At Sheremetjevo airport, Archbishop Jovan was met by Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, vice-chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, and A. Khoshev, DECR secretariat for inter-Orthodox relations.
Archpriest Nikolay Balashov welcomed the guest on behalf of the DECR chairman, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, expressing joy at his release from prison.
Archbishop Jovan is accompanied by Archimandrite Philip (Vasiltsev), rector of the Sofia Representation of the Russian Orthodox Church, and his mother Ms Vraniskovska.
The same day, Archbishop Jovan arrived in St. Petersburg. He was met there by Bishop Nazary of Kronstadt and Abbess Sofia (Silina), mother superior of the Novodevichy Convent, in which he will stay while undergoing treatment.
