If until this day you have been putting off regular reading of Christian literature, then two reasons have appeared for this grace-filled deed. Firstly, March 14— Orthodox Book Day. The holiday is very young, introduced 4 years ago. But reading for a Christian is an important part of spiritual work. And now, the other day, a wonderful time for spiritual exploits begins!
The most important book for a Christian should undoubtedly be the Holy Scripture. In addition, these are patristic works, the lives of saints. In addition to this, in lately a lot has appeared on the book market various books Orthodox authors. And, of course, we must remember that not all of them are equally valuable. Among these books there are completely non-Orthodox in essence, there are those in which genuine Orthodox teaching is mixed with occult or pseudoscientific ideas. Every person has their own favorite books. According to the website lib.pravmir.ru, we offer you 10 most read modern books , useful in spiritual work.
1. - book by Archimandrite Tikhon Shevkunov. Published in 2011. The book aroused great interest among the reading public. Thus, by October 2012, the total circulation of the book was one million one hundred thousand copies. As Archimandrite Tikhon himself said: “I told almost all the stories that were included in the book during sermons. All this is part of our church life.”
2. — last piece Orthodox author Viktor Likhachev, who passed away in 2008. The writer did not have time to finish his book, but he hoped that everyone who reads it would recognize himself in it, feel that boundless love for Russia, for the Russian village that the author had, and let into his heart faith in God and hope that that the Angels, our heavenly patrons, will never leave us...
3. " Prologue in teachings for every day of the year"— the book was compiled in 2007 by Archpriest Viktor Guryev. “Prologue” is an ancient Russian hagiographic collection, originating from Byzantine month books, in which the lives of saints are arranged in accordance with the days of their church memory. In addition, the “Prologue” is decorated with understandable and often entertaining passages from the ancient Patericons, parables imbued with thoughts of repentance, mercy, Christian love for one’s neighbor, spiritual perfection and salvation of the soul.
4. "Father Arseny"- this book, published from the pen of an unknown author, clearly shows the reader the triumph of love over evil, life over death. Father Arseny is the image of a holy elder - a zealous man of prayer, sober, meek, who has completely surrendered himself into the hands of God. The first editions spread throughout Russia and beyond its borders and made the book “Father Arseny” one of the most beloved in the Orthodox world.
5. "Soul after death"(O. Seraphim Rose) - there is probably no book that so clearly, accessiblely and clearly reveals the post-mortem experience of a person and gives the concept of angelic and other world. The book contains two thousand years of experience of the holy fathers. The publication has a twofold purpose: firstly, from the point of view of the Orthodox Christian teaching about the afterlife, to provide an explanation of modern “posthumous” experiences that have aroused such interest in some religious and scientific circles; secondly, cite the main sources and texts containing Orthodox teaching about the afterlife.
6. "Red Easter"(Pavlova N.A.) - it was after this book that the author became widely known. The book is already 11 years old, but it does not lose popularity. It tells the story of the three Optina new martyrs - Hieromonk Vasily and the monks Ferapont and Trofim. This is three absolutely different people, their paths to God were special. The ascetic life is amazing; many readers note that after this book they immediately want to visit Optina Pustyn.
7. “Who will hear the linnet?”(Likhachev V.V.) — a novel about the Motherland and the Russian soul. He leads the reader along the roads of the Russian province. Main character drawn into real adventures: he carries miraculous icon, evading a gangster's pursuit... And internally, one goes through the path of spiritual growth: from unbelief to faith, from confusion to blessed peace, from mental blindness and deafness to insight and hearing the miracle of God.
8. "Heavenly Paths"(Shmelev I.S.) - a novel about the fate of the skeptic-positivist engineer Viktor Alekseevich Weidenhammer and the believer, meek and internally strong Darinka, a novice of the monastery who left the monastery to connect her life with Viktor Alekseevich. Through suffering and joy, in mysterious and incomprehensible ways to the worldly mind, these heroes are led to the Source of Life. The internal plot of the book is “spiritual warfare” with passions and thoughts, temptations and attacks of dark forces.
9. "Chief of Silence"(Vsevolod Filpyev) - the book addresses eternal questions - love and hatred, loyalty and betrayal, truth and lies. The characters in the book resolve these issues differently and sometimes unexpectedly. An action-packed, realistic narrative draws the reader into the events that take place in the winter of 2002 in Moscow and North America. Together with the heroes, the reader finds himself in St. Petersburg of the 19th century and in the historical times of princes Boris and Gleb. The story-parable is designed for wide circle readers, and everyone is free to interpret it in their own way.
10. "Repentance is left to us"(abbot Nikon Vorobyov) - letters addressed to his spiritual children, laity and monastics. Father Nikon edifies, instructs, calls for repentance and patience, shows what needs to be done, what thoughts need to be kept, consoles, teaches how to properly relate to sorrows: “The Fathers have long said about our times that people will be saved only by sorrows and illnesses. Healthy and happy people forget about God, oh future life: they live as if they will live on earth forever and will never die. And sorrows and illnesses force a person to break away from earthly interests and turn to God... Save your souls through repentance, patience and humility.”
Happy reading!
Prayer before reading spiritual books:
Lord Jesus Christ, open the eyes of my heart, so that when I hear Your Word, I understand it and fulfill Your will. Hide not Your commandments from me, but open my eyes, that I may understand the wonders of Your law. Tell me the unknown and secret of Your wisdom! I trust in You, my God, and I believe that You will enlighten my mind and meaning with the light of Your mind, and that then I will not only read what is written, but also fulfill it. Make it so that I do not read the Lives of the Saints and Your Word as a sin, but for renewal and enlightenment, and for holiness, and for the salvation of the soul, and for the inheritance of eternal life. For You, Lord, are the illumination of those who lie in darkness, and from You is every good gift and every perfect gift. Amen.
Veronica VYATKINA
Island (2006)
Release year : 2006
Genre: drama
Released: Russia
Duration: 01:54:26
Director: Pavel Lungin
Cast: Pyotr Mamonov, Viktor Sukhorukov, Dmitry Dyuzhev, Yuri Kuznetsov, Nina Usatova
Movie plot: Second world war. The barge on which Anatoly and his senior comrade Tikhon are transporting coal is captured by a German patrol ship. Begging for mercy from the Germans, Anatoly commits treason - he shoots Tikhon. The Germans leave the coward on a mined barge, but thanks to the help of the monks living in a monastery on the island, he manages to survive... Years pass. Elder Anatoly is revered for his righteous life and the truly miraculous help he provides to people who come here. However terrible sin The murders he committed during the war haunt him. Feeling the approach of his death, Anatoly is preparing for death and does not yet know that he will soon be forgiven...
“The inexplicable is happening here...
Pop / The Priest (2010)
Name : Pop
Release year: 2010
Released: Russia
Duration: 02:08:54
Genre: Drama, military
Director :Vladimir Khotinenko
Cast: Sergey Makovetsky, Nina Usatova, Liza Arzamasova, Kirill Pletnev, Anatoly Lobotsky,
Movie plot: The Pskov Orthodox mission is one of the least studied pages in the history of the Great Patriotic War. From August 1941 to February 1944, missionary priests from the Baltic states revived church life in the German-occupied territories of northwestern Russia. After these areas were occupied by Soviet troops, the participants of the Pskov mission were deported to camps.
Angel's Chapel (2009)
Year of manufacture: 2009
Country: Russia
Genre: Drama
Duration: 01:32:25
Director: Nikolai Dreyden
Cast: Alexey Morozov, Alexander Bargman, Arthur Vakha, Vitaly Kovalenko, Dmitry Lysenkov, Helga Filippova, Ekaterina Novikova, Emilia Spivak, Alexander Zavyalov, Evgenia Kudinova and others.
Movie plot: A film from the history of Soviet-Finnish relations. The film tells the story of a failed assassination attempt on General Carl Gustav Emil Mannerheim. 1924 Soviet Russia. The young commissar Maxim Proshin (Alexey Morozov) is sent by the Soviet government to the Konevets Island to a monastery on a secret mission. Maxim, under the guise of a novice, must remove a high-ranking official of Finland - and his seemingly simple mission turns into a path of personal spiritual repentance for mistakes made and sins, including the murder of a clergyman...
Proverbs 1 (2010)
Release year
: 2010
Released: Belarus
Duration:
00:55:35
Director: Vitaly Lyubetsky
Cast Stars: Alexander Tkachenok, Mikhail Yeisman, Elena Sidorova, Nikita Palchevsky, Andrey Volchek
Movie plot:
The film “Parables” is a new word in modern Orthodox cinema. In each of the three parts of the film, the viewer is offered a soulful story. The parables are told in a sincere, human way, with homely warmth and humor.
The first parable, “Unusual Obedience,” will make you not only laugh heartily, but also, together with the hapless hero, think about the sin of pride and the value of Christian humility. “Tomorrow I bless you to go to the cemetery, and when you see that the dead man is being carried, revile him last words“- says the elder to the young novice. After such an intriguing beginning, an equally interesting continuation follows...
"God! Why can't you hear us? - asks the priest in the next parable. “People go to church, pray, but they don’t feel better...” The angel’s answer to this question discourages the audience, who ultimately receive an important spiritual lesson. This amazing story written at the beginning of the 20th century by Saint Basil of Kineshma.
“In one city there lived a woman,” says the third part of the film. “I kept fasts, read the Gospel, visited church...” And then one day she gives alms to a beggar, and she says: “Christ will come to you today”!
We are so often busy with ourselves that we do not notice how life passes us by. When we turn away from each other, we move away from Christ. The film “Parables” opens up an already familiar life in a new way, showing us ourselves.
Proverbs 2 (2011)
Year of manufacture:
2011
Genre: art
Duration:
01:01:29
Director: Vitaly Lyubetsky
Cast:
Movie plot: This film is a continuation of the film “Parables”, released in 2010. And again, three stories, three reasons to watch old acquaintances with a kind smile and think about what they are right about and what they are wrong about.
The hero of the first story, “The Lamplight,” is a novice, the same one who went to the cemetery to scold the dead. Again he messed up. “Whatever you condemn someone for, you yourself will be guilty of it,” says the elder, and for edification he gives him a new obedience: to walk around the village with a lamp in his hands, without spilling a drop of oil or extinguishing the fire...
In the short story “The Shirt”, Mary, who was waiting for the Savior to visit, goes through new temptations. It is difficult for her to run a dacha farm alone, and it is even more difficult for her to forgive people in a Christian way. But Mary does not lose heart - she pays good for evil, prays and waits for a miracle. And it happens...
Three old fishermen lived on the same island, says the third story, “Three of You - Three of Us.” One day, a well-known and revered archimandrite sailed past on a ship. Having heard that holy wonderworkers lived on the island, he did not believe it and decided to see everything for himself. And when I learned that the fishermen didn’t even know the Lord’s Prayer, I began to teach them how to pray correctly. But you’ll see for yourself who taught whom and what…
Wanderer (2006)
Genre: Drama
Duration: 01:28:01
Director: Sergey Karandashov
Cast:: Vitaly Pichik, Tolya Klochiev, Ekaterina Gorokhovskaya, Konstantin Bykov, Alexey Tyurikov, Anatoly Dubinkin, Pyotr Kozhevnikov, Maxim Krivoborodov, Alexander Yuminov
Movie plot: Once upon a time, God spoke to people in the language of signs and wonders. The thirst for a miracle still lives latently in every person. The hero of the film, Fyodor, witnesses an accident, as a result of which people close to him die. He decides that he was saved not by chance, and that now he must change his life. Living alone in the forest, in an abandoned bunker left over from the war, he tries to live as Orthodox hermits lived, in fasting and prayer. In this new world for him, Fyodor finds a guide - the elder Hilarion. But Father Hilarion is killed absurdly and senselessly. Having experienced deep despair, Fedor will return to people, to all worldly passions. He will experience love and jealousy, hatred and fear. And only having reached the edge - having decided to kill - will he witness a miracle.
Proverbs 3. Three words about forgiveness (2012)
Year of manufacture:
2012
Genre: Proverbs
Duration:
01:06:27
Director: nun Joanna (Orlova)
Starring in the film: People's Artist USSR Lev Durov, Grigory Solovyov, Ruslan Chernetsky, Sergey Vlasov, Valery Agayan, Anton Labko, Evgenia Kulbachnaya, Alexander Abramovich and others.
Description: THREE WORDS ABOUT FORGIVENESS continues the series of films beloved by viewers “Parables”. The theme of the new trilogy is the great, gracious power of repentance and forgiveness. A power that can transform the soul, revive a person, inspire him to life in God.
The film takes place in the 19th century. Place and time are allegorical, because the temptations are the same in all centuries, only the scenery changes. The first short story is based on a case described in the books of Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov) and Sergius Nilus. A thief, planning to steal, asks for help from St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. It would seem, what a ridiculous request! But the Lord is merciful, and His holy saint appears to personally admonish the sinner.
The second part of the trilogy offers a Christian understanding of the problem of relationships between generations - old people and grandchildren, fathers and children. Parents little boy They confused good and evil, but a pure child, like a mirror, reflects the behavior of adults. And... awakens their conscience.
The third story is a film adaptation of a famous Eastern parable. The main character made mistakes many times, ruining his life. But sorrows and hardships made his heart wise. Now he strives to teach his hot-tempered son not to hurt people, to try to avoid mistakes that are then so difficult to correct.
Proverbs 4 (2013)
Year of manufacture:
2013
Genre: Orthodox cinema, parables
Country: Belarus
Duration:
01:14:16
Director: Vitaly Lyubetsky
Cast: Alexander Tkachenok, Mikhail Esman, Elena Sidorova, Sergey Novitsky, Vladimir Matrosov.
Movie plot: Do you remember the heroes of the previous “Proverbs” - the wise confessor and his unlucky novice? Life does not stand still - in the monastery where they serve God, new buildings grow, and the monks and parishioners grow in spirit through work and prayer, learning to bear each other’s infirmities.
The first parable, “The Ladder,” is about a young and ambitious businessman. It is difficult for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God. So Sergei Sergeich even believed in God, but he relied too much on himself. Here there is jealousy beyond reason, haste in spiritual achievements, and absurd fantasies. So there is something to smile and something to think about...
The second story is about a novice. The poor man was overcome by evil thoughts and condemnation. While I was confessing, my soul was like a pure spring, but I forgot about the power of confession - it became like a stinking swamp. I've messed up so much...
Thank God, the confessor is nearby - he will pray, and say a good word, and impose penance on time. Our hero corrected himself and even managed to reconcile two people who were deeply offended by each other. That’s why the third parable is called “The Wise Novice.”
Elder Paisios and me standing upside down (2012)
Original title: Elder Paisios and I, standing upside down
Year of manufacture: 2012
Country: Russia
Duration: 01:21:14
Genre: Drama
Director: Alexander Stolyarov
Cast: Sergey Sokolov, Daniil Usachev, Alexander Stolyarov
Brief description: Hesychia means silence (in Greek). Monasticism is the path to silence. Our hero is a monk. He has a prototype - Elder Paisios, a Greek monk, now a saint, who died at the end of the twentieth century on Athos. Another monk, Christodoulus Agiorite, wrote down stories about him. And we wrote a script for an Orthodox comedy in which two monks, an old and a young one, confront evil. These are almost jokes. In them, our main character is simple-minded (Schweik in a cassock), and this despite the fact that the real elder Paisius himself wrote three theological books. In our film, the hero acts - he wins and gets into trouble - but hesychia does not leave him for a moment. And everything visible and audible, everything that happens to him are random rays of a huge mystery. Our second hero is a young monk, he is always next to the elder. In front of the elder’s eyes, he doubts and affirms the purity of love. Last days in the life of the elder and the first days of the monastic life of the young monk our film covers. Paisius dies, the young monk leaves the monastery in grief. It seems that everything is over. But suddenly - a miracle, again a miracle, there are many of them in our film, often they are ordinary, like our life, but that is what it is - a miracle.
How do people live? (2008)
Year of issue: 2008
Genre: art
Duration: 38:32
Director: Alexander Kushnir
Starring in the film: Valery Pleshko, Natalya Sinyavskaya, Alexey Shevtsov, Olga Kroytor, Vyacheslav Kolyuzhny, Marina Golyanova and others.
Description:“How do people live?” - a parable film.
The Lord sent an angel to earth so that he, living among people, could find out and understand: What is in people? What is not given to people? And how do people live? Only then can he return to heaven.
Based on a story by Leo Tolstoy.
Tsar (2009)Name: Tsar Released: Russia / Pavel Lungin Studio, Profit Cinema International About the film: 1565 Dark times. The reign of Ivan the Terrible. Rus' was torn apart by famine and the Livonian War. The ruler sees treason and betrayal in everything. His faithful servants, the guardsmen, flooded the country with blood. They are ready to see the sovereign’s enemy in everyone. The main law for them is the king. The only one who went against the royal will and the atrocities of the oprichnina was Metropolitan Philip, a faithful childhood friend of Ivan the Terrible. He raised his voice and sacrificed himself. This confrontation will tell us about what Rus' was capable of both in its fall and in its greatness of spirit. |
For My Name (Maria Mozhar) (2005)
Year of issue: 2005
Country: Russia
Genre: Feature films
Duration: 00:27:45
Director: Maria Mozhar
Cast: Maria Korneeva, Vladimir Egorov, Elena Valyushina, Alexandra Nazarova, Danila Rassomakhin, Pavel Rassomakhin, Sasha Matyukova, Anatoly Shcherbakov
Description: This story is about a little girl and her difficult childhood. When Father Alexander, an old village priest, appears on the path of the hunted child, the new story- a story of domestication and love.
Peresvet and Oslyabya (Stanislav Podivilov) -
Name: Peresvet and Oslyabya
Year of manufacture: 2010
Genre: Cartoons, history, Orthodoxy
Duration: 30:03
Director: Stanislav Podivilov
Description: The cartoon tells about the Kulikovo massacre, about St. Sergius Radonezh, about the holy schema monks Alexander Peresvet and Andrei Oslyab, about Prince Dimitri Donskoy, about greatest heroes famous battle, about military and moral feats.
The best Orthodox sites - what are they? You will learn about this by reading the report on the first competition of Orthodox sites on the Runet “Mrezha-2006”!
February 1 in Moscow in the Church of the Annunciation Holy Mother of God in Petrovsky Park as part of the section “ Information Technology, Internet and multimedia in the service of the Church" of the XV Christmas readings, a solemn ceremony took place to sum up the results of the first competition of Orthodox Runet sites "Mrezha-2006".
The competition runs for 5 months.
The competition jury, headed by the abbot of the Sretensky Monastery in Moscow, the editor-in-chief of the Pravoslavie.Ru portal, Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov), sent invitations to participate in the competition to representatives of more than one and a half thousand Orthodox sites from the 2,500 Orthodox Internet projects of the Runet considered at the first stage of the competition. The jury received about 500 applications for participation in the competition from website authors.
The jury held several stages of voting and selected 53 laureates in 5 categories: official church websites; Media, news, portals; church and social life; science, culture, art, education and online libraries and services. At the final stage of the competition, a winner was determined in each category competitive program. The decision of the jury - which sites became laureates and winners of the competition program - was officially announced only yesterday, at the solemn ceremony summing up the results of the competition.
The ceremony was hosted by members of the competition jury Pavel Yegorikhin, head of the project “People's catalog of Orthodox architecture” and Anna Lyubimova, editor-in-chief of the portal “”. The jury also included executive director Christmas readings Priest Dimitry Lin, head of the PMC “Life” priest Maxim Obukhov, Andrey Volkov, representing the Orthodox Liturgical Fellowship, administrator of the Orthodoxy.Ru server Alexander Dyatlov, head of Internet projects news agency RIA Novosti Natalya Loseva, Ksenia Luchenko, employee of the newspaper "Church Bulletin", editor-in-chief of the catalog Orthodox Christianity.Ru Ivan Mazurenko, designer Grigory Malyshev, head of department of the Stack Group of Companies Ivan Panchenko, editor of the site Sedmitsa.Ru Vladislav Petrushko, mother Marina Shin from the Community Slavic typography author of the project " Orthodox calendar» Dmitry Tsypin.
In the nomination "Official Church Websites" official websites of the Moscow Patriarchate and others were put forward Local Churches, Internet projects of synodal institutions, dioceses and diocesan departments, monasteries, deaneries, parishes, etc. Church structures. The main contenders for victory in this category were the winning sites of the competition:
- Official portal of the Moscow Patriarchate “Patriarchia.ru” (patriarchia.ru)
- Website “Sisters.Ru” of the Novo-Tikhvin Convent, Yekaterinburg (sestry.ru) and
- Official website of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church “Orthodox Ukraine” (pravoslavye.org.ua)
The winner of the competition in the category “Official Church Websites” was ultimately an Internet project "Sisters.Ru. Novo-Tikhvin Convent, Yekaterinburg"(sestry.ru). The winning site was awarded a valuable prize - an LCD monitor was presented to the site representative by the Chairman of the Community of Orthodox Web Developers, Alexander Dyatlov. The Sisters.Ru project is the official Internet project of the Novo-Tikhvin Convent of Yekaterinburg. The site design was developed by the sisters of the Novo-Tikhvin Monastery themselves. Software development and technical support The project has been carried out by Naumen company employees since 2002.
The editors of the site “Orthodoxy and the World” express special gratitude to the portal “Sisters”: the editors of the site have warm friendly relations, and the correspondents of the site “Sisters” have prepared several excellent materials for our portal: , .
Other winners in this category were the following sites:
- Vladivostok-Primorye Diocese (vladivostok.eparhia.ru)
- Ascension Pechersky Monastery of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese (pecherskiy.nne.ru)
- Znamensky Church in the village. Hills of Istra district, Moscow region (znamenie.org)
- Orthodox Donbass (ortodox.donbass.com)
- Kazan diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. Official website (kazan.eparhia.ru)
- Moscow diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. Official website (meparh.ru)
- Nizhny Novgorod Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church (nne.ru)
- Department for Church Charity and Social Service of the Russian Orthodox Church (diaconia.ru)
- Smolensk and Kaliningrad diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. Official website (smolenskeparxi.ru)
- Church of St. John the Evangelist p. Bogoslovskoe-Mogiltsy, Moscow region. (hram-usadba.ru)
The competition was dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Orthodox Runet, so special diplomas competition The jury awarded the authors of the first Orthodox websites created back in 1996. The first to receive such a diploma and a special prize from the newspaper “Church Bulletin” was one of the two authors of the first version. official website of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese priest Andrei Milkin.
In the nomination "Media, news, portals" Orthodox portals, online magazines, news sites, Internet versions of TV and radio programs, newspapers, magazines and other media were put forward mass media. The main contenders for victory in this category were the winning sites of the competition:
- Abortion and its consequences. Information and support in difficult situation(aborti.ru)
- Orthodox mother's page (orthomama.ru)
- Thomas. Orthodoxy for doubters (foma.ru)
The winner of the competition in the category “Media, news, portals” was an Internet project “Abortion and its consequences. Information and support in difficult situations"(www.aborti.ru). The main goal of the site is to tell readers about the consequences of abortion, that abortion is murder. The authors managed to make sure that, based on search engine queries, those who are already planning to have an abortion come to the site. Every day dozens of women turn to the portal with questions and doubts, and, with the help of the site’s authors, doctors, and confessor, it has already been possible to save, probably, more than one hundred children’s lives. The winning site is a personal project of Yulia Lek. The site design was developed by Olga Gabay, software– Alexander Vetchinkin, layout of the project was done by Evgeny Pozdnyakov. A diploma and a valuable prize - a digital video camera - were presented to Yulia Lek, who came to the ceremony from overseas, by the head of the Orthodox medical and educational center for life, Priest Maxim Obukhov.
We congratulate Yulia from the bottom of our hearts, wish her God’s help in her work, and admire the fact that the mother of 4 children finds the strength and time for such colossal work!
The following sites were also awarded diplomas as competition laureates in this category:
- Mercy.Ru. Website of the Moscow Diocesan Commission for Church Social Activities (miloserdie.ru)
- Our faith. Orthodox portal for youth (vera.mipt.ru)
- Survive! How to survive the passing of a loved one (perejit.ru)
- Orthodoxy and modernity. Information and analytical portal of the Saratov diocese (eparhia-saratov.ru)
- Orthodoxy on Far East. Information and analytical portal (pravostok.ru)
- Union. Representative office in Moscow Orthodox TV channel(tv-soyuz.ru)
- Tatyana's Day. Orthodox online publication of Moscow State University. M. V. Lomonosova (st-tatiana.ru)
Two other winning sites also received special prizes in the “Media, News, Portals” category. Competition diploma and special prize for contribution to the development of the Orthodox Runet to the author of the site "Orthodox Mother's Page" Anna Lyubimova, editor-in-chief of the Orthodoxy and Peace portal, presented it to Mother Margarita Danilova. The authors of one of the first Orthodox sites on the Runet - the Internet project of Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov “Tatiana’s Day” was presented with a special prize (laptop) from the Pravoslavie.Ru portal by the chairman of the jury of the “Mrezha” competition, Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov).
We sincerely congratulate Mother Margarita and hope that her site will develop even more actively!
In the nomination "Church and social life" Internet sites were put forward representing various societies, brotherhoods, unions, foundations, committees, councils, pilgrimage services, forums, blogs, communities and other Internet projects dedicated to communication on the Internet, Orthodox dating sites, shops, publishing houses, printing houses, the Internet -projects about church decoration, websites of icon painting and other workshops, personal and personal pages of Orthodox laymen and priests.
The winner sites of the competition were contenders for victory in this category:
- Large family. Charitable Foundation (fobs.ru)
- Kind words. Forum about love, marriage and life in the world (dobroeslovo.ru)
- Society of Church Bell Ringers. Bells and arrangement of traditional bell ringing (zvon.ru)
Two Internet projects won the competition in the “Church and Public Life” category:
- Big family. Charitable Foundation(fobs.ru)
- Society of Church Bell Ringers. Bells and arrangement of traditional bell ringing(zvon.ru)
The competition jury, despite large number stages of voting, was unable to determine which of these projects to give preference to.
One of the two winning sites - the project Societies of Church Bell Ringers- is headed by the Chairman of the Society Igor Vasilyevich Konovalov, senior bell ringer of the Moscow Kremlin Cathedrals and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The design of the site, which opened in 2004, was developed by an employee of the Society of Church Bell Ringers, Konstantin Aleksandrovich Mishurovsky, and the project software was completed by Alexey Ozherelev. The diploma of the winner of the competition and the prize - a pocket personal computer - were presented to the representatives of this site by the chairman of the Community of Orthodox Web Developers, Alexander Dyatlov.
We congratulate the Society of Church Bell Ringers on their victory and hope that, with the help of the site’s authors, we will soon be able to tell more about bells and bell ringing on our site.
The second winning site in this category is an Internet project charitable foundation helping orphans “Big Family”. The Big Family Foundation was established in 2003 by the community of sisters of mercy in the name of the Kazan Icon Mother of God in order to provide all possible assistance to state orphanages and organize the activities of non-state family-type orphanages - boarding houses family education. The foundation cooperates with 12 orphanages, boarding schools and children's homes. The foundation's website was created in March 2006. Alexander Dyatlov presented the site's representatives with a diploma of the winner of the competition and a prize - a digital camera.
- Mite. Orthodox book publishing house (lepta-kniga.ru)
- Patriarchal Center spiritual development children and youth (cdrm.ru)
- Cover. Interuniversity Association for Spiritual and Moral Education of Youth, St. Petersburg (pokrov-forum.ru)
- Orthodox conversation. Internet forum community (pravbeseda.ru)
- Restavros. Volunteer Youth Association (wco.ru/restavros)
- Orphan soul. Website of the Karelian public organization “Balance”. (sirotinka.ru)
- Foundation of the Holy All-Valuable Apostle Andrew the First-Called (fap.ru)
- Center for Education and Mercy of the Belarusian Exarchate “Joy of All Who Sorrow”, Minsk (hramvsr.by)
A special prize from the Union of Writers of Russia and a diploma from the competition for his contribution to the development of the Orthodox Runet was awarded to the author of one of the first Orthodox Internet libraries - the library "The Spiritual Heritage of Orthodoxy"– Vladimir Pavlenko.
In the nomination "Science, culture, art, education" Iconographic, musical, poetic sites, projects dedicated to cinema, photography, theater and other forms of art and culture, educational Internet projects, local history and historical sites, sites containing the lives of saints, biographies of devotees of piety, etc. competed.
The contenders for victory in this nomination were the following Internet projects:
- Department of Biblical Studies of the Moscow Theological Academy (bible-mda.ru)
- Word. Orthodox educational portal(portal-slovo.ru)
The winner of the competition in the category “Science, culture, art, education” was an Internet project Department of Biblical Studies of the Moscow Theological Academy(bible-mda.ru). The website of the Department of Biblical Studies of the Moscow Theological Academy began its work on February 2, 2005. The design and software of the project were made by an employee of the department, priest Dimitry Yurevich. One of the site’s goals is to promote the development of biblical research in Russia. For this purpose, an electronic library was organized on the website by students, in which the best pre-revolutionary articles and monographs devoted to the study of the Holy Scriptures, as well as articles and books by current teachers of the department, are posted in scanned form in djvu format. Now there are about 250 books and articles on the site, their volume has already exceeded 1 gigabyte.
The diploma of the winner of the competition and the prize - a professional laser printer - were presented to the winner by Igor Chelebaev, director of the Lekom company, which sells and services copiers, printers and other office equipment.
Other sites-winners in this category were Internet projects:
- Bishop Vasily Rodzianko. Ascetic of piety (episkopvasily.ru)
- Icons and icon painting techniques (ukoha.ru)
- Kazan Theological Seminary (kds.eparhia.ru)
- Minsk theological schools (minds.by)
- Orthodoxy Photo. Orthodox photo (foto.orthodoxy.ru)
- Russia: history, culture, spirituality (russia-hc.ru)
- St. Petersburg Theological Academy and Seminary (spbda.ru)
- Christianity in art. Icons, mosaics, frescoes (icon-art.info)
- Church school (pedagog.eparhia.ru)
In the fifth and final nomination of the competition – "Online libraries and services"– Internet libraries and media libraries, liturgical libraries, hosting services, catalogues, ratings, search engines, banner networks, web services, fonts, sites about web design and web programming and other projects were put forward. The winning sites in this category were the following:
- Annunciation. Library Orthodox Christian(wco.ru/biblio)
- Full Orthodox prayer book. Prayers for every need (molitvoslov.com)
- Pagez.Ru. Orthodox pages of Andrey Lebedev (pagez.ru)
The winner of the competition in the category “Internet libraries and services” was an Internet project "Pagez.Ru. Orthodox pages of Andrey Lebedev"(pagez.ru) The Pagez.Ru portal has been created for many years by one enthusiastic person and includes a catalog of Orthodox sites, a book search system in Orthodox electronic libraries Runet, church calendar, an extensive library of works of the holy fathers and teachers of the Church and much more. For his work for the benefit of the Church, Andrei Lebedev was awarded a diploma as the winner of the competition and a valuable prize - a professional scanner.
Other sites-winners in this category were Internet projects:
- Library of Orthodox literature for the PDA (fbppclib.orthodoxy.ru)
- Manuscript. Slavic manuscript heritage (manuscripts.ru)
- Russian Orthodoxy (ortho-rus.ru)
- Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius. Official server (stsl.ru)
- Typikon. Divine service of the Orthodox Church (typikon.ru)
A special prize in the category “Internet libraries and services” was established by the Stack Group of Companies. The head of the information systems department of this company, Ivan Panchenko, presented a diploma of the competition and a special prize for his contribution to the development of the Orthodox RuNet - a gift certificate for 3 years for free hosting of the third free hosting server of the Orthodox Russia project - to the administrator of the Orthodoxy.Ru server, who recently celebrated his 10th birthday -anniversary, Alexander Viktorovich Dyatlov.
Concluding the award ceremony, the chairman of the competition jury, Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov), noted that the Internet, which once originated for military-technical purposes, has now acquired worldwide significance and plays a big role in the life of the entire society. Therefore, there must be a mission on the Internet, and the Internet itself, first of all, must be considered as an instrument of this mission. “You are doing a great thing - the churching of an instrument that today has a huge impact,” said Father Tikhon, addressing the numerous guests and participants of the ceremony, and wished “joy in your work.”
02 / 02 / 2007
Press service of the Community of Orthodox Web Developers (
Here you will find a selection of the best Orthodox TV series of the 21st century that you want to review.
Many wonderful films have been made on the topic of Orthodoxy, most of them documentaries or in the form of interviews, where you can get answers to your questions.
Feature films have a simpler task - to show a piece real life, draw attention to the episodes. Looking at the situation from the outside, perhaps even trying it on yourself, give the soul the opportunity to perk up and think, am I living correctly?
To check mental abilities We have been accustomed to this since childhood - we do mental exercises all the time, starting in school, and even earlier.
But to test the sensitivity of the soul, they are just perfect feature films, peculiar test for the soul, after which you can yourself assess the degree of its callousness. An example of such a test can be safely called 12 life stories “ Spas under the birches" and one-episode movie "Granny".
Many people have a stereotype that if a film is Orthodox, it must be sad and gloomy. This selection is against such a stereotype. Here you will not find biographies of saints; this includes films about ordinary people with their daily worries, during which there is no time to remember about God.
This selection is united by the fact that all series have an exciting plot, good humor and no moralizing. And their essence will sometimes become clear after re-watching. All films are about our era, with the exception of the historical series " Split«.
Before showing feature films, we will not break tradition and post newsreel. It will include non-format tapes:
- documentary "Death of an Empire" Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov), who blew up society
- Meeting with the archpriest Andrey Tkachev. Answers to questions from the laity
Newsreel:
*** The death of the empire. Byzantine Lesson *** (2008)
Those who managed to be born in the USSR and go to school will confirm that in everything school course history did not even mention the Byzantine Empire, which lasted for more than 1100 years - not a single empire in the entire history of mankind can boast of this.
The reason was that, having come to power, the Bolsheviks began to write their history in 1917. And there shouldn’t have been any mention of a strong Orthodox empire.
After this is over documentary film it will feel as if something vitally important was deliberately hidden from you. After all, ignorance and forgetting of history leads to its repetition. And if forewarned, it means forearmed.
The film will show in a concise form the rise, prosperity and reasons for the fall of a powerful empire. In addition to showing the history of events, the film draws a parallel with the history of Russia, which became the recipient of Orthodoxy.
This fact and others, in particular those who like to hear that the now civilized Christian Europe robbed the richest empire for almost 50 years, caused heated debate after the film.
*** Archpriest Andrey Tkachev. Answers to questions from the laity *** (2016)
From Archpriest Andrei Tkachev you can get clear answers to almost all vital questions.
No, not like that - it would be more correct to say that you can hear answers to questions from him. everyday issues that most people face ordinary life. He is good at combining the teaching of faith in Christ with everyday “little things”, with reference to our time.
After his sermons, your head becomes clearer and it becomes clear how to act in difficult situations. You can safely call him an Orthodox psychologist.
TOP 7: The best Orthodox TV series (2000-2016)
1 . Father Matvey (2014)
Father Matvey is assigned to a parish in a quiet town where he comes to live. As you know, in a quiet city there is a lot of stuff. It just so happens that he ends up where something is happening, sometimes before the police themselves. Which causes indignation, especially when he tries to help in the investigation.
Against this background, it is very interesting to observe how a priest in the world communicates with people, helps them not only in word, but also in deed. This endears him to himself and becomes truly necessary not only in the church. So the number of parishioners gradually grows and the abandoned church comes to life. People are grateful for what he does. It is shown how he and his wife run the household and raise two boys.
2. Schism (2011)
A well-made, historical film about an event that caused a schism in our church. This happened in 1653. The new Patriarch planned to carry out a reform in the Church, to cleanse the faith of manifestations of paganism.
The clash of interests of the Tsar, Patriarch Nikon and Archpriest Avakuum led to a split in the church and persecution. The film helps to understand this long-standing and little-studied history, restoring the course of events and showing how Orthodoxy was established in Rus'.
3. Proverbs (Belarus, 2010-2014)
Parables are short instructive stories that are always listened to with great attention, but here is such a gift - not just one, but many, all in the form of artistic subjects. We must pay tribute, they were filmed with good humor, which helps to reveal their depth. We managed to avoid moralizing and, to a child’s eye, they look like Yeralash for adults.
Not everyone knows that the parables were filmed in Minsk, at the St. Elisabeth Convent. Most of the actors are not professionals, but novices and parishioners of the monastery. And despite this, or maybe thanks to this fact, the stories turned out to be very true, touching and sometimes funny. And most importantly, the meaning of the Gospel truths, which cannot be taken literally, begins to be revealed.
4. Father (2008)
The story of this series is unusual - as a rule, in most films about the church, the main character is a priest. Here we are talking about a caring person. Roman, 40, has spent most of his life at sea as a boatswain in the navy. A bachelor by conviction, accustomed to traveling, he briefly came to his village where he was born.
And in order not to sit idle until he went to sea again, he undertook to restore the Temple, destroyed under the Bolsheviks. At first they look at him with bewilderment, and there are only a few who want to help. Gradually he manages to attract local authorities and fellow villagers who enjoy authority.
Together the church was restored, life in the parish became lively. And the sea awaits Roman again. And I would have left if I had not fallen in love. As a result, he decided to stay - he married his chosen one and was ordained a priest - he became a priest.
5. Planet of Orthodoxy (2008)
This is the only documentary series. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it is an Encyclopedia of Orthodoxy. Living in Russia, it will be surprising to discover how many different people are united by the Orthodox faith.
It turns out that Orthodox churches can be found all over the world. In 12 episodes you can see - Bulgaria and Serbia, Syria, Lebanon and Georgia, Japan and Hong Kong, Romania and Albania, Israel and Sinai, the USA, Poland, the Czech Republic and Finland, Tunisia, Tanzania and Egypt, Turkey and Cyprus, Australia and Indonesia, Greece and Russia.
It is surprising to learn about the peculiarities of the neighborhood of Orthodoxy in each country - with Protestants, Catholics, Lutherans, Muslims, Jews. It will be interesting to see and hear about the peculiarities of parish life. Despite the small number of parishes in some countries, new parishioners are constantly appearing.
The Patriarchs and Metropolitans of the countries listed above took part in the recording of these films. Calm, unhurried presentation creates the effect of presence. This is not a collection of tourist guides to the sights - life is shown here ordinary people and how faith helps them in everyday life.
6. Icon hunters (2005)
In 1998, a two-part film “ Siberian Spas“(***) about a unique icon that survived and did not fall into the hands of the Bolsheviks. And based on inaccurate data, you have to look in the dark Siberian village, which is cut off from the world and there are no roads to it. The artist, nicknamed Begun, is searching for old icons, or “boards,” as collectors and buyers call them. Financial difficulties drive him to Siberia in search of an ancient icon.
It is interesting to observe how a person will change once he gets to this village, which is not indicated anywhere. And how an icon protects itself and its guardians.
The plot of this story inspired new people and 7 years later a series appeared that told about this interesting story in even more detail.
7. Spas under the birches (2003)
This wonderful series consists of 12 hotel short stories, which tell the story of different people and their different paths to God. All roads led them to the old Moscow Church of the Savior under the Birches. Completely ruined under socialism, the temple was restored by joint forces.
It was headed by Father Georgy, a former combat pilot. He often has to look for non-standard solutions to get out of situations that seem hopeless. He has two adult daughters - one is an adult, has her own business, but does not have a husband, the second is younger, looking for herself and doesn’t know what to become, she almost became an artist. It is interesting, and sometimes not without a smile, to watch how they communicate with their families. They find the right solutions and ways out of difficult situations.
It is noteworthy that the stories told in each episode are often far from the church, and the heroes are many non-believers who make mistakes and meanness. Family difficulties and misunderstanding border on love and fortitude. And when there is no one to go to for advice, people take their problems to the temple.
*** Siberian Spas *** (2 episodes, 1998)
The same story about the artist (TV series “Icon Hunters”), searching villages for old icons for sale abroad. When the legend about the ancient icon “Siberian Savior” turned out to be true, he miraculously did not die and ended up in a remote village of Old Believers, saw their way of life and the strength of their faith, and realized that he wanted to stay here forever.
In our selection, we have collected the best Christian films that are worth watching and that make you think. Here you will find both children's feature films for family viewing and fresh, deep films based on real events. We tried to find both legendary Orthodox cinema and fresh new releases from 2016 – 2017.
Family friendly
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Kinopoisk: 7.7 IMDb: 7.2 +16
Mel Gibson's film about the last 12 hours of the life of Jesus Christ. Events develop back in the Garden of Gethsemane and end in painful torture and death penalty Christ - by crucifixion.
Andrey Rublev (1969)
Kinopoisk: 8.1 IMDb: 8.3 +12
The film tells about the actions of a monk (the role of Anatoly Solonitsyn). Despite all the obstacles, he does not stop painting icons. The director of the film managed to colorfully show the story of a religious man who tries to rise above all the vague events around him with the help of art.
Babette's Banquet (1988)
1871 The film shows how people live in an ordinary Danish village. An ordinary French housekeeper tries to breathe life into her two sisters, who have become terribly pious. They believe that they should continue the work of their recently deceased father, who was a pastor. As a result, they slowly begin to turn into a religious sect.
Ben-Hur (1959)
Kinopoisk: 8.0 IMDb: 8.1 +0
This film is a classic epic. A Jewish dignitary is subjected to treacherous betrayal by a Roman who is his friend. Ben Hur meets the first Christians on his way and goes through all the obstacles and suffering with difficulty. But after all this, he can exact his revenge.
Little Flowers of St. Francis (1950)
The film, shot in Italy, tells the story of the unusual life of Francis of Assisi. He was the founder of one of the movements among monks in Catholic Europe. The main character is a person who has absorbed exclusively positive qualities. He is real example for their students to follow.
Kinopoisk: 7.2 IMDb: 6.5 +16
The film tells the story of Francis of Assisi. He is a strong spiritual leader. He challenges all the values and foundations of his generation. The hero himself is a simple person and is not afraid of poverty. The film reveals the problem of acute social injustice among the Italians who lived during this historical period.
Kinopoisk: 7.7 IMDb: 7.9 +0
The film is one of the most accurate adaptations of the Gospel story about the life of Jesus, which was made by the Italians. The director of the film shows all the events extremely meticulously and realistically, using special video materials. The narrative does not deviate one step from the Gospel text.
Kinopoisk: 7.4 IMDb: 7.9 +12
A stunning drama that tells the story of Thomas More and seven years of his life. Thomas was Henry VIII's chancellor. At one time, he died a painful death of the brave, without betraying his ideals during cruel religious persecution and persecution. The excellent work of the actors helps one to plunge headlong into this complex and heartfelt picture.
Mission (1986)
Kinopoisk: 7.4 IMDb: 7.5 +16
Period 1750s. Spain shares with Portugal many of the best Jesuit Indian missions. The picture does not focus on the theme of religion. She opens up more social aspects the colonial era and all its shortcomings and injustices. The film is beautifully shot. The film specifically shows different visions of the problem of achieving justice. One priest follows a more peaceful path and does not resort to violence, while the other, in turn, leads the Hindus into battle against the colonial army with extraordinary determination.
Mister Vincent (1947)
The film takes place in a simple French village that is suffering from the consequences of a devastating plague. An ordinary hard worker, Vincent de Paul, works surrounded by the poor and oppressed citizens, ordinary villagers and other hard workers. Vincent decides to appeal to the aristocrats and defends the idea of creating charitable works for the poor. But all this happens only when the hero himself dies in 1660.
The Word (1955)
Kinopoisk: 8.1 IMDb: 8.2 +16
This is a Danish painting that tells the story of the majestic power of faith that brings a woman back from the other world. The work tells a story about a rural family, for whom agriculture- this is the only occupation. The family is seriously concerned about their son's madness and obsession, but it is nothing less than his faith that works the miracle.
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
Kinopoisk: 8.0 IMDb: 8.3 +16
The film tells the story of the well-known and tragic story of the famous Maid of Orleans. The film especially focuses on internal struggle Zhanna. She struggles with both ordinary human fear and the desire to simply survive, as well as a sense of duty and calling, which are supported by her spiritual strength.
Teresa (1986)
Kinopoisk: 6.2 IMDb: 7.5
The drama, created by the French, tells the story of life's journey famous person- Catholic Saint Therese of Lisieux. There was room for many in the picture. important points from her life, such as her seclusion in a convent or her death from tuberculosis. The film reveals to the viewer the story of a man who, among an entire religious community, was able to find joy for himself, his place and holy simplicity.
Goodbye Children (1987)
Kinopoisk: 7.6 IMDb: 8.0 +12
Director Louis de Malle created a film that tells the story of a simple priest. The priest dared to hide three Jews in his Catholic school, for which he was arrested and sent to a concentration camp. The director conveys all the events truthfully, since his youth was filled with similar events, and this film is a tribute to the memory personal experience the life of an ordinary Jew during the Holocaust.
Burmese Harp (1956)
Kinopoisk: 7.4 IMDb: 8.1
The film is about a pronounced anti-war position. A Japanese soldier who was seriously wounded in Burma is healed by a Buddhist monk. The soldier decides to devote his life to searching for the remains of soldiers killed in battle in order to bury them with honor. The film used footage of many brutal battles, but the main idea of the film was to show the cost human life and the need for redemption of people killed in war.
Decalogue (1988)
Kinopoisk: 8.5 IMDb: 9.1 +16
This series of ten hours of programs was specially created for Polish television to explore and show the relevance of the Ten Commandments in our day. All of them appear in the lives of various people who live in an ordinary Warsaw communal apartment. Stories don't carry religious meaning, although based on conflicts moral plan, which appear as a result of violation of God's commandments.
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Kinopoisk: 8.4 IMDb: 8.6 +12
One good man faces serious problems. He faces financial difficulties on the eve of Christmas. The main character decides to commit suicide, but is faced with his guardian angel. The angel shows him how important and necessary his life was to those who were close to him.
The Seventh Seal (1956)
Kinopoisk: 8.0 IMDb: 8.2 +16
The action takes place in the Middle Ages, when a disillusioned knight returns to a place that has been ravaged by an all-consuming plague. The knight decides to confront death. The bet itself consists of a simple game of chess for the life of a knight. In the process, he manages to save more than one life. The picture contains a deeper meaning that connects spiritual suffering and the lack of meaning in life.
St. Augustine (2010)
Orthodox cinema (Russian)
Pop (2009)
Kinopoisk: 7.3 IMDb: 7.1 +16
During the Great Patriotic War, Baltic clergy missionaries spent 4 years reviving the church in the northwestern territories of the USSR. When Soviet troops arrived in these areas, the Pskov mission was stopped and the priests were sent to camps.
Priest-san. Confessions of a Samurai (2015)
Kinopoisk: 6.2 IMDb: 5.8 +12
Persecuted by clan wars in his homeland, Takuro Nakamura, baptized by Father Nicholas and a Japanese Orthodox clergyman, goes to Russian outback. Here Andrei Nelyubin is trying to smoke out the locals to carry out land fraud, but Father Nikolai is ready to restore the church and save the village.
Island (2006)
Kinopoisk: 7.8 IMDb: 8.0 +16
When Anatoly and Tikhon were transporting coal during the Great Patriotic War, the Germans captured them. To save himself, Anatoly commits treason and shoots his comrade. The enemies left Anatoly alive, but at the same time abandoned him on a mined barge. He manages to escape with the help of the monks living here on the island. Many years later, Anatoly is known as a righteous elder, to whom people come from all over for help, but his own sin of murder torments him all this time.
The Monk and the Imp (2016)
Kinopoisk: 6.8 IMDb: 6.9 +12
In the second half of the 19th century, Ivan Semenovich arrived at the monastery. Along with the monk Ivan, evil spirits also came to the monastery, tempting him on any occasion. It is still unknown whether Ivan’s spiritual strength will be enough to resist the Legion.
Tsar (2009)
Kinopoisk: 6.9 IMDb: 6.9 +18
In 1565, the Moscow state suffered from the Livonian War and famine. Ivan the Terrible sees only betrayal in everything. The guardsmen rule by lawlessness. And only Metropolitan Philip, who was a friend of the Tsar in childhood, decides to fight back.
Based on real events
Chariots of Fire (1981)
Kinopoisk: 6.8 IMDb: 7.2 +0
The film talks about Olympic Games which take place in Paris. Two young Englishmen, overcoming many obstacles on their way, try to win gold medals. Each of them pursues their own goals. One of them is a Jew who seeks to destroy the public's anti-Semitic beliefs with his victory. The other is a pious Scot who does all his deeds for the glory of God.
Miracles from Heaven (2016)
Kinopoisk: 7.0 IMDb: 7.0 +12
This story actually happened and only real events make us believe what is happening, because the story is more like pure fiction. Only after seeing everything with your own eyes will you understand that this is true. For those who have lost everything, there seems to be no hope left, but faith keeps people alive and moving on. And then a miracle happens.