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Saint Tikhon's Orthodox University of Humanities () in
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
,
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is a
coeducational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...
theological Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of an ...
university for the
laity In religious organizations, the laity () — individually a layperson, layman or laywoman — consists of all Church membership, members who are not part of the clergy, usually including any non-Ordination, ordained members of religious orders, e ...
affiliated with the
Russian Orthodox Church The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC; ;), also officially known as the Moscow Patriarchate (), is an autocephaly, autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The Primate (bishop), p ...
. The university, established in 1991, is Russia's first theological graduate-level school for the lay men and women, unlike traditional Orthodox
seminaries A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clerg ...
preparing male students for
ordination Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...
. It is the only Orthodox institution in Russia that is accredited to issue generally accepted
diploma A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offi ...
s. Ten departments of the university provide education in theology, history, teaching, missionary practice, religious arts and music, economics, social services and information management. Basic theology studies are mandatory for students of all departments. Admission does not require adherence to Orthodox faith or any religious tests, except for the
icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...
school where applicants should demonstrate skills in traditional Orthodox art. The university traces its roots to Orthodox missionaries Vsevolod Shpiller (1902–1984) and hieromonk Paul (Troitsky). In the end of the 1980s their alumni set up evening courses of theology that merged in a unified institution in 1991 and, with support of
Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow Patriarch Alexy II (or Alexius II, ; secular name Aleksei Mikhailovich Ridiger ; 23 February 1929 – 5 December 2008) was the 15th Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus', the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. Elected Patriarch of Moscow ...
, acquired state
accreditation Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...
as a university in 1992. The university is closely associated with the Brotherhood of Merciful Saviour, which traditionally provided teaching staff and premises to the university. For years, the university operated on premises leased from other colleges or on the parish church properties, notably the church of Saint Nicholas in Kyzneci(
Zamoskvorechye District Zamoskvorechye District () is a district of the Central Administrative Okrug of the federal city of Moscow, Russia. It has a population of up from The district contains the eastern half of the historical Zamoskvorechye District, its weste ...
) operated by the Brotherhood. In the 2000s the university obtained the rights to the former Bishopric House that prior to the
October Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...
housed the Orthodox Open University and is now (2009) in the process of rebuilding the run-down building into its new, permanent, campus. The university has been continuously chaired by one of its founders, and the founding member of the Brotherhood of Merciful Saviour, Revd.
Vladimir Vorobyov Vladimir Mikhailovich Vorobyov (; born 6 January 1969) is an officer of the Russian Navy. He currently holds the rank of Admiral, and is a deputy commander in chief of the Russian Navy since 2024. Biography Vorobyov was born into a naval family ...
(born 1941) since 1991. Rector of the university is, as of 2009, an
ex officio An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, or council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by r ...
member of the Local Council (''pomestny sobor'') of the Russian Orthodox Church. Vladimir Vorobyov also chairs the department of religion and culture at the
Ministry of Internal Affairs An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, the i ...
Academy. The university selects its staff primarily from
ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...
Russian Orthodox clerics and lay academicians; guest speakers may come from other denominations (most often
Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
). University staff was actively engaged in the 2007 public controversy on the alleged Orthodox clericalisation of school education, opposing the
nonsectarian Nonsectarian institutions are secular institutions or other organizations not affiliated with or restricted to a particular religious group. Academic sphere Many North American universities identify themselves as being nonsectarian, such as B ...
approach of the
Russian Academy of Sciences The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; ''Rossíyskaya akadémiya naúk'') consists of the national academy of Russia; a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation; and additional scientific and social units such ...
. In 2006 the late Patriarch Alexey, speaking in favor of increased Orthodox presence in public schools, proposed Saint Tikhon's university as the source of qualified lay teachers of the ''Basics of Orthodox Culture'' course recommended by the Church. In 2018 topped the list of the most demanded humanitarian universities in Russia. The university celebrates its holiday on November 18, the day of Saint Tikhon's ascension to the Patriarchy in 1917.


Notable alumni

''See also :Saint Tikhon's Orthodox University people'' * Aleksandr Konovalov, judge of the
Constitutional Court of Russia The Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation () is a high court within the judiciary of Russia which is empowered to rule on whether certain laws or presidential decrees are in fact contrary to the Constitution of Russia. Its objective is o ...
* Metropolitan Nicholas of Akhalkalaki (
Georgian Orthodox Church The Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს სამოციქულო ავტოკეფალური მართლმადიდებელი ეკლესია, tr), commonl ...
)


References

{{authority control Universities in Moscow Educational institutions established in 1991 Universities and colleges affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church 1991 establishments in Russia