The patriarch lost

Sretenskaya Seminary, created by Metropolitan Tikhon, remains in the center of Moscow - in the monastery of the same name on Lubyanka

The publication in the "New", dedicated to the sensational decision of the ROC Synod of July 9 on the actual elimination of the Sretenskological Seminary in the center of Moscow, did not go unnoticed. After only two weeks, Patriarch Kirill issued a resolution that actually giving the return move to the decision of the Synod.

Recall: in the decision we are talking about creating a commission, which by August 1 should submit proposals for the “optimization” of joint activities of the Sretenskaya seminary and the Moscow Theological Academy (MDA) located in Sergiev Posad. So that there were no questions left of what form of “optimization” we are talking about, the rector of the MDA Archbishop Ambrose (Ermakov) was simultaneously appointed rector of the Sretensky seminary. It was assumed that the latter’s students would be relocated to Sergiev Posad and merged with the seminarians there, but MDA students - as an elite of the spiritual education of the Russian Orthodox Church - will be resettled to the center of Moscow, to the luxurious mansion of the Sretenskaya seminary, and they will also be transferred to them by the giant cathedral of the new martyrs of Russians.

Numerous experts and commentators, both inside the Russian Orthodox Church and near it, were not in doubt that the decision of the Synod, initiated by the Patriarch, was a blow to Metropolitan Tikhon, who had a reputation as the “confessor of Putin”. In recent years, Tikhon, who had held influential positions in the Russian Orthodox Church, gained significant media and hardware weight, becoming almost the official chief candidate for the patriarchs (and, possibly, during the life of Cyril).

On the one hand, Cyril, under the influence of high -ranking “spiritual children”, Tikhon was forced to make him a bishop and metropolitan. On the other hand, he managed to transfer from Lubyanka to the provincial Pskov department under the pretext of raising. But this did not become an obstacle to the “royal confessor” in the development of important ties and projects. So, sponsored by Norickel and Gazprom, he continues to build expensive historical dream parks “Russia is my history”, using interactive technologies of enthusiastic visitors by the grandeur of the past and real Orthodox superpower.

But Tikhon’s most important brainchild is the forge of his church personnel - the Sretenskaya seminary. Under it, he repelled the building of the only French gymnasium in Moscow, which was not lucky enough to be next to the Sretensky Monastery, having equipped it with the latest technology.

A graduate of VGIK, Tikhon put all his best images into the seminary - from the film “Byzantine Lesson”, from the book “Non -Saints” and even from those parks of historical dreams about Russia of the future, with a prayer on the lips of Antichristov America.

Patriarch Kirill correctly felt for the tip of the needle on which Koshcheeva Death was hidden. But the Patriarch was unable to break it.

The Sretenskaya Seminary remains in its place, gradually increasing to the level of the academy. It “gently integrates” from MD by separating educational specializations: practical, pastein and historical directions remain behind the “Sretenka”, and “abstract” theology and biblicalism are “abstract”. The patriarchal resolution speaks of involving other spiritual schools of the Russian Orthodox Church in this integration. In fact, the Moscow Patriarchate is trying to embark on the path of creating "specialized" educational institutions that will offer students different specializations. One academy will become historical, the other - the liturgical, the third - dogmatic, the fourth - biblical, etc. Is there enough teaching forces and technical resources of the Russian Orthodox Church for such ambitious transformations - a separate issue.

What resources did Metropolitan Tikhon use to defend his brainchild? He himself, having served in Pskov on July 24, he gave the glory of “our grandmother” - the holy Equal -to -the -Apostles Princess Olga, whose memory was celebrated on this day. But as the Church Telegram channel, which has access to some secrets of the Patriarchal Chancellery, “about the“ grandfather ”, who, as they say, almost personally asked the Patriarch not to touch the Sretenka, Metropolitan Tikhon says nothing.” This is true - Tikhon has always shown special delicacy in covering the question of his relationship with Putin. And Putin, obviously, trusts his informal confessor in church matters much more than a formal patriarch. The latter can only be reckoned with this annoying fact in building its church-state policy.

Finally, another important lesson in the failed “optimization”.

A certain semblance of civil society is born in the Russian Orthodox Church.

The era of meek trust and “obedience” by the Holy Principles even passed for the most humble church children. Not only the disgraced about. Andrei Kuraev and Vsevolod Chaplin, but also the seminarians themselves, teachers, law -abiding church sites and almost the entire Orthodox blogosphere. Their "Cathedral Voice" did not pass by the eyes of the patriarch. Perhaps this is the first example of at least some manifestation of “co-setting mechanisms” in the era of the authoritarian rule of Patriarch Kirill.