Russian News Online: Died Gleb Yakunin, a priest, a politician, a human rights activist and dissident

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Died Gleb Yakunin, a priest, a politician, a human rights activist and dissident – Softcraze

Yesterday, December 25, 2014 81, died after a long illness known priest, politician and human rights activist, a dissident and former State Duma deputy Gleb Yakunin.
Lev Ponomarev, head of the movement “For Human Rights” said that “Father Gleb died today after a long illness. The human rights community mourns ». Reported TASS.
Recently Yakunin felt bad and very often lost consciousness. November 9, Gleb Pavlovich made last liturgy, and on November 18, was hospitalized in the Central Clinical Hospital with symptoms of shortness of breath. In December, state Gleb Yakunin deteriorated after a trip to the United States on December 21, Yakunin was hospitalized in serious condition.
Gleb Pavlovich was born in Moscow on March 4, 1934. He was educated biologist at the Irkutsk Agricultural Institute. In 1958-59 years he studied at the Moscow Theological Seminary, but was expelled at the initiative of the KGB.
Was ordained a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church August 10, 1962 and sent to Zaraysk, and later in Dmitrov.
In 1965 jointly with Nicholas Aeschlimann, wrote an open letter, which was addressed to Patriarch Alexis I. In this letter Yakunin described the situation with the influence of public authorities of the USSR on the rights and freedoms of citizens of believers.
In May 1966, as a result of their human rights work and Yakunin and Eshliman “relieved of their duties with the imposition of prohibition from serving to complete their repentance».
In 1960-1970′s – was an active participant in the human rights movement.
In 1990, Yakunin was elected deputy of the RSFSR He was deputy chairman of the Committee of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation o n freedom of conscience. Has been active in the political and human rights activities and was co-chair of the movement “Democratic Russia”. Actively participated in the dissident movement. Sat 5 years in the camp of political prisoners in Perm, and then spent in exile in Yakutia 2.5 years.
In 1993, the Russian Orthodox Church imposed a ban on the participation of priests in the elections to the representative and executive bodies.
Gleb Yakunin did not want to obey the decision of the Russian Orthodox Church and in 1993 was elected to the State Duma, but the demand for non-compliance of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church was defrocked priest. The wording of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, “for refusing to submit to the demands of the non-participation of Orthodox clergy in the parliamentary elections».
Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church on February 19, 1997 Gleb Yakunin was excommunicated by anathema. As a consequence of what passed in the Russian True Orthodox Church. In 2000 he created the “Movement for the revival of Russian Orthodoxy”, and a little later the Apostolic Orthodox Church, which had the rank of archpriest Yakunin.