Choir of the Moscow Theological Academy Performs in Addis Ababa

DECR – 05/10/2023

Addis-Ababa-Ethiopia: As part of the Days of Russia’s Spiritual Culture in Ethiopia, the Joint Choir of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra and Moscow Theological Academy gave a concert on the premises of the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 24 September 2023. The concert program included church chants and folk songs.

In his opening speech, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Mr. E. E. Terekhin underlined the importance of this initiative in strengthening ties between the peoples of Russia and Ethiopia.

Welcoming the audience were also head of the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Ethiopia Mr. A. A. Evstigneev, DECR secretary for inter-Christian relations Hieromonk Stephan (Igumnov), and MTA pro-rector for pedagogical work Hieromonk Vyacheslav (Sorokin).

The performance by a leading choir of the Russian Orthodox Church was timed to coincide with the 125th anniversary, being marked this year, of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russian and Ethiopia, with the upcoming 225th birth anniversary of Alexander Pushkin, and with Ethiopia’s national celebrations of Meskel, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

The event was organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, together with the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo), the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, and the Ethiopian Church.

Source: DECR