August 6, 2010 in the church of Life-Giving Trinity on the Sparrow Hills will be held the rite of consecration of the restored mosaic icon of St. Nicholas.
The icon will be consecrated by the rector of the temple Archpriest Sergy Suzdaltsev. The worship service will be attended by representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The beginning of the service is at 18.00.
The icon will be sent to China, for the Russian and Soviet soldiers monument in Port Arthur (Lüshun), and will be installed in the body of the Greater Worship cross at the memorial.
Great Worship cross is 8 meters high, made of white marble. On the face of it are the engraved words: "Never forget the valiant defenders of Port Arthur, which laid down their life for their faith, Tsar and Fatherland. Nobody has greater love, than one who lays down his life for his friends."
In the summer of 2010 the destroyed icon was taken from Port Arthur to Moscow and restored by artists U. Marinina and D. Letov.
Russian War Memorial in Port Arthur - is the biggest internment of Russian citizens abroad. According to various sources there are buried from 15 to 50 thousand soldiers and civilians. Area is 4.8 hectares. At the memorial there are installed 1720 monuments, obelisks and sculptures. In September 2010, the memorial will be fully restored and opened.
History of Port Arthur began in the XIX century. After the conclusion of a treaty between Russia and China about leases in 1898, Port Arthur became the base of the Russian fleet in the Pacific, the battle for it was the key to the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905. In August of 1945, the Soviet army entered Port Arthur, freeing northeast China from the Kwantung Army of Japan. From 1945 to 1955 Port Arthur housed naval base of the USSR, which was then transferred to the China.