16 Aug 2018 in the crypt of the temple-monument in honor of All saints in Minsk took place the solemn ceremony of laying the capsule with earth brought from the battlefields of the Kursk bulge, according to patriarhiei.
The ceremony was led by Patriarchal Exarch of all Belarus Metropolitan of Minsk and Zaslavsky Paul. The event was attended by veterans of the great Patriotic war, representatives of state bodies of the Republic of Belarus, honored guests from the Russian Federation, and also representatives of traditional religions and confessions in Belarus.
The event was timed to the 75th anniversary of the victory in the battle of Kursk, which will be celebrated on 23 August 2018. In Minsk the capsule with the earth brought by the Minister of communications and Informatization of the Republic of Belarus S. P. Popkov, who is also the head of the Belarusian part of the Joint working group on cooperation with the Kursk region. Collection of land was carried out in cooperation with representatives of Administration of Kursk region.
The ceremony began with a brief introductory speech to the audience asked the rector of the memorial Church in honor of All saints Archpriest Feodor Povny.
Participants in this event was welcomed by Metropolitan Pavel. The Archbishop urged all to pray for the fallen defenders of the Fatherland, that the Lord blessed peace of our peoples and calmed our hearts. According to the word of the Lord, capsule with soil brought from the field, where 75 years ago there were fights, will be a symbol of spiritual unity of peoples of Belarus and Russia, a reminder of the tragic pages of our common history, a warning and a call to preserve the world for future generations.
Patriarchal Exarch said a prayer for the repose of the soldiers who died in the battle of Kursk. Choir “all saints” sang “Eternal memory”, and then Bishop Paul and S. P. Popkov carried out the laying of the capsule in a special niche.
Then with a salutatory word addressed to S. P. Popkov.
Metropolitan Paul spoke with arrived to the ceremony by the veterans warmly thanked them for the feat and wished health and longevity and gave his archpastoral blessing.
Held a teleconference “Minsk — Kursk” with the participation of acting Governor of Kursk region Yu. a. Tipitinas, Metropolitan of Kursk and Rylsky Herman, a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of Russia and Belarus O. M. Germanova, Chairman of the Council of veterans of war, labour, Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies in Kursk region Vladimir Sundukova as well as veterans of the great Patriotic war — inhabitants of Kursk.
Then the opening speech was provided to the representatives of the Roman Catholic Church, Judaism and Islam.
In conclusion, all the participants honored the memory of the fallen heroes by laying flowers.