In Chelyabinsk, as part of the 5th International 13th all-Russian scientific and practical conference “Rasulev readings”, the first youth inter-religious training “Ural – the territory of peace and harmony” was held. The initiators of the event were the all-Russian public-state organization “assembly of peoples of Russia” and the department of public relations of the government of the Chelyabinsk region, with the support of the regional spiritual directorate of Muslims of the Chelyabinsk region as part of the central spiritual directorate of Muslims of Russia and the Chelyabinsk metropolis of the Russian orthodox church.

Among the guests of honour at the event were the Chairman of the Central Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia, the Sheikh-ul-Islam, the Grand Mufti Talgat khazrat Tajuddin, the religious advisor to the former President of Iraq Saddam Hussein, the founder of the University of “Al-Ma’arif” (Ramada, Iraq), doctor of Arabic philology and Islamic sciences Sheikh Abdurrazak As-Saadi, muftis and imams of the central spiritual board of Muslims of Russia from different regions of the country.

Addressing the participants of the event, Talgat khazrat Tajuddin emphasised that interfaith dialogue in Russian society has a thousand-year history, dating back to the times of Volga Bulgaria. He also spoke about the history of interfaith cooperation between Orthodoxy and Islam in Russia and the experience of the Central Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia.

As an expert in training, Ramis Fatkhullin, the deputy head of the Center for Interfaith Dialogue at the Bolgar Islamic Academy, spoke. He informed the participants about the academy’s role in promoting interfaith dialogue in Russia and elaborated on the activities of the center.

“Our aim is to study and actualize the historical experience and potential of interfaith relations, to conduct scientific and practical events aimed at developing humanitarian cooperation and strengthening interfaith dialogue. In particular, through educational work and interviews with experts, we are studying the international experience of harmonizing social relations in the field of religion and culture, and we are trying to strengthen interfaith relations and develop interethnic peace and harmony, ensuring effective cooperation with religious, state, educational, scientific, public organizations and civil society institutions on issues of interfaith relations, including at the international level,” shared Ramis Fatkhullin.

Thus, he cited the annual mutual visits of staff and students of the Bolgar Islamic academy and the Kazan Orthodox Theological Seminary, the visit of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill to the academy, the cooperation with the all-Church postgraduate and doctoral Studies named after the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius, and reminded about the annual international summer school “Bulgarian Dialogue of Cultures” and the international forum “Theological Heritage of Muslims of Russia”.

As part of the training, the participants were able to apply the acquired knowledge in practice and developed socially significant projects.