Military clergy. “For a priest in the army, the main thing is to be useful

During the 18th century, the administration of the military clergy in peacetime was not separated from the diocesan administration and belonged to the bishop of the area where the regiment was stationed. The reform of the management of the military and naval clergy was carried out by Emperor Paul I. By decree of April 4, 1800, the position of the field chief priest became permanent, and the management of all the clergy of the army and navy was concentrated in his hands. The chief priest received the right to independently determine, transfer, dismiss, and nominate for awards the clergy of his department. Regular salaries and pensions were determined for military shepherds. The first chief priest, Pavel Ozeretskovsky, was appointed a member of the Holy Synod and received the right to communicate with the diocesan bishops on matters of personnel policy without reporting to the Synod. In addition, the chief priest received the right to personally report to the emperor.

In 1815, a separate department of the chief priest of the General Staff and Guard troops was formed (later including the grenadier regiments), which soon became virtually independent of the Synod in matters of management. Chief priests of the Guards and Grenadier Corps N.V. Muzovsky and V.B. The Bazhanov also headed the court clergy in 1835-1883 and were confessors to the emperors.

A new reorganization of the administration of the military clergy took place in 1890. Power was again concentrated in the person of one person, who received the title of Protopresbyter of the military and naval clergy. During the First World War, Protopresbyter G.I. Shavelsky was for the first time given the right of personal presence at a military council; the protopresbyter was directly at headquarters and, like the once first chief priest P.Ya. Ozeretskovsky, had the opportunity to personally report to the emperor.

The number of clergy in the Russian army was determined by the staff approved by the Military Department. In 1800, about 140 priests served in the regiments, in 1913 - 766. At the end of 1915, about 2,000 priests served in the army, which was approximately 2% of the total number of clergy in the empire. In total, during the war years, from 4,000 to 5,000 representatives of the Orthodox clergy served in the army. Many of the career priests continued their service in the armies of A.I. Denikina, P.N. Wrangel, A.V. Kolchak.

The regimental priest was in double subordination: on church affairs - to the chief priest, on other issues - to the military authorities. Long service in the same regiment was very rare. Usually the clergyman constantly moved from regiment to regiment, on average every five years, and often from one end of the empire to the other: from Brest-Litovsk to Ashgabat, from there to Siberia, then to the west, to Grodno, etc.

According to the instructions of G.I. Shavelsky, in addition to the above-mentioned duties, the regimental priest had to: assist the doctor in dressing wounds; supervise the removal of the dead and wounded from the battlefield; notify relatives of the death of soldiers; organize in their sections of society assistance to the families of killed and maimed soldiers; take care of maintaining military graves and cemeteries in order; set up traveling libraries.

Since 1889, in terms of service rights, military clergy have been equated to the following army ranks: chief priest - to lieutenant general, archpriest - to colonel, priest - to captain, deacon - to lieutenant. In Rus', the defense of the Fatherland has always been considered a holy cause, but in the Russian penitential discipline, murder, even in war, for whatever purpose and under whatever circumstances it was committed, was condemned. Priests and monks, according to the 83rd Apostolic Canon and the 7th definition of the IV Ecumenical Council, are prohibited from participating in hostilities with weapons in their hands. But in Rus', especially in the early Middle Ages, representatives of the clergy sometimes, for various reasons, took direct part in battles. In the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380, with the blessing of Sergius of Radonezh, schemamonks Alexander Peresvet and Roman (Rodion) Oslyabya fought, later canonized.

V.N. Tatishchev points out the following cases of participation of clergy in wars: “What he remembers about monks and priests during the war, I find a circumstance from history: the Novgorodians Izyaslav the Second against his uncle Yuri the Second sentenced all the monks and clergy to dress up, and went; Sergius, abbot of Radonezh, sent two tonsured soldiers to Demetrius Donskoy, and they were beaten; Old Rus priest Petrila went to Lithuania with an army and won; During the invasion of the Kazan Tatars, the Kostroma abbot Serapion, having gathered monks and priests, defeated the Tatars. Maybe there was more, but the stories didn’t reach us.”

During the siege, many monasteries were turned into fortresses, where monastics sometimes armed themselves. Monks actively participated in the defense of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra from the Poles in 1608-1610; elders Ferapont and Macarius led the cavalry attack of the monks.

Another case is also known. Metropolitan Isidore of Novgorod in 1611, during the siege of Novgorod by the Swedes, served a prayer service on the walls of the fortress. Seeing that the archpriest of St. Sophia Cathedral, Amos, was fiercely resisting the enemies, the Metropolitan removed some kind of church penance from him. Amos fought until his house was burned down along with him.

In the 18th century, the only case known to us of the direct participation of a priest in a battle is reflected in the “Acts of Peter the Great.” It says that “Olonets priest Ivan Okulov in 1702, having gathered up to a thousand willing people, went beyond the Swedish border, defeated four enemy outposts, beat up to 400 Swedes and returned in triumph with the Reitar banners, drums, weapons and horses taken; What he couldn’t take with him, he consigned to fire.”

In the 19th century, we know of several cases of direct participation of clergy in battles. In 1854, the monks of the Solovetsky Monastery defended the monastery from an attack by an English squadron. In the same year, priest Gabriel Sudkovsky was awarded a gold pectoral cross on the St. George ribbon from the office of His Imperial Majesty “for assistance in repelling the Anglo-French steamships that attacked the Ochakov fortress battery on September 22, 1854, when he blessed everyone under gunfire and loaded the guns himself red-hot kernels." Moreover, later, while serving in the city of Nikolaev, Father Gabriel became famous as a man of prayer and fasting.

During the First World War, there were many among the clergy who wanted to volunteer to serve in the army with arms in hand, and in 1915 the Holy Synod approved a definition categorically prohibiting priests from joining the army for non-clerical positions.

In 1914-1917, clergy often led foot and horse attacks, but without weapons, only with a cross in their hands. During the Russian-Japanese War, 16 clergy were killed, at least 10 people were wounded and shell-shocked. The data we have identified suggests that by the summer of 1917, 181 clergy had suffered in the war. Of these, 26 were killed, 54 died from wounds and illnesses, 48 ​​were wounded, 47 were shell-shocked, 5 were gassed. The number of those killed and those who died from wounds and diseases is 80 people. During the First World War, by 1917, at least 104 Orthodox clergy were or continued to be in captivity.

Speaking about the awards of the clergy, it should be said that by the beginning of the 20th century, the order of awards for white clergy looked like this: a legguard; purple skufia; purple kamilavka; pectoral cross from the Holy Synod; Order of St. Anne, 3rd degree; rank of archpriest; Order of St. Anne, 2nd degree; Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree; club; Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd degree; gold pectoral cross from the office of His Imperial Majesty; a gold pectoral cross with decorations from the cabinet of His Imperial Majesty; Order of St. Anne, 1st degree; miter. For hieromonks, skufya, kamilavka, and the rank of archpriest were excluded from the above awards and the rank of abbot (given after receiving the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree) and the rank of archimandrite (given after receiving the club or the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd degree) were added. Thanks to the presence of “spiritual” awards (skufia, pectoral cross, etc.), military priests could have a significant number of distinctions and even surpass the officers in this indicator.

Until 1885, clergy could wear orders, medals and other secular insignia over their vestments when performing services. Only since 1885, on the initiative of Emperor Alexander III, the wearing of secular insignia by clergy while performing divine services in sacred vestments was prohibited. “Exceptions to this rule were allowed only for the signs of the Order of St. George and pectoral crosses on the St. George Ribbon.”

For distinctions in the First World War, military priests were issued until March 1917: orders of St. Anne of the 3rd degree with swords - more than 300, without swords - about 500, orders of the 2nd degree with swords - more than 300, without swords - more than 200 , Orders of St. Anna 1st degree with swords and without swords - about 10, Orders of St. Vladimir 3rd degree with swords - more than 20, without swords - about 20, Orders of St. Vladimir 4th degree with swords - more than 150, without swords - about 100.

From 1791 to 1903, 191 Orthodox clergy received the pectoral cross on the St. George Ribbon, for the Russian-Japanese War - 86, from 1914 to March 1917 - 243. The Order of St. George, 4th degree, was awarded to 4 clergy during the 19th century, for the Russian -Japanese War - 1 and from the beginning of the First World War to March 1917 - 10.

The distinctions for which priests could be awarded orders with swords or a pectoral cross on the St. George Ribbon (based on our study of actual award practice) can be divided into three groups. Firstly, this is the feat of the priest in the decisive moments of the battle with a cross in his raised hand, inspiring the soldiers to continue the battle. Risking his life, the priest led the lower ranks. As a rule, this happened when regiment officers were killed or wounded. Hundreds of such cases are known. For example, this feat was performed in the First World War by the priest of the 318th Chernoyarsk Infantry Regiment, Alexander Tarnoutsky (was killed) and the elder hieromonk of the Bogoroditsko-Ploshchanskaya Hermitage of the Bryansk District, who served in the 289th Korotoyak Infantry Regiment Evtikhiy (Tulupov) (was killed). The priest of the 9th Kazan Dragoon Regiment, Vasily Shpichak, was the first to lead the regiment into the attack on horseback.

Another type of priestly distinction is associated with the diligent performance of his immediate duties under special conditions. Parting words and communion to wounded soldiers, blessings for battle were carried out by the clergyman at the risk of his own life. Sometimes, while giving communion to the wounded during the battle, the priest himself was seriously wounded. Often clergy performed divine services under enemy fire. For example, the priest of the 115th brigade of the state militia, Nikolai Debolsky, did not interrupt the service when, right during the great entrance, an enemy airplane suddenly appeared and dropped several bombs near the worshipers. The priest of the 15th Dragoon Regiment of Pereyaslavl, Sergius Lazurevsky, with the few soldiers who voluntarily remained, did not leave the all-night vigil service under shrapnel fire until he was shell-shocked.

In 1915, on the Galician Front, when the hieromonk of the 311th Kremenets Infantry Regiment, Mitrofan, was performing the liturgy, a shell hit the church, pierced the roof and ceiling of the altar, and then fell near the altar on the right side. Father Mitrofan crossed the bomb and continued the service. The shell did not explode, and the worshipers, seeing the calmness of the priest, remained in their places. At the end of the liturgy, the shell was taken out of the church.

In 1915, near the village of Malnov, the priest of the 237th Grayvoronsky Infantry Regiment, Joakim Leshchinsky, one and a half miles from the battle, performed a prayer for the granting of victory. At this time, “a shell hit the wing of the porch and, having evaporated by a miracle of God, immediately exploded in the corner five steps away. The force of the explosion was very great, for the corner of the large temple was torn off by the force of the explosion, a deep hole was formed near the drainage stone, and the stone was thrown to the side several steps and was torn into pieces. There is a lot of broken glass in the temple. One bullet hit the wall of the sacristy.” Father continued his service. Among the three hundred people praying there were neither killed nor wounded, only one person was shell-shocked.

The priest of the 6th Finnish Rifle Regiment, Andrei Bogoslovsky, standing on a dais, blessed every warrior who approached him. When the shooting started, he remained standing in the same place. His chest was protected by the monstrance hanging on his neck, giving the bullet flying into the heart a lateral direction.

And, finally, the clergy performed feats possible for all army ranks. The first pectoral cross received on the St. George Ribbon was awarded to the priest of the 29th Chernigov Infantry Regiment, Ioann Sokolov, for saving the regimental banner. The cross was presented to him personally by Nicholas II, as recorded in the emperor’s diary. Now this banner is kept in the State Historical Museum in Moscow.

The priest of the 42nd artillery brigade, Viktor Kashubsky, when the telephone connection was interrupted, volunteered to look for the gap. The telephone operator, encouraged by his example, followed the priest and fixed the line. In 1914, the priest of the 159th Gurian Infantry Regiment, Nikolai Dubnyakov, when the head of the convoy was killed, took command and brought the convoy to its destination. The priest of the 58th Prague Infantry Regiment, Parthenius Kholodny, in 1914, together with three other ranks, accidentally encountered the Austrians, came forward with the icon “Savior Not Made by Hands” and, showing restraint, persuaded 23 enemy soldiers and two officers to surrender, bringing them into captivity.

Having received the Order of St. George, 4th degree, the priest of the 5th Finnish Infantry Regiment, Mikhail Semenov, not only selflessly performed his pastoral duties, but in 1914 he volunteered to carry the missing cartridges to the front line in an open area that was continuously bombarded by heavy artillery. He attracted several lower ranks with him and safely transported three gigs, which ensured the overall success of the operation. A month later, when the regiment commander, along with other officers and Father Mikhail, entered the room intended for them, there was an unexploded bomb. Father Mikhail picked her up, carried her out of the room and drowned her in a nearby river.

Hieromonk Anthony (Smirnov) of the Bugulma Alexander Nevsky Monastery, who was performing pastoral duties on the ship “Prut,” when the ship was broken and began to sink into the water, gave up his place in the boat to a sailor. From a sinking ship, wearing vestments, he blessed the sailors. The hieromonk was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree, posthumously.

Representatives of the parish clergy also performed feats. Thus, the priest of the Kremovsky parish of the Belgorai district of the Kholm diocese, Pyotr Ryllo, was performing a divine service when “shells exploded behind the church, in front of it and flew through it.”

Speaking about the churches of the Military and Naval Departments, it should be said that in the 18th century only camp churches attached to the regiments were under the jurisdiction of the chief priest. Since the beginning of the 19th century, more and more immovable churches were constantly transferred to the department of the chief priest (later the chief priest, protopresbyter): hospital, serf, port, military educational institutions and even churches, the parishioners of which, in addition to military officials, were local residents .

In many regimental churches and temples of military schools, memorial plaques with the names of military ranks who died in various campaigns, as a rule, officers by name, soldiers - in total, were fixed on the walls. Banners and all kinds of military relics were kept in the churches. The Cathedral of the Preobrazhensky All Guards kept 488 banners, 12 castles and 65 keys to the fortresses of European and Asian Turkey, conquered by Russian troops during the reign of Nicholas I, and other trophies. Elements of military symbols could have been used in the decoration of churches. Thus, images of the Order of St. George were used in the decoration of the Church of the General and General Staff.

The fate of the career clergy of the Military and Naval Departments after the end of the First World War developed differently. Some people ended up in exile: in France, Czechoslovakia, Finland, Greece, etc. Of the clergy who remained in Russia, many died at the hands of the Bolsheviks during the Civil War, such as Alexy Stavrovsky, Nikolai Yakhontov, and the chief priest of the armies of the Southwestern Front, Vasily Griftsov. Some clergy were repressed during Soviet times, such as priests Vasily Yagodin, Roman Medved and others.

Some clergy, remaining in the Church, lived to a ripe old age and supported Soviet power during the Great Patriotic War. For example, Archpriest Fyodor Zabelin, who was awarded the golden pectoral cross on the St. George Ribbon, died in 1949 at the age of 81. During the Great Patriotic War, he served, with the permission of the German command, as the rector of St. Paul's Cathedral in Gatchina, and saved a Soviet intelligence officer from death by hiding him under the cover of the throne in the altar.

In our time, some former military priests have been canonized. Priest German Dzhadzhanidze was canonized by the Georgian Orthodox Church. The Russian Orthodox Church canonized former career priests, later bishops: Onisim (before tonsure - Mikhail Pylaev), Macarius (before tonsure - Grigory Karmazin), priests Nikolai Yakhontov, Sergius Florinsky, Elijah Benemansky, Alexander Saulsky and others.

In modern Russia, the traditional activity of Orthodox clergy in the troops, traditional for the Russian army, is gradually being revived.

Unfortunately, at present there is little research devoted to the Russian military clergy. To some extent, the “Memorable Book of the Military and Naval Clergy of the Russian Empire of the 19th - Early 20th Centuries: Reference Materials”, published as part of the historical project “Chronicle”, one of the tasks of which was the compilation of a database (Synodik) of the Orthodox clergy, can fill this gap. Russian Empire. In 2007, the Chronicle project was supported by the rector of the Moscow stauropegial Sretensky Monastery, Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov).

At all times of the existence of the Russian Orthodox Church, its most important mission was service to the Fatherland. She contributed to the state unification of disparate Slavic tribes into a single power, and later had a decisive influence on the process of preserving the national unity of the Russian land, the integrity and community of the peoples living on it.

Before the establishment of a regular army in the Russian state, the responsibility for the spiritual care of military men was assigned to the court clergy. Therefore, it can be assumed that by the middle of the 16th century, when a permanent streltsy army was created in Muscovy, numbering 20-25 thousand people, the first military priests appeared (however, written evidence of this has not survived).

It is reliably known about the presence of military priests during the reign of Emperor Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov (1645-1676). This is evidenced by the Charter of that time: “The teaching and cunning of the military formation of infantry people” (1647), in which the regimental priest was first mentioned and his salary was determined. From this time on, a system for managing the military clergy began to be created.

The further formation and improvement of the structure of the military clergy is associated with the reforms of Peter I. Thus, in the “Military Regulations” of 1716, the chapter “On the Clergy” first appeared, which determined the legal status of priests in the army, their responsibilities and main forms of activity:

“Military priests, being in unconditional subordination to the protopresbyter of the military and naval clergy, are obliged to carry out all legal orders of the immediate military superiors. Misunderstandings and disagreements arising between the military authorities and military priests in the performance of church and liturgical duties are resolved either by the dean, or the protopresbyter, or local bishop.

Priests are obliged without fail, at the hours assigned by the regiment or command, but within the limits of church service time, to perform Divine services in the regimental churches, according to the established rite, on all Sundays, holidays and highly solemn days. In fixed churches, Divine services are celebrated simultaneously with diocesan churches.

Military priests are obliged to perform sacraments and prayers for military ranks in the church and their homes, without demanding remuneration for this.

Military priests make every effort to form church choirs from military ranks and those studying in regimental schools to sing during Divine services, and capable members of the military ranks are allowed to read in the choir.

Military priests are obliged to conduct catechetical conversations in the church and, in general, to teach soldiers the truths of the Orthodox faith and piety, applying them to the level of their understanding, spiritual needs and the duties of military service, and to edify and console the sick in the infirmary.

Military chaplains must teach the Law of God in regimental schools, soldiers' children, training teams and other parts of the regiment; with the consent of the military authorities, they can organize non-liturgical conversations and readings. In military units located separately from regimental headquarters, local parish priests are invited to teach the Law of God to the lower military ranks under conditions that the military commanders of those units find possible.

Military priests are obliged to protect military ranks from harmful teachings, eradicate superstitions in them, correct their moral shortcomings: to admonish, on the instructions of the regimental commander, vicious lower ranks, to prevent deviations from the Orthodox Church and, in general, to take care of the establishment of military ranks in faith and piety.

Military chaplains, by virtue of their rank, are obliged to lead their lives in such a way that military ranks see in them an edifying example of faith, piety, fulfillment of service duties, good family life and correct relationships with neighbors, superiors and subordinates.

In view of mobilization and during hostilities, military priests should not be dismissed from their places without particularly valid reasons, but are obliged to follow their appointments with military ranks, be at the indicated places without leaving and be in unconditional obedience to the military authorities."

In the 18th century, the Church and the army formed a single organism under the auspices of the state; Orthodox paraphernalia permeated military rituals, service and the life of soldiers.

During the 18th century, the administration of the military clergy in peacetime was not separated from the diocesan administration and belonged to the bishop of the area where the regiment was stationed. The reform of the management of the military and naval clergy was carried out by Emperor Paul I. By decree of April 4, 1800, the position of the field chief priest became permanent, and the management of all the clergy of the army and navy was concentrated in his hands. The chief priest received the right to independently determine, transfer, dismiss, and nominate for awards the clergy of his department. Regular salaries and pensions were determined for military shepherds. The first chief priest, Pavel Ozeretskovsky, was appointed a member of the Holy Synod and received the right to communicate with the diocesan bishops on matters of personnel policy without reporting to the Synod. In addition, the chief priest received the right to personally report to the emperor.

In 1815, a separate department of the chief priest of the General Staff and Guard troops was formed (later including the grenadier regiments), which soon became virtually independent of the Synod in matters of management. Chief priests of the Guards and Grenadier Corps N.V. Muzovsky and V.B. The Bazhanov also headed the court clergy in 1835-1883 and were confessors to the emperors.

A new reorganization of the administration of the military clergy took place in 1890. Power was again concentrated in the person of one person, who received the title of Protopresbyter of the military and naval clergy. During the First World War, Protopresbyter G.I. Shavelsky was for the first time given the right of personal presence at a military council; the protopresbyter was directly at headquarters and, like the once first chief priest P.Ya. Ozeretskovsky, had the opportunity to personally report to the emperor.

The number of clergy in the Russian army was determined by the staff approved by the Military Department. In 1800, about 140 priests served in the regiments, in 1913 - 766. At the end of 1915, about 2,000 priests served in the army, which was approximately 2% of the total number of clergy in the empire. In total, during the war years, from 4,000 to 5,000 representatives of the Orthodox clergy served in the army. Many of them then, without leaving the flock, continued their service in the armies of Admiral A.V. Kolchak, Lieutenant General A.I. Denikin and P.N. Wrangel.

The duties of a military clergyman were determined, first of all, by the orders of the Minister of War. The main duties of a military clergyman were as follows: at times strictly appointed by the military command, to perform divine services on Sundays and holidays; by agreement with the regimental authorities, at a certain time, prepare military personnel for confession and reception of the Holy Mysteries of Christ; perform sacraments for military personnel; manage a church choir; instruct military ranks in the truths of the Orthodox faith and piety; to console and edify the sick in faith, to bury the dead; teach the law of God and, with the consent of the military authorities, conduct non-liturgical conversations on this subject. The clergy had to preach “the word of God before the troops diligently and intelligibly... instill love for the faith, the sovereign and the Fatherland and confirm obedience to the authorities.”

The most important task solved by the military clergy was the education of spiritual and moral feelings and qualities in the Russian warrior. Make him a spiritual person - a person who performs his duties not out of fear of punishment, but out of the impulse of conscience and a deep conviction in the sanctity of his military duty. It cared about instilling among army and navy personnel the spirit of faith, piety and conscious military discipline, patience and courage, even to the point of self-sacrifice.

However, it was not only in the shadow of churches and in the silence of barracks that army and navy priests spiritually nourished their flock. They were next to the soldiers in battles and on campaigns, sharing with the soldiers and officers the joy of victories and the sorrow of defeats, the hardships of wartime. They blessed those going into battle, inspired the faint-hearted, consoled the wounded, advised the dying, and saw off the dead on their last journey. They were loved by the army and needed by it.

History knows many examples of courage and dedication shown by military shepherds in the battles and campaigns of the Patriotic War of 1812. Thus, the priest of the Moscow Grenadier Regiment, Archpriest Miron of Orleans, walked under heavy cannon fire in front of the grenadier column in the battle of Borodino and was wounded. Despite the injury and severe pain, he remained in service and performed his duties.

An example of courage and fidelity to duty in the Patriotic War was the feat of another military shepherd, Ioannikiy Savinov, who served in the 45th naval crew. At the critical moment of the battle, Shepherd Ioannikis, wearing an epitrachelion, with a raised cross and loudly chanting a prayer, went into battle ahead of the soldiers. The inspired soldiers quickly rushed towards the enemy, who was in confusion.

Of the two hundred military shepherds who took part in the Crimean War, two were awarded the Order of St. George, IV degree; 93 shepherds - with gold pectoral crosses, including 58 people - with crosses on the St. George Ribbon; 29 military priests were awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, III and IV degrees.

Military chaplains were faithful to the valiant traditions of the army and navy clergy in subsequent wars.

Thus, during the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878, the priest of the 160th Abkhazian infantry regiment, Feodor Matveevich Mikhailov, especially distinguished himself. In all the battles in which the regiment took part, Feodor Matveevich was in front. During the storming of the Kars fortress, a shepherd with a cross in his hand and wearing an epitrachelion, being in front of the chains, was wounded, but remained in the ranks.

Military and naval clergy showed examples of heroism and courage during the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1906.

Protopresbyter of the Tsarist Army Georgy Shavelsky, who had extensive experience as a military priest during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, defines his role in peacetime this way: “At present, it is especially strongly recognized that the religious side is of great importance in the education of the Russian army, in the development of the strong and powerful spirit of the Russian army and that the role of the priest in the army is a respectable and responsible role, the role of a prayer book, educator and inspirer of the Russian army." In wartime, Georgy Shavelsky emphasizes, this role becomes even more important and responsible, and at the same time more fruitful.

The tasks for the activities of a priest in wartime are the same as in peacetime: 1) the priest is obliged to satisfy the religious feelings and religious needs of soldiers, through the performance of divine services and services; 2) the priest must influence his flock with pastoral word and example.

Many priests, going to war, imagined how they would lead their students into battle under fire, bullets and shells. The First World War showed a different reality. The priests did not have to “lead troops into battle.” The killing power of modern fire has made daylight attacks almost unthinkable. Opponents now attack each other in the dead of night, under the cover of night darkness, without unfurled banners and without the thunder of music; They attack furtively, so as not to be noticed and swept off the face of the earth by the fire of guns and machine guns. During such attacks, the priest has no place either in front or behind the attacking unit. At night, no one will see him, and no one will hear his voice, once the attack begins.

Archpriest Georgy Shavelsky noted that with the change in the nature of the war, the nature of the priest’s work in the war also changed. Now the priest’s place during a battle is not in the battle line, stretched over a huge distance, but near it, and his job is not so much to encourage those in the ranks, but to minister to those who have dropped out of the ranks - the wounded and killed.

His place is at the dressing station; when his presence at the dressing station is not necessary, he must also visit the battle line in order to encourage and console those there with his appearance. Of course, there can be and have been exceptions to this situation. Imagine that the unit trembled and began to retreat randomly; the appearance of a priest at such a moment can make a big difference.

Before the First World War, the Russian military clergy worked without a plan or system and even without the necessary control. Each priest worked on his own, according to his own understanding.

The organization of management of the military and naval clergy in peacetime could not be considered perfect. At the head of the department was a protopresbyter, vested with full power. Under him there was a Spiritual Board - the same as the Consistory under the diocesan bishop. Since 1912, the protopresbyter was given an assistant, who greatly facilitated his clerical work. But neither the assistant nor the Spiritual Board could act as intermediaries between the protopresbyter and the clergy subordinate to him, scattered throughout Russia. Such intermediaries were divisional and local deans. There were at least a hundred of them, and they were scattered across different Russian corners. There were no opportunities for private and personal communication between them and the protopresbyter. Unifying their activities, directing their work and controlling them was not easy. The protopresbyter needed to have extraordinary energy and extraordinary mobility in order to personally and on the spot check the work of all his subordinates.

But this management design turned out to be imperfect. The beginning of the addition of the Regulations was given by the Emperor himself during the formation of the headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, who ordered the protopresbyter to be at this headquarters for the duration of the war. Further adjustments were made by the protopresbyter, who was given the right to personally, without approval from higher authorities, establish new positions in the army within his department, if they did not require expenses from the treasury. Thus, the following positions were established: 10 garrison deans in points where there were several priests; 2 dean reserve hospitals, which positions were assigned to priests at army headquarters.

In 1916, with the Supreme approval, special positions of army preachers were established, one for each army, who were entrusted with the responsibility of continuously traveling around, preaching, the military units of their army. The most outstanding spiritual speakers were elected to the positions of preachers. The English Colonel Knox, who was at the headquarters of the Northern Front, considered the idea of ​​​​establishing the positions of army preachers to be brilliant. Finally, the chief priests of the fronts were given the right to use priests at army headquarters as their assistants in monitoring the activities of the clergy.

Thus, the spiritual apparatus at the theater of military operations represented a harmonious and perfect organization: the protopresbyter, his closest assistants; chief priests, their assistants; staff chaplains; finally, divisional and hospital dean and garrison priests.

At the end of 1916, the highest command established the positions of chief priests of the Baltic and Black Sea fleets.

For better unification and direction of the activities of the clergy of the army and navy, from time to time, meetings of the protopresbyter with the main priests, the latter with staff priests and deans, and Congresses along the fronts, chaired by the protopresbyter or chief priests, were drawn up.

The First World War, as well as the wars of the 19th century, provided many examples of the courage shown by military priests at the fronts.

During the Russian-Japanese War there were not even ten wounded and shell-shocked priests; in the First World War there were more than 400. More than a hundred military priests were captured. The capture of the priest indicates that he was at his post, and not in the rear, where there was no danger.

There are many other examples of the selfless activity of military priests during battles.

The differences for which priests could be awarded orders with swords or a pectoral cross on the St. George Ribbon can be divided into three groups. Firstly, this is the feat of the priest in the decisive moments of the battle with a cross in his raised hand, inspiring the soldiers to continue the battle.

Another type of priestly distinction is associated with the diligent performance of his immediate duties under special conditions. Often clergy performed divine services under enemy fire.

And, finally, the clergy performed feats possible for all army ranks. The first pectoral cross received on the St. George Ribbon was awarded to the priest of the 29th Chernigov Infantry Regiment, Ioann Sokolov, for saving the regimental banner. The cross was presented to him personally by Nicholas II, as recorded in the emperor’s diary. Now this banner is kept in the State Historical Museum in Moscow.

The revival of the mission of the Orthodox clergy in the Armed Forces today becomes not only a concern for the future, but also a tribute to the grateful memory of military priests.

The clergy quite successfully resolved issues of interreligious relations. In pre-revolutionary Russia, the entire life of a Russian person from birth to death was permeated with Orthodox teaching. The Russian Army and Navy were essentially Orthodox. The armed forces defended the interests of the Orthodox Fatherland, headed by the Orthodox Sovereign. But still, representatives of other religions and nationalities also served in the Armed Forces. And one thing was combined with another. Some ideas about the religious affiliation of the personnel of the imperial army and navy at the beginning of the 20th century provide the following information: At the end of 1913, there were 1,229 generals and admirals in the army and navy. Of these: 1079 Orthodox, 84 Lutherans, 38 Catholics, 9 Armenian Gregorians, 8 Muslims, 9 reformers, 1 sectarian (who joined the sect already as a general), 1 unknown. Among the lower ranks in 1901, 19,282 people were under arms in the Siberian Military District. Of these, 17,077 were Orthodox, 157 Catholics, 75 Protestants, 1 Armenian Gregorian, 1,330 Muslims, 100 Jews, 449 Old Believers and 91 idolaters (northern and eastern peoples). On average, in that period, Orthodox Christians made up 75% of the Russian Armed Forces, Catholics - 9%, Muslims - 2%, Lutherans - 1.5%, others - 12.5% ​​(including those who did not declare their religious affiliation). Approximately the same ratio remains in our time. As noted in his report by the Deputy Head of the Main Directorate of Educational Work of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Rear Admiral Yu.F. Needs, of the believing military personnel, 83% are Orthodox Christians, 6% are Muslims, 2% are Buddhists, 1% each are Baptists, Protestants, Catholics and Jews, 3% consider themselves to be of other religions and beliefs.

In the Russian Empire, relationships between religions were decided by law. Orthodoxy was the state religion. And the rest were divided into tolerant and intolerant. Tolerant religions included traditional religions that existed in the Russian Empire. These are Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, Catholics, Lutherans, Reformers, Armenian Gregorians. Intolerant religions mainly included sects that were completely prohibited.

The history of relations between faiths, like much else in the Russian armed forces, dates back to the reign of Peter I. During the time of Peter I, the percentage of representatives of other Christian denominations and nationalities in the army and navy increased significantly - especially Germans and Dutch.

According to Chapter 9 of the Military Regulations of 1716, it was prescribed that “Everyone who generally belongs to our Army, regardless of what faith or nation they are, should have Christian love among themselves.” That is, all disagreements on religious grounds were immediately suppressed by law. The charter obligated to treat local religions with tolerance and care, both in areas of deployment and on enemy territory. Article 114 of the same Charter read: “... priests, church servants, children, and others who cannot resist will not be offended or insulted by our military people, and churches, hospitals and schools will be greatly spared and will not be subjected to cruel corporal punishment.”

In the armed forces of those years, non-Orthodox people were mainly among the top ranks and even less among the middle command ranks. The lower ranks, with rare exceptions, were Orthodox. For non-Orthodox people, a Lutheran church was built in the house of Kotlin’s defense chief, Vice Admiral Cornelius Kruys, back in 1708. This church served as a meeting place not only for Lutherans, but also for Dutch reformers. Despite religious differences, they followed the instructions of the Lutheran preacher and adhered to Lutheran rituals. In 1726, already a full admiral and vice-president of the Admiralty Board, Cornelius Cruys wanted to build a Lutheran church, but illness and imminent death stopped his intentions.

An Anglican church was built in St. Petersburg for the English who served in the navy. Heterodox and heterodox churches were also built in other army and navy bases, for example in Kronstadt. Some of them were built directly on the initiative of the military and naval departments.

The Charter on Field and Cavalry Service of 1797 determined the order of military personnel for religious services. In accordance with the 25th chapter of this Charter, on Sundays and holidays, all Christians (both Orthodox and non-Orthodox) had to go to church in formation under the leadership of one of the officers. When approaching the Orthodox Church, a restructuring was carried out. Orthodox soldiers entered their church, while Catholics and Protestants continued to march in formation to their churches and churches.

When Vasily Kutnevich was chief priest of the army and navy, the positions of imams were established in military ports on the Black and Baltic Seas in 1845. They were established in the ports of Kronstadt and Sevastopol - one imam and an assistant each, and in other ports - one imam, who was elected from the lower ranks with a state salary.

As noted above, in connection with the military reform carried out in the second half of the 19th century, all-class military service was introduced. The range of people recruited from different religions has expanded significantly. Military reform required greater attention to interreligious relations.

This issue became even more relevant after 1879, when Baptists and Stundists achieved the adoption of a law that equalized their rights with heterodox confessions. Thus, legally they became a tolerant religion. Baptists began to conduct enormous propaganda among military personnel. Counteraction to Baptist propaganda lay solely on the shoulders of the military clergy, who had help from the state only if this propaganda clearly contradicted state laws.

The military clergy faced a difficult task - to prevent religious differences from developing into contradictions. Military personnel of different faiths were told literally the following: “... we are all Christians, Mohammedans, Jews, together at the same time we pray to our God, therefore the Lord Almighty, who created heaven, earth and everything on earth, is for us the one, true God.” And these were not just declarations; such fundamentally important guidelines were statutory norms.

The priest was supposed to avoid any disputes about faith with people of other faiths. The set of military regulations of 1838 stated: “Regimental priests should not enter into debates about faith with people of another confession.” In 1870, in Helsingfors, a book by the dean of the headquarters of the troops of the Finnish Military District, Archpriest Pavel Lvov, “Memorial Book on the Rights and Responsibilities of the Army Clergy,” was published.

In particular, in Chapter 34 of this document there was a special section called “On the prevention and suppression of crimes against the rules of religious tolerance.” And the military clergy made every effort at all times to prevent religious conflicts and any infringement of the rights and dignity of adherents of other faiths in the troops.

During the First World War, due to the presence of representatives of other religions in the Armed Forces, Protopresbyter of the military and naval clergy Georgy Ivanovich Shavelsky, in circular No. 737 dated November 3, 1914, addressed the Orthodox military priests with the following appeal: “... I earnestly ask the clergy of the current army to avoid, if possible, any religious disputes and denunciations of other faiths, and at the same time ensure that brochures and leaflets containing harsh expressions about Catholicism, Protestantism and other confessions do not end up in the field and hospital libraries for military ranks, since such literary works can offend the religious feeling of those belonging to these confessions and harden them against the Orthodox Church, and in military units sow hostility that is destructive to the cause. The clergy laboring on the battlefield has the opportunity to confirm the greatness and rightness of the Orthodox Church not with a word of reproof, but with the deed of Christian selfless service as Orthodox and non-Orthodox, remembering that the latter shed blood for the Faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland and that we have one Christ, one Gospel and one baptism, and not missing an opportunity to serve the healing of their spiritual and physical wounds." Article 92 of the Charter of the Internal Service read: “Although the Orthodox faith is dominant, non-Orthodox people everywhere enjoy the free practice of their faith and worship according to its rites.” In the Naval Regulations of 1901 and 1914, in the 4th section: “On the order of service on a ship,” it was said: “Infidels of Christian confessions perform public prayers according to the rules of their faith, with the permission of the commander, in the place assigned to them, and, if possible, simultaneously with the Orthodox Worship. During long voyages, they retire, if possible, to their church for prayer and fasting" (v. 930). Article 931 of the Naval Charter allowed Muslims to pray on Fridays, and Jews on Saturdays: “If there are Muslims or Jews on the ship, they are allowed to read public prayers, according to the rules of their faith and in places designated by the commander: Muslims - on Fridays, and Jews - on Saturdays. This is also allowed for them on their main holidays, during which they are, if possible, released from service and sent ashore." Attached to the charters were lists of the most significant holidays of each faith and religion, not only Christians, Muslims and Jews, but even Buddhists and Karaites. On these holidays, representatives of these confessions were supposed to be exempt from military service. Article 388 of the Internal Service Charter stated: “Jewish, Mohammedan and other non-Christian military personnel, on days of special worship performed according to their faith and rituals, may be exempted from official duties and, if possible, from unit assignments. See the Schedule of holidays in the Appendix.” . On these days, commanders necessarily granted leave to non-religious people outside the unit to visit their churches.

Thus, representatives of tolerant religions, both Christian and non-Christian, were allowed to pray according to the rules of their faith. For this, the commanders allocated them a certain place and time. The organization of religious services and prayers by non-religious people was enshrined in organizational orders for the unit or ship. If there was a mosque or synagogue at the point of deployment of a unit or ship, the commanders, if possible, released non-religious people there for prayers.

By the beginning of the 20th century, in ports and large garrisons, in addition to the Orthodox clergy, there were military priests of other confessions. These are, first of all, Catholic chaplains, Lutheran preachers, evangelical preachers, Muslim imams and Jewish rabbis, and later also Old Believer priests. The military Orthodox clergy treated representatives of other faiths with a sense of tact and due respect.

History does not know a single fact when any conflicts in the Russian Army or Navy arose on religious grounds. Both during the war with Japan and in the war with Germany, the Orthodox priest, the mullah, and the rabbi successfully collaborated.

Thus, it can be noted that only at the beginning of the 20th century such a military-religious service was formed in the Russian army, which we often refer to when referring to its history.

In the first place among the many tasks solved by the military clergy was the desire to cultivate spiritual and moral strength in the Russian warrior, to make him a person imbued with a true Christian mood, performing his duties not out of fear of threats and punishment, but out of conscience and deep conviction in the sanctity of his duty. It took care of instilling in the troops the spirit of faith, piety and military discipline, patience, courage and self-sacrifice.

In general, the staffing and official structure of the military and naval clergy, as historical experience shows, made it possible to successfully carry out work in the troops on the religious education of military personnel, study and quickly influence the morale of the troops, and strengthen their trustworthiness.

In war, Divine justice and God's care for people are seen especially clearly. War does not tolerate dishonor - a bullet quickly finds an immoral person.
​Venerable Paisiy Svyatogorets

In times of difficult trials, upheavals and wars, the Russian Orthodox Church has always been with its people and its army, not only strengthening and blessing soldiers to fight for their Fatherland, but also with arms in hand on the front line, as in the war with Napoleon’s army and the fascist invaders to the Great Patriotic War. Thanks to the Decree of the President of Russia of 2009 on the revival of the institution of full-time military clergy, Orthodox priests have become an integral part of the modern Russian army. Our correspondent Denis Akhalashvili visited the department for relations with the Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies of the Yekaterinburg diocese, where he learned first-hand about how relations between the Church and the army are developing today.

So that the Liturgy is served in the unit and conversations on spiritual topics are held

Colonel - Head of the Department for Relations with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies of the Yekaterinburg Diocese:

In the Yekaterinburg diocese, the department was created in 1995. Since that time, we have prepared and concluded cooperation agreements with all law enforcement agencies in the Ural Federal District: the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations for the Sverdlovsk Region, the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the Sverdlovsk Region, the Ural Military District, the Ural District of Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. The Ekaterinburg diocese was the first in post-Soviet Russia to sign a cooperation agreement with the military commissariat of the Sverdlovsk region. From our structure, departments for working with the Cossacks and for prison service were subsequently created. We collaborated with 450 military units and formations of the Armed Forces and divisions of law enforcement agencies in the Sverdlovsk region, where 255 clergy of our diocese were regularly involved in the care of believers. With the transformation of the diocese into a metropolitanate in the Yekaterinburg diocese, there are 154 priests in 241 military units and divisions of law enforcement agencies.

Since 2009, after the publication of the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation on the creation of the institution of full-time military clergy in the Russian army, 266 positions of full-time military clergy, assistant commanders for working with religious military personnel from among the clergy of traditional denominations, including Orthodox priests, have been determined. There are five such positions identified in our diocese.

Today we have 154 priests visiting military units, where they perform sacraments, give lectures, conduct classes, etc. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill once said that a priest who visits a military unit once a month is like a wedding general. I'm not sure I'm conveying it verbatim, but the meaning is clear. I, as a career military man, understand perfectly well that if a priest comes once a month to a unit where 1,500 people serve, then in reality he will be able to communicate at best with a couple of dozen soldiers, which, of course, is not enough. We decided to increase the efficiency of our cooperation in the following way: with the consent of the unit command, on a certain day, 8-10 priests come to a specific military unit at once. Three directly in the unit serve the Divine Liturgy, the rest confess. After the Liturgy, confession and Communion, the military go to breakfast, after which they are divided into groups, where each of the priests conducts a conversation on a given topic, based on the church calendar and the specific needs of a particular unit. Separately - headquarters officers, separately - contract soldiers, separately - conscripts, then doctors, women and civilian personnel; a group of those who are in medical institutions. As practice has shown, in today's conditions this is the most effective form of cooperation: military personnel receive spiritual knowledge, but also participate in the Liturgy, confess and receive communion, and also have the opportunity to communicate and discuss an exciting personal topic with a specific priest, which, given the psychological requirements for the modern army , very important. I know from the command of the formations that the effect was very good; unit commanders ask for such events to be carried out constantly.

Every year we celebrate Defender of the Fatherland Day. And on the eve of this holiday, with the blessing of Metropolitan Kirill of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye, we go home to congratulate our veterans, presenting them with congratulatory addresses and memorable gifts from the ruling bishop.

“For a soldier, a father is a dear person,
with whom you can talk about painful things"

My history of serving in the army began many years ago, when I was the rector of the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh on the outskirts of Yekaterinburg - in the village of Bolshoy Istok behind the Koltsovo airport. Our dean was a wonderful priest, Archpriest Andrei Nikolaev, a former military man who served in the army for 13 years as an ensign and enjoyed great authority among the military. One day he asked me how I thought about not just going from time to time to the military unit that we cared for, but becoming a permanent full-time army chaplain. I thought about it and agreed. I remember when Father Andrei and I came to our Bishop Kirill for a blessing, he joked: well, some (points to Father Andrei) leave the army, and some (points to me), on the contrary, go there. In fact, Vladyka was very glad that our relations with the army had moved to a new level, that besides me, four more priests of our diocese were approved by the Minister of Defense and became full-time priests. The Bishop blessed and said many warm parting words. And since July 2013, when the official order of my appointment came, I have been serving at the location of my unit.

How does ministry happen? First, as expected, morning divorce. I address the servicemen of the military unit with a parting speech, after which the official part ends, feet in hand - and I went to walk kilometers around the units. Our military unit is large - 1.5 thousand people, while you go around all the addresses planned according to the plan, by the evening you can’t feel your feet under you. I don’t sit in an office, I go to people myself.

We have a prayer room in the middle of the barracks. When it’s not easy for a soldier, he will look - and God is here, nearby!

Our prayer room is located in the hall, in the middle of the barracks: on the left there are bunks in two tiers, on the right there are bunks, the prayer room is in the middle. This is convenient: you want to pray or talk to the priest - here he is nearby, please! I take it there every day. And the presence of shrines, icons, an altar, an iconostasis, candles in the middle of a soldier’s life also has a beneficial effect on the soldier. It can be difficult for a soldier, he will look - God is here, near! I prayed, talked to the priest, took part in the sacraments - and things got better. This is all visible, happening before your eyes.

If there are no teachings or rush jobs, I serve every Saturday and Sunday. Anyone who wants to and is not in finery comes to the vespers, confesses, and prepares for Communion.

During the service at the Holy Chalice, we all become brothers in Christ, this is also very important. This then affects the relationship between officers and subordinates.

In general, I’ll say this: if priests were not useful in the army, they wouldn’t be there either! The army is a serious matter, there is no time to deal with nonsense. But as experience shows, the presence of a priest in a unit has a really beneficial effect on the situation. A priest is not a psychologist, he is a priest, a father, for a soldier he is a loved one with whom you can have a heart-to-heart talk. Just the day before yesterday, a conscript corporal came to me, his eyes were sad, lost... Something was not working out for him, somewhere he was treated rudely, so despondency fell on the man, he withdrew into himself. We talked to him and looked at his problems from the Christian side. I say: “You didn’t just end up in the army, you chose the service yourself?” He nods. “Did you want to serve?” - “Of course I wanted to!” - answers. - “Something went wrong, something turned out to be not as rosy as I thought. But is this only true in the army? Everywhere, if you look closely, there are tops and roots! When you get married, you think that you will lie in front of the TV and be happy, but instead you will have to work twice as hard to support your wife and family! It doesn’t happen like in a fairy tale: once - and it’s done, at the command of the pike! You need to work hard! And God will help! Let us pray and ask God for help together!”

When a person sees that he is not alone, that the Lord is nearby and helps him, everything changes.

In the conditions of a modern army with increased psychological and professional stress, such warm, trusting, sincere relationships are very important. You communicate with the guys every day, talk, drink tea, everything is open, eye to eye. You pray for them every day. If you don’t have this, if you are all non-criminal, you have nothing to do in the army, no one will understand you, and no one needs you here.

“We already have a tradition: for all teachings we always take a camp church”

, Assistant Head of the Department for Work with Religious Military Personnel of the Directorate for Work with Personnel of the Central Military District:

In 2012, I was the rector of the Church of the Archangel Michael in the working-class village of Achit and looked after the military registration and enlistment office, the fire department, and the police, so when the Bishop blessed me for this service, I already had good experience in relations with representatives of various law enforcement agencies. At the district headquarters, a department has been created to work with religious military personnel, where two priests and the head of the department are constantly located. In addition to the spiritual care of the district command staff, our task is to help military units where there are no full-time priests, to establish work with believers, to come as needed and fulfill their priestly duties. By the way, sometimes not only Orthodox Christians turn to you in the unit. Recently a Muslim soldier approached me. He wanted to attend a service at the mosque, but did not know how to do it. I helped him, found out where the nearest mosque was, when services were held there, how to get there...

At this time, Father Vladimir’s phone rings, he asks for forgiveness and answers: “I wish you good health!” God bless! Yes, I agree! Write a report addressed to the ruling bishop. If he blesses, I’ll go with you!”

I ask what's the matter. Father Vladimir smiles:

For exercises? Of course I'll go! We will be in the field, living in a tent, the regime will be like everyone else’s

The unit commander called, they are leaving for exercises next week, and asked to go with them. Of course I'll go! The training is short - only two weeks! We will be in the field, we will live in a tent, the regime will be like everyone else’s. In the morning they do exercises, I have a morning rule. Then in the camp church, if there is no service, I accept those who wish. We already have a tradition: for all teachings we always take a camp church with us, where we can perform all the necessary sacraments, baptism, Liturgy... We also always put up a tent for Muslims.

Here we were at a training camp near the city of Chebarkul, in the Chelyabinsk region; There was a village nearby where there was a temple. The local priest not only served the Liturgy with us, but also gave us his vessels and prosphora for worship. There was a large service, where several priests gathered, everyone confessed, and at the Liturgy there were many communicants from several military units.

On the territory of our unit on Uktus (one of the districts of Yekaterinburg. - YES.) the Church of the Martyr Andrew Stratilates was built, where I am the rector and regularly serve there. In addition, by agreement with unit commanders, we constantly travel in groups of priests of up to ten people to some part of our district, where we give lectures, conduct open classes on a given topic and always serve the Liturgy, confess and receive communion. Then we went to the barracks, and - if desired - communicated with all the believers, both military and civilian personnel.

Serving in intelligence is not an easy task.

, rector of the Church of St. George the Victorious in the village. Maryinsky:

I twice went on business trips to the North Caucasus region, where I was with the camp temple of Alexander Nevsky at the military unit of the Ural District of Internal Troops. How was the service? In the morning, during formation, with the permission of the command, you read morning prayers. You go out in front of the line, everyone takes off their hats, you read “Our Father”, “Virgin Mother of God”, “Heavenly King”, a prayer for the beginning of a good deed and an excerpt from the life of the saint to whom this day is dedicated. In addition to those on the road, 500-600 people are present at the formation. After prayer, the divorce begins. I go to the temple, where I receive everyone. Once a week I conduct spiritual conversations with the staff. After the conversation, personal face-to-face communication begins.

There is a joke that in the army they don’t swear, in the army they speak this language. And when a priest is nearby, even officers begin to restrain themselves in this regard. They already speak words closer to the Russian language, remember politeness, ask for forgiveness, relations between themselves and their subordinates become more friendly, more humane or something. For example, a major comes to confession in our tent, and a simple soldier stands in front of him. The major doesn’t push him away, doesn’t push forward, he stands and waits for his turn. And then they, together with this soldier, take communion from the same Chalice. And when they meet in a normal setting, they already perceive each other differently than before.

You immediately feel that you are at the location of a military unit that carries out combat missions every day. In civilian life, all the grandmothers love you, all you hear is: “Father, father!”, and no matter what you are, they love you simply because you are a priest. That's not the case here at all. They've seen everyone here and won't just welcome you with open arms. Their respect must be earned.

Our field temple is assigned to a reconnaissance platoon. They are responsible for setting up, assembling and moving the mobile temple. These guys are very serious - maroon berets. To become a maroon beret, you must die and then be resurrected - so they say. Many of them went through both Chechen campaigns, saw blood, saw death, lost fighting friends. These people are accomplished individuals who have given all of themselves to serving the Motherland. All intelligence officers are simple warrant officers; they do not have high ranks. But if war happens, each of them will be individually appointed as a platoon commander, they will carry out any command tasks, and lead the soldiers. The fighting spirit rests on them; they are the elite of our army.

The scouts always invite the newly arrived priest to come and get acquainted with them for tea. This is actually a very important ritual, during which the first and often the last impression is formed about you. What are you? What kind of person are you? Can you even be trusted? They check you as a man, take a closer look, ask various tricky questions, and are interested in your past life.

I myself am from the Orenburg Cossacks, and therefore checkers and pistols have been familiar to me since childhood; at the genetic level, we have a love for military affairs. At one time I was involved in the young paratroopers’ club, from the age of 13 I jumped with a parachute, I dreamed of serving in the paratroopers. Unfortunately, due to health problems, I was not accepted into the landing force; I served in the conventional troops.

The scouts examined the target and laughed: “The test passed!” Come, they say, to us, in maroon berets!

I went out with the scouts for shooting, where they checked my worth in battle. First they gave me a gun. I didn’t really like it: I shoot in civilian life at a shooting range from a heavier Beretta. But it’s okay, I got used to it and hit all the targets. Then they gave me some new machine gun, specially designed for intelligence officers, with a short barrel. I shot at a common target, I saw that the recoil was weak, it was easy and convenient to shoot - and I shot the second magazine at moving targets, knocking out all the “tens”. They examined the targets and laughed: “The test passed!” Come, they say, to us, in maroon berets! I shot with an AK machine gun, and it also turned out well.

After the shootings, the number of parishioners in the unit increased sharply. Now we regularly correspond with Pashka from intelligence. He writes to me how they are doing there, and I write to me how it is here; We make sure to congratulate each other on the holidays. When we met him during my first business trip, when he read the Lord’s Prayer, he made eight mistakes, and on the final business trip two years later, when we met him again, he read the Hours and prayers for Communion at the service.

I also have a friend from the Cossacks, Sashka, an FSB officer. He looks like Ilya Muromets, he’s half a head taller than me and his shoulders are wider. Their FSB detachment was transferred, and they were left to guard some of the remaining equipment. So he protects. I ask: “How are you, Sasha?” He takes the blessing, we kiss like brothers, and he joyfully replies: “All glory to God! I’m guarding it little by little!”

The banner was carried by a standard bearer from the Kremlin regiment. I carried it like that - I couldn’t take my eyes off it! The banner was floating through the air!

On Epiphany, our scouts and I found an abandoned old fountain, quickly cleaned it, filled it with water and made a Jordan. They served a festive service, and then there was a night religious procession, with banners, icons, and lanterns. Let's go, eat, pray. A real standard-bearer carried the banner in front, so carried it - you couldn’t take your eyes off it! The banner simply floats through the air! Then I ask him: where did you learn this? He tells me: “Yes, I am a professional standard bearer, I served in the Kremlin regiment, I walked on Red Square with a banner!” We had such wonderful fighters there! And then everyone - commanders, soldiers, and civilian personnel - went as one to the Epiphany font. And all glory to God!

Are you wondering how I built the temple? I am the abbot of it, I will say so. When we finished construction and consecrated the temple, I went to see my confessor. I tell the story, show photographs: so, they say, and so, father, I built a temple! And he laughs: ““Fly, fly, where have you been?” - "As where? The field was plowed!” They ask her: “How, yourself?” She says: “Well, not quite myself. I sat on the neck of an ox who was plowing the field.” So people built your temple, philanthropists, various donors... Maybe grandmothers collected pennies. The people built your temple, and the Lord appointed you to serve there!” Since then I no longer say that I built the temple. And to serve - yes, I serve! There is such a thing!

“God willing, we will serve this Easter in the new church.”

, assistant commander of a separate railway brigade:

It is good when a commander sets an example for his subordinates. Our unit commander is a believer, he regularly confesses and receives communion. The head of department too. Subordinates watch, and some also come to the service. Nobody forces anyone, and this cannot be done, because faith is everyone’s personal, sacred matter. Everyone can manage their personal time as they wish. You can read a book, you can watch TV or sleep. Or you can go to church for a service or talk with the priest - if not to confess, then have a heart-to-heart talk.

Nobody forces anyone, and this cannot be done, because faith is everyone’s personal, sacred matter

Sometimes 150-200 people gather at our service. At the last Liturgy, 98 people received communion. General confession is not practiced now, so imagine how long confession lasts for us.

In addition to the fact that I serve in the unit, in civilian life I am the rector of the Church of St. Hermogenes on Elmash. Whenever possible, we take an onboard Ural, it can accommodate 25 people who come to my service. Naturally, people know that this is not an excursion or an entertainment event, that they will have to stand there for services and pray, so random people don’t go there. Those who want to pray in the church for divine services go.

Previously, the evening time in the unit was occupied by the deputy commander for educational work, but now they decided to give the evening time to the priest, that is, to me. At this time, I meet with military personnel, get to know each other, and communicate. I ask: “Who wants to go to my church for a service?” We are compiling a list of those interested. And so on for each division. I submit the lists to the brigade commander and the unit commander, the company commander, and they release the military personnel when they need to go to duty. And the commander is calm that the soldier is not hanging out somewhere and doing nonsense; and the soldier sees a kind attitude toward himself and can resolve some of his spiritual issues.

It is, of course, easier to serve in a unit. Now our parish of St. Hermogenes is building a temple on the territory of the part in the name of the heavenly patrons of the railway troops, the passion-bearing princes Boris and Gleb. The head of the department, Major General Anatoly Anatolyevich Bragin, initiated this case. He is a believer from a pious, believing family, he has been confessing and receiving communion since childhood, and he warmly supported the idea of ​​​​building a temple, helping with paperwork and approvals. In the fall of 2017, we drove piles into the foundation of the future temple, poured the foundation, now we have installed the roof, and ordered the domes. When the service is held in the new church, of course, there will be no shortage of parishioners there. Already now people stop me and ask: “Father, when will you open the temple?!” God willing, we will serve this Easter in the new church.

“The main thing is the specific person who came to you”

, cleric of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Yekaterinburg:

I have been caring for private security for more than 12 years, since the time when they belonged to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. I have been supporting the Directorate of the Russian Guard for two years, since its formation.

Are you asking who came up with the idea to bless all traffic police cars? Unfortunately, not for me, this is an initiative of the leadership of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Sverdlovsk Region. I just performed the ceremony. Although, of course, I liked the idea! Still would! Collect all 239 new traffic police vehicles on the main square of the city - the square of 1905 - and consecrate them at once! I hope this will affect both the work of employees and the attitude of drivers towards them. Why are you smiling? With God everything is possible!

In my priestly life I have seen a lot of things. From 2005 to 2009, I served at the parish in the name of the Archangel Michael in the Zarechny microdistrict - and for four years in a row, every Sunday I served in the open-air park. We didn’t have any premises or church, I served right in the middle of the park - first prayers, then with God’s help I bought vessels, mother sewed a cover for the Throne, and in the fall we served the first Liturgy. I posted notices around the area that we would invite you to worship in the park on such and such a date. Sometimes up to a hundred people gathered! On holidays, we went through religious processions throughout the area, sprinkled holy water, collected gifts, and gave them to veteran grandmothers! We lived happily, together, it’s a sin to complain! Sometimes I meet old parishioners with whom I served in the park, they rejoice and hug you.

They listen to the priest in the army. We help. Yes, this is why God sent me here - to help people

If we talk about the specifics of service in law enforcement agencies, then the priest there is a sacred figure. Imagine a building with high offices and big bosses, busy with important government affairs related to the security of the country, and so on. If a civilian comes there, they will not listen to him and will immediately throw him out the door. And they listen to the priest. I can tell you from experience that there are wonderful people sitting there in the big offices! The main thing is not to ask them for anything, then you can find a common language with them. Well, I’m not asking, on the contrary, I’m bringing them such treasures that they would love it! What, as it is written in the Gospel, that rust does not take, and thieves cannot steal, are treasures that faith and life in the Church give us! The main thing is people, this is a specific person who is sitting in front of you, and shoulder straps are the fifth thing.

In order for a priest to successfully provide care in law enforcement agencies, first of all, he needs to establish good contacts with his superiors and the head of the personnel department. He knows everyone’s personal business; he is, if you like, an executor in law enforcement agencies. He knows a lot and can give advice and save you from many mistakes. Just like you can help him in his work. It's all mutual, he helps you, you help him, and as a result everyone has fewer problems. He can call me and say: “You know, such and such an officer has problems. Can you talk to him? I go to this officer and, like a priest, help him understand his problem.

If contacts have taken place, everything will be fine. I know what I'm talking about. During my service in the security forces, three leaders changed, and I had good constructive relations with all of them. All people, by and large, are only interested in themselves. You must try to be necessary and useful to the extent that these busy people are ready to perceive you. You were put there to help them solve their problems with God's help! If you understand this, then everything will work out for you; if you start engaging in education or preaching, it will all end badly. The specifics of law enforcement agencies make their own severe adjustments, and if you want to succeed in your business, you need to take this into account. As the Apostle Paul said: to be everything to everyone!

Over the years of communication, people begin to trust you. I baptized the children of some, got married to others, and consecrated the house of others. We developed close, almost family relationships with many of us. People know that at any time they can turn to you for help with any problem and you will never refuse and help. God sent me here for this: so that I could help people - so I serve!

God leads people to faith in different ways. I remember one colonel was very hostile to the fact that a priest was coming to their administration and, as he thought, was only disturbing everyone. I could see from his contemptuous look that he did not like my presence. And then his brother died, and it so happened that I performed his funeral service. And there, perhaps for the first time, he looked at me with different eyes and saw that I could be useful. Then he had problems with his wife, he came to me, and we talked for a long time. In general, now this person, although he does not go to church every Sunday, has a different attitude towards the Church. And this is the main thing.

The prospects for the institution of military chaplains in the Russian army are assessed positively due to the fact that this initiative of the leaders of the largest religious communities in Russia finds support among the Russian authorities and in society. The need for military clergy stems from the presence of a significant flock - religious military personnel, including those undergoing military service in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. However, the initiative also faces visible problems.

Story

Russian empire

According to Boris Lukichev, head of the department for work with religious military personnel of the main department for work with personnel of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, 5 thousand military priests and several hundred chaplains served in the army of the Russian Empire. Mullahs also served in national-territorial formations, such as the “Wild Division”.

In pre-revolutionary Russia, the activities of army and navy priests were secured by a special legal status. So, although formally the clergy did not have military ranks, in fact in the military environment a deacon was equated to a lieutenant, a priest to a captain, the rector of a military cathedral or temples, as well as a divisional dean to a lieutenant colonel, a field chief priest of the army and navy and a chief priest of the Main headquarters, guards and grenadier corps - to major general, and the protopresbyter of military and naval clergy (the highest ecclesiastical position for the army and navy, established in 1890) - to lieutenant general.

This applied both to the monetary allowance paid from the treasury of the military department, and to privileges: for example, each ship's chaplain was entitled to a separate cabin and boat, he had the right to pester the ship from the starboard side, which except him was allowed only to flagships, ship commanders and officers , who had St. George's awards. The sailors were obliged to salute him.

Russian Federation

In post-Soviet Russia, according to the head of the synodal department of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) for interaction with the Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies, Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov, Orthodox priests resumed their activities in the troops immediately after the collapse of the USSR, but during the first two decades they did this for free and on on a voluntary basis.

In 1994, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II and Russian Defense Minister Pavel Grachev signed a cooperation agreement - the first official document on relations between the church and the army in the Russian Federation. Based on this document, the Coordination Committee for interaction between the Armed Forces and the Russian Orthodox Church was created. In February 2006, Patriarch Alexy II allowed the training of military priests “for the spiritual care of the Russian army,” and in May of the same year, then Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke in favor of re-establishing the institution of military priests.

Modernity

Need

According to Sergei Mozgovoy, Chairman of the Committee on Freedom of Conscience of the National Assembly of Russia, in 1992, 25% of Russian military personnel considered themselves believers, and by the end of the decade their number began to decline. Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov, citing sociological data from the Russian Ministry of Defense, claims that the share of Russian military personnel who consider themselves believers increased from 36% in 1996 to 63% in 2008.

In February 2010, the Newsru.com portal reported, citing the Russian Ministry of Defense, that two-thirds of Russian military personnel call themselves believers, of which 83% are Orthodox, 8% are Muslim. According to the same portal, as of July 2011, 60% of Russian military personnel considered themselves believers, 80% of them were Orthodox.

According to VTsIOM, in August 2006, the introduction of the institution of military chaplains or other clergy representatives in the Russian army was supported by 53% of Russians. In July 2009, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov estimated the need for military chaplains in the Russian army and navy at 200-250 people. According to Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov, the need is much higher: “In the Israeli army, there is one rabbi for every 100 military personnel. In the USA there is one chaplain for every 500-800 military personnel. With an army of a million people, we need to have about one thousand clergy.”

The chief priest of the Russian Airborne Forces, Priest Mikhail Vasiliev, in 2007 assessed the need for clergy in Russian troops as follows: about 400 Orthodox priests, 30-40 Muslim mullahs, 2-3 Buddhist lamas and 1-2 Jewish rabbis.

Organization

The re-creation of the institution of military clergy is an initiative of the leaders of the largest religious communities in Russia, which was supported by the country's President Dmitry Medvedev in July 2009. On December 1, 2009, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation introduced the positions of assistant unit commander for work with religious servicemen, which will be filled by military priests. They will be classified as civilian personnel of military units, which fully corresponds to the position of Dmitry Medvedev.

The importance of this circumstance is also recognized by the clergy. In particular, the head of the synodal department of the Russian Orthodox Church for relations between church and society, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, the chairman of the Coordination Center for Muslims of the North Caucasus, Mufti Ismail Berdiev, and Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov, speak out in support. The latter said in December 2009: “Epaulettes on the shoulders of a priest are not in our national tradition.” At the same time, he believes, “... the priest must be equated with senior officers so that he can be treated adequately in the officer corps.”

As Boris Lukichev, head of the department for work with religious servicemen of the main department for work with personnel of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, explains, this is the fundamental difference between the Russian system and the situation, for example, in Italy, Poland, and the USA. In the armies of the listed countries, chaplains serve - priests who have military ranks and are administratively subordinate to the unit commander. Russian military priests will submit to their church leadership, working closely with the unit commander in the educational aspects of their work.

It is noteworthy that the positions of assistant commanders for educational work are not abolished, and military chaplains will not duplicate their functions. They have no right to take up arms. In fact, they can be considered representatives of the clergy assigned to the army. The position of a military chaplain is contractual. The contract is concluded between the priest and the unit commander, in agreement with the Ministry of Defense. As of July 2011, 240 such positions were introduced. The official salary of such an assistant is set at 10 thousand rubles per month; taking into account allowances for the regional coefficient, for complexity and for length of service, the total amount of monthly payments can reach 25 thousand rubles. This money is paid by the state.

A number of church hierarchs consider these amounts to be insufficient. Thus, Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov recalls that the rank and salary of a regimental priest in the pre-revolutionary army corresponded to the rank of captain, and Archbishop Ignatius of Khabarovsk and Amur explains: “In order for a priest to devote himself entirely to service, he must be provided with a decent salary. The monetary allowance of military chaplains, regulated by the Ministry of Defense, is very modest. It is not enough to support a clergyman and his family. It is impossible to live on that amount. The priest will have to look for income on the side. And this will greatly affect his service, and his potential will be greatly reduced.”

At the beginning of 2010, Rossiyskaya Gazeta cited higher figures for the planned salaries of military chaplains - from 25 to 40 thousand rubles per month. It was also reported that they would presumably live in officer dormitories or service apartments, and each would be given an office at the unit headquarters. In July 2011, the same newspaper cited the example of military priest Andrei Zizo, serving in South Ossetia and receiving 36 thousand rubles a month.

In December 2009, the head of the department of the Main Directorate for Educational Work (GUVR) of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Colonel Igor Sergienko, said that the created department for work with religious military personnel could be headed by a clergyman of the Russian Orthodox Church, but in October 2010, reserve colonel Boris Lukichev became the head of this department ; he still heads it today.

Implementation

The first 13 military priests were sent by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church to serve at foreign bases of the Russian army in December 2009, but in July 2011, Boris Lukichev reported that out of 240 such positions, only 6 have been filled so far - at military bases of the Black Sea Fleet, in Armenia, Tajikistan , Abkhazia and South Ossetia; In addition, there is one military mullah in the Southern Military District. Lukichev explains this by the fact that candidates undergo a very careful selection - each one is personally approved by Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov.

Some members of the clergy believe this state of affairs is the result of inaction and red tape by the military. Thus, in September 2010, the portal “Religion and Media” quoted an unnamed “high-ranking representative of the Moscow Patriarchate”: “On the part of the military department, there is complete sabotage of issues related to the determination of religious representatives in the army and navy.”

According to the same source, by September 2010, governing bodies for military chaplains should have been formed at district headquarters and in the fleets, but this was not done. Moreover, the leadership of the Ministry of Defense did not hold a single meeting with representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church on this issue.

However, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' places responsibility for the red tape on church hierarchs - in particular, on the bishops of the Southern Federal District. The process of introducing the institution of military priests, according to Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov’s estimate given in December 2009, will take from two to five years.

There are no special premises for the work of military chaplains on the territories of military units yet, but Patriarch Kirill, speaking in May 2011 to students at the General Staff Academy in Moscow, said that such premises need to be allocated. In November 2010, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said that the construction of Orthodox churches in military units would be discussed by a working group that would be created specifically for this purpose in the ministry.

By mid-2011, according to Boris Lukichev, about 200 churches, chapels and prayer rooms were built in the garrisons of the Russian Armed Forces. This was done without orders and without government funding. In total, at the beginning of 2010, there were 530 churches operating on the territory of Russian military units.

Purpose

Patriarch Kirill believes that military priests will achieve a fundamental change in the moral atmosphere in the Russian Armed Forces and the gradual eradication of “negative phenomena in relations between conscripts.” He is convinced that a positive impact will also be had on morale, because a person who has “religious experience of life” and is deeply aware that betrayal, evasion of one’s direct duties and violation of the oath are mortal sins, “will be capable of any feat.”

Boris Lukichev, head of the department for work with religious servicemen of the main department for work with personnel of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, is more skeptical: “It would be naive to think that a priest will come and there will be no incidents right away.”

According to Lukichev, the mission of military priests is different: “The service of military priests brings to the army a moral aspect, a moral dimension. What was it like during the war? The priest was always close to the fighters. And when a soldier was mortally wounded, he held a funeral service at the first aid station, where he saw him off on his last journey. Then he informed his relatives that their son or father died for the Tsar, the Fatherland and the faith, and was interred in accordance with Christian customs. It's hard but necessary work."

And Archpriest Dmitry Smirnov thinks this way: “We want every serviceman to understand what a Christian attitude to life, service, and comrade consists of. So that there are no suicides, escapes, or crossbows in the army. And the most important thing is to convey to the person in uniform why and in the name of what one must be ready to give his life for the Motherland. If we succeed in all this, then we will consider that our work has borne fruit.”

Abroad

By the beginning of 2010, the institution of military clergy was absent only in three major military powers of the world - the PRC, the DPRK and Russia. In particular, there are military chaplains who receive an officer's salary in all NATO countries.

This issue is resolved differently in neighboring countries. For example, in Moldova, military chaplains are appointed by official decrees and given military ranks. In Armenia, military chaplains report to their spiritual leadership in Etchmiadzin and receive salaries from the church, not the state.

In Ukraine, the Council for Pastoral Care under the Ministry of Defense, created to form an institute of military clergy (chaplaincy) in the armed forces, operates on a voluntary basis, and there is a discussion about the prospects of such an institution. Every year, gatherings of Orthodox military priests are held in Sevastopol, at which, in particular, these prospects are discussed. Representatives of all dioceses in Ukraine, as well as representatives of the military leadership of the republic, take part in them.

Prospects

Training centers

In February 2010, Patriarch Kirill announced that the training of military clergy would be carried out in special training centers. The duration of the training course will be three months. Until such centers are operational, the Russian Orthodox Church will allocate 400 candidates for this purpose. In November of the same year, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov announced that the first such center would most likely open on the basis of one of the Moscow military universities.

A few months earlier, Archpriest Mikhail Vasiliev, deputy chairman of the synodal department of the Moscow Patriarchate for interaction with the Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies, indicated that such a training center would be opened on the basis of the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School named after Margelov. He said that in addition to priests of the Russian Orthodox Church, mullahs, lamas and clergy of other faiths will be trained in this center. However, this project was not implemented.

In July 2011, Boris Lukichev informed that military priests would be trained at one of the departmental universities in Moscow, and that the training course would not include spiritual disciplines, but “military fundamentals,” including practical classes with trips to training grounds.

Confessions

In July 2011, Boris Lukichev stated that the introduction of the institution of military priests would not entail any discrimination against military personnel of non-Orthodox faiths: “Discrimination is excluded when Orthodox Christians go to church, and the rest dig from here until lunch.”

Two years earlier, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev pointed out the importance of this approach: “When introducing the positions of military and naval clergy... we must be guided by real considerations, real information about the ethno-confessional composition of units and formations.”

At the same time, he proposed the following option for implementing the interfaith principle: “If more than 10% of the personnel, brigade, division, educational institution are representatives of peoples traditionally associated with a particular faith, a clergyman of this faith can be included in the staff of the corresponding unit.”

Anatoly Serdyukov in response assured that the clergy of all major religions will be represented in the corresponding department under the central apparatus of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and departments in military districts and fleets, which will be created in the process of introducing the institution of military and naval priests.

Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin believes that the Russian army should contain clergy from all four main confessions of Russia. Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov states: “The interests of representatives of all traditional Russian religions cannot and should not be infringed upon in the army. And I hope this will not happen. We already know how to help a Muslim, a Buddhist, and a Jewish conscript.”

According to the chairman of the Congress of Jewish Religious Organizations and Associations of Russia (KEROOR), Rabbi Zinovy ​​Kogan, an Orthodox priest, if necessary, can provide spiritual support to military personnel of other faiths. The representative of the Grand Mufti in Moscow, Rastam Valeev, shares a similar opinion: “I told the Muslim soldiers: if you don’t have a mullah now, go to an Orthodox priest.”

Objections

The idea of ​​an institute of military chaplains also has opponents, who believe that when this institution actually starts working, there will be negative consequences. Thus, Associate Professor of the Department of Social and Cultural Activities of the Military University, Doctor of Historical Sciences Andrei Kuznetsov points out the imperfection of statistics: “In opinion polls, which, like a shield, supporters of the introduction of the institution of military priests hide behind, there is the fact that at the moment 70% of military personnel consider themselves believers... What do you mean believe? Do military personnel consider themselves believers or are they believers? These are different things. You can consider yourself anyone, today an Orthodox Christian, and tomorrow a Buddhist. But faith imposes special responsibilities on a person, including conscious observance of basic instructions and commandments.”

Another problem that skeptics point out is what to do with the remaining 30% of the personnel while believers attend to their religious needs? If supporters of the institution of military chaplains believe that at this time officer-educators will deal with them, then Andrei Kuznetsov, appealing to his many years of experience of service in the Soviet and Russian armies, reproaches them for idealism: “I would venture to assume that in a real situation everything will be happen differently. After all, the army principle is that all personnel must be involved in any event.”

Another argument of opponents is Art. 14 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, declaring Russia a secular state.

Candidate of Legal Sciences, Associate Professor of the Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Professor of the Academy of Military Sciences Sergei Ivaneev doubts that “a clergyman, the main values ​​of whose religious doctrine is concentrated on the concept of “salvation” or, as it is formulated in science, “deferred reward”,” will be able to help the commander in educational work - after all, it should form a completely different worldview among military personnel. In addition, Ivaneev notes,

Religion elevates faith in God (gods) to the main criterion of attitude towards a person: a co-religionist is ours, a non-religionist is not ours... The tradition developed by religion of feeling elbows only with co-religionists does not at all contribute to the unity of people in uniform.

Finally, citing relevant examples from the history of pre-revolutionary Russia, Andrei Kuznetsov expresses concern that the most important sacraments of the Christian Church can be used for the sake of politics.

Opinions

Power

You can invite representatives of various religious denominations to each unit, but will this be of any use? I would not make hasty conclusions... This will entail the problem of integrating religion into the education system of military personnel.

Yuri Baluevsky, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. "Military-Industrial Courier", May 3, 2006.

We studied the experience of world armies, armies where there is an institute of military clergy, and we believe that today there is no “one-time” solution to this issue in our multi-religious country... But what to do in conditions, for example, of a nuclear submarine, where 30% of the personnel are Muslims? This is a very subtle matter.

Nikolai Pankov, Secretary of State - Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia. Newsru.com, May 27, 2008.

Everyone has the right to receive spiritual support in accordance with their views. The constitutional principles of equality, voluntariness, and freedom of conscience must be observed in relation to all military personnel.

There is a decision by the head of state on filling full-time positions for military chaplains. And it will be strictly implemented. But, I repeat, I am not in favor of haste in this matter. Because the issue is extremely delicate. Currently, personnel work is underway, close cooperation is being carried out with the Russian Orthodox Church and other religious associations. If you rush, you will ruin the idea itself.

Boris Lukichev, head of the department for work with religious military personnel of the main department for work with personnel of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. "Military-Industrial Courier", July 27, 2011.

Clergy

I consider it obligatory to introduce the institution of regimental priests, since it is necessary to educate our young people. However, the introduction of priests into the staff is a violation of the constitutional separation of state and religion.

Shafig Pshikhachev, I. O. First Deputy Chairman of the Coordination Center for Muslims of the North Caucasus. "Military-Industrial Courier", May 3, 2006.

I am for the Russian army to have chaplains, priests, and pastoral service to be carried out on a permanent basis... This is a worldwide practice, and it is difficult for me to understand why this is not yet the case in Russia.

The priest should be in the barracks next to the military. He must share the hardships of military service, the danger, and be an example not only in words, but also in deeds. In order to realize this potential of the church, an institution of military clergy is needed.

There are priests in the armies of all countries, including those countries that actively teach us about the separation of state and church.

Vsevolod Chaplin, archpriest, head of the synodal department of the Russian Orthodox Church for relations between church and society. Newsru.com, July 15, 2009.

The presence of clergy in the army will contribute to the growth of patriotism.

The initiative to introduce regimental priest positions in the army and navy did not come from us. Everything went naturally... We have 100 million Orthodox Christians in the country. Why, when joining the army, do many of them have to “temporarily” “say goodbye” to their faith? Personally, as a priest, I believe that this - the Church and the priest in the army - is generally the main thing! Not just one of the components, but the main thing! It's better not to drink or eat. The temple is a basic necessity.

Dmitry Smirnov, archpriest, head of the Synodal Department of the Russian Orthodox Church for interaction with the armed forces and law enforcement agencies. "Military-Industrial Courier", December 23, 2009.

If the church goes to the army, then it will be fair if the army comes to the church. This is when chaplains will be trained from ordinary priests (perhaps in one of the combined arms academies), who will become experts in the culture of peoples traditionally belonging to other religions. A Jewish chaplain must know them (these cultures), just like representatives of other religions... Rabbis in the army, I believe, will also appear over time. Today there are about a million Jews from mixed families, and they will also fulfill their military duty. In the meantime, military chaplains, who will be responsible for supervising all believers, must have first-hand knowledge of Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism as religions. I don’t see anything bad if at first the “functions of a rabbi” are performed by priests.

Zinovy ​​Kogan, rabbi, chairman of the Congress of Jewish Religious Organizations and Associations of Russia (KEROOR). "Military-Industrial Courier", July 27, 2011.

Experts

The introduction of the institution of military chaplains, who will work directly in the troops, is a positive step... Priests in the troops will help strengthen the morale of soldiers and officers in real combat conditions, as well as in regions with a difficult socio-political situation... However, it should be noted that persons holding atheistic views should not be forced to perform church rituals.

Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine. Newsru.com, July 22, 2009.

The appearance of a clergyman in the unit calms the soldier. Young guys who came from civilian life are more willing to communicate with a priest than with a military psychologist.

Vladimir Khoroshilov, officer of the personnel department of the Separate Special Purpose Division of the Internal Troops of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. Infox.ru, November 16, 2009.

Modern Russian society is radically different from what existed before 1917. Therefore, if we are going to take into account the experience of the activities of the structures of the Russian Empire, then we should approach this very carefully and with adjustments for today. I believe that the actualization of the problem of introducing the institution of military priests is caused by the fact that the state, having not developed any more or less coherent ideology over the past two decades, has signed up for complete powerlessness to influence the spiritual and moral world of military personnel. And in order to “plug” this gaping hole, the Russian Orthodox Church is being called upon in an emergency manner... The decision to introduce the institution of clergy into the RF Armed Forces has not been sufficiently worked out and is premature.

Andrey Kuznetsov, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Social and Cultural Activities of the Military University. "Military-Industrial Courier", January 20, 2010.

In a modern war, 400 priests, whose positions are now being introduced by the leadership of the Ministry of Defense in the troops, are unlikely to radically improve anything.

Leonid Ivashov, vice-president of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems. "Military-Industrial Courier", March 3–9, 2010.

We are looking forward to joining our ranks

Archpriest Dmitry Solonin, head of the sector for interaction with the Ground Forces of the Synodal Department, assistant to the head of the Military University for work with religious military personnel:

It is quite obvious that not only the past five years, but also all previous centuries of interaction between traditional religions and the army have had, are having and will have a beneficial influence and effect. Our mission is extremely important. The military clergy actually absorbs the most trained and motivated priests, and in their places they produce results. According to reviews from commanders, heads of military units and units, heads of military universities (more recently), our work is characterized as creative, positive, contributing to the strengthening of the Armed Forces. There is only one conclusion that can be summed up – the result is positive.

We look to the future with hope and hope that the status of the military priest in the troops will change. The status of civilian personnel does not correspond to our level, because a military priest is in any conditions next to the troops he cares for, and is exposed to dangers - both in the North Caucasus and in any other “hot” spots. However, he does not have any social guarantees, payments and preferences that military personnel have. In this regard, not only me, but all military chaplains are convinced of the need to work on the issue of changing the status of a military chaplain.

Since the vast majority of military chaplains are married, they must be confident for their families, confident that in the event of an emergency - injury or death - the families will be protected.

What else can I say? Everything else moves forward, develops, and it depends on us how successful this interaction will be, because personality plays a very important role. In terms of percentage, the distribution is such that sometimes there may be one clergyman for several thousand personnel. Just imagine, this person must be bright, charismatic, the person must be highly educated and confirm his faith throughout his life, otherwise all the beautiful words will be useless. This is extremely important. I think all fathers cope. We are looking forward to joining our ranks.

Perhaps, after all, it will be decided to open courses for military clergy at seminaries, so that already from the seminary bench the priest begins to prepare, is formed and the output is a finished result. This is very important, I think.

A very big step has been made in five years

Archpriest Alexander Bondarenko, assistant to the commander of the Black Sea Fleet for work with religious servicemen:

In five years, a very big step has been taken towards the revival of the military clergy. Many full-time positions have been introduced; military clergy work with the military on a regular basis. The clergy of the Black Sea Fleet sail on warships in the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean. In addition, they not only provide care for military personnel, but also carry out a diplomatic mission. When ships call at the ports of other states, the activities of military clergy also contribute to the establishment of diplomatic relations with Russia. With Greece, for example, we participate in joint events dedicated to the day of Theodore Ushakov in Corfu, where our clergy takes part in services in Greek churches, religious processions and prayer services.

The cruiser "Moscow" is equipped with a camp temple. When the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet calls at the ports of other states, the leadership of these cities or countries always visit the ship’s temple and, seeing the attitude of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation to faith, to God, they understand that we bring love and strive for peace. Thus, their attitude towards the Russian Federation and the Armed Forces is changing.

Five years is not only about summing up results, but also about plans for the future. Today we should not stop developing. If 10 years ago we visited military units on holidays and held conversations, now a priest should be at least in every brigade, meet with personnel every day, I believe, even in every regiment and on every ship of the 1st rank, and must constantly participate in field campaigns, exercises, ships going to sea. We have ships of the Black Sea Fleet constantly in the Mediterranean Sea, providing security there, displaying the St. Andrew's flag and, of course, priests create the opportunity to fulfill the religious needs of military personnel who have been cut off from home for a long time. If a brigade has a clergyman who can regularly go to sea, this is already a positive factor, but this issue has not yet been resolved in all brigades; this is one of the prospects for development.

First of all, you need to work with the officers

Archpriest Viktor Luzgan, assistant commander of the Engel Long-Range Aviation airbase:

The main purpose of the priest is to give the opportunity, first of all, to conscripts, who, due to the performance of their duty, are physically separated from civilian free life, to satisfy their religious needs. In fact, this task is deeper - it is strengthening the spirit of the military, this is work with both officers and family members - this is complex work.
As for these five years, the purely psychological obstacles between military personnel and the clergy have practically been overcome. There are many cliches and misunderstandings left, but they do not see us as an extraneous link, but really see us as helpers, they even internally feel the effective help of interaction - this is the most important achievement. New forms of work are emerging. In our connection, a year ago I began to practice a new event. At the formation of an air force, when the entire composition is present, the Russian anthem sounds, the flag is raised, the task for the week is set, I perform a prayer service for the beginning of a good deed and bless the military personnel for the coming week, sprinkling them with holy water. Thus, joint prayer occurs. This tradition began with an accident when a pilot died; now it was decided not to “hit the tails” when trouble happened, but to precede the work with a prayer to God so that this trouble would not happen. This tradition appeared in addition to the long-standing ones - the consecration of aircraft, equipment, weapons, living quarters, blessings, visiting churches, participating in festive events, holding conversations, both collective and individual. Months are held to strengthen friendship in the team, to counter the use of drugs and alcoholic beverages, and to counter suicide. These problems are especially typical for contract servicemen, who often join the army because they are unsettled in civilian life.

Often, full-time psychologists who work in units cannot help military personnel who find themselves in difficult circumstances. Then they bring military personnel to our temple.

I have been working with military personnel for eleven years and am convinced that first of all we need to work with officers. In Long-Range Aviation we have a commander who is a believer, he goes in the vanguard, and his subordinates adapt, try - visit the temple, partake of the sacraments of the Church. Everything is built on a voluntary basis. If leaders are believers, then subordinates, willy-nilly, will follow their example. This is true in the army.

There are, of course, a lot of difficulties. The main problem is staffing. There is a general shortage of priests, and the military clergy, as a rule, demands the best priests available. No bishop wants to give up priests. Now the Patriarch has blessed the monastics to participate in this work; this, of course, will bring a new spirit. I think all this will develop, deepen, and take completed forms.

The spirit of a warrior determines a lot. At one time I read a book about Suvorov and was amazed by one fact. During the French campaign, when crossing the Alps, the Russians were the attacking side, and according to military tactics, the attacking side usually loses 3-4 times more personnel than the defending side. So the losses on the part of the Russian troops in relation to the French were 1:17. That is, for every Russian there were 17 French killed. This is what fighting spirit means.

The military clergy is a special cohort to work among the military - you need to love them. They sense falsehood very keenly and do not accept strangers. I served 23 years in the Armed Forces, and when I became a priest, I had a desire to return to the army and help military personnel find faith. I started from scratch - I organized a parish in the garrison, built a church, now we have a large Sunday school - 150 people, a kindergarten is coming soon.

I hardly ever leave the barracks

Priest Ilya Azarin, assistant to the head of the State Center for Aviation Personnel Training and Military Testing named after V. Chkalov (Lipetsk):

I have been in this position for three years. The results are visible, people are changing, and the command staff is changing, there is less swearing, and this is a big shift. They already understand that this is a sin. And if the command staff understands that this is a sin, then they will tell their soldiers that they cannot say that. This became possible after the priest began working in the army.

There are many people who want to ask a question, but no one to answer. After I was appointed assistant to the head of the Lipetsk Aviation Center, a person appeared who could answer. The desire to acquire religious knowledge has intensified today. It is necessary to explain to those approaching the sacraments of Baptism and Wedding the meaning of what is happening. After all, the priest has no right to perform the sacraments if people proceed thoughtlessly. The main task of a priest in the army is that he must monitor the moral character of servicemen and do everything to ensure a normal life, since our educational structure has not yet found its feet, we have to somehow replace it. As for me, I hold cultural events for soldiers and officers - both secular and church. In our aviation regiment, a temple appeared in honor of the patron of the Air Force, the prophet Elijah. The parishioners are mainly conscripted military personnel.

One of the tasks for the future is the creation of another temple - in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Blessed Heaven” on the territory of the military camp. My initiative was supported by the commander and military personnel. Not everyone in life has the opportunity to build a temple, and for the military personnel of our garrison such obedience was determined. There are people to build a church for, there are veterans, whose ranks are thinning every year and who are buried in the officers’ church. If there is a temple, a native one, and even a military one, in the creation of which they also take part, a global motivation appears here. There are a negligible number of residents who are against the construction of the temple, but veterans convince them of the need to solve this problem. Even the general, the head of the aviation center, Alexander Nikolaevich Kharchevsky, said that there should be a Sunday school and a military-patriotic club at the church.

Completing these tasks does not detract from the importance of current tasks. Now a new addition is arriving, they need help getting back into line. They see that the priest is working, i.e. psychologically they are already calm. I practically never leave the barracks; I’ll tell you what you need, I’ll tell you. In addition, there is work in the moral aspect and spiritual and psychological support - pilgrimages, excursion trips, organizing concerts.