"I am very pleased to welcome this distinguished audience today to the official opening of the new headquarters of our "Library of the Spirit" cultural center.


Five years ago in Moscow, on November 19, 2004, the "Library of the Spirit" Cultural Center, a unique place of meeting and ecumenical research, was established in the palace belonging to the famous Botkin family.

"And here, welcome to the "Library of the Spirit" Cultural Center in the Botkin House… "

"When we opened the Center five years ago, we frankly did not know how the work of the Center would develop… But gradually we saw that the Center has become a meeting place, and a place of reference for the Orthodox Church as well."

"In this room we organize concerts, shows for children, lessons ... we also have theatrical and presentations and exhibitions."

"It is a unique library, then, where we want to present books on the humanities, philosophy, theology, history, and the study of the saints."
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"We have more than 8,000 volumes here in the library now, as well as books for children, which is a very important department for us, one in which we are very involved."

"And then we have organized ... a tea room, where you can take a book and sit down quietly and read it ... "

"For us, the collaboration with the archdiocese, and with Archbishop Paolo Pezzi is very important, especially for the advice that he constantly gives us."

"We did not know that we had so many friends, and this has made us happy. It means that it is possible to create something, that there is interest in this type of activity ... that there is a desire to build something, and that it is possible to build it together."