Switzerland. Geneva. Easter at the Russian Church. The church is a lovely 19th-century Russian Orthodox church and designed in a Byzantine Moscovite style. The church’s full name is Cathédrale de l'Exaltation de la Sainte Croix. The Archbishop Michael with his mitre during the religious service on the night of Easter Sunday. The nighttime liturgy is a blessing of Easter fire with candles and the celebration of the Easter Proclamation of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. A priest holds in his hands the Paschal Trikirion which is a liturgical triple-candlestick used at Easter time in the Eastern Orthodox ceremony. It is used from the commencement of the celebration of the Resurrection during the Paschal Vigil. Women with a scarf on heads are making the sign of the cross, or blessing oneself or crossing oneself, which is a ritual blessing made by members of Christianity.
Archbishop Michael (Secular name - Simeon Vasilyevich Donskoff; born on 29 March 1943) is a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Archbishop of Geneva and Western Europe. Easter, also called Pascha or Resurrection Sunday is a festival and holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day of his burial after his crucifixion.The Russian church serves not only the Russian community but also Bulgarians, Serbs, Coptic Christians and other Orthodox worshippers who do not have their own church in Geneva. 16.04.17 © 2017 Didier Ruef