The theological conference starts todayLife in Christ ', and the portal ' continues to publish talks about the Christian life. The author of the book “Orthodox Asceticism Expounded for the Laity”, priest Pavel Gumerov, answers the questions.

—Father Pavel, to what extent is ascetic patristic literature applicable to the laity? Should a modern Orthodox person focus on literature written mainly for monastics?

- Barsanuphius of Optinsky said this: "Try to live as God commands, and not as everyone else lives, because the world lies in evil."

These words are especially relevant for our time, because now everyone is trying to live as easy as possible. The main slogan of life is the phrase: “How can we make sure that we have everything, and we don’t have anything for it?”.

But living the way everyone lives is a dead end. Most people will never live like a Christian anyway. At all times, Christians have been in the minority, especially Christians who think about questions of asceticism and inner work.

Why is ascetic literature so important to us?

First, in today's turbulent world, so many people suffer from all sorts of spiritual, mental and spiritual ailments. Phenomena such as, anxiety, psychologicallonelinesshave become common diseases. Psychologists even call this universal depression the plague.XXI century.

And it happens because people live like everyone else.

How does everyone live the so-called "how everyone deceives each other, how everyone does not think about what responsibility, duty, conscience and human honor are - and this leads to sad consequences.

People try to heal their wounds from psychologists, from psychotherapists, but the root of the problem remains.

Although it must be said that, for example, was quite positive about psychology. He said that psychology is fully compatible with Christianity when it is refracted through the prism of Holy Scripture and patristic experience.

Saint Theophan himself was a great connoisseur of the human soul and gave such subtle advice that even now one can read in the books of the best contemporary psychologists, as if they had quoted him without quotation marks.

For a modern Orthodox person, ascetic patristic literature is a guide to action even to a greater extent than for those people who lived in Orthodox Russia. Now a Christian should feel like a soldier of Christ. And what does a soldier of Christ need? Ascetic exercise. For the word itself, translated from Greek, means to exercise, to train. And what kind of warrior are you if you relax all day long?

– All of us now in Russia are newly converted Christians. Many of us often eagerly undertake to build our lives according to the patristic books, but that was not the case! How to be in that case?

- You need to start with simple things.

For example, if we take the Philokalia, then the beginner should not read it in its entirety, but, say, the second volume. It is easy enough to digest and speaks of the struggle with passions.

The books of Saints Theophan the Recluse and Ignatius Brianchaninov, who lived in the 19th century, are very close to us. They are simpler than the Philokalia, although in principle they talk about the same things. Theophan the Recluse has excellent books “What is spiritual life and how to tune in to it”, “Passion and struggle with them”, compiled on the basis of his letters.

– What should be the prayer of a modern person?

– The prayer of a modern person should be the same as the prayer of a non-modern person, because “Christ is the same yesterday and today and today,” as Holy Scripture tells us.

There should be no compromise in terms of revising the rule, reducing it, adapting it, or otherwise facilitating it.

- But is it Reverend Seraphim did not come to the idea of ​​revising prayer practice? After all, it was he who proposed to fulfill the prayer rule, known to the Orthodox as?

- Firstly, his formula is set out for people who, for some reason, cannot read the full rule, for example, in the case of a largefatigue. But it is not offered as a daily rule.

Secondly, when Seraphim of Sarov advised to pray like this, a large number of people were illiterate, and besides these prayers, they, perhaps, did not know anything else.

You should not make yourself relaxed in the prayer rule, because this is a “good” way for a modern person, covered by a thousand things to do and a lack of time, to completely immerse himself in the hustle and bustle. We dedicate so little time to God that it would be wrong to make life easier for ourselves.

The established prayer rule is small. If a person reads it not for the first time, it takes about ten minutes of quiet reading. And what, for example, does the average man or woman do when they come home from work? He eats, turns on the TV, turns on the computer, and spends four or five hours before going to bed at the screen, and he has time for this, but for some reason he is not on God for ten minutes.

- What can you say about the fact that sometimes a conscientious reading of the entire rule turns into a mechanical subtraction?

- If a person is just coming to Church, then I bless you to read the first three or four prayers first, then slowly add them.

It is clear that everyone has their own measure: someone came to the Church recently, he needs a shorter rule, children and young men, of course, too. But the thing is, you can't constantly lower the bar: let's shorten the service, let's translate it into Russian.

There are, of course, individual cases: round-the-clock work, a nursing mother who has three more children, people who are sick, infirm. If it is really impossible to fulfill the whole rule, in agreement with the confessor, you can change something.

But only in agreement withconfessor! A person is weak, and if he acts independently, he can constantly lower the bar imperceptibly. At first it is difficult for him to fast without fish, then it is difficult with fish, then it is difficult with dairy products, and then he may not fast at all.

The life of a Christian is like military service. After all, we came to the Church not just to receive aesthetic pleasure, to listen to singing, to rest our hearts and calm down. Service is work, it is an exercise, it is a sacrifice that we bring to God in the form of our time, in particular.

After all, we do so little: reading the rule, fasting, on Sunday we go to church. If we even give ourselves slack in this, constantly follow the world that lies in evil, then how will we be saved at all? We do not acquire, like the ascetics of antiquity, some great virtues by which we could be saved. We can be saved by keeping the rule and by not quarreling with our neighbors as much as possible.

Father Maxim KozlovI devoted a lot of time to the problem of Orthodoxy - "light" - light, adapted Orthodoxy and the fallacy of this path. That way you can get to anything. Catholics, for example, got rid of Latin, introduced musical instruments, made masses in the form of almost a disco - and this led to the fact that people stopped going to church altogether. The goal was set to make it better, more interesting, more comfortable, but the effect was the opposite.

In Soviet times, a Christian was much stricter towards himself. He knew that he was a white crow, that he was in persecution, that he was precisely a soldier of Christ. Christian always different .

And in our time of freedom, when churches are open, literature is available, when there are wonderful Orthodox Internet portals, the situation is such that the spiritual bar is constantly lowered. We are constantly looking for easy ways for ourselves, while in times favorable for the Church, when we are not tormented from the outside, we need to be more strict with ourselves. This is the only way to survive in this world.

They ask how a believer can survive in our time? Previously, they say, there was no such debauchery, there was no TV, etc.

But let us remember how the Church was born. A small handful of Christians lived in a terribly depravedRome. What were the spectacles then? Gladiator fights, beatings of Christians, dances of half-naked girls in circus arenas, the same theater that scoldedJohn Chrysostombecause it was a completely depraved spectacle, indulging the basest human passions. It was not "Sovremennik" and not the Moscow Art Theater, and they did not put "The Seagull" thereAnton Pavlovich Chekhov.

And all these spectacles were publicly available. I went to the Colosseum and saw how real blood is shed, and not ketchup on the screen, how Christians are tormented by lions, how they are crucified on crosses. In everyday life - debauchery, all kinds of sexual perversions, which are just beginning to be imposed on us as a “norm”. And in Rome at that time it was already “normal” for a long time.

And a small group of Christians, precisely because of the rigor of their lives, was able to turn this society around and change it. Do not merge with it, do not lower the requirements for yourself, namely change it. It was no easier for them than for us.

– After the first neophyte jealousy subsides, you discover that you don’t notice for yourself, fasting has become just a menu change. The awareness of what we are actually trying to achieve by fasting is blurred ...

– .

The first is a sacrifice to God. Obviously, by and large, we cannot give anything to the Absolute and Self-sufficient God, but we can give Him our heart, love for Him, which is expressed in fasting. Just as an inept drawing presented by their child as a gift is sweet and dear to parents, the disposition of our heart is also important to God.

The second meaning of fasting is ascetic. Fasting is an exercise that helps a person cope withpassionsbecause when a person is satiated, passions torment him more. As it is said, in my opinion, in the same "Philokalia": obese birds cannot fly. To begin to think about non-material objects, one must abstain from something material. They also say: "sweets give rise to passions." Abundant high-calorie food contributes to the manifestation of passions, for example, fornication. A jaded person is also prone tolaziness, to despondency.

And the third meaning of fasting is the education of the will. Why is it so difficult for today's youth? Because she grew up at a time when everything became available. Those people who are now 35-40 years old have grown up in times of certain restrictions and it is much easier for them to live in life. And the generation that grew up inwarand after the war - this is generally the most moral and viable generation, because then there were times of severe restrictions. They knew what the word "no", "duty", "necessary" meant.

Now everything is available, any things, any toys. The phone is outdated, let's buy a newer one, and it's okay that the old one still works, because it already "sucks", but I want the latest model. And parents buy, not realizing that a person needs to be taught to refuse something.

Another wisdom of fasting, related to the education of the will, is continence.

I must say that Orthodox spouses have few problems of a sexual nature. A person who is not accustomed to abstinence will inevitably get fed up in marriage. In family life, there always comes a moment when strong passions go away, and a person who is not used to abstaining will either look “to the left”, or try to artificially warm himself up, make the relationship sharper, all kinds of perversions begin.

And you just need to keep the post, and everything will be fine. You will always be desirable and precious to each other after fasting, you will not have the desire to indulge in nonsense: erotic fantasies or watching pornography in order to diversify your sex life.

- How to make your children like the generation of our fathers, and not consumers?

- I do not idealize the Soviet era. Then there were also a lot of minuses: the lack of free thought, initiative, everyone thought the same way as the “XVI Congress of the CPSU” says, that is, people were drugged, plus militant atheism, etc.

Now there are other disadvantages: we do not have enough ideals, guidelines, some prohibitions. And the family should try at every time to give the children what is lacking in society.

In Soviet times, it was necessary to accustom a person to initiative, free-thinking, to the ability to make decisions independently. In our time, it is necessary to give children what is lacking right now: rigor, authority, ideals, guidelines in life, to explain why people live, why they work, why they create a family.

Spoiledness must be avoided, because when dad is already retired or just comes, a young man who is not prepared for life will no longer be able to solve problems himself. Mommy and daddy decided everything for him, paid for courses, tutors, institute, exams at the institute. And then what? There will always come a time when a person must make independent decisions, but there is no such skill.

It’s better for the child to be offended by you now, because you didn’t buy him a new phone model, which the whole class already has. This does not mean at all that he will not be grateful to you later.

– If a person sins in connection with fasting, for example, if he cannot restrain himself from quarreling with those near and far, shouldn’t the fast be weakened in this case?

- A person during a fast is akin to a sentry in, who guards the armory with a machine gun in his hands. Naturally, he must be constantly on the alert.

A person who guards his soul is in the object of special attention of the enemy of the human race. We should not think that if we fast, then demons, bad thoughts will bypass us. No, perhaps they will torment us more than usual.

But who is warned is armed. Lent is a time when a person, knowing his weakness, should be especially attentive to it. We must be vigilant for those enemies who can approach and steal something from our soul.

—We know that monastics take a vow of obedience. And to what extent is obedience necessary for the laity?

– Obedience is a very important thing that modern man lacks.

Now, for example, eighty percent of the churched Orthodox people do not have confessors. It is very difficult for a modern person to decide to limit his freedom in some way. But I believe that everyone must have their own confessor.

All the patristic books speak of this. He may not be seven spans in the forehead, we may even surpass him in spiritual education, but this is a person who has been entrusted with cultivating the skill of obedience in us.

Selfishness, pride are overcome just by obedience.

It is important to choose a confessor according to your abilities. As the saying goes - "take the load on your own, so as not to fall when walking." A confessor is not necessarily your parish priest, with whom you confess regularly. It happens that confessions are not frequent at the confessor’s, depending on circumstances, for example, once a month or once in a fast.

Thank God, there are 500 churches in Moscow, a thousand clergymen, you can find one according to your heart and soul. Someone needs an intelligent priest, someone simpler, someone stricter, someone softer.

All people are different, and that's okay. Even if a person does not yet have a spiritual father, one can simply find a priest with whom we will confess regularly.

But if you don't want to obey, if you think that you can assign some rules of spiritual life to yourself, then again, you can reach complete absurdity.

For example, a huge number of people go to churches, whom we, fathers, jokingly call "year-olds." They set a rule for themselves to go to Church once a year, to fast during the first week of Great Lent, after that to take communion, and that’s it. And even though “putting them on their heads” is useless. They say: "My grandmother said that it is necessary to do so, and everything else is already fanaticism." But if for everyone the measure is his grandmother or his opinion, and not the teachings of the Church, then why the Church at all?

What is spiritual life?

—Unfortunately, many people believe that the spiritual life is an Easter cake.Easter, Epiphany water onEpiphany, willows in PalmnoeSunday, plus a week of fasting in Great Lent, and of course a wedding, baptism and funeral service, as appropriate.

It is not really a spiritual life, but a means for our salvation. And without a spiritual component, these wonderful traditions, rituals, sacraments will not make sense. But for many people, even Orthodox, it is they who replace the spiritual life, that is, the struggle with their passions, the fulfillment of the commandments and love for one's neighbor and for God.

The man says: “Why do I commit the same sins, repent of them from confession to confession and do not see any changes?”

Because there is a church life, but there is no spiritual life. The man decided that what is written in the Gospel is an unattainable ideal, it is not about us. But in fact, the gospel is a guide to action, and it is not only aboutor Peter is written, but about me. You, Lord, are talking about me. Then this is the spiritual life. The rest is just spiritual culture.

– What are the most difficult and widespread sins today?

- There are two main plagues in Russia now: a terriblefamily crisisand drunkenness. Moreover, they are interconnected, because the person who drinks and the family will feel bad.

People do not see in the family an absolute value that needs to be protected and preserved. The family is perceived as a thing that stands on a par with a dacha, an apartment, a car. The family should take the next place after God. And an Orthodox person understands that a spouse is given to you once for life, and you cannot replace him if you want to. Everything else passes: career, ambition, health. Today you have a career, and tomorrow there was a crisis, and you go to work at the factory as the last handyman.

Or repeat the fate of Michael Jackson, who wanted to live to be 120 years old, slept in a pressure chamber, and lived only to 50 years old and did not even save his family.

– What do you need to know when entering the field of struggle against sins?

– It is necessary to distinguish between sins and passions.

Passion is an ingrained sinful habit. If, for example, someone got drunk, then this is a sin, but if it is chronic then it's a passion.

Usually a person does not suffer from all eight passions. Everyone has her own. You need to first define your passion, then hate it, then gain the determination to fight it, and then eradicate it.

St. Theophan the Recluse says that we commit the same sins over and over again because we do not have the determination to fight. A person, as they say, "and wants, and pricks, and mother does not order."

We want to observe a certain measure: to be both pious Orthodox people and somehow satisfy our passion. She is sweet and kind to us.

When a person has the determination to fight this passion, then he can defeat it, and there are a lot of examples of this. Thanks to their inflexible will and God's help, people gave up drugs and alcohol and found a way out of terrible situations.

– How to deal with invisible sins: pride and its derivatives: pride, conceit and others? How to see these sins in yourself?

– Pride is, oddly enough, a lack of love for people.

The Holy Fathers say that any passion is opposed by a certain virtue, which we must acquire in order to fight this passion. The highest of passions, pride, is opposed by the highest virtue, love.

A proud, selfish person truly loves himself, not people. A sign of pride is condemnation, as well as resentment, which also comes from pride.

It is common for a proud person to condemn everyone around, starting with the one who stepped on his foot in the tram and ending with the government or the oligarchs.

Even the Lord does not endure his judgment until a person dies, because he can still change, as, for example,Mary of Egyptwho from a harlot became a great ascetic.

But we, having seen a person in some short period of his existence, pass an instant judgment, not knowing either his heredity or his life circumstances. Or maybe he has serious family problems that he cannot cope with, or he has not been paid a salary for six months, which is why he communicates unfriendly with us.

We are fine, we have no problems now and the mood is normal, but we have already condemned him. Therefore, it is necessary to treat a person with condescension, with love.

How does the sin of pride manifest itself in fellowship?

- in the same condemnation.

Or, for example, another manifestation of pride. Everyone, probably, had to communicate with people who do not listen to anyone, talk only about themselves, constantly trying to impose something. It is very difficult to communicate with them.

And vice versa, a person who is not proud, who loves people is attractive to others. He is friendly, not arrogant, he can listen to you, and treats himself with humor. An example of a proud person is given to us by the Gospel in the form of a Pharisee who says: “God! I thank You that I am not like other people, robbers, offenders, adulterers, or like this tax collector” (Luke 18:11).

The opposite of him is, for example, Seraphim of Sarov, who greeted everyone with the words "My joy."

What is the ethics of family communication? What should be the most importantin family life?

- The main thing in family life is to remember why we united in this very family. And we united in order to love each other, in order to make each otherhappy.

Women sometimes say: "I want simple female happiness." No, to say, "I want to make my spouse and my children happy."

After all, happiness is not about making yourself happy, but when you make others happier. Then you yourself get great pleasure, happiness.

This is often forgotten and begins: “I am the head of the family, which means you must obey me” or “I earn more, which means I am more important”, etc. There is always some kind of division in the family. But sometimes it’s just worth remembering that after we have lived a quarter of a centurymarriedWe are already together, maybe not much is left. So let's rejoice at least the rest of our days, so that we won't be ashamed later that we spent our whole lives not on joy, not on happiness, to which the Lord calls us, but on family struggle.

– How to correctly understand the sacrificial feat in human life?

- Not every person in life has a chanceor protecting from hooligans. Perhaps, thank God, if such an opportunity does not present itself.

But everyone is called to sacrifice. This is an everyday feat - to be able to bear each other's burdens, to be able to forgive shortcomings. To come in the evening tired, hungry and not to fill up with a newspaper at the TV, but to help his wife read a book to the children, wash the dishes, take out the garbage can.

Or endure if some person says something unpleasant to you. This is also a sacrifice. There is a temptation to answer more offensively, more painfully, in order to remember for a long time. Can you handle this outburst?anger, smile affably, remain silent, or, conversely, say something good.

And fasting is a sacrifice, and asceticism is a sacrifice, and in general, a person’s life is a sacrifice. But these sacrifices can be a source of joy for us and for those around us.

For example, it is unpleasant for a wife that her husband smokes, besides, a very bad example for children. For their sake, take it and quit, make an effort, go to the doctor, to the priest for confession, get rid of smoking, donate it. And it will not be an abstract sacrifice - someday to lay down your soul when someone attacks your spouse there. So you can wait your whole life and ruin a person’s whole life, because every day you didn’t want to sacrifice anything. I did not want to sacrifice my selfishness, pride, my habits, which had to be fought.

The result of volcanic activity can be strong explosions, the so-called "Plinian", with the release of stones, ash and gas hundreds of meters into the air. While not all types of eruptions are so dramatic, they can all be horrendous. Fortunately, the activity of most known volcanoes is monitored, and scientists can usually report a major eruption in advance. However, if you live near or intend to visit a volcano, you are at risk, and it is important to know how to prepare for an eruption and stay alive.

Steps

Part 1

Preparing for an eruption

Know the warning system in your area. If you live near a volcano, your society most likely has a plan to warn people about a volcanic eruption. In many cases, the siren warns that the danger is high. Local radio stations will also broadcast important announcements. Because each region is slightly different, it is important to know the specific precautions in your area.

• As soon as you hear the siren, turn on the radio to see what local emergency services advise. It may be told to stay inside, stay away from specific areas, or, in extreme cases, evacuate.
• If you don't live in such a place but are just traveling, you should still be familiar with the area's warning system so you know how to act if necessary.

1. Familiarize yourself with local evacuation procedures. If you live in a region with a well-tracked volcano, you can most likely get a hazard map from your local safety agency, or if you're in the US, the US Geological Research Center. These maps show the possible paths of lava flows or lahars (mudflows) and the approximate time when the flow will reach a certain location. They also divide the area around the volcano into zones - from more dangerous to less dangerous.

   • With their help, you can find out how safe your home or place of work is and plan the best escape route.
   • Since volcanic eruptions are complex and, to some extent, unpredictable, you should have several alternative routes to one or more other "safe zones".

2. Develop your own evacuation plan. Determine what you will need to do if you hear the siren. Mark exactly on the map where your family will go and determine the safest route to get there. Remember, if the air is full of ash, you won't be able to travel far in your car, as the ash clogs the mechanisms and motor of the car, preventing them from working properly.

   • Discuss the evacuation plan with each member of your family. Make sure everyone knows exactly what to do and where to meet. Be sure to include your pets in your evacuation plan.
   • It's a good idea to have a list that you can go over so you don't forget anyone or anything in the heat of the moment. List all the people and animals that should be present, the savings you will take, and the quick actions you can take to reduce damage to your home as much as possible.

3. Stock up on the necessary things and products. Stock up on at least three days of food and water in your home. During an eruption, water sources can become contaminated, so you should not rely on your own well or on a central water supply. Keep everything in one place, such as a large container that you can easily carry, so you can quickly take all the supplies with you in case of an evacuation. In addition to food and water, stock up on the following:

   • First aid kit
   • Sheets and warm clothes
   • Battery powered radio and new batteries to listen to announcements when the power goes out
   • Required Medications
   • Local map

4. Prepare yourself if you are traveling to a volcano. If you are going to visit a volcano, knowledge is your best defense. Before visiting a volcano, check with local authorities and heed their recommendations and warnings. Learn about the dangers you may encounter in the volcano area and find a good guide if possible.

   • If you're going to climb or walk around the volcano, you should take a couple of survival gear to help you survive if you're trapped outside and can't get to cover. You need a respirator and goggles to protect your face and breathe. Please bring long pants and a long-sleeved shirt.
   • Take enough water with you in case you suddenly find yourself in the middle of a lava flow, and don't overburden yourself. You will be able to react faster and run away if necessary if you are not tired.

   Part 2

   Preservation during volcanic activity

   1. Listen to announcements on radio and TV if you hear sirens. When a volcano erupts, find out immediately if you are in danger where you are and what is happening in the area. These announcements will be your "eyes" to see the big picture of what is happening, they will help you assess the situation and make the right decisions.

      • Sirens will most likely be the first signal that an eruption is coming, but you can also look for other signals that something is wrong. If you see a plume of ash rising from a volcano, or feel an earthquake, immediately think about what it could be connected with.
      • Make sure your battery operated radio is working in case the power goes out. It is very important to be aware of news that may affect your safety.

   2. Do not ignore emergency instructions. In most cases, you will be told to stay indoors, but there may also be an evacuation order. It is very important to follow the announcements, whatever they say, to keep your family safe. Most importantly, if you have been ordered to evacuate, do so immediately. Otherwise, if an evacuation has not been announced, stay where you are until you see danger. Going outside can be more dangerous than being at home.

      • During recent eruptions, many people died due to the fact that they did not follow the order to evacuate. If you are lucky enough to know about the eruption in advance, use it wisely instead of staying put.
      • It is also important to evacuate the region as soon as the order is given to do so. If you wait too long, you'll be dealing with ash that clogs up the car's engine, making it much more difficult for you to escape.

   3. Go into a room if you are outside. Until you need to evacuate, the safest place is inside a solid structure. Close all doors and windows to protect from ash and burning cinders. Make sure your entire family is inside and your emergency supply of food and water is with you.

      • If you have livestock, herd them into your shelter and close all windows and doors.
      • If you have time, protect the equipment by hiding it in the garage.

   4. Climb to higher ground if you can't find cover. Lava flows, lahars, mudflows, and floods often accompany volcanic eruptions. All of these phenomena can be deadly, and they all tend to head towards valleys and low-lying areas. Climb to the high ground and stay there until you are sure that the danger has passed.

   5. Protect yourself from pyroclastic flows. While climbing up the hill, you will also need to protect yourself from pyroclastic flows, which are thrown out by a volcano during an eruption and consist of gases, stones and ash (sometimes hot). The most important thing is to keep an eye on them and avoid these areas. Sometimes they can start to fall to the ground like rain, which happened during the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, they can fall many kilometers from the volcano's crater.

      • Protect yourself by staying below the ridge lines, hills, or hillsides opposite the volcano.
      • If you're caught in hail from small pyroclastic eruptions, crouch with your back to the volcano and cover your head with your hands, a bag, or whatever you can find.

   6. Do not inhale toxic gases. Volcanoes emit various poisonous gases, and if you are too close to the volcano during the eruption, these gases can kill you. Breathe through a respirator, mask or wet piece of cloth - this will also protect your lungs from the ash - also try to move away from the volcano as early as possible.

      • Do not lie down on the ground, as some very poisonous gases are heavier than air and collect near the ground.
      • Be sure to protect your eyes too. Wear glasses if your mask does not protect your eyes.
      • Cover your skin with long sleeved shirts and long trousers.

   7. Don't try to cross geothermal areas. Hot spots, geysers and mud pools are very common on volcanoes. The ground near them is usually thin, and falling can result in fatal burns. Never try to cross them during an eruption, otherwise only cross them on marked safe routes.

      • The mudflows and floods that follow an eruption kill more people than lava or pyroclastic flows. You may be in danger even a few miles from a volcano. Never attempt to cross a lava flow or lahar.
      • Even flows that appear to have cooled down may be just a thin crust covering extremely hot lava. If you cross a lava flow, you run the risk of being left between the flows if they suddenly appear.

A pandemic is the rapid spread of a new dangerous disease on a global scale. Throughout history, pathogens have wiped out millions of people. In the 20th century, humanity experienced three global outbreaks of influenza. The worst of them - "Spanish Flu" - claimed the lives of 50 to 100 million people, or 3 to 5% of the total population 1918 Influenza: the Mother of All Pandemics.

And how might it appear in the future?

Today, diseases are spreading faster than ever. This is due to the growth of cities, the popularity of long-distance travel, the lack of sanitation in some countries, and the control of disease vectors such as mosquitoes. The most famous viruses today are SARS, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, Ebola and Zika virus.

The influenza virus can also lead to a pandemic. It mutates easily, is transmitted by airborne droplets and spreads widely before the first symptoms appear in the sick.

There is still the possibility of a virus being born in a bioengineering laboratory. Advances in DNA reading and editing are bringing this scenario closer to reality. According to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, bioterrorism could kill 30 million people in less than one year. BILL GATES: A new kind of terrorism could wipe out 30 million people in less than a year - and we are not prepared.

Is it possible to prepare for a pandemic?

Can. The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends a two-week supply of water and food Pandemic. But a pandemic lasts longer than a normal flu outbreak, so it's best to stock up for 4 to 6 weeks. Pay attention to the expiration date and do not keep anything perishable.

Expect that you need about 4 liters of water per day per person.

This is the optimal volume for drinking, washing and cooking. True, FEMA does not tell where to store such a stock. Perhaps a basement or garage is suitable for this.

Stephen Redd of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends preparing warm blankets and clothing for the season. And also purchase a battery-powered radio and medicines that you regularly take as prescribed by your doctor.

According to epidemiologist Mark Smolinski, you can stock up on antivirals to use in the early stages of the flu. True, if you take them constantly, the active substances may lose their effectiveness.

Also don't forget about over-the-counter medications and other useful things: a first aid kit, painkillers, stomach and cold remedies.

Remember: the less often you leave your home during a pandemic, the more likely you are to survive.

Do seasonal regularly. This will increase the chances of survival.

What if I'm not going to stay at home during the pandemic?

It is worth being prepared for the fact that during a pandemic, the work of city services may be disrupted. Keep cash at home: ATMs may not work. Be prepared for a possible lack of fuel for the car and stock up on gasoline in advance.

A good idea is a special mask to protect against infection. For example, the No. 95 respirator mask blocks over 95% of the fine particles that are present in the air. Guys in this case will have a harder time: the mask may not fit snugly due to stubble or beard. Stock up on blades and shaving cream ahead of time.

But the suit of biological and chemical protection is too much. To use it correctly, strict adherence to the instructions is required. It is unlikely that you will have enough time and patience for this.

I learned about the spread of the virus. What to do first?

Get ready for social unrest. Unfortunately, false news and fear can cause panic in society, even if the epidemic is under control. Therefore, first you need to make sure the veracity and accuracy of the news.

The next thing you should do is learn the specifics of the disease and take the necessary safety measures.

Imagine that anthrax has been discovered somewhere. You know that it is transmitted through soil, food and animals, so you need to stay away from the region where the infection occurred and not consume anything that was produced there.

If the disease that caused the epidemic is spread by airborne droplets, then you should avoid places with a large crowd of people: metro, airports, train stations, schools, supermarkets, hospitals.

What if I get sick?

Most importantly, don't act like a super-spreader. During the last Ebola outbreak, only 3% of patients infected 61% of those infected Spatial and temporal dynamics of superspreading events in the 2014–2015 West Africa Ebola epidemic.

A small number of people are responsible for the spread of the pathogen. Therefore, at the first symptoms of the disease, consult a doctor. If you have been prescribed medication and sent home, try to avoid public places.

Stay at home to avoid infecting others.

Protect loved ones who live with you. Take a separate room for the duration of your illness, if possible, and wear a medical mask. Do not forget that the mask collects the virus, so it must be changed every 2-3 hours. Otherwise, the risk of spread will increase.

What else can I do for society?

It's hard to know how long the epidemic will last, but it could come back with a series of relapses. At best, scientists will develop a vaccine or drug to treat the virus, but there are no guarantees.

It is possible that the disease will remain at large for a long time, like many other diseases that have become familiar to us.

No one knows what will work in your particular situation, but taking precautions certainly can't hurt. It is important to take the potential threat into account. Otherwise, the virus will take humanity by surprise.

"Nuclear winter" scientists call the state of our planet, which theoretically can occur in the event of a nuclear war. It is assumed that as a result of atomic explosions, a huge amount of soot will fall into the stratosphere, and sunlight will not be able to break through dense clouds to the earth. Nuclear winter can last for many years, or even decades. As a result, plants will die first, then animals. In our review, 10 tips on how to survive a nuclear winter and increase your chances of survival. We hope that this fantasy digression into a bleak future will never come in handy.

1. Live in the countryside

On the one hand, it sounds useless, but in fact, more people will survive in rural areas than in cities. In the 1960s, a study was conducted, the results of which showed that if the USSR launched a nuclear attack on the United States, then 100-150 million people would be killed by the first explosions alone (more than two-thirds of the population at that time). Large cities will become completely uninhabitable as a result of explosions and radioactive radiation. If a person lives in a large city, then he is almost certainly doomed, and in the countryside at least there is a chance of initial survival.

2. Renounce religious beliefs

This statement may be somewhat controversial, but there are many reasons why strong religious beliefs could hinder efforts to survive a potential nuclear war. First of all, going to church every Sunday is, to put it mildly, not a priority after a nuclear apocalypse. In order to survive, you may have to do something unthinkable from the point of view of religious morality. Questions of morality will be secondary to the problem of survival. If a religion forbids eating certain foods, then you need to abandon such a ban and eat everything that you can find.

3. Kill or release pets

So, let's imagine an atheist who survived the initial explosion, and after the catastrophe is in a country house. Think about pets. After all, they need food, water, and care - and during the nuclear winter there will be no time for that. A person will not live long if he shares every piece of food with his beloved dog. Some will just eat their pet, most will just let it go free.

4. Take cover

As already mentioned, after the explosions of nuclear warheads over major cities, a huge amount of soot and thick smoke from fires will rise into the stratosphere, eclipsing the Sun for decades. The temperature on the surface will decrease sharply, and the cold will persist for a long time. In other words, there will be a huge need for warm clothes, which should be taken care of in advance. Unfortunately, the cold will not be the only concern. Scientists have assumed that the ozone layer will be destroyed, which means that a huge amount of ultraviolet radiation will fall on the surface of the planet, resulting in an increase in deaths from skin cancer. To avoid this problem, you should not sleep outdoors and always wear a hat to protect your face from frost and harmful UV rays.

5. Arm and stock up

Those who live in a country where guns are sold legally will find it easy to arm themselves against robbers or would-be cannibals. Extreme conditions can cause many survivors to try to steal food from other survivors to prevent starvation. At a minimum, you will need to acquire a knife and an ax. It will still be possible to hunt for several months after the initial explosions (until the animals die out), so it is worth stocking up on meat.

6. Learn to recognize cannibals

When all large animals die out after a nuclear war, cannibalism is inevitable. People who eat human meat tend to suffer from the symptoms of kuru, which are severe trembling and jerky head movements, sometimes accompanied by a constant smile. For example, if a walking person constantly sways from side to side, then it is better to avoid him: he is either drunk or infected with kuru. There may also be hysterical bursts of laughter in inappropriate situations. Kuru is incurable and death usually occurs within a year of infection, so human meat should not be eaten.

7. Travel alone

Introverts will thrive in a post-apocalyptic environment, at least compared to those who instinctively reach for a cell phone when alone. Having a family during the nuclear winter (especially with children) will be very problematic. In any case, finding a large group of survivors is not a very smart solution for those who want to avoid starvation.

8. Eat insects

The drastic reduction in sunlight and precipitation during a nuclear winter will kill off most plant life on Earth, after which most animals will quickly die out from lack of food. Therefore, small insects such as ants, crickets, grasshoppers, wasps and beetles are among the creatures most likely to survive in the long run. It is worth knowing that they are fantastic sources of protein that will help maintain muscle mass: grasshoppers have the highest percentage of protein (20 g of protein in 100 g of grasshoppers). Crickets are rich in iron and zinc, and ants are a fantastic source of calcium.

9. Collect everything suitable for survival

First of all, you need to pay attention to supermarkets before they are looted. Everything will come in handy. Except for money, which will become meaningless after the collapse of civilization. Next, you should focus on vending machines for food and drinks. If hunger is already burning, then you can try to empty some trash cans in search of leftovers. The ideal option would be canned food, which has an unlimited shelf life. It's also worth finding clothing that will come in handy when it gets cold and will last through the long years of nuclear winter. It is highly desirable to also try to find weapons.

10. Avoid epicenters of explosions

The Chernobyl disaster of 1986 is still fresh in my memory. Despite the evacuation of the city of Pripyat, located near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, hundreds of deaths were recorded due to massive radioactive contamination. To this day, this city is uninhabited. The radiation level is too high to be safe to live in. After a nuclear disaster, the level of radiation in the places of explosions will be much higher. Do I need to say that to meddle in there is to sign a death warrant for yourself.

And yet much more relevant today. They will allow you to maintain peace of mind and good mood even on the most stressful days.

The Ininsky rock garden is located in the Barguzinskaya valley. Huge stones as if someone deliberately scattered or placed on purpose. And in places where megaliths are placed, something mysterious always happens.

One of the attractions of Buryatia is the Ininsky rock garden in the Barguzin valley. It makes an amazing impression - huge stones scattered in disorder on a completely flat surface. As if someone deliberately either scattered them, or placed them on purpose. And in places where megaliths are placed, something mysterious always happens.

Power of nature

In general, the “rock garden” is the Japanese name for an artificial landscape in which stones, arranged according to strict rules, play a key role. "Karesansui" (dry landscape) has been cultivated in Japan since the 14th century, and it appeared for a reason. It was believed that gods lived in places with a large accumulation of stones, as a result of which the stones themselves began to be given divine significance. Of course, now the Japanese use rock gardens as a place for meditation, where it is convenient to indulge in philosophical reflections.

And philosophy is here. Chaotic, at first glance, the arrangement of stones, in fact, is strictly subject to certain laws. First, the asymmetry and size difference of the stones must be respected. There are certain points of observation in the garden - depending on the time when you are going to contemplate the structure of your microcosm. And the main trick is that from any point of observation there should always be one stone that ... is not visible.

The most famous rock garden in Japan is located in Kyoto, the ancient capital of the samurai country, in the Ryoanji temple. This is the home of Buddhist monks. And here in Buryatia, a "rock garden" appeared without the efforts of man - its author is Nature herself.

In the southwestern part of the Barguzinskaya Valley, 15 kilometers from the village of Suvo, where the Ina River emerges from the Ikat Range, this place is located with an area of ​​more than 10 square kilometers. Significantly more than any Japanese rock garden - in the same proportion as the Japanese bonsai is smaller than the Buryat cedar. Here, large blocks of stone, reaching 4-5 meters in diameter, protrude from the flat ground, and these boulders go up to 10 meters deep!

The removal of these megaliths from the mountain range reaches 5 kilometers or more. What kind of force could scatter these huge stones at such distances? The fact that this was not done by a person became clear from recent history: a 3-kilometer canal was dug here for irrigation purposes. And in the channel channel here and there lie huge boulders, going to a depth of up to 10 meters. They fought, of course, but to no avail. As a result, all work on the channel was stopped.

Scientists put forward different versions of the origin of the Ininsky rock garden. Many consider these blocks to be moraine boulders, that is, glacial deposits. Scientists call the age different (E. I. Muravsky believes that they are 40-50 thousand years old, and V. V. Lamakin - more than 100 thousand years!), Depending on which glaciation to count.

According to geologists, in ancient times the Barguzin basin was a shallow freshwater lake, which was separated from Baikal by a narrow and low mountain bridge connecting the Barguzin and Ikat ridges. As the water level rose, a runoff formed, which turned into a river bed, which cut deeper and deeper into solid crystalline rocks. It is known how torrential streams of water in spring or after heavy rain wash away steep slopes, leaving deep furrows of gullies and ravines. Over time, the water level dropped, and the area of ​​the lake, due to the abundance of suspended material brought into it by rivers, decreased. As a result, the lake disappeared, and in its place there was a wide valley with boulders, which were later attributed to natural monuments.

But recently, Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences G.F. Ufimtsev proposed a very original idea that had nothing to do with glaciations. In his opinion, the Ininsky rock garden was formed as a result of a relatively recent, catastrophic gigantic ejection of large-block material.

According to his observations, glacial activity on the Ikat Range manifested itself only in a small area in the upper reaches of the Turokcha and Bogunda rivers, while in the middle part of these rivers there are no traces of glaciation. Thus, according to the scientist, there was a breakthrough of the dam of the dammed lake in the course of the Ina River and its tributaries. As a result of a breakthrough from the upper reaches of the Ina, a mudflow or soil avalanche threw a large amount of blocky material into the Barguzin valley. This version is supported by the fact of severe destruction of the bedrock sides of the Ina River valley at the confluence with the Turokcha, which may indicate the demolition of a large volume of rocks by mudflows.

In the same section of the Ina River, Ufimtsev noted two large “amphitheatres” (resembling a huge funnel) measuring 2.0 by 1.3 kilometers and 1.2 by 0.8 kilometers, which could probably be the bed of large dammed lakes. The breakthrough of the dam and the release of water, according to Ufimtsev, could have occurred as a result of manifestations of seismic processes, since both slope "amphitheaters" are confined to the zone of a young fault with thermal water outlets.

Here the gods were naughty

An amazing place has long been interested in local residents. And for the "rock garden" people came up with a legend rooted in hoary antiquity. The start is simple. Somehow, two rivers, Ina and Barguzin, argued, which of them would be the first (first) to reach Baikal. Barguzin cheated and set off on the road that same evening, and in the morning the angry Ina rushed after her, in anger throwing huge boulders out of her way. So they still lie on both banks of the river. Isn't it just a poetic description of a powerful mudflow proposed for explanation by Dr. Ufimtsev?

The stones still keep the secret of their formation. They are not only different sizes and colors, they are generally from different breeds. That is, they were not broken out from one place. And the depth of occurrence speaks of many thousands of years, during which meters of soil have grown around the boulders.

For those who have seen the Avatar movie, on a foggy morning, Ina's stones will remind you of hanging mountains around which winged dragons fly. The peaks of the mountains jut out of the clouds of mist like individual fortresses or the heads of giants in helmets. The impressions from contemplating the garden of stones are amazing, and it was not by chance that people endowed the stones with magical powers: it is believed that if you touch the boulders with your hands, they will take away negative energy, instead bestowing positive energy.

In these amazing places there is another place where the gods were naughty. This place was nicknamed "Suva Saxon Castle". This natural formation is located near the group of salty Alga lakes near the village of Suvo, on the steppe slopes of a hill at the foot of the Ikat Range. The picturesque rocks are very reminiscent of the ruins of an ancient castle. These places served as a particularly revered and sacred place for Evenki shamans. In the Evenki language, "suvoya" or "suvo" means "whirlwind".

It was believed that it was here that spirits lived - the owners of local winds. The main and most famous of which was the legendary wind of Baikal "Barguzin". According to legend, an evil ruler lived in these places. He was distinguished by a ferocious disposition, he took pleasure in bringing misfortune to the poor and indigent people.

He had an only and beloved son, who was bewitched by spirits as punishment for a cruel father. After realizing his cruel and unfair attitude towards people, the ruler fell to his knees, began to beg and tearfully ask to restore his son's health and make him happy. And he distributed all his wealth to people.

And the spirits freed the son of the ruler from the power of the disease! It is believed that for this reason the rocks are divided into several parts. There is a belief among the Buryats that the owners of Suvo, Tumurzhi-Noyon and his wife, Tutuzhig-Khatan, live in the rocks. Burkhans were erected in honor of the Suva rulers. On special days, whole rituals are performed in these places.