Light Pillars Appeared in Moscow Sky on Christmas

Better late than never, right? So we'd like to share another Christmas related post.

On Christmas, beautiful light pillars appeared in the sky over Moscow. 

Muscovites have witnessed this rare natural phenomenon right on Christmas Eve.

Northern lights in Moscow / photo by Valeria Terpugova

Beautiful Crimea Video

Featured in this video: Sebastopol, Balaklava, Bakhchysarai, South Coast of Crimea; Swallow's Nest, cave city in Mangup Kale, Foros Church.

В лесу родилась Ёлочка / The Forest Raised a Christmas Tree

The forest raised a Christmas tree (Russian: В лесу родилась ёлочка, V lesu rodilas yolochka) is a famous children's New Year song in Russia, by Raisa Kudasheva and Leo Beckmann.

Science: Roscosmos shows Milky Way collision with Andromeda Galaxy

Video by Roscosmos (Russian Space Agency) showing what will happen in four billion years when our Milky Way galaxy will collide with the Andromeda galaxy.

«Это будет очень невеселое зрелище для землян, если еще будет кто-то к тому времени существовать на нашей планете. Наша солнечная система почувствует необычайное ускорение, нас выбросит из плоскости нашей галактики куда-то далеко, мы полетим. Это будет удивительный полет через такую кашу из звезд.

Fresh Air (Siberia, Altai Mountains Video)

Saint Basil's Cathedral

The Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed (Russian: Собор Василия Блаженного), commonly known as Saint Basil's Cathedral, is a church in Red Square in Moscow, Russia. The building, now a museum, is officially known as the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat (Russian: Собор Покрова пресвятой Богородицы, что на Рву) or Pokrovsky Cathedral (Russian: Покровский собор). It was built from 1555–61 on orders from Ivan the Terrible and commemorates the capture of Kazan and Astrakhan. A world famous landmark, it was the city's tallest building until the completion of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in 1600.

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE OF PATRIARCH KIRILL OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA

Patriarchal message in English and Russian languages

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE OF PATRIARCH KIRILL OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

(1 Jn 4:9)

Your Eminences the archpastors, esteemed fathers,

all-honourable monks and nuns, dear brothers and sisters!

It is with a heart overflowing with joy in the Son of God who has come in the flesh that I address all of you and congratulate you on the radiant and life-bearing feast of the Nativity of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Lk 2:14). In glorifying from year to year the ineffable benevolence shown to us by the Saviour, we, as once the shepherds of Bethlehem who heard from the angel the “great joy, which shall be to all people” (Lk 2:10), hasten with spiritual eyes to see the Messiah, whose coming was foretold by the glorious prophets and awaited by a great multitude of men and women.