Metropolitan Matthew of Pskov and Porkhovsky, Chairman of the Russian Orthodox Church's Commission for the Development of Pilgrimages and the Bringing of Shrines, took part in the XI All-Russian Forum for the Development of Small Towns and Historical Settlements.
Bishop Mikhail of Ugra and Nyagan, Head of the Pilgrimage Center Infrastructure Development Department, and Abbess Mikhail (Solodukhina), Head of the pilgrimage Development Department, also participated in the forum on behalf of the commission.
One of the central platforms of the forum was the session "Small towns and strong settlements. The Unified Space of Russian Life", dedicated to the issues of integrated development of territories, creating a comfortable environment for residents, preserving historical heritage and creating new opportunities for the development of small towns.
During the session, Bishop Matthew noted that the development of the city should be considered not only from the point of view of infrastructure and landscaping, but above all from the perspective of a person, family and the quality of daily life.
Metropolitan Matthew also stressed the importance of spiritual, historical and cultural centers for the daily life of the city. According to His Eminence, such spaces can serve as places for residents to communicate, families to stay together and pass on memories from generation to generation.
As an example, the bishop cited the development of Pechora: "In Pechory, it is clearly seen how important the space around the spiritual center is for the life of the city. The Holy Dormition Pskov Caves Monastery is historically a part of the city itself, its memory and daily life. The transformation of Cathedral Square and the surrounding areas has created not just a landscaped space, but a place where different generations meet. Families come here, children see how their parents treat the shrines, and grandparents can tell their grandchildren about the history of the city, the monastery, and their own family. In other words, the spiritual center becomes not an isolated object, but a part of the environment in which people live and communicate. At the same time, the development of such spaces attracts pilgrims and tourists to the city, which also becomes an additional impetus for the development of urban infrastructure, services and a generally comfortable environment for residents." He also noted that a similar approach is important for other historical cities of Russia.
"And here I want to talk about the work of the Commission for the Development of pilgrimage and the bringing of shrines. We see our task in ensuring that historical cities such as Vladimir, Suzdal, Pereslavl-Zalessky and Kostroma develop not only as places of attraction for pilgrims, but also as a comfortable environment for families, communication between different generations and the transmission of tradition," said Metropolitan Matthew.
The speech also said that the urban environment should create opportunities for parents and children to work together, communicate and transfer experiences from older generations to younger ones. In this context, spaces related to culture, history, volunteerism, education, sports, and spiritual life are of particular importance.
The participation of the commission's representatives in the event continues the interaction of the Russian Orthodox Church with federal and regional government authorities, municipalities, development institutions and the expert community on the issues of integrated territorial development.