A visit to the Republic of Karelia
"The Restoration of the Temple is the Revival of the Republic of Karelia"
July 10-11 the island of Valaam was visited by the Holiest Patriarch of Moscow and All-Russia Alexii II. The official delegation of the Republic of Karelia lead by the Head of the Government Sergey Katanandov met him on the island.
The Holiest Patriarch participated in the worship by the holy relic of the saints Sergii and German, Valaam magicians, sanctified the iconostasis in Blagoveshensky part of the lower temple of the saints Sergii and German, served the Divine liturgy in a monastery cathedral and also visited small and secluded monasteries on Svyatoi, Nickolsky and Vsesvyatskii islands.
Having helped the monastery, known in the orthodox world as "the Northern Aphon", the government of the Republic of Karelia tries to decide the main problem: helps to the families who live on the island and in within the bounds of the monastery to move to the continent. On Saturday, July 10 Sergey Katanandov gave those families who wish to leave the island the keys to the apartments in the town of Sortavala.
So far 18 apartments have been built thanks to joint efforts of the government RK and local administration. But the house construction will be continued within the frameworks of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Russia, the Government of the Republic of Karelia and Russian Orthodox Church on the development and revival of Valaam archipelago and Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam monastery, signed on the next day. The cost of the project is 135 mln rubles.
July 11 the Agreement was signed by the Holiest Patriarch of Moscow and All-Russia Alexii II and the Head of the Government of the Republic of Karelia Sergey Katanandov. "We hope that the Head of the Russian Government will have signed the Agreement by the end of the year", said Sergey Katanandov. He highlighted : "We believe that the former beauty of the Valaam monastery might be revived by the joint efforts of the power bodies of Russian Federation and Russian Orthodox Church".
Information of the Press-service of the Head of the Government RK
| 
