On November 26, 2024, the Nizhny Novgorod Theological Seminary hosted the conference «Spiritual and Moral Culture in Higher School. The Great Victory: the contribution of a teacher and a priest».
The conference was attended in online format by Olga Petrova, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, and Vladimir Filippov, President of the Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Education, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the conference.
The conference was attended by Vladimir Filippov.
The meeting was attended by Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Youth Affairs Bishop Seraphim of Istra, Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Volga Federal District Igor Panshin, Minister of Education and Science of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Mikhail Puchkov, Minister of Youth Policy of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Svetlana Anufrieva, Head of the Diocesan Department for Cooperation with Higher Education Bishop Filaret of Dalnekonstantinovsky, Director of the Institute for Comparative Education Policy at the Russian University of Science and Technology (RUDN) Maria Simonova, President of the Nizhny Novgorod State Pedagogical University Lev Shaposhnikov.
The participants of the conference were welcomed by Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod: «The theme of patriotism, the theme of spirituality in the historical context of the Great Patriotic War are timeless, never losing their relevance. They should be discussed in society, and the discussion should be held with the participation of young people, because they are the future of our country. And now it is especially important to comprehend the events of our heroic history, when certain forces seek to belittle the feat of our ancestors. Joint work of the pedagogical community, representatives of the authorities, clergy at different levels in the field of spiritual and moral education is aimed at the younger generation to form a respectful attitude to the feat of our people, to the realization of its sanctity. The conference — another work of the Cathedral, contributing to the achievement of this goal. I invoke God's blessing on our work today.
Addressing the conference participants, Olga Petrova noted: «It is not by chance that Nizhny Novgorod was chosen as a venue for interaction between higher education and the Russian Orthodox Church, since for many years Nizhegorod Diocese represented by Metropolitan George of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas has been organizing the conference. work to preserve spiritual and moral values and to make sense of many concepts in terms of the foundations of our faith. This is important for students, teachers and the education system as a whole. Now, against the background of current events, we especially realize how important it is to unite and create fundamental knowledge for building comprehensive work in the field of education and upbringing, for short-term and long-term planning in this area. And the basis for such work — our traditional spiritual and moral values».
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Afterwards, Vladimir Filippov addressed the audience via video link. He thanked the organizers of the scientific-practical conference and noted that for 12 years in a row it was held on the basis of PFUR, where students from more than 160 countries of the world study. Despite cultural, national, religious differences, they find a common language, as communication is based on universal spiritual and moral values. Today this conference is held in the region for the first time. The participants will discuss not only various aspects of the stated topic, but also will be able to develop common approaches to holding similar conferences in other regions. The experience of holding such an event in Nizhny Novgorod, as well as the conference of the same name, which took place in October in Nizhny Novgorod. St. Petersburg, will be presented within the framework of the discussion platform, which will be held at PFUR on December 5. «The celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory — is not only a tribute to all the people who saved the Soviet Union and the whole Europe from fascism, but also an event that has an important educational significance for the younger generation. In the context of the theme of the conference, we are talking about the role of a tutor, teacher, and clergyman in the life of a child, a young person, about the influence a tutor can have on his pupil, —, — noted Vladimir Filippov.
Further Igor Panshin read out the address of the authorized representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Volga Federal District Igor Komarov. It is gratifying that Nizhny Novgorod was chosen as a venue for the conference. Today, when the whole world has turned against Russia, it is important for us to protect the heritage bequeathed by the generation of winners in the Great Patriotic War, to inform the historical truth about the events of the war years. Memory is sacred for every citizen of Russia. I wish the participants of the conference fruitful work» — said in the address.
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The participants of the conference were welcomed by Mikhail Puchkov, Svetlana Anufrieva, Lev Shaposhnikov.
Director of the Personnel Department of the Teaching Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church, Mikhail Puchkov, Svetlana Anufrieva, and Lev Shaposhnikov. Priest Demetrius Kashirin, acting rector of the Patriarchal Suburbs — the Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov at the All-Russian Center of ZAO «Expocenter» Moscow, read out a greeting from the chairman of the Academic Committee, rector of Oschechurch Postgraduate and Doctoral School named after Saints Cyril and Methodius, co-chair of the organizing committee of the conference Protopriest Maxim Kozlov.
Protopriest Maxim Kozlov.
Professor of the Department of Church History of the Moscow Theological Academy Georgy Kolyvanov read a greeting from the Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, Chairman of the Scientific and Educational Theological Association, Co-Chairman of the Conference Organizing Committee Bishop Kirill of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrov.
Heorge Kolyvanov read a greeting from the Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, Chairman of the Scientific and Educational Theological Association, Co-Chairman of the Conference Organizing Committee.
The plenary session included the following reports:
- Bishop Seraphim of Istra («Social role of the Russian Orthodox Church in the life of the population during the Great Patriotic War»);
- Doctor of Historical Sciences, Senior Researcher of the Center for the Study of the History of Religion and Church of the Institute of General History of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexey Beglov («Orthodox believing people in the face of the Great War»);
- Doctor of Law, Professor of the Head of the Aslan Abashidze («Teacher's contribution to the victory in the Great Patriotic War» ), Professor of the Department of International Law, Patrice Lulumba PFUR;
- Candidate of Theology, Professor of the Department of Church History of the Moscow Theological Academy Georgy Kolyvanov («Children and the Great Patriotic War»);
- Bishop Philaret of Dalnekonstantinovsky («Metropolitan Nikolai (Kutepov) of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas: the archpastor's life path, scorched by the war»); .
In the afternoon of the conference there was held the work of thematic sections «The role of higher education in the formation of young people's sense of service to the Fatherland and responsibility for its fate» and «Lessons of the Great Patriotic War in the historical memory of modern youth». Teachers and students of Nizhny Novgorod universities, as well as universities of other subjects of the Volga Federal District were invited to participate in the conference in person and online.
After the event a resolution was adopted and the following proposals were put forward: to continue the practice of holding regional scientific-practical conferences «Spiritual and Moral Culture in Higher Education» as a discussion and analytical platform for discussing problems in the field of preserving and strengthening traditional values; to disseminate the experience in terms of joint organization of the conference. scientific and practical conferences on the search for effective mechanisms to implement the tasks of spiritual and moral education of young people on the basis of Russian traditional spiritual and moral values, where the organizers are secular and spiritual organizations of higher education; to consolidate the resources of higher education and the Russian Orthodox Church to form an expert community for the protection of traditional values; to contribute to the solution of urgent problems in the framework of scientific, methodological, expert and educational support of the processes of spiritual and moral education of young people on the basis of Russian traditional spiritual and moral values, where the organizers are secular and spiritual organizations of higher education
Nizhegorodsky Metropolis/Patriarchy.ru
