Valery Abramovich Smirnov

Valery Abramovich Smirnov (monastic name Mark; born 1951, Leningrad, Russia) is a Russian theologian, journalist, former monk, and priest of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Biography
Smirnov's father was a military physician. Smirnov studied at Leningrad State University, then graduated from Leningrad Theological Academy. He was tonsured a monk with the name of Mark, and ordained a clergyman by 1976). Smirnov was a cell-attendant of Metropolitan Nicodemus and priest in the Cathedral of Viborg.
Later, Smirnov was transferred to Luga, where he petitioned to withdraw from the clerical staff. He also tried to leave the Soviet Union. Known as the "secret Catholic", Smirnov performed services in the reformed Latin rite, eventually converting to Roman Catholicism.
From 1987, Smirnov worked at the Moscow News newspaper. He was editor and compiler of the collection of articles "On the Road to Freedom of Conscience" (Moscow: Progress, 1989). From 1991 to 1995, he was editor of "Religion in the Modern World" on Radio Liberty. Since the mid-1990s, in spite of his monastic vows, Smirnov again began to use his birth name of Valery. Smirnov is married.

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