Letters from Archpriest Arseny Lebedintsev, b. Dean of the churches of the Southern Coast of Crimea, to His Grace Innocent, Archbishop of Kherson and Tauride

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Rector of Kyiv University M.A. Maksimovich. Delighted by the greatness of nature, revealed from the height of this mountain, he involuntarily exclaimed: God, how wonderful are your deeds! Having then taken over the administration of the then united Kherson and Tauride dioceses in 1848, His Grace Innocent visited Crimea almost every year, traveling through the mountains and on horseback, and showed particular zeal for the restoration of ancient Christian shrines, destroyed during the 6-century rule of Muslims here, which before him remained in complete oblivion after the annexation of Crimea to Russia in 1787 year. With the same goal of raising Orthodoxy here, this Eminence Archpastor tried to elevate the local clergy by appointing among his students from theological academies to the priestly places of Simferopol, Sevastopol and Yalta, hoping to have useful employees in them to carry out his assumptions regarding the raising of the Christian banner in this Muslim-majority country. He chose b. the rector of the church at our Russian embassy in Athens, Archimandrite Polycarp 1, later Bishop of Oryol. Appointing him as rector of the Bakhchisarai monastery, and the author of the letters posted here, Master of Kyiv. spirit. Academy, who was a teacher at the Odessa seminary and a priest of the cathedral, appointing him rector of the Sevastopol Peter and Paul Church and dean of the churches of the Southern Coast of Crimea. With the direct participation of these persons, His Grace Innocent, even before the war of 1853–1856, began the restoration of ancient monastic monasteries in the Bakhchisarai gorge of the mountains, in Inkerman, Chersonesus and on Chatyrdag by establishing here, for the first time, monastic monasteries and hermitages. Having secured a promise of assistance from the residents of Simferopol, Sevastopol, Alushta and others, as well as the sympathy of the commander-in-chief in the Caucasus and Novorossiysk region, Prince M.S. Vorontsov, His Eminence Innokenty was already thinking of creating Russian Athos in Crimea; but the war that arose at that time with the united forces of England, France, Sardinia and Turkey suspended the broad plans of this wise Archpastor. With the opening of hostilities, he inspires courage in the hearts of the Russian army, blessing the Christ-loving army and encouraging it to fight the defenders of Islam 2. And being such an ardent patriot, naturally, and far away naturally, and far from Sevastopol, he wanted to have correct, although private, information about the course of the Sevastopol siege and the successes of our weapons, and he entrusted the communication of such information to the same archpriest, who had hitherto been a diligent executor of his orders regarding the improvement of the churches of Crimea, and now remained in Sevastopol the only representative of the diocesan administration and confessor Cross-Vozdvizhenskaya Community of Sisters of Charity, established at that time by Her Imperial Highness, led. Princess Elena Pavlovna at her own expense. The consequence of this order were the letters placed here, which were written by the late editor and founder of “Kyiv Starina” F.G. Lebedintsev copied from the originals, now stored in the Imperial Public Library; together with other papers of the Right Reverend Innocent, acquired from St. Petersburg. Bookseller M.O. Wolf, and Wolf from Mr. Palauzov, who inherited them from the heirs of the Right Reverend after his death, which followed in Odessa in 1857. Letters from the time of the Siege of Sevastopol are preceded by 5 letters from the same Fr. archpriest to His Grace Innocent regarding the restoration of ancient Crimean shrines. The Peter and Paul Church, of which the author of the letters was the rector, is located in the center of the city, above the southern bay, on a hill from which the entire main part of the city is visible to the count's pier and offers views of the roadstead and the Malakhov Kurgan, as well as the northern side of Sevastopol with the Constantinople Battery and the Mass Grave. He remained with her throughout the siege, like an officer in his battery, despite the constant and daily danger from flying bombs and rockets, praying there for victory against the adversaries, until the bombs in August 1855 destroyed the roof and vaults of the church, as well as the church house that was attached to it. Only then did worship in this church cease. Your Eminence, gracious Archpastor and father! For the most convenient and error-free plan for the chapel over the well in Inkerman, I humbly ask you to provide us with your most detailed instructions: what capacity should it be, is there supposed to be an altar in it, in what style and approximately for what amount? The neighboring innkeeper, finding his own benefit in this, undertook to clear and repair the Inkerman Key. About 20 steps above the well there was a beautifully plastered pool full of water, which was already flowing from it into the well under the tree. I would suppose there would be a chapel over that pool, and the well would remain for general use. Everyone shouldn’t go to the chapel with a bucket. About the military churches, about which, as you deigned to let me know, you have been discussing quite a bit, 3 my opinion is this: in everything except written reporting to the military department, it is necessary to subject them to the supervision of the diocesan authorities, who could monitor military priests in everything and everywhere; in any city where there are enough of them, there should be an inspector over them from the diocesan authorities, just as in the military department every military man is subordinate to the commandant during even his temporary stay in that city. Maybe I said a lot: but I think so, knowing military priests from experience. Forgive me, dear archpastor, if I am speaking unsensibly. With your blessing, the Inkerman and Kherson churches February 24 and 28. consecrated by Fr. archim. Polycarp 4, about which, as well as about the value of churches, he conveys to your Eminence in detailed reports. And I consider it my duty, on your instructions, to now answer about the Krasilnikovs 5 because I recently received their answer from Odessa. They agree to rebuild another church in Inkerman. Until now, their costs according to Inkerman were no less than 2900 rubles. ser. They could not send a detailed invoice from Odessa. By Easter they will be in Sevastopol themselves, and an order has already been made to correct the church. In addition, Fr. They helped Vasily 6 a lot. The title of trustees is accepted with pleasure, and judging by their good intentions and sedateness, there are no better trustees in such a matter in our Crimea. Therefore, it is very worth thanking them for their work on Inkerman, both for their work and as an example to others who are so reluctant to be called to St. case. Senior Krasilnikov - 1st guild merchant and hereditary citizen; because the 2000th donation to the opinion of St. The Synod may not matter. And the younger brother Alexey Maksimovich is a 2nd guild Novorossiysk merchant; That's why he gets a reward from St. Synod, for example. a gold medal would be more worthy and flattering. And these brothers are unanimous in such a way that both will consider themselves rewarded. I will ask them for written consent to the title of trustees upon their arrival from Odessa: now they have not sent it; maybe it was difficult for you to write to us; and neither of them were in Odessa, one was in Nikolaev. I hope to send the plan for the Inkerman Chapel with the next mail. Will N learn anything from the Greeks there? What he reports, I will not hesitate to convey to the committee and bring it to the attention of your Eminence. There is nothing like this in the archives of Greek churches, not even in Balaklava. Not in the Admiralty Cathedral either. Yesterday, the city of Arkas 7 announced that traces of a new church had been discovered in Chersonesos, the length of which was 13 1/2 fathoms, and the width was 6 1/2 fathoms. Lieutenant Shemyakin, having found several pieces of mosaic, began to dig and found part of a wall of good workmanship, marble, the skeletons of bones in order, as the dead lay. Arkas wrote in detail about all this by mail to G. Murzakevich 8, who will probably inform your Eminence. And what I find out myself, I will write. He sent his archive with Hierodeacon Jeremiah. Your Eminence demanded a report from me in order to request the archive. I submitted a report, and not receiving the request, did not send it. The city head of Sevastopol, the merchant Krasilnikov, who, I hope, will help in the restoration of the Inkerman Church, has not yet returned from Nikolaev, and is now in Odessa. Therefore, I have nothing more to say about Inkerman than what I wrote. His Eminence Metropolitan Agathangel is healthy as an old man, sometimes goes to church, and is going to Jerusalem. You can rarely take a moment without catching his auditor Popov, who, they say, upsets both the bishop and the monastery brethren with his writing. But the ruler is completely devoted to him 9. I wrote about the sacristy to Fr. Polycarp. If they send it, then it will be sent with the departing ship. I most humbly imagine with this plan the chapel over the well in Inkerman. We tried to make the chapel good and inexpensive. Will you find it in a decent place? Of all the published drawings for chapels and small churches, this one seemed to us the most decent. This is our common choice – Arkas, Rulev and mine. Rulev approximately estimates this chapel to cost 1000 rubles. ser. But as a stone is at hand, it can be collected in parts from the quarries of several owners, and for nothing. Lime is also on hand, and can be purchased in the same way. There is water both in the yard and in the river. Unless you buy a donkey with a cart for this work. In order to bring sand from Belbek once or twice, they will not be denied a government boat. You will only need money for artisans, for timber and for some fencing from shops, for example. – nails, etc. Therefore, the Inkerman Chapel can easily cost 500 rubles, or even 300 rubles. ser. I considered it my duty to write down all these details to Your Eminence, perhaps necessary for consideration. In the newly consecrated churches of Chersonesos and Inkerman there are always pilgrims, and on Sundays there are quite a few of them, especially in Chersonesos. Fr. rejoices. Vasily 10, does not mourn and Fr. Arseny Inkermansky, more inclined to solitude and silence. Everything is fine with us. This year we didn’t have any winter at all; we didn’t even see snow. The trees began to develop in January, and now it is truly spring. In addition, it rains frequently. But our fleet, already armed, seems to feel some kind of special winter. Kornilov on the ship; “Bessarabia” returned from Constantinople and, after standing at the roadstead for no more than 5 hours after lowering the quarantine flag, yesterday went to Constantinople to see Prince Menshikov. Reverend Metropolitan 11 is alive. I spent the first week of Lent in the monastery. March 17, 1863 Sevastopol. The chapel in Chersonesus has already been placed on a hill, which was poured during the clearing of the ruins of the church and is located in the same fence that encloses the remains of the church. All that remains is to paint the chapel: the roof will be green and the walls will be white. A cross has been placed on it. The master hesitated for some time with the frame for the image; it is now gilded and carved. In his savings, Pyotr Markovich also found glass that costs 10 rubles. ser. By July 1st everything will be arranged. The house will not be built until July 15th. The quarantine inspector has added more work on the wall, which still needs to be carried out several fathoms from the shore and rested against the cliff so that Kinovia does not have a pier on its land. It is possible to install a gate or gate in the wall from the sea, but the shore must be open for a cordon in case of illness. While the house is being built, a watchman will spend the night at the chapel. Bless Your Lordship on July 15, the day of remembrance of St. Vladimir, to serve a prayer service there on 12. I think there will be quite a lot of visitors there now. And Pyotr Markovich, he says, has already announced this to his officers. Your paper on the official transfer of Chersonese and Inkerman to the diocesan department was transferred to the port office, presided over by Peter Markovich. The office must allocate the required land and prepare plans for it. Prince Menshikov’s order for this has long been here. In the garden, which is located at the Inkerman rock and will be reserved for Kinovia, there is a house in which the family sailor now lives. After the land is allocated, the house will be a shelter ready for a monk, whose appointment will be delayed a little. Will Kinovia need land on the mountain above the fortification? And how much is needed? Regarding this, I humbly ask for detailed instructions if you appoint me as a receiver 13. Krasilnikov will present you with prepared drawings of the Inkerman Church, as it is, and how its remains can be restored. When the synodal architect inspected this church, he himself was there and talked to him about it. If you bless me, Krasilnikov will start work in August. He was delayed from traveling to Odessa for several days. June 28, 1857, Sevastopol. There are no enemies yet near Sevastopol. They are there with the entire fleet - off the Evpatoria coast. They probably expect success from their landing and then rush to Sevastopol. The enemy forces are estimated at 70 thousand with 60 guns. Yesterday, they say, there was an avant-garde affair. The prince intends to speed up the attack, for the enemies are digging in. On the first day, the Cossacks captured 11 prisoners. Only the officer defended himself and was killed, while the others threw down their weapons and began to ask for bread. Two are Algerians, the others are French. They complain a lot about the poor food supply. It is heard about Evpatoria that it is occupied by enemies and abandoned by the inhabitants, despite the proclamation promising peace and security. I don’t know anything about our clergy, because they don’t write about it. From priest Manzheley I received a report dated August 30, which informs me that three of his children have suffered from a severe illness, and therefore he cannot yet leave for Bakhchisarai. However, I hope that Fr. Archpriest Shkuropatsky will, in any case, act as the holy order requires. Our main apartment is on Alma in Burliuk. Khomutov, the Cossack ataman, was already in time to help. There are no Crimean enemies on other shores. So, the eastern question is destined to be resolved on the Evpatoria fields. Sizemsky 14 is not yet from Kherson. If he comes, where should he go? For it is still unknown when Evpatoria will be free, and how it will come out of the hands of the enemy. On September 2, his wife gave birth: again an obstacle to the transition. September 1, 1854 Sevastopol. And again you turn to us with words of consolation. I received this third consolation on October 10, already on the 6th day of the bombardment of Sevastopol. I fully understand that it is now up to you to lead the roads from us; but the terrible fire of the first day (October 5th) brought everything and everyone into such confusion and disorder that I was not sure of receiving mail that day, which was found in the most dangerous place. Therefore, I asked Abbot Nicholas 15 to write to you about this day, who, being near Sevastopol, wished to witness unprecedented horror. I don’t know if he managed to safely cross to Severnaya; for later I heard that two boats were sunk by bombs from the sea. On another postal day, the man did not find the mail, which ended up in the Nikolaevskaya battery. Until the 5th, under our gunfire, the enemies continued to dig ramparts against our batteries (they were no higher than ordinary ditches), which seemed unimportant, and if they rose significantly, they tried to break them. They installed their guns in these ditches and surrounded with them the entire land line of Sevastopol. On October 5th, at 6 o'clock in the morning, fire was opened, which in half an hour turned into a horror that exceeds all description: the thunder of shots, the crack of bursting bombs, the whistling of cannonballs, the flash of as if many lightning bolts, volleys, an incessant peal that terribly echoed among our mountains and bays, and finally, with no wind, smoke, which did not allow us to see further than the line from which the deafening thunder was heard, all this involuntarily forced people say: “Last Judgment! terrible judgment! Hearing these words myself from many gathered at the church, I did not find any exaggeration in them, but I was only troubled in my soul at the thought that perhaps he had suddenly befallen us without repentance. An hour and a half later, due to the fatigue of the artillerymen or some other reason, the blows became less frequent and seemed weaker; along with this, our souls were somewhat weakened. The Liturgy was served by Fr. Alexander Demyanovich 16 (it was his week); then a prayer service was served for the granting of victory to the adversaries, which we have been doing every day since the siege of Sevastopol. The church remained, as now, open every day until the evening. At 12 o'clock the battle intensified terribly with visible ferocity. The horror rose with every minute. The people who did not leave the church (mostly women) melted with fear and cried. I found it best to invite them to church again for prayer, where I found Fr. Nikolai 17; Having seen him off, I went to the (marine) library to watch the movement of the enemy fleet, which had hitherto only been preparing for bombardment. But behind the smoke falling from the 5th and 6th bastions, nothing could be seen here either; it was even necessary to leave quickly, because the ships opened fire, which, mixed with the thunder of our naval batteries, covered everything that we had heard until then in the morning. One northern side remained free from bombardment and was therefore free from smoke. This circumstance allowed us to see how many enemy bombs, thrown from ships, instead of the city, fell into the bay and on the northern side. Our naval batteries remained intact and the loss of life was insignificant. Behind the smoke that reached the clouds and covered the entire city to the point of suffocation, it was impossible to notice the loss of the enemy fleet. Based on the former explosion, it is believed that one steamer was blown up into the air, and from the screams of people that they sent someone to the bottom. One stern and quite a few of the ship's internal accessories washed ashore. And the best proof of the failure of the fleet is the fact that since then it has not taken anything against us. On the 1st day, our loss on all bastions and batteries in killed and wounded extended to 400 people. But the most difficult loss on this day is the death of Vlad. Al. Kornilov. On Malakhov Kurgan, while driving around the batteries, his leg was torn off at the hip; He soon died from such a serious wound. His ill-wishers themselves (and he had many of them) regret this boss, who is now irreplaceable. They really began to strengthen Sevastopol after the Battle of Burliuk. Everything that was done last fall is thrown away. Everything was done again and according to a new plan. A week later, the prince himself, 18, who was in position near Bakhchisarai, marveled at the work of Kornilov (he was helped by engineer-Colonel Totleben) and completely calmed down about the fate of Sevastopol. There is no need to say that everyone was more afraid of him than of an enemy bomb, and stood in his place. And suddenly at such a time to lose such a boss. As a result of the order received from the prince (he was with the army on the Bakhchisarai road) to bury, as circumstances allow, the body of the deceased, on the 6th, at 11 o’clock in the afternoon, was brought into the St. Michael’s Church, and at 6 o’clock in the evening the funeral service was performed 19 . Of the commanders at the burial, those who could were simply in combat overcoats. However, there was music for the battalion from naval and army soldiers. Although at 6 o'clock the firing stopped, from time to time enemy bombs flew into the city and hovered over the heads of the sad procession. The grave for Kornilov was the crypt of his own boss, Admiral Lazarev, with whom he was laid next to. It is remarkable that there was a lot of water in the crypt, so it was necessary to drain it in order to bring in a new coffin, which was also placed in water. We served on the water and had to rest in the water. So the second day passed like the first: in continuous fire from 6 a.m. to 6 a.m. evenings; so the third and further until the present 7th. Thus, we can say that we were in a furnace kindled by seven; and if this fire does not concern all of us, then this should be attributed to the mercy of God and the dew of angels. True, in the next 6 days the decline in the army is insignificant, but death flies throughout the city. My apartment seemed completely removed from the shots, but they reached me too. Bombs exploded on one side and the other of the church, in the street. Cannonballs whistle at the windows of our church house; some knocked out the cornice right above the door, others tore out several columns in the stone fence of the church. The famous crack on my church has grown significantly, especially on the west side, where it was almost invisible. The artillery part of the city, towards Chersonesus, and the ship's 20 with the hospital have already suffered a lot. They did not respect the flags on the hospitals, which were placed at the request, it seems, of the enemies themselves. On the contrary, these places were their goal. For when one wing of the hospital caught fire, they continued to throw bombs into the very flames of the fire. The sick and wounded were snatched, one might say, from the fire, and sent to barracks in Severnaya, others to Simferopol. Great thanks to the late Saint-Arnaud 21 that he did not stay on Belbek, and left us the only way to salvation - not only by leaving, but mainly by remaining in Sevastopol. For in such a situation we would be left for several days without a piece of bread and without any help. This happy circumstance cannot be attributed to the maneuver of the prince, who stood in the rear: for he was extremely weak. No, it was a miracle of God's grace. We probably forgot about our southern heights, which the enemies talk about so beautifully, and which they have now taken possession of, without expecting an attack from a dry route. And this will all happen, no matter what we attribute success to ourselves, but to God. So on the eighth day our oven is fired up. Our enemies exceed the mysterious number, but the Lord does not abandon his help, and, most likely, will not forsake. The prince has so far done nothing except lead a detachment to the Komar Heights. Everyone is waiting for the troops, meanwhile everyone is unhappy with his silence. They don’t even make sorties from the city, except for small ones from the hunters, who riveted one night, the enemy had 18 guns, the other 7. Perhaps they are mistaken about it, like the once dissatisfied princes. Kutuzov. M. b. he calculated a sure blow on the enemies, but kept it secret. We are expecting Grand Dukes, which was announced even to the troops. The city was deserted; Last Sunday there was little in church, and even less on weekdays. Everything is saved to the North; From there further and further as far as the eye can see, or wander in the forests and mountains. There were quite a few striking examples of misfortune in the city, but I will put them all together and then tell you. His Eminence Agathangel in Bakhchisarai, as I heard from Fr. Nicholas Abbot. What is happening in the St. George Monastery and what is happening to Fr. Gerontius 22, I can’t get information from anywhere. I heard from Rev. Balaklavsky 23 allegedly the French took all the livestock in the monastery, but promised to give money and did not give it, because the steward died, why is unknown. I also heard that on the northern side some women who were captured on farmsteads by enemies and were busy washing clothes for the enemies in the monastery said that there were divine services and there were enemies in the church. These women were fed by the monastery, but when the food ran out, at the request of Fr. the archimandrite released them. Only the Sizemsky 24 family, for safety, went to Simferopol on the 11th, as well as the Topuzov 25 family; I gave the allowance from the church funds. I sent the Komar priest to the Bakchisarai Cathedral until the priest Manzheley 26 received his freedom. Now I heard the unpleasant news that the prince announced an order to hold out until the 18th, until all the troops marching to the Crimea joined him. Oh Lord! Give us patience, turn fear into repentance. Bless us again and again and help us with prayers. However, we do not have much despondency and despair. There is only one fear. The garrison is trying to get behind the walls, but they are not letting them in. The prisoners are given freedom, and they use it well. Many have already received St. George's crosses. 12 Oct. 1854 11 a.m., Sevastopol. 14 Oct. So we spent 10 days among fire and death. I write in the evening, not knowing what the morning will bring. However, if the day is vomited by the verb and the night of the night is proclaimed by the mind, then, judging by the last day and the coming night, we can expect and hope for better days. Now it's completely quiet. Bombardment today was much weaker than usual, and bombs and missiles were flown less frequently. The enemies are apparently moving back; for the prince had already begun to advance. Oct 13 near Kadykovka 27, 11 guns and 4 redoubts were taken from the British, in which General Liprandi is now; They pierced his division with bayonets, about 500 English cavalrymen lay down on the spot, 10 people galloped away, 60 were taken prisoner. This is the work of our lancers. Ours are now above Kadykovka. They also crossed the Black River, where the British were forced to give up their position and threw two guns into the water. Today I myself was an eyewitness to one case; formerly behind the Malakhov Kurgan, on the road to Inkerman. (From your church through the chimney you can see more than half of the entire enemy siege line). With a shout of hurray from our people, two columns rose from the powder magazines to the heights, heading towards the enemy position. They had several horse artillery pieces with them. Already the first column was descending from the heights in loose formation, and the artillery was already in action. But ours came across an enemy hidden battery, which hit ours in the flank. Therefore, they suddenly began to retreat in loose formation with a firefight. It was clear from everything that your attempt was unsuccessful. In the evening I heard that the loss consisted of 250 people. It hurts a lot. The general movement of our troops against the enemy is still postponed to the 18th. Meanwhile, in our garrison, they say, a great murmur is heard at the horror of a long siege. We have many killed and wounded, but I don’t know for sure. We can assume 2000. The defense of Sevastopol fell on the sailors alone, who fought like real artillerymen. The army regiments constitute only a cover for the batteries and are used at night to repair the batteries and to clean up the dead and wounded. Here are the words of the Sovereign Emperor to our sailors, announced by order of Prince Menshikov: “I thank everyone for their diligence. Tell our fine sailors that I count on them on land as well as on the sea; let no one lose heart, hope in God’s mercy; remember that we Russians defend our native land and our faith and surrender to the will of God. May the Lord protect you all and our just cause; my soul and all thoughts are with you. On the 12th, at 4 o'clock, when the bell was already ringing for Vespers, a bomb fell near our church itself, the explosion knocked out the glass on the south side, two windows even with frames, and slightly damaged the roof. There was no misfortune, although there were people in the church, and I myself was there. Having removed the rubbish and glass from the church and closed the shutters on the broken windows, I served Vespers; On the 13th, Mass and Matins were also served safely. Already at the end of the mass, a piece of iron and stone cornice was torn out into the air by a fragment of a bomb that exploded over the church. As the day continued, 3 more bombs exploded over the church, but two also exploded in the air; fragments fell throughout the garden and on the street, without harming either the church or the house, but one fell, probably, into a hole dug by a bomb, which broke the glass on the 12th and also fell at 4 o’clock, when I had barely blessed vespers. On the 14th it was safe all day in the churchyard. Although the bombs were flying in the same direction, they exploded further than us. Today, i.e. the 15th, the bombing began at 7 o'clock. So far it’s been good. We will continue to serve as long as we have somewhere to serve. We add a daily prayer to the liturgy for the granting of victory to the adversaries that come upon us. However, except for two or three and a few who seem to be homeless, no one has been to church in recent days. The male sex is in our service, but the female sex, for the sake of mortal fear, has either left or is hiding in hidden places. We pray and ask for better days. Your prayers and the mercy of the Lord console us. Our enemies, educated peoples, out of love for humanity, released fountain water into the city, but it was poisoned. 5 people died, a guard was posted, and the water was ordered to be broken down into its component parts. 16 Oct. 1854 Sevastopol. We help you in the Lord with your prayers and the word of your pastoral consolation, with which, like dew, you cool the flames of the furnace that have befallen us. And indeed, on the 16th and 17th we were almost not touched by its flame; firing between the enemy batteries and ours took place, but not hotly, as if tired, reluctant, without energy, as if for the form of only a siege, especially from the enemies. Was it not the wind with the rain and the sensitive cold that cooled the heat of the enemies? Since the night of the 16th, a strong wind has been blowing, sometimes from the northeast, sometimes from the northwest, and has been disturbing the enemy fleet a lot. Perhaps the enemies are beginning to feel the approach of our forces and are involuntarily distracted by their attention from Sevastopol, on which alone it was previously focused. At least on the 16th, 17th and today (until now) we do not hear the flight of bombs and missiles over our heads. The city has become calmer, or if the peace is disturbed, it is as if by accident. On the 15th, from which I wrote to you, many mortal arrows were thrown into the city. One bomb fell right next to the church, knocked out a large stone on the steps, slightly damaged a column, and nothing more. Other bombs fell to the right and left of the church, but outside the churchyard. I asked one officer a question: were the enemies targeting the church on purpose? He answered me that he heard from one officer that someone told the enemies that gunpowder and shells were stored in our churches, and therefore the enemy’s shots were supposed to be in that direction. Whether this is true or not, it is true that the Lord apparently guards the holy church. The service continues. This week is served by Fr. Nikolai Sizemsky. In the funeral litany we always remember the soldiers who died in battle. It is unacceptable for clerics to be in church. The northern side now serves as a refuge for the healthy and the sick (there is a hospital there), for the living and the dead (there is now a cemetery for everyone). Nowadays, even dying is a new problem: there are no boards (the forest was burned), no maker for the coffin, no people to carry the body, not to mention the absence of friends and acquaintances. And the burial takes place as if in secret, either at sunset or at dawn, before the bombing begins. Oct 13 they wanted to bring a fireship to the enemy fleet. The Greek hunters took up this task and volunteered themselves. We took advantage of the dark night and the fresh westerly wind (the fleet was at Belbek). Unfortunately, the fire-ship ran aground near the Konstantinovskaya battery, from which, due to the lack of any information from the authorities about such a fire-ship, they opened fire. (No Kornilov). I don’t know by what miracle the fireship survived, or how I begged the battery to stop firing. Only at night he was returned to the port. Did the enemies guess; of which two steamships stood guard against the fairway? However, it’s hard to guess: why shoot at your ship leaving the port? If it’s a fire-ship: why shoot from your battery again? The deadline for our patience was set for October 18th. Now they are postponing it to October 20th. Let us endure until the end, just to see salvation. Prince in the army. The highest rank in the city is General Moller. Above the naval battalions and battery commands is Admiral Nakhimov. After the death of Kornilov, they say, some kind of gofkriegsgerat took place from Moller, Stanyukovich 28, the commandant - General Kizmer and two others. About the situation of the St. George Monastery and Fr. Archimandrite Gerontius, no matter how hard I try to find out, I cannot: there is no message. Fearing absence from the church, I hardly see anyone and therefore have little information. I have been keeping a journal since September 1, and as a result of your advice I will pay more attention to it 29 . 19 Oct. 1854 Sevastopol. The brigade of the 10th division is already in the city. Today the last regiment of the 11th division joins Prince Menshikov. His main apartment has been in the village of Chorgun for several days. Yesterday Admiral Stanyukovich was at the all-night vigil, and he told me that today, that is, October 21, the prince is making a strong reconnaissance, that if not tomorrow, then, in any case, no later than Sunday, he will go with all his might against the enemy. When leaving the church, the arriving officer reported to Stanyukovich that Admiral Novosilsky (in charge of line 4 of the bastion) was asking for the appointment of officers, of whom 7 were knocked out from him today (1 killed and 6 wounded), that he had one lower rank killed and 161 wounded, and 7 guns were knocked out. There were no such days except the 5th. Probably our enemies have a presentiment of their fall, and with the spirit of malice that possesses them, they are using their last efforts. They are constantly expecting their assault, but it is unlikely to happen. They know very well that there are many bayonets in the city. But this very minute there was a strong cannonade: was it an assault? 5 am. I'm going to matins; I’ll add what I find out. Mother of God! on the day of Your holiday, memorable for Russia by Your intercession from enemies, save us from our enemies. I am writing after Matins. Half an hour later the cannonade died down. At 5 o'clock the moon disappeared beyond the horizon. It became dark. Didn't the enemies want to take advantage of this darkness, and our batteries thundered; I think so, but I don’t know the real reason yet. But at 7 o'clock there was thunder again. The beginning is reminiscent of Oct 5th. Troops are moving somewhere along the streets. They say that today there will be a general battle. But yesterday adm. Stanyukovich did not know this; perhaps in the evening, whether such an order was received from the prince. Will this not be made known after mass, before at least the post office leaves? In the meantime, I’ll add this, which is true, according to the testimony of the prisoners, on Oct. 5. two large enemy steamships were blown up; that the fountain water, as it turned out, after its decomposition, was poisoned by the enemies, which was announced, as a warning, and by orders; that in Sevastopol there are experiments with cholera. The Emperor gives sailors 2 p., and officers an annual salary. But the fleet suffered a lot and is still suffering: for some sailors took the defense of the city to their chests, and now for the 18th day they have been courageously repelling the enemies. This protection will be worth many naval battles, which, except for Sinop, the Black Sea Fleet did not have to fight. Mass was served safely; at 10 o'clock the firing became more moderate. Nothing special today, except for the bombing. In good time on this day 22 Oct. the church was full of people, and now there were a dozen and a half ordinary women and several beggars. Admiral Stanyukovich was also at mass: he bought candles, listened to the entire mass, and also stayed to listen to the prayer service with an akathist. I answered him with the desire to be alive and healthy to protect ours. The cemetery church has so far suffered little damage. Some iron was torn off; Yes, two windows flew out with their frames. It was conveyed to me by Fr. Job 30, what I heard from the owner of the inn in the St. George Monastery, who was released from there on October 5. the service is not interfered with, and it is carried out in its own order. The brethren also do not cause any particular offense. But bread and all other savings were taken away. To 5th Oct. the brethren still had 4 quarters of flour left. I heard that the French caught one spy in a monk's dress. I don’t know if this is exactly the case. The day is bright and quiet. Send, Lord, peace and joy to our souls. 22nd Oct. 1854 Sevastopol. 22nd Oct. passed for us in a fierce cannonade, but also in the consoling hope that maybe. Tomorrow our already united troops will move from all sides towards the enemies. Between then and Oct. 23. there was no this movement: m.b. The reason for this was the rain, which throughout this entire day moderated the heat of the besiegers and gave some rest to the besieged. Oct 22 Our main streets and adjacent alleys were covered with barricades. There are gun embrasures in the windows of the houses and in the walls of the streets, giving the city a look that clearly convinces us of the danger that threatens us. However, the troops themselves would rather storm the enemy than attack enemy positions. For in the latter case you need to go under battery fire, and in the first there is only work with a bayonet, which the Russians know how to use. There is nothing that prisoners complain about more than our cheers; which is accompanied by the terrible effect of bayonets and butts. On the night of the 24th, the great princes arrived and stopped at Severnaya. Along with this joyful news in the morning, we also heard about the offensive movement of our troops, or better yet, we heard their movement itself. This was during matins, at the end of which, through the fog and smoke, we saw only sparkling lights on the heights lying towards Inkerman. Who didn't want success? Who has not prayed in the secret of his heart for victory? When the wind cleared the atmosphere a little, we rejoiced to see our people moving forward and forward. But from midday a retreat was already noticeable, although rifle and cannon fire took place on the battlefield almost until the evening. At the same time, 7 battalions were sent from the city against the French occupying the Kherson land. And here, as there, there was a brilliant business, but neither the British nor the French were able to reap the fruits. Both there and here no reinforcements were sent during this time. So, at least, I heard from many officers, for whom it could not be a secret. The French had their guns riveted, and many of their unfortunates were laid in a beam in front of the cemetery church when they decided to rush at our 6th battalion, which is above the quarantine bay. The two positions taken at the heights had to be lost to the British with great damage. Our loss on this day is believed to be up to 3,000 killed and wounded. This loss is especially sensitive in officers, and even more so in regimental and battalion commanders. General Soimonov was wounded and has already died. But the loss of the enemy is much more significant. Yesterday I saw many Frenchmen at the dressing station, and many who died at night were sent with me on barges to the northern side of Sevastopol. It is painful to look at an enemy disfigured and defeated, like an obscene corpse. Prince Menshikov did nothing more until the arrival of 2 more divisions of the 3rd Corps, which were in Perekop. The enemies also did nothing more than continue the bombardment, which on the 25th and today is unspeakably fierce. On the 25th, the enemy worked all day to clear their positions and the battlefield of dead corpses. Our hope was and is more in God than in human strength. A lot of people blame the prince for everything. It is plausible; but God knows, maybe they are mistaken. Everyone is delighted with General Liprandi, from whom much is expected. Brave - he is surprised at the bravery of the sailors: “I have seen brave ones, but I have never seen such soldiers.” On the 18th day, for the sake of relief, they decided to change people to the 4th battalion, which suffered the most. The sailors refused. Have we acted badly for 17 days? they answered and remained with the guns. “One boatswain had his leg torn off when he was aiming the gun; he fell, but asked to be lifted up so he could point and shoot. When his requests could not be fulfilled, he, now with violence, shouts to the sailor: “Look, Kuzka (Kuzma), a little more to the right, more to the right, otherwise look, I’ll give you a ride.” And many similar examples! Another at an enemy battery, when the battle is raging all around, inflicts punishment on 31 sailors for not having enough rivets. This kind of discipline can only be found in the Navy. It is true that our enemies, powerful at sea, do not suspect that they are dealing with the same fleet, which, according to them, is shamefully hiding in the harbors; and the ships: Egudiel and Gabriel even actually participate in repelling the siege - one in the southern bay, and the other against Ushakova Balka. The enemies often stop, according to the testimony of prisoners, due to a lack of charges. Now there are only 17 battleships in sight of Sevastopol, most of them probably went for various supplies. The grand dukes were at the scene of the battle, but allegedly did not take part in the matter. About Fr. Gerontia and the monastery had no further information. And I know what I wrote by ear. Maybe something is wrong. It is believed that the water in Lazarev's grave came from rain: for this place, dug for the foundation of the church, was open for three years. And also from watering the flower garden that was built on the grave itself. Meanwhile, the grave itself, with the help of gunpowder, is knocked out in a slab stone, which retains water. Now they have come from the North with the news that the date of our loss is October 24. extends to 5,600 people, and that, finally, there is no place for the wounded in our hospital. That's all I can write with this mail. All that remains is to ask for your blessing and prayers - single prayers for consolation. Oct 26 1854, Sevastopol. I had already sent the papers to the post office, when I later learned that the Grand Dukes actually participated in the case on the 24th, therefore, with this mail, I hasten to correct the incorrect news about their Highnesses, as if they were not in the case. A horse was even injured under one of them. Then they were on the Malakhov Kurgan, and barely had time to hand over the telescope to the conductor and retreat a little, when the cannonball deprived this conductor of his leg. From these last lips I heard how everyone in the army - young and old - was dissatisfied with the orders of Prince Menshikov. The voice of the people is the voice of God. And it is impossible not to recognize the truth in this voice; Liprandi, in his dangerous position, seems to be left to his own devices. There are many different rumors, but not a single one in favor of our commander-in-chief. As long as fearless sailors stand at the guns, our defense is reliable. But just two more weeks and they can all be killed. Or does the Lord want to show His strength already in our weakness?! All sorts of thoughts and sinful thoughts come when you listen to human talk. I also remembered the kind word about our sailors from the captured English captain: “if we had such artillerymen, we would have torn down your fortifications long ago.” Father Nikolai Sizemsky priest has already gone to Simferopol today to visit his family. There was a case of cholera in the house where it was staying, which worried him. Is there a place for it somewhere? For it is unlikely that there will soon be a piece of bread for the clergy in Evpatoria, even if the Turks are driven out of there. It is more natural now to expect any need in Crimea. Now I have arrived from the monastery. Vasily is the hieromonk, and I am sending a package from him according to my book. His church still stands (in Chersonesus). October 26, 1854 Sevastopol. From October 26, from which I had the honor of writing to you, to the present day our situation has not changed either for the better or (and thank God for this) for the worse. The bombing continues with the same damage to the city, loss of life and constant horror. Prince Menshikov does nothing, and hides his thoughts even from his cap, which he would burn if she recognized them. This incomprehensible mystery and past experiences of failure have a painful influence on everyone, and most importantly on the army, which is extremely disliked towards its commander-in-chief. The mere presence of the great princes encourages and comforts the army: they are like angels for the sick and wounded, for whom they take every possible care. On the evening of October 27, consolation was sent to us from the queen mother, with the aide-de-camp Prince Golitsin, she sent an icon of Christ the Savior to place it in the Nikolaev battery. Having been invited by the governor, I accepted it and handed it over to St. Michael's Church, from there, on October 28 at 7 o'clock in the morning, with a church procession and a military parade, the highest granted icon was carried to the St. Nicholas Battery, on the square of which a prayer service was served for the granting of victory to the adversaries. Everyone then venerated the icon while sprinkling St. water The icon is placed on the outside of the battery facing the city. At the end of the prayer service, the aide-de-camp told me that the Grand Dukes wanted that in the evening at 6 o’clock, when the bombing ceased, this icon should be carried around all the bastions by one of the priests, which the governor entrusted to one of the priests of the military cathedral and the staff officer on duty. Our last prayer was apparently a unanimous and warm prayer: it was enough to look at the position and faces of everyone present in the vast square. I considered it my duty to present to you the speech I said on this occasion, not because I find in it anything worthy of your attention (I even send it with fear), but solely because to give an idea of ​​the God-fearing and truly Christian mood of souls in dark Sevastopol 32 . This speech, which I decided to speak only at the request of the present time, brought tears to the eyes of many, starting with the governor and the commandant. The heart, softened by the terrible milk of God, becomes sensitive to the faintest touch. An hour later, I don’t know for what purpose, the governor asked me for this speech with a note, and I gave it. On the 27th, a bomb knocked out a column in my church on the western side opposite the entrance to the church, but the church is still intact, and the service continues, without even changing the hours of the service. On the evening of October 28, His Eminence Polycarp arrived in Sevastopol. He spent the night with me, and today he intends to go back to Bakhchisarai, from where he will write to Your Eminence. We have rains and, probably, they interfere with the new offensive actions of the commander-in-chief. October 29, 1854, Sevastopol. Thank God, Sevastopol is standing. It has already been 28 days of unprecedented bombardment. The courageous defenders who survived without any representations are, according to a clear statute, given the Crosses of St. George. But those worthy of awards are not thinking about awards anymore. We all have one feeling that the Lord is protecting us, and one desire - the continuation of this great mercy. The unanimity now is surprising in this regard. Thanks be to God, it leads everyone to earnest prayer and firm hope; that God will not abandon us. Prince Menshikov (I don’t know how) found out that the enemies had already had advice on whether to leave Sevastopol and go home, that the entire fleet was of the opinion that it was time to go home; but that the landmen were divided in this opinion. In the event of the enemy’s retreat, our troops will not fail to inflict a great defeat on them, and all the redoubts they built will remain in our hands and will be the best ready fortifications (the enemies have strengthened themselves so much and positioned their redoubts in such a way that it is as difficult to knock them out of there as it was to take Sevastopol for them) against their future invasions, if this is possible. However, since they cannot return home without at least attempting an assault (otherwise they will be unrequited), we are still awaiting an assault. And so on October 31, at 5 pm, as soon as it got dark, we already thought that they were attacking us. Suddenly, a strong cannonade opened from our batteries from the southern bay to the last bastion, which is opposite Chersonesos. In the darkness of the coming night, sparkling lights with the thunder of shots presented a terrible picture and terribly increased the real fear; enemy bombs and rockets rushed through the city like fireballs and snakes. Our rockets and the beating of drums everywhere sounded the alarm. The movement of troops through the streets and the ringing of weapons further confirmed the threatening danger. Meanwhile, the gunfire merged with the cannon fire - rifle fire, which already testified to the greater proximity of the enemies. To our consolation, the horror that suddenly befell us gradually began to subside and lasted no more than an hour. In the morning we learned that we were only in danger of an assault if the enemies who rushed to the 4th and 6th bastions had not been noticed in time. Several of their men who penetrated the batteries were captured, and one captain was shell-shocked. On November 1, captured prisoners and several people who were transferred showed that the enemies had a high mortality rate and a lack of food both for people and especially for horses, which had fallen off their bodies and were almost incapable of serving. The English officer shows that among them, that is, the British, each person has already lost 28 pounds of weight. We constantly have rain or strong winds. But today, after a quiet night, such bad weather arose from early morning that it is impossible not to see the wrath of God at the wickedness of our enemies. The western wind is the most dangerous for the enemy fleet in its present mooring. It has already been reported that several merchant ships are aground. With ships, it’s scary to see what happens to them. Naval officers believe that this wind should turn northeast, which is even more disastrous. Meanwhile, this wind brings a lot of harm to ourselves. There is little iron left in the barracks and shops. Also on private houses located on a hill. The tiles from the houses are flying so much that it is dangerous to walk along the street. The cross with its pedestal and half of the roofing iron were torn off from our church. I don't know what to do with the roof now. But the ceiling is not reliable - it’s stucco; it will rain; and it will collapse. There is no money in the wallet. And now it’s difficult to do anything with money. We hope that if the Lord does not send us great temptations, then perhaps there will be relief from our grief with the onset of winter. The Greek calendar in the last quarter of this month predicts the removal of the fleet, victory over the West and the death of one Sovereign, which will be good news. On Sunday, the Grand Dukes with Prince Menshikov were in the city to hear the liturgy in St. Michael's Church, without any prior notice, it was even ordered to say that one adjutant general wanted to be at mass at 9 o'clock. Rumors spread that the Sovereign Emperor was coming to us and that he was already in Kiev. November 2, 1854, Sevastopol. I wrote to you on November 2, informing you that on that day we had a strong storm. It almost did not subside even at night, and the agitated sea barely calmed down after two days. The next day in the morning they learned that 10 enemy ships had been sent to Belbek and 4 to Chersonesus. These are all transport ships, but there are also two large frigates. On one there was a landing of hussars. The prisoners show that they were newly brought, and maybe. and returning home. For the newly arriving ships were not noticed. But whatever they were, they no longer exist. A rope was given to them from the shore, along which they could escape. Free sailors (merchant ships) escaped, but the hussars preferred to rush onto the boats launched from their ships. The boats crashed against the frigate and the hussars died. Another time there was no way to get the rope going. There are up to 60 surviving sailors: all of them are in our northern fortification. A lot of cargo was thrown onto Belbek. Our troops stationed there are warming themselves with enemy rum. In Evpatoria, they say, 28 ships were abandoned. Although this is very probable (since there could be no protection there from anywhere), it is not yet entirely certain. Today at 7 o’clock in the morning in St. Michael’s 33rd Church, and in the presence of troops (1 person from a platoon), at the request of the Grand Dukes and by order of the authorities, a thanksgiving service was served on the occasion of the successful reflection of the month-long siege. I learned about this order by chance, when the prayer service had already been served, at which, however, the Grand Dukes and Prince Menshikov were not present. After mass, we also served a thanksgiving prayer service for this occasion. The prisoners, who come running almost every day, show that our enemies intend to storm Sevastopol. This is very likely: for there is nothing left except an attempt to storm and a shameful return home. General Liprandi was sent guns and mortars to bombard Balaklava, in order, if possible, to set fire to the enemy fleet stationed there. “Today, don’t the enemies have advice: for the sea has calmed down, and the admirals can come together for a conference with the land forces.” On our part, apart from being ready to repel the assault, nothing will be done. For the enemy had strongly strengthened himself at those two points that were more convenient for our attack and which we ourselves opened with an unsuccessful attempt. The prince is accused (but what is he not accused of?) for not moving towards the enemy at the same time as General Liprandi, who took 4 redoubts. To strengthen the garrison, today two more regiments are moving into the city from the North side. The assault is expected on the 4th bastion, which is opposite the monastery road. About the monastery and about Fr. I don’t know anything new about Gerontia. On November 3, during intensive bombing aimed at the city, one bomb hit my church itself. This happened at 2 o'clock. I stood under colonnade 34 and witnessed the impact and explosion myself. Fortunately, having broken through the roof, it hit not the ceiling, which could easily have completely collapsed, but the wall, along its edge; resolved after about two minutes weakly so that the explosion caused even less damage. In two places, plaster and ceiling moldings bounced off, while bomb fragments remained in the attic. At that very moment I sent people with water (for a lot of smoke rose), but there was nothing to extinguish, the smoke was only from gunpowder. I keep the fragments of the bomb, as well as all the gifts that fly into the churchyard, as souvenirs. The speech with which you admonished the troops coming to us, I conveyed (in the copies you sent) to persons through whom it can serve for others with the same inspiration for St. swearing November 5, 1854 Sevastopol. I received your fatherly message of November 2 only on November 8. and now I almost explain my imaginary silence by this ordinary slowdown. For I write to you every mail, e.g. from October 19, 22, 26, 29, November 2 and 5, and I always write in a government package. I have already written to you about the 24th, a truly terrible number; and until now there are rumors about this very unsuccessful business. Everyone unanimously blames Prince Menshikov, who does not announce his plan even when he leads the troops into action. The prince is allegedly dissatisfied with General Danenberg, all the generals are dissatisfied with the headquarters of the commander-in-chief. Finally, against the will of the prince, they gave him General Semyakin 35 as chief of staff, instead of Colonel Wunsch, who had no information for such an important position. For example General Baumgarten received only on the morning of the 25th a paper appointing him to reinforce the battalions that made a sortie on the Kherson land on the 24th. In general, the actions of the commander-in-chief are subject to fair criticism from the general to the soldiers, even from the enemies, who are surprised that they see a new tactic in the Russian army - a fugitive retreat. Danenberg stands on Balbec, General Zhabokritsky is above Inkerman, and Liprandi is in Komari 36. There is no forward movement. Waiting for time to tell; and indeed recently, or more justly, the Lord himself has recently granted us more success over the enemies than we could inflict on them even with all our efforts. This is the storm of November 2, which I already wrote to you about. In Evpatoria, in addition to merchant ships, 2 ships were abandoned, on which there was a large supply of gunpowder and money. Others are trying to take advantage of this. A wreck was noticed in Balaklava Bay itself, which occurred due to the very tightness of the bay. In Feodosia, one skipper testified under oath that the Bosporus has up to 60 different ships with enemy cargo and landing troops. Apparently, the Lord will help us. It's been 6 days since we've been free from bombing. There is often gunfire, but more on our part, after another 8 days, i.e. on November 14th or 15th. The enemies transport large guns to Balaklava and place smaller ones, others bury them in the ground. This has been noticed by the English; What the French are doing is inconvenient to see. Among those transferred there is one priest, also prompted to escape by the scarcity of food. The Grand Dukes stay in the North, in one hut at fortification No. 4. They come to the city only on Sundays for the Liturgy in St. Michael's. church, more or completely safe from gunfire. Prince Menshikov does not allow them onto the bastions. During their visit to Malakhov Kurgan I was worried about them a lot. I most humbly thank you on behalf of myself and other priests for your gracious attention to our current labors. We especially ask your saints. prayers that we may be able to end our sad career well. I managed to cover the church again. November 9, 1854, Sevastopol. We have rain and slush - day and night, with a southerly wind. Maybe that’s why they don’t do anything against their enemies. The batteries act against those points where the enemy is working, without, however, wasting shells in vain. The enemy batteries are no longer silent. This morning fire was very successfully opened from the 4th bastion in France. trench The groans and cries of the wounded could even be heard on our bastion. At this point the French the trench is only 60 fathoms deep. from our bastion. Everything makes us expect an assault. We have different opinions about this. They think that this assault should be done only as an example, in order to say later that they have done everything that needed to be done to capture Sevastopol; in fact, the thoughts of the enemies on the way back home. However, there are few ships for this purpose, most of which are in disarray. 9 ships were taken to Constantinople after October 5, and 8 were taken there after November 2. In general, judging by the time of year, the return voyage of the enemy Crimean expedition is considered as dangerous and disastrous for it as the desperate assault that they would have decided on. They also believe that the enemies are only waiting for permission dispatches from their government in order to quickly set off on their own. – There are no frosts yet, but the dampness itself makes it very cold. The enemies consumed all the vegetation for fuel, and finally there was nothing to keep warm. Nowadays a light is rarely visible in the camp, whereas in the early days there was strong illumination. We still have 16 reserve battalions coming to us, which will be there by November 20, and 24 grenadier battalions. We do not feel any great shortage of food. And small needs are not sensitive at the mere idea of ​​the great time in which the Lord has placed us. About Fr. There is no Gerontia and the monastery and there is no information. We don’t know what to think about their situation. Yesterday the Rev. returned home. Metropolitan Agathangel. He's healthy. To my question: why didn’t they go, for example, to Korsun? he replied that he was old and might get sick; where can I get a doctor? Besides, I’m deaf, I won’t hear what’s going on. 5 Nov The Cossacks brought from Chersonesus an altar cross and a southern door, which lay on the floors. They didn’t even find floors in the church; everything was ruined by the wicked for fuel. If any of the brethren were there, maybe. maybe that didn't happen. O. Sergius 37 wanted to stay, but Fr. Vasily 38 did not allow it. The cemetery church, thank God, is still completely intact. There is nothing else special. They wait, observe, assume - only in these last days we see and hear. They are strengthening the batteries and taking other measures against the expected assault. Otherwise, everyone's thoughts are focused on hoping for God. - Thank you most humbly; but my labors, I feel, are far less than your mercy and the requested reward. Is it according to the word: where sin abounds, there is an abundance of grace? They say that at our post office, written correspondence – incoming and outgoing – is reviewed. 12 Nov 1854, Sevastopol. November 13 was wet all day; Heavy rain since midday. As a result, throughout the entire day, not a single shot disturbed our rare peace. On November 14th the whole day was bright: our enemies, it seems, were trying to make up for the omission of the previous day. But now they are more busy with work than with bombardment, which can be called nothing more than defense against our batteries. November 15th and 16th days are cloudy and wet; and again the enemies behave more quietly. There are very few wounded during the day: sometimes only two. Today is a cloudy day, the wind is northerly, but not yet strong; We are looking forward to snow, and with it winter. The arrival of enemy ships, except for the steamer and transport, was not noticed. They move away, or perhaps move more often. Today, two large ships left the Belbek anchorage, so now a total of 7 ships are visible there. Are they planning to head back? One might think that they won’t do something against Sevastopol tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow. November 18th is the day of the Sinop victory; The enemies also know about the importance of this day for us. On our northern side there are batteries facing the city, in case it could be taken by the enemy. Although the mere thought of such a possibility is scary, this measure is still necessary. В Инкермане, выше киновии; The northern lighthouses also have batteries. Говорят, что о. Innocent 39 climbed out of the rock into the general’s house. Сообщение трудно; I can’t know this for sure. On November 14th, Sunday, the Grand Dukes were at mass in St. Michael's Church already with the St. George Crosses received for October 24th. No other awards have been heard yet. O. Nikolai Sizemsky again sets off through Bakhchisarai to Simferopol to visit his family. He intends to ask His Eminence Polycarp in Bakhchisarai to send him to the Simferopol Cathedral, where there is an idle place. Our mug is almost empty; We serve every day, but will passing soldiers or officers run into the church for a while; our own parish left. Therefore, although it is not very expensive, we are forced, with your permission, to resort to church help. However, everything makes us think that our grief will soon come to an end, and a good end. Even today (Wednesday) we have not received mail, which usually arrives on Saturday. The troops are in their previous positions. Prince Menshikov on the ship "Gromonosets". Yesterday I sent some paper to Lord Raglan. The Grand Dukes still have an apartment on the North side. I don't know anything special about this mail. We surrender ourselves to the will of God. Your holy prayers, which we ask and hope for, can do a lot for us. About Fr. I still don’t know anything about Gerontie. November 17, 1854, Sevastopol November 18 passed quietly and peacefully for us, as could not have been better. The Battle of Sinop was limited to only memories, and those who could exchanged friendly greetings; but there is no joy or celebration anywhere, because, of course, the enemy is under the walls. The enemies are also sad because of such a long period of failure and the onset of bad weather. The British are already running over to us out of extreme need, which they tolerate. They, forgetting shame, might. happy and leave your friends. But two French The divisions, they say, moved back to Balaklava precisely in order to observe the actions of sincere allies. The French also pushed back their foreign legions because they often began to defect to us. In the enemy camp, according to the testimony of prisoners, there are a lot of sick people who are dying from cholera and scurvy. To the question: why don’t they fire so much now? They answered: “We barely have time to open fire before the gun is knocked out.” The authorities promise to lead them in an assault on December 10th. (in our opinion, November 26); but we, they say, do not believe, for we have already promised many times. In general, there is grumbling in the army and disagreement between the authorities. Two soldiers of the Butyrsky regiment escaped from captivity. According to them, the enemies are deeply entrenched because they expect our attack every minute. “But from our side this will not happen.” It seems that they are waiting for the Lord to speak about their enemies, and then they will attack them. They have already been killed enough by the rains and the mud in which they lie, especially in the trenches, where they are beaten quite successfully. What will happen when the northern winds blow, albeit for a few days. Rain yesterday and today; at night too. Throughout the night on the 19th there was heavy firing from the 4th and 5th bastions. The enemy's work cannot go forward in any way. In general, we hope that our help from the Lord will come soon. The games of boys are wonderful in wartime. Let's go, they shout, to the battery. On the street they build a parapet out of pebbles, and then they start throwing dirt, sometimes even pebbles, at each other. If someone is supposedly killed or wounded, they shout: “stretcher.” More original was the presentation of the Battle of Sinop, shortly after the fleet returned from Sinop. About 50 boys gathered, chose a place behind the ship's settlement, divided into Russians and Turks, elected commanders - Nakhimov and Osman Pasha, and entered the battle. The Turks were defeated and driven into the city. They disappeared into the nearest yard, where there was no one in the house. The Nakhimovites wanted to fully present the Sinop picture and were already preparing a fire. They just broke the glass and burned it for 70 rubles. books that belonged to the doctor who lived there. We didn’t have time anymore; stopped by the police, where a trial and reprisal took place about this. Nakhimka, who broke Osmanka’s head, and his bravest companions were painfully flogged. Wartime life manifests itself in another way: Fr. Lazarus 40 On the 5th of November he learns that an icon has appeared in his parish, that there are crowds of people there and the hieromonk is serving prayer services. He even comes and finds a sentry there with a gun. To the question: where did this icon come from? The sailor answered: I don’t know; I got up in the morning, and the icon was standing here. O. Lazar took the icon and the money with it, 36 rubles. With. Before he had time to leave there, an old man, a working crew officer, comes to look at the icon, which he had already heard about as revealed, and imagine, he recognizes in it his icon, which he left in his dilapidated house from the bombing. “It’s clear that it was stolen and passed off as real.” November 19, 1854 Sevastopol. Our situation has not changed. 20th Nov. marked by at least a small successful business: 80 people. Hunters attacked the English at dawn. a trench in which there were 200 British; They killed 30 of them and brought 12 fittings. We lost only one dead man, whose body was brought home. The next morning the hunters killed another 20 people. on the English battery and brought 2 fittings. In French The trench attack was unsuccessful, but without any losses. Both the British and the French continue to flee into captivity. They also say absurd things, for example, that they expect 500,000 reinforcements. Others show that they intend to spend the winter, and others that they will only burn our fleet and leave. 21 Nov General Dm arrived to us. Erofeich Saken, which made everyone happy. They say; that he was sent to replace Danenberg, who is accused of October 24th. Not entirely happy with Prince Gorchakov, commander of the 6th Corps. There was no rain yesterday or today. Will the weather improve and will they do something against the enemies? Their trenches are already close everywhere. The city was no longer disturbed. Residents are gradually returning to their homes. Even Krasnoryad residents open their shops. Everything shows the best time, although it seems that we cannot avoid an assault, which, no doubt, will be preceded by a bombardment that will be all the more disastrous the closer the trenches are now moved. The great Lord will deliver us from this misfortune, just as He delivered us from the first. Their Highnesses continue to visit the same Admiralty Mikhailov on holidays. church, which, however, is in great trouble. On the 20th the priest preached a sermon. Elansky, who is prohibited from worshiping. Nobody approves of this. V. The princes, however, came after this sermon. On the 21st we served without a deacon. Twice in the presence of V. Princes he served there - who? Deacon Neduzhkovsky. As soon as I found out about this, I forbade it. - And this is not because of the need for a deacon, but because the deacon served with the rector in the cathedral, located in the house that you deigned to visit. If he had asked my deacon Vasily Podolsky, I would always have sent. But I can’t interfere there and I’m afraid. We have always served, before and now, prayer services in our church on service days. Reverend The Metropolitan is healthy and in Mikhailov. Church saw Vel. The princes, who among other things asked if he knew anything about the situation of the St. George Monastery, for they also knew nothing about it. In the Bakhchisarai Cathedral, Rev. Polycarp noticed a great disorder, which he also wrote to me about. Until I can go there myself, I can’t do anything. Because on o. Spiranda cannot act by letter. He unsubscribes surprisingly cleverly. He knows nothing, sees nothing; Everyone deceives him, they don’t listen to him, he’s not responsible for anything, he’s old. 23 Nov 1854 Sevastopol. 24th Nov. On the night of this date, the hunters, having driven out the British, took possession of their trench, in which they deliberately stayed during the day in order to further disarm them. At 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the steamships "Vladimir" and "Crimea", unexpectedly for the enemies, went out of the fairway and opened fire on the enemy fire guard and also on the steamships stationed in Streletskaya Bay. They also fired into the camp and caused great alarm in it, which one Frenchman took advantage of and ran over to us. Our steamers did not go to their roadstead until five enemy ships came out against them. It is believed that great damage was done to the steamer at the fire guard. The other ship was not without damage. On one of our "Vladimir" the topmast was knocked down. November 25th. At night they cut out from English. The chains of 6 stalwart British men brought them unharmed to the city. During the day, an enemy steamer arrived under a negotiation flag. It delivered our artillery captain in exchange for English. an officer of a noble family, and some papers. On this occasion, Admiral Leinos sent a box of cigars to Admiral Istomin, his old and good friend. Is it because they are resorting to old friends with this mammon because they foresee their impoverishment and are thinking about shelter? On the 25th I received a package from Simferopol from Rev. Polycarp, demanding notification of Rev. Agafangel, about whom there was a rumor that he had died. The answer, as the Eminence demanded, was sent by relay, that the Metropolitan was alive, healthy and not ill. It's amazing how unfounded rumors can sometimes spread. Meanwhile, this rumor was delayed by the Reverend. Polycarp, who, if the truth was true, considered it necessary to come for burial. On the 25th, I received from you papers about the Holy Cross community and my appointment as confessor to it. I can promise diligence, and not abilities that you know and which I will never boast of. Doctor Pirogov 41, as I hear, on the North side. I'll be with him immediately. Father Innokenty, as I learned today, is already in Bakhchisarai. Having seen Pirogov, then I will demand him. I did not write to you first about hieromonks Ioanniki and Pachomius because at the same time I did not want to offend you with the news about them; 2nd, having seen both one and the other in the very indecent action of which rumors had reached you, I saw that this indecency came more from their ignorance than from drunkenness, which could only be noticed without being tempted by it. On October 14, Ioannikiy, in stole and with a cross in his hand, walked around the batteries to invite hunters to a sortie, with the knowledge and consent, according to him, of Admiral Istomin. I saw him already returning to his post, and when I noticed to him that he shouldn’t walk around the city like that, he immediately took off his stole, in which he put the cross. Then I heard about him that he was very loved by the team, with whom he was always at the guns, and recently went on a sortie, recommended by Admiral Istomin and presented for a reward, it seems, for an order. This is old Ioannikiy. After this, I think it is inconvenient to send him to Odessa. I heard about Ioanniki the Younger (from the monastery) that he decided to present the prosphora to Vel on the battery. To the princes. Again, an inappropriate act of ignorance, and all this cannot be foreseen. Pachomius brought Fr. Job. He was wearing a robe, stole and bristles; in one hand there is a cross, in the other there is a sprinkle. Where? From the bastion, to which he was invited for prayer. 0. Job testified that he went from house to house, and he explained that he was invited from the road. Why didn't you expose yourself at the bastion? Because I got dressed on the frigate, from which I went to the bastion. Why are you doing this? I thought it was more decent in this day and age. Unmask yourself here, and don’t do that in the future! I’m listening, and now I’m exposed. - This is Pachomius, who was previously in the monastery. I heard from the officers that he was some kind of idiot. And I see nothing but ignorance in his prescribed actions. Perhaps he was drunk at that time, as Job testified; at least with his appearance he could not deceive anyone. He can be sent away, and I will tell him your orders. I will write to their dean hieromonk Michael (he is on the ship of the “12 Apostles”) so that in your name he confirms to everyone to behave decently everywhere. 26th Nov. Today is the day of your angel, which was a special motivation for us to fervently pray for your health. Today is the cavalry day of St. George. All the gentlemen of this order from the general to the lower rank were at the liturgy and prayer service in Mikhailov. churches. There were Vel. Princes. Saken and even Liprandi came. Two days before this, 22 badges of this order were distributed to the headquarters and chief officers, the defenders of Sevastopol. The prince signed 70 orders in the navy and army, but more, they say, are in the navy. Yesterday and today are calm and clear days. Shots no longer disturb us, only nearby ones, and then only occasionally. We are safe from bombs. Due to the location of the 4th bastion, I have day shelter for officers, one of them is a close relative of Stanyukovich, and the other of General Filosofov. Through them and frequent meetings with these elders, I try to find out what is happening where, and yet the information is very small and my letters are inevitably empty. Often several days pass without any special facts: what was yesterday is today. November 26, 1864 Sevastopol. 27th Nov. The day is cloudy. There's nothing special about the bombing. From time to time only our shots can be heard, very often at night. I was on the North Side with the intention of seeing Dr. Pirogov, but did not find him there. They said that he had left for Simferopol about 5 days ago, where he would probably await the arrival of his sisters. Consequently, he left before I received a document from you about this. I can’t help but talk about the adventure that happened to me while crossing to the North Side. I had already gotten out of the boat and was walking along this narrow wooden bridge when the ox, which was in the cart, suddenly turned around and pushed me into the water. Fortunately it was shallow, only to the waist. Thank God, I did not drop the Holy Gifts, for together I was invited to battery N4 to give communion to the sick officer and to serve a prayer service in this small officer’s hospital. I completed the task, but while I returned home in wet underwear, I caught a serious cold. 28th Nov. Sunday. The day is cloudy but warm. There's nothing special about the bombing. The captured Englishman explained that they intended to place 50 guns in the new trench for a raid in order to burn the fleet, which would limit all their efforts. Vel. The princes listened to mass in St. Michael's Church. Then we went to the library building to examine the surrounding area and the enemy camp, then we visited the grave of Admiral Kornilov, together with Lazarev. General Saken was entrusted with command over the troops stationed in the city, and therefore with the protection of the city. Everyone is extremely happy about this. 29th Nov. The day is warm, real summer. Only our cannon shots make us aware of the proximity of the enemy. Enemies are limited to rifle fire. Today, from mouth to mouth, the joyful news about the case that took place in the Pacific Ocean near the Peter and Paul Fort, in which two of our frigates “Diana” and “Aurora” participated, passed from mouth to mouth. This news was sent from Nesselrode to Prince Menshikov in an authentic report. There were 6 enemy ships in the case, and all were badly damaged. Before this happened, they captured our one ship, which was sailing against six. There is no longer a single enemy ship on the northern side of Sevastopol; all have moved to Chersonesus or to the southern side. 29th Nov. I had a dean of the naval monks, Abbot Georgy. I saw him for the first time. This is a most respectable old man who inspires respect with his very appearance. He told me that their good brethren are extremely saddened by the rumor that has reached you about two dishonest people. He is of the same opinion about Ioannikis, that it is now inconvenient to expel him, as I already wrote. Pachomius promised to send for deportation, but he has not yet appeared. He complained a lot about the poor situation of many of the brethren. I gave him advice: to write to you every week both about his needs and about the behavior and actions of the brethren, since he, in the absence of a superior, is the representative of his brethren. 30th Nov. Today is also a warm day. At night, at 12 o'clock, a successful sortie was made from the 4th bastion. There were about 300 hunters. Cossacks, sailors and army. They attacked the French. a trench from which they took 3 mortars, 11 prisoners, including 2 officers, killed up to 100, lost 4 of their own, and wounded up to 30. This is already the beginning of Saken’s orders. You will get an idea about me and Demyanovich from General Stanyukovich. He sent a trusted staff officer to me to find out the form of relations with the highest spiritual person, and ordered him to announce to me what he had to write. I said the form and asked to thank the admiral for his attention. A rumor spread about the monastery (St. George) and its brethren: the service was suspended due to need, everyone was brought into one room and fed only biscuits, threatening to send them to Athos in case of dissatisfaction. It was as if some guy who had escaped from there was telling it. November 30, 1854, Sevastopol. December 1st. The enemies, probably irritated by our successful sortie on November 13, threw bombs into the city day and night. Revenge was visible, because for almost a month we had not experienced any significant bombardment, although this phenomenon cannot be called important in our life. The day was dry and warm. December 2nd. From yesterday there were more wounded and killed than usual. The enemies fell silent again. День с утра пасмурный; It rains in the afternoon and at night too. They talk in secret about a large attack on the enemies planned for December 5th, according to General Saken's plan. General Liprandi left the redoubts that were taken away by him, but the enemies are afraid, and they are probably afraid to approach them for fear of being blown up into the air. He crossed the Chernaya River with the brigade, probably to strengthen the troops located in the north of Sevastopol. Today Father Archimandrite Mitrofan arrived and settled down with me for now. The main hospitals are on the North Mountain, and he will have to settle there. He was with Admiral Stanyukovich, who asked him to wait for the arrival of the sisters and Pirogov themselves, then the proper order could follow. The sisters - their first train - as you hear, is already in Simferopol. If o. the archimandrite will be in the North, then it is better for me to stay and serve with the sick in the city, if my appointment is not canceled by the appointment of Fr. Archimandrite, about whom you did not allow me to write anything, nor to him about me. This circumstance becomes a question for me, because in the paper of Mr. Chief Prosecutor, of which you deigned to send a copy, they ask for the appointment of only one person to the Community. December 3rd. It’s rainy, and quite calm from the enemies’ side. The Grand Dukes have already deigned to hear a prayer service about the journey and today they are leaving for St. Petersburg, promising to return by the New Year. They say that the Empress, supposedly unwell, wanted to see them. There were farewells in hospitals and on bastions. For Chester and cigars they sent the English admiral a wild goat with the addition that yesterday they were hunting and here is a gift for you. V. The princes left their adjutants and luggage, a trace. will return. The Empress was supposedly very ill, which is why she wanted to see the children. The day before, when meeting with me, Admiral Stanyukovich somehow apologized that he did not invite V. Princes to the Peter and Paul Church, precisely because it was exposed to enemy shots. St. Michael's Church was robbed on November 29. The theft of money happened at 6 pm. The doors and windows are intact, except for one glass that a person cannot crawl through. The thief must be his own. It's still raining, 3 pm. 0 . The archimandrite introduced himself to Count Saken, who asked him to be appointed hieromonk to the dressing stations, where they had previously been, but not permanently. December 3, 1864, Sevastopol. December 4th. It rained all night. With the north wind in the morning, the rain turned into snow pellets. By noon it cleared up, then it rained again. Shots were heard only occasionally, except at night, when they were usually heard more often from both cannons and rifles. General Saken called all the regimental priests to him and asked them to diligently fulfill their duties. December 5th. On the 4th bastion, a lieutenant was killed by a rifle bullet in the forehead. - From the telegraph they noticed that 500 pack horses and about 300 cavalrymen passed from the sandy bay to the French camp. The propeller ship towed a three-masted ship, probably carrying part of the landing party. The whole day is cloudy. On the night of December 6th the heavy firing did not stop. December 6th. The big raid, which had been rumored for several days, did not happen. The day was quiet and quite calm from the enemies. The authorities listened to the liturgy and prayer service in St. Michael's Church. In our Petropavlovskaya we served together with Fr. archimandrite. In the morning, all the priests and hieromonks were busy serving prayers on the bastions, batteries and barracks, in hospitals and everywhere calling on the great saint of God Nicholas for help. I served a prayer service at the 10th battery, which is above the quarantine bay opposite Chersonesos, and saw the Chersonesos Church, to which the building still seems intact. The enemy's 4 steamships stood beyond cannon fire. To the commander of this battery, Lieutenant-Commander Andreev, who had already been awarded the St. George Cross from the Commander-in-Chief, V. book Konstantin Nikolaevich sent this order from his chest, with a handwritten letter. Everyone was surprised by the highest award bestowed on Vice Admiral Novosilsky, the commander of the distance between the 3rd and 5th bastions. He was presented to Vladimir of the 2nd degree, while he did not yet have a single order of the 1st degree. No, they know how to understand this unprecedented award. Rear Admirals Panfilov and Istomin received George 3rd degree. Nakhimov is thought to have the rank of admiral. December 7th. After the rain at night, the day is bright and warm. It’s surprising that winter, which we really need, hasn’t come to us yet. Nothing special on the enemy side. Nothing special was heard from the Evpatoria fields either. All travelers complain about the current Crimean road, which makes mail surprisingly late. At one station there are horses, but no coachmen, at another there are coachmen without horses. But the road from Simferopol to Sevastopol is especially difficult. The entire route is littered with fallen horses and abandoned carriages. We do not lack patience and continue to pray daily. Even if we are unworthy prayer books. Will not the Lord take revenge on us from our rivals, at least for our persistence? – We turn to your saints. prayers with which you will not leave us. December 8th. Nothing special on the enemy side. We rejoiced at the news that Austria and Prussia had finally declared their formal neutrality in the present war, and that as a result of this, an entire corps from Prince Gorchakov was assigned to the Crimea in order to quickly resolve the issue here, and then in the spring to go across the Danube, that the army of Prince. Gorchakov is replenished with troops stationed on our western border, now it is safe. 9th Dec. At two o'clock in the morning on this date, a successful attack on the British was made from the bastion. Our hunters, of whom there were about 300 people, having knocked out the enemies from the first trench, drove them to the third and brought 26 lower ranks and 4 officers, brought 26 rifles, almost every hunter returned with an English new thing. Killed enemies were not counted. Our losses in killed and wounded are insignificant - 23 people, but one naval officer was killed. Standing near the church, Fr. Mitrofan 42 witnessed the fire, especially strong from the darkness of the night. At the same time, a sortie was made from the 5th bastion, which they learned about in the morning. From there, 31 French were taken prisoner. There, the raid, according to the testimony of the prisoners, caused terror and they, trembling, went into the trench for the night. After each sortie, which usually happens at midnight, all enemy troops are under arms until dawn. On the night of December 6, believing that we would want to commemorate this day with something, the entire army was under arms throughout the entire night. So, forays are useful. Until midday it was light again and it was already very dry. But from midday until all night the rain did not stop. The wind is small - sometimes south, sometimes west. In revenge for the raid, they threw enough bombs into the city today. 10th Dec. Rain all day, in the evening the wind is fresh - westerly. The batteries fired very rarely, and at night, one might say, they were silent. A Turk who was captured complains about the British, for whom they have long been workers only, and not an army. According to him, it’s enough that there are Tatars in the enemy camp. They are also used for menial work. The monks grumble at me, as if for denunciations against them. Ioannikiy (from the monastery) even complained to Rear Admiral Istomin, presenting me as a sneak. God be with them! But it hurts when they vilify in vain. Will the presence of Father Mitrofan save me from slander? 11th Dec. Pirogov and his sisters are still not in Sevastopol. Father Archimandrite is still working as the head of the naval hieromonks, visiting hospitals and observing the actions of the hieromonks stationed there. We received mail on Friday and Saturday mornings. Wanting to have more to write, I postponed this letter until Saturday morning. Meanwhile, this time the mail had already been sent. arr. I missed it without intention. 12th Dec. Sunday. It rained almost all day. Snow was falling before evening, but suddenly it melted. Almost no shots were heard, as always happens in such weather. According to the testimony of British prisoners, there had already been two riots in their camps. The soldiers demand to be led to the assault, or home. They are promised an assault when the French deliver the promised reinforcements. But 1st - no one believes this promise; 2nd – even less believe in the success of the assault. They show that there are now no more than 10,000 Englishmen. The relations between the allies are very hostile. It is heard that the French General Fore wanted to shoot the colonel of the 42nd regiment, whose soldiers were unable to repel our raid on December 9. and they even allowed us to take mortars. 13th Dec. Birthday Holiday Christ from the enemies. When the French prisoner The officer was reminded that today was their holiday; he smiled and replied that this did not amuse anyone. First frost at night. The day is clear. There is no firing. There are 56 battalions coming to us, and they will be there by the new year. What and when will be undertaken again against the enemy is not heard. General Liprandi with two regiments went to Kacha. The Komarskaya heights and the path to Baydar are said to be clear for enemies. They don’t understand such sabotage, but after the praise in foreign newspapers for Prince Menshikov, no one blames the commander-in-chief anymore. It remains to admit some higher cunning here. 14th Dec. Today I just received your letter dated December 3rd. The elder metropolitan is alive and well as an old man. We had no reason to hear about his death. Thank God, we are not yet dying of hunger; maybe b. you will have to endure the cold. The hardest thing is to get firewood. I have enough church money to prevent the needs of the clergy, for whom I provide with measures that are frugal in every possible way. I humbly thank you for your fatherly concern for our situation. 43 versts remained with the mason and should be intact. I’ll check to see if barricades were taken to set up, in which they put everything, even dressed marble. However, the enemies will not bear the rocks of Inkerman. Miles will sooner or later reach Odessa. About the parliamentarian I am with Fr. I already thought about Mitrofan and consulted with someone, but we were advised to directly contact the prince. Menshikov, which is not easy; it is difficult to find him at home. Tomorrow I will visit Komovsky, his secretary. For the sending of envoys depends directly on the prince alone. I answer the questions you suggested. One of the questions was why and why the enemies were moving from the northern side of Sevastopol to the southern side and, at that time, being between Sevastopol and the prince. Menshikov, standing on Belbek with no more than 15,000, did not do two things that were so easy to do: turning right, taking Sevastopol, which was then almost defenseless from the south, turning left and descending from the left bank - defeating the prince, who had completely lost his spirit at that time! I answer: These days are from September 11 to 18. were the most desperate for us, and the Lord visibly and invisibly saved us, which almost no one outside Sevastopol knows about; I was in Bakhchisarai at that time and fully saw and knew the danger; For now, I can answer the following about the enemy’s movement towards Balaklava. (I’ll write what I find out more). First of all, the enemies were fooled by the dispatch of Prince Menshikov, captured by them with an imaginary secretary, in which the commander-in-chief informs the Emperor that he had a vanguard business on Alma, that our 80,000th army is in good spirits, that he is retreating to the northern side, but is afraid for the southern, very weak, because he is glad that the enemies landed not there, but near Evpatoria. It also mentions the complete safety of Perekop. The secretary was a simple clerk, dressed in a tailcoat. To communicate greater importance to this person, he was given 10,000 rubles and ordered to go to St. Petersburg with the said dispatch. The path is indicated precisely so that the stagecoach cannot escape enemy hands. It was just a Tatar duck, prepared for the taste of the enemies. As a result of this, they hurried both by sea and shore to the southern side of Sevastopol, the lack of weapons of which they could also know from the Tatars. After the Battle of Alma, our troops occupied the heights of the left bank of Belbek. The prince's main apartment was at the Mikenziev dacha, slightly higher than the Inkerman cinema. After the Battle of Alma, our troops moved along the same left bank of Belbek to Bakhchisarai, along very difficult and dangerous paths; and the enemies, to the left of the post road and above the Inkerman cinema; near the village of Chorgun they crossed the river, burning the government barracks at the Mikenziev dacha. Our bridge in Inkerman was previously broken, and our steamships were parked here, which could have made the crossing impossible. Therefore, Kinovia remained safe until the enemies stood on the opposite side. After such a vanguard affair as Alminskoye, the enemies could not rush at the 80,000-strong army, and maybe. were glad to retreat. The north side was all the more difficult for them because our army was in the rear. They could only cross to the eastern side from the south. Meanwhile, in Balaklava they can hear, although maybe. and they don’t believe that there is a large garrison in Sevastopol, that the city is fortified all around. Meanwhile, the dying hours in Balaklava, or, as Balaklava Archpriest Argiridi told me, the very death of Saint-Arnaud, whose enterprise and courage were not shared by his elder Canrobert. Everything is an echo, maybe. and much, unknown to us, doomed the enemies to some kind of inaction in the most dangerous days for us. In addition to the naval commands, from which battalions were just being formed and which were busy with sapper work from morning to evening, we only had two or three reserve battalions. About the place of residence of the book. Kornilov himself did not know Menshikov for several days. The prince made himself known through a Tatar dressed as a Turk (who received the promised amount in Sevastopol, and when here he received the paper to the prince, he went with it straight to the enemy camp, but was captured by ours. Indeed, we were in visible danger, but fortunately we did not feel it, except for the senior commanders. They argued that the enemies would not dare to rush to Sevastopol without first protecting themselves from the attack of the prince. Menshikov. But if only they had dared, then on September 14 and 15 they could have entered the city, one might say, with a ceremonial march. Now you see, the Lord protected us. It is heard about the sisters that they will all be from Simferopol, due to the lack of premises here. But Pirogov had not yet arrived from Simferopol. 14 Dec. 1854, Sevastopol. December 15, 16 and 17. All this time, especially at night, from the enemy side (precisely from the French) on the 4th and 5th bastions we were producing increased fire. A lot of bombs were thrown into the city. They were answered in the same way, and with visible success. For the enemies were silent for an hour. Probably, the enemies also received reinforcements with shells: otherwise they would not have been so wasteful. The ships arrived before the designated dates. The sector received by the enemies is shown to be 11 thousand. Our troops, as they say, will arrive on the 22nd. If only the Lord would help commemorate December 25, the day on which the expulsion of enemies from Russia in 1812 is remembered, with a new, similar expulsion of them. But we haven’t heard of any plans or intentions. Active orders of Dmitry Erof. Everyone is happy with Osten-Sacken, and everywhere they talk about him with deep respect. He lives in your apartment, in Al's house. Poppy. Krasilnikova. The French and Turks in large numbers attacked our artillery trench, where there were only 30 people who retreated, losing one wounded. The enemies were immediately knocked out with volleys from mortars. Again an unpleasant rumor about the policy of Austria, which allegedly requires reducing the Black Sea Fleet to 6 ships. I have just returned from the North and delivered the book to the secretary. Menshikova, Act. Art. owls Komovsky, a letter addressed to Fr. Gerontia. Here is word for word what I wrote: “We sigh for you in Christ, we yearn for freedom for you, brothers and saints. monastery. Answer at least: 1) are you all alive and well? 2) do you have any extreme needs, which, if possible, I have the authority to help? and 3) do you have Divine services? “God comfort you and me!” The secretary told me that, according to his lordship's report, the letter would certainly be sent accordingly, and the answer, when received, would be delivered to me. He also added that this could always be done. After that I regretted that I had not done this before your command. For it was possible to learn something about the situation of the sufferers. About the churches: Chersonesos seems to be an intact building. But I already wrote that not only everything in it was plundered, but even the floors and doors were broken. The cemetery, one might say, is still intact: for only one cannonball damaged the iron roof, and two windows were broken out by a cannonball that rushed into the span. The new house is completely undamaged. Something in the old house was broken, it seems, by our soldiers for fuel. At the cemetery wall, on the city side, there are our gunners. The wall served them instead of a parapet, from behind which they shoot at enemies if they appear on the other side of the cemetery. And that’s why the cemetery church is still inaccessible to the enemy! My Peter and Paul Church has the following damage: a column at the entrance to the church has been knocked out; Only its lower half remained, and the upper half with the capital lies in pieces on the ground. The shock caused the stones to move towards the front; It’s surprising that two large, huge stones, lying with their ends on the knocked-out column, did not fall; then the entire pediment could have collapsed. I made the stand out of thick shiplap. On the south side, the base is damaged (one large stone was knocked out, which is not important), two columns are damaged, but they can still serve. The glass in 8 windows was broken (each containing 12 pieces of glass); The frames of three windows are broken: in the western one, at the entrance to the church, the glass in both windows is also broken and the frame in one is broken. In the basement, stucco decorations and plaster are broken in two places. The main thing is that the damage to the colonnade, which had already been noticed before and was the subject of concern and investigation, is now so significant that it may require a major repair of the church. Doctor Pirogov is now in Sevastopol. Father Archimandrite saw him, but could not learn anything from him until the arrival of the sisters, who were expected on the 20th. Probably the Chief Prosecutor of St. The Synod has not yet notified him of the order you have made, and the head of the sisters also does not know anything about it, otherwise the latter would not have made Fr. Mikhail Rodionov received 44 rude answers that “we don’t need you, we have our own hieromonk.” With a doctor who came from Kyiv, Metropolitan Philaret of Kiev sent a vessel of St. oils from the Holy Sepulcher for the benefit of the sick. It was conveyed to Fr. archimandrite, who has to distribute it to the hieromonks stationed at the hospitals. And today the day is clear and warm, like summer. Rev. the metropolitan lives well; but that night he felt very bad. In the house of the clergy of the Peter and Paul Church, damage is not important; Only the cornice was disfigured by the blow of the cannonball, its ornament was knocked off. In a stone fence near the house, a fence of 3 fathoms was knocked out by bombs. December 17, 1854, Sevastopol. December 25th. We met and spent the great Christian holiday, more than we had hoped, completely peacefully, not being disturbed by a single enemy shot, and this was the Lord’s favor: already from midday on the eve of the holiday there was a sensitive frost in the north. the wind, which blew very strongly at night and created a real Christmas cold. The enemies, numb from the cold, had no time for us. On the very first day, 9 Anglo-French ran across, prompted to do so by the cold. According to the testimony of the English fugitive, up to 400 of his brethren in the Inkerman Valley froze. However, it seems that he said a lot. They also say that the English Admiral Raglan went to Constantinople for important meetings. 26 and 27 Dec. There was a thaw, but at night there was a strong frost, turning the wet path into slippery. Today (Dec. 28), with a southerly wind, it has already begun to melt. Warm days can make our communications even more difficult. Today we just received the Odessa newspaper dated December 9th. Arriving from Simferopol, Fr. Vasily, hieromonk of Kherson, says that the stations between Sevastopol are empty, travel is possible only along distant country roads, and the main road has turned into an abyss, in which many inexperienced travelers are hopelessly stuck. Today Fr. Vasily set off on the return journey, intending to travel to the Don, according to your blessing. On this holiday, we did not glorify Christ in houses that were either destroyed or abandoned due to snowstorms. Even the heads of families who remained guarding their homes or shops for the time being and did not go to their families in Simferopol. The church was full of worshipers, but exclusively soldiers of all branches of service. For me, the actual holiday was somehow unsuccessful due to my carelessness. Having warmed up by the iron stove and just running out onto the threshold for a minute, I caught such a bad cold on the eve of the holiday that on the first day I could hardly serve from a headache; that same day, from an inconspicuous splinter, I don’t know when or where I received, my leg was severed, so the next day I served with great difficulty, limping. On the third day I did not serve, and began to treat my leg, with which I now walk firmly around the room. Having heard that I was unwell, Governor Stanyukovich visited me yesterday. There were no steamships, no festive fun. The commander-in-chief, due to strong weather, did not come from the North to the city even on the first day. Saken was not in church both days, they say due to illness. However, you could hear Russian merriment on the streets, you could even see some walking like trees. Now they were talking about the new manifesto of the Sovereign Emperor to Russia and his indispensable will so that by the month of February there would not be a single enemy in Crimea. No answer from Fr. Gerontia. 28 Dec 1854, Sevastopol. 29, 30 and 31 December. The first days there is a thaw, even with rain, the last day there is severe frost from the north. wind and light snow. There was nothing remarkable on the enemy’s or our side. The fugitives from the enemy camp continue to appear and complain about everything. Some are still wearing shoes, by the way, and short fur coats, from which the cold forced them to cut off the sleeves and pull them on their feet. The winter is good, if it had stayed for a week, it would have brought us a lot of benefit. This is what they think and hope that in January, all measures will be taken on our part to resolve the Crimean issue. But it is difficult and impossible to find out positively about orders on this subject. The prisoners say that Raglan again does not agree to Canrobert’s proposal to go on the assault. Своим же будто бы объявил, что есть надежда на мир; but if by January 14 (old art. 2) there is no news of peace, then he agrees to the assault. Представление от г. Станюковича послано и вероятно уже получено вами. Whatever reward you bestow upon me, who is unworthy, will be better for me, and it will be more useful for my descendants. Не знаю даже, к чему представлял губернатор. Although he told me about the cross on the St. George ribbon, I was ashamed to write it myself. For I confess my involuntary guilt to you. After Stanyukovich sent a staff officer to me to find out the form of attitude towards the spiritual authorities (which I already wrote about), he himself met me and convincingly asked me to bother writing this entire paper or presentation. No matter how much I refused such a delicate offer, I had to fulfill the request, knowing from experience how little they (especially the old sailors) were familiar with our unit. I was pleased that he allowed me to write about my friend Fr. Alexandra: introducing two, I didn’t seem to notice that I was writing an idea about myself. In this draft, instead of the award itself, I used the following phrase: “in full confidence that you will not leave them nominated for awards that they fully deserve.” I wrote only what was performed by us, without any addition; I couldn’t write about anything precisely because it fell to my lot to write the show myself. Sorry if I'm at fault. Yesterday evening a volunteer, Archimandrite, arrived. Gerasim 45, cold, exhausted, spent: it’s a pity to be alive! He regrets a lot that he moved away, and even more that he left Odessa. Indeed, under the present circumstances of naval service, which is thrown ashore and suffers like a fish on land, service for a frail old man - and, moreover, an archimandrite, is an impossible thing, I strongly advise him to leave us; he willingly agrees, but cannot calm down from the unnecessary costs. Today he is resting, and tomorrow he will go to show up and say goodbye, so he won’t let the driver go. Happy new summer, I have the happiness to greet you, your saints. Through prayers, may the Lord give us a new pleasant summer and save us from the evils of the past summer. No response from Father Gerontius. But I couldn’t have it at Saken’s yet, because I can’t put on my boots. The Metropolitan lives well. O. Gerasim goes to see him in the evening. My elder Tellakhov died in Bakhchisarai. 31 Dec. 1854, Sevastopol. January 1, 1855 At midnight on New Year's Day there was a sortie of 300 hunters from the 3rd Bastion. The enemies fled not only from the first two trenches, but even from the third. Many of them were killed and 18 people were taken prisoner. 2 of ours were killed, 2 fell into a well and more than 10 were wounded. Following this, cannonade opened on both sides. Thus, we celebrated the New Year with thunder and lightning. From the night there was a strong frost with a north wind; during the day it snowed with a slight thaw. January 2nd. At night, a sortie from the 4th bastion. It is performed quietly, even without a rifle shot. They did the job with bayonets and in silence, even without the usual cheers. They brought 8 prisoners, took 27 guns and 6 rifles; I haven’t heard about the number of killed enemies, our loss is 5 killed. It snowed heavily during the night and continued to snow throughout the day. 3rd Jan The frost gradually increases; the wind is constantly north. There was a snowstorm in the morning; from midday it is quiet and clear. – Archimandrite Gerasim went back to Odessa. 4th Jan From midnight there was a big snowstorm with a north wind and a lot of frost. Very, very cold. All in all, our winter is complete. It’s true that the enemies are crying; however, they still have patience, which, no doubt, will soon come to an end. Every day there are several fugitives from the enemy camp. Vel is expected to return by January 6th. Princes who are on the road and, perhaps, are no longer far from us. Will our offensive actions begin again with their arrival? God grant that they may only be happier than before! General Liprandi stands on Belbek, and Generals Kiryakov and Zhabokritsky are at the Chorgun position. All the Inkerman heights, opposite the enemy, exactly where our Inkerman monastery is, are covered with batteries with large-caliber guns. It would be foolish for the enemies to cross over to the North side and make amends for their old mistake. They are left either at sea or in our hands. It's getting even colder this evening. No matter how Father Gerasim freezes on the road! And in his old age the temptation came to him to serve in the navy... I have not yet heard how he appeared to anyone, but I think that they looked at him either with a smile or with regret. Yes, he did not appear to anyone except Saken, with whom he was very pleased with the reception, and from whom he received travel tickets even to Kyiv. He also visited Admiral Nakhimov, his colleague, from whom, it seems, he begged money for prayers. It seems that the old man completely exhausted his treasury on the road, for, having no money for the return journey, he offered me a silver milk jug. Could I help him now, when we are thinking not about silver, but about daily bread, which is becoming more and more difficult from day to day? a franzola bun costs 10 kopecks, a pound of beef 7 kopecks, a bucket of vodka 10 rubles, a pound of sugar 60 kopecks, and it’s not in the city; all this is due to the extreme difficulty of the Crimean paths. No matter how much I persuaded the archimandrite to stay at the Bakhchisarai monastery until a better time, at least, the old man did not want to listen. “One archimandrite has already laid down there, and I want it, I don’t want it. I want to live in the Kyiv Lavra.” Until better days, I cannot present reports for the past year. Churches: Evpatoria, Kadykovskaya, Karanskaya and Sevastopol - the cemetery is not in our power; Komarskaya was devastated and the village itself does not exist. With Bakhchisarai and Mangum, given the current ways and needs, I have almost no communication; Moreover, bales of books and heavy correspondence in general are not accepted at the post office. I only have money from my church, and I need that to ensure our unknown future. And since the figure for my own department will be inconspicuous in the overall annual figure for the entire diocese, I cannot serve as a big obstacle to the consistory in annual reporting. Yes, this is not a secret, which, perhaps, is agreed upon. However, in this too, may your holy will be done over me. January 4, 1855, Sevastopol. Before I enter into the accepted form of the letter, I will note a circumstance that I accidentally missed. During the consecration of the water, on January 6, an eagle flew over the Jordan itself, built on the Catherine pier, and held on until the verse was fulfilled: “I am baptized in the Jordan, O Lord.” The eagle is noticed by everyone, even by the authorities. January 8th. Firing is heard during the day, as well as at night, during which there was a sortie from the 5th and 6th bastions. The sortie was larger than before - it consisted of 600 people, in which regimental commanders also participated. But they also met with a large number of enemies: that’s why things turned out hot; потеря наша простиралась до 70 человек; However, 4 were killed, others were wounded. The French (for there was actually a sortie against them) were brought in by 8 and 1 officer. From Komovsky, secretary of the prince. Меншикова, принесли мне ответ, что письмо о. Геронтия послано, но ответа не было. Думают, что отвечать не позволяют неприятели. January 9th. The fire is quieter at night and during the day. Неприятели устали, мстя за вылазку. Cloudy, foggy, temperatures very warm. Особенного ничего не слышно. January 10th. Quiet but cloudy, the snow has disappeared; evaporation rises from the ground in clouds. The enemy's fire and ours are weak. Ours only shoot at enemy works. The Kornilov bastion has been silent for about two months, with a few exceptions, but it is fortified in such a way that, as an efficient artillery officer told me, this bastion alone would require 50 thousand enemies. The main thing: the terrain is high and surrounded by deep ravines. I was at the dressing station for confession and communion of a naval officer, who demanded me for this purpose, although the hieromonks are on duty there. In the last sortie, he was wounded in the chest while flying out, and he was in 3 sorties before. Doctors give hope for recovery, but God knows. Next to him lies his own brother, seriously shell-shocked. Meeting brothers at a dressing station is not uncommon. On Alma, two brothers fell from one cannonball. Another, sick (without an arm) officer, whom I would not have even noticed, himself calls “Father, let me kiss the cross and what a consolation is faith!” January 11th. Freezing. The day is quiet and clear. The batteries were not silent. Today I visited General Saken. When I explained to him that there had still been no response from the monastery to my letter dated December 17th, he noted with a smile that perhaps it had not been sent, and advised me to write another, which he would send himself. I did this immediately and served. I am waiting for your answer with great hope. Several reserve battalions have already arrived; The 10th Division is fully equipped. January 12th. The day is clear from sunrise and quiet. The horizon is not far from clear of vapors. Fire can only be heard from our batteries, and only from mortars, which are usually used to interfere with enemy work. Taking advantage of the weather, they dig again and dig in their position. Little by little they run across. They brought a Turk who had defected on a stretcher. He was severely punished on his heels, and therefore fled. It’s amazing how he could escape after that. They told us two good news: 1, that our troops went to Baydary in order to move from there, when necessary, to cut off the enemy from Balaklava; 2, that in 8 days there should be either peace or decisive action. January 13th. The day, like yesterday, is clear and quiet after the night frost. Little gunfire was heard. Now, more often than not, the fire is a choke fire, which does not disturb the general peace. After several days of good weather, prices for food items decreased slightly. January 14th. The Grand Dukes are expected any hour. They think, however, that, perhaps, they left the capital on January 2, as was written. The church elder I represent is an excellent person for this position. January 14, 1856, Sevastopol. January 14th. After a night frost of 4 degrees, the day is calm and clear. They said that yesterday there was a parliamentarian from the French camp with a proposal for a truce because they were supposedly expecting a ship soon with dispatches about peace itself. He was refused. Today bombs were flying into the city because the truce was refused? One bomb exploded not far from my church, and a fragment squealed over the church itself, at the end of the liturgy. Yesterday the nurses arrived in 4 covered carts. Yesterday, Deacon Stroganov brought the Kasperov Icon of the Mother of God from Simferopol, at the request of Colonel of the Butyrsky Regiment. The other regiments also wanted to pray before it, and the icon remained for several days. The fleeing prisoners are multiplying. They wander across the Inkerman River with weapons in their hands. January 15th. A day similar to yesterday or even warmer. Not many shots are heard. Again, displeasure is heard against Prince Menshikov for his inaction and very bad reviews about his abilities for the work entrusted to him. At 4 o'clock in the morning the Grand Dukes arrived in Sevastopol. January 16th. Sunday. The morning is very cloudy. There were quite a few people at the liturgy. Read the manifesto. Their Highnesses deigned to listen to the liturgy in St. Michael's Church and then visited General Saken. In the evening, when it got dark, the regiments moved to join their divisions. Preparations for the case are noticeable, but we don’t know anything about it. The 8th division went to Yevpatoria, the 9th will join the Sevastopol troops. January 17th. There is frost at night, the morning and day are quite clear. The weather is damp due to evaporation. I heard about the news that became known with the arrival of the Grand Dukes. 1. Although the case has been opened for peace, it is doubtful. What is certain is that Austria is in a close alliance with Russia. 2. It is desirable for the Sovereign Emperor that, before there is peace, Prince Menshikov teaches a lesson to our uninvited guests. Today the enemies threw a lot of bombs and missiles into the city. They are thrown from many guns at once, and at night the bombs seem like a fiery swarm. In the evening at 6 o'clock, a huge rocket, illuminating my rooms with its flight, pierced the roof and, having lost its entire body in the attic, its head, with the hellish brain in it, carried away further. January 18th. The day is cloudy. Shots are heard and bombs at times make you shudder, like this very minute. I haven’t heard anything special yet today and I’m rushing to the post office. There was no response from the monastery to the other letter either. Letter about. Archimandrite Gerontius, which I received yesterday evening, I hasten to send you the original. It is doubtful, however, that the position of the brethren was, in fact, as harmless as they say. Today I will be with General Saken, and today I will send the requested tea and candles, if he finds it convenient. A few days ago, Hieromonk Palladius, brother of Abbot Georgiy, died in the Northern fortification of typhoid fever. It is said that these brothers had little money. Their suitcase was in the metropolitan courtyard, and when some hieromonks from the sunken ships hurried to the monastery, someone, out of zeal, took their suitcase to the monastery, without the knowledge or consent of the owners. Now, after the deprivation of acquisitions, there is the deprivation of kinship. A very venerable old man is grieving. The city is quite quiet. There is nothing special and I haven’t heard anything. I managed to visit Saken. He promised to send any parcel, no matter what its weight. There I also saw the French, taken on a sortie the previous night from the 3rd bastion. Things are going very well. Prisoners from a newly arrived minor securse. January 20, 1855, Sevastopol. Your letter of January 14 crushed the faint-hearted me no less than the bomb that flew over my head. Feel; that your displeasure and comments are made in a fatherly and merciful manner, but I regret that I cannot or do not know how to be a good servant for you at the present time, with all my zeal for this. Question: what's new? In Sevastopol itself, about which the whole world is now curious, is on the lips of everyone and everyone, and, unfortunately, the answer to it is almost always the same: nothing, nothing special. There was, they answer, a sortie, so many enemies ran across; Here, they say, our reinforcements have arrived; but what's so special about that? This has been done and said from the very beginning, but to no avail so far. And there won’t be any (I heard this with my own ears) while this prince is commander-in-chief. Menshikov, who is so secret that those who act, according to his orders, walk in the dark. Remote, for example, the chief, Vice Admiral Novosilsky, is impatiently waiting on the bastion for the crew commander with a report to ask him what’s new? What can you hear in the city? The townspeople move to the North, where the commander-in-chief and Their Highnesses have their apartment, in order to make some discovery there, and from there they return with nothing more than assumptions and hopes. They say that the commander-in-chief is in full confidence that peace will soon follow, and this explains his inaction. Then with our own eyes we see only the following objects and phenomena: a line of enemy batteries and trenches from the Kherson cinnovia around the city to the gunpowder beam; halfway along the sea route to Inkerman, the parallel opposite to them is our batteries and bastions, of which only from the 4th (which is behind the theater, near the monastery road) the fire never stops; on the streets there are carts with tours, fascines and shells being transported to the batteries; soldiers scurrying back and forth with bread or gruel in pans and cauldrons; two parts of houses in the city, removed from the inhabitants and occupied by soldiers (not excluding the richly decorated houses of Volokhov and Iv. Mak. Krasilnikov), and one part of the city, representing the ruins of Chersonesus. However, this last type did not all come from enemy bombs and cannonballs, but partly from the hands of soldiers, who are not forbidden to get wood for fuel in empty houses. Residents partly use the same fuel: for prisoners carry bundles around the courtyards prepared from doors, frames, window sills and everything that happens to be burned in a building. Only the part of the city from my church to the Catherine's pier, and the hill to the Library, has not changed its appearance (except for the barricades on the street). And everything that we see with our own eyes and our hands touch, that’s what I can tell you about Sevastopol. Also: the mountain on which the city is located and which is separated from other parts of our city by a large street, is also crowned with batteries, in case the front line was shot down. The batteries are located in the courtyards and on two sites, also near the Kazarsky monument. I am sending a report to the candle committee tomorrow, and to the consistory no later than this month. God be with them! I will say so as not to dwell on the reasons for my slowdown. – I will convey your idea about the church on the site and in memory of the Inkerman battle to whoever needs it, and I will notify you about what follows. But the bodies of those killed there and those who died from wounds, including General Soimonov, were buried in Severnaya, where there is now a common cemetery for all those who fell in the defense of Sevastopol; therefore, here especially, at the resting place, there will be a need for a church, which is necessary both for the residents living there and for visitors (this is a real import to us in the North). The requested parcel was sent to the monastery by letter. Saken wrote on his own behalf to General Canrobert and thanked him for his favor towards the monastery and care for it. On January 20, I learned from an officer who, as an expert in our area, was invited to Saken on the same date to explain it on the plan; that a plan of the entire enemy camp was received from St. Petersburg, compiled by the enemies themselves, representing in detail all the fortifications of their camp from Chersonesos to Balaklava and Inkerman. The plan has a French text, and was probably sent from Paris itself. “O corrupt city,” one can say about this Rome. Will they do something now according to the prepared plan? It seems that when this officer volunteered to sculpt the entire surrounding area from wax, Saken noticed that time did not allow waiting. The most formidable fortifications were Sapun Mountain and Balaklava, generally the rear of the camp. The Karak Heights are also heavily fortified. On January 22, at 9 pm, they blew up an enemy mine that was leading to the 4th bastion; thus, three months of their work is destroyed. There was no alarm on this occasion, although preparations were made on our part to repel it. There is envy and zeal between the naval and ground forces, which are especially aroused by the Highest Manifesto to the Black Sea Fleet; the prince is on the side of the fleet, and Saken is on the side of the army. January 23rd. The Metropolitan turned 84 years old. The old man can easily live to be one hundred. Their Highnesses listened to the liturgy in St. Michael's Church. Apart from the continued heavy firing from the 4th bastion, I don’t hear anything special and don’t have anything to report. January 25, 1855, Sevastopol. January 25th. Today, as I learned after lunch, in St. Michael's Church, following the order of General Saken, a thanksgiving prayer service was served on the occasion of the successful repulsion of the enemy's bombardment and siege. An order was given that for this purpose one person from each company, from among the generals and officers who could, would appear. The prayer service was served only by the hieromonk, who was then officiating the liturgy. There were no more clergy in the church; maybe there was no notification about that. - They say that the chief priest for the present time has appointed for all his clergy, sea and land, the senior priest of the Vladimir regiment, Archpriest Peter Matskevich. January 26th. Everyone was alarmed by the rumor of a new bombardment from the enemy, so some of the family officers, having received leave for several days in Simferopol, abandoned their leave so as not to lose valuable time. The very officers whom she stopped from traveling could not explain to me the reasons for this alarm. One answer: “everything can be seen." On January 26th, we were accidentally but pleasantly surprised by the explosion of another arm of an enemy mine, which was being led to our 4th bastion. It is not known whether they wanted to explode our mine, which was only 6 fathoms away, or whether it happened because of their carelessness. But the explosion was large and the entirety of it turned on the enemies themselves, probably with considerable harm. 27-е января. Having learned that the sisters of mercy had settled in and received from Her Highness’s court office, c. book Elena Pavlovna notification about the confessors appointed to the community by Your Eminence, I entered into relations with them and visit the sick. In the hospitals everything is now improved to a superlative degree, and there is no omission in any part. There are all kinds of confessors from monastics, army priests - appointed, and out of their zeal, seeking participation. I hope to be useful in this service, if not by being constantly present there, which is impossible for me, then by observing the confessors. The nurses treat their patients very kindly. Yesterday I myself witnessed how one of them, patting the sailor on the cheek, called him darling and other kind names, as she wanted another to go on a sortie. Patients, forgetting the pain, smile joyfully at such pleasantries. We were not without sisters until real sisters arrived. Three purely secular ladies, who were heroic enough not to flee from Sevastopol, appeared from time to time to serve the wounded at the dressing station. But this is what happened to their patriotism. Lacking hands, the wounded waited in line to be bandaged. One sailor was already close to this happy moment, when suddenly a wounded Frenchman was brought in. Our sisters all three rush at once with French bleating to the Frenchman, leaving their own. The sailor burst into anger and showered everyone with the most red Russian abuse; our named sisters then abandoned the Frenchman, with whom they probably wanted to chat, and no longer came to the hospital, leaving Sevastopol. According to the perceived need, I sent the sisters several icons for the rooms of the hospital set up in the Nikolaev battery. The Court's care for the wounded is unparalleled. Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, having learned that soldiers loved whipping, ordered a Kharkov merchant to deliver everything needed for this to Sevastopol, such as a pot, honey, bay leaf, etc., even to find a good master of this craft. Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna donated the entire large stock of cigars of her late husband. The Sovereign Emperor sent as a gift to the Sevastopol library 7 paintings of military actions that took place in Crimea: the 1st Battle of Alma, the 2nd Battle of Inkerman, the 3rd Battle of Balaklivino (the Liprandi case), the rest represent the bombardment of Sevastopol from different sides. Superb work and views; but the enemies put forward, one might say, only themselves, even, for example, in the case with Liprandi. January 29th. I submitted a memorandum to General Saken about the priest Manzheley, about whom a rumor had spread in Simferopol that he had been subjected to grave insults and danger to his life from the Evpatoria enemies, as reported to you by Fr. Mikhail Rodionov. The general promised to do what he could and find out about the Evpatoria clergy. In front of me, he made an order about this. There were French riflemen settled in the Kherson church. Necessity forced them to shoot at the church, of which now only part of the walls remained. The Lord preserved the cemetery. The church house was attacked by our soldiers, but I asked to prevent the destruction. God knows if this will help. Admiral Nakhimov, who hitherto, one might say by his own whim, remained without appointment, was appointed comrade to Sakenu. The artist Tim, who now works in Sevastopol, took a portrait of Nakhimov in the church during mass. To make sure of success, he showed one of Nakhimov’s heads, wrapping it in canvas, and when they immediately recognized her as the person who was not shown in the portrait, he himself was convinced of success. It is unknown how this trick will appear to the admiral. They say, however, that he will be very pleased. There are many opinions about him - and contrary ones. Half of the fleet has both opponents and supporters. Yesterday, passing by St. Michael's Church, I noticed a large cross on a high foot in it, right next to the pulpit. In the church I could only find out that two such crosses had been sent from Moscow, for what - the cross itself told me this. На передней стороне внизу надпись: «сим побеждай». На другой: подобие креста, принесенного князем Владимиром из Херсонеса. На самом перекрестье, в ободке, изображение распятия Господня. At the four ends, in smaller rims, are the faces of the 12 apostles, four at each end. On the edges of each of the 4 ends there are larger rims, in which on the top there is the Lord on the throne, on the bottom there is the descent into hell, on the right and left sides there are two more apostles: Matthew and Judas Alferov. On the reverse side of the cross in the crosshair itself: the Dormition of the Mother of God, 12 apostles, from the front side they correspond to 12 silver stars; на оконечностях же 4-х концов креста: 4-е праздника Господних, в ободках. Пред крестом поставлены два подсвечника. The appearance of such a banner, although not in heaven, would greatly inspire the army, if only it would be explained to them; however, for a literate person the cross is clear, you just have to approach it. All these days the weather has been mostly stormy. Cloudy, damp; or snow, which immediately turns into water, or rain itself. Isn't this what keeps the enemy from a new bombardment and assault? And what holds ours back, God alone knows about it. The fugitives from the enemy camp appear, even completely healthy and dressed. January 30, 1855, Sevastopol. I dared to put priest Demyanovich’s petition in the government package in order to free him from traveling to the Northern fortification, where similar monetary correspondence is now accepted. Bakhchisarai and Lucky are still holding me back in the annual reports; I haven’t received anything from them yet, although I wrote to them twice. Here are a few more notes for two days after the letter of January 31st. A rumor spread that Evpatoria had a deal with Omer Pasha’s detachment, which was decided in our favor, although, due to the lack of infantry, our cavalry had a difficult time and lost up to 200 people. And another rumor is that 2 enemy transports were dropped near Yevpatoria. One longboat with 60 Englishmen landed on the shore and surrendered as prisoners of war; the other kept to Evpatoria and had to die. There is no confirmation of this yet, at least I couldn’t find out, but the rumor rests on something. On February 1, our shots at the French battery blew up the powder magazine, which was immediately announced by the cry of “hurray” from the 5th bastion, from which they fired at this battery. On the same date, salute shots were heard from enemy ships near Kamysheva Bay, probably to the newly arrived landing party or the chief of the onago. For today and yesterday 3 ships and 4 frigates were seen arriving. However, new reinforcements do little to invigorate our old guests. There are escapees from their camp every day, and they are especially lucky to catch them in the positions of Liprandi and Kiriakov. In hospitals, the spiritual requirements for the wounded are carefully fulfilled, including by me. I have already been to all the hospitals on our city side, and now only from the dressing station, where I confessed and gave communion to 6 and only confessed to 2. Those who are extremely difficult or hopeless are put in a special section, and it is extremely difficult to breathe their air. The enemies began to shoot at the city more often, especially at night, which, however, was safer for those awake than during the day. Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich was appointed commander of all forts and batteries on the North Side. About the naval and reserve hieromonks, about whom, by order of your Eminence, Archimandrite Dionysius 47 asks me, I learned and immediately present the following information. For the May third of the salary, although the steward received it, he did not have time to write it down in the book and distribute it to the hieromonks, since the monastery 48 remained in captivity and the salary was there. For the September third, received through Vice Admiral Nakhimov, according to a note submitted by Abbot Georgy. But this is the salary of the naval hieromonks alone, which is received from the Sevastopol Kriegs - Commissariat Unit. The reserve hieromonks, whose salaries are given from the Kherson Commissariat Commission and are required by the consistory, have not been satisfied with anything since the monastery was in captivity. Also available on Balaklava. St. George's Monastery, according to the number of 24 hieromonks, the amount from the Yalta district treasury (for heating, lighting, etc.), which also, due to the fact that the monastery was in captivity, was not required. From the naval commands, under which the hieromonks now in Sevastopol are located, they use portions of 19 rubles. per month, except for Hieromonk Lawrence, who joined the set only at the death of Hieromonk Palladius, whose place he took. I've been talking about this for a long time. Abbot George, so that he would write to our Eminence about the needs of the hieromonks and in general about their position and services, what kind of people perform where, but he, not having a paper for the title of dean, by whom he is named by seniority, does not dare and considers this an impermissible insolence. Meanwhile, he is a most worthy person in all respects. Here is another letter from the St. George Monastery notifying us of the receipt of the parcel. Their Highnesses, having learned only from Hieromonk Nikander about the correspondence that had arisen with the monastery and what exactly was needed there, expressed a desire to send another 5 pounds of tea and also through me, I answered Father Nikander that it would be more direct to send the tea directly to Saken; so that I don’t bother him with frequent visits, which seems to have been done. During the first week, the Grand Dukes fasted and listened to the service in their apartment, for which, by their own choice, Hieromonk Nikandr was requested, who, in the first days of Their Highnesses’ arrival in Sevastopol, attracted attention at the dressing station with the Sinop insignia. So, at least, his comrade, Hieromonk Benjamin, who was also standing, but without this sign, told me, for he hastened to send him to the monastery along with his things. Princess Tatyana Borisovna Potemkina, of whom he is a client, wrote about this Svyatogorsk hieromonk. However, even without all this Fr. Nikander is a wonderful hieromonk. In the Northern fortification, a church was built for Their Highnesses, where on Friday they listened to the presanctification, and on Saturday they received communion. On both of these days I sent my deacon of Podolsky there, who, like Fr. Nikandrom, V. the princes were very pleased. I cannot keep silent about the fact that Their Highnesses, having listened to the Liturgy of the Presanctified in the St. Michael's Church on Wednesday, were dissatisfied with the service there, which was not hidden from Fr. Nikandra, from whom I heard about this. General Philosophers, right there in the church after the service, noticed to the archpriest how much they were deviating from the rules of the church. The regimental priest served, since the soldiers were fasting, and it is known that very few of the army priests are familiar with this liturgy. Still, the owner of the church is to blame. - All our churches (and there are only three of them) are filled with fasting soldiers. In addition, services for this purpose are performed on ships, in barracks and in Krasilnikov’s house, where presanctified gifts are shared everywhere. From my church I gave 5 chalices to the hieromonks. In the second week, everyone must answer. February 13, 1855, Sevastopol. It must be said about the Holy Cross community of sisters that they carry a voluntarily raised cross with boundless zeal and Christian self-sacrifice. One cannot help but regret that some of them begin to lose their strength, which is caused by the very weight of the cross, on another day and beyond the measure of the heavy. One of them fell ill yesterday, the other today. The boss herself, Ekaterina Mikhailovna Bakunina (the general’s daughter, Kutuzov’s granddaughter, an elderly girl), in addition to supervising others, takes on the duty of a duty nurse for two days in a row, and only on the third day is she left with only her general duties. The entire community hitherto consists of 3 departments, naturally formed from their three-time departure from the capital; for at each departure for the expedition a superior was appointed over the sisters; doctors are with them, the boss’s assistant, etc., that everything remains a separate corporation and in place. In Sevastopol there are 2 and 3 sisters. With this latter, I also serve officially by your gracious appointment, ever since Bakunina received notification from Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna about me and Fr. Innocent's appointment, who now works, as before, on the North Side. The senior physician of the department takes care of the board and other allowances for each department of nurses. The entire community is headed by Doctor Pirogov, respected and loved by his sisters and doctors. I used the last word because Pirogov himself chose the doctors for the community and they were all predominantly students of Moscow University. Therefore, they alone were entrusted with the main dressing station, and now the entire work of the operations rests exclusively with them - the work is so difficult that the doctors, no matter how zealous they are in their duty and rich in Christian feelings (this latter does great credit to Pirogov’s choice), are noticeably declining in physical strength, although all the people are young. One is already seriously ill, and others begin to complain of poor health. Every day (sometimes two or three times) visiting the dressing station, I am an eyewitness to the efforts of the community’s doctors and nurses. The suffering and cries of the wounded, when they are first brought into the operating room, speak more eloquently than any word to the Christian heart, and everyone goes about their fussy work in silence. If sometimes it is necessary to exchange any words, and moreover, the words of Christian consolation, then it is in very few intervals. But this requires the gift of speech and special skill, and I cannot boast of either one or the other. What am I doing, you ask, as the confessor of the Holy Cross community? Having supplied the sick chambers with icons, he also supplied the large ones with lamps, for which the sick themselves willingly buy oil, whoever has a penny. I confess and give communion to the sick - sometimes 15 people at a time. Visiting the sick every day, I try to talk with each of them, and with great benefit for myself and for them, I get to know their thoughts and feelings, and meanwhile I imperceptibly win over the sick themselves, which I find most important in my service. Sometimes they do not declare a desire to proceed to St. sacraments for the most naive reason, which is even more strange to hear from a person whom everyone surrounds with lively and free participation. Well, father, the patient says quietly and as if in secret, there is no money. Another wants to live longer and is afraid of St. communion as parting words to death. Ignorance is amazingly mixed with human weaknesses! With the onset of Great Lent, there was a need to convince many openly, in the presence of nurses and doctors, not to disdain fast food, which is necessary for the patient as much as the medicine itself, and which alone for some constitutes medicine. One thing that needs to be corrected is the wildly expressed sense of patriotism. For example, today a wounded man lying next to a wounded Frenchman asks me: “Father! Frenchman - what kind of vira? I answer: the French are Christians, Catholics. - Are those over there Christians? I would promote him." How can you say that when he has no weapon in his hands, and he, like you, is without a leg. “By God, I wish I’d ​​promoted him.” In another, one must marvel at how beautifully it is expressed. A nobleman from the Kyiv province, and a Catholic at that, who has just had an operation, says to me: “I don’t have an arm, but I’ll go, I’ll definitely go with one arm. I am an old soldier, I must set an example for the young." And the poor man burst into tears, not so much from pain as from frustration that he would not soon be in the trenches. Then he continues: “I earned a medal in Hungary, I earned it on the Danube, and here I received it from the Empress,” and at the same time points to the icon on his neck. At the same time, I learned that on behalf of the Empress, icons were distributed to the soldiers to wear on their necks, of which many are sold in Kyiv in the form of neck crosses. Meanwhile, the soldiers, as I see from this example, value this as a badge of honor. How easy it is to encourage the simple soul of our soldier! Is it possible to encourage a Frenchman or an Englishman in a similar way? In general, I am very pleased with the service in this field: I feel that it fills the emptiness of my own soul. In order to quickly enter into a spiritual union with the sisters, I asked for a list of their names and remember them where appropriate. Sister Travina recalls with tenderness your gracious attention to her and the conversations that she had the good fortune to hear in Kharkov. She is Bakunina's assistant. Каждая сестра имеет у себя клятвенное обещание и обязанности печатные. Если они вам неизвестны, то я доставлю. I copied it for myself. On February 8, Tuesday of the first week, the long-awaited new bombardment was expected from the enemies. Если они действительно к тому были готовы, то Господь занял их. The morning greeted us not with a bombardment, but with intense cold and snow, with a north wind that blew gustyly throughout the night, while before that there were real summer days. Apparently the Providence of God is watching over us, for example, in this: on February 10, a bomb fell right in front of the church gates and dug a large hole, while the church was full of fasting soldiers who began to leave mass after this vain death had passed. On the night of February 10, without being noticed by the enemies, we built a new battery behind Kilenbalka on Inkerman, in front of our bastion No. 2, which should act on the flank of the enemy batteries and cover our ships stationed in the Northern Bay from them. This circumstance was very important for us and for the enemies. Before we had time to rejoice at the success, on the night of February 12, the enemies stormed this battery. Luckily, a secret chain revealed their movement. The commander of the Volyn regiment, General Khrushchev, lined up his soldiers who formed the cover of the battery, and, having inspired them with a short speech, waited for the enemies for the next shot and received such terrible fire that the prisoners are still surprised at this horror. However, they managed to get to the battery, where they left 63 bodies. Just as they met and escorted the enemies to their trenches. In addition to the Volyn regiment, two more battalions of Kolyvansky, who were at work, took part in the case, which therefore acted - and excellently - not with weapons, but with picks, shovels and crowbars. The loss of the enemy is believed to be 500 or 600 people, and the entire detachment consisted of 6 thousand, under the command of General Tom. 21 and 7 officers were captured, including one staff officer, our loss is believed to be 120 or 150 killed and wounded, no officers killed, 5 wounded. In general, this business is considered nice. What will it be like to storm the whole of Sevastopol if the battery that had just emerged was costly to the enemy and was not given into their hands! Всячески заграждают путь неприятелям на рейд. So, on February 12, 2 ships and 1 frigate were sunk against the Nikolaev battery, and behind them three armed ships were placed in a line against the Pavlovsk battery. Thus, the entrance to the roadstead is now blocked by three barriers: 1) previously scuttled ships against the Constantinople battery, 2) a double boom against the Mikhailovskaya battery and 3) newly scuttled ships against the Nikolaevskaya battery, behind which there are ships armed and prepared for battle, of which, however, there are now 8, 9 in total with the frigates. Вероятно, видят опасность, что употребляют такие крайние средства. In passing, I heard about this expectation of the sailors: “It’s nothing, they say, if only Sevastopol could stand,” and then he (that is, the enemy) must then certainly bring us ships for ships and deliver them. Что-то опять стали побуждать женский полк выезду. О Евпаторийском деле у нас рассказывают вещи довольно приятные, между тем, о. Михаил Родионов (протоиерей) из Симферополя пишет об этом ужасы. Strange! About Fr. I have not yet heard anything from Anania Meyazhele from General Saken, to whom I addressed him. Now I heard that Pirogov also fell ill. However, who is not exhausted now? We hear and believe that you constantly offer up your warm prayers for our city, with which may the merciful Lord strengthen everyone who is weary. Their Highnesses are both on active service in Sevastopol. Nikolai Nikolaevich is the head of the Northern fortifications for engineering, and Mikhail Nikolaevich for artillery. The successful operation of February 12th, by order issued throughout the army, is attributed primarily to the courage and bravery of General Khrushchev, who himself was in front of his regiment. The enemy detachment consisted of hunters inspired by alcohol, from which some were soon sobered up in captivity. Above and to the left of the redoubt defended by Khrushchev, General Saken is building a new redoubt, which the enemies have not yet encroached on. Both of them are located on the other side of Kilenbalka and will act on the flank of enemy batteries, and can make it possible to push back enemies from the heights of the northern bay. Saken's pious tactics in all such undertakings are worthy of note. Having given, for example, the order to place a battery at such and such a point, he immediately serves a prayer service and asks for God's blessing. Upon successful completion, without delay, he sends for the priest and thanks God. I know this from the regimental priest, who, living across the road from Saken, constantly serves him. Yesterday I escorted one sister of the Holy Cross community to the North, who died of typhoid fever. There I heard that for the book. Menshikov's horses are prepared and he is leaving for Simferopol. Why and for how long? that remained a question. I also heard there that enemy missiles on February 15th reached the apartment of both the commander-in-chief and, what’s even further, the grand duke’s, and that allegedly the apartment for Their Highnesses would be on Belbek. To protect the ships from these incendiary arrows, the decks were laid with bags of earth in two rows, and despite the fact that a rocket falling on the ship "Constantine" pierced the first deck. The terrible difference between the latest rockets and the previous ones is that they are visible only up to the last height, then, suddenly fading, they rush with such speed that even by the noise you cannot notice their direction and beware, as you could from the previous ones; On the 14th and 15th they were thrown in the evening for an hour, but there was no fire anywhere, and there were only three deaths. On the 16th, Greek volunteers entered the city and were placed in position. Sailors and soldiers cannot be surprised at their outfit, simply calling them “masquerade.” They, the Greeks, claim that Omer Pasha broke up with the allied commanders in Evpatoria and went to Constantinople to present to the Sultan what humiliation the allies were subjecting to the Turkish army in the Crimea, and from here they expect important consequences. The grave diggers of the northern cemetery (soldiers) boasted to me that the Grand Dukes, having once visited the graves, ordered to dig them as close to one another as possible and not to expand the cemeteries, because these graves would later all be leveled and a common mound would be built over them, on which a common monument would be erected. The most convenient way to obtain the names of those killed on October 24 is through General Sakev, who can request them from the regimental commanders. The idea of ​​a church in memory of those killed is to everyone’s heart. The Greeks put their loss at Evpatoria at 39 wounded and 9 killed. Died from wounds of Khrysoveri - in Simferopol. February 19, 1855, Sevastopol. On the night of February 22, Their Highnesses deigned to go to St. Petersburg again, on the occasion of the illness of the Empress. The news of this arrived on the evening of February 21, and a few hours later the Grand Dukes had already left Sevastopol, which we learned about the next day. Prince Menshikov went to Simferopol specifically to improve his poor health. The position of commander-in-chief is occupied by General Saken, whose apartment was found on February 20 by an enemy rocket that fell into the hall, where it was extinguished. On February 20 and 21, we still managed to damage enemy mines, which were exploded in two places. 22 Feb The enemies, having set up a battery above the powder beam, opened fire on the steamship Xepconecy, which was stationed in the northern bay towards Inkerman. Although the steamer and our batteries on the other side of the bay silenced the French battery, the steamer received 6 holes, 2 killed and 3 wounded. The Inkerman cinema is still unharmed, the Kherson one is in ruins. The cemetery church is intact. But the cemetery house - new and old - could not be saved from the predation of our own soldiers (the enemy’s foot had not yet been there). Therefore, I finally agreed to the proposal of the chief of staff, Prince Vasilchikov, that these buildings be dismantled by order of the military authorities, for which I would be given a receipt. At least there will be hope for a reward from the treasury. During all three weeks of fasting, our soldiers, for whom army priests serve, fast, and therefore at this time, which is not without income for the clergy, we become even more impoverished, given the high cost; Therefore, again, necessity forced the church to help from the church sum. Deacon Podolsky sent his family to Odessa on February 22, which is what the authorities are now encouraging everyone to do. And the church needed help with this. On February 23rd, an unexpected temptation befell me. While putting the money received from the candle seller into the box, I noticed that the sealed cord had been cut. It turned out that the drawer had been pulled out with a chisel, but in such a way that the inner lock was completely intact. Based on the circumstances, the theft was committed on this date before matins, when the watchman in the sexton was lighting a fire, and, in all likelihood, by soldiers, with whom the church was filled from morning to evening. Fortunately, the amount in the box was not so significant, only for 8 days, and therefore, in order not to make it public that in Sevastopol in its present situation there are people so ungodly, I, in agreement with the clergy, decided, without trial, to gradually make up for this loss, to which there were no omissions on our part. February 25th. Morning. Now I came to the church in Stanyukevich to serve a thanksgiving and parting prayer service. What does that mean, I ask. Almost with tears. the old man is upset) he told about the troubles with Saken and Nakhimov, as a result of which he asks the prince. Menshikov about his dismissal, and received orders to go to Nikolaev until further notice about him, transferring his power to Nakhimov. About the book Menshikov Stanyukovich told me that he was going from Simferopol to Nikolaev and that he was seriously ill. 24 Feb 1855, Sevastopol. I received a petition on behalf of the Orthodox inhabitants of the Crimean Peninsula to the “Holy Governing Synod” on February 25, 49. Considering the high possibility of this paper, with which you arrange the high good of this country, and before asking fatherly you anticipate the needs, I found it best to first ask for your instructions on exactly how to deal with this paper, although it is clear that it was sent for signature. The deep considerations, thoughts and feelings that you put into the mouths of the Orthodox inhabitants of Crimea are of such a kind that, first of all, they must be signed by such persons who, by their education, are capable of making similar considerations and arriving at such thoughts and feelings, or, by their rank, are even obliged, for example, by persons in command and the class of nobles, who are already obliged to lead their subordinates. Should there be clergy signatures here? If so, where? Should I suggest that Rev. be the first to sign? Metropolitan Agafangel, who, having lived here for about 35 years, can rightly be called a Crimean resident? Should we invite military officials to sign, like all our temporary superiors now, including Vice Admiral Nakhimov, who is serving as governor? With the exception of the military, at present in Sevastopol Orthodox Christians can be found only in the class of merchants and townspeople. Then this signature in my department can be continued in Bakhchisarai and other villages. How approximately should it be numbered? and how soon should the petition be returned to you? In the petition you sent in the form of a signature, you crossed out the word “lowest” novices: therefore, shouldn’t the petition be rewritten again, or will it be only a draft and private? Because, probably, I’m not the only one entrusted with signing the inhabitants of the entire peninsula. Forgive me if you find empty questions between these questions. Nothing special happened in the circumstances of our military, the prince expects. Gorchakov and they think that Prince. Menshikov will not return to command of the Crimean army. Ahead of the Kornilov Bastion we are fortifying another height, not occupied by the enemies, who are noticeably very concerned about this. The fire there has not stopped for a day now, under which our work is already ending. French commanders are busily driving around this area. The ministry of the sisters and our spiritual work is going well. At the dressing station, where I visit every day, from January 25 to February 25, 450 wounded people were admitted, although there was no important business at that time. I have conveyed your proposal to the widow, Archpriest Gavrilova; she asked for time to think about it. I will respond with the next mail, explaining in detail her current situation. On the morning of March 1st we learned the amazingly sad news about the death of the Sovereign Emperor. Now, walking home from the dressing station, where everyone was silent or did not believe, I saw that troops were passing to St. Michael’s Church, but I still don’t know about any order on this sad occasion when sending this letter to the post office. Now, without a doubt, when everything is surrounded by sad darkness, we must wait in the present world for the finger of God. The Lord's will be done! March 1, 9 a.m. 1855, Sevastopol. The news of the death of the Sovereign Emperor was brought to Sevastopol by the son of the field marshal, Prince Paskevich. The swearing-in of troops and residents took place on the square of St. Michael's Church and at other churches, and wherever it was more convenient to gather troops. The Right Reverend Metropolitan was also present on Mikhailovskaya Square, and the next day he participated in the celebration of the cathedral memorial service for the deceased Emperor. – It is remarkable that three days before receiving the sad news from St. Petersburg, the enemy camp already knew about the death of the Emperor, and through parliament they let the city know about it, but Saken kept it secret. I was rather surprised by a police official who came to say that people would appear to take the oath of allegiance to the new Emperor. About the deceased, he noted with perfect calm that this was how it should have been according to the prophecies, and now he should expect the triumph of a just cause. To the question: for what reasons? he answered: Greek. He is from the Greeks, and then I understood what kind of prophecies he meant. Book Menshikov is somewhere in Perekop; He was dismissed by the Highest, as was made known by the order of the army. Book Gorchakov has not yet arrived. From the night of March 2, almost until now, a heated matter has been going on at the Kornilov Bastion about our new redoubt being built in front of it, which is very dangerous for the enemies. Every day there are many wounded; today, March 7, Rear Admiral Istomin was killed (his head was blown off, which could not be found). A place for him, Lazarev’s pet, is being prepared there next to the admiral. The enemies are noticeably strengthening on the Inkerman side, preparing to unite with the Evpatoria enemies. The prisoners, even the officers, are in full confidence that we have already been cut off by the Turks. That's what they are told in the camp. The sisters who arrived again from Simferopol remain on the North Side. The head of the community, Stakhovich, and the community’s hieromonk are also there. Of the former sisters, I buried two; Of the rest, thanks be to God, some are recovering, others are healthy and struggling. Our Catholic priest was arrested and sent away for instilling treasonous thoughts in soldiers' confessions. Isn’t that why the Poles often ran? The night of March 7th was one of the worst. It is believed that the enemies threw up to 4 thousand bombs and cannonballs. On my way to Matins, I almost fell under the fragments of a bomb that exploded right at the church gates. Thank God, accidents are very rare. The mercy of the Lord and your prayers will be our protection until the end of grief. March 7, 1855, Sevastopol. First of all, I will answer Your Eminence about the hieromonks you sent to serve in the fleet. As a result of the sinking of 4 more ships, which I already wrote about, the hieromonks found themselves without places and shelter: for example, on the ship “Chesme” there are three hieromonks, and on the “Constantine” there are two, essentially only so that they can receive allowances or portioned money from there, their service is scattered, so to speak, in different places where the people of the ship or ship on which the hieromonk was located before the existence of the ship and the formation of sailors of battalions and battery commands. And therefore, the hieromonks of some sunken ships now serve not so much on a regular basis and locally, but nominally and are content with the commanders for their old service. Therefore, when I formally conveyed the will of Your Eminence to the naval dean, Abbot George, to replace with new hieromonks those whom you recognized as unreliable: he also formally answered me that there are hieromonks available to replace such unreliable ones, and that he, however, therefore, in any case, cannot make orders without the order and instructions of the senior dean over the clergy land and naval forces in Crimea, Archpriest Peter Matskevich, to whom he approached about this. Wanting to speed up this matter and being already familiar with this archpriest, I myself went to see him in Severnaya, but to my surprise I learned that he was preparing a report to the chief priest, to whom he was presenting your order for his permission, which the newly arrived hieromonks should wait in Sevastopol, without allowance and shelter. In vain I explained to him that the Archbishop of Kherson has always had and still has the right to staff the fleet with hieromonks, whom the Holy Synod therefore sends to his direct disposal, and that therefore it is also the responsibility of the local diocesan commander to replace unreliable ones with better ones; All that remains for you, I said, is to carry out the order of His Eminence and bring this to the attention of the chief priest. The stubborn old man remained unconvinced. Reasoning that such a course of affairs would be insulting to the authority and name of Your Eminence and that the hieromonks would not soon wait for the decision of the chief priest, I then suggested that Archpriest Matskevich leave this matter completely, and that I myself would write you a report about the obstacles encountered in replacing the hieromonks. Among the obstacles there is this: to the removal of the unreliable Ioanicia; on the night from March 2 to March 3, he was again a hero in action, walked with a cross in front of the soldiers and forced them to throw bayonets when they did not dare to do what was necessary; got in with them and in the darkness between the enemy corpses discovered one enemy - an officer who was alive, but only pretending, for which the military authorities recommended him on good terms and presented him with a reward. – Your Eminence will be pleased to hear about another Ioannikios (who was a hierodeacon in the monastery): on the night of March 10-11, he was sent to lead our soldiers out of enemy trenches, who did not want to believe and therefore follow the signal of retreat, and he is also recommended by his superiors as an excellent and fearless hieromonk. The third Ioannikios 50 is distinguished by the Cross of Sinope. Doesn’t this trinity of names intercede in favor of one of them, whose life sometimes differed? In saying this, I do not at all defend insanity in anyone and anywhere, but I only dare to express my opinion that the distinctions rendered by Hieromonk Ioannikios at the present time redeem his guilt in the same era. The dean, Abbot George, does not approve of Hieromonk Pachomius and does not find any obstacle to his removal except the authority of Archpriest Matskevich, who, as I have already explained, did not dare to do this without the permission of the chief priest. Pachomius is without a ship and is assigned to the ship "Chesme", from which three hieromonks are content. At first I wanted to blame Abbot Georgy for willfully deviating from the new rule of Archpriest Matskevich, without your knowledge. But then I learned that, as a result of an order from the commander-in-chief, the admiral let the fleet know with an order to subordinate the naval hieromonks to this senior dean. The newly arrived hieromonks, on my advice, went to the Skete until your new order about them. Of these, Iliodor intended to go to Kizil-tash. The novice also went to the Skete, because there was no place for him. Army priests are now appointed in charge of the infirmaries, who, unfortunately, are neglectful of their duties. I present the list of naval hieromonks you require in the form it was compiled for me by the hieromonks themselves. Hieromonk Innokenty is not a member of it, as he entered Sevastopol to serve on your special assignment. He arrived with Fr. Archimandrite Mitrofan, and since that time he has been working in the Severnaya hospital, having no other allowance than his own reserve salary, which, however, he, like Abbot Georgy, has not received since May 1 - (I have already sent you information about the salary). The sisters have a St. Petersburg hieromonk, who is part of their first branch on the North Side; where the main boss is A.P. Stakhovich. Потому о. The monk, just as before the arrival of the sisters, served with the sick, and now he labors in that same feat. My unit included sisters of the 2nd and 3rd departments, who lived in the city itself; That’s why I visit the sick and serve them, both at the first dressing station and in all the houses occupied by hospitals, where the sisters and doctors of the Holy Cross Community are located. On March 12, Hieromonk Benjamin 51 received his Sinope Cross from the monastery, with a letter from Fr. Archimandrite Gerontius, to whom he wrote about this. From this it must be concluded that some monastic property actually remained inviolable to the enemy’s hand. Along with this, Fr. Gerontius notifies that he has received 10 pounds of tea, which the Grand Dukes donated for the brethren, and that everyone is alive and well. This letter is dated February 24th. It is unknown why it was received so late. So far I have not been given any information about the priest Manzhelei from Saken, perhaps. because he himself does not yet have one: for the letter from Fr. General Saken sent Gerontius to me immediately upon receipt. Потому я считаю излишним, без особого случая, утруждать об этом генерала, у которого постоянно много дел и лиц. Since the decree of the consistory on the transfer of priest Manzheley from Evpatoria to the Bakhchisarai Cathedral ordered him to receive a salary, I ordered the Bakhchisarai clergy to hand it over to Manzheley’s wife, who is with the children in Simferopol. Последовавший указ об удержании от праздных мест суммы в пользу консистории, без сомнения, имеет силу впредь до будущего времени. The Komara priest Alexander Demishev, who, after the enemy occupied the village of Komara, was sent by me to the Bakhchisarai Cathedral, about which I wrote to your High Priest, can comfortably be content with the income from the cathedral, the parish of which has now increased significantly both by newcomers from Sevastopol, Komarey and Kadykovka, and by military people, for whom there is no other church in Bakhchisarai. Комары и Кадыковка давно уже не существуют, и жилища и церкви разобраны неприятелями на топливо. Жители этих двух деревень и Балаклавы (собственно женский пол), через три дня, по занятии Балаклавы, по приказанию Реглана вышли с Балаклавским протоиереем Аргириди в Бахчисарай (и то кто успел), о чем также я извещал Вас в свое время. Уцелела, как слышно, одна Карань, где будто бы находится и Кадыковский священник с частью жителей. I am awaiting information about him from Fr. Archimandrite Gerontius, to whom I already wrote about this. Качинский священник Феодор Кузьменко, после разорения Качинской церкви (здание и иконостас целы, расхищены утварь и другая движимость), долго не являлся ко мне, потом с согласия Мангутского причта и Биасальских прихожан, я командировал его к приписной Биасальской церкви. The old man seems to have saved a penny for a rainy day; he needs service more for the salvation of his soul. He also has his own garden on Belbek. О разоренных церквах моего ведомства я доселе не представлял формального рапорта, потому что сведений об этом полных и совершенно верных не имею. If the Lord grants us complete freedom, which we hope to happen soon, I intend to survey my department on the living traces of the enemy, and then I undertake to present a complete historical note about the devastated churches and clergy, which could also serve to report to the Holy Synod. Ideas about hieromonks, received by the prince during the October third. Menshikov, they say, remained unfinished in his office, as well as ideas about doctors, of whom, despite their hard service, not one has yet received an award. And now, I believe, ideas about monastics will go the same way through the office of the commander-in-chief and already in St. Petersburg will be transferred to the Synod. For from the commander-in-chief, as a result of his preliminary consent to the order of the chief priest, an order followed to subordinate the naval clergy to the general jurisdiction of the military in the person of Archpriest Matskevich, who, by order of January 10th No. 93, was appointed senior dean of the clergy of the land and naval forces in the Crimea. It is now necessary to pay attention to these representations in the Synod. A military court is always external, and can easily award a reward that is not entirely appropriate for a clergyman whose infirmities are unknown to him. I heard that the track records for these representations were compiled from the oral testimony of the hieromonks themselves: it could easily happen that there would be a concealment of weakness and infirmity in another, and an increase in intelligence and merit in another. It is fair that they should all be rewarded, for all more or less bore the war and burden of the present time. But God knows, will they all be able to wear their insignia? won't they serve as harm and burden for some? With the arriving hieromonks, I received 50 copies of the Kasperov Icon of the Mother of God, which I sell and distribute according to your instructions. I also received a painting of the Kherson holy martyrs in one copy. It so beautifully expresses the character of ancient icon painting that its very idea and execution seem ancient. In a larger size and in oil paints, this will be the only decoration for churches, especially in our region, which is associated with the holy martyrs. I immediately placed this image in a frame and under glass and warmed a lamp in front of it, and as for a rare gift I offer Your Eminence my deepest gratitude. Someone in Karasu Bazaar beautifully paints Kasperov’s icons of God. Mothers and cheap for 6 rubles. ser. I ordered it to be made for myself and for the church. The Right Reverend Metropolitan had and conveyed his greetings to him from you. The elder accepted the bow with tears of joy and gratitude, and ordered, if I write, to show my bow and respect to your High Priest. He didn’t remember the money, so I decided to remain silent about it. The elder Archpriest Gavrilova took shelter with the Bishop, and bothered you with a letter about her poor situation. What exactly she is asking from you has not yet been clearly explained to me. She will never dare to leave Sevastopol and even go to Odessa under your fatherly shelter due to her attachment to her home and desire to be the mistress in her home until death. She also has 4 souls of female serfs. Her house was damaged a lot by the impact of two bombs that exploded inside it. It is in vain to think about correcting him now, even if she had the means to do so. At the end of the war, without a doubt, the first satisfaction from the treasury will belong to the widows. It seems to me that she expects from you a cash allowance for her food. As for our needs, that is, mine and my clergy, about which this is not the first time you have asked in a fatherly manner, then thanks to you and God about our most merciful archpastor, it is more convenient for us to borrow from the church in our emerging needs (as this is permitted by you) than to ask you for money from Odessa. Before we were exposed to needs and before our petition, you had already anticipated them. But it is especially difficult for my colleague, priest Demyanovich, to bear the burden of the present time. In addition to his needs, he suffers from fear not for himself alone, but for his five children and mother, whom he had no place to send from Sevastopol. Not long ago, a bomb flew into the courtyard of his apartment, which is not far from the church. Finally, about the course of the war near Sevastopol, as far as is accessible to my eye, hearing and understanding. The theater of war from the southern side and from the point of the 4th bastion moved to the southeastern or Inkerman, one might say, from February 12th. But since March, at the Kornilov Bastion and against that entire line, the same thing is happening that was previously seething at the 4th Bastion. Прибытие нового главнокомандующего, кн. Gorchakov (he arrived on the evening of March 8) gave our actions a more decisive character. On the 9th, he surveyed our fortifications and terrain, and inspired the soldiers with a kind word (which had never been heard from Prince Menshikov) and the news that troops, shells and food were coming to us in huge quantities, which he later announced with an order, adding the assurance that, with God’s help, we would soon drive out the enemies from our land. On the 10th, a large foray was made on the 11th, precisely where the enemies were now strengthening their strength. She was commanded by General Khrulev and, with his excellent disposition, led her to a happy ending. It is not known whether the enemies were warned about this attack or not; They themselves were preparing for an attack on our new redoubt, only they somewhat preceded us and, moreover, at first with a larger mass against us. Leaving both battalions against them to receive the enemies, he alone with the drummers went around and with the noise of 12 drums made them think that a large detachment was coming here and take flight. Greater resistance presented itself in the trenches, which, since they were filled with enemies, were filled with their corpses. The matter dragged on for a long time, into which several more battalions were brought in. At the enemy battery, several guns were knocked over and the trenches were swept away. Up to a hundred enemies were captured; their total loss is estimated to be at least three thousand. Замечательная картина была, когда на другой день, на всей линии были подняты переговорные флаги и стали убирать тела. Все взгорья вдруг покрылись краснотою и пестротою неприятельскою. They poured out of the trenches like ants. Одни суетились, нося тела, другие были только зрителями, по жестам рук и другим телодвижениям неравнодушными. Иные стояли в больших кучах, и, как заметно, взирали на зрелище, внимали и каким-то ораторам. На самом месте побоища наши носильщики и парламентеры своею серою, однообразною и солидною формою резко отличались от маскарадной пестроты неприятельской. По свидетельству неприятелей, ни один солдат не попал к ним в плен из этого дела. Английский подполковник на вопрос кн. Горчакова: как он мог попасть в плен? Has things really begun? отвечал, что он взят под конец дела, когда все 12 офицеров его были убиты. На вопрос же о штурме, будет ли он? все пленные теперь отвечают смехом. Так мало они верят успеху своего дела. I don’t know the number of those killed on our side; there were 950 wounded. Of these, more than 300 were so lightly wounded that in a few days they could be back in service. After this case, at the dressing stations, the doctors endured incredible work for two days. It is heard that on March 18 there will be a general sortie - from all points and against the entire enemy position. Fear is nothing new to us; Just let God have time. On the same night, as blood was shed at the Kornilov Bastion, the most terrible bombardment was carried out on the city from behind the 4th Bastion. Bombs gave way to rockets and competed in their horrors. When they managed to set off three fires, new fires were aimed at them. One fire broke out near our library. The bombs and rockets aimed there came right through my church. Several bombs exploded in the air above the church itself; one hit the wall of the church, passing the column and, although it damaged the wall, it did not penetrate through, for the blow followed to the very bottom of the wall, meanwhile it was so strong that the shutter lock popped out with the plugs, and the large local candlesticks in the church fell down. One bomb fell in the garden on the path to my apartment, but, having burst deep in the ground, it sprayed not with fragments, but with earth, which flew onto the very roof of the house. From 9 pm until almost morning I stood with the clergy at the church, watching death and hiding from it behind the columns and the church. But the Lord himself apparently protects everyone. More than 5 thousand bombs were thrown into the city, and yet only 2 women were injured among the residents, and no more than 30 people were injured on the city line itself; meanwhile, on the 4th bastion alone there were 2 thousand bombs, as the headquarters officer who had a command there that night told me. It is believed that the troops going to strengthen the Crimean Army will not be in place until mid-April, but that, however, Prince. Горчаков может открыть свои действия с 1-го апреля. Book Menshikov asked the late Emperor for his dismissal, and was dismissed by order of a new one dated March 9th. One might think that this dismissal is the work of the reigning Emperor himself, but this is not allowed here. The dismissal from the ministry, which the prince did not ask for, is attributed to the desire of the admiral general. The traitorous priest was handed over to the commandant by 20 Catholic soldiers, to whom he inspired in confession that the oath is not as important as the service that they can now provide to their lost homeland, that they need to value time and act, etc. Now it’s clear why the enemies always almost knew about our attacks, why so many Poles were running around. This is his devil's sowing. You visited the Sevastopol Church and you can remember this Pole. I greet you on this bright holiday, Gracious Archpastor and Father. May it be bright for you, and for us, from 5 o'clock. morning, already terribly darkened by smoke and the horrors of open bombardment, which our enemies had been terrorizing for so long. During Matins, standing at the altar, several times I felt such a shock from shots fired at the church building itself that the floor shook under my feet. God knows what will happen, but I hasten to inform you that the hour has finally come, it seems, the decisive one. I don’t know, however, who opened fire first – us or the enemies. Maybe so do we. For it was heard about the plan of the prince. Gorchakov, who was soon to be fulfilled. He intended to attract the attention of the enemies to Sevastopol and suddenly rush at them with all his might from Chorgun, where everything was ready for this and where he had moved his apartment. Yesterday evening, on the occasion of the first day of the holiday, he went to the city and listened to the liturgy in St. Michael's Church. The dark night in which they kept vigil and awaited the first festive hour, although it was illuminated by lightning from cannon fire, this fire was ordinary and did not disturb the peace and sweet moments of the Easter service in the churches of God. They were filled with Orthodox soldiers, who, however, were told to be ready for another service at any moment. That’s why, on a bright day, the commanders wore the same gray greatcoats as the soldiers. That is, we celebrated Easter, like Israel, standing, girded, and with staffs in our hands, being ready for anything from the enemies we knew from Easter in Odessa. They said that they even sent a parliamentarian with a proposal for a three-day truce holiday, to which the prince. Gorchakov, referring to their actions last year near Odessa, did not give faith to their word, as if he had answered. Although we no longer had external lighting in the churches, they were perfectly illuminated by the people who could not fit in the churches and stood with candles in the courtyard and along the street, where there were rows of Easter eggs prepared for consecration. The Easter service was performed on the bastions by the hieromonks, and no one was ordered to leave there for even a minute. For Great Friday and Saturday, I gave three shrouds that were in storage in my church for the bastions. We spent Holy Week, thanking God, without experiencing any particular fears; although recently enemies have been incessantly and with particular fury seething behind the ship’s settlement, fears from there almost do not reach the city. While listening to the Passion of Christ, the calm of the worshipers was more disturbed by the flashing fire in the windows than by the sounds of gunfire, to which they had long been accustomed; The officers left the church from time to time, listening to see if the alarm was sounding. Like on the holiday of Rozh. Christ, and now, we did not perform the usual praising of Christ throughout the city. For here’s who to go to: two or three merchants, and even those went to see their families in Simferopol for the holiday. However, they were with the Metropolitan; I intended to be with the governor, Nakhimov and Saken, but having learned that they received holiday visits at four o’clock as soon as they returned from the liturgy, I could not disturb them at 9 o’clock. I visited the wounded and also the sisters in their apartment with church singing, and then returned home. Until now the weather had been good. At night and now, under the noise of guns, the frequent rain is noisy. If our troops make any move, the path will be extremely tedious and slippery. It was time for mass, but the thunder of the bombing had not yet ceased for a minute. If I find out anything after mass and have time for today’s mail, I’ll send it to the post office another time. What will be known by evening, I will certainly write tomorrow, if I am alive. I go to prayer under fear... Did God really not have better prayer books, so that I, a sinner, had to offer public prayer in such a place and at such a time? Oh, pray for us! You, no doubt, are praying even at this hour, but you do not yet know. In order not to do something indecent to the holiday on a holiday, the crafty Anglo-French yesterday put the Turks in the trenches in their place, who, being glad of the opportunity and honor, were inordinately furious with rifle fire, even volleys. March 28, 1855, Sevastopol. Thank God, Sevastopol withstood and happily repelled yesterday's bombardment, which lasted until late at night. At night, the enemies threw bombs from mortars, which could not be used during the day due to rain. Until the evening, up to 200 people arrived at the first dressing station. and one woman. At another point, in the ship's quarters, there were probably fewer wounded, because on that side the fire was weaker, and since midday the enemies there had been almost silent. The danger of the enemies can be judged by their batteries, hidden in many places; some of them fell silent early. Other results and the purpose of yesterday's actions are still unknown, at least to us, private individuals. Today, from 5 o'clock, the same thunder was heard throughout the entire defensive line, on which we have up to 500 guns. I have just returned from the dressing station; already before 7 o'clock quite a few wounded were received. Walking from there and looking at the sea, I noticed with horror that the enemies were bringing their ships and steamers. Will they bombard us from the sea today, which they did not dare to do after October 5th? God forbid! “But the furnaces for heating the cores on our batteries were smoking. Cloudy, foggy and windless: the horror from the smoke and darkness will be extreme. Will the enemies attack now? Everyone’s desire for the end of the painful war is such that they are ready to accept the assault with joy. And the sooner it would be better. Yesterday, a naval officer told me a remarkable rumor regarding this, which has been circulating among sailors and soldiers for a week. While crossing the bay from Severnaya in the city, an old man with a large beard and in a monastic dress got on a boat filled with various lower ranks. The soldiers had their own speech, about their current affairs, in which the unknown elder intervened, encouraging them in the sacred battle with heavenly help, with which they would defeat the enemies on the third day of Easter, and before they landed on the shore, he became invisible. On the same day, according to the stories, the same old man crossed from the ship to Severnaya, also encouraged the soldiers sailing with him, and also, before reaching the pier, he became invisible. Then they noticed him as if walking along the mountain on Severnaya, they ran to him, but he also disappeared invisibly. I asked the officer to find at least one eyewitness, but today is the third day and by the evening the rumor should turn out to be true or false. Your message from February 28. about the death of the Sovereign Emperor and the consistory decree of March 2 on the same subject and on the oath to the new Emperor, I received only on March 22; We had not received mail for more than three weeks at that time. I already wrote that we swore allegiance to the new Emperor on March 1 and how it happened; I will present the sheet about the oath of the clergy to my subordinate upon receipt of it from Bakhchisarai, where I sent the sheet and the order that the Lak clergy should appear to take the oath in Bakhchisarai to Archpriest. Spirandi. I offer my deepest gratitude to your honor for the analysis of theology you sent to Rev. Macaria. I was all the more glad to understand this theology by your highly learned court, since the venerable author of theology was known to me while still a student at the Kyiv Theological Academy, he lived with me for two years in the same room and was a companion to me, a junior student at that time. Even then he was far different from all his comrades, which now led him far ahead not only of his comrades, but also of his elders. O. I sent artos to Gerontius and his brethren for the holiday of Easter (three days before); Easter and red eggs. French the parliamentarian told ours that your bishop (as he calls Father Gerontius) enjoys the great favor of General Canrobert, who invites him to his place and visits him. 9 ½ o'clock in the morning. The firing, gradually becoming less and less frequent, now seemed to no longer resemble a bombardment. No firing was heard from the sea. It's raining. Have your plans changed? For now, I am writing only something that can be seen and heard. What I find out, I will add. It was impossible to hold out in Inkerman any longer; the novice was expelled, the church was locked, the property was sent to the monastery long ago. I will present the required reports on the Kherson and Inkerman cinnovia. Hieromonk Nikandr, the former confessor of the Grand Dukes, was sent a gold cross, decorated with diamonds, on a gold chain, it seems, not as a sign of distinction, but as a royal gift, for they did not thank him for his work with money. On the cross itself, small diamonds make up a small cross. I don’t know the contents of the paper with which it was sent to headquarters. March 29, 1855, Sevastopol. The bombing continues for the fifth day and seems to be intensifying as the days go by. What will follow is still unknown. Yesterday Saken came to the Metropolitan to take a blessing and said nothing about his intention, at least on our part. The captured French show that Napoleon is not yet there. The Frenchman who defected claims that they are expecting him soon, which is why the ships were pulled out to sea in order to be painted before his arrival, and not for bombing, as we assumed. If Napoleon comes, he will certainly send for an assault, but the troops seem to not want to hear about it and are extremely dissatisfied with their emperor. A significant part of our troops have arrived and are deployed. We don’t know anything about the action plan. The artillery settlement has now undergone great destruction, but the bastions and batteries stand and operate in full force. It’s a pity for our sailors, many of them are leaving and there is no one to replace them. Doctors and nurses do not sleep day or night. A painful sight in the dwellings of tears, groans and death. The spiritual requirements of the spiritual are fulfilled with exemplary diligence and accuracy. Everything assigned is fulfilled by everyone. The worship service in my church is going on unfailingly; but the church became completely empty from the 2nd day of the holiday. Yesterday one cannonball landed on my doorstep. March 31, 1855, Sevastopol. We all expected that after the bombing there would be some kind of end, because it was time, and therefore it was natural to expect this end. That's why I missed one mail because I was hoping to write final and pleasant news. Meanwhile, we are again in the same position; not a step back, but not a step forward either. The bombardment itself lasted 7 or 8 days, counting from the 2nd day of the holiday; the actions of the enemies on other days are already below this terrible word. In our garrison, at least 5,000 were killed and wounded (there were 300 and 400 wounded people per day). The damage was minor and was getting better overnight. There were gunpowder explosions on the 5th and 6th bastions, but they were minor and without important consequences. On the night of the 4th, the enemies blew up 4 of their own mines against the 4th bastion, which, however, did not cause any harm. The people who were in our wells were crushed by the earth, and 60 people were injured by stones. But the enemies did not gain anything from this explosion; when they rushed to the craters, they were met with such grapeshot fire that the enemy’s loss is considered much greater than ours. Then in the same place they managed to place tours and two guns. Last night a sortie was made, the battery was swept away, and the trench was filled with enemy corpses. A sailor who was in this business, talking about success, was annoyed with the authorities, who were soon calling the lights out; the person has just warmed up, and then they hit him back. On the 4th they also blew up the enemy's cellar in their battery, which is opposite the new Kamchatka redoubt. During the bombing there were many accidents with women and children. From one house they brought a mother half dead, two boys burned, a child killed, and only the daughter, nailed to death with stones, could tell about the misfortune of this poor family. It’s a pity to look at an old woman of 60 years old whose leg is taken away, but it’s even more painful to look at a wounded infant who is still living and who has nothing to help - his mother was killed. Yesterday I witnessed this scene. It should be surprising how sometimes death seeks its victim. The bomb pierces the roof and ceiling of the Alexander Barracks, where the hospital was located, without harming the patients, and leaving the next two floors of the building, flies out the window, falling on a stone, and, having made a ricochet, flies into the basement window of the same building, and there it finds an unfortunate mother, whom she deprives of her entire family, which consisted of three small children. The hospital caretaker told me about this incident with tears in his eyes. Another day there, a sister was shell-shocked, and the doctor’s arm was torn off. Now the 3rd dressing station and the patients of that building have been transferred to the marine stores in Dock Bay. The enemy fleet did not take part in the bombardment. Sometimes at night the steamer would approach the shore to fire one or two salvos and then run away. There are no omissions from the spiritual side at dressing stations and hospitals; on the contrary, monks and Balti people even compete with each other in this service. Hieromonk Joseph Khmelnitsky, who arrived in Sevastopol for the second time, by order of the adm. Nakhimov, assigned to the ship “Brave”, replacing German, who is in the Mikhailovskaya battery and with the sick there. The sisters stopped getting sick and everyone is now at work. With the arrival of the 4th squad, their number is sufficient. Among them there are several Catholic women who somehow look askance at the Orthodox priest and seem to be zealous for the sick. German women are wonderful sisters. For some reason the community did not like the Athonite monk who arrived with them, Benjamin. According to the senior doctor at the Tarasov community, who is authorized by Her Highness to make all orders for the community, Hierarch. will bring more disagreement among sisters than peace and love. So that he would have less influence on them, Pirogov assigned him permanently to the wards of the most difficult patients, where they were forced to move to live. Instead, they recommend it to Her Highness, about which April 5. Doctor Tarasov sent a report. princess. When they asked for my consent, I could refuse all the less because your kindness had already graciously indicated this service, although hitherto I had only undergone it during the separation of the community. The hieromonk does not know anything about this yet. He is a kind person, but, they say, he comes from a soldier, and therefore does not have many qualities for serving in the society of educated people. Moreover, she looks at things in the Athonite way - this is already too much for the community, which is familiar with monasticism. April 7, 1855, Sevastopol. Вот и еще письмо от архим. Gerontia. It seems to have been lying around at headquarters on the occasion of the celebratory bombing. It contains information about the priest Kadykovsky, who disappeared without a trace. Until now there has been no assault, and there is no special fire. The last two nights have been too peaceful. Говорят, что кн. Gorchakov wrote to his brother, the commander-in-chief, from Vienna and asked him to quickly please him with the good news necessary for the better progress of the negotiations. We don’t know whether he will fulfill this request and how soon. We think that we will not be the first to emerge from a defensive position. Another cannonball hit the church; Having hit the cornice, it bounced off, leaving only an ulcer on it. Today information has reached me in secret that your idea of ​​awarding me and my comrade with crosses during Holy Week was in Sevastopol and, according to the testimony of Prince. Gorchakov, again went as intended, without any change in it. This, they say, is because the awards that were so graciously awarded to us are subject to the judgment of the highest authorities; and this form is like that. arr. complied with. In this course of affairs, we see a new mercy of God towards us: for if it had come to the book. Menshikov, then, together with the idea of ​​​​the entire military clergy and doctors, would remain motionless in his office. He said about clergy and doctors: may the Lord reward them. Recently I happened to learn his opinion about Saken. Leaving Crimea and blaming the reason for his small successes on the mediocrity of the generals around him. He said: “and Erofeich (Dmitry Erofeich) did not help me.” The petition to the Holy Synod in Sevastopol was signed and sent to Bakhchisarai so that immediately, after signing, Fr. Rodionov. ABOUT. I sent abbot Nicholas all the papers necessary to eradicate disorder in the Bakhchisarai Cathedral and introduce order there, which will always be questionable under Fr. Spirandi. April 11, 1855, Sevastopol. From my last letter to the 20th of April. Nothing remarkable happened in Sevastopol or near it, although quite a few wounded from the batteries and bastions arrived at the dressing stations. The theater of war or increased enemy actions is again at the 4th and 5th bastions, i.e. on the monastery road. Here we are protected only because of the battery; The enemy trenches are 10 fathoms away, but even that distance is not visible to the eye. On the night of April 20, the French took the last trench from us at the 5th bastion. They attacked in numbers incomparably larger than our cover. However, our failure is simply attributed to the cowardice of the Uglitsky regiment. The loss of killed and wounded was up to 1000 people. Recently, many officers have fallen. 22 апреля погребали их вместе 8 человек, принятых 21 числа при уборке тел из француз. trenches. Случайно я был свидетелем – на весьма близком расстоянии – этого печального зрелища; французы сами выносили наши тела на половину того расстояния, какое еще находится между нами и врагами. Here stood two of our officers, who were in charge of their porters. There were a lot of spectators from the enemy side. По торчавшим из рвов красным головам можно было судить о близости к нам врагов и ужасаться этой близости. There is no doubt that the assault will follow here and very soon. One can conclude this from this; that our garrison has been reinforced with new regiments. Walking along any street is like walking through a camp; everything is filled with soldiers. The Vienna conferences do not have the slightest influence on our affairs. It was noticed that 21 a significant part of the landing party was taken to Kherson on ships and sent to Yevpatoria. 8 of our battalions from the Northern side were sent there to reinforce our troops. Admiral Nakhimov, on the occasion of his promotion to this rank, ordered the fleet to thank the family of sailors with the knowledge that he had received undeserved royal favor for the valor of his comrades. Verbally, he expressed that in the event of an enemy invasion of the city, he should be the first to fall while defending it. This is how he understands the glory that the Black Sea people have recently acquired, and would not like to relive it. What should we do, if the Lord would allow us to subject us to such a visit, even temporarily. I think that we should not leave the church until we are recalled from it by the authorities or driven out by the enemy. So, at least, I understand the duty of a priest and the holiness of the church of God, and I am ready to do so in the hope of God’s mercy. My brother, a law teacher at the gymnasium in Bila Tserkva, writes that the manifesto on the people’s militia caused great unrest in the Kyiv province; the peasants, burdened by the yoke of the Polish landowners, are glad of the opportunity and no longer want to know their landowners. Everyone wants to serve God and the Tsar and be free Cossacks. Malicious people convinced the ignorant that this was precisely the meaning of the manifesto, and that the priests also had a decree “not to give the landowners the lordship.” Demanding such decrees from them, forcing them to write requests and addresses, parishioners in villages often subjected the priests to grave insults and violence. They were especially hurried by the rumor that after Maundy Thursday it was too late to enroll as free Cossacks. Brother from Vel. Saturday did not return home, and was constantly on the road with officials from the Governor General. The excitement at the Branicki estate was calmed; in one place only, out of necessity, the force of arms was used: 30 peasants were killed and 30 were wounded. Now they also rose up on the prince’s estate. Lopukhin in the Korsun district. The prince himself went there. Vasilchikov. A sad phenomenon. April 22, 1856, Sevastopol. The unpleasant thing for us that happened on the night of April 20 was soon smoothed over by our success: April 23. we blew up 2 powder magazines from the enemy, and on the night of the 24th another magazine there in front of the 4th bastion. On the same night, from the 3rd bastion it was made of 100 people. The hunters had a successful foray, the purpose of which was to actually get the tongue in order to find out where the fleet with the landing party went. One officer and 6 privates were captured; but it seems they learned nothing from them. There are different assumptions: some say that the enemies went from Yevpatoria to Odessa. From Yalta they let us know that they had noticed their direction to Anapa. They also think that maybe. this is nothing more than one kind of sabotage to force us to entertain our forces. 23 Apr there was a military council, at which, they say, only adm. Nakhimov and General. Khrulev hotly said that it was time to act offensively. However, what was decided is unknown. All orders have been made to repel the assault, for it can now be expected from hour to hour. Case for April 20. too reprehensible for us and made an unpleasant impression on everyone. We have 7 mortars and 2 guns in the trench taken by the enemies. The Uglitsky regiment, which was then in the trench and as cover, simply fled shamefully! This case was an opportunity for the head of the right flank of the defensive line, Vice Admiral Novosilsky, the head of the 4th bastion, Captain 1st Rank Kutrov, and several other naval officers to call in sick and leave their places. Sailors, almost 8 months. defending Sevastopol with their breasts, they cannot speak without indignation about the inaction of the army and some kind of cold indifference of its generals. Finally, there is almost no fleet; both sailors and officers were transferred. Only 36 people remained from the crew. Saken visited the sick Novosilsky yesterday and whether he convinced him to be healthy is unknown. To whom Sevastopol is not native, he will not understand the sailor’s illness; Meanwhile, everyone talks about sailors with reverence, and mourns that there are so few of them. Nakhimov now finds it difficult to find his own patients, about whom he cared more than his father: they have become rare at dressing stations and in hospitals. There are many wonderful sides to this admiral, among other things, the memory of the deceased sailors. This month I served three memorial services for him: on the 5th according to Kornilov, on the 11th according to Lazarev and on the 15th according to Istomin, on the occasion of 40 days from the death of this latter. He does not forget the days of their death. “Our family is very small now,” he told me at the grave, “and it’s inconvenient to gather here now, but we must fulfill St. our duty." The Vladimir Church will now be, as it were, on the tombs of the martyrs. Two admirals fell for the faith, and the third had a painful death, if the deceased looked at his suffering as he should. Yesterday I read the following in a letter from Stanyukovich from Nikolaev to his son-in-law: “Prince. Menshikov, on the occasion of Nakhimov’s promotion to admiral, said: “He was made useless. His job was to straighten the ships, pull the ropes, wet the rigging and quarrel with everyone.” It seems that the admiral general understands Nakhimov better than the former naval minister. Two community sisters went to St. Petersburg due to illness. One of them, due to nervous sensitivity, could not bear first the cannon shots, and then the groans of the patients. The other one, too, because of such sensitivity, could not bear the boss’s stern remark. It’s true to say that M. Stakhovich has more methods of a tough company commander than bosses of noble women who are aware of their personal merits. She restricts the freedom of the sisters to the point that she forbids them to go to church, even if the sister had the leisure to do so. Why exhibit there? You can also pray at home. That's what she thinks, and she's very stubborn to listen to anyone's advice. The sisters are not entirely happy with her and, thank God, they carry out their service diligently, revealing their feelings only to someone through whom they cannot be made public. I try to tell them what is for the common good, for which a little can be forgotten. The children of my friend Fr. Demyanovich was accepted into the Voronezh Cadet Corps so that the eldest son would be introduced now, when he is 9 1/2 years old. 25 Apr 1855, Sevastopol. 26 Apr hastily cleared all the places in the city where they were located from the wounded and sick. One could guess, as they said, that they were preparing places for the wounded from the great battle that was about to take place. (Patients from the city were sent to tents in Severnaya, from where they were sent further). Meanwhile, the 27th passed more quietly than usual. At night it began to rain, which continued to fall during the day: therefore silence reigned around us from the enemies. Ночью на 29-е апр. At 10 o'clock hot firing began at the 3rd bastion, but lasted only half an hour. From the gun lights (the area where this happened was completely visible from the church) one could judge that either the enemies attacked our lodgements, or ours wanted to visit the enemy trenches. I’m writing in the morning and haven’t heard any details about this yet. No doubt they cannot be important. Today it is raining again, starting before dawn. Usually in such weather there is silence on both sides. And if the rains had continued, we would have safely waited until the end of the Vienna conferences. At the military council we had on April 21, it was allegedly decided that it was more advantageous for us to remain in a defensive position. There is a rumor, I don’t know how, that reached Sevastopol, that Prussia is declaring war on France and asking Russia for an auxiliary corps. If this is true, then there is no doubt that, by God’s mania, new political clouds will gather and thunder will be opposed to thunder and thunder deflections. Doctor Pirogov, whose presence and tireless activity are extremely important for the Sevastopol hospitals, asked, due to illness, to go home, as well as those who arrived with him on his payroll. book Elena Pavlovna’s doctors asked for leave due to extreme exhaustion from the exorbitant 6-month work. Vel. Princess, expressing some image. agrees to Pirogov’s leave, and asks him to convince other doctors, as the best surgeons, to stay in Sevastopol. But Pirogov still has official permission, and without a doubt he will not leave. Sisters and confessors in hospitals do their job. The cemetery church appears intact and unopened. Since Easter, negotiations have been carried out at sea from boats, and there have been no opportunities to inspect them closely, as was convenient when negotiating on land. This change followed as a result of the enemy’s attempt to look into our ditches, which were lined with boards with nails on them. I don’t know anything new about the St. George Monastery, nor do I have a letter about receiving artos and Easter. Rev. The Metropolitan is living like an old man and, although cannonballs and missiles from the sea flew through his apartment (the enemies tried their shells from all sides in the city, and all in vain: the city is not burning), he sits at home motionless. It is not clear why the elder did not agree to your proposal to go to Odessa or Korsun, where he would have found shelter, peace and contentment. However, “the holy seed is the standing of every city,” and its rank and immaculate eldership themselves speak in favor of this standing. Your archipelago can do much more. prayer, like an angel of a flock surrounded by enemies. Do not deprive us of your archpastoral blessing. I have already submitted reports on the letters sent. I considered it necessary to return the letters themselves. April 29, 1855, Sevastopol. Remaining in the same hopeless situation, in the last days Sevastopol was delighted with the new success of its courageous and tireless defenders. Apr 29 At night, a small number of hunters made a successful foray from the 3rd bastion. They wanted to get only language for the commander-in-chief, capturing several people from the enemy’s advanced chain; but, due to the great darkness, not noticing this chain and not being noticed themselves, the hunters found themselves at the very trench and with a cry of hurray, scaring the British, they riveted several guns and presented five languages ​​- the living and healthy English. Apr 30 They blew up two enemy cellars: one at night, the other during the day. On the night of May 2, there was also a successful sortie from the 5th Bastion, which smoothed over the guilt of the Uglitsky regiment. Both of our trenches against the 5th Bastion, taken by the French on April 20, were hastily cleared of them and the tours were scattered, and the enemies here were again at their former, more respectful distance from us. Meanwhile, the enemy's siege work continues, although for a week there has been considerable silence. We also have large numbers of trucks and cars sent to the defensive line every day. The general rumor (so they say, and it was decided in the former military council) is that, despite the excellent number of our troops, we will be the first to emerge from a defensive position. On May 1, news spread (as if from a reliable source) that the French were going somewhere to open another theater of war, leaving the fortified points of Balaklava and Kamyshev Bay under the cover of the fleet. Три последних дня апреля был дождь и днем и ночью; From May 1 the days became clear; земля даже под ногами неприятелей зеленеет. At the Kiev-Vydubet Monastery, novice Vasily Reiza was suspected, as I later learned, for the following circumstance. He was admitted to the hospital on the North Side because of the war, from the retired staff, the staff doctor was a Pole. He filled glass jars with tobacco and instructed the novice to give them to some gypsy; this gypsy was detained by the Cossacks at the position of General Liprandi. In the jars under the tobacco there were drawings of our fortifications on paper. As a result, the headquarters doctor, novice and gypsy were arrested. They seem to be in Simferopol. Having later met the former Kherson novice Jovin in the city and learned that he was now left idle, on the same day I gave him a piece of paper and sent him to the monastery so that he too would not get stuck somewhere. Today rifle fire can be heard, and cannon shots are heard quite often. May 4, 1855, Sevastopol. Yesterday I just received money sent by order of your eminence to help the monasteries and clergy, which I found out about at the post office by chance, while sending money to the candle committee. The first announcement did not reach me. In my department, two priests remain without places: Komarsky, who hitherto served, for lack of a available priest, at the Bakhchisarai Cathedral, and Kachivsky Kuzmenko, who, by my order with the consent of the Malchum clergy, served in Biazaly during Pentecost and the Holy Day. Now there is no particular need for service in the assigned church, and the clergy and parishioners no longer agree to this. I suggested that they ask for revenge on themselves if there are idle ones. The Kachin church could soon be put in order, even now, if there were residents in the ruined gardens, but Komarskaya does not exist, like the village itself. In recent days, nothing remarkable has happened to us, except for the enemy exploding two mines against the 4th bastion, which did not suffer any harm from it. Last night we laid the foundations opposite the cemetery and last night we finished them (the church appears intact, but the fence is destroyed in many places). On the last night, therefore, there was heavy fire and many bombs were thrown. One in the church garden went so deep into the ground that it was impossible to get to the bottom, another in a neighbor’s house opposite the bell tower wounded a man not with herself, but with the glass of the windows. In the enemy fleet, which is like a forest in the Kherson bays, there is a lot of movement constantly. Yesterday 23 ships were moving. In the camp, you can hear cholera and the general displeasure of the Zouaves, who often run around in groups. There are already Piedmontese fugitives. Our days are very hot. Therefore, during the day the enemies are silent; On our part, firing occurs only in response to the enemy. There was a rumor that at Evpatoria the Turks were painfully defeated in front of us; but it seems that this is not true; the authorities would not remain silent about this. The arrival of Napoleon is not yet noticeable from the camp. Teachings are constantly visible there. Peace will be difficult in the Krestovozdvizhenskaya community as long as the boss acts like this: her actions are not in the spirit of love. I wanted to move some sisters to Bakhchisarai. They did not agree, seeing it as an insult to themselves. She hastened to report the disobedience when they obeyed the very next day. General Shirman, through whose hands he goes to the leader. The entire correspondence with the princess does not bring anything too unpleasant to the ears of Her Highness, but it seems that she herself does not approve of Stakhovich’s tone. May 11, 1855, Sevastopol. On the night of May 10-11, a lot of blood was shed under the Sevastopol cemetery. On the 11th, I wrote to your eminence in the morning, not yet having information either about the case itself or about the loss that was involved in it. However, it is not easy to collect them suddenly after a case: there are so many contradictory, pleasant and unpleasant stories that it is impossible to form an idea about the case from them. The last thing was this: on the night of May 10, we opened work to connect the supports for which the cemetery wall served with our 5th bastion, and from the corner of the cemetery fence to draw a line of the support on Quarantine Bay, and, without much loss, we almost completed this work. On the night of May 11, the enemy attacked this line in much greater numbers than we had deployed to repel the attack that we expected. According to the prisoner, there were 18,000 of them, including 3,000 guardsmen. Part of the cavalry was also used. Our lodgements changed hands three times during the night, and finally, the line from the cemetery to the bay remained with the enemies. Adding to the significant number of casualties was the death of Brigadier General, Count Adlerberg. At the dressing station the sight was one of the most terrible. Although they demanded doctors from other points, there were still not enough hands. Many of the sufferers had to wait all day for surgery. Having heard that at noon the peace flag would be raised to remove the bodies, I went to the 6th bastion in order to see the cemetery church and Chersonesus in its present form. The flag, however, was raised only at 6 o’clock, and the French did not answer it, and therefore the bodies were not removed that day. However, taking advantage of the former silence at noon, I managed to look at the battle site from the 6th bastion. Despite the fact that in the morning, 2 of our boats and 1 French boat of ours were sent to Severnaya at night, many more lay here along the line of the lodgements. I was shown two bodies in the middle of the distance: the sufferers tried to crawl towards us, and gave up the ghost. Several more people were seen alive, two were in a sitting position, others could only be recognized by some movements and raising their heads, which they turned to their own, waiting for help. The shot fired at the bastion forced me to hastily leave the dangerous place. On May 12, that is, the next day, having noticed at 10 o’clock the peace flag on the same bastion, I again hurried there with a pipe. The people and stretchers for the bodies were ready, but the enemies did not raise their flag, although, however, they did not shoot and even disappeared. Therefore, it was safe for us to watch. Since the last night, in which we also suffered misfortune, the number of corpses has increased. The cemetery wall on the city side, which was together with our lodgment, also remained in the hands of the enemies, who that same night managed to connect it with their trench running in the direction of the mountain separating the cemetery from the city. Thus, the cemetery is now in the hands of the enemy. They say that the book Gorchakov, due to the large loss of people last night, will not allow more than two battalions to be deployed that night, which, of necessity, yielded to the numerous enemy, losing 4 wounded officers. Today at 1 o'clock there was general agreement to remove the bodies. The French came out to this sad spectacle very dressed up. However, at noon they had fireworks from the ships: were they celebrating? They immediately made sure that Pelissier, who had lost his arm in Algeria, had taken Canrobert’s place. We received 500 bodies; the number of French bodies is believed to be 1500; Between these last was the body of one colonel, over whom his brother wept like a woman. The wounds of our killed were mostly from bullets and bayonets; the enemy’s bodies were most disfigured by grapeshot and cannonballs from our batteries. In this case, I send the church watchman to inspect the cemetery church, giving him in a few lines, with a seal attached, the form with which I ask, on whom it will depend, to allow him to do this. Our staff officer did not refuse to offer a truce to the French representative about this, but he did not agree to let him through even with his escort, declaring that this was contrary to the laws, and assuring that the church was intact and would be inviolable. True, from the 6th bastion we can see it all and really intact, only without the cross, which was probably knocked down, even the wooden crosses on the graves are intact, and the tall grass throughout the cemetery indicates that there has never been an enemy foot there before. The enemies captured the last line, bypassing the cemetery. Its gate and gate are locked, however, the wall in the upper part has been removed. But if on this line, as should be expected, the enemies place guns, to which we will need to respond, then the cemetery church will not survive, just as the Chersonesos church did not survive, first devastated by the French, and then, when they began to shoot from it, by our shots. In Chersonesus there is nothing of the former buildings except stones; even the gate does not exist. The limestone stove was smashed, no doubt, by our shots, for from it along this entire ancient rampart or embankment there are 9 embrasures of the enemy battery. Another mortar battery is located behind the embankment itself. From the quarantine buildings and the settlement of this name, only piles of stone are visible. Upon proper notification, the entire loss of ours at the cemetery is: lower ranks - 700 killed, 1860 wounded, a total of 2560 people, officers 11 killed and 66 wounded and one general killed. God knows what we can expect after such losses in an apparently insignificant matter. The horrors of the assault are closer and closer to us. The only hope for salvation from them is in God. May 13, 1855, Sevastopol After the incident at the cemetery, which I already wrote to your Highness, nothing special has happened in the situation of Sevastopol until now (May 19). The enemies continue their siege work at night, because at night only the fire of the enemy and ours now disturbs the peace of the city. The heat of the day had a significant effect on cooling the warlike heat. The number of cholera patients in our country is increasing: cholera wards already exist. However, there are no big fears here yet. Following the failure at the cemetery, we heard about our retreat to Chorgun before the enemy attacked on the 12th. They say that this was done by the book. Gorchakov with the intention: to divert the enemy from the fortified camp, and force him to fight. The main apartment is ours, so we moved from Northern to the Mikkenzia farm. A hospital for 2000 people is being set up on Duvanka. Therefore, the opening of hostilities should be expected here somewhere - between Bakhchisarai and Sevastopol, since the enemies are directing their forces more around Sevastopol than towards Sevastopol itself. The rumor about the enemy's occupation of Kerch made an alarming impression on us. However, despondency is not noticeable in anything. On the contrary, and this is explained by some special consideration of our commander-in-chief. They say that it is more profitable for us to attract all the forces of the warring West to Crimea than to wage war with them on our western border. I distributed the instruction to the sisters of the Exaltation of the Cross community, spoken by your eminence in Odessa and sent for distribution to the sisters here, so that at each point of their stay there was a copy of it. They accepted it with unfeigned sincere gratitude to the mentor-archpastor for touching edification. I consider it my duty to bring to the attention of your eminence that this community, approximately friendly in the pursuit of the goal indicated to it, was subjected to the temptation of disagreement within itself. The division of the community into departments and the separate stay of these small detachments of sisters confirmed in the heads of the departments, who are nothing more than assistants to the main boss, the idea of ​​​​their independence. When the main boss, according to the authority given to her, began to be in charge of the departments themselves, and, unfortunately, did not know how to hide the feeling of autocracy that prevailed in her, then these assistants preferred to resign from the title of department heads rather than see Stakhovich’s orders over the sisters, entrusted to their supervision from the. княгини. This was their delusion and was revealed from the latest orders of Her Highness, since they destroyed the very name of the departments. Meanwhile, the sisters of the former departments of the 2nd and 3rd, remaining of the same mind with their superiors, began to refuse Stakhovich’s orders or submit with displeasure. Three even decided to leave the community. Vel already knows all this. princess, but, on the occasion of Pirogov’s departure, entrusting the care of the Holy Cross community to Count Saken, she hopes that the spirit of obedience and love, under his influence, will soon re-establish itself in it. Her Highness deigned to express the same hope to me in a letter from Chamberlain Khrushchev, which informed me of my appointment as confessor to the community. I present to your honor a copy of this letter. For this reason, Hieromonk Benjamin was given the opportunity to perform only divine services and Christian needs in the community. May 19, 1855, Sevastopol. Despite the enemy’s occupation of Kerch and their voyage across the Sea of ​​Azov, we are confident that our affairs are not yet in a bad situation, and will soon take a wonderful turn. On May 21 I was told about the news brought by the adjutant of General Leaders; England seems to be asking Prussia for mediation for reconciliation with Russia. As a result, Prussia and the German Confederation advised Austria to remain strictly neutral, threatening that otherwise it would enter Austria with its troops. Therefore, we have the perfect opportunity to detach from the western border and from the Danube to the Crimea as many troops as are needed to prevail over the enemies, all of whose forces have now been attracted to the Crimea. These troops are already rushing here and will be there by June 5 or 8. Then decisive action will inevitably begin on our part. If the enemies do not open a third bombardment by that time, it will be opened from our side. A lot of fascines have been prepared so that by filling the trenches with them, artillery can be fired. However, one can already hear displeasure at the actions of the new commander-in-chief: even at his headquarters they are dissatisfied with his inaction, saying: “Prince. Menshikov, at least did something.” Yesterday we talked about the book. Menshikov that he was appointed Minister of War instead of Prince. Dalyurdnova (?). This important change is explained by the following. circumstance: book. Menshikov, leaving Crimea, said the following. words: “I know that the ensigns will condemn me, but history and posterity will justify me.” Thanks to the heat, which, however, is very difficult for the wounded patients, during the day we enjoy complete silence, but at night there is no peace or safety anywhere. On the last night, one bomb fragment broke the all-seeing eye on the pediment on the eastern side of the church, and the pediment itself was damaged; another fragment pierced the stone vault in the altar, precisely between the throne and the royal doors, and then broke the icon on the wall of the altar, two fragments reached my apartment, but into the wall, although it was close to the windows; two more loosened the soil in the garden. Each time I am more convinced of God’s guardianship, and as long as it remains over the church of God, I will not dare to leave it or my apartment. I wrote to the Committee and asked for candles, but now I don’t know whether it will be safe to have them in Sevastopol. Wouldn't it be better to leave it in Simferopol? Actually, my church will still have enough candles for two or even three months. In case of great damage to the church or some misfortune in it, maybe. they will prohibit you from serving: then what kind of sale will it be... On May 21, one sister died of cholera. This disease is increasing. May 24, 1855, Sevastopol. On May 25, at 3 p.m., in Sevastopol, the enemies opened a third bombardment, however, not along the entire defensive line, but only from Inkerman to the southern bay with the 3rd bastion inclusive. This circumstance forced us to assume a special target in the enemy this time. The fire in this area is still terrible and has not stopped since May 25th. But the enemy's target was revealed yesterday. Knowing that our cover increases at night, and assuming that with such fire we would not keep people on the bastions and redoubts, they were not mistaken in that, and at 6 o’clock in the evening, when it was still completely light, they rushed to the Selenginsky, Volynsky and Kamchatsky redoubts and took possession of them before they got there from the covering city. The redoubts were first taken away, but then, as it became known in the morning, they remained behind the enemies. They say that they will be taken back today. It seems that our management is unforgivably to blame here. At least that's what rumor already says. When it was time to act, some of the batteries suddenly lacked gunpowder and shells. The brave Nakhimov was almost captured, but I don’t know the details about this. It's all still dark. God grant that it brightens. The church and the house are under fire during these two days, or better yet, 24 hours. The garden was damaged, and all the windows in the house were already broken. Because of the explosion of a bomb in the garden, the door in my room was opened, having been locked, which was torn off by an impetus; However, we serve in church. Today there is a strong south-east wind: the dust makes it impossible to see the light. I heard one pious remark about the last bombing. Since it began on May 25 - the day of the third discovery of the head of John the Baptist, and there was no fourth discovery, it is believed that the third bombardment will certainly be the last. But the last one might. worse than the first in terms of consequences. The mercy of God and your prayers will protect us. I wrote to Your Eminence about the matter on May 26, that it is still dark, although sad. This is what it actually is, when it came to reliable knowledge in the following details: The enemies took three redoubts from us: Volynsky, Selenginsky and Kamchatsky. When our reserves arrived from the city, the redoubts were returned, Volynsky and Selenginsky by General Khrulev, and Kamchatsky personally by Admiral Nakhimov, who, due to ignorance of land affairs, was almost captured here, but was rescued and carried out in the arms of the sailors. While Nakhimov and Khrulev on the Kornilov Bastion boasted to each other (they are former friends) about their success, they were told that the enemies again rushed to the redoubts, which this time remained behind us. But when for the third time at night the enemies again took possession of them, it was ordered to leave them for now in the hands of the enemies. In the morning in the council, to which the prince arrived from Inkerman. Gorchakov was supposed to be taken away at 2 p.m., but nothing was done until the evening. The commander-in-chief, being of the opinion that the enemies, after such success, should storm this part of the city, gathered 30,000 garrison in the Ship Settlement and preferred to wait for their attack, which, since it did not follow, on May 28, a truce was proposed from our side to remove the bodies. On this occasion, the bombardment, which had not ceased since May 25, day or night, stopped. A truce time was set at 2 o'clock, but the bodies could not be removed even at 4 o'clock. Despite the fact that the real battlefields remained with the enemies, who could therefore remove their bodies at night, we handed over 3,000 bodies from our position. They took 1,500 bodies from them, up to 700 bodies were removed from us, the total of our losses was 2,200 killed, 2,300 wounded, up to 500 people were captured and 15 officers, the entire loss can be estimated at 5,000. Judging by the number of enemy bodies raised at our position alone, and counting against him the number of wounded, which is always greater than the number of killed, the loss of the enemy should be twice as large ours. And therefore they do not think that this matter, no matter how brilliant it apparently should be for the enemies (the guns of the three redoubts and the shells remained in their hands, not to mention the importance of the occupied points), could give them a lot of courage. On the contrary, it should frighten them regarding the proposed assault. We also caught up to 200 prisoners. But whatever the impression of the enemies, our own is very painful. Everyone says with one voice that there is only hope in God. Condemning the current leaders, they began to remember with regret about the prince. Menshikov, for whom things were going comparatively better. Indeed, we have facts that are quite worth the Rebun commission. Eg. in the last case: the city did not first learn about the threatening danger, when those in danger themselves made it known: they sounded the alarm, and for a long, long time no one gathered at the sound of the drums; finally the battalions have assembled and are wandering the streets, asking those who approach them where exactly reinforcements are needed; the soldiers arrive at the scene with empty bags and had to take the bags from the dead and wounded; on the northern batteries, which could primarily harm the enemy, no shells suddenly appear during the bombardment of the city, and, moreover, during the day, when everyone is awake. The bombing, which stopped for 4 hours to remove the bodies, then immediately resumed and only died down on the morning of May 30th. There is almost no room for the fleet now. It is located near Bona between the Nikolaevskaya and Mikhailovskaya batteries. The hospital and nurses will be transferred to Duvanka. In Sevastopol there will only be a dressing station left and that one is on Severnaya. Those who can, get out of the city: stagecoaches suddenly rose from 8 rubles. above 20 rub. only to Simferopol. The Metropolitan had to go there yesterday. During the last bombardment there was no longer a place to guard, but apparently only God, in whom all hope now rests. In my apartment or church building, not a single window survived the bombs, which only hit the house and church. I put valuable things from both my church, the cemetery and Kherson into boxes to send to Simferopol. I will also send the money sent from the consistory there. They promise offensive action when three more divisions arrive, of which only one is in place. But what if the enemies warn you? Do not leave your archpastoral blessing, which you have not received for a long time, although at the last hour. May 31, 1855, Sevastopol. And for us, ask Him for salvation. It’s bad, very bad for us. In recent days, our confidence in the invincibility of Sevastopol has wavered. On May 25, the enemy opened the third hellish bombardment; on the 26th, at about 6 o’clock in the evening, he rushed to our Volynsky, Selenginsky and Kamchatsky redoubts and occupied them: for there was almost no one at the redoubts, except for the artillery servants; the cover was hidden from the bombs in the city and arrived late to help. Our loss in killed and wounded was at least 5,000; the enemy had up to 100 guns and up to 1,000 charges left. 15 officers and two companies of soldiers were captured. The reason for this, as everyone says, is our extreme oversight and lack of management. It's been quieter this morning. But this silence will not return the former spirit to the troops and us. I see in our misfortune God’s permission, which, when it is necessary to punish, takes away the minds of the bosses. Everyone now cares about his own safety, which no longer exists in that part of the city that was hitherto considered a refuge. The Metropolitan leaves for Simferopol today. The hospital and nurses are transferred to Duvanka. In Sevastopol there will be only a dressing station on the Northern - in the Mikhailovskaya battery. There is almost no room for our fleet. I don’t have a single window in my house anymore: only there hasn’t been a bomb in the house itself, and literally everything around it has been knocked down. A bomb fragment pierced the altar between the throne and the royal doors. There is nowhere to hide, and every minute you are afraid for your life, which if you would like to save, then only for the family 52, which.... My God, what fate awaits him, with the pitiful means of spiritual care? I think I’ll quickly confess my sins and, surrendering to the will of God, await the assault. Today it’s quieter, maybe, it’s the Lord who gives these minutes for repentance. Sorry. If I don’t find the right hand, then tomorrow by mail I will send you the money sent from the consistory to help the monasteries and the clergy, because I’m afraid to keep it with me. May 30, 1855, Sevastopol. Да благословит Господь и в обратном пути входы и исходы ваши! Just as your visit was unexpected for everyone in Sevastopol 53 and therefore even more joyful, your departure was so unexpected for me and therefore regrettable. Я даже не успел принять вашего благословения при отбытии вашем из Севастополя. It was natural for me to expect that Your Eminence would ask me about the assignment of a housekeeper, about which it was easier for me to answer now verbally than on paper. I did not see your Eminence having the leisure to present himself to you with his service and omissions regarding it. Even if you did not find anything here except my guilt and irresponsibility, then even in this case it would be easier for me to hear your judgment, which is always righteous, rather than remain bound by bewilderment, fear, and anguish, no matter how long I wait for this. Not by my own will, but by yours, always sacred to me, I found myself in Sevastopol, where circumstances overtook me that were beyond my strength. My gracious archpastor and father! Show me at least a small sign that I can hope for the continuation of your mercies towards me. For this, your blessing alone will be enough for me, which I did not have the good fortune to receive when you left Sevastopol. June 24, 1855, Sevastopol. To my great regret, I received your consoling blessing and permission to come to Simferopol only on July 6th. To explain this slowness at the post office, I was told that mail expected on Saturday was received on Tuesday evening. Despite this, I immediately got ready to set off, assuming that, perhaps, you would also visit Karasubazar and Feodosia, and therefore hoping to meet you in Simferopol. But in Bakhchisarai from Fr. Archimandrite learned that I would look for you there in vain. I return the travel document with deepest gratitude. Nowadays, the road does not speed up the journey well: from Duvanka to Bakhchisarai I took the return route. To the sick Fr. Archpriest Spiranda felt better during my visit. The enemies have not yet undertaken anything important against us. From time to time there is a hot firefight, with significant damage. From the work it is clear that they are preparing for a new bombardment and assault. The fugitives show that this will follow soon, but that the troops do not want to hear any more about the assault. We serve in church on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, but finally without any benefit from the altar. I use the money I have, having to give an account of it later. A land hospital has already been established on Belbek, and the naval hospital is also being transferred there. Most of the sisters and the main boss are there too. Вчера я был у них там. There are many inconveniences, the main thing: it is too hot during the day, and very damp and fresh at night. Admiral Nakhimov was also buried in the future Vladimir Church, with all honor and rank due to him. The enemy fleet's flags were at half-mast. The position of governor is currently being filled by Rear Admiral Panfilov. Северная сторона находится в ведении военного начальства Северной стороны. Потому, если будет надобность; about the chapel you need to contact the commander-in-chief himself or the general on duty. It is said that Count Sacken will be replaced by Leaders on the occasion that he is appointed commander-in-chief of the grenadier and guard corps. Графом многие недовольны даже из старших лиц. 12 июля 1855 г., г. Севастополь. Thank God, our position is still firm and the hope for wonderful success increases every day. Listening to the conversation of officers and soldiers, you see in everyone only a desire for action to begin as quickly as possible. With the current number of troops (the Sevastopol garrison extends to 60,000), and with their current spirit, no one doubts victory. The enemies apparently cooled down in their zeal, with which they had previously attacked the city. It is heard (for this is never announced) that if by the last days of this month the enemies do not decide on a new bombardment and assault, for which they are apparently already ready, then in the first days of August, decisive actions will be taken on our part to expel the enemies from the Crimea. As a dean, I dare to say a word for the priest of the Kachin Church Fyodor Kuzmenkov, who, according to Fr. Mikhail Rodionov, you fired him for his staff. I don’t know anything wrong with this old man. Landowner M. Meyer was always pleased with him. The old man on Belbek has a piece of garden, which is all his property, acquired during his service in the department of the chief priest, therefore his removal from the place at the present time will be a grave deprivation for him. He has a wife and a widow daughter: there can be no shelter for him in the monastery. To go to Kherson, as prescribed, to obtain a decision there, does not currently have the means. For about a year he remains without almost any allowance for his maintenance. He was not idle, as he was presented: for he left the place not of his own free will. During Pentecost, with my knowledge, he served in the Biasal Church. Recently, having sent a free sexton (there has been no regular one there for a long time and was not sent according to my report about this), he had a stay in Kach and performed some services in the church (without an antimension), as the priest Demishev does now. I went to Kacha: the church and iconostasis there are intact. The only obstacle to service is that the srachita has been kidnapped from the throne. There are no residents there; there will be about a dozen or so house-serfs in the gardens of the landowners. Along the Kacha there are two squadrons of hussars and a hundred Cossacks. Service in the local church is needed only because it is now on a public road. In any case, Demishev can hardly be an honest hotelier. The loss in the Admiralty Cathedral was filled with new priests. It is heard that they are also laying claim to the future chapel on the north side. I am silent in anticipation of your Archpastoral command, in my opinion this is the subject of the report. If only the Lord had granted us victory sooner, it would have been more joyful for Fr. Kuzmenkov to live on our ruins and ashes. Through your prayers we hope to find this mercy from God. Do not leave the Archpastoral blessing. O. Mikhail Radionov personally introduced his son to the Azov regiment. Yesterday and today he is here. July 28, 1855, Sevastopol. Yesterday evening I received your letter dated July 17th. Odessa mail sometimes comes to us in such an order that the last mail from Odessa turns out to be the one that left there a week earlier. I thank God that I am not deprived of your merciful attention, and with tears I read the words: “am I at least alive?” I already explained the reason for my failure to appear in Simferopol to Your Eminence in a previous letter: it was too late in receiving your permission to do so. I hope that you, motivated by your Archpastoral duty, will again appear among us, as soon as you hear about the defeat and flight of our enemies, the hour of which, we hope, has already approached, appear to teach us how it is proper to rejoice and thank God in such a case. All the troops have gathered. At the military council, which took place on July 29 and 30, it was necessary to begin offensive actions. They will be open tomorrow, i.e. August 2nd. Just bless, Lord! General Liprandi has to occupy the Komar Heights, and Prince Gorchakov the village of Chorgun. Further movement will depend on a successful start. The city has a garrison of over 60 thousand. There are 74 thousand bayonets alone in the field, in addition to artillery and cavalry. Yesterday the refugees who came running predicted that a heavy bombardment of the city would be launched today, but so far (8 a.m.) this has not happened. Yesterday, however, starting at midnight, the enemies fired so much into the city that it was impossible to go to the Peter and Paul Church for Matins, for this part of the city was mainly exposed to shots. 7 bombs fell in one library yard. They probably tried to destroy this building, but they only damaged the garden and the walls of the building, which were damaged by shrapnel. Yesterday at 7 o'clock in the evening, locusts swept through the city in large numbers, heading south, that is, to the enemy camp, where, perhaps, the Lord showed them food. There was an unpleasant incident in the Exaltation of the Cross community: on July 29, one young sister, unable to bear the seemingly undeserved rude treatment of her by her boss, fled to the city and appeared at the 4th bastion, seeking service there or better yet death. After properly admonishing and calming the faint-hearted one, I personally introduced her to Belbek to the boss, who could hardly be persuaded to forgive the repentant sister. The cross, however, was removed for a week, for example, as a fine. In the community there are different characters, there are no infirmities in some individuals; but the boss does not want to hear about this difference and does not want to convert the weak to the spirit of meekness. That is why there is never complete peace in a community, much less love, which should be its union. Although they are quiet, they are always grumbling. If tomorrow happens as expected, then tomorrow morning I will write what I see. When you were on the road, my letters could not reach you soon. I have already addressed two letters to Odessa. Meanwhile, until now we have not had anything remarkable. And this is the reason for my silence, which I interrupt whenever possible to send any news from Sevastopol. Now I’m going to Severnaya to pay respects to Mr. Teterevnikov and Polzikov 54. August 1, 1856, Sevastopol. Yesterday I was deliberately in Severnaya to show your Eminence my respects to General Teterevnikov and Colonel Polzikov and to thank them on your behalf. General Teterevnikov came to thank you for the memory of him and testifies to his sincere respect for the wonderful chamber that you occupied; I noted to the general that the Reverend, upon returning home, wanted to arrange one for himself. He answered: why? It seems that a tent will be sent to His Eminence from here. I realized that Colonel Polzikov, whom I did not find at home, had to give you this gift; he was moving to a position. However, I conveyed your regards to him. They promised to make a paper report today about the crosses sent by the Moscow merchant. The intended action against the enemy today, for unknown reasons, did not take place. Meanwhile, the enemies gradually continue to destroy the city. In the Admiralty St. Michael's Church, where you had a service on June 26, today a bomb caused great destruction. Although it broke through the middle of the church, neither the iconostasis nor the St. survived. a throne that is overturned from its place. What is especially painful is that the holy gifts are scattered. In my church, thanks to God, the holy of holies has not yet been touched, and today there was a liturgy in it. St. Michael's Church was hit by a bomb outside of the service, and only two people were injured. 11 o'clock in the morning. Something became quiet. Maybe something is happening in Chorgun, or maybe not. We don't know anything yet. Yesterday, General (young) Prince Vorontsov was wounded at the 5th Bastion with a bullet in the head. I probably didn’t hear whether the wound was fatal or not. August 2, 1855, Sevastopol. Yesterday the enemy fleet was decorated with flags on the occasion of Louis Napoleon's name day. At noon and in the evening, when the flags were lowered, there was a salute from the fleet. Fireworks were displayed moderately throughout the city that day. Apparently, the enemies were busy celebrating. In the evening it became known for certain that at night our troops were leaving their position in order to occupy Chorgun and the Komar Heights by the evening. For success there, they had to go further and at the same time make an offensive from the city. At 2 o'clock in the morning, gunfire could already be heard behind Inkerman. Meanwhile, until now (11 o’clock in the afternoon) nothing is known about the movement and success of our troops. The telegraph is operational, but the meaning of the signal numbers is known only to the authorities. The Lord would put our enemies under our feet! What I am praying for now in my church is not before anyone. I was told that the Sovereign Emperor wrote to the commander-in-chief like this: “for Me and for Russia, the present situation of our troops is unbearably painful,” and that as a result of this, Prince Gorchakov, hitherto sleepy, spoke energetically in the military council in favor of offensive actions, which have now been taken with the firm intention of throwing the enemies into the sea. The city is very quiet in the morning. Our warriors finally entered the city. This day, if it is a joyful day, is foggy in the morning, clear from 8 o’clock; The wind has picked up since 10, now it’s cloudy and drizzling. St. Michael's Church is being built in the St. Nicholas Battery, although its antimension is still given. August 4, 1855, Sevastopol. As many hoped for success and eagerly awaited news of it, so many were saddened in the evening by the news of our failure at Chorgun. Our troops retreated with significant losses. How great it is and what was the reason for it is still unknown, like all the details of yesterday. If there was any success, everyone would be talking about it and suddenly; and here it is difficult to get even a tongue. The loss is estimated to be up to 7 and 8 thousand. Among those killed are the corps commander, General Read and two other generals. There was no particular alarm at night. Since 4 o'clock in the morning there has been a terrible bombardment until now (11 o'clock in the morning). An assault must be expected. I’ll try to be at the religious procession in Bakhchisarai. And maybe by that time the Lord will grant the chosen commander a victory. Yesterday's failure does not take away hope for success. August 5, 1855, Sevastopol. Thank God, Sevastopol is still standing. After the failure at Chorgun, on August 5, 6 and 7 we withstood heavy bombardment, which, to a lesser extent, continues to this day. They expected an assault, but it never came. The last piece of the city is completely broken. The Nikolaevskaya Battery itself is not very safe: the glass in it is already broken enough by fragments. I can give the following details about August 4th. Generals Read, Vrevsky, Weimarn and Granevsky were killed. The headquarters and chief officers lost 87. The failure of our enterprise allegedly depended on the fact that the enemies knew 8 days in advance about the attack that was about to take place. The 12th Division, which suffered terribly, was almost literally ambushed, so that 1,500 people had to surrender as prisoners of war. However, they complain bitterly about the bad plan and lack of energy in the commander-in-chief. The troops marched in two separate detachments when circumstances required otherwise. The reserve was far away when the attackers, after occupying two enemy batteries, needed reinforcements. The artillery and cavalry were not in action at all. They say a strange thing: that Kotzebue’s chief of staff lost or forgot a book of secret signals at home. We saw the numbers and didn’t know their meaning. Briefly: we do not have a commander in chief. In such a need they regret the book. Menshikov. At the military council that took place before August 4, Count Saken allegedly expressed his opinion to leave Sevastopol. Another general had the same opinion with him. It’s scary to think that such a heavy thought creeps in, no matter in what form it is offered. They say that the opinions of all members of the council are selected on paper and sent to the Sovereign Emperor. However, they say there may be fables here. In fact, they do not leave a plan for offensive actions, for which 2 dragoon divisions are expected. All hope is in God when people give bad hope. The bridge across the bay from Nikolaevskaya to the Mikhailovskaya battery will, it seems, be completed tomorrow. This is an important circumstance in the current situation of Sevastopol. We will hasten to build a church for the North Side. Everyone, young and old, thank you for your permission. I’ll try to get a paper from the military authorities about this matter to follow. Previously 135 rub. ser. I received and used for their intended purpose, exactly where the need is greatest. I will provide a receipt with the next mail. We have not yet received crosses, although from your question in your last letter it seems as if they were sent here 55. Yesterday at the funeral service the Count asked me about this. Yesterday at 7 o'clock in the evening I served a memorial service for Admiral Nakhimov in the presence of Count Saken, adm. Novosilsky, admirers and subordinates of the deceased. Cannonballs and grenades were so frequent over the resting place of the admirals that they asked to deviate, as much as possible, from the regulations of the great memorial service. There was no paper about the Moscow crosses at the governor’s headquarters. I asked for information from Mansurov’s office and am awaiting an answer from there. August 9, 1855, Sevastopol. I am writing from Bakhchisarai, where I have been since the 11th, on the occasion of the Feast of the Assumption. In Sevastopol, when I left it, nothing special happened: the bombardment of the city was ordinary. Residents and the market from the North side are transferred to Belbek, where a place is indicated on the hill, near the former Belbekin station. A church will already be built there, for which your permission was given. I wrote a letter about this to General Ushakov on duty, who promised to make the necessary orders and notify me. On the same day, an order was issued to transfer residents and the market to Belbek. All government offices are also transferred there from the city. To reassure the merchants, who found the new movement ruinous, the chief of staff answered only that military circumstances required it. The northern fortifications are being expanded and a place is needed for a camp for the constantly arriving troops. In the Bakhchisarai Cathedral I found cleanliness and order in the service, which was not there under the old abbot. Father Paximade takes care of the organization of the Greek school and in general one can see in him his zeal for the good of the church and parishioners, who are happy with him. However, neither I nor he himself have any paper regarding his appointment as rector of Bakhchisarai. I found Father Archpriest Spirande almost lifeless. In the evening he woke up for a short time, but his words were slurred. Slowly dying, on the morning of the 16th he seemed to give up the ghost; The prayer of departure had already been read over him. But then the old man came to life again. Due to this circumstance, I was asked by his children to stay until this day in order to serve the burial in case of death. Yesterday, officers who arrived from Sevastopol say that on the 15th the enemies seemed to be attempting an assault, but were repulsed, and that they were, however, expecting an assault. From the same persons I heard that they had received information by telegraph about the departure of the Sovereign Emperor to Sevastopol, where now the only thing they care about is how to keep His Majesty from visiting the city itself, in which there is danger at every step. Twice I visited the sick and sisters of Bakhchisarai and served a prayer service with them. The boss greatly praises the diligence and work of the skete hieromonks who visit the local hospitals. In informing you of the receipt of the crosses on August 9, my co-servant Demyanovich and I have the opportunity again and again to thank your Eminence for your immeasurable mercy towards us and repeat the vow of eternal memory of our undeserved reward. August 17, 1855, Sevastopol. On the 17th I returned from Bakhchisarai, without waiting for the death of Fr. Archpriest Spirande. In Sevastopol I found something quite new: government offices and all the offices had left or been removed from the city, or better yet, from the Nikolaev battery, in which all this was located. The traders who satisfied the last needs of Sevastopol were also removed from there. The guns that looked out to the bay and the sea turn through the windows onto the city; Mines are made in the lower floor of this strong building. The entire city is again covered with barricades; those that were previously in many places have been removed. The last movable property, both private and government-owned, is removed from the city by order of the authorities. Having learned that the police had announced this to the Peter and Paul Church, yesterday I personally went to Count Saken to ask what we should do. He gave advice (the order did not concern the church) to remove the shrine and church utensils: “the enemies may break into the city; mines will explode; the city itself may become the site of a battle. Then it will be too late to save the shrine.” These are the thoughts of his Excellency, as a result of which he gave advice to close the church. I found the count listening to the all-night vigil at home. He was unwell and wanted to fast. I think that he is Christianly preparing for the decisive moment that awaits us. It was reported that the enemies were preparing a plan for a desperate attack on Sevastopol with all their might. They first want to take possession of the ship's settlement, and from there, also from the sea, to destroy the city. We seem to have a measure to cede the 4th bastion to the enemy, and then, by blowing it up into the air, open the way for the enemy to the city, where he can die or win. However, human ways and thoughts are far from the thoughts of God. Residents and the market are heading to Belbek today. Now I’m going to serve a parting prayer service and go with them to Belbek to see the site of the church and then begin building it. Bless! I'll let you know about the progress in the next mail. August 19, 1855, Sevastopol. On August 20, the cannonball made a large hole in the ceiling of the Peter and Paul Church. I sent church utensils and all movable property to the North Side. I leave some for the church at the bazaar, and I have others to send to Bakhchisarai. I found it inconvenient to remove the iconostasis, and only the icons of academic painting were removed. Not everyone agreed to settle in the newly allocated place near Belbek. Many, abandoning all interest and risk, and more fearing winter, follow further. I don’t know if we will be able to hold on with a handful of ruined settlers. Pay, Your Eminence, fatherly attention to our situation, which is becoming more bleak day by day. On the 21st, the place reserved for the bazaar was consecrated. The site for the church is located in the center of the shopping district. That day they were just taking seats. For our church they offer a tent from the Bialystok regiment, which is in the Caucasus. Let the bazaar and the colony be populated first: a church tent can be erected in one day. Neither our enemies nor we have done anything special to them in recent days. The city continues to be beaten, and the loss of the garrison is always significant. They continue to remove all movable property from the city; By the way, the idea of ​​a complete abandonment of the city is not confirmed. All this, they say, is done out of precaution only. The rumor about the Emperor's journey to us died down. This seems to be nothing more than the desire and voice of a region in extreme circumstances. All naval hieromonks received gold crosses on the St. George ribbon; those who had these crosses for Sinop were given the Order of the 3rd degree of Anna. The 4th cathedral priests were awarded the Order of the 2nd degree of St. Anna. Hieromonks Pachomius (due to unworthiness) and Innocent of Inkerman, who was bypassed because he was not a member of the navy, received nothing. Since December of last year, he has been constantly working at the naval hospital, where the sisters also work, and his works are well known to the head of the Exaltation of the Cross community. I hear that Archpriest Spirande died on August 18th. In the presence there of Fr. Archimandrite, they could have done without me during the burial. That's why I didn't tell you to let me know about it. August 23, 1855, Sevastopol. (Excerpt of a letter without month and year and without signature). Sevastopol, it seems, no longer exists on paper. For all departments, both the governor’s and the commandant’s, are closed; city ​​government offices, as well as the police, were abolished. Employees were declared free from their positions. In military operations, except for the movement of regiments, nothing is noticeable. The troops are concentrated on the Black River, and are located as follows: the center on Mykenzieva Mountain is commanded by Liprandi, the right flank and northern fortification is commanded by Saken, and the left by Sukhozanet. Priest Demyanovich would like to enter the Simferopol Cathedral, where they say there is a priestly vacancy. Demishov's petition, I apologize, was lost on the pier on the occasion of the explosion of a longboat with gunpowder, and my chest was broken. An assault can be expected at dawn. I got up early, thinking that then there would be no time for writing. On August 24, at dawn, the enemies launched a new bombardment. I won’t talk about its horrors. The longer the enemies prepare for this barbarity, the more superior they become in this matter. The last bombing differs from the others in its special techniques. They begin with volleys from guns along the entire line. At 10 o'clock there were bursts of fire again, before they died down. At 5 o'clock, after a moderate rest for an hour, the horror of volleys again. August 26th is the day of the Battle of Borodino. Can we really retreat here too, no matter how gloriously we fought for Sevastopol? God forbid! However, yesterday there were no noticeable orders on the basis of which one could be afraid of this. Yesterday I was from Bakhchisarai, where I went for several hours to find a place for church property and archives, which are almost all in the north. Therefore, I did not witness the fire of the Berezina transport. It was set on fire by the enemies. The transport was of high rank and the fire was, they say, majestic. The ship "Maria" and the bridge itself were in great danger from him; fortunately this was prevented with great effort. I already wrote that the ceiling in the Peter and Paul Church was broken. Yesterday two bells were broken, with damage to the bell tower itself. The church of the Bialystok Regiment was allocated for the church at the Northern Bazaar. The church will be ready by Sunday. I introduced only the priest Demyanovich to this church, intending to remain at the Peter and Paul Church while the Lord endures sins. Now where should I go? Right there? Today I intend to leave the city, where, finally, it is difficult to find even a dry piece of bread. Everyone went to Severnaya and everyone went to Severnaya. After the Nikolaev battery, which I left due to extreme constraints there, for the last two months I lived in a mine, in the same yard, not far from the church, from where I am writing, not paying attention to the thunder of the night bombing 56 . The details of August 4th, which I already wrote about and about which you are asking again, are such that it is embarrassing to talk about them. They thought it was good, but they did it differently. Only Liprandi did his job, and then looked with sorrow at the defeat of his former 12th division, which occurred as a result of new orders from the commander-in-chief on the spot. The movement of our troops is most hampered by bad bridges. They say that General Vrevsky was struck precisely at the moment when he galloped up to the commander-in-chief with the news of the bad turn of affairs and addressed him with a reproach. All the blame, of course, is placed on the deceased, i.e. Read. 3 generals were killed, 7 were wounded. The total loss is estimated at 8 thousand. The Azov, Odessa and Ukrainian regiments almost do not exist. It is heard that the Sovereign Emperor’s answer to the question about the difficulty of defending the city was as follows: “not a step from Sevastopol.” – Our left flank is greatly weakened; The 2nd bastion is completely broken and silent. The Kornilov Bastion was also badly damaged. There is no need to say how people and officers are falling down. There is only hope in God, everyone says the same thing. I thank God that this thought does not leave anyone. The children of Archpriest Spirande hold as their inheritance the cross granted to their father. What to do with them 57? When the letter was sealed it was 9 o'clock in the morning. There was no assault; The bombardment continues unabated. They can barely handle the wounded. The death toll goes far in a day(?) August 26, 1855, Sevastopol, 2 pm. It seems to me that it is more convenient to mourn than to describe this gravely sad event. Washed in blood, glorified by courage, turning the eyes of the whole world upon itself, eclipsing in glory all the cities that were ever besieged, it - this famous and at the same time ill-fated city, is finally abandoned by us. We couldn't expect this; The enemies themselves, who wanted it, could hardly have expected it. On August 27, at dawn, the bombardment of the city began in volleys, as in the previous three days. The day was clear, but noticeably cold. The north wind blew strongly and spread fire in the city caused by enemy shells. Ekaterininskaya Street was burning on the right and left. By evening, the fire reached the Peter and Paul Church and stopped at the church building, without touching the church itself. No one put out the fire or paid attention to it. All activities were aimed at saving not the walls, but what was within the walls - government and private. There was no passage on the bridge for carts carrying hired luggage, furniture and other private property. Who carried, who carried the burden on their shoulders. The Count's pier was filled with similar cargo to be sent on rowing ships to Severnaya. Here yesterday I put away the iconostasis of the Peter and Paul Church, and with it in a chest that which, due to importance or necessity, should have been with me, under my own hand and supervision. I needed to hurry to Severnaya to find people there to take things from the shore, and therefore, while waiting for the promised longboat, I went to Severnaya across the bridge, leaving a man at the warehouse. Without waiting for things on Severnaya and before the night when I spent the night here for the first time, I ran to the city at dawn to find out the reason for such a slowdown. But on the Count's pier I found only pieces of gilded frames from local icons, and the icons were scattered and damaged; having picked up several papers and books that were not burned by the flames or carried away by impetus, he also picked up some of the linen and clothes that someone had folded into the surviving part of the chest, maybe. out of compassion; I did not find the watchman: he was wounded or killed. Unfortunately, I did not find him either at the dressing station, or in the wards, or even on the lists of the wounded 58 . The cause of the destruction of the property I left behind was the explosion of two longboats with gunpowder moored at the pier, one of which was hit by an enemy rocket. Not only the pier and the front stone staircase with the triumphal arch and two houses that belonged to it were destroyed, but even the heavy guns lying on the pier, one of which was torn into pieces, and the other was thrown onto the second terrace. One of the marble statues that served as decoration for the pier fell from its place and broke. The surviving columns were sprinkled with the blood of people who died in this explosion, and the headquarters officer in charge of the crossing was also killed. In the huge building of the Nikolaev Battery, not a single window survived this explosion. One of the sisters of the Holy Cross community living there was injured by glass. There was no point in me crying about my misfortune when it was not mine alone and befell many. As if to convince me that it was impossible to escape from the misfortune to which I was about to be exposed, in Severnaya they told me another case, with the merchant Nosov. He had already managed to transport and store his goods at the Northern Pier. The enemy bomb overtook him there too, and scattered everything or blew it into the air. So, I return to the general grief that befell us on August 27th. At 10 o'clock the salvos were repeated, and after another two hours of intensified bombardment, an assault followed at exactly noon. From the North side it was possible to observe the line only from the first bastion to the 3rd inclusive. The city was covered in terrible smoke from the fire, and made it difficult to see what was happening on the city line. Already at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, when more than a hundred French people captured at the 5th bastion were driven from the city to the Northern fortification, we learned that the assault on Sevastopol was a general one, and that the enemies were successfully repelled from the city at all points. Even in Korabelnaya Slobodka, to which it was mainly directed, the enemies had little success. They were repulsed from the 1st and 2nd bastions; the 3rd bastion, terribly weakened by prolonged bombardment, also successfully repelled the British, who rushed to storm it three times. Between the 2nd and Kornilovsky bastions, between this and the 3rd, we had two parallel lines with batteries; The enemy captured the first of them during the first onslaught, but we defended ourselves successfully on the second, and until sunset they did not move forward a single step. In addition, on the line between the 2nd and Kornilovsky bastions, they were subjected to the explosion of our mine, also on the Kornilovsky bastion itself, which they managed to take possession of and hoist their banner on it already in the first hour, it seems. But part of the same bastion was in our hands until the evening, where a strong struggle took place. In the morning, troops passed from the North into the city, and it seemed that there were quite enough of them there to oppose force to force. It was painful to see the enemy banner on that bastion 59, which the enemies themselves glorified as impregnable, which cost the lives of the best defenders of Sevastopol from Kornilov to Nakhimov. We did not take our eyes off this point, so as not to miss how fresh troops would rush there and overthrow the enemy’s banner. But even until the evening our hope and our desire were not fulfilled. We returned to our holes, and most of them under the roof of heaven, which alone is now spacious for those without shelter, returned sad, but still with some hope for the best. At 10 o'clock on the night of the 28th, an order was issued to retreat from Sevastopol. Perhaps such a decision had taken place earlier, but only at this time of the night did it become generally known. I spent the night in a dugout at one of the Northern redoubts, and we were already sleeping when the commandant’s adjutant appeared to the commander of the redoubt with this sad news and along with the order to heat the cannonballs and be ready to repel bombardment from the enemy fleet, which, according to reliable news, was to open it at night or at dawn. Immediately the alarm was sounded at the redoubt and everyone was in their place. There was no time for sleep here for me either, who had no purpose at the redoubt. Half an hour later an officer from the 9th bastion (brother of the redoubt commander) entered the dugout. Before he greeted his brother, he stopped his tearful gaze in front of the icon and made three prostrations to the ground, loudly thanking God for saving his life. Then I realized that for many, the retreat from Sevastopol, like liberation from the jaws of death, was an unspeakable joy. He told us that the troops were retreating as darkness fell, that there was terrible crowding on the bridge, that he, a military officer, had barely managed to get a place on a longboat that was carrying a load of some commander’s belongings. I went out to the road and, one might say, did not observe, but listened to this retreat: it was so dark in the yard. Indeed, in the conversation of people one could hear more joy than sadness; one could also hear words of regret for the shed blood and fallen comrades. They fussed and shouted about people who were lagging behind or forgotten, necessary things. But everyone apparently quickened their steps from the former misfortune and went, as it were, to certain rest. Bombs were flying around the city, despite the fact that it was almost all in flames, which were spread by our hunters, who were also authorized by the authorities. Houses were lit, mainly state-owned and private rich ones; from them, by the force of the wind, the flames were transmitted to other buildings. Shots were also visible and heard from our batteries, although one or two guns were left on the battery for this purpose. The rest were ordered to be riveted during the retreat, until a signal was given to rivet the remaining guns and the entire team to retreat. At midnight, mine explosions began on the bastions and batteries. They were carried out at considerable intervals, and probably left the enemy in great bewilderment. Only with the explosion of the Primorye batteries, 10th and Aleksandrovskaya (this was already at dawn), could the enemy guess what was going on. However, until 10 o’clock, when the bridge was raised, the presence of enemies in the city was unnoticeable. The last to leave him was the chief of the garrison, Count Saken, who rode out on horseback, accompanied by his staff. Then they noticed guests wandering around the city, but they seemed to be hunters and marauders. The enemies did not actually enter the city we left behind even the next day. In the evening, probably, drunken tramps rang the bells of the Peter and Paul Church, of which only two survived. There were many sad days for Sevastopol in the last year, but there was no sadder day than the one on which Sevastopol was buried under its ruins. A military deceased is sent to his grave with volleys of cannons and rifles. Sevastopol sent itself to its grave with its own volleys, which no one had heard louder and more terrible in centuries. There was also incense smoke here, which no painter could imagine if he had not witnessed those terrible clouds that hung over Sevastopol in a new, somehow menacing sky. There were also tears here - these were the waves of the sea, which itself shook with the explosion of coastal fortifications and doused the native shores with waves that were the result of a terrible shaking. If we mention the spectators of his last exodus, then among the numerous enemies who were here, perhaps many returned from the terrible spectacle, beating their breasts. Your loss was unknown, just as the reason for the retreat and the plan for future actions were unknown. The ships and all sailing vessels were sunk on the night of the retreat; but the steamers, like moving batteries, still remained and stood at the North Side pier. Some sea crews were ordered to proceed to Nikolaev. Hieromonks, as I heard, with crews are considered unnecessary and will be disbanded. However, there was no formal order about them. Everyone crowded into the Northern Fortification, and no one found shelter. Not having a quiet corner to inform you about my situation and tell you everything that happened, I decided to go to Bakhchisarai, from there, with the first mail after Sevastopol, I am writing about this. The enemy fleet positioned itself opposite Belbek from the northern side, but did not do anything yet. (The month and year are not indicated). Do not judge and have mercy on me. However, I will keep silent about myself until I have time to give a possible account of everything. First of all, I ask about my clergy, who have been almost without a piece of bread for a long time. Military priests, receiving their usual salary, received an addition equivalent to their salary during wartime. Throughout the year, bearing all the burdens of wartime, we were gradually subjected to only deprivation throughout the year, until, finally, we lost everything. I repeat the thoughts of the clergyman, who presented his position to me precisely in this comparison. The church in the bazaar, despite all my efforts about this, has not yet been established - either due to the transfer, from there of the bazaar to another place, then due to the slow resettlement of residents there, then, finally, due to correspondence about the issuance of a church tent. Yesterday it was supposed to be issued, and when I left, I instructed Fr. Alexander Demyanovich, who was appointed to be at this church. But God knows whether this colony will disperse now. Previously, they lived in the field, in the hope of sooner or later returning to Sevastopol. Now there is no such hope. God knows what the abandonment of Sevastopol itself will entail. Autumn is coming cold, and then perhaps winter will be harsh for our sins. There is nothing comforting in sight. How can we hope to stay in the steppe after a year-long trial in fire? What makes it especially difficult for Priest Demyanovich is that he has young children with him, for whom they need servants, which they cannot have in a nomadic life 60 . He would be glad, as he says, for a place in some village. The deacon is too weak in health to continue such a life. Regarding the deacon and sexton brothers Topuzov, I dare to ask Your Eminence, that they be awarded for Sevastopol. The younger Topuzov, as he knows singing well, could be a deacon for us, where we also need a regent; he does not have the voice of a deacon. Places for them are all the more necessary because these brothers support their mother and four other children. I came to Bakhchisarai for 3 days to do some reporting. For the official loss on the count's pier through no fault of your own, do not be angry. I will try my best to receive this reward, if the Lord helps me. August 31, 1855, Bakhchisarai. I am now from near Sevastopol, from where the field post office was transferred to Bakhchisarai. I spent about a day there, and not a single shot was fired from either side. They say that during the last assault, in which 97 thousand were brought in, the enemies lost up to 50 thousand. They themselves had already retreated, but with our retreat we hastened to bring them to reason and stop. The enemy fleet from the northern fortification again dragged itself to Kamysheva Bay. They said that the enemies had sent for the key to Sevastopol and the flag, and that we would still have to deal with them. And after the fire and after the terrible explosions, Sevastopol from a distance seems like an integral city. The wood in the buildings burned, the roofs fell, and the stone walls represent the view of the city. The Nikolaev battery does not seem to have suffered at all; the enemies may very well use it against us. However, they don’t see any work. On the Count's pier they set up several mortars, from which they fired, it seems, only for testing purposes. Field guns were stationed at the Alexander Barracks, above the new Admiralty. A telegraph is spinning on Malakhov Kurgan. There have been no actions on our part yet, and no one knows anything about the plan either. A small garrison of sailors from the 2nd division located on the Inkerman Heights was left in the northern fortification. A significant part of the troops has been moved to Yevpatoria. They didn’t have time to give us tents for churches; they burned down in the city. No longer in stock. Yesterday I was in the main apartment to find out whether this temporary city in the field would exist in winter and whether there was now a need for a church. The general on duty found it difficult to answer me and advised me better not to start this matter. Perhaps peace will follow tomorrow, he added, and the need will pass. At least I can’t say anything true or positive. What can I tell you about this market that previously had a need for a church? As a result of his transfer to a new place, many chose to retire to the city. Due to the departure of naval teams to Nikolaev, their families also go there. Finally, the proximity of winter drives away from here those who patiently endured the heat of summer, in the hope of returning to Sevastopol. Now only a few are held back by the mere hope of profit while the troops are stationed here. They say, however, that the main apartment will be moved to Bakhchisarai for the winter. And so, although there is a need for a priest there, the need for a church has passed. You can have a chapel there and be a priest, little by little imagine its position, if you stay there without any special financial support. I was at the market itself, which was open as I already wrote, with sacred prayer and asked: is a priest needed now? They answered me with the words: “It will be a sin for you if you leave us.” I promised to return in a day, awaiting, however, your archpastoral order. Priest Demyanovich and his young children cannot stay there for the winter. The clergy of the Admiralty Cathedral was seconded to the same one in Nikolaev. The naval hieromonks, in accordance with their wishes (which I do not understand), were given tickets to Kyiv, where they will await orders from the chief priest. All this clergy is given training and travel dates for official reasons. Father Archimandrite Gerontius sent Abbot George his own money, which was left with the things in the monastery, 500 rubles. I don't know anything special anymore. Do not deprive your archpastoral blessing. September 3, 1855, Bakhchisarai. This time I have nothing new to tell your Eminence. Everything bears the stamp of cloudy autumn, as if the time of harvest and work had passed in military operations. Rain and hail delayed me from my second trip to Sevastopol. At the same time, the price of stagecoaches also rose high. No matter how many passengers there are, the cab driver tries to charge 20 rubles. one way. This is due to the fact that many are now setting off on their journey from Crimea. Meanwhile, on the 7th, the merchant Srebrennikov, who arrived from near Sevastopol, who was especially concerned about the church at the market, brought me a notice that now there was absolutely no need for a church there. I have already written that with Sevastopol they lost hope of returning to their home; many did not want to settle in the newly allocated place for the bazaar. Now, on the occasion of the transfer of the main apartment to Bakhchisarai or to Bakhchisarai itself, everyone, even those with commercial interests, has wavered in their intention to stay for the winter and are looking for a more permanent shelter. In short: this colony is scattering. In Bakhchisarai, it was ordered to prepare many apartments for the people making up the headquarters of the commander-in-chief. The prince himself is assigned an apartment in the house of General Bukharina, which is 10 steps from the cathedral. Of the two clerics, sexton Berezovsky 61, who was recently appointed there, cannot be in the choir, because he cannot yet read or sing. Meanwhile, the income from the cathedral, with the receipt of Fr. Paximade, when they began to include them in the book, it’s true that they cost more than 200 rubles a month. middle, in the month of August there were 300 rubles in the mug. ser. So the significance of the Bakhchisarai Cathedral changed due to the increase in population and the proximity of the army. Therefore, if indeed the main apartment is in Bakhchisarai, then it would be fair to add one or two clerics to the cathedral, removing the illiterate one. I dare to recommend my now unplaced clerks - the Topuzov brothers. However, God knows what tomorrow will bring. Others, after the fall of Sevastopol, do not trust the safety in Bakhchisarai or in Crimea in general, and move on. According to this supposed fear, the local mayor, postmaster and others sent their families from Bakhchisarai. Of course, there are many accidents in war. After the storm of Sevastopol, we found for ourselves a not stormy and quiet refuge in the Assumption monastery planted by your right hand, where, by the grace of Fr. Archimandrite, who has looked after us, we have shelter and food. We consider it our duty to thank you primarily for this, gracious archpastor and father! Here, besides me, live priest Demyanovich with his children and a deacon. The clerks went to their mother in Baltachakran. Now priest Demyanovich, who has returned from the city, certifies that the main apartment is indeed being transferred to Bakhchisarai and that there are inscriptions on the gates of the courtyards, where is which office, etc. September 10, 1855, Bakhchisarai. On September 13th I was near Sevastopol, where I went to appear to Mr. Pirogov, who wanted to see me on the affairs of the Holy Cross community. The Grand Duchess instructed him and Mrs. Khitrovo to delve into the state of the community and imagine what needed to be done to improve it. The reason for this was that Her Highness had also heard unfavorable rumors about the community. Ms. Khitrovo sees that the goal of the community was achieved, but that if internal disagreement and disorder sometimes appeared in the community, giving rise to unfavorable rumors, then the first culprit for this was the boss herself, Ms. Stakhovich, who in every possible way eliminated the influence of other persons (the confessor and the doctor) on the community, was herself biased and unmotherly harsh in her treatment, and was also extremely unfair in assessing their work. It seems that she will not remain in the community, and Ms. Khitrovo will probably take her place. All hospitals that were on Belbek have been cleared of patients and removed. On September 13, the last sisters went from there to Bakhchisarai, where, in my opinion, on their return, I found them numbering 50, and on the day of the erection of the Cross of the Lord, after the liturgy, a thanksgiving prayer service was served in the apartment. The main apartment of the community will, it seems, be in Simferopol. Near Sevastopol, the former thunders are not heard, and the former activity is not visible. However, there is nothing comforting there. The Nikolaev battery, to great regret, did not listen to weak mines and has now become our threat. Behind it, in the square, the enemies set up a mortar battery and from the canopy they fired with impunity on the northern side. The embrasures on the lower floor are filled with stones, which makes one think that they are placing guns there. I stopped at the 14th redoubt with a sailor friend, captain, who answered my question: why not at least break the batteries? answered: this would require five thousand cores of this caliber, of which we have no more than a hundred. Here is a simple and clear reason. The northern fortification, in which you deigned to stay and serve, I found empty of the former population and its entire area, like a field plowed by bombs. The church was removed from there, and, except for the active garrison, no one lives in the fortification. I didn’t even stop here: I drove through one gate and rode out through another. Only one bomb exploded in the fortification in front of me. The enemy fleet stood in the same place and judging by the large number of pennants, it was impossible to think that a significant part of it would separate on the expedition. Therefore, the rumor that spread that the enemies had been bombarding Odessa for three days was considered incredible. On the admiral's French ship the yardsticks were crossed and the stern flags on all ships were lowered at half-mast, from which it was concluded that Admiral Bruhat, who had recently been promoted to this rank, had died. Having visited Pirogov at Belbek, I heard there that the enemies had landed at Yevpatoria in the number of 25 thousand and captured our outposts. There were few residents left in the bazaar where the church was supposed to be. I deliberately drove between their dugouts and asked: do they intend to stay here? These are the poorest people of the naval department, who, not having the means to go further, are waiting for the opportunity. It's a pity to look at their lives. Rumors of further retreat are incredible; but they are given faith, believing that they will find it necessary to retreat in order to pull the enemy into the field and remove them from the shore. Assuming this possibility, I dare to ask Your Eminence, what to do with the church property and archives that I have stored in the Bakhchisarai Cathedral, as well as with the valuable property of this cathedral? Should I give it to the monastery? Enemies are always more respectful of monastery monasteries. (Without date, month and year). We left Sevastopol, I can say, the last ones, and no one can think that we are fugitives. The Admiralty clergy and naval hieromonks had already been released by the military authorities to whom they were subject. The city authorities of Sevastopol were also abolished. Finally, when the matter of the church in the market began through the main apartment, I, as I already wrote, asked the general on duty, who replied that it was better to leave it now. since the question of the need for a priest for the market colony still remained unresolved, I gave my word to the residents that I myself would be with them after returning from Bakhchisarai, and I was there three times before September 13th. Time has shown that this need, as I already wrote, has passed. There are now, one might say, only sutlers left there. Finally, it is even forbidden to settle or build there. What do we need? you ask. We humbly thank you for your fatherly participation, we dare to ask for at least a one-time cash benefit. Priest Demyanovich, according to him, would be happy with a hundred rubles. Against him, according to his rank, it would be fair to give an allowance to the deacon and the clergy. There is an example that such a benefit was recently given by the Synod. Balaklava Archpriest Argiridi, who continued to receive his salary, apartment money, canteen money, and ration 50 rubles. ser. per month, received from St. Synod allowance 300 rub. ser. I must remain silent about myself. I have a responsibility to talk about others. Priest Demyanovich will go to Simferopol tomorrow to the idle place at the Council that you indicated. He needs it; I'll be patient. I take one priest there, and leave the other at the Bakhchisarai Cathedral. But these Topuzov brothers have a mother, three sisters and a young brother. Nowadays it is a burden even for a sufficient person. This widow and her children need to be sent out of Crimea, as everything like this is now leaving. But this requires money. Tomorrow I will be in Simferopol and will consult with Fr. Mikhail. I’ll find out if there is room there for a deacon who is crying and asking to leave Crimea. I received your letter dated September 3 only yesterday. Ms. Khitrovo says that I need to stay with the community, whose main apartment is in Simferopol. How can I remain without a priestly place? However, tomorrow I will still see Pirogov and will answer you from there. There are no distinguished guests from St. Petersburg yet: they, as we hear, are staying in Nikolaev and are unlikely to come here. However, there is a rumor (and if it were true) that the commander-in-chief was appointed to. book Konstantin Nikolaevich with assistant Prince. Dolgorukov, who will be replaced in the ministry by Prince. Gorchakov. To the genius of the book. Gorchakov lost all confidence. He himself is still in Karamea and the entire headquarters is in Bakhchisarai, where they probably plan to live for a long time, because they will build a highway. Large sums are spent on installing apartments and stoves. It's scary to hear how much money is spent on seemingly insignificant things. The enemies, apparently, do not undertake anything important, perhaps due to exhaustion of strength, but make excellent use of our carelessness, which expresses the genius of the commander-in-chief. He sleeps and sees nothing, and everything is according to him. In early September, in Yevpatoria, we were captured sleeping at outposts; the other day, in front of the advancing enemy, we lit Saki, which the enemy, having occupied, began to dig in. We calmed down, and in sight of the enemies we took the horses to water, leaving the artillery without cover. Thus, 7 guns were lost out of trifles. That's what they said yesterday as if it were true. September 21, 1855, Bakhchisarai. It is known about Saken that he is on the heights of Inkerman. But whether he will be happier than in Sevastopol, God knows. And they don’t see anything special in him except piety. Khrulev personally defended Korabelnaya Slobodka, and when he was wounded on August 27, there was no one to replace him: that’s why Malakhov Kurgan remained with the enemies until the evening. He is now in Bakhchisarai; His thumb on his hand has been peeled off, and the wound is not going well. They do not see energy in other generals due to the lack of it in the commander-in-chief; The machine operates poorly and awkwardly because it does not have a good engine. This is how we can explain the lack of good generals and good successes of the real war. Thank God, I was honored to be with Kuzma and Demyan 62, which I had never had the opportunity to do before. All the more amazing for me was this sublimity in nature after the extremes of human horror. By the way, I would like to rest here with my eyes and ears after what I have seen and heard throughout the year, if not for my wife and children, who have been calling me with tears for a long time, and where, however, I do not dare to ask, unless the Lord will arrange this through my merciful Archpastor. Now the Greek residents have arrived in Bakhchisarai. the villages of Kermenchin (4 versts from Lak and 7 versts from Anastasia), which retreated along with the outposts before the enemy appeared there. This step is quite daring and at the same time dangerous for us. I have already written to Your Eminence how the colony that was formed on the northern side of Sevastopol, where a church and a priest were supposed to be located, gradually dispersed. Finally, even the merchants themselves leave with their goods, following the warning of their superiors. Thus, there is no place for me in the field. Although the place at the Simferopol Cathedral was not offered directly to the priest Demyanovich, but to one of us; but since it is more difficult for him and his children to remain unplaced, I willingly gave in to him, especially since he had already submitted a petition for this place. Where should I go? It seems to me that I am now completely superfluous in Crimea. I dare to remind Your Eminence that a year has already passed; how I am separated from my family, that after 11 years of service and 9 years of priesthood, I am completely poor and do not have my own corner to lay my head, and that the time is near to think about raising children. I do not have the courage to ask for the satisfaction of my needs or for a place where I could somehow satisfy them, and I only dare to say that I am completely in need, completely surrendering to the will and discretion of Your Eminence. If for some reason you leave me in Crimea, then when assigning me a place, even if it’s temporary, please keep in mind that I am the confessor of the Holy Cross community, whose main apartment is now in Simferopol. Yesterday I visited Pirogov and, explaining to him that now I was without a place and it was unknown where I would get one, I asked: could I leave the Community? He replied that I could not, because I was appointed by the Grand Duchess herself (I presented a copy of this paper to Your Eminence), and advised me to write about this to Your Eminence. I must admit that hitherto I had almost no influence on the Community due to the system of Mrs. Stakhovich, who wanted to act alone. Now it will be different, and Ms. Stakhovich, it seems, will soon be fired. However, this service is not for me, and dismissal from it would be a mercy for me, especially if this one service would be an obstacle to leaving Crimea. Of the churches in my department that remain: Bakhchisarai, Mengumskaya and Biasalskaya (Lakskaya may still be left; Kachinskaya also has nothing to count). What kind of deanery is this from two clergy? At present, it is better to concentrate power and bring these churches under the ministry of Fr. Mikhail. Archpriest Paximade has little knowledge of Russian writing to be his dean, and in general the Greek element predominates in him. There is no place for the deacon in Simferopol, and therefore I intend to release him to Odessa unless I receive special orders about him. Both of the Topuzov priests could be left in Bakhchisarai, but one needs to be released to accompany the family, consisting of a mother, 3 sisters and a young brother, somewhere beyond Perekop. After the fall of Sevastopol, a new resettlement from Crimea began, and it is difficult to persuade people not to flee from the possible danger. The archpriest, deacon and sexton sent their families from Bakhchisarai. The newly admitted priest Raphael, although he came with his wife, also lets her go. I have nothing new to report about military operations. Yesterday in Simferopol it was reported as news that the enemies had set fire to Balaklava and the Reed City, and were retreating to open a theater of war elsewhere. If this were true; then they would have known more thoroughly and officially. Now I am returning to Bakhchisarai, where I await your further orders. September 24, 1855, Simferopol. On September 26 I received from Fr. Archimandrite, your letter, and for your fatherly concern for my situation and the clergy, I offer my deepest gratitude. Not only from the Northern side are all residents removed (the village of Kuchkusevka was burned), but also from Belbek everyone is forced to leave. The people of Sevastopol have not been there for a long time; Whoever built a shop there, goods are transported to Simferopol and booths are opened there. I dare to assure Your Eminence that neither in the North nor in Belbek there is any longer a need for a parish priest in Sevastopol. I myself wanted to serve with Sevastopol and in the field, but, unfortunately, it is not available anywhere else. Leaving priest Demyanovich in Simferopol, I disposed of the rest of the clergy as follows. He left the smaller Topuzov at the Bakhchisaray Cathedral in place of the sick sexton Berezovsky, whom he released to his relatives in Karasubazar. The elder Topuzov was released to accompany his mother and family to the digging, so that he could then return to the Bakhchisarai Cathedral. I did not dare to let the deacon go to Odessa without your permission, but he had already lost patience, and it was a pity to look at him. I listened to the advice of Fr. archimandrite and released him yesterday for family reasons. You ask: how much does anyone need for each month? In my opinion, the current content is not necessary for those of us who already have a place, for example. priest Demyanovich and cleric Topuzov. But we all need a one-time benefit, having left Sevastopol like a fire. Since August 1st, we in Sevastopol had absolutely no income, although until the 20th we continued to serve in our church. From Fr. Mikhail Rodionov received support: priest Demyanovich 25 p., clerk Feod. Topuzov 10 rub. and Peter Topuzov 10 p., I ordered the deacon to also contact Fr. Mikhail. For my needs, although I live in Skete, I also received 25 rubles. Speaking about the need for a one-time benefit, I do not dare define it either for myself or for others. You know our needs, as well as the circumstances of life in Sevastopol. Having been in Simferopol, I could not help but notice, to my surprise, that from the same military circumstances, from which we were deprived and deprived in one place over the course of a year, in another we were and are becoming more fortunate. I cite this circumstance strictly for the sake of explanation, and not out of envy of the lot of others. For the lots are given by God. Your Eminence deigned to ask me about my family: where is it and what is for it? With this truly fatherly sympathy you touched me to tears. I will speak about his situation with all frankness. From September of last year, my family stayed with my father until January, and since January of this year in the Belaya Tserkov borough, Kyiv. my brother's province. Sending from Crimea, with the general flight of residents and the movement of troops, cost me 200 rubles. middle, when I had no more than 50 of them. My wife cries and asks for one thing: a permanent place where she could come to me with the children. If I finally get such a place, I don’t have the money to take the family back. Can I hope for a vacation so I can go and take care of my family? With the last mail I received a letter that my father, one might say, is in the last hours of his life: therefore I would like to accept the last blessing from him and venerate the holy places in Kyiv. If I urgently need an allowance, it is precisely for this need, that is, to connect with my family. Other needs will be met by themselves, if God willing, I will have a place. Do not accept, Gracious Archpastor, my wishes as an urgent request. I completely submit to your discretion and will in everything. I know little about military operations, little is said about them, they have almost died down and consist only of preparations. The enemy's occupation of Kermenchuk turned out to be false. However, the inhabitants left this village for Laki and other places. Yesterday a sapper company went to Kermenchuk to build a fortification there. I released the family of the Laksky priest for Perekop, but I ordered him to remain in his place until (in case) there was an order from his superiors to leave the village. Indeed, rumors spread about the intention to retreat further, in order to bring the enemy into the field. They even talked about moving the main apartment to Simferopol. But the day before yesterday I heard from an officer who had arrived from the position that the Adjutant General Prince had arrived. Lieven confirm that any ideas about retreat should be abandoned. General Baron Korf was put on trial for an unforgivable mistake near Yevpatoria. In respect only of his previous merits, he was excluded from service with a ban on entering the capital and entering the service anywhere. What are the enemies doing? They intensify on Chernaya and somewhere through the mountains make their way to Bakhchisarai. Admiral Leinos supposedly took it upon himself to take control of the Konstantinovsky fort no matter what. Yesterday and the third day, heavy gunfire was heard: was it bombed from the north? However, there is no news from there. Tomorrow I hope to be closer to the position and reconnoiter something. The commander-in-chief himself has not yet come to Bakhchisarai. September 28, 1855, Bakhchisarai. This evening I received the following information from naval officers returning to Nikolaev. On September 25, the enemy fleet with a landing force of about 40 thousand took off and headed towards Odessa. It was also noticed that they took tours and fascines with them. It is most likely that the fleet went to Akmechet Bay, perhaps with the goal of cutting us off from Perekop. This is just an assumption, but where the enemy fleet ended up is still unknown. On the Black River, they think, the enemies will remain only in a defensive position. Meanwhile, there, near the village of Shuli on September 26, there was a small matter. The enemies moved forward and had to retreat. The northern fortification suffers greatly from enemy bombs thrown from Apolkonova Balka and Nikolaevskaya Square. There was no naval bombardment; but our coastal batteries, facing the sea, suffer from the rear from enemy shells reaching there. In the Nikolaevskaya battery, all embrasures are closed. They think that it is being armed for action along Konstantinovskaya and Mikhailovskaya. Our forces are concentrated on the path from the Black River. The commander-in-chief is in Karalevo. September 28, 1855, Bakhchisarai. I have nothing special to report about military operations, except the sad news that the enemy fleet, which left Sevastopol on September 25, found itself in Odessa and, as they already say, may be bombarding it. God bless you. In recent days there has been increased bombardment in the North, but the result is still unknown. The shots stopped being heard. I consider it necessary to say about sexton Pirogov that this is the evil root of the former order in the Bakhchisarai Cathedral. Using the power of attorney of the late rector and being his clerk, he more than once suggested for his signature something that he had not even thought about. In addition, as a bigamist, no longer bearing in mind the title of the highest, he, at the slightest remark; he always announces with impudence that he is ready to leave his spiritual title. Therefore, it is useful to remove him from the Cathedral. I will lift up my eyes to the Lord and to you, my most merciful Archpastor! With each mail I expect a specific destination for myself, and I do not dare to get bored with this, completely surrendering to the will of Your Eminence. September 30, 1855, Bakhchisarai. My main shelter is the Assumption Skete, from there, when I find an opportunity, I go on reconnaissance. October 2nd from Fr. As an archimandrite who needed to visit Anastasia, I was in Laki and Kermenchuk, towards which the enemy was making its way through the mountains. Our troops were already concentrated there; but on the night of October 1, the enemy, believed to have been preceded by the Tatars, suddenly retreated and disappeared. The headquarters of the 3rd Corps, which had occupied an apartment in Zhetsky’s house, again returned to their position. Kermenchuk, completely abandoned by its residents, continues to be strengthened; they actually protect the road that passes here. However, this village, which had only 4 households of Christian residents, now became more cheerful due to the large number of military people. The Kermenchuk Church (it is attached to the Lak Church), from which, due to its dilapidation, the antimension has been removed for three years already, is being destroyed and is unlikely to find restoration. Her poor utensils were transferred to the Lak Church. In Laki, the inhabitants remain without fear of the proximity of the enemy, whose appearance here seems to have been an attempt. The gorge and mountain gorges are occupied by troops everywhere, but the paths are cut off by fuses and covered in places by batteries. Where possible, engineers take advantage of nature's fortifications, simply placing their guns on the rock. Directly Anastasia Kacha is crossed by a fence, and on the opposite side there is a battery of 5 guns, with which the Kacha current is fired upon. On October 3rd I visited Anastasia with the sisters of the Holy Cross Community. There are now, thank God, few wounded; Therefore, the sisters took advantage of their leisure time to travel to St. a place we traveled on foot. There were 18 of all travelers; The head of the sisters, Stakhovich, was also with them. There were 7, including the boss herself, who wanted to go up to the source. I was their guide there, and no matter how difficult it was to climb the mountain, their labor was rewarded with spiritual pleasure. Sister Lady, who was in very poor health, undertook this work solely to wash the St. water your weak eyes. Enemy fire on the northern side is being successfully responded to on our side. Yesterday I heard from an officer who arrived from near Sevastopol that Prince. Gorchakov left here. My question is: when and on what occasion? he answered: I know from the order for the army of the commander-in-chief, which he lets know that, while away on business, he transfers command to Count Saken, and that this order came on September 25th. It is unknown whether he leaves the top management. They stopped talking about our dangers. The main apartment, one might say, is only considered to be in Bakhchisarai. The older persons were still in Kazama and did not move to the apartments assigned to them. There are already two mails missing from Odessa. This is the subject of our bewilderment and concern. For there are contradictory rumors about the enemy fleet and what it is doing. Be the will of God. October 6, 1855, Assumption Skete. I have now returned from northern Sevastopol, and I hasten with the mail now departing to give an account of what I saw and heard there. The north side stands and can stand firmly. The number of its batteries has been increased to 60 numbers. They act against the enemy very successfully. Our shots started several fires in the city. The enemies are afraid to live in the city, and their garrison is believed to not exceed 1½ thousand people. In Korabelnaya the streets are dug up by three parallel ditches. The enemies set up mortar batteries in the beams: Ushakova and Apollonova, on the count's pier, on Aleksandrovskaya and No. 8 batteries. No one had hitherto fired at the northern fortification from the sea. Our side always shoots more frequently. What they are doing in the Nikolaevskaya battery, in which the embrasures are closed, is still unknown, but the loud knocking of the artisans can be heard there. There are plenty of ships in Kamysheva Bay. There are no residents on the north side. There are only three booths in the former market. In two of them hunters trade something; the third contains a dressing station. On the opposite hill, not far from the place where the Bryansk holiday was held, now Prince. Gorchakov Regiment, I found several dugouts and tents, and there the hieromonk Fr. Lavrentiy, who previously served in the northern fortification. He handed over the church to the division from which it was issued, and is part of the 31st naval crew, which, one might say, alone constitutes the garrison of the northern fortification and the entire northern side. It was increased by teams from other services and brought to 3 thousand people; There are three sailors for each gun, the rest - from others. The commandant of the entire northern side is Rear Admiral Bartenev. He detained Fr. Lawrence, who is the only one left of the naval hieromonks, and now also works at the dressing station. According to him, since the abandonment of Sevastopol, there were only 15 people killed and wounded on the northern side. Indeed, in the hospital on Belbek I saw simply sick people, not wounded ones. There are only four sisters here. This hospital must soon be abolished: for it is in tents. Patients are constantly sent further. In Duvanka they are weak. In Bakhchisarai the palace is now very spacious. Wounds and illnesses were thus removed from the theater of war. In the new market near Belbek, where they wanted to have a church, I found about a dozen booths, and they were empty. The traders complain that there is no trade, and one by one they are leaving. Twice we were forced to do so by our superiors. Now it has been announced again that they can stay. There are no residents here. Troops are constantly moving from place to place: therefore, the market is only possible on a mobile basis. The thought that we will return to Sevastopol is nowhere heard, although there is no more word about a further retreat. Father Lavrenty told me that provisions for the northern garrison were ordered to be prepared until the month of February, while recently there was an order to prepare it until November 1st. How can I stay? I still dare to ask. I drove towards Sevastopol along the Kachin Valley with the direct intention of seeing the church there. Through the diligence of the hussars, two decent garments were made on the throne, as well as on the lecterns. On Sundays and holidays there are many people praying: but apart from the moving troops, there are almost no residents here. About 10 people will be house servants. I didn’t find the priest: he went to accompany a family that was traveling beyond Perekop to Simferopol. If circumstances promise possible peace, then the Kachin Church can be consecrated (the srachitsa was also kidnapped from the throne). Otherwise, what is sacred if you leave? Near Sevastopol I also heard about the capture of Kinburn by the enemies. We still don’t know anything about Odessa, except that there is an enemy fleet there. We trust in the mercy of the Lord. Returning from Belbek, I saw our troops moving from a position near Evpatoria. There were three divisions with convoys and artillery - 7, 9 and 14. Also - warriors and Greek volunteers. October 8, 1855, Bakhchisarai. At two o'clock in the afternoon, this October 15, I received a package with words of fatherly consolation and your gracious representation of St. Synod on the Sevastopol clergy. I offer my deepest gratitude on behalf of myself and others to your Eminence for your truly fatherly care for us. Sending a package by courier indicates your desire to comfort us as quickly as possible. It is sad that I cannot properly express everything that my heart feels, touched by your Archpastoral attention. Only the love of a boss could find in unloved slaves what you testify for us before St. Synod. We are obliged to justify such testimony, and immediately make up for whatever is lacking on the scales of strict truth. So, behold your servant, both before and hereafter, be with me according to your word. If I must remain in Crimea until the end of the war, I completely submit to your order, no matter how difficult the long separation from my family may be. The day after tomorrow I am going to Simferopol with the intention; if possible, stay with the community for a week. Can't I live in Simferopol, and from there, on occasion, and sometimes deliberately, visit my department? I don’t know how they will greet me there after a long absence. There is now a different order and the service requirements are stricter. Mrs. Stakhovich is leaving. The theater of military operations seems to be moving to Yevpatoria, where troops are being gathered. On the third day there they gave a good lesson to the enemies who were moving forward behind our retreat. We successfully bypassed them and forced them to flee with great damage. They say that as a result of this success, we again closely surrounded Evpatoria. The commander-in-chief went there today, and it seems he will move his apartment there too. Count Saken's headquarters is now in Bakhchisarai. At the heights there is only one Sukhozanet. I write what I hear, you can’t know everything. Sometimes it’s awkward to ask. October 15, 1855, Bakhchisarai. I patiently endure my placelessness as a matter of necessity. According to your will, I am there both there and on the hills of Sevastopol, where, as I already wrote, there are neither inhabitants nor the need for a parish priest. Remaining with the same title of dean, I can remain in Simferopol for the time being. There, at least, I will have service with the community of sisters, in which I only count. I don’t know how I will be received there after a long absence; however, I decide to go to Simferopol with the intention, if possible, to stay there. I dare to do this without waiting for your permission, on the assumption that the attack on Odessa by the enemy fleet may have forced you to temporarily leave us to our own devices. Yesterday, however, Count Saken, who was at the monastery, told the good news that the enemy fleet had left Odessa without bombarding it. There is nothing special about military operations except movement. Although the commander-in-chief moved to Bakhchisarai, it seems that his apartment will be somewhere closer to the Evpatoria position. The headquarters of the gr. will be in Bakhchisarai. Sakena. One gene is left at heights. Sukhozanet. There are often rumors and rumors about military operations, but such rumors that one should not listen to. With every mail I expect your Eminence's gracious orders regarding me. With tears I pray: “In the image of fate, make me completely upset.” I need space; I would not want to expose my needs by resorting to church benefits, although it is allowed by St. It is permitted by the Synod and by you. It is not easy for everyone in need to reach out for alms. However, be it your will! I don’t want to have my own will in circumstances that exceed, I can say, my understanding. I submit myself entirely to the will of your Eminence. On October 30, last Sunday, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor Alexander Nikolaevich, with Their Imperial Highnesses, Grand Dukes Nicholas and Mikhail Nikolaevich, deigned to listen to the liturgy at the Bakhchisaray St. Nicholas Cathedral, which was celebrated by me with the deacon of this Cathedral, Peter Grabenko. At the end of the liturgy, the Sovereign Emperor deigned to ask me where I received the cross on the St. George ribbon, and whether I was in Sevastopol during the entire siege. For serving the All-Merciful One, he granted me a gold ring with diamonds, and Deacon Grabenka a gold watch. I therefore dare to think that His Imperial Majesty was pleased with both the service and the order that was in the church. This is what I humbly have the duty to inform Your Eminence. November 1, 1855, Simferopol. Reporting to Your Eminence about the stay of the Sovereign Emperor in Bakhchisarai and the new Royal mercy I received, I feel that I owe everything to your Archpastoral care for me, and I most humbly offer the gratitude of my soul and heart. I please and will continue to please obedience to superiors, which is a better way of service than your own choice of place or position. I am poor and do not have any property, as if now from school, but I trust in the merciful God that someday everything else that I need will be provided by His mercy. Following the Sovereign, I hurried to Simferopol, having received a notification from G. Pirogov that one of the sisters who was on probation, by order of Her Highness, was to be sworn in, and wondering whether my presence in the Community would be necessary if the Sovereign Emperor would like to see her. The community was not represented in its composition, and few of the sisters managed to see the Emperor in those hospitals that His Majesty was pleased to visit in Simferopol. Only the Prince of Mecklenburg inquired about the state of the Community, who accidentally visited the sisters’ apartment, where, except for the boss Khitrova and 4 other sisters, there was no one. Everyone was on duty. Today I am returning to Bakhchisarai. During all the days of his stay in Bakhchisarai, the Sovereign Emperor traveled to various military positions and near Sevastopol, where he thanked and encouraged everyone. He told the residents of Sevastopol who presented themselves in Bakhchisarai that, God willing, we would soon return to Sevastopol again. Nothing has been heard about the plan for further military action. No shots can be heard now. Yesterday there were rumors here about such political news as if Sweden was on us, Napoleon had been killed, and so on. So they talked about it as a rumor. (The date of the month is not indicated). In the church, during the visit of the Sovereign Emperor, everything seemed to be in order. We held the meeting jointly with the Chief Priest of the Crimean Army, who was stationed at the main apartment. In the church, all the military authorities were awaiting the arrival of the Sovereign Emperor, except for the Commander-in-Chief, who accompanied His Majesty. After completing many years, His Imperial Majesty and Their Imperial Highnesses deigned to venerate the image of St. Sergius, which, with the transfer of the main apartment to Bakhchisarai, was transferred to the church. Having visited the commander-in-chief, whose apartment is opposite the church, the distinguished visitors went to their apartment in the Sigarande house, where they were met by city society. After that, the Sovereign Emperor went to inspect the troops located at Kachi. They are probably located or assembled at the bridge: for His Majesty returned soon. In the evening the city was illuminated. Today at the skete there is a renovation of the church, on the occasion of the transfer of the throne to the middle of the altar. The commander-in-chief wished to be present; there will probably be others with him. I considered it necessary to mention this, believing that Fr. Archimandrite doesn’t have time to write today. The sound of swearing is not heard; or plans or intentions change. Yesterday I heard that on November 3rd the enemies blew up the Nikolaev battery and docks. They conclude that they are getting away from us. Today, on the feast of Archangel Michael, the senior dean of the military clergy in Crimea, also called the chief priest, served in the Bakhchisaray St. Nicholas Cathedral. We would serve as a cathedral, but there is a big shortage in the sacristy, which, God willing, we will build soon. There is no church next to the main apartment, and they will not arrange one in Bakhchisarai, especially since the commander-in-chief’s apartment is next to the city church. The chief priest has no paper to serve him here, except for a verbal indication of this church from the general on duty. This archpriest is a very kind and noble man; You cannot expect any complaints or displeasure from him. We will serve by agreement - sometimes conciliarly. I am not reporting about this new person in the Bakhchisarai Cathedral because there was no paper about him from the military authorities. Yesterday, a deacon summoned from the Ekaterinoslav diocese also appeared at the main apartment. The Reverend Leonid was stingy, or there was no better one: the deacon he sent had a small voice and was not at all polished - neither tact nor the manner of a deacon. His salary is 250 rubles. ser. This place, by the way, would have been for my former deacon Podolsky. I really regretted that he was not here when visiting the Sovereign Emperor. Chief Priest Kutnevich, it seems, was closer to asking for a deacon from the Kherson diocese, and not from the Ekaterinoslav diocese. There are no military actions. It was falsely reported that the Nikolaev battery was blown up by the enemy. In fact, the enemies at the so-called Canrober Battery had an explosion of a powder magazine, where there were many shells: bombs, rockets, etc. Yesterday, Kadykovsky Psalt Ivan Politis, recently released from captivity and landed in Feodosia, came to me. As an eyewitness, he gave me the trail. information about the Kadykovsky priest Georgy Mentilin. On September 14, after serving the liturgy in the Kadykovka church, out of fear he fled to Kharan, from where he never returned to Kadykovka. On November 8 or 10, he disappeared to no one knows where. circumstance; some foreigner, a translator by position, came to the priest with the maiden Ekaterina Khandzhoshu with threats and forced him to marry them at night and, moreover, not in the church, but in the house. When the newlyweds were punished by their superiors the next day and sent in chains to Constantinople, the priest, fearing the consequences of his guilt, disappeared without a trace. According to a letter received by one of his relatives, it turns out that he ended up in Constantinople, and from there he made his way to Athens, where he is now. About the Kadykovka Church: on the evening of September 14, the enemies were already in Kadykovka and entered the church with extreme disorder. Throwing papers and books around, they tore everything up and threw it on the floor. He, Psalta Politis, allowed her to scold over sacred things while guards were posted at the church, from which, a week later, with the knowledge of the French authorities, St. the antimension, church vessels and other sacred things, as well as icons from the iconostasis, were presented to the monastery and handed over to Fr. Archimandrite according to the inventory. Then the Kadykov Church was turned first into a hospital, and then into some kind of store. About the monastery: they serve in the Demetrius Church. All allowances are received and enjoyed completely freely. Hieromonks also visit the enemy camp if there is a need to give instructions or bury one of the Russians. About the residents in general: they lived comfortably, earning fees for carrying goods and other work from foreign merchants. The wife of the deceased priest Rafail Yanakov yesterday, at the opportunity, went to Korsun to visit her uncle, Metropolitan Joseph. November 8, 1855, Bakhchisarai. On behalf of Your Eminence Fr. Archimandrite Dionysius handed me 100 rubles. ser. At the same time, I received from your Eminence an appointment to be at the Bakhchisarai monastery. For both mercy, I bring you, gracious archpastor, my deepest gratitude. I sent money to a family that needed it; I myself hope to soak up the place. November 13 from Fr. I was Archimandrite Dionysius near Sevastopol. During our stay there was silence, broken only by one shot for Fr. Dionysius. The garrison on the northern side was bored by the inaction of the enemies, who had not fired at all on the northern side for three weeks. On our side, they shoot only at discretion into the target city for a shot. The Peter and Paul Church burned down about three weeks ago; the exposed walls and columns present a sad appearance of the church of God. The Emperor, having been on the northern one, did not stop there for a long time, but only drove to the northern fortification. From the night of November 15th, frequent shots were again heard in Sevastopol. From other points, or in Bakhchisarai itself, nothing special is heard. The Crimean winter is finally coming. Yesterday there was wet snow, today it is raining. The Commander-in-Chief wishes that on Sundays and holidays the all-night vigil should begin in the evening, and this is how it is done. November 16, 1855, Bakhchisarai Yesterday I returned from Simferopol, where I went to visit my sisters. On the 20th, Mrs. Khitrovo assumed the position of sister-abbess of the community, was sworn in by me and I assigned her the cross of this community. The reason for my trip there was, by the way, to demand from me a response on what conditions I could devote time to the community, which the Grand Duchess asked about. I answered that whatever conditions Her Highness would like to impose, I would completely agree to that. Meanwhile, they announced to me that my presence was now necessary in the community, that is, in Simferopol. I am put in a difficulty from which I can only be extricated by the permission of your Eminence. Even if I am allowed, I will again be in difficulty if I do not have some kind of support in Simferopol. I will need maybe; sometimes in church, if the sisters want to fast. The Grand Duchess asks you only for permission to remain with the community, but how I can remain with it will entirely depend on the gracious discretion of your Eminence. I would not want to be, even temporarily, excluded from the diocesan service. War is nothing new for us; The 6th and 2nd Corps leave Crimea. November 23, 1855, Bakhchisarai. Along the mountain - on both sides of the city - barrels were burning. Today, they say, the Sovereign Emperor will go to Sevastopol. Probably tomorrow there will be a liturgy at the Skete. And it would be better: in the Bakhchisaray church there is no difference for such a case. In my previous letter, I forgot to mention one circumstance of the Sovereign’s stay in Bakhchisarai. On October 31st the Sovereign Emperor had to leave. A thought came to mind, and I wanted to know if His Majesty would stop by the church before leaving; they thought maybe he would want to venerate the image of St. Sergius, now located in the local church. They answered that the Emperor did not do this in other places, but that, however, they would let him know if His Majesty wished it. Meanwhile, the Sovereign Emperor went to the position in the morning and from there, returning at two o’clock in the afternoon, came straight to the church, and therefore unexpectedly. The king was not kept waiting: the church was open. Having venerated the image of St. Sergius, His Majesty immediately left. Archpriest Paximade did not have time to find Him in the church, although he was right there in the church house. I was in the monastery at that time and was already on my way from there; went away, knowing that the Emperor was not in the city and would return in the evening. Will you attribute this omission to my fault, when this visit by the Sovereign to the church was unexpected for His very retinue? Perhaps His Majesty wished to pray without witnesses. The Bakhchisarai commandant told me that the Emperor on Sunday, leaving the church, said that in such churches you pray with some special disposition, and that His Majesty was very pleased with the service. I am returning the letter from the Grand Duchess, and I cannot express my gratitude to Your Eminence for the excellent and gracious review of me. I feel and sincerely confess that I do not have the ability to fully justify him. I will work, encouraged by your blessing. My responsibilities in the Community have not yet been defined in written regulations. Everything in it is still determined only by changing as indicated by experience. According to the answer of the Director of the Community, Mr. Pirogov, (this is how he ordered you to answer) these positions consist of participation in the committee that governs the Community, in the edification of the sisters - and mainly in the edification and generally in the spiritual care of the sisters. Fulfilling Christian needs that happen in the Community, or divine services, also belongs to my responsibility; but the main thing that is required of me is a moral influence on the sisters. That is why my stay is considered necessary in Simferopol, where the largest number of them is, where their administration is. At Pirogov’s request, I am going there in two days, having the intention of returning to Bakhchisarai, if there is no special need, by the new year to fulfill the dean’s reports. Although I have not yet received your permission to do this, I think that in the command you gave me to be part of the Community it naturally lies. Mrs. Khitrovo complains about a certain spirit of apathy towards her work, noticeable in the Simferopol sisters, against which spiritual measures are needed. So I have to go. Pirogov leaves us today. It seems that my teeth hurt and I’m suffering from a cold, and it’s getting worse every day. Maybe that’s why I’ll stay in Bakhchisarai for a few days. To help Fr. I command Paximade the priest of Lac, who, except on holidays, has nothing to do in his parish. The deacon, sent from Ekaterinoslav to the main apartment, is removed for drunkenness and generally for his bad qualities. The honor was offered to the Bakhchisarai deacon Grabenke, who knew how to attract attention with his modest but real merits. The Chief Priest of Crimea, having received his consent, reports to the Chief Priest in St. Petersburg, which will of course be followed by his attitude towards you. Grabenko is a good servant and is distinguished by exemplary reverence in his service. During the consecration of the Gifts, you can always see tears in his eyes. You can expect him to be a good priest. They brought 37 wounded people and 20 prisoners to Bakhchisarai from a small case that took place two days ago in Ornust. November 30, 1855, Bakhchisarai. We've had snow since December 5th, which was finally sealed off by a big frost today. Winter appeared in Crimea in its present form. On December 5, the joyful news of the capture of Kars reached us. But they had not yet made a solemn thanksgiving to God. On November 27, when choosing a church warden for the Bakhchisaray Cathedral, I did not miss the opportunity to remind the community of parishioners that their church now belongs not only to them, but also to the Orthodox army, whose main quarters are here, that here they kneel and pray for the success of our weapons not only the leaders of the Russian troops, but also the Most Pious Emperor himself prayed for this in this church, that all this should be important in their eyes, and will encourage to use and apply all possible care for the splendor of their wretched church, for which now wartime itself, through the increase in the population in the city and the revival of trade, provides the best means and therefore asked to take advantage of this time. I pointed out to them the complete lack of difference, the poor appearance of the church, on which there is an iron cross and a tiled roof, like the last building in the city, the cramped courtyard and littered with stones, and so on. The result was the following: the small society, represented by 12 representatives, immediately signed 280 rubles for this purpose. ser., promising to offer both to those absent and to all Orthodox now trading in Bakhchisarai. Church warden, at the suggestion of Fr. the rector of Paximade, agreed at his own expense to install water and make a fountain in the church fence, which had already been cleared of stone, and the holes for the trees were ready. The agreement with the monastery on the fountain has also already been made, and if the cold does not interfere, water will be supplied by Lent. Care will be taken to gild the cross and prepare iron for the roof so that both will be ready by spring. I expect success mainly from the guardianship of the rector, who can extract funds for this from the present time, as well as the church warden, who, if something happens, can help himself. The same Ergopulo was elected as the headman, and he undertook to build something for the monastery. Using the money also collected by donation, the rector ordered a new shroud, which will be sent from Kyiv for Lent. There is little or nothing in the church that has existed since 1798. That is why I value the present time and try to instill this idea in others, so that, if the Lord helps, by the summer I can present you with a feasible update of it. Thought about. Paximade to order a gilded copper board on which to make an inscription about the visit of the church by the Sovereign Emperor in such and such a year and at such and such a time. I completely share this thought, but first I ask for your archpastoral blessing and guidance on what words would be most appropriate to express this important event for the church. I postponed my trip to Simferopol due to an illness that befell me, from which I only recovered yesterday; but tomorrow it is necessary to go to Mangushi, where the widowed deacon died, leaving orphans and property, which must be inventoried on the spot. Now from the church, where a prayer of thanksgiving was offered for the capture of Kars. Today at 9 o'clock there was an order from the commander-in-chief, who himself deigned to be in the church. December 7, 1855, Bakhchisarai. I haven’t written anything to Your Eminence since last mail due to illness. On December 7, the same day that I reported to you that I was healthy, I brought back my illness by going out into the cold prematurely, and thanks to the participation of Fr. Archimandrite Nicholas, who invited me under his roof, I feel healthy again and return to the city. But the doctor, while still keeping me on a diet, does not advise, or rather forbids, going to Simferopol until the time of complete recovery. I’m afraid of getting sick again and would like to come to the community in time: I hesitate and regret. The confessor of the community, Hieromonk Veniamin, who arrived from St. Petersburg, turned out to have little knowledge (he is one of the simple ones) to have the influence in the community that is required; and therefore, as a result of Mr. Pirogov’s proposal, he was ordered back in the month of May to remain at one service and required in the community, but I was entrusted with the spiritual care of the sisters. (I presented a copy of the letter that Goff Marshal Khrushchov wrote to me about this on behalf of the Grand Duchess to Your Eminence). In this sense, Fr. Veniamin remained in the community until the departure of Mrs. Stakhovich, who, it seemed, did not want to have another confessor. After a large number of sisters moved to Simferopol, he remained on Belbek at that part of the hospital where the main residence of the sisters was in the summer, and where now there are only three of them, due to the small number of patients there. He himself is not asking to be fired; Maybe they don’t want to remove him because they themselves looked for him for this position. Thus, he remained with the community until recently. I don’t know if Pirogov made him any proposal before he left, while he was at Belbek. Your Eminence has instructed me to secretly delve into the state of the Assumption Skete (what and how is there in it - persons, things, etc.?), with which you are dissatisfied. After Sevastopol, I lived in the monastery for quite some time, and living in Bakhchisarai, I visit it often. And therefore I can now give my review, if my judgment, as a layman and a person of little experience on subjects relating to St. monastery, there will be no sin. I write for the sake of obedience, but not to judge. To my judgment, everything in the Assumption Skete - from small to large, from persons to things - order, service, the very life of the brethren, external and internal, is currently in excellent shape, and should please, and not sadden, you. Divine services are performed with order and grace. Everyone is in his place according to his abilities. There is peace and harmony among the brethren. There was no displeasure or grumbling about anything from anyone. I haven’t heard any complaints from the outside: on the contrary, the praise of the monastery is in the mouths of many. And now not without significant judges in Bakhchisarai. The meal is without whims, satisfying and plentiful; The economy has everything you need for your needs. In the outside, from the courtyard to the cells, there is cleanliness, order and decency everywhere. On November 5, on the occasion of the consecration of the throne, which was transferred to the middle of the altar, at the snack prepared for important visitors, it was impossible not to notice how here everything was nice and in order, without excess or luxury, but plentiful, tasty, decent, clean, as required by the occasion and the presence of such guests as, for example, Count Saken. The military now often visit the monastery, and therefore there is no small requirement for external decency, which, however, they find fulfilled here. The behavior of the abbot with the brethren is more fraternal than that of a superior, but without familiarity. Young novices, under his supervision, besides singing, practice writing, catechism, Russian grammar and arithmetic, as well as various obediences in the kitchen and in the yard, in order to make them into people useful for everything in the monastery. You personally know this builder, for whom this name is quite fitting. December 14, 1855, Bakhchisarai. Today they expect General Leaders here. The Sovereign Emperor invites Prince Gorchakov to St. Petersburg for something; they say, as if due to the hopelessness of the prince’s health. Paskevich, whose place he should take. However, he goes without completely leaving his local post. We don't have a war. Winter is sticking around, there is more snow. Mrs. Khitrova came to Bakhchisarai and deigned to let me stay in Bakhchisarai until I fully recovered. I am very sorry that I cannot serve tomorrow, the first day of the holiday. It seems that for the cathedral service Fr. Archimandrite, as it pleases His Excellency. I was at the Bakhchisaray church for only two weeks until December 1st, and received 15 rubles from the share of the second priest. ser. Having received the order to be appointed confessor of the Community, I had (as I already wrote about this) to go to Simferopol and therefore left the service at the Bakhchisaray church, to which, to help Paximada, I sent the Laki priest. Meanwhile, I fell ill and again had nothing to do with it. The Grand Duchess, as I hear, is very thrifty, and until now she collects the information that I have and have had. My lot is this: I wander here, but I don’t receive a salary from anywhere and I don’t have any fundamental service. By being patient, I will endure the Lord, and He will ever listen to my groanings. December 24, 1855, Bakhchisarai. Adjutant General Leaders arrived in Bakhchisarai on the second day of the holiday. Today with the book. Gorchakov, they say, went to Sevastopol. Book Gorchakov goes to St. Petersburg on December 31st. Whether Leaders will be the commander-in-chief or just a temporary boss here is unknown. In the first case, changes are expected at the headquarters and also the transfer of the main apartment to Simferopol. Rumor appoints Count Sacken as Governor-General of Moscow. No action. The snow has been melting for two days now and soon it seems that winter will disappear from us. December 28, 1855, Bakhchisarai. On January 1st it rained all day. On the night of the 2nd, snow began to fall, a north wind blew, severe frost set in, and winter suddenly returned in its most menacing form. Now the wind is blowing. This is the only news after the prince left. Gorchakov, who left here on January 1st. The church was already headed by Leaders. There followed a change in mail departure days. Having learned that she is leaving today, I present a belated paper with these few lines. January 2, 1856, Bakhchisarai. Now I heard that yesterday 6 people were handed over to the enemy from our side, including two non-commissioned officers, and that this is supposedly why the commander-in-chief stopped with the actions planned for tomorrow. One officer who fled was captured with the loss of two people. They also say that yesterday’s fire damaged many buildings in the city and many people. Trouble from enemies, grief and from domestic scoundrels. Today I will receive real information about the crosses sent from Moscow, and I will answer tomorrow. We wait patiently for our crosses, especially since our right to them is small. This is your mercy, which will always be timely. Having the opportunity, I also offer your Eminence my deepest gratitude for the Sevastopol salary, for which I ask for your blessing. The difficult situation of the rector of the Community. I am not allowed to be in Bakhchisarai, as I expected. The Grand Duchess is very concerned about her Community, demanding notification of its condition and dispatches. He also sends us 10 sisters. The commander of the reserve army asks Her Highness for nurses for hospitals in Izmail, Odessa, Voznesensk, Perekop and other points. The Grand Duchess wishes to fulfill this request: in this way, the tree of the Life-Giving Cross will spread its branches even wider. In Simferopol hospitals, out of 12,500 patients, 140 people die per day. It should be noted that in Simferopol there are now only 400 people sick from wounds. So, it is not the sword, but disease that is now reducing the army and reducing it terribly. Elder Ergopulo, if you encourage him a little, will be useful not only for the Bakhchisarai church, but also for the monastery, in which he has already promised to build the Siloam font. February 16, 1866, Simferopol. With holy fasting I have the boldness to greet your Eminence. And in this soul-saving time, as in every other time, we hope in your Archpastoral prayers to find all the help we need. Now I don’t bother with frequent letters, having nothing special to bring to your attention. On February 23rd I returned from Bakhchisarai, where I also went to Belbek on Community business. Having been to Belbek, I considered it unforgivable not to look at Sevastopol, and saw it completely changed after the destruction of the Nikolaev battery, which is a long ridge of rubble. It was now safe to look at the city and walk along the bank of the Northern River (for it was already time for a truce), but in the very cloudy weather little could be seen in its sad picture. The monument to Kazarsky appears intact. The newly built St. Nicholas Cathedral also stands intact. Of course, this will be the first church in the future Sevastopol in which worship services can soon be opened. Our Petropavlovskaya will hardly be suitable for restoration, especially in the style in which it was built. This will require funds that Lazarev had 64. Weren't the Apostles (marble) taken to Paris, where the sphinxes that lay on the main staircase of the library ended up? Recently I did not have the means to take them out, and before I could not foresee what happened to Sevastopol. On this same trip I learned (and I don’t want to believe until I see it with my own eyes) that the Inkerman Church was brought to its primitive sad state by the hand of the enemy. March 1, 1856, Sevastopol. Yesterday I returned late from my journey. I will submit a report with the first mail, and a most detailed description of what I saw in the enemy area with the next mail. Fr. Archimandrite Gerontius (Balaklava) and his brethren are well and ask for your Archpastoral blessing. After the church holiday in the monastery, he will be in the Skete, from where he will write to you about everything. He finds writing by hand or through Headquarters inconvenient. In his opinion, there is no reason to subject the monastery to purification. In the upper monastery buildings there were only semi-healthy patients for the final recovery of their health, and then only in small numbers. He does not see any painful danger, but it is difficult and dangerous to leave the monastery in the hands of unknown residents. Enemies or guests are beginning to get ready for the journey, but they are just getting started. In Sevastopol, there are guards everywhere on the ruins. In Kamysh and Balaklava there is little fuss about moving out of Crimea. I saw Tatars coming to Balaklava with their belongings and heard that many families from the villages of Baydarsky were leaving to join their co-religionists in the East. In the Bakhchisarai churchyard, during the removal of the incorrectly crumbled wall and the removal of alluvial soil, the remains of the ancient building were dug up; Apparently this is the altar part. I ordered to leave it until your arrival. O. Nakrotin has great shortcomings and he is out of place in Bakhchisarai, where the evil-tongued Greeks are watching everything. But Paximade seems to be exaggerating some things in his appearance. Yesterday the main headquarters arrived in Simferopol and is heading to Odessa. When our community leaves Crimea, there is still no news from the Grand Duchess. He will probably be brought by the new Sister Superior Bakunina, whose appointment has now received a rescript from Her Highness. She is a sister of our community. There are still up to 9 thousand sick people, and they are taken out into the field - into tents, where, perhaps, I will have to live. It will not be possible to open worship services in Sevastopol soon. Where should Deacon Podolsky be assigned if he should already be here? April 22, 1856, Simferopol. With this mail comes a paper with which they ask for leave for me to St. Petersburg. In this case, as always, I completely surrender to your archpastoral will, which, not due to my merits, has always been good to me. I don’t dare even think that I, with my weaknesses, would be there in need of anything. It seems that the whole need for me is that I was with the community during its entire stay in Crimea, and I can be a witness to its former experiences. Upon the return of the sisters to St. Petersburg, as is partly known, it is advisable for the Grand Duchess to begin the final organization (of the best sisters) of her community, which will exist in peacetime or always. To receive a ticket, if you are kind enough to let me go, I have to appear in Odessa in a week... I am going with the community doctor Tarasov, who needs to be at the headquarters of the commander-in-chief and is also returning to St. Petersburg, and our path has been chosen through Kyiv. If you bless me on this journey too. I have a chance to console myself with a quick meeting with my family. On June 9 I was on the northern side of Sevastopol, where the body of the deceased was escorted to Khitrovo for departure to the ship to Odessa. Again I turned to the city commandant, Rear Admiral Bartenev, asking for his consent and orders to install our clergy there. He replied that so far there is no order for the resettlement of the residents themselves, that there is no civil authority here, that for the garrison there is Hieromonk Lawrence, who fulfills the requirements that happen, that until there is something fundamental, positive order from the government about the settlement of the Sevastopol residents, until then it would be unnecessary to bother about the church and a specific parish. We ourselves, he says, do not know whether we are the masters here or not. And I completely agree with the opinion of the commandant. The new colony consists of a number of booths in which small traders (most of them Karaites) trade. None of the real citizens of Sevastopol are returning yet. On both sides of the booths, families of the lower ranks of the naval department settle in dugouts, who, in turn, conduct trade. These are not our parishioners; at least we cannot declare rights to them without orders from our superiors. There are plenty of activities for a priest, for there are also plenty of demands that require a metrical act, but it is necessary first to remove, perhaps, the hieromonk, so that no rivalry and, perhaps, temptation arises. Deacon Podolsky lives in Bakhchisarai; the sextons are there, awaiting further orders. But in the Sevastopol clergy, it seems, there is no priest. Father Mikhail boasted to me that his son was allowed to stay in Simferopol. Having been to Severnaya, I visited the Balaklava monastery. Father Gerontius and his brethren are well. In my presence, they brought in 20 horses donated to the monastery by the French. There are already few French and English left on our land, but there are still quite a few warehouses that cannot be cleared away so soon. There are other people staying in the monastery hotel and in the monastery itself. Our Greeks have already settled in Karani. The correction of my post is closer to entrust to Fr. Rodionov, but you can also Fr. Pansimadze. I did not write to you on the ship leaving Sevastopol, believing that you were already on the way to us. But when I arrived in Simferopol, I learned that illness had kept you from the journey that we had long awaited. June 17, 1856, Sevastopol. Despite the danger of the situation from the accumulation of many sick people in hospitals and the development of typhus, the author of the letters had to stay in Simferopol for another two months, and only in mid-August could he travel, together with the community, to St. Petersburg via Kyiv and Moscow; where the entire composition of the Holy Cross community was called up with its head Bakunina, confessor and senior doctor Tarasov. This journey gave him the opportunity to meet his family after a three-year separation. In Moscow, graciously received by Her Highness, Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, and the Most Reverend Archbishop Innokenty, who was here on the occasion of the coronation of Emperor Alexander II, the author of the letters had the good fortune to be introduced by Vel. princess, August 28, to the Emperor, who visited her on this day on the occasion of the anniversary of the death of her husband, c. Prince Mikhail Pavlovich. At the same time, His I. Majesty was pleased to address the represented Fr. archpriest with the words: “you are from Sevastopol; you were there throughout the siege until the end. It was yesterday." The last words were spoken by His Majesty with sadness and a bow of his head. Upon the arrival of the Community in St. Petersburg, the Grand Duchess expressed to her confessor her desire to help assign it to one of the capital’s churches; following the advice of the Most Reverend Innocent, he asked Her Highness to allow him to return to the department of his archpastor. Having deigned to do this, he led. the princess expressed her favor towards him with her Highest rescript addressed to him, with an expression of “gratitude for the worthy and exemplary performance of the duties of the confessor of the Community”; at the same time, she awarded him a large silver medal, installed “in memory of the merciful service of the suffering brethren” and ordered him to release 250 rubles annually from her court office. to prepare his two eldest sons for educational institutions and to issue a cash allowance for their return from St. Petersburg. Upon arrival in Odessa with his family at the end of September 1856, the author of the letters was first in a priestly vacancy at the Odessa Presentation Church, a year later he was appointed teacher of the law at the Richelieu gymnasium and keymaster of the cathedral, and since 1873 he has been the cathedral archpriest in the same cathedral. On the day of the coronation of Their Imperial Majesties; Last May 14, he was awarded the Order of the 1st degree of St. Anna. From the students of the 2nd Kyrca Kievsk. spirit. academies; from 1853 to 1858 he was a suffragan bishop in Odessa, and from 1858 to 1861 he was a diocesan bishop in the city of Orel, where he died in 1861. Even during the foundation stone of the church in Sevastopol in the name of St. Vladimir, on July 15, 1854, in view of the first vessels of the Anglo-French fleet that appeared the day before, His Eminence Innocent said in his beautiful speech: Do not be discouraged, God-saved city of Sevastopol, from the multitude and malice of the enemies who have bypassed you, remembering that you are the successor and heir not of the Muslim Akhtiar, but Orthodox Chersonese Tauride. What is given and laid down from above, no one and nothing can change. Having learned later in Simferopol about the landing of the enemy fleet that followed on September 4–5, His Grace Hastened to Bakhchisarai in order to encourage our army, despondent in spirit after the unsuccessful battle on Alma, with his prayer and word, but Prince Menshikov, who then retreated from Sevastopol, rejected this visit to the Archpastor, who, having returned to Simferopol, He said a word for general edification about the virgins who slept through the arrival of the groom. This reasoning was about rumors that reached the Most Reverend Innocent about the unseemly behavior of some priests of the military department, who were not then under the supervision of the local dioceses. superiors. Archimandrite Polycarp Radkevich, rector of the restored Bakhchisarai monastery The Krasilnikov merchants had a beautiful house in Sevastopol, where they lived before the Crimean War, carrying out large trade operations. Founder of the 1st monastery in Chersonesos before the war. Major General of the Naval Service Zakhary Arkas, who compiled the “History of the Irakli Peninsula”, with maps and plans, placed in the Odessa Notes. Society of History and Antiquities, vol. II and published separately in 1879. Murzakevich - Chairman of the Odessa Society of History and Antiquities, former professor of the Odessa Richelieu Lyceum We are talking about the Greek Metropolitan Agafangel, who took refuge in Russia after the Greek uprising and remained the abbot of the Balaklava monastery, but lived more in Sevastopol. Hieromonk Vasily Yudits, a former officer of the Don Army, arrived from Athos. With the assistance of surrounding residents, he built a small church in Chersonesos in the name of St. Olga, in memory of her deceased daughter, and three cells. Agathangel is an 80 year old man. The first prayer on the ruins of Chersonesos to St. Prince Vladimir was served by the Right Reverend Innocent himself in 1852 among the foundations of the church, which, according to his proposal, could have been the place of St. Vladimir’s baptism and in which there was the grave of the deceased, lined with thick slabs of gray stone (probably the grave of the church builder). After the Sevastopol War and the resumption of the monastery, someone declared this grave to be the font of St. Vladimir, many believed in this, in the absence of any probability, although it is known from the chronicle that St. Vladimir, leaving Chersonesus, took two copper fonts with him to Kiev, one of which probably served as his baptism. Chersonesos from the naval department received its walls, with the assistance of naval officials, the author of these letters sent. Deacon Sevastop. Peter and Paul Church, whom the Right Reverend sent here in 1848 from Kharkov, where he arrived with the bishop from Vologda and where he was a psalm-reader. He was an excellent reader and singer, for which he enjoyed the special favor of the archpastor. Abbot of the Bakhchisarai Assumption Skete, then archimandrite. Junior priest of the Sevastopol Peter and Paul Church, standing on a mountain above the southern bay. The above-mentioned abbot of the Bakhchisarai monastery. Menshikov, commander-in-chief of the troops in Sevastopol. The author of the letters was the confessor of V. A. Kornilov and his family. On the opposite side of the city, on the slopes from Malakhov Kurgan. Saint-Ario is the commander-in-chief of the French. Abbot of the Balaklava St. George Monastery, candidate Kiev. spirit. Academy of the X. course, later abbot of the Novgorod Yuriev Monastery, in which he died. Peter and Paul Church cleric, siblings. A village near the city of Balaklava. Commander Sevast. port or governor. Unfortunately, this journal or diary of the siege of Sevastopol was accidentally lost recently in Odessa. Link is a piece of rather thick rope. Sailors were punished with links, not sticks, like soldiers. The speech by His Eminence Innocent was published and published in the Odessa Bulletin The Peter and Paul Church, which looks like the Greek Church of Theseus, is surrounded by columns on all 4 sides. After the war, K.R. Semyakina was assistant to the commander of Kyiv. military district, died with the rank of commander of the Kazan military district. Greek village, near the town of Balaklava. Also Hieromonk of the Chersonesos monastery, its organizer Hieromonk of the Inkerman monastery. Priest of the Vladimir Church N.I. Pirogov is a famous surgeon and teacher, who was later a trustee of Odessa, and then Kiev. textbook districts. Archimandrite - abbot of the Korsun monastery. Of course, the stone versts seen on post roads in Crimea. The Right Reverend Innocent wanted to have these stone versts for the bishop's dacha in Odessa. The rector of the Simferopol Cathedral. An old archimandrite who previously served in the navy and took part in the Battle of Navarino. From Sevastolol he left for Kiev-Pecher. Lavru died here too. Previously, he was the abbot of some monastery in one of Great Russia. dioceses. Fulfillment of 120 days of defense of Sevastopol. Housekeeper of the Odessa Bishop's House, later rector of the Borovsky Monastery in Kaluzhsk. Provinces. Balaklavsky, to which the naval hieromonks are assigned. This petition for the restoration of the ancient shrines of Crimea was edited by His Eminence Innocent himself, who found it more convenient for the initiative to come from local residents. Subsequently, rector of the New Jerusalem monastery, Moscow province, archimandrite and holder of the 1st degree Order of St. Anne. The family of the author of the letters, consisting of a wife and 4 young children, was then with his relatives in the Kyiv province, where they were sent on the third day after the Ayam battle, in early September; with difficulty it made its way among the troops coming from the Danube. On June 25–26, the Right Reverend Innocent unexpectedly arrived, in the morning, on the northern side of Sevastopol, where he served the liturgy in the camp church of the northern fortification, and in the evening, at the invitation of General D. Erof. Sakena, through a raid, went to see him in the Nikolaevskaya battery, where is now the seaside boulevard. The next day he served liturgy in the Admiralty Church, which had not yet been touched by a single bomb, especially in its area. At the end of the liturgy, the Right Reverend performed a prayer service in front of the church, made a speech to the army and blessed the icons he had brought with him. From this church he was taken straight to the main apartment - to the Inkerman Heights, where he again gave a speech to the troops and gave his blessing. From there, without returning to Sevastopol, he went to Simferopol; from Simferopol he had already sent a travel document to Archpriest A. L-vu, who did not have time to say goodbye to him, but he could not use it. ) Commander of the 6th Sapper Battalion, later a general and Knight of St. George. By agreement between the naval authorities and the diocesan authorities, the author of the letters was awarded a golden cross in St. George. tape from the office of His Emperor. Majesty, decorated with precious stones, and the priest Demyanovich, a golden cross on St. George's. ribbon, without decorations. The author of the letters moved to the Nikolaevskaya battery, having miraculously escaped death in his church apartment, destroyed by a bomb at 12 o'clock at night. Having woken up before this from strong thirst, he left his room in which he slept, for safety, on the floor, against the wall, below the window sill, but as soon as he crossed the hallway into the kitchen, a bomb flew into his bedroom and, exploding here, destroyed half of the house, and with a shrapnel wounded the young son of the priest Demyanovich, who was sleeping in the next apartment, in the leg. The cohabitants of Archpriest A. L-va in Mina were two midshipmen, one of whom, now Vice Admiral Weiss, was recently in the city of Sevastopol. head. The so-called Synodal crosses, granted to clergy, at that time, after the death of these persons, were sent to St. Synod through consistory. Among the scattered remains of my meager property in the chest, fortunately, two icons dear to me survived: the icon of the Mother of God (the blessing of my parents, damaged by a piece of copper, which remained in her hand holding the baby Jesus; the other icon of the Mother of God (the blessing of my wife’s parents) remained unharmed, although the icon case and frame were broken. I keep these holy icons as the only property saved from Sevastopol and as a blessing to generation and generation. What's on Malakhov Kurgan. What makes it especially difficult is his wounded son, who costs him a lot. It would be better to send the sexton Berezovsky to a monastery, where he would be somewhat prepared for the position of a clerk, and let a worthy person enjoy the regular salary and mug. At the Cosmo-Demyanovsky spring on the slope of Chegtyrdag, where the monastery was built. Of course, the bronze crosses on the Vladimir Ribbon, granted in memory of the war of 1853–1856 to all Orthodox clergy of that time. It was restored to its original form in 1891 by the builder of the battleship “Sinop” Volodin at his own expense, according to the wishes of the Empress Maria Feodorovna.