On July 15 and 16, the III Siberian Meetings on the Yenisei took place in Krasnoyarsk. In this city, the event is known under the title Days of Russian Culture in Krasnoyarsk. On the territory of the Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, a fair of folk crafts “Old Believer Zaimka” was organised. Other events during these Days included an online conversation, a pottery master class, an intellectual game, an evening of spiritual chants, and a trip to Divnogorsk.
But the main event was the Sunday service led by His Grace Bishop of Tomsk and Yeniseysk Grigoriy (Korobeynikov). The beautiful singing of the choirs delighted both the guests and the hosts. The choir in Krasnoyarsk is just beginning to develop its skills; a large, well-coordinated choir is formed here mainly on feasts, including guests. The guests, in turn, had the rare opportunity to sing in a room with beautiful acoustics, which not all churches have.
Guests were received since Friday. On Saturday morning, Siberian craftsmen greeted Krasnoyarsk residents at the ‘Old Believer Zaimka’ fair. The exhibition and sale was open to all city dwellers.
Conversations with young and different other people are already a traditional part of the “Siberian Meetings on the Yenisei”. This year, an online guest from Nizhny Novgorod, Maxim Gorskiy (sticharion reader of the Nizhny Novgorod Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God, Candidate of Medical Sciences, head of the department of remote advanced training of doctors at the Nizhny Novgorod Medical University), took part in the conversation. A programmer by one of his degrees, Maxim happily discussed with the Siberians the prospects and dangers of artificial intelligence, spoke about his experience with virtual reality glasses, and shared concerns about the practice of broadcasting religious services.
In the intellectual game, which took place after the evening service, the youth made up three teams, one of which, according to the conditions of the game, ended up in a Christian society, the second in a modern society, and the third in an atheistic society. Each group was asked a series of questions for discussion. The guys presented the results of the discussion in the form of small reports, the essence of which boiled down to how a Christian should behave in different societies.
Sunday evening was dedicated to a bus excursion to Divnogorsk. For the organizers, it was the first experience of a large-scale long trip. And for guests – the opportunity to admire the beauty of the Yenisei, see the Divnogorsk hydroelectric power station, and stroll along one of the most beautiful embankments in Russia (included in the top 10, according to many ratings).
50 guests is half as much as in the previous years for the Meetings on the Yenisei.
“But this is understandable,” says one of the event organizers, Fr. Ioann Oshin. – Meetings, programs and events of various kinds are not that uncommon today. It is impossible to visit everything; people have to choose. For us, the reduction in the number of guests is a reason to try a slightly different meeting format. In a team of 30–50 people, it’s easier to concentrate, we can have a more soulful time, and convey our ideas to each other more clearly.”
Those who really wanted to go to Krasnoyarsk that weekend, but could not for the reasons of everyday life, could attend most of the events via online broadcast. However, those who did get there received much more, including a specially prepared souvenir to remember the meeting – engraved spoons with the beauties of Krasnoyarsk.
