Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived at the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow at almost a midnight on Saturday to attend the Easter service, Paralel.Az reports.

The service has been conducted by Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin attended the service together with Putin. The President and Patriarch Kirill exchanged Easter gifts.

The Russian president traditionally attends services during high holy days. On Easter, the head of state usually attends services at the Christ the Savior Cathedral. Only twice did he participate in Easter festivities outside Moscow — in 2000, at St. Petersburg’s St. Isaac’s Cathedral and in 2003, when he attended services at the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Dushanbe while on a visit to Tajikistan.

In 2020, for the first time during his presidency, Putin skipped Easter service due to the coronavirus pandemic and lit a candle in the chapel at his Novo-Ogaryovo residence.

Easter is the central holiday of the entire Christian world commemorating a key moment in the history of Christianity — Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead. The Russian Orthodox Church determines the date based on solar and lunar calendars. In 2024, it falls on May 5.