In the bright memory of His Holiness the Patriarch

On the feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, a solemn opening and consecration of the monument to His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' will take place near the walls of the Holy Assumption Cathedral in Vitebsk.

On the feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, a solemn opening and consecration of the monument to His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' will take place near the walls of the Holy Assumption Cathedral in Vitebsk.

The bronze monument was erected at the request of believers and on the initiative of the public. The authors of the project are the renowned Belarusian sculptor Vladimir Slobodchikov, architecture professor Igor Morozov, and stone designer Igor Voyush.

His Holiness the Patriarch's historic visit to the Vitebsk land in September 1998 significantly contributed to the cooperation between the Church and the state. Throughout the following 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.

More than a hundred guests from Russia and Belarus have been invited to the solemn opening and consecration of the monument, including Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus Filaret, First Vicar of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' Archbishop Arseny of Istra, Bishop Isidore of Smolensk and Vyazma, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee A. Kosinets, and other officials.

On April 7, 2013, the opening of the monument to Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' will take place near the walls of the Holy Assumption Cathedral in Vitebsk.
The Divine Liturgy will begin at 10:00 AM, and the opening ceremony at 12:30 PM.