Nikola Khlebny

Nikolay Konyaev, secretary of the Union of Writers of Russia and chairman of the Orthodox Society of St. Petersburg, is one of the most prominent Russian writers, the author of more than three dozen diverse book publications. The main place in his work is occupied by the theme of folk Orthodoxy, and the book “Nikolay Khlebny” is yet another confirmation of that. It includes stories, essays, memoirs, creative reports about pilgrimages, and more.

The writer tells us true stories both about those just beginning to learn the basics of faith, and about those who have firmly devoted themselves to the path of salvation. He speaks about shrines, miracles, miracle-working icons, and their place in the life of an Orthodox Christian. As always, the author stands at the center of significant religious events in Russia. Therefore, his works are distinguished by accuracy and depth of presentation. In the book, the writer’s words are filled with hope, kindness, and an all-conquering faith; with that heartfelt knowledge of religious truths, and the ability to convey them reliably and unobtrusively—Nicholay generously shares all these saving feelings and knowledge with readers.

And once you read the book, you open anew this wonderful writer—our contemporary, a talented artist, a hardworking, meticulous collector of historical meanings and facts—who relates to words with great care, responsibility, and respect. But even more attentive and sensitive is he to people. The movements of the soul and tensions of will, mistakes and realizations, falls and triumphs—these are the subjects of his artistic research. A person’s path from earthly life to eternity runs through all the seasons; this applies both to movement through time and to moral growth. Here, too, winter gives way to spring, and summer to autumn. In this sense, the writer’s work is the calendar of our time—a calendar that is always useful to have before your eyes…