On the Day of the Liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Yoke, a memorial service was held in Moscow for the soldiers who died during the years of the Russian-Turkish war.

On the Day of the Liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Yoke, a memorial service was held in Moscow for the soldiers who died during the years of the Russian-Turkish war. В День освобождения Болгарии от османского ига в Москве совершена панихида по воинам, погибшим в годы Русско-турецкой войны print version March 4, 2019 16:39 March 3, 2019, on the Day of the Liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Yoke (the national holiday of the Republic of Bulgaria) and the 141st anniversary of the end of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878, a solemn commemoration of Russian soldiers was held at the chapel in honor of the icon of the Mother of God of the Sign and the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky - a monument to the heroes of Pleven in Ilinsky Park, Moscow. With the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, the bishop of Dmitrovsky Feofilakt , the manager of the South-West Moscow Vicariate, made a requiem. His Grace was served by the Acting Archpriest Andrei Rechytsky, rector of the chapel, Archpriest Alexander Saltykov, representative of the Patriarch of Bulgaria under the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Archimandrite Feoktist (Dimitrov) , representative of the Synodal Department for Interaction with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Bodies, Archpriest Alexander Dobravryev, Archimandrite Dobrechev, Yevroshchevny of the Iversky Church District of Moscow; Archpriest Arseny Totev, Archpriest Alexander Kurnasov, Priest Gennady Lapshin, Protodeacon Konstantin Laptev, and also Cleric, Department of the flax cathedral in honor of the Okovetsky icon of the Mother of God in the city of Rzhev, Tver region ( Rzhev eparchy ), priest Victor Voznesensky. The liturgical chants were performed by the choir of the Suvorov Moscow Military-Musical School named after Lieutenant-General V.M. Khalilov. The ceremony was attended by Charge d'Affaires of the Republic of Bulgaria in the Russian Federation Alexander Kovachev, Deputy Director of the Fourth European Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Igor Kalabukhov, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee of the Federal Assembly on International Affairs Alexey Chepa, Head of the Department of Internal Policy of the Presidential Administration Evgeny Eremin, Deputy Head of the Department for the perpetuation of the memory of those killed in the defense of the Fatherland of the Ministry of Russia's major harrows, Major General Valeriy Kudinsky, Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Foreign Economic and International Relations Department Sergey Cheremin, representatives of the Moscow Government, public associations “Russian Military-Historical Society”, “Union of Friends of Bulgaria”, etc. Employees of the Republic of Embassy also prayed at the service. Bulgaria in the Russian Federation and representatives of the Bulgarian diaspora, Cossacks, Cadets, Nakhimov, Suvorov. At the end of the memorial service, the participants and guests of the ceremony were greeted by A. Kovachev, I. Kalabukhov, A. Chepa, Major General V. Kudinsky and other officials. Then a wreath-laying ceremony and military honors were given to the soldiers who died for the liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman yoke. *** March 3 - the day of the end of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. - A national holiday of the Republic of Bulgaria in honor of the liberation of the country from the Ottoman yoke. After five centuries of foreign rule, Bulgaria gained freedom, for which thousands of soldiers of the Russian army, Romanian and Finnish soldiers, Bulgarian militiamen who died in the battles of Plevna, Grivitsa, Stara Zagora, Sheinovo and at Shipka Pass passed their lives. As a result of the war between Russia and the Ottoman Empire on March 3, 1878, the San Stefano Peace Treaty was signed, which marked the beginning of the revival of the Bulgarian state. From 1878 to today, Emperor Alexander II and the soldiers who fell on the battlefield for the liberation of Bulgaria in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878 are commemorated at the Liturgy in all Orthodox churches in Bulgaria. The Moscow chapel, a monument to the heroes of Plevna, built by the comrades of the fallen grenadiers and established in Soviet times during the persecution of the Church, today is an important reminder of the historical and spiritual unity of Russia and Bulgaria. The opening of the monument chapel took place on November 27, 1887, on the day of the decade of the Battle of Plevna. Up to the revolutionary events of the twentieth century, Muscovites always solemnly celebrated the memory of the deceased grenadiers. This tradition was restored in the 1990s by parishioners of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Kadashi.

In Sofia, the day of commemoration of St. Seraphim, Archbishop of Bogucharsky

In Sofia, the day of commemoration of St. Seraphim, Archbishop of Bogucharsky В Софии торжественно отметили день памяти святителя Серафима, архиепископа Богучарского print version February 27, 2019 13:20 On February 25, 2019, in the building of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, His Holiness the Patriarch of Bulgaria Neophytos met with Metropolitan Vladimir and Suzdal Tikhon , who arrived in Bulgaria for the celebration of the memory of St. Seraphim (Sobolev), Archbishop of Bogucharsky. Metropolitan Tikhon gave the Primate of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church congratulated Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill and the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, on the occasion of the construction of the anniversary of the Patriarchal throne, as well as thanks to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church for the congratulations on the 10th anniversary of the enthronement and direction delegation of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church to attend the celebrations in Moscow. The head of the Vladimir Metropolis thanked His Holiness Patriarch Neofit for the invitation to visit Bulgaria to participate in the celebration of the memory of St. Seraphim (Sobolev), Archbishop of Bogucharsky. “At the invitation of Your Holiness and with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, I have the opportunity to visit Sofia, the ancient capital of Bulgaria Veliko Tarnovo, Pleven. I was glad to celebrate Divine Liturgy with Metropolitan Gregory at Veliko Tarnovo Cathedral, to have fraternal communion with Metropolitan Ignatiy in Pleven, to bow to the tomb of the Patriarch of Bulgaria, Maxim in the Troyan Monastery, and to be warmly received by the Bishop of Soton, the clergy of the poem, and the lyrics of the lyrics, the lyrics of the poem. who fought for the liberation of Bulgaria from the Turkish yoke, ”said the Metropolitan of Vladimir and Suzdal Tikhon. His Holiness Patriarch Neofit warmly welcomed the hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church and the representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia accompanying him under the Patriarch of the Bulgarian Archimandrite Vassian (Zmeyev) and an employee of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate D.I. Petrovsky and as a sign of the Patriarchal blessing he gave His Eminence Tikhon the icon of the Good Shepherd - our Lord Jesus Christ. To prayer memory, Metropolitan of Vladimir Tikhon presented His Holiness Patriarch Kirill with an icon of St. Simon, the first Bishop of Vladimir and Suzdal, and the Blessed Prince George of Vladimir. The meeting was also attended by Metropolitan Nevrokopsky Seraphim, Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church Bishop Melnissky Gerasim and Bishop of Belogradchishsky Polycarp, Vicar of the Sofia Metropolis. On the same day, the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church visited the largest in Bulgaria Rylsky Stavropegic Monastery, where it venerated the relics of the founder of the monastery, St. John of Rila, and other shrines of the monastery, met with the sights. Metropolitan Tikhon met Hegumen of the Rila Monastery Bishop Eulogius of Andrianopol. In the evening, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Bulgaria, A.A. In honor of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church, Makarov gave a dinner at his residence, in which the main secretary of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Bishop Melnishsky Gerasim and Assistant Rector of the Sofia Theological Seminary, Hieromonk Meletii, also took part. On February 26, the Church commemorates Saint Seraphim, Archbishop of Bogucharsky. On the day of the congregation, with the blessing of the Holy Spirit, Patriarch of Moscow ), Protosingel of the Western and Central European Metropolis of Archimandrite Athanasius (Sultanov), Deputy Rector of the Sofia Theological Seminary. monk Meletios (Spassov), a cleric of the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Martyr Week (Kyriaki) svyaschennoekonoma Kirill Popov, Priest Dimitri Tuhchieva and patriarchal archdeacon Alexander Nesheva. Hieromonk Zotik (Gajewski) and the clergy of the Metropolitan of Sofia prayed at the Liturgy. Numerous parishioners gathered in the temple. The Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Bulgaria A.A. Makarov, Counselor of the Russian Embassy V.I. Gusev, DIOC employee D.I. Petrovsky. Gospel reading was delivered in Bulgarian. Requests for the unity of the Orthodox Church and its preservation from divisions and divisions were proclaimed on a special litany. Then Metropolitan Tikhon offered a prayer for peace in Ukraine. The liturgical chants were performed by the choir of the Nikolsky church-monastery under the direction of V. Chenova-Stefanova. At the end of the service, Archimandrite Vassian (Serpents) addressed the audience with greetings. The rector of the monastery asked to convey the words of heartfelt thanks to His Holiness Patriarch Neophyte for his blessing to the hierarch and clergy of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church to take part in the service of the Liturgy on the memorial day of St. Seraphim, Archbishop of Bogucharsky. In memory of this, Archimandrite Vassian presented icons of St. Seraphim (Sobolev) to serving archpastors. His Holiness Patriarchs of Moscow and All Russia, Kirill and the Bulgarian Neophytos, the Bulgarian and Russian peoples and all those present in the church, were proclaimed many years. Then the prayer service at the relics of St. Seraphim in the crypt of the St. Nicholas Church, in cooperation with the Bishop Polykarp of Belogradchik, the priest of the St. Nicholas Cathedral, Archimandrite Vassian and the clergy of the Sofia churches were headed by Metropolitan of Vladimir and Suzdal Tikhon. Throughout the day, the anointing of the consecrated oil from the relics of St. Seraphim (Sobolev) was performed in the crypt of the Nikolsky Church.

Paul Kushnikov and priest Nikolai Zavarin

JOURNAL number 31 HAD A REPEATED CONSIDERATION on the inclusion of a number of names in the Council of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church. Reference: The Bishops ’Jubilee Council of 2000 determined:“ In post-election time, to include the new martyrs and confessors of Russia in the composition of the already celebrated Council of New Russians with the blessing of the Holy Patriarch and the Holy Synod, on the basis of preliminary studies conducted by the Synodal Commission on the canonization of the saints ”(clause 14 New martyrs and confessors of Russia). At the same time, having familiarized with the materials presented by the Synodal Commission on the canonization of saints, the Holy Synod found it necessary to decide on the inclusion of the names of priest Pavel Kushnikov (magazine No. 122 of 12/28/2017) and priest Nikolai Zavarin (magazine No. 124 of 12/28/2018) on consideration of the Bishops' Council. Having studied the additional information received from the Synodal Commission on the canonization of the saints for this meeting, the Holy Synod considers it possible to return to the consideration of this issue. *** Priest Pavel Aleksandrovich Kushnikov was born on December 16, 1880 in the family of a priest of the Transfiguration Church of Modena in the Ustyuzhna district of the Novgorod province. In 1905 he graduated from the Novgorod Theological Seminary. He worked as a teacher of parochial schools. In 1913, he was ordained deacon and priest and appointed to serve in the Belsky church of Ustyugen county, where he was a cleric for the next five years - until his death. During the First World War and the Revolution, the priest cared not only about spiritual and moral well-being and the health of his flock, but also about providing flocks with food. To this end, he created a parish public consumer store, distributing food between the parish residents. In 1917, some of the parishioners wrote a denunciation of him to the Ustyuzhensk county commissariat. He was charged with propaganda of disobedience to the new government, but according to the results of the investigation, Father Pavel was acquitted. On February 22, 1918, he was unexpectedly arrested by two delegates from the Ustyug Executive Committee, accused of hiding weapons for the “White Guards”, although nothing was found during the search. On February 23 (old style), Father Pavel was taken outside the village of Belskoye to the swamp and shot. His feat was testified by the metropolitan of Novgorod and the Old Russian Arseny (Stadnitsky), presiding at the meeting of the All-Russian Church Council on April 9, 1918. September 20, 1918 at the last meeting of the Council, the Secretary of the Council V.P. Shein (the future holy martyr Sergius) in his report "about the persecutions of the Church and about the new martyrs" among the clergymen who "suffered for the faith and the Church" mentioned priest Paul Kushnikov. *** Priest Nikolai Kelsiyevich Zavarin was born on May 4, 1878 in the village of Kichmengsky town of Nikolsky district of the Vologda province into a priestly family. In 1892 he entered the Nikolsky Theological School, from which he expelled in 1895 due to illness. In 1897, having passed the exam for the title of a teacher of parochial schools, he entered the school of Verkhomolomsky Spasskaya parish school of the Nikolsky district of the Vologda province. In August 1900, he was appointed acting psalm-reader of St. Nicholas Church in the village of Vyatsko-Nikolskoye of the same county. At the same time, the psalter Nikolay Zavarin was a teacher in a number of other schools. In 1913 he was ordained to the surplice, and in 1916 he was ordained deacon to the same St. Nicholas Church. On April 25, 1926, at the height of the persecutions of the Church, he was ordained a priest and appointed to serve in the Vladimir Church of the village of Piksur. In 1931, he was convicted by the Narcovite People’s Court for one year of imprisonment for not paying the arrears, but on the petition of his daughter Nadezhda on February 27, 1932, he was acquitted by the Nizhkraisud Presidium. After being released from prison, Father Nikolai served in the Trifonovskaya church in the village of Berezovo, Yuryansk district. In November 1932, he was again arrested for "anti-Soviet activities" and sentenced to five years in prison. In 1933 he was released early, after which he returned to the village of Piksur. In September 1935, activists of the Varzhensky Village Council decide on the closure of the Vladimir Church in the village of Piksur, allegedly on the basis of the decision of the majority of voters living in the parish territory. The temple was covered with grain. With the blessing of Father Nikolai, the parishioners, led by his daughter, applied to Moscow with a petition for the opening of the church. In December 1935, an order from the All-Russian Central Executive Committee to cleanse the temple of oats in three days was handed to the Darovsk prosecutor. From the village council there were several more attempts to close the temple under various pretexts, but each time the believers managed to defend their temple. February 16, 1937, Fr Nikolai and his daughter Nadezhda were arrested. Father Nicholas was accused of “being the organizer of a counterrevolutionary group among people close to the church, he conducted anti-Soviet agitation, called on women to unite around the church and fight the Soviet authorities, spread rumors about the fall of the Soviet authorities and the massacre of God’s offenders, agitated about the wrong policy of the Soviet government, leading to hunger, explained the correctness of the struggle of the Trotskyists ". When arrested and searched, Father Nikolai answered the question about weapons: my weapon is the Gospel and religion, and I fight with them. During the investigation, the priest did not admit his guilt, and answered the questions of the investigator about “counter-revolutionary activities”: “Since I served in the church, I tried to maintain faith among the population, to defend the church so that it would not be closed, but I never spoke with anti-Soviet agitation.” He did not give any names, did not blame anyone, including his own false witnesses from among the clergy. Priest Nikolai was shot on August 19, 1937. RESOLVED: 1. Include the names of priest Paul Kushnikov and priest Nikolai Zavarin in the Council of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church. 2. To commemorate the newly glorified saints in the days of their martyrdom: Martyr Pavel Kushnikov - February 23 / March 8; Martyr Nicholas Zavarin - August 6/19. 3. The honest remains of the holy martyrs Pavel Kushnikov and Nicholas Zavarin, if they are found, be considered holy relics and pay them proper reverence. 4. To write icons to the newly glorified saints for worship, according to the definition of the VII Ecumenical Council.

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy urged the President of Ukraine to stop the interference of officials in the affairs of the Church

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy urged the President of Ukraine to stop the interference of officials in the affairs of the Church Блаженнейший митрополит Онуфрий призвал Президента Украины прекратить вмешательство чиновников в дела Церкви print version March 22, 2019 20:18 March 21, 2019 The Head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Most Blessed Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine Onuphrius took part in the meeting of the President of Ukraine PA Poroshenko with the members of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO), held at the initiative of the head of state. His Beatitude Bishop was accompanied by the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan of Borispol and Brovarsky, Anthony , as well as Archpriest Nikolai Danilevich, Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In his speech, PA Poroshenko emphasized the need to protect the principles of religious freedom. “I, as President, as the guarantor of constitutional rights, will do everything possible to protect religious freedom in Ukraine. The issue of religious freedom should be the subject of our joint activities, ”the head of state said, adding that“ violence can never be a way to solve problems. ” The Most Blessed Metropolitan Onufry, thanking P.A. Poroshenko for the opportunity to meet, said: “In these blessed days of Great Lent, the Church calls us to repentance, restraint, prayer and reconciliation with our neighbors. The task of the Church is to take care of the spiritual, moral, to lead people to God, to preach love, forgiveness and peace. The task of the state - to take care of the material side of human life, to monitor compliance with the laws and the like. However, during these days of Great Lent, as well as for a long time before it began, events are happening in the religious sphere of our country that distress us. I mean the seizure of churches, the intervention of government representatives in church affairs and other offenses. In particular, the heads of village councils, city councils, heads of administrations, deputies convene a meeting of territorial communities and arrange illegal voting to change the subordination of a religious community. This is directly contrary to the Law of Ukraine No. 2683 (draft 4128-e), where it is said that only a religious community with two-thirds vote can do it, and not a territorial one. This leads to the fact that they forcefully seize our churches, drive our communities into the streets, our communities are forced to pray in rural homes. In particular, our communities in Volyn serve in the houses: in the villages, Nychegovka, Krasnovolya, Telchi, Godomichi (this is the Manevichsky district); in the villages of Zhidychin, Klepachy, Berestyane, Kulchin (this is Lutsk region), Berestechko, Sands, Zvinyache, Skobelka (this is Gorokhov district). And this is not all data only for the Volyn region. There are a lot of such cases in different areas. The police often do not act, just passively watching. I want to emphasize that it is not we who seize temples in ourselves, it is not our communities that cut off the castles on their temples, as some people sometimes say in our media. This comes to strangers for the Church people who did not go to the temple and do not go. One of the last egregious cases was in the town of Baranovka in the Zhytomyr region, where on Forgiveness Sunday the deputy from the Radical Party Oleg Kovalsky gathered a “veche”, after which he sent about 400 people to take over the UOC church in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. As a result, the crowd rushed to the temple. Parishioners, who in the amount of about 150 people were in the temple, were beaten, thrown from the church stairs and pushed out of the church fence. And for such illegal actions, provoking inter-religious hatred, for an attempt to capture, none of the officials is not responsible. But the priest of our Church, who protects our churches and defends the rule of law - I mean Archpriest Viktor Zemlyanoy from the Rivne diocese, is under pressure - they opened criminal proceedings against him and handed over suspicion under articles No. 161 (part 1) and number 300 (part 1 ). All charges are artificial. Also try to choose a measure of restraint for him. As we know, the pressure on our priest is on the orders of the head of the SBU in the Rivne region, Bedry Vasily Vasilyevich. In other regions of Ukraine there are similar criminal proceedings. We regard them as ordered, as a way of putting pressure on the clergy and believers of our Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and we believe that such persecution in a democratic society is unacceptable and violates the right to freedom of religion. False information about the transfer of UOC religious communities in the amount of about 450 parishes is disseminated in the media. However, according to our data, only 42 parishes decided to go to the PCU, of which 9 parishes went without a priest. The remaining 55 so-called "voluntary transitions" are characterized by cutting locks, beating believers and in fact are captures. 137 cases were registered where the territorial community voted to transfer to the HCV against the will of the religious community. In these cases, our faithful with the priests remain and serve in their churches, although the local authorities reported that the community allegedly passed. The facts of threats, intimidation, pressure on the clergymen of the UOC, discrimination and other violations of the rights and freedoms of our Church have already come to the attention of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and published in their report of 12.03.2019. Everything that is happening now in villages in different regions of Ukraine has a negative effect on both the authority of the authorities and the authority of the President. Therefore, I would ask you, Pyotr Alekseevich, to instruct local officials to stop artificially initiating a change of subordination. It will stop conflicts among people. I am sure that everything that is now happening around our Church, including among Orthodox Christians in general, is not the way we should go. This is definitely not the path that will lead us to unity. It is necessary to recognize the fallacy of this path, to draw conclusions from the mistakes, and look for other ways of church unity. Capturing and dragging wards only discards the unity process decades ago. We have already experienced this in the early 1990s. Therefore, if the situation cannot be completely rectified, then at least one should start by not worsening it. Mr. President! I want you to understand us correctly. We, that is, our Ukrainian Orthodox Church - for Ukraine, for the whole and united state. For peace, for peace, understanding and unity among our people. We have always defended it and declared. All that I cited above only harms the state. Make it stop. I am sure it is in your power! ” Responding to the words of the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the head of state said that neither he nor any regional state administration gave instructions on the places for the transfer of churches from one denomination to another. P.A. Poroshenko advised in the above cases to go to court, and also offered His Beatitude Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine Onufry to hold a separate meeting to discuss these crisis issues. His Beatitude Bishop Onufry conveyed to the head of state a list of captured temples and a description of other facts of offenses committed against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The president instructed his assistants to study the situation and respond on a case-by-case basis. At the end of the official part of the event, P.A. Poroshenko with His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine, informs the Information and Education Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, with reference to the DECR UOC website .

Priests of a number of dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church take part in commemorative events on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan

Priests of a number of dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church take part in commemorative events on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan Священнослужители ряда епархий Русской Православной Церкви принимают участие в памятных мероприятиях по случаю 30-летия вывода советских войск из Афганистана print version February 14, 2019 15:35 On February 15, Russia celebrates the Day of Remembrance of the Russians, who performed their official duties outside the country. In 1989, it was on this day that the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan was completed. In the Russian regions are events dedicated to this date. More than 4.5 thousand people from Smolensk region fought on the territory of Afghanistan. On the eve of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the withdrawal of a limited contingent of Soviet troops from the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, a solemn event was held in Smolensk in the cultural center "Gubernsky". The event was attended by member of the Federation Council Committee of the Federal Assembly of Defense and Security, head of the Russian Union of Afghan Veterans Franz Klintsevich, deputy governor of the Smolensk region Konstantin Nikonov, head of the regional Duma Igor Lyakhov, Metropolitan of Smolensk and Dorogobuzh Isidor , leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Smolensk region , generals and officers, heads of law enforcement agencies of the region, representatives of public veteran organizations, intern soldiers tsionalisty, employees of internal affairs, wives, mothers and relatives of soldiers who performed their international duty, yunarmeytsy, Smolensk military academy cadets, students of the Cadet Corps. Metropolitan Isidor conveyed the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill to those gathered. Addressing the participants of the event, the head of the Smolensk Metropolis said: “This is an event, the 30th anniversary of which we celebrate, joyful and at the same time sorrowful. Joyful, because it became an important event in national history, underlined the heroism of our people, who are able to carry out the peacekeeping mission. This event is sad because we have lost forever our great heroes — the defenders of the Fatherland — from our lives. ” Franz Klintsevich in his address to the participants of the event spoke about the intention to erect in Smolensk a temple-monument, on the walls of which 15028 names and surnames of soldiers-internationalists who died in Afghanistan will be immortalized. Next to the temple is planned to plant an apple orchard of 90 seedlings, according to the number of Smolensk residents who died in Afghan soil. After the official part, the concert began, in which the ensemble of the military-patriotic song “Tracer”, the folk group “Kudesy” and other Smolensk creative groups performed. February 12 in Tambov, the opening of the monument to the people of Tambov who died during the execution of military duty in the Republic of Afghanistan in 1979-1989 took place. The event was attended by Metropolitan of Tambov and Rasskazovsky Feodosy , chairman of the Tambov Regional Duma E.A. Matushkin, First Deputy Head of Administration of the Tambov Region O.O. Ivanov, Chairman of the Tambov City Duma V.V. Putintsev, the head of the city Tambov S.A. V. Chebotarev, Deputy Commander of the 40th Army of the OXV in the Republic of Afghanistan V.A. Vasenin, representatives of the TRO OOO Russian Union of Veterans of Afghanistan. In total, the opening ceremony of the monument was attended by more than three thousand people, including soldiers, men, soldiers of TSTU, cadets, students of educational institutions of the city, members of the public. The consecration of the memorial complex was performed by Metropolitan Theodosius. Prayer chants were performed by the choir of the Tambov Theological Seminary conducted by priest Maxim Nasonov. Welcoming the participants, the head of the Tambov Metropolis noted that the monument testifies to the deep respect of the people of Tambov for the Afghan soldiers who are both alive and those who are not with us today. Vladyka Theodosius said that in 1979 he was drafted into the ranks of the Armed Forces and served in the Nizhny Novgorod region. That year, Soviet troops were brought into the territory of the DRA, and the archpastor recalled how dozens of his earlier call-in colleagues, who already had military service experience, were called upon to do their duty in Afghanistan. The opening of the monument is timed to the anniversary date - the 30th anniversary since the withdrawal of Soviet troops from the Republic of Afghanistan. The monument is located on the alley leading to the TSTU building on Michurinskaya Street. The memorial complex was erected with funds raised by deputies, managers and employees of enterprises, entrepreneurs, residents of the region. He commemorated 96 soldiers-internationalists. The author of the project is a student of TSTU, Dmitry Kotov. In the city of Kumsangir (Khatlon Oblast of the Republic of Tajikistan), Afghan veterans, representatives of the Russian Embassy in the Republic of Tajikistan, the command of the 201st Russian military base, representatives of Russian compatriots' organizations, uniformedians and schoolchildren took part in the commemorative events. The Dushanbe Diocese was represented by the rector of the Iversky-Narva military church, the assistant commander for work with religious believers in the 201st Russian military base, priest Roman Chebonenko, and the acting priest of the Archangel Michael church in the city of Bokhtar (Khatlon region), Hieromonk Tikhon (Kireev). Orthodox priests took part in laying flowers to the monument to fallen soldiers and attended a festive concert. The clergy spoke with the Russian-speaking population of the city. In the near future, a worship service will be organized for Orthodox residents in Kumsangir. These days, the clergy of a number of other dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church are taking part in commemorative events on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan.

An agreement was signed in Belgrade on the continuation of Russian participation in the beautification of the Cathedral of St. Sava

An agreement was signed in Belgrade on the continuation of Russian participation in the beautification of the Cathedral of St. Sava В Белграде состоялось подписание соглашения о продолжении российского участия в благоукрашении собора святителя Саввы print version March 25, 2019 11:37 On March 23, 2019, a ceremony was held at the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Belgrade to sign an agreement to continue Russian participation in the mosaic design of St. Savva’s Cathedral on Vracar, the largest church of the Serbian Orthodox Church , named after its founder and first Primate, Archbishop of Serbian Savva ( † 1236). The agreement provides for the transfer of charitable assistance to the Serbian Orthodox Church to cover the costs associated with the mosaic decoration of the altar of the Cathedral of Saint Sava. From the Serbian Orthodox Church, the document was signed by the Most Holy Patriarch of Serbia, Irinei , and from the benefactor, Gazpromneft Joint-Stock Company, the general director of the Foundation for Social Initiatives “Hometown” O.V. Andreeva. Participants of the ceremony were warmly welcomed by the head of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, compatriots living abroad, and for international humanitarian cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo) E.V. Mitrofanova. “In Russia, cultural affinity between our peoples is very much appreciated, and work on the decoration of the interior of the church of Saint Sava is one of the clearest manifestations of these feelings,” she said, noting that, in accordance with the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation, Rossotrudnichestvo is the coordinator of this project and make every effort to ensure that this temple appears before the thousands of believers in all its glory as soon as possible. E.V. Mitrofanova expressed confidence that this temple is of great importance not only for believers living in Serbia and Russia, but also for the entire Orthodox world. “It is symbolic that our event takes place on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the start of the NATO military operation against the Republic of Yugoslavia,” she said. - The memory of these events makes us with a special feeling and deep responsibility to treat the issues of preserving the unshakable values ​​of peace, harmony and mutual respect. It seems to me not accidental that an example of the joint efforts of Russia and Serbia is such a constructive and pious deed as the decoration of the interior of this magnificent temple. I am sure that by our joint work, combining faith, knowledge and creativity, we will contribute to this common noble cause. ” Then came the speech of the Secretary General of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Serbia, N. Selakovic. In his conviction, the continuation of works on the decoration of the church of St. Savva of Serbia will be "a confirmation of the proximity of the Serbian and Russian peoples, the friendly states of Serbia and Russia." “I am very grateful that we are building this temple together,” said N. Selakovich. “It will be a place of prayers, a place of peace, a place where our fraternal unity will be established.” The Russian Orthodox Church at the event on behalf of Metropolitan Hilarion of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate was represented by Archpriest Nikolai Balashov , DECR vice-chairman, who addressed the audience with a welcoming speech. It noted the outstanding importance of the Cathedral of St. Sava for the Serbian Orthodox Church and the peoples who had been nourished by it, which manifested itself with particular force in the days of the bombing of Belgrade that began 20 years ago by NATO forces. The Russian Orthodox Church and its faithful children in those terrible days were in their heart and soul with their fellow Serbian brothers, Father Nikolai reminded. “The Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy, the blessed intimates , в visited the capital of Yugoslavia and Radonitsu - on the day of the Paschal commemoration of the departed - in April 1999, together with the ever-memorable Patriarch Serbian Pavel, the Divine Liturgy in the St. Savva Cathedral under construction. Many thousands of people gathered then for a memorial prayer under his vaults, and even more - on the square in front of the temple, where the divine service ended. For these people, as well as for many millions of Orthodox Serbs, the temple, built up by several generations, became an image of the spiritual home of Serbian Orthodoxy, a symbol of the rebirth of faith, an ark of hope and salvation. For me and my compatriots, it is a great honor that now the Russian state, the Russian people, the Russian Orthodox Church have been participating in the beautification of this magnificent cathedral for a number of years, ”the deputy chairman of the DECR said. Expressing gratitude on behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church to the leadership of the Russian company Gazprom Neft for the generous donation to create the mosaic decoration of the altar of the Cathedral of St. Savva in Belgrade, Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, in particular, said: “The altar is the most important and most sacred part of the Orthodox church; a heart; to him every man who crosses the threshold of the church directs his gaze. We are confident that friendship and mutual support of Russia and Serbia, the Russian Orthodox Church and the Serbian Orthodox Church occupy the same place in our lives - the core and the sacred. ” In his closing remarks, His Holiness the Patriarch of Serbia Irinei called the signing of an agreement to continue decorating the church of Saint Sava, a historic moment, as a historic moment. “Russian and Serbian peoples are connected not only by friendship - they are united and brought together by faith, historical and cultural heritage,” said His Holiness. - Russia is a powerful state, you are a big people. We are a small people, but the Serbs have always tied their small boat to the great Russian ship. ” His Holiness Patriarch Iriney also noted the importance of fraternal ties between the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches. His Holiness noted with gratitude the contribution of all those who took part in this charitable work, highlighting the participation of the Russian state and the Russian Orthodox Church in the project, noting the charitable assistance from Gazprom Neft. “We will never forget your participation,” testified the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church. “And not only we — history will never forget this.” We will convey a feeling of gratitude for this help to the next generations. ” “When the construction of the Cathedral of Saint Sava is completed, it will not only be our church - it will be a church in both Serbia and Russia,” said His Holiness Patriarch Irenaeus. His Holiness paid special attention to the significance of the construction of this magnificent and beautiful cathedral in our days, when spiritual values ​​are supplanted from the life of the modern world. “Already, tourists who come to Serbia are asked to show them the temple of Saint Sava. But it is still under construction, and I can guess what the interest of all people will be when its beautification will be fully completed. I think it will be a miracle of faith that will serve the glory of Orthodoxy, ”said His Holiness Patriarch Serbian Irenaeus. The signing ceremony was also attended by the senior priest of the Cathedral of Saint Savva in Belgrade, Bishop Stephen Remezyansky, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Serbia AV Chepurin, Minister of Innovation of Serbia N. Popovich, rector of the Compound of the Russian Orthodox Church in Belgrade, Archpriest Vitaly Tarasyev, Vice-President of the Moscow International Foundation for UNESCO UNESCO M.V. Popova, as well as People's Artist of the Russian Federation N.A. Mukhin - the head of the group of artists engaged in the implementation of the project of creating the internal mosaic of the Cathedral of St. Sava. On the same day, Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, accompanied by N.A. Mukhina and M.V. Popova got acquainted with the course of artwork in the church of St. Sava and had a conversation with his rector, Bishop of Remezyan Stephan, and also visited the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity, the compound of the Russian Orthodox Church in Belgrade, where large-scale restoration is currently underway, and discussed with Archpriest Vitaly Tarasiev. further development of cooperation between the Moscow and Serbian Patriarchates.

The sermon of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill after the great compline on Monday of the first week of Great Lent in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior

The sermon of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill after the great compline on Monday of the first week of Great Lent in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior Проповедь Святейшего Патриарха Кирилла после великого повечерия в понедельник первой седмицы Великого поста в Храме Христа Спасителя print version March 11, 2019 22:24 On the evening of March 11, 2019, on Monday of the first week of Great Lent, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia made a great eternity with the reading of the Great Penitential Canon of St. Nicholas. Andrei of Crete in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. At the end of the service, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church addressed the flock with a sermon. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit! In the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, we ask the Lord to protect us primarily from idleness, for idleness is a vice that destroys human life. And then comes a plea to God to deliver us from despondency. Probably, there are no people who would not have experienced this feeling in their lives. St. John of the Ladder says that despondency is a relaxation of the soul and exhaustion of the mind. Despondency is accompanied by a difficult state of mind: it seems to a person that he cannot do much, cannot achieve much, has lost much in his life. And this negative self-esteem is so destructive that people lose their presence of mind, the ability to work actively, realistically assess the events surrounding them and really fall into a difficult mental state. Sometimes despondency is confused with depression. The external manifestations of both are quite similar. But if depression is the result of poor mental health, that is, a consequence of the disease, then depression is not. The concept of "despondency" in general can be defined and described only in the system of religious coordinates. If a person loses faith in God, if he begins to doubt in many respects, if he loses some vital coordinates associated with his religious choice, then, as a result, despondency occurs, the hardest state of mind. Despondency cannot be treated with medication, it is impossible to come out of despondency through suggestion from the outside. This is a condition that only a person can overcome, relying on the power of God. And how is it possible to make such a feat? There are two indispensable conditions: a person must believe in God and believe that everything that happens to him is ultimately an act of Divine providence — either God's permission, if what is happening is sad and sad, or a manifestation of Divine grace, if something joyful and good When a person learns to betray himself into the hands of God, despondency disappears, because instead of despondency one gains the deepest confidence in the strength and intelligence of Divine Providence. I had to meet with people who have passed the hardest way of life, including those who have passed through the conclusion, exile, camp only because they believed in God. And what is surprising: these people have never been discouraged. Even during obedience in Smolensk, I met with one person. He visited me, recognizing my last name, and said that with some young man who bore the same last name, he sailed from then-Leningrad to Nagayeva Bay, and then along the Kolyma highway was taken to the detention center. And he said that the young man had never been in a bad mood - he always remained calm, peaceful and even joyful. And when they asked him why he was in such good mood, the answer was simple: “But I’m going for the sake of Christ where I am sent. And can a bad life for Christ be? ” We need to largely reconsider our attitude to the world, to ourselves. The more comfort in life, the more material opportunities, the weaker a person becomes. He has something to lose, he is afraid of lowering the level of his consumption and comfort and therefore becomes very vulnerable. And not only because excitement covers only with the thought that life can change for the worse, but also simply because very often such a person becomes disheartened. And despondency is where faith disappears and where fear comes to the place of faith. That is why, in the prayer of St. Ephraim Sirin, the request to the Lord to deliver us from despondency comes in second place - the need to get rid of despondency as a state of mind incompatible with genuine human well-being is emphasized in a special way. Each of us in one way or another, under certain circumstances, is subject to this feeling. And for each of us, who at least once was subject to this feeling, today the heartfelt words of the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian are heard with a request to save us from despondency. And to get rid of despondency is to change your outlook on life, to give up fears, to give up perplexities, to try to see the future, without having any opportunity to really do it. This means to surrender into the hands of God with full confidence in the Lord, without any fear, but with great hope in God's mercy. The prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian teaches us all this. And, repeating these words, we will ask the Lord that He will deliver us, including from pernicious despondency, and will enable us to find joy and peace in the soul. I cordially congratulate all of you on the end of the first day of Great Lent. Amen. Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia