NICOSIA, July 6th. /tass/. Eleven couples living in the Republic of Cyprus were awarded medals during the celebration of Family, Love and Fidelity Day in Nicosia. This is reported by a TASS correspondent.
An award ceremony for family unions that united both indigenous Cypriots and representatives of the 150,000-strong diaspora of Russian compatriots, as well as a festive concert that concluded this evening, took place at the Russian Center for Science and Culture located in the Cypriot capital. The medals “For Love and Fidelity”, along with bouquets of flowers and certificates of honor from the organizing committee of the celebrations for strengthening family values, preserving traditions of love, loyalty and mutual respect, were solemnly presented to this year’s laureates by Murat Zyazikov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Cyprus.
The head of the Russian diplomatic mission recalled that “at one time, the Federation Council and the State Duma unanimously approved the establishment of the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity, and the organizing committee for its celebrations was headed by Svetlana Vladimirovna Medvedeva, President of the Foundation for Social and Cultural Initiatives, under whose leadership much has been done to make this glorious day an integral part of the calendar throughout the country.”. The very creation of this holiday, the Russian ambassador stressed, is based on “the absolutely correct statement that a strong family is the foundation of demographic development, social stability and national well-being,” and that it is in the family that a person receives the first life guidelines, learns respect, responsibility and love for the Motherland.
“In Russia, issues of preserving and strengthening traditional spiritual and moral values are one of the key areas of state policy. Our national leader, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, who signed a decree in 2022 establishing the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity and celebrating it on July 8, rightly noted that reliance on traditional values is a solid ideological foundation that unites Russian society. Therefore, support for family, motherhood, fatherhood and childhood is an absolute state priority. Social support measures for families with children are being consistently improved in our country, conditions are being created for the upbringing of the younger generation, strengthening the institution of marriage and improving the quality of life of Russian families,” stated Zyazikov.
Participation of representatives of the two Churches
The Russian Ambassador emphasized that the peoples of Russia and Cyprus share common spiritual and moral values, and in this regard, noted the symbolism of the participation of representatives of the Orthodox churches of both countries in the celebrations in Nicosia.
Russians Russian Orthodox Church in Limassol, Archpriest Pavel Povalyaev, rector of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Church in Limassol, noted the open, non-alcoholic atmosphere of the evening in the Cypriot capital and spoke about Russian Orthodox Saints Peter and Fevronia to the guests of the celebrations, among whom were diplomats accredited on the island, numerous Russian compatriots and natives of the CIS countries, as well as friends of our country among the indigenous Cypriots.
In turn, Hierodeacon Maximos Kikkotis, head of the administration of the central Kykkos Monastery of the Cypriot Orthodox Church, who also noted the spiritual atmosphere of the holiday, invited those gathered in the hall to visit this famous monastery and conveyed to them congratulations on the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity from Metropolitan Nikephoros of Kykkos and Tillyria. “The Kikka monastery has always had very strong relations with Russia. This country is extremely dear to us,” Father Maximos emphasized.
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