Dontsova Explains Life's Purpose to Chita Audience

Writer Darya Dontsova answered a question from a student of Zabaikalsky State University (ZabGU) about the meaning of life, quoting the Bible. The online meeting with the writer took place on 29 October during the «Zabaikalskaya Osen» (Transbaikal Autumn) festival.

The city portal «Chita.Ru», in collaboration with the Chita Diocese, the Ministry of Culture of Zabaikalsky Krai, the Zabaikalsky Krai Library named after Alexander Pushkin, and with the support of the company «Udokan Copper», is organizing a series of meetings with Orthodox book publishers and writers as part of the book festival «Zabaikalskaya Osen — 2025» (Transbaikal Autumn festival).

The student asked what the meaning of life is and whether it can be common or exclusively individual for each person.

«The question that has troubled almost all writers, and not only them. If we speak seriously, the meaning of life is to come to our Lord God. To understand that there is the Kingdom of Heaven, to understand that there is much evil in us, much bad in the soul. To realize that there is the Lord who loves us all, and to behave so that after death the soul ends up in the Kingdom of Heaven, and not in some other terrible and dark place», — said Dontsova.

She reminded of the biblical parable of the rich man and Lazarus.

«The poor man sat at the rich man«s house and ate the crumbs from his table. And the rich man never in his life gave anything to the poor man, who was very ill. They died, the poor man went to heaven, and the rich man — to a terrible place. He saw that the poor man was sitting across the river with Abraham and they were well. And then the rich man understood that the Kingdom of Heaven exists. He began to ask Abraham to tell people about this, so that people would live righteously. And Abraham looked at him and said: “They did not believe Christ, they will not believe me either.” If one acquires this faith, then it becomes clear that a person does not live in vain. This is the purpose of life. If you think that the purpose of life is to buy an apartment, a car, and a dacha (country house), to occupy a position. And after death, what? For what did you live? An empty place. And if you think about the Kingdom of Heaven, then everything falls into place», — added Dontsova.

The writer is known primarily for her ironic detective novels, with print runs of hundreds of thousands of copies. Additionally, she published the book «Notes of a Happy Parishioner» about how she came to the church. Dontsova gives lectures at the Strastnoy Monastery.

The information partner of the festival «Zabaikalskaya Osen — 2025» is the online publication «Chita.Ru». The general partner of the festival is the company «Udokan Copper».