Department for External Church Relations
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A monastic delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate headed by Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan arrives in Egypt
DECR Communication Service, 09.11.2025.
On November 8, a delegation of monastics fr om the Russian Orthodox Church arrived in Egypt with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ and at the invitation of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Church. The purpose of the visit is to undertake a pilgrimage to the sites associated with the origins and flourishing of Christian monasticism, and to get acquainted with the contemporary life of Coptic monasteries.
The visit takes place in the context of the developing dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church, and is part of the programme of mutual visits by Russian and Egyptian monastics being implemented during ten years.
The delegation is headed by Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Central Asia, head of the Metropolitan District of Central Asian and permanent member of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The delegation includes Bishop Sergy of Borisoglebsk and Buturlinovka; Bishop Iosif of Mozhaisk, abbot of the Optina Pustyn Stavropegic Monastery; hegumeness Iuliania (Kaleda), abbess of the Conception Convent in Moscow, deputy chair of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism; hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov), DECR secretary for inter‑Christian relations; hieromonk Aristokly (Nikitin), manager of the Patriarchal residence in Chisty lane in Moscow; hieromonk Isaak (Istelyuev), a cleric of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District; hieromonk Kirill (Zhilinsky) of the Optina Pustyn; hegumeness Yekaterina (Malgina), abbess of the Holy Trinity and St. Nicholas Convent in Tashkent; hegumeness Yevgeniya (Vorimbetova), abbess of the Intercession Convent in Dustobad, Diocese of Tashkent and Uzbekistan; archdeacon Nikanor (Buldakov) of the Optina Pustyn; sisters Maria (Parsyeva) and Sergiya (Gorbunova), employees of the Moscow Patriarchate; nun Anastasia (Smolina), employee of the Tashkent Diocesan Administration; and sisters of the Conception Convent in Moscow.
The visit, which will last until November 15, includes plans to visit the monasteries in the Nitrian Desert, the Convent of St. Damiana of Egypt, the Monasteries of St. Anthony the Great and Paul of Thebes in the Eastern Desert near the Red Sea, the holy sites of Christian Cairo, and a meeting with His Holiness Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Church.
Upon arrival, the delegation visited the Monastery of St. Macarius the Great, wh ere Metropolitan Vikenty celebrated the All‑night Vigil. The Russian pilgrims venerated the holy relics of St. Macarius the Great, St. John Kolov, a particle of relics of St. John the Baptist, the Holy Prophet Elisha, and other shrines of the monastery. Also, the delegation members met and talked with the brethren.
On the morning of November 9, Metropolitan Vikenty celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the monastery church of the Holy Martyrs. Assisting the archpastor were Bishop Sergy, Bishop Iosif, and Priest Dimitry Gurov of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa. The sisters of the Conception Convent sang during the Liturgy. All pilgrims took Holy Communion.
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