ST PETERSBURG: January 25, 2010
Youth of the Russian Church Abroad Participates in a Concert at the Ecclesiastical and Civil Holiday of St Tatiana

On January 24, 2010, after a luncheon held at the St Petersburg Orthodox Theological Academy, a concert was given in honor of the Day of St Tatiana. 

Before the concert began, His Grace Bishop Amvrosy of Gatchina, Rector of the Academy, addressed the participants:

“Our main goal is for our society to have the following rule: good deeds must always be praised, and sins never tolerated. It is believed that the feast day of Holy Martyr Tatiana became a student holiday because on this day, Moscow State University was founded. But what connection does St Tatiana have to all students? In many ways, she served as an example of devotion to her calling, of firmness and intransigence. It was she who gives every young person zeal in faith, and an example of how one must be consistent in ones convictions to the very end… Today our youth is faced with all sorts of temptations, and for this reason they are called to stand firm. Let this example of a seemingly-frail girl become for all a living example of following ones calling,” said the Most Reverend Rector.

Then Artemy Povazhny, a fourth-year seminarian, gave a presentation on the work of St Petersburg Orthodox Theological Academy. After the presentation, a combined choir of the Academy under the direction of I.Yu. Khmelevskaya performed, singing Nativity carols. In between songs, Artemy and his colleage Alexander Bocharov asked riddles of the audience. 

After the brief concert, Protopriest Andrei Sommer of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, who is participating in this event with a youth group from the US and Canada, gave a speech about the life, challenges and goals of the Church in the world today.

Afterwards, two members of the youth delegation, Nikolai Collaso and Larisa Krassovsky shared their experiences in living in the emigration.

The celebrations continued with a performance by students of Suvorov School.    

In conclusion, Bishop Amvrossy thanked everyone, congratulated everyone on St Tatiana’s day and gave Fr Andrei a gramata of blessing from St Petersburg Orthodox Theological Academy. The ROCOR delegation, in turn, gave Vladyka Amvrossy an icon of St John of Shanghai and San Francisco.

Thereupon, the youth delegation visited the Academy’s St John the Theologian Church, the Ecclesio-Archeological Museum, and also met with Protopriest Dimitry Yurievich, the Sub-Rector of the Theological Science Department.

Aleksei Oknin, 3rd-year seminarian