From January 10 to January 19, 2026, a group of international students of the Moscow Theological Academy from Canada, Sweden and South Korea visited Sochi.
During the trip, organized with the help of the Christian Culture and Heritage Foundation, they were able to see the beauty of the south-west of Kuban, including the nature of the famous Krasnaya Polyana resort. The beautiful views of the Caucasus Mountains, the Black Sea, as well as the subtropical flora and fauna, which they did not expect to see in Russia, became a real discovery for them.
In addition to the walking program, the group made a pilgrimage to the shrines of the Sochi diocese. The foreign students visited the Trinity St. George Convent, where they were warmly welcomed by the abbess of the monastery, Mother Drosida, and the Krestovaya Pustyn monastery, where the abbot of the monastery, Abbot Leo, held a spiritual conversation with them.
In addition to the monasteries, the children visited various churches of the diocese, appreciated the features of the local temple architecture, and also touched upon the ancient history of Greater Sochi, visiting the ruins of a Byzantine temple in the village of Akhshtyr.
The travelers were very pleased with the trip, received spiritual benefits and new impressions from it.