Oil perfumes: how are they different from ordinary ones? What are “quick porridges” and how do they differ from regular ones?

Photo: instagram.com/kurkumasladkova

25 articles

A section in which we will carefully study various areas of city life and create guides on them. From conceptual coffee shops to ski resorts, from private galleries to laundries - anything can come into our attention.

If you are an avid sweet tooth, we have two news for you: bad and good. The bad news is that the regional Ministry of Health told us that excessive consumption of sweets is harmful to health. Increased level blood sugar can lead to obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus (insulin-dependent), vascular atherosclerosis and metabolic syndrome. But there is good news: in Perm you can buy healthy sweets. They are made from natural ingredients and no sugar is added to them. Where to look for them, read the material.

According to the regional Ministry of Health, last year increased content Blood sugar was found in 4.6% of all those examined during medical examination. A overweight bodies - 53.5%.

Elevated blood sugar levels can lead to illness -  for example, decreased sensitivity of cells to the action of insulin. “Because of this, sugar from the blood cannot penetrate into the cells, the amount of insulin in the blood increases, which increases the likelihood of obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis and metabolic syndrome,” said the regional Ministry of Health.

Glucose is the main source of energy for humans. However, in order to get enough of it, it is not at all necessary to consume sugar in its pure form. After all, glucose is the end product of the breakdown of all carbohydrates, for example, porridge or bread. The body needs natural, natural glucose, which is found, for example, in vegetables and fruits.

When choosing foods, doctors advise using an indicator such as the glycemic index (GI) -  the time it takes for glucose to be absorbed into the blood. The lower the GI, the slower glucose enters the body. You should avoid eating foods with a GI of more than 70. The list of these products includes thermally processed potatoes, watermelon, dates, bakery products, confectionery products, fast food and soda.

In addition to the fact that sweets have a high GI, there is another problem: in the industrial production of our favorite cakes, coffees and chocolates, artificial flavors, dyes and other substances are used. For example, emulsifier E476. The name of this dietary supplement is polyglycerol polyricinoleate, it is derived from ricinoleic acid and glycerin, and is made from castor oil to replace expensive cocoa butter.

Fortunately, there are producers of sweets without sugar and artificial food additives on the Perm market.

Cereals

At the end of 2012, Anna and her husband, street art artist, Alexander Zhunev, opened the Zlaki cafe. Only raw food dishes were prepared there, and a year later the project was moved to the site of the Holst gallery. In the spring of 2014, the owner of Kholst, Sergei Minakov, bought the cafe, renamed and reformatted it, launching his own line of semi-finished products, and also added Indian cuisine to the menu. In March 2016, the establishment closed, and Anna Zhuneva began hosting in social networks project "A ThousandListening", dedicated to recipes for vegetarian cuisine and household ecology. Recently it was launched under the Zlaki brand: five types of crispy crisps and two types of straws. They are made from whole foods and contain no sugar. For example, the composition of carrot crisps: carrots, flax seeds, flax seed cake, sesame seeds, spices, lemon juice, salt.

Six years ago, my husband and I started thinking about having children and decided to reconsider our diet. Many traditional dishes for the current diet were excluded, including all refined foods: white flour, sugar, refined oils, yeast. We tried to remove everything unnatural. The question arose: “What then is there?” It turned out that there are a lot of alternatives to traditional sweets. First of all, this is honey, dried fruits: raisins, dates, dried apricots. Instead of suffering from giving up store-bought sweets, I discovered completely new world, because there are actually a lot of possibilities. I learned how to make natural chocolate with my own hands and realized that those bars that I had loved before were simply no match for what I was making. At the same time, I understand perfectly well what my product is made of. We stopped eating traditional sweets, because they cause health problems, including diabetes, which is now very common not only among older people, but also among middle-aged people, and we have a lot of such friends and relatives. The problem is that any sweets are addictive. Apparently, a person, in principle, by nature is dependent on the sweet taste. Therefore, it is quite difficult to give up sweets. But when you don’t just refuse, but replace them with natural ones, then the problem is solved. Natural sweets are not as addictive and fill you up faster: it will be difficult for you to eat 100 grams of natural chocolate or a whole box of chocolates based on dried fruits and nuts.

Fruit rolls

Where can I buy: shop proper food PIRI PIRI (TC “New Capital”, Mira, 37), book Shop UNIQSTORE (Malaya Yamskaya 10/1), Garage Healthy Bar (Sovetskaya 51 a/2).

Turmeric Sladkova

The brand has been in existence for four years. Its co-founder, Ekaterina Kiselnikova, prepares sweets without added sugar, based on nuts and dried fruits. Ekaterina replaces sugar with Jerusalem artichoke syrup or coconut sugar - these products have a low glycemic index and are gentler on the body than regular sugar. The Turmeric assortment includes children's chocolate - it contains cocoa butter, roasted and unroasted carob, and coconut sugar powder. Ekaterina Kiselnikova uses only natural dyes, for example, blue spirullina (algae) has a bright blue color, dragonfruit colors desserts pink, turmeric - orange, and matcha tea gives a bright green color. Ekaterina is an ecologist by training: before becoming a pastry chef, she worked as a leading security engineer environment. Now Ekaterina supplies sweets to the Krapiva cafe and fulfills individual orders.

It all started when my friend and I went to the Zlaki cafe. I was amazed that sweets can be tasty and natural, and at the same time without sugar, based on nuts, coconut milk. We got very inspired and started experimenting. Over time, we accumulated a lot of recipes, and we decided to take part in the Red Market. We saw a great response from people, many liked it, and we decided to get serious about it. We created an online store and a VKontakte page. They began to cook to order and design the boxes. The idea itself was to create a high-quality, tasty product and present it beautifully as an alternative to store-bought sweets. In my recipes, I try to adhere to minimalism and not combine many ingredients. And if you read the ingredients of industrial sweets, you might be horrified at how much stuff is mixed in there. I think eating habits need to change and I strive for people to enjoy and understand taste. I think food should be treated consciously and perceived as pleasure.

Where can I buy: cafe "Krapiva" (Petropavlovskaya, 57).

Max Cucumber

The creator of the brand is Maxim Drachev. Maxim says that the word “cucumber” (from English cucumber) came to him by accident, and then stuck. It sounds fun, and also reflects the product he produces: Maxim prepares vegan and raw food desserts. These sweets do not use animal products or sugar. For example, Maxim replaces gelatin, which is used to give the dessert its shape, with agar-agar (gelatin is a product of processing animal connective tissue; agar-agar is obtained from seaweed), instead of regular milk he uses vegetable milk, instead of sugar - Jerusalem artichoke syrup, instead of chocolate - carob, and eggs can be replaced with ground flax.

I've always loved cooking. For friends, I treated them to it, and they really liked it. The first time I seriously thought about this was when I took part in a restaurant day in 2013. Then I was invited to a sweets festival in Dobryanka. I like events like this: when someone does something with all their heart, you want to take part in it. At some point, I simply changed my diet, and I realized that I felt better. And three years ago I switched to veganism. When you change your views, you can no longer cook dishes that contradict them, so I began to cook only vegan desserts. I experiment quite often. A year ago I came up with a new candy - I crushed peanuts, added a little sweetener syrup, coconut flakes, and covered the resulting ball with chocolate based on cocoa butter and carob. Everyone really liked it, some people come to me just for these sweets. When people like what I do, I want to continue doing it. Making a person happy is so great.

Where can I buy: coffee shop FORREST st. Sibirskaya, 1), Dealme coffee shop (Komsomolsky Prospekt, 28a), yoga studios “Kora”, “Jiva” (Lunacharsky, 3/2).

The right sweets

The Permskaya confectionery factory produces a line of “Proper Sweets” -  these are delicacies based on natural fruit puree based on plums, apples, cherries, cherries and other berries and fruits. In the production of such sweets, no dyes, preservatives or flavors are used, and the sugar content is either reduced or completely eliminated. The raw materials for sweets are supplied by the Bulgarian fruit processing company Hemako. Under the “Pravilnye Sweets” brand you can buy fruit lozenges, candies, marmalade, and fruit ribbons. Ingredients of plum lozenges: plum puree, Apple juice, gelling agent: pectin (a natural organic compound; fruits and vegetables are rich in pectin. This element reduces the rate of absorption of glucose into the blood, so it is recommended for people who suffer diabetes mellitus), glazing agent ( vegetable oil, carnauba wax  - food supplement E903, wax from the leaves of the palm Copernicia cerifera).

Where can I buy: retail chains “Bereg”, “Semya”, “Nash”, “Lenta”, “Pyaterochka”, “Lakshmi”, “Metro”.

Instead of sugar

Under this brand they sell dried fruits (melon, peaches, pears, persimmons, apples, tomatoes), sweets - churchkhela, alani, figs with honey, candied walnuts, flax bread, sweet and spicy-salty. All these sweets are  without added sugar, sugar syrup or oil, naturally dried. The brand was created by two mothers: Daria Karavaeva and Tatyana Zryachikh.

Photo: vk.com/vmesto_sahara

“We noticed that our kids really love fruits - fresh, dried or dried, and we love them ourselves. We don’t know where to buy. Who will ask for a license at a vegetable kiosk? And supermarkets don’t always have products of the appropriate quality. But we were lucky - we found what we were looking for. And 90% of acquaintances and friends who tried the “find” asked where we bought it? And they wanted to try this miracle again and again. We read about refined sugar, the features of its production and the effect on the body. It became absolutely clear to us that we need to limit its consumption. On the other hand, sweet taste is necessary for a full life. The big question for us was which foods are healthy alternatives to sugar.”

Where can I buy: pick-up point by agreement: newspapers Zvezda, 13, Garage Healthy Bar (Sovetskaya 51 a/2).

Traditional ideas about hiking paint us a picture of people loaded with large backpacks, stubbornly wandering somewhere into the mountains. However, more and more often on the routes one comes across completely different tourists who, with absolutely frivolous and light-looking backpacks, move cheerfully without any signs of fatigue. When I first saw them, I assumed that they were just holidaymakers from a nearby town going for a short walk. But upon closer communication it turned out that this the group is coming for several days now along a rather difficult route. How do they manage to fit everything they need into such modest volumes?

Movement light vehicles(Lightweight backpacking) originated in the last century overseas and is gradually becoming more and more popular in the world. Let's see what it is and how its followers manage to reduce the weight of their backpack by half or more without compromising the comfort and safety of the hike.

The main point of lightweight travel, as you probably already understood, is to reduce the weight of your hiking equipment as much as possible. If in traditional tourism the weight of an equipped backpack reaches 14-17 kilograms (without food), then light vehicles bring it up to 5-10, and in some cases even up to 2-3 kilograms. The most incredible thing is that almost the same set of items that are present in a heavy traditional backpack fits into this weight.

Of course, moving in such a lightweight form is much more pleasant than in the form of a donkey loaded with luggage. Especially when this happens on very rough terrain. You walk faster, get less tired, avoid the risk of injury, and simply get more pleasure and excitement from your hike. In addition, this approach to equipment opens up the delights of hiking to those people who, due to their health, are incapable of significant physical activity.

Why hasn’t everyone yet acquired ultra-light backpacks, and why hasn’t light travel gone from being a hobby for a select few to becoming a mass trend? This is primarily due to the power of stereotypes, which claim that a tourist must wear heavy mountain boots, sleep in a waterproof, protected tent, have a huge backpack, and so on. Beginning tourists perceive this as a dogma, and only with experience comes the understanding that it is possible to travel in a different way. These stereotypes are also supported by numerous manufacturers of camping equipment, for whom it is more profitable and safer to sell something with a triple safety margin and a million additional functions that you may never need.

The basic principle of light tourism is that when choosing hiking equipment, the weight factor moves to one of the first positions. However, it does not cancel the requirements of safety (this is the main thing) and reasonable comfort. There is absolutely no point in walking with a weightless backpack during the day, but at night you are shaking from the cold or fighting off insects. Therefore, when choosing equipment, you should choose a reasonable compromise between its weight and necessity. Based on this, light vehicles adhere to following principles when choosing equipment:

• First thing buy accurate scales and weigh each item before putting it in your backpack. This will give you another reason to think carefully about your choice.
• Take with you the set of items that will be useful to you in real life and meet your real needs. The readiness to fend off a zombie attack or survive a sudden snow storm in the desert, although inspiring confidence, weighs down the backpack greatly.
• Don't neglect the little things. Each extra gram then turns into kilograms. Therefore, choose clothes with a minimum number of pockets and snakes, cut off tags, cut off unused belts, get rid of food packaging, and so on.
• Avoid unnecessary things. If you want to take a break from civilization in nature, then you can leave your player and e-book at home. Preppers will be able to do without a soft inflatable pillow and soft towels.
• Combine functionality. With some hiking experience, it becomes clear that most items are quite capable of fulfilling several roles at the same time. For example, a backpack can be placed under your head, a pancho raincoat can be used as an awning, and trekking poles can be used as tent poles.
• A decrease in the weight of one item causes a change in the others. If you bought a lighter and more compact sleeping bag, then it becomes clear that you no longer need the previous huge backpack, then the general reduction in weight leads to a transition to lighter shoes, and so on.
• Invent. Weight loss is a creative and highly individual process and requires a thoughtful approach. Sometimes a cheap Chinese metal mug, bought for a couple of rubles, turns out to be more convenient and lighter than special cookware, and a self-designed wood stove from an old aluminum pan gives a head start to branded burners.
• Think over your route well. A properly designed route with designated water sources and settlements will help you get rid of several kilograms of supplies at once, thanks to the ability to replenish supplies on the go.

Although we were focused more on the technical aspects of selecting equipment, it cannot be said that easy walking also contains some philosophical aspect of unity with nature, reasonable asceticism and creativity. And, of course, adherents of this trend are real life hackers, hacking and transforming the usual ideas about hiking tourism.

Guest article

Scientists have long been interested in the question: is a genius different from an ordinary person in any way? One of the versions, which was put forward at the beginning of the last century, stated that genius directly depends on the indicator of brain volume. The larger it is, the smarter the person. However, when it turned out that the owner of the most voluminous brain on the planet was a schizophrenic with developmental delays, scientists doubted the veracity of the hypothesis. Scientists, in addition to this one, had other versions of the definition of genius, and research is still being carried out. Researchers are especially interested in whether it is possible to recognize genius in childhood in order to give the necessary direction to the child’s development.

Signs of genius

Basic distinctive feature A person of genius is the presence of some kind of global goal. All people who were recognized by humanity as geniuses left some kind of mark in science or art. They walked towards their goal throughout their entire adult lives, working hard and not leaving a single step from it. Some goals were perceived by society as absurd and a brilliant person could be considered mentally not entirely healthy. Goals that are too high may not bring results, but if successful they can bring a person worldwide fame.

Another sign of a person’s genius is an extraordinary mind. This may not be a high level of intelligence in the broad sense, but the ability to highlight what is important and find non-standard ways to solve a problem. It is the identification of details and the ability to think in a certain way that defines a genius and distinguishes him from an ordinary person.

A person of genius becomes one under the influence of certain circumstances. An ordinary person may not be interested in a process, action or phenomenon, but a genius will see this as his future great goal or way of solving a problem. Some scientists call this a miracle. It is they who can explain the appearance of penicillin, when a scientist accidentally spoiled the contents of his plate, the invention of Newton’s law, when an ordinary apple fell on the scientist’s head from a tree, or the appearance of the law about the displacement of a certain volume of liquid by an object immersed in it, when the scientist was washing himself in the bathroom.

Life of a genius

Every man of genius is subordinated to a certain idea and draws up a plan to achieve a great goal. If you look at the biographies of great people, you can see that they devoted a colossal part of their time to work. For example, the brilliant revolutionary Lenin sacrificed sleep. A brilliant person, unlike an ordinary person, regrets wasting time and is ready to spend any minute on his idea. Many scientists sacrificed personal happiness and did not start a family because they wanted to achieve serious results in their activities.

But the lack of a comfortable life made research difficult, so scientists came out of situations this way. Pierre Curie was married to a colleague with whom he studied radioactivity, Salvador Dali married his muse Halle, Tsiolkovsky chose a girl with poor health as a companion, and Einstein entered into an agreement with his wife, which prescribed the inviolability of personal space.

Another distinctive feature of the character of a brilliant person is the ability to resist contemporaries and society. More often than not, something unknown and new is rejected by society and only accepted after achieving success. Some brilliant scientists were never able to confirm the genius of their inventions, and they remained in oblivion. And someone had to use a lot of evidence and practical confirmation of the validity of their idea before it was accepted by society. And only through perseverance and faith in success did geniuses achieve success.

It is no coincidence that it was in Russia that the saying “Shchi and porridge is our food” appeared - we have always loved cereal dishes. The most popular are buckwheat, rice, semolina and oatmeal. The last two were also loved because they prepared faster than others. Why are these two porridges so convenient to cook?

Semolina, in fact, is flour, or more precisely, waste from flour milling. Its grains are only slightly larger than flour particles and, due to their very small size, boil quickly. The situation with oatmeal is different: the original porridge made from whole grains also takes a very long time to prepare. But the grains themselves, after being treated with hot steam, become looser and are well flattened into flakes. In this form they cook quickly. And if you cut them additionally, the cooking time will be even shorter. In the form of flakes called “Hercules” and “Extra”, oatmeal became popular, finally replacing whole oat grains.

If only other cereals could be made this way. Food technologists have been working on them for a long time, especially on buckwheat and rice cereals. But these grains did not flatten like oats, and instead of flakes they turned into fragments that did not want to boil faster. The rice was particularly “persistent” - after steaming it took even longer to cook. But the food industry was able to tame them too. In the late 1980s in England, a company primarily engaged in horse feed developed a technique that made it possible to not only quickly cook almost all grains, but simply brew them - pour boiling water over them, and in 3-5 minutes the porridge is ready. And in their raw form they became more nutritious for animals.

This is how not only quick-brewed buckwheat, rice, millet, wheat, barley appeared, but also rye. Previously, they didn’t make porridge out of it, but now they do. All this is sold today both as individual cereals - rice, buckwheat, etc., and as mixtures of several cereals. Are such porridges healthier than regular ones that require cooking?

“The process of obtaining soluble flakes is called micronization,” says Dmitry Zykov, Candidate of Technical Sciences, food technology specialist. - To understand its essence, you need to remember a regular microwave: unlike other cooking methods, it heats the dish as if from the inside. Under the influence of microwave rays, the water in the product heats up and transfers its heat to it. Something similar happens during micronization, but special infrared (IR) rays are used for irradiation, penetrating only into small grains. The cereal is first steamed so that there is a lot of water in it, it boils, evaporates and swells or explodes the grains (by the way, this is approximately the same thing that happens when popcorn is cooked). Then they are flattened, and due to their small size and increased porosity, they are quickly brewed.”

Food, but not the same

But all these processes inevitably affect other properties of the cereal. For example, to our taste, rice cereal turns out not to be rice porridge, but something else. But the main thing is different - due to the increased porosity of such flakes, protein is absorbed better than from ordinary cereals. And this is good - protein is an important and valuable component of nutrition. What’s worse is that some of the starch turns into sugars and that they are also easier to digest. This is not good: we eat a lot of sugars, and the more difficult they are to absorb by the body, the healthier the product is - it does not sharply increase blood sugar and thereby contributes less to weight gain. But the faster and easier the cereals are prepared, the easier it is to digest them.

"This is very important problem, - speaks Victor Konyshev, MD and renowned nutritionist. - IN last years pay special attention to the ability of carbohydrate foods to increase blood sugar - this is the so-called glycemic index of the product. The higher it is, the worse it is for health. Unfortunately, it is not customary for us to indicate this index on products, including cereals.

The problem with the usefulness of cereals is also that the manufacturer added it to them. Today, more and more often they are produced with obviously unhealthy sugar and salt, as well as with flavoring and aromatic additives. Sometimes they imitate useful components that are completely absent from the product. For example, manufacturers of quick oatmeal porridges added pieces of apples, but with the help of flavoring substances they created the illusion of the presence of more expensive fruits. However, little apples themselves are often added.

If we talk about the porridges themselves, then buckwheat, oatmeal, barley are better than others - they contain a lot useful substances. But semolina is not very good, it contains few minerals, mainly potassium and phosphorus, there is vitamin B1, but there is very little necessary dietary fiber, and it is also deficient in the amino acid lysine. We can say that the most important part of semolina porridge is milk with its favorable composition.”

Explain how to understand the eternal life of a person after the resurrection, if in another world time is absent as a dimension. In what way Christian doctrine is the meaning of life, what is its purpose?

Its purpose is to love God. And to our neighbors who have been honored to be with God forever and ever. This will be the Kingdom of Love. Even the sun won't set there. Instead of the sun there will be Christ.

-So this is already a stay in endless bliss?

Yes. In which there is not a shadow of change.

-That is, any movements or developments are no longer expected in that life?

We don't know about this. About development. Maybe in some form this will happen. This is no longer open to us.

-That is, the features of that life are not known to us for the time being?

Well, of course. We don’t have such a device, well, I don’t mean a device in technical terms, but a device that can be assessed and comprehended. Neither with our minds, nor with our hearts, we can only contemplate it with our spirit. If you like, here's the name.

-Some people do not have enough incentive to strive for this eternity.

But if there isn’t enough, no one is forcing anyone to go. Stay as you are. Live what you can.

A 10-year-old child began to spend a lot of time on the Internet. What recommendations can you give to stop the further deterioration of the addiction?

You can only negotiate. And conviction. When in a good mood, try to persuade him to stick to it. You must understand that after each completion of the session there will be a battle. Because it's already like drug addiction.

-What about turning off the Internet, depriving it of access altogether?

Well then he will start looking for other opportunities. And this is very simple to the mind. He can just buy another phone. Or the neighbors have Wi-Fi. They are modern kids. They quickly find an opportunity.

-So this is not the path of prohibition, but the path of persuasion?

No, there must be a way to ban him, but there must be a time frame and, of course, control over what he does there. If parents do not know this, then it is very dangerous.

-But in general, to keep track of everything, of course you have to stand above him.Look like a slave.

Yes, look, then scan where he was, what he did. Because children are not adults, they are careless.

-Father, well, modern children, unfortunately, are generally like that, not very interested in anything.So how do you get interested?

The Internet is just such a dangerous invention. Because it captures a person’s attention and does not let it go.

-At the same time, he does not offer the best achievements...

And he offers what is for sale. And all the research and taking into account the child’s psyche is all done, and children are the main consumers. There are even cases where children died at the computer, simply dying from physical and mental exhaustion.

-Father, in confession I asked for forgiveness for my sin.I don’t commit this sin anymore, but it weighs on my soul and doesn’t go away. Will this burden be there for the rest of my life now?

Whether it will or not, I don’t know. That this will slowly weaken is certain, and maybe all my life. It depends on the scar on the soul that this sin caused. One elder told me that this should be taken as penance. Remember and humble yourself. That is, the Lord leaves this scar on the soul as a kind of reminder. So that somehow a person does not wonder, but remembers who he really is. It's always useful.

-Can obsessive wishes for evil harm a person?

Well, of course.

-But not the one who does it, but the one to whom they are directed?

But if the Lord allows, it will be possible, but it’s all in God’s hands.

Tel. Call: -Father, in churches they sell rings with a cross on them and either the Jesus Prayer or the 22nd Psalm written on them. Do women put them on their hands and wash their children’s butts with the same hands, for example?

What's wrong with a child's butt? It doesn't get any cuter! What kind of embarrassment could there be here?!

-Why are mortal sins called that way?And how are they different from ordinary ones?

According to the degree of destruction of the soul.

-Those. There are sins that cause trauma, and there are those that destroy?

Yes. Well, every person can go to the mirror when he is angry. He won’t recognize himself, he will see a demon, and it’s you!

Tel. Ring: - It’s said - the demons believe and tremble, and at the same time it’s said - have faith and you will be saved.Is there some kind of contradiction here?

Here's the thing. There is a Christian faith. And sometimes there is demonic faith. That's all. A lot of people even go to church. They have demonic faith. So some are convinced of flying saucers. Some are damaged. And some especially advanced people believe that Juna and Vanga are miracle workers from God. But what can you do? Even psychiatry will not help here.

Tel. Call: - Is it possible to get rid of sin if you did not confess it in church, but simply repented at home and experienced it?Is it possible to get rid of it this way?

Well, try it. Theoretically, of course, it is possible. The Lord simply gave the Sacrament of repentance to help us.

-So he gave it both as a help and as a consequence.What we need to get out of this sinful pit.You can’t say like it or not, do it or not.

Well, why did I have a neighbor in the village, he himself, without the sacrament of repentance, got rid of mortal sin, of course, with the help of God. I was a drunkard and now I stopped. On pain of death. He almost froze. I was walking to the village, fell and couldn’t get up. He lay there, freezing. And God sent another man. Maybe he silently prayed. I didn't drink after that.

Please answer where the soul of an unbaptized person goes after death. And will the souls of the baptized and the unbaptized meet?

I don't know anything about it. There, in the other world, everything is different.

-And even if this is a meeting, it is difficult for us to judge what it will be like.

Well, those people who returned from there soon after death, they testified that they were often met by relatives, but this meeting continued in some further communication, we don’t know.

I watched it myself. Such cases do happen. I came to one woman, she was 90 years old. She was lying down. And then suddenly she suddenly stood up in front of me, walked up to the balcony and said: “Oh, mom has come!” She got up and walked, what strength lifted her, as if angels lifted her, she saw her mother and began to talk to her. Well, usually people die after such things. She died soon after, but we gave her Holy Communion.

- In general, of course, this moment of a person’s transition to another life is mysterious...

Yes, I have been present at such transitions more than once. It’s as if a cloud comes over a person and just like that - that’s it! It was alive, but now it is an object. This is very memorable. And it's good for the soul. Now more often people die in the hospital, and we don’t see it, but in general it’s very edifying.

Are there really any church instructions stating that godparents of one baby cannot marry in the future? If this is indeed the case, then what is the reason for such a ban?

The reason is that in the Russian Church this was considered kinship. Godfather and godfather are relatives. This is a spiritual relationship, and because of this spiritual relationship they do not marry.

- I have been a Buddhist since birth, but I believe that there is only one God. And I really want to wear a cross, but since I have not been baptized, is it possible?

Well, who will ban it? Buy it and wear it.

-Even if he is a Buddhist?

Well, a person who says that he is a Buddhist and wants to wear a cross, then he is not a Buddhist at all, because in Buddhism there is no teaching about God. He knows nothing about Buddhism and says he is a Buddhist. Maybe there were great-grandfathers. As in every religion, the majority have no idea what it is, what kind of religion it is, of which they are adherents.

-I have often heard the question that I have not been baptized, but I want to wear a cross.

Well, what's the problem? Let him wear it. This is already evidence. His relationship to Christ. Therefore there is nothing special. He is not here to blaspheme or mock. A desire has arisen and he wants to realize it. I understand such a person.

- The Lord leads in different ways.

Of course, first the bearing of the cross, then the icon in the house. As one woman once said: “Thank God, I don’t believe in God.” What should I do…

Is fictitious church marriage if the husband intentionally hid before the wedding that his father was an alcoholic? If I had known that he had alcoholics in his family, I would not have considered him as a groom.

No, if he had hidden the fact that he himself was an alcoholic, then this marriage could be considered invalid, and a petition could be immediately written to the clergy. And if the father is, then it is absolutely not necessary that he will be an alcoholic. Failure to agree does not mean deception. But since alcoholism is a serious mental illness, then, of course, the groom himself must tell his bride about it.

Tel. Call: - The media discussed the topic of whether it is necessary to lower the age limit for those who get married, how much do you think this is possible?

I believe that what we have - 18 years - is quite enough.

-And maybe even increase it, what do you think?In your observations of young people?

Well, I don’t know... The fact is that now usually later marriages take place. Which, of course, is not entirely healthy. And to reduce... well, what's the point? A woman’s body is not ready for this, it will be completely unhelpful.

While reading spiritual books, I came across the fact that demons were having conversations with me in my mind on theological topics, please advise what to do?

If this is not a mental illness, then you just need to cut off the attempt of these infuriators with a prayer to God. And if it is obsessive, then with the help of a psychiatrist it can easily be undone. We must start with prayer, and then see a doctor.

- Mother shuts up father all the time, literally.And in front of us, children, and in front of strangers.Moreover, he most often speaks to the point.He is educated and hard-working.What should be done, how to react to this?

Differently. You can, for example, get up and leave as soon as she said this. On the 20th time your mother will notice you leaving. It’s hard to listen to your own mother say such words to your father. This can be stopped somehow.

Is it possible for a second cousin to marry? We want to be together, but our parents are against it. And in general, what degree of relationship is allowed when getting married?

Second cousins ​​are allowed only with the blessing of the bishop. But fourth cousins ​​can.

- I’m praying for the birth of a child, tell me what else I can do as a Christian so that the Lord will hear?

What can you do more than prayer? I can't imagine this. Well, you can go, for example, to the Conception Monastery in Moscow. When we pray to Joachim and Anna, then, of course, they will enter into our position.

My husband has been going to church since childhood, taking communion, but after the death of his father, a change of job and environment, he has not been going to church for 8 years. What can I do to help him return to God and church?

Just pray. After all, you can’t somehow present your head to another person.

-Well, usually they are looking for some more action.

Well, actions happen along the way. But the Gospel also says “no prophet is honored in his own country.” If someone from the outside says, one can be inflamed with love for God. And prayer... it is mysterious. Pray and prayer will do a miracle.

Tel. call: In November 2014, misfortune befell us; our daughter was in an accident. And she spent almost 1.5 years in the hospital. In April of this year, she died before her 33rd birthday. All this time, my wife cannot calm down and keeps asking herself and me why this is a test for our daughter and us. I don’t know how to calm her down. Tell me the words that I could use to calm my wife down?

Maybe it's not worth it. Why necessarily for what? It happens and why.

- That is, Does the Lord want to give this family something in return?

He wants to explain something to people through this. We must try to understand him.

But then the wife arrives, seemingly in deep depression.

She needs to go to church, receive unction, talk to the priest, take communion, come to God. With grief you need to go beyond yourself, you need to go to God. That is, if a person withdraws into himself, this is the wrong path. You go into the darkness of your soul. But you need to go out into the light of God.

Since God chose such a medicine for this family, then in the end the thought will come that how long can one live in melancholy and grief. Life must have meaning.

Or maybe we need to decide and why.

What we do is also important. So a woman once came to me, her daughter had disappeared. And I’ll take it and ask: “What do you do?” She says: “A gynecologist.” I ask: “How many abortions have you had?” She says: “Who can count?” I didn’t even ask anything else...

- The Lord chose this to stop her in this matter...

- To what extent is non-observance of fasts a sin?

Back in the 17th century, it was believed that anyone who does not fast on Wednesday and Friday is not an Orthodox Christian at all. Then the people physically became weaker. Now you won’t even understand who is doing what. Everyone counts something. Everyone has their own point of view.

Once the question is asked, it is clear that the person does not want to fast. What's my business? Will Last Judgment, everything will be explained to us there.

Tel. Call: I'm wondering what it means to be excommunicated from the synagogue. Was everyone excommunicated then?

So how? You and I - no.

-What about the disciples and Jesus himself?

Jesus wasn't either. And the disciples went to synagogues and preached the Gospel there. But the threat of excommunication from the synagogue was always present, because to all ends of the earth, when Christ had already been crucified, such a rescript was issued that these people who preach Christ should not be allowed in. And so, if you are excommunicated, then you are already an outcast from Jewish society. And you and I are not excommunicated, because we never belonged.

I am the father of two children. Group 3 disabled person. I work two jobs. We live in a modest two-room apartment. The income is small. My wife is expecting a third child, but judging by the diagnosis, he has Down syndrome. Please answer why God provides this way? We already live in a difficult situation...

Firstly, the baby has not yet been born. For example, throughout my entire priestly practice, many mothers came to me, to whom doctors promised death during childbirth, and the baby would be a freak, but so far, thank God, not a single diagnosis has yet been confirmed. Therefore, there is no need to shed tears just yet. Why?.. You will find out later.

-So sometimes a person tries to get ahead of himself?

There's no need to rush.

-How to behave correctly with a person who talks incessantly?

Oooh, this is difficult. It happens even in confession, and people think that in order to understand, they need to tell the whole medical record. When I was a young priest, I decided to listen to the end, it lasted 6 hours. I don't do that anymore. I limit it. I want to live J

- What is the attitude of the Church towards science, is there a difference of points of view. And are there many believers among scientists?

Among scientists, the majority are believers, but I mean such great scientists. But there are also atheists. But the fact is that science and faith do not seem to intersect, they are different areas. Science studies the life of the material world, explores. Even the microcosm and macroobjects that exist in the material world. But faith is something completely different, it is contemplation of the spiritual world.

-But at one time they insisted that science refutes some biblical points.

At that time, the Bible was viewed as a textbook on various sciences. This is a completely wrong approach to the Bible.

-That is, it is not difficult to find inaccuracies there.

Well, yes. In general, there is nothing wrong with this. But there are such precisions there that you are simply amazed. How could an ancient man simply say this, how could he know this? Well, for example, that life originated from water? Based on what? But there are instructions. It's amazing! And much more surprising. The Bible is a revelation about God and about man’s knowledge of God, and not historical and geographical information, although they are present.

At the school where I study, one guy from my class calls and teases my friend. The friend wants to respond somehow, but is afraid of a fight. Father, tell me how I can strengthen my friend in this situation?

Strengthen him so that he is not afraid. In any case, courage is needed, both in enduring this insult and laughing at it, and in defending yourself from the insult.

- In your opinion, which is better?

Yes, both are good. And it will definitely be useful in the future.