Minutes of the joint meeting of Church Council and Parish Trust of the Russian
Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God and the Holy
Royal Martyrs of Russia, London, 11 November 2012
Attendees: Archpriest Peter Baulk, Archpriest Vladimir Vilgerts, Priest Vitaly Serapinas, Trustee Gregory
Wolcough, Churchwarden Vera McClenaghan, Head Sister Sofia Michailidou, Youth Representative Darja
Scukina, Secretary Reader Oleksiy Danylenko, Reader Nicolas Mabin, Andzej Strucinskij, Keith Brooks, Tim
Ward (both from Milton Keynes Fencing Limited, partly), Harry Gill (partly)
Absent: Subdeacon Alexander Shadrin, Trustee Sophia Goodman, Trustee Aleksey Samarenko, Trustee
Andrei Tolstoy-Miloslavsky, Trustee Ktitor Pavel Lisitsin, Treasurer Galina Shirokova, Assistant Treasurer
Ivan Larin, Choir Director Anna Kobrina, Vadim Ermolenko
Opening of the meeting
The meeting opened with prayer at 13:45.
Minutes of the previous meeting
The minutes of the joint meeting of the Church Council and Parish Trust, which was held on 14 October
2012, were unanimously approved for publication on the Church website and notice boards.
Church fence
Keith Brooks and Tim Ward from Milton Keynes presented an updated proposal for the construction of the
church fence. The work would progress in phases and Milton Keynes Fencing Limited & Westward
Landscapes required an advance payment for each phase as per below. The total sum is GBP 96,200 plus
VAT; this quote excludes metal work (approx. GBP 36,000 plus VAT) and granite (approx. GBP 40,000 plus
VAT).
Phase 1. Set Up. Advanced sum GBP 23,700 plus VAT. Taking down and removing existing fencing,
shrubs etc. Erecting security fencing, signs etc. Setting up office and toilet facilities. Checking for services
and setting out pier positions. Obtaining steel for fence manufacture.
Phase 2. Excavate and Concrete. Advanced Sum GBP 20,050 plus VAT. Digging holes for piers and
remove spoil off site. Installing root barrier. Installing steel reinforcement to each hole. Part concrete filling
each hole. Making and installing boxes to cradle piers ready for second concrete fill.
Phase 3. Fit Piers. Advanced Sum GBP 19,400 plus VAT. Lifting piers into cradles. Pouring concrete to fill
holes. Making pads ready to take wall sections. Taking measurements and order wall sections, fencing and
gates
Phase 4. Fit walls. Advanced Sum GBP 17,000 plus VAT. Positioning wall sections between piers. Joining
walls to piers etc. Finishing making fencing/gates.
Phase 5. Erect Fencing and Gates. Advanced Sum GBP 12,000 plus VAT. Transporting fencing to site.
Erecting fencing and gates.
Phase 6. Decommission. Advanced Sum GBP 4,050 plus VAT. Making good site. Removing security
fencing, toilet, office etc. Although the site will be made tidy etc, provision has not been made to finish site
with material such as paving, turf or shrubs, for instance.
Milton Keynes expected that there will be at least two deliveries of stone, one for piers and one for walls.
They do not know how much can be delivered of each at one time. If it is required that Milton Keynes are to
offload the lorries then there will be an additional charge of GBP 600 per day to cover labour and machinery,
to add to above total.
It was agreed that we would review the draft contract from Milton Keynes and advise them of any
comments arising.
Fr. Vladimir requested clarification on a number of points particularly on the question of whether the metal
work would hang from the piers or rest on the concrete bridge between the piers. It was confirmed that the
metal work would be attached to the piers and rest on the concrete bridge.
Harry Gill independently supported the updated proposal, but advised that there would be need for an
assurance of Milton Keynes's 10-year guarantee.
Vera McClenaghan and Yaroslav Frol will check quality of some of previous projects of Milton Keynes.
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Fresco painting of the upper church
Fr. Vladimir discussed possible support from the Russian embassy in London and with the Russian
Orthodox Church in Ennismore Gardens.
Fr. Vladimir and Oleksiy Danylenko will discuss with the benefactor the possibility of restarting the
painting within the limitations proposed by Gregory Wolcough.
Fr. Vladimir was requested to obtain a quote for priming the walls for the fresco painting. Andzej
Strucinskij will try to get an alternative quote from a Lithuanian company. There is a donor ready to pay for
the priming.
Parish website
Sisterhood, School and calendar pages on the website need to be updated. The school and the Sisterhood
update were requested to inform about their activities. Fr. Peter said he would talk to Vadim Ermolenko about
the calendar updates.
Gregory Wolcough agreed to provide regular updates to the news section on the website.
Health & Safety
Health & Safety record book has no new records.
Fr. Peter and Vladimir Dubarenko will go through Health & Safety procedures.
Christmas celebration for children
Svetlana Zaychenko has booked Chiswick Town Hall for Christmas celebration on 13 January 2013. GBP
700 in total will be required as payment plus a refundable deposit of GBP 500, which Svetlana had paid for on
her credit card. GBP 160 have already been collected and the rest is expected to be covered by private
donations. The Council agreed to cover any deficits.
Other matters
Fr. Peter proposed putting an icon of the Mother of God of the “Gate” above the West Door of the church.
As a temporary measure Nicolas Mabin suggested that there was wooden cross which could be used on the
outside.
Sisterhood was thanked for their hard work during the visit of hierarchs.
The belfry will take 4-5 months to build.
Harry Gill proposed spending GBP 2,000, inclusive of VAT, on cleaning the drains and checking location
of the pipes in December 2012. The proposal was approved unanimously.
The trees will be trimmed on 13 November 2012 at the total cost of GBP 1,114.
Churchwarden Vera McClenaghan has ordered GBP 300 worth of bottles for Holy Water.
Spending GBP 200 on disinfestation of mice in the Church House basement was approved unanimously.
Mould in the Church House basement needs to be investigated. The Sisterhood and Vera were asked to
propose a course of action.
Head Sister Sofia Michailidou has booked a First Aid training at a cost of GBP 390, which had already been
approved for payment.
Date of the next meeting
Further to H.E. Archbishop Mark’s directive that Council meetings must no longer be held on a Sunday, the
next meeting will take place on Friday, 14 December 2012 at 19:45.
Closing of the meeting
The meeting closed with prayer at 15:46
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