Bishop's service of Hieromartyr Hilarion (Trinity) in 1920

The question of the episcopal ordination of the famous theologian and church leader Archimandrite Hilarion (Troitsky) arose back in 1918, when Father Hilarion was 32 years old. On April 1, 1918, Bishop Seraphim (Ostroumov) of Oryol and Sevsk, in his report to the Holy Synod, asked to organize a suffragan see of Bryansk and proposed to make Archimandrite Hilarion the vicar bishop of his diocese with the title “Bryansk and Mtsensk”, but these plans did not come true 1 . On May 25, 1920, in the church of the Trinity Patriarchal Metochion, Archimandrite Hilarion (Troitsky) was consecrated by Patriarch Tikhon as Bishop of Vereisky, vicar of the Moscow diocese. The day before, on May 24, in his speech at the naming, he said: “Having become accustomed to my previous ministry and loving it with all my soul, I was afraid of the bishopric, and always spoke a lot against my bishopric. And now I stand before you, Archpastors, having accepted your title and not a little contrary to the verb, for my hope in the Lord is firm. I see now clearly that there is a great need for workers in God’s field, I now know firmly that the will of God governs the Church and it is not without God’s will that bishops are installed in the Church” 2 . The Verei vicariate of the Moscow diocese was formed in 1913. Bishop Hilarion's immediate predecessor was Bishop Sylvester (Bratanovsky), who became Bishop of Perm in May 1920. The next bishop of Vereya after Hieromartyr Hilarion was Bishop Evgeniy (Reshetnikov) 3 in 1994. On the same day he was appointed rector of the Sretensky Monastery in Moscow. By 1917, the Sretensky Monastery was listed as a non-communal men's monastery and had 3 churches with 6 altars 4. By this time, the premises of the Sretensky Monastery came under the control of the state, the process of eviction of monks began, so Bishop Hilarion was unable to settle in the monastery and continued to live in the apartment of his friend from the Academy, priest Vladimir Strakhov on the street. Sretenka 29. apt. 1. Cathedral of the Presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God photo 1928 N.P. Okunev recalled the services at the monastery in 1921: “During Holy Week I felt drawn to church. I went to the Sretensky Monastery several times. Bishop Hilarion was attracted there, not by his magnificent episcopal service, but by his participation in services as an ordinary monk. One day (during the all-night vigil from Wednesday to Thursday) he appeared in the cathedral church of the monastery in a simple monastic cassock, without a panagia, without crosses, in a kamilavka, and went to the left choir, where he sang everything that was required, in a campaign with 4-5 other ordinary monks, and then went out in the same simple outfit to the middle of the church and soulfully read the canon, not forgetting to sing along with the choir in irmosakh. Having read the canon, one sang “I see Your palace, my Savior, decorated.” Well! I'll tell you, and he sang! His voice is most pleasant, clear, sonorous, young (he is 35 years old), high. Tenor. He simply sang not according to the notes, but so touchingly and sincerely that I, perhaps, have never heard such a wonderful performance of this wonderful song in my entire life.” 5 From this time on, Bishop Hilarion became the closest assistant to Patriarch Tikhon in the management of the Moscow diocese. Metropolitan Krutitsky, administrator of the Moscow diocese Eusebius (Nikolsky) (1860–1922), was old and sick, so he could not act actively. During the first year of his episcopal service in the parishes of the Moscow diocese, Bishop Hilarion served 142 liturgies, more than 142 all-night vigils and delivered 330 sermons, and this despite the fact that that year he was ill with typhus for two months. This illness affected the heart and seriously undermined the bishop's health. Announcing himself, Bishop Hilarion wrote to his loved ones: “I have completely lost my freedom. It’s like a prisoner chained to his car—that’s how I live. Not only are there no free days, there is not even a free hour when I could do what I want, and not what I need to do in a hurry. At least they could take me to Butyrka for a vacation. This is the only dacha or sanatorium available to us. I don’t know, somehow I still have enough strength, although often the strength falls and the spirit becomes impoverished.” “The summer (1921 - D.S.) was all spent in continuous travel around Moscow and the Moscow province. After all, even in Moscow there are ends more than ten miles away. There is absolutely not enough time, and you are in a hurry. You often get tired. It’s good that, tired, I’m leaving soon - apparently I’m still young. And over the last month, life has again become more complicated: His Eminence Peter 6 was again arrested, and again he sat down at his table to receive people seeking... mainly divorce. I have neither morning nor evening... No time to read, no time to write, no time... even to sin. For the third sake, maybe the Lord is arranging such a life for me.” 7 Almost every day, Bishop Hilarion worked and received visitors at the Trinity Metochion in Moscow, where the Patriarchal Administration was located. Saint Hilarion, with the blessing of Patriarch Tikhon, actively performed ordinations for churches in Moscow and the Moscow province. Thus, in 1921, Bishop Hilarion ordained the future hieromartyr John Khrenov as a deacon at the Church of the Forty Martyrs 8. In 1920–1921 Bishop Hilarion often served in the churches of Vereisky district. During one of his trips to Vereisky district, Bishop Hilarion, together with Archpriest Peter Pushkinsky, took part in a dispute with anti-religious agitators, who suffered complete defeat. Local authorities decided to arrest the bishop. Archpriest Peter led the bishop out the back door and brought him to his house, from where the bishop left for Moscow the next morning. The active activities of Bishop Hilarion and other suffragan bishops of the Moscow diocese caused serious concern in the Cheka. The report of the secret department of the Moscow Cheka dated August 3, 1921 stated: “Many bishops live in Moscow who are listed as vicars of some other city and even other provinces, but do not leave Moscow for their place of service. These bishops receive only maintenance from their vicarage, enjoy benefits, do nothing in their direct position, and in reality only contribute to the anti-Soviet activities of the entire bloc of clergy” 10. Further, it was suggested that “all the bishops of various vicars who found themselves here in Moscow... go to their places” 11. Although this proposal from the Cheka was not in the central office of the Cheka, control over the activities of vicar bishops was strengthened. In September 1921, Bishop Hilarion was subjected to short-term arrest. This was due to the fact that he obtained from the director of the Tretyakov Gallery and one of the leaders of the Main Museum of the People's Commissariat for Education I.Ya. Grabar gave permission to take the miraculous image to the Sretensky Monastery on the feast of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (August 26/September 8), but this was followed by the arrest of the saint. A trial took place, but again no corpus delicti was found 12 . However, even after this, the saint was under the close attention of the Cheka. On November 26, 1921, the commissioner of the Secret Department of the Moscow Cheka, Mikhail Shmelev, compiled a list of persons included in the Holy Synod and the Moscow Diocesan Administration who were to be arrested. This list also included Bishop Hilarion 13. On January 18, 1922, Metropolitan of Krutitsky, administrator of the Moscow diocese Eusebius (Nikolsky), died. Bishop Hilarion (Trinity) was considered as one of the candidates for this post. This is stated in the conclusion on his case, dated June 7, 1922: “Among the highest clergy, TRINITY was earmarked for the post of Moscow Metropolitan” 14 . However, Archbishop Nikander (Phenomenov) 15 was appointed to this post, who was older and had greater episcopal seniority than Bishop Hilarion. The decree on the confiscation of church valuables, adopted in February 1922, practically excluded the Church from participating in organizing the donation of valuables for the benefit of the hungry, and prohibited the replacement of precious items for liturgical use with an equivalent amount of gold and silver. The actions of the authorities caused extreme bewilderment of Patriarch Tikhon, in a letter to M.I. Kalinin on February 25, 1922, he called on the authorities to abandon this decision, which was fraught with unpredictable consequences 16. The authorities understood that it was the Patriarch, as the head of the Church, who was the main obstacle to the destruction of the church organization. Therefore, the main blow was directed against the Patriarch. The GPU closely monitored the activities of the Patriarch and his entourage. Thus, at a meeting in the GPU on March 8, 1922, it was said: “... the apparatus of the clergy, headed by Tikhon, is expanding its work more and more widely” 17. All actions of the clergy who condemned the seizure were recorded in the information reports of the GPU. They were compiled in the Information Department and in the 6th department of the GPU SO. The “Information report on the issue of confiscation of church valuables” prepared by the commissioner of the VI department of the Moscow provincial department of the GPU for March 4 and 5, 1922, spoke about the sermon of Bishop Hilarion 18. This information formed the basis of a special message sent from the GPU to the Central Committee of the RCP (b) specifically for V.I. Lenin: “On March 4, in the Church of Sergei (Ulyanovskaya Street), during the all-night vigil, Bishop Hilarion delivered a sermon on the issue of confiscation of church valuables for the benefit of the hungry. The sermon had a clear tendency to create a hostile mood among the religious masses against the seizure of valuables” 19. In a report sent to the head of the Secret Department of the GPU T.P. Samsonov, was informed about a meeting of deans of the city of Moscow held on February 28 under the chairmanship of Metropolitan Nikandr (Fenomenov), at which he called “to be on guard” 20 . In the case of Patriarch Tikhon there is a “List of persons subject to seizure in the 6th department,” which included the Patriarch’s closest assistants: Bishop Hilarion (Troitsky), as well as Metropolitan Nikandr (Phenomenov), cell attendant of the Patriarch Yakov Polozov, Priest. Ilya Gromoglasov, prot. Alexander Khotovitsky, protopresbyter Nikolai Lyubimov. The same document also contains the motives for the arrest. Thus, Metropolitan Nikandr was accused of “organizing illegal meetings of the clergy and stirring up the masses at these meetings in order to speak out against the authorities,” Bishop Hilarion was accused of “organizing disputes on religious topics in order to discredit the Soviet government” 21. The GPU understood that the organization of renovationist opposition groups was extremely hampered by the activities of active bishops and priests from the circle of Patriarch Tikhon, so repressions began against them. On March 22, 1922, Bishop Hilarion was arrested at the apartment where he lived (Sretenka St., 9, apt. 1), and before being sent into exile in the Arkhangelsk region, he was kept in the GPU Internal Prison on Lubyanka. In the protocol of the interrogation carried out in Lubyanka on March 24, the head of the 6th department of the Secret Department of the GPU, A. Rutkovsky, 22, conveying the content of what Bishop Hilarion said, wrote: “I am not a member of the Synod and have no business (church) relations with it. I do not receive separate instructions from the Synod and Patriarch Tikhon. I received one assignment, I remember, once in 2020 regarding the conflict between Bishop Nikanor and the remnants of the Varnavinsky brotherhood 23. I am listed as so-called Bishop of Vereya, but, in essence, I do not have at my disposal a clearly defined vicariate. With Gromoglasov I.M. and Khotovitsky A.A. I know them, but I almost never visit them. The responsibilities of my service here in Moscow are varied, the most significant of which are presence in the Trinity Compound on behalf of the highest hierarchs, church service, etc. I had to speak frequently at debates. Regarding the confiscation of church valuables, I have worldviews of this kind: legally, I consider them to have been confiscated since 1918, but practically I believe that in confiscating them, it is necessary to take into account the religiously minded masses because they do not understand the religious question in the same way and understand it differently than more developed people. I didn’t say anything about the confiscation of valuables in my sermons. Since March 6, I have hardly been to Moscow; I have been to Vereya, Vereya district, Naro-Fominsk and Sergiev. Who edited Belavin’s so-called appeals? Patriarch Tikhon regarding the confiscation of valuables - I cannot say. This is a matter for the highest hierarchs of the church. Regarding Anthony Khrapovitsky, so-called. I knew Metropolitan Eulogius and other clergy from the newspapers (Atheist, etc.). I only learned about the congress in Karlovtsi from the newspapers” 24. It should be pointed out that these words are included in the text of the interrogation protocol by the investigator, and the required signature of the accused (Bishop Hilarion) is missing, therefore their attribution to the bishop cannot be fully established. One of the features of judicial investigation cases of the 1920s-1930s. is that, if the investigator recorded the testimony, he used “Soviet” formulations, conveying only the meaning of what was said, and often distorting this meaning. On April 9, 1922, A. Rutkovsky issued a resolution on the selection of a preventive measure. The conclusion on the “case of Mr. TROITSKY Illarion Alekseevich said: “... He is not a member of the so-called Synod and the Supreme Church Council, but carries out individual instructions of the Patriarch and Metropolitan. He is present in the patriarchal courtyard, where he receives all kinds of walkers and visitors who come on church business, conducting business negotiations with them. In addition, TROITSKY organizes debates in working-class areas and, possessing great erudition on theological issues, discredits the worker opponents who oppose him. TRINITY is listed as the Bishop of Vereya, where he essentially should be. His stay in Moscow was explained by the enormous benefit that he brings to the church and its ruler, the Patriarch. After Tikhon issued an appeal to prevent the confiscation of church valuables, Troitsky received a business trip to the districts of the Moscow province. The purpose of the trip is explained by Trinity as the tonsure of some persons into monasticism, but according to intelligence information, the business trip was in the nature of instructing and explaining methods of resisting confiscation. Among the highest clergy, TROITSKY was earmarked for the post of Moscow Metropolitan. Based on the above, I find: TROITSKY I.A. involved in the criminal monarchist group carried out by the patriarch and metropolitan and therefore I believe: Send TROITSKY, Illarion Alekseevich to Arkhangelsk province. for a period of 1 year" 25. On May 30, 1922, the sister of Bishop Hilarion, 24-year-old Olga Alekseevna Troitskaya, contacted the Moscow Committee of the Red Cross and asked to give her brother the books necessary for her work: “1) “History of the Russian Church” by Golubinsky - volume 1 (second half of the volume), 2) Lectures on the history of the ancient Church by Prof. Bolotova vol. III and IV - 3 books in total - I ask the Political Red Cross to petition the GPU (Lubyanka, 2) to transfer them to my brother Hilarion Alekseevich Troitsky, who is in the internal prison of the GPU" 26. On June 22, 1922, at a court hearing of the GPU Collegium, it was decided: “Deport to Arkhangelsk province. for a period of 1 year until June 7, 1923." 27. On June 28, 1922, the Political Red Cross addressed the GPU: “Mr. Hilarion Alekseevich Troitsky (Bishop Hilarion) By the Resolution of the Presidium of the GPU dated 22/VI of this year. sentenced to deportation to Arkhangelsk for a period of 1 year. TROITSKY's sister appealed to the Moscow Political Red Cross with a request to apply to the GPU for permission to release Hilarion TROITSKY for 5 days for personal matters and preparations for departure. The Moscow Political Red Cross asks to satisfy the request of TROITSKY’s sister and release him until he leaves for Arkhangelsk for 5 days” 28. The file contains a note from Bishop Hilarion to the new head of the 6th department of the GPU SO E.A. Tuchkov, 29, with a request for a meeting with his sister O.A. Troitskaya before being sent to Arkhangelsk on June 30, 1922: “Under the conditions of imprisonment in an internal prison, I am not given the opportunity to see my relatives before leaving for Arkhangelsk, and the letter I wrote to you on 26/VI, obviously, was not delivered to the address, not wanting to delay my departure, I ask you to call my sister O.A. Troitskaya (Rozhdestvenka, 29. apt. 4) and give me a meeting with her so that through her I can make the necessary arrangements with my property and get the things necessary for the trip that I don’t have with me in prison. And the best thing would be for me to go with an escort to my apartment, at least for the shortest time, and I ask you to allow me to do this. Otherwise, time is wasted." 30 On July 4, Bishop Hilarion, along with a group of prisoners, arrived in Arkhangelsk and on July 10, he was released from prison. The house in which Bishop Hilarion lived was located almost in the center of Arkhangelsk; the owners gave him a large room with windows facing the sunny side 31. He served his exile near the place where Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov) lived in a settlement. The bishop wrote to his family: “I serve very little. On July 15, I served quietly in a church near my house, and today in the cathedral. And that's all. And this is true: on holidays I am bored without work, although on weekdays there is also nothing to do. In a word, there is a lot of good in my life, the main thing is free time and I can study. I don’t know when this teaching will be useful. Well, for yourself! I want to study to become an accountant: a course of lectures on bookkeeping is already on the table. And let others “revive” the church; We are not on the same path with them. It’s interesting that at the congress, in order to “revive” them, they only thought of: 1) marrying a bishop, 2) marrying monks and leaving the priesthood, 3) marrying a widow to a priest, 4) marrying a priest a second time, 5) marrying a sister-in-law, 6) marrying a cousin. So, six “get married” – and that’s it! How simple it turns out! Well then! Cheers! But we’d rather follow the links and not bow down to arrogance, dishonesty and stupidity. It’s not God’s business, and therefore it will go bankrupt sooner or later. And the main disgusting thing is a complete political provocation. Our liberals were always the first to run after the policemen... The living church in Moscow and Petrograd completely quarreled, so it turned out to be very viva. The resolution of the congress looks like the nonsense of some comrades... According to the canons, “newly minted” cannot be recognized in the rank, because all their appointments are illegal. This is the view I hold. I can’t follow the path of “revival” - it’s too late, it’s no longer suitable, the “revitalizer” will run away.” “Our autumn is unusually warm and good; the temperature has not dropped below four degrees so far; there are green trees, for example poplars. Now, for example, I’m writing (half past eleven in the evening) with the window open. I am sitting opposite the window in an old canvas cassock. I don’t even think about forcing the window yet, otherwise you’ll suffocate. I never expected such an autumn. Father Golfstrom is trying his best. Yes, Novaya Zemlya helps by closing the entrances to the Kara Sea. After all, here I studied the geography of the North from various books, sometimes very serious ones. I have enough time. However, it’s not enough. There are a lot of books, and you won’t read them all at once. And there are supposedly a lot of systematic activities there. Yes, I keep breaking away from them. Although there is something to award a doctorate for, there is nothing for which it will be awarded to me for a long time. Nothing can be done here. You can only do something near the academic library. I’ll wait again to see where they’ll send me. People in Moscow have gone completely crazy. About thirty to forty random people from the street will gather: “Let's set up a Living Church! Let's! Ready!" Well, aren't you idiots? But the Living Church consists of nothing but swindlers. They say that Troitsky Posad was turned straight into a tavern. And how many most vile outrages there are! I'm keeping an eye on everything. And what is published in various newspapers, they also report a lot of interesting things. But, of course, connection with the Cheka gives impostors the appearance of strength. Cowardly people! And what is happening in the province! Pandemonium! "Mixing of languages." For example, during one cathedral service in one provincial city, the bishop commemorates the VCU, the protodeacon does the same, the second deacon and choristers commemorate the Patriarch. There will be a lot more nasty stuff. So, apparently, it’s destined. The Russians experienced such humiliation and reproach from their Judases and traitors. Well, I hope to never enter into communication with the VCU and with various impostors, even if I have to follow the links for many years... We have good relations with the local bishop 32. I visit him often (every two minutes at a time), and we share the news that anyone has learned. I served only five times in three months. So far there has been no abomination here. But he can appear or come every day. Then it will be worse. What do I mean, I’ll completely isolate myself in my home...” The bishop wrote to his friend from Sergiev Posad, Elizaveta Apollonovna Vorontsova, from exile on July 18, 1922: “Today I cannot think of being anywhere except Posad and the Lavra. In the morning I am still there, I remember the past days... You, perhaps, already know where the Lord directed my steps. After a rather painful, exhausted life for three and a half months in Moscow, I ended up in the Far North, which is rather inhospitable. In this event of my life I see the obvious mercy of God, because I don’t know what could have happened if I had stayed in Moscow. The abyss of madness, apparently, has not yet been exhausted to the bottom. The thickest remnants of mud rose from the bottom... I haven’t found out everything for myself yet, I don’t know everything, but I already see a lot of stupidity and baseness, lies and untruths. But for me, the time is beginning for which I have been waiting in vain lately. A small room (six by three arshins), books and free time. The Lord helped me get settled here too, so I can live without annoying worries, and the squalor of the situation does not in the least upset my proletarian soul...” 33 . Two weeks later, on August 4, the bishop wrote: “And I myself don’t know the reason why I moved here. I didn’t have any “business”. Everything happened “without trial or investigation.” Apparently this is necessary. God's providence can also act through evildoers. They think that they are doing their own evil will, but in reality it’s not that, they are fulfilling God’s good will. Just like with me. It is undoubtedly good for me that I hid from human rebellion... As for the turmoil of the church, I see nothing in it except stupidity and ugliness. It’s just inconvenient to write in detail... I also know some new “figures”. Expecting good from them is the same as going into a pile of nettles and looking for raspberries. There will be a lot of evil from these figures. And many will have to suffer from them, since they have the power to execute. And this is with the separation of Church and state. I think that in my personal life, my current situation is only the beginning of my illness; many years will probably pass in imprisonment, wandering everywhere, in need and deprivation. But, knowing church history, I am not at all embarrassed; I choose to “suffer with the people of God” better than to be called “the son of Pharaoh’s daughter”....” Hieromartyr Hilarion in the Solovetsky camp on October 12, the bishop wrote: “I already thought that you, Elizaveta Apollonovna, had gone somewhere to the banks of the Volga, but it turns out you are still sitting in place. I’m still sitting there, except I took a few walks around the area, mostly along the water. The land here is bad, you’ll immediately end up in a swamp. Although I have traveled far, I am well informed about Moscow affairs from various sources; all this information disrupts the peaceful course of my life. I may be indifferent to my own fate and life, but the cause of the Church will always be dear and close to me. Now I see only one thing: Satan works without a break and has twisted some even reasonable people. True, among the new “figures” the overwhelming majority are adventurers and swindlers; from these there is nothing to be expected except nonsense, disgrace and mischief. But it is unfortunate that others, whom I considered decent, for some reason became enraged. I hope that you will not now repeat your advice that we need to work together with them. No, it’s better to live in exile and exile, but to play with the Church and its laws, to say nonsense - excuse me. It’s all the fault, of course, of your beloved, before whom you so blindly bow, that is, the Soviet government. She artificially created a breakdown in church governance by arresting people who had nothing to do with politics. She, contrary to her own laws, supports a group of blockheads... And where is the law on the separation of Church and state? But they talk about these laws all the time. What hypocrisy, what dishonesty. Obvious persecution of all who are faithful to holy Orthodoxy...” A month later, Bishop Hilarion wrote: “The difficult and even exhausting life that, by the will of God, I have led for the last five years, has had the consequence for my personal life of a calming of passions, if not complete, then very significant... After twelve years of service, I have nothing and I have no desire to have. Another would have been horrified to see me sitting in this wretched room and said: this is what you received for twelve years of service. But I am very pleased and glad that I live here, the main thing is free time and books... News of the Moscow turmoil reaches me, and I am surprised at the baseness of man and extreme cowardice, they are ready to sign everything for their well-being, which they do not sympathize with. This means that people have no convictions. I hope not to add apostasy to my sins, even if I still have to travel a lot...” A few days later, the bishop wrote: “Now we can positively say that the seizure of valuables was an unnecessary undertaking. Judging by the reports, no more than twenty million gold rubles worth of valuables were received. Now count the cost of the removal itself, transportation, transfusion (with waste and... leakage). Indeed, in other places, packaging boxes cost as much as the valuables themselves. Add in the costs of keeping thousands of people arrested in this case in prison. Expenses for investigations and trials... I'm afraid I wouldn't have to overpay... After all, the newspapers lied that there were so many billions in the churches, that there would be trains of valuables seven miles long (that's what unscrupulous people wrote)... The dishonest Diocletians, Nero, Decius directly said: you cannot be Christians, otherwise you will be executed. And your favorites say and trumpet to the whole world: we have the most complete freedom of conscience, we have the separation of Church and state. And at the same time, in practice: ah, you don’t want to obey Krasnitsky 34, welcome to the slammer, to exile. Just give freedom of conscience, and the Living Church will die, but this freedom is not there... I spent the Intercession in melancholy and sorrow. At the all-night vigil, which I served in one parish church, I even burst into tears when they sang: “Oh, great intercession for the sad, O Pure Mother of God.” I repeat the words of Psalm 136 to those who destroyed our Zion. You have a “Book of Rules”. Look... You will see that all the red priests and new bishops do not have any holy rank and you cannot have any communication with them. This is what I affirm, no matter what happens with our “freedom” of conscience...” On November 9, 1922, Bishop Hilarion wrote: “I am not at all interested in my personal fate, because the external situation is nothing important for me... But I cannot help but suffer and speak passionately, seeing and understanding the suffering of the Russian Church. The turmoil caused by the scoundrels... what is it based on? It rests only on the fact that freedom of conscience has now been criminally abolished and the separation of Church and state established in the basic laws has been destroyed... There are people who are exiled to distant lands precisely as Orthodox priests, clearing the place for various scoundrels. This shameless mockery of state laws by people blinded by their stupid and stupid enmity towards the Orthodox Church outrages me to the core. And how can this be excused in any way? It's just disgusting and nothing more. There have always been bad people, but never have they had such freedom not only to act, but also to rule and “be in charge”... Sad thoughts about church affairs often disturb my peace. So I’ve been experiencing some kind of neurosis lately; in my dreams I keep quarreling with impostors and apostates; it’s rare that I don’t see them in my dreams. Sometimes even while reading, attention is distracted from the book. But I thank God for everything. How quiet it is here, for example, now, late in the evening, and I’m free all day long. I serve only two or three times a month, I can’t do it anymore for various reasons, because there is no freedom of conscience, that is, religion. I live very modestly and wretchedly, but my soul is nourished by a rich meal of books on Russian church history. But heresy reigns supreme in Nizhny. Evdokim 35 is one of the traitors who took the white hood from the dirty and filthy hands of the Living Church. You cannot pray with such people...” 36. This correspondence served as the reason for the new arrest of the bishop. During his exile, the GPU repeatedly searched his apartment in order to discover letters that were handed to him from Moscow by people who came to see him. The new persecution of Bishop Hilarion was part of a new large-scale campaign directed against the episcopate of the Russian Church, which began in November 1922. The leadership of this campaign was taken over by a new party body, specially created to combat religion in the USSR, the New Commission, created by a resolution of the Organizing Bureau of the Central Committee of the RCP (b) dated October 13, 1922 and approved by a resolution of the Politburo of October 19, 1922. was called the Commission for the Separation of Church and State, abbreviated as the Anti-Religious Commission (ARC). The most significant part of the commission was the representation of the GPU - in addition to the deputy chairman of the GPU Menzhinsky, it included T.D. Deribas (who in May 1923 replaced Samsonov as head of the Secret Department of the GPU), and the head of the 6th department of the GPU SO E. Tuchkov, who became the permanent secretary of the commission. The commission included representatives of Agitprop, NKYU, and the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. At the same time, on November 24, 1922, the commissioner of the 1st department of the Secret Operational Unit of the Arkhangelsk Department of the GPU, M. Chemakin, issued a resolution that stated: “Troitsky has extensive communication through (as in the text - D.S.) correspondence by mail with the center and other cities of the Soviet Republic, from which one can see the reactionary mood... Resolved: In order to avoid concealing the crime by Mr. Troitsky, on the basis of Art. Art. 103 and 104 of the Criminal Procedure Code, to search his apartment in order to seize documents, and on the basis of the appendix to Art. 106, during the search, detain Mr. Troitsky, regardless of its results, and conduct an inquiry into this case” 37. A search was carried out at the bishop's apartment. The report on the results of the search at Bishop Hilarion’s apartment said that “having arrived at the address indicated in the warrant, he found Troitsky in the apartment alone, when the warrant was presented to him, he was not at all confused and did not give any appearance of embarrassment, he only asked that regardless of the search, it means you will arrest me, to an affirmative answer, he asked permission to get dressed,” the writer further says that Father Hilarion knew that all of his The correspondence is reviewed in the GPU that “the room occupied by Troitsky is small and poor, there is nothing special, with the exception of a small number of books or old church or Soviet editions taken from the library, there is nothing reprehensible. Regarding the letters discovered, it must be said that this is not all, since he must have incomparably more compared to those received, but those, apparently, are destroyed by him. It is also characteristic to emphasize, the searcher reports, that Metropolitan Chichagov, who was present during the search [invited as a witness], told Troitsky that this was probably a misunderstanding that would be clarified and you, Father Hilarion, would be released, to which Troitsky replied, “What kind of misunderstanding is there?” 38. The “Final Resolution” in the case said: “At the same time, the supervision of Mr. Troitsky, as an administrative exile, by the GPU Gubotal Department established that a significant number of letters were being received in his name from persons of the reactionary clergy and their other supporters, with a description of the situation in church life and with partial references to the actions of the authorities in defense of the newly formed VCU, although Troitsky was silent about the latter in his information.” 39. The resolution further stated: “... based on the resolution of the GPU of November 24 this year. at Mr. Troitsky I.A. a search was carried out, with the detention of the latter to conduct an inquiry in this case (see l. 30) and during the search to seize the discovered letters to him by Troitsky I.A. it was said “in vain,” because they all went through you and have already been looked through,” and to the words of Metropolitan Chichagov, who was present during the search, about the misunderstanding that had occurred, the Trinity responded, “What a misunderstanding there is,” (see l. 31)...Regarding the review of incoming letters to Troitsky, the latter cites that he identified this by the appearance of one of the letters and, in addition, he had to hear that the patriarch also complained about the inaccuracy of censorship in relation to the correspondence coming to him (see l. 68, 69 and 70)” 40. After the search, the authorized representative of the Arkhangelsk provincial department of the GPU, M. Chemakov, issued a resolution to take Bishop Hilarion into custody. The bishop was accused of the fact that “while he was in Arkhangelsk, he had correspondence with individuals living in Moscow, which gives the right to understand not only his opposition to the existing Soviet system, but even to the democratic structure in general” 41 . In December 1922, “due to the lack of incriminating material,” Bishop Hilarion was released and continued to serve his exile in Arkhangelsk. Bishop Hilarion's term in exile ended on June 22, 1923, and on June 13 a new search was carried out in his apartment. This time they found nothing at all, except for a few issues of the newspaper “Science and Religion” 42. On June 16, 1923, the Patriarch made a statement to the Supreme Court of the RSFSR, in which he expressed his loyalty to the Soviet regime. On June 26, the ARC at its meeting decided to release the Patriarch on June 27 43 . In addition, the GPU was instructed to “carry out a gradual liquidation of cases related to the confiscation of valuables, Tikhon’s appeals, releasing from punishment those Tikhonites who publicly declare their repentance,” as well as “over the next three months, review all the cases of expelled churchmen with a view to amnestying the least harmful of them” 44 . The release of Bishop Hilarion was connected with this, who, as shown above, testified in writing his loyalty to the Soviet regime. Hegumen Damascene (Orlovsky) points out that “on the evening of June 21, His Grace Hilarion was summoned to the Arkhangelsk GPU and here it was announced that he was allowed to leave” 45. However, the last document drawn up in the Arkhangelsk provincial department of the GPU regarding Bishop Hilarion is dated June 30, 1923. From it we can conclude that at this time Bishop Hilarion was still in Arkhangelsk. Of course, the decision to release Bishop Hilarion, despite the end of his term, could not be made by the Arkhangelsk security officers; apparently, there was a direct order in this regard from the central apparatus of the GPU from E.A. Tuchkov, who carried out the above decision of the ARC. Bishop Hilarion apparently arrived in Moscow on July 5, 1923 and immediately went to the Donskoy Monastery to see Patriarch Tikhon. From now on, until his last arrest in November 1923, Bishop Hilarion became the closest assistant to His Holiness the Patriarch, a short but extremely eventful period began in the life of Saint Hilarion, which ended with his arrest on the night of November 15-16, 1923. RGIA.F. 831. Op. 1. D. 48. L. 3–4. CA FSB D. R-43193 T.1. L.9. Berean Vicariate // Orthodox Encyclopedia. M.: “CNTs Orthodox Encyclopedia”, 2004. T. VII. P. 709. Forty forty. A brief illustrated history of all Moscow churches / collected by P. Palamarchuk. M., 1992. T.1. P. 186. Okunev N.P. Diary of a Muscovite // Met. John (Snychev). Hieromartyr Hilarion, Archbishop of Verei. Life and testimonies for church glorification. M., Sretensky Monastery, 1999. P. 29. This means sschmch. Bishop of Podolsk Peter (Polyansky), vicar of the Moscow diocese. Quote by: Damascene (Orlovsky) abbot. Martyrs, confessors and devotees of piety of the Russian Orthodox Church of the twentieth century: biographies and materials for them. Book 4. Tver: Bulat, 2000. P. 408. Damascene (Orlovsky) abbot. Decree. op. Book 5. Tver., 2001. P. 300. Damascene (Orlovsky) abbot. Martyrs, confessors and devotees of piety of the Russian Orthodox Church of the twentieth century. Book 6. Tver., 2002. P. 216. Central Election Commission FSB. D. N-1780. T. 6. L. 11; Investigative case of Patriarch Tikhon. Collection of documents and materials from the Central Archive of the FSB of the Russian Federation. M., 2000. P. 110. (Hereinafter referred to as the Investigative Case). Central Election Commission FSB. D. N-1780. T. 6. L. 12; Investigative case. P. 110. Hieromartyr Hilarion, Archbishop of Vereya // Moscow Diocesan Gazette. 1999. No. 5–6. P. 52. Central Election Commission FSB. F.1. Op. 5. D. 363. L. 8–9 vol. CA FSB D. R-43193. T.1. L. 50. Fenomenov Nikolai Grigorievich, born on May 2, 1872 in the Oryol province in the family of a priest. April 3, 1897 - tonsured into the mantle with the name Nikandr. April 10, 1897 – ordained as hierodeacon. June 15, 1897 – ordained hieromonk. 1897 – graduated from the Kyiv DA with a candidate's degree in theology. Teacher at Tula Children's School. 1900 – inspector of Kutaisi DS. 1902 – rector of the Tiflis DS in the rank of archimandrite. 1905 – consecrated Bishop of Kineshma, vicar of the Kostroma diocese. 1908 – Bishop of Narva, vicar of the St. Petersburg diocese. 1914 – Bishop of Vyatka and Slobodskaya. September 5, 1918 - renamed Bishop of Vyatka and Glazov. November 1, 1918 – arrested in Moscow. 1918–1919 – imprisoned in Butyrka prison. On April 7, 1919 he was elevated to the rank of archbishop. On April 23, 1919, he was sentenced to 3 years in a concentration camp. 1919–1920 – imprisoned in the Arkhangelsk concentration camp. September 9, 1920 – released from the camp early. Returned to Moscow. October 20, 1920 arrested in Moscow. 1920–1921 – imprisoned in Butyrka prison. In July 1921 he was released. 1921 - Archbishop of Astrakhan, could not leave for his destination due to a written undertaking not to leave Moscow. September 1921 – member of the Holy Synod under Patriarch Tikhon. January 1922 – Archbishop of Krutitsky, closest assistant to Patriarch Tikhon. On March 22, 1922, he was arrested at the Trinity Compound in Moscow. Involved in the case of Patriarch Tikhon. He was in the Internal Prison of the OGPU. January 10, 1924 released pending trial. 1924 – sentenced to 3 years of exile in Central Asia. 1924–1925 in exile in Khiva. Released. In November 1925 - consecrated Metropolitan of Odessa. 1927 – Metropolitan of Tashkent and Turkestan. Lived in Moscow without the right to leave. February 14, 1933 - died in Tashkent. According to other sources, he died in 1934 in Gorky. (GARF. F.8409. Op.1. D.38. L.277.; D.54. L.40.; F.8419. Op.1. D.90. L.131.; D.169. L.151–153.; D.185. L.169–171.; D.261. L.90, 96–109.) GARF F.1235. Op.97. D.54a. L.38–39; Domestic archives. 1993. No. 6. pp.53–54. Kremlin archives. In 2 books. / Book 1. Politburo and the Church 1922–1925 M.-Novosibirsk, ROSSPEN, Siberian Chronograph, 1997. Book. 1. pp. 115–116. (Hereinafter referred to as the Kremlin Archives). Central Election Commission FSB. F. 1. Op. 6. D. 11. L. 13. RGASPI. F. 5. Op. 2. D. 48. L. 74; Kremlin archives. Book 2. P. 28. Central Election Commission FSB. D. N-1780 T. 4. L. 256. Central Election Commission FSB. D. N-1780 T. 4. L. 259. Rutkovsky Anatoly Fedorovich (1894–1943). Member of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) since 1919. 06/21/1921–06/12/1922 – head of the 6th department of the SO VChK-GPU. 06/22/1922–08/19/1922 – head of the 9th department of the GPU SO. In August-December 1922 - head of the SO of the GPU of Turkestan. 12/20/1922–10/06/1926 – head of the 1st department of the SO GPU-OGPU. In March 1937 he was arrested, in May 1937 he was convicted and immediately released with credit for his time in custody. 08/31/1937 dismissed from the authorities as a convicted person. 1937–1939 – head of the container shop of the Voronezh pasta factory, industrial planner. In October 1939 he was arrested and sentenced to death on July 7, 1941, with the punishment commuted to 10 years in the camps on July 21, 1941. 12/29/1943 - died in the Volga Region. This written order of Patriarch Tikhon is on file. (CA FSB. D. R-43193. T.1. L. 15). Central Election Commission FSB. D. R-43193. T.1. L. 5–6v. (Features of the text of the interrogation protocol have been preserved). Central Election Commission FSB. D. R-43193. T.1. L. 50. GARF. F. 8419. Op. 1. D. 259. L. 117–118; Church Historical Bulletin. 1999. No. 2–3. P.70. Central Election Commission FSB. D. R-43193. T.1. L. 57. GARF. F. 8419. Op. 1. D. 259. L. 121; Church Historical Bulletin. 1999. No. 2–3. P.71 Evgeny Aleksandrovich Tuchkov was born in 1892 into the family of a poor peasant in the village of Telyakovo, Suzdal district, Vladimir region. At the age of 12 he graduated from a 3-year rural school. E. Tuchkov lost his father at the age of 4; his father was a poor peasant. From the age of twelve, E. Tuchkov began working in Ivanovo-Voznesensk as an auxiliary worker in various shops and industries. Before being called up for military service in 1915, E. Tuchkov traveled to a number of cities in search of work, working as a clerk. Trying to get an education, E. Tuchkov studied with one of the students at the gymnasium, but for a short time. In 1915, at the age of 21, E. Tuchkov was called up for military service, where he was a clerk at various departments and headquarters, and was demobilized at the beginning of 1918. He joined the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) in September 1917. After demobilization, he returned to Ivanovo-Voznesensk, where he worked in the City Council, and then entered service in the Ivanovo GubChK. In 1919, he was transferred from Ivanovo to Ufa, where he was involved in the formation of special forces, and then became the head of the secret operational unit of the Ufa GubChK. In 1921 he was appointed head of the Cheka of the Zlatoust district. In June 1921, he was sent with a report to Moscow, where he was left by T. Samsonov to work in the Secret Department of the Cheka. He became deputy head of the 6th department of the GPU SO, and in May 1922 the head of this department. Head of the 6th department of the SO OGPU E.A. Tuchkov appeared until 1932. For his anti-church work, he was awarded in 1922 by F. Dzerzhinsky the “Badge of an Honorary Chekist”, in 1924 by V. Menzhinsky - with a military weapon, in 1928 - by a gold watch, in 1932 - by the second “Badge of an Honorary Chekist”. In 1928, E. Tuchkov entered the ethnological faculty of the 1st University, but left his studies six months later. In 1932, E. Tuchkov was appointed deputy plenipotentiary representative of the NKVD for the Urals. From 1933 to 1939, E. Tuchkov worked in the central office of the NKVD in Moscow as a deputy special commissioner of the NKVD. In October 1939 E.A. Tuchkov was dismissed from the NKVD with the rank of state security major on the instructions of L.P. Beria. In 1941 E.A. Tuchkov took the post of executive secretary of the Central Council of Militant Atheists. Died in 1957 in Moscow. CA FSB D. R-43193. T.1. L. 54 – rev. Damascene (Orlovsky), abbot. Decree. op. Book 4. P. 408. This refers to Bishop Anthony (Bystrov) (1858–1931), Archbishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory. 17.01. 1910 A. was consecrated Bishop of Velsk, vicar of the Vologda diocese; in 1921 he was transferred to the Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory department. Local security officers characterized him as “a certain reactionary who had the entire clergy in his hands.” In the early autumn of 1922, he was arrested and, according to the decision of the NKVD administrative expulsion commission dated December 27, 1922, he was deported to the Narym region. Quote by: Damascene (Orlovsky), abbot. Decree. op. Book 4. P. 410. Krasnitsky Vladimir Dmitrievich (1881, Mayaki, Kherson province - November 1936, Leningrad) renovationist “protopresbyter”. Leader of the Living Church group. Evdokim (Meshchersky Vasily Ivanovich) (1865 - 1935), archbishop, later a renovationist “metropolitan”. In 1903, rector of the MDA. 01/04/1904 consecrated bishop. 1914–1917 - Archbishop of Aleutian and North American. Member of the Holy Council of the Russian Orthodox Church 1917–1918. Since 1918 - Archbishop of Nizhny Novgorod. 16.06. 1922 switched to renovationism, one of the ideologists of renovationism. 02.11.1922 – 13.04.1924 renovationist “Metropolitan of Odessa”. From 13.04. 1924 to September 1924 renovationist “Metropolitan of Vyatka”. Since 1922, member of the renovationist All-Russian Central Council (from 05/08/1923 All-Russian Central Council). From 08.08.1923 Chairman of the Renovationist “Holy Synod”. Quote by: Damascene (Orlovsky), abbot. Decree. op. Book 4. pp. 411–414. Central Election Commission FSB. D. R-43193. T.1. L. 30. Damascene (Oryol) abbot. Decree. op. P. 415. Kremlin archives. Book 1. P. 528.