Russian Orthodox Christians braved freezing temperatures as they plunged into icy water to celebrate the Orthodox Epiphany. Special cross-shaped holes were cut into thick ice covering rivers and lakes, with wooden steps leading into the water. The age-old ritual commemorates the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River, known as the Epiphany. The Russian Orthodox Church marks this event annually on 19 January, in the middle of the Russian winter.
Orthodox Christians who use the Julian Calendar [including Russians, Ukrainians, Serbians, Georgians, Copts, Ethiopians and Palestinians] celebrate Epiphany on 19 January, nearly two weeks after it is celebrated by Christians in the rest of the world. Many Russian Orthodox Christians believe that bathing on the Epiphany symbolically washes away their sins. However, others take the plunge simply because they believe a dip in the cold water is good for their health.
A man plunges into the icy waters of a frozen lake as part of celebrations for Orthodox Epiphany on the outskirts of Minsk, BelarusVasily Fedosenko/ReutersA member of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry clears ice from the surface of a cross-shaped hole cut into a frozen lake on the outskirts of MinskVasily Fedosenko/ReutersA couple plunge into icy waters during celebrations for the Orthodox Epiphany on the Dnieper river in Kiev, UkraineValentyn Ogirenko/ReutersA man makes the sign of the cross while standing in ice-covered water in the far eastern city of Vladivostok, RussiaYuri Maltsev/ReutersA woman makes the sign of the cross after taking a dip in icy waters during celebrations for the Orthodox Epiphany in the Sea of Japan, in the far eastern city of Vladivostok, RussiaYuri Maltsev/ReutersA man immerses himself in the Sea of Japan in the far eastern city of Vladivostok, RussiaYuri Maltsev/ReutersA man immerses himself a partially frozen lake during celebrations of the Orthodox Epiphany outside Ryazan, RussiaMaxim Shemetov/ReutersA man immerses himself in the ice-covered Yenisei River outside Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, where the temperature was about minus 25 degrees Celsius (minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit)Ilya Naymushin/ReutersA man swims in icy waters of a lake during celebrations of Orthodox Epiphany in Minsk, BelarusVasily Fedosenko/ReutersPeople react as they take a dip in a lake during Orthodox Epiphany celebrations in Kiev, UkraineGleb Garanich/ReutersPriests take part in a religious ceremony during Orthodox Epiphany celebrations in KievGleb Garanich/ReutersA woman runs out of the frozen Dnieper river in Kiev, UkraineValentyn Ogirenko/ReutersA man uses a chainsaw to cut a hole in the ice-covered Mana river near the Siberian village of Mansky, with the temperature at about minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit)Ilya Naymushin/ReutersIcicles cling to wooden handrails as a man immerses himself in the Bolshaya Almatinka river in Almaty, KazakhstanShamil Zhumatov/ReutersA man holds his smartphone as he immerses himself in the Bolshaya Almatinka river in Almaty, KazakhstanShamil Zhumatov/ReutersA member of the emergency services carries a child after bathing in the Bolshaya Almatinka river in Almaty, KazakhstanShamil Zhumatov/ReutersA man crosses himself as he dips into the icy waters of a lake as part of celebrations for Orthodox Epiphany in Minsk, BelarusVasily Fedosenko/BelarusPeople walk through the snowstorm to immerse themselves in icy waters during celebrations for the Orthodox Epiphany on a frozen lake near the village of Dubrovichi, outside Ryazan, RussiaMaxim Shemetov/ReutersA man immerses himself in a hole cut into an ice-covered lake near the village of Dubrovichi outside Ryazan, south east of MoscowMaxim Shemetov/ReutersA man plunges into freezing water on the eve of the Orthodox Epiphany in Moscow, RussiaSergei Karpukhin/ReutersA woman reacts as she takes a dip in a font on the eve of the Orthodox Epiphany in central MoscowSergei Karpukhin/ReutersA priest pours icy water over a woman during celebrations for the Orthodox Epiphany on the frozen Mana river near the village of Mansky, Siberia, RussiaIlya Naymushin/ReutersAn Orthodox believer dips into icy water in central MoscowVasily Maximov/AFPA girl heads down iced-over stairs on her way to plunge into cold water in MoscowVasily Maximov/AFPOrthodox believers dip into icy water during the celebration of the Epiphany in MoscowKirill Kudryavtsev/AFPMen wait in line to dive into the Tura River on Epiphany night in Tyumen, SiberiaAlexander Aksakov/Getty ImagesMen wait to jump into the icy water of Tura River on Epiphany night in Tyumen, SiberiaAlexander Aksakov/Getty ImagesA Russian Orthodox man jumps into the Tura River in Tyumen, SiberiaAlexander Aksakov/Getty Images
