Patriarch Kirill Awarded Order of the Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky to Director General of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom

DECR – OCP News Service – 30/07/2023

Moscow – Russia: His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia awarded Director General of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom and Chairman of the Foundation for the Support of Christian Culture and Heritage, Alexei Evgenievich Likhachev with Order of the Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky (III degree) on August 17, 2023.  The order was awarded considering his contribution to the church.

According to the DECR report:

“Great gratitude for everything you do for the Motherland, for its might, for prosperity and in terms of church-state relations,” said the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, presenting the award.

After the awarding ceremony in the Throne Hall of the Patriarchal Chambers, His Holiness had a conversation with A.E. Likhachev.

“Once again I would like to say that it is difficult to overestimate the importance of Rosatom in the scientific and technological development of our country,” His Holiness noted. “Such a powerful organization as Rosatom, in addition to its core activities, does a lot of good things that help people.”

“I had the opportunity to repeatedly visit Sarov and the Nuclear Center. At one time, when I was still at school, physics was my favorite subject, and at some point the thought came to my mind, should I choose the path connected with physics, – His Holiness the Patriarch shared his memories. – But then, nevertheless, the spiritual dimension took over. But there was no alternative other than theology and physics in my life.”

“Besides, I belong to that generation when such a special romance was associated with nuclear physics, with physics in general,” continued the Primate. – On the one hand, this is the protection of our country from external threats, and, of course, the understanding that nuclear energy is capable of providing the country with energy. And it seemed to everyone that nuclear energy really had inexhaustible possibilities, and in many respects, the scientific and technological progress of Russia was associated with achievements in your field.”

“Everything that I am talking about has now gone far ahead so that it is impossible to even assess, and primarily thanks to the activities of the Nuclear Center. Therefore, heartfelt thanks to you, the entire staff of the Nuclear Center. It was precisely with your activities and the activities of your predecessors, with the activities of your team that the provision of the true sovereignty of our country was connected. Therefore, it is difficult to compare the role of your institution and this area of ​​scientific and technical activity with any other that would thus influence the historical destinies of Russia,” His Holiness said.

“I would also like to say that it has always been touching for me how scientists have preserved and continue to preserve the memory of St. Seraphim. This is an amazing combination of rationalism and mysticism: on the one hand, the rationality of scientists and, on the other hand, the spiritual mysticism of St. Seraphim. They are united in some special way in the experience of modern Sarov,” His Holiness the Patriarch emphasized.

“Therefore, once again, expressing deep respect and gratitude for your work and the work of your colleagues, I would like to say that through St. Seraphim, the Russian Orthodox Church is with you,” the Primate noted.

In response, the director of Rosatom heartily thanked His Holiness the Patriarch: “Thank you very much, Your Holiness, for your kind words. Once again, I want to emphasize that I perceive them solely as an encouragement to further work.”

“You said very kind and deep words about Sarov, for me this topic is twice not indifferent – both for the head of the nuclear industry, and as for a person who was born there,” A.E. Likhachev.

According to him, for Rosatom employees, the spiritual dimension of their activities is of paramount importance: “Our employees, scientists, and ordinary workers have a combination of faith in God, in His justice, and in the power of knowledge, and love for the Motherland – they somehow acquired very naturally, in my opinion, completely consistent.

A.E. Likhachev also thanked His Holiness Patriarch Kirill for his constant attention to the church life of Sarov.

“We are very proud that you consecrated our restored churches in Sarov and visit us regularly,” added the head of Rosatom.

Source:

OCP News Service and DECR