Moscow, March 21, 2017
Photo: RIA-Novosti
The first Christian “People’s Trade Union of Russia” will be established on Wednesday in the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation. This will mark the first step towards creating a Christian political movement, “The Sacred League of St. George” press service reported to RIA-Novosti.
“The Sacred League of St. George” foundation for the revival of Christian values was established to provide assistance and support to projects contributing to the revival and promotion of Christian values. The foundation helps to restore lost temples, publishes the international journal “Temple,” and gives grants for projects aimed at restoring and supporting traditional Christian values.
The first meeting to establish the new social organization will take place on March 22 in the Public Chamber. The first meeting will be attended by representatives of the Byzantine Club, “The Sacred League of St. George” foundation, the head of the Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and the Media’s department for work with public organizations Archpriest Dmitry Roshschin, and Victor Asyuchits, one of the founders of the Russian Christian democratic movement in the 1990s.
“We declare our solidarity with the international Christian political movement and the international trade union movement. Our professional union is a union of Orthodox Christians and patriotic forces for the purpose of withdrawing Russia from the social-economic crisis and the creation of a new economy,” the declaration on the creation of the union states. It also states that the founders of the movement base their ideology on Christian spirituality and the concepts of morality and family values.
Members noted that they recognize as “allies” all who share the socio-economic beliefs found in the Russian Church’s “Basis of the Social Concept” and the Eighth Russian World People’s Council “Code of Moral Principles and Rules of Economics.”
The declaration also states that members want to create a movement of trade unions and public associations that can speak directly to the government, without political party intermediaries.
The Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, founded in 2005, is a non-legislative body with an oversight role in analyzing draft legislation and activities of Russian parliament, government and other government organs of the Russian Federation, aimed at the protection of the rights and freedoms of individuals and public associations.
Yesterday it was announced that two new Church representatives were proposed for the chamber and have already been approved by President Vladimir Putin.
Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and Media of the Russian Orthodox Church and editor-in-chief of FOMA magazine Vladimir Legoida, as well as Archpriest Alexander Tkachenko, General Director of the Children’s Hospice non-profit organization and recipient of the State Prize of Russia for outstanding achievements in the field of charity have been added to the chamber to “start forming the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation in full force,” according to the president’s statement.
