September 3, 2025. The XXXII International Scientific and Educational Expedition "The Road to the Shrines" set off from Minsk to the capital of the Belarusian Writing Day. The participants of the procession accompany the shrines that have already become symbols of the expedition: the lamp with the Holy Fire from the Holy Sepulchre and the miraculous Zagorye-Stolovichi icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Before the start of the procession, a prayer service was held in the capital's Holy Spirit Cathedral, which was led by Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavl. The Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus noted that the participants of the expedition will try to visit as many settlements as possible and hold meetings with people, touching on the topics of spirituality, morality and patriotism. "The love of the Fatherland, the history, the culture of our country, the native language. These are all things that bring people together, and such meetings are necessary," Metropolitan Veniamin emphasized. 
The Patriarchal exarch noted that the expedition unites people of different professions — poets, writers, cultural figures, scientists and clergymen who diligently serve the common cause. "On the eve of the Day of Belarusian Writing, it is very important to touch upon the origins of our spirituality in the Belarusian lands, the origins of writing, and to talk about it both to the younger generation and to remind people of the older generation. Many events within the expedition will be dedicated to this," he said.
Metropolitan Veniamin drew attention to the fact that the expedition takes place in the year of the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, the 900th anniversary of the founding of the Polotsk Savior-Euphrosyne Monastery, the 800th anniversary of St. Eliseevsky Lavrishevsky Monastery and many other important dates.
The signing ceremony of the cooperation agreement between the Belarusian Exarchate and the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Belarus took place at the Minsk Theological Academy as part of the program of the scientific and educational expedition "The Road to the Shrines". The document was signed by Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavsky and Minister of Information Marat Markov.
According to Metropolitan Veniamin, the signed document updates the terms of the previously valid agreement. "Years have passed, the format of communication has changed, plans for the future have changed, and today we have signed an updated version of the agreement. It outlines the important positions of today — it is a joint effort to educate the younger generation through the media and at the same time to counteract the negative work that can sometimes be carried out through those publications that come from outside. This work together will yield greater results," the Patriarchal Exarch noted.
In turn, Marat Markov stressed that this is a necessary agreement in modern realities. "We publish a huge number of books in Belarus, and this is good. But even more books come to Belarus from abroad, and they often do not correspond to our values or even contain direct propaganda of those values that we should not have. We have always worked in this direction together with the Writers' Union of Belarus, that is, we have been monitoring the space. And in this agreement, we have stipulated that we will work in this direction together with the Belarusian Orthodox Church," the minister explained.
Also, during the signing of the agreement, the presentation of a new edition of the Lavrishevsky Gospel, a monument to Belarusian writing, which was released on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the St. Eliseevsky Lavrishevsky Monastery, took place.
This year, the expedition will follow the route Minsk — Svyatoe Pole near the village of Zagorye (Baranovichi district) — the urban settlement of Zelva — the urban settlement of Kozlovshchyna (Dyatlov district) — the city of Dyatlovo — the city of Ivye — the city of Oshmyany — the city of Lida. 
According to Alexander Lopata-Zagorsky, the head of the scientific and educational expedition, about 777 km will be covered in total.  
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Over the years of the expedition, its participants have covered a path of about 40 thousand kilometers. About 700 kilometers were covered by foot processions, and more than 1.2 million people took part in prayer processions. The Holy Fire from the Holy Sepulchre was brought to more than 700 monasteries, temples and chapels. On the way, the clergy consecrate monuments and places of military glory. Spiritual and educational conferences are held, meetings with parishioners of churches and labor collectives, and visits to social institutions are organized.
For three decades, the expedition members have planted about 3.5 thousand trees.
Copies of the miraculous Zagorye-Stolovichi Icon of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the shrine of the expedition, were given to more than 400 monasteries, temples and chapels.
In total, more than 5 million people have participated in the expedition's activities over the past three decades.