The celebrations opened this morning with a liturgy, during which Metropolitan Juvenalius consecrated a new cathedral to Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Slavonic illuminators the Church considers equal to the Apostles. Their statue in front of the cathedral was unveiled later in the day.
An international research and practical conference, "The Slav World: Unity and Versatility", is opening today. It has gathered spokesmen of the Russian Orthodox Church, its Moscow Theological Academy, the Russian Academy of Sciences, and many colleges and universities. Alexander Sokolov is making an opening address. The agenda concerns the importance of preserving the Russian language and culture, and the fraternity of Slav ethnic entities in and outside Russia.
Tomorrow-Slav Writing Day-will start with a liturgy at the Intercession Cathedral, Samara's principal house of prayer, from which a religious procession of three thousand will go to Glory Square for an official opening of secular celebrations. 14,000 senior secondary school students have been invited to attend.
The Voronezh Region, in Central Russia's south, was hosting Slav Writing and Culture Days last year. Tomorrow, its governor Vladimir Kulakov will pass a moot bell, material symbol of the event, to Konstantin Titov, Samara regional governor.
The celebrations will reach their climax with an open-air pageant in Samara's central Kuibyshev Square under the Gospel motto of, "In the beginning was the Word."
