The message reads, in part:
“I would like to emphasise that Old Believers’ centuries-old cultural and spiritual traditions are an inseparable part of our rich national heritage, which we must carefully preserve together. Therefore, it is important that your forum is being held with such a large number of participants. The Moscow forum brings together heads and representatives of Old Believer churches, as well as researchers and social activists from various countries to discuss current issues related to promoting contacts and mutual assistance between Old Believer communities and addressing current problems of relations between the state and the Church. And, of course, this forum is focused on the 400th anniversary of the birth of Archpriest Avvakum, which was marked last year.
Archpriest Avvakum was a strong, courageous man, a figure of historic proportions. His name and distinctive works are part of the golden pool of Russian and world literature. The zealot’s main work, The Life of Archpriest Avvakum, Written by Himself, is rightfully considered one of the most outstanding works of Russian literature.”