ALEXANDER BORISOV

July 14, 2001, 8.22 AM, Moscow

Let me introduce Father Alexander Borisov. Born 1937, Borisov was classmate of Pavel Menn, brother of Alexander Menn. In the beginning of 1960-s Borisov converted to Christianity. He was a geneticist and worked with the famous Timofeyev-Ressovsky. (Fr. Menn also was a biologist by his first education.)

In 1970 B. became a deacon in one of the Moscow churches. He was ordained a priest only when Perestroyka came, because he was too active in "illegal" Christian activities (spreading books, making clandestine Bible seminars.) His wife Nonna in the beginning of 1970-s became a Pentecostal.

Borisov was very active in the political sphere, sometimes together with Fr. Gleb Yakunun, although he never was the dissident. In the beginning of 1990-s he was elected deputy of the Moscow City Council and became very popular among democratic milieu and media as a symbol of quite and liberal Russian Orthodox priest. Patriarch made him the dean of the newly opened church of Stt. Cosmas and Damian. Borisov also became the president of the Russian Bible Society.

In 1995 Patriarch (as well as fundamentalist Moscow priests) bitterly criticized Borisov for his book "Matured Cornfileds" (allusion on John 4: 35.) In this book (wriiten in 1980-s) Borisov not only proclaimed the need of some liberalisation of the Russian Orthodox church life, but also spoke with disgust about veneration of icons. Some of his words about Eucharist could be easily understood in most Protestant sense (Patriarch even stated that the book could be written by Borisov's wife.)

Borisov preferred to repent and resalled his book from shops (there is Russian text on my site.) He also stopped any political activity, avoid any criticism of the fundamentalism, and content himself with pastoral work. Many lay democrats went the same road to political neutrality.

Fr. Vladimir Lapshin converted to Christianity in 1970-s due to the aquaintance with Borisov, served in his church, but not their relations are a bit strained.

Among priests of Borisov's church one is Georgiy Chistyakov, popular liberal preacher. Two other priests are of fundamentalist orientation, they've been send to the parish by the Patriarch and Borisov prefered to submit.

Borisov speak English and he is very popular among foreigners as a man who embodies Menn's heritage and liberal wing in Russian Orthodoxy. His humbleness became common.