The sarcophagus of Prince Dmitry Donskoy was opened in the Archangel Cathedral to remove the relics

A sarcophagus with the remains of Prince Dmitry Donskoy was opened in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin; research confirmed that the remains belong to him.

Several fragments of the relics of Prince Dmitry Donskoy were removed from the sarcophagus and handed over to the Church for the veneration of believers.

Deputy Chairman of the Synodal Department for Relations of the Church with Society and the Media of the Moscow Patriarchate Vakhtang Kipshidze called the transfer of the relics of the Church the second discovery of the relics of St. Dmitry Donskoy.

MOSCOW, August 20 – RIA Novosti. The opening of the sarcophagus with the remains of Prince Dmitry Donskoy in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin can be called the second discovery of the relics of this saint, since now believers will be able to venerate the shrine in churches, Vakhtang Kipshidze, deputy chairman of the synodal department for relations of the Church with society and the media of the Moscow Patriarchate, told RIA Novosti.

In July, restorers opened the sarcophagus of the Holy Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. Research has confirmed that the remains belong to him. As the Russian Orthodox Church reported, several fragments of the relics were taken from those freely located in the sarcophagus and placed in arks for the worship of believers; one of the particles of the relics should be transferred to the capital's Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Kipshidze recalled that Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy was canonized by the Russian Church only in 1988, but then his relics were not transferred to the Church for veneration, and in the pre-revolutionary tradition, the worship of Dmitry Donskoy as a saint simply did not exist.

“The burial place of the Grand Duke was known, but veneration of his relics in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin was difficult, given the museum status of the object. Now that several fragments of the relics have been removed from the sarcophagus and transferred to the Church, believers will be able to venerate them in churches and, we hope, at the front,” Kipshidze said.

He noted that venerating a piece of the saint’s relics and praying next to them is a huge spiritual support for believers. “Therefore, this can be called the second discovery of the relics of St. Dmitry Donskoy,” Kipshidze said.

He also expressed confidence that “the prayers of thousands of military personnel and their families will be addressed to this great saint, who distinguished himself by military exploits.”