RPT - Serbian Patriarch Blesses Russian Unity Foundation For Its Oncology Patients' Art Projects

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th June, 2021) Serbian Patriarch Porfirije has blessed Russia's Unity Foundation for pursuing space art projects for cancer patients during the organization team's visit to Belgrade, President Alena Kuzmenko told to Sputnik.

"The team of the Unity charitable foundation received the blessing of the Patriarch of Serbia Porfirije," Kuzmenko said. "The meeting took place as part of a charitable visit on the occasion of the launch of the international rocket art project by the Unity Foundation with the support of the State Corporation Roscosmos. drawings of children with cancer will decorate a future Russian rocket."

As part of the project, paintings by oncology pediatric patients from different countries will decorate the future rocket carrier Amur.

Serbian Patriarch Porfirije in an interview with Sputnik drew a parallel between monastic life and being on the International Space Station.

"The space crew, being in isolation on board the ISS for more than six months, is essentially performing a monastic feat. Peace of mind and prayer are essential to do this difficult job," Porfirije said.

Patriarch Porfirije added that "it is not necessary to rise high above the Earth to find God. God is in everyone's heart."

The delegation arrived in Serbia at the invitation of the Serbian Post Office Director Zoran Djordjevic and Belgrade became the first city participating in the international project.

The delegation includes artists, volunteers, cosmonaut and Unity Foundation Ambassador Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and researcher and Unity Foundation Ambassador Anastasia Stepanova.

Kud-Sverchkov told Sputnik that "when a person is far from people, he continues to feel a strong bond with them."

"During the cosmonaut's stay on the International Space Station, in addition to good health, knowledge and skills, even greater spiritual strength is needed to successfully complete the assigned tasks," he said.

Kuzmenko pointed out that people who are being treated for cancer often spend time isolated from relatives and friends similarly to monks in monasteries and astronauts in space.

"Prayer helps to maintain peace of mind in a difficult life situation," she said. "The meeting with the Patriarch has become very symbolic, since Belgrade is the first city on the route of the international rocket art project. This is a good sign and we believe that prayers and blessings will support those who are being treated."

Serbia is taking part in a Unity Foundation charity project for the second time. In April 2021, the Dreamer art spacesuit, depicting paintings from the dreams of children suffering from cancer, was sent to space.

In addition to visiting Belgrade, the Unity Foundation team will travel around the world and collect the dreams of little artists fighting cancer prior to the rocket Amur flying to space.