In the ambient anxiety of life, it’s rare to encounter someone who is truly ordained by God. Someone whose very presence is a prayer. Monk Abel (also Monkavel or Монах Авель), the Russian Orthodox monk in purple monastic robe and cap, is one of those rare anointed vessels. His mesmerizing piano performances have taken social media by quiet storm. His Instagram account, @monkavel, has become a sacred space for me and nearly 320,000 others.
With the reverence of monastic discipline, he imparts peace and comfort with his music. It’s as if he was placed here, in this time of distraction and despair, to remind us of the beauty of stillness, the power of simplicity, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. That is why I am sharing his work with you today. I have not shared something like this on The Jennifer Chronicles since I introduced subscribers to the Pray As You Go app in 2018.
Early Life and Musical Roots
Monk Abel, born Stulkin, was steeped in classical music early on. He graduated from the Rimsky-Korsakov Music College in piano, then studied at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory.
Rather than pursuing concert fame, he embraced a spiritual vocation. He spent several years at Mount Athos, mostly at the Docheiariou monastery, and later worked in Sochos, Greece. He also spent three years in Russia’s ancient Valaam monastery, which is located on Valaam Island within the Russian Republic of Karelia. Since 2021, he has focused on his musical ministry beyond the cloister, traveling for performances and releasing recordings.
Digital Sanctuary
In an age saturated with self-indulgent content from a myriad of exhausting influencers, Monkavel’s feed is a digital sanctuary. It is sacred and simple and through it the the Holy Spirit speaks. “I try to play with all my heart,” he told the Bulgarian News Agency earlier this year. “Everything that is inside me and in my soul resonates in people’s hearts.”
Repertoire and Musical Style
Monk Abel offers a broad range, performing everything from Bach, Beethoven, Glinka, and Rachmaninov to modern composers like Ennio Morricone. His performance of Passacaglia, which he posted on March 21, has garnered more 5.6 million views, more than 400,000 likes nd more than 8,000 comments. In his first Instagram post he played Abba’s The Winner Takes It All.
Concerts
In early 2025, he played concerts in Sofia and Varna, Bulgaria. He has a few dozen concerts scheduled between August 2025 and December 2026. I don’t think he has released a traditional full-length studio album, however you can find his individual performances on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music. His website is https://avelmonk.ru/. I hope someday he plays a concert in America.
I just recently saw his concert in Sofia ,Bulgaria in January 2026. It was fantastic.The concert was almost 2 hours with intermission breaks. I flew from San Francisco to Bulgaria to see his concert and it is worth it. I plan to see his concerts in Bulgaria in 2027. I would love to go to Russia for his concerts but it is so difficult to go to Russia from the US with all these sanctions.
How wonderful to get to see him in person. It’s one of my hopes and dreams to hear him play in person.
Most beautiful thing I have heard.
The moment I heard the first tone from this exquisite being my hearth open. He is giving the world and the people the strength to be who they are and their authenticity . Somebody rare in this world. He gave me a strenght to face myself as a writer that for a long time I couldn’t accept in myself
What a beautiful testimony. I hope he reads this. He like no other, I agree. Thank you for leaving a comment on one of my all-time favorite posts.