Window on Eurasia

A Russian ‘Paradox’ -- A Monastery Opens in a Closed City

Paul Goble

Vienna, August 1, 2006 – Patriarch Aleksii II this week opened a monastery in the closed city of Surov, better known by its Soviet-era designation as Arzamas-16, a location barred to outsiders where the Russian Federation has developed and continues to produce some of its most advanced nuclear weapon systems.

According to a report in “Novyye izvestiya” yesterday, the very
notion of opening a monastery in a “closed” city is “a paradox”
and reflects not so much the interests of the Patriarchate itself but
rather the efforts of the current head of the Federal Nuclear Center, a
lay activist in the Church
[http://www.newizv.ru/news/2006-07-31/51144/].

The current monastery traces its roots to 1706 when the Holy Uspenskiy
monastery was opened. Thanks to the fame of some of its residents,
including most notably Seraphin of Surov, it became an important
pilgrimage site. But in 1927, Soviet anti-religious officials closed it
down
[http://www.rustrana.ru/print?php?nid=26059].

Many of the churches and facilities of the monastery were destroyed
during that period, but some survived often for unusual reasons:
“Rossiiskaya gazeta” reported that one director of the Arzamas-16
saved a church belltower by sugesting that its height made it a perfect
place for an antenna
[http://www.rg.ru/2006/07/31/arzamas.html].

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, several churches and a female
monastery have been reestablished just outside the closed area, but the
decision to reopen the male monastery on a “closed” territory
already has presented some real challenges and may generate more in the
future.

On the one hand, the ceremonial opening of the male monastery had to be
shown to the more than 7,000 pilgrims via television because they were
not allowed to come to the site itself. This “virtual” event must
be unique in the history even of the Russian Orthodox Church that has long
shown its willingness to adapt to state requirements.

Indeed, Aleksii II observed during the weekend ceremonies that the new
monastery “is not for large-scale pilgrimages from outside, but
rather for those who live in the closed city.” In that city of 3,000 people,
he continued, there are many Orthodox believers, including the
director, Radiy Il’kayev.

Not only is Il’kayev an activist in many Orthodox lay organizations,
but he told “Rossiiskaya gazeta” that he and his staff of weapons
builders “because of their involvement in such a threatening business
must have serious and morally understable goals.”

And on the other hand, even after this most unusual opening of a most
unusual institution, the newly restored monastery, which at present has
only three monks, faces some difficult times ahead, according to its
newly appointed head, Archmonk Varnava (Baranov).

Asked by “Novyye izvestiya” about the future, Varnava said that
“first it is necessary to establish elementary conditions for a full
life and to lay the foundation for existence.” But he acknowledged
“certain complexities are connected with the fact that the city is
closed.”

Despite that, he said, he looks to the future with confidence: “I
think that, with God’s help, sometime all of this will be
overcome.”

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