Solovki and elephant

At the end of summer, August 23, the Russian Orthodox Church traditionally celebrates the memory of the Solovetsky new martyrs. This year, it turned 90 since by the decision of the Arkhangelsk Provincial Executive Committee at Solovki, the first concentration camp of provincial subordination was established - the predecessor of the infamous elephant. This date seemed to be an additional reason for talking about repressions. But, it seems, this topic inside the church fence is gradually going down.

Yes, in Moscow, the Solovetsky stone passed a traditional youth standing, prayers sounded in the temples. But this was limited. Even Patriarch Kirill, who had just returned from Solovkov,, unlike last year's visit, said only a few general phrases about the martyrs of the Gulag.

After the Archimandrite Porfiry (Shutov) became the director of the Solovetsky Museum-Reserve, the exhibition about the camps moved from the monastery to the building of the Solovetsky special forces (USLOL) Building Building. This is not to say that it has become worse: many photos, photocopies of documents. On the plasma panels, newsreels shot on the islands and in the mainland departments of the camp in the 1920s and 1930s are demonstrated. Going from the section to the section, you can trace the life of prisoners: interrogation in the investigator’s office, transfer and transfer to the camp, the use of forced labor in camp industries, the “cultural and educational” life of the elephant, survival in the penalty areolators of the sequinee mountain and the hare island, attempts to shoots from Solovki. But very few objects of camp life, genuine things are represented. It seems that the new museum authorities are not very preoccupied with that there are more. Maybe this impression is erroneous, but how to explain that in the famous house on Sekirka, a renovation has been produced and they don’t let anyone go there at all? Is this a holy place - only for the convenience of monks? What happened to the graffiti sentenced to the execution of the new martyrs who remained in the basement. They are all destroyed, even there are no photocopies left? If you stay, then their place in the museum. And such a museum should be not only in the hut, but also on the most secular mountain. Moreover, there are numerous common graves of repressed and tens of thousands of people come here annually. Why not organize here not a state, but a church museum?

I remember that last year Patriarch Kirill spoke of the creation of the Museum-Information Center for New Martyrs on Solovki. How is this project progressing? What is generally done in this direction? To these questions, the monastery guide answered the author of these lines is somehow very vague. Here are the students of the St. Tikhon Institute found the grave of one bishop, here Petersburg scientists are doing something. In general, Archimandrite Porfiry has just received real power, give him time to turn around.

Well, time will really show. In the meantime, it is clear that the nightingers are turning again

For the Russian Orthodox Church in the Spiritual Center. During a visit to the islands of the Patriarch, from August 19 to 22, two bishops' chirotony were held here. True, one of them, the head of the Synodal Department for Church Charity Archimandrite Panteleimon (Shatova), was previously postponed "due to a poor environmental situation." It was supposed to take place in Moscow, but in the midst of an abnormal heat, the high -reader evaporated from there.

The history of the disappearance of Patriarch Kirill from the pioneers in the midst of fires received a negative consecration in the press. Personally, I do not see anything reprehensible in this departure. In the end, has an elderly person who also does not stand at the fed of state power, the right to a two -week vacation? But the fact that in this situation the press service of the Patriarch was simply obliged to organize an interview with the Primate, to indicate his presence in the field of public interests is for sure. And the fact that this was not done is a clear defect of the team about. Vladimir Vigilyansky.

Solovki today leave the impression of not only the spiritual, but also the cultural center. On the eve of the arrival of the Patriarch, the traditional festival of the author’s song took place here. Sergey Nikitin and other bards sang all night by the fire and on the impromptu scene near the Kremlin. And it was scary to think that, on the initiative of pragmatic politicians, all this could disappear, the islands would not afford the ordinary Russian.

During the visit, Patriarch Kirill held a meeting of the commission to preserve the spiritual, cultural and natural heritage of the Solovetsky archipelago. The governor of the Arkhangelsk region Ilya Mikhalchuk was present on it, among others. For many years, this figure has been calling for limiting tourists access to the islands. He dreams of building hotels on the mainland and carrying tourists from there. Apparently, the governor came to Solovki only by air. Otherwise, he would have known what excitement at sea, what marine illness is and what suffering people who have fallen into the storm experience. I had to experience all this on the way back. Memories, honestly, are not pleasant. But it is one thing to transfer this once, and another to take such a trip every day (three hours there, three back). Or does Mikhalchuk believe that one day is enough on Solovki? Or really plans to throw tourists into Solovki by air? I wonder what penny such a vacation will be spent in?

One thing is reassuring: finding funding for this project is not so simple. And he may just sneake him. After all, there is not enough money even to repair roads on the islands. As it turned out at a meeting of the commission, this year, within the framework of the federal targeted investment program, it was planned to send about 300 million rubles to the development of Solovki, but the funds did not receive.

But the monastery finds philanthropists, and restoration work continues. Maybe there will be funds on the church museum? It seems that it all depends on goodwill.

Solovki

Photos from the site Patriarhia.ru