Описания торжеств в церковной печати

The highest visit to the Diveyevo Monastery, Nizhny Novgorod diocese On the way from Sarov, the Sovereign Emperor, the Empresses and Persons of the Royal House, who were at the Sarov celebrations, went to the Diveyevo Monastery for several hours on July 20. “Diveev,” as this monastery is commonly called locally, is located 14 versts from the Sarov Hermitage and is connected with the latter by bonds of moral unity, since “Diveev” was founded and lives by the precepts of “Father Father Seraphim,” the Sarov saint of God. That is why these days of celebrations at the Sarov monastery became a time of spiritual joy in the Diveyevo monastery. The spiritual celebrations of both monasteries were aggravated by the participation in them of the Most Pious Sovereign Emperor, Empresses, Princes and Princesses of the Royal House. Long before July 20, Diveev began to prepare for a worthy meeting of the Highest Dear Guests; by the time of Their arrival, the entire path to the monastery was decorated with greenery, flags, and triumphal arches; people - local and from distant countries - in festive costumes greeted the Tsar-Father and the Queens with enthusiastic, joyful greetings. In the monastery fence, along the royal route, the nuns of the monastery lined up in trellises to the cathedral, and in front of them were students of parish schools. At about 10 o'clock in the morning, the Tsar's train (in carriages), with an incessant animated "hurray" and the ringing of bells, approached the Diveyevo Cathedral. The distinguished Guests were greeted at their entrance to the cathedral by His Grace Nazarius, Bishop of Nizhny Novgorod, in a host of clergy, with the holy cross and holy water. The Bishop greeted the Sovereign Emperor and the Sovereign Empresses with a speech. After the usual litanies and many years, the Most High Guests prayed before the icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness,” before which the Venerable Father Seraphim died in prayer in Sarov, and before the locally revered icon “The Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands” and venerated them. All the Highest pilgrims were presented from the monastery with icons made by the monastery “picturesque”: the Venerable Father Seraphim, the “Tenderness”, the Appearance of the Mother of God to the Venerable Father Seraphim, etc. The Sovereign Emperor and the Empresses deigned to inspect the side-altar northern church of the cathedral, prepared for consecration in honor of the Venerable Father Seraphim, and in particular the painting of the cathedral, which has high advantages; all of her is the spiritual sacrifice of the Diveyevo ascetics, who carry out “picturesque” obedience in the monastery. From the cathedral, the Highest Guests proceeded to the chambers of the abbess of the monastery, Abbess Maria, and deigned to listen to the Liturgy in the house church at the abbot’s chambers. Tea and breakfast were prepared in the abbess's room. After breakfast, the distinguished Guests surveyed the monastery's sights and institutions. The Sovereign Emperor, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and Grand Dukes Nikolai Nikolaevich and Pyotr Nikolaevich, accompanied by court officials, arrived at the local parochial school with a shelter for orphan girls at about 2 o'clock in the afternoon. By this time, teachers and students had arrived here (70 students from two women's parochial schools from the city of Ardatov). The monastery school is housed in a beautiful two-story building, has two spacious classrooms, apartments for teachers and living quarters for orphan girls; education at the school is conducted “for holy obedience” by educated ascetics of the monastery (nun Raphaila and novice Nadezhda Sadovskaya, granddaughter of the ever-memorable friend of the Rev. Father Seraphim, priest Vasily Sadovsky); there are special teachers of singing and handicrafts (novices Akilina Kochetkova and Elizaveta Bychkova). The school was decorated with greenery and flowers for the Imperial visit; The royal path was strewn with flowers. The Ardat students arranged themselves in trellises at the entrance to the school and, at the entrance of the Royal Guests, sang a prayer for the Tsar. Fellow Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod, Senator V.K. Sabler reported to the Sovereign Emperor about the school and introduced the Ardat district observer, Archpriest Magnitsky. A velvet embroidered pillow and two embroidered towels were graciously accepted from the Ardat students; The girls who brought them were honored to kiss the hand of the Sovereign Emperor and the Sovereign Empress. The students of the monastery orphanage school greeted the Sovereign Visitors by singing the prayer “Save, Lord” and a troparion to the Venerable Father Seraphim. The Emperor deigned to ask the district observer about the number of students, the time the school opened, the time of construction of the present building, and whether all the students live here. At the same time, the Empress expressed pleasure to the school teacher, nun Raphaila, that the school building was good, bright, spacious, comfortable, and asked about the length of service of the teacher, about the years of the two orphan girls. When the singing ended, the Sovereign Emperor was pleased to say: “They sing well”; the singing teacher and students bowed to the Tsar’s gracious word. The Emperor and the Empress turned their attention to two orphan girls; The Sovereign Emperor asked one of them, Anyuta (Anna Kulagina): “Do you know anything by heart?” The little girl read the poem “Orphan”. The Sovereign Emperor listened with a gentle smile to the unintelligible childish babble of a peasant girl (four years old). “Do you know any prayer?” – the Empress deigned to ask. The girl read “Our Father”... The Empress, like a mother, leaned towards the baby and kissed her. The Emperor was pleased to listen to the singing of the children. The girls sang “God Save the Tsar.” “They sing well with you,” the Emperor expressed his approval for the second time. The students were honored to present to the Empress two warm blankets they had knitted for the Tsar’s children. The Grand Dukes also examined the school with attention and deigned to express their approval of the amenities and elegance of the school. When the Highest Persons departed from school, the children sang a prayer for the Tsar. The Highest Guests from the school proceeded to the Transfiguration (cemetery) Church; in this church several monuments remain from the venerable father Seraphim are kept: the altar here was built from his cell, which was built in Sarov on the so-called “distant desert” of father Seraphim by the robbers who beat him, after he forgave them for their crime; from Sarov, after the death of Father Seraphim, the cell was transferred to Diveyevo and turned, at the direction of the Right Reverend Jeremiah of Nizhny Novgorod, into an altar, the unfinished logs were left untouched; and for more reliable preservation of this monument to the exploits of the saint, the altar is enclosed in the outer church wall, from which it is separated by a corridor, and under a special roof. In the same church are kept: the Gospel with the Psalter, with which Father Seraphim was not separated during his lifetime and usually carried it in a little bag behind his back, his stole and armlets, part of the stone on which he prayed for 1000 days and nights, and other items of his household (candlestick, bench, chair, etc.); all this is now stored in new display cases and is an object of celebration by pilgrims. The highest Pilgrims prayed in the church, examined the altar and other monuments of the saint’s exploits. From here the Highest Guests headed to the so-called “hermitage” of Diveyevo; this is the former cell (small hut) of Father Seraphim, carved by him himself on his “near hermitage” in Sarov, at the source, near the Sarovka River; after his death, this cell was transferred to Diveyevo and preserved in the same form as it was with the monk; and this monument, for more reliable preservation, is enclosed, as if in a case, in an external building; in the cell there is kept a part of the same stone - a witness to the long prayer vigil of Father Seraphim - and a piece of wood that replaced his chair. In the cell there is a “non-sleeping” reading of the Psalter. All pilgrims consider it a moral need to visit this “desert” and pray under the shade of the cell in which the pure, holy prayer of the righteous man of God was offered. The Highest Visitors prayed in the cell of Father Seraphim and examined the monuments of his exploits. After that, the Highest Guests visited the monastery “picturesque”. Diveyevo’s “picturesque” includes the following departments: its own painting, photography, lithography and metachromotiny. “Zhivopisnaya” was visited by all the Persons of the Royal House who were in Diveyevo; His Eminence Nazariy met them and introduced them to the works of the sister artists; The “elder” “picturesque” nun Seraphima, as well as nuns Anastasia and Lydia, gave explanations. Having initially entered the lithography workshop, the Sovereign Emperor and the Empresses examined the drawing on stones (the “Appearance of the Mother of God and the Heavenly Powers to the Praying Father Seraphim” and “Tenderness” were being worked on stone). The Emperor asked about the number of working novices and the size of the prepared works. When examining the icons in the cabinet, the Emperor said: “Very good.” In the printing department, the old printing press and the new high-speed printing machine attracted the highest attention; Their Imperial Majesties were interested in the size of production of the first and second; The Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, regarding the acquisition of a new typewriter, deigned to say: “You will still need a lot.” In the “translation” department, Their Imperial Majesties looked attentively at the work of Sister Varvara, who was translating the picture. In the “picturesque”, the Highest Visitors, examining the icons and paintings, expressed approval of the completed images of the Venerable Father Seraphim, commissioned to different cities. The Empress Maria Feodorovna, leaving, deigned to express her approval of the sisters' work. Their Imperial Majesties acquired many icons and images of the monastery "painting" and lithography. The Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, in the presence of the Sovereign Emperor, deigned to present nun Seraphim with a gold, elegant workmanship, pectoral cross, with the words: “You work very well; We really liked everything with you.” Before the departure of the Highest Guests from Diveevo, in the chambers of the abbess, the abbess of the convents of Nizhny Novgorod and other dioceses were honored to introduce themselves to Their Imperial Majesties and Their Imperial Highnesses and had the good fortune to present various works of the nuns’ own work. At 3:10 p.m. the Highest departure from the monastery followed. Nuns, disciples and people stood along the route of the Tsar. At the ringing of bells, with incessant cries of “Hurray!”, the Highest Guests departed from the monastery fence, making the sign of the cross at the monastery churches, accompanied by universal loyal good wishes. Right Reverend Nazarius, immediately after the departure of the Sovereign Guests, in the concelebration of the entire clergy, performed a prayer service in the Diveyevo Cathedral for those marching with the proclamation of many years to the Royal Travelers. And in the souls of all those present there remained the indelible images of the Most Highly Dear Visitors to the monastery. The memory of this event will forever be preserved as a precious asset in the history and chronicles of the Diveyevo Monastery and in the hearts of thousands of pilgrims who arrived in Diveyevo on that day and saw the Tsar-Father and both Queens face to face. These pilgrims will carry feelings of loyal love and devotion to the remote corners of vast Russia, pass them on to their relatives and fellow villagers, and the Diveyevo celebrations on July 20 will be reflected in the hearts of the multi-million Russian people. All the workers of the church school will also be pleased with the highest attention paid to it by the Sovereign Tsar and Queen, who, like a caring Father and Mother, talked with affection and love with the children of the people, with the teachers and leaders, delved into the life of this school, into the lives of the children and teachers. The royal gracious word of approval of the Diveyevo school will serve to inspire all workers in the holy field of public education. Priest F. Arkhangelsky Additions to the Church Gazette, No. 32, 1903, pp. 1212–1216. The Sarov celebrations of the discovery of the holy relics of St. Seraphim ended with the consecration of two churches named after the saint. The first Seraphim Church in Russia was consecrated in Sarov, above the monastery cell of St. Seraphim. The consecration of the church took place on Monday, July 21. On the eve of this day, at 7 1/2 o'clock in the evening, the bell of the large bell called many worshipers to the newly consecrated church for its first all-night vigil. The all-night vigil was served, as usually happens in such cases, in the middle of the church, in front of the table on which were located all the sacred accessories of the altar and altar, covered with a blue silk shroud. The Right Reverend Innocent of Tambov came out to attend the litany and glorification of St. Seraphim. The chants of the service were performed by singers of the Tambov Bishop's Choir. The anointing of a crowd of thousands of people with consecrated oil was performed by the Right Reverend Innocent, who, during the polyeleos, accompanied by the archdeacon of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra and two subdeacons, entered the cell of St. Seraphim to perform incense. The next day, July 21, the consecration of the church was performed by His Eminence Anthony, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg. When the vestment of the throne and the altar had already been completed, a solemn procession took place, accompanied by a procession of the cross, behind the holy relics for the altar to be consecrated. During the religious procession, banners carved from cypress wood were carried, sent as a gift to the monastery from the society of banner bearers of Sergiev Posad. Following the procession heading towards the Assumption Cathedral were Metropolitan Anthony, Kazan Archbishop Dimitri and Tambov's Right Reverend Innocent. From the Assumption Cathedral, the Metropolitan transferred particles of the holy relics of St. Seraphim on his head. The newly consecrated five-domed church is a beautiful, original structure in the Russian-Byzantine style. The architectural design of the Seraphim Church was developed and compiled by professor of architecture A. S. Kamensky. Dimensions of the church: length 22 fathoms, width 8 fathoms, and inside - from the floor to the vaults - 10 fathoms. Funds for the construction of the church were collected among Christ-loving benefactors and admirers of St. Seraphim. One benefactor donated 50,000 rubles for the construction of a majestic bronze drawn iconostasis; all the valuable utensils for the church were donated by different persons. The cost of the entire structure is determined in excess of 200 thousand rubles. Currently, the St. Seraphim Church is not yet plastered on the outside and not painted on the inside; but next year they will begin this work, paint the church in the white color of Sarov churches and line it with colored tiles. This church contains all the banners, 42 in number, donated to the monastery on July 19 from 18 banner-bearing societies. One of the main shrines of the Sarov monastery - the stone cell of the Monk Seraphim, in which he lived, labored and died in a feat of prayer - is located in the western part of the church, between the choirs and its middle part, and has the appearance of a chapel with a hipped scaly roof made of light bronze, with a row of kokoshniks along the lower edge and a golden cross on its head. You can walk around this cell-chapel. The entire northern wall of the cell outside is occupied by an artistically painted sacred image of the appearance of the Mother of God to St. Seraphim. At the entrance to the cell there is an image of the Venerable Seraphim blessing and above the low door there is an icon of the Tenderness of the Mother of God. Inside the sacred cell, of small size, in its left corner, there is a massive bronze icon case with embossing, height to the ceiling, under the mirror glass of which there are: the image of the Savior in a golden robe and a copy of the icon of the Tenderness of the Mother of God, before which, kneeling, the Monk Seraphim accepted his blessed death. In front of the icon case is a large candlestick and an unquenchable lamp. Here there is also a lectern with the holy cross and the Gospel for serving prayers to the newly-minted saint of God. The cell contains the preserved belongings of St. Seraphim. A stove with a stove bench, lined with green tiles with the image of a flower, has been preserved here; here are: a mantle, a cap in the form of a kamilavochka and the leather rosary of the monk, two neck crosses made of cypress wood, carved by his hands, a stone on which the monk prayed during the day in his distant hermitage, his tooth and hair from the head of the monk and the Gospel, which was burned during a fire in the monk’s cell at the time of his death. All these items are enclosed in display cases made of light bronze with mirror glass, arranged with the diligence of Moscow banner bearers. On one case the following inscription is engraved in Slavic letters: “Constructed by the support of the society of Moscow banner bearers of all cathedrals, Kremlin monasteries and Novo-Spassky - in memory of the discovery of the holy relics of our father, the Venerable Seraphim, the Wonderworker of Sarov, during the glorious reign of the Sovereign Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich, July 19, 1903.” And the entire cell-chapel was decorated at the expense of the same banner bearers. The consecration of the second church in the name of St. Seraphim of Sarov took place on July 22 at the Seraphim-Diveevo Convent. Here, according to the deep faith of the sisters of the monastery in the holiness and quick glorification of its founder, in 1875 the left side chapel of the cathedral church was built in his honor - but remained unconsecrated until the discovery of the holy relics of St. Seraphim. On the eve of the consecration in the cathedral, the monastery clergy performed church services: small vespers, paraklisis, compline and all-night vigil, and the Right Reverend Nazarius, Bishop of Nizhny Novgorod, came out to litia and magnification during the all-night vigil. The gathering of pilgrims on the occasion of the celebration was extraordinary: the vast church did not accommodate the worshipers and was surrounded from the outside by a living wall of people; There were up to a thousand people who fasted, whose confession lasted from 3 to 12 pm. The ceremony of consecrating the church began at 7 o'clock in the morning. After vesting the holy throne and altar, His Grace Nazarius carried out the transfer of particles of holy relics on his head from the altar of the main chapel of the cathedral church, and then the procession headed around the cathedral. In the newly consecrated St. Seraphim Church, the first liturgy was celebrated by the bishop, the chants of which were marvelously sung by a choir of nuns. At the end of the liturgy, the cathedral held a solemn prayer service to Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene - on the occasion of the name day of the Empress Maria Feodorovna - and to St. Seraphim. In the iconostasis of the newly consecrated Seraphim Church, on the church icon the Monk Seraphim is depicted in a long monastic robe and with his gaze turned to heaven; At the feet of the monk lies the view of the Sarov desert. Nearby is an icon depicting one of the 70 apostles, Prochorus (the worldly name of the saint) and Saint Sylvester, Pope of Rome, whose memory is celebrated on January 2, the day of the saint’s death. On the northern side doors there is a fiery six-winged Seraphim, the monk's angel in monasticism. Nearby is an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the martyr Queen Alexandra - saints named after Their Majesties. On the day of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, July 22, at 7 o’clock in the morning, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Assumption Cathedral of the Sarov Hermitage, which was served by the Most Reverend Anthony, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg, with the Eminence Demetrius of Kazan and Innocent of Tambov. At the end of the service, on behalf of Metropolitan Anthony, Archbishop Dimitri and Bishop Innokenty, a congratulatory telegram was sent to Peterhof to the August Birthday Girl, Empress Maria Feodorovna, to which on July 23 a telegraphic response was received in the name of the Metropolitan, stated in the following highly gracious expressions: “Under the living impression of the joyful days of heartfelt tenderness that I spent in beautiful Sarov, I sincerely thank you, Archbishop Dimitri of Kazan and Bishop Dimitri of Kazan and Bishop Innocent of Tambov for greetings on the day of My Angel and prayerful wishes. The highest telegram of greeting was composed in the following terms: “Having prayed at the shrine of St. Seraphim for the health and prosperity of Your Majesty, from beautiful Sarov we most respectfully greet you on the day of your Angel and prayerfully wish you all the mercies from the Lord. Anthony, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg. Demetrius, Archbishop of Kazan. Innokenty, Bishop of Tambov." Around the holy shrine of St. Seraphim of Sarov, in the arches of the canopy, there are only thirty-six lamps, among which five lamps are a gift from the Highest Persons. All these lamps are installed on the side facing the main Assumption chapel of the cathedral. The lamp of Their Majesties is round in shape, gold, decorated with precious stones from Siberian rocks, in its natural form, without polishing, and with the ancient Christian sign of the name of Jesus Christ, in the form of the letters X and XP in a circle, made of mosaic enamel. The rim of the lamp has the following openwork inscription made in Slavic script: “You Yourself, Lord God, chose him and found his heart faithful before You. Gift of Their Majesties Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. July 19, 1903." A spherical porcelain cup is inserted into the rim and there is a red glass lamp in it. The lamp hangs on four chains composed of chased images of the heads of six-winged seraphs and large precious stones. Below, four pearl tassels are suspended from the lamp; the precious stones with which the lamp is decorated are of three colors: white, green and pink. Under the lamp of the Sovereign and Empress there is a lamp - a gift from the August Children of Their Majesties, decorated in the same way as the first, with the only difference that four chains are made of chased images of the State Coat of Arms and are attached at the top to the Imperial Crown. The following inscription is carved on the rim: “The Light of Christ enlightens everyone. Gift of Their Imperial Highnesses Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia. July 19, 1903." To the right of this lamp, on a purple silk ribbon, is attached the lamp of Their Imperial Highnesses Grand Duke Sergius Alexandrovich and Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna. On the golden rim of the lamp there are miniature icons of the Holy Blessed and Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky and Mary Magdalene artistically made from mosaic enamel. Between the holy icons the following text is carved in Slavic script: “To the God-glorified holy elder Seraphim of Sarov, with warm faith, this lamp is brought by Grand Duke Sergius Alexandrovich and Grand Duchess Elisaveta Feodorovna. July 19, 1903." The four chains of the lamp are made of openwork leaves with a pearl on each leaf; An oblong cross made of white enamel is suspended at the bottom of the lamp; the entire lamp is decorated with pearls. To the left of the lamp of the August Children of Their Majesties there is a lamp - a gift from Their Highnesses Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich and Grand Duchess Militsa Nikolaevna. The lamp consists of two rims connected to each other by three chains of precious stones - pearls, rubies, alexandrites, chrysolites; on the same chain below, suspended from the lamp, is a chased gold image of a six-winged seraph. At the top the lamp is attached to a purple silk ribbon; the lower rim has a metal bottom and a red glass lamp is fixed on it. On the upper rim of the lamp, the following inscription is carved in Slavic script: “The city cannot hide, standing at the top of the mountain. Whoever does and teaches, he will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.” The upper edges of both rims of the lamp are decorated with crosses made of multi-colored precious stones, and the lower edges with pendants made of the same stones. On the front side of the lower rim of the lamp there is a small artistic icon of the “Tenderness of the Mother of God” painted on porcelain with enamel paints. The face of the Mother of God on both sides is surrounded by the following saying of the Apostle Paul: “My word and my preaching are not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and power, so that your faith will not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” On the opposite side of this lamp is the lamp of His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, which is a round aureole made of white enamel, decorated with large aquamarines. On the rim there is an inscription in gold letters: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” The lamps of Their Majesties and Their August Children are made according to an artistic drawing made by Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich, who is known as an expert in ancient Christian and Byzantine style and ornamentation. Remarkable for its elegant beauty is another highest gift to the shrine of St. Seraphim - these are four carpet-runners made of dark green material, having a total length of 40 arshins. The border of these carpets is embroidered with ribbons of yellow silk fabric in a beautiful design. This embroidery was made by Her Imperial Majesty the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. Additions to the Church Gazette No. 32, 1903, pp. 1216–1221.