Published on: 2026-11-10
Source: Government of the Russian Federation –
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Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko held a meeting of the organizing committee for the preparation and conduct of the celebration of the 800th anniversary of the baptism of the Karelians. The anniversary will be celebrated in 2027.
Representatives of federal ministries and agencies, the Bishop of Petrozavodsk and Karelia, Abel, the head of the Karelian Metropolia, Boris, the Bishop of Kostomuksha and Kem, the abbess Margarita, head of the Novodevichy Stavropegic Convent, Artur Parfenchikov, the head of the Republic of Karelia, Larisa Podsadnik, the chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Karelia, and other representatives of public and religious associations took part in it.
“Preparation for the celebration of the 800th anniversary of the Christianization of the Karelians in 2027 is underway according to the decree of President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. This is an important event in the history of our country. As a result of the Christianization, Karelia became part of the Russian world. We have entered the final stage of preparation; next year is the anniversary. The plans for the main and additional events have been updated, and their implementation continues. I thank the government of the Republic of Karelia, personally the head of the region Artur Olegovich, the federal executive authorities, and the Russian Orthodox Church for their joint work,” said the chairman of the organizing committee, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko.
At the beginning of the meeting, he welcomed the new ruling hierarch, Bishop Abel of Petrozavodsk and Karelia, the head of the Karelian Metropolia. He was appointed by the decision of the Holy Synod in October of this year.
Following previous meetings, 25 instructions were given: 20 have already been fulfilled, 5 are under control. The head of the Republic of Karelia, deputy chairman of the organizing committee, Artur Parfenchikov, spoke about the implementation of the main event plan related to the preparation and celebration of the 800th anniversary of the Christianization of the Karelians in 2027.
“Restoration work continues on the cultural heritage site ‘House of the Mining Chief’ to create a museum of Orthodoxy. Next year, work on the wing will be completed. This will allow for the opening of an exhibition dedicated to the history of Orthodoxy. The publication of the book ‘Orthodoxy in Karelia’ and the implementation of a number of exhibition projects are planned. Special attention will be paid to holding ceremonial events. One of the significant events will be the solemn rite of consecrating the foundation stone for the future Cathedral of the Descent of the Holy Spirit in the city of Petrozavodsk,” he reported.
Also, in the town of Sortavala on the embankment of Lake Ladoga, a monument to Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, the father of Saint Alexander Nevsky, the baptizer of the Karelians, has been erected. In the Suoyarvi municipal district, major repairs were carried out on the buildings of the school of arts and the cultural and leisure center, as well as the house of culture in the village of Lahkolampi; in the capital of Karelia and the border areas of the republic, major repairs were carried out on the buildings of 10 schools. A scientific-practical conference was held on the study, preservation, and promotion of Russian culture and history in the village of Kurkijoki of the Lahdenpohja municipal district; in Petrozavodsk, a chapel was restored in the name of the holy apostles Peter and Paul; and a museum exhibit was created in the historical and local lore museum in the town of Suoyarvi.
Bishop Abel of Petrozavodsk and Karelia emphasized that the date of the beginning of the liturgical celebration in Petrozavodsk is June 3, 2027, the Day of the Assembly of Karelian Saints. On this day, the republic’s capital is scheduled to hold a festive service at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and a procession, the consecration of the chapel of Saint Blessed Thaddeus of Petrozavodsk, and the opening of a memorial exhibition on the history of the churches of Cathedral Square. He added that festive services and ceremonial events will take place within the framework of the anniversary date in all districts and regions of Karelia.
Special attention was given to the Karelian section of the tourist route stretching over 5,000 km as part of the “Great Russian Northern Route” project, which unites 12 regions of the country.
“The key thing we propose is not to break the ‘Northern Route’ into several separate national routes, but to create a unified tourism product that tourists can experience and purchase in parts: objectively, nearly 5,000 km cannot be covered in a single trip. We specifically highlight the Karelian section – 900 km: it should be included in the tourism agenda and promoted independently of the route’s status – both through points of interest and by linking it to specific events. For tourists from Moscow and Saint Petersburg, we will develop clear travel scenarios for celebrating the 800th anniversary of the Karelian baptism,” said Dmitry Vakhrukov, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia.
The abbess of the Novodevichy Convent in Moscow, Margarita, emphasized that the project addresses the task of unifying ancient Orthodox shrines, unique cultural heritage sites of both Russian and global significance, into a single route. The longest section of the route is the Karelian section called “The Path of the Apostles of Northern Russia.” She noted that the 800th anniversary of the baptism of the Karelians is symbolically celebrated after the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Moscow Novodevichy Convent and on the eve of the 600th anniversary of the establishment of the first monastic settlement on the Solovetsky Archipelago.
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