World Champion in Mixed Martial Arts Observes Fasts, Listens to Church Music and Reads about Orthodox Ascetics
Moscow
10 February 2010
Interfax
World champion in mixed martial arts, Fedor Emelyanenko, confessed he loved to listen to church music and read Orthodox literature.
“I’ve read a book not long ago and I liked it very much, it was Ivan Shmelev’s The Summer of the Lord. Now I’m reading about great Orthodox ascetics of the 20th century,” the renowned fighter was quoted as saying by the Valetudo.ru.
The fighter also said he used Internet only to learn something new about the lives of saints and liked to eat when there was no fast. “Now it’s Maslenitsa and next week is a strict fast.”
According to the sportsman, he spares no effort to win in his profession and hopes for God’s will. He says he is happy and mentions that he lives “with God in my soul,” and goes to the Church.
Emelyanenko also stated he was concerned with the ideals of modern-day youth.
“There are real, nonfictional heroes like Alexander Nevsky, Dimitry Donskoy, Peresvet. They are great warriors and we have to be equal to them. They are not invented by cinematography, they are heroes who proved their heroism by their lives. They gave their lives for the honor of Russia,” the world champion stressed.
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