“Flavian” is written by Archpriest Alexander Torik about a heiromonk (priest-monk) named Fr. Flavian. The story centers on a man of the world in modern day Moscow who inadvertently bumps into an old college friend. The friend, now a priest in the Russian Orthodox (Eastern Orthodox Christian) Church, with the new name of Flavian which was given to him when he was tonsured a monk, is barely recognizable to him. He is invited to visit Fr. Flavian’s parish in the rural countryside far outside Moscow. There a whole new world opens up to him and he rediscovers the traditional faith of the Russian people who have practiced their Orthodox traditions for over 1,000 years, even through the bitter trials of the bloody persecution by the godless authorities during the 70 years of the Communist yolk.

Written in narrative style, this book is a simple, yet comprehensive insight into the day-to-day practice of the Christian faith by humble rural people and the God-centered mystical theology of Orthodox Christianity. “Flavian” brings the reader face to face with the spiritualism that has been stripped away from traditional Christianity, first by the Roman Catholics after they split from the Orthodox Church in 1054, then in subsequent Protestant spin-offs from Catholicism, and now with thousands of do-it-yourself Christian churches and non-Christian sects (e.g. Mormans and Jehovah’s Witnesses) until–with rare exception–the soul of Christianity outside of the Orthodox Church has been obliterated.

I highly recommend “Flavian” for readers who have never encountered Orthodox Christian spirituality as well as “cradle” Orthodox who have lost their way, drifting away from Christ and His commandment: “But seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness…” (Matthew 6:33), through nationalism, self-adulation, superficial piety, church affairs, theology, and other non-salvific minutia. It is truly a breath of fresh air for the soul.

I don’t own a Kindle, but the Kindle software download is available free of charge on this website and once installed you can read the book on your computer’s monitor.

This is an excellent read!! I was taken so quickly into the main character of the story. You will be moved, even if you are unfamiliar with Orthodox services, the beauty and description will draw you. The book is deeply moving as one you are able to look inside and see yourself. The characters are realistic and the view into the rural Russia was wonderful. The book will end and you will be wishing for more. I wish that the other Father Flavian books were translated to English.

This is my first Orthodox book. It comes in both English and Russian and is a pretty easy read.
I think the stories are true but have been somewhat fictionalized. Some of the Russian slang is hard to say if your reading out loud, but other then that very entertaining. You should enjoy it.

This book is a hidden precious gem! While it has been widely known and loved in Russia since its first publication in 2004, it is virtually unknown to the English-speaking readers. I am a late ‘convert’ to the ‘Flavian universe’ myself – someone gave it to me during my recent visit to Russia, and I read it on a plane while flying back to the US. I usually try to sleep through the long flights to minimize the jet lag, but this time I had Flavian with me and… there was absolutely no way I could put it down! Suspended somewhere between time and space over the Atlantic, I found myself completely enveloped by the story. The book draws you in from page one, and by the end of the first chapter you feel like you’ve been good friends with the main characters all your life.

Within the main storyline, there are various real stories from real people that have been woven into the narration. The descriptions of an everyday life in the Russian countryside are so vivid and true to life. But the book is not simply a collection of curious stories and occurrences from other people’s lives. Through the lines of this novella, and sometimes between those lines, very gently and lovingly, without patronizing or ‘rubbing it in’, the author guides you to turn inward and look into your own heart. The ‘Confession’ chapters had the most profound impact on me. By the time my plane landed, I had almost finished the book, and I got off that plane a completely renewed person – more aware, more alive, more awake, more real in my Christian faith.

As soon as I saw that the English version is available on Amazon I got one for my husband. And I’ve been recommending it to all my friends and family ever since.

Flavian is a fast-paced story about redemption and a man’s journey to Christ. It is also about a village priest’s actions of love for and relationships with his flock of lay people and common folk. It is full of heart and liveliness, and at times, it brought me to tears. If you are unfamiliar with the Orthodox church, there will be many foreign and new terms (with footnotes of explanations) , but the message is, “Christ came in to the world to save sinners…”

You will feel enveloped in the local culture reading this story, and the woodcut illustration furthers this feeling of culture. As a caution, the story carries within it heavy topics topics like abortion, somewhat detailed confession of adult sins, or demon possession, so as a parent be the judge. It feels the book would be more for adults or much older teens. I recommend it as a book that is hard to put down and can easily be read in a couple of days!