Dmitry Chernyshenko: the 800th anniversary of the baptism of the Karelians is an important event in the history of our country

The head of the region Artur Parfenchikov spoke at a meeting of the organizing committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko and reported on the readiness of the republic to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the baptism of the Karelians. A significant event for the history of the country will be celebrated next year. On the eve of the celebration, a number of infrastructure and educational projects are being implemented in the republic.

Today, November 10, the Head of Karelia Artur Parfenchikov reported on the interim results of the preparation of the republic for the 800th anniversary of the baptism of the Karelians, which the country will celebrate in 2027. The head of the region spoke at a meeting of the Organizing Committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko in Moscow.

- Preparations for the celebration in 2027 of the 800th anniversary of the baptism of the Karelians are held by decree of President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. This is an important event in the history of our country. As a result of the baptism, Karelia became part of the Russian world, said the chairman of the organizing committee, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko. We have reached the final stage of preparation, next year is an anniversary. The plans of the main and additional activities have been updated, their implementation continues. I thank the Government of the Republic of Karelia, personally the Head of the region Artur Olegovich, the federal executive authorities and the Russian Orthodox Church for their joint work.

The head of Karelia stressed that the republic began preparations for a significant event from 2024.

- Given the historical and geopolitical context, we approach the anniversary date with the understanding of the importance of our work to strengthen the spiritual and moral shield of our country, said Artur Parfenchikov. The presidential decree gives the region the opportunity to solve strategic tasks to ensure state security, as well as to strengthen the role of Orthodoxy in the border areas.

As the Head of Karelia noted, the plan of the main events provides for a number of solemn events, festivals, exhibitions, publication of books, as well as restoration works at cultural heritage sites and ongoing repairs of cultural institutions.

So, in the Ladoga region, one of the buildings of the Kurkiek local history center was repaired. Repair and restoration work is being carried out at the Regional Museum of the Northern Ladoga Region in Sortavala: the facades have been updated at the facility, and the repair of the roof and verandas of the museum will be completed by the end of the year.

Artur Parfenchikov said that next year it is planned to complete the restoration of stone outbuildings at the cultural heritage site "House of the Mining Chief" in Petrozavodsk. The updated object will also become a platform for an exhibition dedicated to the history of Orthodoxy in Karelia. Now, at the expense of the regional budget, priority emergency and conservation work is carried out on the central part of the building affected by the fire.

In 2026, an application sent by the Government of the Republic of Karelia to the Ministry of Culture of Russia for the allocation of funding for the reconstruction of the National Museum building (3 and 4 stages) in Petrozavodsk was supported. The implementation of the project for the reconstruction of the facility is scheduled for 2027-2029. The total cost of work is more than 840 million rubles.

The production of a documentary on the history of Orthodoxy in Karelia continues. The head of the republic shared that they plan to present the film on the Day of Karelian Cinema – February 8, 2027.

Special attention was paid to the Karelian section of the tourist route with a length of more than 5000 km within the framework of the Great Russian Northern Way project, which unites 12 regions of the country.

- The key thing we propose is not to divide the Northern Road into several separate national routes, but to make a single tourist product that a tourist will be able to pass and buy in parts: almost 5 thousand km for one trip is objectively impossible to pass. Separately, we highlight the Karelian section – 900 km: it should be included in the tourist agenda and promoted regardless of the status of the route – both through the objects of the show and through reference to specific events. For tourists from Moscow and St. Petersburg, we will form clear travel scenarios for the celebration of the 800th anniversary of the baptism of the Karelians, said Dmitry Vakhrukov, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia.

The rector of the Novodevichy Women’s Monastery of Moscow, Margarita, stressed that the task of uniting ancient Orthodox shrines, unique objects of cultural heritage, both Russian and world significance, is solved by the creation of this project. The longest section of the route is the Karelian section called “The Way of the Apostles of Northern Russia”.

Recall that earlier, in preparation for the anniversary in Sortavala on the embankment of Lake Ladoga, a monument was erected to Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, the Baptist of the Karelians, the father of St. Alexander Nevsky. In the Suoyarv municipal district, major repairs were made to the buildings of the School of Arts and the Cultural and Leisure Center, the House of Culture. Lakhkolampi, in the capital of Karelia and on the border territories of the republic, capital repairs of buildings of 10 schools were carried out.