The construction of the Edinoverie church in honor of the icon of the Most Holy Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" in the village of Semino in the Nizhny Novgorod region was begun with the blessing of Archbishop (now Metropolitan) George of Nizhny Novgorod in 2007. The native-born Old Believers Evgeny Mikhailovich Sosnin and Valery Vladimirovich Zdorov had a good desire to join with their families to the Russian Orthodox Church on the rights of Edinoverie and to build a church in honor of the Mother of God. From the very foundation of the Edinoverie community it has been taken care of by the rector of the Edinoverie church of the Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God in the village of Maloye Murashkino, priest-monk Sergius (Gaponov). The first service, a prayer service to the Mother of God, was held on November 6, 2007, the day of the future parish feast of the church.
The construction of the church was completed in 2009 and since that time regular services have been held there. Later the church was painted by Viktor Konstantinovich Tyrdanov, a member of the Union of Artists of Russia.
In 2020, priest Michael Tronin was appointed to lead the community and is still serving in Semino.
After the establishment in 2012 of the Metropolis of Nizhny Novgorod and the new dioceses within it, the church in Semino became part of the Gorodets diocese. In August 2023, Bishop Paramon (Golubka) was appointed head of the Gorodets Diocese. Some time after his appointment, His Grace, visiting the Edinoverie Church in Semino, expressed a desire to perform its consecration. It took several months to prepare for this most important event in the life of the Edinoverie community. Not long ago, on the feast of the Vladimir Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, June 3, 2024, Bishop Paramon celebrated the Divine Liturgy according to the old Russian rite in the church. And finally, on June 20, 2024, the long-awaited celebration took place.
Together with the Semino Edinovertsy, the spiritual joy was shared by representatives of other Edinoverie communities. In addition to father Michael Tronin, the service was attended by archpriest Georgy Krylov, rector of the Church of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia in Strogino, Moscow, and deacon Konstantin Akimov, rector of the Edinoverie Church of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos in the village of Maloye Murashkino, priestmonk Sergei (Gaponov), and archpriest Evgeny Sarancha, clergyman of the Edinoverie Church of the Archangel Michael in the village of Mikhailovskaya Sloboda, Kolomna Diocese, Priest Anthony (Anenko), rector of the Edinoverie Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God in the village of Ostashovo, Kolomna Diocese; priestmonk Varsonofiy (Yashin), rector of the St. Nicholas Edinoverie Church in the town of Kuznetsk, priest Sergius Borovikov, clergyman of the Ascension Cathedral of Kuznetsk, deacons and subdeacons of the Gorodets diocese who arrived with Vladyka Paramon, as well as parishioners of the above communities.
On June 7/20, the service began at 5:30 a.m. with the nocturn service, followed by the water blessing service with the singing of the Canon to the Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow." After a brief intermission, there was a welcome of His Eminence Paramon, followed by entrance prayers, vesting in the pulpit, and finally, a touching and solemn service of consecration of the church. This divine service was performed according to the old rite with careful fulfillment of all the features of the ritual. After washing and consecration of the holy altar and prothesis, and the application of Holy Myrrh eight-pointed crosses on the walls of the temple on the four sides, the cross procession was made three times around the church, with Vladyka Paramon during the first circle sprinkled the church with holy water, on the second circle censed the church, and on the third blessed with the cross.
The consecration of the church was followed by the service of the hours and the Divine Liturgy, during which many parishioners of the church received Holy Communion.
The spiritual celebration lasted until 1PM, and after the service ended, fraternal fellowship continued over a festive meal.
