On Tuesday, May 4th, an official reception in honor of the 70th Anniversary of Allied victory in World War II in the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations in NYC. The reception was organized jointly by the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, Mr. Vitaly Churkin along with other representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
The Russian Orthodox Church was represented by His Grace Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk, Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA and cleric of St. Nicholas Cathedral in NYC, Abbot Nicodemus (Balyasnikov).
Also attending the reception was UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon, US Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power and Vatican Ambassador, Bernardito Auza.
In the mission's foyer, various photographs were on display depicting various theaters of battle during World War II.