Author: VK
The exhibition-forum “Orthodox Russia on the Day of National Unity” was opened at the Manege Central exhibition hall yesterday, on November 4 (the Day of National Unity).
“The exhibition “Orthodox Russia” is already a traditional event. Its history is quite interesting. It first appeared in St. Petersburg, then the main part of the exhibition moved to Moscow”, Vsevolod Chaplin, Head of the Synodal Department for relations between Church and society, says. “Some time ago, when the Day of National Unity was created, Metropolitan Kirill made a decision, which he later promoted as patriarch. This decision meant that the exhibition-forum should take place in connection with the Day of National Unity. It is no accident that this year the day has a special meaning, because we celebrate 400 years since the overcoming of the Times of Trouble, the restoration of Russian statehood after these troubles. This is not simply a historical date from the past. This date explains to us why we are who we are and shows what can be done in the future. We know that at the turn of the 17th century our country was split, Russia was buried, Russia was being divided by external powers that already invaded it and taken Moscow. At that time many, including our enemies, thought that Russia was dead, that it could be perceived as a territory for free hunting, and that its heritage can be divided. The elites were split, the regions were split, social instability, and open banditry reigned in many parts of Russia. Absence of law and chaos seemed to have conquered Russia and destroyed its national identity and national will. And suddenly everything changed.
The people took their destiny in their hands. The church and the people and later the elite and those in power together created a country that stood monumental and united for 300 years, apart from some historical episodes. This is a powerful lesson for us all.
Moreover, we know that after the overcoming of the Times of Trouble when the popular will was vividly expressed, even those strata of elites that cooperated with the foreign occupants changed their views of the future of Russia and started to cooperate with the winning power, in other words with the people. Nobody repressed those people or attempted to remove them from political activity. The unity of the people and elite, people and power, people and Church after the events of 1612 included everyone, even those who were on the other side during the Times of Trouble. What a lesson to all of us! In a situation where Russia was believed to be weak, split, torn apart by contradictions, buried, our people can mysteriously build an amazing project that will be a milestone for the entire world and humanity.
The central event of the exhibition-forum will be choosing a monument to the Patriarch Germogen. According to Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov), secretary of the Patriarchal council for culture, head of the Sretensky monastery in Moscow, “400 years ago Patriarch Germogen was tortured to death in the Chudov monastery in Moscow. Speaking about the role of personality in history, it was this man who, by his prayers and deeds, managed to pull our country out of the troubles. His achievements are great in our country, but we understand that he is barely known anywhere except for the Church.
This year on March 3, when we commemorated 400 years since the death of St. Germogen, it is a big Church holiday, the patriarch laid the first stone of the future monument to patriarch Germogen in Alexandrovsky garden. You understand that it is not very easy to make any monument in such an historic place as the Alexandrovsky garden. But as far as I know the patriarch found understanding among the country and city government, and now the task is to choose the right image. The monument will be located close to the Manege. All the primary agreements have been reached. In late May the patriarch asked sculptors and architects to create projects for this monument. Numerous creative groups replied. Today, in the framework of the national competition for the best project for the monument, there were 79 applications, and 60 of them will be presented at the Manege. Moscow will be able to participate in the choice of the monument to the person who saved Moscow and the entire country from the troubles – it is a unique event, I can’t remember anything like this. This will mark our gratitude and respect to this unfortunately forgotten man. So we have 60 projects that will be presented at the Manege. All who come to the Manege will be able to evaluate these projects and leave their opinion in books or on computer, it all will be offered to the visitors. The jury will consider all these remarks. The last meeting of the jury will be on November 7 in the evening. We expect that on November 8 we will already know the winner of this competition”.
“When we talk about the undeserved oblivion of patriarch Germogen, these are not just words”, Vladimir Legoida, Head of Synodal Information Department, says. “And this is now connected to the oblivion of Soviet times, as many think. Our great historian Vasily Klyuchevsky in his famous lectures on Russian history mentions patriarch Germogen only once.
Concerning our exhibition-forum, I would like to stress that it is indeed an exhibition-forum. It is a place where, as father Vsevolod said, people can meet, where discussions, round tables, conferences, expert meetings are held and at the same time an exhibition with serious expositions. Several topics have already been named and I hope you will not mind if I repeat them because it is important. The topics of the expositions prepared by the Patriarchal Council for Culture, Synodal departments, monasteries, governments of Moscow and St. Petersburg that also took place in preparing the exhibition. First of all, it is 1150 years since the emergence of Russian statehood, an important date already mentioned by father Vsevolod, 400 years since the martyr death of St. Germogen, 400 years since the victory of Minin and Pozharsky and the overcoming of the Times of Trouble, 200 years since the victory in the war over Napoleon in 1812, 100 since the death of St. Nikolai of Japan. A special exposition will be devoted to it, prepared by the department for international relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. This is also a very important date, you remember of course that recently the head of the Russian Orthodox Church visited Japan. All this will be reflected in the exposition. In addition, the greeting of the Kazan Icon of Virgin Mary that will be brought to Moscow will take place at 9am on November 4 in front of the Uspensky Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin, followed by the liturgy in the cathedral. At around 1pm, after the liturgy is over, we plan to start the opening ceremony of the exhibition”.
