On September 17, a ceremony was held at the Russian Centre for Science and Culture in Hanoi, Vietnam, to officially present the Russian Orthodox Church community with a permit for collective religious activities. The permit was issued to a community of foreign nationals legally residing in Vietnam who profess the Orthodox faith.
The document was obtained with the assistance of the Russian Embassy and the Rossotrudnichestvo representative office in Vietnam.
Attendees included G.S. Bezdetko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Vietnam; V.V. Borovikov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Vietnam; V.V. Murashkin, Head of the Rossotrudnichestvo representative office in Vietnam; Comrade Phan Vu, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department for Ethnic Minority and Religious Affairs; Abbot Mikhey (Selyakov), Rector of the Parish of Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg in Hanoi; Priest Stanislav Rasputin, Rector of the Intercession Parish in Ho Chi Minh City; and Orthodox believers.
The ceremony program featured welcoming remarks by officials, an address by a representative of the Orthodox community, and the formal presentation of the permit for collective religious activities.
According to the “Russian House,” a photo exhibition titled “Holy Warriors”—organized by the Mikhail Abramov Museum of Russian Icons—was held in the diplomatic mission’s foyer, introducing guests to images of holy warriors venerated by the Russian Orthodox Church.
Going forward, the Church hopes to obtain a permit to conduct full-scale religious activities as a legal entity—including for Orthodox citizens of Vietnam.
