In Photos: War Symbols Mark Russia's Easter Celebrations
Russians celebrated Orthodox Easter on Sunday with church services, religious processions and traditional foods — including painted eggs.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a church service in Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral where he was photographed alongside Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
But the Christian festival was also accompanied by reminders of the bloody war taking place in neighboring Ukraine.
Participants in one religious procession in the Urals region city of Yekaterinburg carried placards with the letter “Z”, which is a symbol of support for Russian troops.
The religious authorities in Russia have been outspoken in their support of the invasion of Ukraine.
“Today our people is in particular need of internal unity. There are a lot of difficulties for our Fatherland… so the people should today gather round this historical center of Rus, around the city of Moscow,” the head of Russian Orthodox, Patriarch Kirill, said Monday at a service in the Kremlin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a church service in Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral where he was photographed alongside Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
But the Christian festival was also accompanied by reminders of the bloody war taking place in neighboring Ukraine.
Participants in one religious procession in the Urals region city of Yekaterinburg carried placards with the letter “Z”, which is a symbol of support for Russian troops.
The religious authorities in Russia have been outspoken in their support of the invasion of Ukraine.
“Today our people is in particular need of internal unity. There are a lot of difficulties for our Fatherland… so the people should today gather round this historical center of Rus, around the city of Moscow,” the head of Russian Orthodox, Patriarch Kirill, said Monday at a service in the Kremlin.
Metropolitan Yevgeny (C) of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye takes part in a religious procession during Orthodox Easter celebrations.
Donat Sorokin / TASS
An Easter procession in Yekaterinburg included the "Z" symbols used to show support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Donat Sorokin / TASS
An Easter procession in Yekaterinburg.
Donat Sorokin / TASS
An Easter procession in the Far Eastern city of Vladivostok.
Yuri Smityuk / TASS
An Easter procession in the Far Eastern city of Vladivostok.
Yuri Smityuk / TASS
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, at an Easter service in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
kremlin.ru
Russian President Vladimir Putin at an Easter service at Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral.
kremlin.ru
Putin and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin at an Easter service at Christ the Savior Cathedral.
kremlin.ru
A Russian soldier carries cartons of eggs for an Easter service at the St Elijah the Prophet Monastery in the village of Varvarovka, near the city of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.
Stanislav Krasilnikov / TASS
