On November 6, 2026, the First International Scientific and Educational Forum "Orthodoxy and Media: New Formats and Dialogue of Generations" was held at the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics.
The forum was organized by the First Media Academy Institute and the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics Educational Center for Orthodox Media.
The event was attended by representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, government authorities, the media community, journalists and experts. Among them are Vladimir Legoyda, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church—Society Relations and the Media; Alexander Zhuravsky, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of the Russian Federation for Public Projects; Ksenia Ekimova, Vice-rector of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics; Ernest Matskevicius, TV presenter and director of the First Media Academy Institute; Roman Torgashin, director of Vera Radio.
The main topic of the forum was the presence of Orthodoxy in the modern media space and the search for new ways to talk about faith with a young audience.
At the plenary session "Theology of the Digital Age: philosophical and theological foundations of the Orthodox mission in the media space," participants discussed the role of Orthodox media in preserving spiritual values and cultural codes, modern formats of educational activities, the possibilities of artificial intelligence and the specifics of communication with young people.
Vladimir Legoyda, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church-Society Relations and the Media, noted that the religious topic has a rich theological, historical, philosophical and aesthetic context, so it is especially important to talk about it efficiently and competently through modern media.
Alexander Zhuravsky, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of the Russian Federation for Public Projects, drew attention to the need for an active presence of Orthodox media in the digital environment. According to him, religion is associated with "long meanings", whereas the modern media space requires fast and understandable communication formats.
Ernest Mackevicius emphasized that in a rapidly changing world, faith can become one of the most important points of support for a person and help them find meaning in life.
The Forum has become a platform for discussing what the modern language of Orthodox media should be like and how to keep the conversation about faith meaningful in the context of new digital formats.