The Russian Academy Of Arts

On June 10, 2008, within the framework of the 10th World Congress of the Russian Press in Moscow Zurab Tsereteli, President of the Russian Academy of Arts participated in the meeting of Alexy II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia with UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura. The meeting was held in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, that had been recreated by the Academy artists under Zuran Tsereteli’s leadership.

The highlights of the discussion were problems of preservation of Kosovo sacred places as well as prospects, as Mr. Koicjiro Matsuura put it, of “UNESCO collaboration with the Russian Orthodox Church in inter-religious dialogue to be promoted these days”. Alexy II noted the rising role of a religious factor in modern public life which opened new horizons of association between the Russian Orthodox Church and UNESCO. Due to such a dialogue, the religious factor could turn from a separating into a consolidating instrument in relations between nations. The Patriarch reminded, that “the Russian Orthodox Church has a good experience in cooperation with UNESCO including the fact, that some of Russian Orthodox Cathedrals belong to the world heritage”.

The meeting was also attended by Metropolitan Kirill, Head of Moscow Patriarchate’s Foreign Relations Department, Alexander Yakovenko, Deputy Foreign Minister, officers of UNESCO Secretariat.

During his stay in Moscow, Mr. Koichiro Matsuura visited Zurab Tsereteli’s studio and took a closer look at his recent artworks.

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