Promyshlennaya (Kemerovo region, Russia), March 14, 2014
Bishop Jovan (Chulibrk) of Lipljan has made his 216th jump at the alpine para-ski combination world championships from the "Tanai" Kuzbass airfield, reports the regional portal Sibdepo.
The hierarch is not taking part in the contest itself. His parachute jump is the expression of support to other athletes. Today the weather has been unkind: a strong wind has nearly frustrated the event. But the bishop did jump together with his fellow parachutists from a height of 4000 meters.
"Everything is all right, but the wind was strong and I was a little carried away from my companions in jumping. I saw Russia, Siberia in front of me, the whole "Tanai" stretched before me, that is very beautiful," shares the hierarch his impressions.
Bishop Jovan is the Serbian Patriarch's right-hand man. He has come to Kuzbass to support the athletes from Montenegro (his neighbors) at the para-ski world cup.
His life has been closely connected with parachuting: at first the hierarch was the confessor of the Serbian airborne brigade no. 63, and then he joined it himself when he began parachuting. He underwent military training and got a commission. Bishop Jovan is the only church hierarch to be known as a military parachutist.
The Serbian hierarch arrived in Kemerovo on Sunday. He took part in the tour on the "Chernigovets" cut and observed from an excavator cab how coal was mined. He also presented a BelAZ car driver with the icon, "Synaxis of All Saints of Serbia".
On Wednesday, Bishop Jovan was present at the opening of the para-ski world championships where he presented an icon of Holy Greatmartyr Barbara, venerated as patroness of miners, to governor of the Kemerovo region Aman Tuleyev.
