On the day of the celebration in honor of the finding of the Minsk Icon of the Mother of God, on August 26, 2026, a solemn cathedral procession took place along Pobediteley Avenue in the capital of Belarus, which ended the V All-Belarusian Procession "Zhirovichi - Minsk".
In 9 days, the pilgrims walked 250 kilometers with prayer for the Church, their loved ones, peace and well-being of Belarus and fraternal states. Their route passed through the Novogrudok, Pinsk, Molodechno and Minsk dioceses. The pilgrims visited 21 temples, and every day they traveled from 20 to 40 kilometers long. Together with them, the venerated lists of the miraculous icons of the Mother of God "Zhirovichskaya" and "Minsk", as well as other shrines, arrived in Minsk. 
In the early morning of August 26, the procession left the Zhdanovichi Church of the Ascension of the Lord to the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos in Minsk, and then headed to the Holy Spirit Cathedral. Numerous clergy, residents and guests of the city, including from other countries – Russia, Ukraine, Estonia, the Netherlands and Germany - joined the prayer procession along Pobediteley Avenue in Minsk. About 800 people took part in the procession at the start, and 8,5 thousand people took part in the final stage in the city of Minsk.
The procession ended near the Holy Spirit Cathedral, at the walls of which the pilgrims were greeted by the Primate of the Belarusian Orthodox Church. Later, the Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavl, led the festive Divine Liturgy, co-served by the hierarchs and clergy of the Belarusian Orthodox Church.
The meeting of the crusaders and the solemn divine service were broadcast on the Belarus 3 TV channel and the official YouTube channel of the Belarusian Orthodox Church.
At the end of the service, in his archpastoral address, the Patriarchal Exarch greeted those who had arrived at the celebrations and congratulated them on the holiday: "This event brought together many people who came from many parts of Belarus, as well as other countries, to participate in the procession." His Eminence noted that the procession is a strenuous prayer activity that unites people and inspires them with one common cause, love for the Lord, and the desire to ask Him for mercy for their native land, for people near and far, so that the procession sanctifies our land and God's mercy rests on it. 
"The Mother of God is the patroness of our land, and there are icons of Her in every region of our Fatherland. But Minsk, as the capital, has brought all of us together to pray on this day. And may the joy of the holiday inspire us to do all that is good and useful," said the archpastor.
Photo: BELTA