Sayidna led a group of twelve to some of Russia’s holiest sites in St. Petersburg, Sergiev-Posad and Moscow, venerating the relics of martyrs and the soil on which they tread. The trip was not to establish mere diplomacy, but to witness the resurgence of Orthodox Christianity in this once repressed and tortured land. On several occasions, Sayidna and the delegation visited churches in the middle of baptisms, yet were still warmly received. Churches were jammed packed with believers grabbing onto the Faith that was denied them for decades. On Holy Pentecost, Sayidna met with His Holiness, Patriarch ALEXY II (Mikhailovich Ridiger), who would enter into the Eternal Kingdom just six months after the historic visit.