With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, on October 31, 2024, the Joy of the Word exhibition and forum opened in Astrakhan together with the Orthodox fair "Russian Land, Keep the Orthodox Faith!".
The event is organized by the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Astrakhan Diocese, and the Orthodox Book Association.
Before the start of the exhibition, a prayer service was served and the ark with the relics of the blessed Princes Peter and Fevronia from the Nikolo-Perervinsky Monastery in Moscow was brought. The prayer service and the opening ceremony of the Orthodox book exhibition-forum "Joy of the Word" and the Orthodox exhibition-fair "Russian Land, keep the Orthodox Faith!" were led by Metropolitan Nikon of Astrakhan and Kamyzyak. 
In his welcoming speech, Bishop Nikon thanked the organizers of the exhibition and conveyed his gratitude to the Chairman of the Publishing Council, Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk. Metropolitan Nikon noted the importance of the joint format of the Orthodox fair "Russian Land, keep the Orthodox Faith!" with the exhibition-forum "Joy of the Word", urging everyone to visit the book exposition.
Priest Andrey Stepanov, a specialist of the Publishing Council, donated to Vladyka a new volume of works by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, as well as a collection of works by St. Theophan the Recluse.
The head of the Astrakhan Metropolia visited the book stand of the Joy of the Word exhibition, where a presentation of the new book "God is with Us" was held for him and a copy of this publication was presented to the diocesan library.
The program of events of the forum includes presentations by specialists of the Publishing Council of novelties of Orthodox literature, as well as a charity event "Give a book to children".
The Joy of the Word exhibition and Forum has been held on the territory of the Astrakhan Diocese for eight years.
The exhibitions will be open from October 31 to November 8.