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President Vladimir Putin met with Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexii II

January 22, 2006, Patriarch’S Chambers, The Kremlin, Moscow

Mr Putin handed over to the Patriarch the unique icon of the Smolensk Virgin.

The icon was stolen in the early 1990s from a museum in the town of Ustyuzhna (Vologda Region) and was taken out of the country. The icon was returned to Russia through the work undertaken by the Federal Service for Supervision of Legislation in Mass Communications and the Protection of Cultural Heritage.

January 22, 2006, Patriarch’S Chambers, The Kremlin, Moscow