Shrines are returning to Russia

SHRINES ARE RETURNING TO RUSSIA

On February 16, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia received members of the newly-established National Committee and Foundation for Recovering Russian Valuables, at this working residence. The committee is made up of prominent figures in science and culture, state-run museum and archives staff and representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, such as Prof. V. Ganichev, chairman of the Russian Writers Union Board, I. Rodimtsev, director of the Moscow Kremlin historical and cultural museum-preserve, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, writer V. Rasputin, film director S. Govorukhin, chairman of the State Duma culture committee, V. Sidorov, chairman of the Russian Artists’ Union Board, academician Ye. Chelyshev, F. Kuznetsov, director of the Institute of World Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and others.

Introducing His Holiness the Patriarch to the new public initiative, V. Ganichev emphasized the need for accumulating Russian shrines and valuables dispersed in various foundations and public and private collections around the world.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church thanked the committee and the foundation for their important public initiative and expressed hope that it would contribute to spiritual betterment and cultural revival in Russia.

As their first concrete step the committee and the foundation have given to the museum of the Church of Christ the Savior the very precious icon of the 17th century, called “Sophia the Wisdom of God” by Simon Ushakov and Minaion, a unique liturgical book that used to belong to Prince Dmitry Pozharsky.

These shrines were handed over to Patriarch Alexy II by I. Malakhov, general director of the Vital joint-stock company, and A. Temerko, president of the Russian Arms corporation.