The Samara Theological Seminary hosted a meeting with veterans of the Special Military Operation, according to Volga News. The event was organized by the Samara branch of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation and the Association of Special Military Operation Veterans as part of a regional series of “Lessons in Courage” and open dialogues held in educational institutions.

The guests of the seminary were veterans Andrei Rastegaev and Denis Seryogin, who shared personal stories, reflections on their service, and spoke about the role of faith during moments of danger and hardship.

“Today has a special meaning. We have just prayed for our soldiers… and now fate gives us this meeting — with living warriors who have passed through fire and returned with dignity. The connection between remembrance of the fallen and the joy for the living is not accidental,” said Archpriest Maksim Kokarev, rector of the Samara Theological Seminary.

Rastegaev, a participant in the School of Heroes program, spoke about how prayer and spiritual guidance shaped his life path. He recalled that in 2014 he had wanted to go to Donbas, but the priest who blessed him advised first to raise his children, saying: “If war is destined, it will find you.” “And indeed, in 2022, when my sons had grown up, my time came — I volunteered,” the veteran said.

Denis Seryogin, a social coordinator for the Samara branch of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation, also emphasized the importance of spiritual support, noting that faith helped soldiers regardless of religion. “In one of the settlements where we served, there was a small chapel. We attended services there, and our Muslim comrades went to pray. Supporting one another, respecting each other’s faith — that’s the true strength that unites us,” he said.

In response, the seminary students presented reports on examples of holiness and selfless service in Russian military tradition. They spoke about warrior saints who became spiritual guides for generations — among them Saint George the Victorious, Prince Alexander Nevsky, Prince Dmitry Donskoy, and the monastic warriors Peresvet and Oslyabya.

The meeting concluded with an open discussion about moral courage, patriotism, and the enduring bond between faith and service.