Chronology. Malta, a province of the Russian Empire Key dates of the British era

Metropolitan Kirill celebrated the first Orthodox Liturgy in Malta in the Church Slavonic language

According to the Communication Service of the Department for External Church Relations (DECR) of the Moscow Patriarchate, DECR Chairman Metropolitan Kirill (Gundyaev) of Smolensk and Kaliningrad was on a visit to the Republic of Malta from January 23 to 27 (2001 - note MaltaVista.ru).

On Tuesday, January 23, at the Malta International Airport, Metropolitan Kirill was met by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to the Republic of Malta S. S. Zotov.

On the evening of the same day, a meeting between Metropolitan Kirill and representatives of the Russian community of the island took place at the Russian Embassy in Malta. In a conversation with compatriots, Vladyka told those gathered about the life of the Russian Orthodox Church, about the problems and trials that had to be faced over the past century. Noting that for any people the most important factor determining its national identity is its faith, Metropolitan Kirill called on the Russian people living in Malta to carefully preserve their national and cultural foundations, the spiritual basis of which is Holy Orthodoxy.

At the suggestion of the Russian Ambassador S.S. Zotov at the meeting it was decided to create a Russian Orthodox parish in Malta. His pastoral care has been entrusted to the rector of the Church of the Resurrection in Tunisia, priest Dimitri Netsvetaev.

On January 24, in front of a large crowd of worshipers, Metropolitan Kirill celebrated the first Orthodox Divine Liturgy in the Church Slavonic language in the history of Malta. At the end of the service, Vladyka Metropolitan warmly congratulated those present on this significant event and wished blessed success and God's help in the development of the spiritual life of the newly formed parish.

On the same day, Metropolitan Kirill got acquainted with the sights of Fr. Malta, among which the most significant are the places associated with the stay of St. Paul the Apostle on the island.

During his stay in Malta, Metropolitan Kirill took part in an international symposium on the topic: “The Venerated Philermo Icon of the Mother of God and its place in art, history and religion,” which took place in the capital of Malta, Valletta.

The symposium was convened on the initiative of the Russian Embassy in Malta and brought together a significant number of scientists, politicians, diplomats, and clergy from Russia, Italy, Yugoslavia, Malta and other countries of the world. This event was held under the honorary patronage of the country's President G. de Marco, who warmly welcomed the forum participants in his opening speech.

The opening of the Symposium was preceded by a solemn ceremony of donating to the Maltese state an exact copy of the Philermo Icon of the Mother of God, made by the Serbian icon painter Deacon Predrag Milosavic and brought to Malta by the representative of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and Littoral.

The participation of two prominent hierarchs of the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches in the event held in Malta is not accidental, since the history of the Philermo Icon of the Mother of God is closely connected with Malta, Russia, and Yugoslavia.

According to legend, this miraculous image was painted by the holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke. The icon was transferred through Antioch and Jerusalem to Constantinople, from where it was taken by the crusaders after they captured the city in 1204. Once in the hands of the Knights of the Hospitaller Order, they transferred it first to Cyprus, then to Rhodes, and finally, in 1503, to Malta. Here she remained until 1798, when the Knights of Malta, expelled from the island by Napoleon, transported her to Russia. The following year, the Philermo Icon of the Mother of God, together with part of the Tree of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord and the right hand of St. John the Baptist, was donated to the All-Russian Emperor Paul I. Since then, until the revolution of 1917, these priceless shrines were in Russia: first in Gatchina, then in St. Petersburg, Moscow, and finally again in Gatchina. During the years of revolutionary turmoil and the period of persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church, they were miraculously saved from desecration and transported abroad. Since the Maltese relics were the property of the imperial family, they were transported through Estonia to Denmark, where at that time the mother of the holy passion-bearer emperor Nicholas II, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, lived. After her death in 1928, the daughters of the Empress, Grand Duchesses Olga and Ksenia, handed over the shrines to the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky), who transported them first to Germany, and then, in 1932, to Yugoslavia, where they became the property of the royal family Karageorgievich. After the attack of Nazi Germany on Yugoslavia and the defeat of the royal army, King Peter II, leaving the country, left the relics for storage in the Ostrog Monastery in Montenegro. After the war, they were removed from the monastery by members of the Yugoslav secret services, and since then traces of their whereabouts have been lost. Only in 1993, during a visit to Montenegro by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus', the Maltese shrines, including the Philermo Icon of the Mother of God, were again revealed to the world.

In his speech at the symposium, Metropolitan Kirill drew attention to the fact that the path of the Philermo Icon of the Mother of God is a symbol of the history of European civilization, the history of relations between East and West, which over the past millennium have had both dark and bright pages, periods of war and peace, confrontation and mutual support. At the center of all these processes have always been the Orthodox and Catholic Churches, which played the main role in shaping the worldview of the peoples of Europe. What does the current appearance of the Philermo image of the Mother of God in Malta mean for Christians of the East and West in an era when, in the conditions of a secular world, the total onslaught of liberal ideology threatens to completely displace religion from the framework of public life? Answering this question, Metropolitan Kirill said that he sees in this event a sign of the times: the time has come for Christians to unite their efforts in the struggle to preserve the spiritual and moral foundations of European civilization. Now that relations between the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches are going through the most difficult period since the Second Vatican Council, their joint defense of Christian values ​​is an area in which the two Churches can and should become natural allies and partners.

On the occasion of the international symposium dedicated to the Philermo Icon of the Mother of God, receptions were held in the Russian and Italian cultural centers in Malta in honor of the participants and guests of this forum.

At the end of the symposium, a concert of Russian and Western sacred music was offered to the attention of those gathered.

After a busy second day in Malta, we didn’t sit and get sick in the hotel. We slept off, didn’t find the promised rain again, so we decided to go to Valletta after 2 p.m., fortunately it was a 10-minute bus ride.

We shouldn't have done this. In vain, in vain, in vain.

Along the way we took photographs of the area in front of the bus station. The area in front of the bus station is called Floriana.


There are several squares and a couple of attractions here, the Monument in the center (right in front of the bus station).

Independence Monument. Malta gained independence from Great Britain on September 21, 1964, a holiday is celebrated everywhere on this occasion (oh, it didn’t last a couple of weeks, it would be interesting to take a look).

If buses are not impressive, carriages are at your service.

Maglio Gardens and some kind of restoration project "9 monuments" inside the garden.

The gardens are deserted.

Doesn't he remind you of anyone?

The area nearby is called Fosos. It’s very interesting what kind of column stumps these are and what was here before.


In the distance you can see the Cathedral of St. Publius (according to church tradition, this was the first bishop in Malta).

And it’s already half past three. And the Cathedral of St. John is open until 16, you should not slow down and go to the city and to the cathedral.

Straight to St. John's Cathedral. The cathedral is gorgeous. For just 6 euros per person, we were able to visit and take many photographs of the most beautiful cathedral in Malta, as well as listen to its history through an audio guide in English (there are no Russians here yet). There was a separate entrance to the museum where photography was prohibited. In addition to various exhibits, it also contains priceless paintings by Caravaggio. However, the price of the ticket included the entrance itself without taking photographs - you were introduced to the beauty.

The cathedral was built in the 16th century and dedicated to St. John the Baptist, the main patron of the Knights Hospitaller.

Separately about the floor - the floor is lined with marble tombstones of the knights who fought for Malta. There are about 380 slabs in total. Some parts of the cathedral are prohibited from entering and tourists are not allowed here.

The slabs are very well preserved. Each represents the family crest of the corresponding knight. You walk on them with great caution.

the vaults were painted by the Italian artist Matia Pretty. The ceiling depicts scenes from the life of John the Baptist.

Master Valette, who founded the city, is also buried in the cathedral.

The cathedral is called Co-Cathedral. This happened because over time the cathedral in the old capital Mdina was appointed the main cathedral of Malta (we will go there later), but the significance of this is undeniable. There was a division of the functions of the archbishop's throne between the two councils. Therefore, St. John's Cathedral is called Co-Cathedral, that is, it occupies a position on a par with the cathedral, but at the same time is not one. Is the brain blown out? Then look at the pictures.

What is a cathedral without an organ?

The cathedral is luxurious in its interior decoration.

And yet it is operational; every day, in addition to receiving thousands of tourists, services are held here.

We examined everything carefully and thoroughly and were about to leave (there was half an hour left before closing). And when we were about to leave, a terrible downpour started pouring outside, so we had to continue to wait and be interested in art. Half an hour, an hour later, the cathedral is already preparing to close. A month's worth of precipitation is pouring out outside. However, never mind.

It’s already 16-25 and all the visitors who don’t dare go out into the rain are crowding at the exit near the souvenir shop. But they didn’t kick us out; they let us wait until the rain stopped. The caretakers silently endure, they don’t drive people out into the rain. “They would have pushed us out a long time ago, the museum is closing.”

The rain did not stop, but only weakened. I had to buy an umbrella for 10 euros. We went to the station and saw a huge queue of about 200 people at each stop on our routes. Clouds are creeping in nearby. Route 12 arrives and people begin to storm it. Meanwhile the 15th arrived, going to Sliema Ferris (half way to our hotel). We decide not to risk it and climb into the 12th, fortunately the people were not pushing too much, and queuing in line for the bus is in our blood. Participation in the celebration of life called "The Storming of the Bastille - Maltese version" was painless. We decided to turn on “Russo Touristo” for once because we had serious doubts about our health when caught in the rain, and we also had to travel and travel.

We drove this 10-minute route for 2 and a half hours (of which 50 minutes we could not leave until the next stop after the station. As a result, it was already dark, we and other passengers cursed everything and everyone in several languages, we managed to tell all our friends on the phone, in what a hole they got into. And the Italians screamed and laughed all the way. Some of the people got out and walked if they knew where to go. In the end, the driver took everyone in a roundabout way instead of Sliema to St. Julian. “You’ll catch another bus there or something.” I haven't heard such nonsense for a long time - we were traveling for almost 3 hours, and we were also taken to the wrong place. The air conditioner also worked non-stop, which is why we were guaranteed to get cold during the 2.5 hours we were on the bus. Crowds of tourists went straight on foot, and we We waited another 15 minutes until the 12th bus arrived, on which we got to the hotel. The supermarket has not been open for a long time at 21:00. We were left without tea, fortunately the hotel refreshes our tea bags every day, it lasted until the morning.

Total - a small "f" to the local system of dealing with traffic jams. For the rest, they themselves are fools - there was no need to go to Valletta in the rain, when there were a lot of people and traffic jams. Today's traffic jam seems to be an exception - some kind of accident on the road. But it’s still worth thinking about avoiding transport after 17:00 - attractions are only available during daylight hours.

Tomorrow, if we still haven’t developed bronchitis, then I’d like to go to Mosta and see Palazzo Parisio along the way.

The Main Gate of Mdina, above which is placed the coat of arms of the Grand Master with an 18th century inscription, is located next to the Old Greek Gate.
The watchtower Torre dello Standarddo stands here, next to the gate. In ancient times, a fire was lit at the top of the tower to notify city residents of danger. This is now a police station.

Immediately behind the Main Gate on the right you can see a staircase going down to one of the most terrible places of the Middle Ages - this is the Dungeon of Mdina or the Museum of Torture. The inscriptions made by the prisoners are still preserved on the walls. In the square in front of the museum, where witches were burned during the Inquisition, the stronghold of which was Malta, there are real medieval neck stocks in which you can take pictures. The Museum displays all kinds of executioner's tools, and wax figures very clearly demonstrate what happened here several centuries ago. These exhibitions make my heart ache. It's not for the faint of heart, but teenagers from all over the world love this museum.

Working hours from 9-00 to 16-00
Entry cost 4 euros.

Nearby is the Church of St. Agatha, patroness of the Maltese Islands. The church was built at the beginning of the 15th century. According to legend, Saint Agatha hid from her pursuers in this place in the 3rd century. BC. during the Roman persecution of the first Christians.
Next to the Church of St. Agatha is the Cassa Inguanetz Palace. The palace was built as the residence of one of Malta's most noble aristocratic families in the 14th century. Amazing interior decoration.
The Cassa Testaferrata Palace, still owned by one of the Maltese families, impresses with its luxury. It was built on the site of the Temple of Apollo.

In the Palazzo Constanzo, built in the 17th century, you can become a spectator of a stunning audio-visual exhibition called “The Middle Ages”, showing scenes from the life and everyday life of medieval Mdina.

Entrance costs 3 euros for adults, 1.5 for children.
Open from 9-30 to 21-30 from Monday to Saturday.

Most of the palaces in Mdina are still owned by the aristocratic families of Malta. The cost of entry to such “palazzos” and “casas” is not fixed; voluntary donations are accepted; many close at 17-00.
Also in Mdina, you can visit the National Museum of Natural History, located in the ancient Palace of Justice (also called the Palace of Master Vilhena). A collection of minerals, stuffed representatives of the flora and fauna of Malta and various fossils are exhibited here.

Entrance fee 1 lira
The museum is open from 9:00 to 16:30.

St. Paul's Cathedral is built on the site where the first bishop of Malta met the Apostle Paul, who came to Mdina after a shipwreck. Since then, Apostle Paul, like Saint Agatha, has been considered the patron saint of the island. There are ancient doors leading into St. Paul's Cathedral, which are 900 years old. The cathedral was built in the 17th century. On the site of an ancient Norman cathedral, destroyed by an earthquake. The new cathedral has preserved many of the interior items of the destroyed one - Flemish frescoes, paintings, engravings and even a font carved from Irish wood. It's beautiful and majestic inside. St. Paul's Cathedral stands in the central square of the city, which bears the same name, St. Paul's Square.

Along Vilegeinon Street you can go to Bastion Square, from where a breathtaking panorama of the entire island opens. In the evening, it is very convenient to watch fireworks from here during numerous religious holidays called festas.

City of Rabat

Separating from Mdina in the 9th century. under Arab rule, Rabat is still its suburb, providing a contrast to the Silent City. This is an ordinary Maltese city. Rabat has many cafes, restaurants, many tourists and residents. Today it is one of the largest cities in Malta. The following attractions have been preserved in Rabat:

Roman villa. On the site of an ancient Roman house is the Museum of Ancient and Roman History. The museum has many exhibits dating back to the Roman era, and a wonderfully beautiful Roman mosaic has been preserved.
Entrance 1 lira, open from 9-30 to 16-30.

Here, in Rabat, the Church of St. Paul was built next to the Grotto of St. Paul, in which he found his first refuge after the shipwreck. Here is the famous sculpture of the Saint.
Next to the Grotto there are the Catacombs of St. Paul, where underground burials of people were discovered. Dating back to the 5th century. By the way, now in Malta they do not bury people - they only cremate them, since there is a shortage of land.
To be in Malta and not visit its ancient capital, not climb the fortress walls and not look at the life and way of life of medieval knights means not learning anything about this island.

Strange as it may seem, Catholic Malta, best known for the Knights of Malta, was originally part of the Orthodox world and even for a short time at the end of the 18th century under Emperor Paul I was part of the Russian Empire.

Malta acquired the status of a Mediterranean Russian outskirts when Emperor Paul I became the Grand Master of the Order of Malta. It’s a pity, of course, that this wonderful island did not become our resort; we would fly there now on vacation instead of Turkey and Egypt. But Paul I managed to enrich our country with Orthodox shrines: by his order, in 1799, the right hand (right hand) of John the Baptist, with which he baptized the Savior, as well as part of the Life-Giving Cross and the Philermo Icon of the Mother of God were transferred to Russia from the island of Malta. They were solemnly placed in the Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands in the Winter Palace; in honor of this event, a special service was even compiled for October 25.

No changes that have occurred in the world over two millennia of the Christian era have influenced the respectful attitude towards Malta as an island that preserves the memory of the holy apostles. In the 60s A.D., off the island of Melitus (Malta), the ship on which the Apostle Paul was heading to Rome for the judgment of Caesar occurred. All 276 people on the ship were miraculously saved. Saint Paul's companion was another apostle, the evangelist Luke, who described these events in the Acts of the Holy Apostles.

The apostles Paul and Luke settled in a cave in the depths of the island, in the suburbs of Mdina. This cave is now the lower church (crypt) of the temple erected above it. The crypt has three chapels - in honor of the Apostle Paul, the Evangelist Luke and the apostles “of the seventy” Trophimus and Aristarchus, who sailed on the same ship. This cave complex is called the “Catacombs of the Apostle Paul”.

The Apostle Paul stayed on the island for three months and performed many miracles during this time. He healed the father of the Roman governor Publius, converted Publius himself to the faith of Christ, making him the first bishop of Malta, and, most importantly, laid the foundation for Christianity on this fertile island, creating a Christian community there.

Priceless relics

Ecumenical Orthodoxy The Holy Evangelist Luke also left a hand-made testimony of his stay on the island. In one of the caves in the northeast of the island, in Milekh, he painted a miraculous fresco - an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos with the baby Jesus, called Our Lady of Milekh. It has survived to this day and is now located in the center of the altar of a small temple built over the cave where the apostles Paul and Luke stayed, and has become famous for numerous healings and miracles.

Other Christian shrines on the island of Malta include the grotto and holy spring of the Virgin Mary next to the church in Milech, where a fresco was painted by St. Luke. In the capital of Malta, Valletta, in the Temple of the Shipwreck of St. Paul there are priceless relics: in one of the chapels there is the right hand of the Apostle Paul, in the altar there is part of a Roman column on which the venerable head of the Apostle Paul was beheaded by the pagans. In a small Orthodox church in Valletta, the altar contains the icon of the Mother of God of Damascus, revered by all Orthodox Christians. According to legend, she is related to St. John of Damascus, and in terms of iconography and time of production it is very close to our Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. In the altar of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Valletta there is a miraculous icon of the Mother of God "Mammal", also according to legend painted by St. Luka. Thus, this small island remains part of the history of Ecumenical Orthodoxy and the custodian of many of its shrines.

Catholicism plays a huge role in the cultural life of the Maltese. With a population of about 400 thousand people, there are about 400 churches. About one for every thousand local residents, perhaps the highest concentration in Europe. More than 150 towns and villages celebrate patron saint days in Malta. One of the largest holidays in the country is dedicated to the Apostle Paul, who found himself on the island after the shipwreck on which he was taken to Rome to be tried for preaching Christianity.

TEXT ALEXANDER POPOV

Honoring Paul

The Apostle Paul is the most revered saint in Malta. In conversation with the Maltese, so as not to spoil relations, there should be no doubt that around 60 it was he who brought Christianity to Malta. This is described in sufficient detail in the Acts of the Holy Apostles, where Malta is called the island of Melitus.

Paul (at birth was named Saul) was not one of the twelve disciples of Jesus and, apparently, saw Christ for the first time during the execution. Saul was an ardent persecutor of the early Christians until he had a “vision on the road to Damascus,” when, struck by sudden blindness, he heard the voice of God and was then miraculously healed. After being baptized, Saul changed his name to Paul and became one of the most passionate preachers of Christianity. For this he was taken into custody, but since, as a Roman citizen, Paul was not subject to the Jews, he was sent to Rome for trial. On the way, the ship encountered a strong storm and was wrecked near Malta. According to legend, this happened in the bay, which today bears the name of St. Paul and is located 17 kilometers northwest of Valletta, the capital of Malta.

Historic Bay

Today, along with two rocky uninhabited islands, also named after St. Paul, the bay and the merged towns of Qawra and Bugibba form the largest tourist area of ​​the island. This is a typical Mediterranean resort with palm trees, beach umbrellas, seaside restaurants, clear sea water and colorful fishing boats. The beaches are rocky, although, for example, the beach in Aura next to the Dolmen Hotel Resort 4* (Russian tourists often stay here) is combined: there is bulk sand on the shore, and the descent into the water is along ladders between the stones. This area is chosen mainly by tourists with average incomes. There are more than 40 hotels here, but there are no 5* hotels.

Nearby is the resort town of St. Paul’s Bay, at the entrance to which stands the Apostle’s Fountain (Ghain Rasul). According to legend, here Paul called water from a rock with a blow of his staff to give drink to the shipwrecked.

Paul spent three months on the island, performing many good deeds and miracles, and the local residents began to revere him as God. He cured the father of the Roman consul Publius, who later became the first bishop of Malta. For this, Publius was deprived of his consular post by the Roman authorities, taken to Italy and thrown to be torn to pieces by wild lions in the arena. He was subsequently canonized. And Paul, after three months spent in Malta, was brought to Rome and two years later executed by beheading.

Parish Church of St. Pavel

According to legend, Paul lived in a grotto (St. Paul’s Grotto), above which in the 17th century. The parish church of St. Paul was built. Today this is the territory of Rabat, a suburb of the former Maltese capital Mdina. In the grotto there is a marble statue of the apostle. Suspended from the vault is a silver candlestick in the shape of a ship on which the apostle was taken to Rome for trial. This is a gift from the Order in honor of the 1900th anniversary of the famous shipwreck.

Numerous pilgrims have been chipping away pieces of stone from the walls of the grotto for centuries, as they are believed to have healing properties. In 1990, Pope John Paul II celebrated a mass in the grotto, as commemorated by a memorial plaque at the base of the pedestal. The lamps surrounding the sculpture of the apostle are a gift from the pope.

They say that in 1600 one of the Spanish aristocrats came to Malta and wished to become a knight. However, once on the island, he changed his mind and, like Paul, lived for some time in a grotto as a hermit. In honor of this asceticism, the Chapel of St. Publius was added to the church.

Malta Cathedral

With the name of St. Paul's is also associated with Malta's Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul's (Cathedral St. Peter-&-St.-Paul's), standing in Mdina on St. Square. Paul's (St. Paul's Sq.), the largest in this town. The collection was erected by the Knights of Malta at the beginning of the 18th century on the site of a small church from the 11th century. According to legend, here stood the house of Publius and the small chapel that he built when he became a bishop. Here Paul and Publius met for the first time. Thus, it is believed that it was from here that Christianity began to spread in Malta. The cross with two crossbars on the roof of the temple indicates that it has the status of a cathedral. The color scheme of the cathedral's interior is interesting, in which the green floor and ceiling harmoniously combine with dark burgundy walls. The frescoes behind and above the altar depict episodes from the life of St. Paul, including “The Conversion of Saul” and a picture of the storm that carried the ship to Malta.

Church of the Shipwreck

The Shipwreck Church in Valletta, one of the oldest on the island (XVI), also reminds of Paul's stay in Malta. Columns made of colored marble support a vault decorated with frescoes with scenes from the life of the preacher. Among the church relics is a gilded a fragment of the right hand of St. Paul and part of a column on which, according to legend, the apostle's head was cut off in Rome.At the entrance, the attendant gives everyone accompanying sheets with a description of the church and its relics in many languages, including Russian.