Saint Barlaam of the Kiev Caves Monastery, wearing his monastic habit and priestly Epitrachelion.

Hieromonk (Greek: Ἱερομόναχος, Ieromonachos; Slavonic: Ieromonakh, Romanian: Ieromonah), also called a Priestmonk, is a monk who is also a priest in the Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholicism.

A hieromonk can be either a monk who has been ordained to the priesthood, or a priest who has received monastic tonsure. In the Orthodox Church, a man must be either married or have been tonsured a monk before he is eligible for ordination; however, when a married priest's wife dies it is not uncommon for him to become a monk, since the Church forbids clergy to enter into a second marriage after ordination.

Ordination to the priesthood is the exception rather than the rule for monastics, as a monastery will usually only have as many hieromonks and hierodeacons as it needs to perform the daily services.

In the Church hierarchy, a hieromonk is of higher dignity than a hierodeacon, just as a secular (i.e., married) priest is of higher dignity than a deacon. Within their own ranks, hieromonks are assigned order of precedence according to the date of their ordination. Ranking above Hieromonk is a Hegumen and an Archimandrite.

In some countries, married clergy are referred to as "white clergy" while monastic clergy are called "black clergy" because monks should always wear black clothing but married clergy in many parts of the world typically wear white (or gray, blue or some other color) cassocks and rasons.

The proper title for a Hieromonk is, "the Reverend Hieromonk (religious name)". The form of address is, "Hieromonk (name)", "Father Hieromonk (name)", "Father (name)", or, informally, "Father". As with all Orthodox monks, a hieromonk is not addressed by his family name, but only by his religious name. In writing, if it becomes necessary to use his family name—for instance, to distinguish him from another hieromonk with the same religious name—the family name should be placed in parentheses. Example: "Hieromonk John (Smith)". In cultures where a patronymic is customary, monks are never addressed by their patronymic, but only by their religious name.

In Western Christianity, a priest who is also a monk is termed a "religious priest" or "regular clergy", i.e., living under a monastic rule (Latin: regula) .

See also[link]

• Hieromonk Makarije
• Hieromonk Seraphim Rose
• Degrees of Eastern Orthodox monasticism

References[link]

• This article incorporates material from the public domain 1906 Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary.

After a concert signing CD's in 2009

At a concert in 2006

Zhanna Vladimirovna Bichevskaya (or Jeanne Bichevskaya; Russian: Жанна Владимировна Бичевская, born June 17, 1944), is a prominent Soviet and Russian bard and folk musician.

She was born in Moscow and in 1971 she graduated from the Moscow Circus and Performing Arts School. She was teacher of music in Zagorsk (Sergiev Posad). In the 1970s, Zhanna started to perform Russian folk songs and romances. At that time she was deeply influenced by Bulat Okudzhava, and she quickly gained popularity in Russia and abroad with some critics dubbing her the Russian Joan Baez. According to Mick Jagger, 'Bichevskaya is an island of true, eternal art in the ocean of modern music'. Her unique style of music is often described as Russian country-folk. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Zhanna Bichevskaya's songs started to have more political, nationalist and spiritual themes. She performed a series of White Guard officer's songs, as well as a series of religious songs. The lyrics to the latter were composed by Father Roman, a priest of the Pskovo-Pechorsky Monastery. In 1999, Zhanna also became the host of her own show on Voice of Russia radio station. Her album "Hieromonk Romans's songs" was benedicted by Hieromonk Roman in 1997.^[1]

Zhanna Bichevskaya's political and religious stances attracted some criticism and controversy.^[2] She has been an active proponent of granting sainthood to tsar Ivan the Terrible.^[3] In 2006 a song of Zhanna Bichevskaya "We, Russians!" ("Мы, Русские!") caused considerable controversy.^[4] A video-clip accompanying the song includes a segment with a Russian military aircraft firing rockets followed by the scenes of destruction of American cities from the movie Independence Day.

Discography[link]

• Мы русские (We Are Russians ^[5])
• Русский марш (Russian Marsh ^[6])
• Грозный Царь (Grozny Tsar)
• Мы православные (We're Orthodox)
• На этнической войне (In the ethnical war)
• Марш славянки (Marsh of Slavianka,^[7])
• Прощание славянки (Farewell of Slavianka)

References[link]

External links[link]

• (English) Zhanna Bichevskaya’s Biography in English
• (Russian) Zhanna Bichevskaya’s Biography in Russian
• (Russian) Zhanna Bichevskaya' songs on Voskres.ru
• (Russian) Zhanna Bichevskaya' songs on ruek.narod.ru (free songs in MP3 format)
• (English) Zhanna Bichevskaya "The Russian Joan Baez" (Moscow) (article)
• (Korean) Zhanna Bichevskaya's Albums in Korean (7LPs & 21CDs)

Seraphim Rose, born Eugene Dennis Rose (August 13, 1934 - September 2, 1982), was an American hieromonk of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia who co-founded the St. Herman of Alaska Monastery in Platina, California. He also translated Orthodox Christian texts and authored several polemical works. His writings are credited with helping to spread Orthodox Christianity throughout the West; his popularity equally extended to Russia itself, where his works were secretly reproduced and distributed during the Communist era, remaining popular today.

Rose's opposition to Orthodox participation in the ecumenical movement, and his advocacy of the contentious "toll house teaching" led him into conflict with some notable figures in 20th century Orthodoxy, and he remains controversial in some quarters even after his sudden death from an undiagnosed intestinal disorder in 1982. However, many other Orthodox Christians hold him in high esteem, venerating him as a saint in iconography, liturgy and prayer though he has not been formally canonized by any Orthodox synod.

Rose's monastery (as of 2010) is currently affiliated with the Serbian Orthodox Church, and continues to carry on his work of publishing and Orthodox missionary activity.

Seraphim Rose

Early life[link]

Eugene Rose was born on August 13, 1934, in San Diego, California. His father was Frank Rose, a World War I veteran who operated the city's first "Karmel Korn Shop" together with his wife Esther Rose, Eugene's mother. In addition to being a businesswoman, Esther was a California artist who specialized in impressionist renderings of Pacific coast scenes. Raised in San Diego, Eugene would remain a Californian for the rest of his life. His older sister was Eileen Rose Busby,^[1] an author, MENSA member, and antiques expert; his older brother was Frank Rose, a local businessman. Rose was also an uncle of scientist and author J. Michael Scott, true crime author and journalist Cathy Scott, and Cordelia Mendoza, antiques expert and author.^[2]

Though Rose was described by one biographer as a "natural athlete" in his youth, he never engaged seriously in sport. Baptized in the Methodist church when he was 14 years old, Rose later rejected Christianity for atheism. After graduating from San Diego High School, Rose attended Pomona College, where he studied Chinese philosophy and graduated magna cum laude in 1956. While at Pomona, Rose was a reader for Ved Mehta, a blind student who would go on to become a well-known author. Mehta referred to Rose in two books, one of which was Stolen Light, a book of memoirs: “I felt very lucky to have found Gene as a reader. ... He read with such clarity that I almost had the illusion that he was explaining things.”^[3] Afterward, Rose studied under Alan Watts at the American Academy of Asian Studies before entering the master's degree program in Oriental languages at the University of California, Berkeley, where he graduated in 1961 with a thesis entitled 'Emptiness' and 'Fullness' in the Lao Tzu.^[4]

In addition to a remarkable gift for languages, Rose was also known for possessing an acute sense of humor and wit.^[5] He enjoyed opera, concerts, art, literature, and the other cultural opportunities richly available in San Francisco, where he settled after his graduation and explored Buddhism and other Asian philosophies.

In 1956 Rose came out as a homosexual to a close friend from college, after his mother discovered letters between him and Walter Pomeroy, Rose's friend from high school.^[6] Rose ceased his homosexual activities after he accepted Orthodoxy, eventually ending a relationship with Jon Gregerson, a Californian of Finnish ancestry whom Rose met in the summer of 1955 while attending Watts' academy,^[7] and who had become Rose's partner.^[6]

Spiritual search[link]

While studying at Watts' Asian institute Rose discovered the writings of French metaphysicist René Guénon and also met a Chinese Taoist scholar, Gi-ming Shien. Shien emphasized the ancient Chinese approach to learning, valuing traditional viewpoints and texts over more modern interpretations. Inspired by Shien, Rose took up the study of ancient Chinese so that he could read early Tao texts in their original tongue. Through his experiences with Shien and the writings of Guénon, Rose was inspired to seek out an authentic and grounded spiritual tradition of his own. Though he had previously focused on Eastern religions, Rose's spiritual journey ultimately led him back to Christianity and into the Russian Orthodox Church, partly as a result of his friendship with Jon Gregerson.

Orthodoxy[link]

In 1962, partly as a result of Jon Gregerson's influcence, Rose was received into the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia in San Francisco. He quickly distinguished himself to the prelate of San Francisco, St. John Maximovitch, as a serious and studious convert. In 1963, Archbishop John blessed Rose and his new friend Gleb Podmoshensky, a Russian Orthodox seminarian, to form a community of Orthodox booksellers and publishers, the "St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood". In March 1964, Rose opened an Orthodox bookstore next to the ROCOR cathedral on Geary Boulevard in San Francisco, which was under construction at the time. In 1965 the brotherhood founded the St. Herman Press publishing house, which still exists.^[8]

Increasingly drawn to a more reclusive lifestyle, Rose's community ultimately decided to leave the city for the northern California wilderness, where Rose and Podmoshensky became monks in 1968 and transformed the Saint Herman of Alaska Brotherhood info a full-fledged monastic community. Rose's parents provided the down payment for a mountaintop near the isolated hamlet of Platina, where Rose and some friends built a monastery named for St. Herman of Alaska. At his tonsure, in October 1970, Rose took the name "Seraphim" after St. Seraphim of Sarov. He wrote, translated and studied for the priesthood in his cell, a simple one-roomed cabin with neither running water nor electricity, where he would spend the rest of his days. He was ordained in the spring of 1977 by Bishop Nektary of Seattle, spiritual son of St. Nectarius of Optina, the last of the great Optina staretzy.^[9]

In his ministry, Rose spoke frequently of an "Orthodoxy of the Heart", which he saw as increasingly absent in American ecclesiastical life. He also spoke of the need for warmth and kindness of the spirit, especially when dealing with those with whom one disagreed, an increasing problem in American Orthodoxy and its conflict between so-called "traditionalists" and "modernists". One can be firm, Rose insisted, without having to compromise basic Christian teachings on lovingkindness, longsuffering, and mercy toward others.^[10][11]

Works[link]

Using a hand-cranked printing press at his Geary Boulevard bookstore, Rose founded the bimonthly magazine The Orthodox Word in January 1965; this periodical is still published (on modern presses) today. He also composed and published dozens of other titles, including God's Revelation to the Human Heart, Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future, and The Soul After Death; all remain in print. He translated and printed Fr. Michael Pomazansky's Orthodox Dogmatic Theology, which remains a text for clerical students and laymen alike. Rose translated his books into Russian, and they were circulated widely as samizdat within the Soviet Union, although they were not formally published until after the fall of the Communist regime. He was also one of the first American Orthodox Christians to translate major works of several church fathers into English.^[7]

Controversies over theological opinions or "theologoumenon"[link]

Although most of Rose's works were widely received within the Orthodox community, a few raised controversy. The most notable of these was The Soul After Death, which purports to describe certain alleged "aerial toll houses" described by various Church Fathers and saints. According to this teaching, every human soul must pass through a series of these stations after death as part of their initial judgment by God, where they will be accused of specific sins and possibly condemned to hell.

Some modern Orthodox theologians, including Archbishop Lazar Puhalo, Stanley Harakas and Alexander Kalomiros among others, have claimed that certain ideas in Rose's book are heretical, and that many of the Church Fathers have been misinterpreted or misquoted to support it.^[12] Archbishop Puhalo claimed that the "toll-house theory" is specifically Gnostic in origin.^[13] These accusations were later declared to be wrong by the Holy Synod of the Russian Church Abroad, which emphasized that little has been revealed to the Church on this subject, and hence all controversy on this subject should cease.^[14] Though continuing to vehemently oppose Rose's teaching on this subject, Biship Puhalo indicated that he considered Rose to be a "true ascetic", and that he respected the sincerity of Roses's monastic life and intentions.^[15]

Other contemporary Orthodox thinkers, such as St. John Maximovitch, Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos, Fr. Michael Pomazansky, and Bishop Jerome (Shaw) of Manhattan reject Puhalo's interpretation and affirm the reality of the toll houses.^[16] Rose tried to prove by citations that numerous saints, such as Athanasius the Great, John Chrysostom, Macarius of Egypt, Theophan the Recluse, Seraphim of Sarov, Ignatius Brianchaninov and various other Orthodox church fathers, had acknowledged and accepted the Orthodoxy of the toll-houses.^[17] He endeavored to answer his detractors in his "Answer to a Critic", published as an appendix to The Soul After Death.^[18]

Another question concerned whether the Moscow Patriarchate, that portion of the Russian Orthodox Church within Soviet Russia, still possessed "grace". Although some Orthodox Christians asserted that the so-called "red" church had forfeited legitimacy by cooperating with the communist government, Rose disagreed. While wholeheartedly disapproving of the close relations between the Moscow church and the country's communist masters, Rose insisted that it was still legitimate and possessed of valid sacraments.^[10]

Rose also waded into the ongoing debate between Biblical creationism and evolution, asserting in Genesis, Creation and Early Man that Orthodox patristics exclusively supported the Creationist viewpoint. This idea was vehemently attacked by other Orthodox theologians, who asserted that while man's existence is not accidental by any means, there is no official church doctrine as to the precise process God used in creation, nor the length of time that it might have required.^[19]

Death[link]

After feeling acute pains for several days while working in his cell in August 1982, a reluctant Rose was taken by fellow monks to Mercy Medical Center in Redding for treatment. When he arrived at the hospital, he was declared to be in critical condition and fell into semi-consciousness. After exploratory surgery was completed, it was discovered that a blood clot had blocked a vein supplying blood to his intestines, which had become a mass of dead tissue. He slipped into a coma after a second surgery, never regaining consciousness. Hundreds of people visited the hospital and celebrated the Divine Liturgy regularly in its chapel, praying for a miracle to save Rose's life. Prayers were offered for the ailing hieromonk from places as far away as Mt. Athos, Greece, the spiritual heart of Orthodox monasticism. Rose died on September 2, 1982.

Rose's body lay in repose for several days in a simple wooden coffin at his wilderness monastery. Visitors claimed that Rose's body did not succumb to decay and rigor mortis, remaining supple and even allegedly smelling of roses. Several miraculous events, healings and apparitions of Rose have been reported around the world, commencing soon after his death.^[20] A cause for Fr. Seraphim's canonization was begun soon after his burial, and the title "Blessed" is now popularly attributed to him. He currently awaits canonization into sainthood by an Orthodox synod, and his grave at St. Herman's monastery has become a popular site for pilgrimages.

St. Herman's Monastery today[link]

The St. Herman of Alaska Monastery in Platina is now a part of the Western America diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church. While all of the brothers are currently American, many speak Russian. Their primary emphasis continues to be the printing of books, which has been the major activity of the brotherhood since its inception. In addition, the monastery has assisted with the guardianship and education of local youths with behavioral or learning problems, which has earned Rose's brotherhood significant respect among the locals. Visitors come to the monastery year-round but especially on September 2, the anniversary of Rose's death.

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Blessed John the Wonderworker: A Preliminary Account of the Life and Miracles of Archbishop John Maximovitch. Platina: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1987. (ISBN 0938635018)
• Genesis, Creation and Early Man. Platina: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 2000. (ISBN 1887904026)
• God's Revelation to the Human Heart. Platina: Saint Herman Press, 1988. (ISBN 0938635034)
• Letters from Father Seraphim. Nikodemos Orthodox Publication Society. (ISBN 1879066084)
• Nihilism: The Root of the Revolution of the Modern Age. Platina: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1994. (ISBN 1887904069) (as Eugene Rose).
• Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future. Platina: Saint Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1975. (ISBN 188790400X)
• The Apocalypse: In the Teachings of Ancient Christianity. Platina: Saint Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1985. (ISBN 0938635670)
• The Place of Blessed Augustine in the Orthodox Church. Platina: Saint Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1983. (ISBN 0938635123)
• The Soul After Death: Contemporary "After-Death" Experiences in the Light of the Orthodox Teaching on the Afterlife. Platina: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1988. (ISBN 093863514X)

Biographical resources[link]

• Not of This World: the Life and Teaching of Fr Seraphim Rose ISBN 0-938635-52-2. An extensive biography written by monk Damascene Christensen - now out of print.
• Father Seraphim: His Life and Work ISBN 1-887904-07-7. Significantly revised and expanded version of the above.
• Letters from Father Seraphim ISBN 1-879066-08-4. Correspondence with Fr. Alexey (now Hieromonk Ambrose) Young, Rose's spiritual son.
• Seraphim Rose: The True Story and Private Letters ISBN 1-928653-01-4. A biography of his life, his letters and his works, by Cathy Scott, Rose'ss niece.

External links[link]

• Death to the World Magazine Online Orthodox publication; contains some of Fr. Seraphim's writings.
• Death to the World Website Online collection of writings by and inspired by Rose.
• 'Emptiness' and 'Fullness' in the Lao Tzu Master's thesis by Eugene Rose, University of California, Berkeley, 1961.
• Genesis and Early Man: The Orthodox Patristic Understanding Reply to pro-evolution speech given by Orthodox theologian Dr. Alexander Kalomiros.
• Liturgical Resources Collection of photos, articles and icons of Rose, together with prayers composed to him.
• Lives of a Saint Biographical article on Fr. Seraphim from Pomona College Magazine, Spring 2001.
• Nihilism: The Root of the Revolution of the Modern Age. Book written by Fr. Seraphim Rose. Published by St Herman Press, 1994.
• Online Biography and Books Offers online version of Not of This World, a 1000-page biography of Rose now out of print, together with other works.
• Orthodox Wiki: Seraphim Rose Orthodox Wiki Encyclopedia article on Seraphim Rose.
• Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia Unofficial icon of Fr. Seraphim Rose.

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Oleg Evgenevich Pogudin (Russian: Оле́г Евге́ньевич Погу́дин) (December 22, 1968, Leningrad) is an outstanding Russian singer, TV presenter, actor, and "Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation" noted for his vocal and artistic style of interpretation of Russian romances and traditional folk songs.^[1]

Biography[link]

From 1979 till 1982 he was a soloist of the children's choir of Leningrad radio and television studio. In 1985-1990 he studied in Leningrad State Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinema and graduated with an honorable diploma.

In 1990-1993 Pogudin worked as an actor in St. Petersburg. His first LP, Zvezda Lubvi (The Star of Love), was released in 1991. Since 1993 Pogudin has been constantly touring in Russia and abroad.

Pogudin works with regional radio and television studios on a regular basis. In 1993-1996 Russian television aired ten musical films featuring Pogudin.

There are more than five hundred songs and romances in Pogudin's repertoire, mainly old classical and 'urban' Russian romances; folk songs; war-time ballads and old military marches, songs based on works of foreign authors. He also performs monographic concerts devoted to Alexander Vertinsky, Pyotr Leshchenko and Bulat Okudzhava.

Pogudin has been working on a project called To a Russian Genius — a chamber music vocal series based on XIX-early XX century Russian poets' works.^[1]

He was awarded the Medal "In Commemoration of the 300th Anniversary of Saint Petersburg".

References[link]