Heart of the Northern Thebaid

The exhibition of Archbishop of Vologda and Veliky Ustiug Maximilian titled “Heart of the Northern Thebaid” was open in the Kirillo-Belozersky museum-reserve from June 22 till September 2009. Director of the museum Galina Ivanova, Archbishop Maximilian, Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov Kirill, head of the Kirillov District Administration Vladimir Shachin, Father Superior of the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery Ignaty (Molchanov), museum employees and many other people attended the opening ceremony of the exhibition. In all, there were 165 people there.

In his welcome speech, Archbishop Maximilian thanked the museum director for a proposal to hold the exhibition in the Kirillo-Belozersky museum-reserve. He noted that the Church and the Kirillo-Belozersky museum gained great experience of cooperation in the issues of joint use of the monastery churches and buildings and keeping up of long-standing spiritual traditions of the Vologda region. Archbishop Maximilian signed the catalogue of his photographs to everybody who wanted.

Such “pearls” of the Vologda region, as the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery, the Spaso-Prilutsky monastery, the Goritsky convent on the Sheksna River, the Resurrection Cathedral, churches, and other places, were presented at the photo display. In all, over 60 works were exhibited.

Visitors expressed their admiration in the guestbook:

“We express our thanks to the organizers of the display and Archbishop Maximilian for an opportunity to see the world around from an unusual angle, the world warm with love for a man, animals and nature. I especially liked the photos of Archbishop Maximilian depicting the interior life of the monasteries and the church unknown for most of people”.

“Thank you very much for great spiritual joy which I felt looking at your photographs”.

“It is so nice and comfortable when the pastor is kind and when he looks at the world through the eyes of an artist”.

The exhibition was open for visitors in the Refectory of the Kirillo-Belozersky museum-reserve from June 22 till September 10, 2009.