St. Tikhon’s Orthodox University seeks intense collaboration with Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

An official delegation from St. Tikhon’s Orthodox University visited Greece: an important step in the Academic relations between our countries.

Thanks to the initiative of the Theological faculty of the University Aristotle of Thessaloniki and of the Metropolis of Thessaloniki of the Church of Greece, the group of representatives of St. Tikhon’s Orthodox University visited Thessaloniki from 18th to 21th February in order to develop a more intensive collaboration between our institution and the academic reality of modern Greece. The delegation was headed by father Vladimir Vorobyev, Rector of St. Tikhon’s Orthodox University, and was composed by father Georgy Orekhanov and father Konstantin Polskov, vice-rectors; father Pavel Ermilov, deputy dean of St. Tikhon’s Theological Faculty; Petr Skopin, head of the International Relations office.

After celebrating the Holy Liturgy in the Cathedral of St. Dimitrios on 19th of February, the delegation took part in a conference titled “The relations between Russia and Greece during the Turkish empire”, organized by the Greek university Aristotle in collaboration with St. Tikhon’s. The Rector of St. Tikhon’s University, archpriest Vladimir Vorobyev, has underlined that the basis for further relations between our countries should be a deep understanding of their common history and faith. Father Vladimir also told the public about the restoration of the Diocesan Palace. In this Palace took place the All-Russian Church Council that has restored the Patriarchate in 1917-1918. Struggles aiming at the restitution of the Palace to the Church lasted more than ten years since Soviet time ended: it was given back to Church only in 2004, thanks to the joint effort of the Patriarchate and of St. Tikhon’s Orthodox University, whose central building will be placed by the Palace to the Church once it would be restructured. Also, the delegation met His Eminence Metropolitan Anfimos of Thessaloniki and His Eminence Metropolitan Barnabas of Neapolis and Stavropolis.

The visit was an important step for further developments in the relations not only between St. Tikhon’s and the University Aristotle, but also between St. Tikhon’s and other Greek institutions, as underlined also by our partners in Greece.

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