From the manuscript of Mikhail Vasilyevich Chikhachov

At the same time, Dimitri Aleksandrovich Brianchaninov decided to go to the Engineering School with me. In his parents' house he was taught by a seminary student, who thoroughly explained to him the Law of God and the Orthodox faith. So when his parents asked him where he wanted to enter the service, the young man replied: wherever you want, but I want to become a monk. Upon entering, at the insistence of his parents, Dimitri was appointed a boarder to Her Majesty the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, then still the Grand Duchess, at the Engineering School, and besides, he enjoyed the special favor of Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich. Every Saturday we went to confession, and on Sunday we received Holy Communion. Having completed the course of science, Dimitri became an officer, and I remained a cadet at the school. The first time he appeared as an officer to the Grand Duke, he heard from him in reproach to himself: “You pray to God a lot, we will ask you.” We met Fr. Seraphim and other monks of the Valaam metochion, which was in Kolomna, where they often went to services and for confession and communion; talked about the benefits of the soul and listened to their instructions. We met at the Nevsky Lavra with the students of Fr. Leonidas, an experienced elder who received a monastic education from the students of Paisius of Moldova himself. Then there were three of them: fathers Aaron, Ioannikis and Chariton. We diligently read the books of the Holy Fathers: Demetrius of Rostov, John Chrysostom, the Philokalia, the Ladder and others, drawing from them the way of thinking, spiritual reason and methods for the salvation of the soul. The Right Reverend Metropolitan Seraphim [Glagolevsky] was told that two officers often go to the Lavra, one of them is a person known to the Emperor, and the confessor of the Lavra is persuading him to become a monk, and that the Emperor does not like this very much. The confessor was reprimanded and forbidden to receive us. Dimitri Alexandrovich regretted his confessor and in the sorrow of his heart was going to explain himself to the Bishop. Fr. arrived in St. Petersburg. Leonid; met him. After the first conversation, Dimitri said: “Fr. Leonid, the matter is now settled. I’m going to ask to resign from service and follow the Elder; I will surrender to him with all my soul and will only seek my salvation in solitude.” After the Elder’s departure to the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery, we corresponded with him. Having completed the course in the upper officer class, a comrade submitted a request for dismissal from service due to poor health. The Emperor was pleased to instruct Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich to persuade him not to leave the service, which is why he was ordered to appear at the Mikhailovsky Palace, where the Grand Duke, in the presence of Count Opperman, the chief commander of all military educational institutions, tested him for a long time: why was he leaving the service? Would you like to settle down to regular business? doesn't he want to go to a monastery? Isn't it more glorious to be saved in the world? Would you like to choose some place in Southern Russia to improve your health? And all this because the Emperor does not want to fire him, Brianchaninov. It was decided to send Dimitri to the Dinaburg fortress, where he spent a whole year, mostly in illness. I entered the Sapper Training Battalion. A year has passed. The Grand Duke visited Dinaburg. My comrade again submitted his resignation. The Grand Duke sent his adjutant to him to say that a place useful to the State had been prepared for him, but since there is no law to keep him in the service by force, that’s why he dismissed him. Having received a decree of resignation, Brianchaninov arrived in St. Petersburg and hastened to leave for the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery, to the elder Fr. Leonid. From here, almost a year later, the Elder with all his disciples moved to the Ploshchanskaya hermitage, Oryol province, Sevsky district. While passing through, he stopped in St. Petersburg, and my friend stayed with me. RGALI. F. 834. Op. 4. Unit hr. 841. L. 499–500.