Putin awards name-engraved watch to Crimean Metropolitan of UOC in Crimea

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Metropolitan Lazar of Simferopol and Crimea of the UOC Moscow Patriarchate, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded him with a name-engraved watch. This was reported by the press service of the Simferopol and Crimean diocese, Krym.Realii reports.

“A valuable gift to the hero of the day was presented on behalf of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, the watch with the word “President” engraved thereon, for his great contribution to the development of the Orthodox culture and the strengthening of spiritual and moral traditions in Crimea, for noble affairs for the glory of the Homeland,” the statement reads.

The press service noted that Lazar also had a medal “Holy Rus! Preserve the Orthodox Faith!”

At the general eparchial meetings of the Simferopol and Crimean diocese of the UOC MP held in January of this year in Simferopol, Metropolitan Lazar supported Metropolitan Onufriy of the UOC-MP and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, and also expressed disapproval of “the unprecedented intervention of Patriarch Bartholomew in the internal church affairs in Ukraine” and the provision of the Tomos.