Znamenskaya Grove is one of the most picturesque places in the ancient city of Kursk. The Kursk Orthodox Theological Seminary (KPDS) is also located here.
The seminary has been leading its history since the end of the 18th century. Among its pre-revolutionary graduates there are many outstanding people: famous theologians, publicists, doctors, and even the first translator of Shakespeare in Russia. The new period in the life of the educational institution began exactly a quarter of a century ago.
Seminary Today
Kursk Orthodox Theological Seminary today is one of the best educational institutions in the Kursk region. On its territory today there are three professional departments that train specialists in the field: a pastor, a regent and an icon painter. After graduation, each student receives a state diploma and also the honorary title of a seminary graduate.
Few educational institutions that exist today in Russia havesuch a huge territory or, as the teachers jokingly say, “Kursk Oxford”. The seminary today works with a special orientation for itself - culturological. Everyone who teaches and lives there is working to create an unusually creative and soulful atmosphere of culture and creativity.
Professional support
The seminary employs not only highly qualified specialists, but also real spiritual patrons. The ruling bishop today, as well as the head of the distance learning sector, is Metropolitan German of Kursk and Rylsk. The rector of the Kursk Theological Seminary, as well as a true mentor and friend of all students, is Archimandrite Simeon Tomachinsky.
Educational weekdays and not only
About two hundred people study and live on the territory of the Kursk Theological Seminary. The life of students is very measured, but full. Every day in the first half of the day, students go to couples in special and specialized subjects. From Monday to Friday, great attention is paid to all important church aspects of future confessors and church workers. On Saturdays, students listen to lectures on the art of cinema, and then watch films: world and domestic classics, feature films and documentaries.
In any weather, students play football on a small sports ground in the center of the seminary garden. This is not only a physical education lesson, but also a wonderful holiday.
The path of the shepherd today. What should a modern priest be like?
Pastoral officeThe seminary has been operating since the very first days of its opening. Her main task is to prepare highly qualified specialists as a clergyman of the church, as well as to receive excellent training in the field of Christian theology.
According to the curriculum, which is approved by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, training takes place at the full-time department according to the program of a specialist for 5 years and a bachelor for 4 years. The Kursk Theological Seminary also has a correspondence department. Training goes on for a period of 5 years under the program of a specialist. All preparation is carried out in accordance with all standards of church Orthodox education. Seminary students receive absolutely free accommodation and free meals with a stipend.
Before admission, the applicant is invited to live in the seminary for about a week. He participates in obedience, looks closely at people, at a place, at life. It is also a great opportunity for pastors and teachers to study the future student and priest. Then he goes through various interviews and exams. It also happens that not everyone succeeds in enrolling in training.
Today, a large number of disciplines are studied in the seminary, because time dictates its own laws, and a priest must be understandable to people, must be a universal person.
At the Kursk Seminary today there is a decrease in the number of applicants. As the priests themselves report, this is a great blessing, for the path of a shepherd is difficult and requires great sacrifice and deprivation. A person must clearly understand what profession he enters. chiefThe criterion for admission to the pastoral department is the answer to one very important professional question: what is the mission of a priest? If he can answer it, then it will be a great advantage for admission.
With music along the way
Most of the guys studying at the Kursk Theological Seminary had no experience of music education before. For future priests, singing is one of the main subjects. As experience shows, musical ear and abilities are manifested even in those who were previously unaware of their abilities.
The regency department of the institution is located at the Kazan temple of the city, the famous church built at the expense of the mother of the Reverend Seraphim of Sarov - a child who stumbled on the scaffolding of the bell tower of this majestic cathedral under construction, and miraculously remained unharmed.
For two and a half centuries, the regency department has prepared many choristers and regents not only for the Kursk metropolis, but also for neighboring dioceses. Preparation of training is carried out according to the program of a specialist for a period of 3 years in full-time education. Persons under 25 years of age are admitted to study without a musical education, and those with a musical education up to 35 years of age. The main criterion for admission is the presence of musical abilities.
As bequeathed by the old master artists
The Department of Icon Painting at the Kursk Orthodox Theological Seminary is a special creative environment with a deep missionary purpose. The main task of the department is to teach students to understand worship and transfer it to painting. The seminary becomes specialists not only in the field of icon painting, but also in other areas of church applied art. The training lasts for a period of 5 years under the full-time specialist program.
It is important for a real icon painter to understand the fields of culture and art. This is the main criterion for admission. But the subjects at the icon-painting department during the training, besides the profiling ones, are also theological and historical, the general history of the Russian Church.
