Where do the Optina elders live? Secrets and wonders of the Optina Hermitage
Hieroschemamonk Leo (Nagolkin) (1768-1841)
The first founder and inspirer of the Optina eldership. A man of unshakable faith, extraordinary courage, firmness and energy. The expression of evangelical love was the whole life of this elder, which was spent in selfless service to God and neighbors. By his deeds, unceasing prayer and God-imitating humility, he acquired abundant gifts of the Holy Spirit. The miracles performed by the elder were countless: crowds of the destitute flocked to him.Death (commemoration day): October 11/24, 1841
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Death (commemoration day): September 7/20, 1860
Schema-Archimandrite Moses (Putilov) (1782-1862)
Gentle old priest. He showed an amazing example of a combination of strict asceticism, humility and non-possession with wise management of the monastery and extensive charitable activities. It was thanks to his boundless mercy and compassion for the poor that the monastery gave shelter to many wanderers. Under Schema-Archimandrite Moses, the old churches and buildings of the monastery were recreated and new ones were built. Optina Hermitage owes its visible flourishing and spiritual revival to the wise abbot of Elder Moses.Death (commemoration day): June 16/29, 1862
Schiegumen Anthony (Putilov) (1795-1865)
Brother and associate of Schema-Archimandrite Moses, a humble ascetic and prayer book, patiently and courageously bearing the cross of bodily diseases throughout his life. He contributed in every possible way to the work of eldership in the skete, which he led for 14 years. Written instructions Reverend Elder are the wondrous fruit of his paternal love and the gift of a teaching word. Before his death, he said: I would like to console everyone, and if it were possible, I would tear myself to pieces and distribute them to everyone in pieces.Death (commemoration day): August 7/20, 1865
Hieroschemamonk Hilarion (Ponomarev) (1805-1873)
A disciple and successor of Elder Macarius. As a zealous advocate and preacher Orthodox faith, he managed to return to the bosom of the Orthodox Church many who had gone astray and fallen away from the Orthodox faith. “Only from the moment we got to know him, he remembers spiritual child old man, - we learned what peace of mind is, what peace of mind is ... ". The skete elder died in prayer, with a rosary in his hands.Death (commemoration day): September 18/Oct 1 1873
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| Hieroschemamonk Ambrose (Grenkov) (1812-1891) |
Death (commemoration day): October 10/23, 1891
Hieroschemamonk Anatoly (Zertsalov) (1824-1894)
The head of the skete and the elder, instructed in the spiritual life not only the monks of the Optina Hermitage, but also the inhabitants of the Shamorda convent and other monasteries. Being a fiery prayer book and ascetic, he was a sensitive father, a patient teacher for all who came to him, always sharing the treasure of wisdom, faith and special spiritual joy. Elder Anatoly possessed an amazing gift of consolation. Rev. Ambrose said that he was given such prayer and grace as one in a thousand is given.Death (commemoration day): January 25/February 7, 1894
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| Schemaarchimandrite Isaac (Antimonov) (1810-1894) |
Death (commemoration day): August 22/Sept. 4 1894
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| Hieroschemamonk Joseph (Litovkin) (1837-1911) |
Death (commemoration day): May 9/22, 1911
Schemaarchimandrite Varsonofy (Plikhankov) (1845-1913)
The head of the skete, about which Elder Nectarios said that the grace of God in one night created a great old man from a brilliant military man. Not sparing life itself, he fulfilled his pastoral duty in the Russo-Japanese War. The elder possessed extraordinary insight, the inner meaning of the events was revealed to him, he saw the intimacy of the heart of a person who came to him, awakening repentance in him with love.Death (commemoration day): April 1/14, 1913
Hieroschemamonk Anatoly (Potapov) (1855-1922)
Nicknamed by the people as a comforter, he was endowed by the Lord with great grace-filled gifts of love and comfort for the afflicted, insight and healing. Humbly carrying out his pastoral service in the difficult days of revolutionary turmoil and atheism, the elder confirmed his spiritual children in the determination to be faithful to the holy Orthodox faith even to death.Death (commemoration day): July 30/August 12, 1922
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| Hieroschemamonk Nectarius of Optina (1853-1928) |
Death (commemoration day): April 29/May 12, 1928
Hieromonk Nikon (Belyaev) (1888-1931)
The closest disciple of the elder Barsanuphius, an ardent prayer book and a loving shepherd, who selflessly performed the elder's ministry after the closure of Optina Hermitage, suffered torment from the atheists and died in exile as a confessor.Death (commemoration day): June 25/July 8, 1931
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| Archimandrite Isaac II (Bobrakov) (1865-1938) |
Death (commemoration day): December 26 / January 8, 1938
In difficult times, each person hopes to receive spiritual help or wise advice find hope for healing or reduce suffering. Believers are saved by prayers and pilgrimages to Holy places. One of these is the miraculous Optina Pustyn. From ancient times to this day, this monastery has been famous for the strength possessed by its servants - the Optina elders.
Origin of the monastery
According to legend, in ancient times, in a dense forest on the banks of the Zhizdra River, far from people, hermits settled, who possessed incredible abilities - foresight and healing. They led a quiet godly life. Someone called them prophets, but they called their ministry eldership, consoled the afflicted and predicted the future according to God's will.
The exact time of foundation and the origin of the name have several versions. Some believe that the founder of the monastery was the robber Optius, who repented and became a monk. Others are sure that Prince Vladimir the Brave founded the monastery. It is known that in the seventeenth century Optina Hermitage was wooden church with six cells in which the twelve holy elders lived. Then Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich presented the monastery with a mill with land in Kozelsk, and the local boyars Shepelev erected the Vvedensky Cathedral. Thus, this monastery is one of the oldest.
Characteristic differences of the monastery
Most of the monasteries are famous for their care for the weak and the poor, schools for orphans and hospitals, long services and reception of pilgrims. But Optina Hermitage is unique for its monks.
The first elders
In the era of Peter the Great, when the material principle was placed above the spiritual, monasticism was subjected to persecution and began to die. And only thanks to sincerely believing monks, pure in spirit, the spiritual life of Russia was preserved. Especially famous in this field was the strong-willed, energetic and possessing the gift of persuasion, the Monk Paisius Velichkovsky. It was he who understood the need for inner asceticism, he himself was an elder and brought elders out of the sketes into the cenobitic life of monasteries. Among the Paisian students was Theodore Svirsky, who raised the first Optina Elder Leo.
At the origins of the monastery stood the holy elders:
They not only worked miracles during their lifetime, helping people, but also left an invaluable legacy to the world in the form of wise sayings, works and biographies.
The main provisions of Optina
The elders laid the characteristic foundation of the Optina eldership of three components:
Following these canons, the elders of the Optina Hermitage continue the great work of service at the present time.
The most famous among them is Schema-Archimandrite Father Eli. Orthodox Christians tell thousands of amazing stories about his gift of clairvoyance, kindness, sharpness of gaze, inner purity and humility. Currently, the elder serves in Peredelkino and is the personal confessor and mentor of Patriarch Kirill. But, despite this, he chooses the time to come to Optina Hermitage to meet with pilgrims, console him with a word and help with advice.
Any person who has ever visited Optina, talked with the monks, venerated the relics of the elders, describes his feelings in words full of delight: “...felt grace, tears of happiness came out, love for the whole world filled his soul, saw the beauty around, felt relief” . Indeed, the entire monastery seems to be imbued with the holiness and spirituality that the founding elders passed down from generation to generation through their disciples.
Everything connected with Optina Hermitage and its elders has an incredible miraculous power. Endowed with this quality and the icon of the Optina elders; what helps, tell thousands of believers who, in a moment of adversity, prayed before the image.
The image of all the ancestors of the desert - 14 holy elders has such spiritual power that is able to convey to the prayer all the wisdom, will, peace and humility that the monks possessed. They turn to the icon, first of all, in moments of doubt, in order to see the word of God and get answers to their questions. And also in such life situations when required:
The face of the Optina Elders is able to endow a person with patience and understanding that life path is not easy; and at the same time inspires confidence that the one who prays is not alone in this world, God's grace is with him, which you need to feel, accept and make your own efforts for this.
Legacy of the Reverends
It is not only a visit to Optina or a prayer in front of the icon of the Optina Elders that helps a person to find the meaning of life and know the truth. You should get acquainted with the spiritual heritage in the form of priceless letters, biographies, sermons and teachings of the saints. The statements of the Optina elders from their works are parsed into quotations.
D do good, turning away from evil - first out of the fear of God, and then you will come to the love of God.
teacher Macarius
D A good deed is not every good deed, but only such a good deed that is done for the sake of God. The outward appearance of a deed is not its essence; God looks at the heart. How we must humble ourselves, seeing that passion is mixed with every good deed.
teacher Nikon
To when the soul learns the law of God, and the body is submissive to the prudence of the soul, then these things are seen: love for God and neighbor, peace with everyone, meekness, simplicity, benevolence, mercy to all, modesty, abstinence, chastity, gentleness and others. And these works are the fruits of the Holy Spirit and are called sowing into the soul.
teacher Moses
M Wisdom tends to have not only wit, but also foresight, and foresight, and together the art of how to act.
teacher Ambrose
In Optina Hermitage, each elder conducted spiritual and educational work, passing on his knowledge, faith and experience not only to followers and students, but also to everyone who wants to comprehend the meaning of life and see God in himself. Throughout their lives, the monks teach people to reject malice, envy, greed, cruelty towards each other. The sinless and light-filled life of the holy elders gives them the moral right to give instructions to lost souls.
Every year on October 11th church celebration Cathedral of the Venerable Optina Elders in memory of the saints who proved with their lives the existence of prophets in the world. And it does not matter how the history of the monastery began - from the repentant and tonsured robber Optius or from the settlement of other mysterious hermits. The history of Optina Pustyn is a clear example of the fact that faith in God, strength human spirit and the desire to sow mercy in people's hearts help to get through any hardships and sorrows.
To date, Optina Pustyn is of great importance both for Orthodox Church and the state, and for each individual person. The doors are always open in the monastery, behind which wise mentors, good advice and peace await.
Attention, only TODAY!
The Kaluga region is famous for its many shrines. The most famous is the history of which begins in the XIV century. In the 19th century, the monastery became a real penitentiary for the Russian intelligentsia. Wise confessors - - healed the ailments of the nobles here, comforting all the pilgrims with love, regardless of their rank and position.
Where is Optina Pustyn
The monastery is located two kilometers from Kozelsk, on the shore. They say that after spending several days in these places, a person changes, peace comes in his soul. Hundreds of people come here every day. This is one of the most revered and prayed places. Orthodox Russia. About where Optina Pustyn is located, people think in moments of despondency, when they are seized by a feeling of hopelessness. You can get to these places by train. From Tupik station to the monastery two kilometers.
background
What used to be where Optina Pustyn is today? The story tells about the Vyatichi tribe who once lived here. The city itself is mentioned for the first time in the annals of 1146. In 1238 it was taken by the Tatars. The battle went on for a month and a half. Almost all the inhabitants of Kozelsk were killed, and the two-year-old Prince Vasily, according to legend, drowned in blood.
At the beginning of the 15th century, the city passed to Lithuania. After 50 years, the city became part of the Moscow principality. The founding date of Optina Pustyn is unknown. But there is an assumption that earlier the monastery was common for monks and nuns.
Wholesale
Optina Pustyn is a monastery located in the Kaluga region. The desert in the old days was called the places of secluded monastic settlements. Optina is a word that comes from the name of a repentant robber. Little is known about this man.
The robber Opta was a formidable leader of a large gang. It is industrial in a dense forest, where the city of Kozelsk is now located. Once, for unknown reasons, the inveterate robber left his gang and accepted. In monasticism, he received the name Macarius. That is why the desert in the 14th-15th centuries was called Makaryevskaya. Where the founder of the monastery is buried is unknown. Besides, this story is just one of the legends. There are many blank spots in the history of Optina Pustyn.
Other versions about the founding of the monastery
There are various assumptions about who founded Optina Pustyn. According to one version, it was built in the depths of a dense forest thanks to Prince Vladimir the Brave and his heirs. These places were not suitable for arable farming; in the 14th century they did not belong to anyone. And therefore, according to another version, once unknown hermits appeared here. They chose the most remote place for their spiritual exploits, far from the settlements. These are the versions about the emergence of Optina Pustyn. The history of the monastery is presented below.
18th century
Peter's reforms did not have the best effect on the fate of the monastery. The monastery had to pay dues to the state. Funds were needed for the construction of a new capital and the war with the Swedes. By the second decade of the 18th century, the monastery was in distress. In 1724 it was abolished. The wooden buildings that were on its territory fell into disrepair.
Restoration began in 1741. Here they built a wooden bell tower and new temple with two aisles. In 1764, by order of Catherine great abode became one of the provincial monasteries of the Krutitsy diocese. Five years later, the construction of the cathedral church was completed. According to historical documents, in the seventies there were only two monks here.
The position of Optina Hermitage began to change towards the end of the 18th century, when the Metropolitan of Moscow paid attention to the monastery. Already in 1797 there were 12 monks here. In 1799, the monastery became part of the Kaluga diocese.
19th century
In the national history, Optina Pustyn is of considerable importance. This abode is a prime example of the process spiritual rebirth that happened in late XVIII centuries. It is located at the edge of a pine forest, cut off from the world by Zhizdra. This is an excellent place for a contemplative hermit life, a spiritual oasis. They say that the elders of Optina Hermitage have the gift of healing.
At the beginning of the century, the construction of a three-tiered bell tower began. Outbuildings for cells were attached to it on both sides. Construction was completed in 1804. Three years later, the construction of the Kazan Church began, a little later - a hospital church with six cells. Adviser Kamynin allocated funds for the material for construction.
The temples were consecrated in 1811. Ten years later, a skete was set up here. Hermits lived in it, that is, people who spent many years in absolute seclusion. The elder was in charge of the spiritual life of the monastery. From all corners of Russia, people who aspired to life in harmony with God reached out to Optina Hermitage. The monastery became the spiritual center of the country. After donations began to arrive, lands, a mill, and stone buildings appeared here.
20th century
In 1918 the monastery was closed. For several years, a rest house was located on its territory. For some time there was a dance floor on the graves of the elders in the Soviet years. And in 1939, these holy places, by order of Beria, were transformed into a concentration camp. Several thousand Polish officers were kept here, most of them were sent to Katyn and shot.
At the beginning of the Second World War, a hospital was located in the monastery, then - a check-filtration camp of the NKVD. The government transferred Optina Pustyn to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1987. Restoration began in 1990.
The burial places of the elders were found with great difficulty. The devastation in the nineties here was so depressing that the locals did not believe that Optina Pustyn could be revived.
Architectural ensemble
The main temple of the monastery is the Vvedensky Cathedral. It was founded in 1750. Most big temple on the territory of the monastery - the temple of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, built in 1811. In the 2000s, the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord was erected.
On the territory of the monastery there are also: a temple in honor of Reverend Mary Egyptian, a bell tower, a chapel, a gate church, a wooden belfry, a fraternal refectory, as well as a bakery, abbot's, library, cell buildings. Some buildings appeared in the XIX century. For example, the cell of Elder Ambrose is located in a wooden hut, which is over 150 years old. However, the oldest building in Optina Hermitage is the Vvedensky Cathedral.
In Moscow and St. Petersburg there are churches related to the monastery. This is the courtyard of the Holy Vvedensky Monastery of Optina Hermitage in Yasenevo (Temple of Peter and Paul) and the Temple of the Assumption Holy Mother of God on Vasilyevsky Island.
Elders
Optina Hermitage is, first of all, its elders. There are only fourteen of them today. What is the essence of eldership? Among the monks, a more experienced one is chosen, who becomes the spiritual father of all the brethren. He also becomes a mentor for the laity who come here. Between the Kazan Church and the Vvedensky Cathedral there is a necropolis. Priests are buried here. And it is in this part of the desert that the graves of the Optina elders are located. However, they are empty - the relics of the saints have been transferred to shrines.
Each of the elders became famous for something. Nectarius was a soothsayer. Leo is a healer. The most famous was the third Elder of Optina Hermitage - Ambrose. Not so long ago, his cell was restored in the skete. The entry for the laity is closed here.
Hieroschemamonk Ambrose
He was canonized in 1988. Saint Ambrose, in the world Alexander Mikhailovich Grenkov, possessed a phenomenal memory, wrote and spoke fluently in five foreign languages. From childhood he was distinguished by extraordinary abilities, but in his youth he became very ill and then made a vow to God: if I survive, I will take the veil as a monk. Alexander Grenkov recovered. For his ministry, he chose Optina Hermitage.
The Monk Ambrose knew how to speak with everyone in his language: to help an illiterate peasant woman, to give advice to a wealthy landowner. This man communicated with Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky. Conversations with the elder took place in a special room. The furnishings of this room today are completely preserved. Asceticism reigns in it, although the elder here received not only famous writers, but also representatives royal family Romanovs.
Leo Tolstoy visited Optina Pustyn six times. For the first time - in 1878. Between Ambrose and Tolstoy then a long, difficult conversation took place. After the writer's departure, the elder said: "I'm already very proud." There is evidence that Tolstoy came here just before his death, wanted to visit Ambrose, but did not dare to enter the skete.
Fyodor Dostoevsky came to Optina Pustyn after a heavy loss - the death of his little son. The writer could not understand why God needed the death of an angelic boy. He suffered a lot. Arriving at the monastery, Fyodor Mikhailovich had a long conversation with Elder Ambrose. According to eyewitnesses, he left his cell a completely different person. Elder Ambrose is the prototype of Zosima from the novel The Brothers Karamazov.
Hieroschemamonk Leo
In the world he was called Lev Danilovich Nagolkin. The future Optina Elder was born in 1768. He came from the bourgeois class, in his youth he served as a clerk for a wealthy merchant. In 1797 Nagolkin became a monk. After 20 years, he arrived in Optina Hermitage, where he founded the eldership. Among his spiritual children was the Monk Ambrose, about whom we have spoken above.
Hieroschemamonk Macarius
Mikhail Nikolaevich Ivanov, such is the worldly name of this elder, was born in 1788 into a noble family. At the age of 14, he entered the service of an accountant. A few years later he received the post of head of the counting expedition. After the death of his father, Ivanov left the service and went to the monastery. Since 1834 he was in the Optina Hermitage. Thanks to this elder, a whole school of translators and publishers of spiritual literature was created.
Archimandrite Barsanuphius
The future clergyman, in the world, Pavel Plikhankov, was born in Samara in 1845, into a merchant family. He graduated from a military gymnasium, after which he made a good career. He rose to the rank of colonel. However, unexpectedly for relatives and colleagues, Plikhankov submitted a letter of resignation in the 70s. He arrived in Optina Pustyn in 1891. In 1907 he was elevated to the rank of hegumen. Five years later, the Monk Barsanuphius was appointed rector of the Staro-Golutvinsky monastery.
The elder was in Optina Hermitage just at the time when Leo Tolstoy arrived there. As already mentioned, the writer visited these places on the eve of his death. Upon learning of this, Barsanuphius went to the railway station in order to admonish Tolstoy before his death and help him come to terms with the church. But he was not allowed to see the dying writer.
Nektarios Optina
Born in Yelets in 1853. The family was poor, his father worked at a mill, he died early. Soon the mother also passed away. The boy was left an orphan. At the age of eleven, he entered the service of the merchant shop, six years later he received the position of junior clerk.
At the age of twenty, Nikolai went on foot to Optina Pustyn. Here he was received by the elder Ambrose. They talked for a long time, but about what, Nectarius later did not tell anyone like that. In March 1887 he was tonsured into the robe. Seven years later, he was ordained a hierodeacon.
Two years before the outbreak of the First World War, the brothers elected Nectarius an elder. After the advent of Soviet power, the monastery was closed. The Monk Nectarios was arrested. He spent three years in prison. It is known that after his return he lived in the village of Ulyanovo, Kaluga region. He died in 1928.
Optina elders - who are they, why did people from different parts of the country try to get "an appointment" with them? These are people who have a certain spiritual vision.
Such vision, according to the monks of Optina Hermitage, is possessed by Schema-Archimandrite Iliy (Aleksey Nozdrin). Now he lives in Peredelkino, is the personal confessor of the Patriarch of Moscow Kirill. When the elder was in Optina Hermitage, people continuously came to him. He didn't accept everyone. But if a person was lucky enough to talk with Elder Eli, he could get completely unexpected advice from him. For example, leave a business, adopt a child from an orphanage, or even go to a monastery.
Alexei Afanasyevich Nozdrin - that was his name in the world. He was born in 1932 into a peasant family. In 1949 he graduated from high school. While serving in the army, he joined the Komsomol, but when he returned home, he repented of his act and burned the Komsomol ticket.
In 1958, Nozdrin graduated from a technical school in the Moscow region. Then he worked at a factory in the city of Kamyshin. There was only one temple, which the future clergyman visited. Nozdrin, on the advice of his confessor, graduated from the Leningrad Theological Academy. In 1966 he was tonsured a monk. In the late eighties, he was sent to Optina Pustyn, where at that time the restoration of the monastery began.
1993 tragedy
On Easter in Optina Hermitage, three clergymen were killed near the belfry. Hieromonk Vasily and the monks Trofim and Ferapont became victims of a ritual crime. The killer crept up behind them and stabbed them in the back. He was quickly detained, during the investigation he was declared insane and placed in a closed hospital.
The murdered monks became new martyrs. In 2004, the book "Red Easter" by Nina Pavlova was published, dedicated to the victims of a crazy sectarian-Satanist (three sixes were scrawled on the dagger with which he struck).
For the mothers of the fathers of Optina Hermitage, the reckoning of their sons as martyrs did not become a consolation. Two of them were tonsured after this tragedy. Father Vasily's mother said before the tonsure: "I want to meet my son after death." The monks are buried on the territory of the monastery. A bell tower was later built on their graves. This place is said to have extraordinary healing power.
workers
Many who come to Optina Pustyn stay here for a while. They are accommodated and fed for free. But on condition: they are obliged to work and attend all services. They say that staying in these holy places heals the soul.
Among the workers are representatives of various professions. For everyone, the conditions for staying in Optina Pustyn are the same. Wake up at five in the morning. The service takes about four hours a day. The rest of the time you have to work. The workers are accommodated in a special hotel, several people live in each room. In order to settle, you need a passport and work clothes. Everything else, if necessary, is given out in the monastery.
The monastery is on full self-sufficiency. The laborers work together with the monks. The auxiliary farm of this monastery is one of the largest agricultural enterprises in the Kaluga region. Each of the workers has some profession in the world. In the monastery, they try to offer them work that is familiar to them. Veterinarians take care of animals. Artists paint icons.
In the summer, the brothers go out for sowing. But even here they are not exempted from worship - a special mobile temple leaves with them.
The workers have almost no free time. They must observe the strict rules of the monastery. However, some have lived here for years. There are those who do not leave at all, they are preparing for monasticism.
Around the monastery
Today, a whole village has lined up around the monastery. In the nineties, a small house in the vicinity of the monastery could be bought for only 50 thousand rubles. Today, prices have risen by about twenty times. Among the residents of nearby villages, there are many who have bought houses here solely because of the proximity of Optina Pustyn. Many villagers welcome those wishing to visit the famous monastery. The cost of renting housing is low - from 300 rubles per bed.
Optina deserts are surrounded by forest, village and healing springs. Six hundred meters from the monastery is the spring of Pafnutiy Borovsky, which has long been considered healing. Thousands of pilgrims come here every year. It is said that the spring really cures ailments.
Optina elders. Reading them, some will enjoy the wonderful living language XIX century, others will suddenly discover things that are sharply modern.
Let us, in the days of the memory of St. Ambrose and the Cathedral of the Optina Elders, continue to communicate with them through lives, letters, instructions, so that our lives will be illuminated by their wisdom, like the rays of the soft October sun.
Optina Pustyn
“…I have never met such monks.
With each of them, it seemed to me, everything heavenly was talking.
N.V. Gogol
From century to century, the fertile source of wisdom of the elders of Optina Pustyn flows into Eternal Life and brings healing to all who seek salvation and freedom in Christ. Freedom from the laws of the world, from one's own passions, that perfect freedom, which is defined by the words of the Savior: "The kingdom of God is within you."
The elders were those experienced "guides" who helped people find their way to Him here on earth. Their instructions are simple. Every true teacher descends to the level of a student in order to help him rise to the highest levels of knowledge, and the Optina reverends condescended to the "infancy" age of their pupils, and spoke in such a way that their word would benefit both the scholar and the simple peasant. Thanks to this, Optina Pustyn gave Russia a real "treasure" of spiritual knowledge, contained in brief instructions.
"Word Milk"
The Monk Ambrose was an unsurpassed master of such spiritual teachings. They went to him from everywhere on carts, walked many miles on foot, old and young, just to hear him, ask for a blessing, while the priest was alive. Understand - this is a gift for life.
In a small waiting room, they were waiting for their turn, sitting in a row, without showing off. From time to time, the cell-attendant, Father Joseph, with a quiet nod, invited the next visitor. On fine days, Ambrose himself went out to the pilgrims on the porch. The people are apparently invisible, and there are even more letters on the table of the priest. So, he tried to express the essence in short answers, so that it would be better remembered.
In the world, before leaving for the monastery, he had a cheerful and lively character, and in the monastery this liveliness turned with the mountains into spiritual joy. Light breathing and a joke mark his brief instructions.
Here, for example, about the main thing - about the cause of discords and falls in life:
“What makes a person bad? -
From the fact that he forgets that there is a God above him "
And this is about the pride that precedes the fall and how important it is to avoid judging others:
“Do not boast, pea, that you are better than beans:
You'll get wet, you'll burst yourself."
How easy it is to succeed in the spiritual life:
"Who yields more,
He gets more
In a similar way, softening the pastoral word with a joke, rhyme, other elders talked with the pilgrims, taking into account the measure of their age. Spiritual mentor Fr. Ambrose, Rev. Leo often spoke to people about the benefits of compliance:
Where is the humility
Salvation is nearby."
In two lines, Father Anthony recalled how important it is for a Christian to trust in God and pray to Him:
Whoever firmly trusts in God,
God helps him in everything.”
And Elder Anatoly (the Elder) expressed in one sentence how to avoid condemnation:
"Have pity and don't judge"
"Three Nuts"
For those who, giving themselves to the guidance of the elders, took up inner work, the “lessons” were more difficult. The real "professors" who laid the foundations of the Optina theological school were the first elders: Rev. Paisios, followed by Rev. Leo and Macarius.
In the instructions of the last of them, the basic principles of spiritual work were expressed. This “medicine” is not always pleasant, with a taste of bitterness, but it brings joy from the knowledge that it is - true because so harder, and, although human nature resists the compulsion to follow the "straight way", but in it is the spirit of the Gospel, the spirit of Christ.
Three qualities, three virtues in Rev. Macarius have a special price: patient bearing of sorrows, humility and self-reproach. The foundation of spiritual life is built on them, the road to higher virtues is laid from them: mercy, love, self-denial.
Reverend Macarius
Father Macarius reminds us that the path of sorrows is prepared for all who seek salvation in the world, but one should not be afraid, lose heart and shy away from them: they are sent to us to purify the soul and acquire the highest qualities. And everything that “trembles the soul”: loss, pain, labor, injustice, reproach, and even our own imperfection, must become the “material” of our salvation:
"Our path is such that we want or do not want, and sorrow should be, God's permission, to our temptation and the training of patience."
He who acquires the habit of patience traverses this path without difficulty. He does not dispute, does not try to change the conditions in which he is placed, but accepts them as a test from the hand of the Lord; and then both reproaches and vain accusations turns into an occasion to look at oneself more carefully: to notice a rising passion, or to remember an unrepentant sin. That is, patience teaches self-reproach:
“Feats against passions are only painful when we proudly and arrogantly go through them, and when humbly, calling God's help and attributing corrections to It, then they are easily bearable.
This view in the Optina tradition of spiritual education will acquire the power of an aphorism:
"There is humility - everything is there; there is no humility - there is nothing."
Remembering the words of the Savior that spiritual gifts can also be useful only if the spirit of love is active in a person, Father Macarius advises his spiritual children to be jealous not for the acquisition of the gifts themselves, but for that which opens the way for Christian love:
“Do not look for any gifts, but rather try to learn the mother of talents - humility is stronger.”
Not only external sorrows annoy a person, but also internal - unconquered passions. And the old man opens general rule in spiritual warfare: weakness that has turned into a skill can be defeated only with the help of the opposite virtue:
“... against pride - humility, against gluttony - abstinence, against envy and rancor - love, but when this is not there, then we will not reproach ourselves, humble ourselves and ask God for help."
The thought of the benefits of humility for the sake of Christ—for oneself and for others—passes through all the councils of the Optina elders to both monastics and laity. The call "not to seek one's own", to turn one's own heart into the field of spiritual warfare is constantly heard in their instructions. But still…
Comforters
Spiritual composure and even the severity of the instructions of the elders had nothing to do with alienation or indifference. In their letters addressed to spiritual children, there is a place for both sympathy and encouragement. Here, for example, is one such letter from the archives of Elder Anatoly (Zertsalov). How much warmth and paternal empathy is in it:
“As for your miserable position in the circle of sisters, then you will only prove that you are their sister, and not some kind of accustomer, when you show them sisterly love and tolerate them. It even hurts me to see or hear how everyone is crushing you: well, what if all your future eternal glory lies in this pressure?<…>Be patient, be patient with the Lord, be of good cheer.”
No matter how terrible the “storm”, no matter how insurmountable our own passions may seem, everything will be weighed, everything will have a price in the Resurrection of Christ:
“... If someone loves Jesus, he tries with all his might to accumulate more dowry,<…>And the Lord loves them."
Tips Reverend elders Optina ones cover practically all important aspects of life, and reasoning is present in everything: one measure is for monks, the other is for the laity, one is for beginners, the other is for those who are in the middle and at the end of the path.
But they also deal with questions that are common to all: about the purpose of the Christian life, about which fast is right, about whether it makes any difference how and what to believe, about the meaning and grace-filled power of church sacraments, about prayer and about spiritual reading, about what kind of use of talents the Lord expects from his disciples, and about the dangers on the path of salvation.
Reading them, some will enjoy the wonderful living language of the 19th century, others will suddenly discover things that are sharply modern and written, as if especially for pastors who fall “under fire” from the press, which arrogates to itself the right to judge the church ...
And how good it is in the days of the memory of St. Ambrose and the Cathedral of the Optina Elders to continue “communion with them” - to search for or re-read the literature available now: lives, letters, instructions, so that our lives will be illuminated by their wisdom, like the rays of the soft October sun.
Elders of the Optina Desert
(RESIDENCE OF WOUNDED SOULS)
THE HOLY OLD NECKARY PREDICTS THE SHOOTING OF THE ROYAL FAMILY, A DIFFICULT CENTURY FOR RUSSIA AND ITS FUTURE REVIVAL
Founded by a repentant robber in the 15th century, Optina Hermitage glorified Russia with its holy elders. She became the abode of consolation for all the destitute. The poor, the weak, the nobility, and the great Russian writers and philosophers came here for healing and hope. More than once the monastery was destroyed. However, miraculously reborn from oblivion, Optina Pustyn became the true spiritual center of Russia. After many years of ruin, the Optina Hermitage was reopened in 1989. Now it is one of the first open men's shops after Soviet times. Orthodox monastery. Here, to this day, miracles of healing occur at the relics of the holy elder Ambrose. And one of the holy Optina elders, Nectarios, predicted a year before the execution of the royal family its martyrdom, the difficult age that is coming for Russia, and the future greatness and glory of our Motherland.
Chieftain of robbers
In the middle of the 15th century, legend calls the elder Opta the founder of Optina Hermitage, until sudden repentance - the ataman of the Cossack gang. In the Kozelsky forests in the 15th century, this gang terrorized the area for a long time. Criminals killed and robbed people. But a miracle happened. The ataman of the robbers repented of his deed, began to starve and pray, expiating his guilt, and founded God's monastery. The leader of the robbers has become an old man! Founded by a former robber, the monastery became the most famous spiritual center in Russia. What kind of disasters did not undergo the monastery. And the Lithuanian raid in the Time of Troubles, and famine, and ruin. In the 17th century, the monastery was begging, and the monks ate only cabbage. In the seventies of the 18th century, only two monks remained in the monastery, very old men, one of whom was blind. How did they survive without a livelihood? God knows. The monastery was also closed in Soviet times. In 1919 it was transformed into an "agricultural artel", and in 1926 it was defeated by "activists". And yet the monastery was reborn after each defeat, and glorified Russia with the holy elders.
The abode of wounded souls
At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the monastery became famous for the elder Leo. All of Russia learned about him, the majority of the population of which were peasants. There were not enough doctors in the village, and diseases and troubles were in abundance. People went for help to the Lion. And no one left him without healing. Macarius became his successor. But the most famous was the third Optina Elder Ambrose, a disciple of Leo and Macarius. It was he who became the prototype of the elder Zosima from the novel "The Brothers Karamazov" by Dostoevsky.
Ambrose, in the world - Alexander Mikhailovich Grenkov, was born on December 5, 1812 in the Tambov Province in the family of sexton Mikhail Fedorovich and his wife Martha. At baptism he was named Alexander in honor of Prince Alexander Nevsky. He was the sixth of eight children in the family. While studying at religious school he fell dangerously ill and vowed to take the veil as a monk.
"Father Ambrosim", as they called him simple people, was a great old man. The thoughts of people coming to him and their sins were revealed to him. Thousands of suffering people from all over Russia came to his small house in the skete. As a contemporary wrote, "there was not an hour in the day when those who were thirsty to see the priest would not stand at the skete gates, they would not argue here whether the monastery could feed and support all those accepted." The sick after visiting the elder recovered, the life of the poor improved. Pavel Florensky called Optina Pustyn "a spiritual sanatorium for wounded souls." But if someone did not follow the instructions of the elder, anything could happen to him. A person could go bankrupt, get sick, and this was not the will of the elder, but the punishment of the Lord. The power of the elder then was absolute, even criminals who were not afraid of policemen were afraid to disobey him!
Ambrose opened an orphanage, and founded the Kazan convent near Optina Hermitage in the village of Shamordino, where he spent last years life. The nuns idolized their spiritual mentor. On October 22, 1891, the elder died. “I know those whose personal feeling for him was stronger than their faith in the Church itself. I am sure that there are people (especially elderly nuns) who will not survive him for a long time,” wrote Konstantin Leontiev to Vasily Rozanov after the death of Ambrose.
In 1988, Ambrose was canonized as a saint. His relics rest in the Vvedensky Cathedral of Optina Hermitage. And to this day, miracles happen at the relics of Ambrose, people are healed of many, sometimes incurable diseases.
"War and Peace" between the writer and the elders
Ambrose was visited by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Konstantin Leontiev, Vladimir Solovyov, Alexei Tolstoy and Leo Tolstoy. Lev Nikolaevich treated the elders with hostility, and after visiting them he wrote critical articles: "Notes of a Christian" and "What is my faith?". The story of the confrontation between Leo Tolstoy and the elders continued after the death of Ambrose. The stubborn writer on his last journey in 1910 nevertheless visited Optina Pustyn. And again he did not get along with the elders. When it became known that Lev Nikolaevich was dying, Ambrose's disciple Barsanuphius came to him, however, the elder was not allowed to see the dying man!
Later, Gogol also visited Optina Pustyn. Apparently, his mystical characters did not give him rest (one trait from "Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka" is worth something!), And he wrote to the elders: "For the sake of Christ Himself, pray: I need to be thoughts (spirit) every minute in Optina Hermitage."
Joseph and his rosary
After the death of Ambrose, his disciple Joseph became the confessor of Optina Hermitage. He became an orphan early, earning a living by working in taverns. A difficult childhood undermined his health, all his life the old man was tormented by cruel illnesses, despite which he received a huge number of visitors. From weakness, he could not conduct long conversations, but he knew how to express the main thing in a few words, and helped many patients. A case is known when a woman was healed simply by holding his rosary in her hand. On the ninth day after his death, the first patient was healed at his grave.
Wanderer
After Joseph, the senile service was continued by Barsanuphius, in the world - by Pavel Ivanovich Plikhankov. A nobleman, a colonel, who was on a brilliant account, he was about to become a general. The comrades had fun at the feasts, and the colonel read the Bible, fasted, went to church and wrote verses of spiritual content under the pseudonym Wanderer. When Pavel Ivanovich entered Optina Pustyn, he was almost fifty years old! Ten years later he became the elder Barsanuphius. He had an extraordinary gift of insight. To strangers, he revealed all their sins, accurately indicating the dates and names. During the Russo-Japanese War, he was a priest at the front, where he gave communion to the soldiers and buried the dead. The bullet did not take the sick old man! Returning to the desert, he miraculously escaped death several times.
Second Seraphim of Sarov
Elder Anatoly (Potapov) was popularly called the "comforter" and "the second Seraphim." Despite the pain in his bleeding legs and from the infringement of a hernia, the elder received everyone without time limits, he was always friendly, affectionate with everyone. Sometimes he didn't sleep for weeks. Shortly after the revolution, the old man was arrested. He returned to the monastery barely alive, with cropped hair and beard, but... smiling. The second time they came for him on July 29, 1922. In the morning, the cell-attendant found the elder on his knees. When the commissioners entered the cell, they saw that the elder was no longer in their power: the Lord had taken him away, preventing him from continuing the torture in the dungeons of the GPU.
Filled pie
Father Anatoly always asked visitors if Father Nektariy had them. When he found out that he was not, he said: "Go to him today. He is a great old man, such as Ambrose." Father Nektary himself did not recognize himself as great, saying: "I'm like a pie without filling anyway." (He called father Anatoly a pie with a filling.) If Anatoly conquered everyone with kindness, then Nectarius could also be harsh. Coming from a poor family, he became a mentor to the intelligentsia. Just one conversation with him could radically change the fate of a person.
In 1912, the famous Russian spiritualist Vladimir Bykov came to Optina Pustyn, hiding from the elder his passion for the occult sciences. The elder received him benevolently, however, he suddenly said: "Terrible, destructive for the soul and for the body - the passion for spiritualism." The Spirit recalls: "If a peal of a deafening thunderclap had been heard in the cell, it would not have made such an impression on me as these words of a divinely inspired elder." The elder also spoke about the connection of such activities with the collapse of the family, told Bykov about his hidden thoughts and desires. The elder's story had such an effect on him that the famous spiritualist publicly renounced his former convictions, denounced the spiritualists, and soon became a priest.
"Nikolka will oversleep - it will come in handy for everyone!"
Saint Nektarios (in the world Nikolai Vasilyevich Tikhonov) was born in 1853. He was orphaned early and worked in a shop. When he was eighteen, the clerk decided to marry him to his daughter. Nikolai was advised to ask for blessings for marriage in Optina Hermitage. At that time to Saint Ambrose There were so many people that the reception was expected for weeks, but the elder received Nicholas immediately and talked with him for two hours, and Nicholas remained forever in the monastery. He was often late for church and walked around with sleepy eyes. The brethren complained about him to Ambrose, and he answered: "Wait, Nikolka will oversleep, it will be useful to everyone."
In 1898, Nectarios stopped leaving his cell, and the windows in his cell were sealed with blue paper. For several years he read spiritual books, studied mathematics, history, geography, Russian and foreign literature, languages, and spoke fluent French. Nectarios was short, with a rounded face, strands of half-gray hair were knocked out from under a high monastic cap. In his hands he always held a pomegranate rosary. Sometimes the old man did strange things. At a meal, he could merge all the dishes on one plate; could - in violation of the monastic charter - eat milk chocolate with visitors. And then he suddenly began to play with a flashlight, turning it on and off and saying: "I caught lightning." In 1913, the brethren gathered to elect an elder. Modest Nectarius did not attend the meeting: "And without me they will choose who they need." But he was chosen as the elder. They sent for him. He came: one foot in a shoe, the other in a felt boot.
The elders had to conduct a huge correspondence. Father Nektary answered letters without opening them. Priest Vasily Shustin was especially struck by this ability of Nektariy: “On one of my visits to Optina Pustyn, I saw Father Nektariy read sealed letters. He came to me with the received letters, of which there were 50, and, without opening them, began to sort He put aside some letters with the words: "Here you need to give an answer, but these letters of thanks can be left unanswered." He did not read them, he saw their content. Some of them he blessed, and some he kissed."
Weightless jug
Priest Vasily Shustin left a memory of such a miracle of Father Nektariy. One day the elder said to him: "Let's go, I'll teach you how to set up a samovar. The time will come when you won't have servants." It was necessary to pour water; The elder pointed to Vasily a large copper jug. Vasily tried to lift him, but could not. Nektarios repeated again: "You take a jug and pour water into the samovar." "Why, he's too heavy for me, I can't move him," Vasily answered. Then the priest went up to the jug, crossed it and said: "Take it." Vasily picked it up and felt with amazement that the jug weighed nothing! Father Nectarios destroyed the force of gravity with the sign of the cross!
Prophecies of St. Nektarios
In 1923, Elder Nectarios was arrested on charges of counter-revolutionary activities. Execution awaited him. He was saved only by the intercession of the poetess Nadezhda Pavlovich. She turned to the People's Commissariat of Education with a request to save her "grandfather", an old monk who they want to shoot. Krupskaya regarded this as "excesses on the ground", and soon a telegram arrived in Kozelsk about the release of the elder. Nectariy was sent into exile in the Bryansk village of Kholmishchi. The elder foresaw this change in his fate. Even before the October Revolution, he predicted that the monastery would be ruined. And in 1917, under the Provisional Government, he made a prophecy:
“Soon there will be a spiritual hunger for books. You won’t get a spiritual book. An age of silence is coming. The sovereign suffers how many humiliations for his mistakes. 1918 will be even harder, the sovereign and the whole family will be killed, tortured. Yes, this sovereign will be a great martyr. recent times he redeemed his life, and if people do not turn to God, then not only Russia, all of Europe will fail. The time for prayers is coming." About the more distant future, he said that "Russia will rise and will not be rich materially, but will be rich in spirit."
Zhukov he predicted a great victory
Spiritual children of Nectariy came to him in Kholmischi. One day, Maria Sukhova, the future nun Ilaria, arrived. “Today you will lie down to sleep not in the guest’s room, but in mine,” the elder ordered. All night he prayed, and at dawn he said: "Go to the common room." She went out and found out that at night they came from the GPU with a search. If not for the instructions of the elder, she would have been arrested. But the Chekists did not dare to enter the cell of Father Nektariy.
In 1925, Georgy Zhukov came to Kholmishchi to see the elder. He was then twenty-nine years old. Father Nectarios predicted brilliant victories for him.
The elder took on other people's sins and illnesses and suffered grievously. The old man foresaw his death. He began to say goodbye to his loved ones two months before: he spoke the last instruction, blessed. He died on April 29, 1928.
Destruction began: the 65-meter bell tower and the Vladimirskaya hospital church perished. Temples were destroyed and beheaded, the graves of the elders were razed to the ground.
Miracles happen here again
Optina Pustyn - one of the first newly discovered Orthodox monasteries. It was handed over to believers in November 1987, and in June 1988 the first altar was consecrated here. Within a few years, the temples, walls and towers of the monastery and skete were restored. On July 3, 1989, the uncovering of the relics of the Monk Nectarios took place. When the solemn procession moved through the monastery, a strong fragrance emanated from the relics. The mantle of the elder turned out to be incorruptible, the remains themselves were of amber color. The holy relics of Nectarios were transferred to the cathedral in the name of the Entry into the Temple of the Mother of God, where the relics of his mentor, St. Ambrose, were already resting. The relics of seven other Optina elders, also glorified as saints, were also found. Every Sunday they are brought to the Vvedensky Cathedral. Cancer with the relics of the Monk Nectarios is located in the western part of the Amvrosievsky chapel of the cathedral church. The relics perform miracles of healing. Another 13 Optina Elders have recently been canonized. 
