On September 1, 2026, a solemn opening ceremony of the new educational and residential complex of the Yekaterinburg Theological Seminary took place in the city of Verkhnyaya Pyshma, Sverdlovsk region. The large-scale facility was built with the support of the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company (UGMK).
The plenipotentiary representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Ural Federal District, A.V. Zhoga, the vice-governor of the region, V.V. Kozlov, the head of Yekaterinburg, A.V. Orlov, representatives of the deputy corps, as well as benefactors and patrons came to congratulate the theological school on the housewarming. A.A. Kozitsyn, the General Director of the UGMK, A.A. Kozitsyn, the founder and head of the Sima-Land company.M. Simanovsky, representatives of the Russian Copper Company, Regional Commissioner for Human Rights T.G. Merzlyakova and other friends of the educational institution.
The opening ceremony began with a general prayer in the assembly hall. The distinguished guests addressed the audience with welcoming words, and at the end of the meeting, the undergraduate freshmen were solemnly presented with student ID cards. The solemn act was preceded by the consecration of the new building, which was headed by Metropolitan Evgeny of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye.
The honored guests toured the new building. Metropolitan Eugene conducted the tour for them. The guests visited the library center with a unique collection of antique folios, visited the cells — modern living rooms for seminarians. The apartment block, designed for more than 160 people, has rooms with an area of 15 square meters for two people.
The tour continued in the spacious hall of the educational institution. Here, in the very center, there is a sculpture of the heavenly patroness of sciences and education, the Holy Great Martyr Catherine, and opposite is the parting words of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia: "The main purpose of education is to properly prepare oneself for further zealous service for the benefit of the Church of God, to become able to convincingly testify about Christ to those near and far."
Russians Russian Orthodox Church's bright corridors and halls are decorated with a gallery of portraits of the Patriarchs of the Russian Church, paintings by contemporary Ural artist Leonard Gusev dedicated to Russian poets and writers, as well as canvases based on biblical subjects that create a special atmosphere of the "temple of education" and graduation vignettes of the EDC.
The total area of the new building of the theological school is 14,000 square meters. The infrastructure includes a dining room with 151 seats, an assembly hall for 222 people, a modern library with a book depository and a spacious gym with an area of over 650 square meters. The educational area of the new building includes 12 classrooms for 10 and 20 people, two classrooms with 45 seats, as well as eight classrooms with special sound insulation for church singing.
The gym has all the conditions for physical education. Modern equipment allows students to play volleyball and other sports. The school already has a SAMBO section, which helps to develop self-defense skills, strengthen the mind and body, cultivate discipline and team spirit, as well as a chess course, which was opened last year.
There is also a full-fledged medical unit on the territory of the seminary with internist's, dentist's and treatment rooms. The new building is fully adapted for people with disabilities. The security of the educational institution is ensured by modern technical means: round-the-clock firefighting, anti-terrorist and access control.