The arrival of the myrrh-bearing women in Venice. Virtual trip to Orthodox Venice

According to VTsIOM, the number of citizens who do not plan to leave the country has increased from 75% to 88%. At the same time, although more than 40 thousand citizens leave Russia for permanent residence abroad every year, recently a reverse trend has been observed - the number of Russians wishing to emigrate from the country is decreasing.

Those emigrating from Russia today - who are they? The rector of the Church of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women in Venice, priest Alexy Yastrebov, comments on the situation.

– Father Alexy, who comes to Italy today to stay here for a long time or forever?

– I will still talk about Venice, and not about all of Italy. Emigration from Russia as such is not very noticeable. That is, we can say that businessmen come who start their own businesses here, women who marry Italians. But in general, I find it difficult to determine how many Russians there are.

Unfortunately, this is a bitter statement of our churchliness: the fact that Russians are the element that rarely comes to Orthodox parishes. That is, even if there are emigrants from Russia, they often do not need the Church. For me, as a Russian, this is very, very regrettable. And we work mainly for Moldovans and Ukrainians.

The motives of those who come from are understandable: they are forced by the difficult economic situation in their homeland. People mainly come from Ukraine to work. Very often these are older and middle-aged women; they earn money for their children - young professionals who receive 10 dollars a month at home for their skilled work. They sometimes return home from fatigue: it’s hard at an advanced age to work without weekends and holidays... But young people come from Moldova who do not consider it shameful to work in paid, but low-skilled work. They then stay and start families.

– Well, are there still Russian parishioners?

- They are a minority. In 99% of cases these are married compatriots. For example, we have a woman, a person from the scientific community, who met her husband in Russia and came back in the 90s. Several people arrived five or six years ago. There are several mixed couples that I have married that have happily disappeared from the sight of the parish. Some of them had children, and for some I baptized a child in the Orthodox Church, and for others I already baptized their children in the Catholic Church.

– Are there any among your parishioners who recently left Russia for political reasons?

- Absolutely no one. In my opinion, this is all completely far-fetched.

– Does it happen that students who come to study later decide not to return?

– As far as I know, almost all students return home. True, one student from Ukraine, who helped us create the site, did not return to his homeland, went to Amsterdam, and got married there.

– What is the social status of the emigrant parishioners, their cultural level?

- We probably need to talk about our ex. social status arrived. After all, everything here has been reset, everyone has become completely equal and is in the same conditions, be it chief engineers, people with two higher educations and people without higher education. Here they often do work caring for the elderly, cleaning, and so on.

I know cases when people who were bandits in their homeland fled to Venice to escape problems. But here, having come to God, they became different. That is, there was a real, visible rebirth.

As for the general cultural level, it is different. Although mostly our parishioners are simple people. We are trying to little by little do something in terms of education, because people are receptive to culture... For example, next Sunday we are going to Ravenna with our parishioners to look at the famous mosaics. The people took this positively, despite the fact that previously they could only agree to pilgrimage trips. We will soon go to Aquileia - this city also has wonderful mosaics.

– Difficulties of local life?

– The most banal thing is that you do not live in your homeland. You are of a different tribe, clan. Sometimes it is not easy to find a common language with the natives and to accept their very different attitudes.

There is also a moment when some people say: “they have come to our country in large numbers.” This is largely due to the behavior of the visitors themselves, but there are also prejudices. People who live in their own place, in their homeland, do not need to put up with any xenophobic manifestations. We have to put up.

Then we, as a parish, live for 9 years without a permanent church, literally on bird’s rights. The parish could be kicked out the door tomorrow, and psychologically it’s hard. People bring something to the temple to decorate it, they have to refuse: why decorate it if not permanent place residence.

In Russia, be that as it may, you are at home, despite all the negative aspects, you can raise the temple, go to the same philanthropists for help... Here no one needs you, except for a few dozen people who have united around the parish , people are not only not rich, but financially constrained.

– Do emigrants support each other?

– There is practically no support among Russians. At least I didn't hear or see. There are cultural associations of compatriots, there is a coordination council of compatriots. Their main activities are concerts and other events of this kind. Ukrainian communities are more active, their assistance to their compatriots is more realistic, even to the point of finding a job.

There is also no cooperation between parishes and cultural associations. The attitude is favorable, but there is no active joint communication. Basically everyone goes their own way.

– Difficulties that arise in mixed families?

– It’s difficult when you don’t marry for love, because then you have to live with a person who may even be unpleasant, because sometimes they marry old people... The driving factor can be the desire for a quiet, comfortable life, and Italians compare favorably with Russian men: They look after children wonderfully, treat children wonderfully, dream about them, there is simply a cult of children.

In addition, since Italian legislation protects women's rights, some Russian ladies even take advantage of this to sue their husband for part of the property that the wife did not help create in any way.

But in general, if people marry for love, if they the main objective- namely to create a family, then we see how their life is going well.

Although it’s still not easy for Russian women. The difference in mentality is evident. And, despite the good conditions, the love of the spouse, even the love of the spouse’s relatives, women often feel out of place. We have to deal with this often. A person suffers, although everything is really good in his life.

The difference in mentality can be expressed, for example, in the fact that Italians in Venice are not used to expressing their thoughts openly. Instead of saying no, they will say yes and make sure you understand that it is actually no. A person accustomed to more open dialogue may feel like he is being deceived. This also manifests itself when going through the authorities - it infuriates you: you hear answers, you plan something, but it turns out that no one thought to do anything.

Different cultural and family traditions. This is noticeable both in everyday life, in the arrangement of the house, and in the family hierarchy. Here the husband’s mother is a person who lives with a young family, being present almost in the spouses’ bedroom. Italian sons are very infantile, so a forty-year-old “guy,” as they say here, is absolutely helpless. This is why, by the way, Russian wives are so valued: Italian women are more emancipated, and a Russian woman is loving, beautiful, and does not make any special claims. But a woman wants to live with her own, separate family, but it doesn’t work out: all issues have to be resolved not with her husband, but with his mother.

When children are born, all the relatives pounce on them and everyone wants to babysit, help, and give advice on raising them. And for the Orthodox this is a problem.

Relatives want to baptize them in the Catholic Church, and often not even because they themselves adhere to the faith, but because it is customary. “What will we tell the neighbors?!” They celebrate baptism - a tradition, always on a grand scale, with many guests. And then they take me to some strange church, especially since here it hardly looks like an ordinary Orthodox church. And they speak incomprehensibly, in an incomprehensible language... For people who go to the extent of fundamentally baptizing a baby in Orthodoxy, this is quite a feat.

This city seems to us to be a place of romantics, poets and artists. This is true. But Venice and the city of pilgrims. In this city, the number of shrines valuable to an Orthodox person can easily be compared with Rome. Among them are approximately one fifth of the relics of St. Nicholas. Priest Alexy Yastrebov and Marina NEFEDOVA talk about the shrines of Venice and the life of the Orthodox parish in honor of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women.

Orthodox life in the city-museum

In fact, there are two places in Venice where the relics of St. Nicholas are located: a Catholic church on the island of Lido and the only parish of the Russian Orthodox Church in Venice - the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women. Moreover, the temple in which the parish of myrrh-bearing women lives is called San Zan Degola - in memory of the beheading of John the Baptist. The name of the parish and the temple do not coincide - the Orthodox simply serve in the temple that was provided to them by the Catholics. The temple is wonderful, ancient, 11th century. 11th century - for Venice this is almost a common thing, but for Orthodox Christians to serve in such ancient temple- rarity.

There is a Gothic wooden ceiling, columns that are supposedly older than the temple, the first millennium, and a plywood iconostasis. “Yes, we exist here modestly,” says Father Alexy Yastrebov, rector. - For a person who came from Russia, some things seem naive... This iconostasis, for example. But instead of it, for 8 years we had just a curtain. And these lecterns were brought to us for half a year...

Church of San Zan Degola, parish of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women of the Russian Orthodox Church, in a golden ark - a particle of the relics of St. Nicholas

Everything here is not ours. Although our parish has existed in Venice for 10 years, and Catholics allowed us to serve here, we do not have any legal paper for the church. And they haven’t given it to us for 10 years. They say we must study this issue. We, of course, would very much like this temple to be given to us for permanent use. What is needed for this? Only the good will of Catholics. It is impossible to buy a temple; in Italy this cannot be done by law. And people won’t understand it.”

The parish of Myrrh-Bearing Women is small. On average, 60-80 people gather for Sunday services. Core -10-12 parishioners. There are about 200 people who sometimes come. This is the only parish in Venice and the surrounding area where services are held in Church Slavonic.

10 years ago in Venice there was a group of Russian-speaking Orthodox Christians who went to the Greek temple of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. But they wanted to have their own parish. They registered and turned to the Holy Synod with a request to send them a priest. And the future rector, priest Alexy Yastrebov, was then writing a dissertation on philosophy at one of the universities in Rome. Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad (now His Holiness Patriarch) was then chairman of the Department for External Church Relations. He invited Father Alexy to take the rank.

Father Alexy finished his dissertation as a priest, traveling between Rome and Venice every weekend (550 km!). Then he moved to Venice with his wife and daughter. “Venice is an artificial city, it can be called a city with a certain reservation, it is more like a museum,” says Father Alexy. - Not many people live here. Moreover, few of them profess the Orthodox faith. There is a new Venice, continental, all our parishioners are from there (and I live there too). But in general, we have no Russian parishioners, except for my mother, my daughter and one other woman. There are Russian speakers - citizens of Ukraine and Moldova. There are Italians - their appearance in the parish is mainly associated with Russian wives. There is no proselytism on our part!”

The main activity of an Orthodox priest in Venice, besides pastoral work, is working with Russian-speaking pilgrims. “A lot of pilgrims come, we organize prayer services, sometimes people need to be explained where things are. Yes, it’s just often necessary to keep order. Because our pilgrims, sometimes out of happiness, sometimes out of something else, do not always behave properly, their worship does not take very adequate forms. But Catholics are sometimes tempted by this and are dissatisfied with the behavior of our pilgrims. Yes, Soviet education will probably survive our people for a long time.”

Direction - sideways

Joseph Brodsky, in his essay “The Quay of the Incurable,” wrote: “I think Hazlitt said that the only thing that could surpass this city of water would be a city built in the air.” Brodsky, by the way, was born 2 days after the memory of St. Nicholas - May 24, and was buried on one of the islands of Venice, in the cemetery of San Michele.

It’s an unusual feeling - you leave the station building and find yourself, as expected, immediately on the main street of the city. Only she is water. There are no cars at all in this city. (But, by the way, accidents from water transport also happen here.) Yes, even when traveling around Venice, it is important to know that vaporets (water buses, the main form of public transport in Venice) moor at the same pier when sailing both there and back along your route - without this valuable knowledge, you can sail away, like the author of this text, instead of the city center somewhere into the open sea. It's better to ask again.

The Church of the Orthodox parish of the Myrrh-Bearing Women is usually indicated on the map as San Zan Degola (address: CampoSanZanDegolà, 1, Santa Croce, Venezia). But you need to keep in mind that it is impossible not to get lost here in Venice. Even the seller of city maps could not immediately explain how to find the right address - he spent a long time studying the map he sold.

Brodsky, who loved Venice very much and for 17 years came here almost every Christmas, wrote in his delightful “Fondamenta degli incurabili” (“Embankment of the Incurable”): “Wherever you go when you leave home here, you will get lost in these long turns of streets and alleys, beckoning to get to know them through and through, to go to the elusive end, usually leading to water, so that you can’t even call it a cul de sac (dead end - French). On the map, the city looks like two fried fish on one plate, or maybe like two almost interlocking lobster claws (Pasternak compared it to a soggy bagel); but it has no north, south, east, west; its only direction is sideways. It surrounds you like frozen algae...”

But if you arm yourself with a printout of a Google map, then you can easily get to the temple on your own - the main thing is to be prepared that you may not find it right away. From the train station about 15 minutes walk. And if in the center, around St. Mark's Square, there are crowds of people, then near this temple it is quiet and deserted, you can even imagine that you are standing in this small square 500 years ago. Perhaps this is exactly what happened here.

To Venice instead of Bari

Until now, oddly enough, few people know that approximately a fifth of the relics of St. Nicholas are in Venice. “Although,” says Father Alexy, “now everything more people began to come to Saint Nicholas in Venice. (And, of course, we are in no way opposing ourselves to Bari!) There is a photograph of those relics that are in Bari, we know that not all of them are there. There are many different studies that prove that the Catholic Church of St. Nicholas on the Venetian island of Lido contains the authentic relics of St. Nicholas. They don't myrrh. But, probably, such things as myrrh-streaming are not automatic physical phenomenon, it is of a different order. Maybe that’s why they don’t stream myrrh because the Orthodox forgot about this Venetian shrine for several centuries? And recently, a small part of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is also in our parish of the myrrh-bearing women.”


Church of St. Nicholas O. Lido. Venice. Photo from the site nikola-ygodnik.narod.ru

How did the relics end up in Venice? The Venetians brought Orthodox shrines from all over Byzantium. We can say that Venice is a city of stolen shrines. “At first the relics of St. Nicholas were taken by the Barians,” continues Father Alexy. “But they were in a hurry and didn’t take everything, just the main parts.” The remaining small part of the relics was collected and hidden by the Greeks. But 10 years later the Venetians arrived, under torture they found out where the relics were kept, and brought them to Venice, to the island of Lido. Now, in addition to the relics of St. Nicholas, the relics of other Myra saints are kept there: St. Nicholas - “uncle”, who was mistakenly called the uncle of St. Nicholas, although he was the uncle of another saint, and the Hieromartyr Theodore, also Archbishop of Myra in Lycia.”


A stone with an inscription in Greek: “The myrrh-streaming relics of the humble Nicholas.” Photo from the site nikola-ygodnik.narod.ru

Santa Lucia and others

Father Alexy is well known in Venice. He is the author of a detailed guide to the Orthodox shrines of this unique city. His book (it is in Russian) is sold in the Cathedral of St. Mark - the main cathedral of Venice. The sellers, when asked if there is anything about Venice in Russian, say so - ah, Alexy! - and they take out a rather thick guide book.

“The more I live here, the more I am convinced that it is generally impossible to tell about all the shrines. If you tell someone, the person in the second ten stops reacting.” Pilgrimage groups usually visit several main sites. Firstly, the Cathedral of the Apostle and Evangelist Mark, the patron saint of Venice, which houses his relics. The Apostle Mark preached in Alexandria and on the Italian peninsula, in the city of Aquileia, which in our time has not survived as a city. For Venice this was of utmost importance. “The fact is,” says Father Alexy, “that in general only in Rome, the only one in the entire West, could there be a patriarchy - for the reason that the apostles supposedly preached only in this city. And nowhere else. Yes, in Asia Minor the Apostle Paul preached in every village, but in the West - only in Rome. But then it turned out that the second western city that one of the apostles visited was Aquileia. Even St. Dmitry Rostovsky wrote about this, not to mention Western sources. Therefore, there was patriarchy in Aquileia. And after Aquileia, the title of patriarchate was transferred to Venice, as the main city of this metropolis. And even before today The Bishop of Venice bears the title of Patriarch - Patriarch of Venice. This is unique in the Catholic world.”

The relics of the Apostle Mark, as is known, were kept in Alexandria, but the Venetians set themselves the goal of obtaining them. Which they did, stealing them in 833 from Alexandria. Since then, the relics have remained here, in the main, “golden” (because of the beautiful golden mosaic) Catholic Cathedral of the Apostle Mark, inside the altar.

And on the left side of the cathedral is an ancient miraculous Byzantine icon Mother of God"Nicopea" is also a prey of the Venetians.

What other Orthodox saints' relics are in Venice? Let's name a few: the relics of St. Theodore Stratilates (in the Catholic Church in the name of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Chiesa di San Salvador), the holy righteous Zechariah, Father John the Baptist - in the church of the same name near San Marco. The relics of St. Athanasius the Great of Alexandria, a contemporary of St. Nicholas, are in the Greek church. The relics of St. John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria are in the church of San Giovanni in Bragora (Antonio Vivaldi was baptized in this church). The relics of the holy martyr Lucia of Syracuse - the famous Santa Lucia - are also venerated by the Orthodox. Personal monastic cross of St. Savva the Sanctified. And this is only a small part of the list of shrines! By the way, the relics of St. Sava were in Venice from the 13th century until 1965. In 1965, there was a short warming of relations between the churches of the east and west, and three stolen shrines returned back to the east: the head of St. Titus the Apostle, the relics of St. Sava the Sanctified and the relics of St. Luke of Greece from the monastery of Hosios Loukas - they were returned to it. But then the relationship cooled, the door slammed, and since then the Orthodox have received nothing back from the Catholics.


Relics of St. Athanasius of Alexandria, Venice, Church of St. Zechariah

But in general, as Father Alexy says, in Venice there is a church at every turn, and in almost every church there are shrines. But you need to keep in mind that some temples in Venice have an entrance fee.

There are very ancient temples here - the Church of St. James of Zebedee, for example, from the 8th century. It has one column - according to legend, this is the column of Solomon's portico from the Temple of Jerusalem.

Or the magnificent 14th-century basilica of Frari (from the Venetian dialect - from “frati”, i.e. “brothers”, Franciscan brothers) - the full name is Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. Here is Titian's Assumption of the Virgin Mary (in the main altar, directly opposite the entrance). In the left limit - one of best works Titian's Madonna of Pesaro, on the right is the triptych Madonna Enthroned with Saints by Giovanni Bellini. And in the reliquary of the basilica many shrines are kept - including in a special vessel - the blood of Christ (according to legend, Mary Magdalene collected the blood - from the Cross or from the Tomb). The shrine was brought by the captain of the Venetian fleet Melchior Trevisan, and in turn it was given to him by the dying Greek Catholic Patriarch of Constantinople. The shrine has been preserved in Frari since the 15th century. Father Alexy gives a short tour of Frari. The rector of the basilica comes out, preparing to serve the evening service. They greet each other, Father Alexy wishes him a “Bona Mass.”

The Orthodox parish of the Myrrh-Bearing Women hopes in St. Nicholas that he will help them find their own church. It’s a strange thing - Catholics were chasing the relics of saints - and now they have almost forgotten about their veneration. Perhaps in order for this veneration to continue, it is important that Orthodox pilgrims haven't you forgotten about them? There is definitely hope for healing here.

Finding yourself among palaces, canals and the noisy fun of a multilingual crowd, discover a different Venice, carefully preserving numerous Christian shrines in its churches.

The rector of the Russian Orthodox parish of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women, Archpriest Alexy Yastrebov, took us through the most important places of this amazing city.

In honor of the patron saint

It is simply impossible to miss the main square, where the famous St. Mark's Cathedral is located, so Father Alexy, like dozens of other guides, begins his story here.

– In 828, the Venetian merchants Buono and Ristico, saving the relics of the Apostle Mark from desecration, secretly took them out of Alexandria captured by the Muslims. This saint, who once preached in the cities of northeastern Italy, was declared the patron saint of Venice, and his symbol - a winged lion - began to be depicted on the flag, coat of arms and buildings of the republic.

A basilica was built especially for the relics of the apostle, but in the 10th century, during a palace coup, a fire broke out, the flames spread to the basilica, and it completely burned down.

A new temple was built on this site. However, in 1063 it was rebuilt. The new basilica was created on the model of the Constantinople Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles - the famous "Apostleion". Its consecration took place in 1094. But this date cannot be considered the year of completion of construction - over the subsequent centuries the temple was continuously expanded and decorated. The unique appearance of the cathedral is given by the famous quadriga, taken by the crusaders from Constantinople, and the colonnade of multi-colored marble. In general, San Marco is a rare example of Byzantine architecture in Western Europe.

And indeed, looking at this cathedral, you understand that you will never confuse it with any other. It amazes and engraves itself in the memory immediately and forever.

On earth or in heaven?

We enter the basilica and find ourselves surrounded by gold, precious stones and sparkling mosaics that create the unique atmosphere of San Marco.

“The oldest mosaic of the cathedral covers an area of ​​4240 square meters,” Father Alexy continues his story, “and covers not only the facade of the temple, but also the vaults of the domes, arches inside the cathedral, and also decorates the floor. In the center of the basilica, in the altar of the cathedral, rest the relics of the Apostle and Evangelist Mark.

San Marco is a rare example of Byzantine architecture in Western Europe. The oldest mosaic of the cathedral covers an area of ​​4240 sq. m.

The oldest mosaic of the cathedral covers an area of ​​4240 square meters

Behind the throne is a real masterpiece of Byzantine art - the “Golden Iconostasis” (Pala de Oro). This is the oldest shrine, prayed for centuries. The pala is made using cloisonne enamel technique and consists of two parts.

In its upper part are seven Byzantine icons that were taken from the Constantinople monastery of Pantocrator, the tomb of the Byzantine emperors. And the lower one is a four-tiered iconostasis, in the center of which there is an image of the blessing of the Lord, surrounded by four evangelists.

In total, Palu includes 250 enamels, richly decorated with precious stones.

What can this truly royal splendor be compared to? Perhaps only with the Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Following the Russian ambassadors who arrived in Byzantium to get acquainted with Christianity, I would like to say: “And they did not know whether we were in heaven or on earth...”

Temple Treasury

We go around the iconostasis and find ourselves in the chapel of the basilica, where the revered image of the Mother of God “Nicopea” is located.

“The first mention of this image dates back to 610,” says our companion. – According to ancient legend, he was highly revered in Byzantium and especially in the imperial army. Hence the Greek name of the icon “Nicopeia”, which means “Victorious”. Emperors always took the shrine with them on campaigns. In battle it was captured by the Franks on the eve of the fall of Constantinople in 1204.

From the right side gallery we move into the treasury of the cathedral, which is rarely visited by noisy tourists. Here, in eleven niches, the rarest shrines are kept: relics of the Passion of Christ and the relics of God's saints.

I will list just a few of them: part of the stone of the Holy Sepulcher, part of the cloth soaked in the Blood of Christ, part of the Wood of the Holy Cross, four thorns from the Savior’s Crown of Thorns, the holy nail of the Lord, honest hair Holy Mother of God, the honorable foot of St. George the Victorious, part of the relics of Theodore Stratilates, part of the head of John the Baptist, part of the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker, the honorable finger of St. Mary Magdalene, part of the relics of the Great Martyr Panteleimon.

There are even personal belongings of St. Mark - a ring and a Gospel, written, as experts suggest, by the hand of the apostle himself.

Such a concentration of Christian shrines in a small space seems incredible! A separate temple or monastery could be built for each of them, but the Venetians, of course, would never part with their treasures, which had been collected for centuries.

Having bowed to the shrines, we approach the display cases with ancient church utensils. This collection is unique. Many items were taken from the imperial treasury and the sacristy of the Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.

One of the oldest in the city

After leaving the Cathedral of San Marco, we head to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior - one of the oldest in the city. Since the 7th century it has undergone several reconstructions. Now it is a three-nave church, built in the shape of a Latin cross.

Here Father Alexy drew our attention to two works by Titian, “The Transfiguration” and “The Annunciation.” But the main reason why the priest brings pilgrims here is the opportunity to venerate the relics of the Holy Great Martyr Theodore Stratilates, which are kept in the shrine above the throne on the right. The head of the saint is clearly visible through the glass lid,

crowned, imperishable hand and feet, shod in sandals.

The venerable head of righteous Anna, the mother of the Most Holy Theotokos, is kept in the sacristy of the temple, but, unfortunately, it is not available for worship by believers.

To Basil the Great

Are there Orthodox churches in Venice? It turns out there is only one. This is the Greek Church of St. George. This is where Father Alexy leads us.

“The construction of the stone church and bell tower was completed in the 16th century,” explains the priest. – Icons, frescoes and mosaics date back to the 16th–17th centuries. The best craftsmen of that time worked on the interior decoration of the temple. Thus, the iconostasis was created by famous Cretan icon painters - Michael Damascene and Father Emmanuel Dzanes Bunialis.

The main shrine of the temple is a silver reliquary made in the shape of a hand. The right hand of St. Basil the Great is kept in it. At the request of the pilgrims, the clergy take the shrine out of the altar and place it on the head of the believers.

Where was Antonio Vivaldi baptized?

While sightseeing in the Venetian district of Costello, we very soon reached the Church of St. John the Baptist.

“In this ancient temple, founded in the 8th century, the famous composer Antonio Vivaldi was baptized,” the priest continues his story. – And we come here to venerate St. John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria.

The relics of St. John were transferred to Venice in the 13th century. Their arrival was marked by a real miracle. Initially it was assumed that they would be kept in the Cathedral of St. Mark, but the galley with the ark, passing by the Church of St. John the Baptist, suddenly stopped dead in its tracks. They couldn't move her. Then it was decided to carry the ark overland. However, it turned out to be so heavy that no one except the rector of the Baptist Church could lift it. The priest carried the precious shrine to the main square of the city, but something like this began heavy rain that all participants in the solemn procession hid in the nearest church. It turned out to be the Church of St. John the Baptist. Here the cancer remained - for one reason or another it was not possible to move it to another place.

In the temple, everyone can venerate the holy relics, which are located under glass in a marble shrine, and in addition, venerate other great shrines. Here are kept two thorns from the Savior's Crown of Thorns, part of the Life-Giving Tree of the Cross of the Lord, part of the rib of John the Baptist and the monastic cross of St. Savva the Sanctified.

St. Helen's Church

The next stop on our route is the Church of St. Helena, which is located on the island of the same name. You can reach it on foot: first along the embankment, then along the bridge.

“There was a temple and a hospital on this site already in the 12th century,” says the priest. – In the 13th century, it was reconstructed and consecrated in honor of the holy Queen Helen. This most likely happened immediately after the transfer of her relics.

In 1211 (or 1212), a priest named Aicardo, while in Constantinople captured by the crusaders, found the relics of Saint Helena and took them to Venice.

Only the honest head of the holy queen, dressed in a silver reliquary, has survived to this day.

On Lido Island

Not everyone who comes to Venice knows that you can venerate the relics of St. Nicholas not only in Bari, but also on the island of Lido. We go there by means of transport that is unusual for us - a water bus. From the water at the exit of the lagoon there is a wonderful view of the monastery of St. Nicholas - the patron saint of travelers and sailors. On the way, Father Alexy says:

– The relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker have been kept in this temple since the 11th century. The story of their appearance in Venice is truly amazing. As we know, the inhabitants of Bari first arrived in Myra Lycia, where Saint Nicholas served and died. They were in great haste to remove the relics of the miracle worker, and part of this priceless shrine could remain within the walls of the temple.

A few years later, citizens of the Republic of St. Mark went to Myra with the hope of finding at least a small part of the shrine - St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was deeply revered by the inhabitants of the Venetian islands.

Arriving at Myra Lycia, the Venetians began to interrogate the servants where they were hiding the remaining relics, but they claimed that the Barians had taken everything. The soldiers were about to leave the church, when suddenly a wonderful fragrance was felt in one of the aisles.

Having dismantled the floor, the Venetians discovered a copper casket containing the relics of the saint. Having taken the precious relic, they went home. It was so pleasing to the Lord that the ship with the shrine arrived in Venice on the day of memory of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and was greeted by the local residents with great honors.

Father Alexy is the author of the guidebook “The Shrines of Venice,” in which you can find all the information pilgrims need. In addition to the history of Venice and useful information about Christian relics, the guide contains a detailed map of the city, indicating temples to visit. Depending on your free time, routes are offered for several hours, the whole day, or 2–3 days. In total, 44 temples are mentioned where you can venerate Christian shrines, so make pilgrimages around the city of “bridges and canals”
maybe a week or two. You can purchase the guidebook in the bookstores of St. Mark's Cathedral or the Parish of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women

Twelve years without a temple

Two years ago, the parish of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women celebrated its 10th anniversary. But still believers do not have their own temple. In 2003, the Catholic diocese gave the parish the opportunity to conduct services in the ancient Basilica of the Beheading of John the Baptist (San Giovanni Decollato, local dial. San Zan Degolà) in the sesterre of the Holy Cross.

The language of the services is mainly Church Slavonic, but certain parts of the services are spoken in Italian and Romanian. The parish of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women is international; it consists of people from the CIS countries: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova. There are also Italians, Serbs and Romanians.

Liturgy and prayer services are performed not only in the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist, but also in other Catholic churches - at the relics of saints. Orthodox pilgrims from the most different countries peace.

At the presentation of the Makariev Prize to Father Alexy for his guide to Venice

In turn, the community of the holy Myrrh-Bearing Women itself often visits places associated with the life and feat of great Christian ascetics. Orthodox Venetians have already visited the Holy Land three times and are preparing for their fourth trip.

Not yet having the opportunity to build a stone temple on Venetian soil, Father Alexy is building it among the people. Father sees the meaning of his service abroad in conveying his opinion whenever possible. Orthodox Church on various events in the modern world.

The history of Venice and, more narrowly, the history of the appearance of shrines in VeniceOrthodox Christianity, is closely connected with the East, with the Byzantineempire. The city in the lagoon was for a long time politically dependent on Byzantium, which served its inhabitants well, for the presence of a powerful patron guaranteed relative safety from barbarian raids, while the special position of Venice - an outpost of the empire in the north-east of the Apennines - and the indispensability of the services of the Venetians as skilled sailors and pilots were provided with broad autonomy of local government.

After the fall of Byzantium, Venice controlled a large part of the former empire and, in particular, many of the Greek islands. It is no coincidence that refugees arrived here after the Turkish victory over Christians in the Eastern Mediterranean in the 15th century. The Greek diaspora in Venice at that time numbered up to ten thousand people. Soon after the arrival of the refugees, an Orthodox cathedral was built and the episcopal see of the Patriarchate of Constantinople was established. The Greeks actively participated in the life of the republic and occupied prominent positions in its civil and military leadership.

They also brought some shrines. For example, in the Cathedral of St. George there is part of the relics of the holy great martyr and patron of the temple. In the 16th century, one of the members of the imperial family of Palaiologos, who lived in Venice, donated the right hand of St. Basil the Great to the cathedral. The relics are still preserved in the cathedral.

Let us note that in Venice there has never been religious hostility or, especially, persecution for faith, largely because that the Venetians were “friends” of the Byzantines, and the Orthodox Greek diaspora enjoyed all the rights and privileges of a religious community in the city.

Such closeness with the Greek world comprehensively enriched the citizens of the island republic, and as a cultural type the Venetians are undoubtedly still very close to the Eastern tradition.

The Venetian Republic took a direct part in the first crusades, of which the infamous Fourth, directed exclusively against Byzantium and Orthodoxy, was organized and paid for by the Venetians. This partly explains the fact that a great many relics of Orthodox saints remain in Venice to this day: they were among the trophies captured in Constantinople.

Believers of the parish of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women of the Moscow Patriarchate in Venice are trying to “reopen” Orthodox shrines for Russian pilgrims. Materials for publications are being collected, a “Guide to the Shrines of Venice” is being prepared, prayers and liturgies are being served on the relics of saints. Gradually we learned more and more about the shrines and talked about it in Russia. Immediately the number of pilgrims, previously small, increased, so that a parish pilgrimage service was even opened, preparing trips to the North of Italy.

In the churches of Venice rest the relics of the holy righteous Zechariah, father of St. John the Baptist, the holy First Martyr and Archdeacon Stephen, the holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark, the holy Patriarchs of Alexandria Athanasius the Great and John the Merciful, two Patriarchs of Constantinople - the fighter against iconoclasm of St. Herman and Saint Eutyches, who was the chairman of the V Ecumenical Council. Let us also name the relics of the first monk - St. Paul of Thebes, the holy martyr Christina of Tire, the holy great martyrs Theodore Tiron and Theodore Stratelates, so revered in the Russian Church, the holy martyr Luke of Syracuse, the martyr Valeria, the holy martyr Paul, the Venerable Mary of Bithynia, who was called Marinus in monasticism,

Father Alexy Yastrebov with part
relics of St. Rev. Maria of Vithynia

Venerable Martyr Anastasius the Persian, holy martyrs and unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian of Arabia, holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke in Padua,

Relics of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke in Padua

as well as the most important parts of the relics of especially revered saints: the hand of the Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, the right hand of St. Basil the Great and the hand of St. John Chrysostom. In Venice, several needles from the crown of thorns of the Savior are preserved, which was preserved for some time in Venice on the way to France, and also a great many relics of saints and other shrines.

The right hand of St. Basil the Great	Ark with the relics of St. Basil the Great

In Venice there are many relics of Roman martyrs of the first centuries, about whom almost nothing is sometimes known except their names. But holiness is not measured by fame and the breadth of popular veneration - many “witnesses” of the faith of Christ suffered unknown, but Orthodox Christians with love and reverence resort to all holy saints, regardless of their faces. For example, in Venice the relics of the holy martyrs Sergius and Bacchus rest. Saint Sergius of Radonezh especially revered Sergius and Bacchus, since the martyr Sergius was his spiritual patron.

Relics of the Holy Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus

The whereabouts of these relics were not known in Russia, but now there is an opportunity to venerate the relics of the saint, in whose honor the “abbot of all Rus'” was named in monasticism - Venerable Sergius Radonezh.

It is safe to say that in terms of the number of shrines, Venice, together with Rome, ranks first in the entire Christian world.

On the days of remembrance of the saints whose relics rest in Venice, at the parish of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women, a tradition was established of performing divine services at these shrines. The Catholic side welcomes this initiative, and the rectors of the churches where the relics are located are meeting the Orthodox halfway. Prayers and veneration of the saints are performed at their relics and with pilgrimage groups from Russia.

On May 8, 2004, on the day of remembrance of the Apostle and Evangelist Mark, in the famous cathedral named after him, considered second in importance in the Catholic Church after the Roman Councils, the first Orthodox liturgy in the entire history of this temple was celebrated at the relics of the saint.

St. Mark's Basilica in Venice is a unique monument of Byzantine art. Its architecture and mosaics became examples of the church art of antiquity, and it, after the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Rome, is rightfully considered the second most important cathedral of the Catholic Church, embodying the union, the meeting of Christian art of East and West. In contrast to the Cathedral of St. Peter - a monument of the Renaissance, very “Western” in its style, the Cathedral of the Apostle Mark is, as it were, an icon of the Orthodox East, written specifically for the West. Therefore, according to the representatives of the Catholic Church present at the Liturgy, the Orthodox worship in this very “oriental” church in essence fit very organically into the spiritual architectonics of the ancient basilica.

But the main thing that attracts an Orthodox Christian in this church is, of course, relics of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark, brought to Venice in 832 from Alexandria. Since then, the Apostle Mark became the heavenly patron of the Venetian Republic and its citizens.

– Father, tell us how the life of your parish began, when was it founded, when were you sent there?

– The parish was founded in 2002 on the initiative of believers of the Russian Orthodox Church. These people were mainly parishioners of the Greek Church of the Holy Great Martyr George (Patriarchate of Constantinople), which has existed for five hundred years. In previous centuries, this temple was visited by Russian aristocrats, writers, and pilgrims. At first our believers also went to this parish. When quite a lot of believers of the Russian Orthodox Church gathered, they decided to write a letter to the hierarchy, asking that a priest be sent to Venice and their own community be created. And in July 2002, at a meeting of the Holy Synod, a decision was made to create a community of holy myrrh-bearing women within the Russian Orthodox Church. And a little later, at the October meeting of the Holy Synod, a decision was made to send me there as rector.

– How many parishioners do you have now?

– We do not keep a special book of parishioners, as is done in some parishes, we only take their coordinates from those who come to the temple. So we have a rough idea of ​​the believers who come to us from time to time or constantly. There are about one hundred and fifty people who come at least two or three times a year. There are, of course, fewer regular parishioners: the backbone of the parish, that is, those you can rely on in everything, is about ten to twelve people. Well, on average forty worshipers come to Sunday liturgy.

-What kind of people are these? How did you end up in Italy? What is their social status?

– Basically, these are Russian-speaking citizens of Ukraine and Moldova. Those who, due to the difficult economic situation in their homeland, were forced to leave their families and go to work in other countries, in Europe, including Italy. Both Belarusians and Russians come to us, but there are not so many of them. Basically, these are women who married Italians. There are also representatives of the Georgian diaspora. We have about five or six Serbs. So Slavic language unites many. Belarusians (let's say this with regret for us, but with joy for them) are gradually returning home, because the economic situation in Belarus is improving.

– In Venice, is your parish the only one where services are conducted in Church Slavonic?

- Yes. In Venice, we are the only parish where services are conducted in Church Slavonic. There is a Greek community where services are conducted, naturally, in Greek. And in mainland Venice there is a large Romanian community, where, of course, they pray in Romanian.

– The Greeks do not particularly welcome services in languages ​​other than Greek, even if there are parishioners of non-Greek rites in the parish...

- Yes. And even if there are priests of non-Greek rite. Venice is the center of the Greek metropolis of Italy and Malta, as it is now called. Apparently, the Greeks wanted to create an exemplary parish in Venice with exemplary Greek service. Of course they are interested in being visited large quantity believers. It is no secret that they welcome the transfers of priests from our jurisdiction, according to various reasons those who find themselves abroad (mainly Ukrainians and Moldovans) to their jurisdiction. At the same time, the Greeks do not allow them to serve in Slavic, Ukrainian, or Romanian. In any case, this is the situation in St. George's Cathedral in Venice.

– What are believing Italians like, and, what is especially interesting, Orthodox Italians?

– This could be a topic for a separate conversation. Let's just touch on the main points, if you like. Italy and Italians are part of the Mediterranean ethno-cultural tradition. They are quite close to us in temperament. This is not Germany or France. This is the Mediterranean, which is historically and culturally very close to the East. That is why the Italian mentality is somehow special and, in my opinion, oriental. Although it must be said in parentheses that the regions of Italy are very different from each other: language, customs, religiosity - all this varies greatly in the regions of Italy. This is a legacy of the centuries-old fragmentation of Italy, because the modern Italian Republic is only one hundred and fifty years old. And yet, the penetration of the eastern, primarily Greek element into Italy, especially into Sicily and Puglia and, of course, into the Veneto region, is well known, therefore it is in Italy that the interdependence of East and West becomes very noticeable, both in a general cultural and religious sense .

– Is it true that Italians are very lively and open, especially in comparison with other Europeans?

– Yes, they are alive, they are open, they are very sincere. Especially when compared with, for example, the Germans. Italians are a little careless, and this, unfortunately, also makes us similar. Italians are very hospitable and traditionally treat Russians well. This attitude, formed in earlier centuries, only strengthened after the war, when left-wing governments were in power. Relations with the Soviet Union have always been good, which is why people in Italy still study and love Russian literature and the Russian language. And, of course, for us Christians, this is “the land of holy miracles,” in the words of A.S. Khomyakova. These are places of martyrdom of the holy apostles, places where many holy relics and other shrines are preserved. Italy is the cradle of Western Christianity, a country that is interesting and very useful to study and whose shrines one should resort to. At the same time, this is also the cradle of Catholicism; we Orthodox Christians should not forget about this. This is where all the crusades came from, at least this is where they were inspired, and this is where they were often financed.

If we talk about Venice, then its connection with the East is special. No wonder this city was called “the bridge between East and West.” For a long time Venice was the only, and permanent, outpost of Byzantium on Italian soil. If Ravenna left the control of Byzantium, then Venice until the 13th century (before the fourth crusade) had some formal dependence on Byzantium, it was beneficial for it. Therefore, Venice has a lot in common with Greece, a lot in common with Byzantium, which explains the large number of eastern shrines that are kept in the Venetian diocese.

– What are the most revered Orthodox shrines in Venice?

– This topic deserves to be the subject of a special conversation. Currently I am preparing a Guide to the Shrines of Venice. After completing this work, it would be possible to talk in more detail about the shrines of this city. Some information, however small, can be read by visiting our parish website .

About a third of the holy relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker are kept in Venice, which arrived there ten years after the bulk of the relics were removed to Bari. When the Barians took away the holy relics, they took the main parts, and in a hurry. That sailor Matteo, who took out the main parts of the relics, practically stood with his feet in the shrine; he literally trampled those small bones that remained there. The Greeks collected and preserved this small remaining part of the relics, and the Venetians, appearing 10 years later, under torture, as was then practiced, found out where the relics were kept and brought them to Venice, to the island of Lido. Now there, in addition to the relics of St. Nicholas, there are the relics of other Myra saints: St. Nicholas - “uncle”, who was mistakenly called the uncle of St. Nicholas, although he was the uncle of another saint, and the Hieromartyr Theodore, also Archbishop of Myra.

Venice preserves the relics of the Holy Apostle Mark and the Holy Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates, who, together with St. Nicholas, are the patrons of the city of Venice. The churches of Venice also contain the relics of St. John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria, the holy protomartyr Archdeacon Stephen, two parts of the head of the holy Great Martyr George, the relics of the Venerable Martyr Anastasius of Persian, and the relics of the holy Great Martyr Christina of Tire. There are relics of the holy Syrian martyrs Sergius and Bacchus: in memory of one of them, the Monk Sergius, abbot of All Rus', received his monastic name. Here is the head of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara. We know that now in Kyiv the schismatics keep the relics of the holy Great Martyr Barbara without a head. So, the head is found in Venice. Last year, part of the chapter was given to the Greek Archdiocese at its request. Two metropolitans came and took this piece of the Great Martyr Barbara. In Venice there were the relics of the holy Venerable Sava the Sanctified. In the 50s they were given to the Jerusalem Patriarchate, and now they are in Jerusalem. Here I have listed only those shrines that came to mind, but in fact there are many shrines, much more than those I have listed. For example, the relics of the holy martyr Lucia of Syracuse - the famous Santa Lucia, which we also honor. Or the Venerable Mary of Bithynia, tied up in a male form.

– Which was called Marin?

- Yes, which was called Marin. Many other shrines can be remembered. So Venice is the most important city precisely in the aspect Orthodox pilgrimage. And in other cities of Italy there are many shrines, for example in Rome, but Rome is Big city, there you have to use the bus. And in Venice there is a church at every step, and in almost every church there are some kind of shrines, everything is nearby (and, by the way, there are no vehicles - this is the only city in the world where there are no cars). I remember the first time I set foot on Venetian soil. It was evening. I walked, accompanied by parishioners, for about three minutes; they invited me to go into the church we were walking past. We enter the temple, and they say to me: “Here are the relics of St. Athanasius the Great of Alexandria...”. When I heard this, my breath caught...

– A piece of relics?

- No no. The relics are complete, but without the head. In the 16th century, they were stolen from Constantinople captured by the Turks on the advice of a Greek bishop, whose name is not mentioned in the chronicle. And right there, nearby, lie the relics of the holy righteous Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, which were donated by Emperor Heraclius in the 7th century.

And for me, Saint Athanasius, since seminary times, has been an exceptional holy father and teacher of the Church, a real hero. Few people can be compared with him - both in theology, and in personal qualities, and in administrative talent. We, seminarians of the early 90s, who knew about persecution for faith not only from books, but also from personal communication with confessors who had gone through the camps, all wanted to be at least in some way like Saint Athanasius. And, imagine, suddenly his relics are in front of me...

Or the relics of St. John the Merciful...

– Also in its entirety?

- Yes, completely. They were taken from Alexandria in 1247. There are many shrines in Venice, a great many... There are parts of the crown of thorns that remained after the crown of thorns itself, which was kept in Venice, was transferred to France. And on Christmas Eve 2006, the rector of a neighboring Catholic parish gave us a reliquary with a piece of wood from the Holy Cross. This is now our temple shrine.

– In the past, the Venetians were always actively religious, always collecting the relics of great saints in Venice. What can we say about the religiosity of Italians today? How strong is Catholicism in Italy?

– Here it must be said right away that this special collection of holy relics was caused by the medieval attitude towards relics: it was believed that the more relics of saints you accumulate, the more patrons you will have. This is a kind of hype, somewhat unhealthy, exaggerated piety. A large number of relics of saints in Venice is explained, firstly, by the fact that the Byzantine emperors themselves donated shrines to their Western dominion, which was the most important and often the only “bridgehead” of the empire in the West, and secondly, by the fact that, when in an instant from the vassal of Byzantium Venice became her master, and much of the empire passed into her hands. In addition, the Orthodox Greeks brought with them some shrines to save them from the Turks on the eve of the final fall of Byzantium in 1453.

- Well, what about now?

– Now the holy relics are almost completely abandoned, they are almost not venerated. In the dogmatic teaching of the Catholic Church, the doctrine of relics is still preserved, but it is, as it were, a kind of archaism.

–For the sake of the Protestant tradition?

- I think yes. These are the consequences of the Second Vatican Council - general liberalization and a turn towards the Protestant tradition. We are now encountering a very unique, modernized piety. In principle, the majority of Italians profess themselves Catholics and go to church on Sundays. But worship, pastoral work and the attitude of the believers themselves are becoming more and more liberal. Little is required of believers: they do not require any special feats, fasting, or prayers. They give communion, but they do not attach importance to cleansing before communion, therefore neither confession before communion nor fasting is required. The main thing is the fact of communion itself, the meaning of which is precisely why it is gradually leveled out. After all, if you approach the Holy Mysteries without fear and trembling, then this already becomes a habit. I would not like to judge anyone, but now, objectively, there is a crisis in the West, and therefore a turn towards Eastern spiritual values ​​is noticeable, the works of the Eastern Fathers of the Church are being actively translated. A very good edition of St. Gregory Palamas in Italian has just been published. Other Eastern Fathers of the Church are being actively translated. I spent several months side by side with those people who are involved in the Eastern ascetic tradition, and I know that the Eastern Holy Fathers are being studied very seriously. Often, unfortunately, they are studied even better than ours. For example, on the topic of my dissertation (I wrote about Russian religious philosophy of the late 19th - early 20th centuries), there is a lot of literature, a lot of deep research, in particular, about Father Pavel Florensky, whom I studied. If at home we deal mainly with the decoding and good critical edition of his works, then here there are not only publications, translations, commentaries, but also serious works and monographs.

– It turns out that sincerely believing Italians are trying to find something that is connected with feat, fasting and prayer, with that without which Christianity is unthinkable?

– The Eastern tradition, in principle, is accepted well, but since there is always a certain and even very serious difference in mentalities, which cannot be avoided, Catholics try to adapt the Eastern tradition to themselves, not to accept it as it is. It fits too little with the peculiarities of the Catholic mentality, especially with the Western concept of the papacy. Eastern Holy Fathers and eastern tradition are intensively and in depth studied among Catholics of the Eastern Rite, or, as we also say, Uniates, in their educational institutions and monasteries, although this happens not only in the Uniate environment.

– Are there many Uniates in Italy?

– Historical Uniates, that is, Greeks who once came and accepted Uniateism and have as their center the Grottaferrata monastery in the vicinity of Rome, of course, are fewer and fewer, because they are gradually assimilated and become ordinary Catholics of the Latin rite. And among the new arrivals there are many Uniates, because they are mainly immigrants from Western Ukraine. The modern Western Ukrainian Uniate movement is very active and, I would say, aggressive. Their priests are active not only among believers of the Uniate tradition, but also of the Orthodox one.

“And that’s why sometimes they don’t even report that they are Uniates...

– The main focus is on nationalism. In general, Uniatism, which was born as a deception and filled the Orthodox shell with alien content, cannot get rid of deception as a method. I have met people who, being in the Uniate, are burdened by this constant duality. Some say that it would be better if we were just Catholics, while others, on the contrary, want to return and are returning to Orthodoxy. This duality constantly “tears” them apart. They are not Latins and, by the way, they often do not like Catholics very much. In Western Ukraine, in general, as far as I know, relations between them have developed and are developing uneasy. Well, towards the Orthodox, as is typical for any renegade environment, there is an attitude of mistrust and rejection. And that is why they, since their creed betrays them, shows their belonging to Catholicism and thereby turns away part of the flock from them, rely on ritual - masquerading as Orthodoxy - and on nationalism. To the common man, separated by decades of godlessness from his spiritual roots, it is difficult to understand all this and, unfortunately, it is difficult to remain completely faithful to Orthodoxy.

The most blatant thing is, of course, direct deception on the part of the Uniate clergy. We often hear from people that when they ask whether this is an Orthodox Church, the Greek Catholic priest answers in the affirmative. I know for sure that, at least here in Venice, the Uniate priest gives communion and confesses to everyone who comes to him, regardless of whether he is Greek Catholic or Orthodox. And Orthodox Christians, unfortunately, often simply do not understand that this Church is not Orthodox. Of course, if in the UGCC everywhere there is such an attitude towards pastoral activities in caring for believers, there will be no dialogue between our Churches for a long time, either in Ukraine or in the diaspora.

– That is, Uniateism is used by the Catholic Church in order, relatively speaking, to take over believers from the countries of the former Soviet Union, for example, from Western Ukraine. Do people see icons and vestments that are familiar to them and, not understanding the difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, go to the Uniate?

- I wouldn't say that. Catholics now have a fairly neutral and tolerant attitude towards both the Orthodox and the Uniates. In any case, in our area I can talk about relative parity. Roman Catholics do not take special steps to popularize Uniatism. Of course, the Uniates have better church buildings than we do, and it would be strange if this were not the case. At the same time, the Catholic Church has a fairly balanced policy; one cannot complain that they are trying to drag down our believers. At my request, they place advertisements about our parish in various charitable church institutions, in the diocesan newspaper, so that Moldovans and Ukrainians know that, in addition to the Uniate ones, there is also an Orthodox parish. By the way, in Venice there is also a Romanian Uniate Church, their parish is very popular, and our Moldovans there are actively deceived, saying: we, they say, are the same Orthodox, and it doesn’t matter which parish - ours or the Orthodox one - to go to. But one cannot complain about the position of the local Catholic diocese - our relations are the most friendly. In particular, the Catholics allocated us a church for worship, for which we are very grateful to them.

Yes, I don’t think that people are “moving to Uniatism” en masse. Here they were deceived, but when they arrive home, everything will fall into place, the priest will explain where they ended up in Italy. And where will he find a Uniate Church in his Poltava region or in Zhitomir? Well, if he is honored to go to Kyiv or Pochaev, then he will have to hear the most unpleasant words about his religious “omnivorousness”.

– It turns out that relations between born Catholics and Orthodox Christians who came from afar are more tolerant than between Orthodox Christians and Uniates.

- As always. These relations are even more tolerant than between Catholics and Uniates, who seem to belong to the same Church. This is probably the psychology: for a long time we “waged a war” with the Old Believers, who were persecuted and limited in their rights, while, for example, with the Anglicans in late XIX centuries there was a kind of brotherhood... Of course, then it was very important, but, I repeat, we often communicate more kindly with people who are traditionally distant from us than with those who are traditionally closer to us.

– This is understandable: the more similarities, the more significant differences are visible. However, let's return to the Orthodox Italians. Who are they and where do they come from?

– Orthodox Italians are a special story. A country with such an established tradition of Western Christianity, Catholic in the first place, like Italy, has difficulty producing Orthodox people. On the other hand, if an Italian accepts Orthodoxy, then we're talking about about conscious choice, and I know such people. These are mainly those Italians, initially religiously indifferent, who, having married our parishioners, eventually came to our parish or the parishes of other churches in our deanery. Having seen our service, our general church life, they gradually “ripened” in order to accept Orthodoxy. Someone did not want children to be separated in the family according to different religions. I must say that such people do very serious choice, because their parents (and in Italy father, mother, relatives, the family hearth are still very sacred) often perceive such a step as a betrayal of tradition. Some do not even report that they have converted to Orthodoxy; from time to time on major holidays and family celebrations they appear at Catholic services, naturally without receiving communion. And, without advertising, they come to our church, because it can be difficult to report this.

But there are people who went against everything. For example, several native Venetians who have studied Greek go to the Greek church. And this is by no means easy. I studied and taught this language at PSTGU and at Sretensky Seminary and I can say that the ancient Greek language is very complex, and modern Greek is not easy either. However, there are people, sometimes completely simple, unlearned, who, having seen the beauty of Orthodoxy, studied ancient and modern Greek and are now permanent parishioners of the Greek temple.

Moreover, we also have Orthodox priests- Italians. These are people who converted to Orthodoxy in the 70s, people who serve in different cities, mainly in the north of Italy, in our parishes, and they could tell a lot about the tangible pressure of the environment, especially in the 70s. Then it was not like now, society was more conservative, and they carried out the feat of confession. They defended the Orthodox faith and now have large communities. In general, where the Orthodox priests are Italians, there are a lot of Italian believers: it’s easier for them with the language, it’s easier for them to confess and get literature.

– Are there well-maintained Orthodox monasteries in Italy?

– In Italy Orthodox monastic life not yet particularly developed. We have a monastic community in Turin, headed by Father Andrew (Wade). There are only a few members, it is called a monastic community, it does not have the status of a monastery. There are Greek monasteries, but I know that monastic life doesn’t really take root there either.

Not far from us there is a Greek women's monastery with Abbess Sebastiana, who was specially invited from Crete to revive women's Orthodox monasticism. She took two or three experienced nuns with her. But so far the number of nuns is not growing. God grant that an Orthodox monastery flourish on Italian soil - be it Russian, Serbian or Greek. This would be a great joy for us.

– What is the main obstacle to the transition of Italians to Orthodoxy? After all, many see the beauty of Orthodoxy, see the truth Orthodox doctrine, they see that our Christianity is not emasculated, unlike modern Catholicism.

– Firstly, there is an ancient Western tradition, starting with the holy martyr Clement, with the apostles Peter and Paul themselves and going through all the holy popes and saints, a tradition of both theology and spiritual practice. It cannot and should not be brushed aside; it was formed in a special way. It is very difficult for a Western person to move on, understand and accept another tradition, the Eastern tradition. The same St. Augustine, whom we accept, although we argue about him, is a whole tradition that, so to speak, was spiritually productive. It is not worthwhile to cross out their traditions right down to their foundations because of the apostasy of Catholics.

Internally western man feels untruth, but already has difficulty separating what was “before” and what happened “after”. Francis of Assisi and Anthony of Padua are attractive with their simplicity; they are somewhat similar to our holy fools. It is almost impossible for Italians to refuse their veneration. Although, if we look at the ascetic views of the same Francis...

I must say that Venerable Seraphim, and the Monk Sergius of Radonezh are included in the calendar among Catholics, that is, they are celebrated as saints, although already “post-schism”, but, nevertheless, you can meet Italians who are called Seraphim.

– Yes, on the Internet, on one of the Catholic sites (perhaps not on the canonical one), I saw St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) and Righteous John of Kronstadt in their calendar, which is quite strange. there in short life St. Ignatius, it is written that he is a great ascetic and mentor in the Jesus Prayer - and that’s all. But his teaching about the Orthodox Church as the one true Church, about the heresies of papism and so on were not mentioned. But the fact that he, a fighter for the purity of dogmas and denouncer of heresies, was placed in the calendar actually amazed me.

– But I came across this “life” of Joasaph (Kuntsevich), which I read until three o’clock in the morning, because it didn’t end and didn’t end. I was incredibly interested in how they described his “exploits.” And these so-called “relics” of his are kept in the Cathedral of St. Apostle Peter! I had to live in Rome for quite a long time. When, passing by the Ukrainian college, I saw a sign that said “St. Joasaph Street,” I took a photo, otherwise, I thought, no one would believe me. Yes, yes, a street is named after this tormentor of Orthodoxy, and among Catholics he is, indeed, a “saint.” Even Russian Catholics admit that such “canonizations,” of course, do not lead to anything good.

– It turns out that Italians do not always understand the difference between their ancient Orthodox roots and those layers that appeared after XI century. Doesn't this misunderstanding become main problem the transition of Italians to Orthodoxy?

- Hard to tell. This is probably influenced by a lot of different factors.

– And another immediate question: what is the role of the dogma of papal infallibility here?

– The fact is that for a church Catholic, the main dogma is the dogma of the primacy of the pope. I have an acquaintance who jokingly said that the only way to unite the pope and Orthodoxy is to elect an Orthodox pope. Jokes aside, but this is really almost true. They are ready to have, maybe even an Orthodox one, but definitely a pope. And, of course, their confidence that one person keeps within himself all this, so to speak, “Svyatogor’s” power of the Apostle Peter and somehow constantly holds and preserves it, is absolutely unshakable.

In modern Catholicism there are a lot of currents, a lot of some groups and directions that are at odds with each other - from liberal to extremely conservative. There is the “Society of Pius X” - a kind of Catholic Old Believers, but even they do not anathematize the pope, although they say that “this is the pope, the pope is that.” They look at dad as their only reference point. Khomyakov was right when he talked about freedom for us and freedom for them. This is probably the most important obstacle. Some of the Catholics are ready to fill the Catholic Church with Orthodox content, but necessarily with the Pope, who, if he says that “black is white,” then everyone will think that it is so. This moment is very serious. Of course, the personality of the pope is “sacred” to varying degrees. She may even be a personality, I beg your pardon, of an actor’s order, as the late John Paul II was, but all the same, no matter how the pope is perceived (they clapped him on the shoulder or played football with him), his personality is “sacred”, it becomes over everyone: over bishops, metropolitans, patriarchs.

However, the roots of this phenomenon are much deeper, they are both in the theology of St. Augustine and in the legal understanding of Christianity. Therefore, one must understand dogma thoroughly; one cannot mechanically remove false dogmas, like Filioque and others, and say that the issue has been resolved. Often many Catholics think so, they say: “You and I don’t have many differences, look, now we’ll quickly clean it all up, and everything will be fine.” Actually, of course not. We have a difference in mentality, a difference in theology, a difference in internal, spiritual experience.

I recently saw your report on your trip to the Copts in Egypt. Did you go to see them?

– Yes, the brethren visited Coptic monasteries founded by St. Anthony the Great and Paul of Thebes.

“So I say to my Catholic friends: “You know, the Copts and I have been going separately since the Fourth Ecumenical Council, but our spiritual traditions are very similar, and with you we have fewer differences in the letter, but a lot in the spirit.” Therefore, we must understand (after all, we pray “for the unification of all”) that unification, although desirable for everyone, is not at any cost. We need to tell each other the truth, and not repeat all the time: “The differences between us are nonsense, St. Seraphim is like St. Francis, St. Sergius is like St. John of the Cross.” They say, it’s all almost the same, let’s be friends. Of course, it’s good to be friends, to solve the problems of our time together, to be simply allies in our secular world, but when you take it deeper, you need to understand more seriously.

– It seems to me that this is no longer possible. Both due to the rootedness of traditions, and due to the fact that we cannot accept Western “saints”, whose veneration Catholics have already become accustomed to. Perhaps certain groups will accept Orthodoxy, the same Catholics from the Society of Pius X, when they see very great outrages, which, I think, will still be preached on behalf of the “infallible” pope.

– I am more optimistic. I hope that with the current dad there will be some progress in in a good way words, there will be more appeal to tradition. So, if Catholics focus more on dialogue with Orthodoxy and are less involved among the Orthodox in the politics of division and playing against, for example, Constantinople and Moscow, and go more openly, then I think that this process can give something. We don’t know what will happen, but we feel the approach of the last times and therefore, without giving up hope, we pray “for the unification of all.”

I repeat that there is great interest in the West in our spiritual tradition, and we simply must bear witness to Orthodoxy. At the same time, the success of our witness, our mission should not be measured by the number of people who accepted the Orthodox faith. This would be elementary formalism.

As for the final conversion, I don’t know, it’s hard to say... There are all these “visions” and “prophecies” of Vladimir Solovyov, no matter how you interpret them. If they really start last times Of course, I would like to see all Christians together. But how will this happen? Only God knows.

But we will still pray about it. I live in Italy, I see how people live and how they live, I know them, and, of course, I already love them. After all, the Lord loves all his children; let us remember how He sent the prophet Jonah to Nineveh to save the pagans who did not know how to distinguish “ right hand from the left." Even more so should we treat our Christian brothers with love.

– You said that they are somewhat similar to us.

– One of the unique Venetian attractions that attracts crowds of tourists is the annual carnival. This year our Easter celebration coincides and therefore the carnival week also coincides with Orthodox Maslenitsa. How Orthodox Christian relate to carnival?

– Carnival is our Maslenitsa. It lasts 12 days and ends on the eve of Ash Wednesday, when in Catholic churches during Vespers there is a ritual of sprinkling ashes on the head - a reminder of the beginning of the penitential time of Lent.

I recently read the story of Father Pavel Feoktistov about the Brazilian carnival, posted on the website Sedmitsa.ru, and comparing the Brazilian carnival with the Venetian one, I can say that they are very different from each other. If there it is a riotous Latin American holiday, in which all residents, often slum dwellers, are very actively involved - a kind of bacchanalia, then in Venice the carnival has long been a purely tourist-commercial event for visitors. The Venice Carnival itself, after Napoleon banned it, was revived only in 1980. So this is a fairly modern event with a clear commercial overtone.

This year, indeed, our Maslenitsa coincides with the carnival, which begins on February 9 and ends on February 20. Thank God the carnival here in Venice never falls on our Lent. This alone is good. During the entire carnival period, the city is so crowded with tourists that sometimes a kind of “human traffic jam” forms, congestion in which you can stand for ten or even twenty minutes without moving. On the opening day, even traffic controllers come out into the narrow Venetian calle streets - police officers directing the live flow of people, and local residents, if they do not work in the service sector, hide or go where they can.

In general, from the point of view of faith, this, of course, is a rather useless pastime, and even boring: contemplating different masks and costumes becomes boring after one, maximum, two days. And although there is nothing super harmful in today’s carnival, it would still be good to remember its very ungodly past. However, if any of our compatriots are still planning to visit Venice at this time and have already boarded the plane, let them not forget about what is incomparably more important: the shrines that are kept in the city churches. Or attend Sunday or holiday services in our parish.

– Well, God help you to bear witness to the truth of Orthodoxy on the territory of the Western Roman Empire.

– We ask for your prayers too. We invite the brethren and students of Sretensky Seminary and, of course, all Orthodox Christians to visit and go on pilgrimage. More and more people are coming to us, sent by various pilgrimage services, and some come themselves, knowing our phone number and coordinates.

And whoever wants, perhaps, to take for himself the prayer rule that we perform, then this will also be a great help to us: daily reading of the akathist (and, after fasting, the canon) to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker so that we can have our own church. We are holding negotiations about this in both Russia and Italy, and it seems that some progress has been made. We are, of course, looking for philanthropists, because without capital investment such a project is impossible.

So we very much ask St. Nicholas that the Lord give us his land, so that we do not borrow a temple from anyone, do not come to visit anyone, but be on our own land, so that our island - the Russian Island - will be on the Venetian islands Orthodoxy.

Interviewed by Anton Pospelov