Vsevolod Chaplin's name in modern Russia has probably been heard by everyone. For several years in a row, he has been one of the most controversial, scandalous and odious figures in the world of Russian Orthodoxy. About what kind of person he is and what characterizes his priestly career, we will tell in this article.
Birth, childhood and adolescence
Vsevolod Chaplin, whose photo is placed above, was born in 1968 in Moscow. As he himself claims, his family was far from religion, including Orthodoxy. Therefore, he made an independent path to the church doors, which ended with his conversion at the age of 13. At school, there were no particular problems with his religiosity, although he did not even hide that he was going to enter the seminary.
National question
Some people today even claim that in fact Chaplin professes Judaism. On the Web, this belief is spread by some radical groups, who also claim that Chaplin Vsevolod Anatolyevich is a Jew. However, do not trust this "sensational"news. There is no direct evidence and confirmation that Vsevolod Chaplin is a Jew. His family belonged to the Soviet intelligentsia, was close to the scientific world, which may create prerequisites for questioning its national identity, since the percentage of Jews in the Soviet and Russian intelligentsia is traditionally high. But still, a direct statement of this fact as real can be considered conjecture. Vsevolod Chaplin himself does not discuss his nationality. True, he categorically denied belonging to the Jews, although he speaks of this people with warmth and love.
The beginning of a church career
Vsevolod Anatolyevich Chaplin began his career in the church in 1985 with one of the posts in the publishing department of the Moscow Patriarchy. At that time, he was distinguished by rather liberal views, advocated some reforms and supported the ideas of a moderate renewal of church life. For example, he signed an appeal for a revision of liturgical practice, including the question of the language of worship. In the late 80s, he organized exhibitions of avant-garde art, and later even wrote a preface to one of the albums of Christian rock music.
Transition to DECR
After graduating from the seminary in 1990, Vsevolod Anatolievich Chaplin changed the internal church camp, moving to work in the Department for External Church Relations under the wing of Archbishop Kirill (Gundyaev) of Smolensk, the current patriarch. It was the latter who performed the diaconal consecration of him in 1991, and a year later he ordained him to thepriest. Since 1991, Chaplin Vsevolod Anatolyevich, within the framework of the DECR, began to lead the sector of church relations with the public. He held this position for many years. Along the way, Vsevolod Chaplin, whose photo is located below, graduated from the Theological Academy in Moscow in 1994. In doing so, he earned a PhD in Theology.
Interaction with society
Priest Vsevolod Chaplin was a member of the Council for Cooperation with Religious Organizations during Boris Yeltsin's presidency. But in 1997 he was expelled from it. In the same year, he took the chair of the head of the head of the DECR secretariat for interaction between church and society. He held this position until 2001.
Vsevolod Chaplin, whose biography testifies to his rapid career development, was elevated to the rank of archpriest in 1999. And in 2001, he took the place of the deputy head of the DECR, Metropolitan Kirill. He held this position until 2009, overseeing church publications, a communication service, and two secretariats - public and inter-Christian relations. Administrative work required him to frequently participate in various events: meetings, conferences, negotiations. Among other things, he de alt with issues of relations between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Vatican, as well as state power. When the expert council of the State Duma Committee for Associations and Religious Organizations was created in 2004, Chaplin Vsevolod Anatolyevich immediately became a member of it. Moreover, he was one of the membersCentral Committee in the World Council of Churches.
Rise under Patriarch Kirill
When Patriarch Alexy II died in 2008, Chaplin's position changed dramatically along with the role of his patron, Metropolitan Kirill, who eventually took the patriarchal throne. Firstly, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, whose biography is closely connected with this man, became his deputy at the World Russian People's Council. Secondly, he took the post of head of the newly formed Synodal Department for Relations between the Church and Society. It is he who since 2009 oversees all official contacts of the Patriarchate with public institutions, associations and organizations.
His role in the life of the church also became more noticeable after the agreement reached between the United Russia party and the ROC MP. Chaplin, by order of the head of state, re-entered the Council for Interaction with Religious Associations. In his position as head of the synodal department, he monitors the activities of the State Duma in order to make proposals, consult and defend in the interests of the Orthodox Church. In addition, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin is a member of two commissions in the Public Chamber: on the development of regions and self-government and on interethnic relations and freedom of conscience.
Other activities and Church awards
As a priest, Chaplin is the rector of one of the capital's churches - the Church of St. Nicholas on the Three Mountains, which is located in Presnenskyarea.
Vsevolod Chaplin is a lecturer at the Orthodox St. Tikhon University, holding the position of associate professor. In addition, he has membership in the Writers' Union of Russia and the Academy of Russian Literature. Often the archpriest speaks on television and on the radio. He even regularly hosts some programs as a radio host.
As a priest, he has extremely conservative views. Not even talking about his sharp assessment of euthanasia and homosexual marriage, Chaplin actively protests against the teaching of biology from the point of view of evolutionary positions. And some time ago he made a proposal to create a structure of Sharia courts for Muslims in Russia.
His activity has been marked by many church awards. He also has secular state awards. In 1996, he was awarded the Order of St. Prince Daniel of Moscow III degree. The same distinction, but already of the II degree, was awarded to him in 2010. He received the Order of the Moscow Saint Innocent in 2005. Earlier, in 2003, he also received the Order of St. Anna II degree, which is an award of the Romanov dynasty. And in 2009 he became the owner of the Order of Friendship.
Vsevolod Chaplin's statements
The priest occupies a lot of different positions and by the nature of his activity is a public person. Therefore, it is not surprising that the constant attention of the media, which attracts Vsevolod Chaplin. His reviews of certain events, phenomena and problems often causepublic outcry and a wave of harsh criticism. For example, the archpriest's proposal to introduce a public dress code for Russian women caused a storm of indignation from citizens who accused him of violating constitutional freedoms. There was no trace of the former liberalism of the young patriarchal functionary, which became clear from Chaplin's call to physically destroy the enemies of the faith, defending their religious shrines. Among other things, he stated that the church forces should have unleashed an armed war against the Bolsheviks after the Revolution, and in modern reality, organize patrolling of cities by Orthodox military squads. Quite eloquently about his radical, almost extremist views, Chaplin's friendship with the infamous Enteo and a more than tough stance against the punk band Pussy Riot speaks. Chaplin defends radicals who destroy exhibitions, disrupt concerts and theatrical productions, and also advocates active cooperation between church and state and the use of the administrative, legislative, judicial and executive resources of the latter in the interests of the church.
Reaction to Chaplin in society
All this created a reputation for him as a difficult, unpleasant person, who is associated with conflicts and confrontation, with the near-extremist wing of the church. In the patriarchy, he is the mouthpiece of clericalism and a symbol of the imperialist aspirations of the modern Russian Orthodox Church. He is frankly disliked not only in secular society, but also in the church itself. A huge mass of both ordinary believers andclerics, including those from the patriarch's inner circle, never tire of criticizing him and wondering why Vsevolod Chaplin is still at the helm of public relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. Everyone answers this question differently. A significant number of people consider him only a translator of patriarchal programs, which, for obvious reasons, he cannot voice on his own. Others suggest more complex conspiracy theories or find reasons in the sophisticated political technologies adopted by the current church authorities.
