An order was published on the official website of the Ufa diocese Metropolitan Nikon (Vasyukov) of Ufa and Sterlitamak for the Ufa Metropolis. It states, in part:

ORDER FOR THE UFA METROPOLIARY OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

To the dean fathers, abbots (abbesses) of monasteries and churches of the metropolis

... It is blessed to pay special attention to the distortion of divine services, or the introduction by the clergy of changes that are not contained in the generally accepted ROC (MP) sequences of divine services (the so-called “Kochetkovsky heresy”). Report this to the ruling bishop in a timely manner. (Such a clergyman is subject to the Diocesan Court. If the Court confirms the specified ecclesiastical offense, the culprit is subject to a ban on clergy. If the culprit does not correct himself, a judgment must be made to deprive him of the priesthood.)

Head of the Ufa Metropolis,

metropolitanUfa and SterlitamakNIKON.

From the editor: Our Lord Jesus Christ, denouncing the Jews, rebuked them in simple words: “But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me”(John 8:45). The same simple conclusion follows from this: how important it is to speak the truth, how important it is not to cover it up with vague phrases! And how little of such simple truth we hear in our time. St. Nicholas of Serbia was not afraid to openly call papism a heresy, the late Archbishop Vasily (Krivoshein) was not afraid to talk in scientific circles about the Roman Catholic split from the Universal Church, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II at the diocesan meeting of the clergy of Moscow in 1993 for the first time called the modernist movement within the Russian Orthodox Church, destroying liturgical traditions, neo-renovationism. So the now living Metropolitan Nikon of Ufa and Sterlitamak also stood in the truth - he directly and unambiguously identified the group of followers of the neo-renovationist priest Georgy Kochetkov "Kochetkov's heresy" and spoke out in defense of Orthodox worship from attempts to reform it.
Where is his tolerance? - liberal tongues will exclaim. How dare he forget about political correctness! - the voices of the renovationist ignoramuses will echo them. To define heresy, we need to convene an Ecumenical Council! - the modernist theologians will squeal. But the wise Bishop Nikon will only grin at all these attacks. He knows that he has been appointed to keep the church canons and he keeps them! Honor and praise to him! God grant that our other bishops will be imbued with the same Orthodox consciousness.

Metropolitan NIKON of Ufa and Sterlitamak (in the world Nikolai Nikolaevich Vasyukov) was born on October 1, 1950 in the village of Maryevka, Sampur district, Tambov region. In 1963, the parents of the future Bishop Nikon moved to Krasnoyarsk. Together with his mother, he began to visit Trinity Church. As a ninth grade student, he went to the choir and participated in divine services, read the Six Psalms and everything related to choir obedience. The future bishop was lucky with mentors who helped him take his first serious steps in the church. He was spiritually cared for by the rector of the Trinity Church, Archimandrite Nifont, nun Seraphima (†1975), schema-nun Innocent and monk Job.

In 1968 he graduated high school, and in 1974 Krasnoyarsk State Medical Institute. After graduating from the institute, he worked as a local therapist in a clinic in the city of Krasnoyarsk, then was called up for active duty for two years. military service as a senior physician of the regiment, then went to the Leningrad region, worked as the chief physician of a clinic. In Vyborg, the future bishop went to the Vyborg Cathedral. The rector of the cathedral was Abbot Proclus (Khazov), now in the rank of archbishop, administrator of the Simbirsk diocese. They became friends. And this friendship helped the spiritual growth of Vladika Nikon.

During the celebration in 1999 of the 200th anniversary of the Ufa diocese, which, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Rus', was headed by the manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Sergius of Solnechnogorsk. Archbishop Proclus of Simbirsk and Melekess took part in the celebrations in prayer. This is what he said then: “I want to express my sincere gratitude that today I have great consolation to be in this beautiful church of the Ufa diocese, for this is my first time visiting this city and I am very grateful to the Lord for the fact that those good seeds that were once sown in Nikolai Nikolaevich , then into Father Nikon, gave good results. I am very happy about this and thank the Lord for this, that we, having called him to the service of the Holy Mother of the Church, did not make a mistake with the now deceased Metropolitan John. I wish you, Vladyka, that you will continue to work with due zeal in the field of God, glorify the Heavenly Father, so that, seeing your good deeds, people will follow Christ, so that people will fill the temple, so that they will be reborn spiritually, so that they will see the way, which leads to the Kingdom of God, the aspiration of all spiritual humanity.”

From 1977 to 1983 Nikolai Vasyukov worked as the head of a clinic in Leningrad region. Big spiritual influence Anastasia Andreevna Filimonenkova influenced the bishop. This resident of then Leningrad lived a difficult life. During her 83 years, she went through trials and persecutions for her faith. She lived with the blessed and holy fools. She was encouraged to accept monasticism by the Leningrad holy fool Vladimir. In 1983 Nikolai Vasyukov makes the final choice life path. And the ever-remembered Metropolitan John Snychev (†1995), who at that time ruled the Kuibyshev and Syzran diocese (later the Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga), helped him in this; he was ordained a deacon by him. On September 21 of that year, he was promoted to presbyter with the appointment of a place of service in the Neopalimovskaya Church in the city of Ulyanovsk. On March 13, 1984, Archbishop John tonsured him into monasticism with the name Nikon, in honor of the Monk Nikon, abbot of Radonezh.

On September 16, 1985, Hieromonk Nikon was appointed rector of the Neopalimovskaya Church and dean of the Ulyanovsk region by His Eminence John. Since October 1, 1989 - Secretary of the Ulyanovsk Diocesan Administration. In 1987 he graduated from the Leningrad Theological Seminary, and in 1990 from the Leningrad Theological Academy, where he defended his thesis, receiving a candidate of theology degree. Member of Local Councils of the Russian Orthodox Church 1988, 1990 and 2009 Member of the Bishops' Councils of the Russian Orthodox Church since the early 90s. In 1988-1991 and 2004 As part of a pilgrimage group, he visited Holy Mount Athos. Leading a group of pilgrims from the Ufa diocese, he visited Jerusalem in 1993 and 1996.

On June 26, 1990, the first meeting of the Holy Synod took place under the chairmanship of the newly elected His Holiness Patriarch Alexy, at which a decision was made to elect Archimandrite Nikon (Vasyukov) to archpastoral service in the Ufa diocese.

August 25, 1990 at the Epiphany Patriarchal cathedral Moscow, Archimandrite Nikon (Vasyukov) was named Bishop of Ufa and Sterlitamak. And on August 26, during the Divine Liturgy in the Epiphany Patriarchal Cathedral, the consecration of Archimandrite Nikon as Bishop of Ufa and Sterlitamak was performed by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II with a host of bishops.

During the 19 years of the Bishop's tenure at the Ufa See, the number of parishes increased: in 1990 there were 28, now there are 250 and 8 monasteries. For recent years magnificent churches were built and restored in Oktyabrsky, Meleuz, Salavat, Ishimbay, Asavo-Zubov (Roshchinsky), Priyutov, Kumertau and in other cities and villages of the Ufa diocese. The Nativity of the Virgin Mary Church in Ufa has been superbly restored - the best church in the diocese in terms of the splendor of its decoration. At the same time as the construction of new and restoration of destroyed churches, it was necessary to train priests for new parishes. In 1990, there were seventeen clergy in the diocese, now there are 220. Most of the priests and deacons of the Ufa diocese were ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Nikon of Ufa and Sterlitamak.

The Bishop believes that the current Russian Orthodox Church needs educated ministers. Several dozen students of the Ufa diocese study in seminaries and academies of Russia. In the diocese, after 73 years of closure through the works of Bishop Nikon, the newspaper “Ufa Diocesan Gazette” has been resumed and is regularly published, a publishing department of the diocese has been created, work is underway to research and study materials on the new martyrs of the land of Ufa

Vladyka did a lot during the years of indecision in glorifying the Royal Family. He sent his flock to conferences and did not interfere with the publication of articles about Emperor Nicholas II and his family in the Ufa Diocesan Gazette.

Archpastoral work in the multinational Ufa diocese is not at all so simple. In our difficult times, we must constantly remember that there are no interethnic conflicts, that Orthodox priests They served as an example in their lives for parishioners and for believers of other faiths. The situation in Bashkiria has been stable throughout the years of Archbishop Nikon’s administration of the diocese.

This is the letter Bishop Nikon received on March 12, 1999 from the Moscow Patriarchate. “Your Eminence, Dear Master! Thank you for your many useful activities in the field of Christian-Muslim relations. I inform you that on December 23 last year, a decision was made to create the Interreligious Council of Russia, which included representatives of the traditional religions of our country - Orthodoxy, Islam, Buddhism. I believe that your experience of interreligious dialogue could serve to benefit the development of relations between Orthodox Christians and Muslims within the framework of new forms of cooperation. With brotherly love in the Lord, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad.”

In 2000, Vladyka Nikon was awarded the Order of St. by His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II. Sergius of Radonezh, II century, and in 2001 he was elevated to the rank of Archbishop.

By Decree of the President of Russia V.V. Putin, Archbishop Nikon of Ufa and Sterlitamak was awarded the Order of Friendship in 2000 for his great contribution to the spiritual and moral revival of Russia, strengthening interethnic and interfaith relations in the Republic of Bashkortostan. In the same year, President of the Republic of Belarus M.G. Pakhimov awarded the bishop the highest award - Certificate of honor RB.

On October 8, 2005, in the Holy Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Archbishop Nikon of Ufa and Sterlitamak was awarded by His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II the Order of the Holy Blessed Prince Daniel of Moscow II Art. on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of his birth.

On August 26, 2010, Archbishop Nikon of Ufa and Sterlitamak was awarded the Order of St. Seraphim of Sarov, II degree, by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' in recognition of his diligent service and in connection with the 20th anniversary of his episcopal consecration.

June 26, 2009 By decree of the President of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Archbishop Nikon of Ufa and Sterlitamak was included in the Public Chamber of the Republic of Bashkortostan.

July 28, 2011 in the Kremlin President Russian Federation Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev awarded the head of the Ufa diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, Archbishop Nikon of Ufa and Sterlitamak, with the Order of Honor for high achievements in public and charitable activities and services in educating the younger generation.

January 8, 2012 His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan

Ruling bishop of the Salavat diocese. His Eminence Nicholas Bishop of Salavat and Kumertau.

Biography

Born on June 24, 1973 in the city of Bugulma, Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, into a family of workers.
In 1990 he graduated from secondary school No. 1 in Bugulma.
In 1990, Bishop Anastasy of Kazan and Mari ordained him to the rank of deacon.
In 1991, Bishop Nikon of Ufa and Sterlitamak accepted him into the clergy of the Ufa diocese, where he served as protodeacon until 2004.
In 1991-1994. studied at the Moscow Theological Seminary.
In 2001-2005 studied in absentia at the Kyiv Theological Academy, where at the department of dogmatic theology he defended his thesis on the topic “Orthodox teaching on the meaning and purpose of life in connection with the concept of a modern view of happiness.”
On January 7, 2004, Archbishop Nikon of Ufa consecrated him as a presbyter and appointed clergyman of the St. Sergius Cathedral in Ufa.
On December 22, 2006, Archbishop Nikon of Ufa tonsured him into the mantle with the name Nicholas in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
In 2006-2009 served in the Kyiv Metropolis, where he served as treasurer and dean of the St. George Gorodnitsky stauropegial monastery of the Zhitomir region.
In 2009 he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite.
At the request of Archbishop Nikon, in 2009 he returned to the Ufa diocese and was appointed rector of the Kazan Church in Ufa and secretary of the diocesan administration.
In 2010, he graduated in absentia from the Ufa State Academy of Economics and Service.
By the decision of the Holy Synod of July 27, 2011 (magazine No. 72), he was elected Bishop of Birsk, vicar of the Ufa diocese.
On September 26, 2011, in the Throne Hall of the Patriarchal Chambers of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, on September 27, during the Divine Liturgy in the Church of St. Martin the Confessor in Alekseevskaya Novaya Sloboda in Moscow was consecrated Bishop of Birsk. The services were led by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of March 16, 2012 (journal No. 18), he was appointed His Eminence of Salavat and Kumertau.

Education:
1994 - Moscow Theological Seminary.
2005 - Kyiv Theological Academy.
2010 - Ufa state academy economics and service (in absentia).

Forms of appeal:

"Your Eminence, Most Reverend Bishop Nicholas"

"Your Eminence"

On the eve of the main holiday for all of us - the bright Resurrection of Christ, I am forced to turn to you with words of sadness. It is with pain that I write this message, because the forces trying to tear apart the Body of Christ—the Church—are always painful.

In recent years, our long-suffering Church, already attacked from outside by sectarians and God-fighters, has been subjected to a new test. There are people who are trying to induce the disease from the inside. The seductive teaching of priest Georgy Kochetkov, condemned more than once highest hierarchy The Russian Orthodox Church, unfortunately, has found adherents in our Metropolis. And what is doubly sad is that among those who were tempted there is also the priesthood. Playing on a misunderstanding of the tasks of the Church and a lack of theological education, self-made pastors lure people with seemingly beautiful fairy tales, replace rituals, allow innovations in worship, and have already reached such a point that they consider the Sacraments of the Church optional for themselves!

In other regions of Russia, structures independent of the Church are being created - the so-called “small brotherhoods”. By the grace of God, things have not come to this for us, but the visiting “preachers” are vigorously sowing tares, leaving no hope of achieving their goal. The Lord Jesus Christ, warning His disciples against false teachers, says: “They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves”(Matt. 7:15, 16). What about us? Do we have the right to allow wolves into our home, into our Church?

I want to say to the seducers - come to your senses! I would like to believe that for many of you this is simply a misconception. But even the best intentions to do something good for the Church outside the Church Itself cannot bear good fruit. This is just pride. In the history of the Church, all such attempts ended in schism.

- You call yourself Orthodox, but you excommunicate your children from the sacraments - baptism, communion. What kind of Orthodoxy are you talking about?

— You talk about equality before God, but you yourself introduce the concept of “second-class Christian” (who has not been fully publicized).

— You say that you are ready to subscribe to the Creed, but doesn’t your opinion that in the Church only separate group Christians have the fullness of truth?

—You refer to the Holy Fathers, but which of the Holy Fathers claimed the exclusive right to the Truth?

—You call yourselves members of the Church, but by creating so-called “small brotherhoods,” you create parallel structures that are actually independent of the Church. Could there be a worse sin than schism, which is the tearing of the Church - the Body of Christ - into pieces?

- You are talking about persecution. But you excommunicated yourself from baptism, from communion, from parish. You have placed yourself outside the sacraments. You yourself are expelling yourself from the Church.

Therefore, I tell you again - come to your senses. Is your memory really so weak that the horror of the 20th century renovationism has been forgotten?

Now, according to the Gospel, the Church is convicting you. While he denounces his brothers as having sinned. But the Savior said: “...and if he does not listen to the Church, then let him be to you as a pagan and a tax collector.”(Matt. 18:17). The patience of the Church is not endless.

I call on all those tempted to repent and return to the bosom of the Church. The faithful children of the Church must be vigilant and not allow themselves to be seduced.

Nikon
Metropolitan of Ufa
and Sterlitamak
Ufa Diocesan Gazette, April-May 2013

Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church: reference guide / [ed.-comp. Egorov P.V., Rudin L.G.]. – M.: Ufim. Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church: Society for the Preservation of Lit. heritage, 2005. pp. 14-17.

Archbishop of Ufa and Sterlitamak NIKON (in the world Nikolai Nikolaevich Vasyukov) was born on October 1, 1950 in the village of Maryevka, Sampur district, Tambov region. In 1963, the parents of the future Bishop Nikon moved to Krasnoyarsk. Together with his mother, he began to visit Trinity Church. As a ninth grade student, he went to the choir and participated in divine services, read the Six Psalms and everything related to choir obedience. The future bishop was lucky with mentors who helped him take his first serious steps in the church. He was spiritually cared for by the rector of the Trinity Church, Archimandrite Nifont, nun Seraphima (†1975), schema-nun Innocent and monk Job.

In 1968 he graduated from high school, and in 1974 from the Krasnoyarsk State Medical Institute. After graduating from the institute, he worked as a local general practitioner in a clinic in the city of Krasnoyarsk, then was called up for active military service for two years as a senior physician of a regiment, then went to the Leningrad region and worked as the chief physician of a clinic. In Vyborg, the future bishop went to the Vyborg Cathedral. The rector of the cathedral was Abbot Proclus (Khazov), now in the rank of archbishop, administrator of the Simbirsk diocese. They became friends. And this friendship helped the spiritual growth of Bishop Nikon.

During the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Ufa diocese, Archbishop Proclus of Simbirsk and Melekess visited Ufa. This is what he said then: “I want to express my sincere gratitude that today I have great consolation to be in this beautiful church of the Ufa diocese, for this is my first time visiting this city and I am very grateful to the Lord for the fact that those good seeds that were once sown in Nikolai Nikolaevich , then into Father Nikon, gave good results. I am very happy about this and thank the Lord for this, that we, having called him to the service of the Holy Mother of the Church, did not make a mistake with the now deceased Metropolitan John. I wish you, Vladyka, that you will continue to work with due zeal in the field of God, glorify the Heavenly Father, so that, seeing your good deeds, people will follow Christ, so that people will fill the temple, so that they will be reborn spiritually, so that they will see the way, which leads to the Kingdom of God, the aspiration of all spiritual humanity.”

From 1977 to 1983 Nikolai Vasyukov worked as the head of a clinic in the Leningrad region. Anastasia Andreevna Filimonenkova had a great spiritual influence on the bishop. This resident of then Leningrad lived a difficult life. During her 83 years, she went through trials and persecutions for her faith. She lived with the blessed and holy fools. She was encouraged to accept monasticism by the Leningrad holy fool Vladimir. In 1983, Nikolai Vasyukov makes his final choice of life path. And the ever-remembered Metropolitan John (Snychev), who at that time ruled the Kuibyshev and Syzran diocese, (then the Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga) helped him in this; he was ordained a deacon by him. On September 21 of that year, he was promoted to presbyter with the appointment of a place of service in the Neopalimovskaya Church in the city of Ulyanovsk. On March 13, 1984, Archbishop John tonsured him into monasticism with the name Nikon, in honor of the Monk Nikon, abbot of Radonezh.

On September 16, 1985, Hieromonk Nikon was appointed rector of the Neopalimovskaya Church and dean of the Ulyanovsk region by His Eminence John. Since October 1, 1989 - Secretary of the Ulyanovsk Diocesan Administration. In 1987 he graduated from the Leningrad Theological Seminary, and in 1990 from the Leningrad Theological Academy, where he defended his thesis and is a candidate of theology. Member of the Local Councils of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1988 and 1990. Participant of the Bishops' Councils of the Russian Orthodox Church in the 90s. In 1988-1991 and 2004 As part of a pilgrimage group, he visited Holy Mount Athos. Leading a group of pilgrims from the Ufa diocese, he visited Jerusalem in 1993 and 1996.

On June 26, 1990, in the Epiphany Patriarchal Cathedral of Moscow, Archimandrite Nikon (Vasyukov) was named Bishop of Ufa and Sterlitamak.

On August 26, during the Divine Liturgy in the Epiphany Patriarchal Cathedral, the consecration of Archimandrite Nikon as Bishop of Ufa and Sterlitamak was performed by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II with a host of bishops.

During the 15 years of the Bishop's tenure at the Ufa See, the number of parishes increased almost sevenfold, in 1990 there were 30, now there are about 200. In recent years, magnificent new churches have been built in Oktyabrsky, Meleuz, Salavat, Ishimbay, Asavo-Zubov (Roshchinsky), Priyutov , Kumertau. The Nativity of the Virgin Mary Church in Ufa has been superbly restored - the best church in the diocese in terms of the splendor of its decoration. At the same time as the construction of new and restoration of destroyed churches, it was necessary to train priests for new parishes. In 1990, there were thirty clergy in the diocese, now there are more than 200. Most of the priests and deacons of the Ufa diocese were ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Nikon of Ufa and Sterlitamak.

The Bishop believes that the current Russian Orthodox Church needs educated ministers. Several dozen students of the Ufa diocese study in seminaries and academies of Russia. In Ufa itself, several years ago, a branch of the Moscow St. Tikhon’s Theological Institute was opened, where, in addition to priests, current and future Sunday school teachers undergo training. In the diocese, after 73 years of closure through the works of Bishop Nikon, the newspaper “Ufa Diocesan Gazette” has been resumed and is regularly published, a publishing department of the diocese has been created, and work is underway to research and study materials on the new martyrs of the land of Ufa.

The Bishop did a lot during the years of indecision in glorifying the Royal Family. He sent his flock to conferences and did not interfere with the publication of articles about Emperor Nicholas II and his family in the Ufa Diocesan Gazette.

Archpastoral work in the multinational Ufa diocese is not at all so simple. In our difficult times, we must constantly remember that there are no interethnic conflicts, that Orthodox priests serve as an example in their lives for parishioners and for believers of other faiths. The situation in Bashkiria has been stable throughout the years of Archbishop Nikon’s administration of the diocese.

This is the letter Bishop Nikon received on March 12, 1999 from the Moscow Patriarchate. “Your Eminence, Dear Master! Thank you for your many useful activities in the field of Christian-Muslim relations. I inform you that on December 23 last year, a decision was made to create the Interreligious Council of Russia, which included representatives of the traditional religions of our country - Orthodoxy, Islam, Buddhism. I believe that your experience of interreligious dialogue could serve to benefit the development of relations between Orthodox Christians and Muslims within the framework of new forms of cooperation. With brotherly love in the Lord, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad.”

In 2000, Vladyka Nikon was awarded by His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II with the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, II century, and in 2001 he was elevated to the rank of Archbishop.

By Decree of the President of Russia V.V. Putin, Archbishop Nikon of Ufa and Sterlitamak was awarded the Order of Friendship in 2000 for his great contribution to the spiritual and moral revival of Russia, strengthening interethnic and interfaith relations in the Republic of Bashkortostan. In the same year, President of the Republic of Belarus M.G. Pakhimov awarded the bishop the highest award - the Certificate of Honor of the Republic of Belarus.

And on October 8, 2005, in the Holy Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Archbishop Nikon of Ufa and Sterlitamak was awarded by His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II with the Order of the Holy Blessed Prince Daniel of Moscow II Art. on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of his birth.

“As you know, religious organizations have recently been completely absurdly equated with reporting non-profit organizations. We understand the state’s close interest in the activities of all kinds of public and so-called “human rights” organizations, which, as it recently turned out, are actively financed by foreign intelligence services and are engaged in openly provocative and anti-Russian activities. But we do not understand at all why this interest was transferred to the activities of traditional religious organizations, for example, the Russian Orthodox Church.

These ridiculous reporting requirements completely do not take into account the specifics of the ministry of the Russian Orthodox Church, in many parishes of which divine services are held daily and repeatedly with large crowds of people; there are Sunday schools, libraries and catechetical courses, Orthodox brotherhoods and sisterhoods; readings and conferences are held; charity canteens operate daily; Clothes and food are accepted, and everything is immediately distributed to people in need. That is, a huge amount of socially important work is being carried out, the full scope of which is completely impossible to reflect in the report. To introduce the position of a person who would be specifically involved in maintaining such records, who would go around and count all the believers during services, who would sit at the entrance to the temple and take into account how many believers during the day came to pray in front of the icons and light a candle - is completely unacceptable for us. And it looks, to say the least, strange!

It is unclear the interest of registration authorities in financial activities religious organizations, because this is within the competence tax office, but not the Federal Registration Service.

And finally, this reporting, in our opinion, is unprecedented state intervention in the activities of religious organizations since Soviet times. We consider it unacceptable that in a democratic state the Church should account for every penny, for every candle and icon, for every step of its flock and clergy.

In this regard, the Ufa Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and the parishes that are part of it officially refuse to submit a report in the specified form. Moreover, as we learned from media reports, the Russian Government recently prepared a simplified reporting form for religious organizations.”

Sincerely, Nikon Archbishop of Ufa and Sterlitamak, Administrator of the Ufa Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church

Date of birth: October 1, 1950 Country: Russia Biography:

In 1963, the parents of the future bishop moved to Krasnoyarsk. In 1968 he graduated from Krasnoyarsk high school; in 1974 - Krasnoyarsk State Medical Institute. After graduating from the institute, he worked as a local therapist in a clinic in Krasnoyarsk.

In 1975-1977 served in Soviet army as senior regiment doctor.

In 1977-1983 worked as the chief physician of a clinic in the city of Svetogorsk, Vyborg district, Leningrad region. Major of the reserve medical service and colonel of the Cossack troops.

On June 26, 1983, Archbishop John (Snychev) ordained him to the rank of deacon in the Intercession Cathedral in Kuibyshev (Samara). On September 21, 1983, he was ordained presbyter in the same cathedral. Served in a church in honor of the icon Mother of God"Burning Bush" Ulyanovsk

On March 16, 1984, Bishop John in the Intercession Cathedral in Kuibyshev tonsured him into monasticism with the name Nikon in honor of St. Nikon of Radonezh.

On September 16, 1985, he was appointed rector of the Neopalimovskaya Church and dean of the Ulyanovsk region.

Education:

1974 - Krasnoyarsk State Medical Institute.

1987 - Leningrad Theological Seminary.

1990 - Leningrad Theological Academy.

Place of work: Bashkortostan Metropolitanate (Head of the Metropolis)