The Paschal Liturgy was celebrated at the church of St Sergius of Radonezh, the only Russian Orthodox Church in Africa south of the Sahara. About 200 people took part in the midnight Paschal procession. The congregation consisted of not only Russian speakers, but also Afrikaans and English-speaking parishioners.

Also attending the festal service were the Russian ambassador Mr A. A. Makarov, the Ukrainian ambassador Mr V.N. Grebenjuk, the Chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of Belarus, Mr A.V. Lesnoi as well as other representatives of the diplomatic consulates of other Slavic nations represented in South Africa.

On the afternoon of the 4th of April, the Paschal Vespers service was held, after which took place a children’s festival. Teachers and pupils of the Sunday school, in close collaboration with the Russian Federation embassy school here in South Africa, presented a play that they had prepared based on the Russian folk tale “The little village house”, with the script adapted to a Paschal theme to commemorate the great feast.

At the end of the play, all the young actors received delicious chocolate presents!