International students of Tomsk Theological Seminary visited Optina Pustyn from January 20 to January 25, 2025. Young people came to study at this religious institution in Siberia from different countries of Africa and Asia: Kenya, Malawi, Cameroon, Congo, India and Pakistan.
The seminarians lived in Optina Pustyn for several days: they attended all the divine services, went on excursions, talked with the vicar Bishop Joseph and the elder fraternal confessor Abbot Lawrence, with whom they communicated in English. In the conversations, the children received answers to all the important questions of spiritual life.
According to the website of the Tomsk Theological Seminary, as part of the pilgrimage trip, international students will visit Moscow shrines, the village of Godenovo, as well as Pereyaslavl-Zalessky.
The trip was funded by the Foundation for the Support of Christian Culture and Heritage.