3. Монастырь прп. Паисия в Драгомирне и его связи с Запорожской Сечью

The Dragomirn period was one of the most difficult in the life of St. Paisiy Velichkovsky and his brotherhood. Moreover, he is the least described in the lives of the monk. And in the autobiography of Paisiy Velichkovsky it is not reflected at all 15. Therefore, from his letters to Zaporozhye we learn a number of very important details regarding the position of the Paisian brotherhood in Dragomirna. As is known, having left Athos in 1763, Paisiy Velichkovsky, together with 64 brethren, moved to Moldova, where he first settled in the monastery of Varzaresti. But soon the Moldavian ruler provided the Paisius brotherhood in the Bukovina Carpathians with a separate monastery in Dragomirna. This monastery has long been associated with monasticism in Ukraine, in particular with the famous Manyavsky monastery, founded by the associate of John of Vyshensky, the Athonite elder Job (Kniaginitsky) 16. Therefore, not only Moldavian monks, but also Slavic ones, in particular immigrants from the territory of Ukraine, were able to settle here together with Paisius without any problems. As Paisiy himself confirms in a letter to Kalnyshevsky: “Our brothers, like those who came from the Holy Mount of Athos, also joined us here, of whom all now number one hundred and five ten being /... / of whom the majority are from the Russian family, especially from the Orthodox name of the country Zaporozhye" 17. Il. 4. Monastery in Dragomirna. Modern look From the life compiled by Paisius’s disciple Schemamonk Mitrofan, we learn that the monastery in Dragomirna at the time the brotherhood arrived there from Athos was “not nearly empty”, “movable property is meager from many invasions and barbarian devastations /.../ five cells, meals are not covered” 18. Therefore, the new brotherhood had to build and equip the monastery almost from scratch, which required large amounts of money. This topic was the main subject of the addresses of St. Paisiya to Koshevoy of the Zaporozhian Army. At the same time, from these letters we learn that the Zaporozhye Sich provided generous donations to Paisiy Velichkovsky not only in Dragomirna, but also when he was on Athos. Thus, in a letter to Kalnyshevsky for June 1768, he notes: “Having in our unforgettable memory many good deeds from you, our most merciful benefactors, as previously done to us in the Holy Mount Athos, so also those who moved from there by God's will to the Moldovan land are now in the misery and poverty of our what we have done, we are most grateful and will never cease to thank you forever in word and heart for your merciful benevolence and compassionate kindness to our wretched community” 19. Il. 5. Monastery in Dragomirna. Modern look This clarification is very valuable, since until now it was not reliably known not only about the patronage of the Zaporozhye Sich over the brotherhood of St. Paisius in Dragomirna, but also when he was on Athos. Moreover, in the lives of Paisius known to us, not only nothing is said about this fact, but it is also emphasized that the monastery in Dragomirna was equipped exclusively with donations from the Moldavian governor and boyars 20. In addition, in the most popular biography of Elder Paisius, compiled by Archpriest. S. Chetverikov, for some reason, claims that the monastery was a refuge “during the attack of the Zaporozhye Cossacks” 21. However, in the Life compiled by Paisius’s student Schemamonk Mitrofan, which was used in the composition by Archpriest. S. Chetverikov, in this place there was not a word about the raids of the Cossacks, but only about the Turks and Tatars 22. Also, the Cossack raids on Dragomirna are not mentioned in other lives of St. Paisius, written in both Slavic and Romanian. Neither the monk Vitaly 23, nor the schema-monks Platon 24 and Isaac Daskal 25, nor the monk (hereinafter referred to as the Metropolitan) Gregory Daskal 26 write about this. The Cossack raids on Dragomirna are not mentioned in the works of the venerable abbot of this monastery that have come down to us in the Slavic and Romanian languages. We also learn additional information about the patronage of the Zaporozhye Cossacks over the brotherhood of Paisius on Mount Athos and in Dragomirna from the protocol of the interrogation of the tonsured priest. Paisius of monk Gabriel (Petki) dated February 17, 1769 27 The form of address of the Venerable is very interesting. Paisiya to Koshevoy Ataman and the foreman of the Zaporozhian Army. He begins his letters to them with the following words: “To the noble Lord of His Grace, the Lord of the Most Glorious Army of the Zaporozhian Ataman Koshevoy, also to their highly respected and Most Noble Mercy Pan the judge, Pan the Clerk, Pan Asaul, the elder of the military, and their Noble Mercy Pan Atoman Kurenniy, and to all the Glorious and to the pious and merciful Zaporozhian army, our most merciful benefactor. Grace and peace from God and our Savior Jesus Christ, and rejoice in the Lord" 28. Paisius ends his appeals like this: “Your greatness, our most venerable and most merciful benefactor, desires for all temporal and eternal blessings, most zealous worshipers and lowly servants. Moldovan monastery of the Holy Spirit of the Dragomirna monastery, abbot hieromonk Paisiy, with all his brethren in Christ" 29. Il. 6. Zaporozhye icon of the Intercession of the Virgin Mary with the image in the lower right corner of the praying ataman P. Kalnyshevsky. 2nd half XVIII century The letters constantly emphasize the patronage, beneficence and generosity of the Koshevoy, the foreman and the entire Zaporozhian Army in relation to the monastery in Dragomirna. Let us quote some of these statements regarding the Cossacks. So, St. Peter Kalnyshevsky. Paisiy repeatedly calls “our most merciful benefactor” (1768) 30 and “our most merciful nourisher according to God” (1772) 31, “and as your greatness protects the poor and wretched” (1768) 32. We have always thanked your greatness for the merciful good deeds done to our poverty with due respect; Having seen more and more, the special kindness of your power towards us, the poor, merciful benevolence, we thank you very much, and with great surprise we praise the good reasoning given to your power by God (1768) 33. Standing in the church before the Throne of God, we pray to the Lord for the health and salvation of your greatness and for all the Christ-loving army of Zaporozhye, as for our closest benefactors (1768) 34. Your good deeds and mercy, done for our wretched life, are in unforgettable memory, now we are worthy to offer thanks in writing for it, with the desire for temporal and eternal benefits from Christ our Lord (1771). 35 Il. 7. Dragomirna Monastery. Modern look We thank Almighty God for granting us the time in which to your great power, our most merciful benefactor, we can testify in writing to our constant prayerful gratitude for the many blessings shown to us and to our brothers who are there. (1771) 36 Il. 8. Dragomirna Monastery. Modern look To the Zaporozhye Army itself, St. Paisiy addresses the following words: “To all the glorious and pious, and most merciful army of Zaporozhian, our most merciful benefactor” 37, or: “Our merciful benefactor to the entire Orthodox famous army of Zaporozhian, we declare about ourselves in detail as if it is true” 38, “to all the Christ-loving army Zaporozhian as his closest benefactors" 39, "to all the Orthodox Zaporozhian Cossack Army" 40. From the life of St. Paisius, we know that during the Russian-Turkish war of 1768–1774, the monastery in Dragomirna underwent special sorrows and need. As Schemamonk Mitrofan wrote about those events: “Behold, a terrible storm has risen, and a terrible fire has set fire to half the universe... The most important and first two empires in the world, Russian and Turkish, were indignant, furious, rising up at each other in a fire-breathing manner; Moldavia and the Muntyan land shook, the habitation trembled with the fear of death and ran away: the burns, forests and monasteries were filled with people” 41. From 1769 to 1773, Moldova turned into a theater of military operations for the Turkish and Russian armies. Monastery of St. Paisiya became a refuge for thousands of refugees during these years. The monastery was so crowded with people that it was difficult to walk through it 42 . At the same time, by order of Rev. Paisiya and the brothers tried every day to feed everyone for free, distributing bread and other food to the refugees 43 . All this led to extreme impoverishment and ruin of the monastery. And after this, the monastery suffered “another illness and fear of death, a pestilence, and with it there was a shortage of grain for three years” 44. These facts are also reflected in the letters of St. Paisiya to Koshevoy Ataman of the Zaporozhian Army. Thus, in a letter to Pyotr Kalnyshevsky for January 1771, he reports: At the beginning of the world, we were in great fear and trembling, not only we in the monastery, but also all of Moldova, from the Turkish and Tatar troops coming here and there, not far from our monastery. Then, when God, by His grace, granted the Russian troops, having defeated them, to enter Moldova, they had little rest, but soon from the pestilence that followed by God’s permission, they were also oppressed with fear, both of which the Lord delivered us from all those cases with His by inexpressible mercy safe and sound in our monastery. There is only one oppression left for us: great poverty in everything, from the beginning of the bosom of the land of Moldova, various changes have come to the extreme poverty, consistently our monastery, a wretched existence for a long time, is now completely depleted in food, clothing and other needs, so that some brethren walk almost half-naked, They eat such bread that they harm their health more than they receive strengthening from it” 45. Il. 9. Zaporozhye Sich. Reconstruction Also in a letter to the General Clerk of the Zaporozhian Army for January 1771, Rev. Paisiy reports: In our daily life we were in great oppression and fear for a considerable time, first - from the passing enemy Hagaryan troops, then - from the pestilence that followed God's allowance, both from all the opposite cases the Lord preserved us with His grace, safe and healthy, only we were left with only one extreme misfortune poverty, poverty of food, clothing, and all needs 46. In connection with this, Rev. Paisiy at different times sent from Dragomirna to the Zaporozhye Sich to collect donations for the restoration of the monastery of Hieroschemamonk Matthew, Hieromonk Sophrony, monk Pachomius, monk Gabriel and monk Spiridon. Moreover, as can be seen from the letters, these monks stayed in the Sich for quite a long time, from six months or more. Thus, in a letter to Kalnyshevsky for June 1768, he writes: With this humble authority of ours, we convey another similar scripture to the entire Orthodox Zaporozhian Cossack Army, which we most humbly ask of your authority, may it be read at your command in the Church of the Sich Zaporizhian Holy Protection in front of the entire Christ-loving assembly. For further assurance, we send a message to our brother monk Pachomius from the company of our honorable hieromonk Sophrony, and we all humbly ask you to show all your benevolent mercy to our brothers who remained in the Sich for the time being, until they are able to set off on their journey to return to the monastery. and love, and in the needs of those who happen to provide charitable assistance. We, according to our position, for your mercy towards us and many good deeds to the Most Good Lady, at the Holy Divine Mystery Sacrifice, we will always remain unforgettable prayer books” 47. In a letter to Kalnyshevsky for January 1771, Rev. Paisiy writes: Having no more hope from God, we turn our most humble prayer to your Majesty and Most Gracious Benevolence. We are sending again from our monastery two honest brothers: Hieroschema-monk Matthew and monk Spiridon, who have asked for a pasheport from his high-ranking eminence on the way. To whom we ask in prayer, may your nobleness be pleased in the Zaporozhian Sich, and in other places belonging to us, to ask for free alms from the willing donors of the Christ-loving Zaporozhian army for our wretched monastery in no time. May your Majesty command these brethren who have remained there to this day, the honorable monk Gabriel and the monk Pachomius, to come to our monastery with the requested alms, with church utensils and other supplies. Also in a letter to the General Clerk of the Zaporozhian Army Ivan Globa in the same 1771, he reports: We ask your honor, our most reliable benefactor, as you did before, so now, do mercy on us poor ones to provide assistance, this will be necessary for these two honest brothers sent from our everyday life, especially work for God’s sake about this, so that it will be possible for our brothers It is not forbidden to sit in the Sich for some time in order to ask for mercy from the Christ-lovers 49. A year later, in April 1772, St. Paisiy again writes to Koshevoy Ataman of the Zaporozhian Army: Thus, even now, we diligently pray to Your Majesty, show your usual fatherly mercy and benevolence: deign to the brothers Spyridon and Pachomius sent from us to stay there for a while and ask from willing donors for alms, to supply the churches of God with souls - the brethren naked. For, by the high mercy of you and your willing donors, we have already been supplied with shirts and other things, but the mokhoyar and cloth have almost been torn off after such a long time, having never been in Kyiv. And having presented this to your Majesty, our most merciful caretaker according to God, we hope to receive it without doubt (1772) 50. Anthony-Emil N. Tachiaos. The Revival of Byzantine Mysticism Among Slavs and Romanians in the XVIIIth Century. Texts Relating to the Life and Activity of Paisy Velichkovsky (1722–1794). Thessaloniki, 1986. LV+296 rub. Dolotko V. 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