| Metropolitan Benjamin (Pushkar) |
Veniamin (Pushkar)
(born 1938), Metropolitan b. Vladivostok and Primorsky, rector of the Vladivostok Theological School In the world Pushkar Boris Nikolaevich, was born on November 8, 1938 in the city of Khorol, Primorsky Territory, into a large working-class family. In 1947, the family moved to Vladivostok. His mother and grandmother were deeply religious, but due to the lack of a church, Boris himself was baptized only at the age of 7. His father was taken to the front at the very beginning of the war, returned crippled and soon died from his wounds.
In 1957 he graduated from high school in the city of Vladivostok. He was not accepted into the Soviet Army due to illness. Having received the blessing of the parish priest, Boris applied to the seminary and, before entering, served as an altar boy in the church.
At the same time, in order to earn a piece of bread, he had to work as a fitter at the largest ship repair enterprise in the Far East, Dalzavod.
In 1959-1963 he studied at the MDS. In 1963-1967 he studied at the Moscow Academy of Sciences, graduated with a candidate of theology degree and was retained as a professorial fellow at the academy.
In 1967 he was appointed teacher of biblical history, and also lectured on basic theology and logic. Since 1976 - Associate Professor at the Moscow Academy of Sciences.
In 1988, he was ordained a deacon by the rector of the Moscow Academy of Arts and Sciences, Archbishop Alexander (Timofeev) of Dmitrov.
In the same year he was ordained a priest.
In 1992 he was elevated to the rank of archpriest.
On August 12, 1992, by resolution of the Holy Synod, he was determined to be Bishop of Vladivostok and Primorsky.
On September 13 of the same year, he was tonsured a monk with the name Veniamin - in honor of the Hieromartyr Veniamin, Metropolitan of Petrograd and Gdov.
On September 20, 1992, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite.
On September 21, 1992, he was consecrated Bishop of Vladivostok and Primorsky. The ordination in the Epiphany Cathedral in Moscow was performed by Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus'; Metropolitans of Krutitsky and Kolomna Yuvenaly (Poyarkov), Volokolamsk and Yuryevsky Pitirim (Nechaev); Archbishop of Solnechnogorsk Sergius (Fomin); Bishops of Istra Arseny (Epifanov), Dmitrovsky Filaret (Karagodin), Podolsky Victor (Pyankov).
Since 1996 he has been the rector of the Vladivostok Theological School.
In 1996, in his Easter sermon, Bishop Benjamin said:
“... schisms are bedeviling the Russian Church.
Uninvited heirs are eager to quickly divide the “Russian heritage”... schismatics are tormenting Holy Rus' from all sides, Russophobes are threatening our national shrines from all sides... insidious renovationism again seeks to destroy church life from the inside, to tear it away from the blessed roots of the centuries-old Holy Tradition, to deprive it of continuity and canonical impeccability . Under the slogan of church “reforms” and “renewal in the spirit of the times,” supporters of the “liberalization” of the Church are again trying to shake the foundations of Russian Orthodoxy... The crafty heresy of ecumenism threatens the purity and intact integrity of church teaching.” Vladyka Veniamin is a monarchist by conviction. In 1995, he sent his representative to the Second All-Russian Monarchist Conference held in Belgorod (Archbishops John (Popov) of Belgorod and Yuvenaly (Tarasov) of Kursk also took part in it. The brotherhood in the name of the Holy Martyr Tsar Nicholas II is active in the diocese. In December 1996, Bishop Veniamin addressed the 1997 Council of Bishops with a request to remove from the documents of the Synodal Commission for the Canonization of Saints the contrast between the two periods of the life of Nicholas II (before the revolution and after), since, in his opinion, it is impossible to divide a person’s life into stages, deciding when was he holy?
In January 1997, he spoke at a press conference on the prospects for the canonization of Grigory Rasputin.
In 1996, the diocese entered into an Agreement on interaction with the Russian Pacific Fleet on the issue of spiritual and moral education of military personnel. In February 1997, Bishop. Veniamin participated as a crew member in the cruise of the missile cruiser "Varyag" to the Republic of Korea, and in June 1997 - in the visit of the cruiser "Admiral Vinogradov" to Tokyo.
| Archbishop Benjamin (Pushkar) |
On February 25, 2003, he was elevated to the rank of archbishop.
Since July 27, 2009 - member of the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church.
From July 27 to November 6, 2011, he temporarily ruled the newly formed Arsenyevsk and Dalnegorsk diocese.
On October 6, 2011, he was appointed head of the Primorsky Metropolis.
On October 8, 2011, he was elevated to the rank of metropolitan by Patriarch Kirill (Gundyaev) of Moscow and All Rus' in the Assumption Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
On December 27, 2011, he was confirmed as rector (hieroarchimandrite) of the Holy Trinity St. Nicholas Monastery in the village of Gornye Klyuchi, Primorsky Territory [1].
On December 28, 2021, he was retired due to reaching the age of 75. The city of Vladivostok is determined as the place of residence of Metropolitan Benjamin [2].
Awards
Church
- medal of St. Sergius of Radonezh 1st degree (1985)
- order of honor book Daniil of Moscow 2nd degree (1998)
- Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, 2nd degree (2002)
- Order of St. Seraphim of Sarov, 2nd degree (2007, in connection with the 15th anniversary of his episcopal consecration) [3]
- Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, 1st degree (2013, in connection with the 75th anniversary of his birth) [4]
Secular
- Order of Friendship
- Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 4th class (June 10, 2009)
- medal "For services to the Fatherland".
- Order of St. ap. St. Andrew the First-Called (International St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation).
Honorary Memberships
- honorary citizen of the city of Vladivostok (2005).
- Honorary Professor of Far Eastern State University (2007).
KAZAN TEMPLE IN USSURIYSK!
The construction of the Kazan Church in the Far Eastern Ussuriysk, several tens of kilometers from the border with China, is a great and concrete undertaking to strengthen the eastern borders of Russia, the development of missionary work here, and the rise of our Russian culture and statehood.
There will be churches, there will be prayer. And Russian Orthodox people will come here. And those who live here now on our Far Eastern outskirts will stand stronger on their native land. Rus' has always been strengthened by faith. Now the future Kazan Church in Ussuriysk is already forming its own Orthodox community. And on behalf of all parishioners, we appeal to our dear brothers and sisters, to all Russian people and all Orthodox Christians. Help in the construction of an Orthodox church on the outskirts of the Far Eastern border city of Ussuriysk! Brothers and sisters, let us help our Far Eastern land with all the world. Let's build a temple and strengthen the Orthodox faith. And, of course, we will remember that by donating to the construction of the temple, we save our souls, take care of our children and the souls of our ancestors who have passed on to another world. The Church always especially prays for the builders, benefactors and donors of churches. The Lord accepts our sincere donations and blesses us, and through us, our families.
Dear brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of our glorious Fatherland, help in the construction of the Kazan Church in Nikolsk-Ussuriysky, in the city guarding the eastern borders of Russia!
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Essays
- Proof of the existence of God and the immortality of the soul in the philosophical system of E. Kant and their analysis on the basis of the Christian worldview (PhD thesis).
- End of the academic year in theological schools. Moscow Theological Academy // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. M., 1968. - No. 8. - pp. 17-18.
- The beginning of the school year in Moscow theological schools // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. M., 1972. - No. 10. — P. 33.
He wrote the canon “Lamentation for Russia” based on the model of the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrey Kritsky. Tape cassettes with recordings of the canon performed by the Bishop himself are sold throughout the country.
Holy Bible story
The publishing house of the Sretensky Monastery published a book by Metropolitan Veniamin (Pushkar) “The Sacred Biblical History”.
Sacred biblical history / Metropolitan Benjamin (Pushkar). - M.: Sretensky Monastery Publishing House, 2021. - 784 p. : ill.
Metropolitan Veniamin of Vladivostok and Primorsky, professor, candidate of theological sciences, writes in his book: “When reading the Holy Bible, one must always remember that it is not a scientific treatise or a philosophical doctrine, but a book containing divinely revealed truths about the salvation of mankind. The Bible does not tell us how the heavenly bodies move, but how we can ascend to the spiritual heaven. It tells us how and what the Lord, out of His love, did for humanity through the mediation of the Israeli people, in order to give salvation to all nations and all people.”
“The famous novelist Walter Scott, during his last illness, asked to have something read to him from a book. When asked: “Which book?” - the great writer, who himself wrote so many wonderful books and re-read entire libraries, answered: “For me now there is only one book: the precious Bible. What does she offer, what does she give to a person who feels his needs and seeks her rich treasures: she gives him truth that never wears out, eternal wealth, joys with which one can never be satiated, a crown that never fades, relief from grief and deliverance from fear, the blessed hope of eternal life. This is God’s gift to people who love and honor His word.”
Sacred biblical history should rightfully occupy first place among the historical sciences, since it is an inexhaustible source of moral and higher historical education for every person more or less capable of serious intellectual life. If any history educates a citizen of the homeland and gives mental development, then the Holy Biblical history in this regard stands above all other stories, because its subject is the deep foundations of the human spirit, it reveals the deepest laws of world-historical development. It clearly shows that in the history of peoples there is nothing accidental or arbitrary, that any attempt to “make history” is meaningless and harmful, because everything awaits and demands the “fulfillment of times,” and these times can neither be brought closer nor further away.
But, speaking about the main idea of Sacred History, we must always remember that biblical stories are not, as skeptics claim, some kind of fantasy of the human religious mind, which has nothing in common with the historical past. Sacred history describes real events that took place and are taking place in the history of the human race. This is evidenced not only by the believing human heart, but also by modern historical science. An extraordinary movement is currently taking place in historical science thanks to the amazing discoveries that are being made from the forgotten ashes of the historical life of the ancient peoples of the Middle East.
From that happy hour when archaeologists and historians, not limited to their pens, took up spades and shovels and began to dig up the debris of ruins in the valleys of the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates, as well as in other areas of the Middle East, a whole world of new historical knowledge opened up before the eyes of researchers : the pale and meager pages of the history of ancient peoples became extremely enlivened and expanded; even the existence of previously completely unknown peoples and monarchies was discovered, the knowledge of which shed light on the entire fate of ancient humanity.
All this suggests that our faith in the truth of biblical stories is not blind, and especially in our skeptical age, it is confirmed by many archaeological finds. The words of our Lord Jesus Christ are truly true that stones will glorify God if human hearts become incapable of this (see Luke 19:40)!
Table of contents
Part I. Old Testament
Chapter 1. God's creation of the world and man
Chapter 2. Antediluvian and post-flood humanity
Chapter 3. Patriarchal period in the history of the Jewish people
Chapter 4. The period of the Jews' stay in Egypt
Chapter 5. The beginning of the period of leaders. The calling of Moses and the exit of the Jews from Egypt
Chapter 6. The Jews' path to Sinai
Chapter 7. At Mount Sinai-Horeb
Chapter 8. The path from Sinai to Canaan
Chapter 9. Thirty-eight years in the desert
Chapter 10. To the Promised Land
Chapter 11. Conquest of the Promised Land
Chapter 12. The Period of the Judges (approximately 1200–1025 BC)
Chapter 13. The Period of the Kings (approximately 1040–586 BC)
Chapter 14. The activities of the prophets in the kingdoms of Israel and Judah
Chapter 15. Babylonian captivity
Chapter 16. Persian rule (539–333 BC)
Chapter 17. The period of Greek rule (333–63 BC)
Chapter 18. Reign of the Maccabean, or Asmonean, dynasty (143–63 BC)
Chapter 19. The period of Roman rule
Part II. New Testament
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1. The Nativity of Christ and His life before the start of public ministry
Chapter 2. The first year of the public ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ to the salvation of the human race
Chapter 3. The second year of the public ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ to the salvation of the human race
Chapter 4. The third year of the public ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ to the salvation of the human race
Chapter 5. Holy Week. Five great days. Death on the Cross of Jesus Christ
Chapter 6. Gospel events from the resurrection of the Lord to the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles
Conclusion
Applications
WE UNDERSTAND THE DEVICES
In 2014, revolutionary processes began in Ukraine, and a partial administrative-territorial reorganization of a small but very important part of the Eurasian space began.
But then, it was probably too early to carry out a large, full-scale restructuring on the territory of Eurasia. The bearers of “new knowledge” had not yet matured, there were no “quar-codes” yet... Many of those who were capable of dealing a serious blow to anti-Russia were still alive. And the “anti-Russia” project in Ukraine was supposed to be established and fully realized. In 2014, by sending in troops, we could have grossly violated the diabolical logic of historical events. They could have broken the whole process, the entire world game. Now, seven years later, we see it...
Probably, now, following Vladimir Putin, many representatives of the Russian people in the Russian Federation and Ukraine can repeat: “All the tricks associated with the “anti-Russia” project are clear to us.” Anti-Russia, as a purely anti-Christian project, is growing and expanding, intending to take over all of Eurasia, and then the whole world. Only true Russia can resist this project. And this true Russia, with Christ and in Christ. This true Russia has lived for a thousand years on the holy Russian land, soaked in the martyr’s blood of our holy ancestors. True Russia repents of allowing the death of its Sovereign. And through this repentance, through the correction of our mind and heart, the Lord will give true Russia His Anointed One, who will gather all our divided, long-suffering people and lead them to Christ.
True Russia will defeat anti-Russia, defeat the devilish revolution and the new world order.
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Hieromartyr Benjamin (Kazan)
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes.
On August 13, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of the Hieromartyr Benjamin (Kazan), Metropolitan of Petrograd.
Hieromartyr Benjamin was born in 1873 in the Nimensky churchyard, Kargopol district, Olonets province, into the family of a priest and was named Vasily at baptism. In 1883, he entered the Kargopol Theological School and, after graduating, continued his education at the Olonets Theological Seminary. After graduation, as one of the best students, he was sent to study at public expense at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. In 1895, Vasily was tonsured a monk with the name Benjamin and ordained a hierodeacon, and the next year - a hieromonk.
In 1897, Hieromonk Benjamin graduated from the Theological Academy with a candidate's degree in theology and was appointed teacher of Holy Scripture at the Riga Theological Seminary, the next year - inspector of the Kholm Theological Seminary and soon - inspector of the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary, in 1902 - rector of the Samara Theological Seminary, in 1905 - rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary. In 1910, Archimandrite Veniamin was consecrated Bishop of Gdov, vicar of the St. Petersburg diocese.
In 1917, at the diocesan congress, having received an absolute majority of votes, he was elected administrator of the Petrograd diocese. A man of impeccable life, calm, even, Bishop Benjamin was the first of the Petrograd archpastors to travel and partly walked around the diocese, visiting its most distant and remote parishes. For its population, he became their bishop, and therefore the village fathers-deputies came to the elections with a ready-made decision - to vote for Bishop Benjamin. The people wanted to have as their archpastor a humble man of prayer, a worker, a populist, who would stay away from politics, standing strictly on church grounds. But the people and clergy who elected their shepherd were confident that both the word and the work of their humble chosen one in church affairs would always be firm and unyielding. On August 13, 1917, Archbishop Benjamin was elevated to the rank of metropolitan.
On February 23, 1922, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee issued a decree on the confiscation of church valuables to help the starving. On March 5, Metropolitan Veniamin submitted a statement to the authorities, and on March 6 he was summoned for negotiations in Smolny. Here he stated that he is not opposed to the transfer of valuables, but wants to ensure that the religious feelings of believers are not offended, so that this does not have the character of a seizure, but of a sacrifice.
The authorities reacted in such a way that it seemed that they accepted the metropolitan’s offer, but the next time, on March 14, when representatives of the metropolitan came, they were told that the authorities were not interested in voluntary donations, but only in seizures.
On March 19, 1922, Lenin dictated a letter to members of the Politburo, which comprehensively reflected his attitude towards the Church; he wrote: “For us... this moment is not only extremely favorable, but also generally the only moment when we can... secure for ourselves the positions necessary for us for many decades... We must now give the most decisive and merciless battle to the Black Hundred clergy and suppress his resistance with such cruelty that they will not forget this for several decades... The more representatives of the reactionary clergy and the reactionary bourgeoisie we manage to shoot on this occasion, the better..."
On June 1, the head of the Special Department and a member of the Board of the GPU Menzhinsky and the head of the Secret Department of the SOU GPU Samsonov sent a telegram to the Provincial Department of the Petrograd GPU: “Metropolitan Veniamin is to be arrested and brought to trial, having collected incriminating material against him...” On the same day, in the evening, Metropolitan Veniamin was arrested and imprisoned.
On June 10, in the hall of the Petrograd Philharmonic, the trial of Metropolitan Veniamin began, in which eighty-seven people were accused. The Metropolitan was questioned first.
“Tell me, accused Kazansky...” asked his accuser, “what is your attitude towards the Soviet regime?” “My attitude towards the Soviet regime has always been a legal one. I carried out all the orders of the Soviet government, decrees, to the best of my ability, according to my understanding...” - “Tell the Tribunal the history of the first letter to Pomgol... Did you write this letter out of personal motivation or did someone suggest you write it?” - “I wrote this letter out of personal motivation...” - “Did you talk to anyone about this letter beforehand or just consult?” - “I wrote it myself...” - “Tell me, did you have joint discussions about this letter?” - “It wasn’t, which is why it is a letter from the Metropolitan.”
The Metropolitan's lawyer, who spoke at the end of the court debate and convincingly showed in his speech that the court did not prove the charges, finally called on the judges: “Citizens judges... do not create martyrs...”.
On July 4, the defendants were given the opportunity to say their last word. Metropolitan Benjamin spoke first. At the beginning of his speech, he recalled that the head of the diocese was elected by the people and mainly by the workers, then he spoke in detail about the other accused, proving their innocence. The chairman of the court asked: “You kept talking about others. The Tribunal would like to know what you have to say about yourself?” - "About Me? What can I tell you about myself? Is there only one thing... I don’t know what you will announce to me in your verdict - life or death; but no matter what they proclaim in it, I will turn my eyes to the mountain with the same reverence, put on myself the sign of the cross and say: glory to Thee, Lord God, for everything!” - and the Metropolitan crossed himself.
On July 5, the court sentenced Metropolitan Veniamin and some other defendants to death.
Metropolitan Veniamin and Bishop of Kronstadt Benedikt (Plotnikov) at the car in which they were taken from the House of Pre-trial Detention to the courtroom
The extent to which Metropolitan Benjamin’s behavior in prison affected the guards is evidenced by the report that the Metropolitan prayed fourteen hours a day, and the guards began to refuse to carry out their duties.
Metropolitan Veniamin’s inner experiences were fully reflected in a letter to the priest, written by him a few days before the execution. “In childhood and adolescence, I read the lives of the saints and admired their heroism, their holy inspiration,” the Metropolitan wrote. “I regretted with my soul that the times were not the same and that I didn’t have to worry about what they were going through.”
Times have changed. The opportunity opens up to endure for the sake of Christ from our own and from strangers.
The last photograph of the accused, led by Metropolitan Veniamin, before the sentencing. July 5, 1922
It is difficult, difficult to suffer, but as we suffer, consolation from God also abounds. It is difficult to cross this rubicon, the border and completely surrender to the will of God. When this is accomplished, then the person, having an abundance of consolation, does not feel the most severe suffering. Full of joy and inner peace in the midst of suffering, he attracts others to suffering in order to apply the state in which the happy sufferer finds himself...
The suffering reached its climax, but the consolation also increased. I am joyful and calm as always. Christ is our life, light and peace. It is always good with Him... Now is the time of judgment. People sacrifice everything for the sake of political convictions... Shouldn’t we Christians, and even priests, show the necessary courage even to the point of death, if we have any faith in Christ, in the life of the next century...”
On Saturday, August 12, at about eleven o'clock at night, those sentenced to death were taken out of their cells. Metropolitan Veniamin and with him Archimandrite Sergius (Shein), Yuri Novitsky and Ivan Kovsharov were shot. The question of the time and place of the execution of Metropolitan Veniamin remains not fully investigated, since the Church still does not have the relevant documents at its disposal. This topic still remains in the field of view of church historians, local historians and archivists. August 13, 1922 at the Rzhevsky training ground on the outskirts of Petrograd in the forest adjacent to the Irininskaya railway, and were buried in an unknown mass grave.
The full texts of the lives of the new martyrs are published in the books “Lives of the new martyrs and confessors of the Russian twentieth century, compiled by Abbot Damaskin (Orlovsky). January June". Tver, 2005–2008 and posted on the website: www.fond.ru.
For those wishing to purchase books: tel.: 8 (916) 032 84 71 or e-mail
At the announcement, Metropolitan Benjamin is in the courtroom.
