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On 5 December 2016, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia visited the Russian House at Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois not far from Paris. The nursing home for the elderly compatriots was founded here by a Russian émigré Princess Vera Mescherskaya in 1927. Living here at present are eighty people, including some fifteen Russians.

His Holiness visited the Church of St. Nicholas, where he was met by the director of the Russian House association who noted that the Russian House will celebrate its 90 years next years. He said that thousands of Russian Orthodox people who loved their Motherland had lived here. ‘We continue to serve our Church, pray for our Patriarch, love Russia and be grateful to France which has given us so much, ‘ he added.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, whose first visit here took place in 1969, said that he had always come to the Russian House with special feeling. ‘Your work here is very important, as you help the elderly people. On the other hand, this house is important from the historical and cultural point of view. It is a kind of a corner of the Russian world here in France.’

His Holiness donated a Kazan icon of the Mother of God to the church and small icons of the Intercession to all pensionnaries.