Краткий очерк жизни и деятельности старца, священноархимандрита схимонаха Варсонофия

Elder Schema-Archimandrite Barsanuphius, in the world Pavel Ivanovich Plikhankov, from hereditary nobles, was born on July 5, 1845. After completing his education in the Polotsk Cadet Corps, he entered military service and rose to the rank of colonel of the Orenburg Cossack Army as the head of the mobilization department and senior adjutant of the Kazan Military District; but the spiritual direction, instilled in him by his pious parents in childhood, took precedence over all other interests, and he decided to devote himself to God. The rumor about the ever-memorable Fr. Ambrose attracted him to Optina; the great Elder, approving his intention, blessed him to enter the monastery, and he was accepted into the brotherhood of the Forerunner Skete of the same Hermitage in December 1891. For three years, every evening, he went for long conversations to the ever-memorable elder Fr. Anatoly, and then to Fr. Joseph. For the first twelve years he studied church ascetic literature in a solitary cell under the guidance of elders. Then in 1903, already in the rank of hieromonk, he was appointed assistant to the Elder and confessor of the Amvrosievsky women's hermitage and pilgrims. During the war with Japan, he was sent to the Far East to serve in infirmaries and hospitals of the Red Cross, for which he was awarded the pectoral cross. Upon his return, he was again appointed confessor. In 1906, His Eminence Anthony, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg, called him for a higher appointment, but Father, out of humility and love for a solitary life, declined the offer of the Eminence Vladyka and remained in Optina, where in 1907 he was appointed monastery commander, elevated to the rank of abbot and awarded the club. In this post, a particularly wide field of activity opened up for him. He was entrusted with the spiritual care of both the brotherhood and all visitors, for which he daily received all kinds of persons for oral conversations, with whom he then had daily correspondence, reaching no less than 4,000 letters annually. With the death of the ever-memorable Fr. Archpriest John of Kronstadt and Elder Fr. Barnabas, the flow of pilgrims to Optina increased noticeably. Among them were many people from the upper classes, as well as students of both sexes in higher educational institutions. Excited by various feelings, confused by doubts, they resorted to the help and guidance of Elder Barsanuphius and from him, with the assistance of the grace of God, they found appropriate healing. Long before he entered the monastery, the Lord seemed to be preparing him for the feat of eldership, as is clearly evidenced by the resolution of the Right Reverend Veniamin, Bishop of Kaluga and Borovsk, in which the Right Reverend cites the memory of the Elder as a man known to him for his ascetic disposition even when he was in military service. During his entire stay in Optina, the Elder never left the monastery and left it only out of obedience; His last trip out of obedience was in 1910 to the Astapovo station to address and admonish Count L.N. Tolstoy, which, however, as everyone knows, was not allowed by those around the count, to the general regret of all Orthodox Christians and, above all, Fr. Barsanuphia. Farewell of Elder Barsanuphius to the brotherhood of Optina Pustyn In March 1912, news of Father’s supreme appointment suddenly spread around the brethren. It was difficult to reconcile this news with the thought of the severity of losing him; it was even more difficult to believe that the frail Elder, whose ailments were growing more and more, would leave Optina. Therefore, the hope that Father would remain in Optina as before did not leave the brotherhood almost until the Easter holiday. But the Elder revealed himself to be the adamant of monastic service; and so the brethren learned that on April 2, on Monday on St. Thomas, he would leave the monastery. Farewell, with the humility and modesty characteristic of Optina residents, took place after the late Liturgy in the Kazan Cathedral, where all the brethren of the monastery, headed by Fr. Archimandrite Xenophon, as well as Elder Barsanuphius himself and the pilgrims. A farewell prayer service was served, before the start of which Fr. Archimandrite Xenophon addressed the Elder with the following farewell speech: I am your Lord, Lord, and a stranger, like all my fathers. Have you thought, dear Fr. Abbot, that you, who have almost completed your life’s journey, will have to part with Optina, and precisely when you were most attached to her and, perhaps, could not imagine life outside of Optina? Did I ever think of parting with you and leading the monastery without your help and assistance? But then, like a thunderbolt overhead, the unexpected news of your appointment to another monastery broke out... How fragile everything is, I thought, and I remembered the words of Scripture on this occasion: “I am your sovereign and a stranger, like all my fathers.”531 Yes, truly, we should never have forgotten this and, not seeing anything stable here on earth, where everything is just vanity, we should have been prepared for all trials and vicissitudes. Looking at you, most revered Fr. Abbot, I console myself with the words of the same divinely inspired Psalter: “From the Lord man’s feet are straightened, and his ways are greatly delighted” 532 and yet I cannot overcome the sorrowful feeling and depressing thought that you are leaving me and the brethren. Since 1907, you have shared with me the burden of abbotship, which is especially responsible under current conditions, and during this time you have greatly facilitated my work in managing the monastery. Before my eyes, the Skete entrusted to you was landscaped by you, both internally and externally, and is now being left by you in a flourishing state; churches, sacristy, refectory, library, cells, contents and sources of content - everything speaks in favor of your management. Expressing my deep gratitude to you for all this, I will not hide from you that it is not easy for me and it is very regrettable to let you go from the monastery. You know, and I will not forget this, what you were for me in difficult moments of life and leadership, especially in recent years. Few people know you as well as I do, and therefore cannot appreciate you, and therefore fall into regrettable errors in their judgments about you. This is your first visit to Optina; your image stands clearly in my eyes, just as it did when I was still a hierodeacon. This was in the eighties; I was in line when you entered the church, while still in the uniform of a colonel. I will not forget what a pleasant impression you made on me during this visit, and this first impression did not deceive me. Having entered the ranks of novices, and this was in 1891, you found yourself at the height of consciousness of the monastic feat you had undertaken, and this after the splendor and dispersion of high society life. I remember, before our eyes, how devoted you were to the elder Fr. Anatoly, how they used his leadership in complete humility, with the cutting off of their will. Fulfilling his will, you took part in the Optina printed publications. I also remember the diligence you showed in the construction of the monument at the grave of Fr. Ambrose. At the end of the trial, being presented for tonsure, you did not think about the deprivation of your pension, in which your selflessness was revealed. My memories of your spiritual growth before my eyes, under the experienced guidance of the Optina elders, do not have even a shadow of bias. As proof of this, I will allow myself to cite the review of you by His Eminence Veniamin: “The said novice Pavel Ivanovich Plikhankov,” wrote Vladyka, “is personally known to me for his religious disposition and desire for an ascetic life from the time when I was a priest in Kazan, and he was a colonel.” Everyone still remembers your strictly solitary life in the Skete and your diligent study of the patristic and ascetic works for twelve years. No one, of course, has forgotten how you were sent to the Far East during the last war, how difficult it was for you to leave us, and how with honor, worthy of the name Optina, you bore the obedience entrusted to you. Then, when you were called up for a higher assignment, your sincere love for Optina was especially revealed, your stay and service in which you preferred to everything else. And here, finally, is your eldership and clergy. It would seem, by all considerations, that here, in Optina, where you have worked so hard, you would calm down. But the Lord, from whom man’s feet are straightened, 533 has destined for you a different field of life and activity. And now a new lot of service, higher and more honorable, falls on you, and falls quite suddenly, so that both you and I, in submission and with humility, as our ever-memorable elders taught us, could say with all our hearts without complaint: “I am a stranger and a stranger with You, Lord!” May God strengthen you in a new feat of broader and more fruitful service! According to the ancient covenant, we know how to satisfy our mutual grief: pray for me, for the brethren, and we for you. Once again I offer you my sincere gratitude on behalf of the council of elder brethren, and may the Lord reward you for your zealous and fruitful service to the Holy Church in this difficult time, if not in this, then in the future life. Amen. The Elder responded to this speech with a short word, in which he attributed everything he had accomplished for the benefit of the monastery to the all-pervading grace of God: “I console and encourage myself,” he said among other things, “with the thought that the Lord not only accepts deeds, but also kisses intentions, but my intentions were the kindest: I would like to serve a lot, very much for you, fathers and brothers, and for the whole monastery, and if in If I didn’t have time, I ask you to cover my weakness with condescension... It’s sad and hard for me to part with you, but, apparently, it pleases God, because from Him a person’s feet are straightened; I strive not to forget that we are not the imams of the city that is here, but the one to come 534. My strength is already weak and my infirmities are many, but I am strengthened by faith in the grace of God, which “replenishes the shortage,” and the hope is inseparable from me that this time the Lord will not abandon me with His mercy, as when I parted with you, leaving for the Far East, for which I earnestly ask for your prayers, venerable Fr. Archimandrite, and yours, dear fathers and brothers, all without exception... May the grace and peace and love of God be with you all..." At the end of the prayer service, the sacristan and confessor of the pilgrims, who is also the confessor of the Elder himself, hieromonk Fr. Theodosius, now the monastery commander and temporary deputy rector of the Pustyn, with the blessing of the abbot, pronounced the following farewell word on behalf of the entire brotherhood of the monastery: Your Reverence, most honorable Fr. Abbot, our venerable Elder and spiritual father! Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks 535. The heart is full, the word involuntarily asks for the tongue. Bless us this time, as you blessed us for every good deed: give a blessing to this word, the word from a sincere heart, the farewell word of your spiritual children and verbal sheep. With Easter bright and joyful songs, we accompany you to the place of your new ministry. God wants the lamp that has shone among us to shine even brighter, and so He takes you out of the humble Desert and places you on a higher candlestick, in a more visible and open place, in sight of the very capital of the throne. A higher purpose is entrusted to you, your worthy gray hairs are decorated with the sign of the highest church distinction, a wider field for spiritual activity is opened up for you, where you will deploy your unusual spiritual powers to an even greater extent. You leave us at the time of your spiritual blossoming, at a particularly difficult time for us, you leave us when we need you most and in such a matter, more important than anything else in the world: you leave us without your guidance in the matter of saving the soul and preparing for eternity. And so, you will no longer be among us, but we became so close to you, became attached to you and considered you ours forever; It never occurred to us that you would ever leave us. Bitter farewell, sad parting, sad unknown separation! On these bright, solemn days we rejoiced and spiritually rejoiced in psalms and songs and spiritual songs, chanting and singing in our hearts to the Lord 536. All sorrow seemed to be forgotten for a while. The thought of the Risen Lord and the joyful feeling in the hope of co-resurrection with Him into the eternal belly - that’s what made us happy and occupied. The same feeling of bright joy and triumph of Orthodoxy in the Resurrection of Christ apparently filled your heart when, as usual, we gathered to greet you on Bright Day. Seeing your cheerful and cheerful face with a cheerful smile, I somehow didn’t want to think that parting was approaching. I remember that we listened to your words as complacently as you said them: “It’s good when visiting,” you cited a Russian proverb, “but at home it’s even better; So, although I am leaving, I imagine that I am going to visit, but I still consider and will continue to consider Optina as home.” And the thought that we would lose you became even more distant in our minds. But the other is human and the other is God. And now, what we didn’t want to think about has arrived. It’s hard to believe that for the last time you came to teach us fatherly instruction and bless us. It will take you a while to understand and appreciate what is happening. It’s as if everything is still the same: you are still in communication with us, and as if nothing threatens him, and, however, such communication will no longer exist. And involuntarily everything that happened in this communication is resurrected in memory. And first of all, the words of the Savior come to my mind: “Leave the children to come to Me and do not scold them” 537. Neither old age, nor illness, nor the multitude of occupations, combined with difficult service in the position of abbot and spiritual father, took you away from us, and you were a faithful follower of these words of the Lord: “Leave the children to come to Me...” It was a touching and edifying sight when on certain days you came out to us, your spiritual children, to teach edification and blessing; It was instructive to come a little earlier and be in a cell filled with unearthly peace and splendor in anticipation of your appearance, when, it happened, you concentrated all your thoughts on the power and significance of your communication with us and completely immersed yourself in prayer, so that through you the grace of God would illuminate the soul overwhelmed by temptations. It was gratifying and joyful then to see the Elder, grey-haired, talking with his God-given children with evangelical simplicity, childish meekness and trustfulness; Even more touching was the so-called general blessing. Therefore, while we rejoice for your new spiritual children, who have acquired in your person a true father and shepherd, we ourselves are filled with sadness. “Peace be with you” - these words of the Risen Lord were heard more than once during the past Easter week. You, our spiritual father, imitated him in all your activities for our spiritual benefit. But especially memorable in this regard will be for us your visits to us in the monastery itself, when for some time every day you devoted the evening hours to us after evening prayer for soul-saving conversations. How simple and at the same time deep, and with what warmth these conversations were imbued, in which you taught how to acquire the peace of God in the heart; how one must most of all strive to live in peace with the Lord, one’s neighbors and one’s conscience; how necessary it is to make every effort to acquire a living faith in Christ, and to constantly warm your heart with ardent love for Him, in order to lay the foundation for the Kingdom of Christ in the soul here on earth. How much spiritual strength and wisdom was poured onto us then! At that time there was hardly one of us who would not experience the effect of sweet exhortations and would not go peacefully to his cell, so that with renewed strength, inspired by the spirit of Christ of love and peace, he would take up the interrupted or wavered feat, the abandoned or neglected obedience. The good fruits of such communication are innumerable, they will always be in memory and will never be forgotten. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you” 538 - this is what the Savior bequeathed to us. Let the peace of Christ also permeate our farewell; May this peace embrace the hearts of everyone, no matter who and in what degree of spiritual relationship to you. There is no sincere faith in the Risen One, where the song “Resurrection Day” 539 is heard only with the lips, there is no world where without heartfelt participation it is sung: “And we will forgive all those who hate us through the Resurrection” 540. So, in the name of Christ, “let us embrace one another,” and in the fullness of peace and love, all together, from the first to the last of the brethren, in peace we lead the preacher of peace to new exploits of peace. Let us earnestly pray to the Lord, that He may protect your departure with peace, as He blessed your entry with Him. Pray for us too, so that the Lord, with your departure, will not deprive us of His peace, with which our monastery has lived and now lives. It is even harder for us to part with you when we remember that you were our elder. And with your departure, one of the main stones is, as it were, removed from the spiritual foundation of the monastery. Successor of the ever-memorable Optina elders, you were a faithful interpreter of their covenants. Until now, all your great predecessors carried out their high feat of eldership within the walls of this monastery to the end and rested in its depths; But the Lord has judged a different lot for you... We know and believe that you bore a heavy yoke, unbearable under modern conditions of salvation. In our time, which is scarce for spiritual people, few penetrate into this wise matter, and those to whom it is revealed, only those will understand and appreciate what they are missing in your person. And the rigor of ascetic life, barely accessible under the present conditions of life, and a mind enlightened by knowledge, and rich talents, and knowledge of human souls, and discernment of enemy weapons, and spiritual experience, and even, what is most precious of all, the gift of reasoning - everything that attracted to you the souls of people who gave themselves not out of fear, but out of conscience to your spiritual guidance, you had all these gifts of God for our benefit and nourishment and now you are taking them away from us. by yourself, going to another place, to other people. Your covenants must remain indelible in our memory: to keep a clear conscience in relation to God, the brethren and in the cell; do not give up mental warfare even for a minute; never interrupt the Jesus Prayer, for which, first of all, it is unacceptable to fulfill the cell rule, while in every possible way avoiding idle talk and free communication with the brethren; do not grumble about the monastic order, but thank God for everything and consider yourself unworthy of anything; with increasing zeal and love, bear and show all obedience to the superior and elder brethren; without the blessing of the spiritual father, do nothing and not carry out any intention; It is especially dangerous to consider for yourself the condemnation of elders and unauthorized, without blessing, leaving the monastery, firmly remembering and never forgetting that staying in Optina is the greatest mercy of God, which absolutely must be earned by living a life in accordance with the covenants of the great elders who rest in Optina. A separate confession, which very many have been awarded, will be imprinted forever in the mind and heart - a special, lengthy confession, in which you explored all the twists and secrets of the human soul, a confession that, without exaggeration, reborn the repentant. Just like everyone else who took care of you, these ones will consider themselves most obliged to you until the grave, and your name will be one of the first in their prayers. There will be a fervent prayer on the part of such persons, may your departure from here be temporary, may the Lord turn it into a soul-saving journey and again may he return you to the place of service you are leaving, to Optina, where you started. God help you in your new ministry. Brotherly love in Christ Jesus again prompts us to rejoice for our brethren, to whom He is now directing your steps; We would be even more reconciled with your departure by the comforting news that they loved, respected and were devoted to you just as we, your spiritual children, the brothers of Optina Pustyn, loved, honored and were devoted to you. What will we give you as a farewell reward for all your labors? How do we appreciate them, and what word of gratitude will be equivalent to them? And we have not yet mentioned here about your leadership activity in your beloved Skete, about its improvement and your nourishment of both the common people and the educated classes, about the disposition of the intelligentsia towards the Church, about attracting pilgrims to the Hermitage and about the extensive correspondence, following the example of the ever-memorable elders... Such was your activity for the benefit of Optina. And we, the inhabitants of Optina, are deprived of such a tireless worker in these difficult days of the new hard times, when the foundations of the Church and the state are shaken, when the seven-thousand-year-old enemy stands fully armed with all his might, and when the fight against him is especially difficult and requires special skill and experienced leadership. Spiritual gifts are becoming scarce, the ranks of fighters are thinning, shepherds one after another leave or are separated from their flock, just like you and I today, losing two elders at once in the course of just one year. Is it possible that because of our sins, the terrible word of God will come true on us: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered 541? Where and in what way should we look for a means of peace of mind in such grave sorrows and upcoming formidable trials? You, our spiritual helmsman, know better than us and will not refuse to show us the path by which we would unmistakably march towards our goal without you, just as with you... Would we be mistaken if we say that there is only one means left in our possibility, one path - this is to follow the precepts of the elders who have passed away and yours and to pray. Pray for us, for our well-being and peace without you, and we will pray for you. We see that it is no less regrettable for you to part with us and your beloved brainchild - Skeet. This mutual sorrow brings us even closer together, giving room for reinforcement in trust in the word of God, which speaks approvingly and comfortingly: The Lord is near to the brokenhearted. You will be sorrowful in the world, but dare, for I have conquered the world 542. Amen. After “many years” Fr. The archimandrite presented the Elder with an icon of the Kazan Mother of God in a silver-gilded frame, asking him to accept it as a sign of constant prayerful communication and a reminder of himself, the brotherhood and the monastery. Following this, all the brethren, one by one, began to come up for blessing. Approaching the Elder, everyone, according to the custom established from time immemorial in the Desert, fell to their knees, many of them showing tears. The Elder's last blessing was touching. It was not difficult to see how passionately the brethren loved and deeply devoted to the Elder, and how difficult the separation was for her. The church was filled with sobs when the Elder moved towards the exit... As a prayerful reminder of himself, the Elder blessed all the brethren with icons... This time there was a feeling of sadness and sorrow in the monastery: everyone was somehow unusually concentrated in themselves, walking with their faces downcast, as if Optina was deprived of something dear and most necessary... It was obvious to everyone that Pustyn, in the person of Elder Barsanuphius, had suffered a great loss, which was especially sensitive at this time. But the word of God is not false: “Many are the sorrows of the righteous, and the Lord will deliver me from them all” 543. Even with the prayers of the Most Pure Mother of God and the elders, wake up, wake up. Arrival of Elder Barsanuphius in Moscow. His elevation to the rank of archimandrite. Departure for the Staro-Golutvin Monastery and assumption of the position of abbot On the morning of April 3, the train of the Moscow-Kievo-Voronezh Railway, which Father was traveling on, stopped at the Moscow station. It was 9 o'clock at the beginning. Coming out of the carriage, Father went straight to the Epiphany Monastery to see His Eminence Tryphon, from whom he received a cordial, warm welcome. Having entered the cathedral church of the monastery and prayed, Father went to the Iveron Chapel to venerate the miraculous image of the Mother of God, which he especially revered. On the same day he visited the chapel of St. Great Martyr Panteleimon, and the next, April 4, having celebrated Matins, early mass and requiem for the elder Hieroschemamonk Joseph in the Epiphany Monastery (that was the day of the Angel of the Ever-Memorable Elder), Father went to venerate St. relics of the wonderworkers of Moscow and other shrines of the Kremlin. Everywhere people crowded around the Elder, everyone vied with each other to accept his blessing; Among the people there were many of his spiritual children who did not leave the Elder. During all the days of the Father’s stay in Moscow, the Epiphany Monastery presented an unusual sight: all day long the people uncontrollably walked to the cell where the Elder stayed in order to accept at least one blessing from him, to see his holy face and kiss his reverend hand. On April 4, Bishop Metropolitan Vladimir instructed His Eminence Tryphon to elevate Father to the rank of archimandrite without delay, which Bishop Tryphon did the very next day. This came as a pleasant surprise to almost everyone, since the day before, until 9 o’clock in the evening, no one knew about the time of the celebration of the Elder’s elevation to the rank of archimandrite. At 9 o'clock in the morning on April 5, the usual bell rang out from the bell tower of the Epiphany Monastery. Nothing in appearance spoke of a triumph about to take place, but the church was filled with pilgrims, which was emphasized in the speech by His Eminence Tryphon, who said: “I see in this crowd the guarantee of the success of your activities in the new place.” Bishop Tryphon himself did not serve; He, dressed in a mantle, omophorion and miter, stood on the pulpit only up to the small entrance, behind which he laid the archimandrite's cross and miter on Father. Dead silence reigned in the church, and only the words of the erection prayers sounded solemnly, in response to which the “axios” thundered from the choirs. Next, the Divine Liturgy followed as usual, performed by Father in the congregation. After the dismissal, Bishop Tryphon came out to the pulpit, holding his staff in his hand, but without a sulka. 544 Having blessed Father to put on the archimandrite’s mantle, the Bishop began his speech. Pointing out that this was the first time he had to perform such an unusual ritual, unusual not in essence, but because the person on whom it was performed was too out of the ordinary, the Vladyka said: “I am used to feeding those who come to this church only with verbal milk, but you demand solid food, which I do not have; therefore, I do not intend to say a word of edification to you, but I only want to express those feelings with which my soul is filled at this sacred moment...” Then the Right Reverend remembered his first acquaintance with Father, his conversations with him, briefly revealed, as far as he knew, Father’s entire life in the Skete, mentioned his sorrows, especially recently, ending with the last great sorrow - separation from the blessed, fragrant, paradise-like The monastery and transfer “to a country far away” to the alien, unknown Golutvin. But what can you do? It is from the Lord that a person’s feet are corrected. The Bishop repeated this text many times in his speech. In conclusion, expressing confidence that in the new place Father’s service would be even more fruitful, Vladyka handed Father his staff, while pronouncing the words of presentation: “Take this staff, with which you can feed the verbal sheep...” This speech was repeatedly interrupted by the crying of those present. Immediately, Vladyka blessed the new holy archimandrite with two icons of the Savior (one on his own behalf, the other on behalf of Father’s spiritual children) and asked to bless the assembled people with a general and individual blessing for everyone. On the same day, Father visited Metropolitan Vladimir and asked for his blessing to become his abbot. April 6, by train at 9 o'clock in the morning, Father with the dean of the monasteries, Fr. Archimandrite Valentin left for his new monastery. It was the second hour of the day when the train approached Golutvin station. Father and Fr. The monastery carriages were already waiting for the dean, in which they immediately went to the monastery. From a distance the roar of the bells of the Staro-Golutvin Monastery began to be heard, and then the view of it opened up; Father prophetically said: “From here I will appear before the Lord.” We arrived at the gates of the monastery. Met by all her brethren, Father put on his archimandrite's mantle, venerated the cross and, taking his staff, went at the head of all the clergy of the monastery to the cathedral church. A lithium was served here, during which Father kissed St. the throne, local icons and the miraculous image of St. Sergius, patron of the Staro-Golutvin Monastery. Then Fr. the dean elevated Father to the abbot's place, and all the brethren in turn came up for the blessing. Having blessed everyone, Father, accompanied by the brethren, walked warmly into the abbot’s chambers, where, after singing the troparion and kontakion to the Epiphany of the Lord and the “many years”, he accepted the image of St. the monk presented to him by the brethren. Sergius and said a short word in which, saying that all his activities would be based on love, as a guarantee of peace, and all of them would be imbued with it, he mutually asked the brethren to cover with love the shortcomings of his management and his weaknesses, and also asked for common holy prayers. Then the verification and acceptance by Father of the monastery capital and cash began. At the end of this painful but necessary procedure, a love supper was offered to those gathered, after which Fr. The dean left for Moscow, and Father began to put in order his cells, in which he was destined by God to live for exactly a year. It is worth mentioning here that Father attached great importance to the fact that he had to be the rector of the monastery founded by St. Sergius, the Wonderworker of Radonezh, on whose memorial day, July 5, he was born and to whom he always prayed since childhood. Father was also greatly consoled by the fact that he accepted the abbot’s staff of the Staro-Golutvin Monastery, where for 500 years the staff of the great wonderworker Sergius, left by him to his disciple Rev., has been reverently preserved. Gregory, Abbot of Golutvin, as a pledge of his constant assistance to him and his successors in the labors of the abbot. Activities of Father in Golutvin as abbot and elder Upon his arrival in Golutvin, Father immediately, with his characteristic zeal and energy, began his new abbot’s work, taking care of the external and internal improvement of the monastery. It is difficult to speak about this activity of Father in Golutvin in a few words, but if the Lord blesses, it will be discussed in detail in the full biography of the Elder. However, it cannot be kept silent even now that Father’s labors in Golutvin were extremely great and associated with great sorrows... The Elder’s strength apparently weakened; but despite this, he worked tirelessly for the benefit of the monastery entrusted to him by God and his spiritual flock. Father began with his appearance: he demanded that no one leave the monastery without a blessing, he demanded neatness in clothing, strict attendance at Matins, for which he himself was the first to set an example, etc. But Father knew how to not only demand, he was also inimitable in consoling the brethren. All those who mourned, all those who needed anything, found in him a caring, loving father. The common fraternal meal was also improved and brought to a high level. The monastery apparently came to life, especially since those who sincerely wanted to escape under the priest’s leadership began to flock to Golutvin from everywhere. The brotherhood was more and more renewed, and if some tried, according to their concepts of monasticism, to make only the outer man a monk, then others, imbued with the priest’s instructions, began to renew their inner man. But, of course, this last thing is not a matter of one year, but sometimes of many decades; Father lived in Golutvin for exactly a year. Therefore, he could only improve the appearance of the Golutvin monks, accustoming them to decorum at meals and outside their cells, to fulfilling the rules and uncomplainingly carrying out obediences; he laid only the beginning and foundation for internal renewal, which we believe is already unshakable for many. The rumor about the great Elder quickly spread throughout the area, people began to come, donations began to flow in, with the help of which Father could only do what he did: with the onset of summer, major renovations of the entire monastery began, which required thousands of expenses, but the Lord apparently helped Father. The entire monastery was washed, repainted, cleaned, and renovated. One of the main monuments of such priestly activity in Golutvin was the artistic gilded metal vestment of the throne of the main cathedral, which cost 1,650 rubles. And one can truly wonder how the Elder had enough strength. After all, it must be taken into account that he had a huge correspondence with spiritual children, and from lunch until late evening there was a reception of people who came and went to him from all sides of Russia. “If you bring forth the honorable from the unworthy, as My mouth 6 deceives,” 545 says the Lord through the prophet, and these words apply best to Father. How often in the most desperate sinner, who had fallen to the last degree of sinfulness, the God-wise Elder was able to find and open the polluted and tarnished image of God and show the person, who in the depths of his soul thought of himself as eternally lost, his own god-like soul with all its wondrous powers and properties bestowed by the Creator. As if amazed, the unfortunate man looked at the meekly smiling Elder, and suddenly tears began to pour out of his eyes. He wept that he had wandered for so long through the paths of sin, that he had offended and angered God’s long-suffering for so long, that he had so madly deprived himself of divine life and was slowly poisoning his entire being with the poison of sin. And Father, placing his hand on his head, quietly whispered words of instruction, from which the penitent was all inflamed with the desire for true life in God and the determination to fight sin until his last breath. Truly, for believers, Father’s mouth was the mouth of God. And how many of the Elder’s spiritual children were saved by him from the very jaws of hell! When Bishop Tryphon briefly mentioned this in his funeral homily to Father, what a cry of sorrow burst from the hearts of hundreds of those present who could not restrain themselves from sobbing in their great grief! Here is one of many similar cases. One person reached a desperate state and had already decided to commit suicide. But then a thought flashes through her mind: I’ll write to Elder Barsanuphius, and then I’ll settle all my life’s scores. I wrote it. One day waits, another day waits... the third - there is no answer. She locks herself in the room... She takes the revolver, is already touching the trigger, when suddenly the bell rings... Startled, she lowers the deadly weapon... A minute of hesitation... Having put down the revolver, she goes to the door and... sees a letter from Father. Helplessly sagging on a chair, she tears the envelope with trembling hands... She reads... and, sobbing, falls to her knees in front of the images. The Elder's letter changed her whole soul. Her immortal, godlike soul was saved for a mysterious blissful eternity. It is impossible to convey all such cases, but every day in the silence of the priest’s prayer room how many such appeals to God were made, how many wondrous births into a new life in God, how many living captives of hell the freedom of the children of God was returned! Father had a character somewhat similar to the character of the great Optina elders Leo and Anatoly: his incorruptible justice, simplicity and directness were unbearable for all proud people, self-righteous people and unrepentant sinners; he himself could not be disingenuous and could not tolerate double-mindedness in anyone. He was a true Israeli, with no flattery in him 546. But the lot of all the righteous is sorrow and persecution. Father did not escape this destiny, having achieved a high degree of righteousness through secret monastic work, which he did not reveal to anyone except his mentors, the elders hieroschemamonks Anatoly and Joseph. Only a small grain of this spiritual treasure was preserved in his cell notes, most of which Father destroyed during his lifetime. Collecting from these precious grains, if the Lord blesses, we will try over time to create a complete, majestic, spiritually beautiful image of the soul of the great Elder. The Elder's dying illness. Submitting a petition for their resignation. Blessed death While the Orthodox believing people flocked to the Elder to receive relief from not only mental but also physical ailments, Father himself was being undermined by a severe illness at that time. For a long time now, over 20 years, he attacked Father and since then has not left him until the grave. Or rather, Father had not just one illness, but several, only all belonging to the category of stomach and intestinal. There is no doubt that nerves played a significant role in this disease. Father's incessant worries in Golutvin, numerous griefs, overwork and often complete exhaustion from backbreaking labor increased his illness every day. Somehow Father managed to cope throughout 1912, but from the very beginning of 1913 he began to quickly weaken. It started with a cold during the Great Blessing of Water on Epiphany Eve, when he immediately felt very ill. From that time on, the Elder’s stomach completely refused to digest food, although it was taken in the most insignificant quantities. It remained entirely in the stomach and intestines, which were cleared, and even then not completely, only after taking strong laxatives. The whole month of January went by like this. At the beginning of February, Father, despite his weakness, undertook a trip to Moscow on monastery business. In Moscow, Father suddenly felt so bad that he quickly hurried to return to Golutvin, without even completing half of the planned program of affairs. However, having returned to his monastery, Father did not stop receiving people, although his strength was noticeably declining every day. In mid-February he fell ill and on the 15th he confessed, received the Holy Mysteries, and then expressed a fervent desire to receive unction. Those around him began to fear for his life, but the Lord preserved it for another month and a half; he stood up and again began his feat of serving the suffering. On February 21, at the invitation of the Kolomna clergy, Father performed a solemn service in the Kolomna Cathedral on the occasion of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the reign of the House of Romanov. February and the first days of March passed. Father hardly ate anything anymore. On March 9, during the all-night vigil (it was Saturday), he felt very bad and did not go to church, and then did not serve on Sunday. On March 12, Father wrote to the head of the Optina Hermitage skete, Hieromonk Theodosius, in his own hand a whole long letter, in which, among other things, he said the following: “In moments of sorrowful thoughts about various hardships, I am carried away in my mind to dear Optina, to my beloved Skete...” Then, expressing a desire to return to the Skete, he wrote: “Perhaps the Lord will vouchsafe me to shut myself up in it and prepare for death, which is apparently approaching; ...I will dwell on the decision for now: to wait for a clear indication of the will of God...” However, Father received people until Wednesday, March 13, inclusive. On Wednesday evening, as usual, he prepared to go to church for matins at 12 o'clock at night, but his illness became so severe that a confessor was immediately invited, who immediately confessed and communed Father with the spare Holy Gifts. From that day until his blessed death, the Elder partook of the Holy Mysteries of Christ almost every day and did not take any food or drink in the literal sense. They invited a paramedic, and on Saturday, March 16, a doctor arrived from Moscow, who diagnosed intestinal paralysis and prescribed a course of treatment, but Father flatly refused, completely surrendering to the will of God and rejecting all medical means and all the arguments of human reason. Immediately, Father ordered to invite all the brethren to say goodbye to him, and blessed everyone with icons. The spiritual children of the Elder and the people were also admitted. On March 17, a private spiritual testament was written. Then, on March 22, Father sent Metropolitan Macarius of Moscow a petition with the following content: “I kneel and ask, as a favor, the petition of Your Eminence before the Holy Governing Synod to dismiss me from my position as rector of the Kolomna Staro-Golutvin Monastery and to transfer me to the brethren of the Kozelskaya Vvedenskaya Optina Hermitage monastery, where I began my monastic life and lived for more than 20 years. What prompts me to such a request is, on the one hand, the responsibility, labors and duties of a superior, and on the other hand, my countless mental and physical weaknesses, due to which I cannot worthily bear these responsibilities. I accepted the burden of leadership as a heavy yoke, I accepted it as obedience only, just as in 1905, despite my 60 years of age, I accepted a business trip to the Far East to perform pastoral duties in the army. I went there as if condemned to death, no longer hoping to see my dear Skeet; however, the hand of the Lord was with me, and I returned safely to my native Optina Pustyn. I hoped then, leaving all external worries, in the silence of my cell to mourn my sins, to cleanse my soul with tears and prepare my soul for the transition to eternity, but God judged otherwise. By the will of His Eminence Veniamin, the former bishop of Kaluga and Borovsk, upon the election of the entire brotherhood of Optina Pustyn, I was appointed head of the Skete, fraternal confessor and elder instead of the elder Hieroschemamonk Joseph, who retired due to illness from carrying out these positions, whose assistant I had been listed as since 1904. In 1907 I was elevated to the rank of abbot. I wasn't looking for any of this; I prayed to the Lord only to have the opportunity to work unhindered for Him as an ordinary monk; I hoped that sooner or later the Lord would not reject my prayer, and I bore the cross of authority and eldership placed on me. This was the case until the beginning of 1912. I was already thinking that the time was approaching when I would have the opportunity to step away from positions of authority and in a solitary cell to cleanse my inner being with prayer and tears; I had already submitted a petition to dismiss me from my position, when suddenly I was appointed abbot of the Staro-Golutvin Monastery. Dejected by illnesses, not having the proper experience to manage an entire monastery, burdened with the seven dozen years I had lived, with great sorrow, as if on a crucifixion, I set out from my native Skete and, as if under a crown of thorns, I bowed my head under the golden miter. For a whole year I carried a cross beyond my strength, but now I am completely exhausted. I am lying on my bed, perhaps already on my deathbed, I am lying, completely broken by the severe ailments that have crushed me, and in great sorrow I beg Your Eminence to intercede before the Holy Governing Synod for my dismissal from the post of abbot of the Staro-Golutvin Monastery with my transfer to the brotherhood of the Optina Monastery monastery.” When Father signed the petition, he said to his clerk: “As soon as I receive my dismissal, we will all go to Optina, where I will lay down my bones.” The situation became more and more serious every day. The Elder's clerks, alternating with his cell attendants, did not leave his bed day and night. Even in great suffering, Father did not forget about his spiritual children, especially caring for those around him, and how touching these concerns were! He taught them a lot during this time about patience, humility and life in the spirit. “Come, children, listen to me,” he said, “the honest river...” - and they all, surrounding his bed, looked with sorrow as this great lamp went out, at the hour of its shining the hearts of his spiritual children rejoiced so much from the consciousness that he was leading them not astray; they watched as this great bearer of the best behests of the Optina eldership passed away into eternity; they looked and reverently held their breath, eagerly catching his every word, clearly realizing that this source of living water was drying up forever. Meanwhile, March was already ending and the number of 365 days had expired from the day of his departure from Optina Pustyn, with which the death of Father was supposed to coincide, according to the sad prophecy of the blessed Paraskeva of Sarov. Father suffered greatly and sometimes even groaned. A huge tumor in the throat, which appeared a week and a half before death, greatly impeded breathing. Father often called by name, in addition to the holy saints of God and the Mother of God, for whom he had a childhood love, also all the Optina elders: Leo, Macarius, Ambrose, Hilarion, Anatoly and Joseph, saying: “Father Lev, Father Anatoly, Father Joseph, help me with your holy prayers!” On March 31, at 11 a.m., the waste card was read for the third time (the first time it was read on March 20, and the second time on the 30th). It was noticeable that it was becoming more and more difficult for Father to breathe. At this time, he began to speak and ask those around him if they understood, but they could not quite clearly understand his speech, since Father was pronouncing his words too indistinctly and weakly. However, in order not to tire Father with repeated questions, they said that they understood everything. Then. Father began to talk about Paradise, but his speech became weaker and more indistinct every minute. Whether Father had any vision or not is unknown. It was only clear that they were talking about Paradise. These were his last words. All the time he was fully conscious and called those around him by name. Around 6 a.m. Father fell silent and began to breathe quietly and evenly. His breathing became less and less frequent, and at 7 o'clock 7 minutes in the morning on April 1, 1913, he gave up his soul in the hands of the Lord, Whom he loved so much and for whose sake he crucified himself all his life until the last minute. There were no convulsions with Father at his death, not even any signs of pain were noticed: he seemed to have fallen asleep peacefully. Immediately the Elder’s body was hidden and clothed in the schema, which he had secretly had since 1910 and in which he bequeathed to be placed in a coffin. After reading the canon on the exodus of the soul, the father treasurer of the Staro-Golutvin Monastery, Hieromonk Seraphim, with the dean, Fr. Innocent served the first memorial service amid the inconsolable sobbing of those present. The picture was amazing; the servants and singers themselves could not utter words from tears. Everyone understood that this loss could not be compensated for. Eternal memory, unforgettable, dear Father! Funeral service and transportation of the Elder's body to Optina (From “Moskovskie Vedomosti” No. 82 dated April 9, 1913) The body of the deceased Elder was taken to the summer cathedral that same day, but since it turned out to be too cold there, it was transferred to the winter one in the arms of the Elder’s spiritual children, who had gathered in the monastery during his illness. Here the body stood until April 6 with the continuous service of memorial services. The deceased Elder lay in the schema with his face and hands covered. To the great consolation of the Elder’s spiritual children, the Holy Synod allowed him to be buried in Optina Pustyn, from where Hieromonk Palladius and one of the skete monks came to Staro-Golutvin to transport the body. People flocked to the monastery from all sides. The spiritual children of Elder Barsanuphius came, some to say goodbye to the body, others to stay for the funeral service. Local residents also flocked to the monastery, since during his short stay here the Elder managed to tie everyone’s hearts to himself. In the Elder’s chambers, huge quantities of icons were being distributed for blessing, and his things were distributed to the closest spiritual children of the deceased. There was a continuous service of memorial services over the coffin; the worshipers placed icons, belts, scarves, etc. in the coffin. On April 5, a funeral all-night vigil was served in the cathedral by two abbots of the Kolomna monasteries, and after it the Optina hieromonk Palladius served a requiem service to the general singing of the spiritual children of Fr. Barsanuphius, who did not want to leave the tomb of their beloved Elder until late at night. On April 6, Saturday, the funeral Liturgy was celebrated by His Eminence Tryphon in cathedral with the abbot of the Novo-Golutvinsky Monastery Izmaragd, the abbot of the Bobrenev Monastery Philaret, the archpriest of the Kolomna Cathedral Fr. Nikolai Velezhev, Hieromonk Palladius, local hieromonks and Kolomna clergy. The choir of nuns of the Kolomna convent sang. The vast church was full of worshipers. People stood on benches along all the walls and columns of the cathedral. During the Liturgy, His Eminence Tryphon consecrated Hierodeacon Innocent as a hieromonk. At the end of the service, His Eminence Tryphon, turning to the Elder lying in the coffin, said a farewell word. “For the last time,” the Bishop said approximately, “I see your coffin, dear friend and like-minded person. For the last time we gathered to pray near you, dear brother and Father.” The Bishop indicated on what significant day the funeral service of the Elder took place: “On the day when the Lord Jesus Christ raised Lazarus, giving us all the hope of resurrection. Then the Lord gave us permission to cry over the deceased, Himself shedding tears over Lazarus, although He knew that He would resurrect him. So we cry, and as Elisha, seeing Elijah ascending to heaven, cries out: “Father, father! The chariot of Israel and his cavalry!” 547 and we exclaim: “Father, father, why did you leave us, for whom did you leave us!” Only our tears should not be tears of despondency and despair: let us console ourselves with the fact that our dear brother and Father has left the worldly toil for eternal life and peace, and that the time will come when we too will follow him. We were all connected to him by bonds of love, and love never dies. Or do we think that Father doesn’t see us and doesn’t love us now? He loves, and now he knows and understands our needs even more clearly, and he will always be with us, will always help us.” Then the Lord moved on to memories from the life of the deceased Elder. He remembered the time when the Elder, who had recently left his colonel’s rank and retired to Optina, spent a strictly ascetic life there. There the Bishop visited him in his wretched cell, where there was only a table, a chair and a bare wooden bed, not covered with anything. Fr. Humbly greeted his guest. Barsanuphius bowed to the ground, bowing his gray head in front of the young student hieromonk. While talking, Fr. Barsanuphius said then how good he felt here and how he would like not to leave the Optina monastery for the rest of his life. Vladyka recalled how, during the Russian-Japanese War, Elder Barsanuphius was sent to serve in the army for priestly service and had to leave his beloved Skete and return to the noisy military environment that he had once left. He stopped by the Epiphany Monastery to ask for a parting blessing from the Right Reverend, who blessed him with the icon of St. Great Martyr Panteleimon. Then Fr. Barsanuphius said that although he was terrified to go, but that in the Skete they were fighting enemies who were much more crafty and evil than the Japanese - the enemies of our salvation. Vladyka recalled how after 1905, exhausted by the severity of the time he was going through, he came to rest in Optina and there, in conversations with the loving Elder, he found support and consolation... In deep silence, trying not to utter a single word, they listened to the entire speech of the Vladyka. But when he moved on to remembering the last time of the Elder’s life, sobs shook the church. Everyone cried, remembering the difficult events that everyone remembered so vividly and which they experienced together with the Elder, and the Bishop himself could not help but cry and continued to say with tears: “You only knew how to love, only do good, and what a sea of ​​anger and slander poured out on you! You accepted everything with humility, like the long-suffering Job, saying: “The Lord is given, the Lord is taken away” 548. I am a witness that I have not heard a single word of condemnation from you to anyone. Submissively submitting to the will of God, the Elder left the quiet Optina monastery and in a new place with all zeal devoted himself to the work of improving the monastery. If you, brothers,” Vladyka addressed the Golutvin monks, “have ever seen his gaze stern, then believe me, I know that he loved all of you. But the weak body could not withstand the backbreaking labor, the strength was strained, and Father left us. And so we gathered around him for the last time.” Turning as if to a living friend, Vladyka thanked him for the advice and consolation that he drew from conversations with him, and bowed low to him. “I also bring you a prostration from your spiritual children,” and the Vladyka made a prostration in front of the coffin. “I, as a shepherd,” continued the Bishop, “know what such elders mean in our time. His instructions were valuable because he combined the heights of monastic life with education. As a shepherd, I know the whole sea of ​​grief and sorrow in which people are now tormented, losing faith in God, reaching the point of committing suicide. There are times when it seems that life is losing all meaning, when there is no strength to fight, there is no support from anywhere, and when a person is on the verge of despair. Then the elder appears and says to him: don’t be afraid, you are not alone, lean only on me: I will lead you onto the road. And so the man, who seemed to have died, gradually comes out on the true path, finds strength to fight, and is resurrected to life. And many of them now stand here between us. Just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, so Father gathered his children around him, and now they, having abandoned all their affairs and occupations, gathered around him for the last time. Let us pray for the repose of his soul.” The funeral service began according to the monastic rite, which was performed by His Eminence Tryphon together with the concelebrating clergy. Then all the people gathered in the church said goodbye to the Elder for the last time. The coffin was closed, carried around the church with a procession of the cross and placed in a funeral carriage that was brought to the monastery. Having seen off the coffin, His Eminence Tryphon departed for Moscow, and the service of requiem masses began again over the coffin. The carriage was not locked. The clergy and singers stood around the coffin. Hieromonk Palladius 549 served, replaced by the newly ordained hieromonk Innocent, the Elder's cell attendants, returning with him to Optina, and the nuns from his spiritual children sang; the rest, surrounding the carriage with the expensive coffin, sang along. The sun shone brightly from the sky, the expanse of meadows spread out all around, funeral singing resounded among the resurrected spring nature; the mood was deeply solemn. Meanwhile, a memorial dinner was taking place in the monastery, to which the Elder’s admirers who had gathered were also invited. Until the evening, a memorial service was held at the coffin. At the beginning of the all-night vigil, the carriage, amid loud sobs of the Golutvin residents, was taken to the Golutvin station, where a large general funeral service was served, and was taken to Moscow with the morning six o'clock train. Along with him were attached two carriages in which the spiritual children of the Elder were traveling, who wished to escort his body to Optina Pustyn. Upon arrival in Moscow, on the morning of April 7, funeral services were served at the coffin. By 4 o'clock in the afternoon the carriage was transferred to the Bryansk station, and there the service of memorial services began again, which did not stop until the train departed. Moscow admirers of the Elder gathered at the station to say goodbye to his body and stood in a sad crowd on the platform at the wide open doors of the carriage. By this time the carriage had taken on the appearance of a church. Banners were nailed to the walls, draped with black cloth; the middle of the carriage was occupied by a coffin covered with a golden shroud, with flowers lying on it; behind the coffin there was an external cross and an image of the Mother of God, as well as a large candlestick filled with candles. In the background stood a choir of nuns escorting the body to Optina, and there were a crowd of worshipers with lit candles all around. An unceasing line of admirers of the Elder walked along the wide staircase into the carriage - to venerate the coffin, light a candle, and serve a memorial service. The entire crowd on the platform stood with lit candles, taking up the chants of “Rest with the Saints” and “Eternal Memory.” Everyone's mood was quiet, solemn and bright; death lost its terrible appearance and became a solemn farewell to the Elder there, “where there is no illness, no sadness, no sighing, but endless life.” In the intervals between funeral services, the Optina monks distributed flowers from the wreaths, candles, and incense that lay on the coffin to the “orphans” of the Elder... Before the train departed at 10.30, Hieromonk Palladius gave the last blessing to those gathered and began to serve a parting prayer service. And to the singing of those departing and remaining, the funeral carriage moved to Optina Pustyn, which Elder Barsanuphius left exactly a year ago. Arrival of the Elder’s body and his burial in Optina Pustyn With deep sadness, the brethren of Optina Pustyn received the news of the death of the Elder. This was not what we expected at all. They thought that the Elder would return to the monastery again, and there had been rumors about this for a long time; His spiritual children especially looked forward to this. True, in the middle of Lent the news came that the Elder was ill, but it was soon replaced by something else - that the Elder had decided to soon arrive in Optina; Thank God, the Optina residents thought, that means the Elder is better, and he will be with us again. And suddenly terrible, shocking news: the Elder died, the Elder was gone. A solemn requiem service for the deceased was immediately celebrated at the cathedral; the brethren were overwhelmed by grief and hurried to pour it out before God in prayer. Following this, it became known that the Elder’s body would be transported to Optina: so that’s what the rumors about the Elder’s return meant! Father’s last appeal with a request to be accepted into Optina also became clear - so, the Elder, although already in the grave, still returned to Optina, and this served as a considerable consolation for the brethren. By the time the body arrived on April 8, the clergy, choristers, brethren and a large crowd of admirers, both local and visitors, had gathered at the Kozelsk station. Finally, the train appeared (the Elder’s body, at the request of his admirers, followed with a separate train); those who greeted them bared their heads. Here he is, Father, again among his former spiritual children. But alas, his devoted children will no longer see or hear him. The black coffin, from which echoed the eternal secrets of the otherworldly underworld, forever hid his eternal image. My heart sank sadly, a trembling ran through my whole body, and tears, like a veil, covered my eyes. But may God's will be done! Quietly, slowly, the sounds of a solemn funeral service flowed on the station platform where the coffin was placed. Many cried... When it became known in the monastery that the body was already on the way to the monastery, a sad ringing was heard from the bell tower, attracting huge crowds of people who settled down on the other side of the Zhizdra River at the place of the solemn meeting near the river crossing. Immediately at the ferry, the brethren and numerous clergy of the Desert gathered, led by the temporarily acting rector of the monastery, Hieromonk Theodosius. And so the two processions united. The spectacle was as touching as it was majestic. It is impossible to describe in words the feelings that overwhelmed those present at this unusual meeting. The brethren cried, the pilgrims sobbed, Fr. hermitage leader. The procession stretched over a large space. The coffin, at the insistence of the Elder’s admirers, covered with two brocade covers constructed by their diligence, was carried in the arms of the brethren, presented with icons, banners, four majestic candles and preceded by a large host of clergy in mourning vestments, led by the monastery leader. It was about two o'clock in the afternoon when the procession appeared at the Holy Gates of the monastery. With the solemn ringing of all the bells, the coffin was carried into the Vvedensky Cathedral of the Desert, and here a memorial service for the newly deceased Elder, Hieroarchimandrite Schemamonk Barsanuphius, was performed with special solemnity by a large host of clergy, with the singing of a full fraternal choir. This first memorial service after the arrival of the body was touching. It was impossible to hold back tears, and the worshipers cried uncontrollably. Something special, unusual was felt and experienced in these minutes! The obvious presence of God's grace was felt by everyone who reverently kissed the edges of the coffin with the sacred remains of the Elder. There was something both sad and solemn at the same time; sorrow merged with joy, and a sharp feeling of moral pain was replaced by pacifying tears. Faith suggested as a consolation that life is eternal; hope - that his fate was blessed, and love affirmed in his thoughts that the communication of souls with the death of one body would not end, but would be purified, sanctified and filled with even greater spiritual effectiveness and grace-filled power. It was felt that the Elder did not leave his spiritual children orphans, that he would not stop encouraging, strengthening and comforting them with manifestations of his love from behind the grave... How devoted and how much his spiritual children loved the Elder is evident from the fact that many of them accompanied his body from the Golutvin Monastery itself to the place of burial, and some of them almost did not leave the coffin until it was lowered into the grave. Despite the great days of Holy Week preparing for the holiday, people gathered in large numbers, and memorial services were served continuously. Shortly before Little Vespers, the coffin was lifted by the brethren of the skete of St. John the Baptist, the head of which was the deceased, and with a procession of the cross, with the bells ringing, it was brought into the skete, into the church of St. John the Baptist, where Fr. Theodosius and the brethren of Skete performed a memorial service. After carrying the coffin around the church, the procession returned in the same order, and the coffin was brought in and placed in the Kazan Cathedral. Exactly at 7 o'clock the all-night vigil according to the rite of Great Tuesday began in conjunction with parastas, which, due to the illness of the rector, Archimandrite Xenophon, was performed by Fr. monastery commander 551 in concelebration with the senior clergy of the cathedral. After the second kathisma, he pronounced the following funeral word: “Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight, and blessed is the servant whose watch will find him.” Today in this church a sorrowful sight is revealed to our eyes, brothers. There is a coffin in front of us... It stands silently, but with its appearance it speaks a lot to our mind and heart. In it, in this cramped coffin, lies the body dear to us in God of our deceased elder, Hieroarchimandrite Barsanuphius. The Lord was pleased to call His faithful servant to Himself, and death ended Father’s earthly life with a blessed death. He left us, abandoning everything earthly, and separation from a dear being grieves our heart. And the sorrow is great, but faith and hope that he, living in spirit, will not forget us, but will pray for us, his spiritual children, give consolation to the sorrowful soul; for we believe that he passed from life to life, that only the body died, but the spirit lives and will live forever. We, the spiritual children of the deceased Elder, loved him as a father and mentor, and now we accept with love and tenderness this sad tomb as a guarantee of eternal love for the Lord. Let him remind us of what Father taught and instructed us, that is, of the covenants of the elders, full of the spirit of Christ’s love, the Gospel commandments and ancient monastic institutions. For Father’s love for us, we must repay him with the same love. But how and with what can we show him love now? First of all, with heartfelt, sincere prayer, and then with a good life according to his instructions, according to the spirit of Christ’s love, so that at the Last Judgment of Christ he could say to the Lord: “Behold, I and my children!” 552 On April 1, the day of Father’s death, it was exactly one year since he, fulfilling holy obedience, against his will and desire, parted with Optina; but, having parted with her, he did not stop loving her, constantly remembering her and all of us. And, lying already on his deathbed, he wished to address us, the inhabitants of this holy monastery, with his last farewell word, which he expressed in his will: “Finally putting aside all the cares of this world, which so oppressed and tormented my spirit, I will briefly say my last word and my last testament to my dear spiritual children. And, firstly, I humbly ask: forgive me all my voluntary and involuntary sins that I have committed against you, and I forgive you all for all the sorrows and sorrows that I caused through some at the instigation of the primordial enemy of our salvation. Have faith in me, holy Fathers and brothers, that all my actions and deeds boiled down to one thing - to protect the holy covenants and institutions of the ancient ascetic fathers and our great elders in all their Divine and wonderful beauty from various pernicious trends of this age, the beginning of which is satanic pride, and the end is unquenchable fire and endless torment! Maybe I did this poorly - I repent of it and submit myself before the goodness of God, begging for mercy. And I ask and pray to all of you who have loved me in the Lord: keep my humble words. Do not quench the spirit 553, but rather warm it with patient prayer and reading the patristic and Holy Scriptures, cleansing the heart from passions. It is better to agree to suffer a thousand deaths than to deviate from the Divine commandments of the Gospel and the wondrous institutions of monks. Take courage in your struggle, do not deviate from it, even if all hell rises up against you and the whole world boils with anger and reproach against you, and believe: “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth” 554. Amen". Time and place do not now allow a more extensive conversation about the deeply edifying life and work of the Elder, but let this tomb, in its silent, mysterious broadcast, replace every word, and we all, together, with hearts full of feelings, will unanimously begin a warm prayer for the repose of the newly deceased servant of God, the Elder Schema-Archimandrite Barsanuphius. May the Lord rest his pure soul in the villages of the righteous, in indescribable light and endless bliss forever and ever.” The service, held according to the unchanging custom of the Desert with strict adherence to order, ended at the end of the 11th hour. On April 9 at 7 o'clock in the morning the clock was rung and after that the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, performed by Fr. the head of the monastery of the cathedral, at the end of which, instead of the sacramental verse, the monk of the Desert from the students of the Moscow Theological Seminary, Fr. The following word was spoken to K.: “The Lord entrusts this talent to you, my soul, accept the gift with fear..." 555 So, what is your coming to us... so this is what your last dying appeal to us meant with a request to accept you into Optina Pustyn... You foresaw your outcome, and your request, a request while still alive, was like a prophetic indication of what we now see. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord 556. With the echoes of the church song “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” still in your ears, you are now making your mournful procession to us “in the name of the Lord”... We know that the name of the Lord means love; and it was precisely this love, of which you participated to a high degree in this life, that prompted you to return to us again. This means that you remembered us, of course, you prayed for us and never ceased to be with us in spirit; and, as it was ours, it remains ours. Rumors have often reached us that you think about Optina, that you love her as before, that you sincerely wish to return to her and reunite with the brotherhood, with which, during your twenty years of life together, the roots from which your spiritual worldview grew, exalting you to the level of an elder, a leader, a spiritual nurturer and a reasonable boss. Marvelous and inscrutable are the ways of God’s Providence, which - once again and for the last time - was pleased to test your obedience, like the obedience of Abraham, who did not spare his only-begotten beloved son; You sacrificed to Him the Skete chosen, sincerely loved and splendidly decorated by you - your dear nest, teaching us with this example of self-sacrifice in carrying out feats for holy obedience even to death, death in separation from everyone and everything to which you clung with all your heart, and with all your zeal “in the name of the Lord.” And blessed are you for this, blessed from the Lord and from us, your verbal sheep devoted to you. Our dear Father! How can we resist responding to your love with the same and, if possible, greater love! You did not forget us... How could we, who breathed with you the same Optina spirit, how could we forget you! And we remembered, grieved for you and about you, tried, with God’s help, to remember your covenants and strengthened ourselves without you, never ceasing to be comforted by the thought that the Lord, who made you an elder over us, would again return you to our monastery. We greet you with honor as our shepherd and leader; with gratitude, as if she worked even more for the good of the Optina monastery and with honor raised its name highly in the sight of the very first-throne capital, and moreover: with reverence we accept the sacred tomb of [the Elder], the successor of the blessed Optina eldership, the successor of the ever-memorable great Optina elders, in whose persons we are accustomed and accustomed to see the prophets of God by the most paternal creations - heralds and interpreters of the will of the Lord in the matter of our pleasing God and spiritual dispensation, through whom our salvation has been accomplished to this day in Optina. The Lord was pleased to test our love for this priceless gift of God by taking you away from us at a time when eldership is a necessary organ and the most convenient instrument of our salvation, so that, enlightened by this terrible lesson, we would more appreciate and treasure this highest gift. In your short departure, reminiscent of a pious journey, your labors were crowned with deeds of love and work in the field of God for our other brothers, and now you are returning to us even stronger in spirit; and here you are again among your flock... But into what sorrow you plunge us with the unusual sight of your coming! What a strange and sad image of your visit! Now you are even more humble before us than when you left us, alien to thoughts of power and promotion. But now is not the time and not the place to indulge in immeasurable sadness, when thoughts rush to even more strange and wonderful images, ascending from slaves to the Lord, when a terrible and incomprehensible burial is being prepared, and the Holy Church invites us to sing funeral songs to the Creator and Life-Giver Himself. Therefore, looking at our life as short-lived in the body, on earth, and infinitely eternal in the spirit, in heaven, we wait with faith and hope for the manifestation of your spiritual powers from there - from above, encouraged by the knowledge that with the prayers of the elders you will merge your prayers and with their intercession - your intercession before God, as our spiritual father and mediator between God, to whom we entrusted our lives, our souls. Peace on Israel and the salvation of the tongues 557. Peace, especially now necessary for us and timely, through you may the Lord be given to your inheritance - Optina, and salvation through your prayers - to all who come from the four countries of Holy Rus' to pray with us at the grave of the great Optina elders. “Behold, the Master entrusts this talent to you, my soul, accept the gift with fear...” the Holy Church now sings, as if to edify us, so that with fear we accept this terrible gift before our eyes, as a lesson in these virtues: “borrow from the one who gave you, distributing to the poor, and acquire a friend of the Lord, so that you may stand at His right hand.” It is these virtues that are resurrected in our memory when we imagine the magnificent image of the ever-memorable elder Barsanuphius - this is his love for his neighbors, benevolence and love of poverty; This is instructive for us: obedience, which is alien to contradiction; directness and sincerity, which did not tolerate hypocrisy, double-mindedness and deceit, tireless and indefatigable work, combined with concern for strengthening and consolidating power and obedience to it, for regulations, order and decorum for the common good, and zeal for the splendor of God’s churches, as an expression of love for God... So, let us surround with all signs of attention and respect this silent coffin and this sacred grave, in which the remains of the one who was our father for salvation will forever be contained. Let us pray for the repose of the deceased and, according to Christian custom, having reconciled with the deceased and diligently asking forgiveness from him, our father, for everything we have done against him and our conscience, both in his presence and in his absence, let us again offer a prayer with all my heart and with all our soul, may the Lord bless him, may he be counted among the elect and in the villages of the blessed along with the elders Moses, Isaac, Leo, Macarius, Anthony, Hilarion, Ambrose, Anatoly and Joseph - he will restore the soul of His servant, the newly departed elder Schema-Archimandrite Barsanuphius.” At the end of the Divine Liturgy, a large council of clergy, including twenty-one hieromonks and four hierodeacons, headed by the acting rector of the monastery and confessor, hieromonk Fr. Theodosius in black vestments. Candles were distributed to the brethren and numerous pilgrims, and then the sounds of the touching service began to pour out, in which the believing feeling is so palpably given to the grace-filled power, beauty and greatness of the Divine service of the Orthodox Church. The funeral service ended, and while singing the farewell stichera “Come, brothers, let us give the last kiss to the deceased...” the clergy, brothers, spiritual children and the multitude of pilgrims who had gathered began to say goodbye to the deceased. The picture was indescribable: spiritual children said goodbye to their spiritual father: everything was spiritual, and therefore grace-filled, and the breath of grace was carried in the fragrant atmosphere of the church from prayers and incense. But then a large bell, distinguished by a particularly pleasant sound, began to hum with soft blows, and with a mournful chime to the soul-captivating sounds of the unearthly melody of the angelic song “Holy God...” the funeral procession set off, with the coffin in the hands of the clergy, preceded by icons and banners, and stopped in front of the southern doors of the Vvedensky Cathedral. Here, near the tombs of the great Optina elders, opposite the grave of Fr. Hieroschemamonk Pimen and next to the great elder, the monastery leader Fr. Anatoly, with his beloved father and leader, and Elder Barsanuphius found his final resting place. A tall wooden cross and an unquenchable lamp quietly glowing on it from afar point out to the monks and pilgrims of Optina Pustyn the grave of the Elder, reminding everyone of his last Christian duty in relation to the deceased - to reverently and prayerfully cry out to God: O Lord, rest the soul of the deceased!.. Eternal memory to you, Father Barsanuphius! Noisy brilliance and celebration of social life You exchanged it for the feat of the cross, Endured with the gullibility of a child All feelings and dreams are on him. Everything that God has given you, He offered a pure sacrifice to God... It was not for nothing that you lived: you loved a lot, You have dried many bitter tears. Spirit-bearing warrior of God's army, You soared above the vale of sorrow, Like an eagle of heavenly grace, And he warmed the mourners with affection. All the people offended, all the fallen On the way under the weight of the cross, Those who suffered from sin and weakness, You led to the holy feet of Christ. Souls opened up before you, Like flowers before the sun's ray; Heart ulcers healed quickly God-given doctor for the infirm. You have rested from your deeds from now on! You lived in God - and you rested in God... We have lost the ark of the shrine, What shone in our lives and healed us. You died and we were orphaned, It's cold in the desert of the world. No matter how our enemies defeat us, Contrary to wishes and prayers! You died - and we are at a loss We stand tremblingly at a crossroads: Who will understand our torment now? With your sensitive, kind heart? Who will light the way for us with a clear thought? Who will support with a firm hand? Will lead to God along a beautiful path, Smitten by the struggle?.. You are not with us now, but with us Your spirit lives and your covenant lives: We loved with our hearts, not with our lips... We believe: your love will save us! You left us to the land of desires - I entrust everyone's common hope I tell you: pray to Him for us! And Lord, life-giving love Having planted a torch in your soul, He will condescend to your sorrowful prayer About saving us, your children. Hieromonk Arseny [Denisov]. Chronology of the life of St. Barsanuphius of Optina July 5, 1845 – born in Samara. 1854 – enrolled in the Polotsk military gymnasium. Graduated in the early 1860s. 1870s - studying at the Orenburg Military School and in St. Petersburg at the higher officer staff courses. Late 1870s - appointment to the headquarters of the Kazan Military District, head of the mobilization department. 1889, August 26 or 28 - first arrived at St. John the Baptist Skete to Elder Ambrose. 1891, summer – with Elder Ambrose in Shamordin. 1891, December 25 (Christmas) - entered as a novice at St. John the Baptist Skete. 1893, March 26 – tonsured into the ryassophore. 1900, December - tonsured into a mantle with the name Barsanuphius. 1902, December 29 – ordination to the rank of hierodeacon. January 1, 1903 – ordination as hieromonk. In the same year - appointment as assistant to the monastery, confessor of the skete and the Shamordino convent. 1904, April 9 - departed for Manchuria, having been appointed a military chaplain at a field hospital for soldiers. 1905, November 1 - at the end of the Russian-Japanese War, he returned from Manchuria to Optina Pustyn. 1906, January 9 – appointment as fraternal confessor of Optina Pustyn. 1906, April 21 - appointment as acting head of the hermitage due to the illness of the hermitage leader, Fr. Joseph. 1907, May 14 – ordination to the rank of abbot. 1907, June 29 – appointment as head of the monastery. 1909, July - presence in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra at the monastic congress. 1910, July 11 - tonsured into the schema. 1910, November 5–6 - at the Astapovo station near Moscow with the aim of confessing the dying L.N. Tolstoy. Was not allowed. 1912, April 2 - departed for the Staro-Golutvin Monastery of the Moscow Diocese, where he was transferred as rector with the rank of archimandrite. 1912, April 5 – elevated to the rank of archimandrite. 1913, April 1 – death of the Elder. 1913, April 9 – funeral in Optina Pustyn. Irmos 1 song of the Easter canon. Sulok is a quadrangular plate attached to the top of the bishop’s staff. Perhaps the author is Vasily Tarasov, spiritually close to Optina Pustyn (see about him in the memoirs of Father Vasily Shustin). Hieromonk Theodosius (Pomortsev), later abbot. Irmos at the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. You might be interested in: