Residents of Sakhalin and Kamchatka were the first in Russia to celebrate Orthodox Christmas

Russia began to celebrate Orthodox Christmas from the east — Sakhalin and Kamchatka were among the first to receive the festive Divine Liturgy. Footage from the scene is published by Izvestia.

In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ became the main place of Christmas worship. Hundreds of believers and guests of the island gathered under its arches for an all-night service. People came a few hours before the start of the liturgy: they lit candles, wrote notes, and prepared to celebrate one of the main Christian holidays in prayer. For many, this is the result of a 40-day Christmas fast.

"We are all united in one prayer — hopefully we turn our requests to the Lord so that there would be peace in our country, so that there would be peace in our families, so that our children would make us happy. All those aspirations that are characteristic of every person who lives in this world," said Bishop Nikanor, Archbishop of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Kuril Islands.

A solemn service was also held in Kamchatka, in the Cathedral of the Holy Life—Giving Trinity. The church was filled with parishioners, despite the harsh weather.

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Earlier in the day, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia called on all those who are not believers to open their hearts to God on the Orthodox holiday of Christmas. Congratulating the clergy and faithful, the Patriarch recalled the importance of the incarnation, which is able to overcome the disunity, bitterness and spiritual crisis of the modern world. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church added that, in accordance with Christian teaching, healing of human life and the whole world can only happen through unity with God. It is in Christ that man finds the meaning of life and the path to eternity.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.