On September 6, 2026, in the 14th Week after Pentecost, the feast of the Cathedral of Moscow Saints, a solemn ceremony was held at the Patriarchal Cathedral in honor of the Resurrection of Christ, the main church of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, to bring the ark with a particle of the relics of the blessed Grand Duke Dimitri Donskoy.
After the discovery of the venerable relics of the blessed Prince Dimitri Donskoy in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Metropolitan Gregory of the Resurrection, the administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate, performed a prayer service at the shrine with the relics of the holy prince. At the end of the service, the ark containing the shrine was solemnly handed over to 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, for the subsequent bringing of the shrine to the main military temple of the country, determined by the place of its permanent residence.
Upon arrival of the ark at the Patriarchal Cathedral, Metropolitan Kirill led the prayer service.
Representatives of the military clergy, military personnel and parishioners of the church prayed during the service.
At the end of the prayer service, Bishop Kirill addressed the faithful with an archpastoral address.
"In the reliquary, under the glass, there is a particle from the right hand of Dimitri Donskoy. In this hand he held a sword when he led the army on Kulikovo Field and in other battles. At this crucial time, when the country and the army are working to protect the Fatherland and the Orthodox Church, the Lord sends us another intercessor. The Holy Prince will invisibly appear with our soldiers in the area of a special military operation," Metropolitan Kirill emphasized.
During the sermon, the bishop noted the providential historical convergence of the shrines under the arches of the cathedral — currently, the miraculous Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, whose appearance over the waters of Lake Ladoga in 1383 occurred during the reign of Grand Duke Dimitri Donskoy, also resides in the temple.
With the blessing of the Hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church, the ark with the relics of the Blessed Grand Duke Dimitri Donskoy will be brought to combat units on the line of contact, military hospitals, higher military educational institutions and garrisons throughout the country. This initiative is aimed at providing comprehensive support to the Christ-loving army and offering fervent prayers for victory.