On the 6th Week after Pentecost, the day of commemoration of the glorious and all-laudable First Apostles Peter and Paul, on July 12, 2026, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, who had arrived in St. Petersburg from Valaam the day before, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the historic Imperial Cathedral of the Apostles Peter and Paul in the Peter and Paul Fortress.
Among those who prayed at the Liturgy were the abbesses of women's monasteries and clergymen of the St. Petersburg Archdiocese, members of the youth volunteer service of the St. Petersburg Diocese, residents and guests of the Northern Capital.
The service was broadcast live on the Soyuz and Spas TV channels, as well as on the official portal of the Russian Orthodox Church. Патриархия.ги . The broadcast was shown on a large screen installed in front of the Peter and Paul Cathedral.
At the special litany, special petitions were offered, and the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church read a prayer for Holy Russia.
At the end of the Liturgy, His Holiness glorified the First-born Apostles Peter and Paul.
On behalf of the hierarchs, clergy and laity of the St. Petersburg Metropolitanate, Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg greeted His Holiness the Patriarch and presented His Holiness with an ancient image of the supplication of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, as well as two panagia and a cross.
The Primate of the Russian Church addressed the faithful with a Primatial address.
His Holiness presented Metropolitan Varsonofy with a commemorative panagia.
In consideration of the help of the St. Petersburg Archdiocese and in connection with the 70th anniversary of his birth, the Governor of St. Petersburg, A.D. Beglov, was awarded the Order of Glory and Honor of the II degree. His Holiness the Patriarch also presented the governor with an ancient image of the Lord Almighty.
Presenting the icon to the governor, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill said: "I would also like to present you with this image of the Savior as a blessing for your future gubernatorial work. The Lord Almighty holds the whole world, the whole universe, in His right hand. And when secular authorities — not necessarily in our country, but in general (such is the psychology of power) — believe that they rule, they have power, looking at the Savior, we must always remember: the Lord rules everything. And the authorities become successful and revered by the people when their authority and the exercise of this power are in line with the Divine commandments."
In response, A.D. Beglov, thanking the Primate for the high award, noted: "This award is not only mine, but also my assistants, heads of committees, city government, heads of districts. They are all working hard today for the benefit of our city and the Russian Orthodox Church."
"Today is a special day for our city, today is a great holiday — we honor the holy Apostles Peter and Paul. Our city bears the name of St. Peter, and we are obliged to keep the faith," A.D. Beglov emphasized.
"Your Holiness! It is a great honor for us that you personally led the divine service today. Your prayers for the citizens and for our city are of great importance. You are from Leningrad and St. Petersburg, you have lived in our city, and you always come here with deep feelings and gratitude, and the city responds in kind. We all love and respect you," the governor added.
At the end of the service, all participants were presented with icons of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul with the Patriarchal blessing.
***
Peter and Paul Cathedral was built by decree of Tsar Peter I. It was built in 1712-1733 under the supervision of architect Domenico Trezzini. On July 12, 1733, the cathedral was consecrated in honor of the first-born Apostles Peter and Paul. From the establishment of the St. Petersburg Diocese in 1742 to the consecration of St. Isaac's Cathedral in 1858, Peter and Paul Cathedral was a cathedral, then it was transferred to the court department. In 1919, the cathedral was closed. It is now under the management of the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg.
The cathedral is the tomb of the Imperial House of Romanov. The founder of St. Petersburg, Emperor Peter the Great, was the first to be buried here. Since the 1990s, memorial services for Russian emperors have been regularly held in the cathedral, and since 2000, Liturgies have been celebrated. Since 2001, Archimandrite Alexander (Fedorov) has been rector of the cathedral.