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MY COUNTRY,
RUSSIA By Barbara Artemov (Munich) Youth. The springtime of life. The blossoming of strength. Life is all ahead! Today out in the west, and subsequently in Russia, there is a cult of youth which is stretched out to last as long as possible. In our commerical society the world of commerce tempts youth with all possible overtures. It calls them to live in their own world of pleasure. Indeed one wishes to try everything, we have still not yet chosen our life’s path, and the difficulties of adult life will come in their own time.
But if we toss around our newly flowering strengths all over the place we will end up only with emptiness. Does it pay to waste our energies this way, when they are so much needed everywhere?
Germany, where I was born and grew up, is considered to be a prosperous country. Politically, economically, and socially the path has been chosen for over a half century, but currently reforms are needed here, corrections, youthful energy. However, regardless of my gratitude to this country, I cannot channel my strengths here. My country is Russia, and my ancestors have served it for at least four generations. At that time this required a risk of life, today the oppression against which they fought has collapsed. Today we have the most pleasant conditions for us to offer our input into the recovery of our motherland. The time has come to fulfill the “testament of our fathers”, returning to Russia those cultural and spiritual traditions which were under the threat of destruction, but we have been able to preserve, and offer our experience which we have obtained during our years in exile. We can transfer these values to Russia, as well as beyond its borders. Beyond its borders, first of all, in the life of our parishes and parish schools, where the study of the Russian language must be saturated with the spirit of the Orthodox tradition of our old Russian life, passing this on to the children. In Russia through the path of a live and intensive contact with people from whom we can receive a new productive strength. When we fulfill this goal, we will once again merge with our people, we can fully devote our strength to the creation of a morally strong Christian government. |
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