Symphony based on the works of St. Theophan, the Recluse of Vyshensky

The Life of Saint Theophan and His Theological Heritage “Symphony on the works of St. Theophan, the Recluse of Vyshensky” is a selection of the saint’s instructions on the foundations of the Orthodox faith and spiritual life. The symphony was composed by Master of Theology and Associate Professor of the Moscow Academy of Sciences, member of the Synodal Commission for the Canonization of Saints, Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov; † 1998). The Lord judged in such a way that the author of the “Symphony based on the works of St. Theophan, the Recluse of Vyshensky,” Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov), was called to the heavenly monasteries in the very flowering of his spiritual creativity - he did not have time to prepare his manuscript for printing, so the final editing of the text of the “Symphony” was carried out by the publishers. The sources of the “Symphony” compiled by Archimandrite George were the texts of the letters of the godly saint, published in the 19th century and republished today. Most of these letters were addressed by Bishop Theophan to real persons who turned to him for spiritual advice and were in long-term correspondence with him. The other part consists of spiritual teachings for various occasions, presented in the form of letters. The style of the Vyshensky Recluse is unique: it reflects the beauty and richness of the saint’s personality, the gift of reasoning he acquired and his deep knowledge of man. Theophan the Recluse wrote letters with a pastoral concern for the spiritual benefit of his interlocutor, but at the same time always in accordance with the measure of his spiritual age and capabilities. The wisdom of the spiritual word, which is the spiritual sword (Eph. 6:17), which appears in every letter, was usually covered by the saint with a simple word, everyday for the language of its addressee. In order to convey the special structure of St. Theophan’s speech, in preparing for the publication of the “Symphony” we adhered to the principle that combines, on the one hand, fidelity to the original - in the accurate reproduction of all the author’s words and forms, and on the other hand, the accessibility of the book to the modern reader - in the refusal to literally reproduce the text according to the old norms of literary language. According to the publication principle: – the spelling of the sources has been translated into modern Russian in cases where the differences do not carry a semantic and individual stylistic load (letters that have fallen out of use have been eliminated, outdated grammatical forms have been replaced, etc.); – Church Slavonic words and expressions are transmitted in Russian graphics while preserving the grammatical form of the sources; – punctuation marks are placed in accordance with the rules of modern Russian punctuation and taking into account the author’s punctuation; – the peculiarities of Saint Theophan’s use of Church Slavonic, foreign language, dialect and vernacular words and expressions, as well as biblical quotations, are preserved: 1) in the text, references to books of Holy Scripture are given only in those cases where they are found in the letters of St. Theophan; 2) the cases of free quotation and retelling of biblical texts by Saint Theophan are preserved; 3) quoting the Holy Scriptures in Church Slavonic or Russian corresponds to the quoting in the publication of the letters of St. Theophan, to which references are given; 4) in the footnotes, quotations from the Holy Scriptures are given by the publisher in the synodal translation, the Psalter is translated by P. Yungerov, and links are given if they are not given in the text; 5) italics of the reference edition are retained. In the Symphony, at the end of each quotation, abbreviated references to sources are made: the first number indicates the number in the list of sources, the second indicates the page number. For a correct understanding of words and expressions that may cause difficulties for the modern reader, a “Dictionary of Obscure Words and Expressions” has been compiled. We express our deep gratitude to the teachers of the Department of History of the Russian Language and General Linguistics and the Department of Modern Russian Language of the Ryazan State Pedagogical University, who carried out the linguistic preparation of the text. “Symphony based on the works of St. Theophan, the Recluse of Vyshensky” 1 is a book by Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov), known for his theological works, who left us untimely on October 2, 1998. “Symphony” is the fruit of the life’s work of Father George, a master of theology and associate professor at the Moscow Theological Academy, a member of the Synodal Commission for the Canonization of Saints, who devoted more than twenty years to the study of the spiritual heritage of St. Theophan, the Recluse of Vyshensky 2. Archimandrite Georgy (in the world - Nikolai Ivanovich Tertyshnikov) was born on June 22, 1941 in the village of Oktyabrskoye, Ipatovsky district, Stavropol Territory. From the age of seven, Nikolai began to attend church, and later sang and read in the choir. His desire for God was the subject of frequent disputes with his atheist father and the people around him. But the young confessor did not retreat from his faith and the Church. Nikolai was a lively, cheerful boy, he always studied well. Despite his religiosity, which was more than foreign to his compatriots in the country of militant atheism, the God-fearing youth enjoyed authority and love among his peers. In 1959, Nikolai graduated from high school, and in 1962 he graduated with honors from the paramedic department of the Stavropol Medical School. From 1962 to 1964, he served in the Soviet Army hospital in the GDR. Since 1965, Nikolai Tertyshnikov studied at the evening department of the Orenburg Medical Institute and worked at the medical center of the railway technical school. But he was not destined to serve God in the field of medicine - the Lord called him to be a healer of human souls. In the same 1965, leaving secular activities, Nikolai entered the Moscow Theological Seminary, under the shelter of St. Sergius. Nikolai studied with enthusiasm, his student description noted “diligently,” and sang in the seminary choir. Quiet, modest, respectful, he acquired love and respect from the people around him. The future father George's inclination towards monasticism was obvious to everyone. “We can say that from the very beginning of his studies at the Seminary, he had a special determination to achieve the Kingdom of Heaven, which is revealed in the essay “How I intend to spend the summer holidays this year,” written by him at the end of the first year of study. Born in the North Caucasus, Nikolai’s soul was drawn to the ancient Orthodox shrines of Georgia. In his essay, he wrote: "During the summer holidays, I want to go to Georgia and visit those places where numerous saints of God labored. The lives of these saints show Christians the path to the Kingdom of Heaven." At the end, Nikolai writes: “After arriving from Georgia, I want to get acquainted in detail with the works of Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov.” Undoubtedly, this desire was explained by the fact that Saint Ignatius lived in the North Caucasus, ruling the Stavropol diocese. However, during his studies at the Theological School, Father George was captivated by another topic - the theological and spiritual-literary heritage of St. Theophan, the Recluse of Vyshensky. This topic became fundamental in his scientific work, and his candidate’s work was devoted to it” 3. By God's Providence, the spiritual leader of Father George was the outstanding Glinsky 4 elder of the 20th century - Schema-Archimandrite John (Maslov; † 1991), who after the closure of the monastery in 1961 taught at Moscow theological schools, where through Father John the spiritual continuity of the traditions of the Glinsk Hermitage was carried out. While still a student at the Theological Seminary, Nikolai Tertyshnikov, together with Archimandrite John (Maslov), visited the Glinsky elder Schema-Archimandrite Andronik (Lukash), who ended up in the Caucasus after the second closure of the desert in 1961. Following the traditions of the elders of the Glinsk Hermitage and the wise leadership of Archimandrite John, even in his youth Father George acquired a peaceful dispensation of soul: he never persistently wanted his will to be fulfilled, but, on the contrary, with perfect humility in both small and great things he surrendered to the will of God; no one heard a word of impatience or grumbling from him, no one saw him in despondency. To understand the spiritual structure of Father George, it is necessary to mention those spirit-bearing elders who labored in the Glinsk Hermitage after its first renewal from 1942 to 1961 5 . Periods of prosperity and decline of spiritual life have always been associated with an increase or decrease in the role of spiritual leadership. The revival of eldership in the Glinsk Hermitage led to such an upsurge in spiritual life in the monastery that its fame spread throughout the country. The Glinsk Hermitage owes much of its spiritual flourishing and external improvement in the post-war years to Schema-Archimandrite Seraphim (Amelin) 6, a great ascetic and true follower of the godly abbots of the Glinsk Hermitage. Under him, the monastery became famous for its holy elders - the spiritual leaders of monks and laity to eternal salvation. Daily revelation of thoughts, complete cutting off one's will and unconditional obedience were the norm of life for Glinsk monks. The abbot Schema-Archimandrite Seraphim himself was an example of holy life for everyone. Prudent and prudent, even in the midst of many worries he knew how to live like a recluse, dwelling in intelligent-hearted prayer, which invisibly protected the brethren from all the machinations of the enemy and overshadowed the life of the monastery, its inhabitants and pilgrims with the peace of Christ. The abbot father treated the brethren as his own children. He always instructed briefly, clearly and clearly. His words contained high edification and were particularly accurate, since the mind of Father Seraphim, enlightened by grace, clearly comprehended the truths of God. He loved these truths with all his soul, and when he spoke about them, his word went from heart to heart and was always effective and fruitful. The elder fully had the gift of insight into the secret places of human souls. Everything unnecessary, vain and superficial flew away next to him. The person became himself, saw his sins and came to true repentance. Then the elder meekly spoke two or three words for the benefit of the soul, and the man, like a precious treasure, kept unforgettable all his life, thanking God for them. The brothers considered themselves blessed to be in obedience to such an elder. During his lifetime, the Lord glorified His saint with obvious miracles. Great was the spiritual authority of Schema-Archimandrite Andronik (Lukash), known for his holy, difficult life. Father Andronik wrote and said to his spiritual children: “Remember the great day of your tonsure, remember the vows given by us during tonsure... to be true monks, you will not sin forever...” The soul of Father Andronik, purified by many sorrows, was filled with the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit. This spirituality attracted people to the elder. After the second closure of the monastery in 1961, Father Andronik moved to Tbilisi. In Georgia, Father Andronik continued his senile service. He performed divine services and confessed in the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky. Here, as before in the Glinsk Hermitage, those seeking salvation rushed to him from all over the country. The spiritual connection between Father Andronik and all the Glinsk monks, who often wrote to him and came, was close. And Father Georgy (Tertyshnikov) with his spiritual leader - Archimandrite John (Maslov), a former monk of Glinskaya deserts 7 - came to him in the Caucasus while still a student. “The heart burned when we went to the elder,” recalled Father John (Maslov). Schema-Archimandrite John (Maslov), the spiritual leader of Father George, was enrolled in the monastery in 1955. The Glinsk hermitage was in its prime at that time and gave abundant spiritual fruits. The bonds of friendship closely connected Father John and the spirit-bearing elder Schema-Archimandrite Andronik (Lukash) until the death of Father Andronik, and their spiritual and prayerful communication never ceased. Father John repeatedly traveled to Tbilisi to visit Elder Andronik. Metropolitan Simon of Ryazan and Kasimov, who in 1965–1972 was an inspector of the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary, speaks with great love about Archimandrite John (Maslov): “Father John is a man of very high spiritual life. I saw him as an old mentor. There wasn't a day that I didn't consult with him. His words always came true, his advice turned out to be useful. Father John is meekness personified, very modest, humble, obedient in everything. Never refused anyone anything. Everyone knew that he would always help. A trouble-free shepherd... Often, together with him, we read the rule for Holy Communion. Father John loved prayer very much. He lived by prayer... It is easy to serve and easy to live with such people. Such people are an adornment to the Church. Father John is the salt of the earth, a candle that is placed on a candlestick so that it can shine for everyone...” Bishops, ministers, and ordinary laity sought conversations with Father John. And he had a good word for everyone. Just as in his time to Elder Andronik in the Glinsk hermitage, and later to the Caucasus, so now the people of God from all over Russia have reached out to Archimandrite John in the Holy Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Father John was then only 33 years old, but he was already a spiritual elder and could care for the huge Russian flock, for which he was prepared in the Glinsk Hermitage. Here are just some reviews from people of different personalities about a conversation with an elder: “When the elder listens to you, you feel that at that moment he lives entirely with you and that you are closer to him than to yourself”; “Father understands everything without words and much deeper and better than I could tell myself”; “My whole soul is in his hands.” While teaching at the MDA, Archimandrite John spiritually nurtured Father George among the students. Father taught everyone to open their thoughts to their confessor. In his lectures on pastoral theology, Father John said: “Revelation of thoughts to an elder eradicates evil and prevents people from falling into sin.” This activity—the revelation of thoughts to the elder—has long flourished in the Glinsk Hermitage, and the priest instilled it in his spiritual children. Archimandrite John's lectures, possessing an irresistible inner power of grace, also contained a lot of specific practical advice concerning all aspects of a pastor's life. According to students' reviews, Father John knew how to sow in their hearts the true spirit of shepherding - ascetic, selfless, breathing love. With such a spiritual leader, student Nikolai Tertyshnikov ascended from strength to strength (Ps. 83:8). After graduating from the Moscow Theological Seminary in 1969, Nikolai Tertyshnikov entered the brotherhood of the Holy Trinity-Sergius Lavra and on December 26 of the same year he was tonsured a monk by the then vicar, Archimandrite Platon (Lobankov, later Bishop of Voronezh and Lipetsk), with the name George - in honor of the Great Martyr George the Victorious. Father George was a born monk, a monk by calling. It would be impossible to imagine him in the role of a secular person: his whole being was so definitely and steadily directed towards God. The virtuous inclinations of his soul, with constant prayer, grew and strengthened - it seemed that spiritual life was easy for him. But who knew how much work it required?! As a resident of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Father George performed various obediences and treated them all responsibly and conscientiously. “I am afraid to violate the will of God,” one could often hear from his lips. A special quality of his soul was to never condemn anyone for anything. One could endlessly wonder how he managed to do this. On January 14, 1970, Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna Pimen (Izvekov, later Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia), monk George was ordained to the rank of hierodeacon, and on June 14, 1970, by the rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, Bishop Philaret of Dmitrov, to the rank of hieromonk. As a true monk, Father George was extremely non-covetous. One of his spiritual daughters says that the priest once gave her his boots and asked her to find a shoemaker to repair them. Their soles were all worn out and remained “like a thin piece of paper, with nails sticking out inside.” Father rarely agreed to have something new sewn for him. In 1973, Hieromonk Georgy (Tertyshnikov) graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy with a candidate of theology degree, awarded to him for an essay on the topic “The Homiletical Element in the Epistolary Heritage of Bishop Theophan the Recluse,” and was retained as a professorial fellow in the department of history of the Russian Church. In 1974, he wrote a fellowship report “Church historical material in the works of historian N.M. Karamzin. From 1973 to 1985, Father George taught the history of the Russian Church, general church history and dogmatic theology at the Moscow Theological Seminary. In 1973, Hieromonk George was awarded a pectoral cross, in 1976 he was elevated to the rank of abbot, in 1979 he was awarded a club, and in 1983 - a cross with decorations and a medal of St. Sergius of Radonezh, 1st degree. In 1985, the Education Committee sent Father George to the Vladimir diocese to serve as pastor. On August 28, 1988, Abbot Georgy (Tertyshnikov) was elevated to the rank of archimandrite and awarded an archpastoral diploma by Archbishop Valentin (Mishuk) of Vladimir and Suzdal. Since September 1, 1988, Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov) has been a teacher at the Moscow Theological Seminary for Dogmatic Theology and Catechism, and then at the Moscow Theological Academy for Homiletics. The personal qualities and excellent erudition of Father George made his lessons lively and interesting, giving food to the mind and heart. Father Georgy was an old-style teacher and never put knowledge above the spiritual benefit of a person, but, on the contrary, he tried in every possible way instill in your pets a love of all things spiritual. He often reminded that although a well-trained pastor who has completed a course of science at the Seminary can bring much more benefit to the Church than one who does not have this education, true theological education is unthinkable without the feat of spiritual life. The students treated Father George with great respect, even reverence; Seeing him as a spiritually experienced person, many came to him for confession. One of the students of the Seminary recalls: “When I entered the IDS, Father George took an exam on the liturgical charter. I remember him then as strict and focused. Some applicants said then: “Even if we do not enter the Seminary, it is gratifying that we met Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov) himself during the exam.” In our parish, everyone knows him from his appearances on Radio Radonezh, where he very touchingly reads the lives of saints and holds conversations.” It was amazing how carefully the priest treated the soul of each of his students, and of all the people around him. He knew how to correct and even humble for spiritual benefit so tactfully, with such love, without any irritation that a person did not consider himself humiliated and offended, but could learn the necessary lesson. If Father George saw someone upset, he always tried to console them, for which he even praised them for something. They tell the following story. Among the students of the Seminary there was one who received a good secular education and, apparently, due to his spiritual inexperience, was proud of it. His answers in class were, one might say, impeccable, but Father George often gave him a C for them, while answers that were less brilliant, but more humble, were rated by him as four and five points. Outraged by such injustice, the student went to the confessor of the Lavra, Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov) and said that Archimandrite George had initiated persecution against him. To which Father Kirill calmly replied: “Well, if this is Father George, then the persecution will not last long.” On April 20, 1989, Archimandrite Georgy was appointed senior assistant inspector of the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary. Among the commanders, mentors and teachers of the Academy, Father Georgy enjoyed great respect, for his opinions were listened to. At the meeting of the Educational Conference, whenever he spoke, the voice of not only a teacher, but also an experienced confessor was heard, and therefore this voice was weighty. Father paid great attention to educational activities among people still seeking God or who had recently taken the path leading to Him. Based on the teachings of the holy fathers and ascetics, as well as his personal experience, Father George said that Christian perfection lies in the depth of humility. Humility is the basic religious feeling, without which it is impossible to know the truth, for humility is the ability to see the truth. The ways to achieve humility are to more often reveal your weaknesses in confession, and also to accustom yourself to self-reproach. On March 26, 1990, at an open meeting of the Council of the Moscow Theological Academy, the defense of Archimandrite George’s master’s thesis “St. Theophan the Recluse and His Teaching on Salvation” took place. At the graduation ceremony of the Moscow Theological Academy in 1990, the rector of the Academy presented Archimandrite Georgy with the master's cross and the diplomas of master of theology and associate professor of the Moscow Theological Academy. In July 1990, Archimandrite Georgy was appointed rector of the Tobolsk Theological Seminary, and on October 27 of the same year he was relieved of his rectorship “in connection with the appointment of His Eminence Bishop Dimitry of Tobolsk to this position.” In September 1992, the rector of the MDA, Bishop Philaret, invited Archimandrite Georgy to the position of teacher at the Moscow Theological Seminary and associate professor at the Moscow Theological Academy. Archimandrite Georgy participated in scientific forums in different cities of Russia. For example, in Ryazan on January 17, 1994, on his initiative and under his leadership, Readings dedicated to St. Theophan the Recluse were held. And on May 29, 1996, at the All-Russian scientific and practical conference “Training teachers for spiritual and moral education and upbringing of students” (Ryazan), Father George made a report “On the action of Divine grace according to the works of St. Theophan.” Father George's speeches invariably attracted large audiences of students and teachers. The very appearance of the priest, his leisurely speech, what he was talking about were so unusual for secular people that they aroused genuine interest. The whole hall, with bated breath, caught every word of the speaker, which was a fertile grain fell into the human heart. By the end of the report, the faces of the listeners noticeably brightened. Father George undoubtedly belonged to those rare chosen ones of God who, combining the natural extraordinary abilities of the mind with personal spiritual achievement, became capable of conducting, comprehending and presenting the spiritual experience of the Church. The bibliography of Archimandrite George from 1973 to 1997 covers 221 publications (Appendix 3). His great church-scientific theological activity was reflected on the pages of various periodicals: “Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate”, magazines “Theological Works”, “Orthodox Conversation”, “Vyshensky Pilgrim”, “Alpha and Omega”, EKKLHSIA, Stimme der Orthodoxie (Berlin) and others. But the most significant place in the work of Father George is occupied by the study of the spiritual heritage of St. Theophan the Recluse, to whom he devoted more than twenty years of his life. Archimandrite George compiled a complete bibliography of the spiritual and literary heritage of St. Theophan, the Recluse of Vyshensky. The works of Saint Theophan attracted the attention of Archimandrite George even during his formation as a monk, theologian, and mentor of Moscow theological schools. His first publication was a bibliographic article in the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate, dedicated to the life of St. Theophan, and his candidate's essay examined the homiletical features of the epistolary heritage of the saint. Despite the fact that the subsequent teaching activity of Archimandrite George touched upon a wide range of issues in the history of the Orthodox Church, the spiritual and literary heritage of St. Theophan never ceased to interest him; again and again Father George returned to the theological heritage of the holy archpastor, finding in his works answers to many questions of leadership in spiritual life, understanding of the most difficult problems that are posed to a person by the specific circumstances of a changing life. Thus, the main theme of the scientific activity of Archimandrite George gradually emerged - the theological heritage of St. Theophan the Recluse. Archimandrite George wrote many scientific works, studies and monographs dedicated to the saint. The life of the holy archpastor became for Father George the guideline by which he checked his actions. Here is how he himself writes about Saint Theophan: “Saint Theophan devoted his life to searching for the path to eternal life, in his works he showed this path to subsequent generations... The works and letters of the Vyshensky Recluse are not the fruit of the work of a theologian-theorist, but the living experience of an active ascetic who built his spiritual life on the basis of the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Tradition of the Church.” Thanks to the active participation of Archimandrite George in the Ryazan diocese, in 1996 the magazine “Vyshensky Pilgrim” was created, dedicated to St. Theophan and containing the spiritual and educational works of Father George about the great archpastor. Studying the spiritual heritage of St. Theophan, Archimandrite George worked for more than twenty years in the archives of St. Petersburg, Vladimir and Tambov. The result of these works was the “Symphony” he compiled based on the works of the saint, the publication of which was not carried out during the lifetime of Father George. At a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on October 5, 1994, Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov) was appointed a member of the Synodal Commission for the Canonization of Saints. Through the works of Archimandrite George, materials were prepared for the canonization of St. Theophan, the Recluse of Vyshensky, which took place on June 6, 1988. Archimandrite Georgy also prepared materials for the canonization of the Venerable Schemamonk Kirill and Schemanun Maria, parents of the Venerable Sergius of Radonezh; Elder Barnabas of Gethsemane; Archimandrite Anthony (Medvedev), canonized as local Radonezh saints two weeks after the death of Father George. Theological articles and sermons of Archimandrite George were published in various printed publications: – in magazines: “Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate”, “Theological Works”, “Moscow”, “Orthodox Conversation”, “Alpha and Omega” (Moscow), “The Path of Orthodoxy”, “Trinity Word” (Holy Trinity-Sergius Lavra), Stimme der Orthodoxie (Berlin), EKKLHSIA, “Orthodox Visnik” (Kiev), “Ryazan Church Bulletin”, “Vyshensky Pilgrim” (Ryazan), “Orthodox Word”, “Sower” (Nizhny Novgorod), “Rus” (Rostov the Great); – in the newspapers: “Rus Derzhavnaya”, “Orthodox Moscow”, “Lampada”, “Russian Messenger” (Moscow), “Khotkovsky Messenger”, “Expanses of Russia” (Orel), “Literary Irkutsk”, “Bell” (Sergiev Posad), “Blagovest” (Ryazan). Archimandrite George participated in many theological conferences: – in the gala evening “History and modern life of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra”, dedicated to the 600th anniversary of the blessed death of St. Sergius, abbot of Radonezh and all Russia, the wonderworker (September 29, 1992, Sergiev Posad); – at the conference “Russian Monastery as a Center of Spiritual Culture” (December 6, 1992, Moscow); – in Readings in memory of St. Theophan, the Recluse of Vyshensky, on the 100th anniversary of his repose (January 17, 1994, Ryazan); – in Orthodox theological readings “The Theological Heritage of St. Theophan the Recluse” (June 27, 1994, Vladimir); – at the International Conference “Monasticism and Monasteries in Russia” (November 23, 1994, Moscow); – at the All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference “Teacher Preparation for Spiritual and Moral Education and Upbringing of Students” (May 29, 1996, Ryazan); – in the Makaryev readings “Veneration of the Saints” (June 7, 1996, Mozhaisk); – in the Pitirimovsky spiritual and educational readings (October 30, 1996, Michurinsk). From 1992 to October 1998, Archimandrite George delivered sermons on various topics at the Radonezh Orthodox radio station, held conversations on biblical history, as well as on the foundations of the Orthodox faith and morality based on the works of St. Theophan the Recluse. In 1995, with the blessing of the hierarchy, Father Archimandrite gave lectures on Russian monasticism for the Central Orthodox Radio Station of Greece. In the same year, Archimandrite George visited the holy city of Jerusalem, monasteries and churches of Palestine. On holidays and Sundays, Archimandrite George delivered sermons in the Holy Trinity-Sergius Lavra, at the Moscow Theological Academy, and in churches of the Moscow Kremlin. The scientific and theological activity of Father George is priceless in the eyes of the Church, but his works as a shepherd and confessor are no less worthy of attention. Guiding souls in the matter of salvation has at all times been considered a most difficult task, which only a few people, especially experienced in spiritual life, can do. Father George well understood the great responsibility, but also the great benefits of spiritual guidance and loved to repeat: “Salvation without a confessor is possible, but spiritual growth is very difficult.” The priest himself was a confessor and father to his children in the full sense of the word. Having been to confession with him once, it was impossible not to come again. Unusually attentive to everyone, the priest especially tried to look after people with little church, who were only taking their first steps in Orthodoxy. Having confessed to them (usually before Communion), he asked them to come the next day for a conversation. The conversation with Father George, who had the gift of speech and the gift of teaching, was very interesting, meaningful, his attitude was attentive and loving. All this attracted people and gave them the opportunity to strengthen their faith. Among Father George's spiritual children there were laymen and monks, scientists and simpletons, and he could give each of them what was useful for them. “I was amazed by his knowledge of the human soul,” recalls one of Father George’s spiritual sons, “some kind of elegant prudence in dealing with people. He knew how to “pick up the key” even to souls that were closed to communication, to warm him with his participation, and sometimes tactfully to reason with him.” In every person, the priest saw first of all the image of God, and this was precisely the reason for his reverent attitude towards the soul of everyone. This inner disposition of his was always felt in all conversations, in the very manner of speaking, and people were drawn to him, trying to respond in kind. I would like to cite here one episode from the life of the priest, characterizing him as a man of high pastoral spirit. It was told by an eyewitness, the spiritual son of Father George: “When I was in confession with my father, a man who looked like a mentally ill person entered the church. He stood not far from the place where Archimandrite George was sitting and receiving confession, and began to bow to the ground, kissing the church floor. Then, stretching out his arms crosswise, he lay down on his stomach, resting his left foot on the priest’s lectern. In order to pass, people had to step over a body stretched out on the floor; someone tripped. Temptation, and that's all. Father George, pointing to the man lying there, whispers to me: “Ask him what his name is.” I walked over, bent down and asked. Father corrected me: “No, it’s not like that. Kneel down next to him and, bending over, ask. And tell him from me to move.” I obeyed. The stranger said his name in a weak voice. When asked to move, he crawled a little to the side. This did not solve the problem of moving past it. Father George then conveys through me: “Tell me that I sent you to tell him that we don’t have them lying here. Let him move to where the chandelier is.” After silently listening to me, the strange man crawled away to where he was told, while disturbing the grandmothers he met along the way. While I was naming my sins in confession, an elderly cleaning lady approached the priest. The old woman was indignant at the inappropriateness of lying still. She loudly expressed to Father George what she thought about this. She volunteered to take drastic measures. “Don’t touch this man, he is humble,” asked Father George. “He came to the church to pray. Think, if not to the church or to the monastery, then where else to go to pray?” After these words, Archimandrite George stood up and, approaching the confessing hieromonk, who was located next to the new location of the mournfully lying man, asked: “Father (I don’t remember his name), tell me, where in our church can we lie? Probably behind the candle box?” The hieromonk answered with dignity: “Yes, Father George, behind the box.” Then the priest bent over the sad figure spread out on the floor and, as if even apologizing, said: “Our “bosses” have come. They are unhappy, swearing at us, could you please move over from here behind the box, we have them lying there.” This appeal had its effect. The man rose to his feet and walked away. Mutual agreement has been reached. Father George served as an example for me and remains so to this day.” But the priest was destined to live for a short time. In his fifty-eighth year, after a short illness (Father George was in the hospital for the last three days), he left this world. His death was Christian, unashamed and peaceful: not long before it, the Lavra brothers consecrated him, and half an hour before his death, the Lord vouchsafed the priest to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. On October 2, 1998, the kind, sympathetic heart of a shepherd and Christian stopped beating. The funeral service for Archimandrite George took place on October 4 in the Assumption Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra after the late liturgy by the council of clergy. The service was led by the rector of the Moscow Academy of Arts and Sciences, His Eminence Eugene, Bishop of Vereya (now archbishop), who spoke briefly about the life of the priest, his merits and works for the benefit of the Church. The words of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy IÏ were read: “I express to you, the brethren of the Lavra, the teaching corporation, students of Moscow theological schools, my deep condolences in connection with the untimely death of Archimandrite George, a long-time resident of the Lavra, mentor and teacher of theological schools, theologian, researcher and zealous preacher of the word of God. We appreciate the labors of the deceased that he bore for the Church of Christ. We pray together with everyone who accompanies him on the journey of the whole earth, that the Lord may rest the soul of the deceased servant of the altar of the Lord in the villages of the righteous, where there is no illness, no sorrow, no sighing, but endless life. The Kingdom of Heaven and repose with the righteous for the newly deceased Archimandrite George.” In a telegram from Bishop Philaret (Karagodin) of Maykop and Armavir, Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov) is called one of the “best monks of the Sergius Lavra.” There were many people praying at the funeral service, but there was no hustle and bustle. The atmosphere in the church was unusually calm and peaceful. The choirs sang soulfully and harmoniously. The pain of loss was softened by spiritual joy, which happens at the death of holy people. A ray of sunlight, penetrating through the windows on the south side of the cathedral, at the end of the funeral service, illuminated the coffin with the body of the priest. And it was joyful that nature also rejoiced at one more righteous man departing to the Lord. When the coffin with the body of the deceased was taken out of the Assumption Cathedral, hundreds of people followed him to the funeral ringing of the Lavra bells. It seemed that they were not seeing off the priest on his mournful final journey, but to the heavenly abodes: so solemnly and deeply did “Holy God” sound. At the Lavra courtyard, near the walls of the Church of the Image Not Made by Hands in the village of Deulino, the laborious body of dear priest Father George found a place of rest. It is significant that the last lines written by Father George were also dedicated to Saint Theophan. The begun manuscript remained unfinished and lay on the desktop of Father George’s cell on the day of his death. Reading it, you involuntarily notice that the thoughts and feelings of Father George regarding the departure into eternal life of the great mentor and teacher - St. Theophan - are very close to our today's experiences caused by the untimely death of dear Archimandrite George. Here are excerpts from his last work: “Everyone who knew about the deceased saint, for whom he was an irreplaceable leader, who owed him treasures of the mind, who found in him consolation in sorrows, encouragement and help in the feat of life, and there are many, many of them in Holy Rus' - they all deeply feel their orphanhood, their irreplaceable loss. But this is not ordinary grief, the grief that people experience when they lose a loved one... The sorrow of separation from the godly archpastor dissolved among all his admirers with spiritual joy, for they believed that the deceased saint was glorified by the Lord for his labors and exploits and was an intercessor at the Throne of God for all those living on earth... A godly teacher, a great ascetic, a zealous prayer book for us sinners, the Right Reverend Bishop Theophan left his earthly life for earth. As a faithful servant, we believe, he has now entered into the joy of the Lord; as a victorious warrior of Christ, he is now crowned with an unfading crown of heavenly glory. For him, who lived in Christ and according to Christ’s commandments, death is truly not a deprivation, but an acquisition.” Being very modest in everyday life, Archimandrite George was an unslothful preacher of the word of God. His instructions will remain in the grateful memory of all who listened to him and communicated with him. Here are some of them. “What a drop is in comparison with the boundless abyss, so is present life in comparison with the life of the next century.” “Brothers and sisters! Treasure your time, the holy Apostle Paul instructs us, because the days are evil 8 . Treasure time: it is more valuable than gold, it buys blissful eternity... Therefore, let us be afraid to lose even one day, knowing that it will not return.” “A follower of Christ must direct all his internal and external actions according to the will of God, sacrificing his freedom to God. A distinctive feature of truly Christian activity is to take steps only after being convinced that this is the will of God.” “Our life is rightly considered a pilgrimage, and we, as pilgrims, must always pray to the Lord that He will show us the true path and help us to pass the course of our life without hindrance and reach the Kingdom of Heaven.” “Every step in our invisible struggle must be marked by feat, suffering, sprinkled with the sweat of self-effort. The state of those moving towards perfection is a state of struggle - intense, incessant and painful. This is what is called walking the narrow path that leads to eternal life... Corruption and appropriation of benefits for oneself are the death of spirituality in a person. They must be feared and avoided like eternal fire.” “In the life of a follower of Christ, there are moments every day when he is alone, even if he does not intentionally care about it. These minutes must be used for spiritual improvement.” “If it pleases the Lord and is not harmful to a person, then external happiness is also given to him, but internal bliss is inalienable from a pure and godly life, which, despite all external hardships and shortcomings, brings peace and joy to everyone.” “The most perfect Christians ascend to the cross of devotion into the will of God, therefore surrendering oneself to the Lord is the height of Christian perfection. It arises after cutting off all earthly feelings and dispositions.” “A person’s earthly life should be an unbroken chain of good deeds from the moment he begins to realize himself in this world until the moment he leaves it.” In the life of the Christian Church, in every known period of its historical existence, individuals emerged who were bright bearers and exponents of high spiritual aspirations and whose authoritative voice was listened to by many contemporaries. The influence of these spiritual mentors was mostly limited to the borders of their Fatherland and their time. But there were also such spiritual luminaries, the light of which shone brightly throughout the entire Universe of that time and with its reflection illuminated the entire subsequent life of the Church. Such, for example, are the ecumenical teachers and saints Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom. Our Russian Church, which accepted the Orthodox faith from the Universal Church, also had many of its own God-chosen teachers and leaders. One of our holy fathers of the 19th century was Bishop Theophan, the Recluse of Vyshensky, canonized at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1988. Bishop Feofan, in the world Georgy Vasilyevich Govorov, was born on January 10, 1815 in the village of Chernavskoye, Yeletsk district, Oryol province. His father, Vasily Timofeevich Govorov, after graduating from the Oryol Seminary, was a priest of the Vladimir Church in the village of Chernavskoye and was distinguished by true piety all his life. As a well-known and revered pastor among the clergy, he was appointed to the important and responsible position of dean, which he performed for 30 years, earning the approval of his superiors and the love and respect of his subordinates. The mother of the future saint, Tatyana Ivanovna, came from a priestly family. She had a quiet, meek disposition and a loving heart. The boy George received his initial education in his parents' home. Pious parents tried to give him an upbringing in the spirit of Christian love and churchliness. Already in childhood, George's characteristic personality traits clearly manifested themselves: from his father he inherited liveliness and purity of mind, from his mother - a tender, loving heart, meekness, modesty and impressionability. In 1823, Georgy entered the Livensky Theological School, the caretaker of which was the rector of the St. George Church, Archpriest Vasily Scriabin. The moral and spiritual climate in the School was the most favorable. A capable, well-prepared youth, George easily passed the course of the Theological School and six years later (in 1829), among the best students, he was transferred to the Oryol Seminary. It was then headed by Archimandrite Isidore (Nikolsky), the future Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Novgorod. The teachers of the Seminary were exceptionally gifted and diligent people. The teacher of literature, for example, was then Hieromonk Platon (Gorodetsky), later Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia; Philosophical sciences were taught by Professor Evfimy Andreevich Ostromyslensky, who captivated young seminarians with his wonderful lectures. Georgy Govorov studied the sciences taught with great interest, but psychology lessons aroused his particular interest. During his years of study, after a pilgrimage to the Zadonsk Monastery, where the relics of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, who was not yet glorified at that time, rested, George developed an extraordinary, ever-increasing reverence for St. Tikhon of Zadonsk. Having graduated from the Seminary with excellence, in 1837 Georgy Vasilyevich Govorov received an appointment to the Kiev Theological Academy, which in those years was in the heyday of scientific and theological thought. Kiev Metropolitan Filaret (Amphitheaters), nicknamed “Filaret the pious” for his holiness of life, paid great attention to the development of the internal spiritual and religious life of Academy students. It was a fertile time both in terms of the good moral direction of the life of the Academy and in terms of the abundance of talent in the professorial corporation. The Academy completed the education of Georgy Govorov and the general direction of his moral life was clearly defined. In the first years of Govorov’s studies, the rector of the Academy was Archimandrite Innokenty (Borisov), later Archbishop of Kherson, a famous church preacher who gave lectures on theological sciences. Father Innocent had an extraordinary ability to irresistibly influence everyone around him and his students. As an exemplary professor and church leader, he captivated and delighted his listeners with his inspired improvisations on the teachings of the Holy Fathers. The inspector of the Kyiv Academy since 1838 was Archimandrite Dimitri (Muretov, died in 1883 as Archbishop of Kherson), who, along with Father Innocent, shone with the power of thought, beauty and depth of presentation of theological sciences. His lectures on dogmatic theology, deeply meaningful and imbued with Christian love, made a strong impression on his listeners. He was a deeply pious man, distinguished by a very rare work ethic. At that time, the Kiev Theological Academy had outstanding mentors and educators who communicated to students the highest truths of the Christian faith and piety in a convincing and accessible form. Especially notable was Archpriest John Skvortsov, a teacher of the history of philosophy and metaphysics, who had extensive knowledge in the field of philosophy, presented the most essential things in his lectures and cared about the clarity, accessibility and consistency of the material taught. At that time, professor of eloquence Yakov Kuzmich Amfitheatrov had a great influence on the young men, from whom student Govorov learned deep Christian conviction and clarity of thought. At the Kyiv Academy, student Govorov continued to study successfully. In the professor's certificates he is certified as a student with very good abilities, distinguished by diligence and having excellent success in the sciences. The favorite subjects of the future archpastor were theological subjects, and especially the Holy Scriptures and church eloquence. With excellent success in science, student Govorov attracted attention with his behavior. The academic inspection in the person of Archimandrite Gregory (Mitkevich, died in 1881 as Archbishop of Kaluga) and Hieromonk Ioannikiy (Gorsky, died in 1887 as Archbishop of Warsaw) constantly characterized him as a person of “very modest”, “honest behavior”, “distinguished by good behavior, correctness in relation to his duties and love for worship" and as "setting an example for others" (1, p. 23) 9. All these good qualities of moral behavior of student Georgy Govorov foreshadowed his path to monastic life, for which, obviously, he had been preparing himself from his youth. The Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and other Kyiv monuments of Sacred History, which were eloquent witnesses to the exploits of Russian monasticism, had a beneficial influence on George. The young student often visited the Kyiv Lavra, where he experienced elevated religious sentiments. The impressions of such visits were so deep and strong that the saint recalled them with delight until the end of his life: “The Kiev Lavra is an unearthly monastery. As soon as you pass the gap, it happens that you feel that you have entered another world.” In the last year of his studies, Georgy Govorov decided to devote himself entirely to serving the Holy Church in the monastic rank. On October 1, 1840, on the Feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, he submitted a petition to the academic authorities for tonsure as a monk, in which he wrote: “Having constant zeal for studying theological subjects and for a solitary life, in order to combine both in the service of the Church assigned to me, I made a vow to devote my life to the monastic title” (3, p. 422). On February 15, 1841, with the permission of the academic and highest spiritual authorities, Georgy Govorov took monastic vows with the name Feofan, which means “revealed by God,” in honor of the Venerable Theophan the Confessor. The rite of tonsure was performed in the Holy Spiritual Church of the Kiev-Brotherly Monastery by the rector of the Academy, Archimandrite Jeremiah (Soloviev), who later became the Archbishop of Nizhny Novgorod. Soon after his tonsure, Monk Theophan, together with his fellow student Monk Macarius (Bulgakov, later Metropolitan of Moscow), visited the confessor of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra and the Kyiv Theological Academy, known for his exemplary ascetic life and strict piety, Hieromonk Parthenius, to receive from him instruction and blessing for a new life in Christ. “Here you are, learned monks,” said the perspicacious old man, “having typed for yourself rules, remember that one thing is most necessary: to pray, and to pray unceasingly with your mind in your heart to God - that’s what you strive for” (4, p. 9). The young monks took this advice as a rule and tried, each according to their strength and gifts of grace, to carry out throughout their lives. On April 6, 1841, the monk Theophan was ordained a hierodeacon in the large Assumption Cathedral of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra by the same rector of the Academy Jeremiah, at that time already Bishop of Chigirinsky, vicar of the Kyiv Metropolitan, and on July 1 - a hieromonk. “It is remarkable,” writes one of the biographers of St. Theophan, “that such an ascetic as the Right Reverend Theophan was tonsured a monk and ordained to the first two degrees of the priesthood by such a truly God-wise man as the Right Reverend Jeremiah! So in spiritual life, one brightly burning lamp with the burning of Divine light ignites other, new lamps, so that in due time they will be placed on the candlestick and give light to everyone who is in the church 10 "(5, p. 571). During this important change in his life, Hieromonk Theophanes continued his studies at the Academy and wrote a course essay on the topic “Review of the subordinate religion.” He successfully passed the final exams, and his course essay, among the best, was sent for consideration to the Holy Synod. A permanent member of the Synod, Metropolitan Philaret (Drozdov) of Moscow, a strict connoisseur of theological works, noticed with his wise and insightful gaze the talent and hard work of Father Theophan. In 1841, Hieromonk Feofan was among the first to graduate from the Academy with a master's degree. The time of his career in the teaching and educational field began. On August 27, 1841, Hieromonk Theophan was appointed rector of the Kiev-Sophia Theological School, which was under the direct supervision of the Kiev Metropolitan Philaret (Amphiteatrov). The young rector was on good terms with his former teachers and Lavra monks, especially with the elder Parthenius, whom he revered as a father. Under the guidance of the Kyiv elders and experienced theologians, Hieromonk Theophan began studying the works of the holy fathers, which from that time became the work of his whole life. But he did not work for long at the Kiev School: on December 7, 1842, he was appointed inspector of the Novgorod Theological Seminary. The future saint spent three years in Novgorod. During this short time, he managed to prove himself as a talented educator and an excellent teacher of the science of the human soul - psychology. The highest spiritual authorities highly valued the moral qualities and extraordinary mental abilities of Hieromonk Theophan, and therefore on December 13, 1844 he was transferred to the St. Petersburg Theological Academy to the position of bachelor in the department of moral and pastoral theology. True to his pedagogical principles, aware of the great responsibility before God in the spiritual education of youth, Hieromonk Theophan sought to influence future shepherds with the spirit of his kindness and meekness. He subsequently expressed his view on the height of spiritual and pedagogical Christian activity in the following words: “The educator must go through all the degrees of Christian perfection, so that later in activity he can control himself, be able to notice the directions of those being educated and then act on them with patience, successfully, strongly, and fruitfully. This must be a class of persons of the purest, God’s chosen and saints” (6, p. 64). Hieromonk Feofan treated the subjects he taught with great attention. Abandoning philosophical and speculative methods of work, the young theologian relied on ascetic and psychological experience. On February 1, 1845, Hieromonk Theophanes was appointed assistant inspector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, and from May 20 to August 4, 1846, he served as its inspector. Hieromonk Theophan was deeply devoted to the important work of Christian education, but his educational work was necessarily combined with administrative and economic concerns, to which his soul was never inclined, and therefore he was not internally satisfied with his service activities: he was attracted to a solitary monastic life. His spirit strove into the more congenial area of ​​monastic life and prayerful communication with God. An opportunity soon presented itself to satisfy spiritual needs of Father Feofan: on August 21, 1847, at his own request, he was appointed a member of the Russian Spiritual Mission being created in Jerusalem. It was headed by Archimandrite Porfiry (Uspensky), an excellent expert on the East and a famous church archaeologist. In addition to Hieromonk Theophan, the Mission’s employees were two more students who graduated from the St. Petersburg Seminary - N. Krylov and P. Soloviev. On October 14, 1847, the entire Mission departed from St. Petersburg for Palestine. Arriving in Constantinople, the members of the Mission visited the Ecumenical Patriarch Anthimus, who kindly greeted them, and on February 17, 1848, they safely arrived in Jerusalem, where they were cordially received by His Beatitude Patriarch Kirill. Getting acquainted with the Christian East for six years, members of the Mission visited the holy places of Palestine, Egypt and Syria. His stay in the East was of great spiritual and moral significance for Hieromonk Theophan. Visiting ancient monasteries, he tirelessly studied the writings of the holy fathers from ancient manuscripts, became acquainted with the lives of ancient ascetics and the rules of the eastern monasteries and Holy Mount Athos. The young ascetic entered into a close spiritual connection with the Athonite elders, who had a beneficial influence on his spiritual life, and subsequently contributed to the publication of his works. Here, in the East, the future saint thoroughly studied Greek and French and became acquainted with Hebrew and Arabic. In 1853, the Crimean War began, and in connection with this, on May 3, 1854, members of the Russian Spiritual Mission were recalled to Russia. For his labors in the Mission, Hieromonk Theophan was elevated to the rank of archimandrite and on April 12, 1855, he was appointed to the St. Petersburg Theological Academy as a bachelor in the department of canon law, and six months later - to the position of rector of the Olonets Theological Seminary. In fulfilling the position of rector of the Seminary, Archimandrite Theophan had a lot of work and troubles to do. The Olonets Theological Seminary at that time was still completely unorganized and did not even have its own premises. Archimandrite Theophan was involved in organizing the construction of a building for the Seminary. However, the main concern that answered The highest aspirations of his soul was the religious and moral education of students. In 1856, after the end of the Crimean War, Archimandrite Theophan was appointed rector of the embassy church in Constantinople. His choice for such an important and responsible post was undoubtedly due to the fact that Archimandrite Theophan was well acquainted with the Orthodox East and was fully prepared for this position. The Church of Constantinople at this time was experiencing great difficulties due to the political conflict between the Greeks and Bulgarians. The Russian government and the Holy Synod instructed Archimandrite Theophan, as an expert on the East, to collect information that could illuminate the situation of the Greek-Bulgarian feud. He fulfilled the mission entrusted to him and on March 9, 1857, presented a report in which he wrote about the liberation movement among the Bulgarians and the state of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. This report was subsequently of great importance in the discussion of the Greek-Bulgarian conflict by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. Archimandrite Theophan created schools to teach literacy to Bulgarian children and adults. With his sympathy for the Bulgarian people, sympathy for their legitimate demands, and sincere desire to help them, Archimandrite Theophan gained great love among the Bulgarians. During his stay in Constantinople, the future saint further strengthened his knowledge of the Greek language, which he practically applied in subsequent works. In the Orthodox East, he collected many precious pearls of patristic, mainly ascetic, writing. But Archimandrite Theophan did not have to stay long in Constantinople: he was destined for a new, more responsible field of service to the Church and the Fatherland. On May 13, 1847, by decree of the Holy Synod, Archimandrite Theophan was appointed to the position of rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, which, submitting to the guidance of God's Providence, he successfully headed for two years. As rector, Archimandrite Feofan attended lectures by professors, was present at exams, and monitored the entire progress of academic affairs at the Academy. He paid special attention to educational work in the theological school entrusted to him. As rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, Father Feofan was also intensively engaged in editorial and theological popularization work. He published his writings mainly in the academic journal Christian Reading, which was then published under his supervision. The rectorship of Archimandrite Theophan coincided with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the opening of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. For his efforts in preparing and holding the anniversary, which was celebrated on February 17, 1859, the Holy Synod awarded Archimandrite Theophan the Order of St. Prince Vladimir, III degree. Not long after this event, the future saint had to be rector. It pleased the all-merciful Providence of God to elevate him to the rank of bishop. On May 29, 1859, he was named Bishop of Tambov and Shatsk. When he was named bishop after a solemn confession of faith, Archimandrite Theophan gave a speech. Comparing his life and various activities with a ball, rolling back and forth without noise or noise, in the direction of the blows communicated to him, Archimandrite Theophan expressed his submission to the will of God, his humility and unworthiness. In the same word, addressing a host of archpastors, he said that he had a secret desire for the highest feats of virtue. “I don’t hide,” said Father Theophan, “that it would not be alien to the secret desires of the heart if a place fell to my lot where I could freely indulge in activities of my heart” (7, pp. 5–7). On June 1, in the Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Novgorod Gregory (Postnikov) and a council of bishops performed the episcopal consecration of Archimandrite Theophan. The service of Bishop Theophan in the Tambov diocese lasted only four years. But in this short time, with the extraordinary meekness of his character, rare delicacy and sympathetic attention to the needs of his flock, he managed to become close to his flock and win everyone’s most sincere love. The bishop had to endure a lot of worries and labors when managing the Tambov diocese, one of the most extensive and populous, both in matters of external administration and in spiritual ministry. Bishop Feofan proved himself to be a wonderful preacher. He accompanied almost every service with a sermon, and his words, coming from the heart and breathing with deep conviction, attracted numerous listeners. The fruit of his zealous preaching were two editions of “Words to the Tambov flock” (109 words in total). “Deep knowledge of all movements of the human heart and its spiritual needs,” wrote professor of the Moscow Theological Academy I.N. Korsunsky, - experienced acquaintance with spiritual life, extensive knowledge in the field of the Holy Scriptures, and the works of the patrists, and the natural, historical and other sciences, and other high virtues distinguish the words of the Right Reverend Theophan to the Tambov flock with extraordinary clarity, liveliness and simplicity of presentation, which made an extremely strong impression on the listeners" (8, p. 107). Saint Theophan took care of the external and internal improvement of local spiritual and educational institutions and the education of the common people. He prompted the authorities of the Tambov Seminary to carry out a major overhaul of the seminary church, promoted the opening of parochial schools, parochial and Sunday schools, private literacy schools, and with his participation, a women's Diocesan School was opened with a six-year term of study. Bishop Theophan cared about raising the educational level of the clergy. At his petition to the Holy Synod, the Tambov Diocesan Gazette began to be published on July 1, 1861. Leaving only a short time for sleep, Bishop Theophan devoted himself entirely to serving his flock. In days of sorrow and peace, he was a loving father to everyone. With his numerous and varied affairs and concerns regarding the management of the Tambov diocese, he also found time for theological and literary activities. His work “Letters on Christian Life” dates back to this time, which contains an entire system of Christian moral teaching. Throughout his subsequent life, Saint Theophan’s inclination toward solitude increasingly awakened. During one of his trips to see the churches and monasteries of his diocese, he visited the Vyshenskaya Hermitage, which he liked for its strict monastic rules and the beauty of the area. Appointing Abbot Arkady, the housekeeper of the Bishop's House, there, the Bishop said to him prophetically at parting: “Go, Father Abbot, there, and there, God willing, I will come to you” (9, p. 51). In 1861, Bishop Theophan experienced great joy. By decision of the Holy Synod, he took part in the opening ceremony of the relics of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk. This event made a great impression on the Tambov archpastor and served as a special grace-filled sanctification of his own ministry. But the Tambov flock did not have to be under the control of His Eminence Theophan for long. On July 22, 1863, he was moved to the ancient, more extensive Vladimir See in place of the retired Bishop Justin. The synodal report stated that the Right Reverend Theophan “through his real service has gained the necessary experience to manage such a large flock” (10, p. 176). Bishop Theophan's ministry in Vladimir was short-lived, but here too he showed himself to be a zealous archpastor and managed to earn universal respect and love. The main concern of the caring archpastor of the Vladimir diocese was the salvation of the souls entrusted to him through edification, through the preaching of the word of God. He taught the people from the heights of the church pulpit and in the churches of the diocesan city, and touring the cities and villages of his millions of flock. Preaching - and in close connection with it - was followed by missionary activity, which found a very zealous executor in the person of His Eminence Theophan. Bishop Feofan undertook several trips to the schismatic centers of the diocese, where he delivered a number of sermons, and at the end of 1864 the Epiphany Orthodox Brotherhood was opened in the village of Mstera, Vyaznikovsky district. One of the subjects of Bishop Feofan's most diligent care was also the parochial schools and religious educational institutions of the diocese. He completed the construction of a dormitory for students of the Vladimir Theological Seminary, begun by his predecessor, and opened a school for girls of the clergy. From the beginning of 1865, at the request of Saint Theophan, the Vladimir Diocesan Gazette began to be published. For his diligent and fruitful archpastoral activities for the benefit of the Church, His Grace Theophan was awarded the Order of St. Anna, II degree (April 17, 1857) and St. Anna, I degree (April 19, 1864). But the extensive practical activities of diocesan administration were not close to the soul of the archpastor. From a young age, he strove for solitude and saw the ideal of monasticism in complete renunciation of all everyday worries. And now, after twenty-five years of service to the Church in various fields, Bishop Theophan found it timely to fulfill his always-always desire. After consulting with his longtime spiritual leader, Metropolitan Isidore, he submitted a petition to the Holy Synod for his dismissal with the right to remain in the Vyshenskaya Hermitage of the Tambov diocese (currently the Holy Dormition Vyshensky Convent in the Ryazan diocese). The bishop’s petition was granted, and on July 17, 1866, he was released from the administration of the diocese and appointed rector of the Vyshenskaya Hermitage, where he spent his life as a learned monk. But it was not the possibility of peace that the quiet monastery walls attracted the bishop’s heart to themselves - they called him to them for a new spiritual feat. “I am looking for peace,” wrote Bishop Theophan to Metropolitan Isidore, “in order to more calmly indulge in the pursuits I desire, with the indispensable intention that there will be a fruit of labor that is both useful and necessary for the Church of God. I have in mind to serve the Church of God, only to serve in a different way” (11, p. 11). Bishop Feofan arrived in Vyshenskaya Hermitage as its rector. However, his vain position disturbed his inner peace, and he soon submitted a new petition - for release from the post of rector. The Holy Synod granted this request. The long-awaited solitude, for which the saint so persistently strove, finally, by the grace of God, came. In terms of its internal structure, the Vyshenskaya Hermitage was a male cenobitic monastery. The charter and customs of the desert were very strict. Until the end of his life, Saint Theophan felt quite happy at Vyshe. “The heights can be exchanged,” he said, “only for the Kingdom of Heaven” (13, p. 5). During the first six years of his stay in the Vyshenskaya hermitage, Bishop Theophan did not completely seclude himself. Together with the monks of the monastery, he went to all church services, and on Sundays and holidays he himself performed the liturgy together with the brethren. The external environment fully corresponded to the spiritual needs of the ascetic saint. He willingly received visitors - relatives and admirers who sought his spiritual advice, admonitions and instructions. At the beginning of his stay in the Vyshenskaya Hermitage, Saint Theophan experienced a struggle with thoughts that inspired him with regret about leaving the see early. In 1872, after the death of Metropolitan Innokenty (Veniaminov-Popov) of Moscow, 11 the spiritual authorities invited Bishop Theophan to take over the management of the Moscow diocese, and in the same year he received an offer to sit in the judicial department of the Holy Synod. In 1879, through the Holy Synod, Archimandrite Nikolai (Kasatkin) 12 invited St. Theophan to Japan. But Saint Theophan refused all these offers. After the Easter days of 1872, he began to lead a reclusive life. He stopped all relations with people, stopped going to church services with the brethren, and secluded himself in a separate wing. From that time on, he received only the rector of the desert, Archimandrite Arkady, the confessor, Abbot Tikhon, and the cell attendant, Father Evlampius. By this time, Bishop Theophan had built a small church in his cells in the name of the Baptism of the Lord, in which he served the Divine Liturgy on all Sundays and holidays, and for the last eleven years - every day. Most of the reclusive life of the archpastor was spent in worship and prayer, in physical and spiritual exploits. In his free time from spiritual deeds, he was engaged in theological works, writing many letters to various people who turned to him with perplexed questions, with requests for help and guidance. Having left the world and almost never met people, the reclusive bishop never ceased to be interested in the life of the Church and his people. He subscribed to many magazines published at that time not only in Russia, but also abroad. There was a huge library in his office. When writing his works, the saint used extensive literature in Russian and foreign languages. He prayerfully experienced and nurtured everything he read, and gradually from his pen came creations that have no equal in the variety of topics and depth of coverage of the issue among the works of ascetics of modern times. In his feat of spiritual and literary creativity, St. Theophan saw great service to the Church of God. He speaks about this in one of his letters: “Writing is a necessary service for the Church” (14, p. 11). All Theological Academies of the Russian Orthodox Church elected Saint Theophan as their honorary member, and the St. Petersburg Academy awarded him the title of Doctor of Theology in 1890 for his many useful theological works (15). The candle of life of the recluse saint gradually burned out, and he, aware of this, calmly awaited death. On January 6, 1894, at about 4 o’clock in the afternoon, Bishop Theophan died peacefully on the day of the patronal feast of his cell church of the Baptism of the Lord. The funeral service for the deceased recluse saint was performed on January 11 by Bishop Jerome of Tambov with a large gathering of clergy and people. Saint Theophan devoted his entire earthly life to searching for the path of eternal life; in his creations he showed this path to both his contemporaries and subsequent generations. In his extensive works, the saint reveals himself as a wonderful exegete, moral teacher and theologian of the Russian Orthodox Church. His works can be divided into three types: moralizing, exegetical and translated. The objects and content of the works of the Vyshensky Recluse are diverse. Almost no aspect of spiritual life escaped his deep, attentive observation. But the main theme of his works is salvation in Christ. His theological works reflect with remarkable completeness and accuracy the spirit and character of the patristic ascetic views, which were the subject of his careful, comprehensive study and constant, unflagging attention. Bishop Theophan was “a faithful and typical successor of the patristic tradition in asceticism and theology” (16, p. 395). It is remarkable that the patristic views were not simply understood and adopted by Saint Theophan. They completely penetrated his worldview, as if dissolved in it and formed a single inextricable whole. Hence the enormous influence that the saint’s views had on those who became acquainted with them. Only a person who has himself experienced, who has himself passed through the crucible of spiritual experience, who has himself participated in the depths of spiritual life, can speak to people with such inspired, all-conquering power, arousing spiritual energy and readiness for exploits, as Bishop Theophan possessed. “In his works, Saint Theophan,” according to the review of the commission of professors of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, “appears as an independent deep Orthodox theologian-thinker of a contemplative direction, a theologian in whom theological Orthodox concepts penetrated deeply through consciousness, took on an original form and received a unique system” (15, p. 2). He tries to avoid formalism and scholasticism, presenting his thoughts clearly and accessible to everyone. “All the formal terms of our school science,” writes Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Sergius (Stragorodsky), “in the mind of His Eminence Theophan received the most vital meaning and the richest content” (17, p. 196). Of particular value are the saint's numerous printed works on Christian morality; one can speak of him as a great thinker, a godly ascetic, offering the teachings of the holy fathers and personal experience of spiritual life for guidance to others. In his works, Bishop Theophan depicted the ideal of true Christian life and the paths leading to its achievement. According to professor Archpriest Georgy Florovsky, Bishop Feofan “did not build a system either dogmatic or moralizing. He only wanted to outline the image of Christian life, to show the direction of the spiritual path, and this is its incomparable historical significance” (16, p. 400). His writings also set out the foundations of patristic psychology. Observing a person’s mental and spiritual abilities, the saint penetrates deeply into his inner world. This consideration has a remarkable power and depth of introspection. “The author seems to descend into the dark, intertwining labyrinths of the spirit and, despite the weak light of the lamp, everywhere he manages to distinguish very subtle manifestations of the moral principle in them” (15, p. 4). Bishop Theophan, in his works, illuminated with deep psychological insight the main stages of the spiritual development of a Christian. The main idea of ​​his moral teaching is the idea of ​​communion with God, which constitutes the essence of Christian life. His creations not only encourage a Christian to repentance, correction and grace-filled renewal in Christ, but also show him the path of living, real communication with God. “With his numerous inspired writings,” said His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy (Simansky), “Reverend Theophan teaches us inner spiritual communication with God. He is completely immersed in man, in showing the ways of his mysterious communication with God under the shadow of the Church” (18, p. 12). Bishop Theophan has almost no works of a purely dogmatic nature. But since the moral teaching of Christianity is inextricably linked with Christian dogmas, in his works we find the revelation of dogmatic teaching. Their peculiarity lies in the clarity of their views on the most difficult and key points of this branch of theology. According to the testimony of the aforementioned commission of professors of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, “in the works of Bishop Theophan, some points of dogmatic teaching were not only fully and thoroughly disclosed, but also formulas that Russian Orthodox dogmatics had not had before. In particular, this must be said regarding the truth of the participation of all the Persons of the Holy Trinity in various moments of our salvation, with the predominance of one of the Persons of the Holy Trinity in one or another moment of our salvation” (15, p. 6). One of the most important feats of life of the Right Reverend Theophan is his wonderful works on the explanation of the Word of God, which represent a valuable contribution to Russian biblical studies. In the works of the outstanding exegete of his time, “the attentive reader finds not only everything necessary for a complete and clear understanding of the sacred text, but at the same time a deeply thought-out and heartfelt explanation of many different kinds of dogmatic, especially moral Christian truths, concepts, and questions” (15, p. 6). Translation activities are also inseparable from the theological works of the saint. The most important of his translated works, “The Philokalia,” is devoted mainly to the spiritual life of the great teachers of ancient Christian asceticism. The Philokalia presents a broad, comprehensive depiction and interpretation of various aspects of spiritual life - from the simplest and most artless observations to the highest, inspired contemplations, captured with extraordinary depth. A special type of literary works of the Right Reverend Theophan consists of his letters. Through his inspired letters, the saint abundantly sheds rays of Divine light on the sinful world. These letters undoubtedly were of great importance to those who received them and were true guidance in their moral lives. They were a great joy and spiritual consolation for many souls in difficult, sorrowful moments. The saint's letters are also important because they reveal his personality as a teacher of the Church of Christ. The content of the letters is extremely varied, but their main tone is moralizing. They, like books, contain answers to the same great question - about the path to salvation. “The best use of the gift of writing,” taught Bishop Theophan, “is to use it to admonish and awaken sinners from sleep” (6, p. 27). Many zealous monks, representatives of the intelligentsia and the simple, deeply religious Russian people formed the large spiritual family of the godly archpastor. The best contemporaries saw in him a true lamp of Christianity and with all their souls sought to have spiritual communication with him, the opportunity for which correspondence opened up. Saint Theophan gave his entire earthly life to serving God and people. He belonged to those people whose name was widely known and deeply revered in all parts of Orthodox Russia. As Saint Theophan rightly notes in one of his works, “the dead continue to live on earth in the memory of the living through their good deeds” (19, p. 38). The good deeds of Bishop Theophan are, first of all, his numerous creations. There are human deeds and creations that are called great because of their broad and comprehensive significance, because of their impact and influence on humanity, extending to distant times, spaces and generations. There are great works of mind and talent in the fields of science, art and literature, through which “monuments miraculously made” are erected to their authors and creators. But all these works of human wisdom, since they serve only earthly interests and purposes, are limited to their corresponding earthly temporal glory. The works of the god-like human spirit can extend their meaning and influence over the vast span of centuries and generations, go beyond the boundaries of a given era, even move with their consequences into the distant and vast region of the unknown future, carry and carry there with them the souls, minds and hearts of other people, who find in them spiritual food, higher guidance and satisfaction of their essential spiritual needs and aspirations. In the year of the blessed death of Bishop Theophan, on the pages of the “Church Bulletin” it was said that “his name, one can be sure, will not fade away with his death, but, on the contrary, with the rise of spiritual self-awareness in society, it will acquire more and more fame and glory as the name of a great spiritual enlightener who knew how to give answers to the most pressing questions of spiritual life” (20, pp. 51–52). Interest in the personality and works of St. Theophan does not fade even today. This is evidenced by one of the prominent modern hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Philaret of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus. “The works of Bishop Theophan,” he writes, “provide guidance for the spiritual order of life. They represent an answer to the many problems of his spiritual children, which stem from one single question, which also became the title of one of Bishop Theophan’s books: “What is spiritual life and how to tune in to it?” This is the main life question at all times, it also faces Christians of our day” (21, p. 3). The report of the permanent member of the Holy Synod, Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna, read at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus', says: “Bishop Theophan the Recluse was canonized as an ascetic of faith and piety, who had a profound influence on the spiritual revival of his contemporary society. Through his prayerful contemplative feat, purity of heart, chastity and piety, preserved from his youth, Saint Theophan acquired the gift of experienced achievement of patristic asceticism. He, as a theologian and exegete, outlined this experience in his numerous works, which can be considered by the children of the church as practical aids in the matter of Christian salvation” (22, p. 162). Rivers of godly advice and instructions, streams of the living water of the teachings of Christ flowed from the heart and lips of Saint Theophan. This is an imperishable treasure, a precious legacy, left by him to the sons of the Orthodox Church. The creations of His Grace Theophan are filled with the grace of Christ, spiritual strength, sincerity, deep faith, ardent desire for salvation for every person. Bishop Theophan represented a deep and inexhaustible well of spiritual wisdom, a well from which people thirsting for religious and moral education and enlightenment have drawn and will continue to draw for a long time. It is not for nothing that his creations are called a guiding star for all workers of theological science and true Christian life. Interest in the personality and works of Saint Theophan is also manifested in the Orthodox East. In the “Religious and Ethical Encyclopedia,” published in Athens in Greek in 1965, Bishop Theophan is called “one of the most remarkable Russian spiritual and ascetic writers of the 20th century” (23, p. 732). In 1994, in Thessaloniki, Greece, in the “Orthodox Beekeeper”, the book “The Life and Work of St. Theophan, Bishop of Vladimir and Suzdal” (24) was published. The great authority of the saint in the Orthodox world is explained not only by the theoretical merits of his teaching, but also by its practical benefit, manifested in its fruitful influence on people. Under the direct influence of his creations, many zealously devoted themselves to Christian deeds. Among Western Christians, according to the testimony of the Polish theologian Jan Pryszmont, interest in the spiritual riches of the Orthodox Church is constantly growing (25, p. 211). There is also interest in Saint Theophan among the modern intelligentsia of our country. This is evidenced by the article by priest Afanasy Gumerov “Bishop Feofan (Govorov)” (26). Articles dedicated to the life and work of St. Theophan were published: in the “Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate” (Russian and English); in “Theological Works” (Moscow); in the “Orthodox Herald” (Kyiv, Ukrainian); in the “Voice of Orthodoxy” (Berlin, German); in the magazine "Moscow"; in the “Trinity Word” (Trinity-Sergius Lavra); in “Literary Irkutsk”; in "Orthodox Moscow"; in the magazine “Orthodox Conversation” (Moscow); in “Russian Expanses” (Eagle); in "Russian Bulletin"; in the literary and historical magazine “Rus” (Rostov the Great); in the magazine “The Path of Orthodoxy” (Moscow); in the newspapers “Blagovest” (Ryazan) and “Bell” (Sergiev Posad) and in the magazine “Vyshensky Pilgrim” (Ryazan). The works of Bishop Theophan acquire particular relevance in our days, when many aspects of our social life are in a difficult situation, and the initial reason for this situation is the spiritual impoverishment that has struck our society. “The crises of modern society,” says His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia, “are interconnected with a moral crisis, as a result of which the responsibility for moral education lies with all of us, with our entire society” (27, p. 6). His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Pimen (Izvekov) outlined the tasks facing the Christians of our Church: “Man is now being established at the center of the renewed system of values ​​in our country. And it is each human individual individually who has to carry out great transformations, to begin with himself, with moral purification, with the renewal of his inner “I,” with the acquisition of peace within himself. The Church calls on its children to follow Christian ideals without laziness, to protect and strengthen imperishable spiritual treasures” (28, p. 5). In the works of Saint Theophan, modern man seeking spiritual rebirth can find answers to many questions of his existence. The saint appears before us not only as an ascetic devotee of the Church of Christ, not only as a venerable hierarch, but also as one of those about whom the holy Apostle Paul says that they appear as lights in the world (Phil. 2:15). Consideration of the theological heritage of Bishop Theophan the Recluse and his activities throughout the path of priestly service gives a vivid idea of ​​him as a saint of God, who fought all his life for the purity of Orthodoxy. In this essay, the pious reader is offered instructions from St. Theophan on various topics from his epistolary heritage. His Eminence Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine, expressed his opinion on the significance of this kind of writings: “For the attention of the Orthodox reader, we offer excerpts from the letters of the famous Orthodox ascetic of the 19th century, St. Theophan, the Recluse of Vyshensky (1815–1894). Various people from all over Russia addressed letters to Saint Theophan: dignitaries and commoners, scientists and the illiterate - everyone who needed his wise advice, experienced guidance, resolving perplexities, and seeking consolation. The subject of all his writings was spiritual life and salvation in Christ Jesus. Saint Theophan is a remarkable expert in patristic ascetic writing. He tested and embodied the ideal of Christian life outlined by the ascetics of antiquity with his own spiritual experience. Hence a deep knowledge of the human soul, all its states, a vision of ways to fight sin and ascend to God. All this is expressed in simple, clear language. In explaining spiritual truths, Saint Theophan adapts to the concepts and moral state of his interlocutors. He wants salvation for everyone, He wants to introduce everyone to the irresistible beauty and goodness of spiritual life and holiness. In our time, when people suffer from spiritual hunger due to the fact that they feed on spiritual surrogates, the longing for the real, pure, holy, sublime is especially obvious. Touching the pure source of Christian inspiration, the letters of St. Theophan, is a significant and encouraging phenomenon” (29, pp. 3–4). The beginning of the “Symphony” was published in the magazine “Vyshensky Pilgrim” Nos. 1–12 (Ryazan, 1996–2001). In 1999, the publishing house “Rule of Faith” (Moscow) published a book by Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov) “St. Theophan the Recluse and His Teaching on Salvation.” Macarius (Veretennikov), archimandrite. “Obituary” // Vyshensky pilgrim, 1998, No. 8. P. 50–51. Since the 17th century For four centuries, the Glinsk Nativity of the Theotokos cenobitic hermitage of the Kursk diocese occupied an important place among Orthodox monasteries. It was one of those rare monasteries in Rus' in which elderly care was approved by the Charter. Subsequently, the Glinsky Charter, modeled after the Athonite Charter, was fully or partially borrowed by many Russian monasteries. Here and below the books are used: John (Maslov), Schema-Archimandrite. Glinskaya desert. History of the monastery and its spiritual and educational activities in the 16th-20th centuries. M., Publishing department of the Moscow Patriarchate, 1994; Maslov N.V. Blessed Elder. Schema-Archimandrite John (Maslov). M., Moscow Patriarchate Publishing House, 2000; Master of Theology of the Moscow Theological Academy Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov) / Comp. prot. Sergiy Pravdolyubov. M., Saint Cyprian, 1998). The renewer of the Glinsk Hermitage in 1942 was its former abbot, Archimandrite Nektary (Nuzhdin). He restored the monastery, gathered the brethren, re-introduced the truly ascetic Rule, and established an eldership. Sensing his imminent outcome, Father Nektary transferred control of the monastery to Hieroschemamonk Seraphim (Amelin, later schema-archimandrite). Until the early 50s, former monks of the Glinsk Hermitage made up almost half of the inhabitants of the newly opened monastery. Thanks to their high spiritual disposition and loyalty to the ancient traditions of the monastery in the Glinsk Hermitage, all monastic vows were strictly observed. Despite the fact that almost two-thirds of the inhabitants in those years were over 60 years old, physically weak, but spiritually strong, they restored and improved the Glinsk hermitage with their prayerful and monastic work life. Their high spiritual focus was the result of senile care. This article contains links to the Bibliography of Appendix 2. Wed: ...on a candlestick, and it gives light to everyone in the house (Matthew 5:15). (Italics in the quote are ours. - Ed.) Canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1977. Saint Nicholas Equal to the Apostles, Archbishop of Japan. You might be interested in: