A Russian Orthodox believer plunges himself into icy waters. AFP PHOTO / ANDREI SMIRNOV (Photo credit should read ANDREI SMIRNOV/AFP/Getty Images) |
Fr. Alexei (Ivanov), rector of the St. John the Baptist Church in Komomenskoe. |
- Russian
believers gather as orthodox priests conduct a service at
the ice hole of the pound in the Kolomenskoe park on the
outskirts of Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011.
Thousands of Russian Orthodox Church followers plunged
Tuesday and Wednesday into icy rivers and ponds across the
country to mark the upcoming Epiphany, cleansing
themselves with water deemed holy for the day. Water that
is blessed by a cleric on Epiphany is considered holy and
pure until next year's celebration, and is believed to
have special powers of protection and healing. The Russian
Orthodox Church follows the old Julian calendar, according
to which Epiphany falls on Jan. 19. Moscow temperatures on
Wednesday night dropped to -14 C ( 7 F). (AP Photo/Mikhail
Metzel)
AFP PHOTO / KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV (Photo credit should read KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP/Getty Images)