RIA Novosti published material today ““No gray envelopes.” Priests may be given “labor concessions”.” dedicated to the stated topic - labor relations in the church.

The most interesting thing in the text was the comment of the chief lawyer of the Moscow Patriarchate, Abbess Ksenia (Chernega):

“People who are not employees, that is, they do not enter into employment contracts, are considered as volunteers. Often they perform certain functions in the church free of charge or for some symbolic payment. Their the main objective- to help the temple and serve God.”

Chernega knows the law “On Charity Activities and Volunteering” and agrees that a special agreement must be concluded with a volunteer, defining the specifics of his work:

“This norm,” the lawyer emphasized, is also provided for by the law “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations.”

“We don’t have gray envelopes. When we accept volunteers, we make payments to them as required by law. We do not circumvent the law, we do not make any illegal payments. Because a volunteer is someone who works for the benefit of a particular organization outside the norms labor legislation(that is, he does not sell his labor), but disinterestedly.

The volunteer either receives nothing or receives some symbolic payment. But based on employment contract, and people consciously go for it, which, by the way, is evidenced by the absence of any judicial disputes on this matter.”

It’s a shame to lie, Mother Ksenia, thousands of priests, thousands of church workers will tell you about this. Locally, in the provinces (I don’t know how it is in Moscow, people will say) practically nowhere (maybe with very rare exceptions) no contracts are concluded with “volunteers”; the vast majority work in the church purely for a “gray envelope”, because there are few what kind of abbot wants to pay taxes for employees and strain with accounting. And the employee would more often prefer to get his measly pennies without tax deductions, which are of no use to him. Moreover, there is a widespread practice among the clergy: even if you, a priest, have a work book, you often sign on the payroll for the “minimum wage” so that the parish avoids unnecessary deductions, and gets the rest “in hand.” Or even the priest serves without any work book and any contract. And this is not a secret behind seven seals, which you, mother, want to hide - this is a well-known fact.

And about “judicial feuds” - so : Now is your time, you have a symphony with the state, so people would prefer to spit and grind. By blessing.

Photo: Abbess Ksenia (Chernega)

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Abbess Ksenia (in the world of Chernega Oksana Aleksandrovna) became a parishioner of the Church of All Saints in 1991. She came to Krasnoye Selo following her confessor, Archpriest Artemy Vladimirov, who was transferred to the Church of All Saints (to the position of rector) from the Church of the Resurrection of the Word in Bryusov Lane .

Matushka was born in Moscow on May 1, 1971. In 1993 she graduated from the Moscow State Law Academy (MSAL), and in 1998 she defended her thesis, becoming a candidate of legal sciences and a senior teacher at the academy.

In the period from 1993 to 2003, Matushka taught at Moscow State Law Academy, and then at the Academy of Labor and Social Relations, where she held the position of professor of the department. At the same time, she worked in the church field: first as an employee of the Orthodox legal service created at the Church of All Saints, and then as a legal consultant at the Synodal Department of Religious Education and Catechesis. From 1999 to the present, Mother has been teaching at the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary.

In 2004, Mother was invited by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' to the position of legal adviser to the Moscow Patriarchate.

On August 26, 2009, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' tonsured Mother into the ryassophore and appointed her as the elder sister of the newly created monastic community at the parish of the Church of All Saints.

In 2010, in connection with the creation of legal services of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Synodal Department for Relations between Church and Society, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill appointed Matushka as the head of the newly created Legal Services. Currently, Mother continues to carry out this responsible ministry.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of July 16, 2013, nun Ksenia was appointed abbess of the revived Alekseevsky stauropegial convent Moscow. On December 23, 2013, in the house church of the Patriarchal residence in the Danilov Monastery, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill tonsured Mother. On March 30, 2014, nun Ksenia (Chernega) was elevated to the rank of abbess.

Conversation with sisters about the essence of monasticism, its basis and goals

Legal features and issues of the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church in the modern legal field

Even in my youth, I understood the benefits of a “daily routine”. IN school years I learned to plan my time, and as a student, I acquired the skill of making every effort to accomplish what was planned for the day.

Now this skill helps me a lot, although more and more often I come to the conclusion that, due to obedience, I no longer “belong to myself,” that is, I cannot “arrange” my day the way I would like. Communication with people - spiritual or business - requires dedication, effort, and, as a result, reshaping your own plans.

Since the obediences I carry out are focused mainly on active service to others, I am forced to primarily devote my day to this. As a result, I attend the nursing rule in the evening. I try to pray at the Midnight Office, but I don’t always find the strength to get up so early. I am not able to attend the Liturgy every day. I hope for God’s mercy, as well as for the prayers of the sisters and those who remember me. By the way, my sisters and I really appreciate night services, where we pray without the participation of parishioners. These services give a lot to the nun, instilling in the soul vigor, joy and a special feeling of unity with those who labored in the monastery before us. At such services it seems to me that the temple is full of invisible prayer books. It's an amazing feeling.

I must say that I value my reverent attitude towards the temple and worship. I am internally disgusted by discussing everyday issues in church, reading extraneous texts, and telephone conversations. Alas, more and more often we have to deal with people, including priests, who are immersed in earthly affairs during divine services. In our fast-paced age, of course, we want to be able to do everything: to pray and solve everyday issues. Some believe that the grace of worship covers everything, and that at the Liturgy or during the monastic rule it is even more convenient to resolve many everyday issues, since the mind is enlightened and the necessary solutions are found that would not have been reached at any other time.

But for many years I have followed a different rule for distributing my time. If urgent negotiations, reviewing documents, etc. are required of me, I stay late and, accordingly, am late for the service, so as not to overshadow it with vanity, which deprives the soul of a reverent attitude towards the temple. Mobile phone In the temple I move away, completely turning off the sound. If for some reason I have to act differently, I feel empty inside. In addition, the abbess’s vain behavior in the church is transmitted to the sisters and clergy.

In one of your interviews you said that you read The royal family and, when you have to defend the interests of the Church, you feel the invisible help of the Royal Martyrs. Surprisingly, in our society, the ideas of a “weak tsar” imposed by Soviet ideology and the need to change the formation that emerged at the beginning of the 20th century still live. Could you tell us a little more about what kind of help you received? In what cases exactly?

My attitude towards the Royal Family was formed in my youth. I was not thirty years old then. I remember that when I first learned about the details of the death of the last Tsar, I experienced a strong shock, coupled with bewilderment and annoyance that I did not know about this before, because neither Soviet history textbooks nor other publicly available literature contained this information.

I also remember that I could not resist tears while reading N. Sokolov’s book “Murder Royal family" And then I re-read it several times. Then I began to buy and collect books about the Royal Family, carefully reading and rereading them. Still in free time, which is extremely rare for me, I read literature dating back to the reign of the last Tsar.

Actually, this constant updating of the memory of pre-revolutionary events and the subsequent revolution helps me, first of all, to calmly, without unnecessary emotional outbursts, experience the failures, troubles and sorrows of our days. This applies, by the way, to all temptations associated with carrying out legal and abbot obediences. IN modern life I have to see a lot of negative things. And the more responsible the obedience, the more clearly the person (patiently bearing this cross) sees the obstacles that stand in the way of goodness and truth, the more prominent the “mystery of lawlessness” becomes for him. It is necessary to find an “antidote” to the surrounding negativity in order not to “break down”, not to “burn out”, to maintain inner peace and a clear conscience. For me, such an “antidote,” in addition to prayer, is the memory of the feat of the Royal Family, first of all, the Sovereign.

Indeed, they say that he was a “weak Tsar.” This is due to the numerous memoirs of his ill-wishers. In my opinion, he was simply a soft, delicate person, which can hardly be considered as a flaw. By the way, this is what makes the Emperor close to me, since I personally am a gentle person by nature, and the obediences entrusted to me require firmness and endurance. Emotional outbursts, tears, and heart-to-heart conversations typical of the female sex are unacceptable. I know from experience that excessive frankness with people (and sometimes you really want to be a sincere and easy-to-communicate person) can harm your business and create unexpected obstacles in your obedience.

And I think how difficult it was for the Emperor - a gentle, simple-minded man - to bear the colossal administrative burden of managing the state and the people. The fact is that management requires firmness, steadfastness, confidence in the rightness decisions made, and soft people tend to change their decisions, doubt, hesitate - most often out of pity for the person and delicacy. Hence the inevitable trail of ridicule, whispers, slander... For the Tsar and his Family, all this turned into Golgotha.

It was not a change of “formation” that occurred in Russia at the beginning of the last century, but the vile murder of a man who, having individual characteristics characteristic of any personality and, perhaps, not appealing to someone, was not just the ruler of the country and commander-in-chief, but the Anointed of God , "Holding". I am sure that the Lord punished us with many sorrows for this treacherous murder of the Tsar.

Your service to the Church is inextricably linked with your qualifications, your education. You have repeatedly participated in the preparation of bills that help Orthodox believers in our country protect their rights. In liberal-minded media we often read and hear about the “merging of Church and state.” How, from a legal point of view, can one assess the position of the Church and Orthodox Christian in our society?

The merging of the Church and the state is an abstract consideration for me. Russia is not the Vatican. The basic law of the country, the Constitution of Russia, declares the separation of religious associations from the state. Therefore, the state law does not contain any rules defining the hierarchical structure of confessions and relating to the rules of management of religious organizations.

In the fact that the state is meeting the Russian Church halfway and supporting some of our initiatives, only naive people or outright ill-wishers can see the “merging” of the Church with the state. The law, by the way, allows such interaction. Moreover, the Federal Law “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations” provides for the possibility of providing religious organizations with tax and other benefits, providing financial, material and other assistance to religious organizations in the restoration, maintenance and protection of buildings and objects that are historical and cultural monuments, and also in carrying out charitable activities, ensuring the teaching of general education disciplines in educational organizations created by religious organizations in accordance with the law Russian Federation about education.

Thus, the interaction of the Church with government bodies is carried out within the existing legal framework and the Church does not assume any government functions. The state took control of all the attributes of “merging” - in particular, registration of marriages, births, deaths - at the beginning of the last century. I note that along with these functions that the Church performed before the revolution, the state also seized church movable and immovable property and, despite all the idle talk about “merging” with the Church, it is not very willing to return these objects to us. Observing the process of transferring property for religious purposes, I can say that we are very far from “merging” with the state in this area.

The Russian Church has been and remains the leading confession in Russia, the main spiritual and moral stronghold. Of course, you will not find these formulations in the law. Preamble Federal Law“On freedom of conscience and religious associations” speaks of the leading role of Orthodoxy in the history of Russia, in the formation and development of its spirituality and culture. However, there are no norms in the legislation that guarantee or at least specify this leading role of Orthodoxy. In many ways, the proper consolidation of such a leading role is hampered by the principle of equality of religious organizations before the law, as provided for by the Constitution of Russia. Although legal scholars have long noted the fallacy of the literal interpretation of this principle, which equates equality with equal rights. For example, the Constitution guarantees the equality of citizens, but, as is known, the scope of the rights of a particular citizen largely depends on what social group he belongs: whether he is a pensioner, has many children, a civil servant or a military serviceman. Therefore, “equality” - in the legal sense of the word - does not imply equality at all. Essentially we're talking about on equality before the law, that is, the obligation of everyone, without exception, to comply with state law. Accordingly, the equality of religious organizations before the law declared by the Constitution of Russia means their obligation to comply with the norms of the law, which may also provide for a differentiated approach to determining the status of religious associations. Therefore, the State Duma periodically resumes initiatives from deputies to supplement legislation with norms classifying religious organizations into “traditional” and “non-traditional.”

Please tell us about what exactly you are currently doing? What has been particularly significant done by the Legal Service of the Moscow Patriarchate over the past year?

I don’t know whether the reader will be interested in a report on the work of the US MP. We are involved in many different areas: legislative work, negotiations with government bodies on the development and amendment of both laws and regulations, state registration of religious organizations, as well as property transactions in Moscow, maintaining an internal church register of church property in the city of Moscow, participation in the process transfer of religious property to religious organizations, conduct of litigation. The document flow of US MP is quite large, but feasible for us.

In addition to fulfilling the instructions of His Holiness the Patriarch, formalized in the form of his resolutions, we maintain relationships with dioceses, synodal departments, parishes and monasteries, providing advice on various legal issues. This year, by blessing His Holiness Patriarch, US MP will conduct on-site legal seminars in all metropolises. His Holiness also expanded the team of the US MP to include lawyers from the Moscow vicariates, who now have one full-time working day at the US MP.

I believe that our main purpose is to help resolve complex legal issues. It is for the purpose of assisting church structures that the Legal Service of the Patriarchate was created. We try to justify this purpose.

Those interested can familiarize themselves with the results of legislative work over the past year by reading the attached Certificate.

In late September 2015, the International Theological Scientific and Practical Conference “Monasticism of Holy Rus': from Origins to the Present” was held at the Intercession Monastery in Moscow. The report of Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany was devoted to the topic of the relationship modern technologies and renunciation of the world in the conditions of a monastery. Bishop Mark spoke in some detail about how the brethren of the monastery entrusted to His Eminence, while fulfilling the necessary obediences, try not to lose their prayerful attitude. In speeches at other monastic forums, I have repeatedly heard the following words: the more things we have to do, the more we need to pray. This is true, but there are objective limitations on a person’s physical capabilities and the number of hours in a day. How to manage everything and not lose your monastic spirit, “not burn out,” as they say now?

Yes, you need to “burn, but not burn out.” To do this, you should adhere to the “golden mean” in everything, even in small things, and not take on anything that clearly exceeds your strength, since the consequences of overestimating your capabilities can be catastrophic. We must avoid the state of “woundness” and, when it occurs, retire for rest and prayer.

In general, you need to control your internal state. It's not about the number of deeds and prayers, but how it all affects your inner life. Everyone has their own measure. I think everyone who is placed in a leadership position should remember this. Personally, I am against five-year plans and shock work, because we are weak and often heavy loads result in breakdowns. "The quieter you go, the further you'll get". I believe, for example, that nuns should have one day a week for relative “reclusion” and detachment from ordinary affairs. Our monastery, located, by the way, in a noisy and environmentally unfavorable place (near the third ring, in the immediate vicinity of Auchan), has a blessed “outlet” - a monastery in a secluded corner of Sokolniki Park, where additional cells for sisters are equipped. We try to go there every week, two at a time - at least for half a day, for walks in the open air, spiritual reading and solitary prayer.

A similar rule on providing employees necessary rest I am also guided in the Legal Service, fearing to “drive” people and thereby discourage their taste for work.

Mother, please tell us about your monastery and how you became a nun. After all, you knew that you would have to continue to engage in legal activities and in the priesthood, too, and yet you accepted monasticism.

Alekseevsky Monastery is the oldest monastery in the capital, founded in the 14th century at the initiative of the sisters of St. Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow - the Venerables Juliania and Eupraxia, who, according to researchers, labored in our monastery. Initially, the monastery was located on Ostozhenka, in the very place where the Conception Monastery is now located.

At the end of the 16th century, after a devastating fire, the Alekseevsky Monastery was moved closer to the Kremlin, to Chertolye. At the same time, some of the sisters remained in the fire and formed the Conception Convent.

In 1832, the place occupied by the Alekseevsky monastery was chosen by the Sovereign Emperor Nicholas I to house the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Saint Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, was looking for a new location for the ancient monastery. For these purposes, he sent Archimandrite Gabriel of the Danilov Monastery “to the Tikhvin Church, to inspect the area, whether it is convenient for a convent.” The Metropolitan had in mind the Tikhvin Church in Sushchev, and the archimandrite suggested that the Bishop was sending him to the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross, in Krasnoye Selo, popularly known as the Tikhvin Church because of the miraculous image located in it. Father Archimandrite went to Krasnoe Selo and, after examining the area near the church, came to the conclusion that it was suitable for housing a convent. Having reported to the Metropolitan on the results of the inspection, Archimandrite Gabriel added that the nuns will be able to use the “knots” of the neighboring grove to fire the monastery stoves. The mention of the grove surprised the bishop. Then it turned out that the archimandrite examined a completely different place than the metropolitan had in mind. However, Saint Philaret reasoned that “the Queen of Heaven would like to move the monastery to this church.” So it was decided to move our monastery to Krasnoe Selo, to the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross, in which the miraculous Tikhvin image of the Virgin Mary was located. This intention was realized in 1837.

It was difficult for the sisters of the monastery to part with their native walls. There is a legend that Abbess Claudia, the abbess of the Alekseevsky monastery at that difficult time for the monastery, predicted the death of the future temple, which happened already in the Soviet period. Now the Cathedral of Christ the Savior has been restored. In the basement of the temple building, in the very niche where the Moscow swimming pool was once located, it was founded, on the initiative of the late His Holiness Patriarch Alexy, lower Transfiguration Church with the chapel of St. Alexy, the man of God. The said temple was founded in memory of the Transfiguration Church of the Alekseevsky Monastery, which once stood on this site.

So, in October 1837, the sisters of the monastery procession, in which pilgrims also participated, moved to a new place, to Krasnoye Selo, which at that time was practically uninhabited and deserted. They carried with them the shrines of the monastery - in particular, ancient icons Mother of God“Georgian” and “Healer”. After the revolution, these icons were transferred to the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Sokolniki, where they remain to this day.

The monastery reached its heyday in the second half of the 19th century under Abbess Antonia (Troilina), who began her monastic career in the Borodino Convent, where the future Abbess was the cell attendant of the founder of the monastery, Abbess Maria (Tuchkova). It was Abbess Antonia, appointed abbess of our monastery at the age of fifty, who introduced the beginnings of a hostel in the monastery, built a refectory building, laid out a new building for the monastery almshouse and hospital with a house church in the name of the Archangel of God Michael. She also conceived and carried out the construction of the Church of All Saints, with the restoration of which in 1991 the revival began church life in this place.

It is worth noting that Abbess Antonia was a spiritual friend of the famous publicist M. Katkov, who was hated by the liberal public of that time for his patriotic views. A staunch patriot of her Fatherland, Mother conducted extensive charitable activities by transferring funds to social projects. And this despite the fact that the monastery itself bore a significant social burden. For example, at the monastery there was a school for South Slavic girls to train folk teachers for the Slavic lands. In addition to the mentioned school, a school was created at the monastery for girls from poor clergy families, where the pupils lived and studied. Mother was an honorary member of the Ladies' Branch of the Slavic Charitable Committee. Abbess Antonia was a strong and interesting person. In 2017, we will celebrate the 120th anniversary of Mother’s death and are preparing a short book about her life.

In the 30s of the last century, the monastery was closed; most of the sisters were exiled to Kazakhstan and the North. The Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church glorified as saints the novices of the Alekseevsky monastery Anna and Matrona (Makandin), who were shot on March 14, 1937 at the Butovo training ground, as well as the novice Euphrosyne (Timofeeva), who died in custody on November 5, 1942. The novice Anna (Makandina) is depicted on the icon of the Butovo New Martyrs.

The Lord knows why I became a nun, and I think that’s enough. I can only say that I was guided by love for Christ, and not by external life circumstances. In 2008, I asked the late Patriarch Alexy for a blessing for tonsure, and he expressed his intention to tonsure himself during the Nativity Fast of the same year. At that time, I had already been working for the Patriarchate for four years as a legal adviser. At the beginning of Lent, His Holiness Alexy died and did not have time to tonsure me. At the same time, with his blessing, the monastic clothes were ready.

By the Providence of God, my monastic, and subsequently monastic, tonsure was performed by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. I remember that His Holiness was surprised by the Patriarchal lawyer’s intention to become a nun and immediately warned me that tonsure would not free me from the obedience required. However, in this warning from the Patriarch I did not see an obstacle to the fulfillment of my long-standing desire.

In general, I consider it a great shortcoming in a believer to dream about oneself and avoid the desired feat with reference to life circumstances, including profession. This is especially sad for single persons, not burdened with family responsibilities, who, having the desire or blessing to marry Christ, are not going to get married, and are not in a hurry to enter the monastery, delighting themselves with the thought: “if only these or those circumstances had not happened, and I, of course, I would already be in the monastery.” Meanwhile, time passes, and with it the strength that you could spend on a holy feat goes away, and the firmness of intention to devote yourself to Christ goes away. “Son, give Me your heart...” - and it doesn’t matter whether you are a lawyer, an engineer or a dentist. The Lord will determine what kind of obedience you will bear after tonsure. But we must remember that monasticism is a special calling.

The Church, like any community, of course, always has a need for highly qualified specialists. However, when a person enters a monastery, often his path as a worker, novice, or monk begins with simple work that does not require special education or special skills. And even if in the world a person was a highly qualified specialist in his field, in the monastery he does not always do what his previous life was dedicated to. Bishop Mark even said in his speech at the conference that if a person’s work in the world was connected with IT technologies, then in the monastery it is better to free him from the computer completely. What do you think about it?

I confess that I am not close to such reasoning. If the nun is a lawyer or accountant, then why not attract her to work in the monastery in her specialty, because otherwise the monastery will have to hire a worker for money, and in the complete absence of guarantees of his integrity and responsibility. Our monastery is neither rich nor numerous. Therefore, I cannot allow myself to assign a sister who had the required specialty in the world to obedience unrelated to her profession.

Let me give you an example. At the monastery, one of the novices is a professional cook, who at one time was in charge of the dining room. Nowadays it is very difficult to find good cooks for a reasonable salary. It is clear that I left my sister in the refectory obedience, which she willingly performs, especially since I have to feed not only the sisters, but also the old nuns of the almshouse, workers and children secondary school at the monastery.

I think that when distributing sisterly obediences, one must take into account the circumstances in which the monastery is placed. At the same time, of course, it is important not to “put pressure” on the sister if, say, she refuses to bear obedience corresponding to her worldly profession or qualifications. By “pressuring” a person and getting your way, you can achieve the completely opposite result - a secret or open protest from the sister in the form of indifferent passivity or, on the contrary, murmur. It’s worse when a sister gets sick due to mental or physical stress. All this, as a rule, is followed by the sister’s alienation from the mother and fear of her, which is fraught with serious misunderstandings, because the sisters should see the abbess as a mother, and not as a commander of a military unit. However, great insight is also needed so that careless souls do not take advantage of your condescension and kindness.

Our site is read not only by monastics, but also by lay people. Many of them believe that it is difficult for a Christian to be a lawyer. Is it so? I know parents who were against their children receiving a legal education, because they believe that lawyers often have to dissemble, tell lies, and so on.

A true Christian does not need to be afraid of difficulties. Through overcoming obstacles, very valuable spiritual qualities are developed - willpower, prudence, patience, the ability not to become discouraged and not to despair even in the most difficult circumstances. And therefore, I do not regret at all that I received a legal education and continue to engage in professional activities that involve protecting the rights of believers, and therefore the work and experiences associated with this. All this tempers and makes the soul wise. I perceive my ministry as given to me by God. It is His will to continue this ministry.

As for the cunning and cunning of jurists, let me tell you about one conversation with a clergyman, white-haired. I had this conversation with him when I was young, but I remember it for the rest of my life. “Are you a lawyer?” - the interlocutor asked me. “Yes,” I answered. “Don’t lie,” I was told, “but don’t tell the truth either.” Indeed, prudence and caution in words and actions are very important for a lawyer. Having knowledge of any circumstances related to professional activity, it is important not to condemn the innocent, that is, not to lie, not to slander. On the other hand, you shouldn’t “cut the truth” in a society where this truth won’t be believed anyway. And another “truth” can seriously hurt a person. Finding the “golden mean” is, of course, an art that one learns throughout one’s life...

Interviewed by Ekaterina Orlova

Information on the main changes in the legislation of the Russian Federation for 2015.

Last year the following changes took place in legislation.

Federal Law No. 80-FZ of April 6, 2015 introduced important changes to the Civil Code of the Russian Federation in order to remove religious organizations from the scope of a number of articles of the said code that do not correspond to the internal regulations of the leading Russian confessions. At the same time, amendments were made to the Federal Law “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations”, according to which issues of participation of founders and other legal or individuals in the activities of religious organizations are determined by the charter and (or) internal regulations of religious organizations.

Federal Law No. 103-FZ of April 20, 2015 introduced amendments to the penal legislation aimed at legally consolidating the mechanism of interaction between the FSIN bodies and leading Russian denominations, regulating the status of house churches in prison and other FSIN institutions, ensuring access for clergy to prisoners in to carry out the necessary church sacraments, as well as regulation of issues of transferring religious objects located on the territory of FSIN institutions to religious organizations.

Law dated July 13, 2015 No. 261-FZ amended the Federal Law “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations”, according to which teaching religion and religious education are not educational activities and therefore are not subject to licensing. With the adoption of this amendment, prosecutorial authorities and other government bodies will not require Sunday schools obtaining licenses to carry out educational activities.

Also, Federal Law No. 314-FZ of November 23, 2015 introduced changes to the legislation on countering extremist activities, establishing a ban on classifying the Bible as extremist materials.

Finally, Federal Law No. 341-FZ dated November 28, 2015 was adopted, exempting religious organizations from a number of provisions of the Federal Law “On Non-Profit Organizations” governing issues of control over the activities of NPOs and their reporting. In turn, the Federal Law “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations” has been supplemented with provisions according to which only those religious organizations that are financed from foreign sources will submit reports to the justice authorities. The remaining religious organizations will send a statement to the justice authorities indicating the lack of foreign sources of funding. Besides, new law significantly limits the ability of judicial authorities to inspect the financial and economic activities of religious organizations. Such an inspection will be carried out only if the religious organization is financed from foreign sources and (or) if there is information about the religious organization violating the legislation of the Russian Federation.

In conclusion, I would like to note the Law of Moscow dated June 24, 2015 No. 29, which provides for the exemption of religious organizations from paying trade tax in relation to trade carried out in religious buildings and structures and on land plots related to them.

Orthodox Church— the structure is hierarchical and conservative. Management functions in it have always belonged to men - primarily to the episcopate and the clergy. And yet, in the life of the Russian Orthodox Church, women have played and continue to play a very definite role.

. Text: "Tatiana's Day"

On the eve of March 8, we tried to compile something like a list of those women who, if they do not take part in the decision-making process in the Russian Church, then at least perform some managerial functions.

This material is compiled based on data from open sources and does not take into account a number of factors that affect the degree of influence of a particular candidate. We deliberately do not use the word “rating” as a term that contradicts the church’s understanding of the ideas of hierarchy and service, which is based on the words of the Apostle Paul: “Everyone remain in the rank in which they are called”(1 Cor. 7:20).

In addition, we deliberately avoid analyzing the influence of women in church circles - the spouses of prominent government officials who accept Active participation in the work of various charitable organizations, provide support for church social projects, etc. A striking example of such influence is, for example, the wife of the head of the Russian government, Svetlana Medvedeva.

Also left out of our attention will be women who undoubtedly influence the agenda in the church community, but do not belong to official church structures. Such persons include, for example, famous journalists Elena Dorofeeva (ITAR-TASS) and Olga Lipich (RIA Novosti), specializing in religious topics, editor-in-chief of the website “Orthodoxy and Peace” Anna Danilova, former editor-in-chief of “Tatiana’s Day” , journalist Ksenia Luchenko, as well as Olesya Nikolaeva - poetess, writer, laureate of the Patriarchal Literary Prize.

This could also include the leaders of the “Union Orthodox women» — public organization, established in 2010: Nina Zhukova and Galina Ananyeva, also members of the Bureau of the World Russian People's Council, as well as Marina Belogubova, head of the Department of the Office of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Central Federal District.

We will deliberately limit ourselves to the official church governing bodies and consider the candidacies of those women who are members of these bodies.

In general, the degree of influence of a particular woman in the structures of church governance can be assessed from two points of view. Firstly, from a strictly hierarchical position. For a female nun, the highest career achievement is being abbess in a stauropegic (directly subordinate to the Patriarch) monastery. Therefore, automatically all the abbess of stauropegic monasteries were included in our list. Secondly (and this approach seems more correct), this assessment can be made from a purely functional position, that is, from the point of view of a woman’s involvement in the actual activities of the administrative or advisory structures of the Russian Orthodox Church. And it is for this reason that the list is not limited to the abbess of large monasteries.

The opportunity to personally consult with the Patriarch on a particular issue is a privilege enjoyed only by the most authoritative women in the Church. Photo Patriarchia.ru.

In the latter case, the main indicator will be the participation of women in the work of the Inter-Council Presence - “an advisory body assisting the highest ecclesiastical authority of the Russian Orthodox Church in preparing decisions concerning the most important issues of internal life and external activities Russian Orthodox Church"(see Regulations).

In accordance with the Regulations, “The inter-council presence is called to discuss current issues church life, in particular those related to the sphere of theology, church administration, church law, worship, pastorate, mission, spiritual education, religious education, diakonia, relations between the Church and society, the Church and the state, the Church and other confessions and religions.” That is, the range of issues discussed includes almost all aspects of the life of the Russian Orthodox Church.

In light of the steps to reorganize the system of church government initiated in last years Patriarch Kirill, it is participation in the real process of discussing topical issues of church life (which, according to the Patriarch’s plan, should take place within the framework of the activities of the Inter-Council Presence) can be an indicator of the actual influence of this or that person.

Let us note once again that the sampling results for these two parameters do not always coincide, i.e. the abbess of the largest stauropegial monasteries are not necessarily members of the Inter-Council Presence. Among the 11 women currently included in this body, five are abbess of monasteries (and only three of them run stauropegial monasteries), one nun and five laywomen.

It is worth noting that in addition to the Inter-Council Presence, a structure created not so long ago, the Russian Church currently maintains a system of synodal departments. By analogy, which is clear to the secular reader, synodal departments, committees and commissions are usually equated to “civil” ministries. The structures of these departments also include women—mostly abbess of monasteries. The practice that has developed in recent years - when the commissions of the Inter-Council Presence and synodal departments deal with the same issues of church life, and sometimes are called almost identically - introduces a little confusion into this study. For example, several female abbesses of monasteries are members of the “profile” commission of the Inter-Council Presence, which is called the “Commission on the Organization of the Life of Monasteries and Monasticism”; and in parallel, almost all of them, plus several more abbesses, are members of the Collegium of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism.

But even a superficial glance at the composition of both structures indicates that the participation of women in the work of the Inter-Council Presence is undoubtedly much more representative and active than their work in church “ministries”. Therefore, we will build primarily on this indicator.

In terms of formal status within the framework of the activities of the Inter-Council Presence, the greatest weight has Abbess Juliania (Kaleda), abbess of the Moscow Conception Monastery: she is the only nun who is a member of the Presidium of the Inter-Council Presence. In addition, she acts as secretary of the Commission on the Organization of the Life of Monasteries and Monasticism, and is also a member of the Collegium of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism.

Abbess Juliania (Kaleda)

In the world - Kaleda Maria Glebovna. Born in 1961 in the family of geologist Gleb Kaleda, later a priest, and Lydia Kaleda (nee Ambartsumova), daughter of the holy martyr Vladimir (Ambartsumov). She belongs to a famous priestly family, two of her brothers are priests.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of May 5, 1995, she was appointed abbess of the Conception Convent in Moscow.

Taking into account the official functions assigned to it, a special place is occupied by Margarita Nelyubova- Secretary of the Commission of the Inter-Council Presence on the organization of church social activities and charity and a member of four Commissions at once: on issues of spiritual education and religious enlightenment, on issues of organizing the church mission, on issues of interaction between the Church, state and society, on issues of attitude towards heterodoxy and other religions .

Margarita Nelyubova has been an employee of the Department for External Church Relations and the head of the Round Table on Religious Education and Diakonia program for many years. social service) Russian Orthodox Church". In fact, she is a leading church specialist in the field of social design, and she is very familiar with foreign experience in organizing church social ministry.

Margarita Nelyubova

Born in 1962 in Moscow. In 1984 she graduated from the Moscow State Pedagogical Institute. Since 1992, he has been directing the program “Round table on religious education and diakonia (social service) in the Russian Orthodox Church.” Since 2001, he has been coordinating the program of participation of the Russian Orthodox Church in the prevention and fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS.

He is also a member of four commissions of the Inter-Council Presence Abbess Seraphima (Sevchik), abbess of the Odessa Holy Archangel Michael Monastery. It is worth noting: Abbess Seraphim is undoubtedly a bright and versatile personality. She is the only woman in the Moscow Patriarchate who heads the synodal department. True, this is the synodal department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - “Church and Culture”, but in any case, so far this is the only precedent of this kind. In addition, Abbess Seraphima is a deputy of the Odessa City Council.

Note that the generally accepted prohibition for the Russian Church for clergy to participate in the work government agencies And political parties in this case it does not matter, since abbess is not a holy order, but a position held by a nun.

Abbess Seraphima is a member of the Commissions of the Inter-Council Presence on issues of worship and church art, on issues of organizing the life of monasteries and monasticism, on issues of interaction between the Church, state and society, on issues of information activities of the Church and relations with the media. At the same time, the Odessa monastery is not stauropegial, and in the formal table and ranks, the abbot of this monastery would not distinguish the abbess there too much from a number of others, if not for the fair workload in church administrative bodies.

Abbess Serafima (Sevchik)

Born on March 25, 1963 in Cherkasy region. Seraphima came to the monastery at the age of 17. Since 1995 - abbess of the Holy Archangel Michael Convent.

Deputy of the Odessa City Council, holds the position of deputy chairman of the commission on spirituality and culture.

In 2007, the abbess was awarded the “Woman of the Third Millennium” award. A year earlier, “Best Christian Journalist of 2006.” Author of 15 books (mainly on the history of Orthodoxy and spiritual culture of Ukraine). Considers the study of history to be his main work Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. At the same time, as she herself admits, she does not have a higher education.

Abbess Seraphima is one of the founders of the all-Ukrainian public organization “The Path of the Orthodox named after St. Prince Equal to the Apostles Vladimir." She founded the only museum in Ukraine - “Christian Odessa”.

Stands apart on our list nun Ksenia (Chernega). She is not a member of the Inter-Council Presence and does not participate in the work of synodal institutions, but by virtue of her position - she is the head of the Legal Service of the Moscow Patriarchate and at the same time the head of the Legal Service of the Synodal Department for Relations between the Church and Society - she has significant weight in management structures ah Church. In addition, she is a member of the Audit Commission of the Diocesan Council of Moscow.

Nun Ksenia (Chernega)

Even before taking monastic vows, K. Chernega, acting legal adviser of the Moscow Patriarchate, took part in the development of many documents with which the Church acted in dialogue with state authorities. There were property issues and problems related to legal regulation the status of religious organizations in Russia, concerning the system of church education, issues of interaction between the Church and museums, as well as many others.

The two commissions include the only nun among the eleven female members of the Inter-Council Presence who is not the abbess of the monastery: nun Photinia (Bratchenko). Mother Photinia is a member of the Commission on issues of organizing the life of monasteries and monasticism, as well as the Commission on issues of church governance and mechanisms for implementing conciliarity in the Church. In the first years of the patriarchate of Patriarch Kirill, nun Photinia held the position of head of the office management service, being the personal assistant of the Patriarch (order of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' dated April 1, 2009).

Four more abbess are members of the “profile” Commission on the organization of the life of monasteries and monasticism: Abbess Sergia (Konkova), abbess of the Seraphim-Diveevo convent, Abbess Elisaveta (Zhegalova), abbess of the Stefano-Makhrishchi monastery (Vladimir region), Abbess Moses ( Bubnova), abbess of the Holy Ascension Monastery of Olives in Jerusalem, and abbess Theophila (Lepeshinskaya), abbess of the Mother of God Nativity Hermitage in the village of Baryatino, Kaluga Region.

At the same time, only Abbess Elisabeth rules the stauropegic monastery.

Abbess Sergia (Konkova), the abbess of the Seraphim-Diveevo convent is undoubtedly an influential and authoritative figure. The Diveyevo monastery is currently one of the unofficial “forges of personnel” for convents in Russia. Abbess Sergia runs the largest convent of the Russian Church today: there are about 500 nuns in the monastery.

Abbess Sergia is also a member of the Collegium of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism.

Abbess Sergia (Konkova)

In the world - Alexandra Georgievna Konkova. Born on May 26, 1946. She graduated from the Dental Institute and worked as the head of the dental department of a hospital. In 1981, she entered the Riga Trinity-Sergius Monastery, a year later she was tonsured into the ryassophore, and in 1984 into the mantle with the name Sergius in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh. Soon she was transferred to obedience to the dean at the skete of the Riga monastery - Spaso-Preobrazhenskaya hermitage. On November 17, 1991, she was installed as abbess of the revived Diveyevo monastery.

— abbess Holy Trinity Stefano-Makhrishchi Convent. In the monastery - with the first days of the revival in 1993. She was elevated to the rank of abbess in 1997. In 2004, the monastery was given the status of stauropegy. Abbess Elisaveta is also a member of the Collegium of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism.

Abbess Elisaveta (Zhegalova)

Born in Dmitrov, Moscow region. Pukhtitsky Assumption Convent. November 25, 1997 Patriarch Alexy II elevated to the rank of abbess Holy Trinity Stefano-Makhrishchi Convent.

Abbess Moses (Bubnova)- Abbess of the Ascension of Olives Monastery in Jerusalem. The monastery houses the Spiritual Mission of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

Abbess Moses (Bubnova)

Born in Germany during World War II, she grew up in Belgium. She was brought up under the influence of Archbishop John (Maksimovich), from the age of nine she sang and read in the choir. Since 1975, in obedience at the Gethsemane Monastery in Jerusalem. In 1977 she was tonsured into monasticism, and in 1992 into the mantle. Since 1997, abbess of the Ascension of Olives Monastery in Jerusalem.

Known for her literary talents, she is the author famous books“Be of good cheer, daughter!”, “The cry of the third bird,” and “Rhymes with joy.”

Abbess Theophila (Lepeshinskaya)

The Inter-Council Presence also included a well-known publicist and socio-political figure, President of the Foundation for the Study of Historical Perspectives Natalia Narochnitskaya and President of the All-Russian Association of Public Organizations “National Anti-Drug Union” Yulia Pavlyuchenkova.

Natalia Narochnitskaya, as stated on its official website, is an “Orthodox ideologist.” However, for church management structures she is an “external” person, an independent expert who does not belong to synodal or patriarchal circles. Although, of course, her voice in the Inter-Council Presence cannot but be listened to: few of the members of the Presence can compare with Natalia Narochnitskaya, Doctor of Historical Sciences, author of many serious scientific works, in terms of intellectual baggage and scientific basis.

Natalia Narochnitskaya

ON THE. Narochnitskaya made a significant contribution to the creation and activities of significant scientific and socio-political movements, organized with the direct participation of the Russian Orthodox Church and having a significant impact on social life, - World Russian Council, Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, Unity Fund Orthodox peoples, Russkiy Mir Foundation.

Yulia Pavlyuchenkova Graduated from Moscow Humanitarian University (former Higher School of Art). Candidate of Political Sciences. President of the All-Russian Association of Public Organizations "National Anti-Drug Union", Chairman of the Board Charitable Foundation support of Orthodox initiatives, youth programs and projects. Mother of six children.

Yulia Pavlyuchenkova

Ekaterina Orlova- the second, along with Abbess Juliania (Kaleda), a woman - a member of the Presidium of the Inter-Council Presence. She is a member of three commissions: on issues of organizing the church mission, on issues of information activities of the Church and relations with the media, and on issues of counteraction church schisms and overcoming them. Despite the fact that Ekaterina Orlova joined the Presidium of the Inter-Council Presence, apparently, her participation in the work of this body is quite formal: the editor of the Danilovsky Evangelist publishing house of the Moscow Danilov Monastery is a not so well-known figure throughout the Church.

Ekaterina Orlova

5.

Most of the women nuns presented in the list can be seen on major holidays at patriarchal services in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. If the place on the right side of the sole is reserved for secular V.I.P. persons, then the left side at such services is traditionally occupied by holders of abbot's crosses.

At a service in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Photo Patriarchia.ru.

Abbess Georgiy (Shchukina), abbess of the Gornensky monastery in Ein Karem (near Jerusalem). He enjoys great spiritual authority and has been running the Gornensky monastery for more than 20 years.

Abbess Georgiy (Shchukina)

Born on November 14, 1931 in Leningrad. To the Great Patriotic War survived the blockade and the loss of her parents. In 1949 she entered the Holy Dormition Pyukhtitsa Monastery, where she served as treasurer and choir director.

In 1955-1968. - nun of the Vilna Monastery in Lithuania. She took monastic vows on April 7, 1968 in Pyukhtitsy, where she labored until 1989. In 1989 she received an appointment to restore the monastery of St. righteous John Kronstadtsky on Karpovka in St. Petersburg.

On March 24, 1991, she was elevated to the rank of abbess. In 1992, she was sent to abbot’s obedience to the Jerusalem Gornensky Monastery.

Abbess Raphaila (Khilchuk), abbess of the Holy Trinity Koretsky Monastery (Rivne diocese of the UOC) - member of the Collegium of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism. This is the second representative of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on our list. The Koretsky Monastery traces its history back to the 16th century. The monastery received stauropegic status in 1984, back in the days of state atheism.

Abbess Raphaila (Khilchuk)

In the world - Khilchuk Lyubov Ivanovna. Born in May 1953 in the village. Kogilno, Vladimir-Volynsky district, Volyn region. At the age of 22, in 1975, she entered the Koretsky Monastery as a novice. In 1978 she was tonsured into the ryassophore, and in 1983 she graduated from the regency department at the Leningrad Theological Seminary. In 1991 she was tonsured. She was elevated to the rank of abbess on July 26, 2006.

Abbess Philareta (Kalacheva), abbess of the stauropegial Holy Dormition Pyukhtitsa Monastery (Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate). She is part of the Collegium of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism.

Abbess Philareta (Kalacheva)

The late Patriarch Alexy II had a special place in Pyukhtitsy; memories of his youth were associated with the monastery of the Patriarch. IN Soviet time Pyukhtitsy, one of the few convents that did not close, supplied abbesses for convents for the entire Russian Orthodox Church.

A graduate of Samara University, Abbess Philareta is also a woman of diverse talents: for example, last September an exhibition of her photographs “Monastery” was held in Tallinn.

Abbess Seraphima (Voloshina), abbess of the stauropegial Ioannovsky Monastery (St. Petersburg). The monastery on Karpovka is the only stauropegial convent in St. Petersburg. Moreover, the monastery received stauropegy almost the first among other women’s monasteries that opened or reopened in post-Soviet times - in December 1991.

Abbess Seraphima (Voloshina)

Born in 1956, she began her monastic life in Pyukhtitsy. Since April 29, 1992 - abbess Ioannovsky stauropegic convent.

Abbess Feofania (Miskina), abbess of the stauropegial Pokrovsky convent (Moscow). Without any exaggeration, the Intercession Monastery can be called the most visited monastery in the capital: the relics of the Holy Blessed Matrona of Moscow, who enjoys great veneration among the people, are kept here.

Abbess Feofania (Miskina)

In the world Miskina Olga Dmitrievna. Pupil of the Holy Trinity Diveyevo Monastery. She was appointed abbess of the Intercession Monastery, which was renewed in 1994, on February 22, 1995. She was elevated to the rank of abbess on April 4, 1998.

Abbess Afanasia (Grosheva), abbess of the stauropegial St. John the Baptist Convent (Moscow).

Abbess Afanasia (Grosheva)

Born on July 28, 1939 in the city of Shcherbinka, Moscow region, in 1973 she entered the Holy Dormition Pukhtitsa Convent, since 1998 the dean of the Holy Dormition Pukhtitsa Convent, since 2001 the abbess of the St. John the Baptist Monastery.

On September 11, 2007, Patriarch Alexy II elevated nun Afanasia (Grosheva) to the rank of abbess.

Abbess of the stauropegial Mother of God Nativity Monastery, one of the oldest convents in Moscow (founded in the 14th century).

Abbess Victorina (Perminova)

In the world Elena Pavlovna Perminova. Born in 1954

Abbess of the stauropegial Holy Cross Monastery of Jerusalem (Moscow).

Abbess Ekaterina (Chainikova)

In the world - Chainikova Ekaterina Alekseevna. Born in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, s. Tashtyp. In 1976, the family moved to the Pskov region, to the city of Pechory. In 1986, she entered the Pyukhtitsa Holy Dormition Convent as a novice.

In 1990, along with other sisters, she was sent to Moscow to carry out obedience at the patriarchal residence in Chisty Lane. Appointed to the post of commandant of the Moscow Patriarchate. She supervised the restoration and construction work at the patriarchal residence.

In 1991 she took monastic vows. In 2001, she became a monk with the name Catherine.

Since 2001, she has been appointed abbess of the Holy Cross Exaltation of the Jerusalem Stavropegic Convent.

Since 2006, in addition to her obedience, she has been appointed abbess of the Compound at the Church of the Jerusalem Icon of the Mother of God behind the Intercession Gate in Moscow, with the responsibility for the speedy reconstruction of the destroyed temple.

Abbess of the stauropegial Khotkov Intercession Monastery (Moscow region).

Abbess Olympiada (Baranova)

In the world - Natalia Vladimirovna Baranova.

Abbess Faina (Kuleshova), abbess stauropegic monastery Trinity-Odigitria Zosimova Hermitage (Moscow).

Abbess Faina (Kuleshova)

In the world - Svetlana Vladimirovna Kuleshova. Born on April 1, 1968 in the village of Mebelny, Sterlitamak district, Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1995, she entered the Holy Trinity Belopesotsky Convent as a novice in the city of Stupino, Moscow region.

On April 8, 2008 she was tonsured a monk. On June 8, 2011, she was appointed acting abbess of the Trinity-Odigitrievskaya Zosimova Monastery of the Kuznetsovo settlement, Naro-Fominsk district, Moscow region.

By the resolution of the Holy Synod of October 5-6, 2011, she was appointed abbess of the Trinity-Odigitrievskaya Zosima Monastery. On October 16, 2011, she was elevated to the rank of abbess.

Abbess of the stauropegial Boriso-Gleb Anosin Monastery (Moscow region).

Abbess Maria (Solodovnikova)

Abbess Antonia (Korneeva), abbess of the stauropegial Nikolo-Vyazhishchi Monastery (Novgorod).

Pukhtitsa monastery student. Since June 30, 1990, abbess of the Nikolo-Vyazhishchi Monastery. The monastery received the status of stauropegia in October 1995. The monastery is small; today it has a dozen nuns.

In March 2012, by decision of the Synod, a collegium was established under the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism, which includes several more abbesses of women’s monasteries.

Abbess Varvara (Tretyak), abbess of the Vvedensky Tolgsky convent.

Abbess Varvara (Tretyak)

Abbess Evdokia (Levshuk), abbess of the Polotsk Spaso-Ephrosyne Convent (Belarusian Exarchate).

Abbess Evdokia (Levshuk)

Abbess of the Mother of God of Smolensk Novodevichy Convent in Moscow. The monastery is not stauropegial; it houses the residence of the Patriarchal Vicar of the Moscow Diocese, Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna.

Abbess Margarita (Feoktistova)

Abbess Paraskeva (Kazaku), abbess of the Paraskevi Khinkovsky convent, representative of Moldova.

Abbess Sofia (Silina), abbess of the Resurrection Novodevichy Convent in St. Petersburg.

Abbess Sofia (Silina)

The list does not include the abbess of the stauropegial monastery of the Kazan Ambrosievskaya Women's Hermitage, because after the death of Abbess Nikona (Peretyagina) in 2012, the monastery still has only an acting abbess.

6.

There are several more people on our list.

Abbess Nicholas (Ilyina), abbess of the Nikolsky Chernoostrovsky convent. The monastery in Maloyaroslavets is known for its work with children: since 1993, the monastery has operated a shelter-boarding house “Otrada” for girls from families with drug and alcohol addiction. It houses 58 pupils. The Otrada shelter became a kind of exemplary social project implemented by the monastery under state support and the active participation of major philanthropists.

A rare case for diocesan monastery: he was visited not only by both of the last Primates of the Russian Church - Patriarch Alexy II (twice: in July 1999 and in August 2005) and Patriarch Kirill (in October 2012), but even by Patriarch Maxim of Bulgaria - in 1998.

Abbess Nicholas (Ilyina)

In the world - Ilyina Lyudmila Dmitrievna. In May 2012, by decree of the President of the Russian Federation for his great contribution to charitable and social activities was the first in the country to be awarded the newly established Order of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine.

According to the statute of the order, it “is awarded to citizens of the Russian Federation and citizens of foreign countries known for their high spiritual and moral position and mercy for their outstanding contribution to peacekeeping, humanitarian and charitable activities, and the preservation of cultural heritage.”

Nun Olga (Gobzeva) . In past famous actress Soviet cinema is currently the chairman of the coordinating council of women's charitable organizations under the department for church charity and social service of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Nun Olga (Gobzeva)

Elena Zhosul - Advisor to the Chairman of the Synodal Information Department, Head of the Department of Journalism and PR of the Russian Orthodox University Apostle John the Theologian. A professional journalist, E. Zhosul was a correspondent for Interfax news agency for a long time, specializing in religious topics. Having moved to work in church structures, he actively participates in the formation of the information policy of the Russian Orthodox Church, and manages the program of regional training seminars for employees of diocesan press services.

Elena Zhosul

In recent years, the activities of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service have significantly intensified. Therefore, our list includes several of his employees who are in key positions and, in one way or another, coordinating social activity on the scale of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Marina Vasilyeva— deputy chairman of the department, coordinator and one of the organizers Orthodox service"Mercy" volunteers.

Marina Vasilyeva

Yulia Danilova is the head of the Publishing and Information Sector in the department of Bishop Panteleimon (Shatov) and the editor-in-chief of the “Mercy” website.

Yulia Danilova

Polina Yufereva is the head of the organization of assistance in emergency situations of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service, coordinator of the “Mercy” service. After the events in Krymsk, where the Church took an active part in providing assistance to the victims, Polina Yufereva was awarded the medal of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations “For the Commonwealth in the Name of Salvation” - “for the contribution of the sisters of mercy in providing humanitarian assistance to the population caught in emergencies, as well as popularization of the profession of rescuers and firefighters.”

Polina Yufereva

Evgenia Zhukovskaya- specialist control and analytical service Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate. Graduated from the department of church journalism of the Russian Orthodox University. John the Theologian, currently a graduate student at MGIMO. He has been working in the Administrative Department since 2009, coordinating a whole range of issues related to interaction with the dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church, including, in cooperation with the Synodal Information Department, issues of information activities of the dioceses. Member of the Union of Journalists of Russia.

Evgenia Zhukovskaya

7.

To summarize our research, we repeat: it is not comprehensive and rather formal. For example, such a factor as a person’s media status was not taken into account. In our case, this parameter in the vast majority of cases tends to zero, since the predominant nuns and abbess of monasteries on the list are not looking for PR, do not try to get into the frame once again, coming to the fore only when necessary. However, the same can be fully applied to the laywomen named in the list.

Yes, women in the Church are in secondary roles. But they fulfill these roles with dignity. It remains to wish them to preserve and increase the wealth of experience, knowledge and talents that allowed them to take the place where each of them performs their ministry.