The governor of the Sretensky Monastery of Vladyka Tikhon Shevkunov In 2017, according to mentioned in the media, Patriarch Kirill almost bypassed.

He is still called the confessor Vladimir Putin, despite the fact that he refutes his proximity to the president. He is stubbornly called the competitor of the Patriarch Kirill and attribute him the role of one of the "customers" in the case of director Kirill Serebrennikov. As a student of the Scenic Faculty of Vgika for 35 years has become a major church figure, the influence of which legends go to the Kremlin, Zoya Svetov was sought.

Black subdish, smoothly combed on probor dark ashes with a smart hair, a neat beard - Episcopes Egorievsky Tikhon Shevkunov meets me in his spacious office in the Sretenary seminary. Having learned about my parish, he quickly finishes a conversation, and his visitors hurry come out of the office.

Not a confessor Putin

"How to call you: Father Tikhon? Vladyka Tikhon? " - I ask.

"I'm not used to knowing me to be called Lord, call the father of Tikhon, (ordained in the bishops in 2015 - Z.S.) Democratic offers he and invites you to sit on a leather sofa. He himself sits in front of me in a chair, puts one to another two iPhone on the coffee table. It does not turn them off, only reduces the sound and throughout our conversation both iPhon literally explode SMS. Father Tikhon asks to bring us herbal tea. I look around. Photos of the Pskovo-Pechersk elder John of the Peastery with the father of Tikhon, the collected works of Dostoevsky. A huge writing desk, in the whole wall, a bright picture - a rustic landscape, reminding the cover of the book of Shevkunova - "Unlock Saints". On interviews we agreed on two months - at first Shevkunov refused to me rather sharply. I wrote SMS that I would like to talk to him, because I write about it an article: "I know that several articles have been ordered now. Even the movie. I can not give an interview now regardless of the topic. Act, "he wrote in response.

I replied that he was mistaken, no one orders articles. He wrote: "God will forgive you. Do your job. " But when I asked him to talk about my mom, the religious writer Zoya Krathmalnikova, convicted in 1983 for the year of prison and five years of reference for publication in the West collections of Christian reading "Nadezhda", Shevkunov still agreed to talk.
We talked about ten minutes about the mother and Soviet religious dissidents, and then about an hour about everything. As a result, an interview was published on Radio "Freedom". Shevkunov strongly asked me to send the text, because he thoroughly edits his interview.

When I got a vulneted interview text, it turned out that Vladyka threw several very interesting moments that talk a lot about his attitude to important issues of Russian life.

I asked him if He really showed President Putin's film Kirill Serebrennikov "Student", which led to the emergence of the "Theater Cause" and the arrest of the Khuruk "Gogol Center" Kirill Serebrennikov.

- Gossip, gossip. I did not watch this movie Kirill Serebrennikov, did not watch anything he did.

- Well, you know what the director is there?

- Yes of course I know.

- How do you know if you watched anything?

"When I was told that I forbade his performance, I, of course, asked more seriously, who he is." But before that I heard about him. I am very little moving now. Well, if one film in a year I manage to see.

- "Student" - a very rigid anticleric film.

"I know, I know his plot, I was told about him, I resulted in the article somewhere.

- But did you ever see it? And Putin did not show?

- Well, what are you kidding?

- I tell you what they say.

- You never say what they say.

- Then explain why?

- Because the liar and gossips.

- To harm you?

- No, just to chat and create the appearance of your awareness. I showed Putin? I have nothing to do! Bullshit! You say that I uncertainly appreciated Venediktov's statement (wediscuss from nIM statement Venediktova about tom, what jacob Shevkunovmesslo on the spectacle "Nureev" self monakhs., which spectacle notliked, and Shevkunov complained Midage — Z.. FROM. ) I respect the Venediktov as a professional. Our positions are radically diverged with him, but a professional he, of course, is great, what to say there. And created such a stunning, so to speak, a person who is hostile to me personally.

Vladimir Medinsky (left) and Tikhon Shevkunov. Photo: Yuri Martyanov / Kommersant

- Hostile, because it is atheistic?

- No, atheists, Lord! Today he is an atheist, tomorrow - a believer.

- Who is the enemies for you then?

- Enemies of my belief. They have some convictions, I have others. I do not say that they must be eliminated, shoot, prohibit. There are opponents, rigid opponents. I call the enemies here with hard opponents. Hard opponents can reach hostility. What is a host? This is an irreconcilable attitude towards one position or another. Right? And every person - the creation of God for us. And we do not in any way be transferred to a person hostility towards one or another its ideas, the worldview, which contradicts our. His ideas we can criticize and denounce and disagree with them. I was committed definitely said: "Alexey Alekseevich Venediktov, the chief editor of the Echo of Moscow is lying." Point. As the people say: "It's lying like pancakes bake."

- And he answered you?

- I was shown guys, I asked to track. He said: "I do not know how to pancakes."

After the editorial of Shevkunov, the entire fragment of Alexei Venediktov from an interview disappeared, but remained on my voice recorder.

Disappeared from the interview and another very interesting fragment:

- You do not think that today's FSB employees are the successors of the NKVD, KGB?

- I do not think. I am familiar with several FSB employees. I know a man who worked in intelligence. He is much older than me, I respect him infinitely. This is Nikolai Sergeevich Leonov, Lieutenant-General, our intelligence officer. Of course, they did not participate in all these repression. And even more modern law enforcement agencies.

- Do they behave rudely?

- Not. They came for an incomprehensible reason and were looking for traces of money. They came to me as a journalist. And one of the Isotherapists, reading the search protocol at my mother, said that the involutes of investigators who spent almost forty years ago a search from the man.

- Probably, these are their teachers. Now to say the current employee as I know them and imagine that you are direct heirs and continuers of the business of berries and horses, my language will not turn.

- Why not followers Andropov, for example?

- As far as I know, Andropov Many respect. Many are categorically tough against. Young guys who came to the military service to guard the peace and security of the state. I do not like, for example, that some have a portrait or bust of Dzerzhinsky.

- And Stalin?

- Stalin never seen. But I do not like Dzerzhinsky, I can express it, but this is their personal matter. You know, on business find out.

- That is, it does not bother you that repressions are taking place in Russia?

- I see, of course, that some cases are excited. Cases, including, under the article "Violation of Public Order". According to the articles of the Criminal Code, but people say that in fact it is a political persecution. In these things you need to understand, I do not know. If there really was some demonstration under political slogans unauthorized, yes. Well, the guys detained and released. As I understand it is normal, as all over the world, practice. If someone hit the policeman or threw a stone into it, this is already the article of the Criminal Code. You can spare this person if he falls under the amnesty and so on. The law comes into effect. I can plan him, but at the same time say: "Listen, you go out," I must go to the square ", remember? Come out, this is the debt of your conscience, but the stones do not need to rush! "

Communication with Father Tikhon caused me a lot of questions: Is it true that he did not see the film "Pupil" of Serebrennikov and is it true that with Vladimir Putin he is quite a bit known? Is he really believes that the enemies of the church ordered films and articles against him, wanting to weaken the influence of the ROC on society?

Student "Sheptunov"

The future bishop and governor of the Sretensky Monastery, in the world of Gosh Shevkunov, after graduation in 1977 he entered VGIK to the scenario Faculty of Evgeny Grigoriev (authorscenario films "Romance about lovers ", "Three day Victor Chernysheva — Z.. FROM.) and to the faith of Tula, the widow of the writer Nazima Hikmet. As his fellow students tell, Gosha did without any Blat. His mother Elena Shevkunova, a well-known doctor, founder of the laboratory for the diagnosis and treatment of toxoplasmosis, dreamed that the Son would go to a doctor, but Gosha chose a movie.

Gosha Shevkunov (right) and Andrei Dmitriev, 1977. Photo: Personal archive Dmitriev

"He grew up without his father, read Dostoevsky, wrote well, remember him with a slim boy with burning eyes," Schucunova is remembered, Writer Elena Lobachevskaya. - For Goosh, Evgeny Grigoriev was like a father. In Vgika, then read the lectures of Paola Volkov (coursesuniversal stories arts andmaterial culture — Z.. FROM.) , Philosopher Merab Markdashvili. I had Gosha's books from Solzhenitsyn. And Master Evgeny Grigoriev spoke to us in class that Solzhenitsyn is a great Russian writer, and Gosha listened carefully. "

Another fellow students of Shevkunova, writer Andrei Dmitriev, in his student years was one of his loved ones. Over time, their paths were separated: Dmitriev now lives in Kiev and it is not going to come to Moscow. Shevkunov called him during the events in Maidan, was interested in what was going on there. Since then, not calling.

"He is my godfather. I was baptized even before he became a monk. I am very expensive to me, despite our cardinal difference in views. Gosha is one of the most talented people I know. Whether the great-grandfather, or the grandson of Eser, who prepared an attempt on the emperor's sovereign. His mother was an outstanding Soviet epidemiologist, but they lived in a small apartment in Chertanovo and, as Gosha told, he worked in some kind of construction team, and one of the guys who worked with him, persuaded him to act in VGIK. The guy failed, and Gosha passed. He was so naive, clean, like Candid. I completely sincerely spoke to me in the first year in 1977: "Let's publish a magazine." I explained to him: "It is impossible." He did not understand:

- Why?

- We will put, - I said.

He did not believe me.

Gosha invented different stories. For example, I remember, he wrote a script about Ilya Muromster, there was still some story about a person who sits in his apartment and manipulates other people, something was about the nightingale robber. "

Dmitriev is not a snog remember the plot of the graduation work Shevkunova. One of the employees of Vgika said that it was called the "driver." This is a story about a man at a crossroads who does not know how to live him. In the scenario there is a scene with a dove when the hero turns her neck, caught him on the windowsill. Confirm that this was the plot of the graduation scenario of Shevkunov, failed: in Vgika, the manuscript was not allowed.

Writer Elena Paradise, who studied for a year older Shevkunova, remembers him well, although he communicated with him: "He was smiling, soft, quiet. When I learned that later he dedicated himself to the church, was not surprised. He was always always-repelled, enlightened, which is called, not from this world. "

Olga Yavorskaya, another VGIK graduate, a few other memories of Father Tikhon: "He came to our hostel, and we called Gosha Sheptunov. I think no accident. "

However, Andrei Dmitriev does not believe that it could be recruited at the Institute: "I don't know that, he was a commercial course, we collected contributions together, and then together were given them. I have never heard someone call him "whispeur", maybe this myth has developed later. "

Gosh Shevkunov was fond of Baptists and with Dmitriev walked to services. And then Dmitriev, who in childhood lived in Pskov, told a friend about the Pskovo-Pechersk Monastery, and at the fourth year of Shevkunov went there in search of God.

Pskovo-Pechersk Lavra. Photo chronic tass

Novice Gosh Shevkunov

"Then the only train of Moscow-Tartu was, he stayed in Pechoras, one night Gosha came off the train, knocked on the gate of the monastery. He was allowed, and so he became a novice, "recalls Dmitriev.

In the book "Unlock Saints" Shevkunov writes a lot about the Pskovo-Pechersk monastery, about monks, about their lives in the monastery. Dmitriev says there is a story that is not written in the book: "He lived in the monastery and wrote the graduate scenario. The governor was Gabriel, a hard man and, apparently, Gosha resisted this totalitarian monastic system. Since childhood, he had chronic pneumonia, he weighed 49 kilograms then. And Gabriel sent him to the Cake, where he had to sleep on a stone bench, and once his mother arrived at the monastery. She was generally against his monastic stop, and when he saw, in what poor condition he was frightened. She appealed to his teacher faith Tulyakova, begging her to pull her son from the monastery. Tulakova called Vladyka Pitirim, who then headed the publishing department of the Moscow Patriarchate, and asked to take Goshu Shevkunov to Moscow: he de professional cinematographer and can be useful. The date of the Millennium of the Baptism of Russia was approaching, and Gosha could shoot movies. Once in the publishing department at the Vladyka Pitirim, he quickly entered a very serious circle, and in Pechoras it was only on only the departures. "

Archimandrite Zinon, one of the most authoritative masters of Russian icon painting (in 1995 year per contribution in church art received Games RF— Z.. FROM.) In the mid-80s, he lived in the same Pskovo-Pechersk monastery. He tells a completely different version of the chain of Shevkunov to the Publishing Department of the Moscow Patriarchate: "He worked for a long time in the monastery on Corovnik, he did not like it, and, obviously, his patience was already on the outcome. He told me that one day the governor asked him to hold a tour of the monastery of some kind of officer KGB with his wife (according to another monk, who was told Shevkunov, he spent the excursion not to Officer KGB, but some prominent parties with his wife). So, the wife of this officer asked what his education was. When he heard that he graduated from VGIK, it was horrified that a person with such education sits in this hole. She asked her husband to arrange a pretty novice to Lord Pitirim. So Gosha was in Moscow. He said that his mother was unbelieving and did not agree to go to the monastery. She allowed her son to take a tonsure, but only in Moscow. " Many years later, a friend of Shevkunova, Zurab Chavchavadze talked in one of the interviews that Elena Anatolyevna Shevkunova was baptized at the end of his life and accepted the monastic stop.

Another monk, who lived in the Pskovo-Pechersk Monastery in the same years, recalls that Gosha was then boasting his connections to the KGB.

Father Zinon does not exclude that Shevkunov could "recruit" still in Vgika: "I think it is possible. Once he came running to my workshop very excited: "Major KGB came with me, and he wants to see how you write icons, can you accept it?" I tell him: "You know how I treat this public. How could you, not warning me in advance, to promise a person that I will accept it? I will not talk to him. " He snorted: "You pushed a person from the church." And since then, he stopped with me any communication. "

Sergey Pugachev (second left), Sergey Fursenko, Yuri Kovalchuk, Vladimir Yakovlev, Vladimir Putin and Tikhon Shevkunov (from left to right), 2000s. Photo: Personal archive of Sergei Pugacheva

"Outheard Gosha Sheptunov"

Georgy Shevkunov remained a novice for almost ten years and did not take the monastic post. As the abbot of the Sretensky monastery, he told his parishioners, which decided to monasticism, almost running out from under the crown, leaving the bride, which was considered one of the most beautiful girls in Moscow. One of his friends says that the future Archimandrite had an affair with a famous actress, but he preferred the monastic career: as if one of the elders predicted him in the future, the patriarchal deputy.

Be that as it may, but, being in Moscow, a graduate of Vgika and the novice began to make a successful church career.

"He always liked secular intrigues," recalls Journalist Evgeny Komarov, who worked in the late 1980s in the publishing department of the Moscow Patriarchate. - Goshak, in any particular subdivision, did not work, communicated directly with Pitirim, was his "Okrichnik", as he himself said. Accompanied him on bohemian parties, communicated with the arriving Western bishops. He was already able to drink it was impossible: he drove quickly. It felt a worship before the power by the preconditions. We jokingly called him not the "novice of Gosh Shevkunov", and "Puthelsman Gosha Sheptunov". "

Another former employee of the Publishing Department of the MP on the conditions of anonymity says that in the 90s, the KGB staff began to tap them, Shevkunov was able to communicate with them. He said that it was necessary to cooperate, because only the special services would be able to protect the country from Satanism and Islamism that the KGB is the power that is able to keep the state from decay.

In 1990, he published the "Church and the State" program in the Soviet Russia newspaper, which claimed: "The democratic state will inevitably try to weaken the most influential church in the country, leading to the ancient principle" divide and conquer "."

In August 1991, he was ordained in Hieromona.

"Shevkunova had a complex transition from partition to church-bureaucratic position. He headed the cinema from the Lord of Pitirim, then served as Jereodyakon in the Don monastery, everything went smoothly, and then he realized that it was necessary to change the status, "says Sergey Chapnin, a journalist and a former responsible editor of the Moscow Patriarchate magazine.

The beginning of the 90s is the time when the ROC returned the temples taken into Soviet times. In 1990, the father of Georgy Kochetkov was appointed rector of the Vladimir Temple of the Sretensky Monastery. Alexander Copyovsky's arrival of the parish tells that at that time the Father's community Georgia numbered about a thousand parishioners, was constant catechization, they tried to equip the temple. But in November 1993, Patriarch Alexy decided to transfer to the monastery of Hieromonakh Tikhon Shevkunov, who was going to create a compound of the Pskovo-Pechersk monastery.

"Apparently, there was a political background here," Copyrovsky argues. "The Sretensky monastery is located on Lubyanka, and, probably, those who worked nearby, did not like the neighborhood with our community: we were engaged in catechization, and foreigners came to us."

Kochetkovtsy served in Russian, and they were called them in the ROC new renovants. The parishioners of Father Georgia considered the eviction of the Sretensky Monastery "Radier Capture", the Patriarch Decree appeared only after the Cossacks came into the temple, which were actively supported by the father of Tikhon Shevkunov.

"When Shevkunov was driven by Kochetkov's Sretensky Monastery, he realized that he needed a system media resource. So in his orbit appeared Alexander Krutov with the "Russian home", "says Sergey Chapnin. - He realized that he needed a professional analyst, Nikolay Leonov appeared. And through Leonov (Nikolay Leonov - Head of the analytical division of the KGB of the USSR - Z. S.) He entered the gebean circle. "

Former Senator and Banker Sergey Pugachev says that it was he who became acquainted with Tikhon's father with the future president Vladimir Putin in 1996. Then Putin served as Deputy Guidelines for the Presidential Administration. Somehow Pugachev brought Putin to the service to Sretensky Monastery. After that, they began to communicate.

Sergey Pugachev and Lyudmila Putin during pilgrimage to the Pskovo-Pechersk Monastery, the mid-2000s. Photo: Personal archive of Sergei Pugacheva

Spiritual adviser to the president

"I know Tikhon since the 90s. We were very friendly, -Ex-senator. - He is a real adventurer. In the 90s, he was a terrible monarchist, he was friends with the deceased now the sculptor with the glory to slab, monarchist Zurab Chavchavadze, Krutov, the editor-in-chief of the Russian House. At the same time, he is very Soviet: he loves Soviet songs, sobs under the marches of "Slavs". Forces the Chorus of the Sretensky Monastery to fulfill Soviet songs. He has a vinaigrette in his head: everything was confused there. He has, in my opinion, a terrible feature for the priest: Genuing. For example, Nikita Mikhalkov is his idol. When he sees him, loses the gift of speech. "

At the end of 1999, Shevkunov told the guarantee of Kanon about how Putin had a dacha near St. Petersburg, and the only thing that survived was a native cross. Began to talk and write that Father Tikhon -duvnik Putin. This is today he says that this is not the case, and he "has the happiness to know the president quite a bit." And in the early 2000s, the status of the "President of the President" Shevkunov quite satisfied. In August 2000, Sergey Pugachev, together with Shevkunov, took Putin to Starta John the Peasantician to the Pskovo-Pechersk Monastery. And in 2003 it was he, and not Patriarch Alexey, accompanied the president on a trip to the United States. And there, Putin handed the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church abroad, the invitation of the Patriarch to visit Russia. This was the beginning of the unification of the Orthodox churches divided after 1917, which for many years were considered hostile to each other.

"He gave Putin very powerful, in the literal sense of the word Imperial experience - Thanks to Shevkunov, Putin played a major role in the unification of the foreign church with the Moscow Patriarchate," says Sergey Chapnin. "I have no doubt that Putin is grateful to Shevkunov for getting a chance to enter the story. As a telecommunication church. Putin attracted anti-Sovetchists on his side (the Russian Orthodox Church abroad-Z.S.), revived the church, became the president not only in Russia, but also the Russians in scattering - this is a very serious intangible capital, which Putin could not receive without Shevkunov. I think that the president is valued and grateful to Shevkunov. And Shevkunov this gently uses this. "

Now Shevkunov is headed by the Commission for the Investigation of the Murder of the Tsarist Family and is responsible for ensuring that the Investigation Committee recognize the authentic Ekaterinburg remains to be solemnly buried at the St. Petersburg Petropavlovsky Cathedral in the summer of 2018.

Sergey Pugachev says that in the Kremlin, near the former Cabinet Stalin, Boris Yeltsin also opened a house temple. According to the ex-senator, once in this 15-meter room, Father Tikhon Shevkunov was adjacent to Vladimir Putin. "I was against," recalls Pugachev. "Putin was late for the service, and the confession lasted half a second."

It was Shevkunov who oversaw the construction of the temple in the residence of Putin Novo-Ogarevo in the village of Usovo. This was confirmed by Dyakon Andrei Kuraev, who once arrived there along with Shevkunov.

Among the spiritual chad of Shevkunov is called the former Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov, Governor of St. Petersburg Georgy Poltavchenko, head of the Security Council of Nikolai Patrushev, Head of the Constitutional Court, Valery Zorkina, General KGB Nikolai Leonova, TV presenter Andrei Malakhov, Deputy of the State Duma and Chief Editor of the Culture newspaper Elena Yampolskaya, which She was the editor of the book Shevkunov "Unlock Saints". Yampolskaya became famous for the rashly said Maxim: "Russia is able to keep two forces over the abyssless. The first is called - God. Second - Stalin. "

Tikhon Shevkunov and Vladimir Putin. Photo: Valery Sharifin / Tass

"His goal is the Orthodox Taliban"

Lina Starostina first came to Father Tikhon, together with her son more than 20 years ago, in the Don Monastery. Then followed him to Sretensky. "He had an incredible power of prayer," Lina recalls. - To him in the Don Monastery, the queue was built. He is very humane, always enters your circumstances, communicates always friendly, without rudeness. He is not a chaser, calmly refers to comfort, but he has a bad taste. Attributes for worships can cost huge money. He willingly helps those who need.

I remember, as one of the sermons, Tikhon said that the Lord finally gave Russia a believer president, and now you can build an Orthodox state. I understand now that his goal is the Orthodox Taliban, the Orthodox Empire. He is a man of ideas. The main idea is: if not cooperating with the authorities, then the Antichrist will come, who will destroy the church. If Tikhon's father was asked for whom to vote, he always answered: you know for whom. His sermons were preaching love to neighbor and to enemies - as it should be in the gospel. At the same time, he called the enemies of Catholics and those who support gays. "

Lina Starostina left the arrival of the Sretensky Monastery in 2014, when someone from the parishioners said that Father Tikhon supported the accession of the Crimea and the input of troops to Ukraine, and another priest did not bless her to make a rally against war. A month ago, when Shevkunov stated that the IC should check the version of the ritual murder of the royal family, Lina wrote him an open letter, which was published on the site « Achilla ":

"I tA sAMI jewish, that more 20 years was nearby, in monasticparish. Now— that You great and influential face, not only in MP, takeabove, but then, fourth century back… To me trusted first Veinsula (sew — Z.. FROM.) and upprotl doing, not it was yet workshops, and i crawled at home on theknees, fear to step on the sacred the cloth, when shila her. AND you servedliturgy on the it is prestole, not it was attacks disgust?

AND Curtain Easter, first Easter. When you opened us Tsarsky gate, as entrance in Paradise, You already then wheel top, to what touch my hands? Icould be of these, not? Not felt? We ordered to me restorestole elder John Peastery, you everyone year nailed her beforeGreat post., out out on the Chin forgiveness, she is not soul you? You sosincerely asked forgiveness from himself and all brethren monastery, but everything— takisuspected?

What for you solkali. to me, when i asked you 20 years back:

— Batyushka, write and speak, what jews kill christian infants. Buti, my close and acquaintances, this is unthinkable!

You said then — take it easy, not, sure.

You tribified us: » Our fight not vs flesh and blood, but vs spirit maliceintended».

Not not you repeat us, what » our fatherland — Kingdom God» ?

» Check naught a heart, main criterion — love to enemies. Until you readyto pay evil per evil, you not know Christ» .

how you could throw heavy accusation my blood brothers and sisters, after togo, as thousands, dozens thousand buried in Babire Yar., there and mypradady? After togo, as many of jews baptized, become priestsnight all and everything. After murders father Alexandra Me? how many time youpray per me and mo. seven, but you overhead doubt? You knew about myancestors and silent?

If a everything these years suspicion poisoned your monastic feat, sorry.

When— that you spoke: Church should be gonima, to clear andbe Loyal, but from am. built tomb prophets, together from them notrepentant killers.

Time change, and of favorites « elites " you you can become chasing anddespised.

If a what, come under my shelter, w. us you will be in security, wedivide a piece, even if a is he will be last ".

At the birthday of the former wife Sergei Pugacheva Galina. Tikhon Shevkunov (extreme left) and Nikolai Patrushev (second right). Photo: Personal archive of Sergei Pugacheva

Church businessman

Sergei Pugachev for many years financed the projects of Shevkunov: gave money for the publisher, on the collective farm "Resurrection" in the Ryazan region and on the Skit, in which the monks of the Sretensky Monastery live. After showing the film "Distilik" TV channel "Rain" on Artyodfesta Dyakon Andrei Kuraev shared his knowledge about this sovereign, in which the entrance is ordered by a simple person: "This skete is a closed organization, where no one is not allowed, except for the VIP guests." Andrei's father confirmed that in the sovereign, the helicopter platform was specifically built so that the Vips "could come and communicate with monks."

Check from the "CONTENT"

At the Sretensky Monastery there is a large bookstore and cafe "Unlock Saints". According to the register of individual entrepreneurs, the sales revenues in the store enter the individual entrepreneur to the monk by Nicodema (in the world of Beknev, Nikolay Georgievich), which has the right to trade with retailers, wholesale of ceramics and glass, engage in restaurants and dozens of other types of economic activity). A big question: why was it necessary to open an IP monk, which by definition gives vow of poverty? Why not entrust the management of economic activities of Mijanin?

However, the monk is Nicodemus - a long-time trustee of Tikhon's father. He is a member of the Patriarchal Council on Culture, where Shevkunov is the Chairman. It was on his instructions and blessing that, Nicodemis witnessed the accusation of the course of the curators of the "Forbidden Arts 2006" of Yuri Samodurov and Viktor Erofeev in 2010.

According to the "Spark" base, Georgy Shevkunov himself owns 14.29% of the shares of the Sunday collective farm. In 2015, the profit of the company amounted to about 7 million rubles.

Shevkunov also owns the share in the Russian Culture Foundation, which in turn belongs to the Russian House publishing house. According to Spark, the net loss of the Fund is 104 thousand rubles. It belongs to Father Tikhon and the share in the return fund, where the Minister of Culture Midage and his deputy - Aristarkh had previously had his own sec.

No data on the shares or property of Shevkunov in open sources was not found.

Check from the "Personalization" store, discharged by IP BECHENEV NG (Ieromona Nicodemis Baczhev, the average of the Sretensky Monastery)

Effective manager

In recent years, two large projects were held by the father of Tikhon Shevkunov - the construction of the church of Novomartvikov and Russian confessors in the Sretensky monastery and the exhibition "My Story" in different regions of Russia.

The temple was solemnly consecrated on May 25, 2017. It was built for three years, and all this time around the construction did not subside fierce disputes. Many architects were surprised that the temple turned out to be so huge, and for its construction had to demolish several historical buildings, in addition, the project competition won by anyone's not known designer Dmitry Smirnov, who has no architectural education.

"When a project of a giant temple in the territory of the Sretensky Monastery came to our methodological department, I made a sharply opposed," said Deputy General Director of the Museums of the Moscow Kremlin, the historian of architecture Andrei Batalov. "I believed that the temple in the name of new martyrs should be extremely modest and contain allocations to the catacombs, which served priests and hierarchs in the name of the persecution."

The opinion of Batalova changed after Shevkunov invited him to the Sretensky monastery. Batalov saw the parishioners do not fit into the old small temple and stand on the street. He agreed with the father of Tikhon that the temple should "marvel the feat of new homeworgles and become a sign that it is impossible to destroy Christianity in our country." Architect Ilya Utkin, who is known for its temple buildings, also participated in this competition, but his project was rejected. He says that when Shevkunov represented the competitive projects to Patriarch Kirill, he "pointing" led him precisely to Dmitry Smirnov's layout, which was later recognized as the winner.

"From an architectural point of view, this project represented a completely impossible picture. It was a feeling that in the open field there is such a fabulous terme, where the blue sky and the golden dome. Unprofessional work made by absolute amateurs "- assesses the winner Architect Utkin.

With Yuri Cooper, who since the 70s lived between Paris and Moscow, Father Tikhon met in Voronezh, where he came along with the Minister of Culture by Alexander Avdeev. Cooper decorated the new building of the Voronezh Drama Theater. "Avdeev recommended me to Shevkunov, and he invited me to the project of the construction of the temple," Kupper says. - I did only the outer part of the temple. Dmitry Smirnov was my assistant. He is not an architect, but a computer. I refused to make the interior of the temple. The fact that Tikhon offered to make inside the temple turned out to be very tasteless, a certain space for nouveau, there is nothing religious. All walls are recorded by terrible frescoes. "

Yuri Cooper says his friendly relations with Shevkunov gave a crack, and Dmitry Smirnov after the construction of the temple never mentioned his last name and did not say that he participated in this project: "Dmitry has no education, he has a computer who worked with me for many years. Tikhon lured him to himself, and now he does all projects with him. "

I asked Yuri Cooper, not anti-Semite Lee Shevkunov, because he sometimes speaks about the nationalist and storm. "No, nothing was. He offered to become my godfather, "the artist said.

Shevkunov came up with the exhibition "Russia - My Story" and the whole 2017 went with them throughout Russia. Next year, these projects will continue. The initiative group on the nomination of Vladimir Putin to the presidency, as is known, was gathered at this exhibition at VDNH in Moscow.

The Ministry of Education and Science suggested that university rectors use these expositions to organize the extracurricular work of students and to retraining history teachers. This initiative has indignant members of a free historical society. They appealed to the Minister of Education Olga Vasilyeva with an open letter, requiring a public professional examination of these exhibitions.

And the Center for Anti-Corruption Research and Initiatives "Transparerency International - R" became interested in financing exhibitions: "From 2013, almost 150 million rubles were allocated only through the presidential grant system to create the content of the exhibition, through the Ministry of Culture subsidies - 50 million rubles, the technical support of the exhibitions was in 160 million, and on the construction of the pavilion on the VDNH, where the exhibition is now constantly located, I spent 1.5 billion (this is without accounting regional costs, but, eg, building one exhibition complex in St.— Petersburg cost in 1.3 billion rubles — Z.. FROM. ). In addition, the exhibition is actively financing the Russian business, "says the expert of the Center Anastasia Oriolga. - Received budget financing is absolutely not competitive, that is, in fact in 2013, a specific network of organizations was created under the specific idea of \u200b\u200ba particular person, which was guaranteed financial support for several years ahead. It is quite difficult to imagine another similar structure, which could be so easy to ensure active support both in Moscow and in the regions, and in four years will smooth up in a federal scale project. "

Tikhon Shevkunov at the presentation of the book "Uninterrupted Saints" in the framework of the XXIV Moscow International Book Exhibition-Fair at the Exhibition Center. Photo: Maxim Shemets / Tass

Man in shell

Since 2000, when, from the filing of Shevkun himself, some of the journalists said that Father Tikhon is the confessor of Putin, as soon as he was not called - "Lubyansky Archimandrite", "the confessor of His Majesty", "the confessor with Lubyanka". True, he himself was not in a hurry to refute his proximity to the head of the state, receiving certain dividends from the status of the "Celebrator". His book "The Uninformed Saints" has already withstanding 14 publications and leaves millpic circuses, translated into several languages. In an interview with RBC Shevkunov, he said that he earned about 370 million rubles from the sale of books and invested them in the construction of the temple. Filmed in 2008, the film "Byzantine lesson" consolidated the image of anti-Paddnik and Markobes for him. Sergey Pugachev argues that now Shevkunov is afraid of his own shadow:

"Several years ago, he came to me in London and begged me:" Let's go to the forest, and then I will listen to Western services everywhere. " For listening to the FSB, he is used to listening. But his anti-comma idea came to a new round. He repeated: "Westerners want to destroy our country." Some stream of consciousness. In general, he looks like Igor Sechin. Only in Ryasa. His ministers are sitting in the reception hours. He bathes in this and is very afraid to lose it. If he doesn't like something or someone, he can become very tough. "

Journalist and publisher Sergey Chapnin calls Tikhon Shevkunov the main interpreter of Russian history for power. "He tells the president, what a great country he managed. Starting from the film about Byzantium, he creates a new "author" mythology, using a modern political language, quite understandable who sits in the Kremlin, "Capin argues. - In the film "Byzantine lesson" he explained for the teapots the history of the fall of Byzantium and the insidious role of the West. And soon he decided that thereby found the key to the history of Russia. Unlike many bishops, he is all interested. Sometimes he says reasonable things, but when they listen, as accents are arranged, it becomes scary - the desire for the search for enemies of the bishop Tikhon does not leave. "

The historian and researcher of the Russian Orthodox Church Nikolai Mitrochin explains why Shevkunova did not handquare for so long in the bishops: "He is a bishop on relations with the FSB, I think he was as part of the FSB representative in the church. And it was for this reason that he did not make it a bishop, although he earned it in formal indicators for 15 years ago. And hardly done now. The church people of Efesbesbachnikov do not love much, especially does not promote such ambitious characters.

All his biography in the newest period indicates its explicit links with the FSB. He has some pretty serious money, good connections with Efesbobes. Street, where the Sretensky Monastery is located, this street by agreement with the FSB - his street. He destroyed the French school, which stood on the territory of the monastery, elevated his giant temple. It is clear that he did not do this on the income from the publisher. He got money somewhere. "

"Efesbesbachnies like to have a nas, who all the more and the same place sticks to 25 years, says Mitrochin. - They feed it as they can, assist His help and services. He is ideologically coincided with them, with their ideological vision of the world and with all other things. I revised the film "Byzantine lesson." This is the ideal statement of textbooks on which you study at the FSB Academy, only in the historical analogy: a conspiracy, an irreconcilable enemy, pressure on power and a state through internal groups. The logic of the tutorial of the KGB Institute. I read that they wrote on Soviet history. "

The editor-in-chief of the portal "Kredo.ru" Alexander Soldatov believes that Patriarch Kirill did not want to handraffer Shevkunov to the bishops because of jealousy: he was captured by the presidential administration, "he was sure.

"According to the Charter of the Moscow Patriarchate, the Candidate of Patriarch must have the experience of managing dioceses. Shevkunova has no such experience, and he does not yet give the Episcopian department. But, if necessary, the charter will rewind, "the soldiers continue.

SHEVKOVNA WRITE Writer Andrei Dmitriev divides his friends and familiar people at the people of the shell and the "ridge people".

"Does not mean the ridge man - a strong, the ridge may be weak," explains his theory of Dmitriev. - It does not mean that the shell protects, the sheath can be chill. Mayakovsky was a man of a shell, because he could not live in itself. This is either a party or family of briks, or someone else.

Shevkunov is one of the brightest people of the era, he cannot without a shell, he always sought this shell. But the shell is influential and spiritual. "

"Shevkunov symbolizes the conservative wing in the ROC, says one of the priests on the conditions of anonymity. - He is a pragmatist and romantic at the same time. His main idea is Russia - the Orthodox country, and the churches of the Cheekists are the right security officers. He really loves the church more than Christ, and it is dangerous if the ideology and faith at some point cluster, and the faith will be reduced to ideology. "

And yet, as in one head, friendship is stacked with security officers and the glorification of new martyrs?

Father Joseph Kierman, who met with the novice of Gauchan Shevkunov in the Pskovo-Pechersk Monastery in the late 80s, offers its explanation: "Chekists have thought of building the Soviet Church from the very beginning to build a Soviet Church so that the parishioners were simply Soviet people. They wanted to leave the appearance of the church, and inside everything to change. Tikhon is one of these Soviet people. The latest idea of \u200b\u200bthe devil: Mix everything to be together and Ivan the Terrible, and the Holy Metropolitan Philip. There were also new martyrs, and their tormentors who suddenly turned out to be good, because political Orthodoxy sees both Grozny and Rasputin - Saint, and Stalin - the faithful chance of the Church. This mixing is the last know-how Devil. "

The governor of the Sretensky Monastery, the confessor of the Putin family.

Archimandrite Tikhon, He is also Georgy Alexandrovich Shevkunov, born in 1958. He graduated from the Scenic Faculty of All-Union Institute of Cinematography. Soon after the end of Vgika went to the Pskovo-Pechersk Monastery, where nine years was a novice, and then took the monastic stop. Returned to Moscow, he worked at the Publishing Department of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Ten years ago, Shevkunov first made a press as one of the ideologues of the fundamentalist destination of the Russian Orthodox Church, published by the article "Church and the State", in which he was openly expressed his attitude towards democracy. "The democratic state is quoted by the Tikhon Father's Father Lapese," will inevitably try to weaken the most influential church in the country, leading to the ancient principle "divide and conquer". This statement seems important due to the fact that Russian media call the father of Tikhon by the confessor of President Putin, that is, a person who affects the worldview of the leader of the state.

In the barber circles about Tikhon, they say as a famous intrigue and careerist. The first step in his brilliant church career a graduate ceremonist made shortly after his return to Moscow from the Pskovo-Pechersk Monastery in 1991. Then he initiated the scandal around the fire in the Don monastery, where he lived. According to the investigation, a drunk monastery guard, asleep with a lit cynosion, became a fire. Shevkunov also accused of "malicious arson" of the agents of the Western special services sent to us under the guise of the believers of the Russian Orthodox Church abroad. (By the way, now "Dogs", despite the long-time scandal, support the father of Tikhon. According to rumors, they see him by the main candidate for the post of next patriarch of All Russia.) They say that the certified screenwriter himself is not averse to take the highest church post of Russia.

There is information and about the connection of the father of Tikhon from the KGB. Perhaps subsequently these links and helped him get acquainted closer with Vladimir Putin. One of the parishioners of the Sretensky monastery is a close friend of Tikhon's father, Lieutenant-General Nikolay Leonov. He served in the KGB from 1958 to 1991. In the 60s and 1970s, he worked in the first main department (PSU) of the KGB of the USSR, was the deputy on-school office. (In the 70s, Putin served in the PSU.) Tikhon (Shevkunov) and Nikolay Leonov are included in the editorial board of the Russian House magazine, which is printed on the basis of the Publishing House of the Sretensky Monastery. Leonov is a political commentator of the eponymous transmission that comes out on the Muscovy channel, and Shevkunov is also the confessor of both projects - magazine and television. Among the frequent guests of the "Russian House" are representatives of the "Russian national unity" (pne) and "black hundreds".

Known Father Tikhon and more global projects. He was one of the movement activists for the canonization of the royal family. He headed the "crusade" against the tour of the magician David Copperfield in Russia, informing the Flary that the "magical tricks of this vulgar American Voland" put the audience "dependent on the darkest and destructive forces". And its most famous project is the fight against the "satanic" barcodes and individual numbers of the taxpayer (INN). In the barcode and Inn, according to Tikhon's father, "the number of beasts" was disguised - 666. In addition, the universal accounting system subordinates the Orthodox total control by secular, antarodesign, from the point of view of Tikhon, the state. His article "Schengen zone", dedicated to this "global problem," was published in the press organ of the Russian order. Despite the fact that Father Tikhon denies his relationship with Russian Natsi, their views are very and very close.

Here is the reflection of the Holy Father about censorship. "Censorship is a normal tool in a normal society, which should cut everything extreme. Personally, I, of course, for it - in the religious region, and in the field of secular. As for state censorship, sooner or later, to a sober understanding of the need for this institution in society will come. Recall Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin in his youth scolded censorship and otherwise, as with the word "fool", she did not rhyme. And subsequently told for censorship. " The last phrase of Tikhon, however, put in a dead end of the researchers of creativity A.S. Pushkin. Well, Pushkin did not write this!

Tikhon one of the first on Putin congratulated Putin with the "accepter" and then he was rejoiced by the timely care of Yeltsin, condemning the "era of Yeltsinism."

The story of his acquaintance with Putin Father Tikhon hides. But his proximity to the first person in every way advertises. In the barrel circles, they say that the ear, as if Tikhon is the confessor of the president, launched by Tikhon himself. This certificate of hearing itself does not confirm this, but does not refute - Kakenets: "What do you try to do some of me from me?" Nevertheless, journalists of Moscow editions confidently wrote from the words of Tikhon that "Vladimir Putin is constantly confronted from him. It is he who instructs the president in spiritual life. "

In any case, its real (or imaginary) proximity to the president, the certified screenwriter Tikhon actively uses. As they say, even Patriarch himself is afraid.

The appointment of the bishop of Tikhon (Shevkunova), having the fame of the "Putin's confessor", the head of the Pskov Metropolis agitated and puzzled the church-political world. Some decided that it was a step towards the patriarchate, others - that on the contrary: reference. The answer was clear now.

The bishop of Egoryevsky Tikhon was appointed to the Pskov Metropolitan with all possible pathos - at a meeting of the Synod in the imperial building of the Holy Governing Synod on the Senate Square. Three days, May 17, Patriarch Kirill elevated him to San Metropolitan.

The status of "Putin's confessor", from which Vladyka Tikhon never refused, but never confirmed him, is controversial. From the second half of the 90s he was the igumen of the Sretensky Monastery in Moscow near Lubyanka and, as it is believed, there is friendship with many figures of this department, including Vladimir Putin. Even if Vladyka Tikhon is not his spiritual father - they are familiar, the bishop often accompanies the president on trips, etc.

To what extent, external friends help the bishop of Tikhon moving through the career ladder in the church, and in what is the consequence of his own talent, it is not so important. It is important that until the recently he was a governor of the Sretensky Monastery (formally, his chapter is the Patriarch himself), the rector of the Sretensky spiritual seminary and the head of the Patriarchal Council on Culture. And also a vicar (that is, the bishop without the subordinate territory) of the Moscow Diocese.

In the barber circles, the bishop Tikhon is traditionally considered as the main competitor of Patriarch Kirill. Dejections with hot heart and clean hands, they say, love it much more than a sober and ambitious Cyril. In addition, Kirill - Ecumenist, kissed with the Pope, Western and the modernist. Worse - there is a suspicion that in the depths of the soul, he believes "the priesthood above the kingdom." Tikhon is a much greater traditionalist, no scandals are stained, he studied in Vgik and, they say, very posing to himself in communicating.

Therefore, the ordination of Tikhon to the bishops in 2015 many perceived as a step towards the Patriarchal Throne. 2.5 years he was a vicar and now, finally, headed the Pskov Metropolitan. This is the second step, as only a bishop can be elected to the Patriarch, which has experience leading the territory. Plus a slight increase in status - with an ordinary bishop to Metropolitan.

The first time was incomprehensible what is the appointment of the Lord of Tikhon in Pskov. Really preparation in the patriarch or reference from Moscow, which should reduce its influence.

However, the events of the last days put a point over I. Metropolitan Tikhon is removed from the picker of the Sretensky Monastery and the rector of the spiritual seminary. Familiar with canonical right sources confirmed the "CITY 812" that legally, Tikhon could, being the ruling bishop of Pskov Metropolis, to lead and monastery in Moscow. That is, its displacement is most likely a political character. Apparently, the Patriarch Kirill tries to deprive a competitor with connections with Moscow, formal reasons to appear in the capital and walk around the Kremlin. Now for him another Kremlin - Pskovsky. True, the position of the head of the culture council remains behind the Tikhon, but this is not at all that the monastery of Lubyanka. And how long? In addition, the Sretensky monastery was an important source of revenue for Metropolitan Tikhon, which he could hardly compensate for the diocesan tax with the ancient, but poor Pskov Metropolis.

In this sense, the biography of Metropolitan Perm and Kungur Methodius is noteworthy. He graduated from the Leningrad Spiritual Academy, worked in the Department of External Church Relations, was one of those close to Patriarch Alexy II man - in general, a ready-made candidate for his successors. There is a version that it is the consequence of competition between him and the then chapter of the Department of External Church Relations by Metropolitan Smolensk Kirill (Gundyaev), the events were held in history as a "tobacco scandal". In 1997, Moscow Komsomolets published a series of articles in which he told how RPC earned a duty-free import into a tobacco and alcohol country. The newspaper called Kirill, who, according to her version, stood behind these events, "tobacco metropolitan".

In 2003, when the state of health Alexia worsened and preparations for the battle for the Patriarchhood entered into a decisive phase, Methodius was removed from all his posts and sent to ocker Orthodox Kazakhstan. The patriarn chair, however, was released only in 2009, and only a year after that, Methodius managed to return to his homeland, to the Perm Diocese, where he dwells at this time.

However, the source of Tikhon's power is in the outside world, and the hardware defeat inside the ROC cannot weaken significantly. And to prevent him from appearing in the capital of the Patriarch will not be able to (this is only an ordinary priest, the bishop may be prohibited from the territory of the diocese). Therefore, perhaps a lift Tikhon in Pskov, Patriarch Kirill comes in Christian, but obviously not in accordance with the rules of the struggle for power. Which says that it is better not to attack the enemy at all than to leave him unfavim.

However, Metropolitan Tikhon himself immediately began to work in a new place, that is, it was not treated for his appointment not as an annoying formality distracting him from important affairs in Moscow, but as a serious lesson for a long time. He already removed the superior of the main church of Pskov - the Cathedral Holy Trinity Cathedral, standing in the center of the Pskov Kremlin. And the governor of the historic Pskovo-Pechora himself wrote a statement for health state.

Stanislav Volkov

11/27/2017 | Alexey Makarkin

Bishop Tikhon (Shevkunov): Secrets of influence

Episcopes Egoryevsky Tikhon (Shevkunov) is considered one of the most influential figures of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). He is called the confessor Vladimir Putin - although there is no evidence of this status, but the proximity of the Lord of Tikhon to the Kremlin and its political influence does not cause doubts. Especially many disputes turned around the figure of the Yegoryevsk bishop this year - he is called a competitor to Patriarch Kirill, and the ideological leader of the conservatives, and the director of the director Kirill Serebrennikov.

Unusual bishop

The standard biography of the RPC bishop includes the receipt of higher spiritual education - either by full-time or correspondence. As a rule, such a career begins after school and army, sometimes after the University of Sport or Institute (completed or left in connection with the change of life plans). A young man begins the path in the church with a short "internship" in the form of a altar in the temple or a similar position, then receives the recommendation and enters the seminary, and the highest spiritual education receives either internally or in absentia, simultaneously with the priestly ministry. If he chooses the monastic path, then soon after a small term of obedience, he takes a post.

Tikhon's fate looks different. He graduated from the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) in 1982, having received a specialty of a filmcearist. However, in the same year he entered the novice to the Pskovo-Pechersk Monastery, one of the two monasteries operating then in the territory of the RSFSR. The coming to the church of people from the creative intelligentsia was not rare. The abbot of the Moscow church of St. Nicholas in Pyzhov Archpriest Alexander Shargunov (the most famous priest from among Gennady Zyuganov, the Father of the writer and the State Duma deputy from the Communist Party of Sergey Schargunov) finished the metropolitan INAZ, was engaged in poetic translations. The abbot of the temple of the Resurrection of Christ in the cadashs (in the yard of which was held prayer standing against the film "Matilda") by Archpriest Alexander Saltykov - a graduate of the art historical branch of the Easthan MSU.

However, the obedience of George (the worldly name of Tikhon) continued almost a decade, but included not only the monastery distant from Moscow, but also work in the publishing department of the Moscow Patriarchate under the guidance of influential Metropolitan Pitirima. In the second half of the 1980s, the importance of the publishing department increased - he was engaged in the preparation of materials for the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia, and his chairman enjoyed the support of influential Raisa Maksimovna Gorbacheva. But after the death of the Patriarch, Pimen and the collapse of the USSR, the influence of Pitirim dropped sharply, after a while he lost the leadership of the department due to complex relations with the newly elected Patriarch Alexia II. However, by that time George was already tonsured in a monk with the name Tikhon. He pulled His Patriarch Alexy II, who became new to his cartridge.

The Patriarch of Alexy II, during the whole of his stay as the Primate of the ROC, was forced to take into account the interests of the group of bishops- "Nicodeimovsev" - the Leningrad Metropolitan of Nicodemia in 1978. Nikodeimov residents include, in particular, Metropolitan Juvenal and the then Metropolitan and the current Patriarch Kirill. Under these conditions, Alexy made a host by a monk suspiciously related to liberal trends associated with the Leningrad Education Academy. Most ordained at the Alexia bishops were conservatives, supporters of traditional piety.

This course Tikhon corresponded to full. His struggle with the liberal priest Georgy Kochetkov received wide fame, whose community was first supplanted from the Sretensky Monastery, and then from the nearby Temple of Assumption in Printers. The monastery complex was occupied in 1993-1994 the coupling of the Pskovo-Pechersk Monastery, which was headed by Tikhon. It is characteristic that the cathedral was re-assigned - thus Tikhon demonstrated that he did not consider the community that served in Russian, Orthodox, despite its official canonical status as part of the ROC.

Temple of Assumption In Printers, the community of Father Georgy was forced to leave in 1997 after the loud and scandalous conflict. As a rule, this conflict is interpreted in the context of the opposition of church liberals and conservatives. This is true, but there is another, where less well-known, aspect: Father Georgy Kochetkov was a student of the future Patriarch Kirill in the Leningrad Academy. And after the completion of the conflict, he was able to serve in the Moscow Novodevichy Monastery - the residence of Metropolitan Juvenalia.

"Lubyansky Batyushka"

The abbot of the foundation of the Pskovo-Pechersk Monastery Tikhon was not long - already in 1995 it was transformed into an independent Sretensky monastery. His rector became the Patriarch of Alexy II, and Tikhon had a governor rank. Already soon began the active development of the monastery. It creates a choir, currently having the status of the main Choir of the ROC, which leads concert activities in Russia and abroad. It is organized one of the largest RPC publishers and the largest store of the Orthodox book in Moscow. In 2000, a popular among believers Internet portal Orthodoxy.ru was created.

In 1999, at the initiative, then the Archimandrite Tikhon and under his leadership in the monastery was opened by Sretensky Higher Orthodox Monastery School. In 2001, it was transformed into a spiritual school, and in 2002 to a seminary. The first release of students took place in 2004 - among graduates was the rector Tikhon. Such an extremely unusual way he received religious education necessary, in particular, to occupy the Patriarch's post. Among the teachers of the seminary was Olga Vasilyeva, at present the Minister of Education and Science of Russia - she conducted classes in church history.

One of the main problems of the monasteries is the absence of many of them distortions of the saints who worship believers. The presence of such power increases the informal status of the monastery and increases the influx of pilgrims. The relic particles are not enough - it is possible to remember the story about the part of the belt of the Virgin, which is in one of the Moscow temples, but does not attract increased attention from believers (while the belt brought to Moscow itself became the subject of worship of a huge number of Orthodox). There were no such shroves in the resumed Sretensky Monastery.

Then Archimandrite Tikhon has made the transfer in 1999 to the monastery of the relics of Novomartica of Hilarion (Troitsky), who died in 1929 in Leningrad, where he was on the way from Solovetsky camp to the Central Asian link. His power was in the St. Petersburg Novodevichy Monastery, but the main period of its activities was associated with Moscow and the Moscow Spiritual Academy. Apparently, on the basis of this Alexy II blessed the transfer of the relics to Moscow. The reputation of St. Sretensky Monastery could be played by the reputation of the Saint Hilarion as a conservative Theologian, who considered Christians, could also be played by the Sretensky Monastery, who belonged to Christians belonging to the Orthodox Church. This thesis is conspited by the point of view of the Vladyka Tikhon. Thus, in the Sretensky monastery, the reverence of new martyrs was laid, which led to the construction of consecrated in 2017 "Temple on the Blood" in honor of Novomarticov and Russian confessors.

Of course, such large-scale projects cannot be implemented without sponsors. Initially, one of them was Banker Sergei Pugachev, who was previously close to the Kremlin. However, his bank has long been bankrupt, and he himself turned out to be in emigration and turned into criticism of the Russian government. But financial support for the monastery did not decrease, but even increased - the construction of the cathedral happened without Pugachev. The success of the monastery is due to numerous connections of its governor. In his book, the "Unlock Saints" Tikhon calls his parishioner former Prosecutor General and Minister of Justice, and now the President of the President in the Southern District of Vladimir Ustinova. Tikhon's good acquaintances include the head of Rosneft Igor Sechin (for some time the son of Ustinova was married for some time). The former head of the FSB is considered to be an ally of Tikhon, and now the Secretary of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev. The building of the FSB is located near the Sretensky Monastery - therefore Tikhon called the Lubyansky Pathushka.

Vladimir Putin is considered the most influential acquaintance of Tikhon. As far as can be judged, for the first time they met in 2000, when the president attended the Pskovo-Pechersk Monastery, where he met with the old man John (peasant). After that, the rumor was about the fact that Tikhon became the confessor of Putin, but he was not confirmed. It is unlikely that the president has a permanent confessor, although, perhaps, Putin once confessed by Tikhon. His hardware progress is associated with extensive ties of Tikhon. Among them, the transmission of the former school building with an in-depth study of French - Tikhon publicly stated that the school was on the site of the cemetery of people who died during the Napoleonic invasion, and emphasized in connection with this that the school speak French. And also demolition of several buildings of the XIX century, on the site of which a new cathedral was built - the protests of "Archnadzor" did not lead to anything.

According to the Rain TV channel, the budget of the project of modern multimedia exhibitions "Russia is my story", implemented by Tikhon, amounted to more than 10 billion rubles. In 2018, the number of exhibition parks "Russia - My History" will reach 25. Money for the construction of centers and the creation of exhibitions is allocated from budgets of different levels, large companies (including Gazprom) and through the system of state order and grants. In total, more than 10 billion rubles will be directed for these purposes. At the same time, the most expensive center after the Moscow next year will appear in St. Petersburg, where 1.4 billion rubles have already been allocated from the budget. In Moscow, a similar exhibition on the instructions of President Putin is located in one of the largest Pvdh Pavilions, the reconstruction of which cost 1.5 billion rubles. The general sponsor of the exhibition was Norilsk Nickel.

Thus, Tikhon is one of the most influential church leaders - its capabilities are comparable to the Patriarch, despite the fact that Tikhon although it was ordained in 2015 into the bishops, but is just one of the many Vicaris (assistants) of the Patriarch. Despite the fact that his department is officially officially located in the suburban Egoryevsk, the residence of the bishop remains in the Sretensky monastery, which he continues to head.

Secret success and problems

There is a question about the causes of such a Tikhon success. The fact is that most of the representatives of the highest church hierarchy are perceived by government officials as their nomenclature colleagues. In Brezhnev time, the bishopath was dissatisfied with the fact that the high church status did not allow him to enter into the Soviet elite. The bishops were dependent on small officials who could fulfill their requests, and could and refuse. It was associated with the role of the Church, considered a temporary, disturbing anomaly in the Soviet state. In the post-Soviet time a lot has changed. Bishops have become a natural part of the regional elite - their influence and life level increased sharply. As well as the patriarch by definition enters the federal "super elite", despite the separation of the church from the state.

But the elite colleagues do not perceive such archipers as spiritual authorities - for them it is often pragmatic business studies and, despite monasticism, people in the type of behavior. Therefore, for spiritual instruction and consolation - and it is often necessary and the strong world of this world - they prefer to go to the monasteries to touch the ancient elder tradition. Confessions are difficult to confess the bishop - unlike the simple monk or even the monastery's abbot. However, Tikhon is now also a bishop, but he retained the former image of the confessor, a monk, and not a bureaucrat - and this is a great advantage.

But the monastic tradition can be presented in different ways. The advantage of Tikhon as a graduate scenario is that he does it bright and, as they say now, creatively connecting a conservative tradition with a modern "shell". An ordinary secular person is difficult to mask complex monastic texts, such as the five-volume "good-strength", the lives of the saints and the lives of devotees for him are often archaic. Another thing is popular, withstood many editions Book of Tikhon "Unnecessary saints", a collection of stories written not only with knowledge, but also with a literary gift, with irony and elements of self-irony (which is rare for the church, but is characteristic of modern society). Or simple analogies contained in the film created by him "The death of the Empire. Byzantine lesson, "- how the Byzantine elites went to collusion with the West and destroyed the country, and the Russian almost followed this example, but the president prevented them. Archpriest Maxim Kozlov said that this film - "Political Satire, removed within the framework of televisionality, with the lead, which is a clergy, with the appeal to the Byzantine history as a substrate for the narrative of the facts of the history of modern."

Another important aspect attracts attention, explaining the approach of the Tikhon with the former and current security forces. It is important for them to build a consistent concept of history that would include and pre-revolutionary, and the Soviet periods of history. Tikhon proposed his own version based on the division of politicians in the church in the Church of the State Persons and Anti-State University. The priority of state interests unites Russian kings and Soviet figures, Stalin is not idealized, but also is not considered the culprit of all the worship of the twentieth century, who collapsed to Russia. But focuses on the responsibility for them by the liberals who participated in the overthrow of the monarchy. Anti-Liberalism and Tikhon Anti-Padness fully comply with the mentality of the security forces. In the "intimidated saints" there is no condemnation of Soviet power inherent in many church works - its place is related to it as a reality with which it is necessary to coexist, while maintaining its own Orthodox identity.

However, the informal political influence of Tikhon led to problems in relations with three serious groups of interest.

The first is a considerable part of the official church hierarchy, right up to the Patriarch. There seems to not only experience jealousy in relation to the hardware capabilities of Tikhon, but also believe that it has its own patriarchairs of ambitions. With this, "leakage", promulgated by Alexei Venediktov, is about the fact that Tikhon intends to become the abbot of St. Isaac's Cathedral, then Metropolitan, and then the Patriarch (Tikhon himself denied this information). True, like a vicar bishop Tikhon is not entitled to be elected patriarch - according to the Charter of the ROC, the candidate must have "sufficient experience of the diocesan management." But sufficient experience is a tensile concept; In principle, the cathedral can recognize both for six months, and a year (refuting rumors about their ambitions, Tikhon said that it was about five years, but there is no one in the charter). Apparently, it is with this that the assignment that Tikhon received is to deal with the question of whether the "Ekaterinburg remains" of the relics of the royal family are. If he recognizes them with authentic, it will cause annoyance of many conservatives, which proceed from the fact that in Boris Yeltsin and Boris Nemtsov, it was impossible to open the real relics. If not, it will greatly disappoin the Kremlin, where they want to reburner Cesarevich Alexey and the Great Princess Mary already next year, by the sixth of the execution of the royal family.

The second is the liberal part of the social spectrum for which Tikhon is an ideological opponent. Regardless of the degree of reliability of information that the bishop is involved in the arrest of Cyril Serebrennikov, there is no doubt that it is Tikhon is one of the main opponents of modern art and as a whole orientation on a global society. Moreover, in contrast, for example, Nikita Mikhalkov, which preserved a significant hardware effect.

The third is part of representatives of the "non-liberal" literature for which Tikhon can be a dangerous competitor. The fact of the presence of a figure that has such a serious informal influence looks like an irritant for people in public service and accustomed to certain formalized procedures. All these factors contribute to strong information stress around the Tikhon figure, which can further increase further.

- Leading expert center of political technologies

Date of Birth: July 2, 1958 Country: Russia Biography:

In 1982 he graduated from the Scenic Faculty of All-Union State Institute of Cinematography with a degree in Literary Work. In the same year he entered the worker, then the novice.

In 1995, he was erected in San Iguman and was appointed a governor of the Sretensky Stavropigial Male Monastery.

In 1998, he was erected in San Archimandrite.

In 1999, he was appointed rector of the Sretensky Supreme Orthodox Monastery School, which was converted later in.

From March 2001 - Chairman of the Monastery - Agricultural Production Cooperative "Resurrection" in Mikhailovsky district of Ryazan region.

In 2004, Externus ended the Sretensky spiritual seminary.

By decree of the President of the Russian Federation of March 16, 2010, the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for Culture and Art.

Place of work: Commission on the interaction of the Russian Orthodox Church with the Museum Community (Head) Place of work: Church-Public Council for Protection against Alcohol Threat (Co-Chair) Diocese: Pskov Diocese (ruling bishop) Place of work: Assumption Pskovo-Pechersk Male Monastery (governor) Place of work: Patriarchal Council for Culture (Chairman) Place of work: Pskov Metropolia (Head of Metropolis) Scientific works, publications:

Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunova) when reacting in Epishop Egorievsky.

• "Pskov-Pechersk Resident", who received in November 2007 at the XII International Festival of Orthodox Cinema and TV programs "Radonezh" (Yaroslavl) of the Grand Prix;
• "The death of the empire. Byzantine lesson, "who received the Golden Eagle Prize of the Russian Film Academy for 2009

Awards:

Church:

• 2008 - Order of the PRP. Sergius of Radonezhsky II Art.;
• 2008 - Order of St. Equal kn. Vladimir III Art. "In consideration to the works in the restoration of unity with the Russian Foreign Church";
• 2010 - Order of the PRP. Nestor's chronicler (UOC);
• 2017 - St. BLGV. kn. Daniel Moscow I Art.;
• 2019 - PrP. Sergius of Radonezh III Art.

Secular:

• 2003 - National Prize. P.A. Stolypina "Agrarian Elite of Russia" in the nomination "Effective owner of the Earth" and a special sign "For the spiritual revival of the village";
• 2006 - the premium "The best books and publishing houses of the year" "For the publication of religious literature";
• 2007 - Order of Friendship "For merits in the preservation of spiritual and cultural traditions, a great contribution to the development of agriculture";
• 2008 - Prize "Best Book of the Year 2007";
• 2008 - Newspaper Izvestia newspaper "Fame";
• winner of the National Prize "Man of the Year" for 2008 and 2009.

E-mail: