On Friday May 8th, the eve of the 70th Anniversary of the Allied victory in World War II, a Panihida was led in St. Nicholas Cathedral in New York City, to commemorate all the soldiers who perished on the battlefield. The Panihida was led by the Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, His Grace Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk. 

The Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the UN, Mr. Vitaly Churkin as well as Ambassadors from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Cyprus, Serbia and other countries against the rise of Hitler during World War II.

With the blessing of the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and NY, Archpriest Alexander Anchoutine, Rector of Holy Protection Church in Glen Cove, NY and Hieromonk Tikhon (Gayfudinov, Cleric of the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign) represented their First Hierarch. 

At the conclusion of the Panihida, Bishop John greeted all the assembled with the solemn celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the victory in World War II. 

Afterwards, an official reception in honor of the occasion was held in the refectory of the cathedral.