What happens at a Russian Orthodox funeral?

The Russian Orthodox funeral service observes quite a strict structure. It contains readings from scripture, hymns and the Psalms. During the funeral service, the mourners circle the open coffin in an anti-clockwise direction, taking the time to kiss the person who has died, or lay flowers upon them.

What happens in an Orthodox funeral?

Orthodox funerals can contain readings from scripture, hymns and the Psalms. During the funeral service, the mourners circle the open coffin in an anti-clockwise direction, taking the time to kiss the person who has died, or lay flowers upon them. The priest may sprinkle soil and holy oil into the coffin.

What do Russians do with their dead?

Traditionally, men carry the coffin on their backs to the cemetery where the funeral will take place. At the funeral, a priest performs the “seeing off” ceremony, praying over the body and allowing mourners to throw dirt on the grave, symbolically incorporating the corpse into the earth.

Can Russian Orthodox be cremated?

“The cremation of foreigners or Greeks, whose religious convictions allow the cremation after death, is allowed,” the new law said. According to the law, Orthodox Greeks can choose cremation as long as they have stated this in writing before their death or their immediate relatives wish it.

What do you say in Russian when someone dies?

In Russian, one can say: Пусть земля ему/ей будет пухом (May the earth be soft for him/her), Светлая ему/ей память (Let the memory of him/her be light), Упокой Господь его/её душу (God rest his/her soul).

What does the Orthodox Bible say about cremation?

The Bible neither favors nor forbids the process of cremation. Nevertheless, many Christians believe that their bodies would be ineligible for resurrection if they are cremated. This argument, though, is refuted by others on the basis of the fact that the body still decomposes over time after burial.

What religion is in Russia?

Russian Orthodoxy
Today Russian Orthodoxy is the country’s largest religious denomination, representing more than half of all adherents. Organized religion was repressed by Soviet authorities for most of the 20th century, and the nonreligious still constitute more than one-fourth of the population.