15 February - World Orthodox Youth Day

On 15 February 2013, the World Orthodox Youth Day, Sergejus Ivanovas, Secretary of the International Union of Young Farmers, and Reinhard Knittel, Professor and Rector of the Philosophical-Theological University of the Diocese of St. Pölten, visited the Cathedral in Kaliningrad, Russian Federation. Sergejus Ivanovas made a presentation at the International Conference “The Role and Position of the Christian Religion in the Youth Education Process at the Present Stage of Society Development”, held by the Kaliningrad Institute of Tourism – Branch of the Russian International Academy of Tourism, and the International Institute of Political Sciences. The conference took place in the assembly hall of the Kaliningrad Branch of the Russian Army, Air Force and Navy Volunteer Society, Ozernaya st. 31A.

Doctor of Theology, Doctor of Canon Law, Professor Reinhard Knittel delivered a report “The Revival of the Christian Heritage or the Issue of the Survival of Europe.”

Sergejus Ivanovas, Secretary of the International Union of Young Farmers, and Professor Reinhard Knittel, Rector of the Philosophical-Theological University of the Diocese of St. Pölten

The report of Sergejus Ivanovas, Secretary of the International Union of Young Farmers, on the situation of rural youth in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe ended with a ceremony of presenting  the priest Igor Ilnitsky, Head of the Youth Affairs Division of the Kaliningrad Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, with the Russian version of the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond which was adopted by Resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations No. 50/81 in 1995 and is still relevant in our days.

Priest Igor Ilnitsky, Head of the Youth Affairs Division of the Kaliningrad Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, read out to the audience the Message of His Holiness the Patriarch Kirill on the occasion of the World Orthodox Youth Day and delivered a report “The Role of the Church in Spiritual and Moral Education.”

At the conference, the speeches were also made by the heads and scholars of the International Institute of Political Sciences: G. Petružis, A. Klimaitis, A. Antanaitis, the chaplain of the Liudvikas Rėza Sea Cadet School of Juodkrantė, R. Ramašauskas, as well as scholars and scientists of the Kaliningrad Branch of the Russian International Academy of Tourism: V. Shakhov, I. Komarova, N. Chetverikova.

The conference was attended by directors, lecturers, and students of universities, representatives of educational institutions of the Kaliningrad municipality, the ministries of municipal development and internal policy, education and culture of the Kaliningrad Region, teachers of Kaliningrad municipal schools, representatives of various religious denominations, the Baltic Cossack Union, sports, social, and youth organisations.