Mass Eid prayers put an end to Moscow and St. Petersburg. In Russia, thousands of Muslims crowded streets in Moscow and St. Petersburg to celebrate. Eid al-Fitr is one of the most prestigious festivals for Muslims and the end of Ramadan. It's a celebration of joy, praying and one again together all at once. The massive crowds gave rise to the passion of the people but also road traffic stopped for hours. This was the show of the strength of the Muslim community in big cities as well as the challenges of the logistics of large crowds in big cities.
In Moscow, people lined up at the Moscow Grand Mosque, the Historical Mosque and the Memorial Mosque “Shuhada.” The turnout was so big that tons were lining the streets outside to pray at the mosques and families, children and elders were waiting when they could.
In St. Petersburg, similar scenes unfolded. Worshippers came together around mosques and filled up all the streets around. There were just so many people that roads were shut and people could hardly get them to move. For many people, so many people prayed together with each other, and it was a real thing they said for the moment of pride and one of unity (without the hassle, the pain, the heart break to our heart), it was just a lot to see.
Russia has a large Muslim population, especially in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Eid al-Fitr, or Uraza Bayram, is celebrated with the large numbers of people that come together and pray at all the venues. When we come to the end of Ramadan, we have to go to mosque prayers, and this is a very spiritual time of year for many Muslims.
The large turnout and high concentration of worshippers in mosques meant that mosques were unable to contain everyone. When people prayed they prayed in the streets and this was the cause of huge devotion behind them so driving blocks and stops happened. To manage them vehicles had to be diverted and public safety was ensured.
Videos and images of the prayers spread fast on social media. People were touched more by the unity and the peace and quiet at the gatherings. Many noted how hard it became and traffic disruption reflected in its scale.
If anything the event gave Muslims in Russia some hope they are still part of the community. And for outsiders it was the first real example of how faith binds people together in public spaces.
Eid al-Fitr (Moscow and St. Petersburg) prayers were more than just religious ceremonies. They were an expression of unity, commitment and the presence of cultural strength. But even though traffic was halted, the mass gathering of thousands of people who wanted a little rest as God sent his and her light had the result that one can see: faith and tradition come back to life. Eid in Russia was celebrated with joy and grit and would be the conclusion of Ramadan which is inescapable.
