. And what to Express dissatisfaction. It is not excluded that in a situation of huge concentrations of people that do not respect the most elementary sanitary norms in the field happens epidemiological outbreak.
But before thousands of pilgrimage on 2 June in the region was the 1979 cases of infection with coronavirus million three hundred inhabitants. That is about one tenth of one percent. Of these, 1013 patients have recovered.