Listen to the silence and complete the construction of the cathedral: an interview with the Tver Metropolitan

Metropolitan Ambrose of Tver and Kashin likes to ride a bicycle, eat fried potatoes and listen to silence. He is convinced that the Tver region does not yet need its own seminary, but a cathedral center is the opposite. Cinema and music, divine services in Russian and luxury goods – Metropolitan Ambrose answered TIA’s questions in a long interview.

The fact that a new metropolitan will appear in the Tver diocese became known on August 25, 2021. By decision of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Savva went to serve in Vologda, and Bishop Ambrose came to Tver, who had to resign as rector of the Sretensky Monastery in Moscow and rector of the Sretensky Seminary.

“I became a priest through the prayers of my step-great-grandmother, nun Appolinaria. She lived for 30 years in the Spaso-Euphrosinievsky Monastery of Polotsk until it was closed at the beginning of the last century, says the Metropolitan.

His mother, who was practically an orphan, was raised by the niece of the nun Appolinaria. And along this line, he received spiritual education from early childhood. And although I never saw my great-grandmother, only in photographs, I felt a connection with her.

“When my mother’s teacher died, I was four years old then, they took me to church. And I remember well the service, the atmosphere that was there, the priest. This first experience became the starting point, and then I always asked to be taken to church with them. Later, I became interested in worship and, as it were, continued the work of my great-grandmother. Well, then school, army, seminary, and then - serving the church in the ranks.

Vacation to listen to the silence

In 2021, Bishop Ambrose turned 50 years old. The previous three years had been very difficult in his life. He was transferred from St. Petersburg, where he lived for 10 years, being the rector of theological schools, to the same position in Moscow. Since 2021, he has become the rector of the Sretensky Seminary and the abbot of the Sretensky Monastery. And in 2021 - a new appointment, and another move. Now to Tver.

- Of course, now, at first, I have to immerse myself in an unfamiliar atmosphere. A lot of information,” says the Metropolitan. His work schedule is very busy, especially if the worship service is in a remote area. — All together it takes a lot of time, because you need to get there, serve, communicate with the clergy, see nearby churches - what condition they are in. For example, last Sunday I served in Torzhok and visited 14 churches. Of course, it was a serious marathon.

Over the past three years, the clergyman has had virtually no opportunity to rest on vacation. All the more valuable is the week that you managed to “take off” just recently.

— During my rest, I walked and breathed air, read, and most importantly, I was alone. Absolutely alone all these seven days. I really love silence,” the Metropolitan assures that solitude is necessary for spiritual growth and maturation. It is very important for him to be alone with God and himself at least half a day a week. Read, pray and listen to silence.

Active monasteries

• Bogoroditsky Zhitenny Convent . The abbess of the monastery is Abbess Elisaveta (Evdokimova). Address: Tver region, Ostashkov, mrn. Peninsula Zhitnoye, 3. Phones: +7 (915) 738-63-90;
• Novotorzhsky Boris and Gleb Monastery . The governor is Abbot Arseny (Leonov). Address: Tver region, Torzhok, Staritskaya street, 7. Telephone;
• Ascension Orshin Convent . The abbess is Abbess Eupraxia (Inber). Address: Tver region, Kalininsky district, village. Orsha. Telephone;
• Vyshnevolotsky Kazan Convent . The abbess is Abbess Theodora (Pylipchuk). Address: Tver region, Vyshny Volochyok, st. Siversova. Tel;
• Nilo-Stolobenskaya desert (male). The governor is Archimandrite Arkady (Gubanov). Address: Tver region, Stolbny Island. Tel: +7 (48235) 5-08-04;
• Nikolaevsky Malitsky Monastery . The governor is Abbot Boris (Tulupov). Address: village Nikolo-Malitsa, Shkolnaya street, 17. Tel +7 (4822) 41-54-83;
• Nikolaevsky Klobukov convent . The abbess is Abbess Varvara (Ivanova). Address: Kashin, st. Smychka, 6. Phones +7 (48234) 2-35-00;
• Nikolo-Terebensky convent . The abbess is nun Olga (Nazmutdinova). Address: Tver region, pos. Truzhenik, Sadovaya street, 24. Tel: +7 (48253) 3-13-19;
• Holy Dormition Monastery (male). The governor is Abbot Dimitri (Sevostyanov). Address: Staritsa, Pushkin Street, building 1A. Tel;
• St. Catherine's Convent . The abbess is Abbess Juliania (Kirsi Ritoniemi). Address: Tver, Kropotkina street, 19/2. Tel;
• Holguin convent . Address: village Volgoverkhovye, 2. Tel;
• Nativity of Christ Convent . The abbess is Abbess Larisa (Lobanova). Address: Tver, 1st Proletarsky Poselok street, building 1A. Tel.

What to read?

Bishop Ambrose reads a lot and is convinced that the Gospel is necessary daily reading for every Christian. But there is also a place for worldly books on his shelf. In particular, there are many books by the writer Evgeniy Vodolazkin, with whom the Metropolitan has been friends for a long time.

— For me, his current books have become some kind of guideline in spiritual life and, in general, a guideline in the history of the mentality of Russian people for modern people. Of course, these are his famous “Laurel” and “Aviator”.

The Metropolitan always advised students to read “Letters about the Good and the Beautiful” by Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev. Moreover, he recommended this book as a reference book for schoolchildren.

“The Mysterious Case of Billy Milligan” also interested me. It tells how 24 personalities coexisted in one person. A priest should at least understand a little about psychology, so I think such books are useful for a priest.

Vladyka admits that he loves St. Petersburg writers. Moreover, they are very different, even controversial, because he is interested in how they reason and with what message they address the readers.

— Petersburg, because in my life a lot was connected with St. Petersburg. And St. Petersburg is a city in which there is a lot of air, space of freedom, and which in Tver returned to my life again, because Tver very much reminds me of St. Petersburg.

We are talking in the conference room of the diocesan administration. An indispensable attribute of the current times - medical masks - are in place. Nevertheless, when the metropolitan talks about the northern capital, it is clear that he is smiling. Wrinkles gather around the eyes, voice and intonation change.

Notes

1. tver.eparhia.ru/history/
2. [www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/1909396.html Journals of the meeting of the Holy Synod of December 27-28, 2011], Journal No. 174
3. [www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/143566.html Celebrations were held in Vyshny Volochek in honor of the new martyrs and confessors of Tver]. Patriarchia.Ru.
4. [tver.eparhia.ru/eprh/arh/ Ruling Bishop]
5. [tver.eparhia.ru/eprh/upravlen/ Diocesan Administration]
6. Stroev P. M.
   “
   Lists of hierarchs and abbots of monasteries of the Russian Church
   .” St. Petersburg, 1877, page 441.
7. Sivkov K.V.
   Theodoret (Bishop of Tver) // Russian Biographical Dictionary: in 25 volumes. - SPb.-M., 1896-1918.

"Where are you, Adam?" and "The Young Pope"

There is very little room for cinema in the life of Metropolitan Ambrose, and no place at all for television. However, literally the day before the interview, he was at the Zvezda cinema for the premiere screening of the documentary “Where Are You, Adam?” The filming of the film took place on Mount Athos, and, according to the Metropolitan, his acquaintance, the archdeacon from Kyiv, was involved in this. The film depicts the daily life of the monks, with worship, fishing, arguing and getting out of arguments.

— The film begins with the words of the abbot, where he thanks God for everything that happened in his life, and most of all for the injustice and reproach that he experienced during his life. Because it was in them that he found himself and felt what humility meant in his life - the film itself, as the Bishop says, is very laconic, but at the same time it tells a lot about life in the monastery.

Despite his busy schedule, the Metropolitan watched the series “The Young Pope,” like many clergy. Because it made waves in religious circles when it came out in 2021. Handsome Jude Law in the role of the Pope swims in the pool, hangs snow-white socks on a line, smokes, dresses in papal vestments, works out on exercise equipment and prays so that God hears him. The series caused controversy - is it possible to so openly show a person with such a status.

— I think this is a brilliant creation of the director, and genius is also expressed in the fact that space opens up for so many thoughts. What is surprising and very correct is that the Catholic Church did not oppose this film, but, on the contrary, turned it to its advantage.

The Metropolitan explains that the image of the pope depicted in the series is collective. People close to the Vatican immediately recognized him as various real popes. And the film has served the Catholic Church well, despite the controversy. But we have a different mentality, such openness does not suit us.

“Unfortunately, we actually still have patterns and complexes that do not allow us to treat each other correctly. I have been to the Balkans and Greece many times and have seen how clergy there communicate with their flock. They can go to a restaurant together, discuss something, drink coffee together, have dinner. And this is not considered something reprehensible. Moreover, clergy there never wear civilian clothes; in Greece this is prohibited by the Constitution, where the church is not separated from the state. In addition to the fact that the flock will not accept him later, a priest in secular clothing can be fined by the police. Therefore, they do not hesitate to wear a cassock to the market, to a store, to a restaurant, or to communicate with young people. In our country, unfortunately, if a priest comes to such a place, they will photograph him and then interpret it in their own way. Our mentality does not yet allow us to correctly understand such ordinary human things. Not everything that our people consider to be a sin is. It is not a sin to come and communicate with some person, it is a sin to approve of some bad act or participate in it. But communicating, even publicly, is not only not a sin - it is a virtue.

Music is not a background, it is a philosophy

Music occupies a significant place in the life of a clergyman. Church and folk chants are very close. And therefore, as the Metropolitan says, folk singing is preserved most of all in the spiritual environment. Modern trends in music, including Russian rock, are not clear to him and are not particularly interesting. Symphonic music gradually fades into the background, with all his love for Sviridov and Rachmaninov.

— Lately, the closer I get to the end of my life, the more I focus on spiritual chants. Right now I really like Greek ones. And in this sense, the atmosphere in the Nikolo-Malitsky Monastery, in which services are held according to the Greek charter and where Byzantine singing, enriches me internally and gives me a special aftertaste. Music is not just a background, it should encourage a person to think, to reason. It's a kind of philosophy.

Deanery

• Temples directly subordinate to the ruling bishop (with the rights of a deanery)
• Deanery of monasteries, bishops' and monastic metochions (Deanery: Archimandrite Arkady (Gubanov)
• Deanery of the 1st Tver District (Deanery: Archpriest Pavel Nikolaevich Sorochinsky)
• Deanery of the 2nd Tver District (Deanery: Hieromonk Amphilochius (Zhelyabovsky)
• Bologovsky district (Dean: Archpriest Vasily Yaroslavovich Sadzhenitsa)
• Vyshnevolotsk district (Dean: Archpriest Vasily Petrovich Kirichuk)
• Deanery of the 1st Kalinin District (Deanery: Archpriest Viktor Viktorovich Savin)
• Deanery of the 2nd Kalinin District (Deanery: Hieromonk Dionysius (Batraev))
• Kashinsky district (Dean: Archpriest Dimitry Nikolaevich Kunchenko)
• Kimry district (Dean: Archpriest Evgeny Yurievich Morkovin)
• Konakovsky district (Dean: Archpriest Valery Dmitrievich Ilyin)
• Ostashkovsky District (Dean: Priest Dimitry Viktorovich Markovsky)
• Torzhok district (Dean: Archpriest Nikolai Mikhailovich Alekseev)

Jeans VS suit

— I don’t wear jeans, you’ll never see me in them. It is very, very rare that I can walk around in civilian clothes. But it's always something classic. I prefer classic clothes and have a lot of respect for people who wear classic clothes. I have such a thing. They greet you by their clothes.

Regarding secular clothing, the Metropolitan says that even in it, the priest must remember his status. Of course, you don’t need to go out for a run in a cassock, but Greek priests even ride bicycles in it. Although the Metropolitan himself rode around St. Petersburg and Moscow on a bicycle in secular clothes. He doesn’t have such experience in Tver yet.

What should a monk smell like?

Metropolitan Ambrose of Tver and Kashin is absolutely convinced that a clergyman and a monk, if he is in the world, must be neat. The cleanliness of the beard and the smell matter, just as a sense of proportion matters.

— A clergyman should always think that the person he comes to should also be pleased. If perfume helps this to some extent, why not. The main thing is not to get hung up on this, so that it does not lead to narcissism. In the end, even good incense saturates the clergyman’s beard with its scent.

The Bishop himself rarely uses toilet water and prefers to simply follow the rules of hygiene.

Ascetics and wonderful places of the diocese

Among the bishops who ruled the Tver See were holy ascetics and preachers of the Christian faith. First of all, this is St. Arseny the Wonderworker, the founder of many monasteries and churches in the Tver region. In total, more than 150 ascetics from these places were canonized. Over the past few years, there have been more than 90 new martyrs of the Tver land. For sixteen years, festivities have been held on September 19 to commemorate them.

The Tver diocese steadily and respectfully protects the priceless shrines of the Orthodox Christian faith. They have been kept for centuries in its temples, monasteries and cathedrals. And now they attract believers from different cities and are the subject of reverent veneration by the residents of the region.

Among them are the relics of the Holy Blessed Princess Anna Kashinskaya, the icon of the Holy Blessed Prince Michael and many, many others. Nowadays pilgrimages are held across the Tver land. There are many wonderful places in this blessed region. People with incurable and severe illnesses arrive in the village of Maslovo, Staritsky district, Tver region. There are two miraculous springs there. Local residents respectfully call them living and dead water and believe that one of them promotes healing from serious illnesses, and the second helps vision.

Thus, the Tver diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church remains a reliable stronghold of Orthodox Christianity.

About food

The Metropolitan does not consider himself a gourmet, and is for the most part unpretentious in his choice of food. I never learned to cook, so if necessary, I can at most make porridge and fry scrambled eggs or potatoes. The latter, by the way, he loves very much, but does not eat.

— Due to my age, it is contraindicated for me. Since childhood I have loved fish. And now, if there is a good sea fish, I would choose it first. I don’t think that eating deliciously is a sin, because we need to eat what God gives us and thank him for it. I have breakfast, lunch and take something for dinner in the refectory of the diocese. If I conduct divine services in parishes, after that they usually invite me to the refectory, and I eat what is offered.

New Year on Athos

With the exception of the last two years, for several years in a row the bishop spent the days of the New Year holiday on Mount Athos. As he says: “I moved from year to year naturally, without noticing it in any way, in the circle of worship and obedience.” In Moscow, he spent New Year's Eve at a church service and then went to bed. Although once it felt like a holiday. Being the rector of the academy, after the service he invited the clergy and students to his place: they talked together and drank some champagne. But the metropolitan has not seen the president’s address in recent years, because the service is taking place right at that time.

Love to the animals

— Once they gave me a Labrador, he was six months old at that time. I raised him for another six months, during which time we tested each other’s character. He was a very thoroughbred, born in one of the nurseries in Ireland. I felt sorry for the animal that I couldn’t devote time to. Sometimes I even brought him with me to the office of the rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. He would sit next to me and, if someone approached me, he would start raising his paw. When I told him: “Wait,” he went into a corner, looked at me with pitiful eyes and sighed like a man. He evoked such emotions in me that I realized: I had to choose - to spend time and energy on him or on the students and my basic obedience.

Then the owner made a decision, and he had to part with the Labrador. The dog lived for several years with a wonderful family who loved him. While telling this story, the Metropolitan looks into the corner, as if looking for a dog there, and continues.

— For some reason, some of our clergy say that it is a sin to have a dog in the house, but, they say, you can have a cat, and not always, but a dog is an unclean animal. I now appeal to such clergy: watch the film “Where are you, Adam?” All crippled dogs are collected in the monastery on Mount Athos, and there are countless cats there; they catch snakes and rats. Hegumen Gregory says: “One must be able to love creation.” This applies not only to dogs, but also to flowers, trees, even water, everything. One must be able to love nature created by God. And animals teach us this very well: both love and patience.

Sports and service

Metropolitan Ambrose, as mentioned above, loved to ride a bicycle along the streets of St. Petersburg and Moscow. In addition, he worked out on simulators and was quite active.

“Now I’ve become very lazy,” the bishop complains, “for which I scold myself.” Movement helps a person feel better. And it helps you fulfill your responsibilities more fully. This in no way contradicts the ascetic lifestyle, quite the opposite. In my understanding, what you have to force yourself to do can be considered, albeit a small, ascetic feat,” he laughs.

In general, the Russian Orthodox Church does not limit clergy in choosing a sport, be it swimming or long jump - whatever. Moreover, among the priests there are quite a few professional athletes who need exercise to maintain their health. Perhaps the church is not ready to see its representative in the professional ring, but as a wrestling or even boxing coach - please.

Do social networks help priests?

— Social networks are like a pulpit in a church, that is, an elevation. From this elevation you can say different things. Some will talk about Christ and the Gospel, while others will shout anti-religious slogans. The Internet space is given so that through us people think about eternal Christian values. Then it's blessed. If a priest uses networks to demonstrate himself, his personal financial problems, and not his parish and community, he is acting illegally.

The Metropolitan does not manage his own social networks; this is handled by the press service. But the words in each post are his words - from a sermon or speech. Now subscribers to his accounts are getting acquainted with churches and events in the Tver diocese.

— The Tver region is an amazing spiritually rich land, which has not yet been opened to many, many people.

Tver and Kashin diocese in the twentieth century

A century ago, the Tver diocese was considered one of the most significant in the structure of the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1917 it included 36 monastic organizations. Moreover, there were more convents in the Tver diocese - there were 19 of them. At that time there were more than one and a half million Orthodox parishioners. The total number of temples was 1204.

The history of the Orthodox Church in Russia in the 20s and 30s of the last century is marked by continuous persecution of clergy and devout parishioners. This bitter fate did not spare the Tver diocese. During the pre-war twenty years, the number of clergy in it decreased from almost four thousand to less than fifty. Then all the holy monasteries of the diocese were closed.

Service in Russian

Metropolitan of Tver and Kashin Ambrose arrived in the Tver region about two months ago. His predecessor, Metropolitan Savva, served on Tver soil for 2.5 years and was noted, among other things, for conducting one of the services in Russian. Meanwhile, serving in Russian caused disagreements in the Orthodox community, which even resulted in open conflict and scandal.

“I do not perform services in Russian,” says Metropolitan Ambrose. “I treat them exactly the same as our church, which has not considered this issue and has not made any decision on this issue.” But at one of the meetings, His Holiness the Patriarch said that if there is such a desire in the parish, the parish does not object, then you can read parimia, the apostolic gospel reading in Russian. But everything must be decided in the parish by a majority vote. This is not a direct instruction, but an opportunity that is given to the parish.

Bishop Ambrose says that, being the rector of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Moscow, he invited the parish meeting to speculate on this topic. And 99% of the members of the meeting spoke out categorically against the Russian language, even in reading parimia.

— As for the Russian language, this idea itself arose not among renovationists, but among very pious clergy at the beginning of the 20th century. And the renovationists, on the contrary, were against the Russian language at first. Now this idea has been discredited by those people who most often try to challenge the principles on which our church life is built. Therefore, now the question of the Russian language, not always and everywhere, but sometimes is a kind of screen for some communities to oppose themselves to the hierarchy and general tradition of our church.

The Tver diocese is the oldest diocese in the Russian Orthodox Church

Tver, worn from 1931 to 1990. name Kalinin, is the oldest city in Russia. Founded in 1135.

The city became the capital of the Tver Principality in the middle of the 13th century. It became the formal center of Ancient Rus' in 1264, when the Tver prince Yaroslav Yaroslavich received the label for the great reign of Vladimir.

The beginning of the heyday of Tver dates back to the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th century, during the reign of Mikhail Yaroslavich.

V.P. Vereshchagin. “Grand Duke Yaroslav Yaroslavich. 1263-1272" 1896 The Tver department was established under the Grand Duke Yaroslav Yaroslavich. Photo: upload.wikimedia.org

The department of the Tver diocese is one of the oldest in the Russian Orthodox Church. It was established under the Grand Duke Yaroslav Yaroslavich no later than 1271, by separating it from the Polotsk diocese.

As the chronicles say: Tver land has long “belonged to the Krivichi region. Consequently, in church affairs it had to depend on the hierarchy established in Polotsk...”

The white stone Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral of 1285-1290 in the Tver Kremlin became the first monumental structure erected on Suzdal land after the Tatar invasion. On January 26, 1589, an archdiocese was established on the territory of the diocese.

The department of the Tver diocese is the oldest in the Russian Orthodox Church.

In degree, the Tver diocese until 1669 followed the Ryazan, and then the Vologda; according to what existed from 1764 to 1868. division of dioceses into classes, the Tver diocese was listed as twelfth in 1764, in 1800 and 1869. eleventh and followed directly after Ryazan.

Moscow councils of 1589, 1667, 1681 and 1682 A bishopric was established in Rzhev and was supposed to be established in 1589 and 1681. bishopric in Kashin. However, in practice it did not exist.

Polotsk, end of the 18th century. Historically, the Tver diocese took over the Polotsk hierarchy in church affairs (now Polotsk is located on the territory of Belarus). Photo: upload.wikimedia.org

On February 29, 1836, the Staritsa Vicariate was established, but on October 1, 1840 it was closed and restored only on November 9, 1866. The Staritsa Vicariate existed until 1926.

From 1920 to 1924 there was a Vicariate of Kashin;

from 1920 to 1937 there was the Ostashkov Vicariate;

from 1928 to 1937 there was a Vicariate of Bezhetsk;

from 1929 to 1936 there was a Vicariate of Kimry;

from 1930 to 1936 there was a Rzhev Vicariate.

Priest and luxury

Luxury items from a clergyman, be it accessories, a car or clothing, usually cause a wave of indignation in society. According to Metropolitan Ambrose, if a priest looks too rich compared to parishioners, this undermines trust, even if he received luxury items as a gift. He can accept gifts, why not? If at the same time he does not set himself the task of looking special, successful. But the other extreme is also not good.

— The priest needs to focus on the average parishioner. Naturally, he should not look too rich, but he should not look deliberately poor and wretched either. The most important thing is that the clergy be neat and tidy. And so that what they do does not become a reason for pride or an expression of stupidity. By exposing himself to ridicule, the priest is exposing the church to ridicule.

Charity and donations

— Of course, the church is involved in charity. Maybe we don’t talk or write about this so much, but when at my first diocesan council I heard a long report from our social service department, I was impressed by how much our diocese has done for low-income people, for children, for those who suffered during the pandemic, says the Metropolitan. Among other types of assistance, we include home delivery of hot meals to disabled people. The Tver diocese was doing this even before the pandemic.

The Russian Orthodox Church lives almost exclusively on donations, although recently there are precedents when the church began to earn its living. True, not in Russia, but in countries where a law on restitution has been adopted, that is, on the return of church property that was previously taken away.

— The Lithuanian diocese exists only because it rents out its buildings to hotels or restaurants. This does not apply to religious buildings, of course. Otherwise, in a Catholic country where the Russian-speaking Orthodox universe is shrinking, there is no way to survive. And this is normal world practice. True, it seems to me that we are not mentally ready for this yet. But if some buildings were returned to the church, the church could organize its economic activities: open hotels or cafes - this would solve some of our problems.

Structure

The Tver diocese has been headed since July 2021 by Savva Mikheev. He heads the Diocesan Administration. To solve specific problems in various areas of diocesan activity, the following departments were organized:

1. The missionary department is engaged in disseminating information about the dangers of religious sects. Its employees also explain the foundations of the Orthodox faith and the meaning of church sacraments. The department’s specialists also organized a “Helpline”. The clergy on duty answer various questions from parishioners, help strengthen their faith and provide spiritual support.

   
   Resurrection Cathedral in Tver

2. The Department of Social Ministry and Church Charity provides support to socially vulnerable segments of the population and helps families in need of help overcome difficult life situations. In all dean districts there are charity canteens at churches. There are also two orphanages operating on the diocesan territory. They are located on the basis of the Ascension Convent in Orsha and the Mother of God Convent in Ostashkov. The department operates an infirmary for homeless and bedridden patients.
3. The educational department organizes and develops a system of religious educational institutions, and also carries out work aimed at the moral and spiritual education of society. In the process of work, department specialists interact with religious and secular educational organizations.
4. The department for interaction with law enforcement agencies is engaged in the spiritual support of military personnel and law enforcement officers serving in the diocesan territory.
5. The Prison Ministry Department organizes worship activities in correctional institutions. Employees are involved in working with letters and appeals from prisoners, participating in their spiritual and moral education and rehabilitation after release from prison. Clergy interact with public and human rights organizations.
6. The cultural department organizes various cultural events provided for by the diocesan program and projects on a regional and city scale. The department has jurisdiction over the issues of organizing ancient repositories, protecting religious monuments and interacting with state cultural organizations.
7. The youth department carries out missionary work among the younger generation, organizes cultural and sports events. The task of clergy is to involve young people in church life and social service.

   
   Metropolitan Savva is the head of the Tver diocese

8. The information service provides timely information to the public about the life of the diocese. The work of this unit is directly supervised by the ruling bishop. The clergy carry out their main task with the help of religious media. The newspaper “Orthodox Tver” and the magazine “Tver Diocesan Gazette” have the largest circulation. In addition to printed publications, thematic programs broadcast on local television and radio are popular.

Suvorov School and Seminary

There are former church buildings in Tver that have not yet been returned to the church. For example, one of the old buildings of the Suvorov Military School. The school itself, together with the cadets, moved to a huge new campus, built in a classical style and equipped with the latest technology.

And in the old building of the school there was previously a theological seminary. Considering the vast experience of the current Tver Metropolitan (he headed theological academies in Moscow and St. Petersburg), it would be logical to assume that his appointment is connected with the opening of a seminary in Tver. But, as Metropolitan Ambrose claims, it is a mistake to link his transfer to Tver with the opening of the seminary.

“We haven’t even talked about transferring the building of the former Suvorov Military School yet. Although according to the law, it must be transferred to the diocese, of course. But we need to think about what to organize next, but not today. The seminary is a huge expense, we will never be able to afford it with our diocesan forces.

Now even in the central theological academies there is practically no competition, and in the regional ones there is even a shortage. In addition to students, teachers are needed to open a seminary. And in the Tver diocese, 90% of the clergy do not have systematic spiritual education.

— So, the opening of the Tver seminary does not seem possible either materially, organizationally, or intellectually. But if we could complete the construction of the cathedral and there we would have a full-fledged cathedral center, which we do not have in the diocese today, this would be a great gift from God.

The Tver diocese was headed by 78 bishops

Since the time of the first Tver Bishop Simeon, who came from the princes of Polotsk, 78 bishops have replaced each other at the Tver See. These are holy ascetics and confessors of the faith of Christ. The most famous among them is Saint Arseny (+1409), a zealous organizer of monasteries and monastic life.

He is remembered as the patron saint of St. Maxim the Greek, who was in exile and imprisonment in the Tver Otroch Monastery.

Bishop of Tver Akaki, assistant to Saint Gury, the enlightener of the Tatars, accomplished his spiritual feat here. During the Time of Troubles, an unbending fighter for the faith of Christ and the Fatherland, Archbishop Feoktist also suffered martyrdom on Tver soil.

Archbishop Theophylact (Lopatinsky) and many other ever-remembered saints left their memory.

Saint Arseny, Bishop of Tver Fragment of a wall painting from the Trinity Cathedral of the Makaryev Kalyazin Monastery. Thanks to Saint Arseny, monastic life was strengthened on the Tver land. Photo: upload.wikimedia.org

The clergy of the Tver Metropolis, who had the rank of bishop, are included in the following list:

1. St. Simeon I of Polotsk (mentioned 1272 - February 3, 1289).
2. Andrey (Gerdenev) (1289 - March 28, 1316).
3. Barsanuphius I (1316 - 1328).
4. Theodore I (1330 - 1342).
5. Theodore II (1342 - 1360).
6. Vasily (1361 - 1372).
7. Euthymius (Wislen) (March 9, 1374 - July 1390).
8. St. Arseny (July 24, 1390 - March 2, 1409).
9. Anthony (February 2, 1411 - mentioned March 22, 1416).
10. Elijah (1435 - mentioned 1451).
11. Moses (January 28, 1458 - 1461).
12. Gennady (Kozhin) (March 25, 1461 - April 1477).
13. Vassian (Strigin-Obolensky) (December 6, 1477 - May 23, 1508).
14. Neil the Greek (August 24, 1509 – April 3, 1521).
15. St. Akaki (March 30, 1522 - January 14, 1567).
16. St. Barsanuphius II (1567 - 1570).
17. Savva (1570 - mentioned 1572).
18. Theodoret (1573 - ?).
19. Zachary (mentioned December 20, 1578 - 1602).
20. Sschmch. Theoktist (January 15, 1603 - 1609).
21. St. Arseny Elassonsky (1613 - 1615).
22. Paphnutius (February 17, 1620 - 1628).
23. Euthymius (October 26, 1628 - 1642).
24. Jonah (December 24, 1642 - July 26, 1654).
25. Lawrence (April 16, 1654 - July 26, 1657).
26. Joasaph (August 1657 - 1676).
27. Simeon II (April 16, 1676 - July 1681).
28. Barsanuphius III (Eropkin) (September 6 - December 1681).
29. Sergius (Veltakhov) (February 5, 1682 - 1702).
30. Kallist (Poborsky) (February 21, 1703 - June 23, 1711).
31. Alexy (Titov) (November 9, 1712 - January 21, 1714).
32. Varlaam (Kosovsky) (January 21, 1714 - March 3, 1720).
33. Sylvester (Kholmsky-Volynets) (March 3, 1720 - February 3, 1723).
34. Theophylact (Lopatinsky) (1723 - December 13, 1738).
35. Mitrofan (Slotvinsky) (beginning 1739 - December 7, 1752).
36. Veniamin (Putsek-Grigorovich) (February 28, 1753 - April 2, 1758).
37. Afanasy (Volkhovsky) (April 23, 1758 - May 26, 1763).
38. Innokenty (Nechaev) (May 28 - October 4, 1763).
39. Gabriel (Petrov) (December 6, 1763 - September 22, 1770).
40. Plato (Levshin) (October 10, 1770 - January 25, 1775).
41. Arseny (Vereshchagin) (April 1, 1775 - September 22, 1783).
42. Joasaph (Zabolotsky) (September 22, 1783 - February 13, 1788).
43. Tikhon (Malinin) (May 6, 1788 - May 18, 1792).
44. Iriney (Klementyevsky) (June 6, 1792 - October 17, 1798).
45. Pavel (Ponomarev) (October 26, 1798 - December 26, 1799).
46. Pavel (Zernov) (January 15, 1800 - December 18, 1803).
47. Methodius (Smirnov) (December 31, 1803 - August 30, 1814).
48. Seraphim (Glagolevsky) (August 30, 1814 - March 15, 1819).
49. St. Filaret (Drozdov) (March 15, 1819 - September 26, 1820).
50. Simeon (Krylov-Platonov) (September 26, 1820 - July 3, 1821).
51. Jonah (Pavinsky) (July 21, 1821 - November 6, 1826).
52. Ambrose (Protasov) (November 6, 1826 - July 1, 1831).
53. Grigory (Postnikov) (July 25, 1831 - March 1, 1848).
54. Gabriel (Rozanov) (March 1, 1848 - February 15, 1857).
55. Philofey (Uspensky) (February 15, 1857 - May 5, 1876).
56. Alexy (Rzhanitsyn) (September 9, 1876 - June 9, 1877).
57. Eusebius (Ilyinsky) (December 8, 1877 - March 12, 1879).
58. Savva (Tikhomirov) (April 23, 1879 - September 18, 1896).
59. Dimitry (Sambikin) (November 2, 1896 - March 26, 1905).
60. Nikolai (Ziorov) (March 26 - April 8, 1905).
61. Nikolai (Nalimov) (April 8 - July 1, 1905).
62. Alexy (Opotsky) (July 1, 1905 - January 29, 1910).
63. Anthony (Karzhavin) (January 30, 1910 - March 16, 1914).
64. Sschmch. Seraphim (Chichagov) (March 23, 1914 - late 1917).
65. Arseny (Smolenets) (1917 - September 7, 1917) high school bishop. Staritsky.
66. Sschmch. Peter (Zverev) (1921 - 1922) high school bishop. Staritsky.
67. Seraphim (Alexandrov) (1922 - June 15, 1928).
68. Pavel (Pavlovsky) (1926) v/u.
69. Thaddeus (Uspensky) (1928 - October 18, 1936).
70. Nikifor (Nikolsky) (December 7, 1936 - 1937) (in prison).
71. Palladium (Sherstennikov) (December 29, 1938 - 1940 (October 28, 1943).
72. Vasily (Ratmirov) (late 1943 - September 1944).
73. Rafail (Berezin) (October 29, 1944 - May 15, 1945).
74. Arseny (Krylov) (August 26, 1945 - March 17, 1950).
75. Alexy (Sergeev) (March 17, 1950 - July 29, 1954).
76. Barsanuphius (Grinevich) (July 29, 1954 - March 13, 1958).
77. Macarius (Daev) (1958) v/u, archbishop. Mozhaisky.
78. Feodosius (Pogorsky) (June 22, 1958 - March 22, 1960).
79. Alexy (Konoplyov) (March - November 1960) high school bishop. Luzhsky.
80. Innokenty (Leoferov) (November 23, 1960 - September 6, 1971).
81. Filaret (Vakhromeev) (September 6, 1971 - August 1972) senior, bishop. Dmitrovsky.
82. Hermogenes (Orekhov) (August 25, 1972 - April 19, 1978).
83. Alexy (Konoplyov) (April 19, 1978 - October 7, 1988).
84. Victor (Oleynik) (December 4, 1988 - July 14, 2018).
85. Savva (Mikheev) (since July 14, 2018).