JERUSALEM: 9 November, 2026
Three ambassadors take part in the traditional olive harvest at Jerusalem's Ascension of Christ Convent on the Mount of Olives

On Saturday, October 31, 2026, at the invitation of Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), Chief of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem (Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia), the "Eleon" Convent of the Ascension of the Lord was visited by AD Viktorov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Israel, Y.G Yaroshevich, Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to Israel, D. Kovacevic, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Israel, as well as staff from diplomatic missions. The traditional olive harvest was also joined by employees of the Russian Representation to the Palestinian National Authority, the Russian House, and the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Goszagransobstvennost" in Israel.

The guests were warmly welcomed by the Abbess Judith (Zastavskaya) along with the nuns. Working together in the monastery's olive grove was a great opportunity to get involved in the daily life of the convent and help its residents.

The annual olive harvest plays an important role in the life of the conventl. This task, in which the sisters are assisted by volunteers and friends, continues the long-standing agricultural tradition of the Holy Land and brings everyone together in shared work for the benefit of the holy community.

The history of the Ascension Convent is closely linked with the name of the outstanding ascetic of Russian Palestine — Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin), who led the Russian Mission from 1865 to 1894. In 1870, thanks to his care, a plot of land was acquired on the Mount of Olives, not far from the site of the Ascension of the Savior. In 1906, a women’s monastic community was established there. To this day, the monastery remains one of the key centers of Russian Orthodox presence in the Holy Land, and its 64-meter bell tower, known as the “Russian Candle,” rises high above Jerusalem.

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