Глава VII. Духовное возрастание о. Амвросия в Оптиной Пустыни под руководством старцев о. Леонида и о. Макария

Having endured the Lord, he listened to me and heard my prayer: and raised me from the pit of passions, and from the clay of the mire, and set my feet on stones, and straightened my steps: and put into my mouth a new song, singing to our God. (Ps. 39, 2 – 4). Those who sow with tears will reap with joy. (Ps. 125:5). After we have made the necessary retreat, we will return again to our long-abandoned traveler. Alexander Mikhailovich slowly moved along the sandy, heavy Belevskaya road towards the Optina Hermitage, rejoicing at his liberation from the bonds of the world and calling on God’s blessing for the beginning of a new life. Now, in the dark greenery of the dense forest, white walls, blue domes with stars and golden crosses of the monastery appeared. It was Sunday, October 8, 1839. The late liturgy was going on in Optina Hermitage. Leaving his cab driver at the guest yard, Alexander Mikhailovich headed to the church, and at the end of the service he went with other pilgrims to the elder Fr. Leonid, who then lived in the monastery. His first impression of the elder was unfavorable. “I came to the old man,” he said later, “I saw the old man sitting on the bed, himself obese, and still joking and laughing with the people around him. I didn’t like it the first time.” From the elder, Alexander Mikhailovich went to the abbot, Fr. Moses. He asked him if he liked the elder. Alexander Mikhailovich answered Fr. Hegumen that the elder had a lot of people, but kept silent about the fact that the elder did not like him. Soon, however, his attitude towards Fr. Leonida has changed. On the same day or the next he had to see how to Fr. The skete hieroschemamonk John walked to Leonid. He had just been tonsured into the schema. His face was bright, angelic. Alexander Mikhailovich really liked him, and he followed the schema-monk to the elder. Arriving at the cell, Fr. Leonidas, the schema-monk bowed at his feet and began to say: “Here, father, I sewed myself a new cassock, bless me to wear it.” The elder answered: “Is that really what they do? First they are blessed to sew it, and then they wear it. Now that you’ve already sewn it, wear it—don’t cut it!” Watching this scene, Alexander Mikhailovich, as he later said, understood what was going on here, and understood the spiritual height of Fr. Leonidas, and the humility of the schema-monk, and from that moment he himself fell in love with the elder and wanted to entrust himself to him for spiritual education, convinced that the path that the elder would lead him would lead him to true, eternal good. He opened Fr. Leonid his soul, explained to him all the circumstances of his life and asked for advice, anxiously awaiting from him the decision of his fate. The elder listened to Alexander Mikhailovich with attention and participation. He ordered him to let the cab driver go and stay in the monastery. Alexander Mikhailovich did just that. In the courtyard where the new hotel is now located, to the left of the gate there was a two-story outbuilding (now only the lower floor remains of it). In this outbuilding on the second floor they allocated a small room for Alexander Mikhailovich. Having settled down in the room allotted to him, Alexander Mikhailovich went to God’s services every day, visited the elder Fr. Leonida, looked closely at his treatment of the people, listened to his instructions and generally observed monastic life. In his free time at home, he was engaged, on behalf of the elder, in rewriting a manuscript entitled “The Salvation of Sinners” 41. So days after days passed unnoticed. Meanwhile, the whereabouts of Alexander Mikhailovich became known to the caretaker of the Lipetsk Theological School, and he turned to Fr. Abbot Moses with a request whether the school's mentor, Alexander Grenkov, is staying at his monastery? As a result of this request, Alexander Mikhailovich, on the advice of the elders Leonid and Macarius, wrote an apology letter to the caretaker for his unauthorized departure from the school, and at the same time submitted a petition to Tambov Bishop Arseny for permission to take monasticism in Optina Hermitage. Recalling this time, the elder later said 42: “I arrived in Optina and thought about living like this for a while longer, without entering the monastery, and I myself sent a request to the Tambov Eminence Arseny for dismissal. He made a request to Archimandrite Moses: will they accept me? The archimandrite comes to me and asks: “Do you want to get better?” I say: “No, I would like to live like this again.” - “And so, he says, it’s impossible.” Eminence Arseny did not want to give me dismissal without first knowing for sure whether I would remain in the monastery. So they showed me up in secular dress. I lived in a monastery kitchen for a year. He changed five cells. He also lived in Fr. Ignatius, and in the tower. I kept quiet in the kitchen for a year, that is, if they ask what, I’ll say... At first I was Fr.’s assistant. Gennady, and Fr. Gennady is a cook. Then he left, and they made me a cook. He returned, and he was given to me as an assistant. I see him frowning at something. “Why,” I ask, “O. Gennady, do you seem to be looking askance at me?” “Yes, I’m not peaceful with you,” he says. And then we’ll start washing the dishes, he’ll say: “While the water is hot, let’s sit down and talk!” Yes, and we’ll push it until the water cools down.” “Did you go to the elder?” – asked those present. - “Every day I went: either to bless about the food, or to strike at the meal. At the same time, I was his reader. And a year later they took me straight to the cell attendants.” - “How did this happen?” - they asked. “Yes, so: the late elder (Fr. Leonid) called the priest (Fr. Macarius) and said: “Here is a man huddling with us, and I have already become weak, so I hand him over to you from floor to ceiling, like horses are handed over,” the priest added jokingly. He (the late elder) called me chimera.” Some nun asks: “What does this mean, father, a chimera?” - “Yes, ? he says, “when cucumbers bloom, then from some flowers the fruit comes out, while others are just empty flowers”... “And then,” the priest continued, “once, I don’t remember, some Sevsk nun was standing - he just had men, and women, and monks, and laymen - they were all there at the same time - the elder took the hat off her head, and put it on me”... - “Well, what about you did you attend your cell? – asked those present. “Were you happy when you were appointed cell attendant?” Father did not answer. “To be closer to the old man”? the questioner explained. “Yes, closer,” said the priest. “Well, how did you peel and cook the potatoes?” ? “How could it be otherwise,” said the priest, taking on a seemingly dissatisfied tone! - of course I cooked it up, what kind of person am I? I learned to bake both bread and prosphora; I even taught you to find out whether the lamb’s prosphora is ready, or all the cheeses: stick a splinter in - if there is nothing left on it, it means they are ready, and if they are not ready, then the dough will certainly stick to the splinter.” And so Alexander Mikhailovich did not remain in the monastery for long. Moved to a monastery, he lived there for about 50 years, until his last departure to Shamordino in the summer of 1890. As you can see, the elder Fr. Leonid singled him out from other novices and, anticipating his imminent death, entrusted him to the special care of the elder Fr. Macaria. According to some, he sometimes openly pointed to Alexander Mikhailovich as the future “great man.” Even in his jokes, which Fr. Leonid often covered up his insight, for example, in the fact that he put a hat from a nun’s head on Alexander Mikhailovich’s head; one cannot help but notice an indication of the future concerns of Elder Ambrose about the establishment of women’s monastic monasteries. In July 1841, Alexander Mikhailovich was visited by his old friend and colleague Pavel Stepanovich Pokrovsky, who himself had an attraction to monasticism and subsequently took monastic vows in the Optina Hermitage with the name Plato. Alexander Mikhailovich at this time was already tonsured into the ryassophore. Entering his friend’s cell, Pavel Stepanovich was struck by its extreme poverty. In the holy corner one could see a small icon of the Tambov Mother of God, the parental blessing of Alexander Mikhailovich. On the cot lay what looked like a worn out sheepskin coat, which served as both a bed and a headboard. A shabby cassock with a hood hung on the wall. He did not notice anything else in the cell. Remembering Alexander Mikhailovich’s former life at school, Pokrovsky, at the sight of this squalor, could hardly restrain himself from tears. But Alexander Mikhailovich not only was not embarrassed by the simplicity and poverty of his material situation, but, on the contrary, was comforted by it, realizing that external poverty brought his spirit closer to God. On October 11, 1841, Alexander Mikhailovich suffered a heavy loss - his first spiritual mentor, elder Fr. Leonid. After the death of Fr. Leonida Alexander Mikhailovich completely attached his heart to Fr. Macarius. Performing the duties of a cell attendant with him, Fr. Ambrose, along with some other persons, helped Fr. Macarius and in his extensive correspondence, i.e., on his instructions and on his instructions, he answered some of the letters the elder received of less significant content, as well as the more important ones about. Macarius always answered himself. Cell attendant Fr. Makaria Alexander Mikhailovich stayed for about four years. These years were a kind of higher school for Alexander Mikhailovich, in which he studied the science of monastic life. They placed him in constant and close communication with the elder Fr. Macarius, gave him the opportunity to closely observe his life, listen to his speeches and instructions, act as a mediator between the elder and the visitors who came to him, and learn from him the wisdom of dealing with people. Already being an old man himself, Fr. Ambrose often used the expressions in his conversations: “Father Fr. Macarius used to say something like this,” “in front of Father Fr. It happened to Macarius like this,” “Father Fr. Macarius acted this way in such cases.” Simultaneously with this practical school of constant treatment of Fr. Makariy, Alexander Mikhailovich passed, of course, on the instructions and under the leadership of Fr. Macarius and another school - cell prayer, daily reading of the word of God, the lives of saints, patristic works, especially ascetic ones, where every unclear word, every expression that required interpretation, found an experienced interpreter in the person of Fr. Macaria. Let us add to this the daily attentive examination of our conscience, often accompanied by tears of sincere contrition for our sins, the daily sincere revelation of thoughts to the elder - and we will receive the circle of those spiritual activities and experiences in which the soul of Alexander Mikhailovich grew and became stronger. Alexander Mikhailovich moved forward so quickly in his spiritual growth that, three years after his arrival in Optina Pustyn, on November 29, 1842, he was already tonsured into the mantle and received a new name - Ambrose, in honor of St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, whose memory is celebrated on December 7. At this time, Alexander Mikhailovich turned exactly 30 years old. Two months after being tonsured into the mantle, Fr. Ambrose was ordained a hierodeacon. When some subsequently expressed surprise at how quickly people were tonsured into the mantle in those days, Fr. Ambrose replied: “No! And then it happened that they lived for twelve years, and so did I! (The priest waved his hand at this.) Yes, permission always came from the Synod for fasting, and for us in October. The fact is that my friend served in the Synod, he was very interested in me, but did not know where I was, and as soon as he found out, he immediately obtained permission. And the next year they made him a hierodeacon. They nominated us for ordination: me and one other person, he and I explained that we do not dare accept ordination, that we are unworthy, and we went to tell the elder (Fr. Macarius) about this. We go in to him. Father himself began: “Well, you were appointed, appointed? That’s good!” And we think. My friend started first. He says: “This is what I came to talk to you about, father, I’m not worthy.” “Think so, always think that you are unworthy,” the elder interrupted him.” “And after that I didn’t even dare to open my mouth,” added the priest, laughing cheerfully. In the rank of hierodeacon, Fr. Ambrose stayed for about three years. Entered the Optina Hermitage in 1844. Abbot Theodosius, recalling this time, said that Fr. Ambrose always served in the rank of hierodeacon with great reverence. Fr. himself Ambrose, already an old man, said to one weak hierodeacon, who was burdened by the administration of the cycle of priestly service: “Brother! You don't understand the matter. After all, you are communing with life!” In these words of the elder one can see a reflection of the feeling with which he himself, as a hierodeacon, approached the Holy Mysteries of Christ. But Fr. Ambrose does not hide from us his infirmities at that time. One day, when, according to Optina rites, he was serving the late liturgy in the monastery, Fr. Maloyaroslavets came to Optina Hermitage. Abbot Anthony, a former monastery commander, well known to the young serving hierodeacon. “While reading the clock,” Fr. later said. Ambrose,” he enters the altar. According to custom, I bow to him and go under his blessing. - “Well, are you getting used to it?” - the humble Fr. addresses me. Abbot. “I’m getting used to your holy prayers, father, thank God,” I answered rather cheekily. Suddenly o. The abbot changed his tone and speech: “Towards humility?” “I don’t even know what to answer.” Thus, the spiritual Optina elders knew how to instruct young monks, not being constrained by either place or time. In December 1845, Fr. Ambrose was ordained a hieromonk. For his ordination he had to go to Kaluga on horseback. It was very cold. Father Ambrose, arriving at the first station, felt severe pain in his stomach, and this was the beginning of all his subsequent illnesses. Upon returning to Optina, Fr. Ambrose felt constantly unwell, but still did not give up his priestly service. However, at times he was already so weak that, as he later recalled, he could not hold the chalice with one hand for long. “Once there were many communicants,” he said. – While teaching the Most Pure Mysteries of Christ with one hand, I held the chalice with the other. And then I felt that my hand began to weaken and go numb. To give my hand some rest, I went to the altar to place St. on the altar for a short time. I take the cup, and after me I hear the voice of some woman approaching communion: “I, a sinner, am not worthy to know!” “Oh, my God, I thought, I’m cramped everywhere!” At the beginning of September 1846, Fr. Ambrose was still traveling along the Belevskaya road, 18 miles from Optina, to meet Archbishop Iliodor of Kursk, whom he was supposed to invite to visit the monastery, and on September 17 he fell so seriously ill and became so exhausted that on October 26, during Matins, he was singled out and received the Holy Mysteries of Christ. At the same time, he was privately tonsured into the schema, retaining the name Ambrose. This serious illness lasted more than a year and was of great importance for the inner spiritual life of Fr. Ambrose. Feeling extremely weak and losing hope of improving his health, Fr. Ambrose in December 1847 submitted a petition to leave him in the monastery outside the state. Having examined the state of his health, on behalf of the Spiritual Consistory, the Kozelsk doctor Subbotin gave the following review of his illness: “Father Hieromonk Ambrose has a sickly yellow complexion, with painfully shiny eyes, a general thinness of body; if you are tall and have a narrow chest, you have a strong, more dry cough, with pain in the chest, pain in the hypochondrial sides, mainly in the right; aching under the spoon and pressing pain in the side of the stomach; complete indigestion, persistent, constant constipation and frequent vomiting not only of mucus and bile, but also of ingested food; insomnia and, finally, temporary chills in the evening, followed by mild fever. These attacks mean a slow, debilitating fever that occurs as a result of hardening of the abdominal viscera, mainly the stomach.” Based on this review of the district doctor, the Kaluga diocesan authorities recognized Hieromonk Ambrose as incapable of any monastic obedience and decided to expel him, as incapable, from the staff of the brethren of the Optina Hermitage, leaving him to be fed and cared for by the monastery. At this time Fr. Ambrose was only 36 years old. Thus, despite such a young age, Fr. Ambrose, his earthly activity, according to ordinary human considerations, seemed to be completely over. Broken by a serious illness, declared incapable of any useful work, he had to live out his life as an invalid, dependent on the monastery that sheltered him. But, apparently, our thoughts are not the thoughts of God, and our ways are not the ways of God. What seemed to human reasoning the end of life and activity, in fact, was, perhaps, the beginning, embryo and foundation of a new, true, high life. On about. Ambrose was fulfilled by the words of the Lord, “Amen, amen, I say to you, even if a grain of wheat falls on the ground, one abides; but if it dies, it produces much fruit” (John 12:24). This serious and prolonged illness was, in fact, only a new action of God's Providence, which was so clearly revealed in the life of Fr. Ambrose. A similar serious illness, which he suffered during his seminary years, made him think seriously about monasticism for the first time. The providence of God led him to the Troyekurovsky elder Hilarion, instilled in him a desire to visit St. relics of St. Sergius, directed his path to Optina Pustyn and placed him here under the spiritual guidance of the great lamps of true monasticism, Fr. Leonida and Fr. Macaria. And so, when Fr. Ambrose deeply sank the seed of spiritual life sown by these elders, God's Providence finds it necessary to, as it were, remove Fr. Ambrose from all kinds of social activities, chain him to his sick bed, remove all external impressions from him, bring him face to face only with his suffering and with God... For what? In order for the seed of a new life that he has received into his soul to dissolve there, be processed, enter, so to speak, into his flesh and blood, take up sprouts and roots there and become the living property of his entire moral being. And this process of perceiving divine life requires, first of all, from a person the consciousness of his powerlessness, his helplessness, his insignificance and complete trust only in the mercy of God. The Savior says: “If anyone wants to walk after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and come after Me.” It is possible to become closer to Christ, who experienced all the bitterness of suffering on the cross, only through suffering. A person who has not drunk this bitter cup will never comprehend the true depth of Christianity, will never be able to understand and alleviate the suffering of others. Father Ambrose, the future healer of sick human souls, needed to go through the crucible of illness and suffering himself, so that, having been tempted himself, he could help those who were tempted, for, according to the legend of the elders, a husband is unskilled - inexperienced. It must be added that Fr. Ambrose, as an educated, intelligent, active person, was threatened, if he were healthy, by the danger of following the usual path of monastic service, that is, occupying one or another external monastic position, gradually climbing their ladder, and this could prevent him from developing to the full extent of his senile service... A serious illness and exclusion from the staff of the monastery blocked his path to external elevation and completely directed his life towards the path of internal spiritual development. Who would not see in this the wise and benign action of Divine Providence?! What about. Ambrose, after his serious illness, indeed turned out to be already prepared for senile service, this is evident from the fact that from that time on. Macarius begins to send many to him for spiritual guidance, despite his comparative youth. After spending about a year and a half on his sick bed, Fr. Ambrose, to everyone's surprise, began to recover. In the summer of 1848, he went out into the air for the first time. “I remember,” he told about this, “on a clear, quiet summer day I left my cell for the first time and walked, leaning on a stick, barely moving my legs, along the path behind the planter. (This is the most secluded path inside the monastery, along the eastern wall.) The first one I came across was Abbot Varlaam (former abbot of Valaam). “Well, he asks, are you getting better?” “Yes, here,” I answer, “glory to the Merciful God, I left him to repentance.” Father Abbot stopped and, looking at me, began to speak in a humbling tone: “Well, do you think you’ll be better? No, you won’t be better: you’ll be worse, you’ll be worse.”... Remembering these words, Father Ambrose said: “Now I see myself that I’ve become worse.” After suffering a serious illness, the health of Fr. Ambrose was never fully restored. Until his death, his illnesses did not leave him. Either his catarrh of the stomach and intestines intensified, he started vomiting, then he felt nervous pain, then he had a cold with feverish chills. In addition, hemorrhoidal suffering began to appear, which at times exhausted the sufferer to such an extent that he lay in bed as if dead. To all these ailments, despite their painfulness, Fr. Ambrose always treated them very complacently, recognizing that they were sent to him by God. In one of his letters, he defined the meaning of illnesses for a monk: “Merciful Lord! In the monastery, the sick do not die soon, but drag on and drag on until the illness brings them real benefit. In a monastery it is useful to be a little sick, so that the flesh, especially among young people, will rebel less, and less trifles will come to mind. Otherwise, with full health, especially for young people, what kind of wasteland does not come to mind...” Having recovered from a fatal disease, Fr. Ambrose, due to poor health, no longer celebrated church services, but he still went to the church of God, where he partook of the most pure Mysteries of Christ, probably in a schema-like manner - once a month, as his elder Fr. Macarius. At this time Fr. Ambrose, due to his illness, wore flannel shirts and woolen stockings summer and winter, and often, due to perspiration, changed both. The cell rules were read out to him every day by the brother who lived next to him in a special cell and was assigned to serve him. Even before his illness, Fr. Ambrose was released from cell duty under the elder Fr. Macarius and settled in a building located on the north side of the monastery church. Here his illness overtook him, and here he remained to live after his recovery. The situation of his life was now extremely simple. There were several icons in the front corner. A cassock and cassock with a mantle hung near the door. Then a bed with a canvas mattress filled with straw and the same pillow laid on it. That's all the decoration of his cell. One of the novices, who at that time belonged to Fr. Ambrose, once again noticed a whip under his bed, which probably served him instead of a chest of drawers or a chest where he kept woolen stockings and flannel shirts, which he now had an extreme need for, and asked: “What do you have this whip for, father?” Wanting to hide his extreme unpretentiousness from him, the humble Fr. Ambrose answered him in a joking tone: “Yes, I want to put a goose on eggs.” After such an answer, both the guest and the owner just laughed. In eating food o. Ambrose, as before, observed strict abstinence. Despite the painful state of his stomach, he continued, from time to time, to be content with refectory food. It should be noted that although the food in the Optina Skete is quite tasty, food all year round, with the exception of six continuous weeks, is prepared, as we have already said, with vegetable oil, and during Lent, on the days assigned to the Holy Church, without any oil at all. And for people with healthy stomachs, the insufficiency of such nutrition is sometimes noticeable, especially for Fr. Ambrose with his spoiled, painful stomach. However, when he had the opportunity, he did not stop going to meals with the brothers. After recovering from a fatal illness, Fr. Ambrose continued to help the elder Fr. Macarius in his correspondence, and at the same time, having taken due part in another matter undertaken at that time by Fr. Macarius - precisely in the revision and preparation for publication of translations of patristic ascetic works made by Fr. Paisiy Velichkovsky and until that time not yet published in full. By a special arrangement of the Providence of God, by this time the most accurate lists of the written works of Elder Paisius were found in Optina Hermitage, and among them there were even several manuscripts that belonged to Elder Paisius himself, copied with his blessing from his rough notebooks by his closest students, corrected and signed by his own hand; such, for example, is the manuscript of the words of the great teacher of the inner life of St. Isaac the Syrian 43. In addition to this manuscript in the cell library of the elder Fr. Macarius at the beginning of the publication of the books turned out to be correct copies: 1) from the ancient Slavic translations of the writings of Macarius the Great, John Climacus, St. Barsanuphius and Joanna; 2) from books translated by him: Maximus the Confessor's word on question and answer, Theodore the Studite (from modern Greek), the life of Gregory the Sinaite, the word of Gregory Palamas, some other creations of the holy ascetic fathers. The elder used all these treasures both himself and shared them with all those who thirsted for spiritual edification and salvation, not at all daring, by his own admission, to think about publishing them into the world, being pleased and thanking God for deigning him to have such treasures. Meanwhile, circumstances developed in such a way that the opportunity opened up to publish these precious manuscripts. Not far from the city of Belev, located 30 versts from Optina Pustyn, there is the village of Dolbino, the ancient patrimony of the Kireyevsky family. In 1805, the Dolbino landowner Vasily Ivanovich Kireevsky married V. A. Zhukovsky’s niece Evdokia Petrovna Yushkova, and from this marriage, on March 22, 1806, Ivan Vasilyevich Kireevsky was born in Moscow, a later famous writer and founder of the so-called Slavophilism or, more simply, the Russian, folk, Orthodox school of thought among an educated society. Having grown up in a circle of highly educated people with excellent qualities of heart, Ivan Vasilyevich himself received the best from them. In early childhood, V. A. Zhukovsky made an indelible impression on him. Under the guidance of his mother and very educated stepfather, A. A. Elagin, Ivan Vasilyevich perfectly studied mathematics, the languages ​​French and German and re-read many books on literature and the history of philosophy from the library collected by his father. In Moscow, he took lessons from university professors: Merzlyakov, Snegirev and others, listened to public lectures on the nature of prof. M. G. Pavlov, a follower of the German philosopher Schelling. At the same time, he studied English, Latin and Greek. After completing the training course, Ivan Vasilyevich entered the service in Moscow, where a circle of serious young people who longed for enlightenment soon formed around him. This circle included A.I. Koshelev, the Venevitinov brothers, Sobolevsky, Shevyrev and others. Subsequently, M.P. Pogodin, M.A. Maksimovich, the poet Baratynsky, A.S. Khomyakov joined them. Rotating in such an environment, Ivan Vasilyevich Kireevsky first devoted himself to the study of political economy, and from 1824 he became completely interested in German philosophy. In 1829, I. V. Kireevsky first appeared in the literary field with an article about Pushkin, which revealed a surprisingly clear understanding of the work of this poet. In this article, he already expresses doubt about the unconditional truth of German philosophy and points out the need for an original development of Russian scientific thought. “German philosophy cannot take root among us. Our philosophy must develop from our life, be created from current issues, from the dominant interests of our national and private life.” But at the same time, we should not reject the experience of Western European thought. “The crown of European enlightenment served as the cradle for our education; it was born when other states had already completed the circle of their mental development, and where they stopped, we begin. Like a younger sister in a large, friendly family, Russia, before entering the world, is rich in the experience of its elders.” In 1834, Ivan Vasilyevich married Natalya Petrovna Arbeneva, a deeply religious and Orthodox girl, who had as her confessor the elder of the Moscow Novospassky Monastery Philaret, one of the students of Archimandrite Paisius. Natalya Petrovna introduced her husband, Ivan Vasilyevich, to her confessor, who also became the spiritual son of Fr. Philareta. Under the influence of Fr. Philareta Ivan Vasilyevich began to delve closer and deeper into Orthodoxy and study it in the works of the fathers and teachers of the Church. Having married, Ivan Vasilyevich spent the winter in Moscow, and in the summer he went to his Dolbino estate, which, as we said, was located not far from the Optina Pustyn. While living on the estate, he and his wife visited Optina Pustyn and its elders, and at the same time met Fr. Macarius, who after the death of Fr. Philareta became the confessor of both Kireevsky spouses in 1842, and at their request he himself often visited Dolbino, where his caring owners and friends had built a cell for him in the garden 44 . In 1845, I.V. Kireevsky, publishing the Moskvityanin magazine at that time, suggested Fr. Macarius to publish some article of spiritual content in this magazine. The elder accepted this offer with gratitude and replied that if it was possible and convenient, then he offered to publish the biography of Elder Paisius. Ivan Vasilievich, sharing the opinion of Fr. Macarius about the services rendered by the blessed elder Paisius to all Orthodox monasticism and Slavic literature in general (by establishing ascetic terminology in it), gladly agreed to the proposal to decorate the pages of the magazine he published with this article. The article was published in the 12th book of “Moskvityanin” for 1845 and is decorated with a portrait of Elder Paisius. This was the beginning of the printed discovery of the spiritual treasures of Optina Pustyn. The following year, 1846, while visiting the Kireevskys on their estate, the elder, speaking about various spiritual subjects, touched upon the issue of the lack of spiritual books guiding an active Christian life, and at the same time mentioned that he had quite a few manuscripts of the works of the saints. the ascetic fathers of the translation of Elder Paisius, filled with spiritual intelligence and strength. It turned out that N.P. Kireevskaya also preserved several similar manuscripts, which she inherited from her former confessor, Fr. Filaret Novospassky. Then the question naturally arose: why not show these spiritual treasures to the world? The elder, with his characteristic humility, noted that he considered himself incapable of taking on such an important matter, that he had never done anything like this, that, apparently, this was not yet the will of God, etc., but the Kireyevskys said that they would report this to Bishop Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, and if he gave his blessing, then they would need to begin printing the manuscripts. At the same time, the Kireevskys began to ask Fr. Makaria immediately, without delay, write a preface to the proposed publication. After praying to God, the elder wrote the first page. On the same day, the Kireevskys sent a letter to Moscow to the professor of Moscow University S.P. Shevyrev, asking him on their behalf to ask the Metropolitan for a blessing to publish the manuscripts of Elder Paisius. The Bishop was so merciful that he not only gave his blessing to this matter, but also promised to provide him with support. Work was in full swing in Optina. The manuscripts were rewritten thoroughly and sent for censorship to the professor of the Moscow Theological Academy, Archpriest F.A. Golubinsky, and before the Kireevskys arrived in Moscow in September 1846, 8 sheets of “The Life and Writings of Elder Paisius” were printed by S.P. Shevyrev, and at the beginning of 1847 the entire book was published under the following title: “Life and the writings of the Moldavian elder Paisius Velichkovsky (with a portrait of the elder). This was the beginning of the holy work, which continued until the death of Fr. Macarius for 15 years with the warm assistance of the Kireyevskys and under the high patronage of Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow. Acquaintance with the translations of the patristic works of Elder Paisius had a profound influence on the train of thought of Ivan Vasilyevich Kireevsky and led him to a complete understanding of the spirit of true Orthodox Christian enlightenment in comparison with Western European enlightenment, which was revealed to him in all detail in his subsequent philosophical writings. His soul, which had always ardently strived for knowledge of the truth, finally found deep moral satisfaction and peace, and, united by strong bonds of love and gratitude with the Optina Hermitage and its elders, he bequeathed to bury himself within the walls of this monastery, where his grave, along with the graves of his brother Peter Vasilyevich and his wife Natalya Petrovna, is located at the feet of the buried elders Fr. Leonida and Fr. Macaria. All activities, both in preparing for printing the Slavic translations of Elder Paisius (with interlinear explanatory notes of incomprehensible words and expressions), and in translating some of them into the Russian dialect, were directly supervised by the elder himself, and he was helped by his students from the monastery brethren: hieromonk Fr. Ambrose, monks Fr. Yuvenaly (Polovtsev) 45, about. Leonid (Kavelin) 46 and Fr. Platon (Pokrovsky) 47. For their studies, all the above-mentioned persons gathered daily in the cell (in the reception room) of the elder Fr. Macarius, who, without stopping his usual activities with the brethren and those who came, visiting the hotel at certain times, nevertheless took the most active part in the works of his students; we can say affirmatively that not a single expression, not a single word was written into the manuscript sent to the censor without his personal approval. His activity in this regard was truly amazing: the old man, gifted by nature with a lively, energetic character, seemed to forget himself in these activities, often sacrificing for them that brief rest that was obviously necessary for his overworked and infirm body. Although everyone who participated in these labors had no lack of zeal, one cannot help but admit that if anyone at times felt exhaustion from strenuous activities, it was by no means the elder - he was tireless! But how generously his employees were rewarded by him! Who among those listening would not give several years of his life to hear what their ears heard: these are the elder’s explanations of such passages of the paternal writings, about which, if not for these studies, none of his disciples would have dared to ask him, and if they had dared, they would undoubtedly have received a humble answer: “I don’t know this, this is not my measure, maybe you have reached it, but I only know: grant me, Lord, to see my sins! Cleanse your heart - then you will understand!” Which of the participants in the work was able to forget with what condescension the elder listened to their children’s comments and made concessions, in the desire to more gracefully or clearly express a thought where he did not see a violation of the spiritual meaning, accompanying his concessions with a good-natured joke: “So be it, I don’t know the latest literature, but you are a learned people!” If a disagreement in understanding arose, the elder immediately eliminated it, or offered his own opinion, or left such a place without explanation at all, saying: “This is not our measure, whoever does it will understand, otherwise it would be impossible to put our rotten thing in place of his (i.e., Elder Paisius) high spiritual understanding.” With such constant joint studies, at the end of 1847 the second edition of the life and writings of Blessed Paisius was published; at the end of 1848, “Four Catechetical Words to a Nun” by Nikephoros Theotokius was published, which was published in the second edition in 1849. In the same year, the writings of Elder Paisius on mental prayer and “Interpretation of “Lord have mercy” were published as a separate edition. In 1849, in addition, the following were printed: by our reverend father Nil of Sorsky, “Tradition to his disciples about living in the monastery,” with footnotes, and a collection of paternal writings entitled “Enraptured classes as food for the soul,” translated by Elder Paisius Velichkovsky, with explanatory footnotes of difficult-to-understand passages. In 1852, the book of the Venerable Fathers Barsanuphius the Great and John “Guide to Spiritual Life, in Answers to the Questions of the Disciples” was printed - an ancient Slavic translation, corrected by Elder Paisius. This book was again verified with the Greek original, published in the Slavic dialect in Russian letters, also provided with interlinear notes that serve to explain incomprehensible places in the text, a special alphabetical index, and decorated with a lithographed image of the Venerable Fathers Barsanuphius and John. On October 21, 1852, they began to compile explanatory notes to the Slavic translation of Elder Paisius of the book of St. Isaac the Syrian and compare it with the Greek text; On November 29, this work was completed, the book was rewritten with footnotes, and the manuscript was sent to the censor. In the same year they began translating the book of St. Barsanuphius and Joanna into Russian, which was completed in April of the following 1853. At the beginning of the same year, the Slavic translation of Elder Paisius’s “Catechism” of the Venerable Theodore the Studite came out of print, and at the end of the year, the Venerable Father Maximus the Confessor’s interpretation of the prayer “Our Father” and his own word of fasting on the question and answer. In March 1854, the most precious of all publications of Optina Hermitage was published - St. our father Isaac the Syrian, Bishop of Nineveh, “Words of Spiritual Asceticism,” translated from Greek by Elder Paisius Velichkovsky. The book is printed in the Slavic dialect in civil letters, provided with interlinear notes and an alphabetical index at the end of the book, which the elder Fr. Macarius. The first printed copy of this book was sent by the publishers to the monastery on the brightest holiday of April, the 18th day, and was accepted by the elder as the most precious gift for the great day. However, not only the elder Fr. Macarius, but also all lovers of spiritual literature were extremely pleased with the publication of this wonderful book 48. In 1855, a Russian translation of the book of the venerable fathers Barsanuphius and John was published, and in the same year, “The chapters of our venerable father Abba Thalassius on love, abstinence and spiritual life” were translated from the Slavic translation of Elder Paisius into the Russian dialect and both texts, Slavic and Russian, were printed in civil letters. In 1850 [1856?] the year “Our Reverend Father Abba Dorotheus’s soul-helping teachings and messages were published, with the addition of his questions and answers to them by Barsanuphius the Great and John the Prophet,” in Russian translation. In the same year, the life of our venerable father Simeon the New Theologian was published in the Slavic dialect. In 1858, the moral and ascetic words of our venerable and God-bearing father Mark the Ascetic were published, in Russian translation. In 1859, the book “The Teaching of Our Reverend Father Orsisius Abba Tavennisiot on the Organization of Monastic Residence,” translated from Latin by K. K. Zederholm, was published. Finally, in 1860, a book was published in Russian translation - “Our Reverend Father Abba Isaiah, the Egyptian Hermit, Spiritual and Moral Words.” Under the leadership of Fr. Macarius compiled a semi-Slavic translation of the Ladder by St. John, on which Fr. worked exclusively. Ambrose. The basis of this work was the translation of Elder Paisius, as a man filled with spiritual intelligence, who had experienced the spiritual advice of the holy father, which cannot be comprehended by book learning alone, and in addition, other still known printed editions and translations of the Ladder were taken into account, studied and compared with each other, for example, the translation of the former Altai missionary Archimandrite Macarius, as well as the original Greek text of the book. The intention was to provide a translation that would make it as easy as possible to carry out the spiritual instructions contained in this book, which was achieved, so that Fr. Ambrose's translation of the Ladder still has no equal in terms of clarity, accuracy and practical usability of the presentation of the moral truths contained in it. To the translation made by Father Ambrose, Elder Fr. Macarius himself compiled an alphabetical index of the subjects mentioned in the book, and rewrote it with his own hand. Subsequently, this semi-Slavic translation of the Ladder was translated into Russian by Hieromonk Juvenaly (Polovtsev). The Ladder was not included in the Optina Hermitage's own publications, but was sent to the Holy Synod, by which it was published. Participation in fifteen years of literary works by Fr. Macarius, combined with constant, attentive reading and re-reading of the patristic ascetic works under the guidance of the wise elder, was the completion of Fr. Ambrose to the independent feat of eldership, which he had to undertake after the death of Fr. Macarius, which followed on September 7, 1860. So, these are the steps along which Fr.’s spiritual ascent took place. Ambrose in Optina Hermitage. A two-year stay under the leadership of Fr. Leonida, long cell service with Fr. Macarius, the ordeal of a long and painful illness, participation in the translations of patristic works, long-term observation of Fr. Macarius, assisting him in his spiritual work and, finally, the personal constant feat of prayer and continuous attention to oneself. Fr. ascended these steps slowly, but noticeably to others. Ambrose to his future service - independent aging. Translation from modern Greek. Its general content? about the fight against passions. Copying this manuscript, filling A.M.’s leisure time, also introduced him to the excellent science of inner spiritual life. This story may not be entirely accurate in detail, but it is interesting as the elder’s personal recollection of the first years of his life in the monastery. The fate of this manuscript is especially remarkable: it was sent from Elder Paisius to Metropolitan Gabriel of St. Petersburg with a handwritten inscription. It was written half-written on white glossy paper, more than half of it, by the hand of the elder’s close disciple, Schemamonk Theodore, and completed by the latter’s friend, Schemamonk Nikolai. This manuscript, after the death of the bishop, passed into unknown hands into private hands and was brought by a dealer for sale to the Valaam monastery, where it was acquired by schema-monk Theodore, who lived on Valaam at that time, who was very happy about the lost and re-found treasure. After the blessed death of Fr. Theodore, this book went to his beloved disciple and lifelong companion, Hieroschemamonk Fr. Leonid. During his lifetime, he gave it to his student Schemamonk Antioch, after whose death it passed to another student, Fr. Leonida, Fr. Ioannikiy, who then lived in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. He gave it as a gift to Fr. Leonida to Elder E.T.L., from whom this book passed in 1849 to Hieromonk Fr. Ephraim, who gave it to his spiritual son, the monk Abraham, and this latter, leaving for Athos in 1858, brought this manuscript as a gift to Hieroschemamonk Macarius, who blessed it before his death to Hieromonk Leonid (Kavelin), who later died as vicar of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. V. Lyaskovsky. The Kireyevsky brothers, their life and works. P. 48, etc. Subsequently, Archbishop of Lithuania and Vilna. Subsequently, the governor of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. The elder's confessor, Fr. Ambrose and the pilgrims of Optina Hermitage. There was a time when adherents of monastic life and Christian philosophy paid 100 or more rubles in banknotes for handwritten copies of this book, but it was difficult to obtain, especially since the Paisiev translation of this book, printed in the Nyametsky monastery in 1812, could only come to us in Russia by chance, due to the still existing ban on importing books of Slavic printing from abroad to us, regardless of the their content. You might be interested in: