| A photo from the archive of Petr Zadirov shows the Church of the Holy Trinity in the Antarctic, on Waterloo Island, the southernmost Orthodox church in the world. Maxim Vorobyov captured the Velikoretsky Procession—one of the Orthodox traditions that were restored in the 2000s. Believers carrying the icon of St. Nicholas the Miracle-Worker walk 93 miles on foot, with their children in their arms, from Vyatka, where the church containing the miraculous icon of St. Nicholas (lost in 1924 when the church was destroyed) was located, to the village of Velikoretskoye. A collection of photos taken by Vladimir Yeshtokin show contemporary church life: a sister of mercy at a children’s home and the distribution of aid collected by the church for Krymsk, which suffered from flooding in the summer of 2012. Sergei Teterin captured a service in a church that is attached to a home for deaf and blind children in Sergiev Posad. Father Dmitry Lukyanov holds a service on the shore of the Arctic Ocean. Smiling children on a frosty day against the background of a church in Yakutiya (photo by Sergei Klimtsov). The return of a blessed cross from Solovki to the site of the Butovo firing range, where victims of Stalin’s repressions, including priests, were shot and buried in mass graves (photo by Sergei Gubachev). Of course, none of the scandalous stories associated with the Russian Orthodox Church in recent years is represented here. Still, the exhibition does not appear as biased or overly backed by the state. The exhibition balances official reporting with artistic works, ethnographic sketches and archive photos. Through these portraits, visitors meet living people who are living the life of the spirit. The “Two Christianizations of Russia” exhibition is open through Sept. 10, during the Moscow metro’s regular hours of operation. Source: RBTH Network Code for blog Since you are here… …we do have a small request. More and more people visit Orthodoxy and the World website. However, resources for editorial are scarce. In comparison to some mass media, we do not make paid subscription. It is our deepest belief that preaching Christ for money is wrong. |
| There is much that is mysterious, that we cannot understand with our minds. And this is natural, because the spiritual, Divine world is above us, it is not fully revealed to our minds, it is not subject to them, but is revealed to our hearts. If this happens, then it becomes a great achievement in our life. We understand only later, not immediately, that there is nothing higher in our life. And there can be nothing higher than life with Christ, than the possibility to find Christ and be with Him. This is why Holy Week is a precious time. Of course, it is possible and it is necessary to be with Christ all the time. But it is very difficult for fallen people. Our heart is incapable of it, it feels as if it is exhausted, it cannot cleanse itself and prepare itself to be with God all the time. And here the Lord Himself takes our hearts into His hands and leads us with His mighty hand and carries out that task which we should have done ourselves but have become incapable of. The Church leads us forth on the mighty journey to Christ, to life with Christ, which is why it is much easier to come and draw near to Christ and feel that we are together with Him at Church services than when we are alone. Classes at St Tikhon’s University are canceled during Holy Week and Bright Week so that students can devote all their time to Church services. But it is rare that work and study stop at this time. What can be done? I can talk about this from experience: in the Soviet period I spared no effort to get off work at this time and usually I succeeded. You need to arrange things any way you can, ask someone to cover for you in order to attend at least the most important services. I see that nowadays people do the same: they try to arrange to get off work beforehand so they can attend services. I think that if you cannot, you miss out on a lot. Of course, it is impossible for everyone to quit working at the same time and go to church, so that everything stops. But there are many who do not strive to do this, who do not go to church and do not believe. There is always a realistic possibility to find cover so that you can attend. |
| The circumstances of our life are such that we cannot take part in all the Church services. At St Nicholas church in Kuznetskaya Sloboda we try to serve twice a day, we repeat the greatest services twice so that every family member can cover for each other so they can take part in what are not so much services as events. Each day in Holy Week is not only the Gospel narrative of these days, but also the path to the suffering which happened on Calvary. Our very journey through the days of Holy Week resembles the path to the Passion which our Lord Himself took. Now we see how Our Lord came to Jerusalem, then left and came back again, giving His last teachings to the people and the disciples. The services make us companions of Christ, His audience. We recall Holy Thursday, Holy Friday, Great and Holy Saturday…It seems to me that all comments are superfluous and even impossible. This is so much higher than words, that, as we sing in the service, “every mind is at a loss for words”. It is better to go to church and take part in it yourself. It is very important that these services be celebrated without haste, so that people can understand everything and feel it in their hearts, so that as we take part together in Christ’s sufferings, the whole community, people and clergy, are united, that all this is a common journey with Christ. The texts of the Church services say that by His sufferings Christ delivered us from sufferings. How did this happen? This means that through His sufferings on the Cross, Christ delivered us from eternal sufferings, opening the way to salvation, to the Kingdom of God, and delivered us from everlasting torment. But this means that we must take the way of the Cross together with Christ. Does this mean then that suffering on earth is inevitable? Of course it is, because man with his proud will has himself chosen the way which led him away from God. This is called the Fall. When he chose his way without God, he lost his immortality and purity, his nature became fallen, stricken with sin and death. Man is born with the root of sin in his soul. This root soon produces evil shoots – the passions. Man is a real prisoner of these passions, of sin. If a man is not saved, he will die, because he is unable to save himself. This is why Our Lord Jesus Christ comes, He Who alone can save man – there are no other ways to salvation. Jesus Christ, being God, became a man and took on human nature in order to vanquish death in that nature. The nature taken on by the Lord was not fallen. He did not sin as a man. But He took on all the consequences of sin, sickness, suffering and death, in order to conquer them. It is impossible to explain this mystery in full, it is beyond human understanding, but this mystery is revealed to the human heart, we know the love of Christ through our own love. |
| Archpriest George Bolgarsky Church of St. Nicholas, village of Druzhba, Mytishchinskiy District During the Great Patriotic War [WWII], the father of a good friend of mine fell through the ice; naturally he was in full uniform, in his greatcoat. He had no way of climbing out by himself. Soldiers were running past him (either advancing or withdrawing), but they did not notice him. Then he began to pray: “Lord, help me! St. Nicholas, intercede on my behalf before the Lord!” He promised that, if lived and had a son, he would name him Nicholas. Suddenly two soldiers who were running past stopped and helped him get out. This man lived and named his son Nicholas. It was this son, who is already an older man, who told me this story. There are many different cases of miracles attributable to the protection of St. Nicholas in the lives of many, many people. It is no accident that there is a folk saying that goes: if you want the Lord to hear your request, tell it to St. Nicholas. As the rector of a church dedicated to St. Nicholas, I have constantly experienced – and continue to experience – the saint’s help from the day we started building our church, which is now nine years old. We went to the place where the church was to be built and served a moleben [supplicatory service], glorifying St. Nicholas and asking for his help. Miracles took place before my eyes as construction progressed in remarkable fashion, even when it seemed that all kinds of restrictions were being put in place to stop it. All these difficulties were miraculously resolved. The birth of my youngest son, who is now a year and a half old, is another of his miracles. It is no accident that I have named my son Nicholas. Archpriest Vladimir Vorobyov Church of St. Nicholas in Kuznetsk Sloboda (Moscow) My grandfather, who was a priest in Moscow, served in a church of St. Nicholas. And his son, my father, was named Nicholas. My own son and two of my grandsons also bear this name. Every church in which I have served has had a side chapel dedicated to the saint, and indeed the church of which I am now rector is also dedicated to St. Nicholas. |
| Many other new initiatives have been implemented over these years, but if we were to speak of them in detail our conversation would go on for quite some time. Transcribed by Alexander Filippov. Photographs by Julia Makoveitchuk, Mikhail Moiseev, and from the archives of St. Tikhon’s University. Translated from the Russian You might also like: In Remembrance of Archpriest Vsevolod Shpiller (+1984) Tweet Donate Share Code for blog Twenty Years of St. Tikhon’s Orthodox University Archpriest Vladimir Vorobyov St. Tikhon’s Orthodox University in Moscow is celebrating its twentieth birthday. Here its rector, Archpriest Vladimir Vorobyov, tells its story – one that shows in microcosm the renewal of church life in Russia after the fall of communism. [caption id="" align="" ... Since you are here… …we do have a small request. More and more people visit Orthodoxy and the World website. However, resources for editorial are scarce. In comparison to some mass media, we do not make paid subscription. It is our deepest belief that preaching Christ for money is wrong. Having said that, Pravmir provides daily articles from an autonomous news service, weekly wall newspaper for churches, lectorium, photos, videos, hosting and servers. Editors and translators work together towards one goal: to make our four websites possible - Pravmir.ru, Neinvalid.ru, Matrony.ru and Pravmir.com. Therefore our request for help is understandable. For example, 5 euros a month is it a lot or little? A cup of coffee? It is not that much for a family budget, but it is a significant amount for Pravmir. If everyone reading Pravmir could donate 5 euros a month, they would contribute greatly to our ability to spread the word of Christ, Orthodoxy, life " s purpose, family and society. Donate Today " s Articles “Le monde entier reste silencieux au… pravmir_com_team Depuis le 12 décembre 2022, la région de l " Artsakh, où vivent 120… “The whole world is silent about… Natalia Nekhlebova Since December 12, 2022 the region of Artsakh, where 120,000 Armenians live,… |
| There were very few clergy and they were terribly overworked. Priests were very tired on those days, they were tormented, literally falling over with tiredness by the end of the day. It was virtually impossible to speak to a priest. Now you can easily talk to a priest about anything you want, but it was not like that then. Now we have communities, but in the Soviet period it was virtually impossible to have communities: only in exceptional cases, inside parishes, were there small catacomb communities. Normal community life was impossible – there was the parish. And the parish was huge numbers of people, who did not know each other, did not greet each other and at church services were jam packed together. It was really tormenting to attend such services; it was stuffy and overcrowded in church, everybody pushed and jostled, it was hard to breathe. That is why the service was often shortened, paid choirs did not sing as the faithful could have. Translated from Russian by Elena Demidova Edited by Fr. Andrew Phillips Code for blog Since you are here… …we do have a small request. More and more people visit Orthodoxy and the World website. However, resources for editorial are scarce. In comparison to some mass media, we do not make paid subscription. It is our deepest belief that preaching Christ for money is wrong. Having said that, Pravmir provides daily articles from an autonomous news service, weekly wall newspaper for churches, lectorium, photos, videos, hosting and servers. Editors and translators work together towards one goal: to make our four websites possible - Pravmir.ru, Neinvalid.ru, Matrony.ru and Pravmir.com. Therefore our request for help is understandable. For example, 5 euros a month is it a lot or little? A cup of coffee? It is not that much for a family budget, but it is a significant amount for Pravmir. If everyone reading Pravmir could donate 5 euros a month, they would contribute greatly to our ability to spread the word of Christ, Orthodoxy, life " s purpose, family and society. |
| Когда что-то делаешь хорошо, получаешь удовольствие и признание людское. А то, что соблазны вокруг - на то они и соблазны, чтобы волю укреплять. Главное, чтобы не возникало вопроса: " Что, добрый молодец, дело пытаешь, аль от дела лытаешь? " Р.Б. Ольга Михаил Ивлев 29 марта 2014, 21:49 А что плохого в поиске коллектива, где работают православные ? Лучше слушать всего три мата в минуту ? Это полезно для души? А когда начальник лишает премии , если не идёшь на корпоратив перед новым годом - значит постадать ради своей веры ? Что значит стать незаменимым ? Конечно христианин не имеет права работать плохо. Но в бизнесе не должно быть незаменимых. Рекламировать качественный товар приятно. Только качественных товаров очень мало и если рекламировать только их, на жизнь не хватит. А спелая и вкусная вишня обычно с нитратами и по грабительской цене. Православные экономики не боятся. И работа бывает благочестивой. Например - обучиться професии отделочника и создать свою бригаду. Тогда не придётся устраиваться к работодателю, для которого лучше атеист , чем верующий Богу. Лиза 29 марта 2014, 12:41 Например, Преподобный Серафим Вырицкий до принятия монашества был одним из пяти крупнейших торговцев пушниной в Санкт- Петербурге. Причем с молодости хотел стать монахом, но старец благословил сначала потрудиться в миру. А когда грянула революция, все свои сбережения он пожертвовал в Новодевичий монастырь и Александро- Невскую Лавру, причем суммы по тем временам немалые. Святой Серафим Вырицкий начинал торговать с подмастерья и за усердие и умение хорошо продать товар затем выдвинулся в начальники, а затем и сам стал хозяином. Его хорошо просить об успехе в торговых дела, помогает. Vladimir Vorobyov 29 марта 2014, 02:31 Смущает категоричной утверждений... а они (рассуждения) - не идеальны... Зачем мы строим шикарные Храмы, если можно молиться где попало? Почему стремимся по святым местам, а не получаем благодать где попало? Почему мы держимся своих приходов? Никто не спорит, что не надо бояться работы как таковой, если она не противоречит нашим православным, канонам, убеждениям и традициям... |
| Вот лучшее подтверждение и утверждение своей веры. А с выбором работы лучше всего обращаться с молитвой к святым и обязательно найдется работа по сердцу. Уж кто как Господь наш знает наши желания, призвания и потребности! Татьяна У. 28 июня 2014, 20:28 Ольга пишет: " Скажите, а что же делать, если меня склоняют к тому, что мне не свойственно?? Навязывают мне те грехи, которых я всегда опасалась? " Ольга, если возможно - вежливо, но твердо отказаться. Если отказ невозможен - только БЕЖАТЬ с такой работы!!! Ольга 3 мая 2014, 19:10 Скажите, а что же делать, если меня склоняют к тому, что мне не свойственно?? Навязывают мне те грехи, которых я всегда опасалась? Ксения 4 апреля 2014, 08:40 Работать можно, но только сильно свою веру на показ выставлять не надо. А лучше попросить Господа Иисуса Христа, или святых его, или Пресвятую Богородицу найти себе работу по силам и вере. Что я сделала и ни минуты об этом не пожалела. Толик 2 апреля 2014, 21:35 " «Православные безработные» почему-то вообще очень боятся экономики. Механизмы получения прибыли кажутся им греховными сами по себе. " Они, православные безработные и... работные, не только экономики боятся, а также и журналистов. Такой же, как они, согласен с ними, - механизмы получения прибыли не очень понятны. Вернее, понятны до какой то степени, но также, до какой то степени - не приемлемы. Марина 31 марта 2014, 11:14 В моем окружении много верующих людей,риэлторы- квартиры продают,таможенники-проверяют поступление товаров,педагоги-детей воспитывают,есть которые БАДы продают! Есть одна женжина, она в Макдоналдсе руководитель смены,бухгалтеры и так далее.Лиш-бы польза была и людям и себе. Плохое можно найти даже в самом хорошем! Vladimir Vorobyov 31 марта 2014, 00:30 Исключительно с целью поддержания очень важного разговора, хочу предложить вниманию интересующихся этой темой мирян написанную в прошлом году статью для сайта православных предпринимателей - Она в 4-х частях, но очень коротких, так что чтение не займет много времени. |
| – But they say that if children are connected with the temple only by a get-together, a set of hobbies, then by growing up, they will leave all this… – There might be a certain truth in this. But in any case, I think what is more important is how children perceive the space of the temple. If it is a space of attention and love for you, and not the territory of law and punishment, it is not so important what exactly happens there. Children feel that there are some events organized for them not to send a report to the Patriarchate, but simply because they are loved. – And how much do children need church discipline? The obligation of prayers, the obligation of going to the temple, fasting? – Children definitely need discipline. Children have to live in a completely outlined, designated space, because it helps the child to structure life. Another question is a measure of the rigor of this discipline. I think it should be inversely proportional to the age of the child. The younger the child, the greater the degree of discipline should be. It is not about forcing a child, but there should just be such a mood in a family: when, let’s say, everyone goes to the temple, we have no other options. We do not even ask the question: well, are we going to the temple or not? When the child asks the question: why are we going to church on Sundays? – we can explain to him why. – And if the child says: “May I not go to the temple this Sunday?” – For example, you can say this: “Wait, where are you going? Will you be sleeping? Please sleep and we will go to the temple and come back happy and contented.” I think that the ideal situation is the one that Archpriest Vladimir Vorobyev described at one time: when, in Soviet times, members of religious families still needed to earn a trip to the temple! And here at our parish, I see that, by some miracle, such a model has been created for the participation of children in worship and the saturation of parish life, extra-liturgical activities, that children run to church. For them, it is a holiday, not a problem, a headache, or “lost private time.” I do not know what will happen when the kids grow up. We’ll see! |
| They say, though, that if children are only connected to the temple by parties, and various hobbies, then they will leave it all behind we they grow up… Perhaps there is a certain truth to that, but in any case, I think, it is much more important, how the children perceive the temple space. If it is a space where you receive attention and love rather than law and punishment, then it is not so important, what is happening there. Children feel that some activities are organized for them, not so as to send a report to the Patriarchate, but simply because they are loved. How much do children need church discipline? Is prayer, going to the temple, and fasting obligatory? Children definitely need discipline. Children must live in some sort of a well defined, designated space, because it helps to structure a child’s life. Measuring the severity of the discipline is another matter. I think it should be inversely proportional to the age of the child. The younger the child, the greater the degree of discipline there should be. We are not talking about forcing the child to comply, but simply that there should be that sort of climate in the family. When we say that everyone is going to the temple, we don’t offer any other options. We don’t even ask the question: “Well, are we going to the temple or not?” When a child asks the question, “Why should we go to the temple on Sunday?”, we can explain to him, why. What if the child says: “Can I miss going to the temple this Sunday?” We say, for example: “Wait a minute. Where are you going? Are you going to sleep? Please, get some sleep. We’ll go to the temple and return happy and content.” I think Archpriest Vladimir Vorobyov described the ideal situation in his day. In Soviet times, religious families needed to serve when they went to the temple! Here in our parish, I see that by some miracle, a model of child participation has been arranged for the liturgy, the fullness of parish life, and church activities outside of liturgy that the children run to church. For them, it is a celebration, not a problem, headache or “lost personal time.” I don’t know what will happen when the kids grow up. We’ll see! |
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