Authors blog the U.S. Ambassador to Russia .. "My visit to the Patriarch."
 

m_mcfaul
                                                        30/3/2012 18:28
                                                                                  

                                                                                 My visit to the Patriarch
     Today I had the honor to meet with His Holiness Patriarch Kirill I of his picturesque residence in Clear lane. This building has a rich history, and among the people living there are diplomats and German, and Russian aristocrats.

Patriarch Cyril showed himself gracious host and a wonderful companion, who spoke with great interest about the rich traditions of Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church. He also demonstrated a love of history, describing some of the episodes of the historical ties between Russia and the United States. I was very interested to learn that in 1794 the Russian Orthodox Church established its first parish in North America, on Kodiak Island in Alaska. No less interesting was his account of how, in the late 60's, he survived many hours all to visit the American exhibition.

Visit to His Holiness, I again realized that with the development of our relations with Russia, we must continue to liaise with all the power as well as society. One of the activities of civil society in which I want to see stronger relations between the Russian and American partners, the relationship between the faiths.

http://m-mcfaul.livejournal.com/6841.html