Putin awarded Metropolitan Tikhon with the Order "For Services to the Fatherland" II degree

Russian President Vladimir Putin has awarded Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov) of Simferopol and Crimea with the Order for Merit to the Fatherland, II degree. The corresponding decree was published on the official Internet portal of legal acts.

"For his great contribution to the construction of the museum and temple complex "New Chersonese", the preservation of spiritual and cultural traditions to award the Order "For Services to the Fatherland" II degree Metropolitan of Simferopol and Crimea Tikhon (Shevkunov George Alexandrovich) - head of the Crimean Metropolitanate of the Russian Orthodox Church," - stated in the text.

Shevkunov was appointed Metropolitan of Crimea in October last year. Before that he was Bishop of Pskov and Porkhov, head of the Pskov Metropolis, hegumen of the Assumption Pskov-Pechersk Monastery in the city of Pechory.

The construction of the New Chersonese facilities began in 2022 by order of the President and was completed in just over a year and a half. The blessing for the construction of the complex was given by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

The unique city-museum was built in Sevastopol - Chersonese Tavrichesky - on the territory of 24 hectares. And the area of buildings and structures amounted to 140 thousand square meters. m. Chersonesos Tavrichesky is one of the oldest cities in Russia, founded in the V century BC. It was here in 988 that Grand Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich (popularly known as Vladimir the Red Sun), who was destined to become the baptizer of Russia, was baptized.

On August 1, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov invited UNESCO representatives to come to Crimea and see for themselves how Chersonesos Tavrichesky has changed.