New Cathedral in Udmurtia

In Udmurtia a newly rebuilt Cathedral of Saint Matyr and Healer Pantheleimon was inaugurated. The construction of the Cathedral in the south-eastern region was made by OAO Oil and Gas Company RussNeft. On the eve of the inauguration the Cathedral was consecrated by the archbishop of Izhevsk and Udmurtia Nickolay. President of Udmurtia Aleksandr Volkov, President of OAO Oil and Gas Company RussNeft Mikhail Gutseriev, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church eparchy of Izhevsk and Udmurtia, outstanding activists of public, cultural and religious life of the Republic took part in the ceremony of inauguration of the Cathedral. The Cathedral was opened for the religious on the eve of the Feast of St Pantheleimon Day that is on August, 9.

‘I am sure that only with pure soul and noble mind one can come to edifying and success,- Mikhail Gutseriev said on the inauguration ceremony. – That is why we construct cathedrals in various corners of Russia, build schools and hospitals.’

The oil holding reconstructs ruined cathedrals and builds new ones regularly. A little more than a year ago in the capital of Udmurtia Izhevsk the Cathedral of Saint Royal Martyrs was inaugurated; it was built with OAO Oil and Gas Company RussNeft financial support. In the Republic in partnership with the oil company the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin of Kazan in the village of Belezino and Malo-Diveevskii monastery in the village of Norya are constructed, the Cathedral of Saint Mikhail in Izhevsk is being reconstructed.

Saint great martyr Pantehleimon (popular form of the name Pantheleymon) was born and lived in Nikomidia (Asia Minor) at the turn of III and IV centuries. Pantheleimon was a student of the famous medical doctor Yevfrosin and after he had inherited a rich estate after his father’s death, he cured the sick for free and went to see prisoners. The major part of  the curing he made was explained by divine intervention in Saint’s hagiography.

As legend has it being a Christian Pantheleimon was tortured repeatedly at the command of Imperator Maximianus. The saint was adjudged to die for his refusal to forsake Christian religion, in 305 they cut off his head. The first data on Pantheleimon being honored as a saint in the Mediterranean dated IV century. In Russia the honor of St Panthelimon is known apart from XII century.

Saint Pantheleimon is a protector of medical doctors. The remembrance day of the saint is July, 27 (August, 9 New Style).