“Patriarchal Metochion - Serving the Unity of the Orthodox Churches”

On December 8, the Russian Cultural and Information Centre in Sofia hosted an opening ceremony of the “70th Anniversary of the Patriarchal Metochion in Sofia” exhibition. It was designed by Prohram Studio and dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Metochion of the Patriarch of Moscow in Sofia.

Taking part in the opening ceremony were Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR); hierarchs of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Daniel of Vidin and Bishop Gerasim of Melnik, chief secretary of the Holy Synod; H.E. Eleonora Mitrofanova, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Bulgaria; Mr. Nikita Leshukov, chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of Belarus in Bulgaria; Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, acting vice-chairman of the DECR; Archimandrite Vassian (Zmeyev), rector of the Russian Orthodox Church’s Metochion in Sofia; Rev. Alexander Yershov, secretary of the DECR chairman; Bulgarian scientists and workers of culture, journalists and representatives of the public.

The guests were introduced to the exhibition materials. Employees of the Metochion explained how the Prohram Studio created the exhibition with the participation of the rector of the Metochion, Archimandrite Vassian. They showed the unique documents and photographs published for the first time on stands. These documents witness that for 70 years the main direction of the ministry of the Metochion of the Russian Orthodox Church in Sofia was the preservation of the unity of the Orthodox Churches commanded by God.