The Moscow Kremlin Museums hosted the 33rd International Christmas Educational Readings

A.L. Batalov, Doctor of Arts, Deputy Director for Scientific Work of the Moscow Kremlin Museums
Vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Abbot of the Solovetsky Monastery of the Resurrection of Saviour Porphury Ozersky
Director of the State Historical Architectural and Natural Museum-Site of the Solovky, honorary chairman of the session
Vasily Grebenjuk, DLitt, Representative of the Russian Foundation of Fundamental Research
S.V. Devyatov, Professor, Adviser of Director of Federal Guard Service of the Russian Federation, Head of the Department of the Russian History in the 20th-21st cc at the Moscow State University
with a report “The Moscow Kremlin during the Years of the Great Patriotic War”
M. K. Pavlovich with a report “Armoury Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin in the Prewar and War Years (1938-1945)"
E.V. Shcherbina with a report “Present to Stalin: History of Charles de Gaulle’s Visit to the Kremlin in November 1944”
Archpriest Nilolay Skurat, Cleric of the Church of the Prophet Elijah in Moscow, Docent and Secretary of the Sretensky Ecclesiastical Academy
Doctor of Historical Sciences L.M. Gavrilova with a report “Order of Glory and Order of Victory in the Great Patriotic War”
Rector of the Russian State Social University, Professor of the Moscow State Lomonosov University, Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts, Member of the Scientific Council of the Moscow Kremlin Museums Andrey Khazin
with a report ‘Awards of the Great Patriotic War’
Doctor of Historical Sciences M.G. Rakitina with a report “Saved and Lost Valuables of the Smolensk Land”
L.A. Shchennikova with a report “Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin during the War and Proceeding Years”
I.A. Gracheva with a report "Restoration of the Armoury Chamber Exhibits during the Great Patriotic War and the First Years after”
G. Sharikov with a report “Rebirth of the Don Churches in the 1943-1950s, Inspired by the Lost Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Saviour: Creative Life of Icon-painter Ivan Volkov”
Conservator of cultural and historical monuments at the Shakhtinskaya Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, an active member of the International Public Organisation “Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society”
Doctor of Historical Sciences S. V. Zverev with a report “New Foreign Anniversary Coins, Devoted to the World War II (1939-1945). Attempts of the Western Countries to Rewrite the History”
Display of the Moscow Kremlin Museums’ editions
Participants of the Readings
Participants of the Readings
Participants of the Readings

On 28-29 January 2025, the Cross Chamber of the Patriarch’s Palace hosted the 27th session of the section “Ecclesiastical Antiquities” of the 33rd International Educational Readings. The theme of this year is “Historical Heritage of the Russian State during the Years of the Great Patriotic War”.

Deputy Director for Scientific Work of the Moscow Kremlin Museums A.L. Batalov, Vicar of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Abbot of the Solovetsky Monastery of the Resurrection of Saviour, Director of the State Historical Architectural and Natural Museum-Site of the Solovky, and honorary chairman of the session Porphury Ozersky and V.P. Grebenjuk, DLitt, representative of the Russian Foundation of Fundamental Research addressed the audience with a welcoming speech.

“The Kremlin remained the defence outpost for hundreds of years. During the Tatar invasions, the enemy was often lucky to cross the Oka River and make way to medieval Moscow, which thus became a frontier town. During the Great Patriotic War, the Kremlin became again the principal defense outpost - ideological and spiritual. Unlike the Tatar raids which aimed at robbery and captivity, in such a case the question was of the existence of Russia itself and the memory of all its peoples that would have been deprived of principal evidence of their centuries-long existence,“ told A.L. Batalov.

“When we are talking about war and peace, these historical events are being thought over from various sides, they are multifaceted. First of all, military historians have the research theme, but also economists and historical political scientists have it. Not less interesting is the question: what motives were in the hearts of common people who performed this feat? Mass heroism of the whole nation is meant here. The humanitarian researches uncover this mystery,” noted the bishop.

V.P. Grebenjuk underlined that studying the history of the Great Patriotic War was extremely important for the work with young people who knew about those events only through books.

The readings opened with a report of S.V. Devyatov, Adviser of the Director of the Federal Guard Service of the Russian Federation, Head of the Department of Russian History in the 20th-21st cc at the Moscow State University. Members of the staff of the Moscow Kremlin Museums, “Museums of Moscow” Complex, Historical Department of the Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, Russian State Social University, representatives of the Russian Christian Humanitarian Academy after F.M. Dostoevsky, Scientific Council of Sretensky Ecclesiastical Academy and International Public Organisation “Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society” spoke at the conference.

The first day of the conference finished with a guided tour around the exhibition “The Legacy of Peter the Great and Coup D’Etat in the Russian Empire” which is running in the exhibition venues of the Patriarch’s Palace and the Assumption Belfry till February 23, 2025. On the second day, the participants had a tour around the territory of the Moscow Kremlin.