On September 11-13, 2026, with the blessing of Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies, head of the Synodal Committee for Cooperation with the Cossacks, participants in a special military operation and their family members made a pilgrimage to the shrines of the North Caucasus.
"Russian Orthodox Church" Commission for the Development of Pilgrimage and the Sacrifice of Shrines organized the trip by the Stavropol Diocese and the regional branch of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation.
The group included 40 residents of the Stavropol Territory. The pilgrims were accompanied by a cleric of the church of the Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky in Stavropol, Priest Evgeny Stepanishchev.
The journey began on September 11 with a prayer service for travelers. A requiem mass for the fallen soldiers was celebrated in St. Nicholas Cathedral in Kislovodsk. Then the participants got acquainted with the sights of the city and visited the springs of healing mineral water.
On the same day, the pilgrims visited the Orthodox hippotherapy center "Healing Essentuki". A program of psychoemotional support was prepared for them, including communication with horses and horseback riding.
On September 12, the day of commemoration of the finding of the relics of the Venerable Prince Daniel of Moscow and the transfer of the relics of the Venerable Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky, the group set off for Vladikavkaz. Along the way, the pilgrims had a remote conversation with Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol.
His Eminence congratulated the participants of the trip on the holiday and addressed them with an archpastoral address. He recalled the sacrificial service of the Holy Princes Alexander Nevsky and Dimitri Donskoy, stressing that their feat remains a moral example for the defenders of the Fatherland. Metropolitan Kirill also offered prayers for the repose of the fallen soldiers and for the health of those injured.
The participants of the trip thanked the Clergy for the spiritual support provided to the servicemen and their families.
Upon arrival in the Vladikavkaz diocese, the pilgrims visited the Alan Epiphany Convent, where they met with Archbishop Gerasim of Vladikavkaz and Alan, got acquainted with the history of the monastery and worshiped its shrines. The day ended with a sightseeing tour of Vladikavkaz.
On September 13, the participants of the trip prayed for the Divine Liturgy at the Alan Assumption Monastery in the village of Hidikus in the Republic of North Ossetia — Alania. After the service, they got acquainted with the life of the monastery and visited the gorges of the Caucasus Mountains.
The final point of the route was the memorial complex on the territory of school No. 1 in Beslan. Prayers were offered here for the repose of the victims of the terrorist act.
According to the participants, the opportunity to worship at shrines, pray for relatives and friends, and spend a few days in an atmosphere of spiritual communion has become a significant support for military personnel and their family members.
Photo: Alexey Chirkin