One of the most important events of the church and museum life of the region – the 12th Ferapontovo Readings marking the 500th anniversary of the uncovering of the St. Martinian’s relics – took place in the Museum of Dionisy’s Frescoes over the last weekend.
The Ferapontovo Readings are an annual conference organized with the assistance of the OJSC “Severstal”. It is the unique ground where researchers-beginners and venerable art critics, historians and clergymen exchange opinions and new ideas, pupils of the “School of Dionisy” (the educational museum program), first of all from the educational institutions of the Vologda region, present their scientific works.
The subject of the conference is the same: “History and Culture of the Monasteries of the Russian North”. The number of people participating in it increases every year. If earlier pupils of Vologda and Moscow came to Ferapontovo, now children from Cherepovets and remote districts of the region joined them. Over 100 people have taken part in this year’s event. 43 reports were given. The jury determined the winners who were awarded diplomas and prize money.
The following reports were named the best according to the results of the Ferapontovo Readings: “From the Saviour-Transfiguration Monastery to Transformation of People” (Sergey Vanchikov, Vologda); “Pages of History of the Church of Annunciation” (Igor Kuksov, Totma); “The Church of the Presentation: Revival with God’s Help” (Sofia Zaitseva, Goritsy), “Early Printed Books Used in the Church of Epiphany in Ferapontovo” (Mikhail Ozhogin, Kirillov); “Servants of Christ and Congregation” (Sergey Senin, Sokol district): “The Ferapontov Monastery and Its Lands in the 15th-18th Centuries” (Alina Blinova, Ferepontovo).
Sergey Vanchikov, pupil of the Vologda Cadet Boarding School, was given the 1st prize.
Archbishop of Vologda and Veliky Ustiug Maximilian participated in the readings and the award ceremony. The medals of St. Kirill Belozersky were presented to: Nadezhda Tikhomirova (director of the spiritual and educational centre “Northern Thebaid”), Marina Serebryakova (Museum of Dionisy’s Frescoes) and Alexander Kamkin (Professor, Doctor of Historical Sciences). Besides, Ilya Smirnov (deputy director of the Kirillo-Belozersky museum-reserve), Irina Parshukova (director of the Museum of Dionisy’s Frescoes), Nadezhda Yepishina (teacher of history in the Ferapontovo school), Irina Devyatova (teacher of the gymnasium ¹ 1514, Moscow), Petr Mazaev (teacher of the gymnasium ¹ 1514, Moscow) and others received the Archbishop’s diplomas.
Archbishop of Vologda and Veliky Ustiug Maximilian also performed a festive service on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the uncovering of the St. Martinian’s relics.
