On February 6, 2026, a plenary session of the XIV All-Russian Scientific and Theological Conference "The Church. Theology. History", dedicated to the memory of the New Martyrs and confessors of the Russian Church and the 110th anniversary of the opening of the Yekaterinburg Theological Seminary.
The forum is organized by the Yekaterinburg Theological Seminary in collaboration with the project partners and is supported by the Educational Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church. 
Welcoming the participants, the head of the Yekaterinburg Archdiocese, Metropolitan Evgeny of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye, recalled that the conference "The Church. Theology. This is the 14th time that History has gathered in Yekaterinburg leading theologians, historians, philologists and other specialists from various regions of our country and abroad.
"Our forum is a major scientific event,— said Bishop Eugeny. — The geography of the participants is steadily expanding: Today, representatives of not only traditional academic centers — Moscow and St. Petersburg - are working with us, but also scientists from Siberia, the Far East, the Volga region, Central and Southern Russia. Scientists from other countries are taking part in our forum: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Transnistria and Iraq, Greece, China. The number of areas of our joint work is growing. The program of the current forum includes sections on biblical studies and patrology, on canon law and liturgical theology, on church history and the history of theological thought, on church art and traditional books, on the dialogue of theology with philosophy and modern culture, on the history and modernity of the old rite of worship. This is a vibrant, developing field of scientific thought, and its growth cannot but delight and inspire us to new, even deeper works. Such a multifaceted approach testifies to our desire to comprehend our faith in its entirety, from the patristic heritage to the challenges of our time."
"The conference is particularly important because it is taking place here in the Urals, on the land that became one of the main golgotha of the Russian Church in the 20th century," the bishop continued. — That's why our work here is not just an academic event. This is an act of historical justice and church memory. By studying documents, reconstructing biographies, and analyzing circumstances, we bring back from oblivion the names of those whom we tried to erase from history, and thus fulfill the commandment "Remember your teachers" (Heb 13:7). Their feat is not the past. This is the eternal present of the Church, its spiritual foundation on which we build our today and tomorrow."
This year's conference is timed to coincide with another important event — the 110th anniversary of the Yekaterinburg Theological Seminary. This educational institution, which experienced periods of prosperity, closure and revival, was not only a center for training pastors, but also an important center of theological thought and historical science in the Urals.
The participants of the plenary session in Yekaterinburg were welcomed via video link by the Chairman of the Educational Committee, Archpriest Maxim Kozlov, who emphasized the improvement of the scientific level of the conference.
During the plenary session, Metropolitan Eugene presented graduates of the Yekaterinburg Theological Seminary and students of the Center for the Training of Church Specialists with diplomas on completion of the course of study. 
The conference is attended by more than 250 representatives of the scientific community from 31 regions of Russia and 7 countries. Among the speakers there are 27 Doctors of theology and Doctors of Sciences, 75 candidates of theology and candidates of Sciences, teachers, graduate students, undergraduate and graduate students.
Representatives of seven foreign countries will speak at the forum: Kazakhstan (Almaty), Greece (Athens), Iraq (Baghdad), Moldova (Bendery), Germany (Bremen), Belarus (Minsk), China. The Russian participants represent 43 cities from 31 regions of the country. The conference will be attended by speakers from 29 educational institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church.