Epiphany celebrations in the Russian city of Abakan today (ITAR-TASS) January 19, 2006 -- Orthodox Christians in Russia, Ukraine, and elsewhere today participated in the annual Orthodox tradition of plunging through ice holes and bathing in icy waters to mark Epiphany.
However, the region is currently seeing its warmest winter in many years, and many participants are missing the key ingredients in this year's celebration: cold, ice, and snow.
Many believers have bemoaned just jumping into cold, not freezing, water.
(Interfax, ITAR-TASS, Reuters)
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.
