With the blessing of Metropolitan Amphilochious of Montenegro and and the Littoral, the monastery church in the name of St Venerable Sergius of Radonezh was consecrated near Mount Rumija between seaport Bar and Lake Skadar, Serbia, on 19 July, report special correspondents of Krasnoyarsk diocese' press service. The event is very significant to the development of friendly relations between Montenegro and Russia, Siberia particularly.

The small beautifully decorated church in the name of the great Russian saint was built within a year with the assistance of entrepreneurs from Eastern Siberia and the local orthodox community. St Sergius Church was consecrated by His Eminence Amphilochious with great number of Serbian people and Russian pilgrims present.

With the consecration completed, the Divine Liturgy was administered by Metropolitan Amphilochious assisted by clergymen of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and and the Littoral (Serbian Orthodox Church) and Siberian clergy who visited Montenegro with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill.

The significance of the event was noted by Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Montengro Yakov Gerasimov in his exclusive interview to our correspondents. The Russian diplomat dwelt upon the positive trends in relations between Russia and the Balkans in the field of economy and manufacturing, as well as culture and spirituality.

Speaking to our correspondents, Novosibirsk entrepreneur Vitaly Ivanchikov, the chief contributor of St Sergius Church's construction, called Orthodoxy the keystone of the fellowship of Slavonic nations. Commercial manager of "Peko" Yevgeny Korotun, native of Eastern Siberia, noted the historical continuation of the joint work of Russian and Serbian people in glorifying the Holy Church and developing orthodox traditions of the past two thousand years.

Recently the Russian entrepreneurs has constructed the building for women monastery there. Nun Theodora who came to Montenegro from Russia seven years ago has been appointed monastery's head. The first monastery's nun has been named Sergia in nonour of the venerable Russian saint.

In his archpastoral speech to the gathered orthodox Christians of Russia and the Balkans, Metropolitan Amphilochious of Montenegro and and the Littoral spoke about the friendly ties of Russia and Montenegro and the significance of the figure of St Venerable Sergius of Radonezh to all Slavonic people. Metropolitan Amphilochious said that the newly consecrated monastery would continue the traditions of "the world's greatest cloister, St Sergius Lavra under Moscow".

Having visited Siberia many times (Krasnoyarsk diocese as well, by invitation of Archbishop Anthony of Krasnoyarsk and Yeniseisk), His Eminence Amphilochious spoke favorably of the development of relations between the Balkans and Siberia, "the prospective area of Russia, the importance of which had been long ago mentioned by Mikhail Lomonosov".