Archbishop of Oryol Smaragd (Kryzhanovsky) and Altai missionary Archimandrite Macarius (Glukharev) (two letters from the first to the second)

Contents I letter II letter 1st petition 2nd petition 3rd petition The relationship between Archbishop Smaragd and Archimandrite Macarius - in that rank - was quite short-lived, but quite characteristic and flattering for both. These were peers at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, but Makariy (Mikhail Glukharev) was the eldest, belonging to the 2nd year (1814–1817), while Smaragd (Alexander Kryzhanovsky) was listed as a member of the 3rd year (1815–1819). Then their paths diverged in different directions, and (except for their joint independent stay in Kyiv in 1825) only 25 years later they met very closely in a completely opposite combination, when Mikariy found himself under the authority and subordination of Smaragd, who enjoyed the fame of the tamer of the obstinate and the corrector of the lost. According to the natural order and experiences of centuries-old life, one could expect a typical manifestation of these properties, but what turned out to be completely different. For various reasons, Archimandrite. Macarius decided to leave the Altai mission and at the end of December 1842 asked the Synod to dismiss him from the post of rector for the sake of a trip to Jerusalem to venerate the Holy Sepulcher. But in the ruling spheres they looked unfavorably and, perhaps, suspiciously at this pious enterprise, which is why Macarius was simply dismissed (June 16, 1844), without any mention of allowing him a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Apparently, not without the direct participation of the archbishop. Smaragd arranged things in such a way that Macarius was appointed to him in the city of Bolkhov as rector of the Trinity Optina Monastery. Although he was not happy with such a surprise and accepted it reluctantly 1, on the part of the Oryol Bishop it was a sign of a special disposition, which he nurtured and expressed in every possible way during the entire time when Macarius, leaving Altai on July 4, 1844, arrived in Bolkhov on November 15 and settled in the Trinity Monastery, where he “found favor” with Smaragd 2. The latter always honored the honored missionary-ascetic, valued his authority very highly and respected, if possible, all his petitions, for the sake of which he allowed all permissible indulgences 3. According to Archimandrite Hierotheus (Dobritsky) - this was Smaragd’s “sincere friend”, and the archpastor retained respectful love for him until the end of his days and even on May 18, 1847. wrote from Orel: “In our department and in the entire flock, everything is in prosperity. Only a servant of God, Fr. Archimandrite Bolkhovskaya Macarius, it is heard, is hopelessly ill for life, and, instead of the Jerusalem Holy Sepulcher, he should soon meet (and maybe he has already met) with his own tomb” 4. When Macarius died precisely on this date—May 18, 1847—Smaragd appeared personally in the city of Bolkhov to pay his last debt to his “dear comrade at the St. Petersburg Academy,” and, approaching the deceased, he bowed to the ground three times, sang the funeral service with special solemnity, and then, by his order, the body was brought into the altar through the royal doors, surrounded around the throne and again by the royal doors. taken out by the gates, surrounded by the circle of the church and after this lowered into the prepared crypt on the right side of the meal in the cathedral monastery church 5. It is also significant that after the death of Fr. Macarius Smaragd guarded his “fragrant memory” 6. Evidence of the benevolent relations of the archbishop. Smaragda to Archimandrite Macarius is also served by his two letters printed below, delivered (1912, X, 11) in copies (through Kazan University professor Konstantin Vasilyevich Kharlampovich) from the Kazan Theological Seminary, where they were received (in the library) in 1897 according to the spiritual will of the late († September 2, 1897) Ariep. Kazansky Vladimir (Petrov) 7. Most Reverend Father Archimandrite Macarius, My beloved Brother in Christ! I believe that Your Reverence is quite confident in my sincere readiness to carry out everything that pleases You, according to the management of the monastery entrusted to You; but despite all this, we could not satisfy your desire regarding the opening of a warm church in the abbot’s cells; and for what reasons, please see this from the decree of the Consistory that followed your presentation. With all this, it seems that nothing will interfere with you, in the arranged (if already arranged) prayer book, you can conduct all-night vigils, hours, or mass, if you so desire, and especially if at any time your health does not allow you to go to the general church for Divine services. Do not, Most Beloved Brother, put your anger on me for such dissatisfaction of this, your desire: - satisfaction of this would entail the Diocesan Administration to responsibility, which everyone is obliged to avoid if possible. If you decide to stay with us in Orel during Christmas time, then on my part I ask you to visit my cell and eat bread and salt in it, and most of all, be comforted by mutual faith and love. For this, entrusting you to the goodness and bounty of the Almighty Providence of God, I have with sincere respect and love to remain Your Most Reverence, my beloved Brother and co-servant in Christ, as my most zealous servant: Oryol Bishop's Department. The matter implied in this letter 8 is drawn from the documents in this light. Archim. Macarius dated November 20, 1845, was presented by the archbishop. A report to Smaragd with the following content: “Avoiding dangerous harm from dampness and fumes in the old building of the winter church in the local monastery, I was prompted by extreme necessity to appoint two rooms in the abbot’s house with an entrance for the winter church,” which was allocated a space of 18 arshins in length and 5 arshins in width, with 7 more rooms remaining for the abbot’s cells, and in the attached (together with the plan) the estimate for the adaptation was 560 rubles; however, everything else needed - in the form of vessels, a sacristy, liturgical books - could be taken from other churches of the monastery. The designed church of Archimandrite. Macarius asked to name the church “The Last Supper of Christ” with the patronal church holiday on Holy Thursday 9. November 24, 1845 Archbishop. Smaragd put down a resolution: “The consistory should immediately consider and report.” This was executed on November 28, 1845, when the determination of the Consistory was as follows. The Code of Laws, Volume 12 of the Construction Charter on Church Buildings, in Article 183 states: “For the establishment of churches in houses, the permission of the Holy Synod is sought for persons who have acquired the right to special respect, who cannot attend churches due to illness and old age. The Highest permission is sought for the establishment of house churches in the capitals.” Meanwhile, from the report of Archimandrite Macarius it is clear that it is planned to build a house church in order to avoid damage from dampness and fumes in the building of the winter church in this monastery. Since there is a winter church in the Bolkhov Monastery, to which due attention was not paid in a timely manner, regarding the elimination of inconveniences for serving in it in the winter, the monastery authorities did not take proper measures to this end, and on the basis of the above-mentioned provision and the Charter of the Spiritual Consistories, Article 48, the construction of churches in houses, as well as others again, if necessary, is carried out with the permission of St. Synod and, at the same time, out of special respect; then the Consistory, not having in mind reasons worthy of respect on any side and even finding the very arrangement in the abbot’s cells unseemly, decides to refuse Archimandrite Macarius’s request for permission to establish the requested church and let him know by decree. At the same time, bring to his attention so that he strictly attends to taking measures to avert the inconveniences he described for serving in the winter monastery church. Smaragd’s resolution reads: “Immediately implement.” At that time, Archimandrite Macarius, having not yet received the decree on the determination of the Consistory on November 28, sent a new report dated December 4, 1845, where he writes: “For the first time these days, having had the opportunity to read the book - the Charter of Spiritual Consistories and in it §§ 48 and 49, I consider it my duty to supplement the following, presented to Your Eminence, my thoughts about the extreme need to open a winter church in the monastery” and precisely with the fact that There are 17 elders in the monastery, who, according to their old age (one is 61 years old, another is 67 years old, the third is 68 years old, the fourth is 82 years old, the fifth is 92 years old). and two 69 liters each), are unwell and cannot remain in the damp church; the petitioner “continues to pray for approval by the archpastoral permission” of his desire to establish a church in the abbot’s chambers. On December 7, Smaragd ordered “The Consistory, having examined it, to report,” and on December 18 it determined: Similar to the first report of Fr. Archimandrite Macarius, and from this report there are no sufficient reasons for allowing him to establish a hospital church in the abbot’s cells. Why refuse him, especially since in the Bolkhov Monastery there is no hospital for the elderly and sick monastic brethren and that the very permission to establish a hospital church in the cells directly depends on the Holy Synod. However, due to the weak health of him, the Archimandrite, and the infirmities known to the diocesan authorities, to allow him, the Archimandrite, for spiritual consolation, to pray in his cells with some of the brethren during the prayer service of the All-Night Vigil, hours and prayers, even with the blessing of water, but secretly and publicly in front of a gathering of outside people, so that in the eyes of the citizens this would not appear to be for custom, about what to him. Archimandrite, and send a decree so that, in accordance with the decree already sent on this subject, he would try to prevent inconvenience in the church, preventing it from correcting the divine service at all times. Smaragd ordered “execution” on December 19, 1849, and this formally ended the whole matter on this issue. From this it is clear that in Smaragd’s letter there is obviously a decree of the Consistory according to its first definition (November 28, 1845), and the second - in all its contents - was anticipated by this letter and took place, of course, at the direct suggestion of the Oryol Bishop. It is no less indisputable that here Smaragd’s most favorable attention to Fr. Macarius, for the latter’s petition was not fully justified, either factually or formally, and was easily turned even against the petitioner. Means. In this case, the Oryol Archbishop did for the sake and in the interests of Fr. Makaria everything possible. Most Reverend Father, Archimandrite Macarius, Beloved Brother in the Lord! I have just received your letter from the post office dated November 26, as at the same time the Treasurer 10 personally appears to receive the decree that was issued from the Consistory. With all my heart I wish you a successful beginning, continuation and completion of your blissful journey. If you intend to leave so early, then it seems that you will have to wait a long time for navigation in Odessa. However, I believe that you would be better off asking those who know how this happens. I did not receive the book you printed for the benefit of the Altai Mission from the post office. But without a doubt I will receive it, and I am sending for it to the Post Office 11. Bringing to you my most sincere gratitude for this gift (no doubt precious!) I am and will forever remain, Your Reverence, a zealously devoted servant: This letter is quite clear in its content. Archim. Macarius, from Altai in November 1842, asked for leave to Palestine to venerate the Holy Sepulcher, but the authorities treated this desire unfavorably and did not respond to him for a long time. Even Metropolitan was not entirely sympathetic. Moscow Filaret, who patronized Fr. Macarius, urging him to “take advantage of (this) opportunity to exercise (himself) in renouncing his will,” and as early as March 1847, Smaragda wrote about him (in “Readings in the Society of Lovers of Spiritual Enlightenment” 1871, book XIII, p. 37): “I advised him to venerate the Holy Sepulcher from Biysk or from Bolkhov. But he thinks differently: may the Lord prosper his path, with much consolation of the spirit, without much labor of the flesh.” However, Macarius did not cease to bother (see in the Oryol Spiritual Consistory the case that began on July 8, 1846, “about the dismissal of the Abbot of the Bolkhov Optina Monastery, Archimandrite Macarius to Jerusalem to worship holy places,” as well as in the Archives of the Holy Synod, cases for 1846 No. 631 and 1315) and on March 30 1846 submitted a petition with the following content to the Holy Synod: “The Most Serene Sovereign, Great Sovereign Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich, Autocrat of All Russia, Most Merciful Sovereign, To ask the Oryol Diocese of the Bolkhov Trinity Optina Monastery Archimandrite Macarius, and what is my request, the points follow. “While serving at the Altai Church Mission in the Tomsk Diocese, at the end of 1842 I most humbly asked, through the Bishop of Tomsk and the Cavalier, His Eminence Athanasius, that it be ordered to provide me with a passport with which I could travel to the Holy places of Palestine, and in 1843, by decree of the Holy Governing Synod, I was appointed Rector Oryol Diocese in Bolkhov Trinity Monastery. “But as in this decree from the Holy Governing Synod, the content of which was a decree to me from the Spiritual Tomsk Consistory, there is no such saying from which it would be clear that my request for permission and a passport to travel to the Holy Places of Palestine was denied, and by which I would be prohibited from renewing and repeating the most humble petition for permission to go to the Holy Places of Palestine: therefore I On the 2nd of March 1846, through the mediation of Archbishop Orlovsky and the Cavalier, I most submissively asked for permission to go to the Holy Places of Palestine and to grant me a passport for this. “But as a resolution from the Most Reverend Smaragd, Archbishop of Oryol and Sevsky and Cavalier, received by me in a decree from the Spiritual Oryol Consistory, on the 19th day of this same March, the following followed: “since Archimandrite Macarius, without the will of the Holy Synod, cannot be dismissed to travel to the Holy Places; then let him, Archimandrite Macarius, directly address this request to the Holy Governing Synod and wait for the authorities’ permission,” and therefore I appeal directly to the Holy Governing Synod “I most humbly ask that it be ordered to provide me with a passport with which I could go to the Holy Places of Palestine, as promised; the rector's position in the Bolkhov Trinity Monastery, during my travel, can be filled by the Treasurer of this monastery, Hieromonk Jeremiah 12, who has in all respects very reliable abilities for this; and I earnestly wish that the abbot’s share of the income that will be collected during the continuation of my journey be directed to the Sacred needs in the local monastery. March 30th day, 1846. “Archimandrite Macarius had a hand in this petition. Subject to submission to the Holy Governing Synod. This petition was written and composed by the petitioner himself.” The further course of the case is outlined in the following report by the archbishop. Smaragda to the Holy Synod of June 27, 1846 for No. 4.474. “By decree from the Holy Governing Synod, dated the 22nd of last May, No. 5.317, a petition from the Bolkhov Trinity Optina Monastery, Archimandrite Macarius, was sent to May, asking for his dismissal to Jerusalem to worship the Holy Places, so that, according to the content of this petition, I would deliver my thoughts with the conclusion and return of the petition itself. According to the certificate from the Oryol Consistory, it turned out: 1) The said Archimandrite Macarius, as can be seen from his track record, is a Great Russian, of the Smolensk Diocese of Vyazma, Epiphany Church, Priestly son. After completing the science course at the Smolensk Seminary, he held the position of teacher in the initial class of the same Seminary in Latin for a year. On July 18, 1817, upon completion of the Academic course at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, he was appointed, with the rank of Master, as Inspector and Professor of Church History and German Language at the Ekaterinoslav Seminary and, along with these positions, held the position of Rector of lower schools until March 1821. and immediately on July 24, 1818 he was tonsured a monk and ranked as a Hieromonk of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and on the same July 28 by the Most Reverend Job, Archbishop of Yekaterinoslav, promoted to Hieromonk; in 1821 he was appointed Rector and Professor of Theological Sciences of the Kostroma Seminary, with his elevation to the rank of Archimandrite of the second class of the Epiphany Monastery, which positions he held until the end of 1824, and in this year, at his request, he was dismissed from service at the Kostroma Seminary and at the local monastery, due to weakness of strength he enjoyed repose before in Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, then in the Glinsk Hermitage, which is in the Kursk Diocese. From here, by decree of the Holy Synod, dated May 27, 1829, he was moved to the Tobolsk Diocese, to preach the Gospel to the pagans and, upon the opening of the Altai Church Mission in 1830, served as its rector and missionary until half of 1844, and in this year, on the occasion of its determination by decree of the Holy Synod, dated June 16, 1844, abbot of the Bolkhov Trinity Optina Monastery, went to this monastery. During his service in the Altai Church Mission, he was awarded the blessing of the Holy Synod, and then awarded a cross decorated with expensive stones. At the end of 1841 and at the beginning of 1842, according to the Synodal definition, a forty-day cleansing penance took place at the house of the Bishop of Tomsk, on the occasion of presenting to the Government his thoughts and desires in discussion of the complete Bible in Russian, translated from the originals. He is 55 years old. 2) This Archimandrite Macarius, on the 16th of March of this year, asked me to provide him with a passport to travel to the Holy Places of Palestine. Since he, Archimandrite Macarius, cannot be dismissed without the will of the Holy Synod to travel to the Holy Places, it was granted from me to him, Archimandrite, to directly address this request to the Holy Synod and await the Authorization. The Oryol Consistory, on this petition of Archimandrite Macarius, presented to me its opinion as follows: in accordance with the petition attached to this decree from the Rector of the Bolkhov Optina Monastery, Archimandrite Macarius, with a certificate issued, the Consistory does not find on its part an obstacle to the dismissal of his Archimandrite to Jerusalem for the veneration of St. places, especially since the management of this Monastery can conveniently be temporarily entrusted to its Treasurer, Hieromonk Jeremiah, based on his trustworthiness in terms of behavior and his proven ability in managing that Monastery in the past, before the appointment of Archimandrite Macarius as the Abbot of this Monastery and until the time of his arrival in it from Siberia 13; but after all this, his dismissal, the Archimandrite, should follow when he signs that he has sufficient means to support himself on the journey to undertake the journey and that during his journey he will not resort to extraneous means of earning his livelihood through begging for alms on the way and in foreign cities. About which I should submit a report to the Holy Synod on my behalf. Finding it necessary to know: for how long Archimandrite Macarius wishes to go to St. Palestinian places, the Consistory, by my resolution 14, held on the above-mentioned opinion, demanded from him such information, in which he responded that the designation of the period in the passport for traveling to the Holy Palestinian places betrays the will of the authorities and whether one year will be appointed, or more or less, he wants to accept this with peace and trust in the all-good Providence of God, who has already granted him the means to complete the Travel. Based on this review of Archimandrite Macarius, I, for my part, believe that he can be dismissed to Jerusalem for a period of one year, according to the above-mentioned opinion presented to me from the Consistory. “Which, with the return of the genuine petition of Archimandrite Macarius, I most respectfully convey to the Holy Governing Synod for their consideration.” Now the petition was crowned with success, and the Holy Synod, by decree of August 20, 1846, No. 10.274, informed the archbishop about this. Smaragda: “In accordance with the conclusion of the Oryol Diocesan Administration and on the basis of Art. 419. XIV volume. Holy Order of the charter on passports and fugitives, the Rector of the Bolkhov Trinity Monastery, Archimandrite Macarius, is to be sent abroad to worship the Holy Places for a period of one year, giving Your Eminence: a) to make an order to issue Macarius a permit to travel to one of the port cities indicated in the above article of the charter on passports and fugitives, and to supply him with a foreign passport, inform the subject Civil The authorities and b) at the same time order that the said monastery with all its property and cash sums be legally transferred to the management of the most reliable and experienced of the monastic Clergy, as appointed by the Diocesan Administration, with a report about that and the time of Macarius’s departure.” So oh. Macarius received the long-desired permission, but could not use it because he died while preparing for the journey on May 18, 1847 15. We see now that Archbishop. Smaragd took an indirect part in this matter, contributing to Fr. Macarius in achieving his goal and through direct assistance and generally establishing his reputation. But what is remarkable about Vladyka Oryol is his touching thoughtfulness and delicate consideration, which is also reflected in the first letter. However, Smaragd was always attentive to his spiritual brethren, maintaining complete respect for the worthy - in their weaknesses and oblivion - with feelings of brotherly love, unfeigned and with all-hearted brotherly respect 16. See prof. K. V. Kharlampovich on page 50 (in the biography) and † P. V. Ptokhov on page 208. See letter from Metropolitan. Moscow Philaret Smaragda dated March 29, 1847 in “Readings in the Society of Lovers of Spiritual Enlightenment” 1871, book. XIII, p. 37. See our publication of letters from the archbishop. Smagard to S.I. Trubitsina in “Readings at the Society of Russian History and Antiquities at Moscow University” vol. 243, book. IV for 1912, mixed p. 11 approx. Smaragd, while visiting Volkhov, invited Archimandrite to concelebrate. Macarius, but he did not always even make it there (cf. † P.V. Ptokhov on p. 192) - and such omissions would have been costly for others, but in this case nothing like that is heard. See letters from the archbishop. Smaragda to Archimandrite Hierotheus in “Christian Reading” 1911, No. 3, p. 387 and note, as well as in a separate edition (St. Petersburg 1911) on page 8 and note, but quoted (from the work of † N. P. Barsukova, Life and Works of M. P. Pogodin, book X, St. Petersburg 1896, p. 10) there (in note 3) Kireevsky’s letter to Pogodin dated April 1848 that Smaragd was working hard at the Synod to definitely transfer “Father Macarius” to himself does not refer to Archimandrite. Macarius Glukharev, and to the Optina Elder Macarius (Mich. Nik. Ivanov, † September 6, 1860), although they were also confused by † Archbishop. Savva (Tikhomirov): about all this, see E.V., Historical description of the Kozelskaya Optina Hermitage and the Forerunner Skete (Kaluga province), St.-Tr. Sergius Lavra 1902, pp. 75 ff., 83–94. See † P. V. Ptokhov, Archimandrite Macarius (Glukharev), founder of the Altai Mission (Moscow 1899), p. 210, and prof. K.V. Kharlampovich, Letters of Archimandrite Makariy Glukharev, founder of the Altai Mission (Kazan 1905), p. 55 (in biography). Back on March 15, 1852, Metropolitan. Filaret wrote to Archbishop. Smaragda (in “Readings in the Society of Lovers of Spiritual Enlightenment” 1871, book XIII, p. 42); “I am glad that the memory of Fr. Macaria is fragrant, and his word remains in vain. Kind, apparently, your Volkhov. God bless him." See prof. D. V. Kharlampovich in “Christian Reading Research Institute” 1907, No. 9; 1909 Nos. 2 and 5; 1910 Nos. 2. 3 and 7–8; 1911, no. 7–8. It is mentioned and quoted in one sentence by Prof. K. B. Kharlampovich, Letters of Archimandrite Makariy Glukharev, p. 524, g. See prof. K.V. Kharlampovich on page 524 letter to Archimandrite. Macarius “To the Teacher” dated November 27, 1845: “The body of the late Martin Andreevich was buried in the monastery here... The room in which he died will now, if it pleases the Lord, be turned into the holy altar of the Church of the Last Supper of Christ, which is already being built, and we wish and try to have it for the feast of R.H. was consecrated for cathedral worship." This is Hieromonk Jeremiah: see note. 12 on page 125. Of course, of course, “Contribution to the Altai Spiritual Mission”, which prof. K.V. Kharlampovich rightly refers (on page 47 of the biography) to the publication precisely in November 1846, meanwhile † P.V. Ptokhov erroneously claims (p. 174) that the “poems of Fr. Macarius was published for the first time in 1847.” This is what. Jeremiah ruled the Bolkhov monastery until Archimandrite Arkhim arrived there. Macarius, and after him was rector there from September 14, 1847, died (retired from August 5, 1869) in 1871. See about him “Readings in the Society of Russian History and Antiquities” vol. 243, book. IV for 1912, p. 14 (mixture). See note. 12 on page 125. This resolution by the Reverend. Smaragda dated June 19, 1846 was as follows: “Immediately demand from Fr. Archimandrite Macarius information: for how long exactly does he want to leave for the Holy Places of Palestine? - what information do I need to keep in mind when presenting to the Holy Synod my opinion regarding the ease of his dismissal, Fr. Macarius, to those places, and even more so since he cannot be given an indefinite pasport, especially with the reserving of the right to the post of Abbot of the Bolkhov Monastery.” See also † P. V. Ptokhov on pp. 116, 118, 208–209 and prof. K.V. Kharlampovich on pages 35 and 54 (in the biography). This was the case, for example, in relation to the archbishop. Olonetsky († July 31, 1855) Damaskin (Rossov). who lived in retirement in the Zhabynskaya Vvedenskaya hermitage of the Tula diocese, about which see letters from Smaragd to S.I. Trubitsyna in “Readings in the Society of Russian History and Antiquities” vol. 243, book. IV for 1912, mixed pp. 12, 15.