Thou Shalt Not Kill

Praying for Russia? Ask for Sanity

Orthodox Christmas at the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky, Baltiysk January 7, 2026. Photo by Oleg Klimov.
Orthodox Christmas at the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky, Baltiysk. January 7, 2026. Photo by Oleg Klimov.

In Baltiysk — Russia’s westernmost city and a key base of its Baltic Fleet — Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on January 7, not December 25. The reason: the Russian Orthodox Church still follows the Julian calendar, unlike most of the Orthodox world, which has long aligned with the modern Gregorian one. But in Russia, the “special path” endures — even when it leads backward.