The Patriarch of Moscow and All-Russia Kirill is on a visit to Ukraine
to mark the anniversary of conversion of Old Russia. Kiev marked the
1020th anniversary of conversion of people and retinue of Duke
Vladimir in 2008. This year Georgian Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II will
take part in the anniversary celebrations, ITAR-TASS reports.
Kirill and Ilia will meet at the Kiev Pechersk Lavra and discuss
relations of Georgia and Russia.
Kirill and Ilia will have joint prayers with Ukrainian Metropolitan
Volodymyr at the monument of Duke Vladimir today.
The Conversion Day os marked on July 28 to commemorate Duke Vladimir.
Kirill will attend the Holy Synod, held in Moscow, Saint-Petersburg
and Kiev, make a speech at the International Forum of Orthodox Women,
meet university heads of Ukraine at the Kiev National University, lay
flowers at the monument of victims of the mass famine of the 1930s and
the Honour Memorial of the Unknown Soldier.
The traditional concert will be held in Kiev, Moscow and Minsk on July
28. The first such concert gathered over 30,000 people, it was held at
Kreshatik in 2008. Kirill and a well-known priest Andrey Kurayev made
speeches.
The Conversion Day is a state holiday in Ukraine since 2008 and Russia
since 2010.
