A delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church headed by Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov), Secretary of the Department for External Church Relations for Inter-Christian Relations, and Abbess of the Martha and Mary Monastery of Mercy in Moscow, Abbess Abbess Elisaveta (Pozdnyakova), at the invitation of His Holiness Patriarch Abuna Matthias I of Ethiopia, took part in celebrations dedicated to the celebration of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord "Meskel" on September 26, 2024.
Traditionally, this holiday is celebrated in Ethiopia at the national level. In Addis Ababa, public celebrations are held in the central square of the city, called the Cross (Meskel). They begin with a prayer service, after which members of the city's numerous parishes, Sunday schools, church and state musical groups perform hymns dedicated to the Cross of the Lord and the Feast of the Exaltation.
The delegation from Russia included the United Choir of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra and the Moscow Theological Academy under the leadership of Hieromonk Nestor (Volkov), co-chairs of the International Organization "Union of Orthodox Women" N.V. Dmitrievskaya and E.A. Sipyagina, representatives of the ANO "Russian Seasons".
In the presence of His Holiness Patriarch Abuna Matthias of Ethiopia, President of Ethiopia S. Zewde, Mayor of Addis Ababa A. Abebe, Minister of Culture and Sports of the country Sh. Shank, representatives of the diplomatic corps, members of the Holy Synod, clerics and tens of thousands of believers of the Ethiopian Church, the choir from Russia performed church hymns dedicated to the Holy Cross. This is the second time the choir has participated in these celebrations. The first performance took place in 2023.
Both performances had a wide response and were broadcast on central and regional Ethiopian TV channels.
The visit of the Joint Choir of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra and the Moscow Theological Academy to Ethiopia was carried out with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation as part of the events of the Days of Spiritual Culture of Russia in this country.