Metropolitan Tikhon was provided with security after moving to Crimea – Kommersant

Metropolitan of Simferopol and Crimea Tikhon (Shevkunov) during briefing spoke about the threats against him that began after he moved to Crimea. The Metropolitan also commented on the information that he is the confessor of President Vladimir Putin. According to Tikhon, the president himself should answer this question.

During the briefing, the presenter drew attention to the presence of security at the Metropolitan. Tikhon explained this by saying that after moving to Crimea he began to receive threats. He did not specify which ones exactly. “For the first time in my life, I actually have people who help with security. For the first few days I was completely free, and then suddenly some difficulties emerged that led to me being transferred to the care of professional people,” he said.

The metropolitan forwarded the question of whether he is Vladimir Putin’s confessor to the president himself. “You know, they usually call him a confessor. It’s not me who says: behold, I am his (someone’s) ”b”) confessor. I can’t say that – he has to say it. Therefore, if, God willing, I see Vladimir Vladimirovich, I will definitely tell him that Crimean journalists are also interested in this. Well, is it so, what will he say there? We’ll see,” said the Metropolitan.

He also said that he met Vladimir Putin even before he became president. The Metropolitan called the meeting with him “one of the most important” in his life.

November 11, Metropolitan Tikhon appointed for the post of head of the Crimean Metropolis. Before that, he was Metropolitan of Pskov and Porkhov. On October 15, the Metropolitan jokingly compared his appointment with reference to Kolyma, saying that Chrysostom and Clement were exiled to Crimea. Currently, Tikhon oversees several projects in Crimea and the DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. In particular, he was the author of the creation of the multimedia historical park “Russia – My History” in Melitopol, as well as the park-temple “Chersonese Tauride” in Sevastopol.

In 2013, a British newspaper Financial Times wrote that Tikhon Shevkunov is “Putin’s confessor.” In 2017, the Metropolitan himself, in an interview with Open Russia (associated, according to Russian law enforcement agencies, with the British Open Russia Civic Movement, which is recognized as undesirable) said that on issues of Orthodoxy, Vladimir Putin “has the opportunity to consult with a considerable number of competent people – from His Holiness the Patriarch to ordinary priests and laity.” “Your humble servant is among such priests, this is true,” Tikhon added.

Polina Motyzlevskaya