HOLY LITURGY CELEBRATED IN CHURCH BUILT IN GRATITUDE TO RUSSIAN PEOPLE

BANJA LUKA, SEPTEMBER 21 /SRNA/ - His Eminence, Metropolitan Jefrem of Banja Luka, blessed today the donors who contributed to the construction of the Serbian-Russian Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Banja Luka, built in gratitude to Russian Tsar Nicholas Romanov for everything the Russian people did to protect the Serbian people during the First World War.

"We have finally reached the day to celebrate the first Liturgy in this church, which is still under construction," Metropolitan Jefrem said in his address to the faithful after the service. Bishop Jefrem reminded that a group of priests and faithful came up with the idea of building a monument on this site 100 years ago, but the plan was abandoned and it was decided instead to build a church. "All monuments that are erected are eventually destroyed, but churches, even if they are destroyed, are always rebuilt," Metropolitan Jefrem added. Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik attended the first Hierarchical Liturgy at the Serbian-Russian Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Banja Luka. After the Liturgy, refreshments will be served outside the church for distinguished guests and the faithful. The Liturgy was officiated by His Eminence Metropolitan Jefrem of Banja Luka and Bishop Sava of Marča, together with priests of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Among those attending were the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to BiH, Igor Kalabukhov, members of parliament, city officials from Banja Luka, and numerous faithful. The Serbian-Russian Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord is an impressive structure, built in a symbolic Russian architectural style. The building features five domes and a separate bell tower. Within the church, there will also be a Serbian-Russian cultural and spiritual center and a library, where the Russian language and rich Russian literature will be studied. The church will have three altars dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Lord, Simeon the Myrrh-Streaming and Saint Sava, and the Holy Royal Martyrs of the Romanov family. The prototype for the church was the former Church of the Miracle of Archangel Michael, built in 1358, which was located in the Kremlin and destroyed after the October Revolution. The Serbian-Russian Church is being built in honor of the Russian royal family, the Romanovs, and represents a symbol of the Serbian people’s will and brotherly relations with the Russian people. The foundations of the church were consecrated on September 17, 2018, and a few days later, the construction site was visited by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.