The opening ceremony of the art gallery took place at the Cultural and Educational Center at the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Philip in the Emirate of Sharjah.
It was attended by Konstantin Kosachev, head of the Federal Agency for CIS Affairs, compatriots living abroad, and international humanitarian cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo); Andrey Andreev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to the UAE; Yuri Polurez, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine in the UAE; Gocha Buachidze, Consul General of the Russian Federation in Dubai and the Northern Emirates; Alexander Semeshko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the UAE; Yuri Sidorenko, a church clerk, representatives of organizations of Russian compatriots in the UAE and other officials.
According to Archimandrite Alexander (Zarkeshev), the rector of the Church of the Holy Apostle Philip, the creation of the gallery was carried out as part of the presentation of Orthodox cultural heritage in the Persian Gulf region and aimed at strengthening relations between Slavic and Arab countries.
The guests were presented with a collection of artistic holograms, which was donated to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill during his pastoral trip to Ukraine. The exhibition also demonstrated 23 works by contemporary Russian and Ukrainian artists: Elena and Alexander Ivanov, Roman and Olesya Kravchuk, Dmitry Khomyakov, Yulia Bekhova, Valery Rostovsky, Alexander Belov and Olga Denisenko. On the ground floor of the building, works on gospel stories are exhibited - from the Nativity of Christ to the Holy Trinity; on the second - on religious subjects from the history of Russia. As part of the event, Archimandrite Alexander (Zarkeshev) conducted a detailed tour for all guests, talked about the history of creation and the plot of each picture.
“The opening of the gallery is a great and joyful event not only for all the ministers and parishioners of the temple, but also for everyone who lives in the United Arab Emirates. This cultural and educational center develops the traditions of the interfaith world, which Patriarch Kirill and state authorities make efforts to maintain of our countries. We saw a pan-Slavic project that erases the borders between our states. I wish this center and this temple a good journey and thank everyone who participated in the implementation of this project, " Ethyl, addressing the audience, the head of Rossotrudnichestvo Konstantin Kosachev.
