Twilight, a table lamp is shining. A priest sits in the room with a guitar and sings works on a spiritual theme - cants. Many people know him under the pseudonym Wanderer. But the priest’s real name is not a secret: his name is father Gennady Zaridze.
He is an archpriest, clergyman of the Voronezh diocese and rector of the Intercession Church (Otradnoye village) in the Novousmansky district of the Voronezh region.
Father Gennady has a website and a group on VKontakte. Father also gives lectures on spiritual life. Let's learn more about this versatile personality!
Gennady Zarise began his spiritual path by studying science and mysticism
Gennady Vladimirovich Zaridze was born on May 18, 1959. Orthodoxy existed in the family - but rather nominally. They didn’t talk about God at home, and in general the pressure of the Soviet regime in the country was strongly felt.
“My father taught political economy and scientific communism at the university, and therefore, naturally, there was no talk about God in our house.
Mom taught Russian language and literature.
She had icons, but she hid them in the closet, in her linen, so that none of her students or neighbors would see them.
If anyone had filed a complaint, she would have been fired from her job.
This would have been a real disaster, because when I was 8 years old, my father left us, and my mother raised, raised, and fed my sister and me alone.
In short, I simply had no idea about God at that time, and life seemed meaningless.”
Gennady Zaridze
archpriest
His father left the family when little Gene was eight. The upbringing was carried out by the mother and sister. Under their supervision, he graduated from two schools - general education and music (piano class).
High school aroused Gennady's interest in astronomy and astrophysics. He himself built telescopes to look at the starry sky.
Archpriest Gennady Zaridze at the service
However, the future priest connected his life not with space, but with biology: he entered the corresponding faculty at the university. There he was particularly interested in the topic of the physiology of nerve impulses.
It seemed to him that in this area one could find answers to questions about the posthumous existence of the soul. Gennady did not believe that life ends with physical death.
Gennady Zarizde was interested in astronomy, physics, mysticism, and biology.
The radio wave does not disappear if the receiver breaks down? This is how the young man reasoned.
Gennady got married.
Subsequently, already at the St. Petersburg Brain Institute, he came across enthusiasts who tried to prove that at the moment of death a certain “soul” is separated from the body - a ball of energy about 10 centimeters in diameter.
There were many questions, but no answers appeared. Experts referred to various sources: the works of parapsychologists, eastern teachings and all sorts of mysticism. But there were many regions, and Gennady was alone. It is unknown where his search would have led if chance had not turned everything upside down.
No orphanage nonsense
“Don’t leave the army, you’ll get drunk,” a thin man, looking like some kind of lab manager, only slightly overgrown and in a cassock, baptizes and, blessing, releases the young military man.
He prefers to remain silent. The long tail of the line of believers, perking up, delicately lets the next one through to the priest. To talk to the priest, people come here not only from Moscow, but also from abroad. A successful physiologist in the past, Archpriest Gennady Zaridze deserves attention, even if you don’t know that Putin once visited his Church of the Intercession in the village of Otradnoe near Voronezh on Christmas. “This priest is like doping,” the old woman said about him, apparently having watched sports programs on TV. But I caught the essence of the character. Some kind of inner strength carries Father Gennady himself and those who follow him through life. “Whoever you mess with, you’ll gain from him,” is his joke.
But seriously, on the site of the rural club that was destroyed during the restructuring, there is now an orphanage. Four-story, with family-type apartments (“to grow up without hazing and other orphanage nonsense”), where there is everything from a washing machine to a dishwasher. One that will be the envy of Moscow. Although not a penny of public money has been invested in it. With their own hands, the whole parish raked the place for the foundation pit.
In addition to his orphans, he takes Lugansk children on vacation. The “vacation” in Otradnoye with a powerful cultural program, travel, theatrical performances, therapeutic conversations with psychologists, drawing newspapers and producing cartoons, included 40-60 people who lived in the shelter for three months. They play football: a young man works at the church, he’s so thin and inconspicuous, but he played for the Kyrgyz team in the qualifiers for the World and European Championships. It’s great to practice with someone like this. They go to the river with fishing rods. Father is proud: “She is still pure and pure. There are “regional committee” dachas along the shore, the owners did not and do not allow the water to be spoiled!”
For his little parishioners, Father Gennady invented and built a special children's church, where 20 refugees have already been baptized. In general, I suspect that the children’s church is his know-how. And the point is not in the low candlesticks, so that it is convenient to place a candle, but in the icons. They show scenes with animals: Sergius of Radonezh feeding a bear, Gerasim of Jordan with his tamed lion, the Athonite Mother of God Konevskaya - a baby in the hands of a pair of doves, Noah with a zoo... “Children love animals, they find it interesting and understandable,” explains Father Gennady , and you can see how he wants to make life in the shelter warmer, brighter and more homely. Before children believe in God, they must believe in the existence of a good person and the world around them.
Gennady Zaridze almost died due to inflammation of the cerebral membranes and decided to become a priest
In April 1982, Gennady Vladimirovich felt unwell while traveling on the Voronezh - Moscow train.
The condition lasted a week until doctors took the patient to intensive care. On the way, he lost consciousness.
1982
in April of this year, Gennady Vladimirovich was admitted to intensive care
He does not remember his further experiences. Often in such stories they talk about visions of angels, light at the end of the tunnel.
They report meetings with deceased relatives, but nothing of the kind happened to Gennady Vladimirovich. Or, if it was, it was not preserved in memory.
Gennady Vladimirovich was dying. The doctors left no room for optimistic forecasts and recommended that the wife begin preparations for the funeral. They announced a terrible diagnosis - pneumococcal meningoencephalitis.
Pneumococcal meningoencephalitis is an inflammation of the cerebral membranes. It is characterized by inflammation of the brain. High percentage of disability after illness. If treatment is not timely, death occurs in 50% of cases.
The disease, pneumococcal meningoencephalitis, is mainly caused by infection.
However, a day after resuscitation, Gennady Vladimirovich woke up.
At the same time, he had a clear feeling that God, the afterlife, the spiritual part of the world - everything exists. This was not the result of some memory. Just clear clarity.
He had no doubt that somewhere in the next world the question of his future was being decided, and he considered the incident a chance that the Lord himself had given to man.
50%
This is the probability of surviving Gennady Zaridze’s illness
Gennady Vladimirovich claimed that he was left on earth for a reason, but for repentance.
After this, Gennady Vladimirovich could no longer continue to live as before. It’s not that scientific activity disgusted him. I just had a desire to directly devote my life to serving God.
Both before and after this event, Gennady Vladimirovich thought a lot about the role of God in human life:
“In order to come to God, you need to rethink your own life, have a desire not to commit sins in the future, and fight against them.
A person must understand that he himself is nothing, only the Lord can recreate him in a normal state.
Therefore, it is important to go to Communion, not to neglect it and to understand what a Great Sacrament and mercy from God this is.
Confess and receive communion, work on yourself, learn prayer and so slowly become a Christian.
You can’t do this: you’ve been a righteous man for five years and that’s it.
At the same time, remember: the entire journey of life is self-improvement. You can’t say this: I was a righteous man for five years and that’s it.
No, my dears. During all the days allotted to us, a person makes efforts on himself.
We know that even after death the devil tempts a person.
We need to work on ourselves so that God would be pleased with our life and the state of our heart.”
Gennady Zaridze
archpriest
Country at the beginning of the 20th century.
By the beginning of the 20th century. The Russian Empire was a strong power. The speed at which the country developed was very high. By 1913, production volume in various industries increased by 5–13 times. The share of domestic products on the world market has almost doubled. In terms of growth rates of certain industries, Russia was ahead of other countries.
By the beginning of the First World War, the gold reserves of the Russian Empire were the largest in the world, and the Russian currency was the main one; world prices were determined by the gold and foreign exchange Russian ruble. In 1914, during the First World War, all countries participating in hostilities switched to food cards, all except Russia, which continued to supply countries at war with it with bread. The growth in industry and the economy was amazing. Russia was a power that, according to the research of American and British experts, who were not at all friendly towards it, by the middle of the 20th century. had to achieve such power that there would be no stronger one in the world. Moreover, it was an Orthodox state!
The most important reforms were carried out in Russia, in particular the abolition of serfdom. By the way, after the abolition of serfdom, only 28% of the peasants went to the communities, the rest were satisfied with everything in their lives. This was not a downtrodden, unhappy working class; people lived full lives. Russia was not a “prison for nations”; people lived freely. In Tsarist Russia, about 33 thousand people were in prison, now there are 1.5 million! Compare!
Monument to the Russian New Martyrs in Shuya
17 years before the revolution, the population growth in Russia was 50 million. Russia lived well, better than any other country in the world. Therefore, there were no prerequisites for revolution, there was no revolutionary situation in Russia. There were specially sent people who decided to destroy our country and, accordingly, destroy Orthodox Christians.
Father Gennady was the rector of several churches and chairman of the Association of Orthodox Scientists
A new period is coming, now Father Gennady is the rector of the Trinity Church in the village of Borovoye.
A little later he was transferred, and soon, in 2001, he was already the archpriest and rector of the Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin in the village of Otradnoye, Voronezh region.
For this appointment I had to graduate from the Moscow Theological Seminary.
In subsequent years, Father Gennady actively works in different directions:
- serves as confessor in the Belgorod Ascension Monastery;
- supervises the construction of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
- becomes rector there;
- rector of the church-chapel in the name of St. Mitrophan of Voronezh;
- chairs the Association of Orthodox Scientists.
Father Gennady says about his latest activities:
“At all times (including the present), many scientists have been and remain religious people.
Science and religion are simply different methods of understanding the world around us.
Science comprehends the laws of the universe.
Religion explores the same processes, but from the other side.
They can touch, intersect, but not confront.”
Gennady Zaridze
archpriest
You can find out the service schedules of Father Gennady on the official website
The archpriest gives sermons and lectures on religious topics. For example, in the video below he talks about the meaning of life. At the same time, he uses not only theological knowledge, but also relies on science:
Official website of the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary
You can personally listen to Georgy Zardidze’s sermons and communicate with the priest in the church where he is rector. The schedule is published on the official website of the temple. It’s easy to find the address there and even look at the electronic map to see how to get to the church by the shortest route.
Phone number of the temple duty officer: +79102831450
Temple in Otradnoye, where Father Gennady serves
Reflex to a falling brick
When the orphanage was almost ready, something happened in Ukraine. The administration of Voronezh asked to make a temporary temporary accommodation center there. This is how refugees appeared in Otradnoye, and the priest-physiologist learned about the “reflex to a falling brick.” By that time, construction was still underway on the building that now houses the refectory, assembly hall, and free kindergarten. It's a common thing - a brick falls on a wooden platform: baaa-bang!!! The reaction of refugee children who hide under the bed is unusual. “They have a reflex to this sound! It’s so sad, you can’t help but cry!” — the priest speaks angrily for the only time during our entire conversation.
It's a common thing - a brick falls on a wooden platform: baaa-bang!!! The reaction of refugee children who hide under the bed is unusual
In total, 1,600 people passed through the shelter; all of them were helped to obtain permanent residence in different regions of Russia. They provided us with money, food, and necessary things. Those who needed it even took their beds with them.
Together with Father Gennady, we cheerfully ran through the building that smelled of fresh paint. There are currently 49 people in the shelter. Of these, 17 are mothers. Hiding from violent husbands, as they say here, “in a difficult life situation.” And adopted ones, such as Ksenia.
She lives in a large three-room apartment. One of the rooms is occupied by Nastya and her sister. A cute girl with thickly painted eyelashes at an age when you want to kill even your own beloved but uncontrollable child. With unexpected wisdom, she does not condemn the parents who abandoned her, she only says that “mom is behaving badly now” and living in an orphanage is more fun. By the way, in the girls’ room there is no intimidating “asceticism”: the table is littered with cosmetics and various things that decorate the lives of thirteen-year-old beauties. Other principles of the archpriest are tolerance for little things that are unimportant for a Christian soul and love.
Mom Ksenia also has her own room, where her one-and-a-half-year-old baby is now snuggled up on a double bed. “I fell asleep in my arms, I didn’t bother.” Before we met her at home, we saw her on the street, and the girl seemed to me, if not impudent, then very closed, with a difficult pre-orphanage story, in which there was a place for Father Gennady. Recently, she says, she felt that it was time to repay her spiritual debts. And the priest accurately calculated this, placing him in a family of different ages, where in addition to kids there are also complex teenagers.
“I understand them well, I messed up a lot myself, Father Gennady never scolded me.”
Children love her cheesecakes, chicken soup “for astronauts” with noodles and herbs. In general, almost everything is like home, with the exception of a government notice on the toilet door asking you not to throw anything into the toilet.
Spiritual cants for guitar - musical works written and performed by Father Gennady
But most of all, Father Gennady is known as the author of songs on religious themes. The archpriest talks about his hobby like this:
“I started writing songs in my first year at university.
Once we were in the Caucasus with a speleological group.
I found myself in one of the caves in the shape of a flask, with a narrow “neck”.
I started descending by rope, and at some point it turned out that there were 30 meters below me, and it was impossible to climb up: the rope got caught in a crack and wouldn’t go.
You hang over the abyss and think about everything!
Understanding of oneself, life, death occurs very quickly...
That’s how the first song came about.”
Gennady Zaridze
archpriest
His pseudonym is Wanderer:
“We are all wanderers on this Earth. We won't always be here.
After my pardon by God, I perceive myself as a person who slides through time, not clinging to everything that is around.”
Gennady Zaridze
archpriest
Father Gennady calls his works “spiritual songs with a guitar.” He tells in them about the difficulties of lost souls and their path to the Lord. There is also a book of the same name that is intended to bring comfort to people.
Book by Father Gennady “Spiritual Pipes for Guitar”
You can listen to one of Father Gennady’s works in the video below:
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