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Festive evening in Minsk celebrates 75th birthday of Belarus’ top Orthodox cleric

A festive evening was held in Minsk on April 16 to celebrate the 75th birthday of Metropolitan Filaret, head of the Russian Orthodox Church in Belarus, BelaPAN reports.

Tamara Yaluzhkova, head of Belarusian State University’s Saints Cyril and Methodius Institute of Theology, noted the top Orthodox cleric’s “big contribution” to the development of traditions of Russian theological studies. She said that he played a great role “in defending the Orthodox Church in Belarus and ensuring the normal church life in the country."

Exarch Filaret was born Kirill Vakhromeyev in Moscow on March 21, 1935. He graduated from the Moscow Spiritual Seminary and Moscow Spiritual Academy. He has been patriarchal exarch of all Belarus and metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk since February 1992. On March 1, 2006, Exarch Filaret was awarded the title of Hero of Belarus.