The Russian Center operating in Thessaloniki and the Greek non-governmental organizations The Republic of Culture and Amindas, north-western Macedonia, arranged a visit to the Kaluga region as part of a program of learning the Russian language and culture on October 14-20. The program of the visit dated to the Russia-Greece cross year and the 20th anniversary of the Kaluga Orthodox Gymnasium, with which the Russian Center have been cooperating for many years, included the exposure of Greek teachers of Russian language with the Russian system of education, visits to classes given to lower grades school students at Orthodox gymnasiums of Kaluga and Kozelsk and exposure to the history of Russia covering the period from the ruling of Prince Ivan III till the Geat Patriotic War.
A meeting of the Greek delegation members with Metropolitan of Kaluga and Borovsk Kliment was one of the most important events during the visit. With his blessing they visited the regional Orthodox holy places. The Greek guests will keep their memories of visiting the Great stand on the Ugra river diorama, the Optina Hermitage, and Pafnutiev Borovsky and St. Nicolas Chernoostrovsky Monasteries, which history is inextricably connected with different periods of Russian history and development of the Russian nationhood.
The cultural program of the visit was busy as well. It included concerts, visit to the Kaluga Drama Theatre, which is the world oldest drama theatre, and a round table session dedicated to The Learning of Russian through Folk Traditions. The event had been arranged by the authorities and teachers of children’s music school №2 named after S.S. Tulikov.
