Project Nikorai-Do in St. Petersburg

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In our time in the Orthodox world, the topic of missionary work has acquired unprecedented relevance. The most famous missionary of modern times can be called a graduate of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, the Apostle of Japan-St. Nicholas (Kasatkin). Having come to know the saint as a person through his diaries, as an ascetic of the Church through the memoirs of contemporaries and the life widely known thanks to films, one cannot remain indifferent.

The St. Petersburg Diocese has launched the project "Nicholas-do", which has become a community of St. Petersburg worshippers of the saint, uniting parishes, departments of the diocese, public organizations and now supported by the grant competition "Orthodox Initiative".

Study and glorification of the name of St. Nicholas of Japan in Russia

After the glorification of Archbishop Nicholas as a saint and the granting of autonomy to the Japanese Orthodox Church under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate in 1970, many organizations and enthusiasts have worked and continue to serve to glorify the name of the saint and actualize his legacy. This is important for maintaining cooperation in Russian-Japanese relations and for the mission of the Orthodox Church.

Due to the geographical distance of such organizations, interaction between them is difficult. However, it is necessary to work on creating at least an information base of enthusiasts and organizations that glorify the name of St. Nicholas of Japan - for example, from March 2024, this work is being carried out in the VKontakte group.

The first of these organizations should be called the Nikolo-Ugresh Seminary, which conducts scientific activities, publishing the collected works of Equal-to-the-Apostles Nicholas of Japan, holding conferences dedicated to his legacy, studying his legacy (articles by teachers, bachelor's and master's works, articles by students). Presentations of this publication are regularly held at public and scientific venues.

The St. Petersburg Theological Academy - the alma mater of St. Nicholas of Japan and a galaxy of Russian missionaries - public diplomats-also preserves the memory of the great graduate. Scientific events are held to study the legacy and lives of St. Nicholas (research by Associate Professor of the Academy, Candidate of Theology Dmitry Karpuk, bachelor's and master's works, student articles). The Saint's memorial evenings are also held.

The name of the saint is honored in the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society (IPPO), of which he was an honorary member. On February 16 of this year, apresentation of the saint's works was held, and in November 2023, an exhibitionof icons by Hiroko Kozuki, the wife of the Japanese Ambassador (now ex-ambassador) to Russia, who gave Sergei Stepashin an image of Equal - to-the-Apostles Nicholas as a gift to the IPPO.

In the temples consecrated in honor of St. Nicholas of Japan, work is being done to glorify his name and classes are being held with children and young people.

In the small homeland of the saint, near the vanished village of Birch, marked by a monument, in the village of Mirny, Tver region, a museum and a center for Russian-Japanese culture were organized at the church, and festivals of Russian-Japanese culture were held with the participation of the center "From Birch to Sakura" at the Peter and Paul Church in Moscow. With the participation of the parish and the Spas TV channel, a monument to the saint was unveiled.

In Minsk, the birthplace of the first Russian consul of Japan, Iosif Goshkevich, a graduate of the SPbDA (who invited a missionary from the SPbDA to Japan, which became the saint), there is a church of Equal-to-the-Apostles Nicholas of Japan. With the participation of the parish, a presentation of the Saint's collected works was held at the Minsk Theological Seminary.

In 2019, the Church of St. Tatiana at Moscow State University hosted an exhibition dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the glorification of Equal-to-the-Apostles Nicholas, Archbishop of Japan, and the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Japan.

The Russian-Japanese center "From Birch to Sakura" at the Peter and Paul Church on Krasnye Vorota is one of the Moscow communities attached to temples. It grew out of the project "The Path of St. Nicholas of Japan: from Birch to Sakura" of the Sakura Flowers Club at the Maloe Voznesenie Church on Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street. In 2023, the center celebrated its fifth anniversary.

The TV channel "Spas" in 2024 created the film "Banzai, Nikolai" and contributed to the installation of a monument to him in his small homeland. Interesting for the modern audience are "The Light of the Rising Sun in the Evening", shot in the early 2000s, and the 2015 film by Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) "Orthodoxy in Japan".

Association of St. Nicholas of Japan St. Petersburg worshippers in the project "Nicholas-do"

In St. Petersburg, through the project "Nicholas-do", a community of worshippers of St. Nicholas of Japan is currently being formed to develop the potential of the saint's ministry in public diplomacy, missionary work, and youth work. In our city, St. Nicholas studied, heard the voice of his vocation to Japan, was tonsured a monk, ordained a priest, and after 19 years - a bishop, worked to raise funds for the cathedral and the life of the Japanese mission.

The St. Petersburg Orthodox Library houses some of the saint's letters and a collection of books of the Holy Scriptures and liturgical books published in Japanese and translated by him and his disciples; memorial evenings are held.

In the Annunciation Church on Vasilievsky Island there is an image and the name of St. Nicholas is revered-priest John Demkin, rector of the church and a classmate of the saint, helped him in his labors.

The Resurrection Novodevichy Monastery also houses the image of St. Nicholas: he visited here repeatedly, ordered and examined icons for Japanese churches, and communicated with the abbess and sisters. Yamashita Rin, the first Japanese icon painter, a student of Equal-to-the-Apostles Nicholas and a parishioner of the Nicholas-do Cathedral, also studied here for two years.

The Diocesan Missionary Department holds annual St. Nicholas memorial evenings dedicated to his Memorial Day on February 16. The evenings feature Japanese music, short lectures, and book presentations.

At the forum of the Center for Project Initiatives "Periphery. Church and Grants", held with the participation of experts of grant competitions on Konevets Island, Leningrad region, participants agreed that the life of St. Nicholas of Japan, his diaries provide knowledge about successful and time-consuming project work. The Russian Mission in Japan was recognized as the most successful Christian missionary project in history, thanks to the incredible work of St. Nicholas.

The project "Nikolay-do" (ANO Delovoe Pole, project manager - Yana Senkina) was born out of prayer communion, studying the legacy of the saint, and the desire to glorify his name.It was supported by the grant competition "Orthodox Initiative". The application was created in collaboration with employees of the Japanese Center for Industry and Economics, in communication with teachers of Japanese art practices, and managers of the center "From Birch to Sakura".

The project was preceded by the Archangel Michael Readings section of the Vyborg Diocese "Orthodox regional, interregional and International projects".

The consultants of the project "Nikolay-do" are Japanese students, the curator from SPbDA is the vice-rector Archpriest Vladimir Khulap. The diocesan Mission department is involved in the project.
The project involves the Resource Center of the Yakut Diocese "Spas" - the place of the exploits of the teacher of St. Nicholas, St. Innocent of Moscow (Veniaminov).

St. Nicholas of Japan becomes a missionary already for Russian youth who are interested in Japanese culture. The project "Nikolay-do" creates a brand of combining Russia and Japan in art and culture, involving in a variety of activities.

The highlight of the project "Nicholas-do" is the festival "Day of the Holy Trinity with St. Nicholas of Japan" near the Kazan Cathedral.

We invite all admirers of St. Nicholas of Japan, Japanese people and those interested in Japanese culture to join and participate in the work of "Nicholas-do".