Orthodox parishes in Italy. Pilgrim page. Stories about holy places

Archbishop Mark of Yegoryevsk about the Italian phenomenon

Recently, Archbishop Mark (Golovkov) of Yegoryevsk, by decision of the Holy Synod, was appointed temporary administrator of the parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in Italy. At the same time, he also heads the Office of the Moscow Patriarchate for Institutions Abroad, the Patriarchal Award Commission, the Northwestern and Northern Vicariates of Moscow, the Vienna-Austrian and Hungarian dioceses. However, the new appointment occupies a special place in this series.

Empty churches are handed over to the Orthodox

- Vladyka Mark, recently there was a message that in Italy the number of Orthodox believers has reached a million, and the number of our parishes in this country has grown tenfold in recent years. What is this Italian phenomenon that has become another place of your ministry?

This rather large entity, which is now called the administration of the Moscow Patriarchate in Italy, is indeed developing very dynamically. Indeed, quite recently, in the 1990s, we did not have practically a single parish in this country. Then a courtyard appeared in Bari. In 2000, by decision of the members of the parish, the church on Palestro Street in Rome returned to the Moscow Patriarchate, then another church was built in Rome - the Great Martyr Catherine. Gradually, our parishes began to appear in other Italian cities and provinces. And now we have more than 50 communities in Italy. Of course, they are different both in terms of numbers and conditions. Not everyone has their own temples yet. Still for the most part we celebrate services in churches provided by Catholics. After all, in recent times Catholic churches here are becoming more and more unclaimed. Therefore, the transfer of the temple to another Christian Church presented to many dioceses and monastic communities good way out. The people who prayed in these temples, of course, do not want something completely different to be placed there. And they would like a Christian service to be held there. Therefore, in some cases, such transmission occurs under fairly favorable conditions.

- Is it a lease?

It happens differently. Sometimes for free, sometimes for little money. The main thing is that such a practice exists. And, of course, without the help of the Catholic dioceses, we in Italy would not have been able to develop to the extent that we have developed today. And many people who have now become our parishioners would be left without spiritual help and support.

Ukrainian Naples and Moldovan Venice

- What kind of people are the parishioners, why have there been more of them?

In Italy, our flock is special. Here they are not so much emigrants as those who came, as a rule, to work, mostly from Ukraine and Moldova, to a lesser extent from Russia. These people take care of the elderly, children, work on construction sites, and in other difficult and unpopular jobs. There are more and more of them. For example, in Naples, where the Catholic diocese gave us a church, the need for it turned out to be very high. After all, tens of thousands of immigrants from Ukraine now live in the city itself and its environs. And in Venice, a priest showed me an extract from the city register on the registration of five thousand Moldovans, who became the largest diaspora there. So, despite the fact that in general religiosity in Europe, and in particular in Italy, is falling, among these people the craving for faith is high. On the one hand, because they mostly come from western regions Ukraine and Moldova, where religious traditions are very strong. And on the other hand, even those who, perhaps, did not often visit churches in their homeland, here, in a foreign land, go to the Orthodox community, because in it they find not only a place of prayer, but also communication with compatriots and even social assistance.

- What does it mean?

For example, employment assistance. This is also what our parishes do. Italians now often turn to Orthodox churches in the hope, say, of getting a conscientious worker to care for an elderly or sick person. So the priest helps one of the parishioners get a job. Of course, disinterested. Interestingly, in purely ethnic communities, relations are somewhat different. Having learned about a vacancy, a person sells it to a fellow countryman, and not cheaply: from 200 to 600 euros, while it is still unknown how long he will be able to work at this place.

- Does the Russian Church Abroad have parishes in Italy?

Hardly ever. There are several parishes of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, there are parishes of the Romanian Church. In general, now Orthodoxy in Italy is the second religion in terms of the number of parishioners after Catholics. Not Protestants, not Muslims, namely Orthodox. It is a fact.

Landmarks for pilgrims

- How to find our parish when you are in Italy? Are there Orthodox shrines there?

On the Patriarchy.ru website, on the right, there is a map of foreign parishes. It contains the coordinates, the names of the priests, and email addresses. It is very easy to find all the information about our parishes and become a participant in worship. And there are a lot of Orthodox shrines in Italy. First of all, in Rome, where the Apostle Peter, the Apostle Paul, and many early Christian martyrs suffered. famous place Orthodox pilgrimage - Bari, where the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker are kept. And in Venice, too, there are many Orthodox shrines. The rector of our parish in Venice, Father Alexy Yastrebov, knows this topic very well. He wrote a book about the shrines of Venice, created a film. And I think he will gladly help to visit the shrines. Compatriots will also be welcome in any of our parishes.

Orthodoxy is the second largest religion in Italy after Catholicism. Russian Orthodox churches and parishes can be found in many parts of the Apennines. Today there are about 50 of them on the entire peninsula ...

An interesting fact is that in recent years the Orthodox denomination has expanded tenfold. About 1.4 million believers attend Orthodox churches and parishes in Italy. These are people from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, but not only. You can also see Italians at the service. One is simply interested in Slavic culture, the second has a wife “of ours”, the third voluntarily and wholeheartedly accepted Orthodoxy. And the fourth - the priest himself, or even the rector! But more on that below. In the meantime, let's take a short digression into the entertaining history of Russian Orthodoxy on the territory of the blessed Italian lands.

The first Russian churches in Italy were the house churches of the Russian aristocracy, back in the first quarter of the 19th century. For example, in the estate of Princess E. Golitsina, Count N. Demidov and D. Buturlin. And although government decisions on the opening of Orthodox churches in the Apennines were made at the end of the 18th century, in practice, none of them was implemented. What can you do, the times were dashing, stormy political events, as now, hindered many glorious undertakings. It was not until 1823 that the first, shall we say, "diplomatic" temple was opened in Tuscany.

With new force Russian Orthodox life throughout Europe "bloomed" after the 1917 revolution. For many emigrants, faith has become the last stronghold. “We lost our homeland, but the church remained,” wrote one of those who were forced to leave new Russia… A major role in the expansion of the Russian Orthodox community in Italy, of course, was played by a large wave of emigration in the early 1990s. When a huge stream of people poured into the countries of "decaying imperialism" from former USSR- in search of new opportunities for work, in search of a better life.

So, there are about fifty Orthodox churches and parishes in Italy. Today we will talk about some of the most famous.

MILAN

A pilgrimage to Milan usually runs along the luxurious Montenapoleone and Spiga streets, strict La Scala and the openwork Duomo, glowing with bright shop windows. Meanwhile, in the Italian fashion capital there are many Orthodox shrines and several (we counted 7) active Orthodox parishes.

Orthodox Church of Saints Sergius of Radonezh and Seraphim of Sarov

Parrocchia dei Santi Sergio di Radonez e Serafino di Sarov

A lovely Orthodox church is located in the heart of Milan - not far from via Dante, leading to the Sforza castle, on a quiet street of Giulini, on the corner with via Porlezza. The parish of Saints Sergius and Seraphim is located in the side chapel of San Vincenzo - once a large church at convent founded in the 8th century. During the second world bomb, the allies left only ruins of this monastery. In the late 1960s, it was possible to restore only a small part of it, inside which a "neighborly" cinema was located, power point and the arrival of the Orthodox Church.

The current rector of the church, Archimandrite Demetrius (Fantini) is Italian and serves in Church Slavonic. Some by heart, some by notes. By profession, Father Dimitry is a doctor, and until his retirement he combined these two services. In the hospital he healed bodies, in the parish he healed souls.

Not only Russian-speakers, but also Italians come to Father Dimitri. The archimandrite says that some of his compatriots do not just stay and go to Orthodox faith. There are those who become monks. There are those who serve as priests today in other parishes in northern Italy.

Orthodox Greek Church of the Annunciation of the Holy Mother of God
Chiesa Greco-Ortodossa dell'Annunciazione della SS. Madre di Dio

This Orthodox church is located in the Corso Buenos Aires area, on Romolo Gessi Street perpendicular to it (Romolo Gessi, 19), not far from the Lima metro station. The temple occupies the surviving part of the historic building, which once housed the city infirmary for patients with the plague that raged in Milan in 1630. These tragic events were vividly described by the famous Italian novelist Alessandro Manzoni.

ROME

Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker

The Russian Orthodox Church on Palestro Street (Via Palestro, 69/71) is the oldest Russian parish in Italy. By decree of Emperor Alexander I, it was to be built in 1804. They have already decided in whose name to consecrate the church - in the name of the apostles Paul and Peter. But the foreign policy situation got in the way, and the temple (now St. Nicholas the Wonderworker) saw the light only in 1823.

He changed his location several times. And in 1867-1870, relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the papal throne escalated to the point that St. Nicholas Church was closed for three years altogether, and Russians traveled to Naples for worship.

The temple acquired a new and to this day current address in 1931, when the parish inherited the three-story mansion of Princess M. Chernysheva (“Palazzo Chernyshev”), bequeathed by her back in the late 1800s. money. Donations for the construction of the temple were even received from the Queen of Italy, Helena of Savoy.

Church of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine

And in this case, the story begins from afar - at the end of the 19th century, when fundraising for the construction of an Orthodox church in Rome began. The “royal contribution” of 10 thousand rubles was made by Nicholas II. Following him, donations were made by the Grand Dukes, Moscow manufacturers and Siberian gold miners. And since 1913, fundraising has been going on throughout Mother Russia. In 1915, the Construction Committee, headed by Prince Abamalek-Lazarev, purchased a plot on a hill near the Tiber River embankment in the name of the Russian embassy. However, the revolution got in the way.

Only 80 years later, the construction of a temple in Rome was discussed again, and in 2009, the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr was erected at the Villa Abamelek on the territory of the Embassy complex. Today it is considered one of the landmarks of Rome. Important shrines are stored in the temple, among which are the relics of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine.

FLORENCE

To begin with, it must be said that "Russian Florence" is a whole cultural and historical phenomenon. Rich and versatile. The special craving of Russians for the beauty of Tuscany and its mild climate was expressed not only in frequent travels. In the sun-drenched Tuscan lands, a whole colony of wealthy aristocrats and artists arose a couple of centuries ago.
The Orthodox Church has become not only one of the highest manifestations of Russian life in Florence. With their beautiful forms and decoration, it enriched and supplemented the cultural heritage of the "cradle of the Renaissance".

Church of the Nativity and St. Nicholas

The construction of this beautiful church began in 1899. The project was based on the Moscow-Yaroslavl architecture of the 17th century - that is, the period of the highest flowering of Russian temple culture. Luxurious marble iconostasis - a gift from Emperor Nicholas II.

It so happened that after the revolution, the Russian Church could no longer support the temple, and soon came under the wing of Constantinople. In the 1920s-1930s, it contained the tombs of members of the Greek royal family- Queens Olga and Sofia, King Constantine I.

However, today the beautiful Church of the Nativity of Christ and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is part of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is located on via Leone X, not far from Central Station.

SAN REMO

Cathedral of Christ the Savior

Chiesa di Cristo Salvatore

In 1875, Maria Alexandrovna visited San Remo for the first time. Russian empress spent everything here winter months. Nautical resort town already famous among the Russian aristocracy for its mild warm climate, capable of curing almost any disease. And after the visit of Her Majesty, the life of the high Russian society in San Remo was in full swing. Many came here for the winter famous families. And the nearest Orthodox churches were in Menton and Nice.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian community of San Remo took the initiative to build an Orthodox church. Perhaps this is the first case in Italy when it was not the Russian Imperial Court, but not the Synod, but people who came up with the idea. Required Funds for construction were collected very quickly. And the tsar himself allocated 2,000 rubles. In 1912, the first stone was laid, and a year after that, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior saw the light.

The Orthodox church in San Remo was designed by the legendary architect Shchusev in the style of Moscow cathedrals of the 17th century. It is known that his cousin Anna Sukhanina, who lived permanently in Italy, once turned to her cousin, and he made a sketch and prepared drawings for free. And then the church was built under the leadership of Pietro Agosti, a famous architect of that time.

Decorated with tiles and stone carvings, the Russian Orthodox Church is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in San Remo. During World War II, it happened to him amazing story A bomb hit the church after breaking through the roof. It got stuck in the floor and didn't burst!

TRIESTE

Church of St. Spyridon(in other words, the Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity and St. Spyridon)

The church of the Orthodox Serbian community in Trieste can be found on St. Spiridon Street (via San Spiridione), which is near the Grand Canal (Grande Canale). This one of the oldest Orthodox churches in Italy was founded in 1869 and is made in the neo-Byzantine architectural style.

The model for this style - with its squat domes - was the St. Sophia Church in Constantinople and was especially clearly manifested precisely in church architecture. Another a prime example- snow-white basilica Sacré-Coeur in Paris.

APULIA

Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
La Chiesa Russa di Bari

Another stronghold of Russian Orthodoxy is located on the very “heel” of Italy, in the Apulian city of Bari. Speaking about this temple, again, one cannot do without mentioning the name of the famous Russian and then Soviet architect Alexei Shchusev, who is called one of the greatest connoisseurs of ancient Russian architecture. In the meantime, we recall that it was Shchusev's designs that led to the construction of Lenin's mausoleum and the Kazansky railway station in Moscow, the memorial church on the Kulikovo field, and many of the most important Russian sights.

So, the construction of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Baria lasted 6 years - from 1913 to 1919. Funds for this were again collected throughout Russia. According to the "Highest Command" for the holidays of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in all churches on the territory Russian Empire a plate gathering was arranged - “to BarGrad”. Nicholas II himself donated 10 thousand rubles this time.

The ensemble of church buildings on Corso Benedetto Croce is made in the style of Pskov-Novgorod architecture of the 15th century. There are two aisles in the temple: the upper one - St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the lower one - St. Spyridon Trimifuntsky. Among the shrines of this church is the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker with a particle of his relics.

In 2011, the Bank of Russia issued a 2-ruble commemorative silver coin depicting the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Baria, a beautiful, light-filled place where every Orthodox person can come in a fit of despair to find peace and peace of mind...

"Ostian" Cathedral(“outside the city walls”) stands on the burial site of St. apostle Paul.

When in 67 the Apostle Paul, at the command of Nero, was beheaded with a sword outside the walls of Rome in the area called "Salvia Waters" (Aquae Salviae), where the church in the name of the holy Apostle Paul "on three Fountains" is now located, then the Roman pious Christian Lukina (Lucina) collected the sacred remains of St. Paul and honorably buried them in her country estate along the Ostian road (Via Ostiense). Since that time, this manor has become the tomb of ancient Christians, known as the catacombs of St. Lukin.

On the spot where this church is located, the Sessorian Palace once flaunted, which served as the residence of St. Empress Helena, mother of St. Tsar Constantine (their memory - May 21, old style). Within the walls of the palace, it was built in 330 by St. Constantine, at the request of his mother, a basilica in the name of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross Lord, or St. Cross in Jerusalem.

The church was founded by Pope Pius (142-157) in the house of St. Novate, son of the Apostle Pud, and built at the request of the venerable Praxeda virgin, daughter of the Apostle Pud and sister of St. Novata. In the ninth century Pope Paschal restored this church almost from its foundation and transferred to it the martyr bodies he had collected in various catacombs. According to a popular tradition in Rome, it was St. Praxeda collected here the bodies of the martyrs of Christ

The church stands on the spot where the Apostle Paul suffered martyrdom on June 29, 67.
He himself foreshadowed it in his second epistle to his beloved disciple, the Apostle Timothy, Bishop of Ephesus: and now a crown of righteousness is being prepared for me, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, will give me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who love His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:6-8). The martyrdom of the Apostle Paul took place in this way. AT last days During his earthly life, the Apostle Paul was kept together with the Apostle Peter in the Mamertine dungeon.

The church was built where once stood the house of the father of the Monk Pudeniana, the Roman senator Puda, whom the Apostle Paul mentions in his second epistle to Timothy (2 Tim. 4, 21).

The church was built on the site of a house that belonged to the Hieromartyr Clement, Pope of Rome (91-100), shortly after the death of this saint, who followed in Tauric Chersonesos, where he was exiled, at the command of Trajan, for the name of Christ. At the beginning of the 5th century the church was rebuilt and received the form of a basilica; in it St. Gregory the Dialogist delivered two of his discourses on the Gospels. In 1084, during the Norman invasion of Rome, this basilica was also destroyed. Above its ruins at the very beginning of the XII century. a new church was built in the name of the same Hieromartyr Clement, which exists to this day.

The Colosseum got its name from the Latin word for giant. So it was later named (in the 8th century) for its enormous size, the circus built in Rome under the emperors Flavius ​​Vespasian, Titus and Domitian in 70-80 years. after R.Kh. and was originally called the Flavius ​​Amphitheatre. Now the origin of this name is erected to the giant statue of Nero standing nearby, the Colossus of Nero. It was built by Jewish captives from Jerusalem, as their fathers once built pyramids for the Egyptian pharaohs.

Catacombs of St. Sebastian existed before the church from which they got their name. In them, in a special cave, the honest relics of the apostles Peter and Paul temporarily rested (in the first half of the 3rd century).
St. Sebastian (Comm. 18 December) with his retinue suffered in Rome under Diocletian in 257.

The reason for the construction of the church at the present place and for the above-mentioned name was the following event from the life of the Apostle Peter, which is narrated in the Fourth Menaion.

Rome catacombs underground cemeteries are called, in which Christians of the first three centuries, for the sake of fear from the pagans, buried their dead and martyrs, and also sometimes performed divine services.

The catacombs were named after St. Callistus, Pope of Rome, who even before accession to the papal throne, being the archdeacon of the Roman Church, was in charge of the catacombs on behalf of Pope Zephyrinus and worked hard on their arrangement.

St. Agnes suffered during the persecution of Maximilian in 304 on the spot where the church of her name (Chiesa di Sant’Agnese in Agone) now stands on Navona Square, erected under St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine. The modern building in Piazza Navona is an outstanding baroque monument (architect Borromini; 1666)

Above the resting place of St. Martyr Lawrence Archdeacon (Comm. 10 Aug.) around the year 300, St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine Church named after him. In it, St. Gregory Dvoeslov,

The dungeon is located at the foot of the Capitoline Hill, from the side of the Roman Forum under the church of Joseph the Betrothed (Chiesa di San Giuseppe dei falegnami al Foro Romano), built by the brotherhood of carpenters.

(Panteon), which is a huge round building with a majestic dome, was built by the Roman consul Marcus Agrippa, son-in-law of Emperor Augustus, in 27-25 years. BC and is dedicated to seven pagan deities. Emperor Hadrian (117-138) rebuilt the Pantheon and dedicated it to "all the gods". Pagan idolatry was performed in this temple until the 4th century BC.

Church founded by St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine in the very place where, in the persecution of Hadrian, in 120, St. Great Martyr Eustathius Planida, former commander of the Roman troops, his wife Theopistia and their children Agapius and Theopist.

victorious St. George's Church in the ancient region of Velabro was already known from the 7th century. - as an institution of diakonia, a center of church charity for the Roman population.

The original description of the church dates back to the time of St. king Constantine; in 560 it was rebuilt by Pope Palagius. In it, St. Gregory the Dialogist gave his 36th discourse on the Gospels.

The temple of Maria d'Aracoeli (in Aracoeli) stands on the very top of the Capitoline Hill, on the ruins of the temple of Capitoline Jupiter, which was once located here, and was already known in the 6th century. like the church of Santa Maria de Capitolo, that is Mother of God"Capitol"

It is difficult to find a pilgrim in Rome who would not visit the Holy Forest, one of the most famous Christian shrines. The Church of the Holy Stairs is located near the Cathedral of St. John in Laterano (San Giovanni in Laterano). The façade of this church, by Domenico Fontana, dates back to 1585.

The Holy Apostle Peter, by order of King Herod Agrippa, was thrown into prison and bound with two iron chains. But at night, when he was sleeping among two soldiers, the angel of the Lord woke him up, pushing him in the side, and led him out of the dungeon, and the iron chains fell from the hands of the apostle, as is told about this in the book of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 12: 1).

The Basilica of the Holy Martyrs Boniface (Boniface) and Alexei the Man of God on the Aventine Hill in Rome today opens before the eyes of pilgrims in its baroque "guise", acquired during a radical restructuring in the middle of the 18th century. And it is hard to imagine that under this "modern" basilica there are two more, relating us to the 3rd and 9th centuries.

Shrines of Northern Italy

- one of the most beautiful cities in northern Italy. The first settlements arose here in the 4th century. BC, thanks to the advantageous geographic location on the Adige River. The city received significant development from the middle of the 1st century. BC, when it was included in the Roman Empire. After the fall of the Empire, Verona became the capital of the Lombards and Ostrogoths, but this had little effect on its development, but the Middle Ages adorned it with churches and cathedrals. Romance and gothic styles give the city a unique flavor

According to ancient tradition, St. Luke, originally from Antioch in Syria, who died at an advanced age (84 years), was buried in the city of Thebe, the capital of the Greek region of Beotia. At the beginning of the 4th century, his relics were transferred to Constantinople, to the Basicica of the Twelve Apostles.

The relic, or part of the relics of Saint Nicholas, is a single bone of the left hand and has been located at the church of San Nicolo in Porto since 1177, according to an ancient chronicle.

To better understand who Saint Thekla is, let's start with the flight of St. app. Paul from Antioch in Pisidia to Iconium. A certain resident of Iconium named Onesiphorus knew that the apostle would pass through their city and went out to meet him on the Royal Road.

One of the oldest churches in Milan, according to legend, was built by St. Ambrose of Milan in 379-386, in the area of ​​​​the burial places of Christians - victims of religious persecution in the Roman period. At that time, the church was called Basilica Martyrum (Basilica of the Martyrs).

The beginning of the existence of the "Orthodox Church of Italy" was laid in 1991, when the "Bishop of Aprilia and Latium" Antonio (de Rosso), who separated from the "Orthodox Church of Portugal", registered an independent diocese of Ravenna. Antonio (de Rosso) is a former defrocked Roman Catholic priest. Before joining the Portuguese Church, for some time he belonged to the Belgian Old Catholic Church. He received episcopal consecration under the jurisdiction of the "Orthodox Church of Portugal", but soon left this group as well. In 1993, Bishop Antonio petitioned to join the canonical Bulgarian Orthodox Church, headed by His Holiness Patriarch Maxim. By Decree No. 264 of October 6, 1995, adopted at a synodal meeting of the Bulgarian bishops, the independent Italian diocese was included in the Bulgarian Patriarchate on terms of autonomy. In the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the church-administrative unit headed by Bishop Antonio (de Rosso) received the name "Autonomous Diocese of Ravenna and Italy". However, the stay of this structure in the fence of the canonical Church turned out to be short-lived. In 1997, Bishop Antonio moved to the schismatic Bulgarian Orthodox Church, headed by "Patriarch" Pimen, which was confirmed by the decision of the schismatic Synod No. 190 of July 1, 1997. After the aforementioned change in church jurisdiction, Bishop Anthony was elevated to the rank of "Metropolitan", and the diocese subordinate to him acquired the status of a metropolia, receiving the name "Orthodox Church of Italy ” and “Italian Autonomous Metropolis”. In addition, Metropolitan Anthony became a permanent member of the Holy Synod of the schismatic Bulgarian Church.

In January 2007, the “Metropolitan of Avlon and Viotia” Angelos (Anastasiou), former hierarch of the Old Calendar “Kallinikit” Synod of the Church of True Orthodox Christians (ITC) of Greece, entered into communion with the “Orthodox Church of Italy”. "Metropolitan" Angelos was born in 1950. He graduated from the theological faculty of the University of Athens. He was under the jurisdiction of the Old Calendar "Synod of the Opposed" Church of the IPH of Greece. Ordained deacon in 1975, priest in 1978. Ordained bishop of Thessaloniki in 1996. In 2002-2007. was under the jurisdiction of the so-called. "Kallinikit" Synod of the Church of the IPH of Greece.

In 2008, Basilio (Grille), "Archbishop of Ostria and Latium", hierarch of the "Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (canonical)" entered the jurisdiction of the "Orthodox Church of Italy". In the new jurisdiction, he acquired the title of "Archbishop of Florence".

"Archbishop" Basilio is a doctor of theology and lecturer in Greek and Latin at the Angelicum Pontificia University (Rome, Italy). On February 26, 1995, he received the “hierarchal” consecration under the jurisdiction of the “Holy Synod of Milan”. In early 2007, he entered the jurisdiction of the "Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church canonical".

On February 20, 2009, at the sixty-eighth year of his life, the founder and "Primate" of this religious organization "Archbishop of Ravenna, Metropolitan of All Italy" Antonio (de Rosso) reposed. The second "hierarch" of the "Orthodox Church of Italy" "Archbishop" Basilio (Grille Micelli), who assumed the title of "Metropolitan", automatically became the new "Primate".

The "Orthodox Church of Italy" preserves the Julian calendar in its liturgical practice. Cathedral Church located in the monastery of St. Anthony in the village of Aprilia. The group has ten temples, services in which are performed in Italian and Ukrainian. The latter circumstance is explained by the fact that among the followers of "Metropolitan" Anthony there is a sufficient number of emigrants of Ukrainian origin.

Currently, the "Orthodox Church of Italy" is part of the schismatic "family of Local Orthodox Churches", which, in addition to it, includes the alternative "Bulgarian Orthodox Church", the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP), the Montenegrin Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Church of Macedonia.

Italy is one of the ancient cradles of Christianity. Unfortunately, the division of 1054 significantly reduced the contacts of the Christian East with the Italian Christians. Nevertheless, Orthodoxy continued its life in this region, developed.

Stauropegial temple of the Russian Orthodox Church in Rome in honor of St. vmts. Catherine

Orthodox parishes in Italy are alive and active today. Today, especially when many Ukrainians, Romanians, Moldovans and other representatives of Orthodox cultures rush to Italy in the hope of finding a job. How does Orthodoxy live in Italy today? What place does it occupy among others Christian denominations? How is Italian Orthodoxy different from other European Orthodox Churches? These and other questions are answered by the well-known historian of Italian Orthodoxy, writer Mikhail Talalay (Italy).

—Tell us, please, how did your interest as a researcher in the field of Church history, in particular Orthodox Italy, begin?

- As a researcher, I was formed in my homeland - in Leningrad / Petersburg, and at first positioned myself as a local historian. There was and still is a clumsy "Petersburg scholar" (Muscovites-Muscovites are better off here). In the field of local history, I was occupied with “white spots”, those areas of the history of the great city that were taboo in Soviet times. One of the main areas of my research was the church history of St. Petersburg, church building and even "temple destruction", which was considered anti-Soviet discourse. My first article, in samizdat, anonymous, was called “On the fate of St. Petersburg churches”. I had a good idea of ​​the history of the Church of modern times, I knew the names, the specifics, I participated in the Orthodox life of the late Soviet Leningrad. When he began to settle in Italy - and it was a gradual process - he found himself very organically in Orthodox Italy. Long time I was a parishioner of the Orthodox community in Florence, and this (I have special article) - "Petersburg monument", as the architect, artists and many others came from the banks of the Neva. And the main incentive, as for all researchers, for me was that the history of Orthodox Italy was not studied at all - unlike, say, France and Germany, where there is a developed Orthodox diaspora.

– What jurisdictions are present-day Orthodoxy represented in Italy?

- Almost everyone! It's easier to say there aren't any. The Autocephalous Orthodox Church in Poland was even represented! But here - the specifics of Italy: since the "Polish" Orthodox community included Italians, residents of Sardinia, it just happened during the search for a canonical basis. Of course, all national Churches are widely represented - Romanian, Bulgarian, Georgian and others. There is even an Old Believer community - the largest in Western Europe.

– What is the unique specificity of Orthodoxy in Italy compared to others European countries?

- First of all, Italy is under the shadow of the Vatican, even though it is officially another state: the Popes, even non-Italians, traditionally willingly take part in Italian affairs. So - a dense Catholic environment, against the background of which, until recently, before the Second Vatican Council, the Orthodox were perceived as schismatics. Now our Orthodox Churches are perceived here as divided Sister Churches, and the Italians show hospitality towards us, which is generally characteristic of this wonderful people. However, transitions from Catholicism to Orthodoxy are not welcome: "Where I was born, there I fit." Our priests behave very diplomatically and are not engaged in a “mission”. Another feature is that the Roman Catholic Church, over two millennia of practically unhindered activity, has collected on Italian soil a great many relics - relics, icons, and for the Orthodox this is a source of joy and inspiration.

- Why are the most numerous Orthodox communities in modern Italy - Romanian, Moldovan?

– Because here it is the most powerful diaspora of emigrants. Italy had special relationship still with socialist Romania, which at a later time did not interfere with labor emigration. Back in the 80s, a lot of Romanians appeared at the automobile factories of Turin (including the descendants of the Old Believers who fled from Peter the Great to the Turkish lands, now Romanian). It is easier for Romanians and Moldovans to get used to the Italian space due to linguistic proximity. Interestingly, these peoples do not merge under the same Orthodox “domes”: Moldovans complain that Romanians treat them condescendingly, and therefore prefer the communities of the Moscow Patriarchate, where, moreover, people from the former Soviet Union with a common cultural and political past.

—Which Italian regions have the most Orthodox Christians, and why?

– Where most of the emigration from of Eastern Europe- in the industrialized northern regions (in Lombardy, Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna).

– Are there Italian-speaking Orthodox parishes in Italy, or is Orthodoxy here too closely connected with the national identity of migrants, community members?

– Of course, in the current period of mass labor emigration, national identity is in the foreground. However, things were different in the 1970s and 1980s. There was whole group Italian-speaking parishes - in Milan, Turin, Bologna, Palermo. This is unique phenomenon- the Orthodox diaspora then almost did not exist, with the exception of the Greek, very isolated, ethnocentric. And at that moment barely warm Orthodox life supported by a galaxy of Italians who converted to Orthodoxy. Some of them, being teachers, doctors, etc., became priests, continuing their former professional activity. In search of a canonical basis, they mostly settled under the omophorion of the Moscow Patriarchate, which was not afraid of friction with the Vatican because of these transitions (it happened that Catholic priests converted to Orthodoxy, and this is already a scandal). Now a new generation of Italian Orthodox priests has grown up.

Stauropegial temple of the Russian Orthodox Church in Rome in honor of St. vmts. Catherine, interior

- In France, at one time there was a project of the Gallic Church, which, however, due to the eccentricity of the personality of Kovalevsky, one of its initiators, was never fully implemented (the new jurisdiction nevertheless appeared, but was not recognized as canonical). Were there any projects of the Italian Orthodox Church?

– Yes, there was such an attempt, but, alas, it was carried out by Eulogius Hessler, who went into schism, a former Catholic monk who became an Orthodox hieromonk in the 1970s, the head of a large Milanese community within the Moscow Patriarchate. However, in the aspirations of the episcopal dignity, he went to the Greek "Old Calendarists", and now it is generally difficult to keep track of his movements. He also tried to proclaim Italian autonomy. All this is very marginal ...

—Orthodox in Italy serve mostly in rented premises, or houses provided by the local authorities, adapted for a church, or…?

– general rule no. If we talk about compatriots, then there are historical churches built by imperial Russia: there are five of them, and they became the subject of my dissertation, and then a monograph. Of course, new Orthodox communities are looking for initially empty Catholic spaces and often find that Catholics have handed over to the Orthodox their abolished churches in Milan, Turin, Naples and a number of other cities. But sometimes interfaith relations do not add up, according to different reasons. There are Catholic bishops who, behind the scenes, do not welcome the growth of the Orthodox diaspora, and in such places one has to rent or seek support from other non-Catholic denominations. For example, in Naples, under the previous archbishop, the Orthodox first had to serve with the Waldensians, then with the brotherhood of St. Aegidia. A new Catholic bishop came and the situation changed dramatically.

– Recently, there has been an interest in the Orthodox heritage among Italian Catholics. One of the confirmations of this can be the huge Christian forum in Rimini, which provides its platforms for expositions about Orthodoxy: both for the exhibition about the New Martyrs and the history of persecution of the Orthodox Church (2013), and for the exhibition about Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh (2015), etc. How What do you think is the reason for this interest?

The Italians are a sensitive living people. In recent years, many have become interested in the origins of Christianity, icons, Eastern mysticism. There is even a certain fashion for the so-called Eastern, or Byzantine rite. In addition, the Italians were struck by the testimony of Orthodoxy in the face of unprecedented persecution. They are also surprised by the scope of the Orthodox pilgrimage - for example, to Bari, to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

Interviewed by Anna Golubitskaya