The other day, Sasha Bozhenov and I tried to explain to one person how the work of the Patriarchal Center for the Spiritual Development of Children and Youth is organized. Well, that is, the place where we work. :) This man had heard enough of all sorts of people and decided to find out in practice whether they were telling the truth about the youth center at the Danilov Monastery. We talked about organizing work from the point of view of uniting different youth groups and projects.
Our center is not a youth association, but a monastic structure for youth, which unites many youth groups and projects.
Our center includes organizations that live their own lives, fulfilling their tasks, preserving their identity but together organizing what our center lives for: training, service, leisure and Eucharistic communion for children and youth. This does not mean at all that other categories of citizens are beyond our care. We work a lot with older people. We have the oldest catechetical courses for adults in Moscow and a Family Sunday School. But children and youth are our priority. We must understand that we exist at a monastery, which is the largest parish in Moscow. Any person can not only visit the temple every day, but also confess, receive communion, and talk with a priest specially authorized to talk with parishioners. So, in the general context of monastic city life, our center is a very important structure that complements already existing areas of church life.
So, along with the completely independent life of the associations included in the center, there are, of course, projects and tasks common to the entire center, but they are provided with the resources of the Center and the Danilov Monastery and are not placed on anyone’s shoulders. A unifying structure, that is, our center first of all helps and cares for all the structures under its care, organizes liturgical communication for children and youth, the opportunity to go to confession at any time during opening hours, talk about spiritual topics with a priest, ask a question to a catechist, or simply talk about a topic that worries a person . Next, the Center provides premises and administrative guidance, gives advice, offers methodological support, financial and material assistance, and only after all this occasionally asks to do something for the common good of all organizations. This is the basis of the work and, in our opinion, it is absolutely necessary.
Our center includes about 30 associations and projects. At least 15 of them are completely independent and have their own independent audience of 20 people:
Family Sunday school (more than 150 children, parents and about 15 young teachers), including the Skimen football club, guitar club, children's choir, theater studio, art studio, tapestry club, icon painting school, etc.
- School of Youth Ministry (up to 120 people for two years of study)
- School for young families, including training courses, a club for those wishing to start a family, family camps, etc. (about 30 people)
- Volunteer youth association "Restavros" (more than 500 people a year, taking part in work in summer shifts and every day in the evening and on weekends at Moscow and Moscow suburbs)
- Creative club "Melos" (at least 50 people)
- Cinema club "Christian View" (at least 15 people)
- Tea club (15 people)
- Youth recreation club " Scarlet Sails", which includes excursion and pilgrimage trips (at least 40 people)
- Gospel circle (15 people)
- Volunteer association "Danilovtsy" (about 40 people)
- the children's recreation club "Star of Bethlehem" unites about 60 young counselors at the School of Counselors and more than a thousand children
- Teenage club "Attic" (more than 30 people)
- Distance courses on the basics of Orthodoxy - brings together about 60 people from all over the country.
- Youth choir (over 60 people), singing at our liturgies and performing concerts in sponsored organizations.
- Military sports club "Stratilat" (more than 50 teenagers and young instructors)
The center can be viewed as if from two poles.
Administrative. There is the leadership of the monastery and the center and there is an administrative apparatus - people on staff and receiving salaries - about 40 people. I will say immodestly that we are probably the only ones where absolutely non-profit projects have been supported for 16 years at the expense of the monastery. So, the entire administrative apparatus is aimed at organizing the work of all associations, structures and projects included in our center. We said that there are four tasks for which there is a center. Liturgical communication, church education, youth leisure, social service. Special mention must be made of the liturgical communication of those who participate in youth associations and projects of the center. In fact, all of our participants are not parishioners of the monastery, these are guys from all over Moscow and even from the near Moscow region. Therefore, we decided to serve the Liturgy at least once every two months for all participants of the center and called it “youth.”
But on the other hand, from the perspective of young people, all this looks different. Young people often do not know about the administration, nor about the full-time/non-staff employees, nor about the support of the monastery. They know real cases and the people who deal with them. ShMS (with it: youth courses on the fundamentals of faith, a school for young missionaries that has been operating for 6 years), the creative club "Melos", the volunteer movement "Danilovtsy", the HOUSE "Restavros", Youth Choir, etc. Children can study, relax, work, serve others, show their talents and creativity, can pray together, etc. This is our achievement, that we live by the proverb - the best boss is the one who knows how to organize things and who is not noticed...
Let us consider the work of the Patriarchal Center using the example of such a volunteer association as “Restavros”. The head of the association and the secretary are full-time employees of our center. They receive a salary. No one determines what to do and how to live for “Restavros” from the outside. The activists themselves, led by their leader, determine the main tasks and principles of life of the association: recruitment of volunteers, selection of objects, determination of types of work and leisure in their labor camps. The center provides Restavros with premises and the necessary assistance. “Restavros” participates in center-wide events, and, above all, in the “youth” Liturgy, where our organizations are on rotating duty. The guys help prepare the church for worship and organize post-liturgical communication, and are responsible for tea drinking and mutual communication. Volunteers of this association are familiar with other projects and can participate in them. For them, the Center organizes advanced training courses for leaders where they become familiar with the elements of missionary work with peers, with the rules of providing first aid medical care, with the spiritual aspects of leadership in Orthodoxy, with the psychology of relationships in a closed circle of unfamiliar people. If “Restavros” needs to hold a major event, the center helps it: by providing premises, the necessary finances and other resources. At the same time, of course, the leadership of Restavros coordinates any cardinal changes in their lives or major projects with the leadership of the Center, and through him with His Holiness Patriarch of All Rus' Alexy II. In addition, at the beginning of each year, each organization that is part of our organization submits an approximate annual plan for approval by its superiors, and at the end of the year reports to management in the form of a presentation. This is necessary for two reasons. The leadership of the Center and the monastery cannot be personally involved in all projects and such, although formal meetings provide the opportunity to know a lot first-hand. On the other hand, since it is the center and the monastery that finance all our projects, a completely formal report on the expenditure of funds is necessary.
Let me give you another example. Volunteer movement "Danilovtsy". Since 1991, our monastery has carried out extensive educational and social activities. Since 1999, all this work has been entrusted to the Patriarchal Center for the Spiritual Development of Children and Youth. At this point, we provide care to about 20 social, medical, educational and other institutions. We are constantly approached with requests to organize missionary, pedagogical, and social work. For the last 5 years, we have had to refuse because we do not have enough volunteers. Yes, we have a youth school, but we have never dared to oblige people to work in our sponsored organizations. In general, we are categorically against the exploitation of young people for the sake of “blessing”. Let everyone decide for themselves what they need. If a person showed interest, then we went to meet him. Moreover, if someone graduated from our School of Youth Narrowing and helps us in missionary and catechetical activities, then we try to pay at least a little for his work. Now it is 250 rubles for one visit to any of the sponsored institutions.
It is absolutely clear that our Center is, of course, not a Swiss watch. We work as best we can. We have a lot of glitches and problems. We are sorely short of funds, premises, and specialists. There are people and organizations with whom we have not found mutual understanding, including on “ideological” issues. There are those for whom we did not have enough time and energy and, as a result, we share various kinds of grievances. But I think this is inevitable in such a cumbersome structure as ours, although it is impossible to approve of such a state of affairs. What can justify us is openness to personal communication. And I and my colleagues and Fr. Peter is always available for a personal meeting. Head of the Center Fr. Joasaph and the governor of the monastery, Fr. Alexis are quite busy people, so talking to them is not so easy. But again, during our “youth” center-wide services, they may well devote time to questioners.
In general, if anyone is interested in information about our center, please contact Sasha Bozhenov and me. We'll tell you everything.
The Patriarchal Center for the Spiritual Development of Children and Youth at the Moscow Danilov Monastery was created in 1999 with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus'. The basis for the Center was the Sunday School (1989) and the Catechesis Service (1992) of the Danilov Monastery.
The goal of the Center is to promote the formation of a spiritually developed personality young man based on Christian values.
This process includes:
Spiritual, moral, religious enlightenment and education.
Introducing children and youth to the liturgical life of the Church, promoting their churching.
Cultural, patriotic, sports education.
Social and psychological assistance.
Involving children and youth in creative work.
To carry out this activity, the Center successfully develops and operates a department of spiritual and moral education, a department of socio-psychological assistance and youth support, and a department of organizational and pedagogical initiatives. Among the staff and teachers of the Center (staff and non-staff): 2 doctors of theology, 16 doctors of science, 11 candidates of theology, 15 candidates of science, 18 professors, 1 honorary professor, 9 associate professors, 2 people's artists of the USSR, 1 People's Artist Russia, 8 Honored Artists of Russia, laureates of international and all-Russian competitions, researchers, teachers and graduate students of leading universities in Moscow.
The Scientific Advisory Council, consisting of leading theologians, scientific and cultural figures, representatives of the executive and legislative authorities, and business circles, is responsible for the scientific management and development of the strategy for the activities of the CDRM. Thanks to the expert scientific guidance of the Council, 4 graduate students defended their candidate dissertations.
In its activities, the Center actively interacts with state, public, scientific, cultural and church institutions. For example, at the invitation of the Committee State Duma For women, family and youth affairs, the Center’s specialists provide expert assistance on the issue of spiritual and moral education. Together with representatives of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation and the Russian Academy of Education, the Center’s specialists take an active part in the development of an advanced training course for educational workers in the subject “ Orthodox culture" Since 2000, the Center has been running advanced training courses under this program. Over three years, more than 250 certified specialists for secondary and high school. In 2004, such courses will be available to teachers from various regions of Russia. In 2003, some employees of the Center were awarded with gratitude from the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation for their selfless work and success in public education.
The Center has repeatedly co-founded various international and all-Russian festivals and competitions. In 2000, the All-Russian Festival of Choral Sacred Music “Star of Bethlehem” (Moscow) and the International Choral Festival “Glory to Culture!” were held. (Netherlands). In 2001 - All-Russian competition performers on Russian folk instruments (Moscow), International Folk Music Festival (Canada). In the year of the 700th anniversary of the repose of the Holy Blessed Prince Daniel of Moscow, the Center organized an International Arts Festival, within the framework of which the All-Russian Competition of Sacred Choral Music (Moscow), the I International Festival-Competition of Performers on Multi-Stringed Instruments (Moscow), and the All-Russian Military-Patriotic Competition songs “I Sing My Fatherland” (Moscow), Easter festival in St. Petersburg for the 300th anniversary of the city, All-Russian children's competition artistic creativity"Holy Rus'" (Moscow). In 2004, the CDRM co-founded the II International Festival-Competition of Performers on Multi-Stringed Instruments named after. Vera Gorodovskaya, which will end on March 25 this year. Going preparatory work for holding a large children's and youth festival "Young Talents of Russia".
All this activity became possible thanks to cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation (in 2001 the Center was awarded the gratitude of the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation for charitable activities in the preservation and development of Russian culture), the Russian Culture Foundation (in 2001 the Center was awarded the gratitude of the RFK), the Union of Composers RF, Union of Artists of the Russian Federation, Russian Academy of Arts, Foundation named after. P.I. Tchaikovsky, Moscow State Conservatory and many other organizations.
In the year of the anniversary of Saint Prince Daniel of Moscow, the Center performed the honorary duties of the Secretariat of the Organizing Committee of the anniversary celebrations and received high praise (six employees were awarded a commemorative anniversary sign by His Holiness the Patriarch).
During its existence, there has been active cooperation with the Synodal Departments of the Moscow Patriarchate on the issue of spiritual development of youth. At the invitation of the Department of Religious Education and Catechesis, the Center’s employees take an active part in organizing the International Christmas educational readings. Together with the Department of Youth Affairs, the “School of Youth Ministry” operates, preparing young catechists and missionaries for the social sphere.
Since 1992, the brethren of the Danilov Monastery have been conducting educational and educational activities in higher and middle educational institutions capitals. Among them: Moscow state university them. M.V. Lomonosov, Russian Academy music named after Gnessins, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow Conservatory, etc. The organization of the Center made it possible to strengthen and develop scientific and teaching activities in these educational institutions, to attract specialists from various areas knowledge to participate in the Center's programs.
Over the years of operation, the Center has accumulated unique experience in the field of spiritual and moral education and socio-cultural education of children and youth. Strong contacts have been established with various educational and outreach centers in Russia and abroad. Thanks to the scientific, methodological and organizational assistance of the CDRM, similar centers have been created in the Moscow region (Domodedovo, Odintsovo, Mytishchi), Tver, Yaroslavl, Kaluga, Vladimir, Tula and other regions.
According to preliminary estimates by experts, about 35 thousand people participate in the programs of the Center for the Spiritual Development of Youth per year, the overwhelming majority of whom are young people.
The Center’s employees have been repeatedly recognized for their activities by various government and public organizations. For successful work on the spiritual and moral education and enlightenment of youth in 2002, the Center for the Spiritual Development of Youth was awarded the “Regained Generation” award, and the head of the Center was awarded the “Good Shepherd” badge of honor.
Since 2003, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II, the Center has been actively preparing for the construction of a complex of buildings for the needs of the Central Children's Church.
By Decree of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' No. 1123 of March 16, 2004, for successful work in the field of spiritual and moral education and socio-cultural education of children and youth and in connection with the fifth anniversary of its creation, the Center for the Spiritual Development of Youth was awarded the status of a Patriarchal Center.
In connection with the assignment of the status of the Patriarchal Center to the Central Children's Church, its official name was changed to the “Patriarchal Center for the Spiritual Development of Children and Youth at the Danilov Stavropegic Monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church Moscow".
Hegumen Joasaph (Poluyanov), a resident of the Moscow Danilov Monastery, has been appointed as the head of the Patriarchal Center for the Spiritual Development of Children and Youth.
The organizers of the event invited friends and co-workers from other Orthodox organizations also involved in youth ministry to unfold before them the full range of their activities over more than ten years of work.
The presentation was attended by famous Moscow missionary priests: the rector of the Trinity Church in Khokhly, Archpriest Alexey Uminsky; rector of the temple, Rev. Sergius of Radonezh in Bibirevo, hegumen Sergius (Rybko); priest Igor Kireev, employee of the Synodal Department for Religious Education and Catechesis. Representatives of Orthodox youth movements, charitable foundations and volunteer organizations also came to visit the employees of the Central Children's Church: “Give Life”, “Friends on the Street”, “Volunteers to Help Orphans”, etc.
The guests of the Central Children's Church were greeted by the abbot of the Danilov Monastery, Archimandrite Alexy (Polikarpov). The head of the Center, Abbot Joasaph (Poluyanov), spoke about the history of the emergence of the Central Children's Church, which “grew up” from the catechesis service at the Danilov Monastery, and it, in turn, arose on the basis of a Sunday school - one of the first in Moscow, created in the late 1980s. Father Joasaph presented the ramified structure of the current CDRM and emphasized that all divisions work for a single goal: “We are trying to promote the churching of a person, to help him in his search for the path of Salvation.” The CDRM sets itself the task of “personal development in the ecclesiastical sense - to help a person become truly ecclesiastical, i.e. a Christian “from the inside,” and not by belonging to the Church as some kind of subculture,” continued Abbot Peter (Meshcherinov), an employee of the Central Children’s Church.
O. Joasaph acquainted the guests with statistics characterizing the activities of the Central Children's Church for last year: So, educational activities Center in different forms approximately 5 thousand people were covered, 9 thousand were covered by social work, and assistance in organizing leisure time was provided to 7 thousand teenagers. In total, as calculated by the Central Children's Children's Society, approximately 20 thousand people are involved in the orbit of the Center's diverse activities per year - these are children, adolescents, including "difficult" ones - those in boarding schools, hospitals, reception centers and shelters - as well as elderly people. The staff of the CDRM is small - only 40 employees, who on an ongoing basis More than 30 volunteer helpers help. The main “sponsor” of all the activities of the Central Children’s Church is the monastery, and this is “an example to other monasteries and parishes,” Father Joasaph emphasized.
At the same time, even such a large Moscow monastery as Danilovsky is not yet able to complete the construction of a new building for the Central Children's Church. As noted by Fr. Joasaph, this was one of the reasons that the CDRM decided not to widely celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Center in 2009.
Explaining the idea of the presentation, Abbot Joasaph said: “We have a lot of friends who come into contact with us only on one side. For example, if this is the Gift of Life foundation, then this is only a volunteer service. And we wanted to tell and show different sides of our activities. This is important for us too: 10 years is a short period of time, but it is a time to comprehend some path, and we ourselves wanted to talk through everything in the presence of friends in order to present everything in full. We also think it is important for the general public to know how the Central Children’s Church lives, what work is carried out here.”
The following speeches by the heads of the work areas of the Central Children's Education Center (and there are about 30 of them in total) really gave an idea of the versatile work of the Center. With the help of a video presentation, the work of the School of Youth Ministry, the training course “Spiritual Foundations of Family Life and Raising Children”, a distance catechetical Internet course, the volunteer movement “Restavros”, the volunteer movement “Danilovtsy”, a family Sunday school, the Laboratory of Pedagogical Technologies, and a Christian creative club were presented "Melos", the teenage club "Attic", the military sports club "Stratilat" and other divisions of the Central Children's Democratic Republic.
In the direction of negative Christianity, social Christianity, liturgical reform, Orthodox entertainment. Operates at the Moscow Danilov Monastery.
areas of activity
projects
In total, the CDRM oversees 35 different social, false missionary, educational and entertainment projects.
- "Pilgrimia" (-) - travel club for children and teenagers (club). Staff: Andreev Konstantin; Lagutinsky Taras; Lagutinskaya Julia.
- "Star of Bethlehem" - laboratory of educational technologies, children's camp.
- Game modeling workshop - director: Egor Kovrizhkin.
- Club "Attic" ( -) - children's and youth recreation club ( role playing games etc.). Staff: Egor Kovrizhkin; Kovaleva, Natalya.
- "Sretensky Meetings"
- "School of Youth Ministry" (-)
- Orthodox Internet Course (PIK) ( -)
- Public Orthodox youth lecture hall (-).
- Military sports club "Prince Daniel's Squad".
- Voluntary youth association "Restavros". Head - Konstantin Lobachev.
- Tea club “Wonderful bowls”.
- Christian club for youth and family recreation "Scarlet Sails".
- cinema club "Vneformat"
A member of the “Danilovites” was Maria Alekhina, a participant in the blasphemy committed on February 21 of the year in front of the altar of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. This is clarified from the positive characteristics issued to Alekhina on March 12 of the year by Alexander Bozhenov. Regarding her participation in the work of the Danilovites, the certificate states that Alekhina is characterized as “a responsible and reliable person, punctual, constructive and a volunteer responsible for herself and her work.” Thanks to the Danilovtsy, Alekhina got the opportunity to conduct “creative and developmental activities” with children at Children’s Psychiatric Hospital No. 6 in Moscow from September to January.
The leaders of “Danilovtsy” Yuri Belanovsky and Alexander Bozhenov signed a letter in defense of blasphemy in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, initiated by Alexander Kravetsky on June 19 of this year.
Representatives of the Central Children's Church took part in Orthodox shifts on Lake Seliger. The CDRM participated in joint actions with the Orthodox Faith Corps.
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“Modern youth in the Church: problems and ways to solve them”Youth conference of the Central Children's Church together with the Department of the Russian Orthodox Church for Youth Affairs. The work was attended by leaders and employees of the Youth Affairs Departments from 25 dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as clergy and laity - representatives of 7 youth international and regional religious and public youth organizations, more than 90 people in total.
Patriarch Alexy II sent his greetings to the participants of the youth conference. The plenary session in the conference hall of the Danilovsky hotel complex was attended by: Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk, Administrator of the Affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate; Archbishop Eugene of Vereisky, Chairman of the Educational Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church; Bishop Mark of Yegoryevsk, Deputy Chairman of the Department of External Affairs church connections; Archimandrite Alexy (Polikarpov), vicar of St. Daniel's stauropegial monastery Moscow and others.
Except plenary session, the work took place in sections where documents were developed and discussed that raised topical issues of church work with youth in modern conditions: “Basic provisions of the concept of human spiritual development”; “Mission, catechesis and religious education among modern youth”; “Basic forms and methods of working with youth”; "Ecclesiastical community, liturgical life and Christian service." The final documents of the conference were reviewed and accepted by its participants as an expression of the opinions of those gathered on the issues raised in the documents.