Archpriest Fyodor Povny, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Cooperation with Secular Educational Institutions, visited Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno

The meeting of Archpriest Fyodor Povny with students and university staff of three universities of Grodno took place on September 13.
Participants of the meeting - our students, as well as colleagues from the State Medical University of Grodno and State Agrarian University of Grodno - were greeted by the rector of Yanka Kupala State University Irina Kiturko. At the beginning of the event, Irina Fedorovna shared her impressions of personal communication with the chairman of the Synodal Department for Cooperation with Secular Educational Institutions, Rector of the Parish of All Saints Church of Minsk Archpriest Fyodor Povny.
"Father Fyodor for the second time speaks within the walls of our university, and I am very grateful to him that he responded to our invitation. I admit, as a historian, his theses about the genetic code of the Belarusian people are very close to me. After all, love for the Motherland begins with the preservation of historical memory. It depends on our perception of historical events and attitude to the Motherland that we will pass on to our descendants", Irina Kiturko said.
The key topic of the meeting at Yanka Kupala State University was the education of a patriot and a citizen in the Christian tradition. Participants of the event discussed issues of moral and spiritual education of representatives of the younger generation. Professors were interested in the new factor "Spirituality and Patriotism," which is introduced for study in schools. Archpriest Fyodor Povny noted that good educational materials have been prepared on this course, and he is sure that these books can be useful for university students.
Viktor Pranyuk, Deputy Chairman of the Grodno Regional Executive Committee, drew attention to the fact that nowadays it is important to turn to Christian values when educating the younger generation. He noted that the decision to introduce in the school curriculum the optional measures related to patriotism and morality was made in a timely manner.
The meeting at Yanka Kupala State University was held in the format of a dialogue platform. Participants actively asked questions to the guest, talked about relevant topics outlined in the speech of Archpriest Fyodor Povny. During the dialogue, questions were also raised regarding the interaction of the Orthodox Church with young people, the problem of the influence of modern information technologies on the development of society.
The event took place within the framework of the program on cooperation concluded between the Belarusian Orthodox Church and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus. The program aims to consolidate the efforts of representatives of state institutions and clergy in order to educate the person and patriot of their country in Christian traditions.