On November 4, 2026, National Unity Day, Russian President Vladimir Putin and His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia visited the Christian Tradition exhibition. Our Days", which opened in the Central Exhibition Hall "Manege" in Moscow.
The visit to the exhibition took place after a solemn ceremony of laying flowers at the monument to Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky on Red Square.
The Head of State and the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church were accompanied by Metropolitan Tikhon of Simferopol and Crimea, Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova, Minister of Education Sergei Kravtsov, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin and representatives of youth movements.
The exhibition was organized as part of the XXII Church and Public forum "Orthodox Russia - National Unity Day" and is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. The exhibition is dedicated to modern church art, its development and the preservation of Orthodox artistic traditions.
To participate in the exhibition, an All-Russian competition was held, to which artists submitted more than three thousand works. According to the results of the selection, the exhibition includes 524 works by 216 authors, including famous painters, sculptors, icon painters and masters of decorative and applied arts.
The exhibition space is divided into four thematic halls: "History of the Fatherland", "God and Man", "Preserving heritage" and "Beauty saving the World".
The first hall presents works dedicated to the history of Russia and the role of Orthodoxy in its formation. Visitors can see artistic images of holy princes, prominent statesmen, defenders of the Fatherland and clergymen.
The section "God and Man" introduces works on biblical subjects, modern iconography, church vestments and samples of church sewing.
The exhibition "Preserving Heritage" tells about the restoration of temples and monasteries, the restoration of ancient icons and the preservation of monuments of Orthodox culture.
The fourth hall, "Beauty that Saves the World," is dedicated to the Christian understanding of beauty, love, mercy, family values, and generational continuity.
The Orthodox St. Tikhon's University for the Humanities, the Union of Artists of Russia, leading art academies, museums and creative associations of the country took part in the preparation of the exhibition.
The organizers pay special attention to the educational significance of the project. Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov announced plans to organize a visit to the exhibition by schoolchildren and teachers not only in Moscow and the Moscow region, but also in other regions of Russia.
According to the minister, acquaintance with works of art helps young people to better understand the national history, feel the connection of generations and realize the importance of the spiritual and cultural heritage of the country.
The exhibition "The Christian Tradition. Our Days" is intended to show how modern church art, while remaining faithful to centuries-old Orthodox traditions, continues to develop and address the most important issues of human spiritual life.
Photo: TASS / Kristina Solovyova.