Том 2

My fervent requests to readers who liked volume 1 of the book “Father John of Kronstadt”, and to those who will like volume 2 of this book. 1. Show me great mercy, remember in your prayers the following members of my family: Ivan, nun Elena, Valerian, Tatiana, George, Peter, Olga, George, Maria, Eugene and Sofia with their children, George, Elena and Yakov. 2. Everyone knows that in the current wartime, receiving money from abroad has almost ceased; only the North American United States remains, from where money flowed freely. The receipt of money by preliminary subscription from Yugoslavia is insignificant. Meanwhile, prices for everything have risen greatly: paper for printing books, photographs and illustrations, as well as covers, has become one and a half times more expensive: prices for printing, binding, making clichés for pictures and portraits, etc. have increased significantly. In short, under current conditions, publishing the second volume of the book “Father John of Kronstadt” seemed impossible. But I believed that the great miracle worker would perform a miracle and the book would be published. And he created this miracle: the designer of avions 353 Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky and his wife Elizaveta Alekseevna sent me money with anion from the United States 354. Therefore, I believe that it is the duty of all readers who will be satisfied with the second volume of my book “Father John of Kronstadt” to repay the named enlightened benefactors for their help in publishing the book - to repay with what you all can and what will be useful to them, namely, to remember them and their family members in your prayers. About the health and salvation of the Sikorskys: Igor, Elizabeth, Sergius, Nikolai, Igor, George. In order to complete and edit the present second volume of my book, I took a leave of absence for 20 days in September 1939 and turned to Bishop Nikolai (Velimirović) of Žiča with a request to allow me to live for free in one of the monasteries of his diocese near the railway station, explaining to him that, living in the same room with my daughter, I am not able to concentrate on a serious and large work, approximately 350 printed pages, since I am constantly taken away from work visitors: members of the “Brotherhood of Father John of Kronstadt”, petitioners and daughter’s friends. Agreeing to my request, the bishop said: “No, go to the Holy Studenica Lavra 355, although it is 12 kilometers from the station, the relics of St. Simeon the Myrrh-Streaming and his son St. Stephen the First-Crown rest there, the Holy Spirit will help you write there.” I went to the Lavra and spent my vacation there. This Lavra and its marble church in the name of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary were built 800 years ago by Saint Simeon the Myrrh-Streaming, father of Saint Sava, the first Bishop of Serbia. Church of Dalmatian architecture made of three colors of marble: white, yellow and light gray. The capitals of the internal columns and door jambs are of the finest carvings. The relics of Saint Simeon the Myrrh-Streaming rest in a marble tomb. The relics of his son, Saint Stephen the First-Crown, were opened, and pilgrims visiting the Lavra venerated them. The Russian hieromonk Adam lives in the Lavra, a former Kuban Cossack Alexei Ivanovich Burkhan, who, according to the testimony of the former division chief, General Kazanovich, was distinguished by selfless courage. On August 29, old style, on the day of the Beheading of John the Baptist, Bishop Nicholas of Zhich visited the Lavra. Bishop Nicholas is a highly educated man, has a Doctor of Theology degree from Berne, Oxford and Glasgow Universities and attended a course at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. He is an exceptionally talented and powerful preacher, much loved by the people. He has many printed teachings and other works 356. He took part in the preliminary subscription to the first volume of my book, contributing money for 14 books. Letters and reviews about the first volume of my book Review by Archbishop Seraphim Bogucharsky, administrator of the Russian churches in Bulgaria. Published in Belgrade in 1938, the book by I.K. Sursky, a great admirer of Father John of Kronstadt, is successfully spreading among Orthodox Russian people. It primarily describes the miraculous signs that the Lord performed through the great righteous man of the Russian land, Father John of Kronstadt, through his miraculous prayer. This book should be called not only edifying, but also saving, since it arouses faith in us, draws us to Christ and encourages us to hope for His almighty help in our grave sorrows. Here, in Bulgaria, the book in question aroused particular interest after one amazing miraculous incident that occurred in the family of Russian general Vladimir Nikolaevich Smerdov living in Sofia. This is what he himself personally told us in the first week of Lent this year. The general has a ten-month-old grandson who has fallen ill with a fatal disease. The council of doctors made it clear to him that there was no hope for recovery. But he had just read in Surski’s book (pp. 219–222 357) about Father John’s scarf, which Archpriest Father John Sokal has in Belgrade. General Smerdov immediately sent a telegram asking him to send him this scarf. The latter, which was only a very small part of the scarf, was sent and placed on the chest of the dying baby. And the Lord, through the prayer of His saint, stopped the illness: the baby immediately and quickly began to recover and is now completely healthy. General Smerdov told us that many other sick people living in Sofia placed the handkerchief of Father John of Kronstadt on themselves with faith and heartfelt prayer, among whom, as a result, three more cases of healing occurred through the heavenly intercession of the great righteous Father John. As I know, Mr. Sursky is starting to publish the second volume of the biography of Father John of Kronstadt, in which, according to his testimony, an even greater number of miraculous signs from the great Kronstadt shepherd will be reported. We sincerely wish that this volume appears in print as soon as possible and is distributed as successfully as the first, for the glory of Father John and the entire Russian Church - for the good and salvation of all who with faith resort to the prayerful intercession of our great shepherd and miracle worker Father John of Kronstadt. I really liked the first book. It is capable of not only fanning into a flame the ash-covered spark of faith in a bad Christian, but also illuminating the darkness of the soul of an unbeliever and lighting in it the lamp of a living and firm Christian faith, the Orthodox faith. With love and respect German, Archbishop of Karelian and All Finland. I received the book, as a precious gift, about the prayer book and wonderworker Father John, Christ save you, and I read it with pleasure. May the Lord help you to publish the second volume. During the Liturgy I remember your relatives. I invoke God's blessing on you. Sincerely yours, Bishop Joasaph. Thank you for sending me a copy of the precious book about Father John. May God bless your work. Undoubtedly, upon arrival home, to the Motherland, Father John will be glorified, and then there will be a great triumph 358. The soul asks to serve him prayers and ask for help, like all the saints. May God protect you and give you strength to serve for the glory of His holy Name. Sincerely honoring you, Your most humble servant Archpriest M. Polish 359 When in Russia “the secret of lawlessness was already at work,” plunging our homeland into an incredible abyss of disasters. The Lord sent a wise seer, Father John of Kronstadt, who called for repentance. “A terrible time is approaching,” he says long before the ill-fated revolution, “so terrible that you cannot even imagine.” In 1907, Father John prophesied: “The Russian kingdom is wavering, wavering, close to falling. If things go like this in Russia and the atheists and anarchist madmen will not be subjected to the righteous punishment of the law, and if Russia is not cleansed of many tares, then it will be desolate, like the ancient kingdoms and cities, wiped off the face of the earth by God’s justice for their atheism and for their iniquities... What would we become without the Tsar? Our enemies would soon try to destroy the very name of Russia..." 360 “But,” says Father John, “Russia is beset by troubles and misfortunes. It is not in vain that He who rules all nations skillfully and accurately places on His anvil all those subjected to His strong hammer. Be strong, Russia! But repent, pray, cry bitter tears before your Heavenly Father, whom you have angered immensely! » 361 The prophecy of Father John was once mocked by our “intelligentsia” who, in their blindness, did not see that they were striving for the destruction of both themselves and Russia. Time has shown who was right. The vile fabrications and gossip fell away, and before the repentant Russian emigration the face of Father John, the prophet and wonderworker, appeared in all its holy purity. Both honor and glory to I.K. Sursky, who, despite the lack of funds, in emigrant poverty and labor for his daily bread, managed to publish the excellent book “Father John of Kronstadt,” which every Orthodox Russian should read. There is so much instructive information in it about the life, insight, healings and miracles of Father John! Half of the book is devoted to the teaching of Father John about the Church, his conversations with pastors, denunciations of the Russian people and prophecies about the fate of Russia. One must wish that, encouraged by the success of the book, the material for which had been collected for 50 years, the author would publish its second volume, as well as Father John’s book “My Life in Christ,” which is read by non-Orthodox people. Professor of Karlovac Theology To the most noble Russian patriot and Russian Orthodox Christian, Mr. Sursky Missionary V A. Konovalova Dear and deeply respected Mr. Sursky! I read the book “Father John of Kronstadt” with pleasure and delight. I admit that when you announced the publication of it in the newspapers, I treated it with disdain, believing that, apart from what had been written before in Russia, nothing could be written abroad. But I was wrong. Having received your book about the life of the holy and righteous Father John of Kronstadt and the wonderworker and prophet of all Russia, I was struck by the simplicity of the presentation, fascinatingness and clarity, and, most importantly, the book captures the soul of the Russian person. I believe that this book is a priceless treasure in our meager time of religious and spiritual life. If anyone has a drop of Russian Orthodox and religious self-awareness left, then this book will bring such a person very great satisfaction and knowledge of what man and God are. I personally found it especially pleasant and comforting to read this book because I, a sinner, knew Father John personally and attended general confessions with him at least 20 times. Quite a few people have already borrowed from me to read volume 1 of the book “Father John of Kronstadt”; it captured their entire being, and even those who did not know him were very touched. Because it is so simple, easy to understand and exciting. And for me it is especially touching, because I witnessed a lot and experienced a lot of what is written in the life. For I lived in St. Petersburg before the Great War 362 for 20 years and often, often traveled to the city of Kronstadt. I also knew the merchants Usov and Krutov, to whom Father John gave his blessing for the fish trade, and they became so rich that in Altai they donated 10 and 15 thousand rubles to the archbishop, later Metropolitan Macarius of Moscow, for the education of the Altai pagans. ...I loved the content of the book “Father John of Kronstadt”, which touched me to tears... Thank you very much, good Russian people, for such holy works for the benefit of human souls. Please do not leave me unattended, just as you have not left me until now by sending me the holy book of Father John of Kronstadt. This book, I hope, will be translated into all languages ​​and will lead a great many different peoples to faith in Christ. Paganized Russians, after reading this book, will again become Orthodox Christians. Therefore, let I.K. Sursky continues to strive for the publication of a second book about the life of the great Russian righteous Father John of Kronstadt. You, publishers, take heart, for the Lord of hosts is with you for his prayers! God! What grace-filled Orthodox Christian wealth is collected in the above-mentioned book! When reading it you cannot do without tears of tenderness, it has such a holy and gracious influence on every reader! I abide with great love in Christ for you Archpriest Stakhy Revenko. Letter from an ordinary professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Warsaw, former trustee of the Odessa and Riga educational districts Alexey Ivanovich Shcherbakov With special attention and interest, I read the book you published about the late, ever-memorable shepherd, Father John of Kronstadt. Carefully considering the cases of healings reported in this book, accomplished through the prayer of Father John, cases of his insight, etc., and carefully analyzing them, you inevitably come to the conclusion that perhaps only some of the reported facts could (and then with a certain stretch) be explained either by a special coincidence of happy accidents, or by self-hypnosis, or by the hypnosis of individuals, or by the hypnosis of the masses, etc., and for the vast majority of them, all these and similar explanations, to which modern anti-religious human thought so readily resorts (trying to squeeze everything miraculous into the framework of natural phenomena), are no longer completely applicable. And therefore, the book about Father John of Kronstadt, published by your works, makes a huge, frankly, one might say, stunning impression. In addition to the will (for some, perhaps against the will), there is a thought, and then a conviction in the existence of a Higher Spiritual Power, incomprehensible to the human mind - a Power that exists everywhere, and not somewhere far away, in the superstellar worlds; existing right there, close, around us and inside us!.. This, I must admit, is an eerie feeling! But it disappears when we think that, as the same miraculous deeds of Father John convince us, the Highest Spiritual Power is not alien or hostile to man, but, on the contrary, is close to him and benevolent; that with this Higher Spiritual Power a person can enter into direct communication, for which purpose that spiritual spark is put into him - that Spirit of Life, which, according to Scripture, is “breathed into the nostrils” of the forefather Adam 363 and which, with an uncrossable abyss or wall, separates man from the entire animal kingdom. For many, this spiritual spark, of course, flickers so weakly that it is usually unable to manifest itself through any action, and only from time to time, and for a short time, it is ignited by the power of faith, flaring up with an insignificant flame (and for some, perhaps, it has, alas, completely died out). But for the deceased shepherd Father John, this spark, ignited by an indestructible faith, burned incessantly with such a bright flame that it turned out to be possible for him to constantly communicate with the Higher Power - with God, completely inaccessible to the majority of humanity, due to our sinfulness. And this is the simple answer to the miraculous healings of Father John, his foresight, etc. - all the incomprehensible and inexplicable facts of his life. Here, if I may, is a crude material comparison or likening: the spiritual spark embedded in human nature is a radio apparatus, which in the absence of electric current is silent, which, with a weak current, can produce only barely audible sounds even at close range, but which, where it is fed by a powerful electric stream, carries thunderous sound waves across entire continents, seas and oceans! With sincere respect, always ready to serve you Your book is a most valuable contribution to the literature about the Venerable Father John of Kronstadt and should serve as a reference book for every Christian. Reading it, you forget all the sorrows of our present life, and the soul is renewed by contact with something pure and sublime. You, dear publisher, by compiling and editing your book, have accomplished a great, one might say, historical thing for the emigration, since your work stirred up among the elderly part of the emigration long-faded, perhaps, already faded memories of Russia during the life and work of Father John of Kronstadt, and among the younger generation, which knows our Great Russia only by hearsay. Your work will awaken even greater interest in the not so long ago great past of our suffering Motherland. It would be very good if your book could get to where millions of people are languishing, whom Father John loved so much during his lifetime. Reading it, they would find in it a source of consolation in their present “life” and, living according to the example of the saint, they would more easily endure all the horror of their stay. May God grant you happiness, health and strength to work in the same direction. Ekaterina and Boris Ratkovsky (artillery colonel) Vrdnik, “Three days ago I sent a German review of your book to Kyrios magazine. They wanted to publish it soon. At the same time, I raised the question of the German (somewhat abridged) edition of your book. But this question will not be clarified until October. When the world is calmer, I will send you my book “From the Life of the Spirit.” May the Lord help you in your labors for the benefit of our Church!” With utmost respect and sincerely devoted to you (Professor at the University of Königsberg) 364. Review of the former Kyiv censor A. L. Nikolsky I.K. Sursky. "Father John of Kronstadt". Belgrade, 1938. 271 pp. There are necessary books, there are useful books, there are interesting and entertaining books. I call this book a book of consolation, since careful and serious reading of it will undoubtedly give great and complete consolation in the years of struggle, labor and great sorrows we are experiencing. The book will give consolation not only to those who are now grieving, but also to those rejoicing in some kind of good joy, since it will teach them what to do so that their joy remains with them and does not turn into sorrow. Father John of Kronstadt was known throughout Russia as a good shepherd who devoted his entire life not only to the flock entrusted to him, but to all of Orthodox Russia. He was a righteous man, a prophet and a miracle worker. Russia lived with such people, and perhaps died when they were gone. All those who were suffering, grieving and thirsty for advice, guidance, and admonition flocked to him in thousands. God personally brought me to see Father John several times, to talk with him and to be present at his heartfelt service of the Divine Liturgy in the home church of the Kyiv Governor-General. In Kyiv he stayed with his relatives Leonardov 365, in their house on Ekaterininskaya Street. No. 12, where I lived with my family. At the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, Father John was a friend of my father, the archpriest of the city of Tula. Therefore, it is clear with what love and attention I treated the work of the well-known author and publisher of this book, and in this case I am not writing a review, but I offer him deep gratitude for the rich content of the work, for the possible comprehensive coverage of the personality and activities of our great righteous man. Father John shone for us and warmed us during his life, but we believe that his memory will be eternal, 366 and after his death he will shine even more in the aura of holiness and will help Mr. Sursky to release the second volume of his edition that he promised for our consolation. Dear and dear I.K. Sursky! I have already read your book “Father John of Kronstadt” several times, and it has brought me great consolation. I deeply revere Father John and deeply believe that he is God’s chosen one, a prophet of the 20th century, a great miracle worker. Your book is wonderful, every Christian should have it. And it would be nice to publish it in English. After all, in America there are many priests who speak English well. The translation would be sold here, since many Russians of the younger generation read more in English. What a consolation it would be for all Russian believers if our Higher Church Authority could canonize the Reverend Father John. God bless you and bless you for your work and holy love for Father John. I often, often read the first volume and shed tears of tenderness. In every line of the book you wrote, pure holy love for the great miracle worker of the 20th century sounds. And many wrote to me that they, too, shed tears while reading the book. Your book comforted me a lot and explained that the Lord sent us this test for sins and iniquities. I often think and write my thoughts to many: why don’t our hierarchs call the Russian people to repentance?! It would be necessary to appoint a three-day fast and call all believers to confession and communion. Confession could be arranged in general, as Father John of Kronstadt did. We must all ask God for forgiveness for breaking our oath to God, for rebelling against our rightful King, the Anointed of God. Some forced him to renounce the throne with lies, deceit and threats. Others did not oppose this and did not defend the just cause. Father John, as a prophet of God, clearly saw what awaited Russia. Your book revealed a lot to the Russian people, and we all learned why we were so severely punished. God grant that your second book will fly to all corners of the Russian Diaspora and console their tormented souls. It is very touching that you, a layman, have done such a great and holy deed in our terrible and godless time. Archimandrite Gerasim (Schmaltz), who loves you I directly devoured, without stopping, the biography of Father John of Kronstadt. It made an absolutely amazing impression on me. God, how blind and deaf I was! Moreover, as I told you, I even allowed myself to condemn his actions. I sincerely and deeply repent of this and hope that the saint of God will forgive me for this. Once again I ask you, my dear, not to forget me in your prayers. Dear, dear friend 368, one local lady turned to me with a request to ask you if the first volume of your memoirs is still for sale? She read my book about Father John of Kronstadt and was completely delighted with it and wants to purchase it at all costs. I give you a warm friendly hug. May the Merciful Lord protect you. Sincerely yours, Prince Mikhail Cherkassky. I cannot help but express to you my deepest heartfelt gratitude for the moral support that I found in your truthful account of Holy Father John; it not only revived in me a bright past associated with the memories of this Good Name, but also made me think deeply. Alexander Pavlovich Grigoriev. I thank you extremely sincerely for your glorious work “Father John of Kronstadt”, reading which I have enormous spiritual satisfaction. May the Lord continue to help you on this good path. Very grateful to your M. Kritsky. 134–II–97 Avenue Richmond Hill, New York. Dear Sir and beloved in the Lord, author of the book “Father John of Kronstadt”! I read your book with great spiritual delight. I think that this book, on which rests the blessing of the holy saint of God, Father John, will pour out the grace of God on everyone who reads this book and will bring abundant fruit in these terrible years for the Russian people, who are scattered throughout the world and are drinking the well-deserved cup of God’s wrath. Hieromonk Herman, Valaamite Pirot, Yugoslavia, Temsky Monastery. Thank you very much for sending your books. Everyone reads it with affection and warm gratitude to the author of the book. I have no doubt that most, if not all, will ask you to send the second volume. For your multi-useful, praiseworthy work in memory of the all-good, miracle-working prayer book for us before the Lord, the unforgettable Father John of Kronstadt, you will undoubtedly be shown the special mercy of God through the love and intercession of Father Father John: I believe - and so be it! Witnessing my heartfelt greetings to you and with deep respect for you, I remain your humble servant and pilgrim, Protopresbyter Sergius I Orlov. Dear brother in Christ! I have no words to express my gratitude to you for making me understand all the joy of being a contemporary of Father John of Kronstadt. Your work is infinitely beautiful and important, I clearly felt this when I received it in my hands, and when I saw the portrait of Father John, joy, along with hope and faith that the great miracle worker would hear my prayer and help me, gripped my soul. I am very seriously ill. Although I read the book with deep reverence, I keep it close to me all the time and several times a day I look at the face of Father John of infinite kindness. I pray his prayer, which I copied and gave to two Serbian women - they really asked me when I told them about the miracles of our saint. Yes, ours! Oh, how clear is our Russian soul in him! It seems to me that by reading your book, the deepest Russian atheist will come to his senses, if only he is purely Russian. You are asking for a review of the book “Father John of Kronstadt”. I can’t say anything more than that, while reading it, more than once, not twice, not three times I became so moved that I could not hold back the tears that prevented me from reading. The peculiarity of this book is that it is written surprisingly simply, sincerely, with a spark of God in the heart. It was this spark that made me cry. May the Lord God help you to do good deeds. Your sincere well-wisher 24 Feb 1939 Schranton, Ra. 1820. Division st. America. I take this opportunity to express my sincere admiration for the beautifully compiled work, the book “Father John of Kronstadt,” which undoubtedly has enormous significance for all Russian believers and can serve as an inexhaustible source of inspiration and help for them. Accept the assurance of perfect respect and devotion 5418. Cabanne ave St. Louis, Mo. America. Dear Mr. Sursky! I wanted to thank you with all my heart for the wonderful book about Father John of Kronstadt, our revered saint and prayer book for our unfortunate people, and me, a great sinner, who personally had the good fortune to host him. The Lord will reward you for your great labors, and we, admirers of our dear saint, thank you warmly. I ask you to accept the assurance of deep respect Mom and I are eternally grateful that I was persuaded to take the holy book “Father John of Kronstadt”. It should bring endless benefit to everyone, and all of us Orthodox, of course, should learn about the life and miracles of the great saint of God. Please send me two more books about Father John of Kronstadt. I want to donate them to two libraries, because I see that many would like to read them. Mom wants to send hers to her brother in Paris. I also ask you to arrange for the third book to be sent to my cousin. Capajevo, Petra Region, 50. Help, Lord, to complete your noble and fruitful work perfectly. It is very gratifying that in our days the Lord has revealed such a great saint to restrain the spreading evil. May this evil end soon, according to his own prediction and ardent desire, for the peace of the Orthodox Church, the inhabitants of the country and the whole world. Abbot of the Konevetsky Monastery Amfilohiy. Dear worker, for the glory of Father John of Kronstadt, who became the Glory of our Church. I received the books and distributed them. With wishes of success to your holy work - the publication of the biography of Father John of Kronstadt, I remain Protopresbyter T. Teodorovich Warsaw. Your book “Father John of Kronstadt” is wonderful and deserves the widest distribution. Dimitry Vasilievich Zagorsky Mg. D. Zagorsky. 802 Eastlake Ave Ar. 7. Seattle Wash. USA. Letter from Mrs. E. Komova dated July 1, 1939, living in Finland: Makslahti, Rautanen. Dear I.K. Sursky. I am very sorry that I do not know your name so that I can pray for you. I bow to you and thank you with all my heart for your work in publishing the book about dear Father John. I received this book a long time ago and read it every day, and I kept wanting to write to you in order to share with you my memories of my dear Father, but somehow I didn’t have to. Kronstadt Cathedral in the name of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called Father John of Kronstadt surrounded by St. Petersburg residents of TsGAKFFD Reception with St. Petersburg mayor N.V. Kleigels. In the center are Father John of Kronstadt and Archpriest N.G. Smiryagin No later than 1904. TsGAKFFD Prayer service at the foundation stone of the church in the name of St. Andrei Kritsky during the Expedition for the procurement of state papers, St. Petersburg. The service is led by Father John (standing with his back at the bottom left). 1903 TsGAKFFD Father John in the courtyard of his house. Around 1900. TsGLKFFD Kronstadt Cathedral during the Liturgy celebrated by Father John of Kronstadt The exit of the revered shepherd from St. Andrew's Cathedral. November 19, 1898, photo by K. Bulla House in Kronstadt on Posadskaya Street, where Father John lived Holy Righteous Father John of Kronstadt and his mother Elizaveta Konstantinovna, photo by K. Bulla. 1890s. TsGLKFFD Your book is also dear to me because I know many people about whom you wrote. You are such a good believer that, reading your book, your soul is somehow renewed. God bless you and have mercy on you for your labors. Author's note: Then Mrs. Komova writes to me that she still wants to send some money for the second volume, but is waiting for my response. I was extremely busy and could not answer her for a long time. Finally I wrote a long letter and again could not get round to delivering it to the post office; when suddenly a war broke out in Finland, then I realized that it was the Lord, through the prayers of Father John, who did this so that the money would remain with her. Dear and dear author of the book “Father John of Kronstadt”. I read your book with deep interest, moving my soul to tears. How wonderfully you wrote, with what love and depth you collected the materials - I opened it many times after that and still read and read. It's so good that you did this. It’s especially wonderful in our time, when it’s so hard to breathe under the yoke of all material, earthly, base literature, and your book is the breath of heaven, the breath of the highest and like that saving chink through which a fresh, life-giving supply of air enters, often saving people from spiritual death. God bless you for your work. Do you write more about Father John? If yes, then send it to me. The other day I sent 20 American dollars in your name, this is for you personally. Do with them as you wish. My deepest bow to you and thank you very much for the book. Elizaveta Alekseevna Sikorskaya (wife of Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky). From the author. The 20 dollars sent to me as a gift by Elizaveta Alekseevna Sikorskaya arrived just at the time when my daughter, who was with me, had been sick with the flu for the third month with various terrible complications; there was no money for treatment, there was no firewood, the winter was harsh, my daughter was constantly sweating from the flu and medications, and she had to change her wet shirts. The room we lived in had three outer walls, was heated by a small stove that did not retain heat, it only warmed as long as there was a fire in it, and in the middle of the night the room became cold, I had to get up and heat it so that my daughter could change her shirt. There was no way to call a good doctor. But Father John saw our situation and persuaded Elizaveta Alekseevna Sikorskaya to send me 20 dollars as a gift. I bought two meters of firewood, paid off my debts and soon transported my daughter to the University Clinic of Professor Ignatovsky. I then saw that he was truly a wonderful luminary. For several days now, my daughter had been having heart attacks, which almost everyone with the flu had at that time. The attack began at 12 o'clock at night and lasted until dawn: heartbeat, rapid pulse, trembling, goosebumps in the limbs, and nothing helped: not drops, not tablets, not compresses on the heart. The daughter said that she would not survive the approaching night. Having accepted my daughter to the clinic, Prof. Ignatovsky gave me a bottle of drops and ordered me to give the drops at 7 o’clock and at 8 o’clock in the evening, and at 8.30 to give one tablet, saying that there would be no more seizures and the patient would sleep peacefully. And so it happened. This is how the great miracle worker - dear, dear Father John - had mercy on me - he sent help from America and just in time! Second letter to E. A . Sikorskaya I spoke with Igor Ivanovich about the need to publish the second volume of your book. We are sending you 100 American dollars, of which you can take 10 dollars for the Easter holidays, and use 90 dollars on a book to speed up its publication. People who witnessed the life and deeds of the great lamp of the Russian land will leave - it will be difficult or even impossible to restore. May the Lord help you bring the matter to the desired end. The Lord is with you. Sincerely yours Elizaveta Alekseevna Sikorskaya. God Himself sent me the book “Father John of Kronstadt”. My soul had been yearning for her for a long time, but only now did I learn about her existence. Mr. Sursky did a great, holy deed, and for this the even greater grace of the blessing of Father John will rest on him. I’ll say about myself - this wonderful book reborn me in three days - as if nothing had happened in my previously rusty, but now somehow enlightened soul - no grumbling for a hard lot, no embitterment, no despondency, even despair, which sometimes led to thoughts of suicide. The restless soul, like a sick man in delirium, brightened and calmed down. Apollinaria Matveeva Chupriya. With sincere joy, I send you my heartfelt greetings, may the Almighty give you strength to continue your multi-useful and holy labors in collecting and publishing works and information about the wondrous deeds of Father John of Kronstadt. Your activity in disseminating information about Father John of Kronstadt is a purely apostolic work for the glory of the Name of God and for the salvation of many people. With sincere love in Christ Archpriest Theodore Sinkevich. Your book “Father John of Kronstadt” is very timely and extremely useful in these days of difficult trials experienced by humanity, and especially by the Russian emigration, for whom it will serve as a consolation in their sorrows. Chairman of the Terek Cossacks Representation In addition to these written reviews of my book, I consider it my duty to provide some more oral reviews. Archbishop Seraphim Bogucharsky, head of the Russian churches in Bulgaria, told me, hugging me affectionately: “Thank you, dear, for writing such a good book.” Archbishop of Kamchatka and Petropavlovsk Nestor told me: “You know that when I sat down to read your book in the evening, I read it all night until the morning until I finished.” Vicar Bishop of the Serbian Patriarchate Dionysius told me: “Your book “Father John of Kronstadt” is the first of all Russian books that I have ever read, written in such a simple, easy and understandable language that, reading it, I understand everything. Other Russian books are written in a heavy style, so that they are difficult for a non-Russian to understand.” Academician Struve’s wife, Nina Aleksandrovna, told me: “You know, of all the books on the globe, your book is the best” 369. The chairman of the Society of Officials of the Judicial Department, the former chairman of one of the district courts, Konstantin Ivanovich Telyatnikov, told me: “You won everyone with your book.” And he repeated this to me a few months later. In addition to the above reviews, I am very pleased that modern youth are also interested in Father John and are reading the book “Father John of Kronstadt”. One day I came to work and forgot in another vest the key to the desk, which contained all my drawing supplies. I lived far from the service, and I would have had to lose a whole hour to go home, back and forth, to get the key. I saw how my young colleagues, having forgotten the key, easily tore off the top board of the table along with the nails with which it was nailed, pulled out the table drawer and then, with the pressure of their hands, lowered the top board of the table into place, and caught up the nails with blows of a log. I went to see my colleague, the young man Mr. Tolmachev, of enormous stature, who is known to all Belgrade residents because he always takes prizes at the rowing races of the Peter the Great Yacht Club. I explained to him what the matter was and told him: “I’m an insignificant little girl, and you are a hero, help me.” “What an insignificant little thing you are,” he answered me, “you are a giant of thought, you wrote such a book, I read your book.” I answered him that the giant of thought was not me, but Father John, whose thoughts I cited in the book. Another young colleague of mine, Mr. Georgy Hoffman, read my book, a copy of which I gave him to read and, having read it, bought it. My third young colleague, Mr. Sveshnikov, read my book, and then his wife as well. Engineer N.F. Lazarev, whom I did not know, told me that he had read my book, which he really liked. A Carpathian 370 student told me that students are very interested in Father John, read and buy my book about him. This phenomenon makes me very happy and comforts, because I see that we are being replaced by a generation that passionately loves its homeland and is Orthodox in spirit. The totality of all the above reviews about the first volume of my book “Father John of Kronstadt” led me to the conviction that the Lord heard and fulfilled my prayer, which I have been praying to Him for many years. This is the prayer with which I ask the Queen of Heaven, all the saints of the honest ethereal Powers of the Lord and the great saints of the Lord, the holy prayer books, prayer books and Guardian Angels of my family and the great John of Kronstadt, so that they beg the Lord, so that the Lord will give me to instill peace, silence and serenity, piety and all truth and truth, and the Orthodox faith in Russia and in the whole world and work in this direction tirelessly, all my life, with my whole being and my whole family and see the fruits of my labors. I have been trying for several months now to remember when and on what occasion I composed this prayer, but I absolutely cannot remember; Obviously, this prayer was inspired in me from above by John of Kronstadt and prayer books, prayer books and our Guardian Angels. Section I. Additional information related to the biography of Father John Chapter 1. Memories of Father John by Admiral D.V. Nikitin (Fokagitova) from the book “On the Shore and at Sea” 371 p. 7–13 and 23–25 “The second priest of St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Kronstadt and its sacristan was Father Ivan Sergiev, who taught us the Law of God at the gymnasium. Father Ivan needs to be given a special place of honor in my story. A few years later, all of Russia recognized this humble priest, a native of the village of Sura, abandoned in the wilderness of the Arkhangelsk province. Not only within our homeland, but also abroad, he became known as “Father John of Kronstadt.” From the time of his appointment to Kronstadt, Father John became a friend of my parents and a frequent guest with them 372. My father was his assistant and collaborator when he was developing a plan for an institution that was completely new for Russia at that time: the House of Diligence to provide income and help to all the orphaned and wretched who found themselves in a difficult situation” 373. Together with my father, he carried out this project in Kronstadt. In the gymnasium there is a lesson on the Law of God. After prayer, Father John sits at the teaching table. There is a blush on his cheeks, and he seems youthful, despite the gray streaks in his beard. With fire, but with the fire of kindness and friendliness, his light blue eyes burn. No one who saw them will forget these eyes. Father, unlike other teachers, says “you” to all of us, and this “you” sounds so incredibly simple and natural from his lips. If another teacher had addressed us this way, it would have seemed rude and even insulting to us. Two of my classmates start playing “feathers” in his lesson. “Nothing, good Father Ivan, he won’t even notice.” But Father noticed and immediately took them both out of their places and simply put them on their knees near his table. One “at the right hand”, the other “at the left” of myself. How I see this picture now. The teacher's table is located just at the eye level of those kneeling and they, stretching their necks as much as possible, try to see what Father writes in the class magazine. “Here I am,” he tells them, trying to seem angry, but they only smile broadly in response, seeing in his eyes that this is just that – just a threat. My parents told me that when Father John was appointed to Kronstadt, a city that considers itself a suburb of St. Petersburg, the local inhabitants, accustomed to seeing their priests smartly dressed in fashionable robes and trying to behave in a “metropolitan” manner, grumbled to themselves: “Well, they sent a priest, just a rural one. He doesn’t have any appearance.” They also did not like the service of Father John, filled with sincere prayer to God, who either lingeringly, syllable by syllable, pronounced the familiar words of prayer, or with lightning-quick patter expressed the immediacy of his appeal to the Creator. There were two separate periods in the life of Father John, and the first of them was, as it were, preparing him for his subsequent feat. At this time, for him there were still various small pleasures and joys of life, characteristic of every person. Subsequently, when Father John was already a member of the Holy Synod and was completely indifferent to all the high orders and awards that fell to his lot, it was touching to remember how concerned and upset he was when he, a modest cathedral priest, was for some reason passed over with the first small award; Order of St. Anne, III degree 374. “Father Ivan” of this first period, my teacher of the law, a friend of my family, a frequent guest in our house and an extremely sweet and infinitely kind person, still lives in my memory. In the mid-eighties, notices began to appear in newspapers, at first fragmentary and brief, and then more and more detailed, about the extraordinary influence that Father John began to have on the masses and about his healing of hundreds of ailing people, accomplished through prayer and the simple laying on of hands. It was also reported about the preacher’s miraculous ability to see and feel events occurring hundreds of miles away from him, as well as his gift to penetrate with thought through the veil of the future. There is no prophet in his own country 375. The friends and acquaintances of Father John, who so recently saw him so easily in their homes, maintaining a conversation on the most ordinary topics over a glass of tea (and he did not refuse a glass of light wine), were at first somewhat embarrassed. – What are the newspapers doing to our dear father Ivan? - they said. – After all, they portray him as some kind of icon-painting saint and miracle worker. This is blasphemy. Crowds of people seeking spiritual and physical help flowed to him from all over our vast homeland; he became a high authority in religious matters both in Russia and abroad. Many who never suspected that such a city existed - Kronstadt, learned that there was “Father John of Kronstadt”. But, alas, Father John’s personal life did not increase. He seemed to be burning in the rays of his glory and had no more time to spare. He forever lost the opportunity to go to visit one of his acquaintances in the evening, and Father John’s friends could now only catch a glimpse of him when, surrounded by a crowd greedily rushing towards him, he got out of the carriage at the entrance of the house where the patient, waiting for his help, lived. In Kronstadt, the large bell of St. Andrew's Cathedral rings with rare strikes, indicating which of the Gospels was read at the evening reading of the Passion of the Lord. Father John himself serves. When he begins to read a chapter of the Gospel, he apparently moves far away from everything around him. He experiences the Passion of the Lord with all his soul. He suddenly begins to overtake himself. Words flow in an unstoppable stream. Then he seems to slow down again, drawing out each word. Father John does not look at the Holy Book; From childhood, when he was still a boy in the remote village of Sura, Arkhangelsk province, he memorized what was written there. He is not with us now. He is among us in body, but in spirit and in thought he is in the distant land of Judea. Reading the sacred lines, he rises with Christ to a small hill in the vicinity of the capital city. The day has already passed noon. It’s hot to walk up the mountain, the place is abandoned, sad. Crowds come here only on days of free spectacles: torture and execution of people. There is no good road, your feet get stuck in the sand, you can feel the sharp crushed stone even through your soles. The Jerusalem mob looks at what is happening with their mouths open. This is her day. But among the ragamuffins there are also more elegantly dressed people - regulars of all kinds of executions, lovers of strong sensations. However, rogues are not allowed to the top of the hill. A small guard, just a few people, looks too impressive. Drawn into war and campaigns, muscular people in beautiful helmets and armor, have short sharp swords at their hips, and long spears with a metal tip in their hands. A blow to the head with such a sword will result in a broken skull. The mob knows this and timidly glances sideways at such smartly dressed but unpleasant foreigners. The expression on the faces of the soldiers is sternly indifferent: “Well,” these people think, “we were assigned here to monitor order, and what happens here is indifferent to us...” Father John looked up at the dome of the cathedral, saw the image of the four evangelists, so familiar to him during the years of his service here, lowered his gaze to the lectern with the Gospel, remembered that his flock was listening to him, and he finished the chapter in the usual tone of a priest reading the Holy Book. Father John’s voice, a rather high timbre - “an amazingly young voice” - as they said then, still sounds the same as it did several years ago, when he was my teacher of law at the gymnasium, sounds the same as in our house, where he was a close friend of my father and often easily visited. They served together for 13 years in the cathedral, where my father was the headman. It seems surprising now that he, like every other guest, accepted a cup of tea from his mother’s hands, did not refuse a glass of wine, took part in conversations on general topics, and was then interested in all sorts of “topics of the day.” Kindly treated by the Royal Family and deeply revered by it, he was infinitely far from striving for any worldly benefits and honors. There was such a case in my family: in 1888 my brother entered the Naval School. The father found an opportunity to ask Father John: - Father, bless the new sailor for the service of the Tsar and the Fatherland. Father John first thought deeply, then immediately seemed to come to his senses, and, turning to the cadet, said: – May the Lord Almighty bless you and may His holy Hand protect you, both on the waters and under the water. Father John had already acquired the glory of the providence of the future. Therefore, what Father said even somewhat worried my father. – What does it mean, “under water”? My son will have to drown, or what? - he said when he came home. The words of Father John were firmly forgotten. They were remembered only a quarter of a century later, when his brother sailed on submarines and was appointed commander of a submarine (1909–1914). At the time when Father John uttered his prophetic words, there was no talk about ships sailing under water 376. In the last years of Father John's life, the evil face of the coming Bolshevism began to appear on the horizon. Father John was always full of condescension towards human weaknesses and sins, but addressed to the destroyers of our homeland he found words of anger and curses. He attacked them with fiery words in his sermons, full of ardent patriotism. This was obviously not forgotten by the current Moscow rulers. They needed to wipe from the face of the earth everything reminiscent of Father John, for the memory of him, undoubtedly, still lives among the population subject to the Bolsheviks. Therefore, they destroyed St. Andrew's Cathedral, so closely associated with his name 377. Whether thanks to this the covenants of Father John will be forgotten and whether he himself will be forgotten - the future will show. Memories of Father John, brother of the admiral - captain 1st rank Andrei Vladimirovich Nikitin. “Father John Sergiev from the very moment of his arrival in Kronstadt was friendly received into the family of my grandfather M.O. Britneva. The extremely kind and friendly Father John sometimes seemed sad and asked: why are the Kronstadters, both clergy and laity, unfriendly to him? Indeed, many townspeople said: “They appointed some village priest to the cathedral; couldn’t they have appointed someone better?” Of course, my grandfather reassured Father John that everything would work out over time and that everyone would understand Father’s personality. I personally, as a child, often saw our father John (that’s what we called him); he was very affectionate with us children, and often caressed us, stroking our heads with his hand. When I was 10 years old and entered the 1st grade of the Kronstadt gymnasium, Father John immediately recognized me and, examining me, asked: “Well, Andryusha, tell me, what did God create on the fourth day?” I answered correctly; Father John made me read “Theotokos,” and when I finished the prayer, I said: “Well done” and gave me a “five.” I spent two years in the gymnasium, and both of these years Father John was our teacher of the law. During this period of time (1885–1886), Father John became known throughout Russia for his holiness, the strength of his faith and the power of his prayer before God; terribly busy and tired, he often began to be late for lessons and, sitting at the pulpit, dozed off; nevertheless, lessons were given to us, and Father John briefly explained everything to us with his characteristic inspiration and faith. He asked us very rarely and did not give us less than “4” (yes, he gave “4” when the answerer said something inappropriate). My father V.D. Nikitin was the headman of the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral for 13 years, remodeled both wings of the cathedral at his own expense (the cathedral's capacity increased greatly) and planted a beautiful park around the cathedral (also at his own expense). In the Naval Cadet Corps, while in the second company (1892), I became seriously ill with typhoid fever. I was put in a special ward of the infirmary along with cadets Stark and Ilyashevich. As an exception, my mother was allowed to be in our ward all the time and help the sister of mercy assigned to us from the Pokrovsky community. My situation became critical, and I was already almost pulseless; At this time, my father managed to find Father John and beg him to visit me and pray. It was late, almost night, when Father John entered our room, came up to my bed and said: “Andryusha!” Having recently been unconscious, I immediately came to my senses and recognized “our” Father and smiled at him. Father John knelt down by my bed and said: “Let’s pray.” Those who were nearby also knelt down. Father John prayed fervently and loudly, while I repeated the prayers in full consciousness. At the end of the prayer, Father John blessed me, and only said to my mother: “He’ll get better!” From that night I quickly began to recover and was soon completely healthy. Much time has passed since then, but I never forget our father John and pray for the repose of his holy soul. Soon we will hear an akathist to the holy saint and wonderworker John. Holy Father John, pray to God for us!” Russian Imperial Navy captain 1st rank Andrey Vladimirovich Nikitin. Chapter 2. Letter of the Valaam Hieromonk Nikander “I am very grateful to the author, Mr. I.K. Sursky for publishing a book about the life and miracles of the luminary of Orthodoxy, Father John of Kronstadt. It was truly a lamp, burning brightly and shining 378 in the darkness of our sad days. The book is truly worthy of attention, and it is gratifying to read it, remembering the wondrous in saints 379 dear Father. Chapter 2 briefly says that Father John persuaded his wife to remain virgins. We have known for a long time that she did not suddenly agree to this great feat of secret virginity. On this occasion, she even addressed a complaint to Metropolitan Isidore, who, calling Father John, for a long time and with threats persuaded him to have communication with his wife. But Father John did not agree to this and said to the Metropolitan: “This is the will of God, and you will recognize it.” And as soon as Father John left the metropolitan, the bishop immediately became blind. He quickly returned Father John and began to ask for forgiveness and healing and immediately received both. Then the Metropolitan called the wife of Father John and persuaded her to live a virgin life. In chapter 34, the author writes that Father John’s face “was always fresh, with a bright blush, which came from the fact that Father John moved across the sea every day, winter and summer.” I dare to think that this is not entirely correct; there was another and spiritual reason for this. The Scripture says: The heart rejoices, the face blooms 380. And truly, Father John’s face bloomed from the grace of God, from unceasing heartfelt prayer. I myself had to see, when I stood in the altar, and Father John served the holy Liturgy, during the consecration of the Holy Gifts, it was clear how Father John was completely absorbed in inner heartfelt prayer, his face was wonderfully pleasantly transformed, a bright blush covered him, it was clear that he did not notice those around him, he even slowed down with an exclamation. Deep, fiery prayer attracted him to God. This happened to many saints. If we were to collect all the miracles of Father John, then, perhaps, there would be several large volumes. So wonderfully the Lord rewarded him with a wealth of miraculous power. I lived in 1903 in the Sofronievskaya Hermitage. Kursk province; there was a paralyzed beggar who could not walk, but only crawled 381. Father John came there to consecrate a bell of 1,000 pounds, cast in honor of him and with his image 382. So Father John healed this beggar, and I myself saw him walking. After the Great War, when I returned from the front to dear Valaam and zealously took up the feats of monastic life, then the enemy brought me considerable temptation, I began to lose trust and disposition towards my elder leader, and then dear Father John helped me. I dreamed that Father John came to me, and I received him with great joy and treated him to tea, and then I took out my diary and thought about asking Father John to write something in it, suddenly he turns to me and says: “Yes, I know him, he is a good man, you need to believe him.” Immediately I realized that he was talking about my elder. The dream ended and I calmed down, the temptation passed. But once again on Valaam I dreamed that I met Father John near a meal, joyfully took his blessing, and he wonderfully taught me how to guard my conscience from all sin, for it will testify about us at the Last Judgment, and then at parting he said: “Yes, I will still stay with you.” When I woke up, I wondered what it was that he said: “I’ll still stay with you”? In the evening it became clear, for at the meal they began to read the works of Father John.” Years of great sorrows, persecution and expulsion from his native Valaam monastery “for the sake of truth” passed; up to 40 brothers, who lived there from 20 to 35 years, were thrown ashore in harsh and gloomy Finland, some went to Soviet Russia, where almost all of them suffered, and some to God-protected Serbia. And now I am a hierodeacon in the poorest Milkovsky monastery. I’m poor and hungry, but I’m calm and content. The humble abbot, then still abbot Ambrose, united us in prayer, service and work 383. And then I dreamed there: I was standing on the right choir and I saw Father John entering the altar at the northern door, so cheerful, he walked up to the southern side and seemed to want to put on his clothes, he took out his watch and showed me the number 8. I woke up and I don’t know what that means – the number 8. “At Vespers, Father Ambrose calls me to his right choir and says: “Father, let’s serve tomorrow,” and it wasn’t my turn. I said: “Well, bless me, what holiday is tomorrow?” He replied that tomorrow was the centenary of the birth of Father John. “When do we start?” – I asked already with excitement. “Yes, perhaps at 8 o’clock.” Then I understood the dream, and served with great tenderness. More years passed, Father Ambrose died, violent winds blew, and Milkovo died out completely. I settled in a purely Serbian convent: strict discipline, regular Divine services, but still I always felt isolated, lonely and powerless as a foreigner. Somehow I became quite depressed, and then I saw Father John in a dream, he didn’t say anything to me, but only showed his manuscripts on the table. When I woke up, I took his book “Thoughts of a Christian”, “On the Liturgy” opened, and after reading it, I immediately calmed down, calmed down and was touched in my heart. So wonderfully dear Father John helped me and consoled me, who was weak, “at a difficult moment in my life” 384. We all dearly love our dear homeland, but the Merciful Lord our God loves it incomparably more. He loves and punishes, and thanks be to Him for this! Let us deepen our faith in the wondrous almighty Providence of God, which cares for us, and for our homeland, and for the whole world, and in this we will find peace, joy, and salvation. Our true beloved Motherland is the eternally blissful Kingdom of Christ.” Hieromonk Nikander Valaamets. Chapter 3. Father John - “Easter Father” What does it mean: “Father John – Easter Father”? I first heard this name for Father John from the lips of the founder of the “Society in Memory of Father John of Kronstadt,” Archpriest Father Peter Mirtov 385. Father Peter Mirtov was the best speaker I have ever heard. His fiery word was like the word of Chrysostom. Immediately after the death of Father John, Father Peter Mirtov, by the way, said that it was enough for Father John to come somewhere for everyone to immediately be in a joyful mood, as joyful as on Easter: the hopelessly sick and their loved ones hoped for healing, the grief-stricken - for consolation, the poor, in desperate need - for material assistance, those wishing to do something, and everyone in general - for receiving a blessing. Colonel I.I., a relative of Father John, says the same thing. Vetvenitsky: “Father John was always responsive and infinitely friendly, complacent and joyful, radiant, as if always on Easter.” This is also evident from the story of the late Metropolitan Anthony, see the first volume of my book “Father John of Kronstadt”, p. 85 386. In general, from many places in the first volume it is clear that Father John, with his presence, really brought the Easter mood everywhere. I personally constantly experienced this many times, standing in the altars of churches during the service of Father John, sitting at the table with him during lunches and tea parties, and in general always and everywhere. The priest John Albov, who took part in the funeral service for Father John 387, tells a particularly remarkable story about this mood. Therefore, the chairman of the “Society in Memory of Father John of Kronstadt,” Protopresbyter Father Alexander Dernov, organized annual solemn meetings in memory of Father John on the fourth day of Holy Easter. These meetings were always held with great enthusiasm. Chapter 4. If you are persecuted in one city, run to another In 1905, just during the sailors’ riot in Kronstadt, I went to the courtyard of the Leushinsky convent, on Basseynaya Street in St. Petersburg, and quite unexpectedly met Father John in the abbot’s room. There were no strangers there except me. Father John turned to me with the words: “Christ said: If they persecute you in one city, run to another 388, so I left Kronstadt for St. Petersburg.” At that time, left-wing elements condemned Father John for leaving Kronstadt instead of pacifying the rebellion with his authority. But the great seer, of course, knew that the rebellion was perpetrated not by sailors, but by foreigners dressed in naval uniforms, 389 and that therefore he could not pacify the rebellion with his authority, and the foreigners, of course, would have taken the opportunity to kill the one who was the pillar on which Russia still stood. Chapter 5. The life of Father John in Moscow during his stay in the Mother See and stops there when passing through Extract from the article “Memories of Father John of Kronstadt” by member of the Moscow District Court Ivan Pavlovich Yastrebov, published in “Church Gazette” No. 13–14 1929 and No. 1–7 1930. “In 1893, Father John, traveling from Brest to Orel, had to go to another station in Smolensk. The people carried him there in their arms and, wanting to see Father John, broke all the glass in the doors of the front rooms of the station, where Father John was waiting for the train. In 1894, when Father John, having served mass, left the altar of his house church in Moscow, where only intellectuals were present, they rushed to him to kiss his hand, his cassock, and formed a stampede. Father John used to say that fresh air is the best companion for health. Therefore, he always slept with the window open, despite the severe frosts, during which he slept in a warm cassock on eider down and in a skufa. In Moscow, with the consent of Father John, the distribution of the queue of churches that wanted him to serve in them, the houses that wanted to receive him, the clergy who wanted to serve Father John, and even the vestments in which he had to serve, was managed by Sofya Yakovlevna Burkhard, who lived on Myasnitskaya Street in her own house. She did this with complete conscientiousness, solely out of a sense of reverence for Father John, in whose miraculous power she deeply believed. Father John's departure from Moscow took place in a solemn atmosphere. For him, as an exception, the front rooms of the Nikolaevsky station were always opened, where access to the public was very limited (officials and only acquaintances who constantly surrounded Father John were allowed). Father John always traveled by rail in a first-class carriage, in which, by order of the Minister of Railways, he was provided with a separate compartment each time during his journey to Moscow; when he traveled on a longer journey, even through Moscow, he was always provided with a separate carriage, which was attached to that train for further travel. Father John performed the divine service quite quickly and did not like the drawn-out singing of the singers; His service made a stunning impression on those praying. As someone who constantly stood at the altar, I was impressed by his complete concentration during the Divine service, especially during the celebration of the Liturgy of the Faithful. Father John seemed to be all gone somewhere, talking with God, Whom he clearly saw in front of him, positively not noticing at that moment anyone from those around him. I personally noticed one peculiarity in the service of Father John: he did not make a single exclamation during the Liturgy except while standing near the altar. It happened that Father John at the altar would begin to take out particles from the numerous prosphoras from those praying, but as soon as the time for an exclamation came, he, leaving the altar, hurried to his place near the altar and then began an exclamation, at the end of which he returned to the altar again. During the Liturgy on Sundays, Father John never remembered the dead and the litanies for the dead were always omitted 390. Then, never after the Liturgy did he serve prayer services in the church. Father John vigilantly followed events in church and public life. In September 1901, the Oryol provincial leader of the nobility M.A. Stakhovich, at a congress of clergy in Orel, made a speech on freedom of conscience that was sensational throughout Russia, where he introduced the idea of ​​​​the desirability of establishing freedom of transition from one religion to another. And so Father John, developing the words of the Gospel, moved on to the speech of M.A. Stakhovich, about which he expressed himself as follows: "But in our evil times, blasphemers of the Holy Church appeared, like Count Tolstoy and in recent days a certain Stakhovich, who dared to openly revile the teachings of our holy faith and the Church. What is this? A renunciation of Christianity, a return to paganism, to savagery, to the complete corruption of our nature? This is where our self-proclaimed preachers are leading."391 During the Liturgy celebrated by Father John, a mass of prosphoras with health notes were always served, often with very large sums (up to 5-10 rubles) 392, but Father John did not use a single kopeck from this collection, which was entirely at the disposal of the clergy of the church, and in general, Father John always performed all services in churches free of charge. Starting a prayer service in a private house, Father John said: “Let us pray to the Lord God, the Lord said that where two or three people gather in His name, there He is among them.” 393. The prayer service consisted of three or four prayers specially composed by Father John himself, imbued with unusually fiery faith, in which one could hear great boldness and complete faith that God hears and will fulfill the request. At the end of the prayer service, he gave everyone a cross to kiss and sprinkled them with holy water, and then he was usually invited to the table, richly and beautifully set with all sorts of dishes and fruits, “to have tea.” Father John always sat down at the table and, after taking two or three sips of very sweet tea, poured the rest of the tea onto a saucer and then treated each of those present from his own hands. In everyday hardships and misfortunes, Father John always insisted on turning to the Lord God with sincere faith. “Faith,” said Father John, “is the cornerstone of everything.” After a conversation with him, everyone left joyful and comforted. For this reason, everyone was so eager to see Father John. Being a strict zealot of the Orthodox faith, he showed inexorable severity towards persons who openly ignored the rites of the Orthodox Church. In such cases, Father John did not hesitate to publicly denounce such people. Once, after a prayer service, Father John let those present kiss the cross. One student in uniform did not approach the cross, but stepped aside. Father John, in a very excited voice, publicly addressed him with the following words: “Who are you, a pagan or a Mohammedan, or a sectarian, that you do not consider it necessary to kiss the Cross of the Lord?” The owner of the house, wanting to warn Father John, told him that this was his children’s tutor. Then Father John, in the same excited voice, told the owner that his children would receive no benefit, except harm, from such a tutor who did not honor the Cross of the Lord, and immediately advised him to part with this tutor forever, promising for his part to bring this case to the attention of the rector of Moscow University. At the same time, Father John was so excited by this incident that he refused to even go to the dining room and have a glass of tea, but immediately got into the carriage and left. The owners were so stunned by this incident that they did not know what to do. They, of course, immediately refused this tutor, and after a while they themselves went to Kronstadt, and there Father John calmed them down. Of the various people visited by Father John, Maria Pavlovna Duhamel 394 deserves special attention, who lived in her mansion on Nikitsky Boulevard, a very rich woman who often helped Father John with money in the days of his youth, when he, as is known, suffered great material need. And in gratitude for this, Father John considered Duhamel one of his best acquaintances and considered it his duty to visit her for lunch every time he came to Moscow. Indeed, this was the only house in all of Moscow where Father John at least somewhat rested in body and soul. Duhamel, the widow of a state councilor, is a well-educated, well-read and deeply religious woman of the ancient traditions of the era of Nicholas I. Her only dear and always welcome guest was Father John. Despite her age (about 90 years old), she retained rare clarity of mind and memory, enjoying good health and excellent eyesight (she did not wear glasses). She received a telegram directly from him about Father John’s arrival 2–3 days before and expected him for dinner, which usually took place at 5–6 pm. At the entrance to Duhamel, Father John first of all performed a prayer service with the blessing of water, after which he immediately sat down at the table. The table for him was always fish, since, with the exception of chicken giblet broth, he did not eat anything meat. An appetizer of herring, salmon, boiled beluga and caviar was usually prepared on a special table. Of the wines, Father John drank only 1-2 glasses, for reinforcement, the so-called “Eliseyevsky” sherry “Golden Ship”. This wine, priced at that time at 8 rubles per bottle, was recommended to him by his St. Petersburg admirer Eliseev as unconditionally natural. The appetizer was followed by a four-course lunch; hot with pies, greens, fried fish, and sweets. As for the appetizer, Father John’s favorite dish was salmon. On fast days (Wednesday and Friday) lunch was prepared with vegetable oil, and on Lenten days it was exclusively mushroom. In general, he adhered to the “statutory” food. Father John’s appetite was very moderate: 2-3 pieces of salmon, a few spoons of soup, and he was full, so sometimes he didn’t even touch the second and third courses. In addition to Father John, the following were invited to the dinner table: S.Ya. Burkhard with his companion A.A. Gorpinchenko, priest of the Vagankovsky cemetery church I. Chantsev and author of these memoirs. During lunch, there was always a conversation on various political and topical topics, and I noticed how interested Father John was in all events in the world, expressing his views on this or that issue. At the end of dinner, everyone headed to the living room, where coffee was served. Here Father John first of all began reading the Moscow Gazette, which was published at that time under the editorship of the famous V.A. Greenmouth. Father John greatly respected the latter for his steadfast support of Orthodoxy and the direction of the newspaper in the spirit of the Orthodox faith. There was a conversation going on here on various topics. I don’t know why, but Father John somehow treated me with special attention, perhaps undeservedly, willingly listened to my opinions, debates on secular issues, and for some reason always emphasized the nature of his service in the judicial department (I was then serving in this department), pointing out that this activity required serious and difficult work. Father John's stay at the Duhamel house was especially pleasant because no one bothered him here, and each of us tried to provide him with peace and relaxation. And he himself understood this well and appreciated the mood of those around him and therefore really loved staying in the house of Maria Pavlovna (as he called Duhamel). Father John's stay in her house lasted no more than two hours. M.P. Duhamel died on September 10, 1907 at the age of 94. And it’s wonderful: the day of her death coincided with the time of Father John’s passage through Moscow, who was then returning from a trip to Astrakhan. Having learned about the death of Maria Pavlovna, Father John immediately came to venerate her ashes and served a parastas (funeral all-night vigil) for her. I have repeatedly witnessed the exorcism of demons through the prayers of Father John. Further, through his prayers, an elderly deaf nanny who served a princess had her hearing restored. As for his insight, the following incident stuck with me. Father John visited the pious Engel family every year. In the room where Father John usually served a prayer service, there was an organ with a large inscription in Latin gold letters: “Soli Dei Gloria,” which translated into Russian means: “Glory to God alone.” Never before had Father John paid attention to this instrument during his visit to Engel. On one of these visits, Engel invited his boss G. to his apartment, who had never seen Father John before and was very willing to accept his blessing. G., having come to Engel, went into the living room and, while waiting with the other guests, among other things, drew attention to the organ and the aforementioned Latin inscription on it, and added that, probably, Father John, with all his reading, would not understand the meaning of this inscription. None of us paid attention to this remark by G. Soon Father John arrived. With his usual fast gait, he walked into the living room and, quickly approaching the organ, read the words aloud: “Soli Dei Gloria,” translated into Russian: “Glory to God alone,” and, quickly turning to G., greeted him first. We, all those present, were completely numb at this. G. himself was very confused and, greatly embarrassed, began to kiss the hand of Father John. Father John was surprisingly well preserved: in appearance he could not be more than 50 years old, while his age at that time was already approaching 70 years. So he was fresh and youthful. Another remarkable feature: no matter how many photographs I saw of Father John by the best photographers, he bore little resemblance to them: in his face or appearance there was something elusive for a photograph. Father John always greatly appreciated and understood those people who had special heartfelt respect and love for him. Father John did not live for himself personally, and his whole life, even from fleeting observations of it, was a continuous feat, especially rare in our age of gross selfishness and materialism. We must firmly believe and remember that Father John remained the same, only invisible to us, an intercessor and prayer book before God there, beyond the boundaries of his earthly life.” Chapter 6. Father John’s visit to the city of Kyiv in 1893 The story of the head of the Kiev telephone network and the head of the Telegraph office on Khreshchatyk, actual state councilor Leonid Leonidovich Ogurtsov “In Kyiv, in Lipki, Countess Orlova-Davydova, née Arsenyeva, lived in her own house. She was mentally ill. At the family council, it was decided to invite Father John of Kronstadt. Countess Arsenyev's brother 395 followed him. At this time, I received from Infantry General Bogdanovich, a member of the Council of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a letter with the following content: "On such and such a date Father John of Kronstadt will arrive in Kiev along the South-Western roads. I ask you to meet him and be at his disposal. I warned Father John that you will meet him at the station." I reported this to the head of the postal and telegraph district Bobyr and his wife. On the appointed day, we arrived at the station and, together with the head of the South-Western Roads movement, went to the Boyarka station to meet Father John. We arrived in Boyarka before the train arrived. When the train arrived, we knocked on the carriage. Arsenyev let us in. I was struck by the radiant eyes of Father John. He asked me where he would serve, and promised Mrs. Bobyr that he would serve a prayer service with them. The Governor-General met him at the Kievsky station. Father John's carriage was stopped opposite the Royal Rooms, across one track. When Father John left, the people rushed for a blessing and almost knocked the governor-general down, and only thanks to the efforts of the police was it possible to escort Father John to the Royal Rooms. From the station, Father John and the Governor-General went to his palace. From there he went to Metropolitan Ioannikis for a blessing. The Metropolitan apologized that due to illness he could not receive Father John and, through his cell attendant, allowed him to serve only in house churches. Therefore, Father John served in the Community of the Grand Duchess, the wife of Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich the Elder 396. After mass in the Community, Father John was given a bag of money. Without opening the envelope, he handed it to the young girl who was standing right there. She was embarrassed and said: “I came for your blessing, not for money.” To this Father John replied: “Take it, you will soon need it.” And indeed, she was soon declared a bride, and the money was very useful to her. Then, having received a package with money from one lady, Father John gave it to a woman who was nearby. The lady was horrified and exclaimed: “Father John! After all, there is a large sum there!” To this he replied: “You gave it to me, and I give it to whoever I want. If you feel sorry, take your package back and leave!” She apologized profusely. He gave the bailiff of the Palace part, who accompanied Father John around the city, 100 rubles, with which the bailiff bought a lamp and hung it in front of the icon in his office. Father John gave 100 rubles to the Jewish community. Professor Sikorsky, after the departure of Father John, wrote a brochure about his stay in Kyiv 397. When Father John visited houses, the order was as follows: the carriage drove through the gate, which was closed, and it was impossible to penetrate to Father John. Mothers with children, in order to get to Father John, put their children through the carved gate into the courtyard and only thanks to this they were able to enter. During the day, Father John served a prayer service with Fyodor Artemyevich Tereshchenko. The radiant eyes of Father John penetrated into the very heart. I visited the Sergius Lavra, in Voronezh, at the relics of St. Mitrofan, in the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv - the service of Father John was very different from what I was used to hearing; he boldly and with deep faith turned to God, pronouncing the words of prayer with persistent expression. After lunch, Tereshchenko brought an envelope with money to Father John and gave it to the psalm-reader 400 rubles. I approached Father John and asked permission to take him to Bobyr. Father John called the bailiff, took my business card, handed it to the bailiff and told him: “Tomorrow at 7 o’clock in the morning you will receive the same card and order Mr. Ogurtsov’s carriage to go into the yard.” The next day I handed over the business card to the policeman, and he to the bailiff, the gates of the house of Countess Orlova-Davydova, where Father John was staying, opened, and I drove into the courtyard. Entering the room, I saw Father John, and in the corner of the room there was a pile of letters. At this time F.A. arrived. Tereshchenko and asked Father John to call on his sick manager. Father John, Tereshchenko and I got into my carriage, and the clerk sat on the box. People crowded around the carriage like bees in a hive. Letters containing money rained down through the carriage window. With great difficulty, the people were pushed away from the carriage, and we arrived at the manager. Father John gave me his coat, hat and staff. When we left, people who had gathered from nowhere rushed for a blessing and almost knocked us off our feet. The carriage approached and we sat down. Professor Sikorsky also sat down. We were driving along Bolshaya Vladimirskaya Street. An officer jumped onto the step of the carriage and said: “Father John! I’ve been wanting to talk to you for three days, I had to resort to this method.” The officer spoke with Father John and jumped down. When we approached the Bobyrs, who lived on the 2nd floor, the people rushed in again, and I carried Father John into the 2nd floor in my arms. When we entered, Father John asked: “Where is the patient here?” Mrs. Bobyr threw herself on her knees and said: “There is no sick person, but we ask you to pray for us.” Father John was unhappy. 10 days after Father John’s departure, Bobyr died of Asian cholera. After the departure of Father John, Archpriest Korsakovsky preached a sermon: "Brothers, many grieve that they did not receive the blessing of Father John of Kronstadt. In vain! There is a Church of God that teaches blessings." Actual State Councilor Message Vl. A Mayevski, librarian of the Serbian Patriarchate In the early nineties of the last century, the student Pashkovsky (the current head of the Russian Orthodox Church in North America and Canada, Metropolitan Theophilus) was educated at the Kyiv Theological Seminary. In the summer of 1892, seminarian Pashkovsky hurt his leg while playing. After lying in bed for several weeks, he came to the seminary, but soon had to go to the hospital, because the pain in his leg returned with even greater force and movement was out of the question. The hospital tried all means, called in the best Kiev doctors, but... there was no help. Seminarian Pashkovsky spent more than five months in Professor Sikorsky’s clinic. But there was no relief either, and the sick young man was discharged from this clinic. There was a month left before the transfer exams to the 6th grade of the seminary, and Pashkovsky decided to appear for lessons in order to have the right to take the exams. But the seminary doctor, considering the disease completely incurable, insisted on leaving the seminary. The authorities advised the same. The young man sadly wrote a petition, but did not find the inspector. Suddenly the news spread that Father John of Kronstadt had arrived in Kyiv, and the sick young man thought about a miracle. Instead of submitting a petition for dismissal from the seminary, he went to the rector and asked for the opportunity to see the All-Russian Prayer Book. The rector was very attentive to his student’s request and said that he would do this with the assistance of V.M. Skvortsov 398, who is close to Father John. And indeed, V.M. Skvortsov informed Father John in detail about the patient. And on the evening of April 19, 1893, Pashkovsky and V.M. Skvortsov went to the station in the inspector's carriage, as Father John was leaving Kyiv. Vasily Mikhailovich showed the sick young man where to wait for Father in the corridor of the Tsar’s rooms, and he himself went to the assembled highest ranks of the region. Soon Father John entered the corridor and, passing by the sick seminarian, said: - Christ is Risen, my dear! Having blessed and shared Christ with the sick man, he quickly moved on. Some time passed, and the Governor-General, Count A.P., came out into the corridor. Ignatiev. He approached the sick seminarian Pashkovsky and kindly asked him: – Have you, young man, seen Father John of Kronstadt? “I saw it,” answered the young man. -What did he tell you? – the count asked again. - He swore Christ and blessed me. - Nothing! – the seminarian answered. - Come with me! - the count said kindly and, taking the patient by the arm, he led him into the room where Father John was with numerous people who had gathered to see him off. When the count led the sick seminarian Pashkovsky into the front room, everyone fell silent. V.M. came up. Skvortsov received the sick young man and, leading him to Father John, said: - Here, Father, our good 5th grade student, Feodor Pashkovsky... is sick and it’s difficult for him to continue studying. Pray for him! – What is it... what’s wrong with you? – the great prayer book asked affectionately. The patient explained his illness in detail. After listening carefully, Father asked: The famous Professor Sikorsky stood right there. And the patient explained the method of treatment, and the professor added: - Yes, his disease cannot be treated. After this, Father John said: - Oh, why did you allow this? You are a spiritual student... you need to pray. Learn to pray fervently... get on your knees. The sick man knelt down, and Father, laying his hands on his head, blessed him. Then V.M. Skvortsov helped the patient get up, and Father blessed him again and said: – Pray and study... and the Lord will help you! Kissing the beneficent right hand of the good shepherd. All-Russian prayer book, the sick young man walked away, observing the communication of Father John with those present and the many thousands of people at the station. V.M. Skvortsov brought the sick Fedya Pashkovsky to the seminary. The latter entered the recreation hall and, in the silence of the night, prayed before the image of the Savior and, reflecting on everything that had happened, went to rest. The next day f. Pashkovsky gave up the thought of leaving the seminary, began going to class, prepared lessons and passed the exams, moving to the 6th grade first in the second category 399. His leg no longer bothered him - the disease went away due to the miraculous power of prayer. F. Pashkovsky, a student of the Kyiv Theological Seminary, healed by Father John, who received a special double blessing from Father John, is now Metropolitan Theophilus of All America and Canada. He came to Yugoslavia for the Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, and I had the honor of meeting His Eminence at the Belgrade station and accompanying him to his apartment. At this time, Bishop Metropolitan personally told me that in his youth he had been healed by Father John, and published about this in American newspapers. The destinies of God are inscrutable. Take heed, reader, and be horrified at what the Lord Almighty has created for the edification of people! The great wonderworker and prophet raised by God on the Russian land, glorified by the Lord throughout the universe, Father John of Kronstadt in the Mother of Russian Cities, the capital Kyiv, heals the terminally ill seminarian Fyodor Pashkovsky and gives him a twice-special blessing, and God makes this young man the First Hierarch of all America and Canada. An extract from a letter from the widow of Archpriest S. Jakšić, living in Yugoslavia in the city of Sremski Karlovci. “My memories date back to the time of my youth and my stay in Kiev at the Levashovsky boarding school, where in 1893 the head was Countess Nadezhda Feodorovna Apraksina, who received a notification that Father John would visit our boarding school. It is easy to imagine what indescribable joyful excitement gripped us all - both students and employees. Despite the difference in years, a close friendship connected me then with one of our class ladies - Claudia Alexandrovna Belskaya, a zealous admirer of Father John, who had healed her several years before from her painful mental illness (insanity). About his healing K.A. Belskaya said this. After some shock, she became mentally ill. Despite treatment from the best medical specialists, her illness not only did not decrease, but took on an increasingly dangerous form. She completely stopped eating, lost sleep and kept wanting to commit suicide. One of the points of insanity was some kind of (I don’t remember) religious question that haunted her relentlessly. Having not received help from the doctors, her saddened mother decided to turn to Father John and sent him a telegram with a paid answer. I can’t accurately reproduce the text of the response telegram, although I read it myself, but the main content boiled down to the following: What are you looking for? The kingdom of God is within you 400 ; retire, pray, and God will send you healing. Already a few hours before receiving the answer, the patient felt relief and, after long, painful, sleepless nights, fell asleep in a quiet, peaceful sleep. She was taken to the nearest convent, and after staying there for a month, she recovered enough from her illness that she could begin her teaching career again. The Countess, wanting to bring me joy, said: “You will pour tea in my apartment during Father John’s visit.” Hearing this, the pupils handed me a pile of letters with various requests, which I had to hand over to Father during the tea party. And now the long-awaited Father is in our hall. How much vigor and freshness was reflected in the clear blue eyes of Father John! There was so much affection and simplicity in them! "Hello, sisters, hello, mothers, hello, dear classy ladies! - he turned to us. - Christ is risen, my dear ones! Let me look at you all! And how good you are! What a wonderful view! Everything is green, everything is blooming and blooming. And you represent spring, and your souls, like nature, should bloom with good deeds... Well, now let's pray." After reading the prayers. Father began to bless us and sprinkle us with holy water. I stood next to Father John, holding a plate of holy water. Then I remembered that the Countess had instructed me to pour tea in her apartment. I had to go downstairs, get everything ready, and yet I didn’t have the strength to deprive myself of the opportunity to be near Father for an extra half hour, to hear his voice. What should I do? As if reading my thoughts, Father John suddenly turned to me and said: “You’re tired,” and, taking the plate from my hands, handed it to another pupil... Downstairs over tea, one lady asked Father John: - Father, what does it mean that people are looking for you everywhere, waiting for you like that? “This means that they have great faith,” he answered, “they are not waiting for me, but for the grace of God, which is given to them through me.” From excitement, I could not remember everything that Father said. Standing behind his chair, I thought: what a blessing it would be to receive something from his hands. Again instantly, guessing thoughts. Father turned back and, giving me his saucer of tea, said: “Here, drink.” With happiness, I no longer remembered how Father John left, how I handed over a huge stack of letters, among which was my letter. I soon finished the course, and fate brought me to St. Petersburg, where I had the opportunity to see Father John closely four more times, receive his blessing and be convinced of his foresight. And every time after meeting him, there remained for a long time a feeling of some kind of inner illumination, warmed by his affection, some special moral uplift. While visiting the apartment of my aunt Elizaveta Alekseevna B., who served in the hospital of St. Mary Magdalene, I met one lady who experienced both the insight of Father John and his extraordinary mercy towards the unfortunate. At one time she was in dire need. Her husband, who had been ill for a very long time and lost his job, died, leaving her with four young children. The landlady, a poor woman herself, who demanded in vain to pay the rent, threatened to sue him and drove him out onto the street. Hungry and ragged children asked for food; there was no firewood, there was no work. “It’s better to commit suicide,” the unfortunate woman thought. “Orphaned children will be given a home sooner.” Puzzling over where and how to find a way out of this desperate situation, she decided to go to another house to ask for work and, if unsuccessful, not to return home. Having received nothing this time, staggering from fatigue, hunger and despair, she walked aimlessly, barely moving her legs, when suddenly her attention was stopped by a group of poor people crowding at one entrance where the carriage stood. Isn’t it Father John, a thought flashed through her mind, and barely had time to stop when the doors swung open, and the Kronstadt shepherd appeared in them. It is easy to imagine how much despair, anguish and prayer was expressed in the face of the poor woman. Father John instantly glances at the crowd, and through the entire crowd a wallet full of money falls into the hand of the woman who has approached. “I don’t remember how I rushed home, how I flew into my apartment,” the lady said, crying at the memory of her experience. There was so much money that it was enough to pay the rent and buy provisions and firewood. A day or two later, a favorable response was unexpectedly received to a petition sent long ago to the orphanage to admit two children there, and soon the position of a wardrobe maid became available.” The credibility of this case is beyond doubt. Chapter 7. Father John's journey along the Volga Extract from personal memoirs about Father John, compiled by Paraskeva Andreevna Sokolova, living in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, mother of a member of the Second Foreign Council of 1938 401 Andrei Sokolov. “To meet Father John, my husband and I traveled from Rybinsk, where we were visiting relatives, to Yaroslavl, to visit Archbishop Agafangel, and for the first time we saw with our own eyes what we read in newspapers and heard from eyewitnesses... (The following is a detailed description of Father John’s stay in Yaroslavl). ... After the prayer service, Father went with the bishop into the living room, where some people were invited, including my husband and I. We were introduced to Father. He asked us very kindly and, having learned that we were from the Volga, Father said, as if prophetically: “Ah, from the Volga, I love the Volga very much and we will probably meet with you often.” Father’s words really came true completely... ... Not a single visit to St. Petersburg went by without us seeing Father, unless he was away at that time: usually either Father came to our hotel, or we went to see him in Kronstadt. Father visited our city S. three times, and each time he visited our house. Father came to our city twice to visit the sick, and once to consecrate a church built in memory of his visit to our city in honor of his holy Angel John of Rila 402. This time an interesting incident occurred: after the consecration of the church, all the clergy, led by Bishop Gury and city officials, were invited to dinner with the mayor. All the clergy and invitees arrived, but Father visited the patient and arrived later. When they said that Father had arrived, Vladyka came out of the living room into the hall to meet him and the first bowed to him, and Father in turn bowed to Vladyka, and both found themselves in a kneeling position 403. The priest from S. had to travel along the Volga to Rybinsk, heading to his homeland in Arkhangelsk. The mayor offered Father his steamboat. And he went with his archpriest, with his personal secretary and two or three other people who came with Father, then the mayor with his wife and me with my husband and two children - there was no outside audience. We reached Nizhny Novgorod, the ship could not go further due to shallow water. Then my husband offered Father a small ship from Nizhny to Rybinsk. Father agreed, and so we traveled for five days with Father. It is impossible to forget this trip in the company of Father. From 7 o'clock in the morning until 11–12 o'clock at night we were with him. Father got up at 5 o’clock in the morning and went to the gangway to pray. The captain was told that every morning the ship should land at some village on the banks of the Volga (from Nizhny Novgorod to Rybinsk there are very populated banks). At about 6-7 o'clock the ship approaches the pier, a messenger is sent to the local priest to say that Father John of Kronstadt will serve the Liturgy. And here a strong movement began: horsemen rode to notify the peasants and landowners, people fled, rode on horses, and so many people gathered that not only the church and the fence, but also the entire square in front of the church were full of gathered people. It was very difficult to get back to the ship. In the evenings on the steamship Father served all-night vigils, the steamship crew and our men sang. We all ate lunch and drank tea together, with Father at the head. Half an hour after lunch, Father came out onto the deck, and we all followed him. Father read aloud to us or led a conversation. In Kostroma, Father John served the Liturgy in the cathedral. The day before, a telegram was sent; a lot of clergy and secular authorities met Father. On the Volga, “piers” are set up for steamship stops - these are large barges secured with anchors and chains; wide and long walkways lead to the shore from the pier. When Father was returning from the city to the ship, it was impossible for him to get out of the carriage at the bridge: there were so many people that they could crush Father. Then the horses and carriage drove along the bridge onto the pier to the steamship itself, and the people were kept by the police on the shore, but could not be restrained, and the people poured into the water, past the pier, and stood waist-deep in the water, shouting, crossing themselves, praying, and Father stood on the deck of the steamer and blessed the people. Before Kostroma, Father confessed us all, and in Kostroma we received communion. The same picture of meeting and seeing off Father was in Yaroslavl and Rybinsk. When visiting our house. Father always served a prayer service. At first, acquaintances gathered for the prayer service, and then several rooms were filled with strangers. Before the prayer service, fresh and glazed fruits, mint gingerbread cookies, several bottles of Provençal oil poured into small bottles, and several bowls of water were placed on several tables. Father consecrated and blessed all this, and we distributed it to those present. They had to see Father off through another exit, not the main one, but at the front entrance there was a huge crowd, and the whole street was crowded with people - it was impossible to get through. Our family never began to do anything serious and important without asking Father by telegram and asking for his blessing. My husband's sister had a 16-year-old son with typhoid fever. After typhus there was a complication, and his legs (heels) were bent to his back. There was a very high temperature. They sent a telegram to Father and asked him to pray. The priest replied: “I prayed and will continue to pray. The Merciful Lord will help and have mercy.” By the time the telegram was received, the patient’s temperature had dropped, his legs straightened, and he began to recover quickly. Here's another case. Our daughter was supposed to get married; asked for blessings from Father. He replied: “I bless you.” Then the matter dragged on, and the wedding was upset. Soon Father came to our city. We tell him that his daughter’s wedding did not take place, and Father objected: “But still, she will marry this groom!” And so it happened. Father, as you know, was buried in St. Petersburg, in the Ioannovsky Monastery, in the lower church, where before the revolution funeral services were served for whole days without interruption. Once, while in St. Petersburg, we decided to talk and take communion at the grave of Father 404. After the Liturgy, the abbess invited us to breakfast, and when we left her, mother abbess said to me: “I want to ask you if you would make a white marble iconostasis in the side chapel of the lower church (where Father is buried), otherwise our middle one is marble, where Father’s tomb is, and the side one is wooden.” We agreed, but noted: “Right now we don’t have any free money, but when we return home, we’ll send it.” Upon arrival home, no money was sent for a week or more; the husband got carried away with the accumulated affairs and slowed down sending the money. One day my husband had a dream about Father: he came to our room and menacingly asked my husband: “What, you promised to send money for the iconostasis, but you don’t send it?!” The money was sent on the same day. About 5 years ago they wrote to us that the monastery was ruined, the nuns dispersed 405 ... It used to be that after you saw Father, you talked to him and prayed for his service, but for a week you didn’t want to take on anything, neither business nor housekeeping. All of him, dear, and his wonderful blue sparkling eyes are standing in front of you, and how he prayed during the Liturgy, how he inspired you to pray! Sometimes you stand for 3-4 hours and you don’t even notice, and you don’t get tired...” Copied from my mom's memories Chapter 8. Father John in Tsaritsyn “In 1907, at the end of May or beginning of June, I had to be in Tsaritsyn on the Volga 406 for some time, and for several days I lived at the Samolet steamship pier, in one of the cabins. I noticed that people began to gather on the banks of the Volga in the morning, and by the evening of that day the entire right bank over a fairly long distance was covered with peasants who had arrived from neighboring villages. It turned out that their wait was not in vain, since Father John was expected in Tsaritsyn from Astrakhan, where he went, as it later turned out, at the invitation of local townspeople to consecrate a new church 407. From Astrakhan, Father John sailed on the steamship of the Caucasus and Mercury company, but on the way there was a car breakdown, and he had to transfer to the steamship of the Samolet company, and fortunately for me, he was received not by the administration of the Caucasus and Mercury shipping company, but by the Samolet company, where I temporarily lived. Thanks to this incident, I became one of the representatives of the clergy and the city administration, and together with them I found myself in the first class cabin. Here Father John’s servant told the clergy that Father wrote letters all the time and only recently went to rest; it was already 12 o’clock at night. Before he had time to say this, a door suddenly opened in one of the cabins, and Father John appeared from it, as if in a radiance: rosy cheeks and light transparent blue eyes. He immediately went to the representatives of the clergy, rectors of churches and others and, according to custom, began to greet them with a fraternal kiss. Then Father began to bless the others, and there were quite a few of them, here I stood in a row with others, and somehow it happened that, despite my efforts and strong desire to receive a blessing, I still did not receive it. I see how Father John energetically turned around, having finished blessing, and headed out of the salon towards the exit to the deck. At this time, the crowd on the shore noticed Father and raised such a cry and scream that it became somehow creepy; separate cries were heard: “Father, bless us. Father, have pity on us. Father, do not leave us!” I didn't know what to do: I didn't receive the blessing. How could it be that Father John was here next to me, and I extended my hands twice for a blessing, but I didn’t receive it, he didn’t seem to notice me. I see through the small salon crowd how they are already taking Father by the arms to carefully lead him along the ladder down to the pier, and - lo and behold: Father John energetically leaves those who took him by the arms and quickly, as if pushing the crowd, heads into the salon and just as quickly says: “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” and blesses me, as if on the move, with a radiant face, after which he again turns sharply to the exit, to waiting for him. How happy and glad I was that I still feel that only his blessing protects me from life’s adversities, and during this time each of us had a lot of them. The crowd poured towards the pier. Father John was picked up and carried to the carriage. The air was shaken by frantic screams and screams. Father John is already sitting in the carriage, but the crowd has tightly squeezed the carriage, horses, and police. It was impossible to travel. The police chief got up in the carriage and loudly announced that Father John would serve matins and mass tomorrow and that everyone there in the cathedral could see him and receive a blessing, and only after this statement the crowd fled, the horses rushed and carried them up the mountain, into the city. I thought that if I came to the cathedral at 4 o’clock in the morning, I would be one of the first, but it turned out that I barely got into the vestibule of the church, and only through the heads of the worshipers could I see Father John in front of the holy throne; as for his exclamations, they were clearly audible even in the vestibule. After the Liturgy, I saw how a demoniac was led along the street, struggling from the strong hands of two men, with a wandering gaze, screaming: he was led to Father John to the house of the rector of the cathedral, where he came through a side exit to reinforce his strength. The possessed man was brought into the house of the rector, Father John served over him a short prayer service with the blessing of water, and the sick man completely calmed down, and I saw him walking away from Father John as a completely quiet, normal person, but as if out of shame he was hiding his gaze on the ground. Thank God that all this was given to me to see and hear. I am sending you a description of what I witnessed. The time will come when Russian people will again freely light lamps near holy icons, among which will be the icon of Father John, the prayer book of the Russian land.” 78, rue Marechai Oudinot, Nancy (M. et M.), France. Chapter 9. Father John's journey to his homeland Memoirs of V. AND . Popov about traveling with Father John from Arkhangelsk to Moscow in 1890 408 Father John was glorified by God during his lifetime for the gift of miracles. Like the Apostle Paul, Father John, in one of his teachings at the Archangel Cathedral, said that he performed many miracles, some of which are known, while others are still unknown. On the ship, Father John most often sat on the deck, delving into his spiritual inner world. It became obvious that Father was in a state of spiritual wakefulness and elation, experiencing some special deep feelings, in a word - in a state of mental and spiritual prayer, this was clearly evidenced by the sighs that occasionally escaped from his lips, as well as the amazing play of his face, sometimes glowing with an amazing, as if unearthly joy... In this inner state of the prayerful mood and spiritual contemplation so characteristic of him, he was in communication with God, in co-abiding in prayer with the Spirit of God Himself, as the holy Apostle Paul said 409. At one of the stations the horses were already harnessed, when suddenly two burly men led into the room by the arms, with difficulty restraining, a woman who looked to be 35–40 years old, dressed in an old sheepskin coat. The woman was hunched over, bent almost in an arc, and wildly moved the whites of her eyes. A terribly gloomy and painful state was clearly written on her face. And so, as soon as she, with great effort - with the help of two more accompanying people - was brought to Father John, she, in the literal sense of the word, began to bark like a dog, extremely quickly and so piercingly that the ear could hardly bear it. What about Father John? He immediately put his left hand on her head, and with his right began to make the sign of the cross over her and read slowly but clearly the prayer: “May God rise again and let His enemies be scattered.” However, the inhuman screaming and barking intensified; Accordingly, the sharp-sounding voice of Father John intensified. We stood, as they say, neither alive nor dead; it became creepy and it seemed that the hair on my head was rising... Father's face was menacingly inspired and at the same time expressed unyielding willpower. Drops of sweat covered his brow profusely. It was felt and recognized that here, in these 2-3 minutes, there was a most intense, albeit invisible struggle - the struggle of good and evil, the struggle of two forces constantly opposing each other - a very difficult struggle. But, thank God, the inhuman cry of the sick woman gradually began to subside, and - oh, joy, oh, happiness! - the sick woman took a deep breath, suddenly, as if something had escaped from her lips, she immediately straightened up, her face instantly changed - it brightened, and with a joyful cry she threw herself at the feet of the wondrous healer, fervently crossing herself and thanking the Lord. This happened before the eyes of all of us, Father John’s companions; this, without any doubt, is a miracle of God’s mercy, the gracious instrument of which was the venerable Father, the righteous man. This event is surprisingly reminiscent of the Gospel story about the healing by Jesus Christ of a crumpled woman, on whom the Lord had mercy, for according to Him Himself, she had been bound by Satan for 18 years 410. This same woman, as her relatives said, had been ill for seven years. Upon leaving the station, during the journey, I entered into a conversation with Father John about this miraculous healing. Father said that the illness of a peasant woman is “from the evil one,” that she is “corrupted,” for indeed there can and are people who are so morally corrupt, so evil, proud haters and vindictive that they, so to speak, have given themselves over entirely to the devil and, undoubtedly, with his assistance, can lead to people whom they passionately desire to cause harm (or any harm at all). misfortune, for example, illness), induce harmful devilish power. Thus, according to the conviction of Father John, such a popular view is not just superstition, but has a completely real factual basis. Of course, this happens where, on the other hand, favorable soil is prepared for the influence of the devil’s power - mental and physical relaxation as a result of a vicious life. – Why is the influence of demons so strong primarily among the common people? – I asked Father. “This is by God’s permission,” he answered, “and has its significance for testing the faith and piety of our people: the devil is especially evil towards religious people: for educated people, who very often do not recognize the influence of dark demonic power, such influence from this force, so to speak, is useless, useless, for they (that is, non-believers) are already in its hands.” I will note one more conversation. According to Father John, we should not only pray for our departed fathers, brothers and sisters in general, but if they tried to live piously and died, as befits good Christians, then we can call on them in our prayers, so that they too ask God for mercy for us, especially when we have firm confidence in ourselves that they are in the blessed abodes of the Heavenly Father. On a quiet, warm evening—it was already quite dark—we drove up to Vologda. Here many people walked and even ran from all sides to meet Father: some came out of their houses with lit candles. Some poorly dressed woman with tears asked him for help. The priest immediately takes out a large package from the pocket of his cassock and gives it to the woman. A minute later the woman runs up to Father John and excitedly tells him: - Father, you must have made a mistake: there are a thousand rubles here! “Well, what is it,” Father John answers her, “your happiness: go, thank the Lord.” Truly, it means that Father John, according to the Gospel, according to the words of Jesus Christ, had a right hand that did not know what the left hand was doing 411... An unusually enthusiastic send-off was given to Father in Yaroslavl at the station upon departure for Moscow. The entire platform was so crowded with people that Father John, it seemed, was not physically able to squeeze into the carriage. However, he, so to speak, rushed into the thick of the people. But she, in turn, rushed at him, grabbing the edges of his clothes, kissing his hands and clothes and greedily seeking blessings. We were overcome with fear for Father, that he would be hush-hush and crushed to death. Fortunately, he was lifted by the crowd that was squeezing him and so above the entire crowd, on its shoulders, and was safely carried to the carriage. Pale, almost suffocating from exhaustion. Father fell like a sheaf onto the sofa. And then I couldn’t help but think: how hard well-deserved fame can sometimes be for a person! In the summer of 1915, the beautiful cathedral in the St. John the Theologian Sursky Monastery 412 was consecrated. Arkhangelsk diocese, in the homeland of Father John. In this cathedral, one of the chapels remained unconsecrated - in the hope of the future glorification of Father John and dedication to his name. Oh, if only we could wait for this day! With what great joy would we cry to him: “Holy Father John, pray to God for us!” » V.I. Popov finished this reading in the house of the chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod, proposed on December 20, 1913 413 at the solemn meeting of the “society in memory of Father John of Kronstadt” with the following poem: The righteous will be in eternal memory! The holy song does not pass by; The world will never forget about him. He will never die in our hearts, The cities will turn into sand, Shimmering in the vastness of the sky. The star will burn out and go out; The monument to glory will rust. Armed with the pride of the earth. Whose works and teachings are evil, Having thundered, they will die in the dust... Only the righteous, chosen by God, Inaccessible to the elements of time; Illuminated by the grace of heaven, He is blissful in the eternal Kingdom. Chapter 10. Father John in Riga In 1894, Father John visited the city of Riga while passing through. He enjoyed great respect and love among the Russian population of pre-war Riga. In the Moscow suburb at that time there was almost not a single Orthodox house in which next to the icon there was not at least Sytin’s colorful lithograph portrait of Father John of Kronstadt in a dark crimson cassock. His works “My Life in Christ,” sermons, and religious brochures were reference books for pious and religious Orthodox Russian residents of Riga. He was also highly revered by Orthodox Latvians and Estonians. Representatives of the Riga Russian merchants of that time, when visiting St. Petersburg, considered it their indispensable duty to visit St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Kronstadt, where Father John served, and receive a blessing from him, as well as make some kind of donation for a good cause. Having then visited the seminary, Father John, after a short prayer service, began to bless the pupils, and to each of them he spoke a text from the Holy Scriptures, which, as the pupils themselves later admitted, was very suitable for the characteristics and character of the one being blessed. General Chervinsky, who served in the city of Riga, writes that Riga is not a Russian city, but rather a German-Latvian one. Once, when Father John was in Riga, he was surrounded on the street by a crowd of Latvians, Germans and even Jews, who tore his cassock into pieces, since everyone wanted to have a piece. At the same time, they greeted him and asked for blessings in all languages, as best they could, if they did not know Russian. Another time, General Chervinsky was passing from St. Petersburg to the south. “At the Rovno junction station, very early, when everyone who might be asleep, during a long train stop, I,” writes General Chervinsky, “got up and got out of the car onto the platform and saw that from different sides of the vast station people were hurrying, passengers of different trains, to a nearby first-class carriage. To my question: “What is it?”, they answered me: “Father John of Kronstadt is coming.” Then I hurried there and joined the long line. Father John stood at the open window of the carriage and blessed everyone passing by his window: one after another with a wide Russian cross.” Chapter 11. Memoirs of the former Arkhangelsk police officer N.E. Parshensky “Father John is my fellow countryman, a native of the Arkhangelsk province, Pinega district, and the village of Sura. The latter is located on the banks of the Pinega River, a tributary of the Northern Dvina. Not forgetting his native north, Father John in the summer, almost every year, came to the village of Sura through Arkhangelsk 414. He stayed in Arkhangelsk for one or two days and always celebrated Liturgies in one or another of the many churches in Arkhangelsk. And then, at the request, he visited the houses of some local residents to perform prayers. I remember how each of his visits evoked high spirits among the Orthodox population of Arkhangelsk. And everyone strived, if not to accept the blessing, then at least to personally see the extraordinary shepherd. It is very clear that the church where Father John served was filled to capacity with worshipers. Being in the service of the city police officer of the city of Arkhangelsk in those years, I remember what enormous efforts it cost us then to maintain order in the crowd electrified by religious fervor. It was especially difficult when, at the end of the Liturgy, Father John left the church. To protect him from the possibility of being crushed by the crowd, we surrounded him with a tight ring, and only in this way could we make our way to the exit. The surrounding crowd began to shout: “Father, bless! Father, help!” Muffled mournful crying was heard in places. I still remember well, it seems, his last visit to Arkhangelsk in the summer of 1907. His arrival coincided with the foundation stone of a huge stone building in Arkhangelsk, intended for the courtyard of the Sursky convent 415. The monastery itself was located on the site of the birthplace of Father John in the village of Sura. The initiative for this construction came from Father John, and he also collected the funds. At the foundation stone of the building, Father John himself served a prayer service. The time was turbulent then. Russia was experiencing the so-called revolution of 1905. Our province was overflowing with political exiles. The leftist press, which was then freed from censorship, diligently threw mud at everyone who did not go with them. She launched a whole campaign against some gang of Johannites who were allegedly surrounded by Father John 416. The malicious play “Black Crows” 417 appeared, which never left the stage of the capital and provincial theaters. Everything described was indirectly directed to the deceased elder, with the obvious goal of discrediting his popularity among the Russian people. Undoubtedly, Father John saw all these attacks, and one can imagine how grieved in soul this great unmercenary and man who gave himself entirely to serving his neighbor. And when he finally, broken by old age, illness and human ingratitude, left us for eternity, the enemies of Russia did not even leave him alone. In the left-wing press they showed special interest in the property left behind by the deceased 418. They anticipated that millions would be found after his death. And only then did they fall silent when it became clear that the great shepherd, just as he came to earth as a poor man, left us as such. Yes, it’s true, millions really passed through his honest hands over his long life, and all of them went to works of mercy. This is a well-known fact that does not require proof. The courtyard founded by Father John in Arkhangelsk was soon built 419. Being located on one of the central streets of the city, it housed a dormitory for nuns and an icon-painting workshop. On the top floor there was a spacious, two-light church, eagerly visited by the local population.” From the author. I personally had to be in this courtyard for the Liturgy, after which the abbot invited me to his place for coffee 420. This was after the death of Father John. A friendly conversation ensued, and I asked the priest to clarify a religious issue for me. To this he answered me, smiling affectionately: “I can’t explain this to you in any way. Now, if you asked me to explain to you the structure of steam boilers, I would explain it to you in detail. I am a driver of the Oranienbaum branch of the Baltic Railway, who constantly drove Father John from Oranienbaum to St. Petersburg and back. Seeing the great power of God constantly manifested through Father John, the thought arose in my soul to also become a servant of God, like Father John, who gave me his blessing for this and arranged me as a priest in the Arkhangelsk metochion of the Sursky Monastery.” Chapter 12. Father John did not like smoking tobacco When it happened that the deacon would jump out of the altar into the courtyard or onto the street to smoke and return, Father John used to say: “You smell like a goat!” And indeed, how much evil there is in the world from smoking tobacco. How many fires start from a thrown match or cigarette in villages where there is hay and straw everywhere; There are so many forest fires in the summer heat, where dried branches, tree bark and birch bark lie on the ground like gunpowder. I had to constantly observe how a passionate hunter, who forgot to take cigarettes or matches with him when hunting, stopped thinking about hunting, that is, he did not go to where he could expect game, but went to where he could buy tobacco or matches. One day, when I was visiting a couple of friends, a single gentleman came to them and began calling his lady to go to the cinema with him. At first the lady hesitated, because she was from a good family and realized that the cinema was just an excuse. Having smoked a cigarette, she silenced the inner voice of her conscience and went. And the medical side of things! My relative, a 60-year-old man, fell ill with pneumonia in St. Petersburg. The doctor came and asked: “Does he smoke?” and, having received an affirmative answer, said that there was no salvation. I once visited a book exhibition. In one of the rooms of the exhibition, the person giving the explanation showed visitors a very thick book containing scientific data on tobacco, and said that nicotine causes much less harm to the human body than many other poisons contained in tobacco, which are extremely harmful to humans. The great seer knew all this, of course, and that’s why he disliked tobacco so much 421. Chapter 13. Towards the construction of the Ioannovsky Monastery The land for the construction of a monastery in the name of the Twelve Apostles (which later received the name St. John's Monastery) on Pesochnaya Street on Aptekarsky Island, in St. Petersburg, was donated to Father John by the merchant Semyon Grigorievich Ramensky. In the first volume, I neglected to say that Father John demanded that in order to remove particles from the prosphora, they should always be given to him with a cross or an image facing up, and not downward or sideways, which I always did when I gave the prosphora to Father John. Chapter 15. Towards the service of the Liturgy In the first volume, I forgot to mention in chapter 7, “Father John’s Ministry of the Liturgy,” that Father John trimmed his mustache so that during the Communion of the Blood of Christ from the Chalice, they would not dip into the Blood of Christ and would not drip from them. Chapter 16. To the burial of Father John The route for the funeral procession was planned in such a way that the procession would pass by the Synod building, near which the lithium took place. Here those present remembered that when the Emperor appointed Father John a member of the Synod, Father John said that due to lack of time he was not able to attend the meetings of the Synod, but someday he would stop by for 5 minutes. Some people interpreted these words of the seer as a prediction of this five-minute litia, when, although in a coffin, he stopped by the Synod for 5 minutes. Chapter 17. Father John and Serbian Patriarch Varnava Patriarch Varnava received higher theological education at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, which Father John loved very much and visited on all academic holidays, taking his former student seat. As a result, Patriarch Varnava met Father John many times and knew well who Father John was 422. When I arrived in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes 423, I took care of translating into Serbian the charter of the “Society in Memory of Father John of Kronstadt” that I had preserved, drew up a petition signed by Metropolitan Anthony, Archbishop Hermogenes, Archpriest Father Theodore Sinkevich, Senator Tregubov and others, and submitted all this to the then Patriarch Demetrius with a request to approve the charter. A short time later, the chairman of the Serbian Synod, Metropolitan Varnava of Skoplya, told me that Patriarch Dimitri refused to approve the charter for us, due to the fact that the then rector of the Belgrade Russian Church told the Patriarch that the Society was sectarian, exploitative 424, and if Metropolitan Anthony signed the draft charter, then he himself did not know what he was signing. I explained to Metropolitan Varnava of Skoplyansky that this was all untrue, and showed him the 1st report of the society, from which it is clear that the members of the Society were Archbishop Tikhon, later the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, metropolitans: Macarius of Moscow and Vladimir of St. Petersburg, Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod Prince Shirinsky-Shikhmatov and many senior clergy and secular persons. Thus, there can be no question of the society being sectarian. Next, I pointed out to Metropolitan Varnava the place in the report where it was mentioned that the society had a two-story Hospice House, in which pilgrims received free accommodation, boiling water for tea and a hot dish for lunch. Besides. A three-story stone house No. 6 on Bolshaya Pushkarskaya Street was donated to the society, where the Board established a shelter for orphan girls. The Society gave out several thousand very good free funeral dinners to the poor every year, and tea was served in the Society's teahouse every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. From this it is clear that the Society was not exploitative. Finally, it is also incorrect that Metropolitan Anthony did not know the “society in memory of Father John of Kronstadt,” which was known to the entire clergy of Russia through the magazine “Kronstadt Shepherd” published by the Society. Having examined the printed report, Metropolitan Varnava told me that he sees and understands all this, but does not undertake to convince the elderly Patriarch Demetrius. Soon Patriarch Dimitri died, and Metropolitan Varnava ascended the Serbian Patriarchal throne. I went to congratulate him. He immediately asked me: “What about your Society in memory of Father John of Kronstadt?” I replied that I had not thought about it. A few days after this, I saw in a dream that Father John was sitting on the sofa in my former room, in my father’s apartment and talking with my late parents, but only the next day, repenting for not taking Father John’s blessing, I asked the servant: “Is Father John still here or has he left?” and received the answer: “He left.” This dream, in which I was careless towards Father John, made me realize that I was careless about the matter of establishing a society in Yugoslavia in his memory. I immediately went to Patriarch Varnava and told him: “The Most Holy Patriarch himself asked me how your Society in memory of Father John was, and I, damned, answered him that I didn’t think about it anymore.” I told the Patriarch about the dream and asked his permission to present him with the same draft charter of the Society, but in a significantly abbreviated form, because I managed to make sure that the Serbs do not like long papers. The Patriarch agreed and appointed me an evening when he would receive me. When I arrived, he invited me into his office, sat me down next to him and began to read out loud the draft charter, crossed out the word “society” and wrote “Brotherhood”, explaining to me that he had the power to approve “Brotherhood”. In Art. 1 he added: “The Brotherhood organizes lectures and publishes books and brochures in the spirit of the teachings of the Orthodox Church.” Then the Patriarch tore off the last page of the project, on which there were 15 established signatures, and told me that he would order the first sheet to be reprinted and pasted to the second, and that I should come in two days, everything would be ready. I came and received from the Patriarch the charter approved by him. At the same time, I told him that we also needed the approval of the Minister of Internal Affairs, and asked him to send his secretary there. The Patriarch answered me: “Well, okay.” And soon I received a charter approved by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Always, when I visited the Patriarch, he used to say to me: “Come in and talk.” I was ashamed to abuse him, and I very rarely came to him. Now I regret it, because communication with this wise, truly great man, who understood and loved Russia and the Russians, was a pleasure and mental relaxation from everything around him. He received me at the samovar and treated me to tea. Division II. Serendipity, healings, appearances of Father John at a distance and other miracles Chapter 18. The insight of Father John Not so long ago, one might say these days, in a conversation with a retired Serbian colonel G. Georgievich, accidentally touching Father John of Kronstadt, I heard the following from him. It should be noted that Colonel Georgievich is almost Russian, since he served in Russia for many years and, of course, speaks the Russian language perfectly. It turned out that he knew Father John personally and was an eyewitness to the following fact. In the Kronstadt port, the Voluntary Fleet ocean steamer 425 “Batum” set off on a long voyage. The crew of the ship wished to serve a farewell prayer service, and it was decided to invite Father John for this. To carry out the task, the captain of the steamship sent his officers on the boat, and Colonel Georgievich went with them in order to personally convey to Father John the crew’s desire for a prayer service. “Arriving at the house where Father lived then, we did not find him in the apartment, but the person who received us asked us to wait, since Father John was about to return. It was summer time, they gave us chairs, and we decided to wait in the kindergarten. After a short period of time, the colonel says, we heard the noise of a crowd on the street. Two janitors opened the gates, and Father John quickly rode in on a horse, and the janitors forcefully closed the doors behind him, as a large crowd of people tried to follow Father into the yard. Father, having listened to our request, immediately expressed his consent, but at the same time said: “I’m very tired, I’ll drink a glass of tea and rest a little, and you go to the boat and wait for me.” That's what we did. Our wait was very short. Father John was riding up the embankment towards us on horseback. He quickly got off the carriage and boarded our boat and asked us to hurry up and set sail. And it was really time, because the crowd of people that had appeared from somewhere was rapidly increasing. On the way to the ship, Father, getting to know us, asked our names. By the way, one of us, the controller of the shipping company, who bore the surname Prazdnichny, told Father about a comic incident that happened to him regarding his unusual surname. This controller, along with many others, introduced himself to a high-ranking official at some celebration, and when he said his last name, the person, apparently not having heard it and understanding it as congratulating him on the holiday, responded with the opposite greeting in such cases, “and you too.” This story put Father in such a cheerful mood that he clasped his hands and laughed a lot. On the ship, as we approached, a solemn meeting was arranged, that is, the commander of the ship was waiting for Father at the gangway, and the crew was lined up on the deck. Father, passing along the front, laid his hand on the head of each of the sailors in the form of a blessing. "And so I and many others," says the colonel, "noticed that he pointedly deprived two or three sailors of this blessing. After the end of the celebration and the departure of Father, the described incident was the subject of conversation in the wardroom, and the commander of the ship told us that those who had been bypassed by Father were in his very bad account, and he even wanted to write them off the ship. We all then, says the elderly colonel Georgievich, they were firmly convinced of the foresight of the great shepherd.” Father’s prayer service on the ship, his word addressed to God, imbued with a special spiritual uplift,” the colonel finished his story, “shocked us, and I saw tears in the eyes of some of the praying people.” The insight of Father John and the admonition of the lost The story of Konstantin Ivanovich Gagarin “When I was a child, Father John was invited to a pious family in Moscow. In this family there was a Voltairian student who did not recognize either God or religion and mocked the “priests.” When they expected Father John, he mocked and sneered at him. When Father John arrived, the first thing he did was turn to this student, saying: “You need to confess and receive communion today.” It must be said that Father John had blue eyes, the look of which immediately indicated to the one he was looking at that Father John knew his entire inner content, read in his soul, foresaw his fate and read his thoughts. In a word, many were afraid of these kind but piercing eyes, they were afraid that Father John would say something terrible to them or that he would see all the secrets of their souls. This piercing gaze and the urgent convictions of Father John had such an effect on the student that he agreed, confessed and took communion. Father John foresaw the future fate of the student - a few days later he died. A chill runs through the skin from the consciousness of the formidable power of God that dwelt in Father John. He foresees the imminent death of a person whom he sees for the first time, he sees the destruction of his soul and, out of his God-like mercy towards his blasphemer, saves him with the Holy Mysteries. It was not for nothing that people who had a bad conscience were afraid of Father John.” Rodzianko, in a letter dated December 29, 1927, told me the following. Father John was in a certain society where there was a lady who spoke about him (behind his back, of course) with a grin and without respect. When everyone came up for the blessing, this lady also went, but as soon as she approached, Father John turned in the other direction, and so she did not receive the blessing. Colonel Krylov's story Father John was invited to the city of Yaroslavl to visit the sick man and serve mass. The day before, they started talking about this over cards in one circle. The prosecutor who was playing cards began to express atheistic views and ridicule Father John. However, the next day he went to mass. After mass, when the prosecutor began to approach the cross, Father John lightly hit him on the forehead with his hand and said: “Well, go ahead,” and did not allow him to approach the cross. The prosecutor realized that this priest, through the Holy Spirit, saw through his thoughts, his atheism and yesterday’s speeches. This consciousness made a stunning impression on the prosecutor and a complete internal revolution. Once, when I was visiting my friend, the director of the 1st real school in St. Petersburg, Nikolai Ivanovich Bilibin, he received news that tomorrow at 6 o’clock in the morning Father John would come to the church of the real school and would serve mass. His wife Varvara Lukinichna tells me: “Stay overnight.” I took advantage of the kind invitation and stayed. Father John arrived so early that everyone was literally still rubbing their eyes from sleep. I confessed to the school priest and stood on the right choir. Coming out to give a sermon, Father John began in his teaching to list various human sins and, by the way, one sin that was in my soul, which in the bustle I forgot to mention in confession, which was pleasant to me and which I was going to deepen. When Father John uttered this sin, he turned half-turn to face me and looked me straight in the eyes with his blue piercing eyes and repeated this three times, a chill went down my skin, and I decided to leave this sin forever, and through the prayer of Father John, the Lord helped me, and I never fell into this sin again. Obviously, the Holy Spirit told His great saint about this sin of mine and that I did not confess it and that I was going to not only abide in it, but also deepen it. And the great seer and merciful one decided to uproot this sin from me. This amazing insight of Father John reminds me of the Apostle Peter, who said to the former sorcerer Simon: I see you filled with bitter gall and in the bonds of unrighteousness 426. Some peasants of the village of Sura - the homeland of Father John - simply called him Ivan. One day, during Father John’s trip to his homeland, a fellow villager approached him and said: “Ivan, give me 25 rubles, my mare is lying sick.” Father John silently took out 25 rubles and gave it to him. This peasant lured money from Father John in order to go on a spree - his horse was healthy. Imagine the surprise and horror of this peasant when he returned home. It turned out that his horse had died. He bitterly repented, seeing the punishing hand of God, and immediately returned to Father John and told him: “Father Ivan, I lied to you when I asked for money, my mare was healthy, but now she has died.” Father John, having taught and instructed him, forgave him. Here Father John, like the Apostle Peter, who punished Ananias for trying to deceive the Holy Spirit 427, punishes for trying to deceive the Holy Spirit who dwelt in him, seeing through the deception and punishing the deceiver by the power of God. Seeing his repentance, he edifies and turns him to the path of truth. One respectable colonel told me the following incident. He, being an officer, was preparing for the exam. Tomorrow was the exam, and there were still 700 pages of the course left unread. He sat at home and studied. Suddenly he heard a noise on the street, looked out the window and saw a mass of people and a carriage from which Father John was getting out. Father John came to one of the residents of the house. The officer continued to study. Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and Father John entered the room with the words: “You are studying, well, work, work - everything will be fine.” After these words, Father John went to the owner of the apartment and told him to invite the officer to his place. After the prayer service, we went to the dining room, where the table was filled with many dishes, but Father John ate only prosphora and drank tea, since it was some kind of fast day. Father John left, and the officer managed to read the course overnight and passed the exam first. The former inspector of the Smolny Institute, Maria Alekseevna Neklyudova, who now lives in the city of Belgrade, on Voevoda Milenko Street in the building of the dormitory for former institute girls, which she is in charge of, told me that, while still in St. Petersburg, she did not believe in the miraculous power of Father John. Once, when the arrival of Father John was expected at the Smolny Institute, and the girls were lined up in the wide institute corridor, and she stood in front of her department, Father John, passing by the inspectors and class ladies, blessed them; when he began to approach Maria Alekseevna Neklyudova, before reaching her a few steps, he crossed to the other side of the corridor, where another inspector stood. Maria Alekseevna thinks that Father John saw through her attitude towards him and deliberately went over to the other side so as not to bless her. From the sermon of Bishop Simon, March 7/20, 1927 For the 2nd Sunday of Lent “... The fact that I am now standing here at the bishop’s see, and you are listening to my word, was destined a quarter of a century ago in Kronstadt during the service of the Liturgy by Father John of Kronstadt. This was in May 1902. On that day, Father John received general confession, and all the people filling the cathedral were preparing for Communion of the Holy Mysteries. And so, when, after the Communion of the clergy, Father John put particles of the Body of Christ into the Chalice, one particle, not dry, but already soaked in the Blood of Christ, that is, which was already in the Chalice, flew out directly against me, and I held it in the palm of my hand. Seeing this, Father John calmly told me: “Eat it.” I did not have to talk with Father John after this incident, and I kept this miracle in my heart, waiting for its meaning to be revealed to me. Who will object to me now if I interpret what happened in Kronstadt as applied to the present like this: The particle of the Body of Christ that flew out of the Chalice is the Shanghai Orthodox flock, which at that time was peacefully in the bosom of the Russian Church, and the fact that I accepted this particle into my hand is my bishopric. This is not a dream, not a vision, but really a sign that does not depend on the will or thoughts of any person. Let us feel the power of the grace that saves us. 25 years ago the Lord saw these days and what he secretly foretold then, he fulfilled. Perhaps some will not believe and even laugh when they hear this story of mine, others will lower their gaze with a serious look and will not find anything to say, since they will not find the corresponding thoughts in their hearts, and others, perhaps, will have their hearts tremble with the realization that the finger of God is so clearly and obviously touching us. Amen". Message about Father John of Kronstadt by Simeon of Stodulsky “At the age of four I fell ill with scarlet fever, complicated by diphtheria. He lay unconscious in the heat. Mother, sitting by my bed, from time to time wiped my parched lips with a damp cotton swab. A council of seven doctors did not find any means of salvation. The family was told that they had to prepare for the worst outcome. If doctors say this, there is no hope for recovery! But the parents wanted to defend their only son at all costs. They sent a telegram to the greatest physician-healer, Father John of Kronstadt, asking him to pray. A few hours later they were surprised to see that I stood up and earnestly made the sign of the cross. From the response received, we learned that it was at that time that a prayer service was served for me in Kronstadt. From that moment I recovered quickly. During my student years, I met with one of the seven doctors who “sentenced” me to death. “I can’t believe that you are the same one whom I once treated,” he said, shaking my hand, “nature works great miracles!” I and my loved ones know that this miracle happened through the prayer of the saint of God. My good friend, the abbot of the Kondritsa Monastery (twenty-five versts from Chisinau), Archimandrite Feofan, told me such a case. While he was still a novice of the same monastery, Brother Theodore, the then-in-charge Hieromonk Theophanes, together with his assistant Hieromonk Theodosius, sent him on business to St. Petersburg. They also instructed him to visit Father John of Kronstadt, give him a note for remembrance and 25 rubles. And so Brother Theodore entered the altar of the Kronstadt Cathedral with a note of remembrance and a 25-ruble note clutched in his hand. Father John stood at the altar and, without turning to brother Theodore, remembered all three names included in the note: Hieromonk Theophan, Hieromonk Theodosius and novice Theodore, and said: “You don’t need money, the monastery is poor.” Go back today! With the note and the 25-ruble note still clutched in his hand, the amazed and embarrassed Brother Theodore came out of the altar. He realized that he had committed a crime by leaving for the capital without the bishop’s permission. My grandfather had a nimble Jew, P., as his personal secretary. At one time, this Jew had a desire to convert to Orthodoxy. He considered it necessary to ask for the blessing of Father John of Kronstadt for this, and by the way, ask him for an allowance for himself and his family. However, his letter was not accepted and was returned unopened. Always unusually responsive, Father John in this case felt with his soul the insincerity of the petitioner, who really did not fulfill his intention.” (Reprint from No. 12 (170) of “Orthodox Russia”, dated 25/VI 1935) The story of Vera Nikolaevna Bubel-Yarotskaya, born Poltoratskaya, the widow of an active state councilor, living in Belgrade in Serbia. “My husband Anatoly Ivanovich, while still very young, smoked a lot and coughed. On the advice of my mother, Sofia Aleksandrovna Poltoratskaya, we went to the city of Kronstadt and stayed with the godfather of Father John Shaposhnikova, to whom Father John usually came after mass. In Shaposhnikova’s hallway, I stood aside and held in my hands a French loaf, cut into slices, so that Father John would bless this bread for us. When Father John entered, many rushed to him for a blessing. And I stood on the sidelines. Father John, freed from the crowd, quickly walked straight up to me. Smiling, Father John took a piece of the bun, took a bite and put it back to me. My husband and my mother were standing there. Father John, looking at my husband, said: “Your husband?” and, turning to him, said: “Stop smoking,” and said to my mother: “It’s too early.” He took me by the head with both hands and said: “You are my good, good!” Father John did not know us at all and did not know that my husband smoked a lot and coughed. We were just going to tell him this in detail. Obviously, the Holy Spirit revealed all this to him. My husband quit smoking, completely recovered and no longer smoked. When my father was sick with a fatal asthma disease, we invited Father John. When he arrived, he said: “Well, let’s pray for relief from suffering.” Obviously, Father John knew that there was no will of God for the patient to recover. After the prayer service, my father’s suffering eased, but he did not recover, but died. Father John did not serve prayer services according to the Trebnik, but addressed God with his prayers and his words, as if he were present here. Father John helped a lot with the construction of the Virovsky convent in the Sedletsk province, on the banks of the Western Bug River” 428. The story of the ryassophore monk of the Valaam monastery, Father Alexy “29 years ago, I wanted to take on the feat of pilgrimage, since I drank a lot, but I did not dare to take on this feat myself, thinking that I would weaken in it, and I decided to go to Father John of Kronstadt for a blessing. Father immediately accepted me, saying: “Go, but don’t ask!” He blessed me, and I went, although I was a little embarrassed: how could I not ask? Arriving in St. Petersburg, he took his knapsack and went. Really; Until I asked, kind people called me, fed me, gave me water, clothed me. One day the boots were near the end of their life, they were worn out, and it was winter. I was concerned about this; passing near some shop, suddenly a merchant calls: “Stranny, come in!” I walk in and he brings me a pair of new boots. And so it is in everything. This is what the blessing of Father John of Kronstadt means! And when I weakened in my feat and began to ask, then people drove me away from them with a stick. After the death of Father John of Kronstadt, I went to the Valaam Monastery to save myself, where I still live by his prayers.” The story of the guard Colonel Anatoly Nikolaevich von Wittorf “The clerk of His Imperial Majesty’s Own Office for accepting petitions submitted to the Highest Name, Actual State Councilor Vladimir Vasilyevich Lotin, told me the following case. One mathematics teacher and class teacher of the 1st St. Petersburg Classical Gymnasium, on Gorokhovaya Street, fell ill with tuberculosis, and doctors advised him to go to Cairo and spend some time there. He collected information and calculated that he needed 5 thousand rubles for travel and accommodation in Cairo. He had no money. Then he decided to go to Father John. Arriving in Kronstadt, he went to the house where Father John lived and entered the kitchen. Seeing that there were a lot of people in the kitchen, he sat down and waited, without saying anything to anyone. After a while, the psalm-reader came out and said: “Father is calling a teacher who came from St. Petersburg.” It did not even occur to the patient that this applied to him, and he remained sitting. But the psalm-reader returned again, saying: “Who is the teacher here from St. Petersburg?” Then the patient stood up and said that he... Father John met him and asked him to tell him in detail what he needed. The teacher told and explained that he needed 5 thousand rubles. Then Father John began to pray to God, turning to the Lord, as if to a present interlocutor, and said: “Lord, you see that he is sick, that he needs these 5 thousand rubles, so give them to him.” After this, Father John released the sick teacher. Returning home to St. Petersburg, the sick man, tired from the journey and from the excitement he had experienced, went to bed. In the morning he was woken up by a minister who came from the gymnasium and said: “The director is calling you on an emergency matter.” After getting dressed, the sick teacher went to the director. The director told him that he had visited Baron Budberg, the chief administrator of His Majesty's Own Office for accepting petitions in the Highest Name, and that Baron Budberg needed a reliable teacher to accompany his sick son to Cairo, and that he, the director, recommended him, the sick one, to the baron, while the director gave the patient his card to Baron Budberg and told the teacher to immediately go to to the baron. The teacher put on his uniform and left. Arriving at the Office, he handed over the director's card and was admitted out of turn. Baron Budberg repeated his offer to accompany his son to Cairo and added that at present he had a lot of expenses and could only offer the teacher 5 thousand rubles for this trip. Amazed by the miracle that had taken place and beside himself with joy, the teacher accepted the offer, went with the baron’s son to Cairo, from where he returned healthy.” This story makes an amazing impression. First of all, it is striking that Father John saw through the Holy Spirit that a teacher was sitting in his kitchen, who had arrived from St. Petersburg with a request. And it is even more surprising that the Lord, through the prayer of Father John, arranged a whole confluence of circumstances that ended in such an amazing miracle. The story of the nun Maria (Rodevich), from the Monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Crkvenica Pecenevce, near the town of Leskovec in Yugoslavia. “My maternal grandfather P.S. Elmanovich served in the St. Petersburg Theological Consistory, and on official business, Father John, while still a very young priest, sometimes visited him at his home and office. Our entire family followed his extraordinary life with reverent attention. By a lucky coincidence, I was born on October 19, 1876, on the day of the dear Father’s Angel. At the age of 19, by the power of his prayer, I remained alive. It happened like this: in my youth I was very interested in reading philosophical books of a rationalist direction, I thought a lot about questions of life and death, and dark and chaotic thoughts wandered through my head. One day, under the influence of this harmful reading, the thought of suicide came to me. The Montecristo 429 was in my hands, I put the barrel to my church and fired. I immediately lost consciousness and seemed to fall into an abyss for three weeks. In spirit she was running around in the chaos of some multi-colored small balls, and in her body she was lying unconscious on her deathbed. The doctors tried everything, but in vain. My parents, in complete despair, sent a telegram to Father John of Kronstadt asking him to pray for me. The answer was received: “I pray, she will live.” That same day my eyes were opened and I returned to consciousness and life. It took me a long time to recover, but when I got stronger, I began to notice a big change in my mother. She completely changed her lifestyle, began to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays and did not miss a single church service. She often fasted, followed all the services of Father John of Kronstadt and often received communion from his holy hands. This life of my mother had a strong effect on me, and I began to think about serving God too. However, there was often complete discord in my soul. I couldn't take anything seriously. Some kind of apathy prevented me from living normally. I began to lose power over myself. Seeing this, my father (actual state councilor M.V. Rodevich) decided to turn to Father John again, this time with a request to come to us and serve a prayer service with the blessing of water. Father arrived and, having learned everything about me, asked: “Do you read the Gospel?” I answered: “Every day, of course!” He said: “Do you perceive it with your heart?” Then he attracted my little brother Seryozha, seven years old, to him, hugged him, pressed him to his heart and said: “Oh, Seryozha, how I feel sorry for you!” Seryozha burst into tears bitterly and loudly at these words. Subsequently, my brother’s life turned out to be one continuous suffering. He suffered all his life, nothing succeeded in him, and he died in a camp among the Bolsheviks. After Father left, our life took a completely different course. Mom, as before, spent her days in prayer and frequent fasting. I have completely changed. Each chapter of the Gospel I read penetrated my soul and filled it with warmth and joy inexpressible. Every church service was sweetness for me. This was undoubtedly a miracle performed by Father John of Kronstadt, and I felt and recognized it. At the age of 24, I began to sincerely desire to devote my life to God. Father John himself blessed me for monastic life - he tightly tied a belt on me with a prayer inscription woven on it: “Alive in the help of the Most High” 430. At the same time, he said: “And you want to fight for Christ!” These words turned out to be very characteristic in my monastic life. During one of our family’s stops at the Kronstadt House of Industriousness, I told Father that my poor mother was very sick with her eyes from constantly reading the Holy Scriptures by the light of a wax candle at night. Father immediately scooped up some blessed water from the bowl with his hand and, splashing it, wiped his mother’s eyes. Then, until her death, the mother never suffered from her eyes again and saw perfectly. One day a misfortune befell me. Due to the slander of the pharmacist's nurse, the cleaning lady, I incurred the wrath of my senior and all-powerful nun, the treasurer's mother, this was followed by my dismissal from obedience and my cell and, due to the fervor of my temper, it could even end in my departure from the monastery. I grieved and suffered terribly. She spent the whole night without sleep, and when she finally fell asleep, she saw in a dream the square in front of the Cathedral of the Sign in St. Petersburg 431, a mass of people and a slowly moving carriage with Father John of Kronstadt sitting in it. It’s like I’m quickly making my way forward and ended up next to him. I bow to his waist, almost to the ground. Father stands up to his full height and looks me straight in the eyes, very concerned. A cross glittered on his chest, and he slowly made the sign of the cross over me, after which the horses quickly rushed him to Nevsky Prospekt. The next day after this dream, everything somehow miraculously settled down between me and my mother, the treasurer, nothing changed in our previous relationship, but everything went on as before. Someone asked Father John of Kronstadt whether it was possible to attach significance to those dreams in which he appears. He replied: “If I dream with a cross on my chest, then it’s me, but if without a cross, then it’s the enemy’s stuff.” One old woman who lived with us became very ill, and the doctors refused to treat her. Father John dreamed of her, blessed her, and the old woman remained alive. This means that he can console, help, and heal both at a distance and in a dream. My aunt often went to Kronstadt to fast. One day Father left and did not come back for a long time, 3-4 days. In his absence, some young woman came to the House of Industriousness from somewhere far away, from Siberia, it seems. She was terribly worried while waiting for him, and cried a lot, afraid that she would have to leave without seeing him. My aunt, seeing her suffering, took pity on her and persuaded her to wait another day. She took her to her room to spend the night, and the next day Father just returned. He looked tired and seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere. The aunt in short words began to pour out her sorrows in front of him, and that woman did not say anything, stood behind and only cried from excitement and happiness. Father, standing half-turned to her, said: “That’s it, marry the one who is now wooing you. He will be a good husband to you and a good father to your children.” Then he turned and left. The young woman, amazed by Father’s words, threw herself on her aunt’s neck, kissed her and said: “Then I came from such a distance, I was afraid for the sake of the children to marry him.” How insightful Father John was that he immediately answered her unasked question! The happy woman calmly and joyfully returned to her home. Another incident: my mother, returning from mass, began to tell us how Father fervently, on his knees, prayed today at the altar for the Tsar. He laid his head on the throne and prayed in a loud voice coming from his heart. This was in front of Cherubimskaya. The power and intensity of this extraordinary prayer was transmitted and electrified the entire crowd, and everyone began to pray on their knees. And what happened? Colonel Blok, who was on duty in the palace, confidentially conveyed to his good friend that the consecration of the newly restored St. Nicholas Cathedral was to take place. The Tsar and the entire Royal Family were supposed to be present at this celebration, but he was warned in time about the impending assassination attempt and explosion during the service, and therefore, to the general surprise of everyone involved, the consecration of the cathedral was suddenly, without explanation, postponed 432. Having learned about this, my mother understood the reason for Father John’s extraordinary prayer and believed even more in the power of his foresight and in the miraculousness of his prayer.” Assistant to the Moscow mayor Alexander Nikolaevich Timofeev, the son of the commander of the Kronstadt fortress regiment, told me that once, during the period of cessation of communication between Kronstadt and Oranienbaum, when no one could come to Kronstadt, the chief of engineers of the Kronstadt fortress, General Alexandrov, received a telegram that his son was dangerously ill, went to Father John with a request to pray for healing, but Father John told him: “We will not pray for health for the deceased, but rather let us pray for peace.” General Alexandrov objected that he had just received a telegram, but Father John told him that his son had died, which was later confirmed. The story of the commander of the 13th artillery brigade, Major General Vasily Ivanovich Ignatiev 433, living in Serbia, in Belgrade, on the street. Cornelia Stankovicha, No. 2. “Two cadets, who heard about Father John’s insight, decided to go to Kronstadt to check whether Father John was really insightful, reasoning among themselves like this: “Let’s approach him and see: if he is insightful, then he must understand with what thoughts we arrived.” No sooner said than done. We got ready and went to Kronstadt, entered St. Andrew's Cathedral during mass and began to approach the cross, which Father John gave to the believers to kiss at the end of mass. When they approached and wanted to venerate the cross, Father John raised the cross, did not let them venerate and said: “You came to test me, there is no blessing for you.” The cadets were stunned and deeply repented of their insolence. This story was told to me by one of these two cadets, captain of the Bialystok infantry regiment Muromtsev. He told me this around 1900 in Sevastopol, where his regiment and the 13th artillery brigade, in which I served, were stationed.” My friend, rector of the St. John the Theologian Church of the Leushinsky convent in the Novgorod province, Archpriest Father N.F. Gronsky told me that one day Father John was told that he was invited to come to so-and-so. To this Father John replied: “I was invited for cards, I won’t go!” When the inviters were told about this, they confirmed that they were indeed playing cards when the idea came to one of them to invite Father John. Here is a manifestation of the foresight of Father John and an expression of censure for those who treated the Holy Trinity dwelling in Father John without due reverence. The story of the nun of the Leonin Monastery, Ksenia, who was in the monastery for about 20 years. One day Father John was invited to the Lesninsky monastery 434 to see a sick nun and went out to meet him. Meanwhile, Father John arrived from a completely different direction on the same horse and went straight to the sick woman and confessed her, without asking anyone, knowing from his insight where the sick woman was. The story of Leonarda Antonovna Yankovskaya. “More than thirty years ago, when I was 16 years old, I visited a friend of a city school teacher, Mrs. Sneshkova, in a house located on the 8th company of the Izmailovsky Regiment in the city of St. Petersburg (a number of streets were called companies of the Izmailovsky Regiment). Father John came to one of the apartments of this house to visit the sick woman. The entrance was in the courtyard, and Father John's carriage stood in the courtyard. When Father John came down from the apartment into the courtyard, I asked him to bless me. Father John looked at me intently and said: “I bless you for your hard life.” This prediction of Father John, who had never seen me before, was completely justified. I have been a nurse of the Red Cross since 1905 and worked in wars; Bulgarians with Turks, Great and Volunteer" 435. Story by Lidia Evgrafovna Astafieva, Belgrade, Takovskaya st. 12, apt. 3. When the Astafievs first invited Father John to their house, and he arrived, a large crowd of people gathered, as always, near the house. In the crowd stood the janitor Nikolai, who was a drunkard. Suddenly, Father John turned to the janitor Nikolai and told him: “Nikolai, stop drinking, otherwise you will die.” Obviously, the Holy Spirit gave Father John the insight that that man in the crowd was a drunkard and that his name was Nikolai. The story of Sofia Nikolaevna Zhigmanovskaya, born Trubacheva, living in Belgrade. “In 1894–1895, my father, a wealthy officer, Nikolai Mikhailovich Trubachev, lived in his house in Tiflis. He led a carefree lifestyle and often caroused with Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich. Gradually his condition began to decrease, but his carousing and drunkenness continued. When I was 7 years old and my dad was about 30 years old, he disappeared and no one knew where he went. Then it turned out that he went on foot to Kronstadt to see Father John. Having arrived there, he went to St. Andrew's Cathedral. After the service, when the pope left the cathedral and was in the crowd, Father John, leaving the side doors of the altar, got into the carriage and drove by. Unexpectedly, Father John stopped the carriage, called my father from the crowd and told him: “You have come such a distance, sit down, let’s go to me, I need to talk to you,” and he sat him down and took him to his place. Obviously, Father John saw everything through the Holy Spirit. Father John told his father that he did a very good thing, that he came to him on foot, talked with his father for a long time, and from then on his father stopped drinking and smoking. When the Great War began, my father asked Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich to take him from the border guards from Tiflis to the war. He was appointed captain in a cavalry regiment on the Austrian front, and in the first year of the war he received the Order of St. George and the rank of lieutenant colonel for distinction, and on October 7 he was killed.” Father John never saw N.M. Trubachev, but the Holy Spirit revealed to him Trubachev’s entire past, his journey on foot, the fact that he was in the crowd leaving the cathedral, and his appearance, so Father John immediately saw him in the crowd and called him. Take heed, reading this book, and shudder at the greatness and the Power and Glory of God, revealed to us, many sinners, at the end of the second millennium since the time of Christ, on the eve of the appearance of the Antichrist, who entered into battle with those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ 436. An extraordinary case of Father John's foresight When, as a child, I began to learn Latin and Greek, during the summer months our teacher, a student at the Imperial Philological Institute, Feodor Gavriilovich Shubin, lived with us. We all became very friendly with him and maintained this friendship forever. In 1915 F.G. Shubin, already an active state councilor and director of the Omsk Teachers' Institute, came to Petrograd and visited me several times. This is what he told me. “I,” said Fyodor Gavrilovich, “was born and was an Old Believer all my life, but I carefully hid it so as not to lose my career. For this purpose, I rented apartments from priests and went to the Orthodox Church. Once, during a celebration in one of the educational institutions (which one I forgot), Father John was present. When he left, the officials positioned themselves in a continuous line towards the exit. Father John blessed everyone as he passed. When he came up to me, he did not bless me: the look of his blue eyes pierced me through, and he said loudly: “And you will remain an Old Believer?!” and moved on to the next one. These words struck me like thunder, a chill ran through my skin, and I felt as if I had suddenly been doused with a tub of cold water, since no one except my conscience knew that I was an Old Believer.”437 Here are two more cases of Father John’s insight that were told to me in the city of Petrozavodsk I. When it became known in the city of Petrozavodsk that Father John was coming, a crowd gathered at the steamship pier, which included a local Old Believer bishop, who came, as he later said, out of curiosity to see what kind of Father John was, since he was an unbeliever. Getting off the ship, Father John walked through the crowd straight to him, put his hand on his head and said: “Poor you, poor!” and immediately moved on. Then the bishop realized that Father John was the great power of God, that through the Holy Spirit he saw through his innermost thoughts and immediately went to him through a huge crowd, without ever seeing him. The incident so struck the bishop that he was completely reborn and became a believer. II. The archpriest of the Petrozavodsk Cathedral, a man of highly moral life, who did a lot of good from his earnings, told me that shortly before Father John’s arrival in Petrozavodsk, his legs began to hurt, he felt great weakness in his legs, and it was difficult for him to walk. When Father John arrived and began to perform proskomedia, he asked Father John to pray for his health, without explaining to him his illness. Father John, having recognized by the Holy Spirit the essence of his illness, taking out part of the prosphora for the health of the petitioner, repeated three times: “Strength of legs, strength of legs, strength of legs!” From that time on, the good archpriest’s legs stopped hurting and became stronger. From a lecture by Mitred Archpriest Theodore Sinkevich, given in the auditorium of the University of Belgrade on December 19, 1908, on the eve of the death of Father John. “Here two secular friends, colleagues in their professional activities, are walking along the streets of Kronstadt, but one of them is religiously inclined, and the other, on the contrary, is irreligious and has a terrible prejudice towards the personality of Father John and his miracles. Religiously minded and at the same time an admirer of Father John, he invites his colleague and friend to go to church for mass, listen to the service and sermon of Father John. However, the friend, who was completely skeptical about Father John, replies dismissively: “I still didn’t have enough to believe the tales about Father John.” But his friend continues to insist on his own. The denier reluctantly agrees to go to church with the words: “I still won’t see or find anything new or interesting, but if you insist, then well, let’s go and see how he puts on a comedy.” Let's go. They came to the church and both friends stood aside. The service was drawing to a close. Suddenly, through the crowd of people, a church watchman sent by Father goes to his unbelieving friend and on his behalf asks him to welcome him to the altar. The astonishment of the unbeliever knew no bounds, but he still did not lose his head and began to convince the watchman that a mistake had occurred, for Father did not know him at all, and could not know, and that he was probably calling someone else with whom he had been mixed up. The watchman barely agrees to go and ask Father again. After asking again, he returns again to this unbeliever with the words: “After all, your name is such-and-such, and your surname is such-and-such (says his first and last name), so this is exactly what Father calls you.” Taken by surprise, the unbeliever feels a chill run down his spine and turns for advice to his fellow believer standing next to him: – What should I do, go or not go? - But it’s clear that Father is calling you. Go, and if there was any misunderstanding, it will be cleared up by itself at the altar. Immediately sagging and confused, the pale infidel, in spite of his desire, due to the created necessity, follows the guard to the altar. He had just entered when Father John quickly turned to him with a question: - Well, my dear, please tell me how you liked my comedy, do I break it well? At this question, the surprise and bewilderment of those who entered the altar were replaced by horror and awe at the insight of Father, and after that by a deep consciousness of his wrongness. His legs gave way and he fell to his knees, asking forgiveness for his insolence and his unbelief. Having instructed him with words of love and faith on the path of truth, Father John sent him away, having already converted to the faith of Christ, a good and convinced Christian, having found a lost sheep. And here is another case of the same kind of great foresight of a wondrous shepherd. In one house in St. Petersburg they are awaiting the arrival of the revered Father, where he was invited. A lot of people gathered to meet him and see him, but among those present there was one lady who was disappointed in life and did not believe in God, nor in miracles, nor in the ascetic and miraculous activities of Father John. She was present here out of necessity, since she was temporarily staying in this house. She simply did not want to see Father John or hear him, and was not interested, and deliberately went to the most remote room of the apartment and sat there on the bed, doing needlework. A carriage with Father John arrives at the house. The gathered people meet him, waiting for the moment to come under the blessing, but then something completely unexpected happens and is immediately incomprehensible to those present. Instead of giving a blessing or instead of fulfilling the purpose of his visit - serving a prayer service - Father John, without greeting anyone, quickly walks through the crowd somewhere deep into a huge apartment unfamiliar to him and confidently heads to the very cell where the knitting lady is sitting on the bed. Seeing Father John, she was so amazed that the objects in the room began to spin, as if alive, in her head. Meanwhile, Father John sits down next to her and begins to refute her unbelief, expose her despair, remind her of God’s mercy, talk about God’s Providence, repentance, faith, and with words of love and consolation call her to faith and hope. By the end of this conversation, the previously unbelieving woman is filled with hot tears of repentance, and her heart is filled with that gracious warmth of heart that always accompanies the first sincere appeal of a Christian to God. And only by lighting this new lamp of spiritual life did he convert the lost sheep. Father John turns to the matter for which he was invited by the owners of the house.” From a letter to Anastasia Rachinskaya. “My father, General Lanskoy, a very religious man who revered Father, often asked him to come and pray in his house, which Father John did on several occasions. My father was a sickly man, and one day, having come to visit him, I found him sadder than usual and suggested that he write to Father and ask him to visit his father and pray with us. Father was delighted, and I soon received a response from Father John, who set the day and hour of his arrival. We gathered at my father’s, and Father arrived animated and kind to everyone, as always. After praying and sprinkling everyone with holy water, at my father’s request, Father stayed to drink a cup of tea and during the conversation he stood up and began walking quickly around the living room from corner to corner. At this time, my old nanny, who lives in my father’s house, came in and began to extinguish the candle near the images, intending to take the cup of holy water with her. Father, still walking around the room, quickly approached her and said: “Take care of the holy water, you will need it soon.” Soon Father left. My father was cheerful and cheerful, and the nanny, seeing me off, anxiously told me the words of Father, and indeed this was the last visit to my father by Father during his lifetime: after a short time, my father became dangerously ill; doctors announced that it was progressive paralysis, which in a very short time brought my father to the grave. My father was then 67 years old. Another incident occurred in the family of a priest. This priest (Father Mikhail) served as a deacon in St. Andrew's Cathedral in Kronstadt, while his father-in-law was a priest in the same cathedral for many years and co-served with Father John 438. Father John loved both Father Mikhail and his father-in-law very much and secured for Father Mikhail a position as rector of the church and teacher of the law in St. Petersburg in the 2nd cadet corps of Emperor Peter the Great, where his father-in-law, already an old man, but still vigorous, moved with him. When he came to St. Petersburg, Father John often came to visit them, so two years passed. One day, it was during Holy Week on Maundy Thursday, at about 9 o’clock in the morning, Father Mikhail, who was getting ready to go to church, heard a bell on the main staircase and went to open the door himself. Seeing Father John in front of him, he was very happy, but also surprised to see him on such a day and at such an early hour, and asked him how it happened. Father John answered him that he had come to say goodbye to his father-in-law. The old priest was not sick at that time, but weak, as always, due to his advanced age. After staying for a short time, Father John left, and in the evening, returning from the all-night vigil, after reading the 12 Holy Gospels, Father Michael found his father-in-law dead. He died during the all-night vigil. Here are two cases of Father’s insight that happened almost before my eyes.” In St. Petersburg in the nineties of the last century, the sister of lieutenant Pronin of the courier corps, five years old, had her finger pinched while slamming the carriage door, and it was completely crushed. The doctor said that the finger needed to be removed. The next day it turned out to be blood poisoning, and the doctor said that he needed to cut off his arm at the elbow. The girl cried continuously in pain. When the doctor unbandaged his hand, a stench spread. Suddenly they hear that Father John has come to the neighbors. Then the girl’s father ran and begged Father John to come. Although he was very busy, because of the serious case he came, served a prayer service and said that there was no need to do the operation and that it would pass. After Father John left, the girl’s father insisted on the operation, and her mother, a strong believer, decided to do as Father John said. The girl fell asleep and slept a lot. In the morning the doctor came and unbandaged my hand. There was no tumor, the bad smell was gone, and only a dried vein hung as if by a thread. The vein was cut off, and the girl recovered, as the blood poisoning went away, and the doctor declared that it was a miracle, since science said otherwise. The story of Leonarda Antonovna Jankovskaya, a Catholic, a sister of mercy of the Red Cross, living in Serbia, in Belgrade on Voevoda Putnik Street in the “Orthopedic Plant”. Lieutenant Colonel Prigorovsky served in the serf regiment of the Kovno fortress, who was sick at the point of death: he was spitting blood; doctors recognized his situation as hopeless. Prigorovsky had his own house in Orenburg on Atamanovsky Lane and, at his request, was transferred to the Belebeevsky regiment stationed in Orenburg, but due to illness he could not move. His wife Vera was a student of Father John at the Kronstadt gymnasium. She went to Father John in Kronstadt. Arriving there, she entered the cathedral during general confession and thought: “I can’t get through to Father John” and was amazed at how the crowd pushed her to the pulpit. Father John saw her and said: “Verochka, is that you? Don’t worry, I’m praying, praying, well, let’s pray to God.” When Father John finished praying, he told her: “Well, go home, everything will be fine, he will get up.” “When I arrived home, my husband came out to meet me.” And indeed, L.A. Yankovskaya saw that Lieutenant Colonel Prigorovsky got out of bed completely healthy and left with his large family for Orenburg. In this case, again the Lord, through the prayer of Father John, healed the hopeless man and told Father John that his prayer had been heard, so that Father John could tell the sick man’s wife that her husband would be healthy. Memoirs of the widow of the former head of the Warsaw border guard district, and during the war - the head of the 81st Infantry Division, Lieutenant General Mikhail Dmitrievich Kitchenko Elena Konstantinovna Kitchenko, living in Serbia in Belgrade, Vozdovac, II Russian House 439. “My first husband, tax inspector of the Pudozh district of the Olonets province, state councilor Schultz, was a big gambler and often spent whole nights in the club. One day, one of his partners suddenly died in front of his eyes at the card table, and this made such a depressing impression on him that he stopped playing completely for some time, fearing that the same thing would happen to him. Every day he became more and more worried about his health. When we were visiting my parents in St. Petersburg, my husband began to feel unwell, began to lose a lot of weight, and at night some strange attacks of fear and fear of death were repeated. He answered all my anxious questions only by shouting: “I’m dying, I’m dying!” In fear, I ran after the doctor, but no one could understand his illness, since he did not complain about anything. The symptoms were as follows: he drank a lot of water, ate very little and slept poorly. At the same time, I lost incredible weight. Then we decided to turn to a famous person and a specialist in nervous diseases. The professor, after listening and examining the patient, called me aside and said that his illness was dangerous, he needed serious treatment, a strict diet, and ordered me to bring him a test the next day. I did all this exactly, after which the professor made the following diagnosis: sugar disease in a very strong and advanced form, an almost incurable case. It can live no more than a month. After hearing this verdict, I almost fainted from fear. And it was necessary at all costs to hide the impression he had made from his husband. In general, he was terribly suspicious and suspicious regarding his illness. After the visit to the doctor, I had to appear cheerful and carefree so as not to scare him. He loved life very much. Days passed, my husband lost weight by leaps and bounds. From a plump, healthy man, he turned into a skeleton. His dresses hung on him like on a hanger. He completely lost sleep and appetite. Everything was apparently coming to an end, as the professor predicted. And then our house was visited by Father John of Kronstadt, who came to visit his goddaughter, the daughter of the homeowner. Having heard about this, my sisters and I immediately jumped out from the table (we were having lunch at that time) and ran up the stairs, afraid to miss him. My husband, although he was a Lutheran, followed us, wanting to see him too. And the stairs were full of people, from all the apartments and from the street. The crowd did not allow movement. With great difficulty and with my help, my husband made his way through the crowd and walked to the side and stood near the door of the doorman's room. I returned back in the hope of receiving a blessing from Father John. He was just descending the stairs very quickly, without stopping and without looking at anyone, busy only with getting to freedom as quickly as possible. A man ran ahead of him, pushing the crowd rather unceremoniously. When Father John was a few steps away from the door, he suddenly stopped. An unrestrained wave of people rushed towards him, but he took a few steps to the side where my husband stood quietly, put his hands on his head and said clearly, loudly and commandingly: “Be healthy!” Then he immediately went out and, getting into the carriage, drove away. The husband easily climbed the stairs in a special mood. At home I didn’t say a word to anyone. My sisters and I began to heedlessly tell our parents everything that had happened. That first night, the husband did not have a seizure, and he slept without waking up. In the morning I drank tea and a roll with gusto (which I hadn’t done for a long time) and gradually returned to life and health again. His next visit to the professor showed a complete absence of sugar in his blood. The professor, not knowing anything, just threw up his hands and said: “I don’t understand anything, this is some kind of miracle!” After that, the husband lived for a very long time and died at the age of 65 from lobar pneumonia.” Readers, look into this case and shudder. Father John never saw State Councilor Schultz, no one told him about his illness, there was a crowd all around, Father John quickly descended from the stairs, but the Holy Spirit pointed him to a hopelessly ill man standing aside and commanded Father John to heal him. “A few years have passed. We visited our parents again in the same house. We came to say goodbye, as my husband unexpectedly received a new appointment in the Olonets province in the city of Pudozh as a tax inspector. He had to go alone, and I, with two children, an eight-year-old pupil and my own baby girl, remained for some time until he sent me letters. I was very afraid of this journey. Everyone scared me and dissuaded me from going until spring. They said that it was no longer possible to risk traveling with small children this late in the fall (it was at the end of September). In such indecision, I lived with my parents for another two weeks, until I received a letter that everything was fine. The apartment is rented, there are no fears, etc. My husband really asked me to hurry up with my arrival and not miss the last flight. I didn’t know who to listen to: my parents, whom I loved very much, or my husband, whom I also loved and pitied. I hesitated. And suddenly a boy comes running from the owner and says that Father John of Kronstadt is coming to them now. What happiness! I immediately ran, and the sisters followed me. I immediately realized that his arrival was my salvation. My mood was somehow unearthly. So I ran into the room and straight to Father John. I don’t remember how I told him everything. I know that I cried, and he wiped away my tears with his hand. And he was so affectionate... I immediately calmed down and just kissed his hands endlessly. He put his hands on my head and said: - Calm down, don’t cry, everything will be fine, because you are going to my homeland. I’m from there, it’s beautiful there, I bless you on your journey. Go with God! Then he pulled me away a little, looked into my face and, laughing so cheerfully, said: - But you’re French! - It's not true, you're French! I again, already laughing, say: - No. Father, I am Russian. After that, having received his blessing again, I left. And the sisters ran after me, making fun of me, in a comical spirit, depicting this entire episode. But I was in complete ecstasy and did not respond to their jokes, experiencing everything that happened in my soul. Two days later the ship was leaving, and we had to go. I was no longer afraid of anything and didn’t hesitate for a minute. Everyone continued to scare me, they assured me that since I had not booked cabins in advance, they would not accept me on the ship, there would not be a single free cabin. When I arrived on the ship with my children, accompanied by my relatives, the captain of the ship met me and spread his arms. He assured me that the ship was overcrowded, that it was impossible to accommodate even one person. And to convince me of this, he led me down to a large common cabin, where adults and children were lying interspersed on the floor. Despite the fact that the ship was still standing, it was rocking heavily, and many were already suffering from seasickness. The air was impossible. I barely ran out onto the deck. The captain looked at me with great sympathy and assured me that the journey would apparently be very difficult and stormy. My parents and sisters approached me again, urging me to go home and postpone my trip until spring. But I was still waiting for something and didn’t move. Suddenly the captain turned to me with an enlightened face and said: “I can do one thing for you: I’ll give you my cabin, it’s on the deck, there will be less pitching in it, and you’ll have all the amenities in it.” I will always find a place for myself somewhere. I was happy and instantly thought: “It was Father John who inspired this idea in him,” and I remembered his words: “Don’t be afraid, everything will be fine, you are coming to my homeland!” This is what I was waiting for and finally got it. The captain called the sailor, ordered all his things to be taken out of his cabin, clean linen laid out, and, handing me the key, said: - When everything is ready, lock the door with the kids, and if you need anything, call. So I did, thanking him with all my heart and mentally to Father John of Kronstadt. I settled down in a comfortable room. Soon we set sail. The journey, as the captain said, was difficult and even fraught with danger. I heard the sailors running and fussing, and the captain shouting. The rolling on lakes Ladoga and Onega was always circular. The entire audience and even many of the sailors were lying side by side. I and the children (I tied the eldest girl with a rope to the bunk) never suffered from seasickness, although this was my first trip by water. Instead of 12 hours (as it was supposed to), we sailed for a day and a half, and we were seen from Petrozavodsk for almost the whole day swinging on the waves and still in the same place. We lived in Pudozh for three years, then returned to St. Petersburg, where my husband died many years later, in 1909, at 65 years of age. I often, often remembered and vividly experienced my meeting with Father John of Kronstadt and kept thinking why he insisted so much that I was French. And I realized this only many years later, having gotten married a second time and finding myself and my husband a refugee in Belgrade. What was there to do, what to do, how to earn a piece of bread? I didn't have any specialty. I only knew how to speak French very well. I learned this from a French woman who lived in our house for 20 years, who raised my three older sisters and the last three of us. Fortunately, that year the French language became fashionable in Serbia. All parents wanted their children to speak this language. I was lucky enough to get a wonderful place with three little boys who already spoke French. This way I could support both myself and my husband, who was without a job. And all the time I’ve been living here, I still feed on my French. Moreover, everyone considers me a real Frenchwoman, judging by my accent and appearance. The remarkable thing is that Father John did not know me at all, he saw me for the first time, he had never heard a single French word from me, isn’t it surprising how he foresaw all this so clearly? This is incomprehensible to me! And no matter how much longer I live in the world, I will always feel on myself the cross with which he overshadowed me and blessed me on my journey, and his gentle hand, wiping away the tears from my face. This will forever remain the best memory of my life." “I have one more memory that concerns not me, but my close relative. All this happened before my eyes. That's why I want to talk about it. My relative’s name was Olga, she was a very beautiful young woman, but she married without love and therefore was unhappy in her married life, although her husband was a very worthy person and loved her to the point of oblivion. She was generally spoiled by life. She was always surrounded by fans and led a hectic life. She had a little son, who, unfortunately, was born weak and sick. They took it abroad and showed it to all the professors, but in vain. His illness was recognized by everyone as incurable. He had cerebellar paralysis, and when he moved, he involuntarily twitched, he jumped and writhed, which made a very heavy and pitiful impression. The child at that time was about six years old, and he was a smart, thoughtful boy, capable of learning, and especially of drawing. He was well aware of his shortcoming and suffered terribly, especially since his little brother, healthy and normal, was brought up and growing up next to him. They lived in their majorate in the Kalisz province 440. They often came to St. Petersburg, they had a permanent apartment there for the winter, because Olga loved to have fun and go out. Despite her frivolity, she was an intelligent, developed woman and a good mother. She always suffered for her firstborn and would give a lot for him to be healthy. Having heard from me about how Father John miraculously healed my husband, she suddenly believed in him and began to pray and ask God for the healing of her unfortunate son. Olga talked to him about this and instilled in him such strong hope and faith in the possibility of such a miracle that the boy began to pester his mother every day so that she would quickly take him to Kronstadt. We all, her loved ones, were waiting for a miracle. The day of departure finally arrived. Both of them rode as if on a great holiday. In St. Andrew's Cathedral, when she found herself in front of Father John of Kronstadt himself, who was about to give communion to the confessors, the boy was trembling all over with excitement and hope. But Father John did not pay attention to him and gave communion to others who stood to the side. The boy was wiped off, he found himself with Olga in the back. The crowd, seeing this and feeling sorry for the sick boy, pushed him forward again. Olga, with tears, began to beg Father John to give communion and heal her son, but Father John again did not pay any attention to him and continued to give communion to those standing on the side. For the third time, Olga and the boy approached, but Father John turned away again. Everyone around understood that this was not done without reason and that Father John was deliberately not giving him communion. All in tears, Olga and her son returned home, as if from a funeral. When she returned, she began to tell us about what had happened. And when we all became indignant, condemning the insensitivity of Father John of Kronstadt, she, crying, told us and admitted that two years ago in the majorate she became very ill. She was bleeding so heavily that no one could stop it. Doctors and professors, convened by the husband, were powerless. They sent to Kalisz for a priest. Olga was already cold to the half of her body, but she confessed, repented, cried a lot and swore an oath, if she recovered, to start a new life, never to cheat on her husband again and to live like a god. After the Unction she returned to life. And when she completely recovered, she forgot about her oath and continued her old life. This is the reason why Father John, who foresaw all this, was so relentless towards her. Three years later, the boy died of diphtheria in three days, without complaint, like a saint, comforting his weeping mother. Before his death, he himself wanted to take communion and did it with complete faith in God, like an adult. Olga still lives today. At one time I was violently insane. She lived and was treated in a sanatorium. Now she is healthy again, and I recently received a postcard from her. She prays a lot, is very religious and waits for death, quite consciously and in a Christian way.” An incident told to me by former Admiralty staff captain Ivan Ilyich Shevchenko, now deceased. Ivan Ilyich served at one time on a small warship commanded by Captain II Rank A. Pokrovsky in 1900–1901. “It was Sunday or some holiday,” says Ivan Ilyich, “the commander went to Oranienbaum to visit his friends at the dacha, having previously left me his address, since I remained in charge on our ship. It must be said that on warships the economic part is entrusted to the so-called “battlemen”, who conduct reporting and housekeeping. Our battalion, having made a rather large mistake in the reporting of the last month (I don’t know - intentionally or unintentionally), decided to correct it by forgery, tearing out the page with the error and pasting another one into the reporting book. Having completed this work, he spoiled other pages and, seeing that he would not be able to hide the forgery, fell into despair and hanged himself with his belt. Fortunately, someone from the team saw him hanging and raised the alarm, of course, immediately reporting to me. I rushed to the battalion's quarters and, seeing the report books, immediately understood what was going on, and, hiding the books, immediately went with a report to the commander, while the paramedic brought the battalioner to his senses. There were 5 minutes left before the departure of the steamer leaving for Oranienbaum, and I drove the cab with all my might. Approaching the ship, I see that it has already set sail and is moving next to the pier. I jumped off the cab and, jumping onto the steamer as it moved, turned to face the side. At that time, I felt that someone was touching me on the shoulder and saying: “Say hello to Father!” I turn around and see Father John, who looks at me and smiles welcomingly. I approached him for a blessing, and he said: “Calm down, calm down, he will remain alive, and everything will end well!” I remained standing there with my mouth open. How could he know about an incident that happened 15 minutes ago, and even in a port where outsiders are not allowed?! And he also predicted that he would live. That’s exactly what happened - the battalion soldier remained alive, and the matter was finished with home remedies, without leading to a scandal.” The story of captain II rank Ivan Nikolaevich Kaznakov “One priest from the inner province of Russia, having heard a lot about Father John, came to Kronstadt and celebrated early mass with him. As you know, Father John said his prayers in a patter, shouting and raising his tone at times. Hearing this, the priest thought: “Eh, yes, you serve like the rest of us, and you are not much different from us!” – What did you think? - Father John answered him, - I am the same as all of you. The priest, of course, was amazed by this phenomenon.” The story of Mrs. M., who asked not to give her last name, since her story will concern a woman’s illness. “I had two miscarriages. These circumstances worried me very much, since the fetus was dying. I decided to go to Father John to ask him to pray. Entering Father John, I had not yet had time to tell him about the reason and purpose of my visit, when he greeted me with the words: “It’s nothing - it’s all from your weakness.” The perspicacious saint of God saw through the Holy Spirit the illness of Mrs. M. and tenderly consoled her. “Due to weak lungs, I lived for 12 years in the Crimea in the city of Yalta. During this period, when I was pregnant, I developed some kind of tumor. Local doctors refused to make a diagnosis, and one of them accompanied me to Moscow to see Professor Snigirev. They carried me in their arms. When I arrived at Professor Snigirev’s clinic, he ordered me to lie quietly for three days to take a break from the road, and scheduled an examination in three days. From Yalta before leaving and from Moscow upon arrival, I sent two telegrams to Father John asking him to pray. When Professor Snigirev examined me, he said: “Thank God! The tumor is gone, the abscess burst and flowed out. If it had burst inward, it would have been death.” Snigirev let me go home so that I could return to him a month before giving birth. I went to Nizhny Novgorod and from Nizhny wrote a letter to Father John, which I sent through a lady I knew. Father John, having read the letter, said to this lady: “Let her not be afraid of anything, there is no need to go, I will pray.” I listened to the great prayer book, seer and miracle worker and did not go, and was successfully delivered from the burden. Then doctors from Professor Snigirev’s clinic told me that this was the first case in their practice when such a patient managed without surgery. When my son fell ill with diphtheria, I sent Father John a telegram to the House of Industriousness with the expectation that he would receive it at dawn. The next day the doctor came and, after examining the patient, said: “This is the first case in my practice that diphtheria stopped on one side and did not spread to the other.” After this, the son recovered. One day I asked Father John to pray for his youngest son, for whom teaching was difficult. Father John put his hand on the head of his eldest son and prayed fervently, ending with the words: “Lord, Thy holy will be done!” I thought that Father John was mistaken. After some time, the eldest son had to cut out the adenoids between his throat and nose. During the operation, he lost so much blood that he almost died and lost the ability to learn: to remember and understand. He was treated by stopping the teaching, and he recovered. Obviously, Father John, by the Holy Spirit, foresaw this circumstance, and therefore prayed for this son, and not for the younger one, as I asked.” Mikhail Mikhailovich Rodzianko, living in the city of Zemlin (former Yugoslavia 441), told me the following in a letter dated December 29, 1927. It happened in the Corps of Pages in Petrograd; during gymnastics, one boy received a strong blow to the head and after that became dangerously ill; All sorts of doctors and professors treated him, but he was not getting better, and his mother was told that her son was hopeless and, at best, if he did not die, he would be an idiot. Then the mother went to Kronstadt, where she managed to see Father John, who went with her to the sick man, prayed and said that her son would be healthy. Indeed, the boy felt better from that day, and soon he completely recovered, to the surprise of all the doctors. In the same letter to M.M. Rodzianko told me the following amazing incident. Father John visited someone in St. Petersburg. In the same house lived an old man who was paralyzed. Passing by his apartment, Father John suddenly entered there and went to the sick man, whom he blessed and began to console. After this, the patient’s hand, which had been without any movement, began to move little by little. The story of Mrs. Dreyling 442, who now lives in Belgrade, Mutapova str., 9. “In 1896, in Arkhangelsk, I was returning from the city to Solombala (suburb). Walking past the Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God, I saw a crowd near the rector’s house. It was already 10 o'clock in the evening, but it was completely light, since in June we have light nights. I asked why it happened that there were so many people here. They answered me that Father John of Kronstadt had arrived and, as usual, stayed with the rector of the church, that he had already gone out to the people and would not come out again now. I was very sorry that I would not see him, and, raising my eyes to the church, I said: “Queen of Heaven, I want to see Father John!” At this time the people began to disperse, but there were still quite a lot of them left. I stood 20 steps from the gate. At this time, the gate opened, Father John came out and, passing through the crowd, immediately came up to me and said: “Hello.” I was very confused and did not ask for his blessing. He turned and went back into the house. After this incident, he met me as if he were an acquaintance.” Three stories by the widow of the actual state councilor, the regional army of the Don Marshal of the Nobility Raisa Mikhailovna Polyakova. Belgrade, Russian House. “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and in glorifying the memory of the unforgettable Father John of Kronstadt. After graduating from the eighth grade of the gymnasium, I expressed my desire to go to St. Petersburg for higher medical courses. My mother did not sympathize with this, but advised me to improve in music and go to the conservatory. I insisted on my desire, then she said: “Okay, only on one condition - go first to Father John of Kronstadt, and if he blesses you, then I agree.” My aunt, who lived in St. Petersburg, offered to accompany me to Kronstadt. When we arrived there, we stopped at the House of Industriousness, built by Father John, and took a room. We were told that Father is difficult to pin down - he is always busy and in a hurry. On the day of our arrival, Father came to the House and served a prayer service on the top floor, and we were told to prepare for his reception - they opened all the rooms and waited for him. In anticipation of Father, the audience gathered on the site, wanting to quickly receive his blessing. Suddenly the singing of “Holy God” was heard. Father came down the stairs, supported and surrounded by a crowd: everyone rushed to him, and we were pressed into a corner, and I no longer hoped to approach him, when suddenly he quickly extended his hand - the crowd moved, and his hand fell on my head, and he quickly said: “I’ll come to you.” We ran to the room. Father quickly walked through the rooms, sometimes stopping in some room, came to us and began to quickly serve a prayer service, then he took the cross and sprinkled with holy water, turned to me and, putting the cross on his head and sprinkling with holy water, said: – You will be a sister of mercy all your life. - No, Father, I came specifically to ask for your blessing to study to become a doctor. - Yes, yes, I know, study, study, girl, you need to study, but you will be a sister of mercy all your life! I was upset... but I enrolled in courses, studied for three years and in the end unexpectedly got married; my husband promised that I would continue my courses. We went to the village after the exams, where I started treating my peasants, and various family circumstances delayed me, and I could not go to finish my education “to become a doctor.” Subsequently she received a diploma as a paramedic and nurse. All my life I have been treating peasants and members of my family, caring for them as a sister of mercy. Throughout the war she worked in her noble hospital in Novocherkassk as a nurse and hospital trustee. Thus the prediction of Father John of Kronstadt came true. The second case in our family of the help of Father John of Kronstadt My grandfather was seriously ill with typhus, he was surrounded by children and his son, a doctor of medicine. The situation became difficult, and the uncle doctor said that grandfather would not live long; the fever remained up to 40°, and he was unconscious; everyone cried and prayed for God's help. Suddenly grandfather opens his eyes and says: “Hurry up and receive Father John of Kronstadt.” Everyone rushed to the sick man, thinking that he was delirious, but he again said loudly: “Hurry, open the doors of the hall, receive Father - he just gave me communion from his own hands, he is in a miter and full vestments and said that I will be healthy.” Recovery went quickly, and grandfather never wanted to believe that Father John was not with him, that his relatives had not seen him. It was a thousand miles from Kronstadt. My mother, who died on September 2, 1940, often talked about this with emotion. The third case in our family of the help of Father John In her youth, my mother was very ill with lobar pneumonia, and then with inflammation of the peritoneum. They treated their doctor - her brother, and they called a famous doctor from the nearest city. The patient was getting worse and worse, the temperature reached 41°, nothing helped. Our grandmother, the sick mother, told us: “Pray, children,” and she placed us in front of the icons, “and I will give a telegram to Father John of Kronstadt, asking him to pray for our sick mother of three small children.” The next day, an answer came from Father John: “I pray, pray, she will be healthy.” Indeed, recovery proceeded quickly, and the doctors were amazed at this miracle - contrary to their predictions. When my mother recovered, she went to Kronstadt to thank the Lord and Father. She came to St. Andrew’s Cathedral, walked forward to ask Father to pray, and he suddenly, passing by her, looked and said: “Anna has arrived, let’s pray.” It was in the church, where there were thousands of people, that he recognized the sick woman whom he helped from afar. Our family always gratefully remembered Father’s help and mentally turned to him for help.” “Our brother Vladimir Vasilyevich Stepanov, being in the service of the postal and telegraph department as an official of the St. Petersburg City Telegraph Office, prompted by reasons hidden from us, had a desire to change the type of his civil service. Through persons who were close to the ever-memorable Archpriest Father John Ilyich Sergiev (Kronstadt), he, V. Stepanov, had the opportunity to talk privately with Father, to whom he revealed his good intentions, asking for advice and blessings on his new chosen path. Father John of blessed memory explained to our brother Vladimir about the difficult duties and responsibilities of spiritual shepherds, especially in the difficult times that had come, and, giving him a blessing for this feat, said: “Well, okay, you will be a priest, and you will accept ordination from the Most Reverend Seraphim.”443 This happened in 1907. V. Stepanov, having received the blessing, with a significant addition to it, continued to serve in the postal and telegraph department in St. Petersburg, and during the Great War with Germany (1914), being seconded to one of the field telegraph institutions of the North-Western Front. Many years passed when, quite unexpectedly, we received from Brother Vladimir from the village of Spassky, near Tomsk, a closed letter informing us that: “... the words of dear Father, spoken in 1907, have now come true over me, and where? - in Siberia, unknown to me; in the city of Tomsk. In March 1919, I was honored to accept the grace of the Hierarchy through Hierarchical ordination from the Right Reverend Seraphim." Our brother, priest Vladimir Vasilyevich Stepanov, served as rector of the parish in different places, namely: in the village of Spassky near Tomsk, in the village of Chervyshevo in the Ural region and in the village of Romanovsky in the Yalutorovsky district. The last closed letter, very short in content, was sent by him from Armavir (North Caucasus) on July 16, 1930, received at Konevets on June 24, 1938, and for reasons independent of both sides, our further correspondence was suspended, and the fate of my brother and his family (wife and daughter-bride) is unknown to us.” Confessor of the Nativity of the Kanev Monastery 444, Hieromonk Gennady (in the world Grigory Vasilyevich Stepanov). Kanevsky Monastery novice Nikolai Vasilievich Stepanov. The authenticity of the signatures was certified by the abbot of the Konevsky Monastery, Abbot Mauritius. Memories of Father John of Kronstadt by General Elshin “Student youth in Kronstadt were well aware of the ascetic priesthood of Father John Sergiev. His evening services in St. Andrew's Cathedral attracted special attention from students of the Marine Engineering School, then called the Technical School of the Maritime Department. At the end of it, I was released into the 2nd naval crew of Her Majesty the Queen of Greece. The room in which I lived overlooked the street, where the House of Diligence (founded by Father John) was located, in which a spacious house church was located. One morning early I was awakened by the noise of the people who blocked the entire street near the House of Diligence. With incredible difficulty, I was able to get into the church when Father John from the pulpit called on the people to pray together for the unfortunate blind man standing bowed before the Royal Doors: “Here is the blind man... he is a Lutheran... our brother in Christ... let us all pray together for him...” In this spirit, Father called on everyone. Everyone’s prayers began with such force that it was impossible not only to hear, but also to understand the general confusion - what exactly happened?.. Then, amid the cries of “I have received my sight, I have received my sight” - an invisible current carried me down to the porch... to the street, where I could only wake up and recover from the joy that had stunned everyone. Some time later, my fiancee’s parents wished that Father John would visit them and serve a prayer service (they lived in Oranienbaum). I decided to infiltrate the Church of the City Duma during Father John’s service there. After desperate efforts I was at the altar. Father John stood in front of the throne, I was to the left of the northern entrance, and even further to the left a naval officer was kneeling, with three stars on his shoulder strap, leaning into his prayer book (in his hands). I decided to interrupt his prayer and asked his advice in a whisper: how can I fulfill my cherished mission and bring Father John to Oranienbaum to my parents? Having barely turned his face (covered with small pockmarks, as if from smallpox), this lieutenant advised me: endure the communion of all the people until the end, then take a moment to directly ask Father and then, elbow to elbow, do not tear yourself away from him and then immediately sit behind him in his wagon and send him to his home upon arrival in Oranienbaum. All this was fulfilled exactly, and after the prayer service my fiancée and I, together with our parents, were happy to accept the blessing that was dear to us and listen to his living word. A quarter of a century later, while holding an official post in Finland, I was supposed to accompany Infantry General P.D. Olkhovsky 445 on his official trip to Arkhangelsk, where we together visited the local ruler, Bishop Micah of Arkhangelsk, who charmed us with his conversation about military life. His voice seemed so familiar that I could not help being curious about his past service and, to my amazement, it turned out that in the world he was a naval officer in Kronstadt, and just the lieutenant who once gave me good advice on how to achieve happiness so that Father John accepted my invitation to Oranienbaum and served a prayer service in the house of my bride’s parents. Bishop Micah told us how, with the blessing of Father John, he accepted monasticism. The ship on which he, already captain II rank Alekseev, was in service, stood in the harbor and was preparing for the upcoming summer campaign. One day, at the end of the day's work on arming the ship, he was going down the working ladder into the working longboat and, slipping, fell into the longboat, and the rowlock pierced, wounded his jaw and loosened his teeth. By the time the longboat reached the pier, his entire head was so swollen that both eyes were completely closed, he could no longer see anything, and his swollen lips did not allow him to speak. His wife, called to the pier, did not want to hear about the doctors and took him straight to the church, where Father John was finishing his next service. The victim was brought with difficulty to the altar to Father John, who met him with a cross in his hands. The patient was helped to his knees. Covering his head with the stole, Father John began a persistent prayer and prayed for a long time at the throne for the health and salvation of the suffering warrior. During this long prayer, the swelling gradually disappeared, the eyes opened, and the victim could clearly thank Father for his prayers at the throne of God. “When I headed,” said the bishop, “towards the exit from the altar, I still felt with my tongue that the bruised tooth seemed to be dangling in my jaw; I somehow involuntarily turned to Father John and complained: “What about the tooth?” Father John ran his hand over his cheek and said: “Nothing... go... everything will pass.” This tooth,” continuing and pointing his finger at the tooth, “is still intact!” - said the lord. Upon his retirement, Captain II Rank Alekseev became a widower and decided to accept monasticism, with the blessing of Father John, and then entered the Theological Academy. "Higher spiritual education was not easy for me," said the bishop, "and besides, due to lack of means, I reached almost poverty, but I did not want to bother anyone with this; when there was nothing left, not even clothes and shoes, I decided to repent of this to Father John. The merciful one did not leave me in poverty, sent me his underwear, cassock and benefits and was very angry because I had brought myself to grief." to such an extreme and did not turn to him before. After I was appointed to the Archangel See, I went to visit my benefactor in Kronstadt, when he was already lying gravely ill, and in this last visit an extraordinary sign took place: before I had time to open the door, Father John, who had not risen from his bed for a long time, stood in front of it and greeted with the words: “And where do I get this from, that I have the Bishop of Archangel!”, although no one did. warned Father about my arrival.” After the conversation, Bishop Micah gave me a brochure compiled after a wonderful conversation between Father John, which he conducted at the invitation of the bishop with the priests of the Arkhangelsk diocese 446. Unfortunately, this very interesting recording remained in our native Russia.” Seattle, Washington State. Chief of the 42nd Infantry Division and commander of the XX Army Corps). Memoirs of Ekaterina Alexandrovna Petrovskaya, widow of a colonel, former company commander of the 1st Cadet Corps in St. Petersburg. “My brother Alexander Alexandrovich Lalosh lived in the city of Sochi with his sister, the wife of the head of the Sochi district M.A. Kraevskaya. My brother was sick. The sister sent a telegram to Father John, asking him to pray for his brother’s health. The priest prayed, and the patient began to recover, despite the fact that he was 20 years old and had tuberculosis. Now I don’t know if he’s alive? But when we evacuated from Yekaterinodar in 1920, he was healthy and was thinking of leaving for the mountains with the mountaineers. On October 17, 1905, my daughter Katyusha was born. A month and a half before her birth, I fell ill with kidney inflammation so seriously that the doctors required surgery. I didn't agree. At this time, Lydia Kazimirovna Yanush, the wife of a colonel, at that time a company commander in the 1st Cadet Corps in St. Petersburg, came to me: he was the godfather of my daughter Tamara. She said: “I will bring Father John to me, come to me, he will pray for your health.” I cooked fish soup from live sterlet myself, although I had a cook, and took it to Janusz for Father. Father has arrived. When I told him what was the matter, Father John, as I remember now, began to pray with the words: “Give some understanding, Lord, to foolish doctors,” and blessed me not to resort to surgery. The birth went smoothly and easily, despite the fact that at first I felt so sick that I thought I was dying. A girl was born. It was 8.5 o'clock in the morning. Then my husband came and said that Father John had prayed in the morning for my health. This girl was a wonderful creature, smart, kind, obedient, cheerful: everyone loved her, she had a kind word for everyone: for the little ones, for the big ones, and for the old ones. And during Bolshevism, it was only thanks to her that we received bread and saved money. During this visit by Father John to my relatives, when Father John left their apartment, a crowd surrounded him, he blessed him, then took out a sealed envelope with money, which someone had given him for his poor, as they said, and gave it, as if by chance, to the poorest person in the building, as it turned out, and said to another: “Pray with your wife, atone for your sins.” It was an employee who beat his big daughter to death because she came home late, but no one told Father about this. After Father’s death, when my soul became heavy, I went to his grave, served a memorial service, and then everything went well, and the children got better, and my soul was light. Yes, great was the power of Father John of Kronstadt’s prayer before the Lord.” After reading the first volume of your book “Father John of Kronstadt,” I came to the conclusion that I have no right to remain silent about the miracles that he performed in my family. Father John healed my grandmother from a fatal illness twice. I remember my first visit to Father John vaguely, since I was still young. I remember the depressed state of my family. We had a very large family: my grandparents had three daughters, all married and with a large number of children. Everyone lived in their grandfather's house, as did his two sisters and grandmother's two sisters. Everyone made up one big close-knit family, so any sadness or joy was clearly expressed by numerous members of this family and could not pass unnoticed by us children. During her grandmother’s illness, an ominous silence reigned in all her daughters’ apartments. I remember how one day my mother suddenly came into my nursery and, grabbing me by the hand, quickly led me into the hall where a priest I didn’t know stood and prayed. I got the impression that everyone was excited. After the prayer, Father John - I learned his name from the conversations of the elders - went to my grandmother, then they brought me to him for a blessing, and he left. The second visit to Father John of Kronstadt remains quite clearly in my memory. Again my grandmother was dying: she obviously had lobar pneumonia. She was forbidden to speak, she could only write on paper what she needed to say. Doctors declared the patient's situation hopeless. I was already a teenager, I loved my grandmother dearly and was deeply saddened by her condition. They asked Father John to come. He arrived in the afternoon and again prayed in the hall. He did not serve a prayer service, as I expected, but spoke words of prayers unfamiliar to me, spoke quickly, quickly, making nervous movements with his right hand and waving his index finger, like when they threaten. His voice rose sharply, then fell completely. He finished suddenly, turned sharply and walked with quick steps to his grandmother’s bedroom. We all rushed after him. My mother and aunts waited with bated breath for what Father would say. And he bent down to his grandmother, gently put his hand on her head and said: “Get well, get well, you still have to live, look how many grandchildren you have - you still need to rejoice in them, thank the Lord.” The grandmother wanted to answer something, but she coughed and could not utter a sound. The faces of my mother and aunts beamed with joy. Having blessed the grandmother and placing the holy cross to her lips, Father John just as quickly headed out of the bedroom. They began to beg him to go into the dining room, where the table was set. He still quickly entered and sat down. All his relatives surrounded him and stood in front of him. I walked forward to see his face; a blush covered his cheeks, his blue eyes looked lovingly at those around him; he smiled affectionately and asked something. Having eaten two or three grapes, putting a glass of Madeira to his lips, Father stood up as if he had jumped up and went out into the hallway. There his grandfather's cook met him and, bowing and catching Father's hand, asked him to come to his room, to his sick wife. Father John went, accompanied by all my relatives. The cook's wife met him dressed up in starched skirts; During Father John's prayer, she repeatedly knelt down. Having finished his short, abrupt and at the same time fervent prayer, Father John approached her, put his hand on her head with the usual gesture and asked when she received communion, then ordered her to receive another communion and began to say that our earthly life is temporary, that we must prepare for eternal life. “It’s amazing,” my mother said when we all gathered for dinner after Father John’s departure, “Father told my mother that she should live when she couldn’t even utter a word, but he read it to Peter’s wife, who looked completely healthy.” After some time, my grandmother got up and was completely healthy, but the cook’s wife suddenly died. The third case of healing before my eyes by Father John was an amazing miracle with my sister. This was after my grandmother’s death, when my parents and children moved to Odessa. My sisters fell ill with scarlet fever; everyone recovered, except one, who developed diphtheria, which in turn caused a complication. The temperature was over 40, a rash appeared on the body and, as the doctors said, pus had accumulated behind the ear. The situation was considered almost hopeless. The doctors suggested one more step that could save her, but the chances were very slim. Namely: they wanted to try to make a cut near the carotid artery and release the pus that had accumulated in large quantities. My parents agreed, and the day of the operation was set. My mother sent a telegram to her sisters in St. Petersburg, asking them to find Father John of Kronstadt and ask him to pray for her daughter’s health. On the eve of the operation at 7 o'clock in the evening, my parents were having dinner when the maid came to say that the patient was asking what they were eating, what she also wanted to eat. My mother was at a loss what to do, since my sister could hardly swallow liquid. She had no appetite for a long time. The sister, having learned that her parents were eating veal, stubbornly asked to be given something to eat. My mother scraped up some veal for her and gave it to her with fear; the girl ate it, asked for a second portion and ate it with pleasure and fell into a deep sleep. All the previous nights she tossed about, moaned and could not sleep. All night my mother stood on her knees at her child’s bedside, praying to the Lord to save his life. "I felt that a miracle was happening over us that night," my mother told us, "I put my hand to the girl's body - there was no fever, she was sleeping deeply, calmly, her breathing was even, normal. I could not help but kneel and pray... something extraordinary was happening - a miracle was in front of me." My father came into the room several times a night and asked: “He’s sleeping peacefully... there’s no fever,” the mother answered without getting up from her knees. The next morning they brought a response telegram from my aunts, reading: “At 7 o’clock in the evening, Father John prayed.” Just at this hour my sick sister asked for food. At 9 o'clock in the morning the doctors arrived for the operation. They were surprised to learn that the patient's temperature was normal. The hall was already prepared for the operation, and the girl was brought in and placed on the table. The doctors, feeling her neck and behind her ear, asked each other in surprise: “Where is the pus, such a quantity could not have resolved in any way!” The senior doctor finally took the lancet and made a puncture. There was no pus; there was only a drop of it at the very tip of the lancet. This drop indicated that the doctors were not mistaken, that there really was pus and they could palpate it in large quantities. And he disappeared. The doctors announced that there was nothing to cut, that the sister was out of danger, but they could not explain how the pus could disappear. “And I can explain to you,” said my father, “yesterday at 7 o’clock in the evening Father John of Kronstadt prayed for our daughter.” The story of Ksenia Nikolaevna Gumilevskaya, the wife of a colonel, living in Serbia, in Belgrade at Hilendarskaya street, 42. “Around 1896–1897, Father John of Kronstadt 447 came to Kiev. My mother, the general’s wife Caroline Karlovna Kruten, was told by a servant who came running that Father John of Kronstadt was nearby in the house. My mother immediately, throwing on a scarf, went to the neighboring house where Father John was. There were a lot of people, so mom couldn’t get to Father John. Father John extended his hand through the crowd to my mother and said that my mother would have to endure a lot of suffering, but that she should strengthen herself and endure everything with courage, and he called her a “sufferer.” Mom lived well, richly, and there was no thought of any suffering. My son died in the war, my mother was left without everything in Russia, where she died of a serious illness after surgery.” Two stories told to me by a friend of mine “I remember one fact that my mother told me. One day she wanted to talk and come under the blessing of Father John of Kronstadt. And so she went with one of our distant relatives, a rich person, who at that time did not need anything and had a light attitude towards religion and Father John, and when they both approached Father John’s blessing, he, fixing his long gaze on our relative, said to her: “Why did you come, fox?” or “What do you want, fox?” – I don’t remember exactly, but I blessed my mother. I also remember an incident from my youth. It was in 1897, when my sister and I were taken by surprise in terms of the need for special prayer, and we decided to write a letter to Father John of Kronstadt; invested some money in him and sent him off, asking him to pray for our dear loved one who lay dying. Having sent the letter, we expected not only an answer, but also the recovery of the patient. And they were bitterly amazed, remaining in great sadness when neither one nor the other followed, and he died. But God hears the prayer of a believing heart. The person for whom we asked to pray, reconciled with everyone, having received communion, passed into eternity. Now I remember the words that he said, namely: “Now I know that there is Christ, I see Him.” This means that the prayer was about a person’s soul, but we understood it only as a request for the body.” Reprint from the magazine “Helmsman” for 1902, communicated to me by Mr. Tazikhin. In the New Review, Mr. S-el publishes his memoirs about the late philosopher Vl. Solovyov. By the way, the author cites an interesting case dating back to 1890, when Solovyov lived in St. Petersburg in the “European Hotel” and was entirely occupied with the project of a petition to expand the rights of Jews 448. One day the author of the memoirs was sitting with a philosopher. “Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and a German servant, in broken Russian, hurriedly told us that in one of the rooms in our corridor was Father John of Kronstadt, who had just arrived and would probably come out now. - Let's go! – Vl exclaimed joyfully. Solovyov, and we went into the corridor. Just diagonally from our door we saw on the threshold of a small room, softly illuminated by the light of a lamp under a pink lampshade, a small group of three persons; it was Father John and a young couple, probably husband and wife, respectfully seeing off the shepherd, who was saying something kindly and quietly to them. We approached them, and Father John moved towards us, holding out his hands: he knew me from the affairs of the “Houses of Industriousness,” in which he took a large part and which he supported financially. Vl. I knew Solovyov for a long time, as did his entire family 449. - Hello, hello! - he said joyfully, turning to Solovyov and affectionately running his hand through his wavy hair, which he usually did with someone for whom he felt affection. - I have. Father, I have a very big request to ask of you,” Solovyov interrupted him with a trembling voice, looking down slightly. - Request? Which one, what? Speak quickly! “I started... one thing,” Solovyov said slowly and somewhat hesitantly, “one thing, I think, is a good and good thing... Bless me for this thing!” – And he respectfully bowed his beautiful head with a lion’s mane of curls before the small figure of the shepherd. Father John quietly raised the philosopher’s bowed head, looked intently into his face and quietly said: “May the Lord bless you and your work, if it is for good, but...” and he again began to peer into Vl’s eyes. Solovyov, crossing him with his wide, small hand, “your business will not end the way you think... And he began to move away from us in the crowd, which had long filled the corridor and was impatiently awaiting his blessing. The prediction came true: the project did not produce any results and ended in nothing.” Narration of engineer-colonel Kritsky “After reading Leo Tolstoy, in order to be honest and “not kill,” I, being a cadet at the Military Engineering School, threw my military uniform out the window and, tying my shirt with a rope, went to the school church. The general, the head of the school, gave me leave to come to my senses. I went to Father John of Kronstadt to get to know him: how does he read the Gospel - is it monotonous, is it clear? Doesn't it magnetize 450? I stood behind the column in the church so that he wouldn’t see; and he began to read the Gospel - and so clearly, like an orator; continuing the service, he moved to the right, turned around and gazed intently at me; I was amazed. Having recognized the hotel where he was invited to prayer services, I went there and saw a dozen Cossack guards waiting for him in a line. I stood in the middle; Father John, passing quickly, said to me: “You are not with them.” Having started the prayer service, Father John threw away the photographs that were standing with their covers facing up; at the end of the prayer service he was asked to enter the room with a snack on the table; he poured some wine into a glass and said, “For the health of everyone,” then sat down. Here they approached him one by one, asking for prayers and advice. Holding a pile of anti-war literature in my hands, I became the last, and he, looking at me, waved his hand and said: - I don’t have time to read. If you doubt, the Apostle Paul says: each one remain in his own rank 451. John the Baptist did not drive out the soldiers: do not offend the inhabitants, be content with your salary, he said 452. Before I could open my mouth, a crowd was already seeing him off. Two years later in St. Petersburg, after passing the exams, I felt an impulse to Father John. Captain D., who lived with me, preparing for the exam, says: “I don’t have the strength to prepare, there are 200 pages of formulas ahead,” ask Father John for me. In St. Andrew's Cathedral, in the altar, I pressed myself against his clothes, mentally asking him. He looked at me as he served. During the Cherubim, Father John knelt before the throne. He struck me with his transparent pinkish face, emitting some kind of light from above, the expression of a conversation with the Heavenly world. The extraordinary nature of this moment was confirmed many times during the next dozen of my visits, caused by an involuntary pull to be with him again and again... At that moment, when Father John warmly served wine from a mug to a dozen people standing in the altar, I told him a friend’s request for an exam; he asked again due to the incredible noise. Upon returning, my friend’s first question: - At what time did you ask for me? Around noon I felt so inspired! Look how many pages I got up, it’s amazing! This time was the moment of my request. “Tomorrow morning I’m going again,” I said to my surprised friend. I felt longing, longing to see Father John, and this repeated every day for more than a week. One day, with Captain Gervais and Staff Captain Kolosov, who were interested in my inspiration, we went again. Kolosov and I received Father John’s blessing to take a cabin for him to go to St. Petersburg. We squeezed through with difficulty; we barely managed to close the doors, because dozens of hands were in the way, and two women burst in. “Place the headboard,” Father John told me. Surprisingly, I didn’t understand, but the women complied at the moment and, quarreling, asked for something. “I can’t,” he answered and lay down for 15–20 minutes. Getting up, he leaned out the window into the fresh air. One day I followed Father John going down to the church basement, where he reprimanded the elder for being damp, and 10 minutes later at the altar gave him 10 rubles. Another time on the shore, entering a steam military boat, Father John exclaimed to the sailors: “Hello, brothers!”, showing me an example of how to treat military personnel. I was also at a general confession: calling for repentance, Father John mentioned King Manasseh, in chains, repentant and freed 453, he twice entered the altar, praying, and, leaving, said: “Repent, repent with tears”; finally said “forgiveness,” and the screams and cries of repentance subsided. I once witnessed when a tearing cry during the Cherubim revealed a possessed girl being brought to communion, Father John commanded: “Come out!”, the answer was: “Where? There are many of us!” He placed the Holy Chalice on the brought table, put his hand on the head of the demoniac, praying to heaven, and again commanded: “Come out!” – First a cry, then tears and calm... Father John gave her communion. I once accompanied him on the open deck in the pouring rain and watched as people bundled him up. In St. Petersburg, the crowd on the shore pointed out to me that Father John was going on board the ship; As I approached, I suddenly saw that splashes of wet clay fell on Father John’s cap above his forehead, forming a regular cross of 4-5 drops. I once saw that Father John was stopped by a crying lady; looking at her, he said: “You Catholics have your priests”; but she, crying, begged him in grief, telling him that her husband had left her; then, finally, feeling compassion, Father John said: “Well, now go. The Lord will return it to you.” It should be added that through the prayers of Father John, everything I asked was fulfilled, including the request to live closer to him; I spent nine summers in the Kronstadt camp.” Retired colonel and engineer, military electrician Mitrofan Kritsky. The story of Anna Petrovna Bertels-Menshoy (she is mentioned in the first volume). Father John was very fond of the Kronstadt mayor Philip Stepanovich Stepanov, who suffered a stroke, after which he was paralyzed for 10 years and did not speak at all, and only when greeting one Father John he always said: “Glory to God.” The last time Father John came on Easter and said: “I lost my diamond.” Shortly before that, Father John received from the Emperor a pectoral cross, in the middle of which there was a large diamond 454. Everyone thought that he was talking about this diamond, but the diamond was there. Father John began to hug Philip Stepanovich, press his head to his chest and pat his cheek and said: “Well, everything is God’s will.” Two weeks later the old man died. Obviously, Father John, by the Holy Spirit, knew the will of God about the imminent death of Philip Stepanovich and made it clear to his loved ones with two hints. Archpriest Father John Sergiev (Kronstadt) Father John Ilyich Sergiev "Kronstadt", Archpriest of St. Andrew's Cathedral Lithograph by P.D. Sytin. 1892 Kronstadt Archpriest John Ilyich Sergiev Memorial sheet for the 40th anniversary of the priestly service of Archpriest John Ilyich Sergiev. Father John Sergiev, Kronstadt Archpriest Color lithograph dedicated to Father John of Kronstadt Artist N. Karazin, 1901. ISO RSL Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt Cover of the first volume of the book by I.K. Sursky Title page of the first volume of the book The cover of the author's copy of the second volume of the book, published in 1941, with notes and corrections made by I.K. Sursky in 1946 Title page of the second volume of the book Author's copy of the second volume of the book “Father John of Kronstadt” with the autograph of I.K. Sursky and his letter to I.I. Sikorsky dated March 30, 1946 Icon of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt, painted for the canonization of Father in 1990 More about the miracle of Father John of Kronstadt “I heard and read a lot about miraculous healings that took place through the prayers of the ever-memorable Father John of Kronstadt. I consider it my duty to tell readers about how Father’s prayers helped in our family and how he saved my older brother from death. This happened, it seems, a year before Father’s death. I don’t remember the year well, but everything that happened was clearly preserved in my memory, even though I was a teenager then. My brother at that time was already a doctor in one of the regiments stationed in Vitebsk. We ourselves lived in Smolensk. One day my parents received a telegram that scared everyone terribly. It stated that my brother had become dangerously ill and, in an almost hopeless condition, had been urgently sent to Moscow for surgery. You can imagine the grief this telegram brought to our home, especially since this brother was especially loved by all of us, but my mother simply doted on him. Having received the telegram, my parents by telegram asked the clinic in Moscow where my brother was sent, about the progress of his illness and about the operation. From where they also received an uncomforting answer: “We can’t operate, we’re too weak. The doctors are afraid of the outcome of the disease” (my brother had either peritonitis, or purulent inflammation of the intestines, or both). Here, fortunately for us, my mother remembered Father John of Kronstadt and the healings through his prayers. Now a telegram was sent to him with an urgent request - to pray for my dying brother. We received an answer by telegram from Father John that we ourselves should go to the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and serve a prayer service there for the health of the sick person. This answer of Father John reflected his insight. He forced us to pray ourselves, as if knowing how rarely we attended Divine Services in those days and how, to our shame, we were almost indifferent to faith. I will never forget this prayer service in St. Nicholas Church - how we all cried bitterly during the prayer service and how the priest served it especially fervently. Prayer and tears eased our grief, and we came home, reassured. And the next day we received a telegram from Moscow, where we were notified of an amazing phenomenon: my brother’s temperature had dropped from 40° to normal, and the inflammatory process was going away. And there, after some time, my brother, completely healthy, was back in Vitebsk and still worked in the regimental area.” (Reprinted from No. 7 (213) of “Orthodox Russia”, dated 8/IV 1937) The story of Hieromonk St. Andrew of the Athos monastery Charalampia “On Holy Mount Athos, in the Russian monastery in the name of the Apostle John the Theologian, a monk Martinian by the name of Orel lived for more than 20 years - as a Little Russian, a stubborn man who would stop at nothing. He decided to go home and see his relatives. The rector, Hieroschemamonk Father Gerasim, knowing his character, gave him his blessing for the trip to Russia and upon departure said: - Father Martinian, make sure we return to Russia, otherwise we are oppressed here everywhere, as you yourself know. Of course, in the center of Russia all the ancient monasteries are already inhabited by old-timers, and in Siberia or the Caucasus there is still enough space for new monasteries. Father Martinian warmly took the words of the abbot to heart and straight from Odessa, without visiting his homeland, he went to St. Petersburg and Kronstadt to consult with Father John and receive a blessing from him. He arrived safely in Kronstadt, and fortunately he had the opportunity to talk with Father John, who told him: “If you want to achieve your desired goal, then today go from here to Vladikavkaz to the local diocesan bishop, without stopping anywhere and don’t slow down anywhere on the way; and if you go anywhere and interrupt your direct direction, then know that your goal will never be achieved. Father Martinian left immediately. In Moscow, he just ran from station to station, and although he had never been there, he was not at all interested in anything, having in mind only the commandment of Father John. But here comes a heavy temptation - the train is rushing past his native village, which he has not been to for more than 20 years, and it is still unknown when he will have to be there. “I’ll stop by for the shortest possible time, before the next train, to see my family, and then I’ll try to speed up the journey,” I decided and fulfilled my intention. I saw my old mother and other relatives, was in a hurry to continue my journey, but did not catch the next train and at the station with my relatives waited several hours before the next one, so I was almost a day late. Upon arrival in Vladikavkaz, he went to the Bishop's House and when asked to introduce himself to the Bishop, he was told that the Bishop was not at home, for he had gone on a meeting with the Viceroy of the Caucasus (who was touring the region entrusted to his administration), and it was only a few hours before he captured the Bishop's house. The energetic Father Martinian hurried to follow the indicated path further to Baku in the hope of seeing the Bishop and the Viceroy. Halfway through the journey, he learned that the Viceroy had stopped and spent a long time inspecting an ancient abandoned fortress. Father Martinian got down at the indicated station and went to the fortress visible on the mountain. On the way, I met with His Eminence Vladikavkazsky, who was returning to the station with a military priest. Just as they recognized him as a monk by his clothes, it was not difficult for him to recognize them. Father Martinian smartly and intelligently explained the purpose of his journey here, and the bishop burst out from his mouth: “Ah, if you had been here a few hours earlier, then the Viceroy would have immediately approved by his decree that there should be a monastery in this fortress, since he himself said that this fortress is more like a monastery, and if there were monastics to live here, then I would have made all my efforts to ensure their comfortable stay here.” Well, why don't you show up a few hours earlier? And now the Viceroy hastily left for Tiflis. I advise you to go there immediately to him with my letter. Father Martinian, having received the letter, went to Tiflis, but in Tiflis he was informed that the Viceroy had left hastily on a call to St. Petersburg. After that, no matter how much Father Martinian traveled and wherever he applied, he received only refusals everywhere. And having failed to complete his mission, he returned to Athos, where he died as a schema-monk. The Orthodox Estonian Theodore Grosman, a young man, asked Father John for his blessing to go to Athos to become a monk, and Father answered him; - God bless! You will be a monk and a hierodeacon, but you will not be a hieromonk! F. Grosman came to Athos and joined the brotherhood of our St. Andrew's monastery. He was an assistant to a pharmacist and a capable singer: he was tonsured a monk with the name Thaddeus and was soon ordained a hierodeacon, and he frankly told everyone about the prophecy of Father John. But after spending several years as a hierodeacon, I began to doubt this prophecy and ridicule the righteous man, saying that I would still be a hieromonk. Once he was passed over for ordination, ordaining younger hierodeacons as hieromonks, which made him even more embittered. And when name-worshipping turmoil 455 appeared in the monastery, Father Thaddeus, not out of jealousy, attached himself to the name-worshipers, but only out of anger at the abbot for not presenting him for ordination, as he expected to receive the priesthood, and together with the name-worshippers he had to leave Athos, as their supporter. In St. Petersburg, he took off his spiritual clothes and got married, but the marriage was unsuccessful, and a year later he divorced his wife and remarried another. This is what mockery of the prediction of a righteous man could lead a person to, whom it would be the same to offend as God. An elderly pilgrim comes to the rector of our monastery, Father Joseph, and asks to be accepted into the ranks of the brotherhood, of which there was plenty, and there were many pilgrims willing to join, young and capable of doing anything; but only this pilgrim declared that Father John of Kronstadt sent him to him. Father Joseph asked: - Do you know any craft? “I’m a mason and I can pave roads.” – And, if you’re a mason, then we need you. We need to build a road from the monastery to the water mill. “Father Father John told me this: “Go to Athos to St. Andrew’s monastery and you will lead the way there.” The new novice soon took up the obedience entrusted to him and within a year he had built a good zigzag road to the mill, along which the largest cars (which are not yet here) and carts drawn by oxen could freely drive into the deep gorge. At the end of the road, the mason fell ill, went to the monastery hospital and died there as a hermit, having lived on Mount Athos for two years. Schemamonk Joseph of our monastery was a zealous admirer of Father John. Father Joseph had to live until 1914 in St. Petersburg at the skete's courtyard, and he knew in detail the biography of Father John and told me exactly the same about the incident with Father John (placed in your book) about the “slaughter” of his enemies and that after that he suffered greatly physically until his death, but he endured everything patiently. A certain Alexander... was serving his military service in the Kronstadt fortress and one day came to St. Andrew’s Cathedral for the Liturgy, which was served by Father John. When everyone began to come up to partake of the Holy Mysteries, he too came up, following the example of others, although he did not prepare for Communion. Father John, noticing that he had a bayonet hanging from his belt, said: “Put away the bayonet.” He went and gave it to the elder, and while he was walking, Father John had already finished Communion, and Alexander did not have time to take communion. Probably, Father John foresaw that he came to Communion without the proper blessing, or that he later became an atheist communist, and with his nagging at the bayonet he pushed him away from the Chalice, while he forced others in every possible way to receive Holy Communion as often as possible.” Thanks to all staff in pious deeds, I am always a prayer book Holy Hieromonk Charalampius. Letter from Archpriest Aristarkh Ponomarev, member of the All-Foreign Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, held in August 1938 in Sremski Karlovci in the former. Yugoslavia, which was previously a member of the All-Russian Spiritual Council in Moscow. “Personally, the Lord did not destined me to see the great man of prayer, seer and miracle worker, our father John. But from many meetings and conversations with people who were in close contact with Father John, I developed the conviction that Father John Sergiev (Kronstadt) is a great saint of God and a glory to the Russian Orthodox Church. As a priest of the Yekaterinburg Epiphany Cathedral, I was invited by a parishioner to a birthday dinner. After the prayer service, everyone sat down at the refectory table. We started talking about Father John. The owner of the house (the birthday boy) was in the city of Irkutsk visiting his partner on trade matters. The latter's family consisted of a husband, wife and little daughter, who was seriously ill with scarlet fever. The fear of losing their only daughter shook the hearts of the parents. All possible measures were taken in place and time, but the child melted before the eyes of his parents. The mother insisted on sending a telegram to Father John, and the father, apparently, did not share faith in the power of Father John’s prayer. But still, overcome by the power of maternal love, he sent a telegram to Kronstadt asking for prayer. The narrator returned home to Yekaterinburg and here, a few days later, he received a letter from the father of the sick baby with the joyful news that on the same day the answer was received: “Pray - she will live.” The narrator himself admitted that he did not believe in the possibility of such an outcome after sending the telegram. When, to his considerable embarrassment, he received a joyful letter from his father who believed, he and his wife decided to go to Kronstadt, to see the prayer book and miracle worker. We've arrived. After the early Liturgy, they waited in their room in the House of Industriousness for Father John. The general nervousness was transmitted from those who were waiting for Father John to the narrator, and on this basis he had a quarrel with his wife, who even burst into tears at the undeserved bitter word from her husband. Father John quickly entered the room. He served a short prayer service for water and began to pour out the tea prepared in advance. And during this entire procedure, he never once turned to the offending husband, but all the time he spoke sympathetically with the offended wife. And only at parting he said to him: Husbands, love your wives 456, and quickly left. “I,” says the narrator, “was struck, as if by heavenly thunder, by these words, which said that Father in his spirit understood both the cost of the insult and the state of the hearts of the spouses.” In 1915 I was appointed to the Baltic Fleet as a priest. Arriving in Kronstadt, I was late to report to the Chief of the Naval Staff until 12 o'clock and had to wait for the end of the lunch break after the gun. Talking with the sailor who was at the cannon, I realized that not everything was going well in the relationship between the command staff and the sailors. This gave me some kind of vague, painful foreboding. Appearing to the chief of staff, I found out the parking lot of my ship and received an order to immediately go to the ship. My traveling things were left with relatives in Petrograd. The boss did not take into account my message about this, and I was forced to refuse my appointment. Leaving the boss’s office, I felt as if the ground beneath me was shaking. I lost my balance, spasms choked my throat. Not having the strength to return to Petrograd, I decided to spend the night in Kronstadt. In the House of Industriousness they assigned me a room. Left alone with only the portrait of Father John hanging on the wall, I turned to him with tears as if he were alive: “Father John, help my brother.”... And with bitter tears I fell asleep. In the morning I hear a knock on the door and a voice: “Father, dear, Baroness Taube asks you for a cup of coffee.” I thank you and ask permission to first serve a memorial service for Father John. My proposal was accepted, and I served a memorial service in Father John’s office, prefacing it with a short word about the ever-memorable Father John. The prayer ended, and I was with the baroness in her room. Apparently, everyone here lives with the same memory of the deceased dear Father, in whose memory, obviously, I, an unknown person, was also called “dear Father.” “It’s on the same chair where you, dear father, were sitting,” the Baroness told me, “that our unforgettable Father John spent his last days with us. We all, with bated breath, listened to his words, or rather, his thoughts out loud. He spoke slowly, slowly and barely intelligibly. His presence alone was priceless to us. During one of the last conversations, Father kept looking at the ceiling, and we wondered what this meant? Only one face understood this attention of Father, directed to the ceiling. Unnoticed by us, the cook left the office. From the latter’s repentant speech we later learned that, having understood the vision of the seer Father John, she hastily moved her chest from the attic to the carriage house. When Father died, the police began to seal all property 457. The bailiff approached the coachman, followed by the cook with a request: - Allow me, Mr. Bailiff, to take my chest from the carriage house. - What chest, what do you have in it? When the policeman opened the chest, there were pieces of brocade, silk, comb, etc. that belonged to the deceased and were stolen by his cook. Thus the deceased silently called to repentance the one who had sinned against the commandment; do not steal." Having thanked the kind baroness for her shelter and attention, I set off for Petrograd with a somewhat lighter heart. Here a telegram was waiting for me from Headquarters about my appointment as a priest at the headquarters of the Vladivostok fortress. This is the answer to my appeal to Father John. Living in Vladivostok, I once met with tax inspector N, the nephew of the former Archbishop Anthony of Arkhangelsk (if my memory serves me correctly) 458 . Having graduated from the Arkhangelsk Theological Seminary in 1905, this then young man, as a relative of the ruling bishop, remained with him as his personal secretary for the summer before going to the university. As you know, Father John annually traveled to the village of Sura in the Arkhangelsk diocese - to his homeland. Father's arrival was awaited there like an annual holiday. Infected by the general scent of 1905, our personal secretary of the Bishop decides that since he receives a blessing from the archbishop every day, he does not need the blessing of even the capital’s archpriest and will not accept it from Father John. At the appointed hour, Father John, tired from the journey, but cheerful, entered the crowded cathedral. The crowd, like a wave, carried our hero to Father John. Vigilant blue, smiling eyes, like a bright ray of the sun, illuminated the darkened consciousness and depths of the young man’s heart, and he automatically folded his hands to receive the blessing. But, to his surprise, Father only kissed him and did not give him a blessing. A feeling of repentance gripped the Bishop’s personal secretary, and he decided: “Tomorrow I will certainly receive a blessing.” After waiting for Father John to rise early, he asks for his blessing. “You receive blessings from the archbishop every day, and I am only an archpriest.” And again that smiling, loving, searching look. “I,” the narrator concludes, “threw myself at the feet of the seer and begged him to forgive me for repeating my words.” “Well, that’s the same,” Father John said to him, blessing him fatherly, “after all, the priestly, as well as the bishop’s, is the same blessing from God...” Leaving for the Far East, Father Aristarkh Ponomarev remembered the following incident, which I wrote down from his words. The owners of one of the St. Petersburg furnished houses for visitors began to notice that their rooms were empty, since no one was coming from the stations. Being pious people, they invited Father John to serve a prayer service with them. Father John arrived, served a prayer service and all the time looked intently at the doorman of the house. The owners guessed that the reason for not visiting their house was the doorman, they sent their people to check, and indeed, it turned out that when they drove up with suitcases in cabs, as if from a train station, and asked for a stop number, the doorman said that everyone was busy. The owners fired the doorman, and their business continued well. Story by Vl. A . Mayevsky, librarian of the Serbian Patriarchal Library, according to his father-in-law, Privy Councilor Vasily Mikhailovich Skvortsov (previously mentioned in detail). At the editorial office of the Missionary Review magazine in St. Petersburg, typesetter Foma Lukyanschikov fell ill after a severe cold. He spent several months in the hospital, but the doctors did not understand the disease and made different diagnoses. The patient was sent to Crimea, but Crimea did not help either, and gradual dying began. The doctors completely refused treatment. The patient's family and colleagues persistently asked Mr. Skvortsov to ask Father John to pray for the patient's recovery. V.M. Skvortsov asked Father John, and he promised to come twice, but could not. After this V.M. Skvortsov told Father John: - If you don’t come, Lukyanschikov will die. Father John replied: “Nothing, don’t worry, he’ll survive.” Finally, Father John arrived, prayed and was absolutely sure that the sick man would recover. The doctor waved his hand and said: After some time, Father John, having met with V.M. Skvortsov at the meeting, he himself tells him: - Well, let's go to your patient, he is probably better. And indeed, they found the patient sitting on the bed. Father John also prayed with the family. A few months later, Foma Lukyanschikov stood at the press in the printing house and worked as before. This story is reminiscent of the Gospel story about how Christ, having heard that Lazarus was sick, stayed in that place for two days and then went to him 459. The Lord acted in this way to let Lazarus die and then resurrect him, so that everyone would see the power of God and believe. So Father John, having asked Christ for healing for Lukyanschikov, delayed to give time to everyone: both doctors and family, to be convinced of the complete hopelessness of the patient, and so that it would be clear to everyone that he was healed exclusively by the power of Christ. The late Nikolai Petrovich Kadyan, lieutenant colonel of the Military Educational Department, who lived in the b. Yugoslavia, in Belgrade, said the following: “In May 1893, Father John of Kronstadt 460 came to Kyiv. I was then a cadet of the 2nd class of the Kiev Cadet Corps. Father John served a prayer service in the corps. His service made a deep impression on me. My father, a retired lieutenant colonel, was also present at this prayer service. From the building, Father John went straight to Countess Orlova-Davydova, where, through the prayer of Father John, the countess was healed. After the prayer service in the building, Father John blessed all those present with a common sign of the cross. When my father and I returned home, my father, knowing that Father John had left Kyiv and having a spiritual desire to receive from him at least a blessing in absentia for the family, wrote Father John a letter asking him to pray for the whole family. My father attached a note with the names of our family members and a certain amount of money and asked Father John to bless each family member at least in absentia. This was in May. At the beginning of June, the father sees the following dream: He is in a huge cathedral unknown to him, Father John is serving a prayer service, at which our whole family is present. After the prayer service, we all, in turn, approached Father John for a blessing, except for our four-year-old sister, who remained standing aside. Waking up, my father told us this dream, suggesting that something would happen to his little sister, since she, although in the dream, was left without a blessing. When my father some time later saw in the Niva magazine an image of the interior of St. Andrew's Cathedral, the place of service of Father John, he recognized exactly the cathedral that he had seen in a dream, and even showed us the place in the picture where we stood according to the prayer service seen in the dream. After some time, on December 4 of the same 1893, my sister died of croup. My father remembered the dream and told us: “Father John foresaw that his sister would not live, and he predicted this in a dream.” “In 1893, my ten-year-old son fell ill with scarlet fever; I managed to place him in the Prince of Oldenburg Hospital 461 in a separate room. The hospital equipment was excellent, and the care for the patients was most thorough. The treatment was carried out under the supervision of the director of the hospital, a specialist in childhood diseases, the famous Professor Rauchfus. Despite all the favorable conditions, the son’s cruel illness could not be treated, but, on the contrary, quickly led to a fatal end. One difficult day, our dear matron persuaded me to take a walk in the clean air, to walk along the streets. I went out and moved like an automaton, in a straight line, along Ligovka, nothing interested me. A carriage drove by in the distance, and it seemed to me, not with my eyes or my mind, but with my soul, that Father John of Kronstadt was in it, and suddenly a thought flashed through me: that’s who I needed to turn to for help and ask him to pray for my son. I didn’t think about it - I have to, I have to do it, but how? Everything seemed so complicated, but still this hope never left me. I reached the end of Ligovka, where Baseinaya Street abutted, and turned into it, deciding to walk to Liteinaya and return back. Before reaching it a little, I saw a large crowd of people standing on the sidewalk. Having reached the outer line of the crowd, I asked those standing there why so many people had gathered, what happened? “Father John of Kronstadt came here to serve a prayer service at the butcher,” they answered me. Such an unexpected, wonderful meeting for me with someone I had just been thinking about, amazed me. Mentally, I came to the conclusion that I could and should reach him and ask him to pray for my son, but with contrition I saw that I was standing so far from where he left the house, and it was impossible to squeeze through the thick crowd to get to him. And it was already too late to do anything, because the crowd suddenly surged like a tidal wave, because new people poured into it from the entrance of the house. First of all, a large party of men came out, clerks of the butcher merchant, who immediately pushed aside the people standing near the entrance and, standing on both sides of it, formed a chain for the passage of Father Father John, free and safe from the crowd, from the entrance door to the carriage door. Father John came out behind them, led by the arms. He had a bright and joyful smile on his face, and he looked affectionately at the crowd. Having reached half of the sidewalk, he turned his head in our direction and suddenly said loudly: “Oh, and you’re here!” and, leaving the closed chain, headed in my direction. Everyone parted, and this gave me the opportunity to freely approach him, and I remember how excitedly and impulsively I spoke: - Father, bless me, my son is dangerously ill, he is dying. He blessed me, and I don’t remember exactly his words, but it was something comforting and encouraging. I kissed his hand and he left. What my soul experienced after the miracle of this meeting with Father John, I cannot express in words, and then I realized that the words spoken so loudly: “Oh, and you are here,” applied specifically to me. What was impossible for me was to approach him, but for him, the seer, it was easy to go along with the desire of the tormented soul of the mother for the suffering of her child and asking for his prayerful help. Returning to my place, I learned that my son’s temperature had dropped, but this drop in temperature caused some new anxiety among the doctors and the warden; I was calm, and indeed, this was our last anxious night. The son's situation was complicated only by one strong weakness, but the crisis passed well, and he began to recover. The established normal sleep quickly restored his strength. When he got stronger and was already on his feet, I left the hospital, as he was transferred to the general convalescent ward to withstand quarantine. As it turned out later, the disease did not leave any consequences. There was only one thing left to do - to thank God and our helper and prayer book for us, Father John of Kronstadt.” Currently, the mother who reported this fact is 81 years old. Both she and her son have lived in England as expats for 20 years. His name is Boris Andreevich Perott. 19/VII 1939 155 Cromwel Road S. W. 5. London, England. There are many women in whose families there were miraculous manifestations of the power of the Holy Spirit through Father John, but they do not want these cases to be announced with their names. Obviously, they never read the Gospel, where the Lord said: Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, I will also be ashamed of him when I come in My glory 462 . I do not write down or present such anonymous stories, as they do not inspire confidence in readers. However, now I will give an excerpt from a letter signed with the maiden and married names addressed to Archbishop Vitaly of Eastern America dated November 29, Art. Art. 1933 and registered in the Brotherhood of the Holy Venerable Job of Pochaev 463 "received on December 16, 1933 under No. 3035. The letter was written to the bishop while he was still an archimandrite. Unfortunately, the author of the letter did not indicate her address in it. “I am a native of St. Petersburg, and my parents knew and revered Father John well. When he was in St. Petersburg, Father John sometimes came to us and talked with my relatives (he simply called my father Seryozha). When I was four years old, and I was brought from the estate to St. Petersburg, and then to Kronstadt to Father John, he blessed me, looked at my face, put his hand on my head and said to my parents: "Varvara will have many, many children and think about them, take care of them. Only these are all other people's children." I grew up and was brought to St. Petersburg to study. When I graduated from the institute, Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod V.K. Sabler offered me a position as a teacher in a church teacher's school located on his estate "Bogoslovsky" in the Tula province, Kashira district. The school was large for girls, it had 6 classes (3 junior - second-grade school and 3 senior - church-teacher school) 464. There were 250 students. I started teaching there when I was 19 years old. There were many orphans, and I tried to replace their mother. Before giving consent, V.K. Sabler, I prayed a lot to God, asking Him to show me whether to go teach or not. I fell asleep in tears, and above my bed there was a large portrait of Father John of Kronstadt. At night I heard a voice whispering to me: “Go, be a teacher.” In the morning I told my mother: “I’ll go.” Having emigrated in 1923, I was the head of a Russian kindergarten in Paris for six years, then a large Russian orphanage near Biarritz. For eight years I took children's summer colonies to the ocean shore or to the forest for two summer months. In France, 520 children of emigrants, the poorest, passed through my hands. I am writing this to you so that you can see how correctly the great saint of God predicted my future. If you find it necessary to print some excerpts from my letter, then do not include my first and last name. You will understand that too many people know me thanks to my teaching work, and what I tell you as a clergyman should not be known by ordinary people, associating it with my name. God willing, we will live to see that joyful moment when we will be present at the celebration of the canonization of Father John.” If this book of mine comes by chance to you, the author of this letter, then listen to me, an old man, and immediately pray fervently to Father John, so that he begs Christ to forgive you for your terrible false shame, and so that Christ will not be ashamed of you. Of course, neither Vladyka Vitaly, nor I, nor anyone in general will understand that there is anything shameful or shameful for you to tell humanity that the prophet of God John of Kronstadt predicted to your parents, when you were only four years old, that you would engage in teaching activities with children?! Perhaps. You are ashamed to say that you pray to God, so that the Lord will show you how to decide, and that you will hear the answer. But this is also a false shame. Read chapter 2 of the Acts of the Apostles, verse 17: And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; and your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams; Verse 18: And on My servants and on My handmaids in those days I will pour out My Spirit, and they will prophesy. Letter from Nikolai Ivanovich Rogovoy In view of the fact that you deign to continue publishing the next book about St. John of Kronstadt, I cannot remain silent about one incident that happened to me in my life related to the affairs of the saint. In early childhood I suffered from epilepsy, and when I was 10 years old, on Holy Thursday I got ready with my mother to go to church for the 12 Gospels. While my mother was getting ready, the nanny dressed me in a new suit and coat, and I waited for my mother while she got dressed, sitting on a chair in the dining room. The nanny went to other rooms. At that time I had a seizure and fell from my chair to the floor. My mother and nanny came running, picked me up, undressed me, and sprinkled me with cold water, as before, but I did not regain consciousness until the morning. Nobody went to church. The mother, as a believing woman, prayed, kneeling before the icons of the Savior Not Made by Hands and the Pochaev Mother of God, for this was in the Volyn province, where in every house there was a copy of this miraculous Pochaev icon. Having prayed at night, the mother dozed off and in a dream saw Father John of Kronstadt as he came out of the altar of the Kronstadt Cathedral in vestments, carrying the Holy Gifts. My mother woke up completely cheerful, reinforced by this dream with the confidence that I would be healthy, sat down at my desk, wrote an urgent telegram with a paid answer to Father John of Kronstadt, asking him to pray for the sick youth Nicholas. At dawn, one of the efficient workers was raised, he saddled the fastest horse and rushed 10 miles to the post office to deliver the telegram. The mother, having sent a telegram, again plunged into prayer until the morning. The messenger returned from the post office long ago, the dispatch was sent, but they cannot bring me to my senses; the doctor, of course, was not close, and somehow everyone forgot about the doctor, but brought me to my senses with their own means. At about 9 o'clock in the morning on Good Friday, I opened my eyes, but the painful state somehow depressed me further. The mood in the house was depressed; preparations for the holiday were somehow sluggish and apathetic. One mother was apparently in a bright, joyful mood and consoled her father. She deeply believed that there would be a positive response to her dispatch, and was looking forward to it. On Saturday morning, the mother sent the same worker to the post office for a dispatch and said that there should be an answer, ordered to wait for the answer and not to return without it. That same day, in the evening, the horseman returned on his horse, lathered from the race, ran into the room and gave his mother a telegram. After reading it, the mother burst into tears, her shock was so great, but she soon calmed down and began to pray. The response telegram contained approximately the following content: “Christ is Risen! (It was the eve of the Holy Resurrection of Christ). The youth Nikolai will be healthy, pray to the Savior.” On Holy Saturday in the evening I felt completely healthy, although I had not eaten anything; He got dressed himself, went out into the living room, where the Easter table was already set and there was a pleasant smell from the Easter cakes, there were Volyn mazurkas and other pleasant things. The family, seeing that I was walking as if I was not sick, were terribly happy, everyone was in a great mood, and my nanny cried with joy (the nanny served with us until her death): I hugged and kissed the nanny, assuring her that I was quite healthy. My mother made me kneel in front of the icons, and she herself stood next to me; she prayed for a long time with tears, thanking God for my healing. She read prayers, and I repeated after her. They went to matins and they took me. I was small, I didn’t understand, but I felt that some kind of change had occurred in me, I felt some kind of strength of a completely healthy child, there was a desire to play, play pranks and be mischievous, which was not there before. On the second day of Easter, I went to mass, confessed and received communion, and after that I lived to be half a century old and never suffered from epilepsy again. In the summer of the same year, in July, my mother and I went to St. Petersburg, and from there to Kronstadt, to thank God and Father there and so that he, our Saint John of Kronstadt, would lay his hand on me and bless me. My late mother’s faith was so strong. Every day there were a lot of people in the cathedral, they came from all over vast Rus', and everyone wanted to see, they were waiting for the blessing of the saint, so it became difficult for us, almost impossible, to be close to the saint in any way, to touch his clothes. My mother and I lived in Kronstadt for 8–9 days and spent almost all the time in the cathedral, when there were services, or near the cathedral, hoping to see the saint. We were already losing hope of seeing the great confessor, of getting through the crowd to him in order to receive his blessing for the rest of my life. Towards the end of our stay in Kronstadt, after the service, the saint comes out of the cathedral, a crowd surrounds him, people fall to their knees, the crowd somehow picked up my mother and me and carried us almost two steps towards the saint, and my mother and I approached him. Saint John of Kronstadt glanced at me and said: “Let the child come to me,” and I appeared before the saint with childish fear and immediately wanted to kiss his hand and receive his holy blessing, as my mother inspired and taught me. The saint caressed my head with his hand and said: “You, Nikolai, will be healthy, I prayed for you.” I pressed my lips tightly to the saint’s hand and began to cry and did not notice that my mother was immediately on her knees and kissing the saint’s cassock. This whole scene happened somehow instantly, but the people parted so that I, a small one, would not be crushed in the crowd. The saint also blessed his mother, saying: “By your faith, your son Nikolai will no longer be sick.” Mother cried with happiness that she had achieved her desired goal - she and I received the saint’s blessing. How perspicacious the saint was: without ever seeing us, he called me by name, knew why we came from Volyn to Kronstadt, and gave us everything we so longed for - a pastoral blessing. A crowd of people surrounded us, and they asked my mother if Father John even knew us. Mother answered that he met us here for the first time: she told us about the case of my illness, the sending of the telegram, and that through his holy prayer I became completely healthy. Such was the strong and strong faith of the Russian people in their prophets and saints. I can confirm all of the above with an oath, for although I was still small then, I did not understand much, but I felt and deeply believed under the influence and inspiration of my mother, who later, when I grew up, told me about all this, and besides, she, as an educated woman, wrote down all the moments with all the details in her diary, and then, after her death, I often reread it, so I remembered for the rest of my life this incident of my healing through the prayer of Father John of Kronstadt, the last saint of the Russian land. I called Father John a saint, for such miracles can only be performed by holy saints.” Belgrade, st. Prote Mateja, 13. The story of Evgenia Ivanovna Lebedeva, who lives in Serbia, in Belgrade, Dobricheva st. 17. “When I was about 10 years old, I attended a dinner with the wealthy manufacturer Maksimov in St. Petersburg, where Father John was, and I remember well how he turned to the hostess of the house with the words: “You, mother, have very little time left to live - three days, no more, so hurry up and quickly arrange for your sick daughter to live permanently in the Assumption Monastery.” Mrs. Maksimova was very amazed by this prediction, as she felt very good. Mr. Maksimov listened to Father John and took his idiot daughter to the Assumption Monastery forever and, when he returned, he found his wife already dead. She was not sick before her death, but only said: “I’m missing some air,” and, having said this, she died of a broken heart.” Father John - seer of the future Memoir of the choir director singing in the left choir of the Trinity Church in Belgrade, Serbia. When Father John visited the 1st Warsaw Girls' Gymnasium at 465 Rimarska Street, when he was sitting at the dinner table, all the schoolgirls came up to him for a blessing. When the narrator approached, the boss told Father John that this girl was a singer. Then Father John turned to face the girl, put his hand on her head and said: “At church, at church!” The girl did not understand what this meant, but her father interpreted these words of Father John to her in the sense that it meant going to church and praying to God. “My life,” said this lady, “has developed in such a way that I have been and am at the church all my life, first as a singer, then as an elder sister of the Kiev sisterhood at the Vladimir Cathedral, and now I direct the choir.” Thus, the prophetic words of Father John were fulfilled. A wonderful story told to me from the Don region In the Don region, in the village of Sheptukhovo, lived a wealthy landowner Nikolai Aleksandrovich Polyakov. His estate was large, and he received it either as a reward for military service, or as an inheritance from his father. He was a strict and cruel man, and God forbid if someone else’s cattle entered his land: he was terribly angry and punished the owner of these animals. Many, even after such an incident, were afraid to show themselves to him. He was an unbeliever and did not believe in what was written at that time about Father John. I didn’t believe it until I experienced it myself. Once he arrived in Kronstadt and went straight to Father John, and, despite the fact that a lot of people were waiting in line to get to Father, he, Polyakov, hoped that he, like a big gentleman, would be let in first. But that was not the case! Polyakov did not have enough patience, and still wanted to get forward. Father John noticed this and calls him by name, patronymic and surname and says: “Don’t rush here, but rather hurry home and repent for your deeds.” The landowner was very frightened by the words of Father John and stopped squeezing and returned home, realizing that Father John was a truly perspicacious man. Returning home, he began to lead a completely different life: he did not offend anyone, and if he offended, he went to ask for forgiveness; sold most of his estate, leaving only 100 dessiatines to his children (he had a large family); He began to help the poor who needed anything, and rumors about him spread far and wide, and the poor began to come to him, and no one was offended, and he did not refuse anything to anyone. His wife was unhappy with his behavior, but he did not pay attention to it and did his good deed. Every Sunday he went to church with his family, lit candles in front of the holy icons and made prostrations throughout mass, and at the end of the service he went to give alms to the poor. In this village of Sheptukhova there was a wooden church, and it was decided to build a stone one. Many people, clergy, gentlemen and laity, came to the laying. Around the church there were tents for the clergy and gentlemen on one side and for the laity on the other. At the end of the celebration, Mr. Polyakov gathered all the poor cripples and seated them at the tables that had been prepared for the clergy and gentlemen, and he himself served them. Everyone began to grumble at him, but they could not do anything. He said: “These are my best guests, perhaps this is my last dinner with them.” Soon he sent a telegram to Father John that he wanted to come to him, but Father John also answered him with a telegram: “There is no time for you to come here, it’s better to get ready for a long journey!..” And indeed, Polyakov soon fell ill, lay in bed for one week, received Holy Communion. One day, when his family and some of his friends were sitting in the room next to the sick man, they saw how one monk with a fish bone cross on his chest walked past them and, without asking anyone, entered the sick man’s room. Everyone sat for a long time and waited for his return and wondered what he was doing for so long with a sick person? They began to worry and went to the sick room. It turned out that the patient was already dead, and on his chest was the cross that was seen on the monk, but the monk himself was not there. They wondered where the monk could have gone, since there was no other way out of this room. The body of the late Polyakov stood there for a whole week, until all the children came to pay their last respects to their father. They buried him near the church. Message V. Golunsky, teacher of the law at the gymnasium in the city of Bila Tserkva 466 “Archimandrite Theodosius (before accepting monasticism - Father Alexander Efimov, rector of the Chernigov Cathedral), being a law teacher of the Cadet Corps in the city of Bila Tserkva (former Yugoslavia), told me about an unforgettable meeting of his, while still a student at the Kyiv Theological Academy, with Father John of Kronstadt, who later had a great influence on his pastoral activities and in particular, on the choice of his wife to Father Alexander - a faithful friend and assistant in life, who died in Russia. The perspicacious Father John predicted to Father Archimandrite, then still a modest priest, that he would subsequently occupy a high and honorable position, which actually came true several years before the righteous death of Father Archimandrite; by the late Metropolitan Anthony he was recommended as a confessor to the Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, in which rank he remained and admonished the Grand Duke with the Holy Mysteries on his deathbed... 467 At the same time, being the confessor of the entire family of the Grand Duke, he gained their love and deep respect until his death in the city of Cannes, where he was buried.” From these last stories and many other stories printed in this book, it is absolutely clear that Father John was informed by the Lord God about the upcoming fate of certain persons, about various upcoming events, about what is happening away from Father John, what this or that person is thinking or saying. In what ways the Lord revealed all this to Father John, we, sinful people, are not given to know, but the facts are there and remain facts. The Holy Spirit constantly revealed to Father John that his prayer had been heard, which gave Father John the opportunity to speak prophetically, telegraph and write about the sick for whom he was asked to pray: “He will be healthy.” Therefore, the only thing we can do and must do is to humbly glorify the Lord God, who gave such power to man, and to fully honor this saint of God, Father John of Kronstadt - the prophet of the Most High God. Chapter 19. The Lord God desires that the miracles He performed through Father John be preserved in the memory of people exactly and be transmitted by them to humanity The story of Colonel Alexey Alekseevich Bykov, who lives in Serbia, in Belgrade, on Pozharevatskaya street. No. 15, own house. “Forty-five years ago, when I was a cadet at the Military Topographical School in St. Petersburg, one day my comrade, cadet Alexei Lyubitsky, returned to the school from vacation, from Kronstadt, where his father was a gymnasium teacher, and said the following: “My relative in Kronstadt, whom I just visited today, was ill for a long time and very seriously with some kind of internal illness in connection with kidney and liver diseases. Our relatives turned to all sorts of doctors and celebrities in Kronstadt and St. Petersburg, tried many medical remedies, took them to the Caucasus for water, but it was all in vain - the disease did not go away, the patient did not get better. And then one summer morning, when the windows in the house were open, the patient’s relatives heard voices under the window: “Here he comes... coming... turned into our street.” Relatives, looking out the window, from a distance saw Father John walking from early mass along their street, accompanied by a crowd of people. Instantly, they were struck by the idea of ​​inviting Father to pray for the sick woman for a few minutes. The uncle jumped out into the street and, when Father John reached their house, he asked Father to come in and pray for the sick woman. Father willingly agreed. Entering the house, he went to the sick woman, put his hand on her head and said: “Let us pray to the Lord God, He is the source of health and illness, life and death, everything is in His will.” Having prayed fervently, Father blessed the sick woman and said: “Get well, it’s summer, get well.” From that hour, the narrator continued, my relative began to recover and soon recovered completely. And today I came from Kronstadt from her.” The very fact that the Lord God was pleased to preserve in my memory this story of my fellow cadet, once conveyed to me 45 years ago, and I clearly remember the voice, intonation, and expressions of the narrator, while all his other stories were never remembered and long ago forgotten, should undoubtedly be attributed to God’s clearly expressed instructions that I remember this wonderful incident and pass it on to other people for the glory of His holy name and to honor His saint - a healer and prayer book for the Russian land. Fathers of Father John of Kronstadt." From the author. What the venerable A.A. tells here Bykov, I have experienced and am experiencing the same thing myself, which I mentioned in the first volume 468. Chapter 20. Terrible voices of God Message from Colonel Alexey Alekseevich Bykov Accidents from a Christian's point of view Who is the great God, like our God, You are God, work miracles. “Every person, if he carefully traces his life, will find inexplicable cases in it, will find that something happened, happened in addition to, and perhaps contrary to, his will, he will find that it was not he who directed the events, but another force. Usually people, unable to explain these cases in any way, say: “what a happy accident,” “what luck,” “apparently, it was destined for him,” and so on. But for a Christian, all this is not an explanation, for him there is no and cannot be an accident in the world, for the Almighty Creator, who created everything with wisdom 469, did not abandon the created world to the will of chance, but always and in everything continues to provide for and manage His creation. To confirm my thought, I would like to tell you one “incident” in my life, which I consider to be a miracle of God’s mercy. Last summer I started building one large house, and when the roof was put on the house, I and the contractor on Friday, August 23, inspected the completed work. Having examined the construction of internal partitions and the beginning of the construction of stone stairs, we left the house and, stopping near the entrance doors, discussed the construction of windows and plastering of the house. During the conversation, I clearly felt that some force imperiously commanded me to “move a step to the side,” and as soon as I fulfilled this indisputable command and took one step to the left, two huge bricks fell from the sixth floor, flashed past with a whistle and fell with a roar on the place where I had stood one second before. From the strong impact, splashes of earth and sand flew to the sides, a large cloud of dust rose up, dousing us, and the bricks cut deep into the ground. The contractor turned pale and gasped loudly, I trembled and crossed myself. For several moments we were riveted to the spot, amazed by what had happened. A minute later, a frightened worker came running from above with a question: did anyone get killed by the bricks? It turns out that the workers on the sixth floor carried the beam and laid it on fresh brickwork, causing several bricks to move, which fell with a roar to the place from which I was inspired and ordered to retreat one step. If I had remained in the same place, of course, the bricks would have crushed my head and, of course, I could not describe this “incident” now. When the Serbian worker who came running from above was told what had happened, he gasped for a long time, crossed himself and kept repeating: “Praise God, God saved, praise God!” And what a multitude of similar “cases” could be told by military men who were with them during the military suffering - in battles and campaigns! And how many instructive things could seafarers tell about their lives? No wonder the proverb says: “Whoever has not been to the sea has not prayed to God.” Of course, here too there will be skeptics who, shrugging their shoulders, will say: “What’s surprising here? - A happy accident, and nothing more.” Such people can be advised to experience these “incidents” themselves, and if these experiences still do not teach them anything, then it is clear that it is difficult to convince such people with anything and the words of our Lord Jesus Christ wholly apply to them, who in the parable of the rich Lazarus through the mouth of the forefather Abraham said: If anyone rises from the dead, they do not have faith 470 . However, there are many known cases when, in difficult moments of life, especially during a serious illness and serious danger, such people turned their gaze to God, having no longer any way out or salvation. Very often, unbelievers and skeptics, at the end of their earthly existence, realized the full depth of their error and admitted, like Julian the Apostate: “You have defeated me. Galilean!” 471 For a believing Christian, undoubtedly, all such “cases” are instructive because he sees before his eyes that a man is now building a big house, and after a few minutes he has already gone there, where there is no illness, no sorrow, no sighing 472, they are also instructive because the Christian clearly feels in his heart the fulfillment of the Savior’s words; You cannot create one hair, white or black, 473, or in another place: And the hair of your head is all counted 474. From the author. The Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Luke in chapter 12 said: Art. 16. A certain rich man had a good harvest in his field; Art. 17. And he reasoned with himself: what should I do? I have nowhere to gather my fruits? Art. 18. And he said, “This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will gather all my grain and all my goods.” Art. 19. And I will say to my soul: soul! you have a lot of good things lying around for many years: rest, eat, drink, be merry. Art. 20. But God said to him: you fool! This night your soul will be taken from you: who will get what you have prepared? Art. 21. This is what happens to those who store up treasures for themselves and do not become rich in God. Art. 33. Sell your possessions and give alms. Prepare for yourselves sheaths that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys; Art. 34. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Art. 31. Seek above all else the Kingdom of God, and all this will be added to you. A.A. Bykov, having published in the newspaper the above story about God’s visit to him, teaches humanity that there are no accidents that happen by chance, but everything happens according to the will of God, that the Lord is the Lord of chance, that the great deeds of God, revealed through Father John of Kronstadt, are not accidental, but created by the will of the Almighty. From here it is clear that reporting these miracles to humanity, and especially to the Russian people, both scattered throughout all the most remote corners of the universe and those located in Russia, is a matter of the greatest importance, and, moreover, not only for their souls, but also for raising their fallen spirit. Therefore A.A. Bykov promised me to cover the costs of printing a portrait of Father John in paint on vellum paper, his other photographs of different ages and pictures from his life, about 30 drawings in total, and also to arrange for me an interest-free loan for the costs of actually printing the book, for the cover and pamphlet, so that I would repay the loan to the lender from the money received from the sale of the book, and pay interest to the lender A.A. Bykov took over. Soon after this, the Lord God Almighty was pleased to visit the inhabitants of Belgrade with His menacing voice. On April 6, 1941, during the bombing of Belgrade by German aircraft, many huge houses were turned into piles of ruins and debris, while only walls remained of others, but the inside was burned out. In many surviving houses, the roofs were blown off, doors and window frames were knocked out by explosions, and glass broken into small fragments covered all the streets. Moreover, several thousand people were killed and maimed. However, our great prayer book at the Throne of God, the prophet and wonderworker John of Kronstadt, begged the Terrible Judge God, and the Lord spared: me and my daughter, our home, my manuscript in it, the typographer Mikhail Grigorievich Kovalev, who is typing the second volume of my book in his premises, Philip Loginovich Efimenko, the owner of the printing house where my book is printed, and his printing house, in which there are 44,000 sheets of paper that I bought for the entire publication, and two zincographs, with whom I agreed to make about 30 cliches for portraits and pictures. It is also extremely significant that my good friend Alexei Alekseevich Bykov and his wife Varvara Alexandrovna remained completely unharmed in their six-story house. Not a single glass was broken anywhere. And if the Lord God was pleased to cover us all with the shelter of His wing 475, then this is obvious because the publication of the second volume of the book about Father John pleases Him, and Alexey Alekseevich Bykov does not collect treasures for himself, but grows rich in God 476. Igor Ivanovich and Elizaveta Alekseevna Sikorsky have already done exactly the same thing, who sent me money by avion to print the second volume and wrote that it is necessary to print the most valuable materials I collected about Father John as soon as possible, at least on cheap paper and in a smaller number of copies, so that the second volume can be published, and that then in peacetime it will be possible to print it in a second edition 477.” Chapter 21. Father John passionately loved his homeland Hierodeacon Gury told me the following. “When I was 17 years old, I went to Father John for a blessing to enter monasticism. Father John willingly blessed me. But at this time, one of those present whispered to me: “Ask to bless you on Athos.” Without realizing what Athos is, at the inspiration of this man I say to Father John: “Father, bless me to go to Athos.” Then Father John said in a drawn-out voice: “To Athos? Well, is there not enough place in Russia where you can escape, that you want to go abroad? No, stay in Russia.” I then went to the monastery of the holy righteous Simeon of Perm 478, but the abbot did not want to accept me. Then I again went to Father John and told him about this. Father John told me: “Well, ask for more - he will receive.” I listened to Father John and again went to the same abbot, and he received me.” Hierodeacon Gury stayed in Russia in the Perm province in the monastery of the holy righteous Simeon of Perm, then fled to China in 1928 and was in Shanghai at the church of General Dieterichs, from where he went to Jerusalem, but he was not allowed into Jerusalem, and he came to Belgrade. Chapter 22. Creations of Father John the Inspired One middle-aged noblewoman told me that if she did not take her life, it was only thanks to Father John’s book “My Life in Christ.” Once, when I was with the Whites, and my late wife was with the Reds with two young children, the head of the White unit decided to launch an offensive to free my wife and children, and invited me to the front. Three days later he returned darker than a cloud, very irritated, and told me: “Nothing worked out, the Reds knew about all my plans, now you can leave here.” I asked: “Where?” And he replied: “That’s your business.” The conversation took place on Saturday, I went to the all-night vigil, terribly upset, not knowing what to do, and horrified by the thoughts that my wife and children were probably suffering all sorts of persecution from the Reds, perhaps standing or wandering with outstretched hands, begging for alms, and starving. After the all-night vigil I confessed, and on Sunday I received communion. After mass, I came to the volost administration, where a room was assigned to me, and began to read “The Complete Works of Father John,” the volume in which there were sermons, and, opening it at random, I found myself in a sermon in which Father John, among other things, says something like this: “Why do you trust not in God, but in yourself, and think that you can provide for your wife and children; leave it to God, He knows much better than you how to provide for your wife and children.” “Oh miracle! – I thought. – Father John, with his creations, precisely resolves the question that torments me. I entrust my wife and children to the Lord God and Saint John of Kronstadt.” Thinking this way, I completely calmed down. But the miracle was much greater than I thought. Over time, I learned that my wife, just on the day when I read the above-mentioned sermon, received a position as an overseer of an orphanage (built by the provincial zemstvo), with abundant food, so that she had enough for herself and the children. I read Father John’s sermon about “how saints hear prayers.” And four times at his tomb, remembering this sermon of his, I turned with fervent prayer to the great miracle worker, realizing that he was resting here, next to me. I told him something like this: “You know, my situation is difficult, and in some cases hopeless, so help me.” And all four times I was convinced in practice how the saints hear our prayers - all four times I received miraculous help, and two of them right there, in the altar. These cases are mentioned in this book in its place 479. Here I mentioned them only because Father John taught me how to pray to the saints, including him. Chapter 23. Father John converted to Orthodoxy The story of Evdokia Nikolaevna Pastukhova, a landlady in the city of Orel. Now she lives in Serbia in the city of Belgrade, on Venizelosova Street in her own house No. 34. At E.N. Pastukhova was a Lutheran woman, Natalya Martynovna, who did not want to take her children to early mass. Father John knew and loved Pastukhova. As a result, Bonna had the opportunity to see Father John four times. After the fourth meeting with Father John, she went to Father John in Kronstadt and converted to Orthodoxy. The wife of Colonel of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, Evgenia Aleksandrovna Delsal, born Richter, was sick with her eyes in 1895 and gradually became blind. She was even taken abroad for treatment, but nothing helped. Then she turned to Father John, although she was a Lutheran. After that, she began to gradually improve and finally recovered. This miraculous healing influenced her so much that she converted to Orthodoxy. The story of Maria Vladimirovna Imshenetskaya, born Gan In 1888 (approximately) in the city of Kovno 480 lived the captain of the Volga Regiment of the 28th Division. Perekrestov, who believed in absolutely no one or anything. His wife developed childbed fever. The doctor said that only a miracle could help her. Mother advised Perekrestov to send a telegram to Father John. But he only got angry with his mother and said: “Why are you bothering with trifles when a person dies; Maybe we can still save it.” He idolized his wife and went for Professor Sluchevsky, who, after examining the patient, said: “We are powerless to help: here earthly doctors cannot do anything, here only the Heavenly Doctor can save.” Sluchevsky left, and Perekrestov exclaimed in despair: “My God, what to do?” His mother told him: “You see, you yourself said: “My God!” “Send a telegram to Father John.” Perekrestov stood silently, then ran. It turned out that he ran to the telegraph office and sent a telegram to Father John: “I beg you to pray for the healing of Olympias.” The next day the doctor came and cautiously asked his mother: “Well, is she still alive?” The mother answered: “Yes, and somehow she’s breathing more evenly.” The doctor examined the patient and said: “I am amazed - she is saved.” We flew after Professor Sluchevsky; After examining the patient, he said the same thing. At this time, a reply telegram arrived from Father John: “I pray, you pray too.” The patient completely recovered, and her husband became a believer and very devout: he did not miss a single all-night vigil or mass. Then, together with his wife, he went to see Father John in Kronstadt. In St. Petersburg, on Peski, there lived an unbaptized Jewish family. Their daughter, about 14 years old, was hopelessly ill. The doctors refused. Friends from the gymnasium and Russian acquaintances advised me to invite Father John. The Jews said that they did not dare, but at the insistence of the Russians, they sent him a telegram with a request. Father John replied: “I will come.” When Father John arrived, the grandmothers and aunts all hid and only the parents and brother came out. Father John immediately asked: “Is it really the whole family?” But they told him that there were more, but they did not dare, since they were of the Jewish faith. Father John said: “Everyone has one God, and the more they pray for the sick, the better.” Everyone came, and Father John prayed and laid his hands on the sick woman. After this, Father John visited twice more, and the patient completely recovered. The entire family accepted Orthodoxy and revered Father John as a saint. Recorded from the words of a friend from the gymnasium of the patient, who married her brother. The brother served in Gulesko's orchestra in Constantinople in 1920. NT told this. Perevozchikova, whose address is: Serbia, Belgrade, st. Stefana Sremets, 14. My father was a Catholic and converted to Orthodoxy before his death. Several times, at our request, dad invited Father John of Kronstadt to us. Orthodox priests served prayer services twice a year, and there were never priests. Father had the habit of reading loudly every day to his mother and to us, his two sons, one chapter of the Gospel, one chapter of the Acts or Epistles of the Apostles, and a page approximately from the book of Father John “My Life in Christ.” Dad was an infinitely kind man, but very hot-tempered. One day, as he began to read to us, he opened the first book lying on top: “My Life in Christ” - and continued reading where the bookmark was. Here he read a place in which Father John says something like this: “The Pope of Rome is deceiving his parishioners regarding the filioque, that is, the dogma of the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son. The Ecumenical Council established regarding the origin of the Holy Spirit that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, and the Pope added the Son as well.” My father got angry and said: – Father John says everything that is not true. The Pope of Rome never deceives his parishioners. After this, the father opened and began to read the Gospel and read just chapter 15 of John, v. 26, in which Christ says: When the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, who proceeds from the Father... Then I dared to tell my father: - Well, you see. Christ Himself says that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father. And since we are Christians, we must believe in Christ. When my father was ill with a dying disease, I brought to him from the Kazan Cathedral the miraculous Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, and the cathedral archpriest served a prayer service at the patient’s bedside. A few days later, when my father became worse, my mother invited him to receive Holy Communion, to which he expressed his full desire. My mother was Orthodox and, to my horror, she asked my father a question: – Who should you call: the priest or the priest? - No, call me that good priest who visited me with the Kazan Icon. And it was decided that tomorrow morning I would go to the Kazan Cathedral for that archpriest. In the morning, before I left, my mother, to my complete horror, asked my father again: – Who should you call – the priest or the priest? To this the father replied apathetically: Then his mother asks him an even worse question: – Which priest should you call? However, the father answered this firmly and decisively: – I don’t know any of the priests 481 – call me that good priest who visited me with the Kazan Icon. Who was the bright one standing here now? Obviously, a bright Guardian Angel appeared to him and told him that no, it doesn’t matter. I went for the archpriest. He immediately agreed to go, taking the Holy Gifts with him. When I warned him that my father was a Catholic, he told me that he had no right to give him communion. – It’s okay, let’s go, maybe dad will want to convert to Orthodoxy. Father agreed, and we came to our place. The archpriest sat down on my father’s bed at the feet and said to him: – Hello, Your Excellency, do you remember me? - obviously, he wanted to make sure his father was still in good memory. – Yes, I remember you very well, you were with me with the icon of the Kazan Mother of God. Then the archpriest asked his father a question: – Perhaps you would like to be of the same faith with your wife and children and would accept Orthodoxy and partake of the Holy Mysteries? – Yes, I wish to accept Orthodoxy. Then the archpriest completed his father’s accession to the Orthodox Church and communed him with the Holy Mysteries of Christ. A day or two after this, the father died. It is remarkable that he had to be buried on the day of the celebration of the 1500th anniversary of John Chrysostom in 482; earlier it was impossible, since it was King’s Day 483. And so the funeral procession moved along with the ringing of bells throughout the capital, and with the ringing of bells litias were served at all the churches along the way. Such solemnity was, as it were, a reward from God for the father’s renunciation of the errors of Catholicism and for his joining to the truth of Orthodoxy. This transition took place under the influence of direct communication with Father John and reading his works. Chapter 24. The power of Father John's blessing The story of Colonel Alexander Pavlovich Grigoriev. 55 Willard st. Hartford, Conn. U.S.A. 1939. “I first had the good fortune to see Father John in early childhood, during his Divine service in the House of Diligence in Kronstadt, where my mother brought me from St. Petersburg with the special purpose of asking for his blessing. When my mother brought me to him for blessing, he, looking at me with his wonderfully kind eyes, said: “Nice boy,” kissed me on the forehead and blessed me, allowing me to kiss the Holy Cross. It would seem that nothing special... But no, for me personally it was a special happiness, from that moment I felt that his blessing was not in vain: two completely successful wars for me (Japanese and World War) with miraculous deliverances from inevitable death - amazing facts before and during the revolution; unexpected approach to the very “sun of Russia” - the Family of Emperor Alexander III (after his death), service with them, trust, affection and endless favors (until now), both to me personally and to my family: being put on trial by a revolutionary tribunal and complete victory over it; exceptionally happy family life, etc., etc. The most amazing thing was the miraculous healing of my nine-year-old daughter, Tamara, who had literally ended her earthly life, which occurred after the death of Holy Father John of Kronstadt, at the end of January 1916. Having volunteered for the theater of war and accepted the battalion, I, of course, devoted myself entirely to serving my homeland. A new strong battle was expected, a transition to a general offensive was imminent, all thoughts were focused on the current situation, but then I received a telegram from my wife: “Please come, Tamara’s whooping cough has become more complicated.” My wife's telegram was a crushing blow for me. Knowing that the other children were all sick, I clearly realized the approaching catastrophe at home... With trepidation, almost losing consciousness, I showed the telegram to the division chief of staff. Contrary to expectations, I receive permission to immediately go to Gatchino (at the family’s place of residence). What did I learn upon arrival? The daughter already has the fifth purulent creeping inflammation of both lungs at a temperature above 40° (for more than one month and with breathing 140 per minute); The daily visiting medical luminaries of that time unanimously admitted that in this case science was powerless... A tragic moment arrives; the wife is called into the next room, bitter sobs are heard, she is told that the situation is hopeless, signs of approaching death have already appeared, everyone must be prepared to lose her that same night, it is unlikely that she will live until the morning; doctors are leaving; My wife and I are praying fervently. Night passes; the child is still breathing fitfully, but often, shallowly... In the morning, having said goodbye, I go to the Office of Her Majesty the Empress Maria Feodorovna, where I needed to visit precisely on this fateful morning. Noticing my terrible mood and finding out what’s going on, they give me advice: if upon your return Tamarochka is still alive, then let your wife drop everything and take the first train to St. Petersburg, go to the Ioannovsky Convent (where Father John of Kronstadt is buried), she will be met at the entrance by a nun who will give her advice and instructions. The wife exactly fulfilled everything she had heard on the spot, that is, she served a prayer service for health to St. John the Warrior and a memorial service at the burial site of Father John of Kronstadt, then the same nun approached her and, handing her some kind of bottle of liquid (which turned out to be holy oil from the grave of Father John), advised her to anoint her forehead and chest with a cross. dying daughter. It is strange that the moment of the wife’s return coincided with the local priest giving communion to his already “departing” daughter. As soon as the priest left the dying woman’s bedside, the wife followed the nun’s advice, at that same moment a miracle happened: the child, who could no longer breathe, coughed violently for the first time, and released from his chest a dense, gutta-percha-like white mass (I say “for the first time” because, due to the hardening of the lungs, no medical means could cause sputum production for more than two weeks). From that moment on, the daughter was saved; the doctors who arrived that same evening were literally amazed by the miracle that had occurred, “allowing only the possibility of a beneficial, albeit late, effect of science”; We knew the secret of this miracle, but, not wanting to disappoint them, we still hid this “secret.” Colonel E's narration. Kovessky “When I entered the 1st Cadet Corps in St. Petersburg, my mother decided to invite Father John to the house in order to ask him to serve a prayer service and bless me so that I could enter the Cadet Corps. Father John agreed and, indicating the day on which he could come, he actually came to us and served a prayer service. When Father John left us, I approached him for a blessing and he, placing both hands on my head, said, turning to my mother: “He will do it, he will do it.” And indeed, when I entered the corps, it was very difficult to get a government vacancy; There were only two of them, but there were 35 people holding us, and I passed the exam first, and thus entered the 1st Cadet Corps. What was surprising was that some kind of grace descended on me, it was somehow easy for me to pass the exams, and I was almost sure that I would get in. By this I explain that in my later life I often remembered Father John and believed that his prayers especially reached the Lord God. I was a participant in the Russo-Japanese War, was wounded and shell-shocked, in many battles I was threatened with death, drowned in the Yellow River in 1905, but was rescued, wounded and shell-shocked four times in the war of 1914–1918, then during the Civil War I almost fell into the hands of the Bolsheviks and arrived safely with my wife in Serbia. I attribute all this to the grace of God, which Father John gained, for whom I still have a feeling of reverence, especially in difficult moments of life, being in a foreign land.” Chapter 25. Father John helps students The story of a professor at the University of GN. Pio-Ulsky 484. “One high school student, in the presence of Father John, sat very sad and depressed in a private apartment. Father John asked him about the reason for his mood. He replied that tomorrow he had an exam on the Law of God, but that he knew nothing and would probably fail. Father John scolded him for not knowing the most important subject. Then, concentrating and being silent for a while, Father John said: “Well, it’s okay, tomorrow everything will be much better than you expect.” The next morning the student pulled out a ticket he didn’t know at all. The teacher was very demanding and strict. Three students claimed tickets at once. This student drew third and waited in horror for his turn. Unexpectedly, when it was already his turn to answer, the teacher was brought a paper demanding that he immediately appear at the Synod. He left, and the old priest began to examine him, who asked the student only prayers and gave him a good score. One must think that Father John, seeing the boy’s heartfelt repentance, prayed for him in a moment of concentration and received an answer from the Holy Spirit that his prayer had been heard and that what happened would happen at the exam. Obviously, the Lord Almighty, in order to glorify Himself in Father John and Father John in Himself, created this miracle. This student told me this when he was already an outstanding professor at the University.” The story of Colonel Grigory Ivanovich Gulyga, a former officer of His Majesty's Own Convoy. The colonel's father, centurion of the Kuban Cossack army Ivan Emelyanovich Gulyga, passed the exams for admission to the Academy of the General Staff in the city of Tiflis in 1896. In St. Petersburg, he also passed the exams for the Academy of the General Staff, but was not accepted during the competition. In 1897 I.E. Before the exams, Gulyga went to Kronstadt and asked Father John to serve a prayer service for successfully passing the Academy exams. Father John served a prayer service and reassured him that he would pass the exam well. And indeed, Ivan Emelyanovich passed the exam brilliantly and was one of the first to graduate from the Academy of the General Staff. Chapter 26. Resolution of the deceased Letter from Prince Lev Alexandrovich Begildeev Sofia, st. Tsar Boris, 151, Russian Invalid House. “Revering before the blessed memory of the late Father John of Kronstadt, I consider it my sacred duty, in evidence of the great power of his prayer, to report the following. This was in 1900. I was a young officer of the 19th artillery brigade, located in the city of Vinnitsa, Podolsk province, and lived there with my mother and sister. In January or February of this year I fell ill first with typhoid fever, and then with relapsing fever. My situation was very difficult. The doctors, having exhausted all the means at their disposal, were losing all hope. Then my mother, at my request, sent a telegram to Father John, asking for his prayers. After that, I lost consciousness, and my situation was so hopeless that my mother, who loved me dearly and did not want to see me die, went into another room. The doctor, having ordered an injection of camphor to maintain the activity of the heart, left for a while. I had my sister with me, who was constantly at my bedside, and one of my comrades in the brigade, who took turns on duty during my illness. The sister claims that I soon stopped breathing, the pulse stopped, and I lay as if dead, but she persistently continued to give the injections prescribed by the doctor. After a while she noticed signs of life in me; I started breathing and a pulse appeared. I began to come to life. This moment, according to our assumptions, coincided with the moment Father John received the telegram. After that, I slowly began to get better and recovered. I, my sister and my mother (now deceased) firmly believed that by the power of Father John’s prayer I was resurrected, while others believed that I was healed.” This is a letter from Prince L.A. I gave Begildeev to read to the ordinary professor of the University of Belgrade in the Department of Pathology, Doctor of Medicine Dimitri Mitrofanovich Tikhomirov. At the same time, I asked him a question: “Could injections of camphor bring the prince back to life?” To this the professor answered me: “After two typhus, after the cessation of brain activity, after the cessation of breathing and pulse, injections of camphor could not bring the prince back to life. There was undoubtedly a miracle of Father John of Kronstadt.” Chapter 27. Father John saves the guards general, who called to him in a moment of mortal danger. “There was shooting in Kyiv. Around seven o'clock in the evening in our corridor we heard the stomping of feet, loud voices and the sound of rifle butts. A group of victors, armed Galician Sichs 485, allegedly sent for a search, entered the hotel. The enemy was at the door. A crowd filled our corridor, apparently all the hotel guests were forced to go upstairs to the second floor and locked in the room opposite mine. It was a tragic moment. A search of my room would immediately reveal that I am a general and am in the service of the Commander-in-Chief's Headquarters. This was sufficient grounds for immediate reprisals against me. I decided to pretend to be asleep and not show any signs of life. Suddenly I heard a knock on my door: someone was pulling hard on the door handle, trying to open it. At that moment, I felt my complete loneliness and helplessness and began to seek help in prayer, but, I admit frankly, the words of the prayer were not given to me, it seemed that I was unworthy to ask for the help of the Almighty, and I turned to Father John of Kronstadt with a prayer to be my intercessor and prayer book before the Lord. And suddenly, among the noise of voices, I clearly hear someone’s voice: “Yes, this gentleman is never at home at this time.” And this was enough for the crowd to flee, leaving a sentry at the locked room with the guests, and the Sich men scattered throughout the hotel to search. My mind was working feverishly. A few words from a person unknown to me saved me, but the search of me, perhaps, was only delayed. I must use the minutes given to me by Providence. What could they find reprehensible about me? Revolver, documents. I wanted to get out of bed, when suddenly an electric light bulb suspended from the ceiling in the middle of the room lit up. How could this happen? What's next? The door to the corridor had glass, the bottom row of which was painted over with white oil paint. It must have seemed suspicious to the sentry standing in the corridor that a fire was lit in a room where no one was there. Danger approached again. The sentry had only to come close to the door of my room, look into the glass, in which, undoubtedly, there were places where the paint had fallen off or had been deliberately scraped off by some curious person, and he would have discovered me. I became wary and again sought help from Father John. After quite a long time, I hear approaching footsteps. The newcomer gives the order to the sentry to open the door of the room in which the hotel guests were locked, and to follow him. The soldiers are leaving. Remembering what I experienced on the evening of December 14, 1918 in Kyiv, I cannot explain my salvation by a series of happy accidents. It was a miracle through the prayer of Father John of Kronstadt.” Chapter 28. Appearances of Father John during his lifetime at a distance Unpublished miracles of Father John of Kronstadt Reprint from the newspaper “Orthodox Carpathian Rus'”, No. 1, January 6, 1933. “In response to the request of the editors of Orthodox Carpathian Russia, I report several miracles of the ever-memorable Father John of Kronstadt, known to me, and I certify their authenticity with my priestly conscience. Archpriest I. Levitsky. A Lutheran, the widow of an Orthodox engineer from Poltava, Johanna Rudolfovna Vasilyeva, who lives in Eidkunen in Germany, after I read to her a request from the editors of “Orthodox Carpathian Rus” to report miracles that occurred through the prayers of Father John of Kronstadt, she told me the following. "In 1902, I met an intelligent Jewish woman on a train, traveling from the city of Kharkov to Kronstadt. To my question about the reason for the trip there, she answered: “I’m going to thank Father John of Kronstadt for the healing of my daughter, who was dying.” The professors sentenced her to death and refused to treat her. Then the sister of mercy, seeing my indescribable horror, gave advice: send a telegram to Father John of Kronstadt - he will help. The telegram was sent immediately. A few hours later that same day, I entered the sick woman’s room in our house and saw in extreme surprise that an Orthodox priest was standing at my daughter’s bedside and praying. I stopped in confusion. The priest, having prayed, turned and, without looking at me, silently walked through the door. His appearance was very similar to Father John of Kronstadt, whom I saw in the portrait of a nurse. I respectfully went to see Father off, but when I went out into the corridor, there was no one there. I asked the servants who was allowed in or out of the house. They told me that no one came in or out. And my daughter immediately began to recover and soon, to the surprise of the doctors and everyone around her, she completely recovered. Now, although I am a Jew, I am going to Kronstadt to serve a thanksgiving prayer service, thank Father John and make a donation for his charitable needs." At the beginning of 1890, a local peasant of the Yekaterinoslav province B., his daughter M. began to appear on the cheek of a kind of bloody stain, and over time it became larger and darker. We contacted doctors and so on, but it was all in vain. The parents of a six-year-old daughter decided to go to Kronstadt so that Father John of Kronstadt would pray with them for the healing of their daughter from an unpleasant spot on her face. Father John served a prayer service, washed the girl’s face with holy water, consecrated by him, after which the parents and daughter went home, guided by the holy prayers of Father John. The mark on the face still remained. Some time after arriving home, the girl’s spot disappeared, and it was as if it had never been there. One morning, girl M. told her parents that she had seen Father John in a dream and that he had anointed her face with something, and when she got out of bed, the spot on her face was no longer there. Now she is already the mother of four adult children. So, through the prayers of Father John, God sent a miracle. Letter from Arkady Ivanovich Severinov, teacher at a gymnasium in Tetovo (former Yugoslavia). “Dear I.K. Sursky! I was healed by Father John 40 years ago. In the city of Lebedyan, Tambov province, in the family of a parish school teacher, their son Arkady fell ill. My father’s name was Ivan Ksenofontovich and my mother’s name was Ekaterina Timofeevna Severinov. My pneumonia took such a form that a convened council of doctors told my parents that there was no salvation, and they assumed that I would not survive the night. My parents decided to send a telegram to Father John of Kronstadt, and the moment it was received, I fell asleep and saw in a dream Father John, who came to give me Holy Communion with the Holy Gifts. I took communion and woke up, called my mother and told her, pointing to a large portrait of Father John: “This priest came just now and gave me communion.” Mother and father were amazed. From that moment I recovered and the doctors who came the next day were amazed. I ask you to publish this confession of mine in order to glorify and thank Father John of Kronstadt for the miracle.” From the magazine “Helmsman”, dated August 10, 1902, No. 32 “The power of prayer.” “The magazine “Resurrection” (No. 28) reports the following case of the grace-filled effect of prayer. One of the Moscow merchants, V.P. Mikhailov, the eldest daughter Olga, a 14-year-old girl, became very seriously ill. The disease turned out to be scarlet fever, which was complicated during its most difficult period by inflammation of the throat and therefore took the form of an almost incurable disease. Many of the best doctors in Moscow were invited to save the sick girl from the danger that threatened her life, but all their efforts were in vain. The girl was getting worse and worse every day - she was noticeably fading away. Finally, the doctors told the parents that the patient’s condition was hopeless, and even determined approximately the time of her death, explaining to them that any earthly help for their daughter was now completely useless, and therefore they could only turn to Heavenly help and prepare the girl for the transition to a better world. Needless to say, the despair of the unfortunate parents knew no bounds. They completely lost their heads and didn’t know what to decide, what to do to save their dear child. At this very time, the father of the sick girl learns that Father John of Kronstadt had arrived in Moscow, but he did not know where he was staying and how long he would stay in this city. He only knew from others that Father John stayed in Moscow for only one day and in the evening he left Moscow back to Kronstadt. The father of the sick girl goes to the Nikolaevskaya railway station, at the time of the departure from Moscow of the courier train with which Father John constantly traveled, to see him and ask him to pray for the health of his sick daughter. Indeed, at the station, Mr. Mikhailov learns that Father John will soon arrive and leave with a courier train for St. Petersburg, but that he usually arrives just before the train departs and there is such a mass of people waiting for him at the station that there is absolutely no way to see him, much less talk to him at this time. Then Mr. Mikhailov takes a ticket for the courier train to the first station “Klin” and gets into the very carriage in which Father John is traveling, in the hope of seeing the respected Father on the way and conveying to him his most convincing request. Mr. Mikhailov’s hope was indeed justified. Luckily for him, there were few passengers on the train at all, and even fewer in the carriage where Father John was sitting. As soon as the train set off from Moscow, Mr. Mikhailov, entering the department occupied by Father John, fell on his knees in front of him and, bursting into bitter tears, first asked the shepherd for a blessing, and then begged him to listen to the request of his suffering and tormented father. Father John was very sympathetic to the sincere and unfeigned grief of the suffering father and, after listening to his story, calmed him down, promised to fulfill his request and earnestly pray for his sick daughter. Around midnight, the courier train stopped for 15 minutes at the Klin station. Mr. Mikhailov, having thanked Father for his warm concern and sympathy for his grief and for his prayer for his sick daughter, left the carriage at this station completely calm, in order to return back to Moscow with the first departing train, where his wife was waiting with great impatience, wondering what had happened to him, since Mr. Mikhailov unexpectedly left Moscow, not having time to send a telegram to his wife in the confusion about his departure to the station Wedge. The next day, with the very first passenger train, early in the morning, Mr. Mikhailov returned to Moscow and, arriving home, was incredibly pleased with his wife’s good mood, despite the anxiety of not knowing where he was. It turned out that their sick daughter Olga, who had recently experienced terrible torment from illness and spent sleepless nights, that night, at about 12 o’clock, that is, precisely at the time when Father John was praying for her, fell asleep soundly and calmly, and the previous pains that bothered her completely stopped. The girl's sleep was long, and when she woke up, she felt more energetic and stronger than before sleep. In addition, in a dream she saw herself in church, and there she was given the Holy Mysteries by Father John of Kronstadt, after which she felt noticeably better. From that day on, without any medical help, his daughter completely recovered.” Chapter 29. Father John’s refusal to pray for the recovery of the sick The story of Baron N. IN . Drizena. They say that one day Father John was invited to the Smolny Institute to the bedside of the seriously ill Princess of Montenegro. Ten steps short of the infirmary, he turned and walked back. “I can’t pray,” he said dully. A few days later the princess died. Reprinted from the newspaper "Vozrozhdenie", No. 3135, dated January 1, 1934. “Living in St. Petersburg, I know the fact about the foresight of Father John, which happened in my memory in a family related to me. One young man was dying (from an accident). He was an unbeliever, and his parents were believers and pious people; To their request to come to the dying man and pray for healing, Father John replied: “I won’t go to the heretic, I’ll pray for him, but there will be no recovery.” The young man soon died. I personally believe in the prayers of Father John. I believe that my daughter, who has been sick for seven months, is now on the road to recovery since receiving the portrait of Father John, which hangs by her bed, and whom we continually ask to pray for her. Every day she gets better and better.” The story of Evgenia Alekseevna Efimova, Widow of the Colonel of the Kronstadt Fortress Artillery Father John did not always fulfill the requests of relatives who asked him to pray for the healing of their sick, but he did this, obviously, only when it was the will of God. So, when Evgenia Alekseevna’s sister was sick, and Father John was asked to pray for her healing, he said: “Well, the Kingdom of Heaven to her!” The story of the widow of General Shepeleva-Voronovich, who lives in Serbia, in Belgrade, in house No. 34 on Sane Zivanovic Street. When Father John was once asked to pray for the healing of a patient with scarlet fever, complicated by diphtheria, Father John replied: “No, he is no longer alive in this world.” Obviously, in this case it was not the will of God for the sick man to recover, and Father John foresaw this by the Holy Spirit. Chapter 30. Repentance at the tomb of Father John Guard Colonel Anatoly Nikolaevich Vittorf told the following incident. During the officers' revelry, one drunken officer told a libelous anecdote about the new miracle of Father John of Kronstadt. This story greatly outraged and offended the sober officer present. However, another time, when he himself was drunk, he could not resist telling the same libelous joke to others. Having sobered up, he felt very heavy at heart and could not find peace. Finally, he went to the tomb of Father John of Kronstadt and there, sobbing, asked for forgiveness. After that he completely calmed down. Chapter 31. The appearance of Father John in a dream and instructions The same Colonel Wittorf told the following incident. In Belgrade, in a subtle dream, he saw quite clearly Father John, who pressed his head to his chest. It seemed to the narrator that his cheek felt cold from touching the cross hanging on the chest of Father John. Father John told him to constantly pray fervently. That if he does not miss to pray, then he will remain unharmed among the troubles and misfortunes that will surround him with a ring of fire. And indeed, troubles and misfortunes befell the narrator, but he prayed, and everything turned out well. This appearance of Father John was on the eve of the celebration of his memory in Belgrade, which the narrator learned about only later. The narrator noticed that in those periods when he weakened in prayer, then troubles and misfortunes influenced him, but when he again did not miss prayer, then again everything worked out well. Chapter 32. Healing of a Jewish girl The story of Doctor of Medicine Petr Zakharyevich Dulin, who lives in Belgrade, Serbia on Takovskaya Street. in house number 13. “In the city of Kharkov, on the corner of Staro-Moskovskaya Street and Voznesenskaya Square, lived lawyer Mikhail Vladimirovich Mikhailovsky and his wife Maria Naumovna, Jews by nationality and Jewish religion. I knew them personally. Their only daughter, at the age of eight, fell ill with scarlet fever. All the best medical forces were invited to the patient, but the girl’s body could not cope with the disease, and one morning the doctors declared that the situation was completely hopeless and that they could no longer change the patient’s fate. The despair of the parents was boundless, and in this state the sick father remembered that at that time the priest John of Kronstadt, about whose miracles he had heard, came to Kharkov. In a fit of despair, he left the house, took a cab and ordered him to be taken to Ekaterinoslavskaya Street, along which the procession from the station to the cathedral was supposed to take place. At the corner of University Street he got off the cab, made his way through the crowd to the miracle worker, threw himself at his feet and said with tears: – Holy Father, I am a Jew, but I ask you to help me. Father John of Kronstadt stopped and asked what he was asking for. – My only daughter is dying. “Pray to God and save her,” answered the crying petitioner. Father John put his hand on his head and raised his eyes to heaven, and then after a minute he said to the one who asked: - Get up and go home in peace. When Mikhailovsky drove up to the house in a cab, his joyful wife was already waiting on the balcony and shouted to him that their daughter was alive and well. Entering the house, he found her talking in bed with the doctors, who an hour ago had sentenced her to death, and now did not understand what had happened. This girl later converted to Orthodoxy and bore the name Valentina, but her parents remained of the Jewish religion. They also wanted to convert to Orthodoxy, but the wife’s father, Naum Borisovich (Borukhovich) Spassky, strongly opposed this. He was a St. Petersburg lawyer." Chapter 33. Father John wore chains The story of Maria Alekseevna Dulina, wife of a doctor of medicine, living in Serbia in Belgrade, Takovskaya str., 13. “Around 1903, an acquaintance of my aunt Lydia Platonovna Rimskaya-Korsakova, who lived in Kronstadt, was sick with an illness, as a result of which her stomach gradually grew and became extremely enlarged. She contacted, one might say, all the clinics, but the doctors not only did not help her, but could not even diagnose the disease. I myself saw this patient twice at my aunt’s in Kronstadt. Seeing the hopelessness of her cure, this woman decided to turn to Father John of Kronstadt for help. Father John blessed the sick woman, then hugged her and pressed her tightly to himself three times, then he blessed her again and said: “Well, now go home.” About two years later, I again met this woman at my aunt’s with a completely normal figure, and she told me that while she was going from Father John to L.P. Rimskaya-Korsakova, she already felt relief. Then, when she drove home, she became easier and easier and, finally, the illness completely disappeared. “When Father John hugged me three times,” this woman said, “I felt that there were chains on his chest.” Chapter 34. Father John strictly observed fasts From a letter from the hieromonk of St. Andrew's monastery on Mount Athos, Haralampia, dated November 20, 1938. “After the Liturgy, my companion and I went to Father John’s apartment. I was amazed that Father John, the rector of the cathedral, occupies a small apartment with one staircase leading directly to the kitchen. Father John was at home and kindly received us. I said: “Father, I came to consult with you about entering monasticism.” He replied: "God bless! This is a good intention." At parting, my companion asked Father for his blessing for something to eat. Father John himself went to the kitchen and from there brought out two potatoes, boiled unpeeled, and a pie filled with jam and baked without butter. The next day of my arrival in Kronstadt, Father John arrived at our apartment. The newcomers gathered from all the rooms into one large one. A small table was prepared for prayer and blessing of water, and another, large one, with tea utensils and cold snacks (white bread, jam and other offerings from visitors). There was a bottle of Madeira right there. Father didn’t have to wait long. Upon arrival, he served a prayer service and administered the Holy Mysteries to one sick person. Then he went up to the tea table, blessed everything on it, filled all the glasses with tea and put sugar in each glass and wanted to leave, but my companion asked him to taste Madeira and handed him a glass that had been poured. Father brought it to his lips, but I can’t say whether he tasted at least one drop and, saying goodbye, quickly left, hurrying to go to Petrograd. After he left, this glass was brought to everyone present, who drank from it drop by drop, as a blessing from Father John, and then everyone was treated to a whole glass of Madeira. There was the Dormition Fast, and the Kronstadt shepherd did not violate any church regulations and did not even allow vegetable oil. This is an example for many current shepherds and flocks if they honor the name of the righteous. Probably, while cohabiting with people of other faiths, many sincerely religious people, unnoticed by themselves, were infected by the pernicious West and do not consider it a sin to break fasts. Whereas church laws strictly condemn members of the Church for violating the fasts. The 69th canon of the church says: “If anyone (bishop, or presbyter, or deacon, or reader, or layman) does not fast during the Holy Great Pentecost and every Wednesday and Friday of the whole summer, except for weakness, let him be excommunicated for a time from communion.” 486 Several times, listening to Father John's sermons on various topics, I noticed that Father always mentioned Leo Tolstoy in them and called him the forerunner of the Antichrist and recognized his excommunication as fair on the part of the Synod 487. And now the Parisian book publishing 488, which considers itself patriotic, cries out everywhere: “Will you really allow your children not to read Russian classics?” And in the first place they point to Tolstoy.” Chapter 35. Father John awakens a woman sleeping in a lethargic sleep The story of Vera Nikolaevna Maslova, who lives in Serbia in Belgrade, on the street. Georges Clemenceau, No. 44. “Around 1900, my mother, who lived in the city of Narva, St. Petersburg province, told me the following incident several times. In the city of Narva, one lady fell asleep in a lethargic sleep. Her relatives invited Father John of Kronstadt. Father John arrived, prayed and woke up the sick woman. A few years later she fell asleep again. However, at that time they could not invite Father John, and the patient died without awakening.” The story of the same Mrs. Maslova. “My brother Nikolai Nikolaevich, who lived in the city of Narva, when he was 22 years old, fell ill with an acute nervous disorder, so he had to be taken to the hospital. A few months later, I don’t remember exactly (I was only 10 years old at the time), my mother took me with her and went to visit the patient. He was placed in a separate room, and there was no improvement in his condition. From him, my mother and I went to Kronstadt to ask Father John to pray for the sick man. Father John ordered to take the hospital minister and bring the patient to him in Kronstadt, which mother did. In Kronstadt, Father John prayed, blessed his brother and advised his mother to take him back home to Narva, which his mother did. The brother began to calm down and after a year he completely recovered, and 10 years later he got married and had completely healthy children. He died at the age of 62.” Chapter 36. Father John did not spare himself to help the suffering The story of Mrs. Nikitina, who lives in the city of Koprivnica (in former Yugoslavia). “My late mother was very ill in Kronstadt; the doctor said there was no hope of recovery. Father John often visited us and loved my parents very much. He told my brother: “If mommy feels bad, then come and get me at night.” One night she felt very bad. The brother followed Father; he came with the Holy Gifts, gave her communion and said: “Tomorrow I will serve the Liturgy, and you tell her friends to come pray for her.” In the morning the doctor came and was surprised that her crisis had passed safely. “I thought to see her on the table,” he said, “this is a miracle. Only the prayers of Father John could save her.” After this, she quickly began to recover and lived to be 78 years old. I was born and raised in Kronstadt. When Father John served, I always went to the Liturgy. Once I saw three healthy men, sweating profusely, leading a raging woman. They brought us to the salt; The priest left the altar, she began to spit on him and on the cross. The priest said: “Pray, brothers, for her,” and he himself knelt in front of the altar and prayed. She seemed to start vomiting, and she screamed: “I won’t come out!”, and Father answered: “You will!” Then she began to cry, kissed the cross and Father’s hand. The next day she took communion and went home completely healthy. There were many healings through the prayers of Father John. Here I have his photographic card, every day I pray in front of it for the salvation of Russia and often see him in my dreams.” Chapter 37. Father John - patron of honest marriage Letter from Hieroschemamonk Pachomius from the monastery of the Ascension of the Lord on Athos. “To demonstrate the power of Father John’s prayers, I remembered a letter from one benefactress, Mrs. Kudryasheva (I don’t remember her name). Her husband was the protodeacon of the cathedral in the city of Krasnoyarsk, Yenisei province. Around 1905, she wrote the following: “I lived as a girl in St. Petersburg and I wanted God to give me a good and handsome husband. I asked Father John for this, and through his prayers God gave me such a husband from among the singers. Then again I began to ask Father John to be a deacon for my husband. To this Father John remarked: “That’s what you want! Well, let’s pray.” So what? At that time, a bishop from Krasnoyarsk happened to be in St. Petersburg, and he, seeing his husband, took him with him and made him a deacon.” I have a photograph of this handsome deacon in my cell. If there is space in the book you are printing, then it would not be superfluous to include this remark, which for decades has not been erased from my memory, which is also probably not without the Providence of God.” Chapter 38. Father John was a miracle worker in a wide variety of cases in people’s lives The story of Ksenia Nikolaevna Krupenko, who lives in Belgrade on Kapaonichskaya street, house number 14. “When Vitaly Nikolaevich Popandopulo was in the 4th grade of the gymnasium, he was afraid to sleep alone in the dark. The cook advised his mother Lydia Ivanovna to send a letter to father John of Kronstadt. Lydia Ivanovna wrote a letter to Father John asking him to pray for his son’s deliverance from this fear. And from the day when Father John prayed, this fear disappeared. Now V.N. Popandopoulo is over 40 years old and a teacher.” Chapter 39. Father John, through absentee prayer, eliminates difficult financial situations and grief The story of Elena Ivanovna Kazakova, who lives in Serbia in Belgrade, on Groblyanskaya street, house number 6. “In 1900, my grandmother Feofila Onufrievna Cherlyunchakevich was in a terribly difficult financial situation. It was so hard for her that, finding no other help, she turned to Father John of Kronstadt, asking him to pray for her salvation. A few days after sending the letter, my grandmother felt some kind of clarity in her soul, and as if some secret voice was telling her: “Don’t worry, everything will be fine.” Soon after this, all the evil passed, as if removed by some miracle, and the grandmother’s financial situation improved. She subsequently often told us about this incident and was an ardent admirer of Father John of Kronstadt.” Chapter 40. Father John heals a paralytic and instructs her to care for the seriously ill The story of the same E. L. Kazakova “In 1913, I lived in Kronstadt, and at the same dacha where I lived, there lived another family, whose last name I don’t remember. Their grandmother, who was seriously ill, lived with them. This family was comparatively very poor, and everyone went to work, so this poor patient would have been left to her own devices all day, if not for one nun who came every day to look after her. She did this completely free of charge and so devotedly that I became interested in her. She told me that she herself was paralyzed, and Father John of Kronstadt healed her with his prayer, after which she entered the monastery and fulfilled his last will, faithfully caring for the seriously ill woman.” Chapter 41. Letters from captain 1st rank Stepan Pavlovich Burachok, living in b. Yugoslavia in the city of Pancevo along the Brigadier Ristic embankment, no. 7, dated June 5, 10 and 11, 1933, addressed to the compiler of books about Father John of Kronstadt To glorify the memory of the great saint of God Father John of Kronstadt “On one of my trips from the city of Peterhof to Kronstadt on a ship, I, approaching the ship at the Oranienbaum pier, saw an extraordinary crowd of people, especially on the ship itself. I immediately learned that Father John was coming. Considering it inconvenient to impose my company on a person who was already tired of the persecution of various petitioners, in which conditions this amazing and exceptional man was constantly in, I decided to go to the bridge of the ship, free from people, in order to thereby exclude the possibility of a meeting, and what was my surprise: Father, whom I had been avoiding, came towards me, and with a feeling of love and attention, he gave me God’s blessing with the words: “Why don’t you come, Stepan?” come to me? Come to early mass, just as your father came before." “Mrs. E.N., a sickly, weak woman, burning with the desire to build a church of God on one of the outskirts of Russia, when meeting with Father, asked for his influence on the wealthy people to collect donations. Father John blessed E.N. with the words: “Go and build!” - Yes, of course. Father, can I build it without any funds? “I’m telling you: go and build, everything will be fine,” Father said sternly and impressively. E.N. she was afraid to get into arguments and obeyed, as a result of which, to E.N.’s great surprise, the church was actually built without hindrance with the unexpectedly large participation and sympathy of the donors.” “Father did not tolerate smoking tobacco, calling it one of the passions harmful to the human soul, similar to drunkenness. This is how he weaned my father, and this is how he weaned me off too. Being spoiled not only by the environment of my life, but also by myself, it almost never occurred to me to give up this convenient and pleasant habit, especially since attempts to quit always brought a spoiled mood and deprived me of that favorite comfort of “smoking,” which lasted me for 18 years. I smoked a lot. And then one day, during the difficult experiences that happened to me, as I remember now, on December 9, 1913, I came to the tomb of Father John, and I had one prayer: “Thy will be done.” Three days later I became seriously ill with bilateral abscesses in my throat, which almost cost me my life, and I began to want to give up my favorite habit of smoking, which I told the doctor, Professor Bogdanov-Berezovsky. The latter was distrustful of this desire, having learned that I had been subject to this passion for 18 years, and, smiling, said: “Look, get better and smoke again.” Now 20 years have passed since I quite easily, despite my spoiled state, left this passion that strongly controls people. Not only the fact described in itself, but also my personal inner conviction, led me to the clear conclusion that the will of God, on which I relied in my short prayer that came from the depths of my soul, according to the holy prayers of the righteous man of God, Father John, saved me from a highly developed passion, which we, people, out of personal convenience and licentiousness, do not like to see and recognize, preferring to be blind in this regard.” “I had to hear about the power of Father John’s prayer in one of many cases - this was the case of the healing of a demoniac who terribly reviled Father, not even able to bear his presence; Several people were holding her. When Father John knelt before the holy icons and, bent over, went into prayer, the sick woman began to convulse, sending blasphemy and curses at him, mocking God and him, but then she became quiet and lost consciousness. When Father John got up from prayer, his whole face and head were covered with sweat, like water, and approached the sick woman, blessing her, the sick woman opened her eyes and, bursting into tears, fell at Father’s feet; she was greatly weakened, but completely healthy. This healing, which was clear to everyone, made a stunning impression on those present. I am happy to testify to the truth, connected with the holy memory of the great righteous man of our time, on whom the grace of God rested so palpably even for an outsider.” “I remember a time when my brother was sick. Father John blessed the apple and ordered his brother to eat it, and by evening, to the surprise of everyone, the brother turned out to be completely healthy.” “The distinctive features of Father John were the spoken words of prayer. In these seemingly daring exclamations and movements there was so much faith, love and sincerity that it seemed as if not only with his heart, but with his whole soul, he was turning to the boundless mercy of God, asking for help and intercession for weak people of little faith. Father himself said: “I often feel how easily prayer rises, and sometimes how heavily it spreads along the ground and does not rise easily,” and in these cases he said and complained with the words: “Oh, how Satan fights.” “Father John is truly the chosen one of God, burning with faith in God, showing the noblest example of human life for the salvation of people. And how vile the sect of the Johannites turned out to be, unleashed on him as a lamp of God’s grace in order to denigrate him with their perverted blasphemous understandings. Truly, the devil exists and does not sleep, trying to denigrate the bright if possible with the hands of our enlightened intelligentsia, who often consider the Divine Truth to be a prejudice and try to debunk the aura of holiness, seeing in the Johannite sect an accusation of the blessed memory of the deceased shepherd. But Truth will always triumph, even if evil might temporarily win. That's what happened here; after all the trials sent down to us, in what a halo and holiness the torch of Orthodoxy burns in the face of the holy memory of Father John! I deeply honor your holy work - publishing books about Father John, and I believe that Father will preserve and save you for your bright work of God.” Chapter 42. Father John as a healer From the author. Father John was the greatest healer of the sick and mostly hopeless. Cases of the most miraculous healings of all kinds of sick people through the prayers of Father John are known to everyone in Russia and number in the thousands. They took place daily and not only in the personal presence of Father John, but also in response to written and telegraphic requests addressed to him. Orthodox and non-Orthodox Christians, Jews, Mohammedans and even pagans received healings, and not only in Russia, but also abroad. Father John began his prayer first of all with a prayer for the forgiveness of the sick person’s sins, and then for his healing. The methods of healing were varied: sometimes he served a prayer service for water and sprinkled the patient with holy water or washed his eyes and other sore spots. Sometimes he communed the sick with the Holy Mysteries; sometimes he laid his hands on his head; sometimes he healed with one word. The story of the Guards General I. Semenov, the Lord saves the ballerina from the clutches of the devil with a burn, and Father John heals her “Approximately, as far as I remember, in the years 1895–1897, a sad incident occurred that excited the entire ballet world with a young and promising ballet dancer of the Imperial Ballet, Maria Karlovna, on stage Anderson, and married Ritter. One day, I think, during a rehearsal, when M.K. in her dressing room she was already ready to go on stage, from a careless movement near the gas jet her muslin skirt caught fire and, pretending to be a burning torch, she ran out of the dressing room. Having difficulty extinguishing the fire, she was taken to the hospital, burned. The burns turned out to be extremely severe, because the hot metal plates of the corset burned deep into the body, and the area of ​​the entire burnt surface was so large that there was a question about the life and death of M.K. Being close to the Ritter family (he served in the same regiment with me before marriage), I visited M.K. in the hospital. She suffered terribly from daily dressings and often said that it was better to die than to suffer like this. On one of my visits, I heard from M.K. that before me she had Father John of Kronstadt. After praying, Father John told her: “Nothing, just be patient a little, everything will pass, you will recover completely and you will also thank God for what happened to you, it will only be for your benefit.” After prayer, the pain eased, and faith in recovery strengthened. The theater authorities treated M.K. extremely cordially and dismissed her with a pension equal to her salary. Upon recovery M.K. The situation in the personal life of the Ritter spouses has completely changed. Before the sad incident, M.K., who was extremely conscientious about her work, could not help but devote little time to her husband and home, and the family life of these two passionately loving spouses did not improve, because he served during the day, and she at the theater in the evening. And after leaving the stage, she moved to the outskirts of the city, to Lesnoy, where she created a cozy nest for both her husband and two lovely children, to whom she devoted her care, and truly thanked God for everything that happened to her. During my visits to M.K. “I have more than once heard her reminisce about Father John’s prediction, and she loved to emphasize how exactly it came true.” Message from Captain 1st Rank Stepan Pavlovich Burachok. His address is listed above Colonel of the Life Guards of His Imperial Majesty's 3rd Infantry Regiment Evgeny Mikhailovich Zhilkin, now living in the city of Pancevo (former Yugoslavia), testifies to the following: “My relative was seriously ill with complete mental disorder, which was typically expressed in complete intolerance towards everything holy; the patient hated the Church, Holy Communion and prayer. The illness became so complicated that the patient had to go to bed, and her relatives had to have constant supervision so that in a fit of insanity she would not hang herself or commit suicide at all. She repeatedly tore off the neck cross, so she had to take it off: there were fears that she would try to hang herself with it too. Knowing her complete negative attitude towards the possibility of Father John’s arrival, my wife’s aunt, without the knowledge of the sick woman, made a big request to Father John to visit the sick woman and pray for her recovery. To everyone’s amazement, the patient, on the day and hour of Father John’s arrival, became especially excited; she quite clearly, definitely sensed Father John’s arrival from a distance, saying: here he is getting ready, here he is getting dressed, here he is going; then after a while: he arrived and began shouting loudly: “Don’t, don’t,” in terrible excitement. Indeed, at that moment Father John arrived, quickly taking off his fur coat, he went straight to the sick woman and, placing his sick hand on his head, with a great lift in a loud voice he said: “In the name of God I force you, God’s servant Mary, to be silent!” The patient immediately calmed down, calmed down, then, at Father John’s suggestion, she got dressed and sat down in a chair. Father John served a prayer service. The sick woman began to pray for the first time after her illness, and immediately Father John communed her with the Holy Mysteries of Christ. The patient became completely normal. It was clear to everyone that she was healed, which Father John confirmed with his words: “Well, servant of God Mary, now by the grace of God you are saved.” This amazing incident had such a strong effect on those around him that many cried. This wonderful healing took place in the family of my wife named Shokhov in St. Petersburg on the St. Petersburg side in the Shokhov house, about 35 years ago.” The story of Antonina Vilhelmovna Krushinskaya, who lives in Serbia in Belgrade. “The wife of the doctor of the health resort (sanatorium for convalescents) named after General Wrangel, who was in Belgrade on Dedinje, Olga Nikolaevna Tereshchenko told me the following. The only 18-year-old daughter of a large Moscow sugar factory fell ill with tuberculosis, and doctors sentenced her to death. The council of doctors decided that she had a maximum of three days to live. Transient consumption quickly and surely destroyed the young life. Then the patient begged her parents to invite Father John of Kronstadt. He arrived and entered the room where the dying woman was lying on the couch. As soon as the sick woman saw Father John, she quickly slid down to his feet and shouted: - Father, I want to live, but the doctors said that I would die! - And you will live, why are you crying? Only you need to ask for healing not from those doctors who sentenced you to death, but from this Doctor,” Father John calmly answered, pointing to the icon of the Savior hanging on the wall. After this, he began to pray earnestly and fervently, so that sweat stood out on his brow and his hair stuck to his forehead. Having finished the prayer, he turned to his family with the words: “I have nothing else to do here.” His mother, in complete despair, rushed to him and shouted: - What, Father, will she die? - No, she’s completely healthy! - he answered. After this, the girl began to recover quickly and quickly and was soon completely healthy and, having lived until she was 76 years old, died in Soviet Russia from hunger and exhaustion.” The story of Baron NV. Driesen “In Kronstadt in the era of 1888–1892, the widow of the British consul E.M. lived with her family. Brown, born Grechukhina, is a great admirer and friend of Father John. He often visited her easily, and when Mrs. Brown moved to her dacha in Oranienbuam, he stayed with her for several days. My sister, who was friendly with the Brown family, told characteristic details about Father John. He was unusually unpretentious in food. He ate little, and sometimes after sweets he asks for... herring. He prayed a lot, especially at night, when he walked around the garden and sang psalms in a low voice. He adored flowers, which he called “God’s eyes.” He knew French and German quite well. One day Mrs. Brown fell ill with inflammation of the peritoneum; Father John, unfortunately, was not in the city; the doctors feared for her life. But suddenly Father returned. And it must be said that Mrs. Brown’s outer coverings were so irritated that the touch of the thinnest shirt caused her pain. Therefore, something like a hoop was installed over the stomach and a sheet was already placed on it. Father John's first move was to put his hand on the patient's stomach and, lo and behold! She felt immediate relief. And two days later I was already out of danger.” (“Renaissance” No. 3135 of January 1, 1934). Letter addressed to Pavla Ivanovna Saparova dated 11/I 1933 from Berlin W. 50. Kulmbacherstrasse, 14-IV. You ask me to explain how Father John healed me. After inflammation of the peritoneum, the doctors insisted that I undergo surgery due to the fact that an ulcer had formed on the uterus. I went to Kronstadt, and Father John, after praying with me and my little daughter, said to me: “Always believe as you believe now, and the Lord God will heal you, and you don’t need any operation.” Arriving in Moscow a week later, the doctor found when examining me that the ulcer was no longer there and there were fresh covers in its place. He was very surprised and attributed it to douching. Meanwhile, before Father John’s prayer, there was blood and pus in the water after douching, but after prayer that same evening there was nothing in the water, and it was clean, like from a tap. It was a true miracle, it was a wonderful prayer that accompanies me throughout my life.” The story of Guard Colonel Anatoly Nikolaevich von Wittorf from the words of his mother, the wife of Major General Lydia Konstantinovna von Wittorf. In St. Petersburg in 1885, the wife of a postal and telegraph official, Mrs. Znobishina, was sick with goiter. Doctors recognized her situation as hopeless and death was inevitable, saying that medicine was powerless to cure her. Then L.K. von Wittorf asked Father John to come to the sick woman. Father John fulfilled the request and came to the Znobishins and served a prayer service with them. During the prayer service, Father John ran his hand over the patient’s goiter several times. After this, the goiter completely disappeared, and the patient recovered. In 1887, Doctor Przhiemsky, who served in the city of Grozny in the Caucasus, was transferred to St. Petersburg. His wife Evdokia Markovna with two daughters Anna and Nadezhda moved to St. Petersburg, and her husband remained in Grozny to finish things off. Unexpectedly, Mrs. Przhiemskaya received a telegram that her husband had died suddenly. At this time she had her period. The news of her husband's death affected her so much that her bleeding did not stop, but continued. Colonel von Wittorf is the grandson of the famous Moscow doctor Vasyukov, revered by doctors. At the request of von Wittorf, the patient was treated for a long time by excellent doctors, such as Professor Bystrov, Doctor of the Imperial School of Law Snezhkov, and others, but nothing helped, and the doctors did not show any hope. The patient gradually faded away and could no longer even move her hand. Then L.K. von Wittorf invited Father John to the sick woman. The narrator was an eyewitness to Father John's visit to the sick E.M. Przhiemskaya. When Father John arrived, he immediately quickly went to the bed of the sick woman, who was lying in the hood, and everyone looked at her with fear, expecting her death. Father John crossed her and said: But Father John insisted, saying: - Nothing, nothing, get up. Father John helped the sick woman get up, put her on her knees on the mat, and began to serve a prayer service. During the prayer service, Father John sprinkled holy water on the sick woman and, leaving, said: - Nothing, nothing, everything will be fine. After this, the patient completely recovered, and the narrator saw her 30 years later. The story of Hieromonk George (Menert-Skrandis), living in Serbia, dated September 1/15, 1934 “My aunt Evdokia Ivanovna Khilchenko was sick with dropsy all her life. She was treated by both allopaths and homeopaths, but nothing helped. Finally the doctors refused to treat me. This was about 30 years ago. Then she invited Father John of Kronstadt. Father John served a water-blessing prayer service and after the prayer service he said to her, offering blessed water: “Drink some water.” Auntie drank a little. Father John left. At night, water flowed out of her legs, and she completely recovered. Doctors attributed this case to a miracle. After healing, my aunt lived for another 23 years.” The story of the tailor of the spiritual dress P. G . Teodorovich. Mr. Teodorovich told the following about himself. “Since childhood, I stuttered very badly. My brother Pavel (who was honored to serve with Father John) 489 told me a lot about the virtues and miracles of Father John, and I myself read about him. In the summer of 1893 (it was in Moscow) I learned that Father John had arrived and was in the apartment of Metropolitan Leonty, the former Archbishop of Warsaw. With deep faith, I went to the Metropolitan’s house with the intention of asking Father John to pray for my healing from my stuttering. There were so many people that it was impossible to get into the house, and I was very upset that I could not achieve anything. I walked a little further from the crowd and watched as Father John got into the carriage. It was already dusk. I ran after the carriage and while running, with great excitement (I thought my fate for the rest of my life was being decided), stuttering terribly, I shouted to Father John: “Father, pray for me, I stutter!” Father John hit me on my left cheek with his right hand and repeated several times: “Speak clearly, speak clearly...” And in the name of the Holy Trinity, through the prayer of Father John, I was honored with a great miracle and was completely healed from the illness that tormented me - stuttering.” The story of Major General Vasily Ivanovich Ignatiev, b. commander of the 13th artillery brigade, living in Belgrade in Serbia. “I myself am a native of the city of Kronstadt, I lived before becoming an officer in this city, for the first time our family asked Father John to visit our house and pray for the granting of recovery to my younger sister Maria, who was no more than two years old and who was born crippled, since her arm and leg were cramped and could not be straightened. Neither experienced doctors nor any treatment could give her a cure for her serious illness, and we constantly had to hear the final words: “Either death or cripple for life.” And it was then that our family decided to resort to the help of Father John. Father came to us, entered the living room and began to serve a prayer service. At the end of the prayer service, Father John went to the bedroom, approached the child’s crib, stroked his head with his hand, smiled, said nothing and left. The next morning, my mother, waking up, first went to the child’s crib, and what was her joy when she found her child completely healthy: the arm and leg were moving, straightened, and there was no mention of illness. After this miraculous healing from a serious illness, the child lived completely healthy for a whole year and died, contracting some other disease. The ways of God are inscrutable, such was the will of God. Second case. My father fell seriously ill. We invited Father John. He immediately went into the living room and began to serve a prayer service. At the end of the prayer service, he went to my mother and seriously told her: “Hurry up!” From this word we all understood that our father had little time left to live and that we must prepare to part with our dear father. Relatively little time passed, and Father John’s warning came true - father died, and we were all already prepared for this.” Healing of a sick woman through the prayers of Father John of Kronstadt and the consequences of failure to fulfill a vow Message from priest John Dobronravov (From the magazine “Sunday Reading”, 1902, No. 47) The prayer of the righteous can accomplish much. “It is pleasant to read and hear about the miraculous manifestations of God’s mercy over weak people through the prayers of individuals. Those who pleased God, but it is even more pleasant and gratifying for the heart when you yourself witness such phenomena. And in vain they say that there are no miracles now. I will share with readers two facts that will prove the opposite to us. In my parish, at the Church of the Ascension in the city of Saransk, lives the widow of the tradesman M. Morozova, a deeply religious, God-fearing woman, completely devoted to the Holy Church and its shepherds. During her husband’s lifetime, about eight years ago, she became seriously ill. The cause of her illness remained unclear to doctors; it consisted in the fact that her stomach, which had always been normal before, suddenly, for unknown reasons, began to gradually swell and increase in volume. At first she did not attach much importance to this and paid little attention to her illness. Meanwhile, the volume of the abdomen began to take on alarming proportions and was so large that the poor woman had great difficulty moving her legs. Finally, she lost this opportunity: she went to bed, experiencing unbearable pain in her abdominal cavity. The invited doctor could not advise anything else other than to perform an operation. But the patient did not want to agree to this. So several more days passed, the disease began to become more complicated, and dropsy with increased heartbeat was added to it. The patient's husband took care to gather a council of district doctors, but they could do little to help; The patient felt worse and worse with each passing day. The doctor, who had urged her to have the operation, now advised only not to disturb M. in view of the fact that her days, in his opinion, were already numbered. But the patient did not lose her presence of mind; she firmly believed in God’s help. One day, when her situation had especially worsened, she called her husband and told him that she would like to go to Father John in Kronstadt and ask for his prayers. “What are you saying, Masha,” the husband objected, “can’t you see how exhausted you are?” After all, in your current situation, not only seven hundred miles, but also driving seven is a great thing... Now it’s autumn - dirty, cold... The railway station, as you know, is not close, and there is 490 in the car - pitching, shaking and other inconveniences. Even a healthy person can’t always do this, but you’re sick, barely alive, what are you up to?! This is how the now deceased husband convinced his sick wife, but she, apparently, firmly decided on a holy cause; neither conviction, nor the distance of the journey, nor the danger on the road bothered her - she persistently demanded that her desire be satisfied. There was nothing to do, I had to agree. They collected everything they needed for the road, and such a dangerous and distant one at that (the event described took place in the village of Kuchki, Penza province). The patient's relatives took care to tie everything necessary in a special knot in case of death. So everyone was convinced of the hopelessness of the patient’s situation. No one dared to think that the sick woman could get to Kronstadt alive. However, the patient reached Moscow safely. Here, those accompanying the patient had to wait several days due to the fact that the patient’s situation became desperate. They tried to persuade her not to travel further and, if not to return back, then at least to wait in Moscow for the arrival of Father John, who often visits this city. But it was impossible to persuade the patient: she was burning with the desire to see the “Father of Kronstadt” as soon as possible, to pray to him, to ask for his blessing and holy prayers. The patient was taken to Kronstadt in a supine position. On the day of his arrival there, Father John was not in Kronstadt; he returned from St. Petersburg only the next morning. At the request of those close to him, Father John went to the room where the patient was. - Well, where is she? – he asked upon entering the room. They pointed to the lying woman. Approaching her, Father John made the sign of the cross over the sick woman and began serving a general prayer service at the request of the visiting persons. During the prayer service, the patient, in a reclining position, supported by strangers, frequently crossed herself. Having finished the water-blessing prayer service, Father John approached the sick woman, gave her a drink of holy water, drank a little himself and, wetting his right hand, ran it over M. Morozova’s sore stomach. “Let her go,” Father John said to those supporting the sick woman. “Father, she can’t do it without outside help, she’s very weak.” - Let her go! – He repeated his demand instructively. - Father! - said the patient, - pray for me... - Don’t be afraid, my child, all this will pass with you and no further than tomorrow, I will visit you again... Having said this, Father John hurriedly went out into the other rooms, where they were waiting for him with great impatience. After he left, the patient, to the great amazement of those around her, felt a kind of relief in herself. In the evening of that day, she gained an appetite and increased strength, and the next morning, although with great difficulty, she came to the cathedral, listened to a general confession here, defended the Liturgy, and at the end of it was honored to receive the Holy Mysteries. In the evening of that day, Father John visited the sick woman a second time, asked about her health and, having learned that she felt better, blessed her and said that now, with God’s grace, she could safely get home. Three days after the event described, the patient had recovered enough to be able to set off on the return journey. On the way, although she complained of pain, she was calm. At home, in the presence of her husband and relatives, the patient promised to go to Kronstadt again if her illness passed - to ask Father John to serve a prayer service of thanks to the Lord God in St. Andrew's Cathedral and to thank Father for his prayers and warm participation in her situation. So no more than two weeks passed. To the surprise of those caring for the patient (husband and relatives), the latter felt quite satisfactory: the tumor was almost gone. the heartbeat became normal, strength increased so much that the patient could not only walk, but also do some housework. And not only she herself, but also everyone who had seen her before, during her illness, considered her recovery a miracle of God, accomplished through the holy prayers of Father John. So days after days, weeks, months and years passed. Patient M. recovered completely and moved with her husband to live in Saransk; but the latter did not have to live in this city for long. An evil illness (consumption), which had previously plagued him for many years, now completely undermined his poor health. He died soon after. His death plunged the young woman into indescribable grief. She completely changed in her moral being: she became gloomy, silent, avoided fun gatherings, fell in love with the church of God, prayer, reading sacred books, etc. The loss of her husband was so sensitive for her. But this misfortune was not the last. It pleased God's providence to visit the young woman with a new test. This was in March 1902. For absolutely no apparent reason, she developed an abscess above her right thigh. At first she thought that the abscess would go away on its own, and therefore did not try to take proper measures to eliminate it. But the disease began to spread noticeably. Doctor K. was invited, who, although he gave medicine, did not find her illness serious. The patient began to be treated, but the desired relief was still not achieved; The medicine not only did not help, but irritated the sore spot even more - the patient became so sensitive that she had to finally go to bed; the suffering became unspeakably terrible. Patient M. only felt relatively calm when she lay motionless on her bed. At the slightest attempt to turn her over or lift her to eat, the room was filled with soul-rending screams, so that those caring for the patient could not look at her suffering without tears. The need for medical help arose again. A consultation was formed, which decided to perform the operation. But the patient did not want to hear about it. Her suffering was so great that not only the operation, but even touching her sick body was true torment for her. She agreed to die rather than have the sore spot cut. As a true Christian, she asked those around her to invite the local priest to bring the Holy Gifts to her. M.’s wish was fulfilled, and on April 6 of this year I communed the sick woman with the Holy Mysteries. While reading the prayer, she cried quietly and inconsolably. When I began confession, M. could not restrain her sobs: “Father,” she said, “it is the Lord who is punishing me for not fulfilling my promise.” And before I was seriously ill, but the Lord was pleased to show His mercy on me through the prayers of Father John. During my illness, I made a vow to God in case of recovery to visit Kronstadt again, serve a prayer service there and thank Father John for his prayers. And I really recovered completely, but I never fulfilled my promise: I forgot about him and remembered only when the Lord sent me a difficult test: I lost my husband, and now I myself am lying there, barely alive... I myself don’t know what to do now. This promise weighs heavily on me, and there is now no way to fulfill it in my current situation. Will it be good if I turn to Father John for prayers a second time? I promise to send a feasible sacrifice to Kronstadt for the needs at his discretion... I approved of her intention and, leaving, promised to fulfill the request made to me - to pray for the sick woman in my parish church. So a week passed. On the first day of Holy Easter I visited the sick woman a second time; During the prayer service she lay quietly, and when the time came for reading the Gospel, she rose from the bed without any help and, when I placed the Gospel on the sick woman’s head, she quietly said: When leaving, I asked M. if she had made a request to Father John, to which I received an affirmative answer. After that, sending the sick prosphora every day, I inquired about her illness and received comforting news with each new day. So another week passed, and I learned that sick M. was gradually starting to walk around the house... On the day of the church holiday of the Ascension of the Lord, I saw her in the church: pale, exhausted by illness, with sunken eyes, she prayed to God, and tears flowed abundantly from her eyes. She cried throughout the service of the thanksgiving service. And these tears served her as a consolation; These were not just tears - sinful, worldly - no, in tearful prayer she fervently thanked God for her miraculous recovery. Not long ago M. visited me at my apartment and here she told me in detail the story of her illness and miraculous recovery through the prayer of Father John. “And this is wonderful,” she said later, “I began to feel better just from the time when I sent my letter to Father John during Holy Week. I asked her permission to make her story known to society by publishing it in some magazine, to which she said that she could not refuse me this, since she believed and was convinced that she received healing only through the prayers of Father John.” Grace-filled help through the prayers of Father John (From the magazine “Helmsman” for 1902) “The priest’s daughter, Maria Matveevna Dubrovskaya, is currently in St. Petersburg. Fifteen years ago her eyesight became weak. The operation performed in Warsaw could only save her left eye, but the right one became darker and darker, and finally she completely stopped seeing with it. Then she went to doctors in Kyiv and Vitebsk, but the doctors announced that she would soon go completely blind. In this hopeless situation, Mrs. Dubrovskaya once had a dream; she sees that on the wall of her room hangs the image of the Sorrowful Mother of God; at the same time, a priest enters the room, in whom she immediately recognized Father John of Kronstadt. Father John removes the image of the Mother of God from the wall, blesses the sick woman with it and tells her to go to St. Petersburg and acquire exactly the same image for herself there. “Sincere prayer to the Lord,” added Father John, “will save you, and the Lord will send you healing.” This dream made such a strong impression on Mrs. Dubrovskaya that she went to St. Petersburg and got a meeting with Father John. At the end of the prayer, Father John allowed the sick woman to kiss the cross, then blessed her with the image of the Sorrowful Mother of God, washed her eyes with holy water and instantly, as the Kronstadt newspaper Kotlin reports 491, a great work of God was accomplished: the sick woman immediately received her sight, the fog fell from her eyes, and all the faces and objects surrounding her appeared before her eyes with complete clarity. Currently, Mrs. Dubrovskaya sees everything clearly and can read and work.” Chapter 43. Father John heals by laying his hand on the sick In the city of Arkhangelsk, after a prayer service in the chapel of St. Nicholas, the wife of a wealthy man remained on her knees and began to gnaw on the icon of St. Nicholas lying on the lectern. They began to persuade her, but she did not let up, so they dragged her away and took her home. Her husband, a wealthy man, spared no expense on doctors, but the patient received absolutely no help from them. Father John came to Arkhangelsk by chance. The sick husband asked Father John to come to the sick woman. Father John asked him: “Do you know how to pray?” and made him pray together. Then he went to the sick woman, put his hand on her head, read a prayer and left. The patient fell asleep and when she woke up, she was completely healthy. Here the prophecy of the Savior in the last chapter of the Gospel of Mark was fulfilled: These signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover 492. The story of the landlady. Orla Evdokia Nikolaevna Pastukhova, living in Serbia, in Belgrade in the Professor's Colony on Venizelosova Street. in his own house No. 34. “I suffered from headaches for many years; I was treated, but the doctors did not help. I always carried phenacetin with me so that as soon as my head hurt, I could take it immediately. Once, when Father John was in my house, I had a headache, but I was busy with housework and did not think about myself, and only when Father John was about to leave did I tell him about the headache. Father John asked me: “Do you often have pain?” I explained. Then Father John put his hand on my head, and the headache went away and never happened again.” Chapter 44. Father John heals a drunkard When I was a co-owner of a house in St. Petersburg, on the corner of English Avenue and Ekaterininsky Canal No. 35/154, near the Alarchin Bridge, there was a tavern in this house that belonged to the innkeeper Volkov, who occasionally drank heavily. He went to Kronstadt to see Father John and, through the latter’s prayers, did not drink again until his death. Chapter 45. Father John, by laying on his hand, eases the suffering of the dying woman and predicts the Kingdom of Heaven for her The story of Pompey Nikolaevich Shabelsky About 40 years ago, Sofia Ivanovna Timchenko, born Rimskaya-Korsakova, who lived in St. Petersburg on Vladimirsky Prospekt at the corner of Grafsky Lane, was dying of cancer and suffered greatly. Believing in Father John of Kronstadt, she asked him to come and ease her suffering. Father John arrived, put his hand on her head, and immediately she felt better, and the suffering stopped. Father John told her: “You suffered a lot here, but you will be fine there.” Seeing this, her sister Ekaterina Ivanovna Rimskaya-Korsakova, who was indifferent to Father John, holding an icon in her hand, turned to him with a request to bless her. Father John looked at her in surprise and said to her: “And you ask for my blessing, okay, I bless you.” Ekaterina Ivanovna kept this icon until the end of her life and died at the age of 83. Chapter 46. The fulfilled and ongoing prediction of Father John The story of Princess Maria Alexandrovna Svyatopolk-Mirskaya 493, July 1941 Belgrade in Serbia. “In 1890 or 1891, Father John was called to see a seriously ill patient in Kyiv. He served the Liturgy in the Governor General's house church. At that time, there was a governor-general in Kyiv, Count A.P. Ignatiev, whose family was particularly religious. The children served in the church, sang and read. I, who was friends with them, constantly visited them and always attended all the services in their church. It was a great joy for all of us to be able to attend the Liturgy celebrated by Father John. This Liturgy made a deep, irresistible impression on me, still a child. Father served with such inspiration, with such warmth that I remember how many cried with emotion. I was so shocked by everything I saw and heard that the memory of it remained for the rest of my life. I managed to approach Father John only when he approached the internal staircase, which led from the top floor, where there was a church, to the entrance below. There was a countless crowd of people waiting for his exit on the stairs, in the hallway, and in the courtyard in front of the house. He noticed me and asked: “What’s your name?” and put his hand on my head; then he bent my head down to the steps of the stairs and said to me: “This is how you will endure in your life, Mary, but the Lord will not leave you,” and, taking a prosphora from his pocket, which he had taken out, he put it in my hand, extended under his blessing. I was so amazed that I couldn’t say anything and just pressed the prosphora tightly to my chest. I saved it and cherish it to this day. I brought it with me into our exile, and it seems to help me endure all the sorrows that befell the Russian people, and hope, in the words of Father John, that the Lord will not abandon us. In my personal life, even in my early youth, many sorrows befell me, but, remembering the covenant of Father John, I tried to endure everything and wait for God’s mercy.” Chapter 47. The blessing of Father John remains for life and protects from all troubles and misfortunes. The story of Maria Viktorovna Govorova, who lives in Serbia in Belgrade at Visegradskaya Street, No. 14. “My childhood was spent in Lesnoy, in Sosnovka. Lesnoye was located seven miles from St. Petersburg, and communication in those days was only on their own horses; It was there that my first acquaintance took place, which I still remember, with the unforgettable Father John of Kronstadt. He visited us there many times and served all-night services and prayer services, but I especially remember him on the day when he served a farewell prayer service to my brother and sister, who were entering one the Corps of Pages, the other the Smolny Institute, where he sent me farewell three years later, since I was the youngest. And to this day I remember the expression of his light, very blue, soulful eyes and I feel his blessing hand on my head, and I am sure that with his help and prayer he protected my family in all our severe disasters and flight. He also came to us with the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, which my parents “raised” 494 at least once a year. A carriage was always drawn for Father John, and my father Viktor Ivanovich Shulgin personally brought him and drove him, taking care not to tire him. During the refugee twenty years ago, Father John again showed his mercy to my family. While wandering around Russia, we ended up in Rostov-on-Don at the apartment of T.S. Levanidova, a local merchant, a student of the Novocherkassk Institute, who saw Father John for the first time at the said institute and later, when he visited Rostov-on-Don, received him in her home. Our flight, like that of most refugees, was very difficult, and we were happy to finally find two rooms in this nice family. Volunteer Army 495 occupied Rostov, but we all lived under the constant threat of the Bolsheviks. Everyone’s nerves were tense, and we slept lightly and restlessly, but somehow by chance, having seen Tatyana Semyonovna’s portrait of Father John and learning that Father John was staying with her, I told her with complete confidence: “Father John blessed me, which means nothing will happen to us.” This turned out to be true. We lived in a lordly mansion, which, of course, should have attracted the attention of the Bolsheviks. They came to us for searches, and there was not a single search; for some reason they did not enter the house; the servants were very faithful, and no one said that my husband was an officer. And on the holy night, when the Bolsheviks, under the pressure of the Germans, retreated to Bataysk, a miracle happened to us, which I completely attribute to the holy protection of Father John. At 2 o'clock in the morning we all woke up to the roar of guns. The Bolsheviks fired at our area, and shells landed around our house. Half-dressed, frightened, we rushed to the cellar and, having reached it, T.S. Levanidova remembered that her jewelry and papers remained in her bedroom, in the mirrored closet, and she and my husband returned upstairs, ran into the bedroom, opened the closet, grabbed things and rushed downstairs. And at that moment, when everyone was already safe, the Bolsheviks struck our house; the shell hit the bedroom where my husband and Tatyana Semyonovna had just been. The corner of the house was completely broken off, and the closet from which things and jewelry had just been taken did not exist, and broken furniture covered the room in splinters. And from this moment I invariably believe in the intercession of Father John of Kronstadt, who mercifully helps me and my family. Having seen it once in your life, you cannot forget it. The meekness of his extraordinary, soul-penetrating eyes still stands before me as if alive, and I always ask him for help and protection.” Chapter 48. Father John in the sunshine The story of the Valaam monk Barsova, who lives in Serbia in the Tomsk monastery, Pirot post. “I come from Cherepovets, Novgorod province. During his lifetime, Father John visited us in Cherepovets when he traveled to his homeland on a steamboat along the Sheksna River, and everyone knew him. When persecution began in the newspapers against Father John 496 and all the people recoiled from him, my acquaintance, a very religious young man, Vasily Ivanovich Smirnov, felt very sorry for Father John, and they tried to assure him of the veracity of what the newspapers wrote. But the Lord revealed the truth to him: he sees in a dream that Father John is walking along Krestovaya Street in the city of Cherepovets, in the middle of the street, in full vestments and in a miter, all in an extraordinary light burning like the sun, and there is darkness all around, and from this darkness many people scold Father John and throw dirt and stones at him and are ready to tear him apart. Then Vasily Smirnov ran up to Father - he felt sorry for him, and so people ran at Father John and threw him to the ground, and Vasily Smirnov covered Father with himself and said: “Beat me, but don’t touch Father.” At this point, Vasily Smirnov woke up and from that time on did not believe the slander. Vasily Ivanovich Smirnov came to see me in Valaam in 1910, where I lived. He died in 1920 as a monk-cell attendant for Bishop Neophytos, suffragan bishop of the Poltava diocese, and both young people died in a short time after each other - both of a very high spiritual life.” Chapter 49. Father John’s attitude towards monasteries The story of Prince Mikhail Alekseevich Cherkassky, a member of the All-Foreign Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, held in the city of Sremski Karlovci (former Yugoslavia) in 1938, church warden of the Brussels Memorial Church 497. “Father John often visited my father-in-law Likhachev, a very rich man. One day my father-in-law gave Father John a bag of money. At this time, a girl approached and asked Father John to help her with her dowry. Father John gave this package to the girl, not knowing how much money was in it. Seeing this, Likhachev told Father John that the package contained 15 thousand rubles. To this Father John replied: “She needs it.” Another time, when Father John was with Likhachev, one monk began to ask Likhachev for money for the monastery. Then Father John said to Likhachev: “Better give it to me for the poor,” and Likhachev gave Father John money for his poor. Then Likhachev gave money to the monk who asked him to join the monastery.” From the author. From the previous chapters of this book it is clear that Father John constantly willingly blessed men to accept monasticism and repeatedly appeared to monks in dreams both in Russia and in Serbia and instructed them. But I have never heard of Father John donating money to male monasteries, while he gave enormous funds for the construction, expansion and maintenance of female monasteries. It must be assumed that Father John did this, having in mind the salvation of physically and spiritually weak girls from the temptations surrounding them and, on the contrary, believed that men themselves could and should earn a living. Chapter 50. Father John heals from a distance The story of Sergei Sergeev, who lives in the city of Sremski Karlovci (former Yugoslavia). “In the summer of 1889 or 1890, when I was 12–13 years old, I went to my grandfather in the village and there I fell ill with typhoid fever and lost consciousness due to a high fever (according to my relatives). I was unconscious for about three weeks and did not eat. I was treated by the best city doctor, Mr. Shaur, a specialist in internal medicine; The doctor visited me every day and even twice a day. No medications helped; I looked like a dead man, as I was a skeleton covered in skin. The doctor lost all hope for my recovery and told my family to be prepared for my death, but he himself did not come the next day, assuming that they would come to him, as he later said, for a certificate of burial rights. After the last visit, as my family told me, my dad sent a telegram to Father John, asking him to pray for my recovery. The next day, when the doctor did not come, to the delight of my parents, I suddenly regained consciousness and saw my younger brothers (I was the eldest) and my mother approaching at my bed, but my father was not at home at that time. The next day the doctor came and entered hesitantly, expecting to see me dead, and, to his great surprise, he found me conscious. Since then, although slowly, I began to recover and after a while I got up and gained strength; I learned to walk like a small child, and when I was taken out into the air in the yard and sat at the door, those passing by and acquaintances who specially came to look at me were frightened of me, I looked so much like a dead man: even looking in the mirror, I was frightened of myself. So, thanks to the faith of my relatives and the prayer of Father John, I was raised from my deathbed and still live; I’m 52 years old now.” The story of the widow of a former fellow prosecutor of the Lomzhinsky District Court, Olga Nikolaevna Albova. “Around 1906–1907, our daughter Tatyana, still a child, was hopelessly ill with influenza pneumonia and a weakened heart. The family doctor, Doctor Lenartovich, a Pole, recognized the situation as very serious and convened a council of three doctors. The doctors examined the sick child at about 10 in the morning and said that one lung was completely inflamed and did not work, and in the other only a small space about the size of a small palm remained unaffected, and the heart was very weak, and the whole body was very exhausted by the disease, and they recognized the situation as hopeless. My husband came to find out the result of the consultation and told me: “You are a believer, send a telegram to Father John of Kronstadt, who is considered a miracle worker.” At about 12 o'clock in the afternoon they sent a telegram to Father John, asking for prayers for the healing of the sick Tatyana. Both my husband and I sat silently in my husband’s office, depressed. After a certain period of time, the child, breathing fitfully and tossing about, gradually began to fall asleep and fell into a deep sleep. At about 6 o'clock the council met again. Doctor Lenartovich was the first to listen; listened and looked around in surprise at those present and silently stepped aside. The surprise or bewilderment written on his face scared me. Then the second doctor, after listening, said: “Something incomprehensible,” and also stepped aside. The third doctor, after listening, said: “A completely incomprehensible picture: one lung is completely clean, and in the other only a small edge is still touched, so the child is almost healthy, and all danger has passed.” Lenartovich said: “This is some kind of incomprehensible miracle!” One of the doctors added that if we had not examined the patient in the morning, we might have thought that she was not sick. The child quickly began to recover and became stronger.” Letter from Maria Ramseyer from Geneva, Roseraie. 19/II 1937 “I thank God in the Holy Trinity. In 1890, through the prayer of Father John of Kronstadt, my six-year-old son George, who was sick with typhoid fever, was healed. At every visit the doctor asked: “Are you alive?” and only then did he enter, but did not give hope for recovery. We invited a priest, he communed the sick man with the Holy Mysteries and said that the child was very weak. Then I wrote to my sister in St. Petersburg (my husband and I lived in Uralsk) and asked her to go to Kronstadt to see Father John, tell him about the illness of my only son and serve a prayer service to the Savior. My husband and I did not leave our son, as he was very weak. The doctor was attentive to the patient and conscientiously visited him twice a day; Nothing could be given to my son: no medicine, no food, and he didn’t even open his eyes for about three weeks. One day he asked for a drink. I answered him: “The doctor will come soon and say that you can give me something to drink.” The husband wrote down the number when his son asked for a drink. We are waiting for the doctor. And then we receive a letter from my sister that on such and such a day she was with Father John, and a prayer service was served, and that Father John told her to write that his son would get better. The prayer service was on the date when the son asked for a drink. The doctor comes and, as usual, asks if he’s alive. And when he found out that he was asking for a drink and saw him, he was amazed and said that it was a miracle. We kept silent about what we wrote to Father John. And from that day on, our son began to recover and, thanks to God and Father John, he lived to be 50 years old. But after a serious illness and many trials, in 1934, after receiving the Holy Mysteries, he died quietly, surrounded by his entire family: his wife, three adult children and me, his mother, whom he cared for until the last minute. Letter from Mrs. Olga Grekova, born Levanets, from Jerusalem, Mission Russe, V. R. 818. “I am a contemporary of Father John, I deeply honor him and am deeply grateful to him for the fact that he healed my father in absentia, who was mortally ill: articular rheumatism, two inflammations and pleurisy. I was 15 years old at the time, taking care of my family fell on me, since my mother had died long ago. I sent a telegram to Father John, and the next day my father began to get better, and when Father John soon arrived in Vilna, 498 where we lived, then, not knowing my father, he directly approached him and said: “Your Excellency, be healthy, be healthy.” Mrs. M's story. Kravtsova. Art. Medvedzhe, b. Lece, Vardar Banovina (former Yugoslavia). “Around 1899, in the city of Simferopol in the Crimea, my mother fell ill with sciatica and suffered greatly, as she had to lie motionless in bed; The slightest movement or touch to the sore spot caused unbearable pain. This went on for a whole month, and all the efforts of our best doctors were useless. My father was sent to St. Petersburg at that time. Remembering the miracles performed through the prayers of Father John, they wrote to him about it. And on that day and hour when Father John prayed, my mother completely recovered. Marvelous is the Lord in His saints 499!” Mrs. P's story. T . F., living in Creusot (France), August 21, 1936 “In 1894, when I was 9 years old, my sister Zinaida, two and a half three years old, fell ill with pneumonia. A local doctor (by the way, reputed to be a very experienced doctor) after several visits announced to the mother of a sick child that the situation was hopeless and medicine was powerless to save him. “My presence here is unnecessary, I wash my hands,” he said. The doctor left, and the mother was left alone with the dying woman, completely helpless, in the most depressed state. For a long time, fragmentary stories about healings through the prayer of Father John of Kronstadt reached my mother. At this difficult, terrible moment of the struggle between life and death, a happy thought flashed through my mother: she remembered Father John of Kronstadt, called her husband (my stepfather) into the room where the dying Zina lay, and said: - Kolya, write a letter to Father John of Kronstadt right now and ask him to pray for the healing of the dying child Zinaida. The stepfather immediately wrote a short letter, put 3 rubles in the envelope, and on the same day the letter was delivered to the post office by registered mail. The night and the whole next day passed very anxiously: the patient wheezed heavily, she was choked by spasms, her breathing was barely noticeable, the struggle between life and death was decisive. In such anxiety and tension, we waited until evening. Suddenly Zina moved, freed her hand and spoke in a weak voice: Her mother helped her up. Zina sat down, but could not hold on from weakness. The mother brought her milk and began to feed her with a spoon, supporting her with her other hand. Some more short time passed. Zina began to perk up more and soon stood up with the help of her mother. The next morning a letter was received from Kronstadt from Father John. He wrote that at such and such an hour, on such and such a day and date, he served a prayer service for the health of the sick baby Zinaida and prayed for her healing, and sent his blessing. In tears of great joy, the mother remembered the hour when Zina asked for food, and, to everyone’s surprise, the hour of Father John’s prayer in Kronstadt for the sick woman coincided. What happened was so obvious that there could be no doubt about her miraculous healing.” NR's story. Perevoshchikova. Her address is listed above. “My daughter, a three-month-old baby, was sick with blood poisoning after smallpox. I went to Father John and asked him to bless the sick woman in absentia. Father John said to me: “Smallpox! Don’t worry, dear, you will be healthy, I had smallpox myself.” The story of the actual state councilor Leonid Leonidovich Ogurtsov, who lived in Serbia in Belgrade, on Krajinska street. house number 69. In 1887, the wife of the artist of the Imperial Theaters M.P. Pravdina was seriously ill. She was in danger of death. Advice was given to contact Father John of Kronstadt. She sent him a telegram with a paid reply. A few days later the answer was received: “Yesterday I prayed for you.” And indeed, since yesterday she has felt better and recovered. On this occasion, Mr. Pravdin’s father, a Lutheran, a German, said: “The best doctor in Russia is Father John of Kronstadt: he helps and doesn’t charge a penny.” The story of Pyotr Alekseevich Nikolsky, captain of the Vyborg regiment, now serving in the Serbian Spiritual Court. “When I was studying at the Novgorod gymnasium, another boy hit me in the eye with a belt buckle. The eye closed and I couldn’t see anything with it. All the doctors said that the eye would not open. This situation lasted for a long time. Mother went alone to Father John. Father prayed, blessed her and said: “Go home, mother, everything is fine with you!” At home, after dinner, I lay down to rest and, waking up, saw that everything was light all around; went to the mirror and saw that the eye had opened.” The story of Ksenia Nikolaevna Bartoshevich, who lived in Serbia in Belgrade, on the street. Kralice Natalite 35. “About 40 years ago, my mother Anna Petrovna Tumkovskaya, 32 years old, who lived on her estate in the Podolsk province of Letichevsky district, was dying of nephritis, and all the doctors discharged from Kyiv and Odessa - then celebrities - sentenced her to death. The wife of the district leader of the nobility, Rashevskaya, who was personally acquainted with Father John of Kronstadt, sent him a telegram asking him to pray for the healing of the sick woman. After this, the patient began to recover and completely recovered, and now lives in Soviet Russia.” Letter from supernumerary archpriest Father Philip Luzgin, dated April 22, 1939 “Through the prayerful intercession of Father John, my 9-year-old daughter was saved from inevitable death. This was 40 years ago. The daughter fell ill with diphtheria. The doctor, after much effort to save her from death, when leaving, said frankly: “It’s unlikely that your daughter will survive this disease, be prepared for anything.” I then lived in the city of Lepel. Having lost hope of medical help, I hurried to the post office and gave a telegram to Father John of Kronstadt, asking for his prayers for the healing of the sick Pelagia. When the doctor came in the morning and examined the sick woman’s throat, he joyfully said: “Dear father and mother, your daughter received complete healing, but I confess that it was not through my medical help, but she was miraculously saved from death. Tell me frankly, what did you do?” I said that by telegram I asked for prayerful help from Father John of Kronstadt. And the doctor said: “Yes, he is a great saint before God.” Eight versts from the city of Lepel in the village of Lyadno it was necessary to build a church. With faith in God's help, I began construction. One summer a wooden church was built. I didn't have enough money to pay the carpenters. I wrote to Father John, asking for help, and a week later I received 100 rubles from him and another 50 rubles from an unknown person with a note: “I am sacrificing on the instructions of the dear Father John of Kronstadt.” Story by dentist Vera Vladimirovna Shelemeteva-Leshchuk, living in the city of Vranje in Serbia, dated February 2, 1939. “When I was 9 years old, while at the boarding school of the St. Alexander gymnasium in the city of Stavropol, in the Caucasus, I fell ill with measles and acute inflammation of the kidneys after scarlet fever. The doctors lost all hope for my recovery, and a telegram was sent to my parents asking them to come immediately in view of my dangerous situation. Having received this news, my mother, who is very religious, immediately sent a telegram to Father John of Kronstadt asking him to pray for the recovery of the ailing Vera, and the answer was that I would be healthy. In the evening, a council of doctors, having lost all hope of recovery, told the female doctor who was at the infectious disease department to put some jars on me “at random,” after which everyone left, and there was complete silence. I fell asleep. In the evening they put cupping on me, and the next morning the temperature subsided and I began to recover quickly. This was the effect of Father John’s prayer at a distance.” The story of Pompey Nikolaevich Shabelsky, b. an official of the State Chancellery living in Serbia, in Belgrade on Kondina Street. No. 2 in your own home. “When I was four years old, and we lived on the Aleksandrovka estate, Izyum district, Kharkov province, I fell ill with diphtheria and, according to doctors, was in a hopeless condition. My parents turned to Father John of Kronstadt, asking for his prayers as a last resort. They sent a telegram with a paid response, and when the response telegram arrived, in which Father John said that at such and such an hour I was praying for the baby, at that same hour relief came and recovery began. My now deceased parents bequeathed to me to always remember that the Lord saved my life thanks to the prayer of Father John.” The story of Alexandra Alekseevna Babenko, the wife of the former psalmist Father John, and now a priest. A telegram was received from America asking for prayer for the healing of the sick man. Father John prayed. Soon a second telegram arrived from America thanking him for the healing and indicating that the patient felt better at such and such an hour. It turned out that this was the hour when Father John was praying. The story of the assistant dean, priest Father Grigory Gorbachevsky, Volyn province, Izyaslav district, village of Khrolin. “I had a three-year-old son, Pavel, who in 1900 was seriously ill, he was writhing, and he was all blue and the color of a plum. I called doctors from Berdichev, Zhitomir and Kiev, but they could not help. Then a wanderer happened to go to Jerusalem every year and advised him to send a telegram to Father John of Kronstadt asking him to pray to save the child’s life. I immediately harnessed the horse, rushed to the station and sent a telegram. When I returned from the station, the boy was calmly lying pink and completely recovered.” From the author. God, seeing the deep faith of the priest, performed this miracle of healing to glorify His saint John of Kronstadt, who daily cried out: “Remember, Lord, all those who commanded me to pray for them.” The story of Maria Vasilyevna Mosolova, now the mother of Anastasia, a nun of the Khopovsky monastery in Serbia. “I lived with my son-boy in Crimea. The boy fell ill with pneumonia and became so thin that he was left with skin and bones. At the last consultation, doctors expressed the opinion that pneumonia would turn into transient consumption. Doctors stripped the boy completely for examination. Seeing his thinness and listening to the doctors’ conclusions, I sent a telegram to my husband: “Come on the first train.” At the same time, I sent a telegram to Father John asking him to pray for the boy’s healing. To the surprise of everyone, the boy began to recover quickly without any crisis, which usually occurs with pneumonia, and when the husband arrived three days later, he found his son in such good shape that he scolded me, saying: “It was possible to call me with such a telegram when there is nothing dangerous.” The story of Maria Vladimirovna Imshenetskaya, born Gan. Around 1896, Nadezhda Vasilyevna Eger, born Lysenko, had a son with scarlet fever, and doctors said that there was no hope of recovery, since scarlet fever was especially malignant. The child had a high fever and lay unconscious. Mother sent Father John a telegram. Three hours later the boy opened his eyes, asked for a drink and called his mother, and then began to recover and completely recovered, so that the doctors were surprised. Mrs. Astafieva's story The Suvaka family lived in the city of Riga. They had a seven-year-old daughter who fell ill with pneumonia, which turned into tuberculosis. She was kept alive only by oxygen pillows. As a last attempt to save their hopelessly ill daughter, the parents asked Father John to pray by telegraph and received the answer from him: “According to your faith and my prayers, she will live.” And indeed, the child, to the surprise of doctors and others, recovered. Having grown up and become a young lady, the girl married Mr. Radner and is now alive. In this case, not only the power of Father John’s prayer was revealed, but also his knowledge of the future, for he said in writing in a telegram: “She will live.” Obviously, the Holy Spirit told Father John that his prayer had been heard and would be fulfilled. The story of Anna Ivanovna Speranskaya, born Burzi, living in Serbia in the city of Pancevo, in house number 6 on the Brigadier Ristic embankment. Lieutenant General I.K. von Burzi, commandant of the Bobruisk fortress in 1894, became seriously ill with a third nervous attack. Doctors warned the family that if a third blow occurred, it would be fatal. After examining the patient, they recognized his situation as hopeless. His little daughter, who had heard stories in the family about Father John of Kronstadt healing the sick, without the knowledge of the elders, while walking with the governess, asked her to wait outside by the post office, ran to the telegraph office and, using the little money she had, sent a telegram to Father John with the following content: “Pray for daddy. Anya Komendantova." That’s what they called her in the city, but she didn’t even know her last name. The general, who had been unconscious for 11 days, regained consciousness on the day when the telegram was received by Father John of Kronstadt. After some time, the general completely recovered, continued to serve and lived for many more years. This is the story of Anya Komendantova herself, now Anna Ivanovna Speranskaya. No one experienced the third blow, but what is impossible for people is possible for God. With God everything is possible 500, Christ said to His apostles. The bold, great saint of God, Father John of Kronstadt, begged Christ, and Christ performed a miracle. The story of Ivan Sergeevich Svishchev. General Staff of Major General, surveyor and professor at the University of Belgrade, living in Belgrade, on Warsaw Street. in your own home. “When I was a boy and lived with my parents in our hometown, I was friends with my school friend Misha Revyakin, with whom we studied together. This boy’s mother was very sick, and I asked him about his mother’s health, to which he replied: “Yesterday there was a consultation, and the doctors said that my mother’s situation was hopeless.” My sister, who heard this, said to the boy: “You would advise your dad to write a letter to Father John of Kronstadt asking him to pray for the healing of your mother, because they tell of many miracles performed by him.” The boy left and the next day, when he came to us, he said that his father immediately wrote a letter to Father John. 2-3 days passed, when suddenly the patient’s situation immediately took a sharp turn for the better, and after 10 days she was completely healthy.” Nikolai Kulesh's story from January 17, 1934. “It’s a pity that I don’t remember the exact date, since I was only 5-6 years old then. This happened around 1900 or a little later. We lived in the town of Mezhirichi, Rivne district, Volyn province, where my father was a public school teacher. I got croup and diphtheria together. Local doctor Nikolai Evstafievich Markevich invited doctors from neighboring towns - Korts and Goshchi - to a consultation. After the consultation, the doctors said that I could only be saved if I had an operation - a tracheotomy (throat section). They did not dare to perform the operation themselves and said that they needed to call a surgeon from the nearest county town of Rovno. It was fifty miles to the city of Rovno. This happened in November; After an incredible thaw, frosts set in, and what became known in the Volyn dialect is a “gruda” - an impassable road. The cart on which this surgeon was returning home to Rovno from somewhere sick, overturned, and he himself broke his leg. (I deliberately dwell on this circumstance in such detail to show that by some Power from Above I was deprived of this last possibility of salvation). They sent to Rovno for this doctor with a request to come immediately to perform the operation. They answered that he himself was sick. The local doctor Markevich told my father in his innocence: “Well, Grigory Maksimovich, you can order a coffin!” The doctors said that I could live at most until 12 o'clock at night. My father is a deeply religious and believing man. He immediately went to the post office and sent a telegram addressed to Father John asking him to pray for my recovery and was deeply convinced that Father John’s prayer would help. And indeed, at 12 o'clock at night a crisis occurred, and, to the surprise of the doctors, I began to recover. I now live in the Czech Republic, near Prague. My address: Horni-Hernољice u Prahy; Hotel "Monopol". N. Kuleša" The story of Olympiada Ivanovna Belyaeva “About 40 years ago, in the city of Tiflis, Ivan Alekseevich Belyaev, director of the Order of Public Charity, fell seriously ill with dropsy. Doctors said it was incurable. I, his daughter, sent a letter with money to Father John, asking him to serve a prayer service for health. At the time when, according to calculations, Father John could serve a prayer service, father felt better, the temperature dropped, the swelling began to subside, and the itching went away. Father was already an old man and completely recovered, and lived for a long time.” The story of the widow of Admiral Alexandra Ponomareva “The late Admiral Vladimir Fedorovich Ponomarev, when he was commander of the cruiser Admiral Makarov, was the first to come to the aid of the affected residents during the terrible earthquake in Messina 501. While saving the unfortunate, he contracted typhus and, by order of the Emperor, was sent on his cruiser to Piraeus, to a hospital established there by the Queen of Greece Olga Konstantinovna 502. For two months the husband was dying, maintaining a temperature of 40.1° all the time. In desperation, I telegraphed my mother, asking her to serve a prayer service for my husband’s recovery. She immediately (March 3) served a prayer service to the Kazan Mother of God and at the tomb of Father John of Kronstadt. On the night of March 3-4, the patient had a crisis, and a few days later I received a letter from my mother with a piece of paper enclosed from a wreath from the coffin of Father John, and March 3, 1909 was written on the piece of paper. This piece of paper still hangs with me, wrapped in paper next to the image. A month and a half later, on April 14, my husband and I moved from the hospital to St. Petersburg.” The story of Boris Nikolaevich Sergeevsky, General Staff Colonel, living in Belgrade on Divchibarskaya Street, 4. “On Holy Week 1893, my mother, Anna Ivanovna Sergeevskaya, unexpectedly fell seriously ill: terrible pain, internal hemorrhage and a number of signs that spoke of a catastrophic situation due to a late discovered case of ectopic pregnancy. We lived in St. Petersburg. My father, a university professor, was away. The family - the governess and servants - were completely at a loss. By evening, the activity of the heart began to weaken. Three doctors gathered at the patient's house warned of her death expected any minute. The maid, Alexandra Ivanovna Antonova, a girl from Kronstadt, a deep admirer of Father John, together with the cook decided to ask Father John by telegram for prayer for the sick woman. The telegram was sent at 12 o'clock in the morning (I think on Good Friday). At about one o'clock in the morning the patient, who was thrashing about in bed more and more weakly, suddenly suddenly became quiet, closing her eyes. This went on for a minute. Then she opened her eyes and said in a weak voice: “What bliss!”, but as she spoke, she saw the face of a female doctor, M.F., distorted with fear, standing at the foot of the bed. Kolokolova, her best friend, and heard the voice of one of the doctors: “Pulse, look for the pulse!”, and then his voice: “Good bliss!” But to their general amazement, the patient was undoubtedly better. My heart beat faster. At about 2 o’clock in the morning they brought a telegram addressed to the maid: “I prayed, she will be healthy. John.” The mother had been ill for a long time, but no longer in danger. To the amazement of the doctors, the operation even turned out to be unnecessary. An internal fossil had formed and was not removed. The mother died in 1919, that is, 26 years later. Since the incident described, she has become very religious.” The story of Sofia Borisovna von Deubner. widow of the leader of the nobility of the Vitebsk province, b. Director of the Board of the Ryazan-Kozlovskaya Railway. “Forty-five years ago, when my husband Leonty Ivanovich and I lived in Moscow, my husband was sick with purulent pleurisy. Professor Klein performed the operation and came every other day to cleanse, and Professor Zakharyin treated.” Zakharyin made several punctures, but never found the trick and told her: “It’s not agony yet, but...” Then Sofya Borisovna decided to turn to Father John of Kronstadt. However, something delayed Father John, and he was unable to come to Moscow, where he was expected. Having lost hope of seeing Father John in Moscow, Sofya Borisovna sent a telegram to her husband’s mother, Yulia Alexandrovna von Deibner, who lived in St. Petersburg, on the corner of Kirochnaya and Potemkinskaya streets in the house of General Eduard Karlovich Tenner, so that she would invite Father John to her place and ask him to pray for the healing of the patient. The mother-in-law fulfilled the request. Father John came and prayed. After this, the patient began to recover, all the drainage came out, and everything healed, the patient completely recovered and lived for a very long time. The story of Daniil Fomich Proskuro, who lived in Romania in the city of Turn-Severin, st. General Averescu, November 21, 1927 “My son Nikolai, six years old, was hopelessly ill with pneumonia with a temperature of 40°. With tears in my eyes, I wrote to Father John with a request to pray for my son’s recovery. From that moment on, there was a turning point in the disease, the temperature dropped, and the son recovered and is now alive. What is impossible for man is possible for God 503.” The story of Varvara Vasilievna Kozlova, widow of the General Staff of a major general, living in Belgrade. “My husband had some kind of growth in his throat at a great depth or in the esophagus. Sergei Petrovich Botkin and others treated him and said that it was either cancer or a polyp. The patient could not swallow anything, and he was fed artificially. He became terribly thin and had to die of starvation. I deliberately, but as if by accident, left a loaded revolver on his table so that he could shoot himself and end the torment. My relative advised me to go to Kronstadt to visit Father John, and she and I went together. Arriving in Kronstadt, we told the psalmist Father John about the general’s illness, who, becoming interested, told Father John. Father John put us on our knees, and he himself raised his hands to the sky and said three times: “Lord, save and preserve Your servant” (naming the general’s name). Then Father John himself knelt before the throne, put his hands on the edge of the throne and, leaning his head against them, prayed and repeated this three times. After that, Father John let us go. When my relative and I returned home to Strelna, where we lived, we saw and couldn’t believe our eyes that my husband was sitting and eating a steak. It turned out that just at the time when Father John was praying, the patient asked for beer and, to his surprise, when he tried to swallow, something gurgled in his throat, and the beer passed freely into his stomach - apparently, the growth fell off. Then the delighted general, having drank freely of beer, asked to have a steak prepared for him. This is the power of the prayers of the great miracle worker!” The author's story from the words of his friends Ekaterina Pavlovna Antonova had a heart defect since childhood and was often ill. In 1894-1895, when she was 35 years old, she became very ill - she lay in bed for months, supported only by inhaling oxygen. Her husband, Nikolai Petrovich Antonov, was a pious man. He repeatedly invited a priest who confessed and administered the Holy Mysteries to the sick woman, which supported her. Doctors recognized Ekaterina Pavlovna’s situation as hopeless and refused to treat her. Then Professor Dobroklonsky was invited. He was even angry that he was called to the dying woman, saying that she needed a priest, not a doctor, and added that her hours were numbered. It must be said that the patient was already getting cold, and the mirror showed no signs of breathing. Then the husband decided to turn to Father John and sent him a telegram. From the hour when the telegram was sent, the patient felt better and began to recover. After that, Ekaterina Pavlovna lived for more than 20 years, being ill at times, but for years being completely healthy and vigorous, and had three more healthy children. The Antonovs lived in St. Petersburg: Sadovaya St., Pokrovskaya Square, 96, apt. 5. As we see, one decision to turn to God through Father John was enough for the Lord to perform a miracle, according to his faith. The story of Alexander Alekseevich Kholuysky, former forensic investigator of the 1st precinct in Arkhangelsk. “My mother, Maria Stepanovna Kholuyskaya, suffered from catarrh of the stomach for many years. All help from doctors was unsuccessful, and the disease gradually developed; in 1901, my mother could no longer get out of bed, experienced terrible pain inside and had difficulty eating food, as it caused her pain and vomiting. The former military doctor Malyshev, who at that time enjoyed great fame and renown in the city of Shuya, Vladimir province, where I lived with my mother, was invited. He was very attentive to the patient and after a thorough examination and observation for quite a long time, he came to the conclusion that the catarrh had turned into stomach cancer and openly announced this to my older sister in order for us to prepare for the death of our mother. When my sister asked if he was making a mistake, the famous doctor, who had a rich practice, said in an offended tone with insistence: “I have never made a mistake and will never make a mistake.” He undertook a whole course of treatment for stomach cancer, but, of course, there was no benefit. Everyone in the city knew that my mother was soon to die, since the doctor openly announced this to our acquaintances, saying that her days were numbered. This became known in the gymnasium where my three sisters studied, and the teachers, feeling sorry for all of us, said how we would live without a mother as orphans, since our father died when I was 4 years old. After the death of my mother, I was supposed to remain, at the age of 14, a student in the 3rd grade of the gymnasium, and my three minor sisters. It was impossible to expect to continue our education, since we all lived on a small pension received after the death of my father. We were advised to ask Father John of Kronstadt to pray for my mother’s recovery. My older sister Lyudmila wrote a letter, put a paper ruble in it and sent it by registered mail to Father John. After this, in a short time my mother began to recover quickly and then got out of bed so that she could continue running the house. Everyone in the city was very surprised, and we thanked God for the mercy shown to us through the prayers of Father John. The disease did not recur, and my mother died 25 years later, in 1922, about which my sisters from Russia wrote to me during my stay in exile.” The story of Nadezhda Petrovna Ignatieva, wife of a major general. “In the nine hundred years, my father, Major General Pyotr Petrovich Vaksmuth, died. We stayed in the foreign city of Yekaterinoslavl 504: my mother, my older sister, 20 years old, and me, 16 years old. Four months later, our mother, Elena Ivanovna, fell ill, was ill for ten days, the doctor visited every day 2-3 times a day, and finally, in my absence, when I was at the gymnasium, he told my older sister, who herself was sick with influenza: “I did everything I could, but medicine is powerless, and the only hope is in God.” Returning home from the Mariinsky Gymnasium, I found complete confusion in the house: my sister was sick, one servant was also sick, the other was completely confused, my mother was already lying with cold hands and feet, the lamp was lit, the priest was there, she confessed and gave communion to my mother. My sister and I are crying, our conscious mother calms us down and says that everyone will have to die. The idea suddenly occurred to me to send a telegram to Father John. I went and sent a telegram with approximately the following content: “Pray, my mother is dying, my sister and I are left completely alone in a strange city.” Soon a reply telegram arrived: “I’m praying.” Around the hour when Father John was supposed to receive my telegram, my mother fell asleep and the next day she woke up completely healthy and lived for another 20 years.” The story of the widow of Archpriest A. ABOUT . dated January 7, 1937 “In my youth, when I just got married and lived in the far north of Finland, where my late husband was a military priest, I began to faint from time to time, as the doctors said, due to nervousness. I fell into an unconscious state, and for several hours they could not revive me. The doctors didn't help. Then my late husband, being in St. Petersburg, went to Kronstadt to see Father John and asked his holy prayers for my recovery. After the holy prayers of Father John, I never fainted again in my life. My late husband and I attributed my healing to a miracle through the prayers of Father John of Kronstadt. Father John handed his husband a white silk scarf, saying: “This is for your wife.” When our regiment went to war in 1914, I gave some of the officers a piece of this scarf and made amulet. And not one of these officers was killed, although there were wounded. In general, everyone to whom I gave a piece of this scarf and who believed in the prayers of Father John, everything turned out well. I still keep a piece of the scarf as a shrine and believe that if I didn’t have it, my life would have been incomparably worse.” Letter from Roman Bolva, dated August 2, 1940, from Zagreb, Vočarska cesta 51. “In 1902, when I was serving in military service in the city of Mirgorod, Poltava province, my wife Alexandra, who is still alive, thank God, fell ill with severe bleeding and only thanks to the prayers of the righteous Father John of Kronstadt was honored to receive healing. It happened like this: on March 25, 1902, my wife and I went to the Church of the Resurrection, defended the Holy Liturgy, confessed and were honored to receive the Holy Mysteries. On that day - the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary - there was a huge crowd of people in the church, and when leaving the church after the service there was a terrible crush. When we arrived at the apartment, my wife went to bed: she was very bruised in the church. Local Mirgorod doctors treated her for a long time, but they could not stop the bleeding. Complete exhaustion set in. Then I asked Father John of Kronstadt to pray for the sick and bleeding Alexandra. Through his holy prayers, my wife recovered. I also had his letter, signed by his holy hand, but it was lost in the city of Lubny during the revolution.” Letter from Vladimir Maslovsky, elder of the Sreski (district) court from the town of Lazarevets in Serbia, dated October 31, 1939. “In our family in Russia we contacted Father John by telegram and after his prayers there was immediate relief from scarlet fever. Father John responded by telegram: “He will be healthy.” Memoirs of Maria Pavlovna Shatilova, the widow of a general, living in Serbia, in Belgrade, Vozdovac, Avalski Drum, Russian House. “This was in 1891. My little daughter and I were visiting my mother in Sukhum, where the area is febrile and the climate is subtropical. It was the month of June, therefore, the beginning of heat and fevers. My daughter was one and a half years old at the time, and she was “getting her teeth done,” as they put it then. Sukhum is a small city, and then medical assistance was limited to the military doctors of the battalion stationed there. Under such conditions, my daughter fell ill with severe inflammation of the intestines. The best remedy was to take the child out; We were already on our way to Kajary, a summer cottage near Tiflis. We left. Our family doctor saw the patient in Tiflis and demanded an immediate move to Qajar. We brought the girl to the Qajars in such a state that the then luminary of the Caucasus, Doctor Malinin, recognized the situation as completely hopeless, which was clear from the child’s condition. Then my grandmother advised me to send an urgent telegram to Father John of Kronstadt, whom I heard about for the first time. The telegram was sent, and the first ray of hope for improvement, and then a gradual recovery, coincided with the moment Father John received the telegram and his prayer for the sick woman. Since then I have venerated Father John. This is what I heard about Father John of Kronstadt from Konstantin Vasilyevich Rukavishnikov, the former mayor of Moscow in the 90s. At K.V. Rukavishnikov had an estate near Moscow, which Father John visited. On one of these visits, Father John served, what exactly, I don’t remember now: whether it was a Liturgy in church or a prayer service at school, but the fact is that the school students venerated the cross. Among the children there was one boy who was extremely lazy. He also approached the cross, and when he had not yet reached the cross and there were still 3-4 boys before him, Father John suddenly raised the cross and through the approaching boys handed the cross to the “lazy one” with the words: “Don’t be lazy.” This made such a strong impression on the boy that he became a diligent student and studied well.” A resident of the city of Le Havre in France, Curé suddenly went crazy. His wife placed him in a mental asylum in Paris. No treatment helped him, and the doctors were forced to offer to take him out of the hospital. Madame Curet once read in French newspapers about Father John of Kronstadt and in desperation decided to turn to him. She wrote a letter, and soon there was an answer for No. 689 from Father John’s secretary, Mr. Kostin. Madame Curet took this answer to the editorial office of the newspaper “Russian Parisian” with a request to translate it. It was as follows: “I inform you that Father conveys to you a pastoral blessing in the name of the Lord and prays to the immeasurable goodness of God to extend His mercy to you. Pray and trust in the mercy of the Most Holy Theotokos. Father fulfilled your request and personally wrote a letter to your sick husband, which he sent along with the icon.” After some time, through Father’s prayers, the doctors declared the patient healthy and released him from the hospital. Monsieur Curet resumed his former studies. He always wore the icon sent by Father John on his chest. In 1887–1888, in the city of Stavropol, Daria Ivanovna Tkacheva, who had 18 children, of whom 10 were living, fell ill with pneumonia and typhoid fever. Doctors found the situation hopeless and refused to treat her. Mrs. Tkacheva’s husband sent a telegram to Father John of Kronstadt asking him to pray for the sick woman. Father John replied: “I will pray at such and such an hour, pray too.” Mr. Tkachev lit a lamp and candles, put the children on their knees and began to read prayers from the prayer book. Mr. Tkachev’s wife was already over 40 years old. She recovered and was no longer ill at all and lived to be 86 years old. She died already in Soviet Russia. Mr. Tkachev traveled to Kyiv when Father John 505 was there, who predicted a long, quiet life for him and said that his children would be happy and prosperous. The story of Mikhail Aleksandrovich Khrushchev, General Staff Major General, living in the city of Sremski Karlovci (former Yugoslavia), in house No. 262. “I consider it my moral duty to report the details of the case of my personal healing through the prayers of the saint of God, Father John of Kronstadt, in confirmation of the exceptional grace of God, which in the form of the gift of healings and miracles rested on this great righteous man. When I was a cadet of the 4th class of the 2nd St. Petersburg Cadet Corps, I caught a bad cold while walking on the corps parade ground in early February 1895 (I ran a lot, got hot, and the frost was about 20 degrees) and fell ill with inflammation of the left lung, complicated by pleurisy (pleuropneumonia) in a severe form. The senior corps physician, State Councilor Danini, notified my parents about my illness and warned that my situation was very serious. In our corps it was not the custom to notify parents about the illness of pupils, and an exception was made only when the corps authorities feared the fatal outcome of the disease. As I later learned from the stories of my parents and older brother Vadim, who was also a student in the same building, my mother, having arrived at the infirmary, found me already unconscious and delirious. My mother, fearing, and not without reason, for the outcome of my illness, being a deeply religious woman and believing in the power of the prayers of Father John, in her maternal grief she addressed him with a telegram, asking him to pray for the health and salvation of the seriously ill youth Michael, and soon received a reply dispatch from him: “I pray for the healing of the youth Michael.” Soon after receiving the reply telegram, as they said, I fell asleep calmly, suffered a crisis in my sleep and woke up, although weak, but with a clear consciousness and a normal temperature. When, 14 or 15 days after that, I was discharged from the hospital as recovered, the senior doctor, having listened to me again, cheerfully said, rubbing his hands: “Your happiness, you got out unusually successfully.” That same summer, I was sent by my parents to the Crimea to the family of our good friend, General Pavel Petrovich Pylkov, in order to get stronger after a serious illness and get rid of the consequences of pneumonia and pleurisy. Immediately after my arrival in Yalta, the general took me to an experienced doctor, a specialist in chest diseases, so that he prescribed a course of treatment for me. Imagine his surprise and joy when the doctor, having examined me in detail, confidently declared that my breasts were completely healthy and that there were no consequences, that is, traces of inflammation, either in the lungs or on the pulmonary hymen.” Story by Vera Modestovna Klokacheva, living in Rome, via Lima, 10, dated January 16/29, 1940. “Having read a book dedicated to the memory of the ever-memorable Father John of Kronstadt, I consider it my sacred duty to inform you about two miraculous healings through the prayers of Father John that took place in our family. If possible, they should be added to the total number of miracles performed by the miracle worker, whom I deeply honor, praying to him daily. The first miracle happened in St. Petersburg in 1892. My seven-year-old sister Zinaida had a severe whooping cough that resulted in inflammation of the brain or, as they now say, meningitis. The unfortunate girl lost consciousness, and the entire right side of her body was paralyzed. The doctors gathered at the consultation stated that nothing could be done and that it was even better if the girl did not survive, since she, without a doubt, would remain abnormal. Then the girl's aunt, O.G. Klokacheva, a very religious and believing woman, telegraphed Father John, asking him to pray for the sick woman; At the same time, with the same request, but already personally in Kronstadt, our good friend, the wife of Rear Admiral A.P., turned to Father John. Gire. And so on Holy Saturday, at 11 o’clock in the morning, while Father John offered prayers for the sick woman during the Liturgy, a miracle happened - the sister came to her senses and recognized her parents. The arriving doctors just threw up their hands in surprise. Not only did the girl completely recover a month later, but her mental abilities were not affected at all: she not only graduated from high school with a gold medal, but also successfully completed the St. Petersburg Higher Women's Courses. I report this miracle with her consent and desire. The second miracle also happened in St. Petersburg in 1900. My uncle, my mother’s brother, then Colonel of the Life Guards of the 2nd Artillery Brigade A.D. Golovachev fell ill with severe rheumatism throughout his body, lay like a sheet, indifferent to everything, and the doctors despaired of saving him. Then one of our friends turned to Father John with a request to visit the sick man and pray for his recovery. As soon as the rumor about Father John’s arrival spread, a crowd of people eager to pray gathered at the entrance, rushed after Father John as he got out of the carriage, and at one moment filled our apartment and even the patient’s room. Old, but surprisingly cheerful and lively, Father John quickly took off his fur coat, approached the sick man, blessed him and almost instantly turned to the icon and began to pray. Unfortunately, this is the only time I heard this amazing prayer of his, but I still can’t forget it. She made a truly amazing impression. “You will give. Lord,” he repeated, and this almost demand of his was imbued with such boundless faith that everyone felt that his prayer would be heard. After the prayer service, Father John blessed the water, gave the sick man a drink of holy water and blessed him. From that day on, my uncle began to recover quickly, completely recovered and never suffered from rheumatism again. He continued his military service, rose to the rank of lieutenant general, spent the entire Great War at the front, suffered the horrors of Bolshevism and died of pneumonia in St. Petersburg in 1932 at the age of 73.” Story by E. Komova, dated July 1, 1939, who lived in Finland. “Twice through the prayers of dear Father John of Kronstadt, the Lord healed me. The first time I had typhus was in 1887, and the doctors decided that I would die, they sent a telegram to Father, and I immediately began to get better. And then the second time, when I was already married, in 1895, after giving birth, I developed eclampsia 506. The seizures were repeated one after another. They sent a telegram to dear Father, and soon I fell asleep; I slept for a very long time, and the seizures passed, and I began to get better. But to my shame, I must admit that I did not go to Kronstadt to thank Father, all sorts of everyday affairs were delayed, but I saw Father twice and received blessings from him. God brought me to live in St. Petersburg close to the monastery where Father rests, and I often went to mass at the tomb and received the Holy Mysteries. My daughter entered the monastery at a bad time and was there until they were dispersed 507. I haven’t heard from her for a long time, I think she’s no longer alive. I also know Father Mikhail Prudnikov, he visited us, served prayer services, his very devoted spiritual daughter was my aunt Elizaveta Nikolaevna Smirnova, maybe you saw her at Father Mikhail’s.” The story of Lieutenant Colonel Mitrofan Mikhailovich Tchaikovsky, who lives in Serbia in Belgrade, Birchaninova str., 10. “In 1901, when I was a young officer of the 16th cavalry battery in Zhitomir, my orderly, Grigory Babichuk (from the village of Peski, Volyn province), fell ill, complaining of severe stomach pain. He was sent to a military hospital, where I visited him. His health condition kept deteriorating and, finally, one evening the doctor on duty Gromyko told me that Grigory had intestinal volvulus, that all the measures taken were not helping, and the patient’s situation was hopeless: “He is unlikely to survive tonight,” he concluded. I loved Gregory very much and, saying goodbye that day, I could hardly restrain myself from tears, and his appearance was terrible: an emaciated face with a pointed nose, and from weakness he could barely say a few words. Arriving home, I began to pray to God for his health, and then the thought of Father John of Kronstadt, about whose miraculous deeds I had already heard a lot, dawned on me. It was already almost midnight, but I wrote a telegram and immediately took it to the post office myself, with the following content: “Kronstadt, Father John, pray for the health of the servant of God Gregory.” The next morning, when I, fearfully expecting the worst, went to the hospital, Doctor Gromyko met me with a smile and said: “An amazing thing! Everything went away for him at night and now he will soon get up!.. I have never known such a case.” And indeed, Grigory Babichuk soon recovered and returned to the battery again.” Chapter 51. Healing a Man Blind from an Accident One of the Russian emigrants, Mr. P., living in Paris, described the following incident that happened to his father. “In the early 90s of the last century, the Kinburn Dragoon Regiment, which my grandfather commanded and in which my father served, was stationed in the city of Kremenchug. During that period, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich the Elder inspected the regiments that were at the theater of the Russian-Turkish War. After examining the Kinburnians, the Grand Duke wished to see vaulting 508. The best cavalrymen were called up from the ranks of the regiment, including my father and his friend Demantovich. The horses stood in a circle. They were placed along the line of movement by ordinary dragoons with pistols loaded with blanks. The father followed Demantovich. During the performance of one of the numbers, when Demantovich, having made a “scissors”, sat down facing the croup of his horse, preparing to receive his father, and my father, standing on the saddle, had to jump over the head of his horse onto the croup of Demantovich’s horse, a soldier’s shot rang out at the wrong time, and Demantovich’s horse, shuddering, sent a lump of earth into my father’s face and dusted his eyes. The review and vaulting went brilliantly, and the regiment received special gratitude from the Grand Duke. My father, experiencing terrible torment, began to lose his eyes. In the end, putting on black glasses, he resigns with a heavy feeling and settles in the city of Kharkov. The greatest participation in the fate of his father is taken by his sister, who graduated from the Universities of Zurich and Kharkov and received a professorship at the Sorbonne in natural sciences. She does everything possible to at least partially save her brother’s sight. She arranges for him in the clinic of the first ophthalmologist of those times - Professor Girshman. Alas, the best possibilities and means of the science of that time were powerless. The father finally loses his sight. Having lost faith in everything, one day he learns that Father John of Kronstadt 509 is visiting near Kharkov on the estate of the landowner Ryzhov (later Ryzhov station) and that the poor, sick and unfortunate are flocking to him from all over for blessings and help. My father, who by that time had married my mother, also a deeply religious woman, was going to Ryzhov. What I then heard from them defies any description... Crowds of thousands of people and crowds arriving again and again. All the surrounding villages are occupied by pilgrims, and there is nothing to think about spending the night under a roof. But worse than that, there is simply no way to legally get through to Father John, who usually prayed in the landowner’s garden gazebo. My father was a decisive man by nature and, not seeing any opportunity to see the famous prayer book, he decided on a last resort. Neither the high enough garden fence nor the chained dogs that came down at night stopped the father. Late at night, having lifted my mother onto the fence and jumped over himself, he headed to the gazebo in the depths of the garden. Father John was actually there for prayer. The father waited patiently. After some time, Father John came out, received him, caressed him, listened carefully to the request of both my parents to pray for the gift of sight and said: “Become on your knees. Pray well and ask God. I will pray with you.” After an exceptional prayer in terms of the rise and atmosphere, Father John washed my father’s eyes with holy water, blessed him a second time and sent him away in peace. Relieved and joyful, my parents returned home to Kharkov. The most excruciating, unbearable eye pain immediately disappeared, and my vision began to gradually recover, I remember my father being able to see without any glasses. What science was powerless to overcome was accomplished by the ardent faith and prayer of the shepherd and healer.” Chapter 52. Healing of the lame man and the woman suffering from epilepsy “As a witness, I describe two cases of healing by Father John of Kronstadt. In the month of August, I don’t remember the date, 1901, when I and my family lived in the city of Tsaritsyn on the Volga, Saratov province, in the house of the assistant to the city mayor, Alexander Petrovich Mishnin, thanks to his official position, I was honored to receive with my wife an entrance ticket to the cathedral for the Liturgy, celebrated, while passing through Tsaritsyn, by Father John of Kronstadt 510. With us was Mishnina's wife with her seven-year-old son Alexander, who had been limping on his left leg since birth (he was taken to Saki on mud 511 and on estuaries, but nothing helped), and our good friend, the wife of a local wealthy merchant Elizaveta Aleksandrovna Kononova, who had no children during her ten-year marriage and suffered from epilepsy as a result, recurring two or three times a month. When Father John left the church, where we were waiting for him, the first to stand in his way was Mishnina with her sick son, holding him by the shoulders. Father John stopped, led by the arms, put his hand on the boy’s head, asked his mother what was wrong with him; Having received the answer, Father John, stroking the patient’s head with his hand, raised his eyes to the sky, said quite loudly: “All-Merciful Lord, bless the sick Alexander,” crossed him, let him kiss his pectoral cross, placed it on the boy’s head and said to his mother: “Pray, and the Lord will help you through your prayers.” On the third day, to everyone’s surprise, the boy began to walk without limping and did not get sick afterwards. Another case with Kononova: after the Mishnins’ child, Kononova came up for blessing with the words: “Father, bless and pray for me, a sinner,” explaining her illness. Father John told her to come to Vespers and approach him before the service began. He took her hand, placed her next to him in front of the Royal Doors and silently prayed for a long time, then covered her head with an epitrachelion, crossed her, and ordered her to wait until the end of Vespers. The next day, Father John left Tsaritsyn for Astrakhan. Two months later, Kononova became pregnant, and until I left Tsaritsyn completely, 5 years later, she had not had a single seizure, she was completely healthy. All this happened before my eyes, in my presence, which I confirm with my conscience as an eyewitness.” Captain b. Imperial Army Nikolai Fedorovich Chervakovich-Yavorsky. Belgrade, st. Coche Kapetana, 34. Messages from Mikhail Tazikhin dated December 13, 1939 from Finland. “Mrs. M., an elderly woman now, a non-Orthodox, currently living in Finland, told me that she lived for some time in St. Petersburg and was familiar with a wealthy merchant family who lived on the corner of Ekaterininskaya Street and Nevsky. One of the members of this family became seriously ill and was dying. Father John of Kronstadt was invited to the sick man, and a prayer service was performed (this event occurred in early December 1894). Mrs. M was not present at the prayer service, but after Father’s departure, a relative of the patient said to her: “Imagine, dear dear, the patient was already dying, and after Father John’s prayer he suddenly felt better!..” Healing a woman suffering from kleptomania and correcting a reckless Mrs. Foroblan, who currently lives in Finland, in the city of Vilmanstrand, told me the following: "When I was a girl, I studied at a gymnasium in St. Petersburg. I had two friends who were schoolgirls: one of them, Lavrentieva, suffered from kleptomania, the other, Emelyanova, was a reckless daredevil, as they say. And I remember how they both went to Kronstadt to visit Father John and, returning from there, they were as if reborn; I could no longer recognize mine in them former friends. The one who suffered from kleptomania was cured of her illness, and the reckless one became quiet and meek, like a sheep. I repeat, it was impossible to recognize them as my former friends.” A certain Mr. N., currently living in Finland, in the city of Vilmanstrand, said the following: "In 1893-1894 in St. Petersburg, at the vocational school named after Tsarevich Nicholas, director Anopov's wife fell ill and lay in bed for a long time and, despite treatment, did not get better. Then they decided to invite Father John of Kronstadt to her. When was the phone call announced about the hour of Father John's arrival and the patient found out about it, she jumped out of bed, put the room and bed in order and lay down again. Father John arrived and, entering the sick woman’s room, ordered her to stand up and pray with him. The sick woman got up, prayed, and from that time on she never went to bed again; she recovered.” Father John did not give a blessing The same Mr. N. tells the story of Father John’s insight: "I knew one paramedic in St. Petersburg, Alexander Petrovich Koshman. Although he was a believer and a devout man, he did not have faith in the miraculous power of Father John of Kronstadt. Once he was in the crowd waiting for Father John to leave at the Warsaw Station 512. When Father John appeared, the public began to approach him for blessing. The said paramedic also wanted to receive a blessing. But Father John suddenly removed him and did not give him a blessing...” Chapter 53. Father John heals the sick with one word Absentee healing by Father John of Kronstadt of the sick A. TO . Guzen in Tver “When my mother was still a girl, her mother, Alexandra Kazimirovna Guzen, became seriously ill. She had such a severe attack of uremia that she lay motionless for a whole day, showing no signs of life. Doctors said they found her situation hopeless. At this time, Father John of Kronstadt arrived in Tver, where they lived, at the invitation of a pious family. Mom decided to go ask him to pray for the healing of her sick mother. When she approached the house where Father John was staying, a huge crowd of people was waiting at the door for Father John to leave, eager to receive his healing blessing. My mother had completely lost hope of getting through such a crowd to Father John, but the owners let her through the back door into the large hall of their house, where Father John was singing a prayer service. After the prayer singing, everyone venerated the cross, and so, when mother, in turn, approached the cross, Father John, who, of course, did not know her and was not informed by anyone about the purpose of her coming, suddenly looked intently at her and abruptly said: “Pray, pray: she will live!” The comforted mother immediately returned home to her sick mother, and it turned out that at that very moment she came to her senses from an unconscious state, a few days later she was already completely healthy and lived after that for another 7 whole years. This happened around 1890-1892.” The wife of the former psalm-reader Father John, and now a priest, Alexandra Alekseevna Babenko, related the following incident. Some woman brought her child, who had stopped walking, to the House of Industriousness. “I sit at home and play the piano,” says A.A. Babenko, “suddenly this woman comes in, leads her child by the hand, cries with joy and says that Father John told her: “According to your faith, be it done to you,” and the child immediately recovered.” Message from the servant of God Thekla from Vyborg, April 30, 1937 “A miraculous healing happened to me personally. I suffered like the woman of the gospel (bleeding) 514. She was treated a lot, had surgery, but nothing helped; Finally, my brother Joseph comes to Vyborg and calls me to Father John of Kronstadt. Of course, I didn’t immediately agree, and besides, I was sick and my husband didn’t want to let me in, but I still took the first route to Kronstadt. I was terribly afraid, because the ice was cracking in places, and most importantly, there was no one there except us, and even the cab driver was drunk. Brother Joseph consoled me, saying that through the prayers of Father John we would arrive safely. And so it happened. When I came to Father John’s apartment, he had a lot of people, but still, I remember, he received me kindly, put his hand on my shoulder and said: “The Lord Jesus Christ will heal you, like the woman of the Gospel,” and ordered me to partake of the Holy Mysteries every month, and set me up spiritually. I was only 32 years old then. My husband died a Russian Orthodox man, despite the fact that he was a Karelian, he always stood for the old style and for the Apostolic Rules. It's a shame for the Russian people; how could they change instantly?! I honor Father John of Kronstadt as a saint, a prophet and a great man of prayer for us, many sinners. Your books are a good deed of glorifying Father John of Kronstadt.” The story of Maria Nikolaevna Shevtsova, the general's widow. “My father, the landowner of the Shchigrovsky district of the Kursk province, Nikolai Bobrovsky, fell ill with some kind of internal illness. The best professors of Kharkov University were called, who, after a consultation, recognized the need to perform an internal operation on the patient and, having set the time for the operation, left. Then I sent a telegram to Father John in Kronstadt asking him to pray. On the appointed day, professors from Kharkov arrived to perform the operation, however, having thoroughly examined the patient before the operation, they told me that the symptoms that prompted them to perform the operation had disappeared and that therefore the operation was unnecessary. After that, my father recovered and lived for many more years.” Colonel Grigory Ivanovich Gulyga, a former officer of His Majesty's Own Convoy, told the following story about his mother, who was sick and dying. Professor Sirotinin told his father, centurion of the Kuban Cossack army Ivan Emelyanovich, that there was little hope for his wife’s recovery. They then lived in St. Petersburg on Galernaya Street in Strukov’s house. Ivan Emelyanovich went to Kronstadt to visit Father John. Father John served a prayer service for the sick woman’s recovery. After this, there was a turning point in the illness, and his mother completely recovered and is still alive. This happened in 1897. Colonel Gulyga lived in 1932 in Belgrade, at 62 Cerska Street. The story of Nikolai Nikolaevich Likharev, published in the newspaper “Novoye Vremya” In 1905, during agrarian unrest, several rebels dressed as peasants came to the zemstvo chief of the Saratov province of Balashov district and said that they wanted to see him on an important matter. It was in the evening. When he came out to them in the hallway, they opened fire on him from revolvers. One of the bullets broke the lamp, and in the darkness they still shot at him, who had already fallen. Believing he was killed, they left. It turned out that he was wounded by several bullets and especially seriously by one bullet in the head. Doctors declared his situation hopeless and treatment useless. His wife decided to send a telegram to Father John, who replied: “Don’t be afraid, he will live.” After some time, the wounded man recovered and fulfilled his position until the second revolution, and already in 1917 he was killed by revolutionaries. In 1885, in the cathedral of the city of Irkutsk there was a priest, Father Nikolai Popov-Kokoulin. His son and first-born Valentin was dying for four months, and the doctors refused to treat him, finding the situation hopeless and treatment pointless. Father Nikolai wrote to Father John of Kronstadt asking him to pray. A few days later the child completely recovered, and when he grew up, he participated in the Great War as a militia member. Part of it operated in the Carpathians. This incident was told to me by Valentin Nikolaevich’s brother Nikolai Nikolaevich Popov-Kokoulin, lieutenant colonel of the 7th Siberian Rifle Artillery Brigade, who now lives in Serbia in the city of Zemun on Dobanovachka Street, in house number 18. Chapter 54. Father John heals through objects The story of Elizaveta Konstantinovna Karazina, born Yablochkova The Yablochkov estate was near the Guty station, not far from the city of Kharkov. In the 90s, the wife of the head of the Guta station suffered for 4 days in childbirth and could not relieve herself of the burden. She screamed terribly, heartbreakingly, so that it could be heard far away. It happened that Father John of Kronstadt was passing by the Guty station, where the train stopped for only one minute. The station commander brought Father John a sick pillow and asked for his prayers. Father John crossed the pillow. The station chief brought the pillow to his wife, and she was immediately freed from the burden. This incident is reminiscent of the story that Pavlov's scarves and aprons healed 515. Elizaveta Konstantinovna Karazina now lives in Serbia, in Belgrade, on Dzhevdzheli street, in her own house. The story of Evgenia Alekseevna Efimova, the widow of Vasily Pavlovich Efimov, colonel of the Kronstadt fortress artillery and at the same time a teacher at the school at the House of Industriousness. “Once I was sick with inflammation of the peritoneum after childbirth. Then my husband went to Father John, who celebrated the day of the Angel on that day. Father John warned my husband with a question about my health. My husband told Father John about my illness. Father John took a rose from the bouquet on the table, handed it to his husband, ordering him to give it to me and said: “Tell her not to get sick anymore! She’ll get better, she’ll get better!” And indeed, I recovered. Another time, after the death of two sons, I was sick for 3-4 months with a nervous disorder with hallucinations, and the temperature rose to 38, 39 and even 40°. All five doctors of the Kronstadt artillery treated me, but their treatment did not help me. Then my husband went to Father John, whom he did not find and found him in one house having a meal. Father John again warned my husband with a question about my health and, having received the answer that it was bad and that I had been sick for several months, he took an apple from the table and, handing it to his husband, said: “Let him eat and get better.” It happened that on the same day that Father John gave the apple, the naval doctor Neronov, a psychiatrist, returned from a voyage, who examined me that same day and said that all the doctors who treated me were idiots, so that I should get up immediately and come to see him tomorrow. I objected that I couldn’t, but nevertheless, the next day I went to see him. The doctor sent me to the Caucasus for treatment, where I finally recovered. The third time I was sick for about two weeks with severe influenza. My husband invited Father John to me, who came and said: “We need to take a ride, go to your relative’s dacha.” The next day this relative unexpectedly arrived, invited me to her dacha and took me with her, and I recovered there.” Letter from engineer Georgy Vladimirovich Smerdov, dated February 4, 1939 from Sofia in Bulgaria, st. 6 September, 8, in the name of Archpriest Father John Sokal, living in Belgrade in Serbia on the street. Prince Daniel, 35. “Dear and dear Father John! I can’t find words to express my gratitude to you and my entire family for such a quick sending of a piece of the handkerchief of the saint of God, Father John of Kronstadt. I sent you a letter on Sunday, January 29, when mail from boxes is not collected due to a holiday, and suddenly on Wednesday the 1st I received an answer from you, which I expected no earlier than Saturday the 4th: I see God’s Providence in this, but the most important thing is that on Wednesday at 5 o’clock in the afternoon the doctor was there and said that every extra hour of my boy’s life would be a miracle. His temperature was about 39°, his breathing was intermittent; All the time they gave injections of camphor and gave oxygen, since the patient was already suffocating. The doctor convened a council of doctors for 7 o’clock and left. I was left alone with my boy, who was already leaving, and began to mentally pray to God, asking for the intercession of St. John of Kronstadt before Him for the life of my little one. Suddenly at this very moment - a call - a letter. I couldn't believe my eyes. He immediately put a piece of the handkerchief on the boy’s head, and then on the boy’s chest, and we all began to pray to God and Father John. At 7 o'clock the doctors came, examined Serezhenka and were surprised to find that he was better and that there was hope for recovery again. The temperature dropped immediately and since then has not risen at all, breathing became even, and my little one began to visibly and clearly get better. I don’t know why the Lord God blessed me so much, sending me through the prayers of Holy Father John such a great miracle and joy to my home. Even the doctor now says that Seryozha miraculously survived; This is all the more valuable to me, since they do not know the true reason for my boy’s life.” Letter from Mr. Smerdov dated February 18, 1939 “... Literally all the sick Russians and Bulgarians ask, and I am forced to schedule the days by the hour, when the handkerchief is and who has it. Today a Russian colonel was healed from a long-term leg illness. All of Sofia talks about the handkerchief and the miracle of Father John of Kronstadt.” Letter from Mr. Smerdov dated March 4, 1939 “There are several cases of complete healing during this time thanks to the handkerchief of Holy Father John of Kronstadt. In general, more than 100 people took it, and I could not refuse when they came to me from a dying person.” Chapter 55. Father John heals Gentiles Maria Mikhailovna Kulman, born Zernova, the daughter of a Moscow professor-balneologist, living in Geneva, Switzerland with her husband, a member of the Secretariat of the League of Nations, told me the following case. In the city of Odessa, she knew a Jew who was seriously ill. He had great resources, the best doctors treated him, but they finally declared that the case was incurable and death was inevitable. Russian acquaintances advised his mother to turn to Father John of Kronstadt. Seeing the complete hopelessness of her son’s situation, his mother telegraphed Father John with a request to pray for his son’s healing and received the answer from Father John: “He will live!” And indeed, the patient completely recovered. Having recovered, the former patient was amazed by the power of Father John’s prayer and spoke to M.M. Zernova, who was then still a young lady, that he himself does not understand the meaning of this incident, but feels that there is something supernatural here, and this consciousness at times haunts him. What is amazing here is not only that Father John healed a hopelessly ill non-Christian at a great distance, but especially that the Lord revealed to him that his prayer was heard and that the sick man would live. Inna Kondratyevna Grekova told the following two cases. The Jew Avich, an Odessa merchant, the owner of a fur store, was paralyzed, and the doctors said that he must die. The wife, madly in love with her husband, turned to Father John with a request, begging him to pray, despite the fact that they were Jews, and wrote to him that she had unlimited faith in the power of his prayer. Father John replied: “I pray.” The patient remained alive and lived for a very long time and outlived his wife, although his paralysis did not go away. Mrs. Pivovarova, from Bessarabia, fell ill after giving birth with blood poisoning. Doctors sentenced her to death. She asked to send a telegram to Father John, after which she completely recovered. Chapter 56. Father John was not forgotten in Soviet Russia Letter from Captain Georgy Tretyakov from Prague “The large Prague newspaper “People's List” dated 27/X 1935 writes: “Only in modern times, remembering the 35th anniversary of the death of Father John of Kronstadt, the Russian, not only emigrant, but even the Bolshevik press last year printed a number of eyewitness memories of Father John. Particularly interesting are the memories of the Petrograd reporter and artist A.A. Pleshcheev, who recalls several meetings with Father John. Father John of Kronstadt was the most popular person in Russia after the Tsar. Throughout Russia, he was the greatest moral authority. After L. Tolstoy’s well-known disputes with the Orthodox Synod, which ended in Tolstoy’s excommunication from the Church, in 1898, Father John of Kronstadt spoke out with his philippic 516 against the “count’s false teaching” 517, it was a crushing blow to the writer’s prodigal and impossible philosophy. This is the authority of Father John, and not just the order of the Synod, which returned the progressive intelligentsia from the so-called Tolstoyan camp to the fold of the Orthodox Church. It was not the authority of official circles, with which the good and straightforward shepherd had little in common. Father John was a religious philosopher who proclaimed the Kingdom of God on earth. Once, says Pleshcheev, Father John visited a rich, sick merchant. Seeing Father John off, the merchant thrust an envelope into Father John's hand as he left the apartment. At the entrance of the house, an old beggar fell at the feet of Father John, begging for alms. Father John without hesitation handed him the envelope he had just received. - Father, what did you do, there were 2 thousand rubles there! “This is his happiness,” Father John answered indifferently. Another rich merchant once gave Father John an expensive beaver hat to protect him from the frost when he traveled across the sea to Kronstadt. Once, during a strong blizzard and frost, some tramp pestered Father John, asking for alms. Having received the alms, he thanked, and then tore off the beaver cap from Father John and ran away. Father John didn’t even move a finger. When they later asked him why he did not punish the thief, and they were indignant at the insolence of the tramp, he replied: - He must have needed the hat more than I did... Father John received a lot of money and gifts, but he gave it all away. Rich people sent him sums of money quite regularly, but Father John himself never reminded or forced him, although he had many poor, sick and old people whom he helped.” Back in 1920 in Siberia, I saw a portrait of Father John under the images next to the portraits of the last four Emperors.” The story of Major General Vasily Ivanovich Ignatiev. His address is indicated above. “After the evacuation of our army from Gallipoli 518, I had to settle in Bulgaria, in the city of Kazanlak. Living just 11 kilometers from the famous Shipka positions, I often visited places dear to the Russian heart, and especially the beautiful Russian church, built at the foot of the Shipka positions on a piece of “Russian land” (the land on which the church was built is the property of Russia) 519 . Coming to these picturesque and wonderful places, I constantly stopped with the priest who served in this Russian church and who was always glad to see me. Once, when I came to my father, I saw on his table a book with the title: “Two days in Kronstadt with Father John of Kronstadt” 520. Having become interested in this book, I asked the priest to give it to me at home to read at my leisure, to which he willingly agreed. Looking through this book in detail at home, I learned the following. Several students (not from the ecclesiastical department), constantly hearing about the glory and miracles of Father John, decided to visit Kronstadt themselves, visit Father and see with their own eyes everything they had heard. First of all, upon arriving in Kronstadt, they were able to be in the altar of St. Andrew’s Cathedral and see with their own eyes how Father John served. The entire service, all the tension of prayer was reflected on the face of Father John. His face changed, the words of prayer were displayed in it, and he pronounced some words sharply, sometimes shouting, one could see complete tension, complete immersion in prayer. By the way, in this book there were several photographic photographs - portraits of Father John, and if you look closely at them, in each of them you could find a completely special facial expression, and the authors of the book, adding these photographs, emphasize the different facial expressions of Father John, which they observed during the service of Father John. During these two days of stay in Kronstadt, they had to witness repeated cases of healing from illnesses by Father John and witnesses of his responsiveness to the needs of the suffering. One of the characteristic cases of healing from illness is the case of healing of the sick wife of a Tatar. It was like that. “A Tatar comes to Father John and says: “My wife is very sick, no one can help her. I heard that your God is greater than Allah - pray for her to get well. “Kneel down with me and let’s pray together!” Repeat the words of the prayer after me! And so Father and the Tatar kneel down, and the Tatar begins to repeat the words of the prayer spoken by Father John. They prayed for a long time, finally Father got up, and the Tatar went home. Less than an hour had passed when suddenly we saw a Tatar running to Father; he was excited and, running up, threw himself on his knees in front of Father John and exclaimed: - My wife is healthy! I and my whole house accept Orthodoxy!“ Everything that this group of students saw had such an impact on their souls, sank so deeply into their hearts, that of all the students who arrived in Kronstadt, all, with the exception of one, subsequently chose a spiritual life, accepting the rank of priest.” Chapter 57. About the speed of prayer of Father John Letter from the archpriest of the Spaso-Sennovsky Church in St. Petersburg Valerian Vorotynsky, who lives in Serbia in the village of Ripan, near Belgrade. “While serving in St. Petersburg, I repeatedly met with Father John, the luminary of the Russian Orthodox Church. He impressed me as a visionary man and a great man of prayer. I had the good fortune to minister with him several times and once witnessed a miraculous healing through his prayers. I was invited to give communion to the wife of Captain X., who was dying due to difficult childbirth, whose situation was considered hopeless by a council of doctors. Her husband sent a telegram to Father John asking him to pray for the sick woman. A few hours later she came to her senses and was safely resolved by her son without surgical intervention, to the surprise of all those present and the doctors, who directly stated that it was God who made the gift, without at all attributing it to his art. Mother and son remained alive and well. I also experienced the kindness of Father John’s heart myself. Having arrived as a young priest in the village of Novolisino, fifty versts from St. Petersburg, I found the church very neglected and wanted to put it in order. Since she was poor, I wrote a letter to Father John asking for help. He immediately sent a sum for the repair of the church, including two hundred rubles for me personally, having foreseen my difficult financial situation in this poor parish. This was a huge help for me then. I once had to baptize in a family where Father John was godfather. I was interested in what his prayerful boldness was (this question interested many priests in St. Petersburg). While reading prayers, I heard him constantly telling me: “Hurry, hurry, hurry.” From this I understood that prayer must be read without being distracted, but completely surrendering to its content. Father John later confirmed these thoughts of mine to the clergy when he was asked what the power of his prayer was 521. Humility and a gracious mood did not leave Father John even among the surrounding crowd; He ate a little at the table and drank only after taking a sip - and giving it to those sitting next to him who wanted it. I remember an incident when a sect of Johannites was formed, who revered him as Christ; they hung his portrait and lit a lamp before him. The Synod drew the attention of Father John to this, and he went to the places where the sect had formed, tore down his portraits and convinced them not to do this, throwing their portraits on the floor” 522. This incident was published in the St. Petersburg Spiritual Messenger, published by Father Philosopher Ornatsky, Archpriest of the Kazan Cathedral. From the author. Father Archpriest Valerian Vorotynsky completely correctly understood Father John and explained that the prayer should be read without being distracted, but completely surrendering to its content. That is why Father John hurried the reading of the prayers, so that during prayer no extraneous thoughts would have time to come to mind. I have been praying constantly since early childhood, many times a day, I pray when I walk down the street, when I ride on a tram. I knew how to pray when I was sitting at the opera - in a word, everywhere, and therefore I have a lot of experience, and only now, in old age, I realized that it was necessary to quickly pronounce the words of prayer, and only then no extraneous thoughts would have time to get into my head. In my youth, it seemed to me that I should pronounce the words of the prayer with feeling, with sense and with arrangement, 523 but it turned out that some thought would come into my head, and I would be distracted in the middle of the prayer, and for a long time, moving from the first thought to another, etc. Having come to my senses, I would start the prayer all over again, and after a few minutes I would again be carried away by my thoughts. Then I started the prayer again from the beginning, a lot of time passed, and with great effort I eventually managed, and then very rarely, to read one prayer without getting distracted. During my middle years, I walked into a monastery courtyard one evening in St. Petersburg on the banks of the Neva River and heard the monks reading prayers very quickly before going to bed. I then began to condemn them in my heart, why they didn’t read with feeling, clearly and with consistency. And now I understand that, having vast experience in prayer, the monks read exactly as necessary, so that no thoughts can enter their heads and cannot interfere with concentration in prayer. On page 77 of Father John’s book “Thoughts of a Christian,” he, among other things, teaches: “If you pray, pray slowly.” From the contents of the entire article on page 77, it is clear that Father John teaches to do everything slowly, with reflection: if you are teaching a lesson, do not rush to finish it as quickly as possible, but go into it thoroughly and discuss it. In this teaching, Father John warns against senseless haste 524, and not against speed or speed, which leads to the concentration necessary during prayer, especially for nervous and absent-minded people like me, of which there are many in the current anxious time, full of worries. While I did not understand this, I spent about an hour and a half to say my prayers, that is, those prayers that I set myself to say, starting over from the beginning several times with the same prayer, and I still did not get the feeling that I had prayed well. Nowadays, when I read prayers quickly, it takes me 10 minutes, and I am left with the feeling that I have prayed well. Chapter 58. Father John casts out demons Message from missionary WA. Konovalova “Baroness Olga Petrovna Mengden, nee Princess Kropotkin, conveyed to me the following. Once, when Father John was serving in the Leushinsky metochion in St. Petersburg, there was such a case: six men were bringing one demoniac to communion and could not hold her back. Father John says: – In the name of Jesus Christ I command you, come out! He repeated this three times, and after the third time the demoniac fell, and a cloud of steam came out of her mouth, then she rose in a confused and unconscious state. They wanted to support her and bring her to the Holy Gifts, but Father John said: – Don’t touch her, she’ll come up on her own. She came up. Father John tells her: The demoniac is baptized. Father John says: She opens it, and Father introduces her. After receiving the Holy Mysteries, she walked calmly, as if she had never been sick. I am reporting a general confession. For the first time I went to Father for general confession, believing that there I would tell all my secret sins to God and Father. Confession took place after the all-night vigil. It seemed to me that I was present in Sodom and Gomorrah. God, what happened there! This can only be understood by those who have been to general confession. This was imprinted in my memory for the rest of my life. The confession is over. Father left the cathedral a long time ago, and I am walking towards the exit of the cathedral; There are few people left in the cathedral, and one old woman made a special impression on me. In a village fur coat, a peasant woman, very poorly dressed, stands and cries, saying: “Dear Father, pray for me, a sinner, because I am a sinner, and I snorted tobacco, and drank vodka, and I am such a sinner, pray and save me, a sinner.” I also visited the Leushinsky courtyard in St. Petersburg on Basseynaya Street. Once I was at an all-night vigil when Father read an akathist to Saint John the Theologian, and his expression was especially strong and impressive: “Rejoice, John, confidante of Christ and the Theologian!” I was only once in the altar of St. Andrew’s Cathedral and I saw how all the clergy stood around this holy Father and in what grace-filled overshadowing of the All-Holy Spirit he was, for he was transformed by a transfiguration that was not earthly, but heavenly.” The story of Colonel of the Caspian Regiment Evstafy Andreevich Kovessky “In 1882 in Kronstadt, when I was only 10 years old, one Sunday I attended the Liturgy in St. Andrew’s Cathedral. After the Liturgy, when the parishioners had not yet had time to disperse, they brought in a demoniac - a healthy man, who was supported by about ten of the same men; they led him to the left choir and held him tightly by the hands. The possessed man had sweat on his face and thick white foam around his mouth. I moved closer to see the healing. Soon Father John of Kronstadt came out of the altar and ordered the men to bring the demoniac closer to him. At this time, I clearly heard from the mouth of the possessed man some sounds similar to the crowing of a rooster, and he strongly jerked to escape from the men holding him. Then Father John, taking the stole and, holding the sick man over the head, began to read prayers. The patient fell to his knees; the singing could no longer be heard, it began to calm down, and when Father John crossed him with the cross, he stood up, sweating heavily, and began to slowly leave the church, and those men who were no longer holding him followed him. This miraculous healing of the demoniac made a strong impression on everyone around me, and I remembered it for a long time and told my mother about the miraculous healing of the demoniac.” The story of the nun Maria (Rodevich) “Once, at a service in the Leushinsky courtyard (on Basseynaya Street), we were eyewitnesses to the healing of a demon-possessed young woman, Daria. We waited a long time for Father in the church that morning. He usually came to the altar by the internal route. Several men brought a sick demoniac into the church, barely restraining her. One hieromonk tried to approach her, wanting to pray over her, but she completely crushed him and pushed him away. She rushed in all directions and suddenly screamed terribly when Father John appeared on the pulpit. - Give it to me here! - Father commanded. He crossed his arms over her head and said: She extended her hand to the side like a stick and began to fight and resist with all her might, spinning in one place. Father pressed firmly on her head and ordered everyone to pray for her. He raised his eyes to the sky, and large tears fell from his eyes. He began abruptly asking her questions: what is her name, since when has she been sick, who spoiled her? She answered in a terrible bass, inhuman voice. She resisted for a long time, but finally Father managed to bend her outstretched hand and cross her with it. After that, she began to cross herself non-stop, swinging her body like a pendulum. Foam flowed from her mouth, she choked on it, as if choking, and suddenly fell to the ground at full height and froze motionless, as if dead. The priest ordered her to be raised and put on her feet, which was done. Then she began to cry quietly and touchingly thank Father John. He blessed her. She calmly stood through the entire service, praying fervently. When Father brought out the Chalice, he gave her first communion, blessed her again, and sent her away healthy and happy. I know another incident that happened before my aunt’s eyes. A woman ran into the church and began to scream and rage. The priest approached her, she pounced on him, bent him to the ground and dragged him several steps. Father John did not let her go; he was very pale. In a terrible voice, the demoniac began to shout out in a bass voice: “I’m already old... it’s been done to death, I won’t go out.” Finally, she began to calm down, humble herself, and again asked in a deep voice: “Where do you want me to go?” Father smiled triumphantly and said quietly: “Into the abyss!” This is how the healing ended.” Author's note. This incident probably dates back to the first years of Father John’s miracle-working, for in recent years the grace in him was so strong that in response to the cries of demons: “I will not go out!” Father John answered: “No, you will come out, God is with me,” and the demons obeyed. This is what the wife of the former psalm-reader Father John, now a priest, Alexandra Alekseevna Babenko, who lived in the House of Diligence in Kronstadt, tells. "I. They brought a possessed, hefty man from the Tver province to Father John. Father John began to sprinkle him with holy water and commanded the demon in the name of Christ to come out. This was followed by a cry: “I won’t go out.” Father John said: “No, you will come out,” and continued to sprinkle him with holy water. The demoniac calmed down and suddenly rushed over and hugged Father John. Everyone was scared, but it turned out that the healed man hugged his healer with joy. II. A possessed woman was brought to the House of Industriousness. Those accompanying her brought prosphora to my husband, the psalm-reader Babenko, and asked him to serve them the next day at early mass to Father John, asking him to take out the particles for the health of the sick woman. The next morning my husband brought prosphora, from which Father John took out particles and asked me to take them to those who brought them to the room. When I entered the room,” says Alexandra Alekseevna, “the patient was lying with her back to me on the bed, in front of which there was a table, and she could not see me, but, obviously, sensing the proximity of the prosphoras, she immediately became agitated, began to rush around and scream. I was scared and wanted to run, but at that time the maid came in with tea, I left the prosphora and left. After this, Father John came, and the sick woman recovered. III. They brought a demoniac woman crawling on all fours to Father John. Father John sprinkled her with holy water and commanded the demon to come out, but the sick woman screamed for a long time: “I won’t come out, I won’t come out.” Father John said: “No, you will come out,” and put a cross on her. Suddenly the patient calmed down and seemed to fall asleep. Then she perked up and began to praise God for the healing.” Lutheran Vladimir Yulievich Orlovsky told “Once I witnessed how, during vespers, friends were dragging a hysterical woman to Father John, who was screaming, thrashing about, fighting and resisting. But as soon as they dragged her to the soleya, and Father John put his epitrachelion on her and his hand on her head, the sick woman immediately calmed down. After that she completely recovered.” “The witnesses named below tell an amazing event that happened before their eyes through the prayers of the righteous Father John of Kronstadt who departed to the Lord. On February 13, 1907, dear Father was invited to St. Petersburg resident Ivan Averyanovich Lebedev (Petersburg side, Plutalova St., 7, apt. 11) to serve a prayer service. The zealous prayer book promised to arrive at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Selected acquaintances have already gathered in Lebedev’s apartment to receive the blessing of the highly revered shepherd: noblewoman Sofya Fedorovna Adler, peasants from the Tver province of the village of Dulova Ivan Davydov, from the St. Petersburg province of the village of Pervoye Pargolovo - Agafya Andreevna Burova and local janitor Ivan Dmitrievich Gribkov with his brother Tikhon. Father arrived exactly at 4 o’clock, greeted everyone affectionately and began to bless everyone separately, and Lebedev’s wife, Anna Nikitichna, meanwhile explained to Father the requests and needs of those who approached him for blessing. Then Father John invited everyone to pray and, kneeling before the holy icon, began to pronounce the divine words of prayer loudly and clearly. Dear Father prayed fervently and for a long time, asking God for help to those in need; finally, he blessed the water and allowed the pilgrims to venerate the holy cross. At this time, Lebedev’s 13-year-old son, Alexander, approached Father John and said: – Dear Father, one eye hurts me very much. Father John took the boy by the hand, led him to the table and washed his eyes twice with holy water, proclaiming: These words, spoken in a firm, deeply confident tone, had a stunning effect on everyone. After the general blessing has been given. Father was invited to a meal. The janitor Gribkov entered the room where the welcome guest sat down and brought in his wife. The latter, looking at Father, suddenly fell to the floor, began to fight, scream and moan furiously, demanding to be taken back, since she could not stand the presence of Father John. Dear Father, rising from his seat, ordered the patient to be taken to the adjacent room, where he himself followed her. However, even there the unfortunate woman continued to struggle and shout incoherent words. Several people held her with difficulty. And now a glorious miracle of the great grace of the Almighty takes place. Father John put his hand on the sick woman’s head and said menacingly, probably addressing the evil spirit: “The Lord Himself commands you to come out!” Then, as if answering someone’s question, he added: “The Lord is with me... and you, God’s servant Athanasius, be healthy,” and made her cross herself. The patient crossed herself, drank the holy water given to her by Father and, as if nothing had happened, went to eat with those present. The good shepherd of Christ's flock, Father John, talking with those around him at the meal, found a word of consolation for everyone. At the end of the meal, he went up to the icon a second time, again prayed just as fervently and, having given a blessing to everyone, headed for the exit. And on the street, a huge crowd of people was waiting for dear Father... Since that unforgettable day, both the boy’s eye disease and the woman’s seizures disappeared without a trace. This is how the Lord loves and glorifies His saints!” (“Gazette of the St. Petersburg City Administration”) From the magazine “Helmsman” No. 41, dated October 6, 1901. “On August 30, 1901, at the end of the Liturgy in the Konchansky stone church 525, which had just been consecrated by Father John of Kronstadt, the Suvorov Commission, represented by its representatives, professors of the Academy of the General Staff, generals: Orlov, Myshlaevsky and Colonel Sulima-Samuillo, offered the clergy and honored guests breakfast at the local Suvorov Zemstvo School. During this breakfast, the unconscious wife of the peasant of Rumyantsevskaya Gorka, Avdotya Afanasyeva, 32 years old, who had been married for more than seven years and possessed by an evil spirit, was brought to Father John in his arms. Father John asked the local abbot: After an affirmative answer, Father John ordered the patient to look at him. The patient, who was in an insensible state, did not seem to hear the order, which was repeated a second and third time in a soft but commandingly insistent voice. And only when the shepherd slightly lifted the patient’s eyelid, those present saw her dull and wandering gaze, which gradually cleared up and rushed into the face of Father John. The priest ordered her to stand up, but those who brought the patient objected that she could not stand, obviously attributing this impossibility to the state in which the patient was at the moment. Father raised his voice nervously and said: – Leave her, she will stand. The patient remained on her feet, at first somewhat unsteady and as if looking for balance, and then completely firmly and confidently. “Cross yourself,” said Father John. One could see hesitation and, as it were, disobedience to this order. The patient's eyes began to close. - Cross yourself, cross yourself! I tell you - cross yourself! – this time a powerful and commanding voice rang out. At first with difficulty, but gradually more freely, the sick woman made the sign of the cross. There was lethargy on her face, her eyes were half-closed. - Open your eyes, cross yourself again. The patient's eyes open. With a confident movement of her hand, the sick woman crosses herself and kisses Father John on the mouth. Father John takes two steps away from the patient and orders her to come to him. The first hesitant step - the eyes half close again. Again the order is to look at Father and cross himself. The patient obeys. Eyes open. The gaze is completely clear. The sign of the cross is solid. The patient falls to Father’s shoulder and kisses him on the mouth. The priest bows over her in prayer. In the dead silence of the numb spectators, those closest to Father can barely hear his word: Then Father John nervously shakes his head and says loudly to the patient: Noticing the movement of the healed woman’s relatives who wanted to support her, Father John said: – Leave it, she will go herself! The patient herself turned to face those present. This face beamed with some kind of unearthly joyful smile. The nervous tension of those present burst into sobs. Everyone, with some isolated exception, was overcome by a single and general feeling of tenderness. Common people wept, and intellectuals wept. The eyes of the general, who a few months before this incident had covered all of Manchuria with an eagle's flight, eyes that had seen all the horrors of the Chinese war, were moistened with tears. Efforts of self-control are futile. This tender, and at the same time, treacherous tear slowly rolled down her cheek.” The author of this message, priest Lev Matveev, firmly believes that in this case there was an expulsion of an evil spirit. This faith is based primarily on the Gospel, and then on those facts that are personally known to the author of the message. Healed has been a parishioner of Father Matveev for eight years now. During all this time, she could never consciously kiss the holy cross or partake of the Holy Mysteries. When they brought her to the cross or Holy Communion, she became as if dead. And when the exhausted relatives turned to the local priest with a request to read incantation prayers against demons over the patient, Father Matveev, despite his seventeen years of pastoral experience at that time and the many cases of hysteria and epilepsy he had seen before, was directly horrified by what was done to the patient during the reading of incantation prayers. The patient hissed like a snake, meowed like a cat, barked just like a dog and screamed like various birds, whistled, and screamed inhumanly: “I’ll come out.” At the same time, her stomach swelled by three-quarters of an arshin, forming an incomprehensibly acute angle, having a conical shape. Then the patient rolled like a log on the church floor, and this spinning stopped at an obstacle - the pulpit. The last two phenomena were especially terrible for those present. In the described case, there can be no talk of suggestion, as some unbelievers try to explain it, because the actual healing event took place extremely quickly - from the moment the patient was brought in until she left on her own, only two or three minutes passed. Father Matveev received the blessing of his archpastor, His Eminence Archbishop Gury of Novgorod and Staraya Russia, to testify everywhere about this truly miraculous healing of a serious and painful illness for those around him through the prayers of Father John of Kronstadt. After this event, the healed woman became, according to Father Lev Matveev, a completely healthy woman. On September 8, on the local patronal feast day, in front of a crowd of people, including fellow villagers who had been healed, she confidently, for the first time after eight years, approached the cross at the end of the Liturgy, was sprinkled with holy water, listened to a thanksgiving prayer and venerated the holy cross a second time. Of the seventy witnesses to the event, sixty-nine gave and continue to give glory to the Lord for being worthy of being eyewitnesses of God’s incomprehensible grace through the prayer of the good shepherd” 526. The story of the widow of Colonel Evgenia Alekseevna Efimova who served in Kronstadt. In the family of a naval officer, the daughter was sick with seizures, which happened to her in church when they tried to bring her to church for the purpose of confession and communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. This girl already had a devout fiancé - a naval officer. They told Father John about these seizures, who said that she had a demon and ordered her to be brought to church early in the morning. Several people dragged her by force. Father John began to read prayers over her and prayed for a long time, then he put his hands on her and repeated three times: “Come out, demon!” After this, Father John said: “Now she is healed, the demon has left her.” The former demoniac stood up. Father John confessed her, and the next day he communed her with the Holy Mysteries. The former demoniac began going to church every day. A month later her wedding took place. The seizures never returned. Repeatedly I heard questions; Why are demoniacs and cliques found only among the common people? From the above examples it is clear that there are demoniacs in intelligent families. Those who do not recognize the existence of demons are those who are entirely in the power of demons. Just as people living in the polluted air of big cities usually do not notice that they live in suffocating air - they do not notice precisely because they are surrounded on all sides by this polluted air. As soon as someone wishes for moral improvement and begins to make efforts towards such improvement, some obstacles, apparently even quite natural, gradually begin to arise in the implementation of these good intentions and attempts. This is the completely obvious and obvious action of demons. Chapter 59. Appearances of Father John after his repose - miracles and healings The story of Olga Vasilyevna Kovanko, the widow of a general, living in Serbia, in Belgrade, at Milishevskaya street, 49. “One of the amazing cases was the healing of my mother through the prayer of Father John of Kronstadt. I lived with my family in my mother’s house in Poltava, and when my two daughters graduated from high school, I took them to courses in St. Petersburg. After returning home, after a while I went to visit them. Before I had time to come to them, I received a telegram that my mother fell ill with pneumonia. She was over 70 years old. My first move was to return home, but a thought immediately stopped me: go to pray at the monastery where Father John of Kronstadt is buried. Having sent a telegram to inform me about the progress of the illness, I and my daughters went to mass. When entering the monastery, for some reason I noticed the clock. It was half past ten. The nun met us and said: “The mass is over, and now they will serve a memorial service at the grave of Father John.” We went down the stairs to the church where Father John was buried, served a memorial service for him and stayed for a long time, fervently praying for my mother’s recovery, and my daughter’s for her beloved grandmother. We left with a lighter heart. I began to receive reassuring telegrams from the doctor. When I went home and entered my mother’s room, after greeting her, she said: – You probably visited the grave of Father John. I confirmed. She began to tell me that that day when we were in the monastery, she had a crisis, and she fell asleep like she had not slept for a long time. When I woke up, I asked the nurse what time it was. It was half past ten. Then she told everyone who was with her, and then me when I arrived, about her vision. – I see myself in the church of the Real School, where we always visited, walking along a dark corridor; there was no one, only from the church through the glass door I saw a bright light. I continue to walk along the corridor and see an old priest, short in stature, I learned that this is Father John. I'm approaching the blessing. He hugged me and said: "The mass is over, now they will serve a memorial service. Greetings to you from your blood." I woke up after a sweet dream and told those present: “It’s true, mine were at the grave of Father John, I saw him in a dream.” From then on, my mother began to recover and lived for several more years. This incident took place around 1909. My mother Maria Dmitrievna Koroleva, the widow of a provincial government official, lived in the city of Poltava.” The homeowner of the city of Orel, and now the city of Belgrade in Serbia at Venizelosovaya street, house 34, Evdokia Nikolaevna Pastukhova said that she saw in a dream that she was in the Belgrade Russian Church in the name of the Holy Trinity and saw that Father John of Kronstadt was standing in the altar, performing the service of God. This is E.N.’s dream. Pastukhova should remind everyone that the great prayer book of the Russian land, Father John of Kronstadt, stands at the Throne of God and prays for the Russian people. Two stories by Anna Alexandrovna Taneyeva “I was 18 years old when I fell ill with typhoid fever. We then lived with our parents in St. Petersburg. My brother also fell ill with the same disease; he was slightly ill, but there was no hope for my recovery. The temperature remained at 40° for about six weeks. I suffered terribly; They gave me baths, wrapped me in cold sheets, but nothing helped, I couldn’t sleep, my tongue, hearing and legs were lost... One night I saw in a dream Father John, who in our childhood often visited my parents in St. Petersburg 527. We children loved him very much, but we were also afraid, because our father told us that Father John was perspicacious and knew all our pranks and tricks. I remember how he caressed us, pressing our heads to his pectoral cross, it was both painful and joyful... After my sleep during typhus, I begged my father to invite Father John, but since I could not speak, I wrote my request on paper. Father sent a telegram to Kronstadt, but Father John was at home. I remember how soon afterwards, as if in oblivion, I see Father John driving up to our dacha in a landau 528 with an old woman in a black dress. I start making desperate gestures, pointing to the door. The parents rush up the stairs and see Father John coming up to us. I cannot express the feeling of joy and peace when Father John put the stole on my head and, holding it with his hand, began to serve a prayer service, having said before: “Let all who believe come to pray.” Two sisters of mercy and Doctor Botkin gathered. At the end of the prayer service, Father John asked for a glass of water and, after blessing me, poured the water on my face to the horror of Doctor Botkin, who rushed to wipe me off. Father John stopped him and went to see his brother, and then sat down with his parents to drink tea. I immediately fell asleep, my temperature dropped from 40 to 37°, my hearing returned, I began to speak and get better. In the fall of 1919, I was temporarily released from prison by the Bolsheviks and went to Karpovka for early mass almost every day. On September 22, I saw in a dream Father John of Kronstadt, who told me: “Don’t be afraid, I’m with you all the time.” I went to take communion to Karpovka and, returning home after the Holy Mysteries, found an ambush at our place, and I was arrested again and taken to Gorokhovaya. After two weeks of torment, which I describe in my book 529, one morning I was taken to execution. Two soldiers came in and grabbed me. I asked to be allowed to open my little Gospel. The gaze fell on the 6th verse of the 3rd chapter of Luke: And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. A ray of hope sparkled in the tormented heart. We went out onto Nevsky Prospekt. The sun was shining; it was 2 o'clock in the afternoon. We took the tram. The audience looked at me sympathetically. We got off at Mikhailovskaya Square to transfer to another tram, which was delayed somewhere - either the bridges were raised, or for some other reason. A large crowd was waiting. The soldier told me that he would look where our tram was, and ran to the right. At that moment, a former officer whom I had once helped approached me and, taking out 500 rubles, put it in my hand, saying that the money could be useful to me. I took off the bracelet and asked him to take it to his mother and tell her that I was saying goodbye to her. At the same time, one of Father John’s close family, the dressmaker Dunya, who was standing with one of the nuns from Karpovka, walked up to me with quick steps; she exclaimed: “Don’t give yourself into the hands of your enemies, go, I pray. Father John will save you.” It was as if someone had pushed me, and I, hobbling with my cane, walked along Mikhailovskaya Street, loudly calling out: “Lord, save me! Father John, save me!” I went along the Perina line; I look around and see a soldier running, but he turned away. I walked along Chernyshev Lane, but my strength began to weaken, my hat fell off my head, my hair fell, passers-by probably thought I was crazy. I reached Zagorodny Prospekt. The cab is standing. I'm going to him. “Busy,” he says. I show you a 500-ruble note. “Sit down,” he shouted. She begged to go quickly, saying that her mother was dying; gave the address on the Obvodny Canal, where our married teacher lived. Arriving at the house, I called and fainted... I hid for almost a year, unrecognized by anyone, with good people before leaving abroad...” Reprint from the newspaper “Orthodox Carpathian Rus” No. 1, dated January 6, 1933. With my priestly conscience I certify the authenticity of the incident described below with the janitor of Father John. Archpriest John Levitsky, Mt. Cybarts in b. Lithuania. Just as the compatriots and contemporaries of Jesus Christ did not believe in the power of His prayers, in His message from Heaven, so some of those around Father John of Kronstadt did not believe in his closeness to God. One of these was the janitor of the house where Father lived. He gladly received payment, sometimes quite significant, from admirers of Father John who came from different directions just for letting them into the courtyard and thereby giving them the opportunity to at least look at Father John. Having saved a decent amount of money, this janitor, after the death of Father John, moved to St. Petersburg and intended to open a trade. When everything was ready, and the janitor received money from the bank to pay for the acquired enterprise, by God’s permission this money, as unrighteously acquired, was stolen from him along the way. The unfortunate money-lover and man of little faith decided to drown himself out of grief. Approaching the sea canal, he looked around and, seeing that there was no one nearby, threw himself into the water from a steep granite embankment. Suddenly some force threw him out of the water, and he saw Father John next to him, who sternly told him: “You can’t - it’s a sin,” and suddenly, like fog, disappeared. Struck by such a miraculous appearance of Father from the afterlife, the rescued drowned man exclaimed with tears of gratitude: “Now I believe that John of Kronstadt is a saint.” His love of money disappeared, and he took upon himself the feat of “Vlas” 530, turning into a wanderer, a collector for holy churches. This incident was told to me in Kronstadt by people worthy of complete trust, who personally knew this janitor and heard the above story from him. Miracle before eight doctors In 1916, in Kronstadt, I was invited to administer the Holy Mysteries to a sick lady. Seeing her strong scar on her left hand diagonally on the upper side of her hand, I was surprised and curious: “It was dear Father who healed my severed hand,” answered the questioner. - Yes, how and what was the matter? – I asked again. “But, two months before his death, one day Father announced at an early mass that he would not admit anyone from Kronstadt, but only visitors. I was getting ready to go home to my homeland and thought with annoyance: “But I’ll take communion anyway, and the other one is a priest like you.” And with this thought I went to the Naval Cathedral and took communion 531. Arriving home, I took a log and an ax to prepare wood chips. As she swung the ax, it was right at the top of her left hand, which she cut deeply. At the hospital, when I was changing the bandage, I was told that there might be an infection, that the veins were cut, and therefore tomorrow it was necessary to cut off my left hand. I felt that I was being punished for Father’s mental reproach, and I resigned myself. The next day, my family advises me to ask for the prayers of Father John, and God will heal. I hesitated for a long time, but finally I went to early mass at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, where Father John always served. The cathedral of people is full, as always, it’s impossible to get through. The headman and the police chief refused to take me to the altar because they were inaccessible. Suddenly Father’s voice was heard: “Let the woman with a sore arm come here.” But he didn’t see my hand - it was under the rotunda 532, and the bandage was hidden. I took out my hand with the bandage, and instantly the crowd parted: I freely walked to the pulpit, from which Father gave communion to the people. When I approached, he took a particle of the Holy Mysteries from the Chalice and said: “Well, take it.” I took communion in trepidation. After giving me communion, Father went to the altar. Now the psalm-reader came out of the altar and said to me: “Go into the courtyard to the altar door. Father will bless you." I left right away. As soon as Father came out, he grabbed my bandaged hand, and it hurt so much that I screamed. “What do you have?” - “Father, I cut it...” - “Christ will heal you.” Then he took his pectoral cross in his hands and said: “This Christ, who died and rose again for us, is healing you, go and sleep.” I went and fell asleep. They woke me up at 12 noon to go to the hospital to have my arm removed. I felt that the swelling had gone and there was no more pain in my arm. When they untied my hand at the hospital, they gasped: “Who did this to you? After all, the hand seems to have healed for a month.” I answered: “Dear Father healed me.” Eight medical personnel at the hospital agreed to sign a correspondence to the newspaper that Father John had performed an obvious miracle. I asked Father if I could write. The priest replied: “No need.” Therefore, it is with particular pleasure that I report on this miracle, which has not yet been made public. Having personally prayed with Father John, I always have in my soul a feeling of deep reverence and gratitude to this great righteous man - the Sun of the Russian Land. The paralysis of my mother’s left arm was healed by telegram to Father John. I received the priesthood through the prayer and prediction of Father John. My family and I settled down more than safely during our refugee years, thanks to the memorial service celebrated for Father John for this purpose after the authorities ordered evacuation. My daughter, in refugee, received the best position as a teacher in Kronstadt when I turned to him as if he were alive; take her under your wing. I got a place with an apartment in the House of Diligence, built by Father John himself, where there is a house church. In conclusion, I confess my faith that Father John is the second Nicholas the Wonderworker - Russian. About Russia, he said in Strelna that “they will pluck her like a chicken, but then she will get better.” A whole book could be written with a description of the unpublished miracles performed by Father John during his life and after his death. It was in 1900 in St. Petersburg in the family of a military engineer, General V.Ya. Molchanov, where his daughter, who studied at the Smolny Institute, fell ill with typhoid fever. Typhoid fever has become complicated by relapsing fever and is finally detected in a severe form of pleurisy. The young body is undermined by high fever and all sorts of complications of the disease. The best St. Petersburg doctors invited to the consultation declare a hopeless condition and prepare the family for the inevitable outcome. A sister is called from the Smolny Institute, who was prepared by her parents and asked that, at the sight of an exhausted, sick woman, she would not reflect her fear on her face and would not alarm the dying woman. The warning did not help, since what presented itself to the eyes of the arriving college student was beyond her expectations, and she burst into tears at the bedside of her dying sister. The sick woman looked really grave: her head was all shaved off, her emaciated pale face showed deep sunken large eyes, and all that was left of the healthy and thriving girl was skin and bones. What else was imprinted in the memory of the visitor was a huge table, all covered with all kinds of medicines, and a long map depicting temperature fluctuations. The religious family, seeing the helplessness of medical science, placed all their hopes on God alone and, having heard a lot about the gracious power of the prayers of Father John of Kronstadt, urgently turned to him, asking him to come. The news of the arrival of the prayer book spread with lightning speed, and a huge crowd blocked the street, awaiting his arrival. The prayer of the arriving Father John made a stunning impression, as it was distinguished by amazing intensity. After the prayer service, Father John laid his hands on the sick woman’s head and, taking one grape from the table where the tea was prepared, gave it to the sufferer and expressed the hope that the Lord would hear his prayer and the sick woman would recover. By evening, the patient’s temperature dropped, and the girl fell into a deep sleep. The doctor who arrived the next day was surprised to note an unexpected turn in the course of the disease and confirmed the disappearance of the danger. “All this happened in our family, and the sick one was my sister, who is still alive and now lives in Poland. This wonderful incident strengthened faith in the Lord God in my childish soul, and this faith and fervent prayer do not leave me and more than once saved me during Bolshevism from the claws and embraces of certain and inevitable death.” Lvov (Poland), 17/XII 1933 Letter from Valentina Materna, living in Serbia, in Belgrade, on Branichevskaya, 35, dated October 21, 1940. “In mid-February 1899, when I was about a year old, I was very ill, and medical care did not give the expected results. The relatives were very worried. Stubbornly maintaining an elevated temperature, daily doctor's visits did not leave the slightest doubt that the disease was becoming catastrophic. Sleepless nights passed; Mom didn’t leave me for a single minute, carrying me around the room in her arms all the time. Finally, a critical night came, when my general condition became so threatening that, having lost hope of medical help, my father decided, without wasting a single minute, to turn to Father John of Kronstadt and ask for his prayers for my health. He wrote the following telegram: "To Father John of Kronstadt. My little daughter, baby Valentina, is seriously ill. Your prayers are pleasing to the Lord, I beg you to pray for her recovery." The telegraph operator on duty immediately began transmitting this telegram in his presence. The father went back, dejected by his grief, but with the hope that Father John would pray and the Lord would send the expected recovery. By the time he returned home, about an hour had passed. - Quiet! “Tinochka has fallen asleep and is sleeping peacefully,” my mother, sitting next to my crib, greeted my dad with these words. From that night my recovery began. On this alarming night, an abscess that was deep in my ear, which had not been discovered by doctors until that time, broke out, and fortunately, it broke out. I was placed with this ear on the pillow, on which in the morning traces of the breakthrough that had occurred were visible. This incident strengthened my parents’ faith in the righteousness of Father John, in the holiness of his prayer and in God’s help through his prayers. I remembered all of the above and kept it in my soul throughout my childhood, youth and young years. Now, in my mature years, I began to prayerfully turn to Father John, asking for his prayers in the difficult days of our lives, and I always felt relief and help in the requested case. My husband is a religious man, but he has absolutely no idea of ​​the immortality of the soul and eternal life. This upset me terribly, and I prayed to Father John, asking him to help him know and believe in the future life. One summer in July 1940, I woke up early in the morning and saw my husband awake, but very excited, with a tired face. - What's happened? – I asked, positively surprised by his incredible appearance. He replied that never in his life had he experienced such strong experiences as he had that night. He dreamed of a large square with a church, with many people on it. At that moment, the service in the church ended, and Father John, leaving the church, went straight to him, holding the crown in his hand. Approaching her husband, Father John puts it on his head and, pressing it firmly with his hand, says: “Why do you doubt? - Believe!”, and with these words Father John turns and begins to leave. Then the husband felt guilty and, in terrible excitement, hurries after him to kiss his hand and say that he will believe. Father John moves further and further away. Finally, completely exhausted by this desire, he, already crawling on his knees with his arms outstretched forward, overtakes Father John, kisses his foot and at that moment wakes up under this strong impression. He became so weak from excitement that I had to immediately brew him black coffee to boost his strength. However, he calmed down and finally came to his senses only when he came home from work for lunch. I was incredibly happy that my prayer to Father John had such a bright and strong effect on my husband for the salvation of his soul.” Letter from Mark Ivanovich Zhuklevich dated August 12, 1939 from Bitol, st. Banyaluchka, 2. About miracles from the afterlife “My dear granddaughter Maria Makhina is 11 years old, a pupil of the Khopov Monastery School 533, a very modest, diligent girl, before the Nativity of Christ 1938 she studied well, this year she had to take exams for the 1st grade of a secondary school. Since the Nativity of Christ, God knows why, the teaching went badly, so badly that the head of the school, the nun Mother Theodora, lost all hope for Maria to finish the school course and believed that the possibility of admitting Musenka to the exam was excluded and she told Musenka about this and wrote to my son-in-law, priest Viktor Kvachadze, that Musenka would have to stay for another year at school, because with all the diligence Musya would overcome the course 4th category cannot. The girl, heartbroken, began to cry bitterly. What to do and how to help the poor girl? Without thinking for a long time, I decided to turn to the saints of God, Saints Seraphim of Sarov and John of Kronstadt, for help. I sent my granddaughter an encouraging letter and 10 dinars and wrote: “Don’t grieve and don’t cry, I’m sending you 10 dinars, when you receive the money, go now with your sister Verochka to church, buy two candles, place both candles in front of the icon of St. Seraphim of Sarov, kneel down and fervently pray with faith to the holy saints of God and ask them help, Seraphim of Sarov and the uncanonized Father John of Kronstadt, and with God both saints will hear the tearful prayers of the young women, and the Holy Spirit will overshadow your memory, just believe and pray, you will see the miracle of God yourself, you will begin to understand everything taught and you will go to the exam and pass the exam well.” Everything I wrote to my granddaughter, she fulfilled and passed the exam well at the Belgrade Russian Gymnasium. I believe with conviction and attribute nothing else to anything other than the miracle of Saints Seraphim of Sarov and Father John of Kronstadt.” Letter from Andrei Sokolov, member of the Second Foreign Council from Zagreb, dated 28/111 10/IV 1940 “To this day, I can testify to an innumerable number of cases when dear Father helped and contributed to success every time I prayerfully invoke his name.” Letter from Anna Beloborodova, who lives in Serbia, in Belgrade at 35 Machvanskaya street, dated January 12, 1940. “In 1938, at the end of November, I was walking across the yard, slipped and fell on my right hand, and so awkwardly on my fingers that something crunched in my hand. My daughter and son-in-law took me to the Red Cross. The doctor found that my vein had burst and I needed massage and warm baths. But nothing helped me, my hand hurt, I didn’t sleep well, and I couldn’t control my hand at all. I asked Father John Sokal to pray. He, with his usual tenderness and kindness, prayed and placed on my hand the handkerchief of Holy Father John of Kronstadt and air 534 from the relics of St. Joasaph, the Belgorod wonderworker 535. And since then, glory to the Lord God and His saints, I have mastered the hand and am very grateful to the respected priest Father John Sokal.” Letter from priest Nikolai Bazbai from the Divlyansky monastery, Bela Palanka post office, November 23, 1939. “While serving at a parish in Serbia, sometimes I came to one of our convents to pray. On one of these visits, I was returning to my hotel after Vespers. Not far from the hotel, I accidentally tripped and suddenly felt such unbearable pain in my right leg that I could hardly walk and, barely moving, reached my room. No matter how much my leg hurt, I didn’t pay much attention, thinking that I had hurt my leg and everything should go away, but, apparently, I was mistaken: my leg did not stop hurting; This is how I spent the evening, night came, my leg still hurts, it’s time to go to bed to rest; I tried to take off the boot from my sore foot, but it was impossible not only to take off the shoes, but also to move my foot: it hurt terribly, there was nowhere to go, there was no one to tell, the night was dark, the silence was deep. I see things are bad. I wanted to go to the monastery church tomorrow for all the services, starting with the midnight office and ending with the Divine Liturgy, and then there was a long journey ahead - to my distant place of service. The prospect of being sick, far from my place and so unexpectedly, did not smile at all. Thoughts set in, I became sad, I thought - will something happen? And what should I do?.. Suddenly an unexpected thought came: to immediately turn to Father John of Kronstadt. I prayed: "Rest, Lord, the soul of Your faithful servant and Your great saint - Father John. Dear Father, Father John, help me, heal me!" As soon as I said this, I didn’t feel any pain, I got up and walked around the room, also not feeling any pain - as if nothing had happened. With all my heart I thanked the Lord and His great saint and miracle worker Father John. God is marvelous in His saints! 536" Letter from Evgeniy Aleksandrovich Bukanovsky, colonel of the Terek Cossack Army, military engineer living in Belgrade, Produzhetok Poduevskaya street, house no. 8. “During my childhood, our neighbor, the Cossack Vasily Skvortsov, who was very interested in religious issues, lived in the village of Yekaterinograd Terek Region. He often visited monasteries, visited Kyiv and loved to share his impressions. Around 1897, he told my parents, in my presence, about an event that had happened to him, as a result of which he was left lame for life. At that time, there were many rumors and stories about Father John of Kronstadt. Among the Cossacks there were many supporters of Father John, but there were also opponents who did not hesitate to openly slander him. They especially objected to general confession. Among these opponents of Father John was V. Skvortsov. In the nineties, being completely healthy, he again went to the monasteries, with the intention of this time visiting Solovki and visiting Kronstadt. Apparently, during his travel, Skvortsov met new opponents and detractors of Father John and became even stronger in his opposition views. When he arrived in Kronstadt after visiting the Solovetsky Monastery, he found himself at a service during which a general confession took place. Skvortsov was indignant and began to openly condemn Father John and even vilify him in the presence of unfamiliar people. Returning to my apartment. Skvortsov lay down to rest, remaining impressed by what he had seen and heard. In a dream, he clearly saw Father John of Kronstadt enter his room with a staff in his hand and, approaching him, hit him on the leg with the staff. In horror, Skvortsov jumped out of bed and immediately felt that one of his legs was paralyzed. Since then, he could only walk with a crutch and dragged his leg a lot. Returning to the village. Skvortsov openly told everyone about his misfortune. It is characteristic that even after this incident Skvortsov remained an ardent opponent of Father John. At that time, sectarianism began to develop widely in the North Caucasus (Molokans 537 and others), but I cannot say whether Skvortsov belonged to the sectarians. At the end of 1915, I was returning from the Western Front to Petrograd, where my family was, with whom I intended to spend my Christmas holiday peacefully. To my great surprise, my wife met me at the station in tears and told me that our eldest son Alexander, three years old, was seriously ill and that the doctor feared for his life. Arriving home, I found my son half asleep: he was often given oxygen, he turned blue, was suffocating, etc. The doctors found that he had pneumonia and treated him accordingly. The mood of those around him was depressed, since there was very little hope for the child’s recovery. In these difficult moments, when we didn’t know what to do, someone at home advised me to go and pray at the grave of Father John of Kronstadt. I left immediately. Continuous services took place at the grave. When it was my turn, the priest served a prayer service for the health of baby Alexander. Somewhat reassured, I returned home in a cab to Preobrazhenskaya Street, No. 33. At the very entrance of the house, I unexpectedly met a good friend of mine, who, seeing my alarmed state, inquired about the reason for it. I told what happened. An acquaintance of mine began to convince me to immediately turn to another doctor - Pivovarov, who lived on the same street and whom he highly praised. After consulting with my family, I, despite some awkwardness in relation to the previous doctors, went to Pivovarov. He immediately got dressed and went with me to the sick child. After examining the son, the doctor stated that he had been mistakenly treated for pneumonia, that in fact he had croup (laryngitis) and that a tube should be immediately inserted into the throat, since the child was already suffocating. Doctor Pivovarov advised taking the patient by car to the nearest children's hospital, where the child, who had almost lost consciousness, was inserted into a tube and thereby saved him from certain death. Then we started treatment with injections and so on. The incident made a huge impression on all of us. We were inclined to see in what happened not a mere coincidence, but intercession from Above. If I had not gone to the grave of Father John, I would not have met my friend, and, therefore, I would not have been able to save my son from death.” Narration of Nina Bakhmutskaya, born Princess Cholokaeva, wife of a colonel of the General Staff, living in Prokuplje (former Yugoslavia), Technical Department. “In 1915, during Lent, I had to be in St. Petersburg. Coming to the capital, I always went to Karpovka, to the Ioannovsky Convent, where the tomb of Father John of Kronstadt is located, to bow before his grave. I really loved this corner. As I see now, there is a church, and on the right side there is a white marble tomb, on it is a miter with an unquenchable lamp inside, there are flowers all around, there are a lot of burning candles on the sides, and behind it there is a choir of nuns... The church is crowded with people praying, the service goes on continuously, the worshipers replace each other. And every time, as soon as you step into this church, you are overcome with such feelings of calm, solemnity, and prayerful mood that it is impossible to convey in words. Since childhood, I have often heard stories about the power of the prayer of Father John of Kronstadt, who was the spiritual father of my grandmother and my mother before her marriage. He married my parents and baptized me in the city of Kronstadt. I remember the story of how my grandmother fell ill with cholera, and the doctors refused to save her. She had already turned black, and convulsions began... They invited Father. He brought the Holy Gifts, prayed over her, gave her communion, and she recovered. I remember that I was already a high school student, my older brother, a cadet, was very sick, he had purulent pleurisy, near the carotid artery. It was possible to save only with the help of an operation, which was very dangerous, which the doctor warned about. And so, on the sly from my parents, out of some false shame, I wrote a letter to Father John in Kronstadt: “Father, pray for the servant of God George. Nina.” The operation went well, thank God, and my brother recovered. In the fall of 1914, I lived in St. Petersburg and suddenly on November 2, completely unexpectedly for myself, as if by some suggestion, I abandoned my business, quickly got ready and went to Warsaw. In that area at the front at that time there were my husband and my brothers - the eldest, who had just returned to his regiment after being wounded, and the youngest, a young artilleryman who had recently been promoted to officer. Suddenly, on the night of November 10, I received a telegram from my father: “B. (my younger brother) is wounded, he is in Warsaw, find him, evacuate him to us.” In the morning I went to look for my brother in hospitals. Found it at the Red Cross hospital. I was so glad that I found him, but it never occurred to me that he could have been seriously wounded. I was met by the elder sister of mercy. I was puzzled by my sister’s overly serious and somehow hesitant look in her conversation with me in response to my words that I wanted to see my brother. I involuntarily asked: “I hope he’s not dangerously wounded?” - But not in the head, not in the stomach? “In the head,” she answered. - Now I’ll call the senior doctor, talk to him... I stood there stunned. The doctor came in and told me that on November 1st my brother was seriously wounded and shell-shocked in the head, that on November 3rd he was taken unconscious to their hospital, that he was vomiting continuously and was in an unconscious state, apparently, it was impossible to do without craniotomy, that this issue could be resolved in about a week, and there was no need to talk about evacuation now. The doctor came out, I sat down on a chair and cried. The older sister came up and sternly told me: - If you cry here, I can’t let you see the patient, calm down and come at one o’clock in the afternoon, when the reception begins, and I need to prepare him for the meeting. I went out into the street, completely insane, ran into the church, lit a candle, sent a telegram to the post office to my friends, and to a friend - to tell and cry... At one o'clock I froze in front of the wide open doors of the room indicated to me, looking for my brother with my eyes; I saw four beds, on three there were wounded people, on one lay someone with bandaged head and hands, who struck me with his pallor: I didn’t immediately recognize him as my brother. He lay with his eyes closed. - Is he sleeping? – I asked quietly the nearest wounded man. “He’s in this state all the time,” he answered sadly. I silently approached my brother. He opened his eyes. “You,” he whispered, “I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.” I knelt down in front of him and tried to caress him without disturbing him. When I left the hospital, I was seized with such horror that, meeting doctors on the street and on the tram, I turned to them for advice, hoping to get at least some consolation, hope, but I received the answer: “Since the vomiting does not stop, this is a sign that the skull is damaged, the brain is affected.” This means there is no salvation!.. What to do? How can I help?!.. And suddenly a thought came to me - Father John of Kronstadt! To him with a prayer, he can, he will save! Having run home, I quickly wrote a letter to my friend in St. Petersburg, also a great admirer of Father John, asking me to immediately go to his grave, light a candle and pray for my brother. She put the letter down and somehow calmed down; It seemed to me that I had done the most important thing. And here a miracle happened. When I entered the hospital the next day, on the stairs I met the sister who was caring for my brother, she told me with a smile: - No more vomiting since yesterday... And two days later he told me that the first words he heard when he came to his senses were said by one of the neighbors: “I wouldn’t want to be as wounded as this young second lieutenant, that if he survives, then it’s sure madness.” Yes, and my older sister, to my question: “And if he recovers, will the consequences remain?” - she answered: “Yes, of course they will.”... Meanwhile, every day my brother came to life, vomiting never happened again, consciousness returned, he began to take food, and after a few days the doctors told me: – The danger has passed, you can evacuate your brother. In March, he was already going back to the front to join his brigade, in which he spent the entire Great War, and then fought in the Volunteer Army. The brother I prayed for in 1914 served in the 26th Artillery Brigade. Now again I believe that “my godfather” (Father John of Kronstadt baptized me) showed his mercy. Unexpectedly, my brother, now serving in the cadastre department, was brought to the hospital for surgery. It had to be done immediately. The surgeons could not vouch for its outcome (it was a strangulated hernia, and more than six hours passed by the time the doctor arrived and the doctor was free). I went home from the hospital, lit a lamp and prayed to Father John of Kronstadt, and after that I went back to the hospital. The operation went well, but the main thing is that the surgeon said that my brother should not cough, but he had a cough after the war, when he lost his health, always - day and night, and suddenly it stopped, to our common amazement, completely. I explain this only by the prayer of Holy Father John of Kronstadt.” A great miracle created by Father John of Kronstadt on August 13/26, 1941 in Belgrade, Serbia. I, the author of the book “Father John of Kronstadt,” am always very afraid, lest I be ashamed of God before people, for Christ said; Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy Angels 538. Therefore, I decided to tell you, my readers, about the great miracle performed by Father John of Kronstadt on August 13/26, 1941. Even before the printing of the second volume of my book began, I made a detailed calculation of the amount needed to print it, and consulted about this calculation and its individual parts with my good friend, Alexei Alekseevich Bykov, a very experienced person, mentioned above. He was so kind - he checked all my calculations, and we came to the conclusion that the money I collected through preliminary subscription and donated by Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky and his wife was not enough to publish the book. Therefore, Alexey Alekseevich Bykov promised to introduce me to the Hungarian contractor who conscientiously built for A.A. Bykova has a six-story house for two and a half million dinars and therefore has significant capital. At the same time, Alexey Alekseevich told me that this contractor would give me a loan, and he would bear the interest. In view of this promise from Alexei Alekseevich, I boldly began printing the book and printed 224 pages. All printed pages of my book are supposed to be 352. Then, as the money I had began to run out, I began to worry about what loan terms the contractor would give me. After the outbreak of the war, the purchasing power of Russian emigrants in the former Yugoslavia greatly decreased, as many were left without income (including me). Therefore, only very few will have the opportunity to buy the book. Distribution of the book abroad is impossible. In view of the above, it can easily happen that I will not only not be able to fulfill the loan conditions set for me by the lender, but will also not be able to accept them at all. In such a difficult situation, on July 27/August 9, I knelt before the portrait of Father John of Kronstadt and fervently prayed to him with tears. I told him: “You know that I no longer have money to finish printing the second volume, that the first volume consoled many, turned some away from the intention of suicide due to unbearable living conditions, attracted many to Christ, that many cried with emotion while reading and re-reading it; you know that the second volume is much stronger than the first and that it is needed not only for emigration, but also for Russians living in Russia - so give me the necessary funds to complete the publication.” At the same time, I asked Father John to write and create this book for me, so that it would convert many to Orthodoxy both abroad and in Russia itself. On August 13/26, 1941, I met Ilya Grigoryevich Pinotsi on the street, an ardent admirer of Father John, since his family had the amazing miracle of Father John, who asked me how the printing of the second volume of my book was going. I told him all of the above. After listening to me, Ilya Grigorievich told me that he had to liquidate his trading business, but despite this, he would help me with money to finish printing the book. To this he added: “If I died before the printing of the book was completed, my wife would give the necessary amount for this.” I went to Ilya Grigorievich Pinotsi’s apartment and brought him the first volume of my book bound with a thank you note. At the same time, Ilya Grigorievich told me not to turn to anyone else for help, since he was taking upon himself the entire task of finishing the second volume, which must be completed at all costs. His wife Sofya Karlovna told me that she completely shared her husband’s view. You see, dear readers of my book, that Father John heard and fulfilled my tearful prayer. He did it not for me, but so that all of you, Russian people, abroad and in Russia, would learn about the great deeds of God revealed through Father John, and glorify God and Father John. Time has shown that the miracle created by Father John, who won the hearts of Ilya Grigorievich and Sofia Karlovna Pinotsi to help complete the publication of the second volume of my book, is much deeper, and I will tell you why. In Serbia I have neither a chest of drawers, nor a wardrobe, nor a desk, but I have garden furniture made of reeds: a round table, two armchairs and a stool, a kitchen table and a small low table for washing dishes, iron beds and four stools. I wrote the first volume on the kitchen table. In my current apartment, I can’t write on this table because the kitchen has a cold stone floor and the single glass balcony door is warped, and it’s very cold there. I wrote the second volume on a small low table. You have to write bent over, with your elbows hanging in the air. The handwriting is clumsy. I asked Sofia Karlovna Pinotsi if she had an extra kitchen table. She told me no, saying that she could give me one of her desks, and yesterday (October 22, 1941) she gave it to me. Now I write comfortably, my elbows rest on the table, I can write in beautiful handwriting and retouch portraits of Father John. The table has eight drawers in which I can place my manuscripts, a variety of printed and written materials, reference books, lists of subscribers and much more that was previously lying on the floor or on shelves in the closet, now I have everything at hand and do not have to rummage through the dust on the floor. After all, this is all a continuation of the miracle of Father John. The Guardian Angel shows the non-Orthodox Christian Father John, glorified by God The story of Sofia Karlovna Pinoci, born Polish of the Reformed religion, living in Belgrade on the street. George Washington, 40. “In 1913, we lived in the city of Kronstadt, where my husband served at the Headquarters of the Kronstadt port, where he was transferred in the fall of 1912. The time was approaching when I had to be delivered from the burden. Doctors said that it would be impossible to do without surgical intervention and that they would have to sacrifice the child. I didn’t agree to this. Soon after this diagnosis from doctors, I had a dream that I was in a huge church, the vaults of which went to heaven. In the church there is a large Crucifix in the form of a black cross and on it a human-sized figure of Christ made of ivory. Around the Crucifixion there are many worshipers in gray plain cloaks with hoods that hide their faces. I want to kneel before the Crucifix and look for free space, but as soon as a piece of floor is free, others stand on it. So I reach the Crucifixion itself. The last place is vacated at His feet, I bow down to kneel, at this time it is occupied by a new human soul. I look up in despair and feel someone’s hand fall on my shoulder, turn me in the other direction, and a voice, very familiar to me, says: “Get on your knees,” and then, “Pray!” And I see in front of me in a bright radiance, on a sheaf of rays, in the air, in the clothes of the apostles, a gentle smiling saint. I look forward in bewilderment, and the same voice explains: “This is John of Kronstadt.” I wake up from this voice and continue to see the same vision just as brightly and clearly on the opposite wall, flooded with the rays of the rising sun. I jump up, sit on the edge of the bed, rub my eyes, and the vision still stands in front of me. Then I folded my hands and looked at it, and gradually, gradually it began to disperse in the rays of the sun. In the morning I didn’t say anything to my husband, but I felt that this dream was not without reason, and I thought about my vision all day. Finally, in the evening, she couldn’t bear it anymore and asked her husband if he had heard such a name: “John of Kronstadt”? – and told him my dream. My husband became excited and told me many wonderful things about Father John and that he lived in Kronstadt. The next day we went to the apartment where Father John lived and where everything was preserved as it was during his life 539. Then we began to often travel to St. Petersburg to the Ioannovsky Monastery to pray at the tomb of Father John. On one of these trips, we bought a small consecrated photograph of him at the entrance to the tomb of Father John and served a memorial service at his tomb. During the funeral service, two healthy men dragged a woman to the tomb, who was resisting and screaming furiously and swearing terribly. She was tearing out pieces of her hair. The priest put the epitrachelion on her head, and they forced her onto the tomb. She fell to the floor near the tomb and began to wriggle like a snake, as if she had no bones, foam came out of her mouth. The nun who was present immediately dipped her finger in the oil of the miter lamp that was burning on the tomb, and anointed the demon-possessed woman’s forehead with a cross. After this, the demoniac instantly calmed down. They sat her on a chair, she sat as if in exhaustion, and sweat rolled off her like a hail. And then only I saw her face, beautiful and young, and red hair. I felt creepy and left. When the time came for the birth and I was taken to St. Petersburg on Vasilievsky Island to the French hospital where I was registered, the sisters were very worried, they sent for the professor and his assistant, since the birth was expected to be difficult - I was the only one who was calm, tightly clutching the photograph of Father John, bought at the monastery, to my chest, and knew that everything would be fine. As a result, I had a healthy baby, weighing 8 pounds, although he was removed with forceps. It was quite amazing that when the next day after giving birth I woke up in my room-ward, the first thing that caught my eye was a large black cross and on it an ivory Crucifix on the wall. Since then we have been deeply grateful to Father John. My husband ordered a photographer to make an enlarged image of Father John from a small icon purchased at the Ioannovsky Monastery, and this image always hangs in our bedroom. Father John became our protector and prayer book in all difficult cases of our family and social life. In September 1941, my husband and eldest son were in mortal danger. With tears, I fervently prayed to Father John, begging him to save them and return my husband and son to me unharmed. I also asked the rector of the Belgrade church, Father Archpriest John Sokal, to pray for them and serve a prayer service for their salvation, which he did. And the Lord, through the intercession of the great prayer book and miracle worker Father John of Kronstadt, heard our prayers, delivered and kept my husband and son unharmed.” The story of the daughter of an infantry general, Mrs. Trotskaya “My mother was very ill with a disease that was not understood by doctors, which took some terrible form, as they later thought, diphtheria of the throat, nose and esophagus, since she was near death. At that time, someone told me about miraculous healings through the prayers of Father John of Kronstadt. I wrote him a letter asking him to pray for my mother's healing. And then one morning our old nanny came into the room, holding my younger four-year-old sister in her arms, and she said, all in tears: - Mommy feels very bad, I stood next to her, she only told me with difficulty: “Take care of Tatochka” (little sister), and her eyes rolled up. I went to my mother with fear, but already saw her lying with her eyes open. She told me that she felt in her heart that she was dying, but then her strength returned to her again. According to my calculations, on this day Father John could pray for my mother, and I deeply believe that through his prayer God preserved her for us.” My colleague in the drafting department of the Cadastre Department, Captain Ilya Petrovich Mishin, a military topographer, could not feed his family consisting of a wife and two sons on the meager salary of a draftsman, so every day straight from his service, without lunch, he went to private drafting work on the outskirts of Belgrade, called Dedinje, and was extremely tired, especially because at that time he was sick with a duodenal ulcer gut. One day, about a year ago, around 1939 or 1940, he fainted at work. He was taken in an ambulance to the State Hospital. Having learned about this, colleagues who loved Mr. Mishin very much went to the hospital to inquire about the state of his health and received an answer from the doctors that the ulcer had burst and pus had flowed into the abdominal cavity, and that therefore 99 percent were sure that he would die. The professor surgeon demanded an immediate operation, but the patient, who regained consciousness, flatly refused the operation. Hearing about this, one of the ardent admirers of Father John of Kronstadt turned to him with a prayer with the following content: “Holy great wonderworker, Father John of Kronstadt, you have performed thousands of miracles and are still doing them, pray to Christ and heal this hopelessly ill Elijah, for the sake of his family, for the sake of the fact that he was able to raise a wonderful young man, the son of a poet, who, having never seen his homeland, writes poems about her, full of love for her and patriotism: heal him and strengthen him and make him completely healthy and strong in spirit and body for the joy of the family.” And, as people of this century say, it happened by chance that the pus resolved, and Mr. Mishin recovered. Leonid Ivanovich Ivanov, who lives in Serbia, in Belgrade, Zakhumskaya str., 39, said the following: “In July last 1940, my son Lev fell ill with an acute form of sciatica. All means were tried (injections, rubbing, medications, doctors, etc.), but nothing helped. Then one lady advised me to contact Archpriest Father John Sokal, whom I knew well; I asked him to serve a prayer service, which he performed, serving it by laying part of the handkerchief of Father John of Kronstadt on the sick person. Two days later, the son completely recovered and is still, thanks to God, completely healthy. Until now, I personally was quite skeptical about all kinds of miracles. I haven’t confessed for a long time and when I came to Father John, I told him about my views, but he said that since I came, that’s enough. May God help my unbelief!” 540 The story of Mrs. Natalia Defendova, living in Italy Viole Francesco Crispe, 1. Monte catini Terme. “Living with my spiritual son Vladimir Zoppi in the wilderness of Italy at a resort of a healing spring, for the sake of treatment for paralysis and epilepsy, I received from friends the book “Father John of Kronstadt,” the first volume, which was great happiness for me, since I knew Father well, I honor him a lot and pray to him constantly. And when I was in Moscow, I was even the owner of his belt, in which he served. In view of this, I cannot remain silent about the miraculous healing of my spiritual son Vladimir. I must say that Vladimir was handed over to me for upbringing and treatment by his mother (an artist of the Russian Art Moscow Theater), who left for America. Her son suffered from paralysis (he didn’t speak until he was 12 years old, his leg and arm were paralyzed) and epileptic seizures, which is why the doctors prescribed him to live here at a resort and receive treatment, although they said that his health was hopeless. Some time ago, he developed polyps-adenoids and tonsils, which, swelling more and more, closed his throat, and air could barely pass through. The tonsils were increasingly connected and were ready to grow together, cutting off the access of air. The doctors advised me to perform an operation on him, but I did not dare, since for paralytics and epileptics the operation almost always ends badly. The attacks of suffocation continued throughout the night. And then he suddenly fell asleep and felt in his sleep that he was suffocating and dying. At the same time, he sees that Father John of Kronstadt, whom he knew well from photographs and to whom he often prayed, quickly approaches him and says: “What’s wrong with you, what?” and, putting his hand in his throat, it seems to pull something out of him. In the morning he told me a dream, but I was scared and said that dreams cannot be trusted. On January 2, Vladimir read an akathist to the holy Venerable Seraphim, after which he said to me: “Look at my throat!” I looked and, lo and behold, there was no trace left of the tonsils and polyps, and my throat was completely clear. When the doctor examined him the next day, he said that his throat was completely healthy and there were no polyps; everything went without surgery. “It could only be a miracle,” he said. Other doctors said the same thing. Our joy knew no bounds. The epileptic seizures also stopped, and until now there were none, only paralysis of the arms and legs remained. Vladimir meekly bears the burden of his illness, believing that it was given to him by God as a test for future life and salvation. He constantly prays to God, and his only cherished dream is to become a monk and enter a monastery.” Chapter 60. Miracles of Father John through prayers at his tomb In 1909, my mother died after being ill for a year and a half, and I spent all my money on doctors, nurses, a pharmacy, a funeral, etc. and needed money to live with my family. Then I went to the tomb of Father John for early mass, confessed and received Holy Communion, and in prayer asked Father John to help me financially. Several days passed. Suddenly I receive a letter from the Chief Administrator of His Imperial Majesty’s Own Office for the Institutions of the Empress Maria, in which he informs me that, according to the most submissive report, his Sovereign Emperor has deigned to assign me a 200 ruble allowance for the treatment of the illness of my daughter Elena. This circumstance surprised me extremely, since no one asked for this benefit to be assigned to me, and yet I knew well from my own experience of serving in the Ministry of Justice that such benefits are assigned exclusively at the request of someone. Upon inquiry, it turned out that the benefit was indeed assigned to me, and I received it. I learned the answer to this case two years later, when Count Kokovtsev’s sister kindly invited me to arrange for an allowance for the treatment of my sick daughter (Elena), who had been suffering from bone tuberculosis for many years. At her request, I was assigned an allowance in the same amount. However, they did not give me this allowance, explaining that it was intended to compensate for the treasury loss that occurred two years ago, when, by mistake of an official, I was given the same allowance without any petition, and that otherwise this treasury loss should be withheld from the salary of this official. It was then that I realized that the Lord, through prayers at the tomb of Father John two years ago, when I was in need, inspired this official to make a mistake, at the same time making sure that the one who made the mistake did not suffer harm. I will tell you two more similar cases. After the Bolshevik revolution, I lost all means of subsistence, and by February 1918 I had nothing to support a family of six. Then I again went to early mass at the tomb of Father John, again confessed and received the Holy Mysteries, and with tears prayed to Father John to let me fulfill my duty as a father of a family to feed my family until old age. Not even 20 minutes had passed after my prayer appeal to Father John, when a member of the Society in memory of Father John of Kronstadt, merchant Mikhail Dmitrievich Usov 541, approached me, congratulated me on receiving the Holy Mysteries and asked me how I was doing. I replied that it was bad, since my positions and that of the other family members who served had been abolished, and no one was earning anything. Usov asked me: “Do you have money?” I replied that there was money in the bank, but it was impossible to get it. Then Usov took me to the bookstore of the Ioannovsky Monastery and gave me 500 rubles. I refused and asked him to give me better earnings, but he told me: “What kind of earnings are there, take it, and that’s all.” This money was enough for me to feed my family for two months, and then God sent me some earnings. The third such incident was in 1920, when I was forced to leave the famine-stricken area where I lived and, having gone to Moscow, the capital, to look for work, I stopped in Petrograd while passing through. I again went to early mass at the tomb of Father John, again confessed and received Holy Communion, and again prayed with tears to Father John to help me. And the time, it must be said, was the most terrible: it was possible to receive, and even then after overcoming great difficulties, so-called lunches on ration cards, consisting of millet broth instead of soup and millet porridge with a significant content of husks. It was impossible to get bread anywhere. Another 20 minutes passed, the mass ended, and the merchant Petrov, an admirer of Father John, who was also standing in the altar, like me, with whom I did not even have a casual acquaintance, came up to me, congratulated me on receiving the Holy Mysteries and asked me how I was doing. I replied: “Thank you, it’s bad, I came from a hungry area and I’m going to go to Moscow, as the center, to look for work.” Hearing this, he went behind the column of the altar and, taking out his wallet, gave me 6 thousand rubles, invited me to his place for tea and dinner and told me to pray several more times at the tomb of Father John and every time after that come to him for tea and dinner, and when I go to Moscow, I should warn him, then he will give me a note to his friends, who will shelter and feed me while I look for work. He kept his promises. When I came to him, they fed me to my heart’s content and gave me pockets full of white crackers and another full bag, and in Moscow they gave me shelter and food. The story of Natalia Konstantinovna Shneur Natalia Konstantinovna Shneur, by her husband Baroness Wrangel, wife of Colonel Platon Vladimirovich Wrangel, commandant of the St. Petersburg station of the Nikolaev Railway, had a son, Leonid, in 1902. After giving birth, the mother lost her legs; For many years she lay in bed and could not move. In the spring of 1909, Mr. N. approached the baron with a request to provide a compartment for transporting his wife, who was sick with tuberculosis, to the Crimea. The baron promised and got into conversation with the petitioner, telling him about his wife’s illness. On the appointed day, Mr. N. appeared to transport his wife and handed the baron a branch of a flower, which he had picked from the tomb of Father John of Kronstadt, where he had just been and prayed for his wife and picked two branches: one for his wife, and the other for Baroness Wrangel. The Baron gave the twig to his wife, and from that day she began to recover so much that she was soon able to move completely independently. In 1920, she was evacuated to the city of Belgrade, where she served in the statistical department and went to work far away from Senjak, although with the help of a stick. Now she is in Lyon (in France), where she recently worked at a silk factory. Chapter 61. Several more miracles of Father John performed during his lifetime The story of Colonel Konstantin Ivanovich Cvetanovich, living in Serbia, in Belgrade, according to his fellow soldier. Lieutenant Colonel of the 2nd Transcaspian Cavalry Regiment, stationed in the city of Ostrogozhsk, Voronezh province, Adam Adamovich Goshtovt, fell very seriously ill with his kidneys at the beginning of 1900, and one of them was cut out. The doctors' advice did not give any results. Then he addressed a letter to Father John and received an answer to his letter: “I will pray. Take care of yourself and pray." After this he completely recovered. The story of Yuri Romanovsky, General Staff Lieutenant General, living in Serbia, in Belgrade, corner of Topolskaya and Petrogradskaya streets. “I have memories of early childhood associated with the blessed memory of Father John of Kronstadt. I lost my parents early and, left an orphan, was brought up and raised by the sister of my late mother, Alexandra Feodorovna Durasova, born Ermolova, in Tsarskoe Selo. My aunt was a religious woman and a great admirer of Father John. One day my cousin S.P. fell ill with typhus. Durasov. Doctors considered his condition hopeless, and everyone expected a quick end. Then the aunt sent a telegram to Father John of Kronstadt, asking him to pray for the sick person, and received an answer from him that he had fulfilled her request. From that moment, like a miracle, a crisis arose, and contrary to the expectations and predictions of the best doctors, the patient soon recovered. Several times Father John visited my aunt’s house and served prayer services there. His image is well imprinted in my memory, especially his infinitely kind, bright eyes. His prayers made a huge impression. He prayed somewhat impulsively, but in his prayer one could feel a deep faith that penetrated the souls of those present. I still have his photographic card with his handwritten signature. Handing it over to me and blessing it, he said: “God bless you, you will be happy in life.” And indeed. Providence was merciful to me. My military service was very successful, and I safely survived the siege of Port Arthur, the Great and Civil Wars and all the horrors of the revolution, and in emigration I found service for myself without experiencing hardships. In the difficult times experienced by our long-suffering Motherland, we must all remember the bright image of this great shepherd and prayer book for the Russian land and believe that the Russian people will be saved by such lights of the Orthodox faith.” Writer Elizaveta Vladimirovna Glukhovtseva, living in Belgrade, Serbia, said the following: “Father John knew my mother, who revered him very much and brought her daughter to him as a girl. Arriving in Oranienbaum (a seaside town opposite Kronstadt), she learned that Father John was in St. Petersburg, and began to wait for his return. When Father John arrived in Oranienbaum by train, mother and daughter pushed their way towards him. He recognized them and, placing his left hand on the girl’s head, blessed the people for a long time. The girl heard rumors among the people: “This must be a wonderful girl, that Father John singled her out from the crowd, she will probably be unhappy, Father John always chooses the unfortunate.” My mother and I went to Father John in Kronstadt, and he treated us to tea, and then took me to a table on which there were many different objects, and said: “Choose what you like.” I chose a small oval bun. Father John said that it is good that you chose a bun - you will give bread to people. When I grew up, there were many young people who proposed to me, but I refused everyone. Then my mother wrote a letter to Father John asking him to bless me for marriage with so-and-so. Father John replied: “She should not get married. The Lord has assigned her a different path.” I still got married. On the second day of my marriage, I had a dream that I was in a ruined church with torn icons, as I later saw churches destroyed by the Bolsheviks, and Father John was standing on the platform and menacingly telling me: “Come here.” I approached. "Why did you get married? The Lord has prepared a different path for you, give me a ring." Taking the wedding ring, Father John broke off about a third, and put the rest of the fragment on me. My husband died during the revolution under tragic conditions. The consequence of this was my serious illness, from which I barely recovered.” The story of Leonid Isaakovich Chudnovsky, Srezsky chief in Serbia “My father, who was already at an advanced age, became seriously ill, and the doctors recognized his situation as hopeless. Then the relatives sent a telegram to Father John asking him to pray for his healing. Father John answered: “Pray you too,” and my father recovered.” Letter from Antonina Tonitto, living in Italy – Udine, r. R. Sarpi, 18. “I recently learned about my healing and therefore I am telling you about it. This was around 1897. I was born on January 29, and in October I fell ill with severe erysipelas on my head due to a severe bruise. The whole face, head, neck was one continuous mass of tumor. I was still very small and could not bear the high temperature. The doctor warned my mother of imminent danger. The temperature exceeded 40°, and the tumor quickly spread throughout the body. At this desperate moment, my mother learned about the passage through our city, Rostov-on-Don, of Father John of Kronstadt 543 Not being able to go herself, my mother sent him a letter to the station with an earnest request to pray for me. The priest was surrounded by a crowd of people, and the girl with the letter barely squeezed through to him. He immediately, concentrating, said: “Go home, I’ll pray for the child.” At that moment I fell asleep peacefully. The next morning the doctor was amazed at my mysterious, miraculous recovery.” Narration by Lidia Aleksandrovna Nepenina, widow of a major general living in Velikaya Kikinda (former Yugoslavia) “In 1888, my mother was very ill, and there was almost no hope for her recovery. The Pope was in despair and decided to invite Father John of Kronstadt to pray for her health. I still remember our childhood excitement in anticipation of the arrival of a man of holy life. I was 11 years old then. Finally, Father John arrived, and we, the children, with fear and a sinking heart, saw a thin priest with unusually clear, piercing pale blue eyes entering the dining room. Dad took him to his mother’s room, where everything was prepared for prayer by the icon case in the corner. Father began to pray, and dad told him the name of the patient: “Paraskeva.” We are children, and the rest stood behind. Instead of “Paraskeva,” Father always said, “Valentina,” when praying for mom, and dad corrected him every time. And Valentina is the name of my younger sister. Having finished the prayer, he approached the sick mother and said: “Well, she will soon feel better, dear, be patient a little longer.” When he left the hallway, they say he hugged dad and kissed him. People then immediately realized that he pitied dad, and mom would probably die. So it was, my mother died on March 8, 1888. What my younger sister Valentina, for whom Father John prayed, experienced, and what made her pray to him and honor him so much, I do not know. But I remember one story she told about her prayer to Father John. She decided to go from Odessa to St. Petersburg one day to visit her older sister. On the way, she caught a cold, a toothache and a very swollen cheek. She arrived completely ill and was grieving that she was embarrassing her sister with her illness. She did not sleep that night and fervently prayed to Father John to help her. And so, she tells me: “You may not believe it, but the pain went away, and I felt the tumor falling off.” The next morning she was completely healthy. I told my sister everything, learned from her where he was buried, and immediately went there, where in tears and prayer she brought him thanks for such a miraculous healing. Finally the year 1914 arrived. My husband went to war. My children and I were left alone in grief. Of course, they worked on committees and were a little distracted from their grief. People wanted to denigrate me, who was innocent of anything. “I’ll pray to Father John,” I thought and prayed as best I could. And so everything that people wanted to denigrate me with moved away from me and did not stick to me. In 1919, my son Pavochka, who mocked Father John, was killed during the capture of Tsaritsyn. In 1895 I suffered for a whole year from trachoma of the eyes. All the Moscow doctors and professors treated me and could not help, and the disease became worse and worse every day. My eyes hurt terribly, and I was completely blind. I remembered Father John of Kronstadt and wrote him a letter in which I begged him to pray for me and for my healing from a terrible illness. Three days have passed since the letter I sent. As I remember now, at 10 o’clock in the morning I involuntarily took off the blindfold and did not feel any pain in my eyes. Through the prayer of Father John, I received healing.” Father John also patronizes honest marriage from the afterlife From the author. This is what my dear friend told me. The young people I knew lived in illegal cohabitation. A discord began between them, which escalated to such an extent that the young woman, in despair, contemplated suicide. She came to me, as an elderly person whom she trusted, and told me her grief, asking me to reconcile them. There was only hope for Heavenly help, but how to pray for the return of mutual love to those who live without marriage? Can one hope to beg God to prolong sin, knowing that such sin is an abomination to the Lord? I then turned with prayer to the late Father John and fervently asked him to reconcile the young people and unite them in legal marriage. And the great saint of God heard my prayer - complete reconciliation took place, and the young people got married, and now years of happy family life are flowing. Story by E. E. Gulyaeva. Reprint from the book of Father John “Thoughts of a Christian” 544 from page 38. In October 1889, in Moscow, two children in the family of the famous G. S. fell ill with diphtheria. Despite the immediate measures taken, the disease quickly developed and intensified. At a consultation with doctors, it was decided to resort to tracheotomy. One can imagine the despair of the parents of these children. Having lost their last hope for human help, they sent a telegram to Father John in Kronstadt, asking him to pray. The Venerable Father received this telegram in the morning, during the early Liturgy, and, as was his custom, immediately after reading the telegram, he turned to God with fervent prayer. What was happening in the meantime in Moscow? The tracheotomy operation was scheduled to be performed at 2 o'clock on the same day, but already at 9 o'clock in the morning (at the very time of Father John's prayer in Kronstadt, six hundred miles away), the doctor who remained with the patients noticed an improvement, which was now growing as quickly as the disease had developed before. The doctors who gathered at the appointed time, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, found such a clear improvement in the children's condition that the operation was considered unnecessary. After three or four days the children were completely recovered. From the author. Please note, readers, that two separate children improved at the same time. From here it is clear that this was not the internal work of two separate organisms, two children, but the influence of some Higher power - the power of God, which manifested itself as a result of the prayer of Father John. Reprint from the same book, from p. 39–41 One day, a faulty drunkard, constantly wandering the streets from early morning until late at night, tattered and in rags, padded and dirty, with a repulsive appearance, got mixed up in the crowd waiting at the pier where Father John’s small steamer stood ready to take him to Kronstadt. Father John arrived, his gaze fell on the pitiful sight, and he said to him, passing: - Come with me and talk. Surprised, he obeyed like an automaton. – Sit here, next to me, and tell me how you fell so low, so deep? Almost involuntarily, the poor man began to talk and outlined his entire ill-fated life, and hot tears flowed down his cheeks. “Look, brother,” said the priest, “how kind and how merciful our Heavenly Father is, that despite all this humiliation, shame and misfortune, he brought you to the foot of the Cross: now leave the past, start a new life, since we all must live for the glory of God, every insignificant blade of grass glorifies God with its usefulness and beauty; every breath glorifies God with its love and good will, and you, a man, the father of a family, with the workers working under your management, have forgotten this - yes, you have forgotten God and prevent others from glorifying Him. After all, brother, indulging in drunkenness is a far greater misfortune than any other type of need. A brave, pure heart, more striving for a higher life, can walk around in clothes with holes, but no earthly treasure can enrich or save someone who is impoverished from drunkenness. - Father, I did not intend to ask you for financial help, I only beg you to heal me from my illness, to save me from my passion for drinking. – Heal your soul with love for God and your neighbor, fill your heart with faith and love, and other healing will come by itself. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you 545. Cling to God and try to follow the teachings of His Holy Church. Thus he talked until the fallen poor man felt that there was a noble goal for him, which he could achieve by prayer and effort. “We are approaching Kronstadt,” said Father, “here you can spend the night (puts a wad of money in his hand), and buy a decent dress, you can’t walk around in something like that.” Then come to church tomorrow morning, we’ll pray together; you will confess your sins, you will receive absolution, you will accept the Cup of salvation and then you will go home rejoicing and never, ever fall into your ugly sin again. Note. And he stopped drinking completely and now lives as a respectable man. Chapter 62. Testimony of Father John himself about the power of the Holy Mysteries or fervent prayer and healings Reprint from the same book, from pages 161, 162, 212 and 213 To the glory of the most holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Lady Theotokos. – I felt a thousand times in my heart that after Communion of the Holy Mysteries or after fervent prayer at home, ordinary or on the occasion of some sin, passion, and sorrow, and crampedness, the Lord, through the prayers of the Lady, or the Lady Herself, by the goodness of the Lord, gave me, as it were, a new nature of the spirit: pure, kind, majestic, bright, wise, gracious instead of unclean, dull and lethargic, cowardly, gloomy, stupid, angry. I have undergone many wonderful, great changes, to the surprise of myself and often of others. Glory to Your power, Lord! Glory to Your goodness, Lord! Glory to Your mercies, O Lord, which You have shown to me, a sinner! 546 I marvel at the greatness and life-giving nature of the Divine Mysteries; The old woman, who was coughing up blood and completely exhausted, eating nothing, began to recover on the same day from the Communion of the Holy Mysteries, taught by me. The girl, who was completely dying, after Communion of the Holy Mysteries on the same day began to recover, eat, drink and speak, while she was almost unconscious, tossed about violently and did not eat or drink anything. Glory to Your Life-Giving and Terrible Mysteries, Lord! 547 Someone, who was mortally ill with inflammation of the stomach for nine days and did not receive the slightest relief from medical benefits, as soon as he took communion of the Life-Giving Mysteries on the ninth day in the morning, by the evening he became healthy and rose from his sick bed. He took communion with firm faith. I prayed to the Lord for him, so that He would heal him. "God! - I said. - Heal Your servant from his illness. He is worthy, and this is why he loves your priests and sends his gifts to them.” – I also prayed in the church at the throne of the Lord during the Liturgy during prayer: “He who has given us prayers that are common and agreeable...” 548 and before the very Mysteries. I prayed, by the way, like this: “Lord! Our belly! Just as it is easy for me to think about healing, so it is easy for you to heal every disease; Just as it is easy for me to think about the resurrection from the dead, so it is easy for You to raise every dead person. Heal Thy servant Vasily from his cruel illness and do not allow him to die, so that his wife and children do not give in to weeping,” and the Benevolent Lord had mercy. And then he was on the verge of death. Glory to Thy omnipotence, goodness and good obedience, Lord! 549 Readers, delve into the words of Father John, with which he addresses God: “Just as it is easy for me to think about resurrection, so it is easy for You to resurrect.” From this it is impossible not to conclude that Father John happened to think about the resurrection of the deceased and asked the Lord about this in his prayer, and that the Lord resurrected him. Chapter 63. Father John’s instruction on how not to be afraid of approaching death Reprint from the same book, from p. 36–37 A kind old woman, about 70 years old, was confined to bed by illness and was sad about parting with life, being extremely afraid of death. All her life she had been afraid to look at a dead person or hear about a funeral. In her concern, she asked her son to invite Father John in the hope that through his prayer her life would be extended. Having arrived, he entered her room with a joyful greeting and a kind, pleasant smile. “Well,” (having named her) he said, blessing her with the sign of the cross, “I brought you God’s blessing.” How are you feeling? The old woman, as usual, began her long complaints. He listened carefully. When she graduated, he began to ask her: how old was she, how long did she live with her husband, how many children did she have, how were they raised, went out into the world and became her consolation and joy? After that, taking her hand, he said: – Oh, N.N., how many gifts, how many great mercies were bestowed upon you! Do you appreciate all this? Let us give thanks to God, let us glorify God with all our hearts and with all our strength. Then, in an excellent prayer, spoken without previous preparation, he developed all that it had communicated to him, warmed the hearts of all those present and lifted their souls above this world, filling the spirit of the dying woman with thanksgiving, faith and love: after this he continued: “And that’s not all that the Lord has done for you.” He frees you from the bonds of all your sins, and forgives them for the sake of Jesus Christ. He has prepared an abode for you in Heaven, close to Himself and close to all your loved ones who have previously departed from here. Even before his departure, the old woman calmed down and stopped thinking about death with horror, wanting only one thing, that the will of God would be accomplished and His name would be glorified both in life and in death; she only wanted Father John to come to her again and commune her with the Holy Mysteries, which he did, although for this he had to come again from Kronstadt. The last few days before her death she was calm and cheerful. The story of collegiate assessor Mikhail Grigorievich Kovalev, according to his fellow countryman Samuil Emelyanovich Movchan, who lives in Serbia, in the city of Chupriya. “In my young years, I lived on our estate in the Konotop district of the Chernigov province, farming with my father. Once, while returning from the field through the village, I was bitten on the arm by a dog that rushed at me. The wound turned out to be deep with damage to the vein below the elbow. A home dressing was made, which I wore for several days without medical assistance, not attaching any importance to the injury. Pain began in my arm, and I had to remove the bandage. The wound became greatly enlarged and festered. The zemstvo doctor was called. Treatment began, but nothing helped. The hand was covered with a continuous festering wound. We also turned to Konotop doctors. They found that amputation of the arm was inevitable, otherwise it could lead to blood poisoning. I didn't agree at all. The former priest of our estate’s church, who came to visit us from Konotop, learned about my serious illness and promised to turn to Father John of Kronstadt with a request to pray for my recovery. The next night I was awakened by loud words: “Stop the treatment and pour cold water on your hand.” I didn’t attach any importance to this, but the old nanny kept trying to persuade me to follow the instructions I had heard in my dream. I finally agreed. The nanny brought a bucket of well water and began to water her hand, which was completely covered with pus. Cold water, washing the surface of the hand, also reduced the pain. The next day it was already noticeable that the hand was cleared of pus, and soon the wound healed and the wound began to heal quickly, and not a trace of the disease remained. Our father, having learned the details of his recovery, told us that according to his calculations, Father John could have received his letter on the very day when I heard dear words in a dream and through the prayer of the saint of God my hand, and possibly my life, was saved.” Addition to Chapter 30 of the first volume Letter from the wife of Mikhail Mikhailovich Rodzianko, living in Zemun (former Yugoslavia), dated March 4, 1941. “Dear Mr. Sursky. I hasten to draw your attention to an error that has crept in on page 117 of your book “Father John of Kronstadt” 550. In the letter that my husband wrote to you, the detail was released that cholera was rampant especially among the Jewish population of the city of Novomoskovsk, Ekaterinoslav province. I remember very well how his father talked about this. He was then the leader of the nobility of the Novomoskovsk district. A rabbi came to him, and at his request M.V. Rodzianko sent a telegram to Father John of Kronstadt with the following content: “The Jewish population of the city of Novomoskovsk asks you to pray for an end to cholera.” Soon the answer was received: “I pray.” From that day on, cholera ceased. Father John prayed equally for everyone, including those of other faiths.” Dear E. Rodzianko. Division III. Some teachings of Father John, his warnings, prophecies and poems dedicated to him. How did it happen that Holy Russia forgot God? Chapter 64. Addition to Chapter 43 of the first volume “The Teaching of Father John on the Church” Not a single confession of the Christian faith, except the Orthodox, can lead a Christian to the perfection of Christian life, or holiness, and to the complete cleansing of sins, and to incorruption, because other non-Orthodox confessions contain truth in untruth 551, have mixed superstition and lies with the truth and do not possess those God-given means for purification, sanctification, revival, renewal, which the Orthodox Church possesses. The experiences of centuries, or the history of the Orthodox Church and other churches, have shown and show this with striking clarity. Remember the many saints of our Church, past and present times, and their absence due to the division of churches in other non-Orthodox churches: Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican 552. To what heights of holiness, truth, deification is raised the nature of the holy saints of God - the Forerunners, apostles, prophets, saints, martyrs, saints, unmercenaries and all the saints! They, like stars, shine in the sky with shrines and deification, and smell like flowers of paradise. Carnal people do not understand their height and dignity and consider them ordinary people who do not deserve worship and calling for help (Lutherans, Pashkovites 553) 554. The proof of the truth, unity, holiness, conciliarity, apostolicity, and salvific nature of the Church is that it embraces all the saints in Heaven, those living on earth and those who have died - it heads everyone in Christ, according to which the church itself is divided into three parts; on the altar, meaning Heaven; church, meaning earth; and the porch, meaning the underworld. In this Divine, wise and saving structure, everything is Divine, wise, saving, comforting; members of the Church help each other achieve salvation and bliss in God: members of the heavenly Church help those on earth; earthly, living - those on earth and the dead - the most complete, living connection of one with the other, while among Lutherans this connection is broken: there is no veneration of saints and the remains of spiritual life-giving ones; there is no thanksgiving sacrifice for the saints, no propitiatory sacrifice for the dead; the dead are left without help, do not enjoy the care and love of the Church, and are left to their own devices 555. Lutherans and Anglicans look at them as simple people, and thereby insult both the Lord who glorified them and themselves 556. The holiness of God's saints is the great sacrament of their sanctified souls, performed and perfected in them by the Holy Spirit, the source of holiness in which they eternally abide 557. Lutherans do not pray for the dead, and neither do Anglicans 558. Lutheranism, hiding behind the name of the Christian faith, is in reality a rejection of faith, an indulgence in sensuality - with the rejection of fasting, monasticism or a virgin life dedicated exclusively to the service of God - an indulgence to the false human mind with its philosophical nonsense and its creation of God, a rejection of the Divine authority of the Ecumenical Councils and the Holy Fathers, a daring break with the Ecumenical Church and Its Head, Christ, is an unauthorized gathering, hiding behind the name of a purified, reformed church 559. Hatred of Orthodoxy, fanaticism and persecution of Orthodox Christians, murders run like a red thread through all centuries of Catholicism. By their fruits you will know them 560. Is this the spirit commanded to us by Christ? If you can always say to some Catholics, Lutherans and Reformed people: You don’t know what spirit you have 561. The reason for all the falsehoods of the Roman Catholic Church is pride and recognition of the pope as the real head of the church, and even infallible. Hence all the oppression of the Western Church. Oppression of thought and faith, deprivation of true freedom in faith and in life, the pope laid his heavy hand on everything; hence the false dogmas; hence – duality and deceit in thought, word and deed; hence - various false rules and regulations when confessing sins; hence – indulgences; hence the distortion of dogmas; hence the fabrication of saints of the Western Church and non-existent relics not glorified by God; hence the imposition on the mind of God 562 and all opposition to God under the guise of piety and zeal for the greater glory of God 563 . Count L. Tolstoy encroached on the truth of the Gospel and all Holy Scripture and distorted the meaning of the Gospel, which is indisputably important and precious for people of all ages. He rejected faith in Christ as the Son of God, the Redeemer and Savior of the world, and seduced many to follow him and destroyed them; rejected the Church founded by Christ, trampled on the grace of Baptism, Confirmation, Repentance, Communion and all the Sacraments; Out of arrogance, he considers himself the judge of the Word of God and its highest criterion, and does not trust himself to it. But woe to those who are wise in themselves and understanding before themselves 564 565. Tolstoyans 566 preach the removal of children, especially school age, from the church, and introduction to the theater and to the course of Tolstoy’s teaching, which supposedly destroys superstition, that is, faith in everything holy; and those who follow Tolstoy’s teaching actually stop going to church, to Confession and Communion. Lutherans, sectarians, Pashkovites, Tolstoyans, Stundists 567 reproach us for venerating icons and using them 568 . We worship images of saints as images of the glorious and all-validating Christian virtues - faith, hope, love, selflessness, mercy, meekness, humility, gentleness, courage and patience, obedience, purity, unceasing prayer, spiritual alertness. This is who and what we worship - we worship God Himself in them, who dwells in them and acts in them and performs beneficial miracles of healing through them 569. The use of holy icons in Orthodox and all other Christian societies is necessary because - above and beyond other reasons - that the Lord, the Most Holy Theotokos, the holy Angels and holy saints are inaccessible to our mortal vision in heavenly wonderful glory, but in holy icons they are accessible, tangible, so to speak, and our dual nature - spiritual and physical - requires a visible, tactile image - the Body and Blood itself Christ in Communion under the forms of bread and wine. Therefore, the Lord, condescending to our weakness. He depicted Himself on the ubrus and gave up His image for pious worship, healing, and consolation for people for all ages; therefore he gave us the Most Pure Body and Blood, therefore he seals us with the world in Confirmation for the visible communication of the gifts of the Holy Spirit 570. Through the veneration of the holy icons of the Lord, the Mother of God and all the saints, our holy, highest and all-saving faith is presented to unlearned people in a visual, memorable and instructive way; it, so to speak, is realized, carried out through them (that is, holy icons), as well as through Divine services, prayers, reading the Word of God, dogmas, commandments and church canons 571. Chapter 65. Teachings of Father John about the power of the Cross of the Lord Father John teaches about the Cross, among other things, the following: Glory to the wondrous power of Your Cross, Lord! When our Lord Jesus Christ hung on the Cross, nailed to it by Roman soldiers, then - oh, a wondrous and terrible thing! – Christ and the Cross were one. The Flesh of Christ and the Tree of the Cross were joined with nails into one. Thus. The Lord, as it were, became engaged to the Cross, and several hours of His hanging on the Cross united Him, so to speak, with the Cross until the end of time; and that is why the Cross has many different powers, and will have it until the end of the age; that is why the Cross is called Christ-bearing and Life-giving; that is why Christ, the Cross and the sign of the Cross are one and the same: Christ on the Cross and the Cross in Christ; that is why any disdain for the Cross is disdain for Christ the Savior Himself. And in so many ways they neglect the Cross and the sign of the Cross; how many Christians carelessly cross themselves and do not want to make a proper sign of the Cross on themselves, how many are ashamed to be baptized! Brethren, are you ashamed of the instrument of your salvation, or the victorious trophy of your Lord? Are you ashamed of your glory? Let me not boast except in the one Cross of the Lord; having suffered on it, kill the passions, for this sake we also hold up the Cross of the Lord, as if we were praising ecu: for we have this saving Tree, the weapon of the world (by which we are reconciled with God), invincible victory 572, the Cross is the image of the Trinity 573. The sign of the cross, whether we depict it on ourselves or on others, means that 574 Christ is in you; unless it is just that she is unskillful in nature 575. Where the Cross is, there is Christ; By praying to God and depicting the sign of the cross on ourselves, we seem to say to the Heavenly Father: “For the sake of Your beloved Son, our Redeemer, who suffered for us and took upon Himself the sins of the world, and not for our sake, have mercy on us!” 576 Chapter 66. Father John's teaching on the power of the words of the Gospel Brethren, catch with the ear of your heart every word of the Savior in the Gospel and apply it to your heart; This is not the word of man, which has often been false, empty, powerless, blissful, 577 but the word of God, the word of truth, the omnipotent word. Every word of the Lord is life for us, and everything spoken through the lips of the Savior will come true to the last iota - nothing will pass away 578. Chapter 67. Testimony of Father John himself about the gracious illumination of the soul, which he received from the All-Enlightening Spirit of God Instead of a preface in the book “My Life in Christ”, published in 1894, Father John writes among other things: “Everything contained in my publication is nothing more than the grace-filled illumination of the soul, which I received from the All-Enlightening Spirit of God” 579. Chapter 68. Warnings of Father John Nikolai Vasilyevich Surovetsky, mentioned in the first volume, writes: Father John often warned the Russian people about the possible wrath of God for indifference to faith. Now we see that Father’s words came true. The basic law of the life of society and the people, its spirit, is God-worship. Avoidance of it leads to disruption of the entire life of the people, just as disruption of the body’s nutrition leads to illness. From reading his sermons, as well as the book “My Life in Christ,” every right-thinking person will see that the Russian catastrophe is a logical cataclysm to which the life of the Russian people and especially the intelligentsia led. Meanwhile, foreign Russian society, perhaps, remains in the reassuring ignorance that it is not guilty of anything. Meanwhile, we do not have pure Orthodoxy, and this is regrettable. But we must keep in mind that Father John’s words about unbelief, although spoken frankly, are softened by pity and love for people who do not realize this. Father John understood that passion for worldly pleasures pushed aside the religious emotions of the soul. The need for prayer and visiting the Church of God began to fade. Chapter 69. What the great wonderworker himself teaches about miracles The miracle with the icon of the Mother of God, which took place on March 8 in the Kursk Znamensky Monastery 580, was amazing in all respects; every Orthodox Christian should take it as a lesson and edification. The Most Holy Theotokos wonderfully preserves Her most pure image and through it us all Russians: She did not give Herself and us as a mockery to the wicked: let all the wicked themselves be put to shame and disappear if they do not repent and turn with all their hearts to the Lord. Who are these wicked ones? Pashkovites, Tolstoyans... The Lord will seek them out and shame them, and punish them, but He will exalt and glorify those who honor the Mother of God and Her holy icon, and will deliver them from all troubles, and will vouchsafe them the Kingdom of Heaven. God bless! Glory to the Mother of God! 581 The Christian Church is rich in holy men of lofty minds and meanings, sublime, selfless souls of adamantine 582 firmness in faith and piety, unshakable courage, amazingly great deeds, inexhaustible love. Among these, among their countless multitudes, especially belongs St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, who was given the name of the Wonderworker above all others. Thus the Holy Church became glorified by men and even wives of wondrous holiness and great miracles. Let the short-sighted sons of this age say after this that there were and are no miracles, or that miracles can be explained by natural causes, which, however, cannot in any way explain them. These miracles testify loudly and indisputably to the omnipotence, goodness and truth of the Author of our faith and the Finisher of Jesus 583 **. Come and see 584! - we can say to every unbeliever, pointing to the countless miracles of saints, both ancient and new, and do not be unfaithful, like Thomas, but faithful 585, as he is by the touch of the ribs and wounds of the Risen Lord 586. Chapter 70. Prophecies of Father John about the world war, about the revolution and about the salvation of Russia from the East On one of the Sundays in the autumn of 1916, in the St. Petersburg St. John's Monastery, where admirers of Father John gathered, the Liturgy was celebrated by Moscow Metropolitan Macarius. After mass, several clergy, as well as military personnel, gathered in the chambers of the abbess of the monastery, Abbess Angelina. Metropolitan Macarius read to the audience one passage from the diary of Father John of Kronstadt, in which his visions and predictions concerning Russia were described... It turns out that Father John, many years before the World War, accurately recorded in his diary both the participants in the war and its outcome. Father John also predicted the military failures of Tsarist Russia and the revolution associated with them. He pointed out the duration of the dominance of revolutionary ideas, the countless victims of the revolution, the streams of blood, the grief and misfortunes of the entire population. Father John predicted the liberation of Russia from the red yoke from the “east.” This diary, then kept in the Ioannovsky Monastery, was an original copy, written by the hand of Father Ioann himself. This diary was not shown to outsiders, therefore the predictions noted in the diary are not mentioned in the literature about Father John of Kronstadt. The further fate of this wonderful diary is unknown 587. Chapter 71. Prophecy of the Athonite elder schema-monk Aristoklius On page 196 of the first volume of this book, mention is made of the prediction of the seer Elder Schemamonk, known throughout Moscow, whose name I did not remember at that time 588 . The writer's widow, Mrs. A. Rodionova, gave me an extract from a letter from her late husband containing details of this prediction. I present this extract in its entirety, although this prophecy is not associated with the name of Father John of Kronstadt, but is of great interest to everyone. “From a letter from my late husband Ivan Alexandrovich Rodionov, dated October 30, 1939 from Berlin: “I don’t know if you came across the prediction of the Athonite elder Father Aristokle. Just in case, I’m copying for you the contents of the leaflet that I received on October 2 and which I had never heard of before. The prediction of the Athonite elder Father Aristoklius, who lived in Moscow, made by him 10 days before his death, precisely on August 6, 1918. Father Aristoclius did not indicate any deadlines, but only signs of the salvation of Russia. Here they are: 1) God will take away all the leaders so that the Russian people will look only to Him. 2) Everyone will abandon Russia, other powers will abandon it, leaving it to itself - this is so that the Russian people will trust in the help of the Lord. 3) You will hear that in other countries there will be unrest and the like in Russia, and you will hear about war and there will be wars - but wait until the Germans take up arms, for they have been chosen by God as an instrument of punishment for Russia - but also as a weapon of deliverance. When you hear that the Germans are taking up arms, the time is already close. And then he said that the Cross of Christ will shine over all the worlds and our Motherland will be magnified and will be like a beacon in the darkness for everyone." Chapter 72. Great consolation of Father John to everyone We all get nervous, anxious and concerned about different things; about the fatherland, about the Church, about the family, about a piece of bread, etc. In his book “Thoughts of a Christian,” Father John says: “God loves you more than you love yourself, and cares and cares about you more than you can take care of yourself. So stop worrying and worrying and rely on God, who will take care of you and everything that worries you much better than you, and will arrange everything much better than you can arrange it yourself.” I remember how I had to return twelve miles from Lavra Studenica to the railway station along a highway winding over an abyss about half a mile deep. The abyss is not fenced off by anything and the horses are young, timid and will always run away. I was very afraid, but, remembering this teaching of Father John, I completely calmed down. Chapter 73. Prophecy of Father John to Emperor Alexander III Mr. Leonty Cherkes (Praha VIII, ul. Na Kolinske S. 1224 (4), in a letter dated December 31, 1938, sent me the issue of the 2nd newspaper "Narodnaya Gazeta" dated February 1, 1926, the organ of the Russian People's Party in Slovakia, printed in the city of Pryashev. This issue contains an article by Semyon Vityazevsky, reprinted from the newspaper “Russian Voice” No. 142. Here is an excerpt from this article: “In 1893, a widespread collection of donations was opened for the construction of the Warsaw Orthodox Cathedral. When rumors about the proposed construction reached Father John of Kronstadt, known for his foresight, he told his interlocutors: "... I see with bitterness the construction of this church. But these are the commands of God. Not long after its construction, Russia will be flooded with blood and will disintegrate into many short-term independent states. And Poland will become free and independent. But I also foresee the restoration of a powerful Russia, even stronger and more powerful. But this will happen much later. And then the Warsaw Cathedral will be destroyed 589. And then there will be some trials will befall Poland. And then its last historical page will close. Its star will fade and go out.” The authority of Father John of Kronstadt stood very high. During his lifetime he was considered a saint. His words therefore made a great impression: Russkie Vedomosti, the only newspaper that dared to print them, was confiscated. It was decided to keep silent about the prophecy - however, they reported it to the King, and it made a strong impression on him. At first, the Tsar wanted to abandon the construction of the cathedral. At the same time, Father John of Kronstadt convinced him not to contradict the will of God, and the collection of donations was set in motion. Time passed, and after the construction of the cathedral, the legendary words of Father John of Kronstadt were forgotten. They were remembered in Warsaw only at a time when the dismantling of the cathedral was in full swing. One French newspaper became interested in why workers are so reluctant to work? And it had to happen that one of the workers - an old Pole who still took part in the construction of the cathedral - told the above legend to a correspondent of an influential newspaper. And this latter, having returned to Paris, did not limit himself to reprinting it. Somewhere in the archives I found and brought to light a Polish emigrant newspaper, where this legend was also published at one time. The legend caused great confusion.” Mr. Cherkes ends his letter like this: “... perhaps Father John’s prediction should not be published widely, as it concerns Poland, where Orthodoxy is already so oppressed at the present time. They would not blaspheme the name of the saint, dear to us.” Today, September 5/18, 1939, I, the author of the book, write these lines in the cradle of the Serbian Church - Lavra Studenica, where the incorruptible relics of the founder of the Lavra, Saint Simeon the Myrrh-Streaming, and his son Saint Stephen the First-Crown, King of Serbia, brother of Saint Sava, rest. In addition to the destruction of the Warsaw Cathedral, the Poles several months ago destroyed about 720 Orthodox churches, killed priests, burned the houses of Orthodox Christians, prohibited worship in the Slavic language, and everyone had to pray in Polish. Not long before they destroyed several more Orthodox churches. The Orthodox Cathedral in Częstochowo 590 was also targeted for destruction. Today the prophecy of Father John of Kronstadt, spoken 46 years ago, has been fulfilled - the star of Poland has gone out and the last page of its history has closed. From the point of view of the Russian intelligentsia, this is only an accidental coincidence, and not a fulfilled prophecy! Vengeance is Mine and I will repay, says the Lord 591. And the Terrible Judge of the living and the dead rewarded the Poles for the fact that they, in their pride, took up arms against the Orthodox faith and committed so many atrocities. Chapter 74. Father John's teaching on prayer “I fade away, I die spiritually,” said Father John, “when I don’t serve for several days 592 in church, and I kindle, come to life in soul and heart when I serve, forcing myself to pray not formally, but really, spiritually, sincerely, ardently 593.” I love to pray in the church of God, in the holy altar, at the throne and the altar, for I am miraculously changed in the church by the grace of God; in the prayer of repentance and tenderness, the bonds of passions fall from my soul, and it becomes so easy for me: it’s as if I’m dying for the world, and the world is for me with all its blessings; I come to life in God and for God, for the one God, and I am completely imbued with Him and become one spirit with Him 594, I become like a child comforted on his mother’s lap; My heart is then full of heavenly sweet peace; the soul is enlightened by heavenly light; you see everything brightly, you look at everything correctly, in everything you feel community and love, even for your enemies, and you willingly forgive and forgive them! Oh, how blessed is the soul with God! The Church is truly an earthly paradise! 595 What boldness do you have towards the Lord and the Mother of God! What meekness, humility, and gentleness I feel! What dispassion for earthly things! What an ardent desire for heavenly pleasures! 596 The tongue cannot express the bliss that you taste when you have God in your heart! With Him everything earthly is dust and decay 597. We must force ourselves and, against our will, make zealous prayers, with feeling and thoughtfulness, and bows—certainly bows! - this is necessary against our pride, nesting in the depths of our hearts. Pride doesn't like to bow. In prayer, it is required, says Father John, firstly, that the subject of the prayer be expressed definitely, or at least that there is a clear consciousness and desire for it in the heart; secondly, for this desire to be expressed with feeling and living hope in the mercy of the Lord or the Mother of God, thirdly, you need a firm intention not to sin in the future and to do the will of God in everything: behold, you are healthy: whoever sins, let it not be worse for you 598 (see “My Life in Christ,” p. 249) 599 . When you pray for something to the Lord, or the Most Holy Theotokos, or the Angels and saints, asking for their intercession for yourself or for other people before God, then take the words expressing your petitions, your needs, for the very things, for the very thing that you ask from the Lord, and believe that you already have a sure guarantee in receiving the subject of your petitions in the very words by which this subject is signified. For example: you ask for health for yourself or someone else: take the word - health - for the thing itself, for the deed itself; believe that you already have it by the mercy and omnipotence of the Lord, for the very word, the name, in an instant can be deeded by the Lord, and you will certainly receive what you ask for for your unshakable faith. Ask and it will be given to you. Elika, when you ask in prayer, believe as you receive: and it will be 600 601 for you. If you are united with the Trinitarian God by living faith and virtue, especially meekness, humility and mercy, ask Him for what you want, what the Holy Spirit teaches you to ask: and it will be done for you; - either quickly, in an instant, in one hour, or after some time at the discretion of the wisdom of God 602. When during prayer you doubt the possibility of fulfilling any of your requests, then remember that from God’s side everything is possible to grant you, except direct evil, which is characteristic only of the devil - that your very word or your very request for something is already a sure guarantee on your part that its fulfillment is possible: for if I can only think about something, whether it is possible for me or impossible, then this is “something.” is certainly possible for the Lord, for whom one thought is already a deed, if He deigns to carry it out, and for you this good already exists in word, and only does not exist in deed - but to bring the petition to fulfillment, He has the Son, the Creator and the Perfecter, the Holy Spirit. To the ability to accomplish everything add His infinite goodness, according to which He is the ever-flowing Source 604 of both being and all the gifts of being. He is the God of gifts. God of mercy and bounty 605. Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; press and it will be opened to you 606. Add to this the wisdom of God, which in its gift knows how to choose for us the best good, the most appropriate to our spiritual and physical state. On your part, what is required is firm, undoubted confidence in the possibility of fulfilling your request for the Lord, and also that your request is certainly good, about something good, and not about something bad. He will give, it is said, good things to those who ask Him 607 (“My life in Christ,” p. 253) 608. People who pray little have a weak heart; when they want to pray, their heart relaxes and weakens their hands, body and thoughts, and it is difficult for them to pray. We must overcome ourselves: try to pray with all our hearts, because it is good and easy to pray with all our hearts 609. In prayer, the main thing that you need to take care of first of all is a living, clairvoyant faith in the Lord: imagine Him vividly before you and in yourself, and then, if you want, ask for Christ Jesus in the Holy Spirit, and it will be done for you. Ask simply, without hesitation, and then your God will be everything for you, performing great and wonderful deeds in an instant, just as the sign of the cross accomplishes great powers 610. Chapter 75. Woe to the doubter My son Nikolai, 11 years old - a thin boy, but unusually lively and cheerful - was taken by my mother, who went to the southern coast of France for three months in the spring to improve her health. I received news from my mother that Koka was sick, with a high fever; the doctors had not identified the illness. I went to Kronstadt to see Father John and at the altar of St. Andrew’s Cathedral at the proskomedia I asked Father to pray for the healing of my son. Father received me kindly, took out a particle for his son and told me something soothing, what exactly, I don’t remember. A few days later I received a telegram from my mother asking my wife to come immediately. At that time I knew the New Testament by heart and remembered the message of the holy Apostle James, who says (chapter 1): Art. 5. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to everyone without reproach, and it will be given to him. Art. 6. But let him ask in faith, without doubting at all, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, lifted and tossed by the wind. Art. 7. Let such a person not think of receiving anything from the Lord. Art. 8. A person with double thoughts is not firm in all his ways. Remembering this, I understood that if I went to Kronstadt for the second time to see Father John, I would be just such a doubting person to whom the Apostle says: Let such a person not think of receiving anything from the Lord. However, lack of faith forced me to go a second time to Kronstadt to visit Father John, who again performed proskomedia. He greeted me dryly, but kindly, and asked: “Where are you from, are you from Moscow?” and when I asked him to pray, he remained silent. I was depressed and puzzled by the question: “Are you from Moscow?” I was quite sure that Father John knew me well. I always put on a uniform judge's coat so that the psalm-readers would let me through. Chapter 76. Experience of the Akathist to the Honest and Glorious Priest of God John of Kronstadt Born October 19, 1829 died December 20, 1908 To the chosen priest, the wondrous saint of God, John, shepherd and teacher. The lover of kings, the comforter of the sorrowful, the bright lamp of the Russian land, who dedicated his entire life to the service of God and his neighbors, and who converted many sinners to repentance, who asked God for healing for many sick people, let us praise him as our intercessor and quick helper. But you, father, because you have boldness towards the Lord, free us from all troubles, so we call you in praise: Rejoice, John, new Russian lamp and warm prayer book for us to God. You, John, who spoke to you, saw your guardian angel, still six years old, in an indescribable light, as if by the command of the Lord he was always invisibly present and protects you from all evils. Since you have been the chosen one of God since your youth, we cry out to you: Rejoice, chosen by God from infancy according to foreknowledge; Rejoice, called by grace from youth to serve Him. Rejoice, guardian angel of your childhood with good morals and cheerful: rejoice, nothing more than saddened. Rejoice, for your invisible guardian has appeared to you; Rejoice, for he has promised to always protect you. Rejoice, beloved child of pious parents: Rejoice, raised by those from childhood in the passion of God. Rejoice, you who taught yourself abstinence from your youth; Rejoice, you who spent your youthful days in squalor and poverty. Rejoice, for for the sake of your good character the grace of God has rested upon you; Rejoice, for you have always shown kindness to your face. We see you, God-wise John, who has been overshadowed by the grace of God from a young age, and who is mysteriously instructed and guided by her to live a virtuous life. Moreover, having you as our image and imitation, we tenderly cry out to Christ our God: Alleluia. From your youth, you deepened your mind in the reading and understanding of the Holy and Patristic Scripture, John, and from it, like a lip, you received the living water flowing from the source of the Holy Spirit. We also pray to you: pray to the Good Lord, that He will grant us, who cry out to you, to be partakers of this life-giving stream: Rejoice, you have kept yourself pure from passions since infancy; Rejoice, you have preserved the grace of Holy Baptism intact and unharmed. Rejoice, you who diligently love the reading of the Divine Scriptures; Rejoice, you who rightly and well understand the hidden meaning in them. Rejoice, thou who has demonstrated exemplary diligence in book learning: Rejoice, thou who has gloriously excelled in natural and spiritual wisdom. Rejoice, thou who by thy wisdom quickly recognized the delights of the world: Rejoice, thou who wisely escaped those snares, like a pompous eagle. Rejoice, northern Russian country with a wonderful and bright upbringing: Rejoice, the darkness of sin in people has been dispersed. Rejoice, give quick help to all those who come to you; Rejoice, show us a powerful intercession before God. The power of God's grace, filling what was missing, poured out abundantly on you, John of ever-memorable, when you were ordained a priest by St. Christopher, and you became a shepherd for the city of Kronstadt: from then on you began to teach people to faithfully serve the Holy Trinity and sing to Her: Alleluia. Having Divine love in your heart, wise John, and strictly observing the rules of fasting, you conveniently overcame the passions of movement, never being caught up in those. Moreover, like a strong man, you went out to work in the fields of the Lord: in a word, like a rake, loosening the hardened and frozen human hearts, warming them with prayer and the warmth of your love, and sowing in them the seeds of sincere repentance and living faith. For this reason, let us sing the following praises to you: Rejoice, chosen vessel of God's grace: Rejoice, receptacle of heavenly gifts. Rejoice, having loved God with all your heart and all your thoughts: Rejoice, for this sake you have taught your spiritual children to sincerely love. Rejoice, you have dangerously kept the commandments of God and the statutes of the Church about fasting: Rejoice, you have shown your love for God and your neighbors by such keeping. Rejoice, thou who reigned over passions from youth: Rejoice, glorious is the conqueror who has appeared over them. Rejoice, thou who live most peacefully in the world: Rejoice, thou who wisest heavenly wisdom on earth. Rejoice, immovable pillar of the Orthodox-Russian Kingdom: Rejoice; The guardian of Orthodoxy and good customs is unshakable. Through the storm of many troubles and troubles of life, help us, Father John, to those who are possessed, just as in your life you helped everyone who flowed to you with faith, so that we can all be helped by you, we sing gratefully to God for you: Alleluia. Hearing the apostle say: “Our life is in Heaven,” and although we do not inherit this short-lived life, we did not seek it in pleasing the flesh and working with passions, John, but in cleansing the soul from sinful defilements (with them no one can enter the Kingdom of Heaven 611). Moreover, having you as an image of a godly life and a helper in this, we cry out to you: Rejoice, bright shining of the light of the Gospel (in our days); Rejoice, all-effective enlightenment of darkened souls. Rejoice, for you have deepened your entire mind in the Divine Scriptures; Rejoice, for in them you have found the right path to the Kingdom of Heaven. Rejoice, for all your deeds have been the light of the world; Rejoice, for through you the Heavenly Father has been wondrously glorified. Rejoice, for your word is not like a clanging cymbal, dead, insensible: Rejoice, for it is truly alive and active. Rejoice, for through you the dead are quickened in spirit by faith; Rejoice, for through you those who have fallen into the abyss of sin are awakened to repentance. Rejoice, for in our days the Lord of the Russian land appeared to you as a prophet and apostle; Rejoice, for in you the enemy of truth has found a fearless accuser and a strong opponent. The many-bright star of the Russian land appeared, O holy John, enlightening the darkness of sin. Likewise, now grant enlightenment to the sons of Russia, who have been overcome by error and have given themselves over to the power of the wicked, so that they may recognize their damnation and, turning to the Lord, cry out to Him in repentance: Alleluia. Having seen the Russian people of your great piety as a preacher and powerful before God as a prayer book and intercessor, I flowed to you in great numbers from everywhere, and I sent you my scriptures, Father, for healing in illness, for advice in perplexity and for consolation in sorrow, asking: and having received the desire, I thank you for my cry: Rejoice, John, new lamp of the world: Rejoice, immediate interlocutor in prayers with God. Rejoice, for your prayers are strong and powerful to propitiate the Lord: Rejoice, for your intercession to Him is multi-effective, His goodness is for the generosity of the aspirant. Rejoice, for through you, according to the measure of faith, grace-filled healings are given; Rejoice, for through you, those who are ill receive the speedy transformation of their ailments into health. Rejoice, for through you sinners are turned to repentance; Rejoice, for through you the seditious people are brought to their senses. Rejoice, for by your madness the mockery of the mysteries of the faith is put to shame: Rejoice, for by you the mockery of your wonderful deeds has received due admonition. Rejoice, gracious consoler of those who mourn; Rejoice, gracious consoler of those in bewilderment. Preacher of truth. Imitating your God-bearing father, you went far away to serve God and your neighbors, and, bearing the rank of priesthood, you did not know peace; you constantly performed God’s services in the church and sang prayers in the houses of the faithful, while generously doing good to those in need, you acquired the title of benefactor and unmercenary, John. Likewise, after your dormition, the people of Russia glorify your name and, proclaiming your eternal memory, sing to God: Alleluia. Christ our God, shining forth from the Virgin, and dispelling the darkness of idolatry with the light of the Gospel, revealed you, Father John, as a faithful and zealous preacher of His truth, perverted by the slander of the evil one. Moreover, since you have boldness towards the Lord, deliver from those malice and deceits all who sing thy praises: Rejoice, excellent servant of Christ: Rejoice, excellent servant of Him among the priests. Rejoice, who stood watch over the house of God; Rejoice, who drove away the spiritual thieves with the sword of the Word of God and prayer. Rejoice, for through your writings you moved many from the love of the world to the love of Christ: Rejoice, for through your prophecies you demonstrated the love of God for man, which was revealed to us in redemption and providence. Rejoice, the action of the Spirit of God on human hearts, who conveniently said: Rejoice, you who revealed the secret of prayerful conversation with God. Rejoice, having miraculously preserved chastity in your lawful marriage; Rejoice, having given birth to many spiritual children through repentance. Rejoice, you who have left a good memory for yourself in the hearts of the faithful; Rejoice, for this memory, like the righteous, will remain unforgettable forever. Although the All-Good Lord will comfort His faithful people and turn away the lawless from their evil deeds, raising you up, John, like the prophet Jonah to the great city of Nineveh: let the Russians proclaim the wrath of God that is coming upon them soon, and it will already come true according to your broadcast: for I have not repented of my pride and did not want to humbly sing with you To Christ God: Alleluia. A new misfortune and the wrath of God befell us, who did not want to heed your God-inspired words: the power of our kingdom has been destroyed and given over to the servants of Satan, who have destroyed the honorable monasteries of the monks, desecrated the holy churches, and all pious people have become fiercely embittered, and given over many spiritual and worldly martyrdoms to martyrdom. In the same way, Father John, we come running to you in repentance and tenderly cry out: beg the Lord Christ to turn His wrath into mercy and to hear us crying to you: Rejoice, great-voiced preacher of repentance: Rejoice, true herald of the coming wrath of God on people who have sinned. Rejoice, loud denouncer of human wickedness; Rejoice, zealous zealot for the correction of those. Rejoice, the Orthodox-Russian Kingdom was a strong stronghold under your belly: Rejoice, you preserved it from sedition in those days. Rejoice, beloved of the pious kings; rejoice, wise adviser and mentor of those. Rejoice, for the power of the Kingdoms, as God-ordained, proclaimed many words: Rejoice, carefully leading people to obedience and fidelity to that lawful authority. Rejoice, with your prayers you protect the thrones of the pious Kings: Rejoice, you create justice among people and teach them. You have accomplished a strange and unusual path of life, Father John: having lived peacefully in the world and on earth in heaven, in abstinence and chastity and in always praising God, you imitated the great father. With them now in Heaven Christ stands in joy and brings prayers for peace and eats: Alleluia. All Orthodox people, as in the belly, even after your repose to God, greatly honor you, Father John, believers, as you have great boldness towards God and pray for His goodness for all those who flow to you and cry out in this way: Rejoice, good root of good vegetation; Rejoice, cleric father and pious mother born and raised. Rejoice, for the whole small Sura, for the sake of your birth and upbringing in it, the whole Russian land was created; Rejoice, for the city of Kronstadt was glorified by your service in it. Rejoice, for the whole Russian land has been filled with your merciful deeds; Rejoice, for the news of your wonderful and holy life has spread beyond its borders. Rejoice, for through your writings the mystery of grace-filled communication with God is explained: Rejoice, for through these writings the light of spiritual illumination is poured into the hearts of those who honor me. Rejoice, for in your writings the purity of your soul is clearly revealed; Rejoice, for in them, as in a mirror, the Godlikeness of the human soul is reflected. Rejoice, for through your writings not only Russians, but foreign peoples are edified for their salvation; Rejoice, for through them the true faith shines forth and the darkness of heresies is dispersed. Every word does not suffice for your praise, Father John, for you, moved by the Holy Spirit from youth to God, diligently served: first of all, in the study of the Holy Scriptures, working diligently for many years and acquiring a deep understanding, you also diligently cared about the teaching of the youths and about your flock, you taught everyone to sing intelligently to God: Alleluia. The vain-wise Vitius, the foolish Leo, and his like-minded people, by you, Father John, having clearly been put to shame in your wickedness, but Orthodoxy has been established in the faith, we are instructed by your divinely spoken words, and in praising you, we cry out to you: Rejoice, Tsevnitsa Divine: Rejoice, sweet-sounding harp of the Spirit. Rejoice, having clarified the dogmas of faith through your words and writings; Rejoice, having established the true meanings in Orthodoxy with your words. Rejoice, for you have defeated the regiments of the atheists; Rejoice, for you have wisely exposed the Yasnaya Polyana apostate and his detractors. Rejoice, for you have overthrown that soul-destroying teaching about the soul of humanity, which supposedly has no personal existence: Rejoice, for you have established the true teaching about immortality and its personally endless existence. Rejoice, wise exponent of the Divine mind: Rejoice. The performer of the sacraments of the church is reverent. Rejoice, trustworthy leader in the Kingdom of Heaven: Rejoice, true teacher of the path of salvation. Although to save your soul, you have combined many saintly virtues within yourself, Father John: the apostolic and patristic confession of faith, martyrdom in piety, constant vigilance in prayer, abstinence and humility, together with the exploits of the saints. Moreover, now, with the saints, you have settled in Heaven and constantly glorified God, remember us, your glorious memory those who worship and sing to God; Alleluia. A zealous clergyman of the Heavenly King and a faithful reader and lover of earthly pious kings, Father John: righteously pleasing to both, rendering to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and God's to the Gods, and you taught all people the same. For this reason, we praise you and say: Rejoice, good and faithful servant of God: Rejoice, zealous servant of Him. Rejoice, you who carefully did everything led by the Lord; Rejoice, you who were a skilled worker of His commandments. Rejoice, always thinking about the omnipresence of God; Rejoice, for with your clever combs you can imagine Him. Rejoice, revered pious Russian Tsars as servants of God; Rejoice, having helped with your good advice and prayers in their difficult feat of ruling the people. Rejoice, you who strive for the welfare of the Church and your people; Rejoice, you who protected those in your belly from sedition and rebellion. Rejoice, and now implore God for the Kingdom of the Orthodox Russian: Rejoice, confirming the sceptres of the Orthodox kings. It is impossible to describe in a song of praise the multitude of your corrections about God, about the most wonderful Father John, which you have accomplished throughout your entire life: healing the weak with prayers, driving out demons from people, healing those who were ill through drunkenness and other passions, abundantly providing for those in poverty and misery, and helping everyone according to their needs and doing good, as everyone is grateful to sing to God for you: Alleluia. The Lord revealed you as a bright lamp and a wondrous seer in our days, having proclaimed His coming wrath against the Orthodox-Russian Kingdom, but we did not repent of your preaching. Moreover, as a prophet of God and a herald of His destinies, we please you and cry out to you in repentance; Rejoice, wondrous seer; Rejoice, true predictor of future events. Rejoice, equal to the ancient preacher of repentance; Rejoice, equal honorable new seer. Rejoice, clairvoyant of the hidden destinies of God; Rejoice, herald of the coming wrath of God on unrepentant sinners. Rejoice, sweet-voiced herald of repentance: Rejoice, pacifier of troubled hearts. Rejoice, our most powerful intercessor before God: Rejoice, our trustworthy intercessor before Him. Rejoice, good shepherd of the verbal sheep, seeking out many lost souls: Rejoice, freeing many from the bonds of prison and death. The grace of God, which you received purely in Holy Baptism and in the priestly Ordination, did not come to you in vain, Father John; Through your zeal you have used this for the benefit of many and for the glory of its Giver: by the grace of God, your life and deeds have become merciful, the Heavenly Father has become great, and from the multitude of lips that have been blessed by you spiritually and physically, a great song is lifted up to Him: Alleluia. Aching for your life pleasing to God from your youth and your spiritual ascent from strength to strength, we bless your righteous death and the glorious burial of your blessed relics, which have found eternal rest in the maiden monastery you created. We believe that your holy soul will rest in the bright villages of paradise, and help us to inherit them, proclaiming your praises: Rejoice, you who ended the course of temporary life equally and in a godly manner; Rejoice, you who immaculately preserved the right faith. Rejoice, you who have known your righteousness through your peaceful Christian death; Rejoice, you have received eternal peace in Heaven with the saints. Rejoice, you who took part in the joy of the righteous in the abodes of paradise; Rejoice, you who together with many souls received salvation and were granted eternal bliss. Rejoice, with the Royal New Martyrs you have inherited the Kingdom of Heaven: Rejoice, with them stand before the King of Glory and offer prayers for the deliverance of our Fatherland from the godless enemies. Rejoice, great champion of Orthodoxy; Rejoice, irresistible defender of piety. Rejoice, gloriously working miracles through sleepy manifestations; Rejoice, bring the heterodox into Orthodoxy. Rejoice, for your tomb exudes healing; Rejoice, for the imams are the hope of your worldwide glorification with the saints. (The last two verses should be left after). Oh, all-honorable Father John, not only the Kronstadt, but also the All-Russian, and moreover, the World Lamp and the great servant of Christ! Accept from us, the unworthy, this song of praise, and with your favorable prayers to God, deliver us from temporary and eternal troubles, so that we may be worthy to sing with you in the Kingdom of Heaven forever: Alleluia (three times). Most wonderful Father John! You have drawn close to God through many virtues and have been granted spiritual gifts from Him: to heal ailments, to drive away passions and to quench sorrows. In the same way, we humbly pray to you: grant healing to our illnesses and healing to our passions, satisfy the sorrows that come upon us and infuse spiritual joy into our hearts. And help us to be imitators of your holy life and all your good deeds, so that with you we may be worthy of the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven. Ask the Lord for liberation from the atheists for our Fatherland, restore peace and prosperity to it, erect the sceptres of our pious Kings and establish them for many years: so that everyone will know and understand, since they have great boldness in God, and glorify for your sake the all-holy and magnificent name of the Most Holy. Consubstantial and Indivisible Trinity, Father and Son and Holy: Spirit, One in essence God, to Him honor and worship are due to the endless ages of ages. Amen. Name the grace of the same name, and having been enriched from youth, the prayer book of the Russian land is acceptable to God, and you were a pious and wise adviser to the Tsar, and you appeared to be a great doctor of souls and bodies, O most wonderful John. Likewise, pray to Christ God to preserve the Russian State with the pious Tsar in peace and prosperity and to grant great mercy to our souls. Vulnerable to Divine love from your youth, you turned away from worldly pleasures and cohabitation with your wife, Father John. This is why you are numbered in Heaven for the sake of virgins, and with them you pray to Christ God to pacify the world and save our souls. This Akathist is intended for lovers and admirers of Father John, and only for private use. When the Lord desires to glorify His saint before men, then it will be necessary to make some amendments and changes in him. Compiled by Hieroschemamonk Pachomius, cell monastery of the Ascension of the Lord From the author. I gave this experience of the akathist to read to Bishop John of Pechersk, who read it and told me that there was nothing inappropriate in the akathist. To this, the bishop added that the compiler of the akathist, Hieroschemamonk Pachomius, is very famous as a compiler of akathists 612. Chapter 77. To the glorification of Father John of Kronstadt Reprint from a brochure printed in the city of Narva in Estonia in 1938 by the book publishing house “For the Church” 613. The printed Service of our holy and reverend father John of Kronstadt belongs to the pen of one famous bishop-confessor of the Russian Church. It was written in 1933, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the death of Father John of Kronstadt (December 20, 1908). The original copy of the manuscript was delivered to us from Russia, and we are publishing it in full. The veneration of Father John of Kronstadt as a national shepherd and man of prayer does not cease in the Russian Church. His memory is also honored in other Local Churches. On the 100th anniversary of the birth of Father John, October 19, 1929, we had to serve a memorial service for him in a Serbian provincial cathedral. In the middle of the church stood a large portrait of Father John, immersed in greenery, surrounded by lamps. The memorial service was served in front of the portrait. Thus, the Serbian priesthood honored the memory of the great prayer book of the Russian land and the lamp of Orthodoxy. There are many houses in our time where the portrait of Father John of Kronstadt hangs near icons or together with icons, and where the invocation of the righteous man of Kronstadt is carried out as a prayer book and intercessor before God. How many people - even those living today - have experienced in their lives the power of the prayerful intercession of Father John. How many were renewed in spirit through his prayer and healed physically! While delivering spiritual consolation to all who honor his memory with the publication of this document of modern church life in Russia, we have the duty to say that this document is not published for church and liturgical use. The Church has not yet expressed its decisive word in the canonization of the Kronstadt righteous man. Only at the Local Council of the Russian Church can this great question be resolved and the will of God fully revealed. Before the canonization of the righteous, the Church serves only memorial services for them, although often the word “of ever-memorable” is attached to the name of the righteous, and the priest ends the dismissal with: “... with his prayers, he will have mercy and save us, as he is Good and Lover of Mankind.” We believe that in the future the pan-church glorification of Father John will take place. For the Lord Jesus Christ has already glorified and glorifies him, who sought only God’s glory and laid down his life in Christ 614. But the time of pan-church glorification has not yet come, and an example of the wonderful spiritual creativity of the modern martyr’s Church - this printed Service - is intended only for cell, that is, private use by those who honor the memory of Father John. And for all other children of the Church, this service remains a deeply valuable document of church poetry and church life of our days. Let the boundary line (acrostic 615) of our days be the boundary line of the inspired canon of this Service: “MY LIFE IS IN CHRIST, TO HIM I SING TO ALL THE AGES.” 1938 Vladimir year - 950th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia. Service of Our Holy and Reverend Father John of Kronstadt I cried to the Lord: stichera, voice 1: Blessed Father John, you were an imitator of all the saints: you acquired the holy faith of the patriarchs, the prophets and apostles, the zeal of the saints, the reverence and thought of God, the confessors of boldness, the unmercenary help, the venerable ascetics, unceasing prayer, for this reason we celebrate your holy memory. Reverend Father John, having listened to the voice of the Gospel of the Lord, both wealth and glory, like dust, having counted your neighbors, as the true Father loved you, feeding the poor and the wretched, without ceasing to cry out to everyone: love the Lord and find eternal life, prefer nothing more than His love, that He may come in glory, You will find joy with the saints, remember us with them, our vigilant prayer book. Our Father John the God-Wise, having been strengthened by the fear of God, you understood the beginning of wisdom, and yet you drove out the fear of love, as if you had fear of torment, just as the Apostle taught us to eat love, but having crucified Christ with love, becoming most characteristic of Him; In the same way, Our Father, you adorned the minds of the faithful and taught you to love your flock. Pray to Christ God to grant us this grace and great mercy. The Lord is the strength of my heart. My Lord is the light of my mind. The Lord is my peace and my joy, my faith, hope and love, this is my food and my drink, my clothing and covering. Enlighten us too, Holy Father, understand these words of yours and place our salvation in the Lord, grant us your spirit as Elijah did to Elisha, so that our hope and all our hope may be in the Lord. My soul will live. Lord, and He will praise You, the prophet David said. In the same way, O holy one, you sang from the morning watch until night. Teach us, your lost flock, to know you, the good shepherd, and to follow your voice and continually cry with you: sing to my God, even as I am. And now: Forefeast 616 or Theotokos Readings 3 from Proverbs, from the general Menaion Stichera on the litany - to the church: on Glory, tone 1: We pray in the Holy Spirit; for this reason, all church prayers are the breath of the Holy Spirit, and all Christians are His birth. Come and dwell in us. Holy Soul, have mercy and create us all, so that we may all be one Body of Christ. This was your unceasing prayer, wonderful John, our father, and God listened to you and anointed you with the oil of eternal joy. And now: the forefeast or the Theotokos On the stichera, stichera, tone 4: From the shrouds you were appropriated to the Lord, having acquired the perfect meaning of a man from childhood and desiring the wisdom of God, you were the entire abode of God, Our Father John of Grace. The death of His saints is honorable before the Lord. Standing before the Holy Trinity with a mind sanctified by grace, Blessed John, our Father, you enlightened the heavenly dawns of existence in the darkness of sin, illuminate us with the light of your knowledge of God. Blessed is the man, fear the Lord; he will greatly delight in His commandments. An incomprehensible light rests in you, reverend father, and the Lord will set you in the midst of sinful darkness. In the same way, we also teach you to sing of your blessed memory, John. Thy apostles are bound by the union of love. Lord, establish our father John as a new evangelist of Thy love even now. Our Savior, the union of church love, may we sing together of You and Your ineffable goodness. And now: the forefeast or the Theotokos Troparion: “God of our fathers” or “In you, father, it is known that you were saved in the image,” etc., or voice 8: Vulnerable to the love of Christ, Reverend John, are many children of the church, as if you were a father who brought you to Christ, for this sake, honoring your memory, we accept the consolation of the Savior and confess His grace. At Matins, according to the 1st verse of the sedalene, tone 4: You did not, Father John, despise either the stranger or the stranger, but you were good and deep in mercy to all, a father to the orphans and protection to widows, clothing to the naked and food to the hungry. Remember us, your poor children, and do not reject us from your gracious love. Glory even now, the pre-feast or the Theotokos According to the 2nd verse of the sedalene, tone 5: We strengthen you with divine power, you have conquered the invisible enemies of temptation and you have approached the non-evening light. Heal our passions and shower us with your light, as you have been given by God as a physician and comforter to all, John our Father. Glory even now, the pre-feast day or the Theotokos Sedalene in polyeleia, tone 8: Words of God to the ardent servant, John the Inspired by God, you were the receptacle of the faith of Christ, for this reason the Lord, like the new Abraham, made you the father of many. Pray, O Father, that we all may be children of God and that our souls may be saved. According to Psalm 50 – self-according, tone 6: Reverend Father John, the broadcast of your corrections went out to the whole earth: therefore you have found in Heaven the reward of your labors, you have destroyed the demonic regiments and you have reached the rank of angels, and you were jealous of their life without blemish, having boldness towards Christ God, ask for peace for our souls. The Canon of the Saint - according to the Charter, its lines: My life is in Christ, to Him I sing forever and ever. Irmos: The Sea of ​​the Black Sea with waterless feet, Israel marching in ancient times, crossed the hand of Moses and conquered the power of Amalek in the desert. M Confirm my feelings in You. My Savior, may I be able to worthily sing the prayers and deeds of Your beloved and Your beloved servant, our father John. O From your youth, following the First-Called Apostle and being illuminated by his luminous Cross, you escaped the darkness of ignorance, singing a blessed song of praise to Christ. I am like Elijah in a chariot of fire, so you also ascended to Heaven in a chariot of virtues. From here, pray to the Lord to send down the correction of our lives. Grow forth the Rod, O Virgin, from the root of Jesse, bearing the all-blessed flower of the Fruit of salvation by faith to those who sing of Thee. Irmos: Your Church rejoices in You, O Christ, calling, You are my strength. Lord, both refuge and confirmation. And being a communicant in character and an imitator of life, you became an apostle, inspired by God, and you completely corrected the word of truth. Your spiritual eye sees the Kingdom of Heaven, as if it were pure, having holyly ruled your life, O wonderful Father, for this reason we glorify you in God. He who does not work and does not eat, you proclaimed this apostolic truth to all your brethren, and you erected the House of Labor to the poor and sick, so that they may be nourished by the labors of their hands, even if they are weak. You are all the light. Mistress, all holiness, all goodness, all wisdom, all power, as the Mother of the Almighty, One and the Same All-Perfect, as the Mother of the All-Perfect King of Glory. Irmos: Having seen the Church on the Cross, You were raised up, the righteous Sun, standing in your rank, worthy of your cry; glory to your power, O Lord. O solid foundation - having Christ, you were the second Abraham, accepting from all countries those who came to you, and you brought those to the Lord, and with those you created what was pleasing to God. X Although you wanted to build your heart as a church to God, you desired to serve unceasingly in the house of God, and there you perceived heavenly kindness. With the dew of your exploits, having quenched all bodily passions, you kindled the enlightenment of dispassion and you were the son of an eternal day, blessed father. And give it to us. Mistress, purity of heart, filial trust and love, even for You, always, now and ever, and forever. Irmos: You, Lord, are my light, you have come into the world. Holy Light, turn from the darkness of ignorance by faith, praising Thee. You have been vouchsafed the highest gifts, Father. Constantly serving your Lord and imitating the apostolic labors. Having put to death the corruptible voluptuousness of your flesh, you revived your imperishable soul with piety, and you created this house of the Divine Spirit. Preaching the Gospel of Christ to everyone diligently. You were an everyday communicant of the Lord's Table, for yourself and your flock, as if you were a living sacrifice and arranging something holy for God. You gave birth to the One of the Trinity, the Most Pure One, for the sake of mercy on earth, Who appeared in two natures, whom we continually pray to save our souls. Irmos: I will devour Ti with a voice of praise. Lord, the Church cries out to Thee, having been cleansed from the blood of demons by the mercy of Thy side's flowing Blood. M The olive tree was fruitful in the house of your Lord, O John the Epiphany, for the Lord gave you Divine knowledge and strengthened you in your work as an apostle. You are part of the body of Christ, so you preached with the apostle and you taught to love Christ alone, that all may be one. Your life is holy, your word, God-wise, is filled with the grace of God, your heart of prayer is a vessel of grace, for this reason we honor you with faith and love. E One Good Lady, show Thy dominion over us, delivering us from all filthiness of evil thoughts, from all troubles and evils and the snares of demons, as the Good Mother of God. Divine faith by preaching and fulfilling the love of the Gospel The Church of Christ calls you the father, Reverend John, and like a true father a child, you still call everyone with the apostle: come, you have found what you desire. Irmos: In the cave of the Persians of Abraham, the youths of Abraham, scorched by the love of good faith rather than by flame, cried out: blessed art thou in the Church of Thy glory, O Lord. By the providence of God, the light of piety, amidst the darkness of heavy atheism and unbelief, you appeared, Father, calling to everyone: blessed are you in the Church of Your glory, Lord. Oh, the image of God is a man, you, Father John, and you were the bright mirror of God’s love, and the house of the Holy Trinity, even we glorify sins. You have received grace from the Lord to heal the ailments and passions of man, so that everyone with one and the same wisdom sings with you: blessed are you. Lord God, forever. In the Lady, save Your family, save Your half-blooded one. Save us, Mother of the Belly and the entire human race, even if we are unworthy, call Thee Mother for ourselves, sanctify, confirm and save us with Your prayers. Irmos: Daniel stretched out his hands, the gaping lions in the den, quenching the fiery power, girded with virtue, the zealous youths calling for piety; bless all the works of the Lord the Lord. O Purify our hearts and thoughts with your prayers and show me how the land is fruitful, and girded with virtue, we call: bless all the works of the Lord the Lord. You were crowned with a crown of grace-filled gifts, honoring the highest wisdom and ever calling: bless all the works of the Lord the Lord. Glory to Thee, O All-Holy Life-Giving Soul, proceeding from the Father and resting ever in the Son; glory to You, Son of God, illuminate, strengthen and make us wise with the Holy Spirit; glory to You, Father, always favor us with the Holy Spirit; Indivisible Trinity Unity - have mercy on us. I, who gave birth to salvation for the world, who took it from the earth to heights, rejoice. Blessed One, Protection and Power, Wall and Confirmation, let us sing pure: sing praises to the Lord’s deeds and exalt Him forever. Irmos: The stone of the uncut mountain from the uncut Thee, the Virgin, the cornerstone cut off - Christ, who has gathered together the dispersed nature. Thus, having fun, we magnify You, Mother of God. Truly, you have appeared as the light of the world, you have been adorned with virtue and you have been a fine shepherd of the Orthodox Church, glorifying Christ, thereby rejoicing you, Holy Father, we please you. E One body. There is one Lord, one faith, one Baptism, and therefore, truly in love, let us grow into Him in all things, of whom Christ is the Head, as with the Apostle our venerable father of the commandment. The princes of mankind and kings hastened to you and praised you, but you despised all earthly glory and only desired to be with the people of God and glorify the Lord forever. And Who dwelt in the womb of the Virgin, and from Whom He created fear and above the words of ancient Adam, we sing and praise the Lord forever. Imitating the first-called disciple of Christ, you were truly a good shepherd and you brought much fruit faithful to your Lord, and until your last breath you cried out: my life is in Christ. Glory, and now, to the pre-feast or the Theotokos On the praises, stichera, tone 6: O my strength, Jesus, Son of God! Oh, light of my mind and peace and joy of my heart, glory to Thee, glory to Thee, the deliverer from my invisible enemies - thus, our Father, Thou cried out to Thy Lord, so also make us understand to sing with all our hearts: Lord our Savior, glory to Thee. You are the image of God, for this reason keep this great image, the image of the beauty of God, the image of His immeasurable love; May you be children of your Father. Like in Heaven; May you be holy, even as your Father is holy. Thus, O God-wise shepherd, you taught your flock, and thus you yourself lived a holy life. Christ became man, calling robbers and harlots to repentance, and you, the most merciful shepherd, fulfilling the commandment of the Chief Shepherd, talked with publicans and sinners, calling everyone to repentance and teaching everyone to pray: God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Merciful God, glory to You. Just like the holy prophets about the shepherds of Israel, so you, our Father, shed tears for the shepherds, saying: the shepherds and the flock have sinned before You, Lord, they have all turned aside, together with the indecent things that have happened - and what will you do to us. God? The blood of Your covenant cries out from the earth, otherwise Your voice is not heard, and what will You do to us? God? Lord, before we even die completely, save us. Worship the holy icons, I glorify God Incarnate, the image of the glory of the Father, I glorify the Father who gave birth to the Son without beginning, I glorify the Godlikeness of men, who are temples of the Holy Spirit, and in feeling I also have the power of the Life-giving Cross. Such was your glorious Theology, holy father, you became like the great teacher of old, praising the image of God Incarnate, And now, the pre-feast day or the Great Doxology of the Theotokos. Vacation. From the author. I cited the above-printed Service to John of Kronstadt as a remarkable document of the creativity of the Russian spirit in a time of hard times, persecution of the holy Orthodox faith, destruction of churches, and the killing of clergy. These great confessor-martyrs thought about glorifying God, and not about their earthly life, and composed a service to the saint of God. Chapter 78. How it happened that Holy Rus' forgot God At the end of the reign of Emperor Alexander III, Russia achieved unprecedented external power, with complete internal order and tranquility. Economic prosperity was very great and growing rapidly, and quite a few lived in wealth. At the beginning of the reign of Emperor Nicholas II, the country's wealth continued to increase, but, with weak governance, morality began to fall at a dizzying rate. They forgot about God, they said: “There is no God, we can live well without God.” There is no trace left of the piety that existed in Russia from the time of St. Vladimir until the end of the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, when the “Chetsi Menaion” was read in every hut. Complete unscrupulousness, drunken revelry and debauchery reigned. Revelation of Saint John: Thus says the Son of God: You say: “I am rich, I have become rich, and I have need of nothing”; and you don’t know that you are unhappy and pitiful, and poor, and blind, and naked, A year of temptation will come to the whole universe to test those living on earth 617. Seeing all this, the Lord Almighty sent His faithful servant John of Kronstadt to Russia, mired in sins, to preach repentance and prophesy. For 54 years the prophet of God preached 618 orally and in his writings, strengthening his words with subsequent signs. The Lord waited for half a century to see if people would repent from the prophet’s denunciations. However, people not only did not repent, but began to blaspheme the Holy Spirit, who acted through the prophet. And God punished them with unheard-of horrors and the extermination of tens of millions of people. The Prophet of God departed to the Lord, leaving to the distraught people written predictions of the horrors that befell the Russian people. Chapter 79. Father John was a prophet of God From the contents of 640 pages of the first and second volumes of this book, it is clear that Father John of Kronstadt was a prophet of God. All his predictions to individuals and entire nations were fulfilled and are being fulfilled - how many thousands of times Father John responded to requests to pray for healing: “He will be healthy or healthy,” and all these predictions were fulfilled. That is why the Lord Almighty did not leave unpunished all the speeches of people against Father John, just as God punished people for disrespect for the prophet Elisha and other Old Testament prophets. For example: 2 Book of Kings, ch. 2, art. 23–25. There are many people in Belgrade who tried to discredit the power of the Holy Spirit, who dwelt in Father John and acted through him, and in various ways prevented the glorification of Father John by people, for which they experienced the punishment of God. But there were also those who, like the archpriest 619 mentioned on page 73 of this book, completely changed in their attitude towards the memory of Father John, contributed to his glorification and died a righteous man. The story of captain 1st rank Stepan Pavlovich Burachok, dated August 6, 1937. Someone who laughed at Father John almost immediately after his free-thinking reasoning suffered a burn to his face from a box of matches that ignited while he was lighting a cigarette. This circumstance was recognized by the victim himself. Story by Archimandrite Gerasim (Schmaltz) from Alaska, dated March 17, 1939 Address: Monkis Lagoon via Ouzienkie, Alaska, U.S.N. Amer. “In the town of Aleksin, Tula province, there lived a good religious merchant family, the Gorshkovs. The wife of Pyotr Antonovich Gorshkov, Alexandra Sergeevna, fell ill, and Moscow professor Dr. Snigirev found that she needed to undergo surgery. As a believing woman, she went for advice to Father John of Kronstadt. He listened to her and said: “Don’t agree to the operation. If you listen to me, you will live and give one daughter and the other in marriage. But don’t agree to the operation, otherwise you will die on the 20th day after the operation.” Returning home, she told her husband everything. But Professor Snigirev and doctors Bezdetnov and Ulitin began to persuade her, and more so her husband, to persuade her to agree to the operation. They told P.A. Gorshkova that if he does not persuade his wife to have the operation, he will soon lose her. Of course, they laughed at the words of Father John. Pyotr Antonovich loved his wife very much, and he had six daughters and one son from her, and he began to persuade his wife to agree to the operation. Doctor Bezdetnov even told him this: “I guarantee with my own head that your wife will return from Moscow healthy.” Finally she agreed and went to Moscow for the operation. The operation was successful and she quickly began to recover. The fateful 20th day came, and Professor Snigirev personally visited her, examined her and said: “Now you have recovered well and in a week you can move to a private apartment, call one of your daughters, you will have more fun with your daughter in a foreign city.” Alexandra Sergeevna thanked him and asked her sister to write a telegram to her husband. When the telegram was sent, she told the hospital sister: “Father John told me that I would die on the 20th day, but I feel so good and will soon leave the clinic.” She said these words and lowered her head onto the pillow. The sister saw that her face immediately changed, that something had happened to her, and she called the professor to her bedside. When Professor Snigirev and other doctors approached her, she was already dead. Exactly an hour later, her husband received a second telegram, in which he was informed that his dear wife had passed away. She died on the 20th day after her operation, as Father John predicted to her. The whole city of Aleksin knew about this, and this is the holy truth.” Let no one think that Father John punished Alexandra Sergeevna Gorshkova with death because she disobeyed him. Father John, like the Old Testament and New Testament prophets, predicted the future, which was revealed to him by the Lord God the Holy Spirit and which must be fulfilled, being the word of the Lord God Almighty, and if A.S. Gorshkova did not believe the Holy Spirit, then Father John had nothing to do with it. God cannot be scolded 620. “I owe a lot to Father John,” continues Archimandrite Gerasim (Schmaltz), “he helped me at one time and when his body was imprisoned in the coffin. In my youth, according to people’s slander, I condemned Father John for his silk robes, for the glory with which he was surrounded. But when I came to live in Tula with Archbishop Evdokim and heard from his lips about the wondrous priest Father John, I deeply grieved over my error. After all, Bishop Evdokim also wrote a book about him, “Two Days in Kronstadt.” Although his book had something like a thousand pages, if I'm not mistaken 621. Having arrived in Petrograd in 1914 and having lived there throughout the winter of 1914–1915, I met there Hieromonk Joseph, a friend of Father John 622 who told me a lot about him. I often visited his grave, often prayed there and asked for forgiveness for all my mistakes in my youth. I loved visiting that crypt-church, where under a snow-white marble slab lay the body of this greatest Russian miracle-working priest.” My childhood friend Shura Rusakov was rich before the revolution. I advised him to continue his studies, to go to the gymnasium, but to this I only heard the answer: “What do I need your education for? I have a lot of money, and with it the whole world is open.” But the bloody revolution swallowed everything up, and my spoiled friend became a laborer in Serpukhov. Look at our earthly greatness and wealth, how fragile it is! But Father John seemed to never die; he lives outside his homeland, Russia. In the May magazine of the American Orthodox Messenger, a certain E.V. Akimova described her wonderful dream. In a dream, she heard the wonderful sermon of Father John of Kronstadt about the greatness of the Mother of God. She saw and heard how he served a prayer service at the image of the Iveron Mother of God, and writes: “... there was a radiance around his head: his face, turned to the image of the Lady, burned with an unearthly light; from the hands that made the sign of the cross and blessed, sparks fell like stars.” Explanation by Archpriest Father John Sokal, rector of the Russian Holy Trinity Church in the city. Belgrade. “To preserve people in faith and piety, the Lord glorifies His saints on earth, by imitating whose lives, people could more easily approach God and be saved. Through His saints the Lord is glorified, as the Scripture says: God is marvelous in His saints 623. Through them, the will of God for the salvation of people is manifested, as it is said: To the saints who are on earth, the Lord surprised all His desires in them 624. This is why it is so terrible to resist the glorification of the saints, for this would mean opposing the will of God. In this case, a person, left to his own strengths, cannot protect himself from the oncoming evil and, without the help of God and the intercession of the holy saints, is exposed to the scourge of evil; unexpected illnesses, deprivation of property, close relatives and even life. And, on the contrary, a person who submits to the will of the Lord and the help of illustrious saints is preserved by the providential power of God and protected by the prayer of the righteous from all troubles and evils on life’s path to moral perfection and salvation.” Chapter 80. The teaching of Father John about the will of God in relation to entire nations On page 398 of the book “My Life in Christ,” Father John says: “The history of the election and rejection of the Jews shows the truth that God will exalt and magnify those who are faithful to Him, and will humiliate and reject the unfaithful and ungrateful; also this truth, that He is faithful in His promises and threats” 625. These words of Father John were exactly fulfilled over Russia; while the kings and people were faithful to Orthodoxy, Russia rose from strength to strength, but when they retreated from Orthodoxy and piety, became unfaithful and ungrateful and attributed to themselves all the power and wealth of Russia, then God took away everything and continues to take away and humiliate. Chapter 81. Stories received at the end of printing the book 1) Major General Alexander Fedorovich Ackerman, living in Belgrade, Serbia. “Approximately in 1899–1900 in St. Petersburg, the captain of the Life Guards of the 2nd Artillery Brigade, Alexey Dmitrievich Golovachev, who was then about 40 years old, became seriously ill; the painful condition worsened as the consequences of the disease spread to the heart. They contacted many doctors, there were councils of doctors who had lost hope of recovery, and the then well-known diagnostician in St. Petersburg, Doctor Nechaev (chief physician of the Obukhov Hospital), decisively stated that there was no salvation, and even if the patient survived by a miracle, he would still be “forever” crippled. There was only one remedy left - prayer and the mercy of God. The patient’s mother turned to Father John of Kronstadt with a request to visit the patient and give him communion. The patient at this time was very weak and apathetic and lost all interest in life, but with all this, as a religious man, he expressed a great desire to see Father John and receive his blessing. Father John arrived, blessed the sick man, talked to him and gave him communion. The next day, the patient felt more cheerful: he began to show interest in life, and his health improved noticeably and quickly. Doctor Nechaev said that this was certainly a miracle, because Golovachev’s disease was so clear and so clearly expressed that medicine could not have made a mistake in this case, and according to the dictates of science, the patient had to die and only by a miracle could he remain alive, but completely crippled, since the patient’s heart was forever organically damaged. Captain Golovachev soon recovered, grew stronger and became a completely healthy man, continued to serve in the ranks, spent the entire Great War and died in Petrograd from hunger in 1925-1926 under the Bolsheviks. I firmly remember this incident and cite it not by hearsay, but as an eyewitness - Captain Golovachev was my commander of the Life Guard battery in the 2nd Artillery Brigade.” 2) Lyudmila Dmitrievna Kasimova, living in Belgrade, Serbia. “My uncle, the landowner of the Kherson province, Sergei Kanevolsky suffered from epilepsy. His mother wrote a letter to Father John of Kronstadt, who replied that the sick man should read his letter and then he would recover. The patient was skeptical about this, but still read the letter, and the seizures stopped.” Chapter 82. Poems dedicated to Father John In memory of Father John Sergiev of Kronstadt Prostrated before the executioner! Now a painful reproach Many, many years ago: “Repent, brothers! The time is near Terrible disasters and hardships! Bears its bloody fruit. Like the ancient kingdoms once upon a time The Lord wiped it off the face of the earth For the sin of godlessness and debauchery, - This is how it will be with us today! Be strong, Russia, but also repent! Try with bitter tears Soften the Creator’s immeasurable wrath!” But the Russian heart is deep Mired in the sticky mud of evil. Russia did not heed the words of the prophet And she walked uncontrollably towards the abyss. Russia was looking for an “earthly paradise” Since then, as a bloody cloud Everything is noble and great. The Lord directed it at the people. To purify them like gold In the crucible of disasters and sorrows. And you can hear incessant crying. The cry of tormented Russia: "Christ, the All-Forgiving Savior, Forgive, have mercy and save!” And we will believe that salvation The Lord, by mercy, will send He will deliver the suffering people. On the death of the great shepherd Father John Ilyich Sergiev of Kronstadt A sad, rare chime The hour of mourning has struck over Russia, - At that hour, a quiet, undisturbed sleep The great shepherd has passed away... The purest light of faith has gone out. Flew to the Throne of God... Oh, Russia is my native country! Did you suffer this death? To whom now in the hour of grave sorrow? To whom for a word of consolation? Will you go, Russia, now – where?.. Who cares about their suffering now? Whom should we ask to pray? To whom shall we fall with tears?.. Who has fiery, living faith. Deep, pure, like crystal, - The flame of our faith will be supported. So that it doesn't go out at all?.. And we believe that in the villages above, In the radiance of unearthly glory - The good shepherd will not leave us That in days of despondency and suffering And our path in life is sad. In the madness of rebellion and rebellion. My soul is mired in vice and evil. Sons of the Orthodox Wonderful Kingdom They spread sedition across the Russian land. Bowing before the fiery mouth of the chimera. Doing the work of Judas maliciously. Destroyed the remnants of Divine faith And in the rage of the serpent they blasphemed the King. In crafty dreams, in sin and lack of faith, With a poisoned heart, with a rebellious soul, Russia stood at the threshold of hell, And the fatal hour was approaching, approaching. The fire caught fire, and the evil tempter. Swirling his spell, he rejoiced in the darkness; But the Bright Christ, the Merciful Savior Through the mouth of the prophet he called to Russia. And treating a sinful illness with repentance And in false teachings revealing deception. In the midst of evil, he shone with unearthly charm In the city of Kronstadt, Father John. And severely scourging evil untruths, Calling the rebellious people to the right faith, Illuminated by Christ, he spoke his word And he spoke of death from the red freedoms. In the port dens of debauchery and vodka, In the Kronstadt Cathedral and in the halls of the palace He spoke the bright truth, humble and meek. Watering dry hearts with tears. And he spoke a loud word to the people. Calling everyone to rally at the gates of the altar. He branded evil freedom with curses And he glorified the State of his native Tsar. And, boldly entering into spiritual battle, In the eyes reflecting the radiance of heaven. Praying for sinful people. He performed many great miracles. But the people laughed at God's prophet, And the Russian Eagle fought in the snares; And predicting death, in deep suffering, Father John departed to Christ. And the heavenly punishment was carried out menacingly, And the Divine thunder struck angrily, And Russia began to burn in the arms of a fire. Like the unfaithful Sodom in ancient times. Thoughts for the Day of the Angel of Father John of Kronstadt When Russia was lured to the abyss, To throw down with an unwavering hand, When everything is clean, all the best is stained Traitors with insane slander, And the dirt of hearts and the nakedness of vice A pedestal was erected on the golden one. The Lord sent a great prophet. To save us and avert collapse. But have we heeded the inspired verbs?! Having long since been petrified with callous hearts. We have given ourselves over to perishable passions more than ever, And God’s wrath punished Russia!.. So even now, having seen God’s punishment, Humbled my hearts in tears of repentance, With a prayer to the Lord, let us fall at His feet, And Russia will rise again by the grace of the Creator! Note. For the information of readers, I inform you: 1) that in the magazine “Russian Pilgrim” No. 4, dated January 24, 1909, many poems dedicated to Father John were published, and 2) that in the book trade of Mr. A. Schrout there is a collection of poems dedicated to Father John (about 100 poems); address: A. Schrut, Prag – III – 577, Kelicićša ul., 3. I express my deepest gratitude to the rector of the Belgrade parish, Father Archpriest John Sokal, a Kyiv academician, who always willingly helped me with his scholarship and pastoral experience. On pages 5, 21–23 it is mentioned that the impetus for the start of printing the second volume was given by the Sikorsky spouses 626. They donated money for the immediate publication of a small number of books on plain paper, in which all the miracles of Father John known to me would be placed, so that they would not remain unpublished in the event of my death. At the same time, the Sikorskys wrote to me that in peacetime it would be possible to reissue the second volume. However, the great wonderworker Father John of Kronstadt wanted the book about him to be published well, not only in terms of the amount of materials collected in it, but also in appearance. Therefore, he won the hearts of his ardent admirers - Colonel Alexei Alekseevich Bykov and Ilya Grigorievich Pinotsi - to help this publication. And indeed, Ilya Grigorievich Pinotsi donated money for the costs of finishing the printing of a large book of 370 pages and for beautiful covers with portraits of Father John for the books, and Alexey Alekseevich Bykov brought great joy to all readers of my book by taking on the costs and hassle of making portraits of Father John in paint for the books and 22 pictures from his life on vellum paper. Therefore, I cordially ask all readers who will be satisfied with the second volume of my book to repay the enlightened benefactors Alexei Alekseevich Bykov and Ilya Grigorievich Pinotsi for their boundless love for Christ and for His saint John of Kronstadt - to repay with what you all can, namely, remember in your prayers for the health and salvation of the Bykovs - Alexei and Varvara and Pinotsi - Elijah, Sophia, Elijah, Ivan, Iraida, Elena, Natalia, Iraida and Harald. I thank, as it were, on behalf of Father John himself and everyone who sent their contributions, great and small, and who personally worked on the publication of the second volume. I warmly thank Captain II Rank Ivan Nikolaevich Kaznakov, who came to see me every day and helped me with Christian love in absolutely everything. Together with him, I thank the court councilor Konstantin Antonovich Oshmyansky for his help in organizational work. I consider it my duty to express my sincere gratitude to the typographer collegiate assessor Mikhail Grigorievich Kovalev, who took upon himself the typesetting of the second volume at the same price as he charged in 1938 for the typesetting of the first volume, for this and for the fact that, taking what was typed to heart, he often helped me with advice. To Philip Logginovich Efimenko, in whose printing house this book was printed, I shake hands in a friendly manner for the trust and credit he showed me, and I sincerely thank him for pricing the work at the same prices that existed during the publication of the first volume. To my good Serbian friends: Milinka T. Bogdanovich, head of personnel, and Mila I. Bogdanovich, chief accountant of the Cadastre Branch where I served, I express my heartfelt gratitude for arranging for me the leave that I needed in December 1940 in order to finish the manuscript. I offer up boundless gratitude to the Lord God, the Mother of God, the great prophet and wonderworker John of Kronstadt, the prayer books, prayer books and guardian angels of my family for the fact that the Lord has vouchsafed me now to complete the work I undertook a long time ago in collecting memories of Father John and transmitting them to humanity. Day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, December 6, 1941. {aircraft. Edition of the ABC of Faith. } The Sikorsky family deeply revered the Kronstadt shepherd (see: Present volume. pp. 256–257 {Paragraph beginning: “From the author. Sent by Elizaveta Alekseevna.” Editorial of the ABC of Faith.}). Professor Ivan Alekseevich Sikorsky, the father of the aircraft designer, accompanied Father John during his visit to Kyiv in 1893, wrote a brochure about this visit (see note 30 {Footnote 398 “We are talking about the brochure “Father John Ilyich Sergiev”. Editorial of the ABC of Faith.}) and for many years retained a deep impression from the meeting with Father. Thus, in a letter dated March 4, 1902, Sikorsky wrote: “Dear Fr. John! Often and often I remember with joy those three days that I spent in communication with you in 1893, during your stay in Kyiv. At that time, I listened to your speeches, saw your meek face and was a participant in your fiery prayers. I consider those three days the best of my life and thank God who gave me these days. I never lose memories of you, I remember you with undiminished warmth of my soul and thank God for receiving Him through you. I ask you to remember me and pray for me. Loving you. AND. Sikorsky" (TsGIA SPb. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 3. L. 74). In addition to the important role of family memories, capital assistance to I.I. Sikorsky in the publication of the book “Father John of Kronstadt” is explained by his deep religiosity: being a man of science, Sikorsky also wrote theological works; his spiritual worldview was reflected in two books - “The Invisible Meeting” and “The Meaning of the Lord’s Prayer.” I.I.’s extensive charity work is also known. Sikorsky, provided to compatriots in exile: “In 1929, when the economic crisis broke out, unemployment began, and Igor Sikorsky’s American partners, not without irritation, said that “there must be limits to Russian-emigrant charity at our enterprise,” “Uncle Igor,” as his Russian colleagues called him, still did not fire Russian employees, but only by maneuvering, he transferred them from one position to another, from another to a third” (Kansky M. Russian genius // Russian Thought. 1972. November 9, No. 2920). The Holy Dormition Lavra, also called “Holy Studenica” after the name of the river near which it is located, is one of the main shrines of Orthodox Serbia, “the mother of Serbian churches” - was erected around 1183 by Stefan Nemanja, the great župan (king) of Serbia, later glorified as St. Simeon the Myrrh-Streaming. Currently, in this largest Serbian monastery the relics of St. Simeon the Myrrh-Streaming (Stephan Nemanja), St. Anastasia (in the world – Anna, wife of Stefan Nemanja), St. Stephen the First-crowned, in monasticism Simeon (the eldest son of Nemanja) and Saint Sava of Serbia (the youngest son of Nemanja), whose role in the Christian education of Serbia is especially great, Saint Sava founded the Studenitsa brotherhood and established the rules of monastic life (the so-called “Studenica Typikon”), erected the Ipostnitsa - two hermitage monasteries for extreme deeds and solitary prayer, supervised the construction of Žići, the largest convent, which became the residence of the Serbian archbishops. Archbishop Ioann Shakhovskoy, in 1927–1931 priest in Serbia (in the rank of hieromonk), wrote about the role of bishop. Nicholas (Velimirović) in the Orthodox life of the country: “Bishop Nicholas became the religious leader of Serbia. A great writer, thinker and poet, he also collaborated in secular newspapers in Belgrade, teaching among the people. (I remember his such a simple and sharp article in the newspaper “Politics”: “Voynich, don’t be a fool” - “Soldier, don’t swear” - a very relevant article not only for soldiers.) “Missionary letters” consoled the people, taught faith with the brevity of their literary form and the sharpness of religious thought” (Faith and Reliability. P. 23). See: Present. ed. T. 1. pp. 197–199. {Paragraph beginning: “The story of the wife of Colonel Ivan Ignatievich Tyulpanov...” Editorial of the ABC of Faith.} Protopresbyter Michael of Poland was an ardent promoter of the speedy canonization of Father John: “Shortly before his death, he especially persistently repeated: the canonization of the ever-memorable Father John of Kronstadt, carried out by the Russian Church Abroad, cannot but have decisive significance for the entire future path of Russian Orthodoxy. . After canonization, prayers to the newly revealed saint to the whole world, the Reverend Father John of Kronstadt, can pour out into such a boundless ocean of repentant tears, which is what the Lord needs in order to save Russia and give it the opportunity to say its unsaid last “word of exhortation” to the whole world about the need for nationwide repentance” (Prof. I.M. Andreev. In loving memory of a friend and fellow prisoner in Solovetsky concentration camp of Protopresbyter Father Michael of Poland // Orthodox Rus' (Jordanville, 1960. No. 11. P. 6). Ilyashevich may have been personally acquainted with Father Mikhail Polsky: in 1938, his book “On the Spiritual State of the Russian People under the Rule of Bolshevism” was published in Belgrade. In addition, Father Mikhail was widely known in emigration due to his exceptional fate: after serving 6 years in Solovki and then finding himself in exile in the Zyryansky region, he fled from there and, crossing the Soviet-Persian border, made his way to Palestine. He could also attract Ilyashevich’s attention because he was collecting materials about the Russian new martyrs, which he wrote about back in 1931: “I had a month left before my release from exile in the Zyryansky region. The long-awaited liberation was approaching and frightening me. My wife and mother died during the years of my separation from them, taking their longing for me to the Throne of the Most High; I have strength and, it seems, some materials that will not find any place in Russia other than prison and grave. However, all these were not reasons for me to flee abroad. I was simply saving my soul; not life, but soul. There were no obstacles to escaping from exile and crossing the border, except risking your life. But I decided to risk it too, because I am a weak person. I was afraid to give in, to fall, to betray the truth for which I fought” (Priest Mikhail. The position of the Church in Soviet Russia. Essay on a priest who fled from Russia. Jerusalem, 1931. P. 108). “Some materials” that Father Mikhail writes about were the beginning of the major work “New Russian Martyrs” (Jordanville. Vol. 1, 1943. Vol. 2: 1957). Word on the day of remembrance and celebration of the sacred anointing and crowning of the Most Pious Sovereign Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich on May 14, 1907 // New terrible words, 1906–1907. pp. 55, 41. See: Prot. I.I. Sergiev (Kronstadt). Word for the birthday of the Most Pious Empress Alexandra Feodorovna // New words and teachings, 1907–1908. pp. 6–7). The Great War in the 1920s–1930s. called the First World War 1914–1918. The interested, sympathetic attitude of the famous religious philosopher N.S. Arsenyev’s contribution to the book published by Ilyashevich is perhaps also explained by the fact that Father John in 1886, while in Berlin, lived with Arsenyev’s parents. In a letter on June 9/21 of this year, Father John informed his relatives: “...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” (Letters. June 9, 1886). In addition to long-standing family memories, the memory of Father John undoubtedly goes back to N.S.’s adolescence and youth. Arsenyev, which he spent in Moscow with his grandfather Vasily Sergeevich Arsenyev, at a time when Father John was there weekly. N. Arsenyev also showed attention to the personality of Father John thanks to the spiritual disposition of his family, which he writes about in his memoirs: “Grandfather was not only a Christian philosopher and mystic, but also an ardently convinced, ardent believer and humbly devoted son of the Orthodox Church. It is not for nothing that two of his five sons - my uncles Ivan Vasilyevich and Nikolai Vasilyevich - accepted the priesthood (long before the revolution): the atmosphere of their parents' home prepared them for this. The other - the eldest son, my father - was a diplomat and a passionate lover of history and archeology. We - I repeat - dearly loved and honored my father, but we lived in the spiritual element that our mother created. It was no longer only love, it was a touching feeling of something infinitely high, dear and dear, a feeling of some kind of touching, humble, soul-elevating intimacy, from which there was a shrine. Later - after my parents returned to Russia in 1916 - during the era of the greatest trials that came during the Bolshevik terror and incessant oppression, hunger, arrests and exiles - my mother sat for some time with my father in a Bolshevik prison and supported him spiritually there. She endured all the horrors of a hungry existence in Soviet Russia, without thinking about herself, suffering from hunger and at the same time giving her last. Soon after my father's death (in 1922) in Moscow) she voluntarily went into exile following her two youngest daughters, exiled to Arkhangelsk, where she stayed for 8 years. This was a time of greater and greater manifestation of her power of love and compassion: how could a person be so compassionate, so condescending to the needs and suffering of others, while suffering himself (both my sisters were torn away from her by the Soviet government and sent to a concentration camp in Solovki; upon release from there, they were arrested again and again). Her heart was breaking with anxiety for her children, but her prayer for them did not weaken. In 1933, she and her daughters came to join me in Königsberg, Germany, where I taught at the university. The Soviets released them with difficulty, for a large ransom, and then only thanks to the increased intervention of the British government (my mother’s sister, Lady Edgerton, was the widow of the British ambassador in Rome and, having many connections in England, worked for her). Her death - 80 years old - on August 13 (26), 1938, was truly highly Christian. Confidence in the Higher Life, confidence that there cannot and should not be a final separation, a joyful feeling of unquenchable love and an unforgettable, soul-enlightening example for those close and distant, emanates from her death and from her life” (N.S. Arsenyev. Gifts and meetings of life’s path. Frankfurt am Main, 1974. pp. 79–92). The above lines give a fairly vivid picture of the family whose guest Father John was for several days; N.S.’s troubles also become clearer. Arsenyev about the German edition of the book. What are the family ties of Father John with the family of General N.A. Leonardov, not established. In Father’s diary for 1869, Mikhail Leonardov is mentioned, a resident of Kronstadt, whom Father John visited (GARF. F. 1067. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 55 vol.). Most likely, we are talking about kinship through his wife – E.K. Sergieva. A. A. Nikolsky took an active part in the church and social life of Russian Belgrade, primarily as a spiritual writer and admirer of Father John. Thus, in the article “The Orthodox Church and Nicholas II,” Nikolsky conveys in particular detail that part of Bishop Anthony’s (Khrapovitsky) lecture, which dealt with the relationship between Father John and the Imperial family: “At the beginning of the reading, the Bishop outlined in brief but vivid outline the moral character of the Sovereign, his view of his life as destined for suffering, since he was born on May 6, the day of remembrance of Job the Long-Suffering, his religious disposition and the reverent respect he had for Father John of Kronstadt, whom his royal parents honored and respected" (New Time (Belgrade). 1929. December 26, No. 2599). This shortness is explained by the fact that Prince Cherkassky was Ilyashevich’s classmate at the School of Law; Ilyashevich belonged to the 52nd class (graduation year 1891), and Cherkassky belonged to the 53rd class (1892). – See: Memorial book of the Imperial School of Law for the academic year 1900–1901, St. Petersburg, 1900. P. 136. Family P.B. Struve was closely connected with the life of the Russian emigration in Serbia. P.B. himself Struve lectured in Belgrade; about his son, Archbishop. John (Shakhovskoy) left memories concerning the Russian Orthodox publishing house in the city of Belaya Tserkov (1926): “In the second room there was a corner where Konstantin Petrovich Struve (son of Peter Berngardovich), who had come from Paris to help my missionary work, settled, and graduated from the Sergius Theological Academy. Subsequently, he was tonsured in the Milkovo monastery, in Yugoslavia, with the name of Sava. Responding to the fraternal request of the Missionary Monastery in Pryashevskaya Rus', in Vladimirov, I sent Fr. Savva, a hardworking, meek and prayerful person. He died soon after the war, pastorally sacrificially helping the Carpatho-Russian peasants” (Faith and Credibility. pp. 18–19). Carpatho-Russians, or Rusyns, is the name of the East Slavic population of Galicia, Bukovina and Hungary. Book by sea writer D.V. Nikitin, who worked under the pseudonym Fokagitov, “On the Shore and at Sea: Excerpts from Memoirs” was published in Shanghai in the early 30s. “Naval Publishing House at the Wardroom of Naval Officers in San Francisco” (see: Polanski P. Russian printing in China, Japan and Korea. Catalog of the collection of the Hamilton Library of the University of Hawaii. M., 2002. P. 119). We are talking about the family of the Kronstadt merchant V.D. Nikitin, who in 1871 became the headman of St. Andrew's Cathedral. From exactly when Father John’s close acquaintance with Nikitin began has not been established. His name is not mentioned in Father's early diaries. However, in the 1870s. Father John really becomes a frequent guest in the Nikitins' house. So, on March 23, 1876, he writes in his diary: “They called me this morning at 8 o’clock to administer unction to Vasily Dmitrievich Nikitin and serve a prayer service: I drank sweet tea with pretzels. I drank three glasses in excess...” (GARF. F. 1067. Op. 1. D. 19. L. 112 vol.). In 1874 V.D. Nikitin, together with Father John, became one of the founders of the Church Parish Trusteeship at the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral. The trusteeship took the initiative to build the House of Diligence in Kronstadt, a new type of charitable institution that allowed the poor to earn their own food. Initially, due to a lack of funds, it was planned to build a small wooden house. After the death of Emperor Alexander II (March 1, 1881), the idea arose to dedicate the proposed construction to his memory. This decision made it possible to attract large donors and philanthropists and significantly expand the scale of the planned enterprise. In November 1881, Father John was part of the delegation of St. Andrew's parish guardianship, which included the Kronstadt mayor V.D. Nikitin visited Moscow in order to acquaint Moscow philanthropists with the establishment of the House of Diligence in Kronstadt in memory of the Tsar-Martyr. On December 7 of the same year, a fire occurred in Kronstadt, during which the wooden building of St. Andrew's Guardianship and the building of the House of Diligence burned down. The opening of the House, rebuilt after the fire, took place on October 10, 1882. Father John was awarded the Order of St. Anna, III degree, “for excellent and diligent service at the Kronstadt gymnasium as a teacher of the law” on April 15, 1878 (RGIA. F. 796. Op. 438. D. 2989). On April 24, he wrote in his diary: “On Monday, Fomin’s week, I received news from a courier that I had been awarded the Order of St. Anna III step (an order of wrangling: 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 that anyone performing peaceful duties be presented, but only those who had distinguished themselves in the military field, but presented it later when I decided to take my form from him)” (GARF. F. 1067. Op. 1. D. 21). Although individual submarines were designed and built before 1888, which is discussed here (1873 - Aleksandrovsky's steam and compressed air submarine, 1882 - Dzhevetsky's foot submarine), the first widespread use of submarines in the Russian fleet began during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. Cathedral in the name of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called, built in 1805–1817. architects C. Cameron and A.D. Zakharov, was closed in 1931, and blown up in 1932. See: Neva Orthodox Land. St. Petersburg, 2000. P. 17. For the healing of the paralytic, see: Joyful days in the life of the Molchansk Sophronium Hermitage. St. Petersburg, 1904. P. 16, 21–22. Father John arrived in the Molchanskaya (or Molchenskaya) Sofroniev Hermitage, Putivl district, Kursk province. August 21, 1903 at 8 pm; There, in the Assumption Church, he performed a prayer service. – See: Ibid. pp. 1–3. V.A. pointed out the enrichment of Serbian church life with the traditions of Russian Orthodoxy. Mayevsky, talking about the revival of the Milkovsky Monastery: “It’s been about five years since this old, abandoned Serbian monastery was handed over to Russian monks, most of them from the famous Optina Monastery and Valaam Monastery. Hegumen Fr. Ambrosy Kurganov is an educated, intelligent person, a university graduate and a former officer; after the revolution, he ended up in Optina Pustyn, fell in love with monastic life and decided to become a monk. In exile, Bishop Mitrofan Branichevsky invited him to build a communal monastery in poor Milkovo in the image of old Russian monasteries. Now there are about 40 monks and novices in Milkovo, and with its strict ascetic life this monastery has won the favor of the Holy Patriarch and the general respect of the surrounding population" (VL. Mayevsky. Serbian Patriarch Varnava and his time. Novi Sad, p. 285). A line from Lermontov’s poem “Prayer” (1839). See p. 124, vol. 1. See: present. ed. T. 1. P. 111. {Paragraph beginning: “Chapter 36. An attempt to establish...” Editorial of the ABC of Faith.} See: Present. ed. T. 1. P. 77. {Paragraph beginning: “One day,” says Bishop Metropolitan Anthony...” Edition of the ABC of Faith. } See page 131 of the first volume of my book “Father John of Kronstadt”. See: Present. ed. T. 1. pp. 116–119. {Paragraph beginning: “Priest Father John Albov in the Russian Pilgrim...”. Editorial of the ABC of Faith.} The Kronstadt uprising began on October 26, 1905 in the 2nd fortress battalion, and by the evening 40 soldiers were arrested. The sailors tried to free them, but in a collision with the convoy, two of the attackers were killed. In response, the 4th and 7th naval crews, as well as mine training and artillery training detachments, rebelled. By the end of the day, they were joined by miner soldiers, artillerymen, other naval crews and part of the workers (in total about 3 thousand sailors and 7.5 thousand soldiers). Kronstadt actually found itself in the hands of the rebels, but the lack of leadership and discipline led to pogroms of wine warehouses, shops and residential buildings. On October 27, troops arriving from St. Petersburg and Oranienbaum suppressed the uprising. The version about “disguised foreigners” who provoked the uprising became widespread. Thus, Father John, in a letter to Abbess Taisia ​​dated October 31, 1905, reported: “But in all likelihood, the culprits are Jews who bribed our hooligans to kill, rob, and burn Russian people with fires” (Letters. October 31, 1905). According to the Church Charter, this is how it should be (Auth.). The missionary congress in Orel took place from September 16 to 24, 1901. Despite its diocesan status, the congress attracted the attention of major schism scholars, sectologists and missionaries of the time. The work of the congress was attended by Professor of the Kazan Theological Academy Ivanovsky, editor of the Missionary Review V.M. Skvortsov, Bishop of Oryol Nikanor (Kamensky). At the last meeting of the congress, the provincial leader of the nobility M.A. spoke. Stakhovich with a speech on freedom of religion, which, in particular, said: “They will ask me: “What do you want?” Permission not only to fall away from Orthodoxy with impunity, but also the right to confess one’s faith with impunity, that is, to seduce others? Is this meant by freedom of conscience? Especially confidently among you missionaries, I will answer: yes, only this is called freedom of conscience” (Missionary Review. 1901. November. P. 535). Bishop Nikanor immediately responded polemically to Stakhovich’s speech: “It is not freedom from conscience that right-thinking people should seek, nor should people who strive for the good of Russia and the firm standing of the Orthodox Church and its living action among its members and among the erring, speak about freedom of conscience, but about the correction of human conscience, about its ordering, enlightenment and correction, for it is rare, very rare that one can meet a good conscience, and darkened, vicious and even burned consciences are constantly encountered” (Ibid. p. 544). Father John, in a sermon delivered in Moscow in the church at the Lepekhin hospital in the same 1901, mentions Stakhovich along with L.N. Tolstoy, as an “apostate” of the faith and destroyer of the Church (Prot. I.I. Sergiev (Kronstadt). Against Count L.N. Tolstoy, other heretics and sectarians of our time and schismatics. St. Petersburg, 1902. P. 59). On freedom of conscience, see also note. 65 to the first volume. {Footnote 128 “This refers to the manifesto of October 17, 1905.” Editorial of the ABC of Faith.} At the beginning of the last century, a cow, for example, cost 2.5 rubles. Some letters from M.P. have been preserved in the St. Petersburg Historical Archive. Duhamel, testifying that there was correspondence between her and Father John; Thus, in her letter dated January 10, 1899, she thanks Father for his kind letter and asks, if his health improves, to visit her son-in-law, Baron Alexander Nikolaevich Korf (Mokhovaya No. 43). TsGIA SPb. F. 2219. Op. 1. D. 14. L. 80–81. Prof. Sikorsky in his brochure (see note 30 {Footnote 398 “We are talking about the brochure “Father John Ilyich Sergiev”.” Editorial of the ABC of Faith.}) is silent about the reasons for Father John’s visit to Kyiv, indicating only that Father’s arrival was surrounded by “all sorts of secrets” (P. 4). However, the very nature of the scientific activity of Sikorsky, a professor of mental and nervous diseases, who accompanied Father John during his stay in Kyiv, testifies to the authenticity of Ogurtsov’s story. In 1886, Father John already visited Countess Orlova-Davydova in Berlin, which he reported in a letter to his wife dated June 9 (21): “I visited the mentally ill Countess Orlova-Davydova (nee Arsenyev). 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” (Letters. June 9, 1886). About Father John’s acquaintance with the Arsenyev family, see also note. 9. {Footnote 365 “An interested, sympathetic attitude...”. Editorial of the ABC of Faith.} Grand Duchess Alexandra Petrovna (Anastasia of Kiev) founded the Intercession Convent in Kyiv in 1889, where she settled. In 1891, after the death of her husband, Alexandra Petrovna secretly took monastic vows with the name Anastasia. The Intercession Convent, which in Kyiv was called the “Princess Monastery,” carried out a broad educational and charitable mission: it published spiritual literature, operated a hospital for the poor, a shelter for terminally ill women, a shelter for the blind, a school and a shelter for orphan girls. The princess herself lived in a simple cell, performed the duties of a surgeon’s assistant during operations, supervised the nutrition and spiritual life of the sick (Levitsky G. Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Alexandra Petrovna (monastically Anastasia): Biographical sketch. Kyiv, 1904; Taisiya (Kartsova), monk. Russian Orthodox female monasticism XVIII–XX centuries. Jordanville, 1988. pp. 239–240). We are talking about the brochure “Father John Ilyich Sergiev (Kronstadt) and his stay in Kiev” (Kiev, 1893; ed. 2. Kiev, 1899). Vasily Mikhailovich Skvortsov was then a seminary teacher and an official on special assignments under the Kiev Governor-General. Subsequently, he served as an official of special assignments under the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod with the rank of Privy Councilor. Died in 1932, 76 years old, in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (Auth.). The six-year seminary education system included three two-year departments: lower (rhetoric), secondary (philosophy) and higher (theology). At the end of the school year, academic performance was assessed on a 10-point system, and students were assigned to one of two categories: the first 14 students fell into the first (highest) category, the rest into the second. The Second All-Diaspora Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad with the participation of clergy and laity was held from August 1/14 to August 11/24, 1938 in Sremski Karlovci. In addition to its chairman, Metropolitan Anastassy, ​​the Council was attended by 12 archbishops and bishops, 26 pastors and 58 delegates. The most important final documents of the Council are “Message to the Russian people, suffering in the Fatherland” and “Message to the Russian flock, living in dispersion.” “The Message to the Russian People, Suffering in the Fatherland” began with these words: “Divine Providence was pleased to lay a heavy cross on the shoulders of the Russian people, and none of us is spared from temptations. If you are destined to suffer in the land of our fathers, then we are destined to eat the bread of sickness in foreign lands along the paths of our exile. The distant spaces that remove us from our Motherland have not alienated our hearts from it. Bound by the bonds of unbreakable brotherly love, as well as by the common sorrows and illnesses that befell us with all of you, we always carry in our hearts our crucified Mother Russia.” This refers to Samara, where in 1892–1904. The bishop's chair was occupied by His Eminence Gury (Burtasovsky). Father John was in the city on June 27–28, 1894, during his trip down the Volga, and on June 30 of the same year, on his way back. During this visit of Father, Bishop Gury took the initiative to build a new church in the beyond-Samara part of the city “in honor of that St. saint of God, whose name is Father John of Kronstadt" (RP. 1894. No. 38. P. 607). Father John gratefully accepted this offer, promising prayerful and material support for the construction of the church and a school attached to it, and expressed a desire to come to the consecration of the church. Consecration of the church in honor of St. John of Rylsky, which was attended by Father John of Kronstadt, took place on January 19–20, 1902. The incident described in the memoirs of P.A. Sokolova, most likely took place on June 27, 1894, during Father John’s first visit to Samara. An eyewitness who witnessed the meeting of Vladyka Guria with Father John in the chambers of the Right Reverend recalled: “When saying goodbye to Father John, Vladyka touchingly began to once again ask for his prayers before the Heavenly Father so that through the works of the Right Reverend the good of the Samara flock would be created. And the Vladyka bowed his knees... The Shepherd, amazed and struck by the humility of the Archpastor, himself prostrated himself before him...” (Samara EV. 1894. No. 14-15. Ch. Neof. P. 569). About the church-tomb of Father John in the Ioannovsky Monastery, see in KP-2 the article by M. Shkarovsky “Sisters of the Ioannovsky Monastery - spiritual daughters of Father John of Kronstadt”, as well as: St. John’s stauropegial convent. History of the monastery. St. Petersburg, 1998, pp. 82–86. The most severe Red Terror began in Petrograd in the fall of 1918. At the same time, the first of the sisters of the monastery were shot: a club was set up in the upper church of the Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles. Soon the period of confiscation of the monastery property began. The abbess of the monastery, Angelina, and the rector of the churches, Archpriest John of Ornatsky, were repeatedly subjected to humiliating procedures involving being called to the police. In the end, they were accused of organizing opposition to the seizure of church valuables. Both of them were among the accused at the trial of the flower of the Petrograd clergy, organized by the godless authorities. The trial began on June 10, 1922. On April 18, 1923, a decision was made to liquidate the monastery. The (unsuccessful) attempts to transfer the relics of Father John of Kronstadt to one of the Petrograd cemeteries also date back to this time. By mid-November 1923, all churches of the monastery were closed. The author of the memoirs incorrectly indicates the date of the events described. Father John participated in the consecration of the Church of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir in Astrakhan on July 15, 1902. He was invited to the consecration by local merchants E.S. Kulikov and I.I. Gubin. Father visited Tsaritsyn on the way back, passing through, as he reported in a letter to Abbess Taisia ​​dated July 15 of the same year: “Today I am leaving the city, to Tsaritsyn by boat, and from there by rail to Moscow” (Letters. July 15, 1902). In the summer of 1890, Father John traveled to his homeland, to Sura, to inspect the construction work on the construction of the St. Nicholas Cathedral, which was being built on his initiative. In a letter to E.K. Sergieva on August 18, 1890, he reported: “I was in Sura - I arrived on August 12 in the evening, and how happy I was when I saw the Church and the bell tower almost finished - it’s difficult to convey in words. The building of the Church and the bell tower is excellent and beautiful” (Letters. August 18, 1890). The Arkhangelsk Provincial Gazette on August 22 (No. 67) reported that on August 20, Father John arrived in Arkhangelsk from Kholmogory, near which his married sister Anna lived in the village of Matigory. Father stayed in Arkhangelsk for three days and went to Kronstadt “via Vologda, Yaroslavl and Moscow” (Ibid.). The stone monastery church in Sura was consecrated on June 12, 1915 by Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory Nathanael (Troitsky) in honor of the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The church also had chapels in memory of All Saints and the Great Martyr Queen Alexandra. In 1920, the monastery was closed and services in the church stopped. In the 1970s the building of the ruined church was converted into a club (see: KP-1. P.213:257). There is probably an error in the reading year. V. I. Popov’s speech at the ceremonial meeting of the “Society in Memory of Father John of Kronstadt” was published in the magazine “Kronstadt Shepherd” in 1916 (No. 35. P. 487–495; No. 36. P. 505–506). Since the cathedral in the St. John the Theological Monastery in Sura had already been consecrated by this time, a corresponding note was included in the text of the speech. In September of the same year, the speech was published as a separate brochure, as evidenced by the letter from Father John Ornatsky to the Chairman of the Society, Father Alexander Dernov, dated September 20, 1916: “According to the wishes of V.I. Popov, I made 100 reprints of his article. I am sending 3 prints to Your Reverence, and I am sending 75 to Arkhangelsk. Forgive me for not asking your consent for the reprints, but this is a small expense, and it would be inconvenient to refuse the venerable author” (TsGIA St. Petersburg. F. 2216. Op. 1. D. 9. L. 11–11 vol.). Father John visited his homeland every year, starting in 1888, when the ceremonial laying of a new stone three-altar church in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was carried out in Sura. The last visit of Father John to Arkhangelsk and the laying of the stone building of the Sura Monastery metochion took place in June 1906. In May 1907, Father John visited Sura, but due to poor health he no longer visited Arkhangelsk (KP-1. P. 45, 207). For the Johannite sect, see note. 5 to volume 1 {Footnote 10 “Members of the Johannite sect deified Father John...”. Edition of the ABC of Faith.} and 107 to the 2nd volume {Footnote 523 “Missionary trip of Father John,..”. Editorial of the ABC of Faith.}. Surrounded by Father John was a certain Porfiria Kiseleva, who received the nickname “The Mother of God of Kronstadt.” She created one of the largest Johannite communities, first in Oranienbaum and then in Kronstadt, and was a central figure in the prayer meetings of the Johannites. Father John has repeatedly publicly stated that Porphyria was never under his protection and that “only stupid, ignorant men once gave her such a name; just like me – the name of Christ.” In the newspaper “Petersburg Leaflet” about Porfiria Kiseleva, Father wrote: “Be calm, readers of the Leaflet, regarding Kiseleva, and believe me that she is nothing more than a sick, repentant sinner; but we are not all without sin; and so that you are not tempted by her presence in Kronstadt, she will leave tomorrow for Oranienbaum. As for the Johannite heresy, created by idle people, I myself, as a strict zealot of piety, will never allow it, and it never happened. But there was only temporary chatter of ignorance, and now it is gone” (1905. April 2, No. 83). Nevertheless, the teaching that deified Father John became quite widespread in Russia, and Father had to make several missionary trips in order to expose the most zealous Johnnites. Father John's grief over this religious error is described by the missionary D.I. Bogolyubov: "Father John, frightened by the appearance of his unreasonable admirers among the people, personally told me in Kronstadt: “They are self-willed. And they are spreading nonsense about me throughout Russia. I have never seen them - different admirers - I have never seen them. From afar, I ask everyone only one thing: be submissive to the Mother Church"" (Bogolyubov D.I. About the so-called Ioannites in the Russian people. St. Petersburg, 1909. P. 26). V. V. Protopopov’s play “Black Crows,” depicting the Johannite sectarians, was written in 1907 and was soon staged in St. Petersburg and on the stages of provincial theaters. Soon the play was banned as a result of numerous protests, among which a particularly significant role was played by the statement in the press by Bishop Nikon (Rozhdestvensky) of Saratov. A detailed commentary on the situation with the “Black Crows” is the article by V.M. Skvortsova, written in the form of an open letter to V.V. Protopopov: “Why is Mr. Bulgakov’s opinion so authoritative for you, when other, no less authoritative experts in sectarianism have decisively told you that the idea of ​​fighting the darkness of sectarianism through the stage is although worthy of attention, but that your play does not stand up to criticism from the point of view of sectarianism, that it is some kind of caricature and parody of sectarian types and a poorly disguised mockery of Orthodox shrines, The highlight of the play lies in the ridicule of Father John of Kronstadt when his admirers expressed grief to him over the public disgrace on stage of his name - rejoicing in spirit and making the sign of the cross, he used to say: “Glory to God for everything, not everything is praise, we must bear the shame with peace and joy.” Skvortsov. Reply to an open letter from the author of “Black Ravens” to Father John of Kronstadt // Bell. 1908. No. 576. January 17). In the same article, Skvortsov reports that Protopopov at one time was briefly acquainted with Father John, in particular, “accompanied Father John on his trips by steamship to the Arkhangelsk province” (Ibid.). Slander against Father John, who allegedly made a huge fortune, is typical of militant atheists of both pre-revolutionary and post-revolutionary times (See, for example: Yudin N.I. The Truth about the St. Petersburg Saints. L. 1966). Meanwhile, immediately after Father’s death, an inventory of his property was compiled, according to which only 26 rubles remained in cash. 50 kopecks (see: Inventory of the movable property in Bose of the late Archpriest Father John Ilyich Sergiev (Kronstadt). Kronstadt, 1909. P. 18). The question of the inheritance of Father John was dealt with by the bailiff A. Vitovich, who in his brochure “The Inheritance of Father John” (b/m, 1909) sets out in detail the further fate of the things and money left after Father. The consecration of the new building of the Sursky metochion in Arkhangelsk took place on October 19, 1907. With the blessing of Bishop Ioannikiy of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory, the consecration of the metochion church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear” was performed by Father Mikhail Sibirtsev in the co-service of the city clergy. Due to illness, Father John could not personally attend the celebration. On his instructions, the priest of the Ioannovsky Monastery, Father John of Ornatsky, went to the consecration with the gift he had prepared. The local newspaper reported: “To the shrine of the church and as a blessing to the nuns of the courtyard and monastery, he sent in a precious reliquary, enclosed in a large oak case, particles of the relics of 29 saints and particles of the Tree of the Cross of Christ. This ark was brought on the eve of the consecration of the church - on October 18, by a priest from St. Petersburg, Fr. John of Ornatsky, a relative of Fr. Archpriest John, and placed in the wooden chapel of the courtyard. On October 19, Father’s envoy expressed “gratitude on behalf of Father John to the governor of the province and other guests for participating in the holiday” (Arkhangelsk EV. 1907. No. 20. 30 Oct. Part of the official P. 696). The consecration was attended by Abbess Porfiria, the sisters of the monastery, and numerous residents of the city (KP-1. p. 208). Since November 1907, Dimitri Andreevich Fedosikhin, who was transferred to the Arkhangelsk diocese from Tverskaya at the personal request of Father John, served as a priest at the church of the Sursky Monastery in Arkhangelsk. In a letter to Bishop Ioannikiy (Kazan) of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory dated October 16, 1907, Father John wrote: “The Lord sent me a suitable Priest for the church of the Sursky Metochion in Arkhangelsk, recently ordained from the laity by His Eminence Alexy, Archbishop of Tver. He had been known to me for a long time, even when he was a layman; married, has two children; deeply religious and pious, meek and humble, about 40 years old” (GAAO. F. 29. Op. 2. T. 6. D. 525. L. 6–6 vol.). Father Dimitri enjoyed the love and respect of the sisters of the courtyard and the parishioners of the courtyard church. In one of his sermons, Father John explained the deep reasons for his rejection of smoking: “Look with attention at the life of modern man, how unnatural it is, not to mention not grace-filled, how not Christianly led. Look how he perverted the most sensual pleasures. For the sense of smell and taste, and partly for the breath itself, he invented and burns an almost incessantly pungent and odorous smoke - bringing this, as it were, a constant censer to the demon living in the flesh - he infects the air of his home and the external air with this smoke, and first of all, he himself is saturated with this stench - and here you have the constant coarsening of his feelings and his heart by the constantly absorbed smoke cannot but affect the subtlety of the heartfelt feeling; he imparts to him carnality, rudeness, sensuality” (Word IV. Thoughts about vodka, tobacco and foul language // New menacing words of Father John (Kronstadt), pronounced in 1907 “On the terrible judgment of God that is coming and approaching.” St. Petersburg, 1908. P. 12). According to the biographer of Patriarch Varnava (Rosich) V.A. Mayevsky, the future Serbian Patriarch, when he was a student at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, “had the opportunity to know, see, talk with Father John, hear inspired speeches, pray during his heartfelt services”: “While most students devoted their idle leisure to entertainment and recreation, student Rosich worked diligently in an educational and preaching circle, with his colleagues going around working-class neighborhoods and basements the poor or by attending spiritual, religious, philosophical and other meetings and lectures. Rosich was a member of a religious and philosophical circle of Christian youth, which regularly met in the auditorium of the Religious and Educational Society (Society for Religious and Moral Education in the Spirit of the Orthodox Church - Ed.) on Stremyannaya under the leadership of the chairman of this society - Archpriest. philosopher Ornatsky. As can be seen from the personal memoirs of Patriarch Varnava, visits to the academy by the current Metropolitan Anthony Khrapovitsky and Father John of Kronstadt left a deep mark on the soul of student Rosich. In conclusion of our description and characteristics of the time, persons and the most important church events that were supposed to have a beneficial influence on the church growth of the future high priest of the Serbian Church during his stay in Russia, it is necessary to note the impressions and observations that the students of the St. Petersburg Academy made from direct spiritual communication with the famous All-Russian pastor Fr. John Sergius of Kronstadt" (Maevsky V.A. Serbian Patriarch Barnabas and his time. Novy Sad, 1931. P. 50, 58, 60–61). The role of Patriarch Varnava in the life of the Russian emigration is stated in his obituary: “The history of Russia will write the name of the late saint on its pages in golden letters, not only for his purely filial love for Russia. For his sympathy for the Russian people, for his always sensitive responsiveness to the needs of the Russian emigration, but, mainly, for the fact that from the height of the patriarchal throne he reminded civilized peoples of their duty to Russia and its merits, that he denounced them for their indifference and heartlessness.” (St. Patriarch Varnava // Hourly. 1937. August 5, No. 194. P. 1). The Kingdom of the CXC arose on December 1, 1918. It united Serbia, Montenegro and the former Yugoslav provinces of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy (Croatia, Slovenia, Dalmatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina). In 1929, the Kingdom received the official name Yugoslavia. The attitude of Father Pyotr Belovidov towards the society in memory of Father John of Kronstadt has improved significantly over time. Apparently, it was about him that Sursky wrote: “But there were also those, like the archpriest mentioned on page 73 of this book, who completely changed his attitude towards the memory of Father John, contributed to his glorification and died a righteous man” (Present vol. p. 554, ch. 79). Apparently, the change in attitude was facilitated by the general atmosphere in the Belgrade Holy Trinity Church, about which Bishop Mitrofan (Znosko) recalled: “The most dear place for me in Belgrade was the Holy Trinity Church with its statutory services, a wonderful choir. The miraculous image of the Kursk-Root, the banners of the Russian Imperial Army, the ministry of Metropolitan Anthony and his sermons, the composition of the clergy led by the unforgettable Fr. Peter Belovidov - all this attracted me to the Trinity Church. Before me even now is a touching picture of fidelity in love for Russia: former military men enter the church in their old greatcoats and uniforms, venerate the holy images, approach the banners and, making the sign of the cross, kiss the flagpole, on their faces are tears of repentance and pain for Russia" (Mitrofan (Znosko), bishop. Chronicle of one life. M., 1995. pp. 38–39). The volunteer fleet was established in Russia in 1878, immediately after the end of the Turkish campaign. The danger of a new war and the small number of military vessels gave rise to a patriotic movement to create a Voluntary Fleet with private donations, which first unfolded in Moscow and then in St. Petersburg. Already in June 1878, three cruisers purchased for the Voluntary Fleet arrived in Kronstadt. However, on August 1 of the same year, when political difficulties were eliminated, the cruisers lowered the military flag and, raising the commercial one, left Kronstadt for the Black Sea, where they began transporting troops from the theater of war to Odessa and Sevastopol. The movement, however, received further development, and by 1916 the Voluntary Fleet already consisted of 42 ocean-going steamships with a total carrying capacity of 5,900,000 pounds. Father John was closely acquainted with some of the leaders of this movement. Thus, in 1903, the chairman of the naval branch of the Voluntary Fleet Committee was Adjutant General K.N. Posyet, the same department included Count I.I. Vorontsov-Dashkov, and midshipman M.K. served in the office of the Committee. Prudnikov (Poggenpohl M. Essay on the emergence and activities of the Voluntary Fleet during its 25-year existence. St. Petersburg, 1903. pp. 252–253). Father John played a decisive role in the formation of the Virovsky monastery (now the territory of Poland), which was created by the nun Anna (Potto) - one of the “students” of the Lesninsky abbess Catherine (Efimovskaya). Already in the second year of the monastery’s existence, in 1895, the first help came from Father: “A year passed, and the poverty in Virov was indescribable,” wrote the historian of the monastery. Nun Anna and 12 sisters worked tirelessly, helping local peasants, but the moment came when they did not have a penny of money or a crumb of bread left. “Just on this day, Fr. sent his first letter with money to nun Anna. John of Kronstadt. The highly ascetic, educational and charitable activities of nun Anna in Wirow became famous in Warsaw, Moscow and St. Petersburg. Help began to be sent to her from everywhere. The most merciful father of John of Kronstadt began to especially favor her, who even visited Anna’s monastery” (Virovskaya Convent of the All-Merciful Savior (Sedletsk province, Sokolovsky district). Warsaw, 1908. pp. 14–15). The visit to the monastery took place on September 19, 1900. during Father's journey to the West of Russia. Montecristo small-caliber rifle or pistol. This refers to the Znamenskaya (Entrance of Jerusalem) Church, located at the beginning of Nevsky Prospekt, opposite the Nikolaevsky, now Moscow, station. It is not known whether Father John had the opportunity to serve in it, but it was near the Church of the Sign that crowds of people awaited the return of Father from his trips around Russia. It has not been established what kind of assassination attempt we are talking about. The St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral was partially restored in 1901: Golgotha ​​appeared in the upper church and heating was installed. In a letter to the staff of the Father John of Kronstadt Foundation dated August 21, 1951 from Santiago (Chile), V.I. Ignatiev writes about his acquaintance with Father John and Ilyashevich. Being himself a native of Kronstadt, Ignatiev lived before becoming an officer in this city, and Father John repeatedly visited the Ignatiev house. In the same letter, Ignatiev considers it necessary to emphasize the factual principle on which Ilyashevich’s book is based: “When compiled by Mr. I.K. The Sursky book in 2 volumes “Father John of Kronstadt” was given by me and my wife the following information, which can be confirmed by us under oath, for inclusion in the published book: this information was included in the 2nd volume and printed on the following pages” (On the 50th anniversary of the death of Father John of Kronstadt. New York, 1958. P. 233). On the participation of Father John in the life of the Leoninsky Holy Mother of God Monastery, see: Ornatskaya G.I. Lesninsky Holy Mother of God Convent. // KP-2. This refers to the so-called “Balkan Wars” of 1912–1913. First World War and Civil War. The story of Fyodor Gavrilovich Shubin, among others, was cited by Ilyashevich in his speech on February 2, 1917 at the Readings at a meeting of members of the society in memory of Father John of Kronstadt and contained information about Shubin’s social origin, which clarified the question of how a student could profess the Old Belief: “As a child, in the house of my parents there lived a student, from the peasants, who taught me” (Ya. Ilyashevich. Several memories from the life of Father John of Kronstadt // KP 1917. No. 7. P. 101). We are talking about Mikhail Feodorovich Soyuzov, appointed in October 1893 (after completing a course at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy with a candidate of theology degree) as a deacon at St. Andrew's Cathedral in Kronstadt; from where in May 1895 he was ordained to the church of the 2nd Cadet Corps. Father Mikhail Soyuzov is the author of the “Historical Note on the Church of the 2nd Cadet Corps. 1743–1804 and 1804–1904." St. Petersburg, 1904. Perhaps Mikhail Soyuzov’s father-in-law was Alexander Ivanovich Taratin (1834–1899), the son of a priest, who graduated from the lower department of the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary. In Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral he served from 1835, first as a sexton, from 1842 as a deacon, and from 1875 as a priest. In 1897, Father Alexander Taratin was elevated to the rank of archpriest. He is mentioned repeatedly in the diaries of Father John. The Russian House named after Emperor Nicholas II was opened in Belgrade on April 9, 1933 in the presence of King Alexander I Karageorgievich and the entire royal family. The idea of ​​the Russian House was associated with the concept of “Russian Athens,” that is, the provision for the development of a national emigrant culture that was supposed to return to Russia. The head of the Russian House was A. Belich, chairman of the State Commission for Assistance to Russian Refugees and the Russian Cultural Committee. The Russian House housed many emigrant organizations: the world's only museum of Emperor Nicholas II, which stored things, documents, paintings and photographs related to the life of the Imperial family; State Commission for Assistance to Russian Refugees; Russian Scientific Institute; Russian Military Scientific Institute; Russian Cavalry Museum; men's Russian-Serbian gymnasium; women's Russian-Serbian gymnasium; Russian primary school; Russian Musical Society; Russian art society and workshops of painters and sculptors: Unions of former officers-pilots, cadets, Cossacks; Russian gymnastics society "Sokol"; Union of Russian Writers and Journalists in Yugoslavia; Russian Drama Theater headed by Yu. Rakitin and Russian Public Theater headed by A. Cherepov. The Russian House existed until 1941. Majorate is an estate inherited by right of seniority in the clan. Kalisz province was located in the western part of the former Kingdom of Poland on the border with Prussia. The provincial town is Kalisz (now Poznan Voivodeship in Poland). In 1941, when German troops invaded Yugoslavia, the country was dismembered into parts that went to Germany, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria and Albania; The puppet Independent State of Croatia was created. Therefore, in the 2nd volume of the book, Sursky uses the designation “b. Yugoslavia”, i.e. “former Yugoslavia”. The Dreyling family was widely known in Russian Belgrade. Thus, a prominent figure in the Russian emigration, Roman Konstantinovich Dreyling (1880–1945), one of the founders of military psychology, headed the Russian Falcons (a youth patriotic organization). At a meeting dedicated to the kidnapping of General A.P. Kutepov by NKVD agents, Dreyling gave a speech about the continuity of General Kutepov with the old traditions of the Russian Army (Chasovoy. 1937. February 20, No. 185. P. 20). His further fate was tragic: in 1945 he was taken from Belgrade to the USSR and died in the Yavas camp (Mordovia). Probably, Father John had in mind the Reverend. Seraphim (Chichagov), who was Bishop of Oryol and Sevsky in 1907. On December 5, Bishop Seraphim (Chichagov), as well as Bishop Hermogenes (Dolganov) and Archpriest. John Vostorgov visited Father John in his house in Kronstadt (Kotlin. 1907. December 8, No. 277). This monastery, founded by St. Arseny on the Ladoga island of Konevets at the end of the 14th century was a significant cultural center of medieval Rus'. The main shrine of the monastery is the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, famous for its miracles, brought from Athos by St. Arseny, which received the name Konevskaya, is now in Finland, in the cathedral church of the New Valaam Monastery. In August 1944, the brethren left the island, which became part of the Soviet Union (a naval base was established on the island). In 1990, the monastery buildings were returned to the St. Petersburg diocese and the restoration of the monastery began. General Olkhovsky was then the commander of the XXII Army Corps and all troops and institutions located in Finland, and I was the chief of staff there (Author). Memories are not entirely accurate. This refers to the “Conversation of the Kronstadt archpriest Father John Ilyich Sergiev with the clergy of the Sarapul vicarage, which took place on June 21, 1904 in the city of Sarapul” (see note 128 to the first volume {Footnote 246 “Conversation of Father John of Kronstadt with the pastors on June 21.” Editorial of the ABC of Faith .}). The initiator of the conversation was Bishop Mikhei (Alekseev) of Sarapul, vicar of the Vyatka diocese. He also published a recording of this conversation edited by Father John in the Yekaterinburg Diocesan Gazette (Ekaterinburg EV. 1904. No. 23. pp. 665–676). In 1909, His Eminence Micah, who by that time had become Bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory, published this conversation as a separate brochure. Father John visited Kyiv on September 5–10, 1897. In 1884 Vl. S. Solovyov published the work “Jewishness and the Christian Question” (M., 1884), in which he wrote that the resolution of the Jewish question is possible only in the case of “a truly Christian attitude towards Judaism” (p. 3). Subsequently, he repeatedly advocated in the press for granting full civil rights to Russian Jews. In May 1890, Solovyov wrote an article “On the anti-Semitic movement in the press,” which “due to a purely accidental, very interesting circumstance, did not appear in the press for which it was intended” (Getz F. On the attitude of Vl. S. Solovyov to the Jewish question. M., 1902. P. 43). Perhaps it was for the publication of this article that Solovyov asked Father John for his blessing. Father John was closely acquainted with another son of the famous historian S.M. Solovyov - Vsevolod Sergeevich Solovyov (1849–1903), historical novelist (“Princess of Ostrogozhskaya”, “Young Emperor”, “The Tsar Maiden”, “Voltairian”, etc.) and publisher of the magazine “North”. It was on the pages of this publication, at the very beginning of Father John’s glory, that Father’s autobiography and an essay by Vs. S. Solovyov, who, describing his first meeting with the Kronstadt shepherd in August 1888 and further acquaintance, tried to define the phenomenon of Father John: “Even the coldest, most skeptical people, even those who consider it “reprehensible” and “unworthy” for themselves to believe anything other than coarse matter, somehow fall silent at the name of Father John and involuntarily treat him with respect" (Sever. 1888. No. 49. pp. 14–15). The role of Sun is great. S. Solovyov and as the initiator of the creation of this early autobiography of Father John, the publication of which is preceded by the words of the publisher: “This is what he told me about himself at my request” (Ibid. p. 15). Magnetize - hypnotize, expose to the action of living magnetism, depriving consciousness and free will; induce sleep, oblivion, clairvoyance, etc. Father John was awarded the golden pectoral cross issued by the Holy Synod on April 19, 1870 “for excellent and diligent service and performance of his duties” (RGIA. F. 796. Op. 438. D. 2989). On August 10, 1904, Father John, who participated in the Baptism of the heir Alexei, was given the highest award of a gold pectoral cross, decorated with sapphires, diamonds and two gold medallions of fine chased work (Kotlin. 1904. August 13, No. 182). Father John wrote to Abbess Taisia ​​about this event in a letter dated August 18 of the same year: “I had the good fortune to participate in the celebration of the Baptism of the Heir to the Tsarevich and receive the Highest gift - the pectoral cross” (Letters. August 18, 1904). The history of this turmoil is as follows. Schemamonk Hilarion’s book “On the Caucasus Mountains,” published in 1907, dedicated to practical instructions in the Jesus Prayer, caused controversy and division on Athos, primarily among the monks of the Panteleimon Monastery, St. Andrew’s Skete and the New Thebaid Skete. They announced the formation of a new dogma of the Church that the Names of God, and especially the name Jesus, are God Himself. The wide spread of the heresy of name-worship is associated with the name of the hieroschemamonk Anthony (Bulatovich), who set out his teachings in the book “Apology of Faith in the Name of God and in the Name of Jesus.” At the end of 1912 - beginning of 1913. unrest and riots occurred, Bulatovich and his supporters expelled the abbot and many of the brethren from St. Andrew's monastery, and tried to forcibly seize power and the monastery treasury. The Holy Synod, in its Message of May 18, 1913, condemned name-worship as a heresy, and at its request, the Sovereign Emperor and the Russian government decided to remove heretics from Athos. At the beginning of July, the name worshipers were transported by ship to Russia. (See: Peter (Pigol), abbot, Athos tragedy: pride and satanic plans. M., 2005). See note. 45. {Footnote 419 “Slander against Father John, who allegedly...”. Editorial of the ABC of Faith.} In 1905, the Archangel See was occupied by Bishop Ioannikiy (Kazan). Father John was in Kyiv on April 16–19, 1893. This St. Petersburg hospital (now the Rauchfuss Hospital) was built under the leadership of the famous figure of social charity, Prince Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg, and for the first 12 years of its existence was under his direct control. On September 30, 1864, the hospital was named after the Prince of Oldenburg on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his service to the institutions of the Empress Maria. Emperor Alexander 11 issued the following rescript: “To build a new healing house for children in St. Petersburg with the name given to it: Children’s Hospital of Prince Peter of Oldenburg” (Essay on the structure and 25-year activities of the children’s hospital of Prince Peter of Oldenburg. St. Petersburg, 1894. P. 3). The prince entrusted the preparation of a program for the construction of the hospital to the doctor and prosector of the orphanage K.A. Rauhfus; The hospital building was built according to the design of the architect Ts.A. Kavos at the beginning of Ligovsky Prospekt - on one of the most elevated and driest places in the city. September 3, 1869 Metropolitan Isidore consecrated the church in the name of the holy apostles Peter and Paul and the wards of the children's hospital; On December 18, 1869, the first patient was admitted. The activities of the Brotherhood, closely connected with the Russian emigration in Yugoslavia, are described by one of the brothers of the Job-Pochaev monastery: “From the time of St. Job, who was abbot of Pochaev in the 16th and 17th centuries, there is a tradition of typographical activity at this monastery. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. In the Pochaev Lavra, an autonomous printing fraternity of 150 brethren was created, headed by a monk of high ascetic spirit, Father Archimandrite Vitaly. For a number of years, in addition to his monastic and typographical works, he waged a stubborn, intense struggle for the oppressed Volyn peasants against the Polish lords and Jewish moneylenders. O. Vitaly created a network of cooperative societies, mutual aid funds, etc. With this aspect of his activities, he alienated the Poles to the extreme, and when, after the First World War, the Pochaev Lavra found itself on the territory of Poland, Fr. Vitaly was arrested, accused of complicity in terrorist acts (which he, of course, did not sympathize with) and was sentenced to death. The intercession of the Patriarchs of Serbia and Romania and the especially zealous and persistent intercessions for him of Metropolitan (future Patriarch) Barnabas saved his life: the death penalty was replaced by expulsion from Poland. Greeted with respect and love in Serbia, where he was given a rich monastery, Archimandrite Vitaly, however, did not remain long in this serene refuge. His monastic soul was looking for achievement. When in 1923 it became known that in Slovakia, in Pryashevskaya Rus, the village of Ladomirovo (Vladimirovo) transferred from Uniateism to Orthodoxy, but there was no priest there, Fr. Vitaly went to Ladomirovo, into an environment of extreme poverty and squalor. Here he began to create a new monastic center. In Ladomirova to Fr. Vitaly was joined by selfless monks who were not afraid of a miserable existence. Of these, one of the first was Fr. Seraphim, now Archbishop of Chicago. They began to print church calendars, a church newspaper, and spiritual books for the Orthodox residents of Czechoslovakia, and then for the entire Russian emigration. In 1934 appointed to the episcopal see in America by Rev. Vitaly handed over the leadership of this monastery to Archimandrite Seraphim, who continued his work. During World War II, despite obstacles from the German authorities, books printed in Ladomirova spread throughout the occupied space, reaching Tsarskoe Selo, Stalingrad, and the Caucasus. When in 1944 the Red Army approached the borders of Slovakia, Archimandrite Seraphim managed to take his entire monastery, first to Germany, and then partially to Switzerland. Those monks who did not receive a Swiss visa united around Fr. Archimandrite Job, who was for many years assistant to Fr. Seraphim. They founded a new monastic center in Munich” (Fr. Archimandrite Korniliy (Malyushinsky). On the occasion of the fifth anniversary of his death. Munich. Printing house of the monastery of St. Job of Pochaevsky. 1971. pp. 7–8). That is, the school of V.K. Sablera united two pedagogical educational institutions: a “second-grade teacher’s school”, where teachers were trained for primary literacy schools, and a “church-teacher’s school” for the training of teachers for parochial schools. This visit took place on August 29, 1894, as reported in the Warsaw Diary newspaper: “Father John was present at the solemn all-night vigil in the church of the First Women's Gymnasium and himself read the canon of St. Prince Alexander Nevsky. The service was attended by school district trustee A.L. Apukhtin. At the end of the all-night vigil, Father John and other officials went to the apartment of the main teacher of the First Women's Gymnasium, N.V. Turkova, where tea and dinner were offered. At 9.5 o’clock Father John left for the bishop’s chambers” (Warsaw Diary. 1894. September 1, No. 222). Bila Tserkva is the Russified name of the Serbian city of Bela Crkva, located 100 km from Belgrade on the spurs of the Carpathians (not far from the Romanian border). The life of this quiet green town changed noticeably after 1920, when the White Church became one of the centers of Russian emigration: “The city began to be flooded with Russian speech and the not very conscious grief of exile. Large barracks on the edge of the city were given to the Crimean Cadet Corps, and the best building in the city center was given to the Mariinsky Don Institute, which arrived from Novocherkassk. There was also an orphanage in Bila Tserkva, under the patronage of Princess Elena Petrovna, the king’s sister, the widow of Prince John Konstantinovich, who was killed in Russia. The Nikolaev Cavalry School also existed in the city for several years. The Russians walked around the city in their military clothes; College girls walked in pairs, in white capes, and the cadets marched through the city in formation with an orchestra playing marches. It was Russian emigration, part of Russia, pouring through the Bosporus into Europe. The Serbs helped the Russians by issuing benefits to everyone through a special institution called the Drzhavna Commission. There were Russians of all ranks and ranks: generals, senators, governors, officers, officials and ordinary people with families. It was Russia, poured onto many shores and sands of the world. And the Russians had nothing left anywhere except the White Church, both figuratively and literally. The White Church was a feature under White Russia” (Faith and Credibility. P. 10). Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich Romanov, the eldest son of Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich the Elder and Grand Duchess Alexandra Petrovna, after leaving the Crimea by the White Army, settled first in Italy, and then, from 1922, in the south of France - in Antibes. In July 1923, he moved to the Choigny estate, located near Paris, where he lived for five and a half years, organizing assistance to White Army veterans. At the end of October 1928, due to deteriorating health, Nikolai Nikolaevich returned to Antibes. In mid-December 1928, he fell ill with pneumonia and on January 5, 1929 at 9 o’clock. 30 min. evening, after a short illness, he died (Chasovoy. 1929. Jan. No. 1–2. P. 3). See: Present. ed. T. 1. P. 236. {Paragraph beginning: “10 years ago...”. Editorial of the ABC of Faith.} According to Christian legend, before the death cry of the Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate (331–363) he turned to Christ. Emperor Julian became a persecutor of Christianity, which had previously been accepted as the state religion, and made an attempt to return his subjects to paganism. He wrote a number of polemical works directed against “Galileanism” (a contemptuous name for Christianity after the name of the province of Galilee, where our Lord Jesus Christ lived). According to the testimony of some historians of the Christian Church, in particular Blessed Theodoret (390–458), mortally wounded in a battle with the Persians, Julian perceived his impending death as retribution for his apostasy. Kontakion, ch. 8th, from the continuation of the service for the dead. The second edition of Sursky's book was carried out in Jordanville in 1978. This refers to the Verkhoturye Nikolaevsky Monastery, which was under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Perm and Verkhoturye; the relics of St. rested in it. right Simeon of Verkhoturye. – See Nechaeva M.Yu. Behind the walls of the ancient monastery. Four centuries of history of the Verkhoturye Nicholas Monastery. Ekaterinburg, 2000. See: Present. volume. pp. 503–505. {Chapter 60. Miracles of Father John... Edition of the ABC of Faith.} After 1917 - Kaunas. In fact, he knew them, since every Sunday in St. Petersburg he went to the Catholic Church, where he sat during mass in the sacristy. In the summer, dad went to the Orthodox Church with us. He constantly complained to us that he didn’t understand anything about the Catholic Church, read all the prayers he knew to himself in Latin, and then sat in vain (Auth.). This refers to the celebration of the 1500th anniversary of the death of the saint, celebrated on September 14, 1907. Royal days were established in memory of events in the life of persons of the Royal House: days of accession to the throne and coronation of the Emperor, birthdays and namesakes of the Emperor, Empress, Heir-Tsesarevich and his wife and other persons of the August Family. The authority of Pio-Ulsky’s words is due to the fact that he himself in 1880–1886. lived in Kronstadt, and in 1880–1884. studied at the Kronstadt Marine Engineering School of Emperor Nicholas 1. Pio-Ulsky's opinion about Father John is especially significant as evidence of a major scientist, a representative of exact knowledge, who also stood at the head of the association of Russian scientists in Belgrade: Pio-Ulsky headed the department of mathematics and technology of the Russian Scientific Institute (1928–1941). This was the name given to the Ukrainian units within the Austro-Hungarian Army. The text of Rule 69 is transmitted with changes; exact text: “If anyone (bishop, or presbyter, or deacon, or subdeacon, or reader, or singer) does not fast on the holy, great Pentecost before Easter, or on every Wednesday and Friday of the whole summer, except for weakness, let him be excommunicated for a time from Communion.” The mention of Tolstoy in connection with the sin of breaking fasting is explained by the fact that already, for example, in “Confession” (1879–1882), declaring the religious turning point that had occurred in him, L.N. Tolstoy wrote about his negative attitude towards the “ritual” side of the Orthodox faith, including fasting: “But with this meaning of folk faith, our non-schismatic people, among whom I lived, are inextricably linked with many things that repulsed me and seemed inexplicable: sacraments, church services, fasting, veneration of relics and icons” (L.N. Tolstoy. Pro et contra. Anthology. St. Petersburg, 2000. P. 98). Perhaps we are talking about the YMCA-Press publishing house, which has been based in Paris since 1925. The publishing house has published a significant number of works of Russian fiction: selected works by Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Turgenev, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Leskov, Chekhov (see: Publishing houses and publishing organizations of the Russian emigration. 1917–2003. Encyclopedic reference book. St. Petersburg, 2005. P. 331). Among the Moscow clergy, priest. Pavel Teodorovich was not there. Perhaps we are talking about a representative of the hereditary priestly family of Teodorovichs, who served in Volyn, in the village. Verbichne, Kovel district. Father Pavel Teodorovich could concelebrate with Father John during Father’s trip to the West of Russia on September 17–23, 1900. Princess M.A. Svyatopolk-Mirskaya played a significant role in the church and social life of Serbia, heading, with the blessing of Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky), the Mariinsky Sisterhood, as one of the sisters L. Tverdokhlebova writes: “This organization gave the opportunity to many Russian women and girls who survived the terrible and indelible suffering of the Russian tragedy to find peace of mind and spiritual satisfaction in working at the church... Her (M.A. Svyatopolk-Mirsky) our first hierarchs and archpastors valued his diverse works. I remember her ardent participation in the construction of the Iveron Chapel in Belgrade, in the organization of free lunches for poor Russian emigrants who were dying of want. She sent us sisters to a circle meeting to feed and clothe the poor. She sent us to hospitals to visit and help with food, often completely alone, who had lost hope of participation. Many were warmed by her affection” (Orthodox Russia. 1959. No. 13. P. 9). To raise an image is to bring an image from the church to the sick person to perform a prayer service. a White Guard military formation that operated in the south of Russia during the Civil War. Created in November-December 1917 in Novocherkassk. Led by generals M.V. Alekseev, L.G. Kornilov, A.I. Denikin, P.N. Wrangel. In March 1920, the army was defeated, and its remaining parts became part of Wrangel's army. The reason for the persecution was the departure of Father John from Kronstadt on October 27, 1905, during the sailors' uprising. In issue No. 13 of the newspaper “Rus” (dated November 8, 1905) a note “O. John and the Kronstadt riots” signed “Bayan”, in which Father John was accused of “shameful flight” from the city. Following this, other newspapers attacked him. On November 22, Father John publicly spoke in the newspaper “Kotlin”: “Due to the incomprehensible, inexpressible hatred of me by the editors-publishers of “Petersburg Listok”, “Petersburgskaya Gazeta” and the recently born “Rus” of young Suvorin, these three newspapers publish on their pages constant slander against me, false news and curses, and exile me either to Solovki, either to Siberia, or to retire after the New Year, wanting to somehow destroy me and completely remove me from this world” (1905. November 23, No. 261). However, the newspaper persecution did not subside. A sad picture of the “reproaches and reproaches” that befell Father John was painted by Archpriest. John Vostorgov in a speech delivered on December 6, 1907 in the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral: “He was the first to be persecuted and dishonored by the unbridled press. I remember, two years ago, returning from Siberia to the northern capital, along the entire railway line these leaflets, drawings, poems - mockery of John of Kronstadt... Then for a short time the persecution weakened, but now all this dirt is again united into one common stream" (New Terrible Words of 1906–1907, p. 121). The Brussels church-monument in the name of Job the Long-Suffering was dedicated to the memory of Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II and all Russian people who were killed by the atheistic authorities in the turmoil. It was built in 1937 according to the design of the famous architect Nikolai Ivanovich Istselennov (1891–1981) and was one of a number of memorial churches and chapels. The Brussels Church, which houses the relics of the Royal Family, operates to this day, is protected by the Belgian government as an architectural monument and is a landmark of the city. Father John visited Vilna on May 10, 1900. During the Messina earthquake in Italy in 1908, 77,287 people died. In the Ioannovsky Monastery, in the book of healings through the prayers of Father John of Kronstadt, Father John of Ornatsky in 1911 made an entry about the recovery of the son of the Queen of the Hellenes, Christopher: “Her Royal Majesty Queen of the Hellenes Olga Konstantinovna after the funeral service at the tomb of the ever-memorable Fr. John of Kronstadt on September 27, 1911, deigned to graciously report the following incident about the power of dear Father’s prayer. Prince Christopher of Greece fell seriously ill in 1889, when he was one and a half years old. Severe stomach pains were complicated by slow teething. When Fr. arrived John, invited to pray for the sick, the little one was completely exhausted. Everyone recognized his position as extremely dangerous. To the great surprise of everyone, he willingly went into Fr. John, pressed his head to Father, who walked around the room with him for a long time and prayed. In Father's arms, the Korolevich was calm all the time, fell asleep and the next day was completely healthy. Perhaps there is a mistake in this place by the author of the memoirs. Tolstoy was excommunicated from the Church by the Decree of the Holy Synod of February 20–22, 1901, No. 557 (see note 131 to the first volume. {Footnote 251 “The circumstances of Tolstoy’s excommunication from the Church are stated...” Editorial of the ABC of Faith.}). Father John constantly denounced Tolstoy’s teachings in his sermons and wrote a number of works directed against Tolstoyism: “Answer of the Church Pastor Leo Tolstoy to his “Appeal to the Clergy”” (St. Petersburg, 1903): “On the soul-destroying heresy of gr. L.N. Tolstoy" (St. Petersburg, 1905). The first of these works received the greatest resonance, which was first published in the August book of the Missionary Review (No. 12, pp. 163–172), and then printed as a separate brochure. “Appeal to the clergy” L.N. Tolstoy was published in London in early November 1902. Father John learned about it in May 1903 from the editor of the Missionary Review V.M. Skvortsova. According to the latter, “having taken a brochure to get acquainted with the new creation of the Yasnaya Polyana heretic, Fr. John did not intend to answer, citing lack of time and his departure to his homeland in Arkhangelsk.” According to Skvortsov, Father John wrote his response to the “Appeal” “in a fit of righteous anger, under the impression of the extremely daring, defiant tone of this blasphemous creation” (Ibid. 1903. No. 17. P. 964). Father John himself explained his desire to respond to Tolstoy in the following way: “Do not be surprised at my intention: it would be strange if, after reading this work, I did not want to say my word in defense of the Christian faith, which he so viciously and unfairly denounces along with the clergy of all Christian denominations. Nowadays it is necessary to say this word and visualize this godless person, because many people do not know Tolstoy’s terrible blasphemy, but know him only as a talented writer, from his previous works” (Ibid. No. 12. P. 163). Gallipoli is a peninsula in Turkey, on which, after sailing from Crimea in November 1920, the First Army Corps of General A.P. landed. Kutepova. Despite the difficult situation of those who landed, who lived from hand to mouth, strict military order was soon established in the Gallipoli camp; Thus, on July 12, 1921, the first promotion of cadets to officers in emigration took place there. When it became clear that plans for a campaign against Soviet Russia could not be carried out, a decision was made to evacuate parts of the First Army Corps from Gallipoli to the Slavic countries of southern Europe. The Gallipoli Sitting lasted from November 1920 to December 1921. On November 22, 1921, the Gallipoli Society was founded. Shipka is a pass in Bulgaria through the Stara Planina ridge (Balkans) at an altitude of 1,185 m, beyond which during the Russian-Turkish War of 1877–1878. Fierce fighting took place. Russian-Bulgarian troops, having occupied Shipka on July 7, 1877, held this pass with small forces in semi-encirclement until December of the same year, which made it possible to pin down significant Turkish forces and provide Russian troops with the shortest route of advance to Istanbul. In order to perpetuate the feat of Russian soldiers, the Alexander Nevsky Church was built on the Shipka Heights using public funds raised in Russia. The consecration of the memorial church took place on September 8. 1902 This refers to the book of the archbishop. Evdokim (Meshchersky) “Two days in Kronstadt. From the diary of student V.M.” (Holy Trinity Lavra of Sergius, 1900; ed. 2, revision and addition: Holy Trinity Lavra of Sergius, 1902). In the preface to the 2nd edition, the author wrote: “The diary was written by me under the vivid impression of what I myself experienced in Kronstadt, being repeatedly in direct communication with the great Russian shepherd. For almost ten years I did not publish it, fearing to violate the modesty of the shepherd and reveal the “holy of holies” of my soul. But the solemn celebration of the 45th anniversary of Father John’s pastoral ministry prompted me to shake off the dust from my charter and bring him my humble, small and miserable work as a gift” (Op. cit. p. 5). See: Conversation with Sarapul shepherds // Memoirs of samovidtsev. pp. 17–18. The missionary trip of Father John, which had the goal of exposing the Johannites, took place from October 1 to October 5, 1902. Father was sent by the Holy Synod at the request of the Kostroma Bishop Vissarion (Nechaev), who learned that the peasant Artamonov, who once lived in Kronstadt, had composed an akathist to Father John and was attracting an increasing number of peasants to his sect. On October 1, Father John, having served the Liturgy in the Kostroma Cathedral, rode out on horseback to the village. Khoroshevo, Soligalichsky district (140 versts from Kostroma), where the sect arose. On October 3, he served the Liturgy in a rural church and spoke a word about religious misconceptions. After the service, he had a long conversation with the sectarians, as a result of which they brought complete repentance. Leaving the church, Father John, at the request of Artamonov, went to the village. It’s good to look around the chapel built by Artamonov; he ordered to remove his portraits hanging between the icons and remove the cross from the roof (Missionary Review. 1902. Nov. pp. 709–710). Inaccurate quote from the comedy by A.S. Griboyedov “Woe from Wit” (Griboyedov L.S. Works. The poet’s library (Large series). L., 1987. P. 74). “When you pray, as a rule, especially according to a book, do not rush from word to word, without feeling its truth, without putting it on your heart, but do and constantly do yourself the work of feeling with your heart the truth of what you say, do not be proud, conquer your heart, give it to God as an auspicious sacrifice: give Me, son, your heart - and your prayer will become akin to, unite you with God and with all Heaven, and you You will be filled with the spirit and its fruits: truth, peace and joy, love, meekness, long-suffering, tenderness of heart.” (Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt. Thoughts of a Christian. M.-Kronstadt. 2006. pp. 90–92). In 1900, in the year of the centenary of the death of the famous Russian commander A.V. Suvorov, a museum named after him was opened in St. Petersburg. In this regard, the building of the wooden Alexander Nevsky Church, built by Suvorov in 1787, was transported from the village of Konchanskoye to St. Petersburg and installed next to the museum. In 1901, in the village of Konchanskoye, on the site of a wooden church, a stone church was built in the name of Alexander Nevsky, which was an exact copy of the wooden one. The construction was supervised by the Suvorov Commission; construction was headed by the member of the St. Petersburg City Duma K.S. Stroganov. The Konchansky church took 11 months to build and cost 10,000 rubles. Father John donated new vestments and holy vessels to the church and attended the celebrations of its consecration. The story of Avdotya Afanasyeva has attracted widespread attention. One of the seventy witnesses to the incident expressed doubts in the press about the validity of the healing. His opinion was picked up by some liberal newspapers. Wanting to restore the true picture of the event, the editors of the magazine “Russian Pilgrim” turned to the testimony of the priest. Lev Matveev, rector of the Konchanskaya Church (RP. 1901. No. 38. P. 656). Subsequently, his testimony was reprinted in the magazine “The Helmsman” (1901. No. 41. pp. 274–275) and published as a separate brochure (Miraculous healing of a sick woman in the village of Konchanskoye, through the prayer of Father John Ilyich Sergiev (Kronstadt). St. Petersburg, 1901). Father A.A. Taneyeva - Alexander Sergeevich Taneyev, Secretary of State, was well acquainted with Father John, since he was the vice-chairman of the Trusteeship of Labor Houses and Workhouses. Through him, Father John and the employees of the Kronstadt House of Industriousness addressed Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. So, for example, on April 23, 1902, the following telegram was sent to Taneyev: “... The Council of the Kronstadt House of Industry respectfully asks Your Excellency to present before Her Imperial Majesty, Sovereign Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, expressions of loyal feelings and congratulations on the precious Name Day from the working women, workers, long-awaited elders, children: shelters, folk and handicraft schools, the entire council and employees; at the same time, they earnestly pray to the Lord for the health and longevity of their August patroness. Founder of the Kronstadt House of Diligence, rector of the cathedral, Rev. John Sergiev. House of Diligence, Chairman of the Council P. Schauman" (Vedomosti of the St. Petersburg City Administration. 1902. May 1, No. 4). Lando is a carriage with an opening top. A.A. Taneyeva (Vyrubova) in exile wrote the memoirs “Pages of My Life” (1st ed. - Paris, 1922; ed. 2. Berlin, 1923), which, in particular, contain episodes of the gracious help of Father John cited by Ilyashevich. This refers to the poem “Vlas” by N. A. Nekrasov, whose lyrical hero, having repented of his sins, left his ill-gotten property and went wandering, collecting money to build a church. Apparently, a memory error: the Naval Cathedral was consecrated on June 10, 1913. Rotunda is a women's long cape without sleeves, without fasteners and with slits for the arms. The librarian of the Serbian Patriarchate V.A. wrote about the educational work of the Russian nuns inhabiting the Khopovsky monastery. Mayevsky: “On the fraternal Yugoslav land, the Russian women’s monastery in Khopov, now inhabited by the Russian Lesna sisterhood, is thriving. At the monastery there is an exemplary shelter for children and a number of workshops. All this is distinguished by its outstanding production, for the nuns (about 50) put their whole soul, knowledge and experience into their work” (Maevsky V.A. Serbian Patriarch Barnabas and his time. Novi Sad, 1931. P. 285). The canonization of St. Joasaph, the Belgorod wonderworker, took place on September 4, 1911. “By this time, the holy relics were examined and found completely incorrupt: St. Joasaph in his incorruptible relics has the appearance of a sick man who has just fallen asleep; the holy relics were transferred to a new cypress coffin and dressed in new clothes. The incorruption of his body loudly speaks of eternal life as an undoubted phenomenon, and miracles infuse hope that the One who works them is close to us" (Nikodim (Kononov), Bishop of Belgorod. Saint and wonderworker Joasaph, Bishop of Belgorod and Oboyansky and his canonization of the Russian Orthodox Churches. Kharkov, 1916. P. 259). A rationalist sect that spread widely at the beginning of the 19th century. Molokans believe that God the Son and the Holy Spirit are not equal to God the Father in Divinity. The Molokans reject the veneration of icons and saints, as well as some church sacraments. Soon after its formation, Molokanism was divided into numerous communities (fasting Molokans, Shtundo-Molokans, Subbotnik Molokans, etc.). At the end of May 1909 (after the death of E.K. Sergieva), on the initiative of the Society in memory of Father John of Kronstadt and the clergy of St. Andrew's Cathedral, the collection of materials for organizing a memorial museum in Father's apartment began. At the end of 1918, in the large hall of the apartment, a church was built, consecrated in honor of the Life-Giving Trinity, which received the status of a registered church of St. Andrew's Cathedral. After the explosion of St. Andrew's Cathedral, Father John's apartment was occupied by tenants (see: Priest Gennady Belovolov. Holy Apartment // Finding a Portrait. Historical and documentary exhibition. Catalog. M., 2001. P. 54). M.D. Usov was an active member of the Society. Here is one of the references to him in the church press of those years: “For the capital’s poor, the Society, in memory of Father John of Kronstadt, following the example of previous years, organized a memorial meal in the Society’s hospice house (Karpovka, 41). Thanks to the generosity of V.P. Krutova, M.D. Usova, K.F. Pshenisnova, A.G. Ilyinsky and other merchants who admired Father, the meal was plentiful, and the poor dined not only on the 19th, but also the next day; in total there were up to a thousand people dining” (KP. 1912. No. 43. P. 711). The territory on which Port Arthur was located was leased by the Russian government in 1898 under a convention with China for the basing of the main forces of the Pacific Fleet. On the night of January 26-27, 1904, without waiting for war to be declared, Japanese destroyers suddenly attacked the Pacific Fleet in the Port Arthur roadstead and disabled the best Russian battleships. From that day on, the siege of the fortress began. On February 24, the new commander of the Pacific Squadron, Vice Admiral S.O., arrived in Port Arthur. Makarov, who significantly increased the defense capability of the Russian fleet. But after the death of Makarov (March 31, 1904), the command made a number of miscalculations, as a result of which an act of surrender was signed on December 20. The defense of Port Arthur, which lasted 329 days, pinned down large enemy forces, thwarting the plan for the rapid defeat of the Russian Manchurian army. Father John visited Rostov-on-Don in October 1897. He took part in the consecration of the building of the House of Diligence named after. P.R. Maksimov, which took place on October 5 after the Divine Liturgy in the local cathedral (Azov region. 1897. October 8, No. 263). Stories of healings through the prayers of Father John were contained in the introduction to the book “Thoughts and Instructions of Father John” (Oxford, 1899), which is thematically organized excerpts from Father John’s spiritual diary “My Life in Christ,” which was translated into English by E.E. Gulyaev in 1897. The introduction was written by the Anglican priest Cyril Bickerstez, who compiled the book. Father John, having approved the selection and distribution of extracts from “My Life in Christ” in this book by topic, instructed the publisher S.P. Tservitsky was responsible for publishing the same book in Russian under the title “Thoughts of a Christian,” which was published in 1903 with a preface containing an introduction by St. Kirill Bickerstez, translated into Russian. For more information about the history of the publication of the book “Thoughts of a Christian,” see the text “From the publishers” in: Thoughts of a Christian. M.-Kronstadt, 2006. pp. 3–8. See: Prot. I.I. Sergiev (Kronstadt). My life in Christ // Collection. op. T. 4–5. pp. 38–39 of the second pagination. See: Ibid. P. 32 of the second pagination. Secret prayer of the 3rd antiphon, from the Divine Liturgy. See: Ibid. pp. 299–300 of the first pagination. See: Present. ed. T. 1. P. 105. {"Chapter 30. Father John stops the terrible epidemics." Editorial of the ABC of Faith.} See: Prot. I.I. Sergiev (Kronstadt). Thoughts on the Church and Orthodox Worship // Collection. op. T. 6. pp. 13–14 first pagination. followers of a Protestant sect that arose in St. Petersburg under the influence of the sermon of Lord Redstock, who preached with great success in high society in 1874. One of his most zealous adherents, Colonel V.A. Pashkov, from whose name the sect received its name, organized prayer meetings both in St. Petersburg and on his estate, and published books promoting the “new doctrine.” Pashkovites rejected the veneration of icons and saints. Sacraments and church hierarchy. See: Prot. I.I. Sergiev (Kronstadt). Thoughts on the Church and Orthodox Worship // Collection. op. T. 6. P. 18 first pagination. See: Ibid. P. 21 of the first pagination. See: Ibid. P. 24 of the first pagination. See: Ibid. P. 25 of the first pagination. See: Ibid. P. 26 of the first pagination. See: Ibid. P. 38 of the first pagination. See: Ibid. P. 58 of the first pagination. See: Ibid. P. 59 of the first pagination. followers of the socio-religious doctrine of L.N. Tolstoy. At the 3rd All-Russian Missionary Congress, it was established that the Tolstoyan movement began to acquire a sectarian character from the late 1880s. The sect was widespread mainly in the south of Russia, most of all in the Kharkov province. In their practical life, the Tolstoyans relied on the “five commandments” formulated by Tolstoy: do not swear, do not fight, do not resist evil, do not sue, love your neighbor; Social and political principles about equality, the denial of power, court, oath, military service, etc. were also important. Tolstoyans rejected the Church, its Sacraments and rituals. sectarians professing rationalistic teachings close to Protestantism. The sect arose in southern Russia in the 1870s. largely under the influence of German colonists. The name comes from the German word Stunde (hour), because, denying the Church with its Sacraments, the Stundists gathered at a certain hour for prayerful singing and reading Scripture. In general, modern sectarianism – primarily Tolstoyism, Pashkovism and Stundism – was often the subject of Father John’s sermons. Thus, on February 24, 1897, Father pronounced the Word “Concerning the departure of some persons from the bosom of the Orthodox Church into Catholicism or another heterodox religion, or Pashkovism, Tolstoyanism or Stunda,” in which he spoke about the fatality of religious diversity in Russia: “Do persons who were by birth, baptism and upbringing in the Orthodox Church and are leaving or those who have converted to Catholicism or any other non-Orthodox religion, do they realize everything that they leave and what they accept, and to what extreme and to what deprivation they reach? (New menacing words of Father John of Kronstadt. St. Petersburg, 1908, pp. 55–56). See: Collection. op. T. 6. P. 340 first pagination. See: Ibid. pp. 338–339 of the first pagination. See: Ibid. P. 339 of the first pagination. See: Ibid. P. 341 of the first pagination. Wed: Ikos of the Exaltation of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. See: Ibid. P. 80 first pagination. Probably, in Sursky’s book these words from the teaching of Father John were accidentally omitted. See: Ibid. P. 81 of the first pagination. Tempting - seductive, stumbling. See: Prot. I.I. Sergiev (Kronstadt). My life in Christ. Preface // Collection. op. T. 4–5. See also note. 64 to the first volume {Footnote 127 “The first part of the book “My Life in Christ” began...”. Editorial of the ABC of Faith.}. On the night of March 8, 1898, a powerful explosion occurred in the cathedral church of the Kursk Znamensky Monastery. However, the miraculous icon remained unharmed, although there was numerous destruction around (even the cast-iron canopy in which the image resided was severely damaged). See: Collection. op. T. 6. P. 345 of the first pagination. Adamantine – from “adamant” – diamond, diamond. See: Ibid. pp. 345–346 of the first pagination. We are talking about the dying diary of Father John, who on January 27, 1909, shortly after the death of Father, ended up in the Ioannovsky Monastery. There it was kept until September 20, 1910, after which it was transferred to Archpriest. Alexander Popov, appointed guardian of Father John's property. In 1911, by imperial decree, the diary was deposited in the secret department of the Holy Synod. Currently stored in the Central State Historical Archive of St. Petersburg. (for more details, see: Death Diary. pp. 96–101). As for the predictions of Father John in this diary, perhaps this refers to the entry made on October 3, 1908: “Do not grieve inconsolably about the misfortune of the fatherland, about the lost wars (with Japan), about the attack on us by Austria, Germany, England, Finland, Poland (even though these are two parts of Russia), Italy; about the loss of warships, about the enormous losses of the state from arson (various factories). Sorrow that you are making poor progress towards the imperishable fatherland. The earthly fatherland suffers for the sins of the tsar and the people, for the lack of faith and short-sightedness of the tsar, for his indulgence in the unbelief and blasphemy of Leo Tolstoy and the entire so-called educated world of ministers, officials, officers, and student youth. Pray to God with bloody tears for the general lack of faith and corruption of Russia” (Death Diary, p. 68). See: Present. ed. T. 1. P. 177. {Paragraph beginning: “Located in the monastery in Jerusalem...”. Editorial of the ABC of Faith.} Cathedral in the name of St. Alexander Nevsky in Warsaw was erected in 1898–1912. The initiative for its construction belonged to Warsaw Governor-General I.V. Gurko. Father John took an active part in the construction of this church: he generously donated money for its construction, attracted other donors, attended the ceremony of laying the foundation of the church on August 30, 1894, and was in constant correspondence with members of the construction committee. The consecration of the church took place on May 20, 1912 after the death of Father. The further fate of the Warsaw Cathedral was tragic. After Poland declared independence, the cathedral was destroyed. In 1921, the 70-meter bell tower was dismantled, and in 1924–1926. and the whole cathedral. In its place they erected a monument to Prince. Poniatowski (1923) and the Institute of Art Propaganda (1921), in turn destroyed by the Germans during the Second World War (see: Ilyinskaya T.B. Cathedral in the name of St. Alexander Nevsky in Warsaw // KP-2. The church in the name of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Equal to the Apostles, was built in the Polish city of Czestochowa in 1870–1872, consecrated on October 15, 1872 by Archbishop. Warsaw Ioannikiy. This was the first Orthodox church in those places. The main shrine of the church was an exact copy of the 1873 Czestochowa Icon of the Mother of God. This icon, according to legend, was painted by St. Evangelist Luke, from the 10th century. was in Russian Galicia, in 1382 it was requisitioned by the Poles during the conquest of the south-west of Russia and since then has been in the Catholic Czestochowa Jasnogorsk Monastery (the Czestochowa miraculous icon of the Mother of God in the Czestochowa Jasnogorsk Monastery and the church in the name of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles enlighteners of the Slavs Cyril and Methodius in the city Czestochowa, Vilna, 1881, pp. 3–4). In the twentieth century, after the First World War and the revolution in Russia, many Orthodox churches located in Poland were destroyed. The Cyril and Methodius Church did not escape this fate. Inaccuracy; for Father John - “a whole week.” See: Prot. I.I. Sergiev (Kronstadt). My life in Christ // Collection. op. T. 4–5. P. 173 of the second pagination. See: Ibid. P. 17 of the second pagination. The quote is given with large inaccuracies. Father John says: “What boldness you have towards the Lord and the Mother of God! What purity they must have! What meekness, humility, gentleness! What dispassion for earthly things! What an ardent desire for heavenly, purest, eternal pleasures!” (See: Ibid. P. 58 of the second pagination). The quote is inaccurate. Father John says this: “The tongue cannot express the bliss that those who have You in their hearts taste!” With You everything earthly is dust and decay (See: Ibid. P. 311 of the first pagination). See: Ibid. pp. 249–250 of the second pagination. See: Ibid. P. 250 second pagination. See: Ibid. P. 251 second pagination. Stichera on praise on Friday of the 2nd week of Easter, ch. 1st. Wed: Prayer 4th Matins “Master God, Holy and Incomprehensible...”. See: Ibid. P. 254 of the second pagination. See: Ibid. P. 346 second pagination. See: Ibid. P. 262 of the first pagination. This expression can be skipped if you wish (Auth.). It is known that Hieroschemamonk Pachomius was from Russia, had experience in hymnography, composed akathists to various icons and saints, was a deepest admirer of the memory of Father John of Kronstadt and, apparently, knew Father personally. See also: Present. ed. T. 1. pp. 232–233 {Paragraph beginning: “For my part, the hieroschemamonk of the cell monastery...”. Editorial of the ABC of Faith.}. The brochure “To the glorification of Father John of Kronstadt” was published in 1938 by the Berlin publishing house “For the Church”. It was reprinted in Estonia the same year. See note. 187 to the first volume {Footnote 346 “Father John of Kronstadt was glorified by the Council of Bishops.” Editorial of the ABC of Faith.}. An acrostic (from the Greek “akros” - extreme and “stichos” - verse, line) is a verse from which each letter of each word begins a song, or troparion, of the canon: so if you combine the first letters of each troparion, the whole thought of the acrostic placed at the beginning of the canon will be compiled, corresponding to the content of the event being celebrated or glorifying the saint of God for whom the canon was compiled (Complete Church Slavonic Dictionary / comp. prot. Dyachenko). The service also takes place on the 20th of December. Wed: Rev. 2:18, 3:17, 10. Father John served as priest for 53 years (from the end of December 1855). See: Present. volume. P. 300: {Paragraph beginning: “After a short time, the chairman of the Serbian Synod...” and note. to this paragraph (Footnote 425). Editorial of the ABC of Faith.} The first edition of the book “Two days in Kronstadt. From the diary of student V.M.” (Holy Trinity Lavra of Sergius, 1900) contained 223 pages; the second (Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, 1902) – 458 pages. See: Prot. I.I. Sergiev (Kronstadt). My life in Christ. Part 1. // Collection. op. T. 4–5. P. 398 first pagination. See present. volume. P. 243 {Paragraph beginning: “And he created this miracle: the designer of avions...”. Editorial of the ABC of Faith}, 256–257 {Paragraph beginning: “Dearly respected and dear author of the book...”. Editorial of the ABC of Faith}.