Delegation of Macedonian Orthodox Church visits St. Petersburg Theological Academy

DECR Communication Service, 16/10/2025

On October 13, 2025, a delegation of the Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric visited the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. The visit was undertaken with the view of strengthening inter-church ties and learning more about the system of theological education in Russia.

The delegation included Metropolitan Peter of Prespa-Pelagonia, Bishop Nicholas of Velicki, Vicar of the Prespa-Pelagonia Diocese, and Hieromonk Athanasius (Arsosski), head of the Publications Department of the Skopje Diocese. The Macedonian Church’s representatives were accompanied by Mr Ivan N. Sudosa, head of the Protocol Department of the St. Petersburg Diocese, and his assistant Priest Yevgeny Timofeyev. Father Yevgeny gave the guests a tour of the Academy.

They visited the Academy’s two churches, as well as the Museum of Church Archaeology and classrooms. Archimandrite Stefan (Sado), chief librarian of the Academy, showed to the guests books in the Macedonian language and told them about the library collections.

In the Church of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, Archpriest Dimitry Sizonenko, head of the International Department of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, presented memorable gifts to the guests – an icon of the Academy’s heavenly patron and an engraving depicting the translation of St. Alexander Nevsky’s holy relics to St. Petersburg.

As the Academy’s Press Service reports, students from Macedonia come to study at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, which helps promote fraternal relations between the two Churches. Among the Academy’s graduates in 2010 were Filip Iliovski and Filip Stankovski, and in 2016 Jivomir Yosifovski and Igorce Rizanovski.

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Delegation of Macedonian Orthodox Church visits St. Petersburg Theological Academy

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons