Publications
The program of the current Easter Festival makes an ambiguous impression. On the one hand, we can see the traditional logistical exploits of the crash regional program, the grand scale of choir posters, and the obvious social significance of special philanthropic projects. Meanwhile, for the metropolitan public – and the forum still proudly bears the “Moscow” name – the content of three festival weeks and a half comes down to performing the two large-scale series: all symphonies and piano concertos by Sergey Prokofiev with a rather scanty supplement in the form of pieces by other composers. In the past years the...
Paschal Message of Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill to the Archpastors, Pastors, Deacons, Monastics and All the Faithful Children of the Russian Orthodox Church
Beloved in the Lord Your Graces the archpastors, all-honourable presbyters and deacons, God-loving monks and nuns, dear brothers and sisters!
In spiritually rejoicing on this great and glorious feast of the Resurrection from the dead of the Saviour of the world, in contemplating in my thoughts his emergence from the tomb, I address to you all the life-affirming exclamation which is replete with inner strength, unvanquished truth and joy: CHRIST IS RISEN!
The radiant Paschal night...
Since the assassination of Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin in September 1911, public and academic views of this man have constantly shifted. He was silenced and discredited; the only things the Soviet pupil knew about him were a couple of talking details: “Stolypin’s tie” and “Stolypin’s rail car.” But times have changed along with the signs. Stolypin was rehabilitated as a great statesman and reformer, a man of duty and honor. On the eve of the 150th anniversary of his birth we decided to ask some experts what this name meant to them. Most of them regard Stolypin’s reforms as a lost chance for...
Only a year has passed since the UN finally proclaimed April 12 the International Space Day. Just a year ago the world officially recognized that the first piloted space flight took place on April 12, 1961. The fact that Russian citizen Yuri Gagarin burst into space “demonstrated that man stepped beyond the confines of his natural environment.”
Perhaps some time earlier the international acknowledgment of the space achievements of the USSR and Russia would have raised the self-evaluation of our compatriots to the skies, but now very few noticed this belated acclaim by the UN. The world has changed so much that it looks forward to...
Recently appointed as the Head of the Federal Agency for CIS, Compatriots Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo), Konstantin Kosachev recounts the objectives of his Agency, genuine “soft power” and its appropriate use. – The agency you currently lead hit the news headlines, above all, because of its leadership reshuffle. It is little known to the broad public. Why is this?
– I wouldn’t downplay the importance of the work that has been done in the past three years; simply this is specific work mainly geared towards foreign audiences. I would venture to say that Rossotrudnichestvo...
A “censorship war” broke out in the country 150 years ago, in the spring of 1862. Emperor Alexander II signed the Senate’s decree on the abolition of the main censorship directorate and the division of its functions between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of the Interior. Concurrently a commission led by prince Obolensky was to establish new principles for oversight of printed materials.
Discussion in public media on this topic was provoked by progressively minded education minister Golovnin. The response was fantastic, with more than 200 solid publications on the censorship subject appearing over a period of...
