Judgment lists of Maxim the Greek and Isak Dog

This edition includes the third part of the correspondence of St. Philaret of Moscow (Drozdov) with Archimandrite Anthony, abbot of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, covering the period from 1850 to 1856 (408 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. - pastoral care for the health and mental state of Archimandrite Anthony, advice on treatment, change of environment, peace; - monastery management and economic issues: ordinations, appointments, caring for the brethren, conflict resolution, construction, repairs, treasury management, purchasing land, reporting; - liturgical practice: consecration of churches, arrangement of services, requirements for splendor, order of celebration; - relationships with the laity and the authorities: receptions of distinguished guests, participation in secular and church celebrations, correspondence with representatives of the imperial family; - spiritual instructions: requests for prayers, reflections on humility, patience, monastic duty; - participation in the affairs of the diocese and the Holy Synod: consideration of complaints, approval of decisions, coordination of church life; - preservation of church heritage: description of relics, care of ancient books, icons, manuscripts, organization of the library and sacristy. 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They demonstrate a combination of rigor and fatherly love, deep faith and practical wisdom, which makes them not only a historical document, but also edifying reading for modern Christians. 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Through the prayers of our Venerable Father Sergius, may the Lord send you healing invisibly, or may he show you a visible remedy that is valid for healing. I am ignorant in this matter: but from the desire to help you, I want to talk about it. The circumstance that the pain intensifies when the thought is intensified seems to show that the problem is in the nerves. Therefore, we need peace both from external movement and from thought, quiet and even air, in the depths of the room, away from windows and doors, and the warmth of the feet, acquired not only by shoes, but especially by their calm horizontal position. The head must be given the position it best desires. Lying with the sore side up is sometimes worse because the air acts on it and increases irritation. However, I understand this as a patient, and not as a doctor. May the physician of souls and bodies visit you with his mercy, and may he grant peace to your soul and body. I don’t write anymore now: because now is not the time for you to read much if relief has not yet come. Good luck to the Father Viceroy. This evening I was consoled by Mr. Gorsky with the news that you have received relief. Don’t rush to go out into the air, and when you start going out, get used to it gradually. When my head is weak after a cold and I need to go into the cold: I wet it with Cologne water; and it seems to me that this protects. But I am not giving you a medical prescription, but I would only like to give you one. I am not advised to go to the water on the day of Epiphany, and I do not advise you. And I think that it is more excusable for me not to obey than for you. From the Lord, blessings to you, Father Viceroy, and peace and health. I would not have disturbed your humble thought with an argument if it were not for the need to beware of my pride, lest it take credit for something that does not belong to itself. Do not ask whether you will have time to deserve the participation that is due to you. You have long deserved the gratitude of the Lavra and my humility: and my concern for you is not a special virtue, but a natural duty of heart. Caring for you should leave me when the reason for it ceases. The abbess says that Doctor Inozemtsev says almost the same thing that I wrote to you, namely, that you need to be in warm, calm air until the illness completely passes, and that this is necessary for a completely reliable recovery, and safe from the return of the disease. I think that according to this advice, you need to go to my cells, order the house church to be heated, and organize daily services in it, as with me. Then, without changing the air, you can listen to church services from your cell, comfortably partake of the Holy Mysteries whenever you wish, and perform the Liturgy, if it is warm enough in the church. Only it is necessary, I think, to block the window in the altar, on the side of the sore ear. I urgently ask you to inform your local doctors of this, and, if they approve, to carry it out. Kingdom of heaven to David Ivanovich. I feel sorry for him. I don’t think of sending Benedict to the widow. It seems enough to write down what the situation is. If he tries to complete it, then good. But there is no need to start as if with a request. Don't bother yourself and your illness with worries. That M. left is perhaps no worse than if he had stayed. Ask Mr. Bibikov if he will explain this idea to you. It is necessary for the Council to report his unauthorized absence, with the opinion to dismiss him from the monastery. G. The director of the court singing chapel arrived in Moscow, as can be seen from the decree of the S. Synod for the provision of notes for the singing of the Assumption Cathedral, Simonov and Donskoy monasteries. He entered into relations with their abbots, and then with the abbot of the Resurrection Monastery. There was no word on his part about the Lavra, and I did not speak, not seeing the need to attract what was passing by. But yesterday I heard that he would go to the Resurrection Monastery and the Lavra. If he arrives and demands: tell the brethren to show him our singing in the presence of the treasurer, who would then report to me in detail what comments or demands will be made. He listened to my singers with me for two and a half hours, and spoke approvingly about them and about our special melodies: he only demanded that the melodies be communicated to him for revision and correction of some, according to his science, irregularities. He continues to assure me that his previous provisions are exactly similar to the ancient church chant, but my ear dissatisfiedly submits to the assurance of science, and simply believes what it hears. Peace and salvation to you, Father Viceroy, and to the brethren of the monasteries. That you were in the monastery, I rejoice at this as a good sign regarding your health, and I am afraid of the consequences of this after a recent illness, If your ear does not feel any traces of illness; and in this case it is necessary to gradually accustom him to the outside air; and if some traces still remain; the more caution is needed. I especially regret that you walked in the religious procession along the fence, where you had to be exposed to both the wind and draft air. May the physician of souls and bodies grant you perfect health: but He has not forbidden natural precautions to preserve it. I ask you not to neglect them. I would also go to the monastery, and to taste the silence there and heal my laziness with the prayers of those who struggle. But now I am in business as if in bonds; and the time for travel is beyond my strength. Today I refused an invitation to a priestly service tomorrow, on the occasion of the burial of Prince N. S. Golitsyn. About the prayer service for January 12, is it too late to think about something new? It would be nice to compose a story to read in church. Try to force me when I'm in the Lavra. You see, I don’t have time to do everything that is necessary and desirable. It seems I haven’t answered you about the calendar yet. It would be very good if a copy of them were made for use, and the ancient ones were kept as a monument and example. The matter, I think, is difficult: it can be done slowly, according to one’s strength and ability. We will give Malyshev a way to remove the list from the Icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir. Only this must be done when the winter cold and spring dampness in the Cathedral have passed. Malyshev is not in good health, as it seems. Don’t be angry with me and M. I’m thinking of breaking up with him, although I have always been pleased with his quietness and obedience. They told me that at a funeral dinner he kissed the hand of one, however, respectable woman, because he asked for income, which he was not given because his name was not on the list, and she supported his request. The questioned M. confirmed both. Will you give me a hierodeacon instead? I don’t want to take Joel: he is needed in the Lavra. Is it one of the others, with a decent voice and a disposition not partial to dinner and income? David Ivanovich's son-in-law Khludov tells me that the salary matter will be completed. But Venedikt, to whom I told him to let me know about the state of affairs after visiting the master, still does not show his eyes to me. Peace be with you, Father Viceroy, and the brethren. I am boring you, and I also tell you to take care of your health, wanting to know about its condition. I am sending a letter to the head of the Society of Noble Maidens in St. Petersburg 1. I don’t have time to write much before the service, but I can’t let a day go by without telling you, Father Viceroy, a word on your letter. What could be wrong with your conscience for you to settle in my cells for a while? It is much more unconscionable not to use the means to preserve health that are presented to you. In the cells that were formerly the Reverend Anastasius, you will not be near the church. If you don’t go out, you will be bored without church services. And changing the air is hardly good until the remnants of the disease are over. I urge you to think about this and make sure that there is no sin for the viceroy to live in the abbot’s cells. Rejoice and good health to the Father Viceroy. I learn from the Khotkovskaya abbess that doctor Inozemtsev, speaking about your health, speaks hesitantly, in absentia. I advise you to ask for the blessing of St. Sergius and come to Moscow. As far as I know, you have no confidence in this doctor. Do not neglect the means to learn what is beneficial for your health, and to reduce my worries. From the source of life of our Lord Jesus Christ, let the life-giving stream water His servant Archimandrite Anthony, to health and peace. I am writing to the Council, asking you, Father Viceroy, to move to my cells for obedience, if the doctors approve of this. Do yourself a favor and protect yourself from the change in air until your illness is over. I don’t write anymore, because the one sent to the abbess, to whom I gave this, is already on the road. You see, Father Viceroy, that I was not wrong when I advised you not to rush into the air. Thank God you have relief again. Take the advice of experience to caution if my humble advice does not seem worthy of attention. I received your letter dated 20 days yesterday evening, and I praised myself that yesterday morning I insisted on your moving to my cells, if the doctor approves. Let St. Sergius tell you something useful. He called a doctor from Moscow, if necessary, you can; and this can suit the Laurus. Another thought came to me, whether you should come to Moscow: but it’s difficult to protect your ear on the way. The fact that you told me the history of your illness serves to my consolation: for it gives me hope that your current illness will cure your previous illness, which has been burdensome for a long time and more threatening. May the Lord be merciful to you, and through that to me. Let M. go and look for peace, where he thinks he can find better. But why did you have to run? Couldn't it be possible to submit the same petition to the Lavra that is submitted from the escape? But here’s an unpleasant feature: he doesn’t say where he is, and wants to appear when the case is successfully completed; Consequently, there is a false brother in the Lavra, his confidant, who knows his hiding place and is ready to convey to him what is happening in the Lavra. - Was what was entrusted to him left intact after M.? I will write about the hierodeacon later, M., to whom I only told that I was thinking of letting him go, and then at his request, he told the patient, and meanwhile, not only the steward, but also strangers are already talking about his removal. Peace and health to you, Father Viceroy. And peace to the brothers. Someone called the Sheremetevs tells me whether I should send a doctor to you. And I offered you this. But without your feedback, I know who you would like. Tell me what you think. I don’t have time to write anymore; and o. Ilarius is already on his way. I wish you good news. Thank God that there is relief for you, Father Viceroy. Continue to take care of yourself in calm air until the illness is completely over. Don’t say anything about moving to my cells. Is it because you still don’t decide whether this will be necessary and whether it will be useful? Thank you for the car. It came at the very time of need and was used. G. The director of the court singing chapel, General Alexei Fedorovich Lvov, wants to go to the Lavra next Sunday. Instruct the treasurer to receive it carefully, and bless the image on behalf of the abbot. I can't feel better. Today I found it difficult to serve at home and not in Chudov. Pray for me. May the Lord keep you and your brethren and monasteries in peace. Both your doctor and I ask you, Father Viceroy, not to leave your cell until he returns. I don’t even like that he’s away, but he’s also speaking for his sick nephew. May the viceroy father rejoice and be healthy, and so do the brethren. Look in the attached sheet of paper what Bishop Innocent writes. We have few lithographed icons. However, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to collect as many of them as there are, copies of three, and send them to him. If anything can be done, therefore, do not delay; because it's time to depart. He also complains that there are not enough missionaries. The S. Synod demanded from the Moscow diocese: there was no one willing; and no one presented himself who could be persuaded to do this. Our Abel came to mind. He did not refuse to travel to Georgia for less important reasons. He is jealous of the book to instruct monks, who are not deprived of instruction from the paternal writings. Isn’t it good, and wouldn’t it be better for him, to be zealous to proclaim the word of salvation to those to whom it has not yet been preached? What do you think about this? The matter does not require the information of many, but diligence and firmness. M. mourns his supposed removal. And I feel sorry for him. I don’t know what to decide, and that’s why I’m procrastinating. I wish you good news about your health. I received it and read the newly published Lovezail. The book that I have in manuscript from the late O. Archimandrite Photius, under the same title, is not the same. In both, however, there is an article about which I expressed doubt about. Photius. This, in article 133 of the printed book, is a legend about a wife who, in order to preserve her chastity from violence, took her own life. This legend, placed between legends about saints, may be subject to incorrect use. In article 131 there is a legend about a similar temptation, in which the tempted one acted more correctly. Even more dubious is the legend in article 68 about the envious Jerome, who, according to the description of the circumstances, is none other than the famous blessed Jerome. As far as I remember, Westerners do not praise the writer Lavzael. However, it is pleasant and instructive to travel with this book in the ancient monastic world. Glory to God, who sent you spiritual help in the suffering of illness, and who alleviated the illness. Let it pass completely without exposing the weak spot to outside air. Having received the news about the brethren, I regretted that, without recovering, you worked on them. It took time. Peace to the viceroy father and brethren. Last Friday I did not write to you, being weak. However, thanks be to God, today I celebrated at St. Alexis. Some lithographic images are unsatisfactory; and some are good. Send two more copies of all, and do not hesitate, because now is the time to send to the islands. I am glad that you are better: but, do me a favor, do not rush to expose yourself to the outside air. An excess of caution is better than a lack of caution that you have already experienced. When you are completely healthy: then there will be time to fear permission, and to resist it. Sergius left the monastery as a hierodeacon; in Ugreshskoye, probably sooner than it would have been in the monastery, he became a hieromonk, and now he again asks to go to the monastery. Previously he said that the monastery service was beyond his strength, but now he is going to this service again. Will it be safe? It is true that missionary service requires health: and ill health is a fair reason for refusing it; but health is not a sufficient reason for election to it. The Lord is able to remove the honorable from the unworthy, but man is free to return to the unworthy. If the disease of disobedience and intemperance regurgitates, then His Eminence Kamchatsky will have a bad gift, and even more difficult because it is not easy to return it and replace it. What do you say to this bewilderment of mine? I apologize, Vozdvizhenskoe place cannot be given to someone else. When a place is given to the orphan of the deceased, at the same church: the authorities have something to say in their justification to the parishioners: your father served you; you will bear the need of the orphan. God sends us humility in the fact that the General wants to retrain the entire church to sing in his own way. If they sing well in the Lavra; if the root of Greek singing is there: why would you want to tear out this root and offer your own four-voice singing? “If you give me your notes, they will apply such harmony to them that you won’t even recognize your notes or your melody.” And when you say that this is different from your previous one, then they will tell you that the harmony is correct, and all of Europe recognizes it as such. Therefore, it is better for us to sing, as St. Sergius blessed until now: and it is his mercy that no matter was started about the Lavra singing, which for some other places was not without difficulties. Someone, K....va, insistently demanded that I speak to her, and said that she was with her family in the Lavra, that Abel asked you for permission for her to be in the monastery, that she communed at the Lavra, but that she was in insurmountable confusion. A few days later another one of her acquaintances came, apologized for her as if she was mentally damaged, and said that they were not in the monastery, but in the caves. It seems to me that the caves should also be kept away from visitors, just like the monastery. The disposition of the novice John gives hope. The statement speaks well about the monk Theophilus. The S. Synod demands two. I am sending with this an order that the Council formally present them with their service records for presentation to the S. Synod. I’m thinking of introducing the idea of ​​tonsuring the other one and making both of them hieromonks. The contents are decent: 120 rubles. ser. salary and 337 rubles. ser. canteens You reassure me with news about your health: but strangers bother me, saying that there is still matter coming out of your ear; and in this case, going out into the air, it seems to me, is doubtful, especially after the illness was difficult and recurred more than once. Do yourself a favor, take care of yourself, and do not neglect advice about caution. It is better to freely listen to Anastasia’s protective advice than to reach the point of needing medical advice. Alexey Ivanovich showed me part of the cornice to the Trinity iconostasis. It looks good in my eyes. He thinks that during Lent everything can be put back into place. Do you think it will be convenient at this time? - I would like to be with you then. The mercy of the Lord is with you, Father Viceroy, and with the brethren of the monasteries. You approve of mercy towards M.: but I, meager in mercy, almost repent that I accepted him after he himself did not love and left the Lavra. I have reason to tell you that you should carefully monitor him, as a precaution against troubles in false brethren. It is good if a person returns to the place of the first promise, seeing his failure and error in moving away from it. But if he seeks to return to where he previously paved the way for vanity and satisfaction of passions, then should he not be afraid that he will return to temptation? - Therefore, it seems doubtful to me to accept N. even into Bethany. Let me think: you have nothing to reproach yourself with regarding both brothers. You did everything good for them. Do not be angry that I did not undertake to intercede on behalf of the official. Feeling the difficulty of interceding in my service, I am afraid to intercede for others before others, especially for the unknown before the dissatisfied known. I interceded with Prince Sergius Mikhailovich on behalf of one official: and was successful. But he was accepted as if it had been imposed; then a dubious incident encountered turned into slander against him; It was difficult for him, and it was unpleasant for me. I also care about your health. Some news calms me, and some worries me. Don’t be angry if I say one more thing: continue to be careful. Of the two copies of the psalter sent with the ascension, order one to be placed in my cell in the Lavra, and the other in the monastery. On the eve of Lent, I ask for your forgiveness and prayers, may the merciful Lord grant me unrepentant repentance for salvation. May He grant you all forgiveness in everything that requires forgiveness, and a cheerful passage through the field of fasting, towards the saving communion of the passions of Christ and the divine joy of His Resurrection. I don’t understand M., and he doesn’t let himself be understood: but it’s scary to listen to him, not only in his previous letter, but also in his current one, in which there is a desperate threat and reproaches to the world, but there is no opening of one’s heart, characteristic of a sincerely repentant person. The penitent comes and asks for forgiveness: but he does not want to come; sits and demands that they come to him with the crew. I wish him salvation: but I am afraid to accept him, especially into the Lavra and the monastery. It is not a useful example for the weak if you not only accept someone who is running away, but also take care of him so that he comes. If you are ashamed to come to the Lavra for a while, how will you live in it? Let it be better to make a new experience in another place, for example, at the Davidic builder - to blame; already the abbot, who may be useful to him, or at the Simonov Archimandrite, or wherever he pleases. If somewhere he shows himself to be more firm in the turbulence of the monastery, then in time he will not be ashamed to come to the Lavra, and it will be more convenient for us to receive him than now. Maybe I'm wrong; but I think that there are cases when someone who has left wants to return to their former monastery with the impulse of vanity and satisfaction of passions, if his current place is sad and meager, and the previous one is crowded and plentiful. If a monk is told: do not go to this house, and he answered; I can’t help but walk; and therefore he was advised to move further away, but he again asks to move closer: is it not permissible to doubt his zeal for his previous place, and should he not beware? What you write about your archimandrite in Jerusalem: partly I knew, and I told whoever should, that such a person was not needed. They answered me that he had a good hieromonk with him. But the hieromonk will not correct the boss; or maybe he himself will be tempted. I also said that your archimandrite is out of place in Rama: but I also spoke without benefit. Now he is dead. May the Lord place a man there who would be more useful to his own people and stand with dignity before strangers. The newly written calendar is very good. But it’s better not to write on both sides, but on one, they’d better be careful. Significant people, as a precaution, told me the following. University students say, and according to their stories they talk from house to house, that medical student Anastassy tells them seductive speeches about cold sins. Ask Anastasia what this means; and what do you think? Should we stop his trips to the University? Receive, Father Viceroy, the wanderer who presents this, and tell him a useful word. He wants to follow the good path: but he lays it out himself, and therefore there is concern about whether he will be guided. He himself will tell you that it would take me a long time to retell it. In Moscow. March 3rd 1850. This, Father Viceroy, will be given to you by A.K.K. He is periodically visited by illness, difficult, and not obeying doctors. In the Lavra he wishes to partake of the Holy Mysteries and receive the consecration of oil. Understand his condition and give him useful advice; and fulfill his desire, but the opportunity, without exposing what is happening to him to the public, so that from this side he is not disturbed in spirit, and receives communion of sanctification with a peaceful soul. In the field of fasting, may the Lord strengthen you, Father Viceroy, and the brethren of the monasteries. Your letter is dated February 26, and the business with it came to me on March 6. It’s not my fault that things that you rush are done slowly. Would it be satisfactory to talk about the freedman only with the landowner? The leave form is not shown. If it were discovered that the landowner had unlawfully released him from the mortgaged estate, then those who accepted the illegally released person could also be condemned for not using a legal inquiry; They may say either give up our man or pay for him. We must beware of such entanglements, both by law and as a precaution against criticism of management. From G.K., I remember, I heard that she had built a desert cell for the arrival of visitors from the monastery, and then it occurred to me that this might be subject to different views: but, without extending to judgment about other people’s affairs, especially where good intentions are visible, I said nothing. Now I want to write, and I’m trying to figure out how to send a letter. Ask me a word that would be right and useful. Grace and peace to you, Father Vicar, and the brethren of the monasteries. I rejoice that you had many praying and coming to the Lord’s Table. And by last Saturday I was honored to serve up to a hundred souls. So, the second week of Lent is close to the end. There is no news from Alexey Ivanovich. Having caught a cold last Saturday from drinking cold drinks, I am still not completely free of cough and runny nose. It is inconvenient to travel to you next week, as it is close to the Feast of the Annunciation. These days the baptism of Grand Duke Nicholas Konstantinovich should take place, which should then be celebrated in Moscow. And so I don’t see the way to you, as I saw before. On the day of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I remember, the Lavra is celebrated in the Assumption Cathedral. I ask you to leave this sacred service to another, and take care of your ear, which is probably not yet sufficiently strengthened. Andrei Nikolaevich writes that you and I are commemorated in Gethsemane, which is near Jerusalem, and promises to bring the image and stone of Gethsemane to our Gethsemane. He is already in Constantinople; and on the third day I was planning to leave there. His Eminence Vladimirsky, transferred to Voronezh, refuses this move, and stops the movement of Kostromsky to his place, the Novogorod vicar to Kostroma, and the St. Petersburg vicar to the vicar of Novogorod. I don’t know how this will be decided, or whether it has already been decided. Much peace to you, Father Viceroy, and brethren. I really like the lithographed image of the Mother of God. I’m thinking of telling Eminence Gregory about the list of the Kazan Icon when I have it. He has been called to St. Petersburg to attend the St. Synod, I don’t know how long ago: but I have already received a letter from St. Petersburg to give to him in Moscow; and therefore, I think it’s too late to write to Kazan. They want to hire O. Leonid as the rector of the future Riga Seminary, which will train priests for Latvians and Estamis. The service is good and necessary: ​​but will he be complacent? And will he be comfortable with the authorities there? - Tell me what you think when reading this. I thought about the case of the sacristan. It is necessary to prepare to be an assistant to the future sacristan. Venedikt is young. The tendency towards the refined and graceful that is noticeable in him represents an unfulfilled sedateness. I agree to make him a hieromonk: but I would like a more mature sacristan. Taking the hierodeacon from the monastery for the Lavra sacristy also seems to me not a very smooth move. You can imagine Ananias of the skete becoming a hierodeacon. May the Lord show the soul of David Ivanovich the splendor of the heavenly church. There is no news from Alexey Ivanovich about his silver business. Next Sunday will be the baptism of Grand Duke Nicholas Konstantinovich. Then I’ll think about the way to you. But some urgent matters around here don't get away with it. I had the Solovetsky schemamonk, and I, taking pity on his story about his illness, had the imprudence to express my consent to accept him into the Epiphany Monastery if the abbot accepted him. However, he remains in the worldly house for a while for treatment. Let's see what happens. Your previous information about him makes me trust him and not trust my comments. I want to know how M. behaves. Regarding Fr. I wrote to Macarius of Optina and received an answer that they accepted my warnings, but they were based on ill-intentioned suggestions to me, although I began the letter by saying that I had heard about her from the organizer of the desert cell herself. It’s good, at least, that they don’t think about those through whom good suggestions came, and they won’t complain about them. Congratulations, Father Viceroy, on yesterday’s holiday. I would like to know if you had a great day? You sent three proteges for two holidays, on which I was already quite tired: because today, as I already wrote, there was a prayer service for the baptism of the Grand Duke. Therefore, only two were dedicated: and the third remained. Those dedicated to me in thought were at this time. When Ananias reads: I think that I am in a monastery. Varvara Sergeevna told me about the patient who is now with you. The father’s cruelty to the child and back is a double serious cause of illness: and therefore, perhaps, it is inconvenient to heal and with good medicine. Do what you can: may the Lord do according to His righteous and merciful will, and with the intercession of the Reverend. A.K. returned from you with a vivid sense of the benefits received, and he is very grateful to you. I also really like the lithographed image of the Mother of God with paints. Praise the workers. Will Philip determine by decree whether it will be reliable? Will he stop wanting to travel? After his trip to Moscow, I hear that he still went somewhere else. In the current situation, even if they take him with his copper or iron bird and put him in a cage, he is happy with it, and there is no harm for us. If we can, we will take it out of the cage: but we are not responsible for what is imprisoned, not having it officially as ours. And we will have to answer for a certain novice, both for his bird and for his cage. Please resolve this confusion. Alexey Ivanovich sent to tell me that work was late; and, at your request, it must be put in place by Palm Sunday. In this case, I do not know what to do with the journey I have proposed. The road, they say, is still very bad. It must be worse next. And during Holy Week it is not very convenient to be on the way back. Do you, Father Viceroy, have letters from the Holy Mountainer? I'm sending it just in case. I would like to know your opinion on whether it is good to give this book free rein. Look, by the way, at the dog-eared pages. You will find a legend that the unclean spirit is afraid of the cross, and at the same time appears in bishop's vestments, on which there are crosses. You will find a discussion between the boss of evil spirits and his subordinate, and an incident that leads to the conclusion that it is better to fulfill sin by deeds than to fight sinful thoughts. You will find fried fish swimming in the life-giving spring, which Andrei Nikolaevich Muravyov considers a fairy tale. I feel sorry for Ivan, and I don’t know what will happen to him. He came to me to ask permission to live near his village in a cell or in a cave, from where the civil authorities had already kicked him out. He says that he follows the instructions of Ivan Yakovlevich, that he is in the hospital. I think there is no need to argue against the zeal to arrange a chasuble for the image of St. Sergius and Nikon, especially since the other icons of the lower tier in the iconostasis are in frames. I also agree to the arrangement of the image of St. Sergius inside the upper board of the shrine of St. Sergius, as you and the zealous suggest. God's blessing to those who do good in the church and to you and the brethren. Peace and salvation to you, Father Viceroy, and brethren. I thank God that your health is maintained. I wish you relief. economist. O. Let Khariton remain silent in the monastery if he finds more silence there. It is good that those who knew him before would look for him less there. But the only concern is that the monastery will become as full as the world. May the Lord cover with His mercy what has so far satisfied us beyond expectations. God will bless those named by you to present them for tonsure, and also clothe those named in the cassock, if they are trustworthy. His Eminence Kazansky promised to deliver a copy of the miraculous icon. In Moscow. April 4th 1850. Read the attached letter, Father Viceroy, and tell me what you think. I said that I cannot approve of the unknown and dubious. Alexey Ivanovich was with me: and since he does not want to be in the Lavra with his work without me, he will send the work and put it in place on St. Thomas Week so that by the week of Myrrh-Bearers and I will come to pray together. In the drawing school of the village of Vasilievsky, you have a deceased priest’s son, Vasily Arkhangelsky. They say he is weak in body and seems to be crippled, and therefore has difficulty doing some things, for example, fetching a bucket of water. They ask to put him in someone’s cell: but I don’t think this is convenient. And pay attention that he is given a task within his strength. At ten o’clock in the evening, after a three-hour lesson in my former committee, I read your letter, Father Viceroy, and now I answer that the messenger should not be waiting for me. May the Lord receive in peace the soul of His servant Elder Paisius. There was good spiritual fruit in him, nurtured by faith and prayer, ripening into love. Thank God that we gave him a place in the helicopter city of St. Sergius. Place his remains at the Church of the Mother of God, not far from the church in which he prayed and from the cell in which he lived. May he forgive my weakness, that I will not participate in this. Give him a kiss and mine. Regarding the rest, dispose of it as you write and as you know. It would be very lazy if I bothered to read your letter, Father Viceroy, which I demanded. Thank you and I agree with you. The writer painted the objects of spiritual experience and reasoning with the colors of his imagination, and gave them a look that reduces the reliability of the legends, and sometimes gives rise to incorrect conclusions. It would be better to look around more carefully before printing. By clearing some places, the book would be more authentic and useful. The idea of ​​Martin presents me with questions: Why did he stop being an alarm clock? What kind of obedience does it have now? Is it just going to Kyiv, or doesn’t this have any special significance? - Let him come to me on the road. I agree to accept Ermolai into the brotherhood. I would like to have O. Macarius as a hospital builder. But it is desirable that he also accept this with consent and peace. Kelly at the deceased Fr. Paisiya felt stuffy because the windows were not open and the winter frames were not exposed. Correct what is needed to make the cell for Fr. Macaria had clean and fresh air. What is the problem that there are so many sick children? Help Ivan Mikhailovich to take care of them. Will my path to you be blocked? – They say that Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich is leaving St. Petersburg on May 2, that his route will be through Moscow. May the Lord help you to cross the path of the Lord’s sufferings with fellowship of faith and love for Him who suffered for us. Traveling to you, Father Viceroy, His Grace Anthony, Bishop of Votsky 2. Receive him in my cells, if you are not cold, or, where convenient, facilitate his prayer and observation, and bless him with an icon from the Lavra and the abbot. Receive a decree on celebrating the name day of the Empress on 23 days 3. Our fathers, like those in the Synod, did not give instructions on how this would be consistent with the charter: for this is not for the Sovereign to think about. From the resolution you will see how I agree with the will of the Sovereign with the regulations: but you, if you want, can have a prayer service on Monday. May grace flowing from the suffering of the Lord irrigate the souls of you and your brothers. Christ is Risen! Accept, Father Viceroy, and may all the brethren receive my kiss in the name of the Risen Lord. May He speak into your hearts His peace, which surpasses all understanding, and His joy, but no one will take it. We strive not to remove this world, and not to offend this joy, in which may your prayers help my weakness. I sincerely thank you for your words of consolation and joy. I told the civil governor about the fire shell, and he promised to stop the execution. But besides that, I am writing to him about this, wondering if perhaps this will benefit the poor and further the settlement. The application of the Annunciation Charter to the celebration of Queen Alexandra, in my opinion, is incorrect. The charter connects one feast of the Annunciation with the day of Easter: since it is a feast not only of the Most Holy Theotokos, but also of Christ. For the feasts of the saints, the charter of the general service commands, like the stars before the sun, to hide before Easter Day, and only in the evening to reveal their light. In this state of affairs, I do not think that it is necessary and that it would be edifying for subordinates to replace the written order of their superiors with another order. As for the prayer service in particular: it was prescribed in accordance with the charter. If you find these reasonings correct; then I ask you not to be angry with them: and if they are wrong, I will accept correction. You ask why I didn’t answer you about 30 rubles. With. for glorifying the brethren. I did not contradict, and did not forbid in the future: consequently I agreed. I didn’t answer because I didn’t want to put my thoughts against yours, which, however, I didn’t have the conviction to abandon. I saw how the brethren glorified Christ with Metropolitans Plato, Ambrose, Michael, Seraphim; and the brethren never thought of taking money for glorification from their abbot. Should monastic non-covetousness and unselfishness of prayer, against which custom has already created enough temptations, even be banished from the relationship between the brethren and the abbot? For the first time, the brethren, perhaps, seemed pleasant to the kindness of the abbot: if repeated, this would be an ordinary legal duty; and the deed will be food not so much of love as of self-interest. So that my stinginess does not say this, for this I agree to give the assigned 30 rubles. With. on the holiday to the poor for the health and salvation of the brethren. Tell me if I did a good thing in not saying this before, and if I did a bad thing in saying it now. Take here the case for patience and forgiveness, and not for displeasure. Receive an order about the work of the Makhrishchi builder, which he pasted into the collected book, and in which he preaches that the division of people into rich and poor is inappropriate and offensive to humanity. Enlighten him so that he does not consider himself wiser than everyone else. It was possible to write something to arouse the attention of investors: but for this he had to either present a draft inscription on the book, which, after consideration, would be used; or submit a special article for consideration before entering it into the book, so as not to confuse the people with your crooked reasoning and not cause criticism to the authorities. Once again I ask you to be generous and complacent when reading and after reading this letter. Thank you, Father Viceroy, for blessing artos. I eat it for my health. And at the end of last week I fell ill. The steward spoke to me more than once about Jonah in order to promote him to hierodeacon; I wanted to write to you and forgot. Finally, before the holiday, I decided to ordain him, seeing him always in order. I thought that it would not be a problem for the hierodeacon to continue his previous position for a while. I have not yet heard the novice read. We'll talk about the steward and the supposed successor when God tells us to see each other. A message has been sent to you from the Most Reverend Riga, asking for the image of St. Sergius. I ask you to assist in the fulfillment of this. If you don't have enough time to write: is there anything ready? Do you remember the dream that, under the Reverend Philaret, three people in Riga saw, namely, an old man in the air who was chopping a stone rooster placed over the Lutheran church? In reality they recognized the likeness of this elder in the icon of St. Sergius. It is noteworthy that the Reverend Plato, who is not of the same school of thought as his predecessor, and, if the truth is told, calls him a fanatic, nevertheless received the same idea to ask for the blessing of St. Sergius. About the journey to you, the thought came to me from others, whether it would be better to stay until the 20th day, so as not to travel twice. I'll talk to Alexey Ivanovich. I heard the novice. He reads decently, only somewhat sluggishly. Young: I wouldn’t look at Moscow. However, we'll see. I wrote to you that my journey to you was postponed for a week: and now for another. Yesterday Alexey Ivanovich visited me after I returned from the Perervinsky monastery, tired, despite the shortness of this trip. And based on this experience, and in anticipation of the Right Reverend Parthenius, who was supposed to come to Moscow, and with whom I did not want to lose my last meeting, I decided to stay in Moscow until the feast of St. Alexis and until the day of Constantine and Helena. Then Alexey Ivanovich suggested to me that the work for the iconostasis was prepared for the 24th day of this month, and that on this day, after renewal, I could perform the service. I agreed. But afterwards it occurred to me whether it would be convenient to work now, when there were probably quite a few pilgrims. Write to me either agreeing to our assumptions, or objecting and making other instructions. Thank you for undertaking to prepare the icon of St. Sergius for Riga. Although the Makhrishchi builder tries to hide behind Lord Plato, he does not hide. If you decide, tell him to rewrite and put in the book the appeal for the changes and reductions I made. To place Hieromonk Varlaam in the cells of the sacristan, and entrust him with the position of confessor of the pilgrims. You can do this, and, if necessary, say that this is with my consent. The sacristan only showed me his eyes, and apparently he is still in Moscow. The fact that he did not take Hermogenes can be excused by the thought that he was afraid that he would fall ill on the way and tie him up. It’s a pity that Hermogenes is saddened. I think it is fair to tell him, as a consolation, that it is doubtful whether he would be able to make the long journey, and perhaps the refusal is for the best for him. His Eminence Parthenius arrived yesterday and is in good health. His Grace Innocent ordered 60 banners from Moscow for the Odessa religious procession. Apparently, his spiritual army is great. I, Father Viceroy, also blame myself for not encouraging Alexei Ivanovich to finish the matter sooner. But the thought of the difficulty that I now see had not occurred to me before. Protect me from such cases with timely reminders. Is it possible to correctly believe that from the 20th of this month the tide of people will decrease? - I doubt. Would you find it necessary to write to me more clearly what to do to inform Alexey Ivanovich? You can begin painting the four domes and the roof of the Assumption Cathedral. Let the Academy translate the attached Greek papers. They are needed for the monastery. We were afraid to dare to call it Gethsemane: now His Beatitude the Patriarch calls it a new Gethsemane. May this be a blessing to the monastery. Be peaceful, Father Viceroy. It seems that we have not sinned against the benefactor. He sent workers before I was certified and told him about the convenience of work. I told him that I would come to the Lavra and could perform the service on Sunday. It was not my business, but his, to count on the work being finished by Sunday. And when it ended earlier; it was impossible to postpone the consecration, because the ministry was continuing in the church. On Saturday before Vespers, or after Vespers, let us pray for him together; and may St. Sergius bless him with peace. Send, father governor, now for the Deulin priest, call him with a plan for the church, ask what he wants, and tell me your opinion. And I don’t like that the church is not quite spacious, and that the bell tower is above the middle of the church: but this had to be discussed when drawing up the plan. Now they say that the bell tower is not needed: but they didn’t say that before. Much peace to the viceroy father and brethren. Thank you, Father Viceroy, for promoting my peace during my stay and journey. I reached Moscow safely, but not for the exam, which I considered to be the appointed day. It turned out that the day was not appointed by me, and was not appointed without me, which is why the first meeting for the exam was on the 14th day, and the second had to be squeezed into the royal day 15. The remnants of fatigue continued for a long time and were not yet completely over. I received rather strange news from St. Petersburg. Vladyka Novgorod read my conversation on Easter 4, praised it, but advised me to omit the information about the brought stone of the Holy Sepulcher when printing. This means making the conversation absurd. For a description of the cave of the Holy Sepulcher during the burial and resurrection of the Lord will be of no use in conversation if it is not a preparation for understanding the sacred memorial of the stone brought from the Holy Sepulcher. And by the end of the conversation, exhortations with what feelings one should approach the Holy Sepulcher will also be of no use if they do not relate to kissing the brought stone of the Holy Sepulcher. They say that the reason for this view of this matter is distrust of A.N., who allegedly writes a lot of untruths, and what he wrote about Georgia is almost all false. But it is incomprehensible to me how a traveler could write an entire book about Georgia, in which almost everything would be false. Does he consider everyone living in Georgia to be blind, and everyone living in Russia to be deaf, and therefore boldly writes lies? and what is the pleasure of writing almost an entire book of lies? Journalists are not very favorable to this writer, and made comments to him regarding the style and content of his books, but did not accuse him of lying. There was, I remember, some remark from the Armenians about his presentation of their dogmas or rituals: but in this case it is doubtful whether he did not understand something, or whether they are trying to cover up what is really unseemly among them. The priest from Gabriel Pavlovich brought the relics he bestowed upon him. John the Long-Suffering. Where should we put them? Is it in the monastery? I left an icon for him in my cell near the icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God: forward it. Andrei Nikolaevich sends you a book: thoughts about Orthodoxy, etc. The Abbess of Spasoborodino congratulates you on the past Angel's Day. Sorry until another time. I received your letter dated 24, through Savvaty, yesterday; and from 20, by mail, now, at 10 pm 26 pm. Therefore, I don’t have much time to write, so I can send a letter early tomorrow via the economist. He will bring you the relics. John the Long-Suffering. And I thought about putting it in the monastery. I also agree to put it in a cave. May he intercede and patronize the prayers of the infants of asceticism, and may the Lord protect the infants, grant them spiritual age, the mind of salvation, the light of consolation, and peace that transcends the mind. The Icon of the Mother of God, Kazan, was found by me in my cell upon returning to Moscow. This must be the one sent by the Right Reverend Kazan. By sending it to you, I wanted to say that it does not seem to me skillfully written, and does not convince me of its similarity to the original. I previously had an icon from Kazan that was passed off as a correct copy: it was more similar to the icon located in the local Kazan Cathedral than to the one sent to you. However, you know this matter better than me; and if you find remarkable features in the icon delivered to you, may this be to your advantage. This morning I was at Pererva and dined with Prince Sergei Mikhailovich. I saw the restored Blachernae icon. It has been fairly restored: but, as before, the features are formidable and not quite pleasant. I don’t regret that I sent the conversation to St. Petersburg. It is better to let others judge you than to be satisfied with your own judgment. And there was a special reason for this in the circumstances of the case. His Eminence Gregory says that the Metropolitan is not entirely against the conversation being published in its entirety in the next book of the Academic Edition 5. But there is no need for this. Perhaps it should be printed later for use in the Lavra. I received your letter dated July 15 on the 29th. God bless the new habitation of the icon painters, and may He give them success and the consolation of success. I don't have time to read the rules for them yet. And I have trouble with your calendar. The prayer service on January 12 is described in such a way that it cannot be agreed with any charter. Based on this principle, which seems to have already been corrected, it should not be without difficulty to review the book. I don’t like the pagan title: calendar. Why not months or calendars? Grand Dukes Nicholas and Mikhail Nikolaevich are traveling. From the Redrikov Mountains they will arrive in Sergiev Posad on August 17, and will have lunch here. But whether their journey this morning is great, I don’t know; because the previous part of the route was not communicated to me. This makes the monastery holiday difficult. I will need to stay in Moscow, where they will arrive on the 17th to spend the night, and where they will stay on the 18th day. If their journey is not short, and they can arrive later than noon, then you can serve in the porana monastery. And if this cannot be verified in advance, then perhaps you will only be able to attend the all-night vigil in the monastery; and on the morning of the 17th day you will need to stay in the Lavra. Prepare icons for presentation to the Grand Dukes, and my cells for receiving them. Or maybe for one they are mine, and for another they are different. It is a pity that the end of M. in the Lavra does not correspond to the beginning. While visiting me, he introduced himself as traveling on pilgrimage; and therefore I did not say anything to him, which, perhaps, would not have been superfluous to say. Then Moscow speeches came to me that the Lavra monk M. was the manager of the noblewoman. Isn’t it necessary to conclude from this that it would be necessary to observe M.’s path earlier and keep him on the right path before he strayed too far into temptation? In Moscow, the unimprisoned trial of the monks continues, and among other things they say that the Trinity monks are seen outside the monastery at 11 o’clock in the evening. I don’t believe it: but I’m telling you as a precaution. It is not bad for the dean to visit his cells more often. Now strangers are strict with us: but we want to be lenient with ourselves. In order, outsiders should be lenient with us, and we should be strict with ourselves. The meeting of the Grand Dukes makes it difficult for me due to time and my weakness. If I need to receive them in the Assumption Cathedral; then this will be difficult to reconcile with their acceptance in the Lavra: and if they do not, then it will be necessary to say: it was in vain that I did not accept them in the Lavra. Therefore, I am thinking of being in the Lavra. But here is a new difficulty: it will probably be impossible to combine their meeting with the skete celebration, even due to time, as well as due to my weakness. Last Saturday, with difficulty, I celebrated the liturgy in the house church: and on Sunday morning I found myself so unwell that I was not in Novospassky for the holiday. But I’ll see what can be done on the spot. Meanwhile, the good Prince Sergei Mikhailovich, visiting me yesterday, gave me the idea that I could offer the Grand Dukes a meal with me, and, if necessary, offers his pastry chef. You know that I am ignorant in matters of this kind. Write to me what you think about everything I write now. As for the meal, I think you will write a detailed order to the local steward, or send someone for this at the appropriate time. As an instruction regarding the table, the prince said that once he and two companions dined with me in the Lavra, and you did not prepare anything from Moscow, and from this it happened that his companions, dissatisfied with the dinner, then ate tea with prosphora. Are my cells enough for both Grand Dukes, or do I need to prepare others, and which ones? I will need the sacristan's cell. It would be good to know where the Grand Dukes will spend the night from the 16th to the 17th day, in order to therefore judge whether it is too early to expect them. If there is something you need to remind me about and give me some advice: remind me and give me some advice. Peace and salvation to the viceroy father and brethren. I wish you to celebrate the day of the Mother of God with grace. Pray for us too, so that our celebration of Her may not be devoid of Her gracious care. Day 17 is not clear to me since I heard about the high travelers. And you didn't explain it to me enough. There is no doubt about celebrating in a monastery. It may happen that the journey speeds up unexpectedly, and then there will be confusion. Yes, and fatigue can make me unable to meet. If the meal had been from us: we, without a doubt, would have followed our monastery rules, which is also less inconvenient for guests on Thursday. But according to your information, it is likely that even if we prepare, things will not go our way; because it is inconvenient to explain in advance. And so prepare according to your information, but in case of emergency. But I expected from you a word, not a person. Why should Evmeny live here for a week? “I don’t know how to give the orders he demands.” Order him as you know. The heat continues: I had a hard time today at the renovation of the Church of St. Alexis in Chudov. However, I do not postpone my intention to be with you for the 16th day. I just don’t know what I’ll do. Weakness and people advise abandoning the monastery holiday. I would like to be at least at the all-night vigil; and then I don’t see what will be possible. They are sending you keel kamilavkas for monasteries and, they say, for caves. You decide how to use it, may it be blessed for those who worked. The new hieromonk Makhrishchsky is coming to you. When I arrive, tell me what has been done on the resolution about the stubborn, which you probably don’t like: but you must imagine that if you give freedom to the waywardness that they have shown, then it will not be beneficial for their souls, and it will be impossible to keep people in order. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to let G. and M. go: and keep V. for a while. Maybe he'll come to his senses. Having been promoted to hieromonk early, it is therefore fitting to serve the authorities, either out of obedience, out of gratitude, or even out of condescension to the needs of the monastery. First I’ll tell you what’s first on my mind. Don’t be angry with me that I won’t deprive you for a long time. Upon returning from the Lavra, I felt the consequences of the pressure of the previous days. And he couldn’t be in Donskoi. And last Saturday and Sunday I was on the road again, to renovate the church in the village of Dubrovitsy, not wanting to refuse the invitation of Count Arseny Andreevich, with whom I was staying. But this journey again doesn’t make me feel good. It seems necessary to release the icon of St. Sergius to Zubachevo, for reasons that are quite respectable. You just need to choose a day and take precautions against the rain, which is now frequent. As for other similar cases, I doubt whether to give general permission. If the need is especially respectful, and the distance does not pose a difficulty: you can follow the current example. Otherwise, you can reject the request by saying that you do not have general permission. However, let the Reverend himself arrange through you what is pleasing to him. Rejoice and good health to the Father Viceroy. The same goes for the brethren. It’s good that Gideon abandoned the idea of ​​​​chasing two hares. Present him as a hierodeacon: but don’t send him to Moscow. There are some that require dedication. The vicar asks for leave for a few days in Savvin. And I often need the service to be short, especially if it is in a remote place, where fatigue begins on the way. You can dedicate more than one person to the Lavra, if God pleases. I announce to you the commands, or demands, or petitions, or as you wish, of Andrei Nikolaevich: 1. Hurry up and send the four icons you are writing. 2. In replacement of the ancient icon of the vision of the Mother of God of St. Sergius, brought from the Palestine monastery of St. Savva, and sent to you through the steward Victor, to paint the same icon for this monastery, and also an icon of St. Apostle Andrew, a similar measure. 3. Small sacred vessels, a chalice with accessories, for Archbishop Thaddeus, who gave us the stone of the Holy Sepulcher, which is also required in the testimony given from him. I arranged the Gospel for him at a fair price, for 215 rubles. With. and did not please Andrei Nikolaevich by spending a lot of money, although it was mine, not his. I say this to show that the vessels required are small and of little value. If you find them in the Lavra, send them without delay. If they don’t find it, would you bless me to buy it at the Lavra’s expense, so that she too will be grateful for the gift she received. The Grand Dukes had no time to remember the idea of ​​being in the monastery. The meeting of the Sovereign Emperor was successful. Yesterday he deigned to call me to himself, and showed himself to my unworthiness as condescending and merciful. By the way, he thanked the Grand Dukes for the reception. I give you a fair share of this gratitude. Do not be angry, father governor, at the questions and the required speed. This is about peasant disobedience. I hope that what is attributed to the Council did not happen. I received the answer and the matter of testimony to the peasants: and you have no great argument with me; but it is necessary for the secular authorities to calm down. Today I am answering the Governor General; and tomorrow I’m thinking of telling him personally that the matter arose from simplicity. Andrei Nikolaevich is dissatisfied with the vessels; says they are small; and wants to send them to Bishop Callinicus; and he orders Archbishop Thaddeus to buy larger ones. But I do not want to make this tax on the Lavra without consultation; and therefore I don’t know whether it will fall on me, or how else the matter will end. There is no time to write more. Hope to see you next week. My journey was successful; but the cold that began in the Lavra has become more severe, and I spend these days with difficulty, but the current one is better. I would like to know about Philip's health. May God bless the renewal of Philip-Filaret's life. I am glad that there is hope for his recovery. It would have been better to build a wooden cell over a stone gatehouse earlier. If necessary: ​​let it be built. The Right Reverend Metropolitan Neophytos, who lives in our courtyard in St. Petersburg, previously wanted to live there longer, especially in the non-summer months, when the city is fuller and there is more hope of receiving benefits; and now he writes that he is thinking of returning as soon as possible, when the time they expected has come. Is there anything unpleasant for him from the housekeeper? This question arouses in me some other hints. Write to Tobias to try to respectfully reassure the Eminence. Andrei Nikolaevich is in a hurry to receive from you the icons, which you, he says, promised to deliver soon. I convey his wish to you. Peace be with you, Father Viceroy, and the brethren. And pray for me so that I will not be lazy. I catch a cold while at work and find myself in such a situation that I can barely eat my daily bread, that is, I can barely finish the usual daily tasks, and what I put off before is still put off now. That’s why I rarely write to you. I'm sorry. To brother Philaret, God's blessing and peace of soul, and the body is at peace and strengthened. I wish Schemamonk Matthew God's help and patience. An old wound on the leg and could simply open if the body weakened. One must hope that if the legs are sick, the head, which values ​​health more, will be freer from illness. I sent you a request for farmstead land so that you could do something better than the steward. And you did what the housekeeper said. In past years there was a case when a peasant stopped paying under the contract; but there is no collateral, and the contract with the peasant is not valid in court. No one asked me to point out something useful. And someone said that he wanted to do something useful, which is exactly what he defined: and I had no reason to contradict. I have Jordan water, and, moreover, holy water, drawn from the Jordan after the Epiphany consecration was performed in it. I will send you the whole vessel under the seal under which I received it: but I will ask for a share for myself. Zherdev’s wife came to me, demanding a new passport from her husband. I am sending you her note. The water of Jordan is sent to you today, the 19th, with Barnabas and Nicanor. Where was it placed? I didn’t want to interfere with Malyshev in a way that was beneficial for him: he took up the task that was proposed to him: now we must wish that the Lavra’s affairs would not suffer from this. The envoy of the Greek Synod to the All-Russian Synod, Archimandrite Misail, travels to the Lavra. Receive him, comfort him, treat him, show him the Lavra, and bless him with the icon on behalf of the monastery and the abbot; and o. Tell the rector to show the Academy to this rector of the University. I sent you a glass cross: which church should you assign it to? Peace of the Lord and salvation to you, Father Viceroy, and brethren. I told Count Arseny Andreevich about the robberies: because there is no civil governor; and because the count will get down to business more decisively, which is what he promised. You are talking about the addition of the Oryol sacristy. But it seems to me that it is almost worn out; and will not come into unity with the new one, even if it is made of the same material. It would be better to first use it less often, and more often another one, the color of which, less light, would no longer show old age. However, do what you find best. You require a lot of money for a wood yard. Will there still be obstacles from the civilian authorities? The Aleksandrovsk district leader was with me on his own business; and, it seems, in order to win me over in his favor, he said that he could not return the certificates issued by you to the peasants, because this matter was written from the civil governor to the chief prosecutor of the Synod; but that, if I please, he will try; that you were in vain not to contact him earlier; then he could handle the matter better. But if he could handle the matter through local relations, why, bypassing them, went into the distance? What is noteworthy for us here is that the case has already been transferred to the chief prosecutor. In this case, shouldn’t I write to him or to the S. Synod to show them the true nature of the matter, and that it has already been considered by us, and the necessary order has been made? If this is the case and it seems to you: send me the case. Peace be with you, Father Viceroy, and the brethren. May the Lord preserve your inner peace, even if something is disturbing outside. The case of the sacristan and V. is sad. One should have expected more precision from the sacristan than turned out to be the case. It was necessary to tell you about the contribution, how soon it was promised, and even more so, when it was received. But in a sick old man, procrastination and sometimes oblivion are likely. This is not the case in V. It is very dark if the sacristan is telling the truth, and there is no reason to think that he would begin to slander at the door of death. But even if we assume that V. is telling the truth, in this case his case is not bright. To the sacristan, who supposedly exhorted him to remain silent, V., to be honest, had to answer: no, I will not take an oath; a contribution given to the church cannot become yours because the depositor has died; I cannot participate in sin, and I will show you true zeal and love by not allowing you to sin, I will go and announce the contribution to my superiors, I will not mention only that you forbade me to do this. On the contrary, V. says that he took an oath to cover up the theft of the sacristan. Here we can say: from your mouth do you judge. Forgive me for what I say. I didn't trust my instincts and observations about people, willingly believing that you knew them better. I told you this about George, as far as I remember, before the latest incidents: unfortunately, my instinct was justified. I also told you about V. that I see in him the artificial and counterfeit, and not the simple, and therefore he does not inspire confidence in me. Therefore, I think that it would be fair not to go further along the road, at the beginning of which a warning was sent to us; and that it is necessary to look for V. of another obedience, and for the sacristy of another sacristan. Make an experiment, collect and write to me a consideration for a request for forest. I’ll look at the matter, and maybe I’ll make up my mind, in the hope of St. Sergius, for the sake of the humble ones of the earth whom he looks after in the monastery and at His monastery. They send me foreign reports almost by force: and I sin that I read some of them, although the time is more needed for other matters. Everywhere they write about the double-mindedness of Prussia, which, having made peace with Denmark, secretly sends, or at least releases, soldiers to help the rebels fighting with Denmark; and, by the way, they are talking about introducing Russian troops into the Prussian borders, because our Sovereign does not approve of Prussia’s double-mindedness. It probably won’t come to this: but of course our government is concerned. May God grant more peace so that the Sovereign Emperor will have more time to listen to our little annoyances. It was pleasant to read that the British give justice to the policy of our Sovereign, which is straightforward and moderate, and recognize that it gives him more weight in Europe than any other government. Lord, save the King. I feel sorry for M. How the continuation does not correspond to the beginning. Alexey Alexandrovich, returning from Makhra, says that the church service there is performed well, the brethren in the church and in the meal are orderly; but one monk, apparently sent there, came into the church in a velvet cassock and started talking. Has anyone from the Lavra been sent there to correct it? And shouldn’t it be necessary to tell the builder to be more strict about such things, so that those who are being corrected do not damage those who are in good working order? I hear that the Odigitrievskys are sending their sisters to ask for benefits in the Smolensk province. This is a temptation for those sent, and can become a disaster in the absence of written forms. Shouldn’t it be advised that fewer people should be received, so that one can be content with what God sends and not resort to unsafe searches? Andrei Nikolaevich sent a stone from the tomb of St. Nicholas. Having given it to the steward, without opening the seal, I ordered him to be escorted to the Lavra with one of the brethren. A visitor to Mahra also says that in the upper church the new floor trembles under his feet. Shouldn't it be necessary to inspect whether it is made firmly? God's blessing and grace may peace be upon you, father vicegerent and brethren, may it be multiplied. You know that we met and saw off the Sovereign Tsarevich without me. I can tell you that he returned in health and strength, and, as he deigns to say, during the entire journey he did not encounter any unpleasant incident. God bless, and may the Reverend accept the zeal of Mr. Ryumin. I am returning his letter. I agree with your proposal to use the sacristy being built with special frugality. I will still tell the authorities about the robberies. Don't be angry with Alexey Alexandrovich. Out of love for humanity, he went to Makhra to visit the grandfather and grandmother of two novices. And he spoke about the monk in a velvet robe in response to my question. I then explained to him that the cassock was corduroy: but I relayed to you what I noticed in his words without change. You justify Evgeniy by the fact that he has a bass: but he shouldn’t speak in a quiet tenor in church during the liturgy. I was told that the Odigitrievskys went to the Smolensk diocese to collect money on their horse; and they told how a novice, while leading a horse to water, was attacked by dogs. If Smirnov wants to write the history of Bethany: let him write. Short story. There is almost no doubt about printing Emperor Paul's letters. Let's see. I am sending you several copies of the conversation you mentioned and other recent ones. One patient, in illness, alleviated the feeling of illness by working as a kamilavka; and asks to bring it to one of the skete schemamonks. I am sending. But the matter is not carefree. I recounted to you my conversation with the Alexander leader, and offered to send me the file to convey to the S. Synod, in case of questioning 6 . You didn't answer; I forgot to remind you. Now I have received a decree from the S. Synod, which orders me to consider this matter. Send as soon as possible the file that is in the Cathedral regarding the Governor General. We need to inform you as quickly as possible so that the question does not come through the Ministry of Internal Affairs, when a small matter has been given a big boost. It seems there are still items that you have not answered me about. Have you decided to remain silent: or has the letter been lost? May peace be multiplied to the viceroy father and brethren. Of the Orenburg diocese, the abbot of the Edinoverie asks for old printed books of the Gospel and a great consumer book, and says that they are in the Lavra. Is there not a genuine Gospel that would be permissible to give away? I need enamel icons of the Savior, the Mother of God, the Holy Trinity, the Vision of the Mother of God to St. Sergius, St. Sergius, St. Alexis, and Archangel Michael. Pay from Rostov with my money; and in the meantime, give me a few from the Lavra reserves. Thank you, Father Viceroy, for the blessing from the feast of St. Nikon. And we celebrated together with an all-night vigil and liturgy, after which, however, we had to go to the Synodal office. Your letter dated 7 days was received on the 15th, two from the 14th were received on the 16th, and two letters from the 15th were received on the 17th day. With o. Matthew and I spoke through you with love and consolation. Thank you. O. God will bless Joseph to wear the schema. Hieromonk Seraphim told me that in Athos they don’t often wear the schema, so as not to attract people’s attention: but more often they wear simple monastic attire. It seems to me that this is not bad. Imagine Longinus for ordination as a hierodeacon. Why do you want to present Nikanor as a hieromonk, I would like to know. There are quite a few hieromonks in the monastery. He's not old yet. However, if you have blessed guilt, imagine. I also received peasant work on the 16th day. I don't know why not soon. Svyatoslavsky says that the package was presented to me shortly after receipt. I reported to the Synod. The decree was forced to surrender the Consistory as well: because the S. Synod ordered it to inform about the return of the certificate and extract. I don’t see any requests from citizens for a cemetery priest. Is it possible that he didn’t send it to the Consistory and forgot? In that case, you should come to me and I’ll see what to do. If there are three Gospels of Philaret: then, it seems, they can be given to fellow believers, to establish them in unity with the Universal Church. I don’t think I’ll give away the breviary. Antiquity must be preserved in places like the Lavra: and there may be an important need for this book. I thought about the case of the forest yard, and if I didn’t really write, I wanted to write to you about my perplexities. Will there be a dispute? for, by agreement, the place is designated as a square. Is it possible to make the yard less extensive and reduce the costs of construction and maintenance? Will they steal firewood? for the place is quite far from the eyes. However, under your compulsion, I gave a resolution that will not embarrass you, but will give you a chance to think about my perplexities. Was it true that they told me that the image of the seven supreme angels was written in the caves: and did you find that it was necessary to rewrite it so that there were only three? What is the idea here? Gregory the Blind wants to go to the Right Reverend Kamchatsky to bring icons from Jerusalem and Athos: and asks my opinion. I said: far; It doesn’t seem convenient to you to be useful there; Is it really necessary to undertake this work because your soul cannot sit still? “He will insist that I say more decisively: what do you think about this?” Archimandrite 7 Mitrofan asked for this name when he was tonsured out of zeal for the Saint: and the Saint blessed on his feast day the burial of Archimandrite Mitrofan, which happened today. In the name of the Lord, blessings to the viceroy father and brethren, and may peace be multiplied to you. With consolation, I received from you on the day of my angel a word of love and prayer, and most of all the blessing you gave me from St. Sergius. And always having a need for your prayers, and now especially with my increasing weakness, I again entrust myself to them, so that the continuation of my days will not be fruitless. Peace and health to you, Father Viceroy; oh, I'm getting the hang of a cold. I spent Thursday and Friday at Pererva quietly and calmly; but when I returned from there, yesterday I was at work with a slight cold; and today I am forced to sit at home with a headache. Peace to the soul o. Joseph. He was truly a nomad in quietness and simplicity. Mardarius, it seems, is not many years old. Wouldn't it be useful for him to remain somewhat patient while waiting for the schema? – You can tell me about this again. Thanks to our patron Saint Sergius that the economy of the Lavra, with increasing costs, is not in poverty. In fairness, I also thank you for your varied care. I doubt whether to give the Gospel because of the inscription, which was given to the Church of the Holy Spirit, in the chapel of the Forerunner. This is evidence of a chapel that no longer exists. Wouldn't it be better to give one of the other two? Look them up; and tell me what you think. Meanwhile, what was sent will be returned to you. I started reading the history of Bethany, and I still have no dispute. But after looking at some of the apps, I can't help but argue. What other than laughter and gossip can be produced by poems in which Jupiter gathers the gods, talks about Metropolitan Plato and decides that the parks should not cut his thread of life? Theological provisions, which rely on justification by faith, without mention of works, and the sacraments are called rites, if the censor allows them to be published, then not only himself, but also the Academy will be criticized for unorthodoxy, and rightly so. The Bethany rector Gideon, in simplicity of heart, wrote about justification, looking into some foreign book, finding that it was similar to what was said in the epistles of the Apostle Paul, and not caring whether these epistles should be understood in accordance with the epistle of the Apostle James. Vladyka looked at Bethany verses and prose as if they were children’s exercises, reading in passing and not all of them. That I am forgotten, by the way, I don’t want to untimely remind the world; I hope it deigns to do so. It is good to make the instructions about the teaching at Bethany Seminary known, especially regarding Theology. But are they written off in order? In terms of content, they should begin with the lower classes. Are the instructions on how to stand in church accurately copied in all parts? I wish to have an answer to these questions before returning the manuscript. Hilary is worthy of the cross. But there is a fear that in St. Petersburg they would not consider that four hieromonks in the Lavra have already been awarded crosses, which has never happened before in the Nevsky Lavra. – There is a doubt about the other. I am disposed to console Varlaam. But isn’t it necessary to take a little look at what kind of success he will have in Mahra, and make sure that he doesn’t end up in Mahra like he ended up in the monastery. Forgive me for my thoughts that do not agree with yours in everything. I am inclined to reason in part, because I must. I approved Serebrenikov’s bargaining: for the enemy acted not in truth, but in cunning. Didn’t you have a special thought when sending me an icon of St. Sergius of rather large size? I already have one in my cell that I received last year. We have a small chrome one in the church: but the iconostasis is built on it, in accordance with the other. Read, Father Viceroy, the attached paper. This is a draft letter to me from the wife of Semyon Loginovich. He wants to give the monastery land and shops that bring in about a thousand rubles in silver income, so that this belongs to the monastery itself, and not to the Lavra, and so that the monastery for this occasion receives firmness, independent of the arbitrariness of my successors. It seems to me that such a request can be presented to the S. Synod, and, moreover, modestly tell the origin of the monastery, with possible precaution against possible punishment for founding it without permission. Tell me your opinion. The Odigitrievskaya novice is coming to you, Father Viceroy. Demand from her a plan and a draft petition for the addition of two chapels to their church: and give me advice on this matter. Her boss and sister are in poor health. It would not have happened to start a business and stop at the ruins. It is not reliable to rely on investors. One depositor built a church over the gates for them: and then she got married, and therefore she will hardly care for the Lord as much as before. Rebuilding the main altar seems completely unnecessary to me. And the dome is not a matter of necessity. The facade is burdened with unnecessary decorations that will cost a lot of money. However, the plan is plausible. Give me and them a good and useful thought. I present to you, Father Viceroy, Veniaminov, the son of the Right Reverend Kamchatka. I won't talk about him. Age itself; he talks about himself. I will only say: give him the convenience of spending a few days in peace and profit in the Lavra. May Christ the Lord grant you, Father Vicar, and the brethren frequent and complete joy in His Nativity that saves us. I got an idea of ​​the forest: and I was perplexed. Shouldn't the quantity be reduced so that it doesn't harm the request? It is less convenient to refuse a moderate request: and if one can imagine the request as not moderate, it is easy to refuse altogether. Should I write to the count, or directly to the Emperor? It is not very possible to be sure that the count will decide to immediately report to the Emperor: and if he starts the matter with relations, it will easily be spoiled. There was no doubt about writing directly to the Emperor before: but now one can doubt whether this free movement outside the official order will be condescendingly accepted. Think, calling upon the help of St. Sergius, and tell me your thoughts on the questions now proposed. The viceroy father should rejoice and be at peace, and so should the brethren. Listen to the Skovorodsky monk Alexy, about him and his son, and judge what can be done according to his wishes. It seems to me that his path is not quite harmonious. Meanwhile, Semyon Loginovich intercedes for him. Judge and tell me what you think. I apologize a lot to you, Father Viceroy, and I apologize for not writing for a long time. Since the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, pain in the back, felt especially when bending over and reclining, has forced me to increase the time of rest so that it does not intensify during services, and is relieved after fatigue in services. Having rested after the Day of Epiphany, I feel better today. Thank you for telling me Dr. Bryzgalov’s calming review about the internal seizure you feel at times. Without contradicting his judgment, I nevertheless imagine questions: did the body after a year remember the significant removal of blood through leeches, and because of this, part of the blood now seems to be in excess and moves incorrectly? And the direction of this movement towards the heart, and some retention of the movement, is not partly a consequence of the once, perhaps, intensely intense exercises of internal prayerful self-deepening? Forgive me if these questions seem ignorant to you, as well as the next one that stems from them: is it not necessary to pay attention to the fact that internal spiritual movements occur more in peace and silence than in intense self-excitation? Bear with my sick reasoning and give me the best medical advice. That on the day the doctor arrived you did not feel what was bothering you, I think it was because the presence of the doctor calmed you from your previous worries, and a feeling of some pleasure gave free movement to your nervous spirit and blood. January 9. I wanted to continue: but they won’t let me at all; and the time of departure comes. Peace and health to you. Peace and brothers. Today I was at the University for the festival of the local church. He performed the liturgy and prayer service, but left the university ceremony out of exhaustion. Now I’ve rested: but I don’t know whether I’ll write to you much. Tell brother Philaret that while he was the wandering Philip, he was responsible for himself: and now we must answer for him. Then his desire controlled him: let us assume that it was according to a spiritual man: but now it is necessary to control him by obedience. He made a sacred vow to this and pledged to fulfill it. Therefore, if it is possible to bless him with a trip to Moscow, it should not be for a long time, and so that he does not make himself an object of curiosity, and does not attract the attention of the police, that is, he would not force us to answer for him. He needs to be in Moscow not in a robe, but in a cassock. It will no longer be official to call him a monk. Before the official order, he can only appear as a cassophore. It’s not very good that his cave monasticism was made public in Moscow. I reported the robberies on the road twice to the governor-general and once to the civil governor. Are there any consequences? Apparently, you were waiting for the Right Reverend Eusebius for the Nizhny Novgorod diocese. The Lord sent him to burnt-out Samara. I don’t know whether people thought good things for the Right Reverend Eusebius: but the Lord, I think, will arrange good things for the new diocese. May He help the ascetic. The vicar came with business. Sorry. You answer me what I wanted to ask you: however, I will propose another question of mine. The builder of the monastery demanded my opinion on the conversion of the Edinoverie monastery to a pan-Orthodox one. This monastery was one of the most notable schismatic monasteries. One must think that having turned from a schismatic to a fellow believer, he still attracts some attention from schismatics, and his surroundings are filled with them. Consequently, he represents a point from which it is more convenient than from other places and more necessary to act on schismatics. Having become pan-Orthodox, it will become more alien to schismatics than it is now, and consequently less useful for influencing them. Dissenters, having become fellow believers, easily enter into full communion with Orthodoxy: but when they are invited to join the same faith, they are afraid that after joining the church, the rituals of the same faith will gradually be taken away from them, and this fear is one of the obstacles to joining the same faith church. This fear should intensify when a striking example of the transformation of a Edinoverie monastery into a pan-Orthodox monastery appears. The government seems to have the thoughts expressed here. Therefore, I advised the abbot of the same faith to remain with the monastery of the same faith, not to doubt the blessing of the Orthodox Church given to him, and to try to make a sacrifice to God for his previous deviation from the Church by converting those who deviated. To the objection that there were no capable people, I replied that we could ask the authorities, not as a general rule, but as an exception due to a special need, to identify several people from the Orthodox clergy, or from seminary students, those who would be diligent in acting missionarily from the monastery against schismatics. Priests for the churches of the same faith are given from the pan-Orthodox churches: why not do the same for monasteries with the same goal? You don't seem to be of my opinion, and your objection is that monks of the same faith are not moral. I answer: this happens to the Orthodox too; both need to be corrected. Moreover, I propose to reinforce the Edinoverie monastery with reliable Orthodox people. Archimandrite Gerasim, a fellow believer, would not have been able to convert schismatics as much as he did if he had become not a fellow believer, but a general Orthodox; and, being a fellow believer, he would have succeeded even more if secular officials had not valued schismatic money more than Orthodoxy. Therefore, I ask again: is my opinion true? and if not, then enlighten me. About the Crimean Athos, both before and now, I think one thing: if God pleases to send a certain Abba there, and this dignity is recognized in him: then he will attract people who will find some local conveniences, and will endure some inconveniences. But our declarations and ceremonies will not build Athos. However, may the Lord grant His help to the sacred and monastic order. I still miss that I don’t write to you often, and I still don’t have time. Pray for me. You promised to paint me icons. Although you sent it in the meantime, I am in need again. The vicegerent father rejoices in the Lord. The same goes for the brethren. Thank you for the drawings. The icon of the Kazan Mother of God seems better to me than the one from which it was taken. Only the face of the Savior presents an expression that is not very pleasant. In the icon of the Mother of God, the joy of all who mourn, there is good and there is unsatisfactory, and namely, the very face of the Mother of God. I forgot to tell you about the drawing of the siege. The case was well chosen. But I don’t know whether those in the know will approve of the artistic arrangement of objects. It seems to me that the battle could have been laid out more simply, and at the same time more natural and understandable. However, do not hesitate to follow my opinion if you see it differently. The death of St. Sergius, who promised to live with the Monk, is a dispensation of God, and one must think that the Lord will accept his feat, albeit a short one. But who is he and what is his rank? You preach to me about a comforting incident, in which the way of God is visible; and I have the need to tell you about the human path, which is not entirely straight. Last Sunday at nine o'clock in the evening I heard a scream at the other end of the house and sent Parthenius to find out what it was. Parthenius got scared and sent Svyatoslavsky instead, but he himself did not come with an answer. After some time, Svyatoslavsky came and said that the scream was from a quarrel between M. and the cab driver, that M. had torn the coat of the official who had arrived with him, and that now M. had locked himself in, apparently gone to bed. Svyatoslavsky added that M. is sober and quiet: and not sober on the contrary... The next day, M., in response to my question, said that he was with his protege: he celebrated well after the priestly service, and set a good example for his protege! And he told the housekeeper that he didn’t remember anything. When I reminded M. of the previous incident: he answered; you won't hear; but that same day after dinner I heard that he had forgotten the promise he had made in the morning. I am not pleased with the insincerity of the housekeeper, who, knowing the dangerous side of M.’s character, did not reveal it to me. If it were not for the violent cry: I would not have known anything until outside authorities reported about the brethren of my metochion, just like before this about the brethren of the Donskoy Monastery and the Jerusalem metochion. For your part, advise the steward not to treat his boss like a wolf when the boss wants to treat his subordinates like brothers. Send the hierodeacon whom you have already proposed to take M’s place. If you don’t want to go to Moscow: let your will be done. Thank God if this is not necessary for your health. But if you notice that the blood was reduced last year, but is not reduced now, you worry: wouldn’t it be useful to reduce it a little now? and then by movement and similar means achieve that in another year nothing special will be required? I ask: but it’s not my place to answer. Nestor may look like a chief deacon to the eyes, but Theodoret does not look like both the eyes and the ear. When I asked them if any of them wanted to stay at the farmstead: Nestor replied that he was glad to obey, but was unwell, and asked to stay to consult with a doctor. But how I need to have someone: I return Nestor to you only so that he can take what he needs and come to live, serve and be treated, for a long time, or for a short time. I think it wouldn’t be bad to have more than one in this place for a long time; and change one for the other, so that they don’t get too used to the city, and don’t forget the monastery. I think it’s not difficult to find two for this. On the issue of Edinoverie monasteries, thank you for what you said that was useful, although not all pleasant. I had the Reverend Anthony, former vicar of Volsky, now Novgorodsky. And he says that the government wants to keep the Edinoverie monastery Edinoverie for missionary purposes: but that the monastery has lost the opportunity to achieve this goal. The monastery in question will now, it seems, be in the Samara diocese: it will need an Orthodox monastery. This may be an opportunity to transform it at will. Tell this to the monastery builder. M. tell him to have peace; Apart from the move, nothing unpleasant was done to him. But I think I couldn’t do otherwise. Father Superior of Sarov was with me yesterday and listened to our all-night vigil; and now he served with me. He praises Lavra, and I say that I am grateful to you for this. And the Makhrishchi builder, whom I also ordered yesterday to be invited to serve with me, was not at home, it seems, not at home and spent the night. And it’s not my fault that I wasn’t in contact with him on the holiday. I can’t get to the description of Bethany again, because of many more obligatory matters. Several letters of the late Emperor Paul to Vladyka Plato, I have separated those that are more convenient than others to allow for publication: but I doubt I will decide. Law enforcement officers do not see the evil that often comes out of printing houses: but they diligently look for guilt where there is none. Do you know that we were guilty, and they made the censor guilty when they printed in the reports about the visit of the Lavra by the Grand Dukes? - For there was even before the highest order not to write anything about the Imperial family, without first contacting the Minister of the Court. And that’s why it was published very late about the Grand Dukes’ visits to other places. No remark was made to me for this: but the censor almost did not have a remark, and therefore the Highest permission was asked to print only about arrivals and departures without communicating with the minister. Therefore, if we print the Emperor’s letters, not official, but friendly, it will probably not go unnoticed and they will probably be taken away from us. So, what would you advise you to do? You suggested that Philip-Filaret be tonsured. Agree. Is he hello? Is Khariton alive? And Matthew? You dressed me up as an intercessor for the Diveevskys and Joasaph to the Eminence of Nizhny Novgorod. But now it is not the one they expected, and there will be no place for my petition. And o. Abbot of Sarov says that the Diveyevoskys are doing too much, for example, building a fence, as he says, about three miles away. About Joasaph, I was sorry to hear from him that in the book about Fr. Seraphim was allowed completely unfair circumstances, such as the fact that the icon in which Fr. Seraphim saw a vision, no one knows where; but it exists; that at the place of death of Fr. Seraphim built a church, and it was built before. Here, Father Viceroy - what I stopped expecting - the Right Reverend of Nizhny Novgorod is here, and travels to the Monk Sergius. Receive him, encourage him to peacefully offer prayer and view the Lavra, give him peace and treat, and bless him with the icon on behalf of the Lavra and the abbot. I ask about Chariton, Matthew and Filaret: and you, it seems, have not yet received my question, answering. May the Lord help them, each according to his need. The adventure with Matthew, I think, is more than an act of imagination. And it is likely that if he had remained at his prayer, and by speaking his speech had not touched the dark atmosphere that was approaching him, he would not have suffered suffocation and coughing. It seems to me that when attacked by dark forces, a person who prays internally is like someone imprisoned in a solid fortress; and he who turns his speech to those who oppose him is like one who makes a sortie, which is possible for the strong, but dangerous for the weak. I doubt taking another hieromonk. The hierodeacons have income from St. Petersburg, but he will not. Moreover, the housekeeper, in addition to holiday services with me, serves only on Friday and Saturday, and then not often, but more often he takes the hieromonk from Chudov, which has not yet encountered any difficulties. It is useful when a person has enough to do and little idleness. Think about this and, if necessary, make an objection. Having been fighting a cold for a long time, today I started taking the medicine according to your prescription. On the eve of Lent, I bow to you, Father Vicar, and brethren, and ask for forgiveness and prayers of assistance, calling upon you, for what you require, grace-filled forgiveness from the Lord and soul-satisfying and soul-satisfying success in the feat ahead. Your letter dated 5 days, and another of an unknown date, were received by me yesterday 14 days in the evening. The idea of ​​renting 400 acres of land for 800 rubles. silver does not make me decisive. Whether there might be a benefit, I cannot calculate: but I know that there may be years that will not justify the preliminary calculation. Who will do the processing? It is necessary to hire: here again there are not quite definable calculations and cases of difficulties. Who will be the main manager of this economy? – You already have a lot to do. And I doubt that the housekeeper will fully master this matter. How long have I been? “The successor, perhaps, will grumble at me for this.” I vote not to embark on this enterprise. If you can refute me: test it; but I don’t know if I’ll be convinced. I thank God for what he gives, I do not greatly desire benefits: but I am very afraid of difficulties and intimidation, especially in uncertain times and more threatening than promising. I will try to ask the head of the ward G.I. Today before lunch I wrote to you, Father Viceroy, that I managed to break away from people. However, I continue. You want to accept Hierodeacon V., about whom the Chernigov Consistory says that he is proud against the abbot and the brethren. Will it be good? Red wine and flour for prosphora were sent to the monastery. I ordered the economy to be given for departure. And with this I am sending you a note about whom they ask you to pray. It seems that I had heard about the patient whose strange changes you describe before, and gave me the idea to seek help from the Saints, and not from doctors. Blessed is the power of the holy, which so conveniently overcomes the power of the enemy, and is perfected in our weakness. But how pitiful is a person who cannot hold back the power of light that has already visited him! And how conveniently the belly of hell is approaching! May the Lord still show His holy power, through the intercession of the Most Holy Virgin and St. Sergius, over the humble prayers offered for those in need out of love for mankind. The icon of St. Sergius, small, beautiful. The icon of the coronation of the Mother of God is good, but I am not so attracted by this image, which is not composed according to the East, although it is auspicious. If you wish, return these icons to me after consecration with small salaries, having arranged these with my money, and giving from me to those who painted the icons a reward not stingily. The drawing of those sent by St. Sergius to Moscow is good. I offer a comment on the inscription. I remember in the chronicle after the words: I sent three ambassadors, etc., it was added: and when you saw them, you defeated them. If so: then adding these words to the inscription will make the picture more clear. I rejoice with you, Father Vicar, and the brethren, that God has vouchsafed us all to gather around the Lord’s table and partake of the body and blood of the Lord. Let us all pray for each other, let us not turn our hearts away from the fellowship we have entered into, and let us preserve within ourselves the life that has visited us. My sensitivity to fasting decreased so much that I could be in Chudov for Great Compline, and the church was full from the first day, as on a great holiday. This partly consoles when otherwise brings despondency and fear. On Sunday evening, the elders of the German club complained to me that the Russians wanted to interrupt their German Maslenitsa on Tuesday. I told the Governor-General about this. He forbade there to be a ball in the house of the merchant meeting that day. The Germans again complained that the Russians did not abandon their intentions, but only wanted to move to another house. I don't know how it ended. Apparently you think that you need to fight with me and defeat me in order to achieve the consecration of the cave church: because the Right Reverend Jeremiah was called to help. But I didn’t think about fighting when I put it aside to test the terrain in winter. You say that the caves are damp for me: but do not say whether it is dry enough so that there is no difficulty in storing the shrine, especially the holy gifts. It is good for the sanctification of the church of those who have departed to be carried out without the rumor of outsiders. If you like, it is also fair that I, not an ascetic at all, should not be at the consecration of the church for ascetics, or at least those who want to be such. But the charter forbids the consecration of the church during Lent. True, I once broke this rule by allowing the consecration of the church during Lent: but this was due to, I think, a very blessed fault, in order to provide the parish of the burned church with both comfort and convenience in using the shrine during Lent and Easter. For cave dwellers there is no such urgent need. Allow me this objection. I am sending a stale note from Zherdev’s wife about the ticket. I remember I wrote to you about this. But notice whether satisfaction is made. Books sent to the monastery in my cells. Thank you for the icons. But you don’t write: are they sanctified? Tell the treasurer to give the editor my money for three copies of the T.S.O. with delivery of one to me, the other to Andrei Nikolaevich Muravyov, the third to the Spasoborodinsky Monastery. I just read in your letter that the fever is holding Fr. Filaret, from thoughts that were drawing him to Moscow, came to me and announced that he was fired for 20 days. I told him that it would be nice not to be in Moscow for so long; because there was a time when he was free to fly like a bird, and now he has taken upon himself a title whose regulations must be followed with obedience. He somehow did not express himself clearly about his tonsure, saying that it was offered to him, and that it happened, as if by accident. Then he expressed a desire to evade his fellow prisoners. I believe that this is out of humility: however, I did not hear this carelessly. I told him that if we only looked at our own insufficiency: then we could all run away from our positions; but we must look at the will and dispensation of God, and where they are placed by the providence of God, there, if possible, work and act. O. May the Lord help Matthew and Chariton, as the message Himself. Glory to God, who saved the monastery from a great disaster. But why complain about a wooden building when the resident is at fault. Let's assume that the building was made of stone. But if the novice had placed a burning candle close to the caftan, the caftan would also have caught fire, and from it the ceiling, which is also wooden in stone buildings. You can plaster the building from the inside if you like: but you must carefully place the burning candle and do not leave it when leaving the cell. It would be good, I think, if the candlesticks were low, made of iron, with a wide base. What happened next with the sick prince? Has the healing been established and the seizures have not recurred? About time I didn’t write to Eusebia, hoping that I didn’t need a reminder. I also offered him to celebrate the liturgy in the Lavra, if he wished. I don’t know yet how you got it. I would like to hear if you are completely healthy. May the vicegerent father rejoice and be well in the Lord. I hear that you have a cough. I wish that it would not be there when you receive this. And if there is: then I ask you to take care and give yourself peace. Don’t argue with me about the time of the consecration of the cave church: and you don’t answer my questions. According to Filaret, I think that the dampness is great, and especially now. Therefore, it seems better to let the spring air come. Meanwhile, you can imagine the resolution, as you thought. In Moscow the wanderer Matthew is seen with a bird and a staff, which he says he received from Philip. And you, I remember, wrote to me that the bird and Philip’s staff are in the sacristy. It seems like that would be better. I am returning a letter from an unknown person about the courtyard. It begins with a noticeable untruth. Is it likely that a person came from St. Petersburg to talk to you about many things, and just because you were busy, he left without trying to come to you another and third time? This shows that the writer of the letter is trying to reject the idea that he is one of his own, and thereby conveys the idea that he is one of his own. One thing, in all likelihood, is true that from the reconstruction of the Beloselsky house, the wall of which is separated from the wall of the church, it seems, by less than two fathoms, the wall of the church, which is not the original structure of the building, was damaged, but was built by Metropolitan Plato, less firmly than the original structure of the house. But it is hardly possible to recover from the Beloselskys for this damage. It is necessary to ask the housekeeper whether the church was damaged by the reconstruction of the Beloselsky house, and whether the cornice fell. Based on the answer, you can judge what to do next. Your Eminence Neophyte should now be with you. Talk to him frankly about whether he is happy with the courtyard and what he noticed there. Meanwhile, the question suggested above must be addressed to the economist in such a way as not to disturb him. God will bless Abel for his zeal for St. Sergius, if he remains faithful. But shouldn’t he already be made a clergyman? Is the lack of language such that it prevents this? I want to know what you learn from the Most Reverend Neophyte about the metochion. I don't see Filaret. He settled somewhere in a private house. I thought about offering him adoption in Chudov, but I still don’t know if there is a place, and I don’t see him. Rejoice and good health to the Father Viceroy. A certain Natalya Karetnikova complained that three icons of her works were accepted into the cave church, but the third, the heavenly Powers, was painted differently on the other side of the board. She also presented a drawing. When I explained to her that what I had done was fair and pointed out the incorrectness of the drawing, she replied that Father Philip ordered her to write it that way. Why does he allow his wisdom to make arbitrary orders in a matter that should be done according to church tradition, and which he has not delved enough into to manage reliably? – Baroness Rosen said that he was with her. And then it occurred to me: if it’s hard to be with fellow cave dwellers, is it more necessary to be with the boyars? Forgive my thoughts: and when he returns, tell him a useful word. I don’t see him after the first day of arrival. There are a lot of coughs here too. And it happens to me that after a day spent quietly at home, a cough appears at night. One Kursk landowner told me something extraordinary about the storm that happened last November, during which many people froze. Some saw this not as a simple natural phenomenon, but as a sign. Those caught up in the storm fell into a kind of dreamy state. One, who remained alive, with damage to some of his limbs, said that he undressed several times, not now understanding why. One, walking from the city, having bought wheat bread with him, spent ten days in the snow without eating it: he ate only snow, because an old man appeared to him, forbade him to eat bread and ordered him to eat only snow, which he did, and felt heat, not cold. It seems that a hunting dog opened it; They dug him out, brought him into the house, and when they carelessly fed him, he was unconscious for several days, and then healthy. A peasant woman with her daughter and a peasant woman were riding on a horse; the horse froze, and the peasant woman, and the daughter; and the one-yard woman, worse dressed, remained alive, and only chilled the leg on which the frozen minor was sitting. The survivor says that she saw terrible ghosts, some of which attacked her and left a mark on her face, but disappeared when she began to pray. Among the storm and blizzard there was lightning and thunder. Have you asked Eminence Neophytos about the courtyard? – I asked: does he approve of brotherhood; and I didn’t notice anything untoward in the church; only says the plaster in one place seems to have been damaged. He also said that Sh.’s neighbor often goes to church, and takes care of it and lights the candles himself. Therefore, it must be unfair that the nameless one wrote about the ugliness of the church. The vicegerent father rejoices in the Lord. The idea of ​​the general's daughter, Maiden A., made it difficult for me. This matter does not belong to the established Council. She came to me and asked to join the Orthodox Church in the Lavra, imagining that there, through the prayer of St. Sergius, she received relief from her illness. Respecting this, I replied that although the order requires that this be done through the parish clergy, in the parish church, however, out of respect for this circumstance, if she writes to me, I will give instructions to Archpriest Golubinsky to do this in the Trinity Cathedral of the Lavra. Then she came to me: but I could not accept her, but told her that she could write to me what she needed. She wrote not what was expected, but that she wanted to see me; but again I could not accept it. Meanwhile, it came to my attention that her sister joined Orthodoxy in the Trinity-Arbat Church; that her disposition is doubtful, and even that she is postponing her intention 8 . Therefore, I instructed the Trinity-Arbat archpriest, who joined her sister to Orthodoxy, to enter into communication with her, make sure of her disposition, and invite her to join his church. When he wanted to start this: she left for the Lavra. In her petition to the Council, she does not mention the reason that she presented to me for the annexation to take place in the Lavra: and this also casts doubt on whether she affirms her actions on a solid basis. Therefore, I consider it necessary to pause and take time so that the firmness and directness of its position can be more satisfactorily seen. The resolution that I gave at the report of the Council, whether to announce it or leave it unknown, I submit to your consideration. For those seeking communion with the Orthodox Church, it seems that there will be no trouble if, in order to fulfill her intention, she comes to the Lavra again in time, or fulfills it in Moscow. For the healing of the maiden, glory to the wondrous God in His holiness. I saw the free prince, neither awake nor dozing. However, his wife is pleased with the relief she has in following him. May the merciful Lord complete what he began. Strange adventure of a peasant widow 10. But the question may be: was the alien unclean spirit a dream, or was the departed soul attracted by earthly passion? I read a case, or heard, that a deceased mother came every night to the remaining baby and, apparently, breastfed him. During the day the baby did not take milk, and after a few days, eating only dreamy food, he died. Truly, a person walks between nets supplied by the enemy, and knits nets for himself, or strengthens the enemy’s with his passions. Break, O Lord, the snares, and deliver every Thy creation. The icon of the heavenly powers is well composed. But what was the use of labor to deliver it? I told the offended icon painter that God, who accepts intentions, accepted her sacrifice, although the fulfillment of the intention did not correspond to expectations; and yet the three icons she painted actually entered the church. Now I don’t know where to find her to show her the icon. Thank you for the blessing from the monastery’s labors. The work is good. I appeal to Fathers Matthew and Chariton for God’s help. What is disapproving about the request for cemetery service is that it seems to have been written by the hand of the cemetery priest, and, noticeably, he is inciting the petitioners. I demand a file from the Consistory. I congratulate you and myself on your twentieth anniversary at the Lavra. I thank St. Sergius, to whom I entrusted this matter at the beginning, so that he would arrange it and continue to patronize it. May the Lord continue to arrange it so that it will not be difficult for you to bear the burden of the Lavra, and at the same time, my infirmities. And now may your sorrow be sweet for the suffering Lord, and then may your joy be blessed for the risen Lord. Your letter from the 3rd day arrived at the house at night from 4 to 5, and the 5th day did not reach me early in the morning, so if I had been forced to write then, I would not have had time to send it before the liturgy. That’s why I’m writing this evening. And since a lot of time has already been lost, sending it by express would hardly have had an advantage over tomorrow’s mail. May the Lord guide the soul of Fr. S. on the path of light and peace. But it’s a pity that the intention was changed from good to mediocre, if not worse. It would be more in order for a monk to dispose of the property acquired in the world for the benefit of the worldly; but what was acquired by the grace of St. Sergius righteously would have been completely left to the children of St. Sergius, and if sick, then together a work of love for mankind would have been done, capable of being remembered at the judgment of Christ. It would be good if you explained this to him, and he accepted it when there was time to freely talk about it. Now, when you find it inconvenient to object to his orders, so as not to embarrass him in perhaps decisive moments, all that remains is to carry out what he now demands. And what remains when the Lord calls him, calling on God for help, then we will think about whether to take upon ourselves to fulfill his first will before the last. I find it difficult to decide what to do regarding Mr. A. When I told the Trinity-Arbat archpriest that it was good for her to join Orthodoxy in his church, following the example of her sister, he expressed a desire to get rid of this, fearing her disposition. I feel sorry for the cave novice. “And why didn’t you tell me his name to remember him?” Isn't it necessary to use more tests and precautions when allowing this kind of life to happen? Has Filaret returned? For Moscow monasteries, a strict order was received from the S. Synod regarding leaving the monastery. This is allowed only to officials, and then with a note in a book, in which, among other things, it is ordered to write down in what form they returned. As if meekness will come upon us, and we will be punished. I mentally give a kiss to you, Father Viceroy, and to the brethren of the monasteries, as a sign of communion in the joy of the Risen Lord. Let us glorify the One who gives us new life, and with gratitude for the gift, let us excite ourselves in the renewal of life. And let us mutually pray about this for each other, as for ourselves. Your prayer for me is already evidenced by your writing, which I accepted with consolation and gratitude. On instructions, I am sending 150 rubles. With. to the monastery for the commemoration of Evdokia and Nicholas. Thank you, Father Viceroy, for the holy artos, delighted and nourished by the gracious memory of the risen Lord and the prayer and shrine of the church. Your reasoning about artos came to me on Saturday evening: and on Sunday morning Theoktist appeared with artos. There was no time to reason, but it was necessary to let him carry out his assignment. If God tells me to be in the Lavra: remind me to talk about this. May the Lord rest the soul of Father Simeon. I don’t write anymore; because I was tired after the service, and I still need to be at dinner with the Governor General. Why are you silent about the cave church? “Now it would be, I think, timely to consecrate it, as was supposed, with silence, until the tide of people increased.” I have long forgotten to tell you that I spoke with the head of the Chamber of State Property about the exchange of the Bethany land, and he promised to satisfy it. What do you think about the sacristan job? “It occurs to me to regret that you did not earlier take into the Lavra Hieromonk V., who came from Siberia as a priest and now serves in my courtyard. He behaves quietly and prudently; and if he had been with you before and had been formed, he would have been fit for purpose. Only in poor health. I would like to visit you after the 23rd day; but I don’t know if I will find it possible due to my strength and deeds. Not only to come to you after the 23rd day: but I couldn’t even get ready for Pererva. The weather is not favorable and I have a cold when at home. Peace to the soul o. Simeon, and thanksgiving that even after his death he serves the Lavra, edifying his spiritual son 11. As for the will, it would be more convenient for me to resolve the matter if the Council expressed its opinion, which is what ordinary procedure requires: but you place responsibility on me alone before Fr. Simeon. I think that I will decide to base myself on the law, which does not give force to the wills of monastics, and on the fact that the first will of the deceased is also a testament, and moreover, more useful for his soul. Yes or no? Pray for Simeon Longinovich. His illness is not easy to cure. I sent an idea of ​​the land he was donating to the monastery; and especially wrote to the count, explaining the matter and urging him to a favorable decision. Thank you, Father Viceroy, for your compassionate remembrance of me when I was sick. Pray that I will accept punishment and be admonished for the better. From the 6th day until now I have been in a forced position. My head and teeth ached from the cold, and my cheek was swollen. Some days were difficult. After about two hours, it seems to me that the illness recedes, and the body perceives its characteristic activity, hitherto oppressed by the illness. Thank you o. Anastasia. He is not separated from me, except for the time during which he himself is treated with water. Glory to God that the humble of the earth are diligently flocking to the Lord and His saint. May the gaze of the Lord’s mercy rest on their simple hearts, and may it not look furiously at us, who know better, but do not do. I want to come to you: but I don’t know whether the illness will go away soon. And I will hardly celebrate the feast of St. Alexis. Thank God for Fr. Simeon good signs and news from the invisible region. But I am not ordered to do much: but there is an inevitable task - the resolution of daily requests and cases. I am returning to you, Father Viceroy, letters to Vladyka Plato, selected for publication. Talk about them with me, if God wills, in the Lavra. God's blessing and peace to the vicar father and brethren. I thank you and the brethren for the good dispensation, and you for taking care of my weakness. We reached Moscow safely before the all-night vigil. I forgot in my room, in the closet that stands towards the side of the church, a watch in a small case. If the right case occurs, send it; and if you don’t find it, save it, God willing, for me. To the viceroy father God's blessing and much peace, and so also to the brethren. To the Lord, who has mercy and preserves, I arrived safely in Moscow on Wednesday, and to my church before the Cherubic hymn. And today I was very exhausted in my service in Zaikonospassky. I received your letter dated 12 noon. You are very merciful to me when you imagine how I should be and speak as if I already am. But I don’t imagine being a worthless person—awaken my laziness with reminders. I will write about places and people later. Now I bid you farewell to the Athonite hieromonk Theodoret, who, with the permission of the S. Synod, came to Russia to ask for benefits for the St. Andrew's monastery. Accept him and put him to rest. We will talk about the benefit later, when he receives the book from the S. Synod. What you have heard about the subjugation of Mount Athos to Greece is unfair. And what is new for Athos is that the Patriarch of Constantinople takes profitable real estate estates from some rich Athos monasteries for his own needs. Colonel Semyonov recalls his request that something be given from the Lavra to the church he built in Georgia. I don’t remember what we said about this. Remember. And isn’t it possible to do it without delay? Alexey Ivanovich Lobnov goes to the Lavra and wants to stay not in the hotel, but in my secretary’s room. Fulfill his wish. O. Filaret came to me an hour before this and brought your letter. Without reading your letter yet (so that he would not think that I was speaking as a consequence of the letter), I told him that I did not really like his frequent trips to Moscow, as they were not quite consistent with his current situation, and were hardly useful to him. He imagined the reason for this, as before, was that he found himself unsatisfactory for the cave brethren. I tried to resolve this thought and asked him what he would do in Moscow. He replied that he wanted to go to Murom. I note that for this you need a passport; and I ask if he told you about this. He answers that this thought came to him on the road. This gave me a reason to tell him more urgently that he is now no longer a bird without a nest, flying wherever he wants, as he was before; but has a blessed nest, which one must hold on to, and one must refrain from arbitrary flights. After this conversation, he admitted that, confused by his thoughts, he wanted to completely go somewhere to live in the unknown; but what does this thought leave now? Pray that the Lord will give him peace. I would not think of assigning ownership rights to the foundation of the Podsosenskaya church on the basis of a purchase: because not much was paid. But the priest did not have the right to sell it without permission, and for worldly use. We can take it according to the right and rule of the church, so that the church does not turn into the worldly. I will make an order about this. I am sending you lithographed views of the Kyiv Lavra. The view of the church and bell tower is presented well, almost better than in real life. And in the image of the Dormition of the Mother of God, art, it seems, is not enviable. I am sending my sermon in two editions so that you may know that the one that came directly from my hands agrees with the one that went through ordeals still unknown to me. At the same time there will be an envelope addressed to Archpriest Klementyevsky. Don't hesitate to give it back. Peace and salvation to the viceroy father and brethren. Now I received it and looked at the drawing. I agree to its use. Are only the charters hung under the two side paintings necessary, and won’t they sting the eyes? And if they are: then what will be written on them? Under the picture of the Presentation you can write: Lord, if I have found grace before You, do not deprive Your servant. And under the picture of the prayer conversation: Will you not spare the whole place of fifty for the sake of the righteous? 13 Or: Abraham said: Now I have begun to speak to my Lord, but I am earth and ashes 14. I order you to return the drawing as soon as possible. Blessings from the Lord to the viceroy father and brethren. Today I have time to write to you, because although I gave my word to be in Novospassky, I had to refuse in the morning, unable to muster the strength. May you celebrate this day in peace. I don’t want to, but I must say that I don’t expect to be in the monastery for the 17th day. They said that we had to wait for the Sovereign Emperor for 21 days: but now they are terminating it. Apparently, you can go and not be late returning: but it’s not good to be tired at such a time. This day makes me think that I can come to you without benefit. At the entrance to the Trinity porch on the outer walls, I doubt whether it is possible to paint icons. If they are not quite high, this does not promise both appearance and safety. In addition, if the Sovereign Emperor visits, He will remember that there were no icons here, and, perhaps, will not approve of the news, which is unusual for His eyes. We need to talk about this on the spot. God bless Georgiy Florov's clothes in the Rasophore. The nieces of the late Fr. I saw Macarius, and I carried out your advice. They didn’t tell me anything except that they wanted to stay in the monastery. And Princess Tsitsianova says that they want to move to the Alekseevsky Monastery. Without knowing their situation there, I don’t know if this is good. Although nothing is now known about the Most High and Distinguished Guests: however, in case, keep in mind whether anyone would deign to visit the Lavra. God's blessing and peace to the viceroy father and brethren. Celebrate peacefully and joyfully in honor of the Most Pure Mother of our Lord and Savior. Greet the brethren of the monastery from me on the holiday there. And that I myself will not be able to participate in this holiday, this now seems to be undeniable. Previously, they waited for the Supreme Arrival for 21 days; and now they've been waiting for 19 days. My health is unsatisfactory. Pray to our merciful patron Saint Sergius, may he add patience to my unworthiness, and may no one’s peace be disturbed by my weakness. Someone sent air for the skete church. They will be sent to you. We can’t find the colonel who asked for the icons. I told him at the Lavra to leave his address indicating his residence in Moscow. Do you have this address? The viceroy father and those in the Lavra and the monastery rejoice. May your current celebration be gracious and spiritually beneficial. In many ways, I am not destined to celebrate with you now. From the local holiday there was a cold left, for yesterday and today. It’s good that there was an opportunity to move the wooden building and calm the elders. Do this. Give the attached notebook to Fr. to the rector. The viceroy father and the brethren rejoice in the Lord. We are delighted by the safe arrival of the Sovereign Emperor and his family. And they met Him, thank God, safely. He deigned to tell me that on the day of the coronation he would listen to a prayer service in the Assumption Cathedral. To come to Moscow in order to pray in the coronation church on coronation day, in gratitude for the twenty-fifth anniversary, is a Christian royal celebration! Let it be known to you that the Empress Tsarevna expresses a desire to be in the Lavra. When is still unknown. With Her are Her two eldest sons. Prepare your icons. And see that my cells are clean and orderly. Thank you for the blessed bread from the skete holiday, and the handicrafts of the skete. Bow to them from me. First of all, I cannot help but tell you that after the 19th day, due to ill health, I abandoned the holiday in Donskoy, and only performed a religious service at home, thinking about those traveling; and after spending several difficult hours the next night, long after the predicted time, without hearing a sound from the railway announcing his arrival, he finally received notification that the Sovereign Emperor and His family had arrived safely, before midnight, and straight from the road they flocked to worship the Mother of God in the Iveron Chapel, and then to St. Alexy in Chudovo. From then until now, time has been blessed by the grace of God. 20 days after the meeting of the Sovereign Emperor in the cathedral, He deigned to announce to me that on the 22nd there would be a prayer service in the cathedral. And this happened yesterday solemnly and comfortingly. Thank you for supporting the idea I had about the tabernacle and contributing to its implementation. I received it on the 20th day; 21 days later he submitted a most loyal letter about her to the Emperor; in the evening, while in the Assumption Cathedral at the all-night vigil, he received the Highest rescript and mercy; and yesterday during the liturgy another, in which the Emperor expresses his favor to the Moscow clergy. Tomorrow we will thank God in a cathedral. But now I present to your attention those traveling to the Lavra, Elisaveta Feodorovna Chadayeva, and her sister, weakened from a fall and bad bone-setting. This latter, in addition to praying to St. Sergius, seems to desire consecration of oil. Find out from them their needs and arrange something useful. Note A letter without indicating the time when it was written; but from the contents of the letter, it is clear that it was written on August 23, 1851. Yesterday, after a table with the Sovereign Emperor, both the Empress and the Grand Duchesses expressed a desire to be in the Lavra. Cook in the Lavra in as many rooms as possible. Room o. Rectors will be needed for someone. If God wills for the Highest Visit to take place: then, probably, after the departure of the Sovereign Emperor and Sovereign Heir, to the south, therefore on September 3 or 4. But now there is a need. The Empress Tsesarevna is looking for and does not find the image of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga in order to bless the newborn. If you could find it in your workshop, hurry up and send it to me. Or, is it possible to prepare for Their arrival? Be aware of the fact that the Empress will probably visit the Lavra on the 3rd day of September, probably with Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna. I want to warn you: but in the presence of the Sovereign Emperor, you must not leave without His knowledge. I don't have his permission yet. You haven’t said everything about the consecration of churches without talking about the time. It is advisable for me to come to the Lavra for 21 days. Is it possible to go to Makhra in the morning on the 22nd and perform the consecration on the 23rd on Sunday? If possible: then you need to preface the builder. The weather is changing and is heading towards rain. But is it safe to go further into autumn? Think about this before my arrival. I inform you that I reached Moscow safely, thanks to the long-suffering of God, who did not break the broken reeds, and did not deprive me, in my weakness, of the consolation of conciliar prayers. That's all I can say, being under siege from many people and things. Thank you, Father Viceroy, both for the work of the service and for your concern for my weakness. To the viceroy father and brethren, peace from the Lord. Hello a lot. We are getting better little by little. Abbess Khotkovskaya made me a new offer for the Conception Monastery. Offered herself. But this is no longer the time to think freely. And it seems that this means making two difficulties out of one. I am sending us two rescripts to keep with similar ones. Peace to the Father Viceroy. The same goes for the brethren. You are welcome to Moscow. We will be waiting for you. God bless your path. O. The treasurer will carefully guard your guard. I approve of the idea of ​​arranging two lines of three novices to sing prayers at the relics of St. Sergius. The litany enclosed with your letter does not correspond to the number of the prayer service printed in the Book of Hours, and is incorrect in the composition of the speech. The printed rite contains one petition for the person praying. If you need to have two: then wouldn’t it be desirable for them to be pronounced, as written on the attached sheet of paper 15. You need to know the news that I have just heard. The tradesman Mikhail lived at the Gethsemane skete for eight months in a dugout, the first two months were like in paradise, and the rest with difficulty and insurance, from which he finally went to the skete, but even here he did not calm down, and came to another monastery to one elder for advice. This gave him advice to return to the monastery, reveal his fortune to the elder, and stay there under guidance. Did this happen and do you know? To the vicar father and brethren, God's blessing and peace are many. I rejoice, Father Viceroy, that your health has improved. I keep forgetting to give the lithographic paintings to Alexander Ivanovich. I hope to accomplish this today, having the opportunity to see him, probably for the last time. Difficult transformations in schools, begun in some Dioceses, also threatened us; but it seems they will see difficulties, and are already promising not to embarrass us too much. Thank God that a small misfortune in the refectory church was sent to arouse caution, and not a large one as a punishment for imprudence. There was a library and archive not far away. Getting rid of pigeons is inconvenient; I don't want to fight with us. But what other rubbish is on the vaults? Why would he be there? Use the instructions and tell them to make sure that there is no combustible rubbish in the attics. I am not sending you the picture of the Apocalyptic Vision yet, so as not to get caught in the rain. And the thought comes to mind that it wouldn’t be bad to have her in your eyes not as rarely as you can when she’s in the Lavra. I hear that Malyshev is undertaking to paint a few icons for St. Petersburg at first for the sake of experience: but I don’t see him. He wants to take one icon of the Mother of God from the Georgian Church to the Lavra. I think this can be arranged, especially if the icon is definitely one of the exemplary ones, and may not be useless for the school. Tell about. to the rector of the Academy that the stones of the stolen miter have been found, and they promise to find pearls; and after removing the jewelry, she was burned. The viceroy father and the brethren rejoice. Yesterday, Dmitry Petrovich Alekseev brought me, on behalf of his mother, a thousand silver rubles for the building being built in the Gethsemane monastery. I gave the money to the steward so that he could send it to you through the right means. Let the brethren pray for those who do good. Let us conclude from this that the doubt expressed about the promise of one hundred silver rubles to the deceased did not arise from a lack of pliability, but from the reasoning that happened at that time. You tell me about the manuscript: the description of Bethany: but I don’t know why. It seems that I did not receive any manuscripts from you. If I need to see her, send it. But as I have already read it, and next time I don’t really want to read it all: it wouldn’t be bad to say what the Censorship Committee especially paid attention to. Desire o. Archpriest Theodore about his son-in-law is such that I would take it as a find if it could be fulfilled. But the chance flew away. Knowing that the Khotkovskaya abbess was trying to have her deacon as a priest, which is doubtful for me, I ordered that, following the resolution on the removal of the Khotkovo priest from the place of the Khotkovo priest, I at the same hour wrote another about transferring the Fryanovsky dean to his place, who had the need to change the place, due to the eviction of a significant number of parishioners. He was already in Khotkovo with the decree when I received your letter. Is it possible to take to you an icon of praise to the Mother of God? I’ll make sure and write. Compiling a list of icons of Moscow churches that can be exemplary in art is a good idea. But through whom can it be fulfilled? I don’t see who I could rely on for this. It’s inconvenient for Malyshev to go to all the churches. If someone had compiled the list, then Malyshev’s view of some icons could have been taken into account. Look at the printed sheet sent with this from the description of Bethany. There are mistakes here: and there are indications of monuments, which are not all known to me. Is everything said about them true? I have the manuscript description of Bethany. But I would like, as I already wrote, to know what especially requires attention. The attached letter from Andrei Nikolaevich will show you, Father Viceroy, what gift he sent me, and I am passing it on to you. The student says that he is ready to perform the novice position that will be entrusted to him; If only they would give him housing and bread until he can appear for the exam at the Academy. Would you like to do an experiment? If he fulfills what he promises, I hope you will bear this temporary fruitless burden. If it happens that he does not behave as he should: then give him from me the required amount of money for the journey, and let him return to his homeland. I already wrote to you, Father Governor, that I found a description of Bethany. “It’s not so much fate that weighs down on him, but rather the wisdom of the writer.” I have already said that Lebanese verses are not suitable: he did not calm down; and wrote out others in which Metropolitan Plato is the Northern Deucalion, and he is also Apollo. Baroness Rosen asks me how to paint her an image of the resurrection of Christ in the monastery. I remember you wanted to give a drawing. Resolve this confusion. This autumn is extraordinary, and the disorder in which the vegetation is reduced almost threatens the coming spring. It happened that they looked at these irregularities as unfavorable signs. My grandfather, seeing a young branch of the apple tree blooming in September, raised an ax at it, and when interceding for it, he answered: why the accursed one at the wrong time? and cut down the industry. What is the position of the Bethany rye field? The housekeeper says that he sent you 1000 rubles today. Alekseev. It is necessary for the monastery builder to notify of receipt with gratitude. In the report of the Censorship Committee I see the second edition of the Treasury Book about the icons of the Mother of God. Why do this without affecting it? Having learned in good time, I would advise correcting the errors of the first edition. Please provide a description of the icons that could be examples located in the Lavra. I have already thought about ordering this through the dean: but I don’t quite hope that the matter will be done thoroughly. I rejoice that the heavenly Powers patronize the underground church. If I need a housekeeper at the farmstead: will you find me the housekeeper of Bethany Seminary? Other things, may peace be multiplied to you and the brethren. The matter of the housekeeper ended before it began, and this is how it happened. Several times the Ugresh abbot asked me to dismiss me from my position. The last time last spring, he brought a petition, but I agreed for him to stay in place until the consecration of the church, so that the change of leader would not seem unpleasant to the church builder. The church has been consecrated. I recently heard that the abbot was grumbling about my delay. Therefore, I was disposed to fire him and take this place as a housekeeper. But when he called the abbot and asked whether he wanted to be dismissed now, or after the restoration of another altar and iconostasis in the same church undertaken by the same contributor: the abbot volunteered to remain in place. The next day after this, the dean presented me with a letter from the investor, who also asks not to change the boss, so as not to complicate him in the undertaking. It was necessary to leave the abbot. Thank you for the pictures. They're good. The Father Viceroy rejoices. The same goes for the brethren. It is appropriate to thank Simeon Longinovich, and it is pleasant to see the disposition with which he acts. Today after the liturgy I went to see him, but I couldn’t find the strength and returned from the road. The almost continuous cold in my legs really upsets me. Abbess Apollinaria has given up her position and is traveling to St. Sergius. The strange state that had happened to her passed. Contemplating the state of temptation with the ordinary, she comes to the idea and desire that special prayers be performed over her. Enter into her state, and judge her thoughts, and, with the blessing of the Reverend, contribute to the pacification of her soul. Thank you for your remembrance of the day of my Angel, and for the prayers brought to me and for the blessing sent to me from the God-bearing Father and our patron Sergius. I always need the help of your prayers, and now and especially since my strength is weak. Extend your prayers for me, so that the decaying old man will not be deprived of inner renewal. Let us each seek this for ourselves with good deeds, and for each other with good desires. Pray, Father Viceroy, and ask the hermits to pray for God’s servant Evdokia, my mother. She is sick and suffering. It is not known why there is a tumor on the left shoulder: no dislocation is found, but the pain does not decrease even after eating leeches. I am sending a letter to Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna. Attach to similar ones. I am sending the case from Zadonsk. Should I write to the archimandrite now? If it’s time: then remind me. Hieromonk Justinian confused me. I ask: why is he going to Moscow: he answers: I don’t know; serve, or something. I am looking at your letter. It is named and nothing more is said. Finally I find an official report, which says that he is being sent to the courtyard, with my verbal consent. I know that they told me about it more than once: but I always put it off. I ask the housekeeper: did he announce my consent? When did I give it? He said: he didn’t announce. When you talked to me about this: I remember, I also put it off. And now I’m still not convinced that this is necessary. People keep hearing unfavorable words about our prayer services in Moscow and St. Petersburg. A certain lady says that the grave hieromonk during the liturgy prevented her from praying with questions. Sorry; I think that this could have happened from the simplicity of Hilary. But simplicity must not be without wisdom. I keep thinking that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to give each funeral celebrant an assistant, and divide the labors, and encourage the older one to look after the younger one, so that this would remind him to look after himself. Peace to Joseph's soul. Clean the cell. I think we need to tear up the floor and clean underneath. Do you hear what's happening in France? “The President, relying on the army, dispersed the national assembly. Whether they have mastered everything remains to be seen. One general in Lyons with 20,000 troops, and another in Nantes with 5,000 do not obey. Note. This letter preserved a handwritten draft reference, probably to the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod on the Zadonsk case. The relation is as follows: “I must admit that I am entering into someone else’s business, presenting to your Excellency the petition of the Tikhonovsky Society of Sisters of Charity, which has existed in Zadonsk for about forty years, without this name, and without legal approval, and now, according to the will of the founder Matrona Naumova, seeking legal approval. I know that the cause of philanthropy will receive attention and care even without intercession. With. However, I don’t know why Naumova, who wanted to use me to intercede in this matter, did not dare to refuse, partly because I heard about her charitable activities, partly because, after expressing the said desire, she died; and it is not as convenient for those who have gone to God to contradict and refuse as for those living on earth. If women's dormitories are awarded approval, with the goal only of the sisters' own quiet and pious life: then we can assume that no less; or even more, it is worthy of affirmation of a community that adds another goal to the above - to show philanthropy to our neighbors in need, And it is good that the Tikhonov hostel was formed not according to foreign models: but in the simplicity of the Orthodox and Russian spirit. The difficulty that is foreseen is that this society does not have sufficient material support. But this difficulty, in my opinion, is resolved by the fact that society in its very institution undertakes not to demand any benefits from the State Treasury and from the spiritual authorities. If it acts as a beginning, in the spirit of faith and trust in God: Russian charity will support it. And even if it were to happen (from which may God preserve) that it becomes scarce,” then this would not cause any difficulty to the authorities; members of society, as not bound by a lifelong vow, will return to the ranks to which they belong, and the life of society will fade away quietly, as quietly as it began. Entrusting the work of philanthropy to your philanthropy with s. p. and p.i. b.b. The communication between St. Sergius and St. Maximus is generally understood, as they are one in the Lord. But in the case you mentioned 16, it seems to me that it is clear. The Monk Sergius saw that for the soul he was benefiting, it was necessary to express the zeal of faith by deed: but the spirit of self-sacrifice and humility did not allow him to say: make an offering to me, and he turned the matter to the Monk Maxim. Or maybe there is something else why he turned to St. Maximus and not to anyone else. How unlucky were you to meet Fr. confessor: then he seems to you to be a source of unfavorable things. The case I wrote to you about is from another source that I know of. After the consecration of the church in the building, I was almost as sick as last spring. Pray for me. Last night the pain in my teeth and head kept me from sleeping. It became easier halfway through the day. Hello you. December 11. As I told you yesterday about my illness: I don’t think it’s superfluous to say what follows. I spent this night almost calmly; Now the pain has decreased, and, God willing, I hope it will end. God's blessing to the viceroy father, and to the brothers, and to good undertakings and deeds. About Hieromonk A. you and the builder need to know whether his dispositions and the life he has led to this day correspond to a reliable entry into the chosen feat of silence. If this is provided for, then God will bless the undertaking, with the limitation you have proposed. If you find that discretion is still required, then take some time for this: and his obedience in this will be counted as the beginning of the feat of silence. The Fathers teach us that anything begun without blessing is doubtful and unreliable. Therefore, I think that the case of Hieromonk S. needs to be made clear, whether he really has the blessing of Fr. Hilarion, or through a misunderstanding he thinks so. It is also necessary to consider whether it is okay for him to receive a blessing for his undertaking from Fr. Hilarion. There is no doubt that it would be in order for the blessing to come from you and from the builder, as distributing obediences and deeds for the brethren, or exemption from certain obediences and deeds. If it turns out that there is no correct blessing, then S. should be advised to stop his undertaking, submit the matter to reasoning, and wait for a blessing. It is more convenient to discuss the location of the shrine in the church on the spot rather than in absentia. I agree to place the cross of the life-giving tree with the relics in place of the mother-of-pearl cross. But for another shrine, should one also place a lectern behind the right choir, or arrange it on the lectern, where the holy calendar is now, and should the saints be placed behind the choir not on the lectern, but directly? With this, I am sending two notes from a merchant’s wife asking me to pray in the monastery. Money 115 rubles will be sent after this from me or from the housekeeper. I am sending the news about the healing sent from His Eminence of Kharkov. But what, it seems, was the purpose of carrying out a judicial investigation? Who is M.G., against whose name the doctor wrote: mania? and what does that mean? My illness is stubborn and does not completely leave me. Mother, thank God, there is relief. Hello you. Regarding the above-mentioned 115 rubles in silver, the matter will most likely end in a transfer. I leave them with me: and you take this amount from my money from the treasurer and give it to the monastery. I am forwarding to you, Father Viceroy, a cross with particles. relics (first inscription: V. M. Efimiya), with which the Right Reverend Augustine blessed, upon birth, Nikolai Dmitrievich Lukhmanov, and which he wishes to place in the Gethsemane monastery. Carry out the will of the investor. The Mozhaisk tradesman, monk Jesse, according to the Athos name, is traveling to our Reverend Father Sergius, and he will present these lines to you. I disposed him to this journey; and I ask you to assist as much as possible, so that this will be for the benefit of his soul and for the well-being of his life. From an early age he had a disposition towards silence; lived in the forest, underwent a feat of silence; was in Jerusalem and Athos, where he took monastic vows, having received advice to live in the desert, and offering himself the condition that he would not be forbidden to return to Russia. He lives not far from Mozhaisk, in the forest; the landowner favors him. He wants to be assigned to the Joseph Monastery, but to live in the same place, and, although not now, but in time, to accept those who wish to join him. The landowner is thinking of building a church here. They think that there will eventually be a desert here. About the church, I told the landowner that building it in the forest, without a specific purpose, was not in accordance with the rules. It is clear that Jesse has a knack for living in the desert: but what seems puzzling is that it is not clear that he subordinates his dispositions to the spiritual reasoning of another, and that he is disposed not only to live in the desert, but with early prospects for the future. Therefore, I advised him that, while he was in the Lavra, he should enter into open communication with you, and test his path by reasoning, which God will grant you at the intercession of St. Sergius. There is also another less perplexing question: whether his residence, by being registered with a monastery, away from the monastery, can be protected from the applications of secular power, which may find something wrong in this; and his residence is no longer unknown. Please talk to him carefully and let me know your thoughts about what follows. And with a weak voice, I glorify Christ among you, the vicar father, and the brethren. Glory to Christ God, who appeared in humility, our nature, and may he show us images of humility. He appeared in a den, so that we would be content not with a red cell, - in a manger, so that we would not demand a soft bed, - in swaddling clothes, so that we would love simple clothes, - in the silence of an infant, let us be like children in simplicity and gentleness, and let us not allow our tongues to indulge in idle talk. Let this be wise in you, and let it be wise in me, for this I ask your prayers. I wish you to celebrate the holy Epiphany under the shadow of the wings of the Spirit of the Lord descending from heaven. God bless you to buy a full supply of bread. Regarding the premises with. relics in the skete church I do not argue against your location. From the Lord. Enlightener of our souls, light and peace to the viceroy father and brethren. Have the patience to listen to a conversation from me that is not very pleasant. A certain nobleman, Makhra’s neighbor, came to me and brought me an extract from the synodik, which he was convinced was found by a builder in a damp box in the basement; and as proof of this legend, he presented me with a page from the synodik, covered with the hand of Bishop Plato. What did the builder look for when he accepted the monastery, and after? What did the mediator look for when accepting? Was such an important synodik really not in the inventory? And if this disgrace was revealed: was it necessary to glorify it by issuing a memorable sheet into secular hands, so that with clear evidence one could condemn the negligence of the monks and infidelity in the prayers entrusted to them? - Enlighten the builder, and understand how the Synodik could have been lost from sight until a stranger, a secular person, found him. I am sending a letter to return to the monastery. Now, I think, an enamel altar cross in wood will be sent to you. The image was painted from the original, written by the hand of the late Yakovlevsky monastery, Elder Amphilochius. The daughters of the actual Privy Councilor Alexei Ilyich, the Mukhanovs, assign this cross to the monastery. I think it is necessary to consume it, in addition to blessing the water, so that the moisture between the enamel and the wood does not linger and is not harmful to the strength. With this I bid you farewell, Father Viceroy, to Adjutant K. (Andrei Nikolaevich did not tell me his name), who is traveling with his mother to Rev. Serius. Help them to pray in peace and view the monuments in the Lavra. I return to you, Father Viceroy, the drawing of the Angel at the tomb of the risen Lord. The door of the cave of the tomb is high: but in reality it is low. There is no need to strictly adhere to reality: but there is no need to deviate too far from it. What the raised hand of an Angel means is unclear to me. What the Angel’s long robe lying on the ground means is also unclear, and I have never seen this in images of Angels. For me, in the picture painted by the priest, the position of the Angel pointing to the open cave of the tomb is clearer: only the image of the Angel is white and heavy. However, not considering my wisdom to be better than others, I leave it to you to paint the image as you judge best. Information from those who have received blessings from Saint Plato must be recorded in the monastery, and, moreover, efforts must be made to ensure that the recording is simple and accurate, as those benefited say. Regarding the Sarov case, I don’t know what can be done. The order of the Eminence is based on the law. According to the Synodal Office, there was a sale of worm-ridden forest (a case similar to Sarov); and there were auctions and presentation to the S. Synod. In my diocese, cases were also carried out regarding the sale of timber not for 10,000 rubles, but for 20,000 or less. The larger the amount; the more strictly the higher permission is required. Read the attached papers of Elder Parthenius. They are long: but I hope they will not be boring for you. What to do here? It would be nice to hide a priest in the caravan and send him to Bukharia and China. But how to do this? – The S. Synod will not be decided without communication with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and it will see in him only a political danger. Give me some ideas. With Jesse, I don’t know what to do. If his desert habitation were not far from the monastery, it would not be difficult to decide to accept him. But when he lives away and attracts the attention of the police, his position will seem illegal. Peace and salvation to you and your brothers. Change the hierodeacon and monk of the Trinity in St. Petersburg, as you write. But the former Nativity deacon, I remember, was placed at the relics of St. Sergius. Or was it out of place? I don’t refuse to write about the Siberian elder: but I have little hope of success. It’s a pity that there is no closeness between those to whom this matter is closer. Vladyka Novotorzhsky does not answer me; and I am perplexed whether to continue writing sometimes, so that there is no alienation on my part, or to stop completely, so as not to disturb with words those who wish to remain silent. It’s unpleasant that they are tempting our builder. May the Lord strengthen him not to leave the place where, with the help of God, in the pure garden of the Lord he is working for the fruits of the spirit, and not to be carried away by the splendor of external honor to the previously abandoned field, which is not easily cleared of the thorns that have grown stronger with time. The vicegerent father and the brethren rejoice in the Lord. If you complain that I write to you little, then take into account that since the day of Epiphany I have not been able to. The pain travels in the right side of the head, and in the teeth, and comes to the throat. Today I left the house for the first time. I don't know what will happen tomorrow. However, in this there is the mercy of God. What the healthy man did not find time to do for a long time, the sick one did, namely, the rules for monasteries 17, and a note on immovable church estates 18. I regret that I could not believe my thoughts with advice: due to the long delay, it was necessary to hurry to depart for St. Petersburg. The housekeeper, informing you about the desire to build a chapel for St. Apostle James in the monastery, did not tell me my thoughts about this matter. At the dedication, the bishop takes an oath to not build churches beyond the requirements, so that later deprivations will not be empty for the sake of what is appropriate 19. There are already quite a lot of churches in the monastery, and, due to their abundance, some of them will be of little use. In ancient times, meals were established in the vestibule of the church, and not in the church itself: and according to your assumption, the end of the refectory table will come close to the altar, and therefore the inappropriateness of serving the table and collecting leftovers after the meal, and food vapors - everything will be very close to the altar. Much better is our initial assumption that the church is above, visible from the meal, but the meal is not in the church itself. The housekeeper is glad that he will get the chapel for free: but that will happen one day; and then he will always demand from us maintenance and renewal after decay. In my opinion, there is no need to accept the proposals for this chapel. I would not give the advice that you gave to Praskovya Ivanovna, the grandson of Bishop Platon. Is it possible to order that the church and the house should not deteriorate for 20 years in anticipation of twenty-year interest on the capital? Five or ten years of disrepair, if not corrected in time, can turn into destruction. In my opinion, it would be enough to say: take interest after ten years, and according to need after five. However, I say what I think: and I do not demand a change in what you said. Imagine Theodoret and Varlaam. Do you know that Hierodeacon Nikon of Bethany is asking to join Simonov? Let me know what you think about this. I took it into my head to send you papers on real estate. After reading, return it and say what comes to your mind, correction or addition. The saints are good. God will bless you to use them in church. And keep the ancient ones in the sacristy; and it is necessary that this be taken into account according to the inventory, so that the ancients can be preserved. I suggested to Malyshev, if he wanted, to go to the Georgian priest to take the image of the praise of the Mother of God, from which the list was supposed to be removed. The Bethany treasurer was given a package that was not labeled according to speed, and with it was a drawing of the monastery building, which I forgot to put in the package. Tell about. to the treasurer to sign for me three copies of the Academic Edition with the same purpose, and to contribute my money for it. Now I’m sitting at home again, although I’ve been called to take an exam. However, I am not seriously ill, and I hope not to be sick, although I do not hope to be healthy. It seems incredible to you, Father Viceroy, that there are false brethren. That's how it should seem. And it is necessary to believe as much as possible in the good and as little as possible in the bad. However, experiments show that a look of caution is also needed. There are sincerely good ones who will not act contrary to sincerity; and there are those who want to appear good, but who are not always what they seem. The late Prince Dmitry Vladimirovich presented his adjutant with the insignia; The Emperor did not deign. The prince presented it a second time: and then the Emperor, explaining his refusal, ordered the denunciation filed against him by this adjutant to be sent to the prince. It’s good that the Emperor knew the prince closely: otherwise there could have been trouble from his false brother. Talk about people who are necessarily tolerant. They must not be harmful: and there should be no need to tolerate harmful ones. Is it good to keep Nikon if he has already decided to leave? However, if you submitted a petition to someone else’s superiors without a blessing, there is no need to condone this either. Consider the matter carefully. He would have been smart if he had come to his senses and said that he had thought better of it. Thank you for your thoughts about monasteries. But my rules have already been sent. Maybe I'll send you a look. Several copies of a book about the schismatic Bronina’s conversion to Orthodoxy were given to the Lavra for sale. They say you don't sell; but here they are needed. If you have, send me twenty-five copies. For the roofing iron for the Deulinskaya church, pay me two hundred rubles in silver. You ask whether the hieromonk sins if he separates part of the holy gifts during the priestly service without blessing and takes them to his cell for communion on the days of not leaving the cell. I'm almost surprised you ask. How can such boldness be considered right? I ask: why is the church built and consecrated? For worship in general? – It also takes place outside the church. For the sacraments? – And most of the sacraments can be performed outside the church. Only one sacrament, the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, certainly requires a consecrated church. Consequently, the church is built and consecrated especially so that the body and blood of Christ can be sacredly performed and preserved in it. This greatest shrine on earth required a holy repository. From this it follows that only when absolutely necessary can the body and blood of Christ be taken out of the church; and whoever has them in a simple house or cell needlessly insults this shrine. But what is the need for someone living in a monastery or near a monastery to receive communion outside of church? Is it really necessary to show more respect to his cell silence than to this Divine shrine? Don't point to the times of martyrdom. Then there was a need to have Divine guidance close by: because it could be needed suddenly, without the possibility of resorting to the church. Don't point to the ancient desert dwellers. The distance from the church provided a reason to have spare holy gifts. But on the contrary, other desert dwellers spent many years without daring to demand this, and only before their death, according to a special dispensation of God, were they honored with holy communion. You can point to perfect recluses. In this kind of people there are people who cannot be judged by general rules, which not everyone can imitate: one must think that they, with an inner attraction and calling from above, both to the retreat and to the communion of the holy mysteries in the retreat, decided not only according to their own reasoning, but with the blessing of their spiritual fathers and superiors. If a monk sinned by doing a small deed without a blessing, how is he not grievously sinning by deciding without a blessing to do a deed of great importance and holiness? I urgently ask you to enlighten and protect those who gave you a reason for the question you proposed, and to guard against self-indulgence, which is the opposite of obedience and humility, and in which self-will and pride are hidden. Those who strive will not get married, if they struggle illegally it will be 20. This obedience is better than sacrifice. Just as sin is idolatry, so is disobedience. 1 Sam. XV:22, 23. Sorry. It's not me saying this; but the holy books speak. Note. A letter without indicating the time when it was written; preserved between letters from 1852. Judging by the handwriting and folds of the letter, it can be assumed that it was attached to the next one. Your letter, Father Viceroy, dated 7 days, I have now received and read: and I am taking advantage of the last hour of opportuneness for what I have to tell you. At the end of the day of forgiveness, I ask forgiveness from you and from all the brethren, for everything with which I offended anyone, or with my unworthiness I did not satisfy my obligations to you, and did not set a good example for you. I also ask for the help of your prayers for my correction. For my part, by the goodness of God, I have peace for all of you: but as you ask for forgiveness, may God forgive you for what you demand forgiveness for. I agree with your assumption about the hermitage. What is the mercy of the Lord to the monastery, for this thanksgiving to Him, and to our intercessors before Him, our Reverend Fathers Sergius and Nikon and Dionysius. The crowdedness in it is disturbing. I forgot to tell you before that there is no obstacle on my part to make some corrections in my cells. We would also take care of the purity of the cells and what is in them. Thank you, Father Viceroy, for caring about a good deed and encouraging my laziness to the same. She is to blame for her slowness in many matters: but regarding the Zadonsk case, seeing that if something can be done, it must be done immediately, upon receipt of your letter, now I wrote to the Most Reverend Parthenius, and to St. Theognostus, and to the Archimandrite. From a letter to St. Parthenius, I am sending you a list, which I also sent to St. Theognostus. Semu also wrote that I moved the matter past them because, by the way, it would have been inconvenient for them to imagine the business without providing capital, but I could decide on this. Now, when attention has already been paid to the matter, I advise them to rely not on capital, but on the providence of God. I would like to know what the members of the grave testing commission did with you. Peace of the Lord to the viceroy father and brethren. Those ordained come back to you. Mitrofan is weak in reading. Tell him to do this so that there is no disrespect in the service. It turned out that I was to blame for the retention of books from the St. Petersburg courtyard. They were put aside for a while and disappeared under other matters. Now they have been given, and must be sent to you. If there are few books about Bronina’s conversion to Orthodoxy, shouldn’t they be published? If you think it's not useless: then send me a copy. Take the extra money from the St. Petersburg courtyard to build a hermitage building. By the way: it is not as cheap as it was shown in the assumption. Decide whether to take Oparinsky deacon. He will not be allowed to be tonsured unless his wife is tonsured at the same time. Tell me in more detail how the tomb of Prince Trubetskoy was examined, and in what form it was found. Although it is late, I would like you to read the attached rules and, if you have any comments, inform me when you return the rules. From the attached letter 21 you will see that they want to make the rules general. And from this it can happen that if they are made general without changing, then this will be incongruous, because they are applied to Moscow: and if they are changed to make them general, then they may become less applicable to Moscow. Moreover, in the rules there is nothing about women’s monasteries, which I have omitted in part, for speed, in part, so as not to confuse matters. It seemed to me more convenient, according to the approval of the general rules, to create private convents, necessary for special circumstances. I don’t want to write about this when people don’t ask. Tell me what you think about this too. I have just received your comments on the rules for Moscow monasteries. Thank you, and I regret that this was not done earlier. Other things were written by me involuntarily, such as, for example, about the book of absences and misdeeds. I tried to soften what had previously been prescribed by the decree of the S. Synod. I forgot to answer you about the amendment to the cells in the monastery. I hope they didn’t stop because of my silence. Thank you for the lithographed image of the Savior. But it seems to me that there is something more severe in it than in the original. The one with paints is better. May the Lord help you in this matter and in perfecting it. Did you say that after my letter to the self-recluse, and with what consequence? It is true that modern upbringing encourages self-will. I am often amazed at the importance and independence with which young children behave in front of their parents, and they seem to not dare to touch them. Copy the prayers to the saints and show them, although I am not entirely sure that there will be no difficulty in printing them. There is information, and there have been indications, about a schismatic false hierarchy that came from an illegal source, contrary to church rules, but those who are entrusted with this are unable or unwilling to find abuses. They don’t ask me about my appointment at Donskoy: and I hesitate to speak when they don’t ask. I wanted to argue with the Reverend Gregory: but I have not yet been able to write. May the Lord grant to you, Father Vicar, and the brethren, with reverent thought and heart, to follow Him through the field of His suffering and death, and to achieve in the sacrament of the Divine joy of His resurrection. Pray for me too, so that I may offer a contrite heart and a contrite spirit as a sacrifice to the Suffering One for my wretchedness. The church rites of Holy and Bright Week, or as the ancients said, Easter of suffering and Easter of resurrection, are truly a wonderful treasure. Every day of Holy Week you see in the church what is happening in Jerusalem and on Calvary that day. With what completeness and accuracy one continuous fabric of events and contemplations is woven from the four Gospels! How significantly close are prophecies to events, and prophecies mutually illuminate events, and events illuminate prophecies! One cannot help but be convinced and feel that this was the will of the Holy Spirit and the Fathers of the Church. God bless those named by you in the ryassophore, and may this be an encouragement to them to achieve heroism and a guarantee of success. Pray for my mother, that the grace of the Lord will protect her as she approaches the limits of the earthly field, and the transition to which she seems to be approaching. I was with her during her unction with oil, after which she received relief, then a day later I spent an hour at her bed, during which only breathing and signs of prayer testified to her life. Now, thank God, she prays in pure memory: but other earthly things no longer seem clear to her. Abbess Apollinaria is coming to you. She accidentally and urgently asked for this. I agreed. But it turned out that being in Zachateyskoye was not entirely convenient for her. My opinion is that she should stay in the Lavra for three days; She returned to Moscow not to Zachateisky, but to the Borodino courtyard, and hurried to Borodino. I want you to contribute to this, unless important reasons force you to decide otherwise. From the Spasoborodinsky Monastery, she strongly complained of ill health from the cold cell: but now her appearance and movement do not seem unfavorable for her to complete her pious journey without compunction. It is true that it is a pity to disturb the old doctor. They want to somehow share it with the new one, by agreement. It would be nice if it was casual. By communion by faith of the passion of the Lord and the participation of the Divine joy of the resurrection of the Lord, may the Risen One Himself grant grace to you, the vicar father, and the brethren. Christ is Risen! Read what they are doing in Voronezh and teach me what to do with people who think of basing good deeds only on money. I am sending you an image of the Savior before the wrapping of the shroud. The moment Bryulov took was not historical. Experts praise: but, it seems to me, the face of the Savior does not represent what you expect. I looked at the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God. Well depicted. But why go to St. Petersburg? – Is it so that they can see the experience of your school? Thank you for the reminder about the withheld report. I'll tell you about this later. The sisters of the Borodino Monastery ask me from Moscow for a doctor for their abbess. I don't know how to solve this problem. When she went to the Lavra: I advised her to talk to you about her health. Did you speak? What do you see? Blumenthal sees the merman in power. My mother, thank God, lives, prays, and often partakes of the holy mysteries. I offer you, Father Vicar, and the brethren a mutual kiss: truly Christ is risen. May He, the source of life, peace and joy, pour out His life and peace into joy into your hearts now and ever, and may He vouchsafe you to preserve His gifts in faith, love and good deeds. Having heard that the health of Fr. Macarius of Optina is not very good, I took advantage of this opportunity, first verbally suggesting to him a trip in the spring to the Moscow wonderworkers and to St. Sergius, and then I wrote about this to the abbot and to him. Would you like to write that you learned about this from me, and you also invite him? The sent doctor helped Abbess Spasoborodinskaya, and she is feeling better. Abbess Apollinaria stayed with her sister for a short time. I told her that she could go to Zachateisky if she agreed with the abbess peacefully. This is what happened. And Apollinaria is pleased that she is well received: but some of the sisters confuse the abbess, as if they are afraid of something from Apollinaria. And this one does not know how to maintain the speed of her tongue and movements; and thereby makes it difficult for her world to advance. I listen to the rector and the doctor in turn, and without having to ask, I receive information that needs to be sorted out, and which is difficult to make out. It’s a pity for the old doctor: but he wouldn’t be responsible for the dying. The son of Archpriest Golubinsky died at three or four days. The doctor makes the excuse that the disease is deceptive and does not allow one to foresee. And others say that Archpriest Delitsyn suggested that he open the patient’s blood with leeches, but the doctor did not listen. Two students were admitted, one to the seminary, and the other to one of the city hospitals. In both cases, doctors complained about the Lavra doctor. One said that the disease was advanced; the other, that it was spoiled by drugs. In the latter case, I.M. is justified by the fact that four quinine powders could not do much harm. But if it happened that the disease required the opposite: then the deprivation of proper help, and the use of a drug that counteracts the relief, could have significant consequences. I want to leave the doctor alone: ​​but, I repeat, I would not be responsible for the dying. That he is waiting for his fiftieth birthday is, I think, a dream. There is no law for this period; and they will not celebrate his anniversary. This is why the report on the Archaeographic Society case was delayed. I thought about sending a list of at least one book that could be more significant to the society, and do it at my expense and on my behalf, so that I would not bear the name of a member in vain. Daughter tai. advice. Ekaterina Alekseevna Mukhanova brings to the Lavra in the Trinity Cathedral to the throne for analogies of a knitted towel of her works. The steward is tasked with delivering it. Thank you for the blessed artos. The heirs of Irodion Vasilievich Vorobyov sent two tickets for 2,000 rubles. With. to the Lavra and the monastery. We remembered him in the courtyard these days, in church. May you pray for him with zeal. He did quite a lot of good to the churches. And the heirs should write a notification of receipt and gratitude from the Lavra and the monastery. I haven’t had time to write to His Eminence Voronezh yet. I’ll write immediately, although I have little hope. I have a shortage of enamel icons. Order in Rostov, as before. Meanwhile, would you send some from the Lavra? Yesterday, while at a funeral and walking on a damp road, I caught a cold in my feet, and in the evening it was difficult for me. Therefore, now I am writing hastily during the departure of the hieromonk. God grant that what Filaret does will be beneficial. And I’m thinking about this. What was the use of starting something that then quits; and why throw away what you started? If you wanted to start and end with foolishness, what was the point of introducing something else into the middle? Without him, the caves might not have existed: but wouldn’t that be better than them being deserted? Filaret's removal from there may also shake others there. May God grant that this fear is in vain. It seems to me that when Philaret was officially assigned to the monastery, it was necessary to firmly negotiate with him so that he would no longer act according to his own wisdom, but would decide to unswervingly fulfill his vow of obedience to God. You say that he received many, and even without written permission, or with doubtful ones. But why was this allowed to him? Where is obedience? He is not the abbot. If his thoughts bother him more in his current life than in his previous life, can he be sure that it will be better after an arbitrary change in life? Wouldn't it be better to fight thoughts without leaving your place, which has become no longer arbitrary, but legal? God will bless you to dispose of it as you think; and ask Fr. Hilarion and from me, with love and patience, take care of the improvement of the cave brethren. I am sending you the answers of the Optina elders. I am sending what I wrote to His Eminence Parthenius about Tikhonov’s society. Will they pay attention, or will they just get angry? - Pray that the Lord will arrange what is pleasing before His eyes. It is unpleasant to encounter troubles in false brethren, and to bear the shame of it. But it is better for us to suffer such a misfortune than to send it to His Eminence Innocent. Imagine that N., during his election and after, showed zeal for the proposed service, and was busy preparing for it; but recently he turned out to be not quite firm in behavior, and was noticed in inebriation: why the Council, taking into account the importance of his appointment, cannot hide the shortcoming it discovered, and cannot recommend him with the confidence with which it recommended two years before this. As for Theophilos: when he was leaving, he asked me about being assigned to the mission, not as one refusing, but as one waiting, and I told him that there was no permission yet, I wished he could bear with this slowness. Now, upon receiving the decree, Yakov wrote to him so that if he needs to be in Moscow and wants to be ordained here, then he would come; and if there is no need, then he would notify for communication about his ordination in St. Petersburg. In this sense, you too write to him, and do not challenge him to refuse. Let's see what he says. Apr. 21. Ask the bees whether it would be good for them to live not in the forest or in the field, but among the village, and whether they would chill near the place where the trees chill: if you think that they answer you satisfactorily, fulfill your assumption. Note. This inscription was made on a letter from Fr. the governor, and from whom he asks for his blessing - three hives of bees, placed three years ago near the Pyatnitskaya Tower, should be placed in the wood yard in the southwestern corner near the stone fence opposite the brotherly bathhouse. Theophilus appeared and did not hesitate on the path ahead. We need to send him in his place. I haven’t yet decided whether to send Gregory. But do not delay in sending a presentation about the reason why N. cannot be sent; and mention that, if necessary, Gregory can take his place. I am sending you a letter from Rev. Gr., so that you can see that his words, to which I briefly objected, did not amount to much wisdom. By the way, I am sending both the project mentioned in the letter and the list from my letter about this project. Read it and return it immediately. What is my destiny? And I get to argue with those whom I know best. Tell me, either to calm me down or to enlighten me, was it necessary to write what I wrote? I am sending another letter from Mordvinov, unknown to me. What would you tell me to do? Peace to the soul of Brother Joseph. Thank you for the legend 22, which brings joy about the deceased, and is instructive for us who are on the way to the tomb. I thank you for calming my conscience regarding the project about the conversion of schismatics, confirming me in the thought that it was not without need and not without truth that I wrote. I don’t think, and don’t even think about it, that pride would be involved in drawing up the project. The Most Reverend Gregory is zealous for benefit and does not seek himself. The temptation from direction is to do things scientifically, methodically. Behind the thought that some priests did not fully know the reasons for the schism, he had the idea of ​​setting out these reasons, and to make it firm, he made extracts from schismatic books: and, looking at his work from this side, he did not notice that it had other unfavorable aspects. That he did not count on his philosophies is evident from the fact that he proposed sending the draft to all bishops, demanding their recall. But the more important, and probably the worse. I return the attitude of the Archaeological Society. You can judge what you should do by what happened to me regarding the Geographical Society. I had several relationships, including one that required my consent to accept me as a member. I did not answer everything for a long time: finally, answering other matters, I added that I did not see myself capable of being a useful member, and that it would be enough if they forgive me the slowness of my answers. But they sent me a diploma. So, I think, if you say that you thank you for your attention, but due to your job duties you do not expect to be an active correspondent, they will send you a diploma, especially since they are no longer asking you, but directly announcing it to you. There is no need to flatly refuse. The rank of correspondent is not high. This means a person who can write something to society, of his own free will, or when asked. You already had an attitude about loose-leaf or inventory books. I am still perplexed by Father Gregory: will he be firm in his resolve and will he adapt himself to the difficulties of service. I was told that he was offered to teach children at the Lavra, and that he refused this, finding it either a petty or unpleasant matter. If this is true; this is not the frame of mind that a missionary needs. But when I asked him if he had an assignment to teach children: he said that he was not assigned this, except for teaching some to read and write privately, and not in school, which he did. The thought comes to me whether I should leave him for a year to test the firmness of his intentions, and so convey it to the S. Synod. Tell him this in advance. If he does not agree to this, then wouldn’t this be a sign that he was not called? Answer me to these thoughts as soon as possible. However, as Theophilus says, there is time. The ships will not leave soon. I don’t remember whether I answered you about Filaret’s intention to go to Kyiv. You can agree to this: but ask him not to act too foolishly. He will not be afraid to go to prison: but he would think that this could cause trouble and embarrassment to his superiors, to whom he had not subordinated himself for that purpose. I also forgot to tell you about our missionary, what the housekeeper says. He says he needs warm clothes. Think about this. Please be patient with my questions. Here is another letter, which, by the grace of Svyatoslavsky, reached me a year later, and of course left the writer displeased with my silence. You see what Fr. Archimandrite of the Sergius Hermitage Ignatius, wrote a book against the book of Thomas a à Kempis, and wants me to see it, and prompted him to publish it. I don’t hope that if I read the book, I could write something about it that he would like. The idea of ​​writing an edifying book specifically against the book of Thomas à Kempis seems strange to me. It seems to me that it is most convenient to continue the silence in which I have remained involuntarily until now. But this gives him a reason for displeasure. Without reading the book, if I say that I don’t hope to agree with it, it will be harsh, and maybe I can say even less softly when I read the book. There is an unpleasant meaning here about Philaret’s departure from the monastery; supposedly he had a lot of money, and thus the brethren there were embarrassed. Do you know the Mtsensk Peter and Paul Monastery of Archimandrite Ierotheus? A year before this, he wrote to me that he wanted to leave his service and come to our monastery. Apparently, however, he changed his mind. Peace to the soul of Father Matthew. We remembered him today at the liturgy and memorial service together with the newly departed Abbess Maria and the nun Agnia. I am sending the forgotten attitude of the Archaeological Society. You call me to the holiday: but I am sick; And yesterday and today I do not leave my cell. In the Alekseevsky Monastery at the foundation of the church, and then in the Assumption Cathedral, I caught a cold in my head, and it hurt and my teeth hurt. But even if I come to life for the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity; I can legally celebrate this holiday both in the Lavra and in the Assumption Cathedral. But it is just as necessary to be at the feast of St. Alexis in Chudovo as at the feast of St. Sergius in the Lavra. How can I make it from you on Spiritual Day to Tuesday on Chudov? It seems that I can say without guilt: have me renounced. The missionary must be provided with what he needs. I gave him several books that were necessary and not burdensome for a traveler. I still don’t find the time to deal with Gregory, and now I don’t even have the strength. In the Assumption Cathedral, icons are cleaned of amendments, as Salautin did with some icons in the Lavra. The Holy Synod, to which this was reported at the beginning of the matter, at the end of February, and then in March, how much had been done, according to some slander, at the end of April asks me whether this can be done, and with what precautions, and whether the Highest will on the gilding of frames, announced by me last August, extends to this. This required work, which doesn’t leave my aching head alone. Pray for my weakness, and ask the mercy of St. Sergius for my dignity. Yesterday evening and at night we had rain and thunder, and the plants came to life, even though it was warm, they were languishing from the dry air. Is it so for you? What do the fields say? May the Spirit of the Lord, Comforter, overshadow your souls, Father Vicar and brethren, always singing to you the glory of the Most Holy Trinity in its church, under the priesthood of our Reverend Father Sergius. Pray, and I will not be out of communication with you in spirit, even if I remain in body. My illness has decreased somewhat. But the peace I needed was not conducive to the guests, Andrei Nikolaevich and the Reverend Kazansky. I don't know how I'll celebrate. Fr. also arrived. Macarius, and was with me together with His Eminence Kazansky. I asked about. Macarius, when he thinks about the Lavra, is it not for the holiday? He replied that it was crowded there at the time. And I did not contradict this. He will be with you soon after the holiday: and I think it is better that his communication with you should be less entertained by strangers. Take care, Father Viceroy, about your health, and take the necessary peace. I took the medicine compiled by Anastasius and will wait patiently for the Moscow one. Maybe I’ll decide to come to the Lavra today so that I can take the exam tomorrow: but don’t worry about that and keep your peace. About the manuscript, it seems, I told you to write on half a page, so that I would have more space in case of need for corrections. Read, Father Viceroy, the enclosed letter to the Right Reverend Exarch, and trust my thoughts to see if I am showing you the right path. If you do not encounter any doubts, then give it to Svyatoslavsky, so that together with the paper in which the letter is enclosed, he seals it and sends it to the Right Reverend Exarch for the number right now. If you encounter any doubts: then tell me and return the letter to me. I’m also sending loose glasses, which were fixed here last year, and that was enough for a year. Is it possible to do the same now? Here is a letter to the Reverend Innocent. Give it to Gabriel, and say that with this letter I introduce to the Eminence both hieromonks sent to him. For the peace of my stay with you, I thank God, both you and the brethren. God bless Fr. Take Dimitri to confession. Wasn’t it necessary for him to take the blessing of the abbot even when he took office with the relics of St. Sergius? I am sending you a note from the abbess about the carver to whom you want to give the work of the iconostasis for the skete church. Particularly encourages caution. His mistake was that the iconostasis for the Khotkovo church was made seven inches narrower than what was required locally. Such a mistake can ruin the matter until it is impossible to fix it. The benefactor of the skete church was with me, and Semyon Longinovich at the same time. We talked peacefully: only I did not know how to definitely suggest to him that he entrust us with his contribution, and he did not volunteer for this. Alexey, I remember, told me that he would visit me again: but he didn’t, and neither did Alexey. The grace of St. Sergius, who began this work unexpectedly, and may he accomplish it in good order. May the Lord help His servant, Abbess Magdalene, mentally and physically. Thank you for taking care of her. Continue this through Fr. Anastasia, who, when visiting her, would tell you about her condition and accept your advice. When she was with me in Moscow: she had thoughts of intimacy, perhaps death, although her ill health was ordinary. Here are now the Prussian and Saxon princes. Yesterday they visited me. Today I need to be with them. Let this be known to you, in case they decide to go to the Lavra. They told me that the Austrian and Prussian ministers were in the Lavra. This was when I was in the Lavra: I don’t remember hearing about this. Do you know about this? They are expecting the Sovereign Heir to come to Moscow: but I don’t think he has time to be in the Lavra. Peace be with you, Father Viceroy, and the brethren. May the Lord grant you joyful celebration on the holy mountain, in the light of His face. And while I was celebrating the 1st day of this month in the cathedral, and the 2nd at St. Basil’s, I immediately fell painfully ill during the liturgy; and although with the help of a doctor I received relief in the evening, I still feel the remnants of a cold. I didn’t want to turn back F., although perhaps it would have been no worse to stick to the former instructions on staying, and not on the path. Insist urgently that the Khotkovskaya Abbess bring the custody of monastery money into a legal position. You shouldn't joke about the law. And the example of her predecessor should teach that the law was not written for nothing. And what is the pleasure of taking care of other people’s money, and exposing yourself to responsibility for it, and for the one whom they lead into temptation? Protect the dean of the monasteries from the severity of the authorities. I remember I wrote to you asking you to order icons from Rostov for me. I need them. Rumors about the High Visitors have ceased. The Duke of Leuchtenberg traveled to his estates through Moscow without revealing himself to many. Apparently I wrote poorly when you read that I asked about the missionaries who were in the Lavra. I asked about the ministers 23. Were there any? If the monastery brethren wish to accept me into the communion of prayers on this holiday, then let them pray that the Lord will resolve my weakness for this reason. Your Eminence Anthony, Vicar of Voronezh, is traveling to see you tomorrow. Receive him, show him the Lavra, give him peace, and bless him with the icon on behalf of the Lavra and the abbot. And the Greek hierodeacon will present this to you 24. Receive him in peace and put him to rest. Do not be angry with me, Father Viceroy, for the resolution about the novice Malavtsev. The decree of the S. Synod and in the eyes of the example of another novice gave me a reason to give this resolution, which, however, does not bind either you or him, but only gives him an opportunity to test himself, and you to test him. If you find that it is necessary to dismiss him leniently, in the sense of his request, I can agree. I'll just give you time to think. I sincerely thank you, Father Viceroy, for your love and concern for my disrepair and medical advice. Now I don’t have a doctor in whom my trust would be confirmed by such experiences as in the late Vysotsky. Therefore, when you send me to the doctor: I don’t know where to go, and I don’t want to move. I am better disposed to obey what you definitely prescribe, and not in general, inapplicable expressions for me, like mid-mountain substances, etc. Remind me of this if God tells me to be in the Lavra in September. I will also accept Anastasia as an adviser: and I want your decision. Between what I obey you, what I know how to do. Yesterday I had sauerkraut in my cabbage soup, and today I had crackers in my soup. Driving from the Lavra, I allowed myself to be in the wind for a long time, and I caught a cold in my ear and teeth. The pain was not great by Monday, and probably would have gone away if I had sat at home in the warmth: but I was not careful, sat with the windows open, went to the Synodal office, and from that by the evening the pain intensified so much that I could not be in Donskoy on Tuesday, and spent Friday with difficulty, and now I have remnants of this illness. I thought that you had already forgotten your demand for the old clothes of my old man. What do you need them for? – The cassock and half-caftan that I wore at the consecration of the cave church hang in my monastery cell; I wore them at the last holiday. I don’t know which hood it was then. But here is a matter that is more important than thoughts about an old body and old clothes. I had an adjutant general, Efim Vasilyevich Putyatin, who was going to the eastern ocean, and, between the execution of state assignments, was zealous for the enlightenment of those sitting in darkness with the light of the Gospel. He asked for some church things for the missions of the Right Reverend Innocent (which I am preparing) and, in addition, he asked for a missionary. I said that I had no right to do anything like that, and it was impossible to suddenly find a person who was required by this matter. But he insisted with such zeal and humility that it would have been cruel to answer with just a refusal, and I promised to look; and he advised him to contact the Spiritual authorities in St. Petersburg. Pray for this good man (who came to Moscow specifically for him, and, among other things, asked to compose a prayer for use in the church that he has on the ship), and for the success of the enterprise; and can you please advise me where to look for the desired person, and who could be trustworthy to accept the title? Venedikt is waiting. Sorry. Peace to you, and the monasteries, and the brethren. They ask me, Father Governor, to inform you that a certain general of the Prussian service (I don’t know his name) is going to the Lavra, and to arrange for him to be given good and sufficient accommodation in the hotel. Also make it easier for him to see the sights. I hasten to take this opportunity to forward to you the papers I received regarding the Tikhonovsky hostel. This matter is very confusing. At 25 there is a cemetery church on city land; and right there a church with a home for people with disabilities built by Vikulin. The invalid's home is in disarray, and Vikulin, they say, agrees to abandon it and give it to a hostel: but this is difficult to do, because the invalid's home is officially established, and it is probably impossible to close it without the Highest permission. Of those remaining after Matrona Naumovna, a significant party was separated by a certain noblewoman, the maiden Korotneva, a person, as they say, of a secular disposition, but with influence, borrowing power from the secretary of the Most Reverend Parthenius. G. Bogacheva visited me and does not refuse to take charge of the hostel, but she sees difficulties. She has now gone to Nizhny Novgorod for a month, and then she will be with me. Having examined the papers and taken information from the eyewitness who will bring this to you, tell me what you think to do and what to say to G. Bogacheva when she returns. I don’t know what to tell you, Father Viceroy, about the draining of the Assumption Cathedral. I still don’t understand why it wasn’t cheese at the beginning of this century, when the air entering it was the same as it is now. Is there no difference in the fact that they began to open it before the feast of the Annunciation, and from May 1st the priestly service certainly began in it? Inflicting eight wounds on this building, called stranglers, seems to me to be a harsh means. The walls are thick; the building is old; inside the walls, perhaps, there is not a regular brick laying, but stone of all shapes, filled with lime. It may happen that when making chokers, you will break more than you think. I think we should lift the floor and see if the ground underneath is dry. If it is dry, then we can think that dampness is formed inside the cathedral, and in this case the method proposed by Mr. Bykovsky may take place. And if the ground under the floor turns out to be damp, then the air vents above the floor will hardly help. And if the cause of dampness lies in the soil, then it should act on the soil. I keep thinking that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to restore the pond in the Academic Garden. The loss of a few trees can be replaced by the fact that a well-built pond will provide a new decoration to the garden. Moreover, it can also serve as safety from fire. If my doubts do not sway you: I do not forbid you to act according to Mr. Bykonsky’s system. But it would be better if at least this were postponed until spring, so that it would be better to think about it, and that the vents should be lined when they can dry out sooner than in the fall. You tell me to ask the rector about Dubovikov: time is running out. Wouldn't it be better for you to ask him, and tell me what you would find out? I wrote to him: but I’m unlikely to use the answer. The ship's departure is approaching. The submission to the S. Synod, concerning, among other things, the treasurer, was written and not yet signed when you expressed doubts to me about what you had previously agreed to. Forgive me, I no longer stopped to prolong the time with new thoughts. I think we need to do justice to the service. Moreover, if they notice that in the Lavra people are experiencing stagnation, who in another place would have a pleasant movement, it may happen that people with merit and with the hope of merit will reluctantly go to the Lavra. If God pleases, the matter will either not leave our hands, or will not leave a void. Thank you for receiving General Wrangel well. On August 30 he was at the Assumption Cathedral, and then at my place, and thanked me for the reception at the Lavra. Thank God if a Protestant has better thoughts about the Orthodox monastery than what his teachers gave him. The recipe for breadcrumbs was completed last night. The water was consumed cold. That's how I understood the recipe. But although I later drank a cup of tea, then in the evening and even this morning I had the feeling that there was not enough warmth, and I wanted to drink something warm. Hello you and brothers. The merchant Tregubov wanted to give me four or five paintings, which depict, among one, the image of St. Sergius, and life all around, among another, St. Sergius before the tomb of his parents, miracles all around, among another, last year’s visit to the Empress, and I don’t know what else. I did not accept, not having the conviction that this matter was correct. If he suggests that they take it and sell it in the Lavra, I don’t think I’ll agree. Peace be with you, father governor and brethren. I am pleased to know that the dampness in the Assumption Cathedral is only internal, and the soil is dry. Cut iron doors for air flow as you see fit. It is very necessary for the windows to have lifts. Thank you for pointing out Arefa for missionary work. No more needed. I will write about this to St. Petersburg. The rector of the Academy asked for the sermon to be printed. I am sending it to you: if you have no objections, give it to me and let them see if they want to print it. And if they want, they would show me the proof sheet: because in the one printed before this there was an error that damaged the meaning. If God wills for me to come to the Lavra for the holiday, then I first need to know whether there will be a consecration of the church in Khotkovo, as well as in the monastery. You told me about Vitaly, whether he could be with the relics of the Reverend. As far as I can see, he has a good disposition; but in terms of dealing with people, it seems that he is not for everyone. Let's talk about this later. The Spasoborodinsky Monastery worries me. The inability of the manager is becoming more obvious from day to day. Princess Trubetskoy gives hope. I presented about her tonsure; and I begin to introduce her into the affairs of the monastery. Things are discovered that need, and are difficult, to be corrected. The former uncle of the son of the late abbess, the paralyzed old man Evgraf, lives at the monastery in a guest house, and a nun looks after him. There are important reasons for separating this nun from him and taking her to a monastery: but it is foreseen that, out of habit of her, he will not want this, and it is doubtful to assign another to him. They ask if they can take him somewhere. But where to take a patient who sometimes barely walks, and sometimes does not walk at all. Have patience to consider the question: is it possible to take him to the Lavra hospital? And give me the answer. Information about potato disease is unpleasant. Isn’t it doubtful that someone who has ulcers should consume them after cutting them out? I have also heard that potatoes taken from an infected field and not damaged are sometimes quickly damaged at the place of storage. Pay attention to this. It is especially necessary that what is to be stored is completely clean and free of any incipient damage. I don’t know when I will reach you, or how. The church in prison and in the Jerusalem courtyard is about to be consecrated, about which the patriarch wrote to me, wanting me to do it. And Berlyukovsky’s abbot calls for the same thing. Pray and I will be guided and guided. You write that the church in Khotkovo will be ready for consecration at the appointed time. But what time is it? You don’t write about the skete church. From this I conclude that she will not be ready. And I don’t demand haste, I’m just asking. I will be glad if the Optina fathers publish the book of Isaac the Syrian in Slavic. And I don’t foresee any difficulties for censorship. It would be desirable for some passages to be explained from the original, as was done in the edition of Barsanuphius the Great. But if this turns out to be difficult, it’s good to print without it. And with explanations, the Slavic text is better than the Russian one for me: because by the nature of the language the translation is closer to the original. I trust new translations less. Pray for Aref, so that the Lord will provide something beneficial for your soul. I am writing today to St. Petersburg not only about him: but if they decide to go, they will probably demand him, and they will demand him soon. For what reasons it is necessary to take into the monastery a nun who takes care of the sick, I did not ask: but they told me that it was necessary. For the current cassophore nun Sophia to act in this way in relation to the memory of the late Abbess Maria, as you were told, seems incredible to me; and one doubt about this no longer confuses me a little. In other respects, I thank you for telling me to take all possible precautions and give the necessary instructions. However, in the Borodino Monastery there are people who see things in a very unique way. I recently asked one: why did she come to Moscow? She answered: it’s boring in the monastery. If you give vestments to Greece, is it possible to quickly use the indicated means for departure? Here is another letter from the Khotkovskaya abbess. She keeps wanting to break down the porch. Think about this. Thank you for the vestments, although I haven’t seen them yet. In order to allow the destruction of the southern porch of the warm church in Khotkovo, it would be necessary to see what the facade would be like after this. But let the abbess's impatience be succumbed to, and let her be responsible for making sure things don't get worse. Celebrate in peace and spiritual joy: but I am not given the opportunity to celebrate at the feet of our Reverend Father Sergius. Last Saturday, at the Jerusalem courtyard, while consecrating the church (which was inconvenient to refuse according to the Patriarch’s letter), I got a cold. I hoped to have relief today, and therefore yesterday I made arrangements for the journey: but today the sore throat is such that in the morning I could hardly speak. Now it’s somewhat easier: but the disease is still in me; and I can’t take the path. Pray for my weakness. Do not hesitate, father governor, to give Andrei Nikolaevich the usual premises at my cells and with a comrade who accompanies him. In the name of the Lord, blessing to the vicar father and the brethren of the monasteries. Now I have received from you prosphora, blessed bread, and oil from the Saint’s lamp, and holy water. Thank you for the blessing and healing. Not because of yours, but because of my sins, that I was not with you at the holiday. And there is no harm for you in the fact that my unworthiness was not near you. And for this I thank God that here, although with difficulty, I celebrated the church celebration, and yesterday I read the akathist with a constricted larynx. Now I have relief, although I still don’t feel healthy. Perhaps in this small punishment there is also a dispensation of God’s mercy. If I had been in the Lavra for 23 days, then the message about the missionary would have reached me at least a day later; and then the urgent departure time would be missed; and the embassy could not have taken place. And when the relationship found me in Moscow for 23 days: it happened. Thank you for managing the departure of Arefa. He came to me at 0 o'clock; and left at 11. You spoke about vestments for him: but I first sent the Gospel, the cross, the sacred vessels and vestments to the vice-admiral. This evening I received an invitation from the Khotkovskaya abbess to the consecration of the church. I answered that if God did not order me to be at the feast of St. Sergius in the Lavra, then there is no point in trying to be in Khotkovo. Berlyuk's abbot also invited me to consecrate the church: but I refused. Thank you also for the vestments assigned to Greece. I haven't seen him; because he didn’t leave his room except for church, so as not to tease the illness: but Andrei Nikolaevich saw it, and, as the housekeeper says, he was pleased. What is the position of the monastery building? “I would like to be both in the Lavra and in the monastery: but now it seems strange for me to be there on a holiday that was not on a holiday. I am sending you five sheets of corrections to five copies of the book by S. Barsanuphius. One of them goes to my copy in the skete cell. Would you please tell me something about the Zadonsk papers sent from me to you? They will probably soon come asking me what to do, and I won’t know what to answer. It would be good if they managed to cover the monastery building before winter. But isn’t it too early to put up vaults in a recently built building, and isn’t it better to put it off until spring? - However, I can only suggest a question: it’s up to you to judge and decide. I doubt that they would decide to report to the Sovereign Emperor to convert the Alexander Almshouse into a Tikhonov hostel. Let's wait. The saying of the Most Reverend Parthenius was pronounced, I think, not with the same thought as the words represent when taken literally. He wanted to say that he does not believe in Providence unconsciously, but believes it is necessary to take into consideration natural means to achieve the goal. Having looked at Epiphanius’s laudable word, I see no hope of shortening it with good success. There is no order in it. The abundance of words is excessive. And after eliminating the superfluous, the incorrectness of the language will remain difficult for the listener. When you read this word: Andrei Nikolaevich’s comrade, listening, responded that it was very difficult. If you decide to shift it into the Russian dialect: the work will be great, but success will be very doubtful. I hear that the Optina elders are copying Isaac the Syrian, and making comments on dark places. But for this they need to keep in mind the Greek original. Ask about. rector, is it possible to deliver it to them? and, if possible, deliver. They offer another question: should I print in Slavic or Russian letters? My answer: a smaller number of readers will prefer Slavic letters, but this will not prevent them from reading a book printed in Russian letters; and a larger number of readers will prefer Russian letters, and some of them will not at all accept a book printed in Slavic letters. If my answer is wrong: correct me. I return to the Tikhonov Society. The archimandrite, they say, supports one of the divided sides in order to keep the sisters as workers of his monastery, who, for example, work in the gardens next to the novices. This is not very useful patronage: but from Voronezh they don’t see this. Don’t you hear to what extent the new vicar 26 enjoys the confidence of His Eminence Parthenius? It wouldn’t be a bad thing to know, in case it’s possible to change this, which is fair and useful. I asked Rasophoran nun Sophia some questions about the late abbess. She expresses respect for her memory, for her many virtues, although she admits that her kindness lacked the necessary severity. This remark is not offensive or unfair. Thus, my doubts about finishing what I started regarding the management of the Spasoborodinsky Monastery are reduced. Pray that the Lord will arrange something beneficial for souls. The matter of the treasurer was resolved. Send him for production, and do not hesitate to present his successor: because monasteries do not like to be without an abbot for a long time. Will he like the appointment? “If something happened that you didn’t like, then, but if he were promoted to archimandrite, you could think about whether he couldn’t be left as treasurer of the Lavra.” But I think that this will not be necessary. The new archimandrite is at peace with his archimandry; and, it seems, does not regret the Lavra. I advise him, and you should also advise him, to devote himself more diligently to the monastery than to theological writings, for for this, and not for that, an answer will be required from him. In the resolution about the treasurer, I did not mention the coffin. I think I’m right in this, because before, I remember, the funeral was appointed verbally. Meanwhile, it seems not superfluous for Minuil to spend some time in this position, as if on probation. And sometimes it was noticeable among us that his temper was hot: and his track record shows that his hot temper had previously gone far back. And so we’ll see what happens, without committing ourselves to a decision. I am not at all of the opinion that the stable should be rebuilt in order to have a good façade. And I think horses benefit from good food rather than good façade. The lower the cost, the better. Sorry for Bibikov. Apparently it was necessary to think earlier whether a marriage that began in a monastery was reliable. May the Lord comfort him and provide him with something beneficial. You are talking about a schismatic false hierarchy. I once told the former governor-general that a schismatic archimandrite had been sent from Bukovina, and that the name of the rivers was living in the house of a widow. He said he could handle it, and then said that the house was empty, and that someone had been in it two weeks ago. I told the current one that the schismatic bishop would serve in such and such a house, on such and such a day and hour. Nothing turned out: in all likelihood, because the chief’s confidant was a much more trusted confidant of the schismatics. What to do here! Let us pray to the Lord for those who go astray and for those who protect those who go astray. You see, father governor, what is required about Parthenia. Testimony from the hieromonks must be taken from each one separately. They must not be deceived: but it is necessary for everyone to say what he especially knows, and what can give a definitive concept of Parthenius’ ability and moral dignity. You can send icons to Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna using the method you write about. But shouldn’t we hesitate a little until the first days of grief over Her deceased husband pass? The news of this came to Moscow Tuesday. the day of his death by electric telegraph in 32 minutes; and the theaters were ordered to close until Sunday; Meanwhile, his death has not been announced, and only a closed theater will announce it. Strange way of announcing. Read the attached paper. Is this really the Lavra novice, and what do you think about him and the request? A note about the old printed prologue will be sent to us. Deliver for a short time if available at the Laurel Library. May the Lord, Father Viceroy, preserve peace and silence and silence for you in your inner cell, even if there is rumor outside. Was it really even possible to become suspicious when there was a change of official? - It's a pity if so. I thought that in uncalled Theology vanity could justify; I didn’t think it was self-interest either. And so there is no loss for the Lavra: but also for the diocese there is no great gain. May the Lord arrange everything for good and correct us all. I am writing before the service: and therefore I have no time to write anymore. I already have more than one letter from us about certain subjects about which I have not given you an answer, partly due to the inconvenience of the time, partly because the subjects themselves contain the verbiage. You are thinking about solitude. Thinking about the needs of the service and my responsibilities, I don’t see how I could not remain guilty if I agreed to this. You pointed out Sergius to me as someone capable of taking your place. That I was not convinced of this, you could also believe, based on my previous comments, which you know. Now, it seems, you too have lost the conviction that you previously had, and therefore, it seems clear that I would be wrong if I followed your previous conviction. Now you are talking about Anatolia. He is in his place in the monastery. But even there there were difficulties that could only be stopped by your efforts. The Lavra is no lighter than the monastery. Moreover, external education is also required here. Will you resolve these perplexities satisfactorily? I have long thought about saying something about confessor Filaret. Why does he forcefully demand his son from Optina Pustyn? The son, they say, does not want to go otherwise than they will send him and not let him go. I talked about this with Filaret, and noticed in him on this subject a certain elasticity, which I had previously seen in him. It seems to me that it is better for a son to be in the monastery in good hands not with his father than with his father. With a father, natural love can more conveniently take precedence over spiritual brotherly love, or so it may seem to others, which is also not useful. Is there anything special here that I don't know? Thank God that the cave society was not shaken by the separation of the one who started it. Thank God also for the fact that the rule of St. Pachomius rules the cell of Philaret. But even here I would like to ask: are there children? Do they follow the same path as their father? Returning to the unspeakable word, I ask you to give yourself and me time to think, being content in the meantime with the temporary solitude that you can have in the monastery. The Judge is near at the door for everyone, and not for those alone who think about this according to certain signs, and He can be met with a peaceful conscience by those struggling with difficulties in society, whom they did not know how and did not dare to let go into solitude. The Monk Sergius will not leave you to intercede for your love for him and his monastery. Perhaps your philanthropy towards my weakness will bring you some kind of denarius of retribution. Ryasoforny Sergius, and it seems to me, gives hope. The instructions to the treasurer were written against the previous disorder, and in no way with the idea of ​​dual command. I readily agree that it should more clearly express the unity of command of the governor. Give it time to review it. The undertakings of Eminence I are strange. Is it really coming to the point that the bishops themselves are destroying the monasteries? Lord, forgive me this word. Forgive me too and pray for me. Someone who came from St. Petersburg told me how there, in a circle close to the high center, they judge your shortcomings. By the way, they say that women spend the night in the monastery. When I wanted to refute this: I was told that it was true, and it was known in Moscow. From August 16 to 17, on the occasion of the holiday, General K. and another girl spent the night in the monastery. Unfortunately, it’s hard for me not to believe this. And so, if Anatoly did not know this, then this is not commendable. If he knew, and did not tell me: and this is not commendable. If he did not see one case of disorder: who can guarantee that he did not miss even ten? If one case of disorder is hidden from the authorities: how can they be calm and not be afraid that ten are hidden? I know the rule that Christians and monks must act sincerely and truthfully, but I don’t know on what basis an exception to this rule can be based, as if one can act insincerely and untruthfully with superiors. They will say: General’s venerable old lady: it’s true. But the world does not add this excuse to its gossip: and there is temptation. Do yourself a favor, accept this not as sorrow or anger, but as reinforcement of vigilance and caution. The widow of Vasily Alekseevich Mazurin and her brother brought me 3,000 rubles in silver for the monastery for the eternal remembrance of him and his relatives. I wanted to send them to you; but stopped, thinking that it needed to be put into the safe treasury, which the local steward could do 27 . Peace to us, Father Viceroy, and to the brethren. By helping and reflecting on the circumstances of the death of Fr. Archimandrite Theophilus, you consoled me. Thank God that he was granted a death with good preparation and a peaceful outcome. Apparently the Lord, in his previous life, found that for which he bestowed this last gift. That the Reverend Tverskoy could have treated him harshly, I believe this, and from other experiences. But for the passer-by to take revenge deliberately for not offering lunch to a passer-by, it is difficult to put faith in this. For me, it is more likely that the Reverend strictly received the strictly removed from Moscow, and was carried away by some slander from close people, to which influence he was subject. I rejoice that Manuel diligently entered into service near the Rev. If you like, we can consider this appointment decisive. Send novices for initiation into the surplice. M. I asked if the older brethren were making comments that it was not the senior in service in the Lavra who took the place of treasurer. M. answered in the affirmative, and added that, however, the brethren in the Lavra are peaceful. Is he not one of those who notice? However, he spoke calmly. I told him that His Eminence Anthony of Voronezh gave guidance to Dimitri, and Dimitri faithfully followed his guidance. It is a pity that the monks also look up, and not at the ground, as the fathers taught. I heard about the new Borodino abbess that she installed a rector’s position, which the deceased did not have, in the church, and introduced bows to the abbess. It’s a pity for those who grumble about this; It’s a pity that she gave rise to grumbling and did not retain her former simplicity, after recently she willingly served with her sisters at meals. The name E. brings me a dark reminder that does not favor the named person, unless it is another person. Wasn't he in the Donskoy Monastery for some time? And doesn’t the service under the Reverend Nathanael show a seeker? Let him live as a guest while you give me the answer to the first of these questions. Also ask him if there is anything in his record that could make it difficult for those accepting him. If two celliarchs are established, as you believe, then one may fear that the position of dean will almost lose its significance, and the celliarchs will not have as significant an influence on the brethren as the dean. Isn't it better to establish one cellarch, who would share the work with the dean and be his assistant? Answer me this before anything is done. May the Lord help His servant Hierodeacon Ananias. I feel sorry for him. For a long time there seemed to me something painful and melancholy in his face. May the Lord guide you to help him. If he is submissive, then shouldn’t it be suggested to him that he should not hold on to thoughts that find him, but will soon reveal to whom he should, and it is necessary to reassure him more, and, as much as possible, to contradict him as little as possible. The case of the Ugreshsky Monastery is in a rather difficult situation. The benefactor, who restored the church there and added a chapel, said that he would like to help this monastery to set up a hostel, but that he wanted to deal with the treasurer, and not with the abbot. When the abbot, who had long asked for his resignation, renewed this request urgently: I dismissed him, and entrusted management to the treasurer, in anticipation of what could be done. Regarding E.V. 28, I’ll ask you a question that I forgot to ask earlier: why do you think that he could not be treasurer, but could be rector? Did Professor Gorsky tell you that in the Synodal Library, in the Lavra Rules, it was found that in the Lavra on the day of the Dormition of God 29 we performed the Jerusalem rite, which you and I introduced in the monastery, not knowing that we were not introducing something new, but restoring the former? Returning to the thought of the celliarchs, thank you for continuing to find useful things for the monastery. Do not complain about my perplexities, but help me do something useful by eliminating my perplexities. I don’t have time to write to you as much as I wish. Thank God for our schemamonks who introduced themselves. Svyatoslavsky, as he says, has nothing to do with Sergius Zheltukhin; but I remember that I saw him and allowed him. I told him to look through all the papers on my desks; and still no work was found. Tell me the number and day it was sent. I am sending you, Father Viceroy, a copy of the schema of His Holiness Patriarch Nikon. The nun expanded some of the features. Apart from this, everything is similar to the original. The schema of His Holiness the Patriarch is simpler than some of the schemas of our schemamonks 30. Peace, father governor, and brethren. Thank you for the blessing from the feast of St. Nikon. I celebrated only at the all-night vigil: and according to the liturgy performed by the hieromonk, I was in a different position. You talk about two chariot-drivers who dropped their chariot, as if confirming what was previously written about dual command. I have already told you that I had no thoughts about dual leadership; that the instructions to the treasurer were written at the request of the circumstances of that time (when the Lavra’s economy was, as if in a dark abyss, with the treasurer all year, and only a few months of the next year it was possible to see its condition from the report), and what was written about the direct relationship of the treasurer to me, as far as I remember, remained from the previous instructions of Vladika Plato. I am not returning the corrected instructions to you because I have not yet found the time to review them. Can you find the old instructions? About E., it seems, has not yet been presented from you. Imagine. If it is not without difficulty to install two kelliarchs, so that the establishment is in due force: then, it seems, it is even less convenient to make several senior ones, one in each building. Between those living in the same building, the senior in service is sometimes not the one who is better off being the senior in position. This is already a difficulty at the very birth of a position, before it lives and acts. The idea of ​​having a senior in charge of each corps, before they understand it and get used to it, will probably seem to the brethren as if transferred from schools, and therefore unpleasant. It is better to already identify two cellarchs, and it is necessary to determine the position of the dean and theirs. The Spasoborodino abbess was justified by the information I received from the dean that the abbot’s place was also under the late abbess. The current one has transferred only this from the Spasskaya Church to the Filaretovskaya Church, where the service is now taking place. God bless Prince Sergius Maximilianovich. May St. Sergius continue to patronize him. 3000 rubles for the commemoration of the late Vasily Alekseevich Mazurin have already been deposited in the safe treasury. And I think this was necessary, in accordance with the fact that they were given for eternal remembrance. When a good deed is in mind, it is better not to forget the fulfillment of duty. You wrote that you shouldn’t look at people who judge monasticism, knowing how to judge it with dissatisfaction. I agree that you don’t need to look in order to obey their thoughts, but I think you need to look in order to be careful against temptation and harm to your title. Why, for example, are they reluctant to approve the provision of real estate to monasteries, if not from the opinion that the monks live dishonestly and use their property dishonestly? So, in order to avoid harm to the title, one should not allow oneself to engage in unseemly behavior, in which there is no moral evil, but in which there is a lack of order, and which give rise to unfavorable opinions. The apostle did not want to eat meat forever, lest he tempt his brother, although those who were tempted were sinfully tempted. Ryasoforny and novices are initiated into the surplice. My vicar is ill. And after the 20th day I fell ill: but today, thank God, I was not excommunicated from the altar. They are told to take caution against cholera. She came in one or two persons by rail from St. Petersburg to Moscow: but more than that, it seems, there is nothing. I ask for your and brother's prayers. Thus the Lord judged that the generation would pass away. Glory to Him for the fact that the race comes, and so does the monastic race. May the Lord grant the new generation to reach the level of its fathers in deeds and virtues. I personally know Fekla Vasilievna, having seen her in Kostroma. She was the soul of her family in piety. Her conversation about the prayer of the living for the dead, and the dead for the living, is beautiful and comforting. If the schema of St. Nikon pleases you, I also agree that it should be a model. Is it possible for Barnabas, according to seniority, to be promoted to hieromonk? If so: then I agree. It’s a pity that V. indulges in thoughts. It is good, however, that they did not put him in a place that would satisfy his desires, but which he would not satisfy, judging by what is now opening up. On the 1st day of December, take one hundred and a half rubles of my money and distribute it to ministers and the poor. I received from you the icon of the Most Holy Trinity, as a sign of the blessing from St. Sergius given to me, and your prayers to the Most Holy Trinity for my humility, and your benevolent remembrance of the day of my Angel with gratitude. God bless your love. Continue your prayers for my weakness. May the Lord tell Varvara Alexandrovna the path of peace and the path of life, and may he protect her with the weapon of His light from every attack of darkness. I want to know what the Lord will do with her. God bless Vasily, who says winter. The icon is good. I will be pleased to see her in the skete cell, as a blessing to good praying souls. It would be good if these were the icons of the iconostasis. But do I really think that some of Malyshev’s icons are no less pure, and sometimes even more correct? “By praising one, I do not blame the other.” Is there anything better for Hierodeacon Ananias? I do not send you my sermons, thinking that they are not needed. However, maybe I’ll send them and something else with Barnabas. What does the statement mean in the statement of rings in a silver frame for 8 kopecks? What are they bought for? Peace be with you, Father Viceroy, and the brethren. May your preparation for the cleansing of your conscience, by the grace of God, be attentive, the cleansing is complete, and communion with the Lord in the sacrament is filled with inalienable consolation. G.V.A. 31 may God help, like the news. May God grant that one illness in Ananias will cure another. It's a pity for V. and the keeper of his treasure. And it’s not good if the thief is in the Lavra and is unknown. But why is V. ashamed? There seems to be no shame in being robbed. – Not only for the hermit life, but also for the skete life, it seems he doesn’t have much hope. It would not happen that only thoughts that need to be completely abandoned would be hidden. God grant that the work of the Tikhonovsky hostel takes a clean path. You wrote for me to instill a charitable thought in the widow Mazurina. I don't know how to do this. Semyon Longinovich suggested that I do the same, namely, to retell to her that he had heard the deceased promise to resume the mural painting in the Assumption Cathedral, and to encourage her to fulfill the will of her husband. I did not dare to call her and tell her about this, but only told the priest to tell her what he had heard as a man worthy of full faith. At the same time, the priest told me that she does not like to obey suggestions, and that, moreover, her brothers interfere with her. Regarding the poor disciples in the Lavra, it occurs to me that there is no need to multiply them, both for economic reasons and because many are more difficult to look after. God will bless the four novices in the monastery in the rasophorus. I received a letter from the Most Reverend Kazansky, and found in it an idea that I thought needed to be stopped before it broke out into the world. Therefore, I immediately wrote to him my objection. Read the enclosed letter, and the copied portion of my response, and tell me what you think, whether I have sinned. The Right Reverend's letter mentions the rules. Here's the thing. On the occasion of unrest in the stauropegial monasteries, rules for monastics were prescribed and drawn up: but the S. Synod ordered me to introduce them in the diocesan monasteries, and not a word about the stauropegial ones. Therefore, I told the Eminence: what do they want? Is it possible to draw people into stauropegic monasteries through strictness in diocesan monasteries, and upset them there with self-will? Now he says that I will understand this turn of events: but I don’t understand something. I am writing to you, Father Viceroy, a legend that I heard from a person who heard it personally from the Most Reverend Anthony, Archbishop of Voronezh, of blessed memory. On the day preceding the opening of the relics of St. Mitrofan, he wanted to go to church to place the new bishop’s vestments that had been prepared on them; and when it was time to go, he suddenly felt such relaxation within himself that he could barely walk through the cell. Concerned about this unexpectedness for this and the next day, he sat down in thought and heard a quiet voice: do not break my will. He did not immediately understand this: but, thinking about his intention, gathering his strength, he opened the storage room where the vestments were, and immediately found the schema, which had been given to him in a remarkable way some time before. When, according to his custom, he received many who came to ask for blessings or spiritual advice, by the way, an unknown woman, if I remember the story correctly, in a monastic robe, presented him with a schema, asked him to accept it, and said that she would need it. Before the Right Reverend freed himself from talking with others, the one who brought the schema disappeared, and he could no longer speak to her. Now, having seen this schema, he understood that the word: do not violate my will, is the will of Saint Mitrofan, not to place the bishop’s vestments on his relics, but to leave them in the schema. The Right Reverend took this schema and placed it on the relics of the Saint. She was on them for several years; then, having been replaced by another, it remained in the hands of the hieromonk, and recently came into my hands. I'm thinking of putting it in the monastery. And you tell me where exactly. She will send you this message. Let us go to Bethlehem 32 in our minds, and bow down in a humble manger to our Savior God, who built his throne, and embrace each other in joy about Him, and ask each other for His grace. His blessing to you, Father Viceroy, and brethren. Peace to the soul of Parthenius. He served peacefully in the Lavra. Regarding V., thank God that he was not left at the sacristy. The difficulties could be greater than the present ones. I thought that it would not be bad for him to change his place, so that the hopes he had been deceived in the Lavra would be more conveniently forgotten, and so that the memories of his revealed strangeness would not prick his eyes. These oddities are such that it is difficult to have hope for his future. He has already proven that his words cannot be relied upon. Otherwise, it is difficult to imagine that it is probable that a person who has the convenience of celebrating the liturgy in church whenever he wants, could, without any special thought, dare to transfer it to his cell. However, you see it closer. If you have hope of putting him on a good path, without fear of hidden oddities or open absurdities, do as you suggest. But do not let me know what experience will show. Keep the antimenses and so on secretly, and remind me of this in time. It is very unpleasant that Theodore acted untruthfully. It is necessary to ask him better whether there was any special thought that gave plausibility to the daring and illegal, and represented an excusable lie. Thank you for your help in calming my thoughts about what I impudently wrote about the charter to the Synod. Regarding marriages of the ecclesiastical department, the matter has already been decided in the S. Synod, and the opinion of the Right Reverend Kazansky has not been accepted. Just so that he knew my thoughts, I wrote to him that this cannot be defended without exception; and that it was necessary, referring to custom, and its necessity and benefit, to resolve the case that presented itself, if the local bishop does not see in this marriage any doubt that he has the moral dignity required by church rules, and, moreover, to take into consideration whether the person entering into such a marriage can enter into the highest degree of ministry. Such a decision could be defended, and it would not give rise to the proliferation of such marriages. The death of our steward gave me the opportunity to ask I. V. 33 whether he would like to take over this place, because I am not at peace with him. I usually learned about unfavorable events in the brotherhood at home by accident, and from strangers, but I didn’t know the truth from him. For several years now, from time to time, information has reached me that he is using the shops in the courtyard from those who rent them, with a burden on them. Recently I received a complaint from the owners of the monastery shops, in order to save them from relations with him, for the same reason. The housekeeper says that he has a clear conscience, and that only he was sometimes given a robe. And one of the complaints that reached me was that he takes the goods, asks whether to pay, and forces consent to give away without payment. But V. says that he doesn’t want to become an economist at the Lavra, but would rather just go to the Lavra. Judge him and me and tell us what you think. And resolutely remove him from relations with the keepers of the hermitage shops. Speaking of economists. - There is information worthy of belief about the steward of the Sukharevsky metochion that he does not enjoy good opinion in St. Petersburg, that the service in the church is careless, and that last Easter he had a seizure during the service in the church, from which he fell. Think about this. May the Lord bless you, Father Vicar, and brethren, with His grace, a new summer; May he be merciful to you in everything, and most of all, may he grant us, day by day, by deed, desire, and thought, to put off the old man, and put on the new man, created by God in honor and righteousness. Sorry for saying this late. From the second day of the holiday I was seriously ill with a cold, especially in the head, as a result of which I could not use my eyes freely until the 4th or 5th day of this month. Peace to the soul of Mikhail Kholmogorov. May the Lord help Jacob Barlaam (or is it?) like a message. The Makhrishchi builder, I think, can be a good housekeeper of the Lavra. In order for V. to be the builder of Mahra, one can agree to this, with hope, regarding stewardship. But if a person has a strong direction to look for his si: then, not without worries, he would not look for this in his superiors. However, I am determined to overcome this doubt; and decide to experiment. But I don’t know what V. thinks; he is not well now, and I don’t see him. To my information, which came from worthy hands, you objected: why do merchants give gifts? I answer: merchants have no other weapon than money; and as soon as any fear of oppression is encountered, we are ready to immediately use this weapon. When I read in your letter that the careless service of the steward of the St. Petersburg courtyard is my sin: not thinking that you accused me in vain, and not understanding, I wanted to ask you for an explanation. But then I realized that you understood about the Moscow courtyard what I wrote about the St. Petersburg one. So, remember what I wrote, and enter into discussion about this again. The seizure on Easter in the church was with the St. Petersburg economist, and not with the Moscow one. It was unpleasant for me to look at M. as a candidate for an economic position. I expected a different direction from him. May the Lord guide us all in His good and pure will. This will be delivered to you, Father Viceroy, Esaul Zolotarev. He wants to pray to St. Sergius and see the Lavra. Receive him with care, and assist him both in spiritual matters and in satisfying his pious and patriotic curiosity. Peace to the souls of our brothers Jacob and Barlaam. It is comforting to see those leaving with a good fight, although it is a pity that we are deprived of those who fought well. The hermitage builder stays in Moscow so much so that sometimes I search for more than a day and don’t find him. May this be for the benefit of the monastery, and may it not bring the city wind into the silence of the desert. My thoughts do not include the appointment of Gerasim to Makhra. And o. I will be glad to see Abbot Anthony. With the prayers of the Reverend Fathers, may the Lord reward Mahra; It's time to be generous. I’ve been looking at it for five ten years, and I still don’t see a builder who is well-maintained and comfortable. Varlaam is a good man, but he does not have enough commanding and leadership power. I’m at a loss what to do with V. At least tell me how to remove him from relations with the keepers of the hermitage shops, which is what they are asking for, and of course not without reason. Imagine the Bethany ones for ordination. It seems that I. Veniamin, who is with me at the courtyard, would be suitable for the St. Petersburg courtyard. Only here sometimes he suffers from hemorrhoidal disease. I think they are wrong to suspect him of being a seeker. He became acquainted with Count Sheremetyev because he served in his church; and some took him as their confessor because he serves attentively and lives peacefully. There is also a person in mind that could be of benefit if God brings him to you. This is I. Avramiy, the former confessor of the blessed memory of the Right Reverend Anthony of Voronezh. The late Donskoy Archimandrite transferred him from Voronezh to Donskoy: but after his death, Avramiy experienced difficulties. His Eminence of Voronezh again calls him to him: but it is not very reliable to move from the deceased to the sick. I don’t know what Avramy will decide to do, and whether His Eminence Agapit will let him go. One of the merchants, a little acquaintance, came to me and asked for blessings for his daughter and her fiance. I wished them well: and he instructed me to ask the monastery brethren to pray for them, and gave the skete a thousand rubles. I gave the names and money to the builder. I can’t find Zheltukhin’s file at my place, and I ordered the secretary to look for it at Svyatoslavsky’s and it was also not found. What to do? I am sending you the life of His Grace Anthony of Voronezh. There is good in it: but much that is known is written, and much that is worthy of knowledge is kept silent. I sent you the schema of the relics of St. Mitrophan. It seems you didn't say whether you received it. If Simeon Longinovich retells what the shopkeepers say: why think that he is retelling it differently from what they say? Why should they complain when they cannot stand difficulties? Do you think that they are slandering them for dressing up their malfunction? S.L. says that they were always correct when they treated him. And slander cannot get rid of not paying according to the terms on time. What was written to you about the steward of the St. Petersburg courtyard was heard not from A. N. M., but from someone closer to the court. It could happen that what happened to the housekeeper in the retelling was rewritten and exaggerated. On the part of Andrei Nikolaevich, as part of a severe reprimand to me, now for the Bishop of Thebaid, it was mentioned that the St. Petersburg steward of the Right Reverend Iliopolsky “out loudly called him an alien stranger.” It seems that A.N. heard this from Pr. himself. Iliopolsky. Ostrovsky was recently in Moscow: but I didn’t ask him about the courtyard. If Theodoret lost his collected book in an unseemly arrangement: Tobias should have then quietly written this to us, which would have taken precautions against those who wrongly stood up for Theodoret. Now Tobiah's story was too late to have force. I am not inclined to have a bad opinion about Tobias: but there is some doubt. I thank God that there is brotherhood in the Lavra brotherhood. I really appreciate it. But, I think, it’s not a fault, but a necessity, to look at one or the other with caution. V.'s case makes it difficult for me. You did not wait for my answer to your idea to lead it through the Cathedral, and led me onto this road. But if you judge it openly and officially: it requires a more severe measure than you think; and yet you must beware of severity, lest the broken reed be broken. And Gennady, I thought, could be promoted to further use as a man of calm and modest reasoning. But when I heard that he was breaking strong vaults and building ceilings, because that’s what they do now, and that there was no sign of improvement in his brotherhood, then I stopped thinking about it. They didn’t ask me about the candidate for Voskresensk. Meanwhile, in passing, I took into account the Archimandrite who wrote the life of the Right Reverend Ignatius. I told you about I. Avramiya, the confessor of the late Right Reverend Anthony of Voronezh. Why didn’t you say anything about this? Do you think that he would have a place in the Lavra? Read the attached letter, which contains additions to the life of the Right Reverend Anthony. Some you know better than what is said here. As for the first legend about the betrothal: my thoughts do not add up to the schemamonk’s interpretation. It is more convenient to accept that the bride was a Voronezh church. Yes or no? I am sending you, Father Viceroy, a description of the life and some of the miracles of St. Tikhon. I received it after the death of the one to whom it was inscribed. Place it in the monastery carefully. Maybe this manuscript will be needed: because in the Zadonsk monastery they complained that the original record of miracles, which was probably the original of the manuscript now being sent, had disappeared. I previously wondered whether Archimandrite Dosifei, who after Zadonsky ended his life in Simonovo, took away the original manuscript. The list now being sent comes from Simonov. Thank you, Father Viceroy, for the icons. With o. I got to know I. Anthony somewhat. He reasons correctly and speaks directly. It is not clear how he will act in management. But I think that, by treating him more closely, you could draw some conclusions about this. Does Varlaam agree to a change of place and position? – I look forward to your decisive considerations in your submission. I thank you very much for the reasoning that Tikhon Smirnov brought to bear on the case, and I agree that nothing can be done based on his letter. But I don’t think he was motivated by a desire to glorify his creations. He lived with the Right Reverend Innocent of Penza throughout his stay in Penza, until his death: and the Right Reverend constantly spoke of him as a pious and humble man. Afterwards they offered him a service closer to the capital: he did not pursue this, and remained in his land in need, serving as a scribe for some mayor. From what modern events, and how could Tikhon in 1819 derive the prediction that in 1825 there would be a great terror on the people? Among the pure prophets and among those falsely claiming to be prophets, or dreaming of being such, are there not a middle class of people who, striving for good, although still in a mixed state, have some contemplations, just as they have some virtues, and the providence of God, allowing them to reveal their presentiments, has the goal, by what is good in them, to arouse some to goodness, and by what is mixed in them, to facilitate the judgment of those who are not will they believe it? Judge my thoughts and tell me the best. God will bless Sergius and Alexei to put on the ryassophore. Why didn’t you tell me anything about Herman, who wants to go to Novospassky? Glory to God for His mercy towards the skete confessor and for his return to health. I looked at the approximate schedule closely because I had no time, because I was ill, and because I was sure that you had diligently looked through it. The peace of the Lord be with you and with the brethren of the monastery. It is not Svyatoslavsky’s fault that the new control order did not reach you. Guilty in St. Petersburg. And the Synodal Office was not written about this, and it borrowed information about this from the Consistory. I told one of your people, I think the Bethan treasurer, before that he should also write down what is in the Consistory about this. Now I have requested two lists from the secretary, and they will be sent to you from my office. It’s good that Herman voluntarily remains in the Lavra. Novospassky did not tell me that he was related to him. What is happening to Hierodeacon I.? I have not yet been able to talk to the Makhrishchi builder. The day before yesterday I was at the fiftieth anniversary celebration at the Catherine School; yesterday and now I was busy with the feast of St. Alexis 34. Tomorrow I hope to talk with Varlaam. The luxury of the table and food has come to where the womb spews out the worthless. In the local Seminary there are such places with water: and every year they pay an Englishman about one and a half hundred rubles in silver for supervision and for repairs, and, moreover, always alone; others do not volunteer to take on this matter. If something significant is damaged in this device: what will you do? The water pipe will be damaged: those who do not know the matter will not notice it soon, and the water will wash away the wall, or the ceiling, or the floor. And when supervised, this device gives dampness to the part of the building in which it is located. In the Orphanage it happened that they saw the ceiling getting wet. For a long time they could not understand what this meant. Finally it turned out that the mice had eaten through the lead water pipe. You expect that the construction of two towers will cost 1000 rubles, and fashionable latrines 1200. But can these be done in the open air? They will occupy a space in the building that costs no less than two towers. Also take into account how much space is needed for stinking water, which will come out of the latrine all day long, so that it does not create a stinking swamp near the building. If, having examined the matter from all sides, you decide to undertake it, then, I think, you should first decide on one experiment at a fraternal hospital. In this case, the towers in the monastery can be made of wood, on the assumption that, perhaps, after they become dilapidated, a new construction will be undertaken. However, I am not a master of such matters. I say what I know and what I think. Reason better than me. You read in the news about the Bishop of Thebaid, who arrived to collect benefits. Shouldn't we offer him a subscription to the Lavra, or should he wait to see if he decides to be there himself? I told the builder my intention to transfer him to the steward of the Lavra. He seemed to accept it peacefully. Talk to him and think this over to the end. If this is done, I think it is necessary to appoint him to the Council. Is there not a new icon of St. Paul of Latre in the Lavra to make a list of? Have a look and tell me what you find. Thank you, Father Viceroy, for your discussions of spiritual caution. I share them: but I think that my thoughts, which gave you the reason for this reasoning, do not contradict them. I did not consider the state of the people about whom I spoke to be either right or safe: but I only said that the providence of God allows some to act from mixed states, and turns the glimmers of truth that occur to their advantage. Balaam was in the right state when he refused Balak's envoys; He entered into a confused state when he was seduced by the importance of the second embassy and wanted to go, knowing already the will of God, which forbade him to go; the donkey was already denouncing his wrong condition; then he completely lost his way and died. But through this confusion, a great act of providence passed through, and an important prediction was made. The Kiev abbot cannot be used before receiving dismissal from Kiev. It is not an image of St. Paul of Latre that is needed, but a model according to which to paint a church icon in the Alekseevsky Monastery. Is it possible to remove a drawing from his image in the calendar and deliver it to me? For those who are called of you into the next age with good hope, do not grieve too much. Out of love for them we will say: go in peace; although we are sorry; and they will reward us with prayers. Distinguish between what is written formally and what is homely. A.N.’s letter was sent to you with a resolution in which it is said to return the letter to me. There is an intention here to have the matter in mind in order to demand the return of the book. The other, so-called original, is it in Slavonic or Greek? The former Ugresh abbot Ilarius asked to leave the service for two years, and finally achieved what he wanted. He retired to Pesnosh: and there he became bored for a short time. I moved to the Intercession Monastery: and here, it seems, I’m already bored. He goes to the Lavra, almost with the thought of asking to go to the monastery. I don’t think I wouldn’t get bored there even if I decided to live there. This has been reported for your information and consideration. I ask for forgiveness from you and the brethren, and prayers, so that I may not be alien to the fruits of fasting and repentance. Thank you, Father Viceroy, for the drawing of St. Paul. Thank God that Joasaph is better in Ananias. You offer me a question that is not my small business to answer: is there now a need for prophecies, albeit private ones! - And will people of great measure undertake to answer this! The Lord, who rules the world, knows whether He still needs this instrument, which He often used before. The prophet Amos (III AD) testifies: the Lord God will not do any work unless he reveals his punishment to his servant through the prophet. The prophet presents it as if it were customary for the Lord to reveal every work that He does to His servants the prophets. The fact that the Lord stopped this custom is not visible in the word of God, as far as I know. Prophecies were especially appointed to indicate the coming of Christ. They were fulfilled during the earthly life of Christ: but they did not stop. We could ask: is there any need to predict to the Apostle Paul that he will be bound in Jerusalem when he goes to this extent, even if he is restrained! However, Agabus predicted this. Would you say that this was necessary in order to demonstrate Apostolic firmness and readiness to suffer for the truth for edification! – So you admitted that there is a need for a private prophecy. Didn't Anthony the Great predict the end of the apostate Julian to Athanasius the Great? Did not Theodore the Sanctified foretell to his disciples the darkness of Arianism in the church, and then the abundant light of Orthodoxy! Where is the limit to this! O. Seraphim did not predict many things for many! If the Lord arranges this, then one must think that this is needed for something. We can and should say to everyone who strives for his salvation: you have no secret needs, 35 do not seek to know the unseen or the future. To be saved, you need to believe, fulfill the commandments, purify your heart, and not be curious. It is dangerous to want to know what is hidden; and wanting to open it is even more dangerous. But all this does not prevent God’s providence from revealing the secret and using it for its own good purposes, even with the imperfection of the instrument, as can be seen from experience. Consider this and tell me the best. What you wrote: I recognize everything as worthy of acceptance. Thank you for the view of Lavra. The view is new, not incomprehensible. Other people's buildings are mixed with the Lavra. We need to take a closer look at this at our leisure. From the One who takes away the sins of the world, blessings of peace upon you, vicar father, and brethren, may your hearts be purified, with a sweet thirst approach the Source of life, and taste that the Lord is good. Remember my unworthiness before Him, so that I will not be a stranger to what I wish for you with love. Read the attached letter, and do not hesitate to tell me what you think upon its return. Peace from the Lord to the viceroy father and brethren. Immediately upon receipt of this, send to me, Father Viceroy, the sacristan, and with him the inventory of the Lavra sacristy and library, both current and previous, on the basis of which the current ones were compiled. For a special reason, it is necessary that this be done as quickly as possible. Peace be upon us, Father Viceroy, and the brethren. The sacristan returns and takes inventory. Concern about this probably has its source in the case of V., lovers of secret news, exaggerated, and carried far. But the Lord is able to preserve, so that those who seek guilt in vain will not find guilt. Difficult state of mind Fr. I also noticed Abbot Hilary and tried to calm him down, which is why I agreed to his transfer to the Intercession Monastery without controversy. I would not hesitate to take him to the monastery if I could rely on his constant determination: but I doubt it, seeing how quickly he begins to get bored in a new place, and as this place grows tired he looks for another. So, he says that at Pesnosha he was received coldly: and the treasurer there says that they tried to calm him down. I wouldn’t want him, having lived in the monastery, to complain about anyone. By the way, I’ll tell you what I heard. Some, having lived in the monastery and left, do not speak well of it. I advise you to take it there after a preliminary test in the Lavra or Bethany. People do not know that the impatient person blames the place for his own justification: and they swallow the blame with harm. However, let Ilarius stay. - Let's see. The idea comes to mind, when the opportunity arises, to send the Empress Tsesarevna something as a blessing from St. Sergius, something that would bring her a pleasant and good thought. Would you please deliver an icon, not large, or even small, that I could wear on myself? The timing will continue until Wednesday. Thank you, Father Vicar, you and the brethren of the monasteries, for the prayers brought and offered for the newly deceased servant of God Evdokia 37. Her life and death give assurance that she died in blessed hope. The number of her years and the last painful year prepared me for deprivation. I look at her departure with reverence; however, I often want to cry. Thank God that I was honored to pay my last debt to her. Tired of studying with the Chief Prosecutor 38, in her last days, I had to often come to her, sometimes at night, and sometimes spend several hours with her: and I already felt a breakdown in my health before her death: however, God arranged it so that before her death I prayed in front of her, and witnessed her last quiet breaths, and, immediately after their cessation, offered a prayer for the deceased. But when I came to the funeral service at her house for two days, I got such pain in my head and insides from a cold in my legs that on Sunday I lay there for most of the day, and had a difficult night the following day: however, now I was able to fulfill my duty. I was consoled by my fellow servants, of their own free will, in sufficient numbers, who had gathered for her removal and burial, and by the multitude of people not only from home to church, and in church, but also in the country cemetery. Enough love and prayer. Now I feel cold and lazy in my body again. Pray for my weakness. From the bottom of my heart I thank you, Father Viceroy, for the kind conversation to my consolation. My sadness, thank God, is not heavy, and is dissolved by comforting memories, and I don’t think that it has any effect on my health. It is upset by repeated colds, which are slowly resolving, which is not conducive to the painful time. If I don’t contribute to the transformation of the disease in any way, then perhaps it’s through activities that are tiresome, but inevitable. From what I am now writing in Fr. to the rector of the Academy, you will find out what a complicated thing happened due to our censorship. Your Eminences Philotheus and Agapit and I are sick. Therefore, I prescribed prayers on the occasion of illness, in churches, without a conciliar prayer service. I ordered that in those parts of the diocese where there is no disease, they pray for their preservation and for pardon for us who are punished in Moscow. May the Lord preserve the Lavra through the prayers of St. Sergius; may she also pray for us. The Empress Tsesarevna lovingly accepted the icon and s. relics, and, although I did not write to her, she honored me with a letter in which 39 she also mentions my grief. Read the list sent with you regarding church and monastery inventories. Thank God the matter ended peacefully. Only a new job must be done. But it was necessary to imagine this in order to correspond to the thoughts of the Sovereign Emperor. The Lavra inventory may not need to be redone. You wrote to me that Semyon Loginovich easily accepts monastic complaints. But Alexey then complains about worldly things, even though there was some reason for the complaint? It seems I don’t know Mrs. Valront, and I had no idea of ​​​​demanding her to Gabriel Pavlovich’s hostel. I would like to know who wrote about this from the Ascension Monastery. However, this hostel worries me. I don't see who to use. G.P. asks for one of two, whose names I don’t remember, from the Odigitrievsky hostel: but they are not needed there, and are hardly ready to arrange and manage. Won't you convince me? Abel vaguely told me something about the printing, as I thought, of his previous creation. I answered: as you wish, but see if it is necessary and useful. But now it turned out to be new. It's not good if he didn't ask you about this. Some things here are good, for example letters from St. Tikhon, Fr. Hilarion, Fr. Mikhail; the good spirit of those who wrote is felt in them, there is edification. But the gold was thrown into the rubbish belonging to Fr. Abel. Letter about. Photius does not embellish his memory, but tempts the reader to gossip. And why the tail of the book, torn from Andrei Nikolaevich’s book? Forgive my idle talk. The Empress Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna travels with her son, Prince Sergius Maximilianovich, for his health. Bring prayers for them in the Lavra and in the monastery. Read the attached letter from Archpriest Rozhdestvensky and my response. Do you need anything more? The Grand Duchess has some of the relics of St. Sergius. Shrines, I think, should be given sparingly and asked for moderately. You can send Hierodeacon Kirill for ordination. April 7th. Now there is a rumor that the Grand Duchess did not deign to leave at the appointed time. But for me everything is doubtful whether anything else needs to be done. With the attention of your mind and the feeling of your heart, may you be granted the gift of crossing the path of remembering the saving suffering and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, and accepting the light of His resurrection in your heart. Pray for my weakness. Today I could only celebrate in my home church. Kirill returns to you as a hieromonk. With this I send a cross with a part of the life-giving tree, given by the will of the late Dimitri Lukhmanov to the Gethsemane monastery. Moreover, the Jerusalem cross is unicorn. Elderly instructions from Fr. Last summer I wanted to revise Nazarius again in the editorial office: but it seemed to me that you did not prescribe them for use, and therefore I did not carry out my thought. Let the censorship consider it. But I still have disputes with censorship. You probably heard that she approved of the poems: prayer at the cross, and under this title: arias and choirs. Now it turns out that she also approved a book that proves that the Lord did not celebrate the Old Testament Passover, and this was reported to me from St. Petersburg. And Saint Chrysostom asks: why did the Savior celebrate Easter? And he answers so as not to leave any reason to accuse him of violating the law 40. Fr. Rector showed me a notebook about the life of Fr. Nazariya. But there are legends here that give rise to objections about their reliability: but there are no others that would not be doubtful and edifying, for example, like Fr. Nazarius advised the village priest to perform church services without the presence of parishioners, and what fruit came from this. I think I heard this from you. And they refer to you that you helped in compiling this biography. Would you reconsider again? Note. Attached to this letter is Fr. Viceroy to the previous letter of the Most Reverend Bishop dated April 3rd of this year. This answer expresses the idea that for the Grand Duchess the part of the relics that she already has is enough. On the answer the following note was made by the Vladyka’s hand: “Apr. 12th. This is what happened in this case. Yesterday Count S. G. Stroganov visited me, and, on instructions from Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, he announced to me the following: she is waiting for an answer from me; thinks that I am not answering, assuming she is already absent, but she remains in St. Petersburg until the 20th day of this month. The count added that he, of course, could write that he had fulfilled the order. Of course, he couldn’t prevent this. Now how will you judge this matter? Thank you, Father Vicar, you and the brethren for the word of consolation on the day of joy in the Risen Lord. I’m writing to you late; because my health serves me poorly. I didn’t even hope to celebrate in church: but God granted it. And yesterday, with difficulty, he served in the Church of the Orphanage; and he withdrew from the dinner there, although he should have attended it in honor of the Queen. Thank God for the abundance of worshipers in the Lavra. God's blessing and peace to Countess Varvara Alexandrovna. I don’t want to contradict her pious desire to have a church: but I look at this not without bewilderment. We already have a lot of churches. The terrain does not seem entirely convenient. And the side that you call eastern seems to be very inclined to the north. I agree, if you like: you just need to act according to the law, that is, receive a request from the Countess so that, due to her advanced years and weakness of strength, which prevents her from attending a common church, she would be allowed to have a home church for life; and this will be submitted from me to the permission of the S. Synod. The question of whether to leave the church forever will be in our hands, and will not require any special presentation to the Synod: but now the matter must be presented in an ordinary legal form, so that it can be resolved quickly and without difficulty. To speed up the matter in the S. Synod, the Countess will write to the Chief Prosecutor, or instruct me to do this. God's blessing to you, Father Vicar, and brethren. Thank you for the artos. You wrote to ask me to change the request for relief from the disease. But I do not have the right to do this when there is an order approved by a higher authority. They ask me on behalf of a certain merchant’s wife whether the schema she embroidered is placed on the relics of St. Sergius. Do you know the life of Gregory the Sinaite, written by Callistus, and the life of Simeon the New Theologian, written by his disciple, and someone shortened it when transposed into modern Greek? – The Optina elders want to print them: but it seems doubtful to me whether it will be useful. The Life of Gregory the Sinai is written so verbosely and heavily that it is unlikely to attract readers. And in the life of Simeon the New Theologian, the legend about his celebration of reverent Simeon, without church approval, and, moreover, for seven days, as Easter is celebrated, can give rise to incorrect imitation. It is also strange that the patriarch at first approves of this, then condemns it with the council, and expels the Monk Simeon; and then promises to make him a bishop if he agrees to moderate his celebration, and finally leaves everything to his will. The action of the hierarchy, whatever it may be, is presented in a too disordered and incoherent form: and it suggests whether the story has suffered from the narrator and the reteller. A letter is attributed to the Monk Simeon, which he wrote from his exile to the persecutor Metropolitan Stephen, in which he thanked him and challenged him to greater persecution. It seems to me that it is difficult to expect this from the meekness of a holy man. Tell me your thoughts on these subjects. Ivan Trifonovich Prokhorov told me the following last Friday. For many years he had no children; in the last years before this, the wife was unwell and at that time, in a dream, she saw herself in the Gethsemane monastery, and some elders said: let's keep her with us, but Alexander alone said: no, let's let her go, she will have two sons, Vasily and Sergius. Now God really gave her Vasily. Pray for them. My health is still fragile. Yesterday the trip to the cemetery gave me as much fatigue as the trip to the Lavra before. You, Father Viceroy, sent the Countess’s petition: but neither her age nor her rank is written. Where can I look for this now? Father Avramy decisively asks to come to me, although to the poorest monastery. What do you think, will we take it to the Lavra, and how will we use it? I need an answer to this in a short time. Do you know the sister of the Diveyevo community, Elisaveta Tatarinova? Gabriel Pavlovich wants to have her as the head of the hostel being established. She hesitates, and finally agrees to submit to the election if I allow her to break the oath that her confessor and mistress took from her not to leave the Diveyevo hostel. It seems to me that I should not do this, both because she is not of my department, and because in this oath, although perhaps not entirely reasonable, there is nothing harmful or criminal. If Herod had asked me to absolve him from the oath, as a result of which he was led to the murder of John the Baptist, I would have absolved him, so that no evil would happen. When this is not in mind, what right does one have to destroy an oath, which, perhaps, the providence of God arranged for some good purpose? Is it true what I think? This hieromonk wandered for a long time, and it is unclear why. It’s my fault that I complained to you about the failure to show the rank and years of Countess Varvara Alexandrovna: the rank is written on the petition: but the number of years could have been dispensed with. Yesterday I presented the house church to the S. Synod: and wrote to the Chief Prosecutor. Let her know that the job is done on our part. God's blessing and peace to her. Thank you for your prayers for my mother, and for the prayers of my brothers. God gave glory to her memory. Previously, the Empress Tsesarevna mentioned her in a letter to me: just these days, Tatyana Borisovna Potemkina told me about this recollection of the Empress. Family love, living in Tsarev's house, understands family love and others, and, condescendingly, sympathizes with it. There will be time to talk about the schema later. May God grant peace to Abbot Ilarius. But if he wants, he builds it: he must first make sure that he will not get bored and will not grumble about the money he will put in. I'm not feeling well at all. Today, due to weakness, I am sitting at home, and, by the way, I am giving, if possible, rest to my left eye, which hurts. Today I sent you a letter by mail 41, not thinking that the Bethany treasurer would be leaving soon. Don't be angry at the question being asked. I couldn't help but suggest it. I wrote to you about the house church for G.V.A. 42, which was presented from me. May the Lord arrange for her what he sees best, either for her to accept the throne of Christ into the house, or to hasten to the throne of Christ herself. It is likely that the schismatics use cunning in the cast iron factory to trample underfoot the four-pointed cross. But censorship for drawings of this kind can hardly be demanded: because they are not published. Is it possible to imagine the S. Synod that, according to Rule 43, which even orders a cross drawn on sand to be erased, in order to protect against trampling, it was ordered to beware of the likeness of a cross on the floor sheets of cast iron? Which plant can you suspect? Someone from Odessa asks to go to the monastery. This is something unexpected. Is it well tested? The example of the Bethany hieromonk provides an opportunity for reflection: is it good to let go on a journey who should be sent away? - So, he came again: and while he was walking, he was looking for a place to convince him to accept; he probably blamed the place and the people from whom he was coming. I have had your idea of ​​the forest for a long time. I hesitated, seeing no hope, and waiting to see if it would open. But no. Semyon Longinovich offered land to the Odigitrievsky hostel: he was ordered to sell it for the benefit of the hostel. Count Sheremetyev offered the Spasoborodinsky Monastery in Moscow a courtyard: one could expect special leniency for this: however, it was not approved for the monastery, but was ordered to be sold. It’s as if someone instilled fear in Orthodox Russia so that the monks would not take over its land. Apparently we do not know how to worthily use what is given: and God’s Providence does not allow us to receive what is given. Interest on the price of land, what does it mean in comparison with the income from land used wisely? After this, do you think that you will insist that I give movement to the Council’s idea of ​​the forest? They say that the novices expelled from Khotkov live in Posad and trade at the Lavra Gate. It is up to the police to see whether they have the right to live in Posad; and she should be selling it at the Lavra Gate. My eye hurts: and it doesn’t allow me to celebrate tomorrow. I ask for your prayers. May the Lord rest in a brighter place the soul of His servant schema-nun Anastasia. It’s a pity that she didn’t wait for the house church. If this church had been established with temporary legal permission, it would have been possible to preserve it even after the period assigned to it. The legal order will not allow organizing a house church after the death of the person to whom it was given. So, apparently, it pleases God. It’s enough that we acted quite freely around the monastery; and the Lord covered this with mercy. There we did what was permissible in essence, without asking only the word of the authorities: here it would be necessary to act with a change in the meaning of the definition of the authorities, which is more difficult to decide on. I think that we must literally submit to the law and authority: and wait to see if the Lord will open the way to good desire. They won't let me see you. Unintentionally, a matter has fallen into our hands that will soon need to end; but the end must be in Moscow, and it doesn’t depend on me alone. Moreover, Svyatoslavsky did not fall ill easily, and I do not want to leave him in a precarious position. Read the noted article in the attached letter from Andrei Nikolaevich, and tell your opinion what the answer may be. Andrei Nikolayevich, a lover of denunciations, sent me a letter that contains references to the Lavra. I am sending it to you. Return it to me, if God pleases, in the Lavra. I am sending you the matter of the cross and the Gospel. You can send a note about the consecration for printing in the statements. Let them argue as they wish, whether to simply print it or, according to these rules, ask for permission from above. One way or another they will do it, and what the consequence will be, it seems that we do not need to worry. We did the job as best we could, with good intentions. We haven't heard anything definite about the guests from St. Petersburg. Prince Sergius Mikhailovich will probably be visiting you these days. I regret that I cannot meet him there. The disease here is little reduced. Today during the liturgy, Deacon Paul fell ill. However, now they say he has relief. May the Lord protect you. Pray, and we too will have mercy. Peace from the Lord to the viceroy father and brethren. E.V. 44 Koroleva Anna Pavlovna leaves for Moscow on the 18th day. They say that she will also be in the Lavra. I don’t know how it will be arranged: but we will need to be ready to accept it. Prepare what you need. I don't understand this. This hour I received from St. Petersburg from Count Nikolai Alexandrovich the news that Her Majesty the Queen will be in the Lavra for 21 and 22 days. Therefore, based on the indication of time, one can think that she will listen to the all-night vigil on 21 days, and the liturgy on 22 days. Will the bell's tongue catch up by this time, or will it remain silent? It would have been better if he had not remained silent. If she remains silent, it is necessary, at least, for small bells on all tiers to greet Her Majesty. By the grace of God, the vicar father rejoices and is well. Her Majesty the Empress Queen wishes to have a copy of her Parent's letter about her birth. Send me the original as soon as possible, so as to have time to take down the list and present it to Her Majesty before her departure. I returned to Moscow safely; I was at the Assumption Cathedral at a prayer service, and then at Her Majesty’s, and was consoled by her conversation in the Christian spirit. Notify me about your health. Thank you brothers for the order of the Divine Service: especially the singing of the prayer service was with attention. Peace and health to the viceroy father, as well as to the brethren. Before this, writing hastily, I did not say what should have been said before the other. Thank you, Father Viceroy, for the orders of the 20th and 21st days, according to which the reception of the Empress Queen was in order, and I was reassured. Her Majesty has deigned to speak about the Lavra to me, and to many, with particular pleasure. It would be necessary, however, to find out why the signal was incorrect: not in order to make anyone guilty, but in order to draw a conclusion in such cases on how to dispose of it without error. Vasily Dmitrievich asks me about the impression that the offering of the Sovereign Tsarevich and Empress Tsesarevna made on the Orthodox and about the artificial execution of the Cross and the Gospel. To answer with reason, say what you happened to notice and hear. Peace be with you, Father Viceroy, and the brethren. May the Lord grant you complete purification and sanctification in His sacraments. Give forgiveness to me, who has sinned a lot, and pray that the merciful grace will not reject my unworthiness. I am returning to you the order regarding the inventory. First of all, it is necessary to make an inventory of non-church antiquities, both so that the things included in it do not end up in another inventory, and in order to quickly get rid of that part of the matter to which the S. Synod paid special attention. I think I should leave Metropolitan Plato’s cane in the sacristy inventory, because with it, as a grant from the Sovereign Emperor, he could go to church in a robe instead of a staff. Are the mugs used at cathedral tables in the sacristy inventory now, or in the treasury inventory, as they were before? And where should they be now? Are there any dishes with embossed images of pagan objects? What to do with them? These were taken from the Synodal sacristy by order of the Sovereign Emperor, and others were given in their place. Ladles, cups and cups with inscriptions should be included in the inventory of non-church antiquities. But those that do not have inscriptions, and do not represent anything special, shouldn’t they be transferred to the material inventory and used for something, instead of tormenting the sacristans with bills and guards without benefit? Tell me your thoughts about this, and what needs to be asked about such subjects, ask. According to your comments, cholera turns out to be more contagious than previously thought. Is her character changing? Here I recently heard that in one noble house five people died in a short time. I've never heard anything like this before. The head of the Temnikovsky hostel did not know how to explain to me what she was asking for, approval of the hostel, or the formation of a monastery. I asked for the note and received a copy of the petition, which was rather stupid. However, I wrote to the Chief Prosecutor, appealing to his philanthropy. More than once I have said to the abbots of provincial monasteries: what kind of desire is there to carry the entire monastery on the abbot’s shoulders alone, and, in the event of an accident with the abbot, leave things in such a situation that there is no one to demand an account from? Why not appoint a treasurer? Some obeyed and some didn't. I thought the same thing when reading what you wrote about things that didn’t turn out to be in the Makhrinsky monastery. And I’m glad when I finished reading that you want to appoint a treasurer and sacristan there. O. I wish health to the Abbot. The Gospel, given to the monastery of St. Sergius with a will not to be taken out of it, must be left here and included in the inventory. Peace be with you, father governor, and the brethren of Lavra, Bethany and the monastery. Celebrate peacefully and graciously the feast of the Dormition and Resurrection of the Mother of God: but I, apparently, cannot share the monastery feast with you. There is talk about the arrival of the Sovereign Emperor in Moscow on the 15th or 16th day. Last Saturday (this is the one day on which the Governor General is in Moscow) I saw him; and although he doubts this, he confirms that those who can know speak about this. And Sunday 45 is not conducive to travel for me. About the relics of the village. I have not yet spoken to the abbess of the martyr Anastasia. Once I called her on another matter, but I didn’t remember about it then. I'll try to arrange this matter. According to the attached letter from Mshalov, please take the trouble to send him 15 rubles from me. silver And I don’t remember receiving a letter from him before. Thank you for the holiday blessing. I didn’t want to not be there: but, apparently, he was destined to be the best without me. Before the holiday here, one night I felt pain in my insides, the next I felt chills: therefore I waited for what Saturday would show. But on Friday Archimandrite Andronievsky came; and I, not hoping to be able to go to you, gave my word to be with him. I wanted to repent of this on Saturday afternoon, looking at the clear weather and feeling not very tired. But on Sunday morning I felt so bad that I couldn’t even be in Andronievo; and thanked God that this attack happened at home and not on the road, which would have put me in extreme difficulty. The matter did not reach the point of treatment, and within a day it was over. But even now I have some unpleasant feeling. It seems that the epidemic is interfering with my usual infirmity. The Empress Queen sent an offering to St. Sergius - the Gospel - with a rescript addressed to me. I don’t think I’ll rush to send it to the Lavra: I want to bring it myself. I remember I told you that nowadays, through the study of nature, they enter the realm of magic. Read another example of this in the feuilleton of this day's police newspaper, under the title: about fortune telling machines. It occurs to me that I should contact the authorities so that the people are not taught superstition: but I also think that fortune-telling books have been printed and sold for many years, and the S. Synod did not pay attention to this. About a particle of relics from. Yesterday I spoke to Anastasia with the abbess. The particle is there; and the abbess does not resist its transfer. This can also be accomplished when God opens the way to the Lavra for me. The idea of ​​appointing Amphilochius as the economist of the Seminary 46 is unexpected for me. I didn’t think that he was inclined to do this, and that you were inclined to let him go, especially when they didn’t ask him to. I would like you to explain to me why this could or should be so. The rector wishes, or is disposed to, to take on the former Ilyinsky priest Flegont as housekeeper. This one will desire the position: but I don’t know whether the position will desire his. I would like to have your word before I decide. The case of the Kiev hierodeacon Vitaly leaves me bewildered. He wandered a lot from place to place. Find yourself like he is in the Lavra; shows himself to be trustworthy. The arrival of the Sovereign Emperor in Moscow with a considerable retinue is expected. With Him are Count Orlov and Adlerberg, and the Minister of War. Say your prayers. May His entry and departure be in the world. The illness of Prince Sergius Mikhailovich, brought from the road, continued somewhat: but now it seems to be ending. He was not in Moscow when the Sovereign Heir was here. The disease in Moscow has decreased significantly these days. But whether this is the end, the Lord knows. They took a vicar from me 47, and I was afraid that I would not be left without him for a long time, due to the departure of the Sovereign Emperor. But, thank God, the rector of the Academy has already been appointed 48; Only there is no decree yet. I ordered the living descendants of my mother to be counted until the day of her death. There were 98 souls. There are no previous deaths in this account. My intention to hire the steward of the Bethany Seminary has already been announced: therefore I do not think of changing it. Offer Amphilochius to the Bethany rector, and tell him what will happen next. The Emperor is in good health and in a pleasant mood. It is not noticeable that political circumstances bothered Him. I deigned to praise the restoration of the iconostasis in the Assumption Cathedral, and responded to other suggestions about the cathedral that I presented in gracious terms; ordered me to inspect the Cathedral of Christ the Savior under construction to resolve some questions regarding the structure of the altar. But I don’t dare to go today in bad weather, feeling not very healthy, and saving for tomorrow’s trip to Kolomna 49 . Ask me for blessings from St. Sergius on this path. The Count notifies me that His Eminence of Orenburg 50 has been transferred to Voronezh. Economies have been moved. Arrange with the Bethany rector so that Manuel takes over the position from Serapion, and then Serapion moves on to the new position. Did the man who was bruised by a frantic woman in the skete church recover? There is another matter that I can hardly force myself to talk about: but it’s impossible not to talk about it. The absent-mindedness of the Bethany treasurer and his tendency to make unnecessary acquaintances was noticed before, as far as I know, by you too. Just the other day, I heard from trustworthy people that a woman he knew publicly reproached him for leaving her and getting acquainted with another, and that the housekeeper, instead of completely withdrawing from the man who showed an absurd disposition, again began to visit this woman in Posad. As the source of this information is such that I could not neglect it: I was curious what others who knew Posad thought; and received information that the reputation of the Vifan steward in Posad is as the above anecdote shows, and that such an opinion was especially strong several times before. Say what you know and what you think. As if on purpose, following this, Theophanes of Bethany came yesterday and says that the treasurer attacked him because he found and showed the brethren a note in which they recognized the hand of the treasurer, and the contents of which are doubtful. To prove this, he presents that the treasurer denounced him four months after the incident he reported. If, he says, he had reported the truth, he would have reported it the next day after the event. Send me to look at the case of Feofan. Accept this with patience, but with attention. Not only from vice, but also from frivolity, the temptation that occurs must stop. The Lord consoled the Sovereign Tsarevich and the Empress Tsesarevna, giving Her what they wanted in return for deprivation - the daughter Grand Duchess Maria. If I have time, along with this I will send you a copy of the Highest Manifesto, and with the rescript 51 of the Sovereign Tsarevich to me. I remembered that there is no need to send the Manifesto: because tomorrow you will receive it in the statements. The matter of land, perhaps, is simply confused by the thinking of a ministerial office or department. If you want, I will write to the minister, although I don’t know whether this can be of any use. And if you force me to write, then send me the whole case so that I can see what I wrote before to the S. Synod, and, I remember, to the head of the chamber. Semyon Loginovich again told me about the severity of the choir in the new monastery church. The master who installed the iron grating spoke about this with apprehension. One grate weighs about 50 pounds. The brackets are quite flat and are not lowered down the wall, which is why the choirs gravitate into the church like a steelyard, and tear the wall with their inner ends. But would it be good to remove the cast iron plates lying on the brackets and replace them with either wood or iron sheets? Another word for another time. You write that I ask the Eminence of Ekaterinoslavsky how he thinks of converting schismatics through church action, eliminating secular people: but he has already left. I would bow to him to the ground if he taught me this. But here's the experience. In the local diocese, I found 200 souls of Judaizers in two villages; and, sending a priest to admonish them, suggested to him that he should go with prayer and with God, and not demand a police official. He did just that: and with God’s help, both parishes were cleansed of other faiths. The same person has no success in exhorting schismatics. Tell me what the Right Reverend Ekaterinoslavsky told you about the way to convert schismatics, I need enamel icons. Take the trouble to write from Rostov, as before: but in the meantime, would you send a few that you have. The Nativity priest first decided to recapture courtyards from someone else's parish: and he was taught for this; but he did not accept the instructions, and married a stranger to the Englishman’s marriage with the daughter of a Moscow sexton, and then the Englishman came to me to ask for a divorce, because he was deceived, they wooed a merchant’s daughter, and gave him a sexton’s, and she doesn’t even apologize for the deception, but says what difference does it make that I’m the daughter of a sexton, and not a merchant. Is this priest, whom you call meek, doing well? This is another pitiful thing. There is a certain Mr. R., who lives not far from the Lavra, and is known, as they say, to Hieromonk Anastasius the doctor. He treated his wife in such a way that she was forced to leave him for her aunt Elisaveta Chedayeva, whom I think you know, walks on crutches. But, at the same time, he kept his young daughter. The aunt and niece are sad about what will happen to their daughter with the father, who sees neither the means nor the inclination to raise her as she should. Why shouldn’t he give his daughter to her mother and her aunt, who was a pious girl, and took care of him when he was in the service, and lived as she should with her niece. Shouldn't Anastasius talk to him about this? There will be a prayer for the Lord's help in battle. A decree about this should have been sent to you today. Truly, this can be a biblical war, a war between the people of God and the pagans, only if we were less infected with the pagan customs of the West! - Lord, forgive us, and protect the glory of Your name before the tongues! I rejoice at the news about Theophilus and Gabriel. May the Lord bless them and help them. But I received bitter news about Aref. In Plymouth he behaved disgracefully. This is an instruction for us to watch people more vigilantly, to test them more precisely, and to beware of using the untested for important assignments. Forgive me: I did not agree to accept Hieromonk Arseny Troepolsky. I saw closely how the Right Reverend Joseph, being the Archimandrite of Zaikonospassky, was brought to the necessity of removing him from Zaikonosnassky, and how then Simonovsky, accepting him out of pity, and then making him governor, suffered from him, and with difficulty got rid of him. And for Arseny it is better to go to a place where there are no memories of him that could embarrass him and others. Today I had an abbot from Perm, whom the S. Synod sent to inspect some sacristies and libraries in the Vladimir, Kostroma, Vologda dioceses, and even in Yaroslavl, for which secular officials from St. Petersburg were also sent. Do not hesitate to take inventory of antiquities, so that such guests will not be sent to us. Thank you for the icons. But between them there are no icons of the Savior and the Mother of God. Make sure that they are among those being discharged from Rostov. Give a copy of the lithographed life of St. Sergius to the Academic Library. Yes, without delay prepare a copy for the Archaeological Society to send in my opinion. The business of the Dedenevsky monastery is not going straight, but it is not entirely crooked either. I think I told you that I did not enter into the matter of the girl Tatarinova when they told me to release her from the vow that binds her to the Diveyevo community. I was told that Gabriel Pavlovich wants to write about this to His Eminence Jeremiah. I answered: let him write; if she comes, I will not refuse to accept. Therefore, even now I would think that you would write to the Right Reverend Jeremiah that there is no reason for me to formally demand this; and if he deigns to let her go, he would let her go with a passport; and official intercourse could take place later, when we are decisively convinced of her adaptation to the place. If you don’t think so: tell me your thought. You hear, I think, about divination with tables. In St. Petersburg, and Paris and Moscow, tables say that the dead speak through them. I am sending you an extract from a letter that I happened to write about this to St. Petersburg. Tell me how this seems to you, and whether it is not suitable to make this known for the sake of caution to those who can take caution. The other day I came across a French book in which it is written that in America the fortune tellers are numbered in many thousands, and are united in societies, and that the tables preach the transformation of Christianity and states just like the sages of 1848. Read also the attached notebook, which they ask you to print, and, returning it to me, add what you think. I am returning the letter from the Right Reverend Jeremiah. Another request: tell me to write down the specifics of the order of Divine Services in the monastery, when what readings are, and when what Akathists and canons. God's blessing and peace to you, Father Viceroy, and brethren. I’m thinking of printing an extract from the letter about fortune telling and distributing it to the priests. Whether to publish it later in the gazettes, let the lords of the gazettes debate. Therefore, give the manuscript sent herewith to Fr. to the rector of the Academy so that it could be censored and sent to me immediately. The news received does not mention Aref, Theophilus and Gabriel. This is a special case, maybe after they are repulsed. There is news, it seems worthy of trust, that the Turks in Asia attacked our people and defeated us head on. May the Lord help our Orthodox Tsar by forgiving our sins and hearing the groans of our fellow believers who suffer from the Mohammedans. Peace be with you, Father Viceroy, among the brethren. That’s why I sent you the notebook, so that you could point out where I let it slip, and therefore thank you for your remark. But perhaps I expressed myself unsatisfactorily: but my thought, it seems, is not unfair. I don't judge the clothes I bought; but I give preference to this one from the monastery. For example: bread bought on Red Square does not bring blessings; and taken to the monastery of St. Sergius brings a blessing. Read how I corrected the place you noticed: and if it is unsatisfactory, send it back to me with a new remark why it is unsatisfactory; and if you find it satisfactory; then have it rewritten and send it to the censor. The news of the victory in Asia was not as good as it appeared at the beginning, if the news was not about another matter; for the case was attributed to Baryatinsky. Now, it seems, the news is more certain that on the Danube our detachment defeated the Turks, three times as numerous. You release the monk for six months. He will become unaccustomed to the monastery. It is true that one goes far: but it seems one could not travel for so long. If there is a special reason for this, then it would not be superfluous for you to tell it to me in a letter. It is true that the first news of war is unpleasant. They say that General Ermolov had long imagined that this fortress, which was now destroyed by the Turks, should not have existed. It is a pity that such a great name is attached to a thing that is now trampled upon by the infidels. I also don’t like the fact that in the first report on the outbreak of the war, Prince Vorontsov compares it with the war of 1812. They write to me that the Empress Tsesarevna listened to an extract from the letter about the fortune-telling, and expressed pleasure, and ordered me to thank me, and to present her with two lists, one for her, and the other to send to the Empress in Gatchina. Thank God that Her Highness sees things Christianly. Pray that in Gatchina they will look at the matter with a kinder eye and not be angry with me. When printing the extract, I changed some expressions so that they would not so directly indicate fortunetellers, of whom one was recently named to me. Printed copies will be delivered to you. They wanted to take a daguerreotype portrait from me too, and Andrei Nikolaevich strongly persuaded me to do so: but I thought about it and answered that I didn’t want this hellish portrait. He fell silent and no longer remembered this. Matter is brought into some kind of extraordinary irritation so that it suffers from the fall of ordinary rays of light from an object and receives an impression. Regarding the doctor, I agree with your opinion. They ask me when you will be in Moscow: and I ask you. Let us give thanks to the mercy of God that the visit was sent to enlighten, but not very disastrously. Use the fiery eloquence of the fire to instill caution in the brethren. Night and fiery work should never be done in the evening. The stove ash can be taken out in the morning; and the oven must be heated at least before Vespers. This is necessary both against fire and waste. And why is there ash on the porch? Why are there wood chips on the porch? The fear of fire always comes to mind when I see monks’ porches filled with firewood. Pass on the monastery’s teaching to the Lavra people as well. I would like to know who the inhabitants of the burnt cells were and where they will be placed. A rather difficult adventure happened to me from the 11th to the 12th day: but, by the grace of God, it ended comfortably. The cold, contracted last Sunday in the Archangel Cathedral, lay hidden until that night, and at two o’clock in the morning it opened with gradually increasing pain in the insides and in the sides near the back. And the next day I had to consecrate the church in the Alekseevsky Monastery. At about five o'clock in the morning, having no hope of relief, I sent to the vicar so that he could prepare for the service. However, with the remnants of pain, I performed the service, having with me a vicar, in case of my exhaustion. Now I feel almost in a normal position, without resorting to a doctor or medicine. And Isaiah was ordained on this day, that is, on yesterday. I ordered a printed notebook on fortune telling to be sent to you, in the number you requested. I entrusted the vicar with the ordination of Antonin today; because today and next Sunday the church will be consecrated, and it is not convenient to continue this service with additions. I was in a hurry to ordain both of them so that they would not live long in Moscow. However, Antonin says that he still needs to carry out our instructions. I asked Antoninus if he knew the commandments, what is the third commandment, and against which commandments does one who lies sin. He only said that there were ten commandments; but more refused. To this I spoke to him the word of the Lord: If you want to take it into your life, keep the commandments. How can you observe them when you don’t know them? After the dedication, I gave him the catechism and ordered him to read it, and to protect me from condemnation for having assigned to the priesthood someone who did not know the commandments. Let us assume that the elders have the spirit of the commandments, although they do not remember their letters. But why shouldn’t young people read, if not a lengthy, then a short catechism, so that they understand the Creed and the commandments! About your journey, I already thought that it was better to take the first winter route than in bad or unreliable autumn weather. I am sending you, Father Viceroy, the 50 rubles brought to me. for the remembrance in the monastery of the newly deceased Stephen. Submit it for execution. Having said about the conversation 52 that the regular monastics of the monasteries were satisfied, you, however, pricked me by giving them the name: poor. This seems to mean that they are not completely satisfied. In this case, you should have indicated to me other places in the conversation that they may not like. I tried to notice such places and made some changes. But I know whether to say, watch me more strictly. I’ll say at least: don’t look too leniently at me. I have just received your letter, Father Viceroy, about the change of sextons at the relics of St. Sergius; and I agree. I don’t remember who John is or why he died. In your letter, Father Viceroy, dated 14 days, I encountered strange things, very unexpected. May the Lord save us from troubles in false brethren; and thanks be to His mercy that I have preserved you these days. What happened in Glinkovo: there are indeed signs of judgment on those there for what happened in the monastery. But to whom is it now more likely to attribute the monastery incident? The intention for your cells is more consistent with Andrei’s circumstances. It was better for the Glinkovskys to plan so that your building would not burn down completely, what was in it, but would be in danger from a nearby fire, so that there would be an opportunity to rob what was in it or taken out of it. They might think you have more looted items. - It is desirable that everyone is right: but what was happening under your porch could not have happened as a result of a mistake. And when there is intent, then it would be good to find out more decisively where it comes from, in order to know who to beware of. But what could the Glinkovskys rob in their cells, when when setting up the monastery it was made a rule that there was nothing to rob or steal? Where did Andrey get the means to be drunk? This issue especially requires attention. It is necessary to transfer Andrey to Makhra; and it is necessary to tell the abbot to watch him carefully, and not to let him go to the Lavra and the monastery without special permission, according to time and discretion. May the Lord keep you, the brethren and the monasteries in peace. It’s a pity the way A appears. But it’s doubtful to transfer him to Belopesotsky. If you could not keep him on the path and return him from the wilds to the path: how will Maxim deal with him? And how do you imagine translating it? If you touch a fire, you will need office work, which will produce a lot of smoke. I think it is better to send A. to Makhra, so that he does not go to the Lavra and the monastery in the future until special permission: if he does not improve himself there; then we’ll think about where to put it. And given his current state of mind, he would be better off moving to Mahra than away. I am sending you a letter from the Reverend Kamchatsky, I am also sending an extract from his letter. Read it and give it to Fr. to the rector if they would like to use it in their publication. The extract does not indicate to whom the letter was written. This is how it should remain; because it mentions this assistance; But I did not destroy this mention in case it might give someone the idea to help the missions. However, if you think differently; destroy mention of help. On December 1, give away 150 rubles from me. With. according to the previous custom. Read, Father Viceroy, the attached letter asking for the icon of St. Sergius. It has been lying with me for some time, forgotten, and it seems that the time indicated in it has passed. However, it is necessary to fulfill what is asked. Do our icon painters have a finished icon of St. Sergius? - Buy it with my money, and send it with my money to the attached address. The icon required is, it seems, not large in size. Ask Serebryakov for forgiveness for my delay. You see, the inscription on the letter has been written for several days already: but I forgot to send it at the last mail. Since the 21st day I have been sitting at home with a cold. Now I just ask myself: is it possible to go outside? Note Letter - without indicating the day, month and year when it was written; but it was preserved between letters of 1853, with a note from the hand of Fr. Governor: “November 26th day.” In the name of the Lord, blessings to you, Father Viceroy, and to the brethren of the monasteries. I earnestly thank you for the blessing given to me by the holy icon, and for guiding me with your prayers for the days still left to me by God’s mercy. May your prayers not leave me, but, bypassing many thoughts, I will be guided to the one land of desires, true, boundless. Thank you for sending the icon to Vyborg. Thank you for the lithographed life of St. Sergius. The question is whether to send to the Archaeological Society, or to its Chairman, the Grand Duke. Hieromonk Amphilochius received the holy relics of the Great Martyr Anastasia and must deliver them to you. Thanks be to God, who made our King and us happy with victories on land and at sea. Today we performed a prayer of thanksgiving: may it also be done for you. Note Letter - without indicating the day, month and year when it was written; preserved with an inscription from the hand of Fr. governor: “December 2nd day, 1853.” To the viceroy father and brethren, peace of a clear conscience in repentance, and the joy of the fellowship of the Lord's table. Ask me these blessings from the Lord, and forgive me for what I have sinned against you. I am saddened by the death of the good old man, Metropolitan 53 Neophytos. I visited him twice during his illness, and the last time a day before his death. It seemed to me that there was life in him, although he suffered. But that day he had to undergo a third operation to open a third abscess. Apparently she had exhausted the rest of her strength. Pray for peace of his soul. You demanded an extract from the letter about fortune telling. Although 1200 copies were printed: however, I already have very few left and of these I still need to send to some district cities. And therefore there is nothing to send to you. Theodorite seemed meek to me. Why is he going from the silence of Bethany to the Moscow rumor? Isn't it from the treasurer? “But we won’t hold back.” About the treasurer, you need to ask Vibikov, according to rumors that have reached me, in order to get out of doubt and into knowledge. I don’t remember what kind of hierodeacon Varlaam is. But I approve of your order. The person named in the attached note, Arkhangelsky, is asked to be enrolled as a novice so that he does not end up in the analysis. Tell me what you think about this. The Nativity priest, formerly Kokuevsky, acted indirectly. Such enterprises should not be allowed to succeed, leading to the temptation of others, and to the wicked one becoming stubborn in wickedness. Let the parishioners explain the matter and ask that it be returned to its original place. I'm going to the funeral of the Right Reverend Neophytos. But the cold still doesn’t leave me. I thank you, Father Viceroy, that, in addition to what was commanded, the sacrifice of prayer is offered with zeal for the Sovereign Emperor and His House and His army. It is a pity, of course, that military leaders think in arrogance to find strength, and not in hope in God. They think that the audacity of words belongs to courage. This is not how good warriors think. It is noted that Wellington, in reports of victories, never spoke about glory, but about the performance of duty. I was told that Nakhimov, going out to look for the Turkish fleet, as soon as he set out on the open sea, raised a prayer flag, and there was a prayer service on all ships; then he gave the password to the entire fleet: God and glory. Although I haven’t forgotten the glory; but, thank God, he remembered God: and now it was given to him to destroy the Turkish fleet. It is noteworthy that when the burning material from the exploding Turkish ships fell on the city and ignited it, and consequently, it was no longer art that produced the fire; The entire Turkish city burned, but the Christian part remained intact. I didn’t tell you what the relics of... Anastasia in my home church. I didn't take them. And when you reminded me: I sent Amphilochius to the monastery so that he could perform a prayer service and receive the s. power. I’ll ask the abbess why the particle turned out to be smaller than expected. I ordered to look for the manuscripts. But then I forgot to ask about this: that’s what happened. This is my destiny. Svyatoslavsky is already dead for business: he walks little, puts on little weight, and does nothing. The Most Reverend Neophytos, who died on Thursday, on Monday, during the funeral chanting, rested peacefully in his tomb, without any sight or stench of decay. We did not even cover his face with a veil until the end of the service. When I kissed his cheek and hand: I felt only cold sweat. O. Let Hilarion go, and may God help him to lead the sheep that stopped at the crossroads into the true fence of Christ. For a long time I did not answer you about the thoughts of His Eminence Leonid 54 regarding the schismatics. It cannot be said that complex committees were not needed when the actions of the clergy alone were not trusted and their hands were tied. The first committee, even under the late Emperor, consisted of Archbishop of Chernigov (later Metropolitan) Mikhail, me and Prince A. N. Golitsyn; and only its director was both the secretary and scribe of this committee, and no one knew about its existence. In the opinion of this committee, the late Emperor made a decision that he would not have made otherwise. After this institution passed into the form of an order, under the name of secret it became public, filled with people, as it happens; but even with all that, sometimes it was useful. That collecting information about schismatics is mostly harmful is true, and this is said by those on whom this matter depends: but what to do when they think and act differently? The Reverend Leonid and I cannot tie their hands. He wants to form a competitive council. But the government is unlikely to decide on this; schismatics will not go voluntarily; and coercion would increase their stubbornness. Moreover, is it possible to reliably enter into competition with people to whom sometimes a stupid opinion seems better than the truth? Send people to them? Okay, we'll send it. They will not be allowed into the chapels or into the house. They won't listen on the street. What will happen? I’m not saying that this is impossible: but it requires people who would give themselves as sacrifices to this cause, whom are difficult to find and take a lot of time to educate. The decree on celebrating the victory was sent to you on Saturday. S. Synod slowly sends decrees. God's blessing to the viceroy father and brethren. Again you sent a protege at the beginning of the week. Serving the liturgy is often not allowed by other duties of the office. Don't be angry if he happens to wait until Sunday. It’s good that Arefa wrote to you. Write him something useful. It would be good if he frankly explained to us what it was sad for us to hear. In missionary activity and assistance to it, we are poor in comparison with other Christian faiths and peoples. True, we are less rich: but with greater zeal, means would be found, and the Lord would multiply them. It is also a shame to see that non-Orthodox are better than Orthodox in observing Sunday. Sometimes this disorder becomes incorrigible by human means: we must fear corrective measures from heaven, stronger than what we are already experiencing. One Russian who came from Paris told me about an elderly Greek living there, who had previously been the Russian consul in the Turkish possessions, but during times of disagreement, having a strong influence on the Christian population in favor of the Russians, he was later forced to leave service and lives on a pension assigned by Emperor Alexander. This man, in the first months of this year, told our priest in Paris that the time of destiny was coming for Constantinople; that a Russian nobleman will be sent there and will leave from there with the Russian embassy. When Prince Menshchikov left Constantinople, this fortuneteller again came to the priest and said: you see, what I told you has come true; now everyone will talk about peace; but there will be a brutal war. What we see and hear to this day does not contradict this prediction. After the extermination of the Turkish Squadron, all English newspapers cried out against Russia. They say that the Queen demanded that the ministers find out why it is that Russia is in an alliance with England, and does not offend England in any way. Upon inquiry it turned out that this was due to excitement from Lord Palmerston. The Queen is said to have thanked him for his service and said that she had no further need for it. Now they write that he is leaving the ministry, allegedly due to disagreement with other ministers regarding parliamentary reform. If this is true: may God save the Queen. But it may be feared that Palmerston will form a strong opposition, and overthrow the present Ministry; and then there may be a last pot of the first. Let us pray to the Lord for our Sovereign and for Russia. Tatyana Borisovna wrote to me from St. Petersburg about fortune telling, that many came to their senses and abandoned it. But one cannot help but fear that people who are not children of obedience will not give up following curiosity and passions, and it is difficult to guess where they will end up. K.S.M. 55 recently sent me a book from a French magazine entitled: fashion, in which, in a strange mixture of affairs and concepts, they write about the affairs of religion and the church. This book contains a letter about summoning spirits through tables. The writer says that he believed the possibility of this only through strict personal research. He tells an example that through the table one, who had died for 12 years, asked to serve seven liturgies for him. In conclusion, this writer says that a new ocean is opening up for exploration, which has its own storms and abysses; and that whoever sets off without a compass and guidance, and is led by curiosity and passions, will fall into the hands of the spirits of deception and evil, and will perish. In the next letter he promises to indicate remedies against deception. Take my money, one hundred silver rubles, and send it to Archpriest Golovshchikov. You wrote to me in October about abuses and harassment in the forest. It's a pity: but what can we do here? I don’t see that it would be possible to tell anyone about this with the hope of benefit. And the Ministry of State Property boasts of its successes. Read the extract from the report, which I will send here. Why did the Bethan treasurer gallop up? The petition could be sent by letter. In vain does he think that, standing face to face, he can forcefully snatch out what he wants. Mercy is good: but there is no need to offend the truth either. May the angels of the Lord speak into your hearts, viceroy father and brethren, peace and joy in the name of our born Savior. In your prayer of joy, remember my weakness. With a letter from the Court Archpriest 56 of the Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, I received a wooden chalice for the skete church, a work of art by His Imperial Highness Prince Nikolai Maximilianovich (with some assistance from the mentor). I wanted to consecrate it tomorrow and use it: but, besides the fact that there is no paten with it, it is not carved from solid wood, but is made up of parts. Therefore, I forward it to you and to the monastery with the question whether it can be put into use, or should only be preserved as a monument, and an early and good fruit of the art of the High Hands. The widow of the servant of God Vasily, the elder of the Assumption Cathedral, presented me with cathedral vestments for the skete priesthood, and a ticket for 1000 rubles. in favor of the monastery with the assignment of serving prayer services. The order does not seem entirely convenient to me: but the job is done. I am sending a ticket: and the vestments will remain here for a while in order to begin using them here. I sincerely thank you for your advice regarding inquiring into the spiritual disposition of priests: and I ask you to never stop telling me good and useful thoughts. From the testimonies of monastery confessors about being in confession, abuses have already been detected more than once. Some do not go to confession to the parish priest, having been shaken in Orthodoxy by the suggestions of schismatics, and deceive him by presenting false evidence of being in confession in a monastery. You say in defense of Mardarius that he gave a certificate of confession, and not of coming of age. But this sealed certificate provided plausible support for the illegally acting priest. If this certificate had not existed, he would have demanded a certificate from the parish priest, and this would have revealed his minority. Moreover, the seal of the established Council can only be used by him. Its use by the hieromonk confessor is not legal. Is it possible to arrange a special seal for the Lavra Hospital Church or, as they used to call it, the hospital monastery, and entrust it to the confessor? – Think about this and write to me 57. Thank you, Father Viceroy, for your congratulations on the holiday, written by you on the 21st day and received by me on the 27th. I have already congratulated you. I call upon you and the brethren God’s blessing for the new summer, may it be the Lord’s summer, according to our devotion to the Lord, and according to the Lord’s mercy to us. I don’t mind the money: if only God would allow it to be used for something useful. I think about this, but I still wonder if the time has come. Thank you for the instructions Fr. Nazariya. I wanted to read it again before printing and see if I had spoiled things by changing some words. How about. Hilary had not yet been on the path of solitude so long ago: then, it seems to me, it would not have been unnecessary for him to restrain himself from the temptation to accept the schema. But if you and your confessor find that the desire has been confirmed: God bless the fulfillment. For Fr. Agapit, in my opinion, is good in his current position, in which he can feed on silence, and, as a member of the brotherhood, contributes his share to the common service, and the more obviously he acquires the right to common prayer for himself. I would ask him to stay in his present position. There is service to God in not insisting too much on the fulfillment of one’s, however, good desire, and complacently heeding what is offered with good intention and love. In the prayer for God's help in battle, the word: traveling, there is a typo. Must read: assisting them in everything. Correct this in all books used by the department. To make a seal for a confessor, you must first determine its shape. Write to me about this. The court archpriest of Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna writes to me 58 that she has lost the image of s. Mary Magdalene (in enamel), given by me, and she wants to have a new one. I thought I had it: but I don’t find it. Try to deliver it to me without delay, after the consecration with the relics of St. Sergius. There is another question about money that is not entirely convenient to resolve, who is better to turn to. I am rewriting the words from Andrei Nikolaevich’s letter: “Please do not forget to send me from the Lavra the Menaion of September, which I asked for, and the life of St. Metropolitan Cyprian; for now I have great need of them.” “I don’t remember what was created or written about this before.” Is it not created for you? If you understand, do it. Why do you think that intercession for Bibikov is beneath my dignity if he is suffering innocently? I wanted to talk about this: but due to ill health, I sit at home and don’t see the authorities. I don’t think it’s possible to have success: it seems to me that nevertheless I must tell the truth according to the will of God. Instruction about. Nazariya, in its simplicity, seems to me to be close to the use of simple people beginning the path of monasticism, and deserves to be distributed among them. A visitor from St. Petersburg told me the following. One Russian, who was in America at the consulate, an unbeliever, saw an inscription on the house: here you can talk to the dead. When I entered the house, I found an old man with a fortune-telling table, who did not write, but answered by knocking. The examiner, eliminating the deception, put the table aside, and, asking, received answers that his deceased uncle was speaking to him, that he was not in the best condition, in the sixth degree of air, and that he needed to pray for him. When asked who should pray, the questioner uttered several names and received unclear answers, and when he named his mother, he kicked the table three times and jumped up. From that time on, the tester became a believer. How do you talk about this? His Eminence Yaroslavsky, it seems, will be dismissed from service at his request: but to the Lavra, or to Moscow, or to the Athanasievsky Monastery, is not yet in sight. Do you think about your proposed journey, and what. Tell. It is very cold in here. The Most Reverend Agapit 59, thanking God that he lived to see the new year, and having lived an hour of this year, departed into eternity. But I fell ill that same morning, and could not be in church, and tomorrow I cannot be at the funeral. Pray for the living and the dead. But here is a matter about which I find it necessary to write hastily. One division of the local corps, between the 15th and 18th of this month, goes on a campaign to the borders of the war. The head of the corps asks me to perform the liturgy and parting prayer, and bless the soldiers with the icon. I hope that you will find a ready-made icon of St. Sergius of the usual size for offering icons. She must have a salary; and the icon was placed in a wooden box or ark, with folding doors instead of a lid, lined inside with silk or paper velvet, so that when the doors were opened, the icon appeared for prayer, and when closed, it was ready for the journey. Either do all this in the Lavra, or send one icon, consecrated on the relics of St. Sergius, as soon as possible, so that you have time to complete what is needed here. I know that there is an ancient icon that was used in campaigns. With a higher commander and a large detachment, it would be possible to let her go. But a detachment similar to the current one set off, I don’t know how: and another larger one may be sent out. Therefore, I think, the memorable icon should be kept until discretion. They say there are notes from England and France announcing their intention to send their fleets into the Black Sea to protect Turkish ports. Now is the time to donate. Lord, save the King, and if we are heard, one day we will call on You. They sent me two copies of the so-called memorial book. I'm sending one to you. Peace and health to you and the brethren, Father Vicar: but I have not been given the consolation of praying today with great hail over the waters. Yesterday at eternity I celebrated at the Epiphany Monastery; and today only in the house church. Glory to the mercy of God and about this. Or I, someday, torn from reading your letter by people who came unexpectedly, which often happens, missed the lines: either you did not notify me of the receipt of a wooden vessel, the art of Prince Nikolai Maximilianovich, and did not answer the question whether it should only be stored or can be used. I'm waiting for your word on this. I wrote that I represent 40,000 rubles from the Lavra, Chudov and Perervinsky monastery, as being under my direct management. From the Lavra on this date I believe 10,000 rubles. The Perervinsky Monastery, more than anyone else, has the convenience of being generous. As for inviting other monasteries to donate: previously the matter began from the S. Synod. In order to act voluntarily, but not completely arbitrarily, I write secretly to G.N.A.P. 60 that I intend to do this according to my own and others’ zeal, but, as far as possible, I would like to first have confirmation that this will not be inconsistent with the Highest will. This will be introduced to you by the novice John (Jesse), known to you, from the Joseph Monastery. In his desert life, according to reliable information that has reached me, terrible adventures occurred. A whole family of his relatives lived with him for several weeks, not quite like a desert, then a quarrel arose over some property that he had retained. I told him that he should either live in a monastery and obey the general order; or left the local department. And as he wished to go to you and be instructed by a letter: then I fulfill this, asking you to tell him something useful. Read, Father Viceroy, two of my relations conveyed herewith, and two in response to them; and, with their return, tell me your opinion, can I not reproach myself for what I did and what I wrote. Meanwhile, I think I was telling the truth that the work must be done, but it is difficult to choose the time. Now the proposed one has been given a different purpose: and the time may come when something again will be required for the purpose I have proposed. The decision that took place can be understood either in such a way that it seemed unusual to use the church for the military, because similar actions of the previous time might have been unknown; or so that accepting such an offering could show the appearance of need. Now the question is what to do. I propose to separate the assigned capital and put it separately in the Safe Treasury, so that it is inviolable and ready when God grants time for the intended use. But leave the ticket in our hands. Tell me what you think about this too. There is no need to make this known to anyone ahead of time. In Moscow. January 20th 1854. Of the relationships mentioned in this letter, only one relationship with a secondary statement about the proposed donation was preserved in the copy. This attitude, written, as stated in a letter dated January 6, to N.A.P., that is, to the then chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod, is as follows: “Referring now to Your Excellency about a loyal offering of 50,000 rubles for military needs from the three monasteries under my direct management, I am obliged to add that I intend to offer with a donation to other monasteries of the diocese entrusted to me, and, depending on the circumstances, to some churches that have saved capital, or unnecessary materials of some value, such as scrap silver and pearls, which can be converted into money. Similar donations were made for foreign co-religionists, specifically in favor of the Greeks who suffered from the war: how much more just would it be to make such donations for the needs of our Fatherland. Although I propose to make such an offer to my fellow servants on my own behalf, and to appeal to their free zeal: however, it is advisable for me to first have certification that such an action of mine will not disagree with the will of His Imperial Majesty. Following this loyal feeling, I hope I will not be a burden to you, dear sir, by humbly asking, if you find it possible, to provide me with a certificate that the action I propose will not be displeasing to His Imperial Majesty.” The vicegerent father should rejoice in the Lord, and so should the brethren. I am so overwhelmed with papers, especially on the occasion of urgent annual reports, that I do not quickly find the one I need, and, catching it by looking, and not by reading, I take a similar one instead of the one I was looking for. It so happened that I sent you a letter about His Eminence Yaroslavl, instead of a reply regarding donations. I am sending this now. After reading, return it. Its meaning seems to be that you need to stop. The ecclesiastical purpose of the church offering is, of course, wonderful, and comes from the Tsarev’s wonderful disposition of spirit. But someday God will grant time to fulfill this purpose! And may God grant that your household needs may be met and satisfied without difficulty. Time looks sternly: and it is difficult to hope for good: because even its stern gaze does not bring us to reason from frivolity. For example, in the St. Petersburg theater, Jews, brother and sister, represent Christian martyrs, and Moscow expects the same madness 61. I told the Governor-General whether it was possible to rid Moscow of this: but he does not find this possible, although he agrees with my opinion. I need to give you an answer about Jesse. Things don't seem the way he shows. The landowner, in whose dachas he lived, looked at him with reverence; recognized his insight, and now, when he unearths the perplexed about his actions, he is afraid to believe what he witnessed. The family lived with Jesse for a month or more, and, according to his brother, the meals were not at all desert-like. When the landowner came to Jesse at that time, the family was hiding on the ceiling of the cell, where there was no staircase in sight. Some time after this hostage, Jesse's brother appeared to the parish priest, complaining that Jesse had upset him and his wife, and took possession of the estate. When this reached the landowner, he brought Jesse and his brother to a confrontation. Jesse did not respond to his brother’s evidence: and when the brother left, then Jesse spoke about this as a temptation, giving the matter a different look, but in such a way that the probability was on his brother’s side. More than once we saw women coming to Jesse. One day they saw someone in the courtyard of his cell washing dishes. They noticed he had a vat, apparently unnecessary to him, but suitable for the Khlyst rite. These days I asked the dean of that area who was with me: had he heard about the hermit who lived in the dachas of the village of Tesov? - Answer: he had heard. -What do you know about him? “I can’t prove it, but I heard bad things.” What? “My brother took his wife away from him.” “Therefore, I think I will not sin if I do not agree that Jesse enter the monastery.” Let him live in Joseph, having the guidance and testimony of the abbot, and let his opinions dissipate. See Anton Sokolov away from Makhra as soon as possible. I spoke about Bibikov G. A. A. 62; and, it seems, he took my testimony with attention: and wrote it down to demand the case. Why would I write about the establishment of Parthenius’ monasticism? That's not what we wrote about. Was there a presentation about this by the Right Reverend Athanasius? If it was: then I will write about it: otherwise, the Synod has nothing to start with. I heard that the Pope condemned fortune telling. But recently I read the district letter of a French bishop against fortune-telling, in which he does not mention the Pope’s trial. He says that it is not allowed to question the dead; and quotes the famous words of Moses; and that it is dangerous to speak with evil spirits: but then he says so that they should not think that he decisively recognizes these relations; this, he says, is a matter of imagination: and finally he again says that this is the cunning of Satan. The future, they say, is a book sealed with seven seals, which no one can read either on earth or in heaven. This, in my opinion, is not a correct interpretation of the Apocalyptic Vision; and about the future in general, it is in vain that the bishop ascribes as much ignorance to heaven as to earth. Due to this confusion of thoughts, I did not accept Andrei Nikolaevich’s idea to translate and print this message 63 . It is a pity if there is an Eminence who looks at fortune-telling with hope and not with fear: but I am not curious about it. And I would like to know about the master priest who took part in the fortune-telling, not for anger and rebuke, but for caution and caution. The soldiers seem to be pleased with the icon. When I walked around the rows, sprinkling with holy water, and the icon was carried in front of me: the officers ran out of the row, kissed the icon, and brought their heads closer to the water. The head of the corps thanked that it was ancient. I am enclosing this order to the Council regarding its replacement for you. I wrote down to you the words from A. N. Muravyov’s letter about books: and I have no answer. And he doubles and triples the demands. Professor Gorsky says that the life of St. Cyprian is not in the Lavra library. Please give me an answer so that I can give an answer. They demand a lot of icons from me. And of those recently received, not much remains. These are very good. Write more: and meanwhile send a few from the Lavra, of a smaller measure, G. Blagonravov refutes everything doubtful that I wrote to you about Jesse: but the evidence of his other historical information is not historical, but spiritual, based on the sensations that he had when communicating with Jesse. Finding it difficult to approve a decision on such grounds, I only wrote to Archimandrite Joseph, asking him to try to keep Jesse in peace, and to write to me about his way of life. Do you think, based on the information you received from me, that a little time is enough to consider the life of Jesse to allow him to come to us? His Grace Archbishop Eugene is planning to leave Yaroslavl on February 2. On the way, accept him and rest him in the Lavra. I doubt, Father Governor, that the Count’s letter communicated to you has the meaning that you give it. I also doubt that I should report the donation to the S. Synod. It would be proposed to the Synod in St. Petersburg, if it was necessary, and in accordance with the circumstances. They answered me so that the matter would end there. Someone who understands the matter does not advise me to talk about this, while I don’t even think about talking about it. And my report to the S. Synod about what I want to do will not untie my hands: the responsibility will remain with me. In the places of my personal department, I could act with some freedom: I should not make an extraordinary order for the diocese without an order from the Synod, or without special certification that my action would not be condemned, which certification I sought with my secret attitude, and they noticeably tried to give me such an answer that the person responsible would not be held responsible. I have not heard that from Nizhny, at the insistence of the Right Reverend Jeremiah, they sent a doctor who heals by laying on of hands: but I heard that somewhere a peasant is treating in this way, and that he wants to come to Moscow. I'll look for information about this. The spirit of beauty breathes strongly. Andrei Nikolaevich writes to me that his godson, the Jew Levison, a professor at the St. Petersburg Academy, preaches the millennial kingdom of Christ on earth, and wrote an article about tables, in which he talks about the journey of souls from the body from star to star on the magnetic thread of the nervous spirit. The French Review of Two Worlds 64 describes two sects holding views on the millennium: the Irvingists and the Mormons. Both attribute to themselves the gift of the Holy Spirit. Here is an anecdote about the first: on Easter they celebrated their worship. At this time, one began to complain that there was an evil spirit in him, and asked for help. For this purpose they beat him with sticks for half an hour. Finally he said that they had helped him, that the spirit had entered his throat, and would come out if they pressed his neck. They did this: and he turned out to be dead. They, however, were not embarrassed, and, taking the body into another room, they continued their worship. The Mormons built a holy city, but they were expelled from it by armed force, after armed and bloody defense. Then they settled in the empty country of America; multiply; and have missionaries. God is represented as humanoid and non-omnipresent. Polygamy is allowed. Their ranks are: prophet, twelve apostles, seventy counselors, angels or bishops, Aaronic priests, Melchizedek priests. It seems that fortune telling has spread from this last sect. I will try to write about Parthenia. I’ll think about the crosses and talk to the Corps General. I don’t think that the image of Christ’s resurrection was a disciple’s one. Nowadays Academicians know how to paint in such a way that you would consider a student’s picture. I saw this in Moscow in two new corps churches. The crown needs to be painted, and it will be more consistent with the icon if it is painted in the form of a radiance. It would be a shame to put this image in my cell, and it’s not in my mind either. Look for a place more consistent with the investor's dignity. You don't have to rush. If God tells me to live until spring, it will be possible to speak more clearly about this on the spot. Peace is still not given to us: and the war looks angrier and angrier. Holland alone said that she remains in the same alliance with everyone. Almost all other states are sent by secret embassies, as if they were hatching a conspiracy. They told us about the entrance to the Black Sea in words, as if it were an insignificant matter: and the English magazines are angry, why does the Russian Tsar demand an explanation about this. In one meeting in London they decided to present a laudable address to the Sultan. By the way, the speaker said: every war happens with injustices: but in front of a peaceful society, we are right in that we have been trying for a long time for peace. This is almost an admission that England is entering the war unfairly. And as if an unjust war ceases to be unjust because they have been talking about peace for a long time. I wanted to send you an extract from the letter of the Most Reverend Exarch, first of all, and then I forgot, thinking that I had sent it. Now I'm sending. I have the original in my possession in case of questioning whether I made up this letter. Read the attached grammar. Isn’t this a novice who is indignant at asking payment for obedience? What I wrote to you about yesterday, I spoke about today with Prince Sergius Mikhailovich. I read him my secret attitude, and the count’s answer, and, without saying my opinion, asked: how does he think the answer should be understood? He replied that this means you need to stop and do nothing. I'm thinking of doing this for the time being. I don’t even think about informing the S. Synod about the donation: because it would look like self-praise and a reproach to others. K. read something in foreign newspapers that still represents some peace-loving species. Let's see what the next day will give birth to; and above all let us pray to the Lord. Read the attached letter. I was thinking of sending 100 rubles. Is it so? And here is a doubt: it is said in the Dorogobuzh district, but the villages are not shown. In this case, will the letter arrive? If you think that it is not doubtful: instruct the treasurer to send it. I spoke about the crosses to the soldiers to the pious chief of the corps, Mikhail Ivanovich Cheodaev: he accepted this with good will; and he agrees that they should be sent in it, and he will forward it. Parthenius of Athos sent me a request that I accept him into the monastery if it is impossible to establish him in Siberia. This condition leaves me at a loss as to what to write about it. I’m thinking of writing to be assigned to us. It can be useful for influencing schismatics, to whom we will now turn our attention. Read the attached letter from Vasily Dmitrievich 65 and return it. I don't know what it is. I feel like I'm in captivity. Every day so many people and things attack me that I just can’t keep up. Today, Father Viceroy, a message from the Most Reverend of Astrakhan, who is looking for a rector for a cenobitic monastery, should be sent to you. David's abbot says that Abbot Ilarius is not satisfied with his current position, and perhaps he will accept this call. But it seems to me that the health of Abbot Ilarius will not be favorable to this, and it is difficult to expect enough activity from him to gather the brethren and improve the monastery. It seems to me that it is doubtful to suggest this to him, so as not to agitate his thoughts in vain. However, I tell you this for your consideration. Hieromonk Anastassy asks to be made a doctor at the Lavra with the required salary. But I think it's inconvenient. This would alienate another doctor who might be needed. The old doctor asks for his salary from the Lavra as a pension; What do you think about this? Military commanders came to thank me for welcoming their team to the Lavra. But I didn’t know what to answer them, not having information from you about what happened and how it happened. The images of ancient panagias are good. But if I had been asked about this in detail earlier, I would not have recommended lithographing everything, for some reasons. And I would advise the inscriptions on them, which are illegible in the drawing, to be printed clearly on them. The wife of Adjutant General Vladimir Ivanovich Nazimov brought me the shroud for the holy relics of St. Serius, the work and contribution of her parent, for delivery to the Lavra. I barely remember names: but you know. I forward this contribution. This will be presented to you by the appointed head of the Blachernae hostel. This hostel is given Odigitrievsky rules, with some restrictions. For example, the Blachernae people are not obligated to not consume dairy foods. An exception was made from the rule not to have decorated icons in the cell. The boss says that she has an icon, which is difficult for her not to have, and on which there is decoration. The warden offers some questions regarding church services and rules. This is where difficulties arise. There are customs already accepted in Dodonovo. The headmistress brought with her the customs of Diveyevo, former and newly introduced by the Right Reverend Jeremiah. My thought about the akathists is to use the ancient ones for the Sweetest Jesus and the Mother of God, and not to introduce new ones, which are allowed to be published, but which have not yet received the full character of the Church. Worship of the passion of Christ, I think, should be done in cells, according to zeal, and not according to an indispensable rule. In Diveevo there is an hour's gap between Vespers and Rule. It seems to me that this is no better than the rule following directly after Vespers. On this and other issues, about which I am enclosing the note presented to me, take the trouble to judge and write additional rules. If you find it necessary, show them to me: or give them to the abbess, and tell them to send me a list. I wish that you do not refuse to be the dean of the new hostel, just like Odigitrievsky. I received the icons, and thank you. Sorry I forgot to notify. I’ve been forgetting to say about some of the nights for a long time. Anastasia. I told the abbess that the part that was visible before was not so small. She claims that she received one. The report and books of the Fountain Metochion remained unopened with me, between the dean’s statements, which I did not have time to examine soon after receipt. They should be sent to you tomorrow. For the notebook 66 sent with this, I wish, firstly, your, Father Viceroy, censorship. Do you think that what has been said is suitable to be read, especially by the clergy? If your censor decides to stop the entire notebook, or makes comments: return it to me. And if your censorship lets you through: then suggest it to the Academic censorship, and let it pronounce its judgment. May the blessing of the Lord be upon you, Father Vicar, and brethren, and may the peace of your souls increase. Hearing your request for forgiveness, I do not see you as having a need for my forgiveness, but I see myself as unworthy to grant forgiveness, and demanding your forgiveness. But looking at the mercy of the Lord our Savior, who through the sacrifice of the cross acquired forgiveness for all of us, I pray Him to grant you, and all of you, forgiveness for whatever anyone requires. With hope, I ask for your forgiveness for myself, in every word and deed, which through my lack of judgment or impatience caused offense or embarrassment, and your prayer, that I may bring unrepentant repentance to salvation, and receive forgiveness from the Most Merciful of my many sins. Written work in my presence is regularly carried out by another clerk instead of a sick clerk. What prompts you to offer me a monastic who, perhaps, is capable, but will not suddenly adapt to our course of affairs? Why do you mention money? If you hear anything: warn me clearly. Peace to brother Barsanuphius. What is being done with it? And the proposed medicine should not be forgotten. I asked about the ordained physician: but he is not visible in Moscow. In St. Petersburg they say, and in Moscow they retell, that an old man in monastic clothes, but white, appeared to the Emperor in a dream or vision; asked: what is the war for? and according to the answer: for the defense of Christians, he blessed him with the cross. They add that during fasting one must wait for the Emperor at the Lavra, but some who may know closely do not confirm this, either because it did not happen, or they do not know, or they want to remain silent. The face of abuse becomes more and more severe. Lord be with us! I am glad that you, Father Viceroy, rejoice in fasting. And I grieve that I’m going through this feat poorly. You think there will be fasting in heaven. But I think this: that on earth there is a feat called fasting, then in heaven there is simply a natural state: because there they do not eat material food, which along with nutrition is burdensome, but feed on spiritual food, the grains of which fall to the ground here and constitute the sweets of fasting. It’s my fault that the report on the division of income lay with me for a long time. Now you should have it. Thank you for offering the soldiers and us a round of bread. You offer Jerome to Astrakhan. Is he willing? We can demand obedience from him in our circle; S. The Synod can demand obedience from us and from him; but the S. Synod usually, in cases like this, orders the election of those who wish. We need an answer from you to this. It’s not clear to me why other people give money, if they really give it. One vicar can ask me anything about business and tell me something. I give many decisions on petitions into the hands of the petitioners, others I order to be read immediately as written, and then written down and sent to the Consistory. I am sending two letters from High Persons to join similar ones stored in the Lavra. Introduce those named to monasticism. I told the Count about Bibikov before, and he remembered it, and yesterday I spoke again. He wants to draw attention to this matter again. Blagonravov is pestering me to let John-Jesse into the monastery, albeit for the duration of Lent. Based on what I heard before, I doubt it, although Blagonravov considers everything said about Jesse to be slander. You write that Evmeny has been instructed to take insurance capital and create a plot of 10 thousand rubles. and present to whom it will be assigned to the Preservation Treasury. But it was already stated in the resolution of January 16 that this is entrusted to the treasurer on the part of the Lavra. Why did Evmeniy get the money, and where will he go with it? Will he really carry it to the Lavra and carry it from there again? It seems that everything needs to be entrusted to the treasurer, and taken, and compiled, and entered into the Safe Treasury along with others appointed for this from the two monasteries. Thanks for the lint. I'll talk to the Governor General. Thank you for serving the soldiers. It is sad to think that even in a special time of heroism, they do not serve them and the fatherland purely. It is required to arrange artillery carts in Moscow, quickly. Done quickly, with diligence and sacrifice, under the special care of the Governor-General. The General came to receive, and began to reject and find fault with little things; and since it was impossible to directly say and prove what this meant, the Governor-General was forced to write to St. Petersburg to ask for another receiver. Regarding money for commemoration, do as you write. When submitting to the Guardian Council, whoever will contribute, let him write what he is contributing and why: otherwise there is no need to write on whose instructions. I will address the rules of the hostel to you, writing something in them in my own way. It is inconvenient to talk about nuns moving from a monastery, moving to a hostel that is not yet a monastery, in the rules. I spoke about the printing of inscriptions, thinking to find in them remarkable features of antiquity. It turns out that's not the case. Only the historical inscription from 1480 is noteworthy. For one person, reading a whole notebook of fragmentary sayings from church songs will not be entertaining. Therefore I give my voice; do not print. The Count promised to send corpus to Asia, as you wished. When I told him about hay instead of lint, he confirmed this. In the Caucasus we still don’t have many warriors: but we have different kinds of enemies. Prince Vorontsov left at a very bad time. Read is untested and unknown to the people. May God grant heavenly intercession. I told the Count about the healing laying on of hands. He said that there is no such thing in Moscow. Then I found out that he was a prisoner for vagrancy and theft, and that he was being taken to the sick in custody. When I told the Count about this, he replied that this was nothing more than a great magnetic force; and that this prisoner will soon be expelled from Moscow. There are all sorts of strange things with Abbess Apollinaria. You say that Mr. Golovin forced her to leave her cell: but he expresses surprise and regret that she left. It’s not very good that she lives in Posad for a long time. Something had to be decided. Abbess Khotkovskaya told me that she wanted to calm her down: but others say that Apollinaria is afraid of her commanding address. It seems to me that this exercise in patience is not too difficult, and one could decide to do it. In other monasteries it is difficult to find both a cell and an aid in life. In Khotkovo they will give you a cell and feed you. I told the Count that the food for the soldiers could have been more thrifty. He does not dispute this: but he does not see a way to improve the order of this matter. From my money I assign one thousand rubles. for the commemoration of the deceased servants of God, Archpriest Michael and Evdokia, to the monastery, or in parts to the Lavra, and Bethany and the monastery. Consider this, and, as you judge, do it. Peace and health to the father governor and brethren. I told the Count about the military patients: he wants to have detailed information. Therefore, I am attaching a special order for this, which you or the Council will fulfill. He asked the commander Pole’s name: and since it was unknown, he wrote down the day he left the Lavra. When I read what you wrote about the illness of the youth Theodore of Torovsky, it then occurred to me that his fate might not be the fate of Dositheus. Now you write the same thing after an event. Let him go to the Lord, just as Theophilus did before. Tell your mother to remain obedient to the will of God and to temper her sadness with the word of Scripture: God was pleased to have been put to rest. Tell her also that if she has retained the idea of ​​​​entering the Boris and Gleb Anosinsky Monastery, she can hopefully think about the approaching circumstances in which she can enter there with peace and good hope. Count Alexander Petrovich visited me and brought me information about the prisoner magnetizer, about whom I wrote before. This one said about himself that he read the Philokalia, had extraordinary sensations, and thought that he had received a gift. But his morality did not correspond to this. In Nizhny, the Eminence demanded that he not be allowed to act, but they did not listen to the Eminence. The magnetizer had a strong effect on the sick, so that the paralytic began to walk; but then everyone felt worse than before the magnetizer. Note A letter without a signature or indication of the time when it was written; preserved between letters from 1854. It is relied on in this place 1) because the letter following this begins with the words; “and another time I am writing to you today,” but another letter dated March 12, 1854 is not visible among those that have survived; 2) because the words of this letter “about military patients” and “commander” seem to be in connection with the words of letter 981 about “serving as a soldier”, and the message “about the prisoner magnetizer”, about which it is written “before this”, are in a clear connection with the news of letter 983 about the same thing; and the words: “health oh. Philaret” are not explained by the postscript to letter 987? Another time I write to you, Father Viceroy, now to say what was left unsaid due to oblivion. I remember that in the Lavra there are antimensions from the Patriarchal times. Notify me soon how many there are, what time, and in what names, and also whether the s. power. Someone Michael from the monastery sent the General Governor money for the soldiers. Good intention: but it is not superfluous to know whether this was done with a blessing? Is this in accordance with the monastery rule of community life and non-covetousness? And wouldn't it be better to do a good deed without glorifying your name? I don’t write anymore; because it's time to give the letter to the steward. You did not answer me what I wrote to you about the hieromonk whom you propose to become rector of the Astrakhan diocese. Much peace to the Father Viceroy. I am sending you again the rules of the Blachernae hostel with my changes, so that if you have any objections, you will convey them to me: and if there is no need to object; then order it to be rewritten and sent to me for approval. I thought that the previous rules could remain, with the additions and changes made in my resolution: but when it was necessary to correct the text of the rules itself, then it was necessary to review it so as not to correct it again. Don’t be angry that I still give you work. I also address the head of the hostel to you with the rules, so that you can clothe her with a rasophore. Father Parfeniy (about whom I wrote in St. Petersburg) sent me three books of his letter, Dorotheus’s flower garden, and words he copied from various books for holidays, for fraternal reading in church or at meals, but, it seems, not all were chosen well. Place the first one in my cell in the monastery; and the other two are either also with me, or in the skete library, if they can be used. The late Abbess of Spasoborodino begged His Eminence Hiertheus, now Patriarch of Antioch, to write a service to Righteous Philaret. It was translated from Greek, and printed by the current abbess, or her mother. Of the copies sent to me, I am sending to you, would you consider giving them to the monastery, although it may not be needed. What is Fr. Filaret? The words of the youth Theodore inspire concern. Hieromonk Zephaniah, send me your service record. But it occurs to me that we will also need a builder or abbot. O. Nazariy is very dilapidated. And he doesn’t imagine anyone as a successor. Tell me what you think about this, without telling Zephaniah about this. There is news that we have crossed the Danube; They took the fortress not without difficulty; then they run away from us. - But what does this lead to? - Let's pray to the Lord. As always, I accept with gratitude the frankly told truth: so I thank you, Father Viceroy, for your frank word about the ancient antimension. But I think that I am obliged to see things differently than you think. I do not want to support the idea that the church today is deprived of the fullness of grace. It seems that fellow believers should not think so; otherwise it would have been accepted by the people of the same faith. The antimension may be ancient: but for the consecration of the church, the currently active grace of God is required. The S. Synod, in the Decree on the Church of the Same Faith, says that it follows the example of the Apostle, who was like the weak, as if he were weak, but at the same time, let him gain the weak. And in the points appended to this Decree, precisely in the fourth, Vladyka Plato agreed that the antimensions consecrated under the first Patriarchs would be consecrated, or reconsecrated according to old printed books. So, I don’t think of doing anything more than fulfilling the decision of Bishop Plato and the S. Synod. Until these rules existed, it was possible to argue whether it was better for them to be or not to be: but when they are clothed with legality, it remains to obey them. Moreover, according to the old printed books, a day would have been needed for the consecration of the antimension, and another for the consecration of the church. With the ancient antimension, the consecration will take place on one day, and, if necessary, the position of the relics in the ancient antimension and the old printed rite will not be contrary, and will be in accordance with the new rite. I don’t know how I will have the strength for the one-day service of consecration, which in the old books, in comparison with the new ones, or better to say with the truly ancient and Greek ones, has repetitions and expansions. You need to go around the church three times and at the same time sing 24 troparions. If the order at Preobrazhensky is not complete, it is difficult to complain about it. And what is being done was difficult to expect, and there are strong objections against it. They are trying to ensure that this is just a humane institution. If the skete Michael arbitrarily acquired the fame of donation; and modestly refused to pluck the lint: what will come of it? Is it necessary to be like this in a monastery? Isn’t it necessary to at least insist that he pluck the lint, so that he doesn’t fall into self-indulgence and present a temptation to others? Tikhon, in his years, may be a hieromonk: but he has recently entered the monastery. Shouldn't we make him a hierodeacon and stop for a while? We can talk about the Church of Mercy in terms of time. I will need to give an answer to the promise given during my ordination as a bishop: there is no need to build churches from above. For Theodore's mother, accepting service at a nursing home would probably be beneficial for the home: but would it be peaceful for her? Will the relationship between her and the princess be quite comfortable? You can see and foresee this better. This is not clear to me and seems somewhat dubious. Peace to you and your brothers, Fr. Peace and health to Philaret. I return to you, Father Viceroy, Tikhon as hieromonk. I also washed his feet, with the thought that in his person, as a representative, I wash the feet of all the brethren of the Lavra and the monastery. I kiss you, Father Vicar, and the brethren with a holy kiss: Christ is risen. Despite my unworthiness, this kiss is holy in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who suffered, that our sins may be cleansed, who died, that our passions may be put to death, and that He rose again, that He may raise us to a righteous and holy life. I earnestly wish you to enjoy these fruits of the resurrection of Christ. I hope that you ask the same from Him for me. One of the military commanders told me that the division, whose soldiers were blessed with crosses from St. Sergius, made a long journey in extraordinary safety, having no more than three or four sick people. I’ve been forgetting to write for a long time: tell the treasurer to order the publication of S.’s works. My father signed for me, as before, for three copies, in order to deliver two to me, and the third to Andrei Nikolaevich Muravyov. Thank you, Father Viceroy, for helping me during the days of the Supreme Visitation. I thank the brethren for the observance of the rite. From the Pyatnitskaya church in Sergievsky Posad, I arrived safely at the Moscow outpost in four and a half hours. Yesterday we celebrated safely: but today I remain at home under the burden of yesterday. Tomorrow at noon Andrei Nikolaevich leaves for the Lavra. Let him inoculate me as before, and offer him food and necessities. I wish to celebrate Pentecost with you: but not in the first days of next week I can leave Moscow, due to local affairs. Open test at the Academy on Friday. Prepare your usual meal for the day. I am very crowded with things and people. However, I want to be with you tomorrow evening. May God bless you, Father Viceroy, with peace and health. And peace to the brothers. If the Monk Stephen accuses you of laziness, as you think: then may he forgive for the sake of your confession, and may he give you healing. But I think that you are wrong to suspect laziness is a matter of caution. Perhaps, before, you could have used, and used, your health bravely: now, I think, you need to use it carefully. Would it be better if you, like me, got sick on the road; and I would have to think about the question, is it better to go to Makhra, or to come to the Lavra when sick? Didn’t your facial illness gradually develop earlier? On the day of my arrival at the Lavra, your face seemed unusually full; but the next day I didn’t notice this and didn’t tell you anything. I had a merchant Sapelinn, and he complained that Theophilus did not take wax from him at the price at which he took it from another, and attributed dignity to his wax, with mention of the London Exhibition. But Theophilus says that his wax is inferior and more expensive. In this last case, Theophilus acted justly. Given the equal value of wax and price, it would be advisable not to leave Sapelinna. He also plans to clean the cinder wax. Fyodor Vasilyevich Blagonravov visited me and renewed his request to accept John-Jesse into the monastery. I said it was doubtful. He objected that you announced to Jesse that you would accept him if I agreed; and asked me for letters to you. This prompted me to call Archimandrite Innocent, whom I had previously sent to visit Jesse in the desert, and ask what he saw. He said that he found a woman in Jesse’s courtyard washing clothes, and another in her cell, standing behind the door at his entrance so that he would not notice her. Let us suppose that they came to serve the hermit and hear his word; and were confused by the unexpected visit of the archimandrite: but everything cannot be considered prudent on the part of the hermit, especially when he had ready help from the landowner in all his needs. There is no guilt here: but there is imprudence, and a reason for temptation for those who see and hear. So, I remain of my opinion that it is doubtful to accept Jesse. Talk about this with Fyodor Vasilyevich. Here is another unexpected misfortune regarding the economy. The S. Synod took away from us the right to promote the abbots of the Construction monasteries to abbots without submitting to its permission. And this takes time. Tell me whether Varlaam will become a builder for the first time. I am sending you a plan of the holy gates. The one that is taller seems to be better. I asked what the matter would cost, but the architect did not undertake to determine. Please provide your opinion. If we decide, he will finalize the drawing and details. God's visitation is still upon us. Cholera appears in Moscow. The rector of the Seminary fell dangerously ill with it: but, it seems, by the grace of God he came out of danger. I'll let you finish the plan for the holy gates. This summer, of course, there is no time to build, and I would not think of starting if there was time. I don’t really hope that it will be possible to take up this next summer: but the will of the Lord be done. You have probably heard about the danger that Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich was exposed to at sea, testing a new small ship in the wind. At first they said that he even got sick: but then they told me that, without losing his presence of mind in danger, having been taken from the water to the ship, he took up rowing himself, and thereby restored the natural warmth of his body and strength, and protected himself from illness. I congratulated him on escaping danger. If among the burnt there are poor people: you can give help from me, just as it was before in a similar case I am sending you a publication of the plans of the Sophia Church of Constantinople, which you have probably never seen 67. Look and put it in my cell, so that whoever looks at it will pray that the grace of Christ may return to it. My health is strange. Yesterday at five o'clock in the morning I felt the same as when leaving the Lavra; but then he recovered and served in Novodevichy, for the first time since returning from the Lavra. And the Right Reverend Nikanor, whom you, of course, found quite healthy, walking in the procession of the cross, became so exhausted that he entered the church on the way and unmasked himself; but then, having put on his clothes, he caught up with the carriage and came to the holy gates of the monastery in order. It’s not bad that Alexei was not accepted into the monastery another time. His constancy proved to be true again. He expressed to the Luzhetsky abbot his desire to be in his monastery: and then he submitted a request for leave for five months to the Novgorod and St. Petersburg dioceses, and told me that he could not find peace outside the Nile Hermitage. May the Lord keep you, Father Vicar, and the monastery and brethren in peace. In truth, when we sin, we receive little admonition, and strong admonitions come from the Lord. Make arrangements for the establishment of a hospital for cholera patients, as you write. God grant that Archpriest Ostromyslensky preserve the gift of St. Sergius. I saw him in a difficult state: and I heard that there were and were renewed more difficult ones. I began to read a word of praise to St. Sergius. It is written good-naturedly: but it will almost be tiresome to listen to a chain of expressions, of which you can already know the following from a few. I don’t foresee it being possible to be at the Gethsemane festival, no matter how much I wish. The tail of the illness contracted on the road from the Lavra continues to this day. In addition to the house church, I attended services twice, in Novodevichy, and on the third day in Zachatievsky. After both cases the disease intensified. Yesterday, having spent the night and morning in fairly good order, I got dressed to go to the Synodal office, but the pain from the winds intensified, and not without friction; and only at six o’clock in the evening did I become calm and could take food. If, after being tired on Assumption Day, the next day you set off on the road and succeed: something like yesterday may happen on the road, and it will be more difficult for me than at home, and I will only be a burden to you, sick. I received your letters, written before the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, and another earlier, after those times (to?) to which it was necessary to respond, and therefore I did not answer otherwise than by remembering you before God, which is what I ask of you for myself. Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich responded to my letter graciously and with humble reasoning. Someday I will show you his rescript. Recently an archpriest, a priest and a deacon died in Moscow from cholera; The rector of the Seminary, being dangerously ill, recovered and went to the Davidic abbot to rest; The rector of the Academy is a little sick. Bring my unworthiness to the feet of St. Sergius. The list of the departmental instructions given by me on the occasion of illness should be sent to you now. Thank you for the holiday blessing. Thank God that you have enough people praying. And here, in different places, parishioners themselves ask for permission to perform prayers and processions of the cross in their parishes. It is all the better that this is done by their good will, and not by order. For these prayers they take miraculous icons, and since different times are appointed in places for this, those who wish can often attend these prayers. But, unfortunately, we don’t forget the festivities, although we are strongly reminded not to engage in fuss. On the 17th day the number of sick people was 382, ​​which, as far as I remember, had never reached in previous epidemics. 200 a day made me sick more than once. We have sinned, we are lawless: but God, do not betray us to the end of the Fathers. General Mikhailo Ivanovich Cheodaev again thanks St. Sergius for the soldiers who received crosses from him. In the battle under the command of Prince Bebutov, this detachment was twice repulsed by a large enemy, but did not lose spirit, attacked again, defeated the enemies, and took away the cannons, losing only about 50 people killed, but having quite a few wounded. I would agree to define Nifont as an economist if they introduce him. I am perplexed about the gilding of the chapter at the Trinity Cathedral. It was gilded through fire, and although it is not brilliant, it seems that it has not lost its gilding. Would gilding be better for Mardan? Will it stick to the old gilding? Is it good to gild a chapter that is thin at the joints? Is it good to gild something in these non-golden times? I would like an answer to these questions. Our singer died of cholera. This is the first time since 1830. Pray for us as well as for yourself. The Bethany rector did not deign to carry out his sermon tomorrow; and I also can’t speak. The icons are good. I haven’t had time to send it yet: I hope tomorrow. May the Lord protect Evmeniy. Avdija, you can imagine. Peace to the soul of Father Archpriest Theodore 68: when the good ones land; It occurs to me that punishment is not approaching for those who remain. Regarding the gilding of the chapter, I apologize, I remain perplexed. And it's late. Let's put it off until spring and think about it. I am sending a letter from the Grand Duke. After reading, seal it and put it in my monastery. Your messenger will complain about me: but I am not entirely to blame. He said that he would stay until Monday: and I was in no hurry to write. Yesterday after the all-night vigil they said that he was leaving in the morning: I had no time to write; and I thought he had left. Now they say that he is waiting, and I hasten to let him go. More than once I forget to tell you that in the expenditure of my money presented to me, I did not see the money that you offered to give me to the Nativity priest, and I ordered it to be given. Did the treasurer forget to write it down? The viceroy father and the brethren rejoice and be at peace. I already wanted to write to you about Fr. Parthenia, so that he could visit here, as he received your letter, in which he found the same thought. Tell him to come to us as soon as possible, and provide him with what he needs for his journey. And pray that God will give him a word of reason and benefit for those wavering between alienation and union with the holy Church. I will ask Prince Sergius Mikhailovich for training in apothecary art. Thank God that your illness is not getting worse. And it becomes easier for us. Send me two copies of the new edition of the service of St. Sergius, one for me, and the other for those who wish to have it. They called me to Podolsk next Sunday to consecrate the church, but I can’t. Yesterday I consecrated a church in a transit prison with difficulty. May the Lord's peace be with you, Father Viceroy, and brethren. Obadiah is coming to you as a hieromonk. There is a good thought in it. I am fulfilling a long-forgotten promise; I am sending you book 69: Schism. Mr. Blagonravov says that you promised him to accept Jesse. If this is true: I'm still in doubt. I instructed the priest, in whose parish Jesse lived in the desert, to write the truth about him. He wrote not doubt, but a very bitter certainty, about the life of Jesse, covered with the appearance of desert life. I don’t want to disbelieve Blagonravov that this is slander: but I can’t understand how there could be slander on the part of the landowner, who revered Jesse, and spoke unfavorably about him, with a description, so as not to understand the matter worse than it is, and even more so on the part of the priest, who was not on unpleasant terms with Jesse, and did not tell anyone about him until he was asked to tell in good conscience that he knew. Forgive me, the impatient one who demands patience from others, which I myself do not have: and it is not clear to me that, according to Blagonravov’s legend, Jesse suffers mortally from the Joseph Monastery, although he does not complain about its abbot, and that he can die if he does not go to the monastery. It seems to me that it is necessary to make a choice between two decisions: either refuse, or allow him to live in the monastery temporarily until discretion, without a decisive assignment to the monastery brotherhood. Tell me your thought. Blagonravov is in a hurry. Colonel Varvara Nikolaevna Titova brings the Gospel to the monastery or to another church, according to reasoning. I am sending it here. I had been going to the village to visit Prince Sergius Mikhailovich all summer, but I didn’t get ready. Yesterday he moved to the city: and today I talked to him about students of apothecary art. He wanted to talk to the doctor in charge of the hospital. I wanted to talk to Prince Trubetskoy about tickets ...Rovskaya 70; but did not find him at home, and spoke to Prince Sergius Mikhailovich. I also spoke with Semyon Longinovich. That's what he says. Previously, trade to China was carried out by barter. Last summer, the Minister of Finance came up with the idea (they say, not from a good source) to pay two-thirds of the price in goods, and the third in silver and gold items. The Sovereign Emperor ordered to take the opinion of the traders. They said it was harmful. However, this has been put into action. Semyon Longinovich has already sent more than a hundred pounds of silver; and according to the proportion of all goods, it is necessary to send 800 or 1000 poods. And there are more than eighty traders with China. How much silver will come out of Russia? and at what time! Therefore, they are thinking of asking the Sovereign Emperor to stop the release of silver and gold to China. It seems that this is fair, well-intentioned, and in accordance with the circumstances and the benefit of the fatherland. I heard that they made a gold or silver spoon worth five pounds and sold it at the Nizhny Novgorod fair in order to send the metal to China under the guise of a product. I don't have time to write anymore. The builder said he was leaving early tomorrow; and said in the evening when we were doing business with the vicar. Pray for the wars of the militants in Crimea. Dr. Blumenthal demands information about the years and knowledge of the young people who want to be sent to him to study the art of pharmacy. Here is his note. And Prince Sergius Mikhailovich verbally asked: do they know any Latin? Shouldn't we send one to see if he corresponds to the intended case? Prince Nikolai Ivanovich Trubetskoy brought me a long note about how tickets were presented more than once ... to Rovskaya 71, and the inscription turned out to be dissimilar from the signature under the advertisements, and how, finally, the Sretensky builder presented a will, according to which the inheritance was denied to the deceased not only his wife, but also his brother. Therefore, they say, let him ask with the will attached, and they will give out the part that is due to her. ...rovskaya 72 showed me the will: and it’s clear that they didn’t understand it. However, it is also true that it is composed confusingly. I'll talk to the prince again. I think that you have already stopped praying for deliverance from the disease: and prayers continue for God’s help in battle, which is very necessary. The illness, thank God, ended here too; and, I think, next Sunday together we will pray 73 to the Lord, who punishes and has mercy. The Empress Tsesarevna deigned to inform me with her word about the receipt of the icon, although I did not dare to write to Her Imperial Highness, but wrote to Vasily Dmitrievich 74 . He notifies that the icon has been delivered to Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna. I thought about the Bethany almshouse. Will there be room to build new outbuildings, or at least one, while the current almshouse exists? Isn't that a lot to assume? Is it necessary to build for pilgrims who spend the night there, probably on very few days? After the new wings are built, will the current almshouse turn into a courtyard? I wish to understand the matter clearly. These days, the first secretary of the Austrian embassy, ​​Count Bloom, was in the Lavra, and returned with unpleasant news, especially since he will carry it to Germany. He was given a novice from the nobles Rudakov as a guide, and another from the nobles: and the count, from his treatment of them, drew the conclusion that, apparently, in Russia, noble families send some of them from among themselves against their will to the monastery, and these in the monastery retain an aversion to monasticism. He probably told the same Rudakov to show him the Academic Library: the answer was that it was impossible. He was also dissatisfied with the hotel. And others say that it is untidy, there are a lot of insects, and the hotel is impolite. It must be taught that everyone should be treated politely before they know who is a count or not; and that they try to recognize visitors who require special attention, and tell you about them. If you had known about this visitor in good time, you would of course have given him better guidance and shown him the way to the Academy. Please pay attention to the cleanliness of the hotel. And I want to know who it is Rudakov, and the other one with him. What has been written so far was written last Monday. On Tuesday, similar information about the hotel came to me, the sources of which were one general’s wife, one general, one gendarmerie officer, and more than one from the merchants. The gendarme officer and his family were given a poor room, they were promised a better one after the others left, but they gave it to another, and he moved to an inn. They say that to occupy a good room you need a ruble for a mug, and two for a hotel. To the objection that Jonah is a good man, they answer that he may be in a hurry to stock up on money while he has obedience, which gives him a way to do so. Not wanting to give this any credit, and having no reason to suspect unfavorable judges, I ask you to pay attention to the hotel. Now that there are few visitors, I think, wouldn’t it be convenient to repaint the walls and restore cleanliness? They say that there is a bad smell on the stairs from an unclean place. Sorry for the unpleasant words. About Fr. Joanna's performance is allowed. Imagine those worthy of tonsure. Isn't one boy enough to give you experience in learning the art of pharmacy for the first time? When one is accepted, it would be better to send another. Turovskaya is bored by stopping her business, and says, if it’s illegal, let them refuse, just to get rid of it. And for this, God gives the way to the cause. Through Shchastnev, I communicated the will to Prince Trubetskoy: and they found it fair to give the money if the death certificates of the children were presented at the request. A certificate from the Council must be given about the death of Theodore. While in the Lavra, I asked you to send with me two copies of the new edition of the service to St. Sergius. I interviewed them in Moscow; they said: no. Send it. In Moscow, arson is noticeable: but near Moscow they are strong and daring. See that guard and caution are not relaxed. We are waiting for good news from the south: but they are not in a hurry, as our desires are. They say that your army is now strong; that it is difficult for enemies. But we do not yet see the lot of battle in the hand of the Lord. Let's pray to the Lord. Now Count Arseny Andreevich has sent me to say that there will be two captured French chief officers in the Lavra, who, by the Highest Will, are being shown the monuments. I'll tell you about this. Peace be with you, Father Viceroy, and the brethren of the monasteries. It could be that the foreign count and Rudakov did not understand each other well, and the misunderstanding resulted in understanding for the worse. For example, Rudakov said that he had fulfilled the assignment given to him by the Lavra, and did not dare go to the Academy without a blessing: and the count thought that they did not want to take him to the Academy. As for the hotel, there are quite a few witnesses about what I wrote, and they are significant. I hope that you will use remedies against unfavorable judgments. Count Arseny Andreevich gladly took it upon himself to forward the benefits sent from you to sick soldiers. I thank those who worked in this. The issue of caregivers requires some thought. Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna is said to send forty nurses at her expense to the Crimea. And some say, will this be reliable, and will there not be temptations when they are not prepared by religious and moral suggestions, and are unlikely to be protected by moral supervision and guidance? I want to know how you will think about this. I am sending you the papers of a certain Vasily the new pestun. You've already heard about them. Don't you know this man? And what can you think about him and his words? Thank you for the books of services to St. Sergius. O. I saw Pankraty in peace as the owner of my cells. But if his memory is not sufficient to save what is in them: put another one. O. Parfeniy wants to submit his notes to the censor 75. Help him in this; and tell about. the rector that if somewhere the grammatical composition of the speech needs to be slightly corrected, or another unseemly word needs to be replaced with a more understandable and usable one, then it would be good for the censor to do this. But change a lot of the peculiar speech about. Parthenia is not needed. It should be good in the monastery this day, on which service is performed there under the order of the Monk Dionysius 76. I would go to you like Parfeniy, if it were as convenient as he was. I would also go to Vukol 77’s cell, look for traces of someone who lives well after death, and learn how to die. I am sending you a letter from Prince Sergius Mikhailovich and the doctor’s calculations about the students. Four years won't be cheap. Should I pay for this desired benefit? You will remember that I told you about the landowner, the money-lender, whom I advised to stop this activity, but who continued it. In addition to curiosity, it seems that what tied him to this was that he successfully treated patients according to the recipes of the table. But here's the outcome. Today his brother came to me and told me the following. The fortune teller, according to the instructions of the table, treated the girl; but she was getting worse. Finally, he asked the table what it meant. The table said that the girl would die in a few days, and then in three days she would be resurrected. The girl died, but was not resurrected: and the fortune teller and his sister, who participated in the same thing, were damaged in their minds. The patient was brought here to be given to a doctor, due to the nature of the illness: but his peasants, who love him, are afraid that he will be worse from the thought of mental damage, they think that he is spoiled, and I don’t know why, they sent his brother to me. I advised taking him to St. Sergius and turning to you so that you could arrange for prayers to be performed over him. If he is brought: take all possible care of him, trusting in the mercy of God and St. Serius. Yesterday evening, when, tired from the day, I stopped doing business with the vicar, without finishing, they told me that... Abel wants to come to me to take a blessing on the path. I didn’t remember that he was going into the distance, and answered that if he didn’t go early, he might come tomorrow, and if it was early, I would call upon him a blessing in absentia. But when they told me that he was saddened by this answer; I called him, and, remembering that he was going to Sarov, and seeing his embarrassment and tears, I asked him what thoughts were making it difficult for him. Little by little, through clenched teeth, he expressed that he was grateful to the Lavra, but was burdened by the crowds, and was thinking of staying in Sarov. I told him that the large number of people in the Lavra is pious, that it also happens in Sarov, that, if one desires solitude, it is false to sometimes stay in a monastery, that by remaining in the Lavra, where he has long established himself, he will not be subject to reproach in his conscience in any case, but by moving arbitrarily to Sarov, if he encounters something he does not want, he may be reproached to himself, that a familiar abbot is not eternal, that in the Lavra there is someone with whom to be in peaceful and edifying intercourse. Finally, Abel said neither yes nor no: and we said goodbye to him. Only from the fact that he asked me for a book with an inscription, one can conclude that he was saying goodbye to me completely: to this I replied that I do not have such a custom, and what does my signature mean? I gave him a rosary. Meanwhile, someone tells me: how Abel knows everything, what is happening where. Therefore I would tell him: do not be curious; this is your solitude. I am telling you this for your consideration, in case of correspondence with Abel. The community of sisters caring for wounded soldiers was formed not by Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna (I don’t know whether the names were mixed up in my retelling or in my memory), but by Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna. She instructed Princess O. O. Shcherbatova to find those willing to join the community in Moscow; the princess turned to me; I proposed to the abbess; some had no takers; some didn't even give an answer; some found willing ones. First of all, I received a list of twelve from the Alekseevsky Monastery; and when I only had this list, the princess sent to say that she already had a lot of people, and that she only needed eight. since on my list there were four novices of a non-free state, who are not appointed to the society; then it turned out to be exactly eight, which were accepted by the princess. So the matter is not over yet. But I admit that I remain perplexed. Some people tell me: will those sent to the monastery return the same as they went? And this idea seems to be in the minds of some abbesses. I'm afraid to spread the Lavra's economy. And I would have been ready to refuse to buy the farm if one thought had not stopped me: what if the brothers were actually giving spoiled milk? Has this deceit really spread far from Moscow? You need to know whose land the farm is on. Next, you need to take into account that the buildings, which stood for six years, have outlived part of their value, and that there is a government debt on the farm. Pay attention to this and say what you see. The word about God was sent to Sevastopol by the Sovereign Emperor and the Empress. He told the soldiers that the Lord would reward them for their exploits. She sent an icon. The latter was done almost as a result of the fact that the Right Reverend Innocent was traveling, they say, to Sevastopol with a miraculous icon; but Prince Menshchikov rejected his arrival in Sevastopol. We live in an amazing mixture of thoughts and deeds. They retold to me what was said by one significant person, that Prince Menshchikov is not disposed towards the Right Reverend Innocent, considering him a free-thinker: whereas it would be less likely if the Right Reverend had such an opinion about the prince. Forgive me. Let's pray to the Lord. Celebrate, father governor and brethren, with spiritual joy. And I, if God wills, tomorrow I need to talk with compassionate people who are going to care for the wounded 78 . I am sending you two things: first, a letter from an unknown person with two silver rubles to fulfill his will, and a petition from Yakutsk to St. Nicholas, which I am instructed to present. I could tell the Yakut tradesman Grigoriev to contact his diocesan bishop. But can a petition to St. Nicholas be ignored, no matter what it is? Would you please instruct us to perform a prayer service before the miraculous image of St. Nicholas and remember the servant of God Paul? Blessing of the Lord and peace to you, Father Viceroy, and brethren. For some reason, the Holy Synod decided to demand service records from all bishops. For this purpose, the Consistory demanded documents from the Council. Letters about private subjects are not needed for this. And we need letters, rescripts, decrees and relations about awards and expressions of favor. It seems you have a box with papers of this kind. Review and send the necessary lists from the Council to the Consistory. Until now, the S. Synod itself has taken care of our track records, and it seems that this was in order. It is not in order for a bishop to testify about himself, and it is not in order for the Consistory to testify about a bishop. The present age does not think that not only about the deeds and words of its predecessors, but also about silence, it is unnecessary to reflect on why this was so. Imagine Moses as a hieromonk, and Nikon as a hierodeacon. Forgive me for being late in saying this. But, it’s true, it’s inconvenient to rush. The vicar served for more than a week in a row for ordination, although I often ordain, as for example yesterday and after the consecration of the church. So that the hermits do not have to wait long in Moscow, let them come on December 10th. Read the attached letter. I don't think anything should be done about it. Tell me if I think as I should. This will be presented to you by Father Viceroy, watchmaker Nosov. He does his business with me; and, as far as I understand, he knows his business well. Show him the large table clock in my cells, which is usually out of order. Will he not correct them thoroughly? From the Lord blessing and peace to the viceroy father and brethren. I still don’t have time to write to us on time, and that’s enough. Look for more of my documents in the library of Bethany Seminary. Tell the treasurer to give blind man Serebryakov 50 rubles from me. About the farm, some of the old doubts are not resolved, and some of the new ones arise. You said that you find it necessary to preserve it; because it has been proclaimed. Now how do you want to buy livestock and tools from it? What happens to the empty house? I wrote to you that there seems to be a government house on the farm. How will it be covered? Is the proposed new farm too far away? I confess another thought to you, and ask you to resolve it: a purchase is being forced on you in order to get out of an unsuccessful speculation; Out of love for humanity, you want to promote this, especially because there are those who are confused without guilt; But won’t this result in the fact that they will exaggerate the price, and you will trust, or will give you items that are not of the same value as could be observed with a more free purchase? Don't be angry with me; but let me have my doubts. I read in the reports that the Lavra provided broth and noodles for the soldiers. I don’t remember this coming through me. Tell me how it was and where it was taken. Without hope of success, but only to fulfill obedience, I spoke to Prince Sergius Mikhailovich about the Lord's robe: and only had to endure the shame of an inappropriate petitioner. He says that the shrine is ancestral; and it was specified in the will of the late Princess. We were concerned about the state of health of the Empress. Yesterday I received some calming news, which I am sending. But what do you think? Is it necessary to print such things? This is the home language; and should be heard in the circle of home simplicity and trust. It is fitting that the royal word should appear to the capital, although not in purple, but not in sleeping clothes. Or are my notions of decency too outdated for this age? I wanted to send you what I said yesterday in church to hear if there were any objections. For sometimes I somehow involuntarily come across questions to which some answer seems necessary in time, but to which a prudent answer is required; and I usually write and speak hastily out of necessity. But they demanded the manuscript, and I gave it. If it is published and you read it and notice anything, please tell me. And God has vouchsafed us to use this week to cleanse our conscience, preparing us for the Lord’s Table. On Thursday evening, asking for forgiveness, you reminded me that I have more need for forgiveness: but I could no longer ask for forgiveness from you as soon as I thought, and to call upon you for forgiveness from the Lord and the joyful fellowship of His table. Moses returns to you as a hieromonk, and Nikon as a hierodeacon. Whoever wishes to be united from the schism to the Orthodox Church in the Lavra can be satisfied in this, with the patronage of St. Sergius. But it is absolutely necessary to take a signature that he has the good will to join the Holy Church, and promises to remain in obedience to it without fail. And this subscription must be submitted to me for transmission to the Consistory, where it is needed for the account of those affiliated, and for certificates. We drew for Fr. Parthenia, in his book, Athonite monks, with eight-pointed crosses on their schemas. I ask Parfeniy: do they wear these there? Answer: no. Why write a lie, and one that would support the wrong thoughts of schismatics? Pay attention to this, and, having asked Parthenius well, write the true image. I am sending a rescript for storage with similar ones. They gave me many books on the life of St. Paul of Latre. I am sending some to you to distribute to the brethren. You want words from the Grand Dukes through me. I haven't seen them. On the night in which I was very ill, on my bed I read the news that the Grand Dukes would arrive and would be for a short time in Chudov and at Iverskaya, and that it was given to know about this in these places. Then they told me that they would arrive in two hours. But the people of the upper classes spent the whole day in the palace and the Grand Dukes were not there. Another day passed and there was no sign. On the third day, the acting chief of police recounted to me in more detail the contents of the news about the arrival of the Grand Dukes, and I saw that they intended to listen to prayers in Chudov, as on the previous trip, and barely had time to order that I, still ill, be replaced by a vicar. However, I heard that they, like others, find the enemy’s fortifications just as difficult to take as those of Sevastopol, and that the enemy’s strength is almost greater than ours. God alone is our hope. Our warriors are animated by a good spirit. – Pray that the Lord will not deprive me of mercy and help tomorrow. I was convinced to attend the consecration of another Edinoverie church at the Preobrazhenskoye cemetery. The service is long, and according to the old books it has a difficult rank. Thank God that the new manifesto contains an appeal to God. Or maybe it would be better if we confessed more clearly that more than once we were found unprepared to repel enemies, and only the intercession of the Lord saved us. They say that in the battle of Alma our forces were so unequal with the enemy’s that if they had known this, they could have immediately rushed to Sevastopol with great hope. The Lord hid this from them. May He grant you in peace and spiritual joy to bring glory to Christ God, who humbled Himself to the manger, may He teach us humility, and may He lift up the humble to salvation. Apparently you prayed for me on Sunday. Four hours and twenty minutes of service in the Edinoverie church, and about two hours of travel there and back, did not exceed the capacity of my weakness. On the next day of the holiday, order me to distribute what was distributed to whom on such occasions. I am sending you, Father Viceroy, the legend of Fr. Parthenias on the life of Daniel. It's entertaining and can be useful. Only some articles can hardly be accommodated by censorship. One article in particular was susceptible to unfavorable judgment and abuse. This is a stubborn refusal of military service, and an argument about the incompatibility of serving two Kings. And it is difficult to imagine that a non-commissioned officer, awarded the rank of officer, for not accepting the rank and stubbornly refusing to serve, would be tried as a traitor. It happens that those who have risen to the rank of officer from commoners do not accept it, due to the inconvenience of maintaining themselves decently in the rank of officer: and, it seems, it is not too difficult to resign instead of the rank of officer. The most merciful Manifesto is mentioned in years in which, it seems, it did not exist. Therefore, I have shortened this part of the story in some places and explained it in others. Read through the notebook to see if anything else needs to be omitted or cleared. Then you can submit it to the censor, and, moreover, asked the censor to clean up some words and phrases, for example, put potatoes instead of potatoes. May God bless the new summer with His grace to you, Father Vicar, and brethren. Maybe I already told you this. I don't remember. But a good desire is never superfluous. Sorry for not writing for a long time. Both works and infirmities overwhelm me. Last Monday, with difficulty, I went out to meet the Grand Dukes: but it happened that I waited for them for two hours in my vestments, standing on the cast-iron floor of the church, which gave off intense cold from the cold lower part of the building; and I returned sick, had to resort to the help of a doctor, and stay in Kedlia for the holiday. He could only perform the consecration of water in the house church. I am sending you an extract from the Kamchatka letters received from the Reverend Kamchatsky. But only this time. And mail time was approaching, and I was already tired of other things. The vicegerent father and the brethren rejoice in the Lord. I looked at the story of Elder Daniel in those parts that the censor noted. I won’t say that his caution is unnecessary. I think I told you what difficulties there were in the S. Synod when considering the life of Fr. Seraphim, and how even after inquiry and confirmation of what was written, some passages were excluded. But if we exclude everything that the censor noted, the story will be spoiled. I excluded some passages that were inconvenient for some: and why, I think, it’s safe for the censor to let the story pass. I don’t know if the tale of wandering and travel has been well reviewed. Here the last word seems unnecessary to me. In chapter 166, is it good that the hierodeacon, who is now the dean, Meletius, is named by name, and it is said that the holy fool Evdokia promised to reward him with a monastery 79? Is it good that the Khotkovskaya holy fool Evdokia is named, especially if she is alive? The censor did not approve of an article at the end of the book called a moral lesson. There is repetition and confusion in it: but there is usefulness. I shortened it; and in this form, it seems, the censor does not need to challenge it. I am sending you a book so that the censor can read the moral teaching and see if he agrees to approve it. It seems to me that it would not be superfluous for you to read the book to see if you come across anything similar to the legend about Meletius, which should not be made public. About Fr. Parthenia, you wrote to me what I thought, but there was no time yet to fulfill it. In my opinion, when a person falls from the monastery into the worldly, you can still have him in the monastery and take care of his correction; and when from the desert to the worldly, there is no need to leave it in the desert, but perhaps in a monastery to make an experience of correction. Temptation when a monk falls into the worldly; and when a hermit; the temptation is doubled and tripled. It is necessary to immediately report the person who has absented himself without permission, and take legal measures so that his outrage is not exposed before the worldly authorities and does not turn into spiritual shame. How is Jesse? I wish him to be looked after well; and I want to know what I see. It is true that Sultan Mahmud was inclined towards Christianity (seemingly at the suggestion of his mother); but that he was a secret Christian is not true. He built one church (the life-giving spring), and not many. And too much has been said that he did more good than Christian kings. The censor also missed the meaningless speech that the sultans were forbidden to speak alone with the sultans. I destroyed everything. I interrupt my speech to talk about another subject: but this is also necessary to continue my speech about the book. Count Nikolai Alexandrovich Protasov died due to an illness that, as they say, lasted only a few hours. Pray in the Lavra and in the monastery for the peace of his soul. I return to the book. An article about the Grand Duke’s visit to Mount Athos cannot be published except through the legal route, through the door of the Minister of the Court, and even through the Royal Door. For this, the Censorship Committee must write it out of the book and present it to the S. Synod. Will they now want to bother the Sovereign Emperor with such a matter? Will the person correcting the post of Chief Prosecutor of the S. Synod undertake this? Won't they put the article down before they have time? Will they decide to demand the whole book? So not only the article, but also the book can get bogged down. I think it is better to sacrifice an article unrelated to the essence and purpose of the book, exclude the article and give the book a free path. This is my weak reasoning. If you and the censor hope to cross the wall and pass the article: go in peace. The Khotkovo abbess is again pestering her to allow her to build a cell to communicate with the warm church. Take the trouble to carefully consider this matter and tell me your opinion. She also wants to build something else. Think about this too. I don’t like that we still want to destroy granaries and build greater ones, while the signs of the times encourage us to think whether the contents in the old granaries, if not the soul, will be exhausted, and whether we will be allowed to build new ones in peace. Andrei Nikolaevich, due to his knowledge and disposition of spirit, could be useful to us if he were used for us: but they are unlikely to find this convenient. The late Count came to us as a colonel, and found subordinates no higher than the Collegiate or much more than the State Councilor. Now there are Privy Councilors here: and Andrei Nikolaevich is only a state councilor. Alexander Ivanovich is a well-disposed person and knows the business: maybe they will take advantage of him too. Confirm those who hope in You, strengthen the Church internally, O Lord, so that the approaching help will be convenient. I thank God that the weakness of the previous days did not prevent me from paying my last Christian debt to the late Count. It was strange that I got cold in the large church of the Donskoy Monastery from a draft wind, and then on the way to the grave: and I alone was not invited to warm up with a cup of tea, while everyone else was treated to lunch. However, thank God, I could now be in the ministry; and o. Parthenius was appointed hieromonk. Some blessedly say that a person does little by himself, but more by either the help from above or the intervention of the underworld. Of course, it was not the Angels who helped invent tools that intensify murder and death, or that unnecessarily cater to the impatience and insatiable greed of man. Do today's daily inventors of evil think this? I remember about Varlaam. But here's what makes me wonder. There are rumors that he is in a hurry to change the order in the monastery introduced by his predecessor, and that he rarely goes to the common meal. Varlaam does not recognize the first; I forgot to ask about the last. Some come out of David's desert. It is necessary for these thoughts to be resolved so that I can do without a doubt what is supposed. Blessed is Fr. Alexander, that he only reads David’s old bulletins. Your new statements waste a lot of time, although it’s inconvenient not to read them. And it seemed to me that in the life of Paul of Latre the writer wrote differently according to his fortune-telling; and I remember reading one article, in front of the rector and in front of you, in order to have advice on how to deal with it, but I did not receive a clear word. The censor suggested another reduction, and I agreed; but the rest remained as written in Greek. If it were not urgently demanded, I would not suggest printing what was written with signs of inaccuracy. Forgive me for only now deciding the matter of the farm. Didn't get around to it. You sent me the first image: but I don’t know what it is. Don't you have the letter according to which it was written? In that case, return it to me so I know what to do. And you will be pleased with the news that has now been brought to me. Prince Sergius Mikhailovich can already walk in the house, and today he listened to the liturgy, although sitting. Princess Elena Mikhailovna is also better off, after she was considered not out of danger. It’s unpleasant for me that many of your letters look at me and accuse me of obstinacy, but I don’t know how to correct myself. You wrote that sometimes people stay at your hotel who came to have fun and not to pray. Is it not possible to look at this a little and modestly remind us that in the house of St. Sergius one must behave as He pleases? I thank the student for the image. The word: first, was incomprehensible to me, and led me to guess whether someone from St. Petersburg again asked for two icons - Give the student three silver rubles from me. Is it enough? I ordered a search for the matter about the manuscript. But the more time is missed: the more difficult it is to search. Please do not put off the reminders I need for too long. Reminders are never unpleasant to me; and long delays are very worrying. These days I have received several pieces of information about current affairs that make me think a lot. When ours were beyond the Danube, and undertook a return due to fears from Austria: the head of that part of the army that was threatened by an attack by the Austrians, represented to the Commander-in-Chief that, based on his strength, and on investigation of the area, he found himself able to hold off the Austrians for so long that the army could calmly cross the Danube, and therefore there was no need to rush back across the Danube. No attention was paid to this; They crossed the Danube so hastily that the Bulgarians who wanted to cross did not have time to cross, and remained as a sacrifice for their goodwill towards us. But later, when the English ministers were reproached for their late foray into the Crimea, they answered in parliament that it was impossible to decide on this until the Russians returned across the Danube. So, if they had listened to the private commander and hesitated beyond the Danube, then, probably, the Crimean expedition would have turned out to be untimely and would not have taken place. How necessary, with any decision, to pray to God so that it is not mistaken. The one who presented his opinion was the one who prayed. I also heard that the Right Reverend Innocent was in Sevastopol and was coldly sent away by the commander: but after the Battle of Alma, the Right Reverend announced to the Tatars that he was giving two rubles. for every wounded person brought to him from the battlefield; and they brought him up to a hundred on the second and third day. This is a blessed bishop's work. And how difficult is the feat of warriors - to suffer from a wound and wait for more than one day for help! Lord, grant them martyrdom of spirit and martyr's crowns. I ask for forgiveness from you and the brethren, and prayers, that the door of repentance may be opened for me, and that I may be worthy to enter and not be rejected. May the Lord look upon your humility, fathers and brothers, with which you ask for forgiveness, and may He forgive you everything that requires forgiveness, and may He lift up the meek and humble to salvation. And my pride wants to humble itself, imitating your humility: and, falling down, I ask for your forgiveness and your prayers. May the Lord grant you health, Father Viceroy. If you notice that you need to use leeches: why not use them, without waiting for the disease to strongly demand it? And I was condemned to sit in my cell on the day of the Presentation of the Lord, because the day before, being already unwell, I was forced to sit for too two hours on an exam at the Institute. Is it true that uniforms are changed? Isn't the new uniform just for the militia? I am sending you an article relating to before the split. It was read in the Synod, and the members went home, and did not express any doubts. But I still wonder whether those for whom it seems necessary will understand it as they should. Read it, and if you have an objection, write back. And if there is no objection, give Fr. to the rector of the Academy for publication, if decided, in the Academic edition; and say that it passed through the consideration of the S. Synod. Vladyka Novgorod wanted to give it to Christian reading: but this was rejected, due to lack of my consent, and the notebook was returned to me. Note We are probably talking about the so-called “explanation of the curse laid down by the Council of 1667.” This explanation is published in Add. to ed. Creation St. Oo. in Russian translation for 1885, pp. 24–30. Read, Father Viceroy, the attached manuscript. Is it good to make her famous? Is it necessary to point out our mistakes to us, if not for correction, at least for recognition, for our humility: or is it not necessary to talk about what they will not want to correct, so as not to give food to useless gossip? What comments on these issues, and besides them, come to your mind, let me know, upon return of the manuscript. Isn’t it cruel to say about the English and the French that godlessness was born among the former, while godlessness reigned among the others? Was it better to talk about this or keep silent? This letter, without a doubt, refers to the conversation on the day of remembrance of Saints. Alexia, February. 12, 1855 Sl. and speeches by Phil. M. M. part 3, 1861. Pp. 111. In an authentic conversation, it is said somewhat secretly about what is “in the current nations called Christian: in one of them, anti-Christian unbelief and atheism appeared with impudence in some minds and in books, and passed on to another; and with this other, not very long ago, state law reigned; and now we see that these same peoples have launched a fierce war against Christians in defense of the enemies of Christianity” (p. 113). God's blessing and peace to the vicar father, and to the brethren of the monasteries. I haven’t written to you for a few days, and it’s as if a century has passed in this time. This is another reign. The Lord will roar with the voice of power over Russia 81. But we, like Paul’s companions in Damascus, are amazed when we hear the voice, and do not understand what it says. Will the Lord bring some healing to defeat? They irritated Europe a lot by placing the blame for the discord personally on the late Sovereign: the present one comes with an innocent soul, and there is nothing to say against him. Will the peoples not come to their senses and think that they are ruining themselves in vain? But it's doubtful. Signs have long been visible that a general European conspiracy against Russia is being prepared; he makes it slowly, but doesn't stop. The new sign is that England and France do not want to say clearly, as the preliminary points of peace mean. Isn’t this a sign that they are preparing to give them as evil an interpretation as possible? Turn us, Lord, and let us turn, and pray, and be saved. The last hours of the late Emperor are comforting. What is printed about this is true. I happened to hear from those who were in the palace at that time. I don’t remember whether it was printed that when the Tsar was given a letter from the Grand Dukes, he did not take it and said: give it to your mother; I no longer belong to this world; – thank God they are alive. It was difficult for me at this time due to my health and the difficulty of orders. You saw in the cathedral a particle of these difficulties. The order for the funeral service was received; but the decree on the Manifesto and accession to the throne was not received. And at the decree on the memorial service I had to make an order about the oath. Let's turn to our little things. You are managing the estate of a former novice. But this is not a monk; heirs have the right. On one icon there is an inscription from a merchant: is it pawned? And won't they demand it? I gave permission conditionally: but don’t rush to comply. Both in St. Petersburg and in Moscow they are saying why I didn’t ask to go to St. Petersburg for burial, and they will probably blame me for this. But Vladyka Plato did not act like that. But what is more correct, and what calms me down, I do not feel able to get to St. Petersburg. My letter, written not to them, reached the Sovereign Empresses, and They deigned to say that they were waiting for letters from me. Therefore, I wrote without taking it upon myself first. It’s wonderful how God preserved the health of the Dowager Empress, for whom they so often feared. - Lord, save the King and His house. The news about the new Sovereign is also comforting, how in the first hours He revealed himself as a king in full strength and wisdom. A long time ago you sent me French sheets, indicating in them some project related to the present time. I haven't read for a long time due to lack of time. Then I started revising it without reading everything, because small print is difficult for me. And I found stories about past incidents of a different kind than the current circumstances. To make sure, I ordered you to read everything - here is an extract in translation. Return the sheet to whomever it should be, and return the extract to me. I kept wanting to ask about the bridge: because the bridge in the garden, which I know, doesn’t seem as long as it actually is. That's why the case 82 languished. I'm also not sure whether a stone bridge is more reliable. Is brick better able to withstand spring water and ice than wood? Reason. From the Lord a blessing to the father governor and the brethren of the monasteries. We are approaching great days. May it be given to you through the sweet sorrow of faith and tenderness to suffer with Him who suffers and dies for us, and to draw from His wounds the medicine of life. Pray for me too, so that I may worship the passion of Christ and the resurrection without condemnation. On Great Friday, the feast of the Annunciation. The Rule stipulates the liturgy with Vespers: and says nothing about the shroud; because, I think, the wearing of the shroud was originally prescribed only during Matins; and then moved to Vespers only for bishops’ cathedral services, so that the clergy of the entire city could perform this rite with the bishop at Vespers, and then in their places at Matins. Now the wearing of the shroud at vespers is common, and is performed according to tradition: but how it should be done during the liturgy is not allowed by either the charter or tradition. An example for application can be found in the Vigil of Epiphany. Then, following the prayer behind the pulpit, stichera are sung on the stichera and the consecration of water follows. Following this example, now on Great Friday, after the prayer behind the pulpit, it is proper to sing the stichera on the verse from Vespers on Great Friday, then the Trisagion, the troparion, the noble Joseph, and during the singing of this troparion, wearing the shroud, after offering it, censing it, adoration, kissing and dismissal. And Little Compline, as never connected with the liturgy, is special in time. This is how we decided to be here: this is how we propose to be with you. Peace to the soul o. Macaria. I always saw with consolation how he peacefully and with devotion to the will of God endured his long and difficult illness. I don’t really know Hieromonk Hierotheus. If you find him capable of being a hospital builder: I agree. That I did not ask to go to St. Petersburg, I am calm in my conscience, because I did not have an example in my predecessors, and even more because I am not able to take the path. But from there the news is different. There is news from a good source that the Sovereign Emperor deigned to ask if I was going to St. Petersburg: from a good source there is another news that this did not happen. The will of the Lord be done in everything. Both Sovereigns and Empresses honored me with a gracious response to my letters. What did you mean when you said that my arrival in St. Petersburg could lead to the unpeace of others? Do you really think that I would have demanded primacy, or would have accepted it if it had been offered? It won't happen. I’m thinking of leaving three circles from the damaged wooden chandelier; and there is no need to work on the fourth. The news about Hieromonk V is bitter to me. A lot of mercy was shown to him: and he did not take advantage of this. It’s amazing how he surrenders himself to the charms of the Austrian Belokrinitsky false hierarchy. Archbishop Ambrose was dismissed from the diocese by the Patriarch, probably not for virtue, and lived in Constantinople. Without the blessing of the Patriarch, he left for Austria to join the schismatics. In Belaya Krinitsa they received him with doubt, among other things, as a tobacco smoker. But those who bought it with Russian money guessed what needed to be done. The chief of those who doubted was elected bishop: and he stopped arguing. Ambrose, contrary to the Apostolic rules, alone ordained him as a bishop. Therefore, this is not a bishop; and, consequently, others according to it; for only Ambrose was appointed according to the rules. But now there are already three false bishops in Russia; and it may happen that V. wants to be fourth; because he can easily consider himself more worthy than those. We need to keep a close eye on him. Write to the Abbot of Makhrishchi not to let V. leave the monastery anywhere, and in the event of the first unauthorized absence, not to delay informing. Meanwhile, let me know if V. really went to Makhra. Monk Herman says that he read a psalter for some noblewoman, and for this they wanted to send him to Makhra, but he did not agree, they gave him a passport. Can I understand what this is? Recently I came across the famous prediction of Agathangel; and I looked it up. And it seems that other past events, for example, about Emperor Charles the Fifth and about Luther, are written as if written from history, but what could happen after the promulgation of this prediction is said so dark and confusing that even great events cannot be found here, such as, for example, 1812. They find an indication of it in chapter 9 in the solar number of the golden twelve: but what is it? and what kind of young queen is there, who should soon give the greatest kingdom to her successor? And what kind of rejected child is restored to the throne? In 1853, this prediction was reprinted in Athens. They expected Peter V to unfurl the banner of Christ in Byzantium. They hastened to understand the mind of the Lord, but did not know how. I am sending you the manuscript in Greek and in translation. Look, if you like, and give it to the rector of the Academy. G.S. writes me a strange letter. What kind of offense is there that an unknown person took measures to help her poverty? Why despair? Why stop going to Trinity Cathedral, and this, you see, is with the blessing of Fr. Ilaria? Tell the treasurer to give her 100 rubles from me. With. And would you advise her, on occasion, that she should not be embarrassed by what is not her fault, and that in sorrows she should run to the church of St. Sergius, and not run away from it? Let it be told in your ear, Father Viceroy, that the Sovereign Emperor and the Sovereign Empress spoke about their desire to be in Moscow and the Lavra. Until the fortieth day of commemoration this will be inconvenient: but after this day this may happen soon. Look around if possible. It is necessary that my cells be clean, and, by the way, clean from insects. In this regard, I think both my half, and even more than half of my celliarch, and the secretary, require attention. I ordered to look for engraved or lithographed portraits of the Sovereign Emperor, Sovereign Empress and Sovereign Heir: but they were not found. If I find it, I’ll send it: and then I need to put portraits of the Sovereign Emperor and Empress in my living room, and the Empress Dowager next to them, the Heir below them, and Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich at the top separately: the other portraits that now exist should be moved to my office. Icons are needed. Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna sent me a posthumous image of the Sovereign Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich of blessed memory. Look; and then arrange it under glass, like some of the portraits in my monastery, and place it in the monastery in my cell. An eyewitness told me that he saw the deceased an hour after his death, and his face was surprisingly calm. I am taking this opportunity to send you several printed notebooks, and, by the way, about the curse, because schismatics sometimes come to you for whom this solution to their doubts was written. To the Father Vicar and the brethren of the monasteries, I respond to the word of rejoicing with the same word of rejoicing: truly Christ is risen! And with this together I mentally extend to you a kiss of unity of faith in the Risen Lord and the love He commanded for each other. May we truly be worthy of this unity! By your humility, the named elder sees himself as such in the dilapidation of days: and so that in this dilapidation something of the new man will be found, and so that he will not be alien to the true gray hair, which is wisdom, he asks for your helpful prayers. They do not say out loud, but they say more confidently than before, that the arrival of the Sovereign Emperor can follow on St. Thomas Week 83. Christ is Risen! The viceroy father and the brethren rejoice in the Lord. I am sending portraits of the Sovereign Emperor and the Sovereign Heir Tsarevich. Arrange them, Father Viceroy, under glass, following the example of similar ones, and place them in my living room, eliminating other unnecessary ones. I am sending you, Father Viceroy, an image of St. Nicholas, a likeness located in St. Petersburg, in the chapel on the Nikolaevsky Bridge. Local rumors announced the visit of the Great Guests these days: but then they say that the poor health of the Dowager Empress kept her with her. Now there may be other reasons for delay: waiting for what will happen in Vienna and Sevastopol. Hopes for peace were shaken, which should have been feared before. Austria keeps talking about peace, and has assembled an army such as it has never had, and has made a treaty with our enemies. Now she is talking about peace: at the same time, she is re-establishing the War Ministry. Is this peacefulness? Never have we talked so much about peace as in the last two years. Isn’t this the time about which it is said: when they speak peace and affirmation 84 and so on? The struggle near Sevastopol is intensifying and may become decisive: Lord, save the Tsar and the army and the kingdom. I am sending the prologue to my monastery cell. It would be better to update the wall writings slowly, but more reliably and satisfactorily. To the vicar of the brethren, God's blessing and peace. Thank you sincerely for giving me good ideas; and I ask you to always do this: but I am at a loss whether to send an icon to the Sovereign Emperor on the day of His Angel. What is done according to the accepted rule and custom: I do it with the thought: this is how it should be; and I remain at peace in relation to what follows. But when something above custom appears, then I ask myself: who am I to act with boldness? and I don't find the answer. If I decided to write to the Sovereign, it would be necessary in an event, especially important, upon his accession to the throne; but even then I didn’t dare. Why be bolder now? The current General Governor under the late Sovereign began to write letters of congratulations and receive rescripts in response. I don’t know how this happened: but this is a feature of the Tsar’s governor in the capital, as he presents himself. I wrote to the Sovereign Empresses because it was Their will. I wrote to the Sovereign Emperor about the donation; and then he said that he did not suddenly decide to write to Him. Under the late Emperor, as far as I remember, I wrote to the Chief Prosecutor about the donation for a report to His Majesty. The Monk Sergius will not be angry that I, due to my unworthiness, will not make myself his envoy to the Emperor and the teacher of his blessing: and for my unworthiness he will not reduce his prayers for Him to God, and will directly give Him his blessing. And maybe the Emperor will also visit the Lavra. These are my thoughts. However, I’m keeping the icon to think about it some more. If I don’t dare send it, I’ll return it. I am sending you my letters to the Sovereign Emperor and the Sovereign Empresses, and some letters in connection with them. After reading, seal it and place it in the monastery in my cell. I'll send you a copy of the rescripts. There are no lists anymore. Could you tell me on what occasion the collegiate registrar Fyodor Gutsevich 85 left the Lavra novices? I need to have information about it. He was expelled from the Sretensky Monastery, as he says, at night, was kept in the police, by decision of the Governor-General he was expelled to the outpost, then he came to St. Petersburg to complain to the Sovereign Emperor, but for the best he recognized turning to the power (this is his own word) of Andrei Nikolaevich Muravyov, who sent him to me, forwarding to me a letter from Gutsevich expressing to Andrei Nikolaevich his power. I need medium-sized enamel icons: the Savior, the Mother of God, St. Alexis, St. Sergius, the vision of the Mother of God to St. Sergius, the Most Holy Trinity. Write out a few, using my money, and deliver them. We also need a miraculous image in enamel, the same size as before. Is it possible to deliver this as quickly as possible: because they have been asking me for a long time, and I promise, but I forget to write to you about this. I am sending the lists of the two rescripts you requested. It did not occur to me at the right time that the image could be sent through Vasily Dmitrievich. However, it is doubtful whether this would be in order. They say that he is under the Empress Empress only because under the Sovereign Emperor there is a remnant of the deceased in Bose. Your last reminder found me already sick and inactive. And I spent yesterday in my cell. This will continue to be necessary, I don’t know for how long. Cold stubborn on the left side of the body; it hurts the left side of the tongue; and prevents me from speaking because the pain increases when I move my tongue. Pray to St. Sergius, may relief be granted to me, or may I gain benefit from patience. I agree to replace Tobias with Amphilochius. And who is Amphilochia? I agreed to the request of the Bethany treasurer, although it was somewhat strange. Such dismissals happen in different countries of the world from the Nevsky Lavra, when someone is kicked out. But why won’t it be the same in five months as it is now? Are there any actions of this Pentefhrian wife that could be humbly denounced before her superiors and demand her removal from Posad? Or would it not have been better for Benjamin, in the temptation that pursued him, to recognize the instructions of God’s providence, and retire to a cenobitic monastery, unlike the female sex, in which his integrity would be clear, and the path to temptation would be blocked? However, I think: I don’t demand it. Forgive me: I have sinned against you in thought and word. You are not a parishioner of Kokuevsky, just like the housekeeper and others. For you to sign the parish petition means to stab me in the eye for my dissatisfaction with the previous petition. You could have done this not openly in a petition, but between me and you in a letter: and then, perhaps, I would have been partially justified. It was not funeral services that were denied: but the request submitted by a few, due to the obvious machinations of the priest, was ordered to be left without action; because I have been presented with a draft petition, written by his hand. Things must be done in a clean way: it is the duty of the authorities to block the path of machinations. Paki, I'm sorry. Do not be angry, Father Governor, that I do not approve the first candidate for St. Petersburg. It's enough that he visited St. Petersburg once. Those less familiar with St. Petersburg are better off staying at home. To Tikhfin for four months means not to pray, but to wander for some other purpose. What does Gregory want? Kirill to the tomb of the Venerable? Can you name someone else? There is a rumor about the journey of the Sovereign Emperor through Moscow to Warsaw. But I can’t leave my cell. Read in the passage from the St. Petersburg newspaper, marked in pencil, an article about how dad, immediately after making a joke about missionary work to Russia, failed. We've had thunder twice already. Nature's time sometimes smiles; and human time frowns more and more. It seems that Austria wants to fulfill perfectly the prediction of its deceased first minister that it will surprise the world with its ingratitude. Let it be known to you, Father Viceroy, that I agree to the use of Cyril with the relics of St. Sergius. Yesterday I consulted with Dr. Over. As far as I understand, he understands the matter well. I feel the cold in my body less than before: but my tongue still hurts. Today they sawed off the edges of broken teeth, on suspicion that they were piercing the tongue. I doubt, Father Viceroy, whether you acted cautiously with V. How can you trust a person who has betrayed your trust so many times? Is it safe to immediately let a man who disgraced the Lavra in two cities go where he wants again? Who can guarantee you that he will not go to the schismatics instead of his mother? Why wouldn’t he want, having become famous in the district town and in Posad, to become famous in the capital? Will another weak brother say: you can wander around in Posad, without fear of penance, and also with the hope that they will let you go for a walk? After the temptation that happened to V., was there really no need for protection and guidance, but it was enough to trust him to wander wherever he wanted? What will he find in his fermentation, except for distraction and the convenience of giving in to the attraction of old or new, not the best thoughts? Your order is good for you, because it is humble and humane: but it is hardly good for the tempted one, for whom it would be useful to use caution. May St. Sergius help you so that your hope, and not my fear, will be justified. If the provincial authorities find out, be that as it may, about V.’s adventures in Posad, they will not fail to initiate official correspondence about this: and I will be forced to demand an explanation from you. Will the authorities understand that there may be a solid spiritual reasoning according to which it would be possible to take such a person and immediately release him wherever he wants? Would the dean write down a letter to V., so that if possible he would not hesitate to return? and will he send an archpriest through Ruzsky, whom it would not be superfluous to ask, to notify whether V. is with his mother? The archpriest is a thorough man. I now said goodbye to Amphilochius, having told him and my companion before and now what was necessary. I hope that Amphilochius will fulfill the assignment well: the image of his companion tells me something that I don’t understand. I gave Amphilochius a letter to Vladyka Novgorod. His Eminence Theodotius of Simbirsk is traveling to you. Be hospitable to him instead of me, and bless him with the image from the monastery and from my humility. Let it be known to you that the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg of Schwerin, sister of the Empress Mother, is now in Moscow. And they say that she might want to see the Lavra. Celebrate the Most Holy Trinity piously and joyfully; and may the wings of the Lord descend upon you, even if your essence is silvered with Divine purity, bringing spiritual purity to your souls. Don't wait for me; both because, having come, I can remain inactive, or I will only disturb your order with my weakness, and because the feast of St. Alexis is close, to which the journey back from you may not be possible for me. Remember me before the throne of the Most Holy Trinity and at the feet of St. Sergius. Yesterday, for the first time, I went out to venerate the Mother of God and Saint Alexis: and the passage through the unlit church vestibule was sensitive to my body, riddled with illness, although I was dressed thickly. God's blessing to the viceroy father and the brethren of the monasteries. I will also say what I said upon departure: thank you that your good order and arrangement contributed to the peace of my stay with you. My journey was completed safely and quickly. However, I needed peace: and only yesterday evening I was in the Kremlin to venerate the Shrine, and to resolve some issues regarding the Assumption Cathedral, for which a local inspection was necessary. The dull air of the cluttered and forested cathedral was not good for me. The disease either decreases or increases the number of its daily attacks. Yesterday 24, almost half less than 8 days. The air in the garden here is not as good as in Pafnutievo. And there’s nothing to say about the monastery. The heat is great. Now, from 8 o’clock in the evening, with the windows open, the thermometer in my room shows 23. I think we should try to finish the construction of the holy gates without stopping, even if only for this purpose the workers should be paid extra so that they don’t have to go to theater work. The consecration of the Edinoverie church did not take place on the appointed day: however, it was not in vain that I rushed to Moscow. Count Arseny Andreevich demanded a report about this from the caretaker of the Rogozhsky cemetery; this one reported that the matter was being handled by the spiritual authorities; The count, not satisfied with this, demanded a new report, whether there was permission for this from the Minister of Internal Affairs, and a copy of the order of the Minister of Internal Affairs, (which there is none), and from my order. Having learned this immediately upon arrival, I immediately wrote to the Count that the church in which the chapel was built was given to the Diocesan authorities by the Highest command, and that I authorize the construction of the chapel without asking either the S. Synod or the Minister of Internal Affairs, which was recently an example at the Preobrazhenskoye cemetery. The count replied that he hastened to order the police to maintain order when equipping: but this came already on Sunday: and therefore the consecration was postponed until tomorrow. Meanwhile, the schismatics were already boasting that they would take the entire church away from their fellow believers. When the caretaker was called to demand a report from him, he said: I knew that the consecration would be stopped. - Why? - From schismatics. – The question arises: why do the schismatics know in advance what the Governor General will order? Let us pray to the Lord for the welfare of God’s holy churches. I wanted to be with Prince Sergius Mikhailovich as soon as possible: but my health still does not allow it. I congratulate you, Father Viceroy, on the holiday of your monastery. I hope for God's mercy that you are celebrating in the world. I don’t get to celebrate another year in Novospasskoye, where they usually invite me. On Thursday, during the all-night vigil (due to a cold from carelessness on a cold after a hot day), I began to experience pain in my stomach and side, which is not uncommon for me, and lasted all night, not allowing me to sleep; and in the morning it decreased, but did not end. It was necessary to partake of the Holy Mysteries with those at home. After bewilderment, with pain I entered the church, and with pain I returned to the bed: I thank God that I was not excommunicated from the Lord’s table and from serving others in communion with the Lord. Thus, even now he could only celebrate in his own church. I see in the doctor's report that you have many patients with typhus. But does this require special measures, for example, the separation of this kind of patients in the hospital that you were preparing for cholera patients? You wrote that welcoming strangers into the monastery is necessary. Without a doubt: but there must be a reception of trustworthy ones. But about P. there is doubt. Make him write three lines with his own hand, and send this handwriting to me. I rejoice that you have many who not only pray, but also come to the Lord’s Table. I was told that one official, who came to Moscow from St. Petersburg, in the past hot days, walked to the Lavra at night with many pilgrims, who together sang church verses along the way. Good all-night vigil! But this same official told us something unpleasant. By morning they arrived at the Talitskaya cave. They found several mugs, unsealed and unlocked, into which the novice demanded alms each time. Alms are due. The people came out. The official continued to rest: and he saw that the novice was pouring money out of the mugs into his pocket and walked out of the cave. He turned with an expression of surprise to someone there; and they answered him: this is usually so; this is for the pub; and another servant at the cave has a bad acquaintance in the village. Not only the Abbess, but also you, I can’t help but draw your attention to this. Why so many mugs? Why aren't they sealed? Why such people? Forgive me for coming up with uncelebratory words on a holiday. Now I have received news that the Empress Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna will deign to arrive in Moscow on the 9th of August at 9 o’clock in the evening, and the next day, the 10th, will deign to go to the Sergius Lavra. From my letter yesterday you can see in what state of health I am. And therefore I don’t know whether I will be able to go to the Lavra. Get ready to accept with me or without me. Give me instructions, if tomorrow my health is not more reliable, whether to strengthen the path or submit to this instruction and stay, so that the path of the sick person does not become a useless difficulty for myself and others. Now I am no longer at a loss about the journey; I clearly see the need to stay at home due to ongoing cold pain and weakness. Mentally falling at the feet of St. Sergius, I pray to Him that He may lift up the prayer of the blessed Prayer Book to the heavenly Throne, and may He bring down to Her grace-filled consolation and help from above for all that is good and beneficial to the soul. May God bless your service at Her prayer. After sending a letter to you yesterday, I received a notice that was more complete than before, which I am forwarding herewith. The following, if you have leisure, read now; and if there is no time, then after the High Visitation. According to a letter from one company commander from Sevastopol, I need to send him and his company an icon of St. Sergius. If there is one ready: consecrate it with the relics of St. Sergius, and order it to be conveyed to me immediately. We'll take care of decent decoration here. I am keeping the icon I received from you: because the head of the Moscow militia foresees the time when he will ask for it. There is much peace, to the viceroy father and to the brethren. The Grand Duchess returned to Moscow and sent to check on me, who was unwell. I only know about Her journey to the Lavra. But I hope that St. Sergius arranged everything for the peace and benefit of Her soul. If God grants strength, tomorrow I want to see Simeon Loginovich off on his eternal journey. We must. The abbess of Blachernae asks that the noble maiden Nazarova, who has entered the hostel, be clothed in a rasophore, as far as I can see, she is sincerely disposed towards this, and can be useful for the hostel. Take the trouble to communicate with the abbess and arrange this at your discretion. Much peace to the viceroy father and brethren. Forgive me for the long silence. It doesn’t bother me at all for work, given my frequent infirmities. You already know about the Highest Visit. Now it is known that the entire Imperial Family will arrive in Moscow. It may very well be that everyone will want to be in the Lavra, except for the recently former Grand Duchess, but probably not all of them suddenly. September 1st evening arrival in Moscow; Day 2: excursion to cathedrals. The day of travel to the Lavra is unknown: but it is known that the Sovereign Emperor and the Empress will spend the night in the Lavra. Provide and prepare what is needed that I do not provide for, or do not remember. But here is a word that I would not like to say; but precaution requires that it be said. It is known from two or three noble visitors to the Lavra (one of whom told the Manager of the Land Survey Department, now in Moscow) that they were seduced by the picture of the Last Judgment in the Trinity Cathedral, where in hell there are people in uniforms with epaulets, and a journalist with a notebook sticking out of his pocket. If something like this happened, try to correct it these days. We were also tempted by the image of St. Nicholas at the Council striking Arius on the cheek. I remember that I saw this too: and, of course, it would be better not to imagine the action that the Council condemned, and which the Seer of hearts forgave, but which, of course, should not be an example to follow. But this was written for a reason. We were also tempted by the fact that Aria has an evil spirit depicted on her neck. And in this case, there was no need to display for everyone what only seers saw. Don't complain about what I'm writing. We must edify, with caution against temptation. Much peace to the Father Viceroy. The same goes for the brethren. I told the Chief of Police about V. directly. Accept the work, father governor and treasurer, taking my money, 200 rubles. distribute to those in need and to other poor people in Posad according to your reasoning; 100 rub. send, according to the attached letter, to the famous priest Kanaev; 20 rub. according to the attached letter to the widow Bazilevich, and return the certificate; also 20 rub. Migalov. And everyone who is given and sent is invited to pray for the repose of the soul of God's servant Simeon. Put aside the thought of envying the skete monk who enjoys peace and freedom. Was the Apostle less close to salvation than a skete monk when he said: He is free from all who have enslaved him to everyone; I will save everything for everyone, and I will save everyone 87. He wrote: For death is at work in us, but life is in you 88. Apparently, in his labors and sorrows for the salvation of others, the light of Divine life was sometimes hidden: but nevertheless, the treasure in the meager vessel was preserved and grew invisibly. Consequently, to suffer some deprivation of inner consolation in serving one’s neighbor is not a loss. They say that in St. Petersburg the recent news from the south is not very reassuring. But I don’t know clearly what it is. Lord, save the King, and if we hear, on the same day we will call on You 89. From the Lord peace and salvation to the father governor and the brethren of the monasteries. Several times I want to and forget to ask: what does the holy gate look like now? Is the building finished? Is the roof complete? Plastering a newly built building is of course inconvenient: it is desirable that the building does not look unfinished. Help me resolve the question: should I take an archdeacon and choristers, and if I take them, should they be a little or a lot? But my soul is sad. The Lord turns our holidays into mourning. Yesterday I performed the sacred service in peace, not knowing the news that was already spreading. But when I went to the Governor-General for dinner, I was met with the words: what sad news! I ask what this means and learn about the fall of Sevastopol. Although this is not entirely unexpected, and I thought before that they would not be able to withstand it reliably, due to the extremely powerful destructive means of the enemies acting on one focus: but, nevertheless, this news greatly struck me, with the thoughts arising from it about the consequences. May the Lord have mercy on us sinners. The merchant son Sidelnikov, who converted from the schism, has been sent to you. He gave me hope by the fact that, while still a schismatic in prison, he confessed to me with great frankness about his actions among schismatics. Take care to give him good direction. Recently from the prison castle he wrote to me, among other things, that he needed to pay up to 60 rubles. With. debt: tell the builder to ask him where to send this money, and send my money, taking it from the treasurer. I expect an answer from you to the letter sent before this with the dean. Thank you for making corrections to the wall iconography. There was a lot of talk about this; It is better that they are not renewed at this time. I also thank you for pointing out Panselin: this can be used defensively. I am pleased to see your care for the Lavra, finding time, while caring about the expected visit, to think about future ones. But if you start building next spring; then won’t it happen that they will arrive at an unfinished house, as they do now at an unfinished gate? Is it not possible for the front side of the roof on the gate to have some kind of finished look? When I read your letter about the death of the steward Amphilochius; It occurred to me to agree if you offered Gerasim again. But just like the formal presentation, it immediately turned out that I agreed with him. The letter I wrote on the 25th day was not sent on the 20th, because it was not a postal day, but was sent on the 27th day. Why it didn’t arrive before 30, I don’t know. Until now the weather is not favorable for the current arrival, and for tomorrow's meeting. And the thought of Sevastopol brings darkness. May the Lord grant you peace and consolation. Write about. Anastasia, that with consolation and love we bless his feat, and we pray to God to help him and preserve him, through the intercession of our Reverend Father Sergius. Send him 100 rubles for treatment benefits. With. from Lavra, the same amount from me, and another 100 rubles. send from my money, with the understanding that this last share will be from the late Simeon Loginovich. Why don’t you still send me a description of the Tsar’s visit? It is necessary to give news of this to the people for consolation and edification; but I don’t have time to write; and I may forget some details, or did not notice at the time, such as what happened at what time. Tell about. to the rector that every thing is good in its time; It would be better to refuse than to be lazy and ruin the matter with slowness. Only last night I found time to write the news between 10 and 12 pm: and perhaps I wrote something else inaccurately. But to send it to you for verification would be too late. Today they are rewriting what was written; and I don't see the end yet. Now I can no longer write after the all-night vigil before the festive service. Peace to the Father Viceroy. The same goes for the brethren of the monasteries. Until now I have not told you about my return, and about what follows. There was no time. On the eighth day I arrived home safely for the liturgy: and then in the Verkhospassky Cathedral, after the liturgy and prayer service for the departing Sovereign Emperor, I thanked Him and the Empresses for visiting the Lavra, and congratulated the Sovereign Heir on Angel Day 90. And he said goodbye to the Emperor. On the morning of the ninth day in the Assumption Cathedral we prayed for the traveling Sovereign Emperor; and at one o’clock in the afternoon he performed a farewell prayer to the regiment of the Imperial Riflemen in the square in the presence of the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, all the young Grand Dukes and two Grand Duchesses. And the image from St. Sergius gave to the soldiers: as well as crosses. On the tenth day I was at the funeral of Count Narov. On the eleventh day I visited the Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, and then the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. Twelfth day at the Grand Duchess Ekaterina Mikhailovna. The Prince of Oldenburg visited me twice: and I visited him three times, and still did not find him at home. For the 14th day I served at the holiday in the Alekseevsky Monastery, and the whole day was occupied with a visit to the Right Reverend of Kazan, 91 as a result of which I could not serve at the Nikitsky Monastery for the 15th day, although I had been promised. Today I visited the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, and, leaving Her, I met the Grand Duchesses Elena Pavlovna and Ekaterina Mikhailovna in the Miracle Church, and showed them the ancient St. Michael’s Church. Now I have received notification that the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna venerated the relics of St. Alexis at the end of 10 o’clock and set off on her journey. Due to such circumstances, the journey to Odigitrievo was postponed until the feast of St. Sergius. Take care of V. so that he doesn’t go wandering again. I have a shortage of enamel icons. Send a few; and also write it out with my money. Thank you for caring for me, who was weak, on my recent trip, as always. Above the word o. Peter, you might think about it. Is the “thunder” really so close that there won’t be enough time to get to Kyiv and return calmly? Put times in your power! Have mercy on us. I didn’t tell you much about Petrova because her condition did not seem good to you, but to me it seemed good, although imperfect; and I didn't want to rely on my opinion. But I knew a lot of remarkable things about her. Shortly before her death, in illness, she saw herself on a trip to Kyiv. Then I had significant relief; and, it seems, she had hope that what she saw would come true: however, it did not come true. But something else came true in an extraordinary way. There was such a state with her that she saw in the spiritual world, maintaining consciousness of the visible sensory world, and then hid what was visible in the spiritual world: but sometimes she lost consciousness of the visible world, and her extraordinary state could be noticed. For this purpose, they tried to remove strangers from her: but one Christian friend of hers always had unhindered access to her. Thus, one day, when I came to her, I heard that she was persuading the Sultan not to start a war with Russia. This was much earlier than the embassy of Prince Menshikov, when no one was thinking about war with Turkey. Two or three years before the death of the late Emperor, she said that His life would not continue, and that he would lie not without guilt. She wrote a note to me about the vision of St. Sergius in the sacristy, saying that she saw it in a dream, as she usually expressed herself when she revealed something from her visions. She had a special faith in St. Sergius, and recognized many mercies from Him to her. During the first time of my mother’s illness, she sent me a prosphora brought for her health, with a note in which she said that this was the last of the forty brought daily, and that she was ordered to do this. It was noticeable to me that at that time my mother was going through a certain state of mind, which was especially appropriate for prayerful help, and which later changed for the better. The word is undoubtedly true: when the word comes, they will recognize the prophet 92. But with some signs, even before fulfillment, it is hardly prudent to ignore the warning word. If we accept the word of warning as sent and use caution, then, even if it seems unnecessary, there will be no sin or harm. And if we ignore the warning, and it turns out to be fair, there will be guilt and harm. Therefore, I believe that your idea about styling deserves attention and implementation. Only the execution should be as secret as possible, without explaining the reason to anyone, and for the first time in a number limited by extreme necessity. I am never captivated by frames on icons. Represent wealth; and the vividness of the images is obscured. In bad times, bad people are tempted to sacrilege and insult the sacred. I want to tell the Odigitrievskys, and if I forget, tell them not to think about paying for local icons in the church, but to offer other useful things to those who volunteer for this. And our Asian military commander, hitherto cautious, miscalculated the attack on Kars. They say, however, that he and his soldiers do not lose heart. Let us pray again and again to the Lord for the Tsar and the Fatherland. Abbess Magdalene has died. She wanted you to be at the funeral. This can be fulfilled in two ways: either you come to Moscow for the service, or you perform the service in Khotkovo when her coffin arrives, and conduct her body into the ground. I leave both for your consideration. The deceased had a lot of money in tickets in the name of the monastery, her sisters, and without a name. Make sure that everything is taken care of in Khotkovo. I am writing to you at random. Perhaps this letter will pass you by on the road. Thank you for the idea of ​​filling a vacancy in Khotkovo. The watchmaker says that he has not received the money and asks if he should go to the Lavra to get it. I answer: why go? I'll write. You have heard the remark of one high Person that the rooms of the Academy students smell of tobacco. Therefore, I wrote to Fr. rector 93. Read what I wrote from him: and tell me what you, he, and they think. I had just written this when I received your letter yesterday. I think you are well positioned to pay your last respects to Abbess Magdalena in Khotkovo. That the money was preserved may be due to the special help of God. The Abbess of the Conception sent to me and said: Magdalene is close to the end; need money for expenses; the key is on her neck. I immediately ordered the Chudovsky governor to be taken, so that he, together with the abbess, would take the key and examine what was there, and they would tell me. Thus, he came soon after the death of Magdalene, and with the abbess they opened the closet, and described the tickets, and more than 200 rubles. With. in cash. I had the idea that the deceased did not put all the monastic income into the books. But I didn’t think that anything would stray far from the right path. Lord, forgive all of us sinners. I am sending sixty rubles with this. and a note about the remembrance of the living and deceased in the monastery. Convince the novice to indicate the place of residence of the one who has the documents stolen from the merchant. The Empress ordered that a copy of another report be delivered to me in praise of the activities of our hieromonk Anastasius, expressing the desire that I write him a blessing. Tell me how to address a letter to him. Have you heard from him yet? I think it would be useful to send him more money. Take my 200 rubles. With. and send it. With this comes to you the Moldavian hieromonk, who went to Russia with volunteer soldiers, was ill in Odessa, and is now wandering, temporarily, and wanted to bring prayer to St. Sergius. Accept him and put him to rest. He traveled with the help of our brothers. For your consideration, I say that he is 100 rubles. With. given from me: therefore, he has what he needs on the path. If you want to give him something from the Lavra, then it seems you don’t need much. Send money to Anastasia. I thought about passing on some of his information to St. Petersburg: but that would only lead to sorrow; knows without us. Who is Augustine? Where did he come from to the Lavra, and how long was he there? I don't remember at all. Forgive me; I think: was it really impossible to find a quiet place in Russia? Is it really safer to pay taxes to the Turks, and, instead of remaining silent, to write to Russia in red and black ink to receive benefits, instead of the fact that in Russia it was possible to have ready-made, unsolicited bread? As penance for these thoughts, send him from me what you judge. Nun Vera unquestioningly, but modestly, presents objections, and, by the way, that she no longer has anything, and does not want to act according to the custom of the abbess, who do not record some income and use it for themselves. I answered that in the hostel one can use what is necessary from the common, for the abbess lives and works for the monastery; and if you do not act according to the communal rules, the abbess can legally receive enough for her needs. Tell me, what did the late Khotkovskaya abbess use according to the custom of the place and according to the rules? I hope things will work out. Thank you for your enlightening thoughts on smoking. But you did not answer the question: how do they judge my letter? Apparently very unkind. There is no prescription in it, but a written argument. It was bitter for me to hear from you a rumor about the supposed journey of the Dowager Empress, and the reason for this. But I haven’t heard this here. Prince Sergius Mikhailovich is not in Moscow. I visited Count Arseny Andreevich today, but there was no opportunity to enter into a conversation of this kind. On Monday I will try to see the prince and believe the rumor; and consider whether one should speak, or mourn and pray in silence. Send money and an icon to Anastasia, as you write. If you had spoken about the icon before, I would have mentioned it in a letter to him. However, he received the icon from me upon departure. Now the Khotkov Monastery has received Abbess Vera. Order that she be transported at the expense of the monastery: because she hardly has anything for the journey. Please carefully give her the necessary instructions. Here's another 40 rubles. to the monastery from the same people who sent money recently. The abbess was produced without a prior order, and therefore, it seems, she was not sworn in. Ask her, and if she hasn’t, do it. The remark about the kamilavka and the veil is fair; and thanks for the reminder. I told the abbess that we must follow the ancient custom of the place. Abbess Apollinaria persuaded me to change the kamilavka because the old one was four times more expensive: but then the idea of ​​wearing a veil on my face came to my mind; but it's decent. The abbess told me that it would be nice for her to have a certain legal purpose rather than to use the monastery for her own needs: but it seems to me better that she acted in a communal manner. The abbess lives and makes expenses not only for herself, but also for the monastery; and in her cell she must have expenses, which must be attributed to the monastery: it is better not to share, but to live in a communal manner, which is what the monastery is leading towards. She wishes that the sisters could not bring her even a little gift, which usually happened. This is good. Explain to the sisters that this is good, and that the boss cannot be given anything better than obedience and love. Don’t be angry that I allowed the investigator to even search F. According to the investigator, who was ready to show me the file, the girl says: why are you only asking me, and not asking F. Therefore, they suspect: is it not he who is supposed to have the documents. To reject the search would be to leave doubt unresolved and to increase suspicion. F. himself started this case, writing a note about it to L., which served as the basis for V.’s claim. How could the idea of ​​printing a letter about tobacco come to you? And I did not mean prohibition and supervision, but that the students should be given reasoning that would encourage them to draw conclusions themselves. If you write about. Theodore 94: write a bow from me to him, and say that I will regret if he speeds up leaving his academic service, in which he can be useful, using his knowledge according to his position, and not having the claim that everything will be according to his thoughts. He knows examples that some left the place in which they were placed by providence and legal authority, and then felt more difficulties than before. Father Rector asks me for Hodegetriev's sermon 95. But I doubt whether such a local story can become generally known. Peace of the Lord to the viceroy father. The same goes for the brethren. It is truly the mercy of St. Sergius that the missing documents were found outside the monastery. But F. should be advised to be more careful and look less out of the desert into the world. His note opened the documents: but at the same time it created rumors that he was asking a lot of money for them. If the matter had not been explained so successfully and so suddenly, it would have been difficult to refute the complaint. Prince Sergius Mikhailovich considers the news about the Dowager Empress, which has worried you and me a lot, to be completely unfounded. He has the means to know the truth. I don’t dare remind him of the Lord’s robe. Once I talked about this, and I was ashamed to talk, and another time I was ashamed to hear the answer that the orders about her in the will cannot be changed. Although this proposal was so that the shrine would be in a particularly appropriate holy place, and where it would sanctify many people: but it seems to people that we are asking ourselves, and this is not edifying for them. The day after tomorrow we expect the Sovereign Emperor. Pray that this may happen with peace and consolation. Peace to the Father Superior and the brethren of the monasteries. The investigating official was with me, and I asked him about the case, without saying anything about what I know from you. He told me almost everything you wrote. He says that there is part of the testimony about who the soldier gave the money to save. - Thank God that this matter calmly passed away from us, and, hopefully, will not return. About Fr. I asked the Right Reverend Eugene Peter: but to no avail. He says that for a long time he did not have information about him that would arouse attention; finally he knew that some considered him a seer, while others considered him unwise; called him to come, but he refused to come. He did not tell me any cases in which they had about Fr. Petre has one opinion or another. I saw one of the Holy Cross sisters who had returned from Crimea, known before because she lived in the apartment of her late mother. By the way, I heard the following story from her. There was a certain Praskovya, I don’t remember her last name, who went to my home church, and often scolded the late Deacon Dimitri, on the occasion that she put her warm clothes on the pulpit, and when he came to speak the litany, he moved them away with his foot. Siya came to Crimea at her own expense. She was paid for her travel expenses, but she was not accepted as one of the sisters because of her strange disposition and because she drank wine. She built a small house in Sevastopol for 20 wounded, and looked after them. One day she came to one of her friends and asked for a silk dress for herself. To the question: for what? She answered: today is my last day; Goodbye. Then she went to Prince Gorchakov and Count Saken and said the same thing. The leaders, according to custom, responded to her with a desire for many years. From them she went to one of the batteries, where they knew her, and they even noticed that no one was killed in her presence. Here she said: Take care of me now; if you save me, you will save Sevastopol; if I am not there, Sevastopol will not exist. A bomb arrived and tore her into 16 or 18 pieces. This was two weeks before our troops left the southern side of Sevastopol, The narrator is trustworthy. When asked about Anastasia, she answered that she had not seen him because she learned about his arrival in Simferopol late in the evening, and the next morning she did not have time to see him before he left for Sevastopol; that at first his enemies rebelled against him, but then he earned trust and respect. That he sends a lot of money is sad news. However, I don’t want to believe that he is forgotten. Perhaps the information about the amount of money sent is incorrect. Or, do the dying refuse to commemorate him? When considering the return of shops to a new hirer, one must look not only at the increase in price, but also at his trustworthiness. Unreliable ones sometimes raise prices more willingly than reliable ones. You did not answer my question whether it is appropriate to publish Hodigitriev’s conversation. I suggest another, is it not more inappropriate to print the attached one, although they ask for 96. After reading it, return it to me. We met the Emperor safely. He is healthy and happy. He deigned to say that before the icon taken from the Lavra, he prayed with consolation along with the army, and left it with him. But the Assumption Cathedral, where I had to wait for a long time, was not very merciful to me, so I couldn’t be in Arkhangelsk for 8 days. To the viceroy father, peace from the Lord. Pyotr Sidelnikov leads me into difficulty. He seemed unconditionally devoted to Orthodoxy: but now he says that he cannot leave the sign of two fingers, and refers to this on his conscience, not paying attention to reasoning. He wants to go to one Edinoverie church from two cemeteries: but it is inconvenient to identify him there. This new disposition of him also makes it difficult for me to intercede for him in a matter that has not yet been decided. The previous one was written yesterday. Then it occurred to me to instruct Parthenius to talk to him. Today Peter seems to have calmed down. Pay attention to him, and when old prejudiced thoughts arise in him, help him resolve them. If he establishes himself in the present peace, then let the builder report to me about his confirmation in obedience to the church and about his behavior, so that with the help of this information he can bring to an end the unfinished business about him with the civil authorities. I told Count A.A. 97 about the coin. He replied that he had been corresponding about this for six months without fruition, and finally, on the current passage of the Sovereign Emperor through Moscow, he presented it to Him in order to prohibit the issue of coins abroad for the duration of the war. The money changer finds it inconvenient to influence without this: what will be prohibited in the shop: having locked the shop, they will do it with great burden for others. May the Lord help the Sovereign Emperor. One wants to do something good; but it is not in his hands: another has it in his hands, but is not doing it. Congratulations on the holiday of St. Nikon. Pray joyfully and God-pleasingly, and remember me. Today I am invited to the consecration of the church in the Barykovskaya almshouse, where they thought to invite you too; but you have your own holiday. I heard another remarkable legend from Sevastopol. A military official, I remember, Temiryazev comes to his friend Pushkin and brings him his will, saying that he has been assigned to the case, and thinks that he will not return. When they began to take him away from this thought: he said, my hand hurt before it was wounded; and now my leg hurts, and my arms hurt more; and therefore I think that I will be wounded in the leg and will not survive it. After this evening, in the morning, Pushkin’s wife wakes up her husband and says: go to the dressing station; I saw in a dream that he was wounded in the leg. The husband went and found his friend wounded in the leg. He soon died from this wound. I wrote to the rector of the Academy to give the dismissed bachelor his salary for the time he had not served until the end of the year. Tell the treasurer to give it to you. It’s a pity that trouble for the Volga brethren appeared in Sidelnikovo. Imagine that the monastery cannot keep him. I don't know what to do with him. It would be a pity to leave him; and apparently it’s impossible to vouch for him. Give me a thought. I feel sorry for the mill owner. The loss, I think, is also for us. The hierodeacon says that sending linen by mail costs 700 rubles. ser., in the Commissariat they send it for free; and that the postmaster will send it for free if I ask. The latter is doubtful. And if you send it through the Commissariat, then it’s better not to go there, but to the Count, who sends it the same way. Should I write to the Count and have him send it specifically to Count Vielgorsky? And shouldn’t I tell the Count that there is doubt about the premises and ask for his attention? Or is this just displeasure? Tell me what you think. The viceroy father and the brethren of the monasteries rejoice in the Lord. I thank you very much for the blessing of the monastery and your prayers, on the day of my Angel, which were of great benefit to me. Thanks to the mercy and patience of the Lord, the days given to me are becoming scarce. Meager forces are exhausted, while time would require strong patience and intense activity. Continue to assist me with your prayers, so that my weakness will not be completely ineffective and fruitless, or may the Lord bring another strong worker to this part of His harvest. I thank you very much, Father Viceroy, for your word of truth and protection. The idea of ​​G. joining the clergy is hardly feasible. He went to St. Petersburg before this thought came. He never spoke to me about joining the clergy; and I heard before that he did not have this intention. And if he had expressed this intention, I would have been in difficulty. If his way of thinking was such that it would not be difficult to accept him into the clergy, then it would not be difficult to leave him at the Academy, despite the faults. But the information that reached me made both of them inconvenient. Some of them were confirmed: and thus the other part, which cannot be brought to clarity, became probable. Please read the attached letter from V.D. 98 and my response and return it to me. Did I say that it is necessary? By the way, you will see that I took the opportunity to mention holidays on school days. I think that my letter will completely reach the source of the question proposed to me. Do you think this indirect reminder of the holidays is enough on my part? It must be remembered that the late Bishop Seraphim and I wrote to the late Sovereign Emperor about this subject, and there were no consequences; then four metropolitans wrote about the same thing, and there were no consequences other than unpleasant ones. The latter, of course, was not known to the current Sovereign Emperor. There is an insult to the holidays worse than teaching: auctions, untimely opening of drinking houses, spectacles. If this is incorrigible, is it not possible to endure even that? Read the attached manuscript; and do what you decide: return it to me, or give it to the rector of the Academy, so that he can tell me whether he needs it or not. I forgot about Sidelnikov. I took him as a guarantee. If, having expressed zeal for monasticism, in a place like a monastery, he allowed himself to become drunk and something worse (which you did not explain); then he left of his own accord, and covered up the shame of his fall with doubts about laying down his finger: can one expect that he lived up to the guarantee? When he was with me this time: I found a great change in his face: but I did not want to give in to suspicion. Departing from me, he said that he wanted to venerate the shrine in the Kremlin, and asked for a cab driver: I gave him 3 rubles. The next day, going to the Lavra, he again asked for directions, and received them. I thought: is it really 3 rubles? he traveled from the Trinity courtyard to the Kremlin: but he also did not want to dwell on suspicion; and now I’m returning to it. So, isn't it better to get rid of him? Would the Council suggest that he did not provide sufficient hope for monastic life? Then I would return him to the Governor-General, so that he, as having joined the church, would be released from the schism case, without being assigned to a monastery. I asked you, Father Governor, to order me enamel icons from Rostov. You sent me several from the Lavra: and these are being depleted. I repeat my previous request. Icons of the Savior and the Mother of God are especially required. There is much peace for the viceroy father, and also for the brethren. That it is not good to send hostel sisters to collect alms, that it is good to show philanthropic charity to those who cannot care for themselves, there is no dispute about that. What is not certain is whether those who look down will have enough love and patience. Do you know the two Eulogies in the Patericon? It’s good that there was Anthony the Great, who could heal cowardice and prevent the feat from remaining unfinished. However, supported by your reasoning, I gave my consent to the abbess to undertake an acceptable feat of philanthropy, which could also be useful for the monastery. Perhaps those in need, especially one, will receive relief in the circle of prayer. Let two Hopes receive rasophore; and may the Lord give them greater hope of salvation. Is the disease in your horse yard a branch of cholera? In different places, during cholera times, seizures were observed on quadrupeds and on birds. The Khotkovo case somewhat confuses me. You give orders without considering that it must reach the S. Synod through the Consistory. If your report is sent to the Consistory; it will give you questions, and things will become difficult. And if you don’t send it now, difficulties may come later with greater force. Tell me why nameless tickets for 5000 rubles. did you recognize them as belonging to the monastery? Is it possible for you to write to the children of the late abbess, so that one of them comes, or someone is sent with a power of attorney, to look at the will and accept what was bequeathed? If this had happened, it would have been easier to finish the matter. About the word: I’m proud, I sent a note with my letter, which I’ll show you someday. The letter also preserved a list, probably from the note mentioned in the letter. Here's what this list contains. It is good for the great when near them there are those animated by pious thoughts; and it is good when they sincerely present this thought to the great. I remember how, before 1812, pious-minded people complained that in the Royal Acts only secular language was used, and the name of God was not found. This year has shown where to look for true support and invincible strength. Emperor Alexander began to speak in Christian language. Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich spoke in the same language, and especially with strength and edification recently. So is the Most Pious Sovereign now reigning. But all the more noticeably will a word that accidentally creeps in, too secular, cause discord. Some piously-minded people expressed grief, which was met on behalf of the deceased Sovereign in God, and the saying was met on behalf of the present one in praise of the soldiers: I am proud of you. Why, they say, did this word, alien to him, creep into the language of the Most Pious Sovereigns? The Word of God does not approve of pride, and says: God opposes the proud 99. Is there a way to give the editor of the Royal Thoughts a thought so that, when composing expressions, he tests them with the question: will they be in harmony with the pious Royal spirit? Kissing peace and joy to you, Father Vicar, and to the brethren, from my humility in the name of the Lord Jesus, who is born into our salvation. May your joy in Him be fulfilled and life-giving. On the next day of the holiday, tell the treasurer to distribute 150 rubles from me according to custom. ministers and almshouses and 15 rubles. beggars Thank you, Father Viceroy, for the word of rejoicing in your Lord, who was born on earth for our salvation. I welcomed you to the eve of the holiday. I am returning the list from the order. It is a pity that zeal for the common good is not always guarded by caution. It is beneath high power to make an extract from a note from an unknown person, whose business, in her own expression, is between the lines, and in the lines there is only reproach. It was possible, without reproach, on one’s own behalf, to make a reminder that would encourage the truth-loving and enlighten the untruthful. What a punishing time this is, in which good intentions not only encounter difficulties, but also hinder themselves with their own stumbles. So General Leaders gave orders to the soldiers not to mock the militia warriors; and did not notice that he had already insulted them himself. One could say: treat them like brothers, like defenders of the fatherland; and the necessary thought would have been given, and there would have been no insult. Only these days I wrote, and yesterday I signed a submission to the S. Synod about the Odigitrievsky Monastery, and I wrote to some people privately. I don't know how to rush. From November 21 to now, I only go out on holidays; and on other days, except maybe two, I fight a cold at home. Holidays in schools have been restored. I don’t know how this happened. It's difficult with a split. For the sake of appearances, so as not to disturb people, the powerful have positioned some of our people so that they do not prevent them from patronizing the schism: and from those who care about the good of the church, what is being done is kept secret. Lord, give reason and save everyone. May God bless the new summer to you, Father Vicar, and the brethren, with peace, health and protection. Ivan Trifonovich brings vessels to the Most Holy Trinity and St. Sergius. Now they have been consecrated and used for the first time, and are sent to you from Fr. Parthenium. Peace be with you, Father Viceroy, and the brethren. Having sanctified the waters with His baptism and the influx of the Holy Spirit, may He water you with the water that is above the heavens, with the dew of the Spirit. Peter, a former traveler to Jerusalem, wants to join a monastery, and demands that I assign him a monastery. I turn it to you. Look and judge where it can be arranged with peace and benefit. God's blessing and peace to the vicar father and the brethren of the monasteries. Forgive me that I have already been unanswered to several of your letters. Could you teach me to be more efficient somehow? What does not write about. Anastasy about the medicines sent to him? Or haven't had time to get it yet? We hardly did well to send the last transport through Graf. It would be sent in parts to the name of Anastasy and the Committee indicated by him. Maybe the post director would accept something else, and send something else, at least with payment of money. But it's done. Write to Anastasia to let him know if you received the medicines and linens sent. The publisher of an art journal asks for a portrait, not out of respect for virtue, but to purchase value for his magazine and for his pocket. Won't Anastasy steal from goodness the time that he will spend searching for the painter and sitting in front of him? We will not forbid him, so as not to make him guilty of disobedience if he wants; but he will do well if he confirms what he wrote in the letter. What a misfortune it is that everyone talks about abuse and no one can overcome it! Prince Gorchakov, leaving Crimea, could see along the way what needed to be corrected and convey his comments to his successor. Prince Gorchakov, passing through Moscow, visited me. I found him in better health than some said. He is cheerful; and his reasoning covers a lot. He very much praises the intelligence of his predecessor in Crimea, whom he has known from his youth. But he marvels at him in some respects. I, he says, am writing to him: there will be a landing in the Crimea; he answers: there will be a landing in Constantinople. Without his request, seeing the need, I sent him a detachment of troops, and then Totleben. He was in no hurry to strengthen Sevastopol. I said that we were thinking: why was there no action on our part in the winter. He answered: I don’t know either; The English army was completely upset, as were some of the French, although less so. He also expresses regret that Prince Menshikov did not give justice to the army (which I heard before), which was animated by the best spirit. I asked whether Austria would stand in this, albeit incorrect, neutrality. He says: it will stand if we do not suffer a significant loss in the war; one of the first ministers is rude, and the other is a democrat, whose secret idea, of course, is to favor democracy, and therefore not to favor Russia, which is the main obstacle to democracy. Although the price of bread is high, however, I think it is necessary to buy a lot. In some grain-producing areas, the lack of snow fears a future crop failure. May the Lord help Joel mentally and physically. The doctor says that by performing the operation he removed the danger; but that a new operation is needed, for which the patient needs to be in Moscow. I said: in this case, we need to let him know quickly so that they can bring it. He replied that it would be better to take care of it himself. The appearance of the cross in Stavropol (in Krestogorod) made an impression on many. But did the Lord show us the cross of victory against our enemies, like the Great Constantine, or the cross that we still have to bear? The fact that the vessels are high does not seem to cause any difficulty. They seemed heavy to me: but perhaps, given their size, if they had been made lighter, they would not have been quite strong. Catherine's vessels are unexample in the sense that the edges are widened, which is inconvenient for the communion of clergy. The former traveler Peter, it seems, goes to the monastery with good intentions. Show him whom to turn to for guidance. The abbot used you and me with milk to pull him out of Odessa: but he doesn’t want to be in our vessels. What do you think about the Bethany treasurer now? Monya and the housekeeper have something dubious going on. Will you give me someone if I need it? I have one in mind here: but I think about him hesitantly. Note The letter, without indicating the time when it was written, is placed here based on what is written in this letter about Hieromonk Anastasius, and partly about the traveler Peter. Slich. paragraph 1077th. Peace and consolation to you, Father Viceroy. Please read the attached attitude and letter. O. Anastasius finished his career. I think it was good time for his soul, the Lord received him, imbued with feelings of love for mankind, clothed in the clothing of philanthropic deeds. Peace to his soul. It's a pity that good deeds have stopped. But the Lord brings good news. Pray for him in the monasteries. Think about the requirement. Will the Lord arouse in someone the zeal to serve his compatriots, fellow Christians who strived for us, and in part, one might say, martyrs, for they labored with faith and endured suffering as Christians. Only, if someone expresses zeal, one must think carefully about whether he will give undoubted hope that he will justify the election. Some who volunteered for us to perform feats did not prove to be steadfast in them. I have bitter news from the Right Reverend Innocent about Gabriel and Aref. Admiral Putyatin did not say a word to me about Aref: I understood that he did not want to say anything unpleasant, and did not ask him. And so it turned out. May the Lord arrange what is useful and protect us from what is not useful. I'm perplexed. Pray, Father Viceroy, that my ignorance and unworthiness will not prevent me from choosing the best. The appointment of Hieromonk Gerasim, it seems, is also an order of St. Sergius. But I see with displeasure whether he will have an edifying word and a word of love for the suffering. There is another volunteer, Simonovsky Hieromonk Iliodor, who served in the military department and has a cross on the St. George Ribbon. He says: I don’t need a reward; I wish to serve with zeal. Gerasim calls the proposed appointment a cross, and expresses obedience without desire. If he establishes himself in obedience without desire: very good! But will it establish itself? You think that I will immediately send Gerasim. I think first you need to write V.D. 101. – About one or two. “I’ll think about it, and maybe I’ll make up my mind without waiting for your answer.” Or maybe I won’t hurry, hurry up and answer me. The matter of the housekeeper also confuses me. But I see that I can’t live with the current one. I have a good opinion about Eumenia: but will he have a somewhat bossy character in order to have weight over the elements of the house, which are quite varied. And won’t he get confused in the accounts in which the current one is confused? It comes to my mind that the Petrovsky treasurer, who manages the monastery well in the absence of the abbot, was seen to have acted prudently when there was a mentally damaged archimandrite in the monastery, and when, when presenting the monastery report, I asked him some questions, he showed that he was considering matters with detail and accuracy. He has the education to write what he needs himself and to inspire respect in his subordinates. But somewhat young. And maybe Lavra won’t like that it wasn’t taken from her. Give me your thoughts on this as quickly as possible. If you are not against the treasurer, then you can talk about him with his archimandrite 102. I wrote to you about Gerasim and other things hastily, when Obadiah said: I’m on my way now. That’s why I didn’t write everything, which stopped me. Gerasim, as soon as he handed me our letter, began to cry; and to my question whether he was willing to go into business, he answered that he had no desire. To the question: why? He answered, among other things, that he had not been involved in the position of confessor, and found it difficult. I say: there is more difficulty with healthy people in order to thoroughly test their conscience and choose what is most useful between severity and leniency: but the sick person naturally thinks more about death, opens his conscience more easily, and, according to the very rules of the church, demands leniency and permission. Consequently, here the work of the confessor is greatly simplified: you just need to use prayer and philanthropic zeal. I wanted him to go with a good wish: and I let him go so that he could think. When I called him the next day: he complained of hemorrhoidal disease, of a sleepless night, and began to ask for release from the proposed obedience, after the first time he did not refuse to obey, although without desire. It was under these circumstances that I wrote to you. This day I called him again, and told him that I wrote to you a second time, and you did not tell me otherwise, that I had in mind three willing people from Moscow monasteries, but, speaking with them, I am not convinced to take any of them; that the Lavra has a special duty to match the faith of the Sovereign Emperor and Empress to St. Sergius with our service; that, having accepted obedience without desire, he will make a sacrifice that is all the more pleasing to God, and can trust in His help; that, it seems, he also has an indication of this service from St. Sergius; that I cannot take it upon myself to dismiss him from this obedience, and if he does not go, then the answer will be on him. And after this he continued to demand release from the proposed obedience, saying that he left the Lavra without thinking, and hoping that I would release him; and that he saw a dream several days ago, and relates it to the past, when he should have been placed at the tomb of St. Sergius, but he was not placed, and he accepted this with submission to the will of his superiors. Throughout his stay here, I spoke to him as one asking and persuading, without displeasure and imperiousness. Finally I told him that I was letting him go to the Lavra, not thinking that he was on the right path, and reminding him to think, so as not to anger God and St. Sergius. I’ll also tell Gerasim that I don’t take it upon myself to fire him, but I turn him to you, would it be better for you to direct him to the right path. Yesterday I decided to send Vasily Dmitrievich his service record and ask whether to send him to Crimea. But now I stop. What if they demand him to St. Petersburg, how will he cry there and say that he sent him against his will, and that it is not in his power? Shouldn't we let Pakrate go? With his good intentions and simplicity, I think he can be useful. And in the Lavra the Reverend will find someone else for the sick. Or how else, tell me. Something needs to be answered soon. I took Abbot Michael not by choice, but because there was nowhere to put him: and His Eminence Kirill on his deathbed asked me not to leave him. I took Serapion as Lavrsky. This predecessor was Lawrence, and did not satisfy me; in Sretensky it is better. I didn’t think that taking from someone other than the Lavra would be offensive to the Lavra: I’m taking from a diocese that is also not close; and when necessary, I take from the Lavra to the diocese, like Sergius. If, however, Lavra thinks so: I don’t want to offend her. This is what I often said to Gerasim, and will say again. If you refuse: then it should be in the Lavra. Now, by making me hesitate, he is already making you guilty before the Empress. One could have been angry with Hieromonk Gerasim: but this did not allow it. I spoke calmly to him, and now I have no displeasure against him. But it was difficult for me to see the matter in a hopeless situation for several days. I admit, A.’s election does not really reassure me. I noticed that you used it before, then stopped using it. There was, of course, some reason. At the same time, his appearance changed. He has little education; this must be complemented by zeal: but he seems to only go under compulsion. I make an effort to trust his trustworthiness. We are waiting for an answer from Vasily Dmitrievich. Patients from the army and militia, they say, have multiplied. Therefore, I thought about asking Vasily Dmitrievich about sending the hieromonk by telegraph: but it is not convenient to write a lot by telegraph. I settled on the idea that if they want to hurry, they can answer by telegraph: but this is not the case. By the way, I’ll say: when the Empress ordered V.D. 103 to congratulate me on Angel’s Day from Her; and he did this by telegraph: then I, answering in the same way, paid the telegraph six silver rubles for 22 words of answer. I sent to Prince G.A. 104 Dolgorukov, who was appointed to replace the late Count Vielgorsky, a register of our latest parcels to Simferopol, so that he would pay attention to the intended use. Let the lamp, by the will of the zealous, be unquenchable before the icon of St. Sergius above the gates of the fountain courtyard. The search for the manuscript is not taking place because I did not want to disturb the late Svyatoslavsky. Every time you reminded me of this, I ordered a member of the Consistory or a secretary to look for traces of her in my journal and in Svyatoslavsky. But I, having ordered, will either ask and calm down with a promise, or I will forget, and they are glad that they are not woken up. Now the member and the secretary are sorting out Svyatoslavsky’s estate, and I ordered to look for manuscripts. My lack of memory, lack of strength and many things to do beyond the measure of my strength and time tire me; and makes me think whether I’m deceiving myself and the service (as I’ve seen in some others), thinking that I’m serving and doing, when, perhaps, I’m just stopping things. After the liturgy and parting prayer, I.A. left. Lately I have seen him as before. But in the ministry I advised him to be more careful. May the Lord arrange his service for good. I thank you for the novice they gave to A., who is noticeably trustworthy. After Prince G. A. Dolgorukov, I had his assistant. Both say that a hieromonk or priest with education is needed - by the way, for young officers who need Christian leadership. The Reverend Vicar, while talking about this, pointed me to I. Gideon: but I think he is needed at home. What do you think about the Bethany Seraphim? I think he could be edifying: but he hardly has freedom of speech. In the meantime, I will look for this service in other places. The late Abbess Magdalena seemed to be a very active housewife: but it turned out there was a lot that was overlooked. It's amazing how much debt she left behind at the monastery. In the new building, the stoves were built inappropriately and unsafely; they were left to freeze, as they say, with harm; The roof bends due to the sparse rafters. Mortgaged will again require a lot of money; and they are exhausted to pay their debts. Won't you look at the building that was built to give instructions for correcting mistakes? Shouldn’t the mortgaged building be left for a year without further work, so that there won’t be a lot of debt again, which is not desirable? - Think about this and give instructions to the abbess. Read the proposed draft announcement about St. Tikhon’s letter and return it to me. They say it is being considered at the Synod. It seems to me that there is no need to wish for it to be printed. A letter was found on him, unknown. Nothing has proven that this was written not to any famous contemporary persons, but in the spirit of insight for the future fate of the fatherland. I bow deeply to you, thanking you for the legend about the late Reverend Anthony, and for your word of consolation. I can’t attach an example of it to myself. He served the Church of God a lot with prayer, example of life, edifying words from his cell and charity, although, perhaps, he lacked experienced knowledge in management, or so it seemed to him, in his humility. But I am also afraid of being removed of my own free will, and I think: Lord, do not allow harm from my unworthiness; or go away and call upon the mighty. Thank you also for your thoughts regarding the embassy to Crimea; and I agree with them. I’ll think about whether it’s possible to do something, and what. Now I can’t write anymore. Today I was at the consecration of the church; and tomorrow he forced himself to be at the funeral, because the deceased had built two chapels in his parish church, and died without seeing the consecration. Peace be with you, Father Viceroy, and the monasteries, and the brethren. Thanks to the patronage of our Venerable Fathers Sergius, Nikon and Dionysius for the preservation of the new monastery. Those who blew samovar smoke into a stone hole might not think that it would go into a wooden pipe, or that sparks would come with it. But failure to notice this cannot be attributed to the praise of the builder. Shouldn't he be advised to ask the Reverends for forgiveness for his drowsiness, and for stimulation to attention and caution? May the Lord help Joel like the news. May he be allowed to confess to the Lord and sing His name here or there, who tempted, cleansed and had mercy. Imagine those worthy of tonsure. Of the novices, I know only those here; and I'm happy with it. Mikhail had a very sore throat: but he has relief. On Friday they brought me to church, as they used to say, warm, but in fact it was too warm, and completely chilled by the doors: and I caught a cold so much that I am still fighting a cold in my cell. Thank God I can do some of the work. Thanks be to God, who has given quick help to your health. I heard that you had severe pain in your leg; and was concerned. What causes such severe pain for no significant reason? Based on some tried-and-true experiments, the thought comes to me: aren’t homeopathic medicines, with their small substance and subtle power, penetrating deeply into the body and producing a strong effect in it, revealing in it the ability to be highly receptive to small impressions? - Be that as it may, you advised me to use my poor health carefully: apparently, I need to ask you for similar caution. If the dove has not found rest for its legs: stretch out a hand for it from the ark of St. Sergius. Let's accept Fr. Abel, if he wishes. I also heard that Sarov is not what it was before. But I thought that Fr. Isaiah brings him to a better state. Time o. Seraphim is not yet very distant. It seems that there could be good remnants to which the zeal of the newcomers could be instilled. Unfortunately, the local Bishop has been ill for a long time, and of course he can act little: and when the abbot is not supported from here, the worst elements in the monastery act more strongly. May the ancient Sarov fathers pray for their descendants. Tatyana Borisovna wrote a letter to me about Gregory, to which I, due to my usual failure in correspondence, did not respond. These days she suddenly sent two letters with the Ufa abbess. He writes that the Bishop of Novgorod hesitates to accept him, so that this would not be unpleasant for me; therefore, she asks that, on the occasion of the end of the respite given to Gregory, he be given temporary dismissal again. In response to the first, I asked to report to Vladyka that if Gregory petitions him for admission to the Novogorod diocese, I will dismiss him without any displeasure. On the second, he said that after what happened, it would be strange on my part, and a harmful example, to impose a passport on Grigory when he doesn’t even want to know his superiors. The matter is complicated. A certain old hermit is looking for land. Gregory is pursuing this case in court. This is opposed by the Tikhfinsky abbot, whose thoughts seem to be shared by Vladyka Novgorod. Meanwhile, T.V. thinks that the matter is happening by a call from above, and brought it to the attention of the Empress. Writing to T. B, I warned against people like Udalka, about which I wrote to Alexander Ivanovich before. If you hear anything about this matter, tell me. I am somewhat afraid, according to the abbess, that they will not send me a question on behalf of the Empress. Having struggled with a cold for more than a week, having, by the way, a sore right eye, and having received doctor’s advice, I sat at home and this day, thank God, I was at a holiday in church: I just couldn’t receive guests. Read what is written and said with a sore eye 105; and tell me if I let something slip? Much peace to the Father Viceroy. On the third day, Hierodeacon Gregory appeared to me: and in the evening of the same day I received a letter, which you will read and return to me. O.V. he says that he found him unsound, and did not enter into intercourse with him; and also with Udalka, who now lives in Konevets. He says that he was invited to the Novogorod diocese when Archimandrite Peter of Tikhfin was alive, and favored the matter of the Rekon Hermitage: but Gregory did not agree, expecting what the outcome of the matter would be: but then Archimandrite Dimitri began not to favor this matter; and the thoughts of Vladyka Novgorod changed, and Gregory all the more did not want to move to the Novogorod diocese. Now it seems to me that Grigory is not as guilty as he seemed. He fell into the hands of secular people, kind but ignorant of the order of affairs, who encouraged him, begged him for a reprieve from the Chief Prosecutor, and he quietly became disobedient to his superiors. You interceded with me for Abel: I intercede with you for Gregory; although it is true that the first petition is better. Or he would be placed again in the monastery so that no one would buzz in anyone’s ears about either the Rekon Desert or St. Petersburg: or, if this is doubtful, place him in the Lavra pending discretion. Based on all the circumstances of the case, it seems to me that it is better for us to end it quietly. Time will tell whether it will resume, and what needs to be done. Whether the Ufa Abbess says right or wrong, only she says that the Empress wants to see the restoration of the Rekon hermitage and the establishment in it of such monasticism as in the Gethsemane monastery. God's blessing to the viceroy father and the brethren of the monasteries. Forgive me and bless me in the field of holy fasting, so that I may not pass away through laziness and despondency, but in repentance, with attention and diligence, I will flow to the Father of mercy and generosity, and I will return grace. May the Lord grant you to enter into this field in peace, to pass through it with good deeds in the grace of God, and to joyfully reach the bright day of the Resurrection of the Lord. It’s a pity if Grigory didn’t say everything he should. But could it not have happened that rumors about him said more than what happened? In Simferopol there are many witches, and many people sleep, about 100 people a day. No matter how much one cares about them, care, even with the best intentions, does not fully achieve action. K.S.M. 106 asked the person who came from there: are they truly achieving the goal of the care of the Empress. The questioned answered hesitantly. K.S.M. sent 40,000 rubles to the Empress. according to the will of the late Princess Elena Mikhailovna: but after that, one poor widow of a man killed in Sevastopol was sent from there to him for help. I agree to make an offering. But is it as you wrote; or take 2,000 rubles. from Lavra, 1,000 rub. from Chudov and 2,000 rub. from Pererva? And whether to send money, or write and ask where they will order it to be sent. Answer. The world is still unfaithful. And if there is war, then it will require a lot. It’s a pity that Spiridon went the wrong way and insulted the monastery. This incident leads to reflection on the extent to which it is necessary to spare a person’s weakness when the monastery needs to be protected by more than one person. Is it not necessary to advise those like Spyridon to go to a monastery from which temptations continue, and which cannot be so greatly offended by their weakness? What about Joel? How in no hurry to leave: will he return to serve the Lavra? You should now have sea guests. We have come at a time when only spiritual treats can be offered. However, they are diligently treated in Moscow. To the viceroy father and the brethren of the monasteries, much peace from the Lord. I wrote to you asking you to order icons from Rostov. You sent me: but, apparently, from the Lavra; because I didn’t see anything about it in my expenses. Now I ask again: write me icons; because those received were exhausted. I give little at will, but more when asked. They ask a lot. I received news about the brethren. There are people in them, and, by the way, novices, about whom the evidence is no better than about S. Are there people whose transfer to another place would be a precaution? I asked the naval hieromonk about the Sevastopol guests when they would be in the Lavra, and having received the answer that on Clean Monday, I answered that they had chosen a time at which it would not be convenient to treat them with anything other than a spiritual treat. It's good that this happened. In Moscow they were called so that if they had taken Constantinople, it would have been difficult to do more. The venerable professor Shevyrev did not hesitate to compare the explosion of Sevastopol with the earthquake during the suffering of Christ. What a mixture! And if you use the Hebrew word: then you will have to say: what a Babylon, not only in the West, but also among us. A book was published in Paris under the title: the church that God commanded Solomon to build, which was explained by the prophet Ezekiel, about which some Fries had a revelation, and which will be built in Paris. The writer calls the architects to draw up a project. Here you can directly put the Hebrew word: valilon. Isn’t it also confusing that they want to take A. into a first-class monastery? The rules of the Holy Fathers forbid a bishop to take a clergyman, or higher, from another diocese, without the knowledge of his bishop. When I was much younger, those much older than me did not treat me the way the Archbishop of Chernigov does now. It's hard to decide what to do here. It is unpleasant to interfere with this, and perhaps not useful, when a spark of ambition is thrown into a soul that would otherwise be calm. The find is not high, they are probably counting on the fact that the abbot, who is familiar with Moscow, will be beneficial: but will he be able to look at this as he should? Count Dmitry Erofeevich Saken visited me on Tuesday; and yesterday in Chudovo I listened to the whole service, and from there he came back to me. Last week, both due to days and due to ill health, I could not be with him, and also today, because due to a severe cold yesterday I could hardly perform the service, and when I returned, I found it necessary to call a doctor. I instructed the Right Reverend Vicar to be with him today with respect from himself and from me. I don’t hear Moscow welcoming him. About two weeks before this, someone who came from St. Petersburg told me something strange about him, as if he had not left the barracks during the last enemy attack on Sevastopol. Soon after, a naval hieromonk came to see me, and I asked him if this was true? - He answered: it’s not true, the Count was with the Commander-in-Chief and with the army. - Lord, show the Emperor the truth! We must finally talk about our unpleasant matter. I continued to inquire whether it was possible for me to get along with the housekeeper: and I was convinced that it was impossible. Regarding Evmeniy, you need to know: can he regularly keep accounts, quite complex ones, which, by the way, are the accounts of small singers, each and everyone, and will he have enough managerial attention in the house, especially when supervising the singers? - Please answer me this so that the matter can be completed soon. There is confusion about the awards. Treasurer recently, and what did he do? It would be good if he corrected or promptly removed the harmful pupil. Allow me to resolve this bewilderment as well. I sent you a notebook about the prodigal son 107. Did it happen that you did not answer me, and did what I had not yet demanded, that is, gave it to the rector, or did the letter with your answer not reach me? Vasily Dmitrievich writes to me with an expression of pleasure that German Maslenitsa is prohibited in St. Petersburg, that is, entertainment and performances for foreigners on Holy Monday and Tuesday. I still don’t know what happened in Moscow these days. It would be good if the Orthodox corrected their Maslenitsa themselves. Most Reverend Father Archimandrite Anthony! Twenty-five years of your service in the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra, in the rank of vicar 108 abbot, have been completed, in a continuous feat that embraces most of the duties of the abbot, distracted by other duties. Knowing you only from a chance meeting, I received the desire to elect you to this ministry in such circumstances when this matter required speed, and you were far away, in the department of another superior. Doubt about the success of the enterprise did not stop my determination. I entrusted this matter to the patronage of St. Sergius, in the hope that He would arrange it if it was pleasing to Him. Then the removal of foreseen obstacles and the speedy completion of the matter showed that St. Sergius blessed your election: now twenty-five years of experience shows that St. Sergius blessed your ministry. During the continuation of your service, the brotherhood of the Lavra multiplied, for which I believe with consolation the reason is in the edifying leadership; church and spiritual improvement increased, as well as the economic well-being of the Lavra; two hospitals, a primary school, an icon painting school, and a treat for the strange were established; The cenobitic Gethsemane monastery was founded, which, by the grace of God, is growing with good hope. Your reward is in the Lord. Your consolation is in the favor of St. Sergius. By expressing my sincere gratitude to you for my measuredness, I do not think of increasing your consolation, but I am fulfilling the demand of my heart. I pray to St. Sergius that he bless you to continue your useful service to his monastery, and also to bear my burden in my field, which is approaching its limit. I wish that this would be read at the meal before the brethren of the Lavra, and also in Bethany and the monastery. In Moscow. March 11th 1856. It is necessary that this remains in the affairs of the council, in the original or in the list. Note Along with this letter, a copy of the relationship with which Metropolitan. Filaret asked the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod to intercede with Fr. to the viceroy for twenty-five years of service in this position, the most merciful award at the discretion of the Holy Synod. This idea was expressed in the following terms: Archimandrite Anthony has completed twenty-five years of service in the rank and position of vicar of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra and rector of the Spaso-Bethans Monastery. A significant part of the responsibilities of the abbot of the Lavra, who can only act in the Lavra in his personal presence during a smaller part of the year, necessarily falls on the governor of the Lavra. In terms of the importance and vastness of the monastery, visited by numerous pilgrims, the service of the vicar, as the closest agent for maintaining its improvement, is no less, if not more important, than the service of the abbot of some first-class monastery. During the continuation of the service of the vicar, Archimandrite Anthony, the number of Lavra brethren increased significantly, seeking good monastic leadership; church, spiritual, moral and economic improvement is elevated; two hospitals were established for our own and for strangers (as an example of the general usefulness of which one can imagine that in the past 1855, 71 military personnel were treated in the Lavra hospital, and those who fell ill on the campaign and 8 captured Turks); a school was established for poor children of various ranks, a school of icon painting, and various handicrafts, serving the brethren for a good time and for benefit; A dormitory branch of the Lavra was formed under the name of the Gethsemane monastery, which, under the patronage of St. Sergius, grew with good hope. All this obliges me to intercede, so that on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the service of the viceroy, Archimandrite Anthony, he will be presented with excellent dignity to His most merciful I.V. Benevolence. Six years before this, he was assigned to the Order of St. Vladimir in the third degree. There were examples that the vicar of the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra, Archimandrite Tobias, and Simonovsky Archimandrite Gerasim were ranked in this order in the second degree. Or, another type of reward corresponding to dignity may consist in the blessing of the Holy Synod for Archimandrite Anthony to use a panagia instead of a pectoral cross - following the example of the Don Archimandrite. I humbly ask V.V. to propose this to S.S. for his consideration, and to cooperate with my intercession. For this reason, Archimandrite Anthony’s track record is also attached. It’s sad to hear what happened to the seamen at the beginning of Lent. And people in whom we saw ascetics allow themselves to be overcome by guilt in such a humiliating way. But it was necessary to think that these remnants of ascetics would be a breeding ground for similar ones. One difficulty after another comes to me. They write and say that a meeting is taking place in St. Petersburg about the new advantages of the Roman Catholic clergy in our country; somehow they are planning to establish a seminary of this confession in Saratov; children from Orthodox Christians in marriage with Roman Catholics, who, according to the current law, must be baptized in Orthodoxy, are allowed to be baptized in Roman Orthodoxy, if they want, etc. The members of the S. Synod were told about this: they answered that they did not know this, and therefore they could not do anything. But when the matter is decided, any idea will be too late. They tell me to write about this 109. But this means going beyond your limits; Moreover, I don’t know definitely and reliably what exactly is threatening. Pray to St. Sergius that he will enlighten my madness, whether I should say what, and to whom, or remain silent, and bring my sorrow to those who visit the Orthodox Church here and abroad with difficult trials. Here's what's still strange. Just these days, a trusted representative from our department from St. Petersburg came to me with several questions: but in two conversations lasting several hours, not a word was said about the above. Spiritual peace to the viceroy father and brethren. Congratulations on the external peace that was signed in Paris last Sunday. Hearing about it, I felt some relief from grief, worry and fear, but not joy. Yesterday I learned about him, and yesterday I read that the English minister does not consider him peace, but something similar to peace. May the God of peace grant us true and perfect peace. Do you have any news from Agathangel? Prince Dolgoruky, who went to Sevastopol to replace Count Vielgorsky, died. In Trinity Cathedral, correct whatever is needed. In St. Petersburg in the Kazan Cathedral in winter, rain fell from the dome and water flowed: this was prevented by a tray under the windows throughout the dome and pipes to the bottom. If you undertake something similar in Trinity Cathedral, think carefully to achieve your goal. Reducing the trays and pipes for the sake of appearance would not cause the water to overflow. Think about what is needed for the Royal Visit after the coronation. The wondrous day of the revelation of the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God is a pious celebration for you, Father Vicar, and for the brethren. I return Agafangel’s letter, bitter. Thank God he is alive. Send him 100 rubles. With. from the monastery, and the same from me. . I wrote to the Eminence of Chernigov, whether he really wanted to take it from the monastery, and said that I did not expect this without communicating with me, according to church rules, and according to our fraternal relations, and in conclusion asked to notify me so that I could take care of the consequences in a timely manner: for taking the place of a community builder is no less, if not more, difficult than placing a first-class archimandrite in order. I am sending the answer of the Eminence. Read it and tell me your thoughts, and, if possible, what A thinks. I wrote about Latinism in the S. Synod 110 and to Bishop Novgorod 111; but I haven’t made it to V.D. 112 yet. 28 days expected in Moscow Sovereign. Now I have received your letter: and now I can write to you, although I could not write after receiving some letters. We met the Emperor safely. He is peaceful and merciful. Today I was in His office, and then had lunch with many invitees. His Majesty's table is a fast one, partly exactly according to the rules of this Sunday, partly for guests according to the rules of the Annunciation. It is desirable that this example be used by many who need it. Now it is true that the coronation is in Augusta. Provide and prepare in the Lavra what is needed for this occasion. I often, while doing my current work, do not remember what is needed tomorrow, or I remember it too late. The Sovereign Emperor deigned to say with an expression of pleasure that the ancient character of icon painting is being restored in our country. It is necessary that the icons for the Sovereign Emperor and the Empress be prepared in an ancient manner. But at the same time, it is fitting that for the Sovereign there should be an image of the Savior sitting on the throne; and for the Empress the image of the Mother of God in a crown or crown. Is there an ancient example for the latter? What is needed are good picturesque portraits of the Sovereign Emperor and the Sovereign Empress, and at least lithographed portraits of the Persons of the Highest Family closest to them. The paintings in the hall, which depict Emperor Alexander and Empress Elisaveta Alekseevna with bad artistry, should be moved to a place that is not so visible. Tell the treasurer to sign from me this year for the publication of S. Father’s Works, for three copies, one for me, one for Andrei Nikolaevich and one for the Reverend Kamchatsky, and contribute my money. It's a pity and... Gregory. If the plans he stubbornly holds are successful in appearance, will they receive a spiritual blessing? Will the failure pass without any complaints about the title from those who were defrauded of their deposits? I would need to know the name and rank of Udalka, so that if he appears here, I would know what kind of attention he requires. What “Irkutsk wisdom” by Grigory Timofeev are you talking about? Did he really participate in the sect of the abbot (I don’t remember his name), who embarrassed the Chikoy monastery, and was exiled by the court? I certainly didn’t hear about this from Timofeev; I don’t remember whether I heard it from you. I need to know his place of residence. Today, April 2, the Minister of the Imperial Household visited me. Between conversations, he mentioned the many ancient icons in the armory and in the palace vault. I said that it would be interesting to review them to see if there might be examples of icon painting between us. He promised to facilitate this. What do you think about this? Read the attached correspondence 113 and, returning, tell your opinion whether I wrote the truth. Now they object to me that there are coats of arms of the Emperors of Constantinople held by Angels. A kiss of joy for the risen Lord to the viceroy father and brethren. Christ is risen. May He draw near to you, called by your prayer and faith, and may He give you peace, as He gave to His disciples, not as the world gives, but as He acts by His grace. Thank you for your words of sympathy for my measuredness. I don’t remember the image of the Savior in the Assumption Cathedral. What time is it? If it's not very new: it's good to remove the reduced list from it; otherwise, from the image of the Savior sitting on the throne, which is in the Trinity Cathedral. But it would be nice to show drawings of both, not too carefully finished, so that there is no unnecessary labor. I did not expect an ancient image of the Mother of God in a crown: but I thought that it would be found from middle times. I would also like to see the drawings of the icons you wrote about. Rosary, according to the teachings of Fr. Alexandra, and with the blessing of Fr. Theodotus arranged, and with your blessing I received those sent to me from the youth in the week of Vai, and the next day I went with them to the blessing of water for the blessing of peace, and then on Thursday to the blessing of the world. I send a psalter to the youth. The icon drawings are good. There is no need for a robe, but salaries according to the fields. I would like to know the continuation of the incident with the Turks. Does the beaten one remain, and does he retain the intention to be a Christian? If it remains: take care of it. I think there will be a difficulty from the language side. Keep in mind that the distinguished guests would not have happened at the beginning of May. With sorrow I read the first pages of Agafangel’s letter. When I got to the stories about the French and other things, I became bored, and I asked: when will he talk about his affairs? Finally, he says that he looks after the food of the sick, and almost nothing else. Would you write to him that it would be much more desirable for us to know whether he confesses the sick, whether he communes the Holy Mysteries, whether he talks with them about the soul, whether he invites them to have patience and uncomplaining obedience to the will of God, whether they accept words of consolation, and thereby give him comfort and encouragement in his feat? About the medical materials that have not been received, should I write to the general through whom they were sent? - But now, even if they come: without Anastasy, they will probably be useless; doctors will not pay attention to this. Has the danger from those bitten by a rabid dog stopped? You wrote that one was taken to the hospital. What did they do with him here, and what followed? I am returning the matter of allotment of forests. But there is no plan, and the report makes no mention of it. Write to me if you find a plan if you didn’t find it, thinking that I had it. Do you know that Hierodeacon V. is asking to join Simonov? What to think about him and this action of his? Did you receive papers from me through the Khotkovskaya nun? “They must be returned carefully.” On Great Saturday we buried the Assumption Protopresbyter. And another priest, having celebrated the Liturgy that day, went to see off the protopresbyter, but on the road he felt weak, returned to his home, and died in the evening. Thank you for the blessing from the monastery, Saint Artos. Take care of the instruction of the Turks. Abud 114, I think, can be useful. It is comforting that someone suffering from hydrophobia could receive the Holy Mysteries. Regarding V., thanks to St. Sergius, that from His vertograd the tares weed themselves out. Putting a napkin from lunch in your pocket is not an empty matter. It’s a pity if people like V. remain. At the Bethany Seminary there was a student who was noticed stealing and was covered up. He transferred to the Moscow Seminary, and committed several thefts, and exposed himself with shame for himself and the Seminary. It seems doubtful to me to accept Hieromonk L. How can one be sure that he has been slandered. It is difficult to imagine disobedience to his bishop’s order to return to Astrakhan as a dark trait in the character of the hieromonk. Look at the attached letter from the tradesman P. about buying him from his father to enter the monastery. I’m thinking: shouldn’t I ask Fr. Macarius, whether he truly knows P., whether he recognizes him for God’s sake as seeking entry into the monastery and as trustworthy; and, if this is confirmed, then wouldn’t it be difficult to bargain with your father? “I would agree to pay three hundred silver rubles for P.’s dismissal to a monastery.” If you find this idea suitable, then take the trouble to write about it. Macarius, and bow to him from me. There is no need to say who will pay the money. I am returning the package addressed to the rector of the Lavra, concluding the dismissal. The decorations placed here from the unknown are assigned to the icon of the vision of the Mother of God of the Venerable Sergius located in His cell. They think that they can also be used on the hand of the Mother of God 115. P.’s letter, small and blindly written, I did not read all of, but looked through to find out what he wanted. But I told you to fulfill my thought if you find it suitable. If you didn’t find her like that, you might not write. The father, of course, would have done better by offering his son to God as a pure sacrifice: but if, not understanding this, due to his poverty, he wants to receive something from him at a time, depriving him of his help for the rest of his life, he can make peace with this. We'll see what happens if you wrote. Vasily Semyonovich Lepeshkin told me some time ago that the store in the Stryapchesky Compound, occupied by Bauer, should be given to him, according to Bauer’s term. I promised to write to you; but I forgot. These days he tells me that this store has already been transferred. Then I thought that maybe I had this matter too and was forgotten because of oblivion: but the clerk says that this matter did not happen. If it’s not too late, take into consideration Vasily Semyonovich’s desire, and notify me what turns out to be. There is concern for the Turks who want baptism, so that, according to the lists and denunciations of the infidels, they do not demand them. True, it is heard that some of our prisoners remained in foreign lands, and they are not required: but will they do the same to us? I am advised to write about this in order to obtain permission: and for this it is necessary that the desire of those seeking baptism be expressed in writing, and that the Council inform me about this. How the times of tongues are still in force! Freedom of religion, hypocritically proclaimed in Turkey, still turns into persecution of Christians, and especially Orthodox Christians, as defenseless, and the allies previously, apparently, stood for this freedom: but in the treatise they left this matter to the will of the Sultan. What good can we expect here? The Roman Catholics will be supported by the French and Austrian ministers and consuls, the Protestants by the English: and even if our voice is heard, all ears will be stopped. Establishment of those who hope in You, establish, O Lord, the Church! May the Lord show Turk the path of salvation. By moving away from us, he, perhaps, relieves us of difficulty. Do you see that England, France and Austria, during the peace deal, entered into a special alliance to protect Turkey? Obviously, this crowd is against us. After this, we should expect that in every case they will find fault, if possible, and make it difficult for us. Therefore, it will not be difficult to say that the prisoners were forcibly baptized, and when such prisoners are demanded, they will be forcibly forced to confirm this. I agreed with your opinion to send the novice to the Kostroma diocese: but it was not without difficulty that I decided to do this. In part, this can be protected by spiritual regulations. But the Kostroma Diocese of Lavra has no more right to exile a monk to the Kostroma Diocese than the Kostroma Diocese has the right to exile its monk to the Lavra. We think to be merciful, throwing a bad man into the hands of others, without much trouble for him: but isn’t this an insult to the innocent, to whom we let Barabbas in? The Bishop of Kostroma, perhaps, would have endured it: but would it be good to burden a person because he is patient? And another would have reported to the S. Synod, and Barabbas would have been returned to us. In matters of this kind, pay attention to what the law and the authorities and the supreme law allow or do not allow, not to do to your neighbor what you do not want for yourself. The vicegerent father and the brethren rejoice in the Lord. Now, having returned from the meeting of the Sovereign Emperor, I received your letter dated 5 days. The Sovereign Emperor continues his journey now. The Empress Dowager is already on her way abroad. There is no talk now about the intention of the Empress Maria Alexandrovna to visit our Lavra. They talked about Her journey to Kyiv; but now even this is not visible. I heard about the damage to the dam in Mahra from the abbot. It wouldn't be bad if you looked and pointed out how best to restore it. However, I do not force you to be there: I leave this to your consideration. There is sad news from St. Petersburg that a lot of people are having fun. In living pictures they represent three youths in a cave and Nebuchadnezzar with his court, Jacob's ladder, and a dispute between a demon and an Angel over some maiden, described in some verses by Lermontov. Pray that those who do not separate the honorable from the unworthy will come to their senses. I added you to the list of those who will be in the Assumption Cathedral during the coronation ceremony. I don’t know how they will judge in St. Petersburg. Afanasy was not there. I would like to know your opinion about Bauer and Lepeshkin, whether to approve what was presented about Bauer, or to find out what Lepeshkin will offer. Is Bauer a serviceable and reliable hirer? Wouldn't a refusal he expected, without his fault, make an unpleasant impression on other hirers? Why is he asking for a new contract early? It seems to me that if there is anything that can be done here, it would be to postpone the decision of the case until the earliest possible time. And then let Bauer and Lepeshkin show up willing to take the apartment, and let them look into this in order. For a long time I didn’t dare to change the housekeeper, seeing that he didn’t want to, and you didn’t really want to either: but finally I made up my mind, and it seems that I had to make up my mind. Here, for example, is a recent case. The tailor complains that they did not pay part of the money for sewing clothes for the singers. The choirboy inspector says: I paid, and here is the receipt. The tailor says: the housekeeper forced me to give a receipt, without money. The housekeeper says: he didn’t force him, but advised him to give a receipt stating that the inspector would pay the money later. The inspector says that this is all the action of the housekeeper, who taught the tailor to file a complaint. Let the inspector be wrong: but how can you justify an economist who advises you to give a receipt for money that has not been received? How to deal with the affairs of such people? Yesterday the Petrovsky treasurer came to me with monastery business, and I asked him, what if I take it from Petrovsky to another place? He answered: whatever. Soon afterwards the steward came, announcing his desire to go to the Novospassky Monastery to become a governor. Then the Novospassky Archimandrite came to ask about my consent for S. to be his governor. Then I made up my mind, telling the steward to go in peace, and not to remember me unkindly, just as I was letting him go in peace. In order to make the reception as quickly as possible, I appointed the Sretensky builder, who is familiar with the affairs of the house, as an intermediary. But if you decide to send an intermediary from the Lavra: send it. You write, Father Viceroy, that when handing over and accepting a farmstead you need to be the treasurer. Why don’t you send it, having already received permission from me for this in the resolution? I'm thinking of coming to you soon; but it’s better for the business to be with me; because my things, over which I need to retain power for the time being, can be confused with the government ones. Send it. Peace to the viceroy father among the brethren. The treasurer's father has arrived. And I must admit my guilt for bothering you about him. Later I noticed that in your letter there is a reason why it was not sent immediately. O. Macarius, we worked in vain. And I worked for you about P. in vain. It seems he doesn't need to write. O. Macarius has already given him the instruction that you want to give. Whether you happen to meet me in rank or not, it makes no difference. But it’s easier for me to begin and end my journey when I come to church, as has happened more than once at the start of the liturgy. However, I still don’t know what day and hour I can escape from Moscow. I don’t know how I will get out of the forest of crowds, and from the swamp of written affairs. Yesterday the Right Reverend Yaroslavsky 116 visited me, tomorrow Kazansky 117 will visit me. Read the attached papers and leave them with me. Yesterday I was very tired of people. Therefore, I don’t expect to leave Moscow on Monday. It turned out that it was necessary to stay in Moscow on Monday for a meeting of the prison committee, which had no one to attend except me. Hello, Father Viceroy, on the day of your Angel. May the Lord add His mercy to you, both for the benefit of the Lavra, Bethany and the monastery, and for the relief of my weakness, and may he prolong your life in peace and strength. I arrived safely at the courtyard for the liturgy, and until noon I felt good; and in the afternoon I felt the difference in the local air from the monastery, feeling even in the garden the oppressive effect of the heat. I told you that I would like to see you in Moscow for some needs regarding the Assumption Cathedral. It would be more convenient for this to happen in the near future, before the influx of people and business from St. Petersburg. Can't you come here one of these days? I don’t assign a day: choose which one is more convenient for you. The service records do not indicate whether anyone was on trial or not. If you send them in this situation, they will return you without a decision. Correct this 118. Send the service records returned to you as soon as possible. The information about I. is such that it was necessary to renounce accepting this. If Dosifei wants, the novice can be released with a passport, not to mention his dismissal to the Georgian diocese. I thank the people in the monasteries for delivering the bill. To the viceroy father and the brethren of the monasteries, peace from the Lord. I did not have time to preface you, Father Viceroy, about the journey to the Lavra of the Right Reverend Polotsk 119. But I have no doubt that you will accept it as it should... Now the Most Reverend Lithuanian 120 will be a visitor to the Lavra. Receive him in my cells, offer him service, treat him and bless him with an image from the monastery and the abbot. The arrival of the Sovereign Emperor at the Petrovsky Palace is scheduled for August 14, the solemn entry into the capital on the 17th, and the sacred coronation on the 26th. A trip to the Lavra, it seems, will not follow closely: however, this is just a guess. Pray that the Lord’s gracious blessing may descend on the King and the kingdom, and that the Lord will give prayer to those who pray for their King. The holy icon was returned from the Crimean army. One side is damaged: and although we would like to deliver the icon to the Lavra intact, it is inconvenient to fix it here. We must leave this to you. I’m thinking of sending the icon on Saturday with Justinian so that he will spend the night in Brotherhood, placing the icon in the church, and on Sunday reach the chapel of the cross by eight o’clock in the morning. By this time you would have sent word from the Lavra whether he should rush to the Lavra for the liturgy, or whether he should hesitate to arrive for the liturgy. They should send him a carriage, better than a road carriage, in which he, in a robe, with a holy icon in his hands, would arrive at the holy gates, and the icon would be greeted with a censer and a candle. After being brought into the cathedral, prayers are sung, as stated in the resolution. I remembered that after the coronation in 1826, in the Lavra, during the table of the Sovereign Emperor, there was singing and many years through the protodeacon. In case, our singers would take into account that the musical singing of the stichera of Pentecost, and the stichera of the lithium of St. Sergius, and maybe something else that you remind me of may be required. Significant visitors to the Lavra speak with praise that in our guest house the rooms are well located, clean, equipped with the necessary things, and the hotel is well maintained. Thank you: and thank the hotel owner for me. We met with Bishop Novogorod 121. I came to him with the image of St. Alexy, and he came to me with the image of St. Alexander Nevsky. He intends to arrive at the Lavra next Friday evening, survey on Saturday, and serve in the Lavra on Sunday, and then visit his parent’s church, and, it seems, perform a funeral service there. Meet him, as I did, at the holy gates, arrange a service and refreshment, and present him from the monastery and the abbot with an image, the life of St. Sergius and a description of the Lavra. There should be many copies of these books in decent clothing for visitors. You demand that I remind the S. Synod about Sakharov’s tonsure. But there is no Synod. It is closed in St. Petersburg; but in Moscow it is not open, because the person correcting the post of Chief Prosecutor has not arrived. And when the Synod opens for a short time, as can be seen from the circumstances, it is difficult to hope that it will be the turn of the Sakharov case. However, I'll try to remember. I thank you that you met the holy icon in a decorous manner, which was matched by the zeal of the people. I don’t see Vladyka Novogorodsky as often as I would like: there are obstacles; but lives far away. Yesterday I came to see him and didn’t find him. Now I just wanted to go to him, as he came to me. However, he read the draft bishop's promise and agreed with it 122. Now I have handed over some other matters to him. On the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord, he served in Novospassky, and I in Chudov. On the day of the Dormition of the Mother of God, I offered him to serve in Uspenskoye: but he wants to do it again in Novospasskoye. Today he again confirmed that he will arrive at the Lavra on Friday evening. Peace to the father governor and the brethren of the monasteries. I wrote that you should arrive in Moscow on Saturday morning 123. I repeat. Maybe you will be of use to me too. Today is the meeting of the S. Synod: and I am sitting at home with a cold in my head and cheeks. Pray that I will do what is due, that the peace of good souls will not be disturbed by my unworthiness, and that the anointing of grace will descend upon the Holy Anointed One in strength and abundance. Our submissions 124 S. Synod were graciously accepted. Ask St. Sergius to incline Tsar’s heart to look upon me graciously. Pray to St. Sergius for my weakness and unworthiness. About A.: if he could not put the legguard on himself; Isn't the cross higher than the loincloth? The Empress Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna intends to visit the Lavra. She plans to leave Moscow on Saturday at seven o'clock in the morning and arrive at the Lavra without stopping. Therefore, after the meeting, he will probably go to the rest room before going to church for prayer. He plans to stay for three hours and return to Moscow before dark. That's all I know. I wish to meet Her in the Lavra: but I don’t know if it will be possible. Tomorrow the Sovereign Emperor is going to listen to the liturgy in the Assumption Cathedral, if unfavorable weather does not force him to go to the Verkhospassky Cathedral. The day after tomorrow I am invited to the table again in the Faceted Chamber. And therefore I don’t know how I’ll find the time to ask permission from the Sovereign Emperor, and whether I’ll have time to forestall the High Traveler. Be prepared to replace me. It is unpleasant for me that I could not receive the High Visitor of the Lavra there. She hasn't been there for a long time, and of course she won't be there again. But many things came together to stop me. I was already getting sick from the harsh weather before the coronation day: I would like to get sick again before the Sovereign Emperor’s journey to the Lavra. Moreover, she said that the Sovereign Emperor is accelerating: and I, returning from the Lavra, could leave with a notice of his journey. Vladyka Novgorod fell ill: this also made my absence difficult; and a matter happened for which the Sovereign Emperor demanded a speedy meeting and response. However, now Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna has sent a chamberlain to tell me that she is pleased with the reception at the Lavra and thanks me. This gratitude belongs to you. On the third day, 125 at the table deigned to tell me that he would travel to the Lavra around September 18th. Consequently, the rumor about the acceleration was incorrect: but after this correct notification there was no longer time to ask Him for permission for the Grand Duchess to go to the Lavra. Time is still tight. It was necessary for me to celebrate, among other things, for the gathered brethren. Today fourteen bishops dined with me. I regret that Vladyka Novgorod was not there. On Alexander's Day he was in the cathedral with all of us at a prayer service, and read the Gospel in such a clear voice that I had hope for his health: but by the evening he fell ill. Yesterday, when I visited him, I found him relieved, but weak. He had already asked for the Highest permission to leave for St. Petersburg before others. Others are also in a hurry: but it would be good for business if they stayed for a while. Pray that we will not lose the opportunity for the common good. Glory to God, and thanks to St. Sergius for the peace and consolation of the days of the Royal prayer. Thank you, Father Viceroy, for helping my decrepitude in these days. Tell the brethren that I thank them for maintaining order. I arrived in Moscow at ten o'clock and ten minutes in the morning. I just wanted it to be reported to the Empress that I had come to express gratitude: but She deigned to receive me and talked with me entertainingly for a long time. I also visited the Grand Dukes. The Extraordinary Envoy of Pansky, whom you were now waiting for, was now with me, and, not finding me the first time, came a second time, and was received by me. Count Vasily Dmitrievich 126 is waiting from you for the icons that he wrote to you about from Bratovshchina. Count Vasily Dmitrievich did not receive the image of the Mother of God, which was presented to Their Majesties in the sacristy. Send it, Father Viceroy, hastily, so that it can be delivered tomorrow before Their Majesties depart from Moscow. I see that tomorrow I cannot leave Moscow. And after tomorrow it will still be necessary to perform a prayer service for the journey of the Sovereign Emperor before the liturgy. Then I think about leaving soon: but I don’t know how I’ll manage. Therefore, let everything happen in the Lavra in due time; and if I am not there by the time of the prayer service, do not change the time in anticipation. Hereby I bid you farewell, Father Viceroy, Member of the Ministry of the Imperial Court, State Secretary Vladimir Ivanovich Pachaev. Contribute to his prayer and viewing of the monuments of the monastery of St. Sergius. Bless him with an icon from the monastery and the abbot. I thank God and St. Sergius for my stay in the Lavra. I thank you for helping my world, and my brethren for the good dispensation. Under a cloudy sky, and partly under snow, I reached my cell now at the end of the 11th hour; and in the second half of that same hour I made it to the Synodal office. I don’t hear anything new from St. Petersburg. I was not given the opportunity to celebrate the Day of the Intercession of the Mother of God, like you. Because in Bratovshchina I had to walk through deep snow to the priest’s house and back, the cold, starting from my feet, reached my head and teeth. Only in the house church could I serve that day. Now, thanks be to God, I celebrated the day of the Three Saints in the Assumption Cathedral; and then, as a celebration of the coronation holiday, I had a meal for my brethren, as before for visitors. There was also a new Chief Prosecutor. There is news that the Right Reverend Gregory is already of Novgorod: but the decree and rescript have not yet reached me. Thank God it worked out this way. Nikolai Petrovich Novosiltsov visited me in the evening the last few days and said goodbye to go to St. Petersburg: but the next morning he left for the next century. Instruction, especially for us who are close to such a limit. The daughter of the late abbess went to Khotkov. Pay attention to what will happen here regarding the will, and tell me. I foresee that the S. Synod will force you to act not simply, but according to orders. An adventure from burning soot, if it filled the room with smoke: could it not have brought fire into it? “Tell them to pay more attention to cleaning the pipes.” I remember that I read or heard that if you heat the stove with aspen wood once a week, then there will be no accumulation of soot in the chimney, and cleaning is not necessary. Just now I received news that the body of Princess Elisaveta Bagration-Mukhranskaya, who died abroad, was being taken to the Lavra. Why is this? I don’t remember that anyone from this family died here. We will probably invite you to Moscow after the 14th day, that is, the Kremlin religious procession. On the 7th day it is planned to consecrate the church in the Intercession Monastery, and on one of the days of this week one of the parish churches. Having written this, I open the letter of the new Bishop of Novgorod. He met the Emperor at the Kazan Cathedral with a speech. And the Tsar deigned to say that His Majesty was pleased to make his appointment on the day of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, and to enter with him. - God bless. And the case of the translation of the Holy Scriptures, it seems, will be subject to objections from the new Synodal Chief Prosecutor. The Bishop of Kiev announced to him his decisive opinion that he should not translate, so that this would not lead to the oblivion of the Slavic language, which is the liturgical language. - The will of the Lord be done. - May the Lord arrange what is useful for His church, which He alone knows infallibly. Let it be known to the Father Superior that the consecration of the house church is supposed to take place on the 18th day on Thursday. Whether it would be desirable for you to travel to the Odigitrievsky Monastery earlier than this, and return by this day, or after this, judge and decide for yourself. Doctor Blagonravov asks Jesse from the monastery to visit him for the sake of his sick wife and son. I said that a desert dweller can pray more silently for them in the desert, and that it is not useful to extract him from silence. But Mr. Dobronravov strengthens his request. Judge this matter too. Fyodor Nikolaevich Kotov gives his daughter in marriage, and asks the hermits to pray for the bride and groom, and sends a thousand rubles to the monastery along with this. Let them pray for good souls who believe in prayer and do good to us by giving us consolation to see their faith and encouraging them to pray. Isn't it necessary for the builder to write to the benefactor? I return the letter and... Arefs. Would you like to show it to Fr. to the rector of the Academy, and would he be willing to include the noted extract in his publication? You promised to deliver to me a certificate from the heirs of the late Khotkovskaya abbess that they are satisfied. Do this to finish the matter. Accept, Father Viceroy, with the attention of Mr. Begik, who will deliver this to you. The government pays special attention to it. If necessary, use a translator to explain to him everything that is noteworthy in the Lavra. May the upcoming holy fast be beneficial to the vicar father and brethren. Congratulations on this holiday too. And I celebrate, not as one serving at the altar, but as one fulfilling the place of the ignorant 127. The left side of my head, which is always weak, became very weak from the cold. Imagine Bartholomew and Manuel for ordination as hierodeacon. A thousand rubles have been sent to you by the treasurer to the monastery. It is necessary for me to be notified of receipt. Sorry for the slowness on some things. I can't handle it. Now I saw that I was to blame for delaying the permission for the firewood. Now he gave permission and ordered to send it. I hope that time is not completely lost. On the occasion of sending money to you and not receiving notification, you write that you have given me a reason to be offended. I wasn't offended at all. It could be that you did not notify, considering the matter doubtful. But I am suspicious when someone else’s property is entrusted to me, and that’s why I asked. It’s good that the stones on the chalice of the Empress turned out to be true. Fake ones are not good, not because they are of little value, but because they contain lies. Monk Manuel returns as hierodeacon. I fervently invoke God's blessing from the highest peace on the vicar father and brethren. With your prayers for my regularity, on the day of my Angel, the blessing sent to me, I accepted not only with gratitude, like yours, but also with reverence, like the blessing of our Most Reverend Father Sergius, called upon me by your prayers. Therefore, you can see what comfort you brought me. May the Lord reward you with spiritual and gracious consolation. I ask for the continuation of your prayers for my weakness and insufficiency because of my need for them, and because of your good will I hope. It’s so late because weakness overcomes. Moreover, out of six days, four were to be devoted to church service. At 6 o'clock the letter to you was given to Abel: and at 8 I received your letter of the 3rd day. I don’t know what to do with my weakness and oblivion? What I don’t have time to do in due time, and put it off due to need, I forget, and the job doesn’t get done. I wanted to write to you about the description of the monastery, etc., after sending the case to the censor: but it was only your letter today that brought this case to mind. As far as I could see, this is not an essay, but a mixture of excerpts from other people’s works, weakly stitched together with the unbleached threads of the compiler, and has neither correctness nor fidelity. Tell the Censorship Committee that it is not its business to correct: its business is to be considered according to the rules of censorship. You will indicate those inaccuracies that the censor may not have clearly seen, and which are clearer to you. The conclusion, I think, in fairness, should be that this book does not deserve to be decorated with the dedication of the name of Her Imperial Majesty. And this is what they are asking about. It is likely that the Committee on Malfunctions and Printing will not approve this book. And if this is so, then he will say about this in his opinion. Bookmaking has now completely become a craft and trade, in which they think about profit, and not about the dignity of the product. G. M. compiled a book guide to the Lavra; and wants to give it to the Lavra, like a shop, on commission for sale, with the concession of some interest. I hope that you will not judge my refusal. Thank you for the icons. Render about. to the treasurer to give my money for them. You wrote, and Ms. Loginova told me, about building a church at Filaret’s cell. Help me get out of my thoughts. We have already built many churches on our own, without higher permission. Isn’t it time to stop so that justice does not come in the wake of long-suffering? And is it righteous to build churches, not only without need, but also in abundance, according to one’s will? On the 2b day of this month, give me 150 rubles for ministers and almshouses. With. and for poor strangers 15 rubles. With. The Father Viceroy rejoices. The Word, which is silent for our sake, in order to later speak to us of salvation, may it speak His peace and His joy into your heart. And I believe in being with you. Thank you for coming to me with your writings and glorifying Christ with the word of the Church. Truly, it is best to glorify Him with the word of the Mother Church, which came from the Spirit and is full of spiritual and Divine intelligence. I call upon you and all the brethren God’s blessing for the new summer, and you will also call upon my weakness. What a strange message they wrote to me from St. Petersburg, by telegraph! The Parisian archbishop in the church at the altar was struck with a knife by a concelebrating priest for disagreement in the newly proclaimed dogma of their church about the conception of the Blessed Virgin, which was not involved in original sin. Apparently he wanted to be Phinehas, but not in such a case and place. How hell expands its gates to earth! – Do not betray us to the end, God of the Fathers! Yesterday we sang the funeral service of Alexander Ivanovich Karasevsky. He admonished himself with the sacraments in good time, ended about 24 hours, and was born into the invisible world on the day, and close to the hour, at which Christ the Savior was born into the visible world. There were no relatives at the time of A.I.’s death. He had a friend in St. Petersburg, Senator Borovkov, in whose family he wanted to be buried with him. This friend died three weeks ahead of him. The son of this friend came to arrange the burial of A.I. and took his remains to be buried with his father. Tell the treasurer to send Migalov 10 rubles. now, and the same amount before Easter. To Her Excellency Maria Pavlovna Leontyeva, as can be seen from the inscription of the hand of Fr. governor on this letter. The first and last vicar of Saratov, † to the rank of archbishop. Kishinevsky 1871 March 13. See Sl. and speeches by F. M. M. Collection. 2. part 3, pp. 320–322. The conversation was sent to St. Petersburg. when writing to Rev. Gregory, at that time archbishop. Kazansky, from the Lavra dated June 27. Thurs. in society love spirit. enlightenment 1877, part III. Materials, p. 157. And the thoughts expressed to the governor about the impossibility of making a pass in this conversation, as well as in defense of A.N.’s book about Georgia, were repeated in a letter to the Rev. same Gregory dated July 20. Ibid pp. 158,160. Also published in this edition for 1850. Moscow Epiphany Monastery, † November 19, 1850 “They also say that both sisters are not in a peaceful relationship with their father,” is a footnote from the original. Described in a letter from the Lavra dated March 20, 1851, Monastic Letters, pp. 104–107. Described in the same letter. See also, pp. 107–110. The story about this is published in the book: “Monastic Letters”, pp. 110–112. The following is written on the piece of paper: “Litany at the prayer service. Have mercy on us, O God, according to the greatness of Your mercy, we pray, hear and have mercy. We also pray for the servant of God, they prayed that he be forgiven for every sin, whether voluntary or involuntary. We also pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation and prosperity for this servant of God who is praying to us.” Described in a letter dated December 4, 1851, which is published in the book “Monastic Letters,” pp. 112–114. Printed in Soul Floor. Readings, 1867 October. Published in the same edition, April 1868. It is noteworthy that this promise was excluded from the order of the bishop’s oath when it was revised and corrected by Metropolitan Philaret in 1856. Probably Rev. Gregory. Slich. letter to him dated April 5, 1852 on Thursday. in general love spirit. enlightenment 1878, part III, Materials, pp. 174, 175. Published in the book “Monastic Letters”, pp. 115–117. Anfim, later Exarch of Bulgaria? Anthony, appointed 1852 July 8, † archbishop. Vladimir. Another person is not the one we are talking about at the beginning of this letter. The collection of words and speeches also includes a conversation on the fiftieth anniversary of the Catherine School, February. 10 days (vol. 3, 325), and a word in memory of St. Alexia Feb. 12 days (vol. 3, 102). On this date, the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod, gr. Protasyev (by special Highest command, as a result of the handwritten rescript of the Sovereign Emperor. This rescript contained the following command: “It has come to my attention that in Moscow, in the monasteries, there are no detailed inventories of church property, which is why much precious, in terms of antiquity and historical value, is lost, acquired by lovers of such objects in various ways, passes from hand to hand, and what should remain a church treasure disappears there and goes into private collections. Finding this extremely indecent, I instruct you to personally go to Moscow unexpectedly and believe that this is true? And if, to extreme shame and regret, it turns out that these inventories do not exist, then without delay he will order the creation of corded books, under the seal of the metropolitan, to which all the church property of each monastery or church should be entered exactly, with it is strictly prohibited to sell any of this property aside, without the permission of the Metropolitan himself, N.” The further course of the matter that arose as a result of this is described in the article: “The concerns of Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich about the preservation of monuments of Russian antiquities and antiquities.” Russian Star. May 1877, pp. 148–154. In the memorial book, mentioned more than once in the publication of these letters on the 20th of March, it is written: “1853. The servant of God Evdokia, my mother, reposed at 9 o’clock in the morning.” Several church inventories of cathedrals and monasteries were revised, amounting to 51 books. Russian Star. May 1877, p. 149. It is preserved in the Lavra sacristy between the acts, according to inventory No. 47. Slich. Letters from M.M.F. to A.N.M.... Kiev, 1868, pp. 415–416. Abbreviations of the original. Slich. letter dated May 5th. VI Universe. Cathedral. Right 73. He was a so-called funeral hieromonk in the Lavra. Rev. Filofeya. Since Aug. On the 19th 1853 he became bishop. Kostromsky; later Metropolitan of Kiev. Archim. Alexy; in the last archbishop Tverskoy. To consecrate the church, the word St. was also used. 7 days. Joseph, former bishop. Dmitrovsky. Kept in the Lavra sacristy between acts, according to inventory No. 25. According to this instruction, we can conclude that above, in letters 946 and 948, “notebook” should mean “a conversation with the brotherhood of the Nikolaev Ugreshsky cenobitic monastery” (Words and Speeches. Part 3, 1861, pp. 327–330) October 16, 1853. Iliopolsky, who lived in Moscow. Ekaterinoslavsky, coll. above letter 945. The recently deceased I.V. Rozhdestvensky. The letter dated December 20, 1853 is kept in the Lavra sacristy between acts, according to inventory No. 23. Letter without signature. In the same letter about which see above, letter 961. Former bishop Tomsky, from 1841 June 10 was a member of Moscow. Synod. Offices. Of course, Count Nikolai Alexandrovich Protasov, Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod. Ap. Nick. Muravyov explains a similar complaint from Vladyka in a letter to him dated December 29, 1853 (perhaps incorrectly) as relating to the opera: “The Jews.” See Letters of Met. Moscow F. to A. N. M... Kiev, 1869, p. 442. Probably to Count Arseny Andreevich, i.e. Zakrevsky, Governor-General of Moscow. A similar review of this message is found in a letter to Andr. Nick. Muravyov (ibid. p. 446) dated February 2, 1854. From this letter it is clear that the message under discussion was published in the “debate journal,” i.e., in the Journal des Debats. Those. in Revae de deux mndes. Everything contained in this section of the letter is repeated by the Bishop in his letter to A.N. Muravyov dated February 2, 1854 (see pp. 446–448). Based on what is said further in the letter about this notebook, it must be assumed that this notebook refers to the word on the day of remembrance of St. Alexis February. 12, 1854. See Words and Speeches, Part 3, 1861, pp. 108 et seq. M. Philaret was forwarded “assigned” to His Eminence the Sovereign Emperor a copy of the pictorial album of Hagia Sophia published by the architect Fossati in Constantinople in the presence of the Minister of the Court, gr. V. Adlenberg, dated January 5, 1853. The Bishop also purchased a copy of this publication, he informs A.N. Muravyov in a letter to him dated January 5, 1853 with the words: “I received Fossati’s publication today, and paid the subscription money” (p. 406). Of course, Golubinsky, prof. M.d. Ak., † 22 Aug. 1854. Probably A.N. Muravyova; Saint Philaret thanked the author for 50 copies of this book in a letter to him dated May 26, 1854, p. 455. The first two or three letters are not parsed. However, coll. item 1003. See note above. to paragraph 1001. This prayer was performed, and during it the word was spoken. See Chronological. index, page 80. Chief Chamberlain Olsufiev, as can be seen from the original rescript about this of the Empress Tsesarevna - now in Bose of the deceased Empress, dated October 13. 1854. The icon is called here “painted by Lavra artists and depicting St. Alexia and Rev. Sergius." In all likelihood, we are talking about the book “The Tale of the Wandering and Journey of the Monk Parthenius, a tonsured monk of Mount Athos,” published already in 1856. This refers, no doubt, to the legend contained in a letter from the Lavra dated November 1, 1854, and placed in the book “Monastic Letters” (pp. 127–130). Explanatory information about this Vukol can be read there (pp. 130–132). Interviewed. See Words and Speeches. Part 3. Moscow, 1861, p. 330. In the printed edition (second) this promise is not present, and the hierodeacon is designated only by the letter M., part 1, page 282. The letter, apparently, has not been preserved intact: it does not have the usual initial greeting; Moreover, only one quarter, now in print, has survived from it. The words are repeated with almost literal accuracy in a letter to A.N.M... dated March 2, 1855. See the named letters, page 465. One of the reasons why Saint Philaret attached importance to this matter was that this bridge is located on the route of communication between academic professors living behind the monastery and the academy: out of attention to them, saving the time of these workers, Vladyka himself subsequently indicated the location of this bridge, shortening their path. Slich. letters to A.N.M., p.468. The pigeon's wing is silvered. Ps. 67:14. September 8th is the birthday of the Sovereign Heir, Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich. This letter, dated October 8, 1855, was first published during the lifetime of His Eminence the Metropolitan in the September Book of Soulful Readings for 1863. Printed and Add. to ed. Creation St. Ooh. Part 142, pp. 415–421, and from there the general collection of Words and Speeches passed on. Probably, we are talking about a conversation at the consecration. church in the Varvarinsky Orphanage; November 1st 1855 See Sl. and R. Vol. 3, pp. 173–175. The year is not specified. The letter is preserved between letters from 1855. Abridged original. We are probably talking about V.D. Olsufiev. That is, the Rector of the Moscow Academy. Conversation a week about the prodigal son and in memory of St. Alexia. Print In full collection Words and speeches, part 3, pp. 23–26. O. The viceroy was sworn in to enter this ministry on March 10, 18. Slich. This is the same publication of letters, part 1, page 2. A.I. Muravyov in a letter dated March 12. Holy Letters of Metropolitan M. Philaret to A.N.M., pp. 486, 487. A secret report on this matter was presented to the Holy Synod on March 23, No. 24, and immediately upon receipt it was submitted by the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod, Karasevsky, to the Highest view, as a result of which, by the Highest command, a reassuring answer was communicated to Metropolitan Philaret. The above-mentioned report was printed, with some errors in the text and the omission of one part, in Readings in General. love spirit. Enlightenment, for December 1881 in the materials department, pp. 519–521. One section was missing, preceding the final one, the following: “such is the information that rumor spreads, and the probability of which is confirmed by acts. And these are the sad thoughts that, as a result of this information, involuntarily occupy people who are zealous for the good of the Orthodox Church and the Fatherland.” Attached to this note was the following correspondence in copies: a) confidential attitude of the Minister of the Court, gr. V. Adlerberg to His Eminence Metropolitan dated January 20. 1856 No. 283, b) the Metropolitan’s confidential response to the Minister of the Court dated February 7. 1856 The latter published under the title “opinions of Moscow Metropolitan Philaret on some proposals relating to changes in the state emblem” in the publication: Russk. Old man. vol. XIV, 1875, pp. 397–400; however, it was printed without introductory words, and without a genuine signature, which could expose the purpose of this so-called “opinion”, and, what is even more important, without the postscript, which in our copy follows the signature, and which is quite long and, perhaps, even constituted a separate letter from the relation, and in content is much more significant than the relation itself. Spiridon Abud, student Moscow. Academy, Syrian native. The note is without a signed name. This was the first subject to which Metropolitan Philaret paid attention, when, having come to the idea, “during the expected sacred ceremony of the coronation of the Sovereign Emperor Alexander Nikolaevich, whether it is necessary to use the meeting of bishops for consultations on certain church subjects,” he found it necessary to bring to the attention of the S. Synod what, in his own opinion, “there are church subjects that require especially careful consultations.” First of all, he wrote: “already before this, I was urged to reconsider the bishop’s confession and promise before ordination, in which in the past, when translating from Greek, an important part in its content was omitted - the detailed imposition of the dogma of the Holy Trinity in its content, and the addition, which is not in the Greek rites, contains, among other things, alien to this church act, and sayings that seriously affect the ears of the church, such as, for example, about people in mats, walking barefoot and in shirts. It is desirable that the consideration of this act, for which I have prepared a correction, take place in the meeting of the S. Synod, as complete as possible.” This letter is not visible among those that have survived. Of course, those that are indicated in the notes. to paragraph 1114. You might be interested in: