My readers asked me about religious symbols on the station.

We have four holy icons on the Russia segment. We also have the Gospels and a big cross (the Lord’s Divine Cross was handed over to the head of Roscosmos, A.N.Perminov, by the late Patriarch Aleksy II. The cross was delivered to the station by the crew of Soyuz TMA-8 in 2006 – ed.)

And I have a reliquary cross in my cabin. A priest gave it to me at Baikanur before the launch. Father Job told me a piece of the original cross on which Jesus was crucified is contained in mine. My cross was blessed in the Lavra (a monastic site - ed.) in Sergiev Posad. It will be with me the whole expedition and will return with me to Earth.

Via Russian space agency Roscosmos

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.