Viktor Nikitin

Elder Paisius of Mount Athos, born Arsenius Eznepidis in 1924, lived a life marked by deep humility, prayer, and selfless love. Despite severe illnesses and hardships, he remained devoted to God and others, enduring suffering with patience and faith.…

True spiritual life thrives in hiddenness, offered quietly to God alone without seeking human praise. Revealing one’s efforts feeds vanity and diminishes their value. Genuine faith trusts God’s unseen gaze, freeing the soul from needing approval and …

St. Columba’s life unfolds from noble birth and early signs of divine grace through devoted monastic formation and visionary leadership. Founding monasteries across Ireland and Scotland, he brings Christianity to pagan lands, performing miracles and …

This story outlines the history of Christianity in Greece, tracing its origins from Byzantine times through Ottoman rule, national independence, and modern challenges. It highlights the resilience of Orthodox faith amid foreign domination, social cha…

The glossary contains approximately 3,500 words and phrases most frequently found in Orthodox literature and is intended for translators, students of religious and secular educational institutions, and anyone interested in Orthodox Christianity. Глос…

This collection of limericks is a poetic portrait of Viktor, told through the places, cultures, and ideas he loves. England and London, New York and New Orleans, Amsterdam and Jerusalem, Mount Athos, open-air museums, California’s giant trees, music …

In November 1968, despite radio jamming, I recorded the full Beatles’ White Album broadcast on Voice of America in Moscow. This rare opportunity to hear Western music firsthand amidst censorship became a defining cultural moment. The recording symbol…

Faithfulness to God’s path means choosing steady, purposeful steps over frantic rushing. It brings balance between action and rest, nurturing inner peace, clarity, and resilience. This patient journey fosters trust in divine timing, allowing growth a…

This sixth volume presents three traditional Russian folk tales retold in clear English. The stories combine everyday life with the supernatural, featuring peasants, merchants, demons, witches, and miraculous events. Themes of justice, greed, faith, …

This final volume presents detailed lives of Orthodox saints commemorated in December, according to the Julian (Old) Calendar. It offers rich historical and spiritual insights into the saints’ virtues, struggles, and miracles. Volume 12 serves as a c…

The Lives of the Scottish Saints catalogs Scottish saints, highlighting their missionary work, local cults, and dedications like churches named after them. It focuses on their influence in Scotland rather than national identity, briefly outlining ori…

This volume presents detailed lives of Orthodox saints commemorated in November, according to the Julian (Old) Calendar. It offers rich historical and spiritual insights into the saints’ virtues, struggles, and miracles. Volume 11 serves as a compreh…

This second volume presents ten traditional Russian folk tales retold in clear English. The stories combine everyday life with the supernatural, featuring peasants, merchants, demons, witches, and miraculous events. Themes of justice, greed, faith, a…

This fifth volume presents nine traditional Russian folk tales retold in clear English. The stories combine everyday life with the supernatural, featuring peasants, merchants, demons, witches, and miraculous events. Themes of justice, greed, faith, a…

This volume presents detailed lives of Orthodox saints commemorated in June, according to the Julian (Old) Calendar. It offers rich historical and spiritual insights into the saints’ virtues, struggles, and miracles. Volume 6 serves as a comprehensiv…

The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky follows Prince Myshkin, a kind and innocent man who returns to Russian society after treatment in Switzerland. His honesty and compassion contrast sharply with the greed, pride, and emotional turmoil of those around him…

Monasticism is a profound spiritual path that begins not with changing location but with a sincere, attentive commitment to live before God in one’s current circumstances. True monastic life arises from inner readiness, not escape. Only when this cho…

This volume presents detailed lives of Orthodox saints commemorated in May, according to the Julian (Old) Calendar. It offers rich historical and spiritual insights into the saints’ virtues, struggles, and miracles. Volume 5 serves as a comprehensive…

This third volume presents nine traditional Russian folk tales retold in clear English. The stories combine everyday life with the supernatural, featuring peasants, merchants, demons, witches, and miraculous events. Themes of justice, greed, faith, a…

This essay explores why certain Russian words resist direct translation into other languages. It examines concepts such as toska, dusha, poshlost’, avos’, and volya, showing how each encodes culturally specific emotions and worldviews. Drawing on lin…