How they said goodbye to the governor of Raifa: “You managed to sow faith in the powers that be. Archimandrite Vsevolod (Zakharov)

Archimandrite Vsevolod (Zakharov)

23.01.1959 - 20.08.2016

On the morning of August 20, 2016, at the age of 58, the abbot of the Raifa Bogoroditsky Monastery, Archimandrite Vsevolod (Zakharov), died suddenly.

Archimandrite Vsevolod (in the world Vyacheslav Alexandrovich Zakharov) was born on January 23, 1959 in the city of Kazan. He grew up in a large family - his mother alone raised six children. From childhood he carried the obediences of an altar boy and subdeacon. After graduating from high school, in 1977 Vyacheslav entered the Moscow Theological Seminary. In 1981 he was ordained a priest. He began his pastoral ministry in the Kursk diocese as rector of the Exaltation of the Cross Church in the village of Cherkassky-Porechny, Sudzhansky district. “A young, talented, educated person did not consider it shameful to go to serve in a remote village. In a very short time, he managed to create a real community, living with one heart and one soul with his shepherd. Thanks to his hard work, the provincial village was resurrected, and the church came to life,” Metropolitan Feofan of Kazan and Tatarstan tells about the beginning of Fr. Vsevolod’s pastoral ministry.

In 1985, Father Vsevolod moved to the Kazan and Mari diocese, where he was appointed rector of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in the city of Zelenodolsk. He began to actively restore the spiritual life, created a children's Sunday school. In 1989 he took monastic vows with the name Vsevolod, then was elevated to the rank of hegumen.

In 1991, the priest first visited the ruined Raifa Monastery, where at that time there was a special school for minors. Seeing the destroyed monastery, he turned to the ruling bishop of the Kazan diocese with a request to send him to revive the monastery. Metropolitan Feofan once again recalled this desperate act for those times: “Many were surprised at this and are still amazed. What boldness one had to have, what love for the Church, what deep faith, in order to set out so firmly to restore this monastery from the ruins!” The very next year, 1992, Father Vsevolod began restoration work.

During the years of management of the Raifa monastery by Archimandrite Vsevolod, it has become one of the most important spiritual centers of the Tatarstan Metropolis, attracting many pilgrims. With his energy, combined with love and works of mercy, he attracted the hearts of many people, including those who professed another faith. In Tatarstan, many recognize his merit in strengthening interfaith peace in the republic, in establishing good and constructive relations with the local Muslim community. In this regard, in his farewell speech, Metropolitan Feofan mentioned that "together with the Orthodox believers, our Muslim brethren also grieve."

In 1993 Father Vsevolod was elevated to the rank of archimandrite. In 2007 he graduated from the Moscow Academy of State and Municipal Administration under the President of the Russian Federation.

The deceased father, the governor, was honored with a painless, shameless and peaceful death in his office in the Raifa monastery, which he ruled for a quarter of a century.

On August 21, they said goodbye to the newly deceased at the monastery. The Divine Liturgy and the funeral service in the cathedral in honor of the Georgian Icon of the Mother of God was led by Metropolitan Feofan of Kazan and Tatarstan.

Bishop Methodius of Almetyevsk and Bugulma, who began his monastic career in this monastery under the guidance of Fr. Rectors and abbots of the monasteries of the Kazan diocese, the clergy of the Tatarstan metropolis and the brethren of the Raifa monastery co-served at the Divine Liturgy, offering prayers for the repose of the newly deceased brother. Eternal memory to the late Archimandrite Vsevolod.

Hieromonk Elijah (Kazantsev)

ARCHIMANDRITE VSEVOLOD (ZAKHAROV),

FIRST VEGOCINE OF THE REVIVED RAIFA BOGORODITSK MEN'S MONASTERY

His Reverend Archimandrite Vsevolod (01/23/1959 - 08/20/2016)(in the world, Vyacheslav Alexandrovich Zakharov) was born in the city of Kazan in a large family, where the mother alone raised six children. He went to church from childhood, carried the obediences of an altar boy and subdeacon.

After graduating from Kazan secondary school No. 1, in 1977 he entered the Moscow Theological Seminary.

In 1981 he was ordained a priest in Kursk.

He began his pastoral ministry in the Kursk diocese as rector of the Exaltation of the Cross Church in the village of Cherkasskoye-Porechnoye, Sudzhansky district. In 1985 he was transferred to the Kazan and Mari diocese, and was appointed rector of the church of Sts. Peter and Paul in the city of Zelenodolsk, TASSR. He actively began to restore spiritual life, created one of the first children's Sunday schools in the USSR.

In 1989 he took monastic vows with the name Vsevolod and was elevated to the rank of abbot.

In 1991, for the first time, he visited the ruined Raifa Monastery, where at that time there was a special school for juvenile delinquents. He began the restoration of the monastery in 1992.

In 1993 he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite.

Archimandrite Vsevolod has a higher legal education. In 2007 he graduated from the Moscow Academy of State and Municipal Administration under the President of the Russian Federation.

• He is an Honorary Academician of the Asia-Europe International Academy
• Has the title of honorary member of the Academy of Humanities (academician)
• Member of the Academic Council of the Volga-Kama State Natural Reserve
• Member of the Public Council of the Republic of Tatarstan
• Knight of the Order of Friendship
• For strengthening friendship between peoples, he was awarded diplomas of international public organizations (UNESCO, etc.)
• For his great contribution to the organization of spiritual and moral and aesthetic education of employees of the internal affairs bodies of the Republic of Tatarstan and personal merits in strengthening law and order, he was awarded the medal of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Russia "200 years of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia", June 2002
• October 2005 On behalf of the President of Russia, the vicegerent of the Raifa Bogoroditsky Monastery, Archimandrite Vsevolod (Zakharov), was awarded the medal "In Commemoration of the 1000th Anniversary of Kazan" for a significant contribution to the development of the city
• Member of the encyclopedic publication "Pride of the city of Kazan", timed to coincide with the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the city of Kazan
• Awarded with a diploma of the republican competition "Philanthropist of the Year", 2007 on behalf of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan M.Sh. Shaimiev
• November 2007, Kazan. Awarded a certificate of conferring the title of "Guardian of the Protected Islands"
• He is an honorary citizen of the Zelenodolsky municipal district of the Republic of Tatarstan
• For a great contribution to the improvement of the spiritual and moral and aesthetic education of employees of the internal affairs bodies of the Republic of Tatarstan, as well as in connection with the 50th anniversary, he was awarded a diploma from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tatarstan
• A letter of thanks from the Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan R.N. Minnikhanov. “On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan and on my own behalf, I express my gratitude to you for your significant contribution to the spiritual and moral revival and strengthening of interethnic and interfaith peace and harmony in the republic ...”, January 2009
• A letter of thanks from the President of the Republic of Tatarstan M.Sh. Shaimiev in honor of the 50th anniversary of his birth. “...Your indefatigability in deeds in the field of spiritual creation and charity, pastoral activities are widely known outside the Raifa monastery. On this significant day, I wish you good health, long life and new achievements for the benefit of the Church, believers and the entire multinational people of the Republic of Tatarstan”, January 2009.
• A letter of thanks in honor of the 50th birthday from the Minister of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Tatarstan A.Safarov. “... Your whole life is a moral, spiritual feat of serving the Christian faith, tireless work on the transformation and purification of many human souls. It is impossible to overestimate your personal contribution to the revival from the ruins of the Orthodox shrine - the Raifa Bogoroditsky Monastery, which today is rightfully considered one of the centers of the Christian religion in Russia ... your education, wisdom and high moral potential rightfully earned you sincere respect and authority in our republic and for outside of it…”
• For outstanding services in strengthening Orthodox and spiritual traditions and for his personal contribution to the revival of Orthodoxy in Russia, he was awarded the Order of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky II degree
• In consideration of diligent pastoral labors and in connection with the 50th anniversary of his birth, he was awarded the Order of the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh II degree.
• For the great contribution of the abbot of the Raifa Bogoroditsky Monastery, Archimandrite Vsevolod, to the preservation of interethnic and interfaith harmony in the Republic of Tatarstan, on February 10, 2010, the head of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan - Chairman of the Assembly of Peoples of Tatarstan Farid Mukhametshin presented father Vsevolod with a letter of thanks and a commemorative medal of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan.
• In connection with the 55th anniversary of his birth, he was awarded the medal of the Primate Gury of Kazan. the award was presented by the Governor of the Tatarstan Metropolis, Metropolitan Anastassy of Kazan and Tatarstan.
• In connection with the 55th anniversary of his birth, he was awarded the medal "For Valiant Labor", which was presented on behalf of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Nurgalievich Minnikhanov by the head of the Presidential Administration Asgat Akhmetovich Safarov. Let us add that for the first time in our republic a clergyman has been awarded this worldly award.
• In consideration of his labors for the good of the Holy Church, on December 24, 2015, the abbot of the Raifa Monastery was awarded the anniversary medal of the Russian Orthodox Church "In memory of the 1000th anniversary of the repose of Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir." The medal was established by the Decree of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia on November 6, 2014 in memory of the 1000th anniversary of the repose of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, Enlightener of the Russian Land.

Father Vsevolod was buried without waiting three days - according to the "Athos traditions", next to the memorial cross to the martyrs of the "Red Terror"

More than 1.5 thousand people came last Sunday to say goodbye to the abbot of the Raifa monastery. About what Metropolitan Feofan said from the pulpit, which of the VIPs attended the funeral ceremony, what was whispered in the crowd, how the vicar was remembered by the parishioners and his cousin, who loved to sing the song “What are you dreaming about, cruiser Aurora” with him, - in the material "BUSINESS Online".

More than 1.5 thousand people came to say goodbye to the abbot of the Raifa monastery, Archimandrite Vsevolod

“THE MAN WAS POWERFUL. I CALLED HIM ABOUT MYSELF A Komsomol Member"

When, early in the morning of August 21, a funeral service for the newly appointed abbot of the monastery began at the Raifa Monastery, cars and buses with pilgrims were already gathering here with might and main. Many of them did not yet know about what had happened, and therefore, when they were met at the entrance by the police checking the bags, they were perplexed: “What happened? Has someone important arrived? Or what holiday? "The abbot is being buried!" - briefly answered them. And the crowd of parishioners and guests kept arriving and arriving, filling the Cathedral of the Georgian Icon of the Mother of God, crowding to the fence of the monastery cemetery, where a carefully laid carpet path already led to the prepared open grave. They talked little, were more silent with pursed lips, some were crying. Occasionally broken lines flowed through the crowd. “They say the ambulance drove for 40 minutes,” someone said accusingly. - Didn't save.

Rector of the Raifa Bogoroditsky Monastery Archimandrite Vsevolod(in the world Vyacheslav Zakharov) died on the morning of August 20 in his office at the age of 57. Being engaged in the affairs of the orphanage, working at the monastery, he suddenly felt very ill - the doctors, that a blood clot had come off. The ambulance crew that arrived at the scene was unable to do anything. Already at two o'clock in the afternoon the body of the archimandrite was transferred to the Cathedral of the Georgian Icon and left there until the very funeral. However, at night the temple was not closed and was not empty: here they read the Gospel, changing each other in turn, the inhabitants of the monastery. And already in the morning in the cathedral they began to prepare for the divine liturgy, which the Metropolitan of Kazan and Tatarstan decided to lead Feofan. Arriving at the monastery, Vladyka first went to the open grave, where the workers were still working, and then, distributing blessings, went to the Georgian Cathedral.

Bearing in mind that VIPs were very fond of Raifa, they expected that a certain number of well-known people in the republic, and even in the country, would come to the service. However, the “main benefactor” of the monastery Mintimer Shaimiev if he appeared, it was almost imperceptible: that he was here, having learned about the tragedy, one of the representatives of the monastic brethren told the correspondent of BUSINESS Online. President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov he himself could not arrive, but sent from himself a magnificent wreath, painted in the red and green colors of the Tatarstan flag. Another notable wreath laid on the grave Radik Khasanov, head of the enterprise "Plant im. Sergo" from neighboring Zelenodolsk.

A conspicuous wreath was laid on the grave by Radik Khasanov, the head of the plant “Plant im. Sergo" from neighboring Zelenodolsk

There were also those who came to the funeral practically officially and whose names were immediately included in all the press releases that appeared on the website of the Tatarstan Metropolis. Among them is the head of the presidential staff Asgat Safarov, Deputy Chairman of the Republican State Council Yuri Kamaltynov, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan Alexey Pesoshin, Chief of Staff of the Cabinet of Ministers Shamil Gafarov, former head of the regional Ministry of Emergency Situations Valery Vlasov and other persons. Correspondents of BUSINESS Online met Kamaltynov near the cathedral, where the funeral was held, he did not talk in detail (“Not that case, colleagues”), but nevertheless dropped on the go: “He was a powerful man. I called him a Komsomol member to myself.

The fierce heat that had been standing all these days in Tatarstan did not weaken this time either: the sun hung in the burning sky like a red-hot iron that had not been turned off by someone absent-mindedly. It hurt to look at him. It turned out to be no cooler in the temple: people were covered in sticky sweat and fanned themselves with whatever they could: newspapers, ladies' fans, bags. One young mother, for lack of a better way, fanned herself with her baby, who apparently believed that he was being played with, and gurgled happily. The service was long and took about four hours together with the farewell, but the parishioners behaved courageously, crossed themselves, kissed the misted glasses of the icons and sang along to the "Symbol of Faith" and "Our Father". Everyone breathed heavily, exhausted from the hot bath air, and it somehow involuntarily thought that at that hour in this cathedral, among this intermittently sighing crowd, only one person was not breathing and only he was cold - this is the one who created this whole magnificent monastery with its gardens, domes and cells, Archimandrite Vsevolod.

There were also those who came to the funeral almost officially and whose names were immediately included in all press releases.

"AND GOD, LIKE A RIPE FRUIT, GAVE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE ANGELS TO TAKE YOU"

Almost everyone remembers the viceroy of the Raifa Monastery as a light, witty and “festive” person in his spiritual mood. Perhaps that is why his unexpected death and commemoration fell on a whole series of holidays: starting from the Transfiguration of the Lord and ending with the day of the Georgian Icon of the Mother of God and the Assumption of the Virgin. Father Vsevolod died on August 20 on the first day of the afterfeast ( so called 7 days following immediately after the Apple Savior - approx. ed.), was buried on the second day. And already the third day after his death, on August 22, fell on the celebration of the Georgian icon in the old style, traditionally revered in Raifa as the main shrine of the monastery. As for the 9th day, which is so important for the commemoration of the dead, it, as Metropolitan Theophan noted in his speech, coincides with the Dormition of the Mother of God on August 28th. Perhaps, if Father Vsevolod had been given the opportunity to choose the day for his death, he would not have been able to choose a better one, so suitable both for his character and for his daily energetic asceticism. It's just a shame it happened so early.

When the main part of the liturgy was over, Metropolitan Theophan went out to the parishioners, stood face down in the half-open coffin, in which only the rector's wax hands were visible, clutching the icon and the crucifix, and delivered a short sermon - a requiem for the rector. He spoke to all those gathered and at the same time seemed to be talking with only one newly introduced archimandrite, calling him on you and assuring him that, despite the border between life and death, he is "here, with us."

“Not long ago I spoke with Father Vsevolod on the phone on the way to Naberezhnye Chelny,” Vladyka recalled. “He was, as always, cheerful and, as always, ready for any obedience.” Then he spoke about the life path of the abbot of the Raifa monastery, noting that he embarked on the path of Orthodoxy "at a time when it was not only not fashionable, but also condemned" ( refers to late Soviet times - approx. ed.). “But with your inherent optimism, firmness of will, resilient cheerful character, and having a talent that was given to you by nature from God, you were not afraid to take the path of the Church,” said the metropolitan, turning to the man resting in the tomb. - And you sent your steps to the Moscow theological school, where you received an education not only theological, but also an inoculation to the monastic life. Years spent in the large cell of St. Sergius of Radonezh ( refers to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, where the Moscow Theological Seminary and Academy are located - approx. ed.), became your best teacher.”

The eventful life of Father Vsevolod was broken down by the ruling Kazan bishop by milestones: studying in the Moscow region, then serving in Kursk, where the future rector of the glorified monastery was ordained a priest and sent to serve in the Exaltation of the Cross Church in a certain village of Cherkasskoye-Porechnoye. “The land of Kursk is my homeland too,” Vladyka continued, “and I know firsthand how the people of God loved you. How could you, talented, young, capable, having an education, not consider it shameful to go to the most remote village, to a neglected temple, where almost no one goes. But you went. And in a short time he managed to create a community that lived with one heart and one soul with its shepherd. Thanks to your labors, the village was resurrected, and the temple came to life.”

What Father Vsevolod managed to do in the early 1980s in the Kursk region, he later repeated in Raif on a different scale. “The queen of heaven and the fathers of the Raifa monastery, the martyrs of the saints were with you,” Feofan said confidently. - You managed to find the right words for the parishioners, gather brotherhood around you, managed through your ministry to sow faith in the powers that be and among the leadership of the republic. I know how highly the heads of the republic spoke of you and still speak highly of you. Mintimer Sharipovich has repeatedly told me about you ( Mintimer Shaimiev - approx. ed.). And the current president of Tatarstan, he was here, loved the monastery, loved you, supported your initiatives... It is impossible to list them who loved you, not only in the republic, but also in the leadership of our large country. Almost all the leaders of the Russian state have been here. And they brought love, warmth and understanding out of this monastery.

Metropolitan Feofan also included Muslims among those who loved Father Vsevolod, remembering that yesterday, while in Nizhnekamsk on the anniversary of the city, he received condolences from the Supreme Mufti of Russia, who was also there Talgat Tajuddin. As for the unexpected death of the abbot of the Raifa monastery, she was, according to Vladyka, "truly Christian." “After all, we are praying for a shameless, painless and peaceful death,” the Metropolitan reminded the Orthodox flock and priests. That's exactly what your death was like. Obviously, the Lord so ordered to take you from this sinful earth at the moment when you were in glory. You were loved, respected, appreciated. And God, like a ripe fruit, gave instructions to the angels to take you away. We believe that the Lord, for your good deeds, for your sincere service, for your love, of course, will take you to his abode. We will pray for you, and you pray there for us, for you are already closer to God,” concluded the Kazan archpastor.

“ON ATHO, WHERE IT IS TOO HOT, THE MONKS ARE BURNED THE SAME DAY. AND WE HERE NOW READ ALMOST GREECE »

By the time the monastery clock passed past noon, according to various estimates, from 1.5 to 2 thousand parishioners and pilgrims gathered in the monastery. Everyone already knew about the mourning significance of this day, so they patiently waited for the coffin with the body of the rector to be taken out of the cathedral. Among the crowd and police patrols, one could distinguish several ambulance doctors - they were on duty here so that farewell to Father Vsevolod would not be overshadowed by some other tragedy.

Met by BUSINESS Online correspondents at the entrance to the temple, a guide from the Chuvash city of Shumerlya, who arrived in Raifa with her pilgrimage group, said that she also knew Father Vsevolod, who “in a few words could explain the most complex things, so that everything immediately became clear” . The story of this woman is remarkable: according to her, she became an Orthodox guide after her husband was healed of a serious illness in 1991 by touching the newly found relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov. “I realized that I needed to work out this miracle, and I began to travel to monasteries and cloisters,” she explained.

We also managed to talk with a relative of the late archimandrite, his cousin Elena Gennadieva. “I have known him for a very long time,” Elena Nikolaevna told BUSINESS Online, not hiding her tears. - How he restored this monastery - brick by brick, stone by stone, and all with such love and reverence. He loved it so much - it was his brainchild. And, apparently, this was how it was destined: to restore the monastery, after which his life here ended.”

The rector's cousin recalled how she came here with her brother in the 1990s: "There were ruins, the lake was covered in mud, everything was terrible." To raise the monastery from Soviet non-existence, remarkable organizational skills were required, and those of Father Vsevolod were found thanks to his Komsomol past. “He was on the Komsomol committee at the first school where he studied,” recalled Gennadiyeva. - And then he changed dramatically, went to Moscow and entered the seminary. And with such enthusiasm, returning to Kazan, he spoke about this seminary! He really enjoyed studying."

The coffin was slowly lowered into the ground - not far from the cross erected here in memory of the martyrs of the era of the "Red Terror"

Elena Nikolaevna also told about something that is not in the official biography of Father Vsevolod: how, approximately in the early 90s, he traveled on horseback to Orthodox parishes in Mari El, how, together with his cousin, he sang favorite Soviet songs like “What are you dreaming about, cruiser Aurora?" (“His hearing was very good,” our interlocutor added). However, recently Elena Gennadieva rarely met with her brother. “He had no time. If we were going to come to him, he always asked: “You call in advance, because maybe there won’t be a free minute.” Either someone came, then some delegation - all the time. Either busy with reports, or extracting something. About the character of the abbot, his relative responded in the same way as many: “Good-natured, funny, he will never offend anyone. What has always attracted me? After all, I thought that the priests were so dry, strict, and he could present the same thing to you in such a way that you understood it in a completely different way, easier, simpler ... "

By the way, of the six children of the Zakharov family, to which the late archimandrite belonged, only three remained alive after his death: a brother and two sisters. One of his sisters was met by BUSINESS Online correspondents in the editorial office of the Raifa Bulletin published in the monastery: she was holding a portrait of her brother in her hands - smiling, with a chuckle in her eyes. “That's how he always was,” she said with some (as it seemed) even a touch of pride, peering at her dear photo.

And then there was a funeral, the bells on the belfry restored by the rector often rang, the coffin was slowly lowered into the ground - not far from the cross, erected here in memory of the martyrs of the "Red Terror" era. “Why was it buried so quickly? - the correspondent of "BUSINESS Online" asked the man who helped in the funeral ceremony (as it turned out, one of the artists of the monastery). “He just died yesterday. Why didn't they wait three days? “Where in this heat? he objected. - Over there on Athos, where it is also hot, the monks are buried on the same day. And now we have almost Greece here.”

Meanwhile, people lined up at the still unburied grave: each tried to throw his handful of earth. Coming out of the fence of the cemetery, many were crying. The monastery in the bright sun shone with all the helmets of its domes and said goodbye to the rector with an unceasing chime, in which, surprisingly, there was nothing funeral, as if the light disposition of Father Vsevolod was transmitted after the death of his monastery.

Holy Archimandrite Vsevolod(in the world Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Zakharov) was born on January 23, 1959 in Kazan in a large family, where the mother alone raised six children. He went to church from childhood, carried the obediences of an altar boy and subdeacon.

After graduating from Kazan secondary school No. 1 in 1977, he entered the Moscow Theological Seminary.

In 1981 he was ordained a priest in Kursk.He began his pastoral ministry in the Kursk diocese as rector of the Exaltation of the Cross Church in the village of Cherkasskoye-Porechnoye, Sudzhansky district.

In 1985 he was transferred to the Kazan and Mari diocese, and was appointed rector of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Zelenodolsk. He actively began to restore spiritual life, created one of the first children's Sunday schools in the USSR, under him the bells rang again in the church.

In 1989 he took monastic vows with the name Vsevolod and was elevated to the rank of abbot.

In 1991, for the first time, he visited the ruined Raifa Monastery, where at that time there was a special school for juvenile delinquents. He began the restoration of the monastery in 1992.

In 1993 he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite.

A close friend of the rector of the Raifa monastery, who died today, tells how he was and why the frogs in the pond of the monastery do not croak

The Orthodox world of Tatarstan today mourns for the sudden death of the abbot of the Raifa monastery, Father Vsevolod. While BUSINESS Online is preparing detailed material about him, Oleg Morozov, a senator from Tatarstan, talks about his acquaintance and speaks of him as a “great dreamer in the good sense of the word”, who managed to charm everyone with his dream of restoring the monastery, including the powers that be.

Today, early in the morning, the abbot of the Raifa monastery, Father Vsevolod (right), who stood at the origins of the revival of the monastery, died in his office Photo: BUSINESS Online

METROPOLIT FEOFAN: "THE ORTHODOX CHURCH AND THE RAIFA BOGORODITSKY MEN'S MONASTERY HAVE SUFFERED A BIG LOSS"

Today, early in the morning, the abbot of the Raifa monastery, Father Vsevolod who stood at the origins of his revival. The main version of what happened is pulmonary thrombosis. The funeral of Father Vsevolod will be held tomorrow. The funeral service will begin at 9:00 am at the Cathedral of the Georgian Icon of the Mother of God. The funeral liturgy and the rite of the monastic funeral of the deceased in the Raifa Bogoroditsky monastery will be led by the Metropolitan of Kazan and Tatarstan Feofan.

“The Orthodox Church and the Raifa Bogoroditsky Monastery suffered a great loss with the death of Archimandrite Vsevolod,” Metropolitan of Kazan and Tatarstan told BUSINESS Online Feofan. - This man created a lot, and what he did for the Raifa monastery cannot be expressed in a nutshell. Just yesterday I spoke with Father Vsevolod on the phone on the way to Naberezhnye Chelny, he just celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the occasion of the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

Archimandrite Vsevolod (in the world - Vyacheslav Zakharov) was born on January 23, 1959 in Kazan in a large family, where the mother alone raised six children. He went to church from childhood, carried the obediences of an altar boy and subdeacon. After graduating from Kazan secondary school No. 1 in 1977, he entered the Moscow Theological Seminary. In 1981 he was ordained a priest in Kursk.

In 1989 he took monastic vows with the name Vsevolod and was elevated to the rank of abbot. In 1991, for the first time, he visited the ruined Raifa Monastery, where at that time there was a special school for juvenile delinquents. He began the restoration of the monastery in 1992. In 1993 he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite. For more than two decades, the Raifa Monastery has turned from a ruined monastery into one of the main Orthodox gems of the republic, a place of pilgrimage for believers and an obligatory place for visiting tourists, including numerous VIPs.

"BUSINESS Online" is preparing a detailed report from Raifa, but for now it offers readers an interview with a member of the Federation Council Oleg Morozov who knew Father Vsevolod from the very moment the restoration of the monastery began.

Photo: raifa.ru

"A DIVINE MIRACLE WILL HAPPEN - AND ON THIS PLACE WILL BE A LUXURIOUS MONASTERY"

- Oleg Viktorovich, they say that you were quite closely acquainted with Father Vsevolod ...

As for close acquaintance, this is an exaggeration. But really, Father Vsevolod was a very extraordinary, bright person. When my first election campaign for the State Duma began in 1993, I happened to be on the territory of the Raifa Monastery for the first time. It was located on the territory of my constituency in the Zelenodolsk district, and I went there to look. It was then in absolute ruin, restoration work was just beginning. And that's when we met Father Vsevolod. I remember him as such with a cunning - a very witty, educated person.

He then said one phrase that I remember: “A divine miracle will happen - and this place will be a magnificent monastery. Now there is devastation, there is nothing, but, believe me, everything will be here - after a while there will be a full-fledged monastery, all the churches will be restored.” And so on.

- Did you also assist in the restoration of the monastery?

I helped the process as much as I could. These were different forms of help: he attracted sponsors, and clothed the monks, and helped with the roof on one of the temples, and took out the machines from the Assumption Cathedral ...

Photo: raifa.ru

And we constantly crossed paths with him once a year or two on the topic of the monastery. Father Vsevolod was very sick of this topic. For him, it was a child, his own child, whom he cherished, cherished, raised and put his heart and soul into him. It is interesting that he somehow knew how to make this history universal - everyone who has ever been to this monastery, one way or another, was involved in the process of its arrangement and restoration. And I am no exception in this sense. He had the gift to captivate people with his own ideas and projects. He knew how to present his offspring in such a way that everyone fell in love with this monastery, everyone came there and contributed to its restoration.

Once I had such a project - I headed the deputy group "Regions of Russia". It included about 50 deputies. Just imagine, they rented a plane and with their wives - about 100 people - flew to Tatarstan. My goal was to show RT, and one of the stages of our work in the republic was a visit to the Raifa Monastery.

Imagine, so many deputies came to the monastery, Father Vsevolod received us, there was a concert of children from the monastery school, a wonderful monastery choir sang, where four guys sing fantastically. I remember that the effect was exactly what I expected - all my deputies fell in love with both Vsevolod and the monastery. Then many of those who had the financial means also helped.

- Who were among these deputies?

Martin Shakkum, Nikolai Gerasimenko, Alexander Zhukov - he was then a deputy of our group, Telman Gdlyan, Valentin Stepankov - a former prosecutor of Russia, Ella Pamfilova, Boris Gromov - a hero of the Soviet Union. These were very iconic, famous people. It was in 1998, and maybe later, I don’t remember exactly.

Photo: raifa.ru

"FATHER VSEVOLOD WAS SUCH A BIG DREAMER IN THE GOOD SENSE OF THE WORD"

- H Are you afraid that too much in the Raifa Monastery was focused on Father Vsevolod, and without him the monastery would no longer be able to develop like this?

It seems to me that it no longer exists. Now it is a full-fledged magnificent object - architectural, historical. Pilgrimage there, like the monastery itself, is known throughout the country. There is probably no such well-known name of a prominent political and public figure who would come to Tatarstan and would not visit the Raifa Monastery. There probably aren't any. At the entrance to the monastery there is a board (where, in my opinion, there is also my last name), the names of people who helped in the revival of the Raifa monastery are indicated there. You can see - there are the names of many famous people. There is Chubais, there is the late Pochinok, who, by the way, even got married in the Raifa monastery. A lot of famous people are somehow connected with this monastery.

And a lot of legends! Father Vsevolod loved to tell a lot of legends, which he himself, most likely, composed ...

- Which for example?

About the fact that the frogs in the Raifa pond do not croak. Allegedly, one of the elders, when the frogs croaked and interfered with the prayer of the monks, went ashore, prayed, asked God that the frogs would not croak. I asked them to live in this pond, but at least they didn't croak. Since then, the frogs in this pond have not croaked ( laughing). So Father Vsevolod told me. Whether that was true or not, I don't know, but the truth is that, as they say, the frogs in this pond don't really croak for some reason. During the mating season, when all the frogs sing, they are silent there.

“This man created a lot, and what he did for the Raifa monastery cannot be expressed in a nutshell” Photo: raifa.ru

Another legend is associated with Allan Chumak. Allegedly, Chumak, as a person who knew evil spirits, could not enter this monastery. When he passed through the entrance gate of the monastery, he became ill. He made a second attempt - again it did not work ... And he could not enter the territory of the monastery.

That is, Father Vsevolod was such a great dreamer, in the best sense of the word. And he knew how to present his offspring very, very, very effectively, and indeed everyone loved him in this sense, helped him.

He was a man who knew how to create an aura around him that he was doing a very good deed. And this, by the way, actually corresponded to reality - he recreated a unique object. And those who saw the monastery in 1993, like me... Only 23 years have passed... See today... These were ruins, absolute ruins, where there was not a single whole building, and today it is a magnificent architectural object, where don't be ashamed to bring anyone.

- When did you last see Father Vsevolod?

The last time I saw him was a long time ago - about 3-4 years ago. I came to the Zelenodolsk region on business and stopped by the monastery ...

- Has he ever complained about his heart, about his health?

Never! He always looked very cheerful. I heard he passed away in his office? By the way, he showed me his office. He showed me his table, which supposedly has been in the monastery since the time of Stepan Razin. He showed me things that, from his point of view, are unique, which have their own history. This is another evidence that he was very sensitive to his project.

... tatarstan-mitropolia. Common crawl en Can a monastic childhood be happy? The cross: a novice's recollection Archimandrite Vsevolod, the abbot of the Raifa monastery in Kazan, died. The boy in the jacket He was the sixth child in a family where children were raised by one mother. But Archimandrite Vsevolod always emphasized: “I had a happy childhood.” In a family where there was no prosperity, there was love and care for each other. The first Kazan school, where he was the secretary of the Komsomol organization, circles and sports sections, a normal Soviet childhood. But once a boy in a bologna jacket, walking along Bauman, saw the open doors of St. Nicholas Cathedral and quietly entered them. The temple struck with decoration, silence and some kind of mystery. The priest, who at that time was in the cathedral, talked to the boy, led him to the altar, and invited him to come again. So the future archimandrite Vsevolod began to visit the church. Naturally, they learned about it at school. Naturally, they put pressure on him, explaining that only “sick people” go to church. He smiled and stood his ground. By the way, now in the school museum there is a photograph of him and visitors are told about him with pride. After graduating from the seminary