[[Image:Chistousov.jpg|thumb|Fr. Anatoly at the [[Michael Archangel church]] destroyed during fights]][[Image:Grozny1.jpg|thumb|Michael Archangel Church, in 90th]]'''Fr. Anatoly Chistousov''' (in world ''Anatoly Ivanovich Chistousov'', born 1953, Kirov — died killed [[February 14]], 1996, village Old Achkhoy, Chechnya) was a [[priest ]] of [[Russian Orthodox Church]], martyred a rector of Michael Archangel Church of city of Grozny. He was [[martyr]]ed in Chechnya.
== Life in world ==
Father Anatoly Chistousov (full name is Anatoly Ivanovich Chistousov) was born in Kirov in 1953. He graduated from a military college of navigators of the Air Forces and pedagogical institute (in absentia). In the eighties the XX-th twentieth century he served as the an officer-tutor in one of military colleges of the city of Stavropol. In 1990 he became a parishener parishioner of a church Church of the Elevation of the Holy Cross in Stavropol just that had only recently been returned to believers after a few decades of Communism.
In 1993 he retired from of the army. The , becoming a major of a resevethe reserves.
On [[March 18]], 1994 , he was [[ordination|ordained]] a [[deacon]] by Metropolitan Gedeon (Dokukin) he was ordained a deacon.
On [[March, 20]], 1994 , he was ordained a [[priest]]. Before the his ordination he was asked by the metropolitan asked him: "And if you will be sent where it is restlessly, where it is dangerous, will you go?" He answered: "Where you will bless, Vladyko, there and I will go. No terrestrial circumstances are terrible for me"
== The serving Serving in Chechnya ==
On [[March 21]], 1994 , he was appointed to help [[protopriest]] Peter Netsvetayev, the [[deanery|dean]] of Protopriest <!--благочинный -->of orthodox Orthodox churches of in the Chechen Republic. Receiving an appointment, Fr. Anatoly at once departed for Grozny, where at that time it was very dangerous.
Since March, 15th, 1995 he was a rector Fr. Anatoly at once earned the love of parishioners of Michael the Archangel church Church and inhabitants of the city of Grozny . Implicitly he executed obediences appointed by the dean, visited [[parish]]es for fulfilling church services, served reverentially, and Protopriest <!--благочинный -->of orthodox churches in Chechnyaaspired as soon as possible to learn services.== Captivity and death ==
On January 29thIn December 1994 in Grozny a large-scale war operation began. The temple appeared in epicentre of the fighting; one of the first shells destroyed the second floor of the church building, 1996some shells hit the temple, during but divine services were conducted in the First Chechen warchurch cellar. Fr. Anatoly, in a cassock, together with archpriest Sergius Zhigulin he has been grasped by terrorists went fearlessly among bullets and was placed shells to assist the soldiers, to inhabitants who remained hidden in a concentration camp of so-called «Department of state security cellars of houses in the Chechen republic Ichkeria»city. Under tortures he did not stipulated itself and not renounced belief andHe confessed, as a resultpartook [[communion]], has been and [[baptism|baptized]]. His cassock was shot through by thembullets in several places, but he again and again went to those who waited for him.
Soon after the beginning of war operations protopriest Peter Netsvetayev left the city and his flock. Without questioning, Fr. Anatoly, still a beginning priest, headed the parish. The city was on fire, bullets whished, terrible explosions of aerial bombs sowed destruction, but Fr. Anatoly continued to stay with his flock. He was martyred helped both Russians and Chechens as he could, shared the last that he had. Under his management the [[temple]] in February 14thbaptistery, 1996the only remaining usable part of the parish home, has been arranged. Services in the newly arranged temple were conducted constantly.
Remains On New Year's Eve of father 1995 he was forcibly taken by bandits to the Grozny railroad station, where he was ordered to appeal to Russian defense forces to surrender. In response, Fr. Anatoly were exhumated just said nothing and silently blessed the soldiers. Since [[March 15]], 1995 he was appointed the rector of Michael Archangel Church in Grozny and the dean of Orthodox churches in JulyChechnya. In view of disastrous financial conditions of the parish, 2003 in mountains near Old AchkhoyMetr. Gedeon decided to provide for it from Diocesan funds<ref name="p">[http://www.pobeda.ru/content/view/1315/10/ Life of the priest Anatoly Chistousov]</ref>. == Links Captivity and Martyr Death==* On [[January 29]], 1996, during the First Chechen war, Fr. Anatoly, together with archpriest Sergius Zhigulin (now Archimandrite [[Phillip (Zhigulin)|Phillip]]) from External Church Relations Department, was going to meet with Brigadier General Akhmed Zakayev to negotiate the release of a soldier of the Federal Forces Boris Sorokin from Chechen captivity. However, on the way to the Chechen capital from Urus-Martan, they were captured by an armed group under Doku Makhayev's command and were placed in a concentration camp of the so-called Department of State Security of the Chechen Republic Ichkeria. Afterwards the investigation established that the order to capture the priests had been given by same Zakayev<ref>[http://savelev.ru/journal/case/more/?id=19 Answer to an official inquiry of State Duma Deputy A. Savelyev from Procuracy of the Russian Federation, 20.06.2005]</ref>. In the end of the first day of the captivity the prisoners, under the offer of Fr. Anatoly partook of the Eucharist with bread that was available for them, consecrating it with their prayers to Body of Christ making it possible to partake further<ref>[http://www.stavropol-eparhia.ru/personae/clergy/chistousov/ Биография на сайте Ставропольской и Владикавказской епархии РПЦ02.html Witness of Arch. Phillip (Zhigulin)]</ref>.* From the memoirs of Fr. Sergius, "When we shared the Sacrament, Father Anatoly looked at me with an extraordinary expression. What I saw occur with him was a [[Transfiguration|transfiguration]]. The face of Fr. Anatoly became surprisingly light, his widely opened eyes were full unprecedented light. He said, "Listen, brother, for the happiness is to suffer for the Christ, to die with His name on ones lips"<ref name="p">[http://www.pobeda.ru/content/view/1315/10/ Жизнеописание священника оLife of the priest Anatoly Chistousov]</ref>. After the prisoners were divided from each other, Fr. Anatoly was exposed to torture, but did not surrender himself nor renounced his belief and, as a result, he was shot by bandits. He was martyred in [[February 14]], 1996. Fr. Sergius survived and was released after 160 days of captivity. He writes,<br/>"For the first time, I saw the sun after four months... We lived in the basements of destroyed buildings... People were held captive in a burrow, which was very narrow, and people couldn't stand or move. Later on, as federal troops were advancing, we were moved to the mountains and placed into blindages, where up to 100-130 people lived. This lasted for 3.5 months. The blindages were completely flooded with rains. The hostages were sittings there as at a temperature of zero; the Chechens took our clothes away. It is just a miracle that the other people and I survived under those awful conditions."<ref>Paul J. Murphy (2004). [http://books.google.com/books?id=_LXfR7wNWTUC&lpg=RA1-PA245&pg=RA1-PA245#v=onepage&q&f=false ''The wolves of Islam: Russia and the faces of Chechen terror. Анатолия Чистоусова'']p. 245</ref> * On [[April 29]], 2000 Federal Security Service of the Russia passed to Metr. [[Kyrill I (Gundyayev) of Moscow|Kyrill of Smolensk]], Chairman of the External Church Relations Department of the Moscow Patriarchate, a selection of documents testifying to destiny of the priest of Michael Archangel Church, Anatoly Chistousov, abducted by the Chechen terrorists on [[January 29]], 1996. During the period, when a history of Fr. Anatoly remained unknown, the Church hierarchy attempted to obtain the freedom of the abducted priest, as well as other clergymen and the children of Church who had been captured in Chechnya. Eventually some prisoners found freedom. In other cases, regretfully, they had been executed by the gangsters and reposed in settlements of the righteous<ref>[http://www.mospat.ru/archive/nr004261.htm Священник Анатолий Чистоусов принял мученическую кончину в чеченском пленуPriest Anatoly Chistousov took a martyr end in the chechen captivity]</ref>. * Remains of Fr. Anatoly were exhumed only in July 2003 in mountains near Old Achkhoy<ref>[http://www.miloserdiee-vestnik.ru/indexchurch/podvedeny_itogi_blagotvoritelnoy_2757/ Подведены итоги благотворительной акции в помощь семье священика Анатолия Чистоусова]</ref>. Now he has been buried on the Stavropol cemetry. His tomb is within the cemetery [[chapel]].php?ss ==References==<references/> ==4&sExternal links=19&id=2984 Крест на могиле о. Анатолия Чистоусова]* [http://www.stavropol-eparhia.ru/personae/clergy/chistousov/ Священник Анатолий ЧистоусовThe biography on Stavropol diosese's web-site]* [http://www.miloserdie.ru/index.php?ss=4&s=19&id=2984 The Cross on the tomb of fr. Anatoly Chistousov]* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cjvTpaylFg Документальный фильм «Миротворцы» ВA Documentary Film by V.НосковNoskov "Peacemakers"] [[Category:Priests]]{{stub}}[[Category:Martyrs]]
