There are dark times when it certainly seems that the entire world has collapsed under the weight of the Iron Curtain, that sanctions and restrictions have brought chaos and calamity into our lives. We should not think about it at all, firstly, because God is bountiful of everything. With His guidance everything is in order and everything has its purpose. And secondly, so long as we have each other, things are bound to get better. You would ask, what made me think so? Well, there was a little story that happened in a small town of Tver, in the very heart of Russia.

Not long ago, in the church of St. Basil the Great in the village of Vasilyevskoye of the Mikhailovsky rural settlement, there was general rejoicing. Beautiful new iron doors were installed and promptly became a sort of local landmark. There was no end to gasping and staring and finger-pointing. «See these beautiful doors?» - people ask the newcomers. And then they add proudly - «These doors were sent to us all the way from America!»

Just think about it – in the era of military operations, mutual claims and economic sanctions people in a small Russian village are happy with a gift from the enemy America! And all because good Orthodox people live there too.

This is how it all started. Once upon a time in the USA there was a young man named Viktor Boldevskul. His parents emigrated to America back in the Soviet years.They came from Odessa and Orel. But Victor was born in New York and had every chance to become a real American. However the pious parents, although they found themselves overseas, did not forget their roots. The family spoke Russian and Viktor was even sent to a youth camp in Jordanville.

The name of Jordanville is pleasant to the ear of every Orthodox American. The Holy Trinity Monastery there is one of the largest centers of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. There is also a legendary printing house, whose Orthodox books were read underground by the entire Soviet Union.

It is no wonder that in due course Victor went to study at the theological seminary in Jordanville. Then he studied history at Ohio State University. And from there the Lord brought him to write a PhD thesis on Russian monasticism of the XV-XVII centuries. But where to collect the material? Of course, he went to Russia.

Victor returned from Russia not only with a thesis. He brought with him a young wife. Svetlana studied biology in the University of Tver, and then attended catechism courses at the Athos Monastery in Moscow. The young couple got married in a village church, the same one in fact, that we mentioned before – St. Basil the Great in the village of Vasilevka.

Then the new family left for America, and life continued its course. Children were born, Victor became a deacon, then a priest. Then Father Victor was blessed to preside at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Boston.

Life went on, twenty-five years flew by unnoticed. And thus it came to pass that the parishioners of the Boston church decided to make a gift to their pastor, Archpriest Victor Boldevskul and his wife. Then Father Victor said to them: «Dear ones, I don't need any gifts. But we could all give a gift where it is needed. Let’s give it  to a church in distant Russia, where our love and family were blessed by the Lord». 

That was settled. And - hey presto! - The villagers in Vasilevka are already installing forged doors to the temple, and thanking their "American" priest and his parishioners for a generous gift. That's how the Orthodox of Russia and America united in one good deed and the memory of the good. And this is where I tell you - It's still good that we have each other. No curtain can possibly be a barrier to God's work.