On November 27, 2024, the work of the Defenders of the Fatherland section of the XXVI World Russian People's Council took place in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. The event was headed by Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssky, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Interaction with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies and the Synodal Committee for Interaction with the Cossacks.
The section was attended by representatives of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Rosgvardiya, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Prosecutor General's Office, military educational institutions, military industrial complex enterprises, synodal institutions, as well as military clergy, veterans and war correspondents.
The work began with the prayer "To the King of Heaven" and the National Anthem of the Russian Federation, performed by the choir of the Engineering Troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation "For Faith and Fatherland".
The honored guests of the section made presentations and shared their views on the protection and defenders of the Fatherland, highlighting a wide range of issues.
The Defenders of the Fatherland section of the XXVI VRNS has become a platform for a comprehensive discussion of key issues facing Russia and Russian society. The participants considered the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in the spiritual care of military personnel, the importance of interaction between the Church and the army, especially in the context of a special military operation. The issues of ensuring the moral and psychological state of military personnel, the problems of adapting combat veterans to peaceful life and the prospects for the development of the system of spiritual and moral education in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation were touched upon. The issues of strengthening national security and the role of patriotic education in the formation of social unity were discussed.
Metropolitan Kirill stressed the importance of the contribution of every defender of the Fatherland to ensuring sovereignty and preserving traditional values of Russia.
Archpriest Dimitri Vasilenkov in his speech noted the profound influence of faith on the soldiers involved in the fighting. These words were continued in the speech of the war correspondent Andrei Afanasyev, who spoke about the dedication and courage of the military clergy in the area of the SVO. "We are rediscovering the military clergy. I saw our priests, risking everything, having no guarantees to return back, leaving everything and going to where they are expected. This is a reason for optimism," the journalist noted.
Metropolitan Kirill addressed the participants of the meeting with a closing speech. The bishop summed up the work of the section, stressed the importance of patriotic education of young people, highlighted the role of the Church in supporting military personnel and their families, and expressed hope for further fruitful cooperation.