Alexander S altykov: scientific and religious path

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Alexander S altykov is one of the founders of St. Tikhon Orthodox University for the Humanities. He heads the Faculty of Arts at the same university, is a member of the Union of Artists of Russia.

Life path

Born in Moscow the day after the celebration of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin - August 29, 1941. His father Alexander Borisovich was a famous art critic. His family is very ancient, originating somewhere in the late XII - early XIII centuries. The S altykovs were descendants of the S altykov boyars.

Alexander attended the 59th school, and then entered and graduated from Moscow State University with a degree in Art History. After completing his studies, he got a job at the Museum. Andrei Rublev, where he still works. For 12 years (1980-1992) he taught at church, secondary and higher, Orthodox educational institutions in Moscow.

Then he retired from teaching, as he participated in the creation of elementary educational Orthodox Church courses. It was from them that the Orthodox Institute was subsequently created, which was later transformed into the Orthodox St. Tikhon Theological University (PSTBGU).

Became a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1984. Since 1993, he has been the rector of the Kadashi Church of the Resurrection of Christ and the main defender of the cultural heritage - the temple complex-monument in Kadashi.

Attitude towards politics

Archpriest Alexander is a staunch anti-communist. He believes that communists and communist sympathizers should be anathematized, because Ulyanov-Lenin is a theomachist and persecutor of the church, and communists approve and apply Lenin's precepts, actions and views. Even Patriarch Tikhon anathematized the persecutors of the church.

Princely ancient S altykov family

Alexander Nikolaevich was born on December 27, 1775, in the family of a "parquet", that is, a cabinet, Field Marshal Nikolai Ivanovich S altykov. Mother, nee Dolgorukova Natalya Vladimirovna, was born in 1737 and died in 1812. He was the second son.

Already from the birth of Alexander, he was assigned to the Preobrazhensky Regiment with the rank of non-commissioned officer. Later he served in the Semyonovsky regiment as a second lieutenant, rose to the rank of chamber junker, then to a real chamberlain. After 2 years of impeccable service, he took the post of Privy Councilor. After changing several more positions, he was appointed as a comrade (deputy) minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian state.

In April 1801, he proposed his hand and heart to Natalya Yurievna Golovkina (1787-1860), who was the daughter and heiress of Count Yu. A. Golovkin. Natalya Yurievna took a double surname - S altykova-Golovkina. They had 6 children: 4 girls - Elena (1802-1828);Catherine (1803-1852); Sophia (1806-1841); Maria (1807-1845) and 2 boys: Yuri (d. 1841), Alexei (1826-1874) - great-grandfather of Alexander S altykov.

In the spring of 1812, he was entrusted with coordinating the Collegium and the Foreign Ministry. In the same year, he resigns of his own free will and is removed from his duties at the Foreign Ministry. And in the spring of 1817 he stopped his work in the college. Retires for he alth reasons and dies in January 1837.

Rector

Here is such a glorious pedigree of Alexander S altykov. Father Alexander, having taken the rank of archpriest, was appointed to Zamoskvorechye, to Kadashi, where he serves as rector of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. The temple is ancient, it was built at the end of the XIV century from wood, however, it was located a little south of the existing one. At present, on the site of the old temple, there is a small church of Job of Pochaevsky.

The current Church of the Resurrection delights with its proportions and rich decoration. Many times it was restored and painted by famous artists. After the revolution of 1917, the temple was badly damaged, and only in 1958, restoration began slowly.

In 1992, the community was created and registered, and in 1993 Father Alexander S altykov became its rector. Divine services began much later, only in 2006, first in the upper church, and then in the lower one. Nearby is the deacon's house, which they wanted to demolish, but the Slobozhans, led by the rector, stood up and defended it, although the destroyers managed to ruin it a little.

After the restoration of it and the neighboring building, erected in the 18th century, the Kadashevskaya Sloboda museum was created by parishioners with the help of the rector. It contains more than 3,000 valuable artifacts found by archaeologists during excavations and donated by local residents. Here are the famous Kadashev readings of the society of Orthodox culture, classes with schoolchildren in the arts and crafts workshop, excursions, lectures.

Cultural, religious and scientific heritage

Archpriest S altykov wrote and published 2 books on the history of the church in the late 19th - early 20th centuries; one book about the art of Ancient Russia, one book about the Museum. A. Rubleva. Many notes, lectures and sermons on the church history of Ancient Russia, as well as on Russian icon painting, have been published. He gave interviews on the radio "Radonezh", read sermons "Eternity in stone, or why Moscow is being destroyed", "Kadashi: cash or eternity?" e.

Archpriest Alexander S altykov supported the movement "Live, baby!" and called for Russia to ban abortion.

In his lectures, he talks about the canons of church icon painting, discusses with other church leaders about the protection of Russian culture from Western influence, says that if the Russian people need culture, they must protect it.