On October 26, 2024, on the day of remembrance of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' performed the rite of the great consecration of the Cathedral in honor of the Smolensk Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of the Novodevichy Stavropegic Convent in Moscow after a large-scale restoration and led the Divine Liturgy in the newly consecrated church. This year marks the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Novodevichy Convent. At the gates of the church, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church was met by: co-chairs of the Organizing Committee for the preparation and holding of the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Novodevichy Stavropegic Convent in Moscow - Patriarchal Vicar of the Moscow Metropolitanate, Metropolitan Pavel of Krutitsy and Kolomna and Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation D.N. Chernyshenko; Governor of the Moscow Region A.Yu. Vorobyov; Secretary of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' for the Moscow Region, Archpriest Dionysius Kazantsev; Abbess of the Novodevichy Convent, Abbess Margarita (Feoktistova). Upon arrival at the church, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill venerated the miraculous copy of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, returned to the Novodevichy Convent on May 6, 2012. During the consecration of the church and the Liturgy, His Holiness was assisted by: Metropolitan Juvenaly (Poyarkov); Metropolitan Pavel of Krutitsy and Kolomna; Metropolitan Gregory of Voskresensk, Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Nicander of Naro-Fominsk, Chairman of the Financial and Economic Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Feognost of Kashira, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism; Archbishop Foma of Odintsovo and Krasnogorsk, head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchate; Archbishop Aksiy of Podolsk and Lyubertsy; Bishop Alexy of Ramenskoye, personal secretary of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill; Protopresbyter Vladimir Divakov, secretary of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' for the city of Moscow; Archpriest Dionysius Kazantsev; Hegumen Sergius (Kuksov), abbot of the Ascension Davidova Pustyn Monastery of the Podolsk Diocese; Hegumen Nikodim (Lunev), dean of the Ramenskoye District of the Kolomna Diocese; Priest Vasily Losev, head of the Legal Service of the Moscow Metropolitanate, member of the organizing committee for the preparation and holding of the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Novodevichy Convent; clergy of Moscow and the Moscow Region. The liturgical hymns were performed by the choir of the clergy of the Moscow Metropolitanate under the direction of priest Sergiy Golev. Special petitions were offered during the litany of supplication, and the Primate of the Russian Church read a prayer for Holy Rus'. The sermon before communion was delivered by Archimandrite Kirill (Semyonov), confessor of the Novodevichy Convent. At the end of the Liturgy, His Holiness read a prayer and performed a glorification before the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God. Greeting His Holiness, Abbess Margarita (Feoktistova) spoke about the revival of the Novodevichy Convent and presented His Holiness with the Petrovskaya Icon of the Mother of God. The Primate of the Russian Church addressed the believers with a Primate's word. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill presented the newly consecrated ancient cathedral with an icon of the Lord Almighty on the throne. Then the presentation of church awards took place. In recognition of their assistance and efforts in the restoration of the Novodevichy Stavropegic Convent, the following were awarded: Metropolitan Juvenaly (Poyarkov) — the Order of St. Andrew the Icon Painter, 1st class; Metropolitan Pavel of Krutitsy and Kolomna — the Order of St. Andrew the Icon Painter, 2nd class; Abbess Margarita (Feoktistova), abbess of the Novodevichy Convent — the Order of St. Olga the Equal-to-the-Apostles, 2nd class; D.N. Chernyshenko, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation — the Patriarchal Memorial Icon; O.B. Lyubimova, Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation — the Order of St. Euphrosyne, Princess of Moscow, 2nd class; A.Yu. Vorobyov, Governor of the Moscow Region — the Patriarchal Memorial Icon; S.G. Obryvalin, First Deputy Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation — the Order of the Blessed Prince Daniel of Moscow, 3rd degree; A.A. Kiriyenko, Deputy Director General of JSC United Engine Corporation — the Order of the Blessed Prince Daniel of Moscow, 2nd degree; I.R. Tyamushkin, Deputy Head of the Presidential Control Directorate — the Patriarchal Gratitude medal; E.V. Aksyonov, Head of the Department for Control in the Social Sphere of the Presidential Control Directorate — the Patriarchal Gratitude medal; V.V. Goverdovsky, Prefect of the Central Administrative District of Moscow — the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh medal; In conclusion, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' addressed the participants of the service: #DivineLiturgy #PatriarchKirill #DivineService #Metropolitan #KingdomOfHeaven #russianchurch @ElenaVladimirovnaDrachilovskaia