Day of Slavonic Literature and Culture
Primates of the Orthodox Churches of Constantinople and Russia attend concert in the State Kremlin Palace on the Day of Slavonic Literature and Culture
On 24 May 2010, the commemoration day of Ss Cyril and Methodius, Equal-to-the-Apostles and the Enlighteners of the Slavs that Russia celebrates as the Day of Slavonic Literature and Culture a concert was performed at the State Kremlin Palace. The festive event was opened by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and the Russian Minister of Culture A. Avdeyev. His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and members of his delegation who are on a visit to the Russian Orthodox Church were guests of honour.
Attending the concert were Metropolitan Philaret of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus; Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna; the Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Varsonofiy of Saransk and Mordovia; the Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk; Metropolitan Sergiy of Voronezh and Borisoglebsk; the head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Administrative Secretariat Bishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk; representatives of cultural, political and business circles, and clergymen.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill addressed the listeners with greetings before the concert, wishing them God’s blessing. Minister Avdeyev noted in his speech the contribution of Ss, Cyril and Methodius in the shaping of cultural and historical identity of Russia.
The orchestra of the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre performed pieces of the renowned Russian composers Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Shostakovich.
Among the performers were the Moscow Synodal Choir, the Pyatnitsky State Academic Russian Choir, the St. Petersburg Capella, and the Moiseyev State Academic Ensemble of Folk Dances.
