Department for External Church Relations
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Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk begins his visit to Georgia
DECR Communication Service, 30/09/2026
On 28th September 2026, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, arrived in Georgia. He was accompanied by Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, Advisor to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’; Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, DECR Deputy Chairman; and Priest Nikolay Vasin, Secretary to the DECR Chairman.
Meeting the guests at the Tbilisi International Airport were Metropolitan Andrew of Gori and Ateni; Archpriest Kakhaber Gogotishvili; Archpriest Vladimir Alexandrov, a cleric of the Russian Orthodox Church in Tbilisi; as well as Mr Dmitry Olisov, Head of the Russian Federation Interests Section at the Embassy of the Swiss Confederation in Georgia.
On 29th September, Metropolitan Anthony and his travel companions undertook a pilgrimage to Mtskheta. On their way to Georgia’s ancient capital, they visited the Jvari Monastery.
After that, accompanied by Metropolitan Andrew of Gori and Ateni, the pilgrims visited the Patriarchal Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and the Samtavro Convent, where they venerated the relics of the Holy King Mirian and Queen Nana, Equal-to-the-Apostles, and the relics of the Venerable Gabriel of Samtavro.
Later that day, the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church visited the Diocese of Gori. At the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Gori, they were greeted by Metropolitan Andrew of Gori and Ateni.
Metropolitan Andrew showed the guests around the church museum and the Diocesan Administration, as well as the St. George the Hagiorite High School for Girls, where Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk made an entry in the Distinguished Visitors’ Book.
The pilgrims’ next destination was the Ateni Sioni Convent. Metropolitan Anthony and his travel companions visited the ancient Cathedral of the Holy Dormition built in the 7th century and decorated with frescoes in the 11th century.
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