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'''Fr. Anatoly Chistousov''' (in world ''Anatoly Ivanovich Chistousov'', born 1953, Kirov — killed [[February 14]], 1996, village Old Achkhoy, Chechnya) was a [[priest ]] of [[Russian Orthodox Church]], a rector of Michael Archangel church Church of city of Grozny, martyred . He was [[martyr]]ed in Chechnya.

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 reservethe 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 orthodox Orthodox churches of in the Chechen Republic. Receiving the an appointment Father , Fr. Anatoly at once departed to for Grozny, where in at that time it had been was very dangerous.

Father Fr. Anatoly at once acquired earned the love of parisheners parishioners of Michael the Archangel church Church and inhabitants of the city of Grozny. Implicitly he executed obediences appointed by the dean, visited parishes [[parish]]es for fulfilling church services, served reverentially, and aspired as soon as possible to learn services.

In December 1994 in Grozny the a large-scale war operation began. The temple appeared in epicentre of fightsthe fighting; one of the first shells desroyed destroyed the second floor of the church housebuilding, some shells got to hit the temple. But , but divine services proceeded already were conducted in the church cellar. Father Fr. Anatoly , in the a cassock , went fearlessly among bullets and shells to assist the soldiers, to the remaining inhabitants hiding who remained hidden in cellars of houses in the city, . He confessed, partakedpartook [[communion]], and [[baptism|baptized]]. His cassock was shot through by bullets 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 flared city and his flock. Without puzzlingquestioning, Fr. Anatoly, still the a beginning priest, headed the parish. The city was in on fire, bullets whished, terrible explosions of aviabombs aerial bombs sowed destructionsdestruction, but Fr. Anatoly continued to stay with his flock. He helped both Russians and Chechens as he could, shared the last that he had. Under his management the [[temple ]] in baptistery, the only remained premises remaining usable part of the church houseparish home, has been arranged. Services in the new newly arranged temple were made conducted constantly.

On New Year's Eve of 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 said nothing said and only silently blessed the soldiers.

Since [[March, 15th15]], 1995 he was appointed the rector of Michael Archangel church Church in Grozny and the dean of orthodox Orthodox churches in Chechnya. In view of disastrous financial conditions of the parish, metrMetr. Gedeon decided to provide for it from Diocese Diocesan funds<ref name="p">[http://www.pobeda.ru/content/view/1315/10/ Life of the priest Anatoly Chistousov]</ref>.

== Captivity and Martyr Death ==

On [[January 29th29]], 1996, during the First Chechen war, he together with Fr. Anatoly, together with archpriest Sergius Zhigulin (now Archimandrite [[Phillip (Zhigulin)|Phillip]]) from External Church Relations Department were , was going to meet with Brigadier General Akhmed Zakayev to negotiate the release of a soldier of the Federal Forces Boris Sorokin from chechen Chechen captivity. However, however on the way to the Chechen capital from Urus-Martan, after negotiations they were captured by the an armed group under Doku Makhayev's command themselves and were placed in a concentration camp of the so-called «Department Department of state security State Security of the Chechen republic Ichkeria»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>.

On In the end of the first days day of the captivity the prisoners , under the offer of Father Fr. Anatoly made partook of the Eucharist with bread that was available for them bread, consecrating it with their prayers to Body of Christ so that to have possibility making it possible to partake further<ref>[http://www.stavropol-eparhia.ru/personae/clergy/chistousov/02.html Witness of Arch. Phillip (Zhigulin)]</ref>.

From the memoirs of Fr. Sergius: «When , "When we shared the Sacrament, Father Anatoly extraordinary expressively looked at me, and with an extraordinary expression. What I saw: there was occured occur with him that is called as was a [[uncreated lightTransfiguration|transfiguration]]. The face of father Fr. Anatoly became surprisingly light, his widely opened eyes were full unprecedented before of light. He said: «Listen, "Listen, brother, for this the happiness is to suffer for the Christ, to die with His name on lips»ones lips"<refname="p">[http://www.pobeda.ru/content/view/1315/10/ Life of the priest Anatoly Chistousov]</ref>.

Further After the prisoners was were divided from each other. , Fr. Anatoly was exposed to torture, but did not stipulated surrender himself and not nor renounced his belief and, as a result, has been he was shot by bandits. He was martyred in [[February 14th14]], 1996.

Fr. Sergius survived, he and was released only after 160 daysof 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.''] p.245</ref>

On april [[April 29]], 2000 Federal Security Service of the Russia passed to metrMetr. [[Kyrill I (Gundyayev) of Moscow|Kyrill of Smolensk]], Chairman of the External Church Relations Department of the Moscow Patriarchate, a selection of the documents testifying to destiny of the priest of Michael Archangel church Church, Anatoly Chistousov, abducted by the Chechen terrorists on [[January, 29th29]], 1996.During the period, when a destiny history of frFr. Anatoly remained unknown, the Church hierarchy undertook attempts attempted to obtain the freedom of liberating the abducted priest, as well as and other clergymen and the children of Church captivated who had been captured in the Chechnya. Sometimes Eventually some prisoners eventually found freedom, in . In other cases, to a regretregretfully, they was had been executed by the gangsters and reposed in settlements of the righteous<ref>[http://www.mospat.ru/archive/nr004261.htm Priest Anatoly Chistousov took a martyr end in the chechen captivity]</ref>.

Remains of father Fr. Anatoly were exhumated just exhumed only in July, 2003 in mountains near Old Achkhoy<ref>[http://www.e-vestnik.ru/church/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]].

== References ==<references /> == Links External links==

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cjvTpaylFg Документальный фильм «Миротворцы» ВA Documentary Film by V.НосковNoskov "Peacemakers"]{{stub}}