Ustin Maltsev: “Spirituality and faith brings people together”

  The Bright Palm Sunday or the Entry of Our Lord into Jerusalem. This day people all over the world bless the willow. People have a tradition to hit a bunch of willow relatives and friends. It was believed that it would add them life forces. Hitting each other with the branches usually people say the words: "Be healthy as a willow". And people believed that willow has the properties of wards: it protects against evil forces, secure house from fire and lightning, safe harvest. That's why holy willow stored for year.
  This Holy Day there were donated ancient sacred iconographies of 18-19 cen. by representatives of Ustin Maltsev Fund to the Church of Kasper Blessing Virgin. "The Icon of Christ Funeral" - sorrow about Jesus Christ. Christ Funeral reflected in the theological works, as well as apocryphal literature, regarding it as the end of Christ redemptive mission. In art, the theme of funeral reflected in numerous paintings and sculptural works.

  "St. Nikola's Icon" is an iconography became famous through mercy, sanctity of life and for a long time considered to be revered saint patron of Orthodox Christians all over the world. Orthodox icon of St. Nikola is one of the main holy relics in Orthodox churches and home iconostasis.
  Prior of Saint Kasper church, Archbishop of Kherson and Tauride Ioann expressed his gratitude to Ustin Maltsev for support in the searching for and returning the iconographies into the church and for the constant joint projects on aiding orphan children.

  "I am deeply convinced that spiritual values must be in the places where people give themselves to the faith, service of faith and spirituality. Through the efforts of our Foundation the project on return of spiritual values into the churches from Kherson region will continue. The value of iconography is very high, so our aim is not only to carry out the project itself, but also to involve the public, businessmen who must also accept and understand that this is the fundamental building block on which our society stands. Returning the spiritual values of the churches we are keeping the history and culture of our people. These projects, we are strengthening the past, for our children could have future. We must realize that only faith and spirituality brings people together and make them strong and unique nation", noted in his speech social activist Ustin Maltsev.