Moscow, November 5, Interfax - Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia consecrated a stone laid to foundation of the monument to St. Vladimir the Baptist at the Borovitskaya Square in downtown Moscow.
"Prince Vladimir was a founder of a new civilization, which included the Russian people, the Old Rus, - the civilization decorated with the greatest achievements of the human spirit, thought and people's heroism," the patriarch said at the ceremony.
According to him, the Baptism of Russia in the 10th century refers to everyone, who live in Russia, in Ukraine, in Byelorussia preserving "the spiritual unity rooted in Prince Vladimir's historic step."
In his turn Russian Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky reported that the foundation stone was brought from Chersonese where Prince Vladimir was baptized.
The monument will be built on donations. The place for the monument - the Borovitskaya Square (buffer zone of the Moscow Kremlin) - was chosen by residents of the capital in course of the Internet poll. This year it will be 1000 years since Prince Vladimir passed away.
In 2010, the President in his decree proclaimed the Day of Russia's Baptism a state memorable date. In 2008, Patriarch Kirill's predecessor Alexy II introduced a tradition to celebrate the Feast of Russia's Baptism in Kiev. However, in 2014 for the first time in these years main celebrations took place in Moscow, not Kiev.
Interfax-relegion.com Editorial Team
Sean Phillips
I’m Sean Phillips, a writer and editor covering and its impact on daily life. I focus on making complex topics clear and accessible, and I’m committed to providing accurate, thoughtful reporting. My goal is to bring insight and clarity to every story I work on.
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