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On July 22, 2010, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia visited the Odessa National Academy of Law. At the Academy’s entrance he was welcomed by the Academy’s President S. Kivalov, professors and students and parishioners of the students’ chapel.

His Holiness had a brief talk with Mr. Kivalov at his office, after which the he signed the Honorary Guests Book.

He was introduced to the history of the Academy and taken on a tour of it. He listened with interest to the story about how the first students’ chapel to appear in Ukraine was created and dedicated to the Holy Martyr Tatiana.

In a solemn ceremony, the Academic Council of the National Academy of Law conferred upon Patriarch Kirill the degree of doctor honoris causa ‘in acknowledgement of the pastoral work he has carried out for many years to form the moral principles of Slavic nations and to promote symphony in relations between church and state’.

His Holiness delivered a doctoral speech.

On behalf of the Academy’s leaders, professors and students, President Kivalov presented His Holiness with a tabernacle representing a small replica of the students’ Chapel of St. Tatiana. ‘For our team, it is a really historic event. I believe it will warm up the mind and heart of every one present here for many years’, he said.

After the ceremony, His Holiness together with Metropolitan Agafangel of Odessa and Izmail, Bishop Alexy of Belgorod-Dniestrovsky, President Kivalov and the Academic Council members visited the Chapel of St. Tatiana.