Marital status is Cyril. Kirill, His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (Gundyaev Vladimir Mikhailovich)

Why should the servant of God Cyril thank the “slave in the galleys”
What did the head of the Russian Orthodox Church do in the "dashing 90s"

Since the 1990s, a new title has been assigned to Metropolitan Kirill - "Tobacco". In addition, Orthodox bloggers drew attention to the great importance in the life of Cyril of his passion for skiing: this hobby is served by a villa in Switzerland and a private plane, and in Krasnaya Polyana it helps to consolidate informal relationships with the powers that be...

Patriarch Kirill (Gundyaev), following the "laws of the genre", habitually scolds the 90s. Although it was then that he won the position and made a fortune that allowed him to eventually take the patriarchal throne. Before accession to this throne, Kirill's personal fortune was estimated by some experts at $4 billion.

Celebrating the third anniversary of his enthronement on February 1, Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate invited Vladimir Putin, who visited him, to have a detailed conversation with the leaders of Russia's "traditional" confessions in a more relaxed atmosphere. Putin agreed, and the meeting took place on 8 February. Cyril was, of course, the main speaker, although several muftis, a rabbi with an assistant, a lama, Protestant pastors, and a Catholic priest were allowed to briefly sing their praises to the national leader. Only the Old Believer Metropolitan Kornily remained silent - but not because such “hosannas” disgusted him too much, but out of natural modesty. Metropolitans Hilarion and Yuvenaly, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin and the chief PR man, as well as the censor of the patriarchate Vladimir Legoyda, also spoke from the ROC MP.

The patriarch told Putin that he was thinking about "our future president." Of course, the hall froze when Kirill warned: “I must speak quite openly as a Patriarch, who is called to speak the truth, not paying attention to either the political situation or propaganda accents ...” Here it is, the “duty of patriarchal sadness”, mentioned in the charter of the Russian Orthodox Church MP, that is, the duty of the primate of the church to intercede before the mighty of this world for the persecuted, unjustly oppressed, prisoners of conscience. “Will he really talk about political prisoners?” - flashed through my head. But nothing unexpected happened, the "patriarchal sadness" did not take place again. With the utmost frankness, the patriarch said “that you, Vladimir Vladimirovich, personally played a huge role in correcting this curvature of our history of the dashing 90s. I would like to thank you. You once said that you work like a slave in a galley - with the only difference being that the slave did not have such a return, and you have a very high return.

Well, let's take a closer look at this "curvature of our history" and what kind of fruits this curvature brought personally to the citizen of the Russian Federation Vladimir Mikhailovich Gundyaev, named Kirill in monasticism.

The beginning of the business of V.M. Gundyaev was laid in 1992-1994. The most extensive dossier on this business was compiled by Sergey Bychkov, Doctor of Historical Sciences, who published more than a dozen articles, mainly about the tobacco business of the future patriarch. None of his publications has been officially refuted, in many ways Kirill admitted that the facts collected by Bychkov correspond to reality.

Cigarettes

In 1993, with the participation of the Moscow Patriarchate, the Nika financial and trading group arose, whose vice-president was Archpriest Vladimir Veriga, commercial director of the Department for External Church Relations (DECR MP), led by Kirill. A year later, two “parallel” humanitarian aid commissions appeared under the Government of the Russian Federation and under the DECR MP: the first decided what kind of aid could be exempted from taxes and excises, and the second imported this aid through the church line and sold it to commercial structures. Thus, most of the tax-exempt aid was distributed through the regular trade network, at normal market prices. Through this channel, in 1996 alone, the DECR MP imported about 8 billion cigarettes into the country (data from the Government Humanitarian Aid Commission). This caused serious damage to the "tobacco kings" of that time, who were forced to pay duties and excises and therefore lost in the competition of the DECR MP - it is believed that they "ordered" the information campaign to expose Kirill's business. According to Bychkov, when Kirill decided to leave this business, more than $50 million worth of "church" cigarettes remained in customs warehouses. During the criminal war for these cigarettes, in particular, an assistant to the deputy Zhirinovsky, a certain Dzen, was killed. And here is a letter from the State Customs Committee of the Russian Federation to the Moscow Customs Administration dated February 8, 1997, regarding “church” cigarettes: “In connection with the appeal of the Commission on International Humanitarian and Technical Assistance under the Government of the Russian Federation and the decision of the Prime Minister dated January 29, 1997, No. VC-P22/38 I authorize the production of customs clearance of tobacco products in accordance with the established procedure with the payment of only excise duty received on the customs territory before 01.01.97, in accordance with the decision of the above-mentioned Commission.

So, in fact, since then a new title has been assigned to Metropolitan Kirill - “Tobacco” (however, now he is no longer titled like that). Now it is customary to call him “Lyzhneg” - with the light hand of Orthodox bloggers who drew attention to the great importance in the life and work of Cyril of his passion for skiing (this hobby is served by a villa in Switzerland and a private plane, and in Krasnaya Polyana it helps to consolidate informal relationships with strong this world).

The piquancy of Kirill's tobacco business is given by the fact that in Orthodoxy smoking is considered a sin: it is actually detrimental to human health and life. Kirill himself tried to justify his participation in this business in this way: “The people who were engaged in this did not know what to do: burn these cigarettes or send them back? We appealed to the government, and it made a decision: recognize it as a humanitarian cargo and provide an opportunity to implement it.” Government representatives categorically denied this information, after which Patriarch Alexy II liquidated the DECR-MP commission and created a new ROC-MP Humanitarian Aid Commission headed by Bishop Alexy (Frolov).

But let's return to the "dashing years", when the "curvature of our history" arose. In addition to the aforementioned Nika fund, the DECR MP then acted as the founder of the commercial bank Peresvet, JSC International Economic Cooperation (MES), JSC Free People's Television (SNT) and a number of other structures. After 1996, Kirill's most profitable business was the export of oil through the MES, which was exempted from customs duties at the request of Alexy II. Kirill was represented at the MES by Bishop Viktor (Pyankov), who now lives as a private individual in the United States. The company's annual turnover in 1997 was about $2 billion.

Due to the secrecy of this information, it is now difficult to understand whether Kirill continues to participate in the oil business, but there is one very eloquent fact. A few days before the start of the US military operation against Saddam Hussein, Kirill's deputy Bishop Feofan (Ashurkov) flew to Iraq.

Seafood

According to Portal-Credo.Ru, in 2000, information was made public about Metropolitan Kirill's attempts to infiltrate the market of marine biological resources (caviar, crabs, seafood) - the relevant government structures allocated quotas to the company established by the hierarch (JSC Region) for catching Kamchatka crab and shrimp (total volume - more than 4 thousand tons). According to Kaliningrad journalists, Metropolitan Kirill, as the ruling bishop of the diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in the Kaliningrad region, participated in an automobile joint venture in Kaliningrad. It is characteristic that Kirill, even after becoming patriarch, did not appoint a diocesan bishop to the Kaliningrad cathedra, leaving it under his direct control.

In 2004, Nikolai Mitrokhin, a researcher at the Center for Shadow Economy Research at the Russian State Humanitarian University, published a monograph on the shadow economic activity of the ROC MP. The value of the assets controlled by Metropolitan Kirill was estimated in this work at $ 1.5 billion. Two years later, journalists from Moskovskie Novosti tried to count the assets of the head of the church Foreign Ministry and came to the conclusion that they already totaled $ 4 billion.

And according to The New Times, in 2002, Metropolitan Kirill bought a penthouse in the "House on the Embankment" overlooking the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. By the way, this is “the only apartment in Moscow registered specifically in the name of the metropolitan, by his secular surname Gundyaev, about which there is a corresponding entry in the cadastral register.”

Another attribute of this life, which has become the subject of wide discussion, is a Breguet watch worth about 30 thousand euros, which Ukrainian journalists photographed on the left hand of the patriarch next to the monastic rosary. This happened the next day after Kirill pompously broadcast live on the main Ukrainian TV channels: “It is very important to learn Christian asceticism ... Asceticism is the ability to regulate one's consumption ... This is a person's victory over lust, over passions, over instinct. And it is important that both the rich and the poor possess this quality.

The luxurious motorcades of Patriarch Kirill and the security services from the FSO, which he uses, have become a byword. In Moscow, when a patriarch travels, all the streets along his route are blocked, which, naturally, causes mass indignation of car owners. In Ukraine, Kirill's half-kilometer corteges completely shocked local residents: in a neighboring country, even the president travels much more modestly.

True, we must pay tribute to Kirill: for official visits, he charters the planes of the Transaero company, and uses his personal fleet only for personal purposes.

A separate and almost inexhaustible topic is the palaces and residences of the patriarch. Cyril strives to keep up with the first persons of the state in this matter. His permanent residence was the newly built palace in Peredelkino, for the sake of which several houses of local residents were demolished. From the windows of the trains of the Kiev direction, it looks like a big Russian tower - like the Terem Palace in the Kremlin. Kirill does not like living there: he is worried about the nearby railway. Therefore, the current patriarch ordered to re-finish the palace in the Danilov Monastery, which had not looked poor before. Not without scandals and the construction of the patriarchal palace in Gelendzhik, next to the legendary "Putin's palace" in Praskoveevka. As in the case of Putin, the patriarch's palace first of all aroused the indignation of local environmentalists: it was built on the territory of a nature reserve, many trees listed in the Red Book were cut down during construction, and the territory of the palace blocked access to the sea for local residents. There are patriarchal residences in all more or less large monasteries in Russia.

The export of capital is blessed

But back to Danilov Monastery. After the head of Putin’s headquarters, Govorukhin, uttered wonderful, highly spiritual words that under Putin corruption in Russia finally acquired civilized forms, it no longer seems strange that Patriarch Kirill welcomes the outflow of capital from Russia (after all, his own savings are not kept at all in his homeland) . “The fact,” Kirill told Putin, “that today in Spain, when it is one of the prosperous countries, real estate is sold en masse by Spaniards and massively bought by Russians, is a very good signal to the whole world. A country that is poor, that is in crisis, cannot afford what rich countries do not allow today.”

Although the phrase is confusing, it is clear that, from a Christian point of view, we must identify the "beautiful life" of the nouveau riches abroad with the glory and wealth of our country.

So, if Putin is again president, as Kirill prophesies, then we can assume that “Sergianism” (the policy of complete subordination of the Church to power), about which Chekist Putin spoke so warmly in his speech, again demonstrates its advantages over Christian confession and martyrdom. To which the patriarch, whose earthly life is protected by FSO employees, can hardly aspire so strongly.

Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad was elected as the 16th Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia at the Local Council held in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Here are a few strokes to his portrait.

The future Patriarch spoke about his grandfather as follows: “My grandfather was a wonderful person. He went through 47 prisons and 7 exiles, lived in prison for almost 30 years and was one of the first Solovki residents. that he fought against renovationism, which at one time was inspired by the Cheka, and then by the NKVD to destroy the Church.

They had a very interesting fate with their grandmother. After all, when the grandfather was imprisoned, the grandmother remained at large. And when he was imprisoned for the second time, and this was in the 30s, when famine raged in the country, she said: that's it, now we will die. And they had eight children: seven relatives and one adopted daughter. And the grandfather said: since I will, as it were, carry the cross for Christ, you will remain alive. Then my grandmother told me that at some point she realized: everything, life was over, because only a small handful of flour remained for everyone. She made some cakes from this flour, they ate them, and tomorrow there was nothing to eat. And then at night there was a knock on the window. Grandmother jumps up, and a voice from the street: hostess, take the load. She opened the door - there is a bag full of flour, and there is no one around. This sack of flour also saved my father and gave me the opportunity to be born."

His father worked as the chief mechanic of a defense enterprise in Leningrad, before the war he was repressed, sat in Kolyma, then built fortifications during the defense of Leningrad. During the war years, he was a military representative at the Gorky plant and received T-34 tanks before they were sent to the front.

He received the church name Kirill in 1969, when Metropolitan Nicodemus of Leningrad was tonsured a monk. And Volodya began to "serve" from the age of three, and by the age of six or seven he could serve a prayer service or memorial service by heart. Once, as a child, I accidentally entered the royal gates of the temple, walked around the altar and left. Mom took him by the hand and led him to the rector of the temple. The priest looked at the frightened mother, smiled and said: "Nothing, he will be a bishop."

At school, Volodya was one of the best in the class. In the 60s, they wrote about him in the newspapers: where does the school look when there is such a boy in Leningrad who studies for five, but believes in God. According to the future Patriarch, it was a difficult time: "I went to school as if I were going to Golgotha."

He loves to read and has been used since childhood. He recalls that it was easier for him, the son of a priest: in the house there was a large collection of works on theology, history, including works by Russian philosophers, most of which became available to a wide range of readers only in recent years.

From an early age, the future Patriarch was fond of skiing. He learned to ride in Krasnoye Selo on Voronya Gora, from which the Germans shelled Leningrad. Later he descended already from Mont Blanc. He once explained to journalists who were perplexed about how church activities and sports could be connected: "The spiritual training that asceticism, fasting, prayer and physical training gives us, which is impossible without volitional efforts, together provide a very important result - the upbringing of the human personality" .

And more about his hobby: "What does a person usually do when he sees an abyss in front of him? The natural reaction of an ordinary person is back. The reaction of self-preservation. Instinct. And the skier is always forward. And the steeper, the more "forward." It means to go to meet danger consciously, in defiance of instincts, in defiance of human weakness."

He also loves to walk and swim. On vacation, every day he swims several kilometers without stopping, the same number passes. In contrast to the fashion for Labradors (it appeared in the VIP environment after the appearance of a Labrador with Putin), it contains shepherd dogs. In the evening, having arrived home, he puts on a tracksuit and walks his dogs: “For the whole day they sit at home and rush on the street so much that I can hardly keep up with them. Every evening I walk or run five or six kilometers.

Love for animals is selective. He is attached to dogs, but he is completely indifferent to cats.

A Boeing 737-300 flies in Kaliningrad, named after him: Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad. The plane performs regular flights to Europe, and now it will have to be slightly renamed.

As a metropolitan, he struck many with the statement that he sees no reason to fight the desire of some rock musicians to use the theme of Orthodoxy in their work. And he even promised to support modern rock culture, saying: "If we see that it contributes to the moral growth of the individual." He believes that often rock musicians at a concert "say a few phrases about Orthodoxy, which make a greater impression on young people than a long sermon in the temple."

At the same time, he himself never attended rock concerts: "I never heard how Kinchev and Shevchuk do it, but I met with them, and the discussion was very interesting, communication with them made a good impression on me. Both of them are sincere people, Orthodox" .

He advocates for the right to religious education in schools. Russia calls opponents' objections about multinationality and multi-religion "horror stories" and believes that the absolute majority of the people cannot be forbidden to study the foundations of their religious culture. At the same time, according to Cyril, the Fundamentals of Orthodox culture should not be imposed on everyone in a row and without options. There should also be an alternative: "If there are Muslims in the class, the Fundamentals of Islamic Culture can be taught for them."

Condemns civil marriages, opposes frank TV shows on television. At the same time, it allows the appearance of women in the temple with their heads uncovered. When asked why women should wear a headscarf in church, he told a story from his life.

“To wear a headdress or not is a matter of our national Orthodox culture and tradition. If you go to church every Sunday, you won’t notice how you yourself start to put on a headscarf. Like Muslim women do, for example. I remember I served in Tehran ", in our church. I look, there are women in floor-length clothes, in headscarves, quiet, modest, like angels. I serve, I have such a fertile mood. It turned out that the wives of our diplomats. And in the evening I was invited to a reception. And there I saw of the same women, but in a completely different form: so fashionable and elegant that it is impossible to imagine. And such were just modest women in headscarves. Why is a headscarf needed in the temple? Because the thoughts of people in the temple should be focused on prayer. The appearance of a beautiful women, naturally, attracts attention - and distracts from worship."

An incident from the life of the elected Patriarch

And after a short time, maybe two or three weeks passed, another employee of the embassy came to me, who also held a very high position, and asked me to do the same. And he also warned that he was taking a big risk. And then he asked me to make sure that the one whom I married before him would never know about it. Because, from his point of view, it was the most dangerous person of those who could harm him. And then I thought: Lord, we live in the Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors! Two Orthodox who might have been close friends are separated by ideological fears and prejudices.

Hypocrisy is a sin. And the Lord will punish such people. But if this is some kind of timid, still poorly realized, but still real movement towards God - then thank God! The Church should not condemn anyone. She should open the door to temples for everyone and help to stay in this temple.

church in the USSR and Russia

1988 2008

76 dioceses 157 dioceses

74 bishops 203 bishops

6,893 parishes 29,263 parishes

6,674 priests 27,216 priests

723 deacons 3454 deacons

Patriarch Kirill is a famous domestic figure of religion. This man, for certain reasons, devoted his whole life to serving God and the church. This patriarch was able to become one of the most famous figures of religion in the Russian Federation, for some people his personality causes admiration, and for some - censure.

It is worth noting that a lot of rumors and a variety of gossip were previously associated with the patriarch. Some happened in reality, some far-fetched. But what was at the origin? How did Cyril become a minister of the church? How well does he fulfill his obligations and does he generally love what he does?

Patriarch Kirill is not an American, and not even a domestic star, therefore he does not really need to chase after elusive youth or carefully monitor his figure. By the way, Patriarch Kirill's photo in his youth and now, for comparison, is very easy to find on the Internet. For him, as for a church employee, it is much more profitable to look more solid. So it becomes clear that he doesn't care much about his height, weight, age. How old is Patriarch Kirill is a simple question. He is currently 71 years old. With a height of 178 centimeters, a man weighs 92 kilograms.

Despite all of the above, the man tries to monitor his own weight, swims from time to time, and often walks. As you can see, he remembers the truth that you also need to take care of yourself. After all, "God saves the safe."

Biography of Patriarch Kirill

Patriarch Kirill (name at birth - Vladimir Gundyaev) was born in the late autumn of 1946. It is worth noting an interesting case. When, as a baby, his mother first came to church with him, the boy accidentally passed through the Royal Gates. The woman immediately took him to the pastor so that he would forgive the sin, but the clergyman only waved him off with the words: "He will be a bishop." Probably, it was the fate of little Vladimir to embark on a long and thorny path of serving the church. Of course, it was still far from holding a big position, but at the same time, everything that happened in his life throughout his life, all these events led in the end to one single conclusion - becoming an important person in the church. And to receive the title of patriarch, as well as to the adoption of a new name, Vladimir came far from immediately.

His mother, Raisa Gundyaeva, worked as a school teacher and taught German. And the father - Mikhail Gundyaev - is worth noting, he was also a clergyman. It is difficult to deny that this fact also had a certain influence on Vladimir's choice of a further life path. Although, here we can say that the whole family of the future patriarch was connected with religion. His grandfather, for example, was often sent into exile, as accused of connection with the Christian Church. Brother - Nikolai - was a priest in the St. Petersburg Cathedral. And my sister - Elena - held the post of headmistress in the theological gymnasium.

Before starting his own religious activity, the future patriarch completed only eight classes at school. He tried out in geology, but a few years later he entered the seminary, and then the theological academy.

The guy received the name Cyril after becoming a monk. From that very moment, the biography of Patriarch Kirill begins as a minister of the church.

Repeatedly he took part in what related to the development of the Moscow Patriarchate. Since the nineties, Kirill began to pay much more attention to relations with society, as well as much more effort to develop this activity. So, in the early nineties, a program appeared on television with his participation - “The Word of the Shepherd”. It dealt with various religious topics, and it was very popular not only among ordinary people, but also among high ranks.

A year later, Patriarch Kirill began to actively cooperate with the government of the Russian Federation. Often he even became a full-fledged member of various advisory organizations. Organized various cultural events. For example, the celebration of two thousand years of Christianity. Moreover, in accordance with the information obtained as a result of a survey of the local population in 2012, most of the common people approve of the work of the patriarch.

Among other things, Patriarch Kirill maintains a profile on Facebook. There he chats with visitors to his page, answers questions. Very often he gives answers to those questions that are of particular interest to other people. There are more than five hundred posts on his profile on this social network. He is also the author of books on religion and the clergy.

Personal life of Patriarch Kirill

First of all, it is worth noting that the personal life of Patriarch Kirill simply does not exist, at least according to official sources. He is obliged to serve the church, and all the clergy, as you know, take a vow of celibacy. Therefore, there is absolutely nothing strange in the fact that this person, despite his already quite advanced age, does not have his own family.

In modern terms, he "married his work." After all, more than once he spoke about how important it is to spread the light of religion in the world. How true these words are, hardly anyone can seriously argue. But one cannot ignore the fact that this man is a church employee and a priori he should not have love affairs.

Family of Patriarch Kirill

Taking into account all of the above, we can assume that the family of Patriarch Kirill are the same clergy as he himself. He does not have an official wife, as well as no children. The most important thing, in his opinion, is to spend life devoting it to the development of the community of religious houses at the international level.

And he does it very well, because even in his younger years he successfully overcame the path of a clergyman in order to achieve in the end what he is now. It is difficult to say whether he suffers from the fact that he left no heirs behind him. But, if you look at it from the other side, he doesn’t have much time for it either. And it cannot be said that he is lonely, because believers constantly come to him, for advice or with requests.

Patriarch Kirill on a yacht with girls

The patriarch, although he is not a singer or actor, nevertheless, he is a well-known throughout the country, a public figure. It is not surprising that scandals gather around this person with enviable regularity. Very often he was accused of various sins. And it's hard to tell what's true and what's fiction. Once there was even a rumor that Patriarch Kirill often spends his free time on a yacht with girls, and spends all church income on personal benefits.

The patriarch himself, of course, denies such rumors or even simply ignores them, arguing that these are only slander and slander on the part of ill-wishers and those who go against the church. Of course, everyone is sinful, but it is not easy to say how reliable the accusations against Kirill are. After all, he faithfully serves God, but, be that as it may, he is a man.

Yaponchik and Patriarch Kirill are one person

One cannot but add that the personality of the patriarch is often associated not only with gossip, but also with a variety of rumors. At times it even reaches the absurd. Take, for example, the recent rumor that Yaponchik and Patriarch Kirill are one person. This rumor mentions the famous thief Mishka Yaponchik, who died in the early 2000s.

Some people notice striking similarities between these celebrities. So, for example, they say that the patriarch has a problematic past and thus he disappeared so as not to go to jail. This rumor was neither confirmed nor refuted, but most of the parishioners believe that these are the tricks of the patriarch's ill-wishers who want to tarnish his dignity.

Children of Patriarch Kirill

As noted earlier, this man has no children of his own. The children of Patriarch Kirill are a believing people. Parishioners and those who need support or advice. So says the patriarch himself. Many times he said that he could help those who came to him. To do this, he also began to master social networks, so that he could give answers to the most interesting questions.

There is a possibility, of course, that he would like to have children of his own. But the presence of dignity does not allow one to indulge in such worldly pleasures as a quiet life, a spouse and a child. But Vladimir chose the path of a clergyman.

Wife of Patriarch Kirill

The wife of Patriarch Kirill - for a man this is a topic that is better not to raise. After all, when he set foot on the path of a minister of the church, having made this choice, he completely deprived himself of love. And although you can often hear that Cyril committed a sin, that he was often seen surrounded by young girls, nothing has been officially proven.

Most people believe that these are just fictions, and that in reality the patriarch faithfully serves his church, and does not plan to deviate from his path. According to official information, this clergyman has neither children nor a beloved wife. He considers the church to be his home, and calls the parishioners his children.

How much is the watch of Patriarch Kirill

Some time ago, this churchman could be seen wearing a watch. And even a simple person, at one glance at them, can understand that the cost of watches is far from small. Therefore, almost immediately after this, rumors spread that Cyril was very much abusing his powers, and squandering church receipts for personal purposes.

Many were interested in the question: how much do Patriarch Kirill's watches cost. The patriarch himself actively denied everything and even tried to hide the expensive thing from prying eyes, but nevertheless it became known that this watch of Patriarch Kirill Breguet is a fairly well-known brand, and it costs about 30 thousand euros. As you can see, the holy father does not mind sometimes pampering himself with too expensive trinkets.

Patriarch Kirill "The Word of the Shepherd"

It has already been mentioned earlier that Patriarch Kirill has already collaborated with society more than once in order to bring talk about God to the people. A similar project of his was the popular on television program "The Word of the Shepherd" with his participation. Patriarch Kirill led the "Word of the Shepherd", considering a variety of religious topics, answering pressing questions. And although it seems that at present, few people watch religious channels, and even just programs, a little earlier this program gained immense popularity not only among lay people, but also among officials. The TV show was launched in order to help any person who wants to reconsider their views on life or needs help.

The Patriarch never refused to help those who tried to improve their lives. Of course, not without evil tongues, which said that all this is required for Cyril only to attract more attention to himself. It is difficult to say how reliable this is, but, be that as it may, one must respect his dignity. And as for rumors, they always surrounded public people.

Patriarch is the highest title of the clergy. Initially, this dignity was assigned to six bishops: Alexandria, Rome, Israel, Bulgaria, Constantinople and Antioch. Currently, the Patriarch is elected by the assembly of clergy. He is entrusted with authority over all churches, cathedrals and temples in the country. Currently, in the Russian Federation, this position is held by the clergyman Kirill. The biography of Patriarch Kirill is of interest to many Orthodox residents of the country.

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia

The first Patriarch of Russia was Job, elected by the Moscow Cathedral in 1589, and he remained in this position until 1607. The second clergyman who took this place was Hermogenes. The next Russian Patriarchs were Filaret, Nikon, Iosaf 1, Adrian.

In 1721, the Holy Synod was created, which abolished the Patriarchate. Instead, a new position was introduced - Guardian of the Patriarchal Throne, which lasted until 1917.

In 1917, the Patriarchate was restored by the All-Russian Local Council. The position was taken by the clergyman Tikhon, who died 8 years later. After that, the position of the Patriarch was free for a long time.

In 1943, a Council of 19 hierarchs chose a new Patriarch. This position was taken by Metropolitan Sergius, who was the only candidate. After his death, the Patriarchs of All Russia were Alexy, Pimen, Alexy 2.

In 2009, this position was taken by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.

Family

Gundyaev Vladimir Mikhailovich was born in the city of Leningrad on November 20, 1946. His father Mikhail Vasilyevich worked as a chief mechanic at a machine-building plant. Later he completed courses in worship and devoted his life to the church. Despite the fact that Mikhail Vasilyevich was brought to criminal responsibility, he was able to achieve high achievements in the career of a priest. In 1960, he became rector at the Alexander Nevsky Church. We continue to talk about the biography of Patriarch Kirill.

The patriarch's mother, Raisa Vladimirovna, worked as a German language teacher at school. Currently, Patriarch Kirill's father and mother have passed away. They are buried at the Bolsheokhtinsky cemetery in St. Petersburg. The location of the graves is connected with the fact that the father of Patriarch Kirill worked as a priest in the last years of his life in the St. Nicholas Church at this cemetery.

The current Patriarch of All Russia was not the only child of his parents. The family had three children. Nikolai is the eldest son, Vladimir and Elena are the younger sister.

Brother and sister also connected their lives with Orthodoxy. Elena is the director of an Orthodox gymnasium, and her brother has a holy order. For some time he taught at the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary, and later served as rector.

Age

Many believers are interested in the question, how old is Patriarch Kirill? Everyone knows that the position of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia is occupied by clergy who are in old age. A person applying for this dignity must be a worthy priest and have some success. Achieving high results in the career of a priest takes a long time. Therefore, all people entering the honorary office of the Patriarch are in old age.

At the time of taking office, Patriarch Kirill was 63 years old. Currently 72 years old. He does not follow fashion and innovations, looks in accordance with his age. With a height of 178 cm, the weight is 92 kg.

Education

The biography of Patriarch Kirill is of interest to many residents of Russia. This is not surprising, because he is a well-known personality.

Born in an ordinary Soviet family, Gundyaev Vladimir Mikhailovich graduated from school (8 classes) in Leningrad and received a secondary education. After that, he entered the Leningrad Theological Seminary, which he successfully graduated from. The seminary became the main education of Patriarch Kirill. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father, he became a priest. In 1969, the future Patriarch took the tonsure, while receiving the name Cyril.

Family

Many people are interested not only in the biography of Patriarch Kirill, but also in his family. Due to the fact that in 1969 Vladimir Mikhailovich accepted monasticism, while giving a voluntary oath to serve God, he does not have a wife and children. A person who has taken the tonsure cannot tie the knot and have children.

The family of Patriarch Kirill is parishioners, each of whom he tries to pay attention to.

Carier start

As is already known, Gundyaev Vladimir Mikhailovich devoted almost his entire life to worship. He followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. The beginning of his church career can be traced back to April 3, 1969. On this day, the clergyman took monastic vows. Further, on April 7, 1969, Metropolitan Nikodim of Leningrad conferred on him the rank of hierodeacon. A little later, on July 1, 1969, Cyril received the rank of hieromonk. The priest's career developed rapidly.

In 1970, the hieromonk graduated from the Theological Academy in Leningrad. Having defended his dissertation, he received a degree - candidate of theology and was left at the academy as a teacher and assistant inspector.

In 1971 Kirill received a new rank - archimandrite. In the same year, the Geneva World Church Council appoints him as a representative of the Moscow Patriarchate.

In 1974, the clergyman became the rector of the Leningrad Theological Seminary. He made a huge contribution to the development of the educational institution. For the first time, they opened a class in which girls studied. Subsequently, they became mothers. And also Cyril introduced a new discipline - physical education.

Career Stage - Bishopric

In 1976, the clergyman was elevated to the rank of bishop by the metropolitans of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. In September of the following year, Cyril becomes archbishop. During this period, he held such high positions as chairman of parishes in Finland and the Department of External Church Relations.

In 1983, the archbishop began teaching at the Moscow Theological Academy. The following year, Kirill becomes Archbishop of Vyazemsky and Smolensk. Not agreeing with the government of the USSR, he had to leave the post of rector of the Leningrad Theological Seminary. The transfer to the province was a kind of demotion. Five years later, the priest received a new appointment. He became Archbishop of Kaliningrad and Smolensk.

In 1990, the archbishop received the post of chairman of the Holy Synod. The following year he received the rank of metropolitan. And since 1994, he became the host of the television program "The Word of the Shepherd", which can be seen on Channel One.

Under his leadership, many projects related to family problems and church-state were developed and introduced.

In 2008, after the death of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, he was elected Patriarchal Locum Tenens.

Position of the Patriarchal Locum Tenens

After the death of Patriarch Alexy, Metropolitan Kirill assumed the position of Patriarchal Locum Tenens. The clergy needed to select worthy candidates for the position of the new Patriarch.

On January 15, 2009, candidates for the position were selected, and on January 27, 2009, the Local Council in Moscow chose a new Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. They became Cyril.

Procedure for election to the Patriarchal throne

There were only three applicants for the Patriarchal throne. Each of them was worthy of this high position.

On January 25, 2009, a meeting of the clergy was held, at which Metropolitan Kirill was nominated as a candidate for the post of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. His candidacy received 50% of the vote.

The clergyman became the 16th Russian Patriarch. Upon taking office, he received congratulations from the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev and the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, as well as from Pope Benedict.

During the enthronement, which took place on February 1, 2009, the Patriarch of Alexandria and representatives of other churches (foreign): Albanian and Polish were present. Vladimir Putin, Dmitry and Svetlana Medvedev, Naina Yeltsina and Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin also took part in the ceremony.

Patriarchate

Immediately after taking office, the head of the Russian church attended a reception held in the Kremlin. The event was attended by clergymen of the highest rank (bishops), as well as the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev. Problems related to the interaction between church and state were discussed at the reception. The newly made Patriarch said that these relations should be harmonious.

The entry into the office of a clergyman began with a visit to the dioceses, the first of which was Smolensk. Patriarch Kirill spoke about the need to fill the souls and hearts of parishioners with kindness and enlightenment. That it is worth striving for this, and not for the temples to be filled.

At the end of March 2009, the priest announced his decision to retain the right to manage the Baltic and Kaliningrad diocese.

The beginning of July 2009 was significant for the Russian Orthodox Church in that relations between the Moscow and Constantinople Patriarchates finally improved. Patriarch Kirill made an official visit to Turkey, where he met with the Ecumenical Patriarch, as well as with the Prime Minister of Turkey. At the meeting, the conditions for communication and interaction were discussed.

At a meeting with the Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko, the clergyman said that Kyiv is very important for the Russian Church. The official visit of the Patriarch to this country, which lasted several days, was accompanied not only by public unrest, but also by criticism of the priest. He was accused of possessing too expensive things, which does not correspond to the position of the Patriarch. The topic for criticism was a high-value watch, which was noticed on the hand of a clergyman.

Despite all the accusations, the head of the Russian church behaved with dignity, not paying attention to criticism. He visited several monasteries and churches, declaring that he was ready to live in Kyiv for some part of the year.

In September 2009 he made an official visit to Belarus. At a meeting with the President of the country Alexander Lukashenko, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia announced the need for a religious union between Russia and Belarus.

In 2010, the clergyman worked to improve relations with the Roman Catholic Church. And also participated in the inauguration of the President of Ukraine.

2011 was the year of travel. The Patriarch visited 19 dioceses located not only in Russia, but also in Moldova and Ukraine.

The year 2012 was sad for the Russian Orthodox Church. Everyone remembers the illegal actions committed by a group of people in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Attacks and criticism from the press against the Patriarch did not stop for a long time, yet, according to a sociological survey, the majority of the Orthodox population of the country supported the priest and trusted him. In the same year, Cyril became a Facebook user. From now on, anyone can communicate with the Patriarch.

Many innovations were introduced by Patriarch Kirill. The social activities in which he is engaged at the present time are diverse.

Creativity and foreign policy activity

In addition to the main Orthodox activities, Patriarch Kirill is also actively engaged in foreign policy activities. He also became the author of several books written in the religious genre:

"Faith and Unbelief".
"Seven words about the Russian world".
"Thoughts for every day of the year."
"The Mystery of Repentance. Lenten Confessions".
"Word of the Primate".

In addition to the fact that the Patriarch wrote several books, he became the author of more than 500 religious publications.

The clergyman takes an active part in various inter-Christian conferences, communicates with representatives of other world religions.

The residence of Patriarch Kirill is located at the address: Moscow, Central Administrative District, Khamovniki district, Chisty lane, house 5. The building is an architectural monument of federal significance. It has a rich and long history. Until the beginning of the Second World War, the building was intended to accommodate German ambassadors and diplomats. The patriarchal residence has been located in the building since 1943. The mansion was provided by Joseph Stalin himself. He informed Metropolitans Sergius, Nikolai and Alexiy of this at a personal meeting. In addition to the residence, transport was also provided.

In the late 1980s, the Patriarchal residence fell into disrepair and the building required a major overhaul. By this time, a new residence had already been built, which was located on the territory of the Danilovsky Monastery. After the repair was completed, the mansion in Chisty Lane became only a working place for the Patriarchs, a meeting place for journalists and foreign delegations. After the death of Patriarch Alexy, many rooms here were sealed. Currently, the seals have been removed from all premises.

There is another residence of Patriarch Kirill. She is in Peredelkino. Here he not only works, but also lives.

Awards

His Holiness Patriarch of All Russia Kirill received many awards for a long time of his church activity. These are not only church achievements, but also state ones.

State awards of Patriarch Kirill:

Gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation in 1995.
Medal "Jubilee of the Russian Fleet" (to the 300th anniversary).
Medal in honor of the 850th anniversary of Moscow.
Order of Friendship.
Order of Merit to the Fatherland.
Order of Friendship of Peoples.
Medal "For Distinction in Service"

Church awards:

Order of Sergius of Radonezh.
Order of Saint Daniel of Moscow.
Order of Grand Duke Vladimir.
Medal of the Apostle Peter.
Order of the Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia Alexy.

Orthodox churches awards:

Order of the Jerusalem Church.
Order of the Georgian Church.
Order of the Bulgarian Church.
Order of the Serbian Church.
Order of the Polish Church.
Order of the Church of Alexandria.

In addition to various awards, Patriarch Kirill is an honorary citizen of many regions of the Russian Federation:

Kaliningrad and the Kaliningrad region.
Smolensk and Smolensk region.
Cities of the Neman.
Auber city in Argentina.

Kirill Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia is a famous person known to every Orthodox person in the Russian Federation. His services to the state, the church and the Russian Orthodox people are undeniable. Despite how old Patriarch Kirill is, he does an excellent job with his duties. The priest not only helps people, instructing them on the true path, but is also engaged in active social and foreign policy activities. He is the owner of many state and church awards. Moreover, Patriarch Kirill is a holder of academic degrees and an honorary citizen of several cities and regions of Russia. Many believers go to Moscow to Patriarch Kirill for help and Blessing.

Height, weight, age. How old is Patriarch Kirill