His Eminence was concelebrated by: Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas, Archbishop Dimitry of Vitebsk and Orsha, Archbishop Sofroniy of Mogilev and Mstislavl, Archbishop Stefan of Gomel and Zhlobin, Bishop Sergius of Velikiye Luki and Nevel, Bishop Seraphim of Bobruisk and Bykhov, Bishop Leonid of Turov and Mozyr, Bishop Ignatius of Polotsk and Glubokoye; Bishop Ambrose of Svetlogorsk, vicar of the Gomel Diocese; Bishop Evsevy of Drutsk, vicar of the Vitebsk Diocese, and Bishop Georgy of Pinsk and Luninets.
The archpastors were concelebrated by: Secretary of the Vitebsk Diocesan Administration Archpriest Vladimir Rezanovich, Secretary of the Minsk Diocese Archpriest Andrey Volkov, Dean of the Holy Assumption Cathedral Archpriest Mikhail Martynovich, First Pro-rector of the Vitebsk Theological Seminary Archpriest Konstantin Izofatov, and clergy of the Vitebsk Diocese.
The diaconal service was led by Archdeacon Vladimir Nazarov.
The liturgical chants were performed by: the choir of the Holy Assumption Cathedral under the direction of Raisa Bulavko and the choir of the Vitebsk Theological Seminary under the direction of 5th-year student Nikita Deyneka.
After the litany of supplication, the Patriarchal Exarch offered a prayer for the restoration of peace.
A sermon was delivered after the communion verse by the Director of the Vitebsk Women's Theological School, Archpriest Alexander Lesovoy.
At the conclusion of the service, a glorification was performed, after which the archpastors, clergy, and laity congratulated Archbishop Dimitry of Vitebsk and Orsha on his 70th birthday.
Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavye, in consideration of diligent labours for the glory of the Holy Church of Christ and in connection with the significant date, awarded Archbishop Dimitry the Order of Saint Sophia, Princess of Slutsk, and also presented the ruling bishop of the Vitebsk Diocese with an Archpastoral Staff.
Then, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Alexander Mikhailovich Subbotin addressed Archbishop Dimitry with congratulations.
Among those who came to congratulate the bishop at the Vitebsk Cathedral were: Anatoly Konstantinovich Linevich, Aide to the President of the Republic of Belarus, Inspector for Vitebsk Region; Vyacheslav Viktorovich Durnov, Deputy Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee; Vladimir Vladimirovich Godyatsky, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Committee of State Control; Sergey Nikolaevich Meleshkin, Head of the Vitebsk Regional Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus; Petr Nikolaevich Podgursky, Head of the Department of Culture of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee; Sergey Nikolaevich Fadeenkov, Chief Specialist of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Administration; Marina Vladimirovna Novitskaya, Head of the Main Department of Ideological Work and Youth Affairs of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee; Anatoly Nikolaevich Gutsulyak, Head of the Department for Public Relations and Media Interaction of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee; Dmitry Leonidovich Khoma, Head of the Main Department for Education of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee; Nikolay Valerievich Orlov, Chairman of the Vitebsk City Executive Committee; Vladimir Iosifovich Belevich, Chairman of the Vitebsk City Council of Deputies; Valentina Vasilievna Bogatyreva, Rector of the educational institution "Vitebsk State University named after P.M. Masherov"; and Valery Vladimirovich Gaidukevich, Chairman of the Council of the public association "Belarusian Union of Veterans of the War in Afghanistan".
On behalf of the clergy, monastics, and laity of the Vitebsk Diocese, Archbishop Dmitry was congratulated by Archpriest Vladimir Rezanovich. The Secretary of the Vitebsk Diocesan Administration presented the bishop with the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Orshanskaya" as a gift.
At the end of the service, Archbishop Dmitry thanked those gathered for their joint prayer and congratulations, and also bestowed his archpastoral blessing upon everyone.
Source: vitebsk-region.gov.by