On December 11, 2021, a delegation of the Foundation for the Support of Christian Culture and Heritage, headed by the Executive Director of the Foundation, E.I. Skopenko, visited the Bialystok-Gdansk Diocese of the Polish Orthodox Church. The delegation was accompanied by A.Y. Khoshev, an employee of the DECR Secretariat for Inter-Orthodox Relations.
Archbishop Jacob of Bialystok-Gdansk warmly welcomed the guests from Russia, giving a dinner in their honor at his residence in Bialystok. During the conversation, E.I. Skopenko acquainted the hierarch of the Polish Orthodox Church with the history of the Foundation's creation and statutory goals, as well as with the charitable activities carried out by him in various Local Orthodox Churches. Archbishop Jacob expressed his joy at the meeting with the DECR representative and the delegation of the Foundation for the Support of Christian Culture and Heritage, sharing memories of his studies at the Moscow Theological Academy in 1987-1992. The archpastor told the guests about the history of the Diocese of Bialystok-Gdansk, about the current state and development of various aspects of diocesan life.
The meeting was attended by Archpriest Adam Semenyuk, rector of the Church of Sophia of the Wisdom of God in Warsaw, Archdeacon Mark Lopatyuk, a cleric of the same church, and A. Kachan, an employee of the chancery of the Diocese of Bialystok-Gdansk.
On the same day, with the blessing of Archbishop Jacob of Bialystok-Gdansk, the guests visited the Suprasl Monastery of the Annunciation (XVI century), the rector of which Bishop Andrew of Suprasl told about the history of the Suprasl monastery and its outstanding significance for Orthodoxy in Poland. The Archpastor showed the DECR representative and the Foundation delegation the monastery cathedral in honor of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, familiarizing them with the progress of repair and restoration work carried out in the monastery, as well as the library, classrooms and other premises intended for the implementation of missionary, academic and pilgrimage projects.
During the visit to Bialystok, the guests visited the St. Nicholas Cathedral, built in 1843-1846, where they venerated the relics of the holy Martyr of the infant Gabriel of Bialystok. Then they visited the Church of the Holy Spirit, which was erected in 1982-1999, examined it accompanied by the rector Archpriest George Borechko and got acquainted with the studio of the radio station "Vera" operating at the temple.
In Bialystok, the guests also met with the rector of the church of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian Archpriest Marek Vavrenyuk, visited the construction site of the future church with him, and worshiped the shrines of the church in the name of St. Nicholas of Serbia.