To the unforgettable memory of Archbishop Nikanor (Kamensky) of Kazan

This edition includes the second part of the correspondence of St. Philaret of Moscow (Drozdov) with Archimandrite Anthony, vicar of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, covering the period from 1842 to 1849 (416 letters in total). The letters were preserved by the addressee as a spiritual treasure and published by his decision for public access, representing valuable historical and church material. The letters reveal the deep ascetic and pastoral wisdom of St. Philaret, his attention to monastic life, the spiritual growth of the brethren and personal achievement. The correspondence reflects the touching friendship and trust between the saint and Archimandrite Anthony, including moments of spiritual support, discussions of health, and even humorous instructions. Thematically, the letters cover several key areas: 1. Arrangement and internal management of the monastery: construction work, repair costs, rent of monastery houses, disputes with tenants, control of income from mills, apiaries, shops. 2. Personnel and monastic issues: tonsures, ordinations, transfers of monks between monasteries; assessment of the personal qualities of candidates for hieromonks, abbots, and economists; disciplinary orders: eliminating abuses, combating drunkenness, violation of the regulations. 3. Divine services and charity: drawing up and approving statutes, rites, schedules of services, caring for the poor, the sick, the elderly, and strangers. 4. Social and political issues: reaction to peasant fires, cholera epidemics, military alarms, petitions to the authorities for favors, pardons, land disputes. Among the letters, letter No. 317 with the attached note on aids to the interpretation of Holy Scripture deserves special attention. This letter, written in St. Petersburg on April 3, 1842, concerns an inaccurate Russian lithographic translation of the Bible. It reveals an intrigue against the saint, because of which he was already forced to stop his annual trips to attend the Synod. The letters serve as a unique source for studying the personality of St. Philaret, his management style, theological views and spiritual experience. They demonstrate a combination of rigor and fatherly love, deep faith and practical wisdom, which makes them not only a historical document, but also edifying reading for modern Christians. Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4 Letter 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 480 481 482 483 484 485 486 487 488 489 490 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529 530 531 532 533 534 535 536 537 538 539 540 541 542 543 544 545 546 547 548 549 550 551 552 553 554 555 556 557 558 559 560 561 562 563 564 565 566 567 568 569 570 571 572 573 574 575 576 577 578 579 580 581 582 583 584 585 586 587 588 589 590 591 592 593 594 595 596 597 598 599 600 601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 609 610 611 612 613 614 615 616 617 618 619 620 621 622 623 624 625 626 627 628 629 630 631 632 633 634 635 636 637 638 639 640 641 642 643 644 645 646 647 648 649 650 651 652 653 654 655 656 657 658 659 660 661 662 663 664 665 666 667 668 669 670 671 672 673 674 675 676 677 678 679 680 681 682 683 684 685 686 687 688 689 690 691 692 693 694 695 696 697 698 699 700 701 702 703 704 705 706 707 708 709 710 711 712 713 714 715 716 717 718 719 720 721 722 723 724 Death of the Lavra's governor, Fr. Archimandrite Anthony, which followed on May 12, 1877, was the reason for the involuntary slowdown in the release of the second part of Metropolitan Philaret’s letters to him. It deprived us of the opportunity not only to publish this volume in a timely manner, but also to accurately fulfill the promise we made when publishing the first regarding the notes with which we wanted to explain the contents of some letters that otherwise remain not entirely clear. We hoped to accomplish this with the help of Fr. Anthony, who, despite his advanced age and the illness that depressed him, retained until the last minute an amazing freshness of memory and strength of mind. But the will of God was done; the elder’s lips fell silent forever, and in relation to the promise we have made, we will have to limit ourselves to the scanty information that we hope to glean from other reliable sources. On the other hand, no longer embarrassed by the duty to spare the modesty of the deceased Fr. Viceroy, we consider it our moral duty to preface this with a few words in order to outline a brief description of Fr. Anthony, drawing the necessary traits exclusively from the bishop’s letters. It seems to us that such a technique will serve as an explanation of their mutual relations 1 . Father Anthony, as our readers know, was called in 1831 from the builders of the little-known Vysokogorsk Hermitage (Nizhegorod diocese) and appointed vicar of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. The forty-six-year management of his famous monastery so identified his personality with the Lavra itself that their names became as if inseparable, so that throughout the whole of Russia, when pronouncing the name of Fr. Anthony, the concept of the Lavra immediately appears in the mind of the listener, and, conversely, with the name of the Sergius Lavra, the sacred personality of the deceased governor also appears in memory. Such is the influence of time - the influence of 46 years of labor used by him to improve the property of our Reverend Father Sergei, and at the same time the personal character of the deceased! The sympathetic reception given by readers to the first volume of letters is explained by their undeniably interesting content. It is therefore curious to trace the letters of a historical person who stood at the head of our church hierarchy for more than half a century and gained great fame not only in the Russian, but throughout the Orthodox Church, to a person insignificant in his hierarchical position. What could make the correspondence between them worthy of the attention of enlightened readers? – On the one hand, we see a man of genius, enriched with all the treasures of theological science, enlightened by the fruits of amazing philosophical initiative, and called by his very social position to participate in solving the most important historical problems of his time. On the other hand, there is a modest governor of a monastic monastery, who has not received any scientific education, who does not know how to write two lines grammatically, and whose most important activity was, apparently, doomed only to taking care of the improvement of the monastery, not extending beyond its fence. It would seem that under such conditions the mutual relations of these persons should not have the slightest public interest. All the metropolitan’s letters should have been in the nature of unilateral instructions from the abbot to his vicar about the internal management of the monastery, about its external improvement, and perhaps only occasionally rise to the study of the moral progress of the brethren. Such, in fact, were the relations between the abbots and the governors before Fr. Antonia 2. Readers have already seen from the first volume of published letters how their content differs from this sample. They could not help but notice that the bishop’s first letters, despite the complacency with which he treats the new governor, bear the character of a rector who jealously cares about both the external and even more so the internal well-being of the monastery. But little by little this tone changes, the content of the letters diversifies, and their range increasingly covers subjects beyond the direct competence of the governor. First, look for feelings of respect in the Metropolitan’s speech; soon afterwards they turn into an expression of friendship, which no longer leaves them throughout the continuation of this many years of correspondence. The Metropolitan is no longer limited to subjects exclusively within the vicar’s circle of activity; he extends his conversation to more general and broader views. In this volume, which covers an eight-year period of time, we see that the subjects of the Metropolitan’s letters become more complex. Getting to know his viceroy more and more closely, the Bishop, although he does not continue to take care of everything that relates to the improvement of the monastery entrusted to him, but already looks at Fr. Anthony not only as an intelligent owner of the Lavra, thanks to whose stewardship its external structure and splendor are improving every day, but also as a man of spiritual activity, experienced in monastic asceticism, wise both by the initial leadership of Blessed Seraphim of Sarov, and by his own practice in the contemplative life. At least, this is how he appears to us from the letters of the ruler, who not only goes into consideration with him of objects that go beyond the limits of the sensory world, but even in these cases gives preference to the governor’s judgment over his own. So, telling, for example, about the extraordinary condition of one nun, who had not taken food for more than a week, made predictions and did not agree to be treated, saying that she had died in the flesh, the Metropolitan says (p. 632): “help my ignorance, what to think about this condition and what could be advised?” - In another place (item 676), discussing the prohibition by one parish priest from receiving Holy Communion. The secret of the dying - what about. The vicar, from the words of the priest, informed the metropolitan - this one writes: “I would like you to not only listen to the priest’s story, but also give him instruction and encouragement about the perplexed man to improve himself in the matter of service. I hope that it was so.”... The reader will not forget that the leadership of the parish priest in the performance of his duties is by no means included in the circle of activity of the vicar of the Lavra. Such an order from the supreme pastor of the local church undoubtedly confirms the conclusion we drew above about the spiritual significance of Fr. Anthony, as the late metropolitan recognized in him. It is not surprising that with such trust in the spiritual experience of Fr. Anthony and his monastic practice, the Metropolitan often turns to his assistance, either when drawing up a charter for the monastery (item 327), or when delineating a new order of Divine services (item 516), or entrusts to him the leadership of new monks who for some reason require special attention (items 539 and 541). Much more inexplicable, at least at first glance, seems to be that the saint, famous for science, treats him, who has not received any school training, with complete confidence and respect in purely scientific matters. And such cases are often found in the Metropolitan’s letters. So, for example, in paragraph 470, the bishop, sending to Fr. to the governor his extracts from the works of St. Ephraim, adds: “I wrote both the title and the preface; read and tell me impartially - does this fit the matter, and can it be usefully used for public instruction through publication?” Another time (item 611) the bishop thanks Fr. Anthony for the remark he made on the interpretation of the parable of the unjust judge, and admits that, as a result, he destroyed the expression he had previously used. We could give many such examples, but we think that these are enough to confirm the fact that the Metropolitan respected the opinion of the viceroy on theological and literary subjects. He confirms this himself, saying (p. 594): “I primarily addressed the question (about the veneration of the Mother of God in Her icons) to you before theologians, by trust of understanding and sincerity.” Reason and sincerity! These are indeed qualities that should inspire complete confidence and which the late governor possessed to the highest degree. He made up for the lack of school education by diligently reading mainly the patristic writings, and we would hardly be mistaken if we say that he was closely familiar with everything that was published in Russian on this topic in his time. We know, however, that there are often examples that abundant reading without scientific preparation confuses the reader’s concepts and leads them into disorder. The deceased’s high, bright mind and strict vigilance over himself warded off this danger from him. It is known that the late rector Mosk. Spirit. Ak., Al. V. Gorsky, who deeply respected him, usually called him “nugget” for his abundance of knowledge, and “abba” for his strictly monastic life (See Russian Archive 1875. III. 472). The enormity of his reading was such that when the late Bishop undertook a new translation of “The Ladder”, he wanted a learned translator reported his work, chapter by chapter. Anthony, so that the latter would note and indicate the passages “weakly translated in relation to the former in relation to the spiritual meaning” (p. 633). Such was his acquaintance with the fathers and such was the degree of understanding of their spirit! As for the sincerity recognized in him by the Metropolitan, it flowed naturally from his loving heart: “love is not hypocritical,” according to the word of the Apostle (Rom. XII, 9). The independence of his convictions, for which the Bishop repeatedly thanked him, reaches the point that the Metropolitan himself sometimes seems not entirely appropriate. At least, we see from his letter (p. 583), that Father Anthony, on some occasion in the monastery, did not stop to contradict him in the presence of strangers and, as the Metropolitan puts it, “presented him as a boss who did not know what was going on with him.” As the friendly ties connecting the rector of the monastery with the governor strengthen, the latter’s activities intensify and diversify. In the immediate area of ​​his direct management, he founded the Gethsemane skete, bypassing, with the blessing of the Metropolitan, some awkward formalities; builds churches, cells and populates them with monks distinguished by their spiritual mood. At the same time, vigilantly taking care of the improvement of the monastery, he strives to combine with the works of monasticism the works of philanthropy bequeathed to the saint by its founder, and founded a charity house and a hospital at the monastery. We unequivocally attribute these institutions to Fr. Anthony. The Metropolitan himself writes to him: “The Gethsemane monastery would not have existed if there had been another in your place, even one of those using my power of attorney... Only complete trust in your spiritual reasoning and purity of intention disposed me to decide on the matter, without taking into account possible troubles for failure to comply with forms before the authorities” (p. 594). With complete sympathy, so characteristic of the metropolitan’s humane heart, he reacted to the thought of Fr. Anthony about the establishment of a house at the Lavra for the care of sick and needy pilgrims of both sexes. This humane institution had already been founded and was successfully developing under the supervision of Princess Tsitsianova, who devoted herself to this work of mercy, and the Metropolitan still treated it, out of his usual caution, as a private and temporary institution, and not before 1848, having been fully convinced of the obvious and significant benefits of Fr. Anthony institutions, decided to bring them to the attention of the Holy Synod. He thanks God for the success and writes to the governor: “After the blessing of St. Sergius, I am indebted to your care, Father Viceroy, for the love of mankind bequeathed by St. Sergius to spread its spirit and its actions” (p. 516). Here is a brief, superficial overview of those rare virtues that distinguished Fr. Governor of the Lavra. We did not exaggerate their significance, but rather reduced it, because we drew our information about him exclusively from the letters contained in the published volume, without adding anything to it from other sources. Future biographer of Fr. Antonia, of course, will not leave us to fill in what we have left silent about. This will not be difficult, because his name, in the words of one person who has now also descended into the grave (Yur. V. Tolstoy, comrade syn. ob.-proc., in a letter to Father Anthony in March 1877), “was enjoyed by our fathers, and enjoys well-deserved, all-Russian respect among us!” In the series of letters currently being published, the reader, no doubt, will pay attention to 317 and the note attached to it on aids to the understanding of the Holy Scriptures. This letter was written from St. Petersburg on April 3, 1842 and refers to a not entirely correct translation of the Bible into Russian that was circulating at that time and printed through lithography. The letter reveals the intrigue that was carried out against the metropolitan in connection with this incident and as a result of which he had to stop his annual trips to attend the synod. This whole story, which did not have the slightest political connotation, made a strong impression in society at the time and gave rise to many rumors. It resonated heavily in the heart of the Bishop, who was so completely devoted and so passionately loved the Emperor... But the talk did not stop; the hidden intrigue tried to cast a shadow even on the Orthodoxy of the Metropolitan and did not disdain the most unsightly means. In letter 419 we read: “At the courtyard (in St. Petersburg), after me, with the help of Veniamin (who served under the bishop), there was a secret investigation to see if there were heresies locked in the chest (mine with books.") Public gossip mixed up political plans in this matter and managed to portray the bishop as the head of the party of the dissatisfied, which was especially facilitated by the visits of Metropolitan A. Turgenev. The governor warns him about this. “I hope no one heard words of displeasure from me, because my thoughts, by the goodness of God, are not like that” (p. 358). Now, of course, no one will doubt the sincerity of these expressions, but then his every action produced strange rumors. In the Caucasus, for example, a young cavalry guard is wounded and captured 3; the desperate mother begs the metropolitan to send two Lavra monks, one of whom was her son’s confessor, to the Caucasus at her expense, in order to find him in captivity among the mountaineers. This premise gives rise to new rumors and new gossip. Secret correspondence arises. In Moscow they say that the monks were sent to stir up the supposedly fallen spirit of our troops, and in St. Petersburg the Bishop of Novgorod himself says to Mr. Voitsekhovich, who was then serving in the synod: “there is something secret hidden here,” and to clarify this secret he instructs him to carefully question the hieromonk who lives in the St. Petersburg courtyard and is dissatisfied with the metropolitan Vladimir. “Vladimir, who asked me for abbotship and did not receive it, now has the opportunity to think about how to thank me,” the bishop writes to the governor (paragraph 464). Sad circumstances, deplorable details! The Metropolitan, of course, could not help but feel all their severity, but with all that he remains true to himself. In letters to his friend, to his spiritual father, the publication of which could not have even occurred to him then, we do not encounter a single complaint, not a single accusation. His only concern is how to more worthily fulfill the high service to which he is called by Providence. The governor devoted to him warns him and advises him to be careful not to incur new displeasures. “The point,” the bishop answers, “is not about avoiding trouble, but about being more useful in complicated and dark circumstances and safer from violating duty” (p. 320). His ill-wishers include his opinions in the reports of the synod without his knowledge, he says: “I am glad that my thoughts, although stolen from me, were included in the acts with my name, and consequently, that to the best of my understanding seemed true, and this is testified to... It is not for me to judge others: the Lord, who is the Truth Himself, may He bring forth His truth as light” (ibid.). But enough. Let us leave it to the reader himself to have the pleasure of becoming more closely acquainted with this great luminary of our church, who will never fade in it, and we will remain grateful to his close collaborator, confessor and friend for not hiding the treasure of these letters under a bushel! Sergievsky Posad. January 1878. May He who renewed our life with His saving Christmas bless you, Fr. Viceroy, and brethren, new summer, yea, putting aside the works of the old man, we walk in newness of life. Apparently, I haven’t written to you for a long time. Sorry. Some thoughtful matters took a lot of time and distracted me from correspondence. I wrote to you that Princess Shakhovskaya wants to help the Diveyevoskys, and would not even refuse to go to them for this purpose; but, as it is difficult to imagine what real benefit her presence would bring, one must know what their situation is and what they need. It would be time to have an answer from you, but there is none. Meanwhile, I hear that the land they bought has not been surveyed, and that the forest on it is being cut down. Is it possible to ask someone important in the province to stop the destruction of the forest, thereby prompting a speedy disengagement? In order for you to visit Pesnosha, I think I wrote you permission. And for you to go to Golutvin, it seems you didn’t even ask about that; and is it necessary? The path is not small, and it will take a lot of time. I wrote about Bogolepov to Prince Sergius Mikhailovich. What followed, I am sending authentic documents about this. There is hope in the case of Stefan Fedorovich 4. If you take Savvaty, then imagine who will be the assistant to the sacristan. You can send Jeremiah. I have seen Nathanael serving regularly, diligently and soberly for so long that it seems necessary to let him go as a Hieromonk. Is it so? For N., don’t be angry with me. I cannot assure myself that his presence will be in peace and without harm to Ananias. Princess Tsitsianova can, at her own request, present the holy relics to the Strastnovskaya Abbess. One or the other will write to me about this, it doesn’t matter. I will approve storage in the church. If the princess wants to put other parts of St. relics in the Lavra - this, of course, is good and useful, due to the multitude that flow here for communication with the saints and sanctification from them. Some, if he pleases, he can give here now, and some, for his consolation and protection, he can keep with him, writing to me so that after her they will be taken to the Lavra. Strange attacks happened to the Chudovsky governor more than once. One day in church his head suddenly became foggy, and he became so exhausted that he almost fell. Another time something seemed to hit him in the face, and exhaustion also followed. Sudden exhaustion often made it difficult for him. Having told him that I could, I mentioned among other things that for illnesses there is church healing, the blessing of oil, and that if it seemed inconvenient for him to do this in Chudov, so that under such circumstances it would not seem unusual, then he could do it in the Lavra. Take care of him if he comes. Dozde now. Annunciation for the liturgy. We need to go to the Synod soon. I still don’t have time to write to you, oh. governor, as freely as he wished. I rejoice in the servant of God Maxim, and I glorify the Lord, wondrous in His Saints, and the dispenser of His bounty - St. Sergius; I thank you for the consolation of knowing about this. I agree to accept Schemamonk Arseny. May the Reverend establish his peace and benefit others through his experienced knowledge of the path of the Lord. I also agree to accept Hieromonk Theoktistus. The Diveyevo ones concern me, oh. viceroy Read the attached letter. They write that the deed is not concluded on the land without the approval of the hostel. But will the Eminence present the approval soon? And how will he present it? It would be necessary to make a deed for the land in the name of one of the hostels who has the right to own the land, and she would give it as a gift to the hostel, and thus the approval of the hostel would be presented. Such a presentation would be fine, and would show that the hostel has a way of existing. Without having processed things on the spot in this way, they want to go to St. Petersburg. What's the use? In St. Petersburg it is impossible to do what should be done in Nizhny, and especially under such circumstances when the formal order of affairs is required no less than the essence. I wrote to you, and I repeat, is it possible through someone in Nizhny to acquire the patronage of the local authorities for this matter, and to arrange in an orderly and strict manner the conclusion of the act and the delimitation of the land. My letter to the Reverend John, apparently, had some effect. Consequently, it would be useless to write anything else. Therefore, would you give instructions to the Diveevskys? And if things come to St. Petersburg with this state of affairs, I don’t see what can be done. God bless and may our Reverend Father Sergius direct the feat and ministry of Mark. Whether it is convenient for him to live under the table of the Trinity Cathedral, you better judge on the spot. In the description of the Lavra, which was almost finished, a stop was made because Andrei Nikolaevich made remarks against which it would not be bad to justify himself. Why, he says, is there no mention of the icon of the Mother of God near the royal gates? And he says that he knows whose contribution it is. A similar remark about the icon of the Lord Pantocrator in the same row of the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral. Why, he says, are the kings and princes whose veils of St. Sergius are not named in the sacristy? Would you please send me, Father Viceroy, some additions about the icons of the Trinity Cathedral and about the sacristy? I am glad that Savvaty wants to remain in peace in the monastery. Tell him this. Nathanael, it seems to me, deserves a reward. He is older than some of the hieromonks. He is very good at church. The arrogance of acquisition is not visible in him. He looks after the sacristy and goes out to hand out provisions, on behalf of the steward, without complaint. When I told the steward about a rumor that had reached me that in my absence not everyone in the courtyard observed the rite of monastic fasting, he insisted that this was not true. Was it not the Bosnian priest who lived in the compound, a meat eater, as he says, due to illness, who caused the misunderstanding? Remind us of the procession of the cross on January 12, if God brings it, on the spot. I remember I heard from you about the lithographed translation of some books of the Old Testament. A denunciation was sent from Vladimir against him, and the case will almost reveal the names of everyone to whom he was sent from St. Petersburg. Wouldn’t it be nice if those who have this publication, not on demand, but themselves presented it to the authorities as one in which there were some significant irregularities? I have not yet had the opportunity to consider this translation, except for a short glance: but the errors indicated in the denunciation are important. Because it was discovered that the novice of Behemoths had bought an illegally lithographed and non-Orthodox translation of some books of the Old Testament; and from this the need for prudent attention to the brethren of the Lavra on this subject is revealed, then the governor of the Lavra is instructed to carefully find out whether any of the brethren have this book and, if this is discovered, to explain the illegality of this, and arrange, without waiting for a formal investigation, to present the book for presentation to me, and for forwarding where it should be. Note. In the margin it is written in pencil: talk about this with the rector of the Academy, who, having also instructions on this, can give you some explanations. Peace to your soul, Father Viceroy, and for the peace of my humble soul, say a prayer. It was not so difficult for me to come to terms with the sorrows of my family, because I saw in some way that the Lord, through sorrows, delivers from great sorrows. Church sorrows are difficult. The waves rise and there is no silence behind them. Jonah, self-willedly responsible for the storm, is exposed; but the storm does not want to leave those in the ship alone. With prayers let us pray to the One who rebukes the winds and the sea. Consider the order sent to you yesterday regarding the lithographed translation of the books of the Old Testament as secret. They say that there was a lot of testimony that was not written into the file; but they did not miss the testimony that novice Begemotov bought a copy. Therefore, carefully carry out the entrusted investigation, both out of loyalty, and out of clearing the field from the chaff, and out of caution from those who seek guilt and where there is none, with whom, however, we will not be angry, because they too are guided by caution according to their own considerations and guesses. Copy for me the Grand Duke's letter to St. Nikon, kept in the sacristy. And is there another noteworthy one of these that would be appropriate to include in the description of the monastery? “It occurred to me whether it might seem like an omission that in the article about patrimony there are charters from private people, but not from grand dukes.” You asked me how to respond to the decree on full-time ministers. I don't remember if I answered you. Imagine how you write that it is not convenient to reduce their numbers due to space requirements, and add what is needed to reinforce this opinion, and what is needed to promote their well-being. Explain yourself carefully, without avoiding the issue. I didn’t answer you, I think, regarding the adventure of the merchant’s son K. I heard about this in Moscow and spoke with the priest, but, I remember, he explained the adventure with cunning. I don’t really understand what kind of book you want from me. It seems to me that the Catechism contains what you require. If they don’t read it: why will they read something else like it? Explain to me your idea in a little more detail. About the cathedral memorial service, so that the matter may be rewarded with free zeal, I am writing a letter to the rector of the hospital; if the matter, by the goodness of God, works out, you can take the letter to the cathedral so that the institution is remembered. May the Lord preserve you and your abode in peace, and may you enter the field of fasting with quiet feet. Thank God, oh. Governor, that you visited the sick person without hindering our household affairs. If you write to Fr. Archimandrite Innocent, tell him that I lovingly accept his remembrance of me, and mutually wish him the mercy of the Lord in every form. It’s good that you don’t feel sorry for the lithographed translation of the Old Testament, but it’s a pity that you had it. And the translation is not good, and especially bad are the remarks or introductions attached to it, which are contrary to the dignity of the sacred books and destroy the prophecies about Christ in them. Looking at this matter as it has now been revealed, they look at it not so much as a simple oversight, or confusion about what to do, but as a cover-up for a non-Orthodox case, for obtaining copies of this translation, and not presenting them to the authorities immediately. To undo the harm already done and to satisfy the need, of course, it would be necessary to provide the correct aid for reading the Old Testament with understanding. But a bad translation made the thought of a good translation, which some were already afraid of, even more terrible. Even the idea of ​​publishing a Slovenian translation with explanatory notes is met with bewilderment and fear. The Lord alone can help His people, so that they may not suffer from the hunger of hearing the Word of God, and may they not be deceived by false food. You say that we have no time to pray. I’d rather simply complain about my laziness in prayer. Distribute one hundred alms of three rubles in silver, but not from the monastery, but from me: that through the prayers of His lesser brethren, the Lord will help the needs of His Church, and the message of fate, enlightening our ignorance, and not remembering our sins and unworthiness. According to the charter, the Lavra courtyard remains Lavra; and the consistory was ordered to look after the integrity of the bishop's house. Pay attention to this, so that Lavra does not mix with its consistory. Before leaving, monk Varlaam asked permission to go to the Yuriev Monastery. I said I wouldn't interfere. I don’t know anything further about him. If he did not appear, and it is heard that he is in Moscow, let the cathedral communicate with the consistory and demand notification whether he has appeared at the consistory and to the dean of the monasteries in Moscow, as is prescribed for all those who are in the capital by written form. So you will reach him and stop your willful wandering. On the eve of the days of repentance, I ask forgiveness from you and the brethren; and to all of you from the merciful Lord, whatever you need, forgiveness, blessing, affirmation and prosperity for good. I need several enamel icons of the Most Holy Trinity, the Savior, the Mother of God and St. Sergius, no small measure. Since salvation lies in much advice, which I often need, and I wish to have it from those who fear God, I ask you, Fr. Viceroy, read the attached note, and tell me whether you think that I can be peaceful by writing it, and not reproach myself if, more than aspirations, some find not only any interpretation of the holy books based on the Holy Fathers, but also the table of contents, dangerous. Leave note 5 with you before me. The matter of leasing land was delayed not out of oblivion, but out of bewilderment. I wanted to stop bewilderment and agree, but I couldn’t. If you had seen more closely how difficult the affairs of the ecclesiastical department regarding contracts are, you would not have condemned my indecision. O. Thank the treasurer from me for the books. And the dogmatic one is now good, and better than on the table. God's blessing and peace to you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren. May the Annunciation of Salvation be fruitful in us, growing out of faith, love and joy, thanksgiving and good deeds. From your last letter I begin to answer you. O. It’s a pity to lose Anastasia. Let us pray that our Lord will give him peace and benefit through him; but we will also see what the Lord shows. I don’t think that the Right Reverend Tambovsky will present it to the S. Synod. And if he treats me, in order it will be necessary to ask Fr. Anastasia wants it or doesn’t want it, and that will decide the matter. Or if, as you say, he doesn’t want to, let me answer that he doesn’t want to, without formal questioning. It’s easy to refuse; on my part, I think, it would be unreliable arbitrariness. If one must love one’s neighbor as oneself, then Sarov must also wish good, like Bethany. Prayers of St. Sergius, may he arrange for us good and better than we understand. Regarding the Diveyevo and other communities of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese, the matter reached the S. Synod, but the movement was given by the Minister of Internal Affairs, and not by the Eminence. It is supposed to establish the community, but I still don’t know how this will happen. The highest permission is required. In order to unite the two Diveevo communities into one, I spoke. The community will not be bound by the terms of the investor. On March 9 and 10, I was not worthy to receive consolation, but I believe that the Lord eased my temptation. The note on aids to the understanding of the Holy Scriptures, which you have from me, was strongly lured from me under the pretext of better understanding the idea that was not given at the beginning by me; it was private; I thought that if they found this possible, they would discuss it in the S. Synod; instead, the note, not yet affirmative, is presented in the form of my personal opinion, without telling me that there is an opposing opinion; a refutation was written in exaggerated terms, by which any interpretation of S. Scripture was recognized as unnecessary and dangerous; This was signed by the Bishop of Novgorod and his opinion was approved by the Highest. This happened on March 7; 9 I was in the S. Synod, not knowing this, and to this day it has not been announced; 10 I arrived in S. The Synod, also not knowing what was being prepared for me; but halfway through the meeting, feeling unwell, I went home and the sudden announcement prepared for me, which in a state of ill health would have been especially difficult to listen to, followed without me, not without the surprise of others that I left so suddenly just before the announcement. Pray that the Lord will enlighten me on what I should do and tell me a good word of advice. The concern is not about what happened to me personally, but about whether I can be of any use to the service. Is it not time for me to retire to mourn my sins and, outside the turmoil of affairs, to pray for the well-being of the holy church? If you want to tell me anything, it would be good for me to hear it soon, because the time is approaching when I usually ask to go to Moscow. My health asks for relief from traveling to St. Petersburg. To spend the days of Great Week in saving contemplation and to achieve the joy of the Resurrection of Christ, may the Lord vouchsafe you and your brethren, I humbly pray for His goodness. Bring me to the feet of our Reverend Father Sergius. Note. About what happened to Bishop Philaret on March 10, mentioned more than once in his memorial book under this date, it is written: “1842. Illness forced me to leave S.S. ahead of time, and thus God saved me from hearing somewhat difficult things.” As for the note mentioned in this letter, it is attached herewith: The false, incompatible with the dignity of Holy Scripture and harmful concept of prophecy and some books of the Holy Testament, which was expressed and more or less spread through lithographed translation, requires a medical remedy. Prohibitive means alone are not quite reliable when curiosity, which is spreading more and more every day, rushes in all directions for its satisfaction, and all the more strongly it rushes towards illegal paths, where legal ones are not well organized. Therefore, care must be taken to provide a correct and convenient aid to the understanding of Holy Scripture. For this purpose, the following assumptions are submitted to testing and selection: I. To publish gradually the interpretation of St. books, starting with the prophetic ones, which are especially attacked, and whose thorough interpretation is especially important in relation to their contents to the New Testament. Interpretations should be based on: a) Greek text of seventy commentators; b) where necessary, according to Bl. Jerome, Jewish truth, i.e. Hebrew text 6. d) (sic) self-interpretation of the Holy Scriptures of the B. Testament in the New; e) (sic) interpretations of the Holy Father. Interpretations should not be burdensome with space and heavy scholarship, but short, simple, aimed at confirming the faith and edifying life. II. To make an edition of the entire Slavic Bible, adapted for the most convenient use and understanding. So that it is not too huge, it is necessary to exclude from it additional articles, such as: an extensive report in previous amendments to the text and a catalog of proper names burdened with unnecessary words. Instead, above each chapter of the Slavic biblical text, which must remain inviolable in its composition, briefly but sufficiently state its contents and print it in distinctive small letters. Such an indication of the content will generally be a useful direction for the attention and reflection of the reader, especially in prophetic and difficult chapters it will guide the correct understanding of the text. Then, at the end of the chapter, where necessary, also in distinctive small letters, print brief notes in which: a) explain obscure words and expressions in the text; b) for darker texts, point to other places of Holy Scripture that are clearer and serve to explain them; c) in prophecies briefly indicate the most important events; d) for some texts, which are especially harmfully abused by false teachers, make brief protective interpretations, for example, the text: they are eunuchs, who have amassed for themselves the kingdom for the sake of heaven, interpret so that the eunuch, having opened the Bible to defend his teaching, immediately finds a refutation. III. To publish the Slavic Bible, with a sign above each chapter of its contents, and at the end to attach a dictionary of obscure words, with an interpretation of them, which, however, it must be admitted, is difficult to make satisfactory, because the darkness is not always in the word, but often in the composition of the words, which individually are not intelligible 7 and because it is tiresome for the reader to often switch from text to dictionary.” Peace be with you, oh. vicar, and brethren, and the grace-filled communion of the passion of the Lord, and you will be filled with the joy of the resurrection as community members. What I could do to bring peace to the Sarov monastery, I did. I reported everything necessary to His Eminence of Kyiv, and he wrote to His Eminence Tambov. In this case, this is the best way to give movement to useful thoughts. It would not be so in order to propose to the S. Synod, because the S. Synod is not officially aware of the vacancy; Moreover, it may already be occupied by the Diocesan Bishop, by his right, before the S. Synod makes an order. I thank you with love for your frank words, and I ask you to continue not to deprive me of a sincere word of truth. As for the accusations laid on me by Maxim: my thoughts do not reproach me. I always went out to litia and polyeleos on holidays, sometimes even minor ones; and since I have become weaker, for the most part I have only been on polyeleos, and no Andrei Nikolaevich is dragging me out for this. That I sometimes read the Six Psalms on weekdays, and more willingly on weekdays than on holidays, on which besides this there is enough work and fatigue, you know from the Lavra. And if somewhere there, after an incident that happened one day, they drag me out, because when I’m in church, the sexton, without asking me, lies down by the lectern, and no one is there to read. I’m not complaining about this at all, I’m just stating the case. Now this is what A.I. and I are really to blame for. At the all-night vigil for the day of St. Mitrofan, I performed polyeleos; after A.H. tells me, do the same at the all-night vigil for the day of the Apostle Andrew. I answer: good, and I still think that there is no harm in it. Don’t bishops perform church services for the sake of the dead, and why not for the sake of the living? If you calculate human thoughts, then they may think that it is for income, but here there is no reason to think about this, because there is no custom for this. You ask, what kind of grace is it that the metropolitan performs a polyeleos with three (if you like, with two) hieromonks? I answer: I serve all liturgies on holidays and Easter this way. Would you really forbid me from serving in the priesthood for eight months of my stay in St. Petersburg, because I don’t have more than three hieromonks? Let men judge as they please; do not forbid me to glorify the Lord in the small church, as well as in the great, while He is patient with my unworthiness. A.N. has enough prudence not to ask me for anything in church; and as for the all-night vigil, he cannot do this, because I partly listen to the all-night vigil, partly I read it for myself, near the church in my cell. A.I. sometimes has competitions with the sexton for heating the stove and the heat in the church. I don’t consider this dangerous, and I look at it indifferently. I have never heard of Vladyka Plato reading stichera and doxologies. I know that he read the Apostle on weekdays in Bethany, and in the cathedral services of the Proverbs on Maundy Thursday and Maundy Saturday. I also followed in this when I was able. Will he not justify me before Maxim, at least half? Note. A letter without indicating the year, month or day when it was written. It is stated here because, as is noticeable, it was written from St. Petersburg; written before or at the onset of Holy Week, and mentions relations with the Eminence of Kyiv, and this with Tambov on the matter of the Sarov monastery, which are mentioned in the letter dated April 23. 1842. See letter 320 below. For a word of consolation in the name of the Risen Lord to you, Fr. Governor, and brethren, from my measure with love thanksgiving; from God is blessing and fulfillment of spiritual joy. To the Reverend Anastasius, show my respects in advance. I will try to write to him. O. Say thanks from me to Archimandrites Theophilus and Paisius. Thank you very much for what you wrote on the 11th day of this month. The point is not about avoiding trouble, but about the fact that in confusing and dark circumstances it is more useful and safer to violate duty. What was signed with a half-dead hand is presented as if written by a living and strong hand, and is approved by the Highest. In this case, to remain silent means in some way not to give evidence of the truth, and to speak would mean to give guilt to those seeking guilt - guilt to a grave accusation, which would put even stronger barriers against testifying to the truth. In this state of affairs, I am glad that my thoughts, although stolen from me, were included in the acts with my name, and consequently, what, to the best of my understanding, seemed true, is testified to. Others said, or kept silent about their opinion, or did not have the time to speak. It's not for me to judge them. The Lord, the Son Himself of truth, may He bring out His truth as light. What has been said now contains the answer to what you wrote for 14 days. Don’t be angry that I’m bothering you with confirmation of the lithographed translation. It's better that you answer me. Then it will be easy to tell the investigative commission about what has already been done. She will continue to pester you about what has not been done. Speaking of the investigative commission. Prepare a room for the Most Reverend Agapit, and the rector of the academy can prepare the room for the Don Archimandrite. Talk to him about this and arrange it. Regarding Martin, I did not give a very definite resolution because there is doubt in the petition. His wife wants to go to the hostel; but now there is no tonsure there. And the law orders both to be tonsured at the same time. Talk to him so that they choose a monastery in which she would at least be considered, with permission to live in a dormitory. During Passion, before confession, Svyatoslavsky wanted to cleanse his clerical sins as well. This is how the matter of the silent Peter came to me. Having looked at the case, I saw that it was impossible to write about it without demanding the necessary information from the Council. Moreover, I ask you to better advise me on what to do after some cases of my will being torn from the righteous bonds. Will the proposed release be beneficial for Peter and not a problem for us? About Hieromonk Macarius, if you wanted to write without benefit for him and to embarrass me, then it could not have been better done. You wrote not in the fall, when according to the law there are presentations, not in the winter, which, perhaps, you would have condescended to me, but after the consideration of the presentations was over, namely, on Lazarus Saturday, your letter was received, when there were no longer any Synodal meetings, and no one could be seen to talk about this. Moreover, the list of years of service that you prescribed is contradicted by the statement. What can I do here? About the Sarov abbot, I remember I wrote to you that the Right Reverend of Kiev wrote to the Right Reverend Tambov. The Right Reverend of Kyiv has been dismissed to his diocese and, perhaps, will visit the Lavra. For this purpose, prepare my cells and receive him as appropriate. Take the letter forwarded with this as a consideration that is useful for the monastery, without disclosing the good adviser, so that the selfish do not take the opportunity to be indignant at him. Peace be with you, oh. the governor, and the brethren. The Odigitrievskys want you to be their dean. I agree with this, but how are you? The Bishop of Kyiv will be with you for perhaps 10 days. When he goes to church, receive him with a ringing ring; and when leaving, send them off with a ringing sound. I don't have permission to return yet, but I hope to have it soon. Stefan Fedorovich Smirnov wrote to me about his affairs. What I could have done before, I did, and hope was given to me. I don’t know why it happened differently, but now I don’t see what I could have done. He writes among other things that he needs to ask the Minister of the Interior; Therefore, I could talk about him, but I don’t know when the request will come, and I don’t have long to be in St. Petersburg. If this happens to you, please pass this on. I remembered to tell you that Conversations on Orthodoxy have been corrected by me, and a corrected edition has been made, which I will present to you in Moscow, if you want. God's blessing to you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren. The lower tier of the bell tower was covered with iron in my presence, because the flanked roof got wet and the building was damaged. As for the fact that the roof is not well constructed, this is the business of the famous treasurer Arseny; I have neither knowledge nor time for matters of this kind. I don't know if resin will help. I see how it melts and flows near the refectory church. Read the attached letter. Do you know God's servant Irina? And do you know who wrote it? Their petition for the Zelenogorsk community was necessary, and it came when the matter was almost over, but when it was still possible to improve it. I spoke to you on the spot about the benefit to Krasnopevkov 8; and, I remember, it was supposed to be Easter time for this, by the way. If this is not done, give him 100 or 200 rubles from me. Ass. as you find consistent with the previous assumption and its need. I am still asking to go to Moscow, but I don’t have permission yet. Pray that the Lord will arrange the hedgehog for peace and good. Peace be with you, Father Viceroy, and the brethren. I thank you for the blessing from the holy monastery on my return to my own, which the Lord graciously granted and accomplished. These days, Praskovya Mikhailovna Tolstaya, daughter of the Prince of Smolensk, is traveling to St. Sergius. Receive her with attention and make sure that the room in our hotel is comfortable for her. The Lord's blessing to you, Father Viceroy, and brethren. His Eminence Joseph, Archbishop of Lithuania, is coming to you. Give him my cells as a place of rest, and in general receive him, as you did with the Reverend Vasily last year. He also wants to celebrate the liturgy: arrange this for him. He wished that someone from Moscow would accompany him: I appointed Archimandrite Znamensky to fulfill his wish, although there would be no need for this. Do not forget to bless the Right Reverend with an icon from the monastery and from the abbot. If there is a message from the Tambov Consistory regarding the Sarov case, submit it as soon as possible for resolution. “You are telling the truth that this is why the Reverend’s attitude towards me should have been; but he did not mention this in his letter to me during Easter, and when I mentioned in response to him that I wish him to approve the improvement of the important Sarov monastery by the good abbot, he continues to remain silent about this. This may be based on the new rules of the new generation of bishops. May they be good and for good. The investigators' long stay will likely make it difficult for you. It was necessary to guess in advance and give them a special room. Do you have rain and, if not, do you pray? – We pray, but after a little rain in the past few days, the dry season continues. Call to the venerable one, let him cry to the Lord for us. Preface and about. Rectors about the acceptance of His Eminence Joseph as His Eminence Vasily. Peace be with you, father governor, and brothers. Thank God that the dilapidations under the cathedral were noticed before they reached great danger. Try to fix them thoroughly and let air in for drying. I just can’t get around to finishing revising the description of the Lavra. And they say that Mr. Snigirev wants to publish his own. I think Gorsky is no longer free either. Apparently the matter will come to my arrival at the Lavra without ending. Let me talk about a stupid subject. They say that the Lavra treasurer has a good cook, but it is known that the Metropolitan, and a sick one at that, is very thin. Would you consider bringing justice to this? Think about the brethren of the St. Petersburg courtyard. The steward complains strongly about the candle-making monk as being disobedient and intemperate, and when I began to speak to the monk about this, I found him extremely irritated, and he put into my ears things about the steward that are difficult to bear, and which could be disastrous if he speaks after me, for they are eager for slander. S. also disagrees with the steward and persists against him: but he accepted my advice better than the candle maker. I need you to quickly tell me who to replace the candle maker with. May the Spirit of the Lord overshadow your celebration of the Most Holy Trinity. Pray for me too. May this holiday be joyful for you, Father Viceroy. We have done service in the world. Tomorrow I have the opportunity to serve for the consecration of the church. Seeing that this month I will not have time to finish reading the description of the Lavra, I am sending it to you. Will Mr. Gorsky find time to read it? Perhaps he will object to the changes I have made. More needs to be said about the coverings, but there seems to be nothing about the icons. Perhaps you too will read the sheets and make your comments. I am sending you, Father Viceroy, a draft charter for the Ufa Convent, compiled by the late Glinsky, Abbot Philaret. I've had it for a long time, but I don't have time to take care of it. It would be desirable for the abbess to have it approved, but others say: what is the charter for? I'll get around to watching it and tell me what you think. Our small affairs somehow go on wisely, just as they are not small. It would be possible to be healthier with the treasury cook, but he says that he is left with an unfinished house. And in Jewish law, those who built and did not renovate houses were given leave from a military campaign. That’s why I let the cook finish building the house. Is it possible to sell him the house and move to the yard? Remind me of this on the spot. I appointed 26 to be at the Academy, not realizing that it would be the tenth Friday. However, this is not an open trial. This will happen later. I'm surprised they didn't tell you properly. You don’t need to take care of me on day 26, but pray with those who come. If I happen to come to the all-night vigil on Thursday, or to the liturgy on Friday, this should not entertain you; you will be in the work of God. I cannot come before the all-night vigil on Thursday, or before the liturgy on Friday, but you should not change the times of service. Description of the Lavra improve with Mr. Gorsky, as you know; Then show me and indicate what has been changed or added. God bless your relocation to a charity home. You can give the outbuilding to the humble inhabitants. Is it too late to tell you what has come to my attention, that at the Stryapchesky farmstead, Bubnov mercilessly filled the cellar of some landowner, and the Lavra’s attorney did not act nobly? – You will talk about this with me on the spot. If it happens that I arrive during the service, but am not able to go to church, in this case I need to make sure that I do not wait at the locked door of the cell. Thank you, oh. Viceroy, for promoting peace and consolation during my stay in the Lavra. Thank me for the brethren for the consolation of seeing them in good order. I made the journey well, but, having arrived at work, and not soon feeling the need for rest, I allowed the cold of the road to get worse, and spent Sunday with difficulty, and now I am not freed from the consequences of the cold. I want to resume my previous treatment. Send me the track record of Abbot Michael, signed by the members of the cathedral. I expected your insistence about the treasurer. Let it complement the lack of my conviction. I wanted to ask about the economy, but I didn’t have time. I am returning the registry with an addition. Why won't you tell me anything about the Bethany Dam? – Ivan Akimovich thinks that it was not necessary to lock up the water, but to arrange a special tray for drainage. I don’t know this, but I doubt whether it is well understood that the work is neither earlier nor later, but in meadow time. The Reverend Anastasius asked me what was happening with the matter of appointing the treasurer to the Sarov rector and added that he was disposed to this and remains in difficulty. What a pity! Why should he settle for his dreams when there is no action? Why chew something you didn't put in your mouth? This was a new sign for me that things weren’t going to happen. Yesterday it turned out that this was true. Please read the attached letter and return it to me without sharing the letter or contents with anyone. The letter shows that even if Sergius was accepted, it would be against his will, and that confrontation was already prepared against him. What hope of benefit is there? I had Bubnov and talked about a new contract with him. I said that he could offer conditions, and we would consider it; but he doesn’t do this. It seems that he has an idea to extract a claim from the previous contract. It is therefore necessary to act cautiously. Has the rain stopped for you? – We didn’t have it yesterday, but now it’s clear and warm. Prince Alexander Nikolaevich Golitsyn has arrived. It's nice to see him in a peaceful state. I think he will be in the Lavra in August. I have just opened your letter, in which my concerns about the flesh were not resolved. Give o. Anastasia Sarovsky 100 rub. I agree for supervision, and I will agree to be treasurer for him if a position opens up. May he find peace among us, and may he serve the world. You see, the Tambovskys don’t value him much. The peace of the Lord be with you, oh. vicar, and may he abide with the brethren. Prince Alexander Nikolaevich wants to be in the Lavra. He intends to come on August 2, fast for three days and partake of the Holy Mysteries at the Transfiguration of the Lord. If he wishes to have you as his spiritual father, I hope you will not refuse. If you want a hieromonk, I think you can appoint Macarius. Let him stay in my cells. If necessary, to relieve him, arrange a service for him in a house church. It would be good if you got fish from Mahra for his table. It is necessary that he does not worry about the table; in addition, so that you know what kind of food preparation is best for him according to his health and custom. His sister Elisaveta Mikhailovna, who plans to be in the Lavra at the same time and will be visiting Countess Varvara Alexandrovna, can give you advice regarding his table. Contribute to the peaceful stay and communication with the shrine of these good souls, whose communication, I hope, will be pleasant to you. You will receive this, oh. viceroy, from a foreigner who enjoys the attention and patronage of our government. Receive him with attention and show him what is memorable in the Lavra, using someone from the Academy for conversation. If he wants to be at the Academy, tell Fr. rector to satisfy his curiosity. Grace and peace to you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren. Prince Alexander Nikolaevich thanks you, and I thank you for him. He loved you and says that you knew how to keep him busy and give him rest, so that everything was with pleasure and convenience. From what you write, I will tell him what is possible. The person treating him says in her dream that you tested her. I see this from the prince’s retelling. From your letter I see in part what you have provided. But, in my opinion, the question of the other person acting is especially important, whether her influence is quite peaceful and pure, and whether her strong desires do not disturb the light of contemplation? Have you noticed anything in this regard? I wanted to talk to the civil governor about the coin, but I was unable to. And yesterday I told Prince Dmitry Vladimirovich and today I give him a note about this. I don't know if it's too late; because it seems that the deadline has been approved by the Highest. As for you, you could see this early from the statements and take action. Countess Panina promised to give the peasant not a two-year, but a twice-annual passport. But after this was asked and promised, I hear that he wants a complete dismissal. I have done what you wrote. If you wanted me to make an announcement in the tender reports, you had to attach the announcement form and set the days so that the housekeeper and I would not do what you did not want. Send an ad. Isn’t it better to set the days for mid-September, when you return from the Makaryevskaya Fair? Taking up the correction of the Smolensk Church is a good deed. But I keep singing the same song, which would be better to say about this on the spot. The same goes for the sale of books in the Trinity northern vestibule. I admit, I don’t like this and I don’t advise starting this until we talk about it on the spot. What does it mean that Mr. Gorsky refuses to accept gratitude from the Lavra, when he would not refuse to accept an annual salary from the Academy as a reward? Is there a thought here that we don’t see? Imagine this; I'll approve. Let us do what is due and decent on our part. Don’t forget to treat Hierodeacon Joel with the red ribbon. There is no trouble here, but who knows for sure that such a substance, or such a quality, cannot produce such an effect? Natural scientists have found, for example, that rays of different colors: some enhance, while others kill plant life. Moreover, it seems that it is prescribed to combine the spiritual blessing of consecrated water with the prophetic. I would like to hear from you whether there is no doubt for you what the person who prescribed this said about the type of illness of the hierodeacon, and about the state of his body. Tell me when it would be possible for you to visit Moscow to examine and arrange for the better the quarters of the singers and ministers. Why don’t you return the Tambov letter to me? It seems you didn’t say anything about this. Please answer. Is there anything we can mutually send to Kiev? Through the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, on this day, may the blessing of peace be given to you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren. The Prince of Oldenburg celebrated with us in the Assumption Cathedral and at dinner at the Synodal House. Wants to be in the Lavra. The idea came to me to receive him there, but it would hardly be convenient for me to leave, due to the expectation from St. Petersburg that God would bless the Tsesarevna. Wouldn't he prevent you from going to Moscow? Apart from this obstacle, there seems to be no other obstacle for you to leave after the service on the day of the coronation. I will try to find out when he will go to the Lavra and precede you. I rejoice that you have many praying and partaking of the Holy Mysteries. I am very happy about the sacred gift of Princess Elisaveta Dmitrievna. Through the prayers of the saints who deigned to choose the communion of the Venerable Serpa, may the Lord increase the grace of the monastery, defeating our unworthiness. I will convey to Prince Alexander Nikolaevich what you instructed. He wants to show Brosset his eyes; but expresses confidence that he does not need the operation. The prince would like you to come. It seems that the desire of the person treating him is also involved in this. About this one I thought good things, but about the other I had doubts. It is true that in relations of this kind, according to the dispensation of God, sometimes acting through the dependent, a benefit is given that he did not have. It is also true that good is strength, and evil is weakness; but not without care, so that the passionate will does not confuse and eclipse the light. Let's pray to the Lord. You handled the matter of the lithographed translation carelessly. You report that no one has any in the Lavra; I report this to the S. Synod, but it turns out that Meletius had a copy. Why didn’t they say earlier that it was, and given away? The rector of the academy also wrote that the copy was received from an outsider. Is it possible to write like this in practice, and especially when it is already clear that they are looking for something? This means arousing suspicion, even if there is none. Curiosity alone will force you to find out what kind of person they didn’t want to name. I foresaw this when I wrote to the S. Synod, but I could not return a report that could have the appearance of indirect action. Now, according to the decree, they will have to ask again, more annoyingly than before. Take this as an explanation of what I will have to write to you for this. Tomorrow at 7 o'clock in the morning His Grace the Prince of Oldenburg travels to the Lavra. Accept it, oh. Governor, with love. He loves the Orthodox Church. You can present him with an icon of the Savior or the Holy Trinity as a blessing. For rest, you can offer him my rooms, unless it is located differently, for special reasons. God's peace to you and your brothers. Moscow. Aug. 28th. Friday. 1842. Preface the rectors of the academy and seminary. Thank you, oh. Viceroy, that you pray for the Tsar’s heart. May it be in the hand of God, may there be peace in it, and may the Lord speak good things about His church and His people. We met the Sovereign Emperor, it seems, safely. The rumor about my upcoming trip to St. Petersburg is not confirmed by any signs. My weakness is satisfied with this. Remind us to talk about the safety of the academic library on site. It's hard to help her. Thank God that the unrest in your cells did not extend far. From now on, when they make a stove in your cell, I think you should take a closer look to see if they are doing it safely. I am invited to the Berlyukova hermitage for the consecration of the church, and I decided not to refuse. A little more distance will be added when I am on the way to the Lavra. The boss and people of the Losinny plant, neighbors of the Berlyukovskaya hermitage, want me to perform the liturgy with them too. The 13th and 14th days of this month will be convenient for this. Then to you. Ask me for this blessing from the Reverend. The blessing of the Lord is upon you. Give the attached book to Mr. Gorsky to read, so that he can return it to me at the Lavra and tell me his opinion. Avramiy Palitsyn, of course, did not expect that Golokhvastov would have a descendant who would defend his ancestor, and against whom Avramiy would have to defend himself after his death. This will be given to you by Mikhailo Mikhailovich Astafiev. Please accept it with love and confidence. The Lord tangibly draws him to Himself, calling from him his wife and child in the next century, and thereby making earthly things uninteresting for him. Talk to him about the path to heaven, and say a word for his benefit. Today I heard extraordinary news. The author of Hermeneutics 9, about which you know something, is thinking of transferring this matter to the court of the Eastern patriarchs. If something has already been done that did not seem probable, the incredible may happen again. And really, our peaceful hierarchy should be involved in strife for no reason? Let us pray to the Lord for peace and the unification of God’s holy churches. Prince Alexander Nikolaevich intends to leave Moscow the day after tomorrow, Wednesday. It’s sad to see him off, with the never-ending need to look through someone else’s eyes. May God's blessing overshadow you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren. Thank you for contributing to the peace of my stay in the Lavra. And I thank the brethren for the good dispensation in which I saw them. I returned to Moscow safely. But on Sunday I had the imprudence to take the opportunity to look at the newly built palace, and I got a cold, and today I needed a doctor. In the sermon you want to print, you need to change one place. I am attaching a note about this. Then, as I write this, they bring me a manuscript approved by the censor. I don’t dare change it without the knowledge of the censor. I am sending the manuscript and a note; show it to the censors and take their decision. According to local requirements, it seems that a full plant needs to be printed. Your messengers are returning to you. What they did, they didn’t tell me anything about it, and they didn’t ask me about it. Therefore, I don’t know whether they did much or whether it was good. The condition with Bubnov required correction: because there was a lot of caution in it in favor of the owner, but little in favor of the Lavra. To review the correction, either he did not appear at the time appointed and accepted by him, or he appeared when I was not free. I showed him the revised draft through Anatoly. He wished to take it home for review. I agreed to this. Days pass; he is not. I'm sending for Anatoly in the morning. No home. Send me, I say, when he returns. A day passed and Anatoly did not show up. The next day I ask: why didn’t you show up that same day? He says he came home late. I send him to Bubnov for the paper. Bubnov is not at home. I'm sending you to get the paper again. I receive a paper and a promise that Bubnov will come on Saturday. Didn't come. Isn't this strange? If you don't like the project; let him come and say. Now I have ordered the revised draft to be rewritten and, if they have time, I will send it to you along with this. There are no significant changes in the correction, only more accuracy. For example, it was said: accept the house as it is. The expression is blind. We said: accept and hand over according to the inventory. The right to abandon the house in half the term, granted to the owner, and not granted to the monastery, obviously gives precedence to his benefit. But I don’t argue for this. At the very least, it was necessary to prevent that, having abandoned the larger house, he would not at the same time retain the smaller one, which would hinder the new return of the large house. It's done, and isn't that what he doesn't like? But if this is so, then it means that it was not possible to confuse others in order to fish in troubled waters. Is this conclusion fair? It is fair that the owner, not Bubnov, should expect an undermining from Bubnov; but we must beware of enslaving Bubnov. I also point out to S.L. the unsuccessful experience of Volkov and Chelyshev. But he keeps assuring that those who want to take it now are reliable people, that they will take the ticket, in any case, and that society will favor replacing Bubnov with another. Now they are proposing to conclude a contract, starting from the term of Bubnov’s contract, so that Bubnov’s contract ends without litigation. Tell me, what do you think about this? They agree to lose a year just to have the next one behind them. What if Bubnov gets involved in the construction, you say? Who's going to tie it up? He wrote that if he wants, he will do it, but if he doesn’t want to, he won’t. Such conditions are not often written. S. L. says that, due to Bubnov’s influence, some part of the house remained not given away for a significant amount. Explain this to me. He says that there was someone who wanted to take it and was not allowed by the Lavra, and not by extraneous circumstances. Wasn’t it Bubnov’s skill that the appointed auction did not take place? They say hunters came and were not allowed in. This was done, probably, out of confidence that the matter had been resolved with Bubnov. But the act of our trustees, if such, is both illegal and careless. Bubnov destroyed the bargaining, but did not conclude the terms. It seems that he is pursuing the goal of delaying the matter until his deadline, when it would be in his hands. What will happen next, I will try to say without delay. And don’t hesitate to tell me your thoughts based on this information. I am sending Princess Elisaveta Dmitrievna the book that was mentioned. I am sending you a piece of fabric for a cassock or half-caftan, as you find suitable, in memory of me. I forgot there was another matter. The Sretensky rector was promoted to archimandrite in Serpukhov. Will we not release the treasurer or sacristan to Sretensky, and will we take the Iosifovsky treasurer? Express your thoughts, taking into consideration the benefit of the service and the good of the people. Read the attached letter and tell me if it is possible to do what you ask. Here you go, oh. viceroy, addition. When the hieromonks began to say goodbye to me, they then announced to me that Bubnov did not agree to the proposed conditions. And they still haven't said it. Rest in peace, oh. governor, and in peace judge the matter before you. Bubnov is not. It’s not my job to look for him and persuade him, and I don’t know how to do this. Meanwhile, another tenant of the house, Morozov, for whose honesty and wealth Semyon Loginovich vouches, appears and offers to take those parts of the farmstead that are being discussed with Bubnov for twelve years for 7,000 rubles. silver, that is, 24,500 banknotes, with the understanding that if it is possible to accept the building from the next new year, then good, but if it is not possible, then I agree to accept it from the new year of 1844 for eleven years at the same price. Here is attached the condition he proposed, in which, I don’t know why, Bubnov’s name is put in and the price is not included, and the concession of one year out of twelve, which is stated in words. But in the condition, some articles are weakened. Think about this, strengthen the weakened articles, add what is needed, and formulate a definitive draft of the condition; if the business seems profitable to you. And if it doesn’t seem feasible, show me the reasons and present an image of further action regarding Bubnov. Now, it seems, we can tell the civilian authorities about Bubnov. 1) that the Council concluded a contract with Chelyshev, but it was destroyed; 2) that the Council granted Chelyshev the right to transfer with responsibility before the Council Chelyshev, but this was destroyed with the destruction of the contract; 3) that the Deanery Administration granted Bubnov the opportunity to conclude a contract with the cathedral, but he has not concluded one for so long; 4) that in this way the property of the Lavra remains in the hands of a person who is a stranger to the Lavra; and therefore demand that he hand over the house to the cathedral. However, I also think that in matters of this kind, judging by the hands in which they are, it is difficult to accurately calculate what can happen. Be that as it may, someone now needs to be here from the cathedral. But to whom? - Those who were before this, it seems, did nothing more than prove their inability. If it seems to you that you need to be in Moscow for this matter, I am not against it. They ask me for an answer to Morozov on Friday morning, and I promised this. Help me fulfill my promise. One of the reasons to prefer Bubnov to another is that, they say, he lives in bad manners, and gives a home or shelter to the participants in his bad behavior in the courtyard. If you want to send someone here for this matter, send it by Friday, and not the treasurer, not the sacristan, and not Anatoly. I knew about Habakkuk’s adventure before your letter. They say here that he lent money to the brethren. Why entrust a lot of money to someone who has recently arrived and, therefore, is little known, and is an old man who is being shortchanged? Why not give him an assistant? One would have the key and the other the seal. One would count, and the other would watch with an eye of caution. Why wouldn’t the treasurer take the rector’s money, as soon as approval of the schedule was received, which he, as the cathedral, knew before Habakkuk? The treasurer is lazy and inactive. Why doesn't the local novice get his share from the mug? Missing or not assigned to him? If it's the latter, then it's unfair. He has no other benefit. Your letter, oh. the governor, from 21 days, did not console me; and was comforted by what was received after, written on the 19th day. I am not surprised that you are burdened by the matter of renting out a house. But, when you transfer this matter into my hands: do you think that it is more convenient and decent for me to deal with it? “I think that I acted more correctly by turning the matter with Bubnov into your hands, and, moreover, saying what was due on my part.” Meanwhile, the note corrected by you was rewritten and handed over to other hirers so that, if they wish, they would go to the Lavra for a final agreement with the established council. The resolution given on the condition with Bubnov does not constrain the council if another hirer turns out to be more trustworthy. Perhaps Bubnov is hesitating due to the anticipation of strong opposition from many significant persons, which can become especially strong if Semyon Loginovich is elected to the city mayor, which is very likely. However, I am telling you this not to insist in favor of the new hirer, but for consideration. I have not seen him, and I wish nothing but benefit and peace for the Lavra. In case the condition with Bubnov should come into play in order to take away from him an excuse to complain about the changes in him, I limited them so that it seems there will be no solid basis for complaining. You write about Golovina’s request; but you don’t return the letter: it is needed for an answer. I’m not at all convinced of P.’s determination as rector. A widow's son does not have the right to abbot. If he took extra things from the sacristy into his pocket, he wouldn’t drag them from the monastery to his son. - If you don’t give me another thought, more convincing, I’ll look around here, and, it seems, I see a person, but not Abbot Michael, over whom I fulfilled my duty to the memory of His Eminence Kirill, and for whom I don’t think of acting contrary to the S. Synod, which did not elect him according to my proposal. What does it mean that you wish me well on my journey? “Nothing threatens my path, except for some rumors, which I do not consider to be foundational.” The Bethany news about those seeking the help of Lord Plato is very comforting 10. Thank you for your message. One could talk about the expenses of the farmstead without reservation. I have taken from Chudov and Pererva before, alternately with Lavra, but without defining for what exactly; because expenses are not shared at the farmstead. Write to me how to fulfill your thought without difficulty. This was written on October 25 and is not finished, but on October 26 it was found necessary to write especially. Note: The letter does not indicate the year in which it was written, but obviously belongs to the letters of 1842. The Morozovs came to me and told me how they visited you. By the way, they retold the remarkable words of the treasurer Sergius, spoken in response to their words, about raising the price: “Bubnov will give this too." Why does the treasurer know Bubnov’s thoughts? Why does he prefer Bubnov if he gives the same as others? If the treasurer knows that Bubnov can give more than what he offered: why didn’t he say this earlier, but began to speak in moments of fear that the matter might leave Bubnov’s hands? What Is this for exceptional zeal for Bubnov’s benefits? It seems this leads to carefully listening to the advice of the treasurer. Now the Morozovs offer: 25,000 rubles for 11 years. The connection of two buildings is not accepted arbitrarily, like Bubnov, but as a decisive duty. The cellar, which remains empty, was accepted earlier, from the beginning of next year. But I forgot to ask about this article whether they will charge anything for this this year, or if they want this for raising the price. Bubnov did not come to me; apparently, also to you. By all appearances, the new hirers are good people. In my opinion, now everything is moving towards reaching an agreement with them. They say that you also asked them for the price they are now setting, but they did not say their decision, perhaps fearing a new objection in the name of Bubnov. If you do not find important reasons to think otherwise, then accept their petition addressed to the council, with the draft conditions for their signature, and submit it for approval. How strange, oh. Governor, the matter of the courtyard is underway! New hirers, fearful of your patronage provided to Bubnov, are running to me, and you are coming to me, chasing them. You agree to give them the house without the increase in price that you demanded from them, and they offer me the increase in price that they were afraid to announce to you. This can only be explained by their strong conviction of partiality towards Bubnov. What does it mean that the draft terms with Bubnov were signed by him, but the new draft was not signed by the new hirer? Is this official? Isn't this a sign that the hirer is running, and then you decided to chase him? Now it's hard for me to guess what to do. Should you wait to see what you do to the hirer who came to you yesterday? Or give a solution so that you don't wait for me? “I decide to give a solution, hoping that it will not harm what you may do.” The treasurer first told me that he was not particularly in favor of Bubnov; but then he said that the matter, as he said, would be better in his hands. Based on a story that accidentally came to me just now, and not before, I asked the treasurer: is it true that he played checkers with Bubnov and won. He replied that it seemed he had never played. They told me that he won 1,500 rubles. It is noteworthy that this story did not reach me before from people who willingly spoke against the treasurer, but now came through a different route. And I don’t want to believe it and it seems unlikely to me; but even then it is not clear why such stories could have arisen if the treasurer had not allowed himself to act in which there was a lack of prudence and caution, and which gave rise to stories that were reinterpreted or exaggerated. It is necessary that you advise the treasurer to look around and be aware of his actions. If you need forgiveness for what you wrote for 21 days, have forgiveness. And forgive me for writing yesterday and now about the treasurer. I think that Paisius should be taken to the Lavra. he will talk about matters more firmly than the treasurer. But what to do with Parthenium? Now, it seems to me, he acts more humbly and better. In response to your concern about whether the Morozovs will be available for the job, I present to you another concern: if Bubnov does not sign the contract before the distribution of tickets, which will follow this week or next (and it is already clear that he intends to delay time without signing), and if he takes the ticket, and if then he tells us: I cannot give what I promised, but I can only give two-thirds, or half of what I promised, what will you say then? You will be in his hands. But if the Morozovs sign the contract, you will have solid support. I will argue with the Seminary about proofreading, because I don’t expect much from a hired proofreader. Why don't printed sermons deliver to me? Will they really send it from Moscow to the Lavra, so that from the Lavra they can send it to me in Moscow? Or do you think that it will improve from the road, like porter from being transported by sea? Today they told me about asphalt, what you need to know: on the sidewalks lined with it, it is cracked. Consequently, the same should be expected at the bell tower. The commission of the Church of the Savior wanted to cover something with asphalt; the architect Ton did not recognize this as reliable, but suggested another means. What is done with the lack of a cup amount? Take care of the satisfaction of the brethren, before replenishing what is lacking for my share. I invoke God's peace and blessing upon you. I don't have any conditions. I didn’t want to give what you corrected into the wrong hands, and therefore, having rewritten it, I destroyed it; I gave the rewritten copy to Morozov; what was presented from the cathedral was returned through the treasurer. Meanwhile, it occurred to me: does it contain an article about bail? “I don’t remember this, but it needs to happen.” In order not to further confuse matters that have been confused for so long, I approved the report and am returning it to you. Make sure you don't miss anything necessary in the condition. In order to know what to do with Bubnov, it is necessary to take a more precise look at the circumstances of the case. For this it is necessary that you send the case to me. But if you want to send someone here, it is better to be the Bethanian treasurer than the Lavra one, against whom there is prejudice, and whose actions are therefore more likely to be subject to a bad interpretation and cause confusion. I am sending you, oh. Viceroy, several copies of the sermon on the birthday of the Sovereign Emperor, for distribution to those reading. And I need several copies of the sermon for the consecration of the church of St. Micah. The ones left with me have been dismantled. I am sending a picture of the Nikolskaya Tower in 1812. It would be a good idea to put it somewhere in a frame for memory. With St. Nikon, prayer and celebration are yours, Fr. Governor, and brethren, may it be pleasing to the Lord. I cannot reconcile myself with the idea of ​​​​giving an almshouse to a tavern, in view of the Lavra, near the Lavra hotel, near the charity house. Although before he was a little further, however, further and not in our buildings. When indecency is noticed in the shops of the townspeople against the Lavra, we can speak against this with force until they can object to us that we have a tavern in the same line. What if tavern music or noise reaches the pilgrims staying at our hotel. Will there be some grumbling? Will the hotel lose its dignity? I don’t like the idea of ​​a tavern so much that it seems better to leave the house empty until something is thought of about it, rather than receive income ready without costs. Argue with me about this if you think that the council argues better than me. To this day I cannot bring myself to agree with the council. Bubnov continues to act according to the system of delaying the case and obfuscation. They even say that he wants to rent another house next door to ours and move the establishment into it. I received the note and draft petition on this matter, but have not yet had time to read it. The cold, often getting worse, and to some extent almost continuous, interferes with my activities, which is why I write little to you, for which I apologize. Rest in peace, oh. Viceroy, in the Lord, you and the brethren. I give instructions to the consistory regarding the division of the household into farmsteads; but the parts are mixed up and there will still be questions. I submit to you regarding the return of the former almshouse, although not willingly. Another thought came to mind: is there a legal distance? I hasten to inquire about this. The matter with Bubnov is not carefree. I sent the Bethan steward to him to show him why he was not doing what the government had given him? “He is clearly dragging his feet, but when it comes to it, he, of course, will not declare himself guilty, but will look for her with silver proof. You offer me good tasks, but I don’t have time to complete the tasks that are already in my hands. I wish you to take the time for the best. But here's a new concern. They hired a vicar from me in Kostroma 11. Who will they give? Will he be knowledgeable in business, or willing to learn? From the news of St. Petersburg, my weakness takes advantage of one. His Eminence Benedict, the new Archbishop of Olonets, was appointed to be present at the S. Synod. Consequently, the Synod is very full. It was written here, it seems, on Sunday, but it was not possible to send it. There is no doubt about the distance from the Lavra of the house given away. Now, upon receipt of your letter, I am interrogating Svyatoslavsky: has permission been sent to give up the house? He says: sent with the Bethany treasurer. I don’t like that you borrow flour. It is better to avoid this in both small and large farms. I told Prince Dmitry Vladimirovich about Peter and the attitude is being rewritten. The Lord's blessing and peace, and whatever you require, forgiveness to you, Fr. may the governor and the brethren present themselves with the hope and joy of salvation. I hope that you also grant me forgiveness, which, in this hope, I did not ask for last week. The Right Reverend of Perm writes to me to help Archpriest Peter Ponomarev, sent from him, to become familiar with the local shrine and antiquities. This archpriest will give this to you. Receive him brotherly and reassure him, and show him what requires attention, and tell him what requires knowledge. Thank you, oh. vicar, and the brethren of the holy monastery for the memory and prayer and blessing on the day of my angel to my humility. May the Lord measure your love with His consolation. I spent November 30 and December 1 in the Ugreshsky and Perervinsky monasteries, with greater silence and freedom for work and peace than usual in Moscow. Kissing peace to the soul of brother Joel who introduced himself. I am consoled by the legend about him 12. I noticed that when I serve, during the proskomedia, it automatically comes to my mind, whereas there are other memories, and you don’t always find it in time. Tell the righteous, etc. This does not apply to me. I thank you for your sincere word, as someone who needs admonition. God's blessing to you, Fr. governor, and peace. My soul overwhelmed by the world thanks you for thoughts of solitude. Illness taught me this two weeks of solitude, but I didn’t have much time. People and things came irresistibly to the bedside. Last Sunday I could not complete the task that I intend to do next - to bring into the Floro-Lavra Church the cross that was sent by the Tsarevich and the Empress Tsesarevna, entrusting to the prayers of the Holy Martyrs their firstborn daughter on the day of their birth. Pray for these souls. Then the ordination of a vicar awaits me, thanks be to God, not a stranger, Joseph of the Icon 13. I am sending you a notebook that belongs and should be given to Maria Shagarova. These are the adventures of her daughter. Maybe you will read it. M. Sh. really wanted to move to Borodino. I don’t think we should agree to this. Tell me what you think? What's the problem that she has all these misunderstandings in Khotkovo? Among other things, there was a dispute with the treasurer over some kind of shield, with which Sh. blocked herself from looking absent-minded, but blocked the sun and light from the treasurer’s yard. I told Maria that, in my opinion, it would be good for her to come to the treasurer and say: peace is the best shield, or you bear the shield, and we will be in peace. Maria did not confirm this. Can you help put an end to these misunderstandings? Maria still wants to have a church in her home. And it seems to me, besides the fact that this is outside the custom, through this another monastery would have been created in the monastery, and more divisions could have occurred. Why won’t you tell me anything about your correspondence with the seer of riddles? They showed me one with your answer, as they say, and with another answer from the questioner. Something seems unclear to me. Do you know that you are predicted to arrive in Moscow soon to see me off on my journey? I admit that in this case I am not particularly a believer. Meanwhile, I believe in the medicine previously prescribed to me from continued experience. During these two weeks, my teeth, throat, and lower back ached, and I did not need any internal medicine other than this. II Allady, having ceased to belong to the Lavra, of course, will not have a cathedral Lavra. But he still doesn’t want to leave us without care. I'll tell you about this later. About F. the matter is finally decided. Meanwhile, he entered the consistory with a new petition, in which it is not easy for you and me. I received this matter at the end of September at the Lavra, but I didn’t want to occupy you with it. It seems that F.'s seizures of this kind periodically come in the fall. In the summer he was peaceful. After yesterday's letter I wanted to write more to you, Fr. governor, but I don’t have time. Hello and many years of joy and blessing of the Lord, who was born for us in the flesh. On the next day of the holiday, distribute 200 rubles from me to the ministers. ass., for the poor 100 rubles, for the poor 50 rubles; As you know, use 50 rubles for school students. Thank you, oh. Viceroy, for sharing with me the joy of the birth of our Savior. May He give His peace to you and your brethren, and from you may His glory arise early, as the righteous David stirs up. You wanted to write me an encouragement to speak, but you wrote a reprimand for not having my word on the holiday. I accept and condemn myself, but I could not avoid it. For about three weeks the cold has been preventing me from doing everything. Meanwhile, on the Sunday preceding the holiday, I had the need to speak in the Church of Florus and Laurus, to which the Sovereign Heir donated an altar cross. But on holiday, the rector of the academy spoke well and listened well. Look at what K.D.V. writes about Peter, according to the reasoning of the civil governor. They want to get him fired and, consequently, leave him with us. What do you think about this? Should we say that this is inconsistent with the circumstances for us? Thank me for the letters oo. Archimandrites Theophilos, Paisius and Ivan Mikhailovich. For the new summer, a new blessing from God to you, Fr. Viceroy, I prayerfully call on the brethren, asking for your prayers, so that I may receive renewal of life. I’m returning the laurel drawing. The overall appearance is good, but some details are unsatisfactory, perhaps due to the small size. The bell towers in the drawing are heavier than in reality; The Kalichya Tower is such that you won’t suddenly recognize it. The competition with Bubnov wants to be difficult. He locked the house and is not found. The police say that she was only ordered to oblige the house to be surrendered by signature, and not to demand surrender. Meanwhile, the ceiling in one room collapsed. Tomorrow the housekeeper will go to the chief police chief. This letter will be delivered to you by Vera Alekseevna Muravyova, known to Prince Alexander Nikolaevich, and in her sorrowful life received Christian reinforcement and consolation from him. Talk to her about spiritual benefits and consolation and help her stay in the monastery to gain her the blessing of St. Sergius. On your journey, oh. Governor, in Pesnosh and Odigitrievo I agree. And visit me, because the path to the Lavra does not lie for me. The new Vicar must be personally introduced to matters with which he is unfamiliar, and this has not yet begun, because he is ill. When you visit me, don't forget to talk about the proposed renovations in the house. The economy threatens that residents will need to rent an apartment for three months. Tell the treasurer to diligently keep order in your absence. Don’t forget to talk to me about icon painting. Thank you, oh. Viceroy, for the calling of the Divine peace to my soul, which I also prayerfully invoke for your soul. If you think that any external circumstances are hindering my peace, know that by the goodness of God - no. For the reminder of the memory of the introduced Bishop 14, I thank you, as I often need this due to the poverty of my memory, but this time I forgot no more than you. You didn’t ask about the commemoration in the Lavra and I didn’t say. And I proposed a consistory on Saturday and in Moscow on Sunday, most of the churches celebrated a memorial service, hastening not according to the rules, but not inappropriately, multiplying the prayer on the day of burial. I don’t think of distributing the icon of the Mother of God of Paris, since I don’t think that this image was among those known to us since ancient times. It seems to be taken from a famous medal, about which there are remarkable legends, but which, as far as I know, the government did not allow to be brought into Russia. Someone said in a dream about this image, which, it seems, would be suitable in reality. The Mother of God is everywhere the same Mother of God, but what is given to us must be used preferentially over what is not given to us. Therefore, it is not superfluous to discuss whether this icon should be with Harlampy. Seers may come up with questions that are not quite easy to resolve. Thank you for delivering the icons. Read the attached letter from Maria Shagarova. She is jealous of the order of the Divine Service in Khotkovo. To this I told her that if I had tried more carefully to maintain peace, then the abbess herself would probably have decided to entrust her with supervising the readers. I wanted this to be done freely, more by zeal than by power, more in spirit than in form. But now she wants the name of the dean and orders from me. Was this title in Khotkovo? Does he go to the monastic not yet in full form? Will not the name confuse others more than the deed? Shouldn’t the thought of precaution be recognized as not superfluous, so that the thought of covetousness does not grow out of the name? Think about this and try, I tell you, as the dean of a monastery, if possible, to do what is good and useful simply, and not elegantly. Give Mary a blessing and say that if the doctor advises using air, I do not advise you to do this with reason. Because of the cough, which also made my chest hurt, I am sitting in my cell and do not expect to leave soon, having hoped for this before. That’s why I haven’t seen the civil governor, but in order not to miss time, I’ll write to him about Bibikov today or tomorrow morning. The time of fasting is near. I ask forgiveness from you and from all of you, calling upon both you and all of you forgiveness by the grace of Christ. I return it to you, oh. governor, document from Mr. Bibikov. When my letter about him arrived to the civil governor: Shashilov, the most worthy, at the discretion of the governor of the province, from the police officers of the entire province, had already been transferred to the police officer in the posad. Now Ivan Grigorievich proposes that Mr. Bibikov, according to the accepted rule, enter, if he wishes, into the service in the office of the civil governor, for two or three months, during which he will be used for experience in some assignments, and after that he can be assigned or, as is still assumed, to a posad, or to a similar place. I am telling you what was reported to me. Whether it will be acceptable, I don’t know. It was not in my power to do better. The illness does not want to get rid of me and, apparently, the feast of St. Alexis will force us to celebrate it in the cell, and not in the church. I read your letter about I.’s comments, Fr. Governor, I won’t read the file. Did F. help write the comments or not; the remark about the salary could not have been born in a very guilty way, if in the case about the old silver it was not mentioned. Yes, and the remark about the price of carpentry work on the iconostasis could come to mind, in comparison with the iconostasis of the chapel, if it has carvings that raise the price of the work. But if doubts came at the right time, then P. is to blame for not presenting them openly at the same time when it was convenient to explain the matter. The bad thing is that, having walked far away, he throws a stone around the corner. Your letter seems to be a little angry. It's not necessary. In the age of denunciations and snitches, one must pay attention to denunciations as a precaution. For this reason, I only drew your attention to the two above-mentioned articles. It was necessary to speak about them simply and not to collect weapons to repel a weak attack. Thank you for reporting the rumor that dissatisfied people are gathering around me. And it is better to eliminate false suspicions, if possible. I hope no one heard words of displeasure from me, because my thoughts, by the goodness of God, are not like that. But they will also say things that are not true, and they will believe the fairy tale based on the people introduced into the fairy tale. I was concerned before, and now even more so, that A.I. Turgenev 15 came to me, whom I began to receive, in respect of his commitment to K.A.N. and the goodwill of Prince Alexander Nikolaevich towards him, and he introduced me to two people he knew, inquisitive people. I had them once, or one twice. They have a wisdom that is not political, but scientific: who knows if they believe in them that I do not notice and do not know? “It’s good that my illness helps me spend time as a recluse almost before Lent; then, I hope the post will help. Another threat to my journey to you is the rumor that the Metropolitan of Novgorod 16 will travel through Kyiv and Moscow. It will be necessary to meet him in Moscow. Do you hear that the Right Reverend Anastasius wants to ask for the management of the Siysk Monastery? - If he doesn’t tell you, then don’t make it public either. May the Lord save us from the similarity of this winter with the winter of the plague year. It seems that it has been proven that the disease was introduced. The weather may have been favorable for development. – Isn’t there a closer fear of harm from spring frosts, because in the southern region, to say, spring vegetation has already opened. Thank God that Fr. Theophilus arranged himself for peace. Anastasy, apparently, wants to seek happiness in Sarov. God bless you if you find more peace for yourself than we have. But shouldn’t we offer him an invitation from the Right Reverend of Polotsk to the monasteries there, for a new higher salary? Depending on his ability, he can take up a significant position there. I also need to offer it to Vladimir, who expressed to me in writing his desire to have a top position. I will take counsel before the immigrants that I have kept their petitions for a long time without action. Part of the slowness, as often happens, is from my secretary, to whom one of the two cases was transferred with a resolution, and after waiting with effort found. Now they wouldn't hesitate. The path to you still does not lie with me. The project for the restoration of the Annunciation Church in Chudov has been in preparation since the fall, and is not yet ready to be sent to St. Petersburg. Tell me what are the qualities of Hieromonk Seraphim in Mahra. He wants to go to the Perervinsky monastery, and there they need someone capable of being a sacristan and confessor. I thought that you and I had decided the matter of taking Paisius to the Lavra. But how to do this when Venamin is the steward of the laurel? It seems impossible to fire him without insulting him. We need an answer to this objection. May you have a holy fast, oh. the governor, and the brethren are favored for the purification and sanctification of souls. May he not be fruitless for me, for this I ask your prayers. The spiritual world does not easily fit into the ordinary shell of our earthly concepts. Therefore, the word of Joel, if he really speaks, and if he hears it correctly, he will understand better who has raised his ascents higher from the earth in his heart 17. After the service by candlelight, the service with icons, there seems to be some ascent, but what do these local images mean? Is it that the soul first illuminated the light for itself, and then with it gained the opportunity to contemplate heavenly images? It is also noteworthy that the hierodeacon was first seen serving the Divine Liturgy, but then appears wanting to see the Lord’s Supper - just to see. But instead of testing, let us pray that we may be worthy to partake of Him in the eternal days of His kingdom. Comforting and beautiful is the unity and union of the church in heaven and on earth. I don’t know how to talk not only about the bright heavenly things, but also about the dark things that you ask about; I’ll say something, and you reason. There is no doubt that the degrees of the spirits of darkness are different. It is noticeable that among them there are lower clans, similar to those among people who are meaningless and wild, or like the cattle of the spiritual world. When they come into contact with this world, they do childish and stupid things; but it can hardly be said that they will not do any harm. It is already harmful that they disturb the inhabitant of an alien region. But what is more dangerous is that they can be tools of the most cunning and evil. Those who tried to make S. Macarius laugh were mistaken in presenting their stupid spectacle to such a one, and gave us an example of defeating them with contempt. But what harm such a ghost could do to another is difficult to determine. Therefore, the tempted one should not be told that they cannot do harm at all, but that God will not allow, and the Guardian Angel will not allow, harm to the believer who calls on the name of God and defends himself with the cross. For encouragement, we can add that from the signs of actions, God’s care is already visible in the fact that it was not allowed to attack strong enemies, but to arouse attention and caution to insignificant ones. To the advice, not to heed the actions of the evil ones, but to strengthen the mind in the presence of God and in prayer, shouldn’t we add advice, carefully examine ourselves, whether a person is voluntarily holding back any passionate thoughts, or something dark in his conscience that opens the way and access to the inhabitants of darkness, and carefully preserve and restore peace of conscience? Is it still necessary to advise that a person generally maintain calm firmness in his actions and beware of any excitement and irritation? For excitement and irritation of the nerve enhances the ability to receive impressions of the dark invisible. That the souls of the dead under the curse and some others sometimes attack the living and produce a kind of demonic possession; the example you have encountered is not the only one of this. I know of three with signs of authenticity. One woman was troubled by such a spirit and named her mother, from whom he apparently took his life, and the village where she lived. The priest, to whom it was revealed, helped the suffering woman with peace of conscience and the sacraments, and then visited the mother, and what was said was confirmed. By the power of Your Cross, save us, Lord. And the mental image of the Cross is a weapon against attack. I rejoice, oh. Viceroy, to you and the brethren about union with the Lord in the sacrament of His body and blood. And He made us worthy to partake of His table, numbering one hundred or more, in my home church. This will be delivered to you by the Guard officer Shalashnikov, who is going to serve in Guia, and who wants to admonish himself with communion of the Holy Mysteries. I gave him the idea to fulfill this at St. Sergius’s in the Lavra and he accepted it. Give him a quiet room in a hotel, or at my cells, where Andrei Nikolaevich stayed, and help him spend time with the edification of his soul, and guide him in choosing a spiritual father. Dress Martin in a ryassophore, God bless him. Forgive me for the delay in this permission, which occurred because the permission for this, when reading your letter, did not come to mind after writing the answer. May the mercy of the Lord protect you, oh. the governor, and the brethren, and the monastery in peace and in good things. You are offering me a good task and I thank you for encouraging me, but I don’t know if I can fulfill what is required. Given my constant weakness, from performing ordinary, inevitable tasks, I don’t see the rest of the time. I would like to do something that is not as fruitless as what I am doing, but even if I want to, I do not achieve good deeds. I know that if the desire were firmer and truer, it would not have happened. It's not about God's help. Pray that I will get rid of laziness and vanity. I usually read the Great Canon in church, as well as the Gospel during Holy Week. But in recent years there has been a lack of strength. I left him to do the work for which the sacristan came, but he should not have left without prior permission, when there was no urgent need to deviate from this order, at least for cathedrals. The image of the chalice of St. Sergius is done quite well. I'm returning it. Did you have a guards officer Shalashnikov? I sent you a letter with him, written on Tuesday of last week. I neither see him nor hear from you about him. If this letter has not reached you, then I must tell you that I remember in it I wrote to you about my consent to invest Martin in the ryasophore. May the Lord establish him on the path of peace and salvation. Peace be with you, oh. the governor, and the brethren, and the servant of God Anton. May the Lord help him to keep the gift sent down in his faithful heart, despite the visible but invisible. Thank you for the edifying story 18. I would not like to respond to you with spiritual things with worldly things and with comforting things with unpleasant things. But if I put it off, I’ll forget, but I shouldn’t keep silent. Just the other day I was told that the D. family, mother and daughters, have been living in our hotel all winter, that they play music, that they gave a musical evening and dinner to the monks, and they themselves tell this when they came to Moscow for a while. Today other people told me that the father of this family also lives there; but with this new information there is nothing connected that would improve the previous one. They also told me that unfavorable opinions about the behavior of some of the brethren go far, and that you from St. Petersburg were advised to pay attention to this. This applies especially to someone who came from the same region as you. Look around carefully to see if there is any basis for these rumors. Just as a bad age more readily believes evil than good, temptation comes rather for edification and one must beware not only of evil, but also of negligence, perhaps a little guilty, however, feeding the temptation. Forgive me for disturbing you, and give me a way to reliably know the truth for general peace. Alexandra Vasilievna, the wife of the civil governor, asked me to thank you for your edification. From the Polotsk case you can guess how low, due to our sins, the government’s opinion of our monasticism. When some monasteries want to cleanse and throw dirt at us, it is clear that they do not find in us such cleanliness that would deserve to be protected from dirt. When the disposition towards a bad opinion is ready, every case, in any way unseemly, strengthens the bad opinion. Under such circumstances, no amount of caution will suffice, but vigilant caution is nonetheless necessary. Such caution is not evident in the fact that during Cheese Week a large number of monks came to sing the all-night vigil, at least to a sick person, but to a fashionable family, and then to drink tea, and to sing the verses of the all-night vigil at tea, who were too lazy to sing during the all-night vigil. At the all-night vigil they would sing for God, and at tea, I’m afraid they might not be singing the Lord’s song in a foreign land for fun. Forgive me if, out of my absent-mindedness, I judge others in this way. But be that as it may, a reason has been given to compose an unpleasant tale. I didn’t hear anything from Mr. Kupreyanova, but I heard the fairy tale in completely different ways, and moreover, in more than one way. I was told that the St. Petersburg news was brought to you by Prince A. B. Golitsyn. Having spoken about Savvaty, you reminded me that those who told me said: “It seems, Zosima." It is noticeable that the speech concerned Savvaty, but there was a change of names, which often appear together. My thought fell on F. May God grant that only good things will be true, and meanwhile it is not bad to look around. Why are you holding on to Evgeniy so tightly? - He himself is the reason that he was sent to Belopesotsky; you take him, but there is no deacon there, and they introduce me to this monk, who before this was deprived of his commissary. Tell me, is it necessary to assign Eugene to Bethany and why? I thank Gerasim Antonovich for his love. I am ashamed that he consoles me, but I do not know how to console him as a priest to the cemetery church. May the Day of the Second Holy Virgin be spiritually bright and quiet for you, for which you also beg Her for me. The Assumption Cathedral should have been opened from the beginning of March on clear days: then the air would have softened even in the cold. About Evgeniy, I listened to you. And think about N., would you be pleased if he were transferred to you, and not with a remark that could humble him, but under the name of a serviceable person, and as if in vain he was upset by the transfer? Is it humane and in relation to the boss to force him to beat those who have not been convicted and thereby be the subject of justified murmurs and complaints? Like any neighbor, you must love the Belopesotsky builder as you love yourself. And I saw him cry from his subordinates. Don’t be angry and judge whether I’m telling the truth. God's peace to Marfa Gerasimovna! It may very well be that self-mortification and purification formed for her an organ of vision better than artificial instruments of far vision. Read it, oh. Governor, forwarded letter from the janitor and do not hesitate to tell me your opinion. I don’t want to believe it, but I’m not quite convinced that this is slander. The janitor says what the candle maker says, and that they said it before, not in St. Petersburg. Even if it is slander or exaggeration, but if the janitor decides to contact someone in St. Petersburg, those looking for guilt may not use it to their advantage. It seems that it would not be excessive to be careful to change the economy, or both. Through the holy seal and heartfelt communion of the passion of the Lord, in the holy joy of the Resurrection of Christ, I wish you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren. For the sake of the holiday, take 250 rubles from me. Ass. for ministers, 100 rubles. for almshouses, 50 rubles. for students, 50 rub. for the strange table and 50 rubles. give to the poor. I have a fair amount of lithography experience. But what do you make of such works? Thank God that the work of covering the towers is going well, and that the Reverend sent this thought, to avert trouble and, perhaps, disaster. What I prescribed to the St. Petersburg steward on his report on the welfare of the estate will apply to you. What else should you write to him, I leave it to your judgment. The point is not to protect your pride from being hurt by the unpleasant judgments of others. Caution is needed because the sins of our brethren, when made public, strengthen the unfavorable opinion of the authorities, and the world of rank and service largely depends on this. You should have listened to what a Frenchman, who was at your Lavra on the Tenth Friday, wrote about our clergy and monasticism. There is too much wealth in the churches, he says. The white clergy are uneducated and disreputable. The Lavra monks are full; novices tidy up their hair beautifully. There is little reverent attention in singing. – The government is tempted to see this read in Europe and may wonder if this is not true. For me, one remark of the Frenchman seems worthy of attention: the lack of reverent attention in singing. This sin hardly ever happens, especially on holidays, when, while trying to sing well, one’s external attention harms one’s internal one. It is necessary to tell those who sing that skillful singing is pleasing to people for a short time, but reverent singing is pleasing to God and to people and is useful, introducing into them the spirit with which it breathes. Note: A letter without indicating the year, month or day when it was written; relies here in connection with letter 369. Truly Christ is risen! With this Savior name and gospel, I reciprocally give it to you, Fr. Viceroy, kissing joy, peace and love, and so do the brethren of the Holy Monastery, from the oldest to the youngest. Let us all, by the grace of a child of the Heavenly Father, embrace each other with childlike simplicity, like Jewish children, crying out to the Risen Lord: O Lord, save, O Lord, hasten each and every one to be pleasing to You and to salvation. O. Archimandrite Paisius, express my sincere gratitude for his spiritual and friendly conversation. Also tell Archimandrite Theophilos that I sincerely thank him and wish him in his weakness to be able to rely on the Lord. You look French, oh. The governor seems to have become quite angry, and you almost suspect me of having fallen in love with the Frenchman’s thoughts. But I told you that one of his accusations may sometimes turn out to be not entirely unfounded, namely, that on holidays they sometimes sing with excessive attention to art, and therefore with damage to internal attention. I once happened to notice this in the singing of the doxology on a holiday, in comparison with the singing of the same doxology at the semi-festive all-night vigil on the day of the Poltava victory. As for the singing that is glorified in Moscow: the deficiency I am talking about is always present in it and to a superlative degree. I retold the other slander of the Frenchman not in such a way that I needed a refutation, but with the consideration that they can act on those who do not know the matter closely, and with prejudices prepared for the attention of the slander. Don’t fall into slandering the abbot either. The Frenchman, who wrote much in Russian ignorantly or dishonestly, is Marmier, the teacher of the royal children. In order not to send Naum away in vain, it occurred to me to write to you, Fr. Viceroy, are you bypassing the tonsure of the novice Pavel who is at my church, who has been serving here for a long time and, as far as I can see, lives peacefully. You could take him to the Lavra and tonsure him, and leave Alexander with me, who can read more clearly. Think about this. Archpriest Klementyevsky says the truth that the spring prayer service for fruiting was ordered at the same time, for this too, as I think I told you, was requested in the S. Synod not without difficulty. But you did well to make him pray. I remembered telling you the story about the late Bishop Seraphim. You remember the case of the icon of the Mother of God of Kazan, in Simonovo, and you know that I wrote at the request of the S. Synod last September, referring to my previous opinion that it was time to ease the previous strict order. They say that some feedback from the Sovereign Emperor finally prompted the members of the S. Synod to take up this matter and approve my opinion, despite the constant contrary opinion of the First Member. They drew up a protocol, signed everything and presented it to the bishop through the protocol officer, saying that they found it necessary to decide on this, whatever his opinion. He said a few words consistent with his previous opinion, but promised to respect the general agreement of others: “leave it with me until tomorrow.” But tomorrow was the day of his death and he did not sign the decree, the fulfillment of which is still not visible. The deceased Prince Ivan Nikolaevich Trubetskoy, before his death, expressed a desire for his body to be laid in the Lavra, under the gallery of the refectory church, next to the body of his parent, assuring that this was possible due to the space of the place. If this really turns out to be possible, satisfy this desire exactly, and in case of obstacles, arrange this as close as possible to the will of the deceased. Blessings and peace to you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren. Forgive me if I have been silent for a long time about your journey to Mahra; I wanted to write, but I forgot on postal morning and it turned out that it would have been written at the wrong time. Are you in good health now? For a long time now, the question has been on my mind: is your parent still alive? That we can expect less benefit from Tikhon in Makhra than before, and that it is necessary to look for a successor for him, I remember this, I told you last summer or autumn. He will do well for the world of his old age if he asks to be released from caring for others. If God arranges for Fr. George took care of Makhra - I hope that this will be useful. Did you have nun Apollinaria from the Spaco-Borodinsky Monastery, and did she leave the Lavra? - I need to see her. If she is there, say so. Some sisters from the Odigitrievsky hostel came to Moscow with the intention of leaving there, and they spread stories unfavorable for the hostel. You need to pay attention to this. By the way, they say that from there they often go to the Lavra and live there for a long time. Although there is a legal reason for this, there must also be limits to this. It is not useful for the boss to be away from the hostel often and for a long time. Sometimes travel can be replaced by written communication. Traveling to you, oh. Viceroy, Andrei Nikolaevich with a companion. They want to stay at my house, where Andrei Nikolaevich usually stays with me. Fulfill their wish and give them comfort and food. Here's a request. Would you please provide me with a beautiful icon of the Holy Trinity, which Prince Alexander Nikolaevich wants from me for the house church he is building in Crimea? The measure should be the usual for icons given as a blessing. I looked for them in Moscow and ordered them, but those shown to me were not satisfactory. God will bless you to celebrate, firing the Holy Spirit, enlightening and warming souls. Pray for me too. Thank you, oh. Viceroy, for the blessing from the monastery with blessed bread. Thank you for hosting us on Monday. They were pleased. The case about the builder for Mahra was sent to you by the last mail before this. With o. We talked a little with Georgiy. Calm, controlled by a modest judgment, his disposition of spirit gives hope that the Lord will create good things for the monastery through him. It’s a pity that the village is too close to Mahra. But even if discontentedly fenced by the outer door, the inner door can protect silence. It seems to me that the new builder must first give himself time to look at the monastery as it is and get comfortable with the brethren, without making changes soon, but only maintaining order: and having already looked around, introduce the best, as far as the hope is to strengthen it. With good leadership, the monastery can become both better in itself and more useful for the Lavra. Let the Moldovans leave from Fr. Gergiem: by the way, it will be for him and for them. I deliberately wrote about placing them in a monastery, so that there would be no opposition from the civil authorities, along with the matter of the oath, but I have no answer about the first subject. I'll talk to the civilian governor. The view of Trinity Cathedral is well done. Sandals - pretty good. The civil governor also told me about the crime of murder and incendiary activity, but nothing about finding the villains. The stolen silk may seem to be a signpost. I'll talk about this too. With me there is no need for people. Meanwhile, this day a monk came to me from the Greek monastery, who, instead of returning to Athos, wants to stay here, and specifically live with me. But it seems to me that he is superfluous to me, and I am not useful to him. These days, it seems on Thursday, Ekaterina Fedorovna Muravyova is traveling to you, saddened by the death of her son. Prepare her a place to stay with more peace of mind. It occurs to me that the upper rooms in the charity house are not empty, where she would be removed from the crowds and there would be a church close by. But you better figure this out. About villains, robbers and destroyers, I told the civil governor that Providence itself, which has preserved traces of crime, calls for the activity of justice. Stolen silk can become an informer and a witness. He promised attention, but there is no sign of success. I also told him about the Moldovantsev case, but I think it wouldn’t be superfluous to write again. For this I need something to do. No doubt you have it. Send it. Nahum says your leg is healed. But if it still hurts, then I intercede for her and ask that she be given rest until she gets stronger. Through the prayers of the saints, our father, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. I don't know what to tell you, oh. Governor, to your last letter; I only know that my sadness, after reading it, was deep. Since the Academy asked me with indifferent bewilderment whether the test should take place without me or with me, I did not prefer the latter. Therefore, I will not come to you tomorrow, nor on Saturday, nor on Sunday, but perhaps on Monday morning, unless an unforeseen obstacle is encountered, which, however, can happen. Greetings, oh. Viceroy, from me Prince Sergius Mikhailovich and tell me that if I had known earlier, I could have come to the Lavra to receive him; and now I ask him to visit me in Bethany and, if he pleases, to share a desert meal with me. Peace be with you, oh. the governor, and the brethren of the Lavra and Bethany. I thank you, and all of you, for facilitating the peace of my stay with you. I reached Moscow safely and still don’t see that there was any particular need for me to be here, except that I celebrated at Novodevichy with the abbess, who doesn’t really want to celebrate this holiday another time. God bless you, oh. Viceroy, create a cell in Mahra and may blessing and peace, good deeds and pure contemplation dwell in it. Only you say: at my expense, at least it happened for the monastery. And I say: why and not at the monastery’s expense, although for you? Couldn't the forest be a monastery forest? Does it take long to cook? – Do as you know; just know that I agree about the monastery as well. Maria Shagarova asks me: Should she, by invitation, go as an assistant to a younger sister in age, and still secular in rank, whom the Right Reverend of Odessa invites to be the abbess of the monastery being built there, which is supposed to have a school for clerical orphans. Although this is a matter of philanthropy, it seems to me that it is not a little inconvenient for Maria to have an inexperienced boss and relative, and to guide her, and obey her, and, in all likelihood, not to have a person who could give experienced advice. That’s why I told her that she could only decide to do this if she couldn’t bear Khotkov. At this point she asked me about her supposed successor to the current abbess, imagining that it would be a new task for her to get used to the new abbess. This is not clear to me. How can one determine in advance the successor to the ruler who is alive through the goodness of God, and base calculations of one’s future stay on this? Is there a question here: will I be a successor? – I can’t answer in the affirmative to this. Analyze these thoughts and give Mary good advice. I think you can do this better than me. Read it, oh. Deputy, enclosed letter to Hieromonk Samuil, and ask: were there any minors with him on the journey, and was he recognized as a gypsy? You need to know that people were wandering around the local diocese calling themselves monks sent from Jerusalem to collect alms; some of them were caught in the Ryazan province, and they admitted that they were not envoys from Jerusalem, but gypsies. That’s why he looks suspiciously at people passing by. And this is how inconvenient it is for a monk to even have his mother close to him. I feel very sorry for Krasnopevkov and his family; but really, I don’t know what to do: there is no idle place for the caretaker in sight, nor a way to open it. And I don’t think that this would be satisfactory even if it were done. Schools in monasteries. Krasnopevkov’s family could not live with him. How much could he set aside for a family living in a special home? I admit that what makes it difficult for me is that Krasnopevkov, no matter how much I told him what he was deciding to do, did not tell me anything definite, and therefore I am afraid that if I happened to find him some kind of position, in case of its unsatisfactory, there might be a murmur, both from him and from me. If you need to give him an allowance from me now or later, do it. I rejoice that many honor the time consecrated in honor of the Transfigured Lord and His Most Pure Mother and seek communion with Him in the sacrament. God bless Moldovans to wear cassocks and kamilavkas. What you call records of the consecration of churches are the essence of antimensions. When were they found? If before, why didn’t they tell me then? Where did the holy relics go? I need to know all this from you or from the dean. Don't forget if I forget. Take the antimensions to the Lavra sacristy before me and show them to me on the spot. It is advisable to preserve the wooden church. Can you think of how we could do this? The monks were not sent for initiation very well in the middle of the week and before the holiday, which, in addition to initiation, is abundant in service. Therefore, do not be angry if one of them remains until the 16th day. May your holiday be pleasing to the Queen of Heaven, together with Her Son and God. Pray to the Mother of Mercy for this same grace for us. And this requires verification and explanation that the antimensions are shown to be found under the throne. They were sewn on the srachitsa, on the surface of the throne. Let it be known to you, oh. the viceroy that the synodal office is looking for Raphael, who did not appear due to his vacation, and Archimandrite Simonovsky seems not happy that, as he says, he was kept from traveling to the Tver diocese, where he would have found a place. About what you said to me at the door, when I left the Lavra, it would be desirable for me to have some explanation for my identification. If you could tell me from what source what was said was borrowed, I think it would be useful to me and not harmful to anyone. The point is to decide more accurately what to do, or what not to do at all, and not to be pleased or dissatisfied with someone. Thank God for everything. Peace to all. Tell me, oh. Governor, Mr. Krasnopevkov, that according to his letter I wrote to the count. The official route to the matter would have been through the Academic Board, but there would have been premature publicity and time could have been lost. I have done what is possible for me. May the Lord create good and useful things. Church on Korbukh, on the site of the house, will there be a place and for what purpose? “Wouldn’t there be two or three people who would remain silent in front of her, and in that case, wouldn’t it be better to put her further away?” – Don’t get bored writing about this, if it’s too late to talk about it in September. If you have hope, we won’t argue about Raphael. Did I write to you about the Guslitsky priest, about whom the resolution was given? “It seems to me that he is hopeful, and it would be desirable for him to receive guidance.” I offered him Mahra; afraid, according to previous information. I see the path to David’s hermitage and to Serpukhov. Ask me for the blessing of St. Sergius. You founded the house when I consecrated the church in Serpukhov. May the Lord build and establish, and fill the house of your soul with His light and His silence. It would be good if the Mother of God blessed the Gethsemane monastery. But is it possible to make a start this fall? If this is not possible, is it safe for a wooden church to wait until spring? There is another question: should I ask for permission to move the wooden church? In terms of application to the law, it would not be superfluous, but it would not be safe, so as not to confuse matters. Isn't it better to just do something innocent, with the intention of not getting angry later if you are reprimanded? Will Tromonin want to tie himself to the Lavra for a year or more? He has a lot of businesses that he has fun with and doesn’t keep up with. You can reason with Alexey Ivanovich 19 as you know; and I cannot bother him, especially when I know that he has a more extensive and more visible project in his thoughts, which he has been working on for quite some time, with affection and, perhaps, with the hope of gaining the favor of the Supreme Power. Look what Benjamin writes. From me the matter was sent to the cathedral long ago. Meanwhile, I hear that the Synodal Chief Prosecutor does not approve of renting out the rooms in question, and it seems to him like greed. Let the council decide according to its own judgment. The Lavra was not without a burden from my residence in St. Petersburg. She can think about her own benefit, without worrying too much about the judgments of people who do not see intentions. Please pray, oh. Viceroy, may the Lord bless the newborn Grand Duke Nikolai Alexandrovich with age and prosperity. It is joyful to think how happy the parents and grandparents are with this complete joy. I want you to quickly perform the conciliar prayer. For this purpose I am sending the list from the rescript. It is for Moscow, but it is not a sin for you to read it before the prayer service, as they read it in Moscow. But now there is a new difficulty for me. The Sovereign Emperor, having probably learned by telegraph in Warsaw about the birth of his grandson, will arrive in St. Petersburg for baptism, and then when and whether directly to Moscow, or the same way, it is completely impossible to guess. Therefore, I cannot say anything at all about my path to you. Pray for me and be at peace. Commit to me, oh. Viceroy, to the feet of our Venerable and God-Bearing Father Sergius, and ask me for blessing, protection and forgiveness, both in many ways, and in the fact that I do not now come to him to celebrate his memory. Tomorrow we expect the Empress and now or tomorrow the Sovereign Emperor. Pray that we may meet with joy, blessed by God, pleasing to those who meet. I wish you and the brethren to celebrate in joy and light, spiritual and pure. Please receive Andrei Nikolaevich from me as before. God's peace to you, oh. the governor, and the brethren. Sorry for not going for a long time and not writing for a long time. The expectation of the Sovereign Emperor was combined with guesses and rumors, based on which it was difficult to decide on anything. Prince Sergius Mikhailovich especially persuaded me not to go to the Lavra: and truly the meeting of the Emperor in the Assumption Cathedral took place on the very day of St. Sergius. I served a prayer service and all-night vigil in the evening, and on the holiday itself I only raised the name of St. Sergius at a prayer service in the cathedral. Then there was a prayer service of gratitude in the presence of all the distinguished visitors in Chudovo, then, by the will of the Emperor, the consecration of the church, then a prayer service for the soldiers. All this was connected with accidents and circumstances that complicated my weakness; however, thanksgiving to the blessing and prayers of St. Sergius took place in the world. After the departure of the Sovereign Emperor, I remained in Moscow until the day after tomorrow's religious procession; Now the thought comes to me that we must remain until the day when the baptism of the newly born child will be celebrated, which, as the Emperor deigned to tell me, should take place on next Sunday, the 10th of this month. They say that the road to the Lavra is excessively thin; Is there a country road, although not as close, but more convenient? I really regret the temptations that open up in Mahra. I confess that in the features of the new builder I saw a lot of self-confidence and a tendency to perseverance; but I hoped that the natural was subdued and corrected by heroism and grace. Protecting yourself with prayer and patience, quietly instill in him what is fair and beneficial. Macarius makes it easier to accept admonition and, I think, will help you instill something useful in the builder. It seems to me that the Podsosenskys would not be offended by taking even 1,500 rubles, because the wooden church was originally from the Lavra, and because they would hardly have received more than that even without the Lavra. But if you find it better, give 2,000 rubles, as I assigned on the income schedule. A decree has been sent to you regarding the tonsure of those presented. And I happened to hear about one of them (precisely the one whose tonsure I honored a little earlier) that he was ordering a French novel from Moscow through acquaintances for his reading. Pay attention to this. It is necessary that before tonsure one either justifies oneself or sincerely repents and renounces vanity, which is indecent and harmful. I really regret that I was not in a hurry to be in Podsosenye and give direction in good time to the matter, which is now late. The foundation should have been laid earlier than October. I cannot rush to the Lavra, so as not to avoid information about the possible acceleration of the Sovereign’s journey. Shouldn't you, according to the usual consecration of water, lay the foundation of the Assumption Church before me, and leave for me the laying of the foundation of the throne with the foundations of the church belonging to this order? If you think about it, you can decide on this. However, I’m wondering if it’s possible to go to you as soon as possible, not earlier than the 15th day. I forgot to write to you before: is it possible to make the Assumption Church warm? Is another church needed? And won’t its dilapidation require much new, while the point is to preserve the ancient? I would like to have small cells for me; Is it possible to tie them with close and convenient communication to the Assumption Church, if there is no other? Is it possible to make the stonework under my cells a little higher than just for the foundation, and arrange in it lower housing for the cell attendant and for cooking? “But we can talk about this on the spot.” What made your thoughts move and move me on my way? And it’s strange that these thoughts are expressed to me almost at the same time from two borders of the diocese. In the Serpukhov Vladychny Monastery, one long-standing fool there treated me kindly, took my blessing several times, and when the archpriest contradicted her somewhat, she said, among other things, in justification: “You’re going to St. Petersburg and maybe you won’t come for a long time.” However, I think that these thoughts are only from the past, and not for the future. If I’m not mistaken, he doesn’t want to go to St. Petersburg, not because of offended pride, but because of weakness and a greater confidence than ever that to travel to St. Petersburg with benefit one needs virtues and virtues that I don’t have enough for the service here, and even more so for the service there. The thought that they don’t need me there is just as convincing for me as it is reassuring. But, it seems, there is little need to talk about that, except that I thank you for your thoughts and useful advice. The weather improved and I would not be afraid of the road to go to the Lavra; but I am held back by the anticipation of the celebration of the baptism of the Grand Duke. The appearance of the Assumption Church is good and it is advisable to preserve it during the transfer. But in this case, would it be convenient to share my home with her? “You remind me of this and the house plan.” It is hardly good to build in winter and, it seems, it will be good in March, when the winter route for transportation does not end, and the cold will no longer be winter. Give the attached note to Mr. Krasnopevkov and give him 100 rubles from me. Ass. On the instructions of Andrei Nikolaevich, I ordered his book “The Truth of the Universal Church” to be sent to you, to be delivered to Hieromonk Samuil, as penance for the untruth of his opinions and words about his journey. I received your letter dated 7 days on the 13 evening; That's why I answer on the 15th day. There is not the slightest obstacle on my part to transfer your cell, which is being built in Makhra, to Korbukha to the future Gethsemane monastery. But as I said before, don’t take Makhra into account, so now I say – don’t take Lavra into account. Use from the laurel what is needed for this. My path to you has not yet been arranged. The Emperor also told me here that the baptism of the Grand Duke is scheduled for the 10th, but there is still no information that it took place. And I’m thinking here of bringing a prayer about this with the brethren, and then going to you. You want to build a lot of cells, but it seems they won’t be very comfortable. Let's talk about this on the spot. There is no obstacle for you to take place at number 8. Until now, everything has kept me from traveling to the Lavra; Now I was thinking of freeing myself by performing the required consecration of the antimensions and a prayer service for the health of the August House, on the occasion of the distribution of alms given by the Sovereign Emperor upon the birth of Prince Nikolai Maximilianovich. But the path is shown to me in the other direction. Make a prayer to the Lord, with the intercession of St. Sergius, that his servant Evdokia, my mother, may receive good help. I am going to see her on news of her illness, which is not quite definite, but concerning, especially given her advanced age of 20 years. Countess Anna Sergeevna Sheremeteva asks you to visit her in sorrow. The Lord took her only child until now. It is impossible to think about this loss without sympathy, and especially to see the sadness of both parents, all the more touching because it is meek and humble. The sad mother thinks that your word will bring her relief and encouragement. For my part, I agree that you come if you do not meet an important obstacle. If you come to Moscow, I wouldn’t want you to leave without me. But I can’t determine a time frame for my return. Do as you please. Give the attached notebook on observing holidays from me to the censor. Because I see here on holidays, the thought comes to me; Shouldn't it be printed for reading in churches? Reason this thought for me. I previously expressed my consent to move your cells to the monastery. You can present Anatolia with a track record. Peace be with you, oh. the governor, and the brethren. I thank you and them for facilitating a peaceful stay in the Lavra. We made the journey safely. The cold continued to bother me on the road and at home, but sleeping at home can help. Check on the health of the Khotkovo abbess and write to me. Leaving her cells, I told her: go home; but she did not listen, and I, soon passing the monastery and the bridge, and already climbing the mountain, saw that she was still chasing me. It's not for her legs. I received an icon of the Moscow Saints, but you did not say how much money should be paid for the matter. In fact, I wrote about the reconstruction in the lower floor of the local house. But remembering that a new place is being appointed for the entryway, I fear harm to the upper rooms in which I live. You need to show me this matter immediately. Vladimir brings me almost to the point of repentance for the assignment given to him. I wrote a pompous appeal and asked permission to use it. I told him not to use it, but to act simply, relying on the prayers of St. Sergius, and not on my art. I don’t know if he can resist opening the door to his eloquence. And this bothers me that according to rumors, although varied, there is no hope of returning the captive or finding a martyr. Pray to the Reverend that he will manage this matter if it pleases him to visit Iberia with His blessing. The remnants of the road cold reappear every time I leave the house. Now my left ear and the left side of my throat hurt. It’s a good idea to use the preserved tree of the St. Nicholas Church to replace the damaged tree of the Assumption Church. It is enough to preserve one church, better preserved to this day, and it is better to supplement what is missing in it from another ancient church than from a new forest. I don’t argue against leaving the cell you are building in Makhra there. And adapt one of the buildings proposed in the monastery for your use; and may the Mother of the Lord fill this abode with the silence of Her Son and God. His Grace Michael, Bishop of Brest, Vicar of Lithuania, travels following the example of other reunited bishops, and wants to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in the Lavra next Sunday. I advised him to be at the Lavra early on Saturday and use this day for viewing, so that on Sunday, after the service and meal, he would be in time for Moscow for the feast of St. Nicholas. Receive him, put him to rest, arrange a service for him, treat him and bless him with the icon from the Lavra and the abbot. With him is the archpriest, who in appearance retained something from their previous custom, therefore I did not advise him to serve in Moscow; and let him serve for you if he wishes. At the same time, I am sending you a letter that I received today, and with which I don’t really know what to do. There is no doubt about believing the story; but it is hard to ignore the invocation of the name of God and the oath. It seems to me, out of respect for the latter, it is necessary to send everything required and at the same time return the receipt. And if we take into account both the first and second thoughts, then it is necessary to send half and return the receipt. If you approve of this or that idea, take the money from the treasurer and send it, with the return receipt, to the address indicated in the letter. Consult with prudence, and not with my stinginess. My cold is very stubborn and still gives in a little. May the blessing of the Lord be with you, oh. governor, and with the brethren. Thank you for your help in resolving the request for the fear of the name of God. I hope you have already done so. The described circumstances require immediate assistance. May the Lord rest the soul of our brother Theophilus. Gratitude to the novices who served him during his illness. Inform him of his property in the manner prescribed in the statutes of the Consistories, and report it. It seems he was receiving a pension. What he deserved on the day of his death should be counted among his property, and if he received more, the rest should be returned to where it was received from. You presented about a Prussian subject. But there is not even his petition in the case, why tomorrow he can say that he did not want to become a monk at all, that the Lavra wanted to draw him into this by deception, and this is clear evidence that he did not even submit a petition. You will say that this will not happen, but similar things happen in cases and therefore they must be carried out in the established order. Having gathered to present about lithography, I met here, as usual in my fate, that everyone wanted to use me as a worker for themselves, including the clerk of the cathedral, Sergius. Shouldn't he have written down the law on lithography? Shouldn't this have been done simply, in order? How much more was it necessary to do this when I said in the Lavra that this law was needed and demanded it? - No, you need to make me rummage through the code of laws, find and write out an article. By the way, out of compassion for me, I ask you to maintain order. I wrote about lithography, but I doubt its success. In St. Petersburg they now like to go into details that complicate matters. For example, the Vladimir road moved from its place; the chapel of the Berlyuk Hermitage that stood next to it was supposed to move behind it. The plan for the construction of the chapel was communicated to the road commission with the goal that it would appoint a location. What happened? – The plan reached Count Kleinmichel, was not approved, a new one was drawn up, approved by the Sovereign Emperor and sent to the S. Synod. Do you think that the matter ended well, having been sealed by the Highest affirmation? - No. The S. Synod is now trying to find out what kind of chapel it is, when it was built, why, how the matter of moving it happened, and will probably at least get to the point of making a remark as to why it has not been presented to the S. Synod. But we had no idea that this matter required high attention - the matter of a chapel that had long existed in a field near the village, or near the village itself. God bless the well-wisher who gave the oak crown under the walls of the church. Is construction going on? I said to the abbot: should I take the runners that, as you said, were made in the monastery for my carriage for the winter ride. He answered: they are not suitable, except in the city. - Why? - The carriage will fall on them with the thunder. - How come those who made them didn’t think of this? - He did not answer this question, and I am turning it to you for consideration and conclusion: will it be useful for me to take the skids made? Now I find out that what I expressed concern about to you is happening, and what seemed like a dream to you. In Moscow they say that I sent two monks to Georgia to influence the supposedly fallen spirit of the army 21 . These stories will reach far and can cause trouble. Pray to the Reverend to protect us from temptation. Thank you for the prosphora and blessed bread. If I send you a cassock and half-caftan, instead of which new ones are made for me, see if it would be suitable to give to a stranger or a newcomer in need. From me I bow to Archimandrite Paisius and thank him for his writing. Thank you, oh. Governor, for discussing our embassy in Georgia. It is fair that one must do what pleases God, and that one cannot do everything that pleases people; but another is a matter of indispensable duty, another is a matter of will not due to duty. The first is determined by itself, about the second there is room to consider whether we are going beyond our limits, and whether we have served guilt unnecessarily to those seeking guilt. I think you now have G.A.S. III. This is what I heard the other day from an uneasy narrator, about which the thought comes to me, whether I should pay attention to this. Count Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev, grandfather of Count Dmitry Nikolaevich, had a sister who married Dolgorukov at the very time he was sent to Siberia. The rich dowry and the 6 or 7 thousand souls that followed it remained with the count. Dolgorukov was returned and executed: his wife returned and went to the monastery. She didn’t demand anything from her brother, and she forbade her children to demand anything. At the time of his death, Count Pyotr Borisovich bequeathed something to his son Nikolai Petrovich (they think he should give the said 6 or 7 thousand souls) and said that if this was not fulfilled, he would sue him before the court of God. But Nikolai Petrovich did nothing. Isn’t it necessary to remind the current count and countess to separate this dark area from their pure heritage, to the world of departed souls and to acquire for themselves God’s mercy and hereditary blessing? - Consider whether, out of love for these kind souls, it is not necessary to give this news, perhaps not unimportant for the good of them and their family? If you had decided to show this letter and time had allowed it, I would not argue. Thank you, oh. Viceroy, and for the glorification of Christ the Lord who was born for our salvation, in the hearing of my soul, and for lamentation about our stumbling block on the path of revival and renewal, which lamentation I apply to myself. May the grace of the Lord be effective and victorious in you. Pray for me, the Giver of good and evil, the destroyer, will soon come to my laziness with His Holy help. Send Joel for dedication. The tasks you offer me are good and, looking at the goal, I would immediately rush to work, but when I see that there are involuntarily due things that have not been completed, then I don’t know what to do. Sorry for the unnecessary worry about money. That's how it was. The Chudovsky governor came and said that the money needed to be changed so as not to miss the deadline. What's the deadline? - New Year. I say that I remember the decree about a new paper coin, which will replace both banknotes and deposit notes, but I did not read the decree to the end, and I do not know whether the exchange date has been set and when. The governor assures me and, out of fear of an oversight, I ordered to write to you, and in the meantime deal more accurately with the decree. When the certificate showed an error, I forgot to order them to write to you. But since this could not have been done without a decree that would have reached you, then you, having checked with yourself, could have discovered our mistake. My cold allowed me to celebrate the holidays, and then it put me at home again and I don’t know if I’ll be fit for anything tomorrow. I don’t want to undergo treatment, but meanwhile the pain in my teeth, ear and left side of my head interferes with both doing and sleeping. I need the medicine you prescribed: magnesia calcinata. Tell me where to get it. For I happened to notice that some things of this kind in our pharmacies are worse than in an English store. This letter is not from Naum, because he did not advance me yesterday, and today, having heard already in the afternoon that he was traveling, I hurried to send it so as not to be late on the road. The governor of Chudov told me today that Naum is asking to join Chudov. Tell me, what do you think about this? Thanks to Father Paisius for the letter. Thank you, oh. Viceroy, for good wishes for the New Year. May the Lord bless him with spiritual peace for you and for the brethren. And it reminds me of old age. On New Year’s Day I prayed with the Moscow Church; yesterday I performed the day’s service in my home church; and today I could not be in the Assumption Cathedral, due to an ongoing cold, which has changed its appearance, but has not yet left me. Thank you for the medicine. You are generous. And one bottle would be enough. I wish to change the brethren of the St. Petersburg courtyard. I agree to use Tobiah with confidence. Whether it will be efficient only for construction work, I don’t know. I barely remember Ilariy Tambovsky and therefore I can’t say anything about him. Will R. be as obedient and decent in St. Petersburg as in the Lavra? You need to judge further, and it is not superfluous to take the opinion of Tobias. Will a sloping floor in a wooden church add safety when the stove is below? And it will add dust. Talk about this as best you know. And at the same time it occurs to me to express a desire that I would not have painted doors or floors. Wood is cleaner than paint and oil. About N.’s thoughts, I told the Chudov governor the same guess that I found later in your letter. It seems to me that there is still a fear that he will not begin to wander a lot from Chudov among the people with whom he was in some kind of relationship by the grace of the Lavra. That’s why it’s easier to let go than to accept. Read the attached letter from St. Petersburg (not the one on which there is an inscription) and upon returning it, tell me your thoughts regarding the challenge, so that I write to the Bishop of Novgorod about the icon. Simonov is not from my department. When asked, I said my opinion more than once; to bother me again, wouldn’t it also be like interfering in someone else’s business? The bishop’s answer seems to be only dismissive, for he was told several times that my opinion is in the Synod, and it is easy for him to ask. Moreover, this is what he does with my letters: I wrote to him about the theology of S. John of Damascus; it seems to be a bishop's matter; but he did not answer me, but the chief prosecutor wrote to me that my letter had been given to him and gave me information about the case. After this, it seems my duty is not to write. It seems that the Irkutsk priest has nothing to do with the Lavra for several months. However, talk to him about what he needs. Through Fr. The rector of the academy sent you a word to the prisoners in their church. I return it to you, oh. viceroy, Joel as hierodeacon. Teach him and take care of him. I am sending several copies of the narrative of conversion from schism. If you found it likely that this book could be sold here, I would send it so that any money received would be used for the poor students of the Lavra School. Thank God that the building of the church is ascending. I will expect a drawing of the iconostasis from you. Arrange the cross as you write. What kind of gables are you talking about? Have they existed before? If they were, then they need to be as they were. And if it is something new: do not attach the new plate to the vesti’s vestment. That the church is getting higher, it may be even better. The cold is reluctant to leave me. The day before yesterday I went out into the air, but the next night and yesterday the pain in my teeth and head again turned out to be severe. Today it's better, but there's something wrong with the left side of my head. Ask me for mercy from the Lord and betrayal about this from St. Sergius; although, however, there is already mercy in the fact that, when punished, I do not surrender to death, and I can do some work. Thank you for the news about our wandering brothers. If it was decisively realized that the goal of their journey was not achievable, why, it seems, was there any persistence in completing the most difficult remaining part of the journey? The general who received them favorably could forward the image and letter. - May St. Sergius take into his protection their obedience and determination, and may he arrange for them a safe and not useless path. The past few days, someone came, wanting to see me, and offer a cypress tree for the iconostasis, in the church of the Gethsemane monastery. Due to illness, I did not see him, but suggested that I visit him at another time. If he comes and offers: what will I answer? If it were possible to have a whole cypress iconostasis, that would be wonderful. But when there is part of the old iconostasis, preserving antiquity is worth a new cypress. Shouldn't it be suggested that cypress decks be given for the icons, which need to be re-created? It is also necessary to know whether the throne of the ancient church exists, and whether it is in such a condition that it can be used again. Write to me about this. Tatyana Borisovna Potemkina asks me to bless the restored Svyatogorsk Monastery with an icon of the Mother of God. This must be done when Arseny, who is in St. Petersburg, is on his way back. For this purpose, will you deliver me the icon of the vision of the Mother of God to St. Sergius? Or is there an ancient icon that could be given away? An answer to this, I think, will not be needed for long. The disease still does not leave me. Hello, mentally and physically. I have no dispute about the iconostasis. I’ll keep the drawing until you answer about the cypress. About the change of the St. Petersburg brethren, I thought I had already written to you to present it immediately, as expected. Apparently he had a thought, but when starting to execute, he was interrupted, then forgot, and thought that the execution was done. I hope, oh. Viceroy, that you and your brethren have passed through the first week of Lent, striving to draw closer to the Lord, and have achieved union with Him in the sacrament. Herewith, I rejoice and greet you. May this be the life and joy of our souls. Ask for this and my unworthiness in your brotherly prayer. Did you ask me if Ivansky notified me about receiving loans? I answer: no. And what did you write: on loan? I didn’t tell you this; and this is somehow not my custom. If the need was rightly described, then why leave a person for a long time in the bonds of debt, from which, perhaps, he will not be able to extricate himself even in the bonds of his oath? And 22 the need was invented in order to get money by deception, then it is useless to say “loan”, because money is obtained by deception, of course, not in order to pay. Be that as it may, may what was sent to him be for the benefit of Ivansky, and may he be free from bonds and debt and oath; I wrote, with my hand. One thing I don’t like here is that doubt remains, and from this difficulty on such cases. Some priest of the Saratov diocese asks to join the Lavra. I sent his request to you. Don't you know him, or does anyone in the Lavra? If you know and have hope about him, you can enter into communication about him. And if he is completely unknown, shouldn’t he simply refuse? I'm looking forward to information and opinions. The consistory will send you, or has already sent you, a list from the decree of the S. Synod, which will insist on the demand of monastics for the Polotsk diocese. Carry out the instructions immediately. About those who will be included in the list of those who have sufficient education, but are needed at home, make a note of why they cannot be released, for example, because of need for the school existing at the Lavra, or for another position that requires a particularly capable and worthy person. It would not be bad if there were some who could be sacrificed for obedience to power. Thank you, oh. Viceroy, for the image. He's good. The one who volunteered to be the cypress depositor for the Gethsemane church was not. I am returning the iconostasis drawing. I am not against it, but in some parts I would like a little more correctness and harmony. For example, wouldn’t it be better if the icons of the bottom row, all four, were of the same latitude? Wouldn't it be better if the top rows, in division, corresponded to the bottom? Now, each row is correct in itself, but has no agreement with the others. If, in dividing the icons, the pillar was above the pillar: the appearance of the whole would be better. And if some small decoration were placed on the panel, in those places where the pillar is above the pillar, then the vertical lines would be more obvious than the horizontal ones, and the iconostasis would seem higher. It seems to me that this could be achieved if the icons of the upper tiers were given unequal width, in order to accommodate the lower tier. However, if this seems difficult, if you find it better to stay with the current drawing, I’ll leave the argument. I don’t really remember Venedikt. The assistant sacristan, I remember, was defined formally, and the idea, it seems, was that he would be exactly an assistant, increasing the guarantee of safety, and not just a novice and performer. Read the attached notebook and tell me whether it is more useful for it to be unreadable or readable. The merchant Kuvshinov visited me and expressed his good will to give a cypress tree for the iconostasis. Determine the quantity and enter into communication with it through a convenient means. If the iconostasis is made of cypress: what will it look like? Is it possible to leave the wood exposed, under varnish or a similar composition that would only give the wood a clean and permanent appearance? - I want an answer to this. Do you have any new news from Hieromonk Vladimir, and do you know when to expect his return? - The S. Synod appointed him as abbot in the Saratov diocese, in the Petrovsky Nikolaevsky Monastery. I have not yet sent you the book about the appeal from the Pomeranian consent, because there are errors in the printing, some of which are not unimportant. I'll send you the book, and then probably the errors will be corrected. Peace be with you, oh. governor, and brethren. Not Kuvshinnikov, but Kuvshinov says that he will expect an estimate for the cypress tree. If Amphilochius is trustworthy, there will be no dispute about acceptance. I would like to see the church under construction, and for several days now I have been thinking about the path to you. But Ilya says that the road is bad. The weather is changeable. Sometimes I can endure a half-hour or hour drive in Moscow without harm, but sometimes the consequence is noise in the head and pain in the legs. Therefore, it is doubtful to take a seven-hour drive to arrive at an unfinished home. But there is a matter that requires special attention and cannot tolerate a long delay, which I need to talk to you about. What to do? I wouldn’t like to give you more work, but I must say: would you come to me for a day or two? For me, one day is enough. If, for example, you arrive on Friday, you can return on Saturday. Position yourself as best you can and need to on your side. And if it’s not convenient for you to be away, let me know this same week, so that I can think about whether it’s possible to go to you next week. May the Lord establish our fellowship in the world, and may it be what pleases Him, and may it not be what is not pleasing to Him. Thank you very much for your visit and words of wisdom and love. May the Lord reward you by speaking good things to you in your heart. The great mercy of the Lord and the Mother of God in saving us from trouble. But you need to use the instructions. Why did the novice walk late with a candle? How is the candle forgotten? If attached to something, then this will lead to the question: why do they carry candles home from church for household chores? Get to the root of the matter and see what it requires for the future. I paused with the matter of the committee to talk to the prison committee first. If you bind yourself by the rule to act through this committee in the selection of members in another, but there is no real help, then the matter will be bound by the rule. And so it is necessary to make an experiment while the matter is in free hands. Now I don’t consider it timely to give assistance from the Lavra for the publication of books: it will be possible to think about this when the matter gets a reliable course through good hands. Now it is still impossible to say decisively what this move will be. Starting circles for the printing of books is a huge undertaking that does not promise great consequences. And I’m thinking about this ahead. A book about the life of Fr. Now I won’t send Seraphim to you, because another such book wants to come to me. I'll wait to compare. I did not ask Hieromonk Vladimir about the collected book. Now we need to accept her and the report from him. Send it by Sunday so as not to delay any longer in fulfilling the decree regarding it. Thank God that our pilgrims returned in peace. They say that Ivan Yakovlevich 23 said about them a long time ago that they went in vain, that it was none of their business; that they should sit at home like monks. Doesn't this say something to you and me? Will the pillar of the staircase remain fixed in the beam above the arch, so that there is a continuous path for fire? Vladimir was not forbidden to collect according to the book, because it would be absurd to give a book for collection and forbid the collection. I only said that there is no need to be bothersome in front of those who are not disposed to do good; and offer a book to supportive people and calmly accept alms and refusals. But now it’s too late to sue for this, and it’s useless. Malakhov says that you want to paint icons on both sides of the iconostasis. I don't think so. Who in a non-spacey altar will look west at the high iconostasis? And if the other walls of the altar remain simple, the splendor of the western wall will not be in keeping with it. It is unpleasant to see the empty wood of the iconostasis in the altar when the front side is gilded: there is inconsistency and insincerity here; they want to boast before the audience, but the shrine, they say, will not condemn. But this will not happen when there is a tree on both sides of the iconostasis. It is only necessary that the inner side be cleanly, and not clumsily, finished. On the icon above the royal doors you can write the icon from the inside, and that’s enough. Now I remember why I advised Vladimir not to be bothersome with the collected book. He wrote what he thought was an eloquent appeal to benefactors. I couldn't afford to use it. So he settled accounts with me: I did not give any use to his eloquence, and he did not give our collected book a chance. At least he gave himself satisfaction. The work of the book committee is not going well. The local prison committee says: we did not assign money. I said that there is no need to go into this discussion, because I am not asking for money, but for members: whoever wrote about money knows what he wrote and what should be done. The dispute has been stopped, but the matter has not yet moved forward. May the Lord provide something useful. I sent you, oh. Vicar, Gospel and Apostle for the Church of Gethsemane; and small books for school. The gospel is subtle: it is all the more convenient to make thick boards so that they are strong and to give room for carvings. It is not good to make a copper back binding; and silver, it seems, would be out of place with wooden boards. Is it possible to gird the wooden back with several iron strips (or, if necessary, silver) and use them to create an alignment. Vladimir places the blame on Abel. But this matter is already over. May the Lord, with the power of His Cross, overshadow and cover the church being built. Icons for warriors have been received. Good. Thank you. One would ask about the distribution of artos when the custom was founded or expanded. Now it is necessary to follow custom, with reasoning, through trustworthy means. Last year, I remember, Naum was in Moscow for this, and it seems that it did not occur to him to judge whether this matter should go completely past the abbot, or partly not past him, especially in relation to some. Please pay attention to this issue when making your order. With o. Peter, I don’t know what to do. He came; I sent him to the church of the transit castle, stating my intention, and adding as reinforcement that I could not decisively identify the priest currently serving there. But the elder came to me and said that he was pleased with the current priest, that services more often than the current one (as Fr. Peter would serve) did not require the circumstances of the place, and that Fr. Peter has no need for a place, as you see, he himself told the elder. What do you want to do here? Let us pray to the Lord, so that we may pass through the field of saving suffering with His attentive mind and tender heart, and be granted the joy of His resurrection. Benjamin does what I expected him to do. He tried to study architecture at the Academy of Arts, asked to go to the Alexanderevsky Lavra, asked to go to Poltavsky, but without success, he went to Riga. We will willingly give in to the Right Reverend of Riga if it is a godsend for him. I need to give you a report about Bibikov. Ivan Grigorievich at first said that he would determine it when the occupant of the seat received another one in the elections; then he says: what should I do? he was not chosen. Most Reverend Fr. Viceroy! In this word, accept from me the kiss of joy, you and the brethren, from the oldest to the youngest. May the Lord create by His grace that joy in Him will be filled in all of us, and is inalienable, acceptable through faith in Him and love, and protected by a good conscience. O. Archimandrite Paisius, say my gratitude for his writing. You haven't told me yet, oh. Viceroy, an answer about the sermon that I instructed you to show Fr. rector of the academy. I'm sending another one. Read it, that’s all, and tell me whether both should be included in the proposed publication that is starting these days, or whether it’s better not to give it away. Wing Adjutant Sergius Egorovich Kushelev, traveling to Georgia, wants to bow to St. Sergius, and, moreover, to be in the Lavra not entirely among strangers. Receive him as an acquaintance and encourage him to offer his prayer in peace, and also show him the antiquity of the Lavra with attention. His good disposition, I hope, will make your communication with him pleasant. Peace be with you, O governor, and with the brethren. His godmother Agrippina Ivanovna Zhadovskaya asked me about the bearer of this letter, as a person who wants to get himself into a monastery. It is of noble origin, but not prepared to be used in accordance with the right of birth. Senator Bashilov employed him in a position in such an institution that one should have expected from him a direction that was not at all monastic; however, he retained, as evidenced, himself and his location. Talk to him and if you find no doubt, let him experience the life and work of a novice in the monastery, or in Bethany, so that later you can come to a decisive conclusion about his intention. That I ordered the house of entertainment on Korbukh to be broken down, I probably said because it was true and it was published somewhere about the entertainment that took place here in the presence of the Empress. I apologize for the idle talk. It seems you want to use Princess Dolgorukova’s money to build a rampart around Korbukha. If the money was given at your disposal, I would think that it would be good to leave at least half as capital for the maintenance of one elderly and sick woman in a charity home, in eternal memory of a benefactor; and use the other half as you suggest and pray for the princess in the monastery. Was my letter delivered to you and was Kushelev an adjutant in your wing? “I was hoping to see him upon his return from the Lavra, but I don’t see him.” In a French book I read a magnificent description of the night battle of a French traveler in the hotel of the Sergius Lavra with insects that did not allow him to sleep. Was it necessary to achieve such European glory? Wouldn't it be better to avoid her, to the peace of all the hotel guests? - Pay attention to this. Write to me next week to see if there is a decent road heading your way. Perhaps I would find it possible to visit you. Thank you, oh. governor, for information about Cosmos’ visit to his parent 24. It’s nice to see cases where the visible and the invisible are not alienated from each other. The Lord created everything as one. I had a girl named I. with her mother and brother, about whose extraordinary adventures you heard a note from me. She revealed to me that life in the world and her current occupation with many sick people made her difficult and exhausted her strength, and that she would like to retire to a monastery. I told her to present this desire to the Lord and pray, if it pleases Him, to open the way for her to fulfill it. She looks at her condition with humility and caution. All three of them are meek and kind, and are clearly well connected by family love. There probably won't be much argument against her intention. But as I heard, she still occasionally uses the help of a magnetizer, which is why, when entering a monastery, in my opinion, it is better to refuse: but what if a difficult condition is encountered there, which, according to previous experiences, will require help of this kind? And which monastery should I show her, since she herself doesn’t have any in mind? I just said that I didn’t propose a city one, and she agreed. After the conversation, it occurred to me that the society of the Borodino Monastery could be on her side, but wouldn’t those seeking medical help be persecuted there too? Call on the Lord and tell me your thoughts on this subject. I’m talking about this to you and no one else. Today we sing a memorial service for Prince Dimitri Vladimirovich Golitsyn 25. You too will perform a memorial service and a fourty-day commemoration in the monastery, so that the Lord will receive those who have departed far from the earthly fatherland into the heavenly fatherland. You say oh. vicar, about covering the church with planks. Isn't this going to happen soon? Shouldn't it have been necessary to give the wooden structure more time to settle and to dry out the lining of the crowns? What you write about K., I read after I spoke to him and said goodbye. I saw jealousy in him and, from jealousy, a tendency to judge boldly, but not to the same extent as was not revealed to you. May the Lord give him humble wisdom. That from the depths you can see the stars every day is true; only the depth should be narrow and steep, little accessible to sunlight. – The deeper a person is in humility, the better he sees the sky. The housekeepers in St. Petersburg live, with my permission, not in all of my cells, but in two rooms closest to the church. It seemed to me that this was good, so that the church would be safer and the house would not be completely empty. In the first years of my management there was a case that the housekeeper, living in my rooms, near the church, heard a rustling in the church at night and caught a thief in it. Thank you for not wavering in the accepted idea: to preserve the church of the Gethsemane monastery in simplicity and non-covetousness. We will release Hieromonk Samuel if he pleases. Only vacation abroad cannot be otherwise than with the permission of the S. Synod. And we need to think about whether, according to the new law, they will demand 200 rubles from him. silver There are exceptions to the law; but nothing is visible that could clearly be applied to this case. For what purpose are you telling the deeds of Malakhov? “In Chudovo, they didn’t give him the church schedule. “You need to think about how he will fulfill the work of the Gethsemane Church.” There is an objection to our assumption: there is nothing rich in the Gethsemane monastery. They offer to the local church three icons decorated with silver frames, which, according to home traditions, are miraculous: the miraculous image of the Savior, the image of the Mother of God and the image of St. Nicholas. The icons are small in size, but they want them to be in the iconostasis. Accept or refuse? The need to protect the shrine by lack of wealth seems to increase. Sacrilege is frequent. May God grant that it be unfair that they say here that the robe was stolen from the image of the Mother of God in Voronezh, standing near the relics of St. Mitrofan. Tobias also wrote to me that a passport was given to Benjamin and then taken again. From the Right Reverend of Riga it was written to me that Benjamin wrote to him, anticipating his arrival, and asking for acceptance; but that the Eminence did not promise to accept, and advised him to tell himself sick, and not to go to Riga. Now, I don’t know where Benjamin is and what he’s doing. Isn’t it, by the way, what worries him is that he sent me my chest with books with a damaged lock, that is, with a sign that at the farmstead after me, with the help of Benjamin, there was a secret investigation to see if there were heresies locked in the chest. I don’t remember if I wrote to you that Benjamin asked to go to the Nevsky Lavra and the governor accepted him; but the bishop did not accept; I also asked to go to Poltavsky, but he didn’t accept either. I am concerned about the monastery church: will there be dampness and damage to the building from the fact that it was built during the snow? Are there any embedded frames in the windows? If not, make sure that the inner window is further away from the outer window. This reduces the light somewhat, but keeps the warmth and dryness better. It would be good if you would order me from Rostov enamel icons of the Most Holy Trinity, the Savior, the Mother of God and St. Sergius of good art, not of small measure. Take my money from the treasurer. Note. A letter without indicating the time when it was written. Finally, I send you, oh. Viceroy, a note for remembrance of health and salvation. There are, by the way, three names here, placed because I don’t know which of them should be. Thank you for the advice about I. The letter was sent to you unfinished; but now there is no real need to continue. By the way, the Chief of Police told me that, having felt ill health for several years, and the following summer having been sentenced to travel abroad, he turned to I. This doctor received him with his eyes closed, tested his pulse, also without opening his eyes, and in the same state correctly recounted to him all the attacks of his illness, and then cured him. I, says the healed man, have always had faith: but from these experiences I feel strengthened in it. Benjamin arrived. Cries and says incomprehensible things. Lavrasky, he says, the governor found out from strangers that I could agree to enter the Nevsky Lavra and called me, and I served in the Metropolitan’s house church, and stayed overnight in the Lavra and saw how highly the brethren behaved, and the next day I refused to enter the Lavra. He expresses his commitment to the Lavra of St. Sergius and is thinking of moving to the Kalyazin Monastery. I say that I leave it to him to settle down as he sees fit. Let Bethany be healthy, but it is clear that the air of the monastery promises to be better. It seems to me that if the late ruler had not wanted to have a large pond and a mill at Bethany, but just a river, or a small pond on it, Bethany would have been fresher and quieter. My path to you is blocked, by the way, by the expectation of the body of Prince Dmitry Vladimirovich. Moscow is thinking about a monument to him. And Prince Alexei Grigorievich, in my opinion, argues well that in the taste of Moscow and in the spirit of Orthodoxy, a monument should be a godly plant, and not a stone or a statue. I think you will condemn me if I do not speak at his grave, but I do not see myself in the strength and it seems to me that silence is more convenient than speech. Do you think that I am right in this last opinion? Macarius of Moldova can be released to Makhru if affairs there have settled down to peace. Don't be angry about the decision about Joasaph. If he was refused admission to the Chrysostom Monastery because his frequent moves from place to place cast doubts on himself, with what eyes did he ask to join the Lavra, which, of course, is more important than Chrysostom? This gives rise to new doubt. If he was there when I was in the Lavra in the fall, it was in vain that you did not show him to me; because he is trying to get close to me, but he won’t show me his eyes. Maybe if I talked to him, I would be better able to make peace with his record. It is not bad for you to take this into account for such cases. Today, just before noon, they give me a notice from the post office about a package from the Lavra with the inscription “very necessary.” It’s not clear, but I need to take care. I’m in a hurry to send it. They don’t bring it for a long time. I ask and finally receive it; I open it and see a letter in French, in elegant expressions, written in a dapper hand. I’m unhappy from birth; I’m sprinkled with hot tears the banner under which I wanted to die for the Tsar; I left the only heart that I loved, the heart of an unhappy mother, etc. Why all this? - For the fact that K. asks to be released with certificates. It was a pity that he was conceding. the wind carrying him away from the harbour, without a guarantee that he would find a calmer one, the enemy from whom he was fleeing would follow him; and he could have been left here too. How have you not guessed until now that simplicity makes you feel better, but sophistication torments you? May his soul forgive me, and may the Lord grant it peace and salvation in selflessness. If he wants to have a certificate of a good life in the monastery, give it to him. Isn’t Hieromonk Varlaam the one who, due to some displeasure in the Berlyuk desert, stopped going to church, saying he was sick, and voluntarily went to Moscow to the hospital? - Pay attention to whether this adventure belongs to him. It’s a pity that I received your letter a few hours after I saw the civil governor. I'll see you and talk. Have you received another Gospel from me? I thought that the monastery needed other things in case. It may not be dressed in magnificent silk fabric, with enamel images, without further decoration. Or tell me which is better. Tell K. to come and say goodbye to me when he goes through Moscow. We both had him and let him go, with love, and not with indignation. May the blessing of the Lord cover the monastery and you, oh. the governor, and the brethren. It would be nice for me to celebrate the day of the Most Holy Trinity in the monastery, especially since I have not been there for a long time on this occasion, but I do not hope that this will happen. By this very time, the body of Prince Dmitry Vladimirovich is expected and it is necessary that I pay him the burial debt. And now, on the fortieth day from his death, I wanted to participate in the commemoration, but, as a result of serving in the cold church of the Ascension Monastery, last night I fell ill and am sitting at home. The cold came through the legs, but the action was in the head. Yesterday I felt dizzy. Today the headache hits my church. I don’t remember this kind of pain. Having finally decided to use the external remedy suggested to me, I begin to feel relief. Please take the trouble to convey to Ivan Mikhailovich my wish—God’s blessings and the answer to his letter. It is a pity that the spiritual educational board did not help him; however, the decision is based on the law that it has for its establishments. If he wants to ask for a pension through the civil governor, there is no obstacle on my part and I wish him success, being ready on my part to tell the civil governor about Ivan Mikhailovich as a person worthy of participation and care. With this, a peasant widow from the village of Troitsky near Moscow, no less, I think, than ninety-year-old Vasilisa Andreeva, will come to you. Place her in a charity home. This is at my request. Assign to its maintenance what you need from me. For this reason, the old woman for whom Ekaterina Pavlovna interceded will not come to you. She was glad that shelter was being given to her; but died a few days later. Today I am still in my cell, not in church. My illness seems to be going away, but I feel that my recovery is not complete. I ask for your prayers. I already wrote to you that I don’t hope to be with you by Trinity Day. My health is improving poorly, and the dilapidation of the physical church is felt more constantly than before. But this is not the main reason why I need to stay in Moscow now. They take our civilian governor as a companion to the Minister of Internal Affairs. May it be good for him, and may he be more useful, but for us it is a pity. If you could find an image of the Most Holy Trinity in the form that they recently began to paint from the miraculous, it would be good for me to receive it from you and give it as a blessing to the one who is leaving. Have you written to the Alekseevsky hostel about the girl Sophia and what answer do you have? – O. Macarius 27 writes that her intention to leave there is a temptation. But she does not abandon this intention. And others say that in this hostel the former internal structure has not been sufficiently preserved, and that Fr. Seraphim did not advise the Diveevskys to imitate the Alekseevskaya community, finding souls in it immersed in handicrafts. Sofia still wants to return to the mission, but it seems to me that, given the current circumstances, this is more doubtful than before. Introduce immediately the expulsion of novice Dimitri, and it would not be bad if they introduced it without asking. Swift justice reduces the power of the temptation made. About Fr. I'm very sorry for Elijah. May the Lord give him relief. May the Spirit of the Lord overshadow your celebration of His appearance with His grace. Pray for me. Thank you, oh. Governor, for the blessed bread from the holiday. I celebrated the day of the Holy Trinity in the Assumption Cathedral and the day of the Holy Spirit in Arkhangelsk. But my head is not very good. There is often noise, and this morning there was quite a bit of pain. I don’t remember if I told you that building a wooden building in the air was not in my mind. It was possible to prepare the frame in the winter, and put it in its place after the construction of the stone lower floor. May God grant that the foundation that is placed after the building is good, and that the building does not lose its balance, moving from the pillars to the stone wall. The less said about the monastery, the better. If God blesses the work, it will speak for itself. When they ask me about this, I say that I am preserving the ancient, memorable church, finding for it a place where it would be decent and useful for it to be, instead of the previous one, where it could not remain. I also told some that there was an idea to introduce continuous reading of the psalter there. I received the icons, and thank you. It is advisable to quickly close Korbukha from idle travelers. You can start working on the ditch and shaft. May the Lord help brother Elijah spiritually and physically, as there is good before his eyes. Marco puts something strange into my head. Didn’t some of the Makhrinskys really lay down their guilt on him? You need to delve into this for Mahra too. If o. Georgy wants to visit me before leaving for Makhra, you are welcome to talk. Rumor is now sending me to the Lavra, but I began to receive treatment. When describing the laurel, the plan is quite large - only the garden wall is shown to be thicker than the fence wall, while their opposite difference is very clear. The appearance of the laurel, is it possible to improve it in future? The bell tower is very large and heavy, in comparison with the Assumption Cathedral in the current picture. If the Reverend Anastasius wants to take someone, he should first of all tell you and me, and not the chosen one. If we find no doubt, then we can announce this to the elected one and ask: does he want to? Here's the order. But even if it were not done this way, would they really be deceived by the Siysky? And would it be a loss for the Lavra to lose someone who is so prone to dreamy charm? It’s good that you reminded us about Mr. Krasnopevkov. Give him 300 rubles. Ass. What should we do with it? I really don't understand. When he decided to leave the family path of life, I told him that he needed to take into account: can he move away from the family without difficulty. This was confirmed on his part both during the life of his parent and after. But now this family is in dire need. Today he visited me and talked about difficulties; but did not express any definite determination to do anything. And I am not convinced to offer him anything definite, because everything that can be offered to him, as possible, does not represent a sufficient provision for his family. In the old days, a rich nobleman would either have provided a place and maintenance for a poor nobleman with his family, or he would have looked after his family and given him the freedom to follow his own desires. Nowadays it is difficult to find this. I very much agree to take Mr. Krasnopevkov to the Lavra and, out of confidence in his moral dignity, hasten to give him a significant position, but what position in the Lavra will give him a happy way to help his family? You can give him a school position, but it also will not satisfy the needs you have in mind. What if, upon entering the clergy, the misfortunes of his family will outrage him with the thought of those abandoned due to the unsatisfactory nature of what he has chosen? Talk to him more thoroughly and find out what he wants. I am glad to do what I can and, of course, it would be a great pity if it did not go to a church service. Write to me about this again. I don’t know what to tell you about building shops with Dolgorukova’s money, oh. viceroy This will be a mixed property in connection with the hotel, simply Lavra. If time waits, we’ll talk about this in the Lavra. If it is not convenient to hesitate, do not hesitate - and based on the construction, you can talk about the purpose of what was built. The new location of the sacristy is, I hope, good. The Lord, who speaks peace to His people and to those who turn their hearts to Him, may He speak peace to your heart in the new abode of solitude, and may He establish it. This will be presented to you by Demetrius, who, it seems, is no longer unknown to you, a former desert dweller. What he wants and can be now, I don’t know. Due to my ongoing illness, I could not talk to him. Accept him, talk to him and give him good advice and direction. Wouldn't it be possible to give him time to live somewhere with us and learn to live under guidance and obedience? My illness shows no end. The pain in my head eased; but the teeth were not completely gone, and a tumor had formed on the outside of the jaw. It is doubtful and perhaps useless for a sick person to come to you. Pray that I will be governed by the will of the Lord, who punishes and has mercy, and not by my own wisdom. To add to the difficulty, Grigory Yakovlevich fell ill and stopped visiting me. Bring me to the feet of St. Sergius. O. Peace to the governor and brethren. Those who came from you are trying to persuade me not to go to you now along an excessively bad road, and I think that I will listen, especially since it is not entirely convenient for me to transfer the treatment I continue to you. Kulebakin was with me and we talked with him and said goodbye in peace. He says that the path to the Sarov Hermitage was given to him by lot. Prince Nikolai Ivanovich Trubetskoy told me about the stoves in the skete church. He says that according to his method, the stove costs a long time; but in its interior some renewal is needed every spring. Be wise as you know, but don’t be too clever. Thank you for the elder’s charity. Two thousand silver rubles, with which Simeon Longinovich Lepeshkin is dedicated to the Gethsemane monastery, will be sent to you or transferred. Will there be some definite purpose for them? The church commemoration of Hierodeacon Elijah began in my church last Saturday, during my ministry. May the Lord rest his peaceful soul. See that the successor to his ministry is attentive to his work. Note. We print the letter here without indicating the time when it was written, because, as is obvious from its contents, it was written earlier than the letter following this one, dated June 17, 1844. Rains are frequent here too, but when I was outside the city, I did not notice any harm to the fields or vegetable gardens. Tell Countess Varvara Alexandrovna that Abbot Berlyukovsky and I ask her forgiveness for making her charity known. I ask her not to be offended because her intention, so that the shuitza does not know what the right hand is doing, remains unharmed in the eyes of the all-seeing God, which is why her work retains its properties. The abbot acted according to the rule given by the S. Synod; I let things go the usual way. If she had told the abbot that she did not want any fame, he would have acted rightly, and I, if I had learned from him, would only have offered my gratitude to God for her benevolence. Simeon Longinovich, I think, will be more pleased to know that his charity was used for the church than for the land, although also for protecting the church of those seeking peace and salvation. Give the matter to Benjamin, if he accepts it in peace, and with silence a place will be established that seeks to be a dwelling place of silence. How can we not achieve the poverty of St. Sergius, let us somewhat imitate the poverty of St. Nikon and make a silk sacristy for the monastery, without silver and gold. There is no need to be shy about flowers. White is for especially bright holidays, but it especially requires frugality. For others, red. For non-holiday days, if it happens, green or purple. This is also for fasting people, unless something bad happens. Truly, we must now pray that the Lord may bless the place with inhabitants pleasing to Him. It would be good if followers of the paths of Fr. Seraphim and his companions and the diversity of nature were filled with blessed contemplations. Finally, if, according to the proverb, what hurts someone is what he talks about, I will also say that my teeth and one side of my head really hurt. Pray for my weakness. Caring now, oh. Viceroy, it’s not about how you will receive me, but how I will reach you. My illness did not seem important to me and after two days of patience without a doctor it became easier. Last Tuesday morning I thought I was recovering, when the air from the open window again aroused pain in the right side of my head and in my teeth, and I am spending difficult days and nights. And Grigory Yakovlevich’s illness does not listen well. I don’t expect to celebrate Sunday in church, just as I don’t expect to be in Simonov the next day, and I also don’t hope to be at the academy. Tell about. to the rector that in the meantime I don’t think of changing the days of the open test, and if I don’t take care of the academy’s business on the 27th and 28th, they will give me this day after the open test. However, whatever the Lord arranges, that will be. Ask me for the mercy of St. Sergius, may he ask me for the mercy of the Lord. Please pray, oh. Viceroy, may the Lord punish me not put me to death, and may His punishment teach me. With regret I must tell you that illness deprives me of hope of celebrating the day of St. Sergius with you. Pray and celebrate in peace and, through the prayer of your peace, may our Reverend Father show some sympathy for peace and my unworthiness. The Reverend Vicar is coming to see you. Receive him, and comfort him and treat him. If on the feast of St. Sergius he wishes to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in the Trinity Cathedral, so be it. My illness turned out to be a dental abscess between the gums and cheek. It was necessary to open it with art. The first night after this was very easy. But then the progress of healing slows down, it seems, due to the cold of the whole body that has not yet resolved. There is a large tumor on the cheek opposite the abscess. Thank you, oh. Viceroy, for the blessing from the monastery and for the word of consolation, although it is beyond my dignity, or better yet, unworthiness. I can't say that I felt completely better. On the day of St. Sergius and the next night, I seemed to be moving towards recovery, but yesterday, I don’t know why, a cold in the body, maybe still the same, made it difficult. Now it seems to be better again. I don’t hope to be able to travel soon. I don’t know if I did well in giving my consent to the Nikitsky 28 priest to take the maiden Sophia from Arzamaz to Moscow. The doctor there says that her disorder is aggravated by local displeasure and mistrust of others. One noblewoman who took part in it also wrote that she did not find it convenient to have intercourse with her and deliver the money sent to her. Perhaps the sisters of the community did not want to reveal its position to outsiders, but on the other hand they did not understand this. I don’t refuse to see the novice if my health allows it. The disease continues to deceive me. Yesterday the doctors said that I was recovering and allowed me to go to the garden or leave; I did neither one nor the other, but the cold again appeared at night. If by the end of the week I am released to you, I wish to come unexpectedly, so that there will be less difficulty for my weakness. The sick girl Valmont 29 was brought to Moscow and thereby received relief. Information about the community continues to contradict what you think. May the Lord direct affairs and opinions towards peace and the salvation of souls. Thank you, oh. governor to you, and the brethren of the Lavra and Bethany for the good dispensation that contributed to the peace of my stay with you. I especially thank you for your varied care for me. May the Lord reward you with His grace. Beyond my expectations, I arrived in Moscow on the 6th day, at half past 11 pm, without much fatigue, and in the morning I could perform both the memorial service and the liturgy. I didn’t write to you on Tuesday because I went away for the Liturgy break. He stayed there for one day, fearing the difficulty of returning when the rainy season returned. Thank you for the kind advice, also the condescending one. And you take care to feed me, as doctors often tell me. And I think that I am more guilty of excess nutrition than deficiency. What kind of English beer are you prescribing for me? Porter, or is it another drink? Burn the notes about the girl Daria. That her condition began with demonic possession is clear. And the subsequent circumstances are different, both in actions and in goals, so that they could please the enemy of souls. Afterwards, she lived in the chief police chief’s house not only modestly and piously, but, as he said, she led many servants of his house to a better life. I came across an idea from a little-known writer that is capable of explaining this kind of mixed phenomena. He says that the visions and revelations that are often encountered in our times, half-true and half-false, come from the effect on some people who are incorrectly excited and prone to daydreaming - from the souls of some dead people who, having also in life the wrong excitement of the spirit and the passion to experience and inspire others with the secret, and after death seek communications with similar living ones, and tell them what they have, the truth and the dream together. What do you think? Thank you, oh. Governor, for the blessed bread from the holiday. The exarch asked to accept I. Victor into my department and I promised him, not thinking that I would have to be accepted into the Lavra. But since Archimandrite Andronievsky, in response to my proposal to accept it, strongly expressed reluctance and fear of disorder for the monastery, it was opportune for me to accept your petition in order to keep my word. However, in any case, you could simply intercede, without pleasing me beyond my small measure. Make molds and benches in the refectory of the skete church; but do not raise the forms by more than one step. In the Trinity Cathedral they are high. Celebrating in the skete church the Sunday closest to the Dormition of the Mother of God is good because a new private celebration would join the ready-made general holiday. But there is also a difficulty. If the Feast of the Assumption is on Sunday, then next Sunday will be the royal coronation day. It would be consistent with the history of Gethsemane to celebrate the third day after the Assumption. But there will still be time to judge this. Rather, the rules of the monastery will be needed. It would not be bad if you wrote them briefly and sent them to me. I spoke to Daniel; but I don’t know what to decide. I note that he is a servant of God. I am afraid that the lack of some qualities, less essential, will make it difficult for him in a task that is difficult in itself. At first glance, the exarch will understand him lower than he is, and this can have quite a few consequences. You may say that I can give the exarch good thoughts about him. Based on previous experiences, I think that the exarch will believe his own opinion more than my testimony. If Daniel suffers without fruit, it will be hard for me to think that I led him into this. I have the opportunity to push him into Asia, but there will be no opportunity for me to reach out and pull him out from there. If monk Peter Grigorov does not want to come to me: at least tell him that I thank him for the book, and that I apologize for not answering his letter. I will send this with Nahum, and also a cast-iron inkwell. She in my monastery cell will not be contrary to the local rules. Drive her there. Peace be with you, oh. the governor, and the monastery and brethren. A thief is not a good thing, especially not exposed, because he continues to threaten. Pray and take care that he may be convicted. Thank you for visiting Pesnosh with attention. Find out what Avramiy will do. If one confesses and receives communion, although not fully knowing oneself, one can hope for the best with this help. Writing a lot in the charter and implementing little is, without a doubt, bad. When I happened to talk with those who wrote the monastic rules, I always advised them to lay down laws for everyone more moderately, so that their implementation would be more certain. And those who are zealous can secretly make special voluntary sacrifices, under special guidance. And I was not talking about the rules for the monastery, but about brief initial rules, so that those entering would know what would be required of them. But there is still a lot of word left about this, which the Lord will make easy to say and easy to implement. I don’t think Benjamin will want to go to Bethany, and I don’t think that a place will soon be found for him there. He needs something else. Tell Bethany to work hard and perform a fourty-day commemoration for the repose of the soul of God’s servant Apollinaris. For this, take 25 rubles from the treasurer. Ass. to church for incense and candles, and 50 rubles. Ass. to the circle of brethren. I forgot about the Stanovoi Bailiff to carry out your instructions; I'll try to do it these days. Send the former Guslitsky priest, who is in Bethany, to me for some need, without delay. I justified the police officer in the Sheremetyevsky case from the civil governor. But then they find him wrong in another matter, namely in the factory. I know nothing about this matter and therefore could not say anything. Having heard that they wanted to change the bailiff, I reminded him with approval of Bibikov. It turned out that there was already a candidate protected by the Governor General. Thus, you see that I did what I could, but the fruit of it is not visible. A book about Fr. Seraphim and about Fr. Marche I will accept from Fr. treasurer with gratitude. As for the biography of Fr. S. published in Mayak, Georgy, I think, is not much to blame for this. He let someone copy his creation, but I don’t think he was trying to get it published. Ask him about this and tell me. At the present time, they say, the printing of the book is not as decided by the Synod. There are rumors here that want to hinder my path to the Lavra; while others make it possible for a short time. That’s why I don’t put it off, but I can’t rush. Read the attached letter by the way for considerations about Victor and then return it to me. I., it seems, requires attention and caution. Before leaving for the Lavra, he came to me in the evening, he said a prayer in a very irregular voice at the entrance, and when leaving, he did not find the doors for a long time, despite my reminder where to look for the doors. Deacon Peter passed away last Sunday evening, having been with me that day in the priesthood. This is a lesson worthy of memory. I hope that he will honor his hope, but I feel sorry for the deprivation. I don’t know who I’ll replace him with. I don't want to have a family. Should I take singers to the Lavra? When can the consecration of the church in the monastery take place? I would like to have an answer to these questions before my departure for the Lavra, if possible, that is, no later than 21 days. Making peace with Chelyshev is a good thing, and giving up something that is rightfully demanded would only be harmless to us and safe for the consequences. I see no reason to argue against providing his pawn ticket to the monastery. September 14 (no year specified). What was written above about the police officer was based on a conversation I had with the civil governor on the third day. Today Semyon Loginovich (who is now in contact with the governor regarding the factory matter) informed me that the governor wants to see Bibikov and asks to inform me about this. I am telling you this for a message, if you can, to Bibikov, without knowing, however, whether the other candidate has been decisively eliminated. Note. This letter is placed here in close connection with the letter that follows this letter. According to your letter, Fr. Governor, about V. one might think that the consistory biasedly wants to return him to the Berlyuk hermitage, perhaps at the request of the abbot. If V. gave such a thought, then he sinned by imagining himself as a person whom they long to have. I took the case and found a prepared ruling, which said that V. could be subject to defrocking, but was sentenced to be sent to the Belopesotsky Monastery for a year, with a ban on priestly service for the fact that he left the monastery willfully, and then, when it was ordered to keep him from priestly service in Moscow until he returned to the monastery, he did not return to the monastery, but again willfully went to the Lavra, and there, contrary to the prohibition, clergyman One can complain about this sentence in severity, but not in partiality. I must add that the Lavra illegally accepted V. with a ticket given only to a Moscow hospital, and thereby forced the consistory to correspond with him as a fugitive. IN. I should have told myself when I left Moscow for the Lavra, but the Lavra either should not have accepted it, or, having received it with the wrong look, should have immediately told me so that the matter would not get confused and the guilt would not increase. In the meantime, when the definition, which has not yet been signed, is signed and introduced, you will figure out whether V. is making false statements about himself with the intention, and tell me the final thought about accepting it. The Vifan treasurer speaks confusingly about the matter with Chelyshev and the reason for his embassy to Moscow. If you did not give him precise instructions, he should have begged for them and then went to work. Chelyshev, he says, agrees to give the Lavra 3,000 rubles from the ticket. Ass., how much is the Lavra arrears? – 2,000 rub. Ass. But then, as the conversation continued, he said that there was still a penalty of 1,700 rubles. Ass. I said that under such circumstances, I would not deal with Chelyshev without consideration of his proposals by the council in consideration of the case. You had not told me anything about the Guslitsky priest before that would encourage him to be strengthened for Bethany or Lavra, and I thought that you were holding him only by submitting to his appointment. Therefore, I took the opportunity to use it in some way. Ask me, oh. Viceroy, for the mercy of St. Sergius, may my bewilderment be resolved. My eyes hurt, I cough, my teeth begin to hurt, travel can increase illness, and illness can make travel useless in relation to what it was undertaken for. I want to go to you, but the Lord knows what will happen. Don't bother waiting for me; only it shouldn’t be cold in my cells. Bibikov visited Semyon Loginovich, what does this mean? I have the need to remind you that what I wrote to you about him and about Shatilov should not go out into rumors and become food for controversy. Bibikov should have said what was relevant to him, and nothing more. Note. The letter, without indicating the time when it was written, is placed here in connection with the progress of the case regarding the appointment of Bibikov as a police bailiff in Sergiev Posad. Peace be with you, oh. the governor, and the brethren of the Lavra, and of Bethany, and of the monastery. Together with you will be Prince Alexei Grigorievich, the Governor General, and his wife. Receive them appropriately and bless them with the icon from the monastery and the abbot. God's blessing to you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren of the monastery, Bethany and monastery. For my stay with you, thanks be to God and the prayers of St. Sergius. My return was safe and not tiring. I am sending you the monastery sermon and submitting it for your and the council’s consideration as to whether to print it. If you decide to print, the censorship committee will make the appropriate inscription, because the copy that they sealed before was included in the printed edition of my words. Yesterday I was at the funeral of Count Pyotr Alexandrovich Tolstoy and, after the church service, I walked quite a distance while escorting the body. When I happened to walk a long distance quickly, the ground between the stones of the pavement, lying in the shadow of the sun, seemed to me to be of a bright and seemingly glowing red color, while I saw the stones and the ground illuminated by the sun in their natural form. I think it's because of the excitement of the blood. Shouldn't this case be taken as an indication to prescribe to me some kind of precautionary or medical rule? I asked the steward why the money was sent to the Lavra in small silver, which should be assumed to have been received from Pererva, and not from the owners? He replied that he also received different coins from the owners. I asked and demanded a frank answer whether there had been any confusion in the amounts. He denied. Not convinced by his words, I gave instructions to the dean of the monasteries on this subject, and many difficulties arose. Pray that we will emerge from them in peace. Oct. 8. I answer to this same letter, so as not to rewrite what I am answering, and so that it is clearer what I agree to. But it would be more convenient if, as I used to say, assumptions and questions about affairs and orders were stated in a special note. Three days without oil is not fasting, isn’t it strict, especially for beginners? Let there be food with butter on Monday. And if the inhabitants of the monastery want to cancel this, let there be no oil on Monday. For three days a week, there seems to be no white bread even in the laurel. However, there is a reason not to argue against this. It was not approved that a visitor was invited to the monastery. The hermitage is for privacy, not for display. And those who themselves wish to visit the monastery must be admitted with reason, so that they do not remain silent during the scattering. And no one should be invited. This inscription is made on a letter with the following content: Your Eminence! Most merciful archpastor and father! For the prayers of the fathers, the grace of God preserves the monastery in peace and in all prosperity. In your monastery, the reading of the psalter, which you have begun, is performed every day from Vespers to Matins, and the next time the usual forty days of worship begins. Macarius, Alexander, Matvey and George asked me to ask for your blessing to establish a meal in accordance with a solitary life, corresponding to abstinence: 1st, that on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays, in accordance with the church charter, except for vigils and polyeleos, food should be served without oil; Tuesday and Thursday with one fish, that is, in one portion of fish, or in cabbage soup, or in stew and without milk. Saturday and Sunday two fish and dairy. And bread three times a week. So per week: two dairy days, two fish days and three fast days. It seems to me that this is a moderate abstinence, not quite weak and not quite strict for weakness. There are always three dishes: cabbage soup, soup and porridge, when there is milk. We will take care that the food is well prepared and healthy, but according to monastic custom, it is not always uniform. At Matins they began to read the gospel and the prologue. Father Paisius stays at the monastery for two days and serves the liturgy. On the 4th, at two o'clock in the afternoon, Count Kleinmichel arrived at the settlement and was in the monastery. In an hour I left for the monastery; the treasurer and the sacristan took him to the sacristy and to your chambers. I was everywhere for about half an hour and went back, promising a better road by May. Our people invited her to the monastery; promised, they say, in the spring, when the road is completely settled. I invoke your holy fatherly prayers for myself and my brethren. Your Eminence. The most merciful father and patron, the lowest novice, the viceroy of the sinful Anthony and his brethren. Peace to your soul, oh. governor, and let not your peace be indignant even if someone else acted unreasonably. I am sending you a sample memorial for the deceased. If anything seems doubtful to you, or requires correction or addition, tell me. I wrote a lot of bishops, having reasons for this. Will you make me turn it down? About the difficult word: earworms, may you allow me to enter into some discussion. If you were robbed from your pockets, and I watched and remained silent until you had no opportunity to save at least part of what was stolen, would that be fair? Was it humane? Could I stop myself from thinking that if I said something, they would insult my pride by calling my case a slander? I think that having fulfilled the duty of justice and philanthropy, especially if the matter concerns loyalty to superiors, the preservation of church or public property, I could be calm, no matter how my case was interpreted. But it seems that I haven’t subjected anyone to criticism of headphones. What I told you briefly, as someone who knows the matter, I told the steward and dean of the monasteries, on assignment, with the circumstances, as it was, and this is how. When I arrived at the Lavra, Hierodeacon Anania asked me to see the treasurer for a whole hour, presenting the reason that it was necessary to count the small money sent by the steward, of which the kamilavoshnik was full. I immediately remembered that two days earlier the steward had imagined leaving part of the money received from the farmstead when sending it to the monastery, and that at the same time he asked for money for the house, which I ordered to be given from Pererva. It immediately occurred to me that the keepers of the farmstead should not receive ten-kopeck coins, but rather they should come from Pererva, where they gather for small things in the Iverskaya Chapel. And so Ananias did not know what he was making a denunciation, but I saw clearly that it was necessary to ask the steward whether the money was definitely sent to the Lavra from Perervina, and why not maintenance money? This led the economist closer to recognition than an indication of the estimate, and of later reports on the singer’s money, which was also not kept silent. And the first direction of the matter was towards simple recognition, if it were possible. The hierodeacon of the same faith is definitely asking to join our diocese, and if he wishes, he will be assigned to the monastery. I was not specifically asked to escort the body of the late Count Pyotr Alexandrovich, but I myself wanted to go to the nearest church in order to enter it for exposure, but since the nearest church was in a cramped place, I went to another, and a distance occurred. Consequently, the concern here was not about possible rumors. But to tell the truth, the secondary calculation for this was that I assumed it would be useful to move in the air on a clear day, after the cold and strongly dead-smelling air in the church. I’m not answering you yet; but now I don’t have time to write more. Note. According to the “model of the memorial” mentioned in this letter, the commemoration of the dead is still carried out to this day during the interval reading of the psalter in the Gethsemane monastery; the handwritten original of this “commemoration” is kept in the Lavra sacristy (by addition to the chronological inventory of acts of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra. Section 1. Letters to Metropolitan Philaret No. 32) and reads literally like this: Lord remember all Your servants, from the beginning to the present, who have passed away in true faith and trust in Your mercy, and who have sinned in this life, in word, deed, thought, and with every feeling of soul and body, willy-nilly, in knowledge or in ignorance, forgive them, and forgive them from all guilt and debt and give rest to the soul them, where the light of Your face is present. Amen. Lord, remember your departed servants, pious emperors and empresses, kings and queens, faithful great princes, grand duchesses, princes and princesses, especially those who have contributed to the peace of the Holy Church and the good life of man, and rest their souls, where the light of Your face is present. Amen. Remember, Lord, your departed servants, the Orthodox, your most holy patriarchs, most reverend metropolitans, archbishops and bishops, sacred archimandrites, abbots, hieromonks, archpriests, priests, and all the priestly, monastic and clergy ranks, and especially those who served the Orthodox faith and the souls of their neighbors, in a word, and by deed and prayer, and give them rest, where the light of Thy face shines. Amen. Lord, remember Your departed servants, those from the ruling council, military leaders, city governors, and in all leadership and power; and serving the good for the common good of those who have labored, Orthodox soldiers, citizens, villagers, and all Christians who have died in the Orthodox faith and in repentance, and rest their souls, from where the light of Your face is present. Amen. Remember, Lord, Your departed servants, who bore fruit and did good in Your holy churches, and in the monasteries of St. Sergius, and the creators of this monastery, and our fathers and brothers who served in the monasteries of St. Sergius, and in this monastery, who had mercy on the poor, who visited the sick, who stood up for the weak, who fought for truth, and all those who commanded us unworthy to pray for them; and give rest to their souls, where the light of Thy face shines. Amen. Lord rest the souls of Your departed servants, those who died a sudden or necessary death, and the dying repentance and communion of the holy mysteries, those who were not worthy of a disease that takes away the mind and memory, those who were struck down, or killed in battle, from robbers and slanderers, deprived of different ways of life, from thunder, from fire, from heat, from frost, from the rage of animals and cattle. dead, drowned, deprived of burial due to a disastrous death, from poverty, loneliness and uncertainty, not having a neighbor praying for them. Remember them, Lord Himself, who knows each name and spiritual need, and grant them purification and forgiveness, and grant them peace and weakening, with the invincible power of the life-giving cross, with the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos and all the saints. Amen. Lord remember the most pious: Emperor Alexander Pavlovich, Empresses Elisaveta Alekseevna, Maria Feodorovna, blessed Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaevna. Lord, remember your departed servants, your eminence metropolitans: Plato 30, Ambrose 31, Michael 32, Theophylact 33, Eugene 34, Seraphim 35, archbishops: Augustine 36, Simeon 37, Sergius 38, Cyril 39, Stephen 40 , Athanasius 41, bishops: Samuel 42, Innocent 43, Augustine 44. God will bless Macarius and Alexander to wear the mantle in the monastery. Peace be with you, oh. governor, brethren of the monastery and monastery. The order of akathists in a monastery can be the same as in a monastery, except that from Friday to Saturday it is proper to read an akathist to the Mother of God in honor of her Dormition. But since I, being lazy, easily assume the same in others, and feel the need for precautions, it seems to me that this order would also be suitable. From Saturday to Sunday - Akathist to the Savior. on Monday - the Mother of God. for Wednesday - akathist Rev. Sergius. on Friday - an akathist to the Savior. If the rule with only canons is shorter, it will be easier for the weak, and the zealous can supplement it in the cell. If the number of canons reaches an equation with a measure of a rule that has an akathist, the choice of canons can be useful for attention. However, I leave it up to you and the brethren of the monastery to decide which order to use. One thing is true about clothes: I don't regret it. But your demand seems to me not to be fulfilled. I think that you too would judge this way if it were not your thought that was to be judged. But I wanted to leave the clothes in the monastery for myself, because the half-caftan is quite monastic, and because I have a lot of clothes in Moscow, and it would be less of a concern to stock up on clothes from Moscow to the Lavra, when they are there too. I did not fulfill this thought because my monastery home was not completely settled, and now you have given me an opportunity to return to my thought, and therefore I ask you to send what I sent to the monastery in my cells. True, I wanted to wear the half-caftan, blessed with the vestments of St. Sergius, in Moscow, but here it would sooner wear out and be less preserved. Someone took a picture of the Skete Church and wants to write about it in a pictorial review; I tried to reject this by telling the censor that whether the monastery existed and what it was called, there was no information about it that he could legitimately rely on. The monastery is not for curiosity and rumor. Peace be with you, oh. viceroy of both the great and small monasteries. Elder Joseph, beloved in his simplicity, seems to me like a hermitage. Agreeing to send him to the monastery, I told him to write my petition on paper. And Hierodeacon Sergius seems to lack simplicity. He began with a bow from his Reverence, that is, from you. When I asked why he was in the Lavra: he answered that you asked him about the treasurer of the same faith. Seeing that this was not something that needed to be talked about, I wanted to let him go. Then he started talking about the monastery. – Do you hope that this life will be according to you? - Shall I try? “It’s better to go into such a life not as a trial, but out of a firm desire.” With these words, I let him go, telling him to come when there is a response from Saratov to the attitude of the local consistory about him. It seems to me that even if he decisively asks to go to the monastery, he would have to be refused for a long time in order to finally accept him without a doubt. I thought that the portraits of the Right Reverends Michael and Innocent, simple and unadorned, would not bring any fuss to the monastery. However, I accept your reasoning. Leave them in the laurel. It is, of course, inconvenient to enter all the names brought into the Synodik: it would create an immense mass of names for both the book, the commemoration, and the one commemorating. But it’s hard to say, give so much to add the name to the Synodic. Without a doubt, this was not the case with our fathers. Investors gave deposits out of love for humanity and trust in those praying. And the brethren, out of gratitude and other considerations, entered names, some into the regular and daily Synodik, and others into a special memorial, for commemoration for forty days, or for a year. Resolve this difficulty as best you see fit. It is good to include in the Synodic of Archimandrites Athanasius, Theophilus; perhaps hieromonks Jonah, Irenaeus, Raphael, and in this case one of the hierodeacons, and among the monks I suggest Paphnutius, who died in the first decade of this century. 1844. Oct. 31. God will bless you to observe this order and perform reading and prayer with heartfelt attention, for the good of the souls of those who read, and they pray for them. Note. This inscription is placed on a sheet containing the outline of the order of reading the psalter in the Gethsemane monastery. Grace of the Lord and peace to you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren; and you will say a prayer for the Lord’s mercy towards me and for not leaving me to be tempted beyond my might, because from afar, it seems, a temptation is being prepared for me, because of my sins. I spoke about Sergius to Archimandrite Simonovsky in order to send him to the monastery for experience while the matter about him was going on. May the Lord, with His grace, reward the Princess for her gift of grace, and may he fill her spiritual home with peace, through the prayers of the saints, whom the Church of Gethsemane desires to visit and protect. Flavian did well by undertaking the journey, although he chose not to go to a place that would now be convenient. It is desirable that he finds a place of peace somewhere. A. it’s a pity, but also about the place and society. It is necessary to protect the place from criticism, and society from an unfavorable example. We must forcefully insist that we take care of ourselves, our place, and our society. I don’t have time to write anymore. The Lord's blessing and peace to you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren. Hegumen Mikhail spent a month in an activity that brought little fruit and made fruitless promises. Finally, he submitted his resignation due to illness. Try not to delay in fulfilling the attached definition and quickly deliver to me a new housekeeper, which is extremely necessary for the house. The transfer of the position of Bethany Treasurer seems to take a little time. Chelyshev, as the Vifansky treasurer says, declares himself ready to pay the amount appointed by the last decision, and receive the ticket, and thus end the matter with us, on which, meanwhile, he announced an appeal, as well as the Bubnovs. It seems that it is possible to decide on this outcome if in the case there is no requirement from the court that the ticket not be issued until the case is resolved. Think about this with the cathedral. If Hieromonk Bartholomew wants to go to the monastery, it seems that his desire can be fulfilled. I don’t know what to say about Habakkuk, because I don’t know him much. It is true that multiplying the old is not entirely convenient in a small society. The extract from the foreign journal was so written that I couldn’t make out everything. The journalist is a Protestant and therefore has no concept of the holiness of the church, which is in the Orthodox Church and in church rules. I thank the journalist for calling me an old man and reminding me of death. The act of the Kokuev priest saddens me. And why is the dean silent? “It may happen that, on reflection, I’ll quarrel with both of them.” Pray that I may learn to combine patience with other people’s sins with righteousness, having many of them myself. Nov. 6. I thought about this and it’s good that I’m not alone. - God bless. God will bless Hieromonk Bartholomew to be in the monastery, as I said before, and Habakkuk. Note. This inscription was made on the presentation of the governor of the monastery, which reads as follows: "Teach, father, a blessing to remember the Monk Dionysius during vacation in the monastery, and on May 5, on the day of his presentation, lead a prayer service according to the canon attached to his life. It seems that this is useful for the monastery." May the Lord's blessing cover you, oh. the governor, and the monastery, and the brethren. May the Lord guide the spiritual disposition of the monastery’s brethren and the disposition of its services to peace and salvation. My thought wanders between them, and meanwhile my life passes in rumors, which seem to be increasing, and with no end in sight. Thank you for the word of comfort. It would be good if one could boldly say: You know that I love You, Lord. Then it wouldn’t be difficult to give yourself up to be explained and led, even if you didn’t want to. Pray to the Lord for me, so that he does not completely deprive me of this boldness that He bestows. I have now received your letter. I will agree with the idea of ​​Nahum. Just remind him to firmly hold a humble thought and do everything as before God, and not as before men. I hope we will be at peace with the new economy; but with the former it’s difficult. Pray that the temptation, already great, will not increase further. The news about the monastery, by the goodness of God, consoles me. May the local brethren pray for his approval, and may the Lord establish them on the path of silence and spiritual peace. My sins are obviously great when not only people with whom I had relations and against whom I could have sinned, but also those with whom I had no business, work to punish me. Some say that the monastery was built as a reproach to someone. Others, that I built it, and turn my successor into a stable. May the Lord create this place according to the prayers of His worthy servants, and not according to my unworthiness. Semyon Loginovich tells me that he acquired some land and would like to give it to the maintenance of the monastery, in order to contribute to the establishment of the monastery by establishing this. I remembered how, in a similar case, they were interrogated about the Odigitrievskaya community and concluded that it would not be convenient to start this business in this form soon. But for him to give the land in the name of the monastery, with the income assigned to the monastery, and for us to present this only in the name of the monastery, I did not dare to offer him this, seeing his special intention. Tell me what you think about this. You are offering me a good job. I don’t know what my weakness or laziness will allow me to do, and that with someone else’s hands I can’t do much that would be satisfactory. Now there is still work given by the authorities that has not yet been completed. It is with consolation that I inform you, Fr. Viceroy, about the letter from Count Dmitry Nikolaevich Sheremetev that he has just received, by which he informs me that God has given him a son, Sergius. Sing a prayer service to St. Sergius for the baby and the parents. Thank you for telling me your thoughts about the index to sermons, as well as for everything you tell me, frankly. In order to find in them what they want to look for, partly the division given to them will help, partly the table of contents, in which the contents of many are indicated. Perhaps it would not be superfluous to indicate some special objects or explain some sayings of the Holy Scriptures; But now there is no time and no one to make an index of this kind, and it is impossible to know whether the book will deserve such use that it would be worth the trouble to compile an index. Yesterday I wrote to you, oh. Governor, about the birth of Count Dmitry Nikolaevich's son Sergius. I would like to send him an icon and it would be good if you delivered me the consecrated one with the relics of St. Sergius. Accept, O viceroy, my late thanks to you and the brethren for your prayer and blessing on the day of my angel. That day, illness shut me up in my cell; then by Sunday it was necessary to gather strength to consecrate the restored Annunciation Church in Chudovo; then soon followed the day of St. Nicholas. Until now, I haven’t found the time to write to you. Here, from time to time, quiet rumors are renewed that the arrival of the Sovereign Emperor in Moscow and the Lavra may follow. You cannot rely on these messages, but it is better that you know them. I haven’t had time to look at the inventory samples yet. It is true that marks spoil the inventory; For this purpose, we must try to prevent them from existing. But having a special notebook for them when making an inventory is another difficulty: it is not so obvious to compare the marks with the inventory, and when receiving the sacristy, it would be more plausible to excuse it as indiscretion. I'll think about this. Valuing jewelry seems to me to be a non-ecclesiastical matter. But if necessary; let it be done. Say thanks to my father Paisius for his writing. Also to Ivan Mikhailovich. Create, oh. Viceroy, in the Lavra there is a fourty-day prayerful commemoration of the newly deceased servant of God, Prince Alexander Nikolaevich Golitsyn. He died peacefully on the 22nd day of November, having bequeathed to be laid to rest in the St. George Monastery, and forbidding the use of decorations and insignia at his coffin, and ordering to be laid to rest in the shirt that he had begged from the Sovereign Emperor for himself as a souvenir, after the sovereign had worn it during the coronation. I wish you and the brethren to preserve the purification and sanctification acquired by the sacraments over the past week undisturbed. We are preparing for this this week. Forgive and bless. I am burdened by the work and inactivity of Abbot Mikhail. I still haven’t put my notes in order, but in words I said, of course, without exaggeration, that 14,000 rubles were missing. Ass. It is necessary that you pray for him and for me, because when I told you my thought about whether to establish a construction committee to fix the farmstead, you answered: “It’s better to trust,” and I was ashamed of my caution, which, no doubt, would have significantly prevented confusion and waste. Try not to exceed your means. I would like to know whether everything has been paid for the affairs of the monastery. Please forward the attached letter to the correct address. There doesn't seem to be much money in it. Do you know Efim Ionov, the second-named Vertepogorsk hermit inhabitant of the village of Khonyatina? He says that he lived for three years in your care and carried out your instructions. Now he asks the Governor-General and me to allow him to print the tree of heresies, and when I told him that the picture was incorrect and did not promise any benefit, he replied: I will not give up on this. Tell me how you understand it. Listen to my dream. Today, getting up in the morning at six o’clock, after a while I dozed off lightly, and I see that I am entering here, in Moscow, into a house supposedly belonging to Prince Alexander Nikolaevich, before his departure. A priest holding a cross and wearing vestments meets me in the front room. I kiss the cross, take it and, holding it facing me, enter another room. In the middle there is a table on which there are carpets or something similar, in the back of the room there is a tall female person, in white clothes from head to foot, which does not represent any cut, but only an abundance of fabric, in her hands, against her chest, she holds a white medallion, similar to the image of the Baptism of the Lord that I have, carved on a white Jordan stone. K. Alexander Nikolaevich comes out of the inner room with a bright look of calm and quiet joy, sits down next to me, and talks peacefully. I don’t remember the content of the conversation, except for the last part. I asked if there was still a church in this house, thinking that it would be good for there to be a service in this church on the fortieth day after his death. Again, I don’t remember what he directly answered to this, but I remember only the last expressions; make the church without a shepherd; leave the church and send a shepherd. After this, he stood up and went out, as if for a while, into the room from which he had come. And it occurred to me how I saw the deceased, and whether others saw him, and with this thought I woke up. This is a dream, but what is its reasoning? This letter will be handed to you by Fr. a governor, a youth, a citizen's son, a high school student who feels the urge to withdraw from the world. His youth forces his father to look at his desire with care; but he does not want to continue the present path and give time to test the firmness of his intention. In these circumstances, I suggested that he spend the vacation days, now beginning, in the monastery, and with this thought he goes to the Lavra. Let him taste a little monastic obedience, I think, in Bethany, or whatever you decide; and meanwhile test him and give advice to him and his father. God bless you, Fr. Viceroy, and brethren, a new summer, peace and health, and especially success in the matter of saving the soul, so that having put aside the old man, we may live in the new to our Master. You can go to the Odigitrievsky hostel as God bless you. And you are welcome to me at a crossroads. Carefully arrange that in your absence everything will be thoroughly inspected at the Lavra, and the monastery, and Bethany. O. Archimandrite Paisius, say my blessing and bow. Peace be with you, oh. the governor, and the brethren in every form. Thank you for visiting. I don’t know whether you are right or I am, but I do not agree with your reasoning that you received some very unpleasant information, and they told me it was supposedly unnecessary. If this concerned a stranger, of course it would not be necessary and should not have been taken and passed on such information. But how can one refuse the obligation to know the true position of a person who is in our close subordination, who is consequently entrusted to us, and for whom we will have to give an answer? If we don’t know the disease, how can we heal the sick and protect others? Shouldn’t we also protect the dignity of the place that is entrusted to us, so that it does not appear or be contaminated, to the temptation of many? You say he is leaving. But even for this reason it is not superfluous, but it is necessary to know it, because where it goes, our responsibility extends to correct what is damaged and stop temptation. The true duty of the commander and his assistant is not to walk blindfolded among his subordinates, but to, having learned the brother’s stumbling, not to think that we are better than him, and to act in relation to him, just as without anger, as before this information. If there is anything to grieve about, it is not about what we learned and said out of duty, but perhaps about the fact that we did not have enough vigilance and insight to earlier notice the one who was wavering or going astray, and to hold him back before he strayed far and fell deeply. If this doesn’t seem right to you, then what are you dooming me to? Is it really decisive that one of my subordinates will do, using my power of attorney, disorder and harm; another won’t tell me about this, a third won’t tell me either, and only misfortune will reveal the truth to me? I don’t think you would want to be in charge under such conditions. So, in my opinion, you should not regret that you have learned and discovered that you need to know, although it is unpleasant; But I must remain not without hope that the loyalty and sincerity of the brethren will not leave me without protection from troubles in false brethren. Alexander and Macarius, if there are three years from their placement in the monastery, must be presented for tonsure, and in order for this to be blessed by the Holy One. Synod, and so that their monasticism would be lawful according to the external order of government. For the subdeaconal vacancy I would like a widowed person without a family. But I doubt taking a monk. Subdeacons often walk around the city in ministries outside of my ministry. The placement of the subdeacon is not between the monastics. I'll think about this. Martin to Moscow, I doubt whether it will be useful. Either explain this to me, or choose someone else. I wish you to be healthy. I, too, suffer from a headache, but, thank God, it’s not severe. It comes, and with the help of peace it disperses and ceases. It is good to expose people to experience, but not to temptation. The latter could be close to Martin's closeness to his acquaintances in Moscow. I leave it up to your consideration to send Hilarion or Nikon, or maybe it’s not a bad idea to send the first one, so that you can still think about your previous thoughts about him when he comes into view with his ability and action. Is it true that Hierodeacon Nikon, transferred from Makhra to David’s hermitage, was appointed, tonsured and ordained within only six months? Tell me about this. You say that I know of long-standing squabbles, but the trouble is that I don’t. If I knew, I would be more careful, and, with God’s help, I would try to clear people of business, and if this is not successful, then the place of people. It is good not to reveal the pictures of darkness, but if this is not done, how will the judge judge? The same goes for management. Moreover, one can indicate evil, as a precaution, without developing extensive pictures of darkness unnecessarily. You speak of the weakening of the passions with the weakening of the powers; I don’t know who this concerns. The housekeeper, when he was not the complete master of the house, again I don’t know, I always told the housekeepers that they were the masters not only in the house, but also in my cells in relation to the household. If I live in deception for a long time, it would not be a sin to take pity on this. But that's the end of the argument. Forgive me. Peace be with you. The grace of the Lord, through the prayers of our holy Fathers, may protect you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren. It’s a pity that they didn’t think of setting up a sub-church church in the monastery in time to suit the needs. Is it really possible to make the required corrections in winter? Will it be comfortable and durable? Wouldn't it be better to postpone it until spring? Meanwhile, the reading will be transferred to my cells now, after they are heated, for the peace of mind of the brethren. However, I do not prevent you from starting work on the church soon if you hope that it can be satisfactory. It's not far from March. When the time comes for the earth to go into the earth, it would be good if my earth, smoldering from sins, not prepared for the better by cleansing deeds, descended into the earth and remained in earthly worship at the feet of the praying nomads. But there is a thought that contradicts this, perhaps it is a thought of unbelief, but it is true that it is a thought of knowledge of one’s unworthiness. Will the monastery with its wooden churches be strengthened and durable? Will prayer and bloodless sacrifice continue in him? It is worthy for my unworthy ashes to lie in the desolate desert; but what others learn to be worthwhile, I would desire for the sake of mercy for my unworthiness - the proximity of prayer, the proximity of bloodless sacrifice. Saint Plato rested in Bethany and established it - from me the monastery can only expect that which seeks approval for itself from the established establishment. It seems that I have already pointed you to one place in Bethany. It is true that at that time the monastery was not yet on my mind. In anticipation of what the Lord will arrange, it would not be a bad thing to prepare a place in the monastery, either for me, or perhaps for someone who will be found more worthy. Not in the middle of the building, but better to the right side, but not very close to the foundation of the wall, so as not to damage it. There is no need to think about the church below, since it would hardly be convenient to arrange it; there is a church up close. I would like to come to you. But my cold continues, and things are getting stuck. I'll see how I find myself on the feast of St. Alexis. However, don’t consider this a preliminary. I'll preview it closer if I decide. If there is not enough singing in the monastery, let the brethren endure until this is arranged. There is no need to strengthen your voice to attract a person to the monastery who is not attracted there by spirit. About Hierodeacon Nikon, you told me that soon after tonsure you were promoted to deacon. This is a bit of a departure from the established order. The answer to that part of the question that made the whole question especially necessary is missing. I repeat it: was Nikon truly appointed a novice within six months, tonsured and ordained a hierodeacon? In the answer to this I wish to find advice for the future. I know about the Empress that she has a good eye and loves to promote peace and consolation. May the Lord add His blessings upon Her meek and loving soul. But here is a different eye, able to see what is not there. On the occasion of the report about two Lavra monks being sent to Georgia, Bishop Novgorod said to Mr. Voitsekhovich: “there is something secret hidden here" and instructed him to carefully test Vladimir. Vladimir, who asked me for abbotship, and did not receive it, now has the opportunity to think about how to thank me. May the Lord show truth and mercy and salvation to us all. Will it be convenient to make a vault in the Pyatnitskaya Tower? Will Sims be unhappy with the old walls? This matter is not clear to me without a view on the spot. Can the stone wall at the hotel to the side of the pond be built with strength? It will probably be on the filled-in part of the pond, because part of it was filled in to enlarge the hotel yard. I didn’t demand anything about Nikon. Your information was enough. His tonsure did not comply with the legal deadline. And this is not the first example that observing the legal deadline is good according to the law, but it is also safer according to experience. What is done in complete obedience to the law is, of course, more blessed than according to private reasoning that preempts the law. If in the first case the undesirable happened, one could only say that it is impossible to know the future. And if you fail in the latter case, there is reason to say: it’s a pity that you didn’t continue the test with full obedience to the law. Thank you for the peaceful reasoning. I did not disbelieve what was said, because the path of information was short and true; but I don’t complain about what was said and don’t blame him, because a lot could have disposed him, to look with the eye of distrust at a matter that would not have begun without preliminary distrust, which I also do not judge. God will bless the ryassophore to the hermit Demetrius. I will send you a printed book, part of which I read to you from the manuscript, for the children of the school, and for those who want not to philosophize, but to be humble led. Maria Shagarova came up with the idea to move from Khotkov to Zachateisky. She says that the big house in Khotkovo is a burden to her. To this I said that if I built it recklessly, then I must bear it as penance. He also says that he needs to be away from the doctor. This reason may not be disrespectful; but I don’t know whether it’s really strong. It is not good to run away from a place where a person has been anchored for quite a long time without an important and compelling reason. The Khotkovskys will not be built by this flight; the runner will probably not be indifferent to what happens to the house; the abbess will not know what to do with him. In a new place, a new concern will be established; and who knows whether the old one will be more successful? I told Maria to talk to you. Tell me what you think about this. Blessing and peace to you, Father Viceroy, and to the brethren of the Lavra, Bethany and the monastery. The voice of the church can already be heard, calling for repentance. As I enter this field, I ask for blessings from the house of St. Serius, and from you and the brethren in particular, forgiveness for how I offended whom, and for everything in which I was lacking before you through my weak and unworthy service. If any of you thinks that he needs my forgiveness; I present it in the name of the Lord with peace and love. May the Lord guide us all through repentance onto the path of good deeds and salvation. I heard a rumor about a strange, but not impossible, case. The Gospel was stolen from the Preobrazhensky cemetery and was sold in Borovsk, but was opened by the authorities, and according to the inscription (which, it seems, contains the names of Prince Khovansky and Princess Sophia) it turned out to belong to the Sergius Lavra, and about this, as they say, the Lavra is asked. If this is true, then it must be replaced before us. If there is any communication about this, do not make an answer without carefully checking the old inventories and showing me the draft answer. With a monthly statement, having an extract from last year for comparison is interesting, but isn’t it boring to multiply the work of the office? Now it is interesting to ask Charlampius what guess can be made as to why, while other sums were rising, one, from the sale of icons, fell significantly? I must agree with you that traveling in winter is no longer possible for me. When I leave home for the city, I usually return with a cold. It’s likely that I’ll stay in Moscow until the summer trip. God's blessing and peace to you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren. In the first week of Lent, I didn’t write to you because I had too much to do in terms of time and strength. One had to force oneself to read the great canon in Chudov, for the sake of the multitude and attentive silence of those praying. On Saturday, the duties of the day included the pleasant, but for me difficult, celebration of the birth of Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich. I feel sorry for those who, in the 25th day, moved from unfounded joy to fear and deprivation. Thanks be to God and His Pleasant for the preservation of our vitals. I will tell the civil governor about Mr. Bibikov’s integrity. The adventure in Eugene's cell is very unpleasant, in many ways. Why did Eugene need to be in someone else’s cell until twelve o’clock in the evening? Epiphany's act shows confidence that the owner will not return for a long time, therefore this untimely absence is not so much accidental as usual. What is the dean looking for? Take advantage of the discovered disorder to restore and establish order. Strengthen your supervision so that the brethren do not stay late outside each of their cells. According to the disposition shown by Epiphanius, it is necessary that the investigation of the case be carried out completely and in order. Do not delay in bringing this matter to its proper conclusion. I have long thought that it would be good for popular reading to publish small books from the writings of St. father. But the difficulty is that there are almost no articles ready for this purpose, such as Gennadieva’s; but extraction is needed, and for this time and legibility, apparently not difficult, but in fact not too often encountered. In Christian Reading in previous years there were paternal articles that could have been published separately, as generally used, but not quite common. If you have anything like that in mind, remind me. Feedback has been received regarding the dismissal of Hierodeacon Sergius from the Saratov diocese. But where is he? Does it remain with the intention to be in the monastery? Peace be with you, oh. the governor, and the brethren of the monastery, Bethany and monastery. I rejoice at the zeal of the monastery’s brethren to increase their feat of prayer. But out of my laziness, when I reason about others, I worry whether this jealousy will be constant, and whether some will at first be forced to follow others, and then lag behind? I was told that in the Sarov desert few follow the great rule; in my opinion, it would be better if everyone followed the moderate rule, and the zealous supplemented it in their cells. I am sending you a letter that was given to me for delivery to you. I am sending you a copy of my words and speeches for your library, although not for necessity, at least for the memory of me. Give another copy to the Lavra library. The other day I wrote to you that I was sending a letter that I was instructed to deliver to you, but I forgot to attach it. I'm sending it now. I invoke the blessing and dispensation of God to appoint Skete Macarius as hieromonk, and Alexander as hierodeacon. And tell them that they first made a sacrifice to humility, and the Lord accepted it, and now let them make a sacrifice to obedience, and this will be pleasing to the Lord. May the Most Holy Virgin, patroness of the monastery of Gethsemane, place her word in their hearts: wake me according to the word that came from above from God’s destinies, although the word comes to them not through an angel, but through people who have been pardoned to be servants of the will of the Lord. I am sending you, oh. Viceroy, leaves from St. Ephraim. Reading it in the first week of Lent, as the charter commands, I noted some passages that, in terms of content, were more related to general instruction than others, and were more understandable in terms of language than others. Then he ordered them to be written out and arranged in order, not according to the books and chapters from which they were taken, but according to their content. This, of course, could not result in the correct composition of the book, but it seems to me that this is not a completely disordered collection. I wrote both the title and the foreword. Read it and tell me impartially whether this resembles the case, and whether it can be usefully used for public instruction through publication? Anatoly’s wish can hardly be fulfilled. The deacon has been subject to unfavorable comments and has young children. Such people in the monastery often create difficulties for themselves and their superiors. Read what they write about our Georgian travelers. I did not expect anything pleasant from Vladimir and, of course, would not have sent him if I had not refracted my conviction with the thought that you know him closer and better than me. More than once you give me good problems, but I have the desire to solve them, but either I don’t know how to do it, or I’m lazy. It would be nice to compile a prayer book for the people, but this will require permission from the S. Synod, which is difficult to predict. However, I often think about this, how to tackle this. Teaching about. passions and virtues expounded by a selection from St. Fathers, it’s not easy: you need to read a lot. Using someone else's hands is doubtful. If God grants me to be in the Lavra after Easter, we will talk about this so that we can get down to business, and not in vain. I don't know what to say about flowers. If it is necessary to translate, then perhaps it would be necessary to supplement it. Could you please indicate what else to take from the village? Ephraim. But as with translation you can’t easily cope: the choice made should not be printed as it is, for the sake of experiment, although not in a large number of copies. Return to me the letter from Georgia that I communicated to you. God will bless Matthew with silence for fourty days. By the end of this time, see whether this will be peaceful and beneficial, and if there is no doubt, and he is confirmed in his desire, then God will bless him for a year. In silence, more unhindered, may he hear what the Lord speaks about him, and may the Lord speak peace upon him who turns his heart to Him. Peace and salvation to you, oh. the governor, and the brethren. The monks Macarius and Alexander were received from you. The grace of God returns to you the hieromonk and the hierodeacon. May the Lord preserve them as true servants of His Mysteries, and you instruct them in service, and service in worthy living. We will receive Father Anthony of Maloyaroslavets with love if the Lord arranges for his resettlement to our monastery. To his and our consent, so that Fr. Moses added his consent, intercede for this. If it becomes necessary to use me to obtain the consent of the Eminence of Kaluga, I will not renounce. I will exterminate the case of Hierodeacon Sergius and, I hope, arrange it as desired. To Countess Varvara Alexandrovna, express from me a desire for God's blessing, and deliver an envelope forwarded, inscribed in her name, with books containing what she was a favorable reader of in manuscripts. I am sending another, unlabeled envelope with the same books, with the idea that they should be delivered to the princess, the head of the orphanage, if you find that this is not unnecessary. Did you celebrate in the Assumption Cathedral today? – Here at 5 o’clock in the morning it was 15 degrees below zero, and at 9 o’clock it was 7 degrees. For our salvation, may He who suffered and died, and for our hope, may our risen Lord Jesus Christ grant you, Fr. vicar, and brethren, according to the saving communion of faith with His sufferings, grace-filled communion in the joy of the resurrection. Read the attached papers and tell me your thoughts. Pamvo, it seems, was known to you quite well. Did he reveal to you about his vision, on which he now relies? If Matvey is offered a well-deserved cross, it is probably out of ignorance that he is already a monk. According to the law, the cross received before becoming a monk is removed upon entering monasticism. He may answer like this: if according to the law I should receive a cross, then I agree to accept it as a memory of the service and the royal favor. Kissing not only with my hand or lips, but especially with my heart, to you and the brethren, from the oldest to the newest: Christ is risen! And again to this, heard from you: He is truly risen! May the peace of the risen Lord be given to you and dwell with you. I commend myself to your prayers. If my books are needed in the monastery, I will send them. They brought me a carved wooden egg and said it was for the monastery. I will fulfill this purpose for the sake of obedience. Ivan Petrovich Polivanov brought me a wooden altar cross for the monastery, with an image of the Crucifixion of the Lord made from a pearl shell. He asks if it is necessary to cut out a place in the tree to place the St. relics, but I think differently, wouldn’t the simple four-pointed appearance of the cross seem unusual? I will forward it to you for discussion. Let the skits take into account the fact that the senator humbly works for them, and let them pray for him. Do you remember that we wanted to bless her with an image for his labors? Unfulfilled, or fulfilled past me? I don’t know what to say about Abbot Peter. Who is this? If the one who was Abbot Konevsky, he is a man with spiritual reasoning. But he was not destined to remain in charge for long. Then he lived in the Sergius Desert with Archimandrite Ignatius, who loves and seeks people with spiritual reasoning, but he did not stay there for long, and it seems that both did not regret being separated. And how will the abbot live in the monastery? Whether it is possible for him to be in charge is impossible to guess, and the abbot not being in charge under the commanding hieromonk would not reduce the unity in society. I won’t apply this reasoning to Maloyaroslavetsky, because I understand him somewhat, and I have no doubt that he will be a peaceful inhabitant, and the authorities can be entrusted to him immediately. Analyze these thoughts for me and, if possible, explain to me whether this is the Abbot Peter that I know about, or another. O. Archimandrite Paisius, say my blessing and gratitude for the word of consolation. Give it to me, oh. Viceroy, information about what happened in the monastery with V., the son of the Right Reverend A. Here's some more unexpected bad news. Demetrius came from the monastery and complained about the harsh treatment of Macarius, and said that he had completely left the monastery. Give me an idea about this. Demetrius says that Macarius uses some schismatic forms, and thereby confuses others. He says that some people left the monastery from Macarius before. It seems that you should have written me something when Dimitri was released. What is needed is written to you, oh. governor, before this, and sent yesterday. Now I send what I also demand from you - peace. I would like to come to you, despite the cold spring; but they hold, although incorrect, but also not entirely refutable, rumors about the upcoming journey of the Sovereign Emperor, which may be to Moscow. This confusion should be resolved around the 7th day of May. Now I have received information about Abbot Peter, who now rules the Nilosor desert. This is definitely the former Konevsky. He lived for twelve years in the Besedny Monastery among the brotherhood, and now for another year he rules the Nilosor desert. The novice says that he is kind to the brethren and calms them down; but the benefactors of the monastery cooled down in front of him. A stone church, built and having ready-made material for the floor and ceiling, and iron for the roof, does not want to tear it down to the foundation and build a wooden one on it; The Novgorod consistory does not like this and wants to examine the matter through an architect, and encourages the abbot to leave his abbotship. Please accept this in addition to what I wrote and tell me your thoughts. I had Paisiy, who came out of the monastery. His eye sees sharply, and his gaze does not fall softly on objects. But be that as it may, it is a pity to hear what he says about the monastery - that Macarius is alienating himself by sectarianism, and that 18 people left him, and that with him no one will find peace. I hasten to tell you, oh. Governor, that I see neither guilt nor punishment in delaying your letter to me on the holiday. There is, by the goodness of God, our communication in peace and love, and without the mediation of charters and ink. The delay is not of you; and it is beneficial to me because it reduces the guilt of my slowness, which I often cannot get rid of. If Macarius does not know what Paisius told me about him, then there is no need to bother him with information. And if he does, then tell him that my opinion of him has not changed at all by what I heard. Isn't your spring better than here? – Only the other day was somewhat warm, but there was not enough rain. The earth is not green enough, and the cattle, I think, have nothing to eat in the field. In the grain docks, they say, a lot of bread was damaged by water spills. In Kyiv, several hundred houses are covered with water. Lord, have mercy! Read the attached notebook, and decide whether to give it to our publishers, who do not seem to be rich in materials and are not in a hurry to publish books. Peace to the soul of Hieromonk Averky, and may the Lord make up for the deprivation in service. God will bless you to call Vincent into the ministry of prayers for the sick. It seems that he can do this in the simplicity of faith. E. came to me not with repentance, but with a note as proof of his innocence, and he even had a few tears. Troubles are multiplying in the false brethren. God bless you. Regarding M., I agree with your opinion. The mercy that was almost excessive was that they accepted him into the Lavra for the last time, after his time in Makhra. You also need to be careful, both for yourself and for others. May the Lord show him the path to good that is necessary according to his properties. Peace be with you, oh. the governor, and the brethren. I wish that as time improves, your illnesses will stop. I paid tribute to this time too. On the 13th day I caught a cold while visiting the Right Reverend Iliopolsky, and on the 15th, on the day of Tsarevich Demetrius, I happened to serve in the Archangel Cathedral during a feverish fever. After that, the illness became more severe and it was necessary to sit in the cell and be treated. Now I would like to go to you, but the chief of staff of the local corps told me that the new highway, and at his special request, was not opened for the passing regiment, and that the journey was disastrous. Now bypass roads should also improve, but how soon? “I wanted to celebrate Trinity Day with you, but one of the members of the Board of Trustees convinces me to consecrate the church on Monday in one of the affiliated institutions.” So there are those that obstruct the path, and those that keep you in place. I don't know what will happen. Bring me to the feet of St. Sergius with prayer, and bless me to come. Blessings to you, Fr. governor, and peace and health, and also to the brethren. Thank you for the blessed bread on those holidays. I celebrated in the house church with difficulty. During my previous illness, I was called to lay the foundation of a church at the almshouse of a society of artisans. I said that I did not expect to be able to come on the appointed day, and suggested inviting the Reverend Vicar. They said: let's put it off until Thursday. I replied that I did not hope to be able to do so even today. The illness is over. Gathering my strength and inquiring about the road, before I had time to leave, Thursday came, and a request, and it was difficult for me to refuse, because the society, not very significant in the capital, which I met for the first time, could take this for inattention. Having caught a cold from the wind during my confinement, I didn’t notice it and went to the orphanage for an exam that same day. The next night the fever returned. On Trinity Day I did not want to lose the church, and I served; but during the late reading of the prayer from the open windows behind me (which was necessary so as not to become exhausted), I received such a weakening sensation in my sweaty back and head that I could hardly finish the service. From this came two three-day fevers, each at its own time. Now it seems that it is over, but I am very upset about the disease and the medications. V. prescribed them according to his own rules; at the most difficult time, Vysotsky unexpectedly came and partly changed the medicine, and then I only began to receive help. Now, says B., we must wait for the seventh and fourteenth days. If not so much, I still don’t hope to make time to visit you before the 25th day. We'll put off the tickling of the singer's house, but the windows at my house have been remodeled, and the housekeeper is asking for money. Read the attached letter. It seems to me that we need to send money; but the writer lives far from Smolensk - how will they reach her? Doesn't indicate the road. Is it possible to send an order for public charity, saying that someone who has received information about the cramped position of the landowner Matskevicheva forwards the money to be paid on the mortgaged estate, as shown in the letter. But who will sign? And such a strange paper, according to which there is no one to complain to, won’t it give someone in need a chance to use the money? - If you think that this is inconvenient, I will leave alone. If you think that it can be executed reliably, arrange the execution as best you see fit. Sending money to the city to be sent to a distant unknown village seems unreliable to me, depending on how the post office tries to protect its trust. On April 17, I sent a package to Count Protasov and with it my sermons to present to the Sovereign Emperor. I hear that the mail coach on the road was burned. I think if the package was burnt, they will tell you. Time passes without saying; I think it looks intact. Count Strogonov arrives from St. Petersburg and says that the Empress asks that I do not send her my books. And they were sent on the same day, not from me. It turned out that both parcels were burned, and the postal director did not confess to me about the second one, but he still didn’t tell me about mine until I forced an official confession. Apparently, what is needed is not the common good, not loyalty, but glory, that our cause is not sinful, although it is not an unforeseen event and does not harm true glory. The icon sent is assigned to my cell in the monastery. Note. The letter, without indicating the time when it was written, but obviously refers to 1845, was written, as is obvious from the letter, after Trinity Day, and, in all likelihood, a few days before June 25th. Blessings and peace be with you, Fr. governor, and with the brethren. I thank you for facilitating the peace of my stay; and I thank the brethren for the good dispensation in which I found a share of peace and consolation. I returned to Moscow safely, although not without difficulty. The rain met me as I was leaving the suburb and accompanied me for at least two-thirds of the road, not leaving to irrigate me when I went to church in Khotkovo for worship, and in Bratovshchina for the liturgy. Therefore, I could not devote myself to visiting the house church along the way. I am sending you M.’s note not to do anything based on it, but so that you can see that not using legal formalities with thin people out of condescension means exposing yourself to difficulties. If M. writes a formal request, then the matter may turn out to be confusing. I wish you to joyfully and godly celebrate the feast of the Most Blessed Ever-Virgin, and I ask for your prayerful assistance so that our celebration may also be blessed. May the grace of the Blessed Virgin be with you, Fr. governor, and with the brethren in the celebration of Gethsemane, in which I would like to participate. However, I thank God that yesterday and yesterday I was honored to celebrate in the church with great joy. The cathedral was full and so well-dressed by the people that they say two or three more cathedrals could have been filled. And today in Andronievo I celebrated the image of the Lord, and, it seems, it’s all the better that without a rector’s celebration. I had Hieromonk Filaret, in the usual state of mind, with denunciations out of jealousy in the faith, one of which concerns you. He says that you gave him an image, the drawing of which is attached, and that on it the Mother of God is depicted with an insult to her dignity. If this is truly what you write, then it requires correction. The picture shows not a cell, but a church with pillars and vaults, which did not exist in the monastery of St. Sergius at that time. The crossed hands of the image of the Mother of God give this image an expression that is inconsistent with the circumstances of the appearance. There is no heresy against the faith found by Philaret, but there is a heresy against historical truth. The panagia that I wore every day in the monastery, and which at the evening of departure I gave to Ananias, packed in a wax box, we are not looking for here. Ask Varnava if it is forgotten there, and if found, send it. Thank you, oh. governor, for the news of the Gethsemane holiday. May the Most Blessed Mother of the Lord look with the eye of mercy on this humble place. God will bless Gabriel to build a secluded cell, and may he grant him silence, overshadowed by grace. It is necessary that the nomads protect him from fame, behind which rumor easily creeps in. Having stated the opinion of Hieromonk Philaret, I did not pester him, and it does not require your refutation. The cross-shaped folding of the hands of the Mother of God in the image of Her appearance, of course, cannot humiliate Her; but it does not correspond to the meaning of the image and does not give the seer a thought consistent with the content of the image. We were looking for panagia according to the proverb: “mittens are in the belt, but they are looking for them.” It was found here. Here is another requirement, already undoubted. In my cell in the monastery, in the closet next to the wall of the prayer room, there remained a copy of my sermons bound in parchment. I need him soon. Send it wrapped so it can be preserved. They want, oh. Deputy, take Hieromonk Anastasy to Yuryev for the sick, whose preservation is important for many, and by the way for the church under construction. Don't interfere with this and let it go. Be at peace in the Lord, oh. vicar, and even the brethren in Christ. An official report is required about visiting the Pesnoshsky Monastery, which must be submitted to the consistory. It's unpleasant that there are not enough vegetables. Where will you get it? There seems to be a lot here, but it’s far away. What makes me think is the expectation of distinguished guests, some of whom are expected to wait from the 24th day of this month. If I were busy waiting for the Sovereign Emperor, and in this case, having gone to the Lavra, I could either be late, or come to the meeting powerless from the road, if the Sovereign somewhat speeds up his journey, as has happened more than once. Pray to St. Sergius that everything possible will work out without confusion and embarrassment. I am sending you, oh. Viceroy, a letter that is asked to be delivered correctly. Looks like there's money in it. Abbess Rozhdestvenskaya asks permission to visit the monastery. For the nun and the abbess, it seems, permission can be given to be there at the liturgy, and that’s enough. The Polotsk nun Euphrosyne, whose brother visited us in August, will be in the Lavra. Please accept it carefully. May the power of the Cross of the Lord protect you, oh. the governor, and the monastery, and the brethren. The manuscript about the cross was brought to be given to the academy. But put this aside for me. What kind of trouble, it seems, would be if you decently asked M. about money? Well, he declared himself to have come on my orders, that’s how it was. He came to me more than once, but I did not receive him after the paper I sent to you. Then the housekeeper asks me whether to keep M. in the compound, who has been living with the novice for five days and does not want to leave? I said that I shouldn’t have accepted it, because he probably doesn’t look like it. But when M. objected that he would not go without my decision, I ordered him to be told that he should not expect any decision here, for he did not serve here, and that his decision was in the Lavra. And when he said that he would go to the Lavra, I ordered him to say: let him go; in order to get rid of him in this way, without resorting to the police. A person like him should not be trusted in the announcement of my order. Writing before this, I forgot to introduce you to the Most Reverend Kostroma. Tell me how it was for you. With this I bid you farewell to the Polotsk nun Euphrosyne Serbinovicheva, who is traveling to St. Sergius and St. Demetrius. Help her to perform her prayer peacefully and be able to comfortably see the shrine and antiquity. If he wishes to be at the liturgy in the monastery, allow him, without, however, making a rule from this example. I apologize to the sketeers for reducing their silence for an hour by allowing the abbess to listen to the liturgy in the skete. You did not do more than this, and I did not allow it. But the trouble is not that the Conception Abbess, who was not allowed there, will grieve, but that, regarding my permission, they will pester you about permission and shake the rule. Let us be stronger with God's help. Tell Brother Joseph why he does not make peace with us when we make peace with him. After all, Little Russians do not like Great Russians, but we love good people of both tribes equally. Krasnopevkov is allowed to take tonsure. Give him one hundred silver rubles from me for clothes, or half for clothes, and half for his mother, as needed. I want to come to you, but I don’t know what will happen. They name the adjutant general, who recently passed through Moscow, who said that the Emperor must wait in Moscow for 27 days. Read the attached letter. According to him, it seems doubtful whether everything reached its destination. Please pray, oh. Viceroy, so that I would not be sad not to be with St. Sergius at the holiday, and so that I would not be sad another time if the obstacle that appears turns out to be invalid, which is now impossible to guess. I ordered things to be laid out on the road and sent to hire horses, when an official arrived from the Governor General with the news that the Sovereign Emperor had already accelerated His journey five days ahead of his appointment. Thus, the time of my intended journey is taken away, especially if we assume that the acceleration begun can increase during the rest of the journey. Celebrate joyfully, you and your brothers. Remember me in this good hour at the feet of our good Father and Patron. Andrei Nikolaevich Muravyov travels to the Lavra for a holiday. Let it hover over me as before. Make sure he is warm and calm, and has everything he needs. We will not envy the loftiness of the view of the Right Reverend Kostroma 45, who did not find anything remarkable in the Sergius Lavra after Kyiv. And what did not occur to him to listen to the prayer singing, was it not from the Neva Lavra? Prayers to St. Alexander are not often held there. May St. Sergius, with his goodness, precede his petitions, and may he show him the consolation of the communion of saints, which I wish for him both for himself and for you. O. Tell Paisius my gratitude, and tell Ivan Mikhailovich my consent to what he wrote about. The calculation that led me not to go to the Lavra for the holiday turned out to be not entirely correct, and not entirely incorrect. Due to the damp weather, I was not free from colds even in the house, and therefore, after the trip, I could hardly fulfill the 27 days required of me, that is, to meet the Sovereign Heir Tsarevich in the Assumption Cathedral. He was in the cathedral with Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich. On the 28th day I unceremoniously met Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich at the Assumption Cathedral, and accompanied him to Arkhangelsk and Annunciation. What is unceremonious, it was not up to me. The Sovereign Heir is in good health, and Konstantin Nikolaevich, it seems, can be wished for better health so that it better serves the activity and curiosity he displays. I have very reassuring news about the health of the Empress from Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich, who yesterday had a rather brief conversation with me. A visit to Moscow by the Sovereign Emperor is promised in winter. O. Tell the treasurer my gratitude for the book. How it is done that he points to the Greek edition of the writings of S. Gregory the Theologian. And does he print so luxuriously with his own money? But be that as it may, let it be for the benefit of those reading. I read the description of the monastery, but I don’t see what to make of it. Some are incorrect due to changes that have occurred, and others due to an inaccurate view or memory of what was seen. I ask you to pay attention to the new hieromonk Leonid 46 and help him establish himself on a new path. Tell Joseph that we are letting him go with regret, and if he wants to return, we will accept him with love, without reproaching him for wanting to leave us. If there are copies of the sermon preached in the monastery, send me a dozen. They ask. I return it to you, oh. viceroy, notebook about the monastery. Listening to you, I corrected with a pencil what seemed incorrect. But look, I haven’t made a mistake either. Where did the song in the notebook come from? He doesn't seem to be in the church. I regret that N. is subjected to unpleasant doubt. Correct supervision of the account is needed both against the sin of infidelity and against the sin of vain suspicion. Next Sunday, God willing, I need to travel near the Kremlin, and then it wouldn’t be a bad idea to travel to you; but I'm afraid of the road. If you find out that she will recover; tell me. Maybe I'll use this. The construction of a factory, when there is no hirer in mind, is not beyond doubt. May the Lord help you fulfill your hopes. The cassock novice, the nephew of the Right Reverend of Chernigov, dismissed from Bethany, but not assigned to Chernigov, and consequently registered in the department of the Lavra, lives in Zaikonospassky with an expired passport, and they stop giving him asylum there. Pay attention to this, so that the Lavra will not be to blame for not maintaining order if he, like a tramp, ends up in prison. It must be said to Macarius and Alexander and Matthew that even in the monastery there is enough silence for those who listen to themselves. And it is necessary that the monastery be landscaped, so that the desert dwelling near it will be blessed by the house of the Most Holy Theotokos, which exists in the monastery. It would be wrong to scatter into the forest and weaken the improvement in the house of the Most Holy Theotokos. Let them bow their souls under her protection, asking for a saving dispensation, not hastening with their thoughts, even though they are good. On the day of Sergius and Bacchus, I also remembered the namesake of St. Sergius. The road to you, they say, is somewhat better than before. But the weather is still unfavorable. Tomorrow we need to travel near the Kremlin. Remember my weakness in prayer. Be at peace in the Lord, oh. governor, and peace to the brethren. Yesterday's holiday, thanks to God, we celebrated peacefully, with a satisfied congregation of the Lord's people filling the cathedral, and the Kremlin, and the square, and accompanying the shrine near the Kremlin. The Lord allowed me to complete both the ministry and the journey without much difficulty, with the help of deacons. Waiting for the path to come to you is fair advice. But, waiting out the inconvenience of the journey, I can meet the inconvenience of time. On November 20 and December 6 you need to be in Moscow. We don’t know what we want. I'll take a look. X. approve hardly quite sincerely. Is he poor in abstinence? And will Iliodor help him get to know monastic life well? Don't ignore their questions. We won’t argue that peug and fir are the same thing. But that fir is not the same thing as pine, you can verify this in my garden, if there is no fir in the laurel, but it seems there is in the academy’s garden. I rejoice if the lower church in the monastery is drained. Consider heating for this purpose. Simplicity, it seems to me, is the hope of the monastery. May the Lord preserve this, and may it be done according to the commandment; where it’s simple, there are about a hundred angels. You wrote to me about someone wanting to go to the monastery, asking me to write to the diocesan bishop to whom it belongs. Remind me about whom, and whether it’s time to write. Tell the postmaster about the contents of the attached letter. What happens to a handwritten medical book? Have you forgotten about him? From among the enamel icons that were in my cell, I asked to send several to Moscow. Remember this. Countess Anna Alekseevna Orlova-Chesmenskaya is visiting you these days. Receive the God-loving virgin with zeal. About Fr. I wrote to John the Right Reverend of Saratov. Send the treasurer's track record. I respect his life, but he did not show himself to be excellent in his position. At the Fontansky courtyard, the hunters used to sing quite decently. Perhaps the steward should have caressed them, and for lack of this they were gone too. If necessary, send a singer there. Please read the attached note. The person named in it is asked to be placed alone in your almshouse, because even now he lives not with his family, but separately. Sims want, among other things, to separate him from the dubious community. Tell me what you think about this. Thank you, oh. Viceroy, for the kind reception of good guests. God will bless your kind word and good intention and deed of Countess Anna Alekseevna. Let her lamp be full of oil and burning until the meeting of the Heavenly Bridegroom. I accept the reasoning of the sketes, so as not to disperse during the liturgy, and not to gather for a meal again, but straight from the liturgy from the church to go as a cathedral to the meal; and for this purpose, to begin the liturgy later than before. The execution of the rite of panagia exactly according to the charter is also approved. May the Most Holy Grace preserve and restore them in a good dispensation. Regarding the Makhritsa builder, I relied on your knowledge about him. According to my remark, from the very beginning in Mahra, he did not begin to provide what his life in Bethany promised. This day he came to me, complaining that the Lavra treasurer, without saying anything to him and not staying with him, summoned the brethren one by one and persuaded them to write something against him. Finally, upon departure, he accepted a sealed package from the brethren. But he didn’t reveal anything to the builder. If the treasurer acted this way, then he did not act in the best way, having so decisively brought down the builder in the eyes of the brethren ahead of time. Now we must be wary of anarchy in the monastery. However, perhaps the builder also does not speak accurately about other people’s affairs, just as he does not sufficiently justify his own. Do not hesitate to tell me what the treasurer found in Mahra, and add what you think needs to be done. It’s good if the singing in the monastery has improved, but I am at peace with the memory of the past, and now I hear: under your roof to the mistress... According to His mercy, may the Lord protect the monastery, and the monasteries, and you, with His Angels, Fr. the governor, and the brethren. Today at four o'clock in the morning I got up to see off my guest, His Eminence Yaroslavsky. After this, returning to my room, I hear someone knocking on the door. What's happened? Letter via courier. Having looked through it, I see that I can read more closely afterwards; and according to the postscript about the affairs of the forester and the head, there is nothing to do this day, because one service in the Archangel Cathedral fills the measure of my strength. Tomorrow I will try to see the governor, and maybe I will need to talk to the governor general. For you and me, it is simple and clear that you can get from Glinkovo ​​to Sergievsky Posad without a written form, but among people who are more businesslike than us, you can encounter a strong objection: legal order requires not to leave for another province without a written form. Dozde November 8th. Then I got distracted, and returned to this letter on the 9th morning. It would be better to talk about Makhritsa affairs on the spot, but I have a cold in my eye and ear from yesterday, and although my teeth don’t hurt much, some seem to be out of place. In such a situation, undertaking a trip would mean developing a complete and stubborn dental disease, as I already know from experience. About the Makhritsa builder, I tried not to believe my comments, and to see him from the best side, relying on the fact that you know him better than me. But it has long seemed to me that his word is not simple, but artificial, and, consequently, not sincere. You should have noticed this earlier, and earlier pointed out to me the cases that you are now pointing out. When appointing him to be a builder, I told him that a communal and secluded monastery, with good management, can serve better than others for the education of monastics, and therefore can be a nursery, and that it is desirable that he give the Makhritsky monastery such a direction. He probably turned this into the idea that I asked him to form monks for myself. If he told you that he was doing something with my permission, and you found it useless, you should have immediately let me know before something useless was undertaken. It could have happened that, not knowing closely the local circumstances, which he inaccurately represents, I agreed to a plausible presentation, but in fact unhelpful. But I don’t remember at all that he directly asked me for permission to do anything, and that I gave it. Maybe he told me what he needed, and took my non-denial as permission, while I accepted the story hesitantly, because the verification of his assumptions should be done closer to me. Now in Makhra the alarm has been raised, but nothing has been done. Things have reached the point where not to act officially would mean acting extremely carelessly. But the treasurer did what was illegal and did not do what was legal. He accepted a letter from 12 people, that is, from a crowd, and thereby reinforced the crowd. He could accept 12 letters from 12 people, one from each, and a common letter from 12 people is a rebellious action. Meanwhile, he did not do what was legal, that is, he did not make any report about what he found. Meanwhile, the spirit of discord is not only aroused, but has also opened up, and is boiling, and the boiling can overflow, while with us time lasts in correspondence, which does not help the matter. That is why, it seems to me, it was opportune that I, having listened to the builder, demanded from him a note for memory, in anticipation of what I thought the cathedral would present to me. The cathedral did not submit anything, but the builder’s note makes it possible to make an order to the cathedral, without fear of non-recognition of what was told to me. However, I leave the note with me, and take from it only what is necessary in order to give the matter the necessary and moderate progress. It seems to me that the order I am making can help the builder, who is rather... (sorry) stupid, better understand his mistakes and their consequences. Official action will not hurt, if circumstances allow, to end the matter as peacefully as when acting at home. Carefully choose the assistant to the treasurer who is needed for pacification, because the builder no longer considers the treasurer to be impartial. Give them the immediate instruction that cannot be contained in a prescription. It is necessary to act accurately, so as not to confuse the matter with the gossip of the dissenting parties, and so that they do not present themselves as judges, but as assistants sent to help end difficulties and establish the shaken peace in the monastery. There is no time left to write anymore. Through the prayers of our Venerable Fathers Sergius and Nikon and Stephen, may the Lord give good reason to those who act and to those who are affected by the action, and through humility may He establish peace. Here is a report on the subject of peasant sales of firewood. I decided to talk about this with the manager of the Chamber of State Property, a well-disposed man who believes that laws should be used for the benefit of people, and not to constrain them. On Friday I went to see him and didn’t find him. On Saturday he sent me to say that I wanted to see him at his place or at my place. He has arrived. I stated the case. He replied that yesterday the chamber determined what I was petitioning for. The forester presented to the House to enforce a law requiring that industrialists sell firewood only by tickets, representing the treasury for this benefit. The Chamber approved the proposal during the illness of the manager, but one adviser did not sign the definition, and delayed the matter until the commander’s recovery. This proposed another law for consideration, commanding not to constrain the peasants in their rural industry. Therefore, the chamber recognized that the first law applies only to traders, rejected the forester’s submission, and consequently, peasants can sell firewood without tickets. The manager promised to hurry up and issue an order to the forester about this. The question remains whether the forester, despite this, will not allow peasants from another province to enter without tickets. I will try to talk to the governor about this. But, it seems, the bailiff can also help with this when you tell him the decision of the chamber. I expect to find out what you are doing and thinking about the Makhrishchi matter after what I wrote. Celebrate the feast of St. Nikon without me, and remember me before him, and before his holy relics. 13 in the morning I receive your letter dated 11 days. May God bless the abundantly loving, meek soul of His servant, Countess Anna, who abundantly loves Him! Reading your letter, I was afraid, and still am afraid, that her soul would be disturbed by some thoughts in good and pure determination. This is a concern not for the fulfillment of what was proposed, but actually for the peace of her soul. But I think I see her in silence. And to you, if I had time, I would say: you are hardened to ask. I would not suggest anything, or if I decided, I would talk about the food of the strange and the monastery, and that’s enough. However, may the Lord bless everything that can be done for His glory and for the benefit of the humble of the earth. You can and should always pray for the Empress, who is ill, whenever her name is heard in church prayers. In my church there is a prayer for the traveling Emperor, Empress and Grand Duchess. So it is in St. Petersburg. Of course, there is no crime in prayer, but it happened that once on the journey of the Sovereign Heir I ordered to pray in Moscow for him, and at the same time there was a rumor in Moscow that he had become ill on the way, and in St. Petersburg they became alarmed and attacked me, why prayer had given food to the rumor. If after the 20th day I manage to be in the Lavra, then we’ll see there and decide. However, the news about the health of the Empress is good. Glory to God and thanksgiving to the facilitating prayers of our Reverend Father Sergius. My journey to Moscow was completed safely, except for a small cold, which, however, did not prevent me from celebrating this day as a matter of duty. I remember my stay in the monastery with gratitude to you and the brethren of the monastery and monastery. Opposite the Talitskaya chapel, near the caves, I saw a house. From its proximity, I think it was built by the Makhrishchi. How long ago, for what, and with what permission? When Countess Anna Alekseevna was in the Lavra, did she receive an image as a blessing, and what kind? Immediately upon arriving in Moscow, I was faced with a question that would be better to talk about than to write about. But we must do what is necessary. Nilova Hermitage, according to plan, will have a need for a rector, and His Eminence Tverskoy is looking for it. To better determine the need, you need to know that the current rector, they say, a decent person, did not act with such caution as the evil ones of today demand. His sister lived in the monastery courtyard, and in the neighborhood the noblewoman had two nieces. Noblewoman, depositor of the monastery. Despite the fact that the brethren were indignant that in the house of the noblewomen, on occasion, they took coals or something for the table, they derived from this the accusation of plundering the monastery, and even worse, they reported to the synodal chief prosecutor, and, not being satisfied with this, to Count Orlov, which resulted in an investigation and trial. A new abbot will come to this position of the monastery. They ask me, and I ask you, who to point out, with the hope of benefit. The thought of the Lavra sacristan comes to me. Wouldn't it be enough for these circumstances? Moreover, I don’t know if he left some unpleasant memories in St. Petersburg, where he was employed on a mission of trust and then eliminated. Think and tell me your thoughts without delay. Of course, what has been said about the Nile Desert will not go further than you. May the Lord grant that the flood will calm down and peace will be restored among the Makhrin brethren. It is advisable for the builder to stay and establish himself. If it becomes necessary to let him go from there; Of course, it will be necessary to let him go in peace according to his wishes, and not against his wishes. But is it necessary to go to the desert? Wouldn't he and Macarius want to return to Bethany and live as before? It is very regrettable if the guess about outside influence on the Makhrin unrest is true. If for peace there it is necessary to remove some who were named before, tell me about this, or present it from the council. It’s true that you don’t need to open your hut to cover someone else’s. For this very thought, I did not tell you about the treasurer, saving him for the Lavra. Taking this opportunity, I am sending you two scraps of material. Would you like to use the darker one for your half-caftan, as a keepsake for me? And the one that is lighter, isn’t it suitable for serving in the skete to make a sakkos and an omophorion, overlaid, instead of a gas, with white ribbons, or koims made of cut white material, so that the vestments would be according to the skete rule? Use what is sent here, oh. governor, by appointment. I am awaiting information about Mahra as a result of your visit. I haven’t forgotten about priest Euphemia, but I’m not yet ready to give you an answer. Now I saw Alexey Ivanovich 47 and found out that at our hotel they charged him twenty-five rubles for food, and the food was bad and insufficient. Hello a lot, oh. viceroy May the physician of souls and bodies ward off all infirmity from you. With the beginnings of weakness, what was the point of setting out on a journey in a snowstorm? Mahra would have waited a day. May God grant that what you say will be and remain in Mahra, and not what the paper says, which is then returned. I answered you about the keeper of the table at the hotel. I answer about the beekeeper here. May the Lord keep you and your brothers in peace. His Grace Jacob gives a contribution to the monastery - a cross. I am sending it without opening it so as not to miss the opportunity. Tell me what he is like. I think from a pearl shell. I am sending several copies of the two newly printed words. Have you received a letter and a parcel from Professor Gorsky? Christ is born; praise. I wish, oh. Viceroy, so that you and your brethren glorify Christ God joyfully and pleasingly to him, in communion with angelic praise. I am glad that your health is better than before. By expressing displeasure against lies, don't you become a little angry with people? And this may not be necessary. What is the need to exaggerate the guilt of the hotel owner to a visitor who did not complain about it, and reluctantly gave an answer to the question about it, asking that there be no trouble for the culprit? Perhaps there was another invoice that was not shown to you, or, in addition to the invoice, payment was made upon the very taking of things that were also not easily valued and were not of good quality. Is the hotel book a definitively correct document? It is true that in it he did not increase his high cost, and that he did not reduce it is not so much true. Your news about Mahra is quite reassuring. May the Lord calm the excitement completely. Tell the builder to turn his wrath on the one common slanderer of our brethren; and he had mercy on those deceived by him, and brought them into peace and love. Is it not necessary to remove the three whom he considers especially to be the cause of anxiety, or the one of them who most confuses the others? Try to have frequent information from there. And you don’t want to lead me. Note. The letter, without indicating the time when it was written, was preserved between the letters of 1845, and in its content should be attributed to the same year. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men! So am I with you, oh. Viceroy, and among the brethren, as you do among me, I glorify Christ the Lord. By His grace may He make you people of His favor. May the new summer bless you and us. I bow to Archimandrite Paisius. If you wrote about receiving the parcel, is the letter missing? For it is incredible to me that I missed lines or forgot. I have a skete mantle. I'll remember to take it when I go to see you. But I don’t expect to get out soon. I will send you an eagle sent from the Aleutian Islands for the monastery. It is made from works there; worthy of a monastery. May God bless the desert dweller and his silence with peace and hope of salvation. If R. has great influence in Mahra, and he was the first to bow to the builder, asking for forgiveness, then now his influence, it seems, should not be harmful. I summon Priest Euthymius to talk to him and make a guess whether to hope for a future better than the past. You are welcome to visit Moscow. Especially if health requires it, the sooner the better. My health is also not to be boasted about. On the eve of the day of Epiphany, I blessed the water in the Epiphany Monastery, but on the holiday itself I did not go to the water, and despite that, I am still sitting at home with a cold, which either decreases or is felt more, but does not leave me completely. May the Lord grant that the desert dweller will establish himself in good abiding and silence, and that conversation with the nomads who visit him will promote mutual spiritual success. It’s not bad that you suggest that I keep what I need in the monastery cells, so that I don’t have to worry about bringing it. With this in mind, I left several stockings and linen in the Lavra. However, it is hardly possible to reach the point where I do not need to carry travel supplies with me, because my journey should always involve not only one monastery, but also other places according to needs that I am not satisfied with satisfying. Forgive my forgetfulness, oh. Viceroy, that I did not write to you in good time about prayer for those traveling. For us, it has stopped completely, because both the Empress and Her children with her are now in place. Her journey will resume, it seems, next month. O. God will bless John to be a confessor in the monastery. I rejoice at the good news from Mahra. Thank you, oh. Viceroy, for your visit, and for the good minutes of communication. My illness, by the goodness of God, is being alleviated. Today Grigory Yakovlevich 48 touched on your illness and gave me the opportunity to take his thoughts. He says that internal treatment alone is not enough, and that the external remedy he proposed was found to be effective in the most severe degrees of the disease, even without the use of internal ones. My job is to retell this to you with the desire to benefit, but it is not my position to insist on its use. I would also like to say: is it a great thing, and what a disaster, to put carrots and milk on your hand? - Enough. Blessed be the Lord, and thanks be to the patronage of St. Sergius. Let the poor see and rejoice 49 . With a heavenly blessing may the Lord bless the soul of His servant Countess Anna, 50 who makes such an abundant sacrifice of faith and love for the lesser brethren. She serves well the salvation of herself and her family. Although she passed me by, however, I think it will be in order for the cathedral to introduce me to her contributions, and instruct me to thank her and bless her in the image. In addition to inscribing her name in the synodics of the monastery and the monastery, it would be fair to introduce into the custom that the celebrants in the monastery and monastery remember her daily at the proskomedia, about health and salvation, and that on the days of her birth and the angel, a prayer service is performed for her health and salvation, on one of these days in the monastery, and on the other in the monastery. Yes or no? I haven’t forgotten about the rector, but I didn’t tell you because I didn’t find it possible to say what I wanted. He hasn't been in his current position for long. We could talk about this in more detail in person. Today I’m not in Bronnitsy, but at home. Since on Thursday I had to decide whether to go or not to go, on Wednesday I tried to leave home in Moscow, and the next night I got a toothache. So the confusion ended. It was necessary to refuse. He only sent a word in his place, which the archimandrite promised to read 51. On the eve of Lent, I ask from you, Fr. viceroy, and from the brethren forgiveness, in which he did not satisfy the duty of service and brotherly love before you; and I appeal to you all from the Lord for forgiveness in everything for which anyone requires it and blessing for the feat of fasting and prayer, may it be lawful and soul-saving, and may it lead you into the joy of the Lord. For some reason I’m having trouble writing to you, and now I can barely find the time to do so. Maria returns and hesitates whether to spend the first week of Lent in Moscow. I advise you to hurry to your cell from outside vitality. Her thoughts, it seems, are not quite at peace with Khotkov, but it seems to me that this is in vain, and that it is better to endure the struggle here, if there is one, rather than to seek peace somewhere else. Take care to establish it and do the Lord’s work over it. I agree to your proposed trip. I will write more about this. Thank you for your attentive care of the work of the refectory church. May the Lord be your helper and protector in everything for salvation. Days of reverence may the Lord bless you, Fr. governor, and brethren, and may fasting be a good guide for you to communion with the Lord. I rejoice that Saint Plato blesses the desert dweller and gives hope to the humble desert. And I regret that soul in which, during the preparation for monasticism, the inappropriate thought of covetousness languished. I didn’t suspect, but simply hastened to send it from Moscow. After this I heard that in the Conception Monastery they were afraid to lose their current boss, and to receive instead one who was preparing to take monastic vows. I said that one should not be so hasty, and still had no idea why this fear arose. It occurred to me whether I should postpone my tonsure for three weeks to give time to drive away thoughts that do not deserve to be covered with a mantle. I am returning the letter from Fr. Anastasia. Forgive me if I point out someone else's bitch without seeing my own log. I wouldn't want Fr. Anastasy did not speak so favorably of the Sarov commander, whoever he was. Let St. Sergius arrange for the monastery something beneficial if our thoughts do not come true. About the forester, the manager of the G.I. Chamber said that he brought him to justice in order to stop his wrongful actions. Thank you for your thorough investigation and correction of the damage to the vault in the refectory church. Thank God they started fixing it. Harm that had been overlooked for a longer time would have become more important. I didn’t notice that the steps in front of the altar were ugly. If you need to change them, there is no need to delay the order. It is good to place a grate in front of the altar, and of the three steps, the middle one seems to be the best place to place it. Through this, more space is preserved behind the bars inside, and it does not block the iconostasis so high. I almost agree with the proposals for the charity home; but we need to talk about some details. Isn't it too tight for 80? I have not yet written a letter to Countess Anna Alekseevna. After all, you need to go through Moscow. Here you can get it. We must not hesitate and take advantage of the time while the frost supports the road. Countess Anna Alekseevna sent me generous alms for all the monasteries of the local diocese. May the Lord multiply his bounties to her. It's nice to see her soul. I cared no little about Novodevichy. The late abbess wished from her own. I ordered the dean to ask the senior nuns in private which of the four named by the deceased was preferred. The votes were divided, and other considerations did not lead to a resolution. Finally, the Alekseevskaya abbess, who refused to move due to poor health, accidentally came to me and listened to me, and was transferred. When can we expect you, Sunday or Monday or Tuesday? - You are welcome. Please, oh. Governor, do not bother yourself with the thought that your letter will ever be a burden to me. With God's help, I hope that this will not happen. There may be a concern about whether I can satisfactorily resolve something that requires resolution. This is my flaw. I will tell you, as I usually say, what I think, and what I say in error - indicate my error. The letter that you call yesterday, and which should have been written on the twenty-second day, did not reach me. Wasn’t it about him that they brought me a summons last night, with the implication that the letter was needed? “They say they don’t give it away on Sunday.” It is very desirable for me that you accept the work of being an envoy of the Lavra to express gratitude to Countess Anna Alekseevna for her benefactors. In terms of the importance of charity, sending only a letter by mail seems unsatisfactory to me. If you had refused this assignment, then I would have thought of sending one of the Moscow abbots, but to send someone unknown to her would perhaps mean bringing her more difficulty than pleasure. Your visit, no doubt, will be on her mind. The work that has begun can be given a direction that requires less direct supervision. At the same time, not for the first time, I think I’ll tell you once, you need to accustom someone to help you supervise your affairs. If the treasurer had submitted to this direction of yours and followed it diligently, I think he would have been no less satisfied with his duties than with writing books. But forgive this digression from the present matter: this is not what we are talking about now. The road, they say, has been made better by the frost. However, you need a decent crew. If there is no capable person in the Lavra, you can look in Moscow, or take a stagecoach for just you and your future ones, probably at least two. It takes three days to get to Novagorod from Moscow at a leisurely pace, with overnight stays, as I did. Therefore, you can calculate how little time it will take for the entire journey. If you encounter an invincible obstacle, then at least let me tell the countess that I wanted to send you, but I encountered an obstacle. And if the obstacle can be overcome, then I ask you to overcome it. I am also comforted by this good deed and communication that the servant of God and my humble name includes in the prayer charter for her and those close to her. The Monk Sergius attracted good deeds to us, may He also arrange a matter of gratitude, so that we may not sin. In the name of God and the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, a gracious and blessed blessing to His servant, you, Archimandrite Anthony, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. Although it is unworthy, due to my sins, and not diligent, but my awakened laziness is not enough, I always, however, call on you with a loving and grateful heart, Fr. Viceroy, God's blessing. And as is usual for me, it did not occur to me to use a special sign for this at a special time. I thank you for your frankness, although not early, and I ask you to never embarrass yourself in communicating with me, even if it was not about your desire, but about my denunciation. I am ready to give you the icon you brought from Countess Anna Alekseevna with love, only having difficulty thinking a little, so that by giving it away quickly, I would not seem to have received it coldly. However, I have another icon from her. Therefore, blessing you with the icon conveyed herewith, I grant you to place it in your home, and after me to have it, as a reminder of the benefactress of the monasteries and of my humility. The monk is waiting, and they don’t let me write anymore. Sorry. Peace to our monasteries and brothers. Worshiping the passion of the Lord, in the hope of the joy of the glorious resurrection, I call upon you, Fr. vicar, the grace of communion of the passions of the Lord through living faith, so that the joy of the resurrection of the Lord will be filled in you. I haven’t written to you for quite some time, because weakness takes up a lot of time, especially after being tired in church service. Thank God that the work of the refectory church is going well. A week after Easter, write to me what the road says, whether it will allow me to come to you without difficulty and see what has been done and should be done. Symbolic images were brought into the Church not in the spirit of Church decrees, and not for the benefit of the people who do not understand them, and who should be taught by Church images. If symbolic images are found outside the altar, they must be replaced with historical ones. But it wouldn’t be bad for me to know before execution what will be replaced with what. How pitiful is Yulia Samoilovna’s sickness! Will Anastasy have enough medical skill? He has already recognized the visible disease as incurable: will he prevent and destroy the one that the discovery predicts? - However, it’s not my place to talk about this. May God help the sick woman through the prayers of St. Sergius. Truly Christ is risen! With this kiss to you, oh. Viceroy, and brethren, I responded to your letter mentally and heartily in due time, with the desire for you peace and joy from the very giver of peace and source of joy, the Risen Lord. Sorry that I am writing this late. Information about Theognost and about the sick, helpless youth, who found peace in our hospital and good preparation for the transition to another life, greatly consoled me and prompted me to thank God for the charity of our kind established in our country. The boy would probably have died without help on the street. After the blessing of St. Sergius, to your care, Fr. Viceroy, I am obliged to the fact that the love of mankind bequeathed by St. Sergius spreads its spirit and its actions. May the Lord confirm this, which He has done by His grace. News of the last days of Fr. Nicholas is also comforting. May the Lord receive him in peace, and may he pray for us too. If you stop my journey for three weeks, it means that I must stay in Moscow until mid-sex. However, let your work proceed as it should, and there is no need to give them forced direction in order to show me the altar work completed. Whatever I see, I will see, if the scaffolding is there and you can climb on it. We don't have a single schemamonk left. But it would be good if this generation did not end. I'll probably send some books with Naum. They will follow to my cells in the monastery. O. Archimandrite Paisius thanks, blessing and bow. I am sending the housekeeper to you, who, complaining about his health, goes to ask for help from St. Sergius. Let it be done to him according to his faith. Guttering around the entire roof of a fence is not so easy, and hardly useful. Damage to walls is unlikely to depend much on leaks from the roof. Slanting rain does the same thing as she does, but the gutter won’t protect you from it. The damage to the rector's tower does not depend more on the cabbage cellar under it. This kind of dampness is especially harmful to buildings. The cathedral should be asked to consider whether the cabbage cellar should be removed, especially since the tower has a blind spot on the inside. They say there is a strong epidemic fever near Dmitrov. Is there any closer to you? Take caution if possible. It's winter here too. It snowed for about a day. Yesterday evening the sun came out, but now it is snowing heavily again. This takes away my desire to travel. Meanwhile, the director of the corps urgently calls for an exam in early May; then the feasts of St. Nicholas in Pererva, Tsarevich Demetrius in the Archangel Cathedral, and St. Alexis in Chudovo are coming up. Care must be taken that Moscow is not left without a bishop. His Eminence Dionysius 52 reposed; Eminence Agapit in his monastery 53; The vicar can easily become ill, just like me. All this will probably lead to the conclusion that I must remain in Moscow until Tsar’s Day and the religious procession on May 21. May the Lord bless your treatment to be healing. But isn’t it too early to start this, in this weather? Give me some advice as to whether I should be treated in the spring, or whether I should just take advantage of the days that God gives me. I’ll write about Tobiah’s award, and if I forget, remind me. Is it true what they tell me that Joseph of the Skete has been in Moscow for several days now? What is this for? And why doesn't he show up to me? Or is this an eyewitness error? The Lord gives grace to our monastery. The Eminence of Kherson 54 wishes for a place in it. I think it is necessary to answer that according to the structure of the monastery, he will only find a cell by inheritance after me. Send me 400 rubles through a reliable means of my money. ser. I listened to you and wrote to His Eminence Yaroslavsky about the cedars. I’m just afraid that he won’t be burdened with this. I don’t know how to teach the skete order. But it seems to me that the ancients did not manage according to the rule that you imagine. You want to suddenly have more time in church, and then suddenly more time in your cell. But what do they mean: hour one, three, six, nine? Is it not that they wanted to designate not very long times for prayer, to guard against fatigue, and not long intervals between prayer hours, so that cell time would be closer to prayer time. Or is it my laziness that does not want the prayer time to last for a long time without interruption? May the Lord bless our brothers and their deeds, and may He make their long church time short, according to their zeal, and may He allow them to remain in their cells unceasingly before His face. Thank you for sending a memorial plaque to our church, G.A.O. 55 But if it came to you, a lot was sent; and you, it seems, have organized such donations yourself: is there any extra to give to Chudov? I’m not writing anymore because Benjamin spoke about his departure only just before his departure. Yesterday I was in the Assumption Cathedral and on the river: and today I have several colds. I wanted to write to you on Tuesday: but in the evening I was busy finishing up my affairs before leaving the city, and in the morning I had to leave home early before the siege from people began. Thank you for taking care of the needy wanderers from a hungry land, thank you for taking me into this care; I’m just complaining a little to you that you were stingy with my money. I approve of the Lavra’s order to provide care for the sick people left in the suburb. Do something for them from me, according to their needs. Don't be angry with Moscow. No doubt the reason she didn't help them was because she didn't know about them. Since these were not transit migrants, but free migrants, the prison committee certainly did not know about them, as well as others, except for some police officials, among whom, apparently, Bibikov was not found, and who, probably, did not even present to their higher authorities the situation of the wanderers. But I agree with you that this is sad not only for them, but also for us, past whom a regiment of unfortunates could pass unnoticed - only while dozing. This is, of course, not a good sign. It was good to be careful that sick travelers were placed separately. Pay attention to whether some precautions are needed for those who are in communication with them, so that they do not bring illness to us. Tell Mr. Bibikov that I learned with consolation about his philanthropic orders, and with love I call upon him God’s blessing. I am writing this upon receipt of your letter dated May 5, at Break on Wednesday, so as not to miss mail again, because I am outside the city, and tomorrow is a holiday. About cedars, the Right Reverend Yaroslavsky writes that they are planted closer to the water, and those planted under the shade of other cedars grow poorly and are hardly reliable. I think that our landing will not be against this order. The Pskovites are coming, they say, another party. Therefore, I spoke about them to the Governor General. He says that there are no official methods for them, but that he will try to help. Therefore, it is unlikely that the civilian governor will do anything for those stopped in the posad. May the Lord remember the former John (you did not say a new name) in his kingdom, and may he remember us who continue to come. Thank you for the news about him. Blessings and peace to you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren of the Lavra and the monastery and Bethany. I thank God for my stay with you. We completed our journey, partly without rain, partly in light rain. It was good that we didn’t postpone it until the next day, which was very rainy. Already in Moscow, I learned that Vasily, one of my companions, disappeared on the way to the Lavra, and another time he disappeared while leaving the Lavra. He is humble, but he is sick with tapeworm, and because of this, when he thinks, he does strange things. Look for him and, if found, bring him to us, persuading him not to deviate from the path, and telling him that we care about him. And if someone did not refuse to be at peace with those who hate the world, 57 do not deny to have peace with those who sin, who do not renounce correction. I agree to be recognized as an ignoramus in philosophy; but the thought is bitter to me, if it is true, that there is seduction by philosophy - vain flattery. I blame myself now for being in a hurry and being inattentive. Only some accusations - are there any more truths? I have not heard, and I do not consider it probable, that travel to the Saints and veneration were classified as superstitions. Is there any misunderstanding here? Of course, it is rude to say and prove that prophets are not cunning. But since there is a side to theology that is against unbelief, and since unbelievers say that the prophets are cunning, there is reason to say the contrary. It was necessary to express myself more carefully. I made a remark about this when reviewing the notes. All theologies in the world speak about Christ as a prophet, priest and king, regardless of the doctrine of His Divinity; and this is necessary because in the Old Testament He is often depicted as a king; because the teaching about His sacrifice, and consequently about the priesthood, is essential in Christianity, because Moses prophesies about Christ as a prophet. Forgive me. I would not dare to say to my neighbor: I want you to love me; but I don’t think I would have said: I don’t want you to love me. There is something reflective and alienating here, and it can hit hard on the heart of a neighbor. The adventure in the settlement is extremely strange. If the story were told: one could say that it was invented without credibility. Protect us, Lord, with Your holy Angels! If you find out, tell me if circumstances will be revealed that explain it. I haven’t written to you for a long time, because the letter was received late in the evening, and yesterday I was in Simonovo. My journey ended happily at nine o’clock in the evening, and it’s good that I wasn’t late anymore. The decree on the marriage of the Grand Duchess 58 had been lying on my table for a day already, and they didn’t think to ask and tell me about receipt, although I wrote in advance to prepare the decree. However, they made it in time and celebrated on Sunday. I remember I told you that I do not dare to formally determine the deanery of Khotkov, for fear of hasty and restless action, and that therefore I prefer to make the experience a verbal order. Despite this precaution, what I feared happens. Nun Magdalene writes that on day 15, 59, during the all-night vigil, she asked the abbess if I had said anything. The All-Night Vigil is not sung so that during it the nun interrogates the abbess. The abbess repeatedly said that nothing had been said. After this, the nun had to wait until the announcement of her appointment followed, or ask permission from me; but she began to act and declare herself. No one announces himself in a new position, especially those subordinate to the boss. Just as everyone writes letters for the person to whom he writes, and not so that what is written to one person is announced to three hundred people: so I wrote. What needs to be announced to the monastery, I write in resolutions and order the consistory to send decrees about it. And if by letter, what I want to tell the monastery; then, of course, through the boss to the subordinates, and not through the subordinate to the boss and the monastery. This order is clear. So, if I wrote instructions to the nun Magdalene, I wrote for her guidance, and not in order to turn the monastic order upside down. The content of my letter is such that everyone can know it; but what everyone needs to know must be known through the boss. Again you write that in the first hour you asked permission to read the letter. So, the supervision of deanery in the church begins with a violation of this very deanery. To celebrate the assumption of office as a dean with a treat means to proclaim in a secular way one’s rank, which has not yet been given, and not to enter into the matter of obedience with quietness and humility. It seems that it is clearly written to act under the leadership of the abbess, and it is being acted in such a way that the abbess expresses a desire to ask for resignation. In a word, the action that has begun is hasty and restless. I am also amazed, however, at how the abbess could repeatedly claim that I did not tell her anything about the assignment to the nun Magdalene to oversee the church deanery. The communication of nun Magdalene’s letter to you, as the dean and her spiritual father, will not be a violation of the rule, the violation of which I denounce. You also need to know something that I have not commented on. Enter into this matter and give direction to the abbess and the nun, so that the abbess takes advantage of Magdalene’s jealousy, moderating it when necessary, and so that Magdalene does not consider her actions trustworthy if it is not with the blessing and peace of the head of the monastery, so that there will be no strife and confusion, but may the fruit of righteousness be sown in the world by those who create peace. If you want to read anything from this letter to the abbess and Magdalene, I will not contradict you. O. May the viceroy rejoice and be healthy in the Lord. If you need advice from doctors, come without delay. I can't judge doctors. Moreover, I don’t know the one you chose as your leader. But due to my passion for my doctor, I think it would be better if you followed his advice. I extend my thoughts to you not in order to deviate you from your chosen path, but yielding to concern for your health, which may the Physician of souls and bodies completely correct. Rest in peace, oh. Governor, and hello. So are the brethren. If you find it reputable to resume treatment at home: so be it, and let it be beneficial. If the correctness and continuity of treatment sometimes requires non-service on a holiday: take this into account for obedience, and fulfill the medical rule with precision, having already had experience of unsatisfactory consequences from inaccurate execution. I am sending you a letter from the nun Magdalene, to which I did not give any answer, because I do not want my letters to be published, as she does. So that during your treatment you do not have to make it difficult to travel to Khotkov, you can call the abbess and Magdalene to you and tell them everything you need. The call of the authorities will not be a violation of the rule of one-year non-exit from the monastery for Magdalene. It is not approving for Magdalene to act independently and independently of the abbess and introduce hastily invented orders, instead of protecting the usual order. I don’t understand very clearly what kind of order she made when she appointed the nuns as mediators between the priest and the laity during the proskomedia. Every layman at this time has the right to approach the altar and present his commemoration and prosphora. Mediation in this can serve more to confusion and dissatisfaction than to order. And for nuns to fight the crowd of lay people crowding towards the altar is inconvenient and unseemly. I did not prohibit singing from notes, but I never found partes singing in nunneries to be decent, and therefore I never approved of it. There is more labor in it than benefit, more vanity in imaginary art, rather than edification and help in prayer. Teach, and let them teach others to establish church order based on reverence and fear of God. Then he will be good without the multiplication and variety of police orders. Peace to you, and the Lavra, and Bethany, and Gethsemane, and the Khotkov Monastery. One of the members of Moscow University wants to determine the position of the Sergius Lavra, and in order to make observations, located for this purpose in the Lavra itself, for convenience. Accept the observer and help him fulfill what he wants. The Right Reverend Metropolitan Agathangel, governor of the Balaklava Monastery 60, travels to venerate St. Sergius, and, as he adds, to see the Lavra, Bethany and the monastery, about which I don’t know who told him. Receive him into my cells, help him fulfill what he wants, give him peace and treat, and bring him an image from the monastery and from me. I wish that the treatment will be useful to you. And if you needed to be in Moscow; then hold the sacristan until you return. Rejoice and good health to the Father Viceroy. If baths weaken you, is it not difficult for you to have a guest? If I were thinking about this, I would advise you to use the treasurer instead of yourself, especially since there is also an interlocutor with the Epiphany Archimandrite. I saw that the garden had been little inspected, and the greenhouse was falling into disrepair. But whether the new gardener will be compensated for the cost of it and, as one must assume, the increased cost of the garden, is doubtful for me. He seems to be a decent person, but whether he is a skilled gardener is unclear. However, I agree with the assumption of accepting it for 400 rubles. Ass. for a year. You just need to see that the desired improvement is achieved. I have just received your letter, Fr. Viceroy, and I ask you with all my heart for the forgiveness you desire from the Lord; You have no need of forgiveness from me, thank God. I ask your forgiveness for how I offended you with my impatience, or with what unreasonable or passionate act or bad example I tempted you. God bless you and the brethren, and bless me in the field of fasting and repentance. With His mercy and grace, may God forgive and have mercy on all of us. There is no time to write more. They ring the bell for the all-night vigil. I confess, oh. Viceroy, that I found it inconvenient to be at the monastery festival on the 17th day. I usually celebrate the 16th day in the Androniev Monastery, and not being there this year could be especially unpleasant for the new abbot. The 18th day is Sunday, and on the 19th there is a procession to the Donskoy Monastery. Then the coronation day is approaching. But I don’t want to disobey your invitation, and if God pleases, I will go to the monastery, avoiding Androniev. I agree to the proposed orders. Forgive me for what I did not do for the Most Reverend Agafangel according to your thoughts. I did not know how to sow spiritual things to those I knew so much as to boldly reap their bodily things with my own hand. Having heard that the Eminence was buying velvet for vestments, I offered, instead of buying, to accept ready-made brocade from me: he accepted, but made two priestly vestments from it, and bought velvet for his vestments. God's blessing to you and brothers. Pray that the Lord will manage my affairs, my weakness and my ways. I thank God and the Mother of God for allowing me to celebrate the Gethsemane holiday. I thank you too for encouraging me to do this. I thank the brethren who participated in the holiday for the good order of worship. It’s not easy for me to answer a new question about a proposed trip. It’s difficult for me to contradict you, both because I trust you and because I’m reluctant to trust myself. However, I must not speak and act against my conviction; and you won’t demand this. What I told you, I said out of conviction that it was true, in accordance with the caution and benefit of the general and yours. I can’t overcome this conviction. The Apostle always does not want to do an innocent thing if it could serve as a reason for temptation, although unfounded. The imam does not eat meat, etc. Isn't that what we should do too? Or is it not likely that there could be temptation? For me, this improbability, unfortunately, has been refuted. A promise has been made. It's a pity that it was given hastily. However, the trouble is not yet great. How often they promise a visit, and then send word that due to the circumstances this cannot happen. And there is no shame here. And a report is not always needed in the circumstances 61. What does it mean to be banned? Isn't this an exquisite strong expression for a very simple matter? If I am given advice not to do something, and I obey: does this really mean being prohibited? Let us assume that my advice is based on unnecessary caution. But if you spare my thoughts, and on my advice do not do what you can do without: who can condemn this? That a person wanted to make a visit, but stayed at home, what embarrassment is there for those entering the path of virtue? In order not to rant a lot and, perhaps, unnecessarily, you can go to Pesnosh, if you wish, and to Iosifov, and to Savvin. If you visit someone along the way: this is a circumstance that may be based on your own decision, since I cannot foresee the occasions that may arise for you to visit. What about. Hermogenes spent the night unnecessarily in a noble house: I would not have advised this before execution, and I am not convinced to approve it after execution. Take your pick from what you can do. But I cannot overcome the conviction to consider as best what you promised me when I left the monastery. Sorry. I still want to say something. It seems that you are looking at the apostolic work at something that is not such. Apostolic works for you can be and are in the monastery, in Bethany, in Gethsemane: apply apostolic zeal for my poor soul. All this is within the circle of your responsibilities, and for this you will be required to pay, and not because you stretch your hand too far beyond the circle of your responsibilities. It seems to me that I am not mistaken when I say: too much. When you made the promise of a visit, you already knew that I was not of the same opinion, if it was necessary to take my opinion into consideration. Then in the monastery you learned my opinion more clearly; and agreed not to act against him. And then again you try to sway my opinion. It seems to me that the subject did not require such effort. Also know that I think and write now, by the grace of God, without the slightest feeling of anger, but with sadness about this controversial incident, and with concern for how you will accept what I say. Meanwhile, I am complicated by a case that you will learn from the attached papers. The matter was already underway. And although they did not ask me about the beginning, I knew from the master that it was being done, and did not stop, thinking not to stand up for the fact that I was not asked, and forgetting that there was another reason to wait. I hasten to the burial of the benefactor of our widows and orphans, Dmitry Petrovich Gorikhvostov, who is being buried not by relatives or acquaintances, but we are grateful, and by an official appointed by the authorities. Much peace to you, oh. governor, and peace to the brethren. It bothers me that you haven’t said a word to my letter about the proposed trip. I fear that displeasure is hidden in this silence. But, testing my opinion, even now I find no reason to repent of what I wrote. It still seems to me that it is better to use caution, perhaps not necessary, than not to use caution, perhaps necessary; and that by this no harm will be done to any good deed. If you need patience in relation to me: make an acquisition in this virtue without sacrificing peace and love. I ask you in this name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our peace. You didn’t write about the icons, whether they were consecrated. I hope so. Money must be paid for them from me. Jonah, it seems, is Simon's former treasurer. He has now moved to the Ugreshsky Monastery. The archimandrite presents him as humble, but I will try to find out more about him. I don’t like the fact that Anastasy enrolls as a medical student, almost to the laughter of the university. And what will the laurel be for him? - An inn, or a shop in a crowded place, to sell the goods of his medical wisdom. It seems to me that, according to spiritual law, he should simply help his neighbors in need with the medical knowledge that he has, and defend himself in this case by the rule of the code of laws that exists for this case; and to endure the attacks of registered doctors and pharmacists as a temptation, with the hope of protection from God, if this action pleases Him. Konstantin Alekseevich Kumanin sends calligraphy of the symbol of faith in a wooden frame to the monastery, and asks to give it a place in the monastery in the church. Look for a decent place, and let the newly deceased Natalia, his wife, be remembered there. The letter sent through you is addressed to you. Look for books and tell me what you think. Read the attached notebook and tell me if it seems suitable for any use. Dress the poor students. For this, take one hundred and fifty or two hundred silver rubles from me; and the rest from the Lavra. Are you thinking about food? In Mozhaisk, Zvenigorod and Dmitrov districts, the worm destroys grain seedlings. We can also hear it from the Ryazan province. The price of bread in grain places is said to be rising. Isn't there a need to rush into preparation? There are rumors that Moscow should expect the Highest Visit at the very time when I should be at the Lavra. This, and partly my poor health, is stopping me in Moscow, when I should have gone to other places. Ask me for the blessing of our Venerable Father Sergius for my days and deeds. The sight of news from St. Petersburg does not change and keeps me in Moscow. I'll try to check back to see if there's a change. Fasting and prayer are truly needed against the beginning and threatening disaster. But if we talk about this and they don’t listen, will we not be more worthy of wrath than now? L., they say, has an attack of incontinence, in which he does not control himself. May he pass us by in peace. Show the manuscript to the publishers of works. Father, and leave it to them to decide whether to take her or not. Sorry it took a long time to answer about the bars. The bundle of inventory books, in which there was a note about this, was not opened for a long time, either due to lack of time or weakness. The Most Reverend Archbishop of Kursk 62 travels to our Reverend Father Sergius. Accept it, oh. Viceroy, in my cells, help him to pray and see the Lavra, give him peace and treat, and give him farewell words. an icon from the Lavra and the abbot. May the blessing and gracious protection of the Lord overshadow you, oh. the governor, and the monastery, and the brethren. It is somewhat unfortunate that the work of the refectory church is taking longer than expected. If this could have been foreseen, then it would be better to focus on the real church alone, and leave the meal as it was until next summer. I thought that after finishing the paintings on the vault of the meal, the scaffolding could be taken out; and then use small scaffolds for work on the walls. Is it possible to achieve this without leaving it fenced in all winter? Prince Sergius Mikhailovich is consoled by seeing the establishments of the Lavra, and thanks you a lot, and increases his love for you. One pilgrim told me: how well St. Basil’s prayer service is served! Not drawn out, but carefully and clearly. And with what attention the cleric places the chains of the blessed one on the pilgrim, without showing any haste or burden while repeating the same thing many times! I asked: what about the Lavra? And it turned out that the pilgrim was less satisfied there, although St. Basil has fewer servants, and it is more necessary for them to rush to their family than for the monastics to go to their cell. Shouldn't we give each gravekeeper an assistant, and divide the day between the two? I would like to discuss this with you not in writing, but verbally, face to face. But October is not the most reliable time for travel; I also have a cold at home. Pray for my weakness. I am sending you, oh. Viceroy, Jerusalem observance of the Dormition of the Mother of God. If Kholmogorov can do the beginning of the translation, then let him write it on half a page so that I have room to correct it. Otherwise, put it in my cell in the monastery, so that when God commands, I can fulfill this obedience. The 63 illustrious guests were met and seen off. They seem to be at peace with Moscow. This will be given to you, Fr. viceroy, a current student at the Milashevich University, expressing a desire to enter monasticism. To my question: does he have a monastery in mind, he pointed to Donskoy: but it seems to me that it is better to start somewhere else, and not in the crowded Moscow. To this thought of mine, he said that he had no means of traveling far. However, he agreed to visit the Lavra, and I will send him to you so that you can talk to him about the required firmness and purity of intention acceptable to him, and give him guidance for the life he has chosen. If things go in such a way that he is disposed to somewhat test himself and life in the monastery or in Bethany, then, I think, it is necessary to test him condescendingly, not with strictly humiliating obedience and not with labor that requires strength, which he does not seem to have much. However, as you get closer to him, you will better see for yourself what to do. Promote the peace of your neighbor’s soul, and may the Lord increase the peace of your soul. I would not like to write to you, but to talk to you: but for some reason this is not possible. I finished some Petersburg cases, quite difficult ones, and sent them away; but some here are waiting to be completed, and from there I got some more work. It's not pleasant to hear about theft in a nursing home. Try with the police to reveal the culprit, for future safety. If you know thieves among your servants, you should not hesitate to try to get rid of them. And so that you know how to exclude someone from serving, I will tell you an example. At the Conception Monastery, the police opened a den of undocumented people among the regular ministers: and when they wanted to expel them from the staff, the chamber refused, because nothing was written about them in the book of conduct. So do not neglect the book of conduct. Send to the Tula province for cereals and butter, you can make an experiment. But if you need to buy, and there hire a place for storage before the first journey: then this, it seems to me, is not in doubt. It would be better to buy and send. Is it possible to make the purchase along with the opening of the first path? You defend the Lavra pallbearers as if you were repelling an attack. There is some excess here. There is no attack. Concern about whether it is possible to improve something that is not disorderly, but not perfect out of necessity, is not an attack. And that imperfection exists or happens, it is difficult to deny from the occasional reviews of people who are somewhat demanding in relation to appearance. I have no doubt about the dignity and diligence of the pallbearers: but the tongue becomes tired, repeating one prayer from morning to evening, and therefore the service may seem inattentive. Therefore, if it were possible to arrange a change of servants throughout the day, the servant would probably be more conducive to the attention of the worshiper. Oh I.L., I don’t know what to tell you. His abbot says that he repents and humbles himself, and then again falls into his former illness. I obeyed you in accepting R., but according to the consequences, I must repent of this. O. the rector of the academy wants to take I. Maxim as treasurer. Tell him that I agree to this, only so that it can be done without coercion. If Maxim settles down, or you arrange him, then let Fr. the rector will formally introduce this to me. Deliver the attached letter. Here, oh. the governor, still a young man on his way to the monastery. Talk to him and give him instructions. In the Lavra, it seems, we have many novices. It occurs to me to send him to Staro-Golutvin to Nazarius. But you, as you judge, give him advice, and tell me what you will advise him. Tired, I didn’t want to write to you: but I don’t want to let go of my close messenger either. I was told two different things about the farmstead: the housekeeper, that one room was unkempt from the hat business; treasurer that everything is clean, and that hats are not made in the courtyard, but only sold. The Economist has not yet been able to ask how to reconcile this discrepancy. It would be good if the treasurer wrote about monasticism according to your program. If they had collected materials from our father’s books, perhaps I would have had a hand in this matter. It seems to me that in an essay of this kind one should speak as much as possible from the testimonies of the fathers: but my memory does not help me much in this. It would be nice to go along the current road to you: but I can’t get rid of the local affairs. The mercy of God is with you, oh. the governor, and with the brethren of the monasteries. What should we do if things are done rather according to arbitrary desire, rather than according to duty and rule? – The translation of the service to the Dormition of the Mother of God could wait while other official matters are done, although not entertaining, because the holiday is not soon. But having taken up the manuscript to experience what it would be like to correct it, I could no longer lag behind, and completed it in two evenings. Or maybe this haste is good in case I don’t live to see the holiday, so that the Most Merciful Mother of God would impute this to me, even if it’s the slightest participation in her holiday? Thanks to Kholmogorov for his work. It would be more work for me to write everything from word to word. He translated some words in accordance with how they are translated in church books, and some at random, such as Άγνή agni, pure, he constantly translated: lamb. I wanted to combine the Slovenian type of speech with clarity, so I sometimes changed the order of words, and not many words I used were somewhat new, instead of more ancient, obscure or mutual ones for the current concept. I don’t know that the fathers talked about the descent of the soul of the Mother of God into hell. The descent of the Savior had a special purpose, peculiar to Him alone: ​​to crush the eternal faiths containing the bound. – It is true that the word: hell has a very broad meaning in the Holy Scriptures. If we take into consideration that the apostle speaks about the spirits of evil in heaven, and that it is common for the spirits of evil to be in hell, then won’t we have to conclude that our poor world, on the one hand, by the gift of creation, and by the grace of redemption, permeated by the gracious, bright atmosphere of heaven, on the other, by the disastrous sinful damage, is not completely locked to the dark atmosphere of hell that has expanded in it? Souls, blessed and perfected, emanating from the body, reflect this atmosphere with the grace-filled light infused in them, and, without feeling it, go to heaven: to souls less purified, less strong in the light, it is struck - and here is the ordeal. - But be that as it may, the glory of the Mother of God is magnificent and unparalleled: and with this it would be consistent to imagine that when this glory was revealed in the spiritual world, its abundant light not only passed to the limits of the pure spiritual world, but, perhaps, like lightning, penetrated into a certain part of at least the dark atmosphere. I express myself about the spiritual part in images of the visible world, not as satisfactory, but out of need and lack of purely spiritual ones. I could not slavishly submit to the thoughts of the Greek compiler of the sequence, because the publication does not represent an ecclesiastical statement. And therefore I have translated the sayings about the descent into hell so that they do not present a new dogma, but so that they can be sensibly interpreted according to generally accepted concepts. For example, instead of: in hell, I put: in dark, in the dark. What is said in the first expression in a Greek word: the same in the second is said in a Russian word. But in the dark, the descent can mean a position in the grave, and nothing more. The composition of the verse is not damaged. Read the corrected translation and tell me if there are any objections. It is necessary to rewrite it so that the verses of the psalm are written in full, but in fragments, as in a printed book and in the current manuscript, and also rewrite it in cursive, and show it to me. Upon final revision, it will be necessary to rewrite the semi-charter and write one copy in large size. I don’t understand what the dignifications at the end mean. Are these not the opening lines for the ninth song of the canon? But even in this place it is difficult to use them due to their complexity. It will be necessary to think about the duration of service. Or is it my laziness who wants to think? - But if you please take into account that on Great Saturday, the service of which is a model for the present, one 17 kathisma will be sung. Why are there three kathismas here? - However, there will be time to talk about this. There doesn’t seem to be much need to write a special image for this service. Every image of the Dormition of the Mother of God represents what is needed here. For a large image, the skete church is of little convenience. But if you decide to write, I would like to see the essay and know when to stop. Present seven brethren for tonsure, God will bless. God's grace bless you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren. I allowed joining the church. May the Lord establish the one who finds the right path on it, and may he lead others along it. Should the Solovetsky novice and his son be accepted? We have experience of this kind, which does not prompt us to desire a repetition. There are already many novices. The matter will sit with me until I find out what you have to say about this. A novice is asking for Pererva, whose name the abbot did not say, but said signs that he is not handsome, seems crooked, and that when I was in the Lavra he held a candlestick. Tell me why he leaves the Lavra and whether he is trustworthy if he gets to serve the Mother of God at Her Iveron Icon. I am still in the bonds that bind me in Moscow. O. The governor should rejoice in the Lord. The same goes for the brethren. I approve of the idea of ​​​​making frames for some icons of the refectory church, covering only the field, and leaving the very image of the face and clothing open, both because this is the oldest image of frames, and because the icons are presented in this way better in their form with the dignity of icon painting. May the Lord accept the soul of Fr. Joseph in peace, and may he forgive her if there is unpreparedness due to accident. I still see and hear the novice Theodore reading in the skete church. I sympathize that he is sick; I rejoice that you are complacent. If the Lord calls him, I also wish that he would go away filled with desire for the garment of salvation. But if he can stay, then you must judge whether he will reliably keep what he receives early. May the Lord perfect the monk Moses in patience, in the hope of which you can give him an image of perfection. I would like to for the holiday: but I don’t hope. Besides the fact that I am tied up here with certain matters, I do not hope to have the strength to celebrate the 17th with you, to come to Moscow on the 18th, and on the 19th and 26th, which is necessary, to be here in the priesthood. Now it’s not like in the summer. I get colds almost continuously, even when leaving the house for short periods of time. At half, or at the end, of this week, the Russian envoy in Constantinople, Vladimir Pavlovich Titov, wants to be at the Lavra. Receive him with attention, facilitate his communication with the shrine, and introduce him to antiquity. Bless also the icon from the Lavra and the abbot. The compiler of the fable for the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos seems to have made a mistake by writing the second half of the verse of the psalm, instead of the first half of the next one, and composing his own verse for it. And then I missed a verse of the psalm, I don’t know why. When I began to align the verses of the psalm with the verses of the following: a difficulty was discovered at the end of the first article, where there remained a verse of the following, superfluous against the first third of the kathisma, according to its usual psalter division. In order not to change the general church division of kathisma, I was forced to move the following verse to the second article, where it came into line with the number of verses of the psalm. You did not answer some of my perplexities: but I can imagine new ones. It is extraordinary that at one all-night vigil one Gospel will be read twice, and one proverb also twice. There is no example of this in all church services. Not to read the Gospels according to polyeleos would again be unprecedented. In the service of Great Saturday, in imitation of which the succession of the Assumption, the Gospel after the canon, was compiled; but he is no longer in front of the canon. I take as a model the service of the celebrated saints, which they wanted to liken to the solemnity of the Sunday service. What did they do? – They left the daytime vespers kathisma and took the first third of the Sunday evening kathisma. In accordance with this example, it would also be possible to replace the second kathisma of the day with the seventeenth kathisma with praises of the Assumption. Such an order would slightly change the ordinary service and would closely follow the service of Holy Saturday. Read the additional chapter of the charter compiled on this basis and tell us your opinion. I leave the Greek book with me in order to ask the abbot of Jerusalem if he has been to this service and if he knows what the sacred position means. Please wait until all questions and confusion are resolved. On the first day of December, order me to distribute 60 rubles to the regular servants. ser., almshouse 46 rub. gray, beggars 15 rub. ser., for poor students 15 rubles. ser. Thank you, oh. Viceroy, for the blessing given to me from the monastery of our patron Saint Sergius, in the sign of the holy icon. I thank you and the brethren for remembering the day of my angel and for your prayers, to which may the Lord look upon, so that the days remaining to me will not be completely fruitless. About Nifont's book, a request was submitted to the Sovereign Emperor to give 5,000 rubles for printing, and they ask me about this. Explain to me your idea, that it is difficult to take it in its entirety. I am not answering now about the rite of the Assumption Service, because there is a lot to say. O. May the governor and the brethren have peace and health. Apparently I won’t be with you before the holiday. After the day of the Sovereign's name day, the day of the oath of nobility 64 still occupied me; Until the end of this week, some urgent matters are occupied, and then there will be little time left for travel. It’s a little strange to find out through the consistory secretary how many students there were in the Lavra school in previous years. I don't know what this means. About the book by Ave. Nifont, I also thought that you were writing. Therefore, I consider its publication as a whole doubtful. And it seems that there would be little left to take from it beyond what St. Demetrius wrote out in the ceti-menaion on December 23. Since the brethren have multiplied in the monastery, there is nothing to be angry about. May God grant that we live in peace and good order. – Has the desert dweller returned? God will bless the Bethany hieromonk Varlaam to be the confessor of the skete. Moses and Theodore live. Is there any hope that it will last? Nun Magdalene says that you promised to write to me about her position, but I did not receive this from you. The Abbess speaks calmly about some of her demands, which she considers unnecessary: ​​and Magdalene restlessly complains about the persecution of the Abbess, and asks for a more formal approval of her position, with the definition of details. But it would be strange to write a special resolution for the dean, when there is no such thing for the abbess. And if there is no unity now, then it can be expected even less when the dean will rely on the rules given to her, and will have less need to turn to the abbess. If I could have been there, I would have tried to arrange this verbally, telling everyone what was needed. If this is not being done through no fault of mine, then you should, from time to time, be in Khotkovo, find out misunderstandings, and put the abbess, the dean, and the clergy in order. For example, the dean says that Matins should begin at one specific time, and not when the priest decides to come. The abbess accepts this with disdain, as I saw from her own words, and says that this would embarrass the priests, and monks should always be ready for service. In this case, the dean is to the right of the abbess: and if the priest decides to be burdened by this, he can go to another church. Tell this to the abbess. Yes, tell me the following: the abbess told me about the widow of the daughter of a dismissed archpriest in order to assign her to the prosfirna. I answered that she was childless; and there are other petitioners with young children, or with a cripple. After that, on the same day in the evening, I receive from secular hands a request from the widow with an explanation that the abbess and two secular persons are interceding for her. Tell the abbess that this is not the monastic path; that the authorities should not be offended by the opinion that they would rather do the job for the sake of the boyars than for the sake of philanthropy and at the request of worthy persons of their rank; that such action, instead of doing good, can only quarrel between the boss and respectable people, putting them in danger of refusal. Note. When writing, there is a lack of indication of the time when it was written, and perhaps even the end. God's blessing and peace to you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren. God will bless priest Andrey in a ryasophore. Also two monasteries, if you find them trustworthy. It is good that the monastery became the cradle of monasticism for some of the Lavra. There is a special convenience for this. I think that the ancient fathers entered monasticism only in the presence of unanimous and prayerful brethren, in order to avoid the prying eyes of the world. I am sending you a note about the Khotkovo Monastery. There are subjects here on which one cannot remain inactive, so as not to disturb the elderly abbess. Let me know briefly how you plan to proceed with the corrections. I want to be in the monastery after the holiday and get down to it as quietly as possible. May the grace of the Lord enlighten and sweeten your celebration. Ask this and my unworthiness. If you receive premature clothes, give them to whoever needs them, without saying who is giving them. I was not angry with the abbess even when I wrote to you about the indirect petition: and the case even after the justification is hardly better than before the justification. From whom, if not from the abbess, did the boyars, known to her and not the widow, receive the request? Are they really lying that the abbess is interceding with them? From my letter, written before receiving your last one, you saw that it is also desirable for me to preserve the calmness of the elderly abbess, but in the note sent to you there are circumstances, the neglect of which could not be justified by concern for the calmness of the abbess, or for the calmness of Magdalene, who may be subject to great indignation if, according to the information in the note, one acts openly and hastily. I would like to know what you have to say about this. Magdalena keeps asking for more formal approval of her position: but I am afraid of this dual command. Try to explain to the abbess that there are matters in which she can take advantage of the dean’s help for improvement. And instill in the dean to promote good, with patience and humility, without presenting any form of authority. Is it possible to give the clergy a thought that may come and be given without me, that if I learn about the standing clergy with plates for money from the communicants, then I will have to act according to the 23rd rule of the 6th ecumenical council 65. It's time to give the letter and therefore the end of the letter. In response to the request to give a place in the Lavra to the body of the deceased maiden Soimonova, I did not want to refuse, and there was no solid basis for it, although there was also a lack of confidence in convenience. And since this consent has already been given: then arrange this, oh. viceroy You can put it in the cemetery at the Smolensk Church without difficulty. I hope that the relatives of the deceased will be satisfied with this. Tell me how this will be fulfilled, and with what convenience, so that I can have this in mind in case of such a request. May your soul hear and taste the peace of Christ, sung by the angels. Peace to all the brethren in Christ. There is no obstacle to laying the dead near the Assumption Cathedral, as long as there is space. And the place in front of the Community Church must be used sparingly, and then, I think, with the condition that no high monuments be erected. The Nevsky Lavra does not allow graves near the route used by the royal family. An unpleasant case of sacrilege, not the first time, and, moreover, not explained. Why put a lot of money close by, except for change! Either you need to quickly transfer it to a safe storage facility, or you need to be able to put it in such a way that a stranger will not soon find it. It is difficult to imagine that a thief would come after the sexton, during the day, when others could have entered immediately, and decide to recapture the castle. Ask the Reverend not for punishment for the guilty, but for correction, for the safety of us humble ones. But this is how my affairs, and yours, by the way, confuse me. The case regarding the land is in disarray and incomplete: one can only guess otherwise from the certificate and report of the steward. Therefore, having written to the governor, I am not entirely sure whether I said everything accurately, especially about the latest plan of 1835, and about the area of ​​the bathhouse pond and ford. It is necessary to send the attitude to you so that you can trust it with the action and the plan, and if anything is not accurate, they will tell you what needs to be corrected or supplemented. For this, we must wait for the return of this matter from you in order to send a message to the governor and talk to him; Therefore, I still won’t go to you after the Day of Epiphany. In case, however, it is not superfluous that it should not be cold in my cells for 8 days. It takes me a long time to answer you about Leonty. I don't know what to say. I asked another abbot, and received the same response as before. Let him stay a little longer. Either he decides to leave in peace: or we decide to accept. Forgive me that memories come to me out of order and that I will finally say what should have been discussed first. Peace to the soul of brother Theodore. Thank God that it was not a long journey to reach the light, and that the monastery’s place of rest received a good first deposit 66. I really regret that I couldn’t see his father, who came to see me, and although I told him to visit at another time, I didn’t quite insistently. May the Lord comfort him. Sorry, oh. governor, that in vain I forced the cells to be heated. A job came from St. Petersburg that had to be done with others, and therefore I had to stay in Moscow. I wrote to the civil governor, and then visited him, although he did not visit me on holidays or during some meetings. He made a favorable promise in vague terms, saying that he had not yet received my attitude, sent two days before. We must expect what will happen. And the obedience due to St. Sergius was fulfilled with devotion to His protection. Was the large drawing of the lattice in front of the iconostasis made from the one I saw? It is heavy, the patterns are not easy to work with, and are prone to breakage. The other design at the top is multi-sectioned and represents a lattice on chicken feet. I don’t want to put off my intentions to be with you and I’m trying to free myself from these bonds at least next week. The mercy of the Lord is with you, oh. governor, and with the brethren. In a strange way, I am staying in Moscow. Between things that need to be completed, new ones are squeezed in every day, and they are not allowed to get down to things that especially require resolution. I have painful hours every day. Today, on the way to the Synodal office, I had a headache, and now it hurts a little, it seems, only because I am not strong against the cold. Imagine Alexander the Scone as a hieromonk, and Nikander as a hierodeacon. Isn't it time to make Ananias a hieromonk and return him to the Lavra? In my cell I am at peace with him. But his acquaintance in Moscow is hardly beneficial. Naum didn’t do anything with the drawings because I expressed disagreement with them. I am returning the letter from the new Orthodox. For him, I have allocated 109 rubles from my share at your disposal. silver Enter in peace on the eve of repentance and fasting, and ask me from the One who accepts repentance to enter with a non-climactic foot. Another week has already passed, as I think about the quick path to the Lavra, but it still does not open. Today I sent a case that needed to be completed before leaving, and during this time I received three similar completions from St. Petersburg. Now I’m starting to wonder if it’s not good that I’m not allowed to travel. The past few days, on an ordinary trip to the Synodal Office, I got such a cold-like pain in my head and legs, which still hasn’t completely gone away. Naturally, a five-hour journey could have had more consequences than this. If I am not in the monastery by Friday of the next week, then by Sunday you can send sketeans for ordination. You know that there was a celebration of the seven hundredth anniversary of Moscow. I did not dare to speak on this occasion of teaching, partly because the holiday did not seem to have come from a proper source, partly because in order to speak somewhat satisfactorily on this occasion, it was necessary to have some free time, which I did not have, to look around seven hundred years, and to discover what is not always revealed at first glance, and to say a lot to the little ones. But when the holiday became necessary, it was my duty to somehow pronounce the prayer of Moscow. They have asked and are asking to print it, but this is not very common, and it is difficult to find a place for it on printed sheets where it would not be out of place. They give me the idea to publish it in additions to the publication of the Holy Fathers. Read it and tell me whether it seems to you relevant, understandable, and capable of giving useful thoughts to the reader. Give the attached sermon to Fr. to the rector of the academy so that he could read it and tell me what came to his mind. Jan. 17. I’ve been sitting at home since Monday, and today, just because I didn’t get out of bed as late as my lazy body wanted, my teeth hurt. Now it’s obvious that I won’t be with you before the post. Another day I sit in my cell so as not to tease my cold, especially when it is very cold. And there’s already a little time before Lent, and since I need to be here during the week of Orthodoxy, it’s inconvenient to not be here the previous week. I am sending you an unnamed letter from the Khotkov Monastery. It is a pity that such means are accepted. It would not be bad to know from what source this comes. Why do people fear the trial of the abbess? For what reason are the clergy protected? Does Magdalena threaten both of them, which she can bring to the attention of her superiors? Or is the abbess divulging what should not be divulged, and what she herself does not properly know? If convenience presents itself, it would not be a bad thing to read this letter to the abbess and Magdalene, just the two of them, and say that it does not honor both of them, and advise Magdalene to act humbly, and instead of doing good, not to cause unrest, and for the abbess to look after her subordinates, so that they do not become accustomed to crowds and intrigues. However, seeing them closer, if you do not hope that this would bear some fruit, then leave this between you and me until further consideration. Small silver gains to the village. icons and relics in memory of healings do not need to be taken away from their places soon. It's nice for investors and others to see them. God will bless the robes of the novices Theodore, Peter and Parmen in the cassock, if they are trustworthy to preserve the robe of righteousness. When making a cellar in a monastery near a fence, do not prepare the fence for it to fall. Arrange to set up a chapel in the skete cemetery. Show me the drawing and the measure. You want to fold it, therefore stone. Is it stone in the place where the high embankment is made? Regarding your confessor, position yourself as they wrote, and may the Lord arrange this for the peace of your soul and for all edification. But here’s what I think about this. You approve of a person above the ordinary; I trust, conquering my thoughts: and then it turns out to be possible to say that this person has no spiritual concepts! Should such a person be distinguished? Is this the right way to be a confessor? Is it a good confessor from whom people run to others? Forgive me: but think about the last two questions. Read the grammar about M. I have reason to ask you again that the relations of monastery confessors with spiritual children outside the monastery be limited to spiritual needs, without unnecessary intimacy, which is not always looked at with a simple eye. Take 3 thousand from the St. Petersburg courtyard. it is necessary and fair to go to the refectory church. We are taking the rector of Academy 69 to become the Bishop of Vinnitsa and the rector of the St. Petersburg Academy. My concern is to elect him in his place. Pray for this, so that you too will be given a good neighbor. Peace be with you, oh. the governor, and the brethren. May the Lord open the doors of fasting to you as the doors of spiritual silence and light. Bless me too as I enter the doors of fasting. I would like to know what you will find in Khotkovo. Magdalene is here. According to her own speeches, she is acting unsuccessfully. But it’s not good either that the abbess keeps herself distant from her and is inactive. If, instead, she were supported in what she should do, and withheld from what she should not, there would be more benefit and less displeasure. Are you doing well, planning to go to Khotkov when you have a headache? May the Lord give you health. What thought is at the disposal of the Right Reverend Athanasius 70 is now difficult to guess. It may be the one that appears to you, or it may be different. The Emperor loves everything to go in order. Now, in order, a vicar becomes a diocesan bishop. After some time, it will be in order for him to be called to be present at the S. Synod. With the sketes returning after ordination, a contribution - air - will be sent to the skete. Take care. When I hear Alexander’s voice in church, which I was used to hearing in the monastery, I imagine the whole monastery. I was given several copies of the life and writings of Elder Paisius. I am sending a copy to the libraries of the Lavra, Bethany, skete, yours and my cell. Will transportation reduce the benefits of buying iron in Rostov? And you want to spend a lot of money. Make sure the embassy is trustworthy. Send me a bow from Fr. Archimandrite Innocent 71. I want to send you your Lavra clerk (according to the state) Yakov with the hermits. Apply care to calm down the fermentation that has arisen in him. For several years, which I still did not know, he had a fit of insanity in which he tore books and clothes. Now he is excited and wants to preach in church and publicly repent. Try to reason with him and persuade him to pray, under the intercession of St. Sergius, with peace to the Lord, and not give in to impulses. I advise him to stay with you, that is, in the monastery, or in the monastery this and next week. Whether it will be necessary to continue this - you will see. When taking care of Jacob's disease, shouldn't we also take care of potato disease? We already have it, in the Baltic provinces. Shouldn’t we already think about reducing the potato sowing and replacing some of it with something else? Or still see what happens? They write that the grass begins to hurt first, and if the diseased grass is soon cut off and removed from the field, the infection does not spread. What a corrupt age this is, in which widespread diseases and pestilence come to plants! Pray that we may be saved. Moscow, January 27th 1847. Congratulations to you too, oh. viceroy, with holy fasting. May the Lord grant us all true repentance and the irrevocable thought of keeping a good conscience before God. Thank you for the bread for my Lenten meal. Taking this as a blessing from the monastery, I hope that I will be healthy. Take care of Jacob. If he needs physical treatment, it is better that this be under the roof of St. Sergius. For the reminder about Fr. Thank you Leonida. It is advisable to arrange something useful for him and take advantage of his good dispositions. Only this is possible not without overcoming some difficulties. A strange thing fell into my hands. Is it permissible to print some of the catechisms of Bishop Plato, which the Censorship Committee doubted, because some do not include the Lord's Prayer, some speak only of two or three sacraments, the expression is found: sacred rite, which he applies to the sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist, considering sacred scripture the basis of the teaching of faith, he is silent about traditions? – It is not convenient to leave these inaccuracies, which the present century not only looks at, but it is also difficult to touch with thin hands the work of good hands. Peace be with you, oh. governor, and the monasteries, and the brethren. The arrangement of the book for the Synodik, I allowed. But I don’t think it’s necessary to use parchment, which is not good to write on, and which squirms when bound. Good paper will be quite durable and more convenient to use. It seems that you all want to lithograph the life of St. Sergius, and not just pictures. In this case, there will be a lot of work and costs, but how much benefit? It seems that not many of the pictures can be remarkable: many repeat the same thing, and there is a lack of art. I restrain myself by expressing my consent to the matter; I'll see how you resolve my objections. Thank you for taking care of Jacob. That he needs healing through prayer, that’s what I thought when I sent him to you. But I didn’t think that the disease would become as severe as it turned out to be for you. With regard to seizures, which, however, you have difficulty with, can you expect true benefit from physical hospital treatment alone? If, by the grace of St. Sergius, the sick person has some relief: then I would like you to endure the difficulty he causes, in the hope of great good. But if there is no hope in sight, and the difficulties are painful: then take him under reliable care to Moscow to be sent to the hospital. It's strange how little food pride can find. As long as Yakov was in my front room: he was very decent and serviceable. Therefore, I ordered him to be with me in church with a book. Here he inopportunely began to show his management, and thereby make it difficult for me and forced me to tell him that he was smarter in the cell than in the church; but it didn't help. With the general singing of the servants in the altar, it seemed to me that he was humming his singing into my ear not out of zeal, but out of a sense of his importance in the clergy: but I did not listen to my thoughts, which was later confirmed in such a regrettable way. May the Lord be merciful to all of us. Please read the attached letter and return it to me. I think that even after this I will not fulfill your idea of ​​distributing the prayer upon publication. For this, it would be necessary to print it in Slavic letters, therefore in the Synodal printing house, but it will do this only on the basis of a proposal to the S. Synod, for which it will not be possible to obtain permission soon, and the timing will pass. Read the attached sermon and let it read to Professor Gorsky so that he can tell you if there is any historical inaccuracy here, because I have no time to verify what I say from sources. If he makes comments, deliver them to me with my manuscript, and tell me your thoughts about whether it would be better not to tease some people with what is said here. And if there are no objections, submit the manuscript to the censor and ask the editorial committee if it wants to publish this manuscript. Only it seems to me that if I publish it, it will be in the first book of this year. It would be a little late to print after Easter 72. From an eyewitness I have pleasant information about the transfer of the relics of St. Tikhon. The Most Reverend Anthony was prompted to this by repeated visions in a dream. At first it was difficult to act and present it to the Synod: but, finally, he said: I must do this; if they are not satisfied with this, let them prepare a place for me at least in the Solovetsky Monastery. I went to Zadonsk. Three clergymen were ordered to open the grave. To raise the relics, they found it necessary to invite a fourth. When they wanted to lift it up, the side boards of the coffin turned out to be dilapidated. They took the coffin he had prepared for himself from the schema-monk and lifted the relics on the surviving lower deck, placed them in it, and transferred them to the church. It was on the night of Passover. The Reverend and the former sang the canon of Easter, or the requiem, I don’t know, I just know what they sang: Christ is risen! The eyewitness and others kissed the imperishable right hand of the Saint. Then the bishop sealed the coffin. Peace be with you, oh. viceroy, and, moreover, the patience to read the resolution on sacrilege from the Trinity Cathedral without anger. When this was mentioned in an official report, it was impossible to ignore whether such an important matter was acted in accordance with the law and with precautions for the future. A hundred rubles were stolen: and the matter was over. Therefore, both the thief and the keepers can hope that, although they will steal more, they will get away with it without difficulty. The kidnapper is encouraged to be bold; and the guardians are not aroused to vigilance. It was possible not to hand over the matter to the secular authorities: but it was necessary to ask in writing those who unlocked the church and those who entered at the time of the loss, and draw a conclusion as to what oversight caused the kidnapping, who should therefore be given an incentive to be careful, or what order should be given for this. The Moscow Assumption Cathedral is not unlocked or locked except by the sacellarium, which removes and reapplies the seal. Trinity Cathedral is worthy of such care. At the very least, from what happened it is necessary to deduce the rule that when the church is unlocked and the sexton enters it, a watchman will be at the door until the church is inspected inside. It is also necessary that doors that are locked from the inside be locked with a lock, and not just a bolt. Thank God that only a small theft has been allowed to arouse our vigilance against a greater danger. You must carefully and actively use this instruction. For this, peace be with you and your brothers. May the Lord help the soul of His long-suffering servant, Elder Innocent, if her exodus has come, and may he open the door of His light to her. I’m not in a great hurry to return your messenger, because I don’t think you need to rush. Yesterday Fr. Archimandrite Donskoy told me about Fr.’s illness. Innokenty intended to go to Rostov: but I did not think this was necessary, because the Yakovlevsky governor and treasurer are trustworthy people, they do not give any reason to care about maintaining order in the monastery; and for the burial, without a doubt, the Right Reverend Yaroslavsky will be invited. But when I saw from the letter you communicated that the governor was ill, and the treasurer said: I don’t know what to do, then I considered it necessary to express consent for the Don Archimandrite to travel. He, as the dean of stauropegic monasteries, may need to act officially, which you would not be able to enter into. And if you don’t invite the Eminence, it wouldn’t be very appropriate for you to be with him. If o. Innocent desires the communication of your prayers, this can be fulfilled at another time. I was thinking about being in the Lavra next week before your proposal, and I accept the proposal and wish to fulfill it. Thank you to G. Gorsky for your comments. The sermon cannot deal with the chronological discrepancies of writers, and must simply stop at one thing, known and not refuted. But there was an error in one number: instead of 12, 20 was put: and he indicated this. Thank you. I am returning the letter from Fr. Polycarp. How often those who were close to us pass away from us to places from which there is no return! How closer and closer our turn is becoming! But we are not free to travel, bound by the care of this place. Pray for my laziness, so that the day of the Lord will not find me like a thief, but may I persuade myself, or may I be persuaded, not too late, and I will light a lamp, and I will gather even drops of oil, and I will gird my loins, and I will be like a servant waiting for my Lord. I did not send this letter in the morning, wanting to receive decisive information from the Synodal Office about Fr. Archimandrite Donskoy. According to a report to his Synodal Office, he set off with its decree and instructions. Upon my return from the Office, they did not allow me to write these lines until the evening. God bless you, oh. vicar, and the brethren, who through faith and reverence have partaken of the passions of Christ in a saving way, enter into the joy of the resurrection of Christ, fulfilled and perfect. I thank God for my stay with you. I thank you for taking care of me, and the brethren for the peaceful dispensation. I’m silent for a long time because I haven’t had a healthy day since returning. And before the journey, I felt that my body was afraid of it. But the journey was necessary: ​​and it was impossible to stop with this doubt. I was warm on the road, and on the last half of the road I had to open the window to protect myself from the sun. I have a kamilavka on my head: but I didn’t feel the slightest need to cover myself warmer. Despite all this, I arrived in Moscow extremely tired and with a heavy head. For several days I felt heat and heaviness in my head without local pain; When I put something warm in my mouth, it burned like it was hot. Then cold pains began in different places, which have not stopped completely even now, especially in the articulation of the right shoulder, which makes it very difficult for me, because before, having a special strength in my hands, I relied on them to give rest to other weak parts of the body. I’m telling you with the thought that you could give me some advice. Doctor Vysotsky saw me and did not recommend anything except prunes. If I remain in my current state, then, having already been unfit for business, I will be even less fit. I didn’t get the chance to wash my feet. As custom requires, I won’t be in Zaikonospassky now. Yesterday I didn’t even expect to be in the house church: but, by the grace of God, I was released from illness for the duration of the service. Pray that the Lord will do His good will for me. Truly Christ is risen! I answer you with kiss after kiss, oh. the governor, as well as the brethren of the Lavra, Bethany and monastery. May the life of Christ be embraced by your faith, and may the joy of the Lord be inseparable from you, healing infirmities, inspiring you to exploits, delighting sorrows. Peace to you all. From the pain that continued after my return, in a short nap on the evening of Holy Saturday, I received such relief that I celebrated at least as if I was recovering, if not as healthy. I am bringing back a new construction project for the monastery. The previous project represented savings by deepening the lower chapel, or church, into the foundation, and adding an upper chapel to the roof. According to the current design, the building should be on the outside, above the foundation, and the embankment made earlier will increase the depth of the foundation and the cost of this. It would be a good idea to have an estimate so as not to go into a business that is burdensome beyond expectations. Is an upper chapel needed in the new location of the building? And to be fair: you need to make the walls and windows simple, like good people, and not turn the walls into windows with crooked glass, which would often break, give the building a draft wind, and require frequent repairs. Don’t write about Y. His mother says that he is better, but that he is weak, and retells the speeches of those who follow him: will you soon die and untie us? She wants to take him to Moscow to the hospital: this could be left to the mother’s authorities; but, they say, her sanity is not too much higher than her filial one. What do you recommend? I am sending you, oh. governor, book: flowers from the garden of S. Ephraim. If you want, I can send you a hundred copies to sell for the benefit of the students. I'm sorry. I didn't expect the disease to take such power. Please accept the new Rector of the Academy in good faith 73. Do not be afraid that Moscow habits will make him unrelated to the Lavra. Holy Alexy patronized him in Moscow: I hope that in the Lavra St. Sergius will honor him with his patronage. Help him in whatever way the news requires him, with advice that I hope he is able to accept. Peace and health to you, oh. the governor, and so are the brethren. It is not very good that after two days on the third you develop a fever. I ask you not to let it take root and use treatment, and, if necessary, stay at home. Thank you for the berries. I used them with the thought that they were from the region of St. Sergius. But I was ashamed to look at this luxury, especially when I learned that the berries were carried on foot. I remember that you prescribed them for my health: but I do not want a medicine combined with such labor for another, and, moreover, one in which at the present time there is more luxury than health. I ordered Tsvetov S. Ephraim to send you 266 copies, and to send them not on foot, but on a cart. Dispose of them as you see fit. Is Hierodeacon Sergius, about whom you write, the one from the Berlyukov Hermitage? If he: not without fear I think about appointing him to St. Petersburg, so that he does not scatter, being quite young, and having seen nothing but the desert and the local monastery, and then only recently. Could you please indicate another one to choose from? Thank you for writing about Hieromonk Daniel and other things. I know him. His disposition of spirit is good: but one can fear that his appearance, appearing strange to young people, will become an obstacle to his spiritual influence. The former inspector, the current Kostroma rector, Archimandrite Agafangel 74 asks to come to us. Here's another question. About the proposed monastery building, I thought that the matter did not stop with me. I told you that, according to the previous assumption, the lower part of the building was supposed to be recessed into the ground, but now it is supposed to be open, and with extensions, as a result, the cost increases: therefore, it would not be superfluous to keep in mind an approximate estimate, so as not to fall into large expenses at a time that does not promise to be rich. It seems that I made other comments, for example, against the glass upper chapel. The more glass: the more they will break from birds, and from various cases; and broken glass disgraces and damages the building; and there is no calm air in a glass building. I don’t have an answer to this from you. If you want: get down to business, with discretion, so as not to force me to endure, or, even worse, to grumble, which, however, I should be careful of. And prepare enough forgiveness for me, so that it will not be lacking when you read this letter. You are in a noticeable hurry: but I, as if in defiance, hesitate. Your letter on the 19th day was delivered after the all-night vigil: not earlier than in the morning according to the liturgy I begin to answer. According to the instructions of this letter, a written letter of 4 days was found, attached with sealing wax from the inside to the large envelope in which the statements were received. I don’t consider myself to blame for this. I was looking for your letter, as usual, under the first sheet of large papers, or in the middle. You should have taken precautions so that a small letter in a large envelope did not stick to it and go unnoticed with large papers. I have repeatedly said and written that local matters of some importance must be presented on the spot, so that one can discuss the matter not with dumb paper, but with a living person and with local evidence. And I was on the spot, and it was said about the chapel in the monastery, and the place was examined; but then, when I was not there, another design for a church with cells appeared, and then a third with cells and a tomb. You have skill in matters of this kind; I know my ignorance: do not judge me by myself: I am not capable, after a project examined on the spot, to suddenly accept in absentia another and a third, one more different from the first. If it comes to arranging a safe church building, it would be good to think about this earlier, and suggest that I build a lower stone church with a vault under the wooden church. It would be good for both; and the cost would not increase much. It would be possible to find a way so that the cells were not so closely connected to the church. The building is supposed to have three floors. The lower one, called the tomb, will go three arshins into the ground. If many graves are dug in this depression and they are likely to go deeper than the foundation: what will happen to the building? If there are only a few of them, what would be the cost of constructing an entire floor under the entire building for a tomb? How to connect a tomb with a storage room? It is doubtful that they would live in cells in the ground, near the graves: and if this does not happen, the lower emptiness will be unfavorable for the upper cells. Previously they thought to build a chapel, or, if possible, a church, almost in the ground: there was relief in costs on the foundation and this gave reason to build another chapel at the top. If the church is now supposed to be in the air: why else would there be a chapel above it? To multiply buildings unnecessarily means to impose an unnecessary burden on oneself and on descendants: for buildings require maintenance costs. Are you thinking of bringing the monastery into a peaceful relationship with St. Synod. Thank God, there is no non-peaceful attitude. They know about the monastery: but St. The Synod did not tell me anything about him. If you build a church with a purpose for the Lavra cemetery: then, according to existing rules, it is necessary that an architectural plan be made not only for the church, but for the entire area, and the cemetery, and existing or proposed buildings; so that it could be considered in the institutions existing for this purpose, St. Synod, and is unlikely to come into effect without the Highest discretion. You don’t see how things of this kind are done: but I see them every day. Here's the latest example. In the Intercession Monastery there is a cathedral church, with a beautiful and bright Italian dome. They decided to rebuild its aisles and enlarge it with extensions on both sides. The plan, in keeping with the previous architecture, was made very plausibly, preserving the dome without rebuilding. In St. Petersburg, the plan was redone, and five dark conical domes were assigned, due to which the costs will increase, and the church will lose a light dome, especially necessary for its expansion. You may decide that it is not safe to expose yourself to such contingencies. Moreover, this is where the peaceful attitude of the S. Synod may be shaken, if not towards the monastery, then towards those who built it, when, upon reviewing the plan of the area, the origin and existence of which is officially unknown to him, the very course of the matter, especially when reminded by the ministers of the clerical rite, will be prompted to demand various information and explanations. These are, in response to your thoughts, my perplexities. I do not think that you can resolve them satisfactorily, so that they do not interfere with the fulfillment of your assumptions. But here is what can be done, and what the cathedral can present to me. since the S. Synod generally decreed that churches should be built in cemeteries, or for the first time prayer houses or chapels; and in recent times it has been prescribed to establish buildings of this kind in cemeteries and to place the bodies of the deceased until the time of burial: then at the cemetery established in the Gethsemane monastery to build a prayer house of a small space, with two small cells attached to it. When there is a building, it will be less difficult to achieve the establishment of a church in it. In this church it is possible to arrange for the one who builds the church, (if it ever pleases God), a place of rest, like in the existing lower church, closer to church prayers and shrines than it would be under the vault in the lower floor. There is no need for this floor of the tomb. There is no need for an upper chapel. Now please judge your and my thoughts. I forgot to say that in order to allow expenses, not only 5,000 rubles. silver, but also less - it is necessary to take into account the income and other expenses. The mercy of the Lord is with you, oh. governor, and with the brethren. For a hierodeacon in St. Petersburg, a voice is not a necessary condition. Regarding Sergius, I agreed with you, yielding to you, and not in my opinion. I wrote to you in detail about the building in the monastery. And to what you are now writing, I will respond with the experiences that have taken place, so that there is no doubt about what can be expected. On the third day, a plan was received for the construction of the border at the Ruza Cathedral, approved by the Highest, although the Highest command about this concerned only Moscow, and plans for churches in district cities and monasteries outside Moscow, according to the charter, should only be submitted for approval by the S. Synod, without being brought to the Highest discretion. If 75 was received with a case about a small extension to the church of a small town: then the case about building some kind of church at the Lavra, without a doubt, will not go without submission to the Highest discretion: and with this comes slowness, the likelihood of a change in plan and an increase in costs, and the need for many local explanations. Therefore, your boldness, before permission to build the foundation of the building, cannot in any way be allowed. They wanted to add a chapel to the St. Nicholas Church in Kobylskoye. Spring has come; but the plan did not return from St. Petersburg. The church warden asked permission to lay the foundation. I could hardly resist agreeing and said that I could not give consent on my part, because in all likelihood it was impossible to correctly foresee the decision of a matter in the hands of the authorities. Then they sent from St. Petersburg an enlarged plan, according to which the foundation would have to be thrown out, if it had been laid, and laid on a different line. You might say, what would it matter if the building were somewhat cramped than the Highest approved plan? I answer, firstly, that it is a sin to change what has been approved by the Highest, and secondly, that this cannot be done without punishment. After construction, it is prescribed to audit what has been built, whether it is exactly in accordance with the Highest approved plan; and submit the inspection report to the S. Synod. I am glad that the entrance of the new rector is peaceful and gives hope. I wish you health, completely free from the remainder of the disease. Summon peace for me too, which has obstacles. I was perplexed about the supposed building in the monastery. The building is not cheap. The plan was not made by an architect. It is true that until now God has been merciful to us in our enterprises there. But now I don’t feel free to make up my mind. Pray that a peaceful dispensation will be given to me for this. You say that the monastery was supposed to have 15 people. When I turned 30 later: I didn’t mind. When you now say that there are already more than 40, then the question arises to me: isn’t this a lot, not only in relation to the premises, but also in relation to the quiet structure of the monastery. The perfection of the choir is not the most essential need. I would like to know your opinion about this. Whether to accept Nikon into Makhra, decide based on the consideration whether there is hope that he will establish himself on a good path, and whether the builder will be at peace with him. I would like to celebrate the day of the Holy Trinity with you: but I don’t know whether this will happen. Pray that the Lord will arrange something useful. I call on the help of the Lord and the prayers of St. Sergius, so that what is needed for the world will be said in peace, and accepted in peace. I have long said that in a monastery for outsiders there should be designated confessors, and those invited for this at will must either refer those inviting them to those appointed, or ask for special permission. Last year I wrote to you that it is necessary to warn monastics from relations with secular people, which, although well-intentioned, may, under certain circumstances, be subject to controversy. Once, my remark on a special occasion of this kind was taken for offensive distrust, when it was, in my opinion, a proper warning. I remind you of this so that the experience of warnings that may have seemed unnecessary, but which finally turned out to be unnecessary, prompts you to carefully accept the present warning, which consists in repeating previous warnings. You know that the letters of a certain clergyman were subject to unintentional reinterpretation and distortion in the lists. Now it is certain that their lists are known further than Moscow, and that there are those who are looking for the genuine ones, not at all to defend the truth. They are also looking for another collection of letters. After one reinterpretation, it is not impossible to do another. And therefore it is good if these other letters do not exist, or did not exist. It is a good deed to edify souls, but only those to whose edification a person is called. But it is also a good deed not to give rise to embarrassment and temptation. May the Monk Sergius inspire you to graciously accept what has been said now, and carefully apply it to edification, since, according to the Apostle, all of us are, but not all of us are edifying. Peace be with you, oh. viceroy, and may the inner peace given by the Lord be undisturbed by any external rumor or storm. Forgive me if I’m making it difficult for you, because I’m having a hard time too. You resolve my doubt about the value of the proposed building. This is not the main thing, although I mentioned this too. The stronger doubt is that the plan is not an architect’s. Probably, I would not have stopped at this even in a freer state of mind. What to do when this is not there? Maybe I’d rather find this in the monastery. The cases of acceptance of some into the monastery that you talk about are completely respectful. But, probably, not all such cases were doubled, and the estimated number was almost tripled. However, I only asked and I think that I asked not inappropriately. When a person is in grief, it is comforting to think that he has not done harm to others. Thank God this is the case. But at the same time, it is not superfluous and not useless to ask: whether too little caution was used, and whether there are cases in which it is useful to strengthen it. If you were to ask me: was it true that I never abandoned the caution that was due and appropriate to my situation? I would find it difficult to say: exactly; and, not trusting myself, I would begin to look around more carefully than before to see if there was a side in my actions, which I simply looked at as being consistent with my position, where increased caution was not useless. I can't continue as mail time approaches. Anyone who wants to build a cell in a monastery, if he is firm in his intention, and if he agrees to abide by the rule that they do not go to a monastery with their own rules, but obey the rules of the monastery to which they come, let him build it, and may the Lord bless his feat and give him peace of mind. I can’t set a date for the trip to the Lavra, because, by the way, I don’t know when the decree will come to celebrate the baptism of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich. But if you don’t know in advance: it’s calmer for you. I sometimes complained about a meeting that burdened others and me, but I never complained about a non-meeting. I write with sick eyes, and that’s why I probably won’t write much. God bless His servant Philip and do good to his soul. May your thoughts also be at peace. The conversation you probably wouldn't want to have, I've already had, and without difficulty. He talked with me about many subjects and finally said that Tatyana Borisovna had sent him a letter from Prince Andrei, the contents of which were hitherto unknown to him, and he wanted information from me. Based on my presentation of what I know, he did not express any doubt about recognizing the slander as slander. Countess Varvara Alekseevna Protasova bequeathed her confessor and two priests to bury her: therefore, the son did nothing against this will. But in St. Petersburg, all the bishops performed funeral services and memorial services for her. This is a providential arrangement for her pious life. And I celebrated the liturgy and requiem in Donskoy, and escorted her to the place of rest. Count Nikolai Alexandrovich 76 wants to be at the Lavra next week. I think I will be there by then. I think he will arrive in the evening and spend the next day at the monastery. Prepare a room for him in the hotel, and I have a meal. June 7. This time do not refuse, and may God help you to benefit your soul. This inscription was made on a letter from Fr. governor with the following content: Holy Master and most sacred father! Tell me what to do. M. with spiritual sorrow asks to confess her; she had a confessor here, Rev. Anastasy Sarovsky, and since he is no longer here, now he was with me and convincingly asked about this. Without your blessing and permission, I again do not want to do anything. Say one word of your will, and I wish to fulfill it. Now I myself can’t be with you: I’m going to the all-night vigil. Forgive me for Christ's sake that I am disturbing you out of necessity. Your novice is the sinful Anthony. Peace and blessings to you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren. In cool air, without rain, we reached Moscow safely. Ekaterina Vladimirovna Novosiltsova travels to the Lavra. Accept her instead of me. Congratulations, oh. Viceroy, happy angel's day. May the prayers of Saint Anthony, who gave you your name, and another great one who gave him his name, assist you on the path of salvation. I have seen Hieromonk Hilary more than once during a sermon, standing attentively, and, knowing him, I do not think that he would allow himself to talk idlely at this time. Andrei Nikolaevich looks with the eye of jealousy then, as one might look with the eye of simplicity. Eumenius could not have bothered the one who uses the holy gifts by demanding a change in the surplice. There is more discord in this than in the variety of vestments and surplices for the servants. It happens, by the way, that it is not decent in the Trinity Cathedral when, with the royal doors open, I undress myself at the throne, and other servants, standing near the high place, with their backs to the throne, take off their vestments. But here's a more important mess. The young man, who was in the Lavra with Andrei Nikolaevich, and at our meal, returning to Moscow, revealed the secret that in the Lavra at that time a hieromonk from Voronezh tonsured him into a ryassophore. And this is a person who first made a vow to enter into monasticism, then agreed to marry, and did not enter only due to newly discovered obstacles, and after being tonsured as a ryassophore takes care of the publication of his poems. Ask the hieromonk why he decided to take this rash act willfully, and tell him whether to accept him into the Lavra. Tell about. to the treasurer to write to me how many copies of the edition of the works of the saints the father has signed for this year on my instructions, and whether one of them is being delivered to Andrei Nikolaevich. Andrei Nikolaevich, in his jealousy, says among other things that it is the fault of lack of reverence for St. gifts to the bishops who, after communion, sit down while others are still communing. According to this reasoning, the bishop could be blamed even more severely when, not after communion with the priests and away from the altar, he sits facing the east, yielding to weakness, but soon after the consecration of the gifts, near the altar, he sits facing the west before the ordination of the deacon. But this imaginary lack of reverence is prescribed by the rules of the holy fathers. If we give freedom to our reasoning, perhaps reverently, then we will remake the charter: and if we allow ourselves to shake the charter, then we cannot be sure in which direction it will be shaken later. My journey to Bronnitsy, thank God, was completed safely. The journey from Moscow to Bronnitsy lasted nine hours without rest, because on the road I listened to the liturgy and visited several churches. It is better that the hieromonk of Athos acted arbitrarily, and not ours. I need to beware of him, as I thought before. You rush to guess about Nikiforov. Not him, but someone else, younger than him. Forgive me, too: even now it seems disgraceful to me that the priests, at the high place, with their backs to the throne and to the open royal doors, take off their vestments. It seems to me that others also see this this way, because I don’t see this anywhere except in the Lavra: everywhere they leave the throne and the open royal gates for exposure. The Rule commands priests to dress and undress at the altar, but not with the royal doors open. The sight of those undressing near the throne is not in accordance with the reverent vision of the people at the altar. Are you correct in saying that a non-serving bishop sits down during the communion of the Holy Mysteries? I think he acts the same as during his service, that is, he does not sit down and take the antidoron while the serving priest is communing. If the archimandrites imprudently imitate what is wrong in the bishop, or does not belong to them: then, it seems to me, it would be more useful to tell me about this, perhaps for a modest correction, than to a secular, albeit well-disposed person, probably to increase the reasons to condemn the clergy. Tell us to count the cost of resuming the meal. This had to be done all the more quickly when it was discovered that the promised significant savings had not been made. I have another journey ahead of me for eight days 77 . Pray that I may be governed in peace. Do you have a bucket? We pray for him: but if there is no rain, then you hang in heavy clouds. Princess Anastasia Mikhailovna 78 instructs me to tell you, Fr. Governor, that Varlaam should be placed in the Golitsyn hospital not in a special room, which is now impossible to have, but in a spacious room, in which there are few patients, behind a barrier with screens. Therefore he can arrive immediately. I haven’t been writing to you for a long time: because after a seven-day journey, difficult for my weakness, the other seven days at home I don’t find enough peace to gather my strength. Because the invoice for the costs of the refectory church for painting shows what is assigned in the estimate, 11,160 rubles. Ass.: then how did you say that the consumption has increased so much? It seems that the Moscow painter asked for more than 20,000 rubles for one painting. Ass. Explain to me, rightly or in vain, you challenged me on the 6th day of this month in front of strangers, and presented me as a boss who did not know what was going on with me. I don’t stand up for myself: but I want to understand the matter. Give Malyshev 200 rubles as a reward. I agree with silver. If the goldsmith needs to add: I don’t argue that he should be in peace, and don’t complain about the church. Novice Gregory revealed to me today that he wants to study at the academy. To the question: did he talk to you about this? He answered with an apology of ignorance, that this was required by order. Tell me what you think about it. He says that his mother is forcing him, if not to leave the monastery, then at least to study at the academy. You will have Archimandrite Ignatius 79 of the Sergius Hermitage. Please accept him with brotherly love. Talk to him about the Athonite hieromonk Joseph, whom he sees differently than you showed me before. Write down the vestment given by Countess Sheremeteva in the Lavra inventory. But if you need it in August or September in Moscow: then send it, packing it as it was delivered. May the Lord raise up those who have been burned. If they ask to settle in the same place designated for purification, there is no need to shake the decision made. It is better, if necessary, to provide them with some assistance in settling in another place. P. and A. must be removed. I am not against doing this by returning the forms of dismissal: only this is not in doubt, because they are considered to have been dismissed to a well-known monastery and, having become wanderers after this, can be subject to investigation: why this was allowed. It’s strange how much a man who humbly served in a strange country allowed himself to do. We must look to see if there are any easy conversations and actions among the brethren, after which a low deed seems not too low. The enterprise of demanding fish and boiling it in the forest is so strange that it would have been difficult for it to have been born in the head of a novice, if it had not been for this kind of disorder in a smaller form. We must tell the Bethany treasurer to pay closer attention to order. I think it is not useless to talk to the novice Gregory so that he can think better about whether to embark on a new path, on which, perhaps, you will encounter more labor and entertainment than true fruit. It would be a great pity if Philip were to be entertained and carried away by a novice who did not understand him and his own benefit. Is it possible to either reason with the novice and humble him, or explain to Philip that an unreasonable brother can damage his silence, and that therefore it is better to leave him to go his own way and not get carried away by it. I sent a petition to the cathedral from Archimandrite Sergius, asking to retire to the Lavra. This, if I’m not mistaken, is the former rector of Tiflis, who, due to damage to his eyesight, previously left the school, and is now leaving the rector’s service. You can ask the old-timers of our academy about it. Come and tell me the opinion I require. His Grace Isidore, Exarch of Georgia, gave Andrei Nikolaevich Muravyov a Greek icon of the Lord Pantocrator with those present, the Mother of God and the Forerunner as a blessing. Andrei Nikolaevich wants her to be in the monastery. I am sending her here. Its dilapidation is not beautiful: but I would not want to overshadow its antiquity with renovation 80. Take care of her in the monastery while we talk about her on the spot. Yesterday I received your letter, oh. viceroy, about the gardener; and, not finding my thought in agreement with yours, I postponed the answer. But even now I also think it was yesterday. We have no right to dispose of monastery money in favor of a private person. If any superior allowed himself such an order, I would be obliged to subject him to responsibility: therefore, I should not set an example of what I would subject another to punishment for. And if the insured amount were allowed to deviate towards such a foreign object, then a reason would be given to squander it on objects that are more important than this. G. Naumova, for violating the silence of the desert, I announced the appointed penance of not being allowed into the monastery on August 17; and did not change this decision, based on her justification that she came to the desert along the road laid by those carrying timber, that others went to the hermit, and that one of the monks declared this permissible for her. “We must try not to have an open road there.” Through abstinence and spiritual cleansing, I wish you and your brethren to ascend from what is below to what is above, and to draw closer to the light of Christ. Forgive me. May the Lord forgive you. Through the intercession of the Most Blessed Mother of the Lord, may the Lord bless you and us with the celebration of Her glorious Dormition and ascension into heaven. I was already thinking that Sunday would make it difficult to combine services for the Feast of Gethsemane. At the beginning of the all-night vigil, three Sunday stichera are needed. Other things may be as you write. I have already told the Andronievo archimandrite that I cannot be with him for the 16th day, because of the trip to the Lavra: but I will not tell you that this trip will certainly take place 81. Since the 6th day my health has fluctuated. For the last two days I have had weakness in my insides, incomplete sleep, and in the morning I feel sick in my mouth. Doctor Vysotsky, I think, is not in Moscow. Yesterday I asked someone else for advice, not very urgently, feeling better at that time, and did not receive any specific instructions. Call upon me the best healing. The idea of ​​P. makes it difficult for me. The law does not require vacations to be given to unreliable people. If two copies of the portrait of the late Archimandrite Macarius are sent to you, then one will be sent to my cells in the monastery. May our Reverend Father Sergius ask the Lord of his monastery for protection from the slander of the enemy. It's sad what happened to the student. And it’s sad what happened at the Lavra. Thank God that the novice is clear of participation in the incident. The brother of the unfortunate deceased student, a priest, says that the deceased was prone to hypochondria and that he did not drink strong drinks. I told him to deliver this information to the rector of the academy. I approve that you gave the matter a legal course. Failure to bring the matter into legal clarity would have given rise to secret or open denunciations, which would have given an even worse appearance to the accident and would have denigrated the authorities. It is necessary that the cathedral inform me about the incident immediately. You just need to take into account what the first interrogations will reveal, so that the report does not appear to contradict the case, and confusion does not occur. However, the report of the council should contain only what is known from the novice on the spot immediately after the incident. With this example, teach the brethren how carefully you need to accept people into the cell and leave them in it. I have already refused to allow the student to be buried in the Lavra. I inform you so that it does not happen otherwise. O. Viceroy! The destructive disease that has befallen some places in our Fatherland and, perhaps, threatens us as well, rightly gives a special incentive to offer prayers to the Lord God for mercy. It is good to begin these prayers freely, out of pure love for mankind, for our distressed brothers, before our own imminent danger, and not out of captivity, in the face of imminent danger that oppresses our hearts. I know that others are afraid of this preliminary, for non-spiritual reasons: but I think that there is also a fair reason to position ourselves carefully. If it were possible to hope that everyone who heard about early prayers would enter into a sense of humility and the spirit of prayer, this would be good. But if many do not strengthen themselves in this way, but are prematurely indignant at the danger announced through prayer, then this will not be the desired fruit of the work. Therefore, I would consider approaching prayer more privately than solemnly. On every Friday after Matins in the hospital church at the local cathedral, you can perform a prayer service to the Most Holy Trinity, laid out in the great missal in chapter 83, with a prayer, its beginning: sinners, lawless people. Other brethren may be invited to attend this prayer service or, as circumstances require, to perform it on the same morning in their cells. A similar thing could be arranged in Bethany and the monastery. God pleases voluntary sacrifices. If you had notified me that it is the good pleasure of the brethren, you would have encouraged my laziness to unite with you all, if not in the place, then at the time of prayer. May the Lord be merciful to all of us. Moscow, August 26th 1847. I am free to write now, because I am unwell, and therefore not on holiday. In the name of the Lord, blessing and peace to the monasteries and to you, Fr. viceroy For 22 days before the liturgy I had to answer first to the rector of the academy, and then to you. I told him briefly: that, without judging one’s neighbor, one must heed the destinies of God, and that with a particularly sad death, it is in accordance with a humble burial. But it seemed to me necessary to talk more thoroughly with him in order to arouse, as the Apostle 82 says, pure meaning, and, moreover, to point out some circumstances of the matter that are harmful to ignore, and which, being covered up here, are more likely to attract attention from above. At the same time, I think I’ll send you a list of this letter, in part, so that you know how I solve the case from the circumstances known from the academy itself, without extending to a possible inquiry at the Lavra, in part, so that you tell me your thoughts, whether I’m doing what I should, and whether I’m doing what I should. It is strange that at the time when I was writing a letter to the rector of which I am speaking this very morning, the housekeeper came with news of the mental impairment of the Bethany novice, and when I finished the letter, he came another time with a notice from the hospital that the choir resident there had become mentally impaired. Through the prayers of Your Saints, save us, Lord! But I think you are bored reading this and are in a hurry to find the answer about your journey, calculated according to your news. But according to our official news, the Sovereign Emperor leaves St. Petersburg for Moscow on September 1st; and according to unofficial ones, the Grand Duchess will arrive in Moscow with him. This does not correspond to your timing. And forgive me, no matter how involuntarily I now want your absence. Work continues at the monastery, which requires your eye and orders. It seems to me that it is not difficult for you to calm yourself by sacrificing to duties and obedience a desire, although good, but arbitrary and unnecessary. It is good to give refuge to God-loving strangers as long as they are in a legal position, according to their written forms. But what next? I expect you to say this. Hierodeacon Joel asked permission to serve the liturgy today in the Pimenovskaya Church, at the request of some benefactor. I didn’t argue: but I don’t like it. Note. Attached to this letter is a copy of the letter to the rector mentioned in it. The letter is as follows: Your letter, oh. rector, having received 22 days before the liturgy, I did not have much time to answer you, and had to protect my peace before the work of God. Now I can’t resist telling you that, after a sad incident for the Academy, your view of it saddened me. When an incident that was derogatory for the academy turned out to be somewhat less derogatory, you turned your attention to not healing the beautiful wound, but covering it with a shiny cover. Here a thought comes to mind: the ecu hit us and didn’t hurt us. Is it reliable? If you want to decorate an unfortunate death with an honorable burial, you are preparing an insult to a pious death by equating the unfortunate one with it. Is it edifying for your subordinates to see from your orders that a bad death can also be decorated as a pious one? Isn't this a temptation for outsiders too? Will it please God to be magnified when God has sent a humbling event? And for the soul of the unfortunate deceased, isn’t it more useful for the here humble commemoration for relief there than for the inappropriate solemnity. You say: everyone wants an honorable burial. If God has made you a senior in society; then you should guide others for the better, and not be enslaved by unfounded opinions. You give an example. I don't remember him. Perhaps the circumstances were less sad. Don't you see that the companion of the deceased, about whom you are silent, is no less a dark spot for the academy than the deceased? Why, having arrived at the Lavra, could not immediately go to the academy? Why did he, being near the mentally damaged person, do nothing to protect him? Why couldn’t he even be questioned after the accident, and still there is not a single word from him, although he should have been the only eyewitness to the incident? You should not have closed your eyes to this in order to cleanse the academy of the remaining stain, and, if this motivation is not enough, then so that your actions do not appear incorrect to the authorities, who, of course, will not be so blind that they do not pose the questions now proposed by me. God's providence does not allow shocking events to happen by chance, but either as punishment or as instruction. What instruction can we take from what happened? Are there not enough hypochondriacs and mentally damaged people in the world who endure the troubles of their lives, and if they do not protect themselves, they are protected by providence? Why is this? Is it not because some good thoughts and feelings were previously instilled in them, and there were some good deeds in their previous life, as a result of which the grace that protects them does not completely leave them? If the enemy of souls is allowed to play with a person’s life, is it not because the principles of good, with which grace-filled protection is connected, were not sufficiently established in him before? So, from this case, ministers of spiritual enlightenment should turn to careful thought about whether they are trying hard enough to gain the highest power for their teaching against the power of the underworld? Does it penetrate deeply enough into the souls of those being taught? Is it enough going into life? With these thoughts, to resort to God and try to strengthen good zeal in oneself would, of course, be fairer, more useful and more pleasing to God than to try to cover up an unfortunate death with a brilliant burial. If my thoughts and words seem harsh to you, then remember the words of Solomon: trustworthy are the wounds of a friend than the free kisses of an enemy 83 . God's blessing to you, Fr. viceroy; and forgive me for writing. If someone sewed new clothes yesterday, and today they tore a hole in it and put a patch on it: I would not like it. I also don’t like breaking through a wall in a newly built building, on which, moreover, lies a vault, in order to make a staircase to the choir. Choirs are good in a large building, but for the most part small ones are crowded and crushed, and disgraced with stairs on them. If you would like me not to offer this reasoning, then, when drawing up a plan, it would be good to tell me not to rely on your considerations, but to figure out, as best I can, everything that is needed for the building. If it is impossible to do without wood in the altar: I am ready to abandon the idea of ​​an iron iconostasis, the execution of which will be successful is doubtful. The sacristy premises can somehow be arranged in a small space. For example: put two cabinets on the sides of the high place, which would be sideways to the eastern wall, with their backs to the high place, and would open to the altar and to the southern wall. They can be arranged so that from the altar they do not have the appearance of cabinets, but represent the formation of a high place, in relation to the ancient division of the altar into three parts. Or come up with something better than this: I just wouldn’t want the demolition and new construction for the choir. Stone choirs would increase the thickness of the stone and could hold dampness for a long time. Respecting your idea, Father Viceroy, that the order I proposed regarding private prayer on the occasion of a threatening illness is not as convenient to implement as replacing the cathedral prayer singing established on Sundays with prayer singing during a destructive epidemic, I agree to this. Let's come, oh. Viceroy, to our true abbot, the Venerable Sergius, with a prayer that he would arrange and preserve us as his novices of one mind and one mind, so that he would give you peace unbroken by my contradictions, and correct me and keep me from contradictions when they are sinful and unfair. Thank you for expressing your displeasure with me: in this there is consolation and hope. Having given examples, you make a broad conclusion that I do not accept a single proposal of yours with a power of attorney. I would like to have an intermediary whom we both could entrust to consider this. I don’t have enough confidence in myself to hire myself to be right: but I think that my guilt would not be so strong, and this would heal your and my thoughts. It seems to me that if asked who I have a special power of attorney for, anyone who knows my circle would point to you. I didn’t think that I needed to prove that I had power of attorney for you: but, if necessary, consider my evidence. When, at the request of certain circumstances, I wrote a letter about the veneration of the Mother of God in her various icons, and the question presented itself to me whether it should be made known 84, I, primarily before the Theologians, addressed it to you, by proxy of understanding and sincerity. You can remember many similar cases in which I entrust myself to your judgments about subjects of no small importance and about matters of conscience, and so that you do not say that this happened before, look at my letter, in which these days I sent you a list of the letter, and to which I still do not have an answer from you on this subject. On the occasion of the former construction corrections at the Sukharevsky courtyard, I asked you whether to form a construction committee, and, having received an answer, entrust it to the abbot, I preferred your opinion to mine, and did not take precautions, which later turned out to be not unnecessary. But here is the clearest example. The monastery of Gethsemane would not have existed if there had been another in your place, even one of those using my power of attorney: because, not trusting myself, I would not have enough confidence that the matter would be done decently, there would be no difficulty in the methods, and one could hope for some spiritual fruit. Only complete trust in your spiritual reasoning and purity of intention disposed me to decide on the matter, without taking into account possible troubles for failure to comply with forms before my superiors. Let's look at the cases that led you to the broad conclusion of lack of trust. I didn’t rely on your plan for building a church in the monastery because the façade seemed incomprehensible to me, and by the way, it seemed safer to build a low structure with a vault according to the architect’s plan. If there is a small amount of distrust in your architectural knowledge here, then, I think, it is not in the least offensive. The idea of ​​a two-story building at the beginning was to make two chapels, or a church at the bottom and a chapel at the top. This duality seemed unnecessary to me: and I moved on to the idea of ​​a one-story building, thinking that the costs would also be lower. I didn’t understand the two-story building before, as you are now describing. I am allowed to have my own thoughts, but if yours had been better explained to me, then I think I would agree with you. You say that I agreed with Ivan Akimovich about the vaults under the church platform. No. In Moscow I did not agree with him. And he agreed on the spot when you confirmed this, that is, he agreed with you. The reasons why I did not agree to your trip to Rostov are the expectation of a visit from a high person, and the desire for the building of the church to be completed in your eyes, not only does not mean mistrust, but the latter is based on trust. I wanted to agree with you about the prayer service on the occasion of a threatening illness, but doubt came, which you see in my letter. To test my thought, I spoke about your proposal to two people who have a non-secular view of things, and received advice to refrain from putting your thought into action. If I sinned by acting on this advice: then, however, there is no offensive lack of confidence in you. Consider your actions too. You prove to me the inconsistency of my proposal about prayer in the hospital church and in cells: and at the same time you say that you have carried it out. Wouldn't it be more appropriate to stop fulfilling it, even if it was a formal order? And this was only a private offer. That I pointed to the breviary, and not to the book of prayer songs: this is because the breviary was in my mind, but there was no booklet, and I thought that it was in it too. That I gave you a rank that needs to be replenished arbitrarily: this accusation is in vain. It was necessary to fill up the book of prayer songs: and there is no self-will here. And the same thing happened. I do not present everything I have said as right: but I ask you to consider it with a reasoning calmed by grief, and at least somewhat relieve me from the accusation with which I am burdened, although not so that it would be easier for me, but so that our peace with you is not threatened. What you say regarding the prayer for my admonition: I accept it with peace and gratitude, and do not justify myself. Since the arrival of the Sovereign is expected tomorrow, the question of the Grand Duchess’s visit to the Lavra may soon be resolved, and if this happens, then I will not hesitate to let you know, with the assumption that the trip you are considering could not take place before the feast of the Reverend. Forgive and pray that through my unworthiness I do not bring sorrow to myself and others, and that some days that are difficult for my weakness will pass in peace. From the Lord grace, and mercy, and peace to you, oh. the governor, and the brethren. With your letter you reassured me: don’t worry yourself. Only now I will say: trust me a little more, and tell me what your thoughts are not peaceful towards me, without accumulating such thoughts, which causes confusion and difficulty to increase. May the Lord forgive us in everything, including in what I am writing now. Peace to the soul of Father Tikhon. But then I remembered to say that I had wanted to for a long time. The academic hierodeacon chose Tikhon as his mentor in spiritual life: and he became damaged in his mind. It’s good that they are looking for a mentor: but we must ensure that those capable of this are taken on to mentor. Visit Mahra when you find it convenient. I sent the builder to the cathedral with the plan for the bell tower, only to get rid of his insistence, and not because I agreed with him. One who is not reliable in small and ordinary matters cannot be relied upon in large and extraordinary matters. We met the Emperor safely. Only, they say, in the cramped space, near the cathedral, someone fainted and was brought dead to the world chamber. Whether you should expect a visit from the Grand Duchess, I still could not find out. I'll try to find out soon. Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna deigns to say that she regrets the impossibility of being in the Lavra. Her husband’s sister has died, and they are rushing to St. Petersburg, it seems, with the assumption that he should go to console his parent. They received me graciously, as did Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich. But this relationship ended in an undesirable way. On Sunday, the Grand Duchess expressed a desire for me to perform the liturgy on Monday in Chudov, at which she wanted to be: but I, serving on Sunday at home, and then going to the Grand Duke, caught such a cold that yesterday I could not serve at home, and now I am sitting at home with a cold and toothache. Now from 10 to 21 days of this month, this is the time for you to travel to Rostov. But I wish it didn’t last long. About your idea of ​​walking, it seems that I can and should give feedback by right and duty. It is written in the Law of Moses that the head of the family, having heard the intention of the vow, can forbid, and then the promiser is free from fulfillment; and if at the first hearing the head of the family remains silent, then after that he cannot contradict the vow 85. Maybe you don't have a vow, but just a desire. If there is a vow: the rules of monastic obedience must be no less strong than the rules of family obedience. I opposed your intention to walk, as soon as I heard about it: and therefore you will not sin if you do as commanded in the book of Numbers in chapter 30, verse 6. For my part, I can only agree that you walk the last station before Rostov. My reasons, I think, are solid: first, so that your absence from the Lavra will not last long; second, that the time is beginning to be not good, and I am not the only one who feels as awkward as it was in 1830; third, the treatment has made you susceptible to colds, and therefore autumn walking is hardly for you now. If the parcel to Efremov does not promise monetary benefits; but if he promises cereals and oil that are purer and more undamaged than those purchased here: this reason is enough to decide to send a trustworthy one, so that the brethren have the needs of a better quality of life. You can also buy rye there if the opportunity arises, and if you can rely on the buyer enough. Dorotheus asking to enter the Lavra from Donskoy, I don’t remember if I had one. If you passed by the abbot and did not look back, then this is quite strange. Why shouldn’t he come to me in the monastery if he lives there for two months? It’s enough that I accept novices right away, or those who come to the Lavra in such a way that it would be out of the way to go to me. I don’t know why I want to let Moses go from me. I haven’t thought about this at all yet. Moses is a peaceful soul and I feel at peace with him, except for a few minutes when he hastily reads the entrance prayers. And if he gets tired of me, won’t you really want to take him to the Lavra? Enough for the patient. Sorry. I have compassion for God’s visit to Pereslavskaya Sloboda. It seems that fires do not happen anywhere as often as in Sergievsky Posad and along the Troitskaya road from Moscow. Shouldn't ordinary people be advised to treat pilgrims better? Thank God that our homes have been spared. I hear with consolation that the brethren, whenever possible, worked to help the needy. It’s good that the Makhrinskaya bell tower does not favor the builder to build the Pillar of Babylon instead. It’s a pity to remove the builder: but there is little hope. And opinion promises a lot about itself, much less that it shows a lack of truthfulness. Lord, forgive us all sinners. Make a wish from me about. A perfect recovery to Anatoly. May the Lord enlighten those who seek him in the darkness of the cave. But I have spiritual thoughts that come with police thoughts. What will happen to passports? I have never heard of anyone saying that cholera can be transmitted through food items. But they still cannot understand its transitions. The Grand Duke told me that during the time of cholera, a healthy detachment of troops was walking along the road; but where he stayed, after his departure, cholera broke out. A reassuring example presented itself to me in Prince V., who with his family during cholera in Voronezh, did not hesitate to stay there for several days, and received Holy Communion, while there were already several dead in the monastery. He notices that at that time the air there was filled with a palpably deathly smell; and he noticed this even more when he left Voronezh into the clean air: it was necessary to open the windows of the carriage, because when they were closed in the carriage the air was as if next to a dead person. However, the healthy travelers arrived in Kyiv and then passed harmlessly through Kursk, which then had cholera, in which, however, they only venerated the image of St. Nicholas, and changed horses. The prince told me this personally on Wednesday this week. That you are afraid of cholera, perhaps it is for the best. Better pray. I kind of look at the approach of cholera as simply the approach of autumn. Isn't this indifference worse? Let us pray to the Lord, for everyone and for everything. I don’t recommend being in Vozdvizhensky, and more than anything else, I don’t recommend it. A.I. writes to me so that at the consecration of the church there will be clergy who were at its foundation, without naming who these persons are. What kind of mystery is this? I didn’t answer her: but I’ll tell you without mystery that I don’t want anyone from the Lavra to be there, and I gave an opportunity for stories, just as she says that on Christmastide the Lavra monks were with her, dined, sat and sang. The request of Prince Gruzinsky must be respected and, if possible, fulfilled. Through the prayers of our Venerable Father Sergius, may the power of the Lord repel all dark power from dwellings and from the living. I kept your messenger for a long time because, with continued ill health, I was constrained by my studies. Yesterday I had to serve with difficulty to consecrate the antimensions. Today I refused to serve on the renovation of the church due to weakness and constraint from other activities. By the power of His cross may the Lord protect you, Fr. governor, and all of us. What is this, trouble after trouble for our elders? - Tell about. Macarius, that I learned with regret about his adventure and wish him relief. Not with fatigue, but with consolation, I read your story about how during the fire, from using natural benefits for the needy, you turned to help from above. Glory to God, who gave a good thought and arranged the execution for good. I agree that two pipes should be purchased for the charity house, and a pond should be built in the yard. The thought again comes to me about the pond between the academic building and the Assumption Cathedral. The White Pond was closed from Pereslavskaya Street so that it would not be littered? You need to pay attention to this. We prayed today for protection from illness. I send you the word or word that was before the prayer service, for speed, so that it can now be read in many churches, printed without censorship with the consent of the Governor-General 86. Peace and health to you, oh. the governor, and the brethren. Please, oh. Governor, be thrifty for your health: for the time is not good. It was better not to go to Khotkov. If you feel remnants of the disease; stay at home until you get stronger. Hierodeacon Nathanael, who told you on demand that he does not think of leaving the Lavra, according to the Simonov archimandrite (who responded that he did not take the letters with him), writes to him at the end of September, urging him to quickly transfer to Simonov. What is this double-mindedness for? If this is true: quickly release the person who deserves to be kicked out. However, let's not be angry with him. Through the prayers of our Venerable Father Sergius, may the Lord bless and keep you, oh viceroy, and the brethren healthy and saved, and the monastery in prosperity. A procession of the cross to organize a good deed near the settlement. It is desirable that this be done with the zeal of ordinary people. But I am afraid for you if, after your recent illness, you take on a lot of work. Either leave it to another of the archimandrites if you feel not entirely healthy, or go from the Lavra to some church and, remaining in it, let the other one continue, and you can meet him in the Lavra. Our big religious procession last Sunday was attended by a large crowd and accompanied by people. The citizens asked permission to raise the icon of the Annunciation from Ustyug, and I agreed, although not without concern, because the icon is very ancient, and the wood may be dilapidated, and it is three arshins high. However, they arranged the stretcher well, and about forty people, with several deacons, carried it comfortably and gracefully. The disease here is still not very strong. But there is judgment beginning from the house of God. A monastery priest and deacon, a visiting rural priest, and a Moscow priest and deacon died. A strange adventure at our well. Here people talk about poisoning wells. But the authorities know of only one case, which is also unsolved like yours. Someone put a bottle on the well and walked away. The soldier (it was near the barracks) took the bottle and broke it, and therefore it is not known who put it there or what was in it. Thank you for the lithographed book. In Bethany, a procession of the cross can also be performed according to need and zeal. God's blessing, health and salvation to you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren of the monasteries. Thank God that the monasteries are preserved by His mercy. On the 14th day I read in the reports that the fires in Kostroma were clearly caused by arson; on the same day, Countess Sheremeteva sent me to ask if it was true that three hundred households had burned down in Sergiev Posad, and the fire was still going on; On the 14th they told me that the barber's apprentice, testified by his relative who was in the monastery, said that houses were burning in the suburb; but the boy's owner said that his talk was empty. It is strange that one false rumor appeared at the same time in different places in the city. Yesterday the Assumption protopresbyter told me that a man and a woman from Smolensk were caught near Moscow, attempting to poison wells. I don’t know how to understand all this: but I think that even non-substantial insurances are not allowed in vain, but to humble us and encourage us to prayer and caution. That's why I'm telling you. I thank O. Alexander for the rosary of his works. They will remind me of him and the monastery and awaken me from laziness. I. F., with controversy, served as a housekeeper in Simonovo, with difficulty was hastily tonsured and promoted, and, not content with this, went to the Right Reverend of Kharkov in St. Petersburg, looking for something better. Didn't find it. He returned to Simonov and asked to be accepted into the last place; but the brethren did not agree. That’s why I doubt accepting him into the Lavra, and even before that I expressed my consent to accept him into some other monastery. The number of sick people in Moscow on Sunday was 80, and on the following days of this week it dropped, as they say, to 60. But there is disagreement in the news. Peace and salvation from the Lord to you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren of the monasteries. Not without tears I sang: rest with the saints, O Christ, the souls of your servant Mitrofan and Andrey. One can believe that the Lord accepted the good beginning of their feat as a accomplishment: but the sad case of their death is in relation to others who, not knowing that the Lord has prepared them for repose, will be confused in thoughts of asceticism. May the Lord give those who hear about this a good understanding of the feat, and the instruction to maintain themselves in readiness for death, which is unexpectedly close. You write in advance about the renovation of the murals in the Trinity Altar, and expect a formal report. There is more caution here than is necessary: ​​it would have been more necessary to tell me in advance about the appointment to the position of dean, so that a suddenly formal report would not force me to approve something of which I am not convinced, or by not affirming it would cause trouble for the person presented. I wish I had a different candidate. Is it safe to prepare soil for mural painting in winter? Won't it rot instead of drying? If there is no doubt about this, then you can get down to business. Is Malakhov necessary? Asking about Seraphim of Pesnosh by letter would hardly be satisfactory in order to obtain accurate information. Whether I will see the abbot soon, I don’t know. The adventure with him in St. Petersburg was not good. And whoever happens to find out about this: this, I think, will be a temptation for him to accept instructions from him. Father Rector writes to me that on the 12th day in the suburb a woman predicted a fire on the 13th day of this October. And you know from me that for 14 days in Moscow they talked about this fire as if it happened on the 13th day. It's hard to imagine that this is an accident. Take care and tell Bibikov that there are reasons to increase vigilance and caution. Let us betray each other to the mercy of the Lord and the intercession of St. Sergius. The disease does not seem to be getting better. Last Friday a hundred fell ill. I don’t know about the next days yet. They are slow with news. And in general, things are not being done as zealously as in 1830. The disease is especially severe in the Rogozhskaya part and beyond the Moscow River. A priest and deacon died at Pyatnitskaya Church 87. I rejoice, oh. Viceroy, that you and your brethren are resorting to the divine source of life and health, mental and physical. May the Lord show His mercy to us more than we ask and understand. Regarding I. Damascene, I listened to you. But I wouldn’t want the position of dean to be only a police one. In a monastery, all positions must be imbued with spirituality. Explain to me how you will install I. Seraphim if you take him to the monastery. If I. Macarius retires: who will be in charge? I think it would be common for the hermits to come to the Lavra every month. Let them divide the year crosswise into four parts, and every three months, on the first or second day of the month, after Matins they come to the Lavra to sanctify themselves with prayer at the feet of St. Sergius, by kissing his holy relics. Some, for special reasons or desires, can sometimes be allowed at the beginning of other months, and better together than separately. Sorry, I haven’t thought about the local economy yet. Read the attached notebook and help me sort out my thoughts. Is it fair and should this report be submitted to the Synod? I entrust you to God and His word of grace. I ask for your prayers. The city leaflet says that the disease in Moscow not only fluctuates, but is decisively decreasing. But I don’t really believe this. After a few clear days, the sky is again foggy and heavy. May the mercy of the Lord cover you, oh. the governor, and the brethren and the monastery. Thank God that the Khotkovskaya abbess surrenders to the will of God regarding life and death. But I would like her simplicity and love to live on in Khotkovo. The question is: whether to treat her, you have decided thoroughly. However, aren’t there cases that are treated, and are not cured, stop being treated, and recover? And Marfa Gerasimovna’s word would deserve attention. May the Lord do good things like the news. Thank you for posting questions and answers. Let us come to terms with the fact that our simple deeds do not deserve to be looked at simply with trust. Thank God that mistrust is not given food. The housekeeper says that the shopkeepers at the Sukharevsky Compound want to ask for a reduction in fees for building the sidewalk, and proposes to refuse. But I wonder if the costs they have incurred are not truly heavy, and whether it is necessary to show leniency so that the contract is written at the previous price, and at a special request, in honor of the costs incurred, add up the payment for a month or two. A reduction in the price in the contract may also lead to a reduction for the following years. They remind you that the deadline for exchanging old banknotes is approaching. Tell them to look around so that there is no loss from missing the deadline. Thank you for the advice regarding the akathist. I rejoice that you all protected yourselves by healing your soul and body from the threatening illness. With sorrow I bring you repentance that this did not happen in my house. The thought of this did not come at the right time; and now the housekeeper says: Lent is near. Pray that the Lord will not punish us, and especially me, for this inattention. I had the opportunity to write about Seraphim to the abbot. Once I receive the answer, I will tell you. It’s a pity that M. reduces his frankness towards you when he should have increased it. For me, there is no doubt whether there will be successful desert living, if what should have been left in the hostel has not yet been completely abandoned. May the Lord arrange the best. Those who have painful sensations belonging to the present time, in my experience, should be advised to keep themselves quite warm, give rest to the body, and beware of heavy foods. The enterprise to look for the causes of illness through the decomposition of the air seems to belong to the pride of our wisdom, and not to wisdom. Doctors are unable to understand the disease or agree on medications. There are several rumors circulating about medicines that are considered true, and point to experiments: but doctors do not pay attention to this. It seems that good intention heals better than art. I was told that one doctor, out of pity, conjecturally made up drops, and cured this man, and many later. The priest, wishing to have the opportunity to admonish the patient with. with the sacrament, gave him an homeopathic remedy against vomiting, and cured him, and then several others in the same way. Some attribute the unexpected turn in the case of the Kostroma arsonists to the machinations of the Polish party. They diligently teach us the truth that human salvation is vain 88 . May the Lord not forsake us of His true salvation. Today I heard that the Sergiev Duma is complaining about Bibikov, and there will be an investigation. It's a pity. Wouldn’t it be better for both sides to try to correct misunderstandings at home and restore peace, according to the proverb that even a bad peace is better than war. I wish, oh. Viceroy, so that at the beginning of the synodik there should be the teaching of the saints and examples regarding the usefulness of prayer for the dead. But in order for me to reconsider your work, I need precise indications of where everything was taken from. For example, I may have to search for a long time in books. Gregory Dvoeslov, if you do not indicate from which books and chapters the extracts are taken. And readers need precise instructions. Therefore, I am returning the notebook to you. It would be a good idea to send me a list of the titles of the previous synod for consideration. O. The governor should rejoice in the Lord, and so should the brethren. Look what the abbot writes about Seraphim. As the abbot is now in Moscow, I will continue to talk to him, and if I hear anything noteworthy, I will write to you. The housekeeper will deliver to you the image that is given to the monastery. The one who brought it is unknown to me. He says that he has no other motive than to have the shrine in a decent place. I did not find it possible to upset a person with a refusal in such circumstances. I thought the frost would help with the disease. But when the frost set in, there was a day on which twenty and several people fell ill, and then there was a day on which forty fell ill. It remains to say with a psalm: who knows the power of Your wrath? Two priests left widows, the daughters of my sister, with unsettled children, of whom one of them had nine. Please pray for us. I ask forgiveness from you, Father Viceroy, and from the brethren for my sins and unworthiness, so that I may have peace of conscience and approach to the Lord. We are preparing as a whole to begin the holy mysteries, after clearing our conscience. Forgive me for my inactivity, in many respects and in relation to the Synodik. What takes a long time to do, I want to do it carefully. And at the present time I’m more likely to get tired of work than at other times. Archimandrite Simonov showed me a letter from Hierodeacon Nathanael, urgently asking to see him. Don't hesitate to let him go. It’s a pity that he unnecessarily embarrasses himself by saying one thing and writing another. I would like to know whether the health of the Khotkovo abbess is improving. If you have no recent information, send a visit from me and write to me. Here the disease spread with force to some parts in which it had previously been weak, especially along the Moscow River. The assistant inspector of the seminary left the seminary house to visit his father, the priest of Annunciation on the Berezhki, on his mother’s name day, and, not yet having dinner, fell ill, and died the next day. What they did at the council on the 18th day in memory of Bishop Plato was well done. I don’t suspect the Pesnosha abbot of making an inaccurate review of a person so that he wouldn’t be taken. I asked him without saying why, and when I demanded a more definitive response, I said that he was not submissive and complaining, and if he was not reassured, he might be subject to a renewal of the weakness that had passed after the Petersburg adventure. Continuing the same conversation, I said that Bishop Tverskoy was asking for several people to establish a hostel in the Orshina Monastery. The abbot replied that S. was not suitable, but praised, I remember, Jonah, only he recognized him as not quite capable, due to lack of character for leadership, and directly recommended the third, I remember, Theodosius. From this it can be noted that he is not inclined to weaken his approval in order to keep a person; but he says, as you can see. Give out 10 rubles at the choir. ser. per month, for consolation with tea and pretzel, - I agree. Please take one hundred and a half silver rubles from my money and distribute it on Monday to ministers, almshouses, school students, and the poor. Thank you sincerely, oh. the governor, and the brethren, who admonished me on my New Year with the blessing of the Reverend Father and Patron of our Sergius in the sign of the holy icon. Thank you also for your inviting wave. I would be pleased to be with you today, but the circumstances of the time did not allow it. I thought about spending this day in the Perervinsky monastery: but I didn’t dare to do that either, due to the weather and my strength; and, not going further than his home church, remained silent in his cell. I invoke God's peace and blessings on all of you. I miss that I don’t write to you often: but whether it’s my laziness or circumstances that hinder me, I’m just constrained. I thought about the drawing of the iconostasis in the monastery, and I happened to tell the architect Bykovsky about this, and he undertook to draw a new one. Be patient. I am sending you a letter from the Bishop of Tver, in which he asks for monks to establish a hostel. Read it and give me advice. I did not dare to propose stopping public entertainment at this time, because I was sure that they would not listen; and on occasion he used to say that now is not the time for joy. Those who thought so even without me confirm this: while others do their own thing. On the day of St. Nicholas, in a sermon, I allowed myself to doubt the dignity of entertainment established for charitable purposes. They say that one of the significant persons showed an unpleasant look at this, and there were conversations about this. Despite this, the question arises to me whether to publish this sermon so that it would be evidence, although probably unsuccessful, against the resumption in the next Great Lent of a spectacle similar to last year, in which people of the highest circle turned into actors. If I send you a notebook: then you tell me your opinion on this issue 89. It’s good if they work diligently in the caves: but it seems to me that this should not be spread and made public. Isn’t now the time to send to Efremov to make a purchase? However, I ask: but I don’t know how to answer. I am sending a letter to the Grand Duchess. Attach to similar ones that you should have. Here is another matter that made it difficult for me, and the one who started it, due to my slowness. Read the letter and the list of relic particles. What seemed strange to me was the arrangement of the reliquary without an icon, the new type of frame and the audible stench from the stranger’s hand. Evmeny, who delivered this to me, did not give me sufficient information about the person who wrote the letter. I found out in another way that he was a man of advanced years, and lived separated from his wife, receiving a small pension from her. Evmeniy said that he wanted the relics to be placed primarily in the monastery. Think about this and answer me. May the God of repentants and the Savior of those who sin grant us all pure repentance and a firm intention of correction, and in His divine communion may He impart to us His grace-filled power, enlightening, instructing in good, confirming in good, and protecting. O. to the sacristan and Fr. I wish Macarius (whom I haven’t heard about for a long time) spiritual benefit from physical illness through patience, and then health. The Northern Lights on the night of December 6, either you had more than here, or I didn’t see everything, because I only saw it at the end. I saw in the northeastern part of the sky a small patch of bloody color, which in a clear sky represented something completely alien, strange and sad. There is no dispute about the benefits of desert living. But I think it’s not easy for him to get a proper job. Aren’t there many people moving from the monastery to the other side of the pond, and won’t another monastery be established there instead of desert dwelling? Also, forgive my ignorance if I ask: wouldn’t it be more obedience and humility before the church rites, to sing Vespers, Matins and the Hours in the usual order (except for additions from the Octoechos and Menaion, so as not to worry about many books), and add something out of zeal and reasoning, rather than compose your order of service from parts of the ordinary service, taken fragmentarily? Shouldn't the desert-dwelling meal be served a little later than in the monastery? In saying this, I do not demand change for others, but reasoning for myself. The housekeeper, on your instructions, showed me the Greek book of Barsanuphius the Great, without telling me why. I remember that at the Moscow Seminary they began to translate it from the manuscript. I am now asking the rector of the academy about this. I didn’t answer you anything about Varlaam, partly expecting that you would think based on my information about the Pesnoshskys, partly not finding a definite thought in myself that I could say. My thoughts are peaceful with him; I think that it can be useful for the community; but whether it will be satisfactory for spiritual edification, I cannot answer this question. What are you thinking of making it? A dean, like Macarius, or a builder? If there is anything I said at the Trinity Altar that could be changed, then I think about Adam and Eve and the animals around them. Changing a lot of things is inconvenient. Near the high place in the lower row, the saints are placed decently. And on the western wall of the altar, if you had asked in good time, I would have suggested that St. Sergius be written on the right side, and his disciples on the left; and now he is placed on the left, and the disciples on the right. In the second row in the east N. Communion in two forms should remain, according to the ancient one. In the third row, the images of the Passion of the Lord must be left as they were; but it is desirable that the crucifixion of the Lord be in the middle above the high place. In the prealtarium of the altar there should be images related to the Nativity of Christ. It is desirable that not much deviate from the past. But the creation of man and the beasts of paradise, although paradise, were written out of place; and there is no need for this to be. Thank you very much for your comment on the interpretation of the parable of the unjust judge. There is definitely an error in the expression that the first part of the parable does not belong to interpretation; for the name of the judge necessarily belongs to interpretation. As for the character of the judge, the Savior Himself does not liken him to God, but contrasts him: hear that the judge of unrighteousness says: God... Likewise is blessed Theophylact: even more so is he filled with all malice.... How much more are we the merciful Father... Consequently, the secondary interpretation of some, about God the judge of unrighteousness, that is, condemning untruth, is an edifying adaptation, and not the actual interpretation parables Therefore, I did not deviate from my interpretation, but destroyed the harsh expression, which I did not willingly write and when I did not see what it could lead to. I started this letter in the morning and at ten o’clock in the evening I interrupt what was repeatedly interrupted by others, because it is already late. Thanks to you, Fr. Viceroy, for the word of consolation at the celebration of the Nativity of Christ, with mutual love I greet you with common joy, and I ask from the Lord you, and the brethren, as myself, to continue into the new summer the ancient mercies of the Lord, and to renew our life, so that having put aside the old man, in the new we will serve our Master, in complete devotion to Him, in the good hope of salvation. The architect says that there are different kinds of palm trees, and that he has drawn true palm trees. I remember that in the house church of the late Prince Alexander Nikolaevich Golitsyn, in St. Petersburg, in the canopy above the throne, I saw palm trees similar to those painted by Mr. Bykovsky. However, I think the sheets can be changed and made easier for execution. But I want to know if this drawing seems better to you than the previous one. I think it's better. He advises to perform it in Moscow. I agree to make a cast iron floor in the stone monastery church. You say that you do not see any deviation from church rules in the prayers of the cave dwellers. I won’t argue, but here are your words: they begin the Midnight Office, sing twelve psalms, three Alleluias for each verse, sing the eighth prophetic hymn, etc. In the church order, after the Midnight Office there are followed by two psalms of the morning, six psalms, kathismas, and canons, starting from the first hymn, and not only the eighth and ninth cantos. Consequently, the prayer book you described was compiled according to personal reasoning, and not following in simplicity the church rites. Sorry I haven't written for a long time. And now I’m late for the post office and can’t continue. Be patient with my, I don’t know, laziness, or weakness, at least partly weakness. The vicegerent father rejoices in the Lord. My soul hears you glorifying Christ the Lord with the word of the Church. May the Lord reward you with His consolation for the consolation that you give me from Him. This time I was a little slow in answering, because your letter dated 26 days arrived to me on 31 days. Pray and pray that the Lord will be merciful to us in the coming summer. His threatening finger is still above us. Last Saturday evening, the son of the Assumption protodeacon, who had completed his seminary studies, asked his father for permission to sing a Cherubic song on the piano; the father did not want music at the eve of the holiday, but allowed it; the son fulfilled his wish, went to bed, and two hours later died of cholera, and a day or two later his mother followed him. I rejoice with relief about. Macarius, and especially to the fact that it was given with spiritual help. But it is true that it is difficult to hope for the grave. And it is true that the position of dean, accidentally combined in Macarius, is inconveniently compatible with the position of pallbearer. Who is helping Fr. now? Ilaria? And who do you think will be chosen as pallbearer? I am sending you an article about bees. What are our bees doing? I am sending several copies of four sermons, two of which you will not find in the Academic edition. What to do if a person knows some souls who are tempted, but cannot and does not know how to give them help? Fall for me with this thought at the feet of St. Sergius. He sees in the Lord. May he be moved by the mercy of the Lord, who does not want the death of a sinner, and may he receive instruction, help, and protection. You already know oh. Viceroy, the desire of His Grace of Tver to receive several brethren from the Pesnoshsky Monastery for the establishment of a hostel in the Orshina Monastery. As the dean of the Pesnoshsky monastery, take the trouble to enter into communication with the Pesnoshsky abbot on this subject, and together with him tell me about what will happen next. From the letter of the Right Reverend, attached herewith, tell the Pesnosha abbot what you need: and return the letter itself to me. May the Lord guide you to decide on what is generally beneficial, and may He protect you from unreliable decisions. It is a pity that the best in Abbess Eupraxia is closed off by a feeling of pain. May the Lord visit with inner consolation, just as he visits with outer suffering. If you think that the enclosed letter is not untimely, then seal it and send it to her. When the Lord calls her soul: regarding the burial place, I authorize you to act according to your assumption with complete consent. I would like to be with you: but it’s cold. The disease is coming closer and closer to me through my colleagues. Today, having arrived at the church of the Jerusalem courtyard for the renovation of the church, I see that there is no protodeacon of Arkhangelsk. After the liturgy they say that he became ill at night, but I still don’t know what illness. Pray that I may not be unprepared, and may I be excited to prepare. The holiday made it difficult for me. Already in previous years I found myself incapable of consecrating the water on the river. And now the cold is especially great. But the three bishops except me are all sick. What to do? It came to mind that the late Metropolitan Ambrose, instructing someone else to perform the liturgy on the day of Epiphany, only went to the water himself. I decided to follow this example; and he fulfilled his share of the service, thanks to God, without apparently becoming sicker than before. Just yesterday and now I feel very tired, and therefore I sit at home and do not take food. Fatigue also accumulated from the fact that on the eve of the holiday I served in Epiphany, and on Sunday in the Jerusalem courtyard to renovate the church. In this state they tell me that the Kolomna abbess has arrived and that she wants to go to the Lavra and Khotkov. There was no need to think to say: I don’t accept; let him go. But then a concern came to me, whether she would somehow disturb the sick woman in Khotkovo. Be warned if this letter arrives not too late. You think that equalizing civil rights between Jews and Christians will lead to the Christian enlightenment of Jews. Everything is possible from God, but in the course of human affairs this can hardly be expected. Perhaps it is the will of the Lord’s fate that the Jews should first be freed and then enlightened by faith: so that their conversion would not seem forced. But it is not the ambitious freedom they seek that will enlighten them. And it seems to me that the English government does not honor its Christian character, but makes a sacrifice to mammon, allowing into parliament, which includes some church affairs, a Christ-hating race, which has no right, as an alien, and as a small one. It is enough that the Jews are free: what do they need to participate in the supreme power in a Christian state? However, the Lord knows the best and will do it. I would like to talk to the architect about the iconostasis myself. However, we will see what is possible. Read the attached letter that I have lying around. G. Savicheva brought it herself at a time when I could not see her. I replied something to the description of poverty; and to talk about his nephew’s civil case, he ordered him to come at another time. But when they told me that she was spinning around the room and singing, I didn’t accept her the next time either. Do you know the case from her sisters, and is it necessary and possible to petition for it? I would like to accompany Abbess Eupraxia on her last journey, having once instructed her to become a monk, naming her name, by order of Bishop Plato. But I don’t hope that I have enough strength. After the feast of the Epiphany, I feel weaker than before, and, after the usual trip, and even after being tired of people at home, I get so upset that a restless night follows, and inaction in the morning is required to get in order. Therefore, I postpone the trip to the Lavra until Lent. Yesterday at the all-night vigil it was as if the soul of the abbess was giving me news about herself. Who will be in her place? – Translating Magdalene, I think, will be useful, and there will be a struggle. And it is a pity to tear her away from the Kolomna Monastery, which is dilapidated in its inanimate and animate structure, and for which she is actively taking on and has the hope of help from the citizens. Their favor is her gain, which is unlikely to be transferred to another. Tell me what you think and what they think in Khotkov. Doesn't the fire of hay barns in the middle of the day show malicious intent? They won’t go into a barn with a fire in the middle of the day. Thank God that the trouble did not go far. Peace be with you, oh. governor, and monasteries. Pray for me. Leap year looks gloomy. Few people in Moscow are exposed to the disease: but some are kidnapped in a few hours. But here’s what made me happy these days. The English deacon Palmer writes that something happened to him that he never expected. Reading the Orthodox book by Adam Chernikov 90 on the procession of the Holy Spirit, he became convinced that the teaching on this subject of the Eastern Church is correct, and the Western one is alien to Orthodoxy. This morning, writing to you on the occasion of the death of the abbess, I did not know about your illness: because your letter of the 16th day came to me in the evening. Wouldn't it be better for you to refuse a funeral so as not to provoke the disease? In this case, invite one of Fr. to the burial. rectors in my name. If it is possible to send Fr. with the hope of benefit. Makaria to the Golitsyn hospital: I agree to this. Rejoice and good health to the Father Viceroy. Likewise, peace to the monasteries and brethren. I sent you an unclear matter so that you could give it some sense, and you returned it the same. How can I petition for the Savichevs’ nephew without knowing his name and the content of the case for which I need to petition? – Give the Savichevs 50 rubles from me. gray, now suddenly, or in half, half of this now, and the other before Easter. I had not written to the Synod about hospitals before, so that there would not be some self-praise about our institutions: but now I see that it is necessary to write for the dignity of the monastery, and in defense. Only the statement was compiled with little care. As far as I can see, Protasyeva and Princess Tsitsianova are considered despicable. If your masters want me to carry their works: I am very glad. I order you to send materials for the cassock and half-caftan, but there is nothing to send for a sample. There is a half-caftan in the monastery. For the cassock, it seems, you only need to know the length, which is visible from the caftan. You can dissect old boots to find out how the soles are made and do the same. I wish you the best news about your health, and I expect what you will say about Khotkov. Under the half-caftan, lining is needed only up to the waist, either from the same material, or from canvas, which is brought to St. Sergius. There is no need for these to be different and thick flaps. I want to have them as a blessing. The architect returned to me a drawing of the iconostasis for the skete church. He says that they asked dearly until he explained to them how it would be easier to do the job. The explanation is that for the branches you need to make a thick wire at the base, put a tube of white iron on it, cut each sheet separately, and solder it to the tube. After this explanation, the last price for the entire iconostasis and iron sheets for the icons was announced as 3,600 rubles by the old bank account. He proposes to make the frames for the icons not from iron, but from brass copper, because its sheets are thinner, and it is convenient to beat out the frame pattern on a cast-iron form from them. I said that the frame could be smooth from white iron: but he said that a white frame would be harmful for painting icons. How would you like to do a work experience at your place: then I’ll send you a drawing. Here is another letter I received from Savicheva. What do you want me to do? On this occasion, I will say that when I recently took quite a lot of my money from you, with the goal that my mother, who still has nothing except the small house in which she lives, would have something in the event of my death, and if this money survives in the safe treasury, then so that it would go to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, not all, but only the girls, as those who are in greater need of help: then it was necessary to count how many of them; and there were twenty, including ten orphans; and consequently they will get it little by little, if they get it. Under such circumstances, judge for me how to deal with the request of the Savichevs, and more or less similar ones that are not uncommon. I’ll try to explain it to the local commander, but I can’t guess what the consequences will be. Nowadays it is difficult to protect the truth. The news about the Khotkovskys is unpleasant. – What is being discussed here is that the coffin of the late abbess was carried not by nuns, but by soldiers and Cossacks. How did you allow this to happen? Did the gossip stem from the fact that outsiders helped the nuns because of their gravity? Take care of M.G. It is true that protection from publicity is needed. It is true that the Orshin Monastery is near the village. The fence either exists or will exist. I remembered the village as insignificant and peaceful; I didn’t think there would be a drinking house in it. But I agree that these circumstances are unfavorable for the proposed hostel. As for the idea of ​​connecting Orshin with the Nile Desert: it is hardly possible to accomplish this. The distance is great. Nilova Hermitage in my time, and for a long time after, had a good master, but it was poor in brethren. I don’t think that even now I am rich in kind brotherhood. The connection of the economy of the Nilova Hermitage with the poor monastery would hardly have happened without denunciations and the troubles that followed. However, this is no longer our business. I wish you to meet the Lord in spirit with the righteous Simeon, and enjoy the light of inner consolation. Peace be with you, oh. viceroy I am glad that your health has improved. I expected a report from you about Khotkov: but again I received only a letter. Meanwhile, I had already transferred Abbess Magdalene to Khotkov. I'm thinking about taking a vacancy in Kolomna. It would be nice to respect the service of the Khotkovo treasurer: but strangely, I don’t know her. The late abbess never put it in my mind. Regarding what was left after the deceased, I can’t say anything except that it is necessary to act, firstly, in fairness, and secondly, in compliance with the legal order, so that it is not only done in good conscience, but also with caution against slander, which is so common now, extending harm from persons to title. Abbess Magdalene mentions several bags of silver that are not in the inventory, and which the deceased instructed you to include in the inventory as acquired by her, and not by her successor. Now it turns out that almost as much was found as can be seen from the documents. If the deceased designated her own money for distribution, she had to clearly separate it. And it is unfair to distribute those belonging to the monastery, but not recorded, as rewards to those who served her, and her soul will not approve of this. The beggars and monasteries can be given for the good of her soul, as acquired through her care. Although the remaining things are insignificant: I will not take it upon myself to advise not to make an inventory. They may say: is it possible for nothing to remain? – Why shouldn’t the deceased write her will? At least I wrote it down, so as not to make an inventory of things, but to distribute it as ordered, and that would have been good. Should Bibikov have participated in the inspection? - This is in the district and, it seems, not in his department. When appointing a new abbess, I said in the determination that the monastery’s approach to the communal structure, begun by its predecessor, should try to continue and complete. It pains me to see indirectness and lack of understanding of the matter in the Pesnosh abbot. Take the trouble to go to the Pesnoshsky Monastery and make sure and confirm to me whether it is truly inconvenient to fulfill the desire of the Right Reverend of Tver, or whether it is possible, and by whom. I am sending you another letter from him. You want to sanctify noblewomen by including them among the poor: and others will say that we present an unfair account. What is allowed to build in the monastery: God will bless the building. I just don’t remember if a place was assigned and where. It is a pity to hear doubts about the dispensation of the servant of God M. G. 91. Isn't the matter different from what it seems from the stories? Perhaps the chest contains what is necessary, what is not important: and the rest is distributed secretly. Perhaps her words are not accurately conveyed. But this should not be neglected. It would be good to use a method of help, through someone who has access, which, asking for healing of his thoughts, would help M.G. to listen to himself and correct his thoughts: but, I think, it is not easy to find and set up a person who could do this with strength and prudence. Another way to transfer to another cell without acquiring money, in my opinion, is even less convenient. Through this, when the thought is not healed first, the soul can become more upset and open the opportunity for the enemy to a new dangerous temptation. Not seeing her own guilt, she will see the guilt in others: they were robbed. It seems to me that first of all, the spiritual father needs to ask in confession whether he is tempted by the love of acquisitions, and explain that this is incompatible with the life of a hermit, burdens the soul, and can be very harmful if the addiction continues and intensifies. Then advise, if you have collected anything, to entrust it to the abbess, with confidence to always have everything you need from her, and then either not accept it, or give what is customary to her. If, God forbid, this method does not prove successful: you can try the first one. Circumstances must show whether it is necessary and what will be needed next. However, I say that I can: may the Lord guide you to the best. The spiritual father can also ask whether he is sinning against humility in his opinion of himself, and give thoughts of caution against delusion. With this action, if the disease is not cured, its type and degree will be better identified, and this will indicate the need for further measures. Note A letter without indicating the time when it was written; it still bears the mark of Fr. Governor: “1848 February _ day.” God's blessing and peace to the viceroy father and brethren. I apologize to you for being slow about the synod. But I don’t even find time to read what’s written. Some things that require a lot of work, and have already continued beyond the deadline, are mixed with daily non-urgent ones, and I can’t get out of them. Be patient. The demand of the new Khotkovskaya abbess that the treasurer with ten nuns meet her at the Lavra is very absurd. When she told me that she had written to the treasurer to come to the Lavra, I asked what it was for; but he did not object strongly, thinking that this was for an agreement about the time when the abbess would arrive at the monastery, and about the preparations in the cell. It’s good if they greet you out of love and humility, or even according to custom: but to order this means to greet yourself. It would be better for the new abbess to show respect to the honored treasurer rather than imperiousness. Introduce the abbess into a spiritual discussion about this, one that would be ugly even in the world. Today I appointed Ilaria, from among those there, as abbess in Serpukhov. The Kolomna Monastery makes it difficult for me. There again there was a forced choice of treasurer, to which the few sisters, who reasoned better than others, did not stick to it. Therefore, the place requires a person with satisfied skill and firmness in action. By the way, they recommend to me the Khotkovsk nun Maria Voloshina. According to information from the late abbess, I do not expect her to have the required ability. However, I would like to know your thoughts about this. They want to diligently produce handicrafts for the skete church, and they ask what is more needed, air, or something else. Tell. Thank Abel from me for the books. But it is appropriate to know that the non-monastic clergy does not publish their works, especially spiritual ones, without the blessing of the bishop: especially since it would not be superfluous for a monastic to demand the blessing of the rector. And then, perhaps, they would not have advised brother Abel to be proud of the name of the writer. We also cannot praise the red lace that adorns the monastic book. I thank those who worked for sewing my clothes and shoes. The clothes turned out to be somewhat long; and the shoes are excellent, especially because they are spacious. Reward from me those who worked according to your reasoning. Thank you very much, oh. Viceroy, for his work on the Khotkov Monastery, including regarding M.G. It's a pity that it was found. Thank God that the beginning of the correction was not made with great difficulty, although with a lot of work. Take care that the enemy, who has bound the soul with acquisition, seeing it being resolved, does not attack it with grief over what was left behind and does harm. Stocks of sugar and raisins show the habit of eating lightly. It seems that it is necessary to show leniency in this, so that the thought of deprivation does not suddenly attack too much, and so that abstinence comes voluntarily through good means. It seems that food should be left for consumption by those who are given it. Those who gave gave with blessings, but only sparingly. But there is no need to renew savings; and from what is available, deliver what is needed. But what next? Will it make you stronger not to take anything? Or he will accept part of it, but give it to the abbess for storage and disposal, or to whomever it will be entrusted. In the latter there is a new opportunity for temptation. Judge what is best. I also don’t want the monastery to receive any alms from the enemy’s cunning. It is better to use it for worldly alms. However, there are poor people in Khotkovo too. And it seems that it is not superfluous for some good to be done near the one who collected it, so that it would be more reliable for her that they did not rob, but did a favor. Perhaps it is possible not to overly surround the given with good nature, preserved by imprudence, in the face of the sneaking intrigue of the enemy. I wish that God will help you relieve the sick wanderer and ascetic. If this is the limit of his life: may he rest with us, as you say. It’s unpleasant to hear about two people who left without permission. You can do with them as you write. Wouldn’t it be better to completely transfer from the Lavra and its departments? Just as the ryassophore is a gift that is not necessary: ​​it should be given to those established in a good life; and let those who have been little investigated as novices wait for what will be seen in them. Again I can’t write much. I am tired of this day, although it is good due to the abundance of people praying: and tomorrow we must celebrate the betrothal of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich. The manifesto contains an unusual expression: by God’s determination. God's blessing and peace to you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren of the monasteries. This evening I receive two letters from you: one from the post office, the other through a messenger. May the Venerable Macarius of Egypt and the Venerable Sergius bless Fr. Macarius for the feat of silence, for the Holy Pentecost, with a return to communion on Saturdays and Sundays, and for the sake of the cycle of priestly service. Let us pray to the Lord for him; and let him pray for us. May the Lord grant him not to look at the visible, but at the invisible, and to find the true fruit of silence, growing on the roots of humility. O. Varlaam fill his place by building a hostel. May the Lord bless this for common creation and peace. You should also stop praying for deliverance after giving thanks to God for deliverance. It’s a pity that in M.G. everything is not the best. Now it seems strange to me that it didn’t occur to me to find out about her earlier, when it was clear that she was living without guidance. But I relied on the deceased. You say that the fathers humbled such people by external measures. Is it true. But then the erring ones still had enough respect for the fathers to obey their orders, or others greatly contributed to this. Now is it possible to arrange this? One should fear more rumor than benefit. Is it not possible to little by little put into order what the enemy has brought into disgrace? I think sitting around without a shirt should stop; To convince you, you can point out about whom it is said in the Gospel: and he will not put on a robe. Don’t imitate the demoniac, wear a shirt, and to avoid being too hot, drown less. “You need to let them see the icon, and to do this, light the lamp.” – You didn’t say if he prays and how? In this regard, it seems, one can hope that some instructions will be accepted. It is very bitter if, at the same time as one patient is being treated, others are in a hurry to become infected with his illness. – And if it was your seal, then how could it be abused? “I wish you to be shortchanged, and not others to be shortchanged.” The abbess wrote to me about Matorina. And at the same time it was told to me that the abbess pays her money and allows her to take the cell from the monastery. It seemed to me that there was already a lot of reward for the disorder. The abbess's impatience could have done harm if you had not helped finish the matter. But even now the remaining impression is hardly useful, after acting confused. Advise the abbess to act with caution and without impatience. I didn’t think about priest A. 92 that he would be so close to evil. And whoever has looked at this with regret for a long time, I think, would do no harm by helping another not to hesitate in stopping temptations. Will Voznesensky be strong enough to keep order in a considerable clergy that is accustomed to doing as it pleases? We need to think about this. On the eve of Lent, I ask from you, Fr. the governor, and from the brethren, forgiveness, against whom he sinned in word or deed; And to all of you from the Lord, whatever you need, forgiveness, and for the feat of fasting, I call upon you blessings and help. Remember me in your prayers not only as having a debt, but also as doing me a benefit. I hear with joy about your good progress in the first phase of Lent, and about the abundance of those who began to eat the Lord’s Table. Having spent the first week of Lent and the day of Orthodoxy in ordinary church services, I have been sitting in my cell since Monday, and am still not free from cough, runny nose, irritation in my left eye and colds throughout my body. Pray that I will obediently accept the punishment, but not when the Lord is angry. I am sending you a drawing of a palm tree, written on the back of yours by the architect Bykovsky. He says that you wanted to cut palm leaves, as the picture shows, from one sheet of iron or copper: but he thinks that each leaf needs to be cut out separately and soldered to the branch. He suggests that you make a sample of a branch or two, and part of a large stem, and send it for consideration whether you can hope for a good execution of the whole task. The case of the Bethany factory with permission was sent to you before your reminder. Sorry for Shumilov. May the Lord help him to endure temptation, and may he not turn away from the work of the Lord. It is a pity that his loss is combined with the loss of others. However, the loss not from guilt, but from disaster, does not fall on his conscience. We will accept Hegumen Cyprian if he agrees to fraternize with the hieromonks, without demanding advantage. But don’t we accept too many people into the monastery? It is strange that a man was tried for building a monastery without taking money from the monastery, and without saying where he took it from. Do you not judge fasters harshly, demanding a fasting face? I remember, oh. Feofan Novozersky, in the first week of fasting, did not eat until Saturday, except for water twice: but his face was not dry, but only white and clean. I think there is no right to move M.G., because she is not legally assigned to the monastery. And in other respects this is not convenient. It’s a pity that her recent adventures, they say, have become public, but I don’t know in what form. O. I rejoice with Macarius of the monastery: don’t envy him. And then, as you see him off, you follow the good path. You can now read what is happening in France in the reports. On the one hand, the justification of the Lord appears. Philip took the crown, entrusted by Charles for safekeeping, for himself and was forced to give it back. He pushed away the heir: and his heir was pushed away. The rebels of 1830, friends of Guizot, attacked the ministerial house of Polignac: the rebels of 1848 attacked the ministerial house of Guizot, the same one. But then woe to France, and probably woe to Europe! May the Lord have mercy on Russia. This letter will be presented to you, Fr. Viceroy, Boris and Gleb Monastery, nun Olympiada. I am sending her to the Khotkovsk abbess, who wants to have her with her. But I have another concern. For the Kolomna Brusensky Monastery I don’t see a person who meets the need. Talk to this nun about what is good for the soul, and meanwhile delve into her ability, and tell me whether it seems to you that she can accept the highest commission with hope. Her mood always seemed good to me. Yesterday, while giving a drawing of a palm tree to send to you, and ordering to find the boards in which it was sent, I saw an iron palm leaf sent from you, which I either had not seen before, or had forgotten having seen, and which therefore was not shown to the architect. Today I want to send the housekeeper with him to the architect: but he is sick. However, because I heard from the architect and wrote to you, it seems that he will not approve of this experiment, and you need to make another one. Hello, mentally and physically. But the disease has not left me yet. Be, oh. Viceroy, are patient with my ongoing malfunction regarding the Synodik. It seems that I am finishing one task that has been weighing me down for a long time. But there are still others who are pressing. Choosing an abbess for the Kolomna Monastery made it very difficult for me. And the thought of Khotkovskaya’s treasurer did not lead to a solution to the difficulties. The abbess showed me an expense book in which at the end of the last year the purchase of bread for the current year was recorded, which was not on hand; and, what is even more strange, the book was signed by the late abbess, who at the same time could not sign the statements about the sisters. It was all in the hands of the treasurer. Forgive me for not paying attention to the color of the archimandrites’ tablets, and I didn’t think that anyone in green would find a subject of laughter. I remember that there were presentations to the Holy Synod about the color of the tablets and the material of the robes: but as before, such objects were disposed of by the diocesan bishops; then, I think, we will not sin if we do not prolong the matter. Let the Archimandrite of Bethany get a mantle with crimson tablets, like other second-class ones. I agree that one hundred aspen trees from the Bethany forest should be given to learned farmers for their yard, although I confess that I am somewhat less confident than you in the benefits. About the return of Fr. Macarius in the Lavra has doubts. He started drinking decoction and got a rash. Doesn't this promise any benefit? Moreover, on the way the rash could have caught a cold, not without harm. I left the messenger for three days to see what would happen. Read the two attached letters and tell me if it is possible to fulfill what is required by the latter. Peace to you and the brethren. I ask for your prayers. May the peace of the Lord be with you, oh. the governor and with the brethren of the monasteries. The Borodino abbess and Princess Anastasia Mikhailovna Golitsyna send air to the skete church. I ordered the steward to send them carefully through Hieromonk Gerasim. The Bethan treasurer wants to go to his mentally damaged brother in St. Petersburg, and even take him. I think the latter is inconvenient and the former is useless. What do you think about this? The Khotkovo abbess did not tell me anything about the change in clothing. I agree with you that one should not change what has been accepted unnecessarily. I allowed the Conception Mother Superior to change the kamilavka for those who wished, and, as she said, those who asked for it, because the Moscow women's kamilavka is seven times more expensive than the one made in the likeness of men's, and the latter is easier on the head. In the Khotkovo monastery, apparently, there was something that greatly aroused the jealousy of the new abbess: but don’t some orders express mistrust too much, and blame the past, such as the fact that during cheese week the abbess gathered novices to her and kept them for an unusually long time? That she does not allow people to go from the monastery to the shop at the hotel, and instead establishes a shop in the monastery, it seems to me not very nice. The idea of ​​stopping travel through the monastery by making a gate to the outer road to the east, it seems to me, is useful in order to give the monastery a more closed and calm appearance inside: is it convenient to implement it? The abbess considers it difficult to establish a full hostel for 400 sisters. I ask: shouldn’t the monastery be divided into two structures, and those who, due to their habits and methods of supporting themselves, would not be conveniently and unnecessarily forced to enter the dormitory and be left to live in their cells with their household chores? She is afraid of the servants: but it can be decreed that they be admitted with obedience equal to the novices. She is thinking, on the contrary, to establish two meals: a common fraternal meal, and a superior one for some who require less coarse food: but it seems to me that the fraternal meal will be humiliated by another boyar meal. It would be good for you to call the abbess and, with reasoning, determine what and how to do for improvement; and not do, and then reason. I am sending you, oh. viceroy, beginning of the synod. If it appears pleasing to you, then begin to copy it into a book. I'll try not to delay the delivery of other things. I'll leave it up to you to decide whether to omit or write the name of monk Abel. The book on the remembrance of the dead, to an eighth degree, is not trustworthy, without showing where it comes from. Therefore, what is taken from it must either be skipped or drawn from other sources, which is what I started. I am returning the receipt from the flour supplier. I apologize a lot for the fact that I didn’t do anything about her and didn’t see the boss, not out of reluctance, but because of lack of time, being, however, sure that the relationship would not have been a good success. You refer to conscience: and he refers to the form of law, which is now respected more than conscience. The Khotkovskaya abbess reassured me on this subject, saying that you were offering her to buy bread from the bread purchased at the Lavra. Don't sell to her unless the supplier delivers everything to you. Your communication of troubling information is in no way unnecessary, and I thank you for it. I will do what I can, but I don’t know what to do. I am sending you the rest of the synodic word. In the end, you wrote out a lot of things in which only some expressions belong to s. Chrysostom, and the rest to the writer of reasoning. That's why I excluded it. Extracts from one word p. John of Damascus were scattered among you in different places; I combined them and took them from the word in greater detail. If you have doubts about what I have done, tell me. And if you have no doubt: write in the book. Today, having already gotten up; I dozed off again and saw myself riding along the last winter road in a sleigh. Someone sat in front and warned the driver of the horses. Finally we arrived, and I go to the doors of the church in the monastery, and you leave the church. I would like it to be like this in reality: but now, it seems, there is no time. In the Borodino Monastery, one cassock nun did not take food for more than a week; then she unctioned herself with oil, was in church, and received the holy mysteries, appointing that only three sisters should sing the liturgy. The hieromonk convinced her to take some food, saying that he was commanded to do this in a dream. She teaches in the words of the Gospel and predicts punishments. Once she said: on Thursday you will see the glory of God; and on this day, the elder hieromonk, at Matins, which he began to serve, saying: glory to the holy consubstantial Trinity, took off his mantle, was taken out of the church, and soon died. She demanded from the abbess that she had books of edifying content, but written outside the Orthodox Church, and burned them. She doesn’t want to be treated, saying that she died in the flesh. Does not obey authorities. Help my ignorance: what to think about this condition, and what could be advised? The Khotkovo abbess presented me with a plan for organizing the surroundings of the monastery: but I did not go into the matter at random. And it seems to me that now is not the time to start big things. We must pray and ask the Lord to establish peace in the world. Do you know Sergius Dmitrievich Kholin living in a secluded cell in Zadonsk, and how do you understand him? He wrote a letter to the unknown me that requires reflection. The viceroy father should be at peace and rejoice in the Lord. Peace to both the monasteries and the brethren. Forgive me for asking as if I were ignorant, and having heard from the leader, I am tempted to object. It seems to me that you are strictly judging the condition of the Rasophore nun. I forgot to tell you about one circumstance that is considered the beginning of what is happening. She went from the monastery somewhere to visit relatives or friends, and returned at an urgent time with some infirmity characteristic of the sex, in which a calm position was needed, and a cold was dangerous. She came to the monastery, as usual, thoughtful, and then what I wrote to you about was revealed. So, it seems to me that uncontrolled spiritual excitement has grown on the painful physical irritation. I advised to take care, to admonish people to humility and obedience by the examples of saints, to calm the movement of thoughts with occupation, and to slowly put things in order; but did not dare to recommend strongly humiliating measures, so as not to support irritation by confrontation, instead of calming. Tell me what you find necessary. The doctor said about Hieromonk Macarius that he could not leave hospitals without harmful consequences: and this stopped me. This week I want to ask Macarius whether he would like to allow a doctor to come to the Lavra for the holiday. The former ruler of Serbia, Prince Mikhail, or Milosh, and Andrei Nikolaevich Muravyov are traveling to see you on Thursday this week. This one wants not only to be accommodated himself, but also to accommodate the prince not in a hotel, but in a monastery, thinking that the hotel will make an unpleasant impression on him. He thinks that the prince can fit in the room opposite my cells, where Andrei Nikolaevich usually stayed, and this one can fit in the dining room. They can dine in the hall. Arrange this as you judge best. Bless the prince with an icon, I think, preferably a small enamel one, as if he were traveling. By the way, I need enamel icons of the Savior, the Mother of God, the Most Holy Trinity, the vision of the Mother of God to the Venerable Serius, the Venerable Sergius, Saint Alexis, of no lesser size, and with a good frame, in the likeness of those that I had before this. What can be delivered, not in a long time, paying my money. Did Fr. tell you? rector of the academy, what did I tell him about the new translation of the Ladder? - Not being able to do much about this, I partly compared it with the old translation and with the original. The old translation makes you feel the need for a new one. But the new one is not satisfactory either. Efforts to ensure the modernity of the language also harm the accuracy of the translation, and this shortcoming can be noticed not only when comparing with the original, but sometimes also when comparing with an old translation. Therefore, it seemed to me not useless that the Bethany rector, who will deal with this, give you a chapter of a new translation, and you, being familiar with the old one, would mark and indicate the places that are poorly translated in relation to the spiritual meaning, so that they do not escape the attention of the rector, but, on the contrary, arouse his concern for accuracy. It seems to me that if there were good relations between you, this would not be inconvenient and not useless. If, in fact, this is not so, as it seems to me: I apologize. Thank you for the information about the protection of St. Sergius over Esipov. Glory to God and His Pleasant. We need to stop. Sorry. Peace to the viceroy father and brethren. Yesterday, just after I had sealed it and had not yet sent the letter to you, I received information about the Rasophore nun, according to which your judgment turned out to be fairer than mine. She was now so upset that they were forced to tie her up. But now it turned out that her previous condition was less plausible than what was presented to me. Before the throne of the Most Holy Trinity, with the relics of St. Sergius, remember the servant of God Dosithea. Read the attached letter from Elder Sergius, and when returning it to me, say a word that is useful to me. I accept the reproof of my current unworthiness. It would be good to escape from everything, and especially at this time. But now you will not find the path of St. John; and the path of Saint Tikhon to find and firmly stand on it does not seem unhindered. Help me understand the word about. Sergius, and use it. Treat visitors, church and monastery. Thank you, oh. Viceroy, for his thoughts on the occasion of the letter from Fr. Sergius. I don’t think that his proposal was not spiritual. I think that he had a spiritual impulse, either to expose me, or to warn me: but already from his concept he drew a definite conclusion about what exactly should be done. Therefore, I respectfully accept his reasoning, although I am not convinced that I have the right to accept his conclusion. One must be on guard where one is placed: but circumstances may arise in which it is desirable to give way to someone stronger and more skillful. Let the Lord do his will. I am sending you a golden cross. I thought about telling you that you too, as expected, would host a silver one, so that you could choose from two: but I forgot to tell you in time. It seems that what was sent is suitable for its intended purpose. So, bring a prayer to the Most Holy Trinity and St. Sergius for the health and salvation of the Blessed Grand Duchess Mary, and her husband and children, and the entire sovereign household, and separate a particle of the relics of St. Sergius from His foot (so that those who venerate themselves will fall at His feet), and put it in the cross with the usual affirmation in mastic. If Kharlampy can, I especially want to send him to V.K. If possible: let him go at the beginning of Holy Week, so that, having received a letter from me, he will arrive in St. Petersburg by Easter. If this cannot be done in time: let him leave the Lavra on the second day of the holiday in order to be in St. Petersburg in the last days of Bright Week. Invoking the sweet sadness of participation in the Passion of the Lord and then the perfect joy of the Resurrection of the Lord to you and the brethren, I ask for your prayers, so that even I who am unworthy will not be deprived of these gifts. How to make the letter find Fr. Sergius? Christ is Risen! Accept, oh. Viceroy, from me the kiss of fellowship in faith and in the joy of the Lord. May the peace of Christ be with your spirit; May the prayer of your love prosper and I will not be deprived of it. I kiss the brethren with a holy kiss in the holy name of Christ the Risen Lord. May there be peace from Him to all in faith and in pleasing Him. Thank you for your words of comfort. Instead of a Sunday egg, a book has been sent to you. You wrote to me about the sick Sergius, the nephew of the late Fr. Archimandrite Innocent. I don't see him on the list of patients. Tell me what happened to him or is happening? You sent me a drawing of the iconostasis, in case of ordering in Moscow. But how will this case come? I thought that you would make another sample, send it to look, and then it would be necessary to decide whether to continue the business with you, or order it from Moscow. Please tell me decisively what you think about this. You can begin plastering the interior of the church sooner or less quickly, depending on how you find the walls and vaults ready for this. Lord of strength, be with us, and strengthen our weakness, and overcome those who fight us. The news from the monastery is sad. But calm your spirit, and act in peace on those who have lost peace. Strengthen yourself with peace, which will be needed in order to listen to me. It seems to me that it is not superfluous to pay attention to whether we are right, in order to more easily act on those who are wrong with love and humility. When you told me the assumption about desert dwelling and... Makaria: I remember that I expressed doubt whether he was ready for this, but, recognizing my ignorance, I did not contradict you. From experience, it is clear that we must admit that we made a mistake by selling what was unsatisfactory in the hostel from the hands of the hostel into desert living. That the current builder is not very strong in spiritual reasoning, it was also said: he was determined by need, but, according to the above, it was necessary at the beginning of his ministry to closely monitor his actions, and to reveal the first one dissatisfied with him, so that displeasure does not become an infection. Let us try to correct those who have sinned with patience, in order to correct what has been omitted, perhaps by ourselves. Forgive me, I think that the means used to pacify H. were not the best for other circumstances, but with the present ones - completely inappropriate. This is a case of increasing, rather than stopping, irritation, and of slander. You 93 retold to me the instructions of Fr. Seraphim, which should not reproach, but show a person what evil lies in his offense and comes from him. It seems that in this case it would be useful to remember this instruction. I feel very sorry for Hieromonks A. and I. I did not expect from them what was revealed. Try especially to separate them from others. Explain to them (and to everyone) that the one who received an insult from the builder, if he did not want to use this for the virtue of patience, should have revealed his grief to you, and not increase the temptation and evil by communicating this to others; that those who brought a just complaint would be satisfied, and those who complained unfairly could be meekly and condescendingly corrected; but that the formation of a hoard, if revealed to the authorities, will seem like a serious crime, no matter what the case may be. This is true in civil life, and therefore even more so in spiritual life. It’s good that you didn’t ask others about the five’s displeasures. This could serve to spread the infection. And the five must be acted upon separately, so that the unanimity of wickedness loses its power. It is necessary to tell each of them that the authorities care about the peace of all, and if the builder does not correspond to this, they will not fail to look for something better: but no authorities should allow a crowd to act; because it is a destruction of order. If today M., having persuaded four, kicks out V., then tomorrow someone else, having persuaded four, will kick out M., and so on. And it would not be bad for the monastery to remember the example of a novice who, having spent his life with a cruel old man, answered from the grave that the obedient do not die, and thus saved the cruel old man with him. Regarding the palm tree, I am guilty. As was sent during Holy Week; then he ordered to show it after, and forgot. Now it was shown to the architect. Doesn't favor leaves or stems. I think we need to order it in Moscow. Tell me your opinion. I, too, am somewhat concerned about Harlampy. But maybe I just didn’t think to write. It was not superfluous to send with him another, not so weak. I don't want a pond. The place is not dry anyway. The water is not far away. Is it possible to put this off for me so that I can understand both the need and the convenience on the spot? Remember who said: I will be at peace with those who hate the world. And be peaceful with those who have lost peace through error, through the trick of the enemy. Now I receive information that Kharlampy fulfilled his instructions safely. Thank you, oh. Viceroy, for the reassuring news. Thank God that, through the prayers of our Reverend Father Sergius, the machinations of the enemy were destroyed. Be careful that no remnants of the disease arise in any of those healed. Inspire the builder to take care of his peace and that of others. Don't be angry with me for what I wrote yesterday. So that you can see with what success the embassy of Harlampius was completed, I am sending you all the correspondence. There is a good thought in V.K.’s letter. No one should read it but you. The letters will remain with you, God willing, until I do. But His Eminence Tverskoy 94 still tells me to wait, and he is still in Odessa, and is waiting there for my answer. We will probably also have as a guest the Right Reverend Voronezh 95 who has been summoned to the S. Synod in place of Kursk 96 . Rumors kept us waiting for the great guest for three nights, but the mystery had not yet been solved. Pray, if it happens, that our meeting may be pleasing to God and to the one being met. Moscow. April 26th 1848. May the Lord be merciful to the soul of I. As the fate of God did not want to honor his death, and the reason for this was noticeable on his part: then, in accordance with the circumstances, so that the honor of burial was reduced, partly so that the local penance, if it pleases God, could contribute to the forgiveness there, partly so that the brethren were prompted by an attentive life to prepare for themselves an honorable death. But at the same time it was necessary to consider whether edification, and not bickering, would be aroused by the order. It seems to me that it would be enough to convey his body from the cell of one hieromonk to Bethany, and there to have a funeral service without a council. Will not removal to a worldly cemetery produce more varied judgments among many than edification among the brethren? “However, I’m saying what I think: I don’t condemn your order either.” What is done with good intentions will bear good fruit. – But here's something else that comes to mind. Was it the first time in his life that I. made a mistake on the last day of his life? Probably not. Were not more active corrective measures necessary earlier, so that death would not have to supplement them? “However, I’m asking, not saying.” And this may be because I am less merciful than you. I'm sorry. What kind of visitor was this to the monastery during Holy Week? He described the place, the people, and the secrets of their lives, and wanted to publish it in the reports. Thanks to the trustee of the university for showing me the manuscript without daring to publish it. It is written here about caves, and about graves, and about chains, and about the long mustache of a novice, and who knows what. Tell the hermits not to please the curious too much by guarding their silence. You sent a plan for the iconostasis, but did not send a full-length palm tree. The architect demands it. Send it immediately. I don’t want to lead you, oh. Governor, about the progress of Khotkov’s affairs. The abbess discovered the absurdity that in the account book for the current December a large number of vital purchase needs are recorded, but there is nothing on her face. I ordered it to be reported to ask the treasurer, and by the discovery of disorder there would be a stronger incentive to maintain order, which did not exist. They asked the treasurer. She says that this was taken from the merchants all year long, and admits that she was stupid and harmful to herself by signing an article written by the deacon, which said that it was bought in December, and not paid for what was taken during the year. I think it could be. I ask: didn’t the abbess ask you about this? answers: no. In fact, if she had asked and received such an explanation, she could have believed it on the spot, and then there would have been nothing to report; or, if she found it false, she would refute it in the report; but this is not in the report. If indeed the abbess saw a dubious article; didn’t say a word to the treasurer; reported; sent to answer the denunciation, and again did not say a word: this surprises me in the abbess. If this opens up to you: give the abbess some useful advice. As far as I remember, I had a few conversations with the treasurer for the first time; and it seems to me that one can get along with her, and the abbess could take advantage, more or less, of her many years of knowledge of the monastery. Help the world of the Khotkovo monastery as much as you can. Our wait in vain the past few days seems to resume next week. Sorry I haven't written for a long time. There were a lot of church services, and the St. Petersburg guest, having visited me several times, spent from two to four hours with me, and, even though it was not idle talk, he added business to me during the intervals of visits. Thank God, our relations were peaceful, and I was pleased to see concern for the common good, although our views on all subjects were not the same. God will bless the Bethany Church to be restored. But it’s a pity that such cases have to be resolved behind the scenes. The iconostasis of the Lazarus Church is not good: and I wonder if it would be possible to make simple changes for the better; but I can’t answer it behind the scenes. I don’t know if it would be convenient to build an underground firebox in this church and a drainage ditch. But I rely on you and don’t argue. The visitor to the monastery who described him, a university student, is said to be a kind person. Its description will not be printed. It was my idea that the contract for the iconostasis should be concluded with you, so that no omission or inconsistency would be made. And I don’t see what need there was for you to push this away. The signed contract could be sent to the local steward, for the issuance of money on it, and the signing of receipt on it. I saw that my east porch was bad, but I forgot to talk about it with you. Correct it as you know: but it would be better earlier in the spring, or later in the fall, so that it is cheaper to have workers. Do not repent that you conveyed the word of condemnation. My ear is somewhat shelled; and I am not angry with the speaker: it is only painful that there is a lack of peace among the servants of peace. However, knowing the word of condemnation is not useless. This is a cure against pride, and an instruction about caution. I ask for your prayers. Savicheva tells me about the illness of two sisters. What she asked before, I think she received in full, just more than once: and, it seems, she thinks that she did not receive it. Help them from me, according to reasoning. I return it to you, oh. Governor, Khotkov's case. It is not done out of necessity for me (because I do not suspect the abbess of injustice), but as a precaution; and therefore must have the correct official appearance. A testimony was required from the abbess: but there was none. You explain the matter instead of the abbess: but it may happen that the retelling turns out to be inaccurate, or they refuse what is being retold. As the abbess explains the matter: so let him write and sign; and just imagine. I bring this matter to order, and for other similar cases. And it is not superfluous for the abbess to show that for what she does, she is responsible for doing her deeds with caution. Don’t be angry that I’m forcing you to do one thing another time. I am still tied to Moscow by various ties. The expectation of the Highest Visit, now unlikely, does not seem, however, completely unfounded. We are seeing off Prince Alexei Grigorievich 97: we need to see his successor; but he is in no hurry, and, as they say, he will only be in Moscow by the end of this month. I heard from several worthy of faith storytellers that Baroness Rosen, sentenced by a doctor to death in a few hours, ordered to cover herself with a shroud taken from the icon of the appearance of the Mother of God to the Venerable Sergius, in the Lavra located in the cell of the Venerable, and the next day she found herself returned to life, and the Antonov fire that had opened before her changed into a curable external disease. There is also reliable information about healings from the icon of the Mother of God in the Chrysostom Monastery. The Lord still stretches out his hand to seek us. Let us be excited and let us not become lazy, seeking Him. Through the prayers of the saints, may our father preserve the monastery in peace, and you, Fr. viceroy Calm down the Khotkovskys who are frightened by the disease: because an anxious state of mind is harmful. I don’t think that the epidemic was attracted by those coming to others. Those who walk do not eat well, get tired, sweat, feel cold, are exposed to a lot of unfavorably located air, and receive the seed of disease, and fall ill where it intensifies in them. In those approaching them with the same preliminary preparation for the disease, timidity helps in the discovery of the disease. That some areas are more susceptible to disease than others is noticeable. Damp and close to water places are worse than others, as always, and especially in this case. Be that as it may, it is true that it is useful not to be embarrassed, to trust in God and to take precautions. What is needed is sufficient warmth in clothing and in the home, eating food that is not heavy, not raw, and not the kind that upsets even in good times. That they want to immediately resort to spiritual healing is very good. I wish Paisius recovery and a simpler dinner. It’s a pity that the vegetables needed for food were damaged. But were the seedlings really not covered, which was also observed in ordinary spring, as a precaution against night frost? - May the Lord not deprive the wanderers and us with them of what they need. The general's daughter, the maiden Sulima, wishes to receive a piece of the wood from the tomb of St. Sergius. Promote this. She was in the Sergius Desert, serving a prayer service to St. Sergius, and received relief for her sore leg. I want to come to you. But today the Right Reverend Kursky arrived. And I can’t wait for Tverskoy, who volunteered to visit me. Peace be with you, oh. governor, and the monasteries and brethren. Sorry for not posting for a long time. When postal time is not yet close, I think that I will still have time: and when it approaches, people kidnap him. I thank you for your kind reminders, and I ask for them in every matter that you see needs them. I venerated Her icon of the Mother of God, which shows the blessings, in its place in the Chrysostom Monastery for a long time: and last Sunday I took it to the religious procession that had taken place. This move, although it was taken only on Saturday, and not with the parish clergy, but only with the cathedral and monastery (so as not to distract the parish from local affairs) and was not announced to the people by agenda, was, however, carried out with a large meeting of the people. And the Governor General took part in it. I thought of going to another icon of the Mother of God, in Khamovniki, the next day after my return to Moscow, but instead I had to celebrate the feast of the church in the Petrovsky Monastery; Then I thought about it after the godfather’s procession on Monday, but I had a severe headache and could not leave. And then I received some information, which I don’t regret not speeding up. If the Makhrinsky builder seduced me with the idea of ​​​​increasing the space in the church by reducing the large staircase to the upper altar, and spoiled the church by doing more than he said: I am guilty of the trust shown, but before the deed, and not before the cathedral. If it is harmless for him that I may not approve his decision and give my own another, then the less offense there is when I make a change in a decision that I have approved. Here I am changing my own statement. But if you like, I accept the reprimand. But what is more necessary than this is to know whether it is necessary to redo what the builder has done. Tell me what you need to know, without delay. I'm thinking of seeing you the day after tomorrow. But don't wait. There is an exam on Monday, and the scientists must eat with us. Pay attention to this. I would like to be in Simonovo on Saturday, but due to the lack of strength I hesitate to make up my mind. I interrogated the Iversky treasurer. He says, and I don’t think it’s insincere, that they never demand or assign anything when they walk around with an icon, and if they ask them what is needed, they always answer, whatever. Peace to the soul of Mikhail Novikov. Did they bring him to his son when he could not come? In the name of the Lord, blessing and peace to you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren of the monasteries. I am consoled that you are praying together for deliverance from disaster, and that you have the fruit of this in store. I thank God for my stay in the Lavra. The return to Moscow, which I accelerated, did not quite achieve the goal of acceleration. On the 7th day I replenished several places for priests stolen by illness: and on the 8th day my place remained empty where I should have been, that is, in cathedral service. When leaving the Lavra, I started sweating at the church; and then he went out in the rain and drove about ten miles in the rain, with the window open, because it was stuffy. However, I arrived in Moscow without any painful sensation, except for a slight heaviness in my head, and if I had guessed in the morning and could have left myself alone for a day, then I would probably have been fit for duty on the 8th day. But after spending the 7th day in fatigue, in the evening and at night I received pain in my head and legs, a severe runny nose, anxiety and pain in my insides, and it took two days for this to gradually ease. And yesterday, in the house church, I still celebrated the liturgy with difficulty. Today I’m going to the seminary for an exam, and I’m trying to make it shorter. The rector was ill, but he recovered. And thank God for that, the disease did not disperse our schools, except for Dmitrovsky, and they are completing the course in order. The rector of the academy has not been coming for a long time, and I have not heard from him. Tell him to let me know about himself. Prince Sergius Mikhailovich is pleased with his stay in the Lavra, and thanks you and me; and I thank you for this. Give the notebook you sent to the censor, and try not to delay returning it to me. Glory to God and St. Sergius, who intercedes for the preservation of his property. May the Lord add His mercy, defeating our unworthiness. I told Count Arseny Andreevich 98 about the successful use of electricity in illness: he promised to tell it to the doctors. O. Thank the treasurer for the books. But should we give thanks for obedience? When a monk printed a book without a blessing: this can be attributed to recklessness. It’s a shame to think that way about the treasurer. Consequently, repeated actions of this kind must be explained as pride or disobedience. Whether this is true or not, I don’t want to say: but the conclusion seems to be drawn correctly. Ask the treasurer on what he based the information about the icons, some of which do not belong to the Orthodox Church, and where he got the prayers from? Is it Orthodox in the latter saying that the devil not only tempts, but compels to evil, and by force draws and plunges into the abyss of sin? There are those who are physically raped by the devil, and those who suffer: but has the power been given to the devil to captivate the freedom of a Christian? Please talk some sense into me. Andrei Nikolaevich is traveling to visit you. I don’t need to remind you to accept it with love. Peace and salvation and health to you, oh. the governor, and the brethren. Yesterday evening they brought me your letter and two baskets of fruits and berries. I have not seen the gardener yet, neither yesterday nor today, because today I was at the consecration of the church. Now he is not at home. If he came for some work, and by the way he bore fruit: and in this case I am ashamed to think about this work; and even more if he went only for the fruits. If I had no bread, and he brought it in this way, then there would be virtue in him, and a benefit to me. You cannot apply the words to cherries: you are hungry, and give me food. I thank you for the blessing from the monastery, but I ask you not to send such embassies. It’s another thing to send something like that on occasion when someone is traveling for something else. The disease in Moscow has decreased somewhat: but the end is not yet in sight. A lot of our brothers are dying in the districts. Yesterday after the all-night vigil, opening the envelopes brought during the all-night vigil, I found six or seven certificates of deceased priests and deacons. In St. Petersburg the disease is declining faster than in Moscow. Tell me about your haymaking and the state of your gardens and fields. When I was driving from the Lavra, it seemed to me that some of the rye fields turned white early. Don't they dry without grain? This fear comes from the memory of the frost that happened during the bloom. I want to know that it is in vain. I asked the archpriest of Krestovsky whether it was he, and how, who sent the wanderer to prison. He said that before the all-night vigil, the wanderer appeared in the church with a staff hung with ribbons, and stood in the corner, surrounded by people. The archpriest, fearing an adventure during the service, advised him to leave. The next day the wanderer came again, sat on the porch, ate something, and the people again surrounded him. From here they took him to a private house. It seems that Philip needs to be advised to refrain from such actions, with which he seems to be making a spectacle of himself. We must endure temptation when it comes, and not lead ourselves into temptation, and at the same time others, when we are commanded to pray: do not lead us into temptation. Therefore, I would advise him to postpone his proposed trip to New Jerusalem until his discretion. If my foolish wisdom does not understand the wisdom of foolishness, then I apologize. May the Lord receive Elder Mitrofan into his life without growing old. May the Lord help Vladyka Novgorodsky 99 like a message. If he takes himself to an invisible church: may the Lord grant the church of St. Petersburg a shepherd strong in spirit and body. Not the best excuse for the treasurer that he did not act out of pride, but, fearing prohibition, acted furtively. Here disobedience is combined with cunning and with the offensive opinion that the boss will prohibit what the treasurer considers good. You defend the content of the prayers well. But what the tested soul says about the power of the enemy, from experience and humility: it is not convenient to speak in this form in prayer, which is common to everyone. The thought that the enemy is in bondage can lead the unsteady in the truth into a sinful opinion, the cowardly into despondency, and the lazy into self-justification in guilt itself. If the prayers are from the Greek Book of Hours: it was necessary to carefully weigh the expressions of the original. Send me this Book of Hours. 50 copies of the sermon will be sent to you for distribution. Read the attached letter. They don't seem to want advice. May the Lord make you wise for good creation. Father Hilary needs to be reassured from his position as confessor of the Khotkov Monastery. I don’t know enough about Dorofey to judge his ability for this position. And is he well known to you due to his recent entry into the Lavra? If you see it capable: use it. I apologize if my thoughts about the treasurer’s business are cruel. But I can’t convince myself that this is simplicity. Simplicity does not try to act furtively, preferring its opinion to the opinion of its superiors. You say: if only the person prayed, in whatever words. I agree, and I add that in simplicity, believers sometimes pray in discordant words better than those who understand, for which there is an example in the legends of the fathers. But it’s different to pray for yourself; otherwise publish it for the use of others. The Church gives us prayers, taking it from the mouths of the Saints, so that the prayers are good in feeling, example, and reason. The one who offers others his stupid expressions of prayer is wrong. I translated the prayer to which I objected from the Greek closer to the original. Read it. You will see that there is no Satan violating freedom here; there are expressions that show his strength, and are explained by expressions attached to them that show his cunning, which eliminates the incorrect concept. So, would it be a problem if the treasurer showed his work first and it was corrected? The very calculation of icons is not based on anything other than a sheet of unknown origin. And in some places lies are added, such as, for example, that the Czestochowa icon was transferred to St. Petersburg. Only the list was brought to St. Petersburg. What is the name of the icon: What shall we call you? This is a question about the title, not the title. It has a different name; and it was not far to consult in the Archangel Cathedral. You say that prayer is not a dogmatic teaching. Again I say that it is different to pray silently, and it is different to pray publicly for the use of many. This must be carefully faithful and dogmatic. Was it not for this trait of prayers that the Monk Dionysius suffered? Read the attached letter from Posad. Whether to show it to the abbess, for the sake of her humility and caution, or not to show it in order to disturb her, I leave it to your judgment. The architect asks whether there will be a step in front of the altar in the new church, so that he can keep this in mind when resolving the iconostasis. Palm trees can be made shorter or longer. Give an answer to this. The book above the arch, I thought, will be written on the wall: but he says that it will be minted. I am sending an inscription for her so that when you return it, you can tell her if you have any objections. Or would you like to suggest another one? If I. is not reliable, should I wait for a certificate? “You can release him without waiting, and let the Consistory know that, at further discretion, it turned out to be impossible to accept him.” You admit that the prayer in the Treasurer’s edition is not translated harmoniously, but still you don’t want to say that he could have done better than what he did. Let's stop arguing. God knows it's useful. It seems that this is what the fathers advised to say. I’m returning Khotkov’s case. Work hard on what I have written and don’t get bored. Read the resolution to the abbess and tell her that she is being shown the truth in order to introduce order and will protect her from trouble, and not cause trouble, which she can discern from the direction of the matter secretly, and not formally through the consistory. Apart from her resolution, there is no need to announce this resolution to anyone; for everything that needs to be arranged must be arranged according to general law and custom, without special regulations. Back in the sixteenth century, the Blagoveshchensk priest Sylvester in the book Domostroy, in chapter 64, wrote to his son Anonymous: if only everything that belongs to the state would always be in your account, and in the estimate, and in the letter, both income and expenses. Is it by the way to violate this in the current state of legislation? It would hardly be reliable to demand a preliminary estimate for the year, except for the time when it would be better to get things in order. In fact, the abbess shows less skill in setting up a hostel than one might have hoped. This makes it difficult for me. He comes with questions about things that are either far ahead, or can only be determined by local observation and consideration of details. She wants to take someone from the Kostroma monastery to arrange for her, following the example there; and even thought about going there. I thought it was inconvenient and not reliable. Do you know anyone there, and would you indicate for this purpose? They call for Vespers. Sorry. Don't be angry at my long silence. For two days at the end of last month I was on the road to Kolomna and back, and between them for six days continuously in Kolomna I was in church service and in the sea of ​​​​people; and this, upon his return, increased the daily influx of business and people in Moscow. I thank God for my journey. The sick man went and suffered from the disease in his travels. I don’t know if I did anyone any good: but for me, communication with the humble of the earth was comforting and useful. They are very beloved. Please see the attached note. Will we not paint the icons mentioned in it? It is recommended to write on canvas to make it easier to send. Let's talk to the architect about candlesticks for the monastery church. What new utensils are you talking about? Are they necessary? Why voluntarily multiply things beyond need? Iron dikiri and trikiri can be made at your leisure, but wooden ones, I think, are not suitable, because they are light and will fall. What is the need for an iron staff when there is a wooden one that is almost no lighter than an iron one? The iron iconostasis was made for safety; this is not necessary for the staff. However, I’m not saying this because I don’t want to carry an iron staff; even lead, if only he has the strength. They say that the college secretary Alexei Kharlamov Zherdev lives in the monastery, who cruelly forced his wife to run away from him, did not give her a way to live, and even withheld her certificate, which she had as a girl. If true, tell him to give it to his wife in writing. Tell me, is it suitable for him to be in the monastery? Thank God that Gregory’s temptation was interrupted in good time. May the doves marry the hawks! Shouldn't we pay attention to whether he submits with good will to the severity imposed by his father? I rejoice at those who diligently accept the visit to the icon of the Venerable One. Near the village of Gorodok there is a place with a rampart - do you think that this is ancient Radonezh? Was it not desolate antiquity when Radonezh existed? This requires consideration. Let the Khotkovskaya abbess build a cinnamonium in her monastery. What I’m not answering now, I’ll either write about later, or remind you, if God is willing, on the spot. There is hardly any need to rush to consecrate the church in the monastery. Perhaps after the feast of the Saint, it will not be convenient for me to stay long in the Lavra. Naum asked to go to Zlatoust. I didn't refuse. I hope that you will not complain about this either. I ask for your and brother's prayers. I think about you, but I'm afraid of obstacles. People are still talking about good guests from St. Petersburg, who would probably already be here if attention to certain foreign incidents had not been kept in St. Petersburg, where news is more likely to be received than in Moscow. Keep in mind the question: will the Lavra also be visited? Thank God that the hermits are healthy. Nowadays, even non-autumn mushrooms should be consumed with caution. Thank God that vegetable gardens meet the needs. I now look with care at the long clear weather. Doesn't it harm the fields? May the Lord bless and preserve the only begotten sacrificed to Him. But you didn't tell me his name. May the Lord bless the parents who make the Abrahamic sacrifice. And these days I saw a ten-year-old girl who, instead of being sent to an educational institution, with tears begged to be left in a monastery, where she lives for several months. When asked how the idea of ​​being in a monastery came to her, she answered that she herself did not know, but that from infancy, when she did not know what a monastery was, she had only thought about being in a monastery. The iconostasis, as I was told, has been sent to you. The drawing for the candlesticks is done. I didn’t really like it: but Andrei Nikolaevich praised it, and I agreed with a small change. About Zherdev I will ask again whether a man who has recently taken a wife needs to be in the monastery. She lived as a girl in the house of Ekaterina Vladimirovna Novosiltsova: and the only thing she doesn’t approve of is that she chose such a groom. You ordered many copies of the sermon on the Assumption to be printed. That’s why I send you a lot of them. Do with them what you want. My health is not very good. On the third or fourth day, while driving to the other end of Moscow to renovate a charitable institution, I felt that I was hot in my fur coat, and took it off so as not to be exhausted from the heat, but without it it was already somewhat cold. It seems that as a result of this, yesterday morning and during the liturgy I felt very unwell, and sometimes even today. I have good news from St. Petersburg that the Reverend Varshavsky 100 may soon be Novogorodsky. By the grace of God, I returned to Moscow safely, only with fatigue; and I don’t notice any tangible consequences from a cold and sleepless night. Andrei Nikolaevich asks to send, and immediately, the manuscript that he wanted to take when leaving the Lavra, but forgot. Take, according to the attached note, from the academic library, and deliver, if possible, as soon as the housekeeper Victor returns. Thank you, oh. Viceroy, for delivering the manuscript. Tell Mr. Gorsky that she should return in ten days, and if this did not happen, then let him remind me of this in order to monitor her return. I would like to know that you celebrated safely in Khotkovo. Have you noticed whether the abbess managed to reduce the rumor of the fair for the monastery, and whether she resignedly? Thank God that I was in Moscow yesterday, and could be in the procession and in the service in the Intercession Cathedral. The Eminence Vicar did not completely recover: and the Eminence Neophyte fell ill from a cold. Rumors about the guests from St. Petersburg fell silent. God's blessing and peace Fr. the governor and the brethren. The manuscript I took for Andrei Nikolaevich, in which the life of Peter Tsarevich, is forwarded for return to his place. From his hands I am sending the manuscript, the life of St. Daniel, also for returning to my place. It was not taken through me from the Lavra library, as he says. I have a cold, I don’t know whether it’s Pokrovskaya or Gorbunovskaya, but since last Sunday I’ve had pain in my back, which not only kept me at home, but also prevented me from doing anything. Yesterday afternoon it went away, but, strangely, it returned in bed at night. Now it's better again. Can you give me some medical advice? - Ask the Reverend for the best help. Thank you, oh. Viceroy, for blessed healing. Yesterday at night I consumed the oil of the Saint’s lamp, and had better sleep than before, and now I feel better than before. The death of the beneficent maiden Countess Anna 101 is unexpected, but not sad afterwards, which, according to the word of the church, is shameless, painless, peaceful. But the flow of charity that could have continued was stopped. However, the Lord knows what he is doing. For me, the death of the good in times of temptation casts a shadow on the next time. Righteous men take to their feet, and no one understands in their hearts: for from the face of unrighteousness has the righteous taken hold 102 . Thank God that the Bishop of Kiev recovered after a dangerous illness, although he was not yet completely strengthened. He himself writes to me about seven. I advised the Borisoglebskaya abbess to ask the Khotkovskaya abbess for her guide, who, according to her, corrected the singing in Khotkovo, to correct the singing in Borisoglebsky. But I forgot to tell Khodkovskaya about this. Is it possible to insist on this? Now in Khotkov there is not a time for a crowd of visitors, and the charter worker, it seems, could leave without difficulty for her place. I think this is better than sending a monk. If this fails, I will agree to send Gerasim, not very willingly. God bless Philip to make the journey. But tell him not to try to be taken into custody, and if he likes it, he would tell us, and we would arrest him with love, and not with anger, like the police. I am sending you a letter that I received yesterday about the steward of the St. Petersburg courtyard and his brother. Probably slander: because they didn’t know how to come up with many accusations. However, tell me what you think. I complain a little about Yuryev’s archimandrite. Previously he wrote to me without need. And now he did not write about the death of the deceased, about whom he knew that she belonged to the Moscow Church as well as the Novogorod Church. And I had to collect and compare rumors for verification. Yesterday I commemorated her in Chudov with almost all the local abbots of the monasteries 103. May the Lord help Fr. Macarius put on all the weapons of God 104, and stand against everything hostile to peace and salvation. Who is Hieromonk Anatoly, who again asks to come to the monastery? What do you mean: again? If they refused him before: then why? Not remembering this, I can’t say anything further. Recently they refused the monastery to the hieromonk for the reason that it was not advisable to see him asking again. Of course, one should not refuse to accept pious people. I told you about Hierodeacon S. that it wouldn’t do any good to send him to St. Petersburg. When this has been confirmed by experience: there is no need to delay the change. Punishment for drunkenness shows a bad line in the deacon, and the attempt after this to infiltrate the Lavra is another bad line. Sorry for not answering about Miller. I wanted to, but I forgot. I don't remember clearly who it is? You can put on a cassock if you are firm and trustworthy, and if this is not the university student who asked to join the Academy, and, as Andrei Nikolaevich says, is now thinking about the Academy, and therefore is not entirely firm and calm on the monastic path. In the Church of the Resurrection, paint on the wall a few palm trees closer to the iconostasis, good. And then leave space for paintings, for which I do not want either frames or divisions, so as not to give rise to thoughts of walls, when the paintings should represent nature. The right side of the church could be designated for the departed Saints who have risen, and, according to the Evangelist, those going to Jerusalem appear in multitude. In front of them, to the east, is a gate and a view of part of Jerusalem; behind them, to the west, is the cemetery where they rebelled. Above them is the light of an early clear morning; on their faces and clothes the light of resurrection. The left side of the church might represent Ezekiel's field of vision, divided into three parts, but by nothing other than the gradualness of light. In the western gloomy part, under a cloud, dry bones lie on a field. On the west side is Ezekiel. A ray of light comes towards him from the east through a cloud. Along the line of light are the words: Son of man, will these bones live? Against the lips of the prophet the words: Lord God, You weigh this. In the middle part, which is less gloomy, the prophet looks and stretches out his hand on the bones. Before him are the words: O dry bones hear the word of the Lord. This time I will bring flesh upon you. And the bones must be represented as being clothed, and partly clothed in flesh, but still lying down. In the eastern light part, the prophet looks and extends his hand not to the bones, but to the heights. Before him are the words: Come, soul, and breathe upon these dead, and they shall live. And the dead must be represented, partly as coming to life and rising from the earth, and partly as completely risen. The lower part of the picture, an arshin and a half, or an arshin with something from the ground, should be given only to the image of a field, sand, grass, faded in the west, green in the middle, and flowers in the east. The picture of faces should begin above. While there should be quite a few of them, I think their size should be reduced. If there is plenty of space left for the sky, so much the better. It is not the dignity of the paintings that in them the sky is smaller than a person. Consider my dreams, and talk to the painter whether they can be put into action. Shouldn't the picture of those who are taken up in the air at the coming of the Lord be placed on the vault with the upper part of the western wall? It seems that I am partly to blame for the fact that the Khotkovskaya abbess ruined the stairs. She said that there was a lot of wasted empty space here and that they were sitting in the hallway at work; that you can get a room here. I was not clear about the terrain and was not contradictory. Apparently, with her ideas, it is more necessary to think about caution than to rest in trust. Thank God, my back pain seems to have completely gone away. And her sensation was associated with such weakness in my back that I feared it would stiffen for the rest of the days. There is now news about the late Countess Anna Alekseevna that she left a will: land to relatives, and money for charitable deeds. Thus, death did not prevent her good will. Establish yourself in the absence of anger, and listen to what I now say. Alexey Ivanovich Lobkov delivered to me a report from the builder Georgy about the novice Vasily, sent to him with the builder’s letter. The report will arrive at the cathedral as it should: read the attached letter to the builder and, if you have no doubts, forward it. Whether the news is true or not, there is only news that the builder is taking care of some silver that was unofficially taken to the Lavra, through which he may be subject to liability. I don’t think that extra silver was ever found in Mahra and that it was taken to the Lavra. However, I want to know if there was anything that could somehow serve as a reason for this sense: because biased people are more comfortable making a wolf out of a piece of hay than creating something out of nothing. The housekeeper says that the Morozovs see themselves in extremis and themselves want the Lavra to take the hotel property to cover the arrears. Put this into perspective and say your thought. It is necessary that this be in accordance with the law and not cause any confusion with the orders. Greetings Fr. Hilarion 105. May the Lord give him, fully equipped with spiritual armor, a feat joyful with hope, and victory, and inalienable peace. If I am guilty of writing a letter to the builder: then I think you are too. I wrote not thinking about whether I was writing humbly, but about the fact that a stubborn word with authority can harden more, and that he can see the truth better if he is led into free reasoning. But I told you: send the letter unless you find any doubt. If you found that the impression would not be the desired one: why didn’t you return the letter to me? I will not argue against accepting Anatoly into the monastery. I remember Miller now, and there is no dispute about him either. The late Countess Anna Alekseevna refused 5,000 rubles to all monasteries, except those previously blessed. ser., cathedrals for 3,000 rubles, trustees for the poor clergy for 6,000 rubles. About the lands provided to the legal heirs, the will says: if I don’t have time to sell; Consequently, it is not hidden that there was no intention to leave them. But isn’t there a special dispensation of God here? Between the ancestors, it seems, there were those transferred from church ownership: they were sold and became the property of the church. The lands, of course, are not from church property: they did not have time to turn them into church property; and they will go to their heirs. The person who knows says that the deceased was in a hurry to sell, and they were already giving 4,000,000 on the old account. Greet Countess Varvara Alexandrovna from me. May the Lord grant her health, if it is pleasing to Him and beneficial to her, but especially peace and blessed hope. A document has been sent to you for Zherdev to sign so that his wife has a means of living. It is necessary either to fulfill what is required, or to say why it is not being fulfilled. At the monastery they give a sewn image of the Savior praying in Gethsemane. Shouldn't it be placed behind the altar in the new church, not on the wall, but on a wooden stand? The altar, if not fixed motionless, can not be affirmed in order to leave the opportunity to sometimes move away from the wall to be careful from dampness. Sorry for the Morozovs. When we competed with Bubnov for the singer’s hotel, I told them to think about whether they were raising the price too much. But they didn't listen. I don’t know why, they are trying more to please the synodal office than the cathedral. Keep this matter in mind so that our losses do not increase too much. I am sending you, oh. Viceroy, a decree on the selection of a missionary, which makes it very difficult for me. Read it with Fr. Rector of the Academy to see what is required by local circumstances, and if possible, help me find a worker for the harvest. The matter of the Khotkovo hotel tenant is clear from your letter: the abbess, having repeatedly spoken about him, and finally presenting him in writing, did not show him as she should. She blamed only the employer: and now it is clear that the changes in circumstances have reduced the benefits. There is a reason to remove it - greed; but will it be better later? “Let the abbess advise her to delve into matters, without the prejudice that they were bad before her.” Thank you, oh. Governor, for the reprimand you give me for Fr. Nazariya. I attributed him to the category in which the late Fr. Samuel, who reprimanded me for placing the gaiter on him, and the living Fr. Maxim, who did not allow me to do this before. But if I am guilty before Fr. Nazariy, I’ll correct myself, and I’m sorry it’s too late. I don't have time to write more. May the grace of the Lord preserve the monasteries and you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren. A good deed was accomplished in St. Petersburg: His Eminence Nikanor was appointed Metropolitan of Novgorod. For this good deed, one can patiently accept the fact that he was ordered to live in our Trinity courtyard in St. Petersburg. Meanwhile, from the church sums of this metochion, I allocated the 1,716 silver rubles you demanded. to the Bethany Church. Hurry to claim this money before the guests come and enter into the work of the owners. I do not have a statement about the amounts of the local estate. We must leave there as much as our brethren need until the time of delivery and for the move. If there is more than this, then it would not be bad to demand it now for the Lavra’s church needs. However, demand money in a certain amount, without mentioning in the order what is not yet officially known. Note The letter does not indicate the time when it was written; but there is an inscription on it from the hand of O. governor: "October 26 days 1848". What, however, does it mean? Does it mean that the letter was received on this date? Hardly. It is placed before the letter dated November 15, 1848, because in this letter there is a mention of some letter similar in content to this one. From the letter dated November 15 it is clear that the news of Troitsky's appointment to St. Petersburg, the residence of the Metropolitan of Novgorod belonged to A. N. Muravyov. The same can be seen from the letter of Metropolitan Filaret to A. N. Muravyov (dated November 16, 1848). See letters from Metropolitan F. to A. I. M. Kyiv, 1869, pp. 286, 287. which had the form of a notification that “It is highly commanded" could not have been sent earlier than November 4, because only on this date did the appointment of Archbishop Nikanor of Novgorod take place. See lists of bishops and bishops, chairs of the All-Russian hierarchy. Compiled by Jur. Tolstoy. Sib. 1872, p. 33. You write that the St. Petersburg Trinity Metochion remains with us: but I just wrote to you that it will be occupied by the Metropolitan of Novgorod. Who's right? Who's to blame? Ivan Pavlov writes to you: and Andrei Nikolaevich Muravyov writes to me. I am sending you his letter. Read and return. Ivan Pavlov probably writes what the chief priest said at the Synod, and how they listened to him: and Muravyov probably writes that the Highest commanded. Therefore, I propose to keep the monks appointed in St. Petersburg until the matter becomes clear. If you have reason to consider your news decisive: then write to me so as not to keep travelers in vain. By the way, in Andrei Nikolaevich’s letter you will see the disappearance of a book about the Sarov fathers. Do you think it is possible to discover traces of it, or find another specimen? Or could you indicate other ways to help Andrei Nikolaevich in describing the Sarov Desert? To Rev. Nikon, celebrate in peace without me. I don’t see myself being able to go to you and return by day 20. If the Lord calls the long-suffering Savicheva: let her remains rest in the Lavra. And the wanderer whom the Venerable One accepted into his brethren, would it not have been, in accordance with his behest, placed in the Lavra? In gratitude for the good news from Reverend 106, I will tell you what recently happened here. The headman of the church in which the relics of St. Maximus rest, working diligently to restore the interior of this church, fell ill with a sore throat that he lost hope of staying alive, and at the thought that he would not see the consecration of the church, he began to cry while lying in bed. At this time he sees before him blessed Maxim, who places the sign of the cross on him and says: in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The sick man said: Amen, he wanted to kiss the hand of the righteous, but he ceased to be visible. Following this, an abscess in the throat opened, pus came out, and the elder celebrated the renovation of the church with increased joy. God's blessing to Countess Varvara Alexandrovna. When you write to me, tell me how she is doing. Thank you, oh. Viceroy, for the blessing from the feast of St. Nikon. I celebrated this day by serving and ordaining. This matter occupies us very much, due to the many taken away from service by the epidemic. The abbess's action is absurd. Am I partly to blame for this because I put her in a displeased mood by refusing to approve several of her assumptions? She wants to throw away her entire choir and recruit a completely new one, because it is as if the old ones cannot be corrected. I said that this was a drastic revolution that should not happen in the monastery. It is unlikely that an entire choir would be incorrigible. And how to create a choir out of nothing? She also planned to form a dormitory from the newly recruited choir, with exclusive rights. This seemed to me more oprichenno. Also, noticing that the sisters did not go to Matins, I wanted to make a list of some who would have the obligation to go to Matins on certain days. And it seemed strange to me that some would go to Matins according to a schedule, as if on guard duty, while others were left completely unattended. Advise her to guide everyone towards order and goodness through spiritual measures, and not harsh or heavy ones. Since you are satisfied with the Bethai matter, then listen without displeasure that I would be more pleased if it were presented more clearly on the spot, and if the resolution on considerations were implemented. That Abel could well fulfill the assignment you propose 107, his book makes me doubt. Archimandrite Simonovsky told me the same thing about the courtyard that you wrote, and from the same source. My brothers like me in the S. Synod, not a word from anyone. The Morozovs want to transfer the hotel. Make sure this is done safely. Create, oh. Viceroy, in the Lavra commemoration and prayer 108 for the soul of the reposed His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony. We are now sending monks to the courtyard in St. Petersburg. Book of monastic instructions by Fr. Nazariya is essentially good, and it is good for it to be copied and read. And in order to print, shouldn’t you allow yourself to touch her appearance? Are some expressions more correct to formulate, some to be explained, and for easier reading, special articles should be designated by private titles? For example, the expression seems unclear to me: sins of a person that are prohibited from imagining. It also seems to me that it would not be superfluous to make some expressions of self-reproach from the harsher ones more convincing in self-reproach, so that the thought during self-reproach does not begin to represent self-justification. Tell me what you think about it. I received the blessing sent to me from the monastery of our venerable fathers Sergius and Nikon, in their images, with reverence, and the word of consolation and edification from you and the brethren of the cathedral, with consolation and edification. I ask you and the brethren to assist me with your prayers, so that I do not bear the name borrowed from the righteous Philaret, which teaches a lot both by its very borrowing and by the life of the righteous, not to my condemnation. In the monastery of St. Nicholas on Pererva I spend yesterday and today with greater convenience for my weakness than in Moscow, not without a pleasant feeling of silence. Thank God that those who take the underground path to heaven return to this path without encountering stumbling blocks. Take care of the sick. I saw an example of the cure of a desperately sick person with consumption through the use of a medicine composed of honey, anise, licorice root and licorice juice. The medicine is innocent and lean. Would you like me to send you the recipe for your consideration? I didn’t see or hear about the Northern Lights on December 5th here. But what was seen in many places in Russia in November was also visible in Rome. Andrei Nikolaevich told me more than once about the construction of a bell tower at the St. Petersburg courtyard. And in a different way it came to my attention that one day the Sovereign Emperor, driving past the courtyard, asked the adjutant general who was with him what kind of house it was, and noticed that it lagged behind the surrounding buildings. On one side is the magnificent Beloselsky house, on the other the old two-story, but beautifully restored former house of the late Dubensky, and opposite, across the Fontanka, the Anichkov Palace, in which the Sovereign Emperor lived as the Grand Duke, and sometimes still lives for several days. But the matter is not without doubt. In other courtyards there are no open bell towers: and this is the rule for house churches. Perhaps the ruler of St. Petersburg will not like this. It is doubtful, according to current architectural rules, whether they will be allowed to build according to the presented plan, and whether the plan will not be made burdensome. With the current progress of such matters, it is not even impossible that they will require changing the façade of the entire house, or adding a third floor. Try to resolve these doubts for me. I am sending you a piece of silk fabric so that for the holiday you can make yourself a half-caftan in my memory. In order not to forget, take one and a half hundred rubles in silver from my money and on the second day of the holiday, distribute it according to custom to the servants of the monastery, the poor and the poor. You require a prescription. I am sending. And you don’t answer my doubts about the bell tower of the courtyard. I demand an answer. The Khotkovskaya abbess unexpectedly and expressively asked me in a conversation: don’t I know anything from the Lavra? I didn’t remember what you wrote about her adventure with the housekeeper, and I answered: I don’t know. When she began to tell: I remembered what you wrote, but no longer interrupted her. When I explained to her the wrongness of her action, she replied that she was ready to do whatever was required, as fair, and even ask for forgiveness at the council. But this should not be required if part of what it says about what happened is true. She told me something from Doctorova’s pre-monastery life that made it impossible for the steward to know her. The housekeeper once told the abbess that he was going to the cross, and went to visit Doctorova. I understand this simply: however, this brought displeasure to the abbess. She says that before what happened she asked you not to send him to Khotkov. On the day of the last adventure, novices rode his horses and went to the factory, which one admitted, but the other did not want to open, and the latter, who was temporarily living in the monastery and was being expelled, was opened the next day. Tell the housekeeper not to go to Khotkov anymore, not out of his own reluctance, but by order of his superiors. The abbess grieves that her relationship with you is taking on an unhelpful aspect, and that the expressions of your displeasure are very vocal and strong. For example, you said a lot of unpleasant things to her messenger, and among other things, you reproached the abbess with some money. If this is partly true, then it is not superfluous for you to remember that anger cannot be cured by anger. It seems that it is time for you to call on the abbess, reprove and admonish her in a fatherly manner, and continue as before - to help her and correct her mistakes in managing her monastery and herself. Note A letter without indicating the time when it was written. Placed here because mentions of the recipe and doubts about the bell tower of the courtyard can be recognized as references to the letter dated December 8. 1848, as the previous year. Rejoice in the Lord, and celebrate in peace and consolation, you, the viceroy father, and the brethren of the monasteries. I don’t even want to talk about the case of the steward and the abbess. An essay called a conversation is an even worse thing than an act with a housekeeper. After that, I didn’t want to read letters to the abbess or write to her: however, this very thing that I just said, I wrote to her that day, and added that if she were still a landowner, then it would have been impossible for me that she would have decided to put such unclean features on paper. But what to do? Don't abandon the abbess. Therefore, it seems to me that this interruption of relations should not last forever, but you need to call the abbess, admonish you, and restore relations. She will, of course, ask you and the housekeeper for forgiveness. And you can thus stop the case of an insult that occurred in the cell and was not officially announced. The first page of your letter is good, and if it had been finished and sent just as well, the abbess, perhaps, would have come to her senses then. And about some expressions on another page another time I will say: anger cannot be cured by anger. Firm but calm truth admonishes self-deceiving passion. The abbess told me something that she did not write to you, which is difficult to imagine as slander, and which could lead her into that grave conviction that led her out of order. The economist's actions are not entirely justified by comparison. You say what could have happened to your coachman, what happened to his coachman: but the case says that it happened to him, but it didn’t happen to yours, therefore it is more likely that it would not have happened. To fulfill the duties due to the inheritance of the late abbess, let them take a deputy priest, whoever is available locally. Only now for the first time in the new summer I greet you, oh. the governor, and the brethren. May we all use it to renew our lives and prepare for an ageless life. Don’t be angry that I’ve been silent for a long time. I do a little; I get tired a lot and spend time resting. Regarding the St. Petersburg bell tower, it is doubtful whether the economist can obtain approval of the plan. And if he asks the secular authorities about this: won’t they turn the matter to us through the S. Synod? It seems that the matter cannot be resolved without a report to the Sovereign Emperor, because it is a bell tower, and because it is against the palace. And if they report to him: it will be most convenient for him to present it not from our point of view, but from the point of view of the palace, so that his house will be better in view. Having noticed this, they may say that the Lavra does not need the house, and will find another use for it. The Novogorod Metropolitan is closer to us in order to protect the property of his house: but his courtyard was taken long ago and given to the secular department. Give me some advice on this. Forgive me. The way to end the Khotkov case does not seem to me the best. It seems to me that it was not necessary for you to go to Khotkov, but to call the abbess to you first: but there is no need for either dinner or a council. I remember that I wrote to you that there is no need to interfere with the council in this matter, which will uselessly give publicity to what happened in the cell. The idea that an offense to the council is an offense to the council seems to me to be secular and not spiritual; moreover, it would be a different matter if the steward came to carry out the instructions of the council, and was then offended. But when he went to the monastic cell, and as a result of this, displeasure occurred: this is the adventure of an unnecessary guest, and not a member of the cathedral. And has the abbess already washed her hand, with which she wrote the conversation, enough to sit down at the table with the cathedral? Maybe you imagined the circumstances differently: but I speak as it seems to me. However, do not think that I look at this peacefully: I am glad that relations have been restored, with which you can facilitate my concern for Khotkov. As for your letter, which was written but not sent, I did not judge it as strictly as you judge after my remark. If a harsh word is spoken, it is already defeated by the fact that it was not sent. If you demand useful words from me, which, however, I don’t consider myself capable of: then I will say. One pagan philosopher said: when you feel irritated, do not say or do anything immediately, but stop and read all the letters of the alphabet. The pagan did not find anything better than the alphabet to pacify the spirit: we Christians know the best words that can be given to the mind and heart to calm anxiety. I invoke God's blessing on God's servant Philip and those around him, and relief from his illness. O. Pankraty seemed like a skete to me when he was in the monastery, and I was sorry that he left. But let him humble his thoughts and serve according to his true calling. A sick woman unknown to me asks for oil from the lamp from the monastery. Take it from the lamp that burns in the altar in front of the cross of the Lord and in front of the image of the Mother of God, and deliver it to me for forwarding. May the Lord give Theophanes and Avvakum rest. Shouldn't we transfer the bestiality to the hospital, stopping his bestiality? Joseph is what he’s called, I don’t remember correctly. The daughters of the late Sergius Ilyich Mukhanov ask one old woman, who was with their parent and with them, out of respect and gratitude to her, to be buried in the Lavra, near their parents. I don’t know if this is quite convenient for the place: but I don’t want to contradict the good intentions. Satisfy, oh. governor, at their request, if possible. Regarding the supposedly newfound and most perfect way of praying with the heartfelt pronunciation of the words: “Jesus Mary,” I agree with your reasoning, Father Vicar. Perhaps what I want to add will not be superfluous. O. Wouldn’t Hilarion have received a thought that would bring back the new teaching he encountered, reading chapter 50 of Callistus and Ignatius? It says there: those who have succeeded and accomplished in Christ are also satisfied with the one name, Jesus. But this does not in any way favor the new teaching: because it is said about what happens sometimes, and moreover, among the perfect, whose soul, even in one spoken name, feels the whole prayer, which has already been previously nourished and imbued with it: but this is not proposed as a general rule for everyone. I think it would not be unfair to note that, on the one hand, the fragmentary pronunciation of two names does not represent reverence; on the other hand, their combination represents something discordant in relation to dogmas. We say according to the institution of the church: glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, uniting the equal Divine hypostases. But the name of the Blessed Virgin, although exalted, is not equivalent to the name of the Divine. That's why St. the church teaches us to say: Save us, that is, by your divine grace. And also: Most Holy Theotokos, save us, that is, with your prayers and the grace of Christ. But it does not teach us to say: Jesus and Mary, save us. I don’t blame O. Hilarion for being silent when he heard from the prince an opinion that he suddenly could not inherit or appreciate. It’s good that he didn’t hesitate to reveal his thoughts to you. And it occurs to me that I have already told you: in vain a bridge was built in plain sight, and the road to the desert dweller was opened. I must confess to you that I almost sinned. Prince V. mentioned to me about his abbreviated form of prayer, and about its reality: but he did not ask my opinion; I didn’t want to enter into a judgment; it was thought that simplicity and purity of intention could cover up some irregularities, but it never even occurred to him that he would preach this as an improved teaching: I, just like Fr. Hilarion let his words pass without making any objection to him. Now it is my duty to see if this teaching has passed through my sister to the monastery. I thought about the drawings for the high place of the new church, and I cannot get out of my bewilderment. In a space 1 arshin and 14 vershoks wide, place the cave of the Holy Sepulcher, the rolled away stone, the angel, the myrrh-bearers, cramped; and if the images are made small, there will not be a good view from the church. An ugly tree was chosen for the candlestick, which is difficult to find in nature. It’s not nice and it’s difficult to work with. Chandeliers are also difficult to work with, and are loosely tied in pieces. When you first light the candles, you may be afraid that the sexton will break it. I remember we said that the entire eastern wall should be an image. In the middle of the cavity is the cave of the Holy Sepulcher and an angel on the stone, on one side going to the tomb of the myrrh-bearing woman, and on the other the appearance of the Lord to Magdalene. Therefore, I want to offer the priest the first of these three parts. Yesterday evening I received news that saddened me. Bishop Yaroslavsky wants to ask for dismissal from service, being hindered by the disobedience of some co-religionist priest. Today I am sending him a letter in which I propose to slow down at least a little and see how the Lord will strengthen the new ruler of Novgorod in his actions. But maybe my word is too late, or it’s not conveniently acceptable 109. The Reverend Eugene wants to come to us. I hope you will receive it with love. But it’s a pity that people like him leave the field. Peace to you and the brethren. Pray for my weakness. The cold, perhaps, which began on the day of Epiphany, took strength from the burial of our prosecutor 110, and has kept me in my cell for a week. I still want to write to you more and answer other things that I did not answer at the time: but all the time is stolen, and cases are missed. May the Lord confirm what has been begun by His grace in the monastery. About the bridge to about. I wrote to Hilarion what I thought: but I do not demand its hasty destruction. I leave this to your consideration. About the Right Reverend Yaroslavsky, the thought came to me whether I should write to St. Petersburg so that they could keep him in the service. But I also thought about whether I might be arbitrarily interfering in something about which I was not called upon to judge. Let us wait to see what the will of the Lord will be revealed. I thought about the cave dwellers' treasure, would it not cause dampness if the water was not low? - Bless me with sow water. An icon for the hollow of a high place can be written and inserted on canvas. And on the sides you need to write on the wall. I’ll talk to the priest and tell you what we’ll decide on with him. Today, by the goodness of God, I seem to be recovering. You complained, oh. Governor, in your cells. I thought they reformed when they got housing underneath them. And if you haven’t corrected yourself, why didn’t you think about others? I remember I offered you treasury bills. There would be no offense here. What you heard from the Kokuevsky priest is worthy of attention 111, and the thought of collecting information of this kind. But I doubt whether good can be achieved by a formal prescription. Regarding the fact that an extraordinary obstacle prevented him from receiving the Holy Mysteries before his death, it seems to me that the priest did not realize what he should have paid attention to here. It was necessary to ask whether there was anything left unconfessed in the soul: or if something heavy for the conscience was confessed, whether there was a lack of awareness of the gravity of sin and heartfelt contrition. I would like you to not only listen to the priest’s story, but also give him instruction and encouragement about the perplexed man to improve himself in the work of service. I hope that was the case. My cold has gotten better and I don't consider myself sick. But everything is missing from me for the job. Pray for me. May the Lord prosper you and protect you and the monasteries and brethren. I am writing to you remembering this good meeting, and I do not want to keep silent about it. Today I visited a Tambov landowner and his wife with the desire to make known the miraculous healing that had happened in their family. By the way, he spoke about the recluse (I think, known to you) about Hilarion 112. He is 90 years old. He only sometimes goes out to church for the liturgy, which for him takes place before the sun. - “How pleasant it is to be in his cell, and how light it is, although there is no sun!” – One who graduated from seminary studies asked him for advice on entering monasticism. Father Hilarion answered: you will be a priest, and you will be a monk. The one who received this answer actually became a priest, but three years later he was widowed, and, without leaving his place, he lived in abstinence not only in relation to food, but also in relation to sleep, and several years later, last year, he died of cholera, leaving behind a revered memory. He left behind a 14-year-old daughter. O. Hilarion says that the place will remain with her. But the diocesan bishop said that he could now do nothing in her favor due to her minority, and appointed a priest. However, the fulfillment of what was said by Fr. Hilarion, noticeably, is getting ready. The priest does not deserve the approval of the parishioners, and they say: we will wait two years until the orphan reaches adulthood. ___________________________________________________ This letter is interrupted; and now I can’t continue it as before; but now here's what it's about. The bishop of the Lutsk-Zhitomir Roman Church, Gaspar, about whom the Minister of Internal Affairs wrote to me, wants to go to the Lavra on Monday morning. Prepare a room for him, I think, in a hotel; accept it with attention; show him something memorable; and offer refreshments in my or your cells. Let me know also about. to the rector of the academy to show him the Academy. As we enter the honest and soul-beneficial days of Holy Pentecost, I greet you, Fr. the governor, and all the brethren of the Lavra, Bethany and monastery in Christ; and in whatever way I have sinned against anyone in word or action, I ask everyone’s forgiveness and prayers for the forgiveness of every sin I have committed. I call upon all of you from the Lord for help in good deeds, forgiveness in sins, in mysterious communion with the Lord - renewal of life and the guarantee of a blessed resurrection. And in the fact that I write little and do not answer otherwise, I ask you, Fr. Viceroy, forgiveness, but I still don’t know how to correct myself. It is with consolation that I accept from you, Fr. Viceroy, good news about the monasteries, and about the many zealous communicants of the Lord's Supper. May the Lord dwell in the souls of His servants, and may He establish His kingdom in them. The Lord vouchsafed me to receive about a hundred people in his church at the Lord’s Table. I was also consoled by those who flocked to Saint Alexis at Vespers and on the day of his feast day, and during the first week of Lent at Compline. But what I heard about the frenzy of spectacles during cheese week is very sad. Europe is mad and suffering; we see and are not afraid to follow the path of madness, not understanding either what has already befallen us or what may threaten us. I saw the elder Prince Gruzinsky at home and in Chudov, during the first week of Lent. His strong nature seems to be becoming kinder, calmed down by old age. About Fr. Hilarion and I have heard before; but, it seems, for the first time, in the case I described, I heard about John the recluse, who wanted to be with Fr. Hilarion, but, according to his instructions, he secluded himself in another place, and after several years of exploits, he died with signs of grace. And now I'm interrupting. Mail time. Novomlinsky's case to you, Fr. Viceroy returns. From the day I received it, it was before my eyes: but it took me a long time to get my hands on it. In such cases, do not hesitate to remind me. And I remind you to take a closer look at things to protect them from wrongdoing. If, during the transfer of the mill, they had said that the deposit remained in effect, as part of the transfer to the new owner, there would have been no case of sneaking. You will say that I didn’t see it either: it’s true. But I have more interesting things to do than money: and, rightly or wrongly, I somewhat excuse myself for not liking to deal with money. I am also guilty regarding the old age’s instructions. Things give more than what my laziness wants and can do. One bishop finds it difficult whether a bigamist should wear a surplice: they send me a decree so that I answer him about this difficulty. One governor noticed that people were freezing in a snowstorm, unable to find their way to the village: I must tell you whether to ring the bell. In both capitals they want to give the burial to the tax farmer: I have to look into the matter and explain that there will be grumbling against the tax farmer and the authorities. One bishop wrote a history of the Russian Church: they ask me if it needs to be corrected, and so that I am not lazy in answering, they add that the Sovereign Emperor knows about this. But I still don’t know how to rush. February 28th evening, 1849. Thank you, oh. Viceroy, that with good words you reinforce my weakness, and ease the feeling of my malfunction. In the case of Novomlinsky, I was sure that we acted honestly: I reminded him to be careful against the twists and turns of orders. What you are writing now, if it had been included in the judgment of the Council at its request, would have helped the cause and me. I see the progress of cases in secular court places, and not without reason I pester a lot about caution. God also gives joy and care. A gathering of distinguished guests is expected for Holy Week and Easter. Pray to our Reverend Father Serius so that with his prayers he will cover my weakness, so that due tribute will be given to both the holy days and the Most Pious Majesty in peace and good understanding. You send the wisdom of the Khotkovskaya abbess to me, and I to you. Don’t be angry because you also gave your voice to its definition. I have already told her that when she was a novice and a nun, she imagined monasticism more in herself than becoming an abbess. Now the old thought of boyarism is breaking through monasticism. Don’t be bored, but have the patience to reason with her, and let’s not give up hope. I now remember my old thoughts to tell you: was it really impossible to limit A.’s temper, and not have the need to take away from him control of singing, which was good? Doesn’t he grieve over this removal, and what is he used for now? Not only did I read about six moons with crosses in the reports, but I also cut out the sheet for preservation. I would like to see in this with you an omen of the state of the church, forming a single comprehensive circle: but such signs are not visible on earth. We continue to deserve multiplication of crosses of punishment. I asked the Governor-General to protect the holy post from those who insulted it with a public ride from the mountains on fasting Sundays, which, according to some, is accompanied by dancing in the gazebo, and to which they intended to add music at the mountains and illumination. He banned music and illumination: but he couldn’t do anything else, because in St. Petersburg they do the same thing. I need icons of the Savior, the Mother of God, St. Sergius, St. Alexis, Archangel Michael, enamel, not very small, with decent frames. Write from Rostov with my money: and in the meantime, deliver me some from those available in the Lavra, because I need them soon. Keep in mind whether any of the distinguished guests will visit the monastery of St. Sergius. I’m returning the notebook on musical notation. What is the Great Litany mentioned more than once? Does she really have different tunes? Tell Aaron to follow the notes simply and correctly, without changing tones or being clever, to demonstrate his skill. According to rumors from St. Petersburg, the Tsesarevna and three Grand Duchesses are planning to be in the Lavra. It's hard to guess when the time will be chosen. In case, make sure that my cells are suitable for them, and also that the conference rooms and rector’s rooms are clean and ready to receive guests. Think and prepare what else you need, for example, icons and books. What they say about the Lavra hotel is not commendable: that some kind of music in castles bothers everyone, that there is noise and disorder, that visitors who drink and play are tolerated. If it’s slander: then good. And you need to look around. I am very sad at the unexpected death of Kazan Archpriest Sergius, whose good spiritual direction, prudence and sincerity I used not only for my business, but also for myself. Pray for his kind soul. Time looks cloudy. In St. Petersburg, they say, there are quite a few sudden deaths. But let us surrender to the Lord and pray in peace for deliverance from all sorrow, anger and need. If a bunch of books comes with this, then it must be placed in my cell in the monastery. May the Most Pure Virgin Mother of the Lord grant you, Fr. Viceroy, and brethren, with pure minds and hearts, contemplate Her mysteries now, and in the days to come, the mysteries of Her Son and God. It is not at the right time that I am forced to tell you that fortune-telling about the journey to the Lavra of many from the Highest Family continues; and it may happen in the first days of Holy Week. It is necessary that the treasury cells and others, which are better, be ready for guests; and for me the sacristan’s cell, However, I say this in advance. Anything decisive that will be revealed, I’ll preface that if I have time. Peace and salvation from the Lord to you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren. The trip to the Lavra of high-ranking persons was postponed until Easter or Fomina's week, after it was almost decisively undertaken. I know for sure that Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna intended to travel: but I don’t know clearly who else. 14 carriages and 70 horses were required. Therefore, guess about the needs of the premises. I suggested the idea of ​​sending someone to preliminarily inspect and assign premises for the High Persons to the Lavra, so that we would not be mistaken in this. I don’t know if this will be done. Think and prepare as much as possible. With the kiss of joy and love I kiss you mentally and heartily, oh. the governor, and the brethren of the Lavra, Bethany and the monastery, from first to last. By the ineffable grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, may the power of His Resurrection dwell in all of us, to strengthen us in the new man and in life according to God, and to put aside and forget what is the old man. It is fair news that has reached you that the most pious Sovereign Emperor was pleased to show me a new favor. I share it with all my co-workers: because if the All-Merciful Sovereign deigned to respond mercifully to my management, then this could not be achieved otherwise than with the assistance of good co-servants to my feasible care. With this in mind, I propose the list of 113 from the Highest Rescript to the established council. Moscow. April 3rd 1849. Your vigilant care for the diocese entrusted to you, with many years of experience and edifying preaching of the word of truth, reveals in you an enlightened and zealous shepherd of the flock of Christ. Respecting these excellent merits and the deeds tirelessly performed in favor of the Orthodox Church and the Fatherland, I recognized it as good to show My special attention to your merits by the most merciful award to you of the diamond signs of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle. Entrusting myself to your prayers, I remain always favorable to you On His true own Imperial Majesty On the list it is written: with the original correct: Filaret, m. Moskovsky. About the trip to the Lavra, Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna told me that it could take place on Monday or Tuesday in Fomina’s week. But circumstances changed after this was said last Wednesday; and now expect to travel this week on Friday. But this is not an exact summary. Today I should be in the palace, and perhaps I will receive the correct information. Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna was very pleased with her visit to the Lavra. There is reason to believe that both Sovereign Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich and his wife and Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna and her husband will travel in a similar way, and probably next Tuesday. Be careful and do not assume that I am prefacing them. But here's something I can't do. G. Ts. expressed a desire to have a particle of the relics of St. Sergius, and would like to receive it before leaving Moscow; a departure soon. I wanted to open the cross I received from you, with four grains, but I did not find it convenient. Yes, I don’t know how to prepare mastic, and I don’t dare to put a particle. It was difficult to find and what to put in. 1) Cross with holy relics. 2) A gold cross, in which the ring is unscrewed and the top board opens from the upper end. In this I would consider putting a particle for G. Ts. and, if possible, not a very small one, located in the first cross, but another somewhat larger one. However, I did not see the particles you placed in the cross, but I judge only by the name of the grain you used. I know that power and grace are not in the quantity of a particle: but I speak in relation to the person receiving it. 3) Silver-gilded cross. Here's another thing. Vasily Dmitrievich Olsufiev, who was with the Tsarevich, also asked me for particles of the relics of St. Sergius, and I almost promised him, saying that if he received it, he would keep this blessing for himself, without making it public. This precaution seemed necessary to me so as not to open the way to requests that were sometimes difficult to fulfill. I intended to leave one of the four grains in the first cross, and assign this cross to him; and put the other grains into a silver-gilded cross for me. May our reverend and God-bearing father Sergius bless you to fulfill this for the benefit of souls, either as I write, or as He best instructs you. By the goodness of God and the prayers of St. Sergius, the Most High and Distinguished Guests are merciful to my humility. Today there was a prayer service in St. George's Hall for the founding of a monument to the army and, by order of the Sovereign Emperor, I had to speak. The case was unusual and incomprehensible. However, the Emperor listened to me graciously, and then said a gracious word to me 114. Traveling to the Lavra tomorrow are Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich and his wife, Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna and her husband, and, it seems, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich. I asked the Emperor for the highest permission to go, and I expect it. You didn’t tell me everything about Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna. Where did she listen to the liturgy on Wednesday, and by whom, etc.? The question that confuses me is whether a treat from the Lavra can be offered, and whether we will be able to. I think I should make some orders just in case: because it is better to make orders that may remain unused than not to make orders that may be needed. Keep this in mind too. Remind me about the books of the Saint’s life in French sent with this book. May be needed. The Most High and Distinguished guests left us in peace. Thank God, they all showed themselves to be very merciful. Upon returning from the Lavra, I asked permission to come to the distinguished guests there and express gratitude for the visit; but they, instead, deigned to be with me. V.K.O.N. 115 accepted the cross with a particle of the relics of St. Sergius from me with desire. And then V.K.K.N. 116 expressed a desire to receive the same, and I gave the cross, which I had kept for myself, depriving myself of this treasure, but rejoicing that the children of the Tsarev were approaching our many-graceful Father Sergius, and He was approaching them. I think I’ll come back to you again, but I’m not quite hopeful. If I don’t, please accept Count Nikolai Alexandrovich 117 in my place, who wants to be in the Lavra on Friday and Saturday, probably with his wife. Give him a good stay at the hotel. Bless with the icon. Offer a meal with me. Moscow. April 19th 1849. Peace be with you, oh. governor, and health. My health only lasted for the right amount of time. The day before, not yet feeling burdened, I showed up with gratitude to Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich: but yesterday I already felt a cold, had a cough, today I had difficulty getting up from my bed, and therefore I don’t hope to travel to you. Count Nikolai Alexandrovich will go to the Lavra not tomorrow, but on Sunday, either before the late liturgy there, or after the early liturgy here. As you praised my memory, I must admit how it deceived me at that very time. I am sending a speech, adding what I said, but then forgot to write it. Would it be better not to miss it, or is it better to be forgotten? Blessings and peace Fr. to the governor. The same goes for the brethren. I have already told you about visiting Count Nikolai Alexandrovich and receiving him. Now here is my need. G. Ts. expressed a desire to have a correct, only reduced, list of the icon of the Mother of God, the verb: Assuage sorrow, located in the church on Pupyshi. Elder Salautin seems to be no longer alive. Name me a reliable icon painter who worked in the Lavra. Actually, I don’t think it would be convenient to use any of our Lavra people: they will have quite a lot to do at home in the summer. I wish you an answer without delay, because I have already delayed a little due to my forgetfulness. From the 15th day you thanked me, I don’t know why. I thanked you and the brethren for the good arrangement in receiving the distinguished guests, which I now confirm, because their reviews of the Lavra were very favorable. Don't be angry. I don't really like the look of the monastery. Especially the trees are presented, not as in nature. The designation in the picture, although not clear, is Fr. Hilaria, and Philip’s cells, it seems to me, are not natural. You need to stand taller than the old birches for this view to be possible. But what is more important, in my opinion, is that these places should, if possible, be little known: and seeing them in the picture, everyone will go looking for them and break the silence. But here’s the thing that Alexey Ivanovich Lobkov forces me to write about. The Most Reverend Innocent wants to establish a procession of the cross in Odessa, in memory of its founding, on the day of coronation, and for it he demands from Alexei Ivanovich a donation, namely, similar and uniform copies of the Korsun altar cross in the Assumption Cathedral, the icons of the Mother of God of Vladimir and Iveron, the icon of St. Nicholas, which is above the gates to the Kremlin, and the Cathedral of the Moscow Saints. Alexey Ivanovich thinks that Lavra icon painters should do this. I object that the matter is great, requires haste, must be divided among several; that the Lavra icon painters are not yet strong; that they have a lot of work to do at home, especially regarding the newly built church, and that the most skilled of them is already busy with a special, also urgent and important assignment, here. But Alexey Ivanovich will certainly insist that I write to you about this. I think that you will find my refusal thorough. Alexey Ivanovich also says (which the Eminence does not say) that an image of St. Sergius is also needed. If we take up this last part of the matter, which, however, the Eminence does not require. I'm waiting for your reply. Through the prayers of St. Nicholas, blessing and peace to you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren. I am writing this in the monastery of St. Nicholas, which is on Pererva, where I am participating in the holiday today. Despite the holiday, I find time to write more conveniently here than in Moscow. I rejoice that I will not be deprived of the treasure that I did not want to deprive others of. The cross is being prepared. Meanwhile, the resulting generosity calls out seekers. The Abbess of Spasoborodino asks. But we can talk about this on the spot. Let them paint the image of St. Sergius for Odessa, from the ancient one, as written in the prosphora. You wanted to have the Korsun cross in the list from the Assumption Cathedral. I stopped the icon painter: and here are the reasons. This cross is about three arshins in length, and almost the same in diameter with circles in the middle, on which there are enamel icons on both sides, some with convex images; yet the length of the cross on both sides is lined with gilded silver with stars made of oriental crystal, or simply glass. It seems to be built on the idea of ​​the cross that appeared in Jerusalem in the sky, stretched by the stars from Golgotha ​​to Olivet. Perhaps inside there is an ancient Korsun wooden cross: but the visible decoration does not represent such antiquity, and it is difficult to imagine that, while remaining in the cathedral in 1812, he did not lose his silver clothes. If it were so: then, probably, his immunity would be proclaimed. So, I stopped work, which would have been a duty, but would hardly have satisfied my love for antiquity. If you want, you can refer to this at your leisure. It is not bad to remove drawings from the medallions of former palaces; but also at leisure. Thank you for your thoughts about religious processions that I would like to carry out. But woe to my laziness, always late. Serbinovich, leaving Moscow, left me a note about eight cases on which they have been waiting for an answer from me - on others for quite a long time. I ask for your prayers. I thought that it was given to us to see the Sovereign Emperor and His family closer, in order to pray for them with great consolation, but it turns out that with greater sadness. The Sovereign is already traveling, and the Sovereign Heir, and Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, probably, and Mikhail Pavlovich will perform with their teams. Separation and care for everyone. Lord, save the Tsar and His house and Russia. Hereby I bid you farewell, oh. governor, G. Tereshchenko, an active explorer of Saransk antiquities. Accept him, and promote his prayer and his curiosity in the Lavra. You volunteered, oh. governor, help the Deulinskys in drawing up a plan for building the church. God bless; Help. The priest is thinking of taking as an example the cemetery church built by the late Lomov. In my opinion, this is not necessary. That church is cold, with a side chapel: they need a warm one, but the summer church will remain wooden. And due to the lack of ways, little needs to be done. Not a vast, not high, quadrangular building, with a vault, without a dome open through the vault, with a small, but, if possible, three-part altar like in a wooden church in a monastery - that’s what they need. There must be one throne. At the entrance, a closed porch or porch is not superfluous, to save heat and for other needs. It is a good idea to have the plan drawn up by you, as best they can, so that upon agreement on it, give it an official form. If we need to give in to the Makhrin builder in his enterprises: we will give in. But why didn’t you send files about this? A protopresbyter who was in Mahra says that there are few serving clergy. May the Mother of God help Michael, turn a material burden into a spiritual yoke, and may it be good for him. I think that this can be useful, depending on the need, with simplicity of intention, without claiming the importance of the feat. Archimandrite Simonovsky, perhaps, will add to his book. I remember hearing that he was preparing another one. They won't let me see you. I'm being treated; but the movement as prescribed by the doctor is not enough. No worries are heard, but also comforting ones. Remember the latter, the servant of God, Countess Anna Sheremeteva, tells us. Last Sunday she visited me and complained of being unwell. I advised - warmth and peace. But she went to Kuskovo that same day and still caught a cold. Yesterday, after the all-night vigil, her family told me that she was dangerously ill, and at that very time she died, having received the holy mysteries with a feeling of relief. Pray for peace of her soul. Now they told me a dream that her relative, who had recently died, had seen many years ago. She saw Anna, then still a girl, in a bright church, at a table with many others; and on her head was a crown of thorns, and drops of blood. The dreamer was given a place in the same church, but separately, and it was said: do not be surprised that Anna has a crown of thorns and drops of blood: if this had not happened, she would not have received a place here. Is there any truth here? Thank you for the icons. With the icons of the Mother of God, I want to be in the church of the miraculous icon and perform a prayer service before departure. Regarding Hieromonk Anatoly, the matter has been decided for ten days: but it lay with me because I thought and thought about writing to the Eminence of Saratov, who never writes to me, and my petition would hardly be better received than the petition of the Lavra Council. The Khotkovskaya abbess either listens with displeasure or understands with displeasure what they are saying to her. I told her that she acts more like a landowner than like a mother. About a nun who is deprived of her own cell, you can say that I will not praise if I find out that the nun is not sufficiently rewarded with another cell. And I think I’ll get to this point on the spot. I had Philip. When I told him that he already had a lot of people, he replied that he, too, thought of having only two people, and that now he was thinking about whether to go to another place, or whether to wander without a place. I persuaded him not to leave a place in which he could live peacefully, with benefit and for others. Keep this in mind, so that the multiplication of people does not increase his desire to leave. Forgive me and enlighten me if I am wrong. I am afraid that the monastery will not be damaged by the crowding, in which people who are not monastic in spirit can hide more conveniently. One faithful person says that a novice, about thirty years old, took him around the monastery, and, leading him out the gate, asked him for tea; and to the objection, what is this for? answered: it’s difficult for us, and we need this consolation. I can’t help but believe the story: and I wish that such a person was not in the monastery. The same person was tempted that in the Maximov Chapel a novice, or monk, spoke to visitors in poor French, without any need. Who is this? Don't be angry and don't complain. If we are destined to look after others, we cannot do this with our eyes closed. You need to see and show in order to know what is in order and what needs improvement. Sorry, oh. viceroy; farm and barnyard are words that I understand less well than others. It seems to me that intercourse with a farmyard, especially large for the Lavra, is not in the spirit of the monastery. It would be a different matter if one were to start one on one’s own land: but hiring and re-hiring is not something I am keen on doing in such matters, from which confusion easily follows. A hundred aspen trees to restore a burnt farm - I understand this, and I agree to this. Yes, it seems that the trouble is not very great, because the farm was insured. You can try it on the spot, explain to me about what I don’t understand. I don't know if I'll understand. We already have enough to do and people to do. There is something to watch and something to take care of. May God help you to maintain and improve what you have already worked hard on. We need to take care of you too; and not all impose burdens beyond burdens. June 12th. Later another letter. At the Lavra you told me that the Voronezh host wants help for his business. You offered to give him 10 rubles, and I said 20. Now he came to me, and when asked if he had received anything from me at the Lavra, he answered - no. Did he forget, or did you forget to order the treasurer? Peace be with you, oh. the governor, and the brethren of the monasteries. If the intention of Alexei Ivanovich has already in some way received the blessing of St. Sergius: who would I still think about this, or show another path to a pious desire? May the Lord accept the sacrifice of his servant; and may our Reverend Father Sergius take Alexei Ivanovich and his sons under his protection, and may he guide them to the salvation of their souls. I remember the image of the Lord Almighty above the Royal Doors, and it’s good to see it open here. I don’t know if the salary will be that good. However, I don’t want to denounce David Ivanovich’s wishes either. May his sacrifice be pleasing to the Lord, and may he who sacrifices be a blessing to salvation. You rightly note that it is not without doubt to offer another way to the inspired zeal of the investor, so as not to cool the zeal. One thing may be more useful than another; and it is good if someone, instead of what he wants, accepts the best offered, with conviction and obedience: the fruit is aggravated. But if this is difficult to achieve, it is good when a person does even less good, according to his own understanding, with living zeal and love for God. It is good for the soul: and this is what God wants. About the gardener, it is unpleasant for me to refuse you for the third time: but I cannot overcome my previous thoughts, especially looking at this time, which I see not as a time of abundance and peace, but as a time of repentance and sorrow. If it pleases the Reverend to condescend to our childish consolation: there will be a way so that the garden business does not go bankrupt. Don’t be angry with me because I only know how to hinder you and not help you. Count Dmitry Nikolaevich 118 told me whether I should invite you and the rector of the Academy to the funeral: I said that now both of you have a lot to do at the place, and that you will pray for the deceased there. I hope you both don't mind this. There is a test at the Academy on the 27th, and therefore we have lunch. Listen, oh. governor, legend and request. The Butyrsky regiment is the oldest among the regiments in Russia; because it was founded by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. His regimental icon was the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Later, one of the regiment commanders changed it: the current commander, Colonel Dmitry Petrovich Fedorov, wants to restore it, and asks me for this image, wanting it to be painted in the ancient style. I prepared a cypress deck for this. Now, either undertake to paint this icon in the Lavra in ancient writing, or give me advice on whom to entrust. It would, of course, be better to receive the icon from the elected governor St. Sergius. Send me advice, or have me send you a deck. My treatment is in conflict with the service, and the service is in conflict with the treatment. On the third day, I performed the service at the funeral of Countess Sheremeteva with difficulty. That’s why yesterday I ran away to the Perervinsky Monastery, where I am somewhat freer, and from there I am writing this. Congratulations, oh. Viceroy, Happy Angel's Day. May the prayers of St. Anthony of Pechersk help you in the community to acquire the spiritual fruits that others seek in hermit and cave life. May the Lord keep you in peace and strength of mental and physical strength, to continue serving the monasteries of St. Sergius, for which they are grateful to you, and which they still desire. Blessing and gratitude to the brethren, who contributed to the peace of my stay in the Lavra and in the monastery. We consecrated the church, by the goodness of God, in peace; and I can see the way to Moscow. In Bratovshchina. July 10th 1849. On the day of St. Vladimir Equal to the Apostles, I convey to you, Fr. the governor, the insignia of his order, and a letter classifying you as a member of this order; and I congratulate you on this sign of the High Monarch’s mercy. The reward of your service is with the Lord: and let it be many and perfect. But since the Apostolic word commands to grant the special honors that belong to goodness; and the state has its own legalized expressions of honor: then I am consoled that in this field I could show you justice with a good testimony, and acquire the highest good testimony. May Saint Vladimir be your patron in serving the spread and establishment of active Christian piety, in the circle of activity determined for you by God’s providence. I always lovingly invoke God's blessing upon you. Did you receive my letter dated 10 days from Bratovshchina? At the skete I received a letter from Alexei Ivanovich informing me that he was sending a master for the work he was undertaking in the Trinity Cathedral. I kept wanting to ask you about the master, and forgot. Now Alexey Ivanovich told me that the master was with you during my time, and agreed with you in the matter, why my consent is required to start the business. I agreed so as not to embarrass the benefactor: but it’s a pity that you didn’t show me the master on the spot, and didn’t tell me what form the matter should take. By the way, the question that Alexey Ivanovich now proposed to me should have been resolved on the spot: what to do with icons that are bent and do not fit tightly with the edges to the frame? Is it possible to straighten them out? I replied that I did not consider it possible to straighten the ancient soundboards: it was necessary either to leave them somewhat recessed from the frame and not adjacent to it, or to apply the frame to them. To this last point, he objected that this would damage the appearance of the iconostasis. Tell me what you think about it; and let me know if the master had a drawing that you approved, or just verbally agreed with him 119 . Pavel Ozerov lived in the Lavra, taught at the school, and left. Tell me why this is and what to think about it? He wants to go to the Altai mission: can this be facilitated with hope? A deacon is assigned to the monastery: but I didn’t notice him there. It would be a good idea for you to teach me to recognize people on the spot. Today I felt a little ill, and appointed 120 to the priesthood tomorrow, and in the evening he fell ill. I don't know if I can pull myself together. Pray for us. Your thought about priests for those who are alien to the church occupies me; and I regret that it was not conveyed in words on the spot. Do you think that it is possible to give on the terms on which they are supposed to take? How can this be reconciled with the church rules? How can you give when you are sure that they are taking it not to bring you closer to the church, but in order to strengthen your alienation from it? Show me, if you can imagine, a way to turn the stubborn path into the right one. I have no need to remind you of the reception of the Right Reverend Eusebius. You will receive him as a guest of the Lavra, as well as the academy. How soon will Fr. return? rector: tell him that I am waiting for him in Moscow to present him with the award, and also Fr. Archpriests Theodore and Peter. It would be better to replace Charlampius with a monk than with a novice. Or it is advisable that Harlampius visit the place of his ministry more often until the novice reaches at least the ryassophore. It's comforting to hear about Fr. Matthew. May the Lord establish him on the good path he has found. How the architect signed the drawing of the Deulin Church: then tell them to send it to me when I ask. From the Lord peace and salvation to you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren. Calling upon you and the brethren from the Lord for what you require, forgiveness and blessing, I ask you to forgive my unworthiness. I wish you to celebrate the holiday joyfully. Could you send me the icon painter Malyshev for two days? I still need to paint the icon with care. Tell me whether it is possible, and soon, or not soon. God's blessing to you, Fr. governor, and all the brethren. Gratitude to you and the brethren who co-celebrated. Yesterday, partly in light rain, partly without rain, my journey was completed safely: but today my throat and ear hurt. And I fell seriously ill, on the night of Wednesday to Thursday with a pain in the stomach, and on Thursday evening with a fever. The illness began a few hours after the death of my long-term doctor Grigory Yakovlevich Vysotsky: and I was perplexed about which doctor to turn to. However, yesterday the pain went away and the fever did not return. I seem to be recovering: I don’t know what this evening will show. It seems that it is not a bad sign that my taste and appetite are in a natural state. Princess Anastasia Mikhailovna, 121, returning from the Lavra, came to my church for the all-night vigil and, at the end of it, came to me, carrying in her hands a not light ark with the robe of the Lord. And this is after the adventure with her, which she told about, and which you described 122. Amazing mercy of God. The princess visited me again later, and did not complain about her health: but now I hear that she is better, however, she does not go to church yet. You are giving me a difficult assignment to her. It is always difficult for me to ask for anything from anyone: and especially to ask for such a treasure as you write about, although it is true that it requires a worthy and sacred treasury. But I also doubt that I will refuse your order. Call upon me a good thought and God’s help, through the intercession of St. Sergius. They sent me an icon of the Mother of God, copied in a small form from the mosaic icon of the Kyiv St. Sophia Cathedral. I am sending her to the monastery. Perhaps it would not be superfluous for our icon painters to look at this very ancient likeness of the image. Order to carefully select the potatoes collected between the damaged ones, and observe them afterwards to see if the infection penetrates into the storage. Are you convinced that this is a known disease in Europe? They write from Livonia that the potato fields there turn black and emit a foul smell: have you noticed this? If this is a known disease, then it is not safe to sow for next summer. May the Lord be merciful to the poor for the sake of His people. Malyshev returned to you to finish the list with the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God. I expressed to him a desire to have another list, and gave him the board. If this happens: complete it by making a small silver frame around the edges, but do not cover the back side of the deck with anything. Do this on my behalf. Before sending them to me, consecrate the icons and place them on the relics of St. Sergius. The remnants of the illness, thank God, did not prevent me from celebrating this day as usual. Sorry for not writing for a long time. There are many services: and for them I need to guard against fatigue with other activities. In the eight days that ended with yesterday, I served six times, including three times to renovate churches. I agreed to cut out the verses under the image of the vision of the Mother of God, and told Abel about it. O. Khariton I wish saving silence. To fulfill your instructions, from day to day I was looking for time to go to Prince Sergius Mikhailovich. On the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the festive home church of his in the city, I sent in the morning to find out whether he or the princess would be there. They said they won't. But that same day, after dinner, the princess came to me: and I asked her about the robe of the Lord. This was unexpected for her, and it seemed that she was at a loss: but she said and repeated that this treasure, of which she was the keeper, should belong to her nephew. I did not dare to insist on the request: but I do not consider the matter finished. I hope to speak more freely with the prince: but I have not yet found time to see him in freedom. Now I thought that I would go to him on Friday: but the sacellar came and said that on Friday there should be a memorial service for the Grand Duke, as on the twentieth day from his death. The Khotkovo abbess very loudly proclaims her sadness about the order that we maintain order in the gospel. She herself tells me that she told the Berlyuk abbot about this, and that he acquitted her, and that everyone acquits her, that is, everyone, according to her suggestion, blames the authorities. I answered her that when Berlyuk’s abbot becomes a Moscow bishop, then let him make the order that she and he wish. It seems the abbess has not shown you the resolution she is complaining about. I'll attach a list from her. You will see that I wanted to end the matter in words, but the abbess did not obey this, and that she was entrusted with reporting about the possible disorder no less than the archpriest. If the archpriest threatens her with denunciation, she can also threaten him. What do you write about the procedure for starting services in a monastery: this is very good, and who is stopping this? - Ask the abbess for a note with my resolution, and you will see. Where the authority of the abbess is violated, there it is maintained. In the Conception Monastery, the priests randomly began the service: I ordered the abbess to take the keys to the bell tower. Again there was confusion, which the priest explained by the difference in the readings of the watches: I told the cleric to go to the abbess in order to find out the time of the gospel by her watch. In Khotkovo it was the opposite: the clerk followed the abbess wherever she went to ask for a blessing for the gospel, and as a result it happened that the time for Vespers was missed, and she was sent without the gospel. There is no need to enslave the church order to the arbitrariness of the abbess. Potatoes separated from the diseased ones, I think, should be placed completely separately from those purchased from a field free from the disease. Why did you buy so much more potatoes now than you received from your harvest last year? - You will answer this someday, maybe when we see each other, if the Lord wills. I don't know, oh. Viceroy, why didn’t you receive the decree and manifesto on the death and commemoration of Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich. My office says that it was sent on the day of receipt of my resolution, on the 6th of this month. I am sending a printed copy. Read and pray. It is not my destiny to go to Prince Sergius Mikhailovich on a subject known to you. I wanted to tomorrow after the memorial, although it is difficult to go far out of town after being tired; but now, after the rain that happened during the day, there is wind and snow, and therefore tomorrow we cannot expect either good air or a good road. My teeth have been gradually hurting for a long time: and if you irritate them, they can also interfere with the path to the Lavra. Peace be with you. I ask for prayers for my weakness. In the name of the Lord, blessing and peace to you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren. Having received your letter from yesterday, I hasten to answer: God will bless Moscow and Odigitrievo; and to your humility we ask for mercy. Prostrate yourself for me at the feet of St. Sergius. Although I am not worthy: however, I must admit that the matter, which has worried me a lot 123, is not completely devoid of patronage. Although the opinion did not reach general agreement: but even then there was more expectation that most of those participating in the judgment wavered in the opposite opinion, and more or less recognized the justice of what was proposed now, after previously everyone was united in the opposite opinion. I doubt the approval of novice V. Why has he not been tonsured for so long? Why was he removed from the bishop's house? – I wish I had answers to these questions. I'm sending you a tip about potatoes. But I doubt whether it is convenient for large sowings. I am glad to receive O. Joseph. But it seems he brought two orphans here. What will be done with them? Sorry I haven't written for a long time. And now let me go to the petitioners. This note will be brought to you by Fr. the governor, a humble old woman who has a cold and swelling in her limbs. Give her spiritual advice to endure what comes her way (for which, however, she has a disposition), and, if possible, medical advice: for, she says, the pain is very great. Peace and salvation to you and your brothers. In the certificate about the Makhrishchi monk Vassian there is testimony that, if true, would suggest that he was tonsured before 30 years of age, and without having completed a three-year ordeal, and I should not think about consecrating him, but about investigating illegalities. Therefore, I am returning the case to you for review. Sorry for not writing for a long time. Thank you for the edifying message about the death of Priest Andrei 124. I am sending you money, I don’t know how much, assigned to the monastery for the commemoration of Demetrius. They are also sending you for the monastery, some things for the church, and table linen. Sent by Princess Daria Dmitrievna Volkonskaya. Let them pray for her. Watch the potatoes in the cellars. In many places in Moscow it deteriorated a few weeks after it was placed. Only those born near the Perervinsky monastery remain unharmed. Be aware, oh. the governor, that the idea of ​​the head of the monastery is permitted immediately upon receipt; a Svyatoslavsky says that it was sent to you last Friday. I haven't seen Philip yet. I asked you for enamel icons. I need them. If you haven’t gotten it from Rostov yet: send me several icons of the Savior, the Mother of God and St. Sergius from the Lavra reserve. When entering the field of fasting, bless and forgive. Congratulations, oh. Viceroy, happy feast of St. Nikon. During the all-night vigil, I remembered what I heard that day in the Lavra. But now I am at home not without difficulty: the cold does not leave me even when I am sitting in my cell. I didn’t really like the drawing of the bell tower, especially the lower part, which is somehow not connected with the upper one. In the picture in which the bell tower is connected to the church, the bell tower seems better. How we build a bell tower for a clock: something for which there is not a closed place for them, but they will, as you can guess from the drawing, hang openly above the bells. Snow will fly into the wheels, and a strong wind will interfere with the correct movement. However, if you don’t think that this last objection is strong, then I don’t argue. It is unpleasant that the monastery will again experience the inevitable untidiness from stone work. Isn’t it possible to start the business earlier in the spring and finish it sooner? I am glad that the bell tower will be wooden. It will be built sooner, and there will be less untidiness during work. I am not yet looking for the manuscripts of Isaac the Syrian. Wasn't it given to Fr. rector? But I'll look again. Be patient. I don’t know how to get out of things, especially those given from St. Petersburg, and if I hesitate, they force me. In the name of the Lord, blessings to you, Fr. the governor, and the brethren. The Right Reverend Joseph, now Bishop of Orenburg, travels to the Lavra 125. Receive him and treat him on behalf of the abbot, and give him a farewell message. On the 1st day of December, distribute from me to the ministers and others as before. I don’t remember what was previously assigned: but if you make me more generous than I am, it won’t be bad. I sincerely thank you, Fr. Viceroy, you and the brethren, for the prayers interceding for me on the day of my angel, and for the blessing of our Reverend Father Sergius, which you asked for me, and was given as a sign of His holy image. Do not leave me to strengthen me with your prayers, when my strength becomes weak. I lovingly invoke God’s blessing on you and all of us. A cold, not very severe, however, keeps me in my cell, and I still don’t see the time to leave, while for the 6th day there is a not easy 126 service ahead - the consecration of the church in the newly opened cadet corps, which I must attend by the will of the Sovereign Heir Tsarevich. His Eminence Joseph asks that the Ufa hieromonk Varlaam, who wishes to come to him, be returned to him from the Lavra. Let's not argue. The Reverend needs a man. Don't you have a translation of John Climacus? God gave Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna a son, and he was named Sergius. Obviously, this is the effect of her special zeal for St. Sergius. I would like to send her an icon of St. Sergius for her newborn. And it would be better to do this soon rather than slowly. Is there a suitable ready-made icon for this? and, if there is one, do not hesitate to send it to me. Today I receive a summons for 3,000 rubles. from the post office: this is probably a gift from the Grand Duchess. I wanted to be angry with Archimandrite Andronevsky, and I asked him if it was true that he wanted to lure one of the hieromonks of the Lavra? but he answered: no. And he added that he was offered a hieromonk from Bethany, whom he designated by the name of the nation. I answered that nationality did not prevent this hieromonk from being a kind person. Then the archimandrite said that he was thinking of asking Hieromonk Veniamin from me from the courtyard. I will not argue against this if the hieromonk wants. However, I thought of using this hieromonk, who lives honestly, according to the Lavra, and to educate him more. Do not sadden me with thoughts of your departure, and do not deprive me of hope that you will see me off, and not I you. Another time today I write to you, Fr. viceroy They brought air for the monastery, and a silver ruble for candles. I am sending. Today, after the all-night vigil, Deacon Dimitri told me that it was on his conscience that he forgot to tell me precisely: that the late Countess Sheremeteva expressed a desire that the bishop’s vestments given to the Lavra should not remain there, both almost unused, but that at least one would be taken to Moscow for use. To this I replied that they had already told me this before. I am retelling this, not demanding vestments, but presenting to you a sign that the deacon is telling the truth, which you previously expressed distrust. May the joy of the feast of the Nativity of Christ flow into you with grace, and I wish you and the brethren to enjoy it fruitfully with love. The girl who brought the air was Olga, the daughter of a titular councilor. The name reminded me of the desire and instruction of the niece of the late Ekaterina Vladimirovna, Olga Ivanovna Davidova. She wishes to receive the image of the vision of the Mother of God to St. Sergius, from his relics, painted in the ancient style of icon painting. According to her faith, it is desirable for the Reverend to fulfill this. Thank you, oh. Viceroy, for icons. Only you didn’t say whether you approved of my idea. Let me keep the rest in case of need. Celebrate with joy, and let nothing disturb it, and let no one take it away. Thank you for your good wish. You kindly call my days useful: but I am afraid that they will not be fruitless, and that their multiplication, granted by God’s long-suffering, will not increase my irresponsibility. Pray for me, so that I will not be unruly, imagining to rule others. Has Philip returned? They told me that people were gathering around him, and that even he was detained. I don’t know where to look for him. If he hasn’t returned, can you tell me where to look for him? Much peace to you and the brethren of the monasteries. Thank you, oh. Viceroy, that you glorified Christ with me in a pleasant and edifying manner. I’m only afraid that I’m not worthy to approach Him either with the wise men or with the shepherds. Make my way to Him easier with your prayers. I kiss you and all of you in the Lord. May the Lord bless you as you enter a new summer. Let us pray that the summers that we see below will not multiply, and that our sins will not prevent the future summer from being a pleasant summer. God bless the headmistress of the Smolny Monastery and the children there. It would be nice to send her the image with my letter. Would you like to send me her letter so that I can send you my letter to her? She told me about the work that has now been sent. It was with pleasure and gratitude that I read your news about the school, artistic and craft tests. Both Lavra and the poor people should be grateful to you. There is only one thing left to ask of you: train someone so that in the future he can take good care of these institutions and support them. I thought about the case of the ryassophore novice M. When he was in the Lavra, he wavered in his thoughts more than once, and could not resist, and left the Lavra. Do you think that you can accept it and not repent afterwards? God sent me an unexpected temptation. On behalf of the S. Synod, a committee was formed to consider the position of the Irmos for four votes by the director of the Imperial Singing Chapel. The committee responded that not everyone was happy with the practice. S. The Synod allowed the director’s notes (as he says) to be used: and I passed on the local comments to him, I don’t know for what. He came with displeasure and objections to the committee, and by the way stood up for the allegedly illegal singing of my singers in the university church on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, who did not sing there at all. Are there irmos of a new court position in the Lavra? Did you sing them? And how do they find it, are they quite similar to everyday life or not quite similar? I would like to know this. Another time I ask: has Philip returned? I don’t hear about him here these days. Here it is necessary to note that the characteristics we present relate exclusively to the time of M. Philaret, as drawn from his letters. Not to us, but to the biographer Fr. Anthony should receive an impartial and complete assessment of his always useful activities. What personality is about. Antonia conveyed the particularly important significance of the title of governor of the Lavra - this is certain. Before him, people were appointed to this position from among the hieromonks, and even - like himself - from very insignificant monasteries. Without the public authority he deserved, the appointment of the current Fr. a viceroy would be unthinkable. This is the same Stefan Smirnov, whom Sushkov calls “one of Shishkov’s restless minions” (Notes on the life and times of St. Phil., p. 145), and, moreover, precisely in the matter of attacks on Metropolitan. Philareta. This is probably the same note that is mentioned in the letter following this one, and a copy of which is attached to that letter. Look at the preface to the edition of the Slavic Bible of 1756. In the same preface you can see an example of this. Book Pr. Ezekiel ch. XLI, art. 8. The Holy Synod, in the Slavonic translation, corrected it not according to the Greek, but to the Hebrew text: and I saw the height of the church. In justification of this correction it is said: “This saying Frael has been left in all Greek compositions (texts), taken as a proper name, and it is not known what it means; but it is made from the Hebrew verb raa, which is here in the first person, and means - vidih. This is probably a typo, albeit a thorough and seemingly modern list, and should read: not obscure. Later, Leonid became Archbishop of Yaroslavl. Without a doubt, the one on which Metropolitan Philaret’s comments were published in the 5th book of readings in Moscow. Society for Lovers of Spiritual Enlightenment, 1868, pp. 150–167. Probably those printed in the book “Monastic Letters”, pp. 33–42. Rev. Vitaly. He died at the beginning of 1846. He was a vicar from 1837 on June 27. Published in the book “Monastic Letters”, pp. 50–53. Subsequently, Archbishop. Voronezh; Since 1846, November 14, he was retired. That is, Metropolitan Seraphim of Novgorod, deceased. 1843 Jan 17. The visits he made to Metropolitan Philaret, described here, were noticed in modern society, and, perhaps, by police surveillance. In one “old notebook”, excerpts from which are published in the “Russian Archive”, it is said that when the secret police were “instructed to supervise and monitor Turgenev in Moscow “and daily deliver a report on his exits and actions,” then in these reports “the names of ..... and Metropolitan Philaret were most often found”; and to a general remark was added to this story: “he (Turgenev) was in close relations with the latter both due to sympathy and respect for him, as well as due to his previous service under Prince A. N. Golitsyn,” and in confirmation of this, a modern couplet, apparently circulating in Moscow, was cited, in accordance with this remark, characterizing Turgenev’s stay in Moscow. For accuracy, however, I should add that to everything this story is preceded by a remark from which one can draw the conclusion that what is being told took place “30 or 31 years ago” (R. Archive for 1873, book I, pp. 61 and 62). Newly appointed (1858 January 17th) from the Archbishops of Warsaw Anthony. This reasoning, without a doubt, relates to any new reports about the apparitions of the “departed brother Joel,” the legend of which is mentioned in letter 350. Published in the book: “Monastic Letters”, pp. 54–58. About this trip to Kolomna, in a memorial book found after Metropolitan Philaret at 1 o'clock in November, there was the following entry: "1843. Last Monday we traveled to Kolomna for about 12 hours, and now a little more. The journey began with sadness, ended with consolation and blessing. Lord preserve what was given." The circumstances of this case are partly explained in the book “Letters of Metropolitan of Moscow F. to A.N.M.” Kyiv. Page 129. The “if” was probably omitted accidentally when moving the letter from one page to another Without a doubt, the resident of the Preobrazhenskaya Hospital, known throughout Moscow at that time, was known as a seer. Published in the book “Monastic Letters”, pp. 38–61. Famous mayor of Moscow. The year is not indicated, but the letter bears a mark from the hand of the Father Superior: 1844. Famous Altai missionary. Behind the Yauzsky Bridge, now - Spiridonovsky Archpriest N. Lavrov, even at the time when this letter was written, was a former employee of the Altai mission. Valmont, which is mentioned in the previous letter. Metropolitan of Moscow, patron of Metropolitan. Philaret in his youth, and the holy archimandrite of the Trinity Lavra for 46 years from 1766 until his death on November 11, 1812. Metropolitan of Novgorod, patron of Metropolitan Philaret in St. Petersburg, ordained him to the rank of bishop, deceased. 1818 May 21. Metropolitan. Filaret revered him as his benefactor until the end of his life. Metropolitan of Novgorod, Metropolitan. Ambrose, who had the Rev. Philaret as his vicar, who was also among those who ordained Philaret to the rank of bishop, died. 1821 March 24. Famous Theophylact Rusanov since 1819 February 1, – Metropolitan of Kartalin, deceased. July 19, 1821, during the service of Rev. Philaret at the St. Petersburg Academy was unfavorable to him. Metropolitan of Kyiv, deceased. February 23, 1837, as you know, was not very friendly towards Metropolitan. Philaret. Metropolitan of Novgorod, who was one of the ordainers of Metropolitan. Philaret to the rank of bishop, his predecessor in the management of the Moscow Metropolitanate, as well as in the priesthood of the archimandrite in the Lavra, died on January 17, 1843. Archbishop of Moscow and Archimandrite. Holy Trinity Lavra, deceased. March 3, 1819, of which Metropolitan. Filaret, he honored as his teacher, since Augustine was the rector of the Trinity Seminary when Metropolitan entered it to study. Filaret. Yaroslavsky, deceased. 1824. May 27, who was for some time the governor of the Lavra, and then the first rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, he was tonsured into monasticism by Metropolitan. Philareta. Ryazansky, who was the prefect of the Trinity Seminary at the end of the course of teaching of Metropolitan. Philaret, as well as his predecessor in rectorship at the St. Petersburg Academy, and rector, under which the Reverend. Filaret joined the service at this academy; passed away 1824 August 18. Kamenets-Podolsky; student of Metropolitan Philaret at the St. Petersburg Academy, rector of the Moscow Theological Academy from 1819 to 1821, then the first of the vicars of Metropolitan. Philaret, recommended by himself; died 1841 March 28. Probably Astrakhan deceased. 1841 December 4; According to his recollections, he was a visitor to the Lavra while he was Bishop of Vologda (1824 - 1841). Tobolsk; student of Metropolitan Philaret at the St. Petersburg Academy, after completing a course there in 1814, he was its inspector for a year and a half under rector Philaret; passed away 1842 September 21. Kostroma; was a colleague of Philaret as a teacher and then prefect of the Trinity Seminary; from 1810 to 1814 he was the governor of the Lavra, deceased. 1831 April 16. Probably Penza; a former colleague of Philaret, first at Trinity Seminary, and then at the St. Petersburg Academy, very close to him, especially in St. Petersburg; passed away 1819 October 10. Orenburgsky, deceased retired in Rostov on January 1, 1842. Old-timers have preserved stories about some of the experiences of his foresight. Justin, master 1st degree. Kyiv. academician, 1845 Aug. 11, from the bishops of Revel, appointed by Kostroma. The deceased in the rank of archbishop. Yaroslavsky, and at that time Professor Vif. Semin., not long before he was tonsured. Vysotsky, a well-known doctor in Moscow, who was the permanent doctor of M. Filaret. Anna Alekseevna Orlova-Chesmenskaya. Slich. above letters 495, 496, 498. Printed in the complete edition of Words and Speeches (Moscow, 1848), under the title “A word for the consecration of the church of the Most Holy Theotokos, in honor of her Jerusalem icon, in the city of Bronnitsy, February 3, 1848.” At the beginning of the word, the preacher, among other things, says: “I want to do what I can; talk with you, if not personally, then at least through other lips” (part 2, p. 110). Former bishop Perm, 1828 Apr. 21 were retired and assigned to live in Moscow for religious services and religious processions. The news of his death is in a letter to A.N.M., dated April 25. Same year. Former bishop Tomsk, from 1841 June 10th member of Moscow. Synod. office, at that time abbot of the Resurrection, called New Jerusalem, monastery. The archbishop of Kherson was at that time. Gabriel, from March 1848 Tverskoy, who died in retirement on September 1858 8. So in the original, based on the circumstances of the time, of course, it should read: Countess Anna Orlova. This year, Vladyka left the Lavra for Moscow after the Day of the Holy Trinity on June 22, as he himself writes in a letter to A.H.M. dated July 3 of the same year. Olga Nikolaevna, now Queen of Wirtemberg. M. F. in a letter from the Lavra to A. N. M., dated July 3 of this year, wrote: “I am leaving for Moscow on the 6th day to celebrate the wedding of the Grand Duchess.” This is probably what he did, because the Sunday closest to this day this year fell on July 7th. Of course, June; June 15th fell on a Saturday this year. The news that this Right Reverend is “visiting” M.F. and “has plenty” of his “time” is found in F.’s letter to A.N.M., dated. July 23, 1846. The note to this letter contains some biographical information about Rev. Agafangele. (Letters from the Metropolitan of Moscow. Faculty to A. N. M. Kiev, 1869, p. 205). The last line is written after. From the students of Moscow. D. ac. Iliodor, from 1832 March 13 Kursk; from 1844 March 24 - archbishop. In the publication of words and speeches by M. Philaret (Moscow, 1848, part 2, p. 394) there is “the speech of the Pious. I. Imp. Nick. Pavel. before the entry of E.I.V. with the Sovereign Nasl. Tsesar., V.K. Alex. Nick. in Usp. cathedral Sep. 30 days, 1846." Dec. 9; on this day, as on the day of the Sovereign’s name day, Bishop Philaret spoke a word; this word was printed in the complete collection of his words and speeches (1861, part 3, p. 317) without indicating when it was spoken, but was originally published in Add. to ed. Creation St. O. in the river translation V, 168 with the meaning that it was said on this particular day; 9 Dec. In 1846 it was on a Monday. This rule, by the way, stipulates: “if anyone among those listed in the clergy is seen to be demanding any kind of retribution from the one to whom he gives the most pure communion: let him be expelled.” The story of his death is published in the book: “Monastic Letters,” pp. 72–75. In the original it is 1846, but this is an obvious typo, because this letter mentions the celebration of the seven hundredth anniversary of Moscow, which took place in 1847. And due to other circumstances mentioned in the letter, it should take exactly the place in the series of these letters that is given to it here. There is another typo in the original – 1846. Eusebius, now Archbishop of Mogilev since August 29. 1860. Bishop of Vinnitsa and rector of the St. Petersburg D. Academy, January 1847. 18 appointed to be the Bishop of Saratov; he was one of the prominent figures in the disaster that befell M. Philaret in 1842, and was known as the right hand of the gr. Protasova. The abbot of the Rostov Yakovlevsky Monastery, who enjoyed general respect for his spiritual life. We are talking, of course, about “The Homily in Memory of Saint and Wonderworker Alexy, on Wednesday of the second week of Lent, February 12, 1847, spoken in the cathedral church of the Miracle Monastery,” which was first published in the addendum. to ed. Creation St. O., in Russian. translation for 1847 pp. 18–29. It is curious that when comparing this printed word with a handwritten autograph, it turns out that there is only, one might say, one amendment, namely: in the press, the period of St. Alexius's tenure as head of the church court under Metropolitan Theognostus, according to the manuscript shown at twenty years, is reduced to twelve. Slich. letter 564. As for the bewilderment expressed in the letter: “wouldn’t it be better not to tease some people with what is said here (in the Word),” then this bewilderment could, of course, relate to what was said in the word for the teaching of “certain children of the boyars,” as well as as a denunciation of those seeking “under the name of asceticism only for a calm and prosperous life,” but primarily related to the denunciations contained in the word against “the predominance of entertainment on the eve of Lent”, at Maslenitsa and against concerts and so-called live paintings during Lent. A. Alexia, now Archbishop of Tver. passed away in the rank of archbishop. Volynsky in 1876. With his report, he gave rise in 1842 to the initiation of prosecution against the translations of the Holy Scriptures. into Russian and subsequently to the removal of M. Philaret from presence in the Holy Synod. The word “so” is probably omitted here when transferring a letter from one page to another. Protasov, Chief Prosecutor of the S. Synod. A brief description of this path can be found in the letters of M. Philaret to A. N. M......, p. 245. Brianchaninov, who was subsequently from November 13. 1857 but 5 Aug. 1861 bishop of the Caucasus, and died in retirement in the Nikolo-Babaevsky monastery. 1867 Apr. 30. About this icon, Metropolitan Philaret wrote in a letter to A.N.M. himself dated July 28, 1847: “I received a Greek-Georgian icon from I.A. If you want her to be in the monastery, then it will be according to your will. It’s a pity that I can’t accurately determine its antiquity. If she is two hundred years old, then she is important because of her blessing hand.” Printed in add. to Creation St. O. in Russian translation Part II, 1844, pp. 16–24. It was also published in an addendum to the edition of Creation. St. O. in Russian translation for 1847, pp. 373–378. Taking into account what is said about the doubt expressed in the word “about the merits of entertainments established for charitable purposes,” as well as what is said in the letter that follows this in reflection of the comments made, of course, about the same word, we can assume that this word is one and the same with the one that was subsequently published under the title “conversations about mercy for the poor” from text: Luke 16, 9. See “Words and Speeches” F. M. M. Collection 2nd, Part 3, pp. 362–366. Zernikina. See letter to A.N. Muravyov, dated January 15 of the same year. This is how the name of this “servant of God” is constantly written in authentic letters. Starting from this word until the end of the section, it is written after in the margin of the page. Gabriel, moved from Odessa to Tver on March 1848. Shcherbatov, Governor General of Moscow. Zakrensky, General to the Governor of Moscow. Anthony, who became seriously ill. Nikanor; really became Novgorod on November 4, 1848. “With the leaders of the places blessed by the deceased, on the ninth day after her death,” as the Saint wrote to A.N. Muravyov in a letter dated October 25, 1848. In the schema, before the adoption of the schema of Macarius, about whom see letter 659. Published in the book: “Monastic Letters”, pp. 83–86. Information about this assignment can be found in the book: “Letters of Met. Moscow F. to A. N. M. Kyiv. 1869, pp. 290, 291. Comparison. above letter 666. Novogorodsky. passed away November 16, 1848. In fact, the first of these assumptions was justified, and not the last: about this letter the Rev. Eugene responded like this: "He willingly accepts the most touching answer, but begs him not to give it. But it’s already been sent, it’s too late to stop." Moscow synodal office, Mikhailov, see letters from Metropolitan. Mosk F. to A. N. M... . Kyiv. 1869. Page 292. Published in the book: “Monastic Letters”, pp. 87–93. We are, without a doubt, talking about Elder Hilarion, known as Troekurovsky. Several memoirs about him were published in the Wanderer, July 1862. The letter also preserved a special list from the list, as stated in the title, which is attached. In the collection: “Words and Speeches of F. M. M.”, part 3, pp. 375–377, the speech delivered during the described incident, April 9, 1849, is printed. This letter is in the original without a signature. Word omitted: Vicar. Slich. Letters of Met. Moscow F. to A. N. M.... Kyiv. 1869, p. 306. This description is published in the book: “Monastic Letters,” pp. 93–96. We are talking, in all likelihood, about the opinion of St. Philaret, “regarding the proposal to give schismatics priests independent of the Orthodox hierarchy." This opinion was published in the Soulful Reading for 1868 (Part 3, pp. 87-110) with a not entirely definite meaning: “written in 1849.” Without a doubt, the letter printed here also relates to this matter 705. Published in the book: “Monastic Letters”, pp. 97–100. From November 20, 1849; hitherto was Dmitrov's. This day indeed “was a lot of difficulty” for the saint, as he himself describes in a letter to Archbishop Gabriel of Ryazan dated Gen. 1, 1850; - published in the Soulful Reading, 1868, part 3, page 363.