A delegation from the Macedonian Orthodox Church of the Archdiocese of Ohrid visited St. Petersburg Theological Academy on October 13, 2025. The visit took place as part of the strengthening of inter-church relations and familiarization with the system of spiritual education in Russia.
The delegation included Metropolitan Peter of Prespa-Pelagonia, Bishop Nicholas of Velichsky, Vicar of the Prespa-Pelagonia Diocese, and Hieromonk Athanasius (Arsosky), head of the Publishing Department of the Skopje Diocese. The guests were accompanied by the Chairman of the Protocol Department of the St. Petersburg Diocese, I.N. Sudosa, and his assistant, Priest Evgeny Timofeev, who conducted a sightseeing tour of the theological school for the delegation. In particular, the guests visited two temples of the academy, where they were told about the shrines stored there, visited the Church Archaeological Museum and classrooms. Special attention was paid to the introduction to the academic library. Its head, Archimandrite Stefan (Sado), showed the members of the delegation books in Macedonian and spoke about the library's collections.
On the walkway of the academic church of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, Archpriest Dimitri Sizonenko, head of the International department of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, presented the guests with memorable gifts - an image of the patron saint of this theological school and an engraving depicting the transfer of the relics of the Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky to St. Petersburg.
According to the SPbDA press service, students from Macedonia come to study at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, which helps strengthen fraternal relations between the two Churches. In 2010, Philip Iliovski and Philip Stankowski graduated from the theological department, and in 2016, Zhivomir Josifovski and Igor Rizanovski graduated from the Biblical and Theological department of the Magistracy.