The opening ceremony was headed by the Archbishop of Peterhof Amvrosy, who prayed for "at the beginning of every good deed." After praying, Archbishop congratulated the guests and participants of the exhibition on the Feast of the Exaltation of the honest and Life-Giving Cross. Archbishop Amvrosy noted in his speach the importance of opening an Orthodox exhibition.
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The exhibition "Orthodox Russia" is an annual church and social event aimed at uniting the efforts of the Russian Orthodox Church, secular authorities, the public in preserving and developing the traditional spiritual values of Russian culture, art and morality. About 200 participants from 9 countries (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Greece, Israel, Montenegro, Serbia) are represented in this year's exposition, including large publishing houses, restoration and production firms working for the church, monasteries, icon-painting and jewelry shops.
Welcoming the organizers, participants and guests of the exhibition, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg, Vyacheslav Kalganov drew attention to the fact that such church-educational events unite high spiritual and educational tasks and at the same time have tangible practical benefits for visitors. «Guests of the exhibition can find here Orthodox literature of various publishing houses, attend conferences and thematic «round tables», take part in master classes, get acquainted with the expositions of artwork and listen to the performances of creative groups», said VG Kalganov.
The organizer of the exhibition - the general director of the exhibition association «RESTEC» Igor Kirsanov noted in his greeting that the life of the Church has expanded over the twenty-three years of the exhibition, as evidenced by the organizations represented on it. This year, around 200 churches and monasteries from 9 countries take part in the exhibition.
The main thematic sections of the exhibition: temple decoration, icons, Orthodox literature. The spiritual and educational program of the exhibition is devoted to the theme «1917-2017. Lessons of the Century». Priests, scientists, writers, publishers, teachers will take part in the discussions. September 29 at the exhibition will be one of the key events - the Health Day. The doctors and psychologists of the St. Petersburg Society of Orthodox doctors named after St. Luki (Voino-Yasenetsky) will work with visitors. In the conference hall of the exhibition will hold lectures and consultations devoted to health issues.
The exhibition is open until 1 October.
Working hours: 10.00 - 19.00, from 10.00 to 12.00 admission is free.
Additional information about the exhibition is on the official website of the event: http://pravoslav-expo.ru/