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Education and Youth

In the beginning of his school education he had to experience the public confession of his Christian faith for the first time. Once Daniel was ill and teachers came to visit him. Just as they entered his room their friendly mood changed to shock and anger: it was something unbelievable for an atheistic teacher to see lots of icons and Christian books in Daniel's room, and of course they felt that it was their own fault. From that point he was publically persuaded to give up his faith and to become atheist and Marxist. Daniel bravely stood against all the public shame he had been put in. Standing in front of the whole class he had to say: "I do go to the church; I do believe in God; I do know prayers." Since that moment until the end of his life he continued to confess his faith openly despite all threats.

Daniel entered Moscow Spiritual Seminary after graduating from school in 1991. From the material standpoint it was a hard time for Daniel and his family, so, to support himself he started to work as a tutor for weaker students. The seminary was the right place for Daniel's most favourite hobby: reading. He spend hours and hours in the library studying the ancient books. Sometimes he didn't listen to the professors on the lectures because he had already known the information from the books. But, he didn't waste his time: he was reading more books under the desk!

All of his education had strengthened him in his deep assurance that only the Orthodox faith had salvational truth. Daniel also liked singing and he had the obedience of singing in the choir and even became a master leader of a mixed choir in the Regent School. He loved ancient church chants and later introduced them in his own church when he became a priest.