| Archpriest Valerian Krechetov |
Valerian Mikhailovich Krechetov
(b. 1937), mitred archpriest, rector of the Akulovsky Intercession and New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church of the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region, confessor of the Moscow diocese, spiritual writer, preacher Born on April 14, 1937 in the city of Zaraysk, Moscow region in the family of the repressed accountant Mikhail Krechetova, after. who became a priest, and psalm-reader Lyubov Vladimirovna, born. Korobova. Brother of Peter and Nikolai. Baptized in honor of martyr. Valerian of Rome.
At the age of six he began serving in church. As a schoolboy he studied the Church Slavonic language and refused to join the pioneers and the Komsomol.
In 1959 he graduated from high school, in 1962 from the Moscow Forestry Engineering Institute, in 1964 he worked in the virgin lands, then in the Urals. He became a navigator in the Air Force, but worked as an engineer in the forestry enterprise.
He entered the workshops of the Moscow Patriarchate as an engineer, and in one year passed the course of study at the Moscow Theological Seminary.
He married Natalya Konstantinovna Apushkina, in total seven children were born in the family, among them: Andrei, Tikhon, Fedor.
On November 21, 1968, he was ordained a deacon, and on January 12, 1969, a priest by Bishop Filaret (Vakhromeev) of Dmitrov.
At first he served for a year and a half in the Transfiguration Church in Peredelkino. He was mentored by Father Sergius Orlov, in the monasticism of Seraphim), concelebrated with Father Tikhon Agrikov (in the schema of Panteleimon), and was acquainted with many confessors of Soviet times.
Since 1970, he became rector of the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village. Akulov.
In 1973 he graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy. He was elevated to the rank of archpriest.
In 2003, he created a Sunday school for adults in the parish.
From July 27, 2009 to October 23, 2014, he was a member of the commissions 1) on issues of worship and church art and 2) on issues of parish life and parish practice of the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church [1].
For several decades he bore the obedience of the diocesan confessor.
The kindest thing on earth
How to make the right decision in difficult situations, not to stumble, and not to cause harm to either your neighbors or yourself while thinking about the visible good? For example, we have taken the good path of faith, helping others, and mercy. And we meet a man whose life is full of evil and hatred, his actions cannot be justified, there is not a drop of compassion in them for the innocent whom he uses. But no matter how many good deeds you do, very necessary and important ones, the highest mercy that a person can perform on earth is a prayer for the forgiveness of a sinner. You shouldn’t argue: “How could he do this, how does the earth carry him?” You just need to pray. It is not easy. You will try and understand that such sincere prayer is a feat. A feat that covers many of our sins. But let these be your first steps towards the most difficult thing. Everything has its beginning. How do people become merciful? A person cannot suddenly become a model of virtue overnight. But the effort will also be rewarded. John Chrysostom says: “When you cannot be merciful, give at least what you do not need at all. Then gradually you will begin to give away what you need, but not very much, and then you will be able to give away anything.” But even higher than all these benefits is prayer. One parable tells how a beggar came to a certain servant of God, and he gave him his new clothes, thinking: “Well, I look like the old one.” And later in a vision he saw an angel who opened a treasure chest in front of him and gave him royal clothes. “You gave your clothes - so the Lord gives you your clothes.” After the vision went away, this man eventually began to look for those in need - he gave them more of his clothes. In the end, he gave everything away, even his house. He went to the monastery, and there he mourned: “Why did I give everything away and eat this unleavened porridge? Who needs me now? I can’t even help anyone.” An angel appeared to him and said: “For what you gave to others, the Lord rewarded you a lot. They come to the monastery for spiritual feeding. If food for the body is so valuable, then for the soul it is priceless. You will bring even more benefit to people by praying for them.” Therefore, the highest good deed is prayer. Prayer for the soul. As many as there are who need clothing, there are many more who need spiritual clothing. And the best, wedding garment for the soul is repentance, which cleanses from sin. There is another spiritual narrative. One novice in a vision saw herself as if standing in a temple. I saw the iconostasis, and next to it a girl of extraordinary beauty. She reached out to her and thought: “What a beauty, there is such pure beauty on earth.” And then this girl turned into a terrible old hag. “This,” says the appearing angel, “is your soul. First, the one that was given to you at birth, and then - what you turned it into.” Therefore, we all need prayer clothing, because we will all leave here. But with what? And the hardest thing is when people don’t think about it at all. My soul, why are you sleeping? The end is approaching! “For repentance I will add, but for iniquity I will subtract,” says the Lord. Therefore, prayer for the forgiveness of sins for yourself and for your neighbors is the highest good deed and manifestation of love. Look at how quickly time passes: it was just Christmas, Epiphany, and now Easter is approaching. So we will reach the Last Judgment. You need to think about the end, but in a good way. Life was given to man to fulfill this will of God.
What is the meaning of true freedom? Conversations and interviews
Archpriest Valerian Krechetov is a significant figure for the Russian Orthodox people. Famous spiritual pastor, mentor, missionary, preacher, writer. Mitred Archpriest. The oldest cleric of the Moscow diocese. Rector of the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Akulovo, Moscow region.
Born into a famous family in 1937. His grandmother was from the Morozov merchant family. Maternal great-grandfather - foster brother of I.S. Turgenev and the manager of his estate. His father worked as an accountant, but later became a famous priest. He was a master of sports in rowing. The parents of Father Valerian Krechetov met in the church where Mikhail Krechetov came at the behest of his mother, and where Lyubov Korobova sang in the choir. My father was soon repressed and sent to Solovki, where he remained until 1931. Afterwards he had no right to live in Moscow or nearby. Then he was not yet a priest, but it was in the camp that God was very close, Mikhail always felt His help and intercession.
In 1937, father Valerian Krechetov was born in Zaraysk. There were already three children in the family. Soon the Great Patriotic War began, and Mikhail Krechetov went to the front. And his wife was left alone with three children, she survived, she endured, she was a very strong woman. In 1949, upon returning from the front, Mikhail Valerianovich entered the Moscow Theological Seminary to study, and at that time he was already 49 years old. Father Valerian's mother loved church and always took her children there, no matter what. From the age of 6 the boy already served in the temple. Every weekend the family went to temple.
Father always instructed Valerian Krechetov and his brothers that if they want to be priests, they must prepare for prison. And there a profession is needed. So Valerian entered the Moscow Forestry Engineering Institute. After graduation, I was assigned to the Northern Urals and worked for three years as an engineer at the Chusovsky timber industry enterprise. Then followed a move to Moscow. Marriage to N.K. Apushkina. His wife's mother, Elena Vladimirovna Apushkina, the spiritual daughter of father Alexy Mechev, and then his son Sergiy Mechev, had a huge influence on the development of Valerian Krechetov as a priest. He was also greatly helped by his spiritual mentor, Father Alexei Rezukhin, who served as rector of the church in Zaraysk, whose sermons a huge number of people came to listen to. But, perhaps, the turning point in the life of Archpriest Valerian Krechetov was his meeting with Bishop Stefan (Nikitin), who blessed Father Valerian to marry, and priest Sergius Orlov, who invited him to serve in the church. In those days, there was a ban on the ordination of people with higher education, so Father Valerian served as an engineer at the temple. And he was ordained after graduating from the Moscow Theological Seminary. Only in 1968 did he become a priest. In 1973 he graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy. He served first in the Transfiguration Church (Peredelkino), and then was assigned to the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos in Akulovo. In 1970 he became rector of this temple. During his ministry, he met many great spiritual ascetics: Father John Krestyankin, Father Nikolai Guryanov, Father Nikolai Golubtsov.
Archpriest Valerian Krechetov raised 7 children, and he and his mother already have 34 grandchildren.
See also: Spiritual growth
