Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda! Please accept our obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet.
This year we celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of ISKCON and the fifty-fifth anniversary of your arrival in the USSR. At birth, you were given the name Abhay, meaning “fearless.” With this name the Lord wanted to show us one of your transcendental qualities. After all, to come to the Soviet Union at that time, you had to be truly fearless, even though they tried to dissuade you, trying to convince you that it was dangerous and there was almost nothing to eat. But thanks to your boundless faith in Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, you came anyway and planted the seeds of devotional service here. Thanks to your disciples, these seeds sprouted and growth continues to this day. Your seeds of bhakti are spreading throughout the world, as stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta: “In every home and in every village, people will chant the holy name.” In our city, too, this seed has sprouted.
It is our duty, though we can never fully repay our debt to you, to continue your mission here in Lipetsk, a small city in Central Russia. Although we lack spiritual qualification and maturity, we draw inspiration from the books and lectures you graciously left us, as well as from the examples of your disciples who, despite difficulties, continue to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness throughout the world.
Thanks to your mercy, a temple has been built in Lipetsk. Deity worship continues, book distribution is underway, Sunday programs, harināma, and Ratha-yātrā are held. Educational programs are held regularly as well as various public programs that introduce people to the chanting of the holy name and the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
In this festive year, I would like to ask for your blessings to grant us the strength and wisdom to maintain the service we carry out, as well as to improve and expand it, to please you, your disciples, and the spiritual teachers in ISKCON.
Striving to become servants of the servants of your servants,
The devotees of ISKCON Lipetsk