Historical teaching about the Fathers of the Church (Volumes I-III)

Contents Preface Chapter I. Historical information about the homeland of Metropolitan Philaret - the city of Kolomna Chapter II. Ancestors of Metropolitan Philaret on his father's and mother's sides Chapter III. The childhood of V. M. Drozdov Chapter IV. The adolescence of V. M. Drozdov Chapter V. The school of Metropolitan Plato, its nature and significance for spiritual enlightenment in the 2nd half of the 18th and early 19th centuries Chapter VI. Life of V. M. Drozdov in free apartments in Sergiev Posad Chapter VII. Visit to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra by Sovereign Emperor Alexander I Chapter VIII. Appointment of V. M. Drozdov to the position of teacher of Greek and Hebrew languages ​​Chapter IX. V. M. Drozdov’s decision to enter monasticism November 19, 1892 marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the death of the ever-memorable Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow. Let us move ​mentally to this event, which was accompanied by great ​sorrow not only in Moscow, but throughout Russia, even throughout the entire Orthodox world. Let us remember what was said and written under the living impression of this loss by both clergy and secular persons. This loss seemed so enormous, the significance of the entire personality of the deceased was so great that for the first time after it, even people with strong intellects recognized themselves as if powerless to begin to evaluate them. "There is no word strong enough to describe the immeasurable greatness of the loss suffered in the person of Metropolitan Philaret by the Moscow Church, the All-Russian Church, the entire Eastern Orthodox Church. There is no mind so deep as to exhaust the sixty years of amazingly beneficial and varied activities of the deceased saint. ​There is no knowledge so extensive that could embrace the entire content of this activity, mostly ​secret and only in necessary cases revealed to the world. And no matter how hard anyone tries to depict the properties and deeds of the ​repentant saint, no image will be fully worthy of his great ​memory​: everything will be pale, meager, wretched. ​More comfortable silence, reverent, prayerful.” 'As the professor of the Moscow Theological Academy A.F. Lavrov-​Platonov (later His Eminence Alexy, Archbishop of Lithuania) wrote at that time in his article: “In memory of Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow.” A similar judgment regarding the death of Metropolitan Philaret is expressed in the 1st issue of the then newly appeared newspaper “Modern Izvestia” by its editor N.P. Gilyarov-​Platonov, who was also formerly a professor at the Moscow Theological Academy: “To analyze the extraordinary phenomenon that Metropolitan Philaret was,” he says, would now be out of place and out of time. The death of remarkable figures always leaves behind an emptiness, and this emptiness is initially only felt. The time for assessment comes later, and the later, the wider the circle of activity of the deceased, the longer his activity was and the more intensified it was; and all this applies to Metropolitan Philaret to the highest degree.” If they decided to speak in memory of the great saint, then either in the name of “the feeling overwhelmed by the greatness of grief, which, not obeying the clear instructions of reason, asked for a feasible, even wretched word, a word of thanksgiving, a word of reverence, a word of surprise, a word of sorrow, a word of prayer” 1, or in general – in the name of justice, in order to publicly testify “that Metropolitan Philaret was an extraordinary historical phenomenon, and that its loss is enormous” 2. Many beautiful words and speeches, filled with sincere feelings of love and gratitude, were said over the tomb of Metropolitan Philaret in the sad days of his burial 3 . The best spiritual ​vitii​ continued to honor him with words even after, on the fortieth day after his death 4, on the day of the annual ​commemoration 5 and deliberately on the occasion of ​the centenary of his birth 6. The most respected secular writers, as it were, competed with the spiritual in depicting the merits and in recognizing the merits of the deceased Hierarch... “Metropolitan Philaret passed away.” ​The power was abolished, the great, moral, social power, the power in which the entire Russian world heard and felt its own power - a power ​not created from the outside, generated by the power of the personal spirit, growing on church folk soil. The mass of glory with which the church adorned itself and the people were consoled collapsed. That majestic, long modernity, which embraced the space of half a century, which ​has passed through a long series of events and generations, and has, as it were, already been transformed into an inalienable, historical heritage of Moscow, its living element, which, it seemed, would never be ​abandoned forever. Without this power, without this glory, what an emptiness of strength and glory will suddenly be felt in Moscow, and throughout the entire Russian church world. The chair of the Moscow Metropolitan can, of course, be occupied, but the place that Philaret occupied will remain empty... The lamp has gone out, ​for half a century​ it shone throughout all of Russia without becoming scarce, without ​fading, but as if feeding on the multiplication of years and appearing brighter as ​the evening darkness of life approaches. ​The never-ending eye of thought closed. Half a century of edification to all Russian people was interrupted - in a marvelous example of a spirit that was tirelessly awake and awake to the end. The important artistic word that had been heard in Russia for half a century and more than half a century fell silent, now penetrating deeply into the secrets of the knowledge of God, now dressing the mind of divine truths with strict and powerful beauty.” "The Russian Church, with the death of ​Metropolitan Philaret, is experiencing a great historical moment, the importance of which, consciously and unconsciously, is foreseen by everyone. During a whole half-century of the Russian Church, its representative, ​Primate​ and ​President​ (not due to the external conditions of his place and title, but through the action of personal inner dignity), - for half a century he was “testifying" to it before all of Europe, before the whole heterodox world... An entire historical era is going to the grave, and a new era is moving to replace it.”... Strength and glory have waned, the last popular name has waned. There is no one else to name; there is no other equivalent, or even less significant, but popular name.” This is what its highly respected publisher I. S. Aksakov wrote in the Moscow newspaper regarding the death of St. Philaret. These words were a faithful echo of the sad feelings of the entire Russian people and especially the residents of Moscow, who expressed them at that significant time so sincerely and sincerely that the witnesses, sensible people, involuntarily asked themselves: “When and where does this happen? In the first centuries of Christianity? In Constantinople? In ​Caesarea​? In Alexandria?” and, answering that “all this happened in Moscow, and in our time, so recently,” they summarized their impression as follows: “If everything that we were obvious witnesses to happened in ancient times, and we read the story about it in the annals of the Church: we would call happy the contemporaries of the man whose last days of life and death were illuminated with such extraordinary spiritual glory” 7. The St. Petersburg press also shared the feelings of general lamentation about the death of Metropolitan Philaret and joined in a fair assessment of his high merits and merits, as can be seen from the articles of the Exchange ​Vedomosti​" and "Northern Post", dedicated to the memory of the great Moscow saint. No matter how many words and speeches, reviews and judgments were dedicated to the memory of Metropolitan Philaret shortly after his death, but everyone then recognized the impossibility of trying to restore his entire image and partly its untimeliness. Even fifteen years after the death of Metropolitan Philaret, on the occasion of the centenary anniversary of his birth, I. S. Aksakov wrote in his “Rus”: “the majestic image of Philaret, which has overshadowed the Russian church for more than half a century and with it all of Russia, not only did not diminish over time, but seemed to grow even more, hitherto not obscured by anything or anyone, so that it was not even fully contained by the consciousness of his contemporaries 8 . Therefore, it was quite natural that for the first time after the death of the saint, the main concern was with remembering the particulars of his more than half a century of church, public and state life, with bringing to light the many things that he had done, written, and said. And it must be said in fairness that in this regard, over the past twenty-fifth anniversary of the death of Metropolitan Philaret, a lot has been done. Earlier than other materials about Metropolitan Philaret, “Notes on the life and times of St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, compiled by his famous admirer N.V. Sushkov” were published. Then the society of lovers of spiritual enlightenment, being imbued with ​gratitude for Metropolitan Philaret, as its founder and leader in the early days of his existence, published in memory of the centenary of his birth a collection in two volumes, of which the first contains Metropolitan Philaret’s own orders for the management of the Moscow flock, extracted from the files of the archive of the Moscow Spiritual Consistory and the decrees of St. of the Governing Synod, and in the second - words, speeches and articles dedicated to the memory of Metropolitan Philaret and ​reviewing​ his activities from various angles. Then we should mention the solid work of the ​Eminent​ Sava, Archbishop of Tver, who published with great care and thorough and notes five volumes (actually eight volumes, since the 2nd part of the Vth volume is not inferior in size to the rest of the volumes, and two - one concerning the affairs of the Orthodox Church in the East and the other additional - are not counted) “Collected opinions and reviews Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna, on educational and church-state issues.” The works of Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy I.N. ​Korsunsky​, who, in addition to the two articles he placed in the Filaret collection, about the exploits of Metropolitan Philaret in translating the Bible into Russian and about his ​catechisms​, published a whole series of articles in the spiritual magazine “Faith and Reason” (1884–1889), reviewing Philaret’s preaching activities for its different periods, and in the secular magazine "Russian Bulletin" (November 1884) article: "The Lyre of Metropolitan Philaret." He also wrote the brochures: "The activities of Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, during the cholera of 1830." and "Reunion of the Uniates and ​Filaret​ Metropolitan of Moscow." The venerable ​Androniyevsky Father Archimandrite Gregory worked hard to publish in the journal "Soulful Reading" the resolutions of Metropolitan Philaret on diocesan affairs and, with great respect for the memory of the deceased, reported his memories of him. Many articles about Metropolitan Philaret was also published in other spiritual journals and diocesan bulletins. Whole systems have appeared, compiled according to the works of Metropolitan Philaret, such as ​for example: “Dogmatic Theology”, compiled by priest ​Gorodtsev​, “State teaching of Metropolitan Philaret”, containing in a certain order a selection of deep thoughts on this subject from the sermons and other works of Metropolitan Philaret - published by one of the employees "Moskovskiye Vedomosti." Work on the study of the works of Metropolitan Philaret continues to this day and will be enough for many more years. The spiritual magazine "Strannik" publishes "Moral Theology according to the writings of Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, Priest G. Vysheslavtsev. A lot - up to 10 volumes - of the metropolitan's letters alone have been published Philaret to various persons, very important for the characterization of his time and himself. The editors of the magazine “Russian Antiquity” in several books for 1885 (June, July, October, December) and for 1886 (May, August) reported quite a few valuable materials about the personal activities of Metropolitan Philaret. In a word, a significant amount of materials for studying various aspects of church and public life during the time of Metropolitan Philaret and biographical data about him have been collected, but a complete biography of him that deserves this name, or even though a biographical sketch of several years of his life has not yet appeared. “Notes on the life and times of St. Philaret,” written by the famous ​Sushkov​, cannot ​be called​ a complete and complete biography of him 9, firstly, because for the most part they were compiled during the life of the Moscow saint and published too soon - almost immediately after his death, and for this reason they are far from being complete, and secondly, they are the most ​biographical​ information about Metropolitan Philaret is presented in them rather confusingly, discordantly - even regarding the chronological sequence, not to mention the logical order. They have no more meaning than raw material. While throughout them showing deep respect, even reverence for the memory of the Moscow saint, the author also talks a lot about himself, about his conversion to the path of repentance and faith through Metropolitan Philaret and the spiritual leaders recommended by him. The most valuable thing in them is the din where the author, who enjoyed the favor and trust of the Moscow saint, “conveys his living speech and speaks under the living impression of his words"; but in any case, the scientific requirements for a biography of such a figure as Metropolitan Philaret were, Sushkov’s Notes are far from satisfying. Meanwhile, the urgent need for such a biography of Metropolitan Philaret is making itself known more and more, and the coming twenty-fifth anniversary of his death reminds of her more and more persistently. Such major figures as Metropolitan Philaret were are too rare and his influence on all aspects of his life, as well as subsequent ones, not excluding our time, was too great for this spiritual light to dim in our consciousness, in our memory. The further, the more firmly, the more vividly we remember those who with such glory and honor for our church and for our homeland led our spiritual life for such a long time, the more clearly we will prove that we deserved these concerns from our best people. Their glory is our glory; the honor bestowed upon them is evidence of our own spiritual worth. To remember the mentors who spoke the word of God to us and, looking at the end of their lives, to imitate their faith is also an apostolic covenant (Heb. 13:7). “Truly,” says Homily 10 on the ninth day after the death of Metropolitan Philaret, “persons of all ranks will find in him virtues corresponding to their condition, for he was an image for the faithful in word, life, love, spirit, faith, purity (1 Timothy 6:12). “The shepherds led by him heard his word, always dissolved in the salt of grace he asked from God, saw in him all the virtues, especially those befitting their rank: reverence, sobriety of mind and body, wise healing of mental ailments, vigilant care for all those entrusted to him without exception.” “Men invested with authority greatness and glory, they saw in him, with his greatness, humility and ​benevolence towards everyone, but in relation to those subordinate to him - condescension to their weaknesses to the last degree, with outwardly visible truly fatherly severity." "Men, endowed by God with earthly wealth, could not help but see in him a worthy ​assistant of the heavenly Master, who used the benefits entrusted to him for charitable works." The monks who have pledged themselves to strict vows know his vigilance in prayer, abstinence, chastity, patience, and among the community itself - desert life.” Finally, all Christians know his unchanging love for the Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Church, his unshakable devotion to the throne and the fatherland, the exact fulfillment of every duty entrusted to him by the ​church and the fatherland, and in general the constant thought that what is true, what is honest, what is righteous, what is pure, what is pure ​loving​, ​every​ ​of good praise, ​asever​ ​virtue and ​asever​ ​praise (Phil. 4:8).” “Imitation of the virtues of the deceased saint, according to the strength given to each, is both our duty and the best tribute to love for him.” But in order to be able to imitate the virtues of the deceased saint, one must have in front of one the most complete image of his life and deeds. The generation that personally knew the valiant archpastor is already thinning out significantly; descendants are waiting for the outline of a living and integral image of him in ​writing​. At the same time, the question involuntarily arises: shouldn’t the fact that a biography of Moscow Metropolitan Innocent 11 has already been published, and yet a real biography of his famous predecessor has not yet appeared, should not partly serve as a reproach for Russian spiritual science and literature? And also - doesn’t the fact speak in their favor that the descriptions of the lives of the three Moscow metropolitans Plato, Philaret and Innocent, whatever they (i.e. descriptions) may be, were compiled by secular people, and not spiritual people, or at least those belonging to the spiritual department? ​We think that both of these circumstances can be satisfactorily explained without compromising the dignity and honor of Russian spiritual science and literature. Firstly, it was much easier to begin the biography of Metropolitan Innocent than the biography of Metropolitan Philaret; because the life of the former is not as complex, not as varied and - to be fair - not as rich in influence as the life of the latter. Secondly, secular people with less ​responsibility and with greater boldness could take on the description of the life of the famous Moscow archpastors, and in this regard the reading public could make different demands on them than on clergy or those belonging to the ecclesiastical department. This is self-explanatory and does not require explanation. The very reverence and respect for the memory of the valiant archpastors, the fear of not saying too little or, on the contrary, too much about them, could and should have kept spiritual writers from any hasty and careless step in this regard. As for the actual biography of Metropolitan Philaret, the difficulties in compiling it lie partly in the lack of biographical data, especially regarding the first, early period of his life, which depended to some extent on Metropolitan Philaret himself. Out of his deep, truly Christian humility, as is known, he refused to provide biographical information about himself to persons who asked him to communicate them long before his death. When in 1822 the famous Grech asked him for materials for his biography, he replied: "It is difficult to write a real biography early, and it is even more difficult to write your own impartially. If you want to have my short biography from me: then here it is. I was poorly learned; I studied worse; I use even worse what I was taught and 'studied'" 12. In addition, he was extremely careful in his thoughts and words, even in correspondence with his closest relatives, he was afraid to trust information about his personal life on paper and had the custom of destroying the letters he received immediately upon response 13 and sometimes setting fire to his own, already written completely 14 or half 15. Thus, a lot of data was lost that could have been valuable for his biography. And of his letters to his relatives, which had already been sent to their intended destination, not all were preserved 16. Particularly valuable, in our opinion, are ​biographical​ data ​concerning​ the first, early period of Metropolitan Philaret’s life. They contain the main key to understanding his future greatness, they contain the main instructions for illuminating the path that he gradually walked from strength to strength until he became a great luminary of the Russian Church. It goes without saying that we have every right to look at people like Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow as special chosen ones who are sent by the Supreme Ruler of the world to fulfill His destinies in accordance with the demands of the time (Sir. 10:4). But it is also indisputable that the environment, setting and those benefits that they could use to develop their talents and prepare for the high mission destined for them are very important in the lives of such people. The Apostle Paul was a chosen vessel of grace, but, as we know, he was also greatly helped by the diverse education he received in spiritual and external sciences. Possessing some data about the first period of Metropolitan Philaret’s life, hitherto unknown, and having carefully collected what is already known, I, fully aware of their importance for the biography of Metropolitan Philaret, decided to introduce them to admirers of his memory. I ask you to be lenient with my attempt and, if anything found is incomplete or inaccurate, do not leave me with the appropriate instructions. Any sensible comment on this matter will be received by me with sincere ​gratitude​. Chapter I. Historical information about the homeland of Metropolitan Philaret - the city of Kolomna City location. The significance of Kolomna in former times. Kolomna diocese and its bishops. Ancient piety of the inhabitants of Kolomna The blessed homeland of Metropolitan Philaret was the city of Kolomna, located a hundred miles from Moscow to the East, an ancient city, rich in traditions and legends both regarding its name and origin, and regarding the events of its further existence. There are several legends and opinions regarding the origin of the name of the city of Kolomna 17, but ​the most probable opinion is that the city received its name from the word “kolo” - about, meaning border, limit - given to designate a ​border​, border city, since then ​foreign​ villages followed it to the East 18 . The exact time of the founding of the city of Kolomna is unknown; but it was already mentioned in chronicles in 1176 as belonging to the Ryazan principality. Since 1307, Kolomna became part of the appanages of the Moscow Principality 19. As in a ​border city, campaigns of Russian princes gathered here to repel attacks on Moscow by foreign tribes. Here the ​holy​ Reverend ​Sergius​ blessed Dimitri Donskoy to go to ​Mamai​. According to legend, there was also the palace of Dmitry Donskoy in Kolomna, with the Church of the Resurrection of Christ connected to it by a covered passage. It is in this church that he allegedly married Princess Evdokia of Suzdal in 1366, in the 18th year of his life, in the 6th year of his reign. In case of an attack by enemies, the city had fortifications - at first wooden, but under Vasily Ivanovich, the son of Ivan III, the city was surrounded by a stone wall with several towers. Later there was a palace there for Ivan IV, who sometimes lived there in the summer. Throughout its centuries-old life, the city of Kolomna was repeatedly subjected to enemy invasions, burned out more than once and was rebuilt. In one of the towers of the Kolomna Kremlin, Marina Mnishek took refuge for some time, fleeing with her young son from Kaluga after the murder of the Tushino thief there in 1610. Currently, only part of the fortress wall has been preserved; Several towers and one gate with iconography on it and a lamp 20 also survived. The location of the city cannot but be considered convenient and quite picturesque. It is located on the Moscow River, three miles away flowing into the Oka. The view from the Kremlin to the ​opposite side of the Moscow River, where the ​Bobrenev​ monastery stands, is very beautiful. The place where the Moscow River flows into the Oka River is also distinguished by its picturesqueness. Here you can see a wide beautiful panorama of the Zaoksk side, which belongs to the Ryazan province. Thanks to its convenient location near two navigable rivers, having early become a guard city, Kolomna soon acquired important commercial (trading in bread, lard, herds of livestock) importance, and also became a significant center of church and religious life. In the city, for a long time, there have been about twenty churches, in it and ​nearby there are several monasteries, of which one - Staro-​Golutvin​ retains the ​sacred ​staff of St. Sergius. Kolomna in former times was a diocesan city, had its own bishops, called Kolomna and Kashirsky (and then Kolomna and Tula), its own consistory and seminary. The beginning of the establishment of the Kolomna diocese, according to the conclusions of most historians, dates back to the half of the 14th century 21. All the bishops of the Kolomna diocese during its entire existence were more than forty. Of these, many are known for their high merits and participation in many important events in the history of the church and the fatherland 22. Metropolitan Philaret loved to remember the later Kolomna bishops, the legend of which was still fresh in Kolomna during his childhood and youth. Thus, Bishop Theodosius (Mikhailovsky), who occupied the Kolomna See in the seventies of the last century and was distinguished by his love for enlightenment and ascetic life, left a good memory in Kolomna. The legend about him says that, during his life, distinguished by humility and other deeds of piety, he bequeathed to bury himself on the church porch, at the entrance to it, so that those passing would trample on his body. An opinion was formed about him as a holy man. The last two archpastors, the youth and the youth Drozdov, must have been found at the Kolomna See. Metropolitan Philaret always spoke with special respect about the last 23 Kolomna Archpastor Methodius (​Smirnov​), who was later transferred successively to Tula, Tver, Yaroslavl, Pskov, where he completed his holy service in the rank of archbishop and in the rank of Synodal member. He was famous for his great ​learning​ and ​reading​, knowledge of ancient languages, especially Latin, and ​firmness​ in church dogmas. ​He​ compiled in ​Latin​ a brief church history of the first three centuries with an extensive, however, and thoroughly processed introduction 24. His essay on the Council of Florence 25 is also known. Subsequently, we will see how he will have to use his authoritative word to defend young Filaret from accusations of wrongdoing. Under the leadership of their worthy archpastors, the God-protected Kolomna flock reached a significant level of development of spiritual and religious life in it. Since ancient times, the inhabitants of Kolomna have been distinguished by various Christian virtues. The famous native of Kolomna himself, Metropolitan Philaret, praises in them “both the pure confession of faith, their content and its holy sacraments, sealed in them, and ancient piety, fruitfulness and good deeds in holy churches and deeds and love for mankind, until now ​testified among them 26 “​ Such is the soil on which the future light saw great saint of Moscow, such is the environment where he received his first life impressions! Chapter II. Ancestors of Metropolitan Philaret on his father's and mother's sides His father and mother. Birth of Metropolitan Philaret. Appointment of his parent to a priestly position and relocation from his father-in-law's house to his own home. The initial life of his parents in a new place and some details about the structure of their home life. The infant period of the life of the future Metropolitan of Moscow Moving on to the story of the immediate culprits in the existence of the future famous Metropolitan of Moscow, we must preface that his ancestors all came from the clergy and were not famous for either wealth or fame. In all fairness it can be said of him that he carried his family tree within himself. But, not being famous for earthly greatness, his relatives, both on his father’s and mother’s sides, were distinguished by many internal virtues. His paternal great-great-grandfather, Ignatius Drozdov, was a cleric, but his low church rank did not prevent him from giving such education and direction to his sons that they achieved the priesthood. Of these, about ​Fedor​ Ignatievich (father of Mikhail ​Fedorovich​ and grandfather of Vasily Mikhailovich ​Drozdov​), it is known from the memoirs of his grandson that, having served for some time with ​honor in the post of parish priest 27 , and being not yet old and enjoying good health, he handed over his parish to his eldest son, with the good intention of separating himself from the world. He withdrew from all his relatives and friends, led a solitary, hermit’s life, in fasting and prayer, rarely leaving his house: he was only seen in church. Having, due to scarcity, a watch, he determined the time of his cell prayer (3 times a day) by burning a church wax candle 28 . Died on June 3, 1799, at midnight, on Sunday, 73 years old 29. His other maternal grandfather, Nikita Afanasyevich, was first a priest and then an archpriest of the Epiphany Church in Kolomna. Not being, ​apparently​, particularly knowledgeable in the sciences, he was distinguished by his reverent and zealous service to the church, which he showed, among other things, in the fact that, caring for the admonition of the Old Believers, he compiled extracts from various manuscripts and books with the purpose of ​refuting their errors and turning them to the path of truth 30 . His wife Donnika Prokopievna was also distinguished by her piety and was an exemplary housewife who knew how to conduct housekeeping in the old days, which skill, along with other good qualities, she passed on to her daughter, the mother of the future Moscow ruler. The parent of Vasily Mikhailovich Drozdov, Mikhail Fedorovich, having spent eight years studying at the Kolomna Seminary 31, upon completion of the course there, was appointed in October 1780, October 15, as a teacher of the same seminary for full analogy and infima, and in September 1781, September 1, he was transferred to syntax and grammar. The next year (1782), on January 10, while still very young, he got married and on February 6 of the same year he was ordained a deacon of the Kolomna Cathedral while retaining the position of seminary teacher 32. The parent of Vasily Mikhailovich Drozdov, Evdokia Nikitichna, also got married at a very young age, when she was not yet 16 years old. At first, the young deacon of the Kolomna Cathedral and seminary teacher Mikhail Fedorovich did not have his own home and lived with his father-in-law, a priest of the Church of the Epiphany. His first son was born here, named in honor of St. Basil the Great by Vasily, later Philaret Metropolitan of Moscow, 1782, from the 25th of December to the 26th, at the 5th hour of midnight 33. The baby's baptism took place in the Church of the Epiphany on January 1, 1783. The successor was the cathedral keymaster Pyotr Vasiliev, the successor was his maternal grandmother, the wife of Priest Nikita Afanasyev, Domnika Prokopievna 34 . According to the mother, this blessed son was born two weeks earlier than he should have. The reason for the premature birth of my son was the following circumstance. The feast of the Nativity of Christ was approaching. The father-in-law and son-in-law, who, as said, lived together in the same house, went to the market to, according to the ancient custom, buy provisions for two holiday weeks, instructing the women to dismantle and clean out the closet for storing the purchase. This work was performed mainly by the young daughter-in-law in the last period of pregnancy. It was necessary to ​carry out​, rearrange rather heavy things, sweep, clean in the frosty air. The result was extreme fatigue and a severe cold, which resulted in premature birth. After the birth of her first child, the mother was indeed seriously ill for some time, she was exhausted by a fever, and at one time they even thought that she had consumption; Her own milk was not enough to feed her son, and the young mother had to feed him cow's milk in addition to her own. This circumstance was the cause of no small sorrow for the mother. ​The neighbors and acquaintances who visited her sharply condemned her for providing extra food for her son and even laughed at her, saying that her son, ​fed on cattle's milk, would be a fool. Remembering later, when her son’s intelligence surprised all of Russia, about this prediction of the Kolomna gossips, the happy mother, who lived to see such glory for her son, rejoiced tenderly and thanked God for the arrangement of his fate. As a cathedral deacon, living in his father-in-law's house, Vasily Drozdov's father served for only one year: then he was appointed to the place of priest of the Trinity Church in Kolomna, in Yamskaya Sloboda - on February 6, 1783 he bought a house there “for one hundred and thirteen rubles”, of the same year on February 19 he was ordained a priest, and on February 27 he moved to live in the purchased house 35. Having settled in such, judging by the price, far from luxurious housing, Vasily Drozdov’s parents had to practice the school of patience and meekness for a considerable time. Both their material and moral situation in their new place was quite difficult. They had to endure the dislike of the parishioners, since the new position was occupied by the Trinity priest against the wishes of the parishioners, who had another candidate in mind and had long been concerned about his appointment. The dislike of the parishioners was expressed in the coldness of their attitude towards the new shepherd, in the reduction of donations for services to the most insignificant amounts. Only later did the Trinity priest’s exemplary performance of his duties, in combination with the proper spiritual qualities of him and his wife, break the prejudices of the parishioners, and they began to diligently care about their well-being, trying in every possible way to make amends for their previous guilt before them 36 . The notebook of Trinity Priest Mikhail ​Drozdov​, in which, in addition to family information, ​various household notes were entered, testifies that some ​household items were ​not only purchased by purchase, but also brought as gifts from parishioners. After moving to a new place, the Drozdov spouses spend quite a long time acquiring the most basic necessities. The young priest, judging by his notebook, declares himself to be a caring owner who knew how to rule his house well, but at the same time it is clear from it that not only material interests occupy his attention, but mainly spiritual ones. As rector of Trinity Church, he finds it necessary to have an image of St. in his home. Trinity, for the painting of which he pays the artist 15 rubles, and for the board on which the image is painted, 80 k. As a zealous ​loyal subject and patriot, he acquires ten portraits of the “Owning Family (i.e., Person of the Royal House)” at the price of six rubles. As a person who received a fairly significant education for that time and held the position of a seminary teacher 37, he was concerned with compiling a home library, which then reached quite a significant size 38. From occasional references to it later by Metropolitan Philaret himself, it is clear that among the books that comprised it there were letters from Pliny, a manual on philosophy by Winkler, and works—probably theological—of some Jesuit. All this is food, which will subsequently be used diligently and profitably by the first-born son, until now, as long as all the concerns of his parents are directed toward his physical education. When the Drozdov parents moved into their own house, their first-born son was two months old. Due to premature birth and illness of the mother during the birth and ​feeding​ of the baby, he was generally of weak constitution and throughout his subsequent long life, as is known, did not enjoy good health. As a child, he slept poorly at night and, if he fell asleep, he always woke up very early - before matins. It used to happen that a father, ​after serving​ ​matins​ and mass, would come home, go up to his son’s cradle and say to him: “You are my sleepless dove, why are you not sleeping?” This was probably said very often, so that the first word that he learned to say was the word: “Dove.” Chapter III. Childhood of V. M. Drozdov The influence of his maternal grandparents on him. Children's games and entertainment The first years of childhood, after ​feeding​ with his mother's milk, were spent by V. M. Drozdov for the most part ​in the house of his maternal grandfather, ​priest​ of the Church of the Epiphany Nikita Afanasyevich and grandmother ​Dominika​ ​Prokopievna​, where he was born. Judging by the letters to them from Philaret, who was already an adult and had even achieved fame, their influence on him at a very tender age, when the soul is especially receptive to impressions, was great and beneficial. These were simple people, with the most sincere piety. The grandmother, of course, had more time and convenience to care for her grandson, especially since she was also his godmother, and one must think that the gifted and impressionable boy listened to her lessons with the same zeal as St. Basil the Great - to the lessons of his grandmother ​Makrina​. According to the stories of relatives, it is known that little Drozdov constantly went with his grandmother to the church for church services, vividly noticed all the details of the service, was captivated by its splendor and beauty, always remaining in the church until the very end of the church services. They say that, noticing how at the end of the service they lowered the candlestick from a height, the so-called descent, to extinguish the candles burning on it, and then raised it again, with smoke (soot) coming from the extinguished candles, the boy said to his grandmother: “look, the prayer to God has flown.”39 When the father and mother came to visit their son, he was always very happy to see them, he was affectionate towards them like a child, but when the time came for them to leave and they invited him to go home with them, tears usually welled up in his eyes, and he said: “I would go with you, but I’m sorry to leave grandpa and grandma alone, I’ll go accompany you to the corner,” he saw him off and then asked permission to return to grandpa’s roof again. Always having his elderly grandfather and grandmother before his eyes, observing their sedate appearance and modest way of life, the boy himself easily succumbed to imitation of them, imperceptibly molded into the same mold, ​assimilating​ the stamp of childish solidity, slowness in movements, seriousness and prudence. His favorite games and pastimes in early childhood were: dressing himself in clothes similar to priestly ones and imitating sacred rites. Sometimes, relatives say, he would take a handkerchief, tie it around his neck and begin to sing something or pronounce it in a drawn-out manner; to imitate censing, tie some weight to a string and begin to move it back and forth; It also happened that, sitting on the stove, he made crosses from splinters. As is known, tradition reports something similar about the childhood of St. Athanasius the Great. It goes without saying that playing these games, so to speak, of a religious nature did not exclude other fun and entertainment characteristic of childhood. According to the stories of local residents, he played simple children's games with his peers, but not much, and among his comrades he loved those who willingly obeyed him, either out of meekness or awareness of his superiority 40 . Chapter IV. The adolescence of V. M. Drozdov Teaching him to read and write and his initial spiritual makeup. Admission to Kolomna Seminary. Information about Kolomna Seminary. The course of sciences taught there. Mentors. Successes and behavior of Drozdov. Closing of Kolomna Seminary. General judgment about the meaning of Kolomna’s impressions for young Drozdov With the onset of adolescence, when it was necessary to teach the boy to read and write, he leaves the shelter of his grandfather and moves to his parents’ house. Without a doubt, he often still visits the place where he was born and spent his childhood. One might think that ​learning​ to read and write was not more difficult for a gifted and diligent youth. A dream he saw at that time gives some idea of ​​his spiritual state during this time, to which he himself later, being already a metropolitan, attached significance, and his biographer Sushkov presented a well-known explanation. Here is the story about him by the Right Reverend Leonid, Bishop of Dmitrov, from the words of the Metropolitan, however, as the Right Reverend Leonid admits, they are not exactly kept in his (the Right Reverend Leonid’s) memory. "Vladyka said: I was about 8 years old, when I had a dream that has remained in my memory to this day. The Trinity Church, where the priest was a priest, stood on the edge of the city, in the middle of the site. One side of the site was occupied by the houses of the clergy: ​our house, behind it the houses of the deacon, the clergy, then a ravine, behind the ravine fields. In the spring, the ravine was filled water, and in the summer the water was visible only here and there in the hollows. I loved to walk along the ravine, because there were light stones in it and I collected them. So I dreamed that I was walking along the ravine and as I walked, its banks became higher and higher, steeper and steeper, and the riverbed became narrower and narrower. Fear takes over me, I want to ​go out, but I can’t. Suddenly I see a ladder placed against the steep bank, and I immediately begin to climb up it; I go up, and under the stairs they ring the gospel in a large bell. The sound of the bell fills me with new fear; but I keep rising. I went up: there was a hut in front of me. I enter, there are people in it, I ask: “How can I ​go​ to ​the house? Why do you need it?” “I need to go home.” “We won’t let you in.” “Why?” - Because we want to kill you. I woke up from extreme fear.” In this dream, according to Sushkov’s explanation, it was, as it were, a foreshadowing of the entire future fate of the blessed youth 41. At the same time, one involuntarily recalls a similar dream, seen in the adolescence of St. Kirill, the first Slavic teacher. 42 On December 20, 1791, when the youth Drozdov turned 9 years old, he was sent to study at the Kolomna Seminary. The seminary was established in Kolomna in 1739, under Bishop Cyprian (Skrypntsyn), who was the former assessor of St. Synod, but until 1771, the teaching in it ended in ​rhetoric​, and this year Bishop ​Theodosius​ introduced the teaching of philosophy; the following year, a theological class was opened, in which the famous ​Joachim​ ​Karpinsky​, former rector of the seminary, began to teach. The extent to which the Kolomna Seminary satisfied its purpose is not known exactly; judging by its recent existence in Kolomna and the paucity of funds allocated for its maintenance (the state salary for the seminary was set at 816 rubles 938/4 kopecks per year from 1765, - from 1784 it was supposed to be allocated 2000 rubles per year 43), then one cannot think that it was able to develop particularly educational activities. It probably did not differ from other rather pathetic Russian theological schools of the 18th century, with the possible exception of the Kyiv School, the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy and the Trinity Lavra Seminary. The method of teaching science was generally scholastic; lectures were given in Latin; the teachers ​hardly all of them were sufficiently prepared for their task. At the Kolomna Seminary, Drozdov studied Latin grammar, poetry, rhetoric, general history, philosophy, philosophical and natural history. In the seminary report about him, when he was a student of philosophy, it was noted: “​talents​, diligence, commendable successes.”44 Shortly (in 1799) before the closure of the Kolomna Seminary, the official staff in it was as follows: The prefect was Archpriest John Pokrovsky, teachers: ​rhetorical​ and ​pyitical​ class - Archpriest Vasily Protopopov, the highest grammar class - Nikifor Chetrekovsky, lower grammatical class - ​subdeacon Peter Triadsky​, informant student of Theology ​Herodion​ ​Sergievsky​, writing class student of Theology ​Theophylact ​Khitrov​ 45. Information about their teaching activities, unfortunately, has not been preserved, but about one of them, namely about the teacher of philosophy (wasn’t he the prefect himself?) Metropolitan Philaret in his memoirs speaks of him as a person of insufficient competence, for whom poverty could befall even a gifted student 46 . Fortunately, the student we are talking about, thanks to natural talents, diligence, as well as his father’s library, was able to independently supplement the meager knowledge imparted in the philosophy class without harming himself. He carefully looked through his father's books and among them found a guide to Winkler's philosophy, familiarity with which, as we will see, would later provide him with a significant service in a rather difficult situation. Both his success in science and his son’s behavior could only please his parents. The religious and prayerful direction that awoke in him early continues to develop and strengthen. Just as in childhood, he often goes to church, tactfully, and sincerely indulges in the holy impressions of the service, with the only difference being that he delves deeper into its meaning. So, being 12-13 years old, he comes to church for the last vespers before Great Lent and hears the prokeimenon: “Do not turn away your face from your servant”; these words make a strong and indelible impression on him; he applies them to himself and with all his heart asks for his ​blessing​ from the Father of ​lights​ 47. ​And​ the Lord does not refuse his gifts to the praying young man, apparently blessing his further success! But despite all his mental superiority over his comrades, he, like a well-bred young man, was distinguished by modesty, respect for elders and kind attitude towards his comrades. In his very appearance, decently dressed in a frieze frock coat, he differs sharply from his other peers in the seminary 48 . In 1799, at the same time as the abolition of the Kolomna diocese, the Kolomna Seminary was also closed. With the permission of the highest spiritual authorities, her former students, in order to complete their education, were given the right to enter religious educational institutions of the Moscow diocese, such as: the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy, the Trinity and Perervinsky seminaries 49. Before saying where young Drozdov will direct his path, it would not be amiss to sum up the impressions that Kolomna could leave on him. Information about the earliest period of his life is not abundant, but it gives every reason to conclude that the initial conditions for the development of his rich spiritual gifts were quite favorable. Not one family influences his initial development, but two, and both are worthy and in different respects capable of sowing good seeds in a young soul. Not a simple provincial place - his homeland, but an ancient city of no small importance, full of traditions and legends, which has experienced many historical events. What significance all this could have for raising a child with rich spiritual inclinations is ​clear​ to everyone. “Mother and grandmother are living bearers of legends, and legends are a code of Christian morality in poetic form,” the gifted native of the same Kolomna, Gilyarov-Platonov, rightly says in his memoirs. We know in general terms what the father and mother, grandfather and grandmother of the famous Metropolitan of Moscow were like. To their influence, as can be seen from his letters to them, he himself attaches special importance for his entire life. The heart of a gifted child could early ​learn to feel and appreciate the manifestations of kindred love that surrounded him on all sides, the imagination could be richly nourished by pious stories, the memory could be exercised in preserving them, the mind could become accustomed to the perception of information, of which the entire environment of his childhood could represent so much. His parent, in his time, was a fairly educated man, an excellent expert in the Latin language 50, ​experienced in teaching others and, therefore, had every opportunity to properly organize the initial education of his own first-born son. His father's rather significant library could serve to satisfy the excited curiosity of his gifted son. In general, the father’s influence on the spiritual development of his son was so great that subsequently, in the most decisive period of his life, after accepting monasticism, the grateful son passionately declares that he owes his father “more than his life” 51. Metropolitan Philaret’s parent, even according to people who did not always respect the memory of him and his parents, was an intelligent woman 52 and therefore not only did not interfere with the learning of his father’s good lessons, but she herself greatly contributed to his correct development. We cannot help but quote here a review of the initial upbringing of the future Moscow saint from the words spoken before his funeral service by the venerable Fr. Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, Archpriest A.V. Gorsky. The late archpastor brought out an excellent guarantee of future bright activity from his home upbringing: this is a pure, chaste heart imbued with the spirit of sincere piety. That is why he always considered the good family of the pious servant of the altar of the Lord to be an indispensable school for those devoting themselves to spiritual service. As in some examples of the ancient great shepherds of the church: St. Basil the Great. Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom, one can see here the special influence of a kind, Christian-pious and gifted mother with a bright mind on her young son.” Other relatives, together and each separately, also made a good contribution to the treasury of his spirit. The ​native​ city was full of materials and reasons to excite the curiosity of the richly gifted youth. Standing on the border between the Moscow and Ryazan provinces, who at one time was in church and administrative communication with Tula, he presented quite a few reasons for acquainting the young student of science with the topography and geography of his native land, with its division into administrative units, with it is known that the most important secret of succession to the Throne was then entrusted, whether it has its root in the similar love and devotion of his parents and in constant contemplation with very early childhood of those ten portraits of the "Owning Family, which, as we saw, were acquired by his father in the early days of his priestly life? Who among us does not know from our own experience that from the impressions experienced in childhood and youth, ideals are born, which then everyone carries within himself for the rest of his life, our first ideas about its truth and untruth are formed, which then, through education, being raised to the level of convictions, become the guiding principles of all our activities? In any case, the sum of ​impressions​ received in Kolomna by the children, youth and youth Drozdov was great and their influence on ​him was very beneficial. It is not for nothing that he subsequently recalls his first Kolomna sensations with such gratitude. This is what he says in his homily for the week of all saints, delivered at the Kolomna Dormition Cathedral in 1822 on May 28: “By the inscrutable destinies of God, seeing myself again in the midst of this city, in which I was destined to see the light for the first time, and from which I was carried away by the flow of events, so that I never expected to see it again - beyond my aspirations, again being in the midst of my brothers and neighbors, in the community of whom I received the first pleasant sensations of life, I would like to completely indulge in the strong attraction of love for the fatherland, - love for which, as one of the Jerusalemites explains, the children of Jerusalem will ​stone​ ​stone with it, and ​the dust with it ​will be generous with it (​Ps. CL. 15), that is, the very stones of the homeland the cities are kind to them, even the dust of his ways is sweet. My heart is now ready to sing to this city the song that they sang to their Jerusalem: ask about the peace of Jerusalem: and abundance to those who love you! May there be peace in your strength, and abundance in your pillars. For the sake of my brothers, let peace be upon you “(Ps. ​121:6–8) 53 . The memories of his hometown were so dear to him! Chapter V. The school of Metropolitan Plato, its nature and significance for spiritual enlightenment in the 2nd half of the 18th and early 19th centuries Metropolitan Platon’s special paternal care for the Trinity Lavra Seminary. Changes in the curriculum, earlier than in other seminaries, were made at the Trinity Lavra. Moral education at the Lavra Seminary. V. M. Drozdov’s admission to Trinity Seminary. Entrance examination. Mentors No matter how great was the importance of the impressions and influences of Kolomna in the early period of the life of Vasily Mikhailovich Drozdov, the Trinity-​Sergius Lavra, which soon became his second homeland, had even more educational and educational significance for him. Here he could develop even more and strengthen spiritually under the invisible protection of St. Sergius and under the visible patronage of Metropolitan Plato. Moscow Metropolitan Platon rightly deserves the glory of the best organizer and organizer of theological schools of his time. The ​theological​ schools he established were positively superior to all other schools. The hitherto famous Kiev Academy had to give up its primacy to the Moscow Academy and the Lavra Seminary. The bishops vied with each other to achieve Plato’s consent so that their best students would complete their education in his institutions. Having himself a remarkable education for that time, he held high the banner of science and tried to establish it and make it fruitful in his schools. This is how one of the most famous modern preachers characterizes the attitude of Metropolitan Plato to his schools and these schools themselves: "In addition to the strong classical education that Metropolitan Plato valued so highly, there was something even more important in his person and methods. The words of St. Apostle Paul can be attributed to him: although you have thousands of mentors in Christ, but not many ​fathers ​... Plato's schools were his family, which he loved to visit. From among the many students he recognized the most gifted ones, and from them he chose teachers. Teachers became his interlocutors and friends, and here a heartfelt connection was established through which Plato completely took control of his students, commanded their strength and controlled their fate, keeping in mind first of all and above all the “good of the church” 54. But of all the Moscow theological schools, his favorite brainchild was the Trinity Lavra Seminary. He loved her so much that for her sake he was jealous of his other schools. He tried by all means to keep the best teachers and students in the Lavra Seminary and looked unfavorably on the transfer of the Trinity students to the Moscow Academy; on the contrary, he wanted more people from the Moscow Academy to study at the Lavra. Living in the last period of his life for the most part in the Lavra and Bethany, he, like a loving father, constantly and closely followed the fate of his beloved brainchild. Concern for the prosperity of his beloved school was higher for him than many other diocesan concerns. And this special care of the famous archpastor for her was not in vain. The seminary owes all its prosperity to the scientific and moral influence of Plato, which did not weaken almost until the last days of his life, according to which it was on par with the Moscow Academy, and even sometimes exceeded it. Being himself ​many-sided​ educated, having successively passed through the career of teacher and rector of the same ​Lavra​ ​seminary, from which he was not separated spiritually, and then in his further movement through the steps of hierarchical dignity. Plato, when he became Metropolitan of Moscow, dedicated everything to the welfare of his native school: his knowledge, his experience, often his material resources, and most importantly, his vigilant care for it. The Lavra Seminary, together with other Moscow theological schools, was mainly indebted to him for the gradual liberation from the previous scholastic, rational-abstract direction in education and the expansion of factual, real knowledge in its course. Earlier and more successfully than in other seminaries, the Trinity Lavra introduced improvements in the teaching of the previous sciences of the seminary course: rhetoric, philosophy and theology, but at the same time they were in no hurry to abandon and expel that good thing that had already stood the test of time and brought good fruit. In the rhetoric class, the study of Russian rhetoric was intensified; in the study of Latin rhetoric, the previous leadership of ​Burgius was still in force, but it was considered useful “for greater explanation and addition to use both the newly published and appointed by the decree of the Holy Synod (1798) for teaching in seminaries the rhetoric of Francis Lezhay" and at the same time the ​assignment of essays was intensified. In the philosophy class they began to introduce ​new​ German philosophy, mainly Wolffian, and the system of one of its representatives, Baumeister, was adopted as a teaching guide. The teaching of theology at the Lavra Seminary, thanks to the previous works of Plato himself, when he was the rector of the seminary, and then the theology teachers who followed him, rectors Hilarion, Paul, Apollos, and especially Methodius Smirnov, who attached great importance to his readings. historical element, was quite satisfactory at that time. Following the then dominant theological system of Feofan Prokopovich, Trinity theologians introduced something original into their teaching, supplemented and enlivened it with a new formulation and treatment of theological issues. With all this, the former scholastic trend still had a strong response in the Lavra Seminary. His stamp lies on the lectures of teachers, and on seminar exams, and in various student occupations, and on debates. But it is also important that an impetus has already been given for gradual liberation from it and for the expansion of knowledge. The knowledge of the ancient languages: Hebrew, Greek and especially Latin was brought to the possible perfection at the Lavra Seminary" 55 . A solid start was made in the study of new languages. They also began to diligently study their native Russian language at the Lavra Seminary, although Plato was still firmly in favor of Latin. Moral education at the Lavra Seminary was also the subject of special concern for Metropolitan Plato. Instructions drawn up many times, written with his own hand, and published on various occasions by Plato testify to his strong desire to raise the level of morality of the Trinity disciples. The rules prescribed by him in as much detail and detail as possible, with which he supplied not only the rector, prefect and teachers, but also the seniors, the police chief, the canteen inspector, the choir regent and even the old women - nurses at the hospital, delve into all the details of the life and everyday life of the students, embrace their every step and show in the compiler an experienced teacher, exalted in his views on education over the pedagogical techniques of his time. Having limited the use of corporal punishment to certain conditions, Plato among other things inspired the inspector to “try to notice the inclinations and habits of everyone under supervision, give them materials for conversations and other exercises that are suitable for their condition and noble, and try to instill in the students a noble ambition, by which they, like a spring, would be ​controlled in actions.” Even from such low performers of the superior orders, as an assistant to the ​Seigneur​, he demanded "especially whether something new can be done for the better, and to submit his notes on this with an opinion. This allowed and encouraged progress in influencing the moral side of the ​Lavra​ students. Apparently they cared about softening the rudeness of Bursat morals through greater development in students of noble instincts, the elevation of the aesthetic education, weakening of low and dirty tendencies towards drunkenness, etc. The practice of seminary life, of course, was still far below these demands and ideas, but it was also important that they were already ​realized and expressed 56 . The good seeds sown sparingly by Plato were bound to bear good fruits. Thirty-two saints emerged from Trinity Seminary in the age of Plato; among them are eight metropolitans, sixteen archbishops and eight bishops. A good recommendation for the ​Sergius​ Lavra Seminary! 57. This was, in general, at the beginning of the 19th century, the state of the Trinity Lavra Seminary, where fate sent young Drozdov from Kolomna. After the closure of the Kolomna Seminary, Vasily Mikhailovich Drozdov, who was then seventeen years old, wanted to enter the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy, but his father gave a hint that the education at the Lavra Seminary was more solid. The son was ready to follow his father’s advice, but he, not in good health and accustomed to the comforts of his parents’ shelter, was worried about the poor, too Spartan content in this seminary, as well as the economic work assigned to its students; his father reassures him with a promise to support him out of his own pocket. The matter was decided according to the father's wishes. In March 1800, the father and his son went to the Lavra and submitted a petition to admit his son to the Lavra Seminary. They agreed to accept him. As he was already in the philosophy class of the Kolomna Seminary, he hoped to be accepted into the same class at the Lavra Seminary, but the latter, aware of its superiority over other seminaries, did not at first express consent. It turned out that a verification exam was necessary. They asked from the logic of definition. After this satisfactory oral answer, the Kolomna newcomer had to pass another written test. “In the evening, as Metropolitan Philaret himself says in his memoirs, I came with ​my father to the rector ​Augustin​ (​Vinogradsky​), who immediately in his chambers forced me to write a dissertation on the question: “an dantur ideae innatae?” 58 I couldn’t answer this based on the lessons of my former mentor, but while rummaging through my father’s books when I was studying in Kolomna, I read a textbook on Winkler’s philosophy. There I received some understanding about this issue. And they were pleased with my answer. I was accepted into the philosophy class." The staff of the Trinity Seminary at the time of Vasily Mikhailovich Drozdov's admission to it was as follows: the rector was the aforementioned Archimandrite Augustine, who taught theology, the prefect was Hieromonk Melchizedek (Minervin), who was replaced in August 1800 by the young Hieromonk Evgraf (Muzalevsky-Platonov), who was hired a year after completing the course. from the prefects of the Perervin Seminary and taught philosophy; teachers: rhetoric and German language - ​Stefan​ ​Krylov​-​Platonov​ (later ​Ryazan Archbishop ​Sergius​), history, geography and ​catechism​ - Hieromonk Dionysius, - poetry and French language - Savva ​Krylov​ (later ​Simeon​, Archbishop Yaroslavsky), Greek and Hebrew - ​Stefan​ ​Zapolsky​-​Platonov​ (later Samuel, Bishop ​of Kostroma​), - Latin language in the highest class - Alexander ​Belyaev​, in the lower class Ivan ​Platonov​ 59. One must think that the composition of the leadership and mentors of the Trinity Seminary was intellectually much higher than the composition of the former Kolomna Seminary. Chapter VI. Life of V. M. Drozdov in free apartments in Sergiev Posad Moving him to the monastery for government support. The state of his spirit and health during his first stay at Trinity Seminary. Listening to lessons in philosophy and his success in this science, as well as in history and the languages ​​Greek and Hebrew in the first year of study at Trinity Seminary. Comrades. Greetings to Metropolitan Plato in Greek on his name day (November 18), composed and delivered by a student of philosophy V. M. Drozdov. The death of Emperor Paul I and the taking of the oath of allegiance by Trinity seminarians to the new Sovereign, Emperor Alexander I. Completion of a philosophical course by V. M. Drozdov Although the father reassured his son about the maintenance, this promised maintenance on his ​kosht​ in ​Sergiev Posad, with its simple inhabitants and the absence of even the first amenities for living, did not represent anything tempting and soon even made him want to exchange it for a government-owned one. At first, V. M. Drozdov was located on Pereyaslavskaya Street, but soon the authorities prohibited seminarians from occupying apartments on this street due to the constant noise and bustle there from the many people traveling from the northern provinces to Moscow. It was the same inconvenient place for studying science and spiritual contemplation for a young philosophy student as ​the place of ​Sashima​ once seemed to Gregory the Theologian. Our future famous metropolitan describes his first ​posad​ impressions in a letter to his parent: “Now I don’t know where to ​lay my head: not only do they not accept the owner’s ​cost anywhere, but very little of your own. It’s cramped there;—the owner is a drunkard;—it’s ​restless there. You have to live either in a bad apartment, or on the street. Trouble! 60 But not poverty.” The situation and the lack of physical comforts worry the young student of the seminary: he is worried about the inevitable need to lose a lot of time in such an environment without benefit for his studies. "If you go to a bad apartment," he says in the same letter, and either because of the cramped conditions or because of the noise, you will waste a lot of time: it is true that it will be no worse if you live on the street. This is not Kolomna: losing an hour of time in an apartment means losing almost the whole day. Having spent seven hours a day at school, you will want to save the rest. Moreover, you often come early: and this is wasted. And so there is very little left to use time here. as it should, it is necessary to have a watch. But this is ours...” Here the points are made in the letter. What young Drozdov wanted to say with this omission, either that in his position it is still impossible to dream of this luxury, or indicates a general habit of not valuing time, which, however, does not apply to him. We think that both of them do not contradict the flow of his thoughts. His time is so busy that there is almost no time left even to write letters to his relatives: for writing exercises alone, in the four weeks of his first stay at the Lavra Seminary, he spends ten papers. His head was so busy thinking about various educational tasks that “disorder of thoughts prevents him from writing to his family" even in the few free minutes remaining. In addition to the distance from the apartment to the seminary, the responsibility that also rested on him to take care of buying food for himself, he writes to his grandfather, who is here for 60 years, could also take up quite a lot of time from his studies and cause “disorder of thoughts.” kopecks, or more. Maybe I’ll eat empty cabbage soup very often; because both my comrades and I will say: why am I going to such an apartment? But otherwise I should live on the street, or at least in such a shack, in which there are two or three ′′ portages ′′ and it's impossible to read a book in such a one with my comrades. Obliged to leave the apartment on Pereyaslavskaya Street, young Drozdov was put in considerable difficulty. "They recommended to me, he says in his memoirs, another apartment, a better one, in Ilyinskaya Sloboda, but having learned that great seminarians go there to meet the owners, and that this acquaintance is doubtful, I did not agree to move there. Then they showed me an apartment with the priest Rozhdestvensky 62, whose family, as I learned later, was upset, and he and his wife led an intemperate life. Students who were expelled from the bursa for pranks lived with him, and they lived in poverty, stealing it from the treasury. They had a system in place so that everyone would feed the entire community, which consisted of five people, on a weekly basis. Not knowing their method of subsistence, I went to live with them. But after a month, when everything was explained, I did not want to stay with them. In general, young ​Drozdov had to experience quite a few unfavorable living conditions during his first stay at the Lavra Seminary, but, informing his relatives about them, perhaps still with silence about some, he asks them “for God’s sake not to worry about ​him.” “This life, he writes, touches me very little or not at all and does not upset me.”64 Subsequently, when he metropolitan, in 1844, on November 1st, in a speech upon the consecration of the Church of St. Nicholas in the house of the Moscow Theological Seminary, addressing the students of the latter, he recalls his life during the first time of his stay at the Lavra Seminary: “Children! Ask your parents, or their fathers: is it as diverse as it is now?” ​were ​they​ looked upon​ when, ​half a century earlier, we walked the path you are now traversing? From unproperized dwellings, we often covered the unproperized path to the house of study with entire fields; and it happened that only in our teaching did ​the fire flare up(​Ps. 38:4), when we needed a warming or illuminating fire. educational church. I remember this, the preacher adds, not in order to arouse reproaches to the past, which has its own good and honorable memories, but to do justice to the present.” Among various hardships and adversities during the first time of his settlement in Sergievsky Posad, V. M. Drozdov was consoled by news from his homeland about his parent’s elevation to the rank of archpriest and appointment as rector of the Kolomna Assumption Cathedral. Congratulating the parent with a feeling of heartfelt joy, he wishes him further happy success in his position, “of which he is already assured.” 65 Not for long, however, young ​Drozdov​ had to experience the inconvenience of living in apartments in ​Sergievsky Posad. Concerned as much about saving time for studies as he was about protecting himself from bad company in bad apartments, he came to the prefect of the seminary, frankly explained his position to him and asked to be accepted into government support with a contribution of money. And he was accepted without this condition 8). At the end of the first academic year upon entering the Lavra Seminary (June 10, 1800), he already notified his relatives that he had been accepted into government pay and was living in a monastery. 66 He considers such a move happy for himself and a considerable advantage over his comrades living in apartments. “The poor need to come in the morning and leave in the evening in the dark, at night! I consider myself happy before them,” he writes in a letter to his parent. 67 But no matter how hard young Drozdov tries to adapt to his position at the Lavra Seminary, from time to time he experiences bouts of boredom, especially when he receives not entirely pleasant news from his homeland. 68 He also cannot boast of his health during this time: either he suffers from an eye disease, which was common at that time in Lavra and Bethany, or the damp weather often has a bad effect on his head. 69 Soon after entering Trinity Seminary, V. M. Drozdov became one of the most excellent students. He, as previously said, listened to philosophy lessons from the prefect hieromonk Evgraf, who, according to contemporaries, was distinguished by remarkable talents and extensive knowledge, although, according to the review of his famous student, “he did not have a well-organized education and did not show the merits of a good teacher in philosophy.” 70 But we already know that this student, thanks to his talents and hard work, was able to make up for the shortcomings of teaching himself. Be that as it may, Prefect Evgraf testified to Drozdov’s successes in philosophy, history and the Greek and Hebrew languages ​​during the first year of his studies at Trinity Seminary as most commendable (lauda-billimos progressus). The best students of philosophy, Drozdov's comrades, were at this time: Matthew Znamensky (later archpriest of the Moscow Nikolaevskaya, on Punyshi, church), Kirill Rudnev and Alexey Alexandrov. 71 Despite the fact that V. M. Drozdov was a newcomer to Trinity Seminary, in his first year of study there he had the honor of composing and delivering a greeting to Metropolitan Plato on his name day (November 18). As you know, at Trinity Seminary it was a custom on this day to present poems in Russian, Latin, Greek, German, French and Hebrew to their patron. Philosophy student ​Drozdov​ was assigned to compose a poem in Greek, despite the fact that he ​began to study this language only from the time he entered the ​Lavra​ Seminary, that is, only nine months ago. It consisted of four verses and was written in elegiac meter. We present it as an example of the first written exercises of the famous writer, who later declared himself with equal success in all types of writing, not only in prose, but also in poetry: ,.Ηρώας μεγάλους μελέεσσιν ἄειδε, Ομηρε! Αύτὰρ μηδ’ ἄδειν Πλάπυνος ἕργα πόθεi. Ποιητῶν ίστι μερόπιυν τα γάρ όντα άέζειν, Πώς δ’ ἀεξῆσαι τ' ἐργα Πατρος δύνασαι; Ἐποίησεν ὁ τῆς φιλος. φιλομαθ. In later times, Filaret himself quite successfully translated this quatrain into Russian, in view of the wishes of his admirer N.V. Sushkov, in this form: “Sing in the songs of great heroes, Omir!” “Don’t dare to sing the works of Plato; “Poets are inclined to exceed the truth - “How can one exalt the actions of the Father? 73 The form of this youthful poem in Greek is not entirely correct, but this external defect is sufficiently explained by the circumstances of its writing and is more than compensated for by the merit of the internal content. He is penetrated by the selfless filial feeling of the young author for Plato; for all its brevity, the depth of feeling and thought shines in it, especially expressed in the fact that the poet becomes numb before the greatness of the deeds of Plato, his father, and immediately breaks off his speech. All this in an 18-year-old young man, as Drozdov was in 1800, shows that he was far from alien to the poetic gift. In the spring of 1801, Trinity seminarians, in the presence of Metropolitan Platon and following his example, mourned the death of Emperor Paul I, who had once been a student of their patron, and took an oath of allegiance to the new sovereign, Emperor Alexander I. 74 Chapter VII. Visit to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra by Sovereign Emperor Alexander I V. M. Drozdov’s transition to the theological class. Listening to lectures on theology by the rector Archimandrite Augustine. Transfer of Augustine to rectorship at the Moscow Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy. The appointment of Hieromonk Evgraf as rector of the Trinity Seminary in his place. His method in teaching theology. Drozdov's successes in theology, as well as in history, Greek and Hebrew languages, and medicine. His behavior. A sign of Metropolitan Plato's attention to him. Appointment of Drozdov as senior manager of the seminary hospital. His dedication to the surplice. The order given to him was to greet M. Plato. His way of life, self-education and self-improvement, pleasure and entertainment. General love for him. Completion of the seminar course In the autumn of 1801, on the feast of St. St. Sergius, the day of his repose, celebrated by the church on September 25, His Imperial Majesty, Sovereign Emperor Alexander I, deigned to arrive at the Trinity-​Sergius Lavra. Trinity seminarians were honored to meet and behold the “Genius of Russia with a meek but majestic gaze, with an angelic smile, ​accompanied by the ​charit​ cathedral. At 7 o’clock on the eve of the holiday He entered the Lavra; for the liturgical holiday He did not forget to visit the Trinity Seminary, and after lunch ​Bethane​, and returned to the capital" 75 . At the same time, the transfer of Trinity students to the next classes, which was impatiently expected and slowed down only due to the arrival of the Emperor at the Lavra, took place. V. M. Drozdov, together with other comrades, was appointed to be transferred to the theological class, and Metropolitan Plato, approving the list, wrote: promovendi promoveantur, i.e. those worthy of translation, let them be translated. From the beginning of the course until Christmastide (1801), V. M. Drozdov listened to theology from the rector, Archimandrite Augustine, a capable man, but not too zealous about the duties of a teacher. "From him, Metropolitan Philaret later recalled, we (the theology students) received a notebook or two that talked about the books of Holy Scripture, perhaps the Old Testament, in Latin. ​Augustine​, coming to class, ordered the students to read part of these notes, translate them into Russian, and added ​a few​ of his own comments to this. When ​Augustine​ was ​the governor​, he usually came to class for half an hour” 77. At the end of 1801, the rector of the Trinity Seminary, Archimandrite Augustine, by decree of the Holy Synod of December 25, was transferred to the same position at the Moscow Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy. In his place was appointed (January 6, 1802) the prefect of the seminary, Hieromonk Evgraf, who, along with the rectorship, took over teaching theology lessons. ​Drozdov​, as an excellent student, was instructed to write a greeting (probably in poetry) to the new rector, but, unfortunately, it did not reach us 78. About the teaching of theology by Rector Evgraf, Metropolitan Philaret later speaks in his memoirs as follows: “He asked to copy the marked articles from ​Gollasius​, and then in the same way (as ​Augustine​) read, translated and explained in class. Treatises common ​to us with Protestants, such as: on the Holy Trinity, on the atonement, etc., were covered decently; and others, for example, about the church, were not read at all." Among the advantages of Evgraf’s teaching is that he was one of the first “to see the need to study ​the fathers of the church and studied them.” It should also be attributed to the influence of Rector Evgraf that, instead of the hitherto dominant teaching of Latin, they began to care more about ​improving​​the knowledge of the Russian language. One must think that the lessons Evgraf were very useful for young Drozdov. He made great progress in them and in the first third of the theological course he earned the following recommendation from the teacher: “excellently sharp, diligent and successful.” In addition to theology, during the two-year course Drozdov continued to listen to lessons in history, Greek and Hebrew, and from the end of September 1802, when a medicine class was opened, he also listened to this science. The Hebrew teacher, in his recommendation, gave ​Drozdov​ preference over all his comrades; on the list of the Greek language it is written against his name: “excellent, wonderful" 79. Teaching medicine at Trinity Seminary, due to the peculiarities of the way things were set up, could not bear much fruit. “The doctor (Egor Zhukov) makes ​short​ extracts for us, to which he does not add a word for explanation,” writes Drozdov to a parent. “This month we were in this class once.” Information in medicine, Drozdov inevitably had to supplement little by little in his free time by reading Bukhanov’s medical book, which he read, as he says, “with pleasure.”80 No matter how stingy the doctor was in teaching medicine, in the list of his students, preserved in the archives of the Trinity Seminary (1802, No. 64), he notes about Drozdov that in medicine he “does very well.” Drozdov's behavior was also certified by the inspectorate as quite good. Patron and encourager of young talents, Metropolitan Plato, probably already noted young Drozdov with his attention early on. At least it is known that in early 1802, while driving from home to the Lavra from his home during the Christmas holidays in Moscow, Drozdov introduced himself to Metropolitan Platon, was received well and received the Bishop’s Latin speech, delivered at the coronation of His Majesty 81. Drozdov’s excellent success and behavior were the reason that, upon transferring to the theological class, he was appointed head of the seminary hospital 82. This position gave him the opportunity to see Metropolitan Plato many times, who often visited the hospital, and to receive his attention and conversation. 83 In mid-April 1802, Drozdov, on the recommendation of the rector of the seminary, was ordained to the surplice to ​preach​ the word of God in the Refectory Church. 84 As an excellent student, Drozdov at the end of 1802 wrote a Greek “congratulation” for the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, and a Russian “congratulation” for the New Year, 85 unfortunately, it has not reached us. The life of the theology student V. M. Drozdov proceeded quietly, modestly, in constant ​studies in science. Nothing disturbed her peace and did not interfere with her concentration on one subject, unless some extraordinary and unusual event occurred such as the earthquake that occurred on September 14, 1802 and was noticed by many inhabitants of the Lavra and Bethany. 86 Not content with classroom lessons, he continues to improve through self-education. ​Having received the appointment ​to preach​, he is concerned with acquiring “The Words of Anastasius (Bratanovsky​, who died in 1806 as Archbishop of Astrakhan)." 87 Wanting to improve in writing letters in Latin, he asks his parent to send him ​Pliny​, whom, as he writes, he fell in love. 88 In the religious direction, he also gradually strengthens, finding that science is only in connection with faith can have a completely beneficial effect on the soul. 89 Concerned about moral improvement, he among other things wants to acquire an essay on the three temperaments, approved by Bishop Plato and capable, in the opinion of the inquisitive young man, of teaching good morality. 90 He is still modest, satisfied with his condition, undemanding in clothing, extremely moderate in food and ​pleasures​. Only quiet, innocent joys and entertainment are available to him. He really appreciates that there is a flower garden in front of the windows of his room in the hospital, with a garden all around. Occasionally he ​diversifies his life and amuses himself by playing the harp, which he learned from his grandfather in Kolomna, also by playing chess and fishing. 91 With rare mental and moral virtues, the gifted and modest student of Trinity Seminary had the happy lot to enjoy the love of his superiors, mentors and comrades. Metropolitan Platon apparently distinguished him with his attention. Rector Evgraf also loved him very much and retained his affection for the rest of his life. Only once did he cool down towards him somewhat, but this did not last very long. Here is how N.V. ​Sushkov​ talks about this from the words, probably, of Metropolitan Philaret himself: “The rector, according to the long-standing custom in the Lavra, arranging a proper meeting for Metropolitan Plato, on his ​name day​, invited Vasily Mikhailovich to write poems in honor of him and with some of his comrades to go before the guests in a conversation composed on a given topic. were written by him in Latin; but he refused to talk: “Is this a theatrical performance? I don’t want to be an actor.” Hence the short-term “coolness” between them 92. Prefect ​Sergius​ ​Krylov​-​Platonov​ and some others from the seminary staff also had a good disposition towards him. Unnoticed, in constant labors of study, amid common love and respect, two years of theological course passed for V. M. Drozdov. At the end of it, in August 1803, rector Evgraf gave the following review on the theological list about the successes and behavior of Vasily ​Drozdov and Matvey ​Znamensky: "Turn diligentia, turn ingenii acie, turn in aliis litterarum studiis, turn in poftsi maxime, facile primi sunt omnium. Singulari eminent modestia" 93 . Thus ended the education of V.M. Drozdov at the Trinity Lavra Seminary. In gratitude for the education he received there, he devoted the first best years of his life (1803–1808) to serving there as a teacher and spent them in the most modest surroundings, in constant work, forgetting among them his youth, its inherent fun and entertainment Chapter VIII. Appointment of V. M. Drozdov to the position of teacher of Greek and Hebrew languages The conditions under which seminary students completed the course and entered the teaching positions. The financial situation of the seminary teachers at that time. V.M.’s circle of comrades in service at the seminary. Works on teaching. A trip home. Special activities. Details about teaching Greek and Hebrew. The state of mind of V. M. Drozdov during his tenure as a teacher of Greek and Hebrew languages. A hitherto unpublished poem of his from this time. The image of his life. A sign of rector Evgraf’s special affection towards him. Two sermons that glorified him. Transfer to the position of poetry teacher. Special works. Strengthening Metropolitan Platon's affection for him. Teaching poetry to V.M. His own poetic work dating back to this time. A trip home. Appointment to the position of teacher of higher eloquence and rhetoric and joint teaching of two subjects - the old and the new. Sermon delivered at the Makhrishchi Monastery. New and noticeable signs of attention to V. M. Met. Plato. A two-time invitation to him to take the place of a priest in Kolomna and subsequent refusal In November 1803, when the teacher of rhetoric, Hieromonk ​Misail​ (Orlov) was transferred to the Moscow Academy and the teacher of Greek and Hebrew languages ​Stefan​ ​Platonov​ was appointed in his place, Rector Evgraf nominated two “most worthy​ of theology students” Vasily ​Drozdov​ as candidates for the vacancy of instructor of the above languages at Trinity Seminary. and ​Matthew​ ​Znamensky, with a salary of 150 rubles per year intended for the future teacher. Metropolitan Platon summoned Drozdov (November 25) and asked him several questions in Greek. 94 The answers were probably considered quite satisfactory, because at the same time ​Drozdov​ was appointed to the position of teacher. At the rector’s presentation, Metropolitan Platon wrote: “student Vasily Drozdov will be a teacher of Greek and Hebrew with a salary of 160 rubles per year” 95. One cannot discern a particularly noticeable line between Vasily Mikhailovich’s completion of the course at Trinity Seminary and his assignment to the position of teacher at the same seminary. A full course in seminaries of that time usually lasted 8–13 years; The time for completing each science, in particular, was also assigned differently, depending on how much the local bishop was imbued with the consciousness of its importance. Of course, the most time was spent on theology (2-4 years) and the Latin language. 96 Recognition of the maturity of those completing the course and their appointment to ​teaching positions depended on the representation of the seminary authorities and on the discretion of the bishop. It happened that students of the theological course, having spent two years on it, continued to listen to it, while their happier comrades already occupied teaching or priestly positions. And this happened not only with students who were doing poorly. Given the charitable nature of the ecclesiastical educational institutions of old times, on the one hand, and on the other hand, if it was necessary for the bishops of that time, which was sparsely educated, to have a constant supply of candidates for teaching and priestly positions, the students, even the best, sometimes the sons of poor parents and orphans, at the end of the course, were in no hurry to leave the educational institutions that had become like family for them and were not to that ​prompted by the will of the authorities. V. M. Drozdov himself expressed a desire to study at the Lavra Seminary for another extra year. 97 If it happened that the student Vasily Drozdov was appointed to the position of teacher, then this happened solely at the will of the authorities. He was assigned to a teaching position, while his comrade Matthew Znamensky, who shared the championship with him in success in science and behavior, continues to listen to the lessons of his former comrade in the theological course and receives teacher marks from him on his exercises in Greek and Hebrew. The financial situation of the seminary teacher also did not bear the sharp stamp of difference from the situation of the student. The salary allotted to V.M. Drozdov, even with an increase from Metropolitan Platon himself, was not at all such that it could noticeably change his everyday situation. It was not for nothing that this teacher wrote to his parent about himself: "You see a new teacher in winter in a summer dress. Imagine the difficulties of this new state: a bed, a warm dress and, if you follow your comrades, for occasions, tea with accessories - these are the needs." numerous 150 rubles annual salary.” The table is kept by teachers, including Drozdov, at the artel’s headquarters; it is prepared for all teachers by an honored sailor, who is also Drozdov’s valet, whose apartment serves as a common dining room. The circle of comrades of V. M. ​Drozdov​ at that time consisted of the following persons: rector hieromonk Evgraf, prefect hieromonk ​Sergius​, teacher of rhetoric, hierodeacon Samuel, teacher of poetry Kirill ​Rudnev​, - the highest grammatical Latin class and German language Nikifor ​Platonov​ (later Neophytos, Bishop of Arkhangelsk), - teacher of grammar class and French language Mikhail ​Platonov​. The new mentor's students in the first year of his service were in the Greek class: 39 from the theological class, 60 from philosophy, 38 from rhetoric, 21 from poetry and 4 from the higher grammar class, a total of 162 people. Among the students we see the theology student ​Matthew​ Abramovich ​Znamensky​, about whose successes V. M. Drozdov noted in the list: “excellent success" - the best recommendation of all. 51 people studied the Hebrew language; of them, according to ​the review​ of the mentor, two were the best: Nikolai ​Platonov​ and Grigory Troitsky. 99 The new teacher, called to teaching straight from school, naturally had a lot to do. For the sake of new responsibilities and the most careful fulfillment of them, he had to overcome the burning desire to visit his parents in Kolomna and mentally put it off for at least two years in advance. 100 But he devoted himself so diligently and tirelessly to his work that in just one year he managed to overcome its difficulties. In the service record of the teacher Vasily ​Drozdov​ for 1803 it is noted: “He can translate, write and speak Greek perfectly.”101 Thanks to such unexpectedly rapid success in his affairs, he dreams of being in Kolomna earlier than the time expected for himself, but he is embarrassed to bother asking for the leave of the ​Eminent Metropolitan Assumption Cathedral. But to the great consolation of Vasily Mikhailovich, even without this condition he managed to spend several pleasant days in his home during the 1804 vacation. 102 For such a diligent worker as Vasily ​Mikhailovich​ Drozdov was, refreshment of strength with a trip to his homeland was necessary only in order to get down to business with redoubled ​jealousy and zeal, even not just for his direct responsibility. Explaining the slowdown in written relations with his parent, he writes to him: “It so happens that now, in addition to our ordinary duties, we always have special matters: and this prevents me from writing to you sometimes, even if I wanted to.” These affairs consisted, among other things, as can be seen from the same letter, in drawing up comments even on Metropolitan Plato’s own works, comments that he demanded from his former pupils in the spirit of complete filial frankness and impartiality 103 But Vasily Mikhailovich Drozdov’s main concern was, of course, works in his specialty. Information about his educational activities was preserved in reports that were submitted monthly to the Lavra Seminary Board by each of the teachers, along with lists of students and recommendations about their successes. There were Greek classes every day except Saturday, and Hebrew classes every day. In the Greek class, ​grammatical​ rules were read, ​problems were assigned and ​translations were compiled, noting syntactic ​rules, and the students were ​engaged in conversations." In addition to the ancient ​Hellenic​ language, ​new ​Romanic​ was also ​taught, ​the ​grammatical​ features of this language ​were ​explained, ​were​ done translations from modern Greek books into Russian, as well as translations from Russian into Greek and Romanic. For translations from Greek, the Works of St. Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom were chosen. Vasily ​Mikhailovich​ especially focused on the study of the Works of Gregory the Theologian. Apparently they found such a sympathetic response in the soul of the young teacher that he vividly perceived the very spirit of this famous father of the Eastern Church, the way of his theology, which was subsequently reflected in many of his works. The very form of Gregory the Theologian’s presentation became so familiar and akin to the ​Lavra​ teacher of Greek that “some of Gregory’s poems in Greek, according to the testimony of A.V. Gorsky (in the word before the funeral service of Metropolitan Philaret), remained in his fresh memory until the later years of his life.” In the Jewish class, ​grammatical​ rules, and the students were occupied with translations from the books of the Old Testament with an etymological analysis of words. Mostly the teacher translated and analyzed the Psalter with the students, according to a special resolution of Metropolitan Plato 104. It would seem that the Greek and Hebrew languages ​​should have seemed like a rather dry subject to a teacher, especially such a young one as Vasily Mikhailovich Drozdov was at that time, but this teacher was so talented, diligent and hardworking, he loved his subject so much that he was able to revive, make the most careful study of it enjoyable and useful both for himself and, probably, for his numerous students. Not only is it not clear that he was burdened by teaching this ​apparently ​inhospitable​ subject, but on the contrary it is noticeable that the years he taught this ​subject (1803-1806) were the most pleasant time of his ​Laurel​ life. His letters to his parent during this time, especially for 1804, have a poetic, cheerful character. One of them includes the following poetic greetings to relatives: What I want for you for many years: What dwells forever in the heart Doesn't know the laws of time." Then he adds: when our relatives visit you on the 8th of the next month (November - the parent’s name day), read to them a general visit from me: Let them share among themselves. 105 To the same year and even to the same time of year, i.e. to the birthday and name day of the parent, the following letter from Vasily Mikhailovich Drozdov in verse, which has not yet been published anywhere, also applies: As I sit, I remember your new year: Let there be a Pegasus under me - a pine chair; Let me jump towards you from afar in iambic patterns, And fetter free thoughts with rhyme. I won’t go dreaming about wandering around Greece, To be imbued with drunken delight there. In the place of graces, where you will meet seral ladies, And where they smoke tobacco - not incense to the muses. My thoughts rushed to that Parnassus, Who recently came to your home. I’m there - I see you - and isn’t that a delight? The most abundant Piit is wretched in this regard before me. Not lyrical sounds, but the meek voice of the heart An unquenchable, eternal fire pours into my heart. It is not insidious art that speaks here, What gives ugliness a charming appearance. Without a mask, without embellishment, nature here is simple. No less than in heaven, open, naked He comes to wish, but there are only joys Your future days always bring you; May the meek heavens heed your prayers, And the storms of life do not shake the calm. Here's my heart for you! this is the object of desire! ..It’s a clear day in Kolomna - and there are no clouds in the Lavra... This New Year’s greeting from Vasily Mikhailovich Drozdov to his parent is imbued with such warm filial feelings, testifying to the author’s clear, undisturbed state of mind. This bright ​spiritual disposition of the young teacher of Greek and Hebrew languages ​​​​at Trinity Seminary involuntarily attracts attention, especially since he himself, in his personal solitary and monotonous working life, had to be content with very little and the excess of his bright thoughts and feelings had to be drawn mainly from the deep recesses of his soul. We already know his ​extremely modest material situation. In the area of ​​spiritual needs, he also had to limit himself in many ways. He had no other interests except teaching, and there was very little entertainment either. Occasionally, he will entertain himself with a conversation with his valet, for example, about the Antichrist and about the new spring snow that has come for the old, or exchange some innocent joke or wit with his fellow teachers during a common lunch or dinner. 106 What else could brighten up this solitary and monotonous life and console in many hardships is a strong and deep religious feeling, nourished and supported by the entire environment of the Lavra and the sacred memories associated with it, then an ardent kindred feeling along with warm feelings for the high patron of the seminary, Metropolitan Plato, the closest superiors and colleagues, and finally - a simple, unspoiled feeling love for nature, noticeably manifested in many of his letters from that time and in later memories of this time. 107 With his constant efficiency in performing his duties, his talents and especially honest behavior, Vasily Mikhailovich Drozdov, who had previously enjoyed the favor of rector Evgraf, even more deserved his attention and love. In order to more clearly and clearly express his feelings for the worthy son of a worthy father, the rector wished to enter into correspondence with Vasily Mikhailovich’s parent. In it, he assures the latter that “in the rare merits of his son, he truly has a precious guarantee and evidence of God’s favor towards him” and expresses the desire “may Providence increase and deepen this blessing on him.”108 While still in the position of a teacher of Greek and Hebrew, V. M. Drozdov in 1806 gained fame as a capable preacher with two of his sermons, one of which was written on the day of the celebration of the liberation of the monastery of St. Sergius from the siege by the Poles in 1610, delivered on January 12 and, by order of Metropolitan Plato, printed, and the other on Great Friday, which was also printed shortly after its utterance. Regarding the first sermon, Metropolitan Platon wrote (on March 4, 1806) to his vicar ​Augustine​: “And I have a most excellent preacher, teacher Drozdov. I will tell you his sermon, and you will be surprised.”109 On the manuscript of the second sermon, Metropolitan Plato ​wrote​: “​Prox​, Linguae hebraicae et graecae prae. Prox! Prox, cum norimus te, esse in Laurensi principem praeconum! In August 1806, V. M. Drozdov, by a resolution of Metropolitan Plato, which followed the presentation of the seminary board, which saw in ​Drozdov​ “an excellent inclination for poetry and ​rhetoric​,” was transferred from the post of teacher of Greek and Hebrew to the position of teacher of poetry instead of teacher ​Rudnev. This new activity probably influenced V. M. Drozdov’s parent. ​To those who judged her by the name of the subject of teaching (poetry), she seemed cheerful. But the new poetry teacher himself looked at her differently, for whom she represented far more than just fun. Along with the appointment of this position, he had to, due to the special preaching gift noticed in him, be assigned the position of preacher at the Lavra Trinity Cathedral. Spend about six hours in the classroom, and say one in two weeks. preaching, not counting those usually assigned on holidays, this is the position,” he writes to his parent, “which you call fun. It is true that it is more varied than before, more interesting, and can occupy me with great pleasure: but you will agree that it is no small burden. With such little information, and even less experience, to be a preacher, and to subject every work of a weak pen to the judgment of such a man (Metropolitan Plato), who has been enjoying the glory of a theologian and ​vitia for twice as long as my entire life, - this alone could not even lead me to bewilderment. With all this, I made up my mind - and what else could I have made up my mind? I decided to obey the external will as much as my strength allowed.” 111 To encourage the young poetry teacher, he was given a salary of 250 rubles, and personally from Metropolitan Plato 50 rubles, a total of 300 rubles. Along with this, Metropolitan Plato shows him other signs of his special attention and affection. He brings him closer and closer to himself, gives him various things and makes him his ​subdeacon​. The archpastor's mercies are poured out not only on his son, but also on his father. According to the proposal of Metropolitan Platon, the Kolomna Cathedral Archpriest receives an award from the Holy Synod (probably a skufia), for the intercession of which the son advises his father to bring personal gratitude to His Eminence. 112 If V. M. Drozdov, as we have seen, judged himself too modestly as a preacher, calling his sermons “works of a weak pen,” then his high patron, Metropolitan Plato, spoke differently about him. To the honor of the latter, it must be admitted that he not only always paid tribute to young talents, but found, one might say, even pleasure in giving preference to some of them over himself. About V. M. ​He responded to Drozdov like this: “I write like a human being, and he writes like an angel.” 113 Having published his “history of the Church,” he presented him with one print with the following inscription: “Mr. ​speaking​ in the position of teacher of poetry, and for this he orders to present them to himself, which leads to some embarrassment of the author of the sermons: “The correspondence will cause me a lot of trouble: for ​many​ are written straight blank, as they say,” he writes to the parent. 115 In this confession to V.M. - new proof of both his special preaching gift (writing sermons straight out!) and his modest opinion of himself. There is little data to judge the nature of teaching poetry by V. M. Drozdov. It probably consisted of communicating the rules for composing poems in Latin and Russian, reading and analyzing samples, and assigning and watching student exercises on this subject. ​Samples​ of these exercises are preserved in the collection of ​gradulations​ to Metropolitan Platon from Trinity Seminary for 1806. As a teacher of poetry, obliged to set an example for his students, V.M. himself practiced composing poems, a monument of which is preserved in his rather extensive poem entitled: “Old Age,” placed at the end of the collection of ​gradulations​ to Plato from the same seminary for 1807. 116 V. M. spent the summer vacation of 1807 in his homeland - in Kolomna, from his stay in the “quiet society” of which he gained “the most pleasant pleasure.”117 At the beginning of 1808, V. M. Drozdov was appointed to the position of teacher of higher eloquence and rhetoric, but since a certain university student, intended to take his place in teaching poetry, who expressed a desire to become a monk, did not receive dismissal from his superiors for quite a long time, V. M. had to teach both subjects - poetry and rhetoric. In a letter to his parent, he complains about the difficulty of teaching two subjects together, especially since “there are both classes and many people in the same hours,” but he declares at the same time that “he would be an indecent slave if he did not try to justify the trust of the most merciful archpastor.” “They notice a change in my health,” he adds, “but God will help: or - God forbid, it is better to weaken my health by performing a position than by some other means.” vice." 118 Two of his reports on the teaching of poetry and rhetoric during February 1808 have been preserved. In one of them, a poetry teacher writes that “in the morning classes ​on Mondays​, Wednesdays and ​Pyatints​, rhetoric was read to them; on Tuesdays and Thursdays, ​poetry rules; in the afternoon hours, they were engaged in translation from Peacock; on Saturdays, both classes ​were used to listen to lectures by Latin authors; for neglect of the use of the Latin language ​were assigned​ to teach selected periods from Francis’s rhetoric.” In this report, Rector Evgraf wrote: Colloquiorum Erasmi usus non .negligendus est. Historiae insuper, maxime ecclesiasticae, usus est necessarius. Drozdov, as a teacher of rhetoric, reports that rhetoric was read to him in the morning hours on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; on Tuesdays and Thursdays from ​Langia​ about the beauties of the Latin language; in afternoon classes, except Saturday, there was a translation from the letters of ​Plinius​ and ​Ovidius​ ex Ponto; on Saturday both classes ​were used to listen to the weekly reading of Latin authors; for neglect of the use of the Latin language, verses from Ovid's elegies were learned as intended; Moreover, ​morning​ lectures, except Saturdays, ​were mostly accompanied by ​impromptu​.” And on this report Evgraf remarked: "Erasmi pro calculo destinetur usus. Historiae, maxime Russicae et ecclesiasticae, inculcanda est notitia4. 120 Among the labors of joint teaching of two subjects, V.M. continues to carry out the work of preaching. From the sermons of this time, his sermon written for the consecration of the church of St. is known. Trinity in the Makhrishchi Monastery and pronounced on August 23, 1808 121 Metropolitan Platon's affection for V.M. continues to grow, as they say, by leaps and bounds. It manifests itself in a wide variety of attentions 122 and becomes too noticeable for others. One day, after a walk on ​Korbukh​, Plato, getting into a carriage, past others who were seeing him off, gave his hand to ​Drozdov​ with the words: “You alone will support me.” 123. This obvious preference over others, shown by a high patron to a young teacher and preacher, arouses in some envy of him and a desire to act to his detriment, but all the machinations of this envy are wasted, not achieving goals. “For example: it happened, he says in a letter to his parent, that they sent me to one place (i.e., to Metropolitan Plato) in the hope of giving me an opportunity... to receive a reprimand: but I was received there graciously and sat down for dinner... Isn’t it funny? - So they made me laugh when they thought to annoy me, protected by the patronage of Metropolitan Plato from all the undermining of unkind persons, V.M. feels “satisfied and.” cheerful." “My .​joy​ is quiet, like the breath of the midday breeze,” he says in the same letter. I, like ​everyone​ here, am calm under the gentle ​shadow." 124 In the continuation of the Lavra life of V. M. Drozdov, Kolomna citizens twice invited him to take a priestly place in his hometown, the first time at the end of his theological course (in the first half of June in 1803), 125 and the second in 1807, when he was already a poetry teacher, 126 both times this proposal failed. For the first time, the person invited to the priesthood did not shirk it, or, more precisely, he shied away weakly, either referring to the decision of the parent, or suggesting that the matter be postponed in order to better think about it until the vacancy 127. In general, he likes the position of a priest, and specifically in Kolomna, where “life is quieter” than in Moscow 128. In any case, he has it in mind, considering it among other things even when intending to order a summer dress for himself and at the same time settling on one that “even in case of a change little” would require a change” 129. Not being against the priesthood, he, however, does not dare to submit a request for appointment to the place of priest, “dangerous, in his opinion, for the applicant,” but leaves the matter to the parishioners themselves, relying in everything on the will of the parent 130. From V. M. Drozdov’s letters to his parent, it is not clear whether the Kolomna citizens asked Metropolitan Plato to assign a theology student to them as a priest. ​Drozdov​, and if they asked, then, in all likelihood, they were refused. The second request of the Kolomna citizens for the same subject in 1807, ​of course, could no longer be successful. Metropolitan Platon values ​​his beloved teacher and preacher too much to agree to the fulfillment of the desire of the Kolomna citizens. “How can I give it to you?” Plato said to the petitioners 131. He could no longer realize or notice that other, broader horizons were opening up before him. The calling to another, higher service of the church had already been sufficiently nurtured, defined and matured. "My circumstances,” he writes to his parent, and my thoughts in this case do not agree with what you are offering me. I have no hope of being dismissed from my place so soon. Besides this, not one of our students would accept your offer. ​However, do not think that pride uttered this last thought, or foolish hope for yourself. I assure you with the same ​sincerity​ with which I have hitherto opened my opinion that if ​for half a year I had firmly known your desire to see me in a place similar to the one now proposed, I would have used all my strength to remove the obstacles that could be encountered in fulfilling it.... I will talk about this more when I see you and declare my gratitude to the parishioners for their favor, adding that my circumstances do not allow me to take advantage of their call” 132. Chapter IX. V. M. Drozdov’s decision to enter monasticism The makings of a disposition towards monasticism in his previous life. Metropolitan Platon’s special love for monasticism and the custom of seminary mentors inducing him to join monasticism. V.M.’s state of indecision and internal struggle with himself. The attitude of V.M.’s parent to his son’s intentions. The decisive step was submitting a petition to Metropolitan Platon for tonsure as a monk and the subsequent permission of the Holy Synod. Consecration to monasticism and ordination to the rank of hierodeacon. The state of mind and way of life of a new monk. The attitude of Metropolitan Plato towards him. Hierodeacon Philaret's upcoming separation from his spiritual father, patron and leader. The fruits of an eight-year stay at the Trinity Lavra Seminary for her famous student and teacher The year 1808 was marked by an important event for V. M. Drozdov - his decision to devote himself to monastic life. It is clear from everything that the thought of monasticism sunk into his soul long before his final decision. His natural qualities, the environment of his early upbringing, and even more so, the environment in which he found himself immediately upon transferring to the Lavra Seminary could have predisposed him to her. Even in the first year after entering ​it, ​being​ ​seventeen years old, he discovers ​ascetic​ dispositions. “Sometimes,” he writes in a letter to his parent dated November 15, 1800, “alone with my boredom, walking through the naked garden, I plunge into gloomy reverie and on every subject on which my thought is directed, I seem to read the word of the wise: Vanitas vanitatum!” 133. Two years after this, regarding the news reported from his parents’ house about some unpleasant everyday relationships, he writes to his parent that “they are giving him an opportunity to think more carefully about the world.” “I imagine,” he says further, that I too must one day enter this dubious scene, which I now look at from the outside, where ignorance and prejudice are often applauded, booed by anger and envy... And I must follow this path, where stones and gold are thrown under my feet, over which it is equally convenient to stumble inexperience or imprudence” 134. But this rather gloomy view of life in the world does not exclude V.M.’s hesitation and struggle with himself when choosing a path in life. When the citizens of Kolomna offer him a position as a priest of the Ascension Church in Kolomna, he greatly hesitates 135. These hesitations and indecision, so natural in a young man, are gradually overcome and eliminated in him by the strong influence on him of the famous lover of monasticism and zealot for him, Metropolitan Plato. Metropolitan Platon, as is known, expressed special affection for monastic mentors. The spirit of monasticism at Trinity Seminary was highly developed under him. ​Plato​ believed and hoped that the high examples of spiritual asceticism, which glorified the Trinity Monastery, would arouse the spirit of monastic jealousy in the monastery of science and find in it worthy lovers of monasticism, with which the pursuit of science closely coexists. Plato expressed the last thought, when he was still rector, to Empress Catherine, declaring to her that he “chose the monastic life out of a special love for enlightenment.” In the same types of spiritual and scientific benefits, he instilled in the mentors of the Trinity Seminary the idea of ​​choosing a monastic life, and sometimes on this subject he very decisively expressed his convictions, suggesting that the worker science, perhaps carried away by the vanity of life, cannot fully understand and accept with sympathy his sincere convictions 136 And so, thanks to his influence, many of his outstanding students entered into monasticism, although not without an internal struggle with themselves. This sacrifice, which they made for the benefit of the Church, was all the more commendable and valuable because at that time scientists were rare, spiritual students were willingly accepted into public service and the path to an honorable and free life was opened for them. In order to persuade one to make this sacrifice, special art and power of influence were required, and Metropolitan Plato fully possessed such powerful means. Our famous preacher perfectly explains the secret of this ​influence of Metropolitan Plato on young seminary mentors. "Plato acted, he says, not with ​power and violence, but with conviction, which was difficult to resist. But the important thing is that a whole half of the power of this conviction was hidden in the very pupils of Metropolitan Plato. They were brought up not under the guidance of the science of faith, but of faith itself; they studied a little books about the Holy Scripture, but deeply, knew the Scripture itself. ​They read in the originals of the great ​interpreters​ Scriptures of St. fathers; ​they studied the history of the Church not from short, dry textbooks, but from the original living monuments and sources. The spirit of asceticism lived in their hearts; Plato’s pupils were also distinguished by them in the white clergy. Therefore, the struggle in choosing between secular life and monasticism for them took on the meaning not of resistance to the calling, but simply of the temptation of weak flesh and passions, which they overcame, and, having accepted a difficult feat, passed it victoriously.” 137 As for V. M. Drozdov, from his letter to his parent dated February 16, 1806, it is clear that Metropolitan Platon at that time was already inclining him to accept monasticism. 138 The proposal came from such a person and put such a service in perspective that ​it was impossible not to think about it. Accustomed to always respecting the parent’s advice, V. M. asks him what to do in this case, and, having received a not quite definite, in general terms, answer from the parent that “everything depends on the abilities and inclinations of everyone, which you can know for yourself, he pours out his grief to the parent that he is depriving him of direct and definite advice. 139 He again asks for his father’s advice and is surprised that he does not answer him for a long time. 140 Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Plato redoubles his affection and attention to the gifted mentor he noted. Extremely flattering approval of his first two sermons, various gifts (a scarf, a silk sash, a pair of pomegranate apples, a fresh cucumber - the product of early spring, a large artificial egg, the twentieth volume of his own sermons, a half-caftan and overcoat, a belt, a pineapple), a promise to make him a preacher follow one after another. 141 Extremely interested in how to lead him onto the real road (monastic), Metropolitan Platon in some special way finds out the consent of V.M.’s parent regarding the title offered to his son before he expressed it to the son himself, with which the latter is both surprised and, apparently, partly upset. V.M. feels some kind of dissatisfaction with himself, coldness towards everything and compares his situation with the position of “a man who stands in the dead of night on an empty road, does not want to be in one place or move forward, and in the weak light of the stars reflects on the darkness - who, however, would rather spend the night with people in the house than in the forest alone or with animals.” 142 The state of indecision continues for quite a long time: he carefully weighs the light and dark sides of both states. "If I had a decisive intention, he writes to the parent, you would already know it. What I see and know, and what they are inclining me towards, I dislike. The other opposite to this displeasure is known to me." one and the consolation of many." 143 But the persistent call to monasticism on the part of the high patron continues: his favors are poured out not only on his son, but also on his father, who, at the request of the Bishop, receives a reward from the Holy Synod. 144 There are hints in letters to his parent for 1806 that the intention to accept monastic orders has already taken root in V.M. 145 but he still finds it difficult to decide; and awaits the instructions of Providence. "The future is somewhat difficult for me,” he writes to his parent, but I, unable to clarify its gloom, calm down, turning my eyes away from it, and wait until some rays fall that should show me the way. Maybe this will be called frivolity: but I call it trust in Providence. If I desire something, and I encounter obstacles in achieving the object of desire: I think that is not the case pushed them against me, and therefore, without complaining, I hesitate, and wait for what will happen next. - It seems to me that a few years of indecision are more forgivable than a minute of rashness where things are going on for a whole life. Let whoever wants to run after the wandering fire of happiness: I walk calmly, because I do not see constant light anywhere - I offer you these thoughts, expecting a fair judgment from your experience, and I hope to know your opinion over time.” Quite a struggle, apparently, took place in the father’s soul when thinking about and worrying about his son’s future. Leaving, apparently, the choice of his future title to the arbitrariness of his son, the father, who probably did not dream of his future greatness and wanted to have him near him, does not give up hope of seeing him as a priest somewhere in Kolomna. The parishioners want him, the father advises him to accept the offer and not hesitate, but the son’s consciousness of his spiritual powers has already become sufficiently strengthened and the intention to devote himself to monastic life has matured. He thanks for his father's care, but at the same time declares that “his circumstances and thoughts do not agree with what is being offered to him." Things have already gone too far. “I have no hope of being dismissed so soon from my place,” he adds in a letter to his parent. 147 Finally, V. M. decides to follow the call of his high patron. Notifying his parent about “an important step taken in his willingly, after contented reflection,” he writes: “Father! Vasily will be gone soon; but you will not lose a son: a son who understands that he owes you more than ​life​, feels the importance of education, and knows the value of your heart... Without impatience, but willingly, without joy, but with pleasure, I am now making some preparations for the transformation: but the High Benefactor is taking away ​from me some of these ​cares​,” etc. 148 In July 1808, V.M., being twenty-five and a half years old, submitted a petition to Metropolitan Plato to be tonsured a monk, in which, among other things, he describes the path by which he came to this intention, as well as the purpose of the chosen title: “while studying and then teaching under the Archpastoral patronage of Your Eminence, I learned at least to find pleasure and benefit in learning solitude. This disposed me to the rank of monastic. I carefully tested myself in this disposition during the almost five years I spent in the position of teacher. And now Your Eminence, Most Gracious Archpastor and Father, “I most humbly ask for your Archpastoral favor to fulfill my desire by ​honouring me into monasticism.” To the Holy Synod, he wrote on his own behalf, among other things: “And I, after testing his honest and dignified morals and excellent teaching, find him capable of bearing this condition and... St. The Governing Synod humbly ask this teacher, at his request and for the required benefit of the Church and the school, to be allowed to take monastic vows.” 149 By decree of the Holy Synod of October 7 of the same year, this was allowed. Metropolitan Platon ordered the monastic robe required for the monk to be tonsured to be made at his own expense. And so on November 16, 1808, at Matins, in the refectory Church of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, the vicar of the monastery, Archimandrite Simeon, V. M. Drozdov was tonsured a monk with the name Philaret, and five days later, on November 21, in Bethany, in the house Soshestvenskaya Metropolitan Church, the monk Philaret was ordained by the metropolitan Plato in hierodeacon. 150 As a long-considered and strictly weighed step, the adoption of monasticism did not produce any special change in the monk Philaret. Until now he was already half a monk, but now, once he raised his hand to his forehead, he no longer looked back. "In my new state," he writes to his parent, "I hardly see anything new about me. The same way of life; the same exercises; the same position; the same calmness, except that before, for some time, I sometimes thought: something will happen? But now I don’t even think about that."151 Metropolitan Platon kept a vigilant and attentive eye on his new spiritual son and redoubled his affection and care for him. Monk Philaret often visits him easily, both in the monastery and in Bethany, where he spends the night several times. “In all these cases, he rarely sees his boss, more often his father, mentor.” 152 Such close communication with the famous Moscow archpastor, without a doubt, had a great beneficial influence on the young monk. He observed, studied, imitated, and, of course, his spiritual connection with his high patron became ever closer, when suddenly an unexpected circumstance was to separate them, depriving Metropolitan Plato of the consolation of personally seeing and observing the inner growth of his spiritual son, and depriving the latter of his loving leader and plunging him into the cycle of a life alien, only unknown, events extraordinary both in their speed and surprise, and in their importance. In conclusion of our sketch of the eight-year stay of Platonov’s favorite pet at the Trinity Lavra Seminary, we must say a few words about the fruits of this stay for him. It would be an exaggeration to admit that Hierodeacon Philaret had to leave the Trinity Monastery of Sciences as a ship, as much loaded with learning as this is capable of for human nature, in the words of St. Gregory the Theologian about St. Basil the Great, returning from Athens after the education received there. The very ​state of Russian theological schools of that time, even the best, among which, undoubtedly, one of the first places was occupied by the Trinity Lavra Seminary, does not allow me to say this at all. The future Moscow saint himself, as we have seen, is critical of the teaching of his former Lavra mentors, such as rector Archimandrite Augustine, prefect and then rector Evgraf, physician Zhukov. If judgments about the first two were made later, when he himself already possessed extensive and deep learning, then in any case - on the basis of youthful memories and impressions. From them, in any case, it is undoubtedly clear that the thirsty soul of the inquisitive and gifted young man, perceiving the lessons of the Lavra mentors, remained not completely satisfied. Apparently, the entire system of teaching science at the Lavra Seminary did not satisfy him. With all the merits of Metropolitan Plato for the Lavra Seminary, with all his concerns about replacing the previous rational-scholastic education in it with a more fruitful new one, there were still significant gaps in all branches of the sciences taught in it. In general teaching, blind and slavish adherence to alien systems still remained in significant force; new paths opened up little and timidly; entire sciences, such as history, were still in their infancy 153; the approach to teaching was not devoid of ostentatiousness, pretentiousness, and some kind of theatricality; There was more noticeable talking than penetration into the very essence of objects. Subsequently, in a letter to Gabriel, Archbishop of Tver, dated 1827, Metropolitan Philaret writes: “If you prefer the old order of schools, then I don’t understand you. We studied together at the Lavra. What’s enviable there? All the wisdom was to write poetry by November 18. Theology was taught to us by an immature teacher at least since diligence. And how were we taught philosophy? What can I say about the historical sciences? This deficiency is more sensitive to me than to you, when I was forced to teach church history as an unlearned person." 154 But, however, the very severity of the judgment pronounced by a former student of the Lava Seminary about his studies there testifies that his years of seminary study were not in vain. The essays assigned frequently and on various occasions contributed to the development of his thinking, taught him to process presentation and, with the diligence and hard work for which he was always distinguished, contributed to the acquisition of the skill of being resourceful in thoughts and words - in the most diverse and difficult situations. The most important thing here must, of course, be attributed to self-education. What was not given at school, he obtained himself, thanks to his rare curiosity and tireless diligence. What he did not achieve by “learning,” he acquired by “teaching.” “The first educational positions ​that were assigned to him by his superiors contributed to the preparation in him of a godly theologian and church ​vitia. Teaching the two sacred languages ​​of the Bible introduced him to the root sources of Christian doctrine and the writings of the divinely enlightened ​Greek fathers.” 155 His early appointment to preaching and his first successes in it, supported by the extremely flattering approval of an authoritative connoisseur - Metropolitan Plato, contributed to the development of a rare preaching gift, highly valued to this day: “the inherent advantages of his words and speeches - the depth of thoughts, their strictest connection and consistency, the height of ​contemplation​, extraordinary resourcefulness and, as it were, the play of a strong mind in bringing together and contrasting objects of speech, a word forged, or as if cast into a mold” 156, without a doubt, its origins go back to the time of his stay at the Trinity Lavra Seminary. Clear traces of these high virtues of thought and word bear on his first Lavra sermons, as well as many of his letters to his relatives from this period. Along with the brilliant revelation of mental powers there must be an equally brilliant revelation of moral powers, also inherited mainly from his stay at the Trinity Lavra Seminary. From here he took away "extraordinary" tirelessness of activity, vigilance of thought and ​moral strength, unquenchable love for work and patience in work" 157 - ​high qualities that always distinguished him from the dawn until the very late time of his life. These also include those that distinguished him from an early time: composure of mind, sobriety of thought, integrity and perfect sincerity of his ​faith, integrity and purity of heart, constant burning in spirit, service to the Lord. Reading his letters to his relatives from the Lavra, one cannot help but wonder how he was restrained beyond his years in judgment, careful in thought and word, how he knew how to use every circumstance for his edification, how even in the morning of his life he was wise by experience. In his relationships with others, since his school days, along with maintaining his own dignity, he has manifested a desire to give everyone their due: respect and honor without flattery, friendship and love without violating truth and justice, jokes and irony without causticity and causticity. Truly, one can say, Hierodeacon Philaret left for a while the Trinity-​Sergius Lavra with all the makings of a future colossus, a phenomenon of its time. Along with high mental and moral virtues, he brings from here extraordinary efficiency, suitability for all kinds of work, the ability to be outstanding in any field of service to the homeland. An unusually developed mind together with a strong critical talent, breadth of judgments and views, the ability for lively contemplation and at the same time practical resourcefulness, firmness in convictions and wise moderation in their application to business, a subtle sense of where to insist and where to yield for the benefit of the cause, in connection with tireless diligence and patience in work, They provided him with the opportunity to fulfill any serious assignment with honor, to have brilliant success in any kind of activity. ​If he had been placed in public service, he would undoubtedly have been a statesman no lower than ​Speransky​. If he had devoted all his thought to any science, he would undoubtedly have enriched it with many discoveries and inventions. But along with his acceptance of monasticism, he especially brought all his spiritual wealth to the service of St. Church, laid all the fruits of acquired knowledge, following the example of St. Gregory the Theologian, to the foot of the cross of Christ. See above. article “In memory of Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow.” See the same 1st issue of “Sovrem. Izvestia”, 1867, December 1st. These words were published as a separate brochure under the title: “In memory of the late Archpastor of Moscow Metropolitan Philaret in Bose.” Words of Archpriest A.I. Klyucharyov (now His Eminence Ambrose, Archbishop of Kharkov) and F.A. Sergievsky, professor of the Moscow Theological Academy. Word from Archpriest A.I. Klyucharyova. Word from Archimandrite Gregory, Archpriests V.P. Nechaev (now His Eminence Bishop of Kostroma), A.I. Sokolov and P.A. Smirnov. From the Word of Archpriest A.I. Klyucharyov on the fortieth day after the death of Metropolitan Philaret. And the author himself does not consider them as such. See the preface to them. O. Rector of the Bethany Seminary, Archimandrite Sergius (now His Eminence Archbishop of Vladimir). Innocent Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna - Ivan Barsukov. Moscow. 1883 Readings in the Society of Lovers of Spiritual Enlightenment, 1872, June p. 114. See letter to parent No. 162. As can be seen, for example, from a letter to the family. No. 109th. So there is a popular legend that the city was named Kolomna because the Monk Sergius once passed through the city and was driven out with a “stake,” after which he found refuge in the nearby Golutvin monastery - an incredible legend in itself and, moreover, tainted by anachronism, since Kolomna undoubtedly existed at least two, and even all three hundred years before the time of the Monk Sergius. There is also a legend that the city was founded in 1107 by some Italian immigrant, Karl Colonna, and got its name from his surname. Probably, on the basis of this legend, the city was subsequently given (by Empress Catherine II) a coat of arms representing the Column. By the way, Karamzin gave faith to this legend, but it is too artificial to be plausible. This is the opinion of I.P. Gilyarov-Platonov. See his book: “From Experiences.” See article by priest. I. Markova „Kolomna Diocese in Reading. General. Love. Spirit. Enlightenment. 1888, No. 8. See Gilyarov-Platonov’s book “From the Experienced” These opinions are collected in the article by the priest. N. Markova. See Thu. in General Love. Spirit. Enlightenment 1888 No. 8. Some, including S.K. Smirnov (see his article “Teacher of the Trinity Seminary V.M. Drozdov” in “Sovrem. Let.” 1867 No. 44) consider Afanasy (Ivanov) the last Kolomna bishop; but this is not true: he was the penultimate Kolomna bishop. See article by priest N. Markov "Kolomna Diocese". See Sushkov “Notes on the life and times of Saint Philaret” p. 30. See Znamensky “Manual. to Russian Church source." p. 529. See the word of Metropolitan Philaret on the twelfth week, when visiting the city of Kolomna. T. III, p. 400. Sushkov, the compiler of “Notes on the Life and Times of Metropolitan Philaret,” saying that his paternal grandfather was the archpriest of the Epiphany Church in Kolomna, in all likelihood, confuses him with his maternal grandfather, who was actually the archpriest of the said church. See page 28. See Sushkov’s “Notes” pp. 28–29. So says the notebook of Father Metropolitan Philaret. See Letter of Metropolitan Philaret to his family No. 193. His notebook says: 1772, March 9th, taken to school, the same year, September 3rd, transferred to analogy; 1773, January 1st, transferred to infima; same year, September 5th, transferred to grammar; 1774, transferred to syntax; January 10th, same year, September 1st, transferred to rhetoric; I listened to rhetoric with short poetry for 3 years; philosophy - two, theology seven months; graduated from theology in 1780, April 8 days. This is how the time of birth of Metropolitan Philaret is determined in his father’s notebook. See metric. book of the Kolomna Epiphany Church for 1782. December, No. 19, number 26. These numbers are indicated in the notebook of Father Metropolitan Philaret. See Sushkov “Notes on the life and times of Metropolitan Philaret”, page 30 and appendix No. XVII. Mikhail Fedorovich remained in the position of teacher at the Kolomna Seminary, according to his notebook, until May 25, 1784, when he was dismissed from it upon a submitted petition. See Letter from the Metropolitan. Filareta b. No. 200. The note by the Right Reverend Leonid, Bishop of Dmitrov, attached to Sushkov’s book, says that the boy Drozdov went to church with his mother and addressed her with his remark about the lowering and raising of the priest. It is more likely that all this happened in the presence of his grandmother: his mother had a lot of children after him and she did not have time to go to church services often; Moreover, the boy could also call his grandmother “mom,” since she was his godmother. See Note from the Most Reverend Leonid, Bishop of Dmitrov, attached to Sushkov’s book under No. XVII. See Sushkov “Notes on the life and times of M. Philaret” p. 68 and appendix No. XVII. See Sushkov’s “Notes on the life and times of M. Philaret,” p. 68 and appendix No. XVII. See article by priest. 11. Markova “Kolomna diocese, in honor of the community of Love. Spirit. Enlightenment. 1888, August, p. 228. See the certificate in the archives of the Trinity Lavra Seminary for 1808, No. 50. See article by S.K. Smirnov. Teacher of the Trinity Seminary V.D. Drozdov “Modern Chronicle” 1867 No. 44. See the article “From the memoirs of Filaret M. M.” in "Orthodox. review" 1868. This legend is reported by Sushkov (see p. 68) but to the word of the Reverend. Leonida, who heard about him in Kolomna. See Gilyarov-Platonov’s book “From Experiences,” page 42. See the resolution of Metropolitan Platon on the occasion of the closure of the Kolomna Seminary on the statement presented to him about the students of this seminary. Special knowledge about. Mikhail Fedorovich of the Latin language was manifested during the revision of the Kolomna School, of which he was the caretaker, carried out by the Right Reverend Augustine, Vicar of Moscow in 1811, see Gilyarov-Platonov’s book “From the Experienced” p. 70. See reviews of her in Gilyarov-Platonov’s book “From the Experienced,” pp. 75–76. See Words and Speeches of Metropolitan. Philareta. Volume II, page 102. From the words of Archpriest A.I. Klyucharyov (now His Eminence Ambrose, Archbishop of Kharkov) for the burial of Archbishop Eugene, formerly of Yaroslavl. I found there, Metropolitan Philaret later recalled, some good Latinists, and among them Zaretsky. See East. Tr. Laurel. Seminaries of S.K. Smirnov, pp. 112–156 and Rukov. to Russian church ist. Znamensky, pp. 415–417. See East. Tr. Laurel. Sem. S.K. Smirnova, p. 537. See East. Tr. Laurel. Sem. S. K. Smirnova, pp. 489–514. Wed. his article “Teacher Tr. Sem. V. M. Drozdov "in "Modern Let." 1867 No. 44. Church of the Nativity of Christ, in Sergievsky Posad. See the brochure “From the memoirs of the late Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow,” page 2. See the brochure “From the memoirs of the late Filaret, M. M.,” page 2. See the brochure “From the memoirs of the late Filaret, M. M.”, pp. 2–3. See the article by S. K. Smirnov “Teacher of the Tr. Sem. V. M. Drozdov” in “Modern Letop”, 1867, No. 44. Rukop. Moscow Spirit. Academician No. 136 l. 14. Metropolitan Philaret himself spoke of his poem as “childish in all respects” (see Sushkov’s Notes about the life and time of St. Philaret, p. 125). The late revered rector of the Moscow Spiritual Academician, Archpriest A.V. Gorsky also expressed to us his judgment about these Greek verses as not entirely correct. A similar judgment is given about them by S.K. Smirnov (see his article: “Teacher of the Tr. Sem. V.M. Drozdov” in “Modern Let.,” 1867, No. 44) and I.N. Korsunsky (see his article: “Lyre of Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow.” in “Russian Vesti.” 1884 No. 11, pp. 277–278). See Sushkov “Notes”, page 125. See V. M. Drozdov’s letter to the family. 9th See V. M. Drozdov’s letter to the family. 11. See the brochure “From the memoirs of the late Filaret. M. M.” page 3. See V. M. Drozdov’s letter to the family. 13th. See Statement Tr. Sem. for 1801, No. 75. See letter to family. 13th. M. Plato’s speech after the coronation of Emperor Alexander I was immediately translated into various languages, including Latin. See letters to family. 15 and 16. When V.M. informed his parents that he lived in a hospital, the latter were worried, which prompted him to reassure them by writing to them that he was “not sick at all, or, if sick, then he was in charge of the hospital.” See letters to family. 16th and 20th. Architect's Affairs Tr. Sem. 1802 No. 64th. See letter to family. 26th and 31st. See letters to family. 15th, 16th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 28th and 30th. Compare Sushkov’s “notes”, page 33. See Sushkov’s “notes”, page 34. See archive files Tr. Laurel. Sem. list 1803 No. 31. This certification, translated, means the following: “Both in diligence and sharpness of mind, both in other sciences and mainly in poetry, they are, without a doubt, the best. They are distinguished by special modesty." See V. M. Drozdov’s letter to the family. 41st. Architect's Affairs Tr. family for 1804 No. 10. See Russian manual. church ist. Znamensky, p. 416. See letters to family. 41st and 42nd. See the article by S. K. Smirnov “Teacher of the Tr. Sem. V. M. Drozdov.” Architect's Affairs Tr. Sem. for 1804 No. 10. See letters to family. 41st, 50th and 51st. See the affairs of the arch. Tr. Laurel. Sem. 1804 Nos. 67, 187, 218; 1805 Nos. 38, 87, 156, 138, 228. Cf. S.K. Smirnova East. Tr. Laurel. Sem., page 346 and his article “Teacher of the Tr. Sem. V. M. Drozdov.” See letter to family. 42nd and 60th. See Sushkova "Zapiski", page 34. See letters from V.M. to his family, page 59. See East. Tr. Sem. S.K. Smirnova, p. 416. That is, “Wonderful, teacher, Hebrew and Greek! Great! Note: It’s great, since we know you as the first of the preachers at the Lavra Seminary.” See the words and speeches of Metropolitan. Filareta, T. 1st, p. 127. See Snegirev “Life of Mitrop. Plato." Part I, Note. 35. See Sushkov “Notes”, page 37. For an analysis and assessment of this poem, see the article by I. N. Korsunsky “The Lyre of Filaret M. M.” "Russian Bulletin" 1884 No. 11. That is, "There is no need to leave Erasmian conversations unused. Moreover, you need to study history, especially church history." See archive file Tr. Sem. 1808 No. 104. That is, "Instead of calculus, assign the study of Erasmus. It is necessary to provide information on history, especially Russian and church history." Words and speeches by M. Philaret, vol. 1, p. 128. See eg. letters to family 81st and 84th. See Snigirev “The Life of M. Plato” part 1, page 62. See letter to family. on pages 83 and 114. "I would like to be closer to you,” he writes to his parent, although this is not without difficulties. Moscow, although flattering, does not attract me. The life of your city is quieter, and I like it more" (see letter 40s). See Snegirev “The Life of M. Plato”, part 1, page 62. See letter to family. page 114. That is, vanity of vanities, see letter to the family. 6th. See East. Tr. Sem. S.K. Smirnova, p. 145. From the words of Archpriest A.I. Klyucharyov, spoken at the burial of Archbishop Eugene, formerly of Yaroslavl, June 30, 1871, in Moscow. Donskoy Monastery, see Eugene’s own diary, pp. 5–6. See letters to 57, 70, 81 84 and 99 “Circumstances that are closed with an impenetrable veil, or at least with a black crepe (letter 73); - an exclamation about the increase in the salary of Metropolitan Plato when appointed as a preacher of 50 rubles. - Think about this new and extraordinary benefit and its consequences: what new rights it gives for my gratitude and submission! " (letter 74). See letters to family. on pages 113 and 114. See letter to family. 100th. According to surviving family legends, V.M.’s father, having received this letter, was so amazed and partly annoyed by it that he wanted to tear it up and throw it into the fire, and had already begun this, but his mother prevented this intention. Metropolitan Plato so wanted to see his beloved teacher tonsured into monasticism as soon as possible that, so that the Holy Synod would not see an obstacle to tonsure in V. M. Drozdov’s years (according to the rules, it was necessary to tonsure a monk no earlier than 30 years of age), in the draft presentation of him to the Holy Synod, written on the back of the second half-sheet of Drozdov’s petition, he showed him to those born in 1778 instead of 1782 - the real year of birth. See institution affairs. Cathedral of the Trinity Lavra in 1808 No. 29. See letter to the family. 100th. – Sushkov (See “Notes”, p. 36) does not accurately report that V. M. Drozdov was tonsured on the 16th of November after Vespers, and also that when he was ordained as a hierodeacon, he was 27 years old. He was tonsured, at Matins, and at his ordination to the rank of hierodeacon he was 26 months and 5 days short. See the article by Andrei II in the Filaret Collection. Smirnova, “Metropolitan Philaret, as the author of the outline of the Ts.-Biblical History”, p. 91. Thurs. in general Love. Spirit. Enlightenment 1871, April, p. 48. From the word about. Rector of Moscow Spirit. Academician Prot. A.V. Gorsky before the funeral service of Metropolitan Philaret. From the word of the prot. P. A. Smirnov, on the occasion of the centenary anniversary of Metropolitan Philaret. From the words of Archpriest F.A. Sergievsky on the fortieth day of memory of Metropolitan Philaret.