The Vice-Rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary participated in the International Scientific and Practical Conference in Kostroma.

On September 19, 2024, in Kostroma, the VII International Scientific and Practical Conference titled "Historical Memory and the Spiritual Experience of the Formation of Russian Statehood" took place at the Center for the Training of Church Specialists in Kostroma.

The organizers were: Kostroma State University, the Kostroma Diocese, the Almaty Theological Seminary, the "Center for Strategic Development" Foundation, and the Orthodox Pilgrimage Service "Stezya."

With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, the Vice-Rector of the Almaty Orthodox Seminary, Priest Ioann Livinsky, participated in the conference.

At the beginning of the event, all participants gathered for the plenary session. The Vice-Rector for Scientific Work of Kostroma State University, Buykin Stepan Vyacheslavovich, delivered a welcoming speech to those present.

Priest Ioann Livinsky read a greeting address to the conference participants from Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

The following reports were presented at the plenary session:

Metropolitan Ferapont of Kostroma and Nerekhta: "Visits to Kostroma by the Primates of the Russian Orthodox Church";

Andreev Sergey Valentinovich, Chairman of the Kostroma Regional Court, revealed the moral foundations in the Russian judicial process: from the core principles of the Judicial Reform of 1864 to the ethical challenges of the new day;

Petrov Alexander Yuryevich, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Chief Researcher at the Center for North American Studies of the Institute of World History of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow), highlighted the significance of Alaska in the formation of the Russian Empire's borders;

Marasanova Viktoria Mikhailovna, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, and Scientific Director of the Support Methodological and Information Center at Yaroslavl State University named after P.G. Demidov (Yaroslavl), shared her experience in teaching the course "Fundamentals of Russian Statehood" at Yaroslavl State University named after P.G. Demidov, based on the results of the first academic year;

Priest Ioann Livinsky, Vice-Rector of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary (Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan), presented a report titled "The Spiritual School on the Outskirts of the Empire (a project for the creation of a theological seminary in the Turkestan Diocese)";

Zaitsev Alexander Vladimirovich, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor of the Department of Philosophy, Cultural Studies, and Social Communications at Kostroma State University, presented a report on the topic: "A.A. Zinoviev and His Place in the Context of Russian-Soviet Statehood."

The conference resumed with roundtable discussions, where the crucial issues of historical memory and the spiritual experience of forming Russian statehood were further explored:

Zalivalova Lyudmila Nikolaevna, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Theory and History of State and Law at the Y.L. Novitsky Legal Institute of Kostroma State University, delivered a report titled "The Study of Byzantine Heritage in Russia";

Kushch Tatyana Viktorovna, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Chief Researcher at the Institute of World History of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow), presented research on the topic "The Emergence of Byzantine Studies in the Urals";

Shigareva Anna Nikolaevna, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor at Kostroma State University, presented on the topic: "Educational and Methodological Resource of the Cultural-Historical Dialogue within the Framework of Teaching the Course 'Fundamentals of Russian Statehood'";

Novikov Alexey Valentinovich, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of History at Kostroma State University, discussed the stages and approaches to updating the courses "History of Russia" and "Fundamentals of Russian Statehood" for non-law students, and shared the experience of implementing the new discipline at Kostroma State University;

Zverev Kirill Alexandrovich, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of History at Kostroma State University, outlined the main approaches to teaching the courses "History of Russia" and "Fundamentals of Russian Statehood," studied during the 2024 professional development program.

The topics raised by the speakers in their reports sparked lively interest among the participants.