After the meeting with the participants of the X St. Petersburg International Forum of United Cultures, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia visited the Nikolskoye and Bolsheokhtinskoye cemeteries of St. Petersburg.
Russian Grave service was celebrated by the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church at the St. Nicholas Cemetery of the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra at the grave of his spiritual mentor, the ever-memorable Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov) and laid flowers on the tombstone.
The primate also prayed at the graves of the ever-memorable Metropolitans Anthony (Melnikov, 1924-1986) and John (Snychev, 1927-1995), Archbishop Mikhail (Mudyugin, 1912-2000), Bishop Markell (Vetrov, 1952-2019) and his elder brother Archpriest Nikolai Gundyaev (1940-2021).
Then His Holiness Patriarch Kirill went to the Bolsheokhtinskoye cemetery. The primate was accompanied by Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, Bishop Alexy of Ramenskoye, and Archpriest Sergiy Kuksevich.
His Holiness Vladyka celebrated a litany and laid flowers on the graves of his pious parents, Archpriest Mikhail and Raisa Vladimirovna Gundyaev.
In conclusion, His Holiness the Patriarch visited the burial place of Archpriest Sergiy Rumyantsev (1903-1977), the long-time rector of the Transfiguration Cathedral of St. Petersburg, where he also offered a funeral prayer.