The FINANCIAL — According to RIA Novosti, Cuban leader Raul Castro and his brother Fidel have been honored by the Russian Orthodox Church for their contributions to the construction of the first Russian Orthodox cathedral on the Caribbean island.
The awards were handed over by Russian Church's top foreign relations official, Metropolitan Kirill, who traveled from Moscow to attend a ceremony marking the Day of Russia in Cuba on October 19.
The new Our Lady of Kazan cathedral, topped by five golden domes, opened on Sunday in the historic center of the Cuban capital of Havana four years after construction work was approved by then president Fidel Castro.
"This is a monument to Russian-Cuban friendship and all the efforts that have preserved our relations, including during the most difficult moments of the Cold War," Metropolitan Kirill said at the opening of the church.
The consecration ceremony was part of activities in Cuba featuring concerts by Russian musicians as well as Russian-made films and documentaries.
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