Благотворительность о. Иоанна

Construction of the Surskaya monastery, Leushinsky metochion and Ioannovsky monastery With ONE hand o. John received money and gave it away to others. According to the Gospel word, his left hand did not know what his right hand was doing. (Matthew 6:3). In one of his sermons, dear priest says: “To whom and how should alms be given? Jesus Christ says: “Give to everyone who asks you”; This means that one must help and do good to everyone, without making any distinction about persons, status, origin, or religion. Everyone who is truly in need should be shown mercy, for they all have the same right to regret, and they look at our hands in the same way as we look at the hands of God when we ask for anything, and it is much better to extend our hand to the unworthy, rather than for fear of meeting the unworthy and depriving the worthy of benefits.” One Kronstadt shopkeeper tells how the late Father John taught him to love the poor. Father John came to this shopkeeper to change 15–20 rubles. The shopkeeper was burdened by this and was internally annoyed with Father John and the beggars. One day, while changing money, he was especially annoyed, but did not show it. The perspicacious old man understood what was going on in the merchant’s soul. He looked at him strangely and stopped going to his shop. After this, the shopkeeper's business went from bad to worse. The shopkeeper became alarmed, began to think, remember, and the matter ended with the fact that he, appearing to Father John, bowed at his feet and repented of his sin. Father John explained to the shopkeeper that God is angry with those who offend the poor. After this Fr. John again began to change money with the shopkeeper, but at the same time his trade improved. Christian love, true, according to the Apostle, “covers all things, has faith in all things, trusts all things, endures all things, love falls away from nothing” (1 Cor. 13:7, 8). Here is one of the most numerous acts of such Christian love by Fr. John, recorded by his life writer. “...He had barely returned from the church to his modest apartment when he heard noise and loud conversation in the hallway. Without taking off his outerwear, Fr. John returned to the hallway; It turned out that some woman was sobbing and asking to be allowed to see the priest. “Let him wait,” says Fr. John's wife; After all, you’ve been on your feet since 5 o’clock in the morning, hungry, exhausted; have lunch, relax. - Wait, I’ll ask what she wants. Seeing the priest, the woman threw herself at his feet. “Save us, father,” she prayed; “My husband is dying, I have six children, I haven’t eaten for two days, I can barely walk myself... My only hope is in you... “Let’s go to you,” Fr. answered affectionately. John, raising a woman. The Lord will help you. And oh. John, completely forgetting about dinner and fatigue, left the house with the woman. - Here, here's 20 kopecks for you. Go to the store, buy bread and eggs, I don’t have any more... Coming to the woman, O John, indeed, found a picture of terrible poverty: the dying man looked with lifeless, fixed eyes and did not move; the children moaned from hunger. When the bread and eggs were eaten, Fr. John himself helped the woman clean out her dark basement closet, tidied up several of the children, and then, kneeling down in front of a tiny icon hanging in the corner, began to pray loudly... The next day, the woman, at the direction of Fr. Joanna was waiting for him on the porch. Seeing her in the crowd, he took out from his pocket several envelopes that he had just received from several rich houses and handed them to the woman. Subsequently, the woman’s sick husband, having recovered from his illness, became so rich that he could donate thousands to charity.” For a long time the heart of the Kronstadt shepherd suffered at the sight of the multitude of Kronstadt poor people. And finally, this heartache was expressed in an ardent appeal to Fr. John to all lovers of the poor and lovers of Christ: come to the aid of the Kronstadt poor, but not with random handouts, but in such a way as to give every human soul perishing in idleness and poverty the full opportunity to stand on its own feet with honor and dignity, through labor. Here are the institutions of the House of Diligence: 1) Hemp-plucking plant, in which up to twenty thousand people work during the year; 2) women's workshop; 3) shoemaker's workshop; 4) free outpatient clinic; 5) free public primary school; 6) manual labor classes; 7) free children's library; 8) free public reading room; 9) shelter for orphans and day care; 10) rooms for those coming to the house named after Fr. John; 11) people's canteen; 12) House of Mercy named after Fr. Ioanna, which serves as a summer cottage for children of the refuge (country shelter); 13) drawing classes; 14) House of St. Andrew's Guardianship; 15) Sunday school; 16) overnight shelter. A bookstore was also established, and vegetable gardens were established to supply various institutions of the House of Industriousness with vegetables. “Who doesn’t know the swarms of Kronstadt philistine beggars, women and children of different ages? – writes Fr. John. Who has not seen that among the middle-class beggars there are many young and healthy people, presenting a very pitiful figure in their extremely dirty and torn clothes, shaking at the threshold of churches or at benches and fences, waiting for alms from some benefactor? But does everyone figure out the real reason for so many poor people in Kronstadt? Probably, many either had no time to delve into the true cause of this evil, because everyone pursues their own everyday goals, their own pleasures, or many settled on the idea that poverty is an inevitable evil of all cities, not excluding, of course, villages. Many citizens probably never saw the full picture of Kronstadt poverty - a picture that was far from pleasant. So allow me, honorable citizens, to focus your high attention both on the real causes of poverty and on this picture of poverty. We all need this. How can we not know what is so close to us, what we live with, what constitutes, so to speak, the daily phase of our life, although often not entirely pleasant. There are many reasons for Kronstadt poverty and misery. Here are the main ones: poverty from birth, poverty from orphanhood, poverty from various disasters, for example, from fire, from theft, poverty from inability to work due to old age, or illness, or disability, or because of young age, poverty from loss of place, poverty from laziness, poverty from addiction to intoxicating drinks, and in most cases, from lack of labor and from lack of means with which one could take up work: decent clothes, shoes, daily bread, tools or implements. But why are there so many beggars in Kronstadt? This is also worth delving into. Do you want to make sure that there are many beggars in Kronstadt? Go out in the morning, around 9 or 10 o’clock, on Saturday and you will see a lot of them in the Gostiny Dvor and along all the streets. On this day they collect alms, like on a collection day, on which they are given 1/4 kopeck, rarely a penny, and you will be convinced of the justice of what has been said. But that’s not all: how many sick people there are, old and young, who cannot go begging! To get acquainted with the number of Kronstadt beggars, it would be good to know their number! Would the Kronstadt public want to see an unattractive picture of the poverty of our beggars? You refuse to see her in advance, you turn your face away! Do not disdain, these are our members, these are our brothers, although they are not attractive in appearance. Here is this picture: imagine the damp basements of the houses of some streets, far sunk into the ground, in which, for the most part, our beggars are housed; here 30, 40 and 50 people are accommodated in housing, sometimes positively, like sardines in a barrel; here are old people, adults, and small children, here are babies sucking nipples, in dampness, in dirt, in stuffiness, in nakedness, and often in hunger. Anyone interested can check the truth of these words for himself. But why do I tire the imagination of readers accustomed to elegant surroundings with such a picture? Not, of course, so that the reader can only say: thank God that I was not born in poverty or do not live in poverty; thank God that I have capital - and I am provided for; thank God that I live in comfort and in all contentment; or: I make my contribution to the almshouse, to the shelter, I don’t care about these beggars. No, gentlemen, this matter concerns all residents of the city, both those living on wages and merchants, townspeople and others who have some kind of fortune. “What’s the matter?” - you ask. The point is for the entire Kronstadt society, spiritual, military, bureaucratic, commercial, and philistine, to form a guardianship or brotherhood under different churches, following the example of existing guardians and brotherhoods in some cities, including St. Petersburg, and with united forces take care of finding common housing, a workers' house and a vocational school for the poor. Do not be alarmed, gentlemen, by the enormity of the undertaking. God will help a good deed, and where God is, everything will soon appear, as if out of nothing. The city authorities, of course, will promote this and, if possible, give up to the brotherhood one or two of the unnecessary government buildings, for example, the empty salt store opposite Kasatkin’s house, or one of the empty buildings behind the ditch near the Summer Garden, since the brotherhood will contribute to the plans of the government itself to establish labor and contentment among the poor. A mind is good, but two are better; from the world a thread - a shirt for the poor; whoever can do what he can will help. If the city wanted to accept such a large number of poor philistines, then it, of course, must take upon itself the responsibility of keeping these idle people occupied with something, making them settled; otherwise, inevitable evil, theft and robbery, will emerge and increase, and peaceful citizens will not be safe everywhere and always. It’s time to do something decisive about the Kronstadt bourgeoisie, either to set up a workhouse for them and a vocational school for the children, or, as a last resort, send some of them somewhere else. So, brothers, let everyone who is interested in the good of humanity gather and unite into a friendly society, and let us devote our leisure time and gather the moral and material strength of our fellow citizens to find a home for the working people and to supply it with necessary things, also to establish a vocational school.” Here is the second appeal of the highly respected pastor on the same occasion: “Ants make anthills in which they feel warm and well fed in winter; animals - lairs; bees - hives; birds are nests, spiders are webs, and people are houses, bakeries and shops with various goods, churches, theaters, bridges, railways, armored ships, steamships, fortresses, etc. Every animal is given from God, endowed with nature, the ability to satisfy itself, to protect itself from the harmful effects of the elements, or from living enemies; and man, a god-like being (in the moral ideal), the king of visible creation, God endowed with reason, with the help of which he invented various useful sciences and arts, and since man was created for community life, and the whole multitude of people should, according to God’s intention, form one body, and separately members, then for prosperity and contentment, to satisfy the numerous needs of humanity or human societies, the wisdom of God and the science given by God, communicated to every person, except general, special talents or abilities and skills: for another, the power, art, power to control people, for another, the art and power to teach and edify others; for others to compose, draw up plans and projects, and for others to carry them out; for others, the art of attacking the enemy or defending against him; this is the ability to conduct trade, this is the ability to produce factory or factory craftsmanship; another is given the talent to forge or cast; another to wield a chisel, an ax and a saw; for another to sew boots, and for another the ability to sew clothes; another to spin, weave or knit, another to cook and bake. As for Kronstadt society, it is so populated and diverse that, by the grace of God, there are people of every kind, of every kind, of every skill or art: people of power and capital, at whose desire and initiative all sorts of good deeds can be done; We have engineers, and architects, and foresters, and carpenters, and carpenters, and stove makers, and roofers, and blacksmiths, and foundry workers, and tailors, and shoemakers, and bakers, and cooks. But the hand washes the hand, and the finger the finger (manus manum lavat, et digitus digitum): the strong must bear the infirmities of the weak. 58 With such a rich variety of forces in our society, with such talent, with such a multitude of people who are educated, efficient, and skillful, and with wealth, although not enormous, it would be a sin before God and before people to leave so many of our members (I mean our burghers) cut off, isolated from the social body and from its well-being. Why not connect them with the social organism by building a room for them and giving each of them a job, especially since many of them are capable of various skills - and with the job giving them bread and everything they need? Again, I turn to society with the most humble request to pay active attention to the Kronstadt beggars-philistines, assigned by the Chamber to Kronstadt and who do not have any settled residence there, to find or make a common room for them and to give each one, according to his strength, labor with which they could feed or clothe themselves. In the name of Christianity, in the name of philanthropy, humanity, I appeal: let us help these homeless poor people; We will support them both morally and financially; Let us not give up solidarity with them, as with people and brothers, and we will prove that the feeling of philanthropy in us is still tenacious, and selfishness has not eaten away at us. Since, first of all, material assistance is needed here, I take the first initiative and annually contribute seventy rubles to the coffers of the society, which will take on the troubles in this matter, so as not to give to the poor on the streets and near the church. Brothers, in the name of Christ and the Cross, I raise my voice: who else?.. Are we really going to give ants and bees an advantage over us? Now many cities in Russia know the poverty of Kronstadt; they expect us to do something to disgust her. Russians and foreigners visiting Kronstadt are surprised at the multitude and extreme shaggyness and untidiness of our beggars; nowhere, they say, have we seen poverty in such abundance and in such a pitiful form as in Kronstadt. How good it would be, for all these reasons, to establish a House of Industriousness! Then many of them could turn to this house with a demand to do this or that thing, this or that thing for us for a certain fee, and our townsfolk would live, work and thank God and their benefactors, many would rise morally. And if someone, being healthy, did not want to work, get out of the city: Kronstadt is not a breeding ground for parasites. Friends and brothers! Take this statement to your heart, and closer, as your own business. Some people don’t want to hear about the workhouse because, they say, it is a punitive institution, and we have no right to punish. What punitive institution? This is a direct charitable institution: isn’t it a good, humane thing to save people from laziness, idleness, apathy, and parasitism? If the dispute is over words, then change the name and call it, instead of the Workers’ House, an Anthill, or a Beehouse, whatever you want, just don’t put off a good deed that begs for quick fulfillment on the back burner.” So, how old is Fr. John cherished this idea, how much intense labor was used to implement it, how many sleepless nights were spent, how many were changed minds, how many various obstacles were overcome on this path of great creation! And when you read how much was donated to Fr. John to the House of Diligence in a short time, then for the first time I don’t even want to believe it. So, in one year, for example, 1888, they donated 57,320 rubles. 92 k., in 1890 - 29,005 rubles. etc. There were hours and days in the history of this beloved brainchild of Fr. John, when it almost died forever. The houses that cost so much money and labor have almost just been rebuilt. But suddenly, in one of the many neighboring “fun” houses, a fire broke out in the dead of night, immediately engulfing several buildings and threatening the young House of Industriousness. Firefighters arrived and began to actively defend the neighboring houses. Father John, going out into the street, saw with horror that the brainchild he had cherished for so many years was ready to perish in the flames of a raging fire. Then he immediately turned to the police chief who was at the fire with a request to draw attention to the danger threatening the charitable institution. But his request was not respected. Both the House of Industriousness and other buildings belonging to the Trusteeship turned into piles of ash. Anyone else, in place of Fr. John, would be confused and lose all energy. And this is quite understandable. The project continued to move forward for several years with extraordinary efforts, slowly, step by step, encountering obstacles on the way from various people. Now it is finally beginning to be realized, not only on paper, but also in reality - and suddenly, in one night, everything perishes... As so many would have done in Fr. John? They would lose heart. But nothing could ever crush or shake the energy of Fr. John. He took the disaster that befell him as a test from God, which he expressed in his sermon one of the next days. He loved his creation dearly. How outraged he was by the refusal to help in the fire is evident from the way he, with unusual harshness, denounces the indirect culprit of the disaster. “Here again a disaster has befallen us,” he addresses his parishioners, “not an external enemy has come at us with fire and sword, but an internal, secret enemy, armed with the full armor of abomination and corrupt friendship, and complete indifference to the misfortune that has befallen - indifference, I say, of people who are appointed and exist to serve public safety. Yes, the evil hand of shameless night vice deliberately started a fire and caused great disaster - and to whom? Mostly to the poorest residents of our city, who were neglected in the House of Guardianship.” At the end of his bold denunciations, Fr. John expresses his usual firm hope in the goodness of God. “Who knows... maybe this disaster was allowed by God, among other things, in order to awaken public charity and, through it, to relieve and comfort some, and to make others, through alms, worthy of great mercies and have mercy on them”? And indeed, the hopes of Fr. John was soon justified. The insurance premium and abundant donations received from all sides helped Fr. John. The burned down House of Industry was soon rebuilt and on October 10, 1882 it was solemnly consecrated. Father John loved his dear child so much that neither the quick success of the fulfillment of his heartfelt desire, nor the solemn atmosphere that accompanied the consecration of the House could erase from his memory the difficult feelings and moral torment that he experienced on the disastrous night of the fire of the buildings of St. Andrew's Parish Trust. In a lengthy speech spoken on the day of consecration, he said, among other things: “Wonderful is the structure of this House by the grace of God. Construction began in the spring of last year, with insignificant funds at first, but with the help of God and good people, completed in rough form on three floors, in the fall it burned down in a former fire along the street where it was built, as did the wooden houses of the Guardianship along with it. It was regrettable, it was painful to see these charitable institutions in flames.”... But now the House of Industriousness is growing and expanding, every year capturing larger and larger spheres of influence on the population. Of course, at this house of industriousness there is a church with a special staff clergy and a choir of singers. The management of the affairs of the Kronstadt House of Diligence belongs to a special Administrative Council, the decisions of which were considered by Fr. John. Evdokim, who was a bishop in Kronstadt, writes: “Personal Secretary Fr. Ioanna said that in the month of June 1895 he sent 25,000 rubles by mail to various petitioners, and on August 28, through 192 transfers in one day, more than 13,000 rubles. We looked at this list of translations. It is all covered with significant sums. One hundred, two hundred, three hundred rubles are scattered everywhere. These figures represent, as it were, the norm, less than which it is almost not customary to send. And how much does the priest himself personally distribute, which not only no one knows anything about, but he himself does not know and cannot know. From pockets tightly stuffed with money, he gives left and right, often not even keeping track of how much he gave to whom. Truly, the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. There are people known to whom he gave over a thousand rubles at once. Father also immediately gave some of the gold miners almost a hundred rubles (94 rubles). Once I asked the priest to help some poor students of the N Seminary and three days later I received 300 rubles from him. Pupils from one school come to him, he gives them 300 rubles for the trip. He also gave quite wealthy people 500 rubles. They say that he distributes much more with his own hands than his secretary manages to send by mail. He also receives more by hand than by mail. And the post office brings in considerable sums every day. John. According to the secretary, even now about 200 packages of money correspondence are brought in from the post office every day. What amounts will these daily 200 packages turn into by the end of the year? Very knowledgeable people told us that the mail, when Fr. John had not yet left Kronstadt much; she delivered him almost a million rubles annually. Many people send their donations to Fr. John even through the Editors of the “Russian Pilgrim”. The pages of this magazine are sometimes covered with the names of such donors.” So that our reader has at least some idea of ​​the breadth of charity Fr. John, we will provide here a list of donations from Fr. John, made by him in just one month. Well, at least part of August and September in 1896. Prot. I. I. Sergiev donated: on August 22, 1896, to a charity home for young children named after Tsarevich Nicholas in Kronstadt 100 rubles; Aug 24 does charity in favor of Yalta. society - 100 rubles; Aug 29 for the needs of poor churches in the Arkhangelsk province - 2,400 rubles; on the same day for the student canteen at St. Petersburg University - 200 rubles. and for the Danish canteen - 100 rubles; 9 Sep. to the Committee of Trusteeship of Houses of Industriousness and Workhouses, chaired by the patroness of the trusteeship of the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna - 4,500 rubles; 11 Sep. to the church in the village Arkhangelsk-Golitsyn Penza. g. – 100 rub.; 26 Sep. for the establishment of churches and schools in the Siberian railway area. roads – 1,000 rub. So, in one month almost ten thousand rubles! And this is from month to month, from year to year. And how much was distributed to Fr. John gave alms secretly, hand in hand, without any accompanying papers or relationships - impossible to count. Only Fr. did not respond to any good initiatives. John? Where and to whom Fr. has donated and does not donate. John? His generous charity attracted the attention of even the Emperor, and from the height of the Throne, it seems, royal gratitude was sent to him more than once. Sacrifices Fr. John huge sums of 50,000 rubles for monasteries, 1000 for churches. Donates thousands to schools and hospitals. What society in Russia does not consider him a member? There is not a diocese in the whole of Russia to which he would not make one or another offering from his generosity. Not only in Russia, but also outside it, in almost all states, Russian people received his contribution either to churches, or to schools, or to hospitals, or to mission affairs. Not only societies and churches located abroad received help from him, but also many private people living far from their homeland. Moreover, Fr. John donates not only to Orthodox Christians, but also to non-Orthodox Christians, and not only to Christians, but also to non-Orthodox Christians. So recently Fr. John donated a significant contribution to some Jewish charitable society. A month ago he sent a donation to the Tatars. When distributing donations, Fr. John is guided by the following rule: – God has neither Greeks nor Jews. I don't have my own money. They donate to me, and I donate. I often don’t even know who and where sent me this or that donation. That’s why I donate to where there is a need and where this money can be useful. 59 One day they turned to Fr. John Catholics with a request to help them purchase a decent bell for their church. More than once they turned to their consistory with a request for help. But they received neither greeting nor answer from there. Forced by circumstances, they were forced to turn to Fr. for help. John. And they were not mistaken in their calculation. O. John, without saying a single word, gave them the required amount to purchase the bell with the words: Sacrifices Fr. John to the Orthodox Chinese. 60 I will not give any other examples of Fr.’s charity. John. Yes, it’s not important, and it’s not interesting. Service Fr. John's message to the Russian people is not about rattling money and not about distributing it left and right, but about something else, higher and more important. There is something different in his life and activity that makes this golden stream flow towards him every day at a monotonous pace, these clouds sweep over his head with golden rain. They say every day Fr. John goes to bed without a penny in his pocket, despite the fact that the next day he needs more than a thousand rubles to support various charitable institutions alone. And there was no chance that this other day would deceive him. From early morning his pockets were replenished again, and at the same time all his good institutions lived their former life. His faith in the future day in this case seems to be similar to the faith of St. Ap. Peter, who, leaving the boat, first firmly, fearlessly walked along the waves of Lake Gennesaret towards Christ the Savior. I repeat, in the life and work of Fr. John there is more important than money. This more important thing is the very thing that makes one rush to the feet of Fr. John's golden stream. This is the abundance of the grace of the Risen Christ. All our attention should be focused on this main thing. Money is everywhere and everywhere next to us, but our trouble is that we do not know how to attract it to ourselves, we do not know how to win people over to sacrifice for a holy and good cause. The brightest and purest rays of the sun, the grace of Christ, illuminated Fr. John and attracted many souls to him and disposed people to entrust Fr. John large sums of money forced him to refuse this money, if in the light of the rays of grace shining upon him he saw the darkness (sinfulness) of the ways in which the money handed to him was acquired. One day to Fr. During the Divine Service, a luxuriously dressed woman appeared in the church to John and, having stood through the liturgy, at the end of it, approaching the cross and receiving from the hands of the insightful shepherd the antidoron, which he was distributing to the people, she wished to hand over some thick package. When Father John asked her what was in this package, this woman replied that the package contained thirty thousand rubles, which she donated to a charitable cause, at the discretion of Father John Sergiev and at his disposal. It is known that quite large sums of money were often transferred to Father John in this way. This time our great Orthodox pastor, without touching the money, asked the donor: where did she get such large sums of money? Before accepting this money from her, he wants and must know how she acquired it and, asking her a question, he looked at her with such a piercing gaze to the depths of his heart, under which hardly anyone would dare to tell a lie. The woman replied that she was donating this money from her large fortune, which she had acquired through unclean means, trading in vice. Then Father John told her that he could not take that kind of money for a pure, good, holy cause. In despair, publicly repenting, the woman begged to accept the money, since she had given up her criminal profession a long time ago, vowed to atone for her past, and the Lord God had mercy on the repentant sinner; but Father John still did not accept this money from her, and then taught her how to act in her position in order to be pleasing to God and deserve his mercy and forgiveness. “Money acquired in an evil way, watered with tears, in an unworthy and criminal way,” said the great righteous man of the church, “is not suitable for a good, pure deed and cannot be pleasing to God. Since you have made a fortune in this way, then give it all away without a trace, and then, through honest labor, earn clean money, earn at least a few kopecks, save it and bring it to me as your contribution to a good deed and believe that these few kopecks, earned by your honest labor, will be a sacrifice pleasing to God, your atoning sacrifice, which I can gladly accept from you, and this money, as earned by you in a nasty, ungodly way,” Father John pointed to the package she was holding in her hands, “even though it’s a large sum, I won’t accept it.” A good, pure deed also requires pure means,” concluded his speech, the highly revered Orthodox pastor throughout Russia, the Great Righteous Man and Wonderworker, dear Father John Ilyich Sergiev (Kronstadt). Among his numerous benefactors, Fr. John should be allocated his sacrifices for the construction of churches and, first of all, for the construction of churches and parochial schools along the Siberian Railway to the fund of Emperor Alexander III. We saw above how much mysterious, spiritual, internal affinity there was between the spirit of the great deceased Tsar the Peacemaker and the spirit of the great prayer book of the Russian land. Sovereign Emperor Alexander III, guided by the grace of God, understood how necessary churches were for Siberia. The natural, native Siberian is cold towards religion due to the small number of churches; therefore, it is necessary to multiply churches in Siberia. Siberian new settlers, on the contrary, are exhausted, languid in spirit due to the lack of churches, and various exiles and unreliable politically (and therefore, as is always the case) and churchly, people begin to approach the simple, downtrodden settlers, like a serpent to Eve with its crafty whispers. But these whisperers, these reptiles cannot stand the light of the shepherds, the light of the church of God (they crawl only “before dawn”, in the darkness). And again, this means that churches and shrines are needed to illuminate the spirit of the immigrants, darkened by the absence of a church, in order to drive away the reptiles crawling in the dark. Therefore, Sovereign Emperor Alexander III, a deeply perspicacious and wise knower of the hearts of the souls of the Russian people, with His mighty, sovereign hand laid the foundation for the construction of churches along the line of the Siberian railway. roads. Father John, akin in spirit to the spirit of the Sovereign Emperor Alexander III, diligently and, let’s say, ardently supported this cause with his large financial sacrifices. When Fr. John was provided with the first edition of a report on the construction of Siberian churches and schools from the foundation of Emperor Alexander III, and on the copy delivered to him he wrote in his own hand: “Heartily sympathizing with the great cause of spreading churches and schools along the great Siberian, newly paved route, I hereby express the desire that my dear compatriots would warmly participate in the matter of building churches and schools and not spare their free capital, in accordance with the wise will of Our Great Sovereign. Archpriest of Kronstadt John Sergiev. January 10, 1897." Now, although briefly, let us mention the victims of Fr. John on Siberian Churches and Schools: In the village Novo-Rozhdestvensky, Tara district, a church in the name of St. John the Theologian was built and consecrated on March 28, 1908, along with clergy houses and schools, costing about 7,500 rubles. Funds for its construction were received mainly from Father Ioann Ilyich Sergiev. In the village Bolshaya Sazanka, Amur Region, was consecrated on September 20, 1908 in the name of the Holy Blessed Grand Duchess Olga, a wooden church-school, for which 3,000 rubles were allocated from the fund named after Emperor Alexander III, part of which was donated by Father John Sergiev. With donations from Fr. John, parochial schools were built at the stations of Chelyabinsk, Makushino, Tatarskaya, Kainsk and Isyl-Kul; These schools received the name “school named after Father John Ilyich Sergiev.” In the village In Astrakhan, Akmola district, a church was built in the name of St. John Chrysostom, for which 3,000 rubles were paid. from donations received from Father John Sergiev. In the village Mikhailovsky, Elan volost, Tyukalinsky district, Tobolsk province, the former school there was rebuilt with a donation from Fr. Ioann Ilyich Sergiev. The construction was observed by the peasant chief Ionnikov. In the village Shablykinsky, Borovskaya volost, the same district, Tobolsk province, with more than 200 school-age children, a wooden school named after Fr. John Ilyich Sergiev, under the supervision of the peasant chief Zimmerman. In the village Ilyinsky, Nazarovsky volost, Achinsky district, Yenisei province, under the supervision of a local priest, a wooden school was built for 1,000 rubles, allocated from the donations of Fr. Ioann Ilyich Sergiev. In the village of Khvalynka, South Ussuri district, a church in the name of St. Andrew the First-Called was consecrated in November 1899, built with a donation of 5,000 rubles, received through Father John Sergiev, from F. E. Blinova. Donations received from Archpriest I. I. Sergiev to the fund named after Emperor Alexander III, from the time of its formation to January 1, 1901 Now it should be said about the miraculous assistance of God sent down through Fr. John for the construction of the Leushinsky metochion in St. Petersburg to support the funds of the St. John the Baptist first-class Leushinsky convent, Cherepovets district, Novgorod province. The Leushinskaya monastery was created and established, little by little, through the tireless labors and concerns of the abbess, Abbess Taisiya, and the sisters who followed her example. There was a lot of grief and tears for them; Despite all their selfless labors, need, sometimes reaching the point of a lack of daily bread, often visited them. The awareness of the hopelessness of such a situation, due to the lack of any provision, prompted Abbess Taisiya to seek some source that could provide, although small, but reliable and, moreover, a constant income for the monastery. To this end, she decided to purchase a plot of land in St. Petersburg to build a Church on it, or at least a chapel, the income from which could provide, albeit small, support for the monastery. Having secured the blessing of Metropolitan Isidore, she began to look for a place in the capital suitable for her purpose. For anyone, according to ordinary human views, these searches should have seemed crazy: to seek to buy a place in the capital without a penny of money, but this is not the view of faith, the look of spiritual eyes in hope for God’s help, as written in the psalm: “Like the eyes of a servant in the hand of his masters: so our eyes to the Lord our God, even to the end, will spare us.” Many places were on sale, but there was no suitable one; some were sold in a deserted street, others in unsuitable neighborhoods, such as near factories, barracks, etc., others with all the amenities, but too expensive in price. From October until the beginning of December, all the most diligent searches for Abbess Taisia ​​were unsuccessful. Having met with Fr. Archpriest John (of Kronstadt), without whose blessing she did nothing, she complained about the futility of the matter, and as a result, about her wasted stay in the capital and great difficulties. To this the venerable shepherd answered her: “Work, work, Mother, apparently you still need to work - after all, happiness does not fall straight from the sky, you have to search hard, - the Lord will not leave you, he will console you.” And so, indeed, the Lord was not slow in sending consolation. In December, at about 8 o'clock, she learned about the sale of a small place on Basseynaya Street at the corner of Znamenskaya and went there. Having found him and entered the courtyard, she saw an empty space between two huge stone houses and in the depths of the courtyard a tiny two-story wooden outbuilding, already lopsided from disrepair, where the owner, the seller of the place, I. Bobkov, was located. After talking with him and learning from him the price of the place - 9,000 rubles, she headed back to the gate; but the owner stopped her with the words: “Well, did you laugh at me or something, question me and without answering anything, leave?” She answered: “It’s no laughing matter for me when I beat all my legs while walking around looking for a place; But what can I answer now? “You ask for 9 thousand, but I don’t even have 9 rubles.” - “So why should you look for a place, even if it’s 9 rubles. No"? “I need space for a chapel, and if allowed, for a Church, but regarding funds, I’ll think about who to turn to and ask; I myself, of course, don’t have them, that’s why I didn’t tell you anything.” “That’s what they would say,” Bobkov objected: for the Church the price will be different, it’s dear to everyone so that the church of God shines in his place of residence! If you start building a Church, then I will 1,000 rubles. I tell you, prepare only 8,000 rubles. Yes, I ask you, give an answer as soon as possible, otherwise others are buying from me, I may lose buyers.” Having asked him to give me at least 10 days and wait to sell it to other hands, we parted. “With some kind of mixed feeling of joy, fear, and even surprise to myself,” Abbess Taisiya later told me, I trudged along the panel, not knowing where to go or where to start? – I don’t have eight rubles in my pocket, but I buy a place for 8,000 rubles; Am I sane? – I asked myself. By 7 o'clock in the evening I went to the Baltic station, since at that hour Fr. John had the custom of returning from St. Petersburg to his place in Kronstadt, and I wanted to inform him about my find and accept his blessing to find funds to purchase the place, if he approved of it. He not only approved the place, but said that God himself had sent it to me for my labors and sorrows for the benefit of the monastery. He gave me two kopecks as a blessing to start collecting, wishing that with his light hand these 20 kopecks. would have purchased “20 hundred”. So what? – The next day, having celebrated the early Liturgy in the Kazan Cathedral, I went to my friend the merchant D.K. Kononov, who had long known about my search for a place, and conveyed to him the results. He also greatly approved of the place and immediately gave me 2,000 rubles to purchase it (20 hundred, according to Fr. John). Then I started going to other benefactors I knew and within one week I collected about 6,000 rubles, with which I went to Bobkov, who also gave me 300 rubles. to commemorate their relatives, and the remaining 1,700 rubles. promised to wait, and we began to commit acts. This was in December 1891. Finally, by the fall of 1894, the courtyard was completed and on November 21, its main altar was consecrated in the name of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian. The consecration was performed by His Eminence Nikandr, former vicar of the St. Petersburg diocese, Archpriest John of Kronsht., Sacristan of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, Archimandrite Gideon, Archpriest of the Kazan Cathedral Nikolai Golovin and many other priests and deacons led by Archdeacon of the Lavra John. The second chapel, (small), in the name of the Great Martyr Barbara, was consecrated the same year on December 11 by the Most Reverend. Theognostus, the first Archbishop of Novgorod since the separation of the Novgorod diocese from St. Petersburg, which followed the death of Isidore, Metropolitan of Novgorod and St. Petersburg. The entire cost of the farmstead, which consisted of a stone 3-story house facing the courtyard with an outbuilding on the right side, was equal to 87,000 rubles, including the Church on the 3rd floor, and the chapel below from the courtyard; on the second floor there are cells for receiving visitors and officials. Here it is impossible not to mention how dear priest strengthened and supported the venerable abbess Taisiya, who was often exhausted in her troubles and labors. In 1901, at the end of August, Abbess Taisiya fell ill. The constantly tense state of mind in worries and labors at the monastery and at school, continuous correspondence, requests, the difficulty and complexity of them, the unknown of their results, a tremulous feeling of apprehension, etc., broke her strong body, and so, having returned, after submitting the aforementioned report, she immediately went to bed, falling ill with a most dangerous illness. Not the days, but the hours of her life were counted by the doctors, the tears and cries of the sisters are beyond description; and not only the sisters, but also the laity who knew the worker, and the authorities pitied her. On the very next day of her illness, Chairman Uchil came to visit her. Sov. Archpriest P. I. Sokolov and Fellow Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod V. K. Sabler. Her spiritual father, Archpriest, also arrived. Ioann Ilyich Sergiev; he then visited her daily, prayed earnestly for healing, and comforted her. Once, having met her doctor, Mrs. Pechkovskaya, he told her: “We will raise the patient, she is still needed,” to which Mr. P. answered: “Is it a miracle, Father, only one in a hundred survives such illnesses, and mother is already too 60 years old.” However, for the prayers of the great prayer book Fr. Ioanna, I.T. recovered and, a month and a half later, returned to the monastery to the general joy. Now let's talk about the construction of the Ivanovsky Monastery on Karpovka, which was destined to become the eternal resting place of the deceased shepherd. Initial thoughts from Fr. John about the construction of the Ivanovsky monastery in St. Petersburg appeared even when in 1900 he had just rebuilt the Sura women's community in his native village of Sura, Arkhangelsk province, Pinega district. The construction of the community was caused by the desire to give a firm foothold to the Orthodox population, lost between the large population of schismatic Pomeranians who do not recognize the priesthood. Arkhangelsk province covers up to 60 thousand square miles in space, forests spread over 25 million acres. It is in these forests that villages and monasteries of Bespopov Pomeranians still exist. There are many of them in Pinega district and near Fr.’s homeland. John - the village of Sura. Father John always denounced inveterate fanatics, but without any shadow of personal hostility when distributing help to those asking for help. He helped them, like others, and in 1891, while in the village of Sura, he gave help to build a house to the main mentor Matvey. Father John in his native village of Sura planned to almost simultaneously construct several structures that could serve as a fulcrum, both in the religious, charitable and educational significance of the area. The need for religious activities was the church, the need of a charitable nature could be the community, and for educational needs the school. There was a lack in all this, and if there was anything, it was in the most deplorable state, reaching, especially in the eyes of the schismatics, to humiliating squalor. Father John began with what the Orthodox population needed most—the church. Church in the village Sure, however, existed, not even one, but two. But one of them was under Tsar Theodore Ioannovich in 1587, that is, more than 300 years ago; the other also existed for more than 200 years and became askew from dilapidation, which gave schismatics a reason to call it “crooked.” Both, due to the absence of any splendor in the interior, were more like simple peasant huts; simple wooden walls, simple ceilings with supports, cramped altars, narrow small windows gave very little light, not only in winter, when night reigns in the Arkhangelsk province for almost half the year, but also in summer. Father John turned to his admirers, and soon he had 55,500 rubles in his hands. In addition to monetary assistance, donors made donations of icons, banners, church utensils, vestments, liturgical books, etc.; in 1891 the church was ready and consecrated on June 27. The total cost of all work and materials, including donations, reached 100 thousand rubles. Having completed the first holy task of building the church, Fr. John decided in his mind to carry out the second thought, to build a women's community in his homeland, which would be a charity for the elderly, a shelter for orphans, a refuge for the poor, rootless widows and girls. For the entire vast expanse of the Arkhangelsk province, with a population of 350 thousand inhabitants, there were only two convents: Kholmogorsky with 70 nuns and Shenkursky with 60 nuns, while there were dozens of schismatic monasteries in impassable forests. It is clear that monasteries should have missionary significance in that region and lead a peaceful fight against schism. It is for this purpose that the concerns of Fr. John and the Sura community arises. In 1899, construction began, and a year later, by the time Fr. John, the church and building to house the sisters were completed. Having established and consecrated the Sur women's community, Fr. John wished to strengthen its existence, deciding to build two more farmsteads: one in Arkhangelsk, the other in St. Petersburg. Construction in Arkhangelsk did not particularly complicate Fr. John, since it could have been produced without a lot of money. The cheapness of the necessary land for the farmstead, the cheapness of forest materials and labor made the task easier. As for the construction of the courtyard in St. Petersburg, Fr. John had to work hard to realize his desired idea. The most difficult thing was that it was necessary to find a convenient location in St. Petersburg, since the high cost of land did not make it possible to count on a wide area. Unexpectedly, God sent a benefactor - S.P. Ramensky, who made it easier to care for Fr. John, offering his plot of land of 500 square meters. planted free of charge for a good deed. The site was very convenient, it was located on Aptekarsky Island, on the banks of the Karpovka River, and although it was removed from the noisy city center, it was located near Kamennoostrovsky Prospekt, along which a tram now runs, connecting it with the city center. Having received permission from the diocesan authorities, Fr. John began a new difficult task: setting up a farmstead for the Sursky women's community. O. John thought to start the business on a modest scale, but the influx of donations from some large benefactors, such as. S.I. Kozhevnikov, the Glazunovs and others, changed the initial assumption, the famous highly talented architect N.N. Nikonov, who sympathized with the good cause, appeared, who, with conscientiousness rare in our time, set to work and greatly facilitated the task of the builder, Fr. John. A project for all the architectural work was quickly drawn up, and the work itself began with the same speed. In the fall of 1902, the main work was completed, and in December minor work in the main church was also completed. In a short two-year period, a grandiose structure appeared, which in its vastness and beauty is not inferior to the best buildings in St. Petersburg. In the fall of 1902, the deceased turned to the St. Petersburg diocesan authorities with a request to accept the Sursky metochion under the jurisdiction of the St. Petersburg diocesan authorities and to rename it the “St. Petersburg Convent of the Twelve Apostles.” On this occasion, the Kronstadt pastor wrote to Metropolitan Anthony of St. Petersburg the following: “Having founded, with God’s help, with the help of good people and with incessant daily prayer efforts, a magnificent and extensive courtyard with a majestic church, under the name of the Sursky courtyard, to support the convent I founded in my homeland in the village of Sursky, Arkhangelsk province, I found that this building in the capital is too artistic and extensive for it to be a metochion and be under two principles of spiritual management: the St. Petersburg ruler - the metropolitan and the Archangel bishop, and that it is better for it to be an independent St. Petersburg convent and under the jurisdiction of one Metropolitan of St. Petersburg, with the always constant condition that the third part of the income of the monastery, (but not from the income of a stone 5-story building at the monastery), entered annually, at different times of the year, into the Sura women’s monastery, and so as not to at first impose on this new monastery various obligations and taxes that require large monetary expenses.” The request of the deceased lamp was fulfilled, and the Surskaya metochion was turned into the Ioannovsky convent, named after the heavenly patron of the Kronstadt shepherd St. John of Rylsky. The solemn consecration of the main monastery church in honor of Sts. was scheduled for December 17, 1902. The Twelve Apostles with the side chapels of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God and St. Andrey Kritsky. By that time, nuns had settled in the monastery. Most of them consisted of those transferred from the Sursk community, to which were added 30 poor girls prepared for monastic life in the Leushinsky, Novgorod diocese, monastery by Abbess Taisiya. The rite of consecration was performed by the Metropolitan. In the spoken word of Fr. John remembered the words spoken by God to Solomon, who built the great church: “I have heard your prayer and your petition, which you asked of Me, I have consecrated this church that you have built, so that My name may abide there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there forever.” The main church is located in a four-story building. The semicircular roof of its five domes is covered with a beautiful multi-colored glaze, which, together with the white walls, looks like a solid structure, built of white marble covered with malachite and lapis lazuli. Nearby stands a majestic five-tiered bell tower with a full musical selection of bells, with a large bell weighing more than 500 pounds. Light enters the church through windows with colored glass; on the eastern side of the altar, in a niche, the Savior and the twelve apostles, in whose honor the church was created, are depicted in the glass windows. The other two side chapels are the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God and St. Andrew of Crete are located on the sides of the main altar. In the church there are two icons, outstanding in character and time of writing: the first, on the left side, on the abutment supporting the arch of the church, is a good, old-style icon of the Mother of God, called Tolga, in an expensive gilded robe; the second on the wall, on the south side, is an icon of the holy evangelist John the Theologian. Icons of John the Theologian are generally depicted with an eagle or the young man Prokhor, a disciple of the saint, but very rarely with an angel. Under the Church of St. The twelve apostles house cells, an office and a large hall in which Fr. received his many visitors. John during his visit to St. Petersburg. The cells of the abbess and some of the official nuns are located on this same floor. Opposite this room there is an extensive monastery refectory and kitchen. Cleanliness and order are exemplary; Unfortunately, not all of our monasteries, even rich ones, can see this. Currently there are only 135 more sisters in the monastery, but their number is increasing. The refectory is designed for 200 sisters. The second small church on the lower floor is dedicated to St. John of Rila, celebrated on the 19th day of October. The church is decorated with many icons, presented at different times by devotees in memory of various festivals. At the very bottom, in the crypt is the tomb of Fr. John. This place of eternal rest was designated during his lifetime by the church builder himself, Fr. John. It consists of a low room with vaults, lined with artificial white marble. The church with the throne located here is in the name of St. Prophet Elijah and St. Queen Theodora, saints named after the parents of the deceased. On the right side, near the altar, near the wall there is a white marble tomb, under which is hidden the body of the reverently revered righteous man, the All-Russian shepherd, the great man of prayer before the throne of the Lord, Father John. The offspring of the Sursky monastery, the Ioannovsky monastery, which became an independent tree, in turn gave rise to a new offspring, a new branch - the Vaulovsky monastery, located in the Yaroslavl province. In the Yaroslavl province, 12 versts from the city of Romanovo-Borisoglebsk, there is a quiet, peaceful corner, the village of Vaulovo, an estate surrounded on all sides by forest. Four years ago, its pious owner, out of his deep devotion and love for Father John, wished to give him his estate, with the adjacent forest and fields, a total of 800 acres, as a gift, for the establishment of a women's monastery in it. There are two churches on the estate, one large, in the name of the Dormition of the Mother of God, and the other smaller, in the name of St. Alexander of Svirsky. That same year, the highly revered shepherd decided to found a women’s monastery at the Assumption Church, putting all his loving heart into the implementation of this intention. With amazing speed, the buildings necessary to house the sisters, services, and even a hotel for visiting pilgrims began to be erected. To begin the hostel, Father John transferred from his St. Petersburg St. John's Monastery several sisters experienced in monastic life, and after them, souls thirsting for salvation and spiritual achievements began to flock to the newly built monastery from different parts of Russia. Many widows and girls found a quiet refuge here, after the hardships and storms of life, under the guidance of the wise mother builder. And here is what Fr. reports about the church-building activities. John, one Orthodox missionary from America: – In 1900, I arrived from America to Russia to collect donations for the construction of the first Russian church in New York on the site of a former wretched rented church. Who should I turn to for blessings? Who should lead the collection? Millions of Russian people did not start any important work without knowing what Father Kronstadt would advise them... And this is a sacred, difficult task. The sympathetic word of our beloved Sovereign was already written down in the collection book: “I am sacrificing 5,000 rubles from myself for this important and necessary cause.” The day of departure for Moscow had already been appointed, where I intended to begin the collection. Will it really be possible to see Fr. John? And so, at the risk of not finding the priest in Kronstadt, I went to the Baltic Station in order to go from there to Kronstadt. Everything was quiet and calm at the station, but suddenly the crowd began to gather, it seemed as if they were waiting for something, and someone whispered to me that the “father” would probably arrive at the station now. What should I do? I knew that Fr. John is given a compartment or carriage, which means he won’t be able to see him until his home. However, just in case, I bought a 1st class ticket and hurried onto the train. A few minutes later, Fr. entered the same carriage with a quick gait. John. I rushed to the meeting and asked for a blessing. With my hair cut and young even then, in my outer cassock I looked more like a novice or a newly ordained deacon, and I was amazed when, after blessing me, Fr. John, when I kissed his hand, kissed mine too. I almost pulled my hand out, out of a feeling of unworthiness, but oh. John sternly said: “Why are you taking it away? Isn’t it a priest?”... This was his first word, which helped me identify myself, and then, leading me into his compartment, the priest gave me the opportunity to speak out, indicate the purpose of my arrival in Russia and Kronstadt, and a meeting with Fr. John. The unforgettable priest talked for half an hour, being interested in America, our mission, church and school affairs, my family and relatives. In Oranienbaum Fr. John took me into his sleigh, and we literally flew across the sea, over blocks of ice, through ice holes. It was very difficult just to get going and let the horses go, since people blocked the road with a solid wall, many hung on the shafts, grabbed the runners, risking getting under the horses, falling off, etc. We arrived in Kronstadt at night. Father took me to the house of hard work he had created and handed me over to the care of the local administration, with the words: “Take care of the missionary - he is from distant America!” The next morning I was in church. Here about. John called me, took my collected book and wrote on the title page: “Lord, bless this collection of books and the work for which it is given with an all-effective and all-generous blessing and attract the hearts of Your faithful servants to the missionary priest, so that everyone will be disposed in his favor, or rather, in favor of the cause of God. Kronstadt Archpriest John Sergiev. I donate two hundred rubles. March 27, 1900." This amount was no more than his usual donations, given by him for a thousand small churches and schools, for thousands of good deeds, but I did not count on a donation and did not ask. But with this book I walked through holy Rus', and everywhere this inscription opened people’s hearts, everywhere there was a mention of the blessing of Fr. John opened his wallets for this holy cause and - thus - Fr. John was, in a strict sense, the creator of our church in New York, just as he was the organizer of the mass and other good deeds and undertakings - both in Russia and outside the fatherland. I was in a hurry to leave and left St. Andrew's Cathedral earlier than Fr. John. Returning to the house of industriousness, I saw in my room a beautiful silk cassock, down, with gold buttons: this is Fr. John, it turns out, ordered me to dress warmly so as not to catch a cold on the way. Such kindness and caring for a stranger, such as he showed thousands of each year! I keep this cassock like a shrine to this day. Four years later, I was again in Russia - for an additional fee for the iconostasis and decoration of the New York church. This time the circumstances were so favorable that I had the opportunity to see Fr. John, talk with him and serve him, and one day, as a great favor to his closest colleague, Fr. John according to St. Andrew's Cathedral, Archpriest. A. Popova, I was assigned a very honorable role in the program to honor Fr. John on the day of his Angel, October 19, 1903 This day was arranged very solemnly. As always, the congress of guests, deputations and admirers began several days in advance. Steamships from Oranienbaum brought masses of pilgrims. Special rooms were reserved for the clergy in the House of Industriousness. The arrivals got acquainted and got along. The center of all conversations was Father, his wonderful personality and activities. On the very morning of October 19, together with many others who served the Kronstadt shepherd, I stood at the Throne of God. Dressed in a new silver vestment, crowned with a white miter, all radiant with spiritual joy, illuminated by inner light, Fr. John himself was like a heavenly ray... The next day, the priest performed a short prayer service in my cell, prayed for my family and friends and presented his portraits: one with an inscription - for the New York church, the other with an inscription - for me and my wife. I haven't forgotten about. John and the purpose of my arrival in Russia, and twice more generously donated to our church. For the last time I was destined to pray with the now deceased priest in the Ioannovsky Monastery, created by his zeal, on Karpovka, in St. Petersburg, where his tomb is now located. Here about. John allowed me to deliver an appeal for donations to the New York Church, and after the appeal he personally addressed the people from the sole with an invitation to help me... This kind, incomparable attention to our overseas Orthodox mission will remain forever memorable. "... It is a great thing to donate to the churches of God! Churches of God are conductors of grace, sources of sanctification for us. Therefore, the Holy Church prays to the Lord: “Sanctify those who love the splendor of Your house (i.e., the church), You glorify them with Your Divine power,” that is, the Holy Church prays to God to send down abundant grace and great, unearthly, Divine glory to those who donate to the churches of God (places of residence of the glory of God) and thereby participate in the descent of grace on pilgrims visiting the church. Father John donated a lot to churches and greatly loved the splendor of the house of God, and therefore was honored with great holiness and glorified by Divine power. Russian Palomiik. 1900 No. 42. Page. 704. This amount was received from F.E. Blinova through Fr. Ioanna Sergiev. Also received through the medium of the revered Shepherd from an unknown person.