Foreign students of the Moscow Theological Academy (MDA), who visited the shrines and sights of Kuban and the Caucasus from June 2 to 11, 2025, thanked the Foundation for the Support of Christian Culture and Heritage for their help in organizing the trip.
10 students from the Philippines, Benin, Malawi, Kenya, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were accompanied by Priest Anatoly Kolot, Deputy Rector of the Moscow State University for Grants, and Alexander Terentyev, a specialist from the International Department of the Academy.
Below are the reviews of foreign students of the MD, who shared their impressions of the trip * (editor's note – the spelling and punctuation of the authors have been changed)*.
"I would like to express my deepest gratitude to God and everyone who made this journey possible, especially the Foundation. This trip was not only an opportunity to take a break from academic life, but also a source of spiritual renewal, as we visited not only beautiful, but also holy places. I pray that God will continue to bless everyone who works at the Foundation, so that your efforts will bear good fruit in His Kingdom," wrote Alexander Magat, an MD student from the Philippines.
Peter Irung from the Democratic Republic of the Congo also thanked the Foundation for the trip: "To the Foundation and all its staff, I would like to express my deep gratitude for the incredible opportunity you have given me to participate in this trip. The experience and the places visited have not only enriched me, but also allowed me to deepen my understanding of my faith. I have learned a lot from practice, which has strengthened my conviction and spiritual commitment. Thank you again for your support and for making this an unforgettable experience."
"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Foundation for this incredible opportunity to visit Russia. Thanks to you, we had the opportunity to visit the charming monasteries in the mountains, explore their rich history and enjoy relaxing walks. Visits to parks and many interesting discoveries have become a truly enriching experience for us seminarians. In addition, we were also lucky enough to travel to beautiful cities such as Gelendzhik, Krasnodar, Novorossiysk, Sochi and Pyatigorsk, each of which offered its own charm and unique stories. Thank you again for these unforgettable memories and a unique adventure," Onisim Assongba from Benin left such a warm review of the trip.
Student Mark Candiasan from the Philippines was also not indifferent to the trip: "It was an unforgettable experience for me, because I really wanted to visit St. Theodosius of the Caucasus. It would be difficult on your own due to the language barrier and costs. With the help of the Foundation, this became possible. May God grant you many blissful years."
Onisim Matampadi from the Republic of the Congo, in turn, also expressed gratitude: "We spent unforgettable days and learned a lot about the church and many other aspects. Thanks to the Foundation and the whole of Russia."
"I thank the Director of the Foundation and the staff of the Foundation for everything. You help us see different interesting places. We are glad that you have organized a trip to the Caucasian land so that we can study the history of the Caucasus. I especially enjoyed the trip to Rosa Khutor and Malaya Zemlya, because there we learned a lot about the history of Russia. Thank you very much!", said George Bakali, an MD student from Malawi.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire Foundation for giving us the opportunity to visit many places in Sochi, learn a lot of new information that we did not know about before, and visit many places," wrote student Theoklit Aganga from Kenya.
Academy student Theoktiste Jossu from Benin shared his impressions of the trip: "Dear representatives of the Foundation! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the wonderful opportunity to embark on an unforgettable trip around the Kuban! Thanks to your support, we were able to get to know the rich history of Russia better, visit holy temples, historical sites, picturesque mountains and just enjoy wonderful moments of relaxation. This time was not only informative for us, but also truly joyful. We took with us a lot of impressions, inspiration and gratitude. We sincerely wish your Foundation good health, well-being, peace, joy, God's help in all good deeds, success and prosperity! Thank you! May the Lord protect you!"
Photos provided by the MDA press service