DECR chairman and executives are honoured with high state awards

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, is awarded the Order of Honour for his great contribution to the development of spiritual culture and strengthening of friendship among nations by the decree № 233 of Russian President Vladimir Putin issued on May 17, 2016.

DECR deputy chairmen, Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, and Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), and Protodeacon Vladimir Nazarkin, assistant to the DECR chairman, were also honoured with state awards.

On 19 May 2016, at the grand meeting held on the occasion of the DECR’s 70^th anniversary, Sergei Ivanov, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office, presented Archpriest Nikolai Balashov with the Order of Honour, and the Orders of Friendship to Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov) and Protodeacon Vladimir Nazarkin.