Rough translation from: http://www.portal-credo.ru/site/?act=rating&id=26

Patriarch ALEXANDER (in the world - Kalinin Avdey Diomidovich), The Primate of the Russian Old-Orthodox Church (Patriarchy of Novozybkov)

Patriarch Alexander was born on 25 November 1957 in the city of Volgograd in a family of "Novozybkovskaya" old believers. He was in the lineage of old-faith clergy who were known in the second half of the twentieth century.

Thus, Vladika Aristarch, the brother of his grandfather, was for many years executive secretary of the Archdiocese, and from 1996 to 2000, was Archbishop, the head of the RDTs [Russian Old-Orthodox Church] . The father of Aristarch - Archbishop John - was the head of the RDTs from 1944 until 1956. In fact, Archbishop John restored the Beglopopovtsy hierarchy after the shock of the 1930-40's. During the battle for Stalingrad, he miraculously survived, while in the basement of its home. Since then the reputation of the family Kalininyh among Beglopopovtsy was extremely high.

Vladika Aristarch (in the world - "honorary archpriest" Afanasy [Athanasius] Kalinin) actually saved the Beglopopovtsy agreement from becoming endangered like the marginal Neokruzniki confession of the Belokrinitskaya agreement. After the persecutions of Khrushchev, he was able to stabilize the external and internal situation of the Beglopopovtsy, who then numbered no more than 18 parishes. At that time, the city of Novozybkov in the region of Bryansk region became the center of the agreement, and the hierarchy has since received the nickname "Novozybkovskaya".

Vladika Aristarch had not only absolute authority, but also caution and tact. When he was almost blind in old age, he asked to do the Liturgy, during which should be read Gospel account of the "conception", and he read it from memory instead of relying on the deacon. Obviously, the personality and credibility of Vladika Aristarch had a decisive influence on the young Avdeya Kalinin.

The nephew of Aristarch and the father of Alexander the Patriarch was Vladika Daniel, the bishop of Volga in the years 2003-2004. He was a quiet and modest man, who refrained from imposing himself as the "gray cardinal".

In 1977, Avdey Kalinin graduated from Volgograd rail technical college. From October 1977 to December 1979, he served in the Soviet Army, then worked a few months as an engineer and technician in Volgograd. . There is a tradition, that even as a boy, Avdey was secretly tonsured a monk with the name of Alexander.

It is necessary to say that that Fr. Afanasy, while being a convinced Old-Believer, paid tribute to the Soviet patriotism: using their unlimited authority, who sometimes acquired authoritarian behavior, he not only followed the loyalty to the Soviet authorities of their clergy, but also very much tried to avoid any confrontation with the RPTs [Russian Orthodox Church] MP [Moscow Patriarchate].

However, there were then no serious attacks also on their long-standing "competitors", the Begolopopovtsev - Belokrinitskoe agreement (now - RPSTs [Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church]). The Novozybkovskaya hierarchy, as did all officially permissible denominations, "actively participated in the struggle for peace" with the RPTs-MP, although it did not formally participate in the ecumenical movement.

In the 1970's, the leadership of the RPTs-MP expressed the wish that the representatives of the old-faith agreements would study on preferential terms in the Moscow and Leningrad religious schools. From the RPSTs was sent 5 candidates, including two brothers, Sevastyanovyh and Zotik Yeremeyev (future bishop Zosim). From RDTs was sent John Mirolyubov (now converted to the Russian Orthodox MP and who works as a consultant in OVTSS MP). Many of the Pimen-era recruitment were Beglopopovtsy, but only one of them reached the big church career heights. That person was Avdey Kalinin.

After entering the Moscow Theological Seminary, he graduated from a four-year course of study in three years. In 1983 he entered the Moscow Spiritual Academy, where he also finished one year early with distinction. The late Bishop Balahninsky Ierofey, a resident of Arzamas, loved to reminesce about "Avdyuse", who studied several grades below him. Vl. Ierofey had a high opinion of him and remembered the young academic years, as together they read notes, etc., but most of all became friends with Alexander (Kalinin), and a current bishop of the ROC MP, Ufimskim Nikon, then his seminarian school-mate. After the academy in 1986, Alexander received the degree of Candidate of Theology for his thesis "The Holy Metropolitan Kiprian. The life and literary creativity."

The education of the future Patriarch in the schools of the RPTs-MP was part of the program for training priestly personnel for the old-faith agreements. Now, this "charity" of the RPTs-MP was well thought out and shared the expectation that by obtaining "nikonian leaven", as well as quite a good theological education, these forces would come to power in old-faith denominations and would keep the policy in line with the interests of the RPTs-MP. This project was completely realized in the attitude of the former Pomor teacher Ivan Ivanovich Mirolyubova, who in 1995 as a result of contention in Latvia Pomorskoy Church joined with the RPTs-MP on the Rights of the Edinoveriya.

With regard to the future Patriarch Alexander and Bishop of RPSTs Zosimy, everything turned out a little differently. Their world-view, inculcated in the MTS, affected how the bishops came to build a "vertical line of power" in the dioceses entrusted to them: His Holiness Alexander throughout the RDTs and Bishop Zosimas in the Moldovan diocese of the RPSTs. From the theological seminary, Bishop Zosimas (Yeremeyev), in general disliking "nikonianism", carried his dislike and skepticism to the ascetics and martyrs of the Old-Orthodox.

Generally speaking, the RPTs-MP is characterized by significant suppression of sobornosti at all levels of church society: from the parish - to the whole Church. Laity and priests were quite simple powerless and voiceless and depended on the whims of the ruling bishop. This system was built in the RDTs by Patriarch Alexander. Many observers, both external and inside of the Old-Faith, confidently stated that the Patriarch is loyally disposed to the RPTs-MP and leads the RDTs in association with it.

However, this is not completely accurate. To Patriarch Alexander, his personal authority is extremely important. This power he has no intention to share with anyone. His views on this issue can be summarized as famous saying of Julius Caesar: "It is better to be the first person in Gaul than second in Rome." All of his knowledge gained in the RPTs-MP religious seminary and the academy, he used to get almost absolute power in the RDTs.

Chronologically, his way to absolute power began in 1983 with his entering the MTS. Characteristically, during the first day of his study in the MTS, on September 1, 1983, the future Patriarch Alexander - then the reader Avdey Kalinin - was appointed personal secretary to Archbishop Gennady, then the head of the RDTs and a relative of Kalinin.
It is only natural that in the MTS, Avdey Kalinin gained an enormous amount of connections with the future bishops of the RPTs-MP, enabling him in the 90's to go into many church circles of the RPTs-MP, and through them - to many responsible officials, especially at the regional level, which gave the Patriarch Alexander the opportunity to seek funds for church activities, and resolve property disputes and questions about the allocation of land for the construction of temples. For example, the RPTs-MP Metropolitan of Nizhny-Novgorod and Arzamas Nicholas (Kutepov) argued that the requests of RDTs for buildings and land were never blocked in contrast to similar requests by the Belokrinitskaya and the Pomortsy.
After the MTA, on 11 January 1987, Avdey Kalinin formally adopted monasticism with the name Alexander, and after 3 days was elevated into the dignity of deacon. On 19 January 1987, he was elevated to the rank of archdeacon, on 6 December 1987, into the dignity of hieromonk. and on 21 September 1992, hieromonk Alexander was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite.

In those years, the church life of the RDTs was repeatedly shaken by church discords. First, the bishops of Perm Leonti (Krechetov) and Moscow Flavian defied Archbishop Gennady and Honorable Protopresbyter Afanasiyu Kalinin, virtually ending their relationship. They accused them of modernism and ecumenism (in old-believer-speak "fury"), and Vladika Leonti remembered also about the studies of Alexander in the Moscow seminary. This contention has given rise to the next - Georgian (otherwise - Iverskaya Old-Orthodox [Drevlepravoslavnaya] Church), one of the first bishops of which was Filaret, a former cleric of the RDTs - Feodor Bekhchanov. The fact is that in Georgia (Poti and Griguleti) were several strong parishes of the RDTs which formed the backbone of the Iverskoy hierarchy. The end of the 1990's marked a new division that led to the emergence of yet another hierarchy - the so-called Kursk. Hieromonk Apollinary (Dubinin), Moscow professor and priest of the RDTs Kursk temple, has accused the RDTs hierarchy of the same ecumenism and modernism as that of Leonty and the Georgians, and has received from the Romanian bishop Tulchinsky of the RDTS the office of archbishop, which is unrecognized by the RDTs.

In 1990, Fr. Alexander organized a spiritual school for training clergy for the RDTs. He became rector and confessor of the school. It is characteristic that the theological school of the RDTs actually became an impaired copy of the RPTs-MP seminary, with all the consequences - the spirit of "Bursa" prevailed, and now reigns in the RDTs school.

Now graduated from the Moscow Theological Seminary and the Academy of the RPTs-MP, the Patriarch Alexander and the life within the RDTs tried to arrange for him a normal pattern - repression of sobornosti, "rigid vertical lines of power", the removal of any "bright" individuals that would "overshadow" his person.

It should be noted that the work of Alexander at some point had a very positive impact on the lives of the RDTs. In particular, it is by his work that the number of RDTs parishes increased several times and has reached, at the end of 2003, 70. He attracted to the school in the early 90's a lot of young people who later became priests and bishops and who formed the backbone of the RDTs.

In fact, Patriarch Alexander turned the RDTs into a copy of the average diocese of the MP. During the 90's, the power of Patriarch Alexander continued to grow. Thus, after the death in 1996 of Archbishop Gennady and the election of 89-year-old Vladika Aristarch (Kalinin) as Archbishop, Alexander became the Bishop of Moscow and de facto manager of the Archdiocese.

He had all power within the RDTs as well as control of all external communications. It is necessary, however, to say that the life of Alexander, when he was still in the dignity of archimandrite, was almost broken tragically on his way to absolute power. During the unloading of firewood from dump trucks, he was seriously injured and miraculously stayed alive. He was hospitalized and had deep surgery into his skull conducted successfully. From time to time, he still needs small endoscopic cerebral operations. The future Patriarch stoically withstood his share of trials.

During the years 1996-2000, Alexander has consistently sent to the periphery of church life any independent priests and laity. As a result, many of them have left the RDTs to join either the RPSTs or the RPTs-MP, or formed their own faith, or they ceased to play a prominent role in the life of the agreement and closed their parishes. Moreover, in one of the sobors in the late 90's, it was decided to ban the involvement of laity in the meeting of the Councils (the ban was lifted only in the Sobor in November 2003, and then only in the advisory capacity of laity. They say that lifting the ban was a formality).

In May 2000, after the death of Archbishop Aristarch, Alexander was elected Archbishop. Since that time, his personal power has been steadily growing. At the same sobor in May 2000 was the latest attempt to stop Alexander - a second candidate was nominated - Archbishop of Kursk and Samara, Lev. The priests of his diocese advanced it. The vote failed and shortly after the sobor, he was uncanonically banned (the formal occasion was his delay with relatives for 10 days longer than the time for which he sought a blessing), and the priests who nominated him have either been forbidden to service, or exiled to remote parishes. The ambition of Alexander was formally recognized by his election as patriarch, which took place without any prior discussion within the RDTs. The authors of the "Patriarchal project" are believed to be two priests: Alexander Chukalenko and Andrei Marchenko. However, without the personal involvement of Alexander the project was unlikely to be possible.

The election of Alexander Patriarch actually only exacerbated the climate of isolation, which has always characterized the RDTs as a confession, and marked erosion of the once nearly perfect relations with the RPTs-MP. Patriarch Alexander almost became a figure of non-grata in patriarchical circles, and in the other Old-Faith agreements. By inertia bishops of the RPTs-MP Yuvenaly Kursk and Nikon Ufa supported Alexander in the conflict with Apollinarius for the temple in Kursk, which was selected from the community.

In establishing the patriarchate in the RDTs, some observers see the lack of systemic thinking of the first-hierarch of the RDTs: he is unable to assess all possible risks in the event of any responsible decisions, which may have broad public interest. Blinded by the total obedience of the flock, they are not aware of many of his actions, believing that anything is possible to solve in orderly fashion.

With regard to the socio-political views Patriarch Alexander, we can say with confidence that they are not original, and even showed some the limitations and improvidence of their vehicle. As already noted above, the management style of Alexander is characterized by complete information secrecy - during the time he has been first-hierarch (from May 2000 to present), he gave only three interviews. This is due to the isolationist policies pursued by the Patriarch Alexander. He does not deem it to any serious extent to inform society about the life and work of the RDTs, communicate the views of the RDTs on the processes taking place in the country, or tell the public about Old-Belief. All interviews of Patriarch Alexander affect the following aspects: the history of the RDTs, the reasons for its separation both from the RPTs-MP and the RPSTS, the relationship with the RDTs as with the RPTs-MP , and with the authorities, the development prospects of the RDTs.

You may notice that the patriarch Alexander maintains a good and friendly relationship with the leaders of several areas of Russia. Thus the head of Buryatia and the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic themselves come from old-faith families, close to the Patriarch. Patriarch Alexander also has great friends in the leadership of the Bryansk region.
Only once did Patriarch took an active part in politics: in 1996 during the pre-election race of B. Yeltsin, he took part in the campaign, speaking on the radio with calls to deal with "red-brown" patriotic plague. With regard to the new government, Alexander is more restrained, although he tried several times to get nearer politically to the "United Russia". Unlike his former head, Bishop Apollinary of Kursk brought his whole newly baptized flock in Kursk into active membership of the "Party Eurasia" and he maintains a close relationship with its leader AG Dugin.

It is noteworthy that Bishop Alexander, despite his higher theological education and theological degree of candidate of science, has no vision for the development of the RDTs, or its relationship with the state as well as with the RPTs-MP. In particular, he has shown greater loyalty to secular power than even the RPTs-MP does. For example, responding to a question about the relationship between the RDTs and the authorities, he has the answer: "Personally, I and all our priests are very good about the authorities. We must do so because they have all the power of God. And even if it is a cunning use against us, then it must be tolerated, being aware that maybe somewhere we have sinned. I have been corrected myself. If we are correct, then the government will treat us kindly."

Such an attitude to the authorities was typical of church leaders of all faiths in the Soviet times, but now it looks very strange, especially when the leaders of other faiths can imagine, if not criticism of the authorities, then in any case, quite independent opinions as to events, and in the networking relationship with power.

Summing up the years of the Patriarch Alexander, one can say with certainty that he, with outstanding administrative abilities, and as much more educated than the majority of the priesthood of the RDTs, he was able to make the RDTs a vertical structure, which is based on him personally. No serious decision, regardless of level - parish, diocesan or confession-wide - is not accepted in the RDTs without the knowledge and control of the Patriarch Alexander.

It should be specially noted the "village" style of vestments which flourished in the RDTs under the Patriarch Alexander. Buying vestments on the basis of the RPTs-MP in Sofrino, Alexander, usually takes the classic inexpensive new-confessing vestments, while at the same workshop for a small additional charge you can order the old-confessing Riza. Recently, on the Patriarchal blessing in Moscow Pokrovskom temple on the street Novokuznetskaya were dismantled an ancient tsarist gate in the style of the XVI century and instead they put sofrinskie "model carved with holes." Clergy, including bishops, are frequently robed in homespun motley vestments, far away from the notion of "grandeur". Singing in the RDTs also is not particularly refined, and in some places (for example, in Voronezh) choirs may perform some partesnye and polupartesnye melodies.

His Holiness likes to serve and often travels around the country, performing archhierarchical services. Liturgical his style is not particularly refined or beauty, but he likes the service. At the same time, bishops of the RDTs, who are strictly controlled, without the blessing of Patriarch Alexander do not dare to perform service of the archhierarchical rank. For insubordination, they can be severely punished, so that they perform episcopal services 5-7 times a year, while the rest of the time they serve as normal priests.

Patriarch Alexander, being a monk, conducts an ascetic way of life with modest habits. Although evil toungues inflates the subject of proximity to a famous parishioner in the Moscow church of Sinai, there is no reason to take seriously these rumors.

It is interesting to note that with respect to the RPSTs, Patriarch Alexander resumed sharp and harsh polemics, including himself against the Metropolitan Amvrosiya (Popovic), the founder of the hierarchy, which is glorified in RPSTs in the Lika prelate. Several pamphlets on this subject have been issued. There is reason to assume that the author of the "anti-belokrinitskoy" campaign is the only competent and educated priest-writer RDTs priest Andrei Marchenko of the Kemerovo region. Specifically, to him belongs a number of striking public speeches, in particular against the "cult of miracles", giving the position of the RDTs some resonance.