Chairman of the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society on a working visit to Palestine
Sergey Stepashin, head of Russia’s Account Chamber, was on a working visit to Palestine from March 13–15, 2013, in his capacity as chairman of the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society.
Among
the important parts of his visit was the laying of foundation stone for
a new comprehensive school in Bethlehem, in which the Russian language
will be taught. Present at the ceremony were Palestine’s education
minister Lamis al-Alami and Bethlehem city officials. The ceremony
was also attended by Daud Matar accredited representative of the
Society in Palestine and members of the Society’s branch in Bethlehem.
Speaking
at the ceremony, Mr. Stepashin said that it will be the first school to
be built by Russia in the Holy Land since 1917. Before October 1917,
Russia organized over one hundred educational institutions in Palestine.
‘The construction of this school will become a symbol of the return of
our historical traditions and another page in the restoration of
religious and cultural ties between Russia and Palestine’, he said.
Later
that day, Mr. Stepashin met with the general secretary of the
Presidency of the State of Palestine, Tajib Abderrahim, to sign a
cooperation agreement between the Society and the Palestinian-Russian
Friendship Society.
The day was concluded with a visit to the
Basilica of the Nativity of Christ in Bethlehem to venerate the place
where our Saviour was born.
In the evening of March 14, a reception took place at the Russian Cultural Center in Bethlehem.
Among
the guests were representatives of the Russian embassy, the Society’s
representatives in Israel and Palestine, and Archimandrite Isidore
(Minaev), head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem. Mr.
Stepashin awarded Father Isidore the Society’s Medal of Archimandrite
Antonin (Kapustin) and Father Antony (Gutnik), the secretary of the
mission, the Medal of Vasily N. Khitrovo, the website of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem reports.
DECR Communication Service