Znamenskaya Grove is one of the most picturesque places in the ancient city of Kursk. Here is the Kursk Orthodox Theological Seminary (CPSU).
The seminary dates back to the end of the 18th century. Among her pre-revolutionary graduates there are many prominent people: famous theologians, publicists, doctors, and even the first Russian translator of Shakespeare. A new period in the life of an educational institution began exactly a quarter century ago.
Seminary today
The Kursk Orthodox Theological Seminary today is one of the best educational institutions in the Kursk region. On its territory today there are three professional departments that train specialists in the field: shepherd, regent and icon painter. After graduation, each student receives a state diploma and also the honorary title of a seminary graduate.
Few educational institutions that exist today in Russia have such a huge territory or, as teachers jokingly say, “Kursk Oxford”. The seminary today works with a special orientation for itself - culturological. All those who teach and live there are working to create an unusually creative and emotional atmosphere of culture and creativity.
With the support of professionals
The seminary employs not only highly qualified specialists, but also real spiritual patrons. The ruling bishop today, as well as the head of the distance learning sector, is Metropolitan German of Kursk and Rylsky. The rector of the Kursk Theological Seminary, as well as a real mentor and friend of all students, is Archimandrite Simeon Tomachinsky.
Training weekdays and more
About two hundred people study and live on the territory of the Kursk Theological Seminary. The life of students is very measured, but saturated. Every day in the morning, students go to pairs in special and specialized subjects. From Monday to Friday, great attention is paid to all important church aspects of future confessors and church workers. On Saturdays, students listen to lectures on the art of cinema, and then watch films: world and domestic classics, feature films and documentaries.
In any weather, students play soccer on a small playground in the center of the seminar garden. This is not only a physical education lesson, but also a wonderful vacation.
The way of the shepherd today. What should a modern priest be like?
The pastoral department of the seminary has been operating since the very first days of the opening. Its main task is to prepare highly qualified specialists as a clergyman of the church, as well as to receive excellent training in the field of Christian theology.
According to the curriculum, which is approved by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, training takes place in full-time under the program of a specialist for 5 years and a bachelor of 4 years. The Kursk Theological Seminary also has a correspondence department. The training lasts for 5 years according to the program of a specialist. All preparation is carried out in accordance with all standards of church Orthodox education. Seminar students receive a completely free place to stay and free meals with a scholarship.
Before entering, the applicant is invited to live in the seminary for about a week. He participates in obedience, looks closely at people, at a place, towards life. It is also a great opportunity for priors and teachers to study the future student and priest. Then he goes through various interviews and exams. It also happens that not everyone succeeds in enrolling in training.
Today, a large number of disciplines are studied in the seminary, because time dictates its own laws, and the priest must be understandable to people, must be a universal man.
In the Kursk seminary today there is a decrease in the number of applicants. According to the priests themselves, this is a great blessing, for the path of the shepherd is difficult and requires great returns and hardships. A person must very clearly understand what profession he enters. The main criterion for entering the pastoral department is the answer to one very important professional question: what is the mission of the priest? If he can answer him, then this will be a great advantage in admission.
With music along the way
Most of the students studying at the Kursk Theological Seminary did not have prior experience in music education. For future priests, singing is one of the main subjects. As experience shows, musical ear and abilities are manifested even in those who had not previously suspected abilities.
The regency department of the institution is located at the Kazan temple of the city, the famous church built at the expense of the mother of St. Seraphim of Sarov, a child who stumbled on the forests of the bell tower of this magnificent cathedral, and miraculously remained unscathed.
For two and a half centuries, the regency department has prepared many singers and regents not only for the Kursk metropolis, but also for the neighboring dioceses. Training is conducted according to the specialist program for a period of 3 years on full-time training. Persons under 25 years old are accepted for study without a musical education, and with a musical education up to 35 years. The main criterion for admission is the availability of musical abilities.
As bequeathed to old artists
The icon-painting department in the Kursk Orthodox Theological Seminary is a special creative environment with a deep missionary purpose. The main task of the department is to teach students to understand worship and transfer to painting. Specialists in the seminary become not only in the field of iconography, but also in other areas of church applied art. Training lasts for a period of 5 years according to the program of a specialist in full-time education.
It is important for a true icon painter to understand the fields of culture and art. This is the main criterion for admission. But the objects in the icon-painting department during the training, besides the majors, are still theological and historical, the general history of the Russian church.