Chairman of the Patriarchal Commission on Family Issues, Protection of Motherhood and Childhood - it is under this position that Orthodox people know one of the most famous and outstanding missionaries and preachers of the modern Church. Archpriest Dmitry Smirnov brings the Word of God to people all his life, opens the path of Truth.
Despite all the ambiguity of his person and, at times, the rather harsh statements that he allows himself, Father Dmitry is an unconditional authority in the Orthodox world of Russia. Let's get to know him better.
Archpriest Dmitry Smirnov
The childhood of the future shepherd
The future church minister was born on March 7, 1951 in Moscow. The boy’s parents, although they did not deny God, did not go to church and did not church their children in any way - the spirit of the atheistic Soviet era affected them. Nevertheless, Father Dmitry’s spiritual roots are impressive - his great-grandfather, priest Vasily Smirnov, was the rector of one of the churches in the Moscow region.
In the 1930s, when the most severe persecution and attacks on the Orthodox faith took place, priest Vasily Smirnov died for the faith, and was subsequently canonized with the rank of hieromartyr. Thus, Father Dmitry Smirnov is the great-grandson of a canonized Orthodox saint, which could not but affect his spiritual life.
Since childhood, Dmitry showed an extraordinary mind, studied well, and read a lot. This was also facilitated by family upbringing - parents did their best to instill in their children a love of music, good literature, and cultivate taste.
Dmitry graduated from a physics and mathematics school, after which he entered the pedagogical institute at the art and graphic department. Already from his student days, the future priest devotes a lot of time to working with children, leading a circle in the house of pioneers.
Important! Despite the fact that in the preacher’s family it was not customary to talk about God and faith, the priest remembers his childhood and his parents’ shelter with great warmth. Family upbringing gave him the foundation that allowed him to reveal his spiritual qualities as an adult.
Blog
Despite the presence of awards and an impressive life span dedicated to the church and faith, Dmitry Smirnov managed to become famous for his rather unconventional statements and judgments. Many controversial quotes from the priest immediately become the subject of discussion on Twitter and other social networks, as well as on Smirnov’s blog. Lectures, sermons and dialogues published on Dmitry Smirnov’s microblog concern his attitude to the institution of family, childbirth and relationships.
Thus, the priest advocates the inviolability of the family hearth and zealously insists on the prohibition of abortion. Father Dmitry also repeatedly spoke out for the prohibition of homosexual relations and pedophilia. Dmitry Smirnov’s statement about non-believers did not leave anyone indifferent either. According to the archpriest, the life of those who do not adhere to the Orthodox faith is meaningless, so they should commit suicide.
Smirnov would later insist that the journalists had misinterpreted his words. It is worth noting that the official representative of the press service of the Moscow Patriarchate hastened to declare that such an attitude towards atheists is only the private opinion of Dmitry Smirnov, which in no case can be considered as the official position of the church.
In general, the priest repeatedly allowed himself to make harsher and more emotional statements. Just look at the “feeling of deep satisfaction” expressed by Smirnov in response to the news of the death of the famous scientist, sociologist and psychologist Igor Semenovich Kon. Smirnov’s statement calling on believers to smash shop windows with sex paraphernalia is also ambiguous.
However, despite such eccentric behavior of the clergyman, representatives of the Orthodox Church consider Father Dmitry to be a true believer and an ascetic of Christian values. And believers themselves often ardently support the point of view of their spiritual shepherd.
Smirnov’s opinion on juvenile justice also generated a lot of comments. The priest believes that representatives of juvenile services are allowed to resist with weapons in their hands. Dmitry Nikolaevich admits that this is illegal, but believes that such an action is completely justified to protect his own family.
Another statement discussed on the blog and on other platforms was Dmitry Smirnov’s statement that it is necessary to prohibit access to Internet resources to all people who have not reached the age of 21. This is justified by the fact that the Internet, according to the priest, is capable of corrupting the fragile minds of boys and girls and pushing young people to commit unrighteous acts.
In 2015, Dmitry Smirnov voiced his opinion about Soviet power. According to the priest, “Hitler is resting” compared to the crimes the communists committed against the inhabitants of the country. In particular, Dmitry Nikolaevich is sure that Lenin is to blame for the fact that abortion has become so common today.
Moreover, five years earlier, in 2010, Smirnov expressed support for unknown criminals who tried to blow up a monument to Lenin in the city of Pushkin. Such an act by the priest even became a reason for contacting the prosecutor’s office, but there was no reaction from the official authorities.
In the same 2015, Smirnov proved that he can not only reason and condemn, but also forcefully defend the interests of the church, as he sees them. On July 4, the priest gathered a group of believers who literally burst into a concert on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Radio Silver Rain and turned off the equipment, thereby disrupting the gala concert. Such decisive actions by Christians, as it turned out later, were a response to music that allegedly interfered with prayers.
Such an action caused a flurry of condemnation both from church representatives and from secular journalists. In particular, this hooligan action was compared with the actions of the notorious group “Pussy Riot”. In addition, the management of the radio station expressed doubts that music from a closed room could be heard in a temple located a kilometer away, and even through a forest.
First steps in faith and service
A good secular education did not provide answers to the most important questions about the meaning of human life. The young man’s soul always strived for God, therefore, having received his first higher pedagogical education, Dmitry decides to enter a theological seminary.
Having an excellent educational base and a clear mind, the young man graduates as an external student, after which he enters the Moscow Theological Academy, which he also quickly and successfully graduates from. Ordination to the priesthood of the Russian Orthodox Church took place on August 2, 1979.
Father Dmitry is the rector of the Church of Mitrofan of Voronezh
The priest’s first place of service was a small church in the village of Altufeevo, consecrated in honor of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. In 1991, Father Dimitri was transferred to the Moscow Church of St. Mitrophan of Voronezh, where the priest serves to this day.
Believers were constantly drawn to Father Dmitry, and the number of his flock grew rapidly. Seeing such ardent service, the hierarchy entrusted as many as 7 parishes in various churches to the care of Father Dmitry.
Personal life
Father Dmitry has been married since 1979. Ksenia Anatolyevna comes from a priestly family. It is interesting that the ancestors of the priest and mother served at the Kostroma Theological Seminary at the same time. The archpriest's wife is an art critic by profession. At the request of her husband, she taught history at the parish gymnasium for 10 years. Then she retired and is engaged in housekeeping.
The daughter is a linguist by training, she teaches German language, literature and history at Moscow University . At the same time as lecturing, he is engaged in scientific work. In one of the three orphanages that Father Dmitry supervised, a woman is the main teacher.
Daughter Maria
In 2014, Maria Dmitrievna got married. Three years later, Dmitry Smirnov had a granddaughter.
Family and social service
Despite the fact that Father Dmitry Smirnov is a very famous and even media person (because he regularly appears on Orthodox television and radio programs and is published by Orthodox media), very little is known about his family.
The future shepherd married at the age of 28, and his daughter Maria was born in the marriage. Almost nothing is known about my mother’s personality; she is not a public person at all. The adult daughter Maria received a philological education and teaches at several universities. Following in the footsteps of her father, Maria takes an active life and social position, takes part in many Orthodox events, forums, and gives lectures.
Also not advertised is the fact that Father Dmitry Smirnov is the trustee of three small orphanages at once. About fifty children, both spiritually and physically, are cared for by the priest, and find from him the help and support that is so necessary for orphans.
Father Dmitry’s ministry in the Orthodox Church is also very diverse and extensive. In addition to serving in churches and in its parishes, the Church also has a large number of social and intra-church connections. The Church is not some kind of closed organism whose task is limited to holding Liturgies, baptisms and funeral services.
Archpriest Dmitry Smirnov constantly participates in radio conversations
The church is also a huge social institution that requires multifaceted work. And Father Dimitri works a lot for the good of his native Church. So, in 2001, he became the head of the Synodal Department of the Russian Orthodox Church for interaction with the armed forces and law enforcement agencies.
The famous priest was not spared the awards either. Thus, he was awarded:
- since 2009, wearing a miter;
- in 2011, the Order of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Dimitri Donskoy, II class;
- in 2012, the President of the Russian Federation personally appointed him to the Council for Cossack Affairs.
In 2013, the most important part of Father Dmitry’s social work began, which he continues to this day. He is appointed to the Patriarchal Commission on Family Issues and Protection of Motherhood. At the same time, he finishes his work in the “military” department, which he had repeatedly asked the patriarch to do.
The topic of family and children has always been very close to Father Dmitry, since he himself grew up in a large family with cramped conditions. Father constantly proposes various measures to support large families, to improve their lifestyle, and to improve the social status of large families in society.
Such extensive activities for the benefit of the Church and society are not exhaustive. Archpriest Dmitry Smirnov has several other positions and is:
- Vice-Rector of St. Tikhon's Orthodox Institute;
- dean of the Orthodox Faculty at the Academy of Missile Forces;
- member of the Church Council on Biomedical Ethics;
- member of the Supreme Church Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.
“They don’t want to say that ‘I’m a free prostitute,’ so they say: I have a civil marriage.”
Speaking at a meeting with members of the Orthodox community “OrthodoxBRO”, the clergyman criticized women in so-called “civil marriages”: “Our women themselves do not understand what marriage is. They don’t want to say that “I’m a free prostitute,” so they say: I have a civil marriage. Hello! No, you just provide services for free - that’s all, and no one considers you to be a wife... Those men about whom they say that they are married in a civil marriage, they do not consider them to be wives, this is just temporary pleasure. Because if he treated her like a wife - well, it’s hard to register, or what? No, no work."
Experts note that the number of Russians who are ready to officially register family relationships has been significantly declining since the beginning of the 21st century. This is associated with the general crisis of the modern form of marriage, which is even more pronounced in Western countries, where marriage registration is being replaced by cohabitation, which is recognized by the state as a more simplified system of relations.
Article on the topic
Covered in a marriage of obscurity. Is it possible to teach a happy family life? If Archpriest Smirnov hoped to provoke a wide discussion with his words, then he undoubtedly achieved his goal.
Sermons and community activities
Extensive pastoral experience allows Father Dimitri to conduct intense social activities. Thus, in many of the priest’s parishes, Sunday schools for children were opened and are successfully operating, where they not only teach the Law of God, but also engage in creativity, handicrafts, and the all-round development of children.
Dmitry Smirnov gives lectures on various spiritual topics
Having his first pedagogical education and caring for his children in every possible way, Father Dmitry Smirnov founded the Orthodox gymnasium “Svet” in 1991, and a little later the Orthodox children’s camp “Bogoslovo”. He does not ignore hospitals either - he personally takes charge of one of the departments in the city hospital, and later creates an entire sisterhood in honor of St. Elizabeth.
Being a staunch opponent of abortion, the priest creates a whole complex at the temple called “Life”, whose activities are aimed at preventing abortions and giving conceived babies the right to birth.
Interesting! Father Dmitry's sermons can be heard not only at his services. Father maintains his own multimedia blog, where you can listen to his recorded sermons and reflections on a variety of topics.
Archpriest Dmitry Smirnov is also a frequent guest on various Orthodox television and radio channels. Thus, radio “Radonezh” broadcasts programs with his participation, where many topical topics of modern life are discussed from the point of view of Orthodoxy.
On the Soyuz TV channel, Father Dmitry Smirnov constantly participates in the “Conversations with Father” program. The format of the program mainly involves the priest answering questions from viewers. Also, a program with a priest called “Dialogue under the Clock” is aired on another well-known Orthodox TV channel, “Spas.”
You can do this in advance by writing on the channel’s website or on the official page on social networks, or by calling live on the phone.
The holiday itself
The entrance to the capital's Marriott hotel, where the wedding of Evgenia Timoshenko and Arthur Chechetkin took place, was blocked by a huge white rectangular fence. In the afternoon, the first wedding guests began to arrive in luxury cars, wearing evening dresses and bearing gifts. The musical accompaniment of the wedding of Tymoshenko and Chechetkin was the voice of Tina Karol and Ingrid, played by the Kyiv Soloists ensemble.
A lot of news and nuances today can be easily learned from social networks; people post information there without even thinking that it could be very useful to someone. Presumably, the style of Eugenia and Arthur's wedding was reproduced from Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby.
There is no exact data on this information, since journalists were prohibited from entering Yevgenia Tymoshenko’s wedding, but with the help of an Internet resource and photographs of wedding guests, it is possible to paint a general picture of the Tymoshenko-Chechetkin wedding. Evgenia Tymoshenko's bouquet consisted of white roses and orchids; it was in perfect harmony with the similar decoration of the hotel for the wedding.
Beliefs
Smirnov is an ardent defender of traditional family values and a fighter against the propaganda of homosexuality and manifestations of pedophilia. He expressed himself very interestingly about atheists, of whom, in his opinion, there are few. Dmitry Smirnov believes that for such people there is no point in living, fighting and studying, therefore, in theory, they should commit suicide, because anyway, a burdock will grow at the place of their death. But this is not the case, and most likely, these atheists are not real and are still afraid of something. People don't always understand his sarcasm. However, for many, this makes Father Dmitry even more pleasant. And those who take everything at face value, well, let them suffer, since they don’t want to think deeper and read between the lines.
Dmitry Smirnov now
In addition to working on television and writing a blog, Dmitry Smirnov publishes books. Now the name and photo of the priest adorn seven printed publications with selected sermons and conversations, but admirers of Dmitry Nikolaevich are eagerly awaiting the priest’s new works.
In 2021, the priest continues to expand his collection of sermons and television programs, in which he tries to instruct non-believers on the Christian path, and help believers strengthen their faith.
