« Day of Slavic Writing and Culture Celebrated in London »
13-05-2012 
On Sunday 13th May, the festival celebrating the Day of Slavic writing and culture was held in the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall of the Royal College of Music in London. It was organised by the Diocese of Sourozh, the Russian Orthodox Church in the UK and Ireland, and continued the tradition set up in 2011.
“The festival of Slavic Writing and Culture is a great opportunity to celebrate the common cultural background for many people from Slavic countries and Orthodox Christians living in the UK. This is an important contribution to the multicultural diversity on the British Isles,” said Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh in his welcome address.
The festival started with children’s theatrical play “St Cyril and St Methodius” performed by the Parish School of the Cathedral of the Diocese of Sourozh. The play told the audience about the life and mission of Saint Brothers Cyril and Methodius and the invention of Slavic writing and its expansion among the Slavs in Eastern and Central Europe. Then the concert by children’s folk groups from Russian, Ukrainian, Serbian and Bulgarian schools in London followed. The children performed national songs and dances in Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Serbian and Bulgarian. The concert ended with singing “Christ is Risen” in the Church Slavonic language, the common heritage for the Slavs in Europe, invented by St Cyril and St Methodius in IX century.
This festival hosted by Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh was attended by many distinguished guests including Russian Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko, Ukrainian Ambassador Volodymyr Khandogiy, diplomats from Belarus, Bulgaria, Serbia and other Slavic and Orthodox countries, as well as representatives of the clergy.