The delegation of the Foundation for the Support of Christian Culture and Heritage, headed by Executive Director Egor Skopenko, paid a working visit to Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina from September 9 to 13, 2024.
As part of the trip, on September 10, representatives of the Foundation visited the monastery in honor of St. Blessed Matrona of Moscow in the village of Ritesic near the city of Doboj (Republika Srpska). In a warm atmosphere, the guests of the monastery talked with the abbot of the monastery, Abbot Isaiah. The Foundation for the Support of Christian Culture and Heritage has been helping to beautify the monastery since 2020.
On the same day, the delegation visited another monastery – the restored Milosevac Monastery dedicated to the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, where a dinner was held with the vicar of the Banja Luka diocese, Bishop Savva of Marchansk, rector of the Osovica Monastery in honor of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, Archimandrite Theophilus and director of Lada Auto in Bosnia and Herzegovina Zeljko Cejic.
On September 11, in Banja Luka (Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina), a delegation of the Foundation for the Support of Christian Culture and Heritage met with Anton Sokolov, Head of the Consular Department of the Russian Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Then, representatives of the Foundation, together with the rector of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Banja Luka, Archpriest Dragan, visited the construction site of the Transfiguration of the Russian-Serbian Church and the Spiritual and Cultural Center in Banja Luka.
At the end of the day, the delegation met with Bishop Efrem of Banja Luka, during which the parties discussed current issues related to the construction of the Russian-Serbian church.
On Thursday, September 12, representatives of the Foundation arrived in the city of Ugljevik (Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina), where they took part in a solemn divine service on the occasion of the transfer of the relics of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky in the monastery of the same name. After the service, a festive meal was held with Archbishop and Metropolitan Photius of Zvornitsko-Tuzlansky, who expressed special gratitude to the Foundation for its help in completing the construction and beautification of the Alexander Nevsky Monastery and monastery in honor of the Blessed Matron of Moscow in the village of Ritesic, stressing that the monastery in Uglevik "is a symbol of Russian-Serbian friendship and a place of unity in love and faith."
At the end of the working trip, on September 13, the Foundation delegation visited the office of the Serbian Foundation in Belgrade.