Representatives of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District took part in a round table organized by the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church

On January 25, 2024, the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, as part of the XXXII International Christmas Educational Readings, as well as within the framework of the activities of the Commission of the Inter-Council Presence on Issues of Public Life, Culture, Science and Information, held a round table “The Church and the museum community - the preservation of cultural and spiritual heritage."

Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, manager of the affairs of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, took part in the meeting.

The round table was attended by: Bishop Stefan of Kovrov, vicar of the Vladimir diocese; Head of the Publishing Department of the Voronezh Diocese Archpriest Andrei Izakar, Chairman of the Expert Council of the Kostroma Diocese on Church Art, Architecture and Restoration Priest Mikhail Mostovoy, Secretary of the Barnaul Diocese, Chairman of the Coordinating Council for Museum and Exhibition Activities of the Altai Metropolis Archimandrite Hilarion (Morozov), Teacher of the Barnaul Theological Seminary, cleric of the St. Nicholas Church in Barnaul, Priest John Makarov, head of the interdiocesan property and legal board of the Altai Metropolis, nun Elena (Garanova), architect of the cultural heritage department of the Pereslavl diocese, member of the Union of Architects of Russia S.V. Alexandrova; Director of the Museum of St. Luke in the Feodorovsky Monastery of Pereslavl-Zalessky, Candidate of Biological Sciences, member of the Union of Writers of Russia, member of the Russian Society of Medical Historians E.I. Kalikinskaya, director of the Church and Archaeological Office of the Moscow Theological Academy A.S. Novikov, employee of the Legal Department of the Moscow Patriarchate A.Yu. Fokin, assistant to the chairman of the Publishing Council M.A. Kireev, specialist in the sector of special projects and competitive programs of the Publishing Council apparatus, Hierodeacon Bonifatiy (Velmyakin), Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation, Head of the Culture Department of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District L.E. Goricheva; project manager - director of the Central Sunday School of Almaty G.V. Cherepanova.

In his opening speech, Metropolitan Clement noted that to date, the Church and museums are cooperating in preserving objects of spiritual heritage, which are also works of art. He also said that the Church is grateful to the museum staff, who during the Soviet years were able to save a lot from destruction and accumulated experience and knowledge that allowed them to preserve ancient icons and books.

The meeting participants noted that these days it is possible to establish and maintain good relationships with museum employees. They also shared their experience of working in collaboration with museums in past decades. The experience of different dioceses and several large museums was presented.

Church museums, including small and very recently created ones, became a separate topic of discussion.

A number of still unresolved problems were identified, related both to the work of such museums and ensuring the safety of especially valuable icons, books, liturgical vessels in individual churches and church museums, and in general to restoration work.

Summing up the meeting, Metropolitan of Kaluga and Borovsky said that the Church and the museum community need not just to engage in dialogue, but also to learn from each other: the Church needs to learn to preserve ancient valuable icons, books and other objects that have historical, cultural value and are known shrines, and at the same time train museum staff to understand the spiritual value of this.

The head of the Publishing Council emphasized that children, teenagers, and young people can set our attitude to faith, to our native history and culture, to shrines as an example for themselves, and it is very important that this be a good example.