Priest Peter Eremeev is a doctor of theology, abbot of the Russian Orthodox Church and abbot of the Vysoko-Petrovsky stauropegic monastery. He was born and raised during Soviet times in Kuban and is now 43 years old. During this time, Abbot Peter was able to achieve a lot and today is a fairly well-known personality. He is the rector of two churches - St. John the Theologian near Elm (Moscow) and St. Demetrius of Thessalonica (Moscow region, Dmitrovskoye village). Russian Orthodox University and Russian Orthodox Institute of St. John the Theologian are also under his leadership, since he was appointed their rector.
Hegumen Peter Eremeev: biography
Since childhood and adolescence, he had never attended church, except for the fact that he was baptized as a six-month-old baby.
His ancestors were from the Terek and Kuban Cossacks, but they could not preserve their Orthodox traditions, since the times were very difficult. But it was still not possible to completely eradicate religiosity from people; it simmered deeply in the souls and hearts of people and thereby positively influenced their actions, this happened with young Peter.
The future abbot was born in 1973, on December 2, in the city of Armavir, Krasnodar Territory. In the world his name was Ruslan Nikolaevich Eremeev. When he turned 17, serious questions began to arise before him as a growing young man, which he suddenly wanted to discuss with a priest.
Hegumen Peter Eremeev: having learned about my appointment to the monastery, it was as if I suddenly saw the earth
Is it possible to surprise a person who has lived his life inside the Church with a story about service? It turned out, yes. To verify this, all you had to do was arrange an interview with the abbot of the Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery in Moscow, the rector of three churches, the chairman of the patriarchal commission on the education of monastics and the rector of the Russian Orthodox University, Abbot Peter (Eremeev). So a simple conversation took place about ordinary, normal, but monastic life. About choice and service.
- Father Peter, I’ll start our conversation with what I understand. Some faculties of VGIK do not accept students immediately after school: a young person does not have enough life experience to see the present and draw conclusions. You made the decision to become a monk very early.
— I entered the seminary in 1991, and this was preceded by only 7-8 months of life associated with the temple, since I came from a family that could not be called religious at that time. I first came to the temple in December and immediately found myself with a good priest. He was older than middle age, an archpriest, rector of a church in my hometown of Armavir. Seeing a young man who happened to be in the church and looking around, Father Peter asked: “What are you doing here, lad?” I replied that I went to the temple because it had always been interesting to me. But before I did not dare to enter, although I was baptized. And finally took the first step.
- This is true? Were you really hesitant to go to the temple?
- Really. And not because something scared me or repelled me. The interest itself was not strong enough to take an extra half hour away from the turbulent youth. At the time of coming to this church and meeting Father Peter, I was 17 years old. True, when visiting St. Petersburg (then Leningrad) as a child, I found myself on the territory of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, where I looked into the Trinity Cathedral. I looked out of the corner of my eye, I was more interested in the ensemble of the monastery. And then by chance I saw Metropolitan Alexy, the future Patriarch, near one of the churches. So then the first real meeting with the temple took place in Armavir. Thank God, here I was met by a kind and bright man of living faith, communication with whom aroused in me an interest in continuing my acquaintance. We talked very briefly, and in parting I said: “Maybe I’ll come again.” And then he came again. And further.
Since I was baptized at the age of six months, no one remembered the name I was given at baptism, and according to my passport, my name is Ruslan. And when I once again came to Father Peter to talk with him and his wonderful family, he, as a person quite direct and simple in posing the question, said: “You walk, you walk, but why just walk? At least he came to confession and took communion, as all Orthodox Christians do. Are you Orthodox? I say: “Well, yes” - “You just need to choose a Christian name” - “What do you mean? I am baptized” - “In the Russian tradition, it is necessary to bear the name that is in the Saints in order to know your heavenly patron. The Saint who lived before you." We began to look for the name of the saint on December 2. They chose Daniel. The name, as it soon became clear, is not even close to this date...
— They were looking for December 2, but they found Daniel?
— In an unknown way, we chose the name of St. Daniel of Moscow, whose memory is celebrated in September and March. The only thing he has to do with December is that he was the son of St. Alexander Nevsky, whose memory falls on December 6.
— A cunning connection.
- Like this. I don't know how they looked. So, when I first came to confession and communion and then entered the seminary and studied there, I was Daniel.
I begin the story from afar, because the image of the priest, which was the first to be imprinted upon meeting Father Peter and probably became the most striking, was associated with monasticism. Although Father Peter was a married archpriest, he had lovely daughters, a very good-natured, sociable mother, and there were wonderful family traditions in his family; he constantly talked about monasticism. He used to joke: “Mother, maybe we should become a monk?” – and I took his words at face value. His most vivid stories were about the Monk Kuksha of Odessa. And the very way of life of Father Peter was more similar to the life of a monk in the world (after all, there is such a practice when monastic priests serve in parishes). Later evaluating my first thought about monasticism, which arose in the seminary, I found its basis in a genuine interest in the monastic path received from Father Peter.
But at first the question was neither about monasticism nor about the seminary. The conversation arose closer to April. One day Father Peter told me: “You ask about everything in such detail that I no longer know what to tell you. Go to the seminary, it has opened in Stavropol. And they will tell you everything there. If you want, you will become a priest.” With his encouragement, I subsequently decided to enter the seminary. As I understand today, it was then perceived by relatives and friends as a whim of a young man. But everything is better than much else: at the turn of the 90s, many of my comrades in the yard and at school chose more radical activities. And here, you know, is the Church. And I began to prepare to enter the seminary.
— And before you met Father Peter, who did you think you would be?
— I have always been interested in history. There was a desire to enter the history department at Krasnodar University. So, when Father Peter suggested that I think about the seminary, I literally laughed in his face: “Am I a priest? How do you imagine this? This is simply unthinkable." My words didn’t offend him one bit; he said with a smile: “Go, think. Suddenly you want it." And a few weeks after this conversation, I suddenly woke up in the morning with the thought: “I will enter the seminary.”
Assessing these still vivid memories today, I understand (and understood then) that I felt that feeling, that powerful movement, which is called a calling. Everything else was a choice, including the choice of monasticism. Choice as a consequence of experience, choice of direction of activity. But that morning it was as if I had witnessed a phenomenon independent of me in the Gospel sense. According to the words of Christ: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you.”
Therefore, the first year at the seminary (I think seminarians who come from outside the church will understand me) I did not have the feeling of living in paradise.
- Tell me you're not joking. This is true?!
- No bad impressions, no thoughts, you take everything at face value. You easily endure any adversity, any troubles.
Firstly, despite a lot of competition and certain difficulties, you got in. In 1991, there were almost no obstacles to entering the seminary, however, they did not want to give me a medical certificate. The doctors sent me from office to office with the words: “What are you doing, young man. What seminary? Are you crazy!? We’ll put you in psychiatry.” But I stubbornly followed them, not understanding what they were talking about... What they were threatening me with, I understood later, when one of the professors of the Theological Academy told us about how he, on his way to enter the seminary, was taken off the train. Sometimes terrible things happened to those who entered theological schools in the Soviet years: they threatened to fire their parents from their jobs, they persecuted relatives. During the harsh Khrushchev persecutions, they promised to show the last priest on television. By the beginning of the 90s, a small echo of that struggle with religion remained, and the doctors (they were all older) were afraid to give a certificate. I walked in circles. Apparently I got to the head doctor, who waved his hand, and they gave me a certificate for admission to an educational institution.
And secondly, when I entered the seminary, I found myself in a Christian community from an absolutely secular environment. Imagine, 1991...
- I can imagine it too well.
— Then there was a surge of interest in the Church, a surge of living religious feeling. Nevertheless, we seminarians still lived for some time among people with a biased attitude towards our choice. Almost everyone was twisting his head, saying: “Boy, you’re crazy.” And here you live in a seminary, where everyone has the same lifestyle and way of thinking as you. You see believing teachers. Then I was amazed that a considerable number of teachers were graduates of secular educational institutions. That is, I found myself in a very healthy, interesting church environment. It is not surprising that the first year of study was a year of euphoria, a year of feeling that you had found yourself in the ancient Church, which you read about when entering the seminary, preparing for exams. I didn’t want to leave the seminary grounds at all, except to buy toothpaste and soap once a month. I studied for the first three years at the small Stavropol seminary. There were 30 of us on the course, and the senior courses were even less staffed. That is, there were about 80 of us in the entire seminary. A small courtyard, a cathedral, a seminary, a book, people, worship services - everything that constituted my way of life at that time. And I liked it. I remember that time as very lively, full of real spiritual impressions.
And then there’s an event: senior students are tonsured. The stories of Archpriest Peter about the monks he found in the 50s and 60s came to mind. Moreover, suddenly a teacher in Church history gave me the task of writing a course essay on monasticism. All this together, plus the feeling of approaching graduation from the seminary (it was the beginning of the third year) had a completely understandable effect - for the first time I thought about what was next. We have to decide: get married, become a monk, or enter the academy. Because holy orders presuppose a choice of lifestyle. The tonsure of senior students also became a reason for reflection. Contrary to idle talk that monasticism is taken up by people who are desperate, who have lost the meaning of life, I want to say that those who in the seminary were at the origins of the most unpredictable, kind, decisive actions and any undertakings - almost all took monastic vows. Today, some of them are bishops, others serve as monks in parishes and monasteries in the Caucasus and other places. These bright people with lively characters, completely open to choosing the priestly path, aroused my interest: “Is this possible?” Is it possible to be a living person, to not close oneself to broad pastoral service, to mission, and to become a monk? Is monasticism not necessarily a retreat? It turned out that in addition to the cell and prayer, this was also a church service. And it is equally available to both a married and a monastic priest.
I consulted about the desire to be tonsured a monk with Archimandrite Eugene (now he is the rector of the Moscow Theological Academy) and Metropolitan Gideon of Stavropol and Baku, with whom I served as a subdeacon - they made the decision to tonsure the students. Perhaps due to the fact that I was “young and green,” the Bishop and Father Rector said: “Well, brother, it’s too early to talk about this. A laudable wish. It's good that you're thinking about your future choices. But for now, your main thing is studying. It's never too late to take monastic vows. It’s dangerous to miss a girl”...
- Really.
“It’s really dangerous for a seminarian to miss out on a good girl.” If you have a good girl, be afraid to lose her. And you can accept monasticism later. The Bishop also said: “Go ahead, finish the seminary, then we will recommend you and other students to the Academy. Choose: St. Petersburg or Moscow.” I wanted to go to St. Petersburg, and my father Peter recommended that I go to St. Petersburg, he had friends there. I thought and thought and made the first choice in my life that was not related to a vocation, but to a meaningful choice. Indeed, you need to finish seminary. Then, God willing, enter the Academy, and there you can already make a decision: marriage or monasticism.
And by the end of the third year, the Synod ordered Father Eugene to be in Moscow, where he was assigned to head the Educational Committee. At the same time, a number of senior students entered the Moscow Theological Academy. Our seminary was united by a fraternal spirit, we were all friends, communicated, knew each other’s parents, relatives and friends, and traveled throughout the region to visit. And, of course, my acquaintances who entered the academy encouraged me to transfer to the Moscow Seminary. Moreover, it seemed that from there it would be easier to enter the Academy - by that time entrance exams had already been introduced here. Before that, admission to the Academy was based on a letter of recommendation from a regional seminary, but then a competition arose. So they told me: “Danila, transfer to the Moscow Seminary, take a closer look, prepare and go straight to the Academy.” Then I approached the new rector, Archbishop Valentin of Baku. And he said: “If you are determined, we will write you a recommendation. Transfer." And I finished my last academic year in Moscow.
At the Lavra we were taught mainly by the older and middle generation of monks and priests. There were no monks at all in the Stavropol Seminary, only the rector. The rest are archpriests or laymen. And here half of the teachers are monks. They live for decades in a monastery, in an academy. And the meaning of their life path is teaching practice, priestly service and monasticism, the cell. Because no one has canceled the cell as a cradle of salvation for a monk.
I was greatly impressed by the training course of Alexey Ilyich Osipov. I listened to him at the seminary for only a semester, but Alexey Ilyich literally shocked me by raising questions about the meaning of life, about the meaning of priestly service, which allowed me, in a sense, to “peel the grains from the husks.” He said: “Brothers, you are studying for the fourth year at the seminary, you already know a lot, but everything you studied has no meaning. 20 items for A's? Everything is unnecessary until you realize that nothing has value in this life - not your sermons, not your knowledge of the New and Old Testaments, not even my basic theology. All this knowledge is empty until you realize: only your personal salvation, only your own spiritual life matters in the eyes of God. And that means it should become a measure for you too. You can study the entire course of the seminary and academy, be an excellent student, but become the son of perdition.” For me, a provincial in every sense of the word, his lectures were sobering. After all, I imagined myself to be an educated and very church-going senior student.
- Sounds like Zen Buddhism...
“This made me reevaluate my previous student path, because I believed that I was studying in order to “learn.” And here they tell you that you need to study for the sake of saving your own soul. Alexey Ilyich is a teacher rich in images, subtle and deep in his approaches, he made me re-evaluate a lot, for which I am very grateful to him. And I received my diploma with full confidence that my life choice was monasticism.
Of course, the location of the Moscow Seminary within the walls of an ancient monastery, where monastic traditions were revived already in the late 40s, was of great importance: this way we could see the living continuity of monastic life. All this together - excellent teachers, the Lavra itself, the Theological Academy and Seminary, fraternal monastery prayer services, which we ran to before the seminary ascent - created the correct direction of spiritual life. Everything fell into place. So, having entered the Theological Academy, I understood that by the third year I would apply for monastic vows. Then studying at the Academy lasted 4 years. In the penultimate year, I took monastic vows during Lent, and in the summer, among teachers and students, I practiced deacon ministry. And upon completion of my studies, I planned to either return to the Stavropol Seminary or further study. This is what happened in the end: after graduating from the Academy, at the invitation of my academic friends from Bulgaria and the blessing of the rector, I went to specialize in doctoral studies at Sofia University.
“I was just about to ask.” Of course, the decision to accept monasticism is explained by the fervor and emotions inherent in a young neophyte. But did you regret it later? It is clear that each of us at some point regretted our choice...
“The question is very important, because two of my comrades at the Academy, whom I remember with good feelings and pray for, who influenced me in choosing the monastic path, in establishing myself in this field, left monasticism. But their zeal and genuine sincerity in monastic life impressed me very much. That is life.
—When a monk is tested on the correctness of the choice of path once made before the altar?
— This can be judged by the fulfillment of three monastic vows. This is how experienced spiritual authors write about it. First of all, there is a temptation to break the vow of chastity, thoughts arise in your head about the possibility of a happy life with your loved one (family hearth, children and grandchildren), and from this thoughts arise - are you mistaken? Violation of the vow of non-covetousness, the second of the three, when people find themselves faced with unlimited external factors and material possibilities, is also possible. And obedience. Unfortunately, this is the most difficult test for monks today. It is present to a greater extent than the first and second. There they underestimated, did not praise, here they did not give a reward, they sent to the wrong place - all this is a challenge to the vow of obedience. By giving it, you accept everything that happens in life with one answer: thank God for everything. God is merciful, I have never been seriously tempted by the first, second, or third.
— Forgive me for asking, have you ever encountered such situations?
“Maybe they were there, but they rushed by like waves above me.” So the holy fathers say: when a thought comes, if possible, ignore it. Don't reason, don't weigh, don't give it the opportunity to grab your mind. Therefore, thank God, there were no thoughts yet about whether I made the right choice in life. And I am happy that, as a character trait, I still have the readiness for action and easy-going spirit that I remember in myself from childhood. They help me a lot. Because the main harm to a monk comes from idleness. Availability of free time is the main problem for monasteries and for monastics. A monk shouldn't have one. We must pray and work as much as age and health allow.
- This is ideal.
- I judge by those I know. For whom there are no illusions and self-deception regarding the meaning of life. Monks are those who realize: no matter what happens in this life, even the most beautiful, the most useful, everything has the same denominator. It is called the completely neutral word “death.” Death is the denominator of everything in your life. And in the context of this seemingly asocial view, whether you have children or not, whether you have succeeded in life as a professional or not, whether you have made a dizzying career or remained a laborer, is not of decisive importance.
Everything that happens in life has no value in itself, but only as a condition and environment in which an eternal human personality is formed, which does not die in death, but passes into a state of eternal existence. And when a person understands this, then all the hooks that held him to stable but false temporary earthly values disappear. When you begin to truly, evangelically, believe in God and God, you understand that there is you, as a personality being created over the years of earthly life, and there is God, who created you and who awaits you in the Heavenly Fatherland. And that you should live there. And who were you by profession, did you see the volcanoes of Kamchatka, nothing matters for Eternity.
“But, in theory, a true family Christian should live by these same principles.” Any.
- Yes. But I'm talking about monasticism, meaning a way of life. This is the form in which we clothe our life. The same convenient form for saving the soul in earthly life is the family. And God, as we see in the Holy Scriptures, gives a person the opportunity to choose between one and another path in life. They are equal to each other. Because, entering into a marriage with another person, giving birth to children, a person consciously makes self-denial, sacrifice, without which love and happiness in the family are impossible.
A married person consciously exposes his sides to the circumstances of life, difficulties, and illnesses that are experienced by the entire united family. The centrifuge called “family life” exfoliates the foreign matter. And in this case, at the end of an earthly Christian marriage, we observe amazing old people: when people who have lived their lives, raised children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, become in their way of thinking and even in appearance similar to the elders and elders we reverence, whom we see in monasteries. Sometimes I don’t find any differences when I see old people in the world closer to 80-90 years old. I am amazed at them no less than at the otherworldly elders who lived on Mount Athos from their youth.
Monasticism as a form of organization of earthly life is the same way of improving the soul, with the same conditions of self-restraint, self-sacrifice, which you consciously choose, which educate you and elevate you from one level of spiritual experience. There are ups here and there. There are falls here and there. Both teach you to overcome each next challenge with greater diligence and, probably, with greater ease.
— I’ll practically continue your thought. The expression “monastic feat” is known, but the expression “family feat” is not.
- But why? There are too. We can often hear about family feats. There is such an expression.
- It is used much less often. As a person who has lived his life in the Church, I understand: being a monk, whether in the world or in a monastery, that is, in a hostel, is not easy. Not everyone can do this. On the other hand, detachment from universal human problems is sometimes easier. What is the monastic feat? Did you find the answer?
“Five of my future fellow monks and I took monastic vows like those tonsured by the Trinity-Sergius Lavra - at the relics of St. Sergius. And we do not separate ourselves from the Lavra monastic brotherhood, because, like them, we made vows to God at the shrine of this great righteous man. Even now I come to the Lavra with only one request: as my own father, to ask him for help in the field of monastic service and his petition at the Throne of the Almighty for the forgiveness of sins and infirmities.
At the Academy, the monks live in almost the same conditions as the Lavra brethren. This is also a cell and a special regime. When, after graduating from the Academy, I was sent to doctoral studies at the Faculty of Theology at Sofia State University, I also lived there at the seminary. This was a new, relatively, of course, liturgical experience. In Bulgaria, Byzantine singing is accepted, but the texts of prayers are Church Slavonic or Bulgarian. And this new liturgical culture inspired me so much, I liked it so much that, if possible, I went to divine services every day. In the morning and in the evening.
“Isn’t going to church every day obligatory for a theological student?”
— A doctoral student is still a more free person in choice than a seminarian. You just need to come at the prescribed hours for doctoral examinations and participate in scientific work. And accommodation at the seminary is a boarding house, which was allocated by the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Church, allowing you to live in the city center and within walking distance of the theological faculty.
I tried to follow the rules of the seminary: the ringing of the bells woke everyone up at six in the morning, the meal here was in accordance with the church rules. I enjoyed going out to serve in Bulgarian monasteries, which led to incidents, especially in the first year, when I did not yet know the Bulgarian language well, since in a number of monasteries and churches they serve in Bulgarian, and not in Church Slavonic. Once I found myself the only priest in a convent during Holy Week, and I had to perform many hours of services according to the Bulgarian missal. By that time, I had already lived in the country for several months, so I more or less read and understood Bulgarian, but this express method of learning the language was so interesting to me that I often think about it.
I returned from Sofia and was left at the Academy: His Holiness the Patriarch appointed me and Father Vladimir Shmaliy as vice-rectors. Him for scientific work, me for organizational and administrative work. The Academy was then in the stage of reorganizing the educational process, and Father Vladimir was responsible for the creation of scientific directions, their design in the form of departments, and the like. The newly appointed Secretary of the Academic Council, Father Pavel Velikanov, also brought an absolutely stunning wave of enthusiasm into the life of the corporation. I was instructed to deal with the office management system that meets the requirements of higher education and supervise issues related to the allocation of grants and charitable assistance. The seminary allowed me to teach the History of Local Orthodox Churches. Monastic life began again in the conditions of his native monastery.
I received my first experience of parish life (truly parish life) and the experience of personal responsibility for a specific project in Khabarovsk. On Trinity Day 2005, Bishop Eugene announced that Patriarch Alexy was sending a group of teachers from the Moscow and St. Petersburg Theological Academies to Khabarovsk: a decision had been made to open a Theological Seminary in the Far East. Vladyka himself was involved in the formation of our group, which, unfortunately, became significantly smaller: some refused to go. In the end, six of us left. Every year we added graduates from St. Petersburg and Moscow academies, and we also accepted teachers from local universities.
It was a wonderful time, thanks to which I gained experience and knowledge that was useful later in my work at a secular educational institution - at the Moscow Orthodox Institute of St. John the Theologian. Because, in addition to the construction of a complex of seminary buildings, where Archbishop Mark of Khabarovsk appointed me as curator for the diocese, we were also involved in licensing educational programs and forming the educational process from scratch. Having in a short time, together with our entire team, passed licensing in terms of the religious educational standard, as well as state educational standards in theology, and, at the same time, organizing other aspects of the life of the seminary, I understood the principle of the organization and work of the university. Before that, I had no independent experience.
And, you know, this came in handy for me immediately after the end of the business trip. When, unexpectedly for myself, I received the decision of the founders of the Orthodox Institute of St. John the Theologian to choose me as rector. The first thing I learned upon taking office was that the university, which was supposed to graduate specialists in a month, had expired its license. And for the last few months, the institute has not had the right to conduct educational activities at all. Accordingly, we could not release anyone. At the same time, I was faced with inspections regarding appeals to the Labor Inspectorate and the Prosecutor's Office about delays in wages, and then legal claims from utility workers.
— So you agreed to become rector without knowing about the difficulties ahead?
- I didn’t have such an opportunity. I learned about my new obedience when the issue had already been resolved. But I returned from Khabarovsk on an upswing: it was five years of positivity, so no problems frightened me.
And yet some things had to be done for the first time. For example, urgently undergo the licensing procedure for all areas of training, first at the bachelor’s level, and then at the master’s level. From scratch, develop all the documentation for licensing and undergraduate programs for a whole list: religious studies, history, philology, psychology, economics, jurisprudence. At the same time, it was necessary to speed up the process of obtaining a license for educational activities in a specialty, conduct state exams and graduate students who have completed their studies. The experience of serving in Khabarovsk was also useful in terms of parish work. Bishop Mark entrusted me with the leadership of the historic Nativity Cathedral in Khabarovsk, which was completely new. But it was easier when I was appointed rector at Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo. Before my appointment, the church was affiliated, that is, it did not have a legal entity, it did not have a permanent clergy, the parish essentially had to be created.
- How did the monk live in the parish? How correct is this?
— Arriving in Moscow, I settled for two years in the recreation room at the rector’s office - there was nowhere else. From there I went to services at the parish. Two years later, the Holy Synod appointed me as abbot of the Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery, leaving my previous duties as rector of the Institute of St. John the Theologian and the re-established Russian Orthodox University. Here everything has already fallen into place.
— Has your career finally caught up with you?
- No. I was not prepared for this news. I was struck by the sudden change in the coordinate axis of life. After all, I took monastic vows not in a monastery, but at the Theological Academy. I was not afraid of monasteries, I did not choose the Academy in spite of the Lavra. I love Lavra very much. And today for me she is an illustration of real monastic life. I chose the Academy because the idea of scientific work and teaching was close to me at that time. And here - to the monastery. Completely unexpected.
— What is a monastery near Red Square?
“It didn’t matter to me whether it was Petrovka, Pokrovka or Vasyuki. And I knew the Petrovsky Monastery. I remembered him from the 90s - as a student, he carried documents from the Theological Academy to the Department of Religious Education as a courier. And the beautiful Peter's Cathedral is one of my favorite Moscow churches.
I was impressed and shocked by something completely different. Do you know how I felt when I heard the news? I felt as if, after many years of sailing across endless seas, I suddenly saw land. Earth, do you understand? The very land on which you must live and die.
But until the end I realized that the monastery was what was really missing only when I got here.
— Do you want to say that in the center of modern Moscow a real monastery with its own monastic way of life lives and flourishes?
“I can honestly say about myself that I feel like a member of this monastic family, and I consider the walls of our cozy monastery to be the spiritual fence of my life, in which I want to achieve salvation. What else matters for the self-identification of the monastery, for the brethren, besides the feeling of spiritual unity of the members of this brotherhood? Architecture, shrines are adjectives to it.
Of course, the Petrovsky Monastery is a place where I never expected to end up. If I had chosen monasticism outside the Theological Academy 15 years ago, I definitely would not have gone to the city monastery. Maybe because I am a perfectionist, I always want to do everything as well as possible, to see it through to the end. Maybe it would be a Lavra monastery or monastery far from the noise and bustle of the city. And then suddenly, it’s as if the Lord himself admonishes you, shames your self-conceit: “Just work hard here.” And I believe in God, and I know that this is for my good.
So upon arrival at the monastery, I told my brothers: “Let’s get ready for long joint work, God willing, health and strength. We have gathered here to save ourselves, and this is the most important thing. We must strive for this main goal, uniting in one God.” Three years have passed since my brothers and I have been together. Sometimes I forget that I am in the center of Moscow, it is so quiet, calm and secluded here. Only on the way to university or some other place do you feel the rhythm and atmosphere of a big city.
Thank God, everything happens in life so that there are opportunities and strengths to work in different fields and be useful to people.
Meeting with the priest
After communicating with the priest, Ruslan, who very lively and wisely responded to the problems of the young boy, immediately developed a sympathy for Orthodoxy, and he was again drawn to the temple. A little later, the priest suggested that he think about entering a theological seminary. And then, after some thought, Ruslan firmly decided to become a clergyman. In such a completely unexpected way, the future abbot revealed his calling to serve God.
He then graduated from the Moscow Theological Seminary (1995) and the Academy (1999). During his studies, he was the editor of the student Orthodox magazine “Vstrecha”.
Of all the rich heritage of the church, examples of monastic asceticism were especially close and understandable to him. As a result, he chose the only true path for himself, connected with monastic life.
New Martyr Saint Peter
In 1998, in the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, he became a monk with the name Peter in honor of the memory of the new martyr Metropolitan Peter (Polyansky) of Krutitsky, who was shot in 1937 by the NKVD and canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1997.
He was truly a great saint, who showed an amazing example of courage, and a zealous defender of the faith. He had to bear the heavy burden of a very difficult period for the entire Fatherland. After the death of Patriarch Tikhon, it was on his shoulders that the management of the Russian Orthodox Church, constantly persecuted by the Bolshevik authorities, fell. He spent ten years in prison and exile until he was eventually shot.
hierarchy
In 1998, in the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, he was tonsured a monk.
On December 6, 1998, during the Divine Liturgy in the seminary church of St. John the Climacus, he was ordained as hieromonk by Bishop Eugene of Vereya as the rector of the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary.
Rector of the Cathedral of the Nativity in Khabarovsk (from 2005 to 2010)[1].
In 2006 he was elevated to the rank of abbot.
On September 16, 2010, by decree of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', Abbot Peter was appointed rector of the Church of St. John the Theologian, which is near Elm - the patriarchal metochion on Novaya Square, rector of the Church of Demetrius of Thessalonica in the village of Dmitrovskoye[2].
By the decision of the Holy Synod of March 12, 2013 (magazine No. 23), he was appointed to the position of vicar of the Vysoko-Petrovsky stauropegial monastery in Moscow[3],
New life
In 2003, Patriarch Alexy II blessed Father Peter to the position of vice-rector of the Moscow Theological Seminary and Academy.
In 2004, on May 5, Father Peter Eremeev, by a resolution of the Higher Attestation Commission of the Republic of Bulgaria, was awarded the degree of Doctor of Theology for his dissertation on the topic “Theological education in Russia at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century.” It is also interesting that he defended his diploma in jurisprudence from the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.
Since 2005, Patriarch Alexy II appointed him as vice-rector of the newly created Khabarovsk Theological Seminary and rector of the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ, where in a short time the temple and chapel were restored, theological courses were organized for the laity, as well as a Sunday school.
Hegumen Peter Eremeev
Since 2005, again with the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II, he has been creating a seminary in the Far East. He lived in Khabarovsk for many years, where he was entrusted with the task of supervising the construction of a theological seminary. Hegumen Peter Eremeev understood perfectly well that the most difficult thing in this matter was to establish the educational process. It was a wonderful experience for him, which still helps him a lot today.
In 2006, Father Peter received ordination to the rank of abbot. In 2006, the Khabarovsk Theological Seminary turned into one of the most comfortable schools of the Russian Orthodox Church. In 2009, she was the first in Russia to successfully pass the licensing of higher education programs according to the State Standard.
In 2010, on May 21, Patriarch Alexy II appointed Abbot Peter rector of the Orthodox Institute of St. John the Theologian. In September of the same year, he was elected rector of the Church of St. John the Evangelist near Elm of the Moscow city diocese.
In 2011, on January 14, by decree of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', priest Peter Eremeev headed the Russian Orthodox University.
In 2013, on March 12, he was appointed abbot of the Vysoko-Petrovsky monastery in Moscow.
In reality, you need to have a colossal capacity for work in order to combine the work of rector and viceroy, and Abbot Peter Eremeev knows this well.
Interview
- Hegumen Peter (Eremeev): The Forty Forty Festival returns Moscow to the traditions of a church city holiday
- Hegumen Peter (Eremeev): Where can I get money for church education?
- Development of theological and religious studies education as a solution to the problem of ensuring interethnic harmony
- Hegumen Peter (Eremeev): Orthodox University is the place of formation of the national elite
- Rector of the Russian Orthodox University, Hegumen Peter (Eremeev): There is a Person in everyone
- Hegumen Peter (Eremeev): Vocation is higher than motivation
- Hegumen Peter (Eremeev): The participation of the RPU in the Christmas readings is a comparison of our work with the expectations of society
- Hegumen Peter (Eremeev): The 700th anniversary of the Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery should become a holiday for all of Moscow
- Hegumen Peter (Eremeev): The immediate task of the Russian Church is to educate 30,000 missionaries
- Hegumen Peter (Eremeev): There is no such thing as Orthodox physics
- Hegumen Peter (Eremeev): Family is like the Church
- Hegumen Peter (Eremeev): In memory of the victims of the revolution
- Hegumen Peter (Eremeev): A humble leader?
- Hegumen Peter (Eremeev): Why are Orthodox churches empty?
- Hegumen Peter (Eremeev): The film “Noah” will become a sermon for people far from religion
- Hegumen Peter (Eremeev): We are trying to develop the good tradition of participation of the Russian Orthodox University in Christmas readings
Viceroy
Now he works in Moscow. Before Father Peter became the abbot of the monastery, he devoted a lot of time to the secular educational environment and communicated with a lot of people. After all, this is the job of a rector; there are many contradictions and questions, and they all require colossal efforts to resolve and clarify them, and this is not always easy.
Hegumen Peter Eremeev himself admits that when he received this appointment and moved to the monastery, he finally felt the deep inner relief that he had been missing for so long. He was well aware that for a true monk, life in a monastery is a real blessing, no matter what obedience he had to perform. It is in the monastery that one truly feels the necessary rhythm of church life and fraternal support. Moreover, it was necessary to begin serious preparations for the anniversary.
pathological speech
Ambiguous
- Rest is an ambiguous concept
[4].
swear words
isolationism
- the principle of isolationism
that is still characteristic of the educational systems of religious associations in Russia [5].
ego
- Selfishness and pride, often inherent in the leaders of the modern world, do not allow them to truly care for loved ones or sincerely serve the people around them, since the inner “ego”
eats such a leader from the inside[6].
pathological vocabulary
Inclusive, Leader, Ambiguous, Ego
700th anniversary of the monastery
In 2015, in mid-September, the Vysoko-Petrovsky stauropegic monastery celebrated its 700th anniversary. Abbot Peter and his monastic brethren met important guests. The great procession from the Assumption Cathedral, where the relics of St. Metropolitan Peter of Kyiv and Moscow are kept (1326), to the monastery was led by Patriarch Kirill. At the end, the bishop made a solemn speech to all believers. Then a divine prayer service dedicated to Metropolitan Peter of Kyiv (1326) was held at the walls of the monastery.
In 1315, Metropolitan Peter of Kiev and All Rus', during the reign of Prince Kalita, when there was no patriarchy in Rus', moved the metropolitan throne from Kyiv and Vladimir to the young and then inconspicuous Moscow. From that moment on, the head of the church of all Russian lands stayed in Moscow. But that's a completely different story.
sources
- Hegumen Peter (Eremeev). // Patriarchia.ru
- Hegumen Peter (Eremeev). // Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery
- Hegumen Peter (Eremeev). // pravoslavie.ru
- Hegumen Peter (Eremeev). // TK Soyuz
- Hegumen Peter (Eremeev). // Week. RU
- Hegumen Peter (Eremeev). // Theologian. RU
- "Religion and Education: Paths and Crossroads"
- Biography of Abbot Peter (Eremeev)
Footnotes
- Vladivostok Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church | News archive
- Decree of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill No. U-02/47 of March 13, 2014. // Moscow diocese
- Journals of the meeting of the Holy Synod of March 12, 2013. // Patriarchia.Ru
- Rector of the RPU, Abbot Peter (Eremeev): “Our model of education is a good embodiment of pre-revolutionary and good Soviet traditions” // Patriarchy.ru. – 2013. – June 6. – Date of access: 20.2.2018.
- Development of theological and religious education as a solution to the problem of ensuring interethnic harmony // Patriarchia.ru. – 2012. – June 8. – Date of access: 20.2.2018.
- Rector of the Russian Orthodox Institute, Hegumen Peter (Eremeev): “The main purpose of a true leader is to give and serve” // Patriarchy.ru. – 2010. – August 25. – Date of access: 22.4.2018.
