Letters from different years. 1859-1908. Volume I

The first volume from the complete collection of letters of John of Kronstadt. This included correspondence for 1859–1901. The diary reflects the inner life of the saint; these letters are external, everyday: service, money, people... The organization of extensive charitable activities takes up a lot of space. John (and in general his ever-growing fame) with all the inevitable misunderstandings. Here's a typical example: “I hear bad rumors from St. Petersburg about you and about your monastery, namely: that some sisters sent to obedience walk without shoes, and that’s why they catch colds and get sick. Is it for this reason that I generously send you money and bring it myself in sufficient quantities, so as not to purchase with it everything necessary for those living and working in the new monastery? “I recently sent large black scarves to all the sisters: give them to everyone.” “Through novice Gromova and others, these unpleasant news reach me. It's sad to hear them. Try not to have this mess in the future. – Now write to me and explain what this novices going barefoot means? - I'm waiting for a quick answer. I recently sent you a thousand rubles. Yes, Maccabees has a thousand for you.” In this edition, for the first time, the epistolary heritage of the holy righteous father John of Kronstadt is presented with the completeness possible today, which is an integral part of his creations, which undoubtedly can serve “for the edification and instruction in piety of the children of the church” (words from the “Acts of the Consecrated Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church of June 8, 1990). In the course of preparing the volume, the compilers examined all the archives available to them, and reviewed numerous printed sources (individual books, memoirs, periodicals), both pre-revolutionary and modern. Despite this, the two volumes offered to the reader’s attention are just part of the extensive correspondence that Father John conducted throughout his life and which, through the efforts of the atheistic (first revolutionary, and then Soviet) authorities, was systematically confiscated from the addressees and largely destroyed; Some of the letters were taken abroad during the revolution. As for the early letters, starting with children’s letters, from Arkhangelsk to Sura (Father John wrote about the very first of them in his diary: “...from a boy of little sense and illiterate, I became quite intelligent and literate: soon the first letter (letter), written in my own hand, informed my parents about my successes in reading and writing. - Diary. Volume 1. Book two. 1856 -1858. M., 2002. P. 330), before letters from 1859, sent mainly to mother in Sura and teachers and fellow students in Arkhangelsk, they are most likely lost forever. The large chronological gaps that formed for all these reasons in the epistolary heritage of the shepherd made it necessary to pay special attention to any discovered fragment of a letter, sometimes a paraphrase, even an envelope with an address from a letter that has not survived or is unknown to us. Behind each such document there may be a hitherto unknown fact of the biography of Father John, which will lead to further, targeted searches and, perhaps, will help to identify not just one letter, but an entire correspondence with a given addressee. This explains the appearance at the end of the book's corpus of the List of Unpreserved and Unfound Letters; the recipients and names mentioned here are entered into a general index with the abbreviated title: List. The letters are arranged chronologically, without division into personal or business, official: for Father John, both in terms of his character and type of activity, there was no such division. In each letter, under the name of the addressee, the editorial date is given and the place where the letter was written is indicated. If both the date and place of writing are in the text of the letter itself, then they are located exactly where they were marked by Father John himself. If a letter is published from a printed source (or from a telegram form), its presentation is fully consistent with this source. All letters are dated according to the old style (with the exception of three letters from Berlin for June 9, 10 and 15, 1886 - they are given, according to tradition, according to the old and new styles). In the notes to the letters, in addition to revealing individual realities that require explanation, the source of quotations from the Holy Scriptures and liturgical texts is also indicated. References (in notes to letters) to other letters in the volume are given to the addressee's last name and the date of the letter (this also applies to letters from the List of Unpreserved and Unfound Letters). The letters are printed in accordance with modern spelling, but preserving the punctuation features of Father John in the texts printed from the originals. In the response letters of the addressees placed as part of the notes to the letters, their spelling and punctuation are mainly preserved: this fully applies to letters from persons with low literacy. At the end of the volume there is an Index of Names and an Index of Geographical Names (names and titles are extracted both from the text of the letter itself and from the notes). The index of the author’s places of residence, traditional for such collections of letters (or “itinerary” - from the French itineraire - route) is missing, because this volume is not a complete collection of letters from Father John and this index would not give not only the necessary completeness of the picture, but even the slightest idea about the numerous trips of Father John related to his pastoral and charitable activities. The index of geographical names to some extent compensates for this deficiency. The publishing house thanks the abbess of the Pyukhtitsa Assumption Stauropegial Convent Varvara (Trofimova), who provided the compilers with photocopies of Father John’s letter to Pyukhtitsa. “Prayer is based on faith: I believe that there is a God, before Whom I weave my prayer, is the Almighty, who holds all creation in His hand and has given different kinds of voices to creatures for their internal communication with each other, and He Himself does not need any voice - and I hope that my prayer reaches Him, or, more precisely, goes straight from the heart to His ears. Likewise, the correspondence of a son with his father, or with his mother, with brothers and sisters, father with children, friend with friends distant from each other, is also based on faith: when they write letters, they are sure that those persons to whom they are writing exist and are alive, they hope that their written conversation will reach them, will produce in their souls thoughts and feelings corresponding to the letter, and they will respond to the letter similar to its outline.” To the St. Petersburg Committee of Spiritual Censorship January 20, 1859. Kronstadt To the Spiritual Censorship Committee Respectfully presenting herewith the thirteen Catechetical Discourses, delivered by me with the approval of the local censor in the Kronstadt Cathedral 1, then censored by two successive oo. archimandrite rectors - the Ryazan Seminary Anthony and the Tula Seminary Nikandr - and also approved - I dare to bother the Censorship Committee with a humble request to consider them again and, if there is nothing in them that would prevent their printing, allow me to print them 2. At the same time, I have the honor to present the reviews of oo in the exact list. archimandrites who censored my conversations. Review of the first seven conversations of His Eminence, successive Archimandrite Anthony, prescribed in the decree of the Consistory to the Dean of the Kronstadt Cathedral, priest Pavel Trachevsky dated August 28, 1858, No. 4987: “The conversations, written according to a plan that covers the truths of faith in a sequential order, are distinguished by clarity, such simplicity of presentation that the truths taught can be easy to understand for children 3, based on the solidity of conviction, evidence from Holy Scripture, from the Holy Fathers and from liturgical books. The heartfelt conviction of the teacher of faith himself, poured out in the living word, cannot help but touch those who hear the word of truth. The catechetical conversations of Priest Sergiev deserve the attention of his superiors and approval for the continuation of work according to the predetermined plan.” Feedback from His Eminence, successive Archimandrite Nikander, stated in the decree of June 10 of the same year No. 2954: “a) Conversations expounding the doctrine of the creation of the world and man, sufficiently exhaust their subject and thoroughly introduce listeners to it; b) The biblical teaching about the creation of the world and man, contained in the book of Genesis and laid by the preacher as the basis of his conversations, was understood and revealed by him in accordance with the spirit of Orthodoxy and the teaching of the Holy Fathers; c) moral lessons or applications to the spiritual and moral life of a Christian, with their diversity and edification, essentially follow from the dogmatic truths set forth by the preacher; d) the presentation of thoughts is consistent, distinct and clear, with the exception of a few places where it, taking on the character of a scientific study, is obscured for ordinary listeners, such as in the 10th conversation, where at the beginning it talks about the size of the sun and its distance from the Earth, in the middle about the sphericity of the Earth, and at the end of the same conversation - about the relative strength of the light of the moon in comparison with the sun, about the size of the stars and their distances from the Earth; e) in terms of the syllable or way of expressing thoughts in words, these conversations come closer to the secular than to the church-biblical, especially in some places, such as at the end of the 9th conversation, where they talk about the wisdom of God revealed in the plant kingdom.” This drawback has been eliminated 4. I also have the honor to add that some conversations with corrections by the censor, which made them not entirely clean in places, were rewritten completely, in accordance with the corrections, while others, clean, were left in the form in which the censors had them. Priest of the Kronstadt Cathedral Candidate John Sergiev. To the St. Petersburg Committee of Spiritual Censorship May 26, 1859. Kronstadt To the Spiritual Censorship Committee Respectfully presenting to the Censorship Committee the continuation of my Catechetical Discourses, which were already under consideration by the Committee and approved for publication, I humbly ask you to instruct them to consider the conversations sent herewith and, if there is nothing in them that would prevent publication, to allow me to publish them 5 . Priest of the Kronstadt Cathedral To the St. Petersburg Spiritual Consistory September 1860. Kronstadt ...for a year he could not prepare for an unspecified sermon, and having not prepared, he was afraid to get down to business after such a severe reprimand 6 . If the authorities do not encourage the young preacher, nothing will come out of my pen 7 . Priest Alexander Zuev. May 12. Kronstadt Dearest brother Alexander Grigorievich in Christ! How you made me happy with your letter after such a long silence 8. I confess that I enjoyed it more than the letters from my relatives, which I received more often. Having previously wondered what it meant that Alexander Grigorievich, whom I respected, indulged in dead silence towards me, I suddenly now saw and heard, as it were, the resolution of your mysterious silence for me. This both amazed and delighted me; I was especially pleased because in the letter I see the kindness and sincerity of your previous relationship towards me, which I always wanted to preserve and maintain between us. For tell me: why should we be at odds with you? We have nothing to share with you: we are separated by enormous distances: and it is known that people disagree in thoughts and feelings more because of something material, in which both mine and yours have a share. This cannot happen to you and me. because of the removal of my son-in-law to a worse parish 9? But if he really deserved it for his relationship with you as a boss: I don’t stand up for fools: let them endure what they brought upon themselves; and all I wanted from you was for you to inform me in advance about his rudeness and disobedience in relation to you as a boss: that’s all; and ends in water. Otherwise, you, my dear friend, didn’t write anything about this to me before, not even half a line: well, I felt sorry for my own people, especially sorry because, as it seemed, the sexton was not guilty: now I believe you that he is guilty and for that I don’t feel sorry for him: let him learn to behave in due respect to his boss 10 . You mention a letter you sent to me in August 1860, in which you described to me the life and actions of my son-in-law Fidelin. I didn’t receive it, Alexander Grigorievich, I didn’t receive it. I am very grateful to you for this letter, which would be very dear to me. Thank you for your frankness: that’s what I wanted from you. “You ask me to scold him and instruct him.” I've already done half the work: oh. I wrote to Nestor so that he would convey to him from me all my displeasure towards him, so that he would not upset the dean’s peace between me and you with his insane disobedience and rudeness and would not dare to expect the slightest expense from me if he behaves badly. But I ask you, Alexander Grigorievich! Don't be angry with him, but correct him in a fatherly way. Spare him for the sake of his family: you see how much he has 11. Remember that we are all covered with infirmities. And what if the Lord exacted from us for all our iniquities? Who could resist? 12 So he, Fidelin, will probably not stand in the place to which he was transferred, if you exact everything from him. “Forgive us our debts,” we say in the Lord’s Prayer, “just as we forgive our debtors?” 13 He is a debtor to you: forgive him. This year I received, Alexander Grigorievich, skufia 14, on the recommendation of the Kronstadt merchant society and the Military Kronstadt Governor-General 15. God's mercy is great for my unworthiness. I wish you, in a short time, the same reward 16. However, whoever does not receive a reward for a good deed here will receive it in the future - from the Chief Shepherd - Christ. Behold, I am coming soon 17 - To the Chief Shepherd, it is said, you will receive an unfading crown of glory 18 . My reward is with Me, says the Lord, repay everyone according to his deeds. I hope, Alexander Grigorievich, that the fraternal mutual agreement between me and you will be established in the future and that the ethereal enemy will not have time to attack us. In what way I offended you, forgive me. In what way he insulted you, he insulted you out of ignorance, because of unfair rumors about you 20. I confess to you frankly, I wrote a letter to His Eminence Nathanael about you. - About the fact that you unfairly moved my son-in-law to a worse parish; but I wrote this out of ignorance of the circumstances of the case - even before receiving your last letter, which I received already at the beginning of May, it seems, on the 1st. If I had received it earlier, believe me, I would not have written anything. I thought a lot, a lot about your alleged injustices towards both me and my son-in-law. But now I repent of all that. Forgive me. The unknown created 21. If the Right Reverend handed over the letter to the Consistory, then you can find out what I wrote in it. I regret that I didn't wait a little. “But the truth will come out.” My deepest respect to Pelageya Nikolaevna. I remember her former kindness, which she probably has not abandoned even now. Save her, Lord! So, it used to be that she tenderly sheltered us, the homeless. - To your father-in-law, oh. My deepest bow to Nikolai Dmitrievich and Ekaterina Nikolaevna 22. - Sorry. May the God of peace be with us. – Bishop of Revel, vicar of the St. Petersburg Metropolis Leonty (Lebedinsky). February 14 His Eminence, Most Reverend Leonty, Bishop of Revel, Vicar St. Petersburg Metropolitanate priest of the Kronstadt Cathedral By decree of the St. Petersburg Spiritual Consistory of September 23, 1860, No. 5560, I was appointed catechist at the Kronstadt Cathedral for 1861 23. Having compiled and delivered 8 catechetical discourses in the said church in the second half of 1861, 24 I have the honor to most humbly present them to Your Eminence for Archpastoral consideration and explain the following: 1. I compiled and delivered 8 conversations - no more - because I spoke them only on my next service in the cathedral 25 - two Sundays later on the third and could not speak not on my next service for the reason that on the Sunday following my next week I always had to serve in the Assumption Church attached to the Cathedral in the house of public places in the city, and also because in the Cathedral on Sundays and holidays sermons were often delivered by Fr. Archpriest and Fr. key 26 in their next service there. 2. Only 8 conversations were compiled, no more, and due to the significant number of demands on the arrival, which often tired them to the point of exhaustion. 3. Finally, due to weakness of spirit and body. I was and am often weak in body, and therefore weak in spirit, so much so that even though I wanted to write a conversation, sometimes I did not find the strength to do so 27. For all these reasons, I dare to ask the Archpastoral indulgence towards me and not punish me for the fact that I wrote few conversations 28. To A.V. Latyshev September 2, 1862. Kronstadt Most Honorable Alexey Vasilievich! I am very grateful to you for your kind attention to me, with which you deigned to honor me by offering me a position as a teacher of the law in the gymnasium that is about to open in Kronstadt 29 . I accept your offer willingly and with sincere gratitude. Only here is a difficulty, the elimination of which I propose at your discretion! I am a parish priest; Every two weeks there is my next week of service in the Cathedral with a significant number of needs in the parish. In addition, outside of my regular week, I sometimes have to serve the Liturgy at the request of parishioners and correct some priestly requirements. How can I combine all this with my new position as a law teacher at the gymnasium! At what hours will the authorities be pleased to schedule lessons on the Law of God at the gymnasium? On weekdays, our mass always begins at 9 o’clock and ends at eleven or half past eleven, sometimes after mass there are urgent demands; Vespers occurs at 3, 4 and 5 o'clock, depending on the time of year. Find the opportunity and convenience to combine both of my duties - so that I can give due to everyone - and to Caesar - Caesar's and God's - to God 30, so that I do this and do not abandon them 31. With complete respect and devotion, I have the honor to be your most humble servant 32. Priest of the Kronstadt Cathedral and teacher of the law of the Kronstadt district school, To Archpriest Pavel Trachevsky January 15, 1863. Kronstadt His Eminence, Fr. To the Archpriest and Dean of the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral, Pavel Trachevsky, priest of the same cathedral, John Sergiev I have the honor to report to Your Reverence that recently in one house I learned about the existence in Kronstadt of one inveterate schismatic, the mish-mash Ivan Bogdanov, who is correcting the position of priest for the few schismatics like him in Kronstadt and in his family. They say that a year ago he baptized his child in his house 33. To an unidentified person (priest Grigory Stepanovich) March 18, 1864. Kronstadt Most honorable father Grigory Stepanovich! From the depths of my soul, I thank you for your letter 34, breathing with Apostolic love and wisdom. I read it with spiritual pleasure: for it came from a soul that was Christianly sound, believing, hopeful, loving, experienced, firm, enriched with inner wealth. This is what spiritual wealth, my friend Gregory, the spiritual and physical sorrows sent to us from the Heavenly Father lead us to! And I am sure that if there were no sorrows with you, then you would not have acquired, at least for a long time, you would not have acquired this faith, this hope in God and the Most Pure Mother of God and this love for God and for everything that is God - if these sorrows had not happened to you, by God’s permission. Let us give thanks for everything to the Lord, our common Father, who heals our spiritual infirmities and passions with sorrows. Your feelings of gratitude surprise me. Your gratitude is much higher than my hospitality, for which you thank us. I showed you only due hospitality, and how could I not show it to my fellow countryman, comrade, classmate, Friend, priest, wanderer? “I would be a monster of the human race if I had not shown you hospitality, if I had not accepted you as a brother, as my flesh and blood!” And so you far surpass me in your kindness. Your kindness touches and conquers me. Your humility, O priest of God, captivates me. Your letter is for me a school of virtue. To God, to God, to God glorified in the Trinity, give thanks, Grigory Stepanovich, to Him who creates all that is good in us and through us, and not to me, His sinful and inexcusable servant. For what have I that I have not received from God? 36 All possible love, all possible hospitality, shown by me to you - whose work, if not the work of my Lord, who acts all in all 37 . All in all Christ 38 . He is our Father, He is our breadwinner, He is our love, He is our bounty, He, He, not me. And I am evil and weak. I, according to my old man, whom I have not yet put off 39, am cursed, and poor, and poor, and blind, and naked 40. It's nice to hear good reviews about my book 41 . Everything is God's, not mine: for we are not content to think that it is from ourselves, as from ourselves, but our contentment is from God 42. You write that your life is in a very sad situation due to your many sins. Why is this? - The Apostle says: rejoice always 43. - It’s a sin to be depressed. Is it fair, is it prudent to add a new sin to sins - despondency? The Lord Jesus Christ is not our hope? Was He not wounded for our sins and tormented for our iniquities? Is it not by His plague that we are healed? 44 The word is true, for Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first 45. You consider yourself the greatest, the first sinner. First of all, this salvation applies to you, for where sin has multiplied, grace abounds 46. No, do not be discouraged, but rejoice, saying: my soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior 47 . Help me, Lord, to always create memory of you both in my prayer at home and in public, especially during the Holy Liturgy 48 . A.K. and P.K. Nesvitsky March 8, 1865. Kronstadt City of Arkhangelsk - Kronstadt. Dear brothers Alexey and Peter Konstantinovich, I congratulate you on Great Lent and wish you to be cleansed of sins and cheerfully celebrate the bright holiday 49. We are all healthy. Dad serves at the cemetery for 50 years. The sisters invite you, Pyotr Konstantinovich, to Kronstadt on your business: come, brother, to talk seriously about your business 51. Goodbye. Bishop of Ladoga, Vicar of the St. Petersburg Metropolis Palladius (Raev). November 12, 1868. Kronstadt To His Eminence, Most Reverend Palladius, Bishop of Ladoga, Vicar of the St. Petersburg Metropolis of the priest of the Kronstadt Cathedral, John Sergiev. Most humble report. By the decree of the St. Petersburg Spiritual Consistory, which followed in September of this year in the name of the archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral Pavel Trachevsky, I was appointed catechist at the Kronstadt Cathedral for the next year 1869 52 so that I would first draw up a plan of conversations and present it for the discretion of Your Eminence no later than half of November of this year, and the conversations themselves - according to at the end of each half-year. Having now drawn up a plan for the catechetical conversations to be delivered at the Council on the nine Gospel Beatitudes and the commandments of the Decalogue (since my predecessor, Archpriest Trachevsky, ends his conversations with the Lord’s Prayer), I have the honor to most respectfully present it for the discretion of Your Eminence. November 12th, 1868. Priest of the Kronstadt Cathedral To priest Alexander Lebedev January 30, 1869. Kronstadt Welcome to me today at 7 o'clock for the usual fraternal conversation 53. I invited Mikhail Mikhailovich 54 with a special letter. I bow to Ekaterina Petrovna and bless and kiss little Katinka in absentia. Your humble servant and unworthy prayer book, St. John Sergiev. Bishop of Ladoga, Vicar of the St. Petersburg Metropolis Pavel (Lebedev) 1 August 1S69. Kronstadt His Eminence, Most Reverend Paul, Bishop of Ladoga, Vicar of St. Petersburg Metropolis, Priest of the Kronstadt Cathedral Ioann Sergiev I have the most humble honor to present to Your Eminence, for Archpastoral consideration, ten catechetical discourses on the Beatitudes of the Gospel, compiled and delivered at the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral in the past six months. On the letter there is a bishop's note: “1869 August 2. Please o. Archimandrite Palladius consider the teachings of Fr. Sergiev and give your feedback about them" 57 . I. A. and N. V. Tsvetkov. August 1869. Kronstadt To the most honorable and kind relatives Ivan Alekseevich and Nadezhda Vasilyevna with their children, I testify to my spiritual love. Thank you for your response to my letter 59. Apparently, it is not your destiny, Ivan Alekseevich, to be a deacon 60; but soon the Lord sent a good fate to Ivan Ivanovich and Alexandra Ivanovna. Congratulations on your newlyweds 61! It remains to wish you to see the children of 62 children and their life filled with heavenly blessings, to the glory of God and your long, long consolation. My wife bows to you and sincerely and deeply kisses you in absentia: it is impossible otherwise. – I’m here again this week and now I’m just off duty. – To Alexander and Vasily Vasilyevich 63, if you write to them, show my deep respect. I. A. and N. V. Tsvetkov. September 14, 1869. Kronstadt Dear, dear Ivan Alekseevich and Nadezhda Vasilievna! Imagining that today I am personally talking with you, I congratulate you on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord and kiss you in absentia. I sincerely thank you for the letter with which you honored me, and for the undeserved respect and trust that you expressed in your letter addressed to me - to Grigory Ivanovich 64. May God grant you to always rejoice in the Lord and in your children. Grigory Ivanovich came to us from St. Petersburg yesterday and today after lunch and coffee he goes back to his place of duty 65. Anna Konstantinovna is not completely healthy due to a female illness 66. I am going now to serve Vespers as a regular one. During mass he spoke a Catechetical Discourse. The Lord is my helper 67. May He always help you in everything. My wife bows deeply to you. To Alexander and Vasily Vasilyevich 68 show my zealous respect. My bow to Ivan Ivanovich with his wife and your daughters. They're calling. I'm coming. Farewell. Your relative, priest of the Kronstadt Cathedral P.S. I congratulate Nadezhda Vasilyevna on the upcoming Angel Day 69 and ask you to remember us all at the proskomedia when you take out parts for your health, and remember us at the homemade pie, and we will remember you here at home 70. I. A. and N. V. Tsvetkov. July 5, 1870. Kronstadt Kronstadt. 5th July 1870. Dearest Ivan Alekseevich and Nadezhda Vasilievna! May the Lord bless you from above and always bless all your good undertakings and deeds. At the end of June I received your letter to me, filled with love, 71 in which you invite us to Ruza with such ardent zeal, and I thank you for your sincere disposition towards us: we answer you in the same way. To tell the truth - my long-standing desire is to ride along the cast iron road to Moscow to venerate the Miraculous Icons of the Mother of God and the Holy relics of the saints of God, the pillars of the Church and our Fatherland, and this year I definitely wanted, no matter what, to go there, and then, if convenient, to you, but the painful attacks of Grigory Ivanovich, which keep him here, keep me together, because without him It’s both inconvenient and boring for me to go to Moscow 72, and I don’t see any other hunters in Kronstadt. So, I am postponing the trip until Grigory Ivanovich 73 recovers; I wish you perfect health and prosperity. I convey our bows to all of you: Ivan Alekseevich, Nadezhda Vasilyevna, Alexander and Vasily Vasilyevich 74, Ivan Ivanovich 75, Agripina Ivanovna 76 and everyone else. Grigory Ivanovich and Anna Konstantinovna are now feeling well 77. My wife and I are also, by the grace of God, healthy. I have a vacation until August, therefore, having finished my next week at the Cathedral, I intend to go to the nearest village to breathe in the rural air and swim 78 . Thank you, Ivan Alekseevich, for congratulating me on the Royal Grace 79. In this I see your kind soul, sympathizing with your neighbor in joy. I pray to God that He will always send you occasions of pure joy; I pray to the Lord for myself that I may worthily bear the cross of the Lord on my breasts - not for vain glory, but for an everlasting reminder of that love that surpasses reason, which Christ God, this great Shepherd of the Sheep, who laid down His soul for the sheep, has for us sinners 80 - and for an everlasting reminder of the crucification and mortification of my many-passionate flesh 81; as well as about the ardent love that we must always have for Christ, fulfilling His commandments, and for each other, as He commanded 82. It's my next week. I have come now from Matins 83. My family is all in bed, except for Alexei Konstantinovich, who is in a hurry to go to work 84. Yesterday the weather was fine - and they walked for a long time in the Summer Garden 85, until 11 o'clock at night. Today they want to go to Rambov to the dacha of Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna to take a walk and breathe in the aromas of flowers and gardens. May God grant you good health: just so that they don’t forget the one thing they need 86. And this is the kingdom of God and His truth. If this is there, everything else will be added 87: health and contentment in everything: those who seek the Lord will not be deprived of any good 88. I ask for your prayers, Ivan Alekseevich. I kiss you and Nadezhda Vasilyevna and all yours in absentia. Your soul devoted to you, priest Kronstadt Cathedral John Sergiev. I. A. and N. V. Tsvetkov. April 23, 1871. Kronstadt Kronstadt. April 23, 1871. Our dearest relatives Ivan Alekseevich and Nadezhda Vasilievna with their daughter Agripina Ivanovna! Christ is Risen 89! May the peace and mercy of God Our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope, be with us all. Thank you for your letter, full of Christian love and friendliness 90 along with gratitude to us, which we consider ourselves not deserving, because, in our opinion, we have fulfilled our due. “We rejoice that the hope of all of us has been resurrected, that is, that Grigory Ivanovich has been promoted to priesthood and, moreover, to such a beautiful and healthy town as Gatchina; for Grigory Ivanovich, due to his somewhat sick condition, such a healthy area is exactly what he needs 91. May God grant him to pass through a new, such a high, spiritual field with dignity; may the spirit of grace always be with him, enlightening, guiding and strengthening him in the passage of sacred duties. God destined that Grigory Ivanovich should take from me his first lessons in the priesthood and partly in correctional services, if he himself wished it 92. Now he has already become a trained warrior, equipped with all the weapons of God 93. - The brethren 94 and the parishioners already loved him, however, he who loves others himself will be loved. May God grant you to always hear joyful news about your children: you too had to see the fruits of your womb mature, in turn bearing fruit for the Lord and society 95 . The crown of the old children of children 96, the Scripture says: you have waited for this welcoming crown; you are adorned with it, by the grace of the Lord. But here I am... a barren fig tree both in soul and in body: I ​​have lived for more than forty years, but have not done any good deeds and have not given birth to children. And I’m still exercising the earth in vain 97! Glory to the long-suffering of the Lord! The barren fig tree has not yet been cut; Heliman still expects the fruits of repentance and good deeds 98 . In the summer, at the first opportunity, I want to take a trip to Gatchina, which I have never been to 99. You need to look at the life of the young Father and the young Mother and the young Rufinochka. May God grant you all health and peace of mind. - Bow to your oh. To the archpriest and all your children and relatives. Alexey Konstantinovich, it seems, will soon receive a new position as a ship's caretaker, with a new, higher salary; not yet approved, but likely to be approved. Farewell. Give my regards to Ivan Ivanovich, Fr. to the deacon and his wife and to Alexander and Vasily Vasilievich. Your relative, the priest of the Kronstadt Cathedral, John Sergiev, is your brother in Christ, and in years - your son. My wife, Elisaveta Konstantinovna, thank God, is healthy and sincerely bows to you. – After sewing, I went for a walk. There is still ice in the sea, but it is already very weak; with a fresh wind from the west it will break. The Neva has been ice-free for a long time, since March 30th. Bishop of Ladoga, Vicar of the St. Petersburg Metropolis Tikhon (Pokrovsky). November 17, 1872. Kronstadt His Eminence, Most Reverend Tikhon, Bishop of Ladoga, Vicar of the St. Petersburg Metropolis of the Priest of the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral John Sergiev By decree of the St. Petersburg Spiritual Consistory dated September 16 of this year, No. 3634, I was appointed catechist at the Kronstadt Cathedral in the future 1873, so that I would present for the consideration of Your Eminence a plan of conversations that I had previously drawn up. The decree states that the catechist in his conversations explains the subjects of catechetical teaching: the Creed, the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments 100. But since these subjects were constantly discussed in the past - by Archpriests Trachevsky and Veselovsky and by me 101 and Deacon Sofronov, and the same subject of teaching can bore parishioners, I take the liberty to humbly ask the permission and blessing of His Eminence and Your Eminence - to change somewhat the matter of catechesis and, instead of the Creed, prayers of the Lord and the 10 Commandments, allow me to explain the Divine Services of our Church according to the plan I have drawn up and present here 102. Our people really need this explanation. At the same time, the catechist hopes to explain in his place, briefly, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Beatitudes of the Gospel. In this way, much of the Divine Service will be explained, and at the same time part of the catechism will be taught 103. To the mayor of Kronstadt P. A. Korguev. No later than June 8, 1874. Kronstadt Your Excellency, Most Gracious Sovereign Pavel Alekseevich. The St. Petersburg Ecclesiastical Consistory, by its decree, which followed our attitude regarding the need to establish a Church Trusteeship 104 at the Kronschgad Council, the draft of which was presented along with the attitude, ordered the founders of this Trusteeship, that is, me, the church warden 105 and other persons who signed the attitude, to elect from among themselves the Chairman of the Trusteeship. Finding that you, dear Pavel Alekseevich, as the Head of the society, to whom all the good undertakings in our society are close, and as an enlightened and influential Person 106, can most usefully take the chairman’s place, especially at the beginning of the established charitable association, when an energetic public personality is needed to put the society on a solid foundation, we, the undersigned, hereby ask you not to refuse to take over title of Chairman 107. If you do not want to agree to this, then we ask you not to refuse, at least, to be a member of the Trusteeship and to allow the registered members and others who wish to be such to gather in the Hall of the City Duma, on a non-attendable day 108, to elect from among yourself by a general vote the Chairman of the Trusteeship, and honor us with a notification about your decision. Founder of the trusteeship Cathedral of St. John Sergius. To Archpriest Pavel Trachevsky August 27, 1874. Kronstadt It is with extreme regret that I inform Your Reverence that the supernumerary sexton at our cathedral, Alexei Preobrazhensky, after all the measures of admonition, condescension, patience and long-suffering of mine, takes him away, continues to drink and sometimes appears drunk at the Divine service itself, as happened today, and as happened several times before this, which I declared to you at different times 109. Noticing today and becoming convinced before the start of Vespers that Preobrazhensky was drunk and could not properly conduct Vespers, I immediately sent for sexton Polyglotov, who, however, was not at home; Soon the psalmist Poletaev appeared, who began Vespers after the blessing of the priest. The deacon Preobrazhensky, who had left the church, returned again to the church and stood on the choir, in order, as it turned out, to violate the order of the Divine service: because during the whole time of Vespers, he, contrary to my prohibition, was outrageously singing and shouting separately from the psalm-reader Poletaev, to the temptation and embarrassment of those praying. After Vespers, he mockingly approached me several times with a request to serve him a prayer service to the Tikhvin Mother of God and allowed himself other insolence towards me. Addressing the past sexton of Preobrazhensky, I ask you to remember, Your Reverence, my statement about his appearance drunk at Vespers on Saturday of Bright Week 110, about his failure to appear at Vespers for drunkenness on July 10, when he was in a public place of entertainment; finally, since he showed up drunk for mass in July, which I did not notice before mass and which turned out to be true during the mass itself; I will also mention that very often Preobrazhensky spends entire nights in taverns, and sometimes in more inappropriate places. Having reported this to Your Reverence, I have the honor to ask you to report such actions to the authorities so that they can quickly deliver us from such evil and temptation for us and the parishioners. From now on, I cannot serve with him: because no one and nothing can be my guarantee that tomorrow he will not appear drunk, will not cause temptation and will not say insolence to me 111. August 27, 1874. To the rector of the Arkhangelsk Theological Seminary, Archimandrite Donat (Babinsky-Sokolov). Not earlier than September 19, 1874. Kronstadt Your Reverence, Honorable O. Rector! I am sending to your name the 13 rubles 112 for the May third 113 required by the seminary authorities from my nephew Alexander Fidelin and then asking you to give him a final certificate about his studies, behavior and expulsion from the seminary. Let me also appeal to your human and Christian feelings and ask you to at least somewhat pity the poor boy, killed by grief and need, and not mercilessly drive him out of the seminary shelter like a dog, not allowing him, who has neither relatives nor acquaintances in Arkhangelsk, to continue to feed on seminary crumbs. After all, even dogs eat 114. You demanded from him immediately money for the third of May and did not want to endure the debt on him for one month, although he was brought to you by your order and although you know that he is the son of poor parents 115. I can hardly believe this and write these lines with emotional agitation, imagining, on the one hand, the cruelty of the seminary authorities, and on the other, the desperate situation of the poor boy, thrown out of the seminary, without a piece of bread or decent clothes and still besieged by a cruel demand to immediately pay thirteen rubles to the treasury. What does this compare to? But would you like to read a small tirade from a simple children’s letter to me from nephew A. Fidelin dated September 19 of this year 116 ... After this I can’t help exclaiming: oh, poor children expelled from the seminary! There is not the slightest compassion for you from your former superiors, even if they were leading the most miserable life! With what cruel suffering must you atone for your childhood mistakes! I will truly tell you, dear O. Rector, that such a cruel attitude of the authorities towards seminarians has not happened in Arkhangelsk, and, I think, probably there will not be: about the latter, however, I am not making any claims. I myself, studying at the Arkhangelsk Seminary 117, heard about the life of the seminary during the previous forbidden years and never heard anything like it. “Take heed, and do not despise,” said the Savior. – Come to seek and save the deceased 118. Become hungry and give Me food: you are thirsty and give Me something to drink and dress strangely.” 119 Isn't my poor nephew a member of Christ 120? Doesn't Christ suffer in him? I think that he too is a sheep of the verbal flock of Christ. Let me also remind you: love, long-suffering, mercy, etc. 121. But now you have no need to feel sorry for him: he is no longer a sheep of your flock. Have pity on my one more nephew, who remains with you, 122 as far as justice requires. In conclusion, please accept my bow... 123 R. S. By the way, I will remind you, O. Rector, about your system of intimidation and intimidation, which you applied to the case against my eldest nephew, although he was expelled from the seminary for an offense 124, however, not beyond the range of childish pranks, too soon and too menacingly. You intimidated him so much that the boy became desperate. You told him that not only would he be expelled, but, in addition, he would be published in all the newspapers. So what? It’s a shame you didn’t do this! It would be better than the scaffold! And this is for a prank, for a child’s momentary fascination! O spirit of love Christ! Where are you hovering? My brothers, we will all appear at the judgment seat of Christ. And now your power is not for creation, but for destruction 125. E. V. Fidelin Not earlier than September 19, 1874. Kronstadt Dear nephew Evdokim Fidelin! I am sending letter 126 with five rubles to your name; give this money to your now expelled brother Alexander; he, poor, is probably in dire need 127. Where will he lay his head? 128 – Write about it. The same goes for whether your parents have been notified of his expulsion. Write about yourself, how you live, how you study 129 - how do your bosses treat you, what are your mentors like? - However, I hand you over to God’s all-good Providence. What sadness you bring to your parents for all their affection and care for you! – Yes, and it’s not sweet for me to hear about your lack of success and disapproving behavior 130. However, I haven’t heard anything bad about you yet 131. I'll wait and see what happens next. Goodbye. Your uncle is Saint John Sergiev. To the residents of Kronstadt. No later than October 22, 1874. Kronstadt Invitation to donate for fire victims With sincere zeal, I bring my all possible contribution to those who suffered from the former terrible fire in Kronstadt 133 134 and as brothers I invite all residents of Kronstadt, without distinction of faiths and creeds, of all ages, of every condition, rank, rank, gender - elders, husbands, youths and children, scientists and simple, rich and poor, men and women, to warm sympathy and a voluntary donation to the unfortunate fire victims, who, in the majority, lost both shelter and property. Brothers! We need friendly, unanimous, quick, willing, generous help to those in need. Fellow citizens! The fire victims experienced all the horrors of the fire themselves (as if instead of us), and we were only spectators of the terrible catastrophe; Let us share with them our excesses and non-excesses, let us console them with gentle sympathy and good-natured help. Victims are accepted at the editorial office of the Kronstadt Bulletin 135. V. M. Sergiev. During 1874. Kronstadt Dear Vasily Mikhailovich! 136 I congratulate you on the holiday and wish you mental and physical health, especially mental health. As for me and our family, everything is fine. For everything, thank God! I am sending you three pounds of tea and books for spiritual reading. Listen and save yourself. Goodbye. E. V. Fidelina. April 7. Kronstadt My dear nephew Evdokim Vasilievich! I congratulate you on the all-joyful holiday of the Resurrection of Christ, our Savior, since my letter will come to you on the very holiday 137, although I am writing it on Holy Monday. – I have received your letters 138. Write in more detail; for example, write how many students there are in the entire Seminary; who are the teachers of the Seminary, besides the old and honored mentors already known to me, Shuisky, Gromov, Sibirtsev, Korytov 139, write about this too, how old they are. Write about yourself and how you spend your time during the holidays; Do you often visit your sisters 140; how they learn and live; Are you happy, are you cheerful, are you behaving well? I’m sending you four rubles for the holiday. I recently sent something to your parents; and to your elder brother 141 - a parcel: a coat, a frock coat, trousers and a vest of black cloth. – I recently received a letter from your brother Alexander from the Solovetsky Monastery 142; complains that the eyes are weak; but he lives, he doesn’t get bored, he works. May God guide you all. Bow to your parents for me when you write. Goodbye. Your uncle, priest of the Kronstadt Cathedral E. V. Fidelina. May 26, 1875. Kronstadt Kronstadt. May 26, 1875 Dear nephew Evdokim Vasilievich! Your letter notifying me of the receipt of my letter and in it - I received money. I am pleased to read that you behave well and do not allow yourself to do what your brothers did and for which they were expelled from the seminary 143. Study diligently, as much as you can: later the Lord will console you with good fruits from good teaching and a good life, as He consoled and consoles me. I am sending you three rubles of money: use them for your benefit. My family and I are healthy. Goodbye. Kiss your sisters for me 145. Your uncle Archpriest 146 of the Kronstadt Cathedral E. V. Fidelina. September 27, 1875. Kronstadt Kronstadt, September 27, 1875 Dear nephew Evdokim! I recently received your letter, carelessly written, inconclusive, and incoherent. Why didn’t you write to me a single word about whether your father recovered or not after a serious illness 147? Is your brother Ivan healthy and what is he doing? “However, thank you for making me happy with the news that you successfully passed the exam and were transferred to class 148.” You asked me to send money for clothes to Brother Peter, who was newly admitted 149. I sent twenty rubles to the superintendent of the school 150, asking him to make arrangements regarding the construction of clothes for him. Study well and live well. Let the sad example of your older brothers Ivan and Alexander 151 enlighten you both. Well, where will you end up if you don’t study well and live well? May the Lord enlighten you and confirm you 152. I am sending you three rubles for gifts. I'm afraid to send more: you'll probably get spoiled. We are all healthy. Goodbye. I kiss you and Petya in absentia, and bless you in the name of the Lord. Archpriest John Sergiev. E. V. Fidelina. November 18, 1875. Kronstadt Be healthy, pious, diligent, prosperous! “I am sending you this letter with three rubles and asking you to inform me as soon as possible about the state of health of your sisters 153, students of the women's school; because from Augusta Alexandrovna’s letter 154 I learned that the pupils were suddenly struck by various diseases of a very dangerous nature, and not a word was mentioned about your sisters. From this I concluded that my nieces were also exposed to the epidemic, but I was not informed about it so as not to shock me with sad news. Of course, we all walk under God, and we all live or die with the Lord, 155 and therefore we should not be amazed by sad news, but we should know about the misfortunes and illnesses that occur in order, if possible, to avert or heal them. Show respect for me to Augusta Alexandrovna and ask her to give you the right answer for me. Be healthy. For your brother Petya, I contributed twenty rubles for clothes, about which I received notification from Mr. Warden, who is now probably already a priest 156. Bow to him, too, on occasion, and ask him to apologize for the fact that I have not yet answered his very kind letter 157. I. V. Fidelin. November 18, 1875. Kronstadt Kronstadt. November 18, 1875. Dear nephew Ivan Vasilyevich! 158 from me to father and mother and Fr. Abbot 159. Goodbye. Your uncle, Archpriest John Sergiev. E. V. Fidelina. November 26, 1875. Kronstadt Kronstadt. November 26, 1875 I received your letter. Thank you for the quick notification about sisters Tanya and Natasha 160, and for the news about what you used the money I sent for. For this I am sending you another 3 rubles and again asking you to notify me soon about the health of your sisters and my nieces. Goodbye. Study hard and behave modestly. Your uncle Archpriest John Sergiev. E.V. and P.V. Fidelin. December 23, 1875. Kronstadt My dear nephews Evdokim and Peter! A letter from Evdokim has been received. Thank you for the notification about the health status of sisters 161. I’m surprised why you, Evdokim, did not receive the letter for so long and were late in replying. After all, a month has passed too much since I sent the letter 162. They detained him at the post office, or what? I’m sending you three rubles for tea. Let me know soon how Petya lives and how he studies. Happy holiday 163, I congratulate you. Write about your sisters again, how are they healthy? - Goodbye. Archpriest John Ilyich Sergiev. E.V. and P.V. Fidelin. March 23, 1876. Kronstadt Dear nephew Evdokim Vasilyevich and another nephew, little Petya! May the most merciful Lord bless you as His children by grace with His Divine blessing, and may He help you both in your teaching and in your conduct. I congratulate you on the upcoming great weeks of the Passion of Christ and the Bright Resurrection of Christ 164. May the Lord send you joy, health, and salvation. I am sending you three rubles for gifts. Your brother Ivan is healthy 165. We are healthy too. Learn and live well. Your uncle, Archpriest John Sergiev. E.V. and P.V. Fidelin. May 16, 1876. Kronstadt Dear nephews Evdokim and Peter Fidelin! May the Lord bless you through me, a sinner, and grant you, according to His inexpressible love for mankind, health, success in faith and love for God and in all useful sciences. Since your vacation will now begin before 166, I am sending you five rubles for your journey. I will also send five rubles to my sisters, and three rubles for a tip for you 167. Your brother Ivan Vasilyevich is healthy and bows to you. My wife and I are also healthy. – Study well and live modestly. May the Lord always be with you 168. To the editor of the newspaper “Kronstadt Bulletin”. July 4, 1876. Kronstadt Today, July 4th, at an early mass in the Assumption Church in the Duma, I made an appeal to those in the church for all possible help to the Slavs who are enduring need and disaster in the present, turbulent time for them, 169 and the good Russian people responded with complete readiness and zeal: credit notes, silver and copper began to fall; and, despite the fact that there were few people in the church, the collection turned out to be very significant: seventy-one rubles. It is remarkable that not a single person remained who did not donate something. Among the donations were ten-ruble (2), five-ruble (2), three-ruble and one-ruble (most of all) credit notes. Please accept this money and send it according to 170. To the editor of the newspaper “Kronstadt Bulletin”. August 4, 1876. Kronstadt I consider it my duty to bring to the attention of those attending the early Liturgy in the Assumption Church (in the Duma) on August 1st that for the benefit of the needy Christians of the Balkan Peninsula 171 I have collected thirty-seven rubles and fifty kopecks from their zeal. (one 5-ruble note, 11 one-ruble notes, the rest copper and silver). The money was transferred to Mr. Petrov, a member of the committee for collecting money for the benefit of the Slavs 172. To the parishioners of the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral. No later than September 16, 1876. Kronstadt I consider it my duty, with deep gratitude, to inform those who attended the Liturgy on September 5th and 12th, on Sundays and on the 14th on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, that out of their love and sympathy for the plight of the Slavs 173 and the Kronstadt poor, I collected money on the 5th - 24 rubles. 25 kopecks, and on the 12th – 25 rubles. 75 kopecks, only fifty rubles (this is for the Slavs); On the 14th, 34 rubles were collected for the Kronstadt poor and sick townspeople. Money of the first category was handed over to the editorial office of the Krona Messenger, for sending to its intended destination, and the second will be transferred to the parish Trusteeship for use, at its discretion, in favor of the poor townspeople. E. V. Fidelina. November 19, 1876. Kronstadt Kronstadt. November 19, 1876 In absentia, I bless you to work diligently in your studies and always behave modestly and soberly. For your needs I am sending you three rubles. I wanted to not send you any money 174 so that you would not be spoiled and expelled from the seminary, but, knowing the poverty of your parents 175 and your need for tea, which you are used to at home, I am sending you some for tea and rolls. Try to make yourself worthy of your parents’ care and concern for you, oh. Abbot 176 and mine. Don't upset us. - Your brother Ivan Vasilyevich bows to you; he is healthy, studying science and preparing to pass the gymnasium exam. May God help him. There is free time. Take a bow from me. Viktor Ivanovich Varfolomeev. Congratulate him on my behalf on becoming a priest 177. Goodbye. E. V. Fidelina. August 24, 1877. Kronstadt I received your letter. I am glad that you are moving to the next grade 178. I'm sending you five rubles. Don't forget Petya. archpriest key 179 Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral Ioann Ilyich Sergiev. To the editor of the newspaper “Kronstadt Bulletin”. No later than September 16, 1877. Kronstadt I humbly ask you to accept and send to the Red Cross Society the one hundred and nineteen rubles I collected at a dinner at the Naval Assembly on the occasion of the consecration of the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral on September 14, 180 in favor of the wounded and sick Russian soldiers and starving Montenegrins 181 . E. V. Fidelina. September 21, 1877. Kronstadt I congratulate you on your promotion to the next class 182, and I sincerely wish and implore you to study relentlessly well and complete the course with honor. Your letters have been received. Thanks for the quick replies. Your brother Ivan Vasilyevich is healthy and lives in a special apartment, not through my fault 183. He studies a little literature and publishes small articles in the newspaper “Kronstadt Bulletin” 184. We recently, on September 14th, had the consecration of extensions to the cathedral, making it twice wider, more beautiful and more spacious 185. The bishop who served was the suffragan of the Metropolitan, Varlaam, my former friend at the Academy 186. I visited him back in July to receive his blessing and talk about something. He received me very kindly, both as a father and as a comrade. The celebration of the consecration was extraordinary: the entire city gathered for the consecration 187. Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich was also invited, but refused due to lack of time. I and the headman of the church went to the city of Pavlovsk, to the summer residence of the prince, and had the honor of speaking with him and his wife 188 . – After the service, the solemn elder gave a magnificent dinner in the building of the Naval Assembly, in a magnificent hall that could easily accommodate up to a thousand people. At the dinner were: Naval Minister Step St. Lesovsky, the Eminence, the governor, various generals, two archimandrites, the next one - Archimandrite Pavel, rector Vladim of the seminary and sacristan of the Nevsky Lavra Mitrofan, all the Kronstadt clergy - Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican pastor, many officers, merchants 189. “The Reverend and his retinue left on the same day on a special steamer for St. Petersburg. However, Archimandrite Pavel stayed overnight with the rector of the cathedral 190, and the next day I went with him to the Kronstadt batteries, then he had a snack with me, had a drink with the deacon of St. Isaac’s Cathedral 191, and then went to St. Petersburg. I’m sending you five rubles, and Petyusha a ruble: however, share with him as much as you can, if necessary. Write: do I need to pay money 192 for it, and how much per year? - Goodbye. Archpriest Klyuchar Ioann Sergiev. E.V. and P.V. Fidelin. December 17, 1877. Kronstadt My dear nephews Evdokim and Pyotr Vasilievich! The Lord is with you! I congratulate you on the occasion of the Nativity of Christ; and for the holiday, here’s a gift from your uncle, five rubles. Use this money wisely, not on delicacies; Of course, you can buy buns and drink tea, but no more. Study with all diligence; live modestly; be helpful to your elders, friendly and affectionate to everyone. – Yesterday I sent a letter to my sisters 193, also with money, five rubles. I asked Augusta Alexandrovna 194 to photograph with them, ask her on my behalf to photograph you with your sisters and on special cards: the photographer will photograph you in two ways for one price; Perhaps add a ruble to your sister’s money for the filming, and a ruble from yourself, if necessary. Take a bow from me, Fr. rector, Feofilakt Gavrilovich, Evgeniy Nikolaevich, Fr. Arsenyev (write his name and patronymic) 195 and everyone who knows me; O. Viktor Ivanovich Varfolomeev. I thank him for the letter, although I didn’t get around to answering due to the troubles. Farewell. Pray for me and for yourself, for all bosses and mentors. I. A. and M. K. Pesotsky. May 24, 1878. Kronstadt Dear family and friends Ioan Alexandrovich and Maria Konstantinovna! Having not had time to congratulate you on the Resurrection of Christ, I congratulate you on the Ascension 196, along with my congratulations in absentia, I kiss and hug you. I ask your generosity to excuse me for the silence and long absence of writing - I have become lazy with letters; I write to almost no one except my sisters, to whom I write out of necessity 197 . But please do not draw the conclusion from my non-writing and silence that I am forgetting you, your love and friendship, your old hospitality, when I was just a newly fledged chick flying out of a warm nest. I remember everything and thank you for everything sincerely 198. I pray with all my might for you, as well as for other relatives. You, dear imprisoned mother, do not complain about me for my ignorance and inhospitability; John Alexandrovich, I know, will forgive me, because it’s rare to get a line from him either. My wife bows to you, and your sister Elisaveta Konst; She doesn’t have time to write a single line: not a step away from the guys; they are healthy 199. Anna Konst stays with us every week - from Sunday to Thursday, except for those weeks in which there are holidays. Her dislocated arm is still poorly controlled. She cannot rub dough for prosphora with it. Дело плоховато; However, she herself is generally healthy. I haven’t visited my farmers since last summer, although it’s only a stone’s throw from Kronstadt. What draws me most to Kronstadt are the classes at the Gymnasium. “Now, it seems, I will receive a small order, with which Ivan Alexandrovich congratulated me a long time ago, before the Tsar’s approval 201.” Thank you for your kindred sympathy. God grant him a kamilavka to cover his curly head; and the kamilavka goes especially well with it. Congratulations on your new Rector: may God grant you to live together. – I am writing a letter on the eve of the Ascension, after the all-night vigil, and am sending it with your friend Anna Mikhailovna, whom I met at Nikolai Timofeevich’s 25th wedding anniversary 202. She will convey our bows to you. Farewell, my noble and generous family, friends and brother and sister. Your most obliging brother and friend E. V. Fidelina. 25 мая 1879. Кронштадт My dear nephew Evdokim Vasilievich! I received your letter and read it with pleasure. I rejoice at your recovery, although I somewhat mourn your unsuccessful academic career 203. There is nothing to do: we must submit to fate. Having read about your great needs, I am sending you twenty rubles: buy what you need. I bowed to your brother 204. Today he served a prayer service for the day of his Angel 205 and, after eating, drank tea with him. He bows to you and wishes you success. I ask you to notify me about the receipt of money through your brother, and not directly, personally, so as not to tempt my family 206. Be, it is said, wise as a serpent, and safe as doves 207 and: have peace and holiness with everyone, 208 without which no one will see the Lord. – I ask you to work harder at your work and succeed, with God’s help, in the best possible way. I recovered, thank God, completely; was severely ill and extremely thin 209. Now, however, I have almost the same appearance. Bow down for me to the Dormition of the Mother of God and the saints of Pechersk 210. May the Lord always protect you, and the Most Pure Mother of God, to whose protection I entrust you. Goodbye. Everyone at home is healthy, that is, my 211, and they bow to you. Archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral P. S. Burachek. September 8, 1879. Kronstadt Beloved brother and friend in Christ, Pavel Stepanovich! Forgive me that it took me a long time to answer you. While from August 25 to 30 my wife was looking for an apartment for you, I was preoccupied with the sermon for August 30, 212 and the lessons at the gymnasium, 213, and on August 31 I had to go to St. Petersburg for the congress of the diocesan clergy, 214, and stayed there until September 7. Meanwhile, my wife found two apartments for you: one in the house of Yakov Murashov, on Posadskaya Street, costing 500 rubles, without firewood; and the other in the new, already dry house of Nikolai Sidorov, for 300 rubles, with running water, in four rooms. House in the yard. Choose the one you want. - Mr. Nikolaevsky, the head of the governor’s office, recommended me an apartment in the building, but it turned out to be occupied. I ask you and Yulia Apollonovna to accept my sincere, heartfelt bow. Write or come see Nikolai Sidorov’s apartment, and decide: will you take it or not; or - will you take an apartment from Yakov Murashov? - May the Lord show you, His servants, a healthy, comfortable, and peaceful home 215. – Your servant and pilgrim September 8th, 1879. After early mass in the Duma Church. Church house of Andre Cathedral. E. S. Burachek. December 22, 1880. Kronstadt, Dear, amiable and much-loved Evgeniy Stepanovich! I wholeheartedly thank you for the kind letter with which you were pleased to honor me on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of my priesthood 216; I also express my heartfelt gratitude to your dear mother Elisaveta Vasilyevna and the esteemed sisters 217, who through you kindly congratulated me on my sacred anniversary. I cannot express my grateful feelings - firstly to God, who was and is for me, as for everyone, an abyss of mercy and generosity, and secondly, for the kindest members of the parish guardianship, among whom your dear brother Pavel Stepanovich, who, it seems, contributed more than anyone to the celebration of my anniversary - and for my parishioners, who awarded me, not according to my merits, the greatest honor 218. May the Lord, the King of Glory 219, glorify them and you all, both here and in the Kingdom of Glory. May the Most High grant you, dear mother Elisaveta Vasilievna, and dear sisters health, peace of mind, purity and space of heart, freedom of spirit, the clear dawn of the blessed light, everlasting joy in the Holy Spirit 220, eternal salvation in Christ Jesus our Lord 221. Congratulations on the upcoming holiday of the Nativity of God in the flesh. Let us glorify Him together with a pure heart. He came in the form of a slave 222 to restore, sanctify, honor, immortalize, deify. O joy! God is with us! We will always be with Him. – The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you 223. Your devoted servant and humble one Bogomolets Archpriest John Sergiev. Grand Duchess Ekaterina Mikhailovna. August 16, 1881, Kronstadt To Her Imperial Highness the Grand Duchess Ekaterina Mikhailovna The Council of Kronstadt Parish Trustees presents before Your Imperial Highness its congratulations on the birthday of Your Imperial Highness, expressing deepest gratitude for the donation of the image of the Savior and two hundred rubles for the construction of the House of Diligence named after the late Emperor in Bose 224 To the Secretary of Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna, Colonel Keppen. October 29, 1881. Kronstadt Having received the gracious donation provided by Her Highness Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna for the construction of the House of Diligence 225, the Council of St. Andrew's Guardianship brings Her Highness deep gratitude for the flattering attention to the construction of the House of Diligence. We humbly ask you not to leave a report on this to Her Highness 226 Chairman of the Trusteeship E. V. Fidelina. November 10, 1881. Kronstadt Dear nephew Evdokim Vasilievich! I received your letter. Judging by its volume, which is too, unusually large, it is clear that you have a lot of free time and that you, a young man, are interested in everything by the novelty of your images and impressions 227 . May your life be pleasant, joyful, useful; may all misfortune and sorrow run far from you; Doesn’t one sadness leave you, sadness for God 228, sorrow for sins, for failure to fulfill the all-perfect will of God. This sorrow and sadness is saving, pleasing to God; it leads to Christian perfection, possible for man in general and for a warrior in particular. Thank you for your letter, so rich in content, news, descriptions, and – for your regards. - For your needs, only for your needs, I am sending you twenty rubles. I hope for your nobility and modesty that you will not spend it on trifles, remembering your extremely meager budget and the large expenses of your uncle, who only because of family love and the desire to help you out in need does not send you money from rich means, although, of course, not meager ones. - May the Lord have mercy on you, may he finally raise you to the rank of officer 229 by the sovereign will of the Sovereign; May he comfort me and you with the sign of this new mercy of His towards us! I advise you to maintain purity of character and have the fear of God in your heart, in a word, to be pious. This is the best guarantee of your prosperity and happiness, and life of the present and future. Your brother and sister 230 are healthy. My wife and children - Rufina and Lisa 231 - too, and they bow to you. Farewell, my dear nephew, Evdokim Vasilievich! Peace and blessing to you in absentia through my word and my sanctified hand. - Amen. To the Governor General of Moscow, Prince V. A. Dolgorukov. Not earlier than December 4, 1881. Kronstadt Your Excellency, Most Excellent Prince Vladimir Andreevich 232! It is my pleasant and sacred duty, both on my own and at your kind suggestion, to inform you by this letter that I have safely arrived by mail train, in a sleeping car, in St. Petersburg, where, after visiting two sick people, I went via Oranienbaum to Kronstadt. There are not enough words to thank you, Your Excellency, for all the kindness that you showed me when I was in Moscow 233: I was with you like with my own father. I dare to say: having shown me great love and such flattering honor as I saw in your house, you, in the person of me as an Orthodox priest, honored the Faith, Orthodoxy, the Priesthood and the Eternal Supreme High Priest himself - Christ 234, the only Intercessor of God and men 235. May He be your Rewarder. I bring you my heartfelt gratitude for the kindest companion you have given me, Mr. Ivan Iv Sokolov. What a kind soul this is! What kindness, simplicity, selflessness there is in him! What courtesy, helpfulness, often forgetting their own interests! But at the same time I found in him a wonderful practical mind! And such a man without a position, as I learned from him, without a salary, and a family man at that. I would dare to say a word in his favor before Your Lordship - a word of petition for his appointment to a position with a salary - but I know that Your Lordship is more prudent, more experienced and a hundred times more favorable than me and you yourself know how to reward good servants. - Sorry I put in a good word for him. – I offer you my heartfelt gratitude for your material sacrifice for a charitable monument worthy of the Tsar-Martyr in our city 236 237 238! I consider your will to pray for you to the Ruler of the world, the Eternal King of the ages, my sacred duty. To the editor of the newspaper “Kronstadt Bulletin”. No later than December 15, 1881. Kronstadt Last Sunday, December 13th, following the appeal of Archpriest John Sergiev, who served in the cathedral, to the coming people about assistance to victims of the fire 239, sixty-three rubles and thirty kopecks were collected for two dishes, which will be distributed to the fire victims by selected persons from St. Andrew's Trusteeship. E. V. Fidelina. January 9, 1882. Kronstadt I answer your letter of December 22 in few words, because I don’t have too much time, but briefly, and, most importantly, close to the point, I send you twenty rubles. Just please write in advance your address every time, where to send you letters, to which regiment. Happy New Year to you; I'm looking forward to your production. I'm tired of seeing you as a second ensign 240. Goodbye. E. V. Fidelina. February 6, 1882. Kronstadt I am sending you twenty rubles for your letter. Be healthy and happy. Archpriest John Sergiev 241. To the editor of the newspaper “Kronstadt Bulletin”. No later than February 9, 1882. Kronstadt On February 3rd, Wednesday evening, my family received a bundle of linen (7 pieces) with a note addressed to me with the following content: “... according to the letter of your Blessing, dated February 3rd, we are sending 7 pieces of linen from an unknown person in favor of the children of Chief Officer Maria and Nikolai” (surnames are not indicated, but I know that these individuals are Shchepins). This note surprised me and confused me a little. This is not the first trick of Shchepin Fedor, and not Nikolai (as he falsely called himself), who had already addressed many individuals in Kronstadt with letters or addresses on my behalf, which I did not write or send to anyone, and with the help of this falsehood he received from many what he wanted, which I am personally sure of from those to whom Shchepin addressed - from secular and clergy. What's the matter? How dare he abuse my name and deceive the respectable public? The fact is that two or three weeks ago I gave him, at his persistent request, a certificate of his poverty, and not just one, but two (the first was earlier) for presentation, in his words, somewhere to the authorities, in St. Petersburg. I found out that the Shchepins were poor, but at the same time I noticed to Shchepin that his brother had deceived many people in order to lure money from someone for his sick mother or for her funeral, so he buried his living mother many times. “Don’t follow in his footsteps, only out of condescension for yours and your sister’s extremely poor condition, I give evidence of your poverty.” “And so he just followed in his brother’s footsteps.” And he’s crafty! So that they don’t catch him and expose him soon, he hides his head and his face, nowhere does he call himself by his last name, he writes a name that is not the one he bears; he himself appears to the benefactors and says that it is not he, but someone else; falsely shows his place of residence (as if in the House of Industry, which burned down 242), writes letters and addresses on my behalf, while I have not written to a single person about him. Notifying the respectable public about these tricks of Shchepin, I ask everyone to whom he addresses on my behalf, not to believe him one bit and to consider my evidence given to him invalid and destroy them as used for evil 243. E. V. Fidelina. March 27, 1882. Kronstadt Kronstadt. March 27, 1882 I received your last letter and was glad that soon, God willing, you will become an ensign 244. First of all, thank God, and then thanks to your colonel 245. I am sending you fifteen rubles for your needs. A register and measurements were provided for the arrangement of officer clothing; We will order a dress from tailor Garbko or another tailor who sews well and inexpensively. Happy holiday 246. I will not ask anyone to hurry, except God, on Whom our fate, temporal and eternal, depends. I’d rather send five rubles to the poor. This dacha is stronger. Through alms God Himself is favored. - Goodbye. “I haven’t given the letter to brother 247 yet and haven’t read it—there’s no time.” E. V. Fidelina. July 12, 1882. Kronstadt Kronstadt. July 12, 1882 With the joy that is so clear in me, I congratulate you on your promotion to ensign and on the officer’s uniform that you have just received. I'm glad that the clothes suited you perfectly 248. I don’t know how the officer’s belt and epaulette were missing from the box. Well, fill it in yourself. I'm sending you ten rubles. Be healthy. Notify by letters where to write to you. Farewell and be healthy and prosperous. May God protect you. To the editor of the newspaper “Kronstadt Bulletin”. No later than September 21, 1882. Kronstadt From the Council of St. Andrew's Guardianship In the article “Something about charity in general and about the House of Industriousness in particular,” published in the Sunday feuilleton of the “Kronstadt Bulletin,” Mr. Everyman conveys the opinions of “some” about the organizational activities of the organizers of the “House of Industriousness” 249 . The Council of the Andreevsky Trusteeship extremely regrets that these “some”, who complained to Mr. Everyman about various shortcomings of the founders of the House of Diligence, did not deign with their presence either the weekly meetings of the council or the general meetings of the members of the trusteeship, about which the society was notified in the “Kronstadt Bulletin”, and the members of the trusteeship with subpoenas. In these meetings, the organizers of the House of Industry would willingly take advantage of the enlightened outlook, work and perhaps even the organizational talent of Mr. Everyman and those unknown “some” he mentions. In creating a new institution, in addition to money, a lot of love for the work, energy, sacrifice of free time and complete oblivion of petty pride are required 250. If Mr. Everyman and the “some” he mentioned want to help the organizers of the House of Diligence not only with a passing word, but also with deed, then the board of trustees asks them to be invited to the upcoming general meeting of members of the Andreevsky Trusteeship on Thursday, September 23, at 6 o’clock in the evening, at the office of the trustee, in Nikitin’s house, on Gospodskaya Street. In addition, the council of St. Andrew's Trusteeship, both before and now, is ready to give an account of its actions to members of St. Andrew's Trusteeship, to all donors for the construction of the House of Diligence, and in general to persons who have shown their participation not only in word, but also in deed. The report on the House of Industriousness will be published upon completion of calculations for the construction of 251. Chairman of the Trusteeship, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich. No later than October 9, 1882. Kronstadt St. Andrew's parish trusteeship, which developed under your August patronage, with the gracious assistance of Her Imperial Highness the Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna, established in Kronstadt, in memory of the unforgettable Emperor Alexander II, the House of Diligence 252, containing 5 workshops for 300 poor people, a free school with craft departments for 150 children both sexes, a day care center for 75 children under 7 years of age, a shelter for 15 orphans, a hospital for visitors, a cheap canteen and a room for folk readings for 400 people. The day of opening and consecration of the 4-story House of Industry is scheduled for October 10, at 1 o'clock in the afternoon, which the board of trustees considers it a pleasant duty to inform Your Imperial Highness 253. E. V. Fidelina. October 25, 1882. Kronstadt Kronstadt. 25 Oct 1882 About a week and a half ago I sent you a winter officer’s coat, sewn to my order in Garbko’s workshop in Kronstadt, and costing eighty rubles 1. I paid forty rubles at my own expense and will not demand their return from you - I give them to you; and you take the trouble to send me the remaining forty rubles in parts, in favor of your sister Natalya 2, who is kept by me in the obstetric obstetrics Institute in St. Petersburg 3. Yes, try to notify me as soon as possible about the receipt of your ammunition. How are you doing? Aren't you bored? Would you like to move closer to us? With the help of God and with the assistance of Nikolai Ivanovich Vetvenitsky 4 this can probably be arranged. Pyotr Konstantinovich 5 also told me about this. - Now, for now, take a breath of the fresh Sychovo air. We are all healthy. The House of Industriousness has been consecrated 6 and is in operation 7. On Sundays there are folk readings in it, there are a lot of people walking around, it’s stuffy 8. I read it once too 9. I will continue from time to time. – I spent my name day modestly. There were five or six guests. Farewell, be healthy and prosperous in everything with God's help. To the Minister of Finance N.H. Bunge. December 20, 1882. Kronstadt Kronstadt Andreevskoe Parish Guardianship, under the august patronage His Imperial Highness His Excellency Mr. Minister of Finance. The Kronstadt Parish Guardianship, with the Highest permission, established this year in memory of the late Emperor Alexander II in Bose House of Industriousness with the aim of providing numerous Kronstadt bourgeoisie - beggars of both sexes and all ages - with the opportunity to earn food through labor, in exchange for begging 254. For this purpose they are arranged in the mentioned “House” 1) men's, women's and children's workshops for various works, which workers are trained under the guidance of permanent masters, namely: 1) weaving baskets of up to 30 varieties from willow twigs, 2) baskets from shingles, 3) preparing plaster shingles, 4) carpentry and carpentry skills, 5) gluing paper bags for shops, 6) pinching hemp from the ends of the cable, 7) sewing linen and dresses, etc. From October 12 to December 1, from 15 to 100 people were engaged in these jobs daily. In addition, a primary school for 150 children of both sexes has been established in the House of Industriousness, in which 63 girls and 52 boys are currently being educated by a law teacher and two teachers who were educated at the St. Petersburg Zemstvo Seminary. At the school there is a children's workshop, in which, under the guidance of a teacher from a vocational school, 70 children of both sexes learn to weave carpets from the edges of cloth, weave mats from matting, make hand-held suitcases, sewing, etc. Other institutions of the House of Industriousness: a children's day shelter, a shelter for 15 orphans, a hospital for visitors, a cheap kitchen and dining room, Sunday folk readings, an overnight shelter, etc., are described in detail in the report presented here. The four-story stone building of the House of Diligence, which currently has a two-story outbuilding for overnight accommodation of 60 workers, was built with donations 255 collected in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kronstadt and other cities. The maintenance of all institutions of the House of Diligence will require an approximate estimate of 5,000 to 6,000 rubles annually. Of these, it will be possible to collect up to 3,000 rubles annually in Kronstadt. For the remaining required amount, the Trusteeship must seek other permanent sources of income. As a result of this, and knowing that the Ministry of Finance does not refuse financial support to vocational schools for the development of craft knowledge and productive forces among the people, and also bearing in mind that the Committee for the Disposal of Beggars also receives a subsidy from the State Treasury, St. Andrew's Parish Trusteeship appeals to Your Excellency with the most humble request not to refuse to request an annual government subsidy in the amount of 1000 rubles for the maintenance Kronstadt House of Diligence in memory of the Unforgettable Tsar Liberator 256. Chairman of the Trusteeship Archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral Ioann Sergiev. Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod K. P. Pobedonostsev. December 20, 1882. Kronstadt Parish Guardianship, consisting of August patronage His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich December 20, 1882 No. 1166 To His Excellency Mr. Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod, the Kronstadt Parish Guardianship, presenting to Your Excellency a report on the establishment in Kronstadt of the House of Diligence in memory of the late Emperor Alexander II in Bose and a copy of its petition to Mr. Minister of Finance for the granting of an annual government subsidy in the amount of 1000 rubles. for the maintenance of the House of Industry, I have the honor to most humbly request Your Excellency to provide your favorable assistance in satisfying this petition to Mr. Minister of Finance 257. E. V. Fidelina. During 1882. Kronstadt 258 I am sending you the required hundred rubles. To the editor of the newspaper “Kronstadt Bulletin”. No later than December 13, 1883. Kronstadt From Kronstadt St. Andrew's parish guardianship The Council of the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Parish Guardianship informs that in order to support the children's shelter of the St. Andrew's Guardianship, where eighteen orphans and poor children are being raised 259, a bazaar will be organized on the days of the Nativity of Christ, which is why the Council of Guardianship addresses the residents of the city with the most earnest request not to refuse their assistance by sending things for the organization of this bazaar; and also asks for distribution, support and participation in this endeavor. The Board of Trustees gratefully accepts every donation in the office of trustees every day at any time of the day and always issues receipts, and in the office there is a special book in which donors and their trustees are asked to sign with their own hands or, when sent, are asked to be entered in this book. To an unidentified person. No later than the end of 1883. Kronstadt At 2:15 a.m. prayer service 260 was served. E.K. Sergieva. July 15, 1885. Voronezh Elizaveta Konstantinovna with her sister Anna Konst and children - Rufa, Lisa and Ekaterina Adolfovna! On the 12th of July, in the evening at 10? o'clock, we arrived in Voronezh, at the Mitrofanov Monastery and soon entered the chambers of Bishop Seraphim 1: The holy elder immediately came out to meet us (Fr. Nikolai and I), blessed, kissed and hugged us. Then he invited me into the living room and began to talk to me about whatever was necessary. Thanked for coming 2. Meanwhile, tea was served; then we had dinner. I won’t describe everything – it will take too long. On July 14, Sunday, I served at the conciliar church in the Bishops' Church of the Cross and after mass served a prayer service in the cell of the Right Reverend; Today, Monday, Vladyka intends to serve himself in the Church of the Cross and invited me to serve with him: mass will begin at one o’clock. Tomorrow I'm going to Zadonsk, to the relics of St. Tikhon. 3. July 17th, Wednesday, I'm thinking of setting off on the way back 4. The heat here is unusual; There was only the slightest rain yesterday. Today, July 15, the heat is unbearable. “My stomach can’t settle in any way—everything is weakening; However, I myself am not weakening very much and I feel good, by the grace of God. I kiss you all. Farewell. On the envelope: In Oranienbaum, S. - Petersburg. gub., to the dacha of Mrs. Melnikova, the wife of the Archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral Ioann Sergiev, Elisaveta Konstantinovna Sergieva. To an unidentified person (Anastasia). November 24, 1885 Kronstadt I send my pastoral blessing to the sick servant of God Anastasia. I pray to the Lord God to send you healing 261 from the illness that has taken hold of you 262 . Hope, pray with sincere faith, and you will receive what you ask from the Lord - His mercy is inexpressible! - remember the words of the Holy Gospel: “Whatever you ask in prayer with faith, you will receive” 263. Kronstadt November 24, 1885. Unknown (peasant of the Yaroslavl province). Mid-April 1886. Kronstadt 264 I send you and your family my pastoral blessing. I pray to God for the healing of your suffering children. E.K. Sergieva. June 9 (22), 1886. Berlin My dear Liza with my sister Anna Konst and our nieces Rufa and Liza! God bless you! June 8, Sunday, at 9 pm we are in Berlin. We stayed in the apartment of the secretary of the Russian Embassy, ​​Sergei Vas Arsenyev, in the best place in the German capital. The owner of the apartment himself is not present at the moment - he is at the dacha: he will be there tomorrow. I am writing a letter on Monday, June 9th. I visited the mentally ill Countess Orlova-Davydova (nee Arsenyeva). Upon entering her room, she fell at my feet. I thought she was sensible; It didn’t turn out that way: she started speaking to me in German, and not a word in Russian: the Russian lady who was traveling with me translated. From the conversation it became clear that she was completely crazy; judging from a human perspective, there is no hope for recovery, as all the doctors in Berlin say. Seeing that there was no hope and that she did not want either prayer or communion of the Holy Mysteries, I left. Then he was in the famous Berlin Aquarium, in a huge size, where all kinds of fish, seals, snakes, eels, crayfish, sea horses are kept, and in an aviary with different birds. Then I visited the Berlin Embassy Archpriest, Tarasius Fyodor Seredinsky, whom I asked permission to serve me mass in the Embassy Church. Permitted: I will serve, God willing, on Thursday, June 12th. Berlin is a huge city, much larger than St. Petersburg; in the middle of it is a huge garden, 300 acres in size, occupying more than half the capital 265. The railway running through Berlin runs almost above the city, level with the third floors of the houses. This surprised me at first. There are magnificent buildings, even better than those in St. Petersburg. – But you can’t write everything. How do you live? Is everyone healthy? Visit Kronstadt. Next Sunday evening, I’m thinking of going to Russia. Pray to God for me to return safely 266. On the envelope. Russie. S. Petersburg. Along the Peterhof Highway near Oranienbaum, Reina's dacha, to the wife of Archpriest Elisaveta Konstant Sergieva. Y. K. Markov. June 10 (23), 1886. Berlin The speed is amazing: at 10:50 in the morning we set off from St. Petersburg, and at 9:00 in the evening the next day we were already in the capital of Germany - by rail over houses... Today, June 10th, I was in the famous aquarium, where there are fish and animals of all kinds - in artificial reservoirs, where there are birds of different species and genera in poultry houses, where there are monkeys of all kinds. The spectacle is very interesting. You couldn't tear yourself away from everything you see. I want to see the menagerie, the art gallery. I stopped with the secretary of the Russian embassy, ​​Sergei Vas Arsenyev 267. I was in the Berlin city garden, which has a circumference of 300 acres of land and occupies half of the entire city. Frederick the Great, a contemporary of Peter the Great, planted him... God bless you, the city of Kronstadt and all of Mother Russia. Archpriest John of Kronstadt. E.K. Sergieva. June 15 (28), 1886. Berlin Elisaveta Konstantinovna, Maria and Anna Konstantinovna with Rufa and Lisa! I kiss you in absentia and invoke God’s blessing on you. After I wrote you the first letter, I spent time in Berlin and have been spending it very pleasantly and usefully so far: I was in the Zoological Garden, at the World Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture, in the so-called panopticon, I went to the dacha in Eberswalde, where there are magnificent forests. On Saturday Mr. Ambassador Shuvalov was invited to him for a prayer service and breakfast, then for lunch after the all-night vigil. On Sunday, today, I was invited again after mass for breakfast. The ambassador and his wife Maria Alexander received me very kindly. On Monday, if God bless, I will serve mass in the Embassy Church and on Tuesday I will go to Russia and to you 268. May God bless you all with good health. On the envelope: Russie. S. Petersburg. Along the Peterhof Highway, not far from the Oranienbaum Gate, Reina’s dacha, the wife of Archpriest Elisaveta Konstantinovna Sergieva. To the editor of the newspaper “Kronstadt Bulletin”. March 15, 1887. Kronstadt Dear Mr. Editor 269! I humbly ask you to publish my following statement in your respected newspaper to restore the truth 270. According to rumors that have reached me, a prayer with the following inscription and condition appeared in circulation in St. Petersburg and other places in Russia: “Prayer about. John of Kronstadt. “Oh, Jesus Christ, we pray to You, Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us and Your whole world from all destruction. With Your blood You have redeemed our souls from sins. O Eternal God, Thy mercy is great, for the sake of Thy most pure blood, always, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.” “Whoever has this prayer must convey it to 9 people and at least once a day must read it with faith and then he will be delivered from all evil and disaster, and if he does not fulfill it, he will be subjected to evil and disaster.” I declare that this prayer, unworthy of its name, is not my prayer, but the work of an ignorant, and certainly not theological, mind, because the appeal to the Holy Trinity in it refers to the one Person of Christ. This prayer is one of those apocryphal, renounced, ignorant works of the dark people, which have been circulated among them for a long time in the same way as the “Dream of the Mother of God” and the legend of the heavenly scroll found in a stone that fell from the sky in the holy city of Jerusalem. I deny any solidarity with this false, stupid prayer. To the Kronstadt police. March 20, 1887. Kronstadt Due to the investigation opened by the police into the attack on me by the peasant Tekanov on March 15, in Bykov's house 271, I consider it my duty to state the following: “Completely agreeing with the report on this case, placed in No. 32 of the Kronstadt Bulletin, I, however, based on the inquiries I made and on the basis of my own conviction, find that the mentioned Tekanov, with his impudent treatment of me, if he did something unpleasant to me, then this was done by him without any intent and only as a result of his passion for prayer, due to his weakness of nerve reaching ecstasy 272 . Having had several similar cases before, I am used to this kind of patient 273 and am not at all offended by Tekanov’s actions, which is why I did not find it necessary to report this to the police. In view of the above, I have the honor to humbly request that the investigation into this case be discontinued by production 274. Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory Nathanael (Soborov). December 12, 1887. Kronstadt His Eminence, Most Reverend Nathanael, Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory and Knight of the Archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral John Sergiev Assuming, with the help of God and good people, to build a new stone church in honor of the great saint of God, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra, on the site of a dilapidated wooden one in the village of Sura Arkhang Gub Pinezh district 275, and having already sent up to twelve thousand money for its construction for materials and work 276, I humbly ask Your Eminence to allow and bless the plan for the proposed construction of the Church and - speed up the holy work with your Archpastoral blessing 277. Petitioner, humble novice of Your Eminence Archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral Plan in the Provincial Arkhangelsk Board, sent by me on December 13, 1887 278. On the letter there is a mark: “1888. Jan 8. Upon receipt of the plan with a certificate, review it immediately. E Nathanael." In the Arkhangelsk Provincial Board. December 12, 1887. Kronstadt To the Arkhangelsk Provincial Board Archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral Ioann Sergiev Attaching herewith the plan for the proposed construction of a new stone Church in the Surskoye village of the Arkhangelsk Province of the Pinega district 279, I humbly ask the Board to approve and authorize it so that the plan is returned to the candidate of commerce Sharvin, who has a residence in Arkhangelsk at the sawmill S. – St. Petersburg merchant Rusanov 280. Archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral On the letter there is a note: “Received December 21 No. 1137.” S. P. and D. I. Malkin. During 1887. Kronstadt My dears - Semyon Prokofievich and Daria Ilinichna with the whole family 281! I received your letter and learned from it that Evdokim was surrendered as a soldier, 282 that you had a lot of tears and grief, that you needed money, that there was no one to work for you after Evdokim was surrendered as a soldier. Stop grieving: now it’s good in the Tsar’s service, better than home life; Moreover, you must serve the Tsar and the Fatherland, and instead of Evdokim, hire a stranger for rural work. As long as I am alive and well, I will not forget you, and I will send you money 283. So now I’m sending you a hundred rubles. Thank God for everything, and take care of yourself, your health, your peace of mind, love God and the Most Holy Theotokos, diligently visit the church of God on Sundays and holidays; be hardworking, not lazy, temperate, honest, friendly; and the Lord will not leave you. O. Fedor 284 - my deepest bow to his wife; To Ivan Alekseevich 285 - bow with Evdokia Filippovna and everyone who knows me and remembers me. I recently sent three hundred rubles 286 to your Church. I believe I will soon send a plan for the new Church 287. I don’t undertake to run the business, although your Society with Fr. Theodore and asks to take over this matter 288. I have no time. I have work to do every day from morning until late evening. Forgive and pray to God for yourself and me and for everyone. V.V. Poletaev and N.P. Stefanovsky. June 23, 1888. Kronstadt O. o. Deacons Vladimir Vasilyevich Poletaev and Nikolai Petrovich Stefanovsky. I ask you to give the mug 289 and salary in my absence to my wife Elisaveta Konst Sergieva 290 . Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory Nathanael (Soborov). July 22, 1888. Kronstadt 291 His Eminence the Most Reverend Nathanael, Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory and Cavalier During my stay this summer in Arkhangelsk and with Your Eminence, I thanked you for your gracious participation in the stone church that I built, by the grace of God, in Sura for the 1st parish of the Pinega district 292. But during the supportive, pleasant conversation of Your Eminence with me, I forgot to offer you a request - permission to build two side chapels in the newly built church - one in the name of the Holy Great Martyr Paraskeva, revered locally by the people, and the other in the name of St. John of Rila, whose memory is on October 19, the day of my Angel; - about which I now present my petition to Your Eminence 293. I humbly pray to the Supreme Shepherd 294, our Lord Jesus Christ, that He may continue your days, like the days of heaven, 295 for the glory of His Name, for the joy and glory of you and your God-saved flock. Archpriest of the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral Princess E. D. Shakhovskaya. September 26, 1888. Kronstadt Kronstadt, September 26, 1888 Your Excellency, dearly respected Princess Elizabeth! I received your letter and read it with heartfelt sympathy. May the Lord reward you for your feasible assistance in establishing Orthodoxy in the region where the Lord destined you to live and act for the good of the people and for the Glory of God. 296 You ask God for a miracle for the successful spread of Orthodoxy and for helping the poor Estonians and Latvians. God is a God of miracles at all times. He has created and will create miracles in your Brotherhood 297 and will confirm your work to the end. I have the honor to send two hundred rubles 298 for the needs of the Society. I sincerely bow to you, princess, Your humble servant and Bogomolets, E. A. Egorova, future nun Florentin. No later than October 1888. Kronstadt Dear sister Elizaveta Alexandrovna in the Lord! May the grace, peace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit be with you 299. I apologize that I am very late in replying to you; Do not think that it was due to negligence towards you - and this was not on my mind - or negligence, but due to my extreme hard work and service, and partly through oblivion: your letter got stuck in me between various papers, and only today I found it, and I immediately answer you according to the contents of your letter. First of all, I thank you for your faith and trust in me and for trustingly contacting me in a letter, although you do not know me, and for openly confessing to me, or rather, to God, your mental and physical weaknesses. I call upon you from the bottom of my heart the mercy and grace of the Physician of our 300 souls and bodies, and may He heal your infirmities and grant you health and integrity. But do not slumber, my sister in the Lord, and yourself: be sober, stay awake, for the adversary the devil constantly walks near us and in us, looking for someone to devour 301... It is strange to hear from the lips of a virgin who has dedicated herself to God that she does not pray; Is it conceivable, isn’t it absurd, not to pray not only to you, but to anyone else who has not lost his mind? Prayer is the breath of the soul, food, drink that refreshes, cools, cleanses and strengthens the soul, spiritual light. After all, Mohammedans and idolaters pray in their own way. You also say: I am absent-minded: the evil one plays with your thoughts and heart; Collect my scattered mind, O Lord, and cleanse my desolate heart 302, sings the Holy Church in stichera. And you will certainly gather your mind and do not allow it to be scattered by the evil one to the destruction of your soul, be within yourself, and not outside of yourself; for when we are beside ourselves, then the devil is within us. “I’m embarrassed by everything,” you write; again this is wrong; confusion is a sure sign of the influence of the devil on our soul. Seek peace and marriage and 303, that is, hold on to it, says the Holy Psalmist; Have peace and holiness in you, gov Apostle, without which no one will see the Lord 304. “I think not about God, but about vanity,” you write; bad; It is more necessary to remember God than to breathe, says St. Gregory the Theologian 305. “Little faith,” you say; strive with all your might to have faith, without faith it is impossible to please God 306, which means it is easy to perish without it. Imitate the faith of believers 307, especially the faith of the saints, who were similar to us in everything, except for our lack of faith and laziness. You are impatient, superstitious, etc. Read the Gospel about the passion of Christ; about the long-suffering of the Lord towards us; about the suffering of martyrs and martyrs; about the exploits of reverend men and women who shone forth in fasting and prayer and in all virtue. Evil comes from the devil: he sets fire to us, constantly slanderes our neighbors, embitters us against them; he must be resisted with firmness, calling on the Lord for help and sincerely condemning himself. Doing evil comes from the devil 308, says Scripture. – May the Lord be your helper in everything. I bow to your mother 309. Please convey my regards to Mother Seraphima (in a secular way), who lives with Mother Abbess. I forgot my monastic name. If you write to me, remember her first and last name. Farewell. Your humble servant and prayer book Editor of the newspaper "Kronstadt Bulletin". Mid-January 1889. Kronstadt Dear Mr. Editor 310! I humbly ask you to publish my following statement in your respected newspaper to restore the truth. According to rumors that have reached me, a prayer with the following inscription and condition has again appeared in circulation in Orenburg and other places in Russia: “Prayer about. John of Kronstadt “Oh, Jesus Christ, we pray to You, holy God, mighty holy, immortal holy, have mercy on us and your whole world from all destruction. With Your blood You have redeemed our souls from sins. O Eternal God, Thy mercy is great, for the sake of Thy most pure blood, always, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.” “Whoever has this prayer must convey it to 9 people, and at least once a day must read it with faith, and then he will be delivered from all evil and disaster, and if he does not fulfill it, he will be subjected to evil and disaster." 311 Again I declare that this prayer, not worthy of its name, is not my prayer, but the work of an ignorant and certainly not theological mind, because the appeal to the Holy Trinity in it refers to the one Person of Christ. This prayer is one of those apocryphal, renounced, ignorant works of the dark people, which have been circulated among them for a long time in the same way as the “Dream of the Mother of God” and the legend of the heavenly scroll found in a stone that fell from the sky in the holy city of Jerusalem. I deny any solidarity with this false, stupid prayer. In mid-March 1887, I asked the Kronstadt Bulletin and other newspapers to make known this religious falsification (falsification, lies) through the press. Now I repeat again this most humble request of mine. Nun Florentin (Egorova). February 25, 1889. Kronstadt Dear Sister Florentia! Take this lamb into your covering 312 . I will be very grateful to you. Nun Florentin (Egorova). March 2, 1889. Kronstadt Your Reverence, venerable Mother Florentia! Take this lamb of Christ, Anna Dokuchaeva, under your wing. She will be a wonderful nun. I sincerely bow to you and wish you the right to rule the school and monastery 313. Nun Florentin (Egorova). April 2, 1889. Kronstadt Most honest sister in Christ Florentia! I have read your letters and pray to God to reconcile the militant brethren with you with pens and ink 314. I sent the thing I promised you through Elizaveta Antonovna 315. Now, Your Reverence, I ask you to take the verbal lamb Eugene under your protection; be her mother and mentor; she is a newly sown plant that requires kind but little care. May God give understanding. I wish you to celebrate the Bright Holiday 316 in peace with all your brothers and sisters in Christ. Your unworthy prayer book Nun Florentin (Egorova). April 19, 1889. Kronstadt Reverend and my dear sister Florentia! I greet you with the worldwide joy of the resurrection of Christ, and, I hope, with the establishment of the peace of Christ in your soul 317. I received and read your letters. Now my earnest request to you: if possible, please be kind enough to accept into your monastery the girl Tatiana, the daughter of the Kronstadt resident Ksenia, who lives in Khromov’s house. I earnestly ask for this. The girl has heartfelt faith and love for Christ. To an unidentified person. August 26, 1889. Kronstadt I will visit Mrs. Lvova on Wednesday or Thursday 318 because I cannot be there earlier, having given my word to be in St. Petersburg earlier 319. I testify to you, on occasion, my sincere respect. Nun Florentin (Egorova). August 29, 1889. Kronstadt 320 According to your faith, the Lord will bless the foundation of the barnyard. Nun Florentin (Egorova). September 5, 1889. Kronstadt I have the honor to congratulate the dear birthday girl on Angel 321 Nun Florentin (Egorova). September 15, 1889. Kronstadt May God strengthen, comfort and heal 322 you.. Nun Florentin (Egorova). September 20, 1889. Kronstadt Trust in God. Blessed are those who cry, for they will be comforted 323. Nun Florentin (Egorova). September 28, 1889. Kronstadt 324 Martyr of Christ, take heart and be strong. Christ God will strengthen you. Nun Florentin (Egorova). September 29, 1889. Kronstadt May God grant you to bear the cross without complaint. If Fidelina asks, accept 325. N. N. and R. G. Shemyakin. December 26, 1889. Kronstadt 326 I congratulate you, my dears, on the current holidays of the Nativity of Christ, and then on the New Year; I wholeheartedly wish you to travel with benefit and pleasure and see the greatness of God on the seas and on land and to learn faith and humility and the ability to use life for the benefit of yourself and people and for the glory of God 327. Goodbye, Nikolai Nikolaevich, Rufina and Elisaveta Grigorievna 328! Your Uncle and prayer book Archpriest John Sergiev Abbess Yuvenalia (Lovenetskaya). Second half of 1889. Kronstadt Accept, I am sending, dear, two hundred rubles 329 for extreme needs. E. V. Dukhonina. No later than 1889. Kronstadt 330 Don’t worry, God is merciful, I pray! Nun Florentin (Egorova). February 1, 1890. Kronstadt God's blessing to you, I sincerely wish you to overcome your enemies with patience 331 Nun Florentin (Egorova). March 5, 1890. Kronstadt 332 Most honorable Mother Florentia! Accept, for Christ’s sake, this kind girl Anilina Nikitina into your monastery. Nun Florentin (Egorova). March 14, 1890. Kronstadt 333 Your Reverence, my dear spiritual daughter Florentia! I ask you, in the name of the Lord, to accept this lamb Olga Uspenskaya under the roof of your monastery and save her from the storm of life. The Lord will reward you for keeping the verbal sheep of His flock. Nun Florentin (Egorova). March 24, 1890. Kronstadt Dear Sister Florentia in the Lord! May the peace of God be with you and your mother 334 and with all the sisters in Christ. Thank you for your kindred care and concern for my health. I still continue to cough, although my chest does not suffer at all 335. I don’t know whether my cough will go away soon; there is some hoarseness in my throat. Take away, Lord, my illness. - Be healthy. - Thank you for the future cassock. Make it according to your chosen model. Your servant and worshiper is unworthy John Archpriest. Nun Florentin (Egorova). April 12, 1890. Kronstadt 336 Your Reverence, most honorable Mother Florentia! I am sending to you a good sheep from the flock of Christ, the maiden Maria Nikolaevna Kochnova: do not tear her away from your heart and your fence and bring her into the sheep yard, into the Derevyanitsky monastery entrusted to you. unworthy Archpriest John Sergiev. Nun Florentin (Egorova). May 19, 1890. Kronstadt 337 Dear Reverend Mother Florentia! I sincerely bow to you, my kind spiritual daughter, and ask you for the girl Elisaveta Miklashevskaya, who sincerely desires to become a nun under your leadership. If possible, be kind enough to accept her into your fence. Your admirer and spiritual father, Nun Florentin (Egorova). May 24, 1890. Kronstadt Most honorable mother Florentia! Peace be with you and your mother and all the sisters of the monastery entrusted to you, and the school in which you have been appointed Head. I read all your mournful letters, and I read the last letter, but I did not answer your letters because I hardly have time to sit down to write. And I am writing this letter out of extreme necessity. You write regarding the operation: I do not advise you to subject yourself to it and expose your body, which is not safe for you to look at either. You all belong to Christ, the Immortal, the Most Pure Bridegroom: do not allow either man or woman to examine your body. Be patient, repent and pray. It is better to suffer and die as a passion-bearer than to allow yourself to be operated on 338. Telegrams and letters have been received. Nun Florentin (Egorova). June 19, 1890. Kronstadt Remember what was said for your spiritual benefit and try to fulfill it heartily, with readiness, zeal and joy 339. E.K. Sergieva. August 13, 1890. Sura My dear wife Elisaveta Konstantinovna, Anna Konst, Rufa, Lisa! I hug and kiss you. I’m in Sura - I arrived on the evening of August 12, and how happy I was when I saw the Church and the bell tower almost finished - it’s hard to express in words. The building of the Church and the bell tower is excellent, beautiful 340. Now I began to look from top to bottom, or rather, from bottom to top, and rose to the bell tower, from where there was a wonderful view in all directions - wide meadows, fields, rivers, forests, villages. The bell tower is 19 fathoms - up to the cross, the church is 18 fathoms: the church and bell tower are very beautiful; church for 1000 people. At the temporary wooden bell tower, I replaced a large, newly brought bell weighing 66 poods and 53 pounds (sixty-six poods) 341 and ordered it to be hung on poles the next day to ring and listen to the ringing. No sooner said than done. I was the first to start calling; beautiful, silvery hum 342. All this together makes me extremely happy. I thank the Lord, who gives me pure joys in life 343. – They are building a stone fence around the church, and the fence will be quite decent. Then they will make ovens (three) and lay the slab on the floor. – Consecration is expected next year, in July or August 344. There is a new bishop in Arkhangelsk, Alexander 345. In three days I’m going to Arkhangelsk, I’ll stay there for three days and then go home via Vologda, Yaroslavl and Moscow. At the beginning of September, with God's haste, I will be home 346. I wish you all to be healthy. My bow - oh. Pavel Vas Trachevsky, Pyotr Alekseevich, Alexander Ivanovich, Fr. O. to deacons Vladimir Vasilyevich and Nikolai Petrovich and the entire clergy 347. Only now am I truly resting. The grain harvest is good everywhere; but the bear is very abusive to livestock: it has killed many bulls, cows, and sheep. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). December 13, 1890. Kronstadt Servant of God and my beloved Sister in the Lord Taisiya! Peace be with you from our Lord Jesus Christ. Great is your faith and your boldness in the Lord, great is your trust in me, the unworthy. I hope that the Lord, through your faith, will grant you mutual healing 348 349 350, just as He daily and incessantly grants me, according to my faith and my repentance. Your faith will save you, go in peace 351. Your humble servant and humble prayer book The tip of the leaf was saturated with oil, I don’t know where it came from. May this be a sign of God's mercy to you and to me. Amen. Nun Florentin (Egorova). December 13, 1890. Kronstadt 352 Dear, dearly beloved mother and spiritual daughter Florentin in the Lord! Take this verbal sheep into your fold and be its spiritual mother. Her name: Pelagia, maiden, peasant daughter of Petersburg province, Peterhof district, Gostilitsa volost. I hope that she will justify my and your trust and will be a good novice and a good nun. P.S. If you need to contribute money, I am ready to pay one hundred rubles. Count G. G. Stenbock. January 6, 1891. Kronstadt On January 7 I will leave by car at 11 o’clock. I'll be in St. Petersburg at half past twelve 354 To the Chairman of the St. Petersburg Temperance Society D. N. Borodin. January 9, 1891. Kronstadt It is difficult for our society to wage an energetic fight against the vice of drunkenness, since it has not yet developed a consciousness of self-activity. No, it’s not true and I don’t believe in this cultural and social movement 356. Archpriest Alexei Maltsev. February 6, 1891. Kronstadt Your Reverence, dear O. Archpriest Alexey Petrovich! Let me ask you to convey to the Orthodox Berlin Brotherhood in the name of St. Equal to the Apostles Prince Vladimir 357 my heartfelt gratitude for the flattering honor of being elected to the Honorary Members of the Brotherhood. I will try, to the best of my ability, to meet the objectives of the established Brotherhood. To you, venerable Fr. Archpriest, I send my heartfelt bow and fraternal kisses to you, as well as to all members. I am sending one hundred rubles for the needs of the Brotherhood. Your humble servant and prayer leader Princess E. D. Shakhovskaya. May 12, 1891. Kronstadt Beloved in the Lord Elisaveta Dmitrievna! I cannot find words worthy to thank you for your Christian love, shown to me by your warm welcome - for everything that I saw and experienced in Reval during my short stay: for I owe it to you that I visited Reval 358. Only one circumstance resonated unfavorably in me, namely, that my servant Nikolai very unceremoniously imposed on you and some other persons books of my compositions or sermons 359, which our parish trustee, with my permission, instructed him to sell in those cities where I visit with him. Sorry, this was not done with my consent. I hope you, like your valiant and generous husband, will forgive me for this circumstance. I will make a suggestion to my assistant companion. I have written to you, in gratitude for your kind reception, the magazine “Pilgrim”, which I hope will be useful reading for you. My heartfelt bow to you and His Lordship with deep gratitude. Archpriest of the Kronsht Cathedral, Nun Florentin (Egorova). May 21, 1891. Kronstadt My dear mother, in the Lord, Florentia! Rest in the Lord and in perfect devotion to His will. Pray for your enemies and wish them well 360. The truth will prevail. Above all, be afraid of being angry with someone 361. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). Not earlier than September 8, 1891. Kronstadt Your Reverence Dear Mother Abbess Taisia! I greet you with the consecration of the newly built church in your monastery 362 and together I thank you for the warm welcome given to me during my journey to Rybinsk 363. I thank the Lord, who has placed your hearts towards me so sincerely. May the Lord increase mutual love in us. I ask you to accept from me the enclosed three hundred rubles for the benefit of the monastery and remember me ever in your godly prayers. By the grace of God, I am healthy and working spiritually in prayers and in serving the spiritual and material needs of my neighbors 364. I bow to you and all the sisters. Your humble servant and humble Bogomolets Archpriest of Kronstadt John Sergiev. V. S. Georgievsky, future Metropolitan Eulogius. Not earlier than October 18, 1891. Kronstadt With all my heart I bless the fulfillment of the wonderful intention 365, but first test yourself. Archpriest Alexei Maltsev. October 30, 1891. Kronstadt Allow me to repay you my debt, although rather late, namely: to thank you for the high honor of being an Honorary Member of the Orthodox Brotherhood of St. Vladimir Equal to the Apostles and for sending me a diploma for this title, and to contribute the accompanying hundred rubles. May the Orthodox Berlin Brotherhood prosper, multiply and strengthen for the glory of God and for the benefit of its compatriots. 366 Always remembering you and loving you Nun Florentin (Egorova). March 7, 1892. Kronstadt Venerable Sister Florentia! Sorry for not writing to you; the circumstances in which I find myself every day do not allow me to write even lines 367. I pray for you. I know everything you have from your letters 368. Be patient, don’t be discouraged, pray. To the St. Petersburg Spiritual Consistory. March 27, 1892. Kronstadt On the first expedition of the St. Petersburg Spiritual Consistory Archpriest and Keymaster of the Kronstadt Cathedral Ioann Sergiev I have the honor to report to the St. Petersburg Ecclesiastical Consistory the result of my trip as a result of a business trip, in accordance with the resolution of His Eminence the Archpastor 369, to the village of Krapivino, Gdov district, and to another village of the same district, Luga, to admonish the peasant Kodratov and his accomplices, who were carried away by false religious opinions. On March 22nd I left at 4? We set off at about one o'clock in the evening and, having spent the night in Narva, the next morning I went to Gdovsky district, to the village of Krapivenskoye, to talk with the priest Fr. John Lebedev, who made a report to the Dean of the 1st district of Gdov district, priest Fr. Alexey Bogdanov regarding the infatuation with false opinions of Kodratov and his accomplices. I found him at home just getting ready for school, and I said to him: “Ivan Vasilyevich, accept me with love as a brother and as a messenger from the diocesan authorities, so that with common strength and in the spirit of love we can influence false-minded people and turn them to the path of truth.” “With us,” he says, “thank God, everything is calm and there is no unrest among the peasants, and I am sure that if Kodratov found out that you (that is, I) came here to admonish him, he would now give up his thoughts: he is a very simple man and very pious and submissive. “I,” he says, “are very surprised that my report led to such consequences and caused your business trip to us.” We decided to go together to the village of Lugi, Gdov district, where Kodratov and his comrades in opinion live. When we arrived, we asked the old man who was working on the street near Kodratov’s house: “Is Vladimir Kodratov at home?” “No,” he says, “I’m at home, I went to Yuryev, we’re waiting to go home today.” The old man was Vladimir's father. We go into the house, here we meet his wife and small children. I ask: “Are you the wife of Vladimir Kodratov?” “Yes, wife,” he says. “And what,” I ask her, “is the rumor true that your husband tells his villagers about the priest of Kronstadt John, as if he, that is, John, is the Lord Jesus Christ, who came to judge the world?” “No, this is not true, but he (that is, the husband) said that Fr. John is a holy man, that the Holy Spirit is in him, because he teaches people everything that is useful, soul-saving and leads people away from evil. My husband used to be a bitter drunkard and wouldn’t let a pipe out of his mouth, but now he lives soberly and has given up smoking tobacco and lives well with me and teaches me good things.” At this time, two old men entered the hut - brothers - Vladimir’s father, 70 years old, and Vladimir’s uncle, 85 years old. We ask them (me and Fr. Lebedev): “Is it true what they say that Vladimir calls Kronstadt Fr. John the Lord? The old uncle replies: “Yes, I hear that it is so, he says that Fr. John is not an ordinary man – Jesus Christ.” “Tell him,” I say, “that he is speaking absurdity, untruth, blasphemy, blasphemy, that I was deliberately sent here by the highest authorities to expose and enlighten the ignorant and teach them to obey the Church, its teachings and their lawful shepherds. That I am a simple priest, and not the Lord, who ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father God, although he is and will always be with us until the end of the age.” At this time Vladimir arrived and, entering the room, threw himself at my feet and cheerfully greeted me. This is an extremely simple and naive man, some kind of eccentric, he looked at me extremely softly, smiling, recognized me that I was John of Kronstadt. I tell him: “They say about you that you call me Lord, although I am a sinful man and a priest, like your priests.” “Yes, I said so,” he answers. “How is it,” I tell him, “that it occurred to you to speak such crazy, blasphemous speeches and confuse the Orthodox people? So I myself personally tell you: stop thinking and talking about me like that, and consider me, as you should, only a priest; You can call me pious, but not holy, and don’t you dare call me God.” Apparently, he did not want to give up his opinion, and he hesitated, but I decisively demanded of him that he should not think or speak blasphemously about me, adding that God would punish him if he did not listen to me: and he completely abandoned his thoughts. His accomplices were also there: and they all immediately renounced their delusions and promised not to tell anyone any more absurd things about me. I tell them: you are dark people, you don’t understand a lot: you interpret a lot falsely; listen to your priests what they tell you. The Lord Himself has appointed them as shepherds, lamps, and eyes for you; They will give an answer to God for you, but if you don’t listen, God will punish you. After this they abandoned all false opinions. I would like to add to this that Kodratov does not deny the sanctity of marriage, as Fr. Lebedev, and lives in harmony with his wife, as she herself testified. As for the circumstances, it is as if Kodratov and his company were walking through the city of Kronstadt, and when they met me they allegedly told me; “Hosanna, and we also cry out to you 370, Lord” (that is, as if to me), and I supposedly answered them: “Yes, yes,” then I do not consider it necessary to justify myself in this absurdity. Nothing could be crazier than this; But the Lord did not deprive me of my reason and I dare to think - to have an enlightened heart 371 and feelings trained by long reflection in reasoning about good and evil 372. Another word: the women of the village of Gubin Perevoz were accused of blasphemously performing the Sacrament of Communion. This is not true, this is a perversion of the truth. The women who were in Kronstadt brought from there blessed prosphora and holy water with oil and gave them to the sick to eat in the simplicity of faith: that’s all. Where do they not slander the pious? And people slandered the Lord Himself and through slander brought him to death, death on the cross 373. General conclusion: the good Russian people have unlimited respect and trust in me; why the Lord honored me with this gift, why the Orthodox people are so disposed towards me - I don’t know whether the Lord, who tests hearts and wombs, 374 will judge this, but I know that the power of God is accomplished in my weaknesses and the weaknesses of many 375, through my humble, unworthy medium - and the people honor me and strive for me from everywhere; I confess that his respect for me and his heartfelt affection often go beyond limits and simpletons dare to extol me to the skies, but I continually humble myself before the God who exalts me and say: not to me, not to me, but to your name be glory 376 and greatness, and strength and power forever and ever - and before people, all of whom I consider better than me 377 . To the State Controller T.I. Filippov. May 11, 1892. Kronstadt Your Excellency, highly respected Terty Ivanovich! I pray to Christ God: give a place to this educated and completely moral girl Zinaida Rodionova 378 . and an unworthy prayer book - On the envelope: In St. Petersburg. To State Control to His Excellency, Tertius Ivanovich Filippov, from Kronstadt Archpriest John Sergiev. To an unidentified person. June 8, 1892. Moscow I'm healthy. Today I am leaving Moscow for Vologda 379. The Lord is your comfort. Nun Florentin (Egorova). 1891 – no later than the summer of 1892. Kronstadt My spiritual daughter and teacher, Florentia! Send me a copy of the student's letter 380, and send the original to the Metropolitan for justification. Otherwise, the Metropolitan may believe all those who slander you. I wish you good health. I pray for you and for your mother and for everyone. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). September 3, 1892. Bezhetsk Dear in the Lord and beloved Sister and Mother Taisiya! I answer directly the questions that concern you: you should remain the abbess, as the Lord appointed you 381; Go this way and don’t doubt. Find yourself a partner in business, for the Scripture says: in much counsel is salvation 382; and with your weaknesses and difficult tasks this is even more necessary. Pray to God and the Most Holy Theotokos to send you an assistant in this important matter, and the Lord will fulfill your desire, and His Mother, imitating His love for mankind, will arrange everything for your good. I am writing from Bezhetsk 383, today I am going to St. Petersburg. Farewell, dear Taisiya. Priest Vasily Ruchev. September 22, 1892. Kronstadt Your High Blessing Dear Fr. Dean Vasily Ivanovich! By forwarding to you one hundred and fifty rubles for the books sent in my name to the Pinega Post Office, I ask you to receive the book parcels and pay the money for the accessories 384. I take this opportunity to testify to you my deep respect and at the same time notify you that I ordered holy vestments for priests in all parishes of the Pinega district 386 from Zheverzheev’s St. Petersburg store 385 . To the mayor of Novomoskovsk K.F. Zhirov. First half of October 1892. Kronstadt I joined your prayer before the Queen of Heaven and prayed to Her for the deliverance of all of you from the epidemic disease that has befallen you. Calm down 387. Prince D. M. Golitsyn. October 22, 1892. Kronstadt Your Excellency Illustrious Prince Dimitri! Great is your grief and that of your wife, Princess Zinaida. I sympathize with you as a brother. But if human wisdom and knowledge are powerless to alleviate this grief and suffering of your dear wife, then the Lord is always good and strong to help and comfort and save all those who trust in His name. First of all, in any bodily illness, repentance before the Lord is necessary, because the body most often suffers from sin. Behold, he was healthy, who did not sin 388. The eyes should be treated with holy water or washed with plain water with the thought of the Lord and faith in Him. Otherwise, surrender to the all-good Providence in everything and do not give up prayer. Your humble servant and zealous worshiper Nun Florentin (Egorova). November 28, 1892. Kronstadt God's blessing to you and mom Macrina. She has pneumonia or complicated influenza. God grant that she overcomes this disease. However, God's will be done 389. If she is ripe for eternal life, then how can she resist the will of God 390? Don’t be discouraged, and trust in God, not your mother. Come to us. – I kiss your mother and bow to you. Archpriest Phileter Pavlovsky. November 30, 1892. Kronstadt I have sent church vestments to the Consistory for all the churches in the Pinega district 391 Please call the deans to hand them over to the parish priests 392 I. P. Kiselev. December 7, 1892. Kronstadt I'm going to Moscow and Tambov today with you. Take a pair of underwear from Vasily 393 for me; my books “My Life in Christ” at least three copies; vestments and everything else for vestments (breviary about 2 parts). Don't tell anyone about this. Mrs. Zenkovskaya. During 1892. Kronstadt I pray. I served a prayer service in your church 395. Father John of Kronstadt. Priest John Orlov. During 1892. Kronstadt Now I will make a warm prayer to God for the healing of the sick woman and believe in the mercy of God 396. To the editor of the newspaper “Novoe Vremya”. January 4, 1893. Kronstadt I ask the respected editors to place in the next or next issue of their widely circulated newspaper 397 a few of my lines refuting the absurd rumor, spread, in all likelihood, by the enemies of Russia in Odessa, and perhaps further, that I announced that in 1893 there would be an unsuccessful war for Russia. I have never predicted anything to anyone, because I do not have the gift of prophecy, much less such an absurd prophecy as the one just mentioned, which can weaken the spirit of people in a certain environment who trust me too much. I declare categorically (decisively) that such a prophecy had never even occurred to me, and that, on the contrary, I have always been confident, as now, in the victory of the right Russian weapons and the Christ-loving Russian army, which will not yield even an inch of the Russian land, won by the blood of their ancestors. If the editors find it necessary, then be kind enough to include the letter of the Russian lieutenant colonel, which gave me the reason to write this statement 398. Princess E. D. Shakhovskaya. January 4, 1893. Kronstadt Your Excellency, Gracious Empress, Elisaveta Dmitrievna! Dear, I read your letter and remain grateful for your feelings and thoughts regarding me. May God grant me to be what you think I am 399. I read and approved the appeal - it is excellently composed. Together with this letter I am sending it back to you 400. I sent 500 rubles to Pyukhtitsa. - God grant that the Pukhtitsa desert flourishes like a crin 401 for the glory of dear Orthodoxy 402. My bow to His Excellency, your dear husband, the head of the region 403 and to you, the true daughter of the Church of Christ, dear to me (both others are dear). Your humble pilgrim Prot John Sergiev. A. I. Antonova. March 25–26, 1893. Kronstadt 404 I prayed that she would be healthy. John. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). No later than March 26, 1893. Kronstadt Most honest, beloved in the Lord, Abbess Taisiya! Your dear letter, or rather, I received your letters, although I did not answer you with pen and ink, for reasons known to you, that is, constant travels and prayers. And now, if you hadn’t forced it with your letter and (with it) an addressed envelope, I probably wouldn’t have answered you in writing either; and now, at your request, I sat down and wrote, “God be with you!” Happy upcoming, or already arrived (when my letter reaches you) holiday of the Bright Resurrection of Christ 405! Oh joy! Oh, celebration! And the Angels sing in heaven, and grant us, O Lord, to glorify You with a pure heart 406!.. I send my spiritual greetings to you and the newly-born E.S. 407 and to all your sisters and I say to all of you: “Christ is Risen!” I accept with heartfelt joy your answer: “Truly He is Risen!” I wish all sisters, brothers, priests, deacons, and guards to rejoice with all their being. I received E.S.’s letter and will fulfill her and the poor woman’s request. I wish your monastery prosperity internally and externally, spiritually and economically. As long as I'm alive, I won't forget. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). May 10, 1893. Kronstadt 408 Venerable Mother Taisiya! Accept this lamb of Christ, the bearer of the note, into your storm-proof refuge. She tearfully asks for my intercession. Archpriest John Sergiev, your humble prayer book. N. Bogdanovich. Spring 1893. Kronstadt 409 I pray for the sick servant of God Anna. John Abbess Taisia (Solopova). July 4, 1893. Kronstadt You still grieve that the bustle of worries about the everyday affairs of the monastery weighs heavily on you, suppressing your soul and taking away time for prayer. But your cares are not vain, but are useful to many and pleasing to God and to the Queen Theotokos, as She Herself showed you 410. Work and take care to calm the many spiritually and physically toiling sisters, for your labors and worries are of great benefit both for the present and future nuns of the monastery, and they are preparing for you a great reward from God and peace in the Heavenly Fatherland. Remember that the “Sabbath” was left to the people of God 411, according to the word of the Apostle of the Gentiles (Hebrews), the Sabbath, that is, rest. And you will have peace from your labors 412 forever. But what peace can they expect in the next century who have not labored here for God and their neighbors in keeping His commandments? Therefore, do not lose heart, but persevere through the challenge that is set before you, looking to Jesus, the Author of your faith and Finisher of your faith. E.K. Sergieva. July 19, 1893. Moscow Kind, loving and devoted My wife Elisaveta Konstantinovna! I haven’t written a word to you for a long time, now, when the opportunity arises and free time, I take up the pen. Beyond my dreams, I now had to visit the south again and almost Kharkov - with Mrs. Kalugina and her sons 414, who begged me to come to them. All the way to them, my left lower jaw and teeth ached extremely, and I suffered terribly in the heat of 40 degrees. It took three days to travel back and forth along the railway; I stayed there for two days; left Moscow on the 14th, at 12 noon, and arrived there the next day at 9 am. He returned to Moscow on July 17. Thanks to the compresses and rinses, and most importantly to the grace of God, the toothache went away completely - on Sunday, July 18th. I am visiting the good Maria Paul Duhamel at her beautiful dacha. I enjoy every comfort and contentment. I sleep in the garden, in the gazebo. I plan to be at your dacha on Sunday. I just don’t know where to look for you. Write me the address and send it to me in Moscow, to the following address: Moscow, Sushchovo, Alexandrovskaya Square, Madame Duhamel’s own house, prot. I.S. Are you all right? How did the audit end? Is everyone healthy? How is the health of O. Pavel Vas Trachevsky and the rest of the brethren 415? Write to me about this. Goodbye goodbye. I kiss you, Anna Konst, Rufina, Nick Nick, Lisa, Igor, Liza, Pyotr Konstantinovich, Marya Konst 416 and their children. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). July 20, 1893. Moscow Venerable Mother Taisiya! May the peace of God be with you and your sisters; May the Lord grant you to prosper in all spiritual and worldly affairs with good health. How is my Sursky niece Anyuta 417 getting used to living and working and studying with you? May the Lord make her wise and may she prepare her heart for His dwelling place, according to the Scripture: Do you not know that you are the church of God, and the Spirit of God lives in you 418 . She is simple-minded, humble, obedient; I hope she turns out to be a good person. I have been staying in Moscow for several days with my kindest friend, Madame Maria Pavlovna Duhamel, where I feel as comfortable as at home. On July 22 I am leaving for St. Petersburg. I was near Kharkov on July 15 and 16, and on the way there, as well as there, I had a severe toothache, which subsided upon arrival in Moscow 419. When I arrive in St. Petersburg, I’ll look at your construction 420, then, God willing, I’ll write you something. The Tver convents of Vyshnevolotsky and Bezhetsky 421 are waiting for me; I don’t know when to go to them. Farewell! To an unidentified person. July 24, 1893. Kronstadt I am sending you three hundred rubles 422 for sowing. Abbess Varvara (Blokhina). September 9, 1893. Kronstadt Venerable Mother Abbess Varvara! I am sending a new verbal lamb to the flock entrusted to you by the Lord, Anna Korovnikova, a pious, pure, meek, obedient girl, my spiritual daughter, I am her prayer book. Accept her and honestly lead her into the fence of your Holy monastery 423. Your zealous Bogomolet Archpriest John Sergiev. N. A. Sytenko. No later than September 10–11, 1893. Kronstadt Your Excellency Dear Sovereign Nikolai Abramovich! In response to your letter, I have the honor to inform you that I sincerely thank you and the board of the Petrovsky on Lakhta department of the Imperial Russian Water Rescue Society for electing me as an honorary member of the department and lovingly accept this title 424. Please accept the assurance of my respects 425. Princess E. D. Shakhovskaya. October 22, 1893. Kronstadt Her Excellency Princess Shakhovskaya I will arrive in Pyukhtitsa in mid-November To the Council of the Moscow Theological Academy. October 25, 1893. Kronstadt To the Council of the Moscow Theological Academy I express my deep gratitude to the Council of the Academy for awarding me the Title of Honorary Member of the Academy 427. He received a diploma for the title from Academy professor Grigory Aleksandrovich Voskresensky. In order to be a useful and active Member in any way, I have the honor to forward two hundred rubles to the Council in favor of the insufficient students of the venerable Academy 428. M. A. Balakirev. November 19, 1893. Kronstadt Most Honorable Servant of God – Milius! (I don’t know my middle name) With all my heart I thank you for your love and your desire to give me an hour of your courtly, beautiful, exemplary singing 429. This happy time for me could be December 16 or 17 and better in the evening, around 5 or 6 430. You will notify me when it is more convenient for you - on these or other days or times. Your devoted servant and humble Bogomolets On the envelope: To His Excellency the Most Honorable Manager of the Court Chapel, Milius Balakirev, from Archpriest John Sergiev. Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov Jonathan (Rudnev). November 30, 1893. Kronstadt Bishop of God! The image of the eternal Bishop of Christ! Please accept heartfelt greetings on the day of your sacred jubilee 431 from the priest honored with your spiritual communion 432 . Live forever! John, Archpriest of Kronstadt. To the Minister of the Imperial Court, Count I. I. Vorontsov-Dashkov. December 4, 1893. Kronstadt Your Excellency, Illustrious Count, Hilarion Ivanovich! Sorry - I could not refuse the urgent request of my wife and our relative Fleet Lieutenant Nikolai Shemyakin to write to Your Excellency a most humble request - to accept him into service in the Ministry of the Court 433, in which, as in the Naval Department, he hopes to earn a good name for himself through diligent activity. It depends on Your Excellency to graciously consider the desire and request of mine and my wife and the said lieutenant 434. Your Excellency's humble servant and Kronstadt Archpriest John Sergiev. On the letter there is a note in pencil addressed to an unknown person: “V. S. Write to Father John that I would be glad to fulfill any of his requests, but at the moment there is no vacancy. “I ask him to send Lieutenant Shemyakin to Pavel Konstantinovich.” Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). December 16, 1893. Kronstadt Dearest Mother Taisiya! Congratulations on the upcoming great holiday of Christmas according to the flesh of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ! How is your health? What is the state of your soul, much caring and much labor? What is my niece Anyuta 435? Does he succeed in studies? does he pray earnestly? – this is the main thing. Aren't you bored? What about the sisters of your monastery? is everyone healthy? May God grant you all health, peace, silence, piety and fear of God and spiritual success. Mother Taisiya! I don’t like the student of the Academy P-v 436 with his arrogant, secular claims that his bride should play the piano and almost dance; I thought about him, judging by his father, that he was also a pious man, as befits a young man preparing to take holy orders, to be a shepherd of human souls. And with such views I would not want a person for my dear Anyuta. I propose to choose a groom for Anyuta from among the seminarians who have completed the course, with more modest demands. May the Lord arrange everything, if He pleases, for my niece to be a friend of the shepherd - the servant of the altar of the Lord 437. I have just returned from Rostov-on-Don, where I was invited 438. Goodbye for now. humble Archpriest John Sergiev. Hieroschemamonk Anatoly (Zertsalov). December 17, 1893. Kronstadt 8 hours 45 minutes in the afternoon. Beloved brother Anatoly in Christ, accept heartfelt wishes for recovery and prayer for you to the Almighty Physician 439. Nun Florentin (Egorova). January 13, 1894. Kronstadt Venerable Mother Abbess Florentia! I am writing to you with a request to admit the 10-year-old orphan Ekaterina, daughter of the sexton of the Novgorod diocese, Demyansky district, village of Voronin, Platon Fidelin, who left behind four orphans, to the Derevyanitskoye Women's School. The deceased 441 was a relative of me, namely the brother of my son-in-law, the priest of the Arkhangelsk province, Kholmogory district, Vasily Fidedin. I take this opportunity to bow to you. Humble servant and humble Bogomolets, Nun Florentin (Egorova). February 1894. Kronstadt Honest and ever-memorable Mother Abbess 442 Florentin! Priest Borovich of the Molodilenskaya Church, Ioann Ozerov, asks for my petition to you to admit his 11-year-old daughter, Vera, at public expense to your school, due to his poverty and large family. I dare to ask Your Reverence for this and enter into the position of this multi-family priest. To the editor of the newspaper “News of the Day” A. Ya. Lipskerov. Mid-March 1894. Kronstadt Um, Mr. Editor! In view of the articles that have appeared in some newspapers about the wanderer Anthony, in which my name is also mentioned, I humbly ask you to place my following statement in your newspaper: I visited the wanderer Anthony only once 443 because I go to everyone who calls me for prayer, but his life is unknown to me. I never instructed either him or anyone else to make collections in my name or deliver me any donations. I humbly ask for the future not to associate my name with the activities of the wanderer Anthony, who is generally unknown to me, and not to include in my articles any of my conversations about him, which are conveyed inaccurately and may mislead readers. A. N. Maikov. April 1, 1894. Kronstadt Dear, sincere Russian poet Apollon Nikolaevich! Thank you very much for sending me your wonderful essays 444. I love everything truthful and sincere in literature, and I highly value the gift of words in a person. I fulfilled your request - to pray for the healing of your daughter-in-law Ekaterina Alexandrovna 445, although I have not yet notified you about this 446. Thank you for your trust in me as a mediator, albeit an unworthy one, between the Heavenly Doctor and those being treated 447. I am glad to greet you and kiss you brotherly. On the envelope: To St. Petersburg. His Excellency Apollo Nikolaevich Maikov. Foreign Censorship Committee 448. From Archpriest I. I. Sergiev. Archbishop Flavian (Gorodetsky). April 17, 1894. Kronstadt Your Eminence, gracious archpastor! Christ is Risen! May the Risen Life-Giver protect you like the apple of your eye, and may the Risen Life-Giver strengthen you for glory and the establishment of Orthodoxy in the diocese entrusted to you. I have the honor to forward to you as the trustee of the Warsaw Orthodox Holy Trinity Brotherhood 449 five hundred rubles for its needs. Bless, Your Eminence, Your humble novice, Archpriest of Kronstadt Abbess Taisia (Solopova). May 4, 1894. Kronstadt I ask you, take Anyuta to the dacha yourself by 0450, and you can leave her there for a stay for two or three days, if asked. I’m going to my homeland after May 17 451, I’ll take Anyuta with me not so much for a visit there, but for my mother’s blessing for marriage: this is a great thing 452! Bring her to Vologda directly to my ship, which will be waiting for us there 453. Fulfill and bless, O Lord, all Your desires, that everything may be accomplished according to Your holy will. Your humble servant and prayer book Nun Florentin (Egorova).9 May 1894. Kronstadt My kind and long-suffering spiritual daughter Florentia! I was filled with grief from your letter, written, it seems, not in ink, but in blood. May the Lord judge the quarrel between you and Fr. Arseny Vikhrov. I believe and am confident that if everything you have written about him is true, 454 then the wrath of God will soon befall him, and if it is not true, then the Lord will also punish you for your bitterness and hostility towards him. Hate your brother, you are a murderer 455, says the Word of God. It seems that what the Apostle said about some is being done to you: irritating one another, envying one another 456 . I feel sorry for you and your mother that you found yourself in such an environment. If I were you, I would have long ago transferred to another monastery 457 to give room for anger 458. I just can’t come to you, dear. I'm going home soon 459. I pray to God for the peace of you and your monastery and your Fr. Arseny Vikhrov, who today seems to be the birthday boy 460. Peace to you and your monastery. I received the application. D.I. Malkina. May 18, 1894. Kronstadt Dear sister Daria Ilyinichna! I bless and kiss and hug you in absentia; together with you, your children and your daughters-in-law and your grandchildren, with whom the Lord has blessed you 461. Your daughter Anyuta is well and is now visiting with Mother Superior T in St. Petersburg. Yesterday I prayed with her for the All-Night Vigil in the same house at the birthday girl A.I. 3.462, where there were quite a few other worshipers. Anyuta is a bride and is preparing to marry the future Priest I N 0. He will be a priest in St. Petersburg 463 ... Thank God that although your daughter will be a clergyman, having a mother of clergy rank, who became a peasant by her husband. I’m preparing her dowry and, God willing, we’ll have a wedding. Now I wish you health and success in your peasant affairs. I am sending you 464 three hundred rubles for three families - one hundred for each. I help Evdokim, he already lives in a new house. May God grant you happiness and contentment, peace and order in everything. In the summer I think I will visit Sura again, pray and manage the construction of 465. My bow to all the Suryans I know. Archpriest Alexei Maltsev. May 20–21, 1894. Kronstadt I rejoice at the rapid construction of the church and its upcoming consecration; I thank you for the honor and regret that I cannot personally attend the celebration 466 Nun Florentin (Egorova). July 25, 1894. Kronstadt I read your entire letter and am amazed at your persecutors - Fr. Vikhrova and Fr. O. There are 467 members of the Council who slandered you 468. Be patient and pray for your enemies 469, and you will fulfill the Law of Christ 470. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). August 1, 1894. Kronstadt Thank you very much, dear Mother Taisiya! May God's blessing and peace be with you and with the spiritual sisters entrusted to you by the Lord for spiritual guidance for their salvation. At the same time, I wish you health from the Lord, since you are in poor health and need to maintain it. E.B. visited me several times and said that she wanted to enter the Korotsk monastery 471, but she doubted whether she would stay there, that is, whether she would get along. I let her weigh these words, since you write something completely different about her: I myself don’t know how to get rid of her; I can see for myself that she is a difficult person. Forgive me for burdening you with it. I'll move on to another matter. Let me ask you: how is my Anyuta behaving and generally doing? What kind of enlightenment is given to her? Is she healthy, pious, obedient? God grant that monastic life and monastic upbringing in a religious spirit will serve as an excellent beginning for her subsequent life, because life in a monastery should be the beginning of all virtue, just as for the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, upbringing in the Temple of Jerusalem. I rely on you, its leader 472. Christ is with you! Your servant and prayer book To the Chairman of the Taganrog District Court V.P. Mordukhai-Boltovsky. August 10, 1894. Kronstadt Your Excellency Dear Sovereign Vasily Petrovich! Thank you for your high trust in me and your lines of dear letter. I gladly welcome your correctional shelter and, by the grace given to me by God, I send you - the initiator and him - the shelter a heartfelt blessing. May your shelter rejoice and may it bring the desired fruit to the Lord and your entire district 473. Your pilgrim, unworthy archpriest To the editors of the Yaroslavl Provincial Gazette. First half of August 1894. Kronstadt Hereby I declare, who should know, that a certain Alexey Sergiev Gladkov, assigned to the peasant society of the Shchennikovsky volost of the Rostov district and living in the city of Rostov, on Blagoveshchenskaya street, in the house of Rakhmanov, is brazenly abusing my name, telling the common people that I gave him the blessing to teach the people and heal people’s diseases 474 - which never even occurred to me - and as if the laity should turn to him, the impostor, and not to the legitimate shepherds appointed by God. I testify by God and my priestly conscience that Gladkov is a deceiver and false teacher 475. Princess E. D. Shakhovskaya. September 18, 1894. Kronstadt Dear Elisaveta Dmitrievna! I received a telegram from you inviting me to Revel. I have the honor to inform you that I am going to Riga at an urgent request and did not intend to be in Revel this time in order to save time - since on September 25 I was invited to the celebration of the consecration of the church newly built in the village of Kamenki along the Warsaw railway. If, after visiting Riga, I find some time left, I will come and see you for a few hours. Thank you for the invitation with your usual courtesy. My sincere bow to His Excellency Sergius Vladimirovich together with you. Now I’m going to Matins with Mass without leaving the Church before Mass. Your humble servant and humble Bogomolets Archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod K. P. Pobedonostsev. September 28, 1894. Kronstadt Your Excellency Dear Konstantin Petrovich! Today I had the honor to receive your dear letter and, sincerely grieving the painful condition of our kind, generous and merciful Sovereign 478, I offer my heartfelt prayer everywhere for his healing and preservation for many years by the Almighty King of all reigning 479. And I wish you fullness of spiritual and physical strength. Your humble servant and humble a prayer book according to rank and soul, To the editor of the newspaper “Russian Life” A. A. Porokhovshchikov. September 30, 1894. Kronstadt To Mr. Editor – Publisher of the newspaper “Russian Life” Your newspaper reported that the State Council allocated 50,000 rubles. for the construction in Nizhny Novgorod of an exemplary fire-resistant peasant village with a church and a school for teaching such construction 480. Now the third group 481 entrusted to you invites me to lay the first stone in the foundation of this undertaking, which, in its consequences, is so fruitful for the national economy 482. But the first stone was laid by Catherine II a hundred years ago 483. All I can do is stand next to all the ministers of the church, participants in this matter and the peasants elected by the zemstvo to teach the people fire-resistant construction and pray to God for success 484. And if I live to see this joyful day, when you begin to teach the plowman the knowledge of how to protect his home and property from fire, how to apply the instructions of science to improve his home life, how to eliminate those conditions that impede his economic and partly spiritual success, then, upon receiving news of the coming of this day, I will do everything in my power to be in place among those who will pray for God’s blessing on your work 485 . Emperor Nicholas II. October 22, 1894. Kayaks Imperial telegraph in Livadia. Filed in Baydary Oct 23. 1894 8 h. 5 m. Received in Livadia on October 22. 1894 9:10 a.m. To His Majesty the Sovereign Emperor I most humbly ask Your Majesty’s permission to travel from Foros to Sevastopol and celebrate mass there in the cathedral at the request of the citizens and return to Livadia on Tuesday 486. Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory Nikanor (Kamensky). November 5, 1894. Kronstadt To His Eminence Nikanor, Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory Thank you, Your Eminence, Vladyka, for the Archpastoral order regarding the commemoration in the churches of the Arkhang Diocese of the deceased relatives of church benefactors, among whom you include mine 487. I’m afraid I wouldn’t burden the parish synodics, which already have many names of the deceased. But I obey your instructions. My deceased relatives: Archpriest Constantine, his wife Anna, my father, reader Elijah, mother Theodora, Priests Michael and Nikita, Martha, Daria, Euphemia, youths Nikita, Vasily, John, baby Vasily (my brother), warrior Alexander, Simeon 488. Your unworthy novice Archpriest John Sergiev 489. On the letter there is a note: “Inform the names of the deceased relatives of Fr. John for inclusion in the Memorials of churches to which donations were received from him. Ep Nikanor. 1894. Nov 12." Abbess Varvara (Blokhina). November 10, 1894. Kronstadt Honest Mother Abbess Varvara! I ask you to accept under the shelter of your monastery a pious girl of about 20 years old, Paraskeva Aleksandrova, a bourgeois. You will oblige me a lot. Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: City of Kitezh. 1992. No. 2 (7). S.6. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). November 10, 1894. Kronstadt Honest Mother Abbess Taisiya! Let me ask you to accept under the roof of your monastery, under the roof of the Queen of Heaven, the maiden Anna Ivanovna Kirsanova; she is a beautiful girl, modest, hardworking, and a believer. I hope for your kindness. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 7. To the State Controller T.I. Filippov. November 28, 1894. Kronstadt Your Excellency Terty Ivanovich! Fleet Lieutenant, my nephew Nikolai Nikol Shemyakin would like to join the State Control Service, leaving service in the fleet. If you find it possible and Mr. Shemyakin is capable of serving in control, then be kind enough to move him to the designated institution 490. Your humble servant and humble Bogomolets, A. N. Kulomzin. December 8, 1894. Kronstadt Your Excellency Dear Anatoly Nikolaevich! With loyal joy, I accepted your notification of the highest gratitude to me for my assistance in church building in Siberia 492. In response to your letter dated November 25, No. 1041 of this year, I have the honor to notify you that it is desirable for me to name the church proposed for construction in the village of Novo-Rozhdestvenskoye, Tokmyk volost, Tara district of Tobolsk province in the name of St. Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian 493. – I teach you, by the grace given to me, God’s blessing. May the Lord bless you for many years to come. With deep respect and sincere devotion, I have the honor to be Your Excellency’s humble servant and Bogomolet To the family of M. V. Rodevich. During 1894. Kronstadt Abbess Taisia (Solopova). January 2, 1895. Kronstadt In Christ, beloved Mother Abbess Taisia. Happy New Year of the Lord's goodness 495 I congratulate you and all the sisters of your monastery. May God grant you and all of you health, peace, and may the Giver of Life prolong your days for the perfect improvement of the monastery entrusted to your spiritual and economic leadership. For the New Year, I am sending you a new mite 496 from the bounties of the Lord sent to me. Let us thank the Lord, who always shows His mercies over us and every hour His wonderful Divine providence on all paths. I bow to all of you and invoke God’s blessing on all of you: may it protect and observe you from the beginning of the New Year until the end of it and until the end of the century! Amen. Your servant and humble Bogomolet Archpriest John Sergiev. To the Svyatin family. January – February 1895. Kronstadt 497 I prayed that your son will be healthy. Mrs. Khrushcheva. Beginning of February 1895. Kronstadt 498 I pray for the healing of the youth Michael. Bishop of Samara and Stavropol Gury (Burtasovsky). February 16, 1895. Kronstadt Rector of the Kronstadt Cathedral, February 16, 1895 Kronstadt. His Eminence, Gury Bishop of Samara. I have the honor to most respectfully respond to your attitude towards me dated January 30 of this year, No. 1642 499. Your Eminence! I am amazed at the cunning and cunning of the evil serpent 500, the sower of many different weeds in the human race, how he tirelessly tries to pervert our true, right and saving faith and turn it into a reason for harm to the foolish and worldly, who seek their own, albeit sad and harmful, fame, and not the true knowledge of God and the glory of God and the salvation of their neighbor. God knows that I did not give the peasant woman Klipikova the slightest reason for her to recognize me as Christ - me, a sinful and weak person. The grace of God and long-term service in the priestly rank 501 with a previous higher theological education 502 - so strengthened me in the true faith and in the awareness of my weakness and sinfulness and in the constant assistance of the power of God that I never thought highly of myself, but recognized myself for what I am - weak and sinful above all. I am amazed at the absurdity, senselessness and rudeness of the said woman - and now I am denouncing her and those listening to her in this letter of the madness, absurdity and destruction of Klipikova’s teaching, as an ignorant vagabond, illiterate and senseless. I affirm before everyone that there is no other name under heaven, in which it is fitting to be saved, except the Name of Jesus Christ 503, by which I am constantly saved and overcome sin and the adversary the devil, and Jesus Christ abides in heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father and always invisibly abides with His faithful in His Church on earth, according to His promise: Behold, I am with you always the end of the age 504. – And if we, or an angel from heaven, preach more good news than we preach, let him be anathema 505. If, Your Eminence, you find it useful and necessary to publish in print this accusatory writing of mine regarding Klipikova, order it to be published in diocesan or provincial bulletins, let everyone who needs to know know that I am a sinful person, but living, cleansed, sanctified and guided continually by the grace of Christ for the sake of the grace of the priesthood resting on me - and in me acting according to my faith and zeal, and let all the wise and ignorant, who know neither what they say nor what they affirm, 506 "be silent. Your Eminence, humble novice Abbess Taisia (Solopova). March 7, 1895. Kronstadt Beloved in Christ and reverent Mother Taisiya! I received your letter, in which you ask me about the state of my health and, among other things, say that through this physical illness I can at least somewhat rest my spirit from the onslaught of people with their trifles. I’ll tell you this: my illness is so difficult that it gives me one continuous, constant, severe suffering, often even causing groans. I had no rest for 8 days and couldn’t even read 507. Thank you for the books sent (Small format menses). But now I read, in addition to the Holy Gospel, the works of Basil the Great. I couldn’t write at all and didn’t write to anyone. Now I’m starting little by little, so I’m writing to you: 1) I rejoice that you feel God more vividly in your heart and receive from Him the illumination of your soul, darkened by everyday worries, sorrows and sorrows. I have seen the Lord before me, as if he is at my right hand, so that I will not move 508. 2) On the second point, you speak the truth, and thank God for the cross. Do not be discouraged because you do not do or do not fulfill the prayer rule. The Lord will impute your labors to you instead of a rule, but without a prayer rule, always remember God and have a contrite spirit and a humble heart, praying for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of a pure heart and a right spirit 509. Conceit - aside; say: I am an inextricable servant, as if I should have created, I have created 510. 3) Your spiritual literary pursuits are not only not sinful, but also useful, as long as they do not distract you from the most important matters, from the only thing you need 511. Remember that you must firmly base all your works on Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition 512. 4) The enemy is undoubtedly treacherous over you, as he is over all of us during prayer; but resist him, and he will run away from you 513. Pray without ceasing 514, says the Apostle. Pray and do not be cold 515, says the Savior. 5) Where you see evil, especially threatening the entire society, be sure to denounce and speak out. If you yourself are powerless, tell the strong ones, remembering that if you don’t tell, then the sin that results from this evil will remain on you: I knew, but didn’t say; could have prevented it - and did not do what was necessary. Evil must be eradicated everywhere and always, and goodness must be planted. I will hardly go out to serve this week. My leg still hurts – it’s bandaged. I would like to serve and receive communion myself. The second week - without the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation. I will not confess or give communion to the people this week. I bow to you and your sisters. Ornatsky bow 516. To the State Controller T.I. Filippov. March 17, 1895. Kronstadt Your Excellency, the highly esteemed Terty Ivanovich! Eternal Goodness and Love, our Lord Jesus Christ says in the Gospel: ask, and it will be given 517; I ask Him: and He always gives it to me; I asked you for some of my neighbors: and you, a faithful follower of Christ, fulfilled my request and theirs 518. I also ask you on behalf of one of my former co-teachers at the Gymnasium, the retired court councilor Nensberg 519: I hope that now you will deign to fulfill my earnest and his request 520 - and then I will tell you: Christ is risen 521 and - thank you for the fact that I dare with you and in you. Your zealous servant and humble Bogomolets, N. N. Remennikov. No later than June 15, 1895. Kronstadt 522 To Moscow. Nikolai Nikolaevich Remennikov at Devichye Pole Please inform the merchant you recommended, who invited me to Pereyaslavl, that I will be going to Moscow on June 15 by the morning courier train. To the State Controller T.I. Filippov. August 18, 1895. Kronstadt Your High Honorable Terty Ivanovich! Having the boldness and custom of being a daily mediator between the Lord and His property - Orthodox people - I do not lose the boldness to mediate between you and those compatriots who believe in my boldness before you, most honorable and kind Terty Ivanovich, and in your condescension towards me. One of these is a certain Mr. Ivan Glazunov, an employee of the state-owned railway. I have the honor to present his request to you with this letter of mine 523. Your Excellency, humble Bogomolets of the Kronstadt Cathedral, Rector, Archpriest Phileter Pavlovsky. August 19–20, 1895. Kronstadt My most honorable mentor 524! I offer you my heartfelt congratulations on the fiftieth anniversary of your service. May the Lord grant you to serve Him again and may He heal your ailments of old age. John Archpriest of Kronstadt. To the Chairman of the Society for the Propagation of Religious and Moral Education in the Spirit of the Orthodox Church, Archpriest Philosopher Ornatsky. No later than September 12, 1895. Kronstadt I thank the Society 525 for honor and brotherly love 526 . I will serve in fraternal concelebration 527. Missionary priest Alexander Yakubov. October 15, 1895. Kronstadt In the name of God I bless 528. To the Minister of the Court, Count I. I. Vorontsov-Dashkov. No later than November 13, 1895. Kronstadt Mr. Minister of the Court Count Vorontsov-Dashkov I am very happy to be present at the baptism of the Grand Duchess in Tsarskoe Selo. I'll be there in due time. Kronstadt Archpriest John Sergiev 529. To the Minister of Internal Affairs I. L. Goremykin. December 29, 1895. Kronstadt Rector of Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral December 29th 1895 Kronstadt Your Excellency, Honorable Minister Ivan Logginovich! I dare to draw your high attention to a young man belonging to the Okromchedelov family, Moscow citizens. He was condemned by the Moscow Mayor, Mr. Vlasovsky, to exile to the Arkhangelsk Province for actions that do not exceed the meaning of ordinary pranks, of which there are so many in big cities and which pass for them with impunity or with some arrest. I stand close to this family as the spiritual father of some members of this house 530 and I know the matter exactly 531. If you wanted, I would explain to you the reasons for the trial of the said young man in private, because not everything can be written in a letter. In view of justice, I ask Your Excellency, I earnestly ask that the grave disgrace of Evgeniy Okromchedelov be replaced with a lighter one and returned to his family 532. Your humble servant and zealous Bogomolets, Prince P. P. Tsertelev. During 1895. Kronstadt Cash package for 15 rubles. received with gratitude. I impart to you, by the grace given to me, God’s blessing, and may the Lord have mercy on you in His great mercy. On the envelope: “1895. In Oranienbaum to Prince Pavel Tsertelev." Published by: GARF. F. 618. Op. 2. D. 611. L. 1. Published for the first time. Letter-receipt on printed form with text written by the hand of Father John's secretary. Signature - autograph. To the Minister of Internal Affairs I. L. Goremykin. January 25, 1896. Kronstadt Your Excellency, Honorable Minister Ivan Loginovich! Having read your letter to me about a certain Okromchedelov, I take my petition back 533 and ask you to forgive me for the concern caused to you by my request for an unworthy person. Your Excellency humble servant and humble Bogomolets Princess E. D. Shakhovskaya. March 15, 1896. Kronstadt Your Excellency, dear Empress Elisaveta Dmitrievna! I send you my heartfelt bow and congratulate you on the advent of the saving Passion of Christ God and on the subsequent glorious Resurrection of Him from the dead. May the Lord turn your sorrow for the deceased Prince - husband - Sergius Vladimirovich 534 into joy and grant him His Heavenly Kingdom. I don’t have free time, I write briefly. I apologize. May the Lord be with you. Your admirer and Bogomolets, To an unidentified person (Abram Borisovich). August 1, 1896. Kronstadt Abram Borisovich! I am answering your letter in which you ask me to pray for your sick baby David 535. I respect the Jewish race for the sake of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses, David and all the righteous in the Jewish race, and you, as a believer in the Lord common to all and asking the Christian priest for prayer for your child. I pray to the Lord, before whom I write these lines, to heal little David for the sake of His Name and to comfort you and your wife. May His Holy Name be glorified forever. Kronstadt Cathedral Archpriest John Sergiev. To the State Controller T.I. Filippov. September 10, 1896. Kronstadt Your Excellency, the most honorable Terty Ivanovich! Confident in the Lord of your unfailing favor towards me, I dare to bother you with the word of my petition for the head of the Novo-Peterhof station Ivan Glazunov 536, whose letter to me I am enclosing 537. Your Excellency's obedient servant and humble Bogomolets Archpriest Kronstadt Cathedral John Sergiev. To the State Controller T.I. Filippov. October 30, 1896. Kronstadt Highly respected, compassionate, sympathetic Terty Ivanovich! This girl, the daughter of the former Archpriest of St. Isaac's Cathedral 538, extends her eyes of hope to you: deign to give her a place of service in your department 539. Your unworthy servant Archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral To the Head of the Department of Public Education N.M. Anichkov. November 5, 1896. Kronstadt Your Excellency Dear Sovereign Nikolai Milievich! I dare to bother you with my petition to move the Director in the Western Region, Mr. Krutkov, to the Kronstadt gymnasium, close to his wife’s relatives. If my request is respectful, and Mr. Krutkov is worthy of leniency and respect, then please, dear Nikolai Milievich, condescend to my request. Your zealous admirer and humble prayer book of the Kronstadt Cathedral, Archpriest John Sergiev. Published by: RGALI. F. 1009. Op. 1. D. 13. L. 1–1v. Published for the first time. Priest Theodore Lozinsky. December 12, 1896. Kronstadt Honorable Fr. Feodor Lozinsky! I am sending you, my dear brother, four hundred rubles 540. May the Lord God bless you and your family with contentment and peace, health and salvation and good haste in everything 541. Notify of receipt through my secretary Alexander A. Kostin. Don't write telegrams to me and don't express yourself in them. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). December 27, 1896. Kronstadt Mother Taisiya, dear! Happy Nativity of our Savior and Lord, and Epiphany, and then the New Year, I greet you with all my heart! I wish you health, peace, longevity for the benefit of your monastery. Today, on the third day of the holiday, I served at your compound 542 upon arrival from Moscow. Goodbye, darling. I have no time to write anymore, I’m in a hurry to see the sick. To the editor of the newspaper “St. Petersburg Vedomosti”, Prince E. E. Ukhtomsky. No later than the end of December 1896. Kronstadt Dear Sir Esper Esperovich! Having read in the newspaper news about the terrible disasters that befell the Armenian people and about the extreme need of the Armenians who survived after the defeat, I, out of warm sympathy for their misfortune and for the sake of material assistance that is feasible for them, donate 200 rubles, as an example and encouragement to my compatriots, so that they too respond sympathetically to their brothers in faith - Christians. I ask you, Prince, to announce this in your newspaper for the sake of a good cause 543. Kronstadt Archpriest John Sergiev. Priest Nikolai Sokolov. January 7, 1897. Kronstadt And I didn’t think of entrusting this ignorant Vassa Potapova with organizing prayer meetings. Such absurdity is visible from the first time and hits the eye: I have nothing in common with such individuals 544. Kronstadt Cathedral Rector, To my compatriots. January 10, 1897. Kronstadt Heartily sympathizing with the great cause of spreading churches and schools along the great Siberian newly paved route 545, I hereby express the desire that my dear compatriots would warmly participate in the matter of building churches and schools 546 and not spare their free capital, in accordance with the wise will of Our Great Sovereign 547. Archpriest of Kronstadt Ioann Sergiev M. B. von Mensenkampf. January 24, 1897. Kronstadt Dear Mikhail Bogdanovich! I beg you - do not be displeased with me if I ask you to cancel the handicraft activity in the House of Industriousness, which brought almost no benefit either to the Institution or to individuals, and meanwhile requires significant expenses. – If in the future rational programs that promise obvious benefits are developed, then I am ready to agree to the reintroduction of handicrafts 548 . Always devoted and grateful to you Chairman of the Guardianship, Archpriest Abbess Taisia (Solopova). February 10, 1897. Kronstadt Venerable and beloved Mother Taisiya in the Lord! I recommend to you my good countrywoman and lamb of Christ, E.R., as capable of monastic feats and diligent service to God and to you - an honest mother. Take her under the roof of the Queen of Heaven and under your maternal wise guidance. Your novice and Bogomolets Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 11. Abbess Taisia (Solopova). April 20, 1897. Kronstadt Unappreciated Mother Taisiya! I apologize for the delay in answering your letter. I am so busy, in such a whirlwind of life, that it seems that I hardly have the freedom to breathe 549. And for that thank God! But I have almost completely forgotten how to write letters; I almost envy those who have time to write. But you have a strong lever that forces you to write; this is love about Christ. And indeed, it is in you; it is living water 550 that sets both your heart and your hand in motion. And although I have this living water in my heart, it is poured into many, many containers (not to say too much and not to deceive myself). So, forgive me, mother! May the Lord always be with you, like living water, constantly watering your soul and the souls of the sisters entrusted to you. I appreciate, highly appreciate your feelings of spiritual friendship, devotion and trust towards me. May they be for your salvation and for me. When will I see you and where: here or already in Leushin 551? - May the Lord arrange something beneficial for you and me. I put down my pen. I bow to you and christen myself in absentia 552. Your humble prayer book and constant friend Letter of appeal to Russian sailors and compatriots. May 10, 1897. Kronstadt Beloved brother sailors and all Orthodox compatriots! Having lived in Kronstadt for forty-two years and all this time seeing the smallness, poverty and dilapidation of the Sea Church 553, I was consumed with jealousy for it 554 and the desire for a spacious, durable and magnificent church, and now I have contributed 700 rubles to the construction of such a church. You are also pleased to show all possible zeal for its construction 555. Archpriest John Sergiev Kronstadt, Abbess Taisia (Solopova). August 15, 1897. Kronstadt In the Lord, beloved Mother Abbess Taisia! I received your letter and I see your grief, I sympathize with you and grieve; but through many sorrows it is fitting for us to enter the Kingdom of God 556. I also thank you for your affection and holy feelings towards me. May the Lord reward you in the same way. There is little time left before your arrival in St. Petersburg: God bless you - we will see you again, we will be comforted by mutual conversation and common faith 557 and prayer. Do not be discouraged: he who endures to the end will be saved 558. Be patient and thank the Lord for everything. Your prayer book Archpriest John Sergiev. R. G. Shemyakina. August 25, 1897. Kronstadt I recently sent with your sexton 559 two hundred (or 250 rubles) for the construction of a priest’s house at your Church 560, and from Volkov a package of money (I don’t know how much) 561. Did you receive it? Please notify. Until now there is no word or breath. Your uncle, Prot John Sergiev. On the envelope: to Rufina Grigorievna Shemyakina from Archpriest John Sergiev. Bishop of Chernigov and Nezhinsky Antonin) (Sokolov) and Governor of Chernigov E.K. Andreevsky. September 9, 1897. Kronstadt On the morning of September 11th I will arrive in Chernigov. Archpriest John of Kronstadt 562. To the Chairman of the Society for the Propagation of Religious and Moral Education in the Spirit of the Orthodox Church, Archpriest Philosopher Ornatsky. September 26–27, 1897. Kronstadt I have the honor to send 563,500 rubles for the needs of the Society, with sincere wishes and prayer to the Lord for its success in Godly deeds. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). October 16, 1897. Kronstadt My venerable spiritual daughter and sister in the Lord, Taisiya! I ask and pray that you accept into your spiritual fold this novice of the Shamordino Monastery, Elena Frantsuzova, 24 years old; she could not endure the rebellion of the abbess 564 and some sisters, because she was a Chukhonka and poor. I hope she will justify my trust. Your spiritual, unworthy father To the director of the Kronstadt gymnasium O. Yu. Klemenchich. October 24, 1897. St. Petersburg I was surrounded by people and in the whirlpool of people I forgot about the anniversary of my dear gymnasium 565, where I studied and lived 566. Correcting the error, I send my heartfelt greetings on the high school holiday to the authorities, students and teachers and wish everyone success in a patriotic and Christian spirit. Rector of Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral Abbess Taisia (Solopova). October 27, 1897. Kronstadt Most Reverend Mother Abbess Taisia! For the sake of the love of Christ and the beloved virgin and confidant of Christ, John the Theologian, Apostle and Evangelist, I ask you to accept into your monastery and shelter from temptation two virgin sisters, Mary and Elizabeth G., who were in the Iveron monastery with Fr. Barnabas 567. I testify to their complete innocence. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). November 4, 1897. Kronstadt Beloved Mother Taisiya in Christ! In the Lord, rejoice in you and all the sisters of your monastery! I have received your letter for about a week now, but until now I could not answer due to the fussiness of my life and travel 568. Regarding the chains that your nun asks me about (through you), I completely agree with you and do not bless her to wear them until the time when, perhaps, the Lord Himself will indicate this to her through someone, when He sees her ready; Many conditions are required for wearing chains, and most importantly, the deepest humility is required, but has she achieved it? Obedience, vigil, prayer, keeping from thoughts - these are the chains of nuns of the present time. I rejoice at the success of your affairs; You are a great worker, and the Lord will not leave you. I recently had the honor of serving in the presence of Their Majesties in Tsarskaya Slavyanka, 3 versts from the mountains. Pavlovsk and sprinkle the Olginsky shelter 569, arranged for the Tsar's support. There is no time to write anymore. Goodbye, darling! To all the sisters and to you, blessings and bows from the bottom of my heart. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). November 12, 1897. Kronstadt Dear and beloved Mother Taisiya! Today, November 12th, I had the good fortune to serve Matins and Liturgy in the church of your Leushinsky metochion 570 and prayed for you and your sisters, as well as for all Orthodox Christians. After mass he took advantage of the sisters' usual hospitality. I often remember you with love and gratitude for all your kindness and for your dear letters, breathing with warmth. I send you and your sisters low bows and God’s blessing. By the grace of God I am healthy and I pray to you from the Lord for health, which is so necessary for you, a worker, for the benefit of many. Your admirer and spiritual father, Archpriest John Sergiev. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). November 23, 1897. Kronstadt Newly installed Abbess Alexia 571! I am sending flour and supplies for the benefit of the sisters of the monastery, five hundred rubles. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). December 9, 1897. Kronstadt Honorable Mother Alexia! My heartfelt bow to you and the treasurer and all the sisters of the monastery. Knowing your needs, I am sending you five hundred rubles 572. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). December 12, 1897. Kronstadt 573 Mother Abbess Alexia! I am also sending you three hundred rubles for the needs of the monastery. Improve your sisters' holiday table. The desire for spiritual success to all sisters and zeal for God, for prayers, works, mutual love, peace and harmony. Your Bogomolet Archpriest John Sergiev Priest Vasily Smirnov. Mid-December 1897. Kronstadt Arkhangelsk To the Diocesan Supervisor of Schools, Priest Vasily Aleksandrovich Smirnov. I agree to the dismissal of Krasilnikov and Tripetsky, teachers of the Surskaya school, 574. Report my decision to Father Rector Orlov. Hieromonk Arseny. December 22, 1897. Kronstadt Honorable and most kindly brother in the Lord, Father Arseny! Yesterday I read in “World Echoes” your rebuke about Farrar’s book, which was published long ago by Mr. Lopukhin 575 and has become a reference book in many homes, and I heartily rejoiced at your zeal for Orthodoxy and the firm defense of the truth of the Orthodox Church 576. I still haven’t had time to study this book and read at least some of the chapters. And now, having read your written refutation of the heresies of the English archdeacon, I am surprised that so far none of our spiritual scientists have come out with their criticism of Farrar in print and have not exposed the absurdities of this Protestant writer. There is so much spiritual poison in Farrar’s book, and this poison is swallowed by young men and adults and soaked in it! This writer suspected the Ever-Virginity of the Mother of God and left the Divine-Humanity of Christ in doubt! Oh, horror! Yes, this is almost a new Arianism!.. I noticed great sympathy among the people for your zeal for Orthodoxy - and I sympathize. I regret that it took so long for anyone to denounce Farrar. The book did its job in many unfavorable ways. Time will tell what will be done about this. May God's mercy be with you. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). No later than December 25–28, 1897. Kronstadt My friend in Christ and my sister, Mother Taisiya! Hoping for your sincere devotion to me, for the sake of which you have never refused me anything, I decide to turn to you with a request. The thing, you see, is that two sisters came to me in Kronstadt - Sofia and Claudia Perepechina, landowners of the Pskov province of Kholmsky district, and offered their entire estate with all its lands (whatever there are there) for the establishment of a women's monastery 577. I refused, speaking in the words of the Apostles: it is not good for us to eat, leaving the word of God and serving meals 578. But, on the other hand, I think: if that area needs religious enlightenment, which monasteries always serve 579, then I would not sin before God by refusing. They ask me to go and see them. But at the moment I cannot leave and therefore pointed them to you as my like-minded friend. Would you take the trouble to go to them and see with an experienced eye: 1) does the area need a monastery? 2) is there anything the monastery can take advantage of? They say that they don’t have a house (the lord’s) - it burned down. You will see everything there on the spot and tell me 580. If you want, come to me in Kronstadt; and they are still here, we will talk together. Goodbye, darling. Your friend and Bogomolet John Sergiev. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). December 30, 1897. Kronstadt My beloved sister Taisiya in Christ! I received your dear letter and with it - beautiful poems to the Most Holy Mother of the Virgin 581! Yes, Mother! The Lord gave you five talents, and you are returning them a hundredfold 582. Thank you for your feeling and prayerful goodwill in congratulating me on the holiday and Happy New Year. I greet you in the same way and in the same way. The other day I was at your yard. Your sisters handed me 100 rubles, given by someone in favor of the newly established Pskov Vorontsov community. I add another 1000 rubles to this amount. on my own behalf and send them to you for the necessary needs for the establishment of this new community 583. May God grant you to make a good start to the buildings being erected there 584. I bow to you earnestly, I pray to the Lord for you, that He may prolong your life on earth for the organization of all the varied and multi-useful affairs that He Himself entrusts to you; He Himself will give you time to complete everything and will strengthen your weak health as long as it is needed. The Kingdom of Heaven is like how a person throws a seed into the ground, cultivates it until the fruit ripens, and only when it is ripe, then the sickle will come, as if the harvest has come 585, and not before the Lord will reap us, until this fruit and seeds are ripened, and we ourselves, having done His will, are ripe for the granary of Christ, like ripe wheat 586. Your spiritual father, Archpriest John of Kronstadt. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). January 5, 1898. Kronstadt Honest Mother Abbess Alexia! Happy New Year and the Holiday of Enlightenment 587, I congratulate you and all the sisters. I am sending you three hundred rubles to the monastery. Take comfort in Christ 588. To the editor of the magazine “People's Sobriety” D. N. Borodin. No later than January 1898. Kronstadt Drunkenness is a terrible social evil. Every Christian who wishes good to his neighbor must fight drunkenness with all the means and methods available to him. The well-being of the country depends on reducing drunkenness among the people. By bringing enormous harm to himself, the drunkard brings no less harm to the country that had the misfortune of being his homeland. The drinker not only kills himself, he also kills his offspring, who either die without being born, or live out their lives with difficulty and torment, filling insane asylums. A lot of terrible, shocking crimes are committed by people under the influence of wine, it puts a person in such a position that he commits suicide or sinks to the extreme, wanders around taverns and slums, and if you trace the life of suicides, all the inhabitants of the slums, you will have to come to the conclusion that often these unfortunates everywhere are victims of drunkenness. I fully share the idea that drunkenness is a social evil, the dimensions of which are terribly large, and that the true dimensions of this evil are little known to our public. I can confirm this with a lot of examples taken from my personal life. Every day, for many years, hundreds of people come to me from different parts of our dear homeland, people of different social status, and together with me they pray to the Almighty Creator for the salvation of entire families who are innocently dying from the vice of drunkenness. It is hard to hear these cries of the unfortunate for help, and there is no way to help these suffering people through individual efforts 589 . In the name of saving thousands of annual human victims of drunkenness, thousands of innocent children and weak women dying, in the name of saving people from crime, vices and immorality generated by drunkenness, in the name, finally, of public order and peace of everyone - the united cooperation of the entire Russian society is necessary to elevate morals. This goal must be promoted by all measures, and among these measures, of course, the first place should be taken by the printed word about the dangers of wine and the benefits of saving for a rainy day 590. G. Remennikov. Mid-February 1898. Kronstadt “The Dream of the Most Holy Theotokos” 591 is absurdity, nonsense, nonsense of an idle woman’s imagination, which, due to ignorance and crudeness of concepts, only stupid ignoramuses can accept. I myself, when I was a boy of about 10 years old, copied this “Dream” and had it in my possession, but when smart people brought it to my senses, I threw it into the fire. Here is my rebuke 592! Vice Admiral V.P. Verkhovsky. February 27, 1898. Kronstadt Your Excellency, dear Vladimir Pavlovich! From the newspapers I learned that the construction of the Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt has been put on hold 593, that is, until the end of either this city, or this century itself, which is nearing its end. I can’t understand it otherwise. We are building multimillion-dollar military ships 594, the treasury has allocated 25 million for the fortifications of Kronstadt; naval forces are provided with excellent maintenance; The living quarters of all naval ranks are distinguished by their spaciousness and grace, cleanliness and abundance of light, and the naval church, which should be the glory of the fleet and Russia and - a testament to the faith and piety of the Russian victorious soldiers - is similar in appearance to the most wretched rural Church, or to a wooden box 595. Almost next to it, the stone Lutheran Churches 596 proudly raise their tops, and the Orthodox Marine Church stands in constant humiliation. Is it not for this that the Lord humiliates our fleet, sinking our warships to the bottom of the sea? Is this why we have frequent maritime misfortunes? Is this why a multimillion-dollar rope factory went up in smoke in broad daylight, in full view of everyone? Are there still enough lessons for us from God? – We, Russians, are ashamed to show foreigners a sea shrine, I mean the Church. God be with you, Lord! How long will this last? I, an outsider, from the outside joined some sailors who wanted a splendid church, and laid the foundation 598, thinking of making some progress in the holy work - and failure! We must hurry to build the church, just as you hurry to build naval warships. The Church is the same ship, which is controlled by the Lord Himself with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and better than any military ships it can protect not only the fleet, but the entire army and all of Russia. I ask you to forgive me for my frankness and jealousy. I am writing to you as an old friend from our youth and as a former humble prayer-goer. You occupy a prominent place and can do a lot in favor of the Holy Cause. I would say the same thing as you - and Mr. Manager of the Ministry 599. But goodbye. I'm in a hurry to attend prayer services. Your Excellency, your humble servant and humble prayer book, rector of the Kronstadt Cathedral, Archpriest John Sergiev To the Chairman of the Society for the Propagation of Religious and Moral Education in the Spirit of the Orthodox Church, Archpriest Philosopher Ornatsky. March 3, 1898. Kronstadt I am sending you five hundred rubles for the needs of the Society for Religious and Moral Education, with prayerful wishes for its prosperity in all parts 600. Vice Admiral V.P. Verkhovsky. March 4, 1898. Kronstadt Your Excellency, highly respected Vladimir Pavlovich! Thank you for your prompt and satisfactory response. May a worthy House of God be built for naval ranks in Kronstadt, although not hastily, but firmly and worthy of the glorious fleet. May the blessing of the Almighty flow from it upon all the hosts of the sea. May the Lord place on the heart of the Sovereign, as once upon David, the desire and zeal to create the House of God 601 on the island of Kotlina among the waters of Finland. – I bow to you, your wife 602, son-in-law, daughter and all your relatives. Your humble prayer book, Archpriest of the Kronstadt Diocesan Cathedral John Sergiev. V. M. Mokhnutin. March 12, 1898. Kronstadt I read your letter 603, venerable brother Vasily Mikhailovich, and then the words 604 written above the cross and in the cross and found that from the first to the last they constitute absurdity and nonsense, proving the complete ignorance of the writer and a daring attempt at the unrecognized teaching of the common people. This work of an ignorant mind is similar to the similar work “The Dream of the Virgin Mary” 605, which you write about in your letter, or the legend about a huge stone that fell from heaven into Jerusalem, in which, when it fell into two parts, a scroll was found, as if written by God Himself. It is impossible to believe such false monks: they confuse the people with their meaningless fairy tales and turn them away from the Holy Church, in which God has laid down everything necessary for our salvation. All these lists must be burned immediately. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). March 15, 1898. Kronstadt Venerable and beloved in the Lord Mother and my spiritual daughter Taisiya! Rejoice in the Lord with all your sisters! By God's grace I almost recovered; My fingers have healed, and the skin on them has almost grown back on the middle and index fingers. After severe illnesses, somehow my whole body was renewed. But there is still a tumor on the face that does not allow him to go out 606 yet. How about your dear health and your ascetic sisters? Work hard, working women, in the hope of eternal reward from the Lord, and do not lose heart. As soon as He comes, He will come and will not be stubborn 607 - and those who are ready will enter into marriage with Him. Do not mourn, worker: your reward will be great! To the Pskov community, with which I have added more care and work to you 608, I am sending 500 rubles with all my heart and zeal. I thank you, wonderful Taisiya, as a mother, sister and friend, for all your spiritual affection and obedience to me for the sake of the Lord. The Lord is between us - as a link connecting us serving the glory of His holy name; He will reward us all according to our deeds. Your spiritual father and son and brother in the Lord, Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). April 20, 1898. Kronstadt 609 My bow to you and all the sisters. I ask you, ask for the monastery of your sick nuns, collectors Evdokia Zhuravleva and Agrippina Rakova, and replace them with others who are healthy. I hope that you will respect my request, because they are really very sick, especially one of them with her legs. I will never forget as long as I live. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). April 25, 1898. Kronstadt 610 Venerable Mother Abbess Alexia! My greetings to you and all the sisters from the bottom of my heart. I wish everyone peace, silence, love in the Lord, success in all virtues and spiritual maturation for the Kingdom of God. I am sending three hundred rubles for the needs of the monastery. I ask for prayers for me. Your servant, Archpriest John Sergiev. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). May 11, 1898. Kronstadt 611 Honorable Mother Alexia! I am sending two hundred rubles for the needs of the monastery. Please the sisters entrusted to you by God, both spiritually and physically. I wish you all to strive and be saved in the Lord. A. Ya. Nemchinov. Second half of May 1898. Kronstadt I regret that there is no answer to Evgeniy Basiliev at 612. I will rejoice if you urgently carry out 613 according to my letter 614. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). June 9, 1898, Kronstadt Venerable and beloved Sister Taisiya in the Lord! Peace to you, grace to you, strength and strength from the Lord! Today, June 9th, I served with you in your courtyard on Basseynaya, in front of a crowd of people. All your nuns received communion, which I am very happy about. Bow to all of you. I hope to be with you in Leushin (in the monastery) today later than you expect 615. I am leaving St. Petersburg late, only on the 17th or 16th of June 616. To the Minister of Internal Affairs I. L. Goremykin. June 10, 1898. Kronstadt Your Excellency, Most Gracious Sovereign Ivan Logginovich! Forgive me for my courage in bothering you with my letter. Deign to listen to this unfortunate woman for three minutes and deign to order that the case in the court of her husband be given the right direction 617. Your humble Bogomolets of Kronstadt Baron O. O. Buxhoeveden. June 12, 1898. Kronstadt Hereby God's blessing is sent for the success of the orphanage for industriousness in the Vyazemsky house 618. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). June 17, 1898. Kronstadt Most Reverend Mother Alexia! My bow to you, all the Pukhtitsky sisters and Her Ladyship Princess Elisaveta Dmitrievna 619. I send you God’s mercy, sent to me through good people - a thousand rubles 620. Thank God and the Queen of Heaven and pray for me, unworthy. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). June 23, 1898. Vytegra Dear Sister and Mother of Christ God, Abbess Taisia! I am very grateful to you for your invaluable letter, in which you honored me and, out of your heartfelt disposition towards me in the Lord, you even went to Vytegra yourself. I also very much regret that, due to circumstances beyond my control, I could not see you in Vytegra 621; but I’m also glad that you left your sister Anna here 622, and I could learn from her something about you and your monastery and about the Kholm Vorontsovskaya, our nascent brainchild 623. Thank you for the duckweed, cassock and chasuble. You are very kind to me - beyond measure. May the Lord reward you according to your heart, and may all your counsel be fulfilled 624. On the way back, I hope with great joy to see you and the sisters and be comforted by mutual conversation, common faith 625 and Divine services 626. Goodbye for now. The new steamship I made for my homeland, in order to help the poor of my villagers and surrounding villages, turned out to be very good and quite suitable 627. May the Lord, the highest Artist and Builder, give him long-term and useful service. I bow to you and all the sisters. Your humble servant and prayer book To the Minister of Internal Affairs I. L. Goremykin. July 23, 1898. Kronstadt Your Excellency, the esteemed Ivan Logginovich! A case has recently been submitted for your consideration and approval regarding the founding of a newly emerging women's community in the Kholm district of the Pskov province in the village of Vorontsovo, in which I take an active part 628 . Its emergence was approved by the Holy Synod 629. I dare to humbly ask you to speed up your approval of this matter, which is close to me. Your sanction will give movement to buildings 630. Your most devoted servant and humble Bogomolets, Priest Alexander Yakubov. August 13, 1898. Kronstadt Honorable Father! Please accept from me three hundred rubles for an Orthodox school in the Gangyo Mountains 631, in which you are a trustee 632. On the envelope: Cash for three hundred rubles in the mountains. Ganges to Finland. Priest Yakubov - in favor of the Orthodox school. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). August 14, 1898. Kronstadt Venerable and good Mother Abbess Taisia! G. The Minister of Internal Affairs answered me in a sense favorable to the new Vorontsov community 633. God bless! May God grant you strength, strength, and good spirits to continue the holy work you have begun. I'm healthy; I thank God. Mrs. Zhuravskaya. No later than the summer of 1898. Kronstadt 634 Cash package for 1 rub. received with gratitude. I teach you, by the grace given to me, God’s blessing, and may the Lord, in his great mercy, have mercy on you and the sick Mitrofan Priest Alexander Yakubov. September 4, 1898. Kronstadt Honorable brother Alexander Ivanovich! Thank you for your prompt notification of receipt of my contribution to your 635 school. I am sending another three hundred rubles, because I see your urgent need. May my fraternal sympathy encourage you, dear brother, in your holy cause of teaching Russian children in a non-Orthodox region. It is said in the Scripture: we help brother from brother, like a strong city 636. God grant that the Russian people, kind and sympathetic, treat you kindly, actively and generously 637. Your brother in Christ, Archpriest M. N. Milyutina. September 4, 1898. Kronstadt Dear and dear sisters in Christ - Maria Nikolaevna and Olga Alexandrovna! Your letter to me, in which your faith in the Lord and love for your neighbor is so evident, touched me with tenderness. I pray to my Lord, the Good and Quick to Hear, that He will heal His faithful servant Julia, who has not been healed by any earthly doctor - and at the time when I am writing these lines, may she, according to my faith in the Lord, receive all relief and complete healing of His servant Julia, and the forgiveness of her sins. – My heartfelt bow to you. On the envelope... Maria Nikolaevna Milyutina from Archpriest John Sergiev. Published by: RNB. F. P. L. Vaksel, No. 3960. Published for the first time. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). September 12, 1898. Kronstadt Dear, invaluable Mother Abbess Taisiya! I humbly ask you to accept into your blessed monastery (Leushinskaya) the three daughters of the merchant Korsakov 638. They sigh as if for their own mother, for your monastery, which raised them 639, and for you, their mentor. I hope that you will not refuse my request for them. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). September 19, 1898. Kronstadt Venerable Mother Abbess Taisia! Be kind enough to allow the girl Lyudmila Tsvetkova, who is crying because she was fired from the school, to study at your Leushinsky teacher’s school 640 as a faithful hotbed of religious education. Such children should not be pushed away, but should be given scope for their desire to learn. Your servant Archpriest John Sergiev. To the rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, Archimandrite Arseny (Stadnitsky). September 30, 1898. Kronstadt Your Reverence, dearly respected Fr. Rector! In response to your letter to me - hereby I express my heartfelt sympathy for your wonderful intention - to open a Ts-parochial school in posad 641; and - I am sending you my contribution of 200 rubles to the initiative of the holy cause. Your Reverence, Fr. Rector, humble servant and co-celebrant, Archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral To the Office for the Management of Children's Shelters. End of September 1898. Kronstadt With all my soul I sympathize with charitable institutions of this kind and donate my contribution to this good cause 642. To the clergy of the Kronstadt Catholic Church. October 3, 1898. Kronstadt Leaving for Moscow 643 at the tearful request of one sick person, close and dear to me, I, as a priest and champion of Christian love, peace and unity, send to the dear hero of the day - the Catholic Church and representatives of the Catholic Church 644 my sincere wishes for peaceful and long-term prosperity for the glory of God 645 ... Rector of the Kronstadt Cathedral, Archpriest John Sergiev Abbess Taisia (Solopova). October 18, 1898. Kronstadt O Lord, beloved Mother Taisiya! I send you God's blessing and heartfelt bows. I inform you that on October 18th I celebrated mass 646 in your courtyard and, of course, prayed for you. I wish you all the best from the Lord. John, Archpriest of Kronstadt. To the editor of the Roman newspaper “La Vera Roma”. October 31, 1898. Kronstadt The correspondent of the said newspaper 647, describing in it the recent celebration of the centenary of the Kronstadt Roman Catholic Church, mentioned about me that, not being able to personally attend the festive meal of the Catholics, I sent them a letter expressing my sincere desire that they succeed in Christian love and peaceful service to God, the Tsar and the Fatherland 648. The author of the note, a Catholic, expressed his pleasure and at the same time surprise at my letter and my good wishes, calling me the archpriest of the schismatic council. From a Catholic point of view, the name of our church schismatic 649 is common, but for us, Orthodox Russians, it is offensive, because it is false, and therefore I turn it back according to its affiliation. I affirm before all Catholics that our holy, Orthodox-Catholic Church accepts the testimony of its truth and salvation from above - from the Head of the universal Church Himself, our Lord Jesus Christ, from the Holy Gospel, from the Holy Apostles, ecumenical and local councils, from the face of all the holy ecumenical theologians and church hymns who have dogmatized in their truly Orthodox and sweet-voiced hymns, and all the saints who have preserved the inviolable universal truth - and does not need the biased testimony and feedback of Catholics. I affirm with complete conviction and confidence that we are not cut off from Christ (αχΐοβ) 650 and His holy church, but are united with Him and with His holy and immaculate bride church, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth 651. Our Russian Church, throughout all centuries, from the beginning to the present, has obvious and tangible evidence of its truth and salvation in the holy, incorruptible and miraculous relics of various saints of God who rest in all parts of great Russia. It has always possessed the evangelical, universal truth and pure Christian meaning, because it has always had Christ, the Hypostatic Truth, as its Head, and its Pilot, the Spirit of Truth Himself, emanating from the Father 652, guiding it to all truth 653 and repelling it from false and perverse teachings, and not a person who can be mistaken, as he has more than proven this thousand-year experience of the history of papal Rome 654. In fact, if Christians, calling themselves Catholics, had Christ and the Spirit of Truth as their Head, and not a man - the pope, they would not have distorted the teachings of Christ about the Holy Spirit 655, would not have deprived the laity of the most pure and life-giving blood 656, would not have recognized the Apostle Peter and his successors the Roman popes as the main stone of the church, since the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Paul call Christ Himself the foundation stone 657, and everywhere in their messages they call Christ Himself the Head of the Church 658. To vilify the Eastern Church as schismatic means to spew blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, who constantly works miracles in it for the salvation, sanctification and rebirth of the faithful, and to be exposed to the obvious danger and misfortune of condemnation from God for the unforgiveness of this sin both in this and in the next century 659. Catholics cannot but know from history and from our canonical books the correctness of our faith, and yet they blaspheme both us and our church and are always angry with us, because we have never betrayed the truth of the Gospel, did not want to obey the pope and have always exposed the errors of Catholics 660. Inde irae, inde odium, inde maledicto et anathema per secula usque ad hoc 661 . Archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral John Sergiev, member of the Holy, Collegiate and Apostolic Church. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). November 5, 1898. Kronstadt Most Reverend Mother Taisia! Today, November 5th, the Lord vouchsafed me to serve the Liturgy in your courtyard and to give communion to the sisters and many of the laity. And I send you God’s blessing with wishes of health and prosperity in all your many useful endeavors. I received and read your letter while still in carriage 662. Thank you, dear. Through your prayers I am healthy. Your sisters are also healthy and bow to you and are waiting for you with impatience and ask me to write to you so that you will certainly come on the feast of the Great Martyr Barbara 663. I bless you - come. Archbishop of Kharkov and Akhtyrsk Ambrose (Klyucharyov). November 17, 1898. Kronstadt I sincerely greet Your Eminence on the completed fiftieth anniversary of your sacred service for the glory of God and the Russian Church. May God grant you many more summers to decorate the Holy Altar with you 664. The rector of the cathedral, Archpriest John Sergiev. Hieromonk Evdokim (Meshchersky). November 20, 1898. Kronstadt Dear brother in Christ Vasily 665! At your suggestion, I sent by mail to the church of the village where you were born 666 - St. silver-gilded vessels, a copy, good vestments for the priest and deacon, many coverings for St. vessels, vestments and something else 667. Ask me to notify you about all this when you receive it on site. My bow to you, and especially to Fr. Rector 668. Your humble servant, Archpriest of the Kronsht Cathedral Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). November 24, 1898. Kronstadt 669 With this, I am sending three hundred rubles for the benefit of the monastery. May the Lord give you an abundance of everything, and may he always dispose the hearts of well-wishers in your favor. Lady Theotokos, always help those who honor You. Your servant and pilgrim Archpriest John Sergiev To the State Controller T.I. Filippov. November 28, 1898. Kronstadt Fleet Lieutenant, my nephew Nikolai Nikol Shemyakin would like to join the State Control Service, leaving service in the fleet. If you find it possible and Mr. Shemyakin is capable of serving in control, then be kind enough to move him to the designated institution 670. Archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral Ioann Sergiev Priest Nikolai Sokolov. December 7, 1898. Kronstadt Your High Blessing! I hereby notify you that the peasant Lavrenty is boldly slandering me, as if I bless him to organize public assemblies. I don't even know him. I have never blessed the teaching of any of the common people or the nobles, remembering the words of the Apostle: how can they preach unless they are sent 671 from the blessed authority? I take this opportunity to express my fraternal respects to you with love. Archpriest John Sergiev 672. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). December 12, 1898. Kronstadt Venerable Mother Superior Alexia! With the approach of the great holiday! I wish you and all the sisters of the monastery health, peace, success in faith and piety, mental and physical contentment. I am sending you five hundred rubles for the needs of the monastery and sisters. I bless everyone in absentia in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ and wish to celebrate the all-joyful Feast of the Nativity of Christ in spiritual and physical joy. Your Bogomolets, Prot John Sergiev If you receive money, please bring it to the attention of the Lord 673. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). December 24, 1898. Kronstadt 674 Mother Alexia Abbess! Happy upcoming Feast of the Birth of Christ, I congratulate you, brothers and all sisters. I wish everyone to rejoice in the Lord. I'm sending five hundred rubles. Thank God and pray for me. I've been coughing for a long time. May God help you get rid of him through your prayers. Priest Alexander Yakubov. December 28, 1898 Kronstadt Your high blessing, Honorable Father Alexander Ivanovich! I have the honor to send you a thousand rubles for your school 675 - not for advertising and not for glory, but out of awareness of the glaring need and for a good example to my Russian brothers and sisters, whom God has endowed with abundance... Hearts capable of Christian charity, spread out! The Lord, who deigned to become impoverished for our sake 676, awaits from you in Gango your alms in the form of young Russian children whom the Finns are pressing against the wall. I testify to you, Father Alexander, my ardent respect and brotherly love in Christ. Your brother, rector of the Kronstadt Cathedral Archpriest John Sergiev 677. To the editor of the newspaper "Moskovskie Vedomosti". December 28, 1898. Kronstadt Obedient to the compassionate voice of the appeal of the Moscow leaders of the printed good word, I have the honor to forward to the office their six hundred rubles for the poor churches of Podlasie 678. As needed, they will bless, whoever knows, to divide this money into poor parishes 679. Kronstadt. December 28, 1898 Emperor Nicholas II. December 30, 1898. Kronstadt To His Imperial Majesty, Jealous of the holiness of the Orthodox Church and the Tsarist state, I greatly mourn that the Moscow schismatics laugh at our Church, installing their self-proclaimed bishops in Moscow and even a bishop in Kronstadt 680, and boldly bypass the Tsarist power, dreaming of the weakness of the Government 681. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). December 30, 1898. Kronstadt Honorable Mother Alexia! I read in Moskovskie Vedomosti about the fire that happened in your school 682. This is due to oversight; you and your sisters need to be more attentive to yourself and to all buildings; you need your eye everywhere; Everywhere you need to see everything either yourself, or an attorney from you. I am sending you a hundred rubles for your needs. Have you received my 500 rubles recently sent by 683? Sorry. John of Kronstadt Archpriest A fire has occurred because of your sins; sinful fire devours souls, and elemental, material fire burns buildings. Take care of repentance, correction, peace, love, kindness, kindness, goodwill towards each other, diligence in prayer and praise. Novice Ivan Novikov. January 4, 1899. Kronstadt At the request of the monastery 684, I expressed a sincere desire to build a bell of 1000 poods for the monastery and gave my small contribution to this 685; As for my portrait and the poems on it, only the Rector can give a blessing for this, but I consider myself not worthy of having my sinful face stamped on the church bell 686. Kronstadt Cathedral Rector, Abbess Taisia (Solopova). January 13, 1899. Kronstadt Beloved Mother Taisiya! Upon returning from Moscow 687, today January 13th, I had the good fortune to serve in the church of your Leushinsky Theological Compound, which I inform you about; I hope to console your believing and devoted heart with this. I can imagine how difficult it is for you now and how worried you are. God help you. I pray for all of you and wish you health, that is, all the sisters of the monastery, and especially you; After all, it’s up to you to prepare all the reports on the monastery 688 and, having finished everything, set off on the journey here, where we will see each other again in a short time for mutual consolation through faith 689 and prayer. Bow to all the sisters, as well as to the priestly fathers. Your humble servant and prayer book, unworthy A.I. Zhadanovsky, future Bishop Arseny. January 17, 1899. Kronstadt Dear Alexander Ivanovich! After three unsuccessful attempts to choose a bride after my heart 690, I believe there is no longer any need to try to do the same, but consider this failure as God’s instruction to devote oneself to a virgin, contemplative life. God bless your father 691. Your poor health also serves as God’s instruction to choose the path of the gospel. However, calmly wait for God’s instructions with prayer in your heart, so that the Lord Himself will determine the way of your life 692. Remember the words of the Savior in the Apocalypse about the chaste: You will walk with Me in white robes, without being defiled with your wives 693. Happy New Year! I bow to you and my father and mother 694. January 17, 1899 Kronstadt. To the Chairman of the Society for the Propagation of Religious and Moral Education in the Spirit of the Orthodox Church, Archpriest Philosopher Ornatsky. January 28, 1899. Kronstadt I ask you to accept from me three hundred rubles 695 in favor of the glorious Society for Religious and Moral Education. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). January 30, 1899. Kronstadt Venerable Abbess Alexia! I am sending five hundred rubles for the needs of your monastery. Please notify me of receipt. My bow to you and all the sisters. “God grant that the sacrifice will be beneficial.” Your servant and humble Bogomolets, Report to Lord 696 that you have received it. – P I S . Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). February 10, 1899. Kronstadt 697 I ask you to accept the former novice Anna Ilyina back into the monastery entrusted to you. I hope that you will install her in the monastery, and she will turn out to be worthy of your reverence. Archpriest from Kronstadt Ioann Sergiev Priest Alexander Yakubov. February 25, 1899. Kronstadt I'm sending you five hundred rubles. for the construction of a school and parish house, as well as a gatehouse 698. Please accept your fervent giving for the glory of God and our Holy Church. The Lord will reward you for you. rector of the Kronstadt Cathedral, Priest Nikolai Lopatinsky. February 25, 1899. Kronstadt Dear Father Nikolai Lopatinsky! I have the honor to send to you a thousand rubles for the needs of the Terespol parish or district, for which there is an urgent need for the construction of schools 699. deeply sympathetic to your educational To the State Controller T.I. Filippov. February 26, 1899. Kronstadt Your Excellency, Gracious Sovereign and Benefactor! Your humble servant led to Christ - I ask you most sincerely - to accept this young man and listen favorably to his request 700. Your devoted servant with all your soul, Rector of the Kronstadt Cathedral, Archpriest John Sergiev. To the rector of the Resurrection Practical Missionary Monastery, Abbot Arseny. March 1, 1899. Kronstadt Venerable brother Fr. Arseny! In your need, I am sending you one-time assistance of three hundred rubles. Then reach out to other philanthropists. There are thousands, many thousands of people and institutions demanding from me. I am sending you only out of respect. I bow to you 701. Priest Alexander Yakubov. March 21, 1899. St. Petersburg Dear brother Alexander Ivanovich! I also have the opportunity to send you four hundred rubles 702 for a generally useful Russian cause. Please accept with your usual gratitude to God, our All-Good Helper in all good endeavors. May all those who sympathize with you in your holy cause 703 rejoice with you. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). March 29, 1899. Kronstadt Dear and beloved Mother Taisiya! I received your dear telegram, with deep gratitude for your sympathy for me. I was very happy to receive news from you that you felt better after your serious illness. May the Lord, together with His Most Pure Lady, His All-Good Mother, preserve your multi-useful life for many, many years. On Sunday, March 28th, I had the honor of concelebrating with Vladyka Metropolitan Anthony in the Havana Church in honor of the Merciful Mother of God at the consecration of the chapel in honor of Theodosius of Chernigov and Sergius of Radonezh, the wonderworkers 704. Before the consecration, Vladimir Karlovich Sabler informed me of the news of the Holy Synod’s petition to the Sovereign Emperor to award me a miter 705. This is how the Lord encourages me, who is unworthy, to serve God and people! I thank the Merciful Lord, who spoke good things about me in the hearts of the members of the Synod. I know that your soul, benevolent to everyone, will sympathize with me in this mercy of God. I pray to God and the Mother of God that They protect you and the sisters of your monastery from every evil situation 706, from all sorrow, need and sadness 707. Your servant and humble man of prayer Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). March 30, 1899. Kronstadt Venerable Mother Abbess Alexia! I thank God and thank you for dispelling my perplexities and doubts regarding the way of monastic life of the sisters and the behavior of the novices Evdokia, Catherine, Elena and Anna 708. May God grant that after these troublemakers and disobedients are removed, peace and strict obedience of the sisters to the Abbess and elder sisters will be established in the Pukhtitsa monastery. Sisters of the monastery! My speech to you: always have the Mother Superior in great honor and obey her; look at her orders in simplicity of heart and obey them with zeal; and live in love among yourself and honor each other, doing each other more honor 709 . Hurry diligently to church and monastic obedience services, remembering that all this leads you to salvation. Do not envy each other 710, be kind to everyone, love the Lord with all your soul and all your heart 711, honor and love the Blessed Virgin Mary as your Heavenly Mother and be gracious, be, to the best of your ability, imitators of all the saints. But enough, there’s no time to write anymore. I am sending the Abbess three hundred rubles to the monastery. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). April 1, 1899. Kronstadt My dear Sister and Mother in the Lord Taisiya! May the peace of God be with you and with all the sisters of your monastery. I heard that you were ill, and I was worried about you, and I was embarrassed, and I prayed that the Lord would heal all your infirmities, quench your sorrow, and give peace to your weary soul and the souls of all the sisters who grieve for you as for your own mother. Do not forget, dear, the truth that the Lord spoke: whoever wants to live godly in this world will be persecuted 712. The enemy persecutes the pious through those closest to us and those serving with us. Well, may God grant you, Mother, and all the sisters of the monastery to unanimously and unanimously worship the Passion of Christ 713, healing our passions (suffering) of soul and body. Today, April 1st, I served the presanctified Liturgy and Margarita litany at your courtyard, then I had a bite to eat and then I wrote you this letter. To the Chairman of the Society for the Propagation of Religious and Moral Education in the Spirit of the Orthodox Church, Archpriest Philosopher Ornatsky. April 22, 1899. Kronstadt Your Reverence, Venerable Brother O. Archpriest Philosopher Nikolaevich! Christ is Risen 714! I kiss you in absentia... I am sending five hundred rubles in favor of the Society for Religious and Moral Education. May God prosper both you and the community through the grace of Christ. May the Church of Christ triumph over all the dark forces that are strengthening to darken her glory, which will never flicker forever. May Her workers be glorious, zealous for Her glory! May the Lord, the Head of the Holy Church, protect and strengthen your strength and all those who strive for Her integrity and prosperity 715. Your brother in Christ Archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral Hegumen Parthenius (Gvozdev). April 23, 1899. Kronstadt Your Reverence the Honorable Fr. Abbot Parthenius! Christ is Risen! I am glad to congratulate you with this all-joyful greeting 716. I received a letter from my former parishioner Alexander Voronin; in this letter a postscript was made in your hand 717. Thank you for your greetings. I am glad to have the opportunity to send for the needs of your monastery and I am sending three hundred rubles 718. My bow to your shrine and to all the brethren 719, and among them Alexander Voronin. Farewell. There is no more time to write. Kronstadt Cathedral Archpriest, Abbot Ioann Sergiev. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). April 23, 1899. Kronstadt Much-labored and long-suffering Sister in the Lord Taisiya! I received your letter, read it and am answering 720 right now. I thank the Lord for you and for the sisters. I thank you for everything that you wrote to me and that you promised. I have not yet received the miter: it will probably be given for the Coronation of 721. For everything, thanks be to the Lord. I read the charter drawn up by you and in some places corrected the expressions 722. The Rule bears the imprint of your remarkable intelligence, piety and spiritual experience; one of these days I will send him to the Most Reverend Antonin; He will probably be pleased, and perhaps even surprised. This will help him a lot in the initial organization of the Vorontsov community 723, and maybe it will be useful for others in the future. I greet you and all the sisters with a joyful and solemn “Christ is Risen!” 724. Rejoice in the Lord!.. I thank God that you, Mother, are healthy. Live forever like the holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian. Goodbye, darling. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). April 27, 1899. Kronstadt Christ is Risen! Convey this Easter greeting from me to all the sisters, whom I bless in absentia to work and pray peacefully, to love each other and thereby sanctify the Name of God and save their souls. “Your exiles Elena, Ekaterina and Evdokia lived with us in the House of Diligence; Now they begged me for money for the trip and are going to get their things. They say that they will go to Riga. I want to assign Elena and Ekaterina to the Vorontsov Community, established on land donated to me in the Kholm district of the Pskov province, but I don’t know what to do with Evdokia 725. I am sending five hundred rubles for the needs of the monastery. Thank God for mercy. Pray to God for me, that is, remember me in your common prayers. Your humble Bogomolets, Archpriest John Sergiev. My bow to the fathers of monastery 726 and greetings: Christ is Risen! – Abbess Taisia (Solopova). May 2, 1899. Kronstadt Thank you for sending me 1000 rubles donated by Bocharov after the death of his sister, Danilov’s merchant’s wife. I haven't missed them yet. God sent you to my rescue. Thank you and your Annushka 727. Priest Alexander Kosukhin. May 26, 1899. On the way to Sura Dear, dear brother and friend in Christ, Alexander Mikhailovich! I beg you with my brotherly love to take care of yourself for the sake of God and your family and your spiritual children who honor you; do not waste too much of your strength, do not strain your laryngeal and respiratory organs, which are weak in you 728. Go to the dacha immediately, relax, replace yourself with someone else. They say your throat is bleeding again. God grant that this is excess blood, unnecessary for the body, expelled expediently by nature and economy. What if it is violent, painfully erupting from the lungs? Then this is not good and exposes your excessive zeal. Goodbye, - I set off on a long journey 729. Pray for me to the Lord, Whom you and I serve. I bow to you and your wife 730 and your brothers and mine 731. Steamship "Lubezny". May 26, 1899 Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory Ioannikiy (Nadezhdin). June 7, 1899. Arkhangelsk To the Most Reverend Ioannikiy, Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory and Knight of the Rector of the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral, Archpriest John Sergiev Petition 732 Experience has proven that monastic monasteries greatly contribute not only to the religious and moral education of the local population, but also to the material improvement of economic life - a clear example of hard work. Caring for the well-being of my homeland - the village of Sura, Pinega district, Arkhangelsk Province - I came to the conviction that the founding of a women's community in it would be very useful in the above-mentioned respects. Daily Divine services according to the Charter of the Holy Church, observance of fasts, tireless hard work - all this, as a living example, will have a beneficial effect on the spiritual, moral and agricultural development of the population. Therefore, I dare to bother Your Eminence with the most humble request - to accept a petition for the establishment of a women's community, in the name of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian - in the village of Surskoye, Pinega district - with as many sisters as it can support 733. The settlement of a community can be established on ten acres of sandy and inconvenient for arable land of the peasants, which they cede for this purpose 734 . - In addition, Mr. Head of the Province promised his assistance in alienating the forest plot of land 735 to the Community. I, for my part, provide for the ownership of the Community a tug-and-passenger steamship that belongs to me, a shop with an annual turnover of almost ten thousand, a steam mill, etc. Having settled, the Community can take care of the school, with the help of interest from the capital I invested in it, which I established in the village of Sura, and can perform the missing services and concerns with its personal, free labor. On the letter there is a mark: “1899. June 7. To the Consistory for consideration. E Ioannikiy." Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. June 21, 1899. Bereznik, on the way from Sura Most humbly, with a feeling of deepest joy, I extend my greetings to the Highly Newly Born 736. To the Arkhangelsk Spiritual Consistory. July 9, 1899. Arkhangelsk To the Arkhangelsk Spiritual Consistory Rector of the Kronstadt Cathedral, Archpriest John Sergiev At the request of the Consistory - to submit to it the Charter of the Arkhangelsk Diocese of the Women's Community 737 proposed in the village of Surskoye, Pinezhsky district - I have the honor to forward it according to its affiliation, with my signature 738. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). July 14, 1899. St. Petersburg Dear, venerable Mother Taisiya! Thank you for your telegram and for all the kind words in it, poured out from your God-loving heart. By the grace of God, I arrived safely in St. Petersburg on July 14, 739 and served the Liturgy, straight from the station, in your church of the Holy Apostle Evangelist John the Theologian 740. The sisters were very happy; they ask me about your health and are very interested in your trip to Sura 741. I told them everything that was comforting, and among other things, I told them about your former illness, which, thank God, passed safely. For my part, I once again bring you my deep gratitude for all your labors for me and your mercy and for all your love in Christ for me, unworthy. The sisters bow to you and ask for your maternal blessing and wait impatiently for you. You are also needed here for the Vorontsov monastery, in connection with the purchase of land for them 742. Be healthy, dear. My sincere greetings and bow to all the sisters and fathers and priests of the monastery. Your admirer and Bogomolet Archpriest John Sergiev. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). July 30, 1899. Kronstadt Dear, invaluable Mother Taisiya! May the peace of God be with you, and all the grace of God, and the mercy of the Queen of Heaven. Are you healthy, sincere servant of God and servant of your sisters, cheerful, never falling asleep, thinking for them and always caring for them? – May your days continue like the days of a tree (like a tree planted by the flowing waters 743), in health and the blossom of mental and physical strength. I am healthy and thank the Lord and my Intercessor and the common Most Holy Theotokos. I have received your vestments and I pray to God for you. I served in your compound only once. I bow to you and sisters and fathers. P.S. The manuscript was sent for printing in St. Petersburg 744. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich) August 1, 1899. Kronstadt Honest Mother Abbess Alexia! I am sending you three hundred rubles for the needs of the monastery on the occasion of the approaching feast of the Dormition of the Mother. At the same time, I ask you to accept novice Orlova into the monastery. – My bow to you, sisters and honest fathers 745. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). August 5, 1899. Kronstadt Today, August 5th, I had the honor of serving mass in your church, having arrived from Moscow 746 to St. Petersburg by fast train 747. All the sisters received Holy Communion of the Life-Giving Mysteries of Christ; We prayed for you too, of course, venerable mother. The sisters are all healthy and happy. Thank you for your letter to Deacon of Sura Georgiy Makkabeev and for your objection to his plans 748. How do my Kronstadt people live with you: Evdokia, Ekaterina, Elena 749? Is there any roughness in them? What is your unappreciated health? May the holy Apostle John the Theologian and the holy John the Baptist, who is especially fond of those born of women, intercede for you. We are waiting for you in St. Petersburg healthy and cheerful. Archpriest John Sergiev 751. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). August 19, 1899. Kronstadt Accept this girl Anna Tyukina, a peasant from the Tver province, to teach, if she is capable, literacy and singing; she will act according to your appointment in Sura or Vorontsov 752, or, if she turns out to be incapable, let her remain illiterate for monastic work. I read your letter regarding the young lady Paraskeva, whom I dressed with your blessing in a black novice robe, and decided: it is better to send her to book learning, and then see what God indicates about her. Enough about this. Now we are waiting for you, the ascetic of God and the Queen of Heaven; Your nun sisters are especially waiting for you, their mother and mentor and nurse. May God grant you health and a healthy arrival in St. Petersburg 753. Recently I sent a letter with money to the Vorontsov community 754. I also sent a letter to Mr. Minister Ermolov about the allotment of forest to a community 755 that was about to open in Sura. May God grant that our petitions are crowned with success. Tomorrow the 20th, we are waiting for the Emperor to come to the cathedral! At 4 o'clock in the evening the city is beautifully decorated. Tomorrow He will go to his ship Tsarskoye “Standard”, spend the night on it and on Saturday morning will go to Copenhagen 756. I bow to all the sisters and thank them for the spiritual consolation that they gave me in June, when I was at your monastery 757. May God grant that we meet again in the eternal abodes. I bow to everyone and offer a blessing in the name of the Lord. Amen. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). September 2, 1899. Kronstadt I am sending to you a 21-year-old girl, Anastasia Matveeva, who asked me to place her in a monastery for obedience; and I ask you to send her to the Vorontsov monastery. I also wrote to the local Chief, Taisiya 758, who was appointed by you, so that she would accept her for obedience and install her in her community. I bow to you, invaluable mother Taisiya, and wish you health and joy in the Lord. Priest Alexander Yakubov. September 8, 1899. Kronstadt Dear brother in Christ Alexander Ivanovich! I am sending you six hundred rubles for parish church needs. I thank the Lord that I can still respond to your need without any burden on my part. For the hand of the giver truly never fails or fails 759 . Brother in Christ God, Archpriest John Sergiev. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). September 10, 1899. Kronstadt I heard that you replaced nun Paraskeva from the Pukhtitsa metochion in Reval - an intelligent and worthy nun, as I myself was convinced of when I was in Reval. I ask you to earnestly leave her in the courtyard in Revel, especially since the construction of a new church at the expense of Mrs. Basargina 760 is closely connected with her stay there. I hope that you will fulfill my request. And if you turn out to be ungrateful and inattentive to my just intercession, then I will stop all help to the monastery entrusted to you as long as you remain here. I hope you will respect my request. I ask you to take care of the priest Fr. Alexander Zybin, the smartest Shepherd. I hope to receive a satisfactory answer from you soon. I. I. Brilliantov. September 12, 1899. Kronstadt Dear Ivan Ivanovich! I bring you my heartfelt gratitude for the book you sent me, “Ferapontov Belozersky Monastery,” your composition. May the Lord prolong your days for a long time for the benefit of the Church and the Academy. Your servant and Bogomolet Archpriest John Sergiev 761 On the envelope: In St. Petersburg. To His Highness Mr. Professor S. - St. Petersburg Theological Academy Ivan Ivanovich Brilliantov. In the Spirit of the Academy behind the Nevsky Lavra. To the State Controller T.I. Filippov. September 13, 1899. Kronstadt 762 A well-bred girl, the daughter of parents who were briefly known to me for a long time - Colonel Alexander Fedorovich and Olga Ivanovna Fedorov, turned to me with a request - to intercede for her before you to accept her to serve in your department. She graduated from the Institute and women's commercial courses. Abbess Antonia (Sokolova). Mid-September 1899. Kronstadt Your Reverence Dear Mother Antonia! I send God’s blessing to you and have the honor to congratulate you on your twenty-fifth anniversary as abbess and spiritual shepherd of the verbal flock of Christ, so abundant in fruit 763. May God grant you to live to see the fiftieth anniversary of your monastic life 764 in good spirits and in body. Farewell. I bow to you and all the sisters and fathers 765. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). October 14, 1899. Kronstadt I am sending you the future nun for Sura 766, Matrona Dmitrievna Gorbunova. Accept her as your daughter. Hegumen Parthenius (Gvozdev). November 2, 1899. Kronstadt My heartfelt greetings Fr. Parthenius and all the brethren in Christ! Conveying herewith three hundred rubles 767, I ask for your prayers 768 and notification of receipt. I just received your letter and silk samples 769 today. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). November 4, 1899. Kronstadt Please be kind enough to accept this literate girl, Natalya, to prepare for the Sur community. Her last name is Shiryakova 770. Count A.I. Konovnitsyn. November 8, 1899. Kronstadt Having read in the Moscow Gazette about the construction of an Orthodox church in the city of Prasnysh, Plotsk province and about your concern for its construction in the rank of Chairman of the Committee 771, I have the honor to forward to you two hundred rubles for the needs of its construction. Priest Alexander Kosukhin. November 16, 1899. Kronstadt Dear brother Fr. Alexander Mikhailovich! I congratulate you on the mercy of God and the cessation of bleeding 773. But you are extremely weak from blood loss. You need the best nutrition and you are prohibited from fasting, that is, lean food. You must eat milk, eggs, chicken. Fasting is now murder for you. Remember the wise teaching of the Lord about old garments and old wineskins 774. This robe is old - your flesh is emaciated, weakened by hemorrhage; these old wineskins are your flesh again. When you are completely well, then fast. And now - no. Both the Lord and the Church command you to maintain your physical strength with good nutrition. In previous years, when I was seriously ill and began to recover, during Lent I ate eggs, milk, soups, game and chicken, and also drank good wine. It is impossible to serve you until Christmas. And there, God willing, you will be winged like an eagle. I am sending you my warm cassock 775 as a gift, wear it for your health! A fellow brother in Christ who honors you. To the State Controller T.I. Filippov. November 16, 1899. Kronstadt I heard that you are unwell 776. I pray for you to the Almighty, who gives life to everyone, for your healing and the continuation of your life for the benefit of many. - At the same time, I add a request for Nadezhda Indushina. You promised her a place at my request, but the office refused her 777. Perhaps the office did not know your gracious promise. If so, then please fulfill your promise to Indushina. Kronstadt Archpriest John Sergiev Abbess Taisia (Solopova). November 18, 1899. Kronstadt Venerable Mother Abbess Taisia. I received and read your letter and thank you for everything. I have been sitting at home in Kronstadt for a whole week, 778 although I serve the Liturgy in the cathedral every day. I received a letter from the Most Reverend Jonathan in response to my 779. He answers me in gracious words, but he refused our request. Apparently, he is dissatisfied that Senator Mordvinov, with whom you were, arranged such a solemn meeting for you, although, in my opinion, you have nothing to do with it, since, in all likelihood, you could not only imagine, but even expect. The senator in general is a very strange person. Well, God be with him; if God pleases, everything will work out 780. May God grant you many years of health and not to be disturbed by empty incidents that are inevitable in the life of every person on earth. I'll visit you 781 when I get better. To all the sisters and father John of Ornatsky with his wife, my Anyuta, bow 782. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). December 2, 1899. Kronstadt I received your letter from the elder Korovnikov. Thank you for your kind words addressed to me. May God's blessing be with you and all the sisters. May God grant everyone health, unanimity, peace and love with contentment in all everyday things necessary for life not only spiritual, but also physical. May God grant you to meet the approaching world holiday of the Nativity of Christ in peace and joy. I am sending three hundred rubles to benefit the monastery. May the Lord place the hearts of willing donors towards you... Now I myself am going to build (and am building) a women's monastery in my homeland and in St. Petersburg - a courtyard with a church - stone 783. I bow to you, to all the sisters and priests, wishing everyone to rejoice in the Lord. Archpriest John Sergiev 784 In the Arkhangelsk Provincial Board. December 13, 1899. Kronstadt To the Construction Department of the Arkhangelsk Provincial Board of the Rector of the Kronstadt Cathedral on December 13, 1899. By transmitting herewith a drawing of the church and house of the Women's Community, approved by decree of the Holy Synod of October 30 of this year No. 1877 in the Sursky parish of Pinega district 785, I humbly ask the Provincial Construction Department to consider and approve this drawing 786. Once the need for it has passed, the Construction Department is pleased to send the clergy of the Sura parish. Priest Alexander Yakubov. December 18, 1899. Kronstadt I am sending a response to your cry - four hundred rubles. Accept them for the glory of God and for the benefit of Russian children 787. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). December 20, 1899. Kronstadt 788 Mother Superior Alexia! So I met with your Eminence Agafangel - and I thank God that He deigned me to talk with him. And they talked about you. “I’m sending three hundred rubles to the monastery.” May God grant you to celebrate the holiday in joy and good health. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). December 28, 1899. Kronstadt Venerable, invaluable Mother Taisia, faithful servant of God and the Most Holy Lady, tireless worker for the benefit of the monasteries! Happy holidays, I have the honor to congratulate you and all the sisters! I was just about to write to you: it’s so difficult to choose the time with my constant travel! Recently I went to the Kharkov province and further beyond Kharkov 600 versts, and upon returning from there I went again to the Ryazan province 789. Now I am writing to you in response to your letter. You write that you are under the yoke of despondency. This is an attack by an enemy who is jealous of your crown, which he foresees on you. And besides, there is your well-known illness - heart disease plays an important role. Be patient, long-suffering ascetic, martyr of Christ. I don’t forget the sisters of your courtyard, but I visit them, although not often. After my trips to distant lands, I did not serve in your courtyard, because I once gave my word to serve in the Admiralty Cathedral of Spiridonius together with the Metropolitan 790; and another time, upon returning from the Ryazan province, he had to serve in Tsarskoe Selo in the presence of the Tsar and Queen with Fr. Protopresbyter Zhelobovsky 791. Thank you for taking care of the Sur community - I will send you more and more sisters 792. When I was in Kharkov, the merchant Ryzhov promised me a whole ringing of bells in Sura 793. Thanks to him! I have not yet received 794 papers from Ramensky; I'll get it, I think, in due time. From Ev. 795 did not receive my money back. Architect Nikonov asked me: how to hire a contractor - one or several contractors for the work of the new courtyard 796? Should you entrust the work to one contractor or several? I believe that to different persons, because there are and are benefactors who undertake to do one thing, and another, another. It’s incomparably more profitable. Just shout the cry - and by God’s grace many will be ready to do it. Vladimir Gavrilovich Vasiliev promised brick 797 - I told you about this, Mother; another promised to carry sand, another stone, etc. Thank you, Mother, this is your start for the Sursky farmstead, you introduced me to Ramensky and persuaded him to give me this place for the farmstead. Thank you for training the Sur novices. Your premonition consoles me – that is, regarding the Sur community. May the Lord bless you to accomplish this holy and promising work for the glory of God! A women's monastery is needed in Pinega district. It will be a saving haven for many. The Lord will add another bright, imperishable crown to you. May God help you to complete the feat to the glory of God, for the salvation of you and your sisters 798. I’m in a hurry to finish the letter - I have to go to Matins in the cathedral. Your sisters all bow to you and tremble for you (that is, they fear for your health). Comfort them with your motherly letters. I bow to you, treasurer, dean and all the sisters and all the priests of your monastery. Your spiritual father and at the same time a novice Residents of Penza. During 1899. Kronstadt 799 The rumor about a comet is absurd; the world is firmly held by the Creator, and not by idle talkers. To the family of priest Jacob Levitsky. During 1899. Kronstadt 800 No surgery needed. Commune the Holy Mysteries more often and wash yourself daily with Epiphany water. To the Nikolaevsky family. No later than 1899. Kronstadt 801 I prayed for baby Andrew. John. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). January 2, 1900. Kronstadt Beloved in the Lord, Mother Abbess Taisiya! I want to rejoice in the Lord and put aside all sorrow for His sake. I received and read your letter, a letter full of spiritual warmth. Thank you for every dear line and for all the reminders and directions needed in the beginning of the 802 business. Don’t worry, dear mother, and don’t think that I can change in my trust in you, in my feelings of respect, gratitude and love for the Lord. And how could this be? You constantly, with all your deeply honorable and useful deeds, force me to honor and love you. Your Annushka 803 and Antonina followed me in the same compartment from Oranienbaum to St. Petersburg 804, and we talked with them about everything. I do not trust the Maccabee (knowing that he most of all does not forget himself) 805; I trust your experience; I also approve of what you have done and are doing, and the deed itself speaks for itself. Experience proves everything. I wish you to rejoice in spirit in the Lord, for your reward is great. Your humble servant, Archpriest John Sergiev. Igumeii Taisiya (Solopova). January 4, 1900. Kronstadt I ask you to accept Ekaterina Gromova, the girl who bears this letter, into the Leushinsky Monastery to study as a Sura nun 806. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). January 8, 1900. Kronstadt Dear Mother Abbess Taisiya! 0 Lord of patience and joy! Today I served at your farmstead and they remembered and pitied you 807. The church was full of people; The crush during communion is unimaginable. Thank you for sister Evgenia 808; we send her to the Surskoye Compound. I bow to my sisters. We are waiting for you in St. Petersburg. Priest Alexander Kosukhin. January 14, 1900. Kronstadt Dear brother Alexander Mikhailovich! I pray for your precious health. I beg you to take care of yourself and not to strain your lungs too much in their painful state 809. When the turn comes, in case of weakness, the prongs are replaced by healthy priests. I bow to you and your wife 810 and kiss you brotherly. Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory Ioannikiy (Nadezhdin). January 24, 1900. Kronstadt His Eminence, Most Reverend Ioannikiy, Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory Rector of the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral Archpriest John Sergiev According to the Decree of the Arkhangelsk Spiritual Consistory of November 25, 1899 No. 13791, which expresses the permission of the Holy Synod to establish a Women’s Community in the Sursky parish of the Pinega district, I have the honor to most respectfully ask Your Eminence, the Most Reverend Bishop Archpastor and Father, to bless the construction of a wooden house with a house the church in them of St. Apostle and the Evangelist John the Theologian, for the said Community 811. The plan of the building with the church will be submitted, and the plan of the land for construction will be submitted upon receipt from the Administration of the Property States of the Arkhangelsk Province. Your Eminence, most gracious Archpastor, humble novice, Kronstadt Cathedral Archpriest On the letter there are notes: “Feb. 3. The building is blessed. E Ioannikiy"; “Ordered: Let the relevant authorities know about the due resolution of His Eminence. A report with instructions to report on the state of work every six months.” Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). January 24, 1900. Kronstadt Today, January 24th, Tuesday, I had the honor of serving the Liturgy with preliminary canons and gave Holy Communion to the maiden Baroness Anna Lepel, who joined Orthodoxy from Lutheranism 813. We remembered you and, of course, prayed for you and your sisters. We wish you health, with a prayer for this to God, and the continuation of your life for many years. There is no time to write more yet. Come and let's talk. Prepare the older sisters for Sura 814. Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory Ioannikiy (Nadezhdin). February 5, 1900. Kronstadt His Eminence, Most Reverend Ioannikiy, Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory - Kronstadt Cathedral of Archpriest John Sergiev Most Gracious Archpastor! I dare to bother you with a request for your petition before the Holy Synod for our acceptance of the land given to us by Mr. Ramensky, the landowner of St. Petersburg, into eternal possession for the construction of the Monastery Compound 815 and for the permission of the Highest Sovereign Emperor to accept it and to build a church and a monastery. Kindly, Vladyka, hasten with this petition, in view of the deliberate foundation of the Compound 816 in the spring. Kronstadt Cathedral Archpriest On the letter there is a note: “1900 Feb. 10. Prepare a presentation to the Holy Synod. E Ioannikiy." Priest Alexander Yakubov. Late January – early February 1900. Kronstadt Honorable Father, Father Alexander Ivanovich! Knowing what great benefits a cash allowance for school can bring in your region in the present and future, I am sending you another five hundred rubles 817 to those previously sent. Thank God and rejoice in your soul about His mercy. Happy New Year to you. I wish you good health from the bottom of my heart. May God grant you to shepherd the flock entrusted to you by God in a God-pleasing manner. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). February 7, 1900. Kronstadt I hit you to the ground with my forehead. Today, February 7th, I stopped by your farmstead and brought and gave money to the sisters to put the dairy farm in order, since we now have our own 15 cows (Sursky farmstead). Marya Egorovna was sent to the Archangel bishop 818 with papers for the final decision on the matter of the courtyard 819. Bishop Metropolitan 820 suggested that the petition of the Bishop of Arkhangelsk to the Synod was needed to formalize the case 821. How is your health, and will you finally be in St. Petersburg 822 soon? May God give you spiritual and physical strength for God-pleasing and useful deeds. I bow to all sisters and priests. Your servant and Bogomolet Archpriest John Sergiev. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). February 15, 1900. Kronstadt Venerable Mother Superior Alexia! Happy upcoming Holy Pentecost 823! May God grant you and all your sisters a life of peace and good health. I am sending five hundred rubles for the benefit of the monastery and all the sisters. Give thanks to the Lord and the Queen of Heaven; May the Lord give you a kind and compassionate heart for all the nuns of the monastery, God grant that all the sisters live well under your protection - and that they would all be like kind and dear sisters of one good mother. I pray to the Lord and Queen of heaven and earth for this. We have an abyss of snow - it’s very difficult to travel by sea, yesterday and today I’m sitting at home - I don’t go to St. Petersburg. I ask you to accept Sister Elena, who was in Leushinsky 824, into your Mother of God monastery if she is completely obedient. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). February 19, 1900. Kronstadt I appeal to you with a request: I ask you to now take novice Elena Ilyina back under your protection, since her soul cannot rest anywhere else than in Pyukhtitsa, to which she is accustomed. I hope that you will not refuse this. I vouch for her that she will be worthy of your patronage and will not in any way disturb the peaceful life of the monastery. Please notify me about everything: about the receipt of the 500 rubles I sent you and about Elena’s behavior 826. Archpriest John Sergiev 827 Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory Ioannikiy (Nadezhdin). February 19, 1900. Kronstadt Your Eminence, Most Gracious Archpastor! Please forgive me generously for daring to embarrass you with formalities. Regarding the construction of a Compound with a Church for the Surskaya Community, it is necessary that Your Eminence go to the Holy Synod with a request for permission to build a Community Church in St. Petersburg and to petition the Sovereign for this 828. I ask your Eminence for this most earnestly. The Holy Synod awaits your submission 829. Your Eminence, Most Gracious Archpastor Humble Novice, Kronstadt Cathedral Archpriest On the letter there is a note: “1900 Mar. 4. Prepare a presentation to the Holy Synod. E Ioannikiy." Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). March 8, 1900. Kronstadt I ask you, accept the maiden Maria Korshunova 830 for the Sur community, to teach her monastic life in your monastery 831. Priest Alexander Zybin. March 9, 1900. Kronstadt With humble faith I convey God’s blessing to the work of the Committee for the Construction of a Community Church 832. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). March 12, 1900. Kronstadt I ask you, Mother, to accept these bearers of this note, the girls Martha and Anastasia 833, to study with you for the Sursk community. To the editor of the Kotlin newspaper. No later than March 16, 1900. Kronstadt Why do our scribblings write about me, that a crazy woman bit me in the leg in church? - This is a tall tale in the faces. It was like this: I was a little late with the prayers in order to come to general confession in due time, and upon arriving at the altar, I hurriedly went to the people, and here, in the altar, and not on the floor, I tripped over the carpet, lost my balance and fell on my right knee, knocking down my kneecap. I'm limping a little, but I hope to get better soon. That's it. Please print the truth, otherwise God knows what they write to the whole world. 834 Abbess Taisia (Solopova). March 23, 1900. Kronstadt Today, March 23rd, I served Liturgy 835 in your courtyard with a large crowd of people. I received news that you safely reached your monastery with all the sisters I gave you for the Sursk community 836. Have you received my parcels for Sura - tea and money? May God grant you and your sisters health and spiritual salvation. Vice Admiral S. O. Makarov. April 8, 1900. Kronstadt Your Excellency, highly respected Stepan Osipovich! Let the Cathedral Clergy come to your home to glorify the Risen One and congratulate you and your wife 837 on the highly solemn Holy Feast. Would it please you that we arrive at your place at eleven o'clock before noon 838? Cathedral Archpriest John Sergiev. To the Chief of the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff N. N. Sukhotin. No later than April 12, 1900. Kronstadt As a faithful son of Russia, living in the memory of the bright and dark historical destinies of her and the glorious exploits of her great people in all fields of fruitful activity for her glory, I wholeheartedly join in the great triumph of Russia that is about to happen - the honoring of the memory of the glorious Suvorov 839, the personification of Russian folk simplicity and power, based on the boundless faith in the goodness of the Almighty. Fervently praying for the granting of eternal peace and bliss to his soul in heaven and ardently wishing prosperity to his dear Fatherland throughout his entire life, I pray to the Ruler of the destinies of the kingdoms of the earth, may the valiant sons of Russia never become impoverished in all fields of state activity. I donate one hundred rubles 840. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). April 15, 1900. Kronstadt Sisters of the Leushinsky monastery! I ask you to accept the girls Tatyana and Evdokia Khromtsova for the Sursky metochion and send them to the Leushinsky monastery when Mother Taisiya orders 841. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). April 18, 1900. St. Petersburg Now he served mass at Radonitsa 842 at the Leushinsky metochion. I send you the blessing of the Risen One and my bow – and to all the sisters. I was in Moscow on April 17 843; was, by the way, with Alex's relatives Semyon Mironov - Smirnovs 844; Elena Mikhail Mironova followed me in the compartment to the city of Klin 845, and I ordered her cashmere for the nuns of the monastery for 500 rubles. May God bless you all. Goodbye. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). April 20, 1900. Kronstadt 846 This time I appeal to you with a petition for the novice Maria Kudryavtseva, who has been living with her mother for quite a long time, due to her illness. Believe that she does not live idlely, not idlely, but serves her sick mother. My request is that you postpone her vacation for another month and a half until the beginning of June. She takes her mother to the village at the beginning of May, lives there with her for a month and then returns to the monastery. It is you who will give in to her and will not demand it from her... Don’t send Kudryavtseva to your hospital, unless there are no men in it, then send her. Obedience can and should be changed, today – one thing, tomorrow – another. Farewell words to Russian volunteers. No later than April 22, 1900. Kronstadt With all my heart I bid the generous volunteers the blessing of God and the holy icon of the Archangel Michael. Go with God and protect with your breasts the unfortunate, unjustly persecuted Boers 847. May God grant you either to return with honor and joy, or to fall valiantly and receive an imperishable crown from the Lord of glory. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). May 25, 1900. Kronstadt 848 I received your letter and read it; I see the needs of the monastery and sympathize with you. “I also know about the needs and poor nutrition of the sisters, who are losing weight and losing strength as a result.” Please take care of proper nutrition. I’m sending four hundred rubles for this. For funds for other needs, turn to the laity - in Moscow or other cities. I bow to you with all my heart. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova) and nun Varvara (Ivanovskaya). May 28, 1900. Kronstadt Dear, invaluable Mother Abbess Taisiya! and the newly christened Mother Varvara of Surskaya 849! Rejoice! I congratulate you on your arrival at Sura, at the place where the Lord and the Most Holy Theotokos indicated that there should be a holy 850 monastery. May He grant the sisters peace and joy to settle in their place of earthly pilgrimage. Today, having been in St. Petersburg and with Ms. Pechatkina, at her invitation to pray to the Lord for her, I received from her 1000 rubles 851 for the Sursk community, which I am forwarding herewith. Mother Taisiya and Varvara will dispose of them at their own discretion. I am currently sitting in Kronstadt and waiting for a telegram from Deacon Makkabeev about the time of departure 852. Loparev has already arrived for us in St. Petersburg on a small steamer 853; have to wait 854 . Your Leushinsky sisters are all healthy. Farewell. Goodbye. E. V. Dukhonina. No later than June 4, 1900. Kronstadt Thank you, my dear spiritual daughter, for your spiritual submission to me; So, listen: for the sake of the Lord, fast during both fasts this summer - Petrovsky and Dormition - on Wednesdays and Fridays, eat fasting, drive away the indulgences of the flesh from yourself, enslave the flesh, reject self-indulgence, be a slave of the Lord, and not of the flesh and its lusts 855. The most sinful of all is John of Kronstadt. To an unidentified person (Optina monk I. I. M.). June 17, 1900. On the way to Sura Beloved in the Lord Brother And... And...! I am writing while the steamship is moving, shaking from the movement of the wheels, with a shaking hand. May the blessing of God and the Queen of Heavenly Mother of God be upon you. I regret your bewilderment and embarrassment and your lack of confidence. But since you have been instructed, asceticize in the monastery of the Optina Monastery - asceticize there until a new direction from God - and if there is such, - leave for Athos 856; for both the ancient Eastern and Russian ascetics often changed the places of their exploits. The point is this: if you realize that you are decidedly unsatisfactory for your saving feats in the Optina Skete and that you are often embarrassed by the everyday circumstances you encounter, then consider this as God’s instruction to change the place of your deeds and transfer it to Athos, into the lot of the Mother of God. Then convey my advice to Elder Optinsky - what he will say about this 857. Out of obedience, I undertook to write to you for your trust and obedience in me - on the road I rarely write to anyone. I bow to all the Optina brethren 858 and to you, young ascetic in the Lord. Your humble Bogomolets, Archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral O. Defendova. June 20, 1900. Sura Dear sister Olga Defendova! I am answering your sad letter. You are sick from extreme overwork. The spirit of malice has taken advantage of this weakness and is tormenting you, especially since you don’t even pray, while all salvation lies in the prayer of the heart. By their fruits you will know them, 859 says the Lord. From the phenomena you described, which are so sadly happening to you, I see that you are under the influence of evil demons. I pray to God, before whom I am writing these lines, that they and all their fruits in you will soon disappear, and no traces of them or the disease remain in you. I wanted to send you some money, but I was afraid of offending your moral sense, believing that perhaps you did not need it. Sura, village of Pinezhsky district of Arkhang province. Postal station. I'm leaving here soon for Arkhangelsk 860. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). June 23, 1900. On the way from Sura Good Providence bless you! On June 11th I had the joy of meeting my steamer “St. Nikolai" on high water 861. There was no end to the joy. The joy was increased by good friends Loparev and Nevorotin, a timber merchant. I received your letter; Thanks for all the news and advice. I will now go to Arkhangelsk and visit Vladyka 862. Then I will hasten to you, my friends 863. Farewell, Mother and all sisters in Christ. Nun Varvara (Ivanovskaya). June 24, 1900. Kholmogory Dear sisters in Christ! Peace and blessings of God be upon you. I am writing you my first letter from Kholmogory. I will describe to you how we sailed from Sura to Kholmogory. You have already been told, probably by our fellow swimmers to Verkola, how many hours we stood on the shallows, not reaching Lavela, and then, having passed a little Lavela, before the village of Repishche, and with what incredible efforts we refloated: from 5 to 6 hours we tried to get off the sand; It’s good that we weren’t standing on rocks. But what would have happened if we had set off from Sura later one day? “We would have stayed completely on dry land.” Then they sailed about fifteen versts from Verkola, the steamer hit a large stone - so the ship leaned on its side, and by nightfall there was a lot of water at the bottom of the steamer, which had to be poured out with buckets, and the holes were plugged with plugs of tow. That's how much trouble we have suffered! And then, right up to the city, they ran aground more than once. What a treacherous river Pinega! You can never rely on it 865. Now, thank God, we are on big water. May God grant you a safe and secure path forward. But how do you begin your monastic life? Do you have fun singing to God, praying, working? Do not forget that for the sake of eternal life in heaven you became nuns and ascetics. So strive to achieve eternal bliss. So tetsite, may you comprehend 866. Having arrived in Arkhangelsk, we will ask the Bishop for a petition to rename the community into a monastery and to grant you a permanent priest 867. This is necessary. Mother Taisiya is healthy like an old woman, cheerful, cheerful; everyone works, writes papers: thanks to her, the unceasing worker 868. I am writing before the mass that I will serve at the Kholmogory convent on June 24, Saturday. Today, Saturday, we will go to Arkhangelsk. Forgive and pray for us; we are for you 869. Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory Ioannikiy (Nadezhdin). June 26, 1900. Arkhangelsk To His Eminence Ioannikiy, Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory and Cavalier From the Founder of the St. John the Theological Sursk Women's Community, Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral, Rector Archpriest John Sergiev I have the honor to present to Your Eminence the “act” of my commission, with your blessing, of the consecration of the first church in the name of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian 870 in the newly founded Community of this name in my native village of Sura, Pinega district of the Arkhangelsk diocese, and at the same time the opening of this community 871. On the letter there is a note: “To the consistory for your information. E Ioannikiy." His Eminence, Most Reverend Ioannikiy, Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory and Cavalier From the Founder of the St. John the Theological Sursk Women's Community of the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral, Rector Archpriest John Sergiev With your Archpastoral blessing, having visited the “John the Theological Women’s Community” that I have now established in my native village of Sura for the consecration of its first house church 872, I was pleasantly amazed by its rapid success both in terms of buildings, and even more so in terms of internal improvement: the beautiful harmonious singing of a relatively small choir, meaningful and correct reading in the Church, knowledge singers of the Church Charter, being among the small number of sisters - experienced and sufficiently trained for every task needed in the Monastery: such as sacristans, candle holders, prosphora makers, refectories, cooks, not to mention various branches of handicrafts, etc. The internal character of the hostel bears the imprint of hard work and obedience and other accessories of monastic life; In general, good preparation is visible, in accordance with its purpose. In terms of appearance, the Monastery currently has a grandiose two-story wooden, iron-covered building that can accommodate up to 20 spacious cells, of which each can accommodate 3–4 sisters. Although the church is a house one, it is very spacious, two-height, bright, with a three-tiered Iconostasis; with her is the sacristy and deacon. There is a large octagonal dome above the Church. The outbuildings include a barn, a glacier, a laundry with a bathhouse, a yard for livestock is being built, there are brick factories (in the monastery), where bricks are already produced. The entire Community is surrounded by a wooden fence. On the basis of such a comprehensive improvement of the Community, I would think to ask Your Eminence, the Most Gracious Archpastor, to take upon yourself the work of petitioning the Holy Synod to rename this Community into the Community Monastery of St. John the Theologian in the village of Sura, Pinega district, Arkhangelsk province; if there are no obstacles to this on your part 873. In material terms, I will unswervingly take care of his provision as at present. In addition, to support this Monastery, I am already building a courtyard in St. Petersburg, which will undoubtedly provide it with sufficient support 874. On the letter there is a note: “1900 June 26. To the Consistory for consideration. E Ioannikiy." To His Eminence the Most Reverend Ioannikiy Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory and Cavalier From the Founder of the St. John the Theological Sursk Women's Community, Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral, Rector Archpriest Ioann Sergiev, Petition In view of the need for the newly established Sursky St. John theological Community to have its own personal seal for business correspondence, I humbly ask Your Eminence to either allow me to order one in St. Petersburg, or to instruct the Consistory to take care of this order. But, in any case, since the Surskaya Community will not hesitate to rename itself the “Sura St. John the Theological Congregational Women’s Monastery”, due to the need for the newly established Sursk St. John theological Community to have its own personal seal for business correspondence, I humbly ask Your Eminence to either allow me to order one in St. Petersburg, or to instruct the Consistory to take care of it with this order. But, in any case, since the Surskaya Community will not hesitate to rename itself “Sursky St. John the Theological Congregational Women’s Monastery”, then the name “monastery” and not “community” will be depicted on the seal, in order to avoid a secondary change of the seal. On the letter there is a note: “1900 June 26 days. To the Consistory for consideration. E Ioannikiy." E. K. Sergieva, A. I. Povalyaeva, M. K. Pesotskaya. June 28, 1900. On the way from Sura My dear Elisaveta Konstantinovna, Anastasia Ivanovna, Maria Konstantinovna and everyone who is with you! May God's blessing be upon you! Hello to you, especially to you, sick head 876 - I wish you with all my heart. Behold, I am returning from my homeland; founded, consecrated, opened a convent with a church, in which they will pray for us day and night as long as the monastery exists 877. God bless! – Congratulations, God and good people helped me accomplish this holy deed 878. This is eternal capital. May God grant you all increased health, and most importantly, peace of mind and satisfaction. Now I am going back along the Dvina 879; I will stay in the Leushinsky Monastery for women in Novgorod Province for five days 880; then I will go to Rybinsk and Yaroslavl; then to Moscow 881. May God protect you. Steamship "St. Nicholas the Wonderworker." Priest Alexander Kosukhin. July 18, 1900. On the way from Sura Venerable Friend Fr. Alexander Mikhailovich! I am sending you my heartfelt greetings from the ship on which I traveled 882 - and with all my soul I wish you the restoration of your bodily strength 883 - I hope your spiritual strength is normal. I bow to your wife Vera Alexandrovna and wish her well-being. Soon I will return to Kronstadt at the end of July or beginning of August 884. My journey was quite successful. He often served Liturgy in all cities along the way. My main task was to consecrate the women’s monastery and church, which I accomplished with the help of God. I am pleased with all the buildings of 885 and its sisters. How is your health - has it improved? Are you more cheerful, more energetic? May God see you soon. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). July 23, 1900. Kronstadt. Congratulations on your safe arrival home. And we arrived on July 23rd in St. Petersburg on Sunday 886, and I served with you at the Leushinsky courtyard. Your sisters were very happy; they are all healthy and bow to you. I bow to you all too. Nun Varvara (Ivanovskaya). Not earlier than July 23, 1900. Kronstadt Dear Mother Abbess 887 Varvara! After I set off from the Leushinsky monastery on the ship “Vladimir” (Efremova) to Rybinsk 888, before reaching it, I received a letter from Fr. George Makkaveev, written from Kholmogory, and received an answer to what I wanted from him, namely an explanation of why such a huge debt had accumulated on the monastery (12 thousand-plus rubles), which I reduced by one thousand by sending the merchant Seleninov 1000 rubles on July 1. from the money I have. God forbid you don't go into debt. Take the public shop for your own account, and take it entirely from the public domain, even if it is only a monastery 889. – Please write to me what you are doing, what you are building, what you bought, how much and at what price (for example, bread, livestock, etc. 890). You, mother, sent me a debt sheet - the total debt is more than 12,000, but no one signed it - neither you nor Fr. George, they didn’t write how much money you have left to pay it. You write dullly, unclearly, but you need to write everything thoroughly and in detail so that there is no misunderstanding. My heartfelt blessings and bows to you and all the sisters. I was pleased with everyone and everything I saw. May God grant everyone success in everything, both spiritually and physically - in physical labor - in piety, abstinence, modesty, obedience, mutual love and respect for each other, especially younger ones for older ones. How much do you, Abbess, pay for Volodin’s flour and all the supplies 891, and are they of good quality? Now bread has become more expensive (2 rubles per bag increased). It's good that we managed to buy it on time. If it’s not of good quality, then we need to get through Volodin. It is better to deliberately buy bread for yourself in Arkhangelsk or Vologda, or in Rybinsk 892. Farewell, mother, to all sisters in Christ. May the monastery prosper spiritually and economically. Now you are the masters and owners of a beautiful, rich land and forest plot 893: thank God and the King and know how to use this good, which I interceded for you, by the grace of God. The builder of the monastery, by the grace of God, is Archpriest John Sergiev. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). August 1, 1900. Kronstadt Honorable Mother Superior Alexia! I returned safely from my homeland 894 and, remembering the Pukhtitsa monastery and its needs, I am sending you three hundred rubles. Please notify me of receipt. To you, brothers and sisters in Christ, I send my bow. Nun Varvara (Ivanovskaya). August 4, 1900. Kronstadt Dear Mother Superior Varvara and her sisters. May the blessing of the Lord and the Mother of God be with you, and may it be for you the source of all the blessings of heaven and earth. Thank you, mother, for your letter and for your detailed presentation of the needs of the newly built monastery 895. Everything will be sent to you; I gave a lot of things on my own and, by the way, beautiful vestments for the priest and deacon. Anna Semenovna 896 will forward everything to you. I am sending three hundred rubles in favor of the monastery, donated by the merchant of St. Petersburg Elizaveta Vas Durdina to commemorate the health of her mentally ill daughter Elizaveta and the young men Nikolai and Alexander; write down their names in the memorial 897. Congratulations on your full-time priest, Fr. Georgiy Makkaveev 898. I saw Vladimir Karl Sabler, who assured that your community will soon be renamed the monastery 899. The Letovskaya State Grove was approved by the Sovereign for your monastery, at my request to the minister dated June 27, 900. This request was very important and supported by strong arguments. Thanks to the Sovereign and Mr. Minister, Alexy Serg Ermolov. Now please take a look at this dacha with Fr. Maccabees and with the chosen sisters, and take her into eternal possession. There, the first thing to do is to build a house for the overseer, a married man, and several sisters 901. I will send you new sisters. Notify that you have received the letter and money. By the grace of God I live well. Tomorrow, August 5, I will make a general confession in the Cathedral and will give communion to the people 902. Pray for me as I do for you. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). August 4, 1900. Kronstadt Dear and invaluable Mother Taisiya! May the Lord and the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, be with you always, wonderfully comforting us in sorrows, sorrows and illnesses. How I grieve that your weaknesses and illnesses returned to you again after my departure 903! May the Lord, Physician of the ailing and sick, heal you. I am always with you in spirit and always remember you in my prayers - all the Leushin sisters. With my incessant travels 904 I barely got around to writing you a letter; there is no time at all. Thank you for paying for our rickety ship. May God grant him to return safely to his homeland and remain safe and sound 905. Maccabees was appointed priest to the Sura community 906. The Sovereign Emperor, for the sake of my request, donated the state-owned, beautiful Letovskaya grove of 300 dessiatines 907 - God bless Him! The construction of the courtyard is progressing successfully. I visited the farmstead twice upon arrival, the work is going well 908. God bless! I can’t write anymore: it’s hard on my eyes - I write by the lamp. Goodbye my friend. Goodbye sisters. Nun Varvara (Ivanovskaya). August 24, 1900. St. Petersburg Honorable Mother Varvara! I am sending you novices who are newly entering the Sursk monastery - Pelagia Afanasyeva, Elena Tseloukhova, Matrona Mogilenkova and Evdokia Kucherenko, worthy to become nuns in time 909. “I ask you to accept them and include them among the novices.” - Write down what you are doing; Has your new priest, Fr., taken office? Georgy Makkabeev 910 and whether he received my salary sent to him in the amount of 500 rubles. According to the certificate, where it follows, it turned out that he would not receive a salary from the treasury, so the monastery was obliged to find funds for his maintenance 911. Have you looked at the dacha donated to me by the Tsar for the benefit of the Sura monastery? - If not, look and write what kind of forest is in it, what species, except conifers, and what can be done for the monastery from this dacha? The ministry ceded this grove to us only after my second very convincing letter, and if I had not written what I wrote, the dacha would not have been ceded to us. Thank God and pray to Him for the King, for Minister 912 and for me. – Write more often about everything that interests you and me. Yes and oh. Remind Maccabee that he must write to me about all the orders of the monastery. Farewell. God's blessing to everyone. Our farmstead in St. Petersburg is making great progress 913. Today, August 24, I was with Abbess Taisia. God bless! Count N.A. Protasov-Bakhmetev. August 30, 1900. Kronstadt Your Excellency, illustrious Count Nikolai Alekseevich! I petition Your Excellency 914 for the priest Alexander Krasov for his appointment as a teacher of Theology at the Lyceum 915. In May, the Council of the Academy accepted his dissertation for the degree of Master of Theology 916. If God wills, he will be a master 917. I ask Your Excellency not to refuse my present petition and to appoint Father Krasov as a priest at the Lyceum entrusted to Your Excellency. Your humble Bogomolets, Kronstadt Abbess Taisia (Solopova). August 30, 1900, Kronstadt My dear Mother Taisiya! Today, August 30th, I served at your farmstead 918 and delivered an animated sermon 919. I read your letter; do as you know what you asked; I’m sure you won’t do anything bad; God bless you. To Vladimir K Sabler I spoke about the classes of monasteries 1st, 2nd and 3rd; and he said that in terms of material or financial it would not have any significance and the monastery would not receive anything from the treasury 920. Nun Varvara (Ivanovskaya). September 4, 1900. Kronstadt Honorable Mother Varvara! The other day I sent 500 rubles to Alexander Semyon Mironov, a manufacturer, in Moscow. and asked him to send material for the robes (cassocks and cassocks) of the sisters to your monastery. - You tell him what and how much material will be needed for everyone. I ordered to send not expensive and thin material, but cheaper and simpler material. His address: Moscow, Razgulay; Alexander Semenovich Mironov. Own house 921. It is advisable that the sisters are all decently dressed. It is desirable that in the monastery there should be mutual love and respect with unanimity; so that no one is reproached and reproached in vain for laziness and parasites; because everything is given to you all for free at first. I am sending one and a half hundred rubles from myself to the monastery 922. I ask everyone to live in love and harmony and thereby comfort the common Heavenly Father, glorified in the Trinity, the Most Pure Mother of God, the Guardian Angels and all the saints in whose presence you live, pray and work 923. Your trustee, Archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral Count N.A. Protasov-Bakhmetev. September 4, 1900. Kronstadt Your Excellency, highly respected Nikolai Alekseevich! Your goodwill towards me, which I have experienced many times 924, gives me the courage to turn to you with a petition on behalf of my long-time acquaintance, Vladimir Alexander Obnevsky, a very good and honest official, who serves in the Department of Railways, to appoint him to the soon to open position of manager of the affairs and economic part of the St. Petersburg Widow's House 926. Your Excellency! This official is worthy of my petition and your good opinion 927. I have the honor to be Your Excellency’s humble prayer book Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). September 7, 1900, Kronstadt Honorable Mother Alexia! Peace to you and the sisters of the Pukhtitsa monastery. I am sending three hundred rubles for the sisters’ needs. Please pray for me. – I will arrive at the foundation stone of the church in Revel on Monday morning at mass (11 Sep) 928. Nun Varvara (Ivanovskaya). September 9, 1900. Kronstadt You pleased me with your detailed letter, which I really expected from you. I rejoice for the beautiful immovable estate of the Sursky convent, given to us by the Emperor 929, and I thank God for His inscrutable mercies to us. I am very happy to read that everything is fine with you, and all the sisters are happy with everything; - that prosphora and monastery bread are good and tasty. - I am sending you three hundred rubles 930 for needs that you yourself know, for the construction of buildings, for example, a house in our grove, or for something else 931. Now the news is that you need money for everything. – I bow to all the sisters and Fr. Georgiy Makkaveev. There is no time to write anymore. Mother Taisiya will arrive at the Leushinsky courtyard tomorrow, September 10th, and during our meeting I will ask her about the reason for the silence regarding your letters to her 932. Your Bogomolets, Archpriest John Sergiev. Nun Varvara (Ivanovskaya). September 29, 1900. Kronstadt Dear sister Varvara with all the sisters in Christ! My heartfelt greetings to you! Thank you for your detailed and thorough letters. They make me happy. Thank you for the orders that you strictly observe in the monastery: order keeps everything at the proper height and brings every benefit; in the monastery - especially as a spiritual and economic institution 933. I am sending you 500 rubles for the needs of the monastery. (five hundred) 934.0. Georgiy Makkaveev wrote to me that you have run out of money and are in some need 935. My blessings and bow to all the sisters. - I rejoice for the Royal gift of the monastery - a beautiful grove 936. Grant, God, that the monastery derives significant benefit from it. My bow to Fr. George. Write the money in the parish book 937. Bishop of Riga and Mitau Agafangel (Preobrazhensky). No later than the second half of September 1900. Kronstadt 938 Most Reverend Vladyka, most merciful Archpastor! Thank you for your gracious invitation to the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Riga diocese. With all the strength of my Christian soul I sympathize with this joyful celebration, but I cannot be a personal participant in it. I pray to the Lord for the prosperity, expansion and establishment of the Riga Church, and for Your Eminence to continue to serve for a long time in the holiness, greatness and beauty befitting your rank. Kronstadt Cathedral rector, Archpriest John Sergiev To the Arkhangelsk Diocesan School Council. October 20, 1900. Kronstadt To the School Council of the Arkhangelsk Theological Seminary From my homeland, from the priest of the Sursky village, Alexander Ivanov, I received a letter in which he complains about the lack of material support for the parish school named after me 939, and asks for an increase. By forwarding three hundred and fifty rubles to supplement my allowance, I humbly ask the Council to give me their opinion on how true the words of Fr. Alexandra and how much addition to the existing content is needed for the future. I recently asked the Council to destroy the boarding school of the Sur school and provide ready-made content only to a very few, and only for the winter; The rest of the students should only be given study aids 940. I ask that the money sent be given at the discretion and distribution of the Council to priest Ivanov for distribution according to his belongings. Rector of the Kronstadt St. Andrew the First-Called Cathedral, Honorary Trustee of the Church of the Parish Schools of the Arkhangelsk Diocese, Archpriest John Sergiev. Priest Demetrius of Krasnogorsk. October 21, 1900. Kronstadt Dear and dear brother in Christ, Fr. Dimitri! I heartily congratulate you on your change of place, in which God may grant you comparative ease, indestructible health, vigor and longevity. May the Lord, Chief Shepherd, bless you for many years, safe, honest, healthy, long-living 942 with your dear wife and children 943. Your brother Archpriest John Sergiev Archbishop of Finland and Vyborg Nikolai (Nalimov). November 1, 1900. Kronstadt Your Eminence, Most Gracious Archpastor! I have the honor to forward to you the thousand rubles I donated to the Lintul community of sisters in a State 4% annuity ticket - to transfer the location of the community to the Sibiryakovskaya dacha 944 - since the living conditions of the sisters in Lintul are extremely painful and not suitable for them, since they are forced to work there not for God, but for man 945. Your Eminence, humble novice Attached to the letter was a “Description of Value” written in the hand of Father John: “State 4% annuity on capital, one thousand rubles. for No. 0669, with coupons from December 1, 1900 to March 1, 1904." On the letter there is a marking: “1900. November 3. – To the Spiritual Consistory – for orders on the use of the donation according to the purpose given by the generous donor. One thousand (1000) rubles are sent in a ticket. Archbishop Nicholas." Archbishop of Finland and Vyborg Nikolai (Nalimov). November 16, 1900. Kronstadt Your Eminence, Most Gracious Archpastor! Having the grace from the Lord to help prayerfully and financially to many women’s monasteries, which I deeply respect for their many useful spiritual, educational, economic activities 947 - and seeing the disastrous, abnormal situation of the Lintul women’s community in Finland - I decided to help it financially in moving their current premises to the Sibiryakov dacha donated by him 948, and for this I ask Your Eminence to allow me to convert the main one, a large Sibiryakovsky building with a church and cells. At the same time, I would ask Your Highness to do the work in an economical manner, without expensive engineers, with a conscientiously drawn up estimate, for the sake of Christ and the poor sisters 949. Once you have compiled this estimate, please order it to be sent to me for consideration. I trust in God and the Mother of God that I will gradually pay (pay without crying) in full. I believe that it won’t cost too much to adapt dacha buildings into a monastery and church 950. Asking for the Archpastoral blessing for this holy work, I remain your humble novice. There are marks on the letter... “1900 November 17th. – To the Spiritual Consistory – for appropriate orders, taking into account the purpose given to the donation by the donor Sibiryakov. Archbishop Nicholas." Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory Ioannikiy (Nadezhdin). November 28, 1900. Kronstadt His Eminence, Most Reverend Ioannikiy, Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory, Cavalier. Presenting to Your Eminence a gift note from Mr. Ramensky for the donated plot of land in the amount of 271 square meters, in addition to the one already given to me for the construction of the Sursky Compound 951. soot and plan of this site 952, I humbly ask Your Eminence to take upon yourself the work of obtaining for me the Highest permission to accept the said gift 953. On the letter there is a note: “November 28, 1900. The consistory will set the matter in motion. E Ioannikiy." Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory Ioannikiy (Nadezhdin). November 28, 1900. St. Petersburg I most respectfully ask for your archpastoral blessing to ordain Abbess Varvara to the rank of abbess of the Sursk monastery, and to tonsure the novice Anna Sergeeva, who is in charge of the construction of the monastery, as a cassock in the St. Petersburg monastery of the Leushinsky monastery on the day of the church feast of December 4 by the bishop by appointment of the metropolitan 954. I ask you to telegraph your blessing 955 Leushinsky Metochion to Archpriest John Sergiev. Basseynaya 31. On the telegram of the litter·. “November 28, 1900. Prepare a telegram as a blessing to the one being initiated and tonsured. E Ioannikiy." To the editors of the magazine "Russian Pilgrim". First half of December 1900. Kronstadt To the Editorial Board of the “Pilgrim” By forwarding six rubles, I ask the Editorial Board to send the generally useful Magazine “Pilgrim” to the well-known address 956. I hope next year to deliver new articles from my Diary to the disposal of “Pilgrim” 957 (person Alexander Iv Popovitsky) 958. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). December 23, 1900. Kronstadt Happy upcoming Nativity of Christ! I apologize that I didn’t get together before the holiday in your Pyukhtitsa, you know how they bully me and tear me up everywhere. I'm getting ready for the holidays - for a day 959. I am sending three hundred rubles for the monastery’s needs. Bow to you and all the sisters. Evdokia Nikiforovna and her daughter Ekaterina are asking to see you. I think you won’t refuse to accept them. Now they will be golden - we've seen enough. - I ask for them. Please answer my request. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). December 30, 1900. Kronstadt Dear Mother Taisiya with dear sisters in Christ! May the blessing of God and the Most Pure Mother of God, together with the Forerunner of Christ and the Baptist John, be and remain upon all of you. Thank you for your letter to me, it is very important and useful for me. I do not mean any technician or instructor for the ship of the Surskaya monastery 960 and I leave it to you and ask you to contact Ivan Andreevich Milyutin, hoping that he will give us the necessary people 961. Priest N. Kurlov completely refused to go to Sura, and I wrote a letter to Bishop Arkhangelsk 962 in which I ask him to choose a priest for the Sura monastery, an elderly widower and, if possible, childless 963 . Now the matter depends on the Lord. Everything is for the better. Farewell. Today I served at your compound 964. Your servant and Bogomolet Archpriest John Sergiev. Mrs. Belinskaya. During 1899 or 1900. Kronstadt According to your faith, may 965 the requested health be given to the servant of God Eustathius 966 Priest Moses Rutkevich. During 1900. Kronstadt 967 Abbess Taisia (Solopova). January 11, 1901. Kronstadt Thank you for your letter. I saw the commander and spoke with him 968. I couldn’t say anything decisive yet. I'm waiting for news from Sura 969, but there's nothing from there. We are all healthy. And may the Lord give you health. Today, January 11th, we had a meeting of the commission members. There was Vladimir Karlovich Sabler, he was a kind man - God bless him. This meeting was extremely interesting, useful and fraught with good consequences 970. Goodbye, dear Mother. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). January 24, 1901. Kronstadt I am sending three hundred rubles for the benefit of the monastery and sisters. I still can’t get ready to come to you. Frequent services in St. Petersburg with the Bishops prevent us from visiting you 971. But still, I will certainly come to you 972. My bow to you and the sisters and priests of the monastery. Abbess Varvara (Ivanovskaya). January 26, 1901. Kronstadt Be at peace 973 and rejoice in the Lord 974 with all your sisters in Christ. Thank you for your letters; I also thank my Sursky sisters for the letter and expressed feelings. May God grant you all peace and love, the most precious of all blessings. My letter will be brought to you by the new sister Maria 975, who will deliver to you all the things you entrusted for purchase. At the same time, she is carrying the icons that I gave her for her cells and for my granddaughter Anisia 976 in the village of Osanovo. Bow to Fr. George and his wife. Write to me if the rumor is true that Fr. Georgiy Makkaveev in Karpova Gora left a lot of goods purchased for an unknown person - with our money; and that Seleninov has large bills in Arkhangelsk, for which the Sursky Monastery must pay 977, and talk about this with Makkaveev, and write to me in detail, or let Makkaveev himself write in detail. To live and serve, to live and serve according to conscience and according to the priesthood. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). January 26, 1901. Kronstadt Congratulations on Angel 978. I send you God's blessing and bow with all my heart. Your sisters here 979 too. From Sura, M. Varvara writes me favorable letters, peaceful, soothing letters. I rejoice and thank God that the storm of the enemy has passed 980. Yes, she will not return there again. I’ll tell you about myself - I’m healthy, I recently served with you 981. Goodbye. To the Arkhangelsk Spiritual Consistory. January 30, 1901. Kronstadt Archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral, Founder of the Sura Women's Monastery To the Consistory’s request: what kind of salary will be assigned to the priest and deacon at the Sursky Women’s Monastery 982 - I have the honor to report that the priest’s salary will be six hundred rubles. (600 rubles), and the deacon four hundred rubles. (400), in addition to which there may be future income - by agreement with the Mother Superior. – Soon after his ordination to the priesthood, I sent five hundred (500) rubles to Priest Maccabee. 983 On the envelope: “Custom.” In Arkhangelsk. To the Arkhangelsk Spiritual Consistory. From the Archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral. State No. 95". Wilhelm Pfankuch. End of January 1901. Kronstadt 984 There has never been a case where sincere faith shamed a person and did not bring him comfort. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). February 3, 1901. Kronstadt Heartfelt, dear Mother Taisiya! Peace to your soul; the peace of your abode; peace to all your sisters. Thank you for your kind letter, full of feelings of unfailing devotion to me. May the Lord love you as you loved me, a sinner and unworthy. Thank you also for your troubles about the captain for my Sursk steamship 985. I signed your letter to Efrem Alekseevich about Andrei Abramovich Molchanov, because I completely agree with him. I'm going to Moscow February 4th 986, and on the 6th I intend to serve in your compound 987. The days of forgiveness are coming 988; forgive me in everything; and may God forgive and bless you. Your prayer book is unworthy To the editor of the newspaper “Russian Reading”. February 27, 1901. Kronstadt With joy and love I welcome the birth of the publicly accessible newspaper “Russian Reading” 989 (with drawings and pictures) and recommend it to the Russian pious people for publication in public and school libraries for edification and enrichment with spiritual and general knowledge 990. Abbess Varvara (Ivanovskaya). March 1, 1901. Kronstadt Venerable Mother Abbess Barbara! God's blessing and peace to you and all the sisters of the monastery of St. John the Theologian of Surskaya. I am sending you, upon the testimony of Fr. George Makkaveev about your lack of money - a thousand rubles for all sorts of needs 991. At the same time, I inform you that Fr. George was given three thousand rubles to pay debts and for various buildings 992. Father George was received by me and Mother Taisia ​​with love, and served with me the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts 993 several times. We nevertheless made various comments to him: and he realized that he was wrong on some counts. – May God grant everyone peace, silence and abundance of God’s Grace. Mother Varvara! Make sure that all the sisters are dressed decently and warmly; so that you are not lazy in prayer and various obediences: for in this way your monastery will be blessed by God and the Mother of God and St. John the Theologian, and there will be prosperity and abundance in everything. Farewell. May God grant you all to spend Holy Pentecost in a God-pleasing manner and celebrate Easter of Christ 994. Bulgarian Prince Ferdinand. No later than March 3, 1901. Kronstadt With faith and love I pray to the Lord for the health and successful recovery of Prince Boris, your dear son 995. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). March 30, 1901. Kronstadt Most venerable and heartily beloved Mother Taisia! I greet you from the bottom of my heart and all the sisters on the bright and long-awaited feast of the Resurrection of Christ - the cornerstone of our general resurrection 996! May God grant that you and all your sisters may rejoice with dignity both this year and in many years to come. - Wake up! I read your letter and M. Varvara. You are writing the truth. Mac knows how to get money out of me, but what can you do with him 997? Everything about him is like water off a duck's back. In the future, when the abbess will be in charge of all parts of the management and property of the monastery and, by the way, the shipping business, then, probably, everything will be based on a more correct account 998. God grant that the work gets done and the whole life of the monastery goes on a good and successful path in everything. This year I’m thinking of going by steamship to Sura again, if Nevorotin and the Loparevs provide steamers (small enough to pass through the locks). It's more comfortable on a boat than on a 999 car; You can breathe freely in clean air 1000. Goodbye, Mother. Goodbye! Your humble prayer book Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. No later than April 3, 1901. Kronstadt May the Risen, omnipotent Creator and Ruler of the World fulfill all your aspirations as Father and Monarch, as Mother and Queen 1002. Loyal Kronstadt Archpriest Abbess Taisia (Solopova). April 5, 1901. Kronstadt Greetings to you and all sisters in the Lord. Peace and mercy to you from the Risen Lord, with health and all success in faith and love! Today I had the consolation of serving the Liturgy in your courtyard, and after it I had a meal. My special greetings to you, Taisiya, the chosen one of the Queen of Heaven, long-suffering and hard-working, invaluable. I wish you all to rejoice in the Lord, purified by fasting and prayer, repentance and communion of the Divine Mysteries. May God grant that we may meet each other in the summer during the steamship service 1003, and with you, Mother, in memory of St. John the Evangelist John the Theologian in your courtyard 1004. I don’t forget it, but I go into it and serve sometimes. By God's grace I am healthy, I work hard and work daily for my Lord and people. Mother Varvara writes letters of consolation from Sura; May the Lord establish her unshakably. P.S. I am forwarding to you Alexei Mikh Agarev with two letters - Neronov and his (Agarev) 1005. I ask you to read them and, if possible, report their contents to Vlad K Sabler. Prince G. D. Shervashidze. April 22, 1901. Kronstadt Your Excellency Georgy Dmitrievich! Former Naval Officer Captain 2nd Rank Nikolai Nikol Shemyakin 1006 asked me, as his relative, to intercede for him before you for his appointment as chief of police in the city of Gatchina, on the occasion of the death of the former police chief. If this place is not occupied, then would you be willing to provide your assistance in appointing Shemyakin to this place 1007? Your zealous prayer book Kronstadt To the Chief Administrator of Her Imperial Majesty's Own Office A. S. Taneyev. April 22, 1901. Kronstadt The Council of the Kronstadt House of Industriousness most respectfully asks Your Excellency to present before Her Imperial Majesty the Sovereign Empress Alexandra Feodorovna expressions of loyal feelings and congratulations on the precious name day from the toilers, workers, elderly women, children of the orphanage, the public school, the entire council and employees of the Kronstadt House of Industriousness, Moreover, they send prayers to the Lord for the preservation of the precious health and longevity of their August Patroness. Chairman of the Kronstadt Andreevsky guardianship, Chairman of the Board of the House of Diligence Treasurer of the House of Diligence M. Korovnikov 1008. Abbess Varvara (Ivanovskaya). May 7, 1901. Kronstadt Mother Varvara with all her sisters in Christ! My heartfelt greetings to you and all the inhabitants of the monastery entrusted to you. Happy Feast of the Ascension of the Lord 1009! I am sending a thousand rubles 1010 for the needs of the sisters. Soon, God willing, I will come to visit you. - God grant there is plenty of water - forward and back. Sixty new sisters 1011 will soon arrive to you. there are 1012 of them with love. Bow to Fr. George. We are thinking of going by boat and will be on the road for at least two weeks. Departure May 22, 1013. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). No later than May 9, 1901. Kronstadt 1014 I received and read your letter; I complained a little about you for reprimanding me for not sending you letters. To this I have the honor to answer you that I rarely write letters myself - because I have no time. I ask you not to complain in the future; I recently sent you money. I am sending two hundred rubles now. This giving is voluntary, not obligatory. There are countless people in need; those who ask - too. “I ask you, Mother, to be fair to the sisters and not to ignore Bogolyubskaya and her sister. If the Mother Superior is unjust and oppresses some while favoring others, I will not have any communication with her until I see her equal love and attention to everyone. Be fair and let me be sure that you are a kind and impartial mother. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). May 25, 1901. Kronstadt Venerable Mother Superior Alexia! Leaving for my homeland on a two-month vacation 1015, I send three hundred rubles for the needs of the monastery. I ask for your and sisters’ prayers for a safe journey forward and back, and for the abundance of water in the rivers. To the editors of the magazine “Soulful Reading”. No later than May 27, 1901. Kronstadt Again, a prayer 1016, supposedly composed by me, is circulating around the hands under my name, with the obligation to transfer it to nine people and with the promise of all sorts of benefits for this transfer. This imaginary prayer, composed by an ignorant and not at all churchly head, is not mine, and its afterword obviously belongs to some scoundrel, counting on the gullibility and superstition of the common people. This is the content of this prayer: “Oh, Jesus Christ, we pray to You, Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us and Your whole world from all destruction. You redeemed our souls from sins with Your blood. O Eternal God, Thy mercy is great, for the sake of Thy most pure blood, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.” Condition of the prayer: “Whoever has this prayer must pass it on to nine people and at least once a day must read it with faith, and then he will be delivered from all evil and disasters, and if he does not fulfill it, he will be subjected to evil and disasters.” In mid-March 1887 and in January 1889 1017 I asked the Kronstadt Bulletin and other newspapers to make this religious falsification (falsification, lies) known through the press. Now I repeat again this most humble request of mine. Archpriest John Sergiev 1018. Priest Alexander Kosukhin. May 31, 1901. Kronstadt Dear Fr. Alexander Mikhailovich! All your well-wishers, including me, heartily advise you to take a long vacation to improve your poor health 1019 so as not to constantly return to your regular 1020. Think about how you can benefit yourself and your family - take good care of your health during the summer months. The bosses know well that vacation for you is not a whim, but a blatant need. To her, friend and brother, take care of the talent of life given to you by God in order to increase the talents of well-being for yourself, your wife and children, and everyone who values ​​and loves you: for in the capital many truly value and love you 1021. I wrote you, dear brother, a few lines, hoping that you would not throw them behind your back. Remember how often we stood in reverence 1022 at one throne of grace 1023 . Your brother and admirer Archpriest John Sergiev. E.K. Sergieva. June 4, 1901. On the way to Sura Dear wife Elisaveta Konstantinovna! May God's blessing, which you always desire and seek, be with you, and may it ease and heal your headache. Peace and blessings to all who are with you 1024. - I travel safely, with benefit and pleasure. I often serve Liturgies in nearby towns or at sawmills at the invitation of the owners 1025. I feel good. – Now I’m close to my native Arkhangelsk and to Sura. P. P. Shauman. June 5, 1901. Berezniki Here I am, for the present hour, traveling to my homeland and on my ship 1026 and finding complete satisfaction for the spirit and the weary flesh 1027. I thank God, I glorify His goodness, greatness, omnipotence, holiness, inexpressible beauty. Emperor Nicholas II. No later than June 6, 1901. On the way to Sura To Peterhof. To the Sovereign Emperor. I had the good fortune on the way to learn about Her Majesty’s all-joyful and successful resolution. I pray to God for the strengthening of the strength of the High Birthing Mother and the success of the High Newborn 1028. Loyal subject of Kronstadt Abbess Taisia (Solopova). June 10, 1901. Sura Christ is in our midst, and is, and will be! 1029 So I reached Sura and am visiting and serving here for the third day 1030. This year, with great difficulty, we made it – and not all of them – to Sura; The water in Pinega is extremely low and did not allow us to reach our homeland by steamship 1031. Having not sailed 80 versts, we had to get off the ship at Karpovaya Mountain and go up the mountain on horseback. We were all very shaken from being unaccustomed to it, even me, who was unaccustomed to tarantasses. After railways and steamships, travel in village tarantasses is extremely difficult. On the way back to the city of Pinega, where the steamer stopped to wait for us, we want to go on a small shallow-draft monastery barge. We don’t know whether this extraordinary journey by water will be possible. Tomorrow, June 11th, we leave Sura 1032. We were in a government grove allocated to the monastery, 16 versts from Sura 1033. The place is enchanting with its location and huge ship scaffolding. Most of it is mountainous and covered with forest; at the very top of the mountain, several forests were cut down and the place was emptied for the construction of a small church, like a monastery 1034. The village of Surskoye is clearly visible from the mountain, and the horizon is extremely vast; You can look around a space of 40 miles - such a height! Lower down, in the same mountain—half a mountain—a house was built for the sisters, but it’s not ready yet, not finished. Here we drank tea with all our companions - priests, deacons, Hieromonk Feofan and Abbess 1035, Anna Semyonovna 1036, Anna Yakovl Lezhoeva and many sisters. Here I read the Gospel aloud to everyone - the parable of the wedding feast, the vineyard 1037 and explained what I read. A “sermon on the mountain” came out, reminiscent of the Mount of Beatitudes 1038; We stayed here for two hours or more and went back in five pairs, and others on foot; drive 3 hours forward and the same time back. Somehow we will manage to travel on a barge without a steamer! Lord help us! – I haven’t visited Arkhangelsk yet; God willing, I will be on the way back. I will stay in Arkhangelsk for 3-4 days, from there I will write to you 1039. How is your precious health, Mother? How are the sisters doing and being saved? May you all receive help from above. The Sursky sisters all bow to you. They are extremely happy about my arrival and my visit with them. I was at a common meal today; it has the same order as yours. The sisters sing well, and one can see a lot of zeal for God and service. God bless! Quite 1040 buildings have been erected, and another 1041 buildings are still being built. We have a sawmill and a brick factory, a flour mill; I saw production - a saw, a brick machine and a flour grinder. Everything is good, everything is useful. God grant that everything improves. I hope to be with you on the 22nd or 23rd of June, with the assistance of God. Your unworthy Godmolet Abbess Varvara (Ivanovskaya). June 20, 1901. On the way to Leushino When I was in Arkhangelsk 1042 Pavel Petr Seleninov presented me with an invoice according to which the Surskaya monastery must pay him another 3,075 rubles. Write to me at the Leushinsky Monastery whether this amount is included in the total indicated in Maccabeev’s report - 5,000-odd rubles, or is this a new debt unknown to you and me. If this is a new debt, then why Fr. Maccabees didn't tell me about it in his report? This would be extremely dishonest and evasive, even false. Pavel Petrovich says that this report is for 3000 rubles. you know (why is it not shown in the report?). Write to me immediately, where did this new increase in debt come from, not indicated in the Maccabean report, and why was it not indicated earlier? Stay healthy. I bless everyone and bow to everyone. Abbess Varvara (Ivanovskaya). June 30, 1901. On the way from Sura Venerable Mother Abbess Varvara with her sisters in Christ! Thank you for the letter I received from you on June 30th. It made me happy because you wrote about the feelings with which both you and the sisters of the monastery were filled upon my departure from Sura 1043. I am glad that everything is going well for you. The only thing that confuses me is: oh. Georgy incurred a lot of debts and did not tell me anything about them or write about them before. They fell on me like snow when I learned from Seleninov that I still owed 3,075 rubles. Why shouldn’t I talk about these debts in a timely manner? And how long will such lack of frankness continue? Doesn’t this mean impudently robbing me, in the confidence that for everything, whatever. George did not take in favor of the shop or the monastery, I will definitely pay 1044? If everything had been told to me in advance, I, of course, would have agreed to everything that was necessary, and would have thrown the unnecessary aside. - And now it turns out that if Fr. Georgy would also decide to pay a debt of 10 thousand - then, in his opinion, I should pay it back? He would not have made a mistake and would not have regretted his rashness and my previous generosity. After all, there is moderation for everything. My patience would not be exhausted. Go ahead, without asking me, do not make debts; and what you need, write about it in advance for my consent and permission. On June 28 of this year I sent Seleninov 1000 rubles in payment of a debt of 3075 rubles. The rest you pay 1045. Let Maccabeev send me a report on this debt, then why was it not shown in his report and was hidden?! Your servant and builder of the Sursk monastery, Abbess Taisia (Solopova). July 18, 1901. St. Petersburg My dear Mother Taisiya! Grace, mercy and peace to you from the Lord 1046. I arrived safely, thank God I’m healthy. Directly from the car he served at your farmstead 1047, taking advantage, among other things, of its proximity to car 1048. The sisters were all very happy, we prayed with them, of course, for you; they are healthy and bow to you. I also bow heartily. Abbess Varvara (Ivanovskaya). July 28, 1901. Kronstadt Peace to you and your sisters! I returned home safely 1049. I received your last letter; I’m sending you a thousand rubles. - I ask you to notify me of all the things by name that you received from Karpovaya Gora - brought by us on the steamer 1050. Spend your money carefully and prudently, but not stingily - account for everything. Notify all sisters about the receipt of large black scarves. Abbess Varvara (Ivanovskaya). July 31, 1901. Kronstadt God's blessing to you and your sisters, may the Lord, Father of generosity and God of all joy, increase peace and love in you 1051. I am sending you a thousand rubles 1052 to set up the monastery and services; notify about the thousand sent earlier if you received 1053. I refused a place on the banks of the Dvina in Arkhangelsk at the offer of Fr. Maccabees, because they definitely ask for 8 thousand, and they don’t take the six that I gave. And how much money it would then take to adapt to the business! And there would be no end. “God will send a place on the shore in the future.” 1054 - I repeat again - notify me of all the things you received from the ship on Karpova Gora 1055. Did you receive a silver chalice (chalice for the Holy Communion) with a paten and other accessories? My heartfelt bow to everyone. Try, Mother Varvara, to be fair to everyone - take care of everyone, give everyone their due, so that peace, love, truth, contentment, piety, obedience, purity, and hard work reign in the monastery. May God increase you with all grace. Abbess Varvara (Ivanovskaya). August 1, 1901. Kronstadt Dear Mother Abbess Varvara! From St. Petersburg, unkind rumors reach me about you and your monastery, namely: - that some sisters sent to obedience walk without shoes, and that is why they catch colds and get sick 1056. Is it for this reason that I generously send you money and bring it myself in sufficient quantities, so as not to purchase with it everything necessary for those living and working in the new monastery? – I recently sent large black scarves 1057 to all the sisters: give them to everyone. “Through novice Gromova and others, these unpleasant news reach me. It's sad to hear them. Try not to have this mess in the future. – Now write to me and explain what this novices going barefoot means? - I'm waiting for a quick answer. I recently sent you a thousand rubles. Yes, Maccabees has a thousand for you, 1058. Goodbye. Take care of everyone under your control: after all, they are your children, entrusted to you by God. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). August 4, 1901. Kronstadt Dear Mother, much caring, much difficult, much painful! The Lord is with you, Queen of Heaven, Forerunner of Christ, John the Theologian and all the saints. My greetings to you from the bottom of my heart. Today, due to the heat of the day, I am sitting at home and have time to write to you. - How are you feeling? Don't you usually get sick? May the Lord strengthen you in your suffering. Great crowns of eternal glory are woven for you for great deeds, labors, exploits and sufferings. I often visit your yard; sisters are healthy; They maintain a strict order, defined in everything. I serve either in my cathedral or in other different places where they invite me. Yesterday yesterday I visited Bishop Metropolitan Anthony and gave him to read a letter from an ardent sweatshirt, which she had written to me abusively 1059. He marveled at the woman’s audacity, shrugged his shoulders and said: “God be with them; let them scold us, but we will behave with dignity, with meekness befitting the priestly rank. I myself have similar letters.” While serving the Liturgy, I speak instructive words without preparation—grace makes you wise. It's August; here is the post. The Dormition of the Mother of God is a church holiday of the Duma Church of Kronstadt. May God grant an animated word on the Dormition of the Most Pure One 1060. Architect Nikonov 1061 wanted to go to you; You probably already have it now. Bow to you and all the sisters. Abbess Varvara (Ivanovskaya). August 8, 1901. Kronstadt Dear sister in the Lord Varvara, named and appointed abbess of the monastery! Peace be with you in the Lord. I inform you that I sent Seleninov, Pavel Petrovich, the last thousand of your debt 1062 and saved you from paying the debt; and meanwhile, I constantly send you money - all thousands. Take careful care of all the sisters, so that they do not go to obedience - with their shoes off, barefoot, poorly dressed 1063. If some sisters don’t have shoes, then invite a shoemaker and teach the novices to sew shoes themselves. The goods are leather, I believe your store has 1064. I ask you in the name of the Lord and the Queen of Heaven - be a caring mother for everyone; edify everyone, take care of everyone, so that everyone is happy. Don't be stingy with other people's goods. I am writing this letter more so that you, the Mother Superior herself, may be given an instruction. You yourself cannot notice everything, but from the outside you can see more clearly what is missing in your management; and no one will dare to tell you. I am not the boss and I don’t want to be one for the monastery; You were appointed Abbess by God and the Holy Synod, but I am the founder and generous giver of all material benefits to the monastery, and without me it would be bad for all of you. Write what the situation is about a place for a farmstead in Arkhangelsk; how about. Georgy decided: I gave consent to purchase the place 1065. I am sending two hundred rubles to the monastery. Blessings to you all from the Lord through my unworthiness. Archpriest John Sergiev, founder of the monastery in the name of the glorious and all-praised Apostle and Ev. John the Theologian. Abbess Varvara (Ivanovskaya). August 13, 1901. Kronstadt I'm sending you another thousand rubles. Notify soon of receipt of both this and the recently sent one. Write it down to parish 1066. I will write to Vladyka 1067 about the sums 1068 I send to your monastery. May truth, mercy, meekness, humility, obedience, peace and love reign in your monastery with contentment in everything necessary. Be everything for everyone 1069. Where is Fr. Maccabees? Not a word, not a breath. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). August 15, 1901. Kronstadt Thank you for your heartfelt letter, dear to me and to you. How much blessed fire there is in it! How much holy love for God, the Mother of God, for the sisters, for your position and, finally, for me, a sinner, not worthy of your holy love! May the Lord reward you for all your goodness. I am going to the Gdov district in the village of Penino for the consecration of two altars 1070, from there I will go to Revel to raise the crosses on the church 1071 and on August 23rd in the morning I will be back in St. Petersburg and at your Leushinsky courtyard I will serve the Liturgy 1072. Deign to be in St. Petersburg at this time 1073 - I really need to see and talk with you. May God give you health, strength, complacency and every consolation. Your son, Archpriest John Sergiev. Abbess Varvara (Ivanovskaya). September 3, 1901. Kronstadt 3 Sep. 1901. Kronstadt. Honest Mother Abbess Varvara! I received and read your letter. There is a big flaw in the report regarding the things you received from Karpovaya Gora that I sent 1074. So, you didn’t tell me how many pounds of tea you received for your sisters, and this is very important for me to know. There is also no notice for other items. As for the sisters going to my house, I would like to limit visiting and praying in it. There is a church for prayers. Otherwise, going to the house leads to turmoil between the sisters and displeasure towards you. It would be desirable to close it completely, so that there would be no reason for displeasure and unauthorized absences 1075. Seleninov makes a demand to me in his telegram for one thousand five hundred rubles. I won’t pay him for you anymore, pay yourself 1076. Otherwise you are dragging me more and more into debt. I paid three thousand for you: that’s enough for me. I will send money for the purchase of a farmstead place in due time 1078, and then take on all other expenses. – What do you need, write to me. Clothes and shoes for sisters must be sewn and given in a timely manner, so that no sister walks barefoot or in worn out shoes with holes 1079. Shepherd your sisters spiritually; satisfy their spiritual thirst for prayer, psalmody, reading the word of God and soul-saving books, especially the lives of the Saints 1080. Physical labor in itself. Everyone must work. There is something for everyone 1081. May God grant that there be holy love in everyone and mutual peace with contentment. My bow and God's blessing to you and all the sisters. May the Mother of God and St. John the Theologian protect you. Your trustee, Archpriest John Sergiev. On the first page of the letter there is a note from Father John: “I am sending five hundred rubles.” Nun Florentin (Egorova). September 6, 1901. Kronstadt Dear Sister Florentin in the Lord! In response to your sorrowful letter, I am sending you two hundred rubles, testifying to you and your mother my heartfelt respect and sympathy. I wish and pray to the Lord to get rid of all your sorrows and illnesses and to please the Lord with patience and humility and complete submission to the will of God 1082. Your servant and humble man of prayer Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory Ioannikiy (Kazan). September 11, 1901. Kronstadt I most respectfully ask Your Eminence to bless the said priest 1083 for the available position of priest at the Sursky metochion in St. Petersburg. He is a reverent, sedate, reasonable, young man 1084. Your humble novice, Rector of the Kronstadt Cathedral, Archpriest I Sergiev Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). September 12, 1901. Kronstadt 1085 Honest Mother Superior Alexia! May God's blessing remain on you and on the sisters of the monastery and on all your deeds for the glory of God. I am sending you two hundred rubles for the benefit of the monastery. My bow to you, spiritual brothers and sisters. Princess S. N. Vasilchikova. October 23, 1901. Kronstadt Your Excellency, the esteemed Princess Sofia! I thank you for the honor of consecrating this earthly church together with the highly revered Archpastor 1086 - but, unfortunately, I was invited to serve on the 25th day of this month in St. Petersburg and gave my word that I cannot change. With deep respect for Your Excellency I always remain rector of the Kronstadt Cathedral Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). October 24, 1901. Kronstadt Venerable Mother Superior Alexia! Thank you for your greetings and good wishes on my Angel Day 1087. I thank the Lord, who has given me another summer of His goodness, 1088 and for all the great journey of life and service to God and people that I have passed through. I am sending two hundred rubles to benefit the monastery. I don’t send any more for the reason that I have a huge building in St. Petersburg, which requires a lot of money; and in the homeland the monastic needs are very great. – I wish your monastery contentment, prosperity, peace and a good name from the surrounding population. The Lutheranism surrounding the monastery vigilantly looks at you, and, seeing anything bad in the monastery, it gloats. – I pray to God that in Pyukhtitsa, under the Protection of the Queen of Heaven, truth, holiness, peace and piety of the sisters will flourish, with all external contentment; May the Lord grant you to be a kind mother to all sisters without partiality or hostility towards anyone. The Mother Superior will give a detailed answer to God about all the sisters. “But it’s enough for me to give you instructions; You yourself have a spiritual mind and can righteously and strictly weigh your relationships and actions towards all the sisters and brethren. Abbess Varvara (Ivanovskaya). October 25, 1901. Kronstadt Venerable Mother Varvara! The other day I received a letter from His Grace Ioannikis of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory, in which he congratulates me on the day of the Angel (Oct 19) and on the acquisition of a place for the Sursky Monastery in Arkhangelsk 1089. By the way, he advises me and you not to start building a church in the city 1090, foreseeing that the church will require large expenses - and the income from it will be extremely small and will only be spent on the salary of the priest and the rental of an apartment, especially if it is a family 1091 - and even on the maintenance of the church itself. He judges this by his Church of the Cross, from which there is extremely limited income. Therefore, I do not give you the blessing to build a church in Arkhangelsk at the courtyard. I am sending a thousand rubles for the benefit and expenses of the monastery. Write how you will transport the luggage to Sura from Shotovaya Mountain 1092. Now we have started to have rains; what do you have? May God give you plenty of water in Pinega. I bow to everyone and bless the sisters and children. O. Bow to George and Mother Apollinaria. To the Arkhangelsk Spiritual Consistory. November 10, 1901. Kronstadt In response to the attitude of the Arkhangelsk Ecclesiastical Consistory, dated October 31, No. 12930 regarding the approval of Abbess Varvara as the Abbess of the Sursky St. John the Theological Convent 1093, I humbly ask you to approve Abbess Varvara as the Abbess of the Sursk St. John the Theological Convent, since I have no other candidate in mind 1094. Rector of the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral, Archpriest John Sergiev. No. 11660 November 10, 1901 Abbess Taisia (Solopova). November 16, 1901. Kronstadt My good Mother Taisiya! My heartfelt greetings to you and wishes of peace and tranquility to your great, hard-working soul. I wish you peace that comes from above, and patience in circumstances and sorrows 1095. According to your great work in the Lord, sorrows are sent to you, that is, allowed from God, to receive the brightest crown in heaven. After all, the soul of the Savior of the world grieved mortally for the sins of the world (My soul is sorrowful even to death 1096); and you grieve for your monastery - your little world, betrayed to you by the Lord. But he who endures to the end will be saved 1097. Oh, what wonderful, eternal peace is prepared for all “those who lived reverently and died in patience 1098!” The monk will be praised in glory and will rejoice on their beds 1099. Today, November 16th, I served mass in your courtyard and prayed for you and had breakfast in your cell 1100. Farewell - don't be bored; but trust in God. Abbess Varvara (Ivanovskaya). November 17, 1901. Kronstadt Venerable Mother Abbess Varvara! I received your letter. Thank you for the news and for the entire content of the letter. I know, I know that for your monastery in the beginning, you need a lot of everything. I'm not surprised at the costs. I am sending you another 700 rubles. Of course, I won’t forget in the future. I also repeat to you that the Bishop does not advise building in Arkhangelsk, and I do not order it, and I will not give money for it 1101. My bow to Fr. George and mother, and all the sisters, and mother Evdokia 1102, let your Regent 1103 go to St. Petersburg for a while at the Sursky courtyard to learn singing; You sing well even without her now. Then we will release her to you. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). December 4, 1901. Kronstadt My dear Mother Taisiya, the long-suffering one! May the blessing of God rest upon you and may the peace of God dwell in you and in your abode. Having read your letter, I was greatly saddened and surprised at the machinations of the enemy that he (the enemy) inflicted on the monastery and you: how he powerfully used his tools to carry out his destructive will and outraged very few, especially you, because of which he most of all attacks your Leushinsky exemplary monastery! And how can he tolerate your good deeds? There are so many of them going on within the walls of your monastery! And besides, the Vorontsov 1104 and Sursk monasteries with their farmsteads arrived - all these are your brainchildren, spread with your hands like young plantings, which in their time will bear spiritual fruits. You are the one who establishes and establishes the Kingdom of God on earth, and you drive out the disembodied enemy from it; so he persecutes you; but - bad jokes with him and with his associates, S-1105 in particular. Try to remove it immediately for the greater good. Rotten apple injures its neighbors; Her devilish pride and contempt, her perky disposition, are especially intolerable. May God grant you to receive rich reward from God for all your patience. Today I spent the night in your yard. Yesterday, during the all-night vigil, the akathist and canon were read to everyone’s joy; I will serve with God's help Liturgy 1106. P.P. Ryzhov sent us the bells; they must be transported and hung on a temporary bell tower 1107. Goodbye. I bow to you, treasurer 1108 and all the sisters. Abbess Alexia (Plyashkevich). December 5, 1901. Kronstadt 1109 I am sending you two hundred rubles for the needs of the monastery. I wish and pray to the Lord that He will prosper you and the sisters of the monastery in everything. May God grant you joyful anticipation of the Nativity of Christ and celebrate it spiritually. On the letter there is a note from Abbess Alexia: “Received on December 9th on Sunday” a letter from Abbess Alexia: “Received on December 9th on Sunday.”.. Abbess Varvara (Ivanovskaya). December 13, 1901. Kronstadt Happy upcoming great holiday of the Nativity of Christ, I greet you and the sisters from Fr. George and his wife. May God in the Lord grant everyone joy and good health. The sisters arrived safely and settled comfortably in the new Compound 1110. We are preparing for the consecration of Church 1111. The 6 bells were all delivered and hung on a temporary wooden bell tower. The ringing is wonderful. The weight of the bells is 200, 130, 60, 35, 20 and 15 pounds. 1112 I am sending you 500 rubles. Notify about all your affairs in Sura and in the grove, especially about buildings 1113. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). December 14, 1901. St. Petersburg I send you my heartfelt greetings with a secret prayer to the Lord and Queen - the Mother of God for your health and salvation. Now (7 o'clock in the evening) I stopped by your courtyard, waiting for the time of departure to Kronstadt. Today an iconostasis of 1114 is being erected in the Sursky courtyard. I have prepared a word for the day of consecration by the grace of God. I will send it to you in Kotlin 1115. The sisters all bow to you. The bells are all ready and hung on the temporary bell tower 1116. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). December 19, 1901. Kronstadt I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the telegram with which you so lovingly congratulated me and the sisters of the Surskaya monastery (monastery) on the consecration of the church of the monastery 1117. I thank you for your letter and I pray to God that He will give you a lot of courage and patience - to endure the arrogance of teacher S... 1118, who has raised her head high. For her daring appeal and the temptation given by all her arrogance and contempt, she will suffer a just end from the One who repays everyone according to their deeds. For the common good, it is necessary to remove her from the monastery immediately, as I already wrote to you, according to the instructions of the Apostle: remove the evil from you, samekh 1119. She is exactly what the Apostle meant. I hope to see you when you come next January. We have great joy at the consecration of the small church of the Sursky metochion. May the Lord and the Mother of God protect our sisters, and the church, and the entire courtyard from enemies, visible and invisible. And to you, Mother, may He continue your days in health for many more years, for our common consolation. Your Bogomolet Archpriest John Sergiev. Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory Ioannikiy (Kazan). December 21, 1901. Kronstadt By the haste of God, with your Archpastoral blessing and - the Most Reverend Metropolitan of St. Petersburg - a small church in the St. Petersburg Sursky Compound on December 17 of this year was consecrated under my personal primacy and priesthood - and from that date daily Divine services began in it 1120. I rejoice with joy in the Lord, who has deigned to consecrate this church in the village of His glory 1121. – May the Lord prolong your days, Gracious Archpastor, in holiness and health for many, many years. Your Eminence, Most Gracious Archpastor, Humble Novice, Rector of the Kronstadt Cathedral and The founder of the Sursky Women's Monastery and the Sursky Compound in St. Petersburg, Archpriest John Sergiev. On the letter there are notes: “December 25, 1901 To the Consistory. Bishop Ioannikiy"; “to inform the Editorial Board of the Diocesan Gazette for publication.” Abbess Varvara (Ivanovskaya). December 23, 1901. Kronstadt I notify you that I, with the blessing of the Bishops of Arkhangelsk and St. Petersburg 1122, consecrated the small church of the courtyard with some St. Petersburg priests, with the courtyard priest Torbaev and Deacon Georgievsky, the first deacon - protodeacon was St. Isaac's Malinin; The church is excellent, bright, cozy. I received your letter; but I didn’t receive a notification about the 500 rubles I sent you; They probably haven't arrived yet. All the sisters are healthy, happy, good-natured, sing well, and behave reverently 1123. I am sending you another thousand rubles for your demand. If you receive it, notify it and write down what date and number it will be recorded in the parish register. To you, oh I bow to George, my mother and all my sisters. God's blessing to your sisters and you. May God grant you all health and spiritual salvation. Abbess Taisia ​​(Solopova). December 27, 1901, St. Petersburg I am writing under the most vivid impression of the Liturgy I performed in your courtyard and the living, enthusiastic word in the Holy Spirit - improvisation 1124, and then the pleasant dinner prepared in the refectory or in the hall of your courtyard. Great is the Lord and greatly praised 1125 in His Divine Liturgy, which revives everyone, especially the communicants of His life-giving Mysteries. How He, the Comforter, consoles everyone, revives them, raises them to heaven with His heavenly service on earth. It seems that everything was burning spiritually and trembling during the Liturgy and the preaching of the word of God on the Christmas theme. I myself was inspired and spoke like a prophet or an apostle. How nice it is in your church! Thank you for your courtyard and for your spiritual friendship in the Lord; May your soul live and praise the Lord beyond measure, and His destinies will help you 1126. Thank you for the congratulatory telegrams, I am very grateful for them 1127. The Lord made me very, very happy with the consecration of my courtyard church. Now my sisters have their own church and their spiritual fathers and clergy 1128; and small incomes began to arrive. Glory to God, who continually benefits us in every way. Your servant and prayer book Archpriest John Sergiev. Abbess Antonia (Sokolova). December 28, 1901. Moscow E.V. 1129 willingly goes to your monastery 1130, to a quiet refuge, where she hopes to find satisfaction for her soul, confused by the bustle of life 1131. Accept this meek, kind dove and comfort 1132. I bow to you and the sisters of the monastery. On the letter received by the Committee, there are notes in pencil: “Received January 20. No. 56"; “Instruct member of the Archbishop Sergius to review the letter received by the Committee with notes in pencil: “Received on January 20. No. 56"; “Assign to member of the Archbishop Sergius for consideration.. Censorship permission from the St. Petersburg Committee of Spiritual Censorship to print catechetical conversations signed by Archimandrite Sergius was received on June 30, 1859. The fact that Father John consciously strove for simplicity in the presentation of his thoughts is evidenced by an entry in his diary dated March 1861: “When composing conversations, put aside all pride, any desire to shine with expressions. Simplicity” (Diary. Vol. III. P. 260). In its corrected form, the end of conversation nine reads as follows: “Brothers, let us look at the plants and learn. How obvious and tangible is our Lord, our Almighty Father, in these plants! Every grass, every leaf, every flower seems to whisper to us: “The Lord is here.” Consider, brethren, the wise structure of plants and recognize God in them” (Catechetical conversations spoken at the Kronstadt St. Andrew’s Cathedral by St. John Sergius. Kronstadt, 1859. P. 70 // Collected works. T. 1. P. 59). On the letter received by the Committee, there are notes: “Arch Sergius: r k p u A S” and a resolution: “Opr: allow to print.” Reprinted from: Diary. T. II. P. 660. Dated from the remark in the text of the diary: “Write this to the Consistory according to the appointment of conversations” and in connection with the letter dated February 14, 1862, from which it follows that Father John was appointed catechist by the consistory decree of September 23, 1860. His biographer testifies to the difficult circumstances in which the first years of Father John’s ministry in St. Andrew’s Cathedral took place: “His closest superior, the rector of the cathedral, was also hostile to Father John. The rector did not like the fact that Father John sought to serve the Liturgy every day, and he began to interfere with him in this, took an antimension to his apartment and caused many other troubles. Father John more than once had to be under various consistory consequences” (Source. pp. 134–135). Perhaps Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov) has the same circumstances in mind in his “Sermon before the memorial service on the 40th day of the death of Father John of Kronstadt”: “In his toiling life, he was twice subjected to severe persecution: at the beginning of his activity - due to the envy of those around him and at the end of his life - due to the malice of the enemies of Orthodoxy” (Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov). S. 268). On the letter of the litter about. Alexandra. "Received at Sura on June 4, 1861." According to the service record, Vasily Fidelin was transferred to the Verkolsky parish of the Pinega district only in 1862 (GAAO. F. 29. Op. 32. D. 336. L. 1o6.). In a letter dated March 5, Fr. Alexander wrote: “He [Vasily Fidelin – Ed.] even now does not accept any of my instructions, the Lord is with him, he does not even want to accept a blessing from me on a date; I most humbly ask you, oh. John, guide Vasily on the right path, instill in him how a cleric should behave in relation to priests, and what he should do on duty; Mom told you in detail about her son-in-law Vasily, and therefore believe me what he really is like” (TsGIA SPb. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 2. L. 239–240v.). In his marriage to Anna Ilyinichna Sergieva, Vasily Fidelia had five sons and seven daughters. On April 21, 1861, by decree of the Spiritual Consistory No. 1259, Father John was awarded a velvet purple skufia “for excellent and diligent service and fulfillment of his duties” (RGIA. F. 796. On. 438. D. 2989). The military governor-general of Kronstadt at that time was F. M. Novosilsky. O. Alexander received the skufya on April 16, 1868 (GAAO. F. 29. Op. 11. D. 1129. L. 814ob.). According to Fr. Alexandra, the source of these rumors was Fidelin himself. In a letter to the Right Reverend Nathanael dated June 13, 1861, Fr. Alexander wrote: “Moreover, I dare to explain to Your Eminence that such an unfair reproach against me for denigrating me before Your Eminence from the priest Sergiev probably came through the Verkola sexton Vasily Fidelin, the son-in-law of the priest Sergiev. This sexton, having a very obstinate and disobedient character, is trying to disgrace me in front of the priest John Sergiev, his brother-in-law, and to upset our fraternal mutual relations in Christ; Probably he is Fidelin and wrote falsely about me. John Sergiev, seeking his patronage, about my supposedly incorrect actions in relation to money 425 rubles, books, icons and airs, while Fidelin himself approved the timely note of money <... and things by signature together with other members of the Sursky clergy" (GAAO. F. 29. Op. 2. T. 4. D. 337. L. 4-7). This refers to N.D. Kudryavin and his wife, about whom in a letter dated March 5, 1861, Fr. Alexander wrote: “Ekaterina Nikolaevna Kudryavina, who was our guest during cheese week, shows her respect to you” (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 2. L. 239–240 rev.). On the report there is a resolution: “The next Father Archim Mitrofan should consider and present with feedback to His Eminence.” It is also known from archival materials that earlier, in the first half of 1861, Father John gave seven conversations, which he presented to the Archpriest of the Kazan Cathedral, Father Grigory Debolsky, for feedback (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 19. Op. 52. D. 23. L. 55). According to the instructions of the Spiritual Consistory, conversations were to be said “on all Sundays and holidays not associated with a special celebration” (Ibid. Op. 63. D. 7. L. 4v.). O. Pavel Trachevsky and Fr. Matthew Veselovsky. Father Ioani repeatedly noted his poor health during 1861 in his diary. For example, in April he wrote: “Glory to the Life-Giving Mysteries (Presanctified Liturgy on Wednesday in the fifth week of Great Lent)! As soon as I received Holy Communion of the Presanctified Gifts, all my mental lethargy and physical illness subsided instantly; I was encouraged, rejoiced, and felt good all that day!” (Diary. T. III. P. 296). The report was probably related to the special instruction of the Spiritual Consistory for deans and censors to “strictly observe, both themselves and through the rectors of churches, the strict delivery of conversations at the appropriate time, and demand explanations from those who are faulty and submit them to the Consistory” (TsGIASPb. F 19. Op. 63. D. 7. L. 5). Published from: GMIR, F. 38. Op. 1. D. 22. L. 6, 7. Published for the first time. Father John was appointed teacher of the law at the gymnasium on September 20, 1862 (TsGIASPb. F. 19. On. 113. D. 2529. L. 23 rev.). Upon taking up his new position, he gave a speech in which, in particular, he said: “The service of a mentor is great and responsible. We are all accomplices of God, co-workers with God, and these children are God’s field. God's building, built by us. I, according to the grace given to me by God, lay a foundation in the hearts of these youths, and you each build your own structures on it... (Cf.: 1 Cor. 3:9-10). It is not enough to make all-knowing and multi-knowledgeable learned men out of these young men: one can know quite a lot, be a very learned person and at the same time a morally fallen person. We will teach in such a way that they love God and each other with all their souls and hearts (cf.: Matt. 22, 37, 39)” (KP. 1914. No. 19. P. 309. See also “Speech at the prayer service before the opening of the Kronstadt gymnasium.” - Collected works. T. 3. P. 287–293). Later, Father John repeatedly reflected in his diary about the responsibility of serving in this position. So, in January 1864 he wrote: “Yes, not only by word, but also by example, by the very appearance of your face, you must teach the children entrusted to you by the Lord. And what evil is decline of spirit and despondency in a teacher of the law. The whole class, the whole gymnasium can be relaxed. The spirit in a teacher of the law must always be calm, meek, loving, sovereign, strict - like the spirit of a prophet and shepherd, like the Spirit of God. The priest is the representative of Jesus Christ, and Christ Himself teaches and acts through him” (Diary. T. V. P. 421). Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 19. Op. 55. D. 7. L. 2. Published for the first time. Published by: GMIR. F. 38. Op.1. D. 12. L. 16, 16v., 17,17v. Published for the first time. There is no signature on the letter. In addition to the “Catechetical Discourses” (see letter dated January 20, 1859), in 1863 Father John published, translated from Church Slavonic, the book “The Sufferings of the Holy All-Honorable Great Martyr Euphemia and Miracles from Her Holy Incorruptible Relics” (Kronstadt, typ. V. Kerr). Perhaps the unidentified addressee was a guest from Arkhangelsk who visited Kronstadt at the end of February 1864. It is also possible that the following diary entry of Father John from the end of February 1864 is connected with his stay: “Consider yourself for nothing, for abomination, damnation, and honor others as images of God (cf.: Gen. 1, 27): for you are really nothing and sin. You see, you despise a stranger because he is not rich, does not have his own home, is not a citizen of the local city, but if he were a citizen, but rich, and had his own house, he would always treat him with respect, even though he would notice some weaknesses. “And here, even though he’s a righteous man, he’s a stranger, and you despise him.” But, even if the whole world was not worthy of them, they wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and in the abysses of the earth (Heb. 11:38). This is why we must respect him, that he has nothing in this age - no home, no money, no property, no citizenship, but has God in his heart, to Whom alone he cleaves instead of all the earthly treasures to which the people of this age cleave. O carnal, sinful, blind man! How perverse is our carnal wisdom (Cf.: Rom. 8, 6, 7 )! Everything is the other way around. To be rich is good, and to be poor is also bad, although be rich in spiritual treasures. But the Lord Himself lived in poverty, and His Most Pure Mother. This example is enough not to neglect the poor, but even more so to honor them!” (Diary. T. V. pp. 26–27). On the envelope, the stamp “S I. I. Sergiev” and the name of the addressee “Peter Konstantinovich Nesvitsky”. Father John’s father-in-law, Archpriest K.P. Nesvitsky, after leaving the staff in 1855, was supported by his son-in-law (“super-staff Archpriest Konstantin Petrov Nesvitsky, 70 years old, with his daughter Anna (21 years old) receives an apartment and maintenance of 100 rubles. Ser. per year from the priest of this [i.e. St. Andrew’s. - Ed.] John’s Cathedral Sergiev" (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 19. On. 113. D. 2117. L. 24ob.), without leaving his priestly ministry. In September - November 1864, the Holy Synod considered the case of “the dismissal abroad for a year of the supernumerary archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral, Konstantin Nesvitsky.” A.D. Ponomarev, who is in the service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, fulfill various requirements in his house and “teach the family his religious teachings and morals” (RGIA. F. 796. Op. 145. D. 1736. L. 1-7). However, the trip for which the Highest permission was received did not take place. Father John's father-in-law served for some time in the cemetery church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity. The “sisters,” that is, Father John’s wife Elizabeth and her sister Anna, invited their brother Peter Nesvitsky to talk about his possible marriage. The details of the “case” are set out in E.K. Sergieva’s postscript to Father John’s letter: “My dear brothers Leshenka and Petenka. Thank you Leshenka for your letter, we have this news: Ivan Ilyich’s mother has come to visit us and has been staying with us for a week, why aren’t you coming to us? We are waiting for you every day. You should definitely visit Kronstadt. Daria Vasha begins to marry Arkhip Ilyich to Katenka and Anisya Sevastyanovna came to us to tell us on behalf of Arkhip Ilyich that he agrees to marry his niece to you, that she knows you (Peter the groom is wooing Katenka) in the best way and that the dowry will be excellent. Leshenka and Petenka come to us then we will talk seriously and write when you arrive. Farewell. I kiss you. Your sister Elizaveta Sergieva" (GMIR. F. 38. Op. 1. D. 10. L. Zob., 4). On the letter is the bishop's resolution: “November 15, 1868. To the Consistory; and the very plan of catechetical conversations, approved by me, shall be forwarded as appropriate.” On the envelope: To His High Blessing Fr. To Alexander Alekseevich Lebedev, priest and teacher of the law of the Sturmansky School, from St. John Sergiev. Probably, this means M. M. Dmitriev, a constant interlocutor of Father John and Father Alexander, who was distinguished by his religious and mystical mood. The wife and daughter of Fr. are mentioned. Alexandra. In her memories of her childhood spent in Kronstadt, the daughter of Fr. Alexandra E. A. Lebedeva wrote: “Oh. John Ilyich Sergiev was not much older than my father in academics and service; he was close and friendly with my father, he came to us on the way to his lessons at the men's gymnasium, which was next to the Navigation School across the bridge - and my mother even sometimes treated him to breakfast. I remember once I was lying, apparently unwell, in the living room on the sofa, and my father and Fr. John walked in conversation back and forth along the diagonal of the room - and for some reason I imagined among them the figure of Christ the Savior walking with them in a white robe - as He is sometimes depicted among the Emmaus travelers. Even then my mother already honored Fr. John, who had no later fame, and once, I remember, I was sick, in my children's crib - Fr. John, who happened to come to us, blessed me and put his hand on my head. After leaving, his mother said to his father: “Now I’m calm, Katya will get well - oh. John blessed her." ABOUT. John, in turn, maintained his constant goodwill toward us always and after” (Lebedeva? A. Memories of Archpriest Alexander Alekseevich Lebedev // Theological Bulletin. 1916. No. 10/12. P. 264–265). Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 19. Op. 60. D. 19. L. 15. Published for the first time. Review by archim. Palladium was received on September 23, 1869. It said: “These teachings are written in a strictly Orthodox spirit, adapted to the concepts of the people, presented clearly, intelligibly and with a warm Christian feeling” (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 19. Op. 60. D. 19. L. 14). Reverend Paul suggested that the Consistory encourage Father John “to be even more zealous in preaching the word of God with an appropriate reward” (Ibid.). Reprinted from: Archive. F. 1. D. 1. No. 1. Published for the first time. Dated by content (see notes 1, 3, 4). This letter from Father John to the Tsvetkovs in Ruza, near Moscow, is not known. I. A. Tsvetkov occupied the sexton’s place in the church of the town of Ruza near Moscow. G.I. Tsvetkov writes about his failed ordination to the deacon in his letter to his parents from Chisinau dated January 31, 1869: “How sorry we are, how annoying and painful it is that you, our dear father, traveled to Moscow in vain and did not receive the desired ordination.” We are talking about the marriage of the Tsvetkovs’ son Ivan and the marriage of the Tsvetkovs’ daughter Alexandra. It is known that the marriage of A.I. Tsvetkova took place in August 1869. This refers to the brothers N.V. Tsvetkova A.V. and V.V. Krestovozdvizhensky. Published by: GMIR. F. 38. Op. 1. D. 10. L. 14, 14 rev., 15, 15 rev. Published for the first time. G.I. and A.K. Tsvetkov returned from Chisinau in the summer of 1869, and from the beginning of autumn G.I. Tsvetkov became a teacher of Greek at the Alexander Nevsky Theological School in St. Petersburg, where at that time Professor L.V. Gurnov, the husband of Alexandra Konstantinovna Nesvitskaya, A.K. Tsvetkova’s sister, also taught. There was great hope in Kronstadt for the return of the Tsvetkovs from Chisinau. Back on April 22, 1869, an entry appeared in the diary of Father John: “On Tuesday, around midnight, precisely at the end of the 12th hour, I offered up to the Heavenly Father, in the boldness of faith, a short prayer for the granting of a better and closer place to my relatives Gregory and Anna Tsvetkov...” And soon after his return, on August 8, G.I. Tsvetkov wrote to his parents in Ruza: “Until now, for the most part, my wife and I live in Kronstadt with the kindest Ivan Ilyich and Elizaveta Konstantinovna. Here we are completely at home. We are all waiting for the final decision on our fate on the question of whether we should stay in St. Petersburg or not. Any hour now we are expecting the arrival of our papers from Chisinau and dismissal from the local service to enter the local Theological School, as a teacher of the Greek language for a salary of 540 rubles. at a government apartment" (Archive. F. 1. On. 1. D. 3. No. 4). In a letter dated September 15, G. I. Tsvetkov wrote to his parents: “On September 14, I went to Kronstadt to visit my patient. Thank God, it seems to be easier for her compared to how I left her when I went to work for the first time.” On September 14, 1869, Father John wrote in his diary: “I served mass in a weak state of spirit and body. The weather was bad and had an unfavorable effect on body and soul. The royal house did not speak out completely at the great entrance. This confused me. The Lord had mercy through prayer. The sermon was not spoken quite boldly; he spoke about the passion for smoking tobacco, about the erection of the Cross.” A.V. and V.V. Krestov Ozdvizhensky. Celebration in honor of St. mchch. Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sofia September 17 (30). Father John’s letter is written on the same sheet of paper as the following letter from Alexei Nesvitsky: “My dear Relatives and highly respected ones - Ivan Alekseevich and Nadezhda Vasilievna! Nadezhda Vasilyevna, I congratulate you on your Angel’s Day and from the bottom of my heart I wish you all the best in your family life and happiness, and especially health, and Ivan Alekseevich on your dear Birthday and I wish you to be happy. Sister Anura in Kronstadt praises everything and congratulates you on Angel's Day, and Iv Al with Iv Il with the Birthday Girl Farewell and be healthy. I remain Alexey Nesvitsky, known to you. On September 14, 1869, Grigory Ivanovich is now living in the Seminary with his brother-in-law, Priest and Professor of that Seminary, Lavrentiy Vasilyevich Gurnov, until Brother Konstantin brought things and property from Chisinau the other day. Ivan Grig will write from St. Petersburg Alekandro-Nevsky School to you” (GMIR. F. 38. Op. 1. D. 10. L. 14–15 rev.). Published by: GMIR. F. 38. Op. 1. D. 10. L. 16–17. Published for the first time. The friendly relations that were established between Father John and G.I. Tsvetkov are evidenced by the entries in Father’s diary for 1870: “I thank You, Lord, that You gave me the sweetness and love to talk with my brother, the most venerable Brother Gregory, about spiritual subjects in the evening from November 1st to 2nd...”. In the same diary there are also the following entries: “And know how to turn a family outburst into love, especially you, the owner of the house. This is practical wisdom for which God and the angels will praise. (First thought by Grieg Iv Tsvetkova)”; “Grig Ivan Tsvetkov is kind and meek. He showed this in yesterday’s quarrel.” These entries are associated not with G.I. Tsvetkov, but with his wife Anna Konstantinovna, who later, in a diary entry for 1871, Father John would call his “enemy.” See also note. 2 to the letter to E.V. and P.V. Fidelin for March 23, 1876 G.I. Tsvetkov never fully recovered from his illness. He died two years later, in 1872, at the age of 30. At the end of his “Speech at the burial of the priest, Fr. Grigory Ivanovich Tsvetkov,” Father John said: “I did not see you before my death and could not say goodbye to you according to the good Christian custom. I'm doing it now. Sorry, sorry! (Collected works. T. 3. P. 420). A.V. and V.V. Exaltation of the Cross, brothers N.V. Tsvetkova. I. I. Tsvetkov, son of I. A. and N. V. Tsvetkov. A. I. Tsvetkova, daughter of I. A. and N. V. Tsvetkov. In the summer of 1870, the family of G.I. and A.K. Tsvetkov was expecting their first child. Rufina was born on September 22 in Kronstadt, in the apartment of Father John. The next week of Father John’s ministry at St. Andrew’s Cathedral ended on July 12. He probably left Kronstadt to spend a week in the vicinity of St. Petersburg. He wrote in his diary: “From June 24 to July 20, the weather was excellent, so hot that you had to walk down the street in your shirts, sleep at night without blankets, and then the sweat poured from your body.” On April 19, 1870, Father John was awarded a golden pectoral cross “for excellent and diligent service and fulfillment of his duties” (RGIA. F. 796. On. 438. D. 2989). He expected this award by Easter 1869. It was then that reflections about the award cross and the Cross of Christ appeared in his diary: “Why am I grieving, having received the blessing of the Holy Synod instead of the expected pectoral cross. If I had received a reprimand from the Holy Synod, my grief would have been profound, but I should rejoice in the blessing, although it is formal, for the Synod is the Assembly of clergy, guided by the Holy Spirit. Neglecting a blessing means pride and lack of understanding of spiritual things, and the thirst for the pectoral cross means an addiction to brilliance and a generally brilliant appearance, which very often harms the spirit. The blessing is higher than the pectoral cross, like the blessing of the Lord. Jesus Christ did not wear a golden cross, but carried a huge wooden Cross on his shoulders.” Wed: In. 13, 34; 15, 12, 17. The letter was probably written between Matins and Liturgy. An entry appeared in the diary on the same day: “I thank the Lord, who has given me grace and strength, in the throes of birth or spiritual rebirth, to safely and without stumbling the Divine Liturgy and to say a word about the sixth commandment. – The main thing is to receive communion without condemnation, with unashamed faith and boldness of the Mysteries of God. Thank you also for celebrating the Sacrament of Marriage after the Liturgy.” A.K. Nesvitsky served in the Kronstadt customs. This refers to the Kronstadt Summer Garden, created back in Peter’s time, in which Peter the Great’s house was then located. At the beginning of the 19th century. the garden was expanded and surrounded by a cast-iron fence. At the top of the letter from the Tsvetkovs: “Floor April 29th.” G.I. Tsvetkov’s service at the Alexander Nevsky Theological School in St. Petersburg did not provide for his family financially and contributed to the intensification of his painful seizures (see letter dated July 5, 1870). In June 1870, Father John wrote in his diary: “Gregory Iv and Anna Konst are in need: but I didn’t know this and senselessly stingy for them and was upset with them. I repent." In 1871, Grigory Tsvetkov was ordained a priest at the Gatchina St. Paul Cathedral with a salary of 42 rubles. 90 kopecks per year. March 6, 1871, according to Father John’s diary entry “... Fr. Grigory Iv Tsvetkov and Anna Konstantinovna Tsvetkova went to their destination in Gatchina - to the church house of the Gatchina Cathedral. Thanks be to God for all His mercies towards him.” However, due to health reasons, G.I. Tsvetkov did not serve long in the new place - in 1872 he died, and a new priest was taken in his place at the Gatchina Cathedral (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 19. Op. 113. D. 275. L. 37v. - 47v.). Father John wrote about these “lessons” in his diary: “February 27, 1871. Saturday 3 weeks of fasting. I thank the Lord, who made me worthy to perform the Divine Liturgy (late) without stumbling in the presence of my brother-in-law, the young priest Grigory Iv Tsvetkov, to partake of the Mysteries of God without condemnation and to give communion to the parishioners, about 50 people...” A draft of a letter to the St. Petersburg Theological Consistory, written by Father John for Grigory Ivanovich, who apparently intended to conduct catechetical conversations on the advice of Father John, has also been preserved. Here is the text of this draft: “His Eminence. Priest Gatchina Paul Cathedral Grigory Tsvetkov report. By decree of the S.-Pburg Spirit of the Consistory, dated such and such a date, I was ordered to be a Catechist at the Gatchina Cathedral during the coming year 1872 and to preliminarily draw up a plan for conversations that will be delivered in the said cathedral during the year. Having now drawn up a plan for the proposed conversations, I have the honor to most humbly submit it for the archpastoral consideration and approval of Your Eminence on November 27, 1871” (GMIR. F. 38. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 5). The parables of the Gatchina St. Paul Cathedral in 1871 included the rector, Archpriest. Vladimir Slavinsky, deacons John Siluanov and Gerasim Shcheglov, psalmists Nikolai Tikhomirov, Egor Voznesensky, Semyon Eliseev (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 19. On. 113. D. 275. L. 37v. – 47v.). On September 22, 1870, G.I. and A.K. Tsvetkov had a daughter, Rufina. See the parable of the barren fig tree: Lk. 13, 6–9. Father John visited the Tsvetkovs in Gatchina from June 14 to June 20, 1871. In his diary he wrote: “June 17 - hot and thunderstorm in Gatchina with heavy rain; A bakery in a village near Gatchina burned down due to lightning.” On the letter is the bishop's resolution: “November 21, 1872. The approved plan is to be forwarded to its originator. E Ladozhsky. Father John conducted catechetical conversations in 1858, 1861, 1865 and 1869. The conversations of 1858 were published as a separate book (see letter of January 20, 1859, note 2 and letter of May 26, 1859, note 1). Father John's proposal to “change the matter of catechesis” was prepared by his many years of experience and spiritual reflections recorded in his diary. Thus, in 1869, he wrote: “Divine services must be studied and taught as clearly and convincingly as possible, with moral applications, showing its necessity for a Christian and all the harm that comes from not attending Divine services”; “God does not need burning candles, but burning hearts: and so let your hearts burn, let your hearts blaze when you stand in church during the celebration of Divine services, especially the Liturgy, let them blaze with love and gratitude to the Lord”; “...They diligently attend Divine services in order to be saturated with the truth of God, which penetrates Divine services, and to see their own untruth”; “We must turn the science of the history of the Old Testament and the New Testament, katekh, the science of worship, the history of the Church - into life, into action, into practice. This is what we will strive for with all our might.” Immediately on the day of writing this letter, the following entry appeared in the diary: “You are looking for spectacle! Here is an unprecedented spectacle for you - the spectacle of the entire earthly life of the God-Man - with His baby swaddling clothes and bed in a manger; with His hidden life, with His revelation, full of wisdom and miracles, service to the world, with His suffering, death, burial, resurrection and ascension to heaven! What sight is more amazing, more majestic, more instructive! “Come at least every day to this spectacle, and nourish your sight, hearing, thought, and feeling with it. Take a sincere part in the Divine service every time you come; your salvation is sacred here; A Living Sacrifice is offered for you; The Lamb of God is slain for you, the Body of Christ is broken for you; The Holy Blood is being shed for you, redeeming the whole world.” Over time, Father John became firm in his decision to teach the fundamentals of the faith through an explanation of the Divine Service. On December 6, 1887, having received notice of his appointment as a catechist for 1888, he wrote in his diary: “We need to draw up a plan for conversations. I’m thinking of talking about the Liturgy or: about the evening and morning services and the Liturgy. Quickly agree on a plan.” Published by: GMIR. F. 38. Op. 1. D. 11. L. bean. Published for the first time. In his “Sermon at the funeral service for the body of the servant of God Pavel Alekseevich Korguev, retired lieutenant colonel of the Corps of naval navigators, former justice of the peace and mayor of the city of Kronstadt,” Father John said: “He was enriched from God with all sorts of gifts: the gift of speech and reason, a kind and compassionate heart; acquired the name of an energetic, truthful, firm figure, a public, learned man, an excellent teacher of sciences” (Collected works. T. 3. P. 452). The first chairman of the Trusteeship was M. O. Britnev. P. A. Korguev took an active part in the first meeting of the Trusteeship on June 9, pointing out that “to reduce beggary, it is necessary to extend to Kronstadt the rule existing in St. Petersburg, which allows beggars to be sent in stages to their homeland...” (Ibid.). The first meeting in the hall of the City Duma took place on June 9, 1874. In addition to Father John, it was attended by Lieutenant General A.I. Zeleny, P.A. Korguev, the rector of St. Andrew's Cathedral, Archpriest. Pavel Trachevsky and many others. etc. The initiator of the creation of the Trusteeship, Father John, said in his speech: “We must know that church trusteeship was mainly established to eliminate beggary and begging in our city, to eradicate laziness, idleness, parasitism and drunkenness, to find work for the poor, to establish a vocational school for poor children, to establish a workhouse, or for the first time to hire cheap or free premises” (Strannik. 1894. T. 1. January, pp. 185–186). At this meeting, Father John was unanimously elected clerk of the Trusteeship and a member of a special administrative commission “to collect various information on activities on which the Trusteeship is primarily to be based” (KV. 1874. June 14. No. 69). Printed with an autograph: Central State Historical Archive of St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 7a. L. 122–123v. Published for the first time. The addressee is determined by the contents of the letter: in 1874, the rector of the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral and the dean of the city's churches was Archpriest. Pavel Trachevsky. On April 6, 1874, on Saturday of Bright Week, Father John wrote in his diary: “I thank the Lord for the immeasurable mercy shown to me many-passionately today before the All-Night Vigil and during it in the Assumption Church, when I cried out to Him in extreme sorrow and the cramped conditions of hell, and as if scorched by Gehenna from my anger at the sexton of Preobrazhensky in the church, when I noticed, that he came drunk to church after seductively carrying Artos to the houses of parishioners. In anger at the drunken and arrogant sexton, I cursed him when he wanted to leave again and did not obey my order to leave the church. I was very excited: in a weak, rattling voice I began the all-night vigil; spiritual death was in my insides.” From the diary of Father John it is known that he performed Matins on August 28 with the sexton Polyglotov. In 1875, Alexei Preobrazhensky was dismissed from the Council: “Bless, and do not curse (Rom. 12:14). I, accursed, impatient, self-loving, sinned against this commandment of the Apostle of Christ God: I cursed some, including the late brother Alexei K and Alexei’s former sexton Pavel Preobr.” Published by: GARF. F. 1067. Op. 1. D. 35. L. 1–1v. The words abbreviated in the draft are given in full; speculative readings are accompanied by a question mark in angle brackets. Dated approximately by content (the “tirade” from the letter of A. Fidelin dated September 19 of “this year” is mentioned), in connection with the letter ÍJ. B. Fidelin dated April 7, 1875 and according to archival documents: A. Fidelin is listed in the list of seminary students who attended Confession and Holy Communion in the first week of Lent in 1873, in the reports on the successes and behavior of students - until June 1872/73 academic year (GAAO. F. 73. Op. 1. D. 450. L. 24. 149ob., 150, 195ob., 199, etc.). The academic year in the Theological Seminaries was divided into September, January and May thirds. Students who were “at the expense of their parents” had to pay a certain amount of money every third for their maintenance. In the Fidslin family, besides Alexander, by that time there were six more children. According to documents from 1875, the head of the family, psalm-reader of the Verkolsky parish of Pinega district, Vasily Ivanovich Fidelin, owned 15 acres of arable and hay land and received a salary of 40 rubles from the treasury. per year (GAAO. F. 73. On. 1. D. 456). The “rant” is not included in the draft letter. Father John studied at the Arkhangelsk Theological Seminary from 1845 to 1851. Wed Cor. 6, 15; 12, 12, 27. The sentence in the draft is not finished; Obviously, it appeared in full in the letter sent. In 1874, Evdokim Fidelin also studied at the same seminary (see letter to him dated April 7, 1875). In the Report on the state of the Arkhangelsk Theological Seminary for the 1873/74 academic year, the following misdeeds of the students were noted: “8 students were willfully absent from the seminary house, of which, in addition, one committed a lie, one - eating fasting food during Lent, playing cards and stubbornly denying this last act; one is an insult to the seminary servants; one - indecent standing in church during worship; one - smoking tobacco in the furnace room; one is disobedience and impoliteness in front of the rector of the Seminary. In addition to these students noticed; one in lies; one is drunk; one for damaging government items” (GAAO. F. 73. Op. 1. D. 456. L. 464). Reprinted from: Letters to relatives. P. 8. Dated in connection with a previous letter written no earlier than September 19, 1874. About A. Fideline, who was expelled from the seminary, see the letter to the rector of the seminary, Archimandrite Donat, dated no earlier than September 19, 1874. After expulsion from the seminary, A. Fidelin was in the Solovetsky Monastery (see note 6 to the letter to E.V. Fidelin dated April 7, 1875). In the 1873/74 academic year, E. Fidelin studied in the last class of the Arkhangelsk Theological School. It was he who corresponded with Father John, telling him news about himself and his relatives. So, in a letter dated January 12, 1873, he wrote, for example: “We inform you that, thank God, we are all alive, healthy and prosperous and had a fun holiday. I wrote to you that I wanted to go to a friend’s village for Christmas, but he had a misfortune, namely, his father died, and so I stayed in the seminary building” (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 5. L. 3–4). For example, in March of the 1872/73 academic year, Ivan Fidelin received a bad mark in behavior, and Alexander received a bad mark in Greek with the obligation to repeat what he had learned (GAAO. F. 73. Op. 1. D. 450. L. 193, 195ob "199). Father John also received information about the behavior and successes of his nephews from teachers of Arkhangelsk theological schools, with whom he maintained regular correspondence. A letter from Father Theophylact Gromov dated February 18, 1867, which spoke about Ivan and Alexander Fidelin, has been preserved (see note 1 to the previous letter, written no earlier than September 19, 1874). Natalya and Tatyana Fidelina studied at the Arkhangelsk Diocesan Women's School. Reprinted by: KV. 1874. 23 Oct. No. 122. Father John sent 16 rubles to the newspaper editor. The editors of the newspaper, wishing for their part to assist in the collection of donations, with the permission of their superiors, opened a subscription in favor of “all victims of the terrible disaster that visited our city on the night of October 20-21.” The names of donors were published in the newspaper, and the money collected was transferred to a citywide commission (Ibid.). On the envelope: To Vasily Mikhailovich Sergiev. Reprinted from: Letters to relatives. pp. 8–9. Dated by content - the letter says: “I am writing it on Maundy Monday.” One of these letters is known (see note 4 to the letter to E.V. Fidelin, dated no earlier than September 19, 1874). In 1875, at the Arkhangelsk Theological Seminary, in addition to the teachers personally known to Father John, archimandrites taught. Donatus (fundamentals of theology), Fr. Pavel Lebedev (liturgics, homiletics), Fr. Sergius Arsenyev (church history), Ivan Sokolov (dogmatic and moral theology), Nikolai Kubintsev (logic, literature, Hebrew), Victor Shalorov (mathematics, physics), Nikolai Voskresensky (Greek), Fr. Pavel Mikhailov (Zyryan language), Fr. Andrey Userdov (Karelian language), Fr. Evgeny Ksenofontov (icon painting) (ΓΆΑΟ. F. 73. Op. 1. D. 460. L. 321 rev.). See note. 7 to a letter to E.V. Fidelin, dated no earlier than September 19, 1874. A. Fidelin ended up in the Solovetsky Monastery after being expelled from the seminary. Father John’s correspondence with him is evidenced by an entry in Father’s diary dated March 28, 1875: “Letter to nephews at the Seminary and at Solov Mon.” Reprinted from: Letters to relatives. P. 9. Household - E.K. Sergieva, her widowed sister Anna and nieces Rufina and Liza Tsvetkova. That is, Natalia and Tatyana Fidelin. On April 26, 1875, Father John was “by the decision of the Holy Synod elevated to the rank of Archpriest” (see “Formular list of the Kronstadt St. Andrew’s Cathedral of the Keymaster, Archpriest John Ilyich Sergiev. November 4 days 1889.” - Central State Historical Archive of the USSR. F. 796. Inventory 438. Item. 2989). Reprinted from: Letters to relatives. P. 10. In September 1875, E. Fidelii entered the 2nd grade of the Theological Seminary. P. Fidelin studied at the Arkhangelsk Parish School. In 1875, the position of superintendent of theological schools was filled by Viktor Varfolomeev. See letter to the rector of the Arkhangelsk Theological Seminary, Archimandrite. Donat, written no earlier than September 19, 1874, as well as letters to E.V. Fidelin dated April 7 and May 26, 1875. Reprinted from: Letters to relatives. pp. 10–11. This refers to A. A. Kalinnikova, an Arkhangelsk friend of Father John, the head of the Diocesan Women’s School. In her name, Father John sent money for his nieces (see the diary entry dated March 28, 1875: “A letter to Augusta Alexandrovna with money means A.A. Kalinnikova, an Arkhangelsk friend of Father John, the head of the Diocesan Women’s School. In her name, Father John sent money for his nieces (see the diary entry dated March 28, 1875: “Letter to Augusta Alexandrovna with money")) Documents of the Arkhangelsk Theological Seminary allow us to establish that in December 1875, the caretaker Viktor Varfolomeev was already a priest (GAAO. F. 73. Op. 1. D. 460. L. 455). Father John’s intention to respond to Father Victor Varfolomeev’s letter is evidenced by entries in his diary for 1875: October 20 – “write a letter to Fr. Varfolomeev"; October 25 – “letter to Bartholomew”; November 2 – “Letter to Barfolomey.” Published by: GMIR. F. 38. Op. 1. D. 11. L. 5. Published for the first time. After being expelled from the seminary, I. Fidelin returned home to Verkola. Hegumen of the Verkolsky Monastery, Theodosius, was personally acquainted with Father John and took an active part in the fate of the Sergiev-Fidelin family. In the archives of Father John, his letter dated May 5, 1870 was preserved, which, in particular, said about Feodora Vlasyevna: “The great old lady Your Mother - only she needs consolation, and I noticed that she really wants to see you - she misses you immensely, even my heart hurts. And - forgive me for God's sake - I am writing this and crying. She sees no consolation here, which is why her heart grieves and she cries. But Vasily Ivanovich cannot console her. Several grandchildren console her - she apparently has fun with them, since they are smart and well-behaved. But just - oh woe - trouble - there is no school - they will harden. And for God’s sake, ask Vasily Ivanovich every time - does he teach them and how do they succeed..." (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 11. L. 1). Reprinted from: Letters to relatives. pp. 11–12. Reprinted from: Letters to relatives. P. 12. This probably means a letter dated November 26, 1875, to which Father John did not receive an answer. Usually letters from Kronstadt to Arkhangelsk took about 10 days. Merry Christmas. Reprinted from: Letters to relatives. pp. 12–13. From March 1876, I. Fidelin lived in Kronstadt with Father John. Perhaps the proposal to move was made in a partially preserved letter from Father to his nephew dated November 18, 1875, since shortly before this, on November 16, Father John wrote in his diary: “My nephew Ivan Vasil can be a good teacher of Rufina and Lisa, for he himself was a student.” However, his stay in the house of Father John aroused dissatisfaction on the part of E.K. Sergieva’s relatives, as evidenced by the entries in Father’s diary: “Mar 18. A great quarrel over my nephew, whose letter was stolen by Anna Konst and my wife Elisaveta, a quarrel over the fact that I sent clothes worth 38 rubles to my second nephew Alexander, godfather, in Verkola. 06 she read this in a letter from her eldest nephew Ivan, who lives with me. My wife and Anna K attacked me strongly and there were a lot of curses on their part; they called my nephew an ugly face, a peasant, a drunkard, and I received abusive and rather heated words, and I did not clearly remind them of my benefits to them, especially God’s, and not mine... I was bitter, I was embarrassed... threw them away and went into the fresh air to walk and pray...” In 1877, I. Fidelin had to settle separately. Father John wrote about this in his diary: “I, too, was outraged in spirit. Gee! Look at us and judge for yourself. – You know how much anger this widow has [A. KTsvetkova. – Ed.] to my nephew; Because of her, I refused him to stay with me, because there was no way for him to live with me because of her curses and anger, and I was confused by her.” Reprinted from: Letters to relatives. P. 13. The day before, Father John wrote in his diary: “Send a letter with money to my nephews and brothers, ask them if they received my books, especially the history in person.” His diary entry dated May 17, 1876 testifies to the conditions under which Father John even had to communicate in writing with his relatives: “Oh, what happened to me in the morning during a quarrel! I was embarrassed, my hand was shaking; I couldn’t write letters to Arkhangelsk - how precious is peace! - Great blessing peace! “May the peace of God be with us always.” Reprinted by: KV. 1876. July 9, M 80. Following Father John's letter was placed a letter from the rector of St. Andrew's Cathedral, Archpriest. Pavel Trachevsky: “On this July 4th day, during a prayer service, I offered to the parishioners who were in the cathedral an invitation to donate in favor of the southern Slavs fighting against the Turks, and the amount collected turned out to be twenty-five rubles (25 rubles). I ask the editors of the Kronstadt Bulletin to accept this money and send it to its intended destination, publishing such donation from the parishioners in the Kronstadt Bulletin. I am also forwarding my own donation to the suffering and warring southern Slavs, my former acquaintances when visiting Kronstadt, seven rubles (7 rubles). In total, I present thirty-two rubles (32 rubles).” Further, the editors of the newspaper reported that they were “opening subscriptions in favor of the unfortunate families of the needy Slavs” (KV. 1876. July 9, No. 80). Reprinted by: KV. 1876. Aug. 4, No. 91. Dated by date of publication. The newspaper “Kronstadt Bulletin” reported that from August 1 to 4, the editorial office received 1,418 rubles. 9 kopecks in favor of the South Slavs. Another 613 rubles. 82 kopecks was collected at the Kronstadt City Council “for benefits for the sanitary unit and for the benefit of the Slavs suffering under the yoke of the Turks” (Ibid.). Reprinted by: KV. 1876. September 17, No. 109. Dated according to content. Reprinted from: Letters to relatives. pp. 13–14. For the property status of the Fidelin family, see note. 4 to the letter to Archimandrite. Donatus, dated no earlier than September 19, 1874. Probably Abbot Theodosius, abbot of the Verkolsky monastery (see note 2 to the letter to I.V. Fidelin dated November 18, 1875). See note. 4 to the letter to E.V. Fidelin dated November 18, 1875 Reprinted from: Letters to relatives. P. 14. Father John was appointed keymaster of St. Andrew's Cathedral on December 20, 1876. Reprinted by: KV. 1877. September 16, No. 111. Dated by content and date of publication. Father John's letter indicates that he closely followed developments in the Balkans. The famine in Montenegro was reported, in particular, by the commissioner of the Russian Red Cross Society and the Slavic Charitable Society, Prince. P. A. Vasilchikov in a letter from Cetinje dated August 19, 1877, published in the Church Bulletin magazine: “Poverty in Montenegro is truly terrible. The fields, of which there are already few here, remained half unsown, and even what was sown was burned out by the terrible dryness...” The needs of the wounded were mentioned in a telegram from Prince Cherkassky from Bucharest dated September 10 of the same year: “I appeal to Russian society with a convincing request for help to our sick and wounded brothers. Help is needed urgently and in huge quantities. The funds of the Red Cross Society beyond the Danube are not able to meet such requirements. It is necessary that the entire Russian society realize how great the need is and come to the rescue. I earnestly ask for patriotic assistance from the entire Russian society” (1877. No. 37. Unofficial part. P. 8, 11). Father John continued to take Balkan events to heart. The Kronstadt Bulletin newspaper repeatedly reported on his fundraising efforts for the benefit of the wounded and their families (1877, September 23, No. 114 and Oct. 23, No. 140). Reprinted from: Letters to relatives. pp. 14–16. See note. 2 to letter dated March 23, 1876 In 1877, the following notes appeared in the city department of the Kronstadt Bulletin newspaper, signed “F-n”: “Fish row at 7 and 8 o’clock in the evening” (No. 63); "Caring Nanny" (No. 75); "Scene at the Post Office" (No. 82); “On a steamship from Kronstadt to St. Petersburg” (No. 97). Apparently, already at this time, I.V. Fidelin began to perform the duties of Father John’s secretary: in No. 103 of the newspaper, the “Speech of Archpriest I.I. Sergiev at an event in the men’s gymnasium” appears in No. 103 of the newspaper. Work on remodeling St. Andrew's Cathedral began in 1874 and was caused by a lack of premises for worshipers. The work was supervised by the architect V.V. Windelbandt, the construction was financed by the headman of the cathedral, the Kronstadt merchant and homeowner V.D. Nikitin. Bishop Varlaam (Chernyavsky) is a native of Bessarabia, a graduate of the 21st year of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. In the diary of Father John for 1877, entries about this celebration are preserved: “13. I thank the Lord, who has given me the joy of participating in the bishop’s service and seeing the beauty of His Church, renewed, expanded and adorned by the God-loving church elder Vlad Dm Nikitin”; "15. I thank the Lord, who has made me worthy to participate in concelebration with the Bishop, archimandrites and archpriests, and who has revived me through the communion of His Holy Mysteries.” The trip to Pavlovsk took place on September 11, 1877. Father John wrote down the details of the visit of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich and his wife Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna in his diary: “We visited Grand Duke Konstantin with the headman in Pavlovsk. I thank the Lord, who showed me help in my conversation with the Grand Duke and His Supres and who made them kind and kind to me, as I asked the Lord. I thank the Lord, who is kind and quick to obey me, weak in spirit and body.” The newspaper “Kronstadt Bulletin” reported that “the consecration of new extensions to St. Andrew’s Cathedral was carried out by His Eminence Varlaam, vicar of the St. Petersburg diocese with Archimandrite Paul of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra and Archimandrite Mitrofan, with the concelebration of the Kronstadt clergy”; “Present at the celebrations were Adjutant General S.S. Lesovsky, manager of the Naval Ministry, Vice Admiral P.V. Kazakevich, chief commander of the Kronstadt port, Rear Admiral M. Ya. Fedorovsky, chief of staff of His Majesty’s retinue, Lieutenant General A.I. Zelenoy, head of the Technical School, and many other honorable persons” (KV. 1877.15 September, no. 111). There was an error in the newspaper report that was not in Father John’s letter: Archim. Mitrofan was the sacristan of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, and Archimandrite. Pavel (Vilchinsky) rector of the Vladimir Seminary. At the prot. Pavel Trachevsky. “Fryshtykal” - had breakfast (from German Friihstucken - to have breakfast). Deacon of St. Isaac's Cathedral - V. N. Malinin. For financial assistance from Father John to Peter Fidelin, see also the letter to E.V. Fidelin dated September 27, 1875. Reprinted from: Letters to relatives. P. 16. About A. A. Kalinnikova, see note. 2 to the letter to E.V. Fidelin dated November 18, 1875 We are talking about archimandrite. Donate, F. G. Gromove, E. N. Shuisky and Fr. Sergius Fedorovich Arsenyev. Published by: GMIR. F. 38. Op. 1. D. 10. L. 7–8. Letters from Father John to his sister Anna Ilyinichna Fidelina have not survived; one letter is known to his sister Daria Ilyinichna Malkina and one to her and her husband - see the letter of 1886 and the letter of early May 1894. He also wrote to some other persons; Wed also his note in the diary dated May 13, 1878: “Wrote letters to: Fr. Platon Travlinsky, Daria and Augusta Kalinnikova, nephews, nieces, Fr. Donat." Father John recalls the first years of his ministry in Kronstadt and his acquaintance with the family of Archpriest. John Pesotsky. Subsequently, he himself more than once showed hospitality to Maria Konstantinovna, with whom he did not immediately develop good relations. So, in September 1869, he wrote in his diary: “I despised sister Marya K because she often comes to see me, lives idle, as if she had a fight with her husband; But isn’t it the dying person who must be accepted, caressed, consoled, reassured? But she has many good qualities: she is pious, pious, affectionate, and kind-hearted. I did not clearly express my anger, but she felt it and her heart turned away from me. And when my heart turned to her, her heart turned to me, and she became kind to me. Oh, how the enemy shakes our hearts with enmity, with hellish malice! Where is the sincere love in me? M.K. Pesotskaya is constantly mentioned in letters from Father John to his wife in the 1900s. We are talking about the nieces of E.K. Sergieva, the daughters of her sister Anna - Rufina and Liza Tsvetkova, who were taken to the house of Father John for education after the death of their father in 1872. The appearance of children in the house was the fulfillment of a long-standing desire of Elizaveta Konstantinovna. Back in 1865, Father wrote in his diary: “When your wife wants to take in someone else’s child for feeding and living with her, or when you are asked to take him in for living and feeding, accept him as your own, or even more so, as a child of God...” It is unclear who we are talking about. But judging by the entries in the diary, in the summer of 1877 Father John was vacationing somewhere in the vicinity of St. Petersburg. On July 29, returning to Kronstadt, he wrote: “After a long non-service of the Liturgy, after a long party, inaction, gluttony, satiety, wine drinking and various delicacies, I had to experience today, while serving an early mass in the Duma of the church, severe machinations with violence from the spirits of evil...” On April 15, 1878, Father John was awarded the Order of St. Anne, 3rd degree, “for excellent and diligent service at the Kronstadt gymnasium as a teacher of the law” (RGIA. F. 796. On. 438. D. 2989). On April 24, he wrote in his diary: “On Monday, Fomin Week, I received news from a courier that I had been awarded the Order of St. Anna, 3rd degree (the Order of bickering: for the director of the gymnasium expected a bribe and did not want to present it to him, saying that the Emperor did not order to present anyone from those performing peaceful duties, but only those who had distinguished themselves in the military field, but presented it later when I decided to take my form from him).” That same day in the evening, Father John wrote in his diary: “I thank the Lord, who gave me grace that sobered and warmed my cold heart when I served the all-night vigil on the Feast of the Ascension. Before the all-night vigil, I was with the couple who were celebrating their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary and ate deliciously and drank two or three glasses of wine, which is why I became somewhat drunk. – I thank the Lord, who has given me fervor in prayer and boldness, with unfailing service. Oh! How my heart grows cold and coarse from food...” Reprinted from: Letters to relatives. pp. 17–18. May 25 – Third discovery of the head of the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John. For information about intra-family conflicts related to Father John’s financial support for his relatives, see: 2 to the letter dated March 23, 1876 and accept. 1 to letter dated November 19, 1876 From April 25 to May 10, Father John had right-sided pneumonia. He wrote in his diary: “...25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 were critical days for me for life or death; the inflammation was severe - the fever reached over 40 degrees; breathing was difficult; strong pains were shot in the head; intense heat in the lower back. But the Lord had mercy; After 9 days, all illnesses disappeared. I started to get better. Didn't come out into the air until May 11th. I had the good fortune to confess three times and partake of the Holy Mysteries. I recovered from my illness by God’s ineffable grace! I have been given a reprieve. I must use the rest of the time for repentance and correction.” The main shrine of the Great Lavra Church of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra - the miraculous icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God and the relics of the holy saints of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra: St. Theodosius of Pechersk, the first Metropolitan of Kyiv St. Michael, St. equal to Prince Vladimir (in total, the Kiev Pechersk Lavra contains the relics of 80 saints in the Near Caves and 45 in the Far Caves). We are talking about E.K. Sergieva and her relatives. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 272–273. For the first time: KP. 1914. No. 3. P. 43. See letter dated September 2, 1862 and note. 1, 4 to him. The congress took place at the Alexander Nevsky Theological School from September 1 to September 9. Father John gave a speech at this congress, the text of which he outlined in his diary: “I thank the Lord, who gave me the courage to say a useful and fair word in the meeting of deputies about fair gratitude to the Council of Trustees; about the students of the Alexander Nevsky School being dismissed from the school." During the days of the congress, in his free hours, Father John “lived with relatives and walked around St. Petersburg.” His spiritual state these days is evidenced by the entry dated September 8: “I thank the Lord with all my heart, for He has honored me with the abundance of His grace.” P. S. Burachek moved with his family from St. Petersburg to Kronstadt, became an active member of St. Andrew's parish guardianship and an ally of Father John (see letter to E. S. Burachek dated December 22, 1880). Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 274–274v. For the first time: KP. 1914. No. 3. P. 43–44. In 1880, her daughters Olga, Ekaterina, Maria, Sofia and Varvara lived with their mother in St. Petersburg. The celebration of the 2nd 5th anniversary of Father John's priestly service took place on December 14 in St. Andrew's Cathedral and continued in the dining room of the Commercial Assembly. After the Liturgy, on the initiative of the Council of St. Andrew's Parish Trustees and parishioners, Father John was presented with a letter of thanks and a gold pectoral cross decorated with precious stones. The address, with many signatures, said, in part: “Day and night found you ready to carry out the difficult task of your pastoral ministry. You made no difference - rich, noble or poor unfortunate man called you. They are all for you: members of the Church, your neighbors, children of God, souls entrusted to you! Whether grief, need, the spiritual fall of everyone were your heartfelt sorrows, and you quickened your steps and brought consolation, material help, spiritual renewal to both the ward and the hut - it makes no difference! Who can count how many tears you wiped away? How many poor people have been fed, shod, and clothed by you?” (KV. 1880. No. 147, December 17). December 15, 1880 Father John wrote in his diary: “I thank the Lord for yesterday, filled with the greatest mercies and gifts of God: the kind gratitude of the people who gathered in large numbers for the doxology and prayer for mass and for my sacred anniversary, and the reading of the address from the Parish and Guardianship with the presentation of a precious cross made of gold and precious stones. Unprecedented mercy of God! Published from: KV, 1881, September 2, No. 101. Published from: KV, 1881, November 4, No. 126. For the participation of Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna in the construction of the House of Diligence, see also note. 1 to the telegram to Grand Duchess Ekaterina Mikhailovna dated August 16, 1881 and notes. 2 to the letter to the Governor General of Moscow, Prince V. A. Dolgorukov with the date: no earlier than December 4, 1881. Reprinted from: Letters to relatives. pp. 18–19. Graduates of lower military schools had the rank of sub-ensign and could be promoted to officer only on the recommendation of their immediate superiors. Father's nieces Ioann Rufina and Liza Tsvetkova. Published by: GMIR. F. 38. Op. 1. D. 12. L. 18, 18 rev. Published for the first time. Dated according to the entry in the diary: “From November 25 to December 4, I was on vacation in Moscow to raise money for the House of Industriousness” (GARF. F. 1067. Op. 1. D. 23. L. 122). Father John visited Moscow as part of a delegation from St. Andrew's parish trusteeship “in order to acquaint Moscow philanthropists with the establishment of the House of Diligence in Kronstadt in memory of the unforgettable Tsar-Martyr” Alexander II. “They expressed their sympathy for this cause not only with monetary donations, but also with handwritten entries in the main collection book of Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Adjutant General Count Ignatiev, and the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod, K. P. Pobedonostsev” (MV. 1881. November 25, No. 327). In addition to Father John, the delegation also included “the chairman of the administrative council, captain of the 2nd rank P. S. Burachek, the Kronstadt mayor V. D. Nikitin, members of the Council, state councilor Baron 0.0. Buxhoeveden and Lieutenant Commander V.A. Plotto" (Tam Hie). The warm reception of the Moscow Governor-General, Prince V. A. Dolgorukov, was also ensured by the recommendations given to the deputation on August 25, 1881. Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich and Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna during the laying of the House of Diligence, “which will not only remind of the Tsar-Liberator and champion of public education, but also continue the work of his life, teach work and spread knowledge, serve to improve the life of the people...” (Ibid. November 30, No. 332). In the diary of Father John for this period, a prayer was preserved for the establishment of the House of Diligence and for a favorable trip to Moscow: “Lord our God, Creator of heaven and earth, having brought countless creatures into existence from non-existence and having enclosed countless treasures of vegetation and fossils in the bowels of the earth, and with these nourished and enriched the human race and given all that is useful! We pray to You, Thy unworthy servants - hear our prayer at this hour and take away the bitter and lamentable needs of the multitude of Your poor people in this city and in other cities and villages through the establishment in our city of the House of Diligence and bestow upon us, who undertook in Your name and in memory of our former Tsar Alexander II the construction of it - Thy rich mercies and bounties and attracted the hearts of the property people of the city of Moscow and other cities by the mania of Your omnipotent power for the willing and generous donation of Your gifts - for all its final dispensation. And now on You, the One, the All-Good, the All-Bounteous, the Almighty Creator of all and the Helper in good deeds, we place all our hope in our journey to the capital city. Open therefore, O Lord, the doors of houses, the hearts of the citizens of this city to us, Thy servants, and do not disgrace us in our hopes, for in Thee, O Lord, they all trust (Ps. 144:15)..." Eucharistic canon, priest's prayer, from the Divine Liturgy. Troparion for the Dead, ch. 8th, Meat Saturday. Reprinted by: KV. 1881. December 16, No. 146. Dates according to the time of publication in the newspaper. Reprinted from: Letters to relatives. P. 19. Reprinted from: Letters to relatives. P. 20. Reprinted by: KV. 1882. February 10, No. 16. Dates from the time of publication in the newspaper. This is the first mention of the use of the name of Father John for personal gain, indicating his growing popularity. In the future, such speculation will take on an all-Russian scale (see letters to the editor of the newspaper “Kronstadt Bulletin” dated March 15, 1887 and from mid-January 1889, to the editors of the magazine “Soulful Reading” with the date: no later than May 27, 1901, to the editor of the newspaper “Svet” V.V. Komarov dated the end of March 1907, etc.). The fact of being promoted to officer the next year after graduating from college was quite rare, since this required the presence of a free vacancy in the unit. Transfer during production to other units was allowed only to those who had at least a secondary education. Happy Easter, which in 1882 fell on March 28. Reprinted from: Letters to relatives. P. 21. Reprinted by: KV. 1882. September 22, No. 111. Dates from the time of publication in the newspaper. An example of such sacrificial service was, first of all, Father John himself, who, in creating a new charitable institution, had to overcome the ill will of even his closest circle. So, on December 4, after returning from Moscow, where he went to collect funds for the House of Diligence, Father wrote in his diary: “I thank the Lord, who heard the prayer of my repentance to repay my enmity towards Archpriest Pavel Trachevsky for deducting money from me regarding the service of early mass for me by an outside priest; The archpriest expressed his hostility towards the Trusteeship in my person by collecting money from me, as if I had gone to Moscow for my own needs. “God accepted my repentance, took away enmity from my soul and gave love and peace, meekness and kindness to my heart.” In No. 112 for December 24, “Kronstadt Herald” appeared a new note signed “Everyman”, which was called “A few words about the letter from the Council of St. Andrew’s Guardianship, published in No. 111 of “Kronstadt Herald”. The note sounded the previous distrust of the Trusteeship and, moreover, contained a hint that unseemly things were happening behind Father John’s back: “The Board of Trustees published a letter in No. 111 of the Kronstadt Bulletin, the meaning of which we refuse to explain out of a sense of our deep respect for the bright and respectful person who signed this letter” (KV. 1882. October 24, No. 112). The note ended with a call for complete transparency in the distribution of donated amounts. Father John refused further discussion and remained confident in the honesty of the members of the Board of Trustees. On October 5, 1882, he wrote in his diary: “The House of Industriousness, after God, owes its existence to the name of Sovereign Alexander II and the tireless zeal and energy of the members of St. Andrew’s guardianship.” Reprinted by: KV. 1882. October 10, No. 119. Dated according to content: the response telegram was published in the newspaper for October 10. The Grand Duke’s response telegram from Yalta said: “I sincerely rejoice at the upcoming opening of the House of Industriousness and wish complete success to this such a useful institution. Konstantin" (KV. 1882. October 10, No. 119). Published by: RGIA. F. 1574. Op, 2. D. 108. L.81–82. In the same Word (see note 1), Father John highlighted the history of the construction of the House of Diligence: “Begun with construction in the spring of last year and completed in rough form, it burned down in the fall from an unknown reason, as did the wooden House of Guardianship along with it. It is regrettable and painful to see these humane institutions go up in flames. But the founders, having grieved, placed their trust in God and set to work again with redoubled and tripled energy. Fairly hoping that the Russian people would not refuse, for the sake of the name of Emperor Alex II, dear to Russia, to bring their mites to the construction of a worthy, philanthropic Monument to him, members of the Trusteeship went to both capitals with offers to different persons of every rank, status, religion - about donations - and God opened the hearts of good people, sacrifices began to come from everywhere, and in the end the Trusteeship became able to restore the building destroyed by the fire and bring it to a happy and wonderful end" (Ibid. L. 44v. - 45. See also the letter to V.A. Dolgorukov with the date: no earlier than December 4, 1881, note. 1 to telegram Vel. book Ekaterina Mikhailovna dated August 16, 1881, telegram from Vel. book Konstantin Nikolaevich with the date: no earlier than December 4 and note. 7 to the letter to E.V. Fidelin dated October 25, 1882). The request was granted. The requested subsidy from the State Treasury in the amount of 1000 rubles. was received by order of the Highest and was paid to the House annually since 1883 (Report, 1885. P. 53). Published by: RGIA. F. 1574. Op. 2. D. 108. L. 83. Reprinted from: Letters to relatives. P. 22. Dated approximately - in connection with the letter to E.V. Fidelin dated October 25, 1882. Reprinted by: KV. 1883. December 14, No. 148. Dates according to the time of publication in the newspaper. Reprinted from: Zhivotov N.N. Father John Ilyich Sergiev of Kronstadt, Archpriest of St. Andrew's Cathedral. M., 1894. P.75. Dated approximately according to the mention in the text of the publication: “The masses did not yet know anything about Father John, but instinctively expected a miracle from ... Kronstadt.” The text of the famous “statement of gratitude,” in which for the first time the press reported on a number of healings through the prayers of Father John, was published on December 20, 1883 in the newspaper “Novoye Vremya” (see note 1 to the letter dated November 24, 1885). Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op.1. D. 11. L. 29. Wed: Sunday stichera (Octoeche) on the stichera, ch. 2nd. Reprinted from: PL. 1886. May 1, No. 115. The article entitled “Miraculous Healing” says: “We are informed of a new case of miraculous healing through the prayer of Fr. Ioanna Sergiev. Just before Easter, the children of a peasant living in the capital (Yaroslavl province, Myshkinsky district) fell dangerously ill; The disease turned out to be epidemic (typhoid fever) and became so acute that, according to doctors, the children - a 6-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy - were in danger of death. In this desperate situation, the father of the little ones decided to bother the venerable Kronstadt archpriest with a written request for prayer for their healing. The day after the letter was sent, the eldest child began to recover; one more day - and the youngest son is also healthy. On the third day, the happy father receives a letter from the pious Kronstadt priest with the following content. The disease passed as quickly as typhoid fever never passes, requiring long-term care even during recovery.” Published by: GMIR. F. 38. Op. 1. D. 10. L. 29–30 rev.; D. 9. L. 27 (envelope). Published for the first time. In his diary about his trip to Berlin, Father John wrote: “June 4–24. God bless me, granting me grace and mercy to travel to Berlin and find grace there before all members of the Embassy. Remember, Lord, for the sake of Your Name, I am mentally ill with Your servant, Countess Elizabeth, for whose sake I was invited to Berlin.” Published according to the publication (abridged): PL. 1909. No. 40, February 11. P. 2. Signature: A. V-n. Dated by content. Published by: GMIR. F. 38. Op. 1. D. 10. L. 28, 28v., 41. Published for the first time. Reprinted by: KV. 1887. March 18, No. 32. Also published in the newspaper “Svet” for March 18, No. 59. The letter was preceded by an editorial note: “We give space to the following letter from our venerable Archpriest I. I. Sergiev, already published in some St. Petersburg newspapers” (see also letters to the editor of the Kronstadt Bulletin newspaper dated mid-January 1889; G. Remennikov dated mid-February 1898; to the editors of the magazine “Soulful Reading” with the date: no later than May 27, 1901 and notes to them). Reprinted by: KV. 1187. March 22, No. 34. One of the eyewitnesses described Tekanov’s behavior this way: “From the very first words of the conversation, the pilgrim attracted the attention of everyone present with his frantic cry, he cried bitterly and it was difficult to understand what exactly he was talking about; then, at the admonition of Father John, he stopped his sobbing and, kneeling before the image of the Mother of God, with outstretched arms, began to say out loud some kind of schismatic prayer; Having been stopped in this too, the pilgrim clerk jumped to his feet and, wrapping both hands in a ring around Father John’s body, began to crush him with such force that the latter, unable to breathe, could hardly cry out with great effort” (Ibid.). An extensive article by N. S. Leskov, “The Termination of the Kronstadt Affair,” appeared in the Petersburg Newspaper, dedicated to nervous diseases widespread among the people and the incident in Kronstadt (1887. March 25, No. 82). Father John's petition was granted, Tekanov turned to him with a request for forgiveness, explaining his actions as unconsciousness and complete unintentionality (EV. 1887. March 22, No. 34). Published by: GAAO. F. 29. Op. 4. T. 3. D. 926. L. 8–8v. Published for the first time. According to a certificate compiled by the Arkhangelsk Theological Consistory “as a result of the report of the dean priest Kirill Terentiev on November 14, 1887, No. 460,” Father John donated 15,923 rubles for the construction of the church in the Sursky parish. 93 kop. (GAAO. F. 29. Op. 4. T. 3. D. 926. L. 8v.). See letter to the Arkhangelsk Provincial Board dated December 12, 1887. Published by: GAAO. F. 75. Op. 1. D. 1593. L. 1. Published for the first time. The plan of the St. Nicholas Church was reviewed and approved at a meeting of the Construction Department of the Arkhangelsk Provincial Board on February 4, 1888. In the summer of the same year, construction work began, led by the peasant Polezhaev. However, on October 10, 1888 The construction department decided to “suspend further construction of the said church,” since the peasant Polezhaev, “who did not receive a special technical education and does not have a legal certificate,” could have made serious mistakes during construction. The provincial government demanded that the construction must be carried out under the supervision of a technician. In March 1889, Bishop Nathanael of Arkhangelsk appealed to the governor with a request to cancel the order of the Construction Department, but was refused. Then Sharvin, with the consent of Father John, entered into an agreement with the local architect N.F. Okushko, who agreed to “supervise the construction of the stone church.” Summer 1889 work on the construction of the church could not be continued for a long time, “due to the order of the Construction Department not to begin construction until the arrival of the architect”; the artisans lived idle, which “caused the church builder Fr. John suffered significant material damage." Okushko left Arkhangelsk for Sura only on June 15, after Sharvin’s personal letter to the vice-governor of Arkhangelsk A.S. Zabotkin (Ibid. L. 5, b, 7, 10–11 ob., 23–23 ob.). Reprinted from: KP. 1912. No. 3. P. 52–53. The original was kept in the family of the editor of the Kronstadt Shepherd, Archpriest John of Oriatsky, and his wife Anna Semyonovna, the daughter of S.P. and D.I. Malkin. Dated in content and in comparison with letters to Bishop Nathanael and the Arkhangelsk Provincial Board of December 12, 1887. In a letter to Father John dated September 21, 1905, Evdokim Malkin recalled the impact military service had on his life: “... for although my years are young in comparison with yours (I’m 41), but since childhood, the beatings [beatings - Ed] and besides, military service have had a lot of influence on my life, and at the present time I try like a fish on ice. All this, as you can see, has aged me. Instead of 40 years, you can say 50…” (TsGIASPb. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 5. L. 88–89 rev.). Father John kept his promise: the first letters from Father’s relatives from Sura mentioning his financial assistance date back to 1875 (sent 5 rubles to Andrei Semenovich Malkin); the latter date back to 1908 (Ibid. L. 5–5v., 77–78, 86–86v., etc.). Probably the husband of Evdokia Filippovna Pokrovskaya mentioned below. Her letter to Father John dated November 16, 1905 has been preserved (Ibid. D. 4. L. 125–126). Until 1891, there were two wooden churches in Sura - in honor of the Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos and in the name of St. Nicholas, built in 1587 and 1687. By the middle of the 19th century. both churches were dilapidated and required serious repairs. Father John back in the 1860s. began sending funds to Sura churches. So, on March 5, 1861, the Sura priest Alexander Zuev wrote to him: “I hasten to notify you that the holy altar Gospel, donated by the Kronstadt merchant Timofey Petrovich Sidorov to the Sura Church of the Virgin of the Presentation, was received by me on January 15 from the artel worker Gleb Mikheevich Rodionov, preserved and the name of the donor is inscribed in a memorial church book for eternal remembrance. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your concern for the poor churches of Sur. Don't be bored, oh. John, that the matter of amending the church is progressing slowly, the stop is not for me, but for the parishioners, they are very quietly delivering the material needed for amendments, and without the material it is impossible to get down to business” (Ibid. D. 2. L. 239–240v.). Beginning in 1884, Father John regularly donated money for the construction of a new stone Sura church in the name of St. Nicholas. If during 1884–1886. the donated amounts did not exceed 100 rubles, then from 1887 a sharp increase in monetary investments began, which now amount to thousands. On December 13, 1887, Father John sent to the Arkhangelsk Provincial Board a plan for the proposed construction of the church, and on May 30, 1888, the Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory in the name of Father John issued a church charter with a blessing for the construction of a stone church in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the Sursky parish of the Pinega district (ΓΑΛΟ. F. 29. Op. 4. T. 5. D. 5279. L. 8, 26, 27). The church was consecrated June 27–29, 1891. A special committee was created in Sura to build a new stone church. For the composition of this committee, see note. 3 to the letter to Bishop Nathanael dated December 12, 1887 Published by: GMIR. F. 38. Op. 1. D. 12. L. 15. Published for the first time. Father John went to Sura to participate in the laying of the church. This trip includes a diary entry: “From June 23 to July 21. Until July 19, he was on leave to his homeland, where he laid the foundation for a stone church for the glory of God and in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. During all the days of my journey forward and back, the Lord wonderfully kept me from sin and invisible enemies, delivering me from their snares and snares - and was with me.” On the letter there is a mark: “1888. July 30. It is authorized to build two chapels in the stone church in the Sursky parish of the Pinega district, one in the name of St. Great Martyr Paraskeva, and the other in the name of St. John the Wonderworker of Rila, according to the approved draft of the iconostasis, about which Resolution A E Vedomosti should be printed, and the Consistory should prepare a statement on my behalf about. Prot<oierek" to John Sergiev. Bishop Nathanael." Published by: GAAO. F. 29. Op. 4. T. 3. D. 926. L. 3131ob. Published for the first time. In the August issue of the “Arkhangelsk Diocesan Gazette” the following resolution was published: “As a result of the petition of the Kronstadt St. Andrew’s Cathedral of Archpriest John Sergiev, His Eminence, the Most Reverend Nathanael, Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory, allowed him, Archpriest John Sergiev, to build at his own expense in the Sursky parish Pinega district stone church to build two side chapels according to the iconostasis design approved by His Eminence: one chapel in the name of St. VMC. Paraskeva and another in the name of St. John of Rila the Wonderworker" (Arkhangelsk EV. 1888. No. 9–10. Part of the official. P. 97). Reprinted from: KP. Vol. I. P. 333. We are talking about the Orthodox Baltic Brotherhood. The Ievvensky branch of the Brotherhood took an active part in the formation of the Pyukhtitsa Orthodox parish, established in 1885 by order of the Holy Synod, “in order to protect the Pyukhtitsa shrine (the Miraculous Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary) from heterodox encroachments.” Father John's first monetary donation to the Pukhtitsa Orthodox parish dates back to 1887. In 1891, when the Pukhtitsa Orthodox parish was transformed into the Assumption Women's Community, Father John personally prayerfully blessed it. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 295–297. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 17. pp. 306–308. Dated by content: the letter refers to a “virgin who dedicated herself to God” and has not yet become a nun. From the track record of nun Florentin, it is known that she was identified as a novice of the Novgorod Derevyanitsky Resurrection nunnery on June 21, 1882, and was tonsured a monk on October 25, 1888 (RGIA. F. 796. On. 181. D. 380. L. 3-4). The priest’s prayer according to the “Our Father” (“We give thanks to You, the Invisible King...”), from the Divine Liturgy. Stichera of the 3rd tone of Octoechos at the stichera of Matins on Monday. Compare: “And Gregory the Theologian teaches all Christians and tells them that they should remember the name of God in prayer more often than to breathe in the air” (Philokalia. In the Russian translation of St. Theophan the Recluse. T. 5. M., 1889. P. 516). The nun's mother Florentin, a nun of the St. Petersburg Resurrection Monastery Macrina, was her daughter's constant companion in monastic life. Reprinted by: KV. 1889. January 20, No. 9. Dates according to the time of publication in the newspaper. See letter to the editor of the Kronstadt Bulletin newspaper dated March 15, 1887; G. Remennikov from mid-February 1898; to the editors of the magazine “Soulful Reading” with the date: no later than May 27, 1901 and note. to them. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 292. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 36–37. P. 620. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 290. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 36–37. P. 620. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 304–304v. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 36–37. P. 621. Perhaps this refers to a resident of Kronstadt, Elizaveta Shcheglova, through whom Father John’s connection with the Derevyanitsky Monastery was maintained, as evidenced by her note to Father dated December 19, 1891: “I earnestly ask you to welcome us to a prayer service today; I have a nun waiting for you, who came from Derevyanitsy with an order from Mother Florentin...” (Ibid. D. 7a. L. 115). The holiday of Holy Easter in 1889 fell on April 9. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 285–286. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 36–37. P. 622. Printed from the autograph: PH B. F. 124 (P. L. Vaksel). No. 3961. By August 1889, Father John had already returned from a trip to his homeland. He served the Liturgy daily in St. Andrew's Cathedral and prayer services in the houses of those who invited him in Kronstadt and St. Petersburg. See the diary entry: “June 18 to August 1. He was away in Arkhang Gub to his homeland in the village of Suru, in Kholmogory, in Arkhang, in the Solov Monastery. I thank the Lord, who performed miracles of mercy in me throughout my journey and my stay in the designated places, who showed us His greatness in the indignant and boiling White Sea and saved us from drowning in this abyss, which is 300 and 500 fathoms deep. I thank the Most Rev. Archang Nathanael, Fr. Rector of the Seminary Peter Wrong. - Alexandra. – Ed.] Orlov and the governor of Arkhang, Prince Golitsyn and his wife and all the inhabitants of the mountains. Arkhan, who kindly and prayerfully received and treated me.” Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 308. Published for the first time. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. He. 1. D. 14. L. 313. Published for the first time. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op.1. D. 14. L. 309. Published for the first time. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 310. Published for the first time. Published by: TsGIASPb. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 307. Published for the first time. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 311. Published for the first time. Father John’s letter is a postscript on a letter from E.K. Sergieva to the Shemyakins, which said: “The second day of Christmas, in the evening of 6 o’clock on December 26. '89. My dear Relatives Nikolai Nikolaevich and Rufachka! I kiss you deeply and congratulate you on the New Year and six months of your marriage, I wish you to spend the holidays in joy and health. Thank you Rufinochka for your letters that we received, one from Moscow, another from Kyiv, a third from Odessa and 3 telegrams; Nikolai Ivanovich Sh was so kind, sent us your message to read, Marya Nikolaevna brought a Telegram, Nikolai Nikolaevich where you found Rufa and how you met everyone, write to us and when you arrived in Piraeus, how you sailed the seas, all this interests us very much, we talk all day only about you, you’re right, you’ll often wonder. A.N. Kvitkina sent you a letter, Turygina and Tsepov will be engaged on December 28th and the wedding will be after the holidays. Our winter is so warm, there are no frosts at all and there is no snow, everything is raining, it looks more like Easter than Christmas. Write longitude in Piraeus, Vladimer Monomakh will stand. Ivan Ilyich travels with the cross, very exhausted, kisses you deeply and blesses you and prays for you, we are all healthy and everything is fine, Katenka and Kvitkina often visit us, thanks to them, I kiss you deeply, my darlings, your aunt Liza Sergieva who loves you to the grave.” Published by: GMIR. F. 38. Op. 1. D. 10. L. 1–2. Published for the first time. In December 1889, Father John wrote in his diary: “15 and 16. Remember my sailing nieces, Rufina and Elizabeth (they went to Greece, to Athens)” (GARF. F. 1067. Op. 1. D. 25. L. 205v.). Reprinted from: Schema-Abbess Tamar (Princess Mardzhanova). My favorite children. M., 2000. P. 9. Dates from the time of the establishment of the Bodbi Convent in the name of St. Equal to the Apostles Nina, the grand opening of which took place on May 7, 1889 (see: Bodbi Convent of St. Equal to the Apostles Nina. Tiflis, 1914. P. 6). Reprinted from: Dukhonina. P. 8. Dated by content: the telegram was sent at the end of the Dukhonins’ stay in Orel (see telegram to E.V. Dukhonina, dated 1887, within a year). Dukhonina turned to Father John with a request to pray for the recovery of her seriously ill nephew. “When I sent the telegram, Vasya was barely breathing, the doctor was sitting with him, waiting for the end. But shortly before receiving a reply telegram from Father, the boy's face became more lively and he fell fast asleep. After sleep, Vasya felt better and soon the boy completely recovered” (Ibid.). Published by: TsGIASPb. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 31. Published for the first time. Published by: TsGIASPb. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 289. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 36–37. P. 620. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 293. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 36–37. P. 620 (with an erroneous date: March 17). Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 288–288v. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 36–37. pp. 620–621. Father John's illness is mentioned in a telegram sent on March 4, 1890 to Moscow by M. II. Duhamel by the psalmist Pelds: “It seems that Father, thank God, is better” (GARF. F. 1067. Op. 1. D. 39. L. 1). Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 291. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 36–37. P. 622. Published by: TsGIASPb. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 294. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 36–37. P. 622. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 299–300. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 36–37. P. 621 (with an erroneous date: March 24). Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 287. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 36–37. P. 622. Published by: GMIR. F. 38. Op. 1. D. 10. L. 25–26. Published for the first time. Probably, we are talking about one of the 16 bells erected by an admirer of Father John, P. P. Ryzhov, at whose estate near Kharkov Father visited in July of the same 1890. This bell, the third in weight, had the inscription “I sing to my God, until I am” (Ps. 103:33). The largest bell, delivered later, weighed 258 pounds. Father John was a lover and connoisseur of bell ringing: in St. Petersburg he often stopped to listen to the bell of St. Isaac's Cathedral, which was distinguished by its strength, tenderness and harmony of sound; donated money to churches and monasteries to purchase bells; reflected on the purpose of the bell ringing in his diary: “The ringing of the bells is a call to a conversation with God, children with the Father, a call to appear before Him” (KP. Issue 1. P. 93). The same feeling of “pure joy” and amazement at the miracle of the emergence of a new church was expressed by Father John a year later, in a speech at its consecration: “Glory to God! This is not a dream or a ghost! This is reality, visible with the eyes and touched with the hands! This is truly a majestic, artistic, beautifully decorated, shining with gold and especially with the wonderful faces of the Lord and the Mother of God and His saints, a temple of God, in a poor village remote from the city, in which, although there are still two wooden churches, but due to their antiquity they are extremely dilapidated and close to destruction. . Yes, this is not a dream, and this is a joyful reality that the son of a poor cleric, on whom the Lord surprised and never ceases to amaze with His mercies and generosity, erected, by the will and assistance of God, a beautiful, not dilapidated church to the glory of the All-Creator God” (Ibid. p. 62). The consecration of the church in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker took place in Sura on July 27–29, 1891. Bishop Alexander (Zakke-Zakkis) was appointed to the Archangel See on June 3, 1890. Father John arrived in Arkhangelsk from Kholmogory on August 20, 1890, and on August 31 returned to Kronstadt (Arkhangelsk GV. 1890. August 22, No. 67; KV. 1890. September 2, No. 103). Upon returning from the trip, he wrote in his diary: “September 1, 1890. I thank the Lord, who guided me and assisted me in my long journey from the North-West to the South and from the South to the North to Arkhang lips to my homeland and - who usually accepted my repentance in spiritual stumblings and quickly, miraculously, immeasurably saved me from my sins, guided my steps and revived me with His life-giving, right-ruling (2 Tim. 2:15) right hand. I thank You, Lord, for You have made me worthy to see my church, raised by Your mercy and generosity, finished in rough form to the domes and the cross, a stone church, magnificent, majestic, spacious, with a majestic bell tower, with which the ringing brass will call loudly from its places - Your people to the praises of Your Name, the hymns of Your Liturgy and the Holy Mysteries. This refers to priests Pyotr Alekseevich Klepachevsky and Alexander Ivanovich Taratin, deacons Vladimir Vasilyevich Poletaev and Nikolai Petrovich Stefanovsky. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. S. 1. Wed: Prayer of St. John the Baptist, from the rite of Great Compline. Stichera of the 2nd tone, after the canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos, ch. 8th. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 282–283. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 36–37. P. 623. Published by: RGV. F. 253. Op. 9. D. 19. L. 4. Published first. In winter, it was possible to get from Kronstadt to St. Petersburg by train (i.e., by “car”) through Oranienbaum. Trains departed at 7, 8 and 11 am. Probably, Father John served the Liturgy in the cathedral that day, so he could not leave Kronstadt before 11 o’clock. Father John’s acquaintance with the count’s family is evidenced by the following note preserved in his archives from Countess Stenbock, apparently addressed to Father’s secretary: “Please be kind enough to answer Countess Stenbock, Kuznechny 20, on what days can one receive the Holy Mysteries at Fr. John" (TsGIA SPb. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 26. L. 116). Published by: People's Sobriety. 1898. Jan. No. 1. P. 7. Dated on the basis of the following note by D. N. Borodin to the fragment he cited from Father John’s letter: “This is how the venerable shepherd reasoned on January 9, 1891, and it took great effort for the writer of these lines to persuade him to accept the title of honorary chairman of the St. Petersburg Temperance Society” (Ibid.). Reprinted from: Church Truth. 1913. No. 9. P. 270–271. Published by: RGIA. F. 812. Op. 1. D. 300. L. 29329 Zob., 309. Published for the first time. By 1891, the 1st and 2nd volumes of the Complete Works of Archpriest John Ilyich Sergiev appeared. Volume one consisted of four sections: section one included three parts (1. 0 God - the Most Holy Trinity, 2. About God - the Creator of the world, 3. About God - the Provider of the world); the second section consisted of “Conversations on the Beatitudes of the Gospel”; the third section included “Teachings and words for the feasts of our Lord Jesus Christ”; in the fourth section - “Words and teachings on the feasts of the Mother of God.” Volume two included a full year's worth of words, teachings and conversations. Published by: TsGIASPb. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 301. For the first time: KP, 1913. No. 36–37. P. 623. Father John knew well the character of his spiritual daughter. Carried away by the struggle for “truth,” she often became irritated. In her letters there are such assessments: “My clerk also needed to be there, but he sent to say that he had an abscess on his shoulder (he couldn’t put on a fur coat), but meanwhile I went to see him early the next day and he wasn’t at home. He’s cunning, I can’t stand him” (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 40. L. 44v.); “I was surprised that you didn’t make the slightest remark to our Valentina for all her insolence, abominations, meanness, slander, swearing, ridicule to which she subjects us, and you yourself offended me most of all by indulging in her antics” (Ibid. L. 45v.); “...the sorrows completely killed us. I simply hate all people, I am so disgusted by cunning and human envy” (Ibid. D. 7g. L. 104). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 2. Dated on the basis of the following note by the abbess: “Reception of Fr. John in the Leushinsky monastery (for which he thanks) was during his first visit to the monastery in 1891 on July 16th. And the consecration of the cathedral church was being prepared on September 8th of the same year” (Ibid. p. 2). Father John visited Rybinsk on July 17, 1891 at the invitation of the Lipovskys. He followed the Vologda Railway train to the Volga station, and in Cherepovets transferred to a steamer sent by the Lipovskys. Continuing the journey by water, he arrived in Rybinsk on July 17 at 3 a.m., visiting the Leushinsky Monastery along the way (Yaroslavl GV. 1891. July 30, No. 59). Recalling the events of the past summer, Father John wrote in his diary on August 31, 1891: “It’s been a long time since I wrote in my book, more than four months ago. It is impossible to count and describe how many daily, great, saving mercies God gave me at that time. And in Kronstadt, and on both vacations, and at home, and on the road, especially on a long journey to the North and to the South - to Kharkov, at meetings of people and during services in the church, when countless people flocked. How much mercy of God there is during the service of Matins and Liturgies in different cities and monasteries! How much people's love, sympathy, respect, desire for me, a sinner. And the creation of a stone church in the homeland, in a poor village, splendid, decorated with all kinds of utensils, its solemn consecration - what a mercy of God! “I thank and glorify You, Lord, who glorifies me and wins the hearts of people towards me and who through them sent me material sacrifices for the creation and decoration of the church.” Reprinted from: Metropolitan Evlogy. The path of my life. M., 1994. P. 47. Reprinted from: Church Truth. 1913. No. 9. P. 271. Published by: TsGIASPb. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 278. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 36–37. P. 623. See note. 1 to letter to nun Florentin dated April 2, 1889 Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 19. He. 84. D. 6. L. 1618 vol. Published for the first time. Wed: Troparion for the week of Vai, ch. 1st. Jer. 11, 20; Open 2, 23. It is possible that this business trip of Father John is connected with the appearance in the “Additions” to the journal “Church Gazette” (the printed organ of the Holy Synod) of an article by the rector of St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Archpriest. Peter Smirnov “True and false miracles of our time”, which, in particular, said: “One cannot deny the special power of grace in the prayers and sacred rites of the famous Kronstadt shepherd. Anyone who has been to Kronstadt or to the chapel near the Glass Factory has seen the same movement of people, the same influx of people from all over Russia, as we have hitherto been accustomed to seeing only in Kyiv and Moscow. St. Petersburg becomes not only a state and government city, but also a city of prayer in Russia” (Addition to TsV. 1892. No. 11. P. 413, 419-420). This message was read by the priest Philosopher Ornatsky on March 6, 1892 at a meeting of the St. Petersburg Diocesan Brotherhood in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos, held in the apartment of the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod K. P. Pobedonostsev in the presence of many clergy and secular persons. Published by: RGIA. F. 728. Op. 1. D. 38. L. 4, 2 (envelope). Reprinted by: KV. 1892. June 14, No. 72. The telegram is accompanied by an editorial note: “We have received a telegram received by a private individual from Moscow, on June 8, from Father John Ilyich Sergiev. For the information of Father’s many admirers, we present this telegram verbatim according to: KV. 1892. June 14, No. 72. The telegram is accompanied by an editorial note: “We have received a telegram received by a private individual from Moscow, on June 8, from Father John Ilyich Sergiev. For the information of Father’s many admirers, we present this telegram verbatim.” Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 298. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 36–37. P. 625. Dated in connection with the letter of May 21, 1891 and in content: Metropolitan of Novgorod and St. Petersburg Isidor (Nikolsky) mentioned in the letter died on September 7, 1892. After his death, the Novgorod see was occupied by Archbishop Theognost (Lebedev). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 2–3. The letter is designated by the abbess with two numbers: “Letters 3 and 4” and is accompanied (next to) by her own note (in parentheses): “For brevity, united together.” The connection boundary is unclear. The Bezhetsky Annunciation Monastery was the subject of special concern for Father John. Probably, the visit to the monastery at the beginning of September 1892 was caused by a change in the abbess: Abbess Sophia, the founder and first head of the monastery, died on May 18, and her place was taken by the treasurer of the monastery, nun Antonia, elevated to the rank of abbess on August 2 (Tver EV. 1892. No. 18. Part of the official. P. 222). Father John’s help to the Bezhetsky Monastery is evidenced by a letter to him from Abbess Antonia (Zagadashnikova) dated December 20, 1892: “Again I fall at your feet, dear Father, and with joyful, grateful tears I bring you my warm, heartfelt gratitude for your gracious attention and fatherly disposition towards me and our entire monastery. I also received a great benefit from you, kind Father, an expensive sacrifice - three hundred rubles, for the needs of our monastery" (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 7g. L. 484–484ob.). Printed from a copy made by the addressee: SAAO. F. 29. Op. 4. T. 2. D. 3186. L. 12. Published for the first time. The merchant I. A. Zheverzheev had two shops in the Perinnaya line, one of them sold brocade and church vestments; in Grafsky Lane there was a workshop of “male spiritual tailoring” that belonged to him. Father John ordered vestments from Zheverzheev for many years. For example, on August 31, 1877, he wrote in his diary: “Send money to Zheverzheev, a merchant, in St. Petersburg.” These vestments are discussed in a telegram dated November 30, 1892. Published according to the newspaper text: Light. 1909. January 28, No. 27. Dated according to the note accompanying the publication, which states that Zhirov sent a telegram to Father John a month and a half after the start of the cholera epidemic. A newspaper report that cholera appeared in the Novomoskovsk district dates back to September 3, 1892 (Ekaterinoslav GV. 1892. September 3, No. 81). Published by: RSL. F. 253 (S. A. Romanova). Op. 9. No. 19. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 279. The date is conjectural: the last digit at the end is illegible. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 36–37. pp. 623–624. Nun Macrina died much later, on May 26, 1907 (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 146. L. 40–40v.). Published by: GAAO. F. 29. Op. 4. T. 2. D. 3186. L. 2–2v. Published for the first time. The dean of the Pinega district, the priest of the Pilegorsky parish, Vasily Ruchyev, and the priest of the Kevrol parish, Fileter Tsvetkov, were summoned to Arkhangelsk “to hand over things for distribution among the churches of the Pinega district” (Ibid. L. Zob.). Published by: GMIR. F. 38. Op. 1. D. 12. L. 3. Published for the first time. The year is determined based on reports in the local press (see note 2). Father John visited Tambov at the invitation of the merchant I.V. Grigoriev. The visit was short-lived: Father John arrived from Kozlov to Tambov on December 9 by the morning train and stayed in the city only until the first train departing for Moscow. “Despite the desire of those awaiting his arrival to keep such an important event for the citizens secret, news of this quickly spread throughout the city and already in the morning an extraordinary movement of people began to be noticed on the streets, wanting to at least see their dear guest if it was impossible to receive a blessing from him. And in such a short time of his stay in Tambov, Father John, having served a prayer service in the house of I.V. Grigoriev, managed to visit some more houses, at the head of the province, where he also prayed, and finally at the Most Reverend Jerome, from whom he went straight to the railway station, accompanied by a mass of crews” (Tambov GV. 1892. December 12, No. 133). Reprinted from: Ep. A. Semenov-Tien-Shansky. Father John of Kronstadt. Obninsk, 1995. P. 325. Published in: Sursky. P. 194. Published by: New Time. 1893. January 5, No. 6054. The letter was reprinted in other publications, for example “Odessky Vestnik” (1893. January 9, No. 7) and “Helmsman” (1893. No. 2. pp. 22–23). The publication of the letter was accompanied by the following editorial note: “We do not find this necessary, since the letter mentioned by Father John contains only the news of a widespread rumor in Odessa, repeated in his letter by Father John, with the addition that the war of 1893 will take Poland, Bessarabia, the provinces along the Dnieper and the Baltic region from Russia. The troublemakers have a very broad imagination.” On the front page of this issue of the newspaper there was another editorial note with the title “Letter from Father John”: “Who does not know the wide influence that Father John of Kronstadt enjoys. This name is known in all corners of Russia, but it turns out that people who are sowing trouble are beginning to use this name. Father John received a letter that could not help but alarm him, and he responded to it with that sincerity that distinguishes him so much and which made him so popular in Russia. He addresses himself primarily to those who trust him too much, and this phrase commends his sincere humility on the best side.” Published by: RGIA. F. 812. Op. 1. D. 300. L. 527527 rev. Published for the first time. The head of the monastery, Varvara, mentions the mentioned “appeal” (or rather, such an appeal), obviously related to the collection of funds for the Pukhtitsky Monastery, in a letter to the princess dated September 1891. “I was in Kronstadt with Father, and he wonderfully accepted and blessed the collection of 100 rubles. a ticket with coupons for the 3rd internal eastern loan, and what Father advised me was to write to the Prince and ask his Excellency to print an appeal, and Sabler says the same.” (Ibid. D. 229. L. 232v.). Irmos of the 3rd song, Sunday canon, ch. 2nd. See note. 1 to the letter to E. D. Shakhovskaya dated May 12, 1891 Reprinted from: Sursky. P. 440. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. S. 3. Stichera at the beginning of Easter Matins, ch. 6th. Perhaps this means Evdokia Samsonova. Her name is mentioned among the novices of the St. John the Baptist Leushinsky Monastery, who were allowed to be tonsured as nuns on October 15, 1893 (Novgorod EV. 1893. No. 19–20. P. 313). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. S. 4. Reprinted from: Sursky. P. 209. Reprinted from the newspaper “Orthodox Rus'”. 1936. No. 7–8. It dates approximately by content: the mention in the story of the healed woman’s son, Colonel Pavel Nikolaevich Bogdanovich, that the healing occurred 7–8 months before Father John’s visit to Rostov-on-Don. Father was in this city twice: December 10–13, 1893 and October 5–6, 1897. Judging by some details of the story of P. N. Bogdanovich, born in 1883. (“Father took me and my brother on his shoulders” - when meeting Father John’s train in Rostov-on-Don), healing most likely occurred in the spring of 1893. Published by: GMIR. F.38. Op.1. D. 9. L. 7–8. Published for the first time. In addition to Father John, the staff of St. Andrew's Cathedral in 1893 included: rector, prot. Pavel Trachevsky, priests Peter Klepachevsky and Alexander Taratin, deacons Vladimir Poletaev and Nikolai Stefanovsky, psalmist Dmitry Kamenogradsky and supernumerary psalmist Vladimir Zrelov. Father John lists his relatives by wife: A.K. Tsvetkov, R.G. and N.N. Shemyakin, Elizaveta Grigorievna Tsvetkova, Igor Shemyakin, Lisa Rodionova, P.K. Nesvitsky, M.K. Pesotskaya. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. S. 5. See about this in the letter from E.K. Sergieva dated July 19, 1893. Back in December 1891, the abbess, with the blessing of Father John, began collecting funds for the construction of the Leushinsky metochion in St. Petersburg on Basseynaya Street and soon collected the amount that made it possible to begin construction, completed in 1894. For information about Father John’s connections with the Bezhetsky Annunciation Monastery, see note. 3 to the letter to Abbess Taisia dated September 3, 1892. It is also known that in 1890, the St. Petersburg merchant F.A. Aristova expressed a desire to donate a stone house that belonged to her (in the 10th company of the Izmailovsky regiment, no. 21) in favor of this monastery, asking for the blessing of Father John for this (Tver Ev. 1890. No. 11. Part of the unofficial p. 344). Published by: GMIR. F.38. Op.1. D.12. L. 11. Published for the first time. Printed from the autograph: Pyukhtitsa. First published: City of Kitezh. 1992. No. 2 (7). P. 6. The letter is marked: “Received September 12.” Subsequently, Father John constantly supported prayerfully and financially both the Society as a whole and its Lakhta branch. In May 1893 he donated 300 rubles. for the construction of the Society’s building, and on August 27 of the same year another 200 rubles. (see the magazine “Rescue on the Waters”, 1893, No. 6, column 1 and No. 10, column 17). On February 26, 1895, the general meeting of the Lakhtinsky department of the Society expressed its deepest, heartfelt gratitude to Father John for his repeated donations, “so necessary for the beginning and not yet strong Lakhtinsky department.” On January 15, 1896, Father sent 100 rubles through his secretary A.A. Kostin. for the needs of the station (RGIA. D. 1260. L. 107; D. 1256, L. 2, 29). Published by: RGIA. F. 812. Op. 1. D. 300. L. 564, 566. Published for the first time. Published from: Central Historical Archive of Moscow. F. 229. He. 4. D. 5669. L. 1. Father John did not limit himself to the amount sent with the letter. In his word, spoken at the fraternal meal that ended Father’s stay at the Academy in January 1895, Professor I. N. Korsunsky said: “I will not and will not even dare to touch on your inner, spiritual life, your “Life of Christ,” which earned you universal respect and reverence and which was primarily the basis for our Academy to elect you as an honorary member of this latter. I will only speak about that side of your life and activity that also arouses surprise and respect for you everywhere, but which is more palpable for ordinary consciousness - I will speak about your benefits to the Brotherhood of St. Sergius, which is affiliated with our Academy, to help the needy students and pupils of this Academy. Your generous donations to the Brotherhood, repeated in a relatively short time and especially valuable at the present time of the financial crisis the Brotherhood is experiencing, prompt us to express our deepest gratitude to you for these blessings and our sincere wish that the Lord preserve your precious life for many more years." pupils 100 rubles"). – See: Visit to the Moscow Theological Academy by Father John of Kronstadt. M., 1895. P. 21. Published by: IRLI. F. 162. Op. 4. No. 1025. On the indicated days, the concert could hardly take place: due to freezing, the steamship service between Kronstadt and Oranienbaum was interrupted. Reprinted from: Addition to the Central Bank. 1893. December 11, No. 50. P. 1811. Father John visited the archbishop at his residence in the Tolgskoad monastery on his way to his homeland in Sura or back and often concelebrated with him. Published by: RSL. F. 58. K. 70. D. 45. Published for the first time. N. N. Shemyakin’s desire to leave service in the Maritime Department was probably connected with his intention to transfer to the civilian service. However, only a year later, by the highest order of December 19, 1894, Shemyakin was dismissed “to the naval reserve with renaming to the appropriate civilian rank for assignment to civil affairs” (St. John of Kronstadt: sermons, memoirs of contemporaries and relatives. M., 2002. P. 222. See also letter to State Comptroller T.I. Filippov dated November 28 1894). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 5–6. Perhaps this means 3rd year student at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy Ivan Popov, a graduate of the Arkhangelsk Seminary. In 1893, Father John was an honorary member of the Academy, had the opportunity to communicate with students during exams and academic celebrations and could know Popov (Memorial book of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy for the 1893–1894 academic year, St. Petersburg, 1893. P. 26). About Anyuta’s future groom I.N. Ornatsky, see note. 1 to the letter to Abbess Taisia ​​dated May 4, 1894 Father John visited Rostov-on-Don on December 10–12, 1893 at the invitation of the local merchant G. F. Parshin. Several years earlier, Parshin brought his wife and daughter, who suffered from serious illnesses, to Kronstadt. The sick received healing through the prayers of Father John, and Father gave Parshin a promise to visit Rostov-on-Don at the first opportunity. During his stay in the city, Father John stayed in the house of public figure S.N. Solodov (Azov region. December 8, No. 311; December 9, No. 312; December 12, No. 315; December 13, No. 316). Published according to the text of the first publication: KP. Vol. I. P. 268. Published by: TsGIASPb. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 302. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 36–37. P. 624. P. Fidelin died in early January 1894 (an announcement about a free psalm vacancy in the Voronin Church of Demyansky District appeared on January 15 in No. 2 of the Novgorod EEs for 1894 (P. 35)). Published by autograph: Central State Historical Archive of St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 303. The end of the letter with the end of the date is torn off. Published for the first time. Dated according to the surviving part of the date “189...” and in comparison with the date of the last known letter to the nun Florentin, dating back to January 1894. Further, there is a break in Father John’s correspondence with her. Published in: News of the day. 1894. March 24, No. 3269. Dates approximately from the time of publication of the letter in the newspaper. Published by: IRLI. F. A. N. Maykova. D. 17004. L. 20–20 rev. E. A. Maykova, wife of Nikolai Apollonovich Maykov, the poet’s eldest son. On March 3, she gave birth prematurely to a dead child. The unskilled actions of the obstetrician led to “diphtheria blood poisoning,” which was complicated by external erysipelas and general weakening of the body (E. A. Maykova spent a long time caring for her son Mitya, who had scarlet fever). The extreme deterioration of the patient’s situation on March 11 (the temperature rose to 40.5°) forced A. N. Maykov to turn to Father John for help on March 13: “For now, I wrote to Fr. John on Saturday" (Ibid. L. 20v.). In Maykov’s letter to his son Vladimir Apollonovich Maykov, there is a mention of his correspondence with Father John: “I sent Fr. John his writings and asked to pray for Katya - he notified by letter that he had prayed and today sent a huge stack of his recorded sermons and writings. It’s very interesting to read” (Ibid. L. 19v.). E. A. Maykova’s condition improved on March 14, the day after sending the letter to Father John. In a letter to V.A. Maikov, A.N. Maikov reported: “Yesterday, on Sunday late in the evening, it was known that after the second bath she felt an appetite for both soup and cutlets, so everyone brightened up. The situation was very dangerous” (Ibid. L. 20v.). Since 1852, A. N. Maikov began serving as a junior censor in the St. Petersburg Committee for Foreign Censorship; in 1875 he headed this committee (with the rank of full state councilor) and served in it until his death (in 1897). Published from: Kholm-Varshavsky E.V. 1894. No. 11. P. 189. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 6–7. Father John's departure for his homeland was scheduled for Monday, May 16, but was postponed to Sunday, May 22. On the day of his departure, a poem by A. Trifonov dedicated to this event appeared in the Kronstadt Bulletin newspaper (KV. 1894. May 18, No. 58; May 22, No. 60). Back in December 1893, Father John wrote to Abbess Taisia: “I propose to choose a groom for Anyuta from among the seminarians who have completed the course” (see letter to her dated December 16, 1893). His choice settled on Ivan Ornatsky (see letter from D.I. Malkina dated May 18, 1894). Father John arrived in Vologda from Moscow on Tuesday, May 24, by evening train. The day after the Liturgy in the Church of the All-Merciful Savior, he left the city by ship (Vologda Civil War. 1894. May 27, No. 21. Part unofficial). Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 280–281. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 36–37. P. 624 625. The year is established by comparison with the letter to nun Florentin dated July 25, 1894. In an undated letter to Father John, nun Florentia herself expressed a similar proposal: “Pray that the Lord will send me good people and then I will joyfully leave everything and everyone here. Here you need to be a trickster. I can’t, because I am embarrassed by lies” (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 40. L. 44). In 1894, Father John left Kronstadt on May 22. Memory of St. Arseny the Great is celebrated on May 8 (21). Reprinted from: KP. 1912. No. 3. P. 53–54. Presumably dated in connection with a letter from Abbess Taisia ​​dated May 4, 1894 (“I am going home after May 17”) and in content: Alexandra’s name day is celebrated on May 18 (see note 2 to this letter). Perhaps this means Alexandra Ivanovna Zaitsevskaya. Father John is referring to the upcoming service of Father John of Ornatsky at the Leushinsky Monastery in the church in the name of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian. The stone building of the courtyard (designed by the diocesan architect N. N. Nikonov) was built in 1894 on Basseynaya Street. (now Nekrasova St.). The consecration of the main chapel of the church took place on November 21, 1894 with the participation of Father John (TsV. 1894. No. 48. P. 1727), and the appointment of a new priest took place on August 10 of the same year: by order of the leadership of the Novgorod diocese “... the psalm-reader of the Cherepovets city Annunciation Church Ivan Ornatsky was appointed to the priestly place in the St. John the Theological Church of St. - Petersburg metochion of the Leushinsky convent" (Novgorod EV. 1894. September 1, No. 17. Part of the official. P. 782). Father John regularly sent money to his sister Daria, who lived with her son Alexei, and her eldest children Andrei and Evdokim, who had their own families. Later, when Anisya Malkina married Gerasim Kychev, Father John began to send money to four families (TsGIA SPb. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 5. L. 98–99, 102–104, etc.). Father John arrived in Sura on June 1 along with Archangel Bishop Nikanor. On the same day at 10 o'clock in the evening, work began on preparing the laying of a new stone building for the parish school: the site was measured, and the workers immediately began digging ditches. The next day, a prayer service was held and the site of future construction was consecrated. “After sprinkling the building materials with holy water, a metal plaque was placed in the north-eastern corner of the building with an inscription engraved on it about the foundation of the building during the reign of Emperor Alexander III, through the zeal of Fr. John under the Most Reverend Nikanor" (Arkhangelsk EV. 1894. No. 11. Part of the unofficial. P. 283–288). Reprinted from: Addition to CV. 1894. No. 23. P. 780. Published by: TsGIASPb. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 284. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 36–37. P. 624. The essence of the accusations against nun Florentin was formulated by His Grace Theognost, Archbishop of Novgorod and Staraya Rus', in a presentation to the Holy Synod on May 7, 1894: “By her willfulness, she has placed herself in an openly hostile relationship with members of the School Council; various reproachful expressions regarding them, irritating them with this, often gives me special reports regarding the decisions of the Council, sometimes unnecessary and inappropriate, evades the implementation of the rules of the charter and my orders based on it regarding the correct management of the school economy and the expenditure of school funds, tries to remove any assistance from the monastery in the maintenance of the school students, while the Derevyanitsky monastery was converted from male to female for this purpose, so that it would contribute maintenance of poor pupils; Besides this, one does not see in her true care for the students of the school and a loving attitude towards them. As for the monastery, in its management, as reported to me by the consistory and the Dean of the monastery, she allowed non-compliance with the orders of the Diocesan authorities and the demands of the Dean" (RGIA. F. 796. On. 175. D. 344. L. 1-2v.) Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 7–8. About A. S. Malkina, see letters to Abbess Taisiya dated July 20 and December 16, 1893, May 4, 1894. In the archives of the Ornatsky Sazonov family there is a photograph of the Abbess with the inscription: “To my dear and unforgettable Anna Semyonovna Sergieva, Abbess Taisiya, who sincerely loves her. 1894 July 5th day. Leushino." It was no accident that the abbess used the surname “Sergieva” (and not “Malkina”): Anyuta entered her, the teacher and “leader,” under this surname. In the family of A. S. Ornatskaya, everyone knew about the fact of her adoption by Father. And, of course, the abbess was the first to know about this. Published from: Astrakhansky Vestnik. 1894. August 25, No. 1531. Reprinted by: KV. 1894. August 21, No. 99. Dated according to the time of publication. The Kronstadt Bulletin reported that Gladkov, having learned about Father John’s intention to visit Rostov, disappeared in advance (Ibid.). The litter letter is ED. Shakhovskoy: “Received on September 19, 94.” The second name of the Pyukhtitsa monastery. Published by: RGIA. F. 1574. Op. 2. D. 190. L. 1. Published in: Russian Life. 1894. 2 (14) Oct., No. 261. We are talking about Group III (“Cheap fire-resistant and fireproof buildings”) of Division XVII (“Construction and engineering, river and sea merchant shipping”) of the All-Russian Exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod (1896). This group was headed by A. A. Porokhovshchikov. The leaders of the group hoped that the construction of “an entire village with cash and reliable income to ensure the maintenance of a permanent school for training in fire-resistant construction would mark the correct and lasting beginning of the gradual conversion of the ever-flaming wooden-straw and urban Rus' into fire-resistant” (Russian Life. 1894. August 8, No. 209). In order to fight fires, Peter I banned the construction of wooden houses in St. Petersburg and Moscow. But only “...Catherine the Great, having decided to turn wood-and-straw Russia into a fire-resistant one, pointed out first of all the need for training in this matter [i.e. e. fireman. – Ed.] with the organization of the corresponding schools, which she entrusted to her heir” (see: Verkhovskoy V.M. The question of cheap fire-resistant buildings in general and in particular at the All-Russian Exhibition of 1896. Report. St. Petersburg, 1897. P. 1). For more details, see: Chernykh V.V. History of fire fighting in Russia (from ancient times to the end of the 17th century). Irkutsk, 2004. The newspaper stated the statement of Father John that he “with all my heart sympathizes with the fulfillment of the wonderful intention regarding the construction of durable, fireproof and comfortable buildings for peasants in Russia.” To carry out this work, on May 22, 1894, Father donated 100 rubles, and on September 5 of the same year, another 100 rubles. (Russian life. 1894. September 22, No. 251). Father John knew about the danger of fires from personal experience: in 1847 he witnessed the consequences of a terrible fire in Arkhangelsk; in October 1874, a terrible fire in Kronstadt left 15 thousand people homeless (see letter “To the Residents of Kronstadt” with the date: no later than October 1874 and notes to it); at the end of 1881, the newly built wooden House of Diligence in Kronstadt burned down (see letter to the editor of the Kronstadt Bulletin magazine with the date: no later than December 15, 1881 and notes to it). The published letter was preceded by a brief report on the preparatory work of the above-mentioned III group of the XVII department and the following words from Porokhovshchikov: “This report was submitted for publication when we received a very gratifying addition to it. This addition is the letter from Fr. Archpriest of the Kronstadt Cathedral Ioann Ilyich Sergiev, in which the shepherd, revered by all Russia, expresses his heartfelt desire to come to Nizhny Novgorod on the day of the opening of the work of the III group, i.e., to the beginning of the theoretical and practical training of the first squad of peasants who should lead the work of turning “wooden-straw Russia into a fire-resistant one.” Published by: GARF. F. 601. Op. 1. D. 1408. L. 154. Published for the first time. The date of sending of the telegram was probably entered incorrectly. Published by: GAAO. F. 29. Op. 4. T. 2. D. 3192. L. 57–57v. Published for the first time. The list mentions the deceased relatives of Father John: K.P. and A.P. Nesvitsky - the parents of his wife E.K. Sergieva; I. M. and F. V. Sergiev are the parents of Father John himself; Priests Mikhail and Nikita Sergiev – Father’s grandfather and great-grandfather; Marfa Nikitichna Sergieva (nee Yanina) is his paternal grandmother; Daria Mikhailovna Sergieva (married Danilova) - his aunt, (father's sister) and successor, Evfemia Porokhina - maternal aunt, as well as his deceased brothers - Nikita, Vasily and John, warrior Alexander - possibly the eldest son of the Fidelins, Simeon - Semyon Prokopyevich Malkin, husband of Daria Sergieva - sister of John's father. Another name is Vasily - perhaps uncle Fr. John. The letter of Father John and the resolution of Bishop Nikanor on November 24, 1894 were discussed at a meeting of the Arkhangelsk Ecclesiastical Consistory. Decision No. 10184 read: “Let the prints of churches, abbots and abbess of monasteries of the Arkhangelsk diocese know about what is prescribed by decree, through printing in the Arkhangelsk Diocesan Gazette, for proper execution” (Arkhangelsk EV, 1894, December 15, No. 23. Part of the official page. P. 360) Published by: RGIA. F. 728. Op. 1. D. 38. L. 5. In the 1890s. Father John repeatedly turned to T.I. Filippov with similar requests (see letters to him dated May 11, 1892, March 17, 1895, November 16, 1899, etc.). Published by: RGIA. F. 1642. Op. 1. D. 437. L. 1. The letter is written in the hand of the secretary and signed by Father John. Since the sums donated by Father John were very significant, Kulomzin considered it his duty to consult with him on issues of distribution of these sums and the names of the churches being built. So, in a letter dated March 14, 1905, he asks Father where to send his ten thousand donation: “I remembered the settlers of 4 Siberian villages, who had long dreamed of a church of God, who collected feasible financial sacrifices among themselves and nevertheless were not able to build a church” (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 16a. L. 190–191). Reprinted from: Sursky. P. 313. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. S. 8. The Leushinsky Monastery needed funds to complete the construction of an extension to the building of the women's teacher's school (Historical description, p. 59). Reprinted from: Sursky. pp. 192–193. Reprinted from: Sursky. C, 448. Reprinted from: Samara EV. 1895. No. 6. Part of the official. pp.61–62. Wed: Stichera for Vespers (on “Lord, I cried...”), on Tuesday of the 3rd week of Great Lent, ch. 3rd. Father John served as a priest since 1855. Father John graduated from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 9–10. Father John of Kronstadt blessed Abbess Taisia ​​to write “Autobiographical Notes,” which included stories about the author’s deeply personal, intimate spiritual experience. On one of the notebooks of the manuscript of Abbess Taisia’s notes, Father John wrote in his own hand: “Wonderful, beautiful, divine, print for general edification. Prot. I. Sergiev, Aug. 21, 1892." In 1892, the 2nd edition of “Spiritual Poems of Abbess Taisia, Abbess of the St. John the Baptist Leushinsky Monastery” was also prepared (St. Petersburg, 1893). In a review of it, published in the “Addition to the Church Gazette,” N. Kutepov wrote: “The main idea that permeates almost all the poems is the consciousness of limitless dependence on the Almighty Creator, one’s insignificance and sinfulness before Him, a fiery hope for mercy and the all-forgiving mercy of God. Some of the poems are expressions of the personal feelings of Abbess Taisia ​​and were written about the private circumstances of life and activities in the position of abbess of the Leushinsky monastery. Other poems are written on topics taken by the author from the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, liturgical books and Chetiyh-Menya. These poems, compared with others, can be called the best in their edification, warmth and liveliness of feeling” (1893. July 17, No. 29. P. 1085). Father John conveys his respects to his family - Fr. John and Anna Semyonovna Ornatsky. Published by: GARF. F. 1099. Op. 1. D. 25. L. 1-Goiter. See letters to T.I. Filippov dated May 11, 1892 and November 28, 1894. From June 17, 1863 to May 14, 1866, B. E. Nensberg served as a teacher of the Russian language at the Kronstadt gymnasium, where Father John was the teacher of the law from 1862 (A short sketch of the 50th anniversary of the Kronstadt men's gymnasium. 1862–1912. Kronstadt, 1912. P. 60). Attached to Father John’s letter was a petition from Nensberg himself: “Retired court councilor Nensberg, after completing a course of science as a Full Student at Moscow University and a Candidate at St. Petersburg University, entered the public service and served in various positions, both in the Ministry of Finance and Public Education. While serving in the State Commission for the Repayment of Debts, he was sent to a special Office for the Credit Section, where, according to the Director of the Office, he performed the tasks assigned to him with excellent diligence. He continued his further service in the Amur Region, was Secretary of the Blagoveshchensk Guardianship of Prisons Committee and Assessor of the District Court of the Amur Region. Due to an eye disease typical of that region, he was forced to leave service on the Amur, first take advantage of vacation, and then, in 1893, resign and return to St. Petersburg for treatment; he was two years short of retirement. Now I take the courage to turn to Your Excellency with a request to deign to apply for his appointment to serve in the State Control Department under the command of Your Excellency. Residence: Sadovaya, no. 64" (GARF. F. 1099. Op. 1. D. 2582. L. Z-Zob.). The holiday of Holy Easter in 1895 fell on April 2. Published by: GMIR. F. 38. Op. 1. D. 12. L. 1. Presumably dated: on the indicated day - June 15 - Father John could have visited Moscow no later than 1895: in later years he usually went to Sura in June. Published by: GARF. F. 1099. Op. 1. D. 2582. L. 5–5v. Published for the first time. Reprinted from: Arkhangelsk EV. 1899. June 30, No. 12. Part of the unofficial. P. 335. Dated according to the content: in this issue of Vedomosti there was an obituary dedicated to the death of Archpriest Phileter Pavlovsky, which, in particular, said: “On August 20, 1895, the Arkhangelsk clergy, led by His Eminence Nikanor, Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory, and the cathedral parishioners celebrated the fulfillment of the day before 50th anniversary of service of Fr. Archpriest. On this day, the hero of the day received many letters of greeting, telegrams and gifts from his acquaintances, trustees and former students. But it was especially expensive for him to receive a telegram from Ivan Ilyich Sergiev.” Reprinted by: DV. 1895, No. 38. P. 886. Dated according to the content: the Feast of the Resurrection of the Word, in which Father John was invited to take part (see note 2), is celebrated by the Church on September 13 (26). The Council of the Society, at a meeting held on September 6, 1895, decided to ask the honorary member of the Society, Archpriest John Sergiev, to honor with his service the feast of the Resurrection of the Holy One in the temporary wooden Church of the Resurrection of Christ at the Warsaw Station in St. Petersburg, moved here by the Society from Stremyannaya Street and installed near the site of the foundation of the future stone church in honor of the Resurrection of Christ (the consecration of the new stone church took place on December 14, 1908, shortly before the death of Father). Archpriest Philosopher Ornatsky addressed Father with a letter, on which Father John sketched the draft response published above. Father John kept his promise: on September 13 at 7 a.m. he arrived from Strelna to the church to serve Matins and Liturgy. During the Liturgy, he was concelebrated by the oldest member of the Society's Council, Archpriest D. Ya. Nikitin, Archpriest F. N. Ornatsky and a member of the Society, priest P. P. Kulbush. After the Liturgy, Father John and the clergy went to a meal with the elder of the Resurrection Church, A. N. Kutuzov (DV. 1895. No. 38. pp. 886–887). Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 7a. L. 6. First published: Priest. A. Yakubov. “Little Orphans” of the Orthodox Church in Finland. Essay on the religious and moral life of the Orthodox population in Finland. St. Petersburg, 1899. P. 22. On the telegram there is a note in pencil: “Regiment reported to M. M. Ashikov.” Published by: RGIA. F. 1626. Op. 1. D. 1193. L. 1–2. Published for the first time. Probably, Father John learned about the case of Evgeniy Okromchedelov during his visit to Moscow on December 25 in connection with the death of E. V. Dukhonina’s husband. (Dukhonina. pp. 12–14). For the result of this petition, see the letter to I. L. Goremykin dated January 25, 1896. Published by: RGIA. F. 1626. Op. 1. D. 1193. L. 3. Published for the first time. The litter letter is ED. Shakhovskaya: “Received March 16. Rep. 17". The envelope from the letter, inscribed by Father John, has survived: “On the Baltic railway. To the Ievve station with transfer to Her Excellency Princess Elisaveta Dmitrievna Shakhovskaya in Pyukhtitsa.” Published according to the text of the newspaper: Crimea. 1896. August 8, No. 176. Printed by; GARF. F. 1099. Op. 1. D. 2582. L. 7–7v. Published for the first time. The letter mentioned has not survived. Published by: GARF. F. 1099. Op. 1. D. 2582. L. 9. On the letter from Father John there is a certificate (by an unknown hand) about the petitioner: “The daughter of Archpriest Maria Platonovna Travlinskaya was educated at the St. Petersburg Alexander Gymnasium. I have the honor to humbly request that she be given classes at the State Audit Office. Residence: St. Petersburg. Gorokhovaya st. D. 8. sq. 14" (Ibid.). Published by autograph: Central State Historical Archive of St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 275. Published for the first time. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 10. Reprinted from: Kotlin. 1896. December 31, No. 269. Dates approximately from the time of publication in the newspaper. Reprinted from: MO. 1900. Jan, p. 166. Reprinted from: Source. P. 636. Initially, it was assumed that churches at the stations of the Siberian Line would be built using the remainder of the funds pumped in for the construction of the railway. However, this intention turned out to be unrealistic. Then it was decided to involve private donors in the church and school construction work. The example of Father John attracted numerous followers. In 1896, the fund's capital exceeded 180,000 rubles. and within 4 Siberian provinces and the Akmola region, 56 churches and 36 schools were built, of which 2 churches and 8 schools were built at the expense of Father John. Emperor Nicholas II was one of the pioneers of church construction in Siberia. On January 14, 1893, while still the Heir-Tsarevich, he headed the Committee of the Siberian Railway and at one of its first meetings raised the issue of constructing churches in the area of ​​the railway track under construction. His attention to this problem was caused by the fact that during his trip to Siberia in 1891 he was struck by the small number of churches along his route. Published from the original stored in the archives of the family of Mensenkampf’s descendants - B. N. and I. V. Strelnikovs (St. Petersburg). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 11–12. Wed: In. 4, 10; 7, 38; Jer. 2, 13; 17, 13. Father John visited the Leushinsky monastery every year, returning from Sura. In 1897, he, in all likelihood, was in Leushin on July 5 (Kotlin. 1897. July 15, No. 155). The holiday of Holy Easter in 1897 fell on April 13th. Reprinted from: Kotlin. 1897. August 31, No. 101. In 1897, the All-Russian collection of donations for the construction of the Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt was authorized by the Highest, which was to become a place of prayer for sailors and a monument to the glorious deeds of the Russian fleet. At the same time, a competition was announced for the best design of the new church (see also letters to Vice Admiral V.P. Verkhovsky dated February 27 and March 4, 1898, a letter dated April 5, 1904 and a telegram to Emperor Nicholas II dated late August 1908 and notes to them). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 12. Published by: GMIR. F. 38. Op.1. D. 10. L. 9, 10, 37 (envelope). Published for the first time. This refers to the church in the village of Martyshkino in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Quench my sorrows.” It was built with private donations and consecrated on June 26, 1890. In the first years of its existence, the church was affiliated, and only on June 24, 1897, by decree of the Holy Synod No. 3294, an independent parish was opened with a clergy consisting of one priest and one psalm-reader. Since July 8, 1896, a parish trusteeship operated at the church, which may have included N.N. and R.G. Shemyakin, who had a dacha in Martyshkino. Probably, the same package with money from Volkov is discussed in a letter to Father John by N.N. Shemyakin: “Dear Father Father John! Yesterday Kuzma Ivanovich Volkov gave you a package that is intended for the construction of our church house for the school. Kozma Ivanovich donated according to your letter, with which I went to see him. We have a delay in funds, if possible, please give this package to our psalm-reader. I wanted to come myself, but today I’m leaving for the Caucasus on a business trip. We, all members of the guardianship, sincerely thank you for your help. My wife and I with our family ask for your Blessing. Sincerely devoted and loving Shemyakin" (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 17. L. 223) Reprinted from: Priest Demetrius of Krasnogorsk. Arrival in Chernigov and stay in it of the venerable pastor Father John of Kronstadt. Chernigov, 1898. P. 4. Reprinted by: DV. 1897. No. 40. P. 792. Dated according to the date the Society received the money - February 27. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 12–13. Reprinted by: KV. 1897. Oct. 29, No. 126. Father John was a teacher of law at this gymnasium from 1862 to 1882. For the beginning of his teaching career, see letter to A.V. Latyshev dated September 2, 1862 and note. to him. According to the recollections of one of the gymnasium students, Father John, his lessons on the Law of God, which he taught in all eight grades, had a serious and profound influence on the gymnasium students. “Meanwhile,” says the author of the memoirs, “unbeknownst to us, faith in God, faith in people, faith in everything good was formed and formed, under the influence of the simple and warm, spiritual edifications of the good Father, that faith that is capable of carrying even a weak person on its mighty wings from the most severe and stormy adversities of life.” Father John's disciples loved to attend his services in St. Andrew's Cathedral and in the Duma Assumption Church, and often resorted to him for help and advice. “The entire gymnasium,” it continues, “without distinction of nationalities, one might say, came under Father’s blessing every day; All the students came running to him with their children’s requests and needs, and he not only satisfied them, but also pacified his “good children” (PL. 1911. December 14, No. 342; December 16, No. 344; December 17, No. 345). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 13. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 13–14. On November 3, 1897, Father John performed a prayer service before the consecration of the Children's Shelter of Diligence, founded by Emperor Nicholas II to commemorate the birth of Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna (born November 3, 1895). According to the Kotlin newspaper, at the consecration of the shelter, in addition to the Emperor and Empress, the following were present: “Princess of Schleswig of Holstein [Victoria – Ed.], Minister of the Interior [I. A. Goremykin – Ed.]; manager of the Ministry of the Royal Court [gr. I. I. Vorontsov-Dashkov – Ed.]; members of the council of the Houses of Industriousness and other high-ranking officials” (Kotlin. 1897. November 5, No. 243). The shelter, designed for 200 people, was intended to look after and teach to work children of both sexes from 6 to 15 years old who remained in the capital without supervision or care. In the new institution, children were supposed to learn gardening, horticulture, simple crafts and handicrafts (DV. 1897. No. 45. P. 896). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 14. Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: City of Kitezh. 1992. No. 2(7). S.6. Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: Pukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 91. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 42. L. 44. Dated according to the content: Father John responds to the letter of Father Vasily, which Bishop Ioannikiy (Nadezhdin) mentions in his letter to Father dated December 18, 1897: “Fr. Vasily has not yet returned from Sura, but writes that he is removing both teachers; however, he probably wrote to you already on the road about the same thing” (Ibid. D. 7a. L. 139–139v.). Reprinted from: Letter from Father John of Kronstadt. St. Petersburg: Printing house of A. S. Suvorin, 1902; with the note: “Reprinted with the permission of Father John.” An article by the Synodal missionary Hieromonk Arseny, a longtime acquaintance of Father John (as evidenced by the address “venerable and most respected” and the very nature of the address at the beginning of the letter as “you”, as well as the correspondence that existed between them (see Father John’s note on the envelope of the letter from Father Arseny: “reply” - Central State Historical Archive St. Petersburg. F. 2219. On. 1. No. 10. L. 78)), was placed in No. 352 of the newspaper “World Echoes” for December 21. It said, in particular: “A harmful book openly published and accepted everywhere with confidence requires all possible publicity in exposing and harming. This, by the way, forces me to turn to the press to say a few words about the book called “The Life of Jesus Christ” by Farrar, as well as about other equally harmful books of this English writer. Farrar's books contain a poison deadly to faith, sweetened with the honey of eloquence and crafty wordiness. The same anti-Christian spirit, which, admittedly, breathes in the well-known blasphemous books of Strauss and Renan, now breathes in Farrar’s book, only, it must be assumed, the enemy has hidden himself here even more cunningly, even more skillfully, that he is received with such confidence everywhere among us. Or maybe there are some other reasons for this. But doesn’t it matter who comes with what weapon to seize and beat Christ, whether Strauss with the drawn sword of his scientific criticism, or Farrar with the kiss of Judas of his “reconciling” faith and unbelief of “artistic theology.” See also letter to “Russian Pilgrim” dated November 17, 1903 and note. 2 to him). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 15. Dated in connection with the letter of December 30, 1897. Eminence Antonin, petitioning the Holy Synod for the opening of the Vorontsov community, insisted that it was necessary “in order to maintain and improve the religious and moral state of the surrounding population” (Ibid.). As a result of the abbess's trip, a decision was made to establish a place under the village. Vorontsovo Blagoveshchensk women's community (in 1903 it was renamed a monastery). The head of the community was nun Taisiya (Pavlova), a former housekeeper of the Leushinsky monastery. Neither Father John nor the Leushin abbess left the newly established community under their care, as evidenced by the following letter from the Vorontsov nun Taisia to Father John dated March 15, 1900: “You, like your own father, care and take care of your monastery, and we sinners live under the protection of the Queen of Heaven and under yours, our dear Father, and Mother Abbess, who is also like Our dear mother takes care of it as if it were her own monastery. Your monastery, dear Father, is growing with the help of God, the number of sisters is arriving, the number of pilgrims is increasing, the premises are small - why do we want to build hotels and a courtyard to accommodate visitors, and also build a brick barn and a brick kiln. It’s very convenient here: stone, clay and sand – everything is our own and very close. Dear Father, what a blessed corner here, people are simple and kind, they come with such zeal, they order a lot of masses, prayer services with an akathist and take a lot of candles” (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 7a. L. 74–75v.). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 15–16. On the role of Father John in the organization of the Vorontsov community, see the letter to Abbess Taisia ​​dated December 25–28, 1897 and notes. to him. Abbess Taisia ​​was entrusted with the initial care of community affairs and the construction of a church with cells and a refectory. The buildings were mostly completed by the beginning of 1899. The consecration of the church in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God took place on February 20, 1899. Wed: Matt. 3, 12. Wed. also with Father John’s reflections on death, recorded the day before in his diary: “29 D. The change in weather makes a painful change in our bodily system: today the cold south-east wind quickly turned south-west in the afternoon, quite warm, and I began to have severe pain in the lower back, which barely allows me to get up. But this can happen to famous patients, and death can suddenly occur for a weak person.” Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: Pukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 236 The chronicle of the Pukhtitsa monastery contains a description of the plight of the monastery at that time and the help that Father John constantly provided to the needy sisters: “... the monastery felt a severe lack of everything. There was a shortage of bread, firewood, hay, straw and other things. So, they barely received the sacrifice of Fr. John, when she died: they used it to cover various expenses. In addition to all the disasters, the monastery was burdened by a terrible debt, extending up to 30,000 rubles. Creditors from different sides approached Mother Abbess demanding money, threatening to take the monastery to court if their demands were not met. And the surrounding residents - Estonians - threatened, if they were not paid the money they had earned, to set fire to the monastery... The need seemed to grow every day. Still trying to help the matter in some way, Mother petitioned His Eminence, the Most Reverend Agafangel, asking permission to sell her some of the worst cows, and with the proceeds to purchase the most necessary things for the existence of the monastery and to prepare material for remaking the stoves, which in almost all the buildings turned out to be bad and threatened with a fire hazard... Permission was received, but there was no money to start the business again. Knowing the kindness and compassion for the monastery of the venerable benefactor Father Fr. John, Abbess Alexia dared to resort to him again. And he, out of his characteristic kindness, responded to the request of Mother, who described to him the entire plight of the monastery, and donated 1,100 rubles. to remodel the stoves and 200 rubles for other needs of the monastery. Soon, on March 21, 4.50 rubles were again received from Father. Upon receipt of each donation from the dear Father, Mother Abbess served a thanksgiving prayer service, first inviting all the sisters to thank the Lord for His mercy to the monastery and to pray for the health of the inimitable benefactor” (Ibid. pp. 93–94). Published by: People's Sobriety. 1898. Jan., No. 1. P. 8. Dated according to the time of publication in the magazine. In the same year, the letter was partially reprinted by the newspapers “Novoe Vremya” (No. 7893) and “Moskovskie Vedomosti” (No. 49) with the addition of wishes for success to the new magazine. With this letter, Father John supported the publication of the new magazine. Its first issue opened with the introductory article “From the Editor,” which formulated the goals and objectives of the publication: “it is necessary for people to understand the terrible harm of alcoholic beverages, and the awareness of this will entail the liberation of people from drinking the drink, every sip of which is a “coffin nail.” Liberation from this terrible evil will be an era in the life of mankind. It seemed to us that one of the main tasks of sobriety should be to acquaint the population of the country with the extent of this evil and with the measures to combat it. A powerful lever in this matter is, of course, the printed word about the dangers of alcoholic beverages, based on scientific and statistical data, supported by the experience of foreign countries” (People's Sobriety. 1898. Jan., No. 1. P. 2). Reprinted from: RP. 1898. February 15, No. 7. P. 111. Dated according to the date of publication in the magazine and the editor’s indication that the letter was received “the other day.” The text of the letter is also reproduced in the book: Two days in Kronstadt: From the diary of a student V. M. Holy Trinity Lavra, 1902. P. 450. Father John responds to the following appeal to him from a resident of the city of Tyukalinsk, Tobolsk province, Georgy Remennikov: “Dear father, Father John! I ask for your great blessing and prayer for us sinners. I have a big request. In Siberia, there is a very common prayer among our people called “The Dream of the Most Holy Theotokos”, which, by the way, appeared in my house (I am attaching a copy) - my wife brought it with her from among the girls, and our mother knew it before, with whom I had to talk. I told my mother that I had read or heard somewhere that this prayer was a schismatic one. But I never had to read or hear about it again until now, until I saw this “list” from my wife. Therefore, I decided to find out the accuracy of this prayer, so that we, the younger generation, would not wander in this darkness, and I dare to bother you to inform you about the correctness of this prayer. Is it possible for us, Orthodox Christians, to read it, or keep it, as it says in the “list”. With sincere expectation of being shown the righteous path to good and salvation. Georgy Remennikov" (Ibid. P. 452). Father John's answer is scribbled on the addressee's letter. Published by: RGAVMF. F. 427. Op. 3. D. 177. L. 102South. For the first time: Churches of Kronstadt. pp. 156–157 (with abbreviations and inaccuracies). In 1889–1898 The Russian Maritime Department drew up a draft of a new shipbuilding program, adopted in 1898. This program required about 200 million rubles, which caused an objection from the Minister of Finance S. Yu. Witte. As a result, Emperor Nicholas II approved the said amount, but the Maritime Department received it in installments of 16–20 million rubles. annually until 1904 90 million rubles. it was decided to extradite in 1898 (ML Petrov. Preparing Russia for the World War at Sea. M., 1926. P. 49–50). Father John could have gleaned information about these allocations from the newspaper “Kotlin” (1898. February 27, No. 44), where the Highest Rescript addressed to the Minister of Finance about the release of 90 million rubles was published. for the needs of military shipbuilding. See note about this. 1 to the letter of appeal to Russian sailors and compatriots dated May 10, 1897 This refers to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Elizabeth and the Estonian-Finnish-Swedish Lutheran Church of St. Nicholas (see: Churches of Kronstadt. pp. 351–356). Among the “sea misfortunes” mentioned were, for example, three that occurred with Russian ships a year before the writing of the published letter: in March 1897, on the Russian battleship “Sysoy Velikiy”, which participated in the blockade of the island of Crete, during firing practice, a gun exploded in the stern turret, as a result of which 15 sailors and 2 officers were killed and 18 people were injured (see: Military encyclopedia. St. Petersburg, 1911. pp. 354–355); On June 12, 1897, the battleship "Gangut" under the flag of the squadron commander, Vice Admiral S.P. Tyrtov, sank in the Vyborg Bay - at the trial that took place on March 26–28, 1898 in Kronstadt, overload and “a combination of a number of unfavorable circumstances” were cited as the main reason (Ibid.); On November 4, 1897, during a hurricane and the subsequent storm, several Russian and foreign ships sank (KV. 1897. November 24. No. 137). The fire of the rope factory in Kronstadt occurred on February 9, 1896 (KV. 1896. February 9, No. 16). Father John became the first donor for the construction of the church (see letter of appeal dated May 10, 1897). The head of the Naval Ministry was Vice Admiral P. P. Tyrtov. Reprinted from: Ved. 1898. March 10, No. 54. Reprinted: DV. 1898. No. 10. P. 193. Dated on the basis of the note accompanying the publication of the letter: “March 3, 1898. On the same day, five hundred rubles were received from the honorary member of the Society, Archpriest I. I. Sergiev, with the following letter dated March 3, addressed to the Chairman of the Council. The Council expresses its deepest gratitude to the Society’s constant benefactor and prayer book” (Ibid.). Published by: Russian State Aviation Administration of the Navy. F. 427. Op. 3. D. 177. L. 104. For the first time (fragment): Churches of Kronstadt. pp. 167–168. Published in full for the first time. Reprinted from: Kotlin. 1898. March 17, No. 59. Above the eight-pointed cross there was an inscription: “The holy letter of our Lord Jesus Christ was sent in a miraculous way, written by His own hand, in golden letters in the Hebrew language, found 12 miles from Jerusalem with the image of this cross, interpreted by a seven-year-old orphan boy, who until now was deaf-mute and blind.” In the cross itself were the following words: “I am the Lord your God, I command: Christians, honor holy Sundays, do piety, and if you do not do this, you will not escape my curse, and then I have given you 6 days a week to do your affairs, and the seventh day to be present at the Divine service and for your rest, also honor holidays and if you do this, then your fields and houses your days will be filled and blessed; I also order you, you must hurry to help the poor; and if you do not honor Sundays and holidays, you will be cursed and will not escape the evil hunger of cruel suffering, you must also fast twelve Fridays and read the “Virgin Mary” five times and you will know everything about my sufferings that I have endured; you must also wear a cross on yourself with you, and if anyone doubts or rejects the truth of the cross written by my hand and spoken by my lips, he will be cursed, and whoever does not copy off the list from this cross will be condemned on the day of the Last Judgment of God and my coming, whoever will give to copy will be blessed, and if that person has sins, like the stars in the sky, then all his sins will be forgiven when he repents to the Merciful God and confesses to the priest, and whoever takes the list from this cross and writes it off and distributes it to everyone in the house, then an evil spirit will come to that person. Fire, thunder, pestilence and any calamity cannot touch livestock and household at any time. (Amen)" (Ibid.). About the “Dream of the Mother of God” see letter to G. Remennikov dated mid-February 1898 and note. to him. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 16–17. For the work of the abbess on the organization of the Vorontsov community, see the letters to her with the date: no later than December 25–28 and December 30, 1897, and we will accept them. Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: City of Kitezh. 1992. No. 2 (7). P. 7. Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: Pukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 96. Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: Pyukhtitsa Monastery and its. patron saint righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 96. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219, Op. 1. D. 14th century. L. 408. Published for the first time. The urgency of the requested answer was caused by the fact that Bogdanovich had already ordered his next publication about the miracle in the Kursk Znamensky Monastery. In a letter to Father John, he wrote: “Such ignorance about the state of affairs - Nemchinov’s offensive silence - worries me terribly” (Ibid. L. 271). On May 23, 1898, Nemchinov responded to Father John with the following telegram: “I received your dear telegram. I have not yet received Evgeniy Vasilyevich’s letter. Whatever is possible, I consider it my duty to fulfill. I sincerely wish you good health. I earnestly ask you to bless me and my family. Andrey Nemchinov" (Ibid. D. 14a. L. 72). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 17. Father John left Kronstadt on June 18, and from St. Petersburg only on June 19, since, firstly, the steamer “St. Nicholas the Wonderworker,” secondly, on June 15 he visited the Pukhtitsa Monastery, and thirdly, on June 18, the consecration of the place (in the northwestern corner of the church site) was scheduled for the chapel of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God of the Kronstadt St. Andrew’s Cathedral. Two months later, the foundation stone for the chapel took place; Father John performed the celebration. A silver gilded mortgage board was walled into the wall of the chapel. In No. 181 of the Kotlin newspaper for August 18, 1898, a text was published, embossed on a board: “During the reign of the Pious Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II, with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Palladium, in the presence of Fr. The rector of the cathedral, Archpriest Ioann Sergiev, at the expense of the holy priest of St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Alexander Ivanovich Taratin, according to the design of Architect Nikonov, a chapel was founded in honor of the Tikhvin Blessed Virgin Mary on August 18, 1898.” By the winter of 1899 construction was completed, and on December 5, Father John of Kronstadt, co-served by the cathedral clergy, celebrated the consecration of the chapel. For more details, see: Churches of Kronstadt. pp. 93–94. Published by: RGIA. F. 1626. Fp. 1. F. 1193. F. 4. Reprinted from: Ved. 1898. June 23. No. 133; reprinted: RP. 1898. October 24, No. 43. P. 696. Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: Pukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 97. Father John sent this sacrifice for monastic needs after he visited Pyukhtitsa on June 15. His arrival is described in the Chronicle of the monastery: “At 2 o’clock in the morning a carriage with a dear guest appeared. Father was greeted with the ringing of bells. As always, he was cheerful, cheerful and affectionately greeted everyone present. A short prayer service was immediately served with the proclamation of many years. Then, having given a blessing to everyone, Father retired to the chambers prepared for him for a relatively short rest, for Matins was scheduled at 7 o’clock. The sisters gathered at church at 5 o'clock in the morning, where they listened to the rule for Holy Communion. At 7 o'clock matins began. The canon was read by Father himself. In the co-service of the monastery clergy, Father performed the Divine Liturgy, during which he confessed everyone and communed the Holy Mysteries of Christ. This day became a true holiday for the monastery. In the evening of the same day, Father left, giving Mother Abbess 400 rubles for the needs of the monastery, promising not to leave him in the future... In the monastery at that time, stoves were being remodeled everywhere and intensive work was going on. Everything had to be finished by the church holiday on August 15; Due to lack of funds, this work was also delayed. Mother worked a lot, trying to find funds to cover expenses. And here the ever-present monastic benefactor, Father Fr., helped. John of Kronstadt. After visiting the monastery, 1,500 rubles were received from Father at various times, which money was spent on maintaining the sisters and paying for repair work” (Ibid., pp. 96–97). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 18. Probably, this refers to the nun Anna of the Annunciation (who later became the successor of Abbess Taisia - Abbess Agnia). See letters to Abbess Taisia ​​with the date: no later than December 25–28 and from December 30, 1897 and note. to them. See note. 1 to the letter to Abbess Taisia ​​dated June 9, 1898 We are talking about the steamship "St. Nicholas the Wonderworker”, built at the expense of Father John F.R. Ils and designed by engineers E.E. Gulyaev and V.I. Afanasyev. The paddle steamer was 105 feet long, 15 feet wide (without casings); a vehicle with 25 horsepower and a shallow draft (8–10 vershoks) designed for shallow northern rivers. It was consecrated on June 18, 1898 at the shipyards of Golodaya Island (Kotlin. 1898. June 21, No. 135). According to the same newspaper, “the steamer has excellent qualities: it is stable, its speed is quite fast; in oncoming rapids, against a strong current, he rose on his own, without tugs” (1898. July 1, No. 142). Father John writes about the “new steamship”, since the first steamship “St. Nicholas the Wonderworker,” tested in the summer of 1897, turned out to be unsuitable for traveling along the northern rivers and was sold, as evidenced by Father John’s diary entry: “Aug 24, 1897. Give permission to Deacon Maccabee to sell my ship for 19 thousand for No. 250 (Aug 25) paper.” Sursky peasant Lukiyan Laryushev wrote to Father John: “According to your letter addressed to your nephew Evdokim Semenovich Malkin about receiving the steamship “St. Nikolay,” I was invited by Malkin, an employee on the ship. Upon our arrival in Arkhangelsk, it turned out differently. The ship was sold, and therefore I was left idle and neglected my homework” (TsGIA SPb. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 4. L. 211–211). Published by: RGIA. F. 1626. Op. 1. D. 1193. L. 5–5v. This approval was preceded by an official request from the Holy Synod, recorded in Protocol No. 772 of March 3, 1898: “St. The Synod determines: to allow Mr. Synodal Chief Prosecutor to communicate with the Minister of Internal Affairs, whether there are any obstacles on his part to the establishment of a women’s community on the estate of landowners Sofia Pfeiffer and Claudia Perepechina - the village of Vorontsovo, Kholmsky district" (RGIA. F. 796. Op. 179. Table. Dept. II. D. 1615. L. 8). For I. L. Goremykin’s answer, see Father John’s letter to Abbess Taisia dated August 14, 1898. Published by: MVed. 1898. August 27, No. 235. Father John’s letter is given in the text of the following letter from Father Alexander Yakubov: “Gange, August 18, 1898. The highly revered Father John of Kronstadt was the first to respond to our prayer on behalf of Orthodox Russian children in an article from Gange, published in No. 220 of the Moscow Gazette on August 12. Obviously, he read this article on August 13 and immediately after reading it wrote a letter with the following content: . Yesterday I received this letter with three hundredths attached. The address was also written by him himself. A. Yakubov, devoted to you” (MVD. 1898. August 27, No. 235). In the article to which Father Alexander refers, its author, P. I. Messaros, describes the state of affairs in the Ganges. He says that there are currently 16 pupils and female students studying at the school, “of which 5 come, all of them live in a dormitory, and 5 students pay 15 marks a month for full maintenance, the remaining 6 use everything for free. The school's permanent funds amount to 500 rubles, allocated by the Holy Synod. The maintenance of a school with a dormitory costs more than 4,000 Finnish marks. From this it is clear that the school needs to obtain more than 2,000 Finnish marks in order to continue its service to the Russian cause.” The article also notes that funds are needed “both for cultivating the land and for the acquisition of new plots, and above all for the necessary buildings at the church” (Ibid. Aug. 12, No. 220). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 18–19. Reprinted from: Ved. 1910. 20 Aug., No. 179. Dated based on the date of publication in the newspaper. The publication is accompanied by a note: “Former teacher of the real school M. M. Skripko spoke about the healing of Fr. John to his wife’s brother and showed a receipt with a note in the hand of Father John. The healed person mentioned is Mitrofan Mitrofanovich Zhuravsky, a graduate of the Moscow Theological Academy, who taught for more than 20 years at the Slutsk Theological School.” Published by: MVed. 1898. December 25, No. 355. Publishing this letter, the newspaper’s editors stated that “neither the example of the venerable Father John, nor the calls of the Moskovskiye Vedomosti prompted the Russian people to help the Russian brothers abandoned among the foreign and heterodox population of Finland.” It was further explained that funds in the amount of 6,000 rubles. the school needs to build its own premises: “Constructing a building for a school is not a whim, it is an urgent need. Until a house for the school is built, we cannot be sure that the school will exist, because the will of the homeowners will make such absurd demands as the city administration made to the Orthodox parish” (MVD. 1898. December 25, No. 355). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 19. We are talking about the Leushinsky church-teacher school for girls, mainly of the clergy, founded in 1884 with the blessing of Metropolitan Isidore. In 1898, the 5th graduation of another 12 pupils followed. Printed by autograph: GARF. F. 550. Ol. 1. D. 421. L. 1. Published for the first time. Reprinted from: Ved. 1898. October 1. No. 211. Dated approximately (according to the date of publication in the newspaper). Reprinted by: KV. 1898. 11 November, No. 126. A similar letter was sent to the editor of the newspaper “Kotlin” E.P. Tveritinov (Kotlin. 1898. 3 Oct., No. 217). The first Catholic chapel, in the name of the Apostle Paul, appeared in Kronstadt in 1797–1798. in connection with the transfer of the Naval Cadet Corps here from the capital. After the corps was transferred back to St. Petersburg, the chapel remained at the Sturmansky Baltic School. In 1850, work was completed on the construction of a new stone three-altar church with a main chapel in honor of the Resurrection of Christ; to the left - the Annunciation and to the right - St. apostles Peter and Paul. Anniversary celebrations dedicated to the centenary of the Roman Catholic Church in Kronstadt took place on October 3, 4 and 5. From the episcopate of the Catholic Church, Bishop of Mogilev Karl Niedzialkowski arrived in Kronstadt for the celebrations. Father John cooperated with representatives of the Catholic Church in matters of social service and church building. So in 1875, for example, he, together with a Catholic priest and a Lutheran pastor, turned to the commander of the Kronstadt port with a request to move the brothels outside the city limits (RGA Navy. F. 930. Op. 49. D. 613). Father never refused Western Christians prayerful help, as evidenced by numerous foreign letters to him, published in the magazine “Kronstadt Shepherd” in 1913. However, on issues that dogmatically divided the two Churches, he always took an irreconcilable position (see letter to the editor of the newspaper “La Vera Roma” dated October 31, 1898) Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 19–20. Reprinted by: DV. 1898. No. 46. pp. 832–833. Spelling and punctuation of the text source. For the first time: KV. 1898. November 11, No. 126, with the note: “We are printing at the request of Fr. John." See letter to the Catholic clergy dated October 3, 1898. Festive dinners were held in the City Duma on October 4 and 5. The meal offered on October 4 by the rector of the church, Father Mikhalkevich, was attended by the entire top of the Kronstadt city administration, as well as representatives of the Orthodox and Anglican Churches. At a dinner on October 5, organized by the parishioners of the church, among numerous greetings there were toasts “to the venerable Orthodox pastor Fr. John." Schism (Greek σχίσμα) – split. In the usage of the Roman Catholic Church, schismatics were people who fell away from church unity, but remained faithful in dogmatic terms. Since church unity, according to the doctrine of the Catholic Church, is supported by the pope, Catholics considered Eastern (Orthodox) Christians to be schismatics. One of the main points of divergence between the doctrines of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches is the question of the size and nature of the power of the Roman bishop. If, from the point of view of Orthodoxy, only the Church as a whole is infallible, then Catholics recognize the dogma of the infallibility of the Pope. This refers to the doctrine of the “filioque” – the procession of the Holy Spirit “and from the Son”, which arose in the West in the 6th century. in the fight against Arianism. In the 9th century. The Western Church introduced the “filioque” into the Creed and declared its teaching mandatory for the entire Christian world, which was negatively received in the Orthodox East and became one of the reasons for the division of the Churches. Wed. with Father John’s diary entry for March 6, 1894: “The Roman Popes and Catholic Theologians in their dogmatic judgments have reached the Pillars of Hercules; it is no longer possible to go further. Catholicism and the papacy are shaking and undermining themselves and will decay in their corruption (2 Pet. 2:12). Being fallible as people and having piled up a lot of lies in the Catholic theological system and especially in practice, they seemed to laugh at themselves and at the truth of God, proclaimed themselves infallible, secured, as if with the seal of truth, all the incorrect innovations of the Catholic faith, admitted in previous centuries due to the division of churches: both the dogma of the procession of the Holy Spirit and from the Son, and the doctrine of being in unleavened bread not only the body, but also the blood of Christ, and the doctrine of indulgences and purgatory and lroch. March 6, 1894. Resurrected. Ned of Orthodoxy." From the 13th century The custom of communion for the laity with “wafers” – only bread – entered into the practice of the Catholic Church, while the clergy took communion under both types – bread and wine. The custom of giving communion to the laity under one type of bread was not approved by such Catholic theologians as Thomas Aquinas and Albertus Magnus, but was approved at the Council of Constance and elevated to dogma at the Council of Trent. See: 1 Pet. 2, 4–8; Rome. 9, 33; 1 Cor. 10, 4; Eph. 2, 20. See: Eph. 1, 10, 22; 4.15; 5, 23; Col. 1, 18. See also the diary entries of Father John for 1908 on this topic: “He severely punished and continues to punish Catholics for the deliberate, false interpretation of the words of Christ to the Apostle Peter: on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). Considering the pope, and not Christ, to be the cornerstone of the Church, and imagining themselves as the head of the Church and the vicars of Christ on earth, the popes fell into the most gross, disastrous mistakes and dragged the entire Catholic world into the abyss of lies, inventing new false dogmas and distorting the ancient ones necessary for salvation. Catholics fell from the Stone of Faith of Christ and fell into the abyss of sins and all sorts of passions, especially into pride and arrogance, into a terrible hostility towards the Eastern true Church and its dogmas and Divine services with its rituals, established from time immemorial. The stone is Christ, not Peter, who denied three times, although he atoned for his rejection with tears of repentance and was accepted as an apostle. The idea that the Lord supposedly created the Church on Peter, and not on Himself - this idea, which lay in the heads of the popes and Catholics and was interpreted by them in favor of the successors of Peter, the popes, as the heads of the Church and the vicars of Christ - put everything upside down in the Catholic Church: they, in their opinion, are the vicars of Christ with unlimited power, with predominance over the entire Church of Christ; as if they were the judges of all bishops; they are the founders and interpreters of dogmas; They can supposedly change the very Sacraments in the Church at their own discretion; they canonize saints they do not have; they deprive the laity of the Blood of Christ; they pour water over babies being baptized, rather than immersing them in water, etc.” (Diary, 1908. pp. 62–64). Hence anger and hatred, hence slander, curse and anathema forever and ever (lat.). Words: inde irae - see: Juvenal. Satires. I. 168. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 20. Reprinted from: Fiftieth anniversary of His Eminence Ambrose, Archbishop of Kharkov and Akhtyrsky. Kharkov, 1898. P. 71. Published from a photocopy reproduced in the book: Two days in Kronstadt: From the diary of a student V.M. Ed. 2nd. Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, 1902. P. 3. That is, in the village. Kaznevo, Melenkovsky district, Vladimir diocese. Back on April 3, 1898, the addressee, in a letter to his “former colleague”, Father Rector Arseny (Stadnitsky), reported: “O. John of Kronstadt, according to my letter, sent us 300 rubles to the Society.” (GARF. F. 550. Op. 1. D. 294. L. 17). Father John conveys his regards to the rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, Archimandrite Arseny (Stadnitsky), with whom he was familiar and corresponded (see letter to him dated September 30, 1898). Published by: RGIA. F. 728. Op. 1. D. 38. L. 5. Published for the first time. Reprinted from: MO. 1900. January. P. 166. Father John’s letter was accompanied by a note from the magazine’s editors: “These lines are instructive for exposing not only Sychev’s ignoramuses and false teachers, who organize unauthorized gatherings to sow lies and deception, and often for the sake of selfish and vile purposes” (Ibid.). Probably, the peasant Lavrenty mentioned in the letter lived in the city of Sychevka, Smolensk province. Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: City of Kitezh. 1992. No. 2 (7). P.7. Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: Pukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 98. Reprinted from: Messarosh P.I. New Year's benefit of John of Kronstadt to Russian children in Finland // MVed. 1899. December 29, No. 6. Reprinted: Ved. 1899. January 20, No. 15. The publication is preceded by the following words (from the editor): “During the year, Fr. John donated 1,600 rubles to the Russian school in Ganga. The last thousand was sent by him with a letter that said ". A new donation was received by Father Alexander on January 1, 1899. The publication of this letter was accompanied by the following note by P. I. Messaros: “So, within five months, the venerable Father John of Kronstadt three times provided great assistance to the Russian cause in Finland. Moreover, in the above letter, he calls on his Russian brothers and sisters, “whom God has endowed with abundance,” to come to the aid of the Russians, “whom the Finns are pressing against the wall.” Will neither the example of Father John nor his call remain unanswered? Will no one respond? Let us hope that among our readers there will be “Russian brothers and sisters” who will respond to the call of their shepherd, who sets an example of mercy” (Ibid.). A fragment from Father John’s letter was published in the newspaper “Kotlin’s donation was received by Father Alexander on January 1, 1899.” The publication of this letter was accompanied by the following note by P. I. Messarosh: “So, within five months, the venerable Father John of Kronstadt three times provided great assistance to the Russian cause in Finland. Moreover, in the above letter, he calls on his Russian brothers and sisters, “whom God has endowed with abundance,” to come to the aid of the Russians, “whom the Finns are pressing against the wall.” Will neither the example of Father John nor his call remain unanswered? Will no one respond? Let us hope that among our readers there will be “Russian brothers and sisters” who will respond to the call of their shepherd, who sets an example of mercy” (Ibid.). A fragment from Father John’s letter was published in the newspaper “Kotlin” in the form of an appeal to “Russian brothers and sisters, whom God has endowed with abundance” (1899. February 9, No. 31). in the form of an appeal to “Russian brothers and sisters, whom God has endowed with abundance” (1899. February 9, No. 31). Published by: MVed. 1899. January 3, No. 3. The next priority was the needs of the parishes of Yanovsky, Kopylovsky and Rogovsky. The editors of Moskovskie Vedomosti notified that the donation would be divided equally among the poorest parishes. Published by: GARF. F. 10200. D. 12. Part 3. L. 9. Published for the first time. The telegram was accompanied by the following words from K. P. Pobedonostsev to the Minister of Internal Affairs I. L. Goremykin: “Dear Sir Ivan Logginovich. Today I received the following telegram from His Majesty. The insolence of the Moscow schismatics now exceeds all measure, if the news that can be brought through the police turns out to be true. The telegram was sent by His Majesty to me, although, regarding its subject, any orders depend on the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is in charge of the affairs of schismatics. Therefore, I consider it my duty to forward a copy of this telegram to Your Excellency. The telegram was accompanied by the following words from K. P. Pobedonostsev to the Minister of Internal Affairs, I. L. Goremykin: “Dear Sir Ivan Loginovich. Today I received the following telegram from His Majesty. The insolence of the Moscow schismatics now exceeds all measure, if the news that can be brought through the police turns out to be true. The telegram was sent by His Majesty to me, although, regarding its subject, any orders depend on the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is in charge of the affairs of schismatics. Therefore, I consider it my duty to forward a copy of this telegram to Your Excellency “(GARF. F. 10200. D. 12. Part 3. L. 9). (GARF. F. 10200. D. 12. Part 3. L. 9). Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: Pukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 99. See letter to Abbess Alexia dated December 24, 1898. Reprinted from: Joyful days in the life of the Molchanovskaya Sofronieva Hermitage. St. Petersburg, 1904. P. 8 (facsimile). The brethren of the Sophronium Hermitage decided to purchase a rare thousand-pound bell in honor and memory of Father John. The priest accepted their desire sympathetically, gave an oral blessing for this undertaking and made his generous sacrifice (Ibid. p. 7). Father John responds to an appeal to him from the novice of the Sophronium Hermitage I. I. Novikov with a request to personally write a pastoral blessing for the purchase of the bell and to allow him to cast a relief portrait of Father John and poems written by Novikov in his honor. The bell was ordered from the factory of honorary citizens of the Samgin brothers. Father John personally gave the blessing, consecrated the beginning of the work, and on March 3, 1899, he consecrated the cast bell and was the first to ring it several times (Ibid. pp. 7–8). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 20–21. The report on the monastery - a set of documents compiled annually in any monastery and submitted to the highest diocesan ecclesiastical authorities - included general information about the monastery, lists of nuns (or monks) indicating the obedience of each (or each), reports on the state of all institutions and internal services of the monastery, monetary statements and other documents. Reprinted from: Bishop Arseny (Zhadanovsky). P. 252. Father John responds to the addressee’s letter, which contained a detailed description of the circumstances of his personal and home life, with a request to pray for his sick father and give advice for his future life. In the fall of 1898, John Zhadanovsky, at the age of 64, fell ill with lobar pneumonia; After a relapse of the disease, doctors declared the situation hopeless. On the advice of Father John, Alexander Zhadanovsky entered the Svyatogorsk Assumption Monastery of the Kharkov diocese in 1899 and took monastic vows with the name Arseny. In his letter dated April 26, 1905, he reminded Father John of himself and of Father’s spiritual help in choosing his life path: “I am the abbot of the Chudov Monastery, Archimandrite Arseny (Zhadanovsky), 30½ years old, who graduated 1½ years ago from the Moscow Theological Academy, which I entered after spending 4 years as an overseer at a theological school. As a warden, in difficult times I turned to you for advice on what way of life I should choose, and you, dear Fr. John, pointed out to me the contemplative, the virgin (your letter dated January 17, 1899). I thank my Savior, who has honored me with the rank of monk” (TsGIASPb. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 31. L. 39–40). For information about Zhadanovsky’s parents, see the above-mentioned book (pp. 276–283). Reprinted by: DV. 1899. No. 6. P. 73. Reprinted: Ved. 1899. 11 Feb., No. 33. Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: Pukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 101. Reprinted from: Kotlin. 1899. March 4, No. 49. Reprinted: Ved. 1899. March 5, No. 50. Dated as indicated by the addressee (ibid.). Published by: MVed. 1899. March 9, No. 67. Reprinted: Ved. 1899. March 12, No. 56. Published by: GARF. F. 1099. Op. 1. D. 1249. L. 11. Published for the first time. Reprinted from: Kotlin. 1899. March 13. No. 54. The text of the letter is given in the following note: “Letter and donation from Fr. John of Kronstadt." It says: “Oh. John sent three hundred rubles to the Resurrection Missionary Monastery (St. Lyuban, Nikolaevskaya railway) near St. Petersburg on the occasion of a recent fire there, in a letter addressed to the abbot with the following contents. The losses caused by the fire to the monastery extend up to 5,000 rubles; this constitutes a very significant loss for the new monastery, which was built exclusively by the willing sacrifices of poor Orthodox people. Indeed, as the venerable shepherd says, many thousands of people turn to him for help, and, by the way, he has his own brainchild - the House of Industriousness of St. Andrew's Guardianship, which educates many orphans and provides labor to the poor of Kronstadt. It is clear that his main concern is about these “little ones.” Published by: MVed. 1899. March 29, No. 87. This letter was sent to the editorial office of Moskovskie Vedomosti by Father Alexander Yakubov with the following words: “Again, the highly revered Father John of Kronstadt remembered the Ganges school. Today I received the following letter from him from St. Petersburg: . Asking for a place for this letter in the columns of your venerable newspaper, I am addressing this time with my special, most earnest request to the venerable fathers and rectors of the capital’s parish churches. To my greatest joy, I read in No. 12 of the Church Gazette, on pp. 504–505 of the Additions, a note entitled “The Church St. John’s School in Gango.” So I ask the rector fathers to acquaint their parish benefactors with this note: perhaps one of them will want to help with their contributions to the establishment of the named school, “Brother helps from brother, like a strong city” (Proverbs 18, 19), - Father John encouraged me in his letter with a donation to the school, dated September 4, 1898. With such hope for brotherly help, I ask for help from Father Superiors" (Ibid.). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 21. See note. 1 to the letter of Abbess Taisia dated April 23, 1899 Wed: prayer for travelers “This is the Way and the Truth...” (Trebnik). Troparion to the Most Holy Theotokos, ch. 4th (“Mistress, accept the prayer of Thy servant...”), from the rite of the minor consecration of water (Trebnik). Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. Fragment published for the first time: History of the monastery. pp. 62–63. Entirely: the Pukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 103. Wed: Matt. 22, 37; Deut. 6, 5. Reprinted from: Letter to Abbess Taisia. P. 22. Holy Week in 1899 began on April 12. Reprinted by: DV. 1899. No. 18. P. 213. Reprinted: Ved. 1899. May 2, No. 93. The publication was accompanied by the following response from Father Philosopher: “The Council of the Society expresses its deepest gratitude to the Venerable Fr. John both for his generous donation and for his dear words of greetings and approval to the workers of the Society, testifying to his exemplary love for the Holy Church of God” (Ibid.). Reprinted from: KP. 1914. ? 45. P. 700 (with a typo: “1897” instead of “1899”). The abbot of the Russian Annunciation monastery-cell on Athos, Parthenius, was in personal correspondence with Father John and took every opportunity to convey greetings to Kronstadt. Below is an excerpt from Alexander Voronin’s letter with the mentioned note from Abbot Parthenius: “Bless your spiritual child: Alexander Voronin, known to you, by your saints. prayers and prayers of St. Fathers of Athonite this month of August, the 11th day, the Lord honored me and canonized me as a saint. Fathers of the Monastery of the Annunciation. Father Superior Parthenius tonsured the brethren into the great Angelic image of St. There are seven people in the schema, and I begged Father Abbot Parthenius to tonsure me too, which I was awarded with the name of John, Your Angel St. John of Rylsky. All of us, 8 schemaniks, after tonsure, remained in the church and spent the night in the church and partook of the Holy Mysteries of Christ for 5 days in a row. Glory and thanksgiving to the Lord for His great mercies on me. The Lord has deigned me to accept the great angelic image, truly by the Holy Spirit. The prophet David said: “You will be chosen with the elect” (Ps. 17:27). Now I ask your holy prayers. May the Lord strengthen me until the end of this life-saving life to bear the cross - the yoke of Christ (cf. Matthew 11:29-30). Your spiritual child and prayer for your health, Schemamonk John Voronin. Father Hegumen Parthenius and all the brethren pray to the Lord and ask to extend your earthly life for many years.” Postscript: “Our Father Spiritual Archpriest John, do not leave us in your holy prayers of the sinful, wretched Parthenius, your former partner in Kronstadt, now hegumen (schemamonk Parthenius) of the monastery of the Annunciation of the Mother of God on St. Afon. 1899" (TsGIASPb. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 7a. L. 39–39 rev.). In his letters to Father John, Abbot Parthenius repeatedly mentions the difficult financial situation of the monastery: “Father, help us out: our monastery addresses your spiritual children. With your blessing, they will not leave us, they will help us” (September 1, 1897); “I don’t dare to ask you or bother you - the Lady Abbess and the head of Athos herself will inspire and put it in your heart to do this for the benefit of your saint. monastery of Athos. Now we are building a new fraternal building: 43 arshins long, 18 arshins wide, 3 floors; brotherhood is increasing, but there is nowhere to live. And this new corps will be the Kronstadt corps on Mount Athos” (January 1, 1899); “He asked me to send him 100 rubles, but I don’t have them, the Lord is my witness, besides the debt of 20,000 rubles, he owed money on the construction” (October 5, 1899) (Ibid. L. 230–231, 17–18 ob., 32-ZZob.). The abbot and the brethren of the monastery also turned to Father John with a request to take them under his material protection: “You have many all kinds of institutions pleasing to God, established in your name. May there also be on Holy Mount Athos your humble desert monastery of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos" (Ibid. L. 17) At the end of the 19th century. In the Annunciation monastery, about ZO people labored (Ibid. D. 7g. L. 396–396v.). Here the Holy Gospel was kept in a gold frame, sent by Empress Maria Alexandrovna as a gift to Elder George Hadji, the founder of three monasteries (Ibid. D, 7a. L. 128–128v.), as well as the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, called the “Quick to Hear”, and many particles of the relics of holy saints (Pavlovsky A. Guide to the Holy Mount Athos. Athos, 1913. pp. 127–130). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 22–23. Traditionally, the awarding of clergy took place on the eve of highly solemn days: the Emperor’s name day, the anniversaries of the Coronation (the Coronation of Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna took place on May 14, 1896). A message about the awarding of Father John with a miter appeared in the newspapers on May 6, the birthday of Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich; The highest granted miter was conferred on Father John by Metropolitan Anthony of St. Petersburg and Ladoga during the Liturgy in St. Isaac's Cathedral on May 9, 1899. We are talking about the charter for the Vorontsov community, which was transferred to Father John through the psalm-reader of the House of Diligence, I.F. Babenko. On April 11, 1899, Abbess Taisiya sent a telegram to Babenko: “I am worried about the unknown whether Father received the parcel addressed through you - the charter for the Vorontsov community. I kindly ask you to telegraph. Abbess Taisiya" (Ibid. L. 23). About the structure of the Vorontsov community and the participation of Bishop Antonin (Derzhavin) in this structure, see note. 1, 3 to the letter to Abbess Taisia with the date: no later than December 25–28, 1897. The holiday of Holy Easter in 1899 fell on April 18. Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: Pukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 104. For the priests of the monastery, see note. 2 to the letter to Abbess Alexia dated May 20, 1902. The former Kronstadt missionary Father Alexander Zybin also served in the Pukhtitsa monastery. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 23. Reprinted from: KP. 1912. No. 17. P. 305. Father John departed from Kronstadt on May 26 at 9.30 a.m. on the ship “Lubezny”; in Shlisselburg he boarded A.F. Loparev’s steamship “Shestovets”, and along the Sukhona, Northern Dvina and Pinega he traveled, as usual, on the steamship “St. Nicholas the Wonderworker." On the journey he was accompanied by Abbess Taisiya and Abbess of the Rear Nicephorus Hermitage of the Olonets Diocese, Father Mitrofan (Voezersky); in Arkhangelsk they were joined by the cathedral Archpriest M.I. Sibirtsev, the local diocesan observer of parish schools, Archpriest V.A. Smirnov, and others. According to the testimony of Father John’s companions, “the weather was quite favorable for the trip; the visitors were especially impressed by the wonderful, bright northern nights, not knowing the slightest darkness, during the entire continuation of which one can read and write completely freely” (Arkhangelsk EV. 1899. No. 13, Part of the unofficial. P. 365). See note. 4 to the letter to Father Alexander Kosukhin dated May 31, 1901. Published by: GAAO. F. 29. He. 2. T. 6. D. 229. L. 1–2. Published for the first time. At a meeting of the Arkhangelsk Ecclesiastical Consistory on June 9, 1899, after discussing the petition, the following decision was made: “Since when filing a petition to establish a women’s community in the village. Sura should be presented with a draft charter for the said community, then, in view of this, ask Archpriest. John Sergiev to deliver to the Eparch the authorities the draft charter of the community he was establishing” (GAAO. F. 29. Op. 2. T. 6. D. 229. L. Zob. - 4). On June 13, 1899, Father John was already inspecting the site in Sura for the proposed establishment of a women’s community. He blessed the place after a short prayer, ending with the words: “Lord! You are Alpha and Omega, the firstfruits and the end (Rev. 1:8). Bless this work being undertaken for the glory of Your holy Name, make it prosperous and complete it to the end” (KP. Issue I. pp. 133–134). See note. 3 to the letter of Abbess Taisia dated August 19, 1899 Reprinted from: KP. Issue I. P. 137. Published by: GAAO. F. 29. Op. 2, T. 6. D. 229. L. 6. Published for the first time. In a letter dated August 3, 1899, Father Georgy Makkabeev reported to Father John: “In Arkhangelsk I visited the bishop’s secretary - the Community Charter was received, but the case has not yet been sent to the Holy Synod” (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 2. L. 266). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 25–26. After the Liturgy, Father John went to Ozerki, where he stayed at the dacha of one of his admirers until July 16. Abbess Taisiya wrote about this trip: “In 1899, at the request of Father, I went with him to his homeland in the village of Sura to discuss the issue of setting up a women’s monastery there, choosing a place for it, and generally taking the first steps in this matter, such as writing initial papers - petitions, explanations both to the local spiritual authorities and to the governor, through whom they intended to ask the Highest mercy - allotment of land. All these troubles fell to my lot, and I was very happy to serve the great cause of a great husband. By the night of June 10th we were sailing along the Pinega to the Northern Dvina. The night was incredibly wonderful! Especially for me, a non-northerner, unfamiliar with such nights, it seemed something magical - and I, secluded on the deck near the wheelhouse, wrote down my impressions, poured out in the verses of the northern night. Father was on the ladder. About one in the morning he came up to me and, putting his hand on my shoulder, said: “And what a night, what a night the Lord has given to you and me!” Then, seeing that I was writing, he asked me: “What are you doing?” I answered: “Feelings are asking to come out, I want to write, but I can’t write them because I’m so full.” To this he replied: “Do you want me to write you something about this wonderful night, as a memory of our journey?” And he went into the wheelhouse and after a while brought me this sheet, which I am now copying word for word: “Bless my word to Thy praise, O Lord! The Pinega River and the world of God in its wonderful beauty on June 10th on the steamship "St. Nicholas". An unforgettable, delightful, glorious night that I saw in the north, when on June 10th I was traveling on my steamship “St. Nicholas the Wonderworker” along the Pinega River! This was not far from its confluence with the great Northern Dvina, sweeping as wide as the sea. It was 12 o'clock at night, but there was not really night, and there was not even twilight; it was the brightest, quiet evening. On the very horizon are radiant cirrus clouds; the river is like glass, it does not sway; from the bright dawn she is all like fire. Nature was all incredibly beautiful. On both sides of the river, the banks are bordered by smooth coniferous forest with green meadows; the water, like a mirror, wonderfully reflected the crimson sky. Silence is dead! The thought and heart are carried away to God, who is clothed in such splendor, clothed with light, like a robe, stretching out the sky like skin (Cf.; Ps. 103: 1-2). You feel that He Himself is here, carrying everything, filling everything, decorating everything, containing everything, giving life and breath to everything and everything (cf.: Acts 17:25). And this Pinega is my native river, flowing near my native village of Surskoye, near which I ran so many times as a child and a youth, which was so noisy and delighted me with its majestic spring ice drift, its abundant and wide, all-enthralling flood. This is the Pinega along which I sailed so much, when I was a student of a theological school and seminary, I sailed with great difficulties in a large boat, exposed to downpours of rain, and sometimes showered with snow and hail, at the end of August or beginning of September. How many memories are presented to my mind and imagination! How many feelings awaken in me - both joyful and sad! My parents were poor; Moreover, my father was constantly ill, from hard work he suffered from severe stomach pain, which was either a hernia or cancer, from which he died early, only 46 years old; my mother died in Kronstadt in 1870 from cholera. Today, June 10th, I didn’t sleep all night - and now I waited for the sun to rise, dazzlingly sparkling and wonderfully playing with the tints of light. It was in the first quarter of the 2nd hour. 1899, the night of June 10th”, Taisiya wrote about this trip: “In 1899, at Father’s request, I went with him to his homeland in the village of Sura to discuss the issue of setting up a women’s monastery there, choosing a place for it, and in general to take the first steps in this matter, such as: writing initial papers - petitions, explanations to both the local spiritual authorities and to the governor, through whom they were supposed to ask for the Highest mercy - the allotment of land. All these troubles fell to my lot, and I was very happy to serve the great cause of the great husband. By the night of June 10th, we sailed along the Pinega to the Northern Dvina. The night was unspeakably wonderful! felling, wrote down her impressions, poured out in the verses of the northern night. About one in the morning he came up to me and, putting his hand on my shoulder, said: “And what a night, what a night the Lord has given to you and me!” Then, seeing that I was writing, he asked me: “What are you doing?” I answered: “Feelings are asking to come out, I want to write, but I can’t write them because I’m so full.” To this he replied: “Do you want me to write you something about this wonderful night, as a memory of our journey?” And he went into the wheelhouse and after a while brought me this sheet, which I am now copying word for word: “Bless my word to Thy praise, O Lord! The Pinega River and the world of God in its wonderful beauty on June 10th on the steamship "St. Nicholas". An unforgettable, delightful, glorious night that I saw in the north, when on June 10th I was traveling on my steamship “St. Nicholas the Wonderworker” along the Pinega River! This was not far from its confluence with the great Northern Dvina, sweeping as wide as the sea. It was 12 o'clock at night, but there was not really night, and there was not even twilight; it was the brightest, quiet evening. On the very horizon are radiant cirrus clouds; the river is like glass, it does not sway; from the bright dawn she is all like fire. Nature was all incredibly beautiful. On both sides of the river, the banks are bordered by smooth coniferous forest with green meadows; the water, like a mirror, wonderfully reflected the crimson sky. Silence is dead! The thought and heart are carried away to God, who is clothed in such splendor, clothed with light, like a robe, stretching out the sky like skin (Cf.; Ps. 103: 1-2). You feel that He Himself is here, carrying everything, filling everything, decorating everything, containing everything, giving life and breath to everything and everything (cf.: Acts 17:25). And this Pinega is my native river, flowing near my native village of Surskoye, near which I ran so many times as a child and a youth, which was so noisy and delighted me with its majestic spring ice drift, its abundant and wide, all-enthralling flood. This is the Pinega along which I sailed so much, when I was a student of a theological school and seminary, I sailed with great difficulties in a large boat, exposed to downpours of rain, and sometimes showered with snow and hail, at the end of August or beginning of September. How many memories are presented to my mind and imagination! How many feelings awaken in me - both joyful and sad! My parents were poor; Moreover, my father was constantly ill, from hard work he suffered from severe stomach pain, which was either a hernia or cancer, from which he died early, only 46 years old; my mother died in Kronstadt in 1870 from cholera. Today, June 10th, I didn’t sleep all night - and now I waited for the sun to rise, dazzlingly sparkling and wonderfully playing with the tints of light. It was in the first quarter of the 2nd hour. 1899, the night of June 10th" "(Ibid. pp. 23–25). (Ibid. pp. 23–25). For the size of the arable and hay lands that belonged to the Vorontsov monastery, see note. 1 to the letter of Abbess Taisia ​​with the date: no later than December 25–28, 1897. Nevertheless, the question of acquiring new lands for the community (and from 1903 for the monastery) was quite acute. This is evidenced by a letter to Father John from his St. Petersburg admirer M. Volkov: “The Lord allowed me to build a stone fence around the Vorontsov Annunciation Convent of the Pskov province, and this monastery still needs a lot, and most importantly, it has a shortage of land, so not only can it not add livestock, but there is also no pasture for the small available livestock, and the land is not so suitable for arable farming - clay, so that the monastery still needs land. And for this purpose, I recently bought 80 acres with a small forest in the neighborhood of the monastery, the soil of the land, according to the abbots. Taisii, good, for 6 thousand rubles. and in order to make it the property of the monastery, I ask for your blessing and holy prayers for this, so that the land bears fruit” (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 166. L. 58). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 26. Perhaps we are talking about the manuscript of the book “The Truth about God, the World and Man. Extracts from a new diary for 1894–1899.” This book was published by the publishing house of A.D. Stupin in 1900 simultaneously in St. Petersburg and Moscow (see note 1 to the letter to Abbess Taisia ​​dated August 5, 1899). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 26–27. The fast train arrived in St. Petersburg at 10 o'clock in the morning. The scope of Deacon Maccabeev’s economic activity and “undertakings” is indicated, in particular, by his letter to Father John dated August 3, 1899: “Now I’m sorting out financial matters and accounts, and then it’s time to start building a house for the community and other small services; I also need to install a mill and a locomobile, I’m waiting for the sawmill frame, it’s still on the way. We will install the brick making machine next spring. The potting is generally good. The stone schoolhouse was recently whitewashed - it looks more beautiful. Our former stock of bread of over 700 bags was sold out in less than a month; lately there has been almost not a pinch of flour on sale, but I brought 150 bags by ship and again sent a ship for the same...” (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 2. L. 264–266ob). In December 1899, Makkaveev turned to the Arkhangelsk Spiritual Consistory with a request for permission to set up a reading room in the Sura parish and conduct religious and moral readings with light paintings (GAAO. F. 310. Op. 1. D. 1a. L. 2–2ob., 6). In the same month, he sent a telegram addressed to the Arkhangelsk governor with a proposal to build a road for the supply of grain from the river. Northern Dvina to Pinega district (Ibid. L. 4–4 vol.). The named sisters were for some time novices of the Pyukhtitsa monastery. See letters to Abbess Alexia dated March 30, 1899 and notes. 1 to him and dated April 27, 1899. A reply letter from Abbess Taisia ​​dated August 9, 1899 has been preserved. She wrote: “Today I received from Fr. Sursky. Deacon’s 2nd letter with a new idea - I don’t know how to respond, because he hasn’t received the 1st letter yet. Reverend, my dear Father! So you also consoled me with your lines, so dear and longed for and joyful for me! Thank you, my Joy, my Comforter Angel! By doing this, you seem to pour the oil of grace into my soul, softening its wounds, which are often and deeply inflicted on it from everywhere and from many, and especially difficult when received from sisters, whom I love so much and carry so deeply in my heart. Woe to me, sinner! I cannot, despite all my efforts and efforts, develop for myself a holy and godly flock; all in it are sick and black sheep, and is it possible for the power of God to cleanse them completely, for your saints? prayers for us! You are asking about the Pukhtitsky obedients Evdokia, Ekater and Elena! Nothing has been noticed about Elena yet; she is better than others; and the first two are rough, especially Evdokia, rude, proud; I have already begun to avoid her, because I see that it is in vain to waste words, only to irritate myself, but to achieve no sense, not to persuade her into anything. However, don’t think that anything special will happen; no - all thanks to God, your holy prayers are tolerated, but I am at a loss as to how to deal with them, so that they too would be at peace and our monastery rules would not be violated by them, for this latter is tempting for the weak. Since I hope to see you soon, my dear Father, I hope to open up to you in everything and ask for your instructions, which you, of course, will not refuse to me, unreasonable and selflessly devoted to you. During this time I have so many worries and things to do that I simply don’t have time; however, there is a lot that is gratifying. I received news from Novgorod (with gratitude) that our Leushinsky students stood out better than all the others “at the courses” and drew everyone’s attention to themselves for this, as well as for their good behavior and modesty and knowledge of church singing. This means that the Lord crowns my labors in this too. I attribute everything to your holy prayers and blessings. Happy are my sisters from the courtyard that they were honored to enjoy your Divine Service and receive communion from you! Will this happiness come to me soon? It would be good if it were so arranged that on the other day of my arrival you would return from Moscow or somewhere else to serve with us, otherwise, perhaps, I’m tired of the road and won’t be able to go to Kroshit immediately. The Lord's will be done! I entrust you with your holy prayers. And Taisiya. My health, thanks to your holy prayers, is holding on, thank God, but for this reason I give myself peace wherever possible; I pray little” (TsGIASPb. F. 2219. Op. 1. D.2. L. 267–268v.). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 27. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 27–28. At the end of the letter there is a typo in the date: “20” instead of “19”. This letter was not found. This letter (also not discovered) probably referred to a plot of 100 acres of land along the river. The trash that Father John asked for for the needs of the Sur women's community he was organizing. The provision of land for the community is stated in a letter from Deacon Makkabeev: “In Arkhangelsk I was also in the State Property Management Department. Your petition with the verdict (from Schauman) and the plan for the alienation of 100 acres of land for the settlement of the community - the entire thing has already been sent to the Department of State Property. The governor, already at your request for the correction of 100 des with scaffolding for the community, made the following resolution: “No orders should be made for now, pending receipt of detailed information and plans.” This last request means that it has remained without movement for now, for now it is tolerable. I would think, and some people advised me, like you, to ask for much more land with timber. As soon as it gets better, I’ll go to that grove along the river. The bastard from which you asked for 100 dessiatines, and I’ll see what she is, it seems that she’s all no more than 500 dessiatines. . I will prepare a plan for this entire grove, then you will enter with a petition where it should be, and if they are stingy to give up this entire area, then it is easy to use the same plan to decorate the ceded part with one line...” (Ibid. D. 2. L. 266). However, later Father John will ask for another forest plot for the Surskaya community - Letovskaya Grove (see about this in the letter of Abbess Taisia ​​dated August 4, 1900). The Imperial Family was unable to visit Kronstadt due to unfavorable weather. On the same day, Father John was received by the Emperor and Empress on the yacht “Standart”. Father blessed the Tsar, the Empress and their August children. He said the following about this visit: “I reported to Their Majesties how diligently and solemnly the city was preparing to receive its beloved Sovereign and Empress. The Emperor was pleased to express a gracious promise to visit the city next year together with the Empress, and that the current unfavorable weather prevented them from being in the city” (Kotlin. 1899. August 21, No. 181). Father John visited Leushin on his way from Sura to Moscow (Kotlin. 1899. July 4, No. 142). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 28. Published by: MVed. 1899. September 25, No. 264. Dated by content: Father John’s donation was sent shortly after the article “A Year in the Life of the Orthodox Russian School in Gango” appeared in No. 245 of the Moscow Gazette on September 6, 1899 (see also letters to Father Alexander Yakubov dated August 13 and September 4, 1898). Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: Pukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 105. Published by: RNB. F. 102. Op. 1. D. 379. L. 1,2. Published for the first time. Published by: GARF. F. 1099. Op. 1. D. 2582. L. 13. Published for the first time. Alexandra Timofeevna Sokolova was tonsured a monk with the name Anthony on March 23, 1868, at the age of 38 (Ibid. No. 41, p. 1671). The clergy and clergy of the Vvedensky Convent consisted of Archpriest Peter Kalinnikov, priest Pavel Svyatitsky, Deacon John Bunin, Deacon Vikenty Generozov, psalmist Simeon Popov (Ibid. No. 42–43, p. 1731). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 29. Reprinted from: KP. 1914. No. 45. P. 700 (with a typo: “1897” instead of “1899”). In a letter to Father John dated January 1, 1899, the abbot reports: “...In the monastery, your holy name is remembered during the Liturgy every day” (Ibid. L. 17v.). In addition to silk icons, the abbot donated icons written by Athonite monks to various churches in Kronstadt. In a letter to Father John dated September 1, 1899, he writes, for example: “My long-time cherished desire is to donate an icon to the Cathedral of St. Andrew, for I spent my youth until the age of 20 from the age of 9 in Kronstadt and went to this church to pray here, to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. In memory of my life in the city of Kronstadt, you yourself bless which holy icon you recommend to paint and send to the cathedral. Honor us with your short answer” (Ibid. L. 230–230v.). Published by: MVed. 1899. November 18, No. 318. The publication of Father John’s letter was accompanied by the following editorial note: “Count Koiovnitsyn, who undertook the collection of donations for the construction of an Orthodox church in the city of Prasnysh (Privislinsky region), informs us about a new donation from the venerable Kronstadt shepherd for this useful cause in his next letter addressed to Count. Konovnitsyna: . Without a doubt, the example of Father John of Kronstadt will further encourage philanthropists to rush to the aid of the Russian residents of Prasnysh. Donations can be sent either directly to the name of gr. Konovnitsyn, and to the office of “Moskovskiye Vedomosti” (MVD. 1899. November 18, No. 318). Published by: Department of the Federal Security Service for St. Petersburg and the region. D. P-74528. T. 4. L. 145–145v. First published (with an abbreviation of the phrase: In previous years, I drank good wine): KP. 1912. No. 17. P. 305. Father Alexander responded to Father John’s letter the next day. Father Alexander extremely valued the things he received as a gift from Father John. In his funeral eulogy at the funeral service for Father Alexander Kosukhin in 1912, Father Nikolai Vertogradsky said: “Father Fr. John gave Fr. Alexander his kamilavka. O. Alexander was beside himself with delight. And now in this kamilavka from the head of Father, as if in his farewell to another world, lies Fr. Alexander in the tomb" (KP. 1912. No. 14. P. 262). Published by: RGIA. F. 728. Op. 1. D. 38. L. 1–1v. Published for the first time. We are talking about the office of the State Audit Office, located at the address: pub. r. Moiki, 76. In 1899, the office was headed by Privy Councilor V. G. Smitten. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 29–30. The long acquaintance of Father John with Archbishop Jonathan of Yaroslavl and Rostov is evidenced by the congratulatory telegram dated November 30, 1893 posted above. The letter from Father John mentioned here and the answer of the archbishop are unknown. Probably, we are talking about the intention of Senator V.P. Mordvinov to donate his Vaulovskoe estate, located in the Yaroslavl province, to the Ioannovsky Monastery. (See about this the letter to Abbess Taisia ​​dated February 27, 1903 and notes 1 and 2 to it). The abbess was in St. Petersburg at the courtyard of the Leushinsky monastery and repeatedly turned to Father John with a request to give her time for a conversation. In a letter dated the first days of November, she wrote, for example: “I need to talk to you in detail about a lot, without rushing, therefore I ask you, my Joy, my father and guide, provide me with a convenient opportunity for this. Or take me with you to go somewhere, at least to Kronstadt; or spend the night with us in view of your services here tomorrow, and 7 n or as the Lord inspires you, just satisfy the necessary request of your devoted to the grave and loving you and Taisiya” (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 7v. L. 198–199). About I.N. and A.S. Ornatsky, see above, in the letters of Father John to Abbess Taisia ​​dated May 4, 1894 and D.I. Malkina dated May 18, 1894 and in the corresponding notes. to them. Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 107. Father John responds to the abbess’s letter dated November 28, 1899, containing congratulations on the church feast of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 7a. L. 56–56v.). Published by: GAAO. F. 75. Op. 1. D. 2566. L. 1. Published for the first time. The protocol of the Construction Department of the Arkhangelsk Provincial Board dated January 10, 1900 stated: “Having examined the said drawing, the Construction Department found it drawn up correctly, which is why it considers approving it and then, according to the petition of Archpriest Sergiev, forwarding it to the clergy of the Sursky parish, and leaving a copy of the approved project in the affairs of the Construction Department. This project should be submitted for approval by the Governor” (GAAO. F. 75. Op. 1. D. 2566. L. 2). Published by: MVed. 1900. January 5, No. 5. Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: Pukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 108. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 30–31. On November 16, 1899, Father John received the following telegram: “On behalf of the clergy and all the sailors in St. Petersburg, I earnestly ask the venerable pastor to serve in the Admiralty Cathedral on the church holiday of December 12 [St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky - Ed.] 10 o'clock Liturgy with Metropolitan Anthony and the protopresbyter. I ask for an answer. The rector of the cathedral is Archpriest Stavrovsky" ShchGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 14a. L. 92), to which he answered with consent. Father John traditionally visited the Admiralty Cathedral in the name of Spiridonius of Trimifuntsky on church holidays. Thus, in a letter from Archpriest Alexei Stavrovsky dated September 25, 1892, in which Father John is invited to the consecration of the cathedral after restoration, it says in particular: “Following the example of previous years, we and our parishioners would like to see you at this celebration. I am sending psalm-reader Guryev, specially appointed for this purpose, and we beat you with our forehead: welcome to us for consecration...” (Ibid. D. 7a. L. 178–179). Father John returned from Ryazan on December 18, and on the 19th he participated in the consecration of the newly built church of Her Majesty’s Life Guards Cuirassier Regiment in Tsarskoye Selo. Their Imperial Majesties were present at the service (Kotlin. 1899. December 21, No. 278). See note. to the first letter to Abbess Taisia dated August 19, 1899 P. P. Ryzhov fulfilled his promise to send bells to Sura, as evidenced by his letter to Father John dated November 6, 1899: “... I intended to write to you along with sending the railway invoice for the bells, but the sending of the bells was delayed due to the refusal to accept the cargo by the railway at the Arkhangelsk station; and for a month now the Road Administration has been waiting every day for permission to accept cargo, and the bells are lying at the station. As soon as they start accepting cargo, I will send it immediately, and I will telegraph it to you” (TsGIASPb. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 2. L. 138). On December 4, 1899, S. G. Ramensky turned to Father John with a letter, which said: “Your comprehensive concern for the religious and moral education of your homeland, the village of Sura, Pinega district, Arkhangelsk province, known to me, prompted you to create a female monastic hostel there with schools, shelters and other useful institutions, and in view of the material support of this hostel in the future, you intend to build a courtyard for him in St. Petersburg with a Church, a chapel and other fixtures and you want to purchase a plot of land for this. Fully sympathizing with such a good and holy undertaking, I have the zeal to donate for the stated purpose - the establishment of the Sursky metochion of the St. John the Theological community with a house Church and a chapel - a plot of land belonging to me, consisting in St. Petersburg, Petersburg part, 3 plots, on the corner of the river. Karpovka and Silina Lane "(RGIA. F. 796. Op. 181. D. 1531. L. 5–5 rev.). However, in order to give the case a legal proceeding, a number of legal documents were required confirming the ownership of the land by Ramensky. Obviously, these “papers” were what Father John was waiting for. On April 14, 1900, the architect N. N. Nikonov provided Father John with a list of persons whom he had designated to carry out construction work and deliver building materials for the construction of a farmstead on Karpovka. The list of contractors for the first work included 8 people (TsGIA SPb. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 2. L. 272–272ob.). In the list compiled by Nikonov, other persons are named as brick suppliers - A.F. Evmentyev and P.P. Bakhvalov (Ibid. L. 272–272v.). For the help of the abbess in the organization of the Sursk monastery, see note. 1 to the first letter to Abbess Taisia ​​dated August 19, 1899, as well as letters to her dated March 23 and May 28, 1900. Reprinted from: RP. 1899. No. 44. P. 767. Section “Mixture”, according to the text of the note (without signature): “Father John about the comet.” The author of the note writes: “With all sorts of questions they turn to the respected shepherd Father John. So, for example, the other day we had to see a telegram from Father John to the city of Penza - to the laity, who, as can be seen from this telegram, turned to Father John with questions about the rumor about the comet and the upcoming doomsday. The responsive shepherd honored them with the following answer...” (Ibid.). Dated approximately, but to the time of publication in the magazine. Reprinted from: Father John of Kronstadt. St. Petersburg, 1909 (reprint). P. 59. The publication is accompanied by the story: “At the priest of the mountains. Sumy Jacob Levitsky in 1899, the youngest daughter Ksenia, two years old, fell ill. After severe influenza, she developed swelling all over her body. A month later, the swelling went away, but on the face, under the right eye, at first some kind of rash appeared, which turned into ugly warts. The child's face soon became horribly disfigured. We went to the doctor. He called the disease “skin growth” and said that there was no treatment, but that the warts had to be cut off. The parents were horrified: they would have had to cut off the skin from almost half of their face. In their grief, they decided to turn to Father John for help and sent him a detailed telegram. A week later, the following answer was received. The parents followed this advice exactly. A month later, the warts on the child’s face began to turn red, filled with blood, then cracked and began to quickly dry out, and soon disappeared completely...” (Ibid., pp. 59–60). Published from the book: Nikolaevsky A. The Great Shepherd of the Russian Land. Munich, 1948. P. 28. Dated approximately: the author of the book, an emigrant from 1917–1918, the son of someone who had been published in the capital’s spiritual magazines since the late 1860s. church historian P. Nikolaevsky (who died in November 1899), recalls that he fell ill with scarlet fever in infancy and his parents, having lost hope for the boy’s recovery, turned to Father John with a telegram containing a request to pray for his recovery. “In the morning,” writes A. Nikolaevsky further, “I regained consciousness, and in the morning from Fr. A telegram was received from John. The sincere faith of my parents in the Lord God and in the Divine power of prayers about. John saved my life. Since then, according to the will of my parents, I have never forgotten this bright shepherd and in days of sorrow and joy I turn to him for prayer before the Lord God so that he will bless my path in life” (Ibid.). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 32. Father John followed the usual route from Kronstadt through Oranienbaum to St. Petersburg to celebrate the Liturgy in the Church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God behind the Nevskaya Zastava. Deacon Theorius of the Maccabees was the main manager of the construction of buildings of the Sura community and the initiator of profitable enterprises in its favor. Abbess Taisiya had previously written to Father John about her distrust of him (see note 3 to the letter to her dated August 5, 1899). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 32. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 33. Perhaps the future novice of the Sursky Monastery, Evgenia Ermilovna Kruglikova, is mentioned. Reprinted from: KP. 1912. No. 17. P. 306. Published by: GAAO. F. 29. Op. 4. T. 3. D. 1547. L. 1. Published for the first time. The bishop's positive resolution was brought to the attention of Father John by notification of the Consistory dated February 9, 1900, No. 2129 (Ibid. L. Z-Zob.). On March 5, 1900, in Sura, a ceremony was held to found a house church in the community in the name of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian. By this time, the house for the community had already been built. Sursky priest Father Alexander Ivanov described the celebration of the founding of the church: “After the Divine Liturgy celebrated in the Sursk parish church, the clergy with a procession of the cross, accompanied by numerous pilgrims, moved to the built community house. Here, after the blessing of the water and the blessing of the oil, the place for erecting the cross was sprinkled with holy water, and during the singing of the troparion and kontakion, a cross was placed on the base by the hands of the priests. Then the quadrangular stone with the inscription carved on it was sprinkled with holy water. This stone was laid at the foundation of the church, and oil was poured onto the stone, with the prescribed words spoken. After this, all four sides of the foundation of the church were sprinkled with holy water and at the end many years were proclaimed to the builder of this holy monastery, Archpriest John...” (KP. Issue 1. pp. 143–144). Construction work was carried out until the end of July 1900. The dean, priest Theodore Korelin, reported on July 22 to the Arkhangelsk Spiritual Consistory: “...The construction of a wooden house with a house church in the name of St. John the Theologian at the established Sursk women’s community, with the exception of the completion of several cells, in which the plastering of the ceilings and the installation of floors has not been completed, is nearing completion.” (GAAO. F. 29. Op. 4. T. 3. D. 1547. L. 8). In January 1900, Father John begins preparations for the opening of the Sur women's community (see letter to Bishop Ioannikiy dated January 24, 1900). Responding to his request, the abbess wrote: “You write, my dear, that I prepare older sisters for the Sursk monastery from among my Leushinskys. I am ready to serve you with all my soul, our dear father, in whatever way I can; I accept this commission as the greatest honor and mercy of God, but first of all I need to talk to you. If, in general, it is responsible and scary before God and before people to elect the head of a community of monastics, for whom she should be a leader and a living example of spiritual life and selfless service in the external structure of the community, then isn’t it even more terrible to choose one for the One whom the Lord Himself chose, justified and glorified before the whole world and to whom He entrusted the structure of human souls. I will point out and describe to you some whom I can recognize as suitable, and may the Lord Himself inspire you which one to choose. I prepare the rest, that is, the elders in all obedience. For example, the regent of the choir at the Cherepovets courtyard hired a teacher there specifically to teach music, so that she could better direct the choir and learn every church song on her own. You, of course, will not refuse to buy a harmonium for Sura, it is necessary for the choir, because for the Sursky metochion in St. Petersburg it is necessary to prepare a choir in Sura, if not the whole, then at least the leaders; after all, the more reliable and experienced sisters of the monastery to which it belongs are always placed in the courtyard. This is a general rule for maintaining communication between the monastery and the courtyard, which should serve the monastery. And it will be a double honor for the Sura monastery that it itself is still young, but has already developed its own industries for its compound. However, we will talk about all this in person. 4 more girls sent by you for Sura have arrived; 3 of them are learning to sing, one is illiterate, deprived of hearing and a voice capable of singing, at my discretion she is learning to make prosphora - after all, this too needs to be learned. All the girls are wonderful, diligent, only one old lady, recommended by Marya Egorovna, is very arrogant, talkative, clever all the time, and she herself is even illiterate, but she is a terrible ratchet. I don’t think she will do any good there, and will do a lot of harm with her tongue. There would be a lot to talk about, Dear Father. I’m thinking of coming at the beginning of Lent, but I grieve that then there will be no more Liturgies and you won’t serve with us. I live only for you and am glad to lay down my life for you; do not leave your daughter, the hesgumenik “Taisia,” who is devoted to you with her soul (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 2. L. 59–60 rev.). Among the older sisters trained by the abbess were nun Varvara (Ivanovskaya), who became the head of the monastery, A. I. Pomelova, who served as regent and charter teacher in Sura, A. I. Shablygina, who studied painting in an icon-painting workshop and completed a course for the title of “home teacher” at the Derevyanitsky School (GAAO. F. 310. D. 2. L. 1 rev. – 2, 3 rev. – 4). Published by: GAAO. F. 29. Op. 4. T. 3. D. 1584. L. 1–1 vol. Published for the first time. At a meeting of the Arkhangelsk Spiritual Consistory on February 10, 1900, it was decided to petition the Holy Synod to receive the Highest permission to accept a plot of land by the Surskaya women's community, since the establishment of a farmstead in St. Petersburg was recognized as “a very useful matter in moral terms and desirable in the interests of the material support of the community” at the meeting of the Arkhangelsk Spiritual Consistory on February 10, 1900, it was decided to petition before the Holy Synod to receive the Highest permission to accept a plot of land by the Sursky women's community, since the establishment of a farmstead in St. Petersburg was recognized as “a very useful matter in a moral sense and desirable in the interests of the material support of the community.” On the same day, Bishop Ioannikiy notified Father John about the decision of the Consistory and sent a corresponding presentation to the Holy Synod (GAAO. F. 29. Op. 4. T. 3. D. 1584. L. 3-5). On the same day, Bishop Ioannikiy notified Father John about the decision of the Consistory and sent a corresponding presentation to the Holy Synod (GAAO. F. 29. Op. 4. T. 3. D. 1584. L. 3–5). Reprinted from: Ved. 1900. February 4, No. 27. Dated according to the time of publication in the newspaper. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 33–34. The bishop received Father John's petition, written on February 5 and received on February 10, and responded with consent, sending all the necessary documents (see note 2 to the letter to Bishop Ioannikiy dated February 5, 1900). On February 16, a package of documents from Arkhangelsk was handed over to the head of Xi’s office. Synod of Kersky (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 2. L. 369). Metropolitan Anthony (Vadkovsky). From the letter of Father John of Ornatsky dated February 16, 1900, it follows that the petition referred to in the letter was not the only one: “... it will be necessary to again ask for the Highest permission to build the church according to the known plan. This means that after the first case is completed, a new petition from the Archangel Bishop for permission to build the church will be needed. It would be good to also ask the Metropolitan, because speeding up the matter depends a lot on him” (Ibid. L. 369–370). Abbess Taisia ​​was detained in Leushin by monastery affairs, about which she wrote to Father John in a letter dated early February 1900: “How I want to see you and have a word-to-mouth conversation! – but when will this be? I was getting ready to leave, but I received news of the appointment of an inspector, the cat will probably arrive soon, we need to prepare an apartment for him, at least temporarily renovate it a little, then wait for him - to install him, hand over the files and generally put the matter in order as it should” (Ibid. L. 59). At the beginning of March 1900, the abbess was already in St. Petersburg (see note 2 to the letter of the abbess Taisia ​​dated March 8, 1900). Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: Pukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 109. E. Ilyin. See note 1 to the letter to Abbess Alexia dated March 30, 1899 and note. 6 to the letter to Abbess Taisia dated August 5, 1899 Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: Pukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. pp. 110–111. On February 26, 1900, Abbess Alexia wrote to Father John of Kronstadt about the novice Elena: “... if they return her, then Dear Father, I ask you to tell her that she will not live arbitrarily, wherever she wants, she will fly there, using your name, for which all obstacles are insignificant, but the sisters are weak in spirit, envy and grumble, Elena is allowed everything, but others no” (TsGIA SPb. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 7a. L. 67). We present here a letter from Princess E. D. Shakhovskaya of this time, which may have been sent by the abbess along with her response to this letter from the Kronstadt shepherd. The princess wrote: “Dear dear Father! I am taking the right opportunity, through Mother Abbess Alexia, to deliver you a few lines in order to appear before you at least in writing and remind you of myself after a long break - and to ask for your prayers, before the Lord, for me, who is ailing in body and soul almost to the point of exhaustion. The disease has been with me all my life, and now, in my old age (I’m 56 years old), it has begun to overcome me and immensely absorb my attention: I can’t with energy rise above the constant hospital sensations, and the thought, perhaps not praiseworthy, is taking root in my conscience more and more, that God does not want work and general discipline from me, but only complacency and silence. But still there is no complete peace of mind: I am embarrassed by the opinions of other people, especially nuns, that I indulge myself, etc.; Moreover, it is not they who express this opinion, but I imagine it, because when I meet them I realize how far I am from the monastic ideal and I am tormented by this, because I value people’s opinions and their praise very much. If possible, give me a word to guide my conscience. And it would be better, dear Father, to go to the Holy Mountain. In Kronstadt you shine for everyone like the sun in the sky, and we need its ray in our window for our flowers to bloom. Come and revive them with your endless kindness, the power of your faith and prayer, communicating to everyone, rejoicing and comforting. E. Shakhovskaya, deeply devoted to you, honoring and loving you. Pyukhtitsa. March 26, 1900 For the repose of Sergius, please come and light candles in the House of Labor” (TsGIA SPb. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 26. L. 30). Published by: GAAO. F. 29. Op. 4. T. 3. D. 1570. L, 1–1v. Published for the first time. On February 22, 1900, the bishop addressed a letter to Metropolitan Anthony (Vadkovsky) of St. Petersburg and Ladoga with a notification that he “has nothing against the good intention” of Father John to build a church in St. Petersburg for the Sura community, but considers it his duty to present the matter to the discretion of Metropolitan Anthony “as the owner of the St. Petersburg diocese.” On March 7 of the same year, the bishop addressed the Holy Synod with a petition “for permission to build a metochion of the Surskaya St. John the Theological community and a church in St. Petersburg.” On September 8, the construction work was highly approved by the Emperor (Ibid. L. 2v. - 3v.). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 34. This and the following note dated March 12 were addressed to Abbess Taisia ​​at the courtyard of the Leushinsky Monastery in St. Petersburg, where she probably arrived at the beginning of March 1900 to take the future sisters of the Surskaya community to Leushino for training. The fact that at the beginning of March the abbess was in St. Petersburg is evidenced by a letter from V. K. Sabler to Father John dated March 8, 1900: “Unfortunately, due to ill health, I cannot now visit Mother Taisia. She conveyed to me about your desire. And I, of course, am happy to fulfill it” (GAAO. F. 310. Op. 1. D. 1a. L. 7). Reprinted from: RP. 1902. No. 42. P. 709. First published: Ved. 1900. March 17, No. 61. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 34–35. Father John accepted about 30 poor girls into the Sura monastery. All of them underwent various obediences at the Leushinsky monastery. On April 8, 1900, on Holy Saturday, before the start of Easter Matins, the future nuns were dressed in robes. In a speech addressed to the new sisters, the abbess, in particular, said: “There are many monasteries in our Orthodox Rus', both ancient and newer; but you have not converted to any of them, but are entering a monastery that has not yet begun its existence, is just being established, and now you, by the Providence of God, are destined to be its first nuns, the first workers, the first prayer books; Thus, the lot that befell you is the most difficult, but you are not afraid of this, just as you are not afraid of the fact that the area where you are moving is cold, harsh, barren, remote - no one and nothing frightens you... The reason for this, I think, is that Sura, a village of the harsh north, no matter how cold and remote in external conditions, is as warm and close to the soul as the homeland of God’s chosen one, who builds this monastery for the benefit and spiritual enlightenment of his native land. Published by: Russian State Aviation Administration of the Navy. F. 17. Op. 1, D. 277. L. 69. Published for the first time. The time before noon was chosen, obviously, due to the fact that on April 9, Holy Easter Day, from 13 to 15 o'clock in the Kronstadt Naval Assembly there was a traditional mutual congratulation on the holiday of members of this assembly and regular guests. S. O. Makarov, as the chief commander of the port (this appointment took place on December 6, 1899), was supposed to be present at this celebration (KV. 1900. April 14, No. 42). Reprinted from: Ved. 1900.13 April, No. 79. Reprinted: KV. 1900.14 April, No. 42. Dates according to the time of publication in the newspaper. Father John responds to a letter from the chairman of the Suvorov Commission N.N. Sukhotin, which contained an invitation to take part in the “Suvorov Fundraising”. The letter, in particular, said: “With the Highest permission, a museum named after Generalissimo Suvorov will be built on the Preobrazhensky parade ground, with funds collected from all over the Russian land. A memorial repository is being created in which everything that testifies to our national hero will be collected; next to this monument there will be the Suvorov Church, in which he prayed a lot. The general desire is quite understandable that the future building of the museum, a monument to Suvorov, would speak to the masses about the great miracle hero by its very appearance. The fulfillment of this desire depends entirely on the funds that will be collected for the construction of the museum. . Suvorov is not only a hero of the Russian army, he is a hero of the Russian people, and therefore all his classes, all social groups, all institutions can contribute to Suvorov’s contribution to his name. I consider it my duty to notify you of the above, Gracious Sovereign, in case you wish to take part in our common Russian cause of raising funds for the Suvorov Museum” (RNB. 2.58.4.453. L. 1-1v. - letter-leaflet). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 35. Printed by; Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 35. On the same day, Father John celebrated the Liturgy in the house church of the Shelter for the Blind on Meshchanskaya Street. The church was overcrowded; Father John spoke a word about marriage in Cana of Galilee. After the Liturgy, he walked around the premises for the blind and talked with many pupils (Dukhonina, pp. 42–44). Father John’s close acquaintance with the Smirnov family is evidenced by a letter to him from their adopted daughter Olga: “I don’t ask for anything for myself, because you told me (on your last visit to Moscow I visited you with my mother in a compartment between Klin and Moscow) that God would send me a good fate, and I believe. We grieve terribly that you did not make us happy with your visit on this visit, but we do not lose hope for the future” (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 14v. L. 385–386v.). E. M. Mironova, the wife of the Moscow manufacturer of worsted and costume goods A. S. Mironov, often took the opportunity to travel with Father John to Klin to talk with him. So, in one of her later letters, she asked: “I urgently need to talk to you about a family matter: about the division with my brother Grigory Semyonich. For God's sake! Please! Where can you give me time to talk to you: somewhere in the house or take me to Klin?..” (Ibid. L. 47–47v.). Reprinted from: Pukhtpitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 111. Reprinted from: Ved. 1900. April 22, No. 87. Reprinted: MVed. 1900. April 23, No. 111. Dates from the time the letter appeared in newspapers. The publication was accompanied by the following editorial note: “A few days ago a party of volunteers is leaving for the Transvaal. The upcoming expenses for her travel to the theater of military operations are fully covered by the amount of about 12 thousand rubles collected by the residents of Orel. Father John Sergiev (Kronstadt) blessed the volunteers with the icon of St. Archangel Michael and sent them a letter with the following content.” Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: Pukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 114. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 36. Abbess Taisiya accompanies the publication of the letter with the following words: “Note. I received this letter already in Sura, where we arrived before Father’s arrival with all the sisters he sent for Sura, numbering 40 people, and three elders from our Leushinsky monastery and with the head of the Sura community, its first abbess Varvara. The house for the sisters was not yet ready, and we all fit into the orphanage building.” Father John entrusted Abbess Taisia ​​with the main leadership and supervision of the sisters of the St. John the Theological community before his arrival in Sura. Knowing from his own experience how many days the sisters’ journey to Sura could last, Father John wrote them a letter in advance, congratulating them on their arrival (see also note 4). The first nuns, led by the abbess, set off on the eve of Trinity, on Saturday, May 27. They reached Yaroslavl by boat, where they received a telegram from Deacon Georgy Makkaveev, which reported that there was no water in Pinega and it was impossible to get to Sura. Despite this, the abbess decided to continue the journey. Having reached Arkhangelsk by train, the sisters boarded the St. Nicholas the Wonderworker" and on the fourth day reached Sura; this became possible due to heavy rainfall, which raised the water level in the river. In total, the journey took 8 days and ended on All Saints Sunday, June 4 (“Spiritual Poems” by Abbess Taisia. St. Petersburg, 1903. pp. 105–111). The abbess described the meeting of the sisters in Sura in verse (Ibid. p. 112). Judging by the large amount of the donation, Mrs. Pechatkina belonged to the house of the St. Petersburg merchant-manufacturers Pechatkins, who were engaged in the production and trade of writing paper (the partnership “Pechatkin K.P. and Heirs” and “Pechatkin V.P. and Sons”). On May 27, Father John received from the Ministry of Railways an official document providing his steamship with “immediate passage under steam through the canals and the lock part of the Mariinsky and Duke Alexander of Württemberg systems” (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 45. L. 3). Deacon Maccabees was supposed to report the time of maximum water rise in Pinega. Father John left Kronstadt for Sura on June 4 at 2 p.m. On the steamship of A. A. Loparev, Father John completed the first part of his journey - to the confluence of the river. Vologda in the river Sukhon. In Sura they were concerned about the long absence of Father. He arrived there on June 18, and on the 20th he consecrated the Sur women's community. Reprinted from: Dukhonina. P. 47. Dated to the time of Father John’s departure to Sura (see note 4 to the letter to Abbess Taisia ​​dated May 28, 1900). Reprinted from: KP. 1914. No. 37. pp. 572–573. The initials of the addressee are indicated in the article “From Athos” (Ibid. pp. 571–580). The author of the article is not named. The monk's relocation to Athos was blessed by the elder Hieroschemamonk Joseph. For information about Father John’s connections with the inhabitants of the Optina Hermitage, see the letter to Hieromonk Anatoly (Zertsalov) dated December 17, 1893 and notes. to it, as well as the article by Prot. Gennady Belovolov “John of Kronstadt and Optina Pustyn” (KP. Vyl. I. pp. 265–279). Printed from a photocopy stored at the Father's House publishing house. Original in the 1890s. was in the private collection of Archimandrite Innocent (Prosvirnin). Published for the first time. Father John intended to stay in Sura for 5 days, but was forced to urgently leave it due to the rapid shallowing of Pinega: on June 23 at 11 pm he set off on the return journey. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 36–37. For the purposes of this visit, see the second letter to Bishop Ioannikiy dated June 26, 1900 and will accept to him. Father John was in Leushin from July 6 to July 11. There was a mistake in the date of the letter: it was written not on June 28, but on June 23. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 314–315. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 41–42. pp. 716–717. Father John arrived in Arkhangelsk on June 25 and celebrated the Liturgy in the cathedral. On June 26, together with the Petition to Bishop Ioannikiy for the petition to rename the community into a monastery (see present, ed.), he submitted a Petition to the Arkhangelsk Spiritual Consistory for the appointment of a dean, confessor and permanent priest for the Sursk community. By a resolution of June 26, Hieromonk Hilarion, rector of the Verkolsky Monastery, was appointed dean of the community, and Hieromonk Ioannikiy was appointed confessor. And on July 1, 1900, deacon of the Sura parish Georgiy Makkabeev was assigned to the Sura St. John the Theological Women's Community to a priestly position (GAAO. F. 310. Op. 1. D. 1a. L. 13, 20–20v.). The abbess brought the first nuns of the future monastery to Sura (see note 2 to the letter to her dated May 28, 1900); On June 23, at the same time as Father John, she left Sura. Most likely, it was Abbess Taisia ​​who, on the ship on the way from Sura, compiled the texts of documents about the Sura monastery, dated June 26, 1900 (see present, ed.). In one of the partially published diaries of Father John, his prayers for the newly created monastery were preserved: “I entrust the monastery, created by me by Thy grace, to You, Lord, Good Shepherd, and to You, Lady, Most Holy Theotokos! You, Lord, keep this flock safe from enemies visible and invisible! You, Lady, guard this flock of Yours, gathered from all ends! May your hand, Master, touching everyone, pacify and guide for good the hearts of both the abbess and all the sisters! Admonish, judge and punish them, but also have mercy when they turn to You with all their hearts and want to change with a good change! Remember to them their vows to You and their positions to which they are called, and help them in all their lives. Always destroy the machinations of the enemy against them! Amen!" (O. I. I. Sergiev. Life in the depths of the Church: (From the diary for 1902). St. Petersburg, 1903. P. 32–33). Published by: GAAO. F. 29. Op. 4. T. 3. D. 1547. L. 3. Published for the first time. Dated in connection with previous and subsequent letters: most likely, this is one of the documents drawn up by Abbess Taisia ​​on the ship on the way from Sura (see letter to nun Varvara dated June 24, 1900 and notes 3 and 4 to it) and submitted to the Arkhangelsk Spiritual Consistory along with other Petitions dated June 26, 1900. The “act” signed by “the founder of the Women’s Community, Archpriest John Sergiev,” described in detail the opening of the Community and the consecration of its first home church. The document, in particular, said: “The next day at 8 1/2 in the morning the rite of blessing of water began. At 9 o'clock they began to consecrate the church, and after this they began to celebrate the Divine Liturgy with a congregation of 9 priests led by Fr. Archpriest John and 4 deacons. According to the prayer behind the pulpit, Fr. Archpriest John spoke a word on the text of the prophecy of Hosea (Hos. 2, 19–20). This word was addressed to the nuns who had entered the new Abode; it explained to them their spiritual betrothal to Christ, the Bridegroom of our souls, and clarified the duties of their monastic life. The sisters of the newly established Community sang both the All-Night Vigil and the Rite of Consecration and the Liturgy; according to general reviews, their singing was impeccably good - correct and prayerful. At the end of the Liturgy, a prayer service followed, which began with the solemn opening of the Community, performed according to custom, as follows: after the entire council of clergy entered the middle of the Church, Primate Fr. Archpriest John, returning, accompanied by 2 deacons, to the soleya, turning his face to the people, read loudly and solemnly the Decree of the Name of His Imperial Majesty from the Archang Spiritual Consistory on the founding of the community; After reading the Decree, he added an explanation of the significance and benefits of the Monastery for the local population, why this latter should treat the Monastery with due respect and love and look at it as a living example of faith and piety, constant prayers and works. This was followed by a prayer service. From the Church everyone followed to Fr. Archpriest John, where tea was offered to everyone. Since there were a lot of guests who arrived for the consecration, and the relatively small cells of the entire upper floor, where at the same time some of the sisters of the Community were housed, could not accommodate everyone, while the hospitable host, the Founder of the Community, wanted to treat everyone, then lunch was offered in the “reading room” in a large spacious hall. During dinner, the singing sisters sang and the priests and other guests present spoke speeches” (Ibid. L. 4–5). For a detailed description of the opening of the community with the appendix of the words spoken by Father John, see: KP. Vol. I. pp. 144–152. “Word on the consecration of the church of the St. John the Theological women’s community established in the village of Sura” see: Collected. op. T. 7. pp. 38–42 fifth pagination. Published by: GAAO. F. 29. Op. 2. T. 6. D. 229. L. 33ZGrost. Published for the first time. Dated by resolution of the bishop. On July 6, 1900, at a meeting of the Arkhangelsk Ecclesiastical Consistory, it was decided to petition the Holy Synod to rename the community into the women’s monastery of St. John the Theologian and “to appoint a full-time clergyman consisting of a priest and a psalm-reader to it” (Ibid. L. 3838v.). On July 13, a petition about this from Bishop Ioannikis was sent to the Holy Synod (RGIA. F. 796. Op. 181. D. 1798. L. 1-2v.). The renaming of the Sursky community into a monastery took place on January 1, 1901 (see note 2 to the letter to Abbess Taisia ​​dated January 11, 1901). See letters to Bishop Ioannikiy dated February 5 and 19, 1900 and notes. to them. Published by: GAAO. F. 29. He. 2. T. 6. D. 229. L. 34. Published for the first time. Dated according to the resolution of Bishop Ioannikios. Published by: GMIR. F. 38. Op.1. D, 10. L. 27, 27ob. Published for the first time. See letters dated June 24 and 26, 1900. Father John was especially grateful for the work of establishing the monastery of Abbess Taisia and the Sura deacon George Maccabee (KP. Issue I. p. 152). On the way from Sura, Father John visited Arkhangelsk again. On June 25, he served the Liturgy in the cathedral and said a word published in the “Gazette of the St. Petersburg City Administration” (1900. July 7, No. 141); On June 26, he submitted a number of petitions addressed to the Bishop of Arkhangelsk. According to the Arkhangelsk Provincial Gazette (June 29, No. 143), by this day he left the city. Father John stayed in Leushin from July 6 to July 11. Father John was in Moscow on July 21 and 22 (MVD. 1900. July 21, 23, 31. Nos. 199, 202, 209). Published before: KP. 1912, No. 17. P. 306. See note. 1 to the letter to Father Alexander dated May 26, 1899, as well as letters to him November 16, 1899 and May 31, 1901. Father John arrived in St. Petersburg on July 23, and returned to Kronstadt on the night of July 30. At the time of consecration, the Surskaya monastery was a series of wooden buildings surrounded by a temporary wooden fence with a circumference of 134 fathoms. The community had one wooden, single-altar, single-domed church in the name of the Holy Apostle Evangelist John the Theologian; temporary bell tower; a wooden two-story building with cells for the abbess and sisters, a refectory, and a prosphora; a girls' school with a dormitory and a small wooden one-story outbuilding with a mezzanine (GAAO. F. 310. Op. 1. D. 3. L. 1–1v.). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 37. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 358–359v. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 47. pp. 797–798. Dated by content: the year is established by the mention of a land and forest plot (“Letovskaya Grove”) granted to the Surskaya community on July 17, 1900 (see note 6 to the letter to nun Varvara dated August 4, 1900); the letter was written after returning from a summer trip: on July 23, Father John arrived in St. Petersburg. Father John left the Leushinsky Monastery on July 11 and spent the next two days in Rybinsk. The shop was set up by Father John in Sura in the late 1890s. in order to counteract local traders. It sold essential goods to peasants at reasonable prices. The shop became the property of the monastery in February-March 1901 (GAAO. F. 310. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 12, 29). In 1900, 4,583 rubles were spent on the maintenance, construction and repair of the buildings of the Sursky Monastery. 21 kopecks, to provide the sisters with food, clothing, shoes - 4010 rubles. 81 kop. (Ibid. D. 3. L. 10). For the construction plans of the monastery, see note. 3 to the letter to nun Varvara dated September 9, 1900. A significant part of the grain, manufacturing, grocery and other trade in Pinega was concentrated in the hands of the Volodin Brothers trading house, the founders of which were M.I., A.I. and I.E. Volodins (Ovsyankin E.I. Arkhangelsk merchant. Arkhangelsk, 2000. P. 335–336). In 1898, Father John purchased grain supplies for the Surskaya shop in Rybinsk through the merchant Ya. M. Pozdeev (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 22. L. 9–16). See note. 6 to the letter to nun Varvara dated August 4, 1900. Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: Pukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 115. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14th century. L. 316–317v. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 41–42. pp. 717–718. A. S. Sergeeva (nee Ignatieva), future abbess of the Ioannovsky Monastery Angelina. E.V. Durdina repeatedly turned to Father with requests to pray for her children. Several of her letters have been preserved with the following requests: “Dear Father, pray for Lisa. She has heartache, she does not find place and peace, she is dissatisfied with everyone, we cannot help her and calm down in any way. “I ask you to pray for Alexander. He went abroad to finish his work. But here, in St. Petersburg, he himself was not entirely healthy; now he feels weak and melancholy comes over him, he cannot work” (Ibid. L. 325); “...Pray, dear Father, for your son Nikolai; help him take the right path, return from America healthy and believing in God...” (Ibid. L. 352). See note. 3 to the letter to nun Varvara dated June 24, 1900 and notes. 2 to the letter to her dated August 24, 1900. At meetings of the Holy Synod, the issue of renaming the Sursky community into a cenobitic monastery was discussed twice: on July 26 and October 25, 1900. The first time, no decision was made, since the Holy Synod decided “to allow Mr. the acting Synodal Chief Prosecutor to communicate with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, whether there are any obstacles from the Ministry in converting the St. John the Theological women’s community into a monastery.” On September 21, 1900, the comrade of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Prince Svyatopolk-Mirsky, notified that there were no such obstacles (RGIA. F. 796. Op. 181. D. 1798. L. 3, 4, 5–5 rev.). By the resolution of the Synod of October 25 / November 6, 1900, No. 4570a, it was decided: “John the Theological Women’s Community in the village. Sura, Pinezhsky district of the Arkhangelsk diocese to turn into a women’s monastery of the same name with the same number of nuns as the monastery will be able to support at its own expense” (TsV. 1900. No. 46. P. 62). For the first time, the question of allocating a forest plot for the monastery arose in August 1899 (see note 3 to the second letter to Abbess Taisia ​​dated August 19, 1899). Initially, Father John asked to allocate 100 acres of land along the river for the use of the sisters. Scoundrel. However, later, probably on the advice of Deacon Maccabeev, he considered it more expedient to ask for another grove for the community, called “Letovskaya”. In a letter dated September 9, 1899, Makkaveev reported: “The other day I went to that dacha along the river. The bastard, 5-7 versts from the churchyard you asked for, stayed there the whole day. The next day, on the advice of some peasants, I went to another dacha along the river. Sura is 12 versts from here, called “Letovskaya”, from here you can see the Mountains and from the mountain of Letovskaya Grove in clear weather you can see the Pogost. This grove will be better for the community in many ways. Firstly, the soil is richer and more convenient for development for sowing grain and hay, and its height is safer from frost. Then this one in terms of the number of tithes is 282 dessiatines. - it comes closer to us in its entirety, and from the grove along the river. Only part of the bastard has to be cut off, since the entire grove is over 750 dessiatinas. And secondly, the main thing: Letovskaya Grove is easier to protect from the theft of forests by peasants. The former fire, due to the fact that it was surrounded by streams, did not damage the grove at all. In the Pogantsevskaya grove there are many peasants working on hay, and this, when cutting off the grove for us, will lead to direct clashes and troubles. I decided to petition you for the Letovskaya Grove. The government does not lose anything from this. God help you!” (TsGIA SPb. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 2. L. 269–270 rev.). With a request to provide a grove for the community, Father John applied to the Administration of State Property twice: in March and in April 1900. By order of March 14, he was refused on the grounds that the Letovskaya ship grove “is located inside the Surskaya dacha and is an age-old planting” (i.e., plantings of predominantly mature age from 120 to 150 years) (GAAO. F. 310. He. 1. D. 1a. L. 8–8ob.) He made a repeated request to the Minister of State Property A. S. Ermolov on April 21, 1900. In his response, the minister, in particular, wrote: “To this I consider it my duty to add that, after collecting all the relevant information on the present case, I, for my part, will not fail to take all measures to satisfy the petition raised by Your Reverence” (Ibid. L. 25-25v.). The final decision on this issue was made in July 1900, of which A. S. Ermolov notified Father John in the following letter: “The Sovereign Emperor, according to my most humble report, on the 17th day of July 1900, most graciously deigned to present two plots of land to the possession of the St. John the Theological women’s community in the village of Sura, Pinezhsky district of the Arkhangelsk province land, one in 8 dessiatines 600 sq. sazh., and with inconvenient soil 8 dessiatinas. 890 sq. sazh., another - with an area of ​​291 dessiatines, and with inconvenient land of 291 dessiatines. 1200 sq. soot; in total 299 acres 2690 sq. soot from the Sursky state forest dacha, the Sursky forestry of the same province, so that the forest growing in the designated areas is used exclusively for the household needs of the community. I consider it my duty to notify Your Eminence of this All-Merciful will, as a result of your letter dated June 27 of this year, adding that in order to fulfill the stated Highest command, I, along with this, give the appropriate instructions to the Arkhangelsk Department of State Property. I entrust myself to your bright prayers, I ask you to accept the assurance of my complete respect and the same devotion. Your most humble servant A. Ermolov 23/VI 1900" (TsGIASPb. F. 2219. Op. 1, D. 2. L. 279–279 rev.). Father George wrote to Father John in September: “Work is already underway in the grove. They are cutting down a house for the guard, and they will also cut down a small hut at the other end of the grove for workers during clearing. They are clearing it for haymaking and plowing, a fair amount has already been dug and they still have time to dig a lot” (Ibid. L. 282v.). According to local newspaper reports, general confession in St. Andrew's Cathedral took place on August 5 with a large crowd of pilgrims (Kotlin, 1900, August 5, No. 177). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 37–38. On August 2, Father John visited the St. Petersburg homeopathic hospital in memory of Emperor Alexander II; On August 4 he served the Liturgy in Oranienbaum; On the 6th he was supposed to leave for Moscow (Kotlin, 1900, August 4–8, nos. 176–179). We are talking about the steamship "St. Nicholas the Wonderworker." Father George received the appointment on July 1, 1900, but turned to Father John with a request to petition for his transfer from a deaconal vacancy to a priestly one much earlier; This is evidenced by his following letter dated October 5, 1897: “I dare to address you with the following request: I would like to be a priest in Sura, remaining in the vacancy of a deacon, as you have in Kronstadt and other places, if you consider me worthy of such a great rank, then I earnestly ask you to petition for this before His Eminence, and the position of deacon in Sura will be filled by Solntsev, who, probably in a short time, at your request, will be ordained a deacon from among the psalmists; two psalm-readers are not needed here at all, besides, Solntsev will fulfill his weekly turn without prejudice to his official duties. As a deacon, with my weak chest, I can almost be a burden to others; as a priest, with the help of God, I can be useful here. Your humble servant, Deacon of the Sursky parish, Georgy Makkabeev" (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 2. L. 260–260rpm). See also note. 2 to the letter to nun Varvara dated August 24, 1900 The courtyard of the Sursky St. John the Theologian Monastery under construction in St. Petersburg on the river embankment. Father John visited Karpovka on July 24: he got acquainted with the progress of the work and talked with the diocesan architect N.N. Nikonov (Kotlin. 1900. July 26, No. 168). Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 318–319v. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 41–42. P. 718. On August 6, during the Liturgy in the Solombala Cathedral of Arkhangelsk, Bishop Ioannikiy ordained a deacon of the Sursky parish of George the Maccabees and a priest (Arkhangelsk EV. 1900.15Sept., No. 17. Part of the official. P. 288). See also sword. 4 to the letter to nun Varvara dated June 24, 1900. In pre-revolutionary Russia, monasteries were divided into regular ones - receiving maintenance from the treasury and having a number of monastics determined by the state, and supernumerary ones - not receiving a salary and existing on income generated by the priesthood and the labors of the monks themselves. Established monasteries were divided into 3 classes according to the amount of content they were given and the degree of rights. The Sursky St. John the Theologian Monastery was unemployed. It was assumed that he would be financially provided with income from a public shop, the steamship "St. Nicholas the Wonderworker”, a steam mill, a brick factory, interest from the capital transferred by Father John, and funds coming from the courtyard in St. Petersburg and the labor obedience of the nuns (Kotlin. 1900. August 2, No. 174). See note. 2 to a letter to Bishop Ioannikiy dated mid-November 1900. Published by: RGIA. F. 1111.0. 1. D. 15. L. 1. The letter was written by the secretary and signed by Father John. We are talking about the Imperial Alexander Lyceum, the trustee of which was Protasov-Bakhmetev. Father Alexander Krasov submitted his work “St. Stefan, Bishop of Perm, enlightener of the Zyryans, and his successors" in 2 books - printed, entitled "Conversion of the Zyryans to Christianity by St. Stefan, first bishop. Perm and Ustvym (1379–1396)" (St. Petersburg, 1900), and handwritten. Both books were presented by the author on September 19, 1897, but the ordinary professor, Archpriest P. F. Nikolaevsky, recognized the dissertation as not meeting the requirements for a dissertation for the degree of Master of Theology, and returned it to the author for correction. On May 11, 1900, at a meeting of the Council of the Theological Academy, it was decided to give the dissertation case a “legitimate course” (Journal of meetings of the Council of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy for the 1899–1900 academic year. St. Petersburg, 1902. P. 287). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 38. After the prayer behind the pulpit, Father John said a word on verse 20 of Psalm 88, “I have lifted up the chosen one from My people,” dedicated to the memory of St. blgv. kp. Alexander Nevsky, the transfer of whose relics was celebrated on this day. Some thoughts from this sermon have been published in free presentation: Ved. 1900. September 1, No. 190. See note. 3 to the letter to nun Varvara dated August 24, 1900. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1, D. 14. L. 320–321. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 41–42. P. 719. Nun Varvara responded to Father John on September 11 with the following telegram: “Priceless father, I sincerely thank you for all your mercies towards me, a great sinner. I ask for blessings and forgiveness” (Ibid. D. 7a. L. 85). Wed. with the diary entry of Father John: “You (the nuns) dressed in black clothes as a sign of your inner sadness about the sins you committed in the world, and even now you are committing in the monastery. This is your constant mourning and a reminder of constant repentance and correction; on the other hand, this robe signifies the image of angelic life, abstinence, purity and chastity, humility and obedience. Look behind yourself - whether under these black clothes there is a black heart, evil, unclean thoughts, or an evil, rebellious heart, a rebellious will, an uncorrected evil disposition. Your title - monastic - requires a “different” structure of your entire internal and external life than it was when you lived in the world and at your own free will. Then you sinned a lot, but now you have stopped or must move from sin to truth, from self-will to obedience, from inaction and laziness to blessed labors - to obedience, prayer and handicraft” (Prot. I. I. Sergiev. Life in the bowels of the Church. St. Petersburg, 1903. pp. 49–50). Published by: RGIA. F. 1111. Op. 1. D. 15. L. 2–2v. Published for the first time. Probably, Father John asked for Obnevsky at the request of his wife Lydia, his spiritual daughter. In the archives of Father, a number of letters from L.V. Obnevskaya have been preserved, in which she resorts to his prayerful help, asks to appoint her time for a spiritual conversation, and intercedes for people close to her. It is also known that in 1899, Father John asked that Obnevsky be given a position in one of the institutions under the Holy Synod (TsGIA St. Petersburg, F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 28. L. 50). The St. Petersburg Widow's House was one of the institutions of Empress Maria Feodorovna, headed by Count Protasov-Bakhmetev. According to the address calendar for 1901, Obnevsky remained an official in the office of the Railway Administration. Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: Pukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 116. Reprinted from: TsGIA SP b. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 322–322v. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 41–42. P. 719. The specified amount was recorded in the monastery's income and expenditure book on September 20, 1900 with the note “for needs and buildings” (GAAO. F. 310. On. 1. D. 8. L. 20 rev.). A letter from Father George Makkaveev dated September 21, 1900 gives an idea of ​​the needs and plans of the newly built monastery: “Yesterday, with God’s help, a sawmill was put into use at the newly established plant; It cuts perfectly, only some shortcomings are being eliminated today. The buildings that have not yet been started are the bathhouse, the grain barn and the hayloft, which I expect to start on Monday (Sept. 25). Now they are putting up a dismantled school, onto which they will build a second floor. We are also turning the removed mezzanines into a special small house where we will temporarily place a school dormitory, since the school building will not be completed soon. The barnyard is being finished off, and one of these days the stables will be finished off. We also intend to start a house for the monastery dormitory, otherwise the sisters will have nowhere to live. When we finish all this that is planned, then we can safely say that the monastery is completely rebuilt for the first time” (TsGIASLb. F. 2219. On. 1. D. 2. L. 282–283v.). Before being appointed to the position of head of the Surskaya community, nun Varvara underwent obedience at the Leushinsky monastery under the spiritual guidance of Abbess Taisia, whom she continued to consider her spiritual mother and repeatedly turned to her for advice and help. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 323–323v. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 43. P. 735. The money sent was recorded in the ledger on October 11, 1900 (GAAO. F. 310. On. 1. D. 8. L. ZZob.). In the first year of the monastery’s existence, almost its only source of income was donations. According to the monastery's income and expenditure statement, the total amount of donations in 1900 amounted to 13,122 rubles, of which 12,050 rubles. were introduced by Father John. About Letovskaya Grove, see note. 6 to the letter to nun Varvara dated August 4, 1900. Constantly sending large sums of money for the needs of the Sursky Monastery, Father John demanded a strict account of their expenditure. Father George notifies him about the monastery income and expenditure books in a letter dated December 21, 1900: “As for the money I received earlier from you, starting from 1898 until now, in a short time I will try to complete the income and expenditure book for these amounts with supporting documents and put everything in proper order and send it to you for editing. With the next mail I will send you a book on the amounts I receive from you for distribution to Malkin. Now I’m finishing the book of income and expenses for the cladding of the Vvedenskaya Church and handing over the clergy to Sursky. I also put the book of receipts and expenses for the ship in order. Then again a new book is started for the sawmill and flour mill. In general, with all these books, I am completely exhausted and have no free time at all...” (TsGIASPb. F. 2219. On, 1. D. 2. L. 291v. - 292). Reprinted from: Ved. 1900. October 13. No. 233. Reprinted: Riga EV. 1901. January 1 No. 1. P. 16. Dated according to the contents of the letter: the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Riga diocese took place on September 30, 1900. The invitation could have been sent to Father John no earlier than mid-September, because before that, on the 11th, he met with His Eminence Agafangel at the foundation stone of the church at the courtyard of the Pukhtitsa Monastery (see letter to Abbess Alexia dated September 7 1900 and notes to it). Published by: GAAO. F. 28. Op. 1. D. 617. L. 35–35 rev. Published for the first time. On October 16, 1900, the Diocesan School Council informed Father Alexander Ivanov “about the new distribution of funds for the Surskaya school and the reduction of the dormitory” (Ibid. L. 35a). Published from: Addendum to the Chernigov Diocesan News. Some unofficial 1909. No. 4. P. 153. The letter was printed in the notes to the “Speech delivered on the fortieth day from the death of Father John of Kronstadt in the Razrytovo Holy Protection Monastery.” In this speech, priest Dimitri Krasnogorsky, having outlined the role of Father John in the modern Orthodox Church, moves on to his memories of the Kronstadt shepherd: “What else can you, brothers and sisters, say about this extraordinary shepherd with whom the Lord brought me, unworthy, to liturgize and experience unforgettable moments while serving him, and then to receive him in my apartment at the place of my former ministry and share with him bread and salt? I will say in conclusion that if anyone values ​​the service of my poverty in the local Monastery, let him thank the unforgettable Father John. Having served for more than 2 years before our archpastor and on October 21, 1900, to other persons as a rapporteur on the opening of the local monastery and having the desire to serve as the shepherd of this monastery, I greatly hesitated, due to my poor health, which you also know, whether to go to pastor the new monastery or remain in the same service. And so, having described my hesitations to Father, I received an expensive answer: “God will bless you to go to shepherd in a new monastery.” And then, having moved here, I was honored to receive dear lines of greetings and blessings to me and my family at their new place of residence. Remembering all this and his repeated prayer aids in my personal life, I pray for him earnestly along with my dear departed loved ones” (Ibid. pp. 152–153). See also note. to a letter to Abbess Archelaus dated August 31, 1902 The exclamation of the priest after the Eucharistic canon, from the continuation of the Divine Liturgy. Father John was personally acquainted with the family of Father Demetrius of Krasnogorsk: during his two-day stay in Chernigov in 1897, Father John stayed in the house of Father Demetrius, then regent of the bishop’s choir, at about one o’clock in the evening of September 11, where he had “soulful conversations with the owners and the clergy and secular persons who had gathered here.” There, in his apartment, Father Dimitri presented Father John with the notes: “Cherubic Hymn”, “Mercy of the World”, “We Sing to You”, troparion and kontakion of St. Theodosius of Chernigov (Priest D. Krasnoaorsky. Arrival in Chernigov and stay in it of the venerable shepherd Father John of Kronstadt. Chernigov, 1898. P. 10). Published by: TsGIL St. Petersburg. F. 19. Op. 95. D. 5. L. 7–8. Probably, we are talking about the influence of its founder F.P. Neronov on the life of the community. This influence is indirectly spoken of in nun Florentin’s letter to Archbishop Nicholas: “The community must render a great service to Russia in foreign lands, as has always happened before, with its honest work and good behavior, but for this it must be given the opportunity to begin to live [zhiznik] independent, honest, free from any influences that run counter to the ideal of monastic life.” - Right there. L. 4v. – 5. About the role of F.P. Neronov in the life of the Lintul community, see also letters to nun Florentin dated September 6, 1901, and to F.P. Neronov with the date: second half of 1902 and note. to them. In a response letter written on November 4, 1900, Archbishop Nicholas notified Father John of the receipt of the letter and money and expressed “deepest gratitude for the new generous donation to the young Lentuli women’s community, adding that the Diocesan authorities are concerned about finding funds to “transfer the focus” of the community to the dacha donated by Sibiryakov” (Ibid. L. 10–10 vol.). Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 19. Op. 95. D. 5. L. 1212 rev. The estate in the village of Kaukh-Yarvi, Kivineb parish, was donated to the Lintul women's community by the hereditary honorary citizen Innokenty Sibiryakov. On February 6, 1897, this estate, with the Highest permission of the Sovereign Emperor, was assigned to the community. Sibiryakov donated the estate with the following: “1. So that this estate would be the center of the sisters' hostel, and only economic institutions would remain in Lintul; 2. So that on the estate, when the funds of the community allow, a church will be built in the name of St. Innocent of Irkutsk and 3. So that the janitor of this estate, Joseph Khyanynnin, will be granted by the community the right to live in the premises he occupies from now on” (Ibid. L. 13-13v.). For Father John’s help in relocating the sisters, see also the letter to Archbishop Nikolai (Nalimov) dated November 1, 1900. The plan for remodeling the estate was drawn up free of charge by the diocesan architect V.I. Barankeev. He also reviewed and sent for revision the repair work estimates drawn up by local contractors. The plan and estimates were submitted to the Ecclesiastical Consistory on July 4, 1901. In the final version, the estimate included expenses in the amount of 7,673 rubles. 58 kopecks (Ibid. L. 18–25). Already in the winter of 1900, the sisters of the Lintul community lived at Sibiryakov’s dacha, but the founder of the community, F. P. Neronov, sharply opposed the redevelopment of the estate. On December 23, 1900, he submitted a telegram to the Finnish Ecclesiastical Consistory with the following content: “Report to the Bishop that the senseless self-will of Florentin cannot be tolerated any longer, he is heating, remodeling, and spoiling his expensive country house for the sake of his whims. The sisters oppress the maids, keep them idle, cancel the order of the consistory to pay the insurance, and disobey. Please wire her my account. After a long silent observation of the outrages, I regain the rights of a founder obliged to protect the community I created. Neronov" (Ibid. L. 16). Published by: GAAO. F. 29. Op. 4. T. 3. D. 1584. L. 11. Published for the first time. The letter is written in an unknown handwriting, but has the handwritten signature of Father John. In a letter from S. G. Ramensky dated June 30, 1900, addressed to Father John, in particular, it was said: “In the three-altar church and courtyard of the Surskaya women's community that you are erecting on the plot of land donated by me under No. 1, so that those living in that building can enjoy greater space and amenities and have all the outbuildings and a garden, I have a desire to donate for the above purpose, next to the corner, another plot of land under No. 2, dial p. Karpovka, according to the plan, is 271 square meters. sazh., so that the main altar of the church under construction would be consecrated in the name of the Holy Twelve Apostles, whose memory is celebrated on June 30” (Ibid. L. 20). On November 30, 1900, Bishop Ioannikis sent the necessary representation to the Holy Synod and a response letter to Father Ioanpus (Ibid. L. 12–14, 15–16). Published by: GAAO. F. 29. Op. 2. T. 6. D. 261. L. 1. Published for the first time. Dated according to the markings on the telegram. The bishop’s telegram in response said: “I invoke God’s blessing for the ordination of the abbess of the Sursk monastery, Varvara, as abbess, and the tonsure of the novice Anna Sergeeva, who is in charge of the construction of the monastery, into the ryasophore” (Ibid. F. 29. Op. 2. T. 6. D. 261. L. 2-2v.). Published from a copy of the letter, reproduced: RP, 1900. December 23, No. 52. P. 898. Dated according to the publication date of the magazine: the letter should have arrived at the editorial office shortly before the publication of the issue. Father John was published in the magazine until 1900. So, for example, in 1899, excerpts from his diary and various “Words” and “Teachings” appeared in Nos. I, 5, 8, 13, 17, 21, 23, 29; in 1900 – in Nos. 1, 2, 3, 7, 10, 17, 43, 50, 51, 52; in 1901 - in Nos. 1–4, 6–9, 11, 22, 23, 26, 27, 37, 40, 41–44, 46, 48, 50. The publication of his creations continued after the death of A. I. Popovitsky in 1904 - until 1917. The publication of the letter was accompanied by the following editorial note: “The best recommendation for our magazine is the wish for success from our most honorable collaborator, Father Archpriest John Ilyich of Kronstadt, from whom we were recently honored to receive the letter posted on this page. The Kronstadt priest’s heartfelt sympathy for our publication gives us the right to hope that next year, 1901, we will meet our subscribers.” Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 38–39. In 1897, the Sursky peasant Lukian Laryushev was invited to serve on the steamship (see note 6 to the letter to Abbess Taisia ​​dated June 23, 1898). From the documents of the monastery it is known that in 1901 the commander of the ship was F. Popov. Bishop Ioannikiy (Nadezhdin). Father John's efforts to find another priest for the monastery were probably caused by unfavorable rumors that reached him about the financial activities of Father George Maccabee (see note 5 to the letter to Abbess Varvara dated January 26, 1901), as well as by his youth and bright appearance, which embarrassed some of the sisters of the monastery. Three Sursk nuns wrote to “Sister Sasha” in St. Petersburg: “...Oh. George, not as a spiritual father and not as a shepherd to his flock, but like a predatory wolf, entered the spiritual flock and ignited hearts with hellish fire...” [TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 2. L. 26–28v.). However, there were no changes in the priestly staff of the monastery; perhaps at the request of Abbess Varvara, who on January 13, 1901 sent the following telegram to Father: “Dear Father, I ask you to leave Maccabee in his previous position...” (Ibid. L. 293). Father John served at the Leushinsky metochion upon his return from Moscow, where he was on December 29. E. V. Dukhonina, who accompanied him on the way back, reported: “We reached St. Petersburg; Father, saying goodbye, blessed me for my business and return to Moscow; He promised to come himself in three weeks, got into the carriage and left…” (Dukhonina, p. 58). Reprinted from: Prot. Alexander Shablovsky. An eyewitness account of healings through the prayer of Father John // 50th anniversary of the repose of the ever-memorable Father John of Kronstadt. New York, 1958. P. 181. Archpriest Alexander Shablovsky, who lived in Montreal (Canada), joining the opinion about the need to glorify Father John, wrote on July 20, 1952 about two healings, which he happened to be an eyewitness. One of them happened in Rakishki, Kovno province: “The local police officer, Evstafiy Mitrofanovich Belinsky, was sick with lobar pneumonia in 1899 or 1900; local doctors treated him and were forced to tell his wife that there was no hope for recovery. Seeing her despair, I recommended that she turn to the great prayer book of the Russian land - Father John of Kronstadt. Belinsky’s wife asked me on her behalf to send a telegram with a paid response to Father John. At night we alternated at the patient’s bedside – I and the wife of the local forensic investigator sat; at night, after midnight, we noticed that the patient calmly fell asleep and regained consciousness in the morning. In the morning, a response telegram was received from Father John. The patient’s health began to quickly recover, and no trace of the disease remained” (Ibid.). Reprinted from: Ved. 1911. Aug. 4, No. 165. “Mother and I, heartbroken,” writes Moses Rutkevich, priest of the Ioannikiev Boguslav orphanage in the Kyiv province, to the newspaper, “sent a telegram to Fr. I. Kronstadtsky to pray for the sick Catherine, the answer was received. The terminally ill woman got up and lived for another 6 years” (Ibid.). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 39. Probably, Father John was waiting for details about the celebration of the renaming of the Sursky community into the Sursky monastery that took place on January 1, 1901. On January 4, 1901, the Sura priest Alexander Ivanov wrote to Father John a letter in which, congratulating him on the New Year, he asked for his appointment as a priest to the St. Petersburg metochion of the Sursky Monastery and reported the Sura news: “I hasten to notify, and at the same time congratulate you as the Father and Founder on the renaming of the Sursky community into the Sursky Monastery, which took place in Sura upon arrival here abbot. Barbarians - on New Year's Day. To which celebration we were invited by the kind abbess..." (TsGIASPb. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 20a. L. 51). Most likely, we are talking about a meeting of members of the Commission for the construction of the courtyard of the Sursky Monastery on Karpovka. Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: Pukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 118. Father John visited Pyukhtitsa on February 7–8 (for more details, see: Pyukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. pp. 118–120). In a letter dated March 29, Abbess Alexia thanked Father for his visit and congratulated him on Easter (in 1901 it fell on April 1). Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 324–325. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 43. P. 735 (abbreviated). Perhaps M. M. Kondratieva, who from February 1901 served as treasurer at the monastery (GAAO. F. 310. Op. 1. D. 10. L. 5v. - 6). Apparently, Father John calls his niece Anisya Malkina, who married G.I. Kychev from the village, “granddaughter”. Osanovo. Father Georgy Makkabeev launched active trade and financial activities on the basis of the monastery: he purchased goods in Arkhangelsk, transported them on the steamer “St. Nicholas the Wonderworker" in the upper reaches of the river. Pinega and sold it to local peasants. In a letter to Father dated September 21, 1900, he reported: “... recently our ship was here, which brought some goods, but not all of them, because my orders did not arrive in Arkhangelsk on time. Oh, how good it will be when we have our own telegraph..." (TsGIASPb. F. 2219. On. 1. D. 2. L. 282). The proceeds probably went to the monastery treasury, but the reporting was not always in order, so Father George often had to justify himself to Father John in letters: “As for the report of the money I received from the abbess of M. Varvara, I have completed it all, I am enclosing an extract from the account book. O. Hilarion, when he accepted the account book from A.I. Shablygina, recognized all the accounts as correct. Regarding the money I received, 3000 rubles. through A.A. Kostin from you, then I also transferred accounts for this amount to the monastery” (from a letter from Father George dated December 21, 1900 - Ibid. L. 291–291v.). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 39–40. Sisters of the Leushinsky Monastery in St. Petersburg. Perhaps it is this “storm” that is discussed in the letter from Sur sister Anna Shablygina to Father John dated December 9: “Father. Sun! You are a holy man, don’t you understand that they are hiding the truth from you regarding the Mother Superior, but now it doesn’t matter, I only ask you one thing, as a favor, believe that I am bearing such a terrible punishment undeservedly, my guilt is not nearly as great as the punishment. I'm completely desperate, I could die. After all, I am an educated girl, I have always enjoyed a good reputation, and I have lived in the monastery (Leushinsky) for 11 years, undergoing decent obedience. Now, just because I enjoyed the favor of sisters, children of schoolgirls and even workers more than M. Varvara, she slandered me so terribly that you, dear Father, so quickly removed me from your monastery. I miss Sura terribly and my dear sisters, they all loved me very much. Forgive me for the sake of the holiday and believe that I am not to blame. All the sisters don’t like M. Varvara and they wrote to you the whole truth, why am I the only one suffering?..” (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 2. L. 99–99a). Alarming news reached Father John and Father George Maccabee. His letter dated December 21, 1900, in particular, says: “Forgive me in the name of God that I greatly disturbed your spirit with my message about Barbara. I will not make excuses” (Ibid. L. 291). On January 15, Father John served at the courtyard of the Leushinsky monastery upon his return from the city of Friedrichsgam (Finland) (Ved. 1901. January 17, No. 13). Published by: GAAO. F. 29. Op. 2. T. 6. D. 229. L. 57, 58 (envelope). Published for the first time. For the ordination of Father George as a priest of the Sursky Monastery, see note. 2 to the letter to nun Varvara dated August 24, 1990. Reprinted from: RP. 1901. February 24, No. 8. P. 140. Dated according to the date of the response letter of V. Pfankuch dated February 15, 1901, in which the published fragment is given. The addressee wrote: “You addressed me with such loving words. How true these words are! I deeply believed in their rightness and therefore turned to Your Reverence in my need: and the Lord helped! Your prayer was heard, and my dear wife, depressed by such a serious illness, recovered in a short time, became vigorous and healthy, and there is already a little time to wait until her final recovery. Therefore, I thank not only the Lord God, but also you for your good deed. My wife and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. At the first opportunity, we will undertake a pilgrimage to you in order to personally express our gratitude to Your Reverence and ask for your blessing. Your Reverence's most humble servant, Wilhelm Pfankuch. Baumschulenweg near Berlin, No. 26, February 15, 1901." Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 40. Father John arrived in Moscow on February 5 and celebrated the Liturgy at the Mariinsky Women's School for Ladies' Care of the Poor, after which he spoke a word about the need to keep the commandments of Christ, blessed each student separately and visited the head of the school. He stayed in Moscow until the evening, visiting the sick and acquaintances, and in the evening he left by fast train for St. Petersburg (MVD. 1901. February 6, No. 37; Dukhonina. pp. 59–61). On February 6, upon returning from Moscow, Father John went straight from the station to the church of the Leushinsky Metochion, where he celebrated the Divine Liturgy (Ved. 1901. February 7, No. 30). Forgiveness Sunday in 1901 fell on February 11th. Published by: newspaper “Russian Reading”. 1901. March 3, No. 18. Facsimile. In April 1901, the newspaper received the Highest approval, in May the Ministry of Public Education allowed it to be published for the libraries of primary schools and rural schools, in June the School Council under the Holy Synod officially admitted it to public libraries and reading rooms at church schools. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 326–326v. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 43. pp. 735–736. See note. 3 to the letter to nun Varvara dated September 9, 1900. Father George was summoned to Kronstadt by a telegram from Father John. By decree of the Arkhangelsk Spiritual Consistory of February 21, he received a dismissal for one week “for service reasons” (GAAO. F. 310. Op. 1. D. 9a. L. 27). The holiday of Holy Easter in 1901 fell on April 1. Reprinted from: RP. 1901. March 3, No. 9. P. 160. Dates according to the time of publication in the newspaper. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 40–41. See note. 5 to the letter to Abbess Varvara dated January 26, 1901. From Father George’s letter dated December 21, 1900, it follows that in the first year of the existence of the Surskaya monastery, it was he who kept the receipts and expenditure books for the amounts received from Father John, for the cladding of the Vvedenskaya Church, for the steamship “St. Nicholas the Wonderworker”, on the sawmill and flour mills (TsGIASPb. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 2. L. 291–292). However, Father John was interested in ensuring that all reporting was under the authority of the abbess. For this purpose, he found an experienced treasurer for the monastery, nun Porfiria (see note 3 to the letter to Abbess Varvara dated February 24, 1902), who later replaced Abbess Varvara, and the position of treasurer then passed to Sister Valentina Murashova. The latter wrote to Father in one of her letters: “Be calm about the money. Now I keep accounts and try to write down every penny” (TsGIA SPb. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 2. L. 57–58). Father John began his journey on Motin's steamship "Lubezny". Near Shlisselburg, he boarded A. A. Loparev’s ship “Shestovets”. The second steamship, Agafya, provided by Loparev, carried the belongings of Father John and his companions. Father planned to make the journey along Pinega on his steamship “St. Nicholas the Wonderworker." He partially made the return journey by rail (Ved. 1901. May 29, No. 113; Kotlin. 1901. May 30, No. 119). Reprinted from: RP. 1901. April 14, No. 15. P. 274. Dated according to the time of receipt of the response telegram. In response, Father John received the following telegram on April 3: “Truly he is risen! The Empress and I thank you with all our hearts and ask you not to leave us in your prayers to the Creator of the Universe. Nikolai" (Ibid.). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 41–42. On May 7–8, Father John took part in the church festival of the Leushia Metochion Church. On May 7, during the All-Night Vigil, he read the akathist and canons, and on the very day of the holiday he celebrated the Liturgy of the cathedral with the archpriest of the Kazan Cathedral N.N. Golovin and the priest of the Simeon Church M.D. Kalinnikov (Ved. 1901. May 9, No. 101). We are probably talking about problems associated with the Lintul Monastery. See letter to F.L. Neronov, dated the second half of 1902 and note. to him. Published by: GMIR. F. 38. He. 1. D. 11. L. 7. Published for the first time. The addressee is determined by the content of the letter and the appeal. In Gatchina there was the palace of Empress Maria Feodorovna, whose court was headed by Prince Shervashidze. N.A. Kavtaradze was appointed acting chief of police in Gatchina. Reprinted from: Ved. 1901. April 29, No. 93. Published from: Central State Historical Archive St. Petersburg, F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 327–327v. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 43. P. 736. The amount sent by Father John was recorded in the income and expenditure book of the Sursky monastery on May 18 with the note “for the needs of the monastery” (GAAO. F. 310. On, 1. D. 14. L. 43 rev.). See also the letter from Abbess Varvara dated March 1, 1901 and note. 1 to him. In 1900, the lists of sisters of the Sursky Monastery included 49 people; in 1901 the number of sisters increased to 136 (Ibid. D. 11. L. 17). How newly arrived sisters were received in Sura is described in one of the many letters that came to Father John in Kronstadt: “Dear Father, Mother Abbess said that you asked her in writing whether we arrived safely; For your holy prayers, everything is fine with us, we waited for Mother in Arkhangelsk and rode with her on our ship. We arrived in Sura, we were received very well, we went to obedience, we were put on the choir, pray, dear Father, that we have understanding and diligence. We don’t know how to fully thank you for your care, which on our part is undeserved, but we are sure that for you there is no greater gratitude from us if you saved our souls. 21–21 rev.). Father John left Kronstadt on May 27 at 11 am (Ved. 1901. May 29, No. 113). Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: Pukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 120. Dated according to content: the Easter exclamation “Christ is Risen!” greet each other until the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, which in 1901 fell on May 10. Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: Pukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 122. Reprinted from: Soulful Reading. 1901. Part II, June. P. 181. Dated to the time of Father John’s departure for summer vacation to his homeland. See letters to the editor of the Kronstadt Bulletin newspaper dated March 15, 1887 and mid-January 1889. In 1902, a prayer from Father John himself, extracted from his diary, was published as a separate publication. Here is its text: “Lord, Your name is Love: do not reject me, an erring person. Your name is Strength: strengthen me, who is exhausted and falling. Your name is Light: enlighten my soul, darkened by worldly passions. Your name is Peace: pacify my restless soul. Your name is Mercy: do not cease to have mercy on me” (St. Petersburg, Ed. V. Maksimov, 1902). Reprinted from: In memory of Father Alexander Kosukhin. Publication of the society in memory of Father John of Kronstadt. St. Petersburg, 1913, pp. 31–32. “Front” is a certain sequence in the ministry of priests of one parish. Contemporaries testify that the popularity of Father Alexander spread throughout St. Petersburg: the doors of the priest’s apartment were often besieged by his spiritual children, scattered throughout the city, and by the poor who received benefits from him. Father John and Father Alexander could serve together both in the Church of Simeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess on Mokhovaya Street in St. Petersburg, where Father Alexander was the priest, and in the church of the Leushinsky metochion. Published by: GMIR. F. 38. Op. 1. D. 9. L. 12. Published for the first time. Newspapers reported that on June 3, Father John served Matins and Liturgy in the village. The mouth of Kadnikovsky district, where I arrived by boat at 2 am. “After the service, Fr. John visited the houses of the merchants Nikulin and Ganichev, where he served water-blessing prayers, and then attended dinner at the Ustye people's house. . At one o'clock in the afternoon Fr. John left the village. The mouth, encouraged by the good wishes of a crowd of thousands of people" (Ved. 1901. June 14, M" 127). See also letter to P.P. Shauman dated June 5, 1901 and note. to him. Reprinted from: Ved. 1901. June 15, No. 128 (abbreviated). Father John spoke about his trip: “...this long journey, this air, which is so easy and pleasant to breathe, this wondrous nature of the Russian north refreshes and strengthens me. And having returned from the trip, I again feel healthy and vigorous” (Ved. 1901. June 22, No. 134). Reprinted from: Arkhangelsk EV. 1901. July 15, No. 1314. P. 354. Dated from the time of publication in newspapers of the news of the birth of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna (for example: Ved. 1901. June 6, Ms 126). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 42–43. Father John arrived in Sura on June 8 at 5 pm; On the 9th he served in the monastery church, on the 10th he performed Matins and Liturgy in the parish church in the name of St. Nicholas. The shallow waters of Pinega were associated with the early onset of heat and lack of rain. On June 11, Father John left Sura on horseback, his companions set off through the shallow waters on a monastery barge. About the Letovskaya ship grove, see note. 6 to the letter to Abbess Varvara dated August 4, 1900. The skete church in the name of the Life-Giving Trinity in Letovskaya Grove was consecrated on June 14, 1902. Abbess Varvara (Ivanovskaya). Maybe we are talking about A. S. Ornatskaya. See: Matt. 22, 2–14; Matt. 20, 1–16. Father John arrived in Arkhangelsk on June 13; On the 14th he celebrated Liturgy in the city’s cathedral, and on the 15th in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. That same day in the evening, Father left Arkhangelsk (Ved. 1901. June 19, No. 131). In 1901, a wooden three-story residential building with 28 cells for sisters, rooms for Father John and a church in the name of the Holy Apostle John the Theologian, designed for 600 worshipers, was erected; a stone two-story building for a refectory with basements and a plank hayloft for 300 cartloads of hay (GAAO. F. 310, On. 1. D. 11, L. 2, 2ob.). On June 11, before leaving Sura, Father John blessed the foundation of a two-story stone house for the economic needs of the monastery. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 364364 rev. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 43. pp. 799–800. Dated in connection with letters to Abbess Varvara dated June 30 and August 8, 1901 and in content: in 1901, Father John visited the Leushinsky Monastery in early July. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 340–341 rev. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 43. P. 737 (with bills). The monastic debt to P.P. Seleninov was paid in full by Father John (see letter to Abbess Varvara dated August 8, 1901 and note 1 to it). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 43–44. Father John served the Liturgy at the Leushinsky metochion on July 17, immediately upon returning from Moscow (Ved. 1901. July 18, No. 155). About his three-day stay in Moscow, see: MVed. 1901.17 July, No. 194. That is, to the train: Leushinsky Compound in St. Petersburg is located near the Nikolaevsky (now Moskovsky) railway station. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 328, 329v. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 43. P. 736. The sudden shallowing of Pinega led to the fact that the steamship "St. Nicholas the Wonderworker,” on which Father John and his companions traveled, was unable to ascend to Sura. Therefore, things intended for the Sura monastery were unloaded ashore near the village of Karpova Gora, 80 versts from Sura (see letter from Abbess Taisia ​​dated June 10, 1901). According to the monastery's accounting books, the monastery luggage was delivered to the monastery on June 17, 1901 on two carts (GAAO. F. 310. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 64). Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 342–342v. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 43. P. 737. In the summer of 1901, in the monastery, the walls of a new stone building were erected, a road was laid to Letovskaya Grove, window work was carried out in a wooden building, and a wooden hermitage house was built (GAAO. F. 310. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 75, 91, 93, 95). Donation from Father John in the amount of 1000 rubles. was entered in the income and expenditure book of the Sursk monastery on August 4, 8, 15 and 22 (Ibid. D. 14. L. 97ob., 98ob.). On September 13, 1902, the Highest permission was given to “strengthen a plot of land measuring 285 square meters behind the Sursky St. John the Theological Convent. soot , consisting of 1 part of Arkhangelsk on the corner of Opera (Shenkurskaya) street, between the river embankment. Northern Dvina and Troitsky Avenue, with a wooden two-story house located on this site, donated by the peasant Severian Kyrkalov” (Ibid. D. 5. L. 11–14). See letters to Abbess Taisia dated June 10 and Abbess Varvara dated July 28, 1901. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 343–344. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 43. P. 738. Probably, the scarves were among the things sent at the end of July (see letter to Abbess Varvara dated July 28, 1901). The last amount was entered into the income and expenditure book of the Sursky monastery on August 4 with the note: “from the founder of the monastery, Fr. John Sergiev through the monastery priest Fr. George Maccabee for the needs of the monastery" (GAAO. F. 310. On. 1. D. 14. L. 97 rev.). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 44–45. What was said on the “Word” holiday was published in the newspaper: Kotlin. 1901. August 15, No. 183. Diocesan architect N.N. Nikonov built the courtyard of the Leushinsky Monastery in St. Petersburg (see note 4 to the letter to Abbess Taisia dated July 20, 1893). Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 345–346. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 45. pp. 764–765. See letter from Abbess Varvara dated August 1, 1901 and note. 1 to him. The abbess did not ignore Father John’s advice, as evidenced by the entries in the monastery’s income and expenditure book: on August 21, “6 rubles were paid to the Sursky monastery shop for various goods taken for the monastery shoe workshop. 28 kopecks"; August 25: “Shoemaker Dementiy Titov was given 6 rubles as salary. 80 kopecks." and others (GAAO. F. 310. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 107, 110). See letter from Abbess Varvara dated October 25, 1901 and note. to him. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 347–347v. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 45. P. 765. Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory Ioannikiy (Kazan). The decision taken by Father John was caused, on the one hand, by the need to control the financial activities of the monastery, and on the other, perhaps, by the demands of the new Archangel bishop, who assumed the see in February 1901. Documents of subsequent years indicate the obvious dissatisfaction of Bishop Ioannikius with the material lack of control of the Sursky monastery. His proposal dated October 13, 1903, in particular, said: “The economic part of the monastery is carried out spontaneously - at the personal discretion of the abbess of the monastery - without any knowledge or permission of the diocesan authorities. Meanwhile, the venerable founder of the monastery sent quite significant sums both for the maintenance of the nuns of the monastery and for its newly constructed buildings. The following exact account of the expenses incurred was never presented, and all this was done and carried out privately, as if with the permission of the founder of the monastery” (GAAO. F. 310. Op. 1. D. 5. L. 15–15v.). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 45. On August 22, Father John blessed the crosses and prayed while lifting them to the church under construction at the Pukhtitsa Monastery in Revel. On this day, Father John celebrated the Liturgy in the church of the metochion and pronounced an edifying word on the day's Gospel - Mark. 5, 1–20 (for its text see: Ved. 1901. August 25, No. 186). In addition to the local clergy, the priest Lev Matveev, who came from the village, took part in the service of the Liturgy. Konchanskoye, Novgorod province. (the homeland of Suvorov) to invite Father John to the consecration of a new stone church in the name of Alexander Nevsky, built in the village on the site of the previous wooden one, transported to St. Petersburg (Ibid.). On August 30, 1901, Father John participated in the consecration of the new Konchanskoye church, co-served by twelve priests, a protodeacon and three deacons, and during a gala dinner he healed a demoniac (Father John of Kronstadt. Healing of a woman in the village of Konchanskoye. St. Petersburg, 1901. P. 13). The abbess arrived in St. Petersburg at the end of the month to petition the School Council of the Holy Synod to assign the Leushinsky Women's School the status of a “church-teacher school” (Historical description, p. 63). Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 348–349. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 45. pp. 765–766. The “troubles” in the monastery associated with the house in which Father John was born are spoken of, in particular, in a letter from the sisters who signed themselves “Evdokia Nikif and Katya” to a certain Elizaveta Ivanovna in St. Petersburg: “We are informing you about the house, which serves as the only consolation here (...). After the departure of dear Father, Mother strongly rebelled against this, that why did they start lighting a lamp in the chapel and in the house, she even took away the key from the chapel... She terribly arms the priests against this, and most importantly they go against the house, directly attribute that we are praying here, so we are subjected to heresy, my mother is going to complain to the Bishop that she allowed such a heresy, she says, to worship a simple house and pray. You never know who says where he was born. Mother Evdokia and Maria go against this and even laugh at it. But mother doesn’t have any faith in Father, and now, after Father’s departure, there were 3 prayer services in the house, and during the akathist we had 9 lamps glowing, a corner covered with paintings, I bought a large card for Father. The sisters bought the other one from themselves, the house is now very nice, just such splendor, all the sisters who come say that we rest here from our daily labors. We grieve very much, no matter how much she takes this treasure away from us, she keeps promising to board it up, just as it was boarded up before Father’s arrival. For the sake of the Lord, you tell Father about the house, so that he writes to Mother so that she does not forbid the sisters to go there and pray...” (TsGIA SPb. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 2. L. 22–25v.). On September 26, 1901, Father John sent 6 thousand rubles to the Sursky Monastery. “to pay debts to Seleninov and other monastic needs” (GAAO. F. 310. Op. 1. D. 14. L. Illustration). See note. 1 to the letter to Abbess Varvara dated August 8, 1901 See letter from Abbess Varvara dated October 25, 1901. See the letter from Abbess Varvara dated August 1 and notes. 1 to him. According to the Charter of the Sursky Monastery, every day at 5 o’clock. in the morning all the nuns and novices gathered for the Midnight Office; at 7 o'clock 30 min. the Divine Liturgy was celebrated; Evening services consisted of reading the Undying Psalter and the “five hundred, according to the Charter of the Sursky Monastery, daily at 5 o’clock. in the morning all the nuns and novices gathered for the Midnight Office; at 7 o'clock 30 min. the Divine Liturgy was celebrated; Evening services consisted of the reading of the Unsleeping Psalter and the “five hundred”. The Rules also spoke of the need to “inspire the novices to constantly say the Jesus Prayer in their hearts,” for the tangible remembrance of which the sisters were given rosary beads. During the meal, the nuns of the monastery were offered readings from the lives of saints or patristic works (Pashchenko. pp. 86–87). The Charter also spoke of the need to “inspire the novices to constantly say the Jesus Prayer in their hearts,” for the tangible remembrance of which the sisters were given rosary beads. During the meal, the nuns of the monastery were offered readings from the lives of saints or patristic works (Pashchenko, pp. 86–87). The service records of the Sursky monastery mention the following obediences: choir singing, washing, embroidery, sewing, icon painting, carpentry, caring for livestock, making and mending shoes, making kvass, baking, teaching at the monastery school, working at a brick factory, uprooting forests, etc. (Ibid., p. 85). Published by: TsGIASPb. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 261. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 36–37. P. 625. Published by: RGIA. F. 796. Op. 188. D. 7265. L. 122. Published for the first time. Father John's request was granted, and on October 16, 1901, Father Vladimir Torbaev was appointed to the vacancy of a priest in the church of the Sursky St. John the Theological Convent in St. Petersburg (Ibid. L. 41). He occupied this place until 1905 (see letter to Abbess Taisia ​​dated February 27, 1906 and note 5 to it). Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: Pukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 237. Published by: RGIA. F. 651. Op. 1. D. 1089. L. 1–1v. Published for the first time. Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. Fragment first published: City of Kitezh. 1992. No. 2 (7). P. 7. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 351–352. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 45. P. 767. Father John followed this advice. The construction of a stone courtyard with a church was allowed only in August 1905 (see letter to Bishop Ioannikiy dated June 26, 1905 and note 4 to it), the church was founded in June 1906, and consecrated in 1907. In 1902, on the site acquired by the monastery, M.K. Kyrkalov built a wooden two-story house and chapel for receiving donations for the benefit of the monastery. The official opening of the courtyard took place on September 15, 1903. STSGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 2. L. 330). In 1907, Father Dimitry Fedosikhin, Father Dimitry Fedosikhin, became the priest of the metochion in Arkhangelsk. On October 31, 1907, he telegraphed Father John from Arkhangelsk: “...The Bishop and the abbess arrived in Arkhangelsk and received me cordially. I begin serving the Lord with Vespers on the same day. The most humble request not to leave me with your holy prayers...” (Ibid. D. 7c. L. 102). See also letter to Bishop Ioannikiy dated October 16, 1907 and note. to him. The village of Shotova Gora, located along the Pinega, below the village. Sura, often served as an intermediate point on the way of delivering goods to the Sura monastery. Firstly, up to this point Pinega remained navigable even in shallow waters, and secondly, wealthy peasants, the Kyrkalovs, lived here, providing the monastery with the opportunity to store and transport luggage. On September 27, 1906, Abbess Porfiria wrote to Father John: “And our steamer arrived, I went with all my luggage to Sura, with difficulty we made our way through the shallows to Shotovaya Mountain, we rode for a whole week, we couldn’t go further through Vaimaksa, we returned to the Kyrkalovs, and from Kyrkalov on horseback to Sura. This path was the most difficult. All our luggage is in Shotova..." (Ibid. L. 49–50v.). On the letter there is a note: “Personal Secretary of I.V. Fidelia.” The petition was considered at a meeting of the Consistory on November 27–29, 1901. The decision stated: “Taking into account that Abbess Varvara, having ruled the Sursky monastery from its foundation, and earlier the Sursky women’s community, proved her ability to hold the position of abbess and that the builder of this monastery, Archpriest John Sergiev, agrees to appoint her to the position of abbess, the Consistory would consider petitioning before the Holy Synod on the approval of Abbess Varvara as the abbess of the Sursky St. John the Theological Convent" (Ibid. L. 2v. - 3). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 45–46. Wed: Stichera for praising all the reverend fathers, at the matins of Cheese Saturday. Father John served at the Leushinsky metochion upon his return from Moscow (Word spoken in the church of the Moscow Lyceum of Tsarevich Nicholas during the service on November 15, 1901 // Collected works. T. 7. pp. 75–80 sixth pagination). During the celebration of the Liturgy, he was co-served by the priest of the Larinsky gymnasium church A. A. Alekseev, the priest of the Simeonovsky church A. M. Kosukhin and the local clergyman. The “Word” spoken by Father John at the end of the service - see: Ved. 1901. November 17, No. 250. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F, 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 353–353v. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 46. P. 780. The ryassophore novice Evdokia Kononova, named in the letter, repeatedly visited Father John in Kronstadt. Probably means A, G. Vidyakin. Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 46–47. Unidentified person; also mentioned in a letter to Abbess Taisia ​​dated December 19, 1901. Father John left Kronstadt on December 3, despite a strong storm. He served the all-night vigil and Liturgy in the church of the Leushinsky metochion on the occasion of the patronal holiday - the day of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara (Homily on the day of the Great Martyr Barbara, December 4, 1901 // Collected works. T. 7. pp. 98-102 of the sixth pagination). At the Liturgy he was co-served by Father John of Ornatsky, Father Eugene of Jerusalem, hieromonk of the Nikiforovsky metochion Father Feofan, priest of the Sursky metochion Father Vladimir Torbaev and three deacons (Kotlin. 1901. December 6, No. 275). The Kharkov merchant Ryzhov sent bells for the Sursky courtyard. On November 27, he notified Father John by telegram that the bells had been loaded (TsGIA SPb. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 2. L. 302). Nun Serafima (Sulimova). Reprinted from: Pyukhtitsa. First published: Pukhtitsa monastery and its patron saint, righteous John of Kronstadt. P. 124. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 354–354v. For the first time: KP. 1913. No. 46. P. 780. We are talking about the consecration of the church in the name of St. John of Rylsky, located in the lower floor of the courtyard building. Father John made the decision to build this church in the fall of 1901, when it became clear that the planned large church on the 3rd floor of the building could not be completed this year (History of the monastery. p. 41). The consecration of the church was scheduled for December 12, but was postponed to the 17th of the same month. The bells for the courtyard were sent by the Kharkov merchant P.P. Ryzhov (see note 4 to the letter to Abbess Taisia ​​dated December 4, 1901). In December 1901, in Sura, work continued on the construction of a house and church in the monastery grove, on the construction of a hayloft, etc. (GAAO. F. 310. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 159–173). Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. P. 47. The word on the day of the consecration of the courtyard was published in the Kotlin newspaper (December 14, No. 281). Its text, entitled “Sermon on the consecration of the newly created church in honor of our Venerable Father John of Rylsky at the Sursky Metochion in St. Petersburg, near the Karpovka River - December 17, 1901”, see: Collected. op. T. 7. pp. 113–116 sixth pagination. For bells, see note. 4 to the letter to Abbess Taisia ​​dated December 4, 1901 Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 47–48. See also letter to Abbess Taisia dated December 4, 1901. Published by: GAAO. F. 29. He. 4. T. 3. D. 1570. L. 6. Published for the first time. Dated by content. Published by: TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 350–350 rev. For the first time: KP. 1913. M 45. P. 766. See note. 1 to the letter to Abbess Varvara dated December 13, 1901 Reprinted from: Letters to Abbess Taisia. pp. 48–49. The abbess congratulated Father John on the consecration of the church in the name of St. John of Rylsky at the Sursky courtyard (see note 1 to the letter to Abbess Taisia ​​dated December 19, 1901). Father Vladimir Torbaev was appointed priest of the Church of the Sursky Metochion. And only in 1903, by decree of the Holy Synod, a special clergy staff was established at the Ioannovsky Monastery, consisting of two priests and two deacons, so that “their maintenance would be directed exclusively to exquisite local funds” (Ved. 1903. May 6, No. 98). Reprinted from: Dukhonina. P. 96 (fragment) That is, to the Oryol Holy Vvedensky Convent. On the advice of Father John, Dukhonina took the path of monastic life, sold her property and in December 1901 was ready to go to the Oryol Monastery. Father John visited her in Moscow and blessed her for the journey with the following words: “On your departure, I joyfully bless you, and let the abbess give you orders and instructions; I will only say one thing: more patience, humility and condescension towards the weaknesses of others; watch yourself strictly so as not to have attachments to anything worldly, pray well and go to services without fail, look and monitor yourself carefully - your inner world and try to catch your thoughts and correct yourself” (Dukhonina, p. 96). In April 1902, Abbess Antonia wrote to Father John: “The kind, meek Golubitsa (as you called her in the telegram), your spiritual daughter Ekaterina Vasilievna, who settled with us until an unknown time, gives us consolation with her useful conversations and edifies us with her good customs, and we often remember you, calling to our aid your prayers pleasing to God, and inspiring ourselves what She heard from you, Most Holy Father” (TsGIASPb. F. 2219. On. 1. D. 76. L. 129v.). You might be interested in: