As Solomon once said, everything has already been written and has long been known, however, despite this, Archpriest Andrei Tkachev, whose biography has recently become familiar not only to Ukrainians, but also to Russians, does not stop and is not afraid to repeat what was said earlier. He serves, writes books and actively preaches, appealing to the heart of modern man and trying to know him.
Let's get acquainted with the creative and life experience of this wonderful person, writer, preacher, missionary and true shepherd.
The beginning of life's journey. Archpriest Andrey Tkachev
His biography began on December 30, 1960. It was then that a future priest was born into a Russian-speaking family in the beautiful Ukrainian city of Lvov. His parents, who wanted the boy to make a military career, sent him to study at the military school at the age of 15.
After graduating from a harsh military school, following the wishes of his parents, Andrei continued studying this difficult craft within the walls of the Red Banner Military Institute of the Ministry of Defense. For some time he studied at a department that trained specialists in special propaganda with a complex specialization in the Persian language.
This period of Andrei Tkachev’s life provided him with an excellent foundation for further literary development, which he spoke about in his interviews. Then the future priest became acquainted with the works of Russian classics, which had a huge influence on his worldview. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that, without graduating from college, he left the military path due to his reluctance to continue his studies and chose a different path. Apparently, the soul of the future shepherd was always drawn to battle, but not earthly, but spiritual, more complex and unpredictable.
Choosing a vocation
After serving in the army, Andrei Tkachev entered the Kyiv Theological Seminary in 1992. Two years of study there give him many new acquaintances with people who have also chosen a pastoral mission. Among Andrey's close friends are the future Archimandrite Kirill (Govorun) and the Sofiichuk brothers.
The future pastor perfectly combines his studies with service in the church; in the spring of 1993 he accepted the ordination of a deacon, and a little later, six months later, he became a priest. It was then that Archpriest Andrei Tkachev joined the staff of the Lviv Church of St. George. His biography shows that he dedicated twelve years of his life to this temple.
This period is also significant because Andrei’s father started a family. It is noteworthy that the priest does not particularly talk about her anywhere. It is only known that he is married and is the father of four children.
Missionary activities
This period was very eventful both for Ukraine as a whole and for Andrei Tkachev, who, in a difficult era of change, begins his pastoral service, implementing it not only in the church, but also in the world. He conducts active missionary work, supported by his own literary works. Father Andrei's sermons become widely known far beyond the borders of his hometown. The man himself notes in his interviews that he did not choose to become a missionary. The latter “chose” him herself.
The active position of the Orthodox priest, who is not afraid to call a spade a spade and does not flirt with the public, has opened up new opportunities for him. The first of them was an invitation to work on one of the Kyiv television channels.
Working on television
Here, Archpriest Andrei Tkachev, whose biography was supplemented with another remarkable fact, received an excellent opportunity in television programs to speak briefly, but at the same time succinctly, on a variety of topics that concern modern people.
This goal was served by a television project called “To Sleep for the Future,” which was hosted by Father Andrei. Before going to bed, TV viewers had an excellent opportunity to discover something new for themselves in a ten-minute conversation with the priest, and hear answers to their questions.
The program found its viewers. Appreciative reviews poured in. These sincere evening conversations with the priest about the events of the past day, about the questions that life itself poses to a person, opened the doors to the audience into a completely different world. Andrei Tkachev could tell in a laconic form about the lives of saints, about prayer and interpretation of the sacred lines of the Gospel. So much was invested in these ten minutes that it is impossible to imagine. Moreover, the conversations “Bedtime” were not of any moralizing or edifying nature, but at the same time attracted the audience with their thoughtfulness and obvious soul-helping effect.
Later, another project called “Garden of Divine Songs” appears on the Ukrainian TV channel “Kievan Rus”. Here, in a spiritual and educational form, Andrei Tkachev introduces viewers to the depths of knowledge about the Psalter. When reading the psalms, the priest not only tries to explain what is being said in them, but also penetrates into the very depths of the content, connecting them with the events of the time when they were created.
Moving to Kyiv
Work on television, which brought fame to the priest, at the same time created many problems for him. Andrei Tkachev, who did not have a place of residence in Kyiv, had to come from Lvov every week.
This went on for six long years. Finally, in 2005, tired of being torn between two cities, he received an absentee letter issued by the Lviv diocese and moved to the capital. The step was quite risky, since at that time Father Andrei did not have any directions or parishes.
For some time he served in several churches. But a month later the priest was invited to serve in the Church of Agapit of Pechersk; a little later, with permission from the Kyiv metropolis, he became a clergyman here, and in 2006 - rector.
In 2007, Father Andrei took over another church under construction nearby, named in honor of Archbishop Luke Voino-Yasenetsky.
Active and selfless service brought Andrei Tkachev a special award - a miter, which Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' awarded him in 2011.
In 2013, the archpriest took over the leadership of the missionary department of the Kyiv diocese.
Writer and journalist
This is another role that Andrei Tkachev (archpriest) has. The books reveal another side of his service to God, because in them he tries to reach his contemporary. The author, calling himself a journalist, writes about the topical and topical, about what is on everyone’s lips, but at the same time he tries to ensure that every story and short story contains at least a drop of eternity. It is this quality that allows the work to survive. Andrei Tkachev, as he himself says, wants to write today about today, but in such a way that it will be interesting even in a hundred years.
“Return to Paradise”, “Letter to God”, “We are eternal! Even if we don’t want it” - all these names are a clear confirmation of what their author, Andrei Tkachev (archpriest), wants to say. These books are the fruit of the author’s thoughts, embodied in stories. They are, as a rule, small, but very colorfully and succinctly convey events and individual episodes from the life of both holy ascetics and ordinary Orthodox Christians - our contemporaries who came to the faith and live according to
Many books are written in the form of a dialogue with a priest and are based on answers to questions posed. There are a great variety of the latter, the topics are very varied: about complexes, the birth of children, about art, attitudes towards sports, about gender relations, etc. In addition to such everyday topics, there are also deeper ones: about life and death, God and questions to him, old age and passions, etc.
The author, an Orthodox priest living in the world, knows human passions and problems, troubles and misfortunes. But at the same time, he is familiar with them much more deeply than ordinary lay people, and therefore knows the answers to many seemingly incomprehensible questions.
In addition to books, Archpriest Andrei Tkachev also takes part in the work of Orthodox websites and magazines. His articles and interviews can often be found on the portals Pravoslavie.ru, Pravmir.ru. The priest takes his part in the education of young people with the help of Orthodox magazines. One of these widely known projects is Otrok.ua. Father Andrey has been working here for many years as a member of the editorial board and a regular author.
About the Frying Pan
The book “Fugitive from the World” caused particular controversy. Archpriest Andrei Tkachev is not afraid to address complex and taboo topics. Here we are talking about a bright personality of the eighteenth century - Grigory Skovoroda.
Examining, as if through a magnifying glass, the personality traits of the philosopher, Andrei Tkachev does not sing his praises, as many of his predecessors did. He only notes the love of almost everyone for Skovoroda - from nationalists to communists, and they love not from great intelligence or from what they read, but just like that.
The priest, as always, looks at things sensibly and notes that reading Grigory Savvich is not easy work, and he himself is by no means as harmless as he seems, but it’s worth reading into him. However, one should certainly approach this “immersion” with prayer.
Sermons and Conversations
A special place in missionary activity is occupied by the sermons of Archpriest Andrei Tkachev. The priest addresses a variety of people. Among his listeners are church parishioners and atheists, students and pensioners, representatives of various social strata and religions.
He doesn't try to embellish anything or persuade listeners. Father Andrei speaks clearly, clearly, succinctly and in such a way that anyone can hear and understand: there is little time left, and no one will babysit with him.
This radical position makes the sermons of Archpriest Andrei Tkachev especially popular and controversial. His clear and modern language, seasoned with quotes from ancient thinkers, destroys illusions, reveals a real picture of the world and makes it possible to realize the regularity and inevitability of many events.
About love for people
In his sermon “How to Learn to Love People?” Archpriest Andrei Tkachev raises one of these important questions that many who have taken the path of faith ask themselves. Today people, spoiled by the housing issue, have lost themselves and their guidelines. And living in a kind of “hive” in which there is no love, you need to be able to find yourself. To do this you need to leave, but not for long. Such distance from people gives a person the opportunity to recover.
The conversations of Archpriest Andrei Tkachev allow us to trace the idea that loneliness and society are two sides of the same coin, completely impossible without each other. Personality is tempered in communication, but grows away from it. In addition to society, a person also needs loneliness. Living in a crowd gives rise to such a dangerous disease as underdeveloped personality. A person needs spiritual health, to preserve which he needs to retire in order to stop being infected by bad thoughts, passions and other nonsense from others.
Social network "Elitsa"
The activities of Andrei Tkachev are clear evidence that in his pastoral ministry he uses all possible means available to modern man: sermons in churches, television programs, books, websites and even social networks.
Elitsy.ru is one of the newest projects of the restless missionary thinker. Here, network users have an excellent opportunity not only to listen to the instructions of Archpriest Andrei Tkachev, but also to ask him questions. Every morning, site visitors can receive parting words in the form of wishes and thoughts.
Where is Andrei Tkachev now?
The archpriest left Ukraine in the summer of 2014, hiding from the persecution that began in the country after the events of the Maidan. Considering the fact that Father Andrei always openly expresses his opinion, he was not afraid to express a negative attitude towards the revolutionary events that were taking place in Kyiv at that time. This was one of the reasons for the persecution of an Orthodox priest by representatives of the Kyiv authorities. As a result, he moved to live in Russia and served for some time within the walls of the home church of the martyr Tatiana, which was created at Moscow State University.
Now the place where Archpriest Andrei Tkachev serves is in the very heart of Moscow - in the Uspensky Vrazhka area. In the Church of the Resurrection of the Word, the priest continues to carry out his pastoral duty. In addition, he continues to preach from the media: he broadcasts on television, taking part in the work of one of the Orthodox channels (Union), as well as on radio Radonezh.
Pushing aside Pharisaic authorities and ostentatious correctness, he speaks about the main thing, and does it in such a way that it is simply impossible not to hear him. He wakes us up today, shakes us by the shoulders, invigorates us with his harsh words and unflattering comparisons.
Why I Believe: Simple Answers to Complex Questions
What is this book about?
A new book by the famous writer and missionary Archpriest Andrei Tkachev raises the main questions of human existence. What is a sense of life? What is faith and how irreconcilable is it with reason? Where to find the truth? Is there a God? If He exists, then where to look for Him? Is it possible to find Him in Christianity, to meet him in the Church?
These and countless other questions arise before those who decide to seek God. The author and his interlocutor, Yulia Posashko, partly go through this difficult path together with the reader.
Who is this book for?
Constructed in the form of a deep and fascinating conversation, the book will be of interest both to people just discovering the world of the Orthodox faith, and to churchgoers.
Feature of the book
Based on examples from the lives of great Christians of the past, the words of the holy fathers and biblical texts, Father Andrei passionately defends the truths of the Orthodox faith. At the same time, he leaves the reader with the opportunity that constitutes one of the main values of Christianity - the possibility of freedom of choice.
- Publishing house Nicaea
- Number of pages: 237
- Year of issue: 2016
Homecoming. When faith is born.
“Homecoming” is a real revelation for those who come to the Church. Father Andrey explains simply and clearly why the Church is needed in general and what happens to believers there.
The main features of the book are liveliness and simplicity. Its dignity is a genuine, modern, lively, which is important, a completely non-boring explanation of the foundations of the Orthodox faith.
Returning home is a path from oneself who has lost oneself to oneself who has found a spiritual homeland. This is the path from the trough of pork, mentioned in the parable of the prodigal son, to singing and feasting in the house of the father, who said that his son “was dead and lived again; was lost and is found.”
MISSIONARY NOTES
Joy, like anxiety, asks to come out. They are difficult to contain. Missionary work is both joy and anxiety. Joy about the risen Christ and anxiety about those who do not know about it or, knowing it, live unworthy of the Christian name. From these two threads - joy and anxiety - a new book from the Sretensky Monastery Publishing House is woven, offered to the reader.
Sermon about preaching
Silent Christianity is not Christianity. The Lord whom we call Savior is God the Word. Consequently, wordless Christianity does not exist in nature. Meanwhile, this obvious truth is far from clear to everyone. The presence of temples, bells, national holidays and religious rituals seems sufficient to many. This is wrong. Living life requires a living word, and who else should speak this word if not the priest, who sees before him in the temple the people of God gathered for the liturgy. Reflections on this topic gave birth to the texts offered to the reader in this book.
Fugitive from the world
Dante, Goethe and Cervantes are slowly but steadily turning into dinosaurs. The time comes when the world of Egyptian mummies becomes clearer and sweeter to the inquisitive European than the world of their own great ancestors. Among the voices calling to us from past centuries, which ones can a reader of the 21st century still hear?
Great ancestors who read chivalric novels could be funny. They could go crazy, concluding agreements with dark forces. They could take on too much, placing their contemporaries in hell, attributing to themselves communication with the celestials...
Christ to the Seven Churches
The voice of Christ in the Gospel is the voice of Christ who has not yet risen, who has not yet conquered death. The voice of Christ, who has already conquered death, is heard in the “Revelation” of John the Theologian. The Book of Revelation is not read at worship services, and the words of Christ spoken by Him after the resurrection remain an uninterpreted mystery for many of us. Meanwhile, these are words concerning the depth of the existence of the Church from Pentecost to the Last Judgment. The proposed book is a reflection on the words of the Lord to the Church on its historical path.
Preparation for death
It would seem that you don’t even want to think about it, but here you have to prepare. If you compare it with a final exam, then your whole life is a long learning process, striving for it, and nowhere else. Those who have studied well all year are not afraid of exams. On the contrary, quitters and truants try to study in the last three days, and even then only in the process of making cheat sheets. With death this number does not pass. Or rather, it passes, but as an extreme exception. There are examples of deep and saving dying repentance, the most striking of which is the prudent thief hanging on the cross to the right of the Lord Jesus. Hoping for a repetition of such a miracle in your life is impudence. Such miracles are not planned. You need to repent today. Today we need to think about death.
"RETURN TO PARADISE" AND OTHER STORIES
Return to Paradise is the most complete collection of stories and essays by the famous Orthodox writer and missionary Archpriest Andrei Tkachev. Rector of the churches of St. Agapit of Pechersk and St. Luke of Crimea at the National Medical University. A.A. Bogomolets (Kyiv) is one of the most popular church publicists today. He is the author of several books, many articles in Orthodox media, and a TV show host. His stories about the fate of believers and non-believers who meet us every day on the streets of our cities and villages are close and understandable, but at the same time surprising and unusual. The author's reflections on the life of our contemporary will be of interest to every reader.
- Publishing house OLMA
- Number of pages: 624
- Year of issue: 2013
Earthly angels, heavenly men
Getting to know a saint is always a personal meeting with a resident of Heavenly Jerusalem. The piercing depth of feeling that it leaves in a person can change your life. The stories of the Kyiv priest, Archpriest Andrei Tkachev about the holy saints of God are reminiscent of stories about people close and very dear to him. The author talks about those whom he seems to have known for a long time, recalls first meetings, and describes the very human characteristics of these people. The absence of the pomp usual in hagiographic texts, which is difficult for contemporaries to perceive, leaves the impression that an encounter with holiness can happen to each of us. You just have to want it.
- Publishing house Danilov stauropegial monastery
- Number of pages: 192
- Year of issue: 2013
The publishing house of the Moscow Sretensky Monastery has published the book “Wonderland” by the famous Kyiv missionary and writer Archpriest Andrei Tkachev, rector of the churches of St. Agapit of Pechersk and St. Luke of Crimea at the National Medical University. A.A. Bogomolets. The book consists of individual stories that Father Andrei wrote over several years. Some of them were published in the magazine “Otrok.ua” and on the website “Pravoslavie.ru”. In “Wonderland”, using everyday examples, the author talks about the relationship between the Church and society, the knowledge of God in the real world. Based on what he read, Father Andrei suggests finding the path to correct spiritual development, showing the connection between surprises and God's providence, as well as examples of God's love among daily troubles - after all, we come into contact with miracles every day. Wonderland is our world with its own laws, with our sins and, as it seems to us, with insoluble problems, in which there is a place for prayer, sincerity and genuine love for one’s neighbor. Vivid life examples of the heroes of the stories teach us to avoid everyday pitfalls and not repeat the mistakes of others, make us think about the usefulness of those who seem useless to us, about the power of prayer, about the ability to acquire happiness in both poverty and wealth. They teach you to understand and not judge people without knowing their life path.
We are eternal! Even if we don't want it. Book 2
The clergyman of the Kyiv church in honor of St. Agapit of Pechersk, Archpriest Andrei Tkachev, is the host of Orthodox television programs and a regular author of the popular magazine for youth “Otrok.ua” in Ukraine. The book consists of articles and interviews published over the years. It, like other books by Father Andrei Tkachev, is distinguished by liveliness of presentation, closeness to modern problems of young people, an attempt to find simple principles for building a real Christian life, and a lack of desire to give ready-made answers to complex and ambiguous questions. The book is addressed to everyone under 16 and older, and will be of interest to both the churchgoer reader and those who are looking for their way to the Church.
Dust on straw shoulder straps
The collection of essays by Archpriest Andrei Tkachev is devoted to complex and often difficult issues of the relationship between the Church and society, believers and atheists. The place of the Church in a modern society that has forgotten its Christian roots. Can Christians ignore the huge masses of people who have lost the meaning of life? Can society refuse to help the Church?
- Publisher: Kyiv
- Number of pages: 208
- Cover: soft
- Year of issue: 2012
The book of Archpriest Andrei Tkachev “In the presence of God. Conversations about the Old Testament". This is a series of conversations dedicated to the educational books of the Old Testament. These books include one of the most beloved books by the church people - the Psalter.
The books of Father Andrei Tkachev deservedly enjoy great interest among readers. And here is a new collection of his thoughts on the Eternal Book.
- Publisher: Novice, Kyiv
- Number of pages: 228
- Format: 70x100/32
- Cover: soft
- Year of issue: 2011
Father Andrey's texts are distinguished by their lively presentation, closeness to the contemporary problems of young people, an attempt to find simple principles for building a real Christian life, and a lack of desire to give ready-made answers to complex and ambiguous questions. The book will be of interest to both the churchgoer reader and those who are just looking for their way into the church.
- Publisher: Novice, Kyiv
- Number of pages: 352
- Format: 70x100/32
- Cover: soft
- Year of issue: 2011
The publishing house of the Moscow Sretensky Monastery has published the book “Missionary Notes” by Archpriest Andrei Tkachev. The publication, small in volume and format, includes articles by a famous author dedicated to the mission and previously published on the Pravoslavie.Ru portal in a series under the same general title.
“So what is a mission,” the author asks, “what does it look like? An overflowing cup, a cup that is full to the brim, and from its excess moisture goes to those who are nearby, but the cup itself does not become scarce. But are we like that? Hardly. What are we like, and is a mission possible in our case?” Father Andrei tried to answer this and other questions in his articles and reflections. buy careprost http://royallash.com/catalog
This publication itself was the result of fruitful cooperation between the editorial office of Pravoslavie.Ru and the famous Kyiv missionary. Initially, the series of articles was supposed to be turned into a small printed publication. The first articles in this series began to be published on the site in May 2010, and by the end of December the published material was collected into a single whole, and preparations for publishing the book began.
The book, which includes more than 30 articles by Archpriest Andrei, is addressed primarily to all those interested in issues of the Orthodox mission. It will be especially useful to students of religious educational institutions, students, parish and diocesan missionaries and future and current pastors.
- Publisher: Sretensky Monastery
- Number of pages: 144
- Format: 120×165
- Cover: soft
- Year of issue: 2011
Father Andrei's books are addressed to everyone who thinks about life, who seeks God, turning to Him for help, asking Him questions mentally. The book "Patchwork Quilt" is compiled from notes, stories and poems. Scraps of thoughts, “sewn” into one book, seem to warm the soul with the author’s sincerity, warmth and trust.
- Publisher: Novice, Kyiv
- Number of pages: 288
- Format: 70×100/32 (125×165 mm)
- Cover: hard
- Year of issue: 2011
This city, more than others, encourages thought. The impetus for reflection is surprise. Well, where your thoughts will lead you after you have been surprised, only He who knows everything knows.
Every person at least once in his life woke up suddenly and looked around with fear. "Where I am? What day is today? Where should I go? Seconds drag on, but my head doesn’t become any clearer. At this time, a person understands that madness is not what is shown in the movies, and not what happens to someone on Kulparkovo.* Madness is something that can suddenly come to you and to me. Come without knocking on the door and settle into your life, just like that little fox who kicked the bunny out of the house.
Sometimes it seems to me that madness did just that, that it came and settled, but not in a separate apartment or head, but in everyone’s place. This is a kind of “collective madness”, similar to the “collective unconscious”. We must fight this. Moreover, not with a spear, like Don Quixote - with mills, but with words. Our strongest and last enemy is death, and it is terrible because it eats everyone in silence. If she had a voice, she wouldn't scare anyone. You can always reach an agreement with someone who has a voice.
Something is similar with madness. It’s true, it’s noisy, but it’s also meaningless, and that’s worse. Sometimes it screams and you see the interlocutor’s lips moving, but there is no sound. This cotton-wool silence, when everyone is talking, but no one hears anyone, is exactly what we are immersed in, what we should be afraid of.
*Kulparkov is a historical area in Lviv, lying outside the lands that were given to Lviv in 1356 by the Polish king Casimir II. The first mention of a suburban settlement in this place dates back to 1426. The settlement appeared on the site of uprooted forests and belonged to the tradesman Pavel (or Rafael) Goldberg. From his name the settlement received the name Goldberghof, and then Goldparkov-Kulparkov. In 1875, by resolution of the Galician Regional Sejm, a psychiatric hospital was built in Kulparkovo, to which patients from the entire crown region were sent. The village of Kulparkov was annexed to Lviv in 1930. The city's toponym remains from the village's past - the name of Kulparkovskaya street.
- Publisher: LA Pyramid, Lviv
- Number of pages: 116
- Format: 60х84/32
- Cover: soft
- Year of issue: 2010
There is no greater mystery than family life. And under the cover of this secret, as if in a bloody night battle, sins and virtues were intertwined in the struggle. The entire moral climate in the world directly depends on how strong the fathers are, how faithful the wives are, how restrained the children are with prudent severity, and how caring the elderly are. Family-related topics are difficult to talk about and cannot be kept silent about.
It is impossible, because the erosion of virtues from family life leads to the death of the family as such. And the death of the family has already given rise to diseases for which humanity has no cure.
The topic is bottomless and work is necessary. What didn’t work out for us will be successfully continued by others. We simply dive into the sea without daring to drink it. So we're talking about family.
- Publisher: Novice, Kyiv
- Number of pages: 224
- Format: 60x84 1/16
- Cover: hard
- Year of issue: 2010
“God wrote a letter to you and to me,” this is what St. Tikhon of Zadonsk says about the New Testament in one of his works. A letter from a kind friend is read with bated breath. A letter from the Lord and King is read with awe and great attention. Jesus Christ is our Lord and Heavenly King, and our most dear Friend, ready to shed His Blood for us, if only we would live forever. Therefore, His Letter to us - the New Testament - must be read often and with attention. There is not a single service in the Church where the Word of God is not read and sung. And since it is read and sung, it must certainly be explained and preached. The word heard does not profit if it is not mixed with the faith of those who heard it (Heb. 4:2). Moreover, faith itself comes from hearing, and hearing from the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). Anyone who has not heard teaching in faith cannot be required to account for it in faith. This one is speechless. It is a joy for brothers in faith to be satiated with conversation about the Lord. It is joyful for knowledgeable people to share their knowledge, without pride or arrogance. It is a joy for those who know little to hear immortal words from those who know more. Such words are sweeter than honey and more precious than choice stones. The service is over, dismissal has sounded, but we still don’t leave. In parting, we talk about what we read today from the Word of God...
The book contains interpretations of 8 Gospel parables: about the sower, about the good Samaritan, about those called to the supper, about the ten virgins, about the publican and the Pharisee, about the rich man and Lazarus, about the prodigal son, about the forgiveness of debts. In relation to modern times, Archpriest Andrei Tkachev explains the significance of the events of the gospel story about the healing of the paralytic in Capernaum, the feeding of five thousand people with five loaves and two fishes, the salvation of drowning Peter, the healing of a man born blind, the rich young man, the conversion of Zacchaeus, the healing of a demon-possessed youth, faith and unbelief , about the golden rule of Christian morality (Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31).
- Publisher: Novice, Kyiv
- Number of pages: 256
- Format: 60x84 1/16
- Cover: soft
- Year of issue: 2010
Archpriest Andrei Tkachev’s book “Letter to God” is a collection of the author’s reflections and stories about faith, about the destinies of people living according to the commandments of Christ - our contemporaries and those whom the Orthodox Church canonized. Vivid episodes in the destinies of holy ascetics and ordinary believers, vividly described by Father Andrei, will serve as a good example to follow both for church people and for those who are still looking for their path to God.
- Publisher: Danilovsky Blagovestnik, Moscow
- Number of pages: 400
- Format: 70x90
- Cover: hard
- Year of issue: 2010
The clergyman of the Kyiv church in honor of St. Agapit of Pechersk, Archpriest Andrei Tkachev, is the host of Orthodox television programs and a regular author of the popular magazine for youth “Otrok.ua” in Ukraine.
The book consists of articles and interviews published in the magazine over the years. They are distinguished by the vividness of their presentation, their closeness to contemporary problems of young people, their attempt to find simple principles for building a real Christian life, and the lack of desire to give ready-made answers to complex and ambiguous questions.
The book is addressed to everyone under 16 and older, and will be of interest to both the churchgoer reader and those who are looking for their way to the Church.
- Publisher: Native word; N. Orianda
- Number of pages: 304
- Format: 84x108/32
- Cover: soft
- Year of issue: 2009
Someone is tired of repenting of the same thing and is ashamed of confession. Some have not gone to confession for years because they have lost interest in the faith or are offended by the priest. Someone dreams of their first confession. He dreams long and uselessly, because he is afraid of something. How to be and what to do? Archpriest Andrei Tkachev, rector of the Church of St. Agapita Pechersky (Kiev), regular author of the magazines “Otrok.ua” and “Pravoslavie.ru”.
- Publisher: Sretensky Monastery
- Number of pages: 32
- Cover: soft
- Year of issue: 2009
Books by Andrey Tkachev
The rector of the Kyiv church in honor of St. Agapit of Pechersk, Archpriest Andrei Tkachev, is the host of Orthodox television programs and a regular author of the popular magazine for youth “Otrok.ua” in Ukraine.
The book consists of articles and interviews published in the magazine over the years. They are distinguished by the vividness of their presentation, their closeness to the contemporary problems of young people, their attempt to find simple principles for building a real Christian life, and the lack of desire to give ready-made answers to complex and ambiguous questions.
The book is addressed to everyone under 16 and older, and will be of interest to both the churchgoer reader and those who are looking for their way to the Church.
- Publisher: Mite-Book
- Number of pages: 272
- Format: 70x100/32
- Cover: soft
- Year of issue: 2008
These are the words of Francesco Petrarch, and they came to us from the distant 14th century. Looking back at history, Petrarch cites numerous examples of how besieged city dwellers ate rats and other animals that were inedible in normal times, thus fetching an unusually high price for creatures that were vile in peacetime. Having glided his thoughts over pearls, water and bread, Petrarch further says that the same patterns are observed in social life. And there “in the absence of fish, cancer is a fish.” And there “the one-eyed man reigns over the blind.” That is, if there are no worthy leaders among the people, or the system is built in such a way that the smart will be trampled and the good will be strangled, then the nonentity will rule the masses. And this will even be relatively commendable, because it is impossible not to rule at all, and chaos is a hundred times worse than a meager but orderly existence. In general, the ancients had everything just like us.
Petrarch's words, however, do not sound news to us. We remember (we must remember) what the inhabitants of besieged Leningrad ate, what the price of a can of condensed milk or a pack of refined sugar is in general under known historical conditions. In addition, today we all shine with economic literacy and know that, for example, the multiplication of the money supply is often accompanied by a depreciation of the monetary unit. We are familiar with the words “inflation”, “devaluation” and so on. We talk about the global crisis and cheating with reserve currencies. We remember (probably) how Garin in the famous novel by A. Tolstoy had the goal of dictating his will to the entire capitalist world by turning gold into dirt through easy mining. In short, we are literate people and the relationship between quantity, cost and market price is not a secret to us. As the poet said, “everything is clear to us: both the sharp Gallic meaning/ and the gloomy German genius.”
And we also know that the word “mass” in combination with the word “culture” means anything but culture. Here, too, the increase in the commodity mass is inexorably linked with the loss of quality and the transition to anti-quality, to the world of changelings.
And although all these words are not news, they still need to be uttered to understand reality. After all, our era is the era of mass consumption. In this era (as in any other) you cannot simply live. You need to understand her.
Today we need a lot: services, goods, entertainment, news, TV channels, clothes in the closet, discount cards in the wallet. And since there is a lot of everything, the quality of this diversity decreases. It is not for nothing that consumer goods are abbreviated in their names and pronounced as “consumer goods”. But finally, now we note that everything that has been said concerns not only goods and services, authorities and banknotes, but also words.
The era of commodity abundance corresponds, with seeming logical inevitability, to the era of freedom of speech. It seems that everything is fine from the point of view of liberating the individual and getting closer to happiness. Lots of bread, lots of butter, lots of FM radio stations. Isn't this heaven or something like it?
But the era of freedom of speech is inevitably an era of multiplication of words. And the era of the multiplication of words is the era of their depreciation (see above). And the devaluation of the word is a threat of a total breakdown of interpersonal and intra-societal communication. Whoever does not understand, let him read the epilogue of “Crime and Punishment” with Raskolnikov’s visions. The inability to understand each other leads to a general fire and cannibalism. If everyone is talking, but no one really listens to anyone; if everyone speaks not in order to be understood and not because there is something to say, but in order to express themselves, then what will we come to if not to a new reading of the text about the Tower of Babel?
There is a lot of printed material on the layouts at newsstands, but there may be nothing to read. Just as the heroine Lyubov Orlova in the film “Volga, Volga”, swimming in the middle of the river, asked for water, so the average person, immersed in a sea of words, may not have food for the mind and heart. “Everything is there, but there is nothing,” this is what our era is called.
Of course, access to sources is open. It has been made incredibly lighter, but at the same time the demands on the person himself have increased. They used to take care of him, but now they abandoned him. And a person will have to learn to work with sources, analyze, sift out, select the main thing, and dig deep. Who will teach him this? If no one, then he will drown in a sea of empty chatter, and while I am writing and you are reading these lines, someone else is already choking.
Yes, gentlemen, we live in a time of words, multiplied in quantity, but devalued in quality. And people even cease to be surprised that neither the oath of allegiance, nor the declaration of love, nor the confession of faith already inspires such trust as before. “What are you reading, Hamlet? So. Word, words, words..." Everything written became simply “words”: the Bible, the Constitution, and the military oath. Only the bill of exchange and the trade contract are still believed. But that was until gold became dirt or paper money filled the world waist-deep.
Now it is difficult for us to imagine that former totalitarian regime’s fear of the printed word, when “Xeroxes” are registered everywhere, and for a couple of pages of typewritten Samizdat text you can go to prison. It was the ban on the word that “boiled” many geniuses and allowed them to splash out. Oddly enough, the system’s totalitarian fear of the word spoken and printed is a sure indicator of the true value of the word. And it was assumed by the fighters against the system that we would remove the system, break it, but leave the value of the word, and citizenship, and selflessness. But it didn’t work out. And the system collapsed, and the values it suppressed began to visibly evaporate. Very strange.
Does this mean that you need to “tighten the nuts”? No, you don't need to twist anything. If only because it’s no use. The thread is broken. But what is needed is to return value to words and meanings. Confucius spoke about this. Plato spoke about this. “Give words their true meaning,” they said.
The area of literature is an area of special Christian responsibility, since we worship God the Word Incarnate. Honestly, this is our job, not out of fear, but out of conscience. And you need to start by reading good books. On a small scale, how many names have we touched? Petrarch, Alexei Tolstoy, Dostoevsky. Plato, Confucius, Ortega y Gasset (not mentioned personally, but implied in the conversation about the masses), Blok (not mentioned personally either, but was quoted). In short, as the classic said: “Read good books, life will do the rest)
The clergyman of the Kyiv church in honor of St. Agapit of Pechersk, Archpriest Andrei Tkachev, is the host of Orthodox television programs and a regular author of the popular magazine for youth “Otrok.ua” in Ukraine.
The book consists of articles and interviews published in the magazine over the years. They are distinguished by the vividness of their presentation, their closeness to contemporary problems of young people, their attempt to find simple principles for building a real Christian life, and the lack of desire to give ready-made answers to complex and ambiguous questions.
We are eternal! Even if we don't want it. Book 2
The clergyman of the Kyiv church in honor of the Venerable Agapit of Pechersk, Archpriest Andrei Tkachev, is the host of Orthodox television programs and a regular author of the popular magazine for youth “Otrok.ua” in Ukraine.
The book consists of articles and interviews published over the years. It, like other books by Father Andrei Tkachev, is distinguished by liveliness of presentation, closeness to modern problems of young people, an attempt to find simple principles for building a real Christian life, and a lack of desire to give ready-made answers to complex and ambiguous questions.
The book is addressed to everyone under 16 and older, and will be of interest to both the churchgoer reader and those who are looking for their way to the Church.
Fugitive from the world
O. Andrey does not forbid anyone, but teaches them to comprehend, to understand, without false correctness, without a pharisaical regard for authorities. After reading his essays about thinkers, writers, artists, poets, I want to re-read those mentioned by him, and then read his wonderful texts again. Which are exciting. Which teach. Which bring us closer to the Creator.
In the presence of God. Conversations on the Old Testament
God always has something to say to people, but in order for the thoughts and words of God to be understood, felt and written down, Job, Isaiah, David, and men like them are needed. It is the presence in human history of people with circumcised hearts and sensitive spiritual hearing that gave us the Holy Scriptures.
By reading it, we delve into someone else’s gracious experience and strengthen ourselves to make it our own.
Throughout life, every person is either David fleeing from his enemies, or a grieving Job, or a prosperous and thoughtful Solomon, or Abraham, horrified by the enormity of his calling.
The Bible should not be skimmed, but read with an inner feeling of the heart, comprehending from within both the complexity and greatness of communication with the Creator. This is worth learning throughout your life.
Return to Paradise and Other Stories
“Return to Paradise” is the most complete collection of stories and essays by the famous Orthodox writer and missionary Archpriest Andrei Tkachev, one of the most popular church publicists today.
He is the author of several books, many articles in Orthodox media, and a TV show host. His stories about the fate of believers and non-believers who meet us every day on the streets of our cities and villages are close and understandable, but at the same time surprising and unusual.
Air of the Heavenly City
Getting to know a saint is always a personal meeting with a resident of heavenly Jerusalem.
The stories of Archpriest Andrei Tkachev, a famous missionary and publicist, about the holy saints of God are reminiscent of stories about people close and very dear to him. The collection also includes essays and sketches about Orthodox thinkers and artists in Russia and abroad.
Earthly angels, heavenly men
Getting to know a saint is always a personal meeting with a resident of Heavenly Jerusalem.
The piercing depth of feeling that it leaves in a person can change your life. The stories of the Kyiv priest, Archpriest Andrei Tkachev about the holy saints of God are reminiscent of stories about people close and very dear to him.
The author talks about those whom he seems to have known for a long time, recalls first meetings, and describes the very human characteristics of these people. The absence of the pomp usual in hagiographic texts, which is difficult for contemporaries to perceive, leaves the impression that an encounter with holiness can happen to each of us. You just have to want it.
patchwork quilt
Father Andrei's books are addressed to everyone who thinks about life, who seeks God, turning to Him for help, asking Him questions mentally.
The book "Patchwork Quilt" is composed of short notes, stories and poems. Scraps of thoughts, “sewn” into one book, seem to warm the soul with the author’s sincerity, warmth and trust.
This book includes stories from the book “Letters to God,” as well as new reflections, poems and stories by Archpriest Andrei Tkachev.
Missionary notes
A book by the famous Orthodox publicist Archpriest Andrei Tkachev about missionary work.
What do people expect from the Church? What can and should she give them? What does mission (preaching of faith) look like and how possible is it possible today? What is the role of the preacher? The author writes in simple and lively language about serious and important problems of Christian life, making them closer and understandable to each of us.
Thoughts on repentance
Someone is tired of repenting of the same thing and is ashamed of confession. Some have not gone to confession for years because they have lost interest in the faith or are offended by the priest. Someone dreams of their first confession. He dreams long and uselessly, because he is afraid of something. How to be and what to do?
Archpriest Andrei Tkachev, rector of the Church of St. Agapit of Pechersk (Kiev).
The first miracle. Conversations about marriage and family
There is no greater mystery than family life. And under the cover of this secret, as if in a bloody night battle, sins and virtues were intertwined in the struggle. The entire moral climate in the world directly depends on how strong the fathers are, how faithful the wives are, how restrained the children are with prudent severity, and how caring the elderly are. Family-related topics are difficult to talk about and cannot be kept silent about.
It is impossible, because the erosion of virtues from family life leads to the death of the family as such. And the death of the family has already given rise to diseases for which humanity has no cure.
Why do I believe. Simple answers to complex questions
In the book, the famous missionary and writer, Archpriest Andrei Tkachev invites us to make a journey from the beginning of the search for life’s meaning to finding this meaning in Christianity.
The author reveals his personal experience of faith and introduces the reader to the beliefs of great scientists and Church Fathers. Overcoming questions and doubts, he literally leads us “by the hand” to where faith and knowledge are realized in a meaningful and fulfilling life - Father Andrei introduces us to the Orthodox Church.
Preparation for death
What is death? A believer thinks of it not as a disappearance, but as a new life. You just need to properly prepare for this most important event in your earthly journey. Archpriest Andrei Tkachev reflects on this.
She is not a wall, death. She is the door. Or rather, the doors are Christ, who said: whoever enters through Me will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture (John 10:9). Christ died for our sins and rose again for our justification. Now, thanks to His atoning death, in Him and through Him we, through the gates of death, will enter another life. Let us enter, we will go out there into wideness and freedom, and, like Christ’s sheep, we will find rich pasture.
But you need to seriously think about this throughout your life, and not at the very end, like a failed student before an exam.
Sermon about preaching
Silent Christianity is not Christianity.
The Lord whom we call Savior is God the Word. Consequently, wordless Christianity does not exist in nature. Meanwhile, this obvious truth is far from clear to everyone. The presence of temples, bells, national holidays and religious rituals seems sufficient to many.
This is wrong. Living life requires a living word, and who else should this word be spoken to if not the priest, who sees before him in the temple the people of God gathered for the liturgy. Reflections on this topic gave birth to the texts offered to the reader in this book.
Publications
In his publications, the author touches on many aspects of human life and reflects on the complexity of human nature; about the ability to choose the “royal path” in spiritual life, about charity and wastefulness, and about much, much more.
Path to Life
For everyone who is given the gift of being born human.
In the book “The Path to Life,” the famous Orthodox writer, publicist and missionary Archpriest Andrei Tkachev talks about the simple rules of life based on selected sermons, conversations on the radio and answers to numerous questions from believers asked in churches after services, on radio broadcasts, at meetings with readers .
This is the first publication in which Father Andrey covers such a wide range of current and topical topics of modern life from the perspective of faith and eternal values. The book is recommended by the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Dust on straw shoulder straps
A collection of essays by the famous writer and preacher Archpriest Andrei Tkachev is devoted to complex and often difficult issues of relationships between the Church and society, believers and atheists.
The place of the Church in a modern society that has forgotten its Christian roots. Can Christians ignore the huge masses of people who have lost the meaning of life? Can society refuse to help the Church?
Religion of the Heart
“The heart is the beginning and root of all our deeds.
We believe in our hearts or we don’t believe; whether we love or hate with our hearts; whether we are humble or proud in our hearts; we tolerate or murmur with our hearts; we forgive or get angry in our hearts; we reconcile with our hearts or are at enmity; with our hearts we turn to God or turn away; with our hearts we draw closer, we come to God, or we move away and move away; with our hearts we bless or curse” - these words of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk can determine the main theme of the new book by the famous missionary, writer and publicist Archpriest Andrei Tkachev.
Freedom of love or idol of fornication
Collection “Freedom of love or idol of fornication?” - these are the thoughts of priests about the causes of the so-called “family crisis” and the demographic catastrophe that broke out in Russia. The articles are united by a common goal - to return Christian morality to Russian society as a necessary component of its revival.
Archpriest Andrey Tkachev
"Wonderland" and other stories
Second edition
UDC 821.161. 1*322.2 Tkachev BBK 84(2=411.2)644
Approved for distribution by the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church
IS 13-222-1878
Archpriest Andrey Tkachev
T 48 “Wonderland” and other stories. – 2nd ed. – M.: Sretensky Monastery Publishing House, 2013. – 256 p.: ill.
181Ш 978-5-7533-0770*5
UDC 821.161.1-322.2 Tkachev
BBK 84(2=411.2)6-44
© Sretensky Monastery, 2013 © Tkachev A., Archpriest, 2013
13VM 978-5-7533-0770-5
Sage and Preacher
There lived one man in the world who knew how to ask believers such tricky questions that the most convinced of them became embarrassed and walked away with their heads pulled into their shoulders.
There was another man who knew how to speak so beautifully about the Lord that the busiest people stopped their studies to listen to him. The funny ones stopped laughing, and the sad ones had their wrinkles smoothed out and their eyes began to glow.
Both of these people lived in the same city, but never met. The house of one stood in the place where the trade route from the north enters the city, and the house of the other was where this route leaves the city to rush further to the south. In addition, a lover of asking difficult questions got up late because he liked to sit all night reading a book. And the one who delighted the hearts of people with words about the future life, on the contrary, woke up early like a bird - and, like a bird, stopped singing when the sun set.
People loved listening to both of them. One frightened and at the same time attracted minds with logic as cold as ice and sharp as the steel of a dagger. Another softened hearts with simple words, which for some reason made many cry, although no one was sad.
But one day, during the autumn fair, some joker suggested bringing them together in an argument. “Let them show us who will defeat whom, and we will listen to them. It will be more interesting than watching a fist fighting competition!” People found this idea fascinating. They were even surprised how such a thought had never occurred to any of them. An excited crowd, making noise, went to the city hall and began to demand that the city fathers write a decree in which they would order the two wise men to meet at a specified time in the city square for a competition.
On the same day, the postman carried the same letter with a massive wax seal to the future rivals. "Well? How did they perceive the decree of the city authorities? – people vying with each other asked the postman. “The one who gives irrefutable arguments was delighted and said that he had long dreamed of this day,” answered the postman. “Well, the one who tells fairy tales to old people and children silently took the letter and put a coin in my hand.”
Rubbing their hands and giggling excitedly, people went home that day. Many were impatient to hear the argument, and the long three days that they had to wait seemed like an eternity to them.
In anticipation of the appointed tournament, future rivals behaved differently. In a house on the northern outskirts of the night, a lamp burned all night long. The owner sat over his books, honing his arguments, preparing the most tricky questions. From time to time he got up and began to walk around the room. Then his nervously moving shadow was visible in the window, and those who saw it said that it looked ominous.
The preacher did not change his lifestyle. He woke up early and went outside the city wall into the nearby forest to listen to the birds. The lamp did not illuminate his window. He still fell asleep early. Of course he was worried. After all, he is a man. He has nerves, an ordinary human heart beats in his chest. But he remembered the words that there is no need to stock up on knowledge in advance and that at the right time the lips will utter the words of Truth, if you rely not on yourself, but on Another.
On the appointed day, the whole city poured into the central square. People were jealous of those who lived in the surrounding houses. Still would! They could look at the long-awaited spectacle directly from the windows without leaving home. Some even made good money by thinking of selling a place on their balcony to those who wanted it. The women put on their most elegant dresses and wove colorful ribbons into their hair.
Men made bets and shook hands, placing monetary bets on one of the possible winners. The owner of the tavern was looking forward to big earnings. No matter who wins, he will not lose. Everyone will come to him today: some to wash away their victory, others to drown their grief.
The cold-blooded sage, who spent three nights reading books, came to the square first. He was pale, but there was so much power in his posture and the strong-willed sparkle of his intelligent eyes that the preacher’s admirers involuntarily became frightened. “This one is going to win. Is it possible to defeat such a person in an argument?
But what is this? The sun has already reached its zenith, and the time for the dispute, appointed in the decree, has long arrived - and the second participant in the dispute has not appeared. Smartly dressed men began to unbutton their jackets and camisoles and light their pipes. The women kept remembering what was waiting for them at home: some dough, some an unfed baby. The murmur began to agitate people, like ripples running across the surface of a lake. The sage was the most nervous.
- He was scared! Send for him! Let him be brought in by force! – he fumed, and for the first time everyone saw him lose his composure.
Several messengers ran to the southern outskirts of the city, but when they returned, the murmur only intensified.
- He's not home. The door is closed. He’s nowhere to be found, they said.
The townspeople left the square with great disappointment.
“You have won,” they said to the sage, heading towards the tavern.
– I don’t want such a victory! - he shouted. - I will find him and prove that I am right, not him!
The preacher who did not come to the verbal competition really disappeared, as if he had sunk into the ground. He was not seen the next day or a week later. “Was he really that afraid of possible defeat? - people thought. “Or maybe we offended him with this stupid prank?” But the townspeople were even more amazed when the sage, who confused everyone who believes in the Lord, left the city. True, he left not secretly, but openly. Before leaving, he told the people:
“It became uninteresting for me to live here.” Previously, when the poison of useless fairy tales was poured into your ears, I saw my calling in teaching you to think, in turning fantasies into dust with logic and solid knowledge. Now I have nothing to argue with and no one to refute. Although our debate did not take place, I know that he,” here the sage pointed his hand towards the southern outskirts, “is smarter than all of you.” Without him I have no worthy opponent. I'm going in search of him.
