The monument to Alexy II was unveiled in Vitebsk

A monument to His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' has been unveiled in Vitebsk, reports a BELTA correspondent.

A monument to His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' has been unveiled in Vitebsk, reports a BELTA correspondent.

Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Alexander Kosinets, Chairman of the Vitebsk City Executive Committee Viktor Nikolaikin, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies Alexander Atyasov, representatives of regional and city authorities, patrons, the monument's authors, clergy, and the public took part in the solemn opening and consecration of the monument.

Metropolitan Filaret emphasized the importance of this event in his address to the parishioners. "The unveiling of the monument is a testament to the faith of our people, a sign of the spiritual unity of all Orthodox peoples who live in love with each other and with the whole world," he stressed, expressing gratitude to everyone who participated in the creation of the monument.

Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Alexander Kosinets emphasized at the solemn opening ceremony that spiritual and moral education of the nation in Belarus receives the closest attention. Close cooperation in these matters has been established between representatives of secular and spiritual authorities in the Vitebsk region.

The head of the region also noted that there are currently 215 Orthodox churches and cathedrals operating in the region, including 60 of them that represent historical and cultural value. Significant funds are allocated in the region for the reconstruction and restoration of spiritual buildings. For example, 15 religious sites are currently being reconstructed in the region.

The monument to His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II, approximately 5 m high, is made of bronze. The project authors are the renowned Belarusian sculptor Vladimir Slobodchikov, Professor of Architecture Igor Morozov, and stone designer Igor Voyush. The monument is located near the Holy Assumption Cathedral of Vitebsk, as the historical visit of His Holiness the Patriarch to the Vitebsk land in September 1998 significantly contributed to the cooperation between the Church and the state. For the entire subsequent decade, His Holiness the Patriarch continuously showed interest in the construction progress of the Holy Assumption Cathedral and bestowed his Primatial blessing for the successful and prompt completion of the construction and interior decoration of the church.