38 letters from the former Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod K.P. Pobedonostsev to the Most Reverend Macarius of Tomsk

Letter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 “Our deeds will follow us to the righteous judgment of the Lord” (letter 36). After 25 years of valiant service to the Church of God in the responsible and exceptional position of Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod, Konstantin Petrovich Pobedonostsev passed away into eternity in the midst of the turmoil, and therefore it is not surprising that his memory as a faithful servant of the Church and the Fatherland was overshadowed by the dirty slander of the enemies of his politics. “I hear,” he writes (letter 37), “from many people there is evil and slander.” This was the case during his lifetime. In the literature of that time, the circumstance that made K. P. Pobedonostsev hated by a certain part of society was openly expressed - this was his negative attitude towards the constitutional aspirations that appeared at the end of the reign of Alexander P. In the year of the regicide, when, according to all calculations, the Autocracy was supposed to fall, by the strength of character and devotion to the royal throne, Konstantin Petrovich kept Russia on the edge of the abyss of socialism and defended the Emperor's autocracy. From that time on, he appeared in the highest government of Russia as a person of a certain direction, characterized by concern for the strengthening of Orthodoxy, autocracy, and nationality. While Konstantin Petrovich was strong, while the power was not yet shaken, as happened during the years of unrest, the press did not dare to openly speak out against the firm chief prosecutor. However, it cannot be said that she did not harm him. Familiar with the tricks of the press in our time, we can imagine the campaign plan drawn up by the press against K[onstantin] P[obedonostsev] at that time. Through various winding paths and roundabout roads, one definite idea was carried into the consciousness of society: that the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod, with his heavy hand, crushes all the bright manifestations of life and slows down the movement of free thought. We know from experience how these thoughts were introduced into the minds of the student spiritual youth and how the latter was set against their main boss. There is nothing to say about the last years of Konstantin Petrovich’s ministry; we heard his own words about this above. All this serves as an indication that Konstantin Petrovich was too great a figure if his enemies were so interested in him; that he led the church ship through the stormy sea with a firm hand, because the more steadily the ship moves against the stormy waves, the more it cuts the pressure of the wind, the higher the splash of the waves, the sharper the whistle and howl of the bad weather. There were many who sympathized with K[onstantin] P[etrovich]. “Ordinary people from all over Russia write to me in sympathy with my past activities,” he notes in his letter (37). But the “liberation” press gained dominance in society, and the moderate part of society, due to their peaceful nature, responded to all attacks only with private written expressions of their sympathy, not daring to speak publicly in the press. Now time has brought forward other interests to society; the passions that erupted around the name of K[onstantin] P[obedonostsev] subsided. Therefore, it is time to begin work on studying this extraordinary personality. Konstantin Petrovich, in his complex position as Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod, found time to correspond with many persons occupying various positions in the Russian Church: with bishops, and with professors, and with people of private studies, and with pious benefactors for the benefit of the Church. This correspondence, if it were published, would shed abundant light on the life and work of Konstantin Petrovich and would stop the blasphemous lips of his enemies, the imaginary well-wishers of the Church and the State. In these types, begin the publication of K. Pobedonostsev’s private correspondence] 38 letters from him to His Eminence Archbishop Macarius of Tomsk are published. This correspondence covers 19 years: from 1887 to 1906, that is, most of his chief prosecutor’s service (1880–1906) 2. True, in comparison with the number of years, it is not extensive, however, in it we find random information without any system, but even from these letters we can trace some bright features of the soul of Konstantin Petrovich, which are difficult to unravel in his official papers. There his very position deprived him of the opportunity to be guided by feeling. Management is a matter of a cool mind. The more general the thought, the more abstract it is; also, the higher the post, the more general the orders issued from it, and, consequently, the drier they are. Not so in private correspondence. The same administrator in private correspondence takes on the position of a private person. He does not speak to the whole society, does not look after public interests, but talks with an individual, expresses his views, his sympathies on a specific specific case. All this gives hope that the published letters will attract interested persons and will contribute to the purpose for which their publication was undertaken. The Tomsk diocese is primarily a missionary diocese. The mission in Altai was an essential part of it from the first days of its opening, and the area of ​​this Mission occupied a space equal to a good central Russian province - Altai and the Kyrgyz steppes of the Semipalatinsk region. Naturally, the correspondence between His Eminence Macarius and K. P[obedonostsev] began with missionary needs and often refers to this subject. The first letter from Konstantin Petrovich was dated 1887, when the Most Reverend Macarius was still the head of the Mission and Bishop of Biysk. His thirty years of missionary service within Altai created a certain name for him. Therefore, from the very first letter from his chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod, we notice attention and goodwill towards him from K. P[obedonostsev]. This attention intensifies every year, and depending on this, K[onstantin] P[etrovich's] letters become more extensive and, one might say, more frank. From these letters, first of all, we can trace K. Pobedonostsev’s relationship to the Mission’s cause. Konstantin Petrovich reverently treated the memory of the founder of the Altai mission, Archimandrite Makariy Glukharev 3 , and therefore was favorably disposed towards his brainchild, the Altai mission. He goes into the minutiae of the Mission. He is interested in every detail of this matter, enters into the needs of the Mission and provides financial assistance to it with frequent sendings of money from the funds at his disposal, attracts benefactors to this cause, himself asks about the needs of the Mission and offers his help in necessary cases (1, 4, 6, 8, 14). This disposition towards the Mission is not only a courtesy he showed to his correspondent: no, it formed part of Konstantin Petrovich’s worldview and occupied him not only in correspondence with the Tomsk archpastor, but also independently of it, in itself. Therefore, we find his correspondence on this subject with the famous expert on Turkic dialects, Kazan professor N.I. Ilminsky 4 (letter 9 with appendix). K. Pobedonostsev] looks at the Mission from a general church point of view, as an educational institution that provides abundant food for edification for all members of the Church and especially for future shepherds of the Church. In this case, his sympathies for the Mission coincide with his sympathies for the school business. In the life and customs of missionaries, he finds abundant food for the edification of society and youth. Like a good owner, Konstantin Petrovich collects everything that can be useful on his farm. He found such useful material in the depths of the Mission. With a soul in reverence for the ever-memorable founder of the Mission, he undertakes the publication of his biography (3) and distributes it to religious educational institutions; seeks materials with the help of N.I. Ilminsky (16), and on the advice of the latter, he involves His Eminence Macarius in this matter; he receives with delight “letters from Archim[andrite] Macarius” from Tomsk and reads them with pleasure and edification (3). He was especially sympathetic to the publication of the collection entitled “Mite” 5. This collection, the beginning of which was given by “Ever Memorable”, captivated K. P[obedonostsev] that he provided full assistance to its publication both with material means and with his moral support (5). According to his instructions, the collection “Mite” is learned by the synodal choir, and its singing is performed in concerts; it is planned to compile selected cants from it (7) and, most importantly, a plan for distributing the “Mite” among students and among the whole society was outlined and in one part carried out. “I wish and hope that the songs of [father] Macarius become known and loved throughout Russia” (8). Such a more than cordial attitude towards the Mission’s work indicates that the disposition towards the holy cause was based on a sincere feeling. It is noted that Konstantin Petrovich puts his soul into this matter and writes about it not as an administrator, but as a well-wisher who has the power to help a cause that is attractive to him. But even in this respect for the cause of the Mission, Konstantin Petrovich reveals his inherent sobriety of thought. He recognizes evangelistic missionary work, alien to earthly calculations, free from attempts to rely on the power of power and to influence converts not with words of persuasion, but with the charm of high names (10 and 12). A sober look at this matter kept him from those dreamy plans for the conversion of infidels, which often arise in the highest strata of metropolitan society and the implementation of which required the assistance of the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod. Thus, he reacted negatively to the idea of ​​​​training missionaries at a central institution - the Missionary Institute, recognizing that a real missionary is actually trained and is attracted to the work by disposition (23). He displays a similar lack of sympathy for the high-society idea of ​​opening assistance to lepers in the Yakut region through nuns (12). Thus, one can hope that these letters will provide the future biographer of Konstantin Petrovich with material for compiling more than one warm page of his research. Another feature of K. Pobedonostsev’s soul, noted in these letters, also attracts attention. Considering it his duty to be privy to all aspects of life in the area of ​​government under his jurisdiction, Konstantin Petrovich followed the diocesan local press very carefully and did not let seemingly trivial messages pass by without attention. He reads in the Diocesan Gazette about the difficulties of the missionary school - Bolshenarymskaya, he sends her an allowance (4); finds news about a teacher who works a lot, but is poorly provided for, gives her encouragement (17); learns about a priest who has devoted himself to missionary work and asks how he can be useful to him (20). This seemingly trivial information, however, paints us a bright picture from the past of K. Pobedonostsev]. Is it in his position to deal with such trifles, and judging by the stories circulating about him in society, was he expected to pay such attention to unknown workers, who themselves could not even imagine that anyone would find it necessary to give them special attention? But that’s why it’s expensive because it’s unexpected; That's why it touches the heart. If we add to this the constant responsiveness of K. P[obedonostsev] to the requests addressed to him, judging by his letters; If we take into account his sincere reviews of the best figures, such as N.I. Ilminsky, then from the personality of this “dry” chief prosecutor, according to the image of his enemies, one will breathe such warmth, such a fragrance of sincere service to a great cause that one will inevitably feel the complete sincerity of his testimony about himself: “Our deeds will follow us to the righteous judgment of the Lord. To the best of my strength and heartfelt zeal, I continued my labors, thinking about the good of the Holy Church and its servants” (36). We leave other biographical material of these letters to be studied by the readers themselves as less relevant to elucidating the inner world of K[onstantin] P[etrovich]. And from the above, it seems that we can conclude that in the correspondence of K. P[obedonostsev] the smallest grains of gold are scattered abundantly, as are interspersed in rock, precious details for understanding its image, and that it would be desirable to collect them together with the same care as gold is collected. His Eminence the Most Reverend Macarius, Bishop of Biysk At the same time, I have the honor to forward one hundred (100) rub[les] donated by Chamberlain Aronov, who was with me, for the construction of the Bishop's House in the city of Biysk. March 12, 1887 St. Petersburg. The other day I received the book “The Second Mite” from you. I like the book, but I would like to know who compiled it? Is there a first mite? 6 I remember that it was published during the reign of Father Macarius. What is its intended use, is it widespread among the people, and by whom, and how are the songs sung? Who is the publisher of this book - Sychev? With utmost respect and devotion, I have the honor to be Your Eminence's humble servant November 11, 1887 St. Petersburg. Most Reverend Bishop! I thank you most earnestly for sending me a wonderful book, which I did not know until now - the letters of Archimandrite Macarius. I read it with pleasure and edification. These days I am sending you some books, including a biographical article about [Father] Macarius, separately printed from the Orthodox Review and sent by my order to all Theological Seminaries. I have already telegraphed to Your Eminence that the cost of publishing the first “Mite” will be reimbursed from local funds. I liked this book very much, and it is necessary to restore it into circulation. Indicate the musical score with numbers or a round note - it depends on you what you find more convenient; although it would seem that a round note is more expensive, it is more accessible to many who are not accustomed to digital counting. Please let us know in due time how much the publication will cost, and then the money will be sent to you. With utmost respect and devotion, I have the honor to be Your Eminence's humble servant March 14, 1883 St. Petersburg. Now I read in No. 9 of the Tomsk Diocesan Gazette a story by priest Sinkovsky, by the way, about the zeal of priest S. Borisov and about the needs of the Bolshenarymsk school established there. I believe that even a small donation will benefit this good cause. I am sending you specially (through the Economic Administration) one hundred (100) rubles and humbly ask you to deliver this money to its destination. I am awaiting news about the progress of printing the first “Mite.” At your first request, I will also send you money, as much as you need. Whether you use numbers or notes depends entirely on your personal discretion. October 17, 1889 St. Petersburg. I thank you most earnestly for your interesting letter of October 28, which I have just received. Any details of your case are very interesting. Regarding your catechetical school, the benefits of which you so clearly explain, would you please send me a special message with all the details about the content and the rights that you want for it. If we can do anything, we will try. But it is impossible to ask for rights without presenting a complete charter and curriculum that meets the legal requirements for this subject. The first "Mite" contains such beautiful poetic chants that I am waiting for its appearance in order to disseminate it as much as possible; I will try to introduce these chants into the congregations here in order to make them known. Almost no one here knows this book, and I have only one copy, the former one, if I’m not mistaken, and yours. And I’m sorry that K[rasovsky] 7 was taken from you. The now new Governor Baron T[obizen] 8 (he is German by name, but comes from Tambov nobles) is a man who seems to be of good disposition, although he is unlikely to have the energy of K[rasovsky]. He has now come here from Kiev and will stay here, I think, until next year to get acquainted with the affairs of the new region for him. This letter will reach you, of course, next year, and therefore I end it with my heartfelt wish that this year will be completely favorable for you and for your business. December 8, 1889 St. Petersburg. I have just received your most respected letter dated January 13th. I haven’t received books 9 yet, they’ll probably arrive in a few days. I am glad to see them. If necessary, I will send you more; but if it is necessary to write it out to us for seminaries, then let it not be in vain. According to your telegram, I am sending you 488 rubles, government rubles, but according to your current letter, only 288. Don’t bother returning the 200 rubles that turn out to be excessive. This amount may be needed in case copies are issued, and in any case, let it be used for the needs of the Mission, of which you have many. Do you still have at your disposal copies of reports on the Altai mission for recent years, 1887–1888? My exes have all gone their separate ways, but there is a need to introduce the right people to the work of the Mission. With complete respect and so on. February 5, 1890 St. Petersburg. I have just received your most respected letter dated August 4th. You deign to write that you sent me 200 copies of the first Lepta on October 14, but three weeks ago I received a parcel containing only 50 copies of Lepta. You are probably writing about another parcel. Thank you most humbly for sending, the money will be delivered to you. I am glad that a new publication is being undertaken. If there is a need for benefits for this, please notify me. I ordered our Synodal Choir in Moscow to perform some pieces and the other day I heard them perform. It delighted me, and I am thinking of undertaking a special edition of selected pieces from both “Leptas”, transcribed into round notes. September 1, 1890 St. Petersburg. I thank you most earnestly for the letter I received from you, and I cordially congratulate you on entering a new summer, in which may the Lord bless you with peace and strength of spiritual and physical strength. You have probably already received money for the copies of Lepta you sent. I sent these copies to the Theological Seminaries and women’s schools: it is highly desirable that the singing of these beautiful hymns be inculcated there. I think I already wrote to you that the Moscow Synodal Choir performed some of them for me, which I liked very much, and then they performed this singing in a public concert. Now I have ordered the Director of the 10th choir to make a selection from both “Leptas” and publish it with a round note: in your edition he noticed some, however, unimportant musical errors, which will be corrected. Having been to Perm last summer and hearing beautiful singing in a convent, I sent “Lepta” there. And here is the Mother Superior's message about how they sing. I wish and hope that the songs of Father Macarius become known and loved throughout Russia. I would like to be useful to you in every possible way for your needs. This time, from the remainder of the extraordinary loan for the expiring year, we managed to allocate 500 rubles, which will be sent to you. December 30, 1890 St. Petersburg. On the threshold of the passing year, I sincerely wish you to enter the new summer joyfully and peacefully, with hopes of God’s blessing in all your intentions and deeds. We have lost many good people this year, but the most significant is the loss of our dear and irreplaceable N.I. Ilminsky. He believes that the Lord will bless him with the poor in spirit, the pure in heart and the merciful. I am sending you one of his last letters, especially since there is something in it that relates to you. December 31, 1891 St. Petersburg. Your Excellency, Dear Sir, Konstantin Petrovich! In a letter dated December 4, you recalled the biography of Chevalkov 11 in order, apparently, to publish it in Russian, which it fully deserves for the sake of memories of the founder of the Mission and its first beginnings. This was published in 1866 in Radlov’s collection under the title: “Samples of folk literature of the Turkic tribes” 12. Part I. “Subdialects of Altai”, page [page] 113–159. Radlov's collection consists of several parts, and each part consists of two sections: the original text and the German translation. I had all these books, and I wanted to send you a German book with an article by Chevolkov 13 (however, it is written: Chevalkov), but I didn’t find the German book, but found its Altai sister, and, after thinking a little, I came to terms with the idea that everything is for the better. Why do we need to translate from a translation - through three hands, when we have the original? But that's not the main point. Chevalkov, it seems, is still alive. Moreover, His Eminence Macarius of Tomsk entered the Altai mission following the living footsteps of Archimandrite Macarius and during his first years he constantly lived with Chevalkov and from him he heard a lot of living stories about Macarius. I’m thinking: ask the Eminence of Tomsk to translate Chevalkov’s memoirs from the first part of the samples of folk literature of the Turkic tribes from Altai into Russian and, in the form of notes, add his information about the “ever memorable” and the first events of the Mission. His Eminence Macarius, no doubt, will lovingly devote his leisure time to this work (although he has very little leisure time, he will assign an Altai man to work, who will translate under his leadership). This will be more thorough and correct, because it is known that the simplest expressions are sometimes distorted by translators who do not directly know the subject. If you like this idea, please notify me; Just in case, I’ll send the book with Chevalkov’s article. I received your publication, “History of the Orthodox Church,” and yesterday my wife read two chapters from it to me: 1. “Rome, the first persecution”; 2. "Holy Apostles". Lying on my bed, I was touched, and the reading was touching. Help you, Lord, to bring this holy work to the end. Help you, Lord, to bring spirit and life into our seminary’s most soulless and godless logomachy. Your Excellency's most humble servant I have not yet gotten around to answering your most respected letter of January 17th. You, of course, already know about the significant benefit that God sends to the Altai mission: an apartment building in a busy place in Moscow, donated by Mrs. Tovarova. The deed of gift has already been completed, and all that remains is to ask for the highest approval. God willing. The only regrettable thing is that His Grace Vladimir’s health is failing, and he will again have to undergo treatment. I have long read news about Mulla Abdul Izmailov in the Tomsk Diocesan Gazette]. And after that, the zealous N.I. wrote about him. Ilminsky. Then I did not fail to draw attention to him at the Ministry of Internal Affairs; I also spoke with T[obizen] when meeting him here. We have had many sad losses. Most sensitive of all is the loss of N.I. Ilminsky and, subsequently, the Reverend Veniamin 14. After much hesitation, His Grace Tikhon Bishop was elected 15. God willing! But the Irkutsk mission gives us a lot of trouble. I admit that I could not always agree with the views of the Most Reverend Benjamin on the method of converting the Buryats, and the missionaries there handled this matter somewhat mechanically. The latest story, which is still causing a lot of noise, is very sad. Unfortunately, it seems certain 16 that the police chief, not without the participation of the clergy, used violence and even torture during the baptism of the Buryats, also connecting this baptism with the name of the Tsarevich... The latest news from us will be brought to you by the treasurer’s mother, Zinaida; from her words I could notice that their monastery came into need especially from the time when the preparation of candles for the Diocese was taken away from them (I don’t know if it was prudent); and they also have a school, which is undoubtedly useful. I found an opportunity to send the abbess 3,000 rubles, 950 rub[les] for school, 50 rub[les] for the teacher’s allowance. There is hope for some kind of donation for your Diocese. The late N.V. Elagin 17 during his lifetime spoke of his intention, with the help of zealots, to obtain about 25 thousand rubles to build churches for the settlers. He died before completing this task, but his brother and heir firmly intends to fulfill it. Let's see what happens next. Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on the upcoming Bright Feast of the Resurrection of Christ. March 27, 1892 St. Petersburg. After my recent letter, I hasten to respond to your most respected letter of March 10, just received, regarding the transfer of the body of Father Macarius from Bolkhov to Ulala. Your idea about this, received at the Synod, has not yet been reported, but I in no way believe that the Most Holy Synod would deign to respond to your petition - the transfer of the body of the deceased Archimandrite, revered by so many; and, moreover, the transfer at such a long distance would, of course, create considerable excitement among the people and would arouse rumors about the newly discovered relics of the Holy Saint: this would be associated with such inconveniences, which it is advisable to avoid in every possible way. April 10, 1892 St. Petersburg. I received your most respected letters dated March 27 and April 28, but due to many works I have not yet had time to answer them. There is concern about the Altai mission, thank God, and there will be funds for it: and the Missionary Society will not forget about it. May God only grant His Eminence Vladimir 18 a chance to improve his health. I see from the newspapers that he is in Crimea. Without a doubt, he and you will be saddened by the news that the Synod did not allow the transfer of the body of Father Macarius to Altai, but this would have been associated with such difficulties and, perhaps, church inconveniences that it would have been difficult to resolve. We mourn the death of His Eminence Benjamin, and after him Paul 19. Both losses are irreplaceable. The Irkutsk story about the forced baptism of Buryats made a lot of noise! And it seemed that even at the beginning it was possible to foresee that this was a lie, deliberately woven and, unfortunately, prompting the Governor General to send an official in his place. The initial rumor was picked up by a worthless journalist and launched into the public as reliable: in our country everyone still believes what is printed, and in the present time of the law of freedom there is no control over the spinners of lies. Moreover, the newspaper “Grazhdanin”, truly filled with the most impudent lies, is under some kind of special patronage. Both the detailed inquiry delivered to me by His Eminence Agafangel 20 and the report of the Governor-General Himself to the Minister of Internal Affairs 21 leave no doubt that the entire accusation is false and no violence was committed. And yet, the lie remains unconvicted. The latest Tserkovnye Vedomosti published part of a note compiled by Bryzgalov in Irkutsk, 22 and yet yesterday the Citizen brazenly repeated the previous accusation! From this, judge how difficult it is to achieve the restoration of truth here... And I’ll add how carefully we need to act on the ground. The late Right Reverend Benjamin was filled with Elijah’s jealousy and often demanded things that were difficult to understand given the local circumstances. And it is undeniable that the truth was often hidden from him in the localities. Bar[on] Korf, who was here 23, again raised the issue of the Mission; on this occasion, we published a note from Ukhtomsky 24 in several copies. I am sending you two copies. Thank you for delivering the interesting report of the Altai Mission; I distributed it as much as possible. But people do not bother to read, but rather chatter, without reasoning, all sorts of gossip. Don’t be surprised by the articles of “Citizens” in defense of the split. The famous defender of the schism T[ertii] Iv[anovich] Filippov, now the State Controller, is zealous there. Now in Tomsk there should be (in a convent) sisters sent from Moscow to go to Yakutsk to serve the lepers. I did not approve of this package: they were going to no one knew where, no one knew why, because nothing had yet been arranged or prepared on the spot. But they didn’t listen to me. The head of the community, Princess Shakhovskaya, 25 together with the Englishwoman Miss Marsden, 26, seething with jealousy without reason, got money and sent an expedition. I don't know how it will end. This is a difficult year for us and a testing time. The famine was great, people became poor, and now cholera is approaching with all its horrors. I recently received, not for the first time, a petition from a monk, the former exiled treasurer Melnitsky, for his return. It was left without action, like all his previous requests. June 27, 1892 St. Petersburg. Due to many worries, I delayed in answering your most respected letter of January 9, which I received on the 27th. First of all, I hasten to thank you most earnestly for the information you provided about your region. It is extremely unfortunate that you have the same shortage of clergy; 32 vacancies! We are struggling with this misfortune a lot in remote dioceses, and even in the nearest ones, such as Samara. Seminaries do not help the cause well, especially here, where the University, God knows why it was founded, draws back, and rarely for good, the best forces. As for the Theological Seminaries, in remote regions they should be established on special principles, simplifying the course and concentrating it on essential subjects, so that young men, sometimes pompous with imaginary science, do not strive far into broad fields. But, unfortunately, many people still do not want to understand this and insist on multi-subjects and on expanding the paths at the Academy. I think that when you establish a Church-Teachers Seminary, it will be more successful in providing you with people for the clergy, and the people need them more than theologian scholars who strive for the city and avoid narrow paths. Summoning those who want to go to a distant region has never brought any benefit, because only seedy losers or clerics completely unfit for their jobs respond to it. The construction of the Seminary has been on our minds for a long time, but the matter is not up to us, and, first of all, the question of the location has not yet been resolved. At first it was supposed to be at the monastery, and then the chosen place turned out to be occupied by officials, from whom it still needs to be cleared; Information is expected from you on this subject, as well as on the issue of estimates. Initially it was estimated at 175 thousand and turned out to be faulty, which always happens with estimates from local architects, and then the contractor increased the amount to 275 thousand rubles. The tour of parishes and schools, as I see it, left you with a favorable impression. May God grant the good seed to grow. We ask for an increase in the zemstvo estimates for parochial schools for the next term. We do not abandon our concern for the Most Reverend Vladimir Biysky: I hope that at the first opportunity he will be transferred. I believe that Sukhum and Vladikavkaz will in any case be more favorable to Biysk for his health. The matter of the construction of the Tomsk Cathedral is also ongoing. I wrote to Tobizen and asked him to have a hand in speeding things up. We wrote about Tsybulskaya’s capital, we are looking for it in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Regarding your letter, I have already telegraphed you regarding the false rumor about Perm. In general, don’t be so kind as to believe rumors: they are like flies in the summer, which should be brushed aside, just like newspaper news. I received a letter yesterday from the former priest Lobatynsky. I will collect information about the fate of his Most Submissive request and try to contribute to a favorable outcome of the case. These lines will reach you without a doubt when Easter comes; So, accept my joyful greeting: Christ is Risen! With perfect respect, etc. March 12, 1893 St. Petersburg. Having received today a letter from your Eminence about the construction of a church in the Kirghiz settlement of Semipalatinsk, I will make every effort to ensure the success of this matter. It is a pity that an approximate estimate has not yet been made on the methods and cost of construction according to local conditions. Because of this, construction in remote areas always slows down for us. For the first time, I could release from 2 to 3 thousand rubles from the donated capital at my disposal by Mrs. Medyntseva. A few more hundred can be collected from other means. We will publish a note about the needs of this area in the “Church Gazette” to see if donors are involved. February 20, 1894 St. Petersburg. I have just received your most respected letter dated February 3rd. Don't worry about unnamed letters. I know their value well enough. If you get a lot of them, then I'm a hundred times more. Every day they come from different parts of Russia, and many Dioceses are richer in them than Tomsk. Unfortunately, nowhere is this plague more widespread than in the spiritual realm. They all rush, but in rare cases, due to the content of the letter, I send it for the discretion of the Eminences, where there is an indication of any facts; but for the most part I don’t read them. In the letter about Sidonsky there was an indication of various actions, which is why I am sending it to you on the assumption that you know better what is true and what is not true. I regret that I gave you the labor of a lengthy explanation. As for your word about theatrical performances, having seen it only in the Diocesan Gazette, I sent it to the editor of the Church Gazette. Unfortunately, this lawlessness is most often found in our capital, and it is even more regrettable that our clergy with their families, addicted to entertainment, are not alien to the same vice. February 12, 1895 St. Petersburg. I thank your Eminence very much for delivering me Chevalkov’s “Memorable Testament” 27 . True, I long ago drew attention to it in the German text by Radlov and gave the idea to the late N.I. Ilminsky that it was necessary to publish it in a Russian translation from Altai. Finally it appeared. One only needs to wish that many people get to know him and appreciate him. March 17, 1895 St. Petersburg. Now I caught my eye in No. 5 of the Tomsk Diocesan Gazette, in the description of your trip to the Narym region, on page 9, news about the village teacher Karnaukhova, the girl Tyumentseva, who runs a literacy school very well and receives only 5 rubles a month. It is worthy to encourage her to do good work. I ask Your Eminence to send the enclosed 40 rubles to her as an allowance. April 12, 1896 St. Petersburg. Regarding the individual leaflets sent from Your Eminence from Lepta, I consider it not superfluous to forward to you the review of the Director of the Synodal Church School, Mr. Smolensky. From here, please see that no obstacle is foreseen to a separate local edition of Lepta. If you wish, we will deliver the remaining copies of our publication to you. Today G. and his wife visited me. I don’t know how to fulfill your and his strongly repeated desire. Nowadays matters of rewards are not in our power. I'll try to do what I can. With perfect respect, etc. April 8, 1896 St. Petersburg. Your Eminence Vladyka, Gracious Sovereign and Archpastor! Please accept my deep, heartfelt gratitude for your kind greetings and good wishes to me on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of my service to the Holy Church, the Sovereign and the Fatherland. With my heartfelt wish for Your Eminence good health and strong strength for the great deeds entrusted to Your care, I have the honor to be with complete respect, etc. June 27, 1896 St. Petersburg. “Tomsk Diocesan Gazette” No. 9, page 15, about the priest Pokrovsky 28. “It would be nice if a kind person could be found who would help him in his holy cause with material means.” Let me know how you can help. You can look for funds. I thank you most earnestly for the news about your disorders and temptations. I don’t leave it to anyone to report this, but one cannot help but see that now many things that were firm have been shaken. The beginning of everything, the hub of all these temptations in the province is the capital, and all this spreads from the center to the circumference. No matter how bad things are for you, here, in front of everyone, it is no less bad. I wrote about theaters to your Governor 29; As for readings 30, now the fashion for them has spread everywhere, of course, not for good purposes, and the Ministry of Public Education sends me several requests every day. And there is no hand that could and would dare to stop this. We do what is possible at our place at the present time. November 4, 1896 St. Petersburg. Having returned from abroad at the beginning of August, where I spent 6 weeks, I found in St. Petersburg a most respected letter from Your Eminence. I now hasten to answer your doubts and concerns expressed in this letter (dated June 18). 1. The matter of establishing a Missionary Institute in the Intercession Monastery in the Ministry has completely died down, and thank God. I have always been of the opinion that you express, that the idea of ​​​​training missionaries in a central, deliberately organized educational institution is a dreamy idea. This is how Roman Catholics know how to act, creating a disciplined army of servants who are sent to all corners of the world. But we do not have such power and must act in other ways. 2. The case of the Biysk Catechetical School stopped due to failure to find the required amount. We ask the Missionary Society if they can find it in their funds, but we still do not have an answer. August 21, 1897 St. Petersburg. On this holiday and on the upcoming New Year, please accept my congratulations. May the Lord grant strength of mental and physical strength, peace and joy. Your petition for the appointment of a second vicar to you will be considered when it comes by the Most Holy Synod. However, one can hardly hope for a quick and satisfactory resolution. The main reason is the saddest lack of people for Episcopal places. And it’s hard to believe that of the current Vicars, few can be elected when an appointment to the department is required; and there are many of them whom the Diocesan Bishops ask and beg to take from them. We have become extremely depleted of people! December 26, 1897 St. Petersburg. I most earnestly thank Your Eminence for your most respected letter of April 3 and for the kind words with which you greet me and praise me beyond my dignity. And I find from my own experience that in recent years much in church life has revived for the better, but, on the other hand, church activity has become much more difficult and complex to satisfy the needs that have awakened everywhere among the people. Nowadays, more is demanded from us everywhere than we can give within our own strength, and at the same time, having been deprived of the previous support from the civil authorities, we are forced, by the forces of the Church alone, to fight against the false teachings that are proliferating everywhere, dangerous not only for the Church, but especially for the state in view of the general decline of morals, which cannot but affect the clergy itself. About the most respected father Chevalkov, I will try to see if it is possible to console him. I know him very well through my deceased friend N.I. Ilminsky, a man of God, whose letters, recently printed 32, I hasten to send to you with other books. The Most Reverend Methodius 33 was here; He made a favorable impression on everyone: God grant him to strive in Biysk, where the Lord showed him a lot. They began to build many churches and schools along the Siberian line. But we have to ask: where will we soon find shepherds and teachers for the great harvest? April 14, 1898 St. Petersburg. Your Eminence's letter about a priest wishing to enter the University raises an important general question requiring the permission of the Holy Synod, and I believe that listening to university lectures will be considered decisively incompatible with the dignity and title of a priest. On the threshold of the New Year, I greet Your Eminence with the coming New Year, in which may the Lord grant you and your flock peace and affirmation. December 31, 1898 St. Petersburg. I had the honor to present the copies of the second edition of your teachings and conversations sent from Your Eminence to the Sovereign Emperor and Empress Maria Feodorovna. Their Majesties, having favorably accepted these books, instructed me to convey to Your Eminence the gratitude of Their Majesties. I consider it my duty to thank you most earnestly both for the copy sent to me and for the flattering letter from Your Eminence attached to it. May God grant you to continue your teaching activities for the glory of God and the good of your flock for many years to come. January 11, 1899 St. Petersburg. I thank you most earnestly for your Eminence’s most respected letter of March 25th. I can imagine how much embarrassment and grief the riots of a mad crowd of students in Tomsk 35 caused you. Unfortunately, this madness, like a contagious disease, has spread throughout Russia. And it would not be so widespread if it were not supported by the still greater madness of the adults who make up our society. The fever has not yet calmed down, because, unfortunately, there is not yet that imperious hand, with an imperious voice, that would say: you will come to this and you will not pass. Thank God that the Seminary has not yet been affected; There were also cases of disorder in the Pskov Seminary, which, thank God, was soon stopped, and recently in the Kazan Seminary, where, however, 50 students had to be dismissed. Times are troubled everywhere, and may God grant us to wait for the calm of the troubled minds everywhere. It remains for everyone to do their job as long as possible. I am pleased to hear from you that you are noticing a rise in religious spirit in the urban population. The people are still pious everywhere, and here the churches cannot accommodate all the worshipers, but the so-called intelligentsia is mired in a stupid search for fun and in the depravity of thought... as it was in the days of Noah. Thank you most earnestly for sending me the story about the dispute between tea and wine. May God grant Your Eminence a peaceful entrance into the eve of Easter and joyfully greet the Bright Day of the Resurrection. April 7, 1899 St. Petersburg. I sincerely thank you, Your Eminence Vladyka, for your kind writing to me on this great holiday. We are commanded to rejoice whenever we fall into various temptations, but now the temptation is great and it is time for old and young to earnestly offer up the prayers of the Lord’s Prayer: “Deliver us from the evil one.” Nevertheless, in these holy days, believers and those who love the Holy Church rejoice, such joy may the Lord always keep in your heart. April 19, 1899 St. Petersburg. I thank you most earnestly for your most honorable and benevolent letter of December 19th. May the Lord bless the coming summer for you with his goodness for every good deed in peace, joy and health. We stand even on the threshold of the new year in reverent prayer, “what will happen to us unknown to us.” We trust in God’s mercy, but we cannot help but feel how unworthy we are of it and what crazy children of God’s grace we are. Looking around at the passing century, especially at its second half, we can be horrified at what we have lost in spirit and what we have acquired for ourselves that is contrary to the spirit. We must grieve especially for the fact that much simplicity has been lost both in thoughts and in customs, and many new desires and lusts and evil thoughts have been acquired for the heart: everyone wants money and pleasure, everyone is ready to sacrifice the truth for money. Let the stronghold of the Church of God stand, and let its servants not be shaken; If the truth runs out here, where to look for it. Meanwhile, may the Lord help you and all of us to do according to faith and understanding, “until the day is here.” With all my heart I wish Your Eminence strength of strength, both spiritual and physical, in trusting in the mercy of God. December 31, 1899 St. Petersburg. I thank you most earnestly for the invitation to the celebration of the consecration of your cathedral church. Unfortunately, neither I nor Sabler 36 can use it. Due to my old age and weakness of strength, I cannot go on long trips, but due to our current affairs, our stay here is essential, especially at this time, when almost daily meetings in the State Council and the Committee of Ministers require our presence on complex matters. We recently managed to get a significant salary allowance for our teachers starting next year, but if we weren’t there, we wouldn’t have been able to. As for the insane desire to organize public entertainment under the pretext of sobriety, we are already powerless against this, we are trying to do a little, but it is too cruel to fight against this. If local authorities had a strong and sound spirit, they could have prevented a lot. And don’t be surprised that the newspapers, which are all crazy, impudent and corrupt, print slander and abuse of parochial schools. This is a dog’s barking, to which one should not respond, but one should watch the matter twice as carefully so that there is no deception in it, for a person’s internal enemies - “his household” 37 - are the most dangerous of all. These enemies are: laziness, untruth, deception, indifference, self-interest. The new Governor 38 Yours, I think, will turn out to be a church man. He is a Kostroma resident and has become accustomed to the Church from a young age. He was highly valued in Petrozavodsk. Having received your most respected letter today, I hasten to send you congratulations and heartfelt wishes, may the coming summer be a favorable summer for you and may it bring a day of salvation for all of us. We really need salvation from the destruction of morals that has spread everywhere. We only have to take care of the people, and the struggle with the civil authorities is fruitless. You write about theaters. Everywhere they are turned on almost violently under the pretext of disgust from drunkenness, but in essence these ideas serve as an incitement to drunkenness, and their composition, for the most part, is not at all moral. Meanwhile, now, through the efforts of zemstvos and under the protection of the authorities, theaters are being established in villages, but here in St. Petersburg everything is filled with them, and they are built and maintained at public expense. The people are becoming cruel against this. We must diligently guard our church church. There is danger here, for debauchery and crime have increased extremely among the clergy, especially in monasteries, and many shameful cases are exposed in court. It is in vain that you deign to accept the appointed audit at the Seminary as if it were a reproach. It is not the first in Tomsk, and it is impossible to do without these revisions, and they should serve as a guide, first of all, for the Eminences themselves, revealing to them the truth, usually carefully hidden. Unfortunately, some of the Right Reverends attend the Seminary barely once a year on Act, where everything is hidden from them by deception. But now everything is exposed, and the Holy Synod often learns about unrest in the Seminary not from the Diocesan authorities, but from reports from the State Police. With this, I forward my book 39, printed these days. I am adding another one, published to denounce the insane actions of Count Tolstoy and his associates. December 29, 1900 St. Petersburg. I thank you most earnestly for your Eminence’s most respected letter of April 6th. It is disappointing that you write about the current people's need due to food shortages in your region; But what we would have to report from here is less comforting: a dark region is coming. Sometimes the word is asked on the tongue: “Behold, Satan asks that he sow you like wheat”; but it is as if the Lord has blinded people, but seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not understand. Here, not only theatrical performances during the holidays are irresistible, but also many more important things. Let us hear what the Lord God says about us, and until then there remain 40 prophetic words for us: “He who offends, let him offend again; You write about the needs of schoolchildren who stop going to school due to exhaustion and lack of bread. I don’t have the strength to help everyone, but please accept 500 rubles specially sent for this need from the special funds I have at my disposal. Extremely tired, I must seek rest and treatment, for which I am thinking of going abroad for a while. April 17, 1902 St. Petersburg. THE GOVERNOR EMPEROR, upon presentation to HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY, transmitted by Your Eminence in a letter dated August 14 of this year, of the 3rd edition of your, Gracious Sovereign and Archpastor, preaching works, on the 12th day of this September, MOST GRACEFULLY deigned to give my most humble report on this subject in his own hand write: “I thank His Eminence Macarius for the book.” I have the honor to notify Your Eminence of such all-merciful gratitude and at the same time I humbly ask you, Gracious Sovereign and Archpastor, to accept my sincere gratitude for delivering to me a copy of the said book in the same letter. Committing myself to your prayers, with perfect respect and so on. September 13, 1904 St. Petersburg. I thank you most earnestly for your kind memory of us on the Great Feast of the Lord and for the pleasant memory of the evening spent with us at the Vladimir school. This is the only place where we find consolation and joy in these difficult, troubled times, when, according to the destinies of the Lord, the minds of people have been taken away, and ordinary people pray to God and suffer, and the powerful of this world live, as in the days of Noah. Truly, the time is coming, to which are added the words of the Angel spoken to the Seer of Mysteries: “Let the wicked be still filthy, and let the righteous do righteousness.” My wife, who helps me take care of the school and children, asks me to testify to Your Eminence my respect and gratitude for the good memory of our school and church. December 29, 1904 St. Petersburg. I greet you, Your Eminence, Vladyka, on the Great Day of the Resurrection of Christ, I sincerely thank you for the kind writing of this April 6th and for the kind memory of my service, in which I tried, to the best of my ability, to arouse people to a just cause, and to benefit the church and the church cause. Our deeds are worth little, but the Lord God will judge what they are worth; By the grace of God, will we be saved “like fire.” It is true that I am very tired, not so much from business as from people who have now become deceitful. I’ve been sick since New Year’s and haven’t even been to church since then. Now, thank God, I’m getting better. What is most devastating is the insane church turmoil that has arisen at the present time, and it is time to admit that “I am already hungry and the time of my departure has come” 42, but I feel that while the hand is working, it should not yet take it away from fate, and the rumor about my upcoming departure is still incorrect. My sudden departure, I know, would sadden and dishearten many. So, wishing you health and peace with all my heart, I remain. April 16, 1905 St. Petersburg. Please accept my heartfelt gratitude to Your Eminence and the clergy who joined you for the good memory of the completed 25th anniversary of my service as Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod and my prayerful wishes. Our deeds will follow us to the righteous judgment of the Lord. To the best of my strength and heartfelt zeal, I continued my labors, thinking about the good of the Holy Church and its servants; I pray that my sins, voluntary and involuntary, may be forgiven and covered by the mercy of the Lord. April 30, 1905 St. Petersburg. Your Eminence’s most respectable letter, written on November 18, 1905, reached me only on the third day, already in 1906. I hasten to testify to you my heartfelt gratitude for your kind memory of me on the occasion of my dismissal from the post of Chief Prosecutor 43. For a long time now the words of the Apostles have been spoken to me: “I am already hungry and the time of my departure has come”; but I held on until there was still a flicker of day, allowing me to continue the work to which 25 years of my life had been dedicated; but when darkness began to approach, it was impossible to remain any longer. Now, truly, a dark time and region has come for our native Church, for a confusion of languages ​​has arisen in it too. Now, having retired from business and having exhausted my physical and spiritual strength, I live in solitude from the noise of people, waiting for what else the Lord will finally send. And my former colleagues, who have grown old in the common work, are already becoming despondent, and my beloved school business is on the rocks: it is true that the spiritual authorities themselves have been shaking it for a long time! I hear from many people evil and blasphemy, but ordinary people from all over Russia write to me in sympathy with my past activities. It is all the more gratifying for both me and my wife to hear a sympathetic word from you. May the Lord give you peace and affirmation in the coming summer. You know the soul of the people, which many in power have now forgotten how to understand, and therefore people in the Church of God will listen to you. January 4, 1906 St. Petersburg. I thank you most earnestly for your kind memory of me on the day of the great feast of Christ. The holiday found me in bed, so, to my extreme chagrin, I could not be in church. May the Lord keep you in health and peace. We, Russians, faithful people, children of our fatherland, are going through difficult days now, and we see no salvation. Blessed are those who did not live to this day. May God help you to endure terrible spiritual hardships. You write to me about B.N., of course, assuming that I have some importance among the powers that be; but for almost two years now I have been removed from all affairs and authorities. My strength has weakened, my head doesn’t work; I don’t move anywhere from the rooms, I don’t see anyone, and no one visits me. Set, O Lord, a lawgiver over us, so that the pagans may understand that they are human beings 44. December 28, 1906 St. Petersburg. Macarius, in the world - Mikhail Andreevich Nevsky (Parvitsky) (1835-1926) - saint, apostle of Altai, missionary, benefactor, from 1884 - Bishop of Biysk, from 1891 - Bishop of Tomsk and Semipalatinsk, from 1895 - Bishop of Tomsk and Barnaul (from 1906 - Archbishop), with 1908 - Archbishop of Tomsk and Altai, from 1912 to 1917 - Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna, member of the Holy Synod, since 1920 - Metropolitan of Altai. In 1917, he was dismissed from the Moscow department under pressure from the chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod (as part of the Provisional Government) V. N. Lvov, and was rehabilitated by the Local Council of 1917–1918. In 1920 St. Patriarch Tikhon notified St. Macarius on the determination of the Holy Synod on the lifelong existence of Macarius as Metropolitan of Altai. So it is in the text. Pobedonostsev served as chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod from 1880 to 1905. Macarius, in the world - Mikhail Yakovlevich Glukharev (1792-1847) - saint, reverend, archimandrite, missionary (in total, St. Macarius baptized 675 foreigners), expert in many languages, translator of the Bible and many prayers, a short Sacred History, a short catechism of St. Philaret, the rite of confession, questions at baptism into the Altai language, translated the entire Old Testament from Hebrew into Russian. Ilminsky Nikolai Ivanovich (1822–1891) - missionary, Orientalist, teacher, translator, professor at Kazan University and Theological Academy, director of the Kazan Foreign Theological Seminary, corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences. See: Second Mite: Collection of chants for the people. – M., 1915.–129 p. See: Contribution: in favor of the poor among the newly baptized at the Church Altai Mission. – Moscow: Semyon Printing House, 1847. – 80 p. We are talking about Ivan Ivanovich Krasovsky, governor of Tomsk in 1883–1885, actual state councilor, chamberlain. Tobisen German Avgustovich von (c. 1847–1917) – statesman, lawyer, graduate of the School of Law (1865), Livonia vice-governor (1878–1890), Tomsk governor (1890–1896), then Kharkov governor, titular councilor, chamberlain; insisted on ending exile to Western Siberia and the abolition of corporal punishment for female tramps, as well as on the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway through Tomsk, took part in the commission to draw up cost estimates for the construction of the Great Siberian Road, as well as in the commission to determine general provisions for the land arrangement of peasants on state-owned lands in Siberia. Edition "Lepta". – Note. priest S. Dmitrievsky. Stepan Vasilyevich Smolensky (1848–1909) – graduate of the law and philological faculties of Kazan University, musicologist, paleographer, choral conductor, director of the Synodal School, professor of the Moscow Conservatory, manager of the Court Singing Chapel. Interpreter Archimandar[ita] Macarius, from the natives of Altai. – Note. priest S. Dmitrievsky. Radlov Vasily Vasilyevich, Wilhelm Friedrich Radlov (1837–1918) - Russian scientist of German origin, orientalist-Turkologist, teacher, ethnographer, archaeologist, supporter of the comparative historical study of Turkic languages and peoples, author of the work “Proben der Volkslitteratur der türkischen Stamme Südsibirien” (Samples of folk literature of Turkic tribes living in Southern Siberia and the Dzungarian steppe). Texts and German translation. – In 7 t.-SPb., 1866–1896. Chevalkov Mikhail Vasilievich (1817–1901) – translator of St. Macarius of Altai, priest, Altai missionary, educator, founder of Altai literature, folklorist, expert on Altai culture, contributed to the introduction of Altai nomads to a settled way of life and Russian culture. Veniamin, in the world - Vasily Antonovich Blagonravov (1825-1892) - missionary, church historian, researcher of Lamaism and other pagan beliefs, in 1857 - professor of the Kazan Theological Academy, in 1858 - rector of the Tomsk Theological Seminary, in 1861 - rector of the Kostroma Theological Seminary, abbot of the Bogoroditsky Igritsky Monastery, from 1862 - Bishop of Selenga, vicar of the Irkutsk diocese, head of the Transbaikal spiritual mission, in 1868 - Bishop of Kamchatka, from 1873 - Bishop of Irkutsk (from 1878 - archbishop), from 1890 - honorary member of the Moscow Theological Academy. Tikhon, in the world - Mikhail Troitsky-Donebin (1831–1911) - missionary, philanthropist, distributor of parochial schools, from 1866 - rector of the Novgorod seminary and archimandrite, from 1871 - rector of the Caucasian seminary, from 1882 - bishop of Sarapul, from 1886 - bishop of Yenisei and Krasnoyarsk, from 1892 - Archbishop of Irkutsk and Verkholensky (according to the wishes of His Grace Veniamin); created a commission to translate liturgical texts into colloquial Buryat language, a supporter of organizing worship in the native language. See letter No. 12. This information turned out to be incorrect. – Note. priest S. Dmitrievsky. Elagin Nikolai Vasilievich (1817–1891) - writer, since 1848 - censor. Bishop of Biysk Vladimir Senkovsky. – Note. priest S. Dmitrievsky. Vladimir, in the world - Senkovsky Filaret Alekseevich (1847–1917) - archbishop; in 1875 - missionary of the Altai mission, in 1882 - missionary of the Kyrgyz mission, in 1890 - tonsured a monk, in 1891 - head of the Altai and Kyrgyz missions, Bishop of Biysk, vicar of the Tomsk diocese, in 1893 - Bishop of Vladikavkaz, in 1904 - Bishop of Chisinau and Khotyn, in 1908 - Archbishop of Don and Novocherkassk. Arch[bishop] of Kazan. – Note. priest S. Dmitrievsky. Agafangel, in the world - Alexander Lavrentievich Preobrazhensky (1854-1928) - saint, from 1889 - Bishop of Cyrene, from 1893 - Tobolsk and Siberian, missionary who suffered a lot of slander in his ministry: Mongolian lamas spread rumors among the population who wanted to be baptized that the Russian government prescribed Lamaism for the Buryats, and then sent them to St. Petersburg complaint about forced baptism by Irkutsk missionary; in 1897 - Bishop of Riga and Mitau (since 1904 - Archbishop), in 1910 - Archbishop of Lithuania and Vilnius, in 1913 - Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov, since 1917 - Metropolitan, permanent member of the Holy Synod under the Patriarch; in 1922 St. Tikhon, who was arrested, transferred his power to St. Agafangel, after which he was arrested, poisoned, imprisoned, and then exiled until 1926. Durnovo Ivan Nikolaevich (1834–1903) – Minister of Internal Affairs (1889–1895), Chairman of the Committee of Ministers (1895–1903). Ivan Bryzgalov - state councilor, inspector of the Irkutsk Theological Seminary, since 1896 - diocesan observer of parochial schools and literacy schools of the Irkutsk diocese, censor of the Irkutsk Diocesan Gazette. Korf Andrey Nikolaevich (1831–1893) – baron, cavalry general, governor-general of the Amur region (1884–1893), ataman of the Amur Cossack troops. During his reign, the population increased, many schools were opened, missionary activity developed among the peoples of the Far East, the successful colonization of the South Ussuri region took place, the development of coal deposits began on Sakhalin, and maritime relations with China, Japan, and Korea developed. Ukhtomsky Esper Esperovich (1861–1921) – prince, diplomat, Orientalist, publicist, editor, poet, translator, supporter of the “Orientalist” position, head of the Russian-Chinese Bank and the board of the Manchurian Railway (from the late 1890s to 1905), one of the leaders of the Solovyov Society. Shakhovskaya Natalya Borisovna, nee Svyatopolk-Chetvertinskaya (1820–1906) - princess, spiritual daughter of Fr. Valentina Amphiteatrova, philanthropist, founder of the community of sisters of mercy “Quench My Sorrows”, wife of Prince Dmitry Fedorovich Shakhovsky (1820–1867). Since 1863, N.B. Shakhovskaya lived and worked as a nurse at the Police Hospital of Dr. F.P. Gaza, settling in one of its wards, then led a group of 30 sisters who cared for the sick and in other free hospitals for unskilled workers; in 1868, the sisters joined the Ladies' Committee, headed by Princess Nadezhda Borisovna Trubetskoy, sister of N.B. Shakhovskaya, which received the name “Moscow Community of Sisters of Mercy “Quench My Sorrows”"; in 1871, N.B. Shakhovskaya and her co-workers were ordained as “cross sisters” of mercy, like nuns who took vows of chastity, non-covetousness and obedience, but had the right to deviate from these vows if they wanted to return to the world and start a family. The community founded an orphanage, worked during the cholera epidemic of 1872 in hospitals that were abandoned by staff, and cared for the mentally ill; During the Serbian-Turkish and Russian-Turkish war, she provided assistance to the wounded at the front and in the rear. Sisters of mercy worked in hospitals in Romania and Bulgaria under the leadership of N. B. Shakhovskaya, who donated her entire fortune to the organization of hospitals; Since 1881, Alexander II took the community under his protection, and it began to be called Alexandrovskaya. During the typhus and cholera epidemics of 1891–1892, the ascetics of “Quench My Sorrows” worked throughout Russia. In 1892–1895, the sisters of the community, using donations, created leprosariums for lepers in the Irkutsk region, where they lived and worked, providing assistance to the suffering. In the second half of the 1890s in Moscow, the community founded a paramedic school for girls and an almshouse for elderly poor women. In 1904–1905 he took part in the Russo-Japanese War. Marsden Kate (born in 1859) is an English sister of mercy who, with the blessing of Queen Victoria and Empress Maria Alexandrovna, made a trip to Yakutia, visiting the places where lepers lived. In 1892, the sisters of the Moscow community “Quench My Sorrows” arrived there. Miss Marsden assisted in the creation of the Vilyui leper colony, where the sisters of the community provided spiritual, material and medical assistance to lepers; the shelter existed through donations. See: Chevalkov M.V. Memorable testament: Autobiography of a missionary of the Altai spiritual mission. – M.: Printing house of A. I. Snegiev, 1894. – 94 p. The assistant head of the Catechetical School, priest Leonid Pokrovsky, went to serve in the Kyrgyz mission (“Episcopal Gazette.” No. 9. page 15). – Note. priest S. Dmitrievsky. From April 20, 1896 to January 30, 1900, the post of Tomsk governor was occupied by Lomachevsky Asinkrit Asinkritovich (1848–1921), major general, Russian pre-revolutionary military and political figure. We are talking about religious and philosophical readings. We are talking about the book: Ilminsky N.I. Letters. – Kazan: Orthodox interlocutor. – 1895. – 414 p. Methodius, in the world – Mavriky Lvovich Gerasimov (1856–1931) – bishop, candidate of theology; from 1882 he served in the Altai spiritual mission, in 1885 St. Macarius (Nevsky) tonsured a monk with the name Methodius, soon accepting the rank of hieromonk, in 1893 he became an archimandrite and head of the Altai spiritual mission, in 1894 - Bishop of Biysk, vicar of the Tomsk diocese, in 1898 - Bishop of Transbaikal and Nerchinsk, where he resumed the religious procession from Chita to Irgen with the miraculous image of St. Martyr Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, laid the foundation for a new Cathedral, began publishing the Trans-Baikal Diocesan Gazette, reorganized the Central Missionary School, traveled around the diocese every summer, visited prisons and hard labor; in 1912, by Decree of the Emperor, Bishop Methodius was appointed Bishop of Tomsk and Altai, in 1914 he was transferred to the Orenburg See, in 1918 St. Patriarch Tikhon elevated him to the rank of Archbishop of Orenburg and Turgai. In 1920, he headed the newly created Harbin diocese at the request of Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky). See: Metropolitan Macarius (Nevsky Mikhail Andreevich). Words, conversations, teachings, speeches and appeals. – Tomsk: Steam printing house of P. I. Makushin, 1898. – 289 p. We are talking about student riots at Tomsk Imperial University in the winter of 1899. Sabler (Desyatovsky) Vladimir Karlovich (1847–1929) – lawyer, fellow chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod under K. P. Pobedonostsev, then chief prosecutor (1911–1915). Vyazemsky Sergei Aleksandrovich (1844–1923) – graduate of Moscow University, actual state councilor, Olonets vice-governor (1896–1900), Tomsk governor in 1900–1903, honorary magistrate of the Tomsk District Court (in 1907), member of the Council of the Minister of Internal Affairs (in 1903 and after 1907), member Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, took part in the land arrangement of state peasants. In 1900, four works by Pobedonostsev were published: at the Synodal Printing House (Moscow) - the sixth edition of the work “Feasts of the Lord”, “Teaching and the Teacher: Pedagogical Notes”, the sixth edition of the work “The History of the Orthodox Church before the Separation of Churches”; in the printing house of the magazine “National Education” (St. Petersburg) - “Character Education at School.” On October 19, 1905, with the active participation of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers S. Yu. Witte, K. P. Pobedonostsev was dismissed from the post of Chief Prosecutor of the Synod and a member of the Committee of Ministers, leaving him as a member of the State Council, Secretary of State and Senator.