Archpriest Igor Fomin biography personal life

Prot. Georgy Fomin

Georgy Gennadievich Fomin
(1949 - 2018), supernumerary archpriest, b. cleric of the Moscow metochion of the Antiochian Orthodox Church Born on January 2, 1949 in the village of Dorokhov, Ruza district, Moscow region. In the same year he was baptized in the Church of the Intercession in the village of Aleksino, Ruzsky district.

He received his primary education at the Dorokhovskaya school. In 1966-1967 he studied at the Moscow Energy Institute, in 1968-1974 - at the Moscow Forestry Institute. During his studies and after graduation, he worked in secular work.

He held various positions including chief designer and researcher.

Got married. Son - Archpriest Igor Fomin [1].

On August 19, 1989 he was ordained to the rank of deacon in the Feodorovsky Cathedral in Yaroslavl, on September 1 he was assigned to the Ascension-St. George Church in the city of Rybinsk

On November 4 of the same year, he was ordained a presbyter by Archbishop Platon (Udovenko) of Yaroslavl and Rostov in the Feodorovsky Cathedral of Yaroslavl.

On November 9, 1989, he was appointed rector of the Spassky Church in the village of Kukuboy, Pervomaisky district.

Since February 21, 1995 - rector of the Church of St. Archangel Michael of God at the Clinics on the Maiden Field in Moscow.

From August 14, 1996 to December 2004, he served in the Mother of God Nativity Convent in Moscow.

Since December 6, 2004, he served in the churches of the Holy Archangel of God Gabriel and the Holy Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates - the patriarchal metochion in Gavrilova Sloboda, the representative office of the Antiochian Orthodox Church under the Moscow Patriarchal Throne.

On May 23, 2022, he left the state for health reasons.

On January 20, 2022, I felt unwell while delivering a sermon at the all-night vigil in the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary. book Alexander Nevsky at MGIMO and was hospitalized in the intensive care unit of City Clinical Hospital No. 31.

He died on the evening of January 21, 2022, at the age of 69. The funeral service on January 23 was led by Metropolitan Niphon (Saikali) of Philippopolis, the representative of the Patriarch of Antioch and the whole East to the Moscow Patriarchal Throne, in the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary. book Alexander Nevsky at MGIMO. He was buried in the cemetery in Rakitki (New Moscow).

Who is an archpriest?

This is how the senior priest is usually called in the Russian Orthodox Church. This rank is given to a person for long exemplary service. Only a person who received holy orders at least ten years ago can be an archpriest. This title can also be awarded to someone who has been awarded the right to wear a special cross, one of the church awards.

There are also cases where a protodeacon was appointed archpriest. In pre-revolutionary Russia, this rank was called a little differently - archpriest. The history of the church knows many personalities who influenced the life of the country, who were ordained as senior priests. The most famous of them is Archpriest Avvakum. Currently, the sermons of the archpriest from the Republic of Tatarstan, Father Vladimir Golovin, are widely popular.

Temple rector

The Moscow Institute of International Relations has its own Orthodox cathedral. Archpriest Igor Fomin, the rector of this church, is active in preaching activities. He is familiar to many Orthodox people from his participation in radio and television programs devoted to issues of the spiritual life of Christians.

Regarding the rather unusual place of his service, the priest says that he never thinks about what social position the people who come to the temple occupy. And sometimes he doesn’t even know whether the person confessing his sins to him is a diplomat or politician or not. For him, all believers are equal.

Prot. Igor Aksenov. Transhumanism and eugenic projects of the twentieth century.

Archpriest Igor Aksenov. Resurrection from the dead and life of the next century.

Archpriest Igor Aksenov. The angelic world and the world of fallen spirits. Their influence on humans.

Archpriest Igor Aksenov. Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Entering it.

Archpriest Igor Aksenov. The Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross.

VIDEO RECORDINGS OF LECTURES AT THE RUSSIAN CHRISTIAN HUMANITIES ACADEMY.

Archpriest Igor Aksenov. Transhumanism, lecture at the Russian Chemical Academy 11/17/2020

Transhumanism, lecture at the Russian Chemical Academy 11/17/2020. Part 2.

Archpriest Igor Aksenov. PROGRESS AND BIOETHICAL ISSUES.

Archpriest Igor Aksenov. ETHICAL ISSUES IN MODERN ASSISTANCE REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES.

Archpriest Igor Aksenov. SOCIO-CULTURAL PROBLEMS OF APPLICATION OF MODERN REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES.

VIDEO RECORDINGS OF SPEECHES.

THE YOUTH CLUB OF RUSSIAN COMPATRIOTS LAUNCHED THE EDUCATIONAL PROJECT “GOOD WORD” IN 2020. INVITED EXPERT OF THE PROJECT - CANDIDATE OF PHILOSOPHICAL SCIENCES, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THEOLOGY OF THE RUSSIAN CHRISTIAN HUMANITIES ACADEMY, MEMBER OF THE CHURCH AND PUBLIC COUNCIL ON BIOETHICS AT THE MOSCOW PATRIARCHY ARCHPRIESTER IGOR AKSYONOV.

On October 23, Archpriest Igor Aksyonov took part in the discussion “GENETIC ENGINEERING. PROS AND CONS" as part of the educational project "Good Word", organized by the youth club of Russian compatriots in Cyprus.

On November 12, Archpriest Igor Aksenov, a member of the Church and Public Council on Bioethics under the Moscow Patriarchate, took part in the discussion “MODERN REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES.”

On December 10, Archpriest Igor Aksenov took part in a discussion of issues of transhumanism and eugenics.

THEOLOGICAL ARTICLES.

THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF REVERENCE OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD.
ABOUT THE FEMALE HYPOSTASTIC WAY OF BEING.
SMALL CHURCH IN THE PARADIGM OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF CHRIST AND THE CHURCH.

HISTORICAL AND LIVING ARTICLES.

NE. OLAVE. CHRISTIAN EDUCATION OF Rus' AND SCANDINAVIA.
SAINT OLAVE IS THE HEAVENLY PATRON OF THE CITY OF VYBORG AND ITS CONNECTIONS WITH NOVGOROD RUS.
A SPECIAL FACE OF RUSSIAN HOLINESS IN THE IMAGE OF THE PASSION-BEARER PRINCE BORIS AND GLEB.
FLAVIA JULIA HELENA AUGUSTA – HOLY EQUAL OF THE Apostles MOTHER OF THE EQUAL OF THE Apostles KING CONSTANTINE.
ETHNIC, DYNASTIC AND RELIGIOUS FACTORS IN THE BIRTH AND FORMATION OF THE RUSSIAN STATE.

ARTICLES ON TRANSHUMANISM AND BIOETICS.

COLLECTION “ORTHODOXY AND PROBLEMS OF BIOETHICS” OF THE CHURCH AND PUBLIC COUNCIL ON BIOETHICS OF THE ROC.
TRANSHUMANISM AS ANOTHER ILLUSION IN SECULAR OPTICS.
TRANSHUMANISM: FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY.
THE IMAGE OF GOD IN MAN AND MODERN ASSISTANCE REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES.
HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM AND DIVINE PROVIDENCE.
THE TRANSHUMANIST PERSPECTIVE: A BRIEF OVERVIEW.
ATTITUDE TO MODERN ASSISTANCE REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN ISLAM.
PROGRESS AND HUMAN DIGNITY. ETHICAL ISSUES IN MODERN ASSISTANCE REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES.
METAMORPHOSIS OF HUMANISM INTO TRANSHUMANISM.
RELIGIOUS AND PHILOSOPHICAL ASPECTS OF TRANSHUMANISM.
EXISTENTIAL ASPECTS OF TRANSHUMANISM.

EDUCATION AND UPBRINGING.

ISSUES OF SPIRITUAL AND MORAL FORMATION OF PERSONALITY IN MODERN SOCIETY. Digest of articles.
ORTHODOX UNDERSTANDING OF HUMAN FREEDOM. Report at the plenary session of the VI Archangel-Michael Diocesan Educational Readings (2018).

Work and publications of Archpriest Igor Fomin

As already mentioned, the priest is a fairly frequent guest on the air of Christian media. During these programs, he answers questions from listeners and viewers, and also discusses the most important topics with the presenters.

So, during the “Bright Evening” program broadcast on Radio Vera, the priest participated in a conversation about the so-called beatitudes that Jesus Christ gave to his disciples during the Sermon on the Mount. Father said that according to the unanimous opinion of Orthodox theologians, this passage from the Gospel is its most important part. These rules, given to people by the Savior, represent the foundations of Christian doctrine.

They, unlike the commandments given by the prophet Moses, require a higher level of spiritual development from a person. Archpriest Igor Fomin reminded listeners about an episode from the Gospel when a certain young man approached Christ and asked how he could gain the kingdom of heaven. To this the Savior told him that he must keep the commandments. The young man replied that he had been doing this since his infancy. Then the Son of God told him about other rules - the Beatitudes.

Publications

The situation of Russian monasticism on Holy Mount Athos in the 20th century // pravoslavie.ru, November 16, 2001
Historical connections between Carpathian Rus' and Holy Mount Athos // Church and Time. – 2002. – No. 3 (20). – pp. 208-217
Russian monks on Mount Athos in the 20th century (part of the article “Athos”) // Orthodox Encyclopedia. - M., 2002. - T. 4.
Pan-Orthodox Congress // Orthodox Encyclopedia. – M., 2005. – T. 9. – P. 680-683
Catherine the Great Martyr Monastery in Sinai // Orthodox Encyclopedia. 2008. - T. 18. (part of the article)

About family life

Another radio program, hosted by Tutta Larsen, discussed the role of men and women in family life. On this score, Archpriest Igor Fomin spoke about the special purpose of each spouse. Both husband and wife must perform those traditional functions that were assigned to them by the Lord God. But, of course, a man should always act as the head.

Father says that when women ask him questions about what to do in this or that life situation, he first of all asks what opinion their spouse expresses on this matter. When a husband lies on the sofa and does not want to manage family affairs, then he is certainly committing a sin. Father Igor always advises the stronger sex to use the right to have the last word. Even if the decision was made forcedly, it must be taught as if the man came to it on his own. In response to this remark, presenter Tutta Larsen admitted that the longer she lives with her husband, the more she wants to adhere to the rules that were established by the Russian Orthodox Church.

In Medny they said goodbye to Archpriest Igor Sedov

“We live in a special period when, unfortunately, the epidemic is claiming the lives of many people. It spares no one, no matter what position a person occupies in society or in the Church, whether he is rich or poor, whether he has other opportunities in life or not. All this suggests, first of all, that we must appreciate the gift of life that the Lord gave us, because the gift of life is God’s greatest gift to man. And this life must be lived in such a way that the future, which should be imagined by a believer not in this world, not tomorrow, not the day after tomorrow, not in a week, month or several decades, but precisely there, beyond the line of time and eternity - it would determined by what was the main meaning of human life on earth.
This in no way replaces caution and prudence, because the Apostle Paul was lowered in a basket through the wall of the city gate when he was threatened with death. That is, even the fearless apostle valued the life given by God and did not go to death where it could have been avoided. And on this day, I would first of all like to encourage all of you to be responsible in the life that the Lord has given you. We are, of course, not the lords of life and death, because the Lord is the lord of life and death. But He gave us those means possible in this world that, to one degree or another, serve us for our good, for salvation in the earthly sense and in the spiritual dimension. And therefore, dear brothers and sisters, I would like to urge all of you to take care of each other, especially during this period of cruel infection that is taking the lives of thousands and thousands of people.
Father Igor was a kind and patient man. He was a good priest. Maybe not directly, but this is how the Lord determined that according to his prayers, according to his heart, according to his character, God sent people to this temple in order to raise it from the ruins, so that this temple would become the pearl of our diocese, full of splendor and beauty . On July 21, the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, we planned to consecrate the central altar of this temple. And we will perform this consecration, thanking God and those people who worked to ensure that this temple appears in all its grandeur and beauty.
There are words in the Holy Scriptures that a prophet is never without honor, except in his own country and in his own house. So it happens in life that we sometimes do not value the people who are around us - we make claims, express our, most often negative, opinions about this or that activity, and are not always good helpers. And when we see how something is being done, instead of supporting a person’s hands, we sometimes criticize him and express our judgment, without doing anything to at least partially take part in the creation that a person is doing. And when he leaves, suddenly the scales fall from our eyes, and the significance that the person had in our lives is revealed to us. Probably, the life of Igor’s father was, to a certain extent, exactly like this.
First of all, of course, I want to express my condolences to his mother, Galina Efremovna, because it is unnatural for parents to bury their children. You are now filled with the greatest sorrow from the loss of your son. And I urge all of you, dear brothers and sisters, first of all to pray for Father Igor’s mother, that the Lord will keep her in health. She took the death of her son very hard and needs our support and prayers. I express my condolences to the family of Igor’s father. I express my condolences to our entire diocese. When we lose a fellow human being, we realize every time how great the loss is. And during this period of the pandemic, we have already lost several people. Maybe in percentage terms this is not so much for our diocese, but the point is not in quantity, but in the fact that sometimes no one can replace these people. Of course, they are replaced by others, and no one needs to judge whether it will be worse or better - something else will simply come, another period will come. And we will also need to come to terms with this, accepting God’s providence as blessed and saving, as a blessing into our lives.
Now we have gathered at the tomb of Father Igor in order to perform his funeral service. Let us pray for the repose of his soul. He left this world as a spiritually mature fruit. He left, cleansed by the suffering that this illness caused him in his last days. And we believe that the Lord will accept him into His fatherly arms. And we, in turn, with gratitude to him, as the shepherd and rector of this parish, will pray for the repose of his soul, always remember how long we live, and believe that he, if he finds boldness before the Lord, will never abandon all his children who with trust, faith and love turned to him to baptize, and confess, and perform funeral services, and give pastoral advice. Don’t forget the kindness that Father Igor showed to the parishioners of this church. And if you made any mistakes against him, ask God for forgiveness and don’t make them again in relation to other people.”

The most significant topics covered by Igor Fomin

Of all the points of the Sermon on the Mount, the priest examined in most detail the phrase about the bliss of the poor in spirit. According to the priest, this is what the Gospel calls people who are devoid of vanity and pride and therefore are ready to follow Jesus Christ. Archpriest Igor Fomin gives here an example from his biography. One of his friends has suffered from cerebral palsy since childhood.

Despite this, a friend once confessed to the priest with all sincerity that he was grateful to the Lord for making him happy. When the priest asked him about the reason for his joy, he replied that he was grateful to the Almighty for his illness, which did not allow him to commit many sins. Such people can be called poor in spirit.

Path to the temple

This chapter will examine the biography of Archpriest Igor Fomin and the personal life of the priest.

The priest was born in the early seventies. Like many Soviet children, he entered school at the age of seven, and when he reached the age of 9, he was baptized. The boy became so interested in church services and the activities of clergy that he began to visit churches regularly. Soon the child was accepted as an altar boy in one of the cathedrals in the Moscow region. When the young man graduated from school, his mentor blessed him to become a clergyman. But Father Igor admits that this decision was not easy. Until the very last moment, he doubted whether he could fulfill this difficult duty. Fomin even tried to enter the medical academy.

But in the end, he finally decided and followed the path for which he received the blessing. In the mid-nineties, he became a deacon of the Kazan Cathedral on Red Square.

For a long time, Igor Fomin collaborated with the Orthodox magazine “Forma”. It was he who was one of the authors of the idea of creating a church at the Moscow Institute of International Relations. When this temple was built, Metropolitan Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' appointed a young priest as rector of this cathedral.

Archpriest Igor Fomin

Born on February 25, 1970 in a family of employees. Heavenly patron - holy noble prince Igor of Chernigov, memory - June 18 (n/st). Baptized at the age of nine in the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord (Novaya Derevnya, Moscow region).

From the age of 14 he served as an altar boy in the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God in the village of Aleksino, near Moscow, where Archpriest Vasily Vladyshevsky, who later became confessor, served as rector.

After returning from the armed forces, violating the blessing of his confessor, he tried to enter a medical institute, failed, and a year later the blessing was fulfilled - in 1991 he entered the Moscow Theological Seminary, which he graduated in 1994.

In 1994, he married his future mother.

On June 25, 1995, he was ordained a deacon. On December 6, 1995, on the day of memory of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky, he was appointed full-time deacon of the Kazan Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow. And exactly a year later, on December 6, 1996, he was ordained a priest of the Kazan Cathedral.

Since 2003, since the publication of the first issues of the Orthodox magazine “Thomas,” he became a member of the editorial board of the publication. Since the leadership and staff of the magazine “Foma” left the corridors and classrooms of MGIMO, the question arose about the construction of a temple at this educational institution. The issue was resolved positively.

On January 9, 2007, by Decree of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II, in addition to the obedience of the full-time priest of the Kazan Cathedral, he was appointed rector of the church of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky under construction at MGIMO.

On June 17, 2013, in connection with the start of regular services in the church at MGIMO, by the Decree of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, Archpriest Igor Fomin was released from obedience in the Kazan Cathedral on Red Square.

From 2013 to the present, he has been the rector of the Church of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky - the Patriarchal Metochion at MGIMO.

On December 22, 2016, at the annual final Diocesan meeting, he was elected Chairman of the Commission for Missionary and Catechesis of Moscow.

Has four children.

Liturgical awards: 1998 - legguard; 2001 - Kamilavka; 2006 - pectoral cross; 2010 - elevated to the rank of archpriest. 2015 - the right to carry a club.

Church awards: - in 2004 he was awarded the medal of St. Sergius of Radonezh, 1st degree. - March 6, 2016, in consideration of the work on the construction of the Church of St. blgv. book Alexander Nevsky - Patriarchal Metochion at MGIMO was awarded the Order of St. Seraphim of Sarov, III degree.

About personal life

Father Igor belongs to the so-called white priesthood. That is, he is a married man. It is known that after graduating from the seminary, young people are asked to make a choice: get married or become a monk.

The priest married at the age of 24. His wife contributes in every possible way to her husband’s occupation. Archpriest Igor Fomin answers questions about his personal life very concisely. He believes that it is much more important to discuss problems related to the spiritual life of Orthodox Christians, because this is one of the aspects of his church activity.

Another field in which the priest works is secondary schools. There the priest teaches elective classes on the history of Orthodoxy. He has been doing this for more than twenty years. Father Igor happily notes that in recent years children have begun to regard priests not as something supernatural, but as ordinary people.