On September 3, 2025, the Museum of the History of Religion in St. Petersburg opened an exhibition entitled "Regimental Priests of the Russian Army in the Past and Present," dedicated to the history of the military clergy in Russia in the XVII-XXI centuries.
The opening of the exhibition, organized in cooperation with the Military History Museum, the Resource Center of the Two Capitals and other public organizations, is timed to coincide with the 135th anniversary of the Supreme approval of the "Regulations on the Management of Churches and Clergy of the Military and Naval Departments" and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Synodal Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies.
The topic is reflected in three sections: the Russian military clergy in the XVIII — early XX centuries, military clergy in modern Russia, the role of the clergy in its Among the rarities are the icon "The Trinity of the Old Testament in being with walking" from 1688 from the church of St. Sergius in Pushkarskaya Sloboda, Moscow, details of the iconostasis of the marching church of the 136th Taganrog Infantry Regiment (XVIII century), the image of St. George in a silver salary (1816) from the church of St. Spyridon Trimifuntsky of the Life Guards of the Finnish Regiment in St. Petersburg, part of the marching tent church of the Life Guards of the Moscow Regiment (1915). Among the modern exhibits are samples of priestly vestments and liturgical accessories designed for the clergy on the line of contact, chevrons with images of saints, prayer books and icons.
Ekaterina Teryukova, director of the museum, noted that the theme of the feat of regimental priests is especially relevant at the present time, when a special military operation is underway. The museum has repeatedly addressed this topic, but it is organizing a separate exhibition for the first time. Many items related to the ministry of priests in the conditions of the SVR were provided by the museum's partners, and several artists painted paintings for the exhibition.
"Priestly service in war is one of the conditions for victory," said Archpriest Dimitri Vasilenkov, the chief military priest of the clergy who provide care to members of the Russian Armed Forces and employees of other law enforcement agencies in the SVR zone. — War is primarily a clash of the spirit of the soldiers of opposing armies, and where the spirit is stronger, there is victory. Our spirit is based on the truth of God and man. And who teaches soldiers to serve according to the truth of God and so that human truth corresponds to the truth of God? Military priests teach not only the word of God, but their whole lives, which they sometimes sacrifice if necessary. Unfortunately, seven priests have already given their lives for the victory. But now we have great prayer books before God. And the living priests who are working now need help, first of all prayerful. Their feat is an example for believers of how to fulfill the main law of the gospel life: "There is no greater love than if a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). The priests are doing their duty, the main thing is that you help those at the front."
"Faith is not blind trust, but experienced knowledge," said Archpriest Mikhail Pogiblov, confessor of the military deanery of the St. Petersburg Diocese, rector of the Church of Equal—to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir at the district Military Hospital No. 442. — When we open our hearts to God and do a good deed, the eternal soul rejoices, all the more so when you defend the Fatherland on the battlefield, as evidenced by the wounded, because you do a good deed to the point of self—sacrifice, to the point of death. The feat creates an amazing thing — you meet with God. It is difficult to convey this experience. I talk to the wounded, and many say how they missed the priests there, so that they could tell about God, how to address Him. It is encouraging that there are young priests who aspire to go there."
Islam Salikhov, the imam of the mosque at the Military Academy of Logistics, noted that many people come to war as non-believers, but on the battlefield both Christians and Muslims begin to believe in God.
Archpriest Vyacheslav Kharinov, who has been engaged in search work for many years, told what he had heard: "Father, why are you engaged in the war? The war ended a long time ago, we must forget about it!" But it is obvious that the topic of war has not been exhausted. Recently, the priest visited the SVR zone, and the Lord ordered him to follow the path of the 346th Debaltseve division, where his father served. She fought on Kulikovo Field, liberated Donbass, Crimea, forced the Sivash, took Sevastopol. God intended to travel the path of my father's division and be in his frontline area, in Mariupol, Volnovakha and Debaltseve.
With the blessing of Metropolitan Vladimir of Donetsk and Mariupol, the priest donated a battle flag to the museum.
From the Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Law enforcement agencies, diocesan badges "For Virtue" were awarded to servicemen of the sapper regiment of the Leningrad Military District who served in the SVO zone.
The exhibition is open until October 28.
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The first mentions of churchmen in the regiments are found in documents from the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich. Under Emperor Peter I, each regiment and warship received a full-time position of a priest. In 1797, under Emperor Paul I, an archpriest was placed at the head of the military and naval clergy. The first such priest was Archpriest Pavel Ozeretskovsky. In 1890, the post of protopresbyter of the military and naval clergy was established. In 1918, the military clergy ceased to exist. In the 1990s, its revival began. In 1995, the Synodal Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies was established. On July 21, 2009, by the decision of the President of Russia, the Institute of military priesthood was recreated, and on June 7, 2022, the post of protopresbyter of the military and naval clergy was revived.