Department for External Church Relations
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Conference titled ‘Russia. Georgia. Christian East. Spiritual and Cultural Ties’ opens in Moscow
DECR Communication Service, 19/11/2025
On 19th November 2025, the 13th Annual Readings titled “Russia. Georgia. Christian East. Spiritual and Cultural Ties” started at the Andrei Rublev Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art in Moscow. The forum marks the 120th anniversary of the birth of David Arsenishvili, the Museum’s founder and first director.
Prior to the conference, a memorial service for David Arsenishvili took place in the Church St. Demetrios Donskoy in the Moscow Monastery of the Saviour and St. Andronicus.
Among those attending the 13th Annual Readings were Metropolitan Nikoloz of Akhalkalaki, Kumurdo and Kars (Georgian Orthodox Church); Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, Advisor to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’; as well as the Andrei Rublev Museum staff and representatives of the academic community.
The participants in the conference watched a documentary about David Arsenishvili, which was followed by a concert given by the choir of the Church of St. George in Gruziny, Moscow.
Mr Mikhail Mindlin, Director of the Andrei Rublev Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art, delivered an opening address, in which he pointed out that the Andrei Rublev Museum is the only state museum devoted to the art of Ancient Russia, the Modern Era, the Synodal Period and the Eastern Christian art as a whole. “I believe that the very existence of such a museum facilitates unification and consolidation of Orthodox Christian countries and the nations which are part of Christian culture in general”, he said.
Dr. Natela Vachnadze, Vice President of the Georgian National Committee of Byzantine Studies, professor of the St. Andrew the First-Called University of the Patriarchate of Georgia, delivered a video address.
Among the speakers was also Mr David Tsekhladze, President of the Federal Georgian National and Cultural Autonomy in Russia.
Mr Sergei Naryshkin, Chairman of the Russian Historical Society, sent his greetings to the participants in the conference. The message was read out during the opening ceremony.
During a plenary session that followed, Metropolitan Nikoloz of Akhalkalaki, Kumurdo and Kars – David Arsenishvili’s grandnephew – delivered an address entitled “Georgian Ave Maria.”
The Readings will continue their work until 21st November, focusing on various issues of Christian art.
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