Andrey Vyacheslavovich Kuraev (; born 15 February 1963) is a Russian theologian, philosopher, publicist, blogger, and missionary. Since 3 April 2024, he has been a Protodeacon of the Church of Constantinople (since July 2024, a clergyman of the Exarchate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Lithuania).
Kuraev is the author of the first textbook on the . He was formerly protodeacon of the of the Diocese of Moscow of the Russian Orthodox Church.
On 29 December 2020, by decision of the Moscow Diocesan Court, Kuraev was defrocked, which came into force after the decision's approval by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' on 28 April 2023. Kuraev himself did not recognize the decision, citing the fact that at the time of his defrocking, he was no longer under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Diocese and, as a result, the decisions of Patriarch Kirill as the ruling bishop of the Moscow Diocese do not apply to him. On 3 April 2024, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople reinstated his ecclesiastical rank.
Life Childhood and education Kuraev's father, , was the secretary of the director of the Institute of Philosophy of the USSR Academy of Sciences and member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Pyotr Fedoseyev.
In high school, Kuraev published the wall newspaper Atheist. He was a member of the Komsomol since 1977 and a member of the since 1982.
By Kuraev's own admission, his conversion to faith was influenced by his acquaintance with the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky in his third year at university, and in particular with the novel The Brothers Karamazov and the "legend of the Grand Inquisitor" included in it.
In 1984, Kuraev graduated with honors from Moscow State University.
In 1985, Kuraev fulfilled his long-held desire and entered (on the recommendation of Archpriest ) the , where he studied until 1988. His admission was influenced by the specialist in Old Russian literature Vyacheslav Grikhin, who had previously prepared Kuraev for admission to Moscow State University. He graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy in 1992.Кураев Андрей Вячеславович – Древо. Drevo-info.ru. From 1988 to 1990 he studied at the at the University of Bucharest.
Church service On 8 July 1990, Kuraev was ordained a deacon by Patriarch Teoctist Arăpașu at the Romanian Patriarchal Cathedral. According to some sources, from September 1990 to 1992 he was the official press secretary and speechwriter of Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow.
In 1993-1996, Kuraev was the Dean of the Philosophical and Theological Faculty of the Russian Orthodox University of St. John the Theologian. According to his own recollections, "I was one of the founders of the Russian Orthodox University, the dean of its philosophical and theological faculty. Accordingly, I had the opportunity to create the university of my dreams. They say that every writer writes the book that he would simply dream of reading. So I did: I created the university where I would dream of studying. Moreover, there was one person who helped with money, and thanks to him I could invite professors one by one, whose lectures I was ready to listen to myself. And so they read for my students."
In 1994, at the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, under the scientific supervision of , Kuraev defended his dissertation for the academic degree of candidate of philosophical sciences on the topic of "Philosophical and anthropological interpretation of the Orthodox concept of the fall." In 1995, he defended his dissertation "Tradition. Dogma. Rite" for the degree of candidate of theology at the Moscow Theological Academy.
In 2002, Kuraev was a senior research fellow at the Department of Philosophy of Religion and Religious Studies of the Philosophy Faculty of Moscow State University. On 12 March 2002, by decision of the Synod, he was included in the editorial board of the collection , on 24 December 2004, in the , and on 31 March 2009, in the then-newly created Church-Public Council for Protection from the Alcohol Threat.
In 2004, following the Beslan school siege, Kuraev wrote a book entitled "How to Relate to Islam after Beslan", igniting an intense emotional discussion in Russian society.Gheddo, Piero. (17 September 2004) Slaughter of Beslan children done as murderers shouted "God is Great", says theologian. Asianews.it. A similar, and even more intense, discussion occurred after Kuraev commented on the ethnic and religious background of the Tsarnaev brothers, the masterminds behind the Boston Marathon bombing in April 2013.Новости NEWSru.com :: Андрею Кураеву досталось от российских мусульман: объявили "провокатором в рясе" за слова о бостонском теракте. Newsru.com.
In 2005, Kuraev tried to organize the picket "to defend Russian Christmas" near Catholic Cathedral in Moscow. The picket was scheduled for 24 December, when Catholics celebrate Christmas, with the slogans: "Russian Christmas is 7 January", "Stop the defamation of Russian Orthodox Church!", "Orthodox Church is not late. It is loyal!"
In 2006, Kuraev succeeded in organizing anti-Madonna's Confessions Tour concert protests with the slogan "Madonna", go home!". Kuraev was mostly offended by the singer's so-called "pseudonym" and complete lack of religious common knowledge. In 2013, he welcomed Madonna's new "illegal gastarbeiter" status in Russia, adding that "her masturbation on stage using a crucifix is not an art". In 2019, Kuraev, a vivid Russian rock fan, said Wikipedia was his source of knowledge about the entertainer: "It's written in there that she was inserting a crucifix into her vagina and masturbated with it during her concerts. It doesn't inspire me".
In an official media comment about Madonna's 2008 concert in Russia, Protodeacon Andrey Kuraev stated that it would be "too much honor for the Russian Orthodox Church to think anything about every prank of every overseas b-word (strong language version of the term "prostitute, whore" in the modern Russian language: (, see also the word "wolf" in the Welsh language: blaidd), especially a fifty-year-old one," while emphasizing that he used the term strictly in its original Church Slavonic meaning of "one who is in error."
Madonna's next performance in 2012 drew sharp criticism from Russian government and religious figures, leading to a coordinated media scandal involving overlapping statements by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and proto-deacon Andrey Kuraev. Rogozin posted a veiled insult on his Twitter account, writing: "With age, every former 'b.' [b-word] tends to lecture everyone on morality. Especially during overseas tours." When a Twitter user countered Rogozin, arguing that Madonna was speaking "about freedom," Rogozin fired back using a popular Russian joke quote aimed at highlighting hypocrisy: "Either take off your crucifix or put on your underwear". (The full version of anecdote (Antisemitic trope perceived by the opponents' target audience): Rabinovich goes to a public bathhouse. An attendant approaches him, looking confused, and says: — Isaac Abramovich, either take off the cross, or put on some underpants.)
+Andrey Kuraev VS The Heretics (inspired by Megyn Kelly's support for the Nazi (American/British) fascist narrative) Criterion Julie Andrews Madonna Celine Dion Andrey Kuraev Lady Gaga Taylor Swift Birth Date October 1, 1935 (UK). August 16, 1958 (USA). March 30, 1968 (Canada). February 15, 1963 (USSR). March 28, 1986 (USA). December 13, 1989 (USA). Astrology(see the Thomas theorem) Libra. Natural grace, hidden resilience. Leo. Stage passion, heavy discipline. Aries. Francophone stage titan, ultimate endurance. Aquarius. Obedient (but he has become obese from overeating, a condition referred to as "body positivity" in the West) clergyman turned rebel fighting church dogmas. Not to be confused with Daniil Medvedev or Tennis in Russia as a whole. Aries. Fiery fearlessness, raw drama. Sagittarius. Massive storytelling, cat person. Music Status Broadway legend, four-octave iconic soprano. Queen of Pop, historical record seller. Queen of Vocal Pop, historical record seller. Rock-missionary, high-pitched theological blogger. 21st-century theatrical pop music icon. Streaming Empress, chief musical capitalist. "Mother" Link to "Do-Re-Mi" The ultimate "Musical Mother" character. Cryptic (or not so cryptic, depending on the target audience) tribute in "Deeper and Deeper". Fellow pop-matriarch defining vocal industry. Spiritual figure (teacher: a father who needs male students - ragazzi in Italian, not a mother to a group of female students - ragazze) to free-thinking seminarians. Performed live 2015 Oscars medley tribute to Andrews while sharing the same label with Madonna. Spiritual mother to millions of Swifties. Gay Icon Cult status cemented via Victor/Victoria gay-propaganda movie. Ultimate pop culture gay icon. Cult camp diva, drag queen royalty. Paradoxical icon, united heterosexual monks against the homosexual monks. High-octane new-generation gay icon. Situational icon, accused of queerbaiting. Acting Oscar Won for "Mary Poppins" (1964). None. Won Globe for "Evita". None. Mostly plays herself. None. Plays dissident in cassock. None. Nominated for "A Star Is Born". None. Razzie nomination for "Cats". Song Oscar Performed winning "Chim Chim Cher-ee". Performed two winning soundtrack songs. Performed two winning global themes. None. Criticized patriarchy in writing. Won personal Oscar for "Shallow". Soundtrack songs hit longlists periodically. Grammy 3 wins. Lifetime Achievement Award. 7 wins. Pop album winner. 5 wins. Album of Year. None. Theological industrial horror expert. 13 wins. Pop, jazz genres. 14 wins. Historical four-time Best Album winner. State Titles Dame Commander of British Empire. Unassailable global "Pop Monarch" status. Officer of Canada, Legion of Honour. Stripped of titles, declared foreign agent. White House court vocalist status. Sovereign GDP-generating entity.
Several media outlets reported that Kuraev criticized the politics of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, the ethnic parliament of the Crimean Tatars, during a lecture tour in Crimea in September 2006. He drew an analogy between the policy of the mejlis and mob behavior among young men in society.Русская линия / Новости / Диакон Андрей Кураев выступит в Крыму. Rusk.ru (24 September 2008).
Kuraev was named "man of the year" by a media organization in 2008.Вести.Ru: "Человеком года" в шестой раз стал Алексий II // Vesti.ru (22 December 2008).
On 5 April 2009, during the liturgy in Saint Isaac's Cathedral, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow elevated Kuraev to the rank of protodeaconProtodeacon and awarded him a double orarion and kamilavka for his active missionary service and work with youth. On 27 July, he became a member of the .
Since October 2013, Kuraev has written about the existence of the "gay lobby" inside the Russian Orthodox Church,. Mk.ru. provoking various negative responses from church officials.Chaplin called Kuraev repent for the words gay lobby. All-rss.com (17 January 2014).Interview: Deacon Andrei Kuraev V. Tver Metropolitan Viktor . .stetson.edu.Archdeacon Kuraev Answers Chaplin'S Accusations . stetson.edu.. Groups.yahoo.com.