Russian Church

Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios has defended the decision to grant independence to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine from the Russian Church, which has upset relations with the Moscow Patriarchate.

The much-hyped day of protests in Bulgaria on November 18 saw traffic disruptions by protesters in cars in some parts of the country, while in Sofia participation numbered little more than a few hundred people, under grey skies and light rain, reports Unian.

Motorcyclists from Club Night Wolves will enter our country today from Macedonia. Their route will pass through the Ruen Monastery, Kyustendil and will reach Sofia. Tomorrow they plan to visit the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Russian Church, the Soviet Army Monument in the capital, and give a press conference, and head for Serbia on Friday.

The Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro has commemorated the centenary of the killing of the Russian imperial family at Ekaterinburg with numerous events held under the slogan "The Romanov Family - 100 years of Holiness".

Romania says it will issue 14 working and diplomatic passports to clergy of the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia, which is canonically subordinate to the Romanian Orthodox Church.

The Orthodox Church in the former Soviet republic is split between the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia and the Metropolitan Church of Moldova, which is subordinate to the Moscow Partriarchate.

Sputnik is reporting that the idea to establish the Center has been around for several years.

The plan is to extend the existing building housing the church's offices, and set up the Spiritual Center, that would host spiritual and cultural events of interest to Russians and Serbs, Father Vitaly Tarasyev said.

Michael Karloutsos has been appointed Deputy Chief of Protocol and Acting Chief, a high-profile position in the State Department, and will begin on July 23. He brings many years of extensive experience in politics and public relations to the position.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived at the northern Greek peninsula of Mount Athos, on a visit to the autonomous Orthodox Christian monastic community here.

Putin flew from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki Saturday morning, went by road near Mt.Athos and then took a boat - the only means to reach the community.

Photos depict the beauty of old Athens. See Syntagma Square, Fillelinon street, Psiri and Gazi, when streets where dirt roads and people of Athens were moving around with carriages.

Church of Agios Grigorios Church – Mitropoleos street, 1900

The fifth Open Walk Athens (OWA), an initiative by the urban group atenistas, is focused on lesser known parts of Athens. This time, the focus is on Byzantine Athens, with free admission to a number of Byzantine monuments from 11.20 a.m. to 3.30 p.m.