Philologist Tatyana Shchipkova, who suffered for preaching about Christ during the years of persecution, was awarded the title of honorary citizen of the Smolensk regiontranslated

On September 24, 2026, deputies of the Smolensk Regional Duma decided to award the title “Honorary Citizen of the Smolensk Region” to teacher Tatyana Shchipkova, who was repressed for her faith in the 1970-1980s.

The title “Honorary Citizen of the Smolensk Region” was awarded posthumously to Tatyana Shchipkova “for her significant contribution to the development of science, upbringing, education, the preservation and development of spiritual and moral values,” the website “Patriarchia.ru” reports with reference to the press service of the Smolensk Metropolis.

Let us recall that Tatyana Shchipkova (1930-2009) was a teacher at the Faculty of Foreign Languages ​​at the Smolensk Pedagogical Institute in 1961-1978. She taught Latin, taught courses on the history of the French language, ancient history and culture, and at the same time introduced students to biblical texts.

In 1978, in the Smolensk apartment of a philologist, young Orthodox intellectuals tried to print the samizdat Orthodox magazine “Community,” but the Soviet authorities stopped this attempt.

Tatyana Shchipkova was fired from her job and deprived of her academic degree. In 1979, a criminal case was fabricated against her. She spent three years in the Ussuri correctional colony, where she worked in a garment factory and was engaged in...