2023.02.14 - SB 2.5.6 - 7 Mayapur. Lecture by Bhakti Vijnana Goswami Maharaj

Bhakti Vijnana Goswami was born in Tashkent, in the former Soviet Union. He took to spiritual life in 1980, during the difficult time of the communist era, when the Committee for State Security (KGB) was harassing all spiritual practitioners. Despite the obstacles, as a scientist, a Moscow State University graduate and postgraduate student at Institute of Molecular Biology, he decided to experiment with the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, which moved him profoundly.
From 1988 till 1995, known then as Vaidyanath Das, he was head of the translation department of the North European BBT translating Srila Prabhupada‘s books into Russian and other languages of the Soviet block. In 1995 he officially took the lead of the Society in Russia. He acted as a member of ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission from 1997 till 2017 when he took GBC Emeritus position. His main zonal responsibilities were Moscow and most of Russian regions. He also took responsibility in Armenia, Georgia (CIS), Israel and South Korea.

He is a disciple of Radhanath Swami. In 2001 he took Sannyas along with his present name. He travels widely throughout the world sharing Krishna Consciousness in his own unprecedented manner. Since 2005 he has been serving as one of the initiating gurus of ISKCON.

In 2010 Russian Federation awarded Bhakti Vijnana Goswami a medal “For professional and business reputation. For his contribution in strengthening Russian-Indian friendly relations, and for his contribution to the popularization of the spiritual-cultural literary heritage of India.”

Author of nine books.