Travels with a Patriarch

In August, Patriarch Kirill visited Arkhangelsk region and the Solovetsky Islands. Photographer and journalist Nikolai Gernet was along for the ride.

our little airplane visibly rattled as
it took off from Vaskovo Airport. The journalists exchanged nervous glances. Within a half hour we would be on the Solovetsky Islands, but the grey morning, strong winds and nasty rain did not augur well for photographing the arrival of Patriarch Kirill (photo, lower right).

Someone joked, “Don’t worry, our people have things under control, they’ll come to some agreement with the heavens!”