_Participants of the Mahachkala Diocese took part in the "Rurikovich" Festival_مترجم

On September 19, 2026, the "Rurikovich" Festival was solemnly opened within the walls of the Historical Park "Russia — My Story" in Mahachkala.

The archpastor of Mahachkala and Derbent Varlaam addressed the organizers, participants, and guests of the festival. The sermon was delivered by the priest in charge of the Prince Vladimir Cathedral in Mahachkala, Father Vladimir Filchakov.

"In the seven centuries that the Rurikovich dynasty ruled, they laid the foundations of our statehood and culture, made a crucial spiritual choice determining the historical fate of Rus', explored new territories, built hundreds of cities, and developed many aspects of public life," His Highness Varlaam noted in his address. "From the very beginning, this process was not limited to East Slavs alone but included numerous peoples inhabiting the vast expanses of Eastern Europe, each making a valuable contribution to the formation of the all-Russian identity."

"Every time the unity of the Russian state was undermined by internal conflicts, external enemies sought to take advantage of it. This is perhaps one of the main lessons we must draw from our national history: only the consolidation of society as a whole around a single...