President of Russia Mr. Vladimir Putin, accompanied by President of the Republic of Serbia Mr. Aleksandar Vucic, visited the Saint Sava Cathedral in the Vracar district in the evening of 17 January 2019. His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej welcomed the dear guest from Russia with a warm greeting in the Testimonial Cathedral of the Serbian people.
Participants of this solemn event were on the Church side: members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church: Metropolitan Porfirije of Zagreb-Ljubljana, Bishop Irinej of Backa and Bishop Jovan of Sumadija as well as Bishop Stefan of Remesiana, Vicar of Serbian Patriarch and principal of the Saint Sava Cathedral.
Attendees of the solemn welcome of the high guest were also: archpriest Vitaly Tarasyev, principal of the Representation of the Moscow Patriarchate in Belgrade; head of the Office of the Serbian Patriarch deacon Dr. Aleksandar Prascevic and brotherhood of the Saint Sava Cathedral.
The President of the Russian Federation was greeted by the President of the Government of the Republic of Serbia Ms. Ana Brnabic, President of the Presidency of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Mr. Milorad Dodik, President of the Republic of Srpska Mrs. Zeljka Cvijanovic, Vice President of the Republic of Serbia and Minister of Internal Affairs Mr. Nebojsa Stefanovic, Director of the Security Intelligence Agency Mr.Bratislav Gasic, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Belgrade Mr. Aleksandar Chepurin, Ambassador of Serbia to the Russian Federation Mr. Slavenko Terzic, Managing Director of Srbijagas Mr. Dusan Bajatovic, and representatives of cultural and public life of Serbia.
President Putin was welcomed at the Saint Sava plateau by around 100.000 people from all Serbia.
President Putin visited the lower church, a crypt, under the dome of the Memorial Cathedral dedicated to Holy Great Martyr Prince Lazar, where the principal of the Memorial Cathedral Bishop Stefan explained briefly history of the church and the crypt. On this occasion, President Putin along with President Vucic lit candles during chanting of Saint Sava choir Mokranjac led by Dr. Katarina Stankovic.
The high guest, then, visited the nave of the Saint Sava Cathedral, where on the previously prepared model the most eminent Russian academician and icon painter Mr. Nikolay Muhin explained how far they had reached with creation and installation of the mosaic in the altar apse of the cathedral the surface area of which is 3.185 m².
On this occasion, Patriarch Irinej and Presidents Putin and Vucic imprinted on the composition of the Image of Christ Not-made-by-hands per three stones in colors of tricolors of Serbian and Russian flags confirming in that way the extraordinary cooperation of the two countries – Serbia and Russia.
President Putin presented to Saint Sava Cathedral a gift – an icon of Most Holy Mother of God in gold imprint whereas His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej gave to President Putin his gift – an icon of Saint Sava, the First Serbian Archbishop, painted on wood by Jelena Hinic.
