2007 Press Releases
The Alaskan Icons Photo Exhibit Was Welcomed By the Izhevsk Public and Blessed by Metropolitan Vladyka Nikolay
September 4, 2007
On September 3, the Consul General, John Stepanchuk, along with the Deputy Minister of Culture of the Udmurt Republic and the Head of Missionary Department of the Izhevsk and Udmurt Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Father Victor Sergeyev opened the photo exhibit “The Orthodox Heritage of Alaska.” The exhibit of icons painted by Native American Alaskans was created by the Consulate as part of its celebration of the 200th anniversary of U.S.-Russian diplomatic relations and was first presented to Yekaterinburg’s public in April this year, on the eve of the Russian and Foreign Orthodox Churches reunion. By bringing the exhibit to Izhevsk the Consulate wanted to congratulate the Izhevsk and Udmurt Diocese and the public on their restoration of St. Michael’s Cathedral, a true masterpiece of Orthodox ecclesiastical architecture. The Consul General visited the new Cathedral and toured the Museum depicting its history. The Metropolitan of Izhevsk and Udmurtia, Vladyka Nikolay, received him very cordially and commented on the timeliness of the exhibit in light of the recent reunification of the Russian church. Having been in exile during the Soviet period, the Metropolitan was especially moved by an exhibit of Russian icons created by American native peoples under the tutelage of Russian missionaries, who represented a united but far flung Russian Orthodox Church—a Church that is once more spanning the world.
On the same day, the Consul General visited Udmurt State University and congratulated the faculty and students on the beginning of the new academic year. The students asked him questions of the greatest interest to them, such as, student visas and exchange programs, university partnerships, American foreign policy, future presidential elections and U.S.-Russian relations.
John Stepanchuk met also with the Izhevsk sister-cities initiative group and discussed a variety of projects planned through this organization. Present and future programs for people with disabilities, cultural exchanges, and university and library partnerships were the focus of this discussion.
On September 4, the Izhevsk branch of Echo Moskvy radio station conducted a live interview with Consul General Stepanchuk about the results of his visit to Izhevsk.
The Consulate is planning to take part in the Tchaikovskiy conference organized by the East European State University in mid-October. The consulate will provide a video-kiosk with materials on the great Russian composer’s participation in Carnegie Hall’s opening.
