Over the quarter century that elapsed from the day when the prominent Orthodox pastor Father Alexander Men passed away in the autumn of 1990, thousands of Russians were brought up on his spiritual and historical works. Many of his views were not shared by modern theologians, but even in the Holy Scriptures it is said that there should be divergence between the sons of the church, without which the most skilled will not prevail. One of them was the priest of the Orthodox Church Men Alexander.
Biography of the parents of the future shepherd
Alexander Vladimirovich Men was born in Moscow on January 22, 1935. The parents of the future Orthodox priest were native Jews, but people very far from Judaism. His father, Wolf Gersh, Leibovich (Vladimir Grigoryevich) studied at the Kiev Jewish Jewish school as a child, and although he remembered Hebrew and quoted the prophets until the end of his life, he was a non-religious person. Having received diplomas from two Soviet universities, he led the team of engineers at a Moscow factory.
Mother - Elena Semenovna - was born in 1908 in Switzerland, where her parents studied at the university. After graduation, the family spent several years in Paris, after which she returned to her homeland and settled in Kharkov. Elena Semenovna and Vladimir Grigoryevich got married in 1934, and a year later their son was born - the future Orthodox pastor Alexander Men, whose photo is presented at the beginning of the article.
Way to the Priesthood
When the boy was six months old, he and his mother secretly received Holy Baptism in one of the churches of Sergiev Posad. Sasha’s father, Vladimir Grigoryevich, like many at that time, was the victim of a false accusation and spent a whole year in jail, after which he was sent to forced labor in the Urals, where he spent all the years of the war.
After graduating from secondary school No. 1060 in Moscow, in 1953, Alexander Men became a student at a university in the capital, but, without receiving a diploma, was expelled for his religious views, which he did not consider necessary to hide. After parting with the university, Alexander moved to Leningrad, where he began his spiritual education and became a deacon, and two years later - a priest. He continued his education in Moscow within the walls of a theological academy.
KGB threats
In the Soviet Union throughout the entire period of its existence, an active struggle was waged against religion. It is not surprising that the young priest, father Alexander Men, came into the view of the state security service. In 1964, a search was carried out in his apartment in order to find any incriminating evidence, but this time it ended happily.
A decade later, the picture changed, and the authorities were planning a show trial against the priest, the outcome of which was predetermined in advance. The activities of the religious group led by the priest Father Alexander, the KGB betrayed so much importance that its leader Yu. Andropov personally wrote a message to the Central Committee of the CPSU. Only intervention in the business of Metropolitan Juvenal, who managed to defend his priest, then saved from prison.
The end of life of father Alexander
In the following period, Alexander Men was a priest in a number of parishes, and two years before his death he received his last appointment - he led the parish of the Sretensky Church in the New Village. Here he was destined to end the earthly path. The tragedy occurred on September 9, 1990. Over time, it became clear that on that morning, Father Alexander, as usual, was going to the church, where the liturgy was to be performed.
Suddenly, a man came up to him and held out a note. The priest reached into his pocket for his glasses, but at that moment another person, jumping out of the bushes, stabbed him with an ax from behind. A seriously wounded priest, drenched in blood, tried to get to the station, but then turned back to the house and, reaching the gate, lost consciousness. The ambulance doctor who arrived at the scene of the tragedy was powerless to help him.
The murder of such a famous and respected priest provoked indignation in all walks of life, and although his investigation was taken under the personal control of USSR President M.S. Gorbachev, the perpetrators of the atrocity were not identified. In hot pursuit, the suspect was detained, but the examination conducted established his non-involvement in the deed, and he was released.
Creativity of father Alexander
Over his life, Alexander Men became the author of a large number of literary works. First of all, this is the main work of his life — the History of Religion published in seven volumes, as well as a separate work on the life of Jesus Christ, called The Son of Man. He also wrote other studies, some of which were published in the West under various pseudonyms.
In the eighties, he was one of the most prominent preachers in the country, and his performances helped many people find their way to God. The widespread charitable work of Father Alexander is also known. Although the last days of his life have been separated from us by a quarter of a century, the priest Men Alexander, whose biography will serve as an example for many Russian shepherds, has remained an undying spiritual mentor for millions of Russians.