Metropolitan Hilarion visits Dormition Cathedral in Budapest
On 7th September 2019, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, who had arrived in Hungary with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to take part in the Budapest Forum for Christian Communications, visited the Cathedral of the Holy Dormition in Budapest, where restoration works are under way. The DECR chairman was accompanied by Archpriest Sergy Zvonarev, DECR secretary for far abroad countries; Rev. Svyatoslav Bulakh, advisor-assistant to the ruling hierarch of the diocese of Hungary; Rev. Iliya Kosykh, head of the DECR Communication Service; and Subdeacon Vyacheslav Lee.
In 2007, at the request of Bishop Hilarion, administrator of the diocese of Hungary and Budapest, LUKOIL Company allocated funds for the restoration of the stone base at one of the cathedral’s towers destroyed during World War II. The base was restored in 2008.
On 24th October 2016, an agreement was signed to provide a subsidy to the diocese of Hungary of the Russian Orthodox Church for the restoration of the Dormition Cathedral and other cultural heritage objects. The subsidy was given by the Hungarian state.
In the beginning of 2019 a tender was organized for the exterior and some of the interior repair works. At this point, the roof has been repaired, 90% of repair works at the façade of the church have been completed, and the northern tower has been restored. The extensive exterior repair works are planned to be completed by early October. The first two tiers of the iconostasis and other interior decoration repair works are to be completed by next March. All restoration works are expected to be concluded in late December 2019 – February 2020.
Metropolitan Hilarion acquainted himself with the restoration progress, climbed the scaffolding and inspected the restored tower which is now crowned with the gilded cross.
That same day the DECR chairman and those accompanying him departed for Moscow.
DECR Communication Service