Heavy rain damages frescos at Georgia’s historic Gelati Monastery
15. December 2016 - 16:03
Ancient frescos at Georgia’s 12th Century Gelati Monastery have been damaged by multi-day heavy rain. Reportedly, rainwater leaked through the roof of the monastery complex in Georgia’s west and damaged a portion of historic wall paintings.
Moscow Orthodox center to help homeless find employment
15. December 2016 - 16:01
Beginning in January 2017, the Orthodox service “Mercy” will begin working in a test mode with Moscow homeless to assist them in finding employment, reports Interfax-Religion.
Moscow is home to between fifteen and fifty thousand homeless, the majority of whom are “people of working age, many of whom stay on the streets after being cheated by their employers,” said the “Mercy” head of projects for helping the homeless Roman Skorosov.
Moscow Kremlin launches tours to sites of lost monasteries
15. December 2016 - 12:07
A new guided tour has appeared at the Moscow Kremlin for tourists from different countries. According to its organizers, it will be interesting for both students and adults.
The new tour’s itinerary passes through the New Kremlin Public Garden where in the fourteenth century centers of religious life were established in Muscovite Rus’: the Chudov Monastery and the Ascension Convent. Then the residence of the Russian emperors appeared on that spot—the Small Nikolaevsky Palace, the press service of the Moscow Kremlin Museums reported.
Metropolitan Hilarion celebrates Divine Liturgy at the relics of St Nicholas the Wonderworker
14. December 2016 - 15:37
On 13 December 2016, commemoration day of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, while in Italy on a working visit, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in Bari in the crypt of the Basilica of St Nicholas the Wonderworker, on the altar above the relics of the saint.
Concert of the Moscow Synodal Choir and the Sistine Chapel Choir is performed in Rome
14. December 2016 - 15:20
On 11 December 2016, a concert performed by the Moscow Synodal Choir conducted by the honoured artist of Russia Alexei Puzakov and the Sistine Chapel Choir conducted by Mons. Massimo Palombella was performed at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs in Rome. The concert prepared by the Joint Working Group for cultural cooperation between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Holy See with support of the St. Gregory the Theologian Foundation and Bank Intesa was dedicated to the 80th birthday of Pope Francis and timed to the patronal feast of the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr in Rome and held as a part of the Russian Art Festival titled ‘Russia – Italy. Through Centuries’ which is taking place in Rome from December 9 to 14.
