The priest after the death of his mother in the temple converted to Islam and went on foot to Mecca

Vladimir was born in Ryazan. He graduated, like all school, then the Pedagogical Institute, becoming a teacher of the Russian language and literature. For some time he taught at the school. But not for long.

– In our family, there was absolutely no one from the church ministers, I was the first, – said Vladimir Ugryumov. – How did it happen? Probably fate. In the 2000s, we had a big charity program in our city. I also participated in it, we ourselves built churches in Ryazan and throughout the region.

It so happened that I drove one great clergyman, gained wisdom from him, and then made a decision, dropped everything and went to the priesthood. But the most important thing that served as an impetus was our Literary Faculty of the Pedagogical Institute, where I studied Church Slavonic. During this time, I have already visited many countries: in Egypt, in the monastery of St. Catherine, where I held the manuscripts in my hands, I was seven times in Jerusalem on the holy land.

And when I studied this language, then I decided to become a priest. I traveled a lot around the world even then, visited 23 countries. We even redeemed hostages in Africa, where we were on a mission and risked our lives a lot. I then walked with faith, I was never afraid, I probably saved six people. I had my own rank, I served in different churches for 15 years. I served from the heart, I put my whole soul into it.

– And what prompted you to take the dignity?

– Probably, first of all, the tragic death of the mother. It happened in a temple in Ryazan – my mother washed a glass of soap and fell down. I did not see the moment of the fall, but she died immediately. It was the catalyst for what followed.

Employees of the Investigative Committee arrived at the scene, and they tried to open a criminal case against the one who was responsible for safety measures. We immediately told our father not to touch this man, that our mother is in paradise.

But after my mother passed away, my father went off the rails completely. He had three suicide attempts, I drove him to all the holy places.

After the death of my mother, I felt completely empty. He served a little more as a priest – and left.

On accepting Islam

As a result, the cleric arbitrarily left the parish, after which the punishment followed. Priest Vladimir Ugryumov was relieved of his post, forbidding him to wear a pectoral cross.

– I have been to the mosque many times, – continues Vladimir. – And in Moscow I met another person – the supreme mufti. When I talked to him, you know, for me the whole world turned upside down completely. I confessed to him that I could not survive the death of my mother. I want to make a pilgrimage. And I could not understand some aspects of Christianity, in my soul a small conflict was ripe. For example, I forgive very hard. Here is a man who built a temple, and my mother died in it, I cannot forgive him.

I began to read the Quran in great detail. Compare everything. And he finally made his choice. As a result, in February last year in Moscow, in the cathedral mosque, I converted to Islam. The entire rite was conducted by the supreme mufti of the capital. Now I have a new name – Said Muhammad, but according to my passport I am Vladimir Ugryumov. And you can contact me anyway.

After gaining a new faith, the ex-priest decided to go on a hajj (pilgrimage) from Moscow to Mecca on foot.

– Before that, on the computer, I calculated my entire route in stages – where to stay, spend the night, how to go and where. That’s six thousand and a half kilometers! Having fully prepared and gathered, I left the Moscow Cathedral Mosque on March 1, 2022, on my birthday. And guessed it for the anniversary of my mother’s death (she died on March 4).

About the hike

– Initially chosen by me route from Moscow to Mecca is unique in its duration and autonomy, – says Vladimir. – The original thread of the route passed through Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. But the instability of the political situation, the difficulties of obtaining a visa played a role, and the route changed.

On the territory of the Russian Federation, Ugryumov passed through the Moscow, Ryazan, Tambov, Volgograd, Astrakhan regions, Kalmykia, Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia and North Ossetia.

– The next part of the Hajj will pass through the territory of neighboring states, and the route can be adjusted for various reasons, – the traveler continues.

– What did you take with you?

– I am a professional athlete, I had a tent, sleeping bags, backpacks, etc. with me. I took the main thing, because the experience was great already. But it practically doesn’t matter where (whether in the Middle Lane, in the Caucasus, and so on) – I almost didn’t stay overnight on the street. People met me, rejoiced, there were no problems.

– Were there any adventures or troubles, someone attacked along the way?

– Oh, you have no idea how much it was! Here is the most striking example. In Kalmykia, Dagestan, there are a lot of huge dogs – Alabai. They are the size of a calf.

Once I walk and feel that someone grabs my leg from behind and begins to tear the muscle with my teeth. It was Alabay! I had a knife in my bag, like a machete – huge, honed. My first reaction was to simply slash the dog’s paw, but when we have a prayer, we raise our hands up.

I raised my hands, looked at the dog (and he is so old, but strong) and I tell him: “You are God’s creation and I, too, why do you need me?”. You know, he sat down, wagged his tail and followed me all the way, 20 kilometers, and fed him.

And once I fell into a concrete shaft from a height of 13 meters, but I didn’t get a scratch!

As such, I did not have fear during the journey, but different things happened. It’s creepy, for example, when you’re alone at night, when jackals howl from all sides, wild animals roam. Of course, dashing people also came across. They thought I had a lot of money. Nothing, everything worked out. I wore different clothes: special, sports and shoes (by the way, I wore out 12 pairs of shoes on the way!) and ordinary hiking shoes. There was a staff to drive the dogs away, it was often grinded down and changed.

But the biggest problem turned out to be the borders, where the trouble with documents and visas began. I even wrote poetry about it. At first, “Russia-Azerbaijan”, where our people were allowed in, said “we will carry you in our arms, we respect you,” but from the other side they did not want to let them in. I turned around and decided to go through Georgia. Imagine what a hook made!

However, Vladimir was not destined to get to Georgia either. There he was also deployed at the border. It seemed that the long journey (the pilgrim was on the way for a year) would end there. But it was only interrupted for a short time. And it is not the border services that are to blame, but … love.

About love

– Did you get married in Dagestan when you came there?

– Yes, I met my love in Makhachkala! Vladimir admits. – And this is my true soulmate! When I was on the border with Georgia, my friends called me and said that one woman, Ayana, really wants to get to know me. She is from Dagestan and has been closely following my journey on the Internet. I was told that she wants not only to get acquainted, but also to go further with me.

I’m a little tired of being alone, I thought and said that I was not against dating. We met with Ayana in Makhachkala: I went to her house, she went out with her brother, because according to customs, one cannot. We talked – and immediately they came to her mother to get acquainted, drank tea, ate. I fell in love with her immediately, after 20 minutes I decided to marry her.

He asked Ayana: “Will you walk with me?” She happily agreed.

Everything is strict with us there, I can’t even touch it – there must be a registry office, nikah (marriage ceremony in a mosque). On the same day, we went to the mosque and made nikah, and then registered at the registry office. She took my Russian surname. Then we waited for her new documents. My pilgrimage was interrupted for a short time – we decided to go to my home, to Ryazan.

But you were already married?

– Yes. In Moscow, I left my wife Irina and three children. But we’re already divorced. The church court divorced me from my first wife after I converted to Islam (we were married to her). We communicate, of course. When I accepted Islam, we parted.

– Are you sure that Ayana is your destiny?

– Sure! I’m happy! My wife is smart, understands everything, and then we will go on foot together. She is 41 years old, a former athlete. We are an example of the fact that everything happens the other way around. Russian girls marry Muslims most often, and our case is unique. We are an international couple. Here we go along the street, and everyone looks back at us. I showed her Ryazan the other day, she really liked everything!

– Does Ayana wear a hijab?

– No, but he wants to do it later, when we have already decided, after all the trips. She usually dresses like all girls and wears jeans and has a positive attitude towards Christianity, we even often go to church together. When I walked, for some reason I expected such a meeting, but I was closed like a turtle, I was afraid of everything, I was afraid. And when I got to Dagestan, I was simply shocked, what kind of people there are! I knew that my destiny was waiting for me there.

– What are your plans for the future?

– We have everything ahead, this is just the beginning! For people who have seen the world with different cultures and religions, all boundaries are erased. You treat everyone as your brothers. After we reach Mecca with my wife, we will go to Jerusalem to the holy land, to the tomb of the Lord.

About faith

– I am now 49 years old, and I did not even notice all this time. It seems to me that just yesterday I was born, and life is just beginning. Now I tell everyone that no one should be angry with me that I got between two fires – between a “hammer and a hard place”, because many friends are used to seeing me as a priest. But not one turned away, did not laugh, everyone understood my choice.

Yes, I took off my rank, even the church court was over me, but it was my conscious choice as a person. You know, I tell many people – I did not accept Islam, but on the contrary, it, Islam, accepted me. But at the same time, I combined both that and that, I did not lose anything. In fact, in my soul two religions, two faiths have merged into one. This is what happens. I have not abandoned Christianity. By the way, I often go to the temple.

I do not want to condemn anyone, everyone is equal, everyone has the same sins. I have remained the same as I was, the same person. My faith just got deeper.