COMMEMORATIVE MEDALS OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OUTSIDE OF RUSSIA IN HONOR OF THE 1000TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BAPTISM OF RUSSIA, THE 300TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE APPEARANCE OF THE ICON OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD "JOY OF ALL WHO SORROW" (1988) AND THE GLORIFICATION OF ST. JOHN OF SHANGHAI AND SAN FRANCISCO (1994)

Pavel V. Bochkov

Kuzbass theological seminary, Norilsk, Russia

Email: frpavel@inbox.ru

ORCID: 0000-0002-3218-6706

Issue: № 3 (31), 2025

Pages: 124

Annotation

The article is devoted to the description of two commemorative table medals issued for jubilee dates by the Western American Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. The first was made in 1988 and is dedicated to the millennium of the Baptism of Russia and the 300th anniversary of the appearance of the icon of the Holy Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow". The second is dedicated to the significant celebrations that took place on July 2, 1994, associated with the glorification of Saint John (Maximovich), Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco (1896-1966). For the first time, descriptions of these little-known commemorative medals are given, which are valuable examples of church applied and medal art of the Russian Orthodox Diaspora. In addition to the description of the medals themselves, brief information is given about the history of the Holy All-Sorrowful Cathedral, its community, and the events to which the medals are dedicated. The commemorative medals presented to the participants of the celebrations held in the Holy All Who Sorrow Cathedral in San Francisco witnessed not only the events being celebrated, but also the spiritual unity of the Russian people, manifested in the fervent confession of the Orthodox faith, which cannot be affected by either the tragic turns of Russian history or the vast distances between continents.

Keywords

Orthodoxy in America, Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Saints John (Maximovich), John of Shanghai and San Francisco the Wonderworker, church art, church commemorative medals