Patriarch Kirill celebrated the funeral of the writer Valentin Rasputin – RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, March 18 – RIA Novosti, Olga Lipich. The Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill will head the funeral of the writer, a classic of Russian prose Valentin Rasputin in the Christ the Savior Cathedral at 11.00 MSK.

Rasputin died Saturday at a hospital in Moscow, on the eve of his 78th birthday.

“The Church pays tribute to the work of the great Russian writer and his service to the country. In fact, very often people do not read the burial service in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior,” – told RIA Novosti press-secretary of the Russian Orthodox Church Deacon Alexander Volkov.

According to him, the funeral – “a must for any Orthodox Christian rite, during which the deceased forgiven the people who knew him and who wish merely to pray about it”.

Wolves previously reported that, after receiving news of the death of Rasputin, the patriarch over the weekend in Kaliningrad offered special prayers for his repose. Primate many years was personally acquainted with Rasputin, their associated warm and you may say, friendships. In his condolence message, Patriarch recalled that during the life of Rasputin considered classics, and his books grew more than one generation of readers. According to him, “his whole life dedicated to the service writer timeless truth that found in the Orthodox Church, becoming its loyal son”.

The farewell ceremony with Rasputin began in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on Tuesday. It was attended by President of Russia Vladimir Putin. According to his press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, President – a fan of creative talent Valentin Rasputin and will always remember the profound long conversations with the writer. Condolences for the death of classical Russian prose expressed and other prominent government officials and cultural figures.

On Thursday to say goodbye to Rasputin residents will be able to Irkutsk, under which he was born. Writer bequeathed to bury him next to her daughter, who died in a plane crash in 2006. Relatives decided that Rasputin will be buried in the Irkutsk Monastery of the Sign.