Ambrose Sivers is a well-known religious leader of the unregistered and small community "Church of True Orthodox Christians of Russia." The organization is recognized as extremist. Its members call themselves "Neo-Andreevites." They originate from the "Catacomb Church of True Orthodox Christians - Andreev". They acted immediately after the October Revolution.
The confessor of the "Neo-Andreevites"
First of all, Ambrose Sivers is known as the confessor of the Orthodox National Socialist movement. And also one of the key leaders of the Rus party, whose members consider themselves defenders of the Russian Constitution. Its participants were mainly former members of the Russian National Unity organization.
The hero of our article never hid his sympathies for Nazism. Known for provocative statements. For example, he suggested that Konstantin Voskoboinikov, the first burgomaster of Lokotsky self-government, be considered a martyr. When the Nazis occupied the USSR, he sided with the Germans, was a collaborator.
Sievers is the author of a hoax dedicated to the history of the emergence and development of the catacomb church.
Religious biography
It is immediately worth recognizing that there is no reliable information about the biography of Ambrose Sievers. The information that he voices on his own, causes fair doubts, has repeatedly been refuted by many of his opponents. His official name is Alexei Borisovich Smirnov. He was born in Moscow, either in 1966, or in 1967.
It is known that in the very beginning of the 80s Ambrose Sivers was fond of the hippie subculture, at that time he was nicknamed the Earl. This nickname was not accidental, the hero of our article claimed to be a descendant of German aristocrats.
During the years of perestroika, he became interested in Orthodoxy. For some time he became a novice in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Then he left the monastery, and a few years later he appeared under the name of the monk Ambrose.
In 1990, the hero of our article came under the patronage of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. Then in the USSR the first parishes of this organization began to appear. Quickly enough, he managed to gain a position among the spiritual leaders. As a result, in 1990, Sievers was appointed head of the German Deanery in Russia. This hoax was revealed in 1992, Smirnov was fired from his post with a scandal.
After a short time, he said that he was disappointed in this religious organization and began to publicly denounce it.
Catacombs church
Sievers claims that in 1994 Tomsk Bishop Anfim Shibanov ordained him to the rank of bishop. Both the official Russian Orthodox Church and the representatives of the catacombs consider this fact at least dubious and unreliable. Experts say that Shibanov either did not exist at all, or by that time was a deep old man.
In the same year, another significant event took place. At the cathedral of the Russian Catacomb Church, it became known about the restoration of the Gotf diocese, which was abolished in 1798. It was located in the Crimea. Since then, Ambrose began to call himself the archbishop of Gotfsky, demanding to recognize his dignity from the Old Believer church.
Emigration from Russia
Sivers' followers claim that in Moscow he committed two assassination attempts. In 2009 and 2011. As a result, the hero of our article was forced to leave the country and settle in Sweden.
Ambrose Sivers began to conduct activities from abroad. Where is he now, many are interested. It is safe to say that the hero of our article is still in this Scandinavian country.
Having left Russia, Sivers offered the head of the non-canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church Filaret the title of patrician. He argued that in this way it would be easier for Ukraine to gain recognition in the international community. In the letter with this proposal, he used the original title - Crown Emperor Romeyev, as well as the Archbishop of Gottf.
In 2016, Russia was declared bankrupt by the Arbitration Court.
Research work
The biography of Ambrose Sievers has many research projects. In many of them, he refers to the so-called third "Novoselovsky archive". Sivers uses it as a source of information on the history of the catacombs church.
It should be recognized that not a single published copy of this archive exists. On this basis, official representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and the catacombs consider him a fake. Perhaps made by Ambrose himself.
Sivers regularly publishes his research in the newspapers Worldview and Russian Orthodoxy.
Political participation
Ambrose is a member of the Ophritic Brotherhood of St. Joseph of Volotsk. According to the website of this organization, it contains lay people, priests of the Russian Orthodox Church and catacombs.
In 2001, he became the official confessor of the Orthodox movement of the National Socialists. At the same time, it takes part in the work of the Rus party.
One of his first high-profile political actions took place in 2007 on Red Square in Moscow. Ambrose read a spell prayer directed against Vladimir Lenin buried in the mausoleum. Sivers himself called the leader of the revolution the demon VIL. Immediately after the end of the action, the hero of our article was detained, spent some time in the police department.
Canonization
Sievers has repeatedly stated that he canonizes certain people. As a rule, these were supporters of Nazi ideas. For example, Ambrose canonized the leader of the German Nazis, Adolf Hitler, the already mentioned collaborator Konstantin Voskoboinikov, as well as his follower Bronislaw Kaminsky.
In 2007, an icon was even consecrated, which depicts Hitler.
According to Sievers, the same Hitler was the God-chosen leader for true Orthodox Christians. And not only in the political, but also in the mystical and spiritual sense. Ambrose said that true Orthodox Christians still remain grateful to him for trying to free the Russian land from the Bolsheviks and Jews.
Views of Ambrose
Most often, Sievers expresses neo-Nazi views. So, in addition to the canonization of Hitler, he also proclaimed the date of June 22 the beginning of the Crusade against the Bolshevik authorities.
In the process of worship, which he holds regularly, wooden crosses are burned, which is an explicit reference to the Ku Klux Klan. In his worldview, Christianity is closely linked to racism. The hero of our article is convinced that Adam was an exclusively white man. And any changes in the color of hair and skin are associated with sins and invariably following curses.
An important place in his philosophical concept is the theme of the "Jews." By this insulting word he calls not only Jews and citizens of Israel, but also all those who rejected the teachings of Christ, and even their predecessors.
At the same time, Sievers is an atypical anti-Semite. He claims that in the Russians there is a tribe of Gadovo, that is, ancient Israeli blood, which greatly spoils the nation. Freely interprets the New Testament and other biblical texts. So, Jesus Christ is a "Zealot militant."
One of Sivers' main enemies is the Russian Orthodox Church. He calls her the "red false church." In this part, he shares the views of non-canonical Orthodox Christians, who, like him, believe that the ROC has discredited itself by cooperating with the godless authorities, that is, the Communists.
Because of this, they interpret the red star as the seal of the Antichrist. Describing the demonic ministers of the Antichrist, they use the word "hairless", taken from the criminal vocabulary.
The project of the revival of Russia, which Sivers bears, provides for a complete debolizhevizatsiya, the final overthrow of Soviet ideals, as well as a review of the results of World War II.
His ideas are supported by the Russian Catacomb Church of True Orthodox Christians (RCC IPH). Most experts define it as a pseudo-Orthodox sect.
But even in this small religious organization there is no agreement. In 2006, a split occurred, initiated by the head of the Cheboksary community, Dmitry Rutsky. Sievers anathematized him.