There is a new metropolitan in Tver. Why did Metropolitan Savva leave the Tver See?

Savva (Mikheev)
(born 1980), Metropolitan of Vologda and Kirillov, head of the Vologda Metropolis, chairman of the All-Church Commission on Church Art, Architecture and Restoration, deputy head of the World Russian People's Council, member of the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church in the world Alexander Evgenievich Mikheev, born May 10, 1980 in Perm, in a family of workers.

At an early age he moved with his parents to the city of Kasimov, Ryazan region.

On May 19, 1986, he was baptized by priest Sergius Serebryakov in the Church of St. Nicholas in the city of Kasimov, Ryazan diocese.

From 1987 to 1997 he studied at high school, and immediately after graduation he entered the 1st year of the Moscow Theological Seminary. While studying at the seminary in the 4th year, on December 28, 2000, he was ordained as a reader by the rector of MDAiS, Archbishop Evgeniy (Reshetnikov) of Vereisky.

In 2001, after graduating from the Moscow Theological Seminary, according to the distribution of the Educational Committee, he was sent to the disposal of Metropolitan Simon (Novikov) of Ryazan and Kasimov, who appointed him a teacher of Liturgics and Homiletics at the Ryazan Theological School and at the same time secretary-referent of Metropolitan of Ryazan and Kasimov.

On November 27, 2001, he was tonsured a monk and named in honor of St. Savva the Sanctified. The tonsure was performed by Metropolitan Simon of Ryazan in the Church of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian at the Ryazan Theological School.

On December 2, 2001, he was ordained a hierodeacon by Metropolitan Simon of Ryazan, and on December 4 - a hieromonk and appointed senior assistant to the vice-rector for educational work.

In 2002, he entered the correspondence department of the Moscow Theological Academy.

On October 17, 2002, he was appointed vice-rector for academic affairs of the Ryazan Theological School.

On December 9, 2003, he was enrolled in the 2nd year of the theological department of the Ryazan State Pedagogical University named after S.A. Yesenin and appointed teacher of Dogmatic Theology at the theological department.

On March 15, 2005, he was counted among the staff by Archbishop Pavel of Ryazan (Ponomarev) with the right to transfer to another diocese, according to the submitted petition, which he wrote at the request of Metropolitan Simon (Novikov), who is retired in the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery of the Yaroslavl Diocese.

On April 15, 2005, he was accepted into the clergy of the Yaroslavl diocese by Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov Kirill (Nakonechny). He carried the obedience of the cell attendant of Metropolitan Simon (Novikov), while simultaneously performing various diocesan obediences: secretary of the Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov, treasurer and dean of the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery.

On February 22, 2007, he was appointed assistant vice-rector for educational work at the Yaroslavl Theological Seminary.

On June 14, 2007, he graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy with a candidate of theology degree for an essay on the topic: “Savior-Yakovlevsky Dimitriev Monastery of the Yaroslavl Diocese (history, architecture, shrines).”

On February 12, 2008 he graduated from Ryazan State University named after S.A. Yesenin, majoring in Theology.

On March 18, 2008, he was appointed to the position of vice-rector for academic and educational work of the Yaroslavl Theological Seminary.

On January 16, 2009, he was appointed acting rector of the Church of the Ascension of the Lord in the city of Yaroslavl.

On April 19, 2009, he was elevated to the rank of abbot.
On April 29, 2009, he was appointed assistant to the dean of the Rostov region and confirmed as rector of the Ascension-Annunciation Church in the city of Yaroslavl.

On July 14, 2009, he was appointed dean of the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Dimitriev Monastery.

On September 1, 2009, he was relieved of his post as vice-rector for educational work at the Yaroslavl Theological Seminary.

On October 8, 2009, he was appointed abbot of the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Dimitriev Monastery (on October 10 of the same year, approved by the Holy Synod).

In October 2009, he entered the All-Church doctoral program, where he worked on his doctoral dissertation “The Abrahamic Epiphany Monastery in Rostov the Great: architecture in its cultural and historical development.”

From April 12 to May 21, 2010, he studied in England at St. Clare's College, Oxford, to study English.

On July 1, 2010, he was appointed first vice-rector of the Yaroslavl Theological Seminary.

On November 10, 2010, he was appointed to the position of dean of churches in the Gavrilov-Yamsky district.

On March 22, 2011, he was appointed abbot of the Novospassky Stauropegial Monastery in Moscow.

On May 30, 2011, by decision of the Holy Synod, he was elected Bishop of Resurrection, vicar of the Moscow diocese.

On June 28, 2011, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite by Patriarch Kirill (Gundyaev) of Moscow and All Rus' in the Patriarchal Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

On July 10, he was named, and on July 11, 2011, he was consecrated Bishop of Resurrection, vicar of the Moscow diocese.
The ordination in the upper church of the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Valaam Monastery was led by Patriarch Kirill (Gundyaev) of Moscow and All Rus'. Concelebrating with him were: Metropolitans of Krutitsky and Kolomna Yuvenaly (Poyarkov), Saransk and Mordovian Varsanuphiy (Sudakov); Archbishops of Petrozavodsk and Karelian Manuil (Pavlov), Ryazan and Kasimovsky Pavel (Ponomarev), Vereisky Evgeniy (Reshetnikov), Yaroslavl and Rostov Kirill (Nakonechny), Sergiev Posad Feognost (Guzikov); Bishops of Trinity Pankraty (Zherdev), Solnechnogorsk Sergius (Chashin), Rybinsk Veniamin (Likhomanov). Since 2011, he has been caring for parish churches in the South-Eastern Administrative District of Moscow (Peter and Paul Deanery).

On December 31, 2011, he was appointed manager of the South-Eastern Moscow Vicariate and the Vicariate of the New Territories of Moscow and included in the Diocesan Council of the City of Moscow ex officio [1].

In 2012, he was appointed manager of the deanery of stauropegial parishes and patriarchal farmsteads of the Moscow region. He was released from this ministry no later than 2021.

On March 19, 2014, he was appointed first deputy manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate [2].

On October 23, 2014, he was included in the commission for organizing the life of monasteries and monasticism of the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church [3].

On September 12 of the same year, the defense of his doctoral dissertation for his doctorate in church history took place at the All-Church Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies [4].

On July 13, 2015, he was appointed chairman of the newly formed All-Church Commission on Church Art, Architecture and Restoration [5].

On April 6, 2021, he was elected deputy head of the World Russian People's Council [6].

On July 14, 2021, he was appointed by the Right Reverend Tver and Kashinsky, head of the Tver Metropolis, retaining his position as the first deputy manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate and being relieved of his post as abbot of the Novospassky Stavropegic Monastery.

On July 18 of the same year he was elevated to the rank of metropolitan by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' [7].

On July 27, 2021, he was released from the management of the South-Eastern Vicariate and the Vicariate of the New Territories of Moscow.

In 2021 - temporary member of the meetings of the Supreme Church Council [8].

On February 26, 2021, he was appointed manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate [9], but already on October 29 of the same year, he was released from this obedience at his own request, due to the large amount of work involved in managing the Tver See, with an expression of gratitude for the work incurred [10] .

From March 1, 2021 [11] to October 29, 2021 - ex-officio member of the Supreme Church Council [10].

From July 9, 2021 to December 26, 2021, he was secretary of the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church [12].

On August 25, 2021, he was appointed Metropolitan of Vologda and Kirillov, head of the Vologda Metropolis, with release from the administration of the Tver diocese.

Essays

• “All life is service to the Church [conversation with Archpriest Boris Sabinin],” Yaroslavl Diocesan Gazette
  , December 2008, p. 33-35.
• “The example of the holy noble prince Vasilko” Rostov Bulletin
  , March 13, 2009, [
  Revival
  , No. 11].
• Spaso-Yakovlevsky Dimitriev Monastery of the Yaroslavl diocese (history, architecture, shrines)
  (PhD thesis).
• Venerable Abraham of Rostov - on the question of life time
  .
• Word at the naming of Bishop of Resurrection, Vicar of the Moscow Diocese
  :

There is a new metropolitan in Tver. Why did Metropolitan Savva leave the Tver See?

Recently, Archbishop Ambrose of Verei was appointed Metropolitan of Tver and Kashin. His predecessor, Metropolitan Savva, was determined to be the Eminence of Vologda and Kirillov, the head of the Vologda Metropolis. According to media reports, before his appointment, Archbishop Ambrose served as abbot of the Sretensky Stavropegic Monastery in Moscow and rector of the Sretensky Theological Seminary.

This event once again stirred up the controversy surrounding the Kochetkov brotherhood. Conflicts on this basis already arose at the beginning of this year, and we also wrote about them. As you know, the former Metropolitan Savva treated the brotherhood quite favorably. And thereby, in fact, provoked a religious conflict that almost reached the point of assault. And apparently, the question of his removal from the Tver Metropolis was only a matter of time.

Supporters of Georgy Kochetkov greeted the departure of Metropolitan Savva with regret, but given the fact that the new Tver bishop is also from the younger generation of priests, they also received some hope, because little is known about him. What if he, too, will be favorable to the Kochetkovites, which in turn alarms the supporters of the traditional Russian church, who, admittedly, won some victory in their dispute with Savva.

In our opinion, the Kochetkovites themselves are to blame for this, since it was their activity that led to the conflict reaching the federal level and becoming a fact that the authorities were concerned about. After all, no one in the Tver region needs a religious war, least of all the authorities on the eve of the most important election campaigns. And the scandal could easily develop into a violent confrontation involving many thousands of people.

The well-known liberal media, the weekly Caravan Fair, put forward the version that Metropolitan Savva had a conflict with Governor Igor Rudenya. This formulation of the question also contributed to the fact that the patriarch was forced to decide to remove Sava to another metropolis. We don’t know whether there was actually a conflict, but since this idea began to slip into the media, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church was forced to react to it.

Really little is known about the new metropolitan, and it seems to us that he is unlikely to follow the path of his predecessor and will welcome Kochetkov’s followers. Because, as practice has shown, believers are not ready to accept innovations in the Church, but are ready to fight them. Which will inevitably lead to another conflict. It is unlikely that the new metropolitan should step on the same rake that Savva stepped on.

In addition, the previous head of the Tver Metropolitanate never became one of the people in Tver, for example, local historians. Many people were bewildered by his position on the restoration of the Tver River Station when he spoke in the spirit that the building of the River Station has no value. And much more important is the restoration of the Otroch Monastery.

As practice and all sociological surveys show, this position of the former metropolitan was not supported and, in the end, was not supported by the city residents. It only contributed to alienation, and this is the natural result. Let's hope that Metropolitan Savva will be much more careful in his new place.

Achilles

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In Tver, the ferment of minds continues around the attempt at liturgical revival undertaken by Metropolitan Savva of Tver and Kashin. Some overzealous parishioners spent the entire last week inciting hatred, sending anonymous letters, and spreading incomprehensible rumors.

Rally about something

This ferment of minds is very similar to an attempt to overthrow the ruling Metropolitan Savva (Mikheev), who was on vacation at that moment.

Let us recall that the reason for church discord was a conference on the role and history of Orthodox brotherhoods, which was held in Tver on February 2-4. The revival of Orthodox brotherhoods (which played a large role in the spiritual life of past centuries) since the beginning of the 1990s has been associated with the name of priest Georgy Kochetkov, and all the brothers in Tver, as in the 90s, are called “Kochetkovites” and are registered as “sectarians.” Father Georgy Kochetkov himself is an active priest of the Russian Orthodox Church; all penalties imposed on him in the 1990s have long been removed from him, and for us he is not so important. What is important is what happens in the heads of people who consider themselves ordinary zealous Tver parishioners.

In the last issue we wrote that on the opening day of the conference about brotherhoods, an unauthorized rally took place in the Resurrection Cathedral of Tver. The protesters, who had been “spirited” in advance by the mailing list on social networks, were sure that Metropolitan Savva was going to give the church, whose parish they considered themselves to be, to the “Kochetkovites” and to introduce, regardless of the will of the parishioners, services in Russian. Liturgy, in the service of which Fr. Georgy Kochetkov and other priests from different dioceses of Russia who came to the conference, on that day it was celebrated in ordinary Church Slavonic. But the protesters didn’t even want to hear about it. They were rallying about something of their own.

Desecration of the monument and other adventures

On the opening day of the conference, a memorial plaque was hung in the Resurrection Cathedral in honor of the brotherhood of Mikhail Tverskoy, who operated in the Tver province from 1884 to 1916, engaged in public education and charity. The zealots of piety among the parishioners, without even bothering to read what was written on this board, decided that the current brotherhoods had dedicated this board to themselves, and “imperceptibly” removed it, right during the reading of the Hours. It’s difficult to unscrew a 50-kilogram board unnoticed; everyone knows who did it. This man considers himself a hero, although outright sacrilege occurred and a monument to his ancestors, consecrated by the Church, was destroyed.

Then a conference on the history of fraternities was not allowed into Tver State University, which was among the organizers of this academic event. The next day, the assembled scientists were denied premises by the Osnabrück Hotel.

As we were told, Governor Igor Rudenya publicly stated that “he will not allow any LGBT people or sects.” Knowledgeable people smiled at this: it is known that the former Metropolitan of Tver and Kashinsky was famous throughout the Orthodox world precisely as an active participant in the so-called “blue lobby in the Russian Orthodox Church.” And the governor, who regularly receives information from the competent authorities, should know this. And the current Metropolitan Savva has set one of his main goals to cleanse our diocese of such a reputation, and on his way he encounters desperate resistance from those who do not want to change anything.

Horror stories and provocative rumors

The technologies of the “Tver split” are quite in the spirit of the “color revolutions” that recently swept across the world. Messengers and social networks became his main weapons. At first, several Tver priests provoked the people with their alarm calls. Then people began sending each other “horror stories” about how these priests were banned. With the cry: “Rally, Orthodox!” an appeal is sent out to come, for example, to defend Father Kirill Alekseev at the Alexander Nevsky Church on February 15 - they say, on this day the temple will be captured by the Kochetkovites.

Hotheads on social networks demand that beloved priests, such as Father Georgy Belodurov or Father Sergiy Dmitriev, be appointed to serve in the cathedral, not realizing that these priests are the rector of their churches, and such a demotion would be very sad for them. Moreover, the people are calling for the return of the retired Metropolitan Victor - as if forgetting that the elderly bishop had retired. The priests also quarrel among themselves: in a closed chat of the Tver clergy on Telegram, they say, sparks are already flying.

Over the weekend, there was an active collection of signatures near Tver churches for an appeal to the Patriarch with the demand to “deal with Savva.” The Metropolitan is literally driven into a corner, and they almost point him to the door of his own metropolitan see - the Resurrection Cathedral. You inevitably compare it with the times of his predecessor Victor, who for his activity on social networks could exile a priest to such a remote place where there is no Internet.

The press secretary of the Tver Metropolis, Father Alexander Dushenkov, almost every day was forced to refute the latest provocative appeals on the diocese’s website. “No, no one has been banned.” “Father Kirill Alekseev is not in danger, but it’s certainly worth coming to the church on Orthodox Youth Day.” And so on.

Savva's reaction

Metropolitan Savva had to interrupt his vacation. In the middle of last week, he addressed the believers of the Tver diocese with a video message, where he called on them not to allow divisions among themselves. He recalled the words of the Apostle Paul in his Letter to the Corinthians: “I appeal to you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same spirit and in the same thoughts. For from the household of Chloe it became known to me about you, my brethren, that there are disputes among you. I mean what you say: “I am Pavlov”; “I am Apollosov”; “I am Kifin”; “And I am Christ’s.” Was Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of Paul?”

The bishop continued this thought in an address read out in all churches last Sunday, when the Russian Orthodox Church celebrated the Day of New Martyrs and Confessors who suffered for their faith during the years of communist persecution: “The latest, notorious events in Tver stirred up the people, as if deliberately bringing out many people out of balance, causing confusion and discord. Such situations, especially those occurring on the eve of the Council of New Martyrs, should make us think, first of all, about the deeper meaning of this period, remember where the persecution in the Church began and what it led to. When we return to the historical context, we will discover how thin the “line” really is between defending the truth at any cost and fanatical oppression, and then persecution, and even betrayal. Remember that the people of God are one, they are the “body” of the Church of Christ, and woe to those who divide them with lies and violence.”

Who benefits from this?

Looking at this madness, many are wondering: what does this mean and who benefits. I think three different vectors come together here.

Firstly, among ordinary church people there is a sublimation of social protest. Tension in society is growing, everything has been taken away from people - the river station has collapsed, trams, minibuses and trolleybuses have stopped running and are on the verge of extinction, prices are rising, the retirement age has been raised. And here in the cathedral, which they value precisely because nothing ever changes there, some changes are also brewing! The familiar Metropolitan Victor, whom they had seen for 30 years, disappeared. The usual priests were sent somewhere (even if they were given their own churches, but it’s a long way to go to them now!). And some brothers, about whom Vladyka Victor once said that they were sectarians, may start going to the cathedral, and just look, they will demand services in Russian. Offended citizens on the verge of a nervous breakdown rejoiced at the opportunity to rebel against the most harmless government - the power of the new metropolitan. Moreover, he himself entered into dialogue, and did not fence himself off from the parishioners and clergy with a wall, like his predecessor. They considered Savva weak, and they are trying to destroy him. There has already been such a case in our diocese - in 1917, a group of priests and laity expelled the future martyr Seraphim Chichagov from the Tver pulpit.

Parishioners of the Resurrection Cathedral in Tver / photo: tvereparhia.ru

Another reason for the unrest is the priestly showdown, perhaps the influence of the retired Metropolitan Victor, many of whose favorites have lost their places. The priests, consciously or not, are fanning the censer of people’s anger, and are also testing Metropolitan Savva’s strength, pursuing some of their own personal goals.

Let us recall that until recently Savva (Mikheev) was the manager of the Moscow Patriarchate, one might say, the second person in the Russian Orthodox Church after Patriarch Kirill. And it is possible that his Moscow ill-wishers, who participated in his removal from this position, are also involved in inciting the current conflict, since our metropolitan is clearly aimed at a great church career.

Unlike the former Metropolitan Victor, Savva maintains a diplomatic distance from Governor Igor Rudenya, and this could also influence what is happening.

On February 20 at 18.00, Bishop Savva invites everyone who wants to ask him questions to a meeting at the Resurrection Cathedral. We hope that he will be able to find a way out of this ridiculous situation. After all, its main feature is that there are good people on both sides of the conflict.

Source

Illustration: Met. Savva (Mikheev) / photo: tvereparhia.ru

Savva serves in various dioceses

In the late autumn of 2001, or rather on November 27, an important event happened in the fate of young Alexander. Metropolitan Simon of Ryazan and Kasimov tonsured Mikheev a monk with his church name – Savva (in honor of Saint Savva the Sanctifier). The sacrament took place within the walls of the Ryazan Theological School. A few days later, on December 2, Savva was elevated to the rank of hierodeacon. On December 4, Mikheev was ordained hieromonk. At the same time, Savva receives new responsibilities - the monk serves for some time as an assistant to the vice-rector for educational affairs.

May 21, 2002

During the feast of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, Savva Mikheev is awarded a legguard

This is an important and significant part of the vestments of the Russian Orthodox priest. The awarding of the gait is considered an important milestone in the life of a minister of the Russian Orthodox Church. Savva was always aware of the need for education.

Therefore, in 2002, the hieromonk entered correspondence studies at the MDA (Moscow Theological Academy). In mid-October 2002, Mikheev took the post of vice-rector of the Ryazan Theological School (RDU) for academic affairs. On Easter 2003 (April 27), Savva received another church award - the Pectoral Cross.

Without stopping there, Alexander Mikheev decides to get a second higher education. For this purpose, he immediately enters the 2nd year of the Ryazan State Pedagogical University. On December 9 of the same year, he began teaching dogmatic theology at the Russian State Pedagogical University in the department of theology.

In the spring of 2005, on March 15, Archbishop Pavel of Ryazan and Kasimov added Savva to the staff. The reason is simple - due to a number of circumstances, only women remained in the diocese around Paul. All the rest went to other clergy and dioceses. Mikheev did not refuse the archbishop. But Paul left the young priest the right to leave the diocese at any time.

Archbishop of Rostov and Yaroslavl Kirill. Under his leadership, young Savva gained administrative experience, heading the deanery and treasury of the diocese. Photo: upload.wikimedia.org

Savva (Mikheev)

Born on May 10, 1980 in Perm in a family of workers. At an early age he moved with his parents to the city of Kasimov, Ryazan region.

On May 19, 1986, he was baptized by priest Sergius Serebryakov in the Church of St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra, in Kasimov, Ryazan diocese.

In 1987-1997 he studied at secondary school. Immediately after graduation, he entered the 1st year of the Moscow Theological Seminary.

While studying at the seminary, in the 4th year, on December 28, 2000, he was ordained as a reader by the rector of the MDA, Archbishop Evgeniy (Reshetnikov) of Vereisky.

In 2001, upon completion of the MDS, he was sent to the disposal of Metropolitan of Ryazan and Kasimov Simon (Novikov). Appointed as a teacher of liturgics and homiletics at the Ryazan Theological School and at the same time secretary-referent of the Metropolitan of Ryazan and Kasimov.

On November 27, 2001, Metropolitan Simon of Ryazan tonsured him into a mantle with the name Savva

, in honor of the Venerable Savva the Sanctified, in the Church of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian at the Ryazan Theological School.

On December 2, 2001, Metropolitan Simon (Novikov) ordained him a hierodeacon, on December 4, a hieromonk, and was appointed senior assistant to the vice-rector for educational work.

In 2002, he entered the correspondence department of the Moscow Theological Academy.

On October 17, 2002, he was appointed vice-rector for academic affairs of the Ryazan Theological School.

On December 9, 2003, he was enrolled in the 2nd year of the theological department of the Ryazan State Pedagogical University named after S. A. Yesenin and was appointed teacher of Dogmatic Theology at the theological department.

On March 15, 2005, Archbishop Pavel of Ryazan and Kasimov assigned him to the staff with the right to transfer to another diocese, according to the submitted petition.

On April 15, 2005, Archbishop Kirill of Yaroslavl and Rostov accepted him into the clergy of the Yaroslavl diocese. He carried the obedience of the cell attendant of Metropolitan Simon (Novikov) († September 1, 2006), while simultaneously performing various diocesan obediences: secretary of the Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov, treasurer and dean of the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery.

On February 22, 2007, he was appointed assistant vice-rector for educational work at the Yaroslavl Theological Seminary.

On June 14, 2007, he graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy with a candidate of theology degree for an essay on the topic: “Savior-Yakovlevsky Dimitriev Monastery of the Yaroslavl Diocese (history, architecture, shrines).”

On February 12, 2008, he graduated from Ryazan State University named after S. A. Yesenin with a degree in Theology.

On March 18, 2008, he was appointed to the position of vice-rector for academic and educational work of the Yaroslavl Theological Seminary.

On April 19, 2009, he was elevated to the rank of abbot.

On April 29, 2009, he was appointed assistant to the dean of the Rostov region and rector of the Ascension-Annunciation Church in Yaroslavl.

On July 14, 2009, he was appointed dean of the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Dimitriev Monastery.

On October 10, 2009, he was appointed abbot of the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Dimitriev Monastery.

On October 12, 2009, with the blessing of Archbishop Kirill of Yaroslavl, he entered the All-Church Doctoral Program, where on September 12, 2014 he defended his doctoral dissertation “The Abrahamic Epiphany Monastery of the city of Rostov the Great - architecture in its church-historical development” for the degree of Doctor of Church History.

On July 1, 2010, he was appointed first vice-rector of the Yaroslavl Theological Seminary.

On November 10, 2010, he was appointed to the position of dean of churches in the Gavrilov-Yamsky district.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church of March 22, 2011 (magazine No. 33), he was appointed abbot of the Novospassky stauropegial monastery in Moscow.
Bishop
By the decision of the Holy Synod of May 30, 2011 (magazine No. 45), he was elected Bishop of Resurrection, vicar of the Moscow diocese.

On June 28, 2011, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite.

On July 10, 2011, during an all-night vigil in the church of the Vladimir monastery of the Valaam Monastery, Archimandrite Savva was named Bishop of the Resurrection, vicar of the Moscow diocese.

On July 11, 2011, he was consecrated Bishop of the Resurrection, Vicar of the Moscow Diocese. The ordination was performed by: Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill, Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna Yuvenaly (Poyarkov), Metropolitan of Saransk and Mordovia Barsanuphius (Sudakov), Archbishop of Petrozavodsk and Karelian Manuil (Pavlov), Archbishop of Ryazan and Kasimov Pavel (Ponomarev), Archbishop of Vereisky Evgeniy ( Reshetnikov), Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov Kirill (Nakonechny), Archbishop of Sergiev Posad Feognost (Guzikov), Bishop of Trinity Pankratiy (Zherdev), Bishop of Solnechnogorsk Sergius (Chashin), Bishop of Rybinsk Veniamin (Likhomanov).

On December 31, 2011, by order of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', His Eminence Savva was entrusted with the management of the South-Eastern Vicariate (within the boundaries of the South-Eastern Administrative District of Moscow) and the Vicariate within the new territories included within the administrative boundaries of the cities. Moscow.

On March 19, 2014, by decision of the Holy Synod, he was appointed first deputy administrator of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate.

The metropolitan reformer remained out of work

The Synod set a record for the frequency of meetings. Photo from the site www.patriarchia.ru

The Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church at its meeting on October 29 replaced the manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate. He became the first vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill, Bishop of the Resurrection Dionysius (Porubai). The previous property manager, Metropolitan of Tver and Kashin Savva (Mikheev), lasted eight months in office. In the history of the Russian Orthodox Church, this is the shortest tenure in an administrative post. The Synod itself set the record. In October alone, the bishops met three times, and since January this was the ninth meeting. Typically, the main body of church government meets no more than 4–5 times a year.

As the official website of the Moscow Patriarchate explains, Metropolitan Savva (Mikheev) himself submitted his resignation from the post of administrative manager, explaining this by the large volume of work and tasks assigned to manage the Tver diocese, “which is now in a difficult spiritual and financial situation,” and the impossibility of combining responsibilities. However, it is difficult to believe that only excessive busyness in the diocese forced the bishop to voluntarily resign from his high post.

Perhaps the main reason for Mikheev’s resignation was the situation with the parish of St. Matrona of Moscow, which was previously part of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, in Miami (USA). On October 13, due to a conflict with the head of the ROCOR, Metropolitan Hilarion (Corporal) of Eastern America and New York, the community, together with its rector Alexander (Beley), came under the omophorion of the Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew. On August 30, a message appeared on the Patriarchate’s website that the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church approved the decision of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad to elect Archimandrite Alexander (Beli) Bishop of Miami, vicar of the Eastern American Diocese. It was indicated that the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill received a corresponding appeal from Metropolitan Hilarion. However, on September 14, the archimandrite was suddenly banned from ministry by the head of the ROCOR. The Church Abroad emphasized that they never sent orders regarding Bela to Moscow. All documents for the Synod are prepared in the department of affairs, which was headed by Savva (Mikheev). Insiders believe that the department did not check the authenticity of the papers sent from the United States.

Mikheev is also known for the fact that soon after his appointment to the post of administrative manager, he performed a liturgy in Russian at a church in Tver. This step was received ambiguously in the Russian Orthodox Church. Some believers and clergy supported the reformism of the Tver Metropolitan, and some expressed bewilderment, recalling that the main language of worship in the Russian Church is Church Slavonic. The Metropolitan himself admitted that he “read the liturgy in Russian for the first time” and “discovered new meanings for himself.”

During the meeting of the Synod in Moscow, a message appeared on the website of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) that the so-called letters of peace (a document certifying the validity and canonicity of the ordination) were received from the Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church, Archbishop Jerome II, to the head of the OCU, Metropolitan Epiphanius (Dumenko). Earlier, during the Extraordinary Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on September 14, Patriarch Kirill was authorized to “stop commemorating the name” of the Archbishop of Athens if the head of the Greek Church “begins to commemorate the head of one of the Ukrainian schismatic groups during services or takes other actions indicating his recognition of the Ukrainian church schism " On October 29, a statement appeared on the website of the Department for External Church Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate that at the next meeting of the Synod of the UOC-MP, “a final decision will be made on the possibility of further participation in Eucharistic communion and concelebration with the clergy of the Church of Greece.”

Metropolitan Savva of Tver and Kashin spoke with the people about liturgical language

On February 20, about 500 people gathered at the Resurrection Cathedral in Tver for the traditional meeting with Metropolitan Savva of Tver and Kashin, “Visiting the Bishop.” The topic of the meeting: “Christianity and life in the modern world,” reports the website of the Tver diocese.

This meeting was announced in early February by Metropolitan Savva himself, who then made a video message “Let everyone be united” in connection with the scandal caused by Kochetkov’s fornication in the Resurrection Cathedral of Tver, committed on February 2.

The Metropolitan, apparently anticipating a tough discussion, decided, first of all, to talk about the eternal. As reported on the diocesan website, at the beginning of the meeting, an excerpt from the 2nd letter of the Apostle Paul to Timothy was offered to the attention of those gathered for reading and discussion: But you followed me in doctrine, life, disposition, faith, generosity, love, patience, in persecution, the suffering that befell me in Antioch, Iconium, Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and the Lord delivered me from them all. And all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Evil people and deceivers will prosper in evil, deceiving and being deceived. And you continue in what you have been taught and what has been entrusted to you, knowing by whom you were taught. Moreover, from childhood you know the sacred scriptures, which can make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:10-17).

However, the passage from the letter of the Apostle Paul was obviously chosen not without intention. It conveys the idea of ​​submission to the hierarchy, of obedience.

Then Metropolitan Savva addressed the audience, thanking the meeting participants, for whom “the fate of our diocese and the structure of its church life are important.” The Bishop immediately warned that “it is physically impossible, within the framework of even such a large-scale format, to answer all the burning questions at once” and offered to make an appointment with him. “I am ready to answer questions, I am ready to have an open dialogue, but I expect the same from you: a calm, evidence-based discussion in the spirit of Christian mutual understanding and love,” he said.

The archpastor admitted that “there are certain problems both in our inner life and in the Church, in its full sense of the word.” But, they say, this is good, since the Church is “a doctor, and all its members, that is, people, are “sick” in some way,” thanks to which “a kind of spiritual immunity is developed, confirming that we are still alive, we are fighting, We resist the disease." According to the Metropolitan, “now we are at a “reference point” when the next common step can be either productive development and movement forward, or a deep “rollback” back, which can even lead to a “split” in the spirit of unity. All the work, all the steps and many years of effort are in serious danger due to the fact that we lose the thread of mutual understanding and desire to understand the situation, making premature, sudden conclusions. And as we know from world history, the principle of “cutting from the shoulder” has never led to long-term, creative results.”

Having called only to resolve any issues and problems with a “peaceful spirit” and emphasizing that “our faith is living, it requires comprehension and development,” the Bishop finally turned to the main topic of the meeting - the discussion around the Church Slavonic language.

He began by noting the importance for him personally of the heritage “which has been formed over the centuries in our Church,” including the Church Slavonic language. According to the Metropolitan, “language practice in worship does not require a complete translation into Russian; rather, we need the translation of certain words and expressions, certain works.” In his opinion, “many words in worship are outdated archaisms” that are difficult to understand without special knowledge in the field of linguistics. Metropolitan Savva, of course, recalled in this regard the speech of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill at the Diocesan Assembly on December 20.

According to the Tver bishop, “contrary to popular fears, even “translating” absolutely the entire service into Russian now simply does not seem feasible. No one is talking about completely abandoning the beauty of the ancient language, but only about giving a person the opportunity to dive deeper into the understanding of its versatility, help to see previously inaccessible meaning and replace guesses and conjectures with facts.” However, the Kochetkovites, whom Metropolitan Savva blessed to hold a conference in Tver, are precisely striving to translate the service into Russian.

Metropolitan Savva admitted that during the Liturgy he periodically reads the Eucharistic Canon in Church Slavonic with a translation of “certain archaic, difficult-to-understand figures of speech,” “inspired by the prayerful efforts of the holy fathers of the Local Council of 1917-1918.” They say that this is his personal choice, and it is connected with the fact that “so that everyone in the temple can listen to these words, feeling them and understanding them.” The archpastor puts a certain intention into his actions, trying “to say that the search for truth, or rather the comprehension of the truth of inspired texts, is possible only through a certain feedback, reception, which it also gives.”

Moreover, the Metropolitan is concerned that the Church Slavonic language is not developing and has “ossified” in its state. And, they say, the enlighteners Saints Cyril and Methodius in their time did not strive for “a dead translation, but for transmitting the living word of Christ’s teaching to people,” “so that any person could understand the words of the Teacher, so that these words would become understandable and close to everyone.”

The Metropolitan called for a more thoughtful approach to “the problem of the language barrier.” Moreover, he tried to justify the activities of the Kochetkovites by saying that “church service is, first of all, communion with God: we come to church, listen to the text of the prayer, and pray ourselves.” But, when a person leaves the doors of the temple and cannot tell his family what the service was about, they say, he only “listened to the melodic sound series.” Bishop Savva uses a strange argument. What then is the purpose of preaching? Don’t the clergy have forms and ways to explain to believers difficult-to-understand passages of Holy Scripture and worship?!

Metropolitan Savva tried to use historical arguments. They say that the problem of the language of worship is not new; “the question of the incomprehensibility of worship first became acute in the last quarter of the 19th century,” when education was cut off from the Church. At this time, an extensive controversy began in the Russian church environment, which was continued at the Local Council of 1917-1918. However, as is known, the Council never made any decision on this issue, so all references to the authority of the Council are unconvincing. And the Bishop is well aware of the arguments of opponents of language reform. At least, he conveyed them very thoroughly in his speech at a meeting with believers.

The idea that the translation of divine services into Russian is a demand not of the church people, but of the intelligentsia who have become disconnected from them, who cannot even speak Russian, has not lost its relevance. As one of the participants in the debate wittily noted, “do not replace Slavic words with some ponderous and clumsy nonsense” (anglicisms, we would say today).

As for the favorite thesis of the neo-renovationists, that the incomprehensibility of liturgical language “leads to the loss of a sense of community in church prayer, to alienation between those praying and the clergy, and ultimately gives rise to either blind ritual faith or coldness towards church service,” then something else leads to this - coldness towards faith and service on the part not of the people, but of the non-renovation-minded clergy.

In conclusion, Metropolitan Savva of Tver and Kashin stated: “This dialogue is very important for me, because controversy and feedback have arisen. After all, you are all my flock, for which I am responsible before the Heavenly Creator and every service I fervently pray for you. I don’t divide anyone into “black” and “white”, “red” or “green” - for me you are all loved, significant and dear. I believe in what the apostles commanded, illuminating the thorny path after Christ for everyone. Today, as always, conciliarity is important – it is the “heart” of our Church. It is in it, and not in discord, that the unity necessary to bear our cross is born. Of course, this is a difficult and complex path. But it is he, and no other, who will lead us along the right path, where we can together bear the burden of responsibility for what was “transmitted” to us through the centuries by the holy fathers.”

The meeting was broadcast live on the official website and pages of the diocese on social networks. After his speech, the Metropolitan answered questions from the meeting participants. A question was also asked about the service held in the cathedral in Russian. The bishop stated that the service was still performed in Church Slavonic, with the exception of the reading of the Gospel. Metropolitan Savva promised that henceforth readings would not be held without the consent of parishioners. “If you don’t have consent, then there will be no reading. The issue has been resolved,” the bishop said.

The very fact of open communication between the ruling bishop and believers on this pressing issue is very gratifying. Metropolitan Savva did not isolate himself from his flock with bureaucratic barriers, but preferred to communicate directly with the people. Of course, it can be seen with the naked eye that both the meeting itself and the Metropolitan’s lengthy speech were structured in such a way as to slightly obscure the problem that, in fact, caused disorder in the Tver diocese, namely the aggressive offensive of neo-renovationism, but Bishop Savva still did not shy away from the unpleasant for him communication.

Despite attempts to justify Kochetkovism, the Metropolitan’s willingness to listen to the opinion of the church people is gratifying, which was expressed, in particular, in his promise not to Russify worship without the desire and consent of believers. We hope that Metropolitan Savva heard the main thing: Kochetkovism is perceived as a threat by the believing people, not by engaged public figures, but by ordinary pilgrims.

One cannot help but be alarmed that all sorts of “zealots beyond reason” are trying to use people’s protests against Kochetkovism in Tver to their advantage. A video is being distributed on the Internet in which these “fighters against modernism” present not only Metropolitan Savva of Tver and Kashin as “heretics,” but also a number of other church figures, for example, Professor Alexey Ilyich Osipov. To substantiate these absurd statements, these “zealots” cite some ambiguous and out-of-context statements from “heretics.”

And little do these same “zealots” who create such videos realize that they are actually working into the hands of the Kochetkovites. The real fight against aggressive neo-renovationism and obsessive Kochetkovism is being replaced by a fight against non-existent “heretics”. Honestly, sometimes the suspicion arises that these “zealots” are carrying out the order of the sect of priest Kochetkov. Thus, the healthy reaction of the people to Kochetkovism is channeled into a bad protest of “zealots,” which not only does not undermine the power of the Kochetkov sect, but, on the contrary, makes it even more influential. Kochetkovites can be happy, because their opponents - simple pious, pious people - are caricatured, actually ridiculed by the “zealots” who promote their pernicious and ungodly video creations.

Editorial office of the Russian People's Line

Archbishop Savva (Tikhomirov)

Born on March 15 (27), 1819 in the family of a sexton in the village of Palekh (Vyaznikovsky district, Vladimir province) - 1.5 months after the death of his father. Mother, Stefanida Ivanovna, with three daughters, moved to her homeland - to the village of Goritsy, Shuisky district, where her son was born.

In 1827, he began to study at the Shuya parish school, where, having previously had no surname, he received the surname of his cousin, Tikhomirov.

At the age of eleven, he became an orphan, having lost his mother on March 14, 1830, who died of a cold. He lived on the government allowance of 60 rubles a year assigned for excellent success and behavior. In 1834 he began studying at the Vladimir Theological Seminary. At the end of the seminary course in 1840, he became dangerously ill and another graduate was sent to the Moscow Theological Academy in his place. There were no priestly vacancies and he managed to get a job as a caretaker of the seminary hospital for two rubles a month, with the right to live at the hospital and use the table.

In 1841, he was assigned as a teacher at the Murom parish school, got married on January 12, 1842, was ordained a deacon on January 18, and a priest at the Murom Mother of God Cathedral on January 25 (retaining his teaching position). From March 1843 he was a teacher in the class of Greek language, catechism, arithmetic and church charter at the Murom Theological District School.

Having been widowed in April 1845, he decided to continue his education and in August 1846 he entered the Moscow Theological Academy. During his studies, on October 1, 1848, on the day of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos (the patronal feast of the academic church) and in memory of the Monk Savva of Vishera, he was tonsured into monasticism by the rector of the Academy, Archimandrite Alexy (Rzhanitsyn), with the name Savva. Leonid (Krasnopevkov), who was a bachelor at the academy at that time, noted:

... one young priest with blond hair, extremely thin body, and with a pleasant mixture of something meek, serious and good-natured in his face was noticeable. I etched him, moving with books from cabinet to cabinet, and his short cassock into my memory forever... He attended my lectures diligently and listened attentively. In 1850 he graduated from the academic course with a master's degree in theology and in August, upon the election of Metropolitan of Moscow Philaret (Drozdov), he was appointed synodal sacristan and rector of the Church of the 12 Apostles.

On May 15, 1855, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite. In the same year, the “Index for viewing the Moscow Patriarchal (now Synodal) sacristy and library” compiled by him was published, which was subsequently replenished and republished several times. This work brought the author fame in church archaeological science and was awarded the Demidov Prize in 1859 (714 rubles).

On May 18, 1859, Archimandrite Savva was appointed rector of the Moscow Theological Seminary, replacing Leonid (Krasnopevkov). At the same time, he became a member of the Moscow Spiritual Consistory; On March 22, 1860, he was elected a corresponding member of the Imperial Russian Archaeological Society. His activities were awarded the Order of St. Anne, 2nd degree.

On January 21, 1861, by determination of the Holy Synod, he was appointed rector of the Moscow Theological Academy (after Archimandrite Sergius (Lyapidevsky) and rector of the Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery, remaining a member of the consistory.

On November 4, 1862, in the Great Assumption Cathedral, Archimandrite Savva was consecrated Bishop of Mozhaisk, second vicar of the Moscow diocese, becoming the first bishop with such a title upon the renewal of the vicariate (within the Moscow diocese).

The churches and monasteries that were part of the department of the Mozhaisk spiritual board were subordinated to the care of the second vicar. There was a lot to do. But there was even more work to do in fulfilling personal orders from his Metropolitan of Moscow. He visited churches and monasteries in his area, inspected religious institutions on behalf of the Metropolitan, monitored the resolution of affairs in the consistory and reported them to the Metropolitan. In October 1864 he was elected a full member of the Moscow Archaeological Society; On April 4, 1865 he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd degree.

From June 17, 1866 - Bishop of Polotsk and Vitebsk.

When Bishop Savva was appointed to Vitebsk, Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow, with a feeling of sincere love and tears, said about him: “They are taking away my right hand, my vicar, my best assistant.”

Serving in Belarus was not easy. Recently reunited from the union, poor in spiritual and material resources, this diocese cost Bishop Sava many worries and sorrows. The churches were poor and unattractive, the monasteries had a small number of brethren and meager funds, and the people in some places adhered to the union. And during his nine-year administration of the diocese, he managed to renovate many churches, decorate them with icons and sacristies, and increase the number of monastics in the monasteries.

From December 7, 1874 - Bishop of Kharkov and Akhtyrsky.

From April 23, 1879 - Bishop of Tver and Kashinsky; On April 20, 1880 he was elevated to the rank of archbishop; On March 15, 1883, he was awarded the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, and on April 5, 1887, he received diamond insignia for this order. Finally, in May 1896, on the day of the coronation of Nicholas II, he was awarded a rare award - a diamond cross to be worn on his hood.

While managing these departments, he did not abandon his academic activities and in 1894 he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Church History.

At the beginning of 1896, he underwent an operation in Moscow that improved his vision. In September of the same year, his condition worsened; on September 16, the sacrament of anointing was performed on him, and from that moment until his death on October 13, 1896, his life was supported artificially. He was buried in Tver on October 17.

I wrote in the day after tomorrow’s “Caravan+I” my impressions of the meeting with the new Metropolitan of Tver and Kashin Savva.

On October 12, an epochal turning point occurred in the life of the Tver Metropolis. The new Metropolitan of Tver and Kashinsky, Savva, met with the Transfiguration Brotherhood to discuss the actions of the Local Council of 1918, as well as the interaction of the Church and active laity. And he expressed his readiness to meet with the Tver intelligentsia once a month to discuss issues of church history, theology, and current moral and ethical problems. The Metropolitan proposed to make Andrei Vasenev, editor-in-chief of the Stol media project, the moderator of these meetings. Metropolitan Savva, being the abbot of the Moscow Novospassky Monastery, headed the scientific and editorial council for the publication of the works of the Local Council of 1918, the same one that revived the patriarchate in Russia, and elected Holy Patriarch Tikhon as the head of the Russian Church. Participants in the council, which took place against the backdrop of bloody massacres of clergy in different parts of Russia, tried to lay down the rules by which the Orthodox Church, freed from synodal oppression, should live. The plan was not destined to be realized, but today, when there is a demand for new relations between the Church and society, the works of the Local Council of 1918 can suggest ways out of the crisis. Orthodox intelligentsia: friend or foe? Savva’s predecessor, Metropolitan Victor, devoted 30 years of his reign at the Tver See to the fight against the Transfiguration Brotherhood. At different times he called the Commonwealth of Orthodox brotherhoods, created by Father Georgy Kochetkov, either a “sect” or “schismatics.” And I could hardly tolerate these strange intellectuals in Tver churches who were trying to understand what was currently happening at the church service, following the progress of the service from books with Russian text. Alas, 22 years ago, with the scandal surrounding the Preobrazhensky Brotherhood in Tver, whose founder Vladimir Lavrenov then worked at Karavan+ya, Bishop Victor’s relationship with our newspaper began. I remember, in the middle of the church of St. Catherine, then Bishop Victor exposed our newly appeared publication as heresy, and called on old church women not to buy it - because of some article by Lavrenov. The heresy, I repeat, was that people wanted to know more about what was happening in the church, were more thoughtful about church sacraments, and also tried to communicate outside the church, to support each other in spiritual life. Not being a member of the Preobrazhensky Brotherhood, I have been watching them from the sidelines with great respect all these post-Soviet years. This is very important: to overcome our mutual alienation, as well as the attitude towards Orthodoxy as household magic, and towards priests as shamans muttering incomprehensible spells “so that the children do not get sick.” It is in the Catherine Monastery that the residence of the new Tver Metropolitan Savva (Mikheev) is now located. And the Transfiguration Brotherhood, which, for their regular meetings and discussions of issues of church history and theology, even liberal-minded Tver abbots were afraid to let into their churches, gathers not just anywhere, but in the church of the Tver Metropolis. Acute questions, forgotten values ​​Frankly, it seemed to me that this was happening in a dream. A Metropolitan who is capable of dialogue, answers smart questions with pleasure, raises topical issues... Within the walls of the Tver Metropolis, it was surprising to hear, for example, whether elections of the episcopate and clergy are possible. Metropolitan Savva believes that for now, due to the fact that the majority of parishioners have little interest in the life of the community, such elections are impossible, but someday the Holy Spirit will govern our Church in such a way that we will come to this. Or the question of liturgical language. According to Metropolitan Savva, he himself loves the Church Slavonic service very much, and has little idea of ​​some of the exclamations in Russian, but part of the evening service, for example, canons for saints or holidays, would be useful to read in Russian, just as it is appropriate to read in Russian the epistles of the apostles and the gospel during the liturgy. He believes that if the community of a church wants the service to be held in Russian, then so be it. I listened to the sermons of the former Bishop Victor for 30 years, and now, in contrast, I was pleasantly surprised that the current Metropolitan calmly speaks words that we, today’s Orthodox Christians, have even somehow forgotten. The rescue. Love. Christ. Gospel. It is the study of the Gospel, in various aspects - from archaeological and geographical to philological and philosophical - that Metropolitan Savva considers to be what will attract young people to the Church. At the pulpit of St. Thaddeus, historian Igor Korpusov remembered that the Mednovsky memorial contains an amazing exhibit: a letter from the church community, written in 1930 in defense of its priest. – Are today’s parishioners capable of this: when exposed to danger, to stand up for their shepherd? Metropolitan Savva said that every time, on the 4th Saturday after Easter at the Butovo training ground, where thousands of new martyrs were shot, a service is held in memory of the martyrs who suffered there, he envyes in his soul these people who have already made the most important choice, and are now with God. And he doesn’t know how he would behave at gunpoint. The Bishop complained that the veneration of holy martyrs is not taking root well in our Orthodox everyday life. “People don’t know why they are praying,” Metropolitan Savva joked sadly. Although this is obvious: the new martyrs need to pray for protection from stupidity and tyranny. Personally, I always ask Bishop Thaddeus, the Tver bishop who was executed on December 31, 1937, about this. The relics of Bishop Thaddeus now rest in the central Ascension Cathedral of Tver; I light a candle in front of them before the release of each issue of our newspaper. By the way, on October 26 we will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the discovery of the relics of St. Thaddeus; the largest researcher of the lives of the new martyrs, Fr. Damascene (Orlovsky), a large conference will take place in the Gorky Library. *** It so happened that the situation in the Tver diocese has not changed since the late 80s. Then the priests and bishops who emerged from Soviet times were not able to accept the challenge of the new time and respond to the spiritual aspirations of people who rushed to the Church as their last hope. This did not deter many; some of these people even took holy orders. But the spirit of late stagnation continued to hover over Tver Orthodoxy. Today we see how a new era has begun. Of course, Metropolitan Savva now has a very heavy workload. He retained his responsibilities in Moscow (he is the deputy manager of the Patriarchate), and in the Tver Metropolis over 30 years so many problems have accumulated that you could even shovel them with an excavator. But nevertheless, Bishop Savva agreed to give a long interview to our newspaper. Moreover, we agreed on this with him on Facebook - which also characterizes new times. Maria Orlova

The only thing that can unite us is Orthodoxy

We are accustomed to the stereotype: the bishop is an elderly and noticeably tired man. A lot of trouble, a lot of problems, a colossal responsibility... However, my interlocutor - Bishop of the Resurrection Savva (Mikheev), vicar of His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', first deputy manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate - will only turn 34 years old in May. He does not have the experience of many years of service, but he has something else - sincere aspiration, a desire to serve people, to benefit the Church.

— Vladyka Savva, how did it happen that you chose the path not only of the priesthood, but also of monasticism?
— The determination whether I should be a priest or not happened at the moment when I first visited the temple. I was 11 or 12 years old. Then churches had just begun to open everywhere. And in our village Telebukino, Kasimovsky district, Ryazan region, a church was opened in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Priest Alexander Parshin, the rector, immediately called me to be a sexton. And I decided for myself that I would go to church every Sunday, I liked the service so much. And when I entered the altar, I began to help the priest - a desire arose to become just like him.

I was interested in everything: how the temple is structured, what the incense is made of, what parts the censer consists of... Why the censer? Because this is the first item of church utensils with which the sexton has to be in close contact. It is the sexton who supplies the censer, lights it, and cleans it. I still love the censer the most - of all the church accessories... And I still teach my subdeacons and sextons how to clean it correctly. There are many ways, but these are our professional secrets...

When I graduated from school, I was calm - my peers were rushing about, not knowing which university to go to, but I had no doubt: only to the Moscow Theological Seminary, to the Lavra of St. Sergius, which I learned about from books. Previously, of course, I went there to make myself known, to find out what the rules for entering the seminary were. When I entered the Lavra, it was a shock for me. I didn’t know it was so good there, so beautiful! I didn’t even know whether you should take off your hat or not when you walk around the monastery, and in order not to offend the Reverend and all the other saints, I walked without a hat, although it was cold, dank autumn weather, it was pouring rain... And I also bought myself books there - with the money I had saved up, which sometimes fell to me for my work at the parish. As I remember now, these were “Handbook of a Hierarchical Servant” by Archpriest Sergius Bulgakov in two volumes and “History of the Russian Church” by Metropolitan Macarius (Bulgakov), the first three volumes. My funds were not enough for anything else.

The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius left such a mark on my heart that I wanted to come there again. My main prayer in the 11th grade was this: “God, give me the strength to finish school well, enter a theological seminary and become a priest.” These are the three petitions that were fulfilled by the Lord.

— How did you take monastic vows, how did it happen?

— I took monastic vows at the age of 21. Although even earlier, in the seminary, I aspired to become a monk. But when I took the request to the rector and entered the reception room, something stopped me, I got scared and decided to postpone it. After graduation, I was placed at the disposal of Metropolitan Simon of Ryazan and Kasimov. He was appointed a teacher of liturgics and homiletics at the Ryazan Theological School and at the same time the bishop’s secretary-referent. It was he who encouraged me to make the final decision to take monastic vows.

It happened unexpectedly. I was helping Metropolitan Simon put on his shoes, and he suddenly asked: “Alexander Evgenievich, when will you accept monasticism?” And somehow without hesitation I answered: “As you bless.” The Bishop said: “Tomorrow.” But I had neither a hood nor a cassock, only a cassock. Bishop Simon called the abbot of the Trinity Monastery in Ryazan and asked how long it would take to sew all this. He answered: a week. And so, exactly a week later, on November 27, 2001, Bishop Simon tonsured me into the mantle in the St. John the Theological Church at the Ryazan Theological School with the name Savva in honor of the Venerable Savva the Sanctified.

“Did it really all just happen like that?” But in fact, it’s not at all accidental, is it?

- Yes, it happens that chance determines your whole life. But what happened to me, of course, was not an accident. I thought about monasticism, but I had some kind of split, doubt. And then the will of the bishop suddenly manifested itself. The will of the bishop is the will of God. Metropolitan Simon asked me about monasticism - it was the Lord Himself who asked. This happened to the beat of my heart...

Today young people do not have the determination to become a monk. In addition, I often have the thought that in monasticism they are looking for some favorable conditions for a “career”, some kind of benefit. But this is fundamentally wrong!..

— It’s really difficult to decide. This is a very difficult path...

“There are no difficulties that, with God’s help, cannot be overcome, no matter who you are.” You can get used to problems, you can live with them, you can solve them: the main thing is to set a goal. There are difficulties both in monasticism and in family life. Therefore, when planning to become a monk, you need, among other things, to think about what kind of difficulties you are most ready for. And you don’t need to think for decades - you may never solve anything. When you enter a cold river, you want to run ashore, but then you get used to it, and there’s no desire to get out onto land...

- I'll go back a little. You talked about how you especially venerate Saint Sergius of Radonezh. St. Sergius - what is he like for you?

— At the time of his churching and admission to the MDS, for me he was the youth Bartholomew from the painting by Mikhail Nesterov “Vision to the youth Bartholomew.” Remember he had difficulties with his studies? So I had a hard time studying at the seminary, especially in the first grade (at that time there were still classes - not courses). My desk neighbor had a higher education and the ability to work independently: he knew what and how to read, how to use materials. But no one taught me this - at school everything is completely different. And I had to memorize a lot, learn by heart, sit for a long time in front of textbooks. At the same time, no one canceled the seminary obediences: I sang in the choir, was on duty in the church, was a gardener... And now, perhaps, through my prayers to St. Sergius, I felt better, apparently, the skill of knowledge had developed.

As a consolation to modern seminarians, I can say that in my later life the catechism that I studied in my first year was very useful to me, both for sermons and in disputes. Of course, the Holy Scriptures must be studied constantly.

— Then, in your youth, the youth Bartholomew helped you, but what does St. Sergius mean to you today? Does he still help you?

“Now St. Sergius seems to me to be a reconciliator, a unifier of people around Christ. Remember, he walked the Russian land and united the princes, who at that time were terribly divided, they did not give up a piece of land to each other, they quarreled. Hegumen of Radonezh was a collector of Rus'. It is this trait of the saint that is close to me. After my episcopal consecration, I began to travel around the Moscow diocese. And sometimes I have to reconcile people. Once upon a time there was a priest and a dean, a priest and parishioners, and sometimes even the parishioners could not share anything among themselves. You need to understand everyone, find words for everyone in order to call for peace, and here the Reverend is the first assistant.

— This year the 700th anniversary of the Saint is celebrated, the day of his memory will possibly become a national holiday. Do you think that today every Russian person, including non-church people, can find something important for themselves in the figure of this saint?

“I think that those people who believe that St. Sergius is not modern are unhappy. Many people now do not know how to use a computer - maybe this skill is precisely a criterion for a person’s modernity? The monk united the Russian land. Today, fragmentation in society is very strong. I don’t know how it is in Saratov, but in Moscow you can feel it. We don’t know our neighbors - people who are separated from us by twenty centimeters of a stone wall. What kind of Orthodox Christians are we after this if we don’t know our neighbors?! We have no unity, we don't care about each other.

Under Soviet rule, there was a general party line, and at least they united around it. If it was necessary to build BAM, everyone went to BAM, trenches were needed, everyone dug, virgin soil was needed, they went and lifted it. Now the only thing we have left that can unite us is Orthodoxy. We must unite around Christ. This is our “general line” - it has been “developed” in Rus' for more than a thousand years... Orthodoxy is our only treasure that has not been stolen, which must be preserved.

— Vladyka, you have been heading the Novospassky Monastery in Moscow for about three years. What is the most difficult thing about your ministry?

— There are many difficulties, but all these difficulties are given by God according to human strength. Probably the most difficult thing is to be on time everywhere. In addition to monastic affairs, I have obediences related to the care of vicarial districts. It is these obediences that prevent you from sitting still and force you to constantly move around. As the abbot of a monastery (“vicar” still means “the one who is in place”), I would like to be among the brethren more often, communicate with my monastic family, and be more present at divine services and prayer. The Lord judges and blesses differently...

In addition to this obedience, I also have episcopal duties, which I perform with the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch. I am a vicar bishop, I help His Holiness in carrying out his archpastoral work. This is an honor for me, of course, but an even greater plus is that I constantly meet new people, see new parishes, and learn how one church differs from another. By the behavior of the parishioners one can judge how the priest serves, how he works with people (there is a proverb: “Like the priest, so is the parish”). I can say that all the parishes of New Moscow and the South-Eastern District that I have already visited touch and delight me. Of course, there are problems that need to be solved, but all these difficulties are blessed, I am interested in overcoming them, helping priests carry out their pastoral ministry.

— The main parish problem today is what is it?

— Lack of the required number of temples. In the South-Eastern District we have only 15 parishes, and about one million four hundred thousand people live here. These are only registered residents, otherwise there will be all two million... Although the parishes are full-fledged, of course: there are Sunday schools, social, missionary and youth work is carried out, announcements take place before Baptism, preparations before the Wedding.

The solution to the problem of the lack of churches in the capital is the “200 churches” program, our only opportunity. For example, the church in Zhulebino is designed for 300 people, but during the festive service, half of the parish stands on the street - the broadcast is carried out through speakers. In the summer - nothing yet, but in the winter what to do? It's cold and people bring their kids! We have to serve several Liturgies a day. And in this area, a temple in honor of the Presentation of the Lord is now being completed. In Lyublino there are about 200-300 thousand inhabitants, and there is only one church, in the name of St. Tikhon of Moscow, with a capacity of 200 people. And another temporary one - at the site of construction of a temple in the name of the martyr Tatiana of Rome, also for 200 parishioners... So it turns out that when the Ministry of Internal Affairs gives its statistics of visits to churches on holidays, it turns out to be only 0.01% of the entire population of the capital. In reality, there is simply nowhere for people to gather. And in the center of Moscow there are many churches, but few people. On the territory of New Moscow, there seem to be enough churches for now - there are 64 churches for 200 thousand people, but over time, large-scale construction will begin, people will move here... So it turns out that the pressing problem is the construction of churches where Christians could gather and unite.

— You travel a lot around the diocese. Are there more or fewer grandmothers in churches in Moscow now? Is the Church getting younger or is it more often people who are already older who cross the church threshold?

— You know, all young people eventually become grandparents. And I’ll answer the question this way: grandmothers are rather the most permanent parishioners in all parishes, not only in Moscow. Young people also go a lot, but not as many as we would like. I think that just one divine service will not attract young people to the temple. What is needed, firstly, is a personal example, and secondly, the interest of young people in some useful activities. If young people understand what interests them in the parish, they will go there. I myself am not that old and I understand that when you are busy, that is, when you feel needed, this is important. For example, during major church holidays, in our monastery we instruct young people to distribute information leaflets, Holy Scripture, and distribute food to the poor and homeless. About 5,000 copies of the Gospel were distributed last Easter...

There are 14 youth organizations in the South-Eastern District, that is, almost every church has one. There is a youth club “Young Rus'” in the Novospassky Monastery. “Young Rus'” is already quite ancient - it’s probably twenty years old. The very first members of the club already bring their children there...

In general, the modern Church is the Church of people of all generations, of all ages. Why are grandmothers the most constant? Because they have the opportunity to come to the temple at any time. Grandma can come early in the morning, on Sunday, Saturday, and on weekdays, but those who work have much more worries: work, family...

— In one of your interviews, you spoke very reverently about the grandmothers who were parishioners of the temple where you were a sexton as a child... Do you now have any favorite grandmothers in the monastery?

- Eat. Nadezhda Ivanovna is my beloved grandmother at the Novospassky Monastery. She comes to services with her friend Galina Gavrilovna. Nadezhda Ivanovna was recently ill for a long time, but, thank God, she recovered. At the parish, everyone affectionately calls her Nadenka, despite the fact that she is already 80-something kopecks. Sunshine, not grandma.

Journal "Orthodoxy and Modernity" No. 29 (45)

Interviewed by
Natalya Volkova https://www.eparhia-saratov.ru/Articles/edinstvennoe-chto-mozhet-nas-obedinit-pravoslavie

Russian Orthodox Church

Born on May 10, 1980 in Perm, in a family of workers. At an early age he moved with his parents to the city of Kasimov, Ryazan region.

In 1997, after graduating from high school, he entered the Moscow Theological Seminary. In 2001, upon completion of the IDS, he was sent to the disposal of Metropolitan Simon of Ryazan and Kasimov. Appointed as a teacher of liturgics and homiletics at the Ryazan Theological School and at the same time secretary-referent of the Metropolitan of Ryazan and Kasimov.

On November 27, 2001, in the St. John the Theological Church at the Ryazan Theological School, Metropolitan Simon of Ryazan tonsured him into a mantle with the name Savva in honor of the Venerable Savva the Sanctified.

On December 2, 2001, Metropolitan Simon ordained him to the rank of hierodeacon, on December 4 - to the rank of hieromonk and was appointed senior assistant to the vice-rector for educational work.

In 2002, he entered the correspondence department of the Moscow Theological Academy. On October 17, 2002, he was appointed vice-rector for academic affairs of the Ryazan Theological School.

On December 9, 2003, he was enrolled in the 2nd year of the theological department of the Ryazan State Pedagogical University named after S.A. Yesenin and appointed teacher of dogmatic theology at the theological department.

On March 15, 2005, Archbishop Pavel of Ryazan and Kasimov assigned him to the staff with the right to transfer to another diocese, according to the submitted petition.

On April 15, 2005, Archbishop Kirill of Yaroslavl and Rostov accepted him into the clergy of the Yaroslavl diocese. He carried out the obedience of the cell attendant of Metropolitan Simon (Novikov) († 09/01/06), while simultaneously performing various diocesan obediences: secretary of the Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov, treasurer and dean of the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery.

On February 22, 2007, he was appointed assistant vice-rector for educational work at the Yaroslavl Theological Seminary.

On June 14, 2007, he graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy with a candidate of theology degree for an essay on the topic “Savior-Yakovlevsky Dimitriev Monastery of the Yaroslavl Diocese (history, architecture, shrines).”

On February 12, 2008 he graduated from Ryazan State University. S.A. Yesenin, majoring in theology.

On March 18, 2008, he was appointed to the position of vice-rector for academic and educational work at the Yaroslavl Theological Seminary.

On April 19, 2009 he was elevated to the rank of abbot.

On April 29, 2009, he was appointed assistant to the dean of the Rostov region and rector of the Ascension-Annunciation Church in Yaroslavl.

On July 14, 2009, he was appointed dean, and on October 10, he was appointed abbot of the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Dimitriev Monastery.

On October 12, 2009, with the blessing of Archbishop Kirill of Yaroslavl, he entered the All-Church graduate school and doctoral studies.

On July 1, 2010, he was appointed first vice-rector of the Yaroslavl Theological Seminary. On November 10, 2010, he was appointed to the position of dean of churches in the Gavrilov-Yamsky district.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of March 22, 2011 (magazine No. 33), he was appointed abbot of the Novospassky Stavropegic Monastery in Moscow.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of May 30, 2011 (magazine No. 45), he was elected Bishop of Resurrection, vicar of the Moscow diocese.

On June 28, 2011 he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite.

He was ordained bishop on July 10, 2011 in the Vladimir monastery of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery. Herotonisan on July 11 at the Divine Liturgy in the upper church of the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Valaam Monastery. The services were led by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'.

Since 2011, he has been caring for parish churches in the South-Eastern Administrative District of Moscow (Peter and Paul Deanery).

By order of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill dated December 31, 2011, he was appointed manager of the South-Eastern Vicariate within the boundaries of the South-Eastern Administrative District of Moscow and the Vicariate within the territories included within the administrative boundaries of Moscow in accordance with the Resolution of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of December 27 2011 No. 560-SF “On approval of changes in the border between the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, the federal city of Moscow and the Moscow Region” and included in the Diocesan Council of Moscow ex officio.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of March 19, 2014 (journal No.), he was appointed first deputy administrator of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate.

On September 12, 2014, in the All-Church graduate school and doctoral studies, he defended his doctoral dissertation on the topic “The Abrahamic Epiphany Monastery in Rostov the Great: architecture in its cultural and historical development.” On November 21, after the Liturgy in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill laid a doctor’s cross on Bishop Savva.

In 2015-16 - Chairman of the All-Church Commission on Church Art, Architecture and Restoration.

In 2016-20 - Deputy Head of the World Russian People's Council.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of April 16, 2021 (journal No. 27), he was appointed chairman of the working group to prepare a church-wide program of commemorative events in connection with the 100th anniversary of the murder of the first new martyrs of the Russian Church.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of July 14, 2021 (magazine No. 47), he was appointed by the Eminence of Tver and Kashinsky, head of the Tver Metropolis, retaining the post of first deputy manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate and dismissal from the post of abbot of the Novospassky stauropegic monastery.

As the abbot of the Novospassky Monastery, he headed the Scientific Editorial Council for the publication of documents of the Holy Council of 1917-1918.

On July 18, 2021, during the Divine Liturgy in the Assumption Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill elevated him to the rank of metropolitan.

On July 27, 2021, he was released from the management of the South-Eastern Vicariate and the Vicariate of the New Territories of Moscow.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of February 26, 2021 (journal No. 4), he was appointed manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of July 9, 2021 (journal No. 70), he was appointed secretary of the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of October 29, 2021 (journal No. 132), he was relieved of his post as manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of December 26, 2021 (journal No. 153), he was relieved of his position as Secretary of the Inter-Council Presence.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of August 25, 2021 (journal No. 49), he was appointed His Eminence of Vologda and Kirillov, head of the Vologda Metropolis, with release from the administration of the Tver diocese.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of November 20, 2021 (journal No. 92), the temporary administration of the Veliky Ustyug diocese was entrusted.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of December 29, 2021 (journal No. 120), he was confirmed as the Holy Archimandrite of the Spaso-Prilutsky Dimitriev Monastery in the city of Vologda and the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery in the city of Kirillov, Vologda Region.

Savva Mikheev gets an education

It must be said that Savva’s biography begins simply. The future ruler was born into a family of ordinary Soviet workers on May 10, 1980. The country was supposed to host the Olympics, and a few years later a full-scale reformation of the political and economic system.

The Metropolitan's hometown is Perm. However, he did not live there for long and soon the family moved to Kasimov, which is now in the Ryazan region. In 1986, the church stopped being oppressed in every possible way and more and more people began to attend services again and baptize their children. Alexander, which is what Savva was called in the world, was also baptized that year. The father performing the sacrament of baptism was called Sergei Serebryakov.

May 10, 1980

birthday of Metropolitan Savva of the Resurrection

In 1987, Alexander entered high school. During his studies, the Soviet Union collapsed. In its place a dozen republics arose. The central republic received a new name - the Russian Federation - and an economic system. In 1997, Mikhey successfully completed his studies at school. The young man did not think long about his further education and almost immediately entered the Moscow Theological Seminary.

Alexander zealously set about mastering new sciences and showed unprecedented success in his studies. Very quickly, teachers began to notice the promising student. In 2000, when Mikheev completed his 4th year at the seminary, Archbishop Eugene, being at that time the rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, read the ordination over Savva as a reader. The following year, Mikheev successfully completed his studies at the Moscow Seminary.

According to his assignment, he was sent to serve under Metropolitan Simon of Ryazan and Kalinovsky. He, the Metropolitan, appointed a young man to teach liturgy and homiletics at the Ryazan Theological School. In addition, Micah became Father Simon's secretary.