Письма духовных лиц святителю Феофану

Letters from Bishop Arkady of Olonets Figure 11. Bishop of Olonets Arkady 1. Episcopal blessing for labors. On the cleansing of the Olonets diocese from schism. 1. Episcopal blessing for labors. About the relocation of the Svirsky religious school. On the cleansing of the Olonets diocese from schism. Reply to letter dated 8 Oct. 1855 May humble Petrozavodsk rejoice over you, as if you were sent to it from Jerusalem. “On our part, we will use every effort”: I rejoice in you for this word. Regarding the relocation of the Svirsky School, I already have information from some deans who prefer Olonets to Lodey Polye. But let information be collected from all sides, then it will be possible to discuss the matter more thoroughly. I highly approve of your assumption regarding the order and arrangement of government-paid students. I ask you to familiarize yourself with the affairs of the consistory. Let us remember our evening conversation: let us remember our vows and desires to collectively strive for the formation of the Olonets clergy, for the cleansing of the Olonets diocese from schism. My consistory’s proposals for the exclusive entrustment of certain matters to you had one goal - to fulfill, as God bless, our desires and vows in favor of the Olonets country. Once again I offer my prayers to God the Heavenly Father, may He bestow His saving blessing on you in all your labors according to your responsibilities. Please convey this word of good wishes to your most venerable companion, Fr. Asinkrit. With my love I am 236. 2. About schismatic books. About the spiritual needs of the Olonets diocese About schismatic books. About rural parish schools. About the spiritual needs of the Olonets diocese. Reply to letter dated November 12, 1855 Thank the Lord that everything is going well for you. O. Afanasy and I really liked it. Mr. Orfinsky is a kind and noble master, and the third, as it seemed to me, will be in spirit the venerable Fr. Rector Feofan! The list of schismatic books compiled by Mr. Tsitov contains a lot of unnecessary things. It’s easy to be convinced of this - you just have to figure out: a) who our students are; b) who are those for whom they listen to lessons on the missionary department; c) the purpose for which lessons should be taught in the mission department. You too can easily be convinced of this, most venerable Fr. Rector, if you become more familiar with the state of the clergy and the schism in the Olonets diocese, with the physical situation of this diocese. You promised to direct me so that all sciences in the seminary would serve the main goal of educating the students; may they be, as far as possible, more useful for the diocese and more successful in their actions to preserve the Orthodox in the true faith and admonish those who are erring. When your pious zeal becomes more closely acquainted with the spiritual needs of our diocese: then you will learn that in the Olonets diocese there is dominated by one kind of schism - priestlessism 237, that this priestlessism consists of only four types: Danilovschina, Filippovschina, with a part of Fedoseevschina, Aristovschina and wandering; the first two schools of thought are outdated, already decrepit, confused with each other, little able to know in which much of what was former by the schismatics themselves has been changed, abandoned, weakened, and many new things have been introduced. Why bother the students with unnecessary things?? A complete study of our schism can be acquired not in school, but in the arena of mission: here the spirit of the real schism can be revealed - and here the spiritual and moral measures that should be taken against the current schism will be revealed. Mr. Tsitov says: “There are no next ones. And of these, they are extremely necessary - for the history of the Olonets schism,” and these extremely necessary Nos. 8. Few need to supplement or correct the legend about the Olonets schism - [in] “The History of the Russian Schism”: and 8 [issues], which contain more remarkable things, are without a doubt included in the “History of the Russian Schism”; more detailed, and more or less incorrect information will only clutter the students’ heads, without serving any need in practice. “The following can be acquired or written off gradually”: No. 36. It is possible, but not necessary: ​​as it becomes possible, it can be acquired or written off. For example, what is the benefit for us, in relation to us schismatics, to know the debate between Arseny and the Greeks, the life of Avvakum, the collection about the God-honored Nikon, the questions of the Vetkovites, the Kerzhen answers, Sibirtsev, etc. I confirm your words: “I think that not all of them are needed. However, if a convenient way to acquire or write off presented itself, you wouldn’t have to despise either one!” And I will follow this, and as proof of this I am sending you several write-off experiments. Mr. Tsitov loves to study antiquities: I love and respect him for this; For this reason, I have the same feeling for him even now; and its excesses can be used. You know that I have entrusted the exclusive supervision of rural parish schools to Fr. Inspector: Even these schools need some guidance regarding communicating to children the concept of schism. We will ask Fr. missionary to compile this manual when he becomes thoroughly familiar with the state of those schools. This leadership should be deliberately adapted to the local schools, in whose eyes there is only lack of priesthood, and not all of it in general, but in separate parts, that is, individual Danilovism, individual Filippovism and others, very rarely, so that both of these sects Figure 12. Christian Reading Magazine, 1894 Part Two and others where they were together. Let the student know for the first time what is in his eyes; but knows, if possible, thoroughly. Not only does each schismatic consensus have local characteristics, but also each local schismatic society has its own characteristics. These traits can be collected from the local clergy, when they themselves become more attentive and become generally familiar with the teachings of the schismatics. This is what I also strive for, inciting the clergy to read books that are coming out again about the schism and against the schism. Here are our helpers in this: a missionary and an assistant, three special deans with assistants; Pay your attention to these new leaders, and they must help us, and we must help them. Be curious about what the late missionary Hieromonk Meletios wrote about the schism! He wrote the development of the Olonets field... oh... The Lord will bless us if we strive with zeal and pure goals for the benefit of this country, which had and in its depths hid so many saints, so many ascetics against Western heterodoxy and against our internal schism: didn’t the Swedes and Poles encroach on our Orthodoxy? Our Chuds and Karelians repelled this encroachment and thereby defended their borders. What were the Denisovs planning?? It was not the Olonchan people who first pestered them, but strangers: one silent deacon, an associate of the frenzied apostates, appeared within his own Povenets borders... Try, dearest Fr. Rector, at least somehow cleanse our country, so fragrant with saints, from the infection of schism! And the leadership for rural schools could also serve in district schools. I ask you, most honorable Fr. Rector Feofan, I ask you to quickly familiarize yourself with the essential spiritual needs of the Olonets diocese and serve to satisfy them. Fr. Athanasius will be jealous of you, explaining the word of God to his pupils, so that in due time they, having learned to explain the word of God correctly, will more successfully guide others to the correct understanding of the ways of the Lord, in that word openly indicated to us. The guidance for schools is needed according to the time, place, and age of the children. Arrange the economic part throughout according to the rules and methods. The third of those who will appear to you would seem to you to be a faithful mathematician. This is what I jotted down on paper based on your letter to me dated November 12th. But the doctrine of schism is not a subject about which one could speak quickly: I ask you to delve into this matter, understand all the circumstances relating to it; It is required to teach and act against the schism, and the Lord will bless the working mentors submissive to Him and for His glory with success. And the Lord will preserve your obedient. May the Most Merciful and All-Powerful One, who works miracles, protect us all. 3. About schismatic books. About the organization of a painting class. On the interpretation of the Psalter About schismatic books. About the organization of a painting class. On the interpretation of the Psalter. About the labors of the Perm clergy in the fight against the schism. Reply to letter dated November 22, 1855 You wrote to me on November 22nd, but you probably still haven’t received a response from me on November 19th. Therefore, I will answer your letter of November 22 briefly. 1) I would like to see the handwritten book that was delivered to you by Mr. Tsitov, and about which you began your letter of November 22 with an explanation. 2) I should expect you to notify me what impression my reply to you of November 19 made on you. 3) It’s a very good thing that you want to revise the old printed books stored at the cathedral. If you find any necessary for the seminary, consider such matters in the consistory; If the presence of the consistory recognizes the possibility of transferring them to the seminary library, then this should be submitted to the Holy Synod. 4) I think that Fr. Archpriest Theodore gave you information about the student of Kazan, whom Fr. rector Archimandrite John 238 and personally praised. But after showing up once and leaving me with your certificate, something doesn’t come to me. They say that there will be a lot of trouble if the drawing class opens. Quam exalto animo meo, P. Rectorem esse pictorem et morum et imaginum 239 . Dear Fr. Athanasius will pay attention to the message of St. Af[anasia?] Arch[bishop] of Alexandria to Marcellus on the interpretation of the psalms, striving with the power of the prayer to the Holy Life-Giving Trinity, printed from the first times of Moscow printing in the books of Psalms before the psalms themselves - and will compile a brief review or interpretation of the psalms, especially those that are most often used during worship in church and during prayers in the homes of parishioners, applied to the abilities of children and the purpose of rural schools. Can do it oh. Athanasius, perhaps, will not refuse, but the children and clergy do not bother God and themselves about the words of the lips, and they have fun about the reason of those spoken. On November 19th of this I wrote to you: “and I will follow this, and as proof of this I am sending you several write-off experiments.” I continue to prove this promise of mine - here you have: 1) “Wonderful and sweetest grapes of the Russian land”; 2) “Ranting, or conversation between an Old Believer and a New Believer”; 3) “A statement, partly for the sake of the Orthodox, about the transformation of the godless new books,” etc. Of these three schismatic works, the first one was also copied by Mr. Tsitov; The other two, however, convince us that the schismatics still continue to compose all kinds of stories, rantings and legends that are seductive for the Orthodox. Which of our parish priests is able to thoroughly reveal the tortuous lies of the works shown? But which of our priests knows these works, while they pass from hand to hand among the common people? The “rant” was delivered to me in Perm by a fellow believer, which, in the opinion of the schismatics, was an irrefutable document of Old Believer truth. 4) “October 1823, an admonition to all Christians” - this was given to me by a zealous son of the Orthodox Church in a field in the Yekaterinburg district, beyond the Urals, when I got out of my summer road cart. Since this work had a strong influence on the common people, comments on it were immediately written and sent with it to that zealot of Orthodoxy. 5) “The Tale of Lestovka”; 6) “About the present century”; 7) “Telling who to pray for what”; 8) “Letter to me from the Lexinian missionary.” The last four articles are awaiting consideration by Petrozavodsk, since they are the product of our country. 9) “Debate between Abbot Elijah and book reference Grigory Onisimov with Korsun[skiy?] Archpriest Lavr[entiy] Zizaniy” – copied by Archpriest Kirillov, whose report dated May 16, 1883. I would like our archpriests and priests to write such reports about the state of the local schism. Such reports helped us a lot in Perm. And the late Fr. Archpriest Kirillov deliberately went to Moscow to acquire information in the patriarchal library. There he also copied the article: “Debate.” Yes, in Perm the clergy played a great part in the conversion of schismatics. Here is the evidence for this: 1) A letter to someone who calls himself an Old Believer about folding his fingers for the sign of the Holy Cross. – This was received from His Eminence of Yekaterinburg, vicar of the Perm diocese (now Archbishop of Mogilev). 2) Brotherly appeal in the Lord. - Folded by a missionary who was a master. 3) A letter to Zalesov, who was a very, very significant schismatic at the Verkh-Neivinsky plant. 4) A set of the so-called Theodorite legend about the formation of the finger. 5) An explanation of the reasons why the Old Believers are not able to accept the rules and Sacraments of the One Faith Church. 6) To the schismatic who is alienated from the Holy Church, the so-called Old Believer. 7) Notes on the Flower Garden. 8) Unity of faith. 9) A conversation between an Orthodox Christian and an Old Believer about the name Jesus. 10) Doctrine according to the Canon about the Cross. 11) Talk about the 26th Psalm. 12) Another conversation about the same psalm. 13) Talk about the 50th Psalm. 14) Conversations: about whether we are taught now as they were taught in the old days; about the ABC, about the Book of Hours, about the Psalter. 15) Conversations about the Orthodox Church, about the beginning of those rituals that schismatics adhere to, about the salting walk, about Nikon the Patriarch, about 4 conversations. - But that's enough for now. The Perm clergy kept a watchful eye on the schismatics and, as circumstances called, they wrote as much as they could to protect the Orthodox in the true faith and to admonish those who were in error. Some conversations were read in meetings during testing of children in factory schools. Such meetings had a beneficial effect on both students and visitors. As before, on the 19th, and now on the 30th of November, hand over the lists sent to you, after you no longer need them, to the missionary, whom I ask you to accept at your benevolent disposal, with good advice, instructions, instructions to assist him in his missionary work. He can be an intermediary in communicating missionary lessons at the seminary to the rural clergy and in communicating information about the schism to you. The lists must be returned to me: they will be replenished with new works of the clergy of the Olonets diocese, if only this clergy will enter into these works. In Perm, the clergy sorted out all the psalms, according to the manual of interpretations of the psalms, published with the blessing of the Holy Synod in 1791. The archpriest told me of Lodeynoye Pole that there was a circular order from the late Right Reverend Ignatius that information about the schism should be delivered to all clergy: look at this matter in the consistory; I haven't seen him. 4. About the temptation of the enemy: I reassure you about my complete trust in you Reply to letter dated December 3, 1855 The one who sowed the seeds of trouble in his circle before, I see, is beginning to succeed in his craft even now. This is the concept that aroused in me after your letter of December 3rd. I could point you to my Nos. 517–520 of December 3 and No. 326 of December 7 in order to reassure you about my complete, special trust in you; but will it not be of no use, given the apparent success of the enemy? I never thought of being cruel; but again having received your letter of December 3, I will try to be that wise and righteous person about whom it is said - Proverbs 9:9; always respecting the truth - in verse 27 of the same proverbs. May the Lord of peace Himself always give you peace in every way. 5. About the structure of the Olonets diocese. About the priest of the Lychko-Ostrovsky churchyard About the structure of the Olonets diocese. About the priest of the Lychko-Ostrovsky churchyard. Please be diligent for the good of the Olonets diocese. Reply to letter dated December 17, 1855 I received your letter of the 17th on December 21st. The Holy Synod paid especially merciful attention to the structure of the Olonets diocese: we who serve in this diocese are obliged to especially work for it. There are enough idle priestly positions in the diocese: in order to prevent bad consequences in parishes, it is necessary to quickly assign priests to these positions; about this I give the consistory a special proposal from the same date for No. 561. I ask you to draw your attention to it so that it has timely success: it seems that during Christmas time it would be possible to fulfill what is required by this proposal; Even capable seminarians could assist in the copying of office papers. I think that Mr. Secretary of the Consistory will also come to you with his explanations. I consider it necessary to send some priests for testing to Fr. to the inspector: so the priest of the Lychko-Ostrovsky churchyard has already been appointed to such a test. This priest was reprimanded on the occasion of the discovery of new schismatics in his parish. There is a matter in the consistory about this: I ask you and Fr. inspector to look into this matter. The priest’s behavior is not satisfactorily approved: and most importantly, he allegedly sniffs and smokes tobacco; and the apostasy in the parish began to open up with its arrival in the Lychko-Ostrov[sky] churchyard. Oh, how it is necessary to keep priests and seminary students from being carried away by the ashes and smoke of this poor potion! Ask in my name about. inspector, so that he would more kindly receive the aforementioned priest (his last name is Ilyinsky - he is the nephew of the Karelian language teacher), more precisely test him in his way of thinking and in his knowledge of subjects especially needed by a parish priest, so that he finds out whether this priest understands the history of the schism at all and the Lychko-Ostrov[sky] schism itself: it seems to me that priest Ilyinsky has a poor understanding of the schism, and although He boasts that he gives admonitions to schismatics who deviate from the parish church and waver, but he can hardly do it, he can hardly determine to which sect the Lychko-Ostrovsky schismatics belong. O. Inspector may very well find out this and thereby give rise to new considerations in the case of rural schools and of acting on a schism through the clergy. I ask you, my most honorable ones, I ask you, oh. Rector, Fr. Inspector, Fr. Athanasius, I ask you to be diligent for the benefits of the Olonets diocese with all those talents with which the Heavenly Rewarder, the Enlightener, our incomprehensible Guardian God has adorned you, for the consolation of his Holy Church! 6. Episcopal blessing for labors. About schismatic manuscripts. On the interpretation of the Psalter Bishop's blessing on labors. About schismatic manuscripts. About the method of influencing schismatics. On the interpretation of the Psalter. Reply to letter dated January 3, 1856 You are perplexed, but I rejoice and thank the Heavenly Enlightener God that you are in Petrozavodsk. May the blessing of the Heavenly Father, who has gathered you in the field to serve His Holy Church in the country of Olonets, rest upon you and all your noble and well-behaved colleagues! Don’t the factory manuscripts convince you that our schismatics are not completely hopeless fools, that dealing with them is not like teaching in a classroom or shouting in the street! It is necessary, it is necessary to learn to approach their concepts, prejudices, to find measures, skills - how to act on them more successfully. But what am I? Don’t the Acts of the Apostles present us with high Divine examples, as in Ephesus and Athens, in Corinth and Jerusalem with Cornelius the centurion and the Sadducees to speak, act, endure, trust, preach the Kingdom of God and teach, even in our Lord Jesus Christ, with all boldness without restraint?! I rejoice and thank you that you accept all those who come to you, I rejoice in those who come to you, in the spirit of warm zeal for the work of God manifested in them. Dear Fr. Rector, wouldn’t it be better if the students themselves conveyed their conversations with schismatics, their comments about schismatics, rather than Mr. Tsitov compiling notes from their words?? If I get around to it, I'll talk more about this. “How to take up the interpretation of the Psalter”? God will bless this business with success if you work together. But allow me to participate as much as I can in this matter. The schismatics, as far as I have been able to find out, consider everything that is bound in the book to be the Psalter: the smart ones say so, probably, in order to classify the first bound article on the folding of the fingers as a work of the Inspired David. Therefore, to give an idea of ​​what exactly constitutes the Psalter, why the other articles in the binding cannot be attributed to the works of the God-inspired David, and to give a correct assessment of the merits of the first article, published before Patriarch Joseph in a book, unknown by whom, written in this form, etc., etc. With such a review of the book, one must keep in mind the clergy itself, which must convey the concept of the first article of the Psalter to their flocks and schismatics. Is it possible to show different editions of the Psalter in Moscow only, is it possible to show the difference in the editions and what - as it began, continued - and still remains unchanged in the editions? Without going into excessive scholarship - into schooliness, into philology, it seems possible to compose such a preliminary review of the book - the Psalter, with adaptation to the goal, with closeness to concepts, with attractiveness for both the clergy and the flock. And how little we know the Psalter!!! And isn’t it only the clerics and those people in the choir who read it, and do our priests standing in the altar listen to the reading, and do they understand what the reader himself is reading? Bless, O fathers of Petrozavodsk, Equal in number to the Trinity 240, Co-Creator of the Father God, by trusting in His omnipotent help, sing the descending Word, revealing His glory and in the God-inspired Psalter, proclaiming this glory through the harp of David, which in ancient times turned fire into dew, will transform the darkness of ignorance into the light of Godly understanding and now. And exalt to everyone, both those who study with you, and those who come to you, and those who run from you, the life of the giver of the Holy Spirit of our native land forever - exalt through labor and prayer... so that everyone can see the salvation of God, glorifying Him forever. 7. Questioning about the execution of instructions. Episcopal. About missionary Questioning about the execution of orders. Bishop's blessing on labors. About missionary work. Reply to letter dated March 6, 1856 And nothing about rural schools, and not a word about the Inspired Psalter: can I expect anything about both of them from our dear brothers - the Epiphany, the Incomparable and the Immortal? 241 But rest assured that even with such a paucity of visible compliance with my desires, my love for you, the Manifested One of God, with all your associates and colleagues does not become scarce. May God's blessing assist and assist you in your work in the field of St. Lent and in the new current of teaching. Let the strength of the Lord be made perfect in your weaknesses! Another assistant was chosen for the missionary, the young monk Hesychius, calm, sober, diligent and diligent. I ask you to accept him into your love and care. The case of changing an assistant in the consistory: if you want to know the reasons and types of this change, you can see all this from the case file. Our field is not large, but how overgrown it is with thorns and thistles! There are few laborers for it: how wretchedly it is necessary to work with these little ones in order to somehow replace many. I love the missionary staff and the sandals of those who preach peace; I loved to wander through the wilds and dens of the Ural: will our Most Merciful Savior vouchsafe me - although to accomplish any number of fields of work in the Olonets field!! I’m getting ready to hear what the Lord says about the 1st of the coming May in relation to my journey. Epiphany, Incomparable, Immortal! Could it be that these three beautiful names appeared in one helicopter city without the will of God, without meaning, without the power to inspire everyone: flowers appeared on earth! 8. About the service of the Divine Liturgy. About schismatic books. About the new monastery in Danilov About the service of the Divine Liturgy, about musical singing. About schismatic books. About the new monastery in Danilov: the Optina residents refuse to be invited to other places. Reply to letter dated April 17, 1856 Your letter of April 17th of this is priceless to me. Regarding the administration of the Divine Liturgy throughout the diocese, regarding musical singing and choir obedience in general, more than once I took measures, and made proposals to the consistory: but the futility of these measures shows. Regarding the class for practicing services and singing from notes, I will talk with the Reverend Macarius 242. And regarding teachers’ books, measures were taken: but here too there was little success!! And ask yourself: what was done regarding those who failed to preach the word of God and how did it all end? God will bring me to Petrozavodsk, we will talk about everything personally. The procedure for keeping schismatic books in one's possession has changed by order of the highest government. For the Danilovsky Monastery, the judgment about monks should be when it is opened, its rules are defined and approved: you cannot despair - you can’t find the needed monk in the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery, from among the Penza settlers: I will show them to you, we will guide them. The Optina residents do not show themselves and refuse to be called to other places; and those determined against will are no more trustworthy than those who agree and are known to serve well. But about everything personally; now (as we always should) let us completely surrender ourselves and our work to the will of the All-Good and All-Wise God, Who cares about us and ours immeasurably more than we ourselves; Let us heed His beckoning, His bright and holy instructions. I am glad that V. V-ch consoles you with his labors: next week I will see G. Sychev. 9. About drawings, estimates and plans for new seminary buildings. About the new appointment Reply to letter dated May 15, 1856 They tell me that not so much drawings and estimates as a site plan for the seminary are needed for the construction of the seminary; the drawings will be drawn up in the capital; In your conclusion, therefore, find out the price of bricks, timber, and the amount of your remaining amount: hurry up and send it to me in Svirsk. I ask the consistory to take care of the earliest possible submission regarding benefits from the treasury for the establishment or maintenance of schools under Article 14 of the statute of the spiritual consistory; there was a proposal from me about this; this performance, if not slowed down, will be a success. Take care of us while we are with you; but your stay with us is fragile. I have the same opinion about the books mentioned in your letter to me dated the 15th of this month; but there is no need to ignore the opinions of others. ...St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) Figure 13. Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov 10. Answer to the question: isn’t it time to retire from the pulpit to a monastery? Most Gracious Archpastor and Father! I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you for your frank letter dated May 29. I answer it with the same frankness... Your flock uses your edifying words and example abundantly. If God’s Providence placed you on the candlestick, why leave it without God’s calling? Maybe 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. While staying in your cell, you will not be disturbed by the thought of cell temptations that these temptations followed the warning of the will and instructions of God. I entrust myself to your holy prayers. My strength and health have deteriorated to the extreme, to the point of incredibleness: but the Merciful Lord postpones the call to His Judgment, knowing my unpreparedness and granting time for repentance. Most Gracious Archpastor and Father most humble novice - E. Ignatius. ...Bishop of Nizhny Novgorod Jeremiah Figure 14. Bishop of Nizhny Novgorod Jeremiah 11. News about a fellow pupil. Congratulations on the anniversary of your consecration News about a fellow student. Please send books. Congratulations on the anniversary of your consecration. October 6, 1874. [44]. Most God-loving of the Lord Brother! With my prayerful preliminary monastic greeting, bless this charter for my entry into your silent cell. Christ is among us! Save yourself! On the eve of the holy memory of St. Michael, before whose holy relics we received the Most Sacred Ordination, beyond my hopes I had great, senile joy to see and talk in my cell with your ever-memorable co-pupil and co-monk, His Eminence Macarius of Lithuania, on his journey to Kazan to inspect the educational affairs at the academy. To share this joy with you, I am writing these lines to you. He is good-natured and good-natured. – We must wish and pray that the important assignments entrusted to him will serve for the true good of Faith and Science, the Church and Orthodoxy, and to the honor of him and the place of his education. Along with this, accept my request to you. Our different schools - Livensky and Sevsky - wished to establish libraries for teachers and for external lovers of spiritual reading. Having provided them with my best assistance in this, I humbly ask Your Eminence to donate to them your soul-helping creations and other extra books, sending them to Sevsk - in the name of the Sevsk School Board; in Livny - in the name of the Board of the Livny Theological School. “It will be like alms for their minds and hearts.” I earnestly ask for your prayers, with which your unworthy prayer-booker will remain, most zealous well-wisher and servant Today is St. Apostle Thomas; and our consecration took place on his week: through his prayers, save us, O Lord, and keep the gift of Thy Divine Grace in us. Seva schools are preparing to celebrate their centenary with celebration and prayer. Let us not be indifferent, and bring in what we can: prayer, thanksgiving, and some kind of assistance to the cause. ...Archbishop Savva of Tver Figure 15. Archbishop of Tver Savva 12. Covering letter to be sent to the Index of the Moscow Patriarchal Sacristy Covering letter to be sent to the Index of the Moscow Patriarchal Sacristy It is my pleasant duty to forward to Your Eminence a copy of the Index of the Moscow Patriarchal Sacristy that I compiled and re-published. The photographs accompanying this book from the most remarkable things in the sacristy will remind Your Eminence of what you once saw in reality. Please accept this small offering from me as a tribute to my deep respect for Your Eminence. Since I had the pleasure of seeing and personally getting to know Your Eminence, I have kept and will keep the most pleasant memory of you. Your present appointment arouses in me even greater affection for Your Eminence, as the archpastor of that flock to which I belong both by birth and by initial service in the priestly rank. God grant that the Vladimir flock will strive to earn from Your Eminence the same love with which you left Tambov. The section “From the Unpublished” includes unpublished or never republished (after a single publication at the end of the 19th century) letters of St. Theophan the Recluse. In preparing the publication, we partially used the appendix to Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov’s) candidate’s essay “Letters from Bishop Feofan to various persons, not included in the VIII edition” (In 2 parts. Zagorsk. 1973 (Typescript)). The letters have been translated into a new orthography with partial preservation of the author's punctuation: dashes are left between sentences, accents are left as the author's sign connecting parts of the sentence, etc. New in private correspondence [1] Valaam schema-monk Agapius Ed. from: Nine unknown letters of St. Theophan // Poltava Diocesan Gazette. 1905. February. No. 4. P. 154; No. 5. pp. 187–190; No. 6. pp. 248–255. March. No. 7. pp. 203–208. The publication of the letters in the journal “Poltava Diocesan Gazette” was preceded by an introductory article “In memory of the Right Reverend Theophan, the recluse of Vyshensky”: “This year marks ten years since the death of the ever-memorable Saint Theophan, the Recluse of Vyshensky. On the day of Epiphany, January 6, 1894, the venerable Archimandrite Fr. Arkady, the rector of the Vyshenskaya Hermitage and the only visitor to the recluse’s cell, found the Vladyka’s body lifeless. The saint was lying on the bed; His left hand was at his chest, and his right hand was lowered and had fingers folded for the bishop's blessing. When the deceased began to be dressed in hierarchal robes according to the bishop's rite in the house church, his face lit up with a joyful smile. Everyone felt that an extraordinary man had died, a man of grace. And now, the more time goes into the distance, the more the works of the deceased saint are brought to light, the more they are studied, the more depth and richness are revealed in the spiritual inheritance he left for us, the more great the figure of the saint appears for us. She stands in line with the ancient Fathers and teachers of the Church. Such high dignity for his works is recognized by our academic science. The venerable protopresbyter Fr. Yanyshev, for example, in his course on moral theology, independently presents almost all the questions of his science, and in the section on grace he completely and exclusively follows the authority of the Right Reverend Theophan. The Lord richly gifted His Eminence Bishop Theophan. He had a perfect command of scientific means, knowledge of ancient and modern languages, and literary talent. With the richest abilities and hard work, he had deep knowledge not only in theological sciences, but also in secular ones, the latter especially in natural science. At the same time, he had the ability and subtle sense of the arts, so he painted icons well and played the harmonium. Bishop Theophan’s fingers were also skillful in handicrafts. What are sewing, embroidery, carving, carpentry and turning, with which he diversified his work, especially during the retreat. With such rich means for demonstrating his fortitude in broad public activities, he leaves the high position of diocesan bishop and retires to the unknown Vyshenskaya Hermitage. Here he remained in retirement for 28 years until his death, and during the 21st year he closed the doors of his cell to everyone except two persons - the abbot of the monastery and his confessor. Many high-ranking officials, Grand Dukes, archpastors and even the famous All-Russian shepherd came to his cell - but these doors were not open for them either. During the last 11 years of his life, Bishop Theophan celebrated the Divine Liturgy in his cell church every day, but he literally performed it alone. What kind of peace did Bishop Theophan have? This peace was the most intense activity in prayer and Christian deed, it was scientific work that gave us dozens of volumes of precious theological works, and, finally, it was the work of spiritual guidance of those who turned to him through correspondence. According to the statement of the venerable Fr. Archimandrite Arkady, several dozen letters almost daily arrived to Bishop Theophan, and he gave answers to everything. For some, the answer followed at the altar of the cell church; for others, Vladyka wrote. Almost ten issues of such reply letters have now been published. From this private correspondence of the Most Reverend Theophan, we now have nine letters that have not yet been fully published, and which we intend to make public. Every line of the unforgettable saint, an irreplaceable mentor in spiritual life, is precious. And in the letters offered to the reader’s attention there is a lot that is characteristic of what the Most Reverend Theophan is most great at, namely as the most profound and at the same time simple - evangelically simple and profound - psychologist of spiritual life (publishers’ italics - Ed.). The letters presented to the attention of readers were written by His Grace Theophan to the blind Valaam monk Fr. Agapius, who became a monk at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra when he was the Rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. While His Grace Theophan was in St. Petersburg, until then he treasured St. Petersburg and Fr. Agapius. When Bishop Theophan retired to Vysha, then Fr. Agapius moved to the strict Valaam monastery on Lake Ladoga. From Valaam Fr. Agapius wrote to Vysha about his perplexities and received answers on Valaam. What is the personality of Fr. Agapia is best characterized by Bishop Theophan, especially in his last letter. These letters were presented to us by the deeply revered and unforgettable Father Fr. Agapius after our visit to Valaam and his blessed cell in the summer of 1903.” Ed. from: Letters of Bishop Theophan the Recluse to A.D.T. // Soulful reading. 1902. T. III. pp. 126–131; 1903. T. I. P. 313–318, 594–600. Letters of Bishop Theophan the Recluse // Soulful reading. 1903. T. II. pp. 588–593; T. III. pp. 447–451, 635–641. This correspondence is of a completely private nature and, apparently, that is why it was not included in the eight editions of the Collection of Letters of the Saint. The letters were published without comment. Moreover, from letter No. 25 they are not even inscribed by the publishers of the magazine “K A.D.T.” However, chronologically, in terms of content, and in terms of time of publication, they can be classified precisely in this category. [3] Bishop Arkady of Olonets Ed. from: Correspondence between the Right Reverend Theophan, formerly of Vladimir, and Arkady, formerly of Olonets // Christian Reading. 1894. Part II. pp. 69–107. The publication of the letters in “Christian Reading” was accompanied by an explanation from the publishers: “This correspondence dates back to 1855 and 1856, when Theophan, in the rank of archimandrite, was the rector of the Olonets Theological Seminary, and the Right Reverend Arkady was present at the Holy Synod, and when, as a result, the relations of the rector with the diocesan bishop necessarily had to be conducted in writing. We place it on the pages of “Christian Reading” in view of the interest that it represents for the characteristics of both saints and in memory of both. Prof. I. Troitsky." In the journal, the letters were published in pairs in the form of a question and answer, but Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov), in the appendix to his candidate’s essay, divided the correspondence into two parts, placing them in different headings: “Letters of Theophan the Recluse to various persons” and “Letters of clergy to Bishop Theophan” (See: Hieromonk Georgy (Tertyshnikov). Letters of Bishop Theophan to various persons not included in the VIII edition. Appendix to the candidate's essay in 2 parts. Part 1. Zagorsk, 1973. pp. 35–75. We reproduce this particular option for posting letters and publish Bishop Arkady’s answers on p. 581. Notes on the letters belong to the publishers of Christian Reading. [4] The Berlin Brotherhood Ed. from: Letter from Bishop Theophan the Recluse to the Berlin Brotherhood // Soulful Reading. 1904. T. III. P. 589. The letter was preceded by an appeal to the editor: “For a long time I had the intention of sending to the editorial office of “Soulful Reading”, where, almost without interruption, letters from the ever-memorable Bishop Theophan are published, one might say, his dying letter to me, regarding his election as an honorary member of our Brotherhood. The letter was written on December 29, 1893, and on January 6, 1894, Vladyka had already departed to the Lord! Here is this letter, kept by the Brotherhood as a blessing and prayerful memory of the great ascetic, who combined monastic exploits with the greatest learning, who, like St. Tikhon, left episcopal power as a ministry difficult to combine with the vows of true monasticism! Archpriest of the Embassy Church in Berlin [5] Athos monk Vladislav Ed. from: Letters of the Right Reverend Theophan the Recluse to the Athos monk Fr. Vladislav, in Moscow // Soulful reading. 1899. T. II. pp. 642–648; T. III. pp. 143–150, 288–300, 508–513. Ed. from: Letters of the Right Reverend Theophan the Recluse to V.S.D. // Soulful reading. 1902. T. I. P. 432–433. The letter was accompanied by a footnote: “The author sent “Soulful Readings” to the editor. I meant the addressee. Ed. from: Instructions for those who doubt the power of commemorating the dead. Unpublished letters of St. Theophan // Soulful interlocutor. 1908. January. Vol. 1. pp. 24–29. [8] Archpriest D. A. Zhdanov. Ed. from: Letter from the late Bishop Theophan to his former comrade at the Academy in response to the latter’s congratulations on the New Year // Kyiv Diocesan Gazette. 1894. No. 15. pp. 434–435. Letters of the Right Reverend Theophan to Archpriest D. A. Zh-vu // Kyiv Diocesan Gazette. 1894. No. 11. pp. 312–313. Notes to letters from the publishers of the Kiev Diocesan Gazette. Ed. from: Letters of the Right Reverend Theophan the Recluse to I. A. L. // Soulful Reading. 1902. T.I.S. 208–209. Note: “Reported by priest Mitrofan Serebryansky.” [10] Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov). Ed. by: Hieromonk Mark (Lozinsky). The spiritual life of a layman and a monk according to the works and letters of Bishop Ignatius (Brianchaninov). Supplement to the master's essay. In 2 volumes. T. 2. Zagorsk, 1967. P. 48–50. (Typescript.). [11] Bishop of Nizhny Novgorod Jeremiah. Ed. From: Letters to the Most Reverend Jeremiah, Bishop of Nizhny Novgorod. Letter from Hieromonk Feofan (Govorov) // Reading in the Society of Lovers of Spiritual Enlightenment. 1887. Book I. pp. 31–32. [12] Archbishop Innocent of Kherson. Ed. from: Judgment of the Right Reverend Theophan, former Bishop of Vladimir on the Greek-Bulgarian question and the state of the Orthodox Church in the East // Proceedings of the Imperial Kyiv Theological Academy. 1895. T. 2. May. pp. 33–67. The publication of the letter was preceded by a “Preface”: “Reverend Theophan expressed his judgments about the Greek-Bulgarian discord and about the state of the Orthodox Church in the East in a letter to Archbishop Innocent (Borisov) dated March 9, 1857. We bring this letter to the attention of our readers. We consider it necessary here to provide some preliminary information about the origin of this letter. It is known that on May 21, 1856, Archimandrite Theophan (at that time the rector of the Olonets Theological Seminary) was appointed to the position of rector of our embassy church in Constantinople. The choice of Archimandrite Theophan for such an important and responsible (especially at that time) post was undoubtedly determined by the fact that Archimandrite Theophan was well acquainted with the Orthodox East. Not long before he had spent about seven years in the East (1847-1854) as a member of our first mission in Jerusalem. This mission had a worship (pilgrimage - Ed.) character. The members of the mission, including Archimandrite Theophan, during their entire stay in the East limited their activities to devotional asceticism and a comprehensive acquaintance with the state of Orthodoxy in the East. At this time, Archimandrite Theophan visited Constantinople, Athos, Jerusalem, Syria and Egypt. The fruit of this journey was a comprehensive acquaintance with the state of the peoples of the East who share our faith. On May 3, 1854, as a result of the outbreak of the Crimean War, our Jerusalem mission was recalled. Among its other members, Archimandrite Theophan returned to Russia this time through Western Europe. Upon returning to Russia, Archimandrite Feofan was for some time a bachelor of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy and rector of the Olonets Seminary, and on May 21, 1856, as stated, he again received an appointment to the East. This time, Archimandrite Theophan, as already familiar with the East, was entrusted with an independent and very responsible post. The importance of serving as rector of the embassy church in Constantinople, which was entrusted to Archimandrite Theophan, was determined by the then political and church events taking place in the Orthodox East. On the one hand, our government at that time was seriously concerned about increasing the importance and influence of Russia in the East, since this importance was shaken by the previous war. And on the other hand, at that time a quarrel had just begun between two peoples of the East that were of the same faith to us - the Greeks and the Bulgarians - a quarrel that later ended with the famous Greek-Bulgarian schism. The enmity of two peoples of the same faith that lived within the Turkish Empire deeply outraged the late Sovereign Emperor Alexander II. He took all measures to stop it and wanted those who served in our spiritual missions in the East to contribute to its termination. This peaceful desire of the Sovereign was shared by many of the highest representatives of our government and the highest hierarchs of the Russian Church. Among these latter, perhaps the greatest participation in the affairs of the Orthodox East in general and, in particular, in the struggle of the Greeks with the Bulgarians was taken by the famous Kherson Archbishop Innocent. He had long been very interested in the fate of the Orthodox East. Repeatedly he even planned to go to the East in person. Having become the Archbishop of Kherson, he came into direct contact with the Orthodox East. Now he began to follow with even greater interest everything that was happening there. By the way, he, like Sovereign Emperor Alexander II, deeply mourned the enmity between the Greeks and Bulgarians and tried in every possible way to stop it. To do this, he needed to have the most accurate and (most importantly) impartial information about the current state of affairs, about the real reasons for the Greek-Bulgarian feud. On the other hand, he also needed to know the general state of both the Greek and Bulgarian Churches. He tried to acquire this information from people who served in our missions and at our embassies in the East. Meanwhile, in the second half of 1856, Archimandrite Theophan was supposed to pass through Odessa to his destination in Constantinople. The latter was well known to Archbishop Innocent, since he had been his student for some time at the Kyiv Theological Academy. During a meeting with Archimandrite Theophan, Archbishop Innocent asked him to collect and deliver to him accurate information about the situation in which the Greek-Bulgarian question was, and in general about the state of the Orthodox Church in the East. One might even think that Archbishop Innocent gave Archimandrite Theophan detailed instructions for this and even outlined the very points on which he was supposed to collect and report information to him. The answer to this request from Archbishop Innocent was the following letter from Archimandrite Theophan to him. It presents a very thorough and detailed report, divided into two halves. In the first half, Archimandrite Theophan talks about the movement that was then taking place among the Bulgarians and about the relations between the Bulgarians and the Greeks, and in the second - about the state of the Eastern Orthodox Church, mainly the Patriarchate of Constantinople. A letter from Archimandrite Theophan to Archbishop Innocent dated March 9, 1857 was given to us by S. A. Bulgakov, among other papers of Metropolitan Macarius. Metropolitan Macarius received this letter, one must think, under the following circumstances. It is known that the enmity between the Greeks and Bulgarians, which began before the eyes of Archimandrite Theophan, ended only in the 70s. The Bulgarian split occurred. Our Holy Synod needed to express its judgment on the unfortunate event that had taken place in response to a special message from the Ecumenical Patriarch about that. This matter was entrusted to His Eminence Macarius, at that time Archbishop of Lithuania. The latter collected a lot of different material in order to become more thoroughly acquainted with the present state of affairs, about which he had to express his judgment. For this material, he turned to various people and, by the way, to A.V. Rachinsky, who at the end of the 50s, on behalf of our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, traveled through Macedonia and Bulgaria, and subsequently was our consul in Varna. A.V. Rachinsky, among other materials, delivered to Eminence Macarius a letter from Archimandrite Theophan to Archbishop Innocent dated March 9, 1857, and, moreover, with his own notes and explanations to the text of the letter. It must be assumed that the opinion of such impartial witnesses as Archimandrite Theophan and A.V. Rachinsky, who directly observed the circumstances under which the dispute between the Greeks and Bulgarians began and ended, influenced the Right Reverend Macarius. As is known, he, like Archimandrite Theophan and A.V. Rachinsky, spoke out for the justice and legality of the demands of the Bulgarians in their dispute with the Greeks. The letter is published by us with notes by A.V. Rachinsky. By publishing this letter, we think we are fulfilling the will of His Eminence Theophan, who himself wanted to see his letter published. Some of A.V. Rachinsky’s notes are so large in volume and extensive in content that, as an exception, we have removed them from the text and are publishing them below, marked with a number with an asterisk. In this case, the numbering of footnotes is continuous. [In the Internet version, A.V. Rachinsky’s notes are returned to the appropriate pages – Editorial of the ABC of Faith]. Ed. From: On the fifteenth anniversary of the repose of St. Theophan the Recluse of blessed memory. Letter from Bishop Theophan to V. A. Kolobova, written on the day of Epiphany // Soulful Reading. 1909. T. I. P. 31–32. On the tenth anniversary of the blessed death of St. Theophan the Recluse. Letter from Bishop Theophan to Vera Alekseevna Kolobova // Soulful reading. 1904. T. I. P. 53–55. A footnote is given to the letters: “It’s true with the original. The copy was made by Colonel Alexey Oskarovich Zeland.” We publish an article about Vera Alekseevna Kolobova, to which the publishers refer, below. "To the tenth anniversary of the blessed death Saint Theophan the Recluse During his time at the Tambov See (1859–1863), His Grace Theophan became very close to the pious Kolobov family, the last representative of which, Elder Vera Alekseevna Kolobova, peacefully departed to the Lord in the city of Tambov on July 6, 1900. A long-term sufferer, chained to her sick bed, and then miraculously healed by St. relics of St. Mitrophan of Voronezh, Vera Alekseevna was not bound by the ties of family life and, distinguished by her ascetic life, enjoyed the attention and favor of many archpastors, as evidenced by numerous letters from the saints of God to her. In recent years, with the increase in sorrows and illnesses, re-reading these letters after prayer was her greatest joy and consolation. But Vera Alekseevna corresponded with no one as much as with His Eminence Theophan. A large number of letters from the Recluse Hierarch to the pious old woman, as well as the icon of the Savior in the crown of thorns, painted by the Right Reverend in oil paints and sent by him from Vysha back in 1875 as a blessing to Vera Alekseevna, after her death, came to us, and we preserve this heritage as a cherished shrine and precious memory of St. Theophan and the God-loving old ascetic. Now, on the tenth anniversary of the blessed repose of Saint Theophan, in prayerful memory of the Saint, we offer to the pious attention of all lovers of God a copy of the original icon of the Savior, which is kept by us, by the saint’s brush. The icon was sent to Vera Alekseevna with the letter below, also kept in the original by us. A. Z. (aka A. V. Kodratov).” Notes to letters from the publishers of “Soulful Reading.” [14] Archimandrite Macarius of Athos. Ed. from: Letter of the Right Reverend Theophan to Fr. Archimandrite Macarius // Soulful interlocutor. 1894. Issue. 9. pp. 266–267. The letter is accompanied by an explanation from the publishers - the monks of St. Panteleimon Monastery on Athos: “For many years our monastery had the opportunity to have written relations with the late Bishop Theophan regarding the publication of his works. But besides that, our late elder abbot, Fr. Archimandrite Macarius, in the last two years of his life, sometimes turned to the God-wise Saint for spiritual advice. Unfortunately, nothing from the Vladyka’s spiritual letters except this letter has survived. This letter was received on the day of the death of Fr. Archimandrite Macarius was no longer found alive. Despite the weakness of his strength, he continued to serve the liturgy every day and died after the Divine Liturgy was celebrated on June 16, 1889.” [15] Archbishop Macarius of Kharkov Ed. from: From unpublished letters to Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow. Bishop Feofan of Vladimir, when he was Bishop of Tambov, to Metropolitan Macarius, then Archbishop of Kharkov // Wanderer. 1894. Issue. 4–5. pp. 104–105. Note to the letter from the publishers of the magazine “Strannik”. [16] To the “Unknown” Lord. Ed. from: Two letters of St. Theophan to the “unknown” Master. Admonition to those who are mistaken in faith // Soulful interlocutor. 1905. August. Vol. 8. pp. 231–238. September. Vol. 9. pp. 263–270. Notes to letters from the publishers of The Soulful Interlocutor. [17] Archpriest V.P. Nechaev. Ed. from: Letters of the Right Reverend Theophan to the editor of the magazine “Soulful Reading”, Archpriest V.P. Nechaev (later Bishop Vissarion) // Soulful Reading. 1909. T. 3. P. 428–432; 1910. T. 1. P. 113–121; 206–219, 459–468; T. 2. pp. 27–32, 393–396, 478–480; T. 3. pp. 121–123, 433–435. Explanation to the first letter from the publishers of “Soulful Reading”. Ed. from: Letters of the Right Reverend Theophan the Recluse to N.I.K. // Soulful reading. 1902. T. 2. P. 459–463; 1903. T. 2. P. 240–245; 1908. T. 1. P. 210–212, 364–372, 497–500; T. 2. pp. 71–76, 258–261, 353–356, 510–515; T. 3. pp. 49–53.179–183, 376–378. Ed. from: Letters of the Right Reverend Theophan the Recluse to N.U. // Soulful reading. 1902. T. 3. pp. 132–134. No comments. In the first letter (No. 308) a postscript was made to the date “January 5, 1892. It's 7." Ed. by: Resolution of doubts and exhortation to hold the holy faith without objection. Letters of St. Theophan to N. N. // Soulful interlocutor. 1899. July. Vol. 7. pp. 205–208. Ed. from: Letters of the Right Reverend Theophan, former Bishop of Vladimir to Archimandrite Peter // Wanderer. 1895. T. 3. December. pp. 701–719. Newly discovered letters of His Grace Bishop Feofan (Govorov) // Soulful Reading. 1913. T. 2. P. 3–16. These nine letters of St. Theophan are inscribed differently in different literature. Even at work Fr. Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov) they are mentioned three times, firstly, under the heading “Letters to P. A. Troitsky”, secondly, as “Letters to Archimandrite Peter”, and finally, as “Letters to Bishop Peter of Akkerman”. And in the first, and in the second, and in the third case we are talking about the same letters. The basis for our publication was letters from two publications: “The Wanderer” and “Soulful Reading”. When comparing the texts in the letters, minor discrepancies were found that did not distort the meaning (for example, the word “teach” was replaced in the magazine “Wanderer” with “learning”, see letter No. 322; and the expression “It has become, thank God” was replaced in “Soulful reading” with “So, thank God”, see letter No. 324; and the like). We did not explain these details so as not to distract the reader from the main thing - the meaning. Only eight letters were published in the magazine "Strannik". They were commented in detail and provided with a lengthy introductory article. Therefore, we are completely reproducing the publication of the magazine “The Wanderer,” adding to it only: one letter from “Soulful Reading” (dated December 14, 1849; ours is No. 316) and part of the text to the letter dated October 26, 1857 (No. 318), for some reason not included in other publications, namely: a postscript from the words “Well, Father...” and to the end. Introductory article from the magazine "Wanderer": “We bring to the attention of our readers eight letters from Bishop Theophan to Archimandrite Peter. We think that the remarkable personality of the Right Reverend Theophan, the reclusive bishop who died on January 6, 1894, is known to everyone. Therefore, we can only introduce readers to the personality of Archimandrite Peter. Archimandrite Peter in the world was called Platon Alekseevich Troitsky. A native of the Vladimir diocese, he was educated first at the Vladimir Theological Seminary (1825–1831) and then at the Kyiv Theological Academy (1831–1835). After completing the academic course in 1835 with a master's degree in theology, P. A. Troitsky was then appointed a professor at the Kyiv Theological Seminary in the class of literature, and after 4 years he was moved to the class of logic and psychology. In both departments he enjoyed the reputation of an excellent mentor and was loved by his colleagues and students. Having lost his wife after one year of married life, P. A. Troitsky went to the East in 1850 and stayed there for two years, and upon returning from Jerusalem in 1852 he accepted monasticism with the name Peter. Soon after, he was appointed inspector of the Kyiv Theological Seminary, in 1855 he received the rank of archimandrite, and in 1858 he was appointed rector of the same seminary. Two years after that, at the suggestion of St. Synod, Archimandrite Peter agreed to take the place of rector of the church at our embassy in Constantinople, and in 1862 he was moved to the same place in Athens. After 11 years of service abroad, on May 22, 1869, Archimandrite Peter was consecrated Bishop of Akkerman, vicar of the Chisinau diocese. On October 10, 1873, Bishop Peter died and was buried in the Kurkovsky Monastery, which he ruled. Archimandrite Peter could meet His Eminence Theophan in Kyiv, at a time when the first was the caretaker of the Sofia Theological School, and the second was a professor at the seminary. This initial acquaintance could have become even closer during the journey of Archimandrite Peter, then still P. A. Troitsky, to the East in 1850–1852, during which he was supposed to see His Eminence Theophan in Jerusalem, where the latter was then located as a member of our mission. The former ordinary acquaintance now turned into a close friendship between His Eminence Theophan and Archimandrite Peter. The proposed correspondence between them was an expression of this friendship. It begins precisely with the return of the Right Reverend Theophan from the East in 1855 and ends in 1859, when the Right Reverend Theophan was appointed Bishop of Tambov. The first letter (in our publication - the second - Ed. ) was written by Bishop Theophan at the time when he was the rector of the Olonets Theological Seminary, and all the other 7 letters were written by him in St. Petersburg, when he was the rector of the Theological Academy; the first two letters (the second and third, respectively. - Ed.) were addressed to them in Kiev, where Archimandrite Peter was then inspector and rector of the seminary, the remaining 6 letters were addressed to Archimandrite Peter, as the rector of the embassy church in Constantinople. The letters contain interesting information about some events in the life of Bishop Theophan and even more interesting judgments about the events that were then taking place in the Orthodox East. The original letters are kept in the museum library of the Kyiv Theological Academy in a bundle of papers under the icon: Mus. Rukop. No. 580. Kiev. According to the associate professor of the academy F. Titov.” Notes to letters from the publishers of the magazine “Strannik”. Ed. from: Three letters of the Right Reverend Theophan on the Eastern Question // Orthodox Review. 1877. T. I. March. pp. 602–609. An explanation is given for the letters: “These letters belong to one of the most educated, learned and talented Russian bishops, who, after ruling the St. Petersburg Theological Academy and then successively the dioceses of Tambov and Vladimir, is currently retired in the Vyshenskaya Hermitage (Tambov province), and they are all the more worthy of attention because the Right Reverend Theophan, being a hieromonk and archimandrite with In 1847, he served for more than 10 years at the Russian mission in the East, first in Jerusalem, then in Constantinople. They were written to A.V. Rachinsky, the second traveler in Slavic Macedonia after V.I. Grigorovich, and then who was our vice-consul in Varna.” Note to the first letter from the publishers of the Orthodox Review. [23] Archpriest S. A. Serafimov. Ed. from: Letter of the Right Reverend Theophan the Recluse to Archpriest S. A Serafimov // Soulful Reading. 1905. T. I. P. 147–149. An explanation is given for the letter: “The proposed letter from the ever-memorable Bishop Theophan the Recluse was written by him from Jerusalem when he was there as a member of our Russian mission (1847–1853) - to Odessa - to Archpriest S. A. Serafimov, who was Theophan’s friend at the Kyiv Theological Academy. After completing the academic course in 1841 with a master's degree, Serafim Antonovich Serafimov served for some time as a bachelor at the Kyiv Academy; and then in 1845 he went to serve in Odessa, taking holy orders, worked hard in the educational and pastoral fields and died in 1884 on February 26 as rector of the Odessa Church of the Intercession. Archpriest S. A. Serafimov is known as the most active employee of the Kherson Diocesan Gazette since its founding in 1860. He wrote primarily on the subjects of local church history, as well as on the history of the Eastern Church. The proposed letter to him from Hieromonk Theophan was conveyed to us by his widow, the venerable elder Nadezhda Yakovlevna Seraphimova, for which we offer her our deep gratitude. Notes to letters from the publishers of Soulful Reading. [24] Employee of “Soulful Reading” Ed. from: Letter from St. Theophan of Vyshensky to a staff member of the “Soulful Reading” // Soulful Reading. 1905. T. I. P. 36–37. An explanation was given for the publication: “For January 6, the day of remembrance of the saint.” And also: “It’s true with the authentic. Reported by A.Z. (aka A. Kodratov).” Ed. from: Letters of His Grace Theophan, Bishop of Vladimir to A. A. Unzhenskaya // Soulful Reading. 1916. No. 1 P. 32; No. 2. P. 55; No. 3. P. 27–28; No. 4. pp. 46–47; No. 5. P. 43–44; No. 6. P. 70–72; 1917. No. 1. P. 60–61; No. 2. P. 56–58; No. 3. pp. 21–22; No. 4; pp. 15–16. [26] ...in “Soulful Interlocutor” Ed. from: Unpublished letters of Bishop Theophan // Soulful interlocutor. 1907. October. Vol. 10. pp. 314–315. Published with the note: “From the correspondence of St. Theophan. Unpublished letters." [27] ...in the Tambov Diocesan Gazette Ed. from: Letters in Bose from the late Bishop Theophan, Recluse of the Vyshensk Hermitage // Tambov Diocesan Gazette. 1897. February. No. 5. P.98–101; No. 6. pp. 113–117; No. 7. pp. 137–140; No. 8. pp. 168–172; March. No. 11. P. 257–265; April. No. 16–17. pp. 387–390. The Tambov Diocesan Gazette published letters from St. Theophan for three and a half years (1894–1897). Most of these letters for the years 1894–1896 inclusive were included in the eight-volume “Collected Letters” published by the St. Panteleimon Athos Monastery. The part we published - the ending - was not included in the eight-volume set and has never been republished since 1897. The letters were published without comment. [28] ...in the magazine "Christian" Ed. from: Letters of Bishop Theophan the Recluse // Christian. Sergiev Posad. 1909. December. pp. 892–906; 1910. February. pp. 419–433; March. pp. 637–651; April. pp. 859–870; May. pp. 128–140; July. pp. 413–421; December. pp. 767–776; 1911. May. pp. 91–100. The letters in The Christian were published in reverse order: first for the years 1881–1891, then for 1877–1888, and finally for 1871–1891. Where possible, we have arranged the letters in chronological order. More specifically: we are talking about letters from 364 to 407. However, most of the letters (from 408 to 475) do not have a year inscription and were arranged by the publishers in the order of numbers and months of the year. Thus, letters from different years are mixed up, which, of course, creates some complexity for the reader. But it was impossible to restore the original order of the letters, so from letter No. 408 we completely follow the publishers of the last century. A footnote was given to the letters: “Told by priest Mitrofan Nikolsky.” Presumably these letters were addressed to the Pereverzev family (see our commentary [37]). Notes to letters from the publishers of the Christian magazine. It is necessary to make a general explanation for the section “Teaching Letters”. The fact is that these letters are not at all part of the personal correspondence of St. Theophan. These are articles on various issues prepared by the saint himself or his publishers in the form of letters. These articles are published in this book because after their first appearance in journals they were never reprinted. These letters have neither a date nor a specific addressee and are addressed to the Orthodox reader in general. When publishing, we retain the italics, footnotes and references to Scripture that belong to the saint and his publishers. [29] To the layman about the prayer rule. Ed. from: Instructions of St. Theophan to the layman on the rule of prayer // Soulful Interlocutor. 1899. Issue. 7. P. 209. The article is accompanied by an explanation in parentheses: “A handwritten note, written to an unknown person.” Ed. by: A vain question. Letter to N. N. // Home conversation. 1870. Issue. 22. pp. 628–632. The publication in Home Conversation was accompanied by the following poetic text placed before the letter: Poem by V. Askonensky. Ed. 1845." Ed. by: Answer to the question. From letters to the editor // Home conversation. 1869. Issue. 43. pp. 1105–1107. [32] Resolution of confusion. Ed. by: Resolution of confusion. From letters to the editor // Home conversation. 1869. Issue. 44. pp. 1124–1127. [33] Confused by freethinking. Ed. from: Letter from a spiritual father to one confused by freethinking. From the manuscripts of St. Theophan // Soulful Interlocutor. 1898. June. Vol. 6. pp. 169–176. Ed. by: What to do? (According to the letters of St. Theophan) // Soulful interlocutor. 1906. July. Vol. 7. pp. 201–202. In this section, never-before-published letters of St. Theophan are published. Here we fully reproduce the features of the original: discrepancies in the spelling of lowercase and capital letters, dating, etc. Ed. By: Hieromonk Georgy (Tertyshnikov). Letters from Bishop Theophan to various persons, not included in the VIII edition. Supplement to the candidate's essay. At 2 p.m. Part 1. Zagorsk. 1973. pp. 1–33. (Typescript). The letters are kept in the archives of the MDA. Letters enclosed in square brackets were added when deciphering letters from Fr. Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov). Ed. From: Letters from Bishop Theophan the Recluse to Olga Alekseevna Novikova. Moscow. RGALI. F. 345, inventory I, units. hr. 811. [37] Archpriest I. G. Pereverzev. Ed. By: Hieromonk Georgy (Tertyshnikov). Letters from Bishop Theophan to various persons, not included in the VIII edition. Supplement to the candidate's essay. In 2 parts. Part 1. Zagorsk. 1973. pp. 142–150. (Typescript). In the appendix to Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov’s) candidate’s essay the following comments are given: “Ivan Gavrilovich Pereverzev, Bishop Feofan’s own nephew, was a teacher of law at the Tambov men’s gymnasium. His wife Anastasia Filippovna is the daughter of Tambov Archpriest Philip Markovich Dobrov. Her brother Alexander Dobrov is a well-known doctor in Tambov. Bishop Feofan was treated with homeopathy. He wrote in detail about his illnesses to Dobrov, who made a diagnosis, and Bishop Feofan, using a homeopathic clinic, determined his own medications. The Pereverzevs rented out three rooms with a table to seminarians and high school students. The attitude towards the tenants was the most kindred. Anastasia Filippovna told the tenants a lot about Bishop Feofan. In 1859–1864 he was bishop in Tambov. During these years, Anastasia Filippovna often visited him at the “Bishops’ Farms” and recalled these visits with delight. She said that in his private life Bishop Feofan was a completely secular man, a charming conversationalist, interested in everything, loved nature and had great knowledge of the natural sciences. He had his own microscope and telescope. The author of “Essays on the History of the Tambov Region” I. I. Dubasov studied at the Tambov Theological Seminary under Bishop Feofan. In his memoirs, he said that the Right Reverend Theophan “diligently attended the seminary, especially during exams, was present at the exams for a long time and conducted the whole business himself, asking questions and tasks... At the same time, it was clearly revealed that he was very strong not only in his favorite theological sciences, but also in the worldly ones” (Dubasov I. I. In Memory of St. Theophan. Tambov Diocesan Gazette. 1894. October, no. 43, pp. 875–882). During walks in the forest and meadows, Bishop Feofan talked with Anastasia Filippovna about plants, and in the evenings under the starry sky he held conversations on astronomy. The conversations were of a religious nature: the interlocutor felt that Bishop Theophan always admired the wisdom and goodness of the Creator of nature. Bishop Feofan’s usual exclamation during all the accidents and difficulties in life, according to Anastasia Filippovna, was “ah, temptation!” With Bishop Feofan's transfer to Vladimir, the Pereverzevs' personal communication with him ceased, but correspondence continued until the last days of his life. Receiving a letter from Bishop Theophan was an event. They read it aloud in front of the boarding students, because he often sent his blessing to them. Bishop Feofan sent all his published works to the Pereverzevs in three copies: one to Ivan Gavrilovich, another for Alexander Filippovich Dobrov, the third for Vasily Antonovich Bogoroditsky, head of the Tambov Treasury. Bogoroditsky was married to Anastasia Filippovna’s sister, Maria. In total, the Pereverzevs had about 100 letters from Bishop Feofan; Only 9 of them have survived. They are being printed for the first time.” Further, Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov) noted: “The letters are stored in the archives of the MDA.” However, in his work he places not nine letters, but four. It was impossible to find the remaining five letters. In this book we build on the work of Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov) and publish letters found by him. It can be assumed (based on the context) that the letters in the magazine “Christian”, published without specifying the addressee (see p. 368), were also addressed to Pereverzev. Notes to letters from Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov). [38] To Archpriest E. Popov. Ed. from: Letters from Bishop Feofan of Tambov to Archpriest Evgeniy Popov. St. Petersburg. State Public Library named after. M. E. Saltykova-Shchedrin. F. 433 (V. M. Losev), units. hr. 843. Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov). Saint Theophan the Recluse and his teaching on salvation. Supplement to master's thesis. In 2 volumes. T. 1. Zagorsk, 1989. pp. 76–83. (Typescript). Our publication is based on the master's work of Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov). [39] Bishop Savva of Mozhaisk. Ed. from: Letters from Bishop Feofan of Vladimir and Suzdal to Bishop Savva of Mozhaisk. Moscow. Russian State Library. F. 262, inventory 44, units. hr. 15, l. 1. Partial excerpts from these letters were published in the book “Chronicle of My Life” (Autobiographical Notes of His Eminence Savva, Archbishop of Tver and Kashinsky. Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, 1901. Vol. 3. pp. 130, 137–138.). Ed. from: Ed. by: Hieromonk Georgy (Tertyshnikov). Letters from Bishop Theophan to various persons, not included in the VIII edition. Supplement to the candidate's essay. In 2 parts. Part 2. Zagorsk, 1973. pp. 29–32. (Typescript). It was not possible to find these letters, so we are publishing them based on the work of Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov), who has a footnote to these letters: “The letters were printed from photocopies stored in the archives of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate.” His Eminence Feofan and Colonel S. A. Pervukhin in their mutual correspondence [41] “Proceedings of the Imperial Kiev Theological Academy” for the centenary of the birth of Bishop Theophan. Ed. from: His Eminence Theophan, former Bishop of Vladimir, and Colonel S. A. Pervukhin in their mutual correspondence // Proceedings of the Imperial Kyiv Theological Academy. 1915. T. 1. January. pp. 141–159; February. pp. 279–286; March. pp. 380–394; T. 2. May. pp. 95–108; June. pp. 297–327. The work of the Kyiv Theological Academy, dedicated to the correspondence of St. Theophan the Recluse with Colonel S. A. Pervukhin, is published by us without changes, with minor abbreviations. In particular, two passages from the letters of St. Theophan and the commentary text to them were shortened. The first excerpt is from a letter to N.V. Elagin, about the translation of the Bible and liturgical texts into Russian, published earlier in the eight-volume collection of letters of the saint (see: Collection of letters of St. Theophan in VIII issues. Issue VII. pp. 154–155). The second is from a letter to Fr. John of Kronstadt - a letter well known to readers and also included in the collection of letters (see: Collection of letters of St. Theophan in VIII issues. Issue III. pp. 166–167). These quotes are in no way related to the topic of the study and were given by the compiler only as confirmation of his own reasoning. We have also shortened some of the footnotes of a minor nature, referring readers to numerous publications of the 19th century, in which certain opinions were published on various controversial issues, for example, about the corporeality of the soul or about the translation of liturgical literature, etc. The notes for this work, prepared by the author-compiler of the publication, Archpriest I. Korolkov, were divided by us into two types: those that do not interfere with following the development of thought in the text or are mandatory, and those that can be omitted during end-to-end reading by referring to them later. Following this decision, we left some of the footnotes in the text, and placed some below, in the “Notes” section, indicating them with a number with an asterisk. [In the Internet version, notes prot. I. Korolkova returned to the appropriate pages - Editorial Board of the ABC of Faith]. When publishing, we preserved the original spelling and discrepancies in the writing of lowercase and capital letters, especially in the words Angel - angel, Fathers - fathers, and in the names of the months - February, etc., as well as in the address You - You. Letters from clergy to Saint Theophan [42] Letters from Bishop Arkady of Olonets. [3] on p. 603. Notes before letters and notes from the publishers of “Christian Reading”. [43] ...St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). Ed. By: Hieromonk Georgy (Tertyshnikov). Letters from Bishop Theophan to various persons, not included in the VIII edition. Supplement to the candidate's essay. In 2 parts. Part 2. Zagorsk. 1973. P. 251. (Typescript). Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov), placing this letter in his work, refers to the work of Hieromonk Mark (Lozinsky): Hieromonk Mark (Lozinsky). The spiritual life of a layman and a monk according to the works and letters of Bishop Ignatius (Brianchaninov). Supplement to the master's essay. In 2 volumes. T. 2. Zagorsk, 1967. P. 50–53. (Typescript). [44] ...Bishop of Nizhny Novgorod Jeremiah. Ed. from: Letters from Bishop Jeremiah of Nizhny Novgorod to various persons // Soulful reading. 1903. Part 2. pp. 288–289. [45] ..Archbishop of Tver Savva. Ed. By: His Eminence Savva, Archbishop of Tver and Kashinsky. Chronicle of my life. Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, 1901. T. 3. P. 114. The letters were published without the signature of His Eminence Arkady. – Ed. Hereinafter italics are from the publishers. – Ed. Rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary, ordained by the Bishop of Smolensk. Literally (from Latin): “How I rejoice in my soul that Father Rector is an exponent of both morals and images.” – Ed. That is, Theophanes, Asinkrit and Athanasius. Theophanes, Asinkrit and Athanasius (from Greek). The then rector of the St. Petersburg Academy.