Russia's First Lady to participate in Navy Day celebrations

ST. PETERSBURG (Itar-Tass) - First Lady of Russia Svetlana
Medvedeva will participate on Sunday in celebrations of the Day of Navy in
Kronstadt.
She will participate in a meeting of the Public Supervisory Council on
revival of the Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Kronstadt, which is
considered the main shrine of the Navy.
Svetlana Medvedeva will also attend the solemn rite of consecration of
bells and the opening of the facade of the Kronstadt Naval Cathedral. The
honor guard and members of the Kronstadt garrison will march across the
Anchor Square.
Svetlana Medvedev, who spent her childhood in Kronstadt and is proud
of her origin, has initiated establishment of the Charitable Fund for
restoration of the Sea Cathedral. Today she is a member of the Board of
Trustees on the revival of the cathedral, and the Kremlin's deputy chief
of staff Alexander Beglov chairs the board.
The Cathedral of St. Nicholas is due to be restored by 2013, by the
100th anniversary of his consecration. The temple was built by order of
Emperor Nicholas II in 1903 in honor of the 200th anniversary of the
Russian Navy and was consecrated in the presence of the emperor in 1913.
He repeats the shape of the Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople, and in the
capacity it is ranked second after the Christ the Savior Cathedral in
Moscow.
The reconstruction of the cathedral is funded partially by the
Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Culture, but the specifically
designed Foundation is the main source of funds for the purpose.