On September 22 through 24, 2011, as an event devoted to the 200th anniversary of the Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral, St.Petersburg Committee for External Relations, along with the parish of the Cathedral, organized and ran a scientific and practical conference “The Kazan Cathedral – the Church and a Monument to Russian Military Glory”.
On September 22 through 24, 2011, as an event devoted to the 200th anniversary of the Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral, St.Petersburg Committee for External Relations, along with the parish of the Cathedral, organized and ran a scientific and practical conference “The Kazan Cathedral – the Church and a Monument to Russian Military Glory”.
The conference was opened at the Center for Enlightenment “Svyatodukhovskiy [Saint Spirit]” at the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevskiy Lavra [Abbey]. Forum participants and guests were welcomed by A.V.Prokhorenko, Chairman of St.Petersburg Committee for External Relations; E.I.Makarov, Assistant of the Russian Federation President Representative in the North-Western Federal District; and Nazariy (Lavrinenko), Vicar of St.Petersburg Diocese and St. Alexander Nevskiy Abbey, the Bishop of Viborg.
At the conference opening, a video “Kazan Cathedral” was shown, produced by the order of St.Petersburg Committee for External Relations.
Over 50 speakers, including the clergymen, public authorities of St.Petersburg, scientists and cultural figures, provided detailed presentations on topical issues of conservation and restoration of the Kazan Cathedral, the historical destiny of the temple during the dramatic periods of national history, and unique icons stored under its vaults.
Particular attention was attracted by the speeches of Archpriest Pavel Krasnotsvetov, Rector of the Kazan Cathedral, on the history of replicas of the Kazan Mother of God Icon; M.M.Shakhnovich, Member of the Council for Cooperation with Religious Associations under the President of Russia, who gave a report rich in archival materials on the destiny of the Cathedral during the Great Patriotic War; P.V. Platonov, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for State Control, Exploitation, and Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments; I.E.Putyatin, Professor of the Fine Arts Academy; and M.V. Basova, Senior Researcher with the State Museum of the History of Religions.
Ideological context of the conference that brought together the representatives of different communities of St.Petersburg, was the conviction that the Kazan Cathedral as a symbol of service to the Motherland united the people as well as the whole generations. The development of patriotism would be impossible without the preservation of national and religious holy shrines, one of which is the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan.
St.Petersburg Committee for External Relations, taking into account the scientific, cultural, and educational value of the conference “The Kazan Cathedral – the Church and a Monument to Russian Military Glory”, is planning to publish its proceedings.
News source: St.Petersburg Committee for External Relations