For the sixth time, the annual events calendar of the Principality of Monaco was marked by the celebration of Orthodox Christmas with a gala event drawing together bishops, clergy, parishioners and swaths of the Monegasque population.
This year the VI Annual Nativity Gala, organised as always by the Diocese’s Parish of St Elena in Monte-Carlo, took place at the famous Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) and was dedicated to the Orthodox culture and history of Georgia, entitled ‘A Georgian Christmas’.
The evening was hosted by the Ruling Bishop, His Grace Bishop Irenei of London and Western Europe, and the guests of honour were a delegation representing His Holiness Catholicos-Patriarch Ilya II of Georgia, composed of His Eminence Metropolitan Sava of Khoni and Samtredia and His Grace Bishop Vachtang of Margveti and Ubisi, together with Patriarchal Protopresbyter George Zviadadze, who is also the Rector of Tbilisi Theological Academy and Seminary. Under the meticulous organisation of the President of the St Elena Parish, Mr Alexander Hagerty, together with members of the Parish Council and the event’s Honor and organising committees: Ekaterina Ordzhonikidze, Committee President; Natia Loladze, President of the Geor-gian Red Cross; Victoria Bolker-Hagerty, Vice-President of the Orthodox Church of Monaco; Nikoloz Tsiklauri; Valeria & Mark Ivasilevitch; Milena Cvijanovich, General Secretary of the Orthodox Church of Monaco; Nino Tsiklauri; Valeria Usyagina; Jana Yurcenko and Liza Prodan from TRUST EVENTS. The Gala brought together Orthodox faithful from Monaco’s Ukrainian, Serbian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Georgian, Greek and other populations, as well as faithful from surrounding regions, together with a host of dignitaries from the Monegasque and French States, including: Mme. Danielle Cottalorda, Board Member of the Croix Rouge Monegasque, presided by His Serene Highness, Prince Albert II; His Excellency, M. d’Haussonville, Ambassador of France to Monaco; M. Guillaume Rose, Minister of the Monaco Parliament and President of the Commission of Culture and many other esteemed members of the Monegasque, French and Italian communities.
Beginning with a Christmas service (moleben) in the Parish of St Elena – the first Orthodox Parish to have been founded in the Principality, which as a parish of the Church Abroad brings together Orthodox Monegasques, Ukrainians, French, Serbians, Romanians, Bulgarians, and many other nationalities – more than 180 participants assembled for the Gala Dinner at the YCM then, for an evening programme of speeches, musical and dance performances, presentations, and an auction run by Sotheby’s Monaco.
As ever, the evening was a fundraising event, raising funds for the Monaco Red Cross, the Georgian Red Cross, and the Monaco Parish. During his remarks, Bishop Irenei (who also serves as the Secretary of the Holy Synod for Inter-Orthodox Relations) welcomed the participants and congratulated them with the great Feast of the Nativity of Christ. He thanked the visiting Hierarchs representing His Holiness the Patriarch of Georgia, and spoke about the remarkable history of the Georgian Orthodox Church, and presented the delegation with an icon of St John the Wonderworker.
The evening was punctuated by extraordinary musical performances organised by Mme. Nino Tsiklauri, a parishioner of the St Elena Parish, including traditional and modern Georgian music sung by award-winning soloist Sandra Gadelia; European songs by Nicole Kotzman; traditional Georgian chant performed by the world-renowned ‘Basiani’ choir; and operatic pieces performed by the winner of a national Georgian talent competition, Tako Esebua. Traditional Georgian dances were performed throughout the evening by the Mandili Dance Ensemble, and the most delicious 3-course meal was cooked by world-famous Georgian chef, Irakli Asatiani and his team having flown in from Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi. The success of the evening would not have been possible without the generous donations of sponsors: Tiara Group, including Tiara Hotels and Tiara Health, Caviar House & Prunier, Visconti, Banque Richelieu Monaco.
The Orthodox Church of Monaco – Saint Empress Elena’s Parish – is the first Orthodox church in the principality to be recognised by the Monegasque government in 2017. The church and the community belong to the ROCOR. The Head priest of the Church is Father Evgeny Nikitin, who celebrates all sacraments, including Divine Liturgy, every Saturday at 09:00 at our place of worship at: 22, av de Grande-Bretagne, Monte-Carlo.
