In the morning of Great Saturday I got up on the alarm clock only at 7 am - it's very late, whereas our whole group spent the night under the walls of the Resurrection Church. When I went down for breakfast, the only guest who sat and breakfasted peacefully asked in surprise:
"Am I going to meet the blessed fire?"
Receiving an affirmative answer, I lifted my eyes to the sky and disappointedly informed me that I was already late. I said that I would still try, I got food with me and went to my room ...
I decided on that day not to drink anything and not eat before trying to get on the Concentration of the Holy Fire. I think everyone guessed why ... It was necessary to stand for hours, next to now there was nowhere to poke a nose, and all that ...
When I left the hotel, I repeat, he was INSIDE of the Old City, our little street was also blocked by the police. I went into the store and went out to his other door, which opens onto the square.
It was sunny in the square, but it was still cool in the morning, the crowd was standing in front of the closed shopping street, the police cordon. Everyone was very warmly dressed: winter jackets, hats, many slept right here. Cordon city was closed from yesterday.
As it was not strange around were almost all Russian speakers, suddenly I was next to the naked guide.
Several hours passed in easy expectation, and finally the Israeli police in the loudspeaker began to warn the thrilling crowd that the cordon would be opened soon, please do not push, and take a step back ...
The surprising force is the crowd, you seem to rock on its waves, so small and helpless, the crowd suddenly pushes, clutching the bones with terrible force, and after a while lets go. Our familiar guide, always told me to close my eyes and "to rock on the waves" ...
Hard almost was not, in my head throbbing thought: where am I ?! I'm here, in a few meters and hours from an amazing place!
First they opened one cardboard, and the crowd rushed forward along the narrow streets of closed shopping arcades, I was confused, and then someone grabbed my hand and led me to ...
It turned out that I was taken under the auspices of the Georgian brothers, we reached the next cordon at a run. There were several hours, the sun was almost at its zenith, it was warm, even hot, I wanted to drink, but it's tolerable ... It's amazing that in this viscous, dense crowd I always came across people with whom we somehow crossed earlier, for example, I saw the radio station correspondent in interesting bright yellow clothes, called ...
The woman looked at me in surprise for some time, and suddenly remembered our nightly poetic meeting.
The feeling of unity entailed the exchange of addresses, telephones, the events that happened unseen brought everyone together.
The expectation was nothing special, the Arabs shouted:
"Water, water ..."
Ahead shouted:
"Do not push, stop pushing, take a step back - in all languages ..."
Sideways, someone was always making their way forward: with cameras and just like that. Sometimes there were small scuffles. Then they began to pray and sing, someone started and picked up everything, louder and louder: they sang in different languages. Each his own, in turn ... All suffered and waited, there was an amazing unity! Stunning non-irritating unity of the crowd ...
And I could not even move my hand, so I could not take pictures. Sometimes I put my head on my back in front of the standing guide, the crowd periodically disconnected us and reconnected. We practically did not move, ... It seemed that I remembered for a long time the outline of the bar, from which we stood for several hours. But it was surprisingly easy! I closed my eyes ...
The police did not let anyone through the cordon, even the priests.
And then, at last, the cordon was opened, everyone ran again, and I saw the TEMPLE. The girls behind us cried with joy. PAST!
All very worried that they could not get into the temple, there was such a hanging state of nervous expectation, people around from time to time were irritated:
"That year everything was different, this year nobody will be allowed into the service, they would abuse the police"
And here we are in the temple, it is no longer important the place that we will take, we are HERE!
And the hardest hours of waiting began. I got into the temple of the clock at 12. It was VERY cramped, someone was ill and incredibly in the place of the tragedy doctors squeezed - a man carried in his arms. There was nowhere to move, we were crouching on the column, we could lean on it - it was a great salvation, a foothold. The last hour was the hardest, the minutes dragged on like clockwork. Nearby was a devilish woman, he shouted not in his voice. It was felt the growth of grace, if I may say so, the not transmitted feeling of an almost tangible miracle. Our priests surprisingly harmoniously sang bass, literally blasted the tense silence of the temple with their voices. Still, the Russian pilgrims were the most, from this heart was bursting with pride!
Soon there were blue flashes, at first they could not be distinguished from flashes of cameras, but then they became more distinct. It's like a thunderstorm, very similar, there are such lightning discharges, only without thunder. At first I can not believe that these are the same alarms that are seen on TV many times.
I almost did not see the sound of the dolls, but flashes rushed all over the temple: the walls, the dome ...
When the fire came down, I could not hold back my tears!
It was the beginning of the third local time ...
I know for sure that I remember this minute for the rest of my life !!!!
The fire suddenly spread all over the temple, it seemed that everything around was blazing red and yellow, as if a fire had started. I personally touched the Holy Fire: it really is not at all hot, even cold droplets remained on his hand.
This happened! He's gone! And I'm here !!! In the heart of the universe!
Christ is risen!!! Truly, Christ is Risen !!!
