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On 24 October 2016, Mr. Miklós Soltész, Minister of State for Social and Family Affairs of Hungary’s Ministry of Human Resources, and Bishop Tikhon of Podolsk, head of the diocese of Hungary of the Russian Orthodox Church, signed an agreement stipulating the allocation of one hundred million forints for the restoration of the tower of the Cathedral of the Holy Dormition, destroyed during World War II. The signing ceremony took place at the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Budapest, Hungary.

The Dormition Cathedral, built in 1791-1801, is the oldest Orthodox church in Budapest. Among those who took part in its construction was Ybl Miklós, a prominent architect of the 19th century. The cathedral suffered serious damage during World War II; one of its towers was destroyed. In 2006-2009, under Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria (now Metropolitan of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations), the church was restored. However, the works were not completed. In 2016 the diocese of Hungary of the Russian Orthodox Church reached the agreement with the Hungarian authorities concerning the allocation of funds for the restoration of the cathedral’s tower.

In his speech after the signing ceremony, Bishop Tikhon of Podolsk thanked Hungary’s leadership, including Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, for their commitment to upholding the solid Christian principles, and noted with appreciation the piety of the Hungarian people.

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