Kyrgyz president promises to help build new Orthodox churches
"I am very happy that we have good progress: we have completed the renovation of the cathedral, we have opened new churches and I think we will open more," Atambayev said at a meeting with Patriarch Kirill in Bishkek on May 29.
The patriarch sanctified the Resurrection Cathedral and the foundation stone of a new building of the St. Vladimir School in Bishkek on Sunday.
"Of course, all of this will be built, and we will help. You know that we don't grudge anything," the president said.
The patriarch, for his part, thanked Atambayev for his attention to the Orthodox Church in Kyrgyzstan, adding that its presence in the republic "forms a multi-ethnic and multi-religious dimension of Kyrgyz society."
"Relations between religions and between people may develop in different ways. But I had a chance to talk with the mufti and our clergy. And I can say without any politesse and compliments that the atmosphere is, of course, unique here, in terms of both inter-ethnic relations and inter-religious relations," he said.
"It is fairly difficult to form such a construction" without the president's direct participation, Patriarch Kirill said.
Read also
Fr. Gabriel Bunge: From Benedictine Monk to Orthodox Hermit
Steeped in the writings of Evagrius Ponticus, Swiss Benedictine Gabriel Bunge converted to Russian Orthodoxy in 2010 and became Schiarchimandrite Gabriel, guiding souls through prayer and patristic wisdom from his Alpine skete.
Abp. Elpidophoros Honored at Record-Breaking Gala
Organizers hailed the milestone as a testament to unity, with a 25% increase over last year's giving.
Greek Abbot: LGBT Ideology Signals Antichrist's Approach
Fr. Dositheos told the UOJ that imposing LGBT ideology through education is a "war against God," signals the Antichrist's approach, and surpasses Sodom's depravity, urging repentance and a return to Orthodox roots.
Abp. Elpidophoros "Excited" about Orthodox-Miaphysite Dialogue
At Brookline conference, Archbishop Elpidophoros claimed that Orthodox and Miaphysites simply express the same beliefs in different ways.
Catholic Bishops Oppose Trump's Threat to Invade Nigeria
Abp. Ignatius Kaigama rejects U.S. President Trump's threat of airstrikes to protect Nigerian Christians, warning it would harm Christian-Muslim coexistence and urging diplomatic support, funding disruptions, and security training instead.
UOC-KP Dioceses Reject Filaret’s 'Coerced' OCU Meeting, Defends Independence
UOC-KP dioceses in Odesa-Balta and Sumy denounce Patriarch Filaret's November 5, 2025, meeting with OCU head Epifaniy Dumenko as coerced through abduction and psychotropic influence, vowing to defend the independent Kyiv Patriarchate and its primate's testament against dissolution attempts.