Valery Abramovich Smirnov

Valery Abramovich Smirnov (in monasticism - Mark, 1951 (1951), Leningrad) - Russian theologian, journalist, former monk and priest of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Born in 1951 in Leningrad, in a family of a military physician. He studied at the Leningrad State University, then graduated from the Leningrad Theological Academy. He was tonsured a monk with the name of Mark and ordained clergyman (no later than 1976), was a cell-attendant of Metropolitan Nicodemus and priest in the Cathedral of Viborg. Then he was transferred to Luga, where relations with the parishioners did not exist, a petition to withdraw from the staff and at the same time tried to get out of the Soviet Union for permanent residence, known as the "secret Catholic ", performed worship in the reformed Latin rite, converting to Roman Catholic Church. From 1987 he worked in the newspaper " Moscow News ". The editor and compiler of the collection of articles "On the Road to Freedom of Conscience" (Moscow: Progress, 1989). From 1991 to 1995 - editor of "Religion in the Modern World" on Radio Liberty. As in 2002 - chief editor of " NY-religion "(Annex to the" Independent Newspaper "). Since the mid-1990s, in spite of his monastic vows, again began to use profane the name of Valery. Smirnov is married.