On 19 January 2018 the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates one of the chief Feasts of the Lord, one of the Twelve Great Feasts: Theophany, the Baptism of the Lord!

On this day, 19 January 2018, the day of the Baptism of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, Priest Igor Babakov, rector of Saint Alexius Cathedral in Samarkand, celebrated the Divine Liturgy and the Great Blessing of Water in our church.

The day before, on Theophany Eve, 18 January, the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great was served in the cathedral, and the Royal Hours were read immediately before the Liturgy.

After the service, Fr. Igor performed the rite of the Great Blessing of Water.

On the eve of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Fr. Igor celebrated the All-Night Vigil.

This feast is called Theophany (the Manifestation of God) in memory of the miracle that took place during the Baptism. The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus Christ from heaven in the form of a dove, and a voice was heard calling Him the Son. Thus the Holy Trinity was revealed to those present: the voice was God the Father, the dove was God the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ was God the Son. This confirmed that Jesus is not only the Son of Man but also the Son of God. God was manifested to people.

The main feature of the Theophany service is the Great Blessing of Water. Water is blessed with this rite only twice a year: on Theophany Eve, 18 January, and on the day of Theophany itself, 19 January, after the Divine Liturgy.

Theophany water blessed with the Great rite is called Agiasma. It is a holy thing and must be treated with special care.

From the first centuries of Christianity there was a tradition of baptizing those who had completed the catechumenate on Theophany. For this reason the feast was often called "the Day of Illumination," "the Feast of Lights," or "the Holy Lights," signifying that the Sacrament of Baptism not only cleanses a person from sin but also enlightens him with the Light of Christ. It was then that the tradition arose of blessing the water of rivers and lakes on this day and bathing in them.