A delegation from China's State Administration of Religious Affairs (SARA) visited the St. Petersburg Theological School within the framework of their stay in St. Petersburg, June 10-13, 2011. The visit took place with the blessing of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and at the invitation of the Council for Cooperation with Religious Associations under the Russian President.
The delegation was headed by SARA Deputy Director Zhang Lebin. The Chinese side was also represented by:
The Chinese delegation was accompanied by DI Petrovsky of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations
Bishop Amvrossy of Gatchina, Rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, gave the visitors from China a warm reception. The meeting was also attended by Archpriest Kirill Kopeikin, Secretary of the Scientific Council and by Archpriest Vladimir Hulap, Vice-rector for Academic Affairs.
During the dialogue, a wide range of issues of mutual interest was discussed, including the possibility of training Chinese students in St. Petersburg Orthodox Theological Academy.
The Chinese delegation became familiarized with the life of Theological Schools, visited the exposition of the St. Petersburg Museum, the renovated academic temple, the professors' lounge and the library.
The honored guests' three-day stay in St. Petersburg includes visits to the Hermitage, St. Isaac's and Kazan Cathedrals, the Church of the Savior on the Blood, the Alexander Nevsky Monastery, as well as a sightseeing trip to Peterhof and Pushkin.
Text: Dionisy Adamia