Revealed by God. Biography of St. Feofan the Recluse

Contents From the publishers “You will be either a bell ringer or a bishop” Native Chernavsk Diligent student Teacher of true wisdom The most important step “Love children - and they will love you” Mentor of Christian life Russian Spiritual Mission Defenders of Orthodoxy Spiritual treasures of the desert “Darkness comes from the West” In the Russian North For the sake of peace in the Orthodox East Sower of the word of God Enlightener of Tambov earth Fiery temptation Diveyevo cross Blessing of the Zadonsk miracle worker “Blessed monastery” Angel of the Church of Vladimir Step on the eve of eternity Abba Arkady “Writing is a necessary service of the Church” Two saints about the world of Angels “This life is Paradise” Father of the Russian “Philokalia” Revealing the secrets of spiritual life “Ignite hearts - that’s what we need” “Block the source of trouble” The greatest virtue Humility is the basis of everything Alone with God Fulfillment of what was foretold The Mystery of the Vyshenskaya Shrine Divine God in His Saints From Above The sky is closer Return to the monastery Sources Saint Theophan the Recluse is one of the Holy Fathers of the Church close to us in time, whose writings are of particular importance for modern man. According to Bishop Alexandra (Mileanta), “in the lines of his creations one can find an inexhaustible source of spiritual uplift, aspiration to heavenly heights. The grace of God is felt in every phrase of his.” Saint Theophan (in the world Georgy Govorov) came from a priest's family. Since childhood, he fell in love with the church of God, prayer and Orthodox books. Having received an education at the Oryol Theological Seminary and the Kyiv Theological Academy, George decided to devote his whole life to God. Having taken monastic vows with the name Theophan, he was ordained first as a hierodeacon, and then as a hieromonk. All the obediences that the future saint carried out after this: teaching theology in theological schools of Russia, participation in the Russian Spiritual Mission in Jerusalem, activities in Constantinople related to the coverage of the issue of relations between Bulgarian and Greek Christians, leadership of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. bishops' service in Tambov and Vladimir - were imbued with one desire - to strengthen the holy Orthodox faith in the minds and souls of men, testifying to its perfection and zealously guarding its purity. Earthly ministry of St. Theophany took place in the second half of the 19th century, when a cloud of heresies and godless materialistic teachings poured into Russia from the West, raised by waves of revolutions that overthrew the legitimate government. The technological progress of Western countries, amazingly, further strengthened the temptation to rebel against the Creator and Heavenly King. Revolutionism and atheism became increasingly fashionable in Russia. Seeing this, the saint entered into a spiritual battle for the salvation of the souls of our compatriots. He called on the flock to remain faithful to Orthodoxy, love the Fatherland and honor legitimate authority. However, the main work of the life of the saint of God was prayer. Therefore, he retired to the Assumption Vyshenskaya Hermitage, where he prayed and worked in solitude. Here the saint translated many of the works of the Holy Fathers into Russian and wrote works explaining the essence of Christianity. In his speech at the VI St. Theophan readings on October 5, 2012, His Eminence Clement, Metropolitan of Kaluga and Borovsk, spoke about the importance of the works of the Vyshensky ascetic for our time: “What does St. Theophan the Recluse mean to us today? Of course, the saint is both an ascetic and a theologian, but first of all, he is a bearer of faith, a person who has experienced the path of renouncing sin and following Christ. He speaks from the experience of his life, and talks about the most important thing - salvation.” Saint Theophan in his writings addressed his contemporaries and, above all, the secular people of his era. He testifies to the bitter fruits of apostasy from faith and indicates ways out of a state that is disastrous for a person. The most important of them is in turning to God and the readiness of the human will to freely accept the grace of God in the Sacraments of the Holy Orthodox Church. In our days, the teaching on Christian life set forth by St. Theophan is a pressing and urgent need. Man and humanity today have strayed so far from God and fallen under the influence of darkness that the death of the soul has become a common occurrence. We are no longer talking about the Christian life, but about man remaining human and not becoming completely brutal, moreover, not taking on the image of Satan. And no external influences on people and external changes, even if directed for good, will not produce results unless a turning point occurs in the inner world of a person - that same awakening from the sinful sleep that St. Theophan writes about in his books.” “You will either be a bell ringer or a bishop” The great teacher of life in Christ, Saint Theophan, was born on January 10 (23rd AD), 1815 in the village of Chernavsk, Yeletsk district, Oryol province. He was the fifth of seven children of Priest Vasily Govorov and Mother Tatyana (nee Popova). At Epiphany, which took place the next day, the newborn was named George. His grandfather, the priest of the St. Nicholas Church in the village of Ponikovets, Ioann Savvich Popov, and his cousin Anna, became his successors. The parent of the future Vladyka, priest Vasily, was the son of sexton Timofey Petrovich Govorov, who, like all his ancestors, served in the church of the village of Foshni. Vasily Govorov was educated at the Sevsk Theological Seminary, where he “showed excellent abilities” and after graduation was retained as a youth educator. Having married the daughter of Priest John Popov, Tatyana, he was ordained a deacon, and then a priest, and served as rector of the church in the name of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Chernavsk. Everyone who knew Fr. Vasily was noted for his true piety, depth of mind, openness of character and kindness. These qualities of his were noticed by the diocesan authorities, and he was appointed to the important and responsible service of dean, which he diligently performed for thirty years, earning the love and respect of his subordinates. The ascetic’s mother, Tatyana Ivanovna, was distinguished by her modesty and hard work. She was always ready to console the grieving and help those in need. In such a fertile atmosphere, the family Christian upbringing of the saint of God took place. Very smart by nature, from an early age Georgy “discovered a very bright, inquisitive mind, searching for the root cause of phenomena.” Mother Tatyana and the boy’s aunt, Marfa Nikiforovna, told little Yegorushka about God and taught him prayer. When George was seven years old, his family began teaching him to read and write. According to the recollections of relatives, Fr. Vasily, with his family, served a prayer service to the prophet Naum and gave his son fatherly advice on how to study. Then he sat him down at the table with his older brothers, handed him the alphabet and told him about the pronunciation of the initial letters. Subsequently, the priest listened to the lessons assigned to the children, and Tatyana Ivanovna taught them. Father Vasily often brought his son to church, where he sang along in the choir or served at the altar. “Such family upbringing undoubtedly had great moral significance: the true grain of the future life of the great Christian ascetic was firmly laid in the child’s soul,” noted the biography of St. Feofana, Fr. Petr Smirnov. “What is especially important is that this seed was planted by the gentle hand of a loving mother.” Georgy was a playful and impressionable child. One day after Vespers, he decided to climb the high bell tower to ring the bell. At this time, the watchman, not noticing the little evangelist, locked the entrance to the bell tower and left. In order not to sit there all night and not upset his parents, the boy climbed down the rope stretched from the bell to the ground. It was very dangerous, but the Lord protected His chosen one. Having learned about this, Fr. Vasily said: “Well, Yegorushka, you will either be a bell ringer or a bishop!” The priest’s words turned out to be prophetic: by the will of God, his son-bishop became one of the outstanding teachers of the Church of Christ - a holy “ringer”, whose word, like a bell, awakens the souls of people and leads them on a saving path to God. The large village where the saint spent his childhood grew up around a fortress founded by the Cossacks, and from 1636 to 1799. had the status of a city 1. The nature of this region is very picturesque. In the middle of the 19th century. Most of it was occupied by black earth meadow steppes, with an extraordinary variety of flowers and grasses. At that time there were three churches in Chernavsk: Vladimirskaya, Pokrovskaya and Pyatnitskaya. The main church in the village (and previously the cathedral in the city) was the church in the name of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, where Priest Vasily Govorov, the father of St. Feofan. In 1818, Father Vasily built a stone church with a high bell tower on the site of the old wooden church, which little George loved to climb. The main shrine of this church was the ancient Vladimir icon of the Queen of Heaven, according to legend, brought here from the long-disestablished Chernavsky Vladimir Monastery. In 1877, through the efforts of parishioners, in the same fence with the Vladimir Church, a church was erected in the name of the icon of the Mother of God “Quench My Sorrows”, nicknamed by the people “Utolimskaya”. Two more boundaries were consecrated in it: in the name of Saints Tikhon of Zadonsk and Mitrofan of Voronezh. Saint Theophan never forgot his native village. For the chapel of St. Tikhon in the “Utolimskaya” church, he donated a hand-painted icon of the Zadonsk Wonderworker, which contained a particle of the relics of this saint of God. After the revolution, the atheists destroyed and plundered all Chernavsky churches; only the disfigured Pokrovsky bell tower survived. When communist power fell, this church was restored and is now the only one functioning in the village. The last priest of the Vladimir Church, where the parent of St. served. Feofana, was Fr. John Netsvetaev. His fellow villagers remembered him as an extraordinary person. The priest did not survive the destruction of the church for long. He was accused of “counter-revolutionary activities” and on December 27, 1937, he was sentenced to death, having suffered as a martyr for Christ. Two years after the birth of the saint, a district Theological School was opened in the ancient Russian city of Livny, and in 1825, Priest Vasily Govorov sent his son to study there. Before taking George to Livny, the priest served a prayer service before the ancient Vladimir image of the Mother of God, asking for Her protection in the spiritual education of the youth. In those days, the school was located in premises at the church in the name of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which have not survived to this day. Today there is an alley lined with busts of heroes of the Great Patriotic War. The study lasted five years, not counting the preparatory year. The boys studied the Law of God, church singing, Greek and Latin, Russian, arithmetic and geography. Most of the graduates went to the Oryol Theological Seminary, and some became sextons or sextons. Until 1902, when a two-story stone building with a bell tower was built for the Livensky Theological School, it was not suitable for students to live in. Therefore Fr. Vasily arranged for George to live in an apartment with teacher Ivan Vasilyevich Petin, who later became an archpriest and served in the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity in Livny. He had a beneficial influence on his “guest”. Georgy became one of the best students, and in 1829 he was transferred to the Oryol Theological Seminary. The education there was distinguished by its integrity and thoroughness. Each student was given many written exercises and essays. Thanks to this, every success was achieved only through “independent hard work.” The rector of the seminary was then Archimandrite Isidore (Nikolsky), later the Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Novgorod, and the mentor in mathematics and Greek was Professor Nikolai Gorodetsky (later Metropolitan Platon of Kiev and Galicia). Georgy Govorov studied with great diligence and curiosity. He especially liked philosophical sciences and psychology, which were taught by Evfimy Andreevich Ostromyslensky. Subsequently, he was ordained a priest, served as rector of the Oryol Cathedral and wrote many soul-helping essays, including “A Word to the Gymnasium Students on the Properties of True Wisdom.” The teacher, passionate about his subject, managed to interest both the young seminarians and, first of all, the student Govorov. An amazing fact: he fell in love with psychology and philosophy so much that he wanted to stay for a repeat course and spent two more years at the seminary for additional classes. “What is remarkable in the saint’s works is his extensive knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, and in this regard, his seminary education served as the foundation.” Dogmatic theology was taught to George by the rector of the seminary since 1835, Archimandrite Zephaniah (Sokolsky), a spiritual friend of St. Ignatius of Stavropol (Brianchaninov), one of the outstanding hierarchs of the 19th century, the first Archbishop of Tashkent and Turkestan. Much in the life of Vladika Zephaniah is similar to the life of the famous disciple. In 1848–1853 he, like later St. Theophan served as rector of the church at the Russian Embassy in Constantinople, performing not only liturgical but also diplomatic duties, collecting and translating ancient Christian liturgical texts in the Holy Land and Mount Athos. Thanks to his missionary work, thirty thousand Nestorians joined the Holy Orthodox Church in Persia 2. During the seminary period, Georgy gradually began to learn what internal spiritual activity was. He was noted in the conduct reports as “distinguished by a penchant for solitude and hard work, meek and silent.” This desire for self-deepening was noticed not only by teachers, but also by his relatives, who saw him cheerful and talkative from childhood. During the holidays, he was often immersed in thought, praying long and earnestly at night. Also at that time, his soul was filled with special reverence for the memory of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, to venerate whose tomb he and his aunt, Marfa Nikiforovna, walked a hundred miles. After graduating from the senior theological class at the Oryol Theological Seminary, Georgy Govorov, whose name was in fourth place in terms of academic performance in the list of graduates, was sent to the Kyiv Theological Academy on August 5, 1837. This happened in an unusual way: the diocesan bishop, Bishop of Oryol and Sevsky Nikodim (Bystritsky), drawing attention to George’s thorough and significant knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, personally ordered that the capable young man be sent for further education to Kiev. Teachers of true wisdom The Kyiv Theological Academy was famous at that time for its mentors and graduates. St. did a lot for its prosperity. Filaret of Kyiv (Amphitheaters) is a great man of prayer who secretly accepted the feat of schema-mongering. Schema-Metropolitan Philaret tried to gather as strong a staff of teachers as possible and took care of the spiritual development of students. The rector then was a prominent theologian and spiritual writer, Bishop Innokenty (Borisov) of Chigirin, later the Archbishop of Kherson and Tauride, now glorified as a saint. Saint Innocent for the first time introduced the doctrine of the Church into the composition of subjects, began to use the historical-comparative method in the presentation of theology, and abolished teaching in Latin, which kept Russian theology in the shackles of Western scholasticism. His lectures were distinguished by their originality and liveliness of presentation. She spent hours talking with students, inspiring them to independently, thoughtfully study Christianity. At the same time, St. Innocent advised not to limit oneself to the course of science taught at the Academy, but to broaden one’s horizons through additional reading of the works of the Holy Fathers, as well as through acquaintance with various branches of human knowledge. This approach to the education of the priesthood was completely new at that time, but in the second half of the 19th century, when the task of exposing materialism arose, the broad education of pastors became very much in demand. And the study of St. Theophan the Recluse of astronomy, physics and other sciences indicates that he carefully listened to the advice of his mentor. The inspector of the Academy was Archimandrite Dimitri (Muretov), ​​who also later occupied the Kherson department. He was distinguished by the thoroughness of his preparation for lectures. Usually o. Dimitri presented the lesson without notes, for two hours recite the text from memory, with an exact indication of the volumes and pages of the works cited. His lectures were deep in content and imbued with the spirit of Christian love. A special influence on Georgy Govorov was exerted by the professor of church eloquence Iakov Kosmich Amphiteatrov, the author of the book “Readings on Church Literature.” This and his other works formed the basis of the original Russian style of Christian preaching. Jacob Kosmich was a fellow countryman of the future saint; he often invited him to visit him, and they walked for a long time. George learned from him simplicity of style and clarity of expression of his thoughts, and received wise answers to questions from the field of spiritual life. I.K. Amphiteatrov helped many people in need get settled in Kyiv and get out into the world. St. Feofan recalled such an incident. During one of his walks, the professor noticed a group of blind beggars. Among them, the guide boy stood out for his liveliness and intelligent expression. Jacob Kosmich questioned him and found out that little Kolya Shereshilov, the son of a deacon from Chernigov, lost his parents early and became a guide for his blind uncle. Amphiteatrov took the boy to his home and enrolled him in the Theological School. His pupil turned out to be very capable. He entered the Academy, where he became a monk with the name Eugene, and years later became the Bishop of Mogilev and Mstislav. Under the guidance of such truly Christian teachers, Georgy Govorov, with God's help, achieved brilliant results, especially in writing essays on spiritual topics. “No one wrote it better,” recalled Metropolitan Macarius (Bulgakov), who studied with the saint in the same course, “only due to his modesty, he could not read his work loudly.” The proximity of the shrines of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra created a special atmosphere in the Kyiv Theological Academy, which “was distinguished by some special love, one might say, a passion for monasticism as an ideal public service.” Many professors and gifted students took monastic vows. The impressions from visiting the churches and caves of the Lavra, where the holy hermits labored, were so strong that even in his declining days, St. Feofan remembered them as vividly as if he had been there yesterday. “The Kyiv Lavra – there’s something missing inside! I’m often transported there in my mind, and I could fly with my body.” In 1839, Archimandrite Jeremiah (Soloviev; in schema John), later Bishop of Nizhny Novgorod, a true monk, wise and strict ascetic, who became the spiritual father of Georgy Govorov, became the rector of the Academy. He was also a native of the Oryol region. Noticing the young student’s love for prayer and contemplation of God, Fr. Jeremiah supported him in his search for the path pleasing to the Lord. St. Theophan forever retained deep respect and love for him, consulted with Bishop Jeremiah and asked for his prayers, and when publishing his works, he took care of the publication of the “Monastic Catechism” and “Monastic Letters” - works created by the ascetic in a seclusion that lasted 27 years. Support about. Jeremiah helped George win the spiritual struggle that preceded the most important step in his life - renunciation from the world. Relatives recalled that in his senior year at the Academy, he, who had previously been sociable, during the holidays “seemed withdrawn, concentrated, apparently deciding on something important, although he did not express this to anyone.” Retiring to the field, the young man walked in solitude. Winter 1838–39 George's parents passed away: Mother Tatiana, followed by Fr. Vasily, who outlived her by two weeks. This further severed his connection with the world. On October 1 (October 14, new style), 1840, George submitted a petition to the academic authorities to become a monk, in which he wrote: “Having constant zeal for studying theological subjects and for a solitary life, in order to combine both in the service of the Church assigned to me, I made a vow to devote my life to the monastic rank.” And four months later, on February 15, 1841, in the Holy Spiritual Church of the Kiev-Brotherly Monastery, Fr. Jeremiah tonsured him monastically and gave him the name Theophanes, which means “revealed by God,” in honor of the Venerable Theophanes of Sigrian (Comm. March 25, 2010). Throughout his life, the Recluse Vyshensky especially revered his Heavenly patron. The Monk Theophan of Sigrian was a native of Constantinople. Having accepted monasticism and succeeded in humility, he built a monastery on the island of Kalomios in the Sea of ​​Marmara, where he secluded himself in a cell and remained in prayer, copying spiritual books. In 781, he founded the Great Field monastery, managing which he personally participated in the work, setting an example of obedience to the brethren. At the holy request of his late friend, George Sinkel, St. Theophan wrote a continuation of his unfinished work “Chronography” - the world history of the Church. For refusing to renounce icon veneration, Emperor Leo V imprisoned the saint on Fr. Samothrace, where the confessor died. The help of the Heavenly Intercessor undoubtedly accompanied St. Theophan in his life, inspiring him to zealously preach Orthodoxy, feats of prayer and in solitude, writing spiritual works and holy icons. Together with George, three more students of the Academy accepted monasticism, including the future historian of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan of Moscow Macarius (Bulgakov). “After the tonsure,” recalled St. Theophan, - we went to the Lavra to the pious elder Hieroschemamonk Parthenius, the confessor of the Metropolitan and the Lavra, the great man of prayer. “Here you are, learned monks,” he said, “having gathered rules for yourself, remember that one thing is most necessary: ​​to pray and pray unceasingly with your mind in your heart to God - that’s what you strive for,” and from my young days I sought this, and asked that nothing prevent me from being constantly with God.” On April 6, 1841 4, the episcopal consecration of Vladyka Jeremiah, who was named Bishop of Chigirin, took place. The next day, in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, he ordained the monk Theophan as a hierodeacon, and on July 7 - as a hieromonk. “It is remarkable that such an ascetic, His Grace Theophan, was tonsured a monk and ordained to the first two degrees of the priesthood by such a truly godly man,” wrote church publicist A. Kondratov. “So in spiritual life, one brightly burning lamp with the burning of Divine light ignites other, new lamps, so that in due time I will be placed on the candlestick and everyone in the house will shine (Matthew 5:15).” Before graduating from the Academy, Fr. Theophanes wrote a master's thesis entitled “Religion under the Law, as it was given by God through Moses to the people of Israel,” which was distinguished by an abundance of information and judgments about the Old Testament law of God. “Love your children and they will love you” Having graduated from the Academy with a master's degree, Hieromonk Theophan on September 27, 1841 was appointed to the position of caretaker of the Kiev-Sophia Theological School, which was created at the Kiev-Brotherly Epiphany Monastery for the initial education and preparation of children for serving the Church. On October 15, he began teaching Latin in the higher department of the school. This began his almost eighteen years of activity as a teacher and educator. Today, when teachers in schools and universities often do not consider it necessary to think about the internal structure of their students, the principles that guided St. Feofan. He “cared not only about temporary well-being, but also about their eternal happiness,” wrote his nephew I. A. Krutikov. “He especially tried to develop in the youths a love of prayer and church worship, so that they would retain childlike purity, conscientiousness, obedience, humility and complete trust in elders - those qualities that the Savior had in mind when he said: “If you are not like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (see Matt. 18:3).” At the same time, the ascetic did not give up spiritual work. He studied the works of the Holy Fathers a lot, “entered into close communication with the elders, talked with them about the great science of monasticism. With attention, like an obedient student, he listened to their advice and stories about the difficulties of a pious life. He especially often resorted to the advice of the venerable elder Parthenius 5. For the zealous performance of his duties, he was awarded a blessed diploma of the Holy Synod, and on December 7, 1843, Hieromonk Theophan was sent to the post of inspector and teacher of logic and psychology at the Novgorod Theological Seminary, where in the 18th century. studied and then taught by his favorite saint, Tikhon of Zadonsk. During the lessons Fr. Feofan presented information about mental activity and the laws of logic in simple and accessible language. Relying on the word of God, the writings of the Holy Fathers and his own observations, he sought “mainly to show his disciples that the human soul is the image of God, that it is intended to fulfill the will of God and avoid sin.” He taught Christian self-knowledge - that “everyone should see both their human dignity and their moral shortcomings.” “The holy mentor considered Christian love to be the main principle of pedagogy, and worship, the church of God, was the best means of good education. He was not a supporter of formal, mechanical events. “Love children, and they will love you,” he said. In order to wisely fill the students' leisure time and protect them from idleness, the inspector encouraged them to take up carpentry and bookbinding, as well as painting, which he himself especially loved. In the summer, he sometimes took long country walks with the young men so that they could refresh themselves after tiring mental exercises.” “Education is the most sacred of all things,” wrote St. Feofan. And this attitude towards education as a matter especially pleasing to God has yielded wonderful results. One of the future hierarchs, who studied with him in Novgorod, said: “Teacher Feofan was a wonderful teacher and a great man.” Christian life mentor On January twenty-fifth, 1845, Hieromonk Theophan was transferred as a teacher of moral and pastoral theology to the St. Petersburg Theological Academy and appointed assistant to its inspector. The rector of the academy was then a remarkably erudite hierarch, Bishop Afanasy (Drozdov) of Vinnitsa, and the inspector was Archimandrite Macarius (Bulgakov), a fellow priest of the future saint. One of the saint’s disciples, Konstantin Dobronravin (later Bishop Hermogenes of Pskov), recalled years later: “Father Theophan, as a professor of moral theology, revived this science, showing that moral teaching is the same doctrine, only implemented in life.” The lectures of Hieromonk Theophan made a strong impression on the listeners with their vitality. He took their composition very seriously. Humbly not relying on his own strength, the young theologian showed his lecture notes to the rector of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, Archimandrite Ignatius (Brianchaninov), the future Bishop of Stavropol, a teacher of modern monasticism. His spiritual experience and knowledge of the works of the Holy Fathers evoked Fr. Feofan has deep and sincere respect. Archimandrite Ignatius fully approved of the texts, which later formed the basis for writing one of the most famous books of St. Feofan "The Path to Salvation (A Brief Essay on Asceticism"). During these years, he also wrote the works “A Brief Teaching on Worship of God,” “What Does a Repentant Need?” and “Teachings to Those Who Fast During Holy Great Lent.” The obedience of Hieromonk Theophan became more and more responsible. He was awarded the blessing of the Holy Synod for the second time, and on May 25, 1846 - the title of cathedral hieromonk of the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Inwardly, he was increasingly attracted to the solitary monastic life. He wrote to Bishop Jeremiah: “I am beginning to feel burdened by my academic position. I would go to church and sit there.” In the early 1840s, Palestine was flooded with preachers from the West. Insinuating and rich, they suggested that Christian Arabs, who had a hard time living in the Turkish Empire, accept “help” and renounce Orthodoxy. This annoying heretical propaganda relied on the industrial power of the Western powers, which had economic influence over Turkey. In order to seize holy places, the Pope sent a Catholic “patriarch” to Jerusalem, and the Queen of England sent a Protestant bishop. An outstanding researcher of Christian antiquities of the East, Archimandrite Porfiry (Uspensky; later Bishop Chigirinsky), informing the government of the Russian Empire about these alarming events, proposed to establish a Russian Spiritual Mission in Palestine. The Russian government has consistently defended Orthodoxy in the Holy Land. Therefore, in February 1847, Sovereign Emperor Nicholas I approved the project of creating a Spiritual Mission. And in August of the same year, the Holy Synod decided to send under the leadership of Fr. Porfiry to Palestine, Hieromonk Feofan (Govorov) “as a pious husband, a devout monk, sober and chaste,” and two graduates of the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary - Nikolai Krylov and Peter Solovyov, who knew Greek and Latin perfectly. The main goals of the Mission were to strengthen the Orthodox faith and take care of the welfare of Russian pilgrims. Having left the capital on October 14, 1847, Father Theophan along the way observed the dioceses of the south and west of Rus', and much of what he saw led him to anxious thoughts. From Odessa, he wrote to the editor of the Mayak magazine, Stepan Onisimovich Burachk, about the spiritual hibernation and disunity of the priesthood and parishioners under the influence of the Western spirit, alien to Orthodoxy: “Be wrong with the one who separated and broke the ancient good union of the members of the Church, so desired for our good... One of the greatest evils is the police orderly form in business church”, leading to the fact that “light and warmth do not flow from fathers to children.” Arriving by sea in Constantinople, Archimandrite Porfiry and his companions visited the Ecumenical Patriarch Anthimus VI. Here they fasted and celebrated the bright holiday of Christ's Nativity, and on February 17, 1848 they arrived in Jerusalem, where they were warmly received by Patriarch Kirill II. The first Russian missionaries in the Holy Land did not have their own premises, and they were settled in a monastery in the name of St. Archangel Michael of God, where Fathers Porfiry and Theophan began to serve the Liturgy daily in Church Slavonic. Russians, Arabs, and Greeks prayed at these services. Like the evangelical wise men who were looking for the Light of reason, members of the Spiritual Mission visited Bethlehem and other evangelical places. To the delight of Russian pilgrims, they performed services and talked with pilgrims, visiting them in hospice houses. They also participated in general cathedral services together with the Jerusalem clergy at the Holy Sepulcher. In Jerusalem, our missionaries diligently translated the lives of saints, liturgical texts and ancient letters into Russian. A lot of work had to be done to help the indigenous Arab population distinguish from the truth the false Western teachings that were zealously propagated by the Latin “patriarch” Joseph Valerga, a sophisticated opponent of Orthodoxy who spoke six languages, and the Anglican bishop Samuel Gobat. Hieromonk Theophan here became acquainted with “heterodox confessions – Catholic, Lutheran, Armenian-Gregorian and in fact learned what both the strength of their propaganda and its weakness were. After that, he could successfully fight this propaganda himself, and give good advice and guidance to others.” He studied French, which was then an international language, and by constantly communicating with the Greek priesthood and doing translations, he mastered the new Greek and ancient Greek languages. Everyday encounters with the people of Jerusalem helped him master the basics of Arabic and Hebrew. The strengthening of Orthodoxy in the Holy Land was unthinkable without a sufficient number of Arab priests. Therefore, at the insistence of Archimandrite Porfiry, twelve local residents were assigned to a Greek school to study pastoral ministry. In the St. Nicholas Monastery, Russian missionaries set up a printing house, in which they began to publish the Apostle and the Orthodox Catechism in Arabic. For Arab children in Jerusalem, Lydda, Ramla and Jaffa, Archimandrite Porfiry, Fr. Feofan and their staff opened schools, including one for girls. Much has been done to improve the conditions of stay of Russian pilgrims in the Holy Land. The news of the pure life and learning of our missionaries spread among the people. Even Muslims paid attention to this. The Russian consul in Beirut, K. M. Basili, spoke respectfully of Fr. Feofan, admiring his meekness and scientific thoroughness. Spiritual Treasures of the Desert One of the main activities of Hieromonk Theophan in the East was the collection of ancient manuscripts of patristic ascetic works and the beginning of their translation into Russian. In the library of the Palestinian Lavra, St. Sava the Sanctified, the future saint found and collected many precious spiritual creations. In the monastery of the VMC. Catherine in Sinai, he, together with Archimandrite Porfiry, compiled a catalog of the books stored there and got acquainted with the oldest manuscript of the New Testament - the Codex Sinaiticus. “At the present time we are amazed at how deeply all the writings of His Grace Theophan are imbued with the spirit of ancient Christian ascetics. To acquire this great gift, it was not enough to study their lives and works from books. It was necessary to experimentally study the field of these feats. In Egypt he walked and explored the ancient desert - this true cradle of Christian asceticism; breathed the air of the cave in which the Monk Paul of Thebes labored for ninety years. While traveling in the East, he learned a lot about the ascetic life of the Athonite elders, became interested in it and established a strong moral connection with the monks of the Holy Mountain, which he retained until the end of his life.” In Jerusalem, Hieromonk Theophan began to seriously engage in icon painting and achieved great success in it, donating icons of his writing to Arab churches. So, one day the head of the Mission invited him to paint images for the iconostasis in a poor church in the village of En-Arik. “Good-natured, pious and zealous for the good of his neighbor, he joyfully accepted my offer,” recalled Archimandrite Porfiry. When, overworked and ill, the head of the Russian Spiritual Mission went to Kyiv for seven months for treatment, its affairs were managed by Fr. Feofan. On March 9, 1851, by order of Sovereign Nicholas I, he was awarded a golden pectoral cross for his zeal. On the way to Palestine, Hieromonk Theophan wrote in one of his letters: “Darkness comes from the West, but we do not want to accept light from the East. Don't praise the real Russia. Write her an accusatory reproach that she has gone in the wrong direction since meeting the West.” In 1853, this characteristic of Western “values” was confirmed: England provoked the most difficult Crimean War for Russia, the main reason for which was the desire of heretics to take away the holy places of Jerusalem and Bethlehem from the Orthodox Church. On May 8, 1854, Archimandrite Porfiry and his staff left for Russia. They had to return through Italy and Austria. In Venice, they venerated the relics of Saints Sava the Sanctified, Athanasius the Great and John the Merciful: “We were allowed to look closer and even kiss the glass,” Theophan recalled. Russian missionaries followed the progress of hostilities according to European newspaper reports. Every day, people died in the heroically defended Sevastopol. During his stay in Rome, Fr. Porfiry obtained an audience with Pope Pius IX, at which he was accompanied by Fr. Feofan. Archimandrite Porfiry told the head of the Catholics that the actions of his “Patriarch of Jerusalem” are destroying the fragile peace between people of different faiths in the Holy Land, and called on him to demand that the Orthodox stop being called “schismatics, miscarriages and other nasty nicknames.” Trying to shield himself, Pius IX “complained that the Russian Emperor Nicholas was arbitrarily disposing of the Catholic clergy.” This conversation further strengthened the negative attitude towards Fr. Feofan to papism. In the book “Letters to Various Persons on Various Subjects of Life and Faith” he writes: “Neither the papists, nor the Protestants, nor the Anglicans have the truth of God - real, pure, complete. It resides only in the one true Orthodox Church. The Church founded by the apostles is the Orthodox Church, and here is Christ.” The following words of the great Christian thinker are also relevant today: “How has the West become corrupted? He corrupted himself: instead of the Gospel, they began to learn from the pagans and adopt their customs - and they became corrupted. The same will happen with us: we began to learn from the West, which had fallen away from the Lord, and transferred its spirit into ourselves. It will end with us, like him, retreating from true Christianity. But in all this there is nothing necessary and decisive: if we want, we will drive away the Western darkness.” Russian missionaries did not reject the technical and cultural achievements of Western civilization. Thus, after examining Raphael’s paintings in Rome, Hieromonk Theophanes purchased their reproductions in order to better study painting techniques. In Austria and Poland he had the opportunity to “see the centers of German learning and get acquainted with its treasures in libraries and museums.” But neither the scientific nor the technical successes of European culture could shake the convictions of Fr. Feofana in the degradation of the Western world. “We are fascinated by enlightened Europe! - he will write later. – Yes, there for the first time the pagan abominations that were expelled from the world were restored. And from there they come to us. Having breathed in this child of hell, we are spinning like crazy, not remembering ourselves. But, brothers, let us remember the year 1812. Why did the French come?.. God sent them to destroy the evil that we had previously adopted from them. Then Russia repented, and God had mercy on her. But now, it seems, that lesson has begun to be forgotten. If we come to our senses, of course, nothing will happen, and if we don’t come to our senses, who knows, maybe the Lord will send our teachers to us again to bring us to our senses and put us on the path of correction. This is the law of God’s Truth: the one who is drawn to it is to heal from sin.” After returning from Palestine, the publication of translations of patristic works made by Hieromonk Theophan began. First, the “Epistle of the Monk Isaiah to the Most Noble Nun Theodora” was published, and then the “Memorable Sayings of the Holy Ascetic Women” and “Spiritual Instructions of the Monk Isaiah”. These books made up “Miterikon” - a collection of sayings and lives of holy women, which became an invaluable gift for Orthodox Christian women in Russia. Upon returning to St. Petersburg, Hieromonk Theophan was elevated to the rank of archimandrite on April 14, 1855, with the title of abbot of a third-class monastery, and then appointed teacher of canon law at the Theological Academy. Revealing the doctrine of the Church, he sought to show that church law is “the same moral teaching, only in practical application in life and activity,” taking care that the knowledge students received was not formal. A short time after returning from hot Palestine, Fr. Feofan was sent to the Russian North: on September 15, 1855, he was transferred to the post of rector and professor of theology at the Olonets Theological Seminary. Simultaneously with his arrival at the place of new ministry, Archbishop of Olonets and Petrozavodsk Arkady (Fedorov) was summoned to St. Petersburg to attend the Holy Synod. For this reason, many diocesan affairs fell on the shoulders of Archimandrite Theophan, in addition to his rector’s duties. “May humble Petrozavodsk rejoice over you, as over someone sent to it from Jerusalem,” Vladyka Arkady wrote to his deputy. Olonets Seminary played an important role in the spiritual education of the northern lands. In addition to theological subjects, many natural sciences, agronomy and the basics of medicine were taught here, the knowledge of which was necessary for a rural shepherd. However, at that time the seminary did not have its own premises and huddled in a building on the embankment of Lake Onega, purchased for the Petrozavodsk Theological School. There were enormous inconveniences associated with this, and Fr. Feofan first of all had to deal with the construction of the seminary building. He also took care of the Theological School, which operated at the Holy Trinity Alexander-Svirsky Monastery. The building in which it was located was so dilapidated that they had to rent a private house. The rector attracted seminarians to reading and singing in the choir, introduced an icon painting class, in which he himself led the classes. “I have hope,” he wrote to Vladyka Arkady, “to teach several students how to draw. It turned out that there are hot hunters.” Of particular importance for the Olonets diocese were the works of the future saint in countering schismatics who blasphemed the Sacraments of the Orthodox Church. Archimandrite Theophan invited priests from those places where the influence of schismatics was strong, advising them to lead the strictest lifestyle, not to give parishioners temptation, and schismatics - a reason to slander the priesthood; perform divine services diligently, according to the rules. With the blessing of the spiritual authorities, Fr. Feofan opened a missionary department at the Olonets Seminary teaching the history of the schism, and at the Paleostrovsky Nativity Monastery, where in the 17th century. schismatics staged self-immolations, collected a missionary library, which contained many old printed books. For the sake of peace in the Orthodox East The ministry of Archimandrite Theophan in the north of Rus' did not last long. On May 22, 1856, he was appointed rector of the embassy church in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Constantinople. The new appointment was very responsible. At that time, the Patriarchate of Constantinople was experiencing turmoil due to the demand for church independence on the part of Bulgarian Christians, who wanted to have their own priests and perform divine services in their native language. The Greek clergy was against any concessions to the Bulgarians. Western preachers and politicians hastened to take advantage of this discord in order to “deviate the Bulgarians from Russia.” Desiring peace between Christians in the East, the Russian government and the Holy Synod entrusted Fr. Feofan to collect information that could illuminate the essence of the Greek-Bulgarian dispute. When leaving, he donated the books and manuscripts he had collected to the Olonets Seminary, for which on July 24, 1856, he was given the blessing of the Holy Synod for the third time. In the second half of 1856, the saint arrived in Constantinople. Meek and friendly, he lived in peace with everyone: both the Bulgarians and the Greeks. Observing the development of the conflict, Fr. Feofan came to the conclusion that the demands of the Bulgarian Christians were fair. Having studied the book of church sermons given to him by the intercessor for the Bulgarians before the Turkish government, Prince Stefan Bogoridi of Samsk, Archimandrite Theophanes wrote in his report: “Bogoridi sent me to revise the book “Collected Discourses on the Sunday Gospels all year round,” compiled by his grandfather, Bishop Sophronius of Vr’achevsk, in the Bulgarian language. The conversations are edifying." Desiring that the Bulgarians “grow into a people reasonably firm in Orthodoxy,” the future saint became thoroughly acquainted with the Bulgarian schools and tried to help them. At the same time, he sympathized with the Church of Constantinople, which was in poverty under the rule of the Turkish occupiers. He believed that Russia “should not leave its mother by faith in this helpless state.” Archimandrite Theophan also showed fatherly concern for the Russian pilgrims and sailors living here: he visited them in local hospitals, fulfilled their requests, and suggested that the Russian government establish a hospital here, as well as a brotherhood with the church. Here the saint wrote a number of letters with spiritual instructions to Princess Pelagia Lukomskaya. Subsequently, the book “Letters on Christian Life” was compiled from them. On March 9, 1857, Father Theophan presented to St. Innocent, Archbishop of Kherson and Tauride, a detailed report on his mission. This report served as the basis for the discussion of the Greek-Bulgarian confrontation by the Holy Synod. On April 17, 1857, the zealous shepherd was awarded the Order of St. Anne, 2nd degree. On June thirteen, 1857, Archimandrite Feofan was appointed to the position of rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. Having headed the main religious educational institution of the Russian Empire, Fr. Theophanes also oversaw the teaching of the Law of God in the capital, chaired the Committee for the publication of books by Byzantine historians and the Committee for translating the Bible into Russian, and also edited the academic journal Christian Reading. He “loved talking to students about psychology. Simplicity and accessibility in dealing with students contributed to the fact that they trusted their rector and freely turned to him with their needs and perplexities.” The holy rector paid special attention to teaching his pupils the art of preaching. Over the course of two years, he delivered more than twenty sermons in the churches of the capital, which “gained him the fame of the best preacher of that time and a very intelligent theologian.” Diligence o. Feofan was again noted by the Holy Synod. To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, on January 7, 1859, the good shepherd was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd degree. And in the same year the Lord called him to the field of episcopal service. On May 16, 1859, a decree of the Holy Synod was issued on the appointment of Archimandrite Theophan as Bishop of Tambov and Shatsk, and on June 1, his consecration took place in the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. When he was named bishop, the saint, submissive to the will of God, made a speech in which he compared his life to a ball, rolling without a crack or noise in the direction of the blows communicated to him. “I will not hide that it would not be alien to the secret desires of my heart if a place fell to my lot where I could freely indulge in activities of my heart,” he added. And in Tambov, friend and predecessor of St. Feofan at the pulpit, Bishop Macarius (Bulgakov), saying goodbye to his flock, said: “Instead of me, Archimandrite Feofan, a man of a beautiful soul, will be your shepherd. This is a wonderful person, especially as a preacher. When it comes to you, you will very soon forget me.” The Tambov diocese, which Bishop Feofan took over on July 5, 1859, was one of the most populous: more than two thousand priests and deacons served the Lord here, and several hundred monks labored in monasteries. The Bishop became for his flock “both a zealous teacher and a caring father, shared with her joys and sorrows, and did not spare his strength and health for the sake of their good and salvation.” He paid his main attention to explaining the word of God in sermons, which he considered the best means of spiritual enlightenment. All 109 words of the saint to the Tambov flock are distinguished by their extraordinary imagery and simplicity, and “represent not the product of dry mental work, but a living and direct outpouring of the feeling heart of the preacher.” According to eyewitnesses, at the sound of the evening bell, the crowds of people walking in the center of Tambov quickly thinned out. Everyone hurried to the cathedral to hear the speech of their archpastor. His words so captured the attention of people that in complete silence the quiet voice of the Lord was heard in the most remote corners of the church. According to the memoirs of A.G. Govorov, the saint’s nephew, who lived with him in Tambov, he led an ascetic lifestyle, constantly being in prayer and labor, dressed simply, ate little and never had dinner. Enlightener of Tambov land The first historian of the Tambov region I.I. Dubasov wrote: “Bishop Feofan raised the mental and moral character of our diocese. He attracted people with academic education into the clergy, which was very rare before him.” The Kazan Mother of God Monastery became the center of Orthodox preaching in the Tambov region. Bishop Theophan held conversations with believers here after Liturgies and all-night vigils. During Great Lent, they were also supplemented by interviews during vespers in the Transfiguration Cathedral. Excellent sermons were delivered here by Archpriests Ioann Sladkopevtsev and Georgy Khitrov. On July 2, 1861, Bishop Theophan began publishing the magazine “Tambov Diocesan Gazette,” which published a manual he wrote for priests entitled “How to Write a Sermon,” sayings of the Holy Fathers and one of the first biographies of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, whose canonization was then being prepared. The Bishop made great efforts to open a women's diocesan school in Tambov, which was supposed to provide a good education to orphans and daughters of priests. Raised by a believing and loving mother, he deeply understood the importance of a mother in the spiritual education of children and well-behaved wives of priests - in strengthening the morality of parishioners. The saint encouraged wealthy people to donate funds for the creation of the school. The Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens served as a model for him. The girls were taught the Law of God, Russian and Slavic languages, arithmetic, geography, history, penmanship and drawing, church singing, needlework, education and independent treatment of children. The Bishop also delved into all the affairs of the Tambov Theological Seminary. He personally attended the exams and asked questions to the graduates. Wanting to free the churches of the Tambov diocese from Western-style icons, the bishop opened an Orthodox icon painting class here, in which about a hundred seminarians immediately expressed a desire to study. In August 1860, the cities of Tambov, Morshansk, Borisoglebsk, Kozlov and large villages of the Tambov province were engulfed in fires, destroying hundreds of houses and causing death. This was preceded by a drought. The founder of Tambov scientific local history I.I. Dubasov, the best graduate of the Tambov Theological Seminary and an eyewitness to the events, wrote: “In 1860 there was a fire in Morshansk. At this time, the peasant woman Rozova burned down with her daughter-in-law and three-year-old daughter. The fire was caused by arson." The arsonists didn't even hide. They acted with insane audacity, planting threatening notes into houses and causing panic among the people. The confusion was especially strong among the residents of Borisoglebsk. According to Dubasov, the cities were set on fire by revolutionaries who wanted to provoke people into rebellion on the eve of the abolition of serfdom. One of them, soldier Neschuk, was captured and put in prison. “Apparently, popular unrest was about to occur and Russian blood was about to be shed more than once... The most severe fires were in Tambov, which lost its Dvoryanskaya Street, and in Kozlov. In the latter, about seven hundred houses and four churches burned down.” Tambov burst into flames in early August. “Residents of Tambov, for fear of new fires and fear of intruders-arsonists, left their homes, some settled in squares, and many left the city.” This is how the Tambov bishop met with revolutionism, which threatened to set Russia on fire. These days St. Theophan appeared as a true Comforter Angel to the flock. He provided his apartment and the premises of the bishop's courtyard to fire victims, and provided significant material assistance to widows and orphans from the families of poor clergy. The saint addressed the people with sermons filled with deep sympathy for the victims. But he taught us to see the true cause of trouble not in the elements and not in the actions of attackers, but in the impoverishment of faith and piety among the people: “If we had first begun repentance and correction, then this misfortune would not have befallen us. But during the drought, our churches were empty and our places of entertainment were full. If we did not indulge madly in joys and empty amusements, then the Lord would not need to settle us down with external sorrows.” Vladyka spoke these words on the day of the end of the Dormition Fast. On the same day, a miracle occurred in Tambov, showing that evil will and fire are powerless before the power of faith. The church in the name of St. was in danger. the first martyr Archdeacon Stephen, towards whom the flames rushed. After the water-blessing prayer before the miraculous Tambov Icon of the Mother of God, when they began to carry it around the church, the wind suddenly changed direction and the fire literally died down before our eyes. About the miraculous deliverance of the church, the saint said in his sermon: “We see that the Lord is not completely angry with us. He took us to war to show both ourselves and others how courageous we are and how skillful we are in waging war for the salvation of the soul.” Arriving in Borisoglebsk, where half of all houses were destroyed by four fires, St. Feofan consoled the fire victims, urging them to fervently pray to God. When he returned to Tambov on September 18, 1860, the townspeople were very depressed, fearing that drought would destroy the crops. Then the saint cried out: “Let us fall before the Lord and weep, adding nothing except the publican’s words: “God, be merciful to us sinners!” (see Luke 18:13).” He inspired people to go out into the fields with a religious procession and began to perform prayer services. In the evening of the same day, heavy rain fell on Tambov. Memoirs of people who knew St. Feofan, reveal to us his bright spiritual appearance. “Always affectionate and friendly, the archpastor treated everyone lovingly, with the greatest humility and meekness, no matter what rank or position. Not only did he not embarrass any of his subordinates, but with amazing patience and complacency he endured the troubles sometimes caused to him by the clergy. If, out of a duty of justice, it was necessary to punish someone with a reprimand or reprimand, then this burdensome duty for the loving heart of the bishop was usually fulfilled by the clergyman.” It is not surprising, therefore, that Bishop Theophan was greatly distressed by the Diveyevo Troubles of 1860–1861, the pacification of which he had to deal with as the ruling bishop of the Tambov diocese. The Diveyevo Monastery was the favorite brainchild of the wondrous saint of God, Saint Seraphim of Sarov. Bishop Theophan revered him very much and painted an icon depicting the appearance of the Queen of Heaven to the monk. The turmoil at that time was caused by the different attitudes of the sisters towards Hieromonk Joasaph (in the world Ioann Tikhonovich Tolstosheev). As a ryassophore novice in the Sarov Hermitage, he was an eyewitness to the wonderful life of the monk, which he described in the book “Tales of the Deeds and Events in the Life of Elder Seraphim,” and with the blessing of the holy elder he was engaged in the arrangement of the Diveyevo monastery. Through his care, a church was erected in Diveevo in the name of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God. But some of the sisters were not satisfied with his activities, and in 1861 there was a division in the community. To pacify the monastery, Hieromonk Joasaph was transferred to the Vologda province with the elevation to the rank of abbot of the Pavlo-Obnorsky monastery. The Holy Synod, by decree of September 15, 1861, temporarily removed the Diveyevo Monastery from the jurisdiction of the Nizhny Novgorod bishop, Bishop Nektary (Nadezhdin), whose confessor was Fr. Joasaph, and entrusted it to the Tambov Eminence, St. Feofan. “He used all his worries and efforts to stop the unrest that was ongoing in the monastery and restore order in it. First of all, he took care of the legal election of a new abbess. Nun Elisaveta (Ushakova), confirmed in this position by the Holy Synod, was elected by a majority vote.” As a result of the disturbances, the Diveyevo monastery found itself in a difficult financial situation, and St. Feofan instructed the abbot of the Sarov Hermitage to help the nuns. Blessing of the Wonderworker of Zadonsk Bishop Theophan's great joy and consolation was his participation in the glorification of the great spiritual writer St. Tikhon of Zadonsky. About his works St. Theophanes said: “No book can compare with his books.” Eighty years in the Zadonsk monastery from the tomb of St. A stream of miraculous healings flowed out from Tikhon. By 1860, they had become so numerous that the Holy Synod, having examined them and examined the incorruptible relics of the ascetic, decided to canonize him. The celebration of glorification was scheduled for August 13 (26th according to the current style) 1861. By this day, about three hundred thousand people gathered in the small town of Zadonsk, who, despite the heat, walked and drove from all over Rus'. “It is impossible to describe the joy of His Grace Theophan on this occasion!” – recalled his nephew A.G. Govorov, who visited Zadonsk at that time. The discovery of the holy relics was entrusted to Metropolitan Isidor (Nikolsky) of St. Petersburg and Novgorod, Archbishop Joseph (Theological) of Voronezh and Zadonsk and Bishop Sergius (Lyapidevsky) of Kursk. Unexpectedly, it became known that on August 10 (23rd according to the current style) Sovereign Emperor Alexander II would arrive in Kursk, whom the ruling bishop was obliged to meet. Therefore, instead of Bishop Sergius, the Holy Synod sent Vladyka of Tambov to participate in the celebrations. Saint Theophan hastily arrived in Zadonsk. “By this time Bishop Sergius had managed to free himself and came to the monastery at night.” Thus, according to the Providence of God, the saint, who throughout his life felt a deep spiritual kinship with St. Tikhon, became a participant in the discovery of his relics. After Bishop Theophan celebrated the Liturgy in the church where the relics of the saint rested, a crowded religious procession began. Having raised the reliquary with the relics, she was reverently transferred to the main cathedral of the monastery, accompanied by four archpastors who followed her with staffs and candles in their hands. During the all-night vigil, the bishops, having bowed three times to the ground to the relics of St. Tikhon, we began to open them. According to an eyewitness, there was reverent silence in the cathedral, and it was impossible to believe that there were about eight thousand people in it. When the reliquary was transferred to the middle of the church, a wonderful fragrance spread and everyone knelt down. The greatness of the saint of God was sung, and until two o’clock in the morning the people walked to venerate the newly found shrine. The hierarchs, standing in the corners of the shrines, anointed the pilgrims with holy oil. In front of everyone, healings of the deaf, paralyzed, demon-possessed, and even those born blind took place from the relics of the miracle worker. Example of St. Tikhon, who retired to a monastery, undoubtedly influenced the adoption of the same decision by St. Feofan. Once, while surveying the monasteries of the diocese, Vladyka Tambov visited the Dormition Vyshenskaya monastery. She liked the desert beauty of the area and the strict monastic rules. And on May 13, 1862, the bishop appointed her rector of the housekeeper of the bishop's house, Archimandrite Arkady (Chestnov). And in parting he said: “Go, Father Superior, there, and there, God willing, I will come to you.” This is how the saint wrote about the Vyshensky Monastery that he loved. Even now, in the 21st century, it becomes clear to a pilgrim heading to Vysha why this particular haven of monks was chosen by the saint for solitary ascetic labors. It lies far from big cities, among picturesque nature, at the confluence of two rivers: Vysha and Tsna. Despite the fact that the appearance of the monastery walls and the village that grew up around still bears traces of communist desolation, Vysha still pleases the eye of the pilgrim with its special beauty. As before, it is surrounded by forests with majestic pine trees, which once approached its very fence. Initially, the monks lived eight miles up the Vyshe River, on its left bank, but then moved to a new place. Choosing it, they, according to legend, lowered an icon of the Mother of God into the river. She landed on the shore where the lands of the mother of Sovereign Mikhail Feodorovich, Marfa Ioannovna, were located. These lands were separated from secular villages by two rivers and a forest. Having considered the petition of the monks, the great Empress-nun Martha in 1625 donated these lands to the monastery. In the 18th century The Vyshenskaya Hermitage went through difficult times: a lack of basic necessities, a temporary closure in 1724, and half a century later - the looting of the Assumption Church by the Pugachevites. But in 1800, Bishop of Tambov and Shatsk Theophilus (Raev) decided to revive monastic life here, appointing Hieromonk Tikhon as rector and Hieromonk Joseph, inhabitants of the Sarov Hermitage, as treasurer. Through the labors of these prayer workers, St. Seraphim of Sarov, the Vyshensky Monastery over several decades became quite comfortable, borrowing its charter from the Sarov Hermitage. The Queen of Heaven miraculously provided for the monastery dedicated to Her. In the terrible year of 1812, 46-year-old noblewoman Maria Ioannovna Adenkova 6, who after the death of her husband entered the Moscow Conception Monastery as a novice, fleeing the Napoleonic invaders, left the capital. She went to Tambov, to the Ascension Convent, and took with her the ancestral Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, with which her parents blessed her upon marriage. On the way, in one of the deserted places, the cab driver suddenly turned off the straight road into the forest, intending to rob and kill Maria Ioannovna. Realizing that she was in mortal danger, she prayed to the Mother of God for deliverance from trouble. “Don’t be afraid, I am your Intercessor,” a voice was suddenly heard, and at that very moment the coachman lost his sight. Horrified, he repented and begged Maria Ioannovna to ask for mercy, promising to deliver her unharmed to the monastery. After prayer, he regained his sight. For four years Maria Ioannovna lived as a novice in the Tambov Ascension Monastery, and on June 9, 1816 she took monastic vows and was named in the name of St. Martyr Myropia of Chios. In 1827, the Queen of Heaven appeared to her in a dream, Who ordered the icon to be transferred to the Vyshenskaya Hermitage, and on March 7 of the same year, Mother fulfilled Her will through the priest of the village of Lesnoye Konobeevo, Dimitry Afanasyev. At the icon there was a cross with particles of holy relics: St. Apostle Matthew, Saints Basil the Great and Spyridon of Trimifuntsky, and the blood of St. John the Baptist. Mother Miropia departed to the Lord on December 14, 1829. And from the Kazan Icon in the Vyshensky Monastery numerous healings were performed for the sick who were considered hopeless. In the evening, when the church was closed, pilgrims often saw it illuminated by a bright light, and the lamp in front of the icon flared up by itself. The mercy of God was especially manifested through the Vyshensky image of the Mother of God during the epidemics of 1853 and 1859, when, thanks to the shrine, the inhabitants of Shatsk and Morshansk were delivered from cholera. This is how the Assumption Vyshenskaya Hermitage was described by an eyewitness at the beginning of the last century: “In the summer, the surrounding air is saturated with the fragrance of resin and is always full of the mysterious noise of the mighty centuries-old pine forest. The inner life of the monks flows according to the rules of ancient desert life, with all-day standing in the church, pillar singing and psalmodic reading 7. The monastery is strictly communal, and not a single resident has a penny of property.” Angel of the Vladimir Church The cherished wish of St. Feofan's decision to retire to a monastery did not materialize immediately. He had three more years of intense episcopal work ahead of him. On July 22, 1863, he, as an experienced archpastor, was appointed to the ancient Vladimir See, which was very extensive, numbering 1,152 churches and 28 monasteries. Contemporaries noted the solemnity of the services performed by the Bishop in the Vladimir Assumption Cathedral and the “angel-like” singing of the bishop’s choir. Over the course of three years, the saint preached 138 sermons here, which attracted many listeners. He also put a lot of effort into opening a school for girls of the clergy in Vladimir. “The maiden school was opened,” Vladyka wrote in 1864, “the church was consecrated, and my beauties are in bliss. And the boss, what a miracle! How cleverly, smartly, maternally, economically everything goes with her... We’re so glad when you come to them.” To broaden the horizons of the clergy, at the beginning of 1805 the saint organized the publication of a diocesan magazine. Under him, a dormitory for 150 students of the Vladimir Theological Seminary was completed. The saint energetically opposed the spirit of schism, which was very widespread in the Vladimir region. “According to the conviction of His Grace Theophan,” wrote Fr. Peter Smirnov, “our split is nothing more than the fruit of ignorance and thoughtlessness.” The Bishop pointed out that none of the Holy Fathers considered church rituals to be Sacraments on which salvation depends. He visited the centers of schism and managed to convince many lost of its harmfulness, and for further activities he opened the Epiphany Brotherhood in the village of Mstera. For his selfless service to the Church of Christ, Bishop Theophan was awarded the Order of Anna, 1st degree, on April 19, 1864. For his removal to the monastery, he “proved himself to be a wise and talented leader of the dioceses entrusted to him; he is the author of many outstanding decisions for his time, many of which later became part of church practice” (Metropolitan Clement of Kaluga and Borovsk). Step into eternity “Look at Heaven and measure every step of your life so that it is a step there,” St. commanded. Feofan. All his life he was distinguished by “an irresistible desire for the heights of spiritual life.” But while serving at the Vladimir See, the thought of monastic solitude began to visit Vladyka more and more often. He shared it with another great ascetic and spiritual writer, St. Ignatius of Stavropol, who lived in retirement in the Nikolo-Babaevsky monastery. “Very often I rush to follow your path,” confessed St. Feofan. - How would this work out! I can't see the gate due to my myopia. Sometimes you are ready to take up the pen and write a petition, but something will cross in your chest. And I remain with one desire... But my sins are still weighing me down, and my passions are still hitting my sides.” Saint Ignatius gave him advice to wait: “If God’s Providence has placed you in the priesthood, why leave it without God’s calling? Perhaps in due time this calling will be revealed! Perhaps all circumstances will unanimously express it! Then leave your pulpit peacefully; then you will go peacefully to your cell - the threshold of eternity.” Soon St. Feofan suffered serious troubles associated with diocesan administration. And on March 12, 1866, on the day of remembrance of his Heavenly patron, St. Theophan of Sigrian, a fifty-two-year-old bishop, unexpectedly for many people who knew him, asked the Holy Synod to retire him and allow him to become a resident of the Vyshensk Hermitage. This was not a desire for inaction, but for intense monastic labors. But the members of the Holy Synod did not immediately understand this. Not knowing how to deal with this, they asked Metropolitan Isidore (Nikolsky), who knew him from the Theological Seminary, to find out in personal correspondence the reason for this decision. In a reply letter to Vladyka Isidore, the saint wrote: “Like some kind of burden on one’s shoulders, this compulsion is always felt: give up, go... give up, go... I don’t see any difficulty in business, only my heart doesn’t lie for it. In my free time, I don’t sit idly by – no minute passes in vain. But the incessant interruptions do not allow me to do anything I would like to do. I am looking for peace in order to indulge in the activities I desire, with the indispensable intention that there will be fruit of my labors. I have in mind to serve the Church of Christ, just to serve in a different way.” Having accepted this explanation, the Holy Synod on June 17, 1866 released St. Feofan from the administration of the Vladimir diocese, appointing him rector of the Vyshensky Monastery. The people of Vladimir said goodbye to their archpastor with tears. Before leaving, he said a heartfelt word in the cathedral: “There is, in addition to external necessity, an internal necessity, which the conscience heeds and which the heart does not greatly contradict. I ask your love for one thing - strengthen your prayer. And I will pray for you, I will pray that the Lord will always send you every good thing, improving your well-being, and avert every misfortune, especially so that he will arrange your salvation. I can't wish you anything better. Everything will happen when you are saved.” Arriving at the monastery, St. Feofan was warmly received by Archimandrite Arkady, who provided him with his abbot's cells, and he himself joined the ranks of the senior brethren. For two months after this, the saint bore the obedience of the abbot, full of various concerns, attending all services together with the brethren. On Sundays and holidays he celebrated the Liturgy. According to the monk who was his subdeacon, during the Divine service Vladyka Theophan was distinguished by “complete composure. His face became lighter as he approached the main moments of the priestly service.” He did not give lectures, but his very service before the throne of God was a living lesson for everyone. “It burned like a candle or an unquenchable lamp before the faces of Christ, the Mother of God the Intercessor and the saints of God; the saint closed his eyes in order to collect his mind and heart. Deeply immersed in prayer, he seemed to completely renounce the outside world, from everything around him. It often happened that the monk who brought him the prosphora at the end of the Liturgy stood for some time, waiting for the great prayer book to descend into the spirits of our lower world and notice him.” Soon the Vyshensky ascetic asked to be relieved of the troubles of managing the monastery. And on September 19, 1866, the Holy Synod released the hermit bishop from administrative duties, granting him a pension. Fr. became rector again. Arkady. At the same time, Bishop Theophan was given the right to serve whenever he wished, and the brethren were subordinate to him in church service and were obliged to provide for his life. The long-awaited solitude finally came, by the grace of God. The rigor of the statutory worship, which distinguished the Vyshenskaya Hermitage, was consonant with the heart of St. Feofan. Many times he expressed his love for this holy place: “I feel great here. The order here is truly monastic. We will have services for about ten hours.” “You will call me happy. I feel like such, and I would not exchange my Highness not only for the St. Petersburg Metropolis, but also for the Patriarchate, if it were restored to us 8 and I was appointed to it.” “The heights can only be exchanged for the Kingdom of Heaven.” He and the brethren attended Vespers, Matins and early Liturgy every day. However, after five months it was discovered that the exact execution of the Vyshensky Charter was incompatible with writing. At that hour when the monks were going to bed, he was just beginning to work on spiritual works. The lamp in his cell, which became cramped due to the huge library, often burned until the hour when he had to go to Matins. Extreme overwork forced the ascetic to attend church only during the early Liturgy. In the winter of 1866, Abbot Arkady began to erect a second, wooden floor above the prosforni building, which was lined with brick on the outside and equipped with a balcony. In September of the following year, the hermit bishop moved here. His cells consisted of a reception room, a study, a library and a small bedchamber. You could go upstairs using an attached staircase. Eyewitnesses noted the simplicity of the furnishings of these chambers. The furniture was very ordinary and old. The wooden walls were not plastered - the saint, like many Russian people, liked log houses, from which a healthy woody aroma emanated. On the first floor, next to the prosphora. lived the Vladyka's cell attendant, novice Evdokim (Fedorov), who took monastic vows in 1873 with the name Evlampius. Saint Theophan called him to him by knocking on the floor 9. One of the Tambov bishops suggested that the ascetic create more comfortable conditions, to which he, of course, did not agree. Comparing the life of St. Theophan with the life of his favorite spiritual writer, St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, we see what an exceptionally important role Archimandrite Arkady played in the life of the first abbot of the Vyshensk Hermitage. Unlike the abbots of the Zadonsk Monastery, who did not like St. Tikhon and made it difficult for him to write spiritual works, Abbot Arkady became a kind of “deputy in the rear” in the war waged by St. Feofan with the enemy of our salvation. He supplied the saint with everything he needed and “strove to provide him with complete peace of mind, so that nothing would disturb or disturb him.” Hegumen Arkady (in the world Andrei Chestonov) was eleven years younger than St. Feofan. He was born in the Tambov region in the family of deacon Ioann Chestonov. In 1853 he took monastic vows in Cherneyevo in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Monastery, in the same year he was ordained a hierodeacon, and in 1857 a hieromonk and served as a clerk. Noting his abilities, Bishop Macarius (Bulgakov) suggested Fr. Arkady moved to the Tambov Kazan Monastery, and a year later he was appointed housekeeper of the bishop's house. When St. Theophan replaced Vladika Macarius at the Tambov See, Fr. Arkady, distinguished by “especially simplicity and kindness, sociability and non-covetousness,” became the saint’s spiritual interlocutor and confidant. Having taken over the administration of the Vyshenskaya hermitage, he asked the Holy Synod for permission for the residents of Tambov, Kirsanov and Morshansk, who were delivered by the Mother of God from cholera through the prayers of Her miraculous icon, to transport the Vyshenskaya shrine through the cities of the province in a procession to serve prayer services in the warm season. Father Abbot “knew how to combine two important qualities: he was a wonderful administrator and a real monk.” During the period of his management of the monastery, a huge Nativity Cathedral was erected, architecturally similar to the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior (in 1874 - 1890), hotels for pilgrims and wanderers were built, an almshouse and a pharmacy were opened. “We receive from the world and must give to the world,” he said. Through the efforts of the active rector, the Shatsk Theological School was landscaped, a school building was erected in the village of Shamorga and a church in the village of Zolotaya Polyana. In the village of Kuple he built a school, many peasants received help from him. Grateful memory of the kindness of Fr. Arkady is passed down from generation to generation by local residents. Next to his name in the memory of his descendants are the names of Sergei Kirillovich, Emmanuil Dimitrievich and Alexandra Nikolaevna Naryshkin - benefactors of the Vyshenskaya Hermitage and the entire Tambov province, relatives of the crowned Romanov family. Thanks to their generous donations, Archimandrite Arkady brought the monastery to a flourishing state. Saint Theophan treated the Naryshkin family - true believers of Russian nobles - with great warmth. During all 45 years and 7 months of the great labors of Abbot Arkady, the rules of the monastery were sacredly kept on Above. “It’s so quiet in our monastery,” wrote St. Feofan, - that it is fitting to marvel. This is our Abba's business. He is very prayerful and seems to have accepted the gift of unceasing prayer.” Another time the saint emphasized that in monasteries “everything depends on the abbots. If God sends you good things, everything is good. Not like that - everything is upside down. For example, we have a dissolved Paradise... Such a deep world!” “Writing is a necessary service of the Church” The number and variety of spiritual writings of St. Feofana is unusually large. In 1868, their publication began in the magazine “Home Conversation for People's Reading,” whose editor, Viktor Ipatievich Askochensky, courageously fought against the propaganda of revolutionary ideas and called on the people to preserve the holy Orthodox faith. The saint wrote many articles for this magazine, and the book “The Path to Salvation (A Brief Essay on Asceticism)” was published in it. This book shows “three stages of a person’s life in Christ, which, by their nature, can be called this: the first - turning to God, the second - purification or self-correction, the third - sanctification. In the first, man turns from darkness to light, from the realm of Satan to God; on the second, he cleanses his heart from all impurities in order to accept Christ the Lord coming to him; on the third, the Lord comes, dwells in the heart and sups with it (see Rev. 3:20). This state of blissful communion with God is the goal of all labors and exploits! To depict all these and define them by rules means to indicate the path to salvation.” In 1869 – 1871 in “Home Conversation” the reflections of St. were published. Feofan for church readings for each day of the year, which compiled the book “Thoughts for Every Day of the Year,” which helps to comprehend the fragments of the Gospel heard in the church. “Letters on Spiritual Life” was published in the same magazine, the purpose of which was “to present a picture of spiritual life in all its manifestations, to give those who are zealous about it some necessary instructions, to provide them with an opportunity to take up the same subjects and think about how to apply them to themselves.” In 1869 St. Theophan published an interpretation of the 33rd Psalm, and in 1871 - an interpretation of the Six Psalms, which shows how to draw lessons from the Psalms of David “for the ordering of thoughts and a good mood of the heart.” In 1874 - 1877 a profound explanation of Psalm 118 appeared in print. “Here is an abbreviation of all the Fathers and all the teaching about spiritual life,” the saint wrote about him. In 1881, the Vyshensky ascetic published interpretations on the 1st, 2–1 and 51st psalms. In 1871, his “Instructions by which anyone for himself can compose one consistent Gospel story from the four Gospels” were published. Then the saint wrote reflections on the Gospel story. As a result, in 1885, the book “The Gospel story of God the Son, who became incarnate for our salvation, in sequential order, set out in the words of the holy evangelists” was published. The number of sources with which St. worked. Feofan, it’s huge: it’s about three and a half thousand books on theology, church history and various branches of human knowledge, as well as fiction. The private library collected by the ascetic Vyshenskaya in his retreat was one of the largest in Russia, and half consisted of foreign books that he read in the original. Two Saints about the World of Angels Standing somewhat apart from the works of Bishop Theophan are his reviews of the book of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninova) “The Word of Death.” This book by St. Feofan rated it highly overall, noting in a letter to St. German Zosimovsky (Gomzin) that she is “very edifying.” At the same time, he spoke about the holiness of its author: “That the Right Reverend pleased God, there is no doubt,” his works express “the direct truth about spiritual life, and all in the words of the Fathers.” However, those places in this work where St. Ignatius argued that the immateriality of souls and Angels is relative and that they have “subtle bodies” - they called St. Feofan's objections. In 1865, he sent a letter to the author of “A Lay on Death” in which he wrote: “Spiritual phenomena do not fit in at all with matter, no matter how you refine it.” At the same time, he admitted that the human soul, “itself spiritual, has a light shell. with whom he is not separated - neither in the body nor outside the body. The Angels have a similar shell.” In the reply message of St. Ignatius substantiated his statement with the thought of the limited nature of the spirits created by God: “Everything that is limited necessarily depends on space... Any space cannot be alien to matter... In the proper sense, the One Unbound by space is immaterial - God. Created spirits are incorporeal in relation to us.” In 1864, “Addition to the word about death” was published. But St. Theophan with additional arguments from St. Ignatius did not agree, and in 1867 he published the essay “The Soul and the Angel - not the body, but the spirit.” For this book St. Ignatius could not answer the earthly woman: in the same year he departed to the Lord. Biography of St. Ignatius Leonid Sokolov believed that, speaking about the endowment of souls with “subtle bodies” (or “shells”), both saints wrote, in essence, about the same thing, and therefore “we are dealing not so much with a disagreement, but with a misunderstanding, which could easily be completely eliminated in a personal conversation or even in the correspondence of ascetic bishops.” The time of retreat, according to the biography, became the “center of life” of St. Theophan, “for then his great labors and exploits, and above all, his feat of prayer, were revealed in full force.” Temptations to leave Vysha rose up against the saint more than once. Like St. Tikhon of Zadonsky, he was tormented by thoughts that he had left the department early. Tempting offers were received: either he was offered to manage the Moscow diocese, or to sit in the judicial department of the Holy Synod, or he was invited to Athos, or to his beloved Kyiv Lavra. He courageously rejected all this. However, St. Feofan soon began to feel that communication with people was distracting him from the main thing that his soul was striving for - being alone with God. “He saw clearly that both were incompatible. And then the thought of a complete shutdown appeared.” Having spent the Great Lent of 1873 in solitude, the saint on Holy Saturday expressed a desire to serve with the brethren on Easter. But immediately after the first Easter service he returned to solitude and, having distributed all his property to those in need, completely broke off communication with the outside world, with the exception of writing. While in retreat, only hegumen Arkady, his cell attendant, and his confessor could visit him. Even for those who came to the Vyshenskaya Monastery of the future martyr, Grand Duchess Elisaveta Feodorovna, her husband, Grand Duke Sergius Alexandrovich (in 1886) and Righteous John of Kronstadt (in 1890), the ascetic did not violate his solitude. “It’s not good for anyone to see me,” he testifies. “The only thing that suits me best is sitting, and if I could add to this, crying, which my petrified heart does not allow.” Exception of St. Feofan made only for two bishops who ruled the Tambov diocese - Bishops Palladius and Vitaly 10. In 1878, the saint built a home church in the name of the Epiphany near the western wall of his second room. Here he celebrated the Liturgy according to the rite of the Palestinian and Athonite hermits, “in the first 10 years of complete seclusion every Sunday and holiday, and in the last 11 years - every day, usually early in the morning.” 11 St. Theophan often prayed at night, considering it the best time to raise thoughts to God. We learn about his secret struggle with demons and passions from his letters: “The enemy does not tempt the laity. The world stands up for him against them. And there is no one to tempt the renouncers. Here he is as his own person. And, of course, mastery and skill come out.” The Recluse Vyshensky spent 22 years in the labors and exploits of solitude. What was the order of his life in seclusion? We know about this partly from his letters and partly from the memoirs of Abbot Arkady. “The saint got up very early. Having completed the cell rule. he went to his home church and served Matins and Liturgy there, fervently praying to God for all living and dead Christians. He especially loved to pray for his departed parents, relatives, archpastors and all Christians who had died from time immemorial. Monk Evlampius had been preparing church wine, prosphora and vestments for him since the evening. The bishop dressed in the simplest and lightest bishop's clothes. When asked by one of the people close to him how he served the Liturgy, His Grace Theophan answered: “I serve according to the service book in silence, and sometimes I sing.” When for some reason the saint could not perform the usual divine services, you fulfilled the number of Jesus prayers prescribed in the church charter. At the end of the service, he returned from the church to his cell and here indulged in contemplation and prayer. The tenderness that he received in church did not suddenly pass and force him to immerse himself in the mysteries of salvation and Divine care for us.” Until two o'clock in the afternoon St. Feofan usually wrote his creations. Then he had lunch. In the last years of his life, his entire meal consisted of one egg and a glass of milk. After lunch he rested a little, and then began handicrafts, which were very varied and contributed to his spiritual labors. After the death of the Vyshensky Recluse, tools for binding books and wood carving, a camera and a lathe, a telescope and two microscopes, a violin, and geographical and historical atlases were discovered in his cells. For some time he learned the notes to perform church music on the harmonium, which he jokingly called a “buzzer.” The graceful balusters of the staircase leading to the saint's chambers were presumably carved by him himself. For a successful fight against materialism, St. Feofan studied natural sciences: mathematics, physics, observed celestial bodies through a telescope, and explored the microcosm with the help of a microscope. But he especially loved the holy art of icon painting, about which he wrote: “This is my joy.” The saint spent one or two hours a day walking along the balcony, covered with a shield of boards, which he called “color sawn”, since he made cuts in them shaped like small flowers. From here he quietly observed the work on the construction of a majestic cathedral in the monastery in the name of the Nativity of Christ. Those in need knew that if they approached under the balcony with a prayer, a bundle of money would fall at their feet. and orphans - that candy specially stored for them might fly from above. 12 Father of the Russian "Philokalia" Saint Theophan strove to make the heritage of the Eastern Fathers of the Church a close and beloved reading for Orthodox Christians in Russia. To this end, he began translating into Russian the “Philokalia” - a collection of works by the Holy Fathers of antiquity about spiritual life in Christ. First, the bishop translated the teachings of St. Anthony the Great, St. Theoliptus of Philadelphia, St. Maximus the Confessor and began translating the writings of St. Simeon the New Theologian, which he called “the abyss of spiritual wisdom.” Then he compiled a collection of deeply instructive, mostly repentant, prayers to St. Ephraim the Syrian and gave it a name reminiscent of the Psalter beloved by the Orthodox people: “The Psalter, or Godly reflections of our holy father Ephraim the Syrian.” “No one knows how to stir up a sleeping soul like Saint Ephraim. But who has his works? This little collection will serve instead of them,” wrote St. Feofan. Finally, at the beginning of 1875, he began compiling the first volume of the Philokalia. About the significance of this body of divinely wise teachings, the saint in the preface to it noted: “The Philokalia contains an interpretation of the life hidden in the Lord Jesus Christ, of how a truly Christian life begins, reveals itself and ascends to perfection... The grace of God calls everyone to such a life; and for everyone it is not only possible, but also obligatory, because it contains the essence of Christianity.” “The Philokalia” was first translated in Russia into Church Slavonic by St. Paisiy Velichkovsky. His translation was highly accurate, but already in the second half of the 19th century. was difficult to accept. The translation language needed to be updated, while clarifying complex concepts in such a way as to enable modern people to become acquainted with the works of the ancient Holy Fathers. The work of the Vyshensky Recluse on the translation of the Philokalia was co-authored with the ancient Holy Fathers. In his letters from Above we find many lines breathing love for the saints of God, admiration for the height of their theology and spiritual perfection. So, oh St. He told Theodore Studite that this saint was “a fiery spirit - and the word flowed from the heart with warmth and strength.” “Wise father! Tender hearted and humble!” And here are his words about another great ascetic of Orthodoxy: “Reverend Simeon the New Theologian is an invaluable treasure. More than anyone else, he inspires zeal for an inner life of grace.” In 1885 – 1886 Bishop Theophan, at the request of the Russian monks who labored on Holy Mount Athos, creatively revised and published the book of St. Nicodemus of the Svyatogorets "Invisible Warfare". In Russian, it represents, as it were, the joint work of St. Nicodemus and St. Theophan, who wrote entire new chapters on prayer and excluded all Western borrowings that were alien to the teachings of the Holy Fathers. The saint recommended this creation to those who wish to acquire true repentance in the fight against passions and prayer, without which the union of the soul with God is impossible. The Russian “Philokalia” in five volumes, translated by the Recluse Vyshensky, was published in 1877–1890. inhabitants of the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on Holy Mount Athos. In January 1890, for “remarkable numerous theological works,” the St. Petersburg Theological Academy elevated St. Feofan's degree in Doctor of Theology. All theological academies of the Russian Orthodox Church elected him as an honorary member. In 1892, the last book translated by St. was published. Feofan - “Ancient Monastic Rules”, which according to his plan was to become an additional, sixth volume of the “Philokalia”. This was an invaluable gift from the great Christian teacher to his beloved Russian monasticism. Revealing the secrets of spiritual life Over the course of ten years, from 1872 to 1882, Saint Theophan, for the first time in Russian biblical studies, compiled interpretations of all the Epistles of the Holy Apostle Paul. He called these interpretations “conversational,” emphasizing their edifying nature. They rely on the writings of the ancient teachers of the Church, primarily St. John Chrysostom, and are distinguished by both the depth of theological thought and the liveliness of presentation. Explaining the word of God, St. Feofan closely followed the Synodal translation of the Holy Scriptures into Russian. Unlike the professors, who based their translation on the Hebrew text, the saint believed that when creating a Russian translation, one should use exclusively the Greek Bible - the Septuagint. The text of the Septuagint was created at the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by the council of translators of the ancient Old Testament Church - seventy-two interpreters, and was recognized as sacred by the Ecumenical Councils. “The Church of God does not know the Hebrew Bible,” asserted the Recluse Vyshensky. “She received the Bible in the Seventy translation from the Apostles and still preserves it. She was also called “God-inspired” wherever this was discussed. So it is at the Councils, so are all the Holy Fathers.” “Ignite hearts - that’s what we need” The Vyshensky educator was an outstanding missionary of his time. It is no coincidence that in 1879, Equal-to-the-Apostles Nicholas of Japan (Kasatkin), through the Synod, invited him to work together in the land of the rising sun. But St. Feofan did not leave his solitude. In the struggle for the salvation of the souls of his compatriots, he zealously exposed false teachers, both new and old. He “never missed an opportunity to say his weighty word in denouncing Catholicism.” Thus, in December 1890, the saint remarked: “Rumors are also reaching our forest that Catholics are sowing their wicked teachings, and as if with success.” Following this, Vladyka turned to the editor of the journal “Church Gazette” with a proposal to compile a book with a detailed refutation of all Catholic errors, “with which in his hands, an Orthodox Christian could reflect the nonsense of the priests.” No less decisively St. Feofan opposed the activities of Protestant sects, about which he wrote in 1891: “Catholics have muddied the apostolic Tradition. The Protestants set out to correct the matter - and made it even worse. Catholics have one pope, but Protestants have one pope, no matter the Protestant.” When the Pashkov sect arose in St. Petersburg, which developed its activities with the support of many people from the capital's elite, St. Feofan published accusatory letters, “in which Pashkov’s false teaching as one of the branches of Protestantism is examined with remarkable breadth and thoroughness.” These letters were highly appreciated by the Holy Synod, published in large numbers and widely distributed in places of sectarian activity. The ascetic also opposed the false teaching of Leo Tolstoy, whom he considered “the most evil of modern heretics, both in the direction of his teaching and in the degree of its spread. The saint’s letters regarding Tolstoyanism are full of deep indignation, truly breathing with the fiery enthusiasm of the ancient zealots of piety.” The saint was alien to any duality in relation to the distortion of the dogmas of Christianity: “It has become fashionable for us to deal tenderly with all false teachers and their lies,” he wrote. – Should it be so? Look how the holy apostles and the Lord Himself called those who teach differently: blind leaders (Matthew 23:24). And this is what their teachings were called: the snares of the devil (2 Tim. 2:26). This is how one should speak to heretics and about heretics. If they were announced everywhere as they should, there would be no desire to listen to such infectors.” The saint’s thoughts about the need for active missionary work and the fact that formalism and lukewarmness should not be allowed in this regard are also relevant in our time: “They will collect some money, buy books and begin to give them away for free or sell them at a cheap price. That's it. Dead. There are no living actors. And societies will not bring the expected benefits. Arsonists must burn themselves. Grief, walk everywhere - and in oral conversation set your heart on fire... This is what we need! “Block the source of trouble” Having gone into seclusion, St. Feofan never ceased to passionately love his Earthly Motherland and vigilantly observed the state of his contemporary society. He wanted Russia to be a great power - the defender of the Holy Orthodox Church in the world, and prayed that the Russian people would not depart from Orthodoxy. The saint more than once emphasized the originality of our state structure and called on his compatriots to remain faithful to the legitimate authorities. “In addition to the forms of government formed in the West,” he taught, “there is also autocracy, paternal patriarchal rule. Western malicious superstition does not understand him. It is understandable only to a true believer, who contemplates the unity of command in the Most Holy Trinity, and in the angelic world - a single Archangel, and in the Church of God - a single Head, in the family of the father, caringly but independently acting for the good of all. This should be considered the best, since it is in fact the best and most perfect.” In 1876, Russia's war for the liberation of the Bulgarians, thirty thousand of whom had previously been slaughtered with monstrous cruelty by Turkish religious fanatics, became inevitable. The saint, who knew firsthand the Bulgarian people and their suffering, published “Three Letters on the Eastern Question,” addressed to the Russian vice-consul in Varna. In them, Vladyka blessed the liberation mission of Russian soldiers. With the outbreak of hostilities in 1877, he closely monitored the progress of the offensive of our troops and constantly prayed to God for the victory of the Christ-loving army. “When the abbot of the monastery, Fr. Arkady had to visit the recluse at this time, then the Eminence unfolded atlases and maps, indicated the deployment of our troops, made assumptions as to what should be undertaken and conquered in the near future, and expressed complete confidence in the victory of the Russians.” Today it is especially useful to know the views of St. Feofan on the causes of terrorism. After the assassination of Emperor Alexander II in 1881, he wrote that contemporaries, understanding the danger of revolutionary extremism, nevertheless did not want to “block the source of trouble” - the propaganda of false, materialistic values ​​in Russia. The Vyshensky ascetic believed that this could not but lead to the destruction of the Russian state, persecution of the Church and massacres. The saint saw the antidote to the revolutionary infection in strict moral censorship of the media and in declaring the propaganda of godlessness a criminal offense: “Freedom of ideas must be suppressed - the mouths of journalists and newspapermen must be silenced. Declare disbelief a state crime. Material views are prohibited under penalty of death.” To some, these views may seem extreme. But Orthodox people who survived the communist revolution of 1917 assessed them completely differently. Archbishop Averky (Taushev) of Syracuse and Trinity wrote about the herald of the Russian Golgotha in an article dedicated to the seventieth anniversary of his repose: “It is remarkable that Saint Theophan, the meekest, most loving and most gracious, was mercilessly strict towards all the sowers of unbelief and ungodliness, who were dragging Russia into the abyss of destruction. The God-illumined saint, seeing in his spirit all those countless bloody horrors that befell our unfortunate Motherland as a result of the strengthening of these materialistic views, proposed the most decisive, radical measures, which we did not want to resort to at one time. Everything predicted by Bishop Theophan, As we see now, has come true. First, a hidden, and then open persecution of Christianity began, reaching such great proportions that the Russian Church became like the martyr's Church of the first centuries of Christianity. The prophecy of St. was fulfilled. Theophan that “the Lord will again send us the same teachers of ours to bring us to our senses and put us on the path of correction,” for “this is the law of God’s truth: those who are drawn to it are healed from sin.” We were carried away by Western materialist theories, nihilism, Marxism-communism - the Lord sent us in sealed carriages the leaders of Marxo-communism, Lenin and Trotsky, favored by our intelligent society, with their “comrades” so that they “would bring us to our senses” - so that we would repent and turn to God. From all this we can be convinced of what a truly prophetic service our great, God-wise mentor, His Eminence Theophan, carried out, trying to enlighten our unfortunate Russian people with his fiery word at the saddest time of their historical existence.” )From the article “The Herald of God’s Punishment for the Russian People,” 1964) The greatest virtue In one of the sermons of St. Theophan said: “Alms are the greatest virtue, the most valuable to God and closest to His Throne.” And he demonstrated this virtue with his life. “It seems that this is why he withdrew from the world, so that from the height of his feat he could more clearly see the urgent needs and ailments of our time and, as fully as possible, provide the necessary help,” wrote Fr. Petr Smirnov. Having granted all rights to publish his books to the Russian Panteleimon Monastery on Holy Mount Athos, he did not receive any profit from their sale, thus being one of the regular donors to this monastery. The recluse Vyshensky sent his bishop's pension and donations from benefactors to those in need in different parts of Russia “immediately upon receipt, as if fearing to miss the opportunity to do a possible good and to keep for himself, even for a short time, what he did not consider to belong to himself.” As Easter and the Nativity of Christ approached, he sent ten or more envelopes with money to widows, orphans and other people who asked for his help, leaving himself only funds to buy books. The saint’s enormous correspondence became a great work of spiritual mercy. Often the post office delivered 20 to 40 letters a day to Vysha, and he gave an answer to each of them. According to one of the saint’s hagiographers, Fr. Mikhail Khitrov, “the letters of His Grace Theophan are a true treasure. Once you start reading his correspondence, you won’t soon tear yourself away from the inspired pages. What freshness and elegance of style, what an amazing wealth of all kinds of comparisons, what simplicity and warmth are connected everywhere in every letter! The spiritual height to which St. Feofan, allowed him to sensitively grasp the needs of his addressees. When they chose the monastic path, Vladyka was incredibly happy and helped them with his advice to properly conduct their residence in the monastery. The Vyshensky ascetic also blessed his pious stay in the world: “You can be saved everywhere, and salvation does not depend on the place and not on the external environment, but on the inner mood. You just need to watch and preserve yourself in a certain order of life, in the memory of God and death, and always keep a contrite and humble feeling in your soul.” The saint cared very much about family people: “Take care of your mutual love with your wife. This is the source of a happy family life. But you need to take care of it so that it doesn’t get clogged.” The correspondence of St. is amazingly rich. Feofan with his spiritual daughter Princess Nadezhda Kugusheva and her children: Prince Ilya, princesses Anastasia (nicknamed by him “Chernichka”) and Alexandra (“Squirrel”). Alexandra subsequently accepted monasticism with the name Feofaniya and labored in the Martha and Mary monastery, founded by the Venerable Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth. This correspondence lasted for decades and consisted of more than 400 letters. They are distinguished by their sincerity, clarity of style and contain an invaluable treasure of advice on Christian upbringing and how to communicate with children, including in adolescence. The saint’s messages formed the basis of such books as “Letters on Spiritual Life” (1870–71); “What is spiritual life and how to tune in to it?” (1878); “Letters to Various Persons on Various Objects of Faith in Life” (1880); “The Outline of Christian Moral Teaching” (1891). “His Grace Theophan saved many from spiritual death with his letters, revived many to a new life, directed many on the path of truth, and showed everyone effective means for moral improvement,” says the biography of the saint, Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov). Of great importance are the advice of the Vyshensky ascetic to his addressees on how to perform prayers correctly and pleasing to God: “Prayer is the test of everything; prayer is the source of everything; prayer is the engine of everything; prayer is the director of everything. As long as the prayer is correct, everything is correct.” A special place is occupied by the saint’s answers to questions from Fr. Herman (Gomzin), a resident of the Gethsemane monastery of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra (later the confessor and abbot of the Smolensk Zosimova Monastery, canonized in 2000) and the monks of the Transfiguration Valaam Monastery: Schemamonk Agapius and Archimandrite Agafangel. These messages are about the Jesus Prayer. We are of one mind with St. Theophan and the venerable elders of Optina Hermitage, who experienced the Jesus Prayer and taught it to others. The “Good Optina Elders” and the Vladyka treated each other with deep respect. In the cell of St. Ambrose there was a portrait of the Vyshensky Recluse. And St. Barsanuphius wrote an inspired poem on his death. Very high St. Theophan raised the judgments of Saint Macarius of Optina on the correct performance of the Jesus Prayer, citing them in his letters when analyzing complex issues; advised his spiritual children to re-read the books of his letters more often: “Blessed are his books. A deep spirit of humility blows through them and inspires it on everyone who reads.” The Optina elders provided great assistance to St. Theophanes in the translation of the Philokalia. At his request, Rev. Isaac I (Antimonov) sent to Vysha the manuscript of the translation of “The Words of Abba Isaiah the Hermit,” made by St. Paisiy Velichkovsky. The higher St. ascended. Theophan in his desire for God, the more he humbled himself. “Humility is the basis of everything,” taught the Recluse Vyshensky, and about himself he wrote to one of those who praised him from the bottom of his heart: “There has never been a worse bishop in the whole world than me at all times.” At the same time, no one ever heard words of condemnation from him, no matter what sins anyone committed. He did not want to listen to gossip about the lives of his neighbors. One day, a monk, out of spiritual need, came to His Grace Theophan. Seeing him especially affectionate and cheerful, the monk dared to tell one “innocent” news from the life of the brethren of the monastery. The saint suddenly closed his eyes, sat as if immersed in prayer and did not utter a word in response to the news. Several minutes passed, the monk came to his senses that he had sinned. Then the Vladyka opened his eyes and began a conversation, but, according to custom, about one thing that was needed (see book 10; 41, 42): about the salvation of the soul, about our weaknesses, how to live and please God. He sincerely considered himself the last sinner, putting others above himself: “In general, the thought comes to me that people are not entirely good just by chance, but in fact they are good. Therefore, it is better and more correct to consider everyone as saints. The latter can be preferred to even a true trial.” By the end of his earthly journey, the Lord “became childishly innocent. Sometimes the monks who had access to him noticed special joy, peace and love in him.” Wanting to put on the great angelic rank, he sewed a schema for himself with his own hands. But soon the Lord called His saint to the Heavenly abodes. The Vyshensky Recluse was not one of those who advise neglecting earthly means of healing 13 . Intense writing led to cataracts in his right eye, and he secretly went to see doctors twice (in 1878 to Tambov, and in 1879 to Moscow). In the summer of 1888, the eye became completely blind. Nevertheless, the ascetic “continued to work tirelessly with one eye for the last five years, tirelessly until his death,” although he wrote no more than three hours a day. In 1893, Bishop Vitaly (Iosifov), a bishop who visited St. Theophan in his solitude, reposed in the Lord. Having learned about this, the saint blessed Abbot Arkady, who was going to Tambov on business, to go to the St. Panteleimon monastery of the Tambov bishops on the farm of Three Hollows to serve there the funeral Liturgy for the deceased Vladyka. “And when I die, pray for me there too,” added the saint. Excited about. Arkady said: “I pray to God that I die before you.” “Well, this won’t happen, I’ll die soon,” he heard in response. By this time, the great man of prayer had worsened a long-standing illness in his legs, and he was often tormented by cramps. Soon winter came. With the approach of the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, St. Feofan began to feel that his strength was leaving. On the eighteenth of January he asked his cell attendant Fr. Evlampia help him walk. On the morning of the next day, when the patronal feast of his home church, Epiphany, came, he served the Divine Liturgy. But when it was time for lunch, he did not give the conventional sign for a long time. The cell attendant, alarmed by this, looked into the office and saw. that the saint is sitting at the table and writing something. Half an hour later, Vladyka gave the signal, but at lunch he ate only half the usual portion. Without hearing the knock for evening tea, oh. Evlampius again looked into the cell of St. Feofan. He saw him lying on the bed and thought at first that he had lain down to rest. But his heart told him otherwise. Coming closer, the monk discovered that the saint had fallen asleep. His left hand lay on his chest, his right hand was folded as if for a bishop's blessing. “Just as beautiful butterflies, before they fly out into the air, are closed in balls that are ugly to look at, so our inner man matures, despite the rough shell of the flesh and the unseemly external environment. The time will come - he will shed his plump flesh, break free from the external bonds in which the course of this life holds him, and soar to God, into the choir of Angels and Saints, so that he can remain there forever in joy and joy until the future general resurrection, when complete, endless bliss begins,” reflected St. Feofan. Having loved monastic solitude, he died alone with God, to whom he dedicated his entire life. When he was dressed in bishop's robes, a smile clearly appeared on his face for everyone to see. When the bell of the Vyshensky Monastery announced what had happened, streams of people began to flock to the monastery. By the day of the burial their number reached several tens of thousands. Others, despite the Epiphany cold, walked two hundred miles to bow to the great teacher of Christian life and ask for his prayers at the Throne of God. “For three days the body stood in the house church and three days in the monastery cathedral, and decay did not touch it: the deceased had the appearance of a calmly sleeping man.” Bishop Jerome (Exemplary) of Tambov and Shatsk arrived to perform the burial ceremony. The service was unusually solemn. More than fifty priests concelebrated with Bishop Jerome; the cathedral could not accommodate all the worshipers. The farewell was touching. What especially struck everyone was how hard the abbot of the Vyshensky Hermitage took this death. “Archimandrite Arkady, who had seen and experienced a lot in his lifetime, was so shocked by the thought of separation from the saint that when saying goodbye, it was literally difficult to tear him away from his dear ashes. In deep heartache, he fell to the coffin, as if he did not want to part with it. Such an external fact clearly testifies to the extraordinary moral influence that the deceased ruler had on everyone who came into contact with his person. Cell attendant Father Evlampius, who spent his whole life with him, could not live without him even for a short time. From the day of the blessed death of the saint, he was deeply grieved, did not take food, lost sleep, and two weeks later he was gone.” The coffin with the body of the saint was carried in a religious procession three times around the Kazan Cathedral and buried in its right, Vladimir chapel. At this place Fr. Arkady erected a magnificent tombstone made of white marble depicting the three main books of the Russian spiritual light: “Philokalia”, “Interpretation of the Apostolic Epistles” and “Inscriptions of Christian Moral Teaching”. St. Barsanuphius of Optina responded to the ascetic Vyshensky’s abandonment of the earthly vale with the following verses: On the great bright day of Epiphany The Lord called the chosen servant To Heavenly and eternal villages; He fulfilled his destiny The great struggle is over!quote Submissive to the Highest Heavenly command, citataHe entered the path of silence And he completed his great feat, Full of deep meaning. quote In our violent age of spiritual corruption That the highest aspirations in people have not died, And the ideal did not fade in their hearts.citata Invisible to anyone, in deep silence, Spent alone with myself and with God He is time; He shone for the Church of Christ Holy teaching and high reason.citata To God's world, to all its phenomena Looking from the inner, spiritual side, He sought to comprehend the depths Their secret and wonderful meaning.citata Wretched poverty, humble simplicity His solitude showed. There are traces of severe deprivation on everything, And there are no objects of vanity in it.citata Only piles of books are visible everywhere - Great creations of the Holy Fathers, What heavenly aspirations awaken in us, Freeing the spirit from sensual bonds.citata Deep thoughts are reflected in them; They depict bright features Another - non-perishing and eternal beauty; They are filled with holy inspiration... citata He left for posterity as an edification Your creations are great works, The mind of the dispassionate high creature And wondrous feats of spiritual fruit.citata They are imbued with one desire: Fill our path of life with light And inhale the holy fire of jealousy In us, weakened by passions and doubt.citata And many sons of doubt and sorrow, Whose life was barren and empty, Have you read those wonderful and bright tablets, What they taught to know God and Christ, And, full of joy, they listened to their verbs; citata A new feeling then began to tremble in them. And many of them took a different path; And, having overthrown the shackles of lies and seduction, That they took possession of both their hearts and their minds, And filled with grace-filled enlightenment, In humility we prostrated ourselves before Christ.citata And, full of hope and great joy, They glorified the Creator, That he brought them out of this wild captivity, Where is spiritual darkness and endless torment 14 citata.citata Even during the days of the Vyshensky ascetic’s earthly life, many people were confident in his holiness. Both the grace-filled effect of his books and many years of prayerful work in seclusion convinced him of this. The Venerable Elder Barsanuphius of Optina, in a conversation with his disciples, spoke about St. Theophanes: “We all firmly believe that the Lord accepted his pure soul into His Heavenly Kingdom.” The common people sincerely called the saint “Father Theophan.” Before the revolution, his portraits could often be seen next to icons in peasant houses. His name stood second in the commemorations of Tambov residents after the name of the then not yet canonized St. Seraphim of Sarov. Hegumen Arkady was often asked what miracles were happening at the Vladyka’s grave. And there really were miraculous signs. So, soon after the repose of St. Feofan to the Lord in Shatsk was widowed by the wife of a prominent official, the Minister of Finance, Mrs. K-na. “We lived with my husband for almost thirty years in perfect harmony, and it was hard for me to lose him,” she said. “I fell into melancholy, as a result of which nervous spasms in my throat appeared, choking me. Life itself seemed like a burden to me. I asked many people to pray for me. And then, in one blessed moment, in front of the icon of the Queen of Heaven, I prayed to Her to enlighten me on what I needed to do to relieve my soul from excessive sadness. As if in response to this prayer, I heard a quiet voice from the icon, as if in a half-whisper: “We must serve a requiem mass at the grave of the reclusive bishop.” I remembered Vladika Theophan, and the thought barely flashed through my mind: “About him?” - as I heard a voice, already firmly above my ear, pronouncing the word with special emphasis: “Yes!” Having decided to fulfill the Lord’s commandment at the first opportunity, I began to feel much better. Arriving at the Vyshenskaya Hermitage, I did what was indicated to me with great joy, and since then melancholy has never attacked me. Now I find great consolation in prayer.” In May 1904, the hieromonk of the Vyshensk Hermitage Nr, fulfilling the obedience of the chronicler, witnessed a miraculous healing from an eye disease at the burial site of St. Theophan the Recluse. Here is his story. “A peasant woman from the village of Saltykovy Buty, Spassky district, came to Vysha, with sore eyes, almost blind, and after mass she wished to order a memorial service at the grave of His Grace Theophan. As a successive hieromonk, I performed a custom funeral service. Interested in this case, I asked the woman how she knew the name of the Most Reverend Theophan and for what reason she ordered the memorial service. The peasant woman replied that she had been suffering from a serious eye disease for a long time; she had been treated by a doctor, but had received no help. She often prayed for a long time at night, asking the Lord for healing. During one of these night prayers, a monk appeared to her and told her to go to the Assumption Vyshenskaya Hermitage and pray for a memorial service at the grave of Bishop Theophan. The vision was repeated twice more, and she arrived at Vysha. After several days of fervent prayers during divine services, the peasant woman returned home, having received healing.” And in June of the same year, the abbess of one of the Kostroma monasteries, F-ta, visited the Vyshenskaya hermitage. Hieromonk Nr, having talked with the pilgrim, learned that she was a great admirer of the memory of St. Feofan. During the life of the ascetic, she received several letters from him resolving dubious and perplexing questions, and after his death, in all difficulties, she prayerfully turned to him for help and advice. Shortly before her arrival, the saint appeared to her and ordered her to pray earnestly on Above. On the tenth anniversary of the death of the Bishop, the book “The Life and Teachings of the Most Reverend Theophan, the Vyshensky Recluse” was published, written by the caretaker of the Shatsk Theological School, Professor Pyotr Alekseevich Smirnov, who later took holy orders. Fr. participated in the compilation of this first biography of the Bishop. Arkady. For the edification of the believers, he blessed pilgrims to visit the saint’s chambers, in which all the furnishings were carefully preserved. Abba Arkady reposed in the Lord on November 1, 1907. His monastic journey to his beloved Christ lasted sixty-two years. In 1909, Bishop Kirill (Smirnov) of Tambov and Shatsk 15 introduced into the custom the annual celebration of funeral Liturgies on the days of remembrance of the then not yet canonized saints John of Kronstadt, Theophan the Recluse, Pitirim of Tambov and Ambrose of Optina. During these days, the entire Tambov clergy congregated to serve a requiem service for the repose of the wondrous ascetics of piety, which testified to the faith of their contemporaries in their glorification in the Heavenly Church and future glorification on earth. And in 1915, despite wartime, celebrations dedicated to the centenary of the birth of the saint were held in the Vyshenskaya Hermitage. Their leader, Vladyka Zinovy ​​(Drozdov), Bishop of Kozlov, after the Divine Liturgy said: “Happy are you, brothers, that you can fall to the tomb of St. Theophan and ask for his holy prayers and intercession before the Throne of the Most High for us sinners. He is our guiding star! Let us imitate him to the best of our ability.” Thirty-six years before the 1917 revolution, St. Feofan wrote about the underlying causes of the impending upheavals: “How did the French Revolution proceed? First, materialistic views spread. They shook religious beliefs. There was general disbelief: “There is no God”; “man is a lump of dirt”; “there is nothing to wait for beyond the grave.” Despite, however, the fact that the lump of dirt could be trampled on by everyone, they said: “Don’t touch it! Give me freedom! And they gave it! Demands began - in some places reasonable, then half-smart, then crazy. And everything went upside down. What do we have?! In our country, materialistic views are gaining more and more weight. Unbelief and immorality are also expanding. The demand for freedom and self-government is expressed freely. It turns out that we are also on the path to revolution.” The revolution in the Tambov region began with executions. In 1918, the peasants of the village of Konobeevo asked the monks to make a religious procession from the Vysha with the miraculous icon of the Mother of God to pray for deliverance from the Spanish flu epidemic. The security officers grabbed the priest with the icon and began to terribly mock him. Having learned about this, people in a huge crowd went to help out the priest and the shrine. “Fighters for a Brighter Future” opened fire with a machine gun and killed many, including women and children. And in 1919, the communists decided to kill eighty-year-old, almost blind Alexandra Nikolaevna Naryshkina, who devoted all her strength and resources to the improvement of the workers and peasants of the Tambov region. She died of a broken heart while being led to execution. At Vyshe, on the site of the exploits of the great Christian educator, the Bolsheviks set up a “children’s town named after. III International". In this incubator they raised little monsters: on the site of the cemetery, a vegetable garden was laid out for the children. At the same time, the district police were ordered to destroy in churches “objects and inscriptions that offend the revolutionary feeling of the working masses.” What kind of “feelings” motivated these “masses” is eloquently evidenced by the memo that has reached us from a member of the RCP(b) N. Karasev: “Now the Vyshensky Monastery is being plundered. Furniture on its own, but damage to the market. I know that in the Vyshensky Monastery there is something to profit from, not just furniture. There were more reserves there than anywhere else." The monastery's land and exemplary farmstead were taken away, which were then also stolen and sold. The monastery library was taken to Shatsk and burned. Undoubtedly, the same fate would have befallen the saint's library if it had not been acquired from his relatives by Moscow merchants, the Losev brothers, who brought it as a gift to the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Tolmachi 16. In 1923, the monastic community was expelled from the monastery, and in 1924 it was forbidden to perform divine services in the Kazan Cathedral, where St. Feofan. However, the monks did not leave the holy place, but lived in neighboring villages, still conducting the service according to the charter of the desert. Its last rector was Hieromonk Dorofey (Anikin), who continued to live with four brothers in a small cell on the territory of the monastery. “The people loved him very much and came to him for advice. There is a known case when, during a drought, through his prayer, the Lord gave people rain. He provided help to those in need and performed services for the poor free of charge.” At the same time, Fr. Dorofey prayed for the persecutors - the Soviet regime, and at funeral services he always remembered the Russian Sovereigns. During interrogation after his arrest, he said: “We are obliged to remember and pray for everyone, and first of all for those who offend. As an offender, first of all, I prayed for the Soviet regime.” In 1931, on a false accusation of “organizing protests against collective farms,” Fr. Dorofey and many believers in the area were sent to concentration camps, and in 1932 the priest was strangled in prison. Soon the cathedral in the name of the Nativity of Christ was finally closed, and in 1938 the mentally ill were moved into the walls of the monastery. At the same time, a “violent department” was set up in the very place where the holy recluse labored. And all the years of Soviet power, the Orthodox Christians who lived in these parts brought food to Vysha for the hungry patients. Long decades of godlessness dragged on... But when they passed, former doctors of the hospital said that sometimes at night lamps were lit in the ruined church and singing was heard. And in the mornings, an elder would appear from somewhere “with a towel on his shoulder” (as the nurses described the bishop’s omophorion) and say: “Go away, you don’t belong here!” And he moved away, but no one saw where. In Soviet times, the republication of the saint's works in the Fatherland was prohibited, but they were repeatedly published by Orthodox people abroad (most often by the publishing house of the Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville). Study of the life and works of St. Theophan was revived in 1969, when, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Pimen, the seventy-fifth anniversary of the repose of the Recluse of Vyshensky was celebrated in the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, and preparations began for his canonization. The story of the secret discovery of the relics of a saint is unusual. It began with the fact that a graduate of the Moscow Theological Academy, Georgy Glazunov 17, was ordained as a priest and in March 1972 was sent to serve in his native Shatsk region, as the rector of the church in the name of St. Sergius of Radonezh in the village of Emmanuilovka. By this time, this modest church, located not far from the Vyshensky Monastery, had already kept within its walls for a quarter of a century the main shrine of the monastery devastated by the communists: the Orthodox in 1918 saved the miraculous Kazan Vyshensky Icon. Its guardian, priest Vasily Yakovlev, in 1947 was appointed to serve in the newly opened Emmanuelovka church - the only one operating in the area. One day, during home prayer, the priest and his family saw how the miraculous image of the Queen of Heaven began to fall out of the iconostasis. This was repeated several times, after which the priest transferred the icon to the church. When the young priest Georgy Glazunov arrived in Emmanuilovka, hegumen Mark (Lozinsky) 18 and two graduates of the Academy soon came to him to “drink tea”: hieromonks Elevfery (Didenko) 19 and Georgy (Tertyshnikov) 20. With the blessing of the most famous confessor of our Church, Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov), they were to receive the relics of St. Theophan the Recluse. “Everything was kept in the strictest confidence. Only Father Mark, Father George, Father Eleutherius and I knew about the relics, and even Father Kirill,” recalls Fr. Georgy Glazunov. To do this, the priest met some hospital workers. “I knew a storekeeper there,” he says. “I asked her to open the Kazan Church for us, which was then located under a warehouse. We examined everything. The desolation was terrible, the windows were broken, everything was dirty with bird droppings, some barrels, tires, and pieces of iron had been thrown around. We washed the tombstone of the saint’s grave - a subway-thick marble slab; she stood above the crypt, in which a hole was punched in the side. It could have been opened, they were looking for some treasures, gold. As they broke through the crypt, apparently some pieces of iron and pipes remained in it.” A memorial service was celebrated for the ascetic at the site of his burial - the first in many decades of godless rule. After some time, from the Holy Trinity Lavra to Fr. Hieromonk Eleutherius visited George again. The priest says: “The storekeeper let us into the church and immediately locked us, after asking: “What will you do here?” - and threatened: “If you find something, share it!” - “Okay, okay.” And they themselves began to clear the crypt of debris. Father Eleutherius went down to the grave, I helped him from above. It was dark, we used a flashlight. We fiddled around for four hours. Then they saw a broken coffin. It was broken into four parts. Looking further, we saw that the saint’s head was broken into three parts. They probably threw something heavy. We collected all the bones. Then we found the Gospel, like new: the leaves were white and white, the seal was clean. For some time the relics were with me, and then they sent us a man who came with a suitcase, packed everything and took it to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. The relics were then blessed to be placed in the basement of the Dormition Cathedral of the Lavra - in the All Saints Church, where they rested until 1988.” Soon Fr. George, having agreed with the hospital administration and the military, removed the marble tombstone from the Kazan Cathedral. It was a whole block, weighing 6.5 tons. There was a miter on it. Yuno, in Soviet times, the miter was knocked down, not even fragments survived. “Using a military vehicle with a winch, they pulled out the tombstone. It was so heavy that the thick cables broke.” It was possible to take away the monument to Abbot Arkady, which was toppled by the atheists, and then to agree on the reburial of the honest remains of the builder of the Vyshenskaya hermitage. “When I specifically met with the authorities,” the priest recalls, “they first asked me to describe what kind of person Archimandrite Arkady was. I wrote everything I knew about him: about his abbotship, the construction of schools, his educational activities. Permission followed with the proviso that everything should be done in secret. It is surprising that when the body was found, Archimandrite Arkady was lying in a mantle, which was completely preserved. I also remember that I tried the material for strength, but it did not give in.” Nowadays the grave of Fr. Arcadia is located behind the altar of the church in the village of Emmanuilovka. God is marvelous in His saints In the year when the Church solemnly celebrated the millennium of the Baptism of Rus', St. Theophan, who throughout his life especially revered the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, was canonized as a saint by the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. Its meetings were held in the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, in the refectory church in the name of St. Sergius of Radonezh. On the opening day of the Council, June 6, 1988, after a common prayer of all participants, Vladyka Yuvenaly, Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna, presented a report “Canonization of Saints in the Russian Orthodox Church,” in which it was said: “Bishop Theophan is proposed for canonization as an ascetic of faith and piety, who had a profound influence on the spiritual revival of his contemporary society. Through his prayerful contemplative feat, purity of heart, chastity and piety, preserved from his youth, he acquired the gift of experienced comprehension of patristic asceticism. He, as a theologian and exogete, 21 outlined this experience in his numerous works, which can be considered by the children of the church as practical aids in the matter of Christian salvation.” Together with St. Theophan canonized eight more great ascetics of our Church: spiritual writers - Saints Ignatius of Stavropol and Macarius of Moscow, Holy Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg, Rev. Fathers Ambrose of Optina, Paisius (Velichkovsky), Maxim the Greek and Andrei Rublev, Blessed Grand Duke Dimitri Donskoy. On the eve of the glorification of St. Theophan, Archbishop of Ryazan and Kasimov Simon (Novikov) blessed the addition of a chapel to the church in the village of Emmanuilovka, into which it was decided to transfer the venerable relics. A marble tombstone from the place of the saint’s first burial was placed at the base of the throne. Then the relics were transferred from the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, first to Ryazan, and on July 8, 1988 - to Emmanuilovka. On that day, about two thousand people received Holy Communion. Many testified that, while walking in the procession, they saw sparkling lightning in the clear sky. Here the relics of the saint remained for fourteen years, and during these years there were many testimonies of miracles. “One boy who could not walk from birth,” says Fr. George - they brought him from afar three times, I laid him right on the relics, like a baby, although he was two and a half years old. His parents first bathed him in a spring consecrated in the name of St. Feofan, and then they brought it, and I laid it on the relics. And so, when they brought him in for the third time, during the service he begged to fall on the floor and ran. My mother was present and I served. The people began to be indignant because the boy was running around joyfully and allegedly interfered with their prayers. They say to the mother: “Why don’t you take the child, he’s running around the church and interfering with prayer!” - and she stands and cries with joy, can’t say anything: the boy hasn’t walked since birth, but here he ran!” One day, together with the pilgrims, a woman came to Emmanuilovka who had an intervertebral hernia and was about to receive a second disability group. After bathing in the Feofanovsky spring, she suddenly did not feel pain in her back. Returning home and having a tomography, she heard from the doctor: “You don’t have any hernia.” Another time, a military pilot from Volgograd came here, suffering from chronic radiculitis. He spent a lot of money on treatment, but nothing helped. After bathing in the spring, the man felt that the pain had completely gone away. A year later he came to thank the saint for the healing. In 1988, when the relics of the saint were brought to Emmanuelovka, not far from the monastery, on the former estate of his benefactors the Naryshkins on Bykova Gora, the tuberculosis hospital was closed. The buildings where it was located, taken from the owners by the communists, stood for 60 years without major repairs and “turned out to be very neglected.” But two years later, when the dilapidated cathedrals of the Vyshenskaya Hermitage were returned to the Church, one of the houses on Bykova Gora became the cell of the abbess of the Vyshensky convent. Nun Nonna (in the world Nina Borisovna Znamenskaya) was ordained to the rank of abbess the day after the return of the cathedrals - April 30, 1990, and soon arrived at her destination. But the walls of the ruined monastery were occupied by the Shatsk psychiatric hospital, and therefore the first nuns had to live on Bykova Gora, experiencing significant everyday difficulties. At first, Abbess Nonna lived and prayed here alone. On July 18, 1990, her first sister came to her, who was soon tonsured into monasticism with the name Feofaniya, in honor of St. Feofan. Six sisters celebrated Christmas 1991. The nuns Feofaniya and Varvara sold their apartments, using all the money to set up the monastery. Having put in order the room that the Naryshkins had once built to feed workers, it was decorated with icons, and on Lazarus Saturday 1991, with the blessing of Bishop Simon (Novikov), a church was consecrated here in the name of St. Theophan the Recluse, in which the mothers celebrated Holy Easter. For six years, this modest church on a hill overlooking the Tsna River was the only church of the monastery. In 1991, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II arrived to venerate the relics of the great ascetic. After serving a prayer service in the church in the village of Emmanuilovka, he said that “everyone living here now should take care of this place, value this land.” It was decided to speed up the work to revive the monastery, but this was hampered by the economic collapse of the country. And yet the main thing was accomplished - the restoration of the ruined churches of human hearts. Three years later, on the centenary of the death of St. Feofan, at the Nativity Cathedral the domes were restored and wooden crosses were erected. The enemy of our salvation took cruel revenge on the nuns. On the first night of Lent in 1996, a fire broke out on Bykova Gora. The monastery warehouse burned down: utensils, things, food. Having learned about the trouble, people from different places began to bring help and donate to the church. Soon, in the ruined Assumption Church of the monastery, the dome unexpectedly collapsed. Then the nuns turned to the Ministry of Health with a request to give them the church. The authorities agreed, and on May 29, 1997, the Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God was transferred to the monastic community. After its repair and consecration on June 21, 1998, the Divine Liturgy again began to be celebrated within the walls of the monastery on Vyshe. The revival of monastic life was marked by the return of monastic shrines. In May 1999, nuns Lyudmila and Juliania from the city of Morshansk came to Bykova Gora and said that they had brought with them a copy of the miraculous Vyshenskaya icon. In the past, it was worn during religious processions throughout the cities and villages of the Tambov region for most of the year, so an exact copy of it was written, which constantly remained in the monastery. When the atheists seized power, the last Vyshensky monks handed the shrine over to schemanun Cherubima for safekeeping, and a year before her death she handed it over to nun Lyudmila (in schema - Angelina). Mother Lyudmila and her spiritual sister, nun Juliania, prayed to the Mother of God, asking Her Herself to indicate where to give the icon. Notes with the names of different holy places were placed behind the icon three times, and then the nuns read the akathist and took out one of them. Three times it fell: “to the Highest”... Soon after returning, the icon began to bleed myrrh. And in 2001, the return of the chambers of St. to the Church took place. Feofan. The monastery, at its own expense, renovated other rooms for the sick, and on the day of remembrance of the Recluse of Vyshensky, the nuns were given the keys to his “house.” Repairs and reconstruction of the historical appearance of the saint’s chambers began. It was as if the monastery was preparing for the fact that the long-absent holy monk was about to return to it. On the eve of the Feast of All Saints, June 29, 2002, the Recluse of Vyshensky returned with his holy relics to his beloved monastery. which he called "Paradise". On that day, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II arrived at Bykova Gora, where he was met by Abbess Nonna, the sisters of the monastery and the great-great-great-niece of St. Feofan the Recluse, Irina Vladimirovna Silvestrova (Danilova). Then His Holiness proceeded to Vysha, where he prayed in the Kazan Cathedral at the burial place of the saint. Meanwhile, after a prayer service in the St. Sergius Church in the village of Emmanuilovka, a religious procession with the relics of the saint, in which four archpastors, hundreds of clergy and about ten thousand pilgrims walked, headed to Vysha. In the radiance of a warm sunny day, a human river flowed along the road, surrounded by slender pine trees, and the singing sounded: “St. Father Theophan, pray to God for us!” At the gates of the monastery, the relics were met by the Patriarch, who led the festive matins. Concelebrating with him were Metropolitan Simon of Ryazan and Kasimov, archbishops: Evgeniy of Tambov and Michurinsky, Evlogiy of Vladimir and Suzdal, bishops: Joseph of Shatsky, Alexander of Dmitrov and Feognost of Sergiev Posad. The entire monastery square in front of the Assumption Church was filled with worshipers. Several choirs sang alternately. At the end of the service, the First Hierarch of the Russian Church expressed confidence that the Holy Dormition Vyshensky Monastery, through the prayers of the Queen of Heaven and St. Theophan the Recluse will become one of the important spiritual centers of Orthodox Russia. Today these words of His Holiness are coming true. In the ascetic’s chambers, the house church, which during the days of his earthly life was the heart of the reclusive wing, was recreated and consecrated. The place of the retreat is open to pilgrims who flock here in large numbers to touch with their souls the great secret that these walls keep. For more than ten years now, Theophan’s readings have been held at Vyshe and in other places associated with the earthly ministry of the saint. In order to listen to the speakers, many people flock to the monastery every year. Orthodox Christians from other countries also come to the readings. Thus, an Indian scientist, Dr. Cherian Eapen (in the Baptism of Zechariah), took part in one of them, who translates the Philokalia into Indian language. He devoted his report to translations, publications and dissemination of the works of St. Feofana in India. From the holy relics of the Recluse, grace-filled help is given. So, one woman was expecting a child, but the fetus was not lying correctly. The nuns convinced her to place a handkerchief soaked in oil blessed on the relics of the saint on her stomach. Two weeks later she went to see a doctor. To her great surprise, she was told that the fetus had turned over. She safely gave birth to a boy, who was baptized at the Vyshensky Monastery. And in 2010, pilgrims came from Dnepropetrovsk to the Vyshenskaya monastery, among whom was a mother and a six-year-old daughter who could not learn to read: she could pronounce the letters, but the words did not form. It was just her birthday, and her mother said to herself with simplicity: “Saint Theophan, what will you give to my daughter?” After venerating the relics of the saint of God and returning to the bus, the girl took the children's Gospel from one of the seats and began to read. On May 19, 2011, Nun Vera took monastic vows and was appointed abbess of the Vyshenskaya monastery (in the world Tatiana Aleksandrovna Rovchan). Large repair and restoration work took place within the walls of the monastery. From that same year, the shrines of the Vyshensky Monastery (the Kazan Vyshensky Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos and the ark with a particle of the saint’s relics) began to be brought in religious processions to many dioceses of Russia and Ukraine. Many people come to worship them everywhere. Special signs of God’s mercy are also performed. So, on August 6, 2011, the relics of St. Feofan was met in Kyiv, about which he wrote after going into seclusion: “Kyiv is an expensive place. How I would like to visit it!” The icon of the Queen of Heaven and the ark with the relics of the saint were placed in the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. Suddenly, a very obvious fragrance began to be felt, which seemed to emanate from the ark in waves. The first to notice this was the Bishop of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl, Pavel (Swan). The fragrance was repeated in the West of Rus', in the Pochaev Lavra. And the singing flowed joyfully under the arches of the churches: Rejoice, Saint Theophan, God-wise teacher and mentor of Christian life! 1. Smirnov P.P. The life and teaching of the Right Reverend Theophan, the Vyshensky Recluse: In memory of the centenary of the birth of the saint. Shatsk. 1915. 2. Korsunsky I. N., prof. His Eminence Bishop Feofan, Vladimir and Suzdal. M. 1895. 3. Krutikov I. A. Saint Theophan, Recluse and Ascetic of the Vyshensk Hermitage. Ed. 2nd. M. 1905. 4. Georgy (Tertyshnikov), archimandrite. Saint Theophan the Recluse and his teaching on salvation. M. Rule of faith. 1999. 5. Klyucharyov A.S. The Most Reverend Theophan the Recluse and his pastoral activities. // Orthodox interlocutor. 1904. October and November. 6. Khitrov M.I., prot. Eminence Theophan, Recluse of Vyshensky. M. 1905. 7. Porfiry (Uspensky), bishop. The book of my existence. Volume V. St. Petersburg. 1894. 8. Bogoyavlensky I., priest. Archimandrite Arkady is the rector of the Vyshinsky hermitage, Tambov province, Shatsk district. Tambov. 1912. 9. Dubasov I. I. Essays on the history of the Tambov region. M. 1883. 10. Kurnasov Alexander, priest. Holy Dormition Vyshinsky Monastery. Through the centuries. Ryazan. Ed. St. John the Theologian Monastery. 2007. 11. John (Maslov), schiarchim. Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk and his teaching on salvation. M. World of the Fatherland. 1993. 12. Creations like the saints of our father Theophan the Recluse. Collection of letters. Issues I – VIII. In 2 vols. M. Rule of faith. 2000. 13. Saint Theophan the Recluse. Letters to various persons. Kyiv. Oranta. 2009. 14. Saint Theophan the Recluse. Nine words on the occasion of fires in Tambov. M. Father's house. 2011. 15. Saint Theophan the Recluse. The path to salvation. M. Publishing house of the Sretensky Monastery. 2011. 16. Saint Theophan the Recluse. What is spiritual life and how to tune in to it. 4th ed. M. Publishing house of the Sretensky Monastery. 2013. 17. Saint Theophan the Recluse. A godly life in general. M. Father's house. 2010. 18. Saint Theophan the Recluse. Words for the Lord's, Mother of God and solemn days. M. Father's house. 2010. 19. Complete collection of the works of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). Volume VII. M. Pilgrim. 2007. 20. Bishop Jeremiah the Recluse. “Lord, give me eyes to see You!” M. Publishing house of the Sisterhood in the name of St. Ignatius of Stavropol 2008. 21. Website of the Holy Dormition Vyshensky Monastery. https://svtheofan.ru/ 22. Central Historical Archive of Moscow. F. 2355. Op. 1. Unit hr. 262. Ll. 10 – 11 rev. 23. Website of the village of Chernava. http://chernava.ucoz.ru/ 24. Cover. A magazine for the baptized but unenlightened. No. 11 (503). 2012. 25. Russian monk. May – June. 2009. 26. Report of the abbot of the Oran monastery Herman. TsGANO. F. 570. Op. 559 c. D. 30./1845/. L. 12 rev.–13. Nowadays this is the village of Chernava, Izmailovsky district, Lipetsk region. Followers of the heretic Nestor, whose teachings were condemned at the Third Ecumenical Council in 431. The mile is 1068.8 meters. The date of the consecration of Bishop Jeremiah (Soloviev) is given according to the publication Orthodox Encyclopedia. M.: Church-scientific center of the Russian Orthodox Church “Orthodox Encyclopedia”. 2011. Volume XXI, p. 292. The memory of Saint Parthenius of Kiev is March 30 (March 13, old style) and April 7 (March 25, old style). In a number of sources – Dankova. Old Russian Znamenny singing and chanting psalms. In 1700–1917, during the Synodal period, there was no Patriarch in the Russian Orthodox Church. It was suggested that in this way he summoned his confessor, Abbot Tikhon (Tsiplyakovsky), the former abbot of the Sanaksar and Lebedyansky monasteries. However, Fr. Tikhon settled in retirement in the Vyshenskaya Hermitage only in 1886. Thanks to the research of the chief archivist of the manuscripts department of the Russian State Library D.A. Chudinov and teacher of the University of the Russian Academy of Education A.N. Svirin, it became known that in 1878 St. Feofan hosted Bishop three times. Palladium (Gankevich). Also in a letter dated October 2, 1888, he mentions a meeting with Bishop. Vitaly (Iosifov), who toured the churches of the diocese: “Vladyka was curious to see my church and the working one.” To give the Tambov bishop a gift, St. Theophan, who by that time was already blind in one eye, painted for him an icon of St. Mitrofan of Voronezh. One day, on April 25 (May 9, New Art.), 1885, the Recluse served not in his church, but together with the brethren of the Vyshenskaya Hermitage, ordaining on that day Hierodeacon Paul as a hieromonk, and the monk Serapion as a hierodeacon. About this to the curator of the museum, St. Feofana, metro station Juliania (Muravyova), a resident of the village told. Vysha, whose grandmother well remembered the kindness of the saint. And the fact that he gave alms in this way was written by a graduate of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, Hierodeacon Veniamin, a teacher at the Solovetsky fraternal school, in the article “In the monastery and at the tomb of Bishop. Theophan, ascetic and recluse of the Vyshensk Hermitage" (magazine "Christian", 1911) Especially effective are St. Feofan considered homeopathic medicines, which helped him a lot. The poem is published in abbreviation. In 2000 he was glorified as the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church. As the chief archivist of the NIOR RSL found out D.A. Chudinov, from there the books were transferred to the State Library. Nowadays, Mitred Archpriest Glazunov is the confessor of the Vyshensky Monastery. Since 1964, Abbot Mark (Lozinsky) has been obedient to the head of the church-archaeological office of the Moscow Theological Academy. In 1969 he made a report dedicated to St. Theophan, entitled “The Great Teacher of the Russian Church.” He collected and systematized a huge amount of material from the heritage of St. Ignatius of Stavropol (Brianchaninov), compiled his “Selected Letters”. Died suddenly on January 29, 1973. Archimandrite Eleutherius (Didenko) in 1989 was appointed governor of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, where he firmly opposed the schismatics, refusing, together with the brethren, to sign in support of the so-called “Kyiv Patriarchate.” After that, for many years he was the confessor of the Samara Theological Seminary. Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov) from 1973 to 1988. prepared material for the canonization of St. Feofan, spent more than twenty years researching his life and works. Compiled “Symphony based on the works of St. Theophan, the Recluse of Vyshensky.” Exegesis (Greek exegetikos) is a theological discipline that deals with the interpretation of Sacred texts, especially the Bible.