Moscow, December 27, 2013
The
management of St. Tikhon`s Orthodox University (PSTGU)
and St. Vladimir`s Seminary of New York, USA met on
October 12, 2013, in the Hall of the Academic Council
of PSTGU. The University was represented by the Rector
Archpriest Vladimir Vorobev, Vice President of Academic
Affairs Minister Gennady Egorov, Vice-Rector for
International Affairs Archpriest Georgij Orekhanov,
Dean of the Faculty of Liturgical Arts Archpriest
Alexander Saltykov, Head of the research center of
theological history and education Suhova N.Yu., Head of
the Department of Systematic Theology and patrology
Mikhailov P.B., and the Head of the International
Department Nichkova V.V. The delegation of the leading
educational institution of the American Orthodox Church
was composed by the seminary Dean Archpriest John Behr,
Chancellor Archpriest Chad Hatfield and the Head of the
publishing house Deacon Gregory Hatrak. Secretary of
the Moscow Patriarchate Commission, which regulates
student exchange, Fr John Kopejkin has accompanied the
delegation of St. Vladimir’s Seminary.
The
Rector of PSTGU, Archpriest Vladimir Vorobev while
greeting his guests, remembered an outstanding
theologian Russian Archpriest, John Meyendorff, former
Dean of St. Vladimir`s Seminary, and in particular his
involvement in the formation of St. Tikhon`s Orthodox
University, including the fact that his last lecture
Fr. John Meyendorff read in Moscow. Father Vladimir
also testified how much he keeps fond memories about
the visit of the Seminary in 1997.
Fr
John Behr, Dean of the Seminary, thanked Father
Vladimir for his hospitality and spoke about the
project of a ten-year strategic development plan. The
plan is to create a Russian home dedicated to St.
Philaret of Moscow, for teachers and students of the
Moscow Patriarchate. It may become a platform for
development and cooperation in the theological field
between St. Tikhon`s University and St. Vladimir`s
Seminary.
Archpriest
Chad Hatfield, Chancellor of the Seminary and Head of
administrative and financial activities, presented the
project to create a new subdivision of their
Institution - The Institute of Sacred Arts. This new
division will conduct research in the field of
liturgical singing and arts: icons, frescoes, mosaics,
art sewing, and so on. Furthermore, in order to
implement the project, significant funds have been
raised from grant organizations and private
benefactors, as well as new agreements have been signed
with a number of cultural and educational centers, such
as the Metropolitan Museum of New York and Princeton
University.
"Despite
the fact that we have curators, for example some
experts on religious art of the Metropolitan Museum,
actually within our Institution we do not have any.
Therefore, we immediately decided to ask PSTGU for
help. Many of our students came to study at PSTGU - at
the Faculty of Fine Arts and when they came back we saw
their professional growth and received from them only
positive reviews about your University"- said Fr.
John Behr. Then he asked Father Vladimir Vorobev to
delegate two official representatives of St. Tikhon`s
Orthodox University so that they could enter the Board
of Trustees of the Institute of Sacred Art.
At the end of the meeting, the parties agreed that the
first PSTGU representative in the Board of Trustees, whose
first meeting will take place before the end of this year,
will be an employee of the University administration, and
that the second will be an expert in the field of
religious art from the faculty. In the meanwhile there is
a lot of preparatory work to do and the raising of the
necessary funds for the opening of this unique Institute.
It has also been discussed the holding of regular
workshops and conferences on various aspects of religious
art. Before leaving, Father Vladimir gave his guests a
two-volumes illustrated album dedicated to the Patron and
Saint of the School, St. Tikhon, Patriarch of All-Russian.
Father John Behr also conveyed to the University library
many books published by his Seminary.
St. Tikhon`s Orthodox
University
