"He lived as he instructed"
Ten years ago, Alexander Men’s father was killed
In connection with the anniversary of the death of Father Alexander, commemorative events will be held in Moscow and the village of Semkhoz near Moscow, where he lived, on September 7, 8, 9 and 11. Among the “democrats” over the past ten years, it has been customary to often recall the rector of the Presentation Church in Novaya Derevnya, popular even in Soviet times among the intelligentsia, an outstanding priest, theologian and religious writer. But his killer was never found, and over time the memories became more and more ceremonial and formal.

To coincide with the tenth anniversary of the death of Archpriest Alexander Men, the international conference “Russia’s Choice” is timed, in which his son, vice-governor of the Moscow region Mikhail Men, director of the State Library of Foreign Literature Ekaterina Genieva, rector of the Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian Father Alexander Borisov, chairman of the Congress of Jewish religious organizations and associations of Russia Zinoviy Kogan, Deputy Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Central European Region of Russia Damir Gizatullin. On the day of death in the village of Semkhoz, the foundation of the temple under construction will be consecrated. The play “Murder in the Temple. Rehearsal” will be staged at the “At the Nikitsky Gate” theater, and at the Palace of Culture. Serafimovich will host an evening in memory of Father Alexander Men.
Father Alexander Borisov, rector of the Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Shubin, who had been friends with Men since childhood, shared his memories with a Kommersant correspondent on the eve of the anniversary of Alexander Men’s death:
— The church is often judged by spiritually and intellectually weak Christians—we meet such people more often. And Men is from that minority in whom the true Christian principle is realized. He lived as he preached, as he taught. He sincerely loved those whom God brought to him. And in any company he became the center - be it a small friendly feast or the hall of the Library of Foreign Literature. I was close to Christ in a special way, I knew Him as my close friend, not only from the Bible and many philosophical and theological books, but I knew Him mystically. This was knowledge acquired from internal, spiritual encounters with the Savior.
Today it is becoming increasingly clear how few people have such a reserve of love, kindness, intelligence, erudition and at the same time simplicity and openness that were characteristic of Father Alexander. There are many significant people next to whom you feel insignificant, but the truly great one is the one next to whom you feel better, smarter and more significant. That was Men.
His life was a confirmation of the truth: small knowledge leads away from God, and large knowledge (emphasis on the “o”) brings us closer to him. His education was phenomenal. Once, in the company of friends, he was traveling around Germany, they showed him the country where he had been for the first time. But when they approached any city, even the smallest one, with a little-known name, Father Alexander immediately began a story about historical events and people for which this city is famous. The same thing happened in Belgium and the Netherlands. I’m sure this would be the case in any city in Europe.
The main conclusion that I come to today, looking back at Me’s life, at his attitude towards life, towards people, towards God, is that he always proceeded not from what is bad around us, but from what is realistically possible, in the given circumstances to do for the preaching of the Gospel. But not only in the literal sense - to go out into the square and convert people to Christianity, but what can everyone do in their place, where the Lord has assigned them, to help people come to Christ.
Once, when asked by schoolchildren about the meaning of life, Alexander Men answered that for him the meaning of life is to do as much as possible for Christ every day. And I think that his life was such an answer to this question.

OKSANA Kommersant-ALEXEEVA

Newspaper "Kommersant" No. 166 dated 09/07/2000, page 9

Authors:

Oksana Alekseeva