Metropolitan Maximilian became the guest of honor at the ceremony of awarding the laureates of the National Literary Prize named after V.G. Rasputintranslated

On Russia Day, the Molchanov-Sibirsky Library hosted an award ceremony for five laureates of the V. G. Rasputin National Literary Prize. For the fifth season of the National Literary Award named after V.G. Rasputin received 112 applications from authors from 33 regions of Russia, as well as from Great Britain, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and France. The main requirements for the nominees' works are the artistic merits of the text and universal moral values. The solemn ceremony was attended by the Governor of the Irkutsk Region Igor Kobzev, the President of the Russian Book Union Sergei Stepashin, the Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Sergei Ten, the Deputy Chairman of the Regional Government Andrei Yuzhakov, the Minister of Culture of the Irkutsk Region Olesya Polunina, members of the award jury. Metropolitan Maximilian of Irkutsk and Angarsk was invited to the event as the Guest of Honor. Addressing those present with a welcoming speech, the Bishop noted that “today we need such authorities as Valentin Rasputin, but such people are rarely born, and for such people to be formed, conditions are needed. Today, many events help us lead new writers forward: for...