With the blessing of His Holiness, the late Patriarch Alexei II of Moscow and All Russia, the memory of the New Martyrs of Butovo is celebrated on the fourth Saturday after Pascha. The following essay by Dr. Maria Degtiareva of the Department of Theology at Perm State University was written in 2010. The first time I found myself here was four years ago. I did not come on my own, although I had heard... 

No book on the history of the Russian Church in the twentieth century can be complete without including the name of St. Athanasius (Sakharov), Bishop of Kovrov, a catacomb bishop who reunited with the Moscow Patriarchate in 1945. We will not, however, discuss the historical events in which he participated, but rather how holiness exists in time – all the more so, since we are considering the twentieth... 

Why do Orthodox Americans, French, Swedes, and those outside Russia need to revere the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia? It is clear what they did for Russia, but why are the Russian New Martyrs so significant for people in the West? Why should we pray to them? “PravMir” asked several people to respond to these questions. Father Andrew Phillips, Rector of St. John the Wonderworker Orthodox... 

A Speech in Honor of the 95th Anniversary of the Moscow Theological Academy Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky) “There were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud… And Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke” (Ex 19:16,18). And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt,... 

Source: Ora et Labora       Listen to the triumphant hymns of the Church! Not on the day of Holy Pascha alone, but on all the great fests you will frequently hear the word “incorruption.” The entire matter of the salvation of the human race is expressed in the Church’s living theology as the gift of incorruption. This means that we lacked incorruption. We were in a condition of corruption.... 

Source: Fr. Sergei Sveshnikov’s blog icon03-240In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! Beloved in Christ brothers, sisters, and children, Today we have been honored to be concelebrants and fellow communicants in the Divine Liturgy—the great Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  This day is especially notable for us because today we celebrate our... 

Source: The Voice of Russia             It happened late in autumn of 1924 in a special-purpose camp on Solovetsk islands. A sudden violent storm hurled out into the open sea a boat containing several prison inmates and the camp’s most malevolent guard. The guard’s name was Suhov. The prisoners and soldiers gathered on shore were convinced there was no hope... 

Source: The Transfiguration of our Lord Russian Orthodox Church         Behind all wars, revolution, downfall of kingdoms, – all the political events of external history – we see the hidden working of spiritual laws and, in the final analysis, God’s Providence concerning the fates of peoples and nations. Any other explanation of the reasons for the revolutions of 1905... 

Source: Orthodox England   There survive some 100 letters and cards written by the Grand Duchess Elizabeth to Nicholas II. They were all written in English, although the Grand Duchess sometimes uses expressions in Russian, French or German. In the extracts selected below, originally published in the Russian journal Istochnik No 4, 1994, all Russian words have been translated into English and... 

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