Patriarch Kirill, Photo from rodoslav.wordpress.com
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill in the nineties did not waste time in vain: in his professional piggy bank the organization of tobacco, oil, automobile and food business. According to various estimates, all this hectic activity brought capital to the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in the amount of 1.5-4 billion dollars. Now the patriarch has at his disposal an apartment in the famous "House on the Embankment", Breguet watches worth about 30 thousand euros, palaces in Peredelkino and Gelendzhik, as well as a personal fleet.
Novaya Gazeta published on its pages compromising material on the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, in the world - Gundyaev Vladimir Mikhailovich. According to the newspaper, in the 90s, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, being a modest head of the Department for External Church Relations (DECR MP), was actively involved in business, thanks to which he amassed a fortune of several billion. Yes, not rubles, but dollars.
Cyril tobacco
The business career of the patriarch began in 1993. Then, with the participation of the Moscow Patriarchate, the Nika financial and trading group arose, whose vice-president was Archpriest Vladimir Veriga, commercial director of the DECR MP. A year later, two commissions for humanitarian aid appeared under the government of the Russian Federation and at the same time in the OVCC: the first decided what kind of aid could be exempted from taxes and excises, and the second - imported this aid through the church line and sold it to commercial structures. Thus, most of the tax-exempt aid was distributed through the regular trade network, at normal market prices.
Through this channel, in 1996 alone, the DECR imported about 8 billion cigarettes into the country (data from the government commission for humanitarian aid). This caused serious damage to the "tobacco kings" of that time, who were forced to pay duties and excises and therefore lost in the competition of the DECR MP.
According to Sergey Bychkov, Doctor of Historical Sciences, who published several articles about the patriarch's tobacco business, when Kirill decided to leave this business, more than $50 million worth of "church" cigarettes remained in customs warehouses. During the criminal war for these cigarettes, in particular, an assistant to the deputy Zhirinovsky, a certain Dzen, was killed.
And here is a letter from the State Customs Committee of the Russian Federation to the Moscow Customs Administration dated February 8, 1997, regarding “church” cigarettes: “In connection with the appeal of the Commission on International Humanitarian and Technical Assistance under the Government of the Russian Federation and the decision of the Prime Minister dated January 29, 1997, No. VC-P22/38 I authorize the production of customs clearance of tobacco products in accordance with the established procedure with the payment of only excise duty received on the customs territory before 01.01.97, in accordance with the decision of the above-mentioned Commission.
So, in fact, since then, a new title has been assigned to Metropolitan Kirill - “Tobacco”, writes Novaya Gazeta, while specifying that now he is no longer titled like that. Now it is customary to call the patriarch "Lyzhneg" - with the light hand of Orthodox bloggers who drew attention to the great importance in the life and work of Kirill of his passion for skiing (this hobby is served by a villa in Switzerland and a private jet, and in Krasnaya Polyana it helps to consolidate informal relationships with strong this world).
By the way, Kirill himself somehow tried to justify his participation in the tobacco business: “The people who were involved in this did not know what to do: burn these cigarettes or send them back? We appealed to the government, and it made a decision: recognize it as a humanitarian cargo and provide an opportunity to implement it.” Government representatives categorically denied this information, after which Patriarch Alexy II liquidated the DECR-MP commission and created a new ROC-MP Humanitarian Aid Commission headed by Bishop Alexy (Frolov).
Kirill oil
In addition to the aforementioned Nika fund, the DECR MP acted as the founder of the commercial bank Peresvet, JSC International Economic Cooperation (MES), JSC Free People's Television (SNT) and a number of other structures. After 1996, Kirill's most profitable business was the export of oil through the MES, which was exempted from customs duties at the request of Alexy II. Kirill was represented at the MES by Bishop Viktor (Pyankov), who now lives as a private individual in the United States. The company's annual turnover in 1997 was about $2 billion.
Due to the secrecy of this information, it is now difficult to understand whether Kirill continues to participate in the oil business, but there is one very eloquent fact. A few days before the start of the US military operation against Saddam Hussein, Kirill's deputy Bishop Feofan (Ashurkov) flew to Iraq.
Cyril Marine
In 2000, information was made public about Metropolitan Kirill's attempts to penetrate the market of marine biological resources (caviar, crabs, seafood) - the relevant government structures allocated quotas to the company established by the hierarch (JSC "Region") for catching king crab and shrimp (total volume - more than 4 thousand tons).
According to Kaliningrad journalists, Metropolitan Kirill, as the ruling bishop of the diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in the Kaliningrad region, participated in an automobile joint venture in Kaliningrad. It is characteristic that Kirill, even after becoming patriarch, did not appoint a diocesan bishop to the Kaliningrad cathedra, leaving it under his direct control.
Cyril luxurious
In 2004, Nikolai Mitrokhin, a researcher at the Center for Shadow Economy Research at the Russian State Humanitarian University, published a monograph on the shadow economic activity of the ROC MP. The value of the assets controlled by Metropolitan Kirill was estimated in this work at $1.5 billion. Two years later, journalists from Moscow News tried to count the assets of the head of the Church Foreign Ministry and came to the conclusion that they already totaled $4 billion.
And according to The New Times, in 2002, Metropolitan Kirill bought a penthouse in the "House on the Embankment" overlooking the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. By the way, this is “the only apartment in Moscow registered specifically in the name of the metropolitan, by his secular surname Gundyaev, about which there is a corresponding entry in the cadastral register.”
Another attribute of this life that has become the subject of wide discussion is a Breguet watch worth about 30 thousand euros, who filmed on the left hand of the patriarch, next to the monastic rosary, are Ukrainian journalists. This happened the next day after Kirill pompously broadcast live on the main Ukrainian TV channels: “It is very important to learn Christian asceticism ... Asceticism is the ability to regulate one's consumption ... This is a person's victory over lust, over passions, over instinct. And it is important that both the rich and the poor possess this quality.
The luxurious motorcades of Patriarch Kirill and the security services from the FSO, which he uses, have become a byword. In Moscow, when a patriarch travels, all the streets along his route are blocked, which, naturally, causes mass indignation of car owners. In Ukraine, Kirill's half-kilometer corteges completely shocked local residents: in a neighboring country, even the president travels much more modestly.
True, we must pay tribute to Kirill: for official visits, he charters the planes of the Transaero company, and uses his personal fleet only for personal purposes.
A separate and almost inexhaustible topic is the palaces and residences of the patriarch. Cyril strives to keep up with the first persons of the state in this matter. His permanent residence was the newly built palace in Peredelkino, for the sake of which several houses of local residents were demolished. From the windows of the trains of the Kiev direction, it looks like a large Russian tower - like the Terem Palace in the Kremlin. Kirill does not like living there: he is worried about the nearby railway.
Therefore, the current patriarch ordered to re-finish the palace in the Danilov Monastery, which had not looked poor before. Not without scandals and the construction of the patriarchal palace in Gelendzhik, which first of all aroused the indignation of local environmentalists.
Cyril scandalous
For the first time, the scandal around the Gelendzhik dacha of the patriarch broke out a year ago, when the activists of the "Environmental Watch" in the North Caucasus penetrated the territory of the facility under construction. During the inspection, they found out that at least 10 hectares of a unique forest are fenced with a three-meter fence, and in the center there is a strange “pathos” building topped with domes - something between a temple and a mansion.
At the same time, according to Novaya Gazeta, in 2004 the Russian Orthodox Church received at its disposal a plot of land with an area of only 2 hectares. Moreover, this land belonged to the Forest Fund, respectively, according to the law, it is impossible to build capital buildings on this land. Nevertheless, large-scale construction began here. Ecologists say that during the construction, from 5 to 10 hectares of valuable forest were cut down, which is confirmed by images from space.
The Russian Orthodox Church hastened to refute the arguments of the "greens". The Moscow Patriarchate referred to the act of Rospotrebnadzor, according to which no facts of illegal logging were recorded on the territory of the Spiritual and Cultural Center. Environmentalists, in turn, point to the fact that the document was drawn up in December 2010 - that is, several years after the destruction of the forest.
Another scandal around the patriarch's dacha, again initiated by environmentalists, flared up in October of the past year. Then the activists that the fire that broke out at the end of September of the same year on the territory of the Spiritual and Cultural Center of the Moscow Patriarchate could be the result of arson. As Novaya Gazeta noted at the time, according to the law, builders are required to pay hundreds of thousands of rubles in compensation for destroyed trees. And if the trees were burned in the fire, then compensation payments can be avoided.
In early 2011, the press reported that the ROC facility under construction near Gelendzhik was nothing more than a dacha for Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. However, the information department of the Moscow Patriarchate refuted these arguments, stating that a spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church in southern Russia is being built on this site, along with existing centers in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
According to materials:
"The bishop must be blameless, as God's steward, not impudent, not angry, not a drunkard, not a scourge, not a covetous person, but a hospitable (hospitable), loving good, chaste, just, pious, temperate, holding on to the true word, in agreement with the teaching, so that he would be strong and instruct in sound doctrine and opposed denounce. For there are many who are disobedient, idle talkers and deceivers, especially from the circumcised with which the mouth should be blocked: they destroy whole houses teaching what should not, out of shameful self-interest. Of them, one poet said: "The Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy wombs." The evidence is correct. For this reason rebuke them severely, that they may be sound in the faith, not heeding Jewish fables and the decrees of people who turn away from the truth. To the pure, all is pure; but Nothing is pure for the defiled and unbelieving, but their mind and conscience are defiled.. They say they know God, but by their deeds they deny it, being vile and rebellious and incapable of any good deed."(Epistle of the Apostle Paul to Titus. 1: 7-16).
This, as you already understood, is a fragment of the BIBLE, where the apostle Paul, a follower of Jesus Christ, talks about JEWS talking about them as "disobedient, idle talkers and deceivers", which "you need to block your mouth" because they "they corrupt whole houses, teaching what they shouldn't, out of shameful self-interest."
Paul admonished all who received the WORD of Christ to be HEALTHY in the faith, not heeding Jewish fables because for them, Jews, "There is nothing pure, but both their mind and conscience are defiled."
If someone does not know or does not understand who they are JUDEA I explain: Jews(colloquially - Jews) they are jews And their leaders, which "They say they know God, but by their deeds they deny it, being vile and disobedient, and incapable of any good deed...." It is about them that the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah said: "This is because My people are stupid, do not know Me: they are foolish children, and they have no sense; they are smart for evil, but they do not know how to do good"(Jer. 4:22). Brazenly declaring to everyone that they are "God's chosen people," the Jews are doing everything against God, against Christ, and, accordingly, against Christians. That is why Christ the Savior said to them: "your father is the devil, and you want to fulfill the lusts of your father..." (John 8:44). He also taught people this wisdom: "By their fruits you will know them" (Matthew 7:16).
What do they generate fruit, should be clear to everyone: Jews they sow death everywhere, gradually kindle discord among peoples, arrange revolutions, thereby striving to gain at any cost dominion over the world. They sought the death of Christ in every possible way, about which there are many testimonies in the Bible. Finally Jews achieved their goal - they crucified Christ on the cross. And now instrument of death- crucifix - became a symbol modern Christianity.
And if the Jews HANGED Christ, then the symbol of modern Christianity would be GALLOWS? And Christians would wear instead of a cross with a crucified Jesus something similar, depicted in the picture below?
Don't think that I'm blaspheming! At home in Israel Jews spread the rumor that Christ was not crucified, but hanged!
I was recently sent a book published in Jerusalem, which is called "The story of the hanged man or the story of Yeshu from Nazareth".
Its translation from Hebrew was made by P. GIL. Here is the imprint of the book: PROGRESS Publishing, JERUSALEM * 5746 (1985), 1985 Copyright by PROGRESS Publishers, PROGRESS Publishers P.O.B. 6608, Jerusalem, ISRAEL, ISBN 965-293-007-5.
Most of all, I was struck by the preface from the translator. Here it is.
IN "Hanged Man Stories" collected traditions about Yeshu (Jesus Christ) and the first Christians contained in the Talmud and midrash. This small book was compiled many centuries ago. The famous scholar of ancient and medieval Jewish literature, Dr. Shmuel Kraus, in his book "Das Leben Jesu" (Berlin, 1902) suggests that the "Hanged Man's Story" was written in Aramaic, probably as early as the 5th century AD ., but in any case not later than the 11th century. Later, apparently, in the 11th-12th centuries, during the time of Rashi and Rambam, when the Aramaic language ceased to be the spoken language of a significant part of the Jewish people, the book was translated into Hebrew.
At that time, Jews in Spain, France, Italy, Germany began to be subjected to severe persecution by the Christian rulers of these countries. "The Story of the Hanged Man" enjoyed great popularity among the broadest Jewish masses. There is reason to believe that at this time additional traditions from the Talmud, as well as separate elements of what can be called Jewish folk art, were included in the "Hanged Man Story".
Since Yeshu presented in this book in a very unsightly light., it is clear that the scribes and readers of The Hanged Man tried not to give it too much publicity, in any case they made efforts to so that it does not fall into the hands of Christians. Nevertheless, in 1681, a German by the name of Wagenseil published a Latin translation of the History, calling it "The Tricks of the Devil" ("Tela ignae Satanae"). Later, translations of The Hanged Man's Story into many other languages were published. This translation was made from the Hebrew text published in the book "Otzar Vikuhim" ("Collection of Disputes"), published in the late 1920s in New York by I.-D. Eisenstein.
The Jewish sages did not consider the "Hanged Man" to be a sufficiently authoritative source. The reason for this attitude was, in particular, that some of the stories cited in this book are either completely absent from the Talmudic literature, or differ significantly from what is said in the Talmud about Yeshu. On the other hand, many of the statements contained in the "Hanged Man Story" - and sometimes the most unexpected at first glance - find confirmation in quite authoritative sources. So, for example, Rashi in his commentary to the Talmud writes, referring to the "Hanged Man Story", that the apostles were sent by the Jewish sages to the Christians in order to induce them to finally separate from the Jews. In general, it can be said that despite the differences in details, the Talmudic sources and the "Hanged Man" are united in their attitude towards Yeshu and Christianity.
The Jewish people have always - from the moment of the emergence of Christianity to this day - treated this religion with the deepest contempt, considering Christian dogma as a heap nonsense And absurdities, and Christian morality as deceitful And hypocritical. The Jews even tried not to mention the name of the founder of this religion, except in those cases when Christians forced them to engage in theological disputes with them. The Jews did not see any danger for themselves in the Christian ideology. If, for example, in the teaching of the so-called. tsdukim (Sadducees) Talmud saw a serious threat to the very foundations of Jewish doctrine, the claims of Yeshu and his followers caused only a contemptuous grin. Illiterate and ridiculously naive interpretations of the Tanakh (Bible) by Christians could not, of course, be taken seriously by Jews familiar with the true meaning of the texts of the sacred books. Neither the Christian faith nor the way of life of Christians attracted the Jews. On the contrary, the unbridled morals of the Christian peoples, their cruelty and bloodthirstiness, their attitude towards the Jews aroused only disgust and fear in our ancestors. Christianity could not offer any high ideas, great thoughts, anything spiritual to the Jewish people, with whom the Almighty Himself concluded an indissoluble union in Sinai.
However, being for many centuries among the peoples who blasphemously declared Yeshu to be a "god-man" or even simply "god", the Jews were still forced to have some idea both about the life and work of this person, and about the foundations of the Christian dogma. And it must be assumed that they had such an idea: they could not help but hear stories about the miracles that Yeshu allegedly performed about the persecution that the Jews subjected him to, etc. But they heard all these stories from Christians, whom they had no reason to believe, and, obviously, they had a need to learn about the same events from their own Jewish sources.
The fact that there really was such a need is eloquently evidenced by the fact that several dozen versions of the "Hanged Man's Story" have survived to this day.
It should be noted that the life path of Yeshu and the history of the emergence of Christianity in the description of the author (or authors) of the "Hanged Man" differ significantly from what is stated in the gospels and other Christian literature. This is not surprising: the author of The History of the Hanged Man hardly considered it necessary to study the gospels.
It is quite probable that there are historical inaccuracies, distortions, etc. in The History of the Hanged Man. But we can safely say that this small book-pamphlet (occupying, of course, its much more the Almighty and His Torah) helped the Jew in Christian Europe maintain spiritual balance, withstand the onslaught of Christian propaganda, often accompanied by persecution, the cruelty of which exceeded everything that the human imagination can imagine.
This translation of the "Hanged Man" is intended primarily for those Russian-speaking Jews who - we regret to state this fact - as a rule, are completely unfamiliar with the great spiritual values \u200b\u200bof Judaism, with the foundations of the faith and culture of their people, but often with respect (albeit unconscious, subconscious) are related to Christianity and closely related European culture. It seems that our readers will be interested to know how their ancestors treated Yeshu and the religion he founded. Pinchas GIL
This book is freely available online. anyone can read it.
For me personally, who considers the WORD of Christ and his enlightening Feat as the ideal of morality, and his philosophy as the source of the deepest wisdom, reading these words was tantamount to receiving a slap in the face. And when next I saw and heard on TV on the all-Russian channel "TV Center" interview Burl Lazar, the chief rabbi of Russia, then completely lost the power of speech for some time. It turns out that it is, Jews consider Christ an impostor who came to them once as a troublemaker, no more.
Here is the interview. The conversation with Chief Rabbi of Russia Berl Lazar was conducted by Russian TV presenter Dmitry Dibrov.
Dibrov: "The main book of Judaism is" Torah ". For example, in Orthodoxy we believe that there is a book "Bible" in the world, and it is equally fair for everyone. And we see in the Bible "Old Testament" and "New Testament" Where is the place of "Torah" here?
Lazar: The "Old Testament" is the "Torah". There is the "Pentateuch of Moses" - this is the "Torah", then there are 24 more books: "Prophets", "Scriptures", "Psalms of David", "Songs of Songs" and so on.
Dibrov: Do you accept the "New Testament"?
Lazar: Not!
The third participant in the discussion: “Hmm! There is an opinion that Jesus came up creatively, rethinking the Torah, and created a new teaching, developed it, and this, as it were, became a continuation of the Torah. How do you feel about it?
Lazar: There is such an opinion. In fact, it is negative for the Jews! Why? Because the Torah says that the Torah will never be changed. And it is impossible to change a word, a law, even for the wisest person in the world! Imagine that all the rabbis got together and decided that something small needs to be changed in the Torah. Just one letter, which must have been misspelled. Then the whole Torah is wrong! If the "Torah" is from God, and we received it as divine knowledge, then a person has no right to change something! Therefore, "Torah" can only be commented on, but cannot be changed!
A reasonable question arises: what are these Yids doing in Russia, which more than 1000 years ago adopted CHRISTIANITY as a state-forming religion? The second state-forming religion in Russia is ISLAM, which recognizes Christ as a prophet equal to Muhammad. JUDAISM has always been recognized in Russia why in all ages the Jews were expelled from the Russian Empire according to the decrees of sovereigns.
Another reasonable question arises: why on earth for 11 years in a row JUDEA celebrate their religious holiday in the Moscow Kremlin? And not just any, but an analogue of our Victory Day - Hanukkah ?!
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday founded in honor of Jewish military victory committed in 165 BC. over King Antiochus of Greek origin from Syria.. Along with this, Hanukkah is the celebration of the miracle that happened to the ritual Jewish lamp during this victory. “Hanukkah is the celebration of that [miracle] when the Greeks entered the Sanctuary and defiled all the oil, and then when the house of the Hasmoneans defeated them, and they were looking for oil to light the Menorah (temple lamp), and they found only one jug, and there was oil in it for only one day, then a miracle happened, and the oil burned for all eight days [needed to prepare a new one]. And the next year they made these days festive, set for them the reading of prayers of thanksgiving and Psalms glorifying God. (Talmud, Shabbat 21a). .
Thus, it turns out that on December 4, JEWS annually celebrate their VICTORY DAY in the Moscow Kremlin with lit menorah lamps!
Did they defeat us??? Jews celebrate their victory over Christians and Muslims???
Who then is the Patriarch of All Russia, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, for all citizens of Russia ?
Another Judas?
It turns out, yes, Judas!
I answer: if we talk about symbolism, then a lit candle best of all corresponds to the philosophy of Christ. "Light the light - and the darkness itself will recede!" - said the Savior. So let's stop there. The cross can also be left, but without the crucified Jesus on it. The cross for many peoples was in the past a symbol of the Sun and, accordingly, it was a symbol of life. With the crucifixion of Christ on it, he began to symbolize DEATH. Who changed the meaning and meaning of the cross as a symbol to the diametrically opposite one? Guess yourself.
Vladimir Gundyaev's father, Mikhail Vasilyevich, was a priest, his mother worked as a teacher of the German language. The elder brother is Nikolai Gundyaev, professor at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, rector of the Transfiguration Cathedral, archpriest.
The fate of the grandfather of Patriarch Kirill is noteworthy. Priest Vasily Stepanovich Gundyaev was repeatedly persecuted by the Soviet authorities for his church activities. Vasily Stepanovich openly opposed the renovationism of the church in the 20s of the last century, then in the 30s and 40s he was subjected to imprisonment and exile.
Vladimir Gundyaev finished eight years of high school and began working as a cartographer in the Leningrad Geological Expedition. Three years later, he entered the theological seminary, and after graduating from it, he entered the theological academy of the city of Leningrad.
Service to Orthodoxy
In 1969, Vladimir Gundyaev took monastic vows and was named Kirill.
In 1970, Kirill graduated with honors from the Theological Academy and became a teacher of dogmatic theology. At the same time, he also becomes the personal secretary of the Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod Nikodim and the mentor of the first class of the theological seminary.
In 1971, Kirill was elevated to the rank of archimandrite. In the same year he became the representative of the Moscow Patriarchate at the World Council of Churches in Geneva.
Cyril begins to rapidly move up the career ladder. For twenty years of service, he goes from archimandrite to metropolitan.
Social work
In the 90s of the XX century, Cyril became the host of the popular Sunday program on television - "The Word of the Shepherd". In this program, he answered questions from viewers, conducted spiritual and educational work that was popular and understandable to many.
Since 1995, Kirill has been working closely with the Government of the Russian Federation. He has been repeatedly invited to various consultative events. Kirill took an active part in resolving disagreements in the Chechen Republic, organizing cultural events. With his active participation, the celebration of the 2000th anniversary of Christianity was held.
Patriarch Kirill
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II died on December 5, 2008. The very next day, Metropolitan Kirill was appointed Patriarchal Locum Tenens.
On January 25, 2009, Kirill presided over the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, where he was elected one of three candidates for the throne of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
Kirill became Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia on January 27, 2009. At the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, 508 out of 677 people voted for him.
Patriarch Kirill did a lot to unite the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. He significantly strengthened the position of Orthodoxy, and expanded the boundaries of cooperation between states.
Various scandals arise around Patriarch Kirill from time to time. The name of the metropolitan was mentioned in the case of the use of tax incentives for the import of tobacco and. Some media claimed that in the 1990s Kirill was personally interested in some transactions for the import of excisable goods. However, the absolute majority of representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church came to the defense of Patriarch Kirill. They called all this hype raised in the media a planned campaign and a provocation.
In 2003, Patriarch Kirill was even accused of having links with the KGB. It's like he's an intelligence agent. A corresponding letter was sent to the President of the Russian Federation. Of course, such a provocation did not bring any results.
Patriarch Kirill is the main figure of the Russian Orthodox Church today. We learned the details of his biography and life from his press secretary, Deacon Alexander.
For 5 years, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church has been Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
Many people know about his extensive public activities, positions on this or that issue, but his private life is hidden from prying eyes. For the first time, the head of the press service of the patriarch agreed to open the veil of secrecy only for readers of AiF.
Time Allotted by God
Yulia Tutina, AiF: Father Alexander, they say that all great people sleep little. And what is the daily routine of the patriarch?
Alexander Volkov: Over the decades of hard work in the Church, always being in a mode of absolute lack of time, the patriarch developed a tough work schedule. And now we, the people who surround him, find ourselves in the same constant, almost unbearable time pressure. His Holiness appreciates every minute and therefore tries to optimize his time as much as possible, filling all the free intervals. In a working residence in Moscow, in Chisty Lane, behind the main building there is a small old garden, where in recent months, on the recommendation of doctors, he has taken the habit of walking. So I never saw him there alone! He always calls someone from the staff of the patriarchy. At the entrance to this garden now even hangs a duty jacket for the people with whom he walks. This whole situation is a projection of the thought that he often repeats to those around him: God has given us a specific period of time in order to have time to do something to change the spiritual state in society. This time is by no means unlimited, so we must squeeze into each day the maximum number of things that would benefit the Church and society.
So what time does he get up?
– About 7 am. Then prayer, breakfast, going to work or to the temple. He usually arrives at his working residence by 10 o'clock, and the service begins earlier. Then meetings, work with documents until late in the evening. If he leaves home in Peredelkino at 9 pm, he will definitely take a pile of documents with him - he works after dinner. Goes to bed every day well after midnight. Doctors recommend changing the regimen, but he believes that there is no possibility. Of the recreational activities - the already mentioned walks, as well as not very regular, but quite intense physical activity. For a clergyman, the first place of rest is worship. Orthodox worship in general is physically difficult, and patriarchal worship is even more so. It is always solemn, very emotionally intense. But I have been convinced more than once that it is it that gives the patriarch strength. If it so happens that the patriarch does not have the opportunity to perform divine services during the week, then after a break during the service, he simply transforms, becomes younger by several years.
- Does it work on Sunday? But after all it is impossible according to canons?!
- Of course, Sunday is the Lord's Day. On this day, the patriarch for the most part performs divine services. There are never appointments on Sunday, except in some extraordinary circumstances. But at the same time, he is still forced to work at home with documents.
The Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia prays in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. Photo: Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia
The Preacher's Gift
- Does he really go into all the details of all the papers that he signs?
- Yes, he is very attentive to any printed word that comes from him, because he understands the responsibility that lies behind all these texts. After all, each text is in any case an appeal to a specific person. There can be no formality in this appeal, and a person should not get the impression that this is a paper prepared by referents, to which the signatory did not personally participate. I must say that he prepares his main, large public texts and especially sermons himself. He is one of the few people who can speak well not from a piece of paper. The patriarch has an exceptional preaching talent. But behind each performance is his personal preliminary work.
– It seems to secular people that the head of the Church is, first of all, an economic position – there are so many things to do, parishes, meetings. Is not it so?
- Prayer is in the first place for any Christian, and in this any clergyman is called to be an example for people, and the primate of the Church, of course, in the first place. After all, this is a guarantee that the Church does not turn into an intercontinental corporation like the religious Gazprom. It must be understood that everything that the Church does in the organizational, administrative, economic areas of life is only so that every person can come to the temple and, if possible, live in accordance with the Gospel.
– Does the patriarch have relatives, a family, what kind of relationship do they have?
– Yes, the patriarch has relatives in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Saransk. When the patriarch was in Mordovia, he met with very distant relatives in the house where his grandfather lived. He treats his relatives very humanly, maintains and maintains family relationships, never distances himself.
In Krymsk shortly after the flood. Conversation with local residents. Photo: Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia
Friends as victims
- What about friends?
– The patriarch, and he himself has said this more than once, cannot have friends in the sense that the head of the Church needs to be at the same, equal distance with those around him so that there are no attempts at pressure. And in this sense, of course, this is the cross of the patriarch. He sacrificed for the good of the Church his personal interests, affections, social habits. There really are no close people around him who could boast of the status of "friend of the patriarch."
What about outside the Church?
- Same. First of all, because in general the relationship of the primate of the Church with the secular community in general and with some specific people in particular is always a very big responsibility. Although, of course, this does not negate the fact that the patriarch has many good and kind acquaintances with whom he has maintained warm relations for decades. They come to congratulate him on personal dates, on holidays, attend divine services, and he is always very happy with them, communicates with pleasure, asks about life, and then warmly says goodbye, after which they most often do not see each other for a long time.
– Who is the spiritual father of the patriarch?
– Optina Elder Eli, with whom he studied together at the Theological Academy in St. Petersburg. Father Iliy is a confessor objectively recognized by the Orthodox Church, a man whose opinion is listened to by thousands of people. People from all over Russia, from other countries come to him for communication, for confession. 5 years ago, after enthronement, Patriarch Kirill asked him to move from Optina Hermitage to Peredelkino. Since then, Father Eli has been living in the patriarchal residence. There on the territory there is a separate house for a small monastic community. Father Eli lives there. Since he is very famous, visitors often come to him - ordinary people - for advice. He constantly accepts, is completely accessible, and at the same time he is the confessor of the patriarch. From my point of view, such a public presence of a spiritual father is evidence of certain life priorities. This shows that the spiritual component in life for the patriarch is the main one. Not administrative functions, not some kind of diplomatic relations, although this is necessary. But it’s not his press secretary who lives next to him, but his confessor.
The Optina elder Iliy is the confessor of the patriarch. Photo: Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia
- The people have an opinion: the patriarch is the spiritual father of President Putin. I understand that this cannot be, but is the patriarch generally someone's confessor?
- These are things that lie in the sphere of his private life, so I can’t say anything here.
- Does he have any hobbies - books, theater?
– He loves classical music – I can list Bach, Beethoven, Rachmaninov.
He usually listens to music when he works, makes some important decisions. Of course, he loves to read, like any intelligent person, but he has very little time to indulge in free reading. Hundreds of pages of documents need to be read daily. It is clear that by the end of the day, you probably already just feel a slight dislike for the letters of the alphabet. But from domestic authors he loves Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Leskova. With some degree of regularity, he attends musical performances, the conservatory, and sometimes Moscow theaters. Recently I was at one of the productions of the Gorky Moscow Art Theater to congratulate Tatyana Doronina.
- And the cinema?
– He doesn’t go to cinemas in public, but several times he went to pre-screenings of films directly related to the Church.
- Watching TV?
- News programs - often, and it is clear that this is already an area directly related to his work. He must, so to speak, be in the know.
Native Penates
- How does the patriarch spend his vacation?
- Vacation, as well as days off, in the usual worldly sense, he does not happen. 15-20 days of rest are collected, which he usually distributes by months and spends this time in solitude.
- Do you go on holiday abroad?
- Travels on official visits. During these five years, I traveled abroad several times for treatment.
- What places in Russia are especially close to him?
- He loves his native St. Petersburg, Valaam, as well as Smolensk and Kaliningrad, where he comes about once a year, since he is still the head of the local diocese, he also visits the spiritual and administrative center of the Russian Orthodox Church in southern Russia.
Primate's cook
– What does the patriarch like to eat and who cooks for him?
- He is not picky about food, loves simple food. He also likes to try national cuisine, which he does when visiting foreign countries. It is clear that, since he performs divine services, holds events in various places, the patriarch's assistants treat food with attention. Moreover, various official receptions and protocol dinners with distinguished guests are often held. Therefore, it was decided that the patriarchy should have a permanent cook. He is not a monk, he is a professional in his field, he prepares food that is correct from the point of view of Orthodox traditions and canons.
– Can the patriarch afford to drink a glass?
- If you need to support a toast, he usually raises a glass of white wine. Maybe in some situation it’s better to drink - in Japan he was treated to sake, in Greece, on Athos, to an aniseed ouzo tincture. In the spirit of the Orthodox tradition, in such cases he does not offend those who show him hospitality.
Taste for the old
- The patriarch is a monk. He, in principle, should not have his own property. But are there any things that bring him joy?
- The patriarch, as a person brought up in a St. Petersburg environment, has very good taste, understands painting and architecture. Visiting certain dioceses, he carefully evaluates new construction and especially the decoration of churches. A tasteless remake offends his artistic sense. But he is very pleased when people carefully preserve the authentic and ancient.
- What is the patriarch's mobile phone?
- I can’t say for sure - the most common, definitely not an iPhone. He hardly uses mobile, he treats it with some detachment, but with an understanding of the need to use it. He was given tablets and laptops several times, but somehow he is not inclined to use them. He likes to write by hand, he always has a notebook with him.
- But he knows how to work on a computer, access the Internet?
- Of course, he has a computer in his office, and he uses it when necessary. But, of course, he doesn't answer emails or fill up his Facebook account. Thank God, competent people are doing this, and he spends his time on objectively more important things. Thus, by the way, he sets an example for all of us.
- What kind of car does the patriarch have?
– For five years he used two cars Patriarch Alexy who are already 12 years old. Now His Holiness travels by means of transport provided by a special purpose garage.
Where to hurry
And he doesn't collect anything? Books?
– I don’t know how much he collects them, but he loves old books, especially theological literature. When he is presented with rare pre-revolutionary editions of church authors, he accepts them with gratitude. His Holiness appreciates objects that convey the atmosphere of past eras, and calls for careful consideration of what has come to us from the past and that carries the meanings of that time, which we can judge, including by some individual things.
- Probably, this is generally the tactic of the Russian Orthodox Church - not to rush?
- You're right. Only not a tactic, but the main strategy of the Orthodox Church is to preserve and increase all that is good that exists in our world and in every person. Everything that the Church does is done on the basis of centuries of experience and understanding that the Church has experienced terrible and tragic moments more than once in its history. But, whatever the external circumstances, the Church was, is and will continue to exist and bring people the truth about Christ. And, probably, this is largely reflected in the human habits of the patriarch. He has a deeply spiritual consciousness. From morning to evening he lives a 100% church life, and in this sense, I really want each of us to have such a life for some noticeable percentage.
Patriarch Kirill: biography
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia (in the world Vladimir Mikhailovich Gundyaev) was born on November 20, 1946 in Leningrad.
Father - Gundyaev Mikhail Vasilyevich, a priest, died in 1974. Mother - Gundyaeva Raisa Vladimirovna, a teacher of German at school, in recent years a housewife, died in 1984. The elder brother is Archpriest Nikolai Gundyaev, professor at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, rector of the Transfiguration Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Grandfather - Priest Vasily Stepanovich Gundyaev, a prisoner of Solovki, was imprisoned and exiled for church activities and the struggle against renovationism in the 20s, 30s and 40s of the twentieth century.
After graduating from the 8th grade of secondary school, Vladimir Gundyaev joined the Leningrad Complex Geological Expedition of the North-Western Geological Administration, where he worked from 1962 to 1965 as a cartographer, combining work with studying at a secondary school.
After graduating from high school in 1965, he entered the Leningrad Theological Seminary, and then the Leningrad Theological Academy, from which he graduated with honors in 1970.
On April 3, 1969, Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov) of Leningrad and Novgorod was tonsured a monk and given the name Cyril. On April 7, he was ordained a hierodeacon by him, on June 1 of the same year - a hieromonk.
Since 1970 - candidate of theology of the Leningrad Theological Academy.
From 1970 to 1971 - teacher of dogmatic theology and assistant inspector of the Leningrad Theological Schools; at the same time - the personal secretary of the Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod Nikodim and class teacher of the 1st class of the seminary.
From 1971 to 1974 - Representative of the Moscow Patriarchate at the World Council of Churches in Geneva.
From December 26, 1974 to December 26, 1984 - Rector of the Leningrad Theological Academy and Seminary. In 1974-1984 - Associate Professor of the Patrology Department of the Leningrad Theological Academy.
On March 14, 1976, he was consecrated Bishop of Vyborg. On September 2, 1977, he was elevated to the rank of archbishop.
Since 1986 - manager of parishes in the Kaliningrad region.
Since 1988 - Archbishop of Smolensk and Kaliningrad.
From November 13, 1989 to 2009 - Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations (since August 2000 - Department for External Church Relations), permanent member of the Holy Synod.
On January 27, 2009, the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church elected Metropolitan Kirill Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
Private life of Patriarch Kirill. Frames that hit the media for the first time
The footage depicting the Primate was not made for the “record”, and was not previously published in newspapers and magazines - they are part of the private life of His Holiness. AiF turned out to be the only newspaper to which Father Alexander Volkov, the press secretary of the Patriarch, provided them and told under what circumstances they were removed.
Patriarch on Valaam, one of the favorite places in his native land.
Patriarchal visit to Valaam in 2009. Meeting with Vladimir Putin. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church has good relations with the President of the Russian Federation.
A unique photo - the Patriarch takes a daily walk in the garden at his residence in Chisty Lane, Moscow. With him - an employee of the Patriarchy, they solve working issues ...
Visit to Mordovia in 2011. The Patriarch visited the village of Obrochnoe, where his grandfather lived, and talked with his relatives over a cup of tea.
With the brethren of the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos in Greece in 2013.
A girl at the Patriarchal service. His Holiness easily finds a common language with children of all ages.
The Patriarch serves at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra during the first week of Great Lent.
Known German magazine "Stern" due to the dense ignorance of their employees at one time - even when His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia visited Germany in the rank of Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad - told readers about the family and personal life of monk Cyril. And about a cozy house in Switzerland, and about his passion for skiing and fast driving in sports cars, and about his wife, and even about children and dogs ... And out of greater respect, he even named Father Kirill neither more nor less, but "great family man".
It must be said that Lydia is a faithful common-law spouse and the same age as Holiness, and not a young "kept woman - a spoiled woman." They with "holiness" gave birth to good and smart children. Another thing is why the ROC does not tell the truth and why does Lydia continue the tobacco (from the devil) business? Why does the Russian Orthodox Church consider ordinary conception (a gift from the Almighty) to be vicious?
That's what wickedness! No, to call the PR service of the Patriarchate and find out how right tell readers about the difficult hermit prayer life of high-ranking monks! Well, by God, like small Samoyeds - “what I see is what I sing!”
As a result, since then, all sorts of blasphemers-ahhalniks have been "inclining" the poor Lidia Mikhailovna Leonova in every imaginable way. Even His Holiness himself, in connection with the recent apartment scandal, was forced to make excuses - they say, she is not my wife, but just a fighting friend, registered with me in the same living space. This, they say, is my sister, like, "a nun in the world." Saying "sister", one must assume, he meant, of course, not his only sister in the whole world, Elena, but "sister" in faith, in the spirit of entrepreneurship. After all, he usually addresses everyone like this: “Brothers and sisters!”. Therefore, Lydia Leonova is also his “sister”, although not his own.
Lidia Mikhailovna Leonova- (01/27/1947) - "A nun in the world", who for 38 years - since the distant "Soviet" 1974 - has been relentlessly accompanying monk Kirill through life. Moves with him to all new places of residence, accompanies him on trips and participates in his commercial enterprises. According to spiteful critics, more than 300 tobacco commercial organizations were registered in her name. It was Lydia Mikhailovna that the employees of Stern had in mind when they called Kirill "an excellent family man", and it is she who is now officially registered in the apartment and lives together with the monk Vladimir Gundyaev.
And here is how Alexander Soldatov, editor-in-chief of the independent network resource Portal-Credo.Ru, tells about this in an interview with Yuri Vasiliev (03/23/2012): “ Question: We talked about the option with my sister above. Are there more or less official explanations of who the monk Kirill Lidia Leonova is? In addition to the communal neighbor, of course. Answer: The official historiography is silent about Mrs. Leonova. ... There is an unofficial historiography that originates from the publication of the German magazine "Stern" around 1993-1994, where Metropolitan Kirill is described as "an exemplary family man." And it is even claimed that he has children. Further, our portal, citing various sources - in particular, Sergei Bychkov from Moskovsky Komsomolets, who conducted various investigations regarding the life of the future patriarch - wrote for several years that this Mrs. Leonova is the daughter of a certain official from the Leningrad regional party committee. The future patriarch met her back in the early 70s, when he was a student at the Leningrad Theological Academy. ... since then, she has accompanied him everywhere - she lived in Smolensk, and now in Moscow. Therefore, the word "sister", perhaps, should be understood in a spiritual sense, and not in a physiological one. (http://www.svobodanews.ru/content/article/24525100.html).
Elena Mikhailovna Gundyaeva- real and the only sister of the Holy One. She devoted her life to the Church, for many years she has been working as the director of an Orthodox gymnasium and is proud of her brother.
However, not only German, but also patriarchal "freaks" also do not catch mice (their business acumen is not the same as that of Cyril himself!). No, in order to promptly clean up all the biographical "apocrypha", so they have left them to this day - they say that Cyril has only a sister, Elena, a pilgrim, and only a brother, Nikolai, a pilgrim.