The Serbian President and Patriarch thanked the Russian President and Russian craftsmen for the interior of the main cathedral of the SOC
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church Irinej inspected the progress of the interior finishing work of the Cathedral of St. Sava.
The temple, the construction of which has been going on for almost a hundred years, thanks to the help of Russia, should be consecrated in September this year on the 800th anniversary of Serbian autocephaly.
As the PolitNavigator correspondent reports, Alexander Vucic noted that over the past three years more has been invested in the construction of the temple than in the previous 60 years.
“Our work will remain for future generations, and this period will be remembered not only for the large investments in roads, railways and other infrastructure, but also for the completion of the most important religious and cultural site,” the Serbian leader noted. – This will be the new Hagia Sophia. We no longer have Hagia Sophia, but we have the Church of St. Sava and it has the largest mosaic in the world, on which the best Serbian and Russian masters worked.”
Alexander Vucic also thanked the Russian specialists working on decorating the dome, the Russian academician Nikolai Mukhin, who is the main author and creator of the mosaic, as well as the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and the Gazprom company for a donation of 10,5 million euros for the construction of a landmark for Serbian world cathedral.
“The Church of St. Sava is one of the three largest in the Orthodox world. We fought for the creation of our Temple for more than 100 years. This is an important moment for all people who respect themselves and their history and their future. In just two months the work will be completed and we will be able to see the Temple in its fantastic beauty.
It will become one of the largest and most important places for our people, but also for everyone who comes to Serbia to see something magnificent. People who dream big have the chance to achieve great things.”
Patriarch Irinej, in turn, noted that the Church of St. Sava will become a majestic shrine not only of the Serbian people, but also of the entire Christian world. He expressed gratitude to everyone who donated funds for the temple, as well as to the state of Serbia, which understands the significance of St. Sava for Serbian history and the significance of the temple, which was built right on the site of the burning of his holy relics by the Turks.
“Stefan Nemanja contributed to the creation of our state, Saint Sava did no less. Nemanja expanded the boundaries, Savva gave spirit and life to our church. This has been felt throughout (Serbian – ed.) history, and it is felt today,” concluded Irinej.
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