Wikipedia has articles about other people with the surname Ryazantsev.
Wikipedia has articles about other people with the same first and last name: Ryazantsev, Mikhail.
Wikipedia has articles about other people with the same name, patronymic and surname: Ryazantsev, Mikhail Ivanovich.
Mikhail Ivanovich Ryazantsev
(March 27, 1955, Moscow) - mitred archpriest of the Russian Orthodox Church, keymaster of the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior, chairman of the Church Court under the Diocesan Council of the city of Moscow.
Biography
Born in 1955 in the family of a Moscow archpriest, he was baptized with a name in honor of the blessed Prince Mikhail-Rostislav of Kyiv.
From childhood, he absorbed, in his words, “the style and manner of serving God” of both his father and other venerable Moscow priests.
In 1971 he became subdeacon of the Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Pimen (Izvekov), who in the same year became the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. As Archpriest Michael notes: “Patriarch Pimen’s services were filled with special meaning and spiritual fervor. They were and remain an example for me.”
He interrupted his subdeaconal service due to military service. Upon returning from the army, he again became subdeacon of Patriarch Pimen. Entered the Moscow Theological Seminary. After graduating from the seminary in 1978, he entered the Moscow Theological Academy, from which he graduated in 1982 with a candidate's degree in theology.
On March 15, 1981, Patriarch Pimen ordained him to the rank of deacon. April 7, 1982 - ordained a priest with the laying on of a gaiter and kamilavka. Appointed as a full-time priest at the Assumption Church of the Moscow Novodevichy Convent, where he served under Metropolitan Yuvenaly of Krutitsky.
On Easter 1985 he was elevated to the rank of archpriest.
In 1988, on the occasion of Easter and the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus', he was awarded a cross with decorations.
On October 8, 1994, he was appointed the first keymaster of the not yet recreated Cathedral of Christ the Savior. At that time, the Moscow pool had already been dismantled, and the site was being prepared for the construction of the main Temple of Russia.
On December 31, 1999, he was awarded the right to wear a miter.
In 2007, in connection with the 25th anniversary of priestly service, he was awarded the right to serve the Divine Liturgy with the Royal Doors open until the Cherubic Song.
Participant of the Local Council in 2009 as a member of the Commission for the preparation of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.
On December 22, 2010, he was appointed for three years as chairman of the Church Court under the Diocesan Council of the city of Moscow[1].
On April 3, 2011, “on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of service in the priesthood,” Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' was awarded the Order of Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, 3rd degree[2].
Archpriest Mikhail Ryazantsev about the treasures of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior
On the eve of the Nativity of Christ, the custodian of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Archpriest Mikhail Ryazantsev, talks about the cathedral’s shrines, icons with an interesting history, the ancient Gospel, which is brought out only twice a year, and also answers the question about Christmas trees and corporate events that supposedly take place in the Temple .
— Father Michael, which shrine of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior would you call the main one?
— I think that the main shrine is a piece of the Robe of the Lord. Not long ago we made a special lectern for her, and now she is placed at the right choir separately from other shrines.
Piece of the Robe of the Lord
I consider the second most important shrine to be a piece of the Robe of the Most Holy Theotokos. It is kept in a common reliquary along with other shrines, and currently we are making a special lectern for it, which will be located at the left choir, symmetrically with the lectern with a piece of the Robe of the Lord. This is done so that everyone who comes to our temple can separately venerate these great shrines.
Common reliquary located to the left of the main altar of the cathedral
Piece of the Robe of the Mother of God
In addition, we have a nail of the Holy Cross and other shrines.
Nail of the Holy Cross
“I think that if Muscovites talk about the main shrine of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, most will name the relics of St. Philaret, but they won’t even remember the particles of Reese.” Why do you think?
“I’m afraid that, unfortunately, many Muscovites will not even name the relics of St. Philaret. It often happens that people come to our church, see the shrine with the relics of the saint and ask: “Who is this?” And we have to tell them who Saint Philaret was, what spiritual influence he had on the history of our Church and what intellectual contribution he made to the design and creation of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
The relics of St. Philaret in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior are located to the right of the main altar
Probably, few people know that we have Reese particles, because this has not been said publicly anywhere. And then, they were transferred to our temple not so long ago, but previously they were in the Moscow Kremlin Museums and therefore were not widely available for worship. Before the revolution, for example, a piece of the Robe of the Lord was taken out for worship by believers once a year - on the day of its position in Moscow. It was a big Moscow holiday, and many people flocked to pray in front of this great shrine and venerate it.
Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin
Then the Riza was kept in the storerooms of the Moscow Kremlin Museums.
On August 19, 2000, on the day of the great consecration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II and with the permission of the directorate of the Kremlin Museums, we carried a piece of the Robe of the Lord around the temple in a religious procession, and all that day it remained in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Of course, then we were forced to give it back to the museum, and only in 2007, at the request of the late Patriarch Alexy II, was it decided to transfer it and some other shrines, which were also kept in the Kremlin museums, to the Russian Orthodox Church.
We were given both the Robe of the Lord and the Robe of the Most Holy Theotokos, and in addition - a nail of the Cross of the Lord, the relics of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, the Holy Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates, the Great Martyr Euphemia All-Praised, the Venerable Michael Malein, John the Baptist, Basil the Great and the head of St. Gregory the Theologian.
The shrines were transferred in historical arks, which, of course, was somewhat controversial, because these arks were valuable to museums. But there were people who paid for the making of copies of these arks, into which we transferred the particles of the relics. Thus, the arks were returned to museums, and the shrines, which were of no value for secular history, remained in the Church.
At first, we brought out a piece of the Lord’s Robe only on Saturday and Sunday. But many pilgrims come to our temple from different cities and countries, not everyone has the opportunity to come on weekends, so we considered it possible and necessary for her to stay in the temple and be available to believers on any day.
— What is the history of the particles of the Robe of the Lord and the Robe of the Mother of God, how did they get to Moscow?
-As for the particle of the Lord’s Robe, it is not entirely clear what kind of Robe it is. One version of the legend says that this is the tunic of the Savior, received by lot by one of the soldiers present at the Crucifixion. According to another version, the Robe of the Savior is not a tunic, but another outer garment - a cloak (gimantium), because the tunic simply could not be later divided into parts: it would have unraveled, since it was knitted. One way or another, the Robe of the Lord was transferred to Iveria (Georgia), where it was kept in the ancient capital - Mtskheta, in the Patriarchal Cathedral of Svetitskhoveli.
In 1617, Georgia was captured by the Persian Shah Abbas II. His soldiers destroyed the temple and handed Riza over to the Shah. In 1625, the Shah, at the insistence of the Russian ambassador, sent the Robe as a gift to Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. Patriarch of Moscow Filaret (Romanov) collected reliable information about the Robe of the Lord, and only after that it was solemnly laid in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. In honor of this event, the annual holiday of the Placing of the Robe of the Lord was established in Moscow, July 10 according to the old style (July 23 - according to the new style). Subsequently, a fragment of the Robe of the Lord was divided in order to send particles of the shrine to the major cities of the empire. In 1918, a piece of the Robe of the Lord, which was kept in the altar of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, was transferred to the Holy Cross Monastery, and after its closure it was confiscated and placed in the funds of the Moscow Kremlin Museums.
In the 14th century, Dionysius of Suzdal brought a piece of the Robe of the Mother of God to Rus' from Constantinople. Among other shrines, it was located in the so-called “Ark of Dionysius,” which was a significant relic of the Moscow Grand Dukes. After the October Revolution of 1917, a piece of the Robe of the Virgin Mary ended up in the Moscow Kremlin Museums. It was transferred to our temple in 2008.
We do not have more accurate information about the history of these relics.
— In the Cathedral of Christ the Savior there is an icon of the Mother of God “Smolensk” with a very unusual history...
— We have two Smolensk icons in our church.
One, from the 16th century, resides in the lower church.
The Icon of the Mother of God of Smolensk, which today resides in the Transfiguration Church of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior complex
This image has a tragic fate: it was cut into 4 parts and was preparing to be transported abroad, but something did not work out, and somehow it ended up with an artist friend of mine - a restorer. He restored this icon, connected the four parts so that the saw marks were almost invisible, and decided that the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was a worthy place to place this large ancient image. Now it is located to the left of the iconostasis, near the Tikhvin chapel.
The second icon is located in the upper church near the relics of St. Philaret. This is the famous miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Smolensk - Ustyuzhenskaya” from the city of Ustyuzhna, Vologda province.
Icon of the Mother of God of Smolensk from the city of Ustyuzhna
Initially, the icon was in the local cathedral; after the revolution, a museum was turned into the temple, and the icon became a museum exhibit. Then she disappeared somewhere, maybe she was secretly taken out or stolen, and at some point she appeared at one of the foreign auctions. A certain benefactor bought this ancient icon, and during his first presidency, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin presented it as a gift to His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II. With the blessing of His Holiness, the icon was transferred to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in a special icon case, and it was decided that it would remain here until the Ustyuzhna Cathedral was transferred to the Church.
I must say that people from the city of Ustyuzhna came to our church and asked that the icon remain in our church for now, because they were afraid that it might disappear again and it would hardly be possible to find it again.
— What other icons with an unusual history are there in the cathedral?
— The icon of St. Nicholas from the city of Bari, which is located in the lower Transfiguration Church on the right side, near the chapel of Alexy the Man of God. This image was made by an Italian artist in 1994. It is no coincidence that I use this very word - “made” - because the icon is made using a rather rare technique and is not only painted with paints, but also contains appliqués made of semi-precious stones.
The image of Saint Nicholas from the city of Bari. Photo www.xxc.ru
Initially, the icon was placed in the city of Bari in the basilica, which houses the relics of St. Nicholas. Seeing with what love Russian pilgrims come to venerate the saint, the artist who created it decided to donate the image to the Russian Orthodox Church, and with the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II it was brought to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, one of the chapels of which is dedicated to St. Nicholas.
The path that the icon took from Bari to Moscow is interesting. She was brought to Odessa by sea, from Odessa by land she was carried and transported to Moscow through several dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church, and along the entire route prayers were performed in front of her and akathists were sung. Many, knowing this, come to our church, kneel before this image and, as they say, through this image St. Nicholas gives people his help.
In December 2012, another icon of St. Nicholas was transferred to our church, which is associated with the name of the great singer Galina Pavlovna Vishnevskaya, whom we held a funeral service just recently - on December 14.
In 1979, Galina Pavlovna’s husband, Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich, bought the icon in one of the London antique shops. The image of St. Nicholas was kept in their family for a long time and was very revered. In the last years of her life, Galina Pavlovna decided to transfer the icon to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, knowing that one of its chapels was dedicated to St. Nicholas, and intended to do this on December 19 of this year. For the singer, December 19 was significant not only as a church-wide holiday of St. Nicholas, but also as a very memorable personal date: on December 19, 1961, Anna Andreevna Akhmatova, having heard on the radio how Vishnevskaya sang “Brazilian Bahiana No. 5” by Heitor Villa-Lobos, wrote a dedication a poem for her:
A woman's voice rushes like the wind, It seems black, wet, night, And whatever it touches on the fly - Everything immediately becomes different. Fills it with a diamond radiance, Somewhere somewhere turns silver for a moment And rustles with a mysterious robe of unprecedented silks. And such a powerful force, an enchanted voice, attracts, As if there was not a grave ahead, but a mysterious flight of stairs.
But the Lord decreed otherwise: on December 11, Galina Pavlovna died. On the 9th day, which fell exactly on December 19, her daughters Elena and Olga, fulfilling the will of their deceased mother, brought the icon to our church.
Relatives of Galina Pavlovna Vishnevskaya at the icon of St. Nicholas, which is being transferred to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior according to her will. December 19, 2012. Photo www.xxc.ru
The image of St. Nicholas needs some restoration. After it is done, we will find an appropriate place for the icon, where it will remain permanently.
There is another interesting icon in our church - the image of the Savior from the southern aisle of the upper church, made by one of the Orthodox people of Georgia. This image does not attract attention with any colors or artistic features, but a special story is associated with it. The man who made it, together with his wife, carried it on foot from the city of Kutaisi to Moscow to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The only place where the couple traveled by car was Karachaevo-Cherkessia, because they were forbidden to carry the image of Christ throughout the territory of this Muslim republic.
— Probably, we can’t help but mention the famous image of the holy martyr Alexander Khotovitsky?
- Yes, you won’t find such an icon anywhere else. Protopresbyter Alexander was the last keymaster of the first Cathedral of Christ the Savior, and there was a desire to somehow imprint his memory in our church.
Initially, Hieromartyr Alexander was canonized in the American Orthodox Church. Naturally, his image was written there, and I asked to make a list from this icon, but only to bring it closer to our tradition. This is how the first small icon of the Holy Martyr Alexander appeared in our church, which is now located in the lower church. But I wanted the image of Father Alexander to be present in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior itself, and at my request, the artist Nikita Nuzhny, who took part in the painting of our temple, painted a full-length icon of the Holy Martyr Alexander, standing as if against the wall inside the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. In my opinion, it turned out very well.
Symmetrically to this icon, on the right side of the temple there is an image of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', created by the same artist. As you know, after many decades of the Synodal period, it was in our church that Schema-Archimandrite Alexy drew lots and pronounced the name of the future Patriarch: “Tikhon.” And I wanted the memory of this moment to be somehow captured in our church.
— One of the treasures of the temple is the ancient Gospel. What kind of book is this and how did it get into the temple?
— This is the altar Gospel from the time of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna.
The archdeacons bring out an ancient Gospel from the time of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. Great Vespers January 7, 2012. Photo www.patriarchia.ru
It was transferred to our church according to the will of the late Metropolitan of Volokolamsk and Yuryev Pitirim for especially solemn holiday services. When I was a subdeacon with Patriarch Pimen, in the Church of St. Nicholas in Khamovniki there was a large old Gospel, which was taken out on the patronal feast day when the Patriarch served. Remembering this, we decided to support this tradition and establish it in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. With the blessing of the ever-memorable Patriarch Alexy II, our ancient Gospel is brought out only twice a year: at Great Vespers on the day of the Nativity of Christ and at Easter Great Vespers. Usually two archdeacons carry it out, because one person cannot lift a 30-kilogram book.
Easter Great Vespers. Photo www.patriarchia.ru
His Holiness the Patriarch reads the Gospel while standing in the Royal Doors, and this gives the service a special solemnity. On other days, the Gospel is kept in our sacristy.
The Patriarch reads the ancient Gospel, standing in the Royal Doors. Great Vespers January 7, 2012. Photo www.patriarchia.ru
— In the altar of the temple there are six original restored paintings by the artist V.P. Vereshchagin. Is it possible to at least sometimes take them out so you can look at them? “It is impossible to take them out of the altar, because they are huge canvases, 6 by 3 meters.
— Why was it decided to leave these masterpieces in the altar, where no one except the clergy can see them? After all, for example, fragments of the “Last Supper” from the destroyed temple are exhibited in the Museum of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
“There was nothing left from “The Last Supper” except these fragments, but Vereshchagin’s canvases were completely preserved, and after restoration they decided to place them in their original place. Some time ago, one artist made reproductions of them, which could be purchased in our icon shop. Now we are not collaborating with him, but these paintings can be found in albums dedicated to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
“Sometimes we have extremes: relics are perceived either as a magical object, thanks to which miracles are performed, or, on the contrary, they are seen as something meaningless, which is treated with indifference and inattention. How to treat relics correctly?
— Now, in almost every church of the Russian Orthodox Church there are particles of the relics of one or another saint, it has become possible to bring relics or particles of relics from one city and country to another. Sometimes this happens somewhat uncontrollably, so His Holiness the Patriarch created a special commission for the transportation of relics, so that now the movement of shrines is regulated by the hierarchy and put in proper order.
The queue to the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary in front of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, November 2011. Photo www.patriarchia.ru
Unfortunately, we have to observe that some of our believers have become in the habit of coming to the temple, looking for relics and striving to venerate as many of them as possible: it is believed that the more relics you kiss, the more grace you will receive. There is a danger in this, because in this pursuit of quantity, a person may simply lose the spiritual mood, disposition and reverence that should be present at the sight of a shrine. I remember with what reverence we came to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra to venerate the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh. It was quite an event! And all attention was concentrated on this meeting with the monk and the prayer at the shrine with his relics and was not distracted by anything else.
We must approach the shrine without thinking that if we venerate it, it will certainly produce some kind of magical effect on us and we will become better, cleaner, healthier, richer. To become purer and better, we need to do some work within ourselves, and touching a shrine can only help us in this spiritual work and improvement, inspire, give strength and joy. Of course, miraculous phenomena and healings occur at the relics, but this depends on the faith and condition of the person and on what the Lord wants for us. We must remember that, hoping to receive help, we in no case turn to a particle of relics, but to a saint who is invisibly present next to them and through the shrine can give us help, if it is the will of the Lord.
— Father Mikhail, now, during the New Year holidays, many are outraged that Christmas trees, corporate parties and concerts are held in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Questions arise about corporate holidays throughout the year. How is it possible for such things to take place in a temple premises?
— Thank you for this question, because it comes up all the time. No matter how we explain, no matter what we say, for some reason people’s consciousness does not perceive our words. Journalists - I don’t know why, whether on purpose, or out of ignorance, or because they don’t care what they tell the public - constantly talk about these events being held in the temple. One of the latest examples is a television news broadcast about a charity concert by Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras, which took place in the Hall of Church Councils. I myself saw how the correspondent, standing in front of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and pointing at it, said that this evening world celebrities are singing in the main cathedral of the country. This was a lie, because Carreras and Domingo gave a concert exclusively in the Hall of Church Councils; there was no talk of any performance in the temple and there could not be any.
Once again I want to say that in the church itself, where the service is held, there are no Christmas trees, concerts, corporate events, parking lots or car washes. In the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, only divine services are performed. Events are held in the Hall of Church Councils and refectory chambers.
- Don’t these rooms belong to the temple?
— The Hall of Church Councils is in no way connected to the temple and has nothing to do with it. It was built not with church money, but with budget money from the Moscow government. They, as well as the refectory chambers and the entire complex in general, are managed not by the Church, not by those who serve in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, but by the Foundation of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior - an organization that is in no way connected with the Moscow Patriarchate. Along with many secular events, church events are also held there, for example, Bishops' and Local Councils, Diocesan meetings of the Moscow clergy.
— That is, the request to rent the Hall of Church Councils and refectory chambers is not addressed to the Church, not to the Patriarch, and not to you?
- No. This is all for the Foundation. And since the Foundation manages these premises, we cannot in any way influence the events that take place in these halls, be it a concert or a corporate event. They do not coordinate them with us in any way.
— If the Church does not own these premises and, relatively speaking, comes there, so to speak, “to visit,” does this mean that for church events — for example, patriarchal meals, the Council of Bishops, and so on — these halls also have to be rented?
— If meals or events (for example, a Council of Bishops or a Diocesan Assembly) are held in the presence of His Holiness the Patriarch, the Foundation does not charge rent. But if we want, say, to hold a children's Christmas tree or youth evening in the refectory or in the Hall of Church Councils, then we must pay rent.
Extended meeting of the Diocesan Council of the city of Moscow in the refectory chambers of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Photo www.patriarchia.ru
— Why this year the Diocesan meeting of the Moscow clergy was held not in the Hall of Church Councils, as in previous years, but in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior itself?
Diocesan meeting of the Moscow clergy. December 28, 2012. Photo www.patriarchia.ru
— Usually the Diocesan meeting took place before the Christmas tree began, and the Hall of Church Councils was free; there were no decorations installed in it, which are difficult to put up and dismantle. This year the meeting took place almost before the New Year, when all the Christmas trees were already planned and the decorations were installed, so it was decided to gather in the temple itself. Many people liked it because it was a more church-like atmosphere. And His Holiness the Patriarch said that next year the Diocesan meeting will also be held in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior itself.
https://www.taday.ru/text/1975167.html
Links
- [www.unification.net.au/articles/read/503 Weekdays and holidays of the keymaster of the main temple of Russia] // “Unification”, March 1, 2010
- [www.e-vestnik.ru/interviews/protoierey_mihail_ryazantsev_4129/ Archpriest Mikhail Ryazantsev: “The Cathedral of Christ the Savior is a monument to the valor and holiness of our ancestors”], Church Bulletin, January 12, 2012
- [www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=47003 The custodian of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior laments his lack of rights] // Interfax-Religion
- [www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/2931414.html Archpriest Mikhail Ryazantsev: The level of training of candidates for the priesthood needs to be increased]
An ordinary parish of an unusual temple
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes.
“There is no need to spend such a huge amount of money on the construction of a new temple when, for example, we don’t have enough prisons,” there was a time when one could hear such objections to the restoration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Patriarch Alexy II once wittily remarked that if they build more churches, perhaps over time there will be no need to build prisons.
And many were also afraid that the temple would stand half empty. They say that in small Moscow churches there are few people praying, and in such a huge temple it will be completely deserted. However, time has put everything in its place: today the flow of people to our church is such that for major church holidays we are even forced to print invitation cards. And not at all because - as a popular myth states - only high-ranking people are allowed into the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, and it is closed to ordinary believers. Those who come here every week for the Liturgy know that this is not so. It’s just that the flow of believers to the festive patriarchal services has become so great that for their own safety people have to limit entry. The temple, designed for several thousand people, cannot accommodate everyone on Easter and Christmas, and people should be given the opportunity to pray, and not fight the crowd. That's why we print invitations and distribute them to our parishioners. Some of the tickets go to Moscow parishes if their rectors request it, and invitations are also sent to various church structures and social institutions. We invite children from orphanages or disabled children. They are very happy and gladly come to the service, confess and receive communion. But we only take special measures such as printing invitation cards twice a year! Otherwise, our church is an ordinary Orthodox parish. We perform all the Church Sacraments: wedding, baptism, confession and communion. As in any church, we have a funeral service for the dead, I emphasize - everyone whose loved ones wish it.
Naturally, we also have our own community. Its core is about 200 people. Many people have been going to the temple since the time it was first built. Like any parish, we also carry out social activities. They started with correspondence with prisoners, sent clothes and toiletries, the New Testament and easy-to-read educational literature to the colonies, donated utensils, liturgical books, and priestly vestments for the churches that were opening there. Gradually our ministry expanded. We established contact with one of the naval hospitals and with the hospital named after. N. Burdenko. We take care of several orphanages. We bring medications to the Republican Children's Hospital that parents of sick children would otherwise have to buy at their own expense, because they are not on the list of drugs approved by the Ministry of Health.
Since the Cathedral of Christ the Savior is a monument to liberating soldiers, we have traditionally close ties with the Armed Forces. During the oath, cadets of the military conducting department at the Moscow Conservatory march solemnly in front of the temple, and at the prayer service a military choir sings, with which our regent specially trains beforehand.
We also have Moscow priests undergoing internships, and this is a very great honor for us. After all, in Moscow there are only four churches where clergy receive “baptism of fire”: the Epiphany Cathedral, the Church of the Great Ascension at the Nikitsky Gate, the Church of Martin the Confessor, and our temple.
The Cathedral of Christ the Savior is a special place. After all, almost everyone in our country has heard something about him. He attracted the attention of not only Moscow and all of Russia, but also of all Local Orthodox Churches. Everyone understands perfectly well what significance it has for the Russian Orthodox Church. This imposes a special responsibility on everyone who serves here and constantly keeps them on their toes.
And when people decide to go and see with their own eyes the temple that they saw on TV, we try to greet absolutely everyone who comes with dignity, so that no one leaves disappointed. For example, we have a clergyman on duty every day who must answer questions from visitors.
I became the keymaster of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in 1994. By that time, I already had experience of serving with bishops: in my youth I was a subdeacon with Patriarch Pimen for eleven years, then I was a priest in the Novodevichy Monastery, where Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsky and Kolomna regularly serves. And from the very beginning I have strived to incorporate into our services all the best examples that were previously before my eyes. My direct responsibilities are preparing the church and ensuring Patriarchal services.
We try to make our services beautiful and memorable. For example, we have a large wonderful choir singing. Its sound alone has a strong impact on the human soul. I have observed this picture many times: a person, finding himself in our church for the first time, is surprised by its scale and beauty, and then comes up and asks: “ How could such beauty be destroyed? »
An excerpt characterizing Ryazantsev, Mikhail Ivanovich (archpriest)
The morning came with its worries and bustle. Everyone stood up, moved around, started talking, the milliners came again, Marya Dmitrievna came out again and called for tea. Natasha, with wide-open eyes, as if she wanted to intercept every glance directed at her, looked around restlessly at everyone and tried to seem the same as she had always been. After breakfast, Marya Dmitrievna (this was her best time), sitting down in her chair, called Natasha and the old count to her. “Well, my friends, now I’ve thought about the whole matter and here’s my advice to you,” she began. – Yesterday, as you know, I was with Prince Nikolai; Well, I talked to him... He decided to shout. You can't shout me down! I sang everything to him! - What is he? - asked the count. - What is he? madman... doesn’t want to hear; Well, what can I say, and so we tormented the poor girl,” said Marya Dmitrievna. - And my advice to you is to finish your business and go home to Otradnoye... and wait there... - Oh, no! – Natasha screamed. “No, let’s go,” said Marya Dmitrievna. - And wait there. “If the groom comes here now, there won’t be a quarrel, but here he will talk everything over alone with the old man and then come to you.” Ilya Andreich approved this proposal, immediately understanding its reasonableness. If the old man relents, then all the better it will be to come to him in Moscow or Bald Mountains, later; if not, then it will be possible to get married against his will only in Otradnoye. “And the true truth,” he said. “I regret that I went to him and took her,” said the old count. - No, why regret it? Having been here, it was impossible not to pay respects. Well, if he doesn’t want to, that’s his business,” said Marya Dmitrievna, looking for something in her reticule. - Yes, and the dowry is ready, what else do you have to wait for? and what’s not ready, I’ll send it to you. Although I feel sorry for you, it’s better to go with God. “Having found what she was looking for in the reticule, she handed it to Natasha. It was a letter from Princess Marya. - He writes to you. How she suffers, poor thing! She is afraid that you will think that she does not love you. “Yes, she doesn’t love me,” said Natasha. “Nonsense, don’t talk,” Marya Dmitrievna shouted. - I won’t trust anyone; “I know that he doesn’t love me,” Natasha said boldly, taking the letter, and her face expressed dry and angry determination, which made Marya Dmitrievna look at her more closely and frown. “Don’t answer like that, mother,” she said. – What I say is true. Write an answer. Natasha did not answer and went to her room to read Princess Marya’s letter. Princess Marya wrote that she was in despair over the misunderstanding that had occurred between them. Whatever her father’s feelings, Princess Marya wrote, she asked Natasha to believe that she could not help but love her as the one chosen by her brother, for whose happiness she was ready to sacrifice everything. “However,” she wrote, “don’t think that my father was ill-disposed towards you. He is a sick and old man who needs to be excused; but he is kind, generous and will love the one who will make his son happy.” Princess Marya further asked that Natasha set a time when she could see her again. After reading the letter, Natasha sat down at the desk to write a response: “Chere princesse,” [Dear princess], she wrote quickly, mechanically and stopped. “What could she write next after everything that happened yesterday? Yes, yes, all this happened, and now everything is different,” she thought, sitting over the letter she had begun. “Should I refuse him? Is it really necessary? This is terrible!”... And in order not to think these terrible thoughts, she went to Sonya and together with her began to sort out the patterns. After dinner, Natasha went to her room and again took Princess Marya’s letter. - “Is it really all over? she thought. Did all this really happen so quickly and destroy everything that was before”! She recalled with all her former strength her love for Prince Andrei and at the same time felt that she loved Kuragin. She vividly imagined herself as the wife of Prince Andrei, imagined the picture of happiness with him repeated so many times in her imagination, and at the same time, flushed with excitement, imagined all the details of her yesterday's meeting with Anatole.
No. 37 (886) / October 4 '16
Conversations with the priest
In this topic:
Conversations with the priest
Priest Vasily Sekachev: About Saint Demetrius of Rostov (October 4)
Conversations with the priest
Hieromonk Jerome (Mironov): About the Holy Apostle John the Theologian (October 9)
Before we talk about shrines, I would like to hear the history (maybe briefly) of this great Temple - the main temple of our country.
– Probably, many people know that the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was conceived by Emperor Alexander I as a monument in gratitude for the deliverance of our Fatherland from the invasion of Napoleonic troops. It is no coincidence that when the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was already built, it was consecrated in honor of the Nativity of Christ. Namely, on the day of the Nativity of Christ, December 25, old style, the last Napoleonic soldier left Russia, that is, Russia was liberated from the enemy. In honor of this wonderful event - the deliverance of Russia from the enemy, in honor of the great holiday of the Nativity of Christ, this temple was consecrated in 1883.
But, unfortunately, his story was short-lived. In 1931, as is known, it was blown up. It didn’t blow up right away, it took a lot of explosives, there were several attempts to blow it up. But still, it was destroyed, and on this site it was planned to build a grandiose Palace of the Soviets - a new temple of a new religion, which was supposed to be four times larger than the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The Cathedral of Christ the Savior has a height of 104 meters - it was the tallest building in Moscow. In general, there was such an order that in Moscow buildings should not be higher than the bell tower of Ivan the Great. This was the only retreat - when the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was built higher than the bell tower of Ivan the Great.
And the Palace of the Soviets was supposed to be four times higher - 400 meters, and on the top of this palace it was planned to put a hundred-meter figure of Lenin, one of whose arms was supposed to be ten meters long. Even in order to create a unit for attaching the arm to the body, a separate design institute was created, which was called the Institute of the Arm. But, as we know, this dream of the Soviet government did not come true: the Great Patriotic War interfered.
After the end of the war, they did not return to this idea, because it was necessary to restore the destroyed economy. Until the early sixties, there was a pit on this site in the very center of Moscow. At this time, preparations were being made for the arrival of American President Eisenhower, Moscow was being put in order, and Khrushchev was offered to build a swimming pool on this site. Many probably remember it, and many swam; people come and repent, saying that they bathed in this place and did not even know that there used to be a temple here.
The pool also did not last long - until the early nineties, when it fell into complete disrepair. At that time, a debate arose about what to do on this site - either restore the temple, or build some other structures... But by that time, public opinion had risen in favor of restoring this temple. In 1994, President Yeltsin signed a decree on a special attitude towards cultural and historical monuments, where the first point talked about the reconstruction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. From 1995 to 2000, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was reconstructed at the construction site. In 2000, it was consecrated and became the Cathedral of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. From this moment on, the story of his modern life begins.
What shrines of the temple that existed before the explosion have been preserved now, where have they found a place for themselves, have they returned to their original place?
– Indeed, when the idea arose and work began on recreating the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, I wanted not only to recreate the walls and sculpture, but also to return the shrines that were in this temple to this place. It was decided to begin a search in museums and archives to find relics from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. It turned out that there were not so many of them, because, obviously, there was such hatred for the temple that they wanted to simply erase from the face of the earth not only the temple itself, but also every memory of it. Almost everything was destroyed. Fortunately (I also think that the Lord somehow miraculously preserved it), the temple icon of the artist Sorokin, painted on a zinc plate, “The Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands,” which was in the icon case of the right choir of the temple, was preserved. Molebens were served in front of this icon, people prayed.
The story of how the icon was preserved is interesting. When the reconstruction of the temple began, on Volkhonka (maybe some Muscovites remember) a small museum was made from construction trailers overlooking the construction site, so that interested people could come and see how the construction was going on. And as soon as it began, a certain woman brought a package in which this temple icon of the Image Not Made by Hands was located. The woman told the story. She turned out to be a relative of Metropolitan Alexander Vvedensky, who was the last rector of this temple (the temple was owned by the Renovationists before its destruction).
And when the decision to destroy had already been made, as this woman said, Lunacharsky invited Alexander Vvedensky to his place and offered, if he wanted, to take something as a keepsake of the temple. And he took this icon. But since, as I have already said, people were afraid to keep these shrines, because they really tried to destroy the Cathedral of Christ the Savior to the ground, they packed this icon and put it in some distant corner and over time they forgot about it. And so it happened that as soon as the reconstruction of the temple began, completely independently of this, the descendants of Alexander Vvedensky decided to put things in order in some of their closets - and stumbled upon the icon. Naturally, this made a huge impression on them, and they brought it here. At first the icon was in the museum, and then, naturally, when the temple was recreated, it took its place. Unfortunately, not ours, because our designers made a slight mistake with the size of the icon case. The sizes turned out to be smaller. But they found another solution: this icon is located in our lower Transfiguration Church, and an icon case was made especially for it. There we have daily services, and, as before, prayers are sung in front of this image, people pray and venerate this image.
In addition, six paintings by the artist Vereshchagin have been preserved (also miraculously, I believe). They were preserved in Leningrad, present-day St. Petersburg, in the Museum of the History of Religion. They were rolled up, lying somewhere in storage rooms, and somehow they were forgotten about them too. And when they began to look for authentic things from the temple, they discovered these paintings. A little restoration was needed, and when the temple was already built, they again stood in the same places where they were before its destruction.
Unfortunately, no more shrines have been preserved, no elements of the interior of the temple have been preserved, except (probably many people know) the bas-reliefs, which are now in the Donskoy Monastery.
However, there are a lot of shrines in the temple. One of them is the relics of St. Philaret of Moscow. He occupies a rightful place there, because he participated in organizing the beginning of the construction of this temple. What shrine would you call the main one in your temple?
“These are undoubtedly particles of the Lord’s robe.”
Please tell us how you got it.
– When the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was consecrated, the late His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II turned to the Moscow Kremlin Museum so that for this time, at least for one day, for the duration of the consecration, they would give out the ark with the robe of the Lord, which is the greatest shrine of the entire Christian world and the greatest the shrine of our city, our Church. Permission was given, and when they consecrated the temple and walked around it with a procession of the cross, with holy relics, a particle of the Lord’s robe was also carried around. There was a thought, a desire to leave her for good.
There were long negotiations, because it is known that museum workers are very reluctant to part with their exhibits. For them it was just an exhibit, for us it is the greatest shrine. And finally, in his first presidential term, President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, when the Council of Bishops in the Kremlin ended, handed over the ark with a piece of the Lord’s robe to His Holiness Patriarch Alexy in the presence of the entire host of bishops of our Church. From that moment on, this shrine began to be located in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. True, the museum asked to return the historical ark made under St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, so a copy of the ark was made for the temple. Strictly speaking, it doesn’t matter to us where our shrine is located, although the copy was made exactly the same as the original ark. And from that moment on, the shrine began to be located in the temple.
Another shrine of no less importance is a piece of the robe of the Most Holy Theotokos, which also came to us from the Kremlin museums. There was a whole event; during the presidency of the current Prime Minister Medvedev, several shrines from the same Kremlin museums were transferred from the patriarchal sacristy. This is a particle of the robe of the Most Holy Theotokos, the relics of Mary of Egypt, and particles of the relics of Prince Vladimir, who traveled from Vladivostok to our western borders in the year of the millennium of Prince Vladimir. There are also particles of the relics of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called. All this can be found out by visiting our website. There is a description, photographs, and the place where all these shrines are collected. Those who know, especially on Saturday and Sunday after the Liturgy, line up and venerate these shrines.
Let's continue the conversation about shrines. There are two Smolensk icons of the Mother of God in the temple. Please tell us about them.
– One icon is in the lower church. This large icon of the 16th century also came to us. Looking at the history of our temple, I am convinced that everything does not happen by chance, and the Lord really somehow brings these shrines. The large icon had a tragic fate. They wanted to take her abroad. It is large, it was difficult to transport it, and it was cut into four parts. But something went wrong, and it lay sawed up; they could not take it out for a long time, until one of the restorers bought it. He restored it, put it in complete order, and since it is difficult to place such a large icon somewhere, it could not be stored at home, and it could not be transferred to every church because of its size, he offered to place it in our church . Just at that time, the lower Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord was consecrated, we chose a place, made a special case for this icon, and it is now in the Church of the Transfiguration. You can come, see it, pray and venerate, touch this shrine.
And another icon, the Smolensk Ustyuzhenskaya icon, was taken abroad and appeared somewhere at an auction. First, it was stolen from the city of Ustyuzhna, it was located in a former cathedral (now a museum), it was stolen from the museum, and transported abroad. It is smaller in size. And then some benefactors, wealthy people, bought it. During his first presidency, President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin handed over this icon to His Holiness Patriarch Alexy, who blessed it to be placed in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior with one condition. When it was discovered that the icon had returned to Russia, to Moscow, they began to ask to return it again to Ustyuzhna. But His Holiness the Patriarch said: we will not keep it, we will return it on the condition that the museum again becomes a cathedral, when the temple is handed over to the Church, when this place is prepared. Just as it happened with the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God. Only after the monastery was handed over to the Church and the place where it was located was made, the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God returned to its place. It was assumed that the same would happen with the Smolensk Ustyugen Icon, but, unfortunately, this temple still remains a museum, and the icon is in our Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
There is also an icon of one of the new martyrs - Alexander Khotovitsky. This is one of the keys of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Please tell us about her and this saint.
– This was the last one before the capture of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior by the renovationists. He was the keymaster of the temple in the post-revolutionary period. Of course, he had to endure a lot of trials. When he was responsible for the condition of the sacristy, the safety of temple shrines, when state funding, temple maintenance, and maintenance of the life of the temple were denied, he organized the brotherhood of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, whose members, through some of their own means, helped to survive in those difficult conditions. But when the temple was captured by the Renovationists, the New Martyr Alexander was transferred to another Moscow church - the Deposition of the Robe. There he was elevated to the rank of protopresbyter.
He served there until his tragic death. Alexander Khotovitsky was shot in 1931, after the destruction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. His resting place is unknown, but historical information suggests that he was shot along with other Orthodox believers and buried in a mass grave not far from the Deposition of the Robe Church - where the crematorium is now. He was canonized, and now we have two especially revered saints, one might say, martyrs of modern times - St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow (whose name was first heard in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, when Elder Alexy of Zosimova Hermitage took out a piece of paper with the name Tikhon , and thus by lot His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon became the primate of our Church; I think he also ended his earthly feat, his earthly path as a martyr), and Protopresbyter Alexander Khotovitsky, who was shot and canonized.
There is also a shrine that causes undisguised surprise. This is the altar Gospel. As I understand it, it can be seen several times a year; it is carried out by two archdeacons.
- Yes, for Christmas and Easter. It weighs about thirty kilograms. Indeed, this is a unique Gospel of the time of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. This Gospel came to us after the death of Metropolitan Pitirim. It belonged to him, he gave it for restoration. After his death, when they restored this Gospel and thought about where to give it (to a museum or not), since the church is large and the Gospel is large, they found a place here. His Holiness Patriarch Alexy blessed us to have it. Of course, for some holiday services it is impossible to use it often, because it is really very heavy, but at Easter and Christmas vespers it is carried out, His Holiness the Patriarch reads it at the royal doors.
God bless you, father, for this conversation. Please give a parting message to our viewers.
– I have already said that believers, although they read the Gospel, somehow do not apply it to themselves. So, I would like the Gospel to be a reference book for a believer, so that every time we turn to the pages of this holy book - not only the Gospel, but also the apostolic epistles, we find answers to all questions for ourselves - first of all spiritual life, which are precisely contained there. So that we don’t think that this is written for those people, but apply what we read there to our lives. I would like to wish God's help to each of you in this spiritual endeavor.
Recorded by: Margarita Popova
You can view or listen to the full version of the conversation on the website of the Soyuz TV channel.
In other rooms:
№02 (947) / January 6 '18
Conversations with the priest
In this topic:
Conversations with the priest
Priest Dimitri Vaulin: Marriage is a kind of miracle, a kind of gift that you can join
Conversations with the priest
Archpriest Artemy Vladimirov: Give God your own heart in the Bethlehem den
Father, bless our TV viewers.
– Dear TV viewers, first of all, I want to congratulate all of you and us on the New Year and the Nativity of Christ. It is difficult to say how the coming year will turn out for each of us, but I hope that the Lord will not abandon us with His mercy.
Thank you for coming to us again. Last year we talked about the shrines of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. There are some issues that we did not have time to cover then, and today, I think, we will finish what we did not have time to do then; The question concerns the safety and security of the temple. A tourist or a simple believer, entering the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, passes through a metal detector. This is a little unusual for a simple believer, and the question concerns the security system specifically. Why do you take such security measures in the temple?
– Unfortunately, this is the trend of recent times. Previously, when we were abroad, we saw the same security measures when entering famous churches in Rome or Venice. We haven’t had this yet, but, as practice shows, the temple (especially our temple) is visited by people not only with good intentions, but wanting to commit some kind of provocation. And in order to prevent serious, tragic consequences of these visits, it was decided to install metal detectors at the entrance. This is now not only in churches, but also in almost all cultural institutions or shops.
But indeed, a person who goes to a temple to pray, encountering such security measures, is embarrassed. Some people take this completely calmly. In particular, our parishioners understand what the price of illegal actions will be if they occur, and therefore they calmly pass through metal detectors and meet with security representatives. Then they can already feel safe, hoping that these measures help so that people can, having come to the temple and passing through these “cordons”, think only about where and why they came, pray calmly, knowing that nothing can interfere with the divine service taking place in the temple.
We say: the cathedral Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Could you explain what this means, what is the status of this temple in our Church?
– It is considered the main temple of our Russian Orthodox Church. The Cathedral of Christ the Savior is a cathedral, that is, the seat of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' is located here. And, as you know, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill performs festive services there. Easter services are performed by the Patriarch, and on some general church holidays, His Holiness the Patriarch performs his service. Right now we are preparing for the Christmas service - this is the patronal feast of our church.
Why is it called “cathedral”? Because it is not just one priest who serves here, but a council of clergy (there are several of us). This is how the name “Cathedral Cathedral of Christ the Savior” stands for: the temple of the department of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'.
That is, the abbot of this temple...
–...His Holiness Patriarch Kirill himself.
Is your position a keymaster?
– My position is sergeant. This position exists in cathedrals, where the rector is either His Holiness the Patriarch, as in our church, or the Ruling Bishop of the diocese. And the rector of this temple gives his authority to manage the cathedral to the senior priest, who is responsible for what happens in the cathedral - for the order of worship, splendor and decorum in this temple. So, in fact, the rector’s functions are transferred to the senior priest of the temple, and his position is called “klyar.”
We often see on TV (not only on Orthodox television, but also on secular television) that high-level events (both Councils and some secular ones) take place here in the Hall of Church Councils, the main services. Does this church have a parish life? Is there a Sunday school, some kind of meetings, regular parishioners, or some other type of parish life?
– Despite its high status, the temple bears all the functions of a parish church of our Russian Orthodox Church, like any city or rural church. Indeed, there is some kind of small community (small because the church is located in the very center of Moscow, there are few residential buildings here, and almost all parishioners come to our church from other parts of our city), there is a Sunday school, children are also brought to it from different districts of the city, all the sacraments, all the services are performed, as in any Orthodox church.
By the way, a very good question, because many still do not know that the temple lives a normal church life. And for many it is a great revelation when they find out about this, thinking that this temple exists only for some high-ranking officials, that the Patriarch is there only in the presence of the President or Prime Minister, as they show at Christmas or Easter, and at other times it is a museum. Nothing like this. Our services are performed daily - weekday services are performed in the lower Transfiguration Church, and on holidays and Sundays we serve in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior itself. And anyone interested in the history of the temple, the history of the Patriotic War of 1812 (the temple is also a monument to those events) can absolutely calmly come, after going through security means, to pray or get acquainted with the events of the Patriotic War of 1812, which are displayed on commemorative marble plaques.
Another somewhat provocative question. On the Internet you can see photographs of the temple, which depict six-pointed stars, crosses on the floor, and many people express dissatisfaction that there are many Jewish symbols, Masonic, etc. in the temple. There is even an opinion that there are also some strange symbols on the doors, as if you are entering not an Orthodox church, but a synagogue. How can you comment on this?
– A very good question that we encounter almost every day. People who come to the temple every day ask the following questions: “What are these six-pointed stars? Is this a Masonic temple? There was even such a curious incident when our father Alexander Ageikin was on duty (he was still a protodeacon): a man comes and asks this question. And he, in order to bring him to the realization of this symbolism, asks: “What is the name of the six-pointed star?” - Star of David. -Who is David? You know? – asks Father Alexander. - Well, David was a king. - And what else?
The man somehow began to feel embarrassed by this question. Father Alexander tells him: “And he is also a prophet.” Do you read the Psalter? - Yes, I read. – So, the Psalter was just written by the king and prophet David.
And the response was amazing. When this man heard that the Psalter was written by the prophet David, he was taken aback and said: “So, shouldn’t I read the Psalter now?”
That is, this is what people come to when six-pointed stars interrupt the meaning of our Christian symbolism. Let's talk about this. I also thought for a long time why there were so many of these symbols.
Were these symbols also present before the destruction?
– Yes, the temple has been completely restored to the way it was before the destruction. And St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, took a very active part in the design of the temple. But he was a very deep theologian and a deep Orthodox thinker, for him this symbolism meant a lot. But now, on the eve of the Nativity of Christ, we hear the irmos of the Nativity canon being sung. One irmos of this canon says: “The rod is from the root of Jesse, and the flower from it, O Christ, from the Virgin thou shalt …”. Why? Who is Jesse and why is this connected to the Virgin Mary? If we know the history of the Old Testament well, we should know that Jesse was the father of King David. And the Mother of God was from the family of King David. So, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior is dedicated to the Nativity of Christ, the Virgin, the Mother of God, is glorified, and, naturally, this symbol of the royal house, the symbol of King David is present in the temple dedicated to the Nativity of Christ. This is such a deep thought that what kind of Freemasonry can we talk about? It turns out that King David was a Freemason?
So, no Masons have anything to do with it, but the chandeliers, which are made in the shape of this star, the ornaments that are present in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in the form of the stars of King David, indicate the royal origin of the Mother of God. That's all.
There is no need to invent any symbols of either Freemasonry or the synagogue and go somewhere far from the simplest explanations that we hear in church chants and hymns. You just need to look more often at the holiday services pages, where all this is explained very well.
Some symbols from the Old Testament have acquired some other meanings in our time.
– Indeed, if some human societies, in particular Masonic ones, use any Old Testament or Christian symbols, this does not mean at all that the symbols lose their Christian or Divine meaning. It’s like thinking: if crosses were depicted on fascist tanks, then all Christians are aggressors and murderers. Thinking like this, you can reach completely wild explanations. Therefore, when you come to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and see these symbols, do not be embarrassed that the ornaments are in the form of six-pointed stars, think about the roots of human nature that are contained in our Savior. Let these ornaments not block the main thing for which this temple was built and for which people come to the temple - to pray to the Born Christ, the Risen Christ and who saved us from eternal death, which is why this temple is called the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
Thank you for the answer. We have often come across in the literature about the loud protodeacons of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Father Konstantin Rozov, the “great archdeacon,” served in this church. The temple, as we know, was destroyed. Do the traditions that existed before the revolution continue in our time? Are you somehow working on their renewal and maintenance? And what were these traditions?
– Yes, we are trying to revive those traditions. Not only was the temple revived in the form it was, but the soul of the temple is worship, everything that happens inside it. In particular, we annually perform a prayer service, which was compiled by St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, in gratitude to God for the deliverance of our Fatherland from the Gauls and twenty (not “twelve”, as they usually say) peoples (that is, not 12, but 20). ty), with which Napoleon came to our land. After all, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was consecrated in honor of the Nativity of Christ, because the last Napoleonic soldier left the borders of our Fatherland on this holiday.
Saint Philaret composed a thanksgiving prayer; before the revolution, it was always served on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, December 25. But since now a new tradition has already been born, and on the feast of the Nativity of Christ we perform a solemn vespers, as it happens on Easter, and congratulations to His Holiness the Patriarch occur on this day, then, with the blessing of the late Patriarch Alexy II, we perform this prayer service on December 25, but according to the new style. This is also the birthday of Emperor Alexander I, we remember him at the Liturgy - not only him, but also the military leaders who participated in the Patriotic War of 1812, we pray for the repose of the fallen soldiers. And every year, for more than 10 years, we have been performing this prayer service.
In addition, now a very good choir has gathered in the temple, and we are trying to revive the singing traditions that existed in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior before its destruction. Regarding loud protodeacons... Unfortunately, now it is very rare to find protodeacons with the voice of the “great archdeacon” Konstantin Rozov. But we have Protodeacon Konstantin, who serves with His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. He is still young, he has everything ahead of him, and he has a powerful, loud and velvety bass, which our archdeacons have always been famous for. So there are traditions that we know about and that we are trying to revive and maintain.
By the way, we celebrate in reverse: New Year and Christmas, although before the revolution it was different. Do you think different calendars are a problem for or already established traditions in the country?
– For me personally, this has never been a problem of incompatibility between the New Year and the Nativity Fast. Usually we said goodbye to the old year by performing a New Year's prayer service in the evening. I always have the habit of serving the Liturgy on the first, so no special preparations for the New Year’s table, such as Olivier salad, sausage... Everything that is usually present on our people’s New Year’s table was not an indispensable attribute for us.
And our main holiday has always been the feast of the Nativity of Christ, when after a night service you can come home to break your fast and feel the holiday even in this - not only spiritually, but also physically, when after a long period of time you can already eat fast food. Therefore there is no problem. Apparently, now, when new people have come to the church and are accustomed to celebrating the New Year the way they have always celebrated it, this may be a problem for them. Moreover, the New Year is a rather relative date. In the history of our Fatherland, there were several dates when we celebrated the New Year: it was both September and March. By decree of Peter I, we began to celebrate it on January 1, and now, according to the old style, it has moved to January 14. So these are fairly arbitrary dates.
I believe that with all the fun and abundance on the tables, it is useful for a believer to experience abstinence, knowing that there is a great holiday ahead, which for us is truly a holiday that has every reason.
What is the meaning of Christmas and what would you say to people who prefer Christmas without Christ?
– To those who prefer Christmas without Christ, I would not say anything, because the meaning of this holiday lies precisely in the Birth, the Incarnation of the Son of God. By the way, times are changing now, and if before they were completely silent about it, now it’s still somehow inconvenient not to mention the Nativity of Christ. Now in congratulations you can hear: “Happy New Year and Merry Christmas”... But nothing further is said.
It's like it came from the West...
- Yes, well, Christmas and Christmas. What is Christmas? These are gifts, Santa Claus walks around and gives them out. Already in this one senses some kind of slyness and reticence. And it turns out to be Christmas without Christ. And if without Christ, then what kind of Christmas can there be? Whose Christmas? So what do you say to these people? Unfortunately, now more and more often you can hear that it is inconvenient not to remember Christmas, but it is better not to talk about Christ, about this event. Well, it’s something like that... I always correct people who say Merry Christmas. I say: Merry Christmas. And then it really makes sense, otherwise everything that has been said before makes no sense - this forty-day preparation, the purification of the soul. If there is no Christ, then why is all this being done? After all, it was Christ the Savior who was born and incarnated. And I recommend that you get acquainted with the liturgical texts of the Feast of the Nativity of Christ and the Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ, which very well explain the meaning of this phenomenon and the meaning of the holiday.
The patronal feast of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior... How do you prepare for it, how do you spend it? Are there any special features?
– There are probably no special features, because it is a throne throne, the throne was consecrated in honor of the Nativity of Christ. But, as in any Orthodox church, preparations are underway. First of all, of course, we ourselves and our parishioners prepare spiritually, internally through fasting, abstinence, and decorate the church with Christmas trees. This is also a tradition. But I want to say that there are some dissatisfaction, that, they say, we are destroying nature, cutting down trees. We always take Christmas trees from the forestry, we always negotiate with the foresters in advance, and they give us those trees that are already subject to cutting down - there is no barbarism here, everything is completely official.
And now we are faced with a difficulty: they have tightened measures to combat the environment and categorically prohibited cutting down even those trees that need to be cut down (sick, substandard trees). So I don’t know how we will get out of this situation, but I said that it would be better for us to be left without decorating the temple than to take a roundabout route to acquire trees through illegal means. And, of course, the central holiday icon is decorated.
Our church also has the peculiarity that on Christmas, our patronal holiday, it is visited by the top officials of our state. Of course, special safety measures are taken before the night service. After the all-night vigil, which begins at 5 pm, we close the temple, take the necessary measures, and then open the temple for people to have access to the night service. We give away the central part for guests of His Holiness the Patriarch, for honored people, but during the Christmas holidays access to the remaining areas of the temple is completely free. Therefore, those who want to come to pray at the night service with His Holiness the Patriarch can do so freely, without any invitations. But we have to take into account that there may be more such people than the temple itself can accommodate. Then we, of course, stop access. This must be understood so that there are no offenses: although the temple has large areas, it, unfortunately, cannot accommodate everyone.
By the way, how many believers can the temple accommodate?
– In general, if you count the gallery space, then up to 10,000, and practically up to 5,000 gather in the church for festive services.
I would like to ask you to congratulate our TV viewers on the upcoming holiday of the Nativity of Christ.
– I congratulate all viewers on the great holiday of the Nativity of Christ. May the Divine Infant Christ, who came into the world a little over two thousand years ago, always live in your consciousness and your heart, in your soul - you would always coordinate all your deeds, thoughts, and undertakings with the Born Christ. I wish God's help and God's blessing to each of you in the coming new year and on the bright, great holidays of the Nativity of Christ.
Recorded by Elena Kuzoro
You can view or listen to the full version of the program on the website of the Soyuz TV channel.
