September 15, 2012
Howell, NJ: A Meeting was held between Representatives of the
Diocese, Soyuz Television Network, and "Rodina" Russian House
On
Monday, September 10, with the blessing of His Eminence,
Metropolitan Hilarion, a meeting was held at the "Rodina" Russian
House in Howell, NJ, between representatives of the Eastern American
Diocese, Soyuz
Television network, and
"Rodina."
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss further cooperation
between the Diocesan Media Office, Soyuz, and "Rodina" on joint
media ventures covering events in the lives of Russian Orthodox
parishes and people in America. Participating in the meeting were
diocesan secretary Archpriest Serge Lukianov, the Director of the
Moscow Branch of Soyuz Orthodox TV Network Sergei Yurgin, "Rodina"
Russian House director Alexander Bondarev, Eastern American Diocesan
Media Office director Reader. Peter Lukianov, and reporter Igor
Kandalin.
A proposal was made by the Soyuz network to air a weekly news
program from America. Rodina’s administration has provided
facilities for the construction of a TV-studio that would become the
base of operation for such a program. The idea for a TV-studio in
Rodina was part of the original plan to reorganize and rebrand the
Russian cultural center.
"Rodina’s plan for a TV-studio, "The Russian Diaspora" (Russkoe
Zarubezh’e), was to broadcast news from all across America about
the lives of Russians living in America," explains Reader Peter
Lukianov. "Any Russian cultural news program would naturally
dedicate half of its time to covering religious events, because the
Orthodox faith has impacted every aspect of Russian life for over a
thousand years, and it continues to do so today. Since the Diocesan
Media Office is also based out of Howell, the only logical
conclusion would be to work closely together."
While it may take years to establish a fully-operational TV-studio,
the consensus was to begin working together immediately. Since the
Eastern American Diocese already has a functioning video program,
Rodina director Alexander Bondarev assured the Diocese of their full
assistance and cooperation.
"‘Rodina’ Russian House and its TV-studio, ‘The Russian Diaspora,’
welcome any work done by the media office of ROCOR’s Eastern
American Diocese relating to the preparation of news reports on the
lives of Orthodox parishes, and are prepared to fully cooperate in
their
publication," said Bondarev.
A major discussion point was identifying the overall goal and target
audience for such a program. Since the Diocesan Media Office began
working with Soyuz in May 2012, there has been a great deal of
positive feedback from Russia, especially surrounding the coverage
of events dedicated to the 5th anniversary of the Reunification. One
of the primary goals of the program would be to strengthen ties
between the two parts of the Russian Orthodox Church and bring the
Russian faithful closer together from opposite sides of the globe.
"Television reports about the life of the Russian Diaspora, produced
with the intention of televising them in Russia, are of great use
today in strengthening ties between the Moscow Patriarchate and the
Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia," said Bondarev. "They
provide Russian viewers a once-unavailable opportunity to see a true
picture of the lives of Russian people living abroad."
One
of the benefits of the Reunification was the establishment of a free
and open dialog between the clergy and faithful of the Church Abroad
and the Moscow Patriarchate, to share different ideas and
experiences. The Church Abroad has a very unique missionary
experience, because its parishes are spread out across the world in
many different countries. This is seen very vividly within the
borders of the Eastern American Diocese, where many parishes are
made up almost entirely of American converts.
"The best living example of ROCOR’s missionary spirit is our very
own Holy Cross Monastery in West Virginia," said Archpriest Serge
Lukianov. "This is perhaps the only Russian Orthodox monastery in
the world comprised almost entirely of American converts, who hold
fast to the ancient traditions of Russian monasticism and liturgical
chant. And this is just one case out of many. Wherever you look, you
can find amazing stories of people converting to the Orthodox faith
through their interaction with a ROCOR parish or monastery. These
are the stories that we need to share with Russia."
A reoccurring theme of the discussion was the importance of not
alienating non-Russian speakers. In the words of Fr. Serge, English
language videos remain a priority. "While we are happy to
collaborate with our Russian colleagues, our main priority will
remain the faithful of our diverse Diocese. There is already a
wealth of video materials coming out of Russia, but there are hardly
any video resources in English that are available to the faithful of
the Russian Church. We are committed to using all of our resources
for the continuation of our missionary efforts in America."
The outcome of the proposed joint video program between the Eastern
American Diocese, Soyuz, and Rodina, will determine largely on the
interest and support of viewers and sponsors. It is too early to
tell when this program will become a reality, but one thing is for
certain, there is a great need for more documentaries and video
reports about the life of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of
Russia. "There is no doubt in our minds that video is the future of
Orthodox media in America," says Reader Peter Lukianov. "The faster
we can expand our video program, the more effective we will be in
strengthening our Church and equipping our pastors with invaluable
tools to draw people closer to God."
Support the Eastern American Diocesan video program by
donating to the Media Office here:
Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese
