From July 26 to 31, 2026. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the youth delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church visited the State of Israel to participate in the international Interfaith Bridges project.
The delegation included representatives of the Synodal Department for Youth Affairs, dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kazan Federal University, as well as representatives of traditional religions of Russia.
During the visit, meetings were held with representatives of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Israel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel and the religious communities of the city of Haifa. The participants discussed the development of interreligious dialogue, international youth cooperation and strengthening mutual understanding between representatives of different faiths.
The program of the trip also included visits to key spiritual and historical shrines of Israel and Palestine. The delegation visited the Old City of Jerusalem, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Gethsemane, Mount of Olives, the Yad Vashem Memorial Complex, the Museum of Tolerance, Bethlehem, Nazareth and the Jordan River.
Participation in the Interfaith Bridges project has become an important step in the development of international cooperation and interreligious dialogue, as well as strengthening friendly ties between young people from different countries and religious traditions.