On 28 August the Holy Church prayerfully celebrates the Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.
On this day the rector of Saint Alexius Cathedral, Priest Igor Babakov, celebrated the solemn festal Divine Liturgy for the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos.
The All-Night Vigil was celebrated the evening before.
Parishioners of Samarkand's principal church prayed at the services.
At the end of the service Fr. Igor sang the magnification of the Most Holy Theotokos before the icon of her Dormition.
After the Liturgy the rector addressed all the worshippers with words of instruction.
"Today we honor and glorify the Most Holy Theotokos, who by her life and by her Dormition served her Divine Son. The whole story of our Lady's life is an unbroken succession of God-pleasing feats of humility and obedience. Glorifying the angelic life of the Unwedded Bride, we now approach her shroud with awe and reverence, bowing down before the Mother of the Immortal God and asking her mercy for Christians and for all mankind.
Why do we do this? Because we know that the prayerful help and protection of the Mother of God is not an empty phrase, not a fairy tale, not a beautiful romantic legend. Let us remember how many venerated and wonderworking icons the Most Pure One has given us! And behind each of her images lies its own story: a story of healings, of protection from enemies, of the admonition of unrepentant sinners, poured out abundantly upon the world at those moments when people in tears begged the Theotokos to show her mercy."
After the sermon Fr. Igor invoked God's blessing upon all who had gathered and wished them peace and the salvation of their souls.
