KYIV. His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr Took Part in International Conference “Gogol as Prophet of Word”

On March 26, the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church took part in the work of the International academic research conference "Gogol as a Prophet of Word",dedicated to the 200^th birthday anniversary of the Ukrainian writer Mykola (Nikolai) Vasyliovych Gogol, which took place in the assembly hall of the Kyiv National Shevchenko University.

Let's note that the given action was held on the blessing if His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr  of Kyiv and All Ukraine  and was organised by the Missionary Department  to the Holy Synod of the UOC, the All-Ukraine Pedagogical Fellowship and the Kyiv Shevchenko National University.  

Before the conference started its work, the Archpastor looked over the exposition of the exhibition dedicated to the anniversary mentioned, arranged  by the Missionary Department  to the Holy Synod of the UOC, the All-Ukraine Pedagogical Fellowship and the Pedagogical Museum to the Academy of Pedagogical Science of Ukraine. 

Great amount of modern and rare literature, belonging, in particular to the life period of Mykola Vasyliovych Gogol was presented for the visitors' review These are the works belonging to the author's pen, and many editions concerning the life and creative work of the famous writer.   

Note that a part of the exposition consisted of the samples of Gogol's works from the collection of His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr and from the collection of thehead of the All Ukraine Pedagogical Fellowship Anatoly Zatovskyi. 

Besides, the exhibition was decorated by the photographs of the places, related to the life and creative work of the writer, the quotations of the scientists investigating and studying the creative inheritance of the native writer.  

Thereafter the international academic research conference "Gogol as Prophet of Word" started its session.  

First, the Chairman of Missionary Department to the Holy Synod of the UOC, Archbishop Philip of Poltava and Myrhorod announced the presidium members' list, which included, besides His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr and His Eminence Metropolitan Philip, Archbishop Anthony of Boryspil, Rector of the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary, Leonid Guberskyi, Rector of the Kyiv National University, Olga Sukhomlynska, academician of the Academy of Pedagogical Science of Ukraine, Petro Tolochko, academician of the National Academy of Science,  academician Ivan Bekh, Director of the Institute of Pedagogical Problems of Ukraine, archpriest Anatoly Zatovsky, chairman of the All Ukraine Orthodox Pedagogical Fellowship, hegumeness Seraphima (Shevchyk) head of the mission "Church and Culture", deputy head of the  Kyiv city state administration Vitaly Zhuravsky. 

Also attending the meeting on behalf of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church were Deputy Abbot of the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Archbishop Pavel of Vyshgorod, Executive Administrator of the UOC Archbishop Metrophanes of Bila Tserkva and Bohuslav, Bishop Alexander of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi, teachers and students of the Kyiv Theological Schools.   

Thereafter the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church addressed the assembly. 

"I greet all of you on the anniversary of the prominent Ukrainian writer Mykola Vasyliovych Gogol. 200 years is not much time as compared to eternity, but, on the other hand, it is a long period time. Within this period Gogol for some people Gogol was an atheist, for others - a prominent person. The time is cruel but just. Whatever might be said and by anyone, Gogol was talented and great, he was simple and complex, understandable and vice versa. Rendering homage to this person, let's pray to the Lord that He gave eternal peace to his soul, and gave wisdom and resurrection to all of us", -said His Beatitude Metropolitan.

After the speech those present rendered homage to the famous Ukrainian, singing him "memory eternal".  

Upon completion Leonide Gubernsky, Rector of the National University addressed those present with a word of greeting, referring to the close relation of Mykola Gogol with the University: "Mykola Vasyliovych Gogol respected our university very much and was eager to become a teacher of history here.  But it all happened the other way. Nevertheless, we respect Gogol very much, studying his creative heritage, which cannot be cfully comprehended".  

Petro Tolochko also spoke to the assembly, reading the greeting address of Boris Paton, President of the NASU to the conference participants, and underlining the special life choice of Mykola Gogol: "We do not know professor of history Mykola Gogol, but we have got a great artist of word and a genius of the Ukrainian Land."    

Other presidium members spoke after this short greeting. .

After a little break,the work of the academic research conference was continued, and the following reports were heard: "What is the use of eloquence... if the re is no Holy Spirit in the soul?" by Archbishop Philip of Myrhorod and Poltava. "The word of the Church in the kife and creative work of Gogol" by Volodymyr Voropaev, professor of the Lomonosov Moscow State University,  "The Drama of religious and spiritual transformation of M.V.Gogol" by Ivan Bekh, "Gogol and modernity" by hegumeness Seraphima (Shevchyk), "Gogol as Prophet of Orthodox Culture" by archpriest Anatoly Zatovsky, "Gogol as historian of Ukraine" by director of the publishing house of the Presentation of Our Lord Monastery  hieromonk Symeon (Tomachynsky), "Literature journey of M.V.Gogol: from ethnographic and mystical aesthetics to religious truth" by the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary teacher archpriest Oleg Kozhushnyi, etc.

Maxim Sydorenko

photos by Maxim Brusnyka