March 11, 2021

Intrigue at the Monastery


Intrigue at the Monastery
Siloviki gather outside one of the churches at the Sredneuralsk Monastery near Yekaturinburg on Friday March 26th. /Screenshot from Двач/Ньюсач on Telegram.

Last month, Russian riot police and members of the Russian National Guard Special Police Force huddled at the entrance to one of the churches of Sredneuralsk Monastery outside of Yekaturinburg. Their mission? Arresting a suspect in a 20-year-old murder case who was thought to be sheltering on monastery lands.

The monastery had already been embroiled in scandal back in December, when its Covid-denying patriarch Father Sergiy, who helped found the convent, took control. The Russian Orthodox Church had banned Father Sergiy from preaching after he accused them of “working with the forerunners of the antichrist” after closing Russian churches.

The Telegram channel "Двая/Ньюсач" (Dvach/Nyusach) published a video of the scene last Friday. Siloviki milled on the steps of the church in black helmets and bodysuits as women — presumably nuns — raised concerned voices alongside rapid clanging of the church’s bells.

The police had come to investigate the murder of three people. The case dates back to 1999 when three individuals were murdered in a situation involving robbery and illegal arms trafficking. Three more men were implicated, and two were identified and imprisoned. The third suspect disappeared from the investigation.

The Friday night raid targeted a man who had been convicted of theft in the past hiding in the monastery under the name of the monk Siluan. He fled the scene into the forest.

It is thought that there may be other criminals lying low in the monastery. Since monastic life means anonymity, several men are currently housing themselves beneath the roof of the convent — although, as practice would dictate, no one should be shacking up there for long. Even the priest who holds services at the nunnery goes home at the end of the day.

 

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955