Servant of the Word: pastor-preacher Archpriest Grigory Mikhailovich Dyachenko

The future famous preacher, spiritual writer, catechist, publicist Fr. Grigory Dyachenko was born in 1850 in Vitebsk province. in the deacon's family 1. He was orphaned early, leaving only his brother and sister (later a nun) in the family. In 1867, Gregory entered the Vitebsk Theological Seminary, from which he graduated in 1873 as one of the first students. The seminary council recommended the young man to continue his studies at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. According to the autobiographical notes of Bishop. Polotsk Savva (Tikhomirova, later archbishop), Gregory refused, intending to enter St. Petersburg University at the persuasion of a certain Catholic relative who promised him patronage. When it turned out that the relative did not help, Dyachenko in 1873 firmly decided to enter the Theological Academy, but not St. Petersburg, but Moscow. Vladyka recalled: “When I asked if he had money for the trip? - he answered: yes. - How many? - Five rubles. Such an answer made me laugh as much as it placed me in favor of the poor orphan Dyachenko. This is how modest and limited, I thought, are the desires of our spiritual youths! Having added 15 rubles to 5 rubles, I provided the young seeker of spiritual wisdom with letters of recommendation to the academic authorities and sent him on his way in peace.” In a letter of recommendation to the MDA inspector S.K. Smirnov dated August 2, 1873, Bishop Savva indicated that “G. Dyachenko is a very well-behaved young man who zealously studied science, but an orphan who has neither father nor mother, and if I had not provided him with some help, he would not have had the opportunity to get to the Lavra” 2. Grigory managed to enter the MDA on a “state-funded” basis, passing the exams third of all applicants. Immediately the young man was appointed to the position of sexton at the academic church in honor of the Intercession of the Most Holy. Mother of God, which he reported with gratitude to Bishop Savva 3. Throughout the entire period of study, he was among the first in student success. In 1877, Gregory graduated from the MDA course with a candidate of theology degree and the right to receive a master's degree without additional exams (after preparing a master's thesis). On September 20, 1877, Dyachenko was appointed to the position of superintendent of the Krasnoyarsk Theological School. 19 Jan In 1878, he resigned from there (according to other sources, he was unable to accept the appointment) and submitted a petition to the Council of the MDA for exemption from compulsory service in the spiritual and educational department. On March 28, 1878, the petition was granted, and according to the established rule, Gregory had to pay the amount spent on his maintenance during his studies. Probably, G. Dyachenko’s career began with teaching the Russian language at the Vladimir Teachers’ Seminary. From January 1, 1880, he worked as a preparatory class teacher at the 2nd Moscow Gymnasium 4. In the same year, Dyachenko passed exams at the Faculty of History and Philology of Moscow University for the right to occupy the position of teacher of Russian language and literature in secular secondary schools. Dyachenko taught these subjects for 10 years, first at the Polivanov Teachers' Seminary, opened in 1871, then at the 2nd Moscow Gymnasium, and at the 3rd Alexander Military School in Moscow. In May 1881, Dyachenko was ordained a priest to the St. Gabriel-Arkhangelsk Church at the Moscow Post Office - the famous “Menshikov Tower”, built by an associate of Peter I in 1704–1707. In 1884 Fr. G. Dyachenko completed his master's thesis: “Towards an apology for Christianity. About preparing the human race for the adoption of Christianity. Theological and historical-philosophical research" (M., 1884). His master's thesis included a biblical section, “Preparation of the Jewish People for the Acceptance of Christianity,” in which he showed how the religious history of ancient peoples was a “schoolmaster” for the New Testament Revelation. On May 27, the defense took place; on June 3, 1885, by the resolution of the Holy Synod, Fr. Gregory was approved for the degree of Master of Theology. In 1886, the priest was transferred to the ancient church in the name of St. Martyr Tryphon in Naprudnaya Sloboda in Moscow, built at the end of the 15th century. In these places, during the time of Ivan the Terrible, the holy martyr Tryphon appeared and returned the missing royal falcon to the falconer Tryphon. In 1899 Fr. Gregory was elevated to the rank of archpriest and appointed rector of the Trifonovsky Church. Under him, according to the design of the parishioner of the church, architect S. F. Voskresensky, the interior decoration of new chapels in the name of the saints was carried out. Nicholas is right. Philaret the Merciful, built a little earlier, in 1894, according to the design of architect. P.P. Zykova (destroyed in 1932) 5. It was during these years that Fr. the abbot became widely known, primarily as a preacher. At the same time, Fr. Gregory was a teacher of the law at a real school at the Lutheran Church of St. Michael the Archangel on the Pea Field; from 1887 - a member of the Moscow Spiritual Censorship Committee, which in those years released about 3,000 printed publications annually. In Russian theological literature, Fr. Dyachenko is known for the preparation of collections and other publications, mainly of an edifying, homiletical and catechetical nature, intended both for pastors (to help with the sacrament of confession, in delivering sermons, and conducting extra-liturgical interviews with the people), and for family reading by the laity. While working on compiling books about. Dyachenko attracted a diverse range of sources: Scripture and patristic literature, prologues, patericons and other collections of the lives of saints, modern popular theological works, including Western ones; philological and pedagogical works, works of fiction and historical literature, domestic and foreign spiritual and secular periodicals, etc. Works by Fr. Gregory (he collaborated with the spiritual magazines “Strannik”, “Orthodox Review”, “Faith and Reason”, etc.) usually evoked a warm response from readers. His collections “The Good Word” (M., 1888), “The Ray” (M., 1888), “Lessons and Examples of Christian Faith, Hope and Love: Catechetical Teachings” were especially famous and widely distributed. Parts 1–3" (M., 1890), and such works as "Words, teachings, conversations and speeches of the pastor of the Church on various occasions in the personal, family, school, parish, religious, moral and civil-social life of a Christian" (M., 1898), "A complete annual circle of short teachings compiled for each day of the year" (M., 1901), "Spiritual crops" (M., 1892). They were republished several times even after the author’s death, including by the School Council under the Holy Synod: for example, “The Good Word” was published in 1912–1915. in Moscow in the 13th edition, “Lessons and Examples of the Christian Faith” in 1914 – 7th, “Luch” in the same year – 8th. These collections were recommended as teaching aids for folk and parochial schools, literacy schools, rural, urban and religious schools, for exercises in Russian and Church Slavonic reading. Prot. G. Dyachenko compiled a qualitatively new dictionary, which includes more than 25,000 words and expressions predominantly of the Church Slavonic language of the new period, as well as Old Russian and Old Slavic, as “related dialects”. If possible, all obscure words and figures of speech found in the Church Slavonic Bible, church liturgical and edifying books were introduced into the dictionary. It was intended for the pastors of the Church, teachers of the Russian and Church Slavonic languages, and all students of the monuments of ancient Russian and Church Slavonic writing 6 . However, the data of historical philology is not reflected in the dictionary, not all available meanings of words are given, and sources are not always accurately indicated. Archpriest G. Dyachenko was involved in the creation of a homiletical code, which was supposed to cover virtually the entire liturgical year. The set includes 7 books, including about 6,000 teachings. In the sermon Fr. Grigory always preferred improvisation. His ideal was “simple preaching from the heart, following the example of the apostles.” “Away with all these fetters and brakes!... Down with notebooks, down with formalism, down with routine! Let a living word be heard, a word of conviction!” he urged. The explanations of Fr. are still relevant today. Grigory Dyachenko symbols of the church and worship. “In the church, brothers,” he wrote, “everything is instructive. Not only what is read or sung, but also every thing in the church, if you look at it carefully, contains at least something instructive...” In the books “From the Realm of the Mysterious” and “The Spiritual World”, pursuing the goal of an apology for the existence of the spiritual world, Fr. Gregory presented descriptions of the phenomena of human mental life and the afterlife in the earthly world, but did not give them an appropriate explanation from the point of view of Orthodox doctrine. The author’s passion for describing “supersensible” and magical phenomena (“deniers of everything mysterious and spiritual serve as a brake on human thought and spirit,” he wrote) can make it possible to reproach him for sympathizing with spiritualism, telepathy and magic. Based on the preface to the books, we can say that the author did not see pseudo-spirituality in such phenomena, classifying them as “experimental (experimental) psychology” 7 . In the last years of his life, the experienced shepherd paid special attention to the need to resist the unbelief and immorality that was spreading in society. In the article “On the modern religious and moral state of Russian society” and other publications of that period, he advocated for improving the quality of preaching and spiritual education, the need for a deep and living study of the Holy Scriptures, the Law of God and worship, and from secular disciplines - philosophy and psychology. Father Gregory advocated for the establishment of public libraries and the publication of religious and moral literature, simplified translations of Church Slavonic books, so that they would become accessible to the laity. He was skeptical about the moral state of the Russian people, who were far from sufficiently touched by the Gospel Word, as well as the educational capabilities of the clergy. O. Dyachenko considered it necessary to intensify the activities of the laity, create spiritual and educational unions in all parishes, and restore the practice of preaching by secular missionaries - men and women. Shortly before his death, the shepherd came up with a long final article, “The Urgent Need of Our Time,” which was also devoted to the problem of the revival of Russian society. The words sound relevant O. Gregory that the human word, in particular, time-based printing, has the ability to “capture and conquer the will of people.” “With a zeal worthy of a better cause, with an incomprehensible and seemingly fatal blindness, in many of her organs, especially in recent decades, she served not light, but darkness, not creation, but destruction, not life, but death” 8. The author, examining the contemporary press and fiction, primarily French, pointed out that the triumph of materialism led to the preaching in the press of family destruction, pornography, suicide, various vices and crimes, teachings contrary to the spirit of Christianity. “The secular press... is distinguished by its extreme one-sidedness and fanatical hatred of all other opinions except its own, considers... Christianity an obsolete religion, and the Church as a brake on the progress of human thought, criminally forgetting that Christianity... there is always a reason for true progress in the sciences, arts, industry and all life in general; the cross and the gospel were followed everywhere by culture and a softening of morals, ... the development of language and literacy, the establishment of schools, the flourishing of literature, the narrowing of the gap between rich and poor” 9. “If anti-Christian truths find freedom to spread, Christian truths should also find the same freedom to propagandize. In the struggle of ideas, triumph will remain with the truth.” Such traditional means as “preaching the word of God, extra-liturgical conversations with the people, public theological readings and the publication of spiritual magazines, brochures and books” had a limited scope, especially since sermons and spiritual books, according to the author, were often not topical, improvised, but scholastic and vague in nature. Therefore, to fight the “anti-Christian spirit of the times” Fr. Gregory called for the publication of a “daily spiritual newspaper, the voice of which would be heard throughout Russia” 10. Means of struggle o. Dyachenko proposed open and educational ones. He was not a supporter of “the imaginary guardians of Russian thought, or rather, the fierce persecutors of it, infected only with obscurantism and fear of thought,” and an apologist for “narrow clericalism” - “the surest means of ruining a publication, alienating readers from it who seek, above all, impartial service to truth and goodness, and not party interests.” “It is better to prevent forbidden underground socialist teachings by calmly strictly scientifically refuting them, rather than by giving them space through the silence of the truly protective press.” The author also hoped, with the help of the newspaper, to “little by little destroy... the separation... between the Russian intelligentsia and the Church and the common people 11. Father Gregory developed in detail the program of such a newspaper called “The Voice of a Christian,” which would include political, church and social sections, information about the saints of the day, sections of church fiction and preaching, articles on the Christian faith and morality of an apologetic and missionary nature, publicly presenting the most important truths of dogma and ethics in a “historical-philosophical way,” articles to console unfortunate and grieving Christians on the basis of the Word of God and the works of the holy fathers; sections of liturgical, spiritual poetry, psychology, applied knowledge and bibliographic 12. The author saw the place of publication of the newspaper as “the heart of Russia” – Moscow. His idea aroused the support of most readers and the objections of the official church body. According to Tserkovny Vestnik, a newspaper that had no analogue “in the civilized world” would not have attracted the attention of subscribers and could be dangerous because it was not controlled by censorship. Tserkovny Vestnik. 1902. No. 43. Opinions and reviews.. In his relationships with people, priest Dyachenko “was distinguished by great cordiality and kindness. Having himself gone through the harsh school of life, he was able to enter into the situation of everyone in need and, to the best of his ability, alleviate his situation. His relationship with orphans was especially cordially and warmly felt.” December 2, 1903 Fr. Gregory died in Moscow “after a long, painful illness.” The funeral liturgy and funeral service were performed on December 5 by the vicar of the Moscow diocese, Bishop. Dmitrovsky Trifon (Turkestanov), later a famous ascetic of piety, in the co-service of numerous clergy and with a “huge gathering of spiritual children” 13. The wonderful shepherd was buried in the nearby Lazarevskoye cemetery. The artist V.M. Vasnetsov, St. right Alexy Mechev, the first Russian professor of medicine at Moscow University S. G. Zybelin, mother of F. M. Dostoevsky - about 50 thousand burials in total. In 1936, the cemetery was destroyed, and a children's park and dance floor were built on the bones. The grave of Fr. has also disappeared. Grigory Dyachenko.. After 1990, the works of Fr. Grigory Dyachenko, especially collections and manuals for performing the sacrament of confession, have gone through multiple reprints. He is currently one of the most popular church authors. Works of Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko 14 1. The reality of the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ // CHOLDP. M., 1878. Book. 2. 2. Biblical history as a subject of teaching in lower educational institutions // Orthodox Review. 1881. Part 2. No. 8. P. 716–763 (department: M., 1881). 3. Methods of teaching spelling: Experience of theoretical and practical guidance for conducting written and oral spelling exercises in the Russian language. M., 1881. 4. Old Testament messianic prophecies // Orthodox Review. 1884. Part 2. No. 7. pp. 416–499. 5. The Fall of the Forefathers. Its consequences as a means of Divine Providence for preparing for the acceptance of salvation // Ibid. Part 1. No. 3. pp. 433–471. 6. The action of the wisdom and goodness of God to preserve people’s faith in God and the Savior they promised // Ibid. No. 4. pp. 835–860. 7. To the apology of Christianity: about the preparation of the human race for the acceptance of Christianity. M., 1884. 8. To the history of the first people: The initial state of man and his fall // Faith and Reason. 1884. T. 1. Part 2. P. 777–802, 885–892 (department: Kharkov, 1884). 9 . God’s attitude towards fallen man // Orthodox Review. 1884. Part 1. No. 2. pp. 209–244. 10. Preparation of the Jewish people for the adoption of Christianity // Ibid. Part 2. No. 5–6. pp. 57–195. 11. Preparing the pagan world for the adoption of Christianity // Ibid. No. 8. pp. 657–754. Part 3. No. 9. P. 18–75, No. 10. P. 209–278. 12. On the publication of folk books of religious and moral content // Faith and Reason. 1885. T. 1. Part 1. pp. 235–264, 300–318. 13. Word on St. Day equal to Mary Magdalene (Matthew 25, 37–38) // Orthodox Review. 1886. Part 2. No. 8. P. 651–656. 14. On the modern religious and moral state of Russian society // Readings in the Society of Lovers of Ancient Writing. 1886. Book. 6, 8, 10; dept. ot.: M., 1886. 15. Explanatory note to the “Good Word”. M., 1888. 16. About Sunday readings for the people. Kiev, 1889. 17. Word on the occasion of the miraculous salvation of the Sovereign Emperor 17 Oct. 1888 // Moscow Gazette. 1890. No. 44. 18. Word at the burial of Rev. S. T. Vishnyakova // Pastorsky interlocutor. 1892. No. 23/24. pp. 368–371. 19. Questions at confession based on the guidance of the 10 Commandments, the Law of God, the 9 Gospel Beatitudes and the 9 Church Commandments, with a brief pastoral exhortation to the penitent after each of his answers. M., 1894, 1913 3; M., 1996 r., 2000 r. 20. On the eve of confession: Public spiritual and moral reading for fasting people in order to prepare them for the great sacrament of repentance on the eve of confession. M., 1894, 1993 r. 21. A complete annual circle of short teachings compiled for each day of the year, in relation to the lives of saints, holidays and other sacred events remembered by the Church and adapted to the living preaching word (improvisation): in 2 vols. M., 1895; 1901 3. 22. Questions for children’s confession with detailed pastoral instructions for them: A manual for Church pastors during the confession of youths and for parents when preparing children for the 1st confession. M., 1897, 2005 r. 23. Self-examination of a Christian in terms of his responsibilities to God, his neighbor and himself: Public spiritual and moral reading, mainly during the days of Lent. M., 1897, 1993 r. 24. Catechetical teachings that publicly explain the teaching of the Orthodox Church about faith, hope, love: in 3 volumes. M., 1898. M., 1993 r; Minsk, 2005 (under the title: “Faith. Hope. Love”). 25. Public conversations about the Divine services of the Orthodox Church adapted to live church sermons, non-liturgical interviews with the people and family reading for Christians. M., 1898. 26. Christian consolations for the unfortunate and mourning: in 2 hours. Moscow, 1898; M., Pechory, 1993 (under the title: “Helper and Patron”). 27. Words, teachings, conversations and speeches of the pastor of the Church for various occasions in the personal, family, school, parish, religious-moral and civil-social life of a Christian. M., 1898. 28. Explanation of the Sunday and holiday Gospels of the entire year read at liturgies and all-night vigils, with detailed dogmatic and moral conclusions: A manual for extra-liturgical interviews with the people: in 2 hours. Moscow, 1899. 29. Project of a book for class reading on the Russian language in parochial schools in Russia. Comment on the project to the School Council of the Holy Synod. M., 1899. 30. The Life and Sufferings of St. martyr and wonderworker Tryphon. M., 1901; 1906 4. 31. The urgent need of our time (Thoughts on the publication of a spiritual newspaper as a crying need of our days) // Wanderer. 1902. No. 10. P. 506–538, No. 11. P. 682–714, No. 12. P. 875–892; dept. ot.: Pg. (sis!), 1902. 32. A friend of the church improviser. A practical guide for preachers of the Word of God. M., 1903. 33. The joy of a woman's heart. B. m., 1904; M., 2007. 34. Religious skepticism based on the diary novel “Without Dogma” by Henryk Sienkiewicz // Wanderer. 1904. Part 1. No. 4. pp. 603–620. 35. Means of combating the anti-Christian spirit of modern society // Ibid. No. 3. pp. 399–421. 36. Appearances of the dead. M., 1906, 1913. 37. Orthodox Church. Kiev, 2005. 38. Symbolic actions. Clergymen. Kiev, 2005. 39. Vespers, Matins, All-Night Vigil. Kiev, 2006. 40. About worship. Kiev, 2006. 41. Composition of the service. Kiev, 2006. 1. Good Word: book. for class and extracurricular activities. reading. M., 1888. 2. Ray: 1st after the alphabet book. for reading in public schools and parish schools. M., 1888. 3. Spiritual sowings: a short collection of articles of spiritual and moral content, adapted to a publicly accessible explanation of the most important truths of the catechetical teaching of the Orthodox Church. M., 1892. 4. Lessons and examples of the Christian faith: A systematic collection. The experience of a catechetical reader. M., 1892, 1914 6. 5. Lessons and examples of Christian love. Systematic collection. M., 1892, 1902 4. 6. Lessons and examples of Christian hope. Systematic collection. M., 1892, 1902 4. 7. Daily teachings in the word of God according to the guidance of the liturgical gospel and apostolic readings on Sundays, holidays and weekdays (weekdays) throughout the year: A complete practical guide for preachers of the Word of God: in 3 volumes: compiler. M., 1897; 1899–1900 2 8. Complete Church Slavonic dictionary. M., 1899; 1900, 2001 r. 9 . From the realm of the mysterious. A simple speech about the existence and properties of the human soul, as a god-like entity: Materials for experimental psychology and natural science apology of Christianity: in 3 parts. Moscow, 1900; 1991 r., 1995 r. 10. Spiritual world: Stories and reflections leading to the recognition of the existence of the spiritual world: Addition to the book. "From the realm of the mysterious." M., 1900; 1992 r. 11. Festive rest of a Christian: Collection of publicly available spiritual and edifying stories and reflections: at 2 p.m. Moscow, 1900. 12. Spark of God: Sat. stories and poems adapted for reading in a Christian family and school for middle-aged girls. M., 1903; L., 1991 r; Kolomna, 1993 13. A practical symphony for preachers of the Word of God, containing in alphabetical order collections of biblical texts on various dogmatic, moral and church-practical truths. M., 1903, Sergiev Posad, 1992 r. 14. Preaching Encyclopedia: The Shepherd's Preacher's Companion. M., 1903. 1. Ivanov, Rev. [Rec.]. Sermons, speeches, conversations. Tula, 1887 // Additions to the Church Gazette. 1888. No. 7. pp. 182–183. 2. Zivanovic I. [Rec.]: Complete Church Slavonic Dictionary: Comp. G. Dyachenko, priest. M., 1899 // Theological Bulletin. 1900. T. 2. May. pp. 147–157. 3. I-n. K. [Istomin K.]. Bibliographic note about the book of St. G. Dyachenko entitled “Catichetical Teachings” // Faith and Reason. 1898. T. 1. Part 1. pp. 41–60. Biographical information about Prot. G. Dyachenko see: Dyachenko G. M., prot. // Orthodox Theological Encyclopedia. T.5. pp. 146–147; Kuchanzhi S. Homiletical heritage of the prot. G. Dyachenko: [course. rab.] / MDA. Sergiev Posad, 1997. Manuscript; Bertash Alexander, priest, Naseko A. A. Dyachenko Grigory Mikhailovich, archpriest. // Orthodox Encyclopedia. T. 16 (in press). M., 2008. Savva (Tikhomirov), archbishop. Tverskoy and Kashinsky. Chronicle of my life: autobiography. notes. T. 4. 1871–1874: Years: 1873–1874 // Theological Bulletin. 1902. T. 2, No. 5. P. 677–678 (4 pages). See Gulevich S.V. Historical note on the 50th anniversary of the Moscow 2nd gymnasium (1835–1885). M., 1885. Moscow Trifonov Church. M., 1895; Forty Forty. T. 3 / comp. P. Palamarchuk. M., 1995. pp. 201–204. Shefova O. A. Life and work of Archpriest. Grigory Dyachenko // Church Slavonic language: history, research, teaching: materials of the 1st international. scientific conference 28–30 September 2004. M., 2005. pp. 246–251. From the realm of the mysterious. M., 1990. S. IV. The urgent need of our time // Wanderer. 1902. No. 10. pp. 507–509. Right there. No. 11. P. 682–714; No. 12. P. 881. Dyachenko G.M., prot.: obituary // Moscow Church Gazette. 1903. No. 51–52. pp. 652–653; Dyachenko G. M., prot. Obituary // Additions to the Church Gazette. 1903. No. 50. P. 1978–1980. r reprint, ⁴ edition number.