Речь по прочтении Высочайшего манифеста о Всемилостивейшем даровании крепостным людям прав состояния свободных сельских обывателей и об устройстве их быта, сказанная в кафедральном соборе 11-го марта 1861 года.

“Give thanks in everything” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). If, according to St. Apostle, we must “give thanks in everything,” no matter what happens to us, good or bad: then how can we, brethren, not give thanks now, when from the height of the royal throne such a sweet voice, full of love and mercy, has been heard to us? Now one of the greatest and most beneficial events that has ever occurred within the Russian land is taking place before us. Almost a whole third of the gigantic population of Russia accepts a new, better lot from the hands of their Most Pious Sovereign. About 23 million (easy to say!), about 23 million of our compatriots receive new civil rights and, as it were, a new life. And at the same time, a new and vast path is opening up for our entire fatherland to the discovery of its strengths and means and to a comprehensive, all-encompassing education, improvement, prosperity and glory. Thought becomes exhausted, trying to grasp the enormity of the event, of which we see only the beginning. Only descendants, distant descendants, will be able to measure the full significance of this event and, of course, will write it down as the brightest era on the pages of Russian history. Let it not directly affect all of us, and from some it may even require considerable sacrifices. But, in the name of the fatherland, in the name of humanity, in the name of Christianity, before which all our personal calculations and private interests must fall silent, can we, the sons of Russia, not, one and all, fully sympathize with these millions of our fellow citizens, who are equal to us both by nature and by faith, and are now equal to us in civil rights? Their fate is inextricably linked with ours and will irresistibly resonate in the fate of the entire Russian region. May our grateful hearts ascend, first of all, to the throne of the Almighty, who gave us such a kind, benevolent, many-caring Monarch, and constantly warms His heart with love for his subjects, who aroused in His soul His holy intention and unquenchable concern for improving the life of a whole huge class of serf villagers and made Him wise and strengthened Him with His all-powerful grace to accomplish this an extraordinary feat of His royal ministry. Gratitude, on behalf of the entire Russian land, gratitude, throughout generations, gratitude to You, Anointed of God, Father of the Fatherland, how most appropriately we have the right to call You now after the new, unparalleled proof of Your fatherly love for us and care for us! We know and will not cease to remember that, in addition to sincere well-wishes for You, in addition to warm prayers for You and for all of Your August House, we can and must repay You even if, like children, we love You, sympathize with Your good intentions for us, obey all Your decrees and zealously, conscientiously carry out, each of us, the duties of our title for the good of our common fatherland. You especially, our brothers, on whom the royal mercy has now been directly poured out, know how to understand this extraordinary mercy, know how to appreciate it and worthily thank the Anointed One of God with your good behavior and obedience to His sacred authority. Everything that could be done to improve your life was done in accordance with the law of love and truth: be pleased with your new participation and do not strive for more than the Royal will has not indicated to you. You have now been granted new rights and benefits; but through this, new responsibilities have also been entrusted to you: try to fulfill them with all zeal. If before you worked and worked: then now work and work even harder. If before you “rendered to everyone their due, to whom a lesson is a lesson, and to whom a tribute is a tribute” (Rom. 13:7): then now bear all legal obligations even more conscientiously, pay certain taxes and dues even more steadily. If before you obeyed the authorities placed over you by the King and your masters: then especially now show your obedience to them in accordance with the Highest will expressed to you in the manifesto. Otherwise, how will you testify that you deeply feel the new mercy of the Most Pious Sovereign towards you? How will you justify His fatherly care for you? And only with your intense diligence, with your regularity in paying state taxes and quitrents, with your complete obedience to your superiors, will you really contribute to both the improvement of your own life and the good of our entire fatherland. Lord God, our Benefactor! Look down from heaven and bless the great deed that has taken place on Russian land, may it bring the most desired and sweetest fruits for all of us, the sons of Russia, and may the kind heart of Your Anointed One, our Most Pious Sovereign, Emperor Alexander Nikolaevich, rejoice at the sight of these fruits. Amen. You might be interested in: