14. Настоятель Игумен Исаия

He came from Moscow merchants and entered the monastery to live in 1805. He was tonsured a monk on the 6th day of September 1812; ordained Hierodeacon 1813, August 15th; in Hieromonk 1815, March 14 days; and he was appointed to the position of Treasurer in 1822 and continued this position until 1842; and this year, by the general choice of the entire brotherhood, in place of the late Hegumen Niphon, he was appointed by the Diocesan authorities as the Rector of this hermitage. On August 15, 1846, he was elevated to the rank of Hegumen by His Grace Bishop Nicholas of Tambov and Shatsky, and in 1850 he was awarded a club and a pectoral cross. Father Hegumen always loved to talk about hard work, purity and the severity of the life of monastics, often recalling the charters and rules of monastic life; He often reminded us of the height of spiritual life and spiritual intelligence, reverent worship, meekness, and wisdom of the pioneer John, the pious Superior of Ephraim and the humble Builder of Isaiah. Even more, Father Isaiah loved to talk about the lives of the holy zealots of the Church: Macarius, Pachomius the Great, John Chrysostom, and others, whom he called the pillars of the Church, often citing them as an example of firmness and steadfastness in the faith. He constantly followed the general cell rule with his usual modesty. A monk without a rule, he said, is not a monk. The ancient Holy Fathers, as we see in history, remained in unceasing prayer, and in extreme silence and fasting, and thus were honored to receive the grace of God into themselves, strengthening them in their exploits. And the Lord helped us to fulfill at least this small rule with diligence. O. Isaiah was an example of an ascetic life and great zeal for the cause of God. Not missing a single Church service to the point of exhaustion, he had an insatiable thirst for the closest communion with Christ the Savior, in the communion of the Holy Mysteries. He often repeated: while there is time, one must strive so as not to pass on life in vain; so that after leaving here we will inherit the heavenly Kingdom, which we will not be worthy of if we are not like gentle children. Without the love of God and without peace with our neighbors, we will not be worthy of seeing God. We must try in every possible way to please God, to save our soul, which is dearer than the whole world; poverty and lack of wealth are the necessary property of a monk; all the treasure of this world is nothing compared to the eternal bliss that is promised to those who love God. He constantly inspired the brethren to bear all kinds of labor and sorrow without complaint. Wearing chains, long vigils, many bows and all bodily exhaustion will not bring any benefit, they used to say, if there are no spiritual virtues. We must have unfeigned love among ourselves, be obedient, patient and humble. Bows alone will not save us. God seeks peace. A monk who is careless about his salvation is a scoffer of God. Abstinence, labor, withdrawal from idleness, keeping the mind in the thought of God, constant stay in the cell, these are monastic adornments. The venerable Father Abbot Isaiah, born in 1858, rested from his labors on the 16th of April, on the day of the Midsummer of Holy Pascha at 4 o'clock in the morning; before his death, he was admonished by the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, the performance of the Council Blessing of Anointing; everything was in perfect memory until the last minute. He died at the 73rd year of his illustrious life, having ruled the Monastery for 16 years; In total, he spent 54 years in the Monastery; The monastery lost its kind and humble Father. His coffin was made back in 1850 from cypress; his body was laid next to the elder Isaiah the Builder behind the altar, on the left side, near the Assumption Cathedral. He himself bequeathed to be buried here because he respected the Builder Isaiah; out of love for him he bore his name; imitated his life; They lived inseparably with their souls, now their bodies will lie side by side. How touching is this constant, unchanging unity of hearts! Father Isaiah, during his sixteen-year reign, significantly improved the entire monastery, and brought it to the excellent condition in which it is currently located; his treatment of everyone was meek, condescending, simple, fatherly. Due to the gentleness and meekness of his quiet character, he had a surprisingly meek, affectionate, friendly disposition towards everyone, distinguished by God-loving humility; For his extreme meekness and quiet disposition, he was loved and respected by everyone. The warm church in the name of the Life-Giving Source of the Mother of God, through the diligence and care of Father Abbot Isaiah, was rebuilt again in 1844 at the expense of those who were zealous; in place of one small chapter, it is crowned with five large, majestic domes, which are shaded by five crosses; These heads, as well as the crosses on them, are covered with copper and brightly gilded with red gold. The Church of the Life-Giving Source, with five chapters of enormous size, now serves as the best decoration of the Sarov Hermitage; columns are attached to this Church on the sides, which makes it look very beautiful and it is remarkable for its splendor compared to the previous church; The four pillars that were previously inside the church were completely destroyed and the top was built with a bowl, where the Savior is picturesquely depicted feeding 5,000 people with five loaves. The church, in terms of its internal layout, has become much larger, more magnificent, brighter, and brings spiritual delight to every visitor. The external architecture of the church is distinguished by its splendor and all its internal grace. The walls are painted; between the windows, which are enlarged, around the walls, in rich frames, there are paintings of sacred content and excellent writing. The choirs have been restored again, and in some places they are gilded. In the altar behind the throne, in a semicircular recess, there is an iconostasis with icons; the top of the vault is arranged with a bowl, on which there are carvings, burrs in the form of stars, gilded and beautifully decorated. After the abolition of the stone pillars, in place of the two that stood closer to the iconostasis behind the right and behind the left choirs, two different rich arks were made, with columns, above them a radiance with two Angels; the kivots are decorated with carvings and gilded with polyment and form the decoration of this church. In these kivots two church Holy icons are inserted, which previously stood on pillars, which were destroyed; in the ark behind the right choir is the miraculous image of the Life-Giving Source of the Mother of God, and in the ark behind the left choir is the image of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Behind the image of the Life-Giving Source there is an Igumen place, and behind the image of the Dormition of the Mother of God there is a place for the alternate serving Hieromonk, who during Matins and the evening rule pronounces exclamations from this place. The iconostasis was built in excellent taste, and the old one was moved to the hospital Church. The location of the church for housing the brethren is so convenient that during Church services, standing under the arches on both sides, they do not suffer any disturbance in the presence of the large number of worldly worshipers, and can calmly listen to the Divine service being performed. The floor in the sanctuary and up to half of the Church is oak parquet, the remaining half of it is covered with paint; the majestic vault and dome of the church rests on four huge pillars: two of them are at the back entrance to the church, and the other two are in the altar behind the iconostasis. In addition to other beautiful buildings of the monastery, the eyes of visitors are mainly amazed by the grandeur of the two Cathedrals, cold and warm. The hospital church in the name of Saints Zosima and Savvaty was spread through the efforts of Hegumen Isaiah, with the assistance of pious contributors; in a row with the present one, porches were attached to it on both sides of the north and south, connected to the Church by a semicircle of an arch, which in a vast and majestic form constitutes one church; the vaults are decorated with wall paintings. The iconostasis is beautiful, new style, transferred from the warm Church of the Life-Giving Source. In this church, in addition to Sundays and holidays, psalms are read day and night incessantly for the health of the living and in memory of the deceased brothers and benefactors of the Sarov desert, whose names are written there. For this purpose, special 12 monks were chosen, who took turns reading the Psalter for 2 hours a day. It is required to contribute 170 rubles from each name for eternal remembrance at the psalter reading. silver If someone fits in while still alive, they remember their health; and when he dies and is notified of this, he is remembered for his repose. Commemoration is carried out in the same manner at the Divine Liturgy and at the proskomedia. For a year's commemoration at the psalter reading, 9 rubles are due. silver The vestibule of the church in the name of the Transfiguration of the Lord on the southwestern side, due to inconvenience, was destroyed by Father Isaiah, and a new, convenient entrance to the Church was made on the western side; the meal spread in a new and better way, contrary to the previous arrangement, and from it through the newly decorated arch, the entire internal arrangement of the Church is now revealed. The iconostasis of beautiful architecture is decorated with gold carvings; it is made in the form of a circle covered with gilded carved arcs, at the top of which there is an image of the Savior, surrounded by the rays of His glorious Transfiguration. The church is built warmly. Now great convenience has been made for the elderly and weak hospital elders, who walk from their cells along the corridor to the refectory vestibule to listen to early mass. Under the Church of Zosima and Savvaty, the two-story hospital building for the elderly and infirm elders, due to the increase in the brethren, became quite insufficient; why Father Abbot converted the upper floor to the hospital, in which there were cold closets for luggage, into special cells with great convenience compared to the previous one, and added cells at the top, from which a corridor leads to the vestibule of the refectory of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, where there is an early liturgy every day. An extension to the building of the noble hotel was made 16 arshins in length from the end of the bell tower. Below the noble hotel, in place of the old wooden one, a stone two-story merchant building was rebuilt, the guest courtyard for visiting and visiting pilgrims was surrounded by a stone fence, and there were extensive sheds for storing horses and carriages. A spacious storeroom was again attached to the horse yard, on stone pillars, where various desert products are stored for sale, such as splints, sponges, tubs, etc. In place of the one that burned down in 1858, a saw mill was rebuilt 14 versts from the monastery on the Satis River.