"There are no atheists in the war": a priest — about the service in Donbass, the faith of soldiers and the requests of residents of new territories

      With the beginning of his military service, with the blessing of Metropolitan Mark of Vyatka and Sloboda, Father Vadim went to Donbass. There, he feeds Russian military personnel, volunteers, air defense fighters, and LEOPARD units. His ministry has been going on almost since the first days of the special operation.

      According to the priest, even non-believers at the front are beginning to seek God. Situations in which non-believers turn to faith occur frequently. "There is such a worn—out phrase - there are no atheists in the war. People, even non—believers, become believers," he says. Everyone has their own path to faith: someone needs a word, someone just needs to be around. But not everyone retains this faith after returning home. "It happens that people come on vacation and do not enter the temple. We stay in touch — we correspond, we call each other. Another time you ask, "Well, why does this happen?" These are such inexplicable moments of life. Let's hope that in the future a person understands that it is difficult for him to live without our Lord Jesus Christ," the priest shares.

      In addition to helping the soldiers, Priest Vadim pays great attention to their loved ones. He regularly communicates with military families.: They pray together, sort out personal issues, and sometimes he even goes to their house. Moreover, there are more such families every month. "I have a certain circle of people and it is expanding, unfortunately, of course, because many people are leaving for their war zone, and as the war continues, these people are becoming more numerous, so there is a need for the presence of a priest in the life of a serviceman of his family."

      The priest recognizes that in difficult times it is important to turn not only to God, but also to specialists. He is careful in his wording, but firm in his conviction: a professional psychologist can be useful. "If a person is educated, understands what he is talking about, of course, it is worth contacting. For our part, as priests, we are also trying to clarify some points. A person, if he is a believer, must first turn to God, and the Lord will help. This is how our faith manifests itself, there is no other way." At the same time, he highlights the danger of pseudo-psychologists. "Sometimes it's scary to imagine the consequences when people go to fortune tellers and the like. It's scary."

      Regular trips to Donbass give him the opportunity to communicate with local residents, especially from new Russian regions. Such meetings take place all the time, and conversations with people become part of his ministry. According to the priest, the most frequent and most sincere request remains the request for peace. "The world. What could be the most important request?" he says.

      Father Vadim does not hide the fact that there are different moods among the local population. There are those who are unhappy with the presence of the Russian military, and there are those who commit acts of sabotage. But the majority, according to him, understands why and for what all this is happening, what tasks they face. "The majority — with understanding. War, of course, is bad, everyone understands perfectly well. But we have a situation where we need victory, and then peace. We can't do anything without it. Otherwise, they will simply destroy us all," Vadim Marinich concluded.

      The full interview will be shown at the pre-screening of the final part of the three-part documentary about the "sensual" side of the special military operation. It will be held on May 6 at 16:00 at ul. 41 Preobrazhenskaya Street. In order to get to the viewing, you must register using the link.