On Tuesday, September 21, the oldest Orthodox church in Estonia celebrated both its patronal feast and its 300th anniversary. The Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos in Tallinn was consecrated on the day of the feast itself in 1721. In honor of the double celebration, His Eminence Metropolitan Evgeny of Tallinn and All Estonia celebrated the All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy on Monday and Tuesday, reports the site of the Estonian Church.The feast was attended by Abbess Philareta of Pukhtitsa Convent in Estonia, the Mayor and Vice-Mayor of Tallinn, and other officials and public figures.

At the end of the Liturgy, a procession was held around the church, then a litiya was served inside the church, and a memorial plaque for the officers and lower ranks of the 91st Dvinsky Infantry Regiment who died in the First World War was opened.

After handing out ecclesiastical awards, Met. Evgeny congratulated the parish on its anniversary and gave the floor to Abbess Philareta, who gave a heartfelt speech and presented a copy of the Pukhtitsa Dormition Icon of the Mother of God as a gift to the Nativity of the Theotokos Church.

The celebrations concluded with the planting of a young oak tree in the courtyard of the church in honor of the 300th anniversary. A film dedicated to the parish will premier at the Russian Cultural Center in Tallinn on September 23. (Quelle: www.orthochristian.com, 23. September 2021)