Prot Vsevolod Chaplin in contact. Vsevolod Chaplin: Orthodox politics

The name of Vsevolod Chaplin in modern Russia has been heard, perhaps, by everyone. For several years now he has been one of the most controversial, scandalous and odious figures in the world of Russian Orthodoxy. About what kind of person this is and what characterizes his priestly career, we will tell in this article.

Birth, childhood and youth

Other activities and church awards

As a priest, Chaplin is the rector of one of the capital's churches - the Church of St. Nicholas on the Three Mountains, which is located in the Presnensky district.

Vsevolod Chaplin is a lecturer at the Orthodox St. Tikhon University, holding the position of associate professor. In addition, he is a member of the Writers' Union of Russia and the Academy of Russian Literature. Often the archpriest speaks on television and on the radio. He even regularly hosts some programs as a radio host.

As a priest, he is distinguished by extremely conservative views. Not even talking about his sharp assessment of euthanasia and homosexual marriage, Chaplin actively protests against the teaching of biology from the point of view of evolutionary positions. And some time ago he came up with a proposal to create a structure for Muslims in Russia.

His work has been marked by many church awards. He also has secular state awards. In 1996, he was awarded the Order of St. Prince Daniel of Moscow III degree. The same distinction, but already of the II degree, was awarded to him in 2010. He received the Order of Moscow Saint Innocent in 2005. Earlier, in 2003, he also received the II degree, which is an award of the Romanov dynasty. And in 2009 he became the owner of the Order of Friendship.

Statements of Vsevolod Chaplin

The priest occupies a lot of different positions and by the nature of his activity he is a public person. Therefore, it is not surprising that the constant media attention that Vsevolod Chaplin attracts to himself. His comments about certain events, phenomena and problems often cause public outcry and a wave of harsh criticism. For example, the archpriest's proposal to introduce a public dress code for Russian women caused a storm of indignation from citizens who accused him of violating constitutional freedoms. There was no trace of the former liberalism of the young patriarchal functionary, which became clear from Chaplin's call to physically destroy the enemies of the faith, defending their religious shrines. Among other things, he stated that the church forces should have unleashed an armed war against the Bolsheviks after the Revolution, and in modern reality, organize patrols of cities by Orthodox military squads. Quite eloquently about his radical, almost extremist views, Chaplin's friendship with the infamous Enteo and a more than tough stance against the punk band Pussy Riot speaks. Chaplin defends radicals who destroy exhibitions, disrupt concerts and theatrical productions, and also advocates active cooperation between church and state and the use of the latter's administrative, legislative, judicial and executive resources in church interests.

Reaction to Chaplin in society

All this created a reputation for him as a difficult, unpleasant person, who is associated with conflicts and confrontation, with the near-extremist wing of the church. In the patriarchy, he is the mouthpiece of clericalism and a symbol of the imperialist aspirations of the modern Russian Orthodox Church. He is frankly disliked not only in secular society, but also in the church itself. A huge mass of both ordinary believers and clerics, including those from the patriarch's inner circle, does not tire of criticizing him and wondering why Vsevolod Chaplin is still at the helm of public relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. Everyone answers this question differently. A significant number of people consider him only a translator of patriarchal programs, which he, for obvious reasons, cannot voice on his own. Others suggest more complex conspiracy theories or find reasons in sophisticated political technologies adopted by the current church authorities.

It's time to discuss life story, biography of Vsevolod Chaplin(for more details follow the link). After all, all recent years (up to December 2015 inclusive) Vsevolod Chaplin was the leading official speaker on behalf of such an influential organization as the Russian Orthodox Church.

Biography of Vsevolod Chaplin

At the same time, bearing in mind that it is not a position that makes a person beautiful, but a person is a position, we must admit that Mr. Chaplin showed himself as a very bright and paradoxical speaker, a kind of press secretary of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Vsevolod Anatolievich Chaplin(March 31, 1968, Moscow) - priest of the Russian Church, archpriest; Since March 31, 2009, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Interaction between the Church and Society of the Moscow Patriarchate, member of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation since September 24, 2009. Vsevolod Chaplin- Rector of the Moscow Church of St. Nicholas on the Three Mountains.

Vsevolod Anatolievich Chaplin
Birth: March 31, 1968, Moscow, RSFSR, USSR
Father: Anatoly Fedorovich Chaplin
Ordination: April 21, 1991
1st Chairman of the Synodal Department for Relations between the Church and Society of the Moscow Patriarchate
since March 31, 2009
Church: Russian Orthodox Church
Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations December 27, 2001 - March 31, 2009
Secretary of the Department for External Church Relations for Relations between the Church and Society (1997 - December 27, 2001)

Vsevolod Chaplin was born in the family of an agnostic professor Anatoly Fedorovich Chaplin. He studied at secondary school No. 836 in the Moscow microdistrict Golyanovo. In my own words Chaplin, he grew up "in a non-religious family" and came to faith on his own when he was 13 years old. Vsevolod Chaplin he said that he almost did not study physics, chemistry and mathematics in high school, knowing that these subjects would not be useful to him in life, but they would still give him a "satisfactory" grade.

After leaving school in 1985 Vsevolod Chaplin was enrolled in the staff of the Publishing Department of the Moscow Patriarchate in the Expedition Department; On the recommendation of the Chairman of the Department, Metropolitan Pitirim (Nechaev), he entered the Moscow Theological Seminary, from which he graduated in 1990.

October 1990 - March 2009 Vsevolod Chaplin was on the staff of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate (under the command of Metropolitan Kirill (Gundyaev)) as an ordinary employee (1990-1991), then head. public relations sector (1991-1997), secretary (1997-2001) and finally vice-chairman (2001-2009).

Out of duty Vsevolod Chaplin He studied at the Moscow Theological Academy, even before graduating from which (1994) he was ordained first to the rank of deacon (April 21, 1991), and then to the priesthood (January 7, 1992). Vsevolod Chaplin defended his Ph.D. thesis "The problem of the relationship between natural and divinely revealed New Testament ethics in modern foreign non-Orthodox and non-Christian thought."

From March 4, 1996 to May 14, 1997 and from May 28, 2009 Vsevolod Chaplin- Member of the Council for Interaction with Religious Associations under the President of the Russian Federation.
In 1999 Vsevolod Chaplin elevated to the rank of archpriest.

Vsevolod Chaplin- Member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches and the Conference of European Churches, the WCC Commission on International Affairs, the Expert Council under the State Duma Committee on Public Associations and Religious Organizations, the OSCE Expert Group on Freedom of Religion and Belief.
From March 31, 2009 Vsevolod Chaplin- Chairman of the newly formed Synodal Department for the interaction of the Church and society.

Since January 4, 2010 - Member of the Russian Organizing Committee "Victory".
Since July 26, 2010 - Member of the Patriarchal Council for Culture.
Conducts the program "Time of Trust" on the RSN radio (107.0 FM in Moscow).
Not married. No kids.

Public statements and their criticism in the ROC

Vsevolod Chaplin spoke out against the confusion of the words religion and denomination, stating that denominations can only be Christian.
Vsevolod Chaplin spoke positively about Stalin and Ksenia Sobchak, but negatively about Madonna
He spoke in favor of the creation of "Orthodox folk squads"
Speaks out against euthanasia and Internet anonymity
Vsevolod Chaplin criticized Darwin's teaching on the origin of man and the common idea that faith is an intimate thing, also Father Vsevolod refuses to pray with Christians of other faiths
At the end of 2010 Chaplin expressed the opinion that Russian women, with their defiant appearance and manners, provoke men to rape, and then suggested that they come up with an "all-Russian dress code." This statement caused a storm of criticism in the media, it was even called "shocking" and violating the Constitution.
In addition, he proposed to come up with a “all-Russian dress code” for this.

An interview with Father Vsevolod, which was spread on Russian news feeds on July 12, 2010, turned out to be fictitious, in which Vsevolod Chaplin allegedly announced a bill being prepared to introduce criminal liability for “opposing Orthodoxy”. July 15 father Vsevolod Chaplin publicly denied this report, calling it a lie.
He advocated a legislative ban on the propaganda of pedophilia and homosexuality, including the ban on the novel "Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov.
Vsevolod Chaplin declared that the intelligentsia has a sin of Russophobia, and that the church should not be afraid to speak about it.
In March 2010, the Kommersant newspaper reported on a letter to Viktor Zubkov from Vsevolod Chaplin, where a request was made to provide an opportunity for Ukrainian chemical industry enterprises to purchase gas directly from Gazprom and other Russian producing companies or to reduce the cost of gas for Ukrainian enterprises by supplying it at “prices that allow producing competitive products”. According to the UNIAN agency

The representative of the Moscow Patriarchate confirmed the existence of such a letter and added that he did not undertake any obligations, but only responded to the request of the sectoral public organization of Ukraine. At the same time, the interlocutor of the agency noted that there are quite a lot of various requests and appeals addressed to Patriarch Kirill, and the Patriarchate tries not to ignore them. - The Moscow Patriarchate proposed a scheme for selling gas to Ukraine (photo)//UNIAN, 18.03.2010

In February 2012, at a meeting with students of the Higher School of Television of Moscow State University Vsevolod Chaplin stated:

“In fact, I believe that our believers in the 1920s, when Lenin initiated repressions against them, should have responded differently than they did. They had to respond with all the force of arms and the strength of popular resistance against the Bolsheviks. A moral deed worthy of a Christian's behavior is to destroy as many Bolsheviks as possible in order to defend things that are sacred to a Christian and overthrow the Bolshevik government. The entire Orthodox tradition and the Gospel of Christ in this case commands people to defend themselves, including by force of arms, against the lawlessness of the pseudo-power, which was usurping and was never, by and large, legal.
- Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin regrets that the Orthodox failed to destroy the Bolsheviks and defend their shrines // Interfax, 03/21/2012

April 2011 Vsevolod Chaplin made an apology for wealth in the decoration of churches and in the life of the hierarchs of the Church:
The church should be at the center of people's life. She should not have half-ruined temples. On the contrary, it befits it to have modern and solid buildings, beautiful vestments, golden iconostases (which should not mean tasteless). And also sufficient signs of material opportunities to speak on equal terms with those who “meet by clothes.” His Holiness the Patriarch drives expensive cars and lives in expensive residences. And this is an inevitable part of obedience to the Church of its Primate.

Statement by Vsevolod Chaplin provoked criticism from a number of prominent clerics of the Russian Orthodox Church; in particular, Archpriest Pavel Adelgeim said in mid-April 2012 about Chaplin's position: “It is very sad if what he says comes from the Patriarch. I think that after all, these are his own completely inadequate statements.

Awards for Vsevolod Chaplin

For numerous virtues, the hero of our story was repeatedly noted.

State awards of Vsevolod Chaplin

Order of Friendship (January 21, 2009) - for a great contribution to the development of spiritual culture and the strengthening of friendship between peoples.
Honorary diploma of the President of the Russian Federation (July 20, 2011) - for merits in the development of spiritual culture and the strengthening of friendship between peoples

Church awards of Vsevolod Chaplin

Order of the Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow II degree (2010)
Order of the Holy Prince Daniil of Moscow III degree (1996)
Order of St. Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna (2005)

Other awards for Vsevolod Chaplin

Medal "For Strengthening Peace and Accord Between Nations" (Federation of Peace and Accord, 2007) - for active participation in peacemaking, charitable activities, strengthening peace and mutual understanding, cooperation between peoples, for strengthening ties and fruitful interaction between regional diocesan and secular public organizations
Order of the Russian Imperial House of St. Anna II degree

Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin often appeared on TV screens, spoke a lot, expressed original thoughts, and shared his opinion. It was more scandalous than interesting. At first it was funny to listen to all this, then the priest simply got tired of disgusting statements and provocative nonsense.

The beginning of the way

Vsevolod Chaplin, whose biography did not stand out as anything special, was born in 1968. His childhood, adolescence and youth were spent in Moscow. The family is intelligent, non-religious. During his studies, the boy suddenly felt belonging to Orthodoxy. Since then, he has remained there. At school, the boy decided to become a priest and get a spiritual education. Friends and classmates knew about it, and no one condemned. This did not affect the parents, who belonged to the intelligentsia, either. Vsevolod Chaplin considers himself Russian, despite numerous gossip that dares to claim that he is a baptized Jew.

The publishing department of the Moscow Patriarchate took the young man to work in 1985 in the service of the expedition. He showed himself to be a smart, perspicacious and gentle employee. A novice worker was sometimes naughty, expressed "advanced" ideas. However, the mentors condescendingly forgave the delirium of the youth, who timidly spoke out in favor of changing the Church Slavonic language. The restless innovator organized exhibitions of avant-garde artists in church premises with the permission of the leadership. On the recommendation of Metropolitan Pitirim, Vsevolod Chaplin entered the seminary.

Star career

A significant event occurred in the 90th year. After receiving his education, Vsevolod works in the Department for External Church Relations (DECR), headed by Metropolitan Kirill Gundyaev. The mentor became a good wizard for the young minister, who gave the "green light" to his church career. The young man began working as an ordinary employee in 1990, then headed the public relations sector in 1997. A year later, Vsevolod Chaplin becomes a priest. At the same time, he studies at the Theological Academy, which he graduated in 1994.

In 1997, Chaplin headed the DECR Secretariat. His work was marked by an award - erection to the archpriest. Three years later, Vsevolod was given the highest confidence - he was approved as deputy chairman of the DECR. The secretariats, the communication service and the publications sector were in the field of attention of the new leader. He participated in official events and meetings, including negotiations on the relations of the Russian Orthodox Church with the Vatican and state authorities. In 2009, Gundyaev became patriarch.

At the zenith of glory

Vsevolod is valued and respected, showing this. The Russian People's Council elects an archpriest as deputy head of this forum. In 2009, Chaplin became chairman of the church-society department. Patriarch Kirill appointed reliable people to posts. Since then, his confidant has led the ideology and dissemination of teachings, being the eyes and ears of the church in contact with public institutions. The priest continues to read sermons in the capital's church and lectures at the university, and speaks on radio and television.

Chaplin's work has been awarded. This is how a person caressed by power would live, rejoice. But the priest got a harness under the tail - and away we go. This did not happen immediately, the prerequisites happened before. Priest Vsevolod Chaplin was distinguished by original views and often gave out elegant pearls. For example, he advocates the legalization of the mandatory wearing of clothes that do not cause sexual desire in accordance with the traditions of the Orthodox Church.

Outlook on life

Vsevolod's statements are original. He advocates the creation of squads that will monitor the people for wearing "statutory" attire and observing the rules of conduct in public places so that the feelings of believers are not offended. The priest calls for forceful methods to convince those who do not understand the need to comply with this. He rejects the theory of evolution of the organic world based on natural selection according to Darwin. This is a hypothesis that has not received convincing evidence in science, Vsevolod Chaplin believes. Faith and life are two inseparable concepts.

Chaplin's statements about revolution and civil war are disgusting. He condemns the position of the believers of those years and claims that the Orthodox showed passivity in military operations to destroy the Bolsheviks. The indignation was caused by Chaplin's performance and the position in relation to the participants of the women's expressive group. The official church did not forgive the apostates. Sharp criticism of the archpriest came after speaking in defense of the bohemian life of the clergy.

Excessive severity

The priest said that the members of the hooligan women's group would be punished, and the church would not give in to the pressure of the lawlessness supporters. The Orthodox are challenged in a brazen, aggressive form - dancing in a holy place. Religious representatives expressed the hope that in the future such tricks will be excluded. At the same time, the church has no right to influence the investigation, being a distant state.

There is no malice towards the participants of the “action”. But a cynical blasphemy has been committed in relation to the shrines. Hooligans must be severely punished. Father Vsevolod Chaplin urged not to send criminals to the colony if there is a full confession of guilt. There was no remorse. But they interceded before the patriarch. Nothing is said about what blasphemy will have to answer for. Such petitions show how Christianity is confused with humanism. Forgiveness of sin is alien to Orthodoxy, therefore the perpetrators are sentenced to two years in prison.

On the luxury of clergy

Church funds are not spent on pomposity. Visible splendor is exclusively gifts from caring generous parishioners and donations from wealthy citizens. Fortunately, there are many. Chaplin considers it fair that the patriarch has luxurious watches and a car park, his own residence. Those who make such gifts strive for perfection, so that His Holiness is in no way inferior to representatives of secular authorities, and there is no shame. And people do not regret - they carry offerings. This happens in every religious community in the world. What identifies God is decorated. Chaplin called people who reproached the church for luxury as malicious ill-wishers and made a comparison with Judas, who proposed not to spend myrrh for the body of Jesus, but to let it go and distribute the money to the poor. The call for rational spending of money on urgent, coming problems is nonsense. And the dedication of savings to those symbols that remind of the presence of God is a good deed.

Changeling

Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin is a colorful personality. He always felt the spirit of the time and easily, like a chameleon, changed with the situation. A liberal in the 90s, he advocated for the Orthodox Church to keep up with the times. With the change in the social climate, Father Vsevolod also made a turn. He turned into a patriot. There is nothing forbidden in what Chaplin told the audience. It's disgusting that there is no faith behind it and everything looks like a game. The church as an administrative structure is subject to the same shortcomings: there is a struggle for power, career advancement.

Vsevolod Chaplin justified the murders of "internal enemies" and compared them with God's blessing. Radio listeners were shocked. The priest compared Vladimir Putin and Ivan the Terrible - both leaders destroyed internal enemies and expanded borders. Chaplin's statements are signs of spiritual decline. This is not what the man of the church says, it is inconsistent with God. Between the methods of the priest and the Islamic State banned in Russia, the equal sign is the justification of murders by "God's will." Vsevolod Chaplin forgot the expression "do not wake up famously." In December 2015, he was deprived of the post of chairman of the department for relations between the church and society and membership in the Interreligious Council.

Church vertical

A person who has given the patriarchy 25 years can argue with His Holiness, Vsevolod Chaplin is sure. Orthodox politics is carried out one-sidedly. Disagreements began because of the complicated situation in Ukraine. It was not possible to convince the authorities of this country to hear the voices of citizens who are in favor of developing relations with Russia. Time was lost, here the direct fault of the patriarch. Sole power is unacceptable, His Holiness imagines himself to be knowledgeable and ready to resolve such issues, and this is dangerous for him and his business. So that the patriarch is not accused of heresy, problems must be solved collectively, by the church. This is not a vertical, but a parody of it. This is faith in yourself. Because of this, ill-conceived steps are being taken. Power in the diocese is necessary. Patriarch - the inviolability of the spiritual foundations. These are non-administrative and personnel functions. The authority of the head of the church has little to do with the work of an administrator. This is possible in the case when the decisions of the head will cease to be individual and part of the powers will be transferred to the dioceses and other church institutions.

Criticism against the patriarch

Chaplin claims that Vladyka does not have a holistic view of what is happening. Much in sermons and statements was said to please the authorities, to please. With writing, things are even worse. The patriarch will not write the text smoothly on his own, as memory fails. He does not understand that the amendment being made to the content is in conflict with the meaning. It's not about age, it was all the time.

Previously, written reports for the patriarch were created by people with well-formed views under the guidance of Father Vsevolod. With the departure of the ideological elite, changes took place, there were more spontaneous illiterate speeches on the main issues. His Holiness will lead the management of the Russian Orthodox Church to a dead end. Decisions are made individually and without discussion, on the run, Vsevolod Chaplin argued. Where despotism serves, there will be a mess. Trying to stop the slide into the purity of personal charisma, the priest expressed dissatisfaction that the patriarch did not make sharp statements in the direction of power because of his unwillingness to lose favor. The conversation of the church with representatives of the state should be conducted openly.

Attacks

Vsevolod Chaplin demands that communities be given guarantees for the nomination of candidates for clergy and bishops. In fact, the bishop appoints another favorite as rector, and this is unacceptable, Vsevolod Chaplin believes. Where unity of command serves, initiative perishes, and the first signs of a dying structure are the cowardice of the environment and the shortage of personnel. The lack of bright personalities is pressing the church, the voice of one patriarch is heard. Where this happens, decisions are made without discussion with the people. Such a model is not viable. In the church, only the words of the Holy One are important. But the situation is changing, and the attempt to drown out other voices has failed. Today, the one who influences society has power.

If you listen to these bold and, at first glance, correct statements by Vsevolod Chaplin, you can see evil words and a desire to humiliate. If, after leaving the church, a person has changed dramatically and rushes at offenders, then this speaks volumes. Apparently, in vain they moved him up the career ladder, introduced him into a narrow circle of trusted people, treated him in a friendly way.

The price of ambition

Father Chaplin, leaving the Patriarchate, slammed the door noisily. After vivid speeches on the radio, where bitterness and irritation for misunderstanding were felt, an unambiguous accusation was made against church circles. Such a bright person, with original judgments, obviously does not understand what he swung at. Vsevolod Chaplin, whose photo you can see in the article, is ruthless in his nature.

In 1991 there was a collapse of a large country. It seemed that everything was over, and there was no return to the old. Nevertheless, Russia was resurrected, and the Orthodox Church took part in this. It plays a formative role in the state, sometimes replacing its institutions. Therefore, undermining the authority of the patriarch does not elevate the country, but harms it. A mythical essence always winds around a famous person - positive or destructive. If it is negative, it destroys the environment in which it developed and lives. The mythological aspect of Patriarch Kirill and his personality is very important. In the transitional period of Russian history, the merits of the church pastor are enormous and undeniable. Any attacks on him will negatively affect the atmosphere inside the church.

At the broken trough

A well-known public spokesman for state-run media found himself in an information blockade after being ousted. A vivid type of Gogol's plot is a swindler who was "shod" in a game without rules. The resignation of Vsevolod Chaplin was expected and did not evoke any bewilderment. It seems, the priest believes, that in some media there is a taboo on expressing disagreement with the patriarch. He is not a sacred cow, but a man with all the flaws, and it is possible and necessary to discuss his policy. Chaplin believes that the transfer of architectural buildings for religious purposes to the church is a natural process. What was stolen by the state must be returned. We need a rotation of elites. Young people should come to the place of those who have already stuffed their pockets and keep their property with money over the hill. It is necessary to declare the truth everywhere, says Chaplin, and speak the truth.

Another reason for leaving is plausible. The archpriest stated that in Syria our troops are waging a holy war against terrorism. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed dissatisfaction with such a statement - this is a clear inconsistency with common sense. This conflict was given sectarian status for centuries. The departure of the priest became convenient for those concerned. The wishes of the government coincided with the personnel leapfrog of the church. The patriarch easily parted with employees who did not meet job requirements. But life goes on, but Vsevolod Chaplin remains a priest and rector of the Moscow parish.

In the spring of 2016, the disgraced archpriest was "spotted" at McDonald's, where Vsevolod Chaplin ate a hamburger during Lent! It cost the priest his last post. He was withdrawn from the Inter-Council Presence. He likes to be the center of attention.

In 1990 he graduated from the Moscow Theological Seminary, in 1994 -. He defended his Ph.D. thesis "The problem of the relationship between natural and divinely revealed New Testament ethics in modern foreign non-Orthodox and non-Christian thought."

Since 1985 - an employee of the Publishing Department, since 1990 - of the Moscow Patriarchate.

He headed the DECR MP Secretariat for Relations between the Church and Society. In 2001-2009 Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations.

In 1990-2000 He was a member of the Central Committees (WCC) and the Conference of European Churches (CEC), was a co-moderator of the Commission "Church and Society" of the CEC, a member of the Commission of Churches on International Affairs of the WCC.

In 1999 he was elevated to the rank of archpriest.

From March 31, 2009 to December 24, 2015 - Chairman (see for 2009 and 2015). Do - Vice President.

He was a member of the Council for Interaction with Religious Associations under the President of Russia ().

Member of the Writers' Union of Russia. Full member of the Academy of Russian Literature.

1990 - Moscow Theological Seminary.

1994 - Moscow Theological Academy (candidate of theology).

Church:

• 1996 - Order of St. blgv. book. Daniil of Moscow III degree;
• 2005 - Order of St. Innokenty of Moscow II Art.;
• 2010 - St. blgv. book. Daniil of Moscow II Art.;
• 2013 - Rev. Sergius of Radonezh III Art.

Secular:

• 2009 - Order of Friendship;
• Order of the Russian Imperial House of St. Anna II class.;
• a number of public awards.

A family

According to Chaplin, he grew up "in a non-religious family" and came to faith on his own when he was thirteen years old. Not married, no children.

Biography

In 1985, Chaplin joined the Publishing Department Moscow Patriarchy. According to his stories, already at that time he advocated that " The Church gave the right to life to various forms of preaching and communication.".

So, in 1989, he became one of the organizers of the first exhibition of avant-garde painting on religious themes, and in the early 1990s, he was the author of the preface to the first Christian rock disc.

Chaplin graduated in 1990 Moscow Theological Seminary. In the same year, he went to work in the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate (DECR MP), which since the end of 1989 was headed by the Archbishop of Smolensk and Kaliningrad.

In 1991, Chaplin was ordained a deacon, and a year later he became a priest, and the consecration (the sacrament of ordination) in both cases was performed by Cyril, who had already become a metropolitan by that time.

In 1991, Chaplin was appointed head of the public relations sector. DECR MP. While holding this post, he graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy in 1994 and received a Ph.D. in theology.

In 1996-1997, Chaplin was a member of the Council for Interaction with Religious Associations under the President of Russia. Boris Yeltsin.

In 1997, the priest headed the DECR MP secretariat for relations between the church and society (he held the position until 2001).

In 1999, Chaplin was elevated to the rank of archpriest.

In 2001, Chaplin became deputy chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, and remained so until 2009. In this position, he oversaw the Secretariat for Church-Society Relations, the Secretariat for Inter-Christian Relations, the Communications Service, and the Publications Sector.

In 2004, since the establishment of the expert council of the Committee State Duma on the affairs of public associations and religious organizations, Chaplin became a member of it.

In addition, in the 2000s, he became one of the members of the Central Committee World Council of Churches(WCC) and the Advisory Council OSCE on freedom of religion or belief.

Chaplin consistently defended the need to introduce in schools a subject called "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture", which caused many fears due to the threat of clericalization of society.

The subject has become one of the options for the course "Fundamentals of Religious Cultures and Secular Ethics", which was introduced experimentally in 19 regions of the country in 2010.

In December 2008, after the death of the patriarch Alexy II, Metropolitan Kirill was elected locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, and on January 27, 2009, at the Local Council, Kirill was elected Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. Soon the position of Chaplin also changed, who until 2009, while remaining deputy chairman of the DECR, served in the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Khoroshevo in Moscow.

In February 2009 on World Russian People's Council he was elected one of the two deputy heads of this forum - the patriarch.

March 31, 2009 by decision Holy Synod ROC Chaplin became chairman of the Synodal Department for Relations between the Church and Society, formed at the same meeting with the aim of establishing relations with legislative authorities, political parties and "other institutions of civil society."

The media wrote that the changes that occurred at that meeting of the Holy Synod were connected with the desire of the newly elected Patriarch Kirill to put people whom he has known for a long time, "Kirillovtsy", to key positions.

After the ROC and the party agreed on cooperation in 2009, Chaplin and the structure he leads were instructed to monitor the bills discussed in the State Duma, make their proposals and conduct consultations.

In May 2009, by presidential decree Dmitry Medvedev Chaplin was reintroduced to the Council for Interaction with Religious Associations.

In the fall of 2009, Chaplin, by decree of President Medvedev "On the Approval of Members of the Public Chamber," became a member. In the Public Chamber, he joined two commissions - on interethnic relations and freedom of conscience, and on regional development and local self-government.

In December 2009, Chaplin became rector of the church of St. Nicholas on the Three Mountains in the Presnensky district of Moscow.

In January 2012, the media widely discussed Chaplin's proposal to create an "Orthodox" or simply "Christian" political party, or corresponding groups in already existing large parties. At the same time, the archpriest emphasized that the Russian Orthodox Church cannot give blessings or provide "exclusive" support to such a party.

In the spring of 2012, Chaplin took an active part in the discussion of the scandalous action of the feminist punk band Pussy Riot at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. Five girls from this association in front of the altar of the temple "performed" the song "Mother of God, Virgin, drive Putin away", after some time a criminal case was initiated against them, and several members of the movement were arrested.

Chaplin called PussyRiot's performance a "boorish challenge" to Orthodox Christians, and stated that " blasphemous act should receive due legal assessment".

In March 2012, Chaplin attracted the attention of the press with an offer to test for extremism " works by Lenin, Trotsky and other Bolshevik leaders".

In April 2012, commenting on the scandalous statement of the lawyer Dagira Khasavova who threatened " bleed the country"if Muslims are prevented from introducing Sharia courts in Russia, Chaplin said that the Islamic community should be allowed" live by your own rules"and called such a path" relevant in the future for both Russia and Western Europe".

In December 2014, he opined that dominance USA world is coming to an end and Russia is called upon to bring it to naught:

"It is no coincidence that we often, at the cost of our own lives, at the cost of a very serious physical weakening of the state, stopped all global projects that did not agree with our conscience, with our vision of history and, I would say, with God's truth. This is the Napoleonic project, this is the Hitler project. Let's stop the American project!".

On December 20, 2014, in an interview with the Kazan newspaper BUSINESS Online, Chaplin made several controversial statements:

"I keep telling my liberal friends, with whom I've been in contact for over 30 years, that you shouldn't think you'll benefit from an "orange revolution" in Russia. In this revolution, if, God forbid, it takes place, it will not be you who will participate, but on the one hand - pseudo-Russian Nazis, on the other - pseudo-Muslim militants".

In May 2015, Chaplin commented to the Russian News Service on the logo designed by the Yekaterinburg designer Anatoly Patrushev for the ROC. The sign is a combination of the ruble symbol approved not so long ago with the outlines of an Orthodox cross.

"I would recommend this gentleman to make a picture of his face in conjunction with the price tag. All. Absolutely everything about this, and not a word more", - said Chaplin, who called "this gentleman" a designer provocateur.

Anatoly Patrushev presented the "ROC logo" at the Fakestival festival of unrealized advertising concepts. He gave a detailed explanation of his concept and even the name - "A Church understandable to people."

In May 2015, Chaplin saw behind the discussion about the resonant wedding of a 17-year-old girl and a 57-year-old head of the local police department in Chechnya an information attack by opponents of the traditional family.

"It is curious that those circles that are now criticizing the de facto polygyny that exists in the North Caucasus, that is, polygamy, often advocate same-sex marriages.", Chaplin told Interfax.

According to him, at international events he had to listen to the speeches of supporters of any so-called new forms of family, " up to pedophile or including five or six people of different sexes or the same sex, but Islamic polygamy was denied".

Chaplin is known for his conservative views. According to media reports, he Darwin's theory"hypothesis" and protests against its being taught as " undeniable scientific truth".

It was also reported that Chaplin opposed euthanasia and abortion, calling them unacceptable methods. Denies Chaplin and homosexual marriages.

Chaplin has many awards. Already in 1996, he received the Order of St. Prince Daniel of Moscow III degree, in 2005 - the Order of St. Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow, in 2010 - the Order of St. Prince Daniel of Moscow II degree - "in connection with the 25th anniversary of service in the Synodal structures of the Russian Orthodox Church".

In 2009, he received the Order of Friendship - "for his great contribution to the development of spiritual culture and the strengthening of friendship between peoples." It is also known that in 2003 Chaplin was awarded the Imperial Order of St. Anna II degree (a dynastic award of the Romanov dynasty in exile).

Rumors, scandals

In 2003, he spoke in defense of the believers who smashed the exhibition "Beware of Religion" in the museum. Sakharov (they were offended by the image of Christ against the background of Coca-Cola advertising with the words "This is my blood", a road sign in the form of an icon meaning "other dangers" and other elements of the exposition). Commenting on the incident, Chaplin stated that " our legal system must…respect this view".

In 2006, Chaplin, on behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church, urged the Orthodox not to go to the concert of the American singer Madonnas, whose performances have previously caused an angry reaction from representatives of different faiths, since she during her show " to illustrate his own passions, he exploits the crucifix, statues of the Mother of God and other religious symbols".

In 2008, Chaplin proposed the creation of Orthodox folk squads that could " clean up your place of residence". In the same year, reports appeared in the press that they were already being created, however, information was also published that rumors about the creation of such squads were greatly exaggerated.

At the end of 2010, Chaplin expressed the opinion that Russian women, with their defiant appearance and manners, provoke men to rape, and then suggested coming up with "general dress code". This statement caused a storm of criticism in the media, it was even called "shocking" and violating the Constitution.

On the Internet, signatures began to be collected under a petition to Patriarch Kirill, the authors of which insisted that the appearance of a person is his private business. At the same time, the head of the Chechen Republic supported Chaplin's idea, saying that " the Russian people have always revered both decency and female modesty". The proposal of the archpriest was also liked by the All-Russian Muftiate.

Chaplin's other statement about appearance also caused a wide resonance in the press. In 2011, the archpriest expressed the opinion that clergymen need to have expensive vestments in order to raise the prestige of the church and speak on equal terms with " the mighty of this world, who measure the attitude towards a person with money".

For the same reason, he says, they also need to drive good cars. His statement again became a reason for criticism in the press, which, commenting on Chaplin's speech, remembered the watch of Patriarch Kirill of the Breguet brand, worth about thirty thousand euros, seen on the hand of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church during his visit to Ukraine in 2009.

In December 2015, it became known that Vsevolod Chaplin, a member of the Public Chamber, was suspended from the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church. According to rumors, Chaplin decided to create his own media.

However, the media continue to discuss Chaplin's scandalous snack at McDonald's.