Vitebsk hosts the Nativity Readings in honor of the 700th anniversary of the birth of St. Sergius of Radonezh
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Orthodoxy in the Formation of National Identity of the Younger Generation» — the theme that brought together about two hundred participants of this project – clergy, assistants to deans for youth work, education, missionary work, educators, representatives of various educational institutions, the Center for Orthodox Education of Saint Euphrosyne of Polotsk…The traditional regional Sretensky Readings were organized by the Vitebsk Diocese and the Department of Education of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee.
As this is a spiritual and educational project, it began with a prayer at the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord (the lower church of the Holy Assumption Cathedral). The address of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' on the situation in Ukraine was read out to all present, and then Archpriest Andrey Smolsky, Chairman of the Department of Religious Education and Catechesis of the Vitebsk Diocese, read out the greeting of Archbishop Dmitry of Vitebsk and Orsha to the participants and guests of the readings. In particular, it spoke about how rich the Vitebsk land is in spiritual traditions, and how it preserves great names – examples of selfless sacrificial service to their people, church, and state – Euphrosyne of Polotsk, Symeon of Polotsk, Kirill of Turov, Anastasia of Slutsk… Church-state cooperation is of great importance. It is important that the accumulated experience in the diocese finds practical application in conducting class hours, writing essays and term papers, and becomes part of the scientific activities of adolescents and youth. In his message, Archbishop Dmitry of Vitebsk and Orsha also recalled that the example of service and feat in the name of one's land was shown in the fight against the fascist invaders by our grandfathers and fathers. Thanks to them, we are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus this year. He emphasized that the building of the Orthodox faith is indestructible, and our goal always remains
"a God-pleasing righteous life, the protection of family values, and the discussion of issues of spiritual and moral education at the readings will be a significant contribution to the common cause of reviving the foundations of domestic education".The difference of the current Sretensky readings, as Archpriest Andrey Smolsky explained, is the special attention to the students of the Vitebsk Theological Seminary, who will have to work as clergy both in the army and in places of detention. They must be prepared.
Dozens of reports were presented during the readings, focusing on youth ministry in the Vitebsk diocese, the activities of Sunday schools, historical issues, the spiritual heritage of St. Sergius of Radonezh, and, of course, the Cooperation Program between the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus and the Belarusian Orthodox Church, which has been successfully operating for ten years. In particular, Larisa Zenkova, Vice-Rector of the Vitebsk Regional Institute for the Development of Education, reported that within the framework of the program, two republican innovative projects on spiritual and moral education of youth based on the Orthodox traditions of the Belarusian people are being implemented, and three experimental platforms at the regional level have been established. One of them is at Vitebsk Secondary School No. 10, where clubs and electives on Orthodox education operate, and special courses are taught.
"The world is unstable, and young people want to find a point of support to be spiritually stable in this changing world," emphasized Larisa Vladimirovna. "Orthodoxy is one such point. And the cooperation between the church and the school in the spiritual and moral education of adolescents is bearing fruit."".The Sretensky Readings were conceived precisely to allow like-minded people to share their experiences and continue their work for high goals.
Nataliya Krupitsa, "Vitbichi"