Belgorod Theological Seminary (with a missionary focus) conducts full-time and part-time studies. Special priests come out of the walls of the school, ready to support the flock in the most difficult situations.
Foundation and development
Belgorod Theological Seminary arose on the basis of the school, opened in 1721 for the education of children of clergy. This was the first educational institution to give broad knowledge of secular and religious sciences. The next year, the school receives the status of a “small seminary”, the cells of the Nikolaevsky monastery, the founder of which was Boris Godunov, became its location. The official opening of the institution took place in 1787.
The subjects of full seminaries were included in the curriculum, active work was carried out to fill the library funds. The literature in the library was divided into three main sections: fundamental sciences, books for sale (sales), and a gratuitous use fund. The seminary kept up to 10 thousand units of literary works in various directions.
Education in the Belgorod seminary was conducted in three areas - rhetoric, philosophy, theology. The full course of study lasted three years. In 1801, a separate building was built for the educational institution on two floors, located near the Holy Trinity Cathedral.
By the end of the 18th century, the seminary became the central educational institution of the diocese and was named Kursk, although geographically it was still in Belgorod. During the period from 1791 to 1805, more than one thousand graduates attended the full course of sciences. Not all of them chose church service, many entered secular educational institutions to become medical workers, military, and civil servants.
Before the revolution
It is noteworthy that among the first students of the opening university in Kharkov, there were 20 graduates of the Belgorod Theological Seminary. The theological educational institution had a powerful educational base and a large number of subjects. In addition to the theological sciences, students studied physics, foreign languages, humanities, arithmetic, geometry, hermeneutics, and much more.
In 1879, Belgorod Seminary was transferred to Kursk, which significantly increased its status, opening the opportunity for graduates to receive further education at the academies of Moscow, Kiev, and St. Petersburg. A significant part of the students who did not dare to move remained in Belgorod; the school reopened for them. This was due to the fact that initially the educational institution in Belgorod was created for the children of clergy, where versatile knowledge was given. Graduates were free to choose their path without a rigid attachment to the church. The Kursk seminary began to prepare pupils for further service in the spiritual sphere.
The school received the status of a branch of the Kursk Theological Seminary, it trained up to 200 students, divided into four classes. The institution worked on the territory of the Nikolaev monastery until 1917. Immediately after the revolution, the branch was liquidated.
Rebirth
Political and economic reforms of the late XX century opened up opportunities for the revival of spiritual life in Russia. In 1990, Kursk Seminary re-opened classes for students. At first, a religious school was founded, but a year later the teaching course began to be taught in full seminar volume. Training began to take 4 years. In addition, women's classes, an icon painting and restoration workshop were opened. In the summer of 1996, the Belgorod Orthodox Theological Seminary reopened its doors, receiving a specialized area of education - missionary work.
The first release took place in 2000. In the next academic year, the facade was overhauled, the adjacent territory was tidied up - flowerbeds were laid out, a spacious car passage was made, a monument to Metropolitan Makarii was erected. In 2006, the Enlightener television studio started working on the basis of the educational institution, and in 2017, the seminary had its own four-story cell building, where full-time students live.
In 2013-2014, teaching of biblical theology, missionary work, and social and humanitarian disciplines began. Since 2015, training courses for missionaries have been opened in the educational institution, with a duration of 2.5 years, a missionary magistracy also operates. In 2015, Archpriest Alexy (Kurenkov) was appointed rector of the Belgorod Seminary.
Training
The task of the Belgorod Orthodox Seminary is to prepare pastors for service in the realities of the modern world, bringing the light of Orthodoxy and love to every parishioner. The educational institution has a two-level education system - undergraduate and graduate programs. In the 5th year, teaching is conducted according to the curriculum of the specialty with the profile "Orthodox Theology and Missiology". The magistracy prepares specialists in the Missiology profile.
Seminaries are training future regimental chaplains, teachers and teachers of God's law in secular educational institutions, teachers of church educational institutions, and missionaries. You can get education at the full-time and part-time department of the Belgorod seminary. In the final year, students, regardless of the form of training, defend their qualification work (preparation is carried out jointly with the supervisor), pass exams.
Priorities
The priority area of training is missionary work; for its study, additional subjects have been introduced into the curriculum - “History of the mission”, “Methods, principles of missionary activity”, “Introduction to missionology”. The educational and educational process in the Belgorod seminary in full-time and part-time departments is implemented over 5 training courses. Also, applicants have the opportunity to attend a one-year preparatory course.
In the 5th year, the study of ethnography, economics, natural sciences, and screen art is added to the main subjects. The course "Fundamentals of Information Technology" is gradually expanding, it is planned that its study will begin with the 1st course of the seminary. For four years, each student has the opportunity to learn a foreign language. From the 4th year, seminarians study psychology (general, social, age, conflictology).
Applicants with the rank of priest are admitted to the correspondence department of the Belgorod Theological Seminary, and laity who have missionary obedience in any diocese belonging to the Russian Orthodox Church are also eligible for admission.
Practice
A feature of the Belgorod seminary is the emphasis on the practical activities of students. The curriculum has allocated a sufficient number of hours for educational and production work. Students have the opportunity to conduct liturgical, pedagogical, missionary and research activities. Skills are acquired in various places. So, in 2000, a mission center was opened in Chukotka, in the city of Anadyr, where seminarians were sent to practice. The base for the preparation of missionary activity includes the development of pedagogical, missionary, catechetical social work.
The practice of worship is available to seminarians throughout the entire period of study in the educational church of St. Innocent. Undergraduates practice preaching at holiday and Sunday services. Junior students improve their skills in public prayer, in some cases, seminarians go to practice in the existing parishes of the Belgorod region.
Without interruption from modern life
The training of the future teacher of church educational institutions and the teacher of secular educational institutions is based on Orthodox pedagogy and psychology (general, age, social). Students get practical skills at the Lyceum of Police, the Medical College of Belgorod, the military unit, several general city schools and directly at the Belgorod Seminary.
Students also take part in spiritual and educational conversations. Students or secular higher education institutions of the city - economics and law, BSU, the Institute of Culture, the Institute of Cooperation and other universities become listeners or opponents. The seminar actively collaborates with the Regional Center for the Rehabilitation of Minors, as part of their activities, students conduct thematic discussions with children and adolescents who are in a difficult situation.
Choir
The bishop's choir of the Belgorod seminary is one of the most famous collectives. It was created in 1996. The founder and leader of the singing team until the fall of 2015 was Archpriest Nikolai Katsy. The main obedience of the choir is singing at all church services. In addition, the team actively takes part in major spiritual, cultural and social events, conducts a rich concert activity. The band repeatedly performed at well-known Russian venues - in the State Concert Hall "Russia" and the Crocus Hall.
You can listen to performances not only by attending a concert, but also in the recordings. Over the years, several discs have been released, for example, in 2005, the concert “Angel of the Holy Belogorye” was released, the recording is timed to coincide with the 300th anniversary of the birth of St. Joasaph. In 2001, the disc “Songs of Faith, Hope, Love” was recorded, in 2010 - “With one mouth and one heart”, etc.
The team takes an active part in missionary trips to the Arkhangelsk region, Kamchatka, Kalmykia and Karelia, visited Eastern and Central Siberia and many other remote regions of Russia. Choristers receive invitations to perform in churches and at concerts in Ukraine, Germany, Slovenia, Belarus. The choir’s repertoire includes church songs, folk songs, and works by Russian and foreign composers.
Publishing house
Students take an active and active part in the work of the publishing department of the seminary. In 2000, the Seminar Herald began to be published, which became an annex to the periodical publication Belgorod Diocesan Vedomosti.
In the bulletin, students can publish their materials, articles on pressing issues, missionary stories, and reports.
How to enter full-time?
People with full secondary education can enter the theological seminary (Belgorodsky Prospect St., Building 75), the presence of any higher education is welcome. Full-time (undergraduate) admission is only for men under the age of 35. Applicant must be single or married first marriage. Education is provided free of charge with full board (accommodation, meals). Duration of study - 5 years. At the first stage, the candidate provides the selection committee with a package of documents, which includes:
- The petition addressed to the rector.
- Letter of recommendation from the parish priest with the seal of the temple.
- A completed application form.
- Free-form autobiography.
- Three photos 3 x 4 cm and one photo 9 x 12 cm.
- Certificate of education (copy or original).
- Help indicating the composition of the family.
- Medical certificate (form No. 086-U), as well as a certificate from a narcologist and psychiatrist.
- Copy of the policy of compulsory medical insurance or VHI.
- Copy of baptismal certificate.
- For married - copies of marriage and wedding certificates.
- Copy of the passport.
- Copy of military registration card.
- Copy of the exam paper (subjects - social studies, Russian language, history).
At the second stage, applicants pass the following exams:
- Russian language (presentation).
- Fundamentals of Orthodoxy.
- Testing.
- Church history.
- Reading in the Old Slavonic language of theological literature.
- The main prayers are knowledge by heart.
- Interview
Exams in 2018 are held from August 20 to 24. At the end of the undergraduate student can continue their studies in the magistracy.
How to enter the correspondence department?
The Belgorod seminary accepts in the correspondence department the current clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church (age does not matter). Lay people (over 27 years old) who have missionary service in parishes are also eligible for admission. Examinations are held in the penultimate decade of September, applicants write an essay, are tested and interviewed. According to the test results, enrollment takes place and an agreement is made to provide educational services.
Those who wish to take training in the correspondence course should provide the following documents to the selection committee:
- The petition addressed to the rector.
- Recommendation (referral) from the ruling bishop (for clergy) with a seal.
- Certificate of Ordination (copy).
- For the laity - the recommendation and characterization of the priest from the place of missionary service with the seal of the temple.
- Free-form autobiography.
- Completed application form.
- Photo 3 x 4 (3 pcs.) And 9 x 12 (1 pc.).
- Certificate of education (copy).
- Passport (copy).
- Certificate of baptism, marriage and wedding (copy).
Entrance exams for applicants in 2018 will be held from September 18 to 20.
On a note
Numerous photos of the Belgorod seminary demonstrate how the educational process and the living conditions of students in the hostel take place. The city warmly responds to the institution and believes that seminarians are the most relaxed students. The educational institution pays a lot of attention to physical fitness.
The address of Belgorod Seminary is Belgorod Avenue, Building 27.
The theological seminary preserves the best teaching traditions, as well as new ones that reflect modernity. New generations of priests have to conduct a missionary mission in remote areas of a large country and visit Yakutia, Siberia, Kamchatka and many other places. The mission of education and consolation is implemented in the departments of hospitals, where patients with the most difficult diagnoses are located, priests are happy to meet with schoolchildren and students, travel with missions to foreign countries.
From many places where seminary graduates have visited, letters of appreciation come. In 2016, Belgorod Seminary celebrated the 20th anniversary of the revival of activity, during which time many seminarians received education.