Mr Putin visited Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, at his residence in central Moscow to congratulate him on his name day. He presented the patriarch with the icon of Our Lady of Tikhvin and a bouquet of white roses.

"Happy Name Day!" the prime minister said.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart. This is a wonderful icon," replied the patriarch, as he kissed and crossed the icon.

Prime Minister Putin remarked that the day coincided with another important occasion, the Day of Slavic Culture and Writing. "The Church is doing so much to promote Russian culture and language. Thank you very much," he said.

The patriarch expressed his hope that the festival was helping the nation to preserve its roots: "A tree stands fast when its roots are strong. This is also true of people, communities and nations. Our young people must understand this."

In reply, Putin expressed his confidence that young Russians are developing an interest in Russian history and culture and that their patriotism is growing.

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Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Putin sent the patriarch a congratulatory telegram, which reads in part:

"In Russia and beyond, you are known as a wise shepherd who firmly and consistently promotes the eternal values of Orthodox Christianity, as well as an influential community leader. I am pleased to note the fruitful collaboration in the past few years between government bodies and the Moscow Patriarchate. This collaboration helps solve many of the problems that matter most to our citizens. Your activity as the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church helps foster a healthy moral environment and a constructive dialogue between Orthodox Christians and other traditional confessions.

"Your Holiness, I wish you health and strength in both body and spirit for the sake of your important service as patriarch."