Regulations on the military clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Russian Federation. Military and naval clergy in Russia
Orthodox clergy who were on the staff of the military department and looked after the army and navy.
The tradition of the participation of clergy in military campaigns developed in Rus' soon after the establishment of Christianity; the institution of military clergy was formed in the 18th century. The first document in which a military priest in Russian is mentioned. army, - charter “Teaching and cunning of the military structure of infantry people” of 1647. One of the chapters of the charter determines the salary of military ranks and the regimental priest. One of the earliest documents testifying to the presence of priests in the navy is a letter from Admiral K. I. Kruys in 1704, containing “Painting for officers, sailors... and other ranks of people who should be in Crimea for the perfect armament of seven galleys, one hundred brigantines." According to the “Painting”, 7 galleys required 7 priests, and 100 brigantines required 3 priests.
The formation of the institution of military clergy is associated with the reforms of Peter I Alekseevich. In the “Military Regulations”, approved on March 30, 1716 (PSZ. T. 5. No. 3006), ch. “On the Clergy” determined the legal status of priests in the army, their responsibilities and main forms of activity. The “Military Charter” established the position of field chief priest; it was introduced in wartime among the ranks of the general staff under the field marshal or general commander of the army. The field chief priest managed all the regimental priests, conveyed orders from the commander regarding the time of worship and thanksgiving prayers, resolved conflict situations between military clergy, and punished the guilty.
In April 1717, by royal decree it was established “in Russian fleet keep 39 priests on ships and other military vessels,” initially these were white clergy. Since 1719, the practice of appointing monastics to the fleet was established (although sometimes clergy from the white clergy were also allowed). Before the establishment of the Holy Synod, the right to determine hieromonks for service in the fleet belonged to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery and its rector, Archimandrite. Theodosius (Yanovsky; subsequently Archbishop of Novgorod). In the “Maritime Charter” (PSZ. T. 6. No. 3485), approved on January 13. 1720, the rights, duties and financial status of the naval clergy were determined, at the head of which during the summer navigation or military campaign was placed the “primary priest” (chief hieromonk), usually from the Revel squadron Baltic Fleet. The first chief hieromonk was Gabriel (Buzhinsky; later Bishop of Ryazan). Individual priests were appointed only to large vessels - ships and frigates. On March 15, 1721, an instruction was approved regulating the activities of ship priests (“Clause on Hieromonks in the Navy”). Based on the “Points,” a special oath was developed for the military and naval clergy, which differed from the oath of parish priests.
Regimental priests and naval hieromonks were obliged to conduct divine services, perform religious services, administer the Holy Mysteries to the seriously ill, assist doctors, and also “watch diligently” over the behavior of the troops, and supervision of confession and communion of the military was one of the main responsibilities, but there was a firm warning: “Don’t get involved in any more business, let alone start something out of your own will and passion.”
In 1721, the appointment of clergy to the army and navy came under the jurisdiction of the Holy Synod, which ordered the bishops to determine from their dioceses the required number of hieromonks to staff the army, etc. In peacetime, it was subordinate to the diocesan bishops. On May 7, 1722, the Synod appointed Archimandrite as temporary chief hieromonk at the head of the clergy who were setting off on the Persian campaign. Lawrence (Gorku; later Bishop of Vyatka). In the instructions of the Synod on June 13, 1797 (PSZ. T. 24. No. 18), in connection with the increase in the scope of duties of field chief priests, they were given the right to elect divisional deans to assist in the management of the clergy in wartime.
Imp. Pavel I Petrovich by decree of April 4. 1800 united the administration of the army and navy clergy under the leadership of the chief priest of the army and navy, whose position became permanent (existed in both war and peacetime). The chief priest of the army and navy was a member of the Holy Synod. After the death of Paul I, the circle of rights and responsibilities of the chief priest of the army and navy was several. reviewed times. In 1806, his department was placed in the same position as diocesan departments.
27 Jan 1812 “Institution for the management of a large active army” was adopted (PSZ. T. 32. No. 24975). The position of field chief priest was introduced into the ranks of the General Staff of each army, intermediate between the chief priest of the army and navy and the senior dean (the position was introduced in 1807). The field chief priest carried out his duties in peacetime and war; during the war, the clergy of hospitals located in areas declared under martial law, deans and clergy of the fleet connected with the army under the control of one commander-in-chief, and the clergy of churches in those places were subordinate to his department , where the main apartment was located when the army moved. Field chief priests were usually appointed by the Holy Synod on the recommendation of the chief priest of the army and navy and by the emperor. In each army, the position of senior dean was introduced - an intermediary between the military authorities, the field chief priest and the clergy of the army. In 1812, for individual corps, as part of the corps headquarters, the positions of corps priests (from 1821 corps dean) were established, who led the clergy entrusted to them with the rights of field chief priests of the army. Subordinate to the senior deans and corps priests were the army (divisional), guards and naval deans.
In 1815, imp. The decree established the position of chief priest of the General Staff (from 1830 chief priest of the Main Staff and a separate Guards Corps, from 1844 chief priest of the Guards and Grenadier Corps), which had equal rights with the position of chief priest of the army and navy. The Synod spoke out against the division of control of the military clergy. Appointment to both positions remained with the emperor, but he approved the chief priest of the army and navy from candidates nominated by the Holy Synod. Chief priests of the General Staff, then the Guards and Grenadier Corps in 1826-1887. also headed the court clergy in the rank of protopresbyters, were imp. confessors, rectors of the court cathedral of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg and the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. Since 1853, chief priests received the right to appoint and dismiss regimental priests without prior permission from the Holy Synod. Since 1858, chief priests were called chief priests.
The first chief priest of the army and navy was Archpriest. Pavel Ozeretskovsky (1800-1807), who used under the emperor. Paul I had great influence and relative independence from the Synod. On May 9, 1800, all military ranks were ordered to refer spiritual affairs to the chief priest, bypassing the consistory, for which an office was formed. In 1800, an army seminary was created, in which the children of the army clergy studied at public expense (closed in 1819).
In the 1st half. XIX century the salaries of the military clergy were increased, pensions and benefits were introduced for elderly and sick military priests, their widows and children. Among the chief priests of the Guards and Grenadier Corps, Protopr. Vasily Bazhanov (1849-1883). He started creation of a bank at the churches of his department, supplied them with books. In St. Petersburg he established the Nikolaev almshouse for elderly clergy of the spiritual department, as well as for their widows and orphans. By his order, houses were built for clergy in a number of regiments, and parish charitable societies and brotherhoods were organized at certain churches. In 1879, the Charitable Society for the Care of the Poor, the clergy department of the chief priest of the army and navy, was established; it was taken under the patronage of the leader. Kng. Maria Feodorovna (later empress). The society's funds supported shelters, Mariinsky in Kronstadt and Pokrovsky in St. Petersburg.
Known to many examples of courage shown by clergy during the Patriotic War of 1812. The first among the clergy to be a holder of the Order of St. George of the 4th degree was the priest of the 19th Jaeger Regiment Vasily Vasilkovsky, who participated in the battles of Vitebsk, Borodino, Maloyaroslavets, he was several. wounded once, but remained in service. Priest of the Moscow Grenadier Regiment, Fr. Myron of Orleans in the Battle of Borodino walked under heavy cannon fire ahead of the grenadier column and was wounded. In the 19th century the clergy took part in the Caucasian wars. In 1816, the position of corps priest of a separate Georgian corps was introduced (from 1840 chief priest of a separate Caucasian corps, from 1858 chief priest of the Caucasian army), in 1890 the position was abolished. There are a number of heroic deeds of field priests during Crimean War 1853-1856 The priest of the Mogilev regiment, Archpriest, showed particular courage on the battlefield in March 1854. John Pyatibokov, who raised the soldiers to attack after the death of the officers, was among the first to climb the walls of the tour. fortifications and was shell-shocked. Prot. John was awarded the Order of St. George of the 4th degree and awarded the nobility with a charter. The state took care of the material support of priests during the war, and after its end - about the appointment of benefits for losses incurred, about the issuance of established salaries, pensions for a shortened period and awards for service in the army.
In con. XIX century The heyday of the institution of military clergy began. In 1888, all military and naval clergy were subordinated to the chief priest of the Guard, Grenadiers, Army and Navy. On July 24, 1887, the regulation on new service rights and salaries for the maintenance of the military clergy was approved (3 PSZ. T. 7. No. 4659); from 1889, the provisions extended to the naval clergy. According to the regulations, the chief priest of the guard, grenadier, army and navy was granted the rights of a lieutenant general, the chief priest of the Caucasian Military District - the rights of a major general, the full-time archpriest-dean - the rights of a colonel, the non-staff archpriest and dean-priest - the rights of a lieutenant colonel, the priest - the rights a captain or company commander, a deacon - the rights of a lieutenant, a full-time psalm-reader from the clergy - the rights of a lieutenant. Instead of the previously existing heterogeneous (very modest) salaries, a salary corresponding to officer ranks was established. The clergy of the military department of the European districts were given the right to periodic increases in their salaries for length of service, while the priests were prohibited from collecting payment for services from soldiers, which was previously practiced.
On June 12, 1890, the regulation “On the management of churches and clergy of the military and naval departments” was issued (3 PSZ. T. 10. No. 6924), in accordance with the Crimea, instead of the position of the chief priest of the guard, grenadier, army and navy, the position of protopresbyter was established V. etc. His candidacy was elected by the Synod on the proposal of the Minister of War and approved by the emperor. On matters of church administration, the protopresbyter received instructions from the Synod, on matters of the military department - from the Minister of War. He had the right to personal reports to the emperor, and was equal in rank to archbishop and lieutenant general. Under the protopresbyter there was a spiritual government, consisting of a presence and an office and corresponding to the consistory under the diocesan bishop. The positions of divisional and naval deans, appointed by the protopresbyter, and in peacetime subordinate to local bishops, were retained. The protopresbyter also appointed regimental and naval (from hieromonks and widowed priests) priests. In wartime, field chief priests were appointed in each army. The military clergy continued to be subordinate not only to the church, but also to the military authorities, which in some cases created difficulties, since the legal spheres were not clearly demarcated.
After the release of the “Regulations” of 1890, attention began to be given to Special attention deanery in performing divine services and the religious and moral education of the troops: sermons, extra-liturgical conversations and religious and moral readings, teaching the Law of God in regimental training teams. Military priests began to organize parochial schools not only for soldiers, but also for the local population. In wartime, they were charged with helping to bandage the wounded, performing funeral services for the dead and arranging their burial. In addition, like other clergy, they kept and kept documentation: inventories of regimental churches and their property, receipts and expenditure books, clergy records, confessional lists, metric books, etc., and compiled reports on the morale of the troops.
Since 1890, the journal has been published. “Bulletin of the Military Clergy” (in 1911-1917 “Bulletin of the Military and Naval Clergy”, in 1917 “Church and Public Thought” (Kyiv), in 2004 the publication was resumed). Since 1889, regular meetings of military pastors and audit trips of the protopresbyter of the army and navy to military districts were held. Since 1899, priestly positions in the military department were provided primarily to persons with an academic education. In 1891, the department of military clergy consisted of 569 clergy and clergy (Catholic chaplains, rabbis, Lutheran and evangelical preachers, mullahs, subordinate to the Department of Spiritual Affairs of Foreign Denominations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, also served in the army and navy).
During the Russian-Japanese wars of 1904-1905 The regulation “On the field control of Russian army troops in wartime” came into force on February 26. 1890 (3 PSZ. T. 10. No. 6609). The post of field chief priest was introduced in the Manchurian army - the head of all clergy in the army and the rector of the church main apartment. The war was marked by the heroic service of both military and naval priests, some of whom died. Among the priests of this war, Mitrofan Srebryansky (later schema-archim. Venerable Sergius), who served with the 51st Chernigov Dragoon Regiment, is famous. Prot. Stefan Shcherbakovsky during the Battle of Tyurenchen on April 18. 1904, together with the 11th East Siberian Regiment, he went on the attack twice with a cross in his hands, was shell-shocked, despite his serious condition, and gave farewell words to the dying soldiers. For his courage, he was awarded the Order of St. George 4th degree. Aug 1 1904, during a naval battle in the Korean Strait, the ship's chaplain of the cruiser "Rurik" Hierom. Alexy (Okoneshnikov) inspired the crew of the sinking cruiser. Jerome. Alexy, along with the surviving sailors, was captured, as a clergyman he was released, took the banner out of captivity and delivered a report about the death of the cruiser. He was awarded a gold pectoral cross on the St. George ribbon. The same award was awarded to the ship's priests for the Battle of Tsushima on May 14, 1905. Porfiry (cruiser "Oleg"), Hierom. Georgy (cruiser "Aurora").
After the end of the war, changes were made to the regulations “On the management of churches and clergy of the military and naval departments”; in wartime, the positions of the chief priest of the front armies and priests at army headquarters were introduced. In 1910, a funeral fund for employees of the military clergy department was established. In the same year, the Synod adopted a mobilization plan, which provided for the conscription of clergy during the period of army mobilization according to wartime states and to replace those who left during the fighting. Religious warehouses were to be created in the armies and navies. and propaganda literature.
On July 1-11, 1914, the 1st congress of the century was held in St. Petersburg. and etc., attended by 40 priests from the troops and 9 from the fleets. At the section meetings, in particular, the problems of relationships with the regimental authorities, the behavior of clergymen in the conditions of military operations were considered; during the battle, the priest’s place was determined at the forward dressing station. The congress developed and adopted a memo-instruction for the military chaplain.
During the First World War, a field office of protopresbyter V. was organized at the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. etc. and a warehouse for church literature. The mobilization schedule of 1910 began to take effect, thousands of parishes were called upon to recruit clergy to new regiments. Before the war, the department of the protopresbyter consisted of 730 priests; during the war, over 5 thousand priests served in the army; they not only performed their direct duties, but also taught soldiers to read and write, read them letters from their relatives, and helped compose reply letters. Chaplains, rabbis, and mullahs also served in military districts. In the circular 3 Nov. 1914 Protopr. Georgy Shavelsky turned to the Orthodox Church. priests with a call to “avoid, if possible, all religious disputes and denunciations of other faiths.” In 1916, new positions were established: army preachers for each army, chief priests of the Baltic and Black Sea fleets. In the same year, under the jurisdiction of Protopresbyter V. and M. D. the question of the Uniates in Galicia and Bukovina, occupied by Russian troops, was transferred. Protopr. George preferred to meet the spiritual needs of the Uniates and not demand that they join the Orthodox Church. Churches. By the definition of the Synod on January 13-20. In 1916, a commission was created “to satisfy the religious and moral needs of Russian prisoners of war”, which could send priests to Austria-Hungary and Germany.
During the war several bishops submitted petitions to take priestly places in the army and navy. The first of them was the Bishop of Dmitrov. Trifon (Turkestanov), who served in 1914-1916. regimental priest and divisional dean. Tauride ep. Demetrius (afterwards Anthony (Abashidze)) several. for months in 1914 he served as a ship's chaplain in the Black Sea Fleet.
One of the first in 1914, the priest of the 58th Prague Regiment, Parthenius Kholodny, was awarded a golden pectoral cross on the St. George ribbon for his courage. In 1914, the priest of the 294th Chernigov Infantry Regiment, John Sokolov, saved the regimental banner from captivity. The feat of the priest of the 9th Kazan Dragoon Regiment Vasily Spichek, who raised the regiment to attack, is well known. The priest was awarded the Order of St. George 4th degree. The abbot had military awards. Nestor (Anisimov; later Metropolitan of Kirovograd), who voluntarily served at the front, organized and led a sanitary detachment. During the entire war, more than 30 military priests were killed or died from wounds, more than 400 were wounded and shell-shocked, and more than 100 were captured, which significantly exceeded the losses in previous wars.
High assessment of the activities of the military clergy in the first place world war gave in 1915 the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. book Nikolai Nikolaevich (“We must bow at the feet of the military clergy for their magnificent work in the army” - quoted from: Shavelsky. T. 2. P. 102). However, the influence of the clergy weakened in conditions when military priests, representing the state. apparatus, played the role of spiritual superiors in the army, and especially with the approach of the revolution. Gene. A.I. Denikin wrote that “the clergy failed to cause a religious upsurge among the troops” (Denikin A.I. Essays on Russian Troubles: In 3 vols. M., 2003. T. 1. P. 105).
After the February Revolution of 1917, the military clergy continued to be active. 2nd All-Russian Congress in. and M.D., held in Mogilev on July 1-11, 1917, was welcomed by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, General. A. A. Brusilov. In the spirit of the times, the congress established the election of all military and spiritual positions. As a result of a secret vote on July 9, protopr. G. Shavelsky retained his post. 16 Jan In 1918, the institute of military clergy was abolished by order No. 39 of the People's Commissariat for Military Affairs (SU. 1918. No. 16. P. 249).
Military priests remained in the White Army. 27 Nov 1918 Denikin appointed protopresbyter Volunteer Army and the fleet of G. Shavelsky. In the troops of Admiral A.V. Kolchak there were more than 1 thousand military priests, the general. P. N. Wrangel - more than 500. March 31, 1920 Sevastopol bishop. Veniamin (Fedchenkov), at the request of Wrangel, accepted the position of manager in. and M.D. with the title of Bishop of the Army and Navy. He represented the Church in Wrangel's government, went to the front to perform services, and provided reception and accommodation for refugee clergy. After the capture of Crimea by the Red Army in November. 1920 bishop Veniamin, together with units of the Volunteer Army, emigrated to Istanbul and continued to patronize the Russians. military clergy in Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. On June 3, 1923, by decision of the foreign Synod of Bishops, he was relieved of his duties as manager of the church. and m.d.
In the 90s XX century The Russian Church again began to minister to military personnel. In 1995, for these purposes, the synodal Department of the Moscow Patriarchate for interaction with the Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies was created. Gatherings of priests caring for military units have resumed (held in 2003, 2005).
Jerome. Savva (Molchanov)
Temples of the military-spiritual department
In the 18th century areas on the outskirts of cities began to be allocated for the permanent deployment of military units. Barracks, outbuildings, and churches were built on this land. One of the first military churches was the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the All Guards in St. Petersburg, founded on July 9, 1743 (architect D. A. Trezzini, rebuilt in 1829 after a fire by V. P. Stasov). Afterwards In the capital, a cathedral of all artillery was erected in the name of St. Sergius of Radonezh (consecrated July 5, 1800), c. Vmch. St. George the Victorious in the General Staff building on Dvortsovaya Square. (February 1, 1822), etc. Initially, military churches did not have a unified system of subordination. 26 Sep. In 1826, a decree of the Synod followed, transferring them to the military-ecclesiastical department.
Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in St. Petersburg. Archit. V.P. Stasov. 1835 Photograph. Beginning XX century (Archive of the Central Scientific Center "Orthodox Encyclopedia")
Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in St. Petersburg. Archit. V.P. Stasov. 1835 Photograph. Beginning XX century (Archive of the Central Scientific Center "Orthodox Encyclopedia")
Temples of the military clergy were divided into permanent and camp. The first were erected at regiments (or smaller military formations), garrisons, fortresses, military educational institutions, hospitals, prisons, and military cemeteries. Among the camp churches, land and ship churches stood out. The construction of churches was entrusted to the commission for the construction of barracks under the Military Council. In 1891, there were 407 military and naval churches.
In 1900, Minister of War A. N. Kuropatkin submitted a report to the emperor with a proposal to allocate funds for the construction of new churches at military units, to develop a type of military church focused on large capacity and efficiency. The model for military churches was approved on December 1. 1901 According to him, the church had to be built separate building capacity 900 people. for a regimental church or 400 people. for battalion. For the needs of church construction, the military department allocated 200 thousand rubles in 1901, in 1902 and 1903. 450 thousand rubles each In total, 51 churches were built from 1901 to 1906. One of the first to be founded was the church of the 148th Caspian Infantry Regiment in the name of the Military Medical Center. Anastasia the Pattern Maker in New. Peterhof (consecrated June 5, 1903). In 1902-1913. The Kronstadt Naval Cathedral was erected in the name of St. St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is a grandiose temple-monument to Russian sailors. A prayer service for the start of construction was held on September 1. 1902 rights. prot. John of Kronstadt in the presence of the chief commander of the Kronstadt port, Vice Admiral S. O. Makarov. In 1913, there were 603 military churches, according to the maritime department - 30 coastal churches, 43 ship churches, including those at the floating military prison in Sevastopol. Each military unit and each military educational institution had its own temple holiday and heavenly patron. In military churches, military banners, weapons and armor of famous military leaders were kept, and the memory of soldiers killed in battles was immortalized.
On July 15, 1854, in Sevastopol, according to the design of K. A. Ton, the Admiralty Cathedral in the name of Equal Apostles was founded. book Vladimir. Due to the outbreak of the Crimean War, work was interrupted; the lower church was consecrated in 1881, the upper one in 1888. The cathedral is the tomb of Russians. admirals M. P. Lazarev, V. A. Kornilova, V. I. Istomina, P. S. Nakhimova. From 1907 to 1918, its rector and dean of the coastal commands of the Black Sea Fleet was Sschmch. prot. Roman Bear. In the cathedral of the Life Guards of the Izmailovsky Regiment in the name of the Holy Trinity (founded in St. Petersburg on May 13, 1828, architect Stasov) trophy tours were kept. banners captured during the Russian tour. wars of 1877-1878 In 1886, a Column of Glory, cast from 108 rounds, was installed in front of the cathedral. guns. In 1911, in St. Petersburg, near the Naval Cadet Corps, the Church-monument to the Savior on Water was erected. On the walls were mounted boards with the names of sailors (from admiral to sailor) who died during the Russo-Japanese war. wars, and the names of ships. Near the iconostasis they installed the rescued banner of the Kwantung naval crew that defended Port Arthur.
Camping portable churches, as a rule, were spacious tents with a throne, an antimension, a folding iconostasis and an icon - the patroness of the part. During the Russian-Japanese wars of 1904-1905 At the headquarters of the commander of the Manchurian army, located in a special train, there was a church car - the residence of the field chief priest. In 1916, the Committee for the construction of mobile churches at the front was formed. Floating churches were erected on the Caspian and Black Seas. On the front line, worship was often held in the open air.
Divine services in the army and navy were held, as a rule, on Sundays and holidays, in the so-called highly solemn days: on the name days of members of the imp. family, on the anniversary of Russian victories. weapons and on holidays of military units and ships. Attendance at divine services was mandatory for all personnel of the Orthodox troops. confession, which was supported by special orders from the commanders of military units.
IN . M. Kotkov
Military clergy awards
Since 1797, representatives of the clergy, by decrees of the emperor, special merits began to be awarded with orders. Military clergy received the Order of St. Anna, equal to A. book Vladimir, St. George and golden pectoral crosses on the St. George ribbon. The last 2 awards were awarded only for military distinctions. In 1855, the military clergy received the right to attach swords to orders granted for distinction in combat situations, which had previously been the privilege of officers.
In accordance with imp. by decree of August 13. 1806, all submissions of military clergy for awards were made through military authorities. The spiritual authorities could only express their opinions. The clergy presented themselves for awards at general principles with military personnel. In 1881, the right to independently award subordinate clergy with skufia was received senior representatives V. and m.d.
The merits for which a military priest could receive most of the possible awards were not specified by any regulations. The exception was the statutes of the orders of St. Vladimir and St. Anna. In the statute of the Order of St. Anna, as amended in 1833, provided for the rewarding of clergy for “exhortations and examples for regiments in battles”, for preserving the health and morality of soldiers (if “for three years in a row there are no people guilty of violating military discipline and peace among residents, and the number the number of escapees will not exceed one person in a hundred"). The right to be awarded the Order of St. was extended to the priests of the military department. Vladimir 4th degree for 25 years of service while participating in military campaigns and 35 years along with officer ranks in peacetime. This practice was also extended to deacons, if they were worthy to receive the Order of St. before serving 35 years in the priesthood. Anna 3rd degree.
In wartime, the legally required time frame for receiving the next award (at least 3 years) was canceled. The presence of orders gave the right to promotion, receiving a higher salary, and the choice of daughters as wives. educational establishments at the expense of the capital of the orders. Orders were removed from a clergyman who was defrocked.
The number of awards given to the clergy, including the military, has grown steadily since the end. XVIII century until 1917 Until mid. XIX century orders, all degrees of which provided the right to hereditary noble dignity, were a rare reward for a priest. After the Order of St. Anna's 2nd and 3rd degrees ceased to bring this advantage, and awards began to be practiced more widely. For example, in Russian-Japanese. during the war, individual clergy were awarded the Order of St. Anne of the 2nd and 3rd degrees and St. Vladimir 4th degree. The Order of St. remained more rare awards for military clergy. George and a golden pectoral cross on the St. George ribbon.
During the Russian-Japanese war, military priests received the Order of St. Anna 2nd degree with swords - approx. 70, without swords - approx. 30, 3rd degree with swords - approx. 70, without swords - approx. 80; St. Vladimir 3rd degree without swords - approx. 10, 4th degree with swords - approx. 25, without swords - approx. 25. During the First World War, until March 1917, military priests received the Order of St. Anna 1st degree with and without swords - approx. 10, 2nd degree with swords - more than 300, without swords - more than 200, 3rd degree with swords - more than 300, without swords - approx. 500; St. Vladimir 3rd degree with swords - more than 20, without swords - approx. 20, 4th degree with swords - more than 150, without swords - approx. 100. Order of St. George from the beginning XIX century by March 1917, 16 people were awarded. Until 1903, at least 170 people received the golden pectoral cross on the St. George ribbon for Russian-Japanese. war - 82 people, from 1914 to March 1917 - 244 people. OK. 10 clergy were awarded the Order of St. George and the soldier's St. George's Cross from March 1917 to March 1918. At least 13 people were awarded the Pectoral Cross on the St. George's Ribbon. in the armies of Kolchak, Denikin, Wrangel. For clergy granted for distinction in the First World War and Civil Wars, approval of awards was made by the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad Mansvetov (1827-1832), protopres. Vasily Ivanovich Kutnevich (1832-1865), archpriest. Mikhail Izmailovich Bogoslovsky (1865-1871), archpriest. Pyotr Evdokimovich Pokrovsky (1871-1888). Chief priests (chief priests) of the General Staff, Guards and Grenadier Corps: Archpriest. Alexy Topogritsky (1815-1826), archpriest. Nikolai Vasilievich Muzovsky (1826-1848), protoprep. Vasily Borisovich Bazhanov (1849-1883). Protopresbyters army and navy: Alexander Alekseevich Zhelobovsky (1888-1910), Evgeny Petrovich Akvilonov (1910-1911), Georgy Ivanovich Shavelsky (1911-1917).
Arch.: RGIA. F. 806 [Spiritual government under the protopresbyter of the military and naval clergy]; RGVIA. F. 2044. Op. 1. D. 8-9, 18-19, 28; F. 2082. Op. 1. D. 7; GARF. F. 3696. Op. 2. D. 1, 3, 5.
Lit.: Nevzorov N. East. Essay on the management of the clergy of the Military Department in Russia. St. Petersburg, 1875; Barsov T. IN . About management rus. military clergy. St. Petersburg, 1879; Bogolyubov A. A . Essays on the history of the management of military and naval clergy in biographies, chap. its priests from 1800 to 1901. St. Petersburg, 1901; Zhelobovsky A. A., protopr. Management of churches and Orthodoxy. clergy of the Military Department // Century of the Military Ministry: In 16 volumes. St. Petersburg, 1902. T. 13; Kallistov N. A., prot. East. a note about military shepherds who participated with their military units in the Crimean War during the defense of Sevastopol and were awarded special insignia. St. Petersburg, 1904; Shavelsky G. I., protopr. Military clergy in Russia's fight against Napoleon. M., 1912; Tsitovich G. A . Temples of the Army and Navy: Historical-stat. description. Pyatigorsk, 1913. 2 hours; Smirnov A. IN . History of the naval clergy. St. Petersburg, 1914; Senin A. WITH . The army clergy of Russia in the First World War // VI. 1990. No. 10. P. 159-165; History of the naval clergy: Sat. M., 1993; Klaving V. IN . Military churches of Russia. St. Petersburg, 2000; Kapkov K. G . St. George's Awards grew. clergy // 11th All-Russian. Numismatic Conf. St. Petersburg, April 14-18. 2003: Abstract. report and message St. Petersburg, 2003. pp. 284-286; Kotkov V. M. Military clergy of Russia: Pages of history. St. Petersburg, 2004. 2 books.
The history of states and peoples from ancient times to the present day proves that there has never been a single tribe or community that did not profess some religion, and that religious and moral principles for all collectors of states and legislators served as a necessary basis for laws published by them. From this it is clear that the need for religion is innate to man, that religion is the most necessary foundation of true morality.
Each person every minute is faced with the most diverse, good or bad, actions of others and he himself acts one way or another depending on character, habits, concepts, willpower, circumstances and other things. What helps him make a choice between what is good, commendable, and what is contrary to morality, criminal? First of all, of course, conscience, customs, laws, etc. But the law is always very short, dry, not accessible to everyone and not always, it speaks more to the mind than to the heart, and does not so much instruct in good deeds as prohibit and punishes various misdemeanors and crimes; to fulfill his demands, he provides only some external incentives, but does not give a person any strength to fulfill these demands.
Another thing is religion. It arouses good feelings in a person, embraces all the spiritual powers of a person and, making him a participant in the Divine power, helps him fulfill moral requirements. She instructs the wavering, consoles the grieving, strengthens the weakening, giving him the necessary strength to fulfill his duty.
The Orthodox faith has supported the Russian people for a thousand years, helped them survive in the most difficult circumstances, and was the spiritual foundation of the Russian state and its mighty army.
For the Russian peasant (and the bulk of the soldiers of the Russian army were from peasants), due to his insufficient education, written laws were little accessible, but he had a kind, gentle and responsive heart to all good things, and was a true believer.
The more selfless the activity, the higher and nobler the activist himself should be. What activity is higher and more selfless than the activity of a military man? In preparation for war, he renounces his family and even his own will. During the war itself, he works unknown and often dies, sometimes painfully. No one has greater sowing love, but whoever lays down his soul for his friends(John 15:13). This willingness to lay down one's life for your own sake and it was necessary to educate the soldier so that he would rise to the height of his calling. It was necessary to educate him in such a way that he would consciously and willingly make the holy sacrifice required of him. And no statutes, instructions and rules will ever achieve this without the help of the Orthodox Church, because they do not so much educate as they enrich the mind and memory with practical information about the service.
The Orthodox faith alone can instill in him the concept of the importance and holiness of his duty and awaken in him the desire to rise to the height of his calling.
Being a peasant, that is, being in the closest communication with nature, the future soldier got used to placing all his hopes and hopes on God, her Creator, asking for His help, seeking His protection. And such a person was torn away from the environment with which he became familiar, torn away from his family, friends and his usual business, placed in an environment alien to him, completely changing his environment (often soldiers ended up on the outskirts of Russia - among people of a different faith). Everything was alien to them, wild and strange. Heavy thoughts about the past haunted me, and I was often overcome by homesickness. Where can a soldier look for support and consolation? He found them from the regimental priest.
If at such a time a soldier heard the word of God, then the consciousness and understanding of the inadmissibility of immoral and, especially, criminal acts was awakened in him.
Everything that has been said about new recruits fully applies to old-timers: the word of God, heard in time, kept many from doing bad things, and consequently, the moral level of the army rose significantly.
Thus, divine services and religious and moral conversations were necessary in order, on the one hand, to instill in the soldier the concept of the greatness and holiness of his calling and activity as a defender of the faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland, and on the other hand, to pacify his spiritual anguish, to calm him morally and thus prevent them from doing bad things. Who better can explain the meaning of the word of God and achieve desired results, if not the one who from a young age was preparing to devote himself to this work, who was called to this by the priesthood? The priest could look deeply into the soul of a soldier, choosing a convenient, suitable opportunity for this, and bring reason and guidance to the erring one. That is why the staff of the Orthodox clergy, as well as representatives of other religions, were introduced into the Russian army.
Russian soldiers went into battle with the enemy, inspired by the love of God, their people and the Fatherland. Thus, in 1380, Prince Dimitry Donskoy received a blessing for the Battle of Kulikovo from the holy Abbot of the Russian Land, Sergius of Radonezh. Later, the Russian military call was established: “For the Faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland.” The legal consolidation of the place of the military clergy in the Russian army occurred under Peter I. According to the Military Charter of 1716, each regiment had to have a priest, and by decree of 1719 it was ordered that each ship of the navy have one hieromonk.
In the navy, the corps of priests was headed by the chief hieromonk. In the ground forces in peacetime, regimental priests remained under the authority of local diocesan bishops. In wartime, the Russian army was required to appoint special chief field priests. For the first time, chief field priests were appointed in 1746. By decree of Paul I of April 4, 1800, the position of the chief field priest was made permanent and he was entrusted with the “main command” of the regimental priests. The first to take this position in 1807 was Archpriest Pavel Yakovlevich Ozeretskovsky.
Since 1812, special corps began to be formed in the Russian army, capable of conducting independent combat operations for a long time. The headquarters of such a corps provided for the position of a corps priest, endowed with the rights of a field chief priest of the active army.
In 1815, during the formation of the General Staff of the Army, the position of chief priest was introduced into its staff, with the clergy of the guard and the grenadier corps subordinate to him. Appointments to this position were made directly by the Emperor. Chief priests of the army and navy were appointed on the recommendation of the Holy Synod. The powers of the chief priests included:
Leadership of all churches and clergy of the military and naval departments;
- visiting schools of soldiers’ children and training teams at regiments;
- management of charitable institutions at churches of the military and naval departments;
- annual submission to the Holy Synod of reports on the state of the administration entrusted to it in accordance with the decrees of the Holy Synod of December 31, 1837, October 21, 1847, March 13, 1862 and December 17, 1867;
- election of candidates and presentation of them to local bishops for canonical approval and ordination of persons not yet ordained to the priesthood and deaconate, and for clergy transferred to other parts - obtaining permission from the local bishop;
- appointment of psalm-readers to military cathedrals and churches;
- appointment of mainly honored archpriests and priests to the cathedrals and churches of the Guards Corps;
- resolution of controversial issues arising between military authorities and military priests during the performance of church and liturgical duties.
In 1816, during the formation of a large active army, the headquarters of a separate Georgian corps was formed. On the recommendation of the corps commander, Infantry General Rtishchev, Archpriest of the Georgian Grenadier Regiment Abrahamov was approved as the corps priest, thus becoming the first corps priest.
In 1840, according to the highest approved proposal of the Holy Synod, the clergyman in charge of the military clergy of the separate Caucasian Corps was awarded the title of chief priest. 47 army priests served in the corps units, which required efficiency in the management and coordination of their activities. With the renaming of the corps into the Caucasian Army, the position of chief priest of the Caucasian Army was provided for in the staff of its General Staff (since 1858 - chief priest of the Caucasian Army).
The administrative position of the protopresbyter of the military and naval departments was quite similar to the position of the diocesan Right Reverends, with only a few exceptions. Under the protopresbyter, a special spiritual government was established, consisting of a presence and an office determined by the states (March 9, 1892). This board was guided by the charter of spiritual consistories.
And by the beginning of the 19th century, the structure of spiritual service in the Russian army was formed. Schematically it looked like this:
Protopresbyter of the Military and Naval Clergy
Chief priests of the districts
Chief priests of armies
Divisional, brigade, garrison deans
Regimental, hospital and prison chaplains
Thus, the institution of military clergy acquired an increasingly clear structure, its own hierarchy, determined by the specifics of its activity, and military priests became bearers of the glorious traditions of the Russian army and the Russian Orthodox Church.
At the headquarters of military districts and armies, as already mentioned, there were chief priests. Usually these were full-time archpriests, equal in rights to colonels.
Local auxiliary bodies governing the military clergy were headed by deans, who served as intermediaries in relations between the highest military-spiritual authority and the subordinate military clergy. This latter consisted of regimental priests and priests of other army units and institutions with a staffed clergy. The duties of the division dean were:
Observation of churches and clergy of troops included in the divisions;
- visiting churches under his jurisdiction at least once a year;
- checking church property according to inventories, receipts and expenditure books and all church documents;
- monitoring the teaching of the Law of God and the success of students in regimental schools;
- dismantling mutual disputes and complaints of members of the clergy, complaints of military and secular persons against regimental clergy and clergy;
- if necessary, suggestions and comments to the guilty clergy and clergy under his jurisdiction, as well as their wives and children;
- a preview of the teachings prepared by the regimental priests, intended to be delivered in churches during regimental holidays and other solemn occasions for the regiment.
Divisional, brigade and garrison deans were not appointed, but were elected at meetings of the garrison clergy.
The most numerous detachment of military clergy was represented by regimental priests, who were equal to officers with the rank of captain. The soldiers were obliged to salute them and call them “Your Honor.” TO end of the 19th century century in the Russian army and navy there were about 5 thousand members of the military clergy. The department of military priests was subordinate to 24 military cathedrals, hundreds of churches (437 regimental, 13 serfs, 32 hospital, 17 prison, 33 judicial, and so on), as well as a number of medical, educational and other charitable institutions.
The number of priests in the Russian army was determined by the staff approved by the Minister of War. So, for example, according to the personnel list of the Dragoon Regiment of six squadrons, as well as all four Dragoon regiments of the separate Caucasian Corps (Dragoon of His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, Seversky Dragoon, Dragoon of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Wurttember, Pereyaslavsky Dragoon), approved on March 19, 1856 year Emperor Alexander II, the staff of each of the named regiments provided for a regimental priest and two clergymen.
By order of the Minister of War No. 163 of July 26, 1856, the staff of 10 regiments of the Life Guards was introduced: Preobrazhensky, Semenovsky, Izmailovsky, Gatchina, Moscow, Grenadier, Pavlovsky, Finland, Lithuanian, Volyn.
These states determined the presence in each regiment of one priest with an annual salary of 253 rubles 50 kopecks, as well as two clergymen and an orderly for the priest. For comparison, the annual salary of lieutenants was 307 rubles 05 kopecks.
By order of the Minister of War No. 163 of July 26, 1856, these states were introduced in the dragoon and other regiments.
In Book VII of the Code of Military Regulations of 1869 of the 1907 edition we find the general duties of military chaplains, consisting of 19 points. The main ones were:
At strictly appointed times, services are performed in the regimental church on all Sundays and holidays;
- by agreement with the regimental authorities, preparing military personnel for confession and receiving the Holy Sacraments through teachings and extra-liturgical interviews;
- performing the Sacraments and prayers for military personnel in the church and their homes;
- preparing a church choir for singing during services;
- conducting conversations, instructing soldiers in truths Orthodox faith and the rules of piety, edification and consolation of the sick in hospitals;
- teaching the Law of God in regimental schools, soldiers’ children, and training teams (with the consent of the military authorities, they could arrange extra-liturgical conversations and readings).
During mobilization and military operations, military priests were obliged to follow their assignments with military units and were unconditionally subordinate to the military command.
Traditionally, high demands were placed on military priests, and not every priest who wished to follow this thorny path could carry out pastoral service in the Russian army. The teacher of the military school, priest A. M. Ivantsov-Platonov, speaking with parting words to the students of the third graduating class of the Alexander Military School, emphasized that “it is not enough that the sowers of knowledge always have good and pure seed, they also need to have experience in order to always sow as much as possible.” necessary, in its place and at its time, in relation to the soil on which it is sown."
Despite the modest material support, the severity of military discipline, the eternal wandering, often associated with the loss of personal property, separation from family (during war and camp training), and with climate change - and with damage to health, the life of a military priest seemed to the diocesan attractive to the clergy. The main priests, especially in the second half of the 19th century, were besieged by numerous petitions from persons from the diocesan clergy to be accepted into the military department, which can be explained by the character and spirit of the principles on which the management of the clergy of this department in the person of the main priests was based.
The chief priests considered one of their first duties to satisfy the moral needs of the subordinate clergy, who, thanks to this, looked highly at their calling and responded with their life and behavior to all the conditions of worthy shepherds. Raising the level of activity of military priests and their influence on the personnel of the army and navy was facilitated at that time by the fact that there were many people with higher academic education who wanted to enlist in the military-clergy department. For people from the clergy who are forced out of dioceses for violating church discipline, transfer to service in the military department, " has become completely impossible."
Noteworthy is the fact that the financial situation of the military clergy was the subject of constant care of the chief priests, who used a wide variety of means to improve this situation. In addition to submitting proposals to the military leadership for an increase in the salaries of priests, they also sought other legal ways that could improve the position of the clergy under their jurisdiction, such as:
1) petitioned for an increase in support from the church sum;
2) applied for the issuance of one-time benefits;
3) petitioned for an increase in pensions for army chaplains who had served in the army without fault for more than 20 years;
In the early 1860s, an almshouse was established for clergy of the Guards department who were dismissed from service due to illness or age , and also for their widows and orphans.
The accession of military priests to the military emeritus was approved on September 18, 1674. The clergy of the Orthodox clergy of the military land department were allowed from January 1, 1875 to participate in the emeritus fund of the department on the basis of the rules approved by the highest on May 22, 1871.
In wartime, the role of the military priesthood became even more important and responsible, and at the same time more fruitful. The wartime situation itself made her this way. The enormous intensity of military work in a combat situation required spiritual support for the soldiers from the shepherd of the Church. Constant danger and the proximity of death transport the warrior’s thoughts to questions of eternity, the meaning of human existence.
The main task of a priest in wartime, in addition to performing divine services and religious services, was to influence his flock by personal example, fortitude in difficult situations, and steadfastness in the performance of military duty. “The regimental priest takes on a special emergency mission during the battle of the Russian army with the enemy. The priest must stock up on self-sacrifice so that, standing in the heat of battle, he will be able to maintain hope in the army for God’s help and his own own strength, to breathe into her patriotic heroism for the Tsar and the Fatherland,” wrote Nikolai Nevzorov.
Such enthusiasm, according to the great commanders, is attributed to three-quarters of the influence on victory. Many of the priests, understanding the importance of such inspiration, took upon themselves this sacred duty.
In battle, the location of the regimental priest should have been at the forward dressing station, where the wounded accumulated in need of moral support and medical care. Therefore, the priest was required, in addition to performing his direct functional duties, to be able to perform the duties of medical staff.
The Russian Orthodox Church, understanding that the outcome of a war or any battle depends mainly on the will of God, made it a duty for military priests to constantly pray for victory to be granted to Russian weapons.
Convinced that prayer, attracting God's help to oneself, strengthens a person and greatly raises his spirit, A. V. Suvorov did not begin or end a single battle without prayer. Before the battle, having prayed to God and “blessing everyone, he briefly but strongly reminded everyone of their duties to God, the Tsar and the Fatherland.” The service after the victory was especially solemn. “He attributed every victory, every success to the Giver of all blessings and immediately hurried to the church, where he sang with the choristers in the choir and the Apostle read.”
In his diary on November 29, 1877, Count D. A. Milyutin cites the following episode from the Russian-Turkish war: “Approaching Plevna, the Sovereign was met by the Grand Duke - the Commander-in-Chief - with his entire retinue. Both brothers embraced heartily: The Sovereign put it on the Grand Duke ribbon of the Order of St. George, immediately announced awards to generals Nepokoichitsky, Totleben, Prince Imeretinsky, Levitsky, Prince Masalsky and sent St. George's crosses to the main commanders of the grenadier corps, who had the main role in yesterday's battle.
Right there, at a height in sight of Plevna, a prayer service was served. The weather got better, the sun even came out. Some of the closest units of the troops approached the prayer service. They spent more than a day in the field, almost without food; despite the fact that they walked cheerfully and had a warlike appearance."
In cases of need, when circumstances required it, regimental priests were among the fighting. There are a great many examples of this from the history of the Russian army. In this regard, it is impossible not to mention the episode during the assault on Ishmael, which characterizes the regimental priests and their importance in a combat situation. The Turks launched a lightning attack on the 4th and 5th columns, which consisted of Cossacks. The Cossacks retreated back, unable to withstand the enemy's onslaught. A.V. Suvorov sent infantry and cavalry units to help them. One of the battalions of the Polotsk regiment, moving with bayonets against the Turks, lost its commander, the soldiers hesitated, became confused... the regimental priest sees this, is inflamed with courage, raises high a cross with the image of the Redeemer, promises them a certain victory and, showing the way to it , rushes at the Turks' sabers. Nothing can resist the soldier inflamed by this courage; they rush forward uncontrollably, and everything falls under their bayonets."
“By dawn the entire rampart was in our hands and the troops, having regrouped, began an even more difficult task - the destruction of the Turkish troops inside the city, since the latter, embittered, gave up every piece of land only at the cost of death. Of all the defenders of Ishmael, 30,860 people were killed and 9000 captured."
The next day there was a solemn prayer service, which was served by the hero-priest of the Polotsk regiment. This celebration ended with a salute from the taken guns and grateful speeches from A.V. Suvorov to his miracle heroes. Thus fell the last Turkish stronghold on the Danube. The path to the Balkans was open.
More examples. From the first days of the siege of Sevastopol, Hieromonk Ioannikis (Dobrotvorsky) was constantly in the trenches, walking around the batteries every day with a cross in his hands, inspiring soldiers to heroic deeds. On the night of March 2-3, 1855, as part of one of the battalions of the Kamchatka Regiment, he took part in a fierce battle, encouraging soldiers with his words and example, admonishing the dying, comforting and bandaging the wounded. Among the corpses of enemy soldiers, the shepherd spotted an officer who pretended to be dead, whom he captured and handed over to the military authorities.
For his distinction and courage, the hieromonk was awarded a golden pectoral cross on the St. George Ribbon.
Many military shepherds laid down their lives during the defense of Sevastopol, admonishing the dying, burying the dead, while performing divine services on the bastions and in hospitals, and while providing assistance to the wounded and sick. Their names were preserved in the chronicles of the archives of the Spiritual Board and churches of Sevastopol. The priest of the Minsk infantry regiment, John Elansky, died while giving farewell to the dying at a dressing station. The priest of the same regiment, Vasily Dubnevich, died while performing his duties at his post. His fate was shared by the priests of the Moscow Infantry Regiment Father Viktor Grachev, the Nizovsky Infantry Regiment Father Mikhail Rozanov, the Uglitsky Jaeger Regiment Father Afanasy Nikolsky, the Bialystok Infantry Regiment Father Grigory Sudkovsky, the Smolensk Infantry Regiment Father Ilya Terlitsky and many others.
Of the two hundred military priests who took part in the Crimean War, two were awarded the officer's Order of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious, IV degree, 58 - a golden cross on the St. George's ribbon, 5 - a golden pectoral cross from the office of His Imperial Majesty, 29 - a golden pectoral cross from the Holy Synod, the same number - Order of St. Vladimir III and IV degrees.
The military pastors remained faithful to the valiant traditions of the army and navy clergy in subsequent wars and campaigns. During the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878, the priest of the 160th Abkhaz Infantry Regiment of the 40th Infantry Division, Feodor Matveevich Mikhailov, distinguished himself. In all the battles in which the regiment took part, Father Theodore was in the forefront.
The priest Theodore Mikhailov was known for his extraordinary courage to the entire detachment operating on the Caucasian-Turkish border. After each battle, there were conversations between the soldiers of the detachment’s regiments about this amazingly fearless old man. For his distinction in battles with the Turks during the siege of the city of Erzurum, he was promoted to the rank of archpriest, in addition, he was awarded the Order of St. Anna II degree with swords, St. Vladimir IV degree with swords and a golden pectoral cross on the St. George ribbon. Father Theodore had so many different medals and crosses that, due to his modesty, he was embarrassed to walk around the city in full uniform.
Archpriest Dorimedont Petrovich Popovitsky, priest of the 13th Life Grenadier Erivan Regiment (the oldest regiment in the Russian Army), who was wounded in the chest while advising a dying warrior on the battlefield, also showed courage in fulfilling his pastoral duty during the Russian-Turkish war.
In the Akhal-Teke expedition of 1881-1882, “for courageous behavior in battle, at the request of Adjutant General M.D. Skobelev, priests Mikhail Zhigunov and Dimitri Gachechiladze were awarded the golden cross on the St. George’s Ribbon.”
By the end of the 19th century, one hundred and eleven clergy were awarded for military exploits.
The activities of the military clergy were multifaceted. Thus, among the measures taken in the army, including in the troops of the St. Petersburg Military District, to establish the Orthodox faith and morality among the lower ranks, one cannot fail to note the construction of military cemeteries and the burial of lower ranks with due military honors.
The special housing conditions for most of the troops of the St. Petersburg Military District made the issue of military cemeteries very important, and at the same time extremely difficult, but after considerable preliminary work it was eventually possible to resolve it in the most favorable way.
On June 6, 1887, by order of His Imperial Highness the Commander-in-Chief of the troops, an order was issued throughout the district on the construction of military cemeteries and on giving the funerals of lower ranks greater solemnity, namely, it was recognized that it was extremely necessary to give the funerals of lower ranks such an environment in which the deceased soldier would not only be given his due the high rank of a warrior is honored with strict observance of the church funeral rite, the allocation of a decent place in the cemetery and the appropriate arrangement of the grave, but also so that the name of the deceased is not quickly forgotten by his closest superiors and comrades.
Temporary trustees of military cemeteries, chiefs, were appointed individual parts troops, who were entrusted with the fulfillment of all general duties caused by the establishment of cemeteries, the establishment of supervision over them and the maintenance of improvement, taking over “the order previously established by order of His Imperial Highness at the Krasnoselskoye military cemetery...”.
In development of the commander-in-chief's idea of improving military cemeteries, chapels gradually began to be built there with funds donated by both military units and private benefactors, the laying and consecration of which took place each time in a special solemn atmosphere with the participation of representatives from the quartering troops. Thus, on June 17, 1887, in the presence of His Imperial Highness the Commander-in-Chief of the troops, the foundation stone of a chapel at the Tsarskoye Selo military cemetery took place.
On June 18, in Kronstadt, there followed “the consecration of the chapel at the military cemetery built there on the spit of Kotlin Island in the presence of the chief commander of the Kronstadt port and the military governor and representatives from the land and sea units of the local garrison.”
There is no doubt that such attention of the commander-in-chief to the fulfillment of his final duty in relation to the deceased lower ranks resonated sensitively in the heart of the Russian Orthodox soldier and had the most favorable influence on the entire internal structure the lives of the military units of the St. Petersburg Military District entrusted to the Grand Duke.
Since then, military cemeteries have been distinguished by their improvement and order, which was especially characteristic of the cemetery of the guards regiments and units of the St. Petersburg district. In addition, by order of the protopresbyter, the funeral service for deceased military personnel and the farewell of the body were to be performed by the military pastors themselves, and not by hired ones.
In 1858, chief priests began to be called chief priests. In the second half of the 19th century, as a result of reforms carried out in the troops, including church reform, and, what is especially important, as a result of the introduction of all-class military service, when citizens from privileged classes with higher education began to be called up for service, the requirements for the personal qualities of a military shepherd increased significantly. Therefore, the military department made every effort to attract the best graduates of Theological Seminaries and those who received higher theological education in Theological Academies into the ranks of the military clergy. Thus, the contradiction between the social role of military shepherds and their social status intensified. This problem could only be resolved by a number of economic, legal and organizational measures at the government level.
To this end, in 1885, based on feedback received from district commanders and heads of main departments, the General Staff began developing a set of measures to implement a project to increase the service rights of the military clergy. The initiative to raise this issue, as well as the authorship of the original project, belonged to the archpriest of the St. Petersburg Clinical Military Hospital Alexy Stavrovsky, who submitted the project for consideration by his closest superior - the chief priest of the army and navy, Archpriest P. E. Pokrovsky, on March 13, 1883. The chief priest, for his part, petitioned the General Staff on the merits of the proposals presented.
Based on the provisions of the Military Council and the opinion of the State Council, approved by the highest authorities on July 24 and December 21, 1887, the clergy in the troops, departments and educational institutions of the military department were granted new rights and benefits for the following ranks:
1. The chief priest of the guards and grenadiers, army and navy - compared to the lieutenant general and a salary of 1356 rubles per year;
2. The chief priest of the Caucasian Military District - compared to a major general and a salary of 1017 rubles;
3. The full-time archpriest (rector of the military cathedral) and the dean archpriest - in comparison with the colonel and a salary of 687 rubles per year;
4. A supernumerary archpriest and dean priest - in comparison with a lieutenant colonel, a salary of 531 rubles;
5. To the priest - in comparison with the captain, company commander and a salary of 366 rubles;
6. Regular and non-regular deacons - in comparison with a lieutenant, a salary of 312 rubles;
7. A full-time psalm-reader (of the clergy rank) - in comparison with a lieutenant warrant officer, a salary of 240 rubles.
The regulations also provided for salary increases for 10 and 20 years of service in the department of the chief priest of the Guards and Grenadiers, Army and Navy.
Along with improving the financial situation of the military clergy, a reform of the military-spiritual administration was carried out. At the insistent demands of the Holy Synod, with the support of the Commander-in-Chief of the Guard troops and the St. Petersburg Military District, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, a single governing body was created on the basis of the Regulations on the management of churches and clergy of the military department, which was supremely approved on June 12, 1890. According to the regulations, the management of all churches by the Orthodox clergy of the military department, as well as the charitable institutions associated with these churches with their capital, was entrusted to a special clergyman - the protopresbyter of the military and naval clergy.
The procedure for appointing a new protopresbyter was as follows. The Commander-in-Chief of the St. Petersburg Military District first informed the Emperor about the candidacy, received his approval, and then in writing asked the Minister of War to petition for a new appointment before the Holy Synod. The appointment of the Holy Synod was approved by the Emperor.
The protopresbyter was granted certain rights:
1. On the election, appointment and dismissal of officials of the spiritual administration, as well as clergy and clergy of the military department;
2. By nominating them for awards and by imposing disciplinary sanctions on them;
3. On spending church funds.
In addition, the protopresbyter was given the right to control the activities of the churches under his jurisdiction and to visit the schools of soldiers’ children and training teams located at military units.
Under the protopresbyter of the military and naval clergy, a spiritual board was created, consisting of a presence and an office. The presence and office carried out all the office work of the department.
Along with the growth in the number of regimental churches, the corps of military clergy expanded quantitatively and grew in quality. At the celebration of the centennial anniversary of the military-spiritual administration, the Chief of the Main Staff, Lieutenant General V.V. Sakharov, noted: “The military clergy has always been and is at the height of their calling, flawlessly fulfilling their duties, as evidenced by the unanimous reviews of the heads of individual military units. Moreover ", the military clergy often showed examples of courage, knightly bravery during hostilities, and most importantly, with words of exhortation, speech from the heart and good personal behavior, they taught the soldier to meekly endure all the hardships of profitable service, and in war to fight bravely and spare the defeated enemy."
Of course, the military-spiritual administration cannot be idealized; it also had its shortcomings, such as the small number of regimental churches in the Caucasus region and on other outskirts of Russia; poor work with church choirs in regimental churches; lack of necessary literature in the regimental church libraries and in sufficient quantity; sometimes even the absence of libraries themselves; a large scattering of regiment units, a large number of orders and work, which made it difficult to fully cover personnel with activities for spiritual, moral and patriotic education 19
This is how, in an almost informal atmosphere, Father Savva meets with his flock. The soldiers of the Presidential Regiment are the elite of our army, but communication with a priest is not an obligation or a military duty for them. The authorities complied with their wishes and allowed meetings with the priest in their free time.
Abbot Savva
Sometimes a soldier just wants to stand with the priest. He is silent, smiles and that's it. "What do you want?" – I ask him. “Just stand there, father. It’s so good,” he says, “with you.”
Hegumen Savva can be called an active regimental priest. About ten years ago, he began to confess and give communion to soldiers and officers of the 15th regiment of the Taman Division. In the fall of 1999, the priest’s spiritual children went on a combat mission to Chechnya.
A priest cannot stay at home and drink coffee. He must go with them. On one of the trains, together with the regiment commander - we were traveling in the same compartment - I sat down and drove off. I had such a desire, unfortunately, it did not come true: I left with the regiment, but I will come with the regiment.
But even after leaving on business, the priest did not forget his flock and more than once visited soldiers in a hot spot. A little time passed, and he was invited to join the guys from the Presidential Regiment. Conversations, excursions, presence at church services - everything that the Orthodox soldiers wanted, they got.
“In the army there should be a priest for every soldier. It’s also important that you can turn to someone in a difficult moment,” the guys say.
The revival of the traditions of army chaplains is a necessary matter, believes Abbot Savva. And he adds: constant presence spiritual father being near soldiers would help avoid many problems modern army. Including hazing.
correspondent - Vladislav Nikitin, cameraman - Vadim Tukhareli
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Who are military chaplains? What “hot spots” do they serve in and how do they live? Archpriest Sergius Privalov, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces, spoke about the role military clergy play in conflict areas and how they help soldiers in the “Image” program in Constantinople.
What is special about military priests?
Veronica Ivashchenko: First, let me ask: what role do clergy play in the Russian armed forces today?
Sergiy Privalov: The role has always been high. This role is to bring a spiritual component to serving the Fatherland.
Currently, a military priest is, on the one hand, the same priest as in the parish. But there is one, probably the most fundamental difference. He is ready to be with the military personnel. He is ready to be with those who defend our Fatherland, our Motherland, our original traditions, our spiritual life. And in this case, the clergyman becomes not only one of those who defend with weapons. But he brings a spiritual meaning to this armed defense.
Extra strength.
Not only additional spiritual strength, but, on the other hand, a moral component. Because a clergyman is a person who has a calling from God. He introduces humanization and understanding into the military formation of the service to which military personnel are called. People with weapons - for them this is responsible obedience. And the use of this most advanced weapon today should be in clean hands, with a moral tuning fork in the soul of every person. And this, first of all, is characteristic of what the clergy brings to the troops.
Orthodox priests in Syria
Father Sergius, our military personnel are now participating in hostilities in Syria. Tell me, somehow, in these difficult conditions, are Orthodox priests spiritually caring for them?
Yes. Divine services are held almost daily. At the Khmeimim air base, a full-time military chaplain is present with the military personnel. Moreover, on major holidays, great holidays, the Russian Orthodox Church sends additional clergy and choristers to participate in services not only at the Khmeimim airbase, but also at the Tartus naval base.
In Khmeimim, just recently, the consecration of an Orthodox chapel in honor of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious took place. And the temple in Tartus should soon be consecrated in honor of the holy righteous warrior Fyodor Ushakov. Here are the bishops, both Tartu and the bishop who covers the Antiochian Patriarchate with an omophorion and, in particular, the air base in Khmeimim, blessed the construction of Orthodox church ecclesiastical buildings. And just recently we took part with Bishop Anthony of Akhtubinsky and Enotaevsky in the consecration of this chapel. The entire staff was present at the consecration.
That's why the priests are nearby. Priests are inside military formations, they are together with military personnel, even in these so-called “hot spots”.
Our main weapon is prayer
Father Sergius, recently His Holiness Patriarch Kirill spoke about the ideal of a Christ-loving army, citing the example of the war in the Middle East. Is it really impossible to fight this very terrible enemy only with the help of weapons?
Certainly. That is why the Russian Orthodox Church prays. Our most important weapon is prayer. And the more followers of the Christian faith there are in the world, the purer, the more spiritual, the more peaceful humanity will become.
Therefore, the religion of love, Christianity, is a potential that people should resort to. They must compare other religions, and, first of all, those people who generally reject religion and want to be the so-called. atheists. Or those who choose the path of pseudo-religion, terrorism. In this case, Christianity reveals the meaning and the basis to which one must resort in order to win the spiritual battle. In this case, prayer should be the natural state of the soul of an Orthodox warrior.
And perhaps this is why the demand for military chaplains is growing so much?
Of course, and especially in “hot spots”. When people feel that not only the force of arms is needed. You need confidence in your actions. You need confidence in the correctness of your service. Inside a military unit, formations. And the most important thing is that people, turning to Christ, receive this help. Many people put on Orthodox crosses for the first time. Many are baptized. Many come to confession and holy communion for the first time. This is, in fact, a joyful event for the clergy.
There are now about 170 full-time military chaplains
Tell me, how many military priests are there now?
There are currently about 170 military clergy. These are the ones who are regularly assigned. And more than 500 in various capacities, we call them freelance military clergy, serve in military units. He came periodically, performed divine services, and cared for his flock.
Tell me, can they be called chaplains, is this correct?
Well, in the Russian Orthodox Church the word "chaplain" is more associated with Catholicism or Protestantism. And in our everyday life they are sometimes called chaplains. Which may not be entirely correct, but there is a tendency to call military clergy the same as they are uniformly called in the West. But I think that every military clergyman, of course, does not change his spiritual inner content because of this.
Please tell us what are the requirements for their selection? Do they participate in military exercises with regular military personnel?
Firstly, the selection is quite tough. First of all, it concerns spiritual education. That is, we select those clergy who have enough high level both spiritual and secular education. The second criterion is skills to work in a military environment. That is, they must have experience in pastoral service and care for military units. And third, of course, is health. That is, a person must be ready for this service, he must express a desire to undergo the appropriate selection through the Ministry of Defense, in personnel bodies. And only after this, and on the recommendation of the ruling bishop of his diocese, is he considered by the Synodal Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces. And this decision is approved by the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation.
By the way, what are the most pressing issues in your department right now?
I would not say that some issues are particularly acute and we are not able to solve them. That is, everything that is happening today is a solvable problem.
Of course, one of these problems is the personnel composition of military clergy. We have 268 full-time positions, and so far 170 have been appointed. Therefore, in distant regions, in the north, Far East, the full-time positions of military clergy are not yet fully staffed. And then an appropriate basis for spiritual enlightenment must be formed. That is, we really want the priest to be heard, so that the appropriate time and place are allocated where the priest talks about Christ, about the spiritual foundations of military service to the Fatherland. For this, we still need to go through a lot in the military environment, to ensure that we are understood, heard and given such an opportunity. Not only, as some say, with each soldier individually, but also with large units at the same time.
From officers to military chaplains
Father Sergius, many military priests were officers in the past, including you, right?
Right.
Please tell us, does it often happen that military men become priests?
Well, firstly, a person who himself has come to know Christ, he can no longer help but talk about him. If a person was previously in an officer position, then he understands that the next stage of his service is to carry the word of God already in the priesthood. But, again, among those whom he knows best and is best oriented in a given situation within military units.
And therefore, the percentage of those who were previously officers or completed military service, perhaps as contract soldiers, is quite high. But this is not the only and correct criterion for selecting military priests. Because there are military clergy who have never even served in the army.
But at the same time, in spirit and with their love, they are so close to the military units and to those guys who serve in the troops that they have acquired such authority. They truly became fathers to these military guys. Therefore, here we need to look at the spiritual calling. And the Lord himself calls. And if so, then a person cannot help but serve his neighbor. And who needs it most? Of course, the military. Because for them Christ is protection. For them, Christ is their support. For them, the Savior is the goal of life. Because it is precisely when they are inside in such difficult conditions that they turn to God sincerely. And in this case, the priest should be nearby. He must support the children with his prayer, and, first of all, spiritually instruct them.
More and more believers among the military
How do priests influence the relationships between military personnel? Maybe the situation with hazing has changed, do they affect moral development?
Probably, the most important thing is that a person’s attitude to society, to the world, to himself and to religion, in principle, has changed. That is, the number of believers and who consciously say that they are Orthodox, you spoke about 78%, now the percentage is even higher, more than 79%.
And the most important thing is that the guys, the military personnel, are not afraid to profess their faith. They consciously cross themselves, go to churches, and participate in divine services. This is probably the most important thing that happened with the arrival or participation of clergy in military units.
The second is a change in the internal climate inside military units. Military discipline has changed, or even improved. I think that in many ways these questions, of course, are not only for priests, and it is their merit that hazing is coming to naught. Firstly, these are very correct and competent decisions of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Sergei Kuzhegetovich Shoigu. And hazing itself, which involves a two-year conscription, when some are senior and junior in relation to other military personnel - this artificial division led to conflicts.
Now this is not the case. All serve only one year. This time. And secondly, the tasks that the armed forces solve have become, first of all, combat ones. People are being prepared for war. And therefore they try to treat their service accordingly. Exercises, transfers, regroupings.
This all suggests that there is no time to engage in any kind of hazing. It is clear that anything can happen. But in better side the attitude of man to man within the military collective changes. Because they are now doing their duty. Sometimes away from their native land. And very often with the participation of serious events that require concentration, the brotherly shoulder of your colleague. All this, well, taken together, naturally improves the situation inside military units. And the priests are always nearby.+
That is, during field exercises, they go out with the military personnel, set up their tents, temple tents, and try to pray with them. That is, this is, in fact, the real combat work of a military clergyman.