V. Сельцо Шамордино. – А.Н. Ключарева. – Ее внучки. – Покупка села Шамордина и постройка дома. – Кончина схим. Амвросии. – Разлука с Оптиной. – Жизнь в пансионе. – Приезд на лето в Оптину. – Болезнь и кончина обеих девочек

Establishment of a women's community in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, in the 12th ver. from Optina Pustyn, was prepared by the special ways of God's Providence. At the end of the 60s, a small farmstead, near the village of Shamordina, belonged to a poor single-lord Kalygin. Having decided to devote the rest of his days to monastic life, he settled his old wife at the Optina cattle yard, and he himself settled in a monastery. So that nothing would interfere with him, he asked Father Fr. Ambrose to sell his estate to someone. A year before, he, leaving his house one day, was struck by a strange sight: he saw a church standing on the clouds; He then told the Elder about this. At the time when he decided to sell his farm, a nun named Ambrosia lived near Optina Pustyn, in the world of A. N. Klyucharev. She was a wealthy landowner who entered the Belevsky Convent as a result of the intense desire and request of her husband, who wanted to become a monk. Alexandra Nikolaevna, although she had a cheerful character and did not have a great inclination towards monastic life, was still deeply religious, religious and devoted to the Elder, which is why, although not without a struggle, she voluntarily agreed to this feat. They had an only son who married and had two daughters born on the same day. His wife died soon after giving birth, and the grandmother took the babies in and settled with them near Optina Pustyn, in a separate building she built, near the monastery hotels. Elder Ambrosy took a close part in the fate of these girls, and Mother Ambrosy, who deeply revered the Elder, did nothing without his advice and blessing. Her former serfs lived with her, who loved her dearly and were devoted to her, and the little ones lived well under the wing of a loving grandmother. From a very early age, they began to show a special religiosity and love of prayer. They stood through the long Optina all-night vigils with pleasure, knew perfectly well the order of the service and were strongly attached to Father Fr. Ambrose. Vera and Lyuba (that was the girls' names), like twins, were so similar to each other that even M. Ambrosia herself had difficulty distinguishing them. Once she said to Lyuba’s nanny: “Teach me to recognize who Lyuba is”; - This made the children laugh very much and after that they began to pester M. Ambrosia: “Mom, you don’t know us, well, close your eyes.” She will close her eyes, and they will change places, and M. Ambrose will confuse them again; the children will burst into laughter; – this amused them very much. M. Ambrosia tried to educate them in the spirit of piety and rejoiced when she saw their good inclinations and love for the Elder, but she did not allow them to talk about the monastery. “When they grow up,” she said, let them choose for themselves, then it will be a voluntary decision, and not a decision inspired from childhood.” But the girls themselves were not going to stay on the ground for long. One day the following conversation took place between them: “Lyuba! Do you want to live? – Vera asked her. She thought for a minute and, shaking her head, said decisively: “No, I don’t want to.” “You know, Lyuba,” Vera continued, “I kept thinking about it and decided that it’s not worth living longer than 12 years.” “Your truth,” Lyuba said, “and I don’t want to live anymore.” “We don’t want to live longer than 12 years,” they always insisted. The girls were growing up and Father invited M. Ambrosia to buy Kalygin’s land for them; She was very happy and soon the matter was coordinated, and construction of a new house began in Shamordin. From then on, many incomprehensible things began to appear in the Elder’s actions. It was clear that he was preparing Shamordino not so much for M.’s granddaughters. Ambrose, how much for something else. The plan of the house did not at all suit the wishes of M. Ambrosia; Father insisted that the hall be in the eastern part of the house, and he assigned the size of the remaining rooms differently from what she had expected. M. Ambrosia was surprised and perplexed, but, due to her devotion and faith in the Elder, she did not object. When the house was ready, the children and their entire staff were transported there, and M. Ambrosia remained in Optina. Every holiday her granddaughters came to Optina, and this was the greatest pleasure for them. Arriving at Father, they vied with each other to tell him about their childhood joys and sorrows. So the life of these owners passed peacefully; but they too had to experience their share of earthly sorrows. When they were 10 years old, their second mother and grandmother, M. Ambrosia, died. Father visited her several times during her dying illness, and she, having said goodbye to everyone and blessing the children, rested peacefully on August 23, 1881. Not knowing how to tell the girls about this, they asked Father, who ordered them to be brought to him first. Arriving at the hut, the girls saw all the sisters here, caring for their sick grandmother, and with a greatly changed face they asked: “The sisters are all here, who is mom with?” Father, seeing their serious faces, realized that they had guessed what was going on and only asked them: “Do you want to see mom?” “We want to,” they answered in one voice. - “And even as she is now?” - Father asked again. “Yes,” they answered simultaneously. When they entered the hall, where the deceased was already lying on the table, Hierodeacon Philaret (the paramedic in charge of the hospital), whom they loved very much, approached the girls and said to them: “Well, children, put down your bows, pray, and kiss your mother’s hand.” The children did all this with a serious look, but as soon as they left the hall, they both burst into tears and rushed straight into the garden. No one could console them or calm them down. The girls cried inconsolably for a long time and from then on concentrated all their love on Father and on the faces around them. Youths Vera and Lyubov Klyucharyov Nun Ambrosia (Klyuchareva) Their favorite pastime was to organize all-night vigils, prayer services and various divine services in the Optina style; they knew very well the order of service and “served” themselves, involving the people who lived with them in participation. Some found this unnecessary, saying that children should be forced to play childishly, with dolls, etc., and not allow them such serious and tedious activities. This question was presented to Father for permission, in the presence of the children themselves. Father looked at the matter differently and said: “Nothing, let them pray, because they know that they are preparing to go there,” and at the same time looked up. After the death of M. Ambrosia, the girls’ father, who remarried, began to claim his parental rights over them. He did not like the way their upbringing was conducted and he wanted to take them from the Elder and raise them in his own way, saying that home education was not enough for them, and that they needed to be placed in an educational institution. Then Father, in order, on the one hand, to satisfy the father and thereby take away from him the reason for his insistent demand to take the children, and on the other, so that life in an educational institution with a secular direction would not harm the pious mood of the girls, he placed them in the Oryol women's boarding school, where the head was the devoted spiritual daughter of the Elder, and where their upbringing could continue in the same spirit. They shed bitter tears when they learned of their fate. Parting with Optina and with all the persons dear to their hearts was very painful for them. They really didn’t want to leave, and they kept putting it off, asking Father to delay their departure. At first, Father decided to send them after Dormition Day, then, at their request, he left them until September. September came, and the children began to ask to stay until the name day. The priest said to them: “Yes, it’s better to go, otherwise languor is worse than death.” “No, Father,” Vera answered quickly, languor is better than driving.” - Finally, the girls set off, having secured a promise that horses would be sent for them at Christmas time. Their life in the boarding school was spent among classes and memories of Optina friends. Two nannies lived with them, and with them they shared all their free time from lessons, completely withdrawing from the company of their peers. On holidays they went to church and were extremely amazed by the services in secular churches. Sometimes they would return from the all-night vigil and start pestering: “Nanny, tell me what you missed in church today?” - “How do I know,” she will answer, for me it’s all the same.” They will both burst out laughing and begin to reproach: “Oh, nanny, nanny, how many years have you lived at the monastery and don’t know the services,” and they will begin to explain what was missed and where. They studied well, Lyuba was more capable, she thought about everything faster and soon outstripped Vera. As soon as they come from class, Lyuba already declares: “Nanny, today I received such and such points,” but then, relying on her abilities, she began to become lazy and finally completely lagged behind Vera, who was taking diligently, and already coming from class, Lyuba became silent and huddle. “Well, Lyuba,” the nanny will tell her, “your scores are probably not very good today; What a shame, you have become lazy, because, perhaps, they won’t let us into Optina.” “No, no, nanny,” the girl will answer with liveliness, “don’t worry, I’ll get better for the exams,” and will start reading again so as not to deprive herself of the only happiness of going to Optina. At Shrovetide, the head of the boarding house asked the pupils who should be given what pleasure? - Some asked to take them to the theater, some asked where else, and the Klyucharyovs, when asked where they wanted to go, answered: “To Optina.” But due to the short time, it was inconvenient to go to Optina. So spring came, and with it the rumors increased: how soon will they come to Optina, how will they arrive there, who will meet them. Suddenly they received news that their father had hired a dacha for them and would take them to live with him for the summer. How this news struck the poor girls like a thunderbolt, and they almost fell ill with grief, but Father came to the aid of his little goddaughters - he wrote to the head of the boarding school, who was the Elder’s devoted spiritual daughter, so that she would send the children before finishing their studies to Optina; At the same time, Father said that they would not send horses for them, but ordered to hire them on the spot and take a simpler carriage, so that if the father met him on the road, he would not recognize them. Having quickly got ready, the little fugitives set off in a coachman's tarantass covered with matting, and the children, like frightened birds, poked their heads out every now and then. Finally, they safely reached Optina. Here all fears and worries were forgotten; there was no end to the jubilation, stories and questions. A few days later, Vera felt unwell and went to bed. Three days later, Lyuba also fell ill; they turned out to have diphtheria. The poor things suffered greatly and wrote notes to Father, sent bows and asked to pray for them. Soon Vera died and they hid her sister’s death from Lyuba, but she felt and told everyone that Vera had died. The next day my father arrived. Struck by the death of his daughter and wanting to save at least the other, he brought a doctor with him. Lyuba reacted calmly to her father’s arrival, but did not want to see the doctor, saying: “Your doctor will not help me.” In general, despite her childhood, she was imbued with deep faith, which is why, during her illness, she never wanted to take any medicine and took only St. water. Once she asked her nanny to go to Father and ask her for an icon; Father sent her a crucifix. Looking at the blessing sent, Lyuba said seriously: “That means I have to suffer again...”. They tried to calm her down, saying that the cross was given to us to help and protect us, but, apparently, she remained in her conviction and, sighing, said: “Well, what to do.” When it became very difficult for her, they began to read the waste card to her, she listened carefully and asked: “What is this, is the waste card being read?” She was told that they were reading prayers so that God would forgive if someone had forgotten any sins. She lowered her head and, after a short silence, said: “Give me paper and a pencil, I forgot one sin.” Having written a note, she asked to take it to Father; Father sent her an answer. Soon she wrote a second note and then a third. Those around her thought that she was writing unconsciously and asked Father, but the Elder said that her notes were quite meaningful. When they brought her the answer to the third note, she could no longer read it herself, but asked Fr. Philareta. O. Filaret, having read the Elder’s answer, put this note on the dying woman’s head and she, sighing three times, betrayed her pure soul to the Creator, whom she loved, one might say, from the shrouds. When Fr. Filaret came out and announced that Lyuba had died, and her father burst into tears. Thus their wish was fulfilled not to live longer than 12 years, which they were only 6 weeks short of reaching. Afterwards they asked Father why they, having been born on the same day, having received the same upbringing, having the same concepts and tastes, and yet one suffered little illness, while the other suffered much more before death. Father responded to this by saying that Vera was simpler and therefore passed into the other world more easily, but Lyuba was wiser and more secretive, and therefore she needed greater purification through suffering.