The Patriarchal Literary Prize is the center of attraction for great literature. Patriarchal Literary Prize

Writers Boris Tarasov, Boris Ekimov and Priest Nikolai Blokhin became laureates of the Patriarchal Literary Prize. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' presented awards to the winners in the hall of church cathedrals of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.

“I sincerely hope that the award will make it possible to identify new authors, to recognize writers who continue in their work best traditions Russian literature,” said the patriarch.

On spiritual literature and hack work

He noted that modern man often does not find the opportunity to pay attention to something that does not concern him. professional activity or family concerns. By holding this competition, the Church hopes to present highly spiritual literature to the Russians, he stressed.

A total of nine nominees were identified, including the writer Ksenia Krivosheina, who withdrew her application without explanation. IN short list also included Alexander Gromov, Alexei Karpov, nun Evfimiya (Elena Pashchenko), Valery Sergeev, Andrey Tkachev (archpriest). Three laureates were elected by secret ballot.

At the same time, before the award ceremony, the patriarch criticized current trend some writers "hack". “Today, sometimes literature becomes just a means to earn money, and texts appear that cannot be called literature, and sometimes it’s just pure hack: literary, stylistic, semantic,” the patriarch said.

He noted that he sometimes "has to open such texts for one reason or another." "It's embarrassing," he said.

Patriarch's Award and laureates

Patriarchal literary prize the names of the saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius has no analogues in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church and in the practice of other local Orthodox Churches.

The award is not given for specific works, but "for a significant contribution to the development of Russian literature." As conceived, the competition is designed to develop the interaction between the Church and the literary community, which, through its creativity, establishes the foundations Christian faith. Primates of local Orthodox Churches, heads of self-governing Churches within the Moscow Patriarchate, diocesan bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, bodies state power CIS and Baltic countries, Synodal institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as editorial literary magazines and literary and public organizations. Until now, only writers have become laureates of the award.

The already well-known and prestigious award was presented this year for the sixth time. It was established by the Holy Synod in 2009 and was first awarded in 2011. Last year, the monetary part of the award amounted to 300,000 rubles per laureate.

The first laureate of the Patriarchal Literary Prize was the writer Vladimir Krupin. In the second premium season, Olesya Nikolaeva and Viktor Nikolaev became the winners, in the third - Alexei Varlamov, Yuri Loshchits and Stanislav Kunyaev, in the fourth - Nikolai Agafonov, Valentin Kurbatov and Valery Ganichev, in the fifth - Yuri Bondarev, Alexander Segen and Yuri Kublanovskiy.

Regulations on the Patriarchal Literary Prize named after Saints Cyril and Methodius Equal to the Apostles

1. General Provisions.

1.1. “The Patriarchal Literary Award named after Saints Cyril and Methodius Equal-to-the-Apostles was established to encourage writers who have made a significant contribution to the establishment of spiritual and moral values in life modern man, families and societies that created highly artistic works that enriched Russian literature.

1.2. The Saints Cyril and Methodius Equal-to-the-Apostles Prize was established Holy Synod on the initiative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill. (Journal No. 115 of the meeting of the Holy Synod of December 25, 2009.)

1.3. The prize is awarded annually. The announcement of the start of the next premium season is carried out through the funds mass media.

1.4. The prize is awarded in the nomination "For a significant contribution to the development of Russian literature."

1.5. One award is given annually.

1.6. Paperwork and organization relating to the Patriarchal Literary Prize are entrusted to the apparatus of the Publishing Council.

1.7. The Regulations on the Prize and all amendments to it are approved by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'.

1.8. The body responsible for awarding the Prize is the Chamber of Trustees of the Prize.

2. Chamber of Trustees.

2.1. The Chamber of Trustees of the Prize is formed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' and the Holy Synod. It includes representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and the literary community, public figures, figures of science and culture.

2.2. Chamber of Trustees:

Makes a decision on granting the Prize;

Forms the Council of Experts and determines the procedure for its work;

Sets the amount of the material component of the Prize;

Approves the sketch (layout) of the commemorative award badge and the form of the Prize diploma.

2.3. The Chamber of Trustees is chaired by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'.

2.4. The Secretary of the Chamber of Trustees is the Chairman of the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.

2.5. The secretary of the Chamber of Trustees is responsible for the organization of the work of the Chamber and office work.

3. Council of experts.

3.1. The Board of Experts is formed by the House of Trustees.

3.2. The Council of Experts is headed by a chairman appointed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'.

3.3. The Secretary of the Council of Experts is elected at the first meeting of the Council.

3.4. The Secretary of the Council of Experts keeps minutes of the meetings and is responsible for the paperwork of the Council.

3.5. Expert advice:

Carries out the selection of candidates and proposes them for consideration by the Chamber of Trustees as nominees.

4. Procedure for nominating candidates for the Prize.

4.1. The heads of Local Churches, heads of self-governing Churches within the Moscow Patriarchate, diocesan bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, state authorities of the CIS and Baltic countries, Synodal institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church, editorial offices of literary magazines of the CIS and Baltic countries have the right to nominate candidates for the Prize.

4.2. A candidate may be nominated for the Prize again.

4.3. When nominating candidates for the Prize, the following materials are provided:

4.3.1. Letter of nomination in free form on the letterhead of the organization;

4.3.2. Questionnaire, the form and sample of which will be presented on the website of the Publishing Council. The application form must contain the following information:

─ information about the organization that nominates a candidate for the Prize, the necessary contact numbers and addresses,

─ biography of the candidate indicating the last name, first name, patronymic, list of the most significant works,

Motivation for nominating a candidate for the Prize.

4.3.3. Literary work(works) that are offered for decision-making on the awarding of their authors.

4.3.4. Written consent of the candidate for his nomination as a candidate for the Prize.

4.4. All candidates nominated for the Prize are registered by the Publishing Council. Candidates are accepted for consideration by the Council of Experts, the full package of materials for which was sent by mail or delivered to the address of the Publishing Council no later than the deadline for receiving materials.

4.5. A candidate nominated for the Prize has the right to withdraw his candidacy from consideration by sending a personal application to the Publishing Council addressed to the Secretary of the Prize's House of Trustees.

5. Determination of laureates and procedure for their awarding.

5.1. The winners of the Prize are determined by a simple majority vote of the members of the House of Trustees. Voting can be open or closed. The question of the method of voting is taken by the Chamber of Trustees of the Prize on the proposal of the Chairman.

5.2. The decision of the Chamber of Trustees is announced at the award ceremony in the presence of representatives of the media and is published on the website.

5.3. Prize winners are awarded sets consisting of a commemorative award badge, a diploma and a certificate of the monetary part of the Prize.

5.4. The solemn ceremony of awarding the Prize is timed to coincide with the Days Slavic writing and culture.

6. Timing of the award process.

6.1. Reception of candidates for the Prize begins on the day of the announcement of the Prize winners.

6.2. Information about the deadlines for admission is published on the website of the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.

7. Taxes and fees.

7.1. The Chamber of Trustees of the Prize provides information about the Prize laureates to the Federal Tax Service of Russia in accordance with current legislation Russian Federation. The Laureates are liable to pay out of the Prize amount all taxes and fees established on the territory of the Russian Federation, in the manner prescribed by the current legislation of the Russian Federation.

Events

March 28, 2017 in the Red Hall of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' chaired the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Patriarchal Literary Prize named after Saints Cyril and Methodius Equal to the Apostles.

An article by Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk, published in Literaturnaya Gazeta, tells about the books of the winners of the Patriarchal Literary Prize.

On March 6, 2017, in the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, under the chairmanship of Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk, a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Patriarchal Literary Prize named after Saints Cyril and Methodius was held.

The acceptance of documents for the title of laureate of the seventh premium season of the Patriarchal Literary Prize named after Saints Cyril and Methodius is continuing.

On June 27, 2016, the Publishing Council chaired by Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk round table on the topic: "Prospects for the development of the Patriarchal Literary Prize."

On May 25, 2016, a round table dedicated to the Patriarchal Literary Prize took place on the air of the Evening Moscow network broadcast.

May 20, 2016 at the Saratov State Technical University named after Yu.A. Gagarin held a meeting with students of the poet, publicist, essayist, literary critic, art historian, author of 19 books of poetry and numerous publications in magazines " New world”, “Banner”, “Continent”, “October”, “Friendship of Peoples” - Yuri Kublanovsky.

On May 20, 2016, within the framework of the cultural and business program of the book exhibition-forum "Joy of the Word" at the Saratov Socio-Economic Institute of the Russian Economic University named after G.V. Plekhanov met with the poet, prose writer, publicist, laureate of the Patriarchal Literary Prize Olesya Nikolaeva.

On May 18, 2016, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' led the solemn ceremony of electing and awarding the laureates of the Patriarchal Literary Prize named after Saints Cyril and Methodius Equal to the Apostles. After the presentation of the nominees, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church addressed the audience with a word.

On May 18, 2016, in the Hall of Church Councils of the Cathedral Church of Christ the Savior in Moscow, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' led the sixth ceremony of election and awarding of laureates of the Patriarchal Literary Prize named after Saints Cyril and Methodius Equal to the Apostles.

The list of nominees for the 2015 Patriarchal Literary Prize includes:

Archpriest Leonid Safronov; Bondarev Yury Vasilievich; Burlyaev Nikolai Petrovich; Volodikhin Dmitry Mikhailovich; Voropaev Vladimir Alekseevich; Kublanovskiy Yuri Mikhailovich; Matveeva Novella Nikolaevna; Segen Alexander Yurievich.

On May 26 at 13:00 at the International Multimedia Press Center of MIA Rossiya Segodnya (Zubovsky Boulevard, building 4) a press conference will be held dedicated to the 5th anniversary of the Patriarchal Literary Prize and the award ceremony for this year's laureates. A video recording of the event will be available at the link on the press center website http://pressmia.ru/pressclub/20150526/950142685.html

On May 28, 2015, in the Hall of Church Councils of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' will lead the solemn ceremony of electing and awarding the laureates of the Patriarchal Literary Prize.

On the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the Patriarchal Literary Prize, a jubilee collection of works by writers - laureates and nominees of the Prize 2011–2015 is published. Written in beautiful language, serious and funny, lyrical and filled with warm humor, they will not leave readers indifferent. The book will be of interest to a wide range readers.

The Patriarchal Literary Prize named after Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius was established by the Holy Synod on the initiative of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill in order to encourage writers who have made a significant contribution to the affirmation of spiritual and moral values ​​in the life of a modern person, family and society, who have created highly artistic works that have enriched Russian literature.

The winners of the Prize are elected by a vote of the members of the House of Trustees from among the nominees who were included in the short list of the Prize. Voting takes place at the ceremony of election and awarding of the Prize, in the presence of representatives of the media.

The Chairman of the Chamber of Trustees is His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'; Secretary of the House of Trustees - Chairman of the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan of Kaluga and Borovsk Kliment. The Chamber of Trustees includes representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and the literary community, public figures, scientists and cultural figures. Among them: Archbishop Anthony of Borispol, Bishop Veniamin of Borisov, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov), Alexander Arkhangelsky, Alexei Varlamov, Andrei Vasilevsky, Yuri Vyazemsky, Valery Ganichev, Konstantin Kovalev-Sluchevsky, Boris Oleinik, Yuri Polyakov, Alexander Sokolov, Boris Tarasov, Viktor Fedorov, Sergei Chuprinin and others.

The Patriarchal Literary Prize named after Saints Cyril and Methodius Equal to the Apostles has no analogues in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church and other local churches. The award is intended to promote the development of interaction between the Russian Orthodox Church and the literary community. The prize is awarded in the nomination "For a significant contribution to the development of Russian literature."

The award is intended to promote the development of interaction between the Russian Orthodox Church and the literary community - primarily those writers who, through their work, establishes the foundations of the Christian faith. Primates of Local Orthodox Churches, heads of self-governing Churches within the Moscow Patriarchate, diocesan bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, state authorities of the CIS and Baltic countries, Synodal institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as editorial offices of literary magazines and literary and public organizations have the right to nominate candidates for the award. .

Organization of all events related to the selection of the Prize nominees, as well as preparation of meetings of the Chamber of Trustees, the Council of Experts and organization solemn ceremony the election and awarding of the laureate of the Patriarchal Literary Prize is entrusted to the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The first laureate of the Patriarchal Literary Prize in 2011 was the writer Vladimir Nikolaevich Krupin. In the second premium season (2012), Olesya Alexandrovna Nikolaeva and Viktor Nikolaevich Nikolaev became the winners. In the third premium season (2013), Alexei Varlamov, Yuri Loshchits and Stanislav Kunyaev received awards. In the fourth premium season (2014), the winners were: Father Nikolai Agafonov, Valentin Kurbatov and Valery Ganichev.

More detailed information about the Patriarchal Literary Prize and this year's nominees is available

On May 11, 2017, in the Hall of Church Councils of the Cathedral Church of Christ the Savior in Moscow, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' led the seventh ceremony of electing and awarding laureates of the Patriarchal Literary Prize named after Saints Cyril and Methodius Equal to the Apostles.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church: the manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga; Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk, Chairman of the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church; the first vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' for the city of Moscow, Metropolitan Arseniy of Istra; Metropolitan of Saratov and Volsky Longin; Bishop Theophylact of Dmitrov, abbot of the St. Andrew's Monastery; Chairman of the Publishing Council of the Belarusian Exarchate Bishop Pavel of Molodechno and Stolbtsy; Bishop of Edinet and Brichansk Nikodim; Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate; Chief Editor Publishing house of the Moscow Patriarchate Archpriest Vladimir Siloviev; Archimandrite Savva (Tutunov), Deputy Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate; employees of the Publishing Council, the Publishing House of the Moscow Patriarchate and other synodal institutions, clergy and monastics.

The event was also attended by members of the Chamber of Trustees of the Patriarchal Literary Prize, Russian literary scholars, journalists, representatives of state and public organizations, cultural figures.

On the Soyuz TV channel there was a live broadcast from the Hall of Church Cathedrals.

The ceremony began with a screening of the film, dedicated to history Patriarchal Literary Prize.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill addressed the audience with the First Hierarch's word.

Acceptance of applications for the Patriarchal Literary Prize began on September 14, 2016. During the seventh premium season, 50 applications were received from various regions of Russia, as well as from Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Latvia. March 28 this year At a meeting of the Chamber of Trustees of the Patriarchal Literary Prize, a short list of nominees for 2017 was approved, which included:

• Irina Anatolyevna Bogdanova;
• Dmitry Mikhailovich Volodikhin;
• Vasily Vladimirovich Dvortsov;
• Victor Ivanovich Likhonosov;
• Boris Fedorovich Sporov;
• Alexander Borisovich Tkachenko;
• Archpriest Yaroslav Shipov.

• Bishop Pavel of Molodechno and Stolbtsovsky, Chairman of the Publishing Council of the Belarusian Exarchate;
• Yu.M. Loshchits, writer, publicist and literary critic, laureate of the Patriarchal Literary Prize;
• K.P. Kovalev-Sluchevsky, professor at the Institute of Journalism and literary creativity, writer.

Then the elections of the laureates of the Patriarchal Literary Prize took place: the members of the House of Trustees filled out the voting ballots. The ballots were handed over to the Counting Commission. The members of the Counting Commission counted the votes, filled out the protocol and handed it over to His Holiness the Patriarch.
During the voting and counting of votes, a film about the nominees of the 2017 Patriarchal Literary Prize was shown.

His Holiness the Patriarch presented the laureates with a diploma and badges of the Patriarchal Literary Prize.

All the nominees of the 2017 award were also invited to the stage - I.A. Bogdanova, D.M. Volodikhin, V.V. Palaces, A.B. Tkachenko, to whom the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church presented honorary diplomas.

IN musical accompaniment choir participated in the ceremony orphanage"Joy" at the Nikolsky Chernoostrovsky Monastery in the city of Maloyaroslavets, Kaluga Region.

The evening ended with a concert.

***
The Patriarchal Literary Prize was established by the Holy Synod at a meeting on December 25, 2009 (magazine No. 115) with the aim of encouraging writers who have made a significant contribution to the affirmation of spiritual and moral values ​​in the life of a modern person, family and society, who have created highly artistic works that have enriched Russian literature. This award has no analogues in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church and other Local Orthodox Churches.
The first laureate of the Patriarchal Literary Prize in 2011 was the writer Vladimir Krupin. In the second premium season (2012), Olesya Nikolaeva and Viktor Nikolaev became the winners. In 2013, Alexei Varlamov, Yuri Loshchits and Stanislav Kunyaev were awarded. In the fourth premium season (2014), the winners were Archpriest Nikolai Agafonov, Valentin Kurbatov and Valery Ganichev. In 2015, the prize was awarded to Yuri Bondarev, Yuri Kublanovskiy and Alexander Segen, in 2016 to Boris Ekimov, Boris Tarasov and priest Nikolai Blokhin.

Word of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill at the 2017 Patriarchal Literary Prize Ceremony

Your Eminences and Eminences! Dear fathers, brothers and sisters! Ladies and Gentlemen!

Christ is Risen!

I cordially greet you all. We have gathered in this hall to elect for the seventh time the laureates of the Patriarchal Literary Prize named after Saints Cyril and Methodius Equal to the Apostles. And I am sure that today, as in past years, truly worthy authors will become the new laureates.

According to the established tradition, I would like to preface the ceremony with some reflections on the fate of Russian literature.

Once I happened to read an article in a well-known foreign publication devoted to current state Russian literature. The article came out under a very bright and provocative title: “Is Russian Literature Dead?” I will not retell the content of this article - I think the essence is clear from the title. The main message of the author was that Russian writers allegedly "chunked", the last great works were written several decades ago, and the authority and influence of Russian literature on the minds of contemporaries is not at all the same as before.

Let's leave out the fact that the article was published in a foreign weekly. Unfortunately, such pessimistic views are encountered among representatives of the domestic intelligentsia. At such moments, I always want to ask the interlocutor: “Where do such thoughts come from? Is it really writers of the 19th Or were the conditions for creativity better in the 20th century, or was there more food for thought than today?

Talented people are born and live in any era. The question is not at all that we do not have new Pushkins, Dostoevskys, Chekhovs, Pasternaks. We have them. The question is how to reveal these writers to the world, how to make their work the property of the whole society.

To clarify my thoughts, I would like to make small digression in history, in the 30s of the XIX century. The well-known censor Alexander Krasovsky at that time, talking about contemporary literature, once called it disgusting. Probably, his judgment would not have been so interesting if it were not for the fact that Krasovsky lived in an era that would later be called the golden age of Russian culture.

So, you ask, was the critic ignorant? No! Krasovsky was an educated and well-read man, he knew several foreign languages. What prevented him from seeing Pushkin or Gogol? What was the reason for such blindness, which did not allow in contemporaries to see brilliant writers? Maybe insensitivity, inattention to the artistic word?

It's no secret that the later, more mature works of Pushkin, which we admire today, were met by many of his contemporaries very coolly and even with incomprehension. There were also those who wrote about the general crisis of literature and the decline of Pushkin's talent. And even "Boris Godunov", written earlier, was accepted and understood by readers far from immediately.

So what, after all, to the greatest extent determines the ability to see? Perhaps a view from some historical distance? This question is not rhetorical - it requires serious reflection. It is important to understand that literary process- it's not one, not two or even three names. This is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon. The literary process is formed in the conditions of a certain cultural environment and by the efforts of more than two or three prominent people but of the entire writing community. Just as a fertile layer of soil contributes to the rapid growth and successful development of plants, so a healthy and properly organized literary process contributes to the emergence of new geniuses and beautiful works of art.

Not a single time does the Lord leave without talented people without real writers and poets. Let me emphasize once again: there are talented authors in any era, and our time is no exception. It is important not to overlook these talents. Contemporaries, especially the writing community, editors, publishers should try to notice talents, support them, especially at the beginning of their journey, give them the opportunity to publish, tell readers about them.

Today, novice authors have to face considerable difficulties in publishing their works. Many publishing houses simply refuse to publish works by authors, referring to the current market laws, which require, first of all, what will be successfully sold, what will make a profit. The unfortunate tendency to make money from literature unfortunately often results in most publishers not being interested in the actual artistic quality of a work, but in how similar it is to one of the top-grossing novels, in order to continue this line of bestsellers.

Such market filters become a big obstacle for original and truly talented authors. And those who are able to influence are called upon to overcome these obstacles. cultural environment and who has some leverage, including on the publishing process. I am deeply convinced that a special role should be played by editors, publishers, that is, people on whom the publication of certain authors depends.

I hope that the Patriarchal Literary Prize will also make a significant contribution to the discovery of new names, in support of gifted masters of the word. This support is extremely important for writers and poets. Do we realize how many authors we do not know just because next to them there was no one who would be sincerely interested in their work, who would help to reach the reader? Do we realize how many talented people cease to publish, precisely because there were those who did not have an impeccable sense of language, were not too well versed in literature, but at the same time considered it possible to publish negative feedback. Other examples can be cited: more than once talented writers and poets were unable to appreciate the works of their contemporaries. And how many texts were lost because they were not printed on time?

In general, this is a very serious topic - the ability to see, understand, feel, and much here also depends on how the public consciousness. If in the 19th and 20th centuries (at least in the first half of the 20th century) literature was an important source of food for thought, today, in the ever-growing information flow, literature occupies only a part, and far from being dominant. It is becoming increasingly difficult to discern a talented author in a huge information array. In addition, the attention of the vast majority of people today is riveted to electronic means mass media. The general acceleration of the pace of life is another factor that adversely affects reading in general and the ability to identify outstanding authors. There is no time to read a book from beginning to end, but in order to understand the author's intention, to feel the beauty of the style, one must not only read, but also reflect on the book!

So it's not just about publishers and editors, of course, but how common cultural context promotes orientation mass consciousness to the realm of literature. And we all need to think carefully about what should be done in order for fiction to regain its position, so that people read not only light action-packed books, but also texts created by masters of the word containing deep thoughts.

The remarkable Russian poet Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky was able to accurately assess the scale of Pushkin's gift when he was still quite young. I quote: “For everything that happened to you and that you brought on yourself, I have one answer: poetry. You do not have a talent, but a genius ... By the authority given to me, I offer you the first place in the Russian Parnassus. And what place, if lofty genius connect and target altitude!" Probably, only a person who possessed not only literary talent, high professional qualifications, but also very strong eyesight, capable of distinguishing spirits (see 1 Cor. 12:10) could penetrate the poet’s talent in this way (see 1 Cor. 12:10). So the question arises: can a person living in our fast-flowing, busy time have such a vision, or is a modern person completely deprived of the opportunity to see the essence of things, be able to find talents and support them? I don't think there is a simple answer to this question. But we live in an era that God has determined for us, and our task is to create tools that enhance our spiritual vision and enable us to find talents, feed on their thought and beauty of style.

As you know, in the future, Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky tried to defend Pushkin, and who knows how the human and literary life poet, if not for the help of Zhukovsky. And today it is important for us to learn to be attentive, to learn to see talented contemporaries and to help, in whatever way we can, people whom God has given. Then our literature will be enriched with new names and remarkable works of art. God grant that the Patriarchal Award named after Saints Cyril and Methodius Equal to the Apostles will serve even modest, but enough effective tool, which would help not only specialists to identify talented authors, but also the general reader to get acquainted with the work of their remarkable contemporaries.

Thank you for your attention.

Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'

On May 11, 2017, in the Hall of Church Councils of the Cathedral Church of Christ the Savior in Moscow, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' led the seventh ceremony of electing and awarding laureates of the Patriarchal Literary Prize named after Saints Cyril and Methodius Equal to the Apostles.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church: the manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate; chairman of the Russian Orthodox Church; the first vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' for the city of Moscow; ; viceroy; Chairman of the Publishing Council; ; Deputy Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate; Chief Editor ; deputy manager of affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate; employees of the Publishing Council, the Publishing House of the Moscow Patriarchate and other synodal institutions, clergy and monastics.

The event was also attended by members of the Chamber of Trustees of the Patriarchal Literary Prize, Russian literary critics, journalists, representatives of state and public organizations, and cultural figures.

Acceptance of applications for the competition of the Patriarchal Literary Prize on September 14, 2016. During the seventh premium season, 50 applications were received from various regions of Russia, as well as from Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Latvia. March 28 this year at a meeting of the Chamber of Trustees of the Patriarchal Literary Prize, a short list of nominees for 2017, which included:

• Irina Anatolyevna Bogdanova;
• Dmitry Mikhailovich Volodikhin;
• Vasily Vladimirovich Dvortsov;
• Victor Ivanovich Likhonosov;
• Boris Fedorovich Sporov;
• Alexander Borisovich Tkachenko;
• Archpriest Yaroslav Shipov.

• Bishop Pavel of Molodechno and Stolbtsovsky, Chairman of the Publishing Council of the Belarusian Exarchate;
• Yu.M. Loshchits, writer, publicist and literary critic, laureate of the Patriarchal Literary Prize;
• K.P. Kovalev-Sluchevsky, professor at the Institute of Journalism and Literary Creativity, writer.

Then the elections of the laureates of the Patriarchal Literary Prize took place: the members of the House of Trustees filled out the voting ballots. The ballots were handed over to the Counting Commission. The members of the Counting Commission counted the votes, filled out the protocol and handed it over to His Holiness the Patriarch.

His Holiness the Patriarch presented the laureates with a diploma and badges of the Patriarchal Literary Prize.

All the nominees of the 2017 award were also invited to the stage - I.A. Bogdanova, D.M. Volodikhin, V.V. Palaces, A.B. Tkachenko, to whom the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church presented honorary diplomas.

The choir of the orphanage "Otrada" at the Nikolsky Chernoostrovsky Monastery in the city of Maloyaroslavets, Kaluga Region, participated in the musical accompaniment of the ceremony.

The evening ended with a concert.

The Patriarchal Literary Prize was established by the Holy Synod on December 25, 2009 () with the aim of encouraging writers who have made a significant contribution to the affirmation of spiritual and moral values ​​​​in the life of a modern person, family and society, who have created highly artistic works that have enriched Russian literature. This award has no analogues in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church and other Local Orthodox Churches.

The first laureate of the Patriarchal Literary Prize in 2011 was the writer Vladimir Krupin. In the second premium season (2012), the winners are Olesya Nikolaeva and Viktor Nikolaev. In 2013, Alexey Varlamov, Yuri Loshchits and Stanislav Kunyaev were awarded. In the fourth premium season (2014), the laureates