Belgorod branch of Byzantine club was launched

Byzantine club was established in last December. The organization aims to actualize the formation of public unity of the Eastern Christian world, countries and peoples bound through the Byzantine tradition.

Scientists, representatives of the clergy, students and guests of the Belgorod branch of Byzantine club meeting were welcomed by the Rector of BelSU Oleg Polukhin. He noted that the establishment of the Belgorod branch of Byzantine club was possible thanks to the initiative of Metropolitan Ioann of Belgorod and Stary Oskol and Academician of RAS Sergey Karpov.

"In preparation for the celebration of the 140th anniversary of the University we continue the thread of our national identity, recreating pieces of distant history, which is connected with the history of our university, holding sacred the memory of the great countryman, such as the Metropolitan Macariy and Nikolay Strakhov." - said Oleg Nikolaevich.

Speaking about the importance of the emergence of the Belgorod branch of Byzantine club Metropolitan Ioann of Belgorod and Stary Oskol said that the forum will allow to better understand the place of Belgorod in the spiritual and historical space of Russia and Russia's place in the Byzantine civilization.

"All this will correspond with a global vision of the historical process, not only in the context of the present time, but also of the future. In many ways, the history consists of the choice that makes the people of today. And this choice is a manifestation of man's free will. This free will is subsequently connected to the Providence of God. Thus the history is born. Appeal to the topics related to the Byzantine Empire is the actualization of the history that we need, "- said Master Ioann.

Executive Secretary of the Russian National Committee of Byzantine Studies, a senior fellow at the Faculty of History of Moscow State University n.a. Lomonosov Mikhail Gratsiansky conveyed the good wishes of the Byzantine leadership of the club.

"It is very important for us that a branch of Byzantine club was opened in Belgorod. I believe the word "branch" is not entirely accurate, as the club, according to its charter, is unified. I'm sure that Belgorod will bring the new in the club operation", - he said.

Leading Russian Byzantinologist Mikhail Bibikov (Institute of World History, Russian Academy of Sciences) presented a report on the centennial Byzantine way in Russia.

Students and young scientists of BelSU History and Philology faculty prepared reports on the homeland of our fellow countryman, the largest domestic Byzantologist, academician N.P. Kondakov and his scientific heritage.

For the reference: The activity of "Byzantine Club" takes place in close cooperation with the National Committee for Byzantine Studies of the Russian Federation - the organization of professional historians. In April 2016 National Committee for Byzantine Studies of the Russian Federation on the basis of the BelSU held the XXI All-Russia session of Byzantine Studies, which was attended by more than a hundred scientists. Given the successful development in the research area "Classical and Byzantine tradition" at the BelSU, there was a joint idea to establish a branch of "Byzantine Club" in Belgorod for the extension of the Byzantine tradition: from research to the wider public, cultural and educational. On June 8, 2016 it was decided to establish a branch of Belgorod. This is the second regional office of the Club after St. Petersburg. The structure includes the leaders of university and university science, Belgorod metropolis management, representatives of various universities, scientific and cultural centers of Belgorod, as well as individual researchers specializing in the Byzantine theme. The youth section of the department includes more than 25 graduate students, undergraduates and students engaged in this area of studies.