Patriarch Kirill visits island town of Sviyazhsk

On July 20, during his official visit to Tatarstan, His Holiness the Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia accompanied by Russian Presidential Envoy in Volga Federal District Mikhail Babich, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov, State Counsellor of the republic Mintimer Shaimiev and Metropolitan of Kazan and Tatarstan Feofan visited island town of Sviyazhsk.

At first Patriarch Kirill visited the Museum of history, where he was told about stages of the town development since its foundation in the middle of the 20th century. Also, he saw different archeological discoveries, copies of archival documents and rare photographs.

Later on, the delegation went to the Bogoroditse-Uspensky (Dormition of the Theotocos) Monastery and the Assumption Cathedral. The interior of the Cathedral is equally notable for its ancient frescoes, many of which have survived and were restored in the 1990s. The monastery is nominated for the inscription into UNESCO World Heritage List.