The Russian Academy Of Arts

On September 22, 2009 at the invitation of the Most Reverend Panteleimon, Metropolitan of Veria and the Mayor of Veria, the President of the Russian Academy of Arts Zurab Tsereteli, and representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate visited the ancient Greek city of Veria.

 

Veria is on the site of the ancient city of Beroea mentioned in the New Testament of the Bible.  The Macedonians made it their second most important city after Pella. Within the city there was a Jewish settlement where the Apostle Paul preached after leaving Thessaloniki.  In the downtown of the city, on the site of his sermons, where there is a park now dedicated to this event, it is planned to place a monument to the Apostle Paul to be designed by Zurab Tsereteli.

 

With the blessing of Metropolitan Panteleimon of Veria, a cathedral in honor of St. Luke, Archbishop of the Crimea, canonized as New-Martyr is being built near the 12th century monastery, one of the oldest in the region of Veria. Zurab Tsereteli has been working on the sculptural image of St. Luke, much venerated by the Greek Orthodox Church,  that will adorn the foreground of the cathedral.

 

Besides, the Russian sculptor has been commissioned by the city authorities to create a statue of Alexander the Great (Alexander of Macedon) for the Archaeological Site located not far from the city and including a tomb of his father Philip II of Macedon, who, as the legend says, built the city of Veria.   

 

The Most Reverend Metropolitan Panteleimon of Veria highly appreciated the sculptor’s  endeavors commemorating the great people of Veria and  decorated Zurab Tsereteli with a medal with images of the Apostle Paul and Alexander of Macedon.  

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