High Church Distinction for Mrs. Eleonora Mitrofanova

Church of Serbia – 12/7/18

The Serbian Patriarch decorated Mrs. Eleonora Mitrofanova with the Order of Holy Empress Milica – Venerable Eugenia. The Russian state and the Russian Orthodox Church continue to help interior decoration of the Memorial Cathedral of Saint Sava in Belgrade.

On the occasion of celebrating the Day of family, love and fidelity, July 9^th, 2018, His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej visited the Russian Cultural Centre (the Russian House) in Belgrade, where he was cordially welcomed by protopresbyter Vitaly Tarasyev, principal of the church of Holy Trinity of the Representation of the Russian Orthodox Church in Belgrade, and Mrs. Nadezda Kuschenkova, Director of the Russian House. After a short reception in the solemn salon, where Mr. Aleksadar Schepurin, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Belgrade, attended the cordial talks, His Holiness with his entourage and hosts moved to the solemn hall of the Russian House.

The Patriarch was accompanied by Bishop Stefan of Remesiana, Vicar Bishop of the Serbian Patriarch; protopresbyter-staurophor Dr. Savo Jovic, General Secretary of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the SOC; deacon Aleksandar Prascevic, Chief of the Office of His Holiness; Mr. Dejan Nakic, Director of the Production Bureau of the Archbishopric of Belgrade-Karlovac, and Mrs. Vladimir Jelic, head of the Patriarchate Residence.

The decision of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, relating to this decoration, reads as follows: “By the decision of the Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Mrs. Eleonora Valentinova Mitrofanova, the head of the ‘Rossotrudnichestvo’ of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, is awarded with the order of Holy Empress Milica – Veberable Eugenia for her active love towards the Serbian Orthodox Church and Serbian people, particularly shown in selfless engaging for protection our sacred places of our Church in Kosovo and Metohija.”

Dr. Eleonora Mitrofanova thanked the Serbian Orthodox Church for the high distinction: – Everything that you said, Your Holiness, was happening in 2015. It was an united work of our diplomats and representatives in the UNESCO.  We did practically the impossible thing: we blocked Kosovo to be accepted into the membership of this organization and we didn’t let Orthodox sacred places on the territory of Kosovo and Metohija become foreign. We strictly follow the resolution of the United Nations Security Council 1244 in which it was explicitly stated that Kosovo and Metohija are integral part of the Republic of Serbia.

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