On 25 October 2017, Federal President Frank Walter Steinmeier visited Moscow.

The Federal President attended a ceremony at St. Peter’s and Paul’s Cathedral. On the occasion of the Reformation Jubilee, the Russian Government restored the property rights for the cathedral to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia. During his tenure as Foreign Minister, Federal President Steinmeier together with the Evangelical Church in Germany had urged President Vladimir Putin to agree to the restitution. Heinrich Bedford Strohm, Chairman of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany, accompanied the Federal President.
During his Moscow visit, the Federal President also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In addition, the Federal President’s itinerary included a visit to the human rights organisation Memorial and a meeting with former President of the Soviet Union and Nobel Peace Price Laureate Mikhail Gorbachev.

Overview of the programme:

Wednesday, 25 October 2017

• Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
  Wreath laying ceremony
• Human Rights Centre Memorial
  Guided tour of the archive and meeting with Memorial staff
• residence of the German Ambassador
  Meeting with former President Mikhail Gorbachev
• St. Peter’s and Paul’s Cathedral
  Ceremony marking restitution of the Cathedral to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia

• the Kremlin
  Meeting with President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin

  Thereafter
  Working dinner, hosted by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin

• Tchaikovsky Concert Hall
  St. Matthew Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach – ballet by John Neumeier

Thursday, 26 October 2017

• Flight to Berlin