(19 Jan 2012)
Moscow, Russia
1. Man jumping into tub of icy water, pan as he climbs out, past cross made of ice in foreground
2. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Dmitry (no surname given), Russian Orthodox believer:
"This is to test the strength of our spirit. Today everything is getting purified with the water, in order to purify our conscience and soul and make all of us a little bit kinder to each other and everything around us."
3. Woman crossing herself before dipping her head under icy water
4. Mid of Orthodox cross made of ice, crowd behind it
5. Mid of believer Oleg Tyutin dipping himself into water
6. Tyutin climbing out of tub, UPSOUND (Russian) "It is a great holiday! (Q: translation not available) It is Epiphany!"
7. Woman climbing down steps after dipping in icy water, running inside UPSOUND (Russian) "It is purifying!"
Kiev, Ukraine
8. Wide of traditional Ukraine fighting - two groups of men running towards each other and colliding and forming a scrum
9. Man wearing traditional dress dancing with two women
10. Close-up of gold cross during Epiphany ceremony
11. Wide of Orthodox priests conducting ceremony
12. Men walking into icy waters of the Dnipro river
13. Men and women plunging into hole in thick ice, cut into shape of cross, man leaving water making sign of cross
14. Men and women splashing in water
15. Wide of people running in and out of water
16. People in river, ice in foreground
17. Various of people in water
18. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Olena (no surname given), Russian Orthodox believer:
"I swam for a great tradition. I never did it before. I feel very good myself. Only my hands are cold."
19. Various of priests conducting Epiphany ceremony
20. Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych (right) during ceremony
21. Priests dunking cross tied with ribbons into river to bless water
Belgrade, Serbia
22. Swimmers plunging into River Danube and racing to retrieve cross
23. Race winner Marko Tomasevic, police officer, holding cross and kissing it as he swims back to shore
24. Tomasevic holding cross above his head in front of priests
25. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Marko Tomasevic, police officer and winner of swimming race to retrieve cross:
"This is not the first time I have swum for the cross. I swam before, but not here, and now I won with God's help."
(Q: How did you feel, was it cold?)
"It is cold before you get into the water, that is most difficult, but now that I won the cross, I don't think about the cold any more."
26. Tomasevic talking to journalists
STORYLINE:
Orthodox Christian worshippers in parts of Europe plunged into icy waters on Thursday in ceremonies commemorating the baptism of Jesus.
Christians worldwide celebrate the feast of Epiphany as Jesus' revelation to the world as the son of God.
While Western Christians mark it as the day the biblical Magi (or Three Kings) are said to have arrived to view the baby Jesus, Orthodox Christians commemorate Jesus' baptism in the River Jordan.
Dozens of Russians took part in the Epiphany celebrations in Moscow, plunging into tubs of icy water in temperatures of minus eight degrees Celsius (17 degrees Fahrenheit).
Moscow's mayor Sergey Sobyanin set up the water tubs in an area close to the Kremlin, where paramedics were on standby.
In Ukraine's capital, Kiev, men and women ran into the Dnipro River, where a hole had been cut into the thick ice in the shape of a cross.
Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych joined worshippers at an outdoor ceremony at the city's cathedral.
Not all Orthodox Christian churches celebrate Epiphany on the same day.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
