Rustam Minnikhanov: Orthodox clergy and Tatarstan community show unity and common interests

On 21 November, speaking at the V Forum of Tatarstan Orthodox Community, dedicated to the 300th birthday of the establishment of Kazan Orthodox Seminary and held in Korston Recreation and Entertainment Center in Kazan, the Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov said that the current forum is being held in a difficult period of time.”New challengers require us to be united, reserved and decisive in protecting our spiritual values,” he said. 

According to words of the Rais of the republic, under this conditions the Orthodox clergy and Tatarstan community show unity and common interests and forwardness to cooperation with the state power and the civic society institutes. “Today’s forum is a bright proof to that. It is symbolic that it is dedicated to the 300th birthday of the establishment of Kazan Orthodox Seminary, which for many years has been training clergy not only for the Kazan Eparchy but for the whole of Russia,” he said. 

Having emphasized that from the very beginning religious education in Russia has been integrated into the system of traditional spiritual values Rustam Minnikhanov named important events held for the period which passed since the fourth forum in 2019.

He underlined that the republic is taking in active part in the process of restoration of historical and construction of new shrines and establishment of spiritual education centers and museums. “The state and the Church have a fruitful cooperation in development of public service, promotion of culture, strengthening of traditional family values and healthy life style, raising patriotism and civic consciousness and preventing radicalism and extremism,” Rustam Minnikhanov said. 

The Rais of Tatarstan stated that joint efforts in spiritual support of the military, taking part in the special military operation, provision of psychological and financial support to their families and participation of Orthodox clergy in gathering and sending the humanitarian aid to the combat operational zone are especially important today and said he was sure that today’s forum will give a new impetus to the development of Orthodox life in the republic, improvement of interaction between the state and religion and strengthening of inter-religious and inter-ethnic peace and concord in the society. 

Having concluded his speech, Rustam Minnikhanov handed in a number of state awards to employees of the Kazan Orthodox Seminary and representatives of the Tatarstan Mitropolis.

In his greetings to the Forum participants, the His Holiness the Patriarch Kirill emphasized that the relations between the state power and the church in Tatarstan are based on principles of mutual respect and constructive cooperation and added: “I hope that the current forum will facilitate successful continuation of the dialogues between the Church and the society and the Church and the State in Tatarstan and become an important contribution into the development of religious education in our country.” 

Cyril, the metropolitan of Kazan and Tatarstan, the Mufti of the republic Kamil Samigullin, the Head of the Russian Federal Agency in National Affirms Igor Barinov and other Russian and Tatarstan officials and representatives of Russian Orthodox Church, science and culture also took part in the forum.