Patience is a virtue

… and no more so than for thousands of people queuing to enter the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow today. One of the most important Christian relics, the Gifts of the Three Wise Men to the newborn Jesus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Magi), were delivered from Thessaloniki to Moscow on the eve of the Orthodox Christmas (http://foto.rg.ru/photos/12c139c3/2.html#2) and are on display until January 13.  This is the first time since the 15th Century that the holy Gifts have left the Agiou Pavlou monastery on Mount Athos in Greece.  At present the attraction is drawing huge numbers, reportedly queuing for up to 9-12 hours, and stretching back along the Moscow River embankment as far as the Third Ring Road. Today's photo, taken in driving sleet, is of people surging from one holding pen to the next.