On September 17, 2026, Metropolitan Bartholomew of Novosibirsk and Berdsk celebrated a prayer service for travelers in the prayer room of the "Defender" Social Rehabilitation Center in Novosibirsk, from which a group was organized for the first pilgrimage trip, consisting of soldiers of a special military operation and their family members.

The event was part of a joint project of the Novosibirsk Diocese, the Ministry of Labor and Social Development of the region and Deputy of the Legislative Assembly Igor Fedorovich Grishunin. The program is designed to give participants and their loved ones an opportunity to touch the history of the Orthodox culture of Siberia and the traditions of Russian monasticism, to get acquainted with the life of Orthodox churches and to touch the shrines.

During the trip, the group will visit the Pokrovsky Alexander Nevsky Convent and the Cathedral in honor of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity in the village of Kolyvan, as well as the temple in the name of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in the village of Kudryashovsky.

– When a person comes into contact with a shrine, he finds himself in a completely different world, then he himself changes inside, and his attitude towards people changes. Many people note that after a pilgrimage trip, after visiting monasteries, you become kinder, there is love for God and people. This is especially important for those people who are in a difficult situation," Bishop Bartholomew said in his parting words.

The participants of the pilgrimage were also welcomed by Elena Bakhareva, Minister of Labor and Social Development of the Novosibirsk Region, and Igor Grishunin, Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the region.

The further development of the initiative to support participants in a special military operation and their family members involves the expansion of joint activities, including regular pilgrimages, meetings with clergy, and cultural and educational programs.