Event History
11 September 1946
On 11 September 1946, the priest and parishioners of the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Elista witnessed an event whose memory has endured for eight decades.
The Event in the Church
The “80th Anniversary of the Appearance of Christ the Savior in Elista” is a commemorative event of regional and national significance, marking the anniversary of the miracle witnessed on 11 September 1946 by the priest and parishioners of Elista’s Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
The event is part of Russia’s Year of the Unity of Peoples (2026) and brings together business, cultural, and pilgrimage programs.
According to eyewitness accounts, the Appearance occurred during the Divine Liturgy. To commemorate it, the icon “The Appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ to Those Praying in the City of Elista” was painted and brought to Elista by Semyon Timofeyevich Bondarenko in the spring of 1947.
How the Commemorative Icon Was Created
The faithful understood the appearance as a miracle whose memory had to be preserved. To pass the account to future generations, they decided to commission an icon depicting the event.
Semyon Timofeyevich Bondarenko (1878–1959), a parishioner who witnessed the appearance, went to Stavropol to find an icon painter. The 120 × 60 centimetre image was painted in oils on canvas by an unknown artist.
In the spring of 1947, Semyon Bondarenko brought the icon to Elista. According to the surviving account, he carried it from Stavropol on foot.
Memory Through the Decades
For the faithful, the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ became a sign of God’s blessing and support, strengthening their hope of overcoming the trials of the postwar years.
The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross remained open throughout the Soviet period. During the postwar decades, it was a source of spiritual support for thousands of people.
80 Years of Remembrance
The anniversary programme brings together worship, historical materials and cultural events dedicated to the memory of the Appearance of Christ the Savior in Elista.
View the Program