Orthodox Christians enter the Great Lent.

MOSCOW, February 15 (Itar-Tass) - The Great Lent is beginning for
Orthodox Christians on Monday. All everyday chores should relegate to the
background giving way to spiritual life. Russian clergymen believe that
even the Olympic games shouldn't break the attitude to prayer, though
watching Olympic competitions in minutes of rest is not a sin.

"If a person watches sport events as recreation, even in the first
week of the Great Lent, it's not any great sin. Monks and clergymen should
pray from morning till night. It's their duty," says Father Sergiy (Rybko)
from the Moscow Church of the Descent of St. Luke.
Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, will lead
two daily services in Russian churches and monasteries in the first day of
the Lent, the aim of which is repentance and communication with the God.

.Russian FM to visit Guatemala as part of Latin American tour.

MANAGUA, February 15 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov will leave Nicaragua for Guatemala on Monday as part of his Latin
American tour.
The Russian foreign minister will meet Guatemalan President Alvaro
Colom, Foreign Minister Haroldo Rodas and the chairman of the National
Congress of Guatemala.
Sergey Lavrov will also meet the mayor of Guatemala City and
ex-president Alvaro Arsu who will present the keys from the city and a
diploma of honorary citizen to the Russian foreign minister.
According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Andrei Nesterenko,
this is going to be the first visit by the Russian foreign minister to
this Central American state. He emphasized that Russian-Guatemalan
contacts at various levels were characterized by growing dynamism and
intensity. Vladimir Putin's visit to Guatemala City in July 2007 to attend
the 119th session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that chose
Sochi as the venue for the 22nd Winter Olympic games in 2014 contributed
to the development of bilateral ties.
""Political dialogue between our countries is being intensified. The
positions of Russia and Guatemala on the main issues and problems of the
world agenda in many respects are similar or identical. Both countries
advocate the creation of a democratic multi-polar world order, respect for
the principles of international law, sovereignty and consideration of the
legitimate interests of all countries, and a stronger role for the UN as a
universal mechanism for preserving peace and strategic stability,"
Nesterenko went on to say.
"During the conversation of Sergey Lavrov with his Guatemalan
counterpart, Haroldo Rodas, it is planned to discuss prospects of
enhancing bilateral cooperation in various fields, from trade-and-economic
to humanitarian, and to exchange views on a wide range of international
and regional issues," Nesterenko emphasized.
The Russian diplomat added that the Russian and Guatemalan foreign
ministers would sign an inter-governmental agreement on cooperation in
fighting illegal trade in drugs and psychotropic substances.
"At present intensive work is under way over a whole number of draft
documents covering various areas of bilateral interaction," Nesterenko
stressed.

.Evening of Russian culture held in Venice.

VENICE, February 15 (Itar-Tass) - Days of Russian Culture in Venice
have been in the spotlight of Italy's cultural life over the past week.
The Russian cultural festival is traditionally held in Venice in February
as part of the St. Petersburg - Venice cultural mission.
This year the festival coincided with the Venice carnival,
one of the most popular events in the Apennine peninsula.
The festival's program included solo performances by young singers of
the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theatre, performances by the St. Petersburg
Theatre of Hand Plastics (Hand Made) as well as an exhibition called
'Orthodox Images in Jewelry' organized by the Jewelry House of Vladimir
Mikhailov and an exposition telling about the Tavrichesky Palace in St.
Petersburg and its role in Russian history.
The Lezginka folk dance group from the Republic of Dagestan
culminated Sunday's program held in the famous Teatro La Fenice. It was
great success. 'The St. Petersburg-Venice: Cultural Mission' is carried
out by the Direction of International Programs, the Venice-Russia
Association, the government of St. Petersburg and the Venice city
administration with support from the Russian Foreign Ministry and as part
of the 'Partner Cities' program overseen by the Social and Cultural
Initiatives Fund, which is headed by Svetlana Medvedeva, the wife of
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
The Days of Russian Culture in Venice have another symbolic
meaning. They are foreboding a year of Russian culture and language in
Italy and a year of Italian language and culture in Russia to be held in
2011.

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