Today, I think of an interesting man...

[Haltickling]

Today, I think of one of the most interesting people I've ever known: Dyedushka Timofej, a Russian-Orthodox monk in my hometown who is a local celebrity here. He became most famous when he resisted to move away from his hand-built chapel on the construction site of the Munich Olympic area 1972. He won because of his peaceful protest and the population's strong support, and a big German journal declared him the first Olympic winner of the 1972 games.

Why was he so interesting? Well, he was an extraordinarily strong-willed person with a lot of charisma. His family was a strong supporter of the last Russian Tsar Nikolaus, and they were deported to Siberia by Stalin. Only Timofej escaped just before the deportation and fled to Austria in 1937, then came to Munich in 1951. He used to be an orthodox monk in a Ukrainian monastery, and he built a small orthodox chapel here, with his own hands. He painted icons, and to give his chapel the usual glamor, he wallpapered his chapel with millions of small tinfoils from chocolate wrappings, which he collected from garbage bins. His chapel was built at the outskirts of Munich, at the foot of the so-called "Rubble Mountain", amassed from all the rubble of the bomb-destroyed city. Later, this became the heart of the Olympic district, and they had to build around his small area.

I first met him in 1968 during a school excursion, and he fascinated me instantly. Later, when I began to learn Russian, I met him rather frequently, as he was the only native speaker of Russian I knew, and we became something like friends.

Last night, he died at the biblical age of 110 years. His small chapel has been converted to a museum several years ago, and it's one of Munich's tourist attractions.

Today, I think of Dyedushka (Grandfather) Timofej...

Timofej in his chapel

The inside of his chapel...

... and the chapel's outside

 

[qjakal]

Interesting indeed...

Built from rubble, and decorated by hand. That's closer to God than many a fine decadent piece of architecture, imo.

110? Did you ask him what he ate, Hal? Or *didn't* eat, perhaps?

Q

 

[TklDuo-Ann]

That's the first time I've ever seen an iconastasis all done by hand like that...and from rubble, no less. Thanks for shareing, Hal. Sounds like he was quite a guy. May he rest in peace.

Ann

 

[tommytikl]

Good post Hal!

Great story too...He will be missed I am sure.

 

[Haltickling]

Thanks for your kind response. I'm sad that I lost contact with him when I was too busy with my family and my career. Now I regret not keeping in touch with him. But isn't it often the case: You don't know what you've got in somebody until you lost him/her?

Q, as to his eating habits, I didn't inquire at that time. I just know he grew his own vegetables and herbs in a small garden, and that he always had something cooking on his stove, either soup or stew. He invited me to try the first Borshtsh of my life, and my first Solyanka. He was a rather down-to-earth man, so he ate the simple dishes of his home country. I still know that he used to drink some red wine in the evening, and he occasionally smoked a pipe. But I think what really kept him alive so long was his strong will.