A delegation of the Macedonian Orthodox Church of the Archdiocese of Ohrid, which visited Russia on October 11-19, 2025, at the invitation of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, visited St. Petersburg and Valaam.
The delegation includes Metropolitan Peter of Prespa-Pelagonia, Bishop Nicholas of Velichka, Vicar of the Prespa-Pelagonia Diocese, and Hieromonk Athanasius (Arsosky), head of the publishing Department of the Diocese of Skopje.
On October 11, representatives of the Macedonian Orthodox Church visited St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg. With the blessing of the church's sacristan, Archpriest Roman Kovalsky, the guests were greeted by the cathedral's cleric, Priest Dionysius Prozorov. Father Dionysius spoke about the life of the parish, about the youth activities that are developing within the walls of St. Isaac's Cathedral.
The delegation's program of stay in the Northern Capital also included a visit to the Kazan Cathedral, where the guests were greeted by the chairman of the parish council, Archpriest Alexander Pashkov, who spoke about the history of this shrine and the modern life of the cathedral community.
On October 13, a visit to the St. Petersburg Theological Academy took place.
On October 14, the delegation visited the church at the Smolensky Cemetery of the city on the Neva. With the blessing of the dean of Vasileostrovsky district, Archpriest Evgeny Shogenov, the guests were greeted by Priest Sergiy Ladanov. In the church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, the guests were able to get acquainted with the history and architecture of this majestic temple, one of the oldest and most revered in St. Petersburg. The central point of the visit was a visit to the chapel of Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg. The guests from the Macedonian Orthodox Church venerated the tomb of one of the most beloved and revered saints of the city on the Neva River and offered their prayers to this saint of God.
Metropolitan Peter of Prespa and Pelagonia, Bishop Nicholas of Velichka and Hieromonk Athanasius (Arsosky) also visited the memorial apartment of St. John of Kronstadt in Kronstadt.
On October 15, the delegation arrived in Valaam. Accompanied by Hieromonk Nahum (Petkovsky) of the Macedonian Macedonian Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Saviour, a resident of the Valaam Monastery, and Danila Kolesnikov, a guide of the monastery's pilgrimage service, they visited the Transfiguration Cathedral, where they got acquainted with the main shrines of the monastery and offered prayers in front of them.
After that, fraternal communion took place in a cordial atmosphere with the abbot of the Valaam monastery, Bishop Pankraty of Troitsk.
At his invitation, the guests proceeded to the Abbot's cemetery, where the bishops celebrated a requiem mass at the grave of Archimandrite Methodius (Petrov), a native of Northern Macedonia, a resident of the Valaam Monastery.
The morning of October 16 began with the celebration of the episcopal Liturgy in the church of Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius of the Slavyansky Pilgrimage House, which was led by Metropolitan Peter and co-served by Bishops Pancratius and Nicholas. During the service at the funeral litany, the ever-memorable Archimandrite Methodius, through whose labors this temple was built, as well as his parents Cyril and Slobodka were remembered.
On the same day, the guests walked along the route of the Valaam "New Jerusalem", visiting the Sunday and Gethsemane monasteries, and also visited the monastery farm complex.
On October 17, members of the delegation visited the island Ilyinsky, Svyatoostrovsky, Forerunner skete and Serafimova Desert.
The next day, after visiting the Vladimir and Kazan monasteries of the Valaam Monastery, they left for St. Petersburg.
On Sunday, October 19, representatives of the Macedonian Orthodox Church of the Ohrid Archdiocese concelebrated with Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga at the Liturgy in the Prince Vladimir Cathedral of the Northern capital. The service was held in the Assumption Chapel.
Glorification was performed at the relics of the hierophant Mikhail Soyuzov, whose memory was celebrated on this day.
In memory of the joint prayer, Metropolitan Varsonofy presented the hierarchs of the Macedonian Church with a sculpture of Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, the Baptist of Russia.
On October 20, the Macedonian delegation's stay in Russia ended.