On September 3, 2026, a press conference dedicated to preparations for the Moscow-wide Religious Procession, which will take place on September 6, was held at the International Multimedia Press Center of MIA Rossiya Segodnya in Moscow. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia will lead the prayer procession. The route will run from the Cathedral Cathedral of Christ the Savior to the Novodevichy Stavropol Convent through the embankments of the Moskva River and Khamovnicheskiy Val.
The press conference was attended by Archbishop Savva of Zelenograd, Chairman of the Synodal Missionary Department, V.R. Legoyda, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church-Society Relations and the Media, V.I. Suchkov, Head of the Department of National Policy and Interregional Relations of Moscow, and N.A. Makarov, Acting Director of the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Archbishop Savva spoke about the tasks of the procession and about the shrines that will be carried at the head — the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God "Odigitria", the icon of the Cathedral of Moscow Saints and the ark with a particle of the relics of the blessed Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy. Vladyka Savva also called on the faithful not to be afraid of difficulties, recalling that the procession is "self—exertion, feat, labor of expectation, patience and prayer," and also referred to the words of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill that the procession is "a movement not only through the streets of Moscow, but also to the Kingdom of Heaven.".
V.R. Legoyda emphasized the spiritual significance of the procession and expressed gratitude to the mayor and the government of Moscow for their support in organizing it, noting that it is a vivid example of cooperation between the Church and the state. He also drew attention to the social dimension of the religious procession, recalling that religious life is not limited by the temple fence, and religious processions are a symbol of a full-fledged religious life.
The chairman of the Synodal Department for Church-Society Relations and the Media also said that FIT LLC had developed a mobile application for the participants of the march on a charitable basis, stressing that the Church does not shy away from modern technologies if they serve a good cause.
In addition, V.R. Legoyda quoted the address of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill in connection with the second finding of the relics of the Blessed Prince Dimitry Donskoy. In particular, the message says that today, as in the days of Prince Dimitry Donskoy and St. Sergius of Radonezh, "forces are acting against the peoples of Russia who want to divide our Church and society, deprive us of historical memory and unity." The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church emphasized that the prince sought and found victory not only in the art of war, but "above all in prayer, righteousness, mercy and hope for God's help."
The head of the Department of National Policy and Interregional Relations of the City of Moscow, V.I. Suchkov, said that the procession would take place on City Day, and the Moscow executive authorities, on behalf of the mayor, would provide the Russian Orthodox Church with comprehensive assistance in preparing and conducting the procession, including developing a scheme, technical and organizational measures, as well as ensuring security.
N.A. Makarov, Acting Director of the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, spoke about the circumstances of the second discovery of the relics of St. Dimitri Donskoy, noting their uniqueness and scientific significance.
At the end of the press conference, Archbishop Savva called on the faithful to come and pray without fear of difficulties, and also expressed the hope that the Moscow-wide procession would become an annual one.