Prince Konstanty Ostrogski’s Awards had been Given
21.05.2010
Maria Nalewajko
Polish Orthodox Church
On 9th May the Prince Ostrogski’s Award had been given. The ceremony took place at The Holy Trinity Cathedral in Hajnówka.
The Prince Ostrogski’s Award is almost the same age as Orthodox Review magazine, which is the seat of the chapter of the award. Today it is being given for the 21st time and Orthodox Review is published for 25 years – said Anna Radziukiewicz, the president of Ostrogski’s Foundation, during the ceremony.
The chairman of the award’s chapter Eugeniusz Czykwin as well as the editor-in-chief of the Orthodox Review briefly outlined the figure of the Award’s patron, prince Konstanty Basil Ostrogski.
Our work as journalists lets us notice outstanding people who bother about the Orthodoxy on the sphere of its spirituality and culture and those who reconcile Christians. This is the reason for which we award people – Anna Radziukiewicz explained and then she introduced the winners.
Here are the winners:
• Walery Aleksiejew, profesor of Lomonosov’s University in Moscow, in charge of the Foundation of Unity of Orthodox Nations for 15 years, that is from its beginning. The Foundation suports the Orthodox Church very actively in its mission of reviving faith and culture. It conducts publishing activity, organizes famous international conferences, Turing which the most important problems of contemporary Orthodoxy are raised. The foundation also gives very prestigeous awards. There is one Polish Winner – metropolita Sawa.
• Prof. Bojović from Serbia, teaching at University of Nis, a specialist of old Serbian literature and one of the first researchers of the teological point of view. The profesor Works at the sixth volume of highly valued yearbook „Crkvene studije” in the Center of chuch Research. He published a dozen of his books and edited many books of Rother authors. He cooperates with Orthodox Church’s hierarchy, monasteries and seminaries. He makes contemporary Serbian spiritual culture more scientific, he points out the relation between nature and religion.
• Jarosław Charkiewicz was grown up in Hajnówka. He was also a member of the Fellowship of Orthodox Youth, being its head. This education has left good trace behind. Jarosław Charkiewicz is a secretary of Warsaw Metropolis Publishing House.He is also an editor of a monthly magazine News of Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church and an author of twenty books, among them well-known „Martyrs of the 20th Century” or „All creature rejoices with You. Holy Theotokos in the iconography”.
• Grzegorz Jacek Pelica, Ph. D. in historical sciences from Łęczna, is well-known to the readers of Orthodox Review, in which many publications about chequered history of Polish Orthodoxy on the Lublin Region were printed, including the action of demolishing churches in 1938. Grzegorz Jacek Pelica constantly traces the erased footprints of Orthodoxy in Lublin Region and his PhD thesis shows how dramatically the culture of this land has been devastated and how much although there is to be saved.
People connected with Chernobyl could not collect their awards. They were – Jurij Andreyev from Ukraine and Fr. Nikolay Yakushin and Vladimir Kozak from Belarus. The ceremony in Hajnówka coincided with the celebration of the 65th Anniversary of Defeating Fascism.
• Jurij Andreyev in April 1986 was the manager of the Shift in the fourth block of the Chernobyl plant. He eliminated the results of the radioactive blast in extremely hard conditions. Now he is the head of the association called Chernobyl of Ukraine, which is taking care of the victims of the disaster, offering them medical, spiritual and material care.
• Fr. Nikolay Yakushin worked on the plant as a locksmith. When it came out that there is no priest who would have the courage to celebrate mass in the St Elias Church in Chernobyl for a few believers who against the logic and prohibitions went back to Chernobyl. Fr. Nikolay had been ordained and had never abandoned the city and the church. He lives there as an ascetic at a handmade lair.
• Fr. Vladimir Kozak from Belarus comes to Chernobyl victims’ aid. Thanks to him the action Chernobyl Children has been initiated, in which many families from our country have engaged.
Prof. Valery Aleksieyev has spoken on behalf of the winners. He refered to the aspect of the unity of Slavic nations and the anniversary of defeating fascism.
