Theophanes - Metropolitan of Simbirsk: biography and photos

Despite the fact that the Soviet era is perceived as the era of the heyday of atheism in the country, Orthodoxy continued to remain the only religion for many of its citizens and a way to appeal to God. The enormous potential of the power of faith made the government of the Soviet Union in the years of the Great Patriotic War significantly weaken the influence on the multiple manifestations of religious sentiments of soldiers and civilians, but did not lead to full acceptance of church organizations. Nevertheless, many people continued to remain believers and visited temples, lived according to God's laws. Some even devoted this to their whole lives, thanks to which the Russian Orthodox Church today is rightfully considered representative of a strong, pure and sincere faith throughout the world.

Childhood of Ivan Ashurkov

The city of Dmitrov became a small homeland for six children from a simple working family. The sixth child was born to the Ashurkovs in 1947, on May 25. Ivan, following family traditions, from the early childhood absorbed the foundations of faith, love of God and the foundations of Orthodox life. In the family it was customary to read prayers before meals, observe discipline, work hard.

Naturally, in school the Ashurkov children were not easy, especially for older classes. Ivan, his brothers and sister from the fifth class went to the lessons in the neighboring village. There their family was not known and immediately began to watch closely, noting the commitment to Christianity. Some teachers, as Feofan recalls, Metropolitan of Kazan, even showed visible aggression. Particularly intolerant of the fact that sometimes Vanya missed the service lessons.

Since the children were believers, they were not accepted into the pioneers, and the father did not give permission for this. He himself was a carpenter and kept himself apart, avoiding the need to join a collective farm.

Although it is believed that children are sometimes more cruel than adults, Ivan's childhood can not be said to have passed without friends. The children were friends, played together, and if there were any disagreements, the Ashurkov brothers always stood for each other with a mountain.

Today's Metropolitan Theophanes of Tatarstan would probably never have become what he is, without this family unity, firm faith and strong Orthodox fathers who served in the Ascension Church of the village of Romanovka. It is about this temple and Vasily's father, Ivan Andreevich, who recalls with special trepidation and warmth.

How did Ivan Andreevich come to serve

After graduating from school and mastering the profession of electrician in the Novotroitsk School, a guy who later became known as Theophanes (Metropolitan), like all young people of the Soviet Union, went to the army.

The special army situation, with its daily bragging of recruits, the greasiness of conversations, the manifestations of hazing and at times the excessive inclination to drunken sit-ups, further influenced Ivan's determination not to deviate from the faith. It must be said that, according to Feofan himself, the army did not become a difficult test for him, and he gratefully acknowledges the life experience gained there.

Having paid tribute to the state, Ashurkov was determined to enter the seminary of the Moscow Theological Academy. For the first time, the authorities failed to act. But after a year of service under Metropolitan Gideon in Smolensk (1969) I was able to overcome the program of two courses at once. As a result of diligent teaching and support of Vladyka Filaret and Metropolitan Gideon, the seminary was completed in a couple of years. Then followed the academy, the period of novitiate and monastic vows.

Since then, Ivan Ashurkov received the name of Theophanes. The metropolitan, or rather this dignity, for the young monk was still far ahead. The monastic path of the future well-known church figure began in 1973 in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. The following year, Theophanes became a hierodeacon, and two years later, a hieromonk.

The life path of the future metropolitan

Being already a graduate student of the Theological Academy, Theophanes was sent to obedience in Jerusalem. There he spent almost five years. Even then, there was a very complicated situation in international relations and travel abroad, about this time, Metropolitan Theophan reviews only positive voices. Recognizing the miracle of the opportunity at the beginning of each day to contemplate the holy places for all Christians, he talks about it so that his breath stops. The places where the Christian faith was born, greatly influenced the spiritual development of the priest. Here he learned the art of negotiating, loyalty to other faiths, felt the full force of love for his Motherland and the importance of serving God even at the cost of parting with it.

Returning in 1982 in the USSR, the future Metropolitan Theophanes (Simbirsky), served for two years at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, and then he was sent to South America in 1987 to the post of secretary of the exarchate. In this area there was a large number of parishes, which provided people with a very difficult fate - economic migrants from Ukraine, former prisoners of war, indigenous Argentines, who created mixed families. They all needed support, which was given by Orthodox churches.

Two years after South America passed in the department of the Moscow Patriarchate, which was responsible for foreign relations. Since 1989, not yet Metropolitan Theophanes, whose biography includes the ministry of the church in various countries, was an exarch in Africa. When he returned to his homeland in 1993, the Soviet Union was no longer there.

Replacing before 1999 the chairman of the department for external church relations, Feofan witnessed the formation of a new system of relations between the state and the church. After a short obedience in the East by the decision of the Synod, the archimandrite was consecrated bishopric.

The Episcopal Activity of Theophanes

Becoming bishop of Magadan and Sinegorsk in October 2000, he faced the need to develop missionary activity. Theophanes, the metropolitan of the region, today called the leader of the revolution, especially acutely aware of the importance of building new churches, interacting with youth, and holding Orthodox events. The ROC was to oppose many things to Protestant prayer houses and sectarian organizations. Orthodox newspapers began to appear in Magadan newspapers, television launched church TV channels, and a magnificent Holy Trinity Cathedral was built.

Since 2003, Feofan was appointed to the Stavropol diocese, where he became the successor of the above-mentioned Metropolitan Gideon. The diocese was very large, it included very troubled areas: Chechnya, North Ossetia, Ingushetia and others. The North Caucasus taught the bishop to find a common language even with followers of another religion. He believed and believes that the common cause of restoring the spirituality of the people should unite the followers of all faiths.

The Beslan tragedy and the military conflict of Georgia with South Ossetia became terrible, but very important pages in the biography of Feofan (Ashurkov). He did his best to help the refugees: the ROC collected food, medicines for them, and provided shelter in monasteries and temples.

Archbishop Theophanes (Ivan Ashurkov)

The great experience of church activity in a variety of conditions and countries allowed Feofan to become a candidate for the archbishop's rank. The future metropolitan Kazan Theophanes took another step forward - in 2008 he took a new one. In 2012, he headed the Chelyabinsk Metropolitanate, and also managed the Trinity Diocese. In the South Urals, he again had to face the multinationality, which is famous for our huge country. Feofan here also clearly adhered to the line of good-neighborly relations both with the power structures and with the common people. Here, temples began to be built, since the number of Orthodox parishes is too small, they restored the restoration of old churches and even opened a theological specialty at the Department of History at the South Ural State University.

Activity Theophanes at the post of Metropolitan

In 2012, Theophanes became a metropolitan. Two years later, he was entrusted to the Simbirsk Metropolitanate, where he did a great deal to strengthen the Orthodox faith among the population of the region. Though a little time was spent in Lenin's homeland by Metropolitan Feofan, the Simbirsk people are grateful to him for his desire to return Ulyanovsk historical name, for increasing the number of churches, for tolerant attitude towards representatives of other religions.

In less than a year, the metropolitan was appointed to a new place of service-the Tatarstan Metropolitan. It happened in July 2015. The activities here differ from others by the closest contact with Muslims. Contrary to the opinion of many rancor, representing the ROC, Feofan continues to strive for confessional peace. He clearly realizes that all religions worship the One God, but each in his own way. And this is not a reason to tie bloody disputes and litigation. The main goal of all church organizations is to achieve that people aspire to spirituality and moral integrity. Very harshly Feofan speaks of nationalism, calling it a road to nowhere.

In our very difficult time, with the flourishing of a wide variety of international conflicts, people like Metropolitan Theophanes are doing a great deal to preserve peace.