| Paramon (Dove), bishop. Bronnitsky. Photo from official website of the Patriarchal Orthodox calendar for 2021 |
Paramon (Golubka)
(born 1977), Bishop of Naro-Fominsk, vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, managing the Northern and Northwestern Vicariates of Moscow, rector of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Khoroshevo, Moscow, member of the commission under the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Russia on the issues of bringing shrines to the world Golubka Fedor Mikhailovich, was born on June 26, 1977 in the village of Uglya, Tyachesky district, Transcarpathian region, Ukrainian SSR, into a family of employees. He was the eighth of ten children in the family, he had two more sisters and seven brothers. Elder brother - Archimandrite Simeon (Golubka) (born 1968); sister - nun Seraphima (Dove). Baptized in infancy with the name Theodore.
In 1984-1994 he studied at Uglyansk secondary school. In the third grade, he, along with other children, was forcibly accepted as a pioneer. This outraged him so much that after the ceremony, he took off his tie in front of everyone and wiped his shoes with it. However, there were no serious consequences: the school director ordered not to do this again, otherwise they would be registered with the police.
Since school, I have been a nun in the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Uglya.
In 1994 he entered the Moscow Theological Seminary, from which he graduated in 1997. While studying at Moscow theological schools, he studied with Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov), confessor of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
On December 5, 1996, ordination as a reader was performed by the rector of the Moscow Academy of Arts and Sciences, Bishop Evgeniy (Reshetnikov) of Vereisky.
In 1997 he was enrolled as a novice of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
In 1997 he graduated from the Moscow Theological Seminary and entered the Moscow Theological Academy.
On March 30, 1998, he was tonsured a monk and named in honor of the martyr Paramon of Bithynia [1] by the abbot of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Archimandrite Theognost (Guzikov).
On July 23, 1998, he was ordained as hierodeacon by Bishop Alexy (Frolov) of Orekhovo-Zuevsky in the Moscow Church of the Deposition of the Robe.
On October 14, 2000, he was ordained hieromonk in the Intercession Church of the Intercession Stauropegial Convent in Khotkovo by Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus'.
In 2001 he graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy.
In December 2001, he was sent on a business trip to the Yuzhno-Sakhalin and Kuril diocese.
From December 31, 2001 to June 1, 2010 - abbot of the Resurrection Cathedral in the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
In 2003, he was elevated to the rank of abbot by Bishop Daniil (Dorovskikh) of South Sakhalin and Kuril Islands.
From June 1, 2010 to April 12, 2012, he served as canonarch at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
On March 22, 2011, he was included in the newly formed working group under the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' on the transfer of shrines (since May 30 of the same year - a commission under the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' on the transfer of shrines).
On April 12, 2011, he was appointed full-time cleric of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kapotnya, Moscow.
On November 28, 2011, he was appointed chairman of the newly formed Commission for Coordination of Exhibition Activities of the Russian Orthodox Church.
On February 24, 2012, he was appointed full-time priest of the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Lefortovo, Moscow.
| Hegumen Paramon (Dove) |
On July 26, 2012, he was appointed abbot of the Donskoy Stauropegial Monastery in Moscow, and on September 1 of the same year he was elevated to the rank of abbot of the Donskoy Monastery with the presentation of the abbot’s staff in the Great Cathedral of the Moscow Donskoy Monastery by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' [2].
On October 22, 2015, he was elected Bishop of Bronnitsky, vicar of the Moscow diocese [3].
On October 27 of the same year, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite in the Church of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky of the Moscow Donskoy Monastery by Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga Varsonuphius (Sudakov) [4].
On November 3, 2015, he was appointed manager of the Northern and Northwestern Vicariates of Moscow [5].
On November 5 of the same year he was named [6], and on December 2 he was consecrated Bishop of Bronnitsky, vicar of the Moscow diocese. The ordination in the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior was led by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'. Concelebrating with him were: metropolitans - St. Petersburg and Ladoga Varsonofy (Sudakov), Istra Arseny (Epifanov), Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory Daniil (Dorovskikh), Barnaul and Altai Sergius (Ivannikov), Smolensk and Roslavl Isidor (Tupikin); Archbishop of Sergiev Posad Feognost (Guzikov); bishops - Gury (Shalimov), Seraphim (Zaliznitsky), Dmitrovsky Theophylact (Moiseev), Solnechnogorsk Sergius (Chashin), Jerome (Chernyshov), Orekhovo-Zuevsky Panteleimon (Shatov), Voskresensky Savva (Mikheev), Berdyansky and Primorsky Ephraim (Yarinko) , Egoryevsky Tikhon (Shevkunov), Bogorodsky Anthony (Sevryuk) [7].
In November 2015, he was appointed manager of the Northern and Northwestern Vicariates of Moscow.
On April 10, 2021, he was appointed acting rector of the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica in Khoroshevo, Moscow [8].
On February 26, 2021, he was appointed suffragan bishop of Sergiev Posad, vicar of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, with release from the vicarage of the Donskoy Monastery and an expression of gratitude for the labors incurred [9].
On February 28, 2021, he was released from the management of the Northern and Northwestern Vicariates of Moscow.
On March 12, 2021, in addition to his obedience, he was appointed manager of the Northern Vicariate of Moscow.
In July 2021, he was relieved of his post as Chairman of the Commission for Coordination of Exhibition Activities of the Russian Orthodox Church.
On August 25, 2021, he was relieved of his post as vicar of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra while retaining his duties as vicar of His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' with the title “Naro-Fominsk”; appointed chairman of the Financial and Economic Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate.
In 2020-2021, he is an ex-officio member of the Supreme Church Council.
On September 3, 2021, he was appointed manager of the North-Western Vicariate, while maintaining management of the Northern Vicariate of Moscow. Also, by Patriarchal decree of September 3, in addition to the obediences carried out, he was appointed rector of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Khoroshevo, Moscow. From September 17 to November 25, in addition to the obediences he performed, he served as rector of the church. Vlasiya (Savior of the Transfiguration) in Staraya Konyushennaya Sloboda in Moscow.
On April 13, 2021, he was relieved of his post as Chairman of the Financial and Economic Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Notes
- Order No. R-02/9 of September 3, 2021 // to Bishop Paramon of Naro-Fominsk. — Official website of the Moscow City Diocese.
- Decree No. U-02/140 of September 3, 2021 // to Bishop Paramon of Naro-Fominsk - Moscow City Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church (unspecified)
.
moseparh.ru
. Date accessed: September 4, 2021. - ↑ 12345678
Hegumen Paramon (Dove) on the website of the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Lefortovo - List of participants in the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2009 // Patriarchia.Ru, 17.1.2009.
- JOURNALS of the meeting of the Holy Synod of March 22, 2011 (unspecified)
.
Patriarchia.ru
(March 22, 2011). - JOURNALS of the meeting of the Holy Synod of May 30, 2011 (Russian). Patriarchia.ru
(May 30, 2011). - Hegumen Paramon (Dove): Church exhibition events should not turn into “Orthodox Cherkizon” (undefined)
.
prichod.ru
(April 5, 2013). - Journals of the meeting of the Holy Synod of July 26, 2012. Patriarchy.ru.
- Journals of the meeting of the Holy Synod of October 22, 2015. Magazine No. 63.
- Hegumen Paramon (Golubka) and Hieromonk Matthew (Andreev), elected bishops, were elevated to the rank of archimandrite. Official website of the St. Petersburg diocese.
- Order No. R-02/7 of November 3, 2015. — Official website of the Moscow City Diocese. Archived from the original on December 10, 2015.
- The naming of Archimandrite Matthew (Andreev) as Bishop of Skopinsky and Shatsky, Archimandrite Savva (Nikiforov) as Bishop of Valuysky and Alekseevsky, and Archimandrite Paramon (Golubka) as Bishop of Bronnitsky took place. Patriarchy.ru.
- On the day of remembrance of St. Philaret of Moscow, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrated the Liturgy in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and led the consecration of Archimandrite Paramon (Golubka) as Bishop of Bronnitsky. Patriarchy.ru.
- Journals of the meeting of the Holy Synod of February 26, 2021 (unspecified)
.
Patriarchia.ru
(February 26, 2019). — Magazine No. 9. Date of access: February 27, 2019. - Order No. R-02/5 dated February 28, 2021. — Official website of the Moscow City Diocese.
- Order No. R-02/8 of March 12, 2021 // to Bishop Paramon of Sergiev-Posad. — Official website of the Moscow City Diocese.
- Heads of the Commission for Coordination of Exhibition Activities of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Commission under the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' on the Bringing of Shrines have been appointed
- Milena Faustova.
The infection recedes not to faith, but to quarantine
(undefined)
.
www.ng.ru
(May 19, 2020). - Journals of the meeting of the Holy Synod of August 25, 2021. Magazines No. 51, 52 (unspecified)
.
Patriarchia.ru
. Press service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' (08/25/2020). Date accessed: August 26, 2021. - PARAMON (DOVE) - Tree (Russian). drevo-info.ru. Access date: January 8, 2021.
Biography
Born on June 26, 1977 in the village of Uglya, Tyachiv district, Transcarpathian region of Ukraine, into a family of employees. In 1984 he entered Uglyansk secondary school, from which he graduated in 1994[3].
In 1994, he enrolled in the first year of the Moscow Theological Seminary. On December 5, 1996, the rector of the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary, Bishop Evgeniy (Reshetnikov) of Vereisky, made him a reader. In 1997, according to the submitted petition, he was accepted into the brethren of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra as a novice. In the same year, after graduating from the Moscow Theological Seminary, he enrolled in the first year of the Moscow Theological Academy[3].
On March 30, 1998, with the blessing of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II, Archimandrite Theognostus, abbot of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, was tonsured a monk with the name Paramon, in honor of the holy martyr Paramon of Bithynia. On July 23, 1998, Bishop Alexy (Frolov) of Orekhovo-Zuevsky ordained him to the rank of hierodeacon in the Church of the Laying of the Robe on Donskoy. On October 14, 2000, in the Intercession Church of the Holy Intercession Khotkovo Monastery, Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' ordained him to the rank of hieromonk[3].
In 2001, on the occasion of the Holy Trinity, the rector of the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary, Archbishop Evgeniy (Reshetnikov) of Vereisky, was awarded a sign of priestly distinction - the right to wear a loincloth. In the same year he graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy[3].
In December 2001, with the blessing of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', Alexy II was sent on a business trip to the Yuzhno-Sakhalin and Kuril diocese, where from December 31, 2001 to June 1, 2010, he served as vicar of the Resurrection Cathedral in the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. In 2002, on the occasion of Holy Easter, with the blessing of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', Alexy II was awarded the right to wear a pectoral cross. In 2003, with the blessing of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II, on the 10th anniversary of the Yuzhno-Sakhalin and Kuril diocese, Bishop Daniil (Dorovskikh) of Yuzhno-Sakhalin and Kuril was elevated to the rank of abbot. In 2004, at the recommendation of Bishop Daniel of Yuzhno-Sakhalin and Kuril, Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' was awarded the right to wear a club and a cross with decoration[3].
In January 2009, he participated in the work of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church as a delegate from the priesthood of the South Sakhalin and Kuril diocese[4].
From June 1, 2010 to April 12, 2012, he carried out obedience in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra (choir, canonarch)[3].
On March 22, 2011, by decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, he was included in the working group created at the same time under the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' on the issues of relocating shrines[5]. On May 30 of the same year, it was renamed the Commission on the Bringing of Shrines[6].
On April 12, 2011, by decree of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill, he was appointed full-time clergyman of the parish of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kapotnya, Moscow[3].
On November 28, 2011, by order of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill, a commission was formed to coordinate the exhibition activities of the Russian Orthodox Church, the chairman of which was appointed Abbot Paramon. The result of the commission’s work was the “Regulations on the exhibition activities of the Russian Orthodox Church”, adopted in March 2012 by the decision of the Supreme Church Council and approved by Patriarch Kirill. The document “captures the best experience of the Church over the past two decades in conducting such events, and also indicates the vector of their development. The concepts of “Orthodox exhibition”, “Orthodox exhibition-forum”, “Orthodox exhibition-fair”, “Orthodox fair” have been defined”[7].
On February 24, 2012, by decree of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', Kirill was appointed full-time priest of the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Lefortovo[3].
On June 26, 2012, by decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, he was appointed abbot of the Moscow Donskoy Monastery[8].
Bishopric
On October 22, 2015, by decision of the Holy Synod, Abbot Paramon was elected Bishop of Bronnitsky, vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'[9].
On October 27 of the same year, in the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky of the Donskoy Monastery in Moscow, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga Barsanuphius (Sudakov) Abbot Paramon was elevated to the rank of archimandrite[10].
On November 3, 2015, by order of Patriarch Kirill, he was appointed manager of the Northern and Northwestern Vicariates of the city of Moscow[11].
On November 5, 2015, in the cross church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God of the Patriarchal residence in Chisty Lane in Moscow, he was named Bishop of Bronnitsky[12].
On December 2, in the Cathedral of Moscow - in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the consecration of Archimandrite Paramon as Bishop of Bronnitsy took place, which was performed by Patriarch Kirill, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga Varsonofy (Sudakov), Metropolitan of Istra Arseny (Epifanov), Metropolitan of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory Daniil (Dorovskikh) ), Metropolitan of Barnaul and Altai Sergius (Ivannikov), Metropolitan of Smolensk and Roslavl Isidor (Tupikin), Archbishop of Sergiev Posad Feognost (Guzikov), Bishop Gury (Shalimov), Bishop Seraphim (Zaliznitsky), Bishop of Dmitrov Theophylact (Moiseev), Bishop of Solnechnogorsk Sergius (Chashin), Bishop Jerome (Chernyshov), Bishop of Orekhovo-Zuevsky Panteleimon (Shatov), Bishop of the Resurrection Savva (Mikheev), Bishop of Berdyansk and Primorsky Ephraim (Prosyanok); Bishop of Yegoryevsk Tikhon (Shevkunov), Bishop of Bogorodsky Anthony (Sevryuk)[13].
On February 26, 2021, by decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, he was appointed vicar of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra with the title “Sergiev Posad” with the release from the post of vicar of the Don Stavropegic Monastery of Moscow, with an expression of gratitude for the work incurred[14].
On February 28, 2021, by order of Patriarch Kirill, he was released from the management of the Northern and Northwestern Vicariates of the city of Moscow[15]. On March 12, 2021, control of the Northern Vicariate of Moscow was returned to him[16].
On July 19, 2021, by resolution of Patriarch Kirill, he was relieved of his position as chairman of the commission for coordinating exhibition activities of the Russian Orthodox Church[17].
At the end of March 2021, after, in connection with the spread of COVID-19, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided to introduce strict measures to prevent infection in churches, a general meeting was held in the monastery, at which it was decided not to follow the synodal decrees. The doors of the monastery were open on Easter, communion was served from common dishes without special treatment, and all this was explained by “deep spiritual need.” As a result, by the beginning of Holy Week there were infected people in the monastery, and by mid-May there were 10 deaths. Among those who fell ill was Bishop Paramon[18].
On August 25, 2021, by decision of the Holy Synod, he was released from the post of vicar of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, retaining his duties as vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' with the title “Naro-Fominsk” and appointed chairman of the financial and economic management of the Moscow Patriarchate[19].
Bishop of Bronnitsky Paramon (Dove): To be a monk means to rejoice
The future bishop was born into an Orthodox family; he was baptized in infancy with the name Theodore. When his elder brother Stepan took monastic vows, he decided to leave school and also join a monastery, but his parents kept him from doing so. “Youth is always hot,” the bishop recalls with a smile. After graduating from school, he went to Sergiev Posad, entered the Moscow Theological Seminary, and then the academy. At 20 years old - a monk, at 25 years old - abbot. He served on Sakhalin, and from 2012 to this day - the governor of the Donskoy Monastery.
Why is it light in the temple?
— I am the eighth child: I have two sisters and seven brothers. Since school, I have been a sexton in our rural Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On Saturday and Sunday, our whole large family went to services.
— Were there no problems because of your faith?
— In the 3rd grade, I, along with other children, was forcibly accepted into the pioneers. Whether you like it or not, a tie around your neck. This outraged me, and after the ceremony I took off my tie in front of everyone and wiped my shoes with it. He got off easy: the school director ordered him not to do this again, otherwise he would be registered with the police.
— Were there other Orthodox Christians at school?
- This was not advertised. The teachers and the director pretended that they were atheists. But in fact... As a child, I asked my dad: “Why are the lights on in the church at night?” He answered: “It’s the communists who take communion.” The villagers knew that people secretly came to the local priest. They preach communism during the day, and go to confession at night. And when the attitude towards the Church changed, many teachers openly went to church. Several years ago I was in my native village and met a primary school teacher at the liturgy. She taught us the alphabet. It was a joyful meeting.
Monastic prosperity
— Why did you decide to become a monk? Did your brother influence you?
“My brother is nine years older than me, his example meant a lot, but a person makes a decision about monasticism himself. I was very inspired that the Church was given freedom, that monasteries began to be revived.
- How did your parents react to this?
“They, of course, wanted me to have a family, and hoped that I would change my mind. When I came home from seminary for the holidays, they started talking about marriage. They even tried to introduce me to a girl from a good family: they say, take a closer look, court me. But I said: “If you insist too much, I won’t come home anymore.” And they answered: “Okay, whichever path you choose, we will accept it.”
— For many people, monasticism is a mystery. At the age of 20, a person renounces the joys associated with family, children, pleasures, prosperity...
- We have prosperity! Why do you think monks don't prosper? A person can direct all his strength to serving God, people, and the Church. To be a monk means to rejoice. As for family, this is a person’s internal choice. It all depends on your mental inclination. The main thing is not to make mistakes.
Lessons from Elder Kirill
— During the years of your studies, the elder Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov) served in the monastery...
- Yes, he was the confessor of the monastic brethren, they went to him for confession. I was lucky enough to live on the same floor with him. You should have seen: at six in the morning he took part in a fraternal prayer service, then went to his cell and received people there until midnight. And the next morning again at the prayer service. Although he was already 80 years old. He always smiled and knew how to put everyone in the right mood. He gave everyone special attention. When I was young, he gave me chocolates.
— Did you ask him for advice? Did he give instructions?
“He always answered questions with a quote from Holy Scripture. No orders. He smiled and quoted the Bible. Often it was a quote that you read many times. And suddenly its meaning was revealed in a new way. As a result, I received a comprehensive answer to my question.
What surprised Sakhalin residents
— You served on Sakhalin for eight years. What do you remember?
“At first I was puzzled: in the church I met believers, people came up for a blessing, but behind the fence, on the street, these same people walked around me, as if they were afraid of something. Then they explained to me: since Soviet times there have been very few priests here, and those who served walked around the city in lay clothes. And I am always in vestments, in a cassock. But then they began to get used to it. I go into a store and they recognize me and say hello. The attitude has changed.
— Were there many believers?
— No, because for a long time there was no Church at all on Sakhalin: until the end of the 1980s, there was not a single Orthodox church. But under Andropov, a Baptist community managed to register there. And in the 1990s, missionaries from South Korea rushed there. We built many houses of worship and actively involved the population. They invested a lot of money in this.
— Did you have any problems with sectarians?
- No, we just started building new temples.
Classic never gets old
— Today you have a heavy workload: the Donskoy Monastery, the Northern and Northwestern Vicariates... Are you on time?
- I'm trying.
— What is leisure for you?
- An opportunity to sleep a little longer.
- What about reading, classics?
- Trying. I love Leskov. You read it, and it feels like it was written about today.
5 facts from the life of Lord Paramon
Born on June 26, 1977 in the village of Uglya, Tyachiv district, Transcarpathian region, into a family of employees.
In the 3rd grade he was forcibly accepted into the pioneers, but did not wear a tie.
He was tonsured a monk with the name Paramon in honor of the holy martyr Paramon of Bithynia.
His confessor at the Lavra was the famous elder Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov).
The bishop’s elder brother, Archimandrite Simeon (Golubka), serves as abbot of a monastery in the Transcarpathian region of Ukraine.
Bishop of Sergiev Posad Paramon. About the monastic path, love and future of the Lavra
20 years ago you entered the Lavra as a novice. A few days ago they became her deputy. How do you feel about this?
The weight of responsibility that fell on my shoulders. Responsibility for your actions and for your life in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra before the venerable father and wonderworker Sergius of Radonezh and the brethren of the monastery.
On the first day after my appointment, together with Bishop Theognost, we celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Trinity Cathedral. In the evening, when I was talking with the brethren, I caught myself thinking: I was returned home to my father.
But, although I was returned to my home, I don’t feel like a master here. There is one owner here - St. Sergius. Now at his parent's house. I have a lot of work to do. I hope that the Reverend will not leave me while I carry out the obedience that His Holiness the Patriarch and the Holy Synod have entrusted to me.
You were the governor of the Donskoy Monastery for 7 years. This is a long time. Was it difficult to part with your brothers?
At St. Tikhon's I felt very warm and joyful. I saw how much was accomplished not with my mind, care or talents, but thanks to his support. I am sincerely grateful to those people who prompted me and supported me in my desire to honestly and sincerely serve the Don Monastery, serve St. Tikhon, and thereby serve God. What came of it is not for me to judge.
When a person enters a monastery and takes monastic vows, he understands that this is obedience. A monk never thinks about how much time he will have to spend on one obedience. If he looks correctly at his future monastic life, he does not think about what he wants, but does what he must do. The monk tries to serve in the place where the Lord placed him.
Therefore, I do not think about the severity of separation or the severity of new ministry. I accept this obedience, without reasoning, as the will of God.
Your monastic formation, your youth passed in the Lavra. You came here at a very young age, at 17 years old. Then there was Sakhalin, there was Moscow, and now you are back. Do you think it will be difficult to lead people who knew you when you were young and raised you?
I don't think I will manage anyone. Let St. Sergius of Radonezh rule. My job is not to interfere with God’s work in the monastery, not to interfere with St. Sergius’s management of the monastery and the brethren. It would be wrong for me to teach the elders. Many of them taught and mentored me when I was young. I respect and love them very much.
If each of us works for the sake of love - not for ourselves, not for the sake of our interests, but for the good of the monastery and for the good of the brethren - then I think that we will fulfill our duty. If love moves us, then there will be no need to control anyone. The Lord will put on everyone’s heart what they need. I also had this approach to management at the Donskoy Monastery. I don't know any other approach. It probably can't exist. Therefore, I will not interfere with the brethren’s accomplishment of their monastic feat, and they, with their feat, will support me so that my stay here, in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, serves for the benefit of the monastery.
How can you evaluate your previous years at the Lavra, what lessons did you learn?
The best lessons are the holy lives of other people. I saw how Father Kirill (Pavlov) lived. This is the most powerful lesson for me. A lesson in how to live and how to treat people. I wish I could implement some of those lessons myself. And then I would be the happiest person in the world.
Many wonderful ascetic monks lived in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra during my youth. I don’t want to name the names of the living, those who are struggling now. There are a lot of those who left. Schema-Archimandrite Mikhail (Balaev), Father Matthew (Mormyl), Father Naum (Bayborodin). These are the brethren who truly lived, lived with all their souls. They directed all their aspirations towards God. It was a very sincere service, very selfless. I remember many who have already died; they are now in fraternal cemeteries. For me they are a symbol, a living book of the monastic spirit of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. This spirit never ceased.
I have always been amazed by Father Kirill. He amazed me with his love and care for his neighbor and himself. When I was a sacristan of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, I remember that the brethren after the Liturgy were not always unmasked carefully. And Father Kirill - although people were always waiting for him and wanted to approach him - he showed everyone how to treat everything, even small things. And after the Liturgy, he never allowed me to fold the vestments behind him, like behind other fathers. He always did the folding himself. And he did it much more carefully than even the younger brethren. And this was an example for me, a novice.
This elder lived holy in everything and was zealous. He was very respectful of other people's work. Father Kirill understood that it was difficult for the sacristan, and set an example for the young brethren. He did not scold anyone, did not denounce anyone. It would seem a trifle; but for me it was an example of a Christian attitude to every action. After all, there are no small things in life.
Father Kirill answered questions very interestingly. One day he answered my question. I thought the question was extremely difficult. He answered in one sentence. Then, as I was re-reading the Holy Scriptures, I saw this phrase. She seemed so alive to me, as if these were his words. For me, this became another evidence that when a person lives in God, then for him the Holy Scripture becomes his own words. They are natural to him.
Father Kirill always read the Holy Scriptures. The way he read it, with what expression, I probably haven’t heard anywhere else. From his lips it was so simple and understandable that it seemed that no interpretation was needed. I see in this proof of how the Divine Spirit dwelling in the Holy Scriptures is transmitted from mouth to mouth. Only a person who has passed it through his heart can read Scripture this way. He never parted with it. Even during the Divine Liturgy, when Father Matthew sang and there were long pauses, Father Kirill took the Holy Scriptures out of his pocket and began to read. I noticed this with him more than once.
There was a lot of good, instructive, holy things. And even now there is a lot of kindness in the Lavra. I see that the young brethren have adopted the spirit of the monks who lived before them. It all depends on what you pay your attention to. You can look at the shortcomings that will separate you. You can look at the best sides of the person you live with, they will make you related to him and unite you. There are enough bad things. We will try to correct the bad in ourselves.
If we talk about living elders, I will not name their names so as not to confuse anyone. The Lavra brethren are very good brethren. One of our brothers visited another monastery, and when he returned, he said: “There are no brethren better than the Lavra.” I completely agree with his idea.
What tasks do you set for yourself?
Quite a bit of time has passed, so I can’t say that right away. We have to plunge into this abyss. Lavra is a large farm with a huge team of employees. In the Lavra there is the Moscow Theological Academy, to which we have a special responsibility. She is also dear to me.
It is still difficult and premature to say what tasks I face. We need to immerse ourselves in the life of the monastery, and there we will see them.
About his predecessor, Archbishop Theognostus. What role did he play in your life?
I treat Archbishop Theognostus as a father; he accepted me into the monastery and tonsured me into monasticism. We have developed a wonderful relationship. He is a real monk, from whom he has always taken an example.
The Lavra's treasurer, Hieromonk Anatoly (Serebrov), once pointed to his work chair and said that this was a chair for an atheist. If you put an atheist on him, and he sees how the Reverend helps the Lavra, when, it would seem, in the most difficult situations - economic, financial - everything comes out of nowhere, then he will inevitably become a believer. And you can probably see this even more clearly, since your workplace is higher than the treasurer’s father’s chair. How do you feel the influence of St. Sergius in your life and the life of the Lavra? Do you feel like he's in charge?
I don’t feel it, but I’m 100% convinced of this.
How did you come to the Church?
He has been baptized in the Church since childhood. I went there with my parents. Teachers tried to create obstacles, promised to punish them severely, and threatened parents. But for my parents, God was above everything else. On Easter, for example, the school always had a study day, but we were stubbornly taken to church, for which we received reprimands at school. But I am grateful and grateful to my parents for this. Everyone knew that the family was religious; the brothers wrote in their descriptions: “with religious zabubos” (Ukrainian). I don’t know what they wrote to me, but I think it was something similar.
I had a great desire to serve God, and therefore I decided to become a clergyman. And I became a monk because I had a desire to serve only God, so that nothing else would distract me from this service. This is an internal state of the heart when you understand that you choose this path because you cannot live differently, even though it will be difficult for you. This inner desire is born from the heart, and, despite life situations, it never leaves him.
Not for a single moment have I ever regretted the chosen path, I have never wanted any career. On the contrary, I always wanted to be in places where it was quieter. From the outside, a secular person always measures life by his own standards. One of these measures is career. Some cannot imagine the motive of life in any other way. That you can simply serve God, and that life can only consist of this. And if a person serves God, then it makes absolutely no difference where he does it. In the Donskoy Monastery, on Sakhalin, in any parish. Once on Sakhalin, a grandmother-parishioner asked me: “Have you come to live here for good?” I asked why she decided that. And she says: “You work so hard that it seems that you have decided to live here all your life.” But for me it simply makes no difference where to serve the One and the Same God. How does the church in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra differ from a small parish on Sakhalin? There is only one God.
But for myself I realized one simple thing. If you have chosen the path once, serve faithfully wherever you find yourself. For any position. Be a simple worker, be a high boss, whatever you want. For me, even now, no work seems shameful or shameful. Bad deeds can be shameful, but work can only be noble, because it ennobles a person. For example, how a monk feels about his obedience determines whether he grows or not.
Are you feeling happy?
When there is no evil in your soul, no resentment or envy, then you are happy, so I try not to be offended or angry at anyone. You know, when a person looks death in the eye, he begins to appreciate everything that surrounds him differently. I, thank God, had such an experience of touching death, so I am immensely grateful to God for it. Such experience perfectly places emphasis on what is external and what is internal.
Evil is definitely not worth giving it existence in your soul and giving your body to its service. But for the sake of love it is worth living, working, enjoying life and thanking God. The Lord gave me the opportunity to work in Sakhalin, then in Moscow, in the Donskoy Monastery. All I had to do was make the most of it all to reap the fruit. But I don’t consider this an end in itself. I see that the Lord gave it. If you don't want to, don't use it, no one is forcing you.
The Lord gave everyone the opportunity to work. If you work only for yourself, this is bad, because it is not for nothing that the Lord said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” You experience joy not when you accept something, but when you give it. My soul becomes lighter.
That’s why I sometimes joked at the Donskoy Monastery, saying, you know, I’m a happy person—the wind is always whistling in my pockets, but there’s joy in my soul.
How do you see a modern monastery in the modern world?
A monastery will cease to be a monastery if people live in it not according to the rules.
After all, a monastery is a practice, not a theory. This inner state of monastic life can only be experienced by a monk. Just as a family man experiences his fatherhood, his relationships with first small and then growing children, so every monk experiences his monastic formation and monastic path. Therefore, I think that a modern monastery, first of all, should preserve the monastic spirit. Don't make a fuss. When there is a lot of bustle, it is difficult for a person to retire and pray. And this is the main thing for a monk, and for any person.
A monk in the modern world - who is he? How does he live? How does he avoid the temptations of communication and entertainment, taking into account modern opportunities? The Internet, telephones appeared, all this interferes with privacy. After all, now, even if you lock yourself in a cell, it is impossible to remain alone.
What, unfortunately, has invaded our lives is like a knife in our hands. They can cut bread, or they can kill a person. If a tool is used for good, it is useful; if it is used for harm, nothing good will come from it.
A person does not have to watch, for example, the news. There is too much useless information that clogs your head and does not allow you to retain something better in your memory. And I began to use gadgets to a limited extent in order to get more benefit from them.
If the brethren living in the monastery use modern gadgets a lot, spend a lot of time on the Internet, not out of obedience, then there will be very little time left for prayer and solitude. It’s a pity for such people that they have left the world, but at the same time live in that “world”.
Returning to the conversation about the Moscow Theological Academy. At different periods they had different economic relations with the Lavra: from complete merger to complete separation. During your term as governor, in what direction do you think these relations will develop?
I just met with the rector of the Academy, Archbishop Ambrose of Vereya. We have known each other for a very long time, we studied in the same place. I remember him as the director of the academic choir. We had a good talk with him. He understands that I am just getting into business, I don’t yet know all the bottlenecks in relationships, but it seems to me that they cannot exist. I told Vladyka that the Academy and the Lavra are the property of the Church. We do one thing. If we combine our strengths and support each other, we will get a very good result. I don’t even count on another relationship. Only together.
I think that Vladyka Rector and I will make a very good tandem. We are both vicars of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. We help him, and we must solve problems together and independently, so that it will be easier for the Patriarch, too. Although this should be so not only for his sake. All this, first of all, for the sake of the Church. Different periods affected students differently. Our task is to ensure that those who see our life and our works understand: we work in the spirit of brotherly love and mutual understanding. We have nothing to share. But there is something to create - and that’s what we’ll do.
What can you say about the relationship between the Lavra and the city, the inhabitants of the monastery and the residents of Sergiev Posad?
We are part of the city. It cannot be that city life does not concern us. But on the other hand, you know that in Soviet times they created a special “welcoming” environment for those who lived in the Lavra. This culture of hatred was brought up in Soviet times and will not just go away.
I had an interesting case in the Golovino district of Moscow. There was the Golovinsky convent. It was destroyed during the Soviet period. In the area there was a center of Jehovah's Witnesses, various sects, but there was not a single temple. And so, when, according to the program for the construction of Orthodox churches in Moscow, we were allocated a site, there was one deputy who shouted more than anyone else that the temple was not needed there. I met her and talked in person. “You are protesting against a piece of land for a temple. I understand your position. But you are a deputy. You were elected by the people, including the believer. They would like to go to temple. Then find us an alternative site.” She objected: “Why should I look for him?” “But you’re against it!” “Yes, I’m against it,” she said, “I have to take care of orphanages, clinics, I will help you, but the temple is not needed!” It turned out that not the entire district supported her. Now approximately 250 people visit the temple on a regular basis. All of them are residents of that area.
As a rule, negatively-minded residents are active on social networks. A small group may well create a myth about bad relationships. I do not believe in this. The Internet is impersonal. I believe in personal relationships, in conversation looking into the eyes.
The quality of life in the city, in the house, in the monastery depends on hard work. If you sit on the couch and say how bad everyone is around you, nothing will change. I wish only prosperity for the city and its residents. If we work together to transform the city, it will be beneficial to all residents of Sergiev Posad - both monks and laity.
What does your day as a governor consist of? How do you live?
How I lived before when I was a novice. According to the rules of the monastery. Without the blessing of the Reverend, nothing will happen. When I was a sacristan, there were days when I missed the brotherly prayer service. Then nothing stuck to me all day. And when I didn’t miss it, I did as much during the day as I would not have been able to do in a week without fraternal prayers. I learned this lesson.
The Lord is the source of wisdom. If you consider yourself wise, then you are deeply mistaken. A person can be encyclopedically smart, but if there is no wisdom from God, then he will not be able to apply this knowledge anywhere. So they say: grief from mind.
I start the day with a fraternal prayer service, then the Midnight Office. Sometimes I serve the Liturgy. Then I deal with the affairs of the monastery. I study the Lavra’s documentation, immerse myself in the economic life of the Lavra so that it continues to remain at the same high level.
I love and constantly re-read Abba Dorotheus. I appreciate historical literature. But lately, due to the amount of work - a lot of meetings, a lot of communication with people - it is not always possible to pay attention to literature and reading.
Do you confess to the brethren?
It is extremely difficult to combine administrative and spiritual levers in the same hands. And a confessor cannot be imposed from above. Only the brethren decide to whom they want to go to confession. I have no right to refuse. In the Donskoy Monastery I did not force anyone, if anyone wanted to go to the elder, I did not condemn or be jealous at all. It’s exactly the same in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. There are 301 brothers. Do you think that if I alone confess to everyone, I will bear such a burden on my shoulders? I am not a superman, I am an ordinary person, with my limitations and shortcomings, and administrative burden. And I understand: it is unrealistic to bear such a burden alone.
The Lavra has wonderful spiritual fathers who are valued, respected and loved. We need to grow to a level where the brethren of monasteries can choose their own abbot. When it will be possible? When the brethren will reason, for example, like the Athonite monks. They choose the one who has succeeded more than others in monastic life, spiritual growth and salvation - and these will not be easy conditions.
Interviewed by Sergey Malyarov
March 29, 2021
