Priest Vasily Vasiliev. Patronal feast day of the Church of the Righteous Prince Alexander Nevsky in the village of Suvorovskoe
WITH Hieromartyr Eugene was born in Moscow on December 20, 1892 in the family of priest Vasily Vasilyev. Having received the initial spiritual education, he entered the Moscow Theological Academy, but did not have time to graduate due to the seizure of power by the atheists and continued his studies privately, passing exams to the professors of the academy. Evgeniy Vasilyevich was ordained a priest and after some time appointed rector of the Assumption Church in the village of Kosino, Ukhtomsky district, Moscow region and assistant dean. His house was in the north of the village. When he arrived in Kosino, residents noted that the new priest had almost no things, and the most important thing in his luggage was a piano. Father Evgeniy sang well; before the seminary he graduated from a music school. He always served earnestly, even if there were only two people in the temple, he served God.
In 1936, the secret department of the NKVD began to receive information about an increase in the number of pilgrims to the Assumption Church and the Holy Lake. The pilgrims, having served a prayer service in the church, went to the lake, where they got water, and some of them swam. There were frequent cases of healings, which were known to both the believers themselves and the priest. Assuming that all this happens thanks to the active work of the rector, Fr. Evgeniya, the authorities decided to arrest him. March 31, 1936 Father Evgeniy was arrested and imprisoned in Butyrka prison in Moscow.
– The investigation has evidence that you, for counter-revolutionary purposes, spread false rumors about alleged incidents miraculous healing on the Holy Lake from various diseases.
– I do not deny that believers from various places came to my church in the village of Kosino, served prayer services in the church, after which they left the church for the Holy Lake to get water, bathed in it in order to receive healing from illnesses. In the summer, there were certain days when 10-15 believers came to my church.
The interrogated witnesses testified that they saw many visiting believers from different regions of the Moscow region at the service in the church in the village of Kosino, who specially came to priest Evgeny Vasiliev to serve a prayer service and to collect the famous healing power and water that helps against various diseases. At the end of the church service, the believers, at the direction of the priest, went to the lake to swim, drank water, took it with them and went home, saying that they had received healing from diseases that they had suffered from for a long time. “Priest Evgeny Vasiliev, in response to my question why he instructs believers to drink dirty water from the lake, replied: “What are you saying? This Holy Lake used to be very revered by believers, many people came to the lake from all over, there were many cases of miraculous healings from various diseases, and now again believers began to come to serve a prayer service, draw water, and some take a bath. I personally know several people who received healing after swimming in the Holy Lake. True, now the authorities are very persecuting for this, everything has to be done very secretly. This year it became a little easier, otherwise they simply posted guards. Before the revolution, several thousand pilgrims flocked to the Holy Lake, among whom were various sick people, and many, by faith, left completely healthy. So now, this summer, many, having prayed in our temple and bathed in the lake, were healed. Here is proof of how strongly the people still believe in God... many of them visited all the hospitals and came here.”
“In February 1936,” the witness claimed, “Priest Vasiliev invited me from the church to the house, where in my presence he said: “The communists and youth decided to close our church and fill it with bread, but I managed to organize the believers, and we again defended our temple. Of course, this won’t last long, but perhaps God will have mercy on us, there will be a war, and then we will be tormented from this damned power.” After the end of the church service and prayer service, at the direction of priest Evgeniy Vasilyev, believers went to the lake to swim, wash, drink water; some believers sang prayers while swimming, cried when leaving the lake and spread rumors that they had been healed of illnesses, which made them even more attracted pilgrimage of believers to the Holy Lake. Priest Vasiliev personally told me that during the summer of 1935 on Holy Lake there were several cases of miraculous healing from illnesses, and at the same time he gave the example of a twelve-year-old girl, the daughter of a gypsy, who was completely blind and subsequently received healing.”
These accusations were enough for the authorities, and on July 2, 1936, a Special Meeting of the NKVD of the USSR sentenced the priest to three years in a forced labor camp. Father Evgeniy was deported first to the Mariinsky camp in the Novosibirsk region, and then to Khabarovsk.
Priest Evgeny Vasiliev died on November 24, 1937 in a forced labor camp in Khabarovsk and was buried in an unknown grave.
The memory of the Hieromartyr Eugene is celebrated on the day of his death - November 11 (24), as well as on the day of the celebration of the Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia.
On September 12, 2018, on the day when the Church celebrates the transfer of the relics of the blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky (in the schema of Alexy), in the village of Suvorovskoye (Ust-Labinsk deanery of the Armavir diocese) the patronal day of the church of the same name was celebrated.
The Divine Liturgy was performed by the secretary of the Armavir diocese, the dean of the Ust-Labinsk district, Archpriest Alexander Chernykh. Concelebrating with him were Archpriest Sergius Svetlichenko, Archpriest Sergius Bodin, Archpriest Vitaly Babichev, Priest Vasily Vasiliev, Priest Vladimir Shepitko and the rector of the Church of the Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky, Priest Grigory Gureev.
At the end of the service, believers performed religious procession on the territory of the Suvorovsky rural settlement. The head of the administration of the rural settlement, Islam Yuryevich Shagundokov, Cossacks, teachers and students of secondary school No. 10 took part in the procession.
It should be noted that the building of the Church of the Blessed Alexander Nevsky in the village of Suvorovskoye to this day remains divided in half: in one part divine services are held, and in the other there is a rural cultural and leisure center.
“God is not in power, but in truth!” Saint Alexander Nevsky.
Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky was born on May 30, 1219 in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky. His father was Yaroslav, the youngest son of Vsevolod the Big Nest, and his great-grandfather was Vladimir Monomakh. The mother of Saint Prince Alexander Theodosius came from the southern Russian princes and was the heiress of their best qualities. The mother's great-grandfather was Prince Mstislav the Brave, canonized, whose relics are now in the St. Sophia Cathedral. Mother's grandfather, Mstislav Mstislavich Udaloy, became a schema monk at the end of his life.
From early childhood, St. the prince accepted the blessing for military service in the Name of God to defend the Russian land. In the third or fourth year of life, he was tonsured as a warrior.
Princely sons were usually tonsured by bishops. The ceremony took place in the temple. The boy was placed in front of the royal doors, and a prayer was said over him, asking for God's blessing. Then the hair was cut as a sign that the child was dedicated to God. After completing the ritual, the youth was mounted on a horse - this meant his future independence. They put weapons in their hands, usually a bow and arrows, which indicated the warrior’s duty to defend his homeland from external enemies. This rite was performed over Alexander by Saint Simon, Bishop of Suzdal, in the Transfiguration Cathedral in the city of Pereyaslavl, where the Grand Duke spent his childhood. From a young age, the princes were taught to read and write. During training, they tried to familiarize the young man with books Holy Scripture, mainly with the Gospel and Psalter.
From a young age, young Alexander was distinguished by a deep religious mood and a living sense of duty. His serious nature beyond his years did not allow him to indulge in empty amusements. Besides reading holy books, he loved church singing.
The young princes also acquired secular knowledge. They studied foreign languages, mainly Latin and Greek, and read in these languages ancient literature. Along with book education, much attention was paid to physical education: horseback riding, archery, and possession of other weapons.
An outstanding event in the life of the princes was “seating on the table.” This ritual was considered necessary; without it, the prince would not be a prince. Therefore, in the chronicles the expression “he reigned” is usually added: “and sat down on the table.”
The “consecration” of young Alexander Yaroslavich took place in the St. Sophia Novgorod Cathedral in 1236. Blessing his son to reign in Novgorod, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich told him: “The cross will be your guardian and helper, and the sword will be your thunder! God gave you eldership among brothers, and Novgorod the Great is the oldest reign in the entire Russian land!” The archpastor, laying his hands on the head of the prince, prayed to the King of kings, so that “from His dwelling place” he would bless His faithful servant Alexander, strengthen him with “power from above,” establish him on the “throne of righteousness,” show him as a valiant defender of the holy catholic church and honor him "heavenly kingdom"
In 1239, Alexander entered into marriage, taking as his wife the daughter of the Polotsk prince Bryachislav Alexandra. Their father, Yaroslav, blessed them at the wedding with the holy, miraculous Theodore Icon of the Mother of God. This icon was constantly with Saint Alexander, and then it was taken from the Gorodets Monastery, where he died, by his brother Vasily Yaroslavich of Kostroma and transferred to Kostroma.
The most difficult time in the history of Rus' began. The Mongol hordes came from the east, destroying everything in their path, and the crusaders threatened from the west, who, taking advantage of Batu’s invasion, invaded the borders of the Fatherland. In 1240, an army of Swedes on ships under the command of the son-in-law of the Swedish king Birger invaded the Neva. The proud Swede sent messengers to Prince Alexander in Novgorod with the words: “If you can, resist - I’m already here and I’m capturing your land.”
But this arrogant challenge did not embarrass the young prince, although he had only a small squad. Having given the order to the available military forces to be ready for the campaign, Alexander came to the St. Sophia Cathedral. There he, together with the saint and the Novgorod people, prayed fervently. Having finished the prayer and having received the blessing from Saint Spyridon, Prince Alexander left St. Sophia Cathedral to his squad and the Novgorod people and addressed them with the words: “Brothers! God is not in power, but in truth!” His holy inspiration was transmitted to the squad and the people. With a small squad, trusting in God, the prince immediately headed towards the enemy.
Before the battle, a wonderful omen happened. The warrior Pelguy, Philip in holy baptism, was on night watch. He spent the whole night without sleep, watching the Swedish army, which arrived on ships along the Neva to the mouth of the Izhora River, where they landed on land. This warrior saw at dawn on July 15 a boat sailing along the Neva, and in it were the holy princes of the martyrs Boris and Gleb. And Boris said: “Brother Gleb, tell us to row, so we can help our relative Alexander.”
When Pelguy reported the vision to the arriving prince, Saint Alexander, out of his piety, commanded not to tell anyone about the miracle, and he himself, encouraged, courageously led the army with prayer against the Swedes, who were taken by surprise. Before the enemies had time to come to their senses, the Russians attacked them with a united onslaught. Like God's thunderstorm, ahead of everyone, the young prince rushed into the middle of the enemies and with indomitable courage rushed at Birger and dealt him a heavy blow to the face - “put a seal on his face.” There was a terrible battle. The Angel of God invisibly helped the Orthodox army. When morning came, on the other side of the Izhora River, where the Russian soldiers could not go, many killed enemies were discovered.
For this victory on the Neva River, won on July 15, 1240, the people called Saint Alexander Nevsky.
The German crusading knights remained a dangerous enemy. In 1240, the Germans managed to capture Koporye, Pskov and Izborsk. Saint Alexander, having set out on a winter campaign, liberated Pskov, this ancient house Holy Trinity, and in the spring of 1242 he gave the Teutonic Order a decisive battle. On April 5, 1242, both armies met on the ice of Lake Peipsi. Raising his hands to heaven, Saint Alexander prayed: “Judge me, O God, and judge my quarrel with the magisterial people, and help me, O God, as of old Moses against Amalek and my great-grandfather Yaroslav the Wise against the accursed Svyatopolk.” Through his prayer, with the help of God and feat of arms, the crusaders were completely defeated.
The western borders of the Russian land were fenced, but with east side against countless hordes of Mongols, wise diplomacy was required, “the meekness of a dove and the wisdom of a snake.” Since it was impossible to resist military force against the Mongols, a compromise had to be sought.
Prince Alexander went to the Tatar Khan five times, bowed, humiliated himself, begged for mercy and mercy. One day Saint Alexander had to go to the very nest of the Tatar kingdom, to Mongolia, to the borders of the Far East, to the sources of the Amur, amid the unspeakable difficulties and dangers of the then journey. It was necessary to bow to the Khan, it was necessary to humiliate and humble ourselves, it was necessary to endure the loss of independence of the Russian people. The prince paid the khan a lot of gold and silver, ransoming Russian prisoners, softening his anger with tribute and gifts. There was one thing he did not want to give up, one thing he could not sacrifice: the holy Orthodox faith.
The Russian chronicles give us a picture of the reception of Prince Alexander by the khan. Khan Batu had the following custom: those who came to worship him were not immediately allowed to see the khan, but were sent to the wise men, who forced them to walk through the fire, then they had to bow to the bush, fire and idols. Alexander Yaroslavich also had to perform these rituals.
The pious prince flatly refused to submit to demands that were contrary to the Christian conscience. “Death, death to him,” the Magi shouted. But the khan's associates went to Batu to find out their master's decision. Several minutes of tense anticipation passed. Finally, the khan's servants appeared and, to everyone's surprise, brought the khan's order not to force Alexander to perform the rituals. Alexander appeared before Batu.
The majestic appearance of the prince amazed the khan. Batu immediately realized that before him was a prince who was far superior to other princes in his intelligence and merits. A smug smile slipped across the khan’s face when Prince Alexander bowed his head before him and said: “Tsar, I bow to you, because God has honored you with the kingdom, but I will not bow to the creatures+ I serve the only God, I honor Him and worship Him!” Batu admired the hero for some time, and finally said, turning to those around him: “They told me the truth, there is no prince equal to this.”
Saint Prince Alexander showed his loyalty to Orthodoxy when two cardinals sent by Pope Innocent IV in 1248 tried to persuade the prince to convert to Catholicism, promising help in the fight against the Mongols. To this the prince replied that we are faithful Church of Christ and the Orthodox faith, which is based on the Seven Ecumenical Councils, but “we do not accept teachings from you.”
Saint Alexander, inspired by the faith of Christ, felt great responsibility before God and history for the fate of the Holy Church and his Motherland. In 1261, through the efforts of Prince Alexander and Metropolitan Kirill, a diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church was established in Sarai, the capital of the Golden Horde.
In 1262, the Suzdal and Rostov people, not tolerating the Tatar tribute collectors, rebelled against them. Rumors were spread that Grand Duke Alexander himself sent letters to the cities saying “beat the Tatars.” The rebellious people, despite their just hatred of the oppressors, limited themselves to only killing the most ferocious predators, and therefore there were few killed. They were waiting for Tatar revenge. But God directed events in a completely different direction: citing the Russian uprising, Khan Berke stopped sending tribute to Mongolia and proclaimed the Golden Horde an independent state. In this great union of Russian and Tatar lands, the foundation of the future multinational Russian state was laid.
Holy Prince Alexander, in his last trip to Sarai, fulfilled his duty before God, saving Rus' from the retribution of the Tatars for the uprising against them. But all his strength was given, his life was dedicated to serving his Motherland and faith. On the way back from the Horde, Saint Alexander fell mortally ill. Before reaching Vladimir, in Gorodets, in the monastery, the ascetic prince gave up his spirit to the Lord on November 14, 1263, having completed a arduous life path adoption of the holy monastic schema with the name Alexy. His holy body was transferred to Vladimir, to the Nativity Monastery, where Metropolitan Kirill and the clergy performed the burial. In his funeral eulogy, Metropolitan Kirill said: “Know, my child, that the sun has already set on the land of Suzdal. There will no longer be such a prince in the Russian land.”
During the burial, a miracle was revealed by God. When the body of Saint Alexander was laid in the shrine, the housekeeper Sebastian and Metropolitan Kirill wanted to open his hand in order to enclose a parting spiritual letter. The holy prince, as if alive, himself stretched out his hand and took the letter from the hands of the metropolitan. “And horror seized them, and they barely retreated from his tomb. Who wouldn’t be surprised if he was dead, and his body was brought from afar in the winter.”
Thus God glorified his saint - the holy warrior-prince Alexander Nevsky.
Internet publication “Orthodoxy and Peace”.
Do you know where one of the most vibrant centers of cultural asceticism in Russia is located? It is located here, in the small village of Strelets, Dolgorukovsky district, Lipetsk region. I want you to remember this place and remember it every time you are told that great people no longer exist in modern Russia.
In 1821, here, in the modest house of a local priest, Joseph Vasilyevich Vasiliev was born. He will become a wonderful theologian and will help strengthen Orthodox community in foreign countries and will forever go down in world history as one of the founders of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Paris.
This monumental temple will become an outlet and a link with the Motherland for thousands of Russian emigrants. The funeral services for Ivan Turgenev, Fyodor Chaliapin, Andrei Tarkovsky and Bulat Okudzhava will be held here. Pablo Picasso and Olga Khokhlova will be married here. After the revolution of 1917, thousands of prayers for the salvation of Russia will be heard here and hundreds of memorial services will be held for the innocently murdered Russian aristocrats. Now it is difficult to imagine that once a simple native of the village of Strelets, Joseph Vasiliev, conducted complex negotiations to make his construction of the Alexander Nevsky Church possible.
No less great people live in modern Sagittarius. In the last century, the hero of our today's material, Vladimir Nikolaevich Belolipetskikh, was born here. In 1995, at the cost of incredible efforts, he founded his own local history museum in his native village, which today has more than 7,000 exhibits. Many were skeptical about his undertakings: they say, who needs a museum in a village in which only 500 people live. But true enthusiasm is always stronger than skepticism.
How did Vladimir Nikolaevich Belolipetskikh begin the restoration of the museum? How, with the help of poetry and the desire to return spiritual life to his village, did he manage to do most of the work on restoring the Church of the Archangel Michael, founded by the father of Joseph Vasiliev? What happened to the Vasiliev estate in Strelets? How did Vladimir Belolipetskikh rescue the surviving landmarks from the estates of the Lipetsk region? And why is the temple in the homeland of the founder of the main Russian cathedral in Paris urgently in need of salvation and donations?
The village of Strelets has been known since the endXVII century. It received its name in honor of the Streltsy troops who founded the settlement here and became its first inhabitants.
The stone temple in the name of the Archangel Michael in the village of Strelets was built in the first halfXIX century. Its construction was started by local priest Vasily Vasiliev.
2. Archangel Church, Church of the Archangel Michael, 1816-1836.
Father Vasily was an incredibly kind and pious man. He lived modestly - he built a small house in Sagittarius. It was surrounded by a plot of land with an orchard and the necessary outbuildings.
3. The current museum in Strelets was built on the preserved foundation of the house of the priest Vasily Vasilyev.
The Vasiliev family raised eight children. The descendants of Vasily Vasiliev also connected their lives with serving God. Several of his sons became priests, and his daughters married priests. Their memories of childhood in Sagittarius, their father's parish and parental home always helped them.
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The most famous son Vasily Vasiliev became Joseph Vasiliev. He began his theological education in the Oryol province and continued in St. Petersburg. Joseph Vasiliev was always distinguished by his diligence in his studies and constantly expanded his horizons.
One day he became seriously interested in studying the topic of the presence of the Orthodox Church in Western countries and its diplomatic relations with other faiths. He devoted an entire scientific work. It was he who determined his future mission. Having become familiar with scientific works Father Vasily, the church leadership appointed him priest of the embassy church in Paris. At that time, the center of Orthodoxy in Paris was located in an ordinary residential building. Its area was extremely small. From the first minutes of his service in Paris, Father Joseph conceived the construction of a large Orthodox church in the capital of France. But his plans were not destined to be realized immediately. Having waited out the revolutions in France and Italy, conducting long and incredibly difficult negotiations with the authorities and collecting money for the construction of the temple, Joseph Vasiliev was still able to achieve a decision on the construction of the temple.
Joseph Vasiliev.
5. Sagittarius population: about 500 people. The number of exhibits in the museum is more than 7000.
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was built according to the design of architects Roman Kuzmin and Ivan Storm in the eclectic style. The solemn ceremony of consecration of the cathedral took place in 1861. This cathedral was destined to become a spiritual island of Russia in Paris. After the revolution on Sunday services one could meet many Russian aristocrats who, fleeing death and prison, were forced to leave their native country.
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Paris.
For a long time, the museum in Strelets had the status of a People's Museum and existed only due to the enthusiasm of Vladimir Belolipetsky and his assistants.
The family of Joseph Vasiliev is mentioned in the work of Valentin Pikul - the short story “Like Grass in a Field”:
- « Those were the forties - the formidable years of Nikolaev. The Theological Academy of the capital has always been considered a strict institution; this is not a seminary in a fertile province, where students drink and eat pickles. They taught hard. Latin, Greek, philosophy, history...
At that time, a certain Osip Vasiliev graduated from the academy - from a very poor, almost beggarly family, but the guy was surprisingly smart and educated. His master's thesis, “On the Primacy of the Pope,” written in Latin, revealed a great depth of knowledge in the history of the church, and they began to offer him a professorship. But the student refused the department, saying that he wanted to serve as a priest. The Synod did not object; the synodal rulers announced to it authoritatively:
- OK. Nowadays the embassy church of Paris needs just a priest... But first, get married.”
Osip chose his wife from the six daughters of the priest of the church at the Volkov cemetery, Evfimiya Flerov... “Osip Vasiliev, after mature reflection, chose Annushka, fortunately she studied at the Zalivkina boarding house and understood French. At that time, daughters of priests were hardly taught, considering that they could live without education, but the cemetery priest was ahead of his time, and his girls even danced like Smolyankas...
Immediately after the wedding, the young dean and his wife left for Paris, and arrived there just in time for the revolution, when the people overthrew King Louis Philippe, barricades were erected in the streets, the windows had to be covered with pillows, from which bullets stuck in feathers were shaken out in the morning. To the sound of gunfire, Anna Efimovna, without much effort, and even with some pleasure, hastily gave birth to her first daughter, and then they went, how they went - daughter after daughter, just have time to leaf through the calendar in order to choose a worthy name for the baptism of the newborn.
Sometimes Madame Vasilyeva took her children for a walk - to Parc Monceau and back. All the girls were in little white dresses, in identical Pruneel shoes, all in identical hats “a la furore”, each younger one held on to the belt of the eldest one walking in front, and the mother herself from time to time handed out frivolous “pandyrs” to them so that they would behave decorously and decently ..."
7. Memorial sign.
Father Joseph Vasiliev died at home from a stroke in Gatchina. During the funeral service for Father Joseph in the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg, many St. Petersburg residents were present. Metropolitans were also present at the funeral service, which was a symbol of special respect for the personality of the deceased. Joseph Vasiliev was buried on the territory of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. During the Soviet years, his grave was destroyed. Some sources say that the burial site of Anatoly Sobchak is currently located on the site of Father Joseph’s grave.
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It seemed that during the Soviet years the name of Father Joseph Vasiliev was consigned to oblivion. But that's not true! All this time he was honored in the homeland of the famous Orthodox figure - in the village of Strelets. Local activist, honored cultural worker Vladimir Nikolaevich Belolipetskikh became the permanent custodian of the memory of Joseph Vasiliev.
9. Vladimir Nikolaevich Belolipetskikh.
WITH early youth he was endowed with poetic talent and constantly organized cultural events for residents of the Dolgorukovsky district. Local residents admit: they were not afraid for the cultural education of their children because Vladimir Nikolaevich sensitively led them.
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11. Hall of Folk Life
In the eighties of the last century, Vladimir Belolipetskikh decided to open a local history museum in the village of Strelets on the basis of the local palace of culture. At that time, the “reanimation” of memories of history and Orthodox landmarks was still outlandish. Some village residents did not support Vladimir Nikolaevich’s initiatives. Like, who needs this museum in a village where only 500 people live?
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But Vladimir Belolipetskikh thought big - he wanted to instill in the villagers a love for their homeland, tell them about the Vasilyev family and the sights of the village, revive the Forgiven Well and the Temple of the Archangel Michael, preserve objects and valuables from the former estates of the Dolgorukovsky district. Despite the criticism, the majority of Sagittarius residents supported the activist’s initiatives. The long and painstaking work of collecting exhibits for the museum began. Vladimir Belolipetskikh found some of these unique things himself. So, for example, he saw a lion from Vasily Sheremetev’s estate on the banks of Bystraya Sosna in the yard of one of his friends. During the revolution of 1917, the estate was destroyed, and all its valuables were taken home. The lion who was saved by Vladimir Belolipetskikh became the only “living” witness to the prosperity of this noble estate. A similar story happened with some items in the “estate” corner of the museum: antique furniture, books, interior items.
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Over time, the Museum of the History of Sagittarius no longer fits into the local cultural center. Vladimir Nikolaevich began to ask local authorities for help in constructing a new building for the museum.
15. And this is how Sagittarius and the Temple of Michael the Archangel looked in the 19th century.
In 1995, the generally renovated museum opened its doors, but in a separate building. It was built on a fragment of the foundation of the destroyed Vasiliev estate. A memorial sign was installed next to the museum. Since then, the museum, created by Vladimir Belolipetskikh, has received relative autonomy. It existed on donations from citizens. And its leader did not receive a salary for his work for several decades.
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Answering the question about salary, Vladimir Nikolaevich is embarrassed. He emphasizes that all his life he created a museum from pure heart without taking material motivation into account. But he is happy to tell stories about the people who helped the museum.
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Many exhibits of the Streletsky Museum were donated to Vladimir Belolipetsky by patrons. Thus, one of the pearls of his “estate” collection is lifetime edition“Kozma Prutkov” by the Zhemchuzhnikov brothers. In the century before last, the Zhemchuzhnikov estate was located not far from Strelets. The rare edition was a gift to the museum from a Lipetsk collector.
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21. Sagittarius is a village of military glory. On December 9, its residents will celebrate the Day of Liberation of the village from the Nazi invaders
Vladimir Belolipetskikh has an amazing ability to interestingly present facts from the history of Sagittarius. One of the most interesting stands in his museum is a stand dedicated to UFO visits to the village. There were several eyewitnesses to this phenomenon. At the request of Vladimir Nikolaevich, one of the witnesses to the mystical incident described her impressions on a piece of paper and even drew an alien.
22. Andrey Naydenov holds an antique frame in his hands.
23. Corner of estates. Miraculously surviving objects left over from several estates in the Lipetsk region
Now the museum's exhibition includes more than 7,000 items. These are exhibits. Related to the history of the founding of the village, folk crafts, the Vasiliev family, neighboring estates, the years of the Great Patriotic War and modernityVladimir Nikolaevich Belolipetskikh admits: the creation of such a huge museum became possible only thanks to the kindness and responsiveness of the Russian people.
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Gradually, a cultural and historical center of the village began to form near the museum. A memorial complex and a small park near it were built. Students from a local school help Vladimir Belolipetsky with the museum. They also help him conduct excursions, which lately are coming to Sagittarius more and more often.
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26. WITH wonderful people, famous local historians and real devotees: Alexander Klokov, Andrei Naydenov and Vladimir Belolipetsky.
Residents of Sagittarius have dreamed for many decades that their Temple of the Archangel Michael would be restored. During the Soviet years it fell into a state of extreme desolation. Vladimir Belolipetskikh often described this temple in his poems. In addition, the fame of the huge rural museum in Strelets gradually began to “rattle” both in the Lipetsk region and beyond.
27. The temple was restored from ruins at the expense of the Energia plant and its director Vladimir Aleksandrovich Antipenko
And this is what the temple looked like in 2008 before restoration. 
Author of the photo: Irina Bukhtiyarova Taken: June 4, 2008
To restore the temple, Vladimir Belolipetskikh managed to attract the Yelets philanthropist - the head of the Energia plant, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Antipenko. Thanks to a patron's donation, the Church of St. Michael the Archangel was literally restored from ruins. Today there is a surprisingly bright atmosphere here and parish life. Also, schoolchildren from the Lipetsk region are frequent guests in Strelets. Here he conducts interesting excursions for children with meals in the temple. The parish of the Church of the Archangel Michael assumes most of the financial responsibility for excursions.
28. Due to absence modern system heating, the temple suffers greatly from cold and dampness.
However, not all is well in the temple. Due to the lack of gas, heating in the temple premises comes from a boiler. Elderly residents of the village, lifting heavy wood, selflessly stoke the boiler so that the parishioners do not freeze during the service. IN weekdays cold and dampness cause enormous damage to icons and walls in the temple. Residents of Sagittarius dream of insulating the temple, but for now this is a real luxury for them. The cost of all necessary work is about 900 thousand rubles. Streltsy residents believe that a miracle will definitely happen and money will be found to heat their temple. Just as their great fellow countryman Iofif Vasiliev once found money for the construction of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Paris.
29. Residents of Sagittarius will welcome any donations to the temple
The village of Strelets became a real discovery for me. Traveling around Russia, I saw many passionate people. But meeting Vladimir Belolipetskikh made an incredibly strong impression on me. This man was able to create a huge local history museum in a small village. An incredibly conceptual and rich museum in the village! Not every city has such stunning exhibitions! Vladimir Belolipetskikh has become a symbol of the fact that any undertaking can be carried out if there is a desire
I am concerned about the state of the temple in Sagittarius. He may suffer the fate of dozens Russian churches, whose heroic restoration came to naught due to dampness and cold. Friends, let's help Vladimir Nikolaevich and the village residents raise the necessary amount of money to organize gas heating in the church! By transferring even a small amount, we will increase the chances of Streltsy residents joining the co-financing program and other conditions under which the goal can be achieved! These people are an example of true patriots. I am sure that our feasible donation will give them an incentive to do even more good deeds and accomplishments!
You can transfer money for the temple to the “Mir” card belonging to Vladimir Nikolaevich Belolipetskikh: 2202 2002 7079 2466
Vladimir Nikolaevich’s phone number for questions about donations and organizing excursions: 8-905-683-14-32
I thank Vladimir Nikolaevich Belolipetskikh for the warm welcome, interview and historical data about the village of Strelets!
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On December 28, 2012, the annual meeting of the clergy of the Saratov diocese took place in the meeting hall of the Church in honor of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos in Saratov. Metropolitan Longinus of Saratov and Volsk made the main report at the meeting. Published in abbreviation
All-honorable fathers, brothers and sisters!
This year, for the first time, the Diocesan Assembly of the Saratov and Volsk diocese is being held - within those boundaries that were determined in connection with the formation of the Saratov Metropolis (by decision Holy Synod dated October 6, 2011) by separating two new ones from the Saratov diocese.
Nowadays, the Saratov and Volsk diocese includes parishes within the boundaries of the city of Saratov, Volsky, Voskresensky, Khvalynsky, Bazarno-Karabulaksky, Novoburassky, Baltaysky, Petrovsky, Atkarsky and Tatishchevsky districts of the Saratov region.
The ruling Bishops of the dioceses that are part of the Saratov Metropolis meet regularly to perform cathedral services and the work of the Bishops' Council of the Metropolis. On December 17 and 19, the first anniversary of the consecration of Bishop Tarasius of Balashov and Rtishchevsk and Bishop Pachomius of Pokrovsk and Nikolaev was celebrated. Cathedral services took place in the Cathedral in the name of Archangel Mikhail Balashov and the Trinity Cathedral of Pokrovsk.
In the new dioceses all types of church ministry are intensively developing. Churches are being built, new parishes are opening. The presence of new bishops and their activities provide an active stimulus to internal church life, which once again proves the necessity and timeliness of such a measure as increasing the number of dioceses with the disaggregation of existing ones.
Statistics
In 2012, the Ruling Bishop of the Saratov Diocese committed 263 worship services, including 143 liturgy.
Done 56 for Archpastoral trips to deaneries of the Saratov diocese outside the regional center; 10 visits to dioceses that are part of the Saratov Metropolis.
Serving in the Saratov diocese 180 clergymen, of them 155 priests and 25 deacons.
Committed 19 consecration: 8 priestly and 11 deacons.
From total number clergy: monastics– 20 people, including: abbots 7 , hieromonks 9 , hierodeacons 4 .
Nuns of convents - 21 (robed nuns - 15 ; Rassophores – 6).
In 2012, the Diocesan Bishop committed 2 monastic tonsure.
Nun NEONILLA (BORKOVSKAYA) on Holy Wednesday, April 11, 2012, in the church in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God “Hodegetria” of Smolensk St. Alexievsky convent The city of Saratov was tonsured into the schema with the name SELAFHIEL, in honor of the Archangel Selaphiel.
On December 25, at the Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Saratov, a novice of the monastery, a graduate of the Saratov Orthodox Theological Seminary in 2011, DIONISY TERESHCHENKO was tonsured a monk with the name HERMOGENES, in honor of the holy martyr Hermogenes of Tobolsk.
From other dioceses, the staff of the Saratov diocese received 2 clergyman:
- Archpriest Svyatoslav PARMAKLI - transferred from the Intercession Diocese of the Saratov Metropolis;
— Priest Dionisy Elistratov joined the staff of the Saratov diocese after graduating from the MDA.
Enlisted as a staff member with the right to transfer to other dioceses, according to the submitted petition, 2 clergyman:
- priest Vasily VASILIEV - with the right to transfer to the Balashov diocese of the Saratov metropolis;
- priest Vladimir KASHIRIN - with the right to transfer to the Berlin diocese of the ROCOR.
Banned from clergy 2 cleric:
— priest Igor PIKHTOVNIKOV was banned from serving in the priesthood and was placed on the staff for unauthorized abandonment of ministry;
- Deacon Dimitry MITYAKOV is prohibited from serving in the priesthood for behavior inconsistent with the rank of a clergyman.
Priest Sergius USTINOV was banned from the priesthood for a period of 3 months. The same year the ban was lifted.
Priest Artemy MITIN, who was banned from the priesthood, was defrocked by Decree of the Ruling Bishop of the Saratov Diocese No. 51 of July 11, 2012, according to the decision Church court Saratov Diocese, approved by the Ruling Bishop and His Holiness Patriarch KIRILL (resolution dated 07/07/2012)
The clergy of the Saratov diocese went to the Lord:
— priest Vladimir SUCHKOV,
— Protodeacon John SYCHEV
- supernumerary clergy priest Andrei ODINOKOV, priest Viktor BOGDANOV.
Let's sing "Eternal Memory" to them
Parishes and deaneries
In the Saratov diocese 131 registered parish. Besides them 8 do not have legal registration ( 4 prison, 3 hospital, 1 church in the cemetery - right. Lazarus). Valid 2 men's and 2 women's monasteries.
Let me remind you that in October 2011, a new division of dean districts was made. The Saratov diocese includes 13 deaneries.
1. Central Deanery within the boundaries of the Kirovsky, Frunzensky and Oktyabrsky districts of the city of Saratov; dean priest Ilya Kuznetsov;
2. Trinity Deanery within the boundaries of the Volzhsky district of the city of Saratov, as well as the following municipalities of the Saratov region: Volnovsky, Dubkovsky, Raskovsky, Ust-Kurdyumsky; dean; dean archpriest Sergiy Dogadin;
3. Peter and Paul Deanery within the boundaries of the Leninsky district of the city of Saratov, as well as the Krasnooktyabrsky, Mikhailovsky, Sokolovsky municipalities of the Saratov region; dean - Hegumen Nektariy (Morozov);
4. All Saints Deanery within the boundaries of the Zavodsky district of the city of Saratov, as well as Aleksandrovsky, Bagaevsky, Krasny Tekstilshchik, Rybushansky, Sinensky municipalities of the Saratov region; dean - priest Alexander Domrachev;
5. Atkarskoe deanery within the boundaries of the Atkarsky district;
6. Petrovskoe deanery within the boundaries of the Petrovsky district;
7. Tatishchevskoe deanery within the borders of the Tatishchevsky district - all three districts are headed by an archpriest Dionisy Abramov;
8. Bazarno-Karabulak deanery within the boundaries of the Bazarno-Karabulak district;
9. Novoburas deanery within the boundaries of the Novoburassky district; dean of two districts priest Nikolay Protasov;
10. Baltai deanery within the boundaries of the Baltai region; priest Vadim Derzhavin;
11. Volsk deanery within the boundaries of the Volsky district;
12. Resurrection Deanery within the boundaries of the Voskresensky district; the dean of these two districts is the archpriest Alexy Zemtsov;
13. Khvalynsk deanery within the boundaries of the Khvalynsky district; a priest was appointed dean Vitaly Kolpachenko.
Dean of the monasteries of the Saratov diocese - Hegumen Euthymius(Mitryukov).
Last year we went on an experiment, dividing the regional center into 4 separate deaneries and annexing parts of the Saratov district to 3 of them. This is due to the fact that the Saratov region is not rich, and maintaining a separate dean district there, with a full-fledged structure, as experience has shown, is quite difficult. This practice has been running for a year. For now we will maintain this structure.
At the same time, I can note that with the creation of several deaneries in Saratov, the manageability of city churches has increased, and I would like to thank all Saratov deaneries: Archpriest Sergius Dogadin, abbot Nektaria (Morozova), priests Ilya Kuznetsov, Alexandra Domracheva.
The development of church life in Saratov continues. Our main problem Today in the regional center there are great difficulties in obtaining plots of land for the construction of new churches. Today the number of parishes in Saratov, including monasteries and hospital churches, is approaching forty. Almost the same number existed before the revolution in old Saratov, which was much smaller in size and number of inhabitants. But for today this, of course, is very little. Moreover, the city is growing, new microdistricts are being built. You can give the following figures. At one time, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill said that full-fledged church parish life is possible where there is at least one church for 10-11 thousand people. The population of Saratov is 837 thousand people. Almost 270 thousand people live in the Leninsky district. Today, there are only 7 churches there, of which 2 are cemetery churches (and Lazarus of the Four Days is difficult to access and cannot be considered a full-fledged parish), one military (in the name of Elijah the Prophet), two have not yet been completed (in the name of Peter and Paul, the Three Saints). That is, according to the most optimistic estimates, in our Leninsky district there is one church for almost 40 thousand people, and in general in Saratov there are half as many churches as required. There are not enough churches in cities, especially in the regional center. This happens for many reasons, but one of the most important is that in Saratov all the plots have been sold or are of such commercial value that they cannot be approached. The paradox of Russian reality - that we have the largest territory, the smallest population and at the same time the most expensive land - still persists.
But we are working on opening new parishes and will continue. Based on the population in the regional center, there should be at least 65-70 churches here - for us this is the minimum to which we will strive. The same applies to other cities in the region. Registered in Volsk 4 new arrivals, highlighted 2 plot for the construction of new churches, a decision was made to return to the Church the surviving buildings of the convent in honor of Vladimir icon Mother of God.
I would like to seriously warn the dean fathers about the inadmissibility of artificially delaying the construction of new churches on newly acquired sites in Saratov, Volsk and other cities of the diocese.
Part I. Construction and restoration of temples
This year the rite of the Great Consecration was performed 2 newly built, 3 completely restored temples, 1 chapel in the restored temple.
January 14 The Great Consecration took place Church in honor of the Epiphany of the Lord. Tersa Volsky district. It was built within the fence of a destroyed church that existed in the village before the revolution.
Construction began in 2008, and since that time, services have been held in the village in an adapted building.
On April 20, the restored temple in honor of the Resurrection of Christ was consecrated. Ivano-Yazykovka, Atkarsky district. In Soviet times, the temple had a cinema hall, then a grain warehouse, then, as in most villages, the building was abandoned and destroyed, the bell tower was dismantled. The decision to restore the temple was made in 2005. The work took about 7 years with the help of philanthropists. I would like to address words of gratitude to the rector of the temple, priest Sergius Vershkov. Thanks to his activity and caring attitude towards his ministry, it was possible to gather benefactors and a full-fledged living parish in a seemingly hopeless place.
August 11 a chapel was consecrated in honor of the Beheading of the Prophet and Forerunner of the Baptist John in the Church of the Nativity of Christ in Volsk. The pre-revolutionary temple itself was returned to the Church in 2004. The consecration of the chapel completed the restoration of the Nativity Church in Volsk, for which I thank its rector, Archpriest Alexander Tkachev. What he has managed to do in recent years is unique in scope and quality. Now I expect the same activity from Father Alexander in the construction of the new temple entrusted to him.
October 2 The rite of consecration of the temple was performed in the name of St. Sergius of Radonezh in the village of Kosheli, Voskresensky district. The temple was built on the site of one destroyed during the years of Soviet power, also dedicated to St. Sergius. A small wooden church was erected with funds from benefactors - summer residents and local residents.
October 22 The Great Consecration took place after the large-scale restoration of the temple in honor of the Intercession Holy Mother of God Saratov. Everyone knows the dramatic history of this temple, which was first consecrated in 1885, and which until the early 1990s in our city was the most striking symbol of the desecration of the Church. Many still remember this majestic building in the very center of the city with birch trees instead of domes. In recent years, a lot has been done in the temple through the efforts of the current rector, Abbot Evfimy (Mitryukov), the interior decoration has been completed, and the paintings have been re-done.
November 14 The Great Consecration of the Church of the St. Nicholas Monastery in Saratov, built in 1898, was completed, also after a long and large-scale restoration. Restoration work lasted 18 years. Here we should kindly remember the former governor Pavel Leonidovich Ipatov, because he took on some obligations, and a significant part of the funds necessary for repairs was collected with his participation. A large amount of work was completed, in fact the building was rebuilt from the foundation to the roof. It remains to finish the iconostasis and part of the interior decoration, but in principle, both the temple and the monastery itself with its territory have already been put in order. I thank Abbot Nikon (Polyakov) and the brethren for the labors they carry out.
June 16 The rite of founding the temple in the name of Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk in the Zavodskoy district of Saratov. The ground floor of the new temple was erected, which can accommodate 500 people. So far it's the only temple on Proletarka, a fairly large microdistrict of the Zavodsky district. For six years now, a temporary church has been operating here in the premises of a former grocery store.
Now the construction of the new temple is progressing at a very good pace. thanks to the help of many benefactors and, above all, thanks to the efforts, activity, and very good perseverance of the rector, priest Alexander Domrachev. For this year b O Most of the walls have been laid out; next year Father Superior dreams of finishing and covering it, and we will pray that these dreams of his will come true.
September 4 The rite of foundation was performed Church in honor of the Ascension of the Lord in the Zavodskoy district of Saratov. Its construction began quite actively, but, unfortunately, after the elections it practically stopped. I hope that Father Gennady Tokar, rector of the Church of All Saints who shone forth in the Russian Land, who is also the rector of the Ascension Church, will gather his strength and continue construction with the assistance of the Church of All Saints, because this is a fairly well-off city church.
Continuing the topic of construction and restoration in the regional center, I would like to note that such work was carried out actively at many sites throughout the year.
Of course, the main object that required special attention is the historical building of the Saratov Orthodox Theological Seminary. It was specially built for her in 1885. This is a unique complex, in which, in addition to educational and administrative premises, there is a house church, and where all the needs of the theological school are provided, there are all conditions for study and living of seminarians.
But let me remind you that the building was returned to the Church in almost disrepair. Most clergy are there, going into the accounting department and other diocesan services, and see it with their own eyes. Major repairs were required. As always, in the process of repairing this kind of ancient buildings, more and more new problems are revealed, additional work and funds are required. But still, we hope that during the spring-summer of next year the entire volume restoration work will be finished.
The SPDS Board of Trustees was created, and its first meeting was held on February 24. The First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration took the most interested part in its work Russian Federation V.V. Volodin.
Part of the work was carried out at the expense of the federal budget: within the framework of the federal target program “Culture of Russia (2012-2018)” 10.165 million rubles were allocated to continue repair and restoration work on the SPDS building. These funds were used to repair the central staircase hall with strengthening of doorways, arches and ceilings; replacing the fillings of old window openings with new ones. The contract for the work was awarded to the Moscow organization Remstroy LLC on a competitive basis.
The bulk of sponsorship funds were collected with the assistance of V.V. Volodina. Thanks to them, this year repair work was carried out in the left wing of the building, starting from the basement and including the roof. All repair and restoration work is carried out by NPPF Stroyrestavratsiya and the contracting organization Geotekhnika-S, which performs the work on a self-employed basis. The floors were replaced; dismantling and installation work, followed by finishing work; electrical wiring and ventilation device; filling window openings; strengthening foundations; external decoration of building facades.
In 2013, a visit to Saratov by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' is planned, during which it is possible that the seminary church in the name of the holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian and the restored seminary building will be consecrated.
Construction continues Peter and Paul Church in the Leninsky district of Saratov, where it is urgently needed (I have already given the figures). Maybe not at such a fast pace as we would all like, but, nevertheless, work is going on almost non-stop.
The temple is being built with great difficulty in the name of the saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius at Saratov State University. The peculiarity of our political situation - the lack of unity in the elites - constantly leads to the struggle of everyone with everyone, and in this struggle all methods are used, no one is spared. The very fact of building a temple at the university became the reason for numerous proceedings, intervention by the prosecutor's office, judicial and other authorities. Therefore, approximately the same amount of effort as was put into building the temple was spent trying to fight off the claims. Moreover, to a huge extent this is the merit of the university rector Leonid Yuryevich Kossovich, who also had to experience a lot of pressure. The literally ascetic efforts of Sergei Ivanovich Nebaluev and the works of the rector of the church, Father Kirill Krasnoshchekov, are of decisive importance. I express my gratitude to them.
Slowly, but still, construction of a temple in the name of Saints Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom in Polivanovka. I hope that next year we will consecrate this temple.
The restoration of the temple in the name of saint Mary Equal to the Apostles Magdalene.
The long-term restoration of the temple is coming to an end in honor of the Nativity of Christ, thanks to the help of philanthropists, primarily Yuri Vladimirovich Erofeev.
The temple in the name of Saint Mitrofan of Voronezh. Unfortunately, under its first rector, they began to erect a bell tower, and they built it without regard to any architectural and construction standards, so now that the bell tower has been built, no matter how funny it may sound, all efforts and resources have been devoted to its restoration. It is very difficult to remodel an existing building, much less strengthen it, and this takes a lot of time and effort. In addition, there are legal problems regarding this temple that are very difficult to resolve.
The temple in the name of St. Serafima Sarovskog O. The temple, which is loved in our city, one of the most visited, was in a very difficult condition due to its disrepair. This is a common, but extremely unsuccessful, structure made of logs lined with bricks in our area. Logs and bricks have different technical characteristics, and if they are connected, they destroy each other. Therefore, all such churches, for example, the Saratov Kazan and several churches in the regions, are deteriorating and are very difficult to restore. We thought for a long time what to do with the Seraphim Church, but, thank God, we found acceptable technical solutions. In fact, the Seraphim Temple is being built anew. It has a new foundation, new supporting walls, new roof. A very extensive work was carried out, for which I especially thank priest Ilya Kuznetsov. Nowadays it is not so easy to find sponsors in Saratov, but he succeeded.
A new governor has been appointed this year. Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery in Saratov. He became hegumen Macarius (Zorin). Of course, a lot of work needs to be put into a newly built monastery. It is very difficult even just to maintain order in the territory that has been handed over to us today, but the brethren are coping with it. To pray to God, to perform regular divine services, to strive to the best of one’s ability - this is the task that faces Spaso-Preobrazhensky, Nikolsky, and our other monasteries today. There is still a lot to be done in Spaso-Preobrazhensky: the cathedral, bell tower, and monastery walls need to be restored. With the appointment of a new Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, we raised the issue of transferring to us the remaining part of the monastery territory that was not transferred to us, with those buildings and structures that remained from the Saratov Military Institute of Chemical Defense. We hope this issue will be resolved positively.
I thank Father Macarius for the work that he carries out. He had already managed to do a lot during these six months to improve the life of the monastery. I would only like to warn him: not to get carried away by the rapid increase in the number of brethren, because in our time there are actually not many people capable of monastic life. It is advisable to start by creating a core community of people in whom we are at least partly confident.
Much has been done in last year and in women's Svyato-Alexievsky monastery This includes the beautification of the temples, upper and lower, and the renovation of the nursing building, and much more. Next up is the construction of the monastery wall, which Mother Feodosia and I have been talking about for a long time.
Restoration work in the only building remaining from Holy Cross women's monastery, which was returned to the diocese, and which is now occupied by the inter-diocesan women's religious school. Priest Sergius Klyaev, with the help of philanthropists, was gradually able to complete the restoration, and now the building is very beautiful temple, comfortable premises for studying and living of pupils. True, now it is becoming a little crowded there, and for this reason it was decided to transfer to Father Sergius another returned historical building of the former almshouse of the Church of the Intercession on the street. Lermontov. That's enough large room, where the house church of the Holy Trinity was also located. With my blessing, this temple will be consecrated in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. On the day of the celebration, a religious procession was held in honor of this icon. Already now, Father Sergius is holding prayer services there, clearing the premises, and looking for philanthropists who will take on the priority work. After it is restored, the school's educational building will be located there.
Very complex legal proceedings have been completed, and we are already working on the building of one of the two churches illegally privatized in Saratov: this is part of the former courtyard of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery - a temple in honor of Passion of the Lord. I won’t hold your attention for long and tell you what legal difficulties we had to overcome. The impossible was done, but this temple was nevertheless returned to us, although, according to custom, it was practically in disrepair. Now the ceilings have been removed, and the rector of the temple, priest Sergius Vygodin, is looking for benefactors. The diocese partially helps in carrying out priority emergency response work. In the near future, I think we will organize regular worship services there.
One can also rejoice that this year the long restoration of the temple in honor of Protection of the Mother of God in Petrovsk, improvement of its territory, for which I am grateful to Father Vladislav Pervakov.
September 6 I consecrated the site for the construction of a temple in the name of St. Basil the Great in the village of Yagodnaya Polyana, Tatishchevsky district.
Dear fathers and brothers, at the last diocesan meeting we said that the Hierarchy of our Church has set the task of opening Orthodox parishes in every locality of the Russian Federation. We also talked about the fact that, first of all, we must try to arrange a place where the Divine Liturgy can be celebrated, not limiting ourselves to the performance of rituals.
January 20 first Divine Liturgy was performed in the temple in the name of the saint John the Baptist in the village of Prigorodny, Petrovsky district. The temple is equipped in a room allocated by the village administration.
July 6 for the first time served the Divine Liturgy in the church in honor of Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Novozakharkino, Petrovsky district, which is equipped in part of the administration building of the rural municipality.
August 21 was organized new parish, and on October 13, I performed the Rite of Small Consecration of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Sinenkiye, Petrovsky District. The temple is also located in a room allocated by the village administration.
August 28 the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the church in honor of Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Bolshevik Volsk. The church is currently equipped in an adapted room on the territory allocated by the city administration for the construction of the temple.
November 8 A house church began to operate in the village of Elshanka, Khvalynsky district, and the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated. Room in the building kindergarten provided by the district administration.
On December 1, a house church was opened in the village of Sokur, Tatishchevsky district. In the center of this settlement there is the ancient Church of the Intercession, built in 1902, which is in need of serious restoration. Until its completion, a temporary house church will operate in the village administration building.
December 13 the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated in temporary Ilyinsky Church on Ilyinskaya Square in Saratov. It is located next to the place where it is planned to restore the temple, thanks to which Ilyinskaya Square in old Saratov received its name. The task of restoring the Elias Church was and remains difficult for the Saratov diocese, but we hope that active construction of the temple will begin in the spring.
December 20 a temporary temple was consecrated in honor Iveron Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Shevyrevka, Saratov region. It is also equipped during the construction of a new temple building.
In 2012, several chapels and prayer rooms in social institutions were also consecrated. February 13- in the comprehensive center for social services for the disabled and elderly in the Leninsky district of Saratov; April 4- at the Central Regional Hospital Tatishchevo.
