1. Сведения об обосновании Саровской пустыни и начальнике ее иеросхимонахе Иоанне

Not many words are needed there; deeds testify clearly. Likewise, high and edifying information can be obtained about the memorable ascetic Hieromonk John, if only we remember that he founded the Sarov desert monastic monastery, blooming with splendor and structure. The foundation of the Sarov Hermitage was laid in 1700, as the founder of the monastery, Hieromonk John himself, writes in his history. In the beginning, there were miraculous phenomena at night: sometimes a great light descended from the sky onto the very place where the cathedral churches now stand, and the ringing of bells was often heard, although at that time there were no human dwellings in this place, and the entire surrounding area was covered with a dense, impenetrable forest. This was before the first monk Theodosius came here and after him the monks Gerasim and Hilarion, who lived one after the other. To this Hilarion, who lived in these impenetrable wilds, came the founder of the Sarov monastery, the first leader Isaac, who was renamed John in the schema. By origin, he was of the rank of church minister; a native of the Arzamas district, a village called Krasnoye. From the age of 19, having fallen in love with the monastic life and leaving the world out of love for God, he settled in the wretched Vvedensky Monastery, which is located in the city of Arzamas, where in 1692 he was tonsured into the monastic rank. His virtuous, humble and skillful life, entirely devoted to serving God, soon drew the attention of the authorities to him. In 1692, under His Holiness Patriarch Adrian, he was ordained by His Grace Euthymius, Metropolitan of Sarsk and Podonsk, to the rank of hieromonk, and subsequently elected to the Builder of this monastery. But the Providence of God led this elder to other saving feats; his soul strove for desert silence - and after being satisfied with the management of that monastery, out of desire and love for a silent life, having chosen his disciple, that Vvedensky Monastery, Hieromonk Athenogenes, to take his place as the Builder, he himself retired into the then impenetrable wilderness of the dense forest, to the deserted Sarov place to the monk Hilarion, in order to receive from him not only a wretched inheritance - his hut, but also rich heritage - desert silence. They did not live together, the mentioned hermits: Theodosius, Gerasim and Hilarion, but each kept his prayerful solitude separately from the others, and their life, let’s say in the Apostolic word, was hidden with Christ in God (Coloss. 3:3). Although these hermits did not remain until the end of their days in their chosen dwelling, but in 1689 they moved to other places, but they all unanimously prophesied to each other about the future glory of this place. And a man appeared for this purpose from God, as if destined for this purpose - a man who was no longer afraid of the fears of the nightly and insidious anger of people; he accepted Hilarion’s blessing and settled hopelessly in his cell, in deep solitude, among dense forests. Although it was not easy to take on such a feat, which many lovers of solitude could not bear; for the temptations of the enemy are especially terrible in solitude and in a desert life, where the arrows of the strong are sophisticated (Ps. 119: 4): but the cheerful, tireless warrior of Christ John, believing that the time had already come for this place to become glorified, because he himself had been visited by revelations from above, placing strong trust in God, and being constantly in the deeds of prayer, determined in his soul or to win a perfect victory over enemy temptations, or die on the spot of your feat. What he could not endure in the battle with the spirits of evil in high places! He knew, in the words of the Apostles, that his struggle should not be with blood and flesh, but with the rulers of the darkness of this world, with the spirits of wickedness in high places (Eph. 7:12). What terrible fears from them, what spiritual torments he did not endure! In various ways this enemy of the human race attacked him, constantly intensifying his efforts to induce nightly fears and spiritual anguish to which he was subjected in his difficult struggle. Sometimes a whole horde of demons, spirits of evil, appeared to him, screaming and wanting to drive him out of the desert that supposedly belonged to them; they tried by all means to remove him from the feat of prayer; sometimes they caused him extreme embarrassment with various seductive suggestions, and maliciously persuaded him to leave the desert; It seemed to him, for example, that his mother and close relatives approached him with tears, begging him to leave his unfulfillable desire and return to live in the monastery, where they could benefit from his conversation. When the enemy of the human race did not have time to confuse and shake the hermit, invisible to the world, but known to God, he repeatedly attempted to frighten him with other powerful means: you were moved by an inner storm in his heart. The free sufferer felt gloomy melancholy and murderous despondency, affecting the soul and body with some kind of deathly numbness, so that even prayer itself could not quickly disperse this melancholy. There were moments when the deserted cell seemed to him like a stinking dungeon, and even the sensual stench suddenly filled it so that the hermit was sometimes forced to leave it for fresh air; and when he returned to it, all needlework and reading became completely impossible due to deep despondency. Once, due to the action of the spirit of the tempter, the excitement of the spirit of the young hermit was so strong that his entire deserted cell seemed to sway around him, he himself, from head to toe, seemed to be surrounded by a flame of fire and felt a cruel illness within himself. Against the fear of ghosts, Isaac, in solitude, used reliable means - like a strong spiritual weapon - strict fasting and warm prayer to the Master, and with these spiritual weapons he conquered all kinds of temptations, so that in his life the word of the Gospel appeared victorious: This generation can come forth in no way, except by fasting and prayer (Mark 9:22). The unclean spirit with all its intrigues fled far from Isaac, constantly armed with prayer and fasting. Although this pious hermit hid himself in the desert, he could not hide his virtues. Isaac spent seven years in deep solitude, pursuing a life pleasing to God, and could not hide, like a lamp burning on a candlestick, like a city standing on top of a mountain of good deeds. Based on hearing about him and prompted by the holiness of his life, people began to come to him, wanting to live in the desert with him and imitate his pious life. In this way, several people of God-loving brethren gathered, who wished to have a church; and their need insisted on this: for then a decree was issued, which ordered all those living in the forests, where there were no monasteries or churches, to be recognized as schismatics. And so the desert-loving hieroschemamonk John was convinced by a spiritual, truly reverent thought - to build a church in this deserted place and establish a monastery not only for himself and not for his spiritual squad, but also for future monks. This elder settled in the desert, as if he were one of the poor in Christ, having no external means not only to build, but also to acquire a small plot of land for a monastery, which was necessary for the first time (so that the words of the Venerable Monk of Pechersk were justified on the founder of the Sarov monastery from the solidity of the monasteries, which are erected not with gold and silver, but with the prayerful sweat and tears of the desert dwellers): however, the firm hope for The omnipotent Lord in a good enterprise wised and animated the old man, and he zealously set to work. Having learned that the land between the Sarov and Satis rivers (where the monastery is now) belongs to the owner, Prince Kugushev, who lived in Kadomsky district, he comes to him with a petition and with his wise words he convinces the Prince to give him this land for the monastery. Having received from him a serfdom deed for the land and having drawn up a charter on monastic life in accordance with the rules of the Apostles and Holy Fathers, he presented them - a deed for land and a cenobitic charter to the then guardian of the Patriarchal Throne, His Grace Stephen, Metropolitan of Ryazan and Murom. In a request from himself and from the brethren, the original leader asked for a blessing for the hostel according to the rules drawn up and permission to build a church and build a monastery, and received from him a church-building and church-illuminating letter. When starting to build the church and monastery, the Builder Hieroschemamonk John encountered strong obstacles from residents of nearby villages, which arose out of envy; because they have long had free entry into the forests and used animal traps and bee traps. But even in this case, the prudent, short and spiritual admonition of this elder pacified them, and instead of hindering him, they began to help him with their labors in the building. Thus, through the many labors and care of the valiant elder Hieroschemamonk John, in the middle of the wilderness, in the thicket of the forest, the first wooden church was built, consecrated on the 16th day of June 1706, in the name of the Mother of God of Her Life-Giving Source, and a cenobitic monastery was founded. By the especially wonderful Providence of God, the initial creation of the church in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos, Her Life-Giving Source, is the most memorable incident, which should be considered as clear evidence of the special Providence of God and the intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos for this holy monastery. For in an empty, remote, uninhabited place from human settlements, covered with dense forest, it seemed completely inconvenient to begin it, not having any money for such a structure; but with God's help, this first church, through the own labors of the founder and the entire brotherhood, was prepared for consecration in fifty days. And as soon as the news spread in the surrounding area, several thousand God-loving people gathered from everywhere, bringing with them all the necessary utensils for the church, even bells and food itself for such a crowded meeting. For the desert dwellers did not yet have any utensils for the church, nor food for the strangers. Thus, with the assistance of willing donors, the church was beautifully decorated, and then the brotherhood began to multiply in the monastery. “And the monks gathered there to live, says the History of the Sarov Hermitage, for the benefit of their souls, fasting life, to glorify the name of God by the officials of the Church of the Lord with established singing.” And the virtuous builder, the pioneer John, edifying and strengthening souls, suggested to the brethren about their internal structure, how to conduct their life according to the establishment of the Holy. Father and for the love of God; “Everyone wants to stay there and become a monk skillfully; to please the Most High God by endeavoring in various ways; I arrived in the purity of my souls and bodies, portrayed a chaste life, burning with the spirit of the Lord to have unceasing prayer, unfeigned fasting, complacency in poverty, prudent abstinence in everything and the queen of virtue reasoning, also in the commandments of the Lord, in the church pious tradition and the teachings of the true church, and in obedience to her being, without any your understanding and give thanks to the Lord God day and night; those who excommunicate the Holy Church, the one Orthodox Church and its unified wisdom and official establishment of all the mysteries, the libertines, reject everything. And thus, having established the common life and made it a rule, so that during the entire first week of Holy Great Lent there is unceasing singing throughout the days and nights according to the rite of the monastery of those who never sleep, as it is written in the Lives of the Holy One. Father: Theodora the Studite and Markella from the monastery of those who are not inferior"; which to this day is constantly being corrected in Sarov, and for the entire first week the female sex is not allowed to enter the monastery until Saturday. Such a communal charter, set out in accordance with Divine Scripture, the rules of the Holy Apostle and the Holy Father, was submitted to the above-mentioned His Grace Stefan Metropolitan of Ryazan and Murom for consideration. Having examined it, he ordered a letter to be issued confirming: “Let them work for the Lord God in fear and rejoice in trembling, ever working out their salvation, as the Psalmist David sings and the Apostle St. Paul teaches and others; Yes, that the Holy Apostles and Holy Fathers established and betrayed the Church of the Saints and do this in everything; for which may you be honored with eternal life from Christ God.” A special message in verse was also attached to the letter, which, as a work of that time, deserves special attention, and therefore is included for the pious readers of this book. Poems by the Right Reverend Stefan Yavorsky to the desert dwellers of Sarov. By the grace of God, humble Stefan, Metropolitan of Ryazan and Murom Sarov Desert To the rector, and about Christ with his brethren. Brothers, beware, wearing a black robe Have humility, keeping your eye down. Flee pride, vanity and evil, The hedgehog will have a heavenly good time for everyone. Put aside envy, love of glory and anger; Drive them with fasting and prayer; Try to get rid of hypocrisy and laziness; But fasting humbly, work in prayer; Let it be one and common to all of you; Don’t hesitate, God will not forget you. Higher brother, don’t be arrogant over lowly ones, But always be equal to yourself and be smart. Sitsa image of showing and Christ by Himself, If, then, whoever is your boss, let him be your servant. For this sake, goodness, peace be in you; May meekness and self-control be established in you... Above all, have love for each other The truth, and not flattery, with a good conscience: This will introduce you to the heavenly throne, And will give endless joy a crown. At the end of this testament of mine, I leave peace and blessings to you.” Thus, having united the brotherhood in like-mindedness, John assigned the brethren difficult feats; made a provision so that passing and arriving pilgrims of all ranks would be satisfied with a common meal, regardless of their number; that to this day, for the glory of God, is being fulfilled in the Sarov monastery. On great holidays, sometimes up to five thousand or more people are fed without any payment or compensation. In addition to the establishment of the cenobitic charter, the founder of the Sarov Hermitage, Hieroschemamonk John, had vigilant care to orally teach the brethren with the following words of St. Basil the Great, which, as beneficial to the soul, are attached here: “Let them have spiritual purity, bodily dispassion, a meek step, a moderate voice, decent speech, food and drink that is not rebellious, silence with the elders, attention with the wisest, obedience to superiors, unfeigned love for equals and lesser ones, separation from the evil and passionate and covetous, speaking little, understanding a lot, not being reckless in in words, do not be excessive in conversation, do not dare to laugh, do not embellish yourself with shame, do not talk to unclean women, have eyesight, woe to your soul, run away from opposition, do not seek the teaching rank, do not impute the honor of this world to anything; If anyone does anything good to benefit others, let him expect reward from God and eternal reward from Christ Jesus our Lord.” Having thus laid a solid spiritual foundation for his desert, Elder Isaac also took care of giving it a means of subsistence for all future times: with love he acquired monasteries from neighboring landowners in the forest and hayfields. Over time, the strict pious life of this leader and his brethren edified and benefited many surrounding residents so much that some of them, out of zeal, made contributions to the monastery, donated things and lands, which lands and lands were then most Highly approved for the monastery by fortresses; From these lands to this day the monastery has an inexhaustible content. On October 25, 1730, the Empress Anna Ioannovna, of blessed memory, deigned to permanently establish in her personal decree the ownership of lands, hay fields, fishing grounds and other lands. Upon receipt of the decree, in his memory, he established every year to hold a thanksgiving all-night vigil and prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos on the 25th day of October, which is still being carried out to this day. This virtuous, tireless Elder John, who took such pains to take care of the well-being of the monastery, at the end of his life, feeling the exhaustion of his strength, elected his pious associate Hieromonk Dorotheus as Abbot, and he himself wished to spend the rest of his days in silent prayer, in March 1716, on the 13th day of putting on the schema. Having lived in peace for a short time, the decrepit old man thought only of a peaceful death; but God's Providence judged him differently. The sixty-seven-year-old Elder faced the last temptation, which deprived him of his beloved desert. By God's permission, he was subject to a great misfortune, surely, so that at the end of his days he would be tested so that the gold in the crucible would be tested before the Supreme Judge. Due to some false denunciation against him, suddenly, against all expectations, he was demanded to St. Petersburg, where he died on July 4, 1737, and was buried at the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, in Kotlovskaya. His life in this short life was sixty-seven years. In the Sarov desert, the brethren, in feelings of gratitude to their father, the beneficent, ever-memorable founder of the monastery, still commemorate him; on the 4th day of July they hold a cathedral memorial service for the repose of his soul in the heavenly kingdom. He left the monastery a precious, unforgettable monument, the monastery preserves its charter, containing the church rite, ruled the monastic cell and various spiritual exhortations, of which the following is especially edifying: “I pray, fathers and brothers and beloved children, I am your unworthy brother and servant, for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself about our sins, we weep and weep, seeing our laziness, and to everyone a weak and infirm disposition for the good, let us be offended by those who have passed by, let us strive for the good things to come, so that we do not lead this life through laziness and negligence, we will be condemned at the terrible and second coming of the Lord. How can the imams see with their eyes the great day of the Lord and the terrible face of Christ, shining more than the sun, bestowing indescribable goodness on the righteous, and torment and torment on the sinners. What is this most accursed, or what sows the most bitter sorrows and sorrows, as St. Ephraim says? Whenever we see worldly people living with wives and children, and worldly caretakers, they have been deemed worthy of the kingdom of heaven; We, the rest of us, that is, father and mother, wife and children, and friends and lovers, and the whole world and who is red and sweet in it, abiding in sorrows and troubles, and with bodily passions, like in the lion and the serpent, fighting day and night, and little for the sake of negligence and weakness and disobedience, with fornicators and with tax collectors and with sinners condemned we will. Behold, we suffer from much foolishness: for we have abandoned the great and glorious, and we are deceived by the bad and imaginary insignificance, and for these sake we fall away from the love of all the King Christ God, and for this reason in the terrible hour of death we will be brutally tortured, as if we were negligence and laziness; So says the Great Basil. I remember, as great luminaries and spiritual fathers, and below the Holy Martyr, in the terrible hour of death, not without torture, she passed through the demonic ordeal. Likewise, brethren, even if all the great and the capital expect torture at the hour of death: how can we, through passion and repentance, escape these terrible tortures? And what kind of mercy will we receive, who anger the Lord at every hour, and live in every joy and peace, and do not want to care for a single soul? And not only do we not have memory, but what and what we have rejected for the sake of the world and promised to Christ to endure all the sorrow and hardship of monastic life, and humility and obedience and to have poverty similar to Christ; but below about their small rule is the care of the imams, who are in the church and in the cell, as it should be, below about the refectory and about the monastery deanery, below about food and drink, below clothing and vows, below about things, even the imams in the monastery and in the cell without blessing, but simply living, like the world, not having sorrow about our salvation. We consider this great, precisely, having renounced the world in word, but in deed no less, not fearing below the future torment, below the terrible hour of death, below this, as if little by little the imams would die, like our fathers and brothers, and the imams would present themselves to the unhypocritical judgment of Christ and we must give a word about our lives: about deeds and about words and about their thoughts. Truly a terrible and unmerciful judgment is received by the careless and lazy! Even if the righteous are barely saved, where will the wicked and sinner appear? For this reason, from now on, let us take care of the Gospel commandments and the Apostolic and patristic writings and, as in the rules of monastic life, the written traditions, according to the testimony of the Divine Scriptures, which are the rites and rules 2, betrayed from our unworthiness, entrusted to your love in Christ God for eternal safekeeping, both to you and to everyone in the holy Abode. We always wish this for our fathers and brothers and we earnestly pray for them to accept this tradition and preserve it for their good.” In 1711, the founder John and his brethren completed the underground caves in the half-mountain; they were brought to half of the Monastery underground. They were started back in 1692 by the hermits Theodosius and Gerasim. In different places, earthen cells were built in them, in which primarily the monastics lived; Among them, a church was built for general praise to God, in the name of the Venerable Fathers Anthony and Theodosius and all the Kiev-Pechersk miracle workers, which was consecrated in the same year 1711, at the zealous desire and with the assistance of two royal benefactors to this monastery - the blessed Princesses and Grand Duchesses Maria and Theodosius Alekseevny. The history of the founder can be seen in the Sarov Book Depository. The charter available in Sarov.