24 December 2025

Successful Defense of Two Candidate Dissertations Held at the Academy

On December 17, 2025, during a meeting of Moscow Theological Academy Candidate Dissertation Council No. 1, which unites the departments of Biblical Studies, Theology, and Philology (Ancient Languages), the successful defense of two candidate dissertations took place.

The dissertation council was chaired by Archpriest Vladislav Tsypin, Honored Professor of the MThA, Doctor of Church History.

The first dissertation candidate, Deacon Ioann Zmiev, presented a candidate dissertation on the topic "The Concept of the Remnant of Israel in the Prophetic Books of the Old Testament".

The dissertation was completed under the scientific supervision of Priest Alexander Todiev, Candidate of Theology, Associate Professor of the Department of Biblical Studies at the Moscow Theological Academy.

The official opponents of the work were Archimandrite Sergiy (Akimov), Doctor of Theology, Professor, Professor of the Department of Biblical Studies and Theology at the Minsk Theological Academy; and A.S. Kashkin, Candidate of Theology, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Biblical Studies at the Saratov Orthodox Theological Seminary.

The candidate successfully responded to the opponents' remarks and questions from the members of the Dissertation Council. Following the discussion, the council decided to petition His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' to award Deacon Ioann Zmiev the degree of Candidate of Theology.

The second dissertation candidate, E.A. Borisov, presented a candidate dissertation on the topic "Contemporary Eschatological Sentiments in the Russian Church Environment in Light of Orthodox Theology".

The work was completed under the scientific supervision of O.V. Starodubtsev, Candidate of Theology, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, Head of the Department of Church History at Sretensk Theological Academy.

The official opponents of the work by Egor Alexandrovich were Hegumen Ferapont (Shirokov), Candidate of Theology, Associate Professor, Vice-Rector for Student Affairs, Head of the Department of Humanities and Natural Sciences at the Vologda Theological Seminary; and Hieromonk Grigory (Matrusov), Doctor of Canon Law (PhD), Candidate of Theology, Associate Professor of the Department of Islamic Studies at the Kazan Theological Seminary, Chairman of the Expert Council under the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' on Interaction with the Islamic World.