Human rights activist and priest

Memories of the priest Gleb Yakunin, one of the oldest members of the Moscow Helsinki Group

In Moscow, at the 81st year of life, a human rights activist, priest Gleb Yakunin, died after a serious illness.

In 1962, Gleb Yakunin was ordained a priest, but in May 1966 the church authorities were "until repentance - prohibited in service."

Father Gleb Yakunin is one of the oldest members of the Moscow Helsinki group . He participated in the dissident movement, served 5 years in the camp of political prisoners Perm-37, and then spent two and a half years in exile in Yakutia.

In the early 90s he took up active political activity, became the co-chair of the Democratic Russia movement. In 1990, he was elected People's Deputy of the RSFSR, was the deputy chairman of the Committee of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation for freedom of conscience.

In 1993, the Russian Orthodox Church imposed a ban on the participation of priests in the elections to the representatives of representative and executive branch . However, Gleb Yakunin did not obey this decision, was elected State Duma deputy. He was deprived of the priest's dignity . In 1997, for the non -discovery of the Holy Principles, he was excommunicated from the Russian Orthodox Church.

Gleb Yakunin has repeatedly been a guest of Radio Liberty, here is one of the programs with his participation - about the tragically deceased priest of the Russian Orthodox Church, theology and publicist Paul Adelheim .

The last time on the air of Radio Liberty, Gleb Yakunin's voice sounded on July 12, 2014 - on the day of the death of a journalist, opposition politician and public figure Valeria Novodvorskaya:

Memories of the priest Gleb Yakunin, one of the oldest members of the Moscow Helsinki Group

The departure of his father Gleb Yakunin says his friend Priest Jacob Krotov :

- I think that the death of his father Gleb Yakunin is a tragedy for many. At one time, back in the 60s, his life united, oddly enough, of various people. When the church authorities punished him by order of secular authorities and the KGB, many Moscow priests threw money away and secretly helped Father Gleb and his family. This was repeated in the late 70s, when he was sent to a concentration camp again. It was such a secret association. On the surface of the sea of the Russian father, Gleb was honored with a schismatic, and anathematized, and as soon as they were not scolded, but at a depth ... You know, if tomorrow the power that orders to scold, then all the cursing, starting with His Holiness Patriarch Kirill , will say, according to the conscience that this was one of the few real and faithful Christians. He was insincerely scolded and sincerely, and in the depths of his heart admired him and will admire. This is the strength of the personality of a person who always stood for the truth. This death is, of course, a loss for all of us, but this is an acquisition for saints, this is an acquisition for the work of freedom. Recently, his father Gleb had very little forces. For the past two months, he has been completely devoid of movement. But now that his life is completed, I think that this life is a lesson, in a sense, the icon, but not the one in front of which the forehead is broken, but the one with which they go to the barricades.

Gleb’s father is recalled by the former People’s Deputy of the USSR Sergey Stankevich:

- Father Gleb was a living person with an active conscience. He reacted directly to the events directly, directly, did not smooth out the corners and really was, as they say, by God's man. Without such people - righteous and preachers - Russia does not live. While many in the most difficult years of the beginning of democratic transformations in Russia were limited simply by some political slogans, he actively sought to change reality. Frankly, it was not easy with him precisely because of his uncompromisingness, but he was extremely needed. I can’t even imagine that it will not be with us anymore, and there is practically no one to replace it in the current conditions.

A human rights activist, a member of the Moscow Helsinki group Valery Borschev, is talking about the departure of Gleb Yakunin:

- The death of Father Gleb is the departure of an entire era. I have known him for almost 40 years. We met him in 1975, he then created the Committee for the Protection of the Rights of Believers, then it was the most acute problem. I participated with him in the activities of this committee. And I was struck by the amazing purity of Gleb's father, energy, optimism in the most difficult time. Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn wrote about Gleb's father in a letter to Patriarch Pimen that a person who poses the main problems of the church, society, and that he is prohibited in the ministry that the persecution of the Church was simply criminal for him, but this letter did not change the position of his father Gleb, he was prohibited for service. But he held on very courageously. The people gathered around him, he knew how to unite people, and people followed him. And then there was a camp. I came to him in 1984, the very next day, as soon as he left the camp, to Yakutia. There was December, a terrible cold, dull nature. And he was optimistic there, energetic. And I was amazed at his courage and energy. And having returned to Moscow in 1987, he immediately began active activity. I am amazed at this person! I am amazed at what he did, his role in the life of society, the church. And the fact that the Patriarchate did not restore him in the ministry, this is a severe reproach to her, the story will remember this. The story will remember the attitude to the father of Gleb, to this outstanding person who Russia can be proud of, the Church should be proud of, Russian society should be proud of. And I am proud that I was connected with this person. I am grateful to the fate that she brought me to him, and I'm afraid that such people will not appear for a very long time. Come on, Lord, the soul of the deceased servant of God Gleb.

About the role of Father Gleb Yakunin in the Russian social and religious life, the historian of religion, human rights activist Lev Regelson :

- I share with everyone our grief that a completely amazing person whom I know 50 years have left us, from the very beginning of my Christian path, from an early youth. From his student years, he was a friend of his father Alexander me , was one of his associates. Although they had completely different paths. Father Alexander Men was a missionary, never convicted anyone, but when someone condemned Gleb's father with him-why he was engaged in church policy, Father Alexander Men was strictly pulled out: "Do not dare to condemn Gleb’s father, he has such charisma from God, his very calling. You yourself can not do it, but do not condemn him." And he always, where he saw some kind of wickedness, spoke about it loudly, loudly. And this was scary in those days, and he had undergone a lot for this, and church persecution, and political ones, served the hardest time in the camp, in exile in Yakutia, weaved iron cables there with his hands. Apparently, there was a serious illness that brought him to the grave. But I must say that, although he denounced angrily, mercilessly, very sharply, but as a man he was the shortest, kindest, humble. Everyone who knew him can confirm this. And the most interesting thing is that even to those he convicted, he never had personal hatred. He died painfully, for a long time. The young doctor found out who he heals, read his work, imbued with reverence and said: "Many people went through my hands, but I have not met such a courageous person. He has terrible torment, and he does not even give a look."

The Lord accepted it for the holiday of Christmas, and this is a great sign. Only very chosen people the Lord takes on great holidays. And although we grieve very much, on the other hand, his earthly torment ended, and I will express the deepest confidence from myself, I will say to the Lord that we had a new prayer book at the throne of God - for the Church, for Russia, for the whole suffering world. For his heart burned with love for people. I ask everyone who can pray for him, and who does not know how to, just remember him with a kind word, ”recalls Lev Regelson.

Farewell to Gleb Yakunin will take place in the center of Moscow on Saturday, December 27, at 10 a.m. On the same day, he will be buried in the Pyatnitsky cemetery.