RUSSIA, AUGUST 29, 2020. “RUSSIA-GREECE: TOGETHER THROUGH THE CENTURIES”. GREETINGS FROM THE LEADERSHIP OF THE I.A.O.
Fourth International Charitable Festival on Christian Culture.
Konakovo town (Tver region)
Greeting from the I.A.O. President
STATE DUMA
FEDERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
SEVENTH MEETING
COMMITTEE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CIVIL SOCIETY
AND SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS UNION AFFAIRS
Moscow 29 August 2020 3.21-30.1/211
Honorable participants, organizers and guests of the IV International Charity Festival of Christian Culture
“Russia – Greece. Together Through the Centuries”
On the occasion of the holding of the IV International Charity Festival of Christian Culture “Russia – Greece. Together Through the Centuries” , I welcome you from the bottom of my heart.
On behalf of the leadership of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy, I would like to highlight, that we are actively working towards the expansion of our cooperation with other states’ parliaments. We are grateful to the Hellenic Parliament for its great contribution, as well as for our joint work and support in order to realize our common activities.
The increasing of the political tensions in the world and the economic crises cannot disturb the friendship and mutual respect of the two peoples, which are united on the basis of the Orthodox faith and a history of cultural cooperation.
I express my conviction that this Festival will bring benefit to the mutual understanding of those spiritually related states and peoples. I believe, it will be a fascinating journey into the world of different cultures: from music to national cuisine.
Similar kind of festivities reflect the significance of traditional spiritual values, the importance of the charity and of feeling mercy within the pandemic, in conditions of aggressive globalization.
Through deep knowledge, pride and love emerge. To be worthy successors of the Christian ideas, as an example of which in real life was offered us by the St. Spyridon, Bishop of Trimythous, as well as by the admiral St. Theodore Ushakov.
I wish the participants, organizers and guests of the Festival, new discoveries in the benefit of our countries.
The President of the Committee.
The President of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy.
S.A. Gavrilov
Greeting from the I.A.O. Secretary General
August 29, 2020
Greeting message of the I.A.O. Secretary General and Member of the Hellenic Parliament Dr Andreas Michailidis to the participants and guests of the IV philanthropic festival of the Christian culture
“Russia-Greece: together through the centuries”
Dear participants and guests of the Festival,
With great pleasure and honor I greet today from the position of the Secretary General of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy, the IV philanthropic festival of Christian culture “Russia-Greece: together through the centuries” dedicated to the celebration of the friendly relations between Greece and Russia. It is an institution, which is organized annually with joint festivity events, referring to the millennial friendship that unites both peoples.
When referring to the relations between Greece and Russia we should not forget that these two countries have common historical origins, common cultural tradition, common religious feeling and in many cases a solidarity course in the depths of the centuries.
Already from the Hellenistic period, but in general during the Byzantine Empire, both nations were engaged in building friendships and alliances, as well as in the conclusion of close commercial and cultural relations. The strong presence of the Greek element on the shores of Russia to the Black Sea is also demonstrated by the Greek names given to the riparian cities, namely the cities of Feodosia, Evpatoria, and Sevastopol. But also in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, a significant portion of officers and scientists from Russia travelled to Greece, and they remarked unique progress. In addition, the role of Imperial Russia in the liberation of Greece from the Turkish yoke was also of great importance.
After all, we should not forget that the Christianity in Russia was spread by the Byzantine Empire, while the wave of Slavic Christianization of the 10th century, and the creation of the Slavic alphabet by Saints Cyril and Methodius upgraded the relations of both nations and offered the opportunity to build a common fraternal path based on the orthodox Christian tradition.
I would like also to turn your attention to the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque by the Turkish authorities a few days ago, which is a historical regression and is interpreted as “neo-Ottoman barbarism”.
With these words I wish to close my short greeting message with warm thanks and wishes that the results of the annual Festival be once again fruitful for the deepening of the Greek-Russian cooperation.
Thank you.
Sincerely yours,
The Secretary General
Dr Andreas Michailidis
Member of the Hellenic Parliament