Father Kronid

While many Orthodox priests have a severity which makes them seem unapproachable, Father Kronid, abbot of Murom’s Annunciation Monastery, exudes an almost oriental, authoritative calm. This quiet confidence, combined with a youthful freshness of outlook, probably inspired his superiors to give him one of Vladimir Diocese’s most difficult jobs.

Born in 1965 in Vladimir, Kronid was baptized and first went to church at the age of 13, while studying at a Suzdal school for restorers.

“I went to church once, twice, a third time, and then started to pray,” he said. Unlike many of his fellow students, who were children of priests, no one introduced him to Christianity.

He worshipped quite openly, something which his classmates were afraid to do despite, or perhaps because of, their backgrounds.

“I had a provocative character,” he said. “They were believers since childhood, but for me it was a discovery.”

Kronid’s behavior often resulted in cozy chats with the Headmaster. Once the KGB even accused him of ‘propagating war.’

“If it wasn’t for these heavyhanded tactics,” he said, “my faith would probably have been weaker. A person only had to become a Christian, read the Gospel, and immediately there would be this pressure on him.”

His doubts came later, but by the age of 21, when he finished army service, he had decided to become a monk. In those days, when state control over the church was just beginning to be relaxed, there was still virtually no chance of getting into a monastery. Kronid took his vows in Vladimir, studied at Leningrad seminary and took up the job of a parish priest in Ulyanovsk Region.

The pull of his native Vladimir proved too strong, and he returned. After several jobs in his home diocese, by 1994 he found himself in Murom, facing the challenge of his career.

In 1991, the Annunciation Monastery had been reopened with great fanfare, and “everyone flooded in” to take monastic vows. Chaos ensued, and KronidÕs absentee predecessor (who was unable to live on the premises) found himself faced with uncontrollable subordinates who “indulged in drinking  bouts literally every day.”

When Kronid took over, he moved straight into the monastery, and the more unruly elements moved right out. Today, his is a hard-working and disciplined flock.