Alexy II will visit Estonia in February

The Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II intends to visit Estonia. The visit will begin on February 7, 2003. About this, according to Interfax, said Metropolitan Tallinsk and All Estonia Cornelius in an interview with the newspaper Youth of Estonia, published today.

It is planned that the Patriarch will be a worship in the Tallinn Cathedral of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky, visit the grave of his parents, and also take part in the laying and blessing of the new Orthodox church in the city of Lasnamaa.

In addition, Patriarch Alexy II intends to meet with Estonian President Arnold Ruytel, Prime Minister Simim Callas and mayor of Tallinn Edgar Savisaar.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church will also visit the Pyukhtitsky Monastery in the northeast of Estonia and visit the city of Yykhvi.

On February 13, through the border city of Narva, he will return to Russia. The visit of Alexy II to Estonia became possible only after the country's authorities registered the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in 2002.

Alexy II, who was born in Estonia and led the Estonian Orthodox Church for a long time in the dignity of Metropolitan of Tallinn and All Estonia, repeatedly stated that he could not visit their native places before resolving this issue.