The “Days of Russian Spiritual Culture” were held on March 12-13, 2012, in the Province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and South Antarctic Islands (Argentina). They were organized by the Federal Agency for Expatriates representation in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay with the support of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations.
During his meetings with local officials, public leaders and cultural figures, Mr D. Kravtsov, head of the Agency’s representation, spoke on the church-state cooperation in Russia. He informed his listeners about the Presidential and Patriarchal Commissions for Culture established in 2012, noting that their work is aimed at overcoming negative developments in the sphere of culture.
Speaking at the Rio-Grande Cultural Center, he presented to the audience the work by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, entitled ‘Orthodoxy’, stressing that this book represents a systematic exposition of the doctrine, history and canonical order of the Orthodox Church.
Films about the history of the Russian Orthodox Church were shown in several movie theatres in Rio-Grande and provoked great public interest.
The programme was concluded with a round-table conference on Morality as a Paradigm for the Spiritual Rebirth and Prosperity of a State. Representatives of various Christian confessions attended. They discussed problems involved in the co-existence of people of different cultures and faiths and prospects for intercultural and inter-religious dialogue in today’s world.
Icons, disks with church music and documentaries were given to local officials and prominent public leaders as reminders of the Days of Russian Spiritual Culture held in the province.