together into one large procession and made their way to the Blagoveshenski Church (The Church of the Annunciation) where they were joined in turn by the parishioners from the Church of the Prophet Elijah. Here, they met the people from the St. Nicholas Church with banners, singing, the ringing of bells and golden clad icons. The atmosphere was amazing. The reflected sun’s rays from the snow and the eight-sided ice cross-created a phenomenal picture.
The sight of such a great mass of people moving along the Chinese streets towards the bank of the river Sungari is impossible to forget. The big joyous flow of people approaches the ice altar.
Even now, Harbin is noted for its magnificent Ice Festival. Its ice sculptures include an enormous cross, Royal Doors shaped in the form of an arch and decorated with two doves, a candle stand, and a pool-font in the shape of a cross for the believer bathers.
The sacred moment arrives when, singing the Troparion hymn:
When Thou was baptized in the Jordan, O Lord, the worship of the Trinity was made manifest; for the voice of the Father bore witness to Thee, calling Thee His beloved Son. And the Spirit in the form of a dove confirmed the certainty of the word. O Christ our God, Who has appeared and has enlightened the world, glory to Thee.
The priest lowers a cross into the font and blesses the water. The thin layer of ice separating the pool-font is broken and water gushes in. At that moment doves circle the Sungari/Jordan river. Many, including me, bathed in the icy water. Straw was laid around the pool to prevent the wet feet from freezing to the ice. Making the sign of the cross, one lowered oneself into the water three times. There were always people to help bathers emerge from the pool to avoid slipping.
Naturally, one dressed appropriately for this. A towelling robe covered the still wet swimsuit. One needed to somehow take off the swimsuit whilst keeping ones dignity in front of all the people. Then there was the shawl, fur coat and home on a rickshaw. Churches away from the Sungari river also constructed special ‘Jordans’, making a small font and erecting an ice cross for the blessing of the waters. Many years later, in 1988, the Lord granted me the opportunity to immerse myself into the river Jordan in the Holy Land.
The flow of people from the Theophany procession interfered with the normal flow of traffic. Because of this, the city transport system changed its timetable. Although there were traffic jams in different parts of the city, order was maintained by the Chinese police who formed a human chain, guarding the Theophany procession for its entire progress.
We left Harbin in 1957 and this tradition continued even after our departure. Many Chinese people also went to the Sungari with buckets and I remember asking one man why he was taking this water home.
‘Madam, can’t you understand anything. If you drink this water, you will not be sick,’ he answered.
I do not remember my parents talking to me about things spiritual – nor did they attempt to impose their opinions onto me – but the picture of family life, the behaviour of my parents, their regular attendance at church, and their performance of rituals and traditions confirmed in me a faith.
A big influence on me and on my spiritual development was Fr. Rostislav Gan. He was our pastor, parish priest and family friend. Again, it was not his sermons, which could not be fully grasped by a child’s mind, but the person of the priest, which influenced my view of the world and my spiritual growth.
Easter had a greater meaning for me than the Feast of the Nativity (Christmas), even though Christmas was always considered the ‘children’s Feast’. We prepared for Easter with Great Lent.
The week before the beginning of Lent, we celebrated Maslenitsia (Pancake Week). We enjoyed different types of pancakes, topped with sour cream, sturgeon, caviar, herring, jam etc. Then came Forgiveness Sunday ...
On this day, the Sunday Liturgy was always followed by a Vespers service, during which Fr. Rostislav would deliver a strict sermon on the nature of fasting, repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation. The priest would then ask forgiveness from the entire congregation and the members of the congregation would ask forgiveness from each other. There was a general reconciliation within the church and at home amongst members of the family. However, the next day, on the first Monday of Great Lent, the atmosphere completely changes. There are no more dances or concerts. The church takes on a sombre look. The vestments worn by the clergy are now black with white crosses.
During Lent, students go to church for confession and then again to Holy Communion on the following day.
As students, we loved Palm Sunday. We respectfully stood in church in the evening, holding bunches of pussy willow, decorated with paper flowers and candles.
Holy Week was the most difficult week of Great Lent. Naturally, because of school, we could not attend all the unceasing morning and evening services that were scheduled. However, the services of Holy Thursday, including the Reading of the 12 Gospels as well as the Burial Services on Holy (Good) Friday were never missed. Following the service of the 12 Gospels, people took home the lit candle that they had been holding during the service. They went from room to room and made a sign of the cross on the beam of each door of their house.
Many years later, I was in Moscow in 1992 and by old tradition brought the lit candle to the home where I was staying. This surprised my friends because this tradition had not been followed during Soviet times.
On Good Friday, very emotional services take place - vinos plashenitsi (the taking down from the Cross) and pogrebenie (the Lamentations). The dimly lit church, with its sombre singing and readings on the Passion of Our Lord, creates a full picture of the tragedy of what occurred. We would return home, with bowed heads, concentrating on the full impact of the sufferings of Christ. But then, Paskha arrives ...
The church is brightly lit with chandeliers and candles. The dark coverings and vestments are replaced with white. ‘Christ is Risen!’ and ‘He is Risen Indeed!’ echoes through the church. All are joyous, smiling and happy.
I still remember our last Pashal service in the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Harbin. Metropolitan Nestor served as hierarchy of the Moscow Patriarchate. Co-serving were Bishop Nikandr and a number of priests. I remember how Bishop Nestor, with each cry of ‘Christ if Risen!’ lifted his hand with candles and we could see all the colours of the rainbow reflected from his crystal rosary beads. This detail has remained with me all these years.
Bishop Nikandr Leonidov
After the service, we went home and broke the fast and in the morning the ladies of the house prepared to receive their visiteri.
With the joy of Easter came much work for our mothers especially when they embarked on the sacred duty of baking the kulichi (Easter cakes). All the ingredients were prepared earlier. Mama was preoccupied for several days before baking day. Discussions were held with her sister, Alexandra Fedorovna Lupova (with whom they shared a very close friendship). They had to decide whether to bake the kulichi in their own ovens or to take them to the Chinese bakers who provided their ovens for a nominal fee.
I loved the whole preparation process because nuts and sultanas needed to be sorted. Almonds were covered with hot water to remove the skins; while sultanas were washed to remove dust and sand. Large towels were spread on tables for the sultanas and almonds. How delicious it was to sneak a sultana or almond with Mama pretending not to notice.
The leaven was started at night and from that time to the time that the last kulich was taken out of the oven, women did not have any peace. Concerned
