Photos courtesy of the Embassy of Belarus in Russia
MOSCOW, 18 April (BelTA) - Diplomats and staff of the Belarusian Embassy in Russia, along with their family members, took part in the nationwide subbotnik by helping to beautify one of the oldest churches in the Russian capital - the Church of the Great Martyr Irina, which has the status of the representation church (metochion)for the Belarusian Exarchate in Moscow, BelTA has learned.
The church was founded in the 17th century in honor of the heavenly patroness of Irina, the daughter of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. By the end of the last century, the building had fallen into a dilapidated state, and restoration work began on it. Although the work is proceeding very slowly, the church remains active. The roof and bell tower have already been restored, and facade work is currently underway. Ahead lies the most difficult part: interior work to restore the historical decoration, including the frescoes, some of which are believed to have been painted by the famous artist Viktor Vasnetsov. Due to repeated alterations, they have ended up hidden beneath layers of whitewash.
Embassy employees, armed with rakes, brooms, shovels, and other tools, tidied up the territory of the metochion, cleared it of construction debris, and pruned bushes and trees.
“There is a lot of work to be done here: exterior landscaping. Construction workers have been dismantling structures, leaving behind planks and construction debris. There’s plenty of work. But we have a close-knit team; embassy employees have actively pitched in," Belarusian Ambassador to Russia Yuri Seliverstov told journalists.
Rector of the Church of the Great Martyr Irene, Archbishop Dimitri of Vitebsk and Orsha, expressed sincere gratitude to the Belarusian diplomats for their valuable assistance. “This is such a gracious work, it is very, very important. We thank the ambassador for such a great and good deed,” he noted.
Photos courtesy of the Embassy of Belarus in Russia
The church was founded in the 17th century in honor of the heavenly patroness of Irina, the daughter of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. By the end of the last century, the building had fallen into a dilapidated state, and restoration work began on it. Although the work is proceeding very slowly, the church remains active. The roof and bell tower have already been restored, and facade work is currently underway. Ahead lies the most difficult part: interior work to restore the historical decoration, including the frescoes, some of which are believed to have been painted by the famous artist Viktor Vasnetsov. Due to repeated alterations, they have ended up hidden beneath layers of whitewash.Embassy employees, armed with rakes, brooms, shovels, and other tools, tidied up the territory of the metochion, cleared it of construction debris, and pruned bushes and trees.
“There is a lot of work to be done here: exterior landscaping. Construction workers have been dismantling structures, leaving behind planks and construction debris. There’s plenty of work. But we have a close-knit team; embassy employees have actively pitched in," Belarusian Ambassador to Russia Yuri Seliverstov told journalists.
Rector of the Church of the Great Martyr Irene, Archbishop Dimitri of Vitebsk and Orsha, expressed sincere gratitude to the Belarusian diplomats for their valuable assistance. “This is such a gracious work, it is very, very important. We thank the ambassador for such a great and good deed,” he noted.Photos courtesy of the Embassy of Belarus in Russia
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