With the blessing of Metropolitan Rostislav of Tomsk and Asinovo, from October 30 to November 4, 2025, a group of international students from Tomsk Theological Seminary, led by Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Priest Vitaly Kollantai, took part in the II International Forum of Orthodox Youth "Prosvet". Participation in the forum took place with the assistance of the Foundation for the Support of Christian Culture and Heritage.
Seminarians from Tomsk visited a number of venues with well-known church and secular figures, including Vladimir Legoyda, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church-Society Relations and the Media, Candidate of Political Sciences, Associate Professor. During the meeting, he shared his many years of experience in the media sphere and answered numerous questions from participants and guests of the forum.
In addition, students of Tomsk Seminary made presentations on the Orthodox faith in their countries at the forum. The information about the Orthodox mission in Pakistan was presented by the 2nd year student Shahbaz Zaigham. 3rd-year students Chinyama Chimwemwe and Sospeter Saisi, as well as 2nd-year students Zoe Jean Marie and Dimonye Chinechem Benedict, delivered reports on Orthodoxy in Africa.
Also at the forum, students from various teams made several videos about values, toured the city of Irkutsk and Lake Baikal, and were able to pray at the shrines of the Irkutsk Metropolitan Area.
Priest Vitaly Kollantai presented Tomsk Theological Seminary at the forum. He spoke about admission and accommodation at the seminary, its traditions and development prospects, ongoing programs and their adaptation for international students.
The delegation of Tomsk Theological Seminary would like to thank the organizers of the Prosvet forum, in the person of the ruling Bishop Maximilian, Metropolitan of Irkutsk and Angara, and the ideological inspirer and author Evgenia Kim, as well as the leadership of the Foundation for the Support of Christian Culture and Heritage, in the person of Executive Director Egor Skopenko, for their financial support.