in central moscow it's the largest cathedral in russia it's the mass now being headed by patriarch of moscow russia taking place and with me is going to be he's going to be leaving us quite soon to attend his own service with his own congregation for that this is a long service it's only just begun in the last hour or so where are we now what's happening i was reading a post. on there will be a gospel reading which actually represents the line of ancestors of jesus christ before his birth starting them and presents one of the major documents of all russian orthodox church and i think all the christian churches as christ has two natures the nature of god and nature of human and then we see the patriarch going all russia carol conducting the entire service and i'd like to talk to you more about him a little later a more about orthodoxy the religion here in russia and your own thoughts as well as

being part of the church so in the meantime thank you very much for the glory for joining us you'll be back with this in about two or three minutes from now just to remind you you can follow the mass on our website we doing constant streaming for you at our top com and as i say we'll be back with more coverage of that christmas is being held in crisis a cathedral here in moscow in just a couple of minutes stay with us. he. says.

for the for. the biggest issues get. to face with. this is. go on this christmas. cathedral in the meantime the top stories this hour a russian. ship stuck in ice to safety. in new york residents. rubbish heap spilled the streets.

junkyards. christmas bells ringing. most christians. gathering in the main cathedral and as you can see we're bringing . live pictures and live coverage from that vigil in crisis a cathedral in the very center of moscow. well with me in the studio is father you would be russian from the russian orthodox church his public relations department thanks once again for being with us. just before a brief break that we were talking about the events of the service and it goes only into the early alice. conducting the whole service hasn't actually been long in the post has he really. it's already been two year cycle the first of the february we'll sort of race and here is the second year being a better homo scored over russia and it's definitely not

a long period for the as the previous better almost one thousand years in office some of the better of what ten years and even thirty years some of them or head of the russian orthodox church so he said. the end of the collapse of the soviet union and in terms of modernization now it's actually it's early days in some ways when we were a mom what happened during the soviet times but how is the orthodox church developing and how are younger generations being involved. for these more than fifteen years already being church. out of the scat so during the soviet time a lot of people came to the church to come to go to the parish is starting to really believe and now even with. alexis the second and during. the turkey deal they know more and more involved in the parish work for instance

a picture of the real. told pedo priests to establish some parishes special departments or to work with youngsters. youth who work with older generations or do some social work and that will be something new to the russian orthodox church after the soviet period because during that period. well you have a picture it's you to work with with the public with the people themselves just celebrating the services which wasn't. so little for the church but now we have more opportunities to preach and do good deeds. in the public sphere and of course not only in gauging the younger generation to take part in the religion itself but also here you are a representative of that younger generation actually playing a part in the church vocation although many people now training and want to be part of the church as priest yes there we have. four philippic academies for

five. to religious institutions which has which have probably about several thousands of people young people who are studying theology studying different social studies. were elated to religion wanted to be teachers wanted to be theologians wanted to be priests and want to walk in the social sphere bring all the stadiums that brings us gospel so probably we have a good future in this respect and just a few before and we commentated on various services in the past and your knowledge all of the services themselves and the religion just how long is the training it is an immense amount to learn here is that how long have you been training for usually takes about from forty to eighty is to become a theologian or become a priest we have a five year course of seven there were. five years goes on for academies which are

actually giving me a possibility to become a professor to become as call it of a teacher and difference with a logical institutes when as we're talking we're obviously bringing live coverage of the service taking place there across a because theatre and to put you on the sport and to test your knowledge of what is happening now in this very long christmas. right now and those hearings from the gospel and there will be several witnesses and after that was the major part of the liturgy of consecrating their holy seconds. and let's just listen to some of the chanting now we can see off the president's own russian president medvedev that out we'll talk about politics and religion in just a minute but just to enjoy some of the atmosphere and enjoy the pictures from the cathedral just from. the.

border. wall. is still a holy. war so. this exhibit is.

still. if you just joined us we're bringing you live coverage of the midnight service taking place across the same confusional in the heart of. the ducted by the patriarch you know as we see there the food you know my country just a few moments ago we saw shots of president vetted and his wife all the beauty is with me in the studio. tell us more about politics and religion just how supportive is the government to all of the with docs church now days we have really a lot of projects going along together with. official authority for russian

federation as far as i know or for instance president's wife or started where she's at all to different projects related with the church for instance has. restored and told. us i'm working with the youth supporting families. promoting family values. population and different other things and that's actually a good supports all for really what we what the church is doing here in our state trying to preach all these values and when we see such a high authority is presented tonight during the service that actually a good. a good thing that church is doing the the whole real real preaching in the analysis i see the presence of the president and his wife doing this sort of doesn't mean that the church became under government or the social state church is

still separates it's a bot to express that the president and his wife a christian believes voluntarily share this. during this great feast of christmas and moscow attending services and greeting patrick and all that believe this country and i understand also the prime minister vladimir putin he. said it was somewhere else in the country no doubt will find out about that in his whereabouts of it later but we've just been talking about present event and his wife then they are in the cathedral taking part in this setlist the service continues until the early hours so we won't be giving up full coverage of this but just to remind you we will be giving you full coverage on our website dot com music of course a major part for the unity of any orthodox service we saw some in military uniforms there. is a mistake and if i'm not mistaken this is quiet of aleksandr of one of the military

quiets which regularly actually taking part in christmas easter services in crisis a week if you drill and gladly accept this why is that which is on cathedral and also as a quiet of the press secretary itself is very beautiful because you have very strong male voices and along the way a female saying it's or it would bring really joy all the services and. bring so much. add so much atmosphere as recently as to what is already a spectacular city it's a really patrick will service because you know you will never salutes and the regular parish with different choirs different atmosphere each is it shared in church each parish is different they have different timing of service different. features different priests or different words that the same two people patrick will

service is absolutely astonishing what's happening now with this procession this is the major procession the main procession one priests entering also for the. consecrate seeing. that the bread and wine and now are they moving from. from one part of all to the main part of also where they going to be consecrated. we just get this calendar in context with the rest of the celebrations of the year and the russian saying that actually east is regarded as more than portland ventoux for the church yes that's that's correct that's correct because we celebrating the resurrection of christ would be more stressing under the base of them than christmas on a.c.c. is it but still they say that he is the one of the greatest feasts. of russia not the church of all the orthodox churches i think in the world if anybody just joining us now they may be a little confused by the fact the christmas being celebrated now thirteen days

after the twenty fifth of december bearing in mind that calendars and the use of candidates has been changed in the past i think you can show you're often asked this question do you think your thoughts church perhaps could put christmas in line with other countries or like it the twenty fifth of december we should keep in mind that some orthodox churches already is celebrating their christmas on twentieth anyway according to gregorian calendar i think only three or four out of fifteen orthodox churches sort of bridge and it's on the seventh of january according to julian calendars. remembering history in the russia in one thousand seven hundred already it was already at temps are celebrated on twenty three of the salmon by a long way of all the western traditions but it didn't find really. supports within the relievers so that. it's only for their property i guess and then they switched off again and probably i'm not sure when but the

probably sometime will celebrating christmas on twenty fifth along with their western tradition but still to tell the truth we still are betting on twenty fifth of december but according to julie. i appreciate that well we certainly appreciate you being with us this evening. because i know it's a very special night and you yourself are due to attend your own congregation you have your own church here you'll be meeting a ceremony this evening yes in less than what fifteen minutes from now so you want to depart a studious prayer fairly rapidly as for like likely my parish is not far from here so probably in fifteen minutes i will make it to the well your congregation is awaiting so we won't keep you any longer thank you very much indeed through some of the elements of that setting explain it and explain some of the background of that and a very very merry christmas to you all day would be an option thank you for joining us and so the christmas vigil has begun it's sunday where the moment at russia's main church cross the savior cathedral in the very center of moscow and let's just

enjoy some of the spectacle for a couple of more moments before we join our correspondent there.

just. so live coverage here on. the midnight show what's taking place across the show you can see it all in some form and as promised we're not going to join or to use the choice for his just outside the cathedral for so we'll cross over to her live now so the mass is only one pole to all of christmas celebrations here in russia when it comes to. be a christmas for the russians it's not only about church leaders. it

is first and foremost a very cosy very warm and family holiday in the first place and many prefer to stay home to see that one big table with their family member sent to watch this love this ceremony from the country's main cathedral christ the savior of the people behind me live broadcast from their hopes and there is a feast of course at least believe though that you cannot start your deen not all the stock if he is in the night sky mocking the moment when jesus christ was born in january the sabbath in all for many russians of those least holy days is a family day and they celebrate his along with new year. seven days after that and it also marks this feast marks the beginning of the so-called christmas time two weeks between. russian orthodox christmas january the seventh and to be funny on january nineteenth unknown in russia itself. this traditional pagan

holiday was in the beginning disapproved by the church but it was still very popular among people that we saw instances games took place at these periods and it also believed that cheering city out. spirits are among the even you can ask the many questions regarding your future may run. still like two weeks of so but it is the. celebrating christmas. five thousand people have gathered at the cathedral. and all across the country some ten million people are attending the christmas and five thousand want to cheer. ceremonies these minutes. thanks very much indeed a katrina. to save a cathedral in moscow to see the the christmas vigil is well underway. we've been

reporting the events that have been taking place there across to say because the bring you live coverage of course services are taking place throughout the whole of russia at the moment this particular service is headed by patron of the old russia head of the nation's church and of course. we're going to continue showing you live pictures of the service for the next few minutes or so and also just to remind you you can follow the full coverage of the vigil on our website. www dot com let's now just enjoy the sights and sounds of this christmas spectacle taking place here in moscow. able to steal. food all you eat loads of shit your feet. oh oh oh. oh. oh oh oh oh. oh oh

oh oh dear oh dear look. look look at all the it's blown all of them on your football field load it will soon slowed soon it was very upbeat all up all this for on your trail or here in australia the audience wants it the spirit. it's almost. evil what the fuck was oh that's bill. yeah. it's us all over us oh sure it's only one t.c. if you load the it's fair east. even if some of it won't. be that of oh no it's all you see to understand all of us little oats. eat all you know oh so slow to. hear cos it's all just feeble here all week

yet once wont even told us that although it was both it was one of us that like a sample of books on this one yard oh oh oh really what would you know them is all of the envelope full of gold floats eat all the good will still pull yield slope here was that school yields where oh just ten minutes to go before christmas day in russia just celebrating the orthodox christmas searching days off to lead majority of christians celebrating christmas day on the twenty fifth of december we're bringing you live coverage of the event here in central and the ten thousand in the congregation that in russia's largest cathedral. just in the

background you can see the president of russia would have. been now in full view. across to say because he drew. the. oh. as we're learning a little earlier from my guest father. now on his way to his own church very next day he was telling us how much the pay truck you don't as gauging the younger generation it's here in russia making sure that the youth are involved in many of the church activities you'll be nice for new school and people. who can assist all sorts of gatherings whether it's biking gatherings indeed even gatherings with rock and pop musicians. the modernization of the progression of the orthodox church

which of course was suppressed in the soviet times and now researching in great strength throughout the country and indeed in other countries too it's not just russia that celebrating christmas on stage but also. macedonia and montenegro. it's. the tradition of celebrating christmas in russia dates back to the tenth century when russia accepted christianity as its official religion. and after the revolution a nine hundred seventeen as you may well know christmas was banned throughout the country along with all the religious celebrations. of some of the holidays traditions such as christmas trees decorating christmas trees you can presence actually turned into celebrations for it and in many ways of course is still the

main celebration today in the russian calendar but it seems that christmas is becoming more and more popular here in the country. it is a spectacular setting as you can see it's the tourist church in the old. set up to ten thousand people remarkable story. to think that this cathedral was only finished being constructed in two thousand it to thousands just have a telephone full that's a local history when it first started to be built is no cathedral celebrating russia's victory over the podium back in one thousand and twelve and it's right on the banks of the moscow river in a spectacular setting here. that through the soviet times it was destroyed and the stones although to make way for money went to socialism and would you believe became a public school system. now a center of christmas celebrations which would bring into my life in it.

it. gets bad oh all. my.

home. you. g. c. c yeah. yeah shares of re. is the law against a name for them i. was. told police. has brought in there was some of the c.c.c. in the least by. the boys. all the boys.

so a lot of coverage all of the christmas that is taking place there across the state the cathedral here in central moscow just of that was joined by far is that you would be or. the russian orthodox church is just heading off now to his own celebrations examine church here but he did explain to me before he left why it is that the russian orthodox church celebrates its christmas thirteen days. the majority of christians of course on the twenty fifth of december this is what it's . some orthodox churches already is celebrating christmas on twenty fifth according to gregorian calendar i think only three or four out of fifteenth orthodox church is celebrating it's on the seventh of january according to julian calendar. remembering history in the russia in one hundred seventeen there already there was already attempts to celebrate it on twenty fifth of december along with all the western tradition but it didn't find the really.

supports within the believe so that it's only for like. i guess and then they switched off again and probably. i'm not sort of sure when but probably sometime when we'll celebrate. christmas on twenty fifth a long way that western tradition but still to tell the truth those two bits one twenty eight feet off the same but according to julian in the. lead in that's your father you would be russian and we'll be bringing you more on how russian orthodox but celebrate christmas at the top of the hour and you can watch the full live coverage all of the mass across the savior featured on our web site at moment that's. don't come stay with us here in. just a few.