May 25, 2010. Zaporozhye/Moscow.
Konyukhov stops traveling
Fyodor Konuykhov is ordained into deacons in Zaporozhye. The man, who spent most of his life traveling, is now preparing to dedicate his entire life to an entirely different thing.
The famous traveler Fyodor Konyukhov is ordained into deacons in his hometown, Zaporozhye. Deacon’s ordination for Konyukhov was conducted by Bishop of Zaporozhye and Melitopol Joseph on May 23 on the day of the Holy Trinity. Two days before that, on Saturday the Metropolitan of Kiev and entire Ukraine Vladimir carried out initiation of Konyukhov into subdeacons. When the Bishop of Zaporozhye congratulated father Fyodor on Monday, he said that it is very symbolic that his initiation into subdeacons coincided with celebration of memory of Nicholas the Wonderworker – a patron of seamen and travelers, while deacon’s ordination occurred on the day of the Holy Trinity, “when the entire Church celebrates its birth by prayerfully remembering the descending of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles.” The newly fledged deacon was given a set of church worship uniform as a gift. “Fyodor Konyukhov takes all these changes with love, in a very touching way. He is a very believing man,” Interfax Ukraine Agency was told in the diocese.
Konyukhov himself said that once, when he was traveling in the sea, his boat overturned and to survive he prayed with an icon of St Nicholas in his hand. Later the famous Soviet and Russian traveler announced that he was going to give up traveling, “How long can one person travel?” said father Fyodor answering a question by Interfax Religia portal on Monday after a news about his being ordained came.
Konyukhov said that he spent most of his life traveling. “I have been traveling already forty years like Moses in the wilderness. There is no much time left to pray,” he said. As was announced, Konyukhov sent a request for receiving a sacred ministry to Patriarch of Moscow and entire Russia Kirill. In April the Patriarch gave a positive answer to this request with the right of choosing the diocese, in which ordination would take place. Konyukhov became a believer back in school and even while a pioneer and a komsomol member secretly wore a crucifix. As the traveler pointed out in an interview, in his today’s activities faith in God plays the main role because frequently he encounters situations when it is impossible to survive without God. “Being a mature man, I realized that there is no loneliness in the world. For, in the ocean right beside you whales and dolphins are swimming; birds are soaring in the sky; and if you travel towards the Pole you meet with bears and seals. And I also know for sure that right beside you there are always God and the saints you pray to. In the huge ocean, apart from them, nobody can help you,” he believes.