Today we are witnessing a historic event – the visit of the Russian President, President Vladimir Putin and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, his Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill, together on Holy mount Athos, Panteleimon monastery – the cradle of Russian monkhood to honor the Millennium of the Russian presence on mount Athos.

The symbolism of this event is enormous. For the first time in the history of Russia of the head of the Russian state and the Russian Church together visited Athos, the Holy Mountain. Athos is the cradle of the Byzantine spirit.