With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the Joy of the Word exhibition and forum was opened in Stavropol on October 3, 2026, in conjunction with the Grad Krest Orthodox exhibition and Fair organized with the blessing of Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk.
The exhibition events are organized by the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Stavropol Diocese and the Orthodox Southern Russia Group of Companies with the support of the Stavropol city administration.
For the worship of the faithful, an ark with fragments of the relics of St. Filaret of Moscow was brought to the exhibition pavilion located on the Soldier Square of the regional center. Archpriest Vladimir Safonov, Chairman of the Cultural Department of the Stavropol Diocese, Priest Sergiy Ganin, acting Chairman of the diocesan Department of Religious Education and Catechesis, and head of the exhibition sector of the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, were transferred from the Kaluga Diocese. Priest Andrey Stepanov performed a prayer service in front of the shrine.
At the end of the service, Archpriest Vladimir Safonov addressed the audience with a welcoming speech. The priest thanked the Publishing Council for organizing the "Joy of the Word" exhibition and forum, told about the life of St. Filaret of Moscow and called on all those gathered to read the works of the holy Fathers.
Priest Sergiy Ganin noted the importance of reading Orthodox literature published by the Russian Orthodox Church. The head of the exhibition sector, Priest Andrey Stepanov, spoke on behalf of the Publishing Council, who conveyed the blessing of the Chairman of the Publishing Council, Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk, and thanked the Stavropol Diocese for the opportunity to implement the educational project "Joy of the Word" in Stavropol.
On the same day, as part of the opening ceremony of the exhibition-forum, a presentation of new books by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, published by the Publishing House of the Moscow Patriarchate, took place. The event was attended by Archpriest Vladimir Safonov, Priest Sergiy Ganin, clergy of the Stavropol Diocese, pupils of the Stavropol Theological Seminary, residents and guests of Stavropol. The presentation was conducted by Priest Andrey Stepanov.
The exhibition participants were presented with a collection of works by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, in particular, a volume containing the words and addresses of His Holiness the Patriarch, uttered in the period from 2009 to 2024, and the book "War. Beyond visible causes and effects", dedicated to the metaphysics of war. Concepts such as "sacrifice", "feat", "patriotism", "victory" and others are considered from a special spiritual point of view. His Holiness the Patriarch speaks in his book about the redemptive meaning and consequences of war, about the metaphysical frontiers and goal-setting of Russia, and about the racial aspect of the war. Since everything in the world stems from the contact of good and evil, the outcome of the war is determined by God, and whoever is on the side of the light wins. Our earthly vocation is to be warriors of the Lord, to resist evil and defend high moral ideals. While affirming that the Russian people have the power to win, the Primate points out at the same time the great responsibility not to shy away from the historical obligation to be victorious.
A set of books published by the Moscow Patriarchy Publishing House was donated to the Stavropol Diocese.
The Joy of the Word exhibition-forum features a book exhibit with a wide range of Orthodox, spiritual, moral, educational, children's, fiction, and nonfiction literature. On a separate stand, you can see the books of Archimandrite Melchizedek (Artyukhin). Monasteries and temples from various regions of Russia present their products at the Orthodox fair. The photo exhibition of the Publishing Council "Saints of Moscow" is located on the forum site.
The Joy of the Word exhibition-forum will continue its work in Stavropol until October 7.