Patriarch Kirill, after the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, awarded the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Maria Zakharova the Order of the Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky, II degree. The ceremony was broadcast on Spas TV channel.
The diploma was awarded for his contribution to the preservation of traditional values in society, as well as in connection with the celebration.
“Maria Vladimirovna often appeared on television, but she carried out a very important ministry. As a Christian devoted to the church, she never betrayed her faith and with all her strength and abilities she helped many people, including pointing them to God,” Patriarch Kirill said.
On December 24, Maria Zakharova celebrated her 50th birthday. On the same day, she received the Order for Service to the Fatherland, class IV, from Russian President Vladimir Putin at a state award ceremony in the Kremlin. During the award ceremony, the head of state wished her a happy birthday and called her “the voice of Russian diplomacy.”
Previously, the Russian leader's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said Putin sent Zakharova a congratulatory telegram on her birthday. Peskov emphasized that the Kremlin took part in congratulating the president.
