On January 17, 2026, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem received a delegation from the St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation, headed by Chairman of the Foundation's Board of Trustees V.I. Yakunin. The purpose of the meeting was the consecration by His Beatitude of a copy of the Shroud of the Mother of God, made on the initiative of the Foundation from the original Shroud, which is kept in the church of the Little Gethsemane in Jerusalem.
The meeting of the delegation of the St. Andrew's Foundation with His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilus was attended by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the State of Israel A.D. Viktorov and Archimandrite Vassian (Zmeev), Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem.
A copy of the Shroud was made for the Old Ladoga Assumption Convent in the village of Staraya Ladoga, Leningrad region. His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos noted that the Shroud of the Mother of God, kept in Gethsemane Minor, is especially revered by the faithful of the Jerusalem Church and pilgrims. It is with her that the procession is performed on the eve of the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God from the courtyard to the place of Her burial.
Vladimir Yakunin expressed deep gratitude and sincere appreciation to the Primate of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church for his traditional support of Orthodox pilgrims from Russia, prayers for Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church.
A.D. Viktorov noted Patriarch Theophilus' efforts to preserve the religious status quo of Jerusalem, ensure unhindered access for pilgrims to holy sites, protect Christian communities in the Middle East and preserve unity. of World Orthodoxy.