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Full of eastern promise
Royal Arch
The first moves in what is hoped will result in Supreme Grand Chapters being set up in Russia and Eastern Europe has begun. John Jackson reports.
Freemasonry is alive and well and living
in Russia and Eastern Europe. As regular
Grand Lodges are formed in these former
communist countries, so the first tentative
moves are underway to bring the Royal
Arch to the region.
The most advanced down the road is
Hungary, which has a general agreement
from the Committee of General Purposes
of the Supreme Grand Chapter of England
to form a local Supreme Grand Chapter.
The Symbolic Grand Lodge of Hungary
had brethren exalted through Cockfosters
Chapter No. 6883, London, when two
Hungarians became Royal Arch Masons
on 8 November. Cockfosters will be exported
to Hungary as a Founder Chapter. Some
Hungarians have already been exalted into
Peace and Hope Chapter No. 5925 (London).
Cockfosters Chapter received special
dispensation from Supreme Grand Chapter
to hold a convocation in Budapest on
27 March, when 11 more Hungarians
were exalted.
Two other English Chapters are expected
to assist Hungary and will also be exported,
and English Masons living in Hungary are
playing a key role, but it is likely to be at least
three years before they form their own
Supreme Grand Chapter.
Exaltations have also taken place of
brethren who are members of the Grand
Lodge of Russia and the Regular Grand
Lodge ‘Yugoslavia’ – not to be confused with
the Grand Lodge of Yugoslavia, which the
United Grand Lodge of England does
not recognise.
Harmony Chapter No. 5835 (Middlesex)
hosted a meeting at Harrow in October to
exalt Dmitriy Denisov, Grand Master of the
Grand Lodge of Russia, and Vladimir Nikitin,
then the Deputy Grand Secretary, now
the Grand Secretary, of the Grand Lodge
of Russia.
There was simultaneous translation
during the ceremony, and a further 17
Russians, including the Deputy Grand
Master and the two Assistant Grand Masters,
were exalted into Harmony Chapter on 30
March by a team of Middlesex Provincial
officers under the direction of Deputy
Grand Superintendent Ernie Ainsworth.
David Cons, Grand Superintendent for
Middlesex, has been invited to Moscow
next summer.
On 7 February, seven brethren from the
Regular Grand Lodge ‘Yugoslavia’ were
exalted into Eureka Chapter No. 4940,
Cheshire, at Stockport, supported by
Meridian Chapter No. 5060 and Norbury
Chapter No. 5656.
Those exalted included Jovan Vasiljevic,
their Grand Master, who is a Professor
of Pathology at the Institute of Pathology
in Belgrade.
Proposals to set up a Supreme Grand
Chapter (which could be at least five years
away) for these two Grand Lodges has still to
be approved by the Supreme Grand Chapter
of England.
Other eastern European countries have
also expressed an interest in taking part in
Royal Arch Masonry.
Photographed after the Russian exaltation, front row
(left to right): Ernest Ainsworth (Deputy Grand
Superintendent), John Ling (Second Provincial
Grand Principal), Vladimir Nikitin (Deputy Grand
Secretary, Grand Lodge of Russia), Dmitriy Denisov
(Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Russia), David Cons
(Grand Superintendent), Robert Bethel (Third
Provincial Grand Principal). Back Row (left to
right): Ray Tillyer (Second Principal of Chapter),
James Dunlop (First Principal of Chapter), Leonard
Arch (Third Principal of Chapter).
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