A festive ceremony was held on April 11, 2018 to raise crosses and dedicate bells at the St Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra Patriarchal Metochion on Lodochnaya Street.

The solemn ceremonies involved Russian Deputy Transport Minister Viktor Olersky, who is also head of the Federal Agency for Marine and River Transport, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Church Construction Contribution Fund Alexander Davydenko, FSUE “Rosmorport” Deputy General Director for Interaction with Executive Authorities Alexander Smirnov, representatives of Rosmorrechflot and the transport industry, students of the Moscow State Academy of Water Transport, and the laity.

The prayer service has been administered by Vicar of the North-Western Vicar Eparchy of Moscow, Father Superior of the Donskoi Monastery Right Reverend Paramon.

In his message His Grace Paramon congratulated the audience on the holiday. He said this was rather symbolic that the night Easter liturgy had become his first prayer service in the church under construction.

Victor Olersky also acceded to the congratulations. He noted that the Church of St Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra on Lodochnaya Street would become a spiritual center for Russian sailors and river transport workers, workers of all spheres of water transport. Mr. Olersky stressed that the whole industry took part in the construction of the church.

In honor of this important event in the history of creating a new church the honorable guests and the young laity were the first people who had been granted the right to ring the bells.