On the eve of the celebration in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God and National Unity Day, on November 3, a festive reception was held at the residence of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Israel A.D. Viktorov.
The event dedicated to the state holiday of Russia was honored by His Beatitude Theophilus III, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine, accompanied by Archbishop Aristarchus of Constantinople and Archdeacon Mark, Secretary General of the Jerusalem Patriarchate.
Among the honored guests of the evening were Israeli political and public figure, the sixteenth Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Olmert, Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and other states, accompanied by members of the diplomatic corps, public figures, businessmen, journalists.
The Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem was attended by the head of the Mission, Archimandrite Vassian (Zmeev), the deputy head of the RDM, Abbot Nikon (Golovko) and the cleric of the Mission, Deacon Makariy Petukhov, the Mission's website reports.
A.D. Viktorov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the State of Israel, delivered a welcoming speech to the audience.