Glory and honesty to anyone doing noble acts

The Cathedral of the Ascension of the Savior was solemnly opened on May 21. This event was dedicated to the day of the Ascension of the Savior, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and Russia consecrated the Cathedral.
Restoration of the Cathedral of the Ascension of the Savior, one of the Russian architectural masterpieces in Simbirsk and then in Ulyanovsk region was a noble act. Construction of the Cathedral is a big merit of Mikhail Gutseriev, the founder and the owner of AO NK RussNeft.
Mikhail Gutseriev was among the first who responded to request for assistance in restoration of the holy place. RussNeft became the main donator, allocating above 250 mln rubles for the construction of the Cathedral.
The Cathedral of the Savior Ascension was established on July 26, 1844. The Cathedral suffered from fire in XIX century and was built all over again, but it was completely ruined during the period when the churches were destructed, in the 30-s. The eparchy and the government of Ulyanovsk region initiated restoration of the Cathedral in 1989. The design project of the Cathedral was ruined and it was restored by the photos which took up a long time. In 1994 the project of the Cathedral was approved by the State Expertise. In 1997 the Cathedral started working.
It can host 2 thousand people. In the nearest future it is planned to open the religious center at the territory of the Cathedral, where children could take up art, singing and handicraft. Soon after the consecration the Cathedral will host baptism, church weddings and funeral services. This Cathedral will not onlu become the cultural and educational center but also the place of unity for the citizens of the region.
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and Russia highly evaluated the contribution of Mikhail Gutseriev into restoration of the Cathedral of the Ascension of the Savior, awarding him with one of the highest awards of the Russian Orthodox Church, by the Order of Glory and Honesty, Grade III. The motto of the order is the words of the Saint Apostle Paul: “Glory and honesty to anyone who does noble act”. Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and Russia, President Vladimir Putin and other famous people were awarded with the Order. Earlier Mikhail Gutseriev was remarked by the religious awards: Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, Grade I, II, III; Order of St. Daniel of Moscow, Grade I, II; The commemorative sign Order of the Star of Bethlehem; Order of Andrew the Blessed; Vasily Nikolayevich Khitrovo Medal of Imperial, Orthodox and Palestinian Association; The Highest Muslim Religious Award, Order of Honesty Al-Fakhr, Grade I.
Restoration and construction of the significant buildings of different confessions is an integral part of RussNeft social policy. The oil and gas company contributed to construction of churches, mosques, synagogues, temples in Ulyanovsk, Saratov, Yaroslavl regions, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Udmurtiya, the Chechen Republic, Buryatiya, KhMAO, Moscow and other regions of Russia.