Before crossing of border last time the Lord has allowed to serve the Divine Liturgy in the New-Kiev village, here again one already felt, that there comes a resolute moment; all have felt especially disturbing spiritual condition. […] What was expected all and everyone in the foreign land, was complete uncertainty; all assumptions and plans fell by themselves […] And life did not reckon with position of people and went on its way. People were born, died and, strangely enough, even married.
[…] In such position an Orthodox pastor played a role. To him were addressed the needs spiritual and with one persevering question: whether there will be an Orthodox divine service in the pagan country and when. It was necessary to meet the desires and to inquiries of people with infringement, perhaps, of the usual order of administration and discipline in which one was long brought up" [13.]
It happened that pending the bishops sanction to the right of serving of divine services in foreign Harbinskoj diocese of Harbin, Father Leonid, operating in interests of flock and clergy, has made the decision independently, based it his priestly conscience. As a result, for refugees divine services in the Chinese cities of Hunchun have been organized (here they were personally conducted by Father Leonid), JAntsigan, Girin and in the Korean city of Genzan. Everywhere for this purpose worthy premises have been equipped. As far as if it was timely and useful, it becomes obvious from the terrible "statistics" resulted in the above-stated Official report of Father Leonid: for two months of emigrants life (in a cold, famine, without a roof above their head) in one only Genzan " the whole cemetery was opened, where more than 300 Russian children were buried" [14] has opened. By Father Leonid care all of them have departed to the other world in canons with Christian faith.
A special a merit of Father Leonid and his associates has been a preservation in conditions of the military time of St. Antimins {martyrs relics put on the altar} (every military priest had them). As it is known, without no the Divine Liturgy can be served. Getting them to Manchuria when there was difficult to communicate with Russia and other centers of Orthodoxy had exclusive value for church building in Harbin and on all the line of KVZHD.
In 1946, summing up difficulties of military and emigrants lives, Father Leonid (then already archimandrite Nikandr) spoke: "Memorable was the first visiting of Harbin during the Great Lent of 1923. I have to prayerfully recollect sympathetic still remembered archpriest Father Leontiy Pekarsky - the dean of the church. He has invited me to take part in the Passion and asked me, completely unknown to him priest, said in the end: "Perhaps, you, Father, will have a talk with parishioners, and I shall listen". I have thanked Father Leontiy for trust and told, that I am not especially ready for the sermon, but with the Divine help I shall tell about sufferings of our Lord. Then the life itself has prepared us for this " [15.]
[13] A.V. Popov From history of Russian Orthodox Church on the Far East. // Christianity on the Far East. Materials of the international scientific conference. - Vladivostok: DVGU, 2000. — pages 149-154.
[14] In the same place.
[15] Consecration of Nikandr, Bishop of Qiqihar. // Heavenly Bread. Harbin, 1946. №9, 10. -page 55.