Department for External Church Relations
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The oldest DECR employee Boris Nelyubov reposed in the Lord
DECR Communication Service, 13.07.2024.
On July 12, Boris Aleksandrovich Nelyubov died at the age of 93. He worked in the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations and at the Moscow Theological Academy for more than sixty years.
Boris Aleksandrovich was born in the town of Perovo, Moscow region, on November 15, 1930, into the family of an office employee.
He entered the Moscow theological seminary in 1950. After army service he continued his studies, first at the seminary, and fr om 1957 at the Moscow Theological Academy. He graduated as a candidate of theology in 1961 and stayed at the Academy as a scholarship holder and teacher of the Greek language. He became assistant professor in 1964, and in 1974 was awarded the degree of Master of Theology for his thesis on “Ancient Oriental Churches.” In the same year he was confirmed in the rank of professor. In October 2004, in consideration of many years of his work at the theological schools, Boris Nelyubov was awarded the title of Honorary Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy.
Since 1962, Boris Aleksandrovich has worked at the DECR as research assistant, translator, and consultant. It was said in the congratulatory address at one of his anniversaries that it was with his participation that “the Department has grown from a small unit of the Moscow Patriarchate into an intellectual and scholarly center of the Russian Orthodox Church wh ere serious theological, church historical and religious and social studies are carried out.“ His contribution “to the preparation and holding of many inter-Orthodox and inter-confessional meetings greatly contributed to the strengthening of pan-Orthodox unity and the building of mutual understanding and brotherly love between Christians historically belonging to different religious traditions.”
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' once said to professor Nelyubov: “I remember well your work in the field of inter-Orthodox relations and I have always highly appreciated your sense of responsibility, duty performance and diligence in fulfilling all the tasks assigned to you.”
Professor Nelyubov was awarded the Orders of St. Prince Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles (2nd and 3rd class), St. Prince Daniel of Moscow (2nd and 3rd class), St. Sergius of Radonezh (2nd class), St. Macarius of Moscow ( 1st and 3rd class), as well as the highest award of the Department for External Church Relations, the medal of St. Mark of Ephesus (1st class).
According to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, the life of Boris Nelyubov is “a wonderful example of serving God and devotion to his duty.” In the difficult time of the triumph of the state ideology of atheism, he “made a serious decision to throw in his lot with the Orthodox Church and always remained committed to it, even under the most difficult circumstances.”
Memory eternal to Boris Aleksandrovich Nelyubov. May the Lord establish him in the mansions of the righteous.
Patriarch
Department Chairman
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