Научная конференция «Наследие Святителя Феофана Затворника и духовное развитие общества» (22 июня 2017 года, Тамбов)

Clement, Metropolitan of Kaluga and Borovsky, Chairman of the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. The second foreign business trip of Saint Theophan The experience acquired by Saint Theophan in the Middle East turned out to be in demand by the highest church authorities and the government of the Russian Empire. In May 1856, Archimandrite Theophan was again sent abroad 770. “The appointment of Father Theophan to ... the post of rector of the Embassy Church in Constantinople was undoubtedly due to the fact that he was well acquainted with the Orthodox East and was fully prepared for this position” 771. This fully explains the unanimity of the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chief Prosecutor's Office during his appointment 772 . One need only add that when discussing his candidacy, in addition to his work experience in Jerusalem, “all the spiritual and moral qualities necessary for this [service]” were taken into account 773. This was required by the unfavorable situation for Orthodox Christians in the Middle East. Not long before, on March 18, 1856, following the results of the Crimean (Eastern) War, Russia made peace on unfavorable terms for itself. Archimandrite Theophan was to serve as part of the Russian embassy newly appointed to the Ottoman Empire, which was supposed to resume diplomatic relations interrupted by the war. These circumstances required from the rector of the Orthodox church at the Russian embassy not only diligence and responsibility, but also special spiritual sensitivity and complete moral impeccability. The future saint liked this appointment “to his heart,” as he personally wrote to Archbishop Arkady (Fedorov) of Olonets and Petrozavodsk 774. “The place where, if God wills, I will now be,” explained Archimandrite Theophan, “I prefer to everything for myself, not because of its dignity (for this is a priestly place), but because it is very much within my power... I kiss the providential right hand of God!” 775. We can say that for Saint Theophan this was a kind of retreat into seclusion, for in the capital of another state contacts with the world were involuntarily limited. “I know almost nothing about Constantinople and the affairs in it,” he will write from the new place of his ministry to Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin) in Athens in January 1857 776. And the position of rector allowed the future Vyshensky recluse to establish for the clergy of the embassy church the routine and rules of community life that were most convenient for carrying out spiritual feats. In addition, the abbot did not imply such an abundance of responsibilities and cares as the rector. And this gave Father Archimandrite time to work on spiritual writings. The future saint sincerely rejoiced at this turn of fate, as we find evidence of in his letter to the Burachkov family dated June 4, 1856: “How glad I was, on Trinity Day, before mass, to learn about the paper deciding my case! God bless!" - he wrote about his release from the rectorship, and further in the text he emphasized that he was now “the archimandrite of the missei’s faltering” 777 . In addition to Archimandrite Theophan, Hierodeacon Akaki 778 and clergymen Alexander Vasilevsky, Yakov Slavolubov, Vasily Levitsky 779 were appointed to the clergy and clergy of the embassy church. They left St. Petersburg in October 780 and two months later were already in Constantinople 781. They followed through Odessa, where Archimandrite Theophan met with Saint Innocent (Borisov), who was interested in the flaring up strife between the Greeks and Bulgarians 782. It is worth noting that Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov) paid special attention to highlighting precisely this side of the Constantinople ministry of St. Theophan according to his letter to Archbishop Innocent. In the course of work on the publication of the Complete Works of St. Theophan, new documents were brought into the study of this issue 783. But the first thing upon arrival at the place of service, Archimandrite Feofan, took up the improvement of the church at the Russian embassy. “Let us get the church back on its feet - and put everything in order... Then - and about other things,” he wrote on the eve of the New Year of 1857 26. And a few days later I asked Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin) about the organization of church singing: “Your choir is famous... Tell us how you organized it. Have you recruited Greeks? How were they taught? Do you pay them what, or clothe them and feed them, or something else? Tell me, for God's sake. And I myself want the singing to be louder. My clergy is not thin, but weak-voiced" 784. Archimandrite Theophan also took care of creating a library of “spiritual books” 785 at the embassy church. It should be noted that during his second stay abroad, Saint Theophan took an active interest in the religious teachings of the Christian West, intending to engage in their criticism from the standpoint of Orthodox doctrine. Interested in new publications, he singled out literature that corresponded to his intentions: “What new books are there? ...It is especially desirable to collect polemical and historical ones. Do you also know of any European religious magazines from which we could collect information about religious movements in the West? Briefly, I want to see and know all this” 786. Having discovered that in Constantinople only Catholic or Uniate authors were offered among religious books, Archimandrite Theophan proposed publishing a periodical publication of religious content with apologetics of Orthodoxy 787. As for the Bulgarian question, the alienation of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church from the Patriarchate of Constantinople grew rapidly from the second half of the 18th century. The Bulgarians sought to ensure that their shepherds were supplied from among the Bulgarian people, and that church services were not in Greek, but in the Slavic language. In addition, the Bulgarians wanted to gain church independence by returning the status of patriarchy to the Church in Bulgaria 788. The bishops of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, who were Greek by origin or by conviction, fueled by the ideology of panhellenism, in every possible way resisted the desire of Christians in Bulgaria for national self-identification, including in church life. The policy of the Ottoman Empire, interested in mutual hostility between Orthodox peoples, supported the alienation of the Bulgarians from the Greek Church. A legislative act issued on February 18, 1856 by the Turkish Sultan (“Hati Gumayun” 789) equalized Christians in some rights with Muslims. This provision and the rule soon issued on the establishment of church-people's assemblies led to the identification of strong disagreements within the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which strengthened the Bulgarians' tendency to separate from the Greek Church 790. In Russia, they were sympathetic to the desire of the Bulgarians to have a priesthood from their own people and to conduct services in the Bulgarian language. At the same time, the Russian authorities were concerned about the issue of church unity, which could easily have been destroyed as a result of sharp actions on each side, which is what ultimately happened. Only the Kherson Saint Innocent, with whom Archimandrite Theophan met in Odessa, was a supporter of the complete independence of the Church in Bulgaria and its acquisition of the status of a patriarchate. Other prominent hierarchs, in particular St. Philaret (Drozdov), did not support the idea of ​​​​independence of the Church in Bulgaria. The balance of power in the Middle East was also a significant factor in the issue. As a result of the Crimean War, Russia lost its authority in this region, while Western states - England and France - increased their influence and used it to convert Orthodox Christians, in particular the Bulgarians, to Catholicism and Protestantism. The opinion of Saint Philaret 791 reflected the concerns expressed by Archimandrite Theophan in letters from Constantinople to Saint Innocent and Konstantin Stepanovich Serbinovich 792. Archimandrite Theophan noted the heterogeneity of the Bulgarian church movement, the lack of unity in it, and saw the danger of the Church in Bulgaria gaining complete independence and the deviation of the Orthodox Bulgarians into a union or Protestantism. At the same time, he was concerned about the extremely constrained and subordinate position of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in the Turkish Empire. Archimandrite Feofan also supported the Bulgarians’ demands for their national clergy and the right to pray and read books in their native language. He proposed developing national schools and called on the Russian government and the Russian public to provide all possible assistance to Bulgarian national schools, which constituted an alternative to Catholic and Protestant educational institutions. “At present, it would be necessary to organize two institutions, which the zealous Bulgarians have already laid the foundation for,” wrote Archimandrite Feofan to his friend and long-time correspondent Nikolai Vasilyevich Elagin. - This is a boarding school - in Constantinople - and a silkworm school in Esk-Zagre. ...Both of them receive benefits from our government, but not enough... We need to start a community - a fundraiser in favor of the Christians of the East... Mother Russia is broad and kind. Just explain” 793 . For his part, Archimandrite Theophan tried to find worthy teachers for these schools. In addition to studying the Greek-Bulgarian differences, Archimandrite Theophan made a significant contribution to the resumption of the work of the Russian spiritual mission in Jerusalem. At the request of the Russian envoy in Constantinople A.P. Butenev, he first presented his comments on the goals and nature of the renewed mission in the Holy City 794, and then personally met with Patriarch Kirill of Jerusalem, whom he knew from his work in the Holy Land. The purpose of the meeting was to resolve issues of setting up a new Russian mission in Jerusalem 795. In Constantinople on April 17, 1857, Archimandrite Theophan received the church award for which Archimandrite Porfiry (Uspensky) and Archbishop of Olonets and Petrozavodsk Arkady (Fedorov) 796 had once petitioned. This was the Order of St. Anne, second degree. Another occupation of the future saint brings his service in Constantinople closer in nature to his stay in seclusion. We are talking about his letters to Princess Pelageya Sergeevna Lukomskaya, thanks to which the publication of “Letters on Christian Life” 797 subsequently appeared. According to Archimandrite Porfiry, these “his pious letters” decided the future fate of the saint 798. At the insistence of Chief Prosecutor Count A.P., who read them. Tolstoy, Archimandrite Feofan was appointed rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. His labors in Constantinople ended on July 27, 1857. The shortest stage, the Constantinople stage, is of considerable importance in the multifaceted ministry of St. Theophan the Recluse. As archival finds show, the saint did not lose attention to the further development of Greek-Bulgarian church relations 799. His opinion, as well as the observations he made directly in Constantinople, carried weight in the Synod when discussing the flaring up conflict. In addition to his contribution to the study of the Bulgarian question, Archimandrite Theophan developed his views on the apologetic mission and spiritual education in the Russian Church, and also began counseling in epistolary form, which later became the main feat of the saint. Theodosius, Metropolitan of Tambov and Rasskazovsky. Saint Theophan the Recluse and church reforms of the 1860–1870s. St. Theophan's stay at the Tambov See occurred at the beginning of the Great Reforms of the 1860–1870s in Russia, which affected the life of the Russian Church and contributed to the revitalization of the activities of parishes, the expansion of rights and the strengthening of the financial situation of the clergy. An important component of the transformations in the church sphere was the reform of religious educational institutions. At this time, the Church was developing the “Draft Charter of Theological Educational Institutions of 1862” 800. The “Draft Charter …” with a special attitude from the spiritual and educational administration at the Holy Synod dated March 20, 1863, was sent to Bishop Feofan of Tambov and Shatsk for consideration and presentation to the Holy Synod of his opinion and the opinion of the seminary teachers. Saint Theophan actively participated in the process of discussing the charter. The draft contained radical provisions regarding the management of seminaries. It was recommended to establish a Pedagogical Council at the seminaries and divide all teachers into senior and junior. The system that existed at that time of subordinating religious educational institutions to five authorities: the diocesan bishop, the academic Board, the Spiritual Educational Administration, the Chief Prosecutor and the Holy Synod - was very inconvenient. It was proposed to subordinate the seminaries to the bishop, and to abolish the academic Boards altogether, establishing instead the position of district inspector with the responsibility to periodically audit the seminaries in the subordinate districts and report to the Holy Synod on the results. The pedagogical corporation of the Tambov Theological Seminary, practically without objection, approved the sent draft of the new charter and expressed its readiness to begin transforming the theological school in accordance with its provisions. The opinion of Saint Theophan on some points of the charter differed from the position of the teachers of the Tambov Seminary. This is known from the “Code of Opinions” of bishops on the “Draft Charter of 1862”, published in 1866. The saint shared the point of view of such bishops as Archbishop Gregory (Mitkevich) of Kaluga, Archbishop Varlaam (Uspensky) of Tobolsk and others, who believed that the power of the bishop in relation to the seminary should not be limited, and expressed doubts about the advisability establishment of the Pedagogical Council. The opinion of the archpastors, among whom was Saint Theophan, is reflected in the “Code” as follows: “Everything in the paragraphs of the charter leading to strengthening of bishop’s autonomy in relation to the seminary is rejected in reviews of this kind as illegal, unnecessary, and even positively harmful. The Pedagogical Council at the seminary was denied” 801. Saint Theophan defended the position according to which the authority of the bishop as the canonical head of the diocese should be complete and unconditional in the seminary. With its implementation, “the opportunity opens up for him to strictly adapt the seminary in all respects to the needs of his diocese. With the inclusion of the seminary in the circle of diocesan institutions and along with its merger with the diocese, all students will more vividly feel their purpose - to be ministers of the Church. Office work will be reduced and simplified. With autocracy over the seminary, many reasons for intrigue will be eliminated” 802. In addition, the archpastor would have to communicate directly with the Holy Synod on spiritual and educational matters, and not with the Academic Board. According to the Tambov Bishop, there should be no dependence of the diocesan bishop on the said board. It should be emphasized that St. Theophan’s position on the bishop’s attitude towards the seminary, where he would be the main commander, was not supported by the majority of diocesan bishops. Their opinion was expressed by Archbishop Makariy (Bulgakov) of Kharkov, who believed that “instead of being the main head of the seminary, it is more appropriate for the bishop to be only an honorary trustee of the seminary” 803. On other provisions of the reform of theological educational institutions, the views of St. Theophan the Recluse, apparently, coincided with the opinion of the majority of archpastors, since his name is no longer mentioned in the Code. Archival documents and materials, as well as some surviving memories, indicate that the discussion of the “Draft Charter of 1862” at the Tambov Theological Seminary took place openly, with elements of discussion both among the teachers of the seminary and in the entire corporation of teachers of theological educational institutions of the diocese. In general, the proposals and wishes of Tambov teachers expressed regarding the project corresponded to the views that existed in the spiritual community on the issues of transformation of religious educational institutions and reflected in the “Draft Charter of 1862”, but somewhat diverged from the views of the manager of the Tambov diocese. It must also be said that the reform of theological educational institutions was the most successful of all the transformations in the Church during this period. In 1869, a special committee was established to develop a project for transforming the church court, which was headed by Archbishop of Lithuania Macarius (Bulgakov). This committee consisted primarily of secular people. As a result, a document was developed leading to “a direct copying of the secular judicial system without regard to canon law and Orthodox church tradition” 804. Such a project caused a negative reaction from most of the archpastors. “No other area of ​​reform has caused such open indignation as the attempt to transform the court” 805. In 1873, Saint Theophan, already in seclusion, shared his impressions about the essence of the reforms in correspondence with his recipients. In particular, in a letter to N.V. To Elagin, the author of the book “The Proposed Reform of the Church Court,” the saint expressed the following fundamental consideration: “Let them build the courts as they wish, but it is necessary that the bishop be the head of the court, and especially in that part that concerns purely spiritual and church matters. The last limit is that the bishop should have the power to appoint and remove from them according to his own conviction and that no court should interfere; so that he also has the power to order to do everything that he considers necessary for the building of the flock” 806. In a letter dated March 4, 1875, having become familiar with the negative opinions of some bishops about the court reform, the saint very emotionally expressed his point of view on the proposed project: “It is very comforting that the bishops’ reviews are so good. We must assume that they will be respected and will not face a stupid trial. But the wolf in the sheepfold is very cunning. He sits and flashes his teeth and looks to see how he can manage to get his way. Lord, save us! 807 In general, Saint Theophan was skeptical about reforms in the Church, believing that their projects, developed mainly by secular officials, could bring harm to the Church, since they were not always consistent with church canons. This is evidenced by some of the saint’s remarks in his letters. For example, in a letter to N.V. He wrote to Elagin in connection with the ongoing reforms: “That times are difficult for Orthodoxy are like two and two” 808. To another addressee regarding the reduction in the number of parishes, he replied: “You rightly mourn the reduction of parishes and the closure of churches. What to do? Let us pray to God that the Lord may have mercy on His holy Church. But there’s nothing we can do about it” 809. A modern researcher notes that “the immediate result of reforms in the sphere of public consciousness, contrary to the expectations of the government, was a noticeable cooling in relations between parishioners and the clergy, the spread of indifference to faith not only in educated society, but also in the lower strata, and the increase in sectarianism” 810. Reforms in the Church carried out by analogy with the secular, did not have their completion, since they did not foresee the main transformation that the entire church expected - the restoration of the canonical government of the Russian Orthodox Church - the patriarchate. Saint Theophan, in the course of church reforms, defended the right of the bishop to be at the head of diocesan life in all its areas, justifying his position by the rules of the Church adopted at the Ecumenical Councils. Understanding the secular spirit of the reforms being carried out, he nevertheless saw their positive side in the transformation of religious educational institutions, as well as in the Christian education of the people through the construction of parochial schools. Welcoming speech from the abbess of the Assumption Vyshensky Monastery, Abbess Vera Your Eminence, honorable participants This is not the first time we have met with you at a conference dedicated to the study of the life and spiritual heritage of a prominent theologian of the 19th century. and the heavenly patron of the Vyshensky monastery, St. Theophan, the Recluse of Vyshensky. Among the speakers and guests there are many regular participants, but there are also many new, young researchers who focus on the spiritual heritage of the Vyshensky ascetic as the subject of their study. And this is a very encouraging fact, indicating that no matter how many new researchers join our work, we will never be able to fully exhaust the inexhaustible source of patristic teaching and spiritual wisdom that is contained in the legacy of St. Theophan. In the research field, scientists are also waiting for new archival discoveries. The name of Saint Theophan is widely known both in Russia and abroad. The religious procession with the Vyshensky shrines - the ark with a particle of the relics of St. Theophan, the Recluse of Vyshensky, and the miraculous image of the Mother of God of Kazan Vyshensky recently visited the UK, where it was greeted with special warmth by both the British and our former compatriots. And this is not surprising. For more than 40 years, the Sourozh diocese was headed by the famous preacher Anthony (Bloom), who managed to unite people of different nationalities in his parish. Saint Theophan was one of Vladyka Anthony’s favorite authors, whom he often quoted in his sermons. The first foreign religious procession attracted great attention from the hierarchy and believers of foreign dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church. And now we have received an invitation to visit France and Italy with a religious procession. In 1854, Saint Theophan himself visited Italy, returning from Jerusalem, and visited many holy places, as well as various museums. On June 29 of this year, the Assumption Vyshensky Monastery will celebrate the 15th anniversary of the transfer of the relics of St. Theophan to the Vyshensky Monastery. According to the words of St. John of Damascus, “The Lord Christ gave us the relics of the saints as saving springs, which exude many different blessings and pour out incense.” Exactly 15 years ago, the holy relics of our heavenly cover and body returned to the monastery. We remember what a national celebration it was, and we hope this year to honor the memory of the Vyshensky saint with a conciliar prayer with the participation of numerous bishops, priests and believers. Among the guests who will gather for the holiday are believers from Russia, Ukraine, England, Denmark, Serbia, Romania and other countries. Such geography testifies to the enormous love and faith for the saint that many people have in their hearts. Turn in your prayers to Saint Theophan, and he will be a quick helper and representative in all your affairs and undertakings, as the Orthodox Church glorifies the saint and as it is sung in the troparion: “Master of Orthodoxy, teacher of piety and purity, Vyshensky ascetic to Saint Theophan, the wise one, with your writings you have explained the Word of God and to all the faithful the path to Thou hast indicated salvation, pray to Christ God that our souls may be saved." I wish all participants fruitful work under the prayerful protection of St. Theophan and all the saints of the Tambov land. Vladimir Klenin, archpriest, head of the department of theology, teacher at Tambov Theological Seminary. Spiritual and moral themes in letters to various persons of St. Theophan the Recluse The consecrated Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in the 1988 anniversary year glorified St. Theophan the Recluse as a saint. A special place in the spiritual and literary heritage of Saint Theophan is occupied by his letters to various persons who asked him for advice or spiritual help, solutions to perplexed questions, consolation in grief, relief in troubles. From all sides of Russia, these requests flocked to the Vyshensk Hermitage, where Saint Theophan remained for the last 28 years of his life, and for 22 of them he was in strict seclusion. From here, from the height of his reclusive feat, the saint saw more clearly the pressing problems and illnesses of the present time and was more fully able to provide the necessary help to people. The letters of St. Theophan, according to researchers, are a true treasure, where freshness and grace of style, an amazing wealth of possible comparisons, simplicity and warmth coexist with each other. On the one hand, they are imbued with purity and clarity of thought, some kind of unearthly calm and greatness of spirit, and on the other, with boundless love for man, extraordinary subtle observation and a tremendous talent for understanding the causes and effects hidden in the human soul. Saint Theophan the Recluse briefly expresses the idea of ​​salvation for everyone like this: “It is necessary to have faith and, accepting the forces of grace, to life and piety, through the Holy Sacraments, to live according to the commandments of God, under the guidance of divinely appointed shepherds, to stand in living union with the Holy Church” 811. Faith, in the opinion of Saint Theophan, we must have the right or Orthodox faith, that is, the one that our fathers and forefathers adhered to from the very enlightenment under the holy Prince Vladimir. This is the same confession among the Greeks, from whom we received the holy faith. These same doctrinal truths were defended and approved by the Councils. It was this saving faith that the confessors and martyrs held to during persecution. The apostles received this true faith from the Lord. Clarifying what is right and salutary for us to believe in, St. Theophan the Recluse writes: “We must believe in everything that God has deigned to reveal to us, without adding or subtracting, and believe in the way that the Holy Orthodox Church contains. Namely: that God is One in essence, and Trinity in Persons; that He created the world with the Word and provides for it; that He created us for heavenly life, honoring us in His image in creation, but we lost it, having disobeyed His commandment in our ancestors; The Son of God... came to earth, became incarnate, suffered, died on the cross, rose again, ascended into heaven... He saves us fallen by the good pleasure of the Father in the Lord Jesus Christ by the grace of the Holy Spirit in His Holy Church" 812. But besides faith itself, for salvation it is necessary to live holyly according to the commandments of the Lord. Saint Theophan writes in one of his letters: “According to the word of God, faith and fulfillment of the commandments stand on the same line, and neither one nor the other is given preference. Faith without works and works without faith mean nothing. Only in inextricable connection do they bring about our salvation” 813. In order for our faith to be truly saving and our deeds to be done as they should, we need the grace of the Holy Spirit. The merciful Lord was pleased to send down the Most Holy Spirit, which, acting in us, contributes to the arrangement of our salvation. “He arouses faith in those who want to believe,” writes St. Theophan the Recluse, “and to those who, by faith, rose to the point of determination and to live holy in the spirit of faith, He gave the power to carry out this decision” 814. It is not in vain that the Lord says in the Holy Gospel: “What is impossible with man, everything is possible with God” (cf. Luke 18:27).” The grace of the Holy Spirit is given and received through the Sacraments. Here are the seven streams of Divine grace operating in the Holy Orthodox Church: baptism or birth by water and the Spirit; anointing or the communication of the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit, remission of sins into which someone falls after baptism; the most living communion with the Lord is accomplished through the communion of the Body and Blood in the Sacrament of the Eucharist; two persons getting married are united together by the Sacrament of Marriage; illnesses are healed by the Sacrament of Anointing; the continuation of the apostolic work of building the Church is given through the ordination of bishops and priests. Therefore, for the organization of salvation, clergy are still needed, acting on behalf of God, who would teach the faith, sanctify with grace through the Sacraments and lead in life, that is, shepherds given by God and appointed by God. Paying special attention to this point, Saint Theophan the Recluse wrote: “The Lord sent the apostles to teach the faith, to baptize those who were taught, to instruct those who were baptized and taught to observe everything commanded. The apostles did just that. But since they are not eternal, and their apostolic work must endure forever, they everywhere, by God’s command, left shepherds and teachers in their place as successors, so that they would continue their work - the celebration of the saints, the service (performing the Sacraments) and the building up of the body of Christ” 815. At the same time, the holy saints of God with particular insistence called for the observance of another essential condition for salvation - to be in a living union with the true Church of Christ, the head of which is Christ, and He is the Savior of the body. Saint Theophan explains this secret of the economy of our salvation as follows: “Those who are saved are saved in the body of the Church, that is, not alone personally, but in common with everyone, living a common life with all true believers” 816. Our salvation is accomplished through entering into the Eternal Covenant between God and man, once established by Jesus Christ in His own Blood. “The Holy Orthodox Church is a treasury of blessings, in which the Lord was pleased to combine everything necessary for salvation,” 817 St. Theophan persistently explains to his addressees. All the ecclesiological images of the New Testament speak about the need to remain in unity with Christ as the Head of the Church: the vine and branches; the cornerstone and the knowledge built on it; shepherd and one flock. Saint Theophan the Recluse, adding personal experience to this, enthusiastically testifies: “Living the life of the Church, you will be in living union with the Lord, and with the organizers of the Church, the apostles, and with the holy hierarchs who continue their work, and with the faithful doers of everything - the holy martyrs and holy venerable fathers... You will be as if in a safe haven, as if in a strong fence, as if under an indestructible cover... The life of the Church... will continually feed you with influxes of spiritual elements, under the influence of which your Christian life will abundantly flourish and mature. Rising from strength to strength, invisibly among your visible works and deeds” 818. That is why Saint Theophan the Recluse calls all those who alienate church life, or even more so distract others from church life, real “murderers, enemies of the Church of God and enemies of God” 819, who “themselves are in self-delusion, and close the path to salvation and inheritance of the Kingdom of God for others” 820. Today, in anticipation of the “new spiritual luminary,” we can speak with all responsibility about the importance of joining the spiritual heritage of the Venerable Elder Ambrose of Optina and Saint Theophan the Recluse, where the path to salvation is clearly laid out, and it is practically clearly shown how every Christian should adapt his lifestyle to the Gospel teaching in order to properly organize his spiritual life, to become worthy of the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit and heirs of the eternal bliss. A.E. Lukyanova, member of the Historical and Genealogical Society (Moscow), Russian Genealogical Society (St. Petersburg). The care of St. Theophan about the destinies of relatives “If anyone does not provide for his own, much less for those close to him, Already from his student years, the future saint felt his responsibility to his relatives, especially to his orphaned relatives. Of course, the first thing Feofan tried to do was help financially - you can’t live without bread and shelter. Having learned that someone was widowed or orphaned, he immediately came to the rescue. I will not repeat the story of the growing up and marriage of his younger sister Anna, who was left without parents at the age of 14. The saint's letters are the only documentary source that allows us to get acquainted with this side of his life, hidden from everyone, therefore our message will be based on his letters. Letter from Hieromonk Theophan from Jerusalem dated May 6, 1853: “Address to which to send money: “To the city of Yelets, Oryol province, Intercession Church to priest Nikolai Fotich Leonov for delivery to the village of Ponikovets to the priest’s widow Alexandra Efimova Shchegoleva.” With this, a letter to this widow" 821. Who is she, this widow Alexandra Efimovna? This is the cousin of Saint Theophan. His maternal grandfather Ivan Savvich Popov, in addition to his daughters, had one son, a priest from the village. Volovo, Livensky district, Efim Ivanovich. U o. Efim had several daughters, one of them, Alexandra Efimovna, “inherited the place” of her grandfather, that is, her husband, priest Nikolai Shchegolev, took the place of priest after Ivan Savvich in the village. Ponikovce. As we see from this letter, even from Jerusalem, where the members of the mission were very limited in funds, Hieromonk Theophan found an opportunity to help his widowed cousin. The men in the Govorov family died early, leaving orphans and widows with children. This happened with two of the saint’s brothers. The wife of Ivan Vasilyevich Govorov's elder brother, a priest in the village. Vyshne Olshanoye, Livensky district, died before her husband. After the death of Ivan Vasilyevich (previously 1844), there were orphans Daria, Irina and son Ivan. Daria Ivanovna subsequently married Evgraf Nikolaevich Ostrogorsky, who served as a priest in the same village. Vyshne Olshanoye after the death of Feofan’s younger brother, Gavriil Vasilyevich Govorov. Irina Ivanovna was married to the deacon of the village of Uspenskoye Medvezhye, Livensky district, Vasily Afanasyevich Orlov (1834–11.4.1885). The family of the descendants of Irina Ivanovna and Vasily Afanasyevich Orlov-Silvestrov kept 6 letters from St. Theophan. Unfortunately, the originals are now lost. 2 letters of them date from 1859–1863, signed “Feofan Ep. Tambovsky", the rest were written in the 1870s. The letters are full of concern for the niece’s family; almost every letter contains some amount of money. Vasily Afanasyevich and Irina Ivanovna. God help you. Having heard that you have had a little trouble, I am sending you one hundred silver rubles. May the Lord bless you with happiness and contentment. I wish you peace. Theophan Ep. Tambovsky" 822. God help you! Save yourself! I hear that you are planning to build. Good! God help you! Here's a small allowance for you - 150 rubles. Please accept. May God bless you with peace - at home and externally - we must pray for this and, on our part, use everything to maintain good relations. But others are judged by God. Is it sad for us not to be guilty? Who lives without sorrows? Bow to everyone you know. May God bless you with great blessing. Feofan E. Tambovsky" 823. According to descendants, Irina Ivanovna died before her 30th birthday. A widower-deacon remained with 4 children: Feofan, twins Peter 1st and Peter 2nd and the youngest daughter Alexandra. Alexandra Vasilievna Silvestrova, ur. Orlova The Silvestrov family archive contains a unique document-draft letter from Deacon Vasily Orlov to his late wife’s uncle, Bishop Feofan. We know the saint’s answers to numerous requests for help, but the letters of request themselves have not survived. We dare to think that the remaining letters of the petitioners could be similar to the poignant document of the era given below (the original spelling has been preserved) 824. Most Gracious Archpastor! There are two reasons why I dare to bother Your Eminence with this letter: one, as an incentive - these are the difficult circumstances of my present life, - the other, as authorizing me to write this letter, is the relationship by which I am connected with Your Eminence through my late wife Irina Ivanovna. The difficult circumstances of life, as the motivating reason for writing this letter, are as follows: after the death of my wife, there were four children left - a daughter and three sons. According to the sacred duty of a father, obliged to take care of the upbringing of his children, I have now enrolled all my sons - two Petrov and Feofan - in the Oryol Theological School and support them at my own expense without any assistance from the school treasury. Due to the too high value of all life products, it costs me about 30 rubles to support my sons. ser. per month, without touching clothes and shoes, which is an amount beyond my strength and means, an amount that exceeds my monetary income. Because in a good year I earn 100, and for children I need at least 300 rubles. silver per year. This summer is especially unfortunate due to the growth of various products, so I am left with almost no means to support my children at the Oryol School. Now my glaring needs are obvious to you, and from this the purpose of this letter speaks itself. I dare to disturb Your Eminence with my most humble request for possible assistance from Your Person for my children. Deign, Your Eminence Vladyka, to ensure, as far as possible, the material well-being of my sons who need education; for with my own means, especially at the present time, I cannot support my children in any way, and without means, as we know, no goal is achieved, and, consequently, the education of my children corresponding to their purpose. In view of the penetration of education among the lower strata of our society, in view of the demands of the Government, with which modern monasticism is challenged to greater and greater feats of education more capital and thorough, with what eyes will I look at my children, if due to lack of funds, I am forced to stop their teaching - the only means for children of the clergy to achieve some good. I will be ashamed in front of the common people who send their children to schools, I will be ashamed in front of the Government, which is constantly taking measures to raise the level of education of our children. Your Eminence Vladyka! These are the conditions I have spoken about in our modern life, and in particular mine, that force me to resort to you, as my only high relative, with a prayer for help, which will force me to forever pray for you, as a benefactor, a heavenly Giver.” Based on the time of writing, it should date back to the early 1870s, since Feofan’s response letters are dated 1873–75 and then until 1877. The saint did not leave the widower-deacon without help: he wrote, sent money, helped with detailed advice in raising children, and wrote petitions to the authorities in educational institutions. He never tired of reminding us that our daughter should also not be left without an education: God's mercy be with you! The children were again transferred to Livny. Nothing arrived. Contain it as best you can - it’s closer here, see for yourself. You are working hard for your daughter to be admitted to school with a fee. I will send them directly to the school as often as necessary annually or semi-annually - as they ask. With this, I am sending you 25 rubles. Your pilgrim Bp. Feofan" 825. You do well that you take care of the upbringing of your children. Now this is all you need to live for. I will help you in this matter little by little. I am currently sending you 50 rubles. I can still send it in September. Take care to find a better apartment - and arrange supervision and management so that everything goes more successfully. ... God's blessing to all the children. I wish them success... And there’s no need to abandon your daughter” 826. The nieces of Saint Theophan (we will call all girls, young women, and adult women related to him this way for brevity) were the daughters of clergy, and, as a rule, remained in the same class all their lives. Everyone knows how great the role of a woman is in the family, especially in the family of a clergyman. The children of clergymen became, for the most part, ministers of the church, and the state of the church largely depended on how these children grew up. The specificity of the workload is such that often the father was not at home from dawn to dusk, and the entire burden of not only household work, but also the upbringing and primary education of children fell on the shoulders of the mothers. The material condition of the priest and clergy greatly depended on the sufficiency of the parish, the local landowner, etc. The overwhelming majority of Russian people of the 19th century. was preoccupied with getting a piece of bread, and the clergy also had to find funds to educate their sons and daughters. In the clergy registers, for example, the children of clergy had a special item: whether they were taught to read and write, this also applied to girls. Saint Theophan perfectly understood the importance of the education and upbringing of girls in general, and his nieces too. In the dioceses he ruled, schools were opened for “beauties” (as he usually called all girls and young women) from the clergy. In diocesan schools, girls were taught, first of all, everyday culture and hygiene. In addition to educational subjects, there were home economics lessons, in particular, courses in cutting and sewing men's, women's and children's clothing, and artistic darning. In the letters cited above, Bishop Feofan insists that Alexandra Orlova study at the diocesan school, and he himself undertakes to pay for this education. Subsequently, when Alexandra Vasilievna became the wife of priest Grigory Silvestrov and the mother of a large family, all the knowledge she acquired undoubtedly found application. The children grew up cultured, educated and successful. The descendants of this family are still alive today, among them are priests, scientists, and diplomats. Here are some more orphan nieces, in whose fate Feofan took an active part. The daughter of the elder sister Lyubov Vasilievna-Alexandra Vladimirov na Makrinov married the deacon of the Yeletsky Ascension Cathedral Pyotr Timofeevich Ryazanov, the family had 2 daughters: Olga and Seraphima (born 1872). Father Peter died of consumption on June 8, 1874, his wife Alexandra Vladimirovna died in July 1886, leaving two daughters, the youngest at that time was not yet 14 years old. Letter from Bishop Feofan dated July 15, 1886: “...The sick niece in Yelets died. Two girls remained. The eldest has graduated and is giving lessons - but it seems she is not yet 20 years old. The youngest is studying great. Will they find any old woman to live with them?! ..." 827 The repair of the house of the Ryazanov girls in Yelets is the topic of several letters from the saint in the 1880s. Letter dated June 1, 1887. “God's mercy be with you! You once wrote about the renovation of the Ryazanov orphanage. So what? Here are the holidays. We might as well get started. It occurred to me that since their huts are a little cold, wouldn’t it be best to line their house with bricks... How much will it cost?... I think I can handle it. If you find it necessary and feasible, then proceed. Just let me know how much it will cost so that I can prepare the money. If you haven’t seen how it’s done, ask around. And then when they start working, arrange for supervision of the work. Inside, leave the walls as they are. It's healthier. My huts have open logs inside, and the outside is lined with bricks... and it’s beautiful. And rearrange the ovens if necessary... God bless you and your family... and orphans. Save yourself! Your good friend E. Feofan. P.S. If you have to sell the house, this amendment will not detract from its value. It’s surprising that selling and buying happened at the same time... but take a closer look! Letter dated July 9, 1887: “God's mercy be with you! I wrote to you about the renovation of the home of the Yeletsky orphans Olga and Seraphima... and I was still waiting for your notification of how much money would be needed. Having now money in my hands... and being afraid to squander it, I am sending you a hundred rubles for this purpose. If it is not enough, write and I will send you more. If you are planning to cover the house with brick, which is very desirable, then you need to supervise the work, because craftsmen without supervision can make such a thing that this cover will be worse than upholstering the house with planks. Since this work is external, it can be carried out even after the holidays end... even though it will take September. ... God bless you, your good will E. Feofan. But it wasn’t just the state of the house that bothered the Eminence; he was also concerned about how the lives of these girls would turn out. The bishop persistently writes to them, sends money, gives professional advice on teaching issues, and discusses options for their future life. “...Olga Petrovna refused marriage, and Seraphima wonders if she wants to become a deaconess, like the others, so that later she can become a priest. If she wants, then you are there... and Olga Petrovna would spread the rumor that she has a dowry... P.S. However, if Seraphim doesn’t want to get married, then that’s better. I think that if you marry, it’s better to marry someone who is spiritual... good” 830. Letter dated January 12, 1893 “God's mercy be with you! I’m very glad that Seraphima got up. ... Here’s another thing I want to know, how Seraphima thinks about organizing her life. You remain celibate... And this is very good when health is low. How about Seraphim? If she wants to have a family, then how? Does he want to marry a spiritual person? This life is familiar to us. If so, then it would be necessary to find one of the good students of the seminary... so that he is worthy of a priestly place, to serve a little as a deacon... or whatever it happens to you. Let Seraphima express her thoughts frankly. I feel sorry for her... The stuffiness there at school will suffocate her. God help her! God bless you! Save yourself! E. Feofan" 831. Unfortunately, we do not know how the future life of Serafima Petrovna Ryazanova developed. In the “Memorable Book of the Oryol Province for 1898” she is shown as a teacher of the 4th men's parish school, in the “Memorable Book of the Oryol Province for 1917” her name is not mentioned. Her elder sister Olga Petrovna Ryazanova, judging by printed sources, taught in educational institutions in the city of Yelets until the revolution. In the “Memorable Book of the Oryol Province for 1898” she is shown as a serving matron at the Yeletskaya women's gymnasium, in 1917 - also serving as a matron at the Yeletskaya women's gymnasium on Manezhnaya street, living at the address: Alekseev's house, corner of Pokrovskaya street. Letter dated December 15, 1893 (to Olga Petrovna Ryazanova). I am sending you 100 rubles for the holiday. Please give orders. You and Seraphima 30 rubles, Alek Egorov 20 rubles, Tatiana Vladimirovna and Alek Step 50 rubles. In Cossacks, something else is required for the guys, I don’t remember how much. Let me write so. The money was sent there on November 1st and November 30th and they do not notify of receipt. For what? Are you already healthy there?! God bless you! Save yourself! E. Feofan. Let us pay attention to the date of this letter - there were 24 days left before the death of the saint. Concern for his nieces and their destinies did not leave Saint Theophan, despite the illnesses and difficulties of the last days of his life. A.N. Svirin, teacher at Moscow University of Humanities and Economics. Orthodox archpastors are guests of the Vyshenskaya monastery during St. Theophan’s stay in retreat It is known that during the Vyshensky retreat, Saint Theophan had constant contacts: - with the rector of the Vyshenskaya monastery, Fr. Arkady (Chestonov); - with confessor Fr. Tikhon; - with cell attendant Evlampius. Attempts to meet with Theophan the Recluse were unsuccessful for Fr. John of Kronstadt, the grand ducal couple Sergius Alexandrovich and Elisaveta Feodorovna Romanov, etc. In his letters, Saint Theophan gave the reasons for the refusal to meet: “Don’t you see that if you are accepted, you must accept everyone, and, moreover, turn out to be unrequited before those who were refused and are refusing?” 833. During archival searches for the publication of the Complete Collection of Works of St. Theophan the Recluse, new information emerged about who the Vyshensky hermit met, as well as about the guests of the Vyshensky hermitage who asked to meet with the saint, but were refused. Bishop of Tambov and Shatsk Pallady (Raev) Better known as Metropolitan Palladius of St. Petersburg and Ladoga (Raev Pavel Ivanovich; 1827–1898). Born in the Nizhny Novgorod province into the family of a priest. He studied at the Nizhny Novgorod Theological School, the Nizhny Novgorod Theological Seminary, and the Kazan Theological Academy. With a master's degree in theology, he was assigned as a teacher of logic and psychology at the Nizhny Novgorod Theological Seminary. Then he was ordained a priest. After he was widowed, he took monastic vows. Then he served as the inspector of the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary and the rector of the same seminary. Since 1866 - Bishop of Ladoga, vicar of the St. Petersburg diocese. Then - Bishop of Vologda and Ustyug, Bishop of Tambod and Shatsk (from 1873 to 1876). Next - the bishop and archbishop of Ryazan and Zaraisky, the archbishop of Kazan and Sviyazhsk, the arbishop of Kartli and Kakheti, the exarch of Georgia. Since 1892 - Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, first member of the Holy Synod. In 1896 he headed the coronation of Nicholas II. At the Tambov See, Bishop Palladius began rebuilding the seminary and theological schools. Bishop Palladius opened the Tambov Kazan-Virgin Missionary Brotherhood, which took over all missionary work in the diocese. We learn about his meeting with Saint Theophan in retreat from his letter dated September 17, 1876 to Tambov: “And they are taking your Lord from you. It’s true that the Tambovites have sinned a lot, that God does not allow them to enjoy the kindness of their worthy Lords for a long time. What will the new one be like? Also Palladium. Your master, now surely a former one, was with us. I was very glad to see him. He gave me the consolation to come up to me and sat for a while. God save him! Did he think that this was the last time he visited the north of our diocese?!” 834 In another letter, the saint writes: “Your great master gave me consolation with his visit. I liked him very much both in his disposition, in his living spirit of jealousy, and in the power of his strong faith.”835 Bishop of Tambov and Shatsk Palladius II In the world Gankevich Pavel Fedorovich (1823–1893). Born in Mogilev province. He graduated from the Mogilev Theological Seminary and the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, served as a teacher, inspector and rector of the Mogilev Theological Seminary, and as rector of the Mogilev-Brotherly Monastery. In 1871 he was consecrated Bishop of Vyborg, vicar of the St. Petersburg diocese. Since 1873 - Bishop of Ladoga, vicar of the St. Petersburg diocese. Since 1876 - Bishop of Tambov and Shatsky. On his initiative, the Tambov Church Historical Committee was renewed, uniting the best church historians of the diocese. In 1879 he organized a solemn celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Tambov Theological Seminary. Since 1885 - Chairman of the School Council under the Holy Synod. Then - Archbishop of Volyn and Zhitomir. Bishop Palladius reports about his meeting with Theophan the Recluse in 1878 in his letter to Archbishop Eusebius of Mogilev. “On August 29 and 30 I was in the Vyshenskaya Hermitage and saw His Eminence Theophan three times. He's healthy and fit and still fast. We remembered Your Eminence and lovingly remembered you with a kind word. Does not accept anyone except the rector of the Vyshinsky monastery, Archimandrite Arkady; he doesn’t go out anywhere, he only walks (runs) for an hour a day on his balcony, closed to the eyes of strangers. Such a life is a great feat, requiring great willpower and strong character. His apartment is small, only 6 rooms, one of which is occupied by the church. He serves alone, with his novice, and no one else. 4 rooms are littered with books, and one is littered with machines (carpentry, lathe, saw, etc.). His bedroom is in the same room. Great is the feat of a great man!..” 836 Archbishop of Irkutsk and Nerchinsk Veniamin In the world Blagonravov Vasily Antonovich (1825–1892), Orthodox missionary and writer. Born in the village of Taradei, Shatsk district, Tambov province. He studied at the Shatsk Theological School, the Tambov Theological Seminary, and the Kazan Theological Academy. He served as a bachelor, assistant inspector, professor, and inspector of the same academy. He was the rector of Tomsk and then Kostroma theological seminaries. In 1862, he was consecrated bishop of Selenga, first vicar of the Irkutsk diocese, and appointed rector of the Transbaikal spiritual mission. Next - the Bishop of Kamchatka, Kuril and Aleutian, Bishop and Archbishop of Irkutsk and Nerchinsk. In 1886 he was summoned to St. Petersburg for a year-long presence at the Holy Synod. The main works are reports on the activities of the Siberian missions, which have historical and ethnographic value. Bishop Veniamin is connected with the Vyshenskaya monastery through his brother, Hieromonk Theodosius (†1880), who was the dean here and then the treasurer. Father Theodosius served for some time under his brother in the Transbaikal spiritual mission. We learn about Archbishop Benjamin’s visit to the Vyshensky Monastery from a letter from St. Theophan dated August 18, 1887: “Vladyka Benjamin of Irkutsk is expected to visit us. His homeland is nearby. A week later. Irkutsk was kind and meek” 837. It is not clear from the letter whether the meeting of the two rulers took place on the Above or not. The answer is contained in the correspondence of Archbishop Benjamin. On November 25, 1887, he writes from Irkutsk to Bishop Vladimir (Petrov) of Tomsk and Semipalatinsk: “Unfortunately, the Most Reverend Theophan could not see, although he was in the Vyshenskaya Hermitage. I just received a letter from him with an apology that due to his ill condition he could not receive me. Previously, he also did not accept the two great princes who were in the Vyshenskaya Hermitage for the same reason. But it seems to me that he is shirking the honor that visits do him. However, he received the Tambov Bishop as a diocesan one. But Archimandrite Arkady often visits him” 838. March 28, 1888: “I forgot to answer your question about St. Feofan. I did not see him, but received a letter from him with an apology that he could not accept me due to his painful condition. He also answered and told the princes who were in the Vyshenskaya hermitage and wanted to visit him. However, he received his bishop, the Right Reverend. He didn’t accept me either because I wrote from the Caucasus to the archimandrite that I would ask for prayers for St. Theophan; he probably, out of humility, did not want to accept me as his admirer. I also responded to his letter with a letter, expressing regret that I could not see him, and asking for prayer as the only purpose of my desire to see him” 839. Thus, Saint Theophan did not meet in retreat with Archbishop Benjamin of Irkutsk. The characterization of “kind and meek” given by the saint to Bishop Benjamin does not correspond to the opinion of biographers, who note the “tough temperament of the archbishop, his quarrelsomeness and conflict-proneness” 840. Bishop of Tambov and Shatsky Vitaly In the world Iosifov Vasily Alexandrovich (1831–1892). Born in the Voronezh province, graduated from the Voronezh Theological Seminary and the Kyiv Theological Academy. He served as a teacher at the Belgorod Theological School and as a priest. After being widowed, he was tonsured a monk. He continued to serve at the Kiev Theological Seminary as a teacher, inspector, and rector. In 1883 he was consecrated Bishop of Chigirinsky, vicar of the Kyiv diocese. In 1885 he was moved to the Tambov department, and in 1890 - to the Kaluga department. In the Tambov diocese, Bishop Vitaly remained memorable for his strengthening of missionary activity. He visited more than a hundred parishes, which no archpastor had visited before him. We learn about Bishop Vitaly’s visit to Saint Theophan in retreat from the saint’s letter dated December 5, 1888. “Our bishop works a lot when traveling around the diocese. That's why I lost weight. Help him, Lord, in his labors! This time Vladyka was curious to see my church and the working one. I wanted to show off before him and show him my silk vestment, painted with gold. And he said that he already has it. So the charge is gone. I really regretted and regret that I didn’t have anything ready-made from my handicrafts; and now it’s a little difficult to prepare. Everywhere you need an eye, but I lack this. However, I am planning to draw an icon of St. Mitrofan. Whenever I could. If I please you, I will send it to the Bishop” 841. Bishop of Tambov and Shatsky Jerome In the world, Ilya Tikhonovich Ekzemplyarsky (1836–1905). Born in the Vladimir diocese. Graduated from the Vladimir Theological Seminary and the Kyiv Theological Academy. He taught at the Chernigov and Kiev theological seminaries. He had three sons, including the theologian Vasily Ilyich Ekzemplyarsky. His wife died in 1876. In 1885 he was tonsured a monk and elevated to the rank of archimandrite, and in the same year he was consecrated Bishop of Chigirinsky, vicar of the Kyiv diocese. From June 3, 1890 - Bishop of Tambov and Shatsky. During his service at the Tambov See, the Right Reverend Jerome organized a network of aid stations and a network of canteens for the poor. During the epidemic of 1892, he established about 700 anti-cholera pharmacies. He founded a missionary psalm school and held a congress of abbots of Tambov monasteries. He was one of the first to collect materials for the glorification of St. Seraphim of Sarov. Since 1894 - Bishop and Archbishop of Lithuania and Vilna, then - Archbishop of Kholm and Warsaw, Archbishop of Warsaw and Privislinsky. The failed meeting at Vyshe is evidenced by a letter from Varvara Alexandrovna Jordan 842 to Savva (Tikhomirov) 843 dated April 26, 1894, excerpts from which were published by D.A. Chudinov, chief archivist of NIOR RSL 844: “You mentioned His Eminence Tambov. In St. Petersburg they explained his reluctance to come to the funeral service by the fact that St. Theophan did not receive him. But in recent years he has not received anyone." 845 Most likely, the reason for the saint’s refusal to meet was the gradual voluntary tightening of the shutter. There is no information about the misunderstanding between the two rulers - Jerome and Theophanes. As for the funeral service for Saint Theophan after his death, it was conducted by the Right Reverend Jerome 846. Thus, we can confidently assert that a limited circle of people had access to Saint Theophan in retreat: cell attendant Evlampius, confessor Fr. Tikhon, rector of the monastery Fr. Arkady, as well as the ruling Tambov bishops. At the end of his life, the saint refused all meetings, including with the current bishop. Paisiy (Bui), hieromonk, secretary of the Academic Council of the Tambov Theological Seminary, teacher of the Tambov Theological Seminary. Basic principles of spiritual education according to the works of St. Theophan the Recluse The spiritual heritage of St. Theophan the Recluse testifies that the Vyshensky ascetic was not just a clergyman, but also a good psychologist and an experienced teacher. Studying his works: letters, articles on the topic of education, one can identify several basic principles of correct Christian education, which will nourish the soul of a child, allow him to become a moral person in the future and inherit a blissful life in eternity. In the pedagogical reasoning of Saint Theophan, four basic principles can be distinguished. The first principle is the need for educators to know the basics of Orthodox anthropology. In one of his letters to his spiritual daughter, who asks Saint Theophan to explain what spiritual, mental and physical life is, the saint replies: “You are touching on the very foundations of our life, the explanation of which will give us the basis for all subsequent reasoning” 847. Let us note that all subsequent discussions carried out in this correspondence represent a fairly detailed explanation of the basic rules of spiritual life. Out of eighty of his letters, Saint Theophan devotes twenty to explaining the laws of the inner life of man. Here the knowledge of psychology is fully demonstrated, which, along with the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament, the saint loved very much during his years of study at the seminary and academy. Saint Theophan bases all his reasoning and instructions on the Orthodox understanding of human nature. He writes: “How else can a person live if not the way he is designed. Having established sound concepts of how a person works, we will receive the surest indication of how he should live” 848. Indeed, the basis of any psychological or pedagogical theory is a certain view of human nature. For the average person, this is often not at all relevant, because he is guided by a purely practical goal: what needs to be done to achieve this or that result. But the one who developed this theory put into it a specific view of man, from which practical principles and guidelines for action are then derived. It is in ignorance of the foundations of Orthodox anthropology that Saint Theophan the Recluse finds an important reason for incorrect spiritual life. He writes: “It seems to me that many people do not live as they should because they think that the rules about this worthy life are imposed from outside, and do not come from the very nature of man and are not required by them. If we were sure that this was the case, we would not contradict them and retreat from them” 849. It often happens that the rules of conduct taught by the Orthodox Church are perceived only by churchgoers as being imposed. This happens precisely because spiritual instruction largely consists of teaching the rules of life. And in order for these rules to be perceived vividly and produce their results, a natural connection is necessary, which the saint speaks about: first we need to understand who we are and how we are structured, and from this we must come to the consciousness of the need to correct our lives. It should be noted that the same problem exists in secular pedagogy. Often problems in upbringing here arise from parents’ and educators’ elementary ignorance of the basics of developmental psychology. The problems of developmental psychology are given significant attention in the saint’s work “The Path to Salvation”, where, again relying on Orthodox anthropology, he examines in sufficient detail the main approaches in the educational process. The Vyshensky ascetic in his works strictly adheres to the anthropology of the ancient holy Fathers. He divides human life into three spheres: physical, mental and spiritual. He then divides each of them into three degrees, depending on the spirituality of the person, that is, on the degree to which the person is guided precisely by the spirit. Thus, a complex “nine hierarchy of forces” of man is obtained. But it seems complicated only at first. After becoming familiar with the basic rules of the spiritual education of the saint, everything falls into place, and the hierarchy of a person’s inner forces, given by Saint Theophan, becomes simply necessary. Saint Theophan, proposing that educators pay close attention to what reason, feelings, needs, desires are, indicates what role each of these forces plays and what correct use must be given to each of them in order for a person to live naturally. The second principle of spiritual education is the understanding that the educational process is a spiritual struggle. In one of his speeches addressed to the Tambov flock, Saint Theophan, explaining the educational program, explains what it means to form the heart of the person being educated. He reasons: “What does it mean to form a heart? This means - to awaken the demands hidden in our nature, to transform feelings and dispositions, to usher in the principles and rules of life...” 850. And here it is precisely here that we see the need to understand which demands are truly from our nature, and which, as the saint puts it, are aroused by “alien passions” 851. Both in the times of the Vyshensky ascetic, and today many speak simply about spiritual development, self-realization and self-actualization. All these terms tell us about some kind of development, but let us ask the question - the development of what? Therefore, Saint Theophan continues: “To many it seems sufficient for this purpose - to develop: develop, they say, nature. Just as from a seed that has vegetated and opened, a plant or tree emerges, perfect in its kind, so a person will come out perfect if he develops everything hidden in his nature” 852. It would seem that everything is correct and logical, but it turns out not at all as expected. When they begin to cultivate the aesthetic side in a child, surrounding him with objects of art, then, of course, he develops a taste for the beautiful and elegant. But then suddenly a feeling of lust arises in the soul of the cultivated person, and, as the saint notes, often “in very ungraceful forms” 853. Also, along with the inculcation of rules and techniques of worthy behavior and treatment of neighbors, “pride, arrogance, self-will, inaccessibility, contempt for inferiors and baseness before superiors” suddenly develop. When entrepreneurship and activity are nurtured, along with success, “self-interest, interest and ruthlessness” grow. All this stems from the fact that such “simple development” does not take into account an important point in Orthodox anthropology - the initial sinfulness of the child being born. This is expressed in the fact that, along with the natural needs of nature, unnatural and unnatural passions are instilled in it, which “exhibit the right to satisfaction, hiding behind the appearance of naturalness” 854. Thus, rejecting an important anthropological point - sinfulness, in the soul of a child, unnatural passions begin to develop along with natural aspirations, which inevitably try to drown out the good shoots of the soul. From this, Saint Theophan deduces an important rule in the process of education: “This means that not everything needs to be developed, but some need to be developed, and some need to be suppressed and eradicated” 855. This is where spiritual struggle originates as a necessary principle of spiritual education. An important point in this spiritual warfare should be noted. Speaking about the initial stage of raising a child, Saint Theophan calls for very careful attention. He writes: “When a child’s strength begins to awaken, one after another, parents and educators should increase their attention. For when, under the shadow of the shown means (church), the gravitation towards God increases and intensifies in them and draws forces after them, at the same time the sin living in them does not sleep, but intensifies to take possession of the same forces. The inevitable consequence of this is spiritual warfare” 856. The complexity of this warfare lies in the fact that sin tries to take possession of man’s natural powers and abilities and pervert their natural use. The saint notes: “In spiritual warfare it is not the same as in sensual warfare: here the enemy stands against you and is visible, but in spiritual warfare – both the enemy and we are all in one soul and in one heart” 857. And, accordingly, if we do not know how to separate ourselves from the enemy who is within us, then we consider all the movements of our nature to be ours and try to satisfy them as natural. “This delusion,” concludes the Vyshensky Recluse, “is the source of all our falls and wrongdoings” 858. Another feature of this struggle is that “since children are unable to conduct it themselves, their place is wisely replaced by parents” 859. But since this battle must nevertheless be carried out by the forces of the child himself, then “parents must strictly guard the first beginnings of their (forces) awakening, in order from the first minute to give them an inclination in accordance with the main goal to which they should be directed” 860. This is the importance and complexity of raising a child. On the one hand, the child himself cannot fully wage this struggle, on the other hand, this struggle must be waged on his own. That is why the first impressions of upbringing leave such a deep imprint on a child’s soul. Saint Theophan writes that a person’s taste depends partly on natural predisposition, and “partly - and isn’t it more? - from first impressions, from the impressions of upbringing and the accidents of life" 861. It should be noted that the accidents of life also largely depend on the attention of educators. The third principle of education is that church life is the only environment for the education of a moral personality. As mentioned above, in a growing child, along with natural aspirations, parasites—passions—try to develop. This, as St. Theophan notes, is the whole difficulty of education 862. He writes: “We do not have eyes or visual instruments to distinguish between the thin, intertwined threads of the natural and the unnatural, and even if it were possible to distinguish, then we do not have a tool or an anatomical knife to separate one from the other” 863. The saint here wants to note that a person naturally does not have the power that could by itself accurately and decisively eradicate sin from the soul. “Therefore,” concludes the Vyshensky Recluse, “while we are alone, with only our own means, we cannot expect lasting success in the formation of the heart” 864. An attentive educator, recognizing this difficulty in education, may naturally come to the conclusion that supernatural help is needed here. And this help is already ready in the Church of God and its sacraments. “Divine grace,” the saint continues, “communicated and warmed by them, penetrating inside us, separates what is akin to us from what is not akin and, uniting with the first, strengthens it and revives it, and cutting off the latter, dries it up and destroys it” 865. Thus, only the grace of God can separate sin in a person from his heart and, having separated it, eradicate it. It should be noted that the grace of God acts on the human heart, and therefore everyone, at any age, is able to perceive it. As St. Theophan notes, “some say that the height of the actions of faith is higher than the concepts of a child (and many have thought so since his day - av.), but who does not know that the sacraments of faith are accepted by the heart? If children have a heart, then it means they also have a friend of faith” 866. The saint emphasizes the importance of the child’s presence in the church, despite the fact that he is not yet able to comprehend with his mind the essence of what is happening. The heart of a child feels the presence of God, even more deeply than adults. “Spiritual life,” writes Saint Theophan, “emerges and sings in secret ways, deeper than our consciousness” 867. And he concludes: “No, for the formation and strengthening of spiritual life there is one condition: to keep it constantly under the influence of actions in which Divine powers are hidden, in order to take advantage of their flow and influx. Where is all this? In the church of God" 868. Saint Theophan points out that Christian education in its essence is the preservation and warming of the grace of Baptism: “He who is born and baptized is the whole seed of the future, or the earth full of seeds” 869. Like any seed, the seed of baptism can develop and grow. Speaking about the infant, the saint especially emphasizes this importance. Frequent carrying of children to church, Communion, application to the Holy Cross and other shrines, sprinkling with holy water, blessing of the priest - all this constitutes the saving atmosphere in which education will be successful. And the fourth principle of education lies in the faith of the parents and educators themselves. It was previously noted that the life of a child has the peculiarity that it is led by his own strength, but is controlled by parents and educators, “albeit under someone else’s leadership, but independently” 870, as St. Theophan calls it. “But,” notes the saint, referring to the baptized baby, “all these such strong fences, these strong and real inspirations can be ruined and deprived of the fruit by unbelief, negligence, wickedness and the unkind life of parents” 871. This happens either because saving church means are not used in education, or because they are used, but incorrectly. The saint writes: “there is a certain special way of communication between souls through the heart,” 872 and this internal influence plays a huge role in the formation of the child’s heart. “The spirit of faith and piety of parents,” writes the saint, “should be considered the most powerful means for preserving, nurturing and strengthening a grace-filled life in children” 873. What should be the correct Christian attitude of parents towards their child? Saint Theophan writes: “It is necessary for their gaze to shine not only with love, which is so natural, but also with faith that they have more than a simple child in their arms, and hope that He who has given them this treasure under their care, as a certain vessel of grace, will provide them with sufficient strength to preserve it, and, finally, prayer performed continuously in the spirit, aroused by hope through faith” 874. What does such an attitude give to a child? His soul at this initial stage of life is like a sponge that instantly absorbs everything that comes into contact with it. It is these first impressions that will largely determine a person’s spiritual state for the rest of his life. A new vessel always retains the smell of the substance that was poured into it first, and so it is with the soul of a child. The Christian attitude of parents towards their child, on the one hand, and church life, on the other, will constitute that spiritual atmosphere, which, as St. Theophan notes, “will pour its character into it, just as blood, the beginning of animal life, depends a lot in its properties on the surrounding air” 875. Thus, the given principles of education, which Saint Theophan tells us about in his works, will allow us to correctly structure the process of education. The correctness of education from a spiritual point of view is that the rules and approaches that the educator applies in relation to those being educated lead the latter to the main goal of earthly life - salvation. Vasily Samsonov, priest, 4th year student at Tambov Theological Seminary. Saint Theophan the Recluse - religious philosopher and interpreter of tests of the Holy Scriptures Religious and philosophical creativity is one of the most interesting and important aspects of the scientific and educational activities of St. Theophan the Recluse. The works of this cycle testify to Bishop Theophan as one of the most educated hierarchs of the Russian Church: he was fluent in Greek, Latin, German, French and English, and had deep knowledge not only in theology, church history, but also in the natural sciences. Increased interest in religious and philosophical work was facilitated by work at the Russian Spiritual Mission in Constantinople, the Jerusalem Mission, meeting with foreign religious writers, studying the ascetic writing of the Orthodox East, etc. Saint Theophan left an extensive literary and spiritual heritage, which consists of numerous works on Christian morality, works outlining patristic psychology and asceticism, interpretations and commentaries of the Holy Scriptures, translations of the works of early Christian thinkers. The appeal of the scientific thought of Saint Theophan the Recluse to the Holy Scriptures and Holy Tradition forms the basis of his spiritual heritage. In one form or another, we will always find direct quotes and recognizable paraphrases of sacred texts, not only in spiritual writings, but also in private letters. We can most clearly observe the personal beginning of Saint Theophan as a theologian in his translation activities and exegetical works interpreting certain biblical texts. Saint Theophan is the author of the following exegetical works: “Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians”, “Commentary on the Second Epistle to the Corinthians”, “Commentary on the First Epistle to Timothy”, “Commentary on the Second Epistle to Timothy”, “Commentary on the First Epistle to the Thessalonians”, “Commentary on the Third Epistle to the Thessalonians”, “Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians”, “Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews,” etc. The very attitude of the saint towards the activity of the interpreter of sacred texts as a high mission is instructive. We can see confirmation of this idea in the Vyshensky recluse’s appeal to the Old Testament, Psalm 118, where it is said that God sent prophets to earth, to whom He spoke His will, and the prophets, moved by the Holy Spirit, interpreted and told people the law of God, “pre-describing the redemption that was to be” 876 and the salvation of people. The mission of instructing mankind on the path of salvation was carried by Christ the Savior Himself, having descended to earth, about which the saint writes as follows: “The Son of God, God,” writes St. Theophan the Recluse, “having become incarnate, clearly announced the Father and explained His and His will, entering into the New Testament with humanity” 877. The Savior of the world, during the period of His existence on earth, informed humanity of the doctrine of eternal life and salvation, and after His glorious Resurrection, He sent the holy Apostles to preach the word of God throughout the world. According to the saint, “ever since the Sower went to sow, He continues to sow. Initially, He personally sowed, then through the apostles, and finally through the Divine Scriptures and God-wise teachers” 878. The saint likens the saving apostolic word to the rising of the sun, which, “proceeding from the mouth of God, illuminates all directions of a godly life, and he who is eager to walk along them clearly sees where to walk, and walks boldly, without fear of backsliding” 879. It is remarkable that Saint Theophan also addresses the topic of missionary apostolic service in letters in which he turns his correspondents to the Gospel, in which the holy Apostles talk about the earthly life of the Savior of the world and explain His teaching about salvation. Holy Scripture is the spiritual treasury of the Church and the entire human race; in it “the Spirit of God moves and moves the soul of the reader” 880. The revealed truth for the believer is the table of God, so it saturates the soul with the heavenly, Divine elements of good feelings and good thoughts. The Word of God, “coming from the depths of the Divinity, itself possesses Divine properties” 881 and, making its way into the human soul, bestows upon it these properties. “God is light,” the saint writes, “and the word of God is luminous, therefore the soul that receives it becomes enlightened and luminous” 882. The saint learns a great lesson in addressing the world through the example of the Apostles, to the interpretation of whose messages he directs his scholarly attention. The Holy Scripture, as Bishop Theophan points out, is not “wordy, but contains a comprehensive system of knowledge, which can then naturally develop in the minds and hearts of humble believers” 883. The Holy Scripture excites and enlightens the conscience, explains the duties of an Orthodox Christian in various cases of life and shows existing errors and shortcomings. “The Word of God,” writes Saint Theophan, “is likened to a mirror. How, looking in the mirror, everyone will see where there is a speck of powder or a stain, on a dress or on the face; so the soul, reading the word of God and looking at the numbered commandments, cannot see whether it is correct or faulty in those commandments; conscience, having been enlightened by this word of the living God, will immediately tell it without hypocrisy” 884. Not only the understanding of the biblical text as such, but also the salutary consequences of accepting these texts as a guide to spiritual work reveal the saintly heritage. As the Recluse Vyshensky teaches, reading the Holy Scripture pacifies passions and helps eradicate them. “Whatever passion excites you,” Bishop Theophan teaches, “begin to read the word of God, and the passion will become quieter and quieter, and finally, it will completely calm down” 885. For an Orthodox companion, the Word of God is a spiritual sword, which strengthens him in invisible warfare and defeats the spirits of evil. The truths of God, like the rays of the Divine rational sun, make their way into the hearts of people, warm it and cleanse it with their fiery action. The Word of God “feeds spiritual life, introducing the consciousness into sublime contemplations and captivating the heart with them” 886, giving the believer the power to fight sin and lies. According to Saint Theophan, “just as other decomposing and soft bodies, taking on hard, stony particles, themselves become hard, petrify and become inaccessible to decay and damage, so the soul, nourished and imbued with the word of God, hardens in good dispositions and truth so that it becomes not dangerous from the defeats of sin and lies” 887. In the legacy of the saint we will also find practical guidance, rules for assimilating and reading the Holy Scriptures. Here, first of all, the need to precede reading with attentive prayer is noted, because in order to comprehend the revealed truth, a person needs God’s help. “As long as one mind works to understand the Scriptures, so long the acquired truths are retained in the head for mental interests, and are largely useless for life. Understanding from above, imprinting these truths on the heart and allowing them to be tried, creates them as guides of life, and the experiences of life make it possible to understand their power even more fully” 888. When starting to read the word of God, the believer must place himself in the presence of God and ask the Lord for enlightenment of the mind. For a better perception of the Holy Scriptures, it is beneficial to memorize the words of the Lord and the holy Apostles, while striving to “more fully and clearly embrace the thought of the Savior and delve deeper into its purpose and connection with the whole sum of our beliefs” 889. The reading of Holy Scripture must be accompanied by reflection, which facilitates the assimilation and understanding of what is read. If there are incomprehensible places in the Holy Scriptures, then people should look for explanations of them in the treasury of the Holy Church, which understands in the definitions of Scripture, and takes the thought that the Holy Spirit instilled in the holy writers during the period of writing divinely inspired books. Comprehending the word of God, the believer must try to accept the God-revealed truths found in it with his mind and designate them in his heart. The Holy Fathers advise reading the Holy Scriptures every day with meditation, penetrating the power of the words and, as much as possible, feeding your soul with them and bringing them to the heart. The reader needs absolute concentration of mental strength, involvement not so much of a cold mind, but of a deeply feeling heart, with the indispensable condition of taking advantage of what he read and using it in life. “Do not leave anything you learn,” says Bishop Theophan, “as bare knowledge, but arrange yourself in such a way that it influences your character, your feelings and dispositions and serves as a guide in your behavior. You will achieve this easily if you apply what you are learning to yourself during reflection” 890. The concept of the word of God by reason alone cannot be satisfactory and complete, due to the fact that many revealed truths are understood after ascension to the path of the Lord’s commandments. If a person diligently reads the Holy Scriptures and enriches his mind with the word of Christ, but shows negligence in conforming his life and heart to it, then the knowledge received “will remain with him like sand, poured into his memory and head, and lie there dead” 891. The Word of God reveals to man an unsearchable abyss and an incomprehensible depth. The Holy Scripture in all its parts “is an inexhaustible spring of holy edification, which must, however, be torn out of it, like a precious metal from the depths of the earth, by the power of Divine words by hardworking deepening” 892. The mysteries of God are not revealed to the follower of Christ immediately, but as they progress in spiritual life. Zealous fulfillment of God’s commandments leads to the liberation of the heart from passions, and at this time of spiritual life in a person “the action of the Spirit with His gifts is revealed, including the gift of conveying the truths of God” 893. A believer with a pure heart becomes a church of God when “a passage into the spiritual world is opened to the mind, and it sees objects there, as an eye looks at what it sees outside” 894 . Thus, Saint Theophan’s interpretation of the Holy Scriptures and Holy Tradition is a contribution to the heritage of Russian religious philosophical thought and opens for believers a saving path to knowledge of the Word of God, which presupposes patient and joyful work that creates eternity. Vyacheslav Goldunov, 3rd year student at Tambov Theological Seminary. The doctrine of deification in the works of St. Theophan the Recluse In Christian theology, the concept of salvation is identical to the concept of deification, and deification, in turn, has three aspects: Christological, anthropological and cosmological. In this study we will touch only on the Christological aspect. The central theme of Christology is the doctrine of the Incarnation as the basis for the deification of man and his salvation. The deification of the human nature of Christ was the result of her hypostatic union with God the Word, thanks to which the so-called “communion of properties” (communikatio idiomatum) occurs: God the Word, remaining unchanged in His human nature, acquires human properties, and man, remaining created and naturally limited, acquires divine properties, which makes his nature deified. The anthropological aspect is revealed in ascetic literature, which describes the path of spiritual growth of a Christian ascetic, whom grace helps to overcome the evil principle within himself and come to a state of deification. The cosmological aspect is connected with the fact that evil, according to the apostle. Paul, who entered the world through the fault of man, had a detrimental effect on the surrounding creation. However, the deification of a person who has overcome the evil inclination within himself with the help of grace will lead to the fact that all creation will be freed from “slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Rom. 8:20–21) 895. The incarnation of the Second Hypostasis of the Most Holy Trinity - God the Word - became the guarantee of our salvation, and, consequently, the deification of man. The main question, which we will have to answer here in essence, is why was the Incarnation necessary? The Apostle Paul writes that “in the Incarnation of God, people for the first time knew the fullness of the Divinity bodily” (Col. 2:9), and also “learned from Him how to live in the Church of the Living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15), how to free oneself from sin. Saint Theophan the Recluse considers faith in the Incarnation of God to be the core of Christian life: “Just as the foundation of Christianity, this saving Divine institution, is laid by the incarnation of God the Word, so the foundation of Christian life is laid by faith in this Incarnation and the participation of His power” 896. It is the power of God the Word that helps us free ourselves from the sin of Adam and free ourselves from the power of the devil. Before the Incarnation, man was in slavery to Satan, but Christ put an end to his power over man, Christ became the “Way” by which we find salvation. In addition, he strictly convinces us that this faith should not allow “the slightest hesitation or splitting of thoughts” 897. A correct understanding of the Incarnation is a very important aspect of the dogmatic tradition of the Church, on which the understanding of our salvation fundamentally depends. The Gospel says: “And the Word became flesh...” (John 1:14). V.N. Lossky emphasizes that it is thanks to the incarnation that we are again given the opportunity to know the fullness of Revelation about God the Trinity 898. The consequences of the Fall were sad, “man found himself below his calling” 899. The direct path of man's ascent to God through obedience failed. However, the Divine plan for the deification of man remained the same, only some changes appeared in its implementation. V.N. Lossky explains this as follows: “sin destroyed the original plan - the direct and immediate ascent of man to God. A catastrophic rift has opened in space; it is necessary to heal this wound and “lead” the catastrophic history of man in order to start it anew - these are the goals of redemption” 900. Here we encounter a new concept - redemption, which, according to Lossky, bears the “negative side” of the Divine plan for man. As a result of the Fall, V.N. Lossky identifies three obstacles to the union of man with God: separation of natures, sin and death 901. St. Theophan sees the consequences of the Fall in only 2 types of evil: firstly, in the anger of God by violating His will, in the loss of His favor and subjecting oneself to a legal oath, and secondly, in the damage and disorder of one’s nature by sin or the loss of true life and tasting death 902. That. for our salvation we need “the removal of the oath and the renewal of our nature” 903. This could not have happened without the incarnation of God. In order to remove the guilt of sin or free yourself from an oath according to St. Theophan needs “complete satisfaction with the truth of God, offended by sin, or complete justification” 904. This satisfaction consists not only in bringing a propitiatory sacrifice for sin, but also “in enriching the one favored with deeds of righteousness” 905. What should be understood by the sacrifice of atonement for sin? The sacrifice for sin could be offered “only by the God-man, or God incarnate” 906. Saint Theophan repeats the legal theory of atonement, characteristic of the 19th century, formalized in the fundamental work of Metropolitan Macarius (Bulgakov) of Moscow and Kolomna, “Dogmatic Theology.” The metropolitan’s thesis is expressed as follows: “Man committed three great evils, failing to stand in the primeval covenant with God: a) he infinitely offended his infinitely good, but also infinitely great, infinitely just Creator with sin, and through this he was subjected to eternal damnation; b) infected his entire being, created by good, with sin, darkened his mind, perverted his will, distorted the image of God in himself; c) through sin he produced disastrous consequences for himself in his own nature and in external nature” 907. On the one hand, this theory, which formed the basis of the dogmatic system of Metropolitan Macarius, suffered from “a mixture of dogmatic teaching with its interpretation, the use of Western terminology and adherence to Western systems” 908, but on the other hand, his system “collected a huge amount of material, and it can still serve as a valuable reference tool” 909. Saint Theophan explains some points better. For example, what prevents God from directly having mercy on a person without the Incarnation of the Word? And he explains that there is a certain obstacle - “a mediastinum that blocks the path of the descent of mercy from God onto the sinner” and, conversely, an obstacle that deprives the sinner of “hope for pardon” 910. In the relation of God to the sinner, St. Theophanes repeats the idea already known to us that “God’s justice requires that the unjust bear the punishment awarded for untruth, otherwise merciful love will be blissful condescension” 911. In relation to the sinner towards God, the saint says that a person will always be “irresponsible before Him [God],” since when approaching God, he always has a strong feeling of guilt, which deprives any hope of mercy: “in the soul of a sinner, the feeling of God’s truth is usually stronger than the feeling of God’s mercy” 912. In order for God to see a person innocent, and for a person to see God propitiated, a sacrifice is needed, and “this sacrifice is death - and the death of man” 913. However, St. Theophanes writes that the death of an ordinary person is a punishment for sin and “does not represent anything propitiatory” 914. He further says that such a sacrifice could be the death of a person who “would be removed from the circle of people without ceasing to be a person” 915. How is this possible? So, we know that death is a punishment for sin (James 1:15), therefore “the death of mine, another, a third, and in general of any person,” the saint writes, “cannot be a propitiatory death” 916. Also, the assimilation of someone else's death cannot be propitiatory, since all people are subject to the action of original sin, and therefore have personal sins. Therefore, this death must belong to a person who would possess “the most perfect holiness” 917, who will die for another person (sinner), thereby freeing him from the legal oath. Further, Saint Theophan rightly notes that in order to save all people who have lived, are living and have the opportunity to live, it is necessary either to “arrange as many innocent deaths as there are people or to reveal one such death, the power of which would extend to all times and places and cover all the sins of all people” 918. The answer suggests itself. Only God incarnate could make such a sacrifice. Renewal of nature is necessary as well as redemption from a legal oath. This is nothing more than the ability to “resist sin and stand firmly on the firm path that has been begun” 919. For this, it is absolutely necessary, in the opinion of the saint, to “regenerate him [man], give him a new life, abolish in him the beginning of a life worthy of condemnation” 920, i.e. eradicate the evil inclination in man. Saint Theophan explains how to do this and gives an example that well illustrates the renewal of human nature: “it is obvious that in order to renew this fundamentally damaged body of humanity, it is necessary to infuse into it the beginning of true human life, just as a completely damaged human body is renewed by transfusing the blood of a completely healthy organism into it” 921. Representing humanity as a tree, he says that it is necessary to “graft it from another tree, full of healthy life” 922. For this, a new founder of humanity is needed, who would become its head, and in union with whom people would be reborn “through the true beginning of life borrowed from him” and together with him would form a “new body of humanity” 923. Only our Lord and God Jesus Christ could become such a Founder, and the new body of humanity could be the Church, created by Him. Saint Theophan here also explains in detail why none of the people, namely the God-man, could become such a head. Of course, firstly, he must be human in order to “be able to give people a new life, not just any other life, but a human one” 924. Secondly, his human life must be “not involved in universal human corruption” 925 in order to give others a clean, healthy, undamaged life. This is possible, according to the saint, only “when it [firmness in goodness – V.S.K.] is completely extracted or torn away from ordinary human independence,” and, therefore, “through the incarnation, in which God accepts human nature into His personality and, having clothed itself in it, imparts to it an eternal, inexhaustible fullness” 926. Thus, the Christological aspect of salvation in the works of St. Theophan the Recluse includes the interpretation of theological concepts - Incarnation, atonement, sacrifice of propitiation, renewal of nature - and reveals the meaning of the earthly existence of a person walking the path of salvation. V.D. Orlova, teacher at Tambov Theological Seminary, Ph.D. ist. Sciences, Associate Professor. Reflection in the correspondence of St. Theophan the Recluse of his attitude to needlework Biographers of St. Theophan the Recluse of Vyshensky have repeatedly written that he self-taught himself mastered several types of needlework: bookbinding, carpentry and turning, wood carving, sawing; and did them regularly. Archimandrite Georgy (Tertyshnikov) in his work placed the paragraph “Handicrafts and moments of rest of St. Theophan” in the chapter “Counseling and literary activity during the period of retreat in the Vyshenskaya hermitage” 927. The museum, created in the saint’s chambers in the Dormition Vyshensky Monastery, displays some of the exhibits created by his hands. The office on Vyshe was located next to the cell church. It contained a variety of instruments, related books and drawings. Epistolary sources allow us to better understand the attitude of St. Theophan the Recluse to manual labor in general, the place of handicraft in his own life and in the life of his spiritual children. In letters to various addressees, he touched on his manual labor, teaching handicrafts in religious schools, family concerns about children's handicrafts, and the relationship between handicrafts and prayer. There are also grateful mentions in the correspondence about handmade things he received as a gift. During the life of the saint, handicraft meant manual labor that brought benefit and pleasure to a person. In the dictionary V.I. Dahl said: “Handicraft - to engage in needlework, handicraft and more feminine work: sewing, knitting, etc. ... A needlewoman, a needlewoman - who knows these works, wants them and is diligent” 928. A woman, and especially a girl, in a family of any income always had the right to voluntarily choose the type of needlework for the soul. The author of the dictionary of the living Great Russian language considered men's handicrafts to be less typical, since in folk life a man performed manual work not out of hunting, but out of necessity. If he was very skilled in them, then this became his trade, i.e. source of additional family income. “Fishing is a method of production, a skill and a means of living and earning money” 929. Craft was considered manual labor that brought constant income. V.I. Dahl defined it as “handicraft skill, manual labor, work and skill by which bread is obtained, the very occupation by which a person lives” 930, emphasizing the regularity and obligation of this labor for the worker. In the last third of the 19th century. As a protest against the growing avalanche of faceless factory items that were replacing the products of artisans, the “Arts and Crafts Movement” was born in Europe, which promoted a revival of interest in national artistic crafts 931. Under his influence, simplified samples for amateur copying of works on wood, fabric, embroidery, all kinds of tutorials, and elegant tools began to spread and became increasingly popular. Russia did not remain aloof from this movement. Russian artists became creators of objects of decorative and applied art in the so-called “Russian style,” including beautiful examples of church utensils 932. In Russia, a market has developed for high-quality materials, tools and manuals for hobbyists, especially for woodwork and embroidery. They were chosen from catalogs. The assortment was designed not only for beginner handicrafts, but also for those who have reached the heights of craftsmanship. For example, they were offered about 20 types of heads for wood burning devices, while folk craftsmen made do with two or three. The handicrafts of the educated public were not simply copying folk samples and technologies, but created an opportunity for creativity. So the interest of St. Theophan the Recluse in manual labor was quite in the spirit of the times. He easily found a common language on this issue with his spiritual children and did not shy away from communicating with simple artisans. For example, in 1855, while taking care of the life of students at the Olonets Theological Seminary, he discovered that the seminarians living in apartments had nowhere to put their outerwear. If you provide them with ordinary cabinets, then it will be inconvenient to transport them when changing their place of residence. The saint discussed the problem with the carpenter and wrote that “I learned from the carpenter that it is possible to make cabinets that can be taken apart and put back together without any harm. I think it would be nice to arrange such cabinets” 933. The difference between doing handicrafts and being creative is quite arbitrary. Handicrafts are dominated by the execution of works based on other people's designs, but original items are also created. Saint Theophan the Recluse sometimes called his painting handicraft, meaning his authorship and dissatisfaction with the quality. “I am sending you a sample of my handicraft. Poorly written, but diligently written. It is consecrated on the Holy Sepulcher - which will sufficiently cover the artist’s income” 934. At that time, woodworking was considered strictly masculine. They have long been performed in many monasteries. Following the example of the ancient ascetics, while staying at the Tambov and Shatsk Sees, Bishop Theophan in his rare free moments was engaged in carpentry and turning work 935. Consequently, in Tambov, in the bishop's house in the Kazan Monastery, there was a workbench and a lathe, as well as the necessary tools. Judging by the correspondence, the bishop mainly made one-piece turning products - candlesticks, various vessels, Easter eggs. He knew how to make them composed of several elements. He decorated the bookcases with turned ornaments, according to the fashion of cabinet makers at that time. Turning work for the manufacture of detachable boxes with turned lids and opening toys is much more complex and was usually performed not by amateurs, but by experienced craftsmen. In church use, such boxes were used for prosphora, and opening wooden painted eggs served as cases for ordinary painted eggs. In his correspondence, the saint mentioned printed drawings of ornaments for sawing and carving that were sold. On November 25, 1877, he wrote to St. Petersburg to the Athonite hieromonk Arseny: “Here is my other request! Take the trouble to search and find - drawings for wood carvings. Look for them in the same shops that sell drawings and all the cutting supplies. Please don't mix. I have everything I need for sawing - and a lot of drawings. There are tools for cutting, but no drawings. That's what we need. They are not expensive. Choose for yourself - two or three dozen sheets. Candlesticks, glasses, salt shakers, etc. are decorated with carvings. I know how to sharpen, such drawings will be very useful” 936. We dare to assume that Theophan the Recluse was interested in the Russian style, since he more than once wrote tenderly about the people “narodushka”, “people of God”. He reported on the balcony fence he made in Vyshe, in national taste: “I blocked my balcony with colored sawn boards - my new art! And not everyone will see me, but I will see everyone... what a trick!” 937. The phrase “color-sawed” is undoubtedly his own, the author’s. It very accurately conveys the impression of sawn carving. “Wooden lace” especially spread throughout Russia after the success of the pavilions decorated with them at the Manufacture Exhibition of 1870 in St. Petersburg and the Polytechnic Exhibition of 1872 in Moscow. Drawings of sample patterns for fences, platbands, etc. A huge amount was printed back then. As an echo of carpentry work, amateur sawing with a jigsaw, mainly from plywood, spread in the last third of the 19th century. The saint’s activities are evidenced by his letter to the Athonite hieromonk Father Arseny on February 21, 1874. “I received the files you sent. Thank you. These are exactly what we need!” 938. Jigsaw files then had numbers and differed in metal (brass, steel, iron); thickness, profile (flat and round) and width of the blade; tooth sizes. They were selected depending on the material and pattern. The use of a suitable file ensured high cleanliness of the work and its ease, making it easier to sand the item. And in a letter dated September 5, 1878, the saint among the gifts made with his own hands for the family of his nephew A.G. Govorova, mentions “book cutting”, i.e. a knife for cutting paper, and explains: “The wings in a large book cutter are flaccid and can break. Be careful. But if it breaks, loosen the glue and glue it on, without trimming the break at all, but as is” 939 . Probably this thing was in the form of an angel, a bird or a butterfly with openwork sawn-out wings. In the 19th century, such knives were necessary for any reader, since magazines and books were sold uncut. The creative nature of Saint Theophan the Recluse allowed him to create original items based on published patterns. In the cell after his death they found a wooden carved panagia on a wooden chain and a wooden carved pectoral cross 940. He also made complex wooden things, including turning parts. For his nephew and his wife, in addition to “book cuttings,” he made candlesticks, a small tray for a woman’s desk, and stands for watches 941. “Subchasniks” were required to keep men’s pocket watches and women’s chest watches in a vertical position during storage. Otherwise, the accuracy of watches with cylindrical gears would deteriorate. Theophan the Recluse gave advice on the possible restoration of his gifts, as he hoped for their long-term use. “All the things are glued together. The glue will dry out, and the thing will go bankrupt. Then loosen the glue and insert it again, and the thing will be fixed. The watch cups rotate on a screw. If they become loose, tear off the velvet and tighten the screw. If the screw opens the hole, you need to buy a slightly thicker screw and screw it in” 942. Considering woodworking a good man's occupation, he advised boys to teach it. For example, he wrote to a relative of a student who had passed the exam that it would be nice now, in addition to good reading, to keep the boy busy with carpentry, turning or wood carving. Thus, the teenager would avoid idleness. The saint gave similar advice to N.I.K. regarding her son in 1881: “Your son acted poorly. But now let him go along the road he turned onto. Dangling dangerously. That's when it would be saving if he knew any skill! Let him learn carpentry... Call a carpenter, hire him for a year so that he can teach your Andrey. And he will learn... This is both healthy and economical” 943. In the Novgorod seminary, where in 1842 Hieromonk Theophan was appointed to the position of inspector and mentor in the middle department of the seminary, professor of psychology and logic, carpentry and bookbinding were taught 944. Saint Theophan the Recluse called bookbinding his favorite pastime. Back then it was very common among book lovers. Amateurs, perhaps, did not reach the very heights of skill, but they made good, neat bindings and restored tattered books. The urgent need for bookbinding was generated by the publishing practice of those years. After all, many magazines and books were sold in softcover on cheap paper. All the necessary tools and equipment for bookbinding were presented to the saint. He intertwined, among other things, his own works 945. Saint Theophan the Recluse considered handicrafts obligatory for himself, practiced them regularly and greatly complained when, with age, deterioration of vision and general health began to interfere with this: “I very much regretted and regret that I did not have anything ready-made from my handicrafts; and now it’s a little difficult to prepare... Everywhere you need an eye, but I have a deficiency in this” 946. He was well versed in women's handicrafts and considered teaching them necessary for every girl. Even during the years of Saint Theophan the Recluse’s stay in the Holy Land, he was concerned about the decent teaching of embroidery to Arab girls in the school sponsored by the Russian Mission 947. In the Olonets diocese, in order to counter the schism, he proposed establishing a community of sister deaconesses to teach village children reading, writing, prayers, catechism and needlework 948. In Russia, handicraft lessons were given an important place in diocesan women's schools. This corresponded to the pedagogical and spiritual views of modern times, as well as the ancient practice of matchmaking. In all social strata, a girl who was especially good at sewing and embroidery was traditionally considered a much better bride than her less skilled friends. After leaving Tambov, Saint Theophan the Recluse continued to jealously watch over his brainchild - the Tambov Diocesan Women's School. He was also not indifferent to the marriage parties of graduates. In April 1882, in a letter to priest Mikhail Kheraskov, inspector of the Vladimir Diocesan Women’s School, he wrote: “I am very happy about the prosperity of the school. You need housekeeping, handicrafts, and kitchen work... Otherwise they’ll be no good. I heard that studios don’t want to take Tambov beauties, because they’ve become Belarusian” 949. In his letters, he called all the girls and girls “beauties,” and by “studiosis” he jokingly meant seminarians. The main goal of women's diocesan schools was the education of future mothers. Therefore, the saint was alarmed that the emerging trend of schools imitating the institutes of noble maidens, whose graduates were prepared for secular life and managing rich houses, would have a detrimental effect on the destinies of diocesan women. The latter were expected, basically, to have a poor parish, modest housing and housekeeping with their own hands. At the institutes for noble maidens, only elegant handicrafts were taught (embroidery and threading with beads and ribbons, silk embroidery on silk, shuttle knitting of tatting lace, etc.), which were not required in the poor house of a priest with many children, and only theoretically introduced the basics of cooking. Therefore, taking into account the comments of St. Theophan the Recluse, over time, in diocesan women's schools, the main attention began to be paid to service work: cutting and sewing linen, clothing and church vestments, as well as practical cooking. Considering the high cost of good colored threads for embroidery, future mothers were taught white-on-white embroidery and hemstitching. Improved preparation of girls for the real role of mistress of the priest's house quickly increased the number of marriages between seminarians and diocesan women. Later, the saint reported that he had received a pillow as a gift, made by the hands of students of the Vladimir Diocesan Women’s School. “The work of the beauties took so long. I received it with the last mail. And I don’t know how to answer those who bring this expensive offering. Please take the trouble to convey to them all my gratitude for their diligence and memory... The pillow and the card are in my living room, and I tell everyone (even though it’s rare) whose work it is and what kind of beauties they are. The work is impeccably good and is approved by everyone” 950. It was probably a pillowcase embroidered with thread, done by several craftswomen. Gold embroidery, widely used in church vestments and church decoration, was the most complex embroidery technique. Mastering its basics by diocesan women in the future promised that mothers would at least be able to repair expensive embroidery. The mother of the family could not have time to complete it. Professional goldsmiths lived in monasteries. In a letter to Vera Alekseevna on October 2, 1888, the saint wrote: “This time the bishop was curious to see my church and the workers’ church. I wanted to show off in front of him and show him a silk vestment, painted with gold... And he said that he already had it. So the charge is gone. But the benefit is that I made sure that girls at school will learn this skill. For I have heard a rumor that some among you consider it to be fragile.” 951 Most likely, here we were talking about gold satin stitch embroidery without covering. It is less labor intensive, but also less durable. Saint Theophan the Recluse was well aware of the psychological characteristics of different types of needlework and recommended that his spiritual daughters learn to knit. He wrote to one of them, who had taken the path of repentance: “How we lived - nowhere except church, and no one to come to us... and reading at home... is good; but you need reading, prayer and some kind of needlework that is not entertaining (learn to knit with one needle or two). It happens that reading doesn’t work and prayer doesn’t either: here handicrafts with a short prayer are a very helpful thing...” 952. Knitting with one needle could mean making needle lace or crocheting, and with two needles could mean flat knitting on two needles. Indeed, this is a rather monotonous task, in contrast to the more complex and exciting embroidery. True, both require patience. Knowing the love of Saint Theophan the Recluse for needlework, they sent him handmade things. He later gave many of them as gifts. For example, in 1870 he received a schema (Greek) from Athos, icons on calico and a knitted cap - handicraft of the Athos people. He wrote that P.I. gave the cap and icons. and thanked Athos 953 for this blessing. He was always grateful to the craftswomen who carefully sent him cassocks, warm socks, blankets, rugs and other necessary things. In the last autumn of his life, he wrote: “I thank my sister for sending me a paraman. Well done" 954 . The girls received especially kind words from the saint. “Little M. is very grateful for her dear gift from her labors. May God bless her to succeed in all her handicrafts and to work with such perfection that it will be inimitable for others” 955. The saint was an example of a person who constantly combined prayer, mental work on spiritual writings and handicrafts. He did not allow idleness in his life and wanted other believers to do the same. Instructing his spiritual children that it was appropriate to engage in handicraft both at home and in the monastery as a break from prayers and other labors, Theophan the Recluse forbade them to do needlework to the detriment of prayer. If you don’t have enough time and energy for both prayer and handicrafts, then you should reduce and even leave handicrafts, but in no case, prayer. Answering a woman’s question about her prayer rule, he wrote on January 6, 1891: “Now the enemy has sat down with you and explained that you can further shorten the prayer rule by introducing handicrafts into it. So your usual prayers have completely collapsed. It's not good. Take the trouble to restore it to the way it was in the beginning. If it is more convenient for you to finish the rule an hour earlier, then start it earlier. Throw away all handicrafts... Where did you find such permission? no no. You need to overwork yourself. And don’t come up with benefits” 956. The wise instructions of St. Theophan the Recluse are important in our age, when industrially produced things surround a person from the cradle to the cemetery, and there is an opinion about their undeniable superiority over homemade ones. Children are increasingly encouraged to do needlework by words they do not understand about the need to develop fine motor skills, rather than by parental example. Thus, it turns from a means of not only physical, but also spiritual improvement into a kind of physical education for the fingers. Therefore, it is so important for Sunday school teachers and parents to turn to the wisdom of St. Theophan the Recluse, who saw in needlework a component of the spiritual development of the individual in his struggle against idleness and preparation for prayer. E.V. Nikolsky, Dr. Philol. Sciences, Master of Theology, Corresponding Member. RAE. Signs of awakening from sinful sleep and the beginning of Christian life according to the teachings of St. Theophan, the Recluse of Vyshensky In modern life, we often see people getting lost and not knowing where to go. The devil, sin and the sinful nature of man obscure the only path of salvation. Saint Theophan in his writings gives detailed guidance on how the process of spiritual renewal and return to God takes place in a person. Many of us are like the prodigal son and it is good if we wake up from our sleep. Often a person loses what he receives in Baptism, and this is not easy to restore. But the Lord, like the father in the parable, is waiting for his son, who is dying, He is waiting for repentance and return. The love of God will accept the sinner, sanctify, justify and have mercy 957. A person only needs to open his heart, hear God’s call and actively begin the work of his salvation. The Saint teaches us how to do this. The sinner, before his rebirth and conversion, is depicted as immersed in a deep sleep 958. Man-sinner has no thirst for the Divine, runs away from God, fears and resists 959. He chooses his own will instead of the Divine will, considers everything else unnecessary and unnecessary. He who follows his will more strongly and is self-willed, does more evil deeds. A good person struggles with passions, and an evil one with his conscience. The evil will destroys good in order to establish evil. Evil deeds, sin comes one after another, like a lump of snow, and does not often stop even on the edge of the abyss. Saint Theophan reminds us of the parable of the Prodigal Son 960. In sinful life, Saint Theophan distinguishes three ages; he cites Ps. 1:1, where the sinner goes to the counsel of the wicked, stops in the way of sinners, and sits on the seat of the destroyers. Thus, there are three stages of sin: infancy, then adolescence - already on the way, stopped there, and, finally, manhood, when a person becomes a manager in the field of sin. First, the mind begins to go blind, the will relaxes, and the heart hardens. Time passes, evil increases. Conscience, and the person himself, try to stop, understanding the complexity of the situation, but remain in the dark. Sometimes a person tenses up, rebels, but then falls again, and the more he falls, the weaker he becomes. Over time, he begins to try not to notice his falls, tries to live as he lives, giving up on everything 961. All good rebellions end, sinners stop in the path of sinners. So - blindness, negligence, insensibility. Transitions into adolescence. Everything comes under the influence of sin. First, indifference appears, then the mind is filled with unbelief, the will falls into depravity, fear fills the heart. A person begins to despise and reject all that is holy. This is unbelief 962. The will is inactive and the person slowly moves into another phase of sin, already having such states as unbelief, timidity or fear and debauchery. Conscience still disturbs a person, but he remains without repentance. And during the third stage of the sinful age, bitterness and unrepentance set in, which ultimately leads to despair and the brink of destruction. So, according to Saint Theophan, bitterness, unrepentance and despair are characteristic of the final phase of development of the sinful state of man 963. The saint identifies three intermediate states. This is a state of slavery, when a person does not commit a sin only out of fear or some external factors, although he himself calmly commits smaller and permissible sins. Next is a state of self-delusion, when a person believes that he has achieved the greatest, but in fact he has only just taken the right direction, but has not taken a single step or has only just begun to do a good deed. And the last state is hypocrisy, which observes only the outer side of righteousness. Saint Theophan claims that in this life there is always the opportunity to return to God, no matter what stage you are at. And God will have mercy. True, you need to change, not be unrepentant, bitter, despairing. You need to start crying and hope in God 964. If a person wakes up from the sleep of sin, he will be horrified at what he has done. Because a person always sins in a kind of self-forgetfulness or intoxication. A man who sins crucifies the Son of God a second time (Heb. 6:6). Sin draws a person into a whirlpool, destroys, burns. Even if a sinner seems to outwardly revel in blessings and is having fun in this life, in the middle there is a painful struggle with conscience, a collapse of the spirit. The sinner also often worries about external, versatile matters that are outside the Divine. The sinner is characterized by great care. The emptiness of the mind, which has forgotten the One God, leads to simple inquisitiveness, much knowledge, and doubt. The emptiness of the will without That One leads to many desires and all-desires, a person becomes insatiable. Wants to have everything and possess everything. The emptiness of the heart, deprived of the pleasure of being with God, seeks temporary pleasures. In such a cycle the sinner swirls all his life. Since there are many sinners, this vanity increases, which is what makes up this world. Everyone lives and moves in this environment, not wanting to escape. Besides, this world has a prince. He also has servants. And he does everything possible so that a person does not get out of this vanity of sin. Every sinner is kept in the sinful area mainly by one thing. The devil makes sure that a person has something that is outside of God, to which he clings, and that all his thoughts are there. Often a sinner, because he is blinded, worries about his everyday things, about various troubles, but does not worry and does not see anything that interferes with his salvation. He is sure that everything is fine and there is nothing to desire for something spiritual, therefore, when he is reminded of spiritual life, he does not even want to listen to such things, and, moreover, he moves away from such things. If a person does the will of his flesh and thoughts, he is dead in sins 965. He does what he wants. When angry, he swears, when he is lustful, he satisfies. He looks like a donkey that is saddled by passions and led wherever they want. In such a sinful life, everything human freezes, and only the satanic and created act. Just as rust eats iron, so sin eats a person 966. And the person suffers. Those who turn from a sinful life can be divided into three categories. The first are people who are in a dream because after baptism they went along the road of grave sins, apostasy or from God. The second are those who cannot be called obvious sinners, but who are lukewarm. There are still others who need conversion for conscious and selfless service to God 967. “Arise, sleep, and rise from the dead, and Christ will sanctify you” (Eph. 5:14). For the conversion of a sinner, it is necessary: ​​first, awakening, second, the determination will change, and third, sanctification through Communion and Repentance. In the parable of the prodigal son, these moments are indicated as follows: having come to himself, he came to his senses; Having risen, I go - I decided to leave my old life; and he got up and went; Moreover, he says to the father: those who have sinned - repentance, and the father clothes him with clothes (justification and absolution from sins) and prepares a meal for him (Holy Communion) (Luke 15, 11-32) 968. The sinner's awakening comes when he sees his sinfulness, feels the danger of his situation and worries about how to get rid of his trouble and be saved. Before this he was blind and did not see anything, but now he begins to worry about how to escape. The grace of God seems to tell the sinner how low he has fallen and that he needs to correct himself. If he wants, he will begin his path to salvation, if not, he will again fall into the abyss of destruction and fall asleep. The Word of God goes through to the division of soul and spirit, members and marrow (Heb. 4:12). So is the Grace of God. A sinner will only be able to convert when the Grace of God reveals to him the lordship of spiritual life, and the order of sinful life ruins and disgraces him. When a comparison appears, then, perhaps, a person will awaken to the concern of leaving a sinful life and moving on to a spiritual life. Whoever has never been excited by the action of grace, it is given to him simply. Whoever was once with Christ, grace is not given to him just like that; something is also necessary from the person. He must also deserve it. Now it is shown that you need to work hard, you need to make an effort, only then will you learn to appreciate it. Sometimes a person feels like the earth that received rain, but remained barren (Heb. 6:7-8). This slow touch of God's grace has a testing quality. The period of testing passes, and the gracious Spirit descends. The moment comes, and the Gospel will be heard by the heart of a person, and it will produce a destructive and creative effect, and the person will come to life 969. The beginning of the Christian life is precisely a gracious excitement. It destroys everything sinful and shows man a new Divine order. Saint Theophan gives the following order: “God, worshiped in the Holy Trinity, who created the world and provides for it, saves us, the fallen, in the Lord Jesus Christ, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, under the guidance and guardianship of the Holy Church, through the cross, probationary life, leading us to eternal, endless bliss in the future life” 970. This order shows a person all his weakness, sinful delusion, he remains, as it were, cast in the middle of a person. The heart sees everything bad that happened in a sinful life and has the opportunity to freely choose what is right and Divine. Sometimes it happens that the action of Grace occurs in this way - the Lord Himself appeared to the Apostle Paul on his way to Damascus, to Constantine the Great, Eustathius Placis, Neanias, who was going to torment Christians, to Patermuthia in a dream. Sometimes other persons are sent: the Mother of God, angels. Sometimes the world itself appears before a person through images of the Last Judgment and torment. Sometimes through miracles or holy icons and relics. Divine grace sometimes acts on our spirit directly. Often this is dissatisfaction with oneself, sadness about something. Even if a person had all the blessings of earth. This is sometimes expressed in a part of knowledge or a part of the heart, or in a part of conscience, i.e. active. “Do not consider where it comes from or where it goes,” the Lord said about spiritual excitement (John 3:8). Grace touches the spirit and brings it into the Divine light. Sometimes grace works indirectly. It destroys self-indulgence. This is very difficult, but everything else comes from self-indulgence. We need to loosen the bonds on which our self-indulgence rests, where it finds its support. This could be prosperity, scientific knowledge, health, ambition. Divine grace, in order to awaken the sinner from sleep, directs its power to the support on which a person establishes himself and rests in his selfhood. Such turns in life can be life-saving 971. The saint goes on to say that often the world itself imposes its shackles or rules on us. Everyone considers these laws mandatory and necessary. As a counterweight, we have the nature and peace of the Church. Visible nature and the temple of God not only admonished and sobered up often Christians, careless and sinful, but even converted pagans to true knowledge of God and pleasing God. Or, let's say, an example of martyrdom. The third way to distract from the world is to shame it in the person of worldly and sinful people who were exalted and fell. This not only disgraces the peacemakers, but also gives them courage to stand up to the world. Finally, the world itself oppresses and sometimes drives you out of yourself, because it does not give you what you were looking for. People understand the deception and, having considered the vanity and rebellion of the world, move away from it. There are also bonds from Satan and his angels. This is a kind of fear that torments the soul of a sinner when he thinks about good. One of the devil's tricks is to hide himself. Then a person becomes self-willed, does not attribute everything sinful to the prince of this world, but blames everything on his own nature, grumbling at God that he cannot bear such things. Revealing the machinations of the evil one leads to the fact that a person realizes that he is being led in some wrong way to death, and they want to laugh at him. Faith comes from hearing, therefore by the word of God (Rom. 10:17). And this verb from the apostles through their successors is now proclaimed to all ends of the earth 972. Catechetical teaching must constantly be heard in the Church, says the Saint. Then the faithful will be strengthened; those who have fallen and are excited by grace will have a wayfinder. But the word of God reaches to the division of soul and spirit, like a sword, and revives the spirit. Then both the soul and the body are revived, and the person is freed from the bonds of sin. Truth dispels the darkness of vain thoughts, refreshes the soul, illuminates the spirit. Therefore, it is often worth explaining everything simply without further ado. Altar servers should take every opportunity to explain the right path. Having complete knowledge, a person wins, because then there is nowhere for the evil one to hide. The more often a sinner falls away, the weaker the excitement by Grace becomes, because he seems to get used to it. Then the person begins to get irritated and neglectful. He considers this unnecessary and becomes deeply angry. The salvation of the latter is in extreme danger. “...Seek and you will find; press, and the door will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9). People often say that they still have time to improve. But you need to drive away any delay. Because later it will be more difficult to do this, as a person gets used to sin. God can say: “You have been enough for me” (Is. 1:14), and you yourself can go beyond the point of no return. Often a sinner puts off the work of salvation, because a good thought remains only a thought and does not set the person himself in motion. We give free rein to laziness, lethargy, and indecision. You just need to do it without delay. It is also necessary to allow a good thought to pass through those veils of the heart that hinder it. This is carelessness, insensitivity, over-concern, absent-mindedness 973. Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov writes that the soul that lives in sin is terrible. A person then often comes to despair. And it is very important at that time to wake up from sleep and remember about the Church. And the wise one who wants to be saved by repentance 974. The fruit of prayer is true repentance. And it is necessary to pray before starting any business. Repentance and faith can restore fellowship with God. Repentance is natural to us. This is the quality of our conscience. Repentance is a gift to man, a ladder to heaven and the remnant of heaven, writes St. Ignatius 975. On the part of a person, for successful and fruitful repentance, the following are necessary: ​​vision of sin, awareness of it, repentance of it, confession of it. Repentance is impossible for a hardened heart. It is necessary for the heart to soften, to be filled with condolences and mercy towards one’s disastrous state of sinfulness. Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk writes about repentance that death occurs when we do not expect, and where we do not expect, and in a way we do not expect. Therefore, you must always be prepared for death. One must always live piously with fear and trembling, so as not to lose the kingdom 976. True repentance requires a person’s inner turning to God. To be saved, you need to change, become different, be renewed. You cannot indulge your flesh by doing what it wants. But our renewal is impossible without Christ and His help, and external life and deeds become good only after an internal change 977. Repentance is the tree of life because it resurrects those who have died in mortal sins. It is also the altar of God, because through it those who sin are propitiated by God. It is also the bread of God, because through it man tastes salvation. Nothing is impossible for repentance, and even a dead soul can be made alive for God. Whoever, in the hope of repentance, continues to remain in sin, has no such thing as repentance. Whoever knows that evil is evil, but continues to do it, will not be forgiven after death, because he served evil. At the judgment of the future there will be no more repentance, because the work of the Judge is judgment. There is no need to fall into despair, but you need to take care of your salvation 978. Conscience is a secret place of repentance and rushes to cleanse the soul. She wants to penetrate like the sun and sanctify the mind, to make us God's acquisition. If a famous person stays in a house, then the doors are clothed with honor, how beautiful will the doors of your soul become if God settles there? You need to be a church, a sacrifice and a priest for Him. Since our spirit is a church, we must not allow uncleanliness in it 979. You need to be inflamed with anger at your sin. Drive away carelessness. Don't let your will relax. “During the discussion, some feeling falls on your heart or some tenderness is aroused - get up and pray,” writes the saint 980. Sin separates God and man, but if a person returns to God, a feeling of dependence on God arises, which is so necessary. A person sees his ugliness, his conscience gnaws at him, and he begins to take care of his soul. Thus, as with the brilliance of lightning, everything in a person and around him is illuminated with blessed excitement. When excited by grace, the heart is given the sensation of some other better, more perfect, joyful life. The impulses of the highest aspirations of the spirit are those remnants of the image of God in man - a broken image that needs to be restored. After being visited by grace, man is left in a state between sin and virtue. A person must make a choice. Saint Macarius of Egypt says that the grace that comes to him (a person) in no way “binds his will with a coercive force and does not make him unchangeable in goodness, even if he wanted or did not want it. On the contrary, the power of God inherent in man gives place to freedom, so that the will of man is revealed, whether it agrees or does not agree with grace” 981. A person must decide. He must decide to forsake sin. We need to correct ourselves and start doing this now. If a person is internally distracted, grace may cool and the person will lose time of grace. Everything will be missed. A person takes up extraneous activities, say, reading, delays the moment of decision and the grace departs, he turns to stone again. Therefore, it is necessary to retain this state of grace, to remove everything that can extinguish that blessed flame. There is still no point of support in the soul; it is necessary to cry out to God for salvation, and the Lord will see your need and labor and give you a helping hand, support and establish you as a warrior going to war should be 982. You need to act against self-pity, and not be afraid to infringe on yourself in something. “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?” (Mark 8:36). One must sacrifice sensuality for the sake of the spiritual. There is also man-pleasing, and the Lord says: “If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38). As soon as a person says in his heart: “I am damned,” painful feelings of repentance for sins will immediately begin to be revived in him, one after another. He is ashamed that he indulged in such base deeds, and annoyed that he succumbed to his evil arbitrariness, and painful that he brought himself to such a moral disorder, and terrible that he offended God and put himself in such a dangerous position both in time and in eternity. These feelings go one after the other, and a person burns in them like on fire. That's when repentance comes 983. Thus, the Saint shows us 12 states of a sinner, namely, in accordance with the three stages or steps of a sinful life, he also names intermediate states, gives them an accurate description and shows how to deal with them. He also shows what is necessary for the conversion of a sinner. The first is awakening, the second is the determination to change and the third is sanctification through Communion and Repentance. A person must realize his sinfulness, repent, and show decisiveness of will. Self-accusation before God and a desire for mercy are also necessary, and only after this does God accept the converted sinner and grant him mercy. The saint mentions self-pity, sensuality, people-pleasing and worldliness as the main traits of a sinful heart that must be overcome 984. The saint teaches: “And when a combination of confidence and readiness occurs within you, make a vow to work for the One God all the days of your life. This heartfelt vow, by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, sincerely pronounced, will dispel all the darkness that envelops the soul, and will illuminate all the threads of your inner and all the orders of your outer life. Here is the covenant of the heart with God in Christ Jesus." 985 This is how you should live. Strict adherence to the apostolic gospel in accordance with the interpretations of the Fathers of the Church, the experience of personal asceticism, the feat of prayer, the simplicity and penetration of the presentation of the foundations of spiritual life, meekness and humility of heart - all this is convincing evidence of the holiness and preaching gift of Saint Theophan, writes His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' 986. Saint Theophan is a teacher and prayer patron, especially of students of Kyiv theological schools, since he himself studied here. Based on the work carried out, we can once again focus on the main aspects of the teachings of the Saint. As already indicated, Saint Theophan distinguishes in a person the life of the body, the soul (mental, desirable, sensory components) and spiritual. The saint emphasizes that life in the spirit is the norm 987. The saint mentions self-pity, sensuality, people-pleasing and worldliness as the main traits of a sinful heart that must be overcome 988. Speaking about prayer, we must highlight the saint’s thought that during prayer we must give God to God - without extraneous thoughts, because prayer is the main thing, and not a secondary matter. A person must realize when he begins to pray that he is helpless, and there is no one to help him except God. The saint shows us the following chain of struggle against sin: drove away the thought - drove away the feeling - drove away the desire - drove away the passion. We can classify three “ages” of sin, according to the teachings of the saint, namely: 1. Infant: blindness – negligence – insensibility, 2. Youthful: unbelief – fear – debauchery, 3. Masculine: bitterness – unrepentance – despair. The saint shows that an empty mind without God is filled with conceit, an empty will with insatiability, and an empty heart with searches for temporary pleasures. We can distinguish, according to the teachings of the saint, three main components of a person’s conversion from the paths of untruth and sin, namely: awakening, determination to change and sanctification through Repentance and Communion. Like Rev. Ephraim the Syrian, the saint points out that nothing is impossible for repentance, and even a dead soul can be made alive for God. To overcome passions, the Saint, in addition to grace, points to another important factor - victory over oneself. You need to go over to the side of good and renounce all evil. The main force in the struggle is the spirit, which is strengthened by grace. A person will win only when his standing on the side of good is firm, when his determination and freedom to choose what is good is firm. If you have fallen into sin, you must rebel. The most important thing is to have the desire to overcome sin. We must also not forget that main desire, that victorious thought, which once already decided everything, transferring a person to the side of good. It inspires, so it should be remembered as often as possible, the fervor with which we entered the battlefield. You need to carefully examine yourself and, having found something unworthy, cleanse yourself with repentance. A person dies internally, but if his heart is holy, then he will not die, but will be raised by God on the day of judgment. The saint points out that the intention to do a deed is valued as the deed itself, because the basis of the deed is the intention. Temptations show which souls are worthy and which are not, which have faith, patience and hope, and which do not. The saint, like Paisius the Holy Mountain, says that each bird has its own beauty, its own chirping, but it does not envy. If a person walks with difficulty, let him be happy for the one who runs quickly, and not be upset. When a person learns to rejoice in the successes of others, Christ will give him all the successes of others, and he will rejoice as all others combined rejoice. By reading the works of St. Theophan, every Orthodox Christian can identify for himself what is fundamentally necessary for life in the Church and in God. A.V. Abramov, Ph.D. Philosopher Sci. Features of the moral teaching of St. Theophan the Recluse and its significance for modern ethics The doctrine of morality occupies an important place in human society, in which enduring existential philosophical questions are questions of the meaning of life and happiness. Each new generation of thinking people asks questions: what moral principles should we follow in relation to ourselves and others, how to resolve the dilemma in this or that moral choice? Therefore, an appeal to a previously unexplored area of ​​the moral aspects of ethical teaching in the works of Theophan the Recluse is relevant to this day. Already his first biographers paid attention to the moral qualities of the personality of Saint Theophan the Recluse, so, according to I.N. Korsunsky’s “abundance of spiritual gifts was combined with an abundance of external, physical good qualities” 989. A feature of the ethical teaching of Theophan the Recluse is the non-division of ethics into secular and religious. He considers primarily Christian ethics. As one of the modern researchers notes, for Theophan the Recluse, “the Christian principle is truly moral, and the morally good, in turn, is the embodiment of the Christian spirit” 990. In secular ethics, Saint Theophan the Recluse is usually viewed as an Orthodox ascetic writer and mentor in spiritual life in the spirit of the Philokalia, which is reflected in the perception of his teaching by N.A. Berdyaev 991 and has been preserved in modern educational and reference publications, for example in the publications of V.N. Nazarova 992. Such an understanding limits the moral judgments of St. Theophan to the theological sphere and remains outside the scope of both academic religious studies and scientific ethical research. In the teachings of Theophan the Recluse, religious issues are considered and universal human moral values are analyzed, based on what preceded him and his personal experience, the theoretical side of which is explored by modern ethical thought, the issues of which include the doctrine of the golden rule of morality, issues of happiness and perfection, conscience, moral choice (real and proper, action), as well as issues of good and evil (and sin as its variety with its classification) and an intermediate position between them, relating to the area of adiaphora. Theophan the Recluse, according to one of his biographers P.A. Smirnov, the merit belongs to the fact that he was “the first of the Orthodox theologians to give moral phenomena a psychological justification, and derived the laws of the moral order from the structure of human nature” 993. The moral teaching of Saint Theophan is built on a trichotomous religious anthropology, where the physical and mental components are designed to contribute to the spiritual growth of the individual. Thus, morality for him is the guiding principle in the feelings and in the mind of a person: conscience is responsible for it. In his trichotomous model (spirit - soul - body), St. Theophan compares the virtues perfected in God with the spirit, love with the soul, and the rest with the body. All these virtues in his teaching are closely interconnected and acquire real value only in their integrity. He writes that “just as without the soul there is no life in the body, so without the Spirit of God there is no spiritual life in the soul” 994. At the same time, the saint notes that “the spirit must set the tone of a person’s life, while the soul and body must submit to it...” 995. One can agree with the statement that “in fact, by the soul, Theophan the Recluse understands that space of a person, which in modern science is called the psyche,” and by the spirit, the highest Divine principle in man, thanks to which “a person can be in communion with God and the spiritual world” 996. Saint Theophan called conscience the mirror of human affairs 997, depicting the state of the soul, which defines it as the consciousness of a person’s moral dignity before God and people 998. In the development of his trichotomic model of man, he attributes conscience to the sphere of the human spirit 999 and connects it with the activity of his will 1000. In the action of conscience, Theophan the Recluse identified three functions: legislative, executive or judicial and retributive 1001. The legislative function of conscience is associated with indicating the laws according to which it is necessary “to act as a rationally free being, and to incline his will to this by the force of his circumstances” 1002. A distinctive feature of the executive or judicial function of conscience is that we should not shift responsibility from ourselves to other people. Our conscience was given then, notes Saint Theophan, to judge ourselves, and not other people 1003. It brings a specific act of a person with all its circumstances under this court and determines his guilt or rightness 1004. The criterion for good deeds here is the commandments of God, and conscience acts as a witness to their fulfillment 1005. The last function of conscience is rewarding, associated with conscience tormenting a person’s feelings after he has realized the unrighteous actions he has committed, and, on the contrary, the experience of gratifying feelings when he is conscientiously justified 1006. However, this influence is fully realized only on those people whose human personality is not violated and has not yet become “voiceless” or “unscrupulous” as devoid of the fear of God, as not always feeling remorse 1007. Theophan the Recluse, following the Apostle Paul, called people who do not feel remorse people with a “burnt conscience” (1 Tim. 4:2). But at the same time, he noted that “conscience itself never burns out; but the soul can become so insensitive to its suggestions and accusations that there is no conscience, it’s burned out” 1008. It is considered by Theophan the Recluse as a “disease of the spirit”, which can only be healed by Divine grace 1009. The teaching about the golden rule of morality by St. Theophan the Recluse appears as a manifestation of the New Testament commandment of love. In its positive formulation, it found expression in the statement “transfer your brother’s condition onto yourself, and whatever you wish for yourself, being in a similar position, do for him without refusal...” 1010. And in a negative formulation, the golden rule was reflected in his doctrine of a “clear conscience,” which reads: “to keep your conscience clear towards other people means not doing anything to them that you don’t want them to do to you...” 1011. In order to fulfill the golden rule of morality according to the teachings of Theophan the Recluse, it is necessary to show complete sympathy for other people in order to completely transfer their feelings into oneself, to feel the way they feel. Saint Theophan connected the doctrine of conscience and natural moral law (natural morality) with human consciousness and feeling, arguing that there is no person who does not feel them within himself. In this regard, he is a supporter of the so-called cardiocentric concept, since the heart, as an activity of the senses, occupies one of the most important places in a person’s life as the center and root of his moral life. According to the teachings of Theophan the Recluse, happiness is associated with an internal spiritual feeling, is aimed at achieving perfection and lies in a virtuous life. And although a person will not be able to achieve perfect happiness in his earthly life and make others fully happy due to his imperfection, he can nevertheless, at least to some extent, join in it. Theophan the Recluse draws attention to the fact that happiness, having not a material, external, but an ideal, internal orientation, is also expressed in the fact that it contributes to the happiness of other people 1012. He correlates this understanding with the teaching of the “Sermon on the Mount” of Jesus Christ, expressed in His Beatitudes. It is this kind of happiness that is permanent and represents a special state that pleases the heart. Happy is he, concludes Theophan the Recluse, who is pleased with everything that is in him and around him 1013, and for Theophan the Recluse this joy lies in salvation. Therefore, his entire “ethic of salvation” is aimed at happiness. He considered himself a completely happy person, since in the last, reclusive period of his life in the Vyshensky Monastery he was able to fully realize his long-standing dream, to fully devote his service to the ascetic life in combination with writing, spiritual and edifying literary activity 1014. Theophan the Recluse considered love in its ideal mode of due as the pinnacle of virtues, especially with regard to his New Testament reception of love for enemies, the practical side of which he comprehends using the example of how to learn to overcome hostility towards someone for whom you currently feel it 1015. True love, according to St. Theophan, is sacrificial love, living not in thought, but in the heart 1016, from which faith itself receives living activity 1017. Genuine pure love is the crown of Christian perfection in pleasing God. It reveals itself in full only at the end of the work undertaken along this path, when God already absorbs everything that is ours. Saint Theophan, in the matter of moral choice associated with overcoming the internal dichotomy in deciding what a person should follow - the good to which he strives, or the evil to which he is drawn, believed that one must strive for good. But everything good that we do must be forgotten, and not classified as something unusual, unusual for human nature, since initially goodness is as natural to us as our breathing. Evil and sin (as a type of evil) committed by us, on the contrary, must be remembered in order to eradicate them. The fight against evil also concerns such a widespread social phenomenon as indifference. It is indifference, according to Theophan the Recluse, that contributes to the increase in social evil in the world, and therefore a Christian should not remain indifferent to it 1018. Even if it is not possible to do something good, then there must at least be an intention for this, since good feelings give rise to good thoughts, which order and sanctify everything internal and external in a person. The doctrine of adiaphora as an indifferent action from the point of view of good or evil is considered in the teaching of Theophan the Recluse in the context of his doctrine of duties and advice. Saint Theophan classifies as indifferent actions those objects that remain without determining their meaning 1019. Indifferent actions are considered permissible for everyone. However, even if seemingly insignificant actions receive a specific purpose (for example, a glance), then they cease to be indifferent 1020. Thus, although theoretically Saint Theophan the Recluse admitted the existence of adiaphoric indifferent actions, in practice he questioned them. To summarize, it should be said about the undoubted significance of the contribution of St. Theophan the Recluse to the practical solution of the ethical issues listed above. Vyshenskaya Hermitage Library In 2013, the book series “Library Library of the Vyshensky Hermitage” was founded at the Assumption Vyshensky Monastery, which publishes books about the monastery, its ascetics and shrines. The editors plan to prepare books about the spiritual heritage of St. Theophan, as well as other publications about the Orthodox faith and saints. In its activities, the editorial board tries to be guided by the words of St. Theophan, the heavenly patron of the Vyshenskaya monastery, who noted that “writing is a necessary service for the Church...” Books have been published in the “Library of the Vyshenskaya Hermitage” series – Kashirina V.V. Egorushka: Stories about the childhood years of Theophan the Recluse. Assumption Vyshensky Monastery, 2013. – 40 p. – The Cross of Monastic Life: Based on the book of St. Theophan the Recluse “A Reminder to All-Honorable Nuns of What Monasticism Requires of Them” // Author-compiler: Abbess Vera (Rovchan), abbess of the Dormition Vyshensky Monastery. Assumption Vyshensky Monastery, 2014. – 94 p. – Nikulina S.O. The reclusive bishop Saint Theophan: Poem. Assumption Vyshensky Monastery, 2014. – 56 p. – Feofanovsky readings. Vol. VII: Sat. scientific Art. / Ed. V.V. Kashirina; Ryaz. state Univ. S.A. Yesenina. – Ryazan, 2014. – 220 p. – Anniversary calendar: 200 years since the birth of St. Theophan, the Recluse of Vyshensky // Author-compiler: Kashirina V.V.; Artist: Voronova L. A. Assumption Vyshensky Monastery, 2014. – 9 l. – Teacher of piety: Theophan the Recluse through the eyes of children / Comp. V.V. Kashirina. – Assumption Vyshensky Monastery, 2015. – 156 sheets, ill. – Feofanovsky readings. Vol. VIII: Sat. scientific Art. / Ed. V.V. Kashirina; Ryaz. state University named after S.A. Yesenina. – Ryazan, 2015. – 51 6 p. - Higher. Revival: Orthodox calendar for 2017. – Assumption Vyshensky Monastery, 2016. – 14 p. – Feofanovsky readings. Vol. IX: Sat. scientific Art. / Ed. V.V. Kashirina; Ryaz. state University named after S.A. Yesenina. – Ryazan, 2016. – 308 p. – Assumption Vyshensky Monastery: Brochure. Assumption Vyshensky Monastery, 2017. – 50 p. – “Don’t you know that this is the church of God...”: Orthodox calendar for 2018. – Assumption Vyshensky Monastery, 2017. – 15 p. Scientific publication FEOFANOV'S READINGS Collection of scientific articles Issue X Volume 2 Edited by Varvara Viktorovna Kashirina Corrector V.V. Golikova Tech. editor D.A. Filatov Signed for publication 2 09/2/201 7 . Order No. 251. Offset paper. Format 60×84 1/16. Verdana headset. Screen printing. Conditional oven l. 17, 44. Uch. – ed. l. 20, 0. Circulation 5 00 copies. Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Ryazan State University named after S.A. Yesenin" 390000, Ryazan, st. Svobody, 46 Editorial and Publishing Center of the Russian State University named after S.A. Yesenina 390023, Ryazan, st. Lenina, 20a Determination of the Holy Synod on the appointment of Archimandrite Theophan as rector of the Russian Embassy Church in Constantinople // RGIA. F. 796. Op. 137. Unit hr. 747. L. 3–5; determination of the Holy Synod on the appointment of Archimandrite Feofan (Govorov) as rector of the Russian embassy church in Constantinople // RGIA. F. 797. Op. 26. II department 2 table. Unit hr. 18176. L. 8–8 rev.; Decree on the appointment of Archimandrite Feofan (Govorov) as rector of the Russian Embassy Church in Constantinople // NARC. F. 25. Op. 3. Unit hr. 8/135. L. 126 – 126 vol. Georgy (Tertyshnikov), archimandrite. Saint Theophan the Recluse and his teaching on salvation / magist. dis. Trinity-Sergius Lavra, 1989. Part 1. P. 86. Response of the acting Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod A. I. Karasevsky to the attitude of I. M. Tolstoy // RGIA. F. 797. Op. 26. II department 2 table. Unit hr. 426. L. 1–3; 4 – 4 rev. 15 Ibid. L. 1–3. Letter from Archimandrite Feofan (Govorov) to Archbishop of Olonets and Petrozavodsk Arkady (Fedorov) // ARPMA. F. St. Feofan (Govorova). Op. 24. D. 41. Doc. No. 4011. L. 297 about; Letter from Archimandrite Feofan (Govorov) to Archbishop of Olonets and Petrozavodsk Arkady (Fedorov) // Christian Reading. 1894. Part 2. pp. 106–107. Letter from Archimandrite Feofan (Govorov) to Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin) // ARDM. F. 4. Op. 4. L. 1v. The reasons for this ignorance lay not only in the future saint’s subjective lack of interest in worldly vanity: “I think that here, as everywhere else, human affairs are all human,” he continued in the same letter (ARDM. F. 4. Op. 4. L. 1ob.). But there was also an objective isolation of Russian subjects, as evidenced by Archimandrite Feofan in a letter to Archbishop of Kherson Innocent (Borisov): “We came to Constantinople at a time when it is good to get to know our walls” (Feofan (Govorov) From the unpublished. M., 2001. P. 184; AR P MA. F. St. Feofan (Govorov). Op. 24. D. 41. Doc. No. 4011. L. 239). The latter was the result of the military defeat of Russia, which deceived the hopes of the Orthodox peoples under the yoke of the Ottoman Empire for the protection of a powerful power. Letter from Archimandrite Feofan (Govorov) to Burachki // CIAM. F. 2355. Op. 1. D. 262. L. 33. Akaki (Zaklinsky), later Bishop of Yenisei and Krasnoyarsk, theologian, spiritual writer. Promissory note of the Russian embassy church in Constantinople // AVPRI. F. 180. Op. 517. Part 2. D. 420. L. 253 – 253 vol. Not earlier than October 18, because Archimandrite Theophan took with him a letter to the Russian envoy in Constantinople from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dated this date AVPRI. F.180. Op. 517. Part 2. D. 420. L. 79–79 vol. Letter from Archimandrite Feofan (Govorov) to Burachki dated January 5, 1857 //CIAM. F. 2355. Op. 1. D. 262. L. 40–41. Georgy (Tertyshnikov), archimandrite. Saint Theophan the Recluse... P. 87. Kashirina V.V. Saint Theophan the Recluse on the question of the Greek-Bulgarian schism // Theophan’s readings: collection. scientific Art. Ryazan, 2015. Issue. VIII. pp. 63–83. Letter from Archimandrite Feofan (Govorov) to Burachki, January 5, 1857 // CIAM. F. 2355. Op. 1. D. 262. L. 41. Letter from Archimandrite Feofan (Govorov) to Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin) dated January 9, 1857 // ARDM. F. 4. Op. 4. L. 2. Letter from A.P. Butenev to E.P. Kovalevsky dated February 11, 1857 // AVPRI. F. 180. Op. 517. Part 2. D. 326. L. 92 vol. Letter from Archimandrite Feofan (Govorov) to Burachki, January 5, 1857 // CIAM. F. 2355. Op. 1. D. 262. L. 40–41. The Bulgarian Church had this status in 927–1018. Feofan (Govorov) From the unpublished. M., 2001. S. 165–185; Letter from Archimandrite Feofan (Govorov) to Archbishop of Kherson Innocent (Borisov). // ARPMA. F. St. Feofan (Govorova). Op. 24. D. 41. Doc. No. 401 1. L. 230–239 vol.; Chronicle of the life and works of St. Theophan, the Recluse of Vyshensky. M., 2016. T. 1: 1815 – 1859. P. 643. This situation led to the declaration of independence of the Bulgarian Church in 1872, which led to the formation of a schism between the Bulgarian Church and the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which ended only in 1945. Filaret (Drozdov), Metropolitan. Moskovsky and Kolomensky. Letter to A.P. Tolstoy dated December 30, 1860 // Collection of opinions and reviews on the affairs of the Orthodox Church in the East. St. Petersburg, 1899. P. 176. Konstantin Stepanovich Serbinovich (07/01/1797–02/18/1874) - Russian writer, statesman. In 1836–1853 served as director of the office of the chief prosecutor of the Holy Governing Synod; from 1856 – member of the Main Board of schools; from 1857 - director of the Spiritual Educational Administration at the Holy Synod. Saint Theophan wrote to him, by his own admission, “in the confidence that I am writing not for him alone, but for the entire Holy Synod” (Letter of Archimandrite Theophan to N.V. Elagin No. 1051 dated June 2, 1857 // Works like the saints of our father Theophan the Recluse. Collection of letters. Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechersk Monastery; Pilgrim, 1994. Issue VII. 10). Letter No. 1051 dated June 2, 1857 // Works like the saints of our father Theophan the Recluse. Collection of letters. Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechersk Monastery; "Pilgrim", 1994. Vol. VII. pp. 9–11. He emphasized that the Russian mission should henceforth not limit itself to merely observing the situation and conducting academic studies, but must be empowered to solve the problems of all Orthodox Christians, not only visiting, but also permanently residing in Palestine. For this purpose, the mission should operate a monastery, a public church and a hospital. If the tasks of the mission are limited only to the care of Russian pilgrims in Jerusalem, then, in the opinion of Archimandrite Theophan, “it is necessary to maintain a brotherhood of proven prayer monks who would perform divine services for the Russians every day and edify everyone with the word of truth, in church and in private conversation”; in any case, it is necessary for the Russian consul to be in Jerusalem in order to “defend church affairs and the affairs of all Christians before the Turkish government” (Remarks of Archimandrite Feofan (Govorov) on the resumption of the Russian spiritual mission in Jerusalem // AVPRI. F. 161. II-9. Op. 517. Part 2. D. 326. L. 11.). For details, see Letter from A.P. Butenev to A.M. Gorchakov // AVPRI. F. 161. II-9. Op. 46. ​​D. 19. Part 9. L. 23–24 vol. Letter from Archimandrite Porfiry (Uspensky) to L. G. Senyavin // AVPRI. F. 161. II-9. Op. 46. ​​D. 7. L. 8–8 rev.; Resolution of Archbishop Arkady (Fedorov) of Olonets in the journal of registration of papers received from the board of the Olonets Theological Seminary for review by the Olonets bishop // NARC. F. 41. Op. 1. Unit hr. 16/199. L. 19 rev. Klyucharev A.S. His Eminence Theophan the Recluse and his pastoral activity // Orthodox interlocutor. Kazan, 1904. P. 649. Porfiry (Uspensky), bishop. The book of my existence. Diaries and autobiographical notes of Bishop Porfiry Uspensky. SPb. 1901. Part VII. S. 8, 90. Kashirina V.V. Saint Theophan the Recluse on the question of the Greco-Bulgarian schism // Theophan’s Readings: collection. scientific Art. Ryazan, 2015. Issue. VIII. pp. 63–83. Smolich I.K. History of the Russian Church: 1700–1917. M., 1996. P. 453 A set of opinions regarding the Charter of Theological Seminaries, drafted by the Committee of 1860–1862, presented by the Bishops and the temporary Committee established at theological educational institutions, and expressed in the press. St. Petersburg, 1866. P. 3 Rimsky S.V. The Russian Church in the era of the Great Reforms. M., 1999. P. 557. Letter No. 1076 to N.V. Elagin dated November 21, 1873 // Works like the saints of our father Theophan the Recluse: collection. letters. Ed. Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechersky Monastery and the Pilgrim Publishing House, 1994. Vol. VII. P. 42. Letter No. 1084 to N.V. Elagin dated March 4, 1875 // Ibid. P. 54. Letter No. 218 to Archpriest To Nikolai Florinsky, November 25, 1879 // Ibid. Vol. II. P. 19. Rimsky S.V. The Russian Church in the era of the Great Reforms. M., 1999. P. 566. Theophan the Recluse (Govorov), St. Letters on various subjects of faith and life. M., 2007. P. 72. Theophan the Recluse (Govorov), St. Letters on various objects of faith... P. 79. Theophan the Recluse (Govorov), St. Letters on various objects of faith... P. 309. Letter from Hieromonk Feofan (Govorov) to Odessa Archpriest Seraphim Antonov. Serafimov // Soulful reading. 1905. Part 1.P.148–149. Silvestrov family archive. Works like the saints of our father Theophan the Recluse: Collection of letters. Vol. VI. Ed. Holy Dormition Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery and the Pilgrim Publishing House, 1994. P. 131. IR NBU 160 N1968. Letters from Rev. Feofan. Copy. Ll. 2–2 vol. IR NBU 160 N1968. Letters from Rev. Feofan. Copy. l. 2 vol. IR NBU. F.160. Unit chronicle 1971. L. 2–2v. IR NBU. F.160. Unit chronicle 1971. L. 2. IR NBU 160 N1968. L. 8v.–9 (copy). From a letter to A.F. Urnezhevskaya dated March 3, 1873 (CIAM. F. 2355. Inventory 1. Item 264. L. 98 – 99). Letter No. 404 dated September 17, 1876 // Works like the saints of our father Theophan the Recluse. Collection of letters. Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechersk Monastery; Pilgrim, 1994. Vol. III. P. 49. Letter No. 442 dated December 22, 1885 // Ibid. Vol. III. P. 49.. NIOR RSL. F. 262. K. 54. Unit. hr. 48. L. 38 – 38 vol. Letter 1013 dated August 18, 1887 // Creations like the saints... Vol. VI. P. 159. Letter dated November 25, 1887 // Letters of Veniamin, Archbishop. Irkutsk (d. 1892), to Kazan Archbishop. Vladimir (d. 1897) / Comp. K. V. Kharlampovich. M., 1913. P. 193. Letter dated March 28, 1888 // Ibid. pp. 202 – 203. Melnikova S.V. Forms of author’s self-determination and self-esteem in church autobiography (using the example of the works of Irkutsk Archbishop Veniamin) // Sib. philologist. magazine 2012. No. 2. P. 112 –120. Letter No. 445 dated October 2, 1888 // Creations like the saints... Vol. III. C. 87. Jordan Varvara Alexandrovna is the spiritual daughter of St. Theophan, the wife of the rector of the Imperial Academy of Arts Fyodor Ivanovich Jordan. 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