Priest Karachevtsev spoke about his unexpected meeting with Putin.

In an interview with Izvestia on May 20, Priest Yevgeny Karachevtsev from the Kursk region shared his impressions of an unexpected meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 20, noting that such a surprise would be remembered for a lifetime.

He added that no one expected to see the head of state at the meeting, to which everyone was invited by the first deputy head of the Presidential administration of the Russian Federation Sergey Kiriyenko.

"The surprise, of course, turned out. Because we had a meeting planned today, Sergey Vladilenovich [Kiriyenko], we met at the headquarters of the Popular Front, awarded the guys. <...> Everyone thought there would be a meeting with the governor (acting governor of the Kursk region Alexander Khinstein. — Ed.), but this is an unexpected surprise, of course, and everyone will remember it for the rest of their lives," the clergyman said.

Karachevtsev added that since the beginning of the special military operation, everyone in the region has been in the same formation, and a lot of people come to the temple. All the parishioners are trying to help in some way, for example, they bring bandages.

"The President and the clergy of the country, of course, understand the main tasks and goals of today. Everyone is in the same formation today. <...> It feels like we are together, and the president emphasized this, it is very important, right at this moment," the priest concluded.

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On May 21, the Kremlin's press service reported that Putin met with the People's Front volunteers at the humanitarian headquarters in the Kursk region as part of a working trip to the region. During the meeting on May 20, the Head of state condemned the destruction of World War II monuments on the territory of Ukraine.

He also ordered the creation of a separate program for the restoration of temples in the Kursk region, as the enemy was turning them "into fortresses." At a meeting with the heads of municipalities in the region, the president noted that the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) has demonstrated throughout history that "it is always with its people."