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Life and biography of Ignatius Bryanchaninov. Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov: aphorisms Books: theological heritage

Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov (1807–1867) is one of the most significant, brilliant, sometimes even contradictory thinkers and theologians of the 19th century. He was a "spiritual aristocrat", a conservative, a man who remained completely alone all his life, tragically falling out of the realities of his time.

About his theological and social thought, about the era in which the fate of the saint unfolded, “Thomas” talked with the doctor of theology, dean of the theological faculty of PSTGU, priest Pavel Khondzinsky.

The middle of the 19th century - the period of the most active ministry of St. Ignatius - is the time of the formation of the intelligentsia, with its questions, problems, searches. How did the “seeking public” relate to the Church, was there a dialogue between the intelligentsia and the clergy?

In order to answer this question, it is necessary to go back - to the beginning of the 18th century, during the time of Peter the Great's reforms. What happened in the country after their implementation in practice (and “on paper” Peter wanted to see the country enlightened in a European way) can be called a social rift. The emperor counted on the fact that cultural transformations would affect all sectors of society. But, as in many other transformations, he failed to bring his plan to the end.

European culture and way of life penetrated only into the upper strata of society. At the same time, the very mental content of this culture was no longer sacred, not ecclesiastical, since the process of secularization (separation of public and private life from the Church) in Europe had ended at that time. There is a model secular culture, a life in which a person's relationship with God is his own business. In this form, she entered Russia. And if the elite learned it after some time, then the Russian people in their mass remained in the old, pre-Petrine way of life. There was a situation that could be called "double existence".

At the same time, in addition to this socio-cultural stratification, there was also a class stratification. As a result, the clergy closed into a special closed estate with its unshakable foundations, traditions, and principles. If earlier bishops often came from noble families (for example, the Moscow hierarchs Alexy and Philip came from boyar families), then the Russian bishops of the synodal era already came from the spiritual estate.

Greek Catholic Theological Seminary. 18th century

What was the social elevator within this class group? Spiritual education. A person entered the seminary, then the academy. After a successful graduation, the graduate was offered to remain at the seminary either as an inspector or as a teacher. In the future, he could rise through the ranks up to the rector. In parallel, he took monasticism and thus became a ready candidate for the bishopric. And already becoming a bishop, such a person, according to Peter's "Table of Ranks", was equated in status with a general, which means he had access to the upper strata of society.

Here, however, another problem arose. The fact is that European universities have always had theological faculties in their structure - unlike Russian ones, which began to appear in the 18th century and never had theological faculties. And this provoked in Russia another division between the educated society and the clergy, since spiritual (that is, theological) education could only be obtained by belonging to the clergy. St. Ignatius Brianchaninov himself, by the way, suffered a lot in connection with this, which I will talk about later.

Baptism. Engraving from 1811

It turned out that the upper circles of society, who received a secular education and lived a European cultural life, spoke different languages with the clergy, who had a special spiritual education and preserved the pre-Petrine, sacred foundations of life. In addition, a paradoxical situation arose in the relationship between parishioners from society and the clergy. In fact, the educated flock looked down on their shepherd, the priest.

That is, those whom we could call the intelligentsia, in general, looked down on the priests and the Church?

In general, yes. In this regard, one characteristic story is known. Metropolitan Platon (Levshin) (1737–1812) taught the Law of God to the future emperor Paul I. And when Paul became emperor, he decided to thank his teacher with a state award - an order, which was not accepted in principle. The clergy did not receive such secular awards. Metropolitan Platon himself was terribly upset that now, in his old age, he would be so “disgraced”. He asked Paul to reverse his decision. And then the emperor decided to seek advice from Ivan Vladimirovich Lopukhin - the famous spiritual writer, senator, mason. Paul asked him if it was possible to give orders to bishops. The senator replied that, in general, of course, it is not supposed to, such awards do not suit the hierarchs of the Church of God, but the current Church is, as it were, not quite the Church, and the current hierarchs are more administrators than clerics, so there is nothing wrong with that. It seems to me that this case vividly illustrates how the educated society as a whole perceived the clergy.

Metropolitan Platon (Levshin)

There were, of course, exceptions. For example, St. Philaret (Drozdov; 1783-1867), who was loved by the common people, and who was respected both among educated people (Peter Yakovlevich Chaadaev, for example, greatly appreciated communication with him), and in high society. It is known that almost all foreign ambassadors who came to Moscow considered it their duty to introduce themselves to the Moscow Metropolitan - it was a gesture of respect for a particular person.

Saint Philaret (Drozdov). Artist V. Hau, 1854

In general, the attitude towards the church clergy was contemptuous. This was later superimposed by another process. IN early XIX century, the theology of the laity began to take shape. In the secular environment, people appeared who were interested in theological problems. Without a seminary base, they began to theologize at their own peril and risk. In addition, they developed a sharply negative attitude towards academic theological education. And most of all they were outraged by the thesis that there is a so-called "Teaching Church". It turned out that the same spiritual estate, which was treated so haughtily, was in relation to educated people - in the position of mentor and teacher. That is why some lay believers began to build their own, if you like, "alternative" in relation to the spiritual and academic, theology. One of the striking examples is Alexei Stepanovich Khomyakov, who in his theological writings firmly insisted that in the Church the primacy belongs not to the spiritual hierarchy, but to the community. In addition, Russian writers and poets at the same time begin to develop the idea of their prophetic destiny - in fact, perhaps this is where the idea of the special role of the Russian intelligentsia originates. Here Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol worked hard, paving the way for the others in this respect.

Religious and philosophical meetings. D. S. Merezhkovsky, Z. N. Gippius, D. V. Filosofov. Photo early 20th century

In a word, we have before us a whole tangle of various problems, processes that ultimately led to a radical misunderstanding between the Church and educated society. A mental and value gap formed between them, which they never managed to overcome, and when the so-called “Religious-Philosophical Meetings” were held at the beginning of the 20th century, designed to establish a dialogue between the Church and the intelligentsia, in the end the idea failed and everyone remained at his own.

What, in this case, especially distinguished St. Ignatius Brianchaninov from the background of other religious, theological thinkers of the 19th century? Why was he given so much attention?

Many features of the fate of the saint were just due to what we talked about above. Saint Ignatius was one of the few exceptions at that time. He belonged to the highest social classes. His father was a page (a person in the court guard service) under Emperor Paul I. At the insistence of his father, the future saint entered the Military Engineering School in St. Petersburg - one of the most elite at that time. Dmitry (his worldly name) was familiar with the then high society: with Alexander Pushkin, with Vasily Zhukovsky, with the Grand Dukes, with the future Emperor Nicholas I. But despite the fact that Dmitry was fully included in secular life from childhood, he was drawn to monasticism. And when, already a student, he finally decided to leave for a monastery, an episode characteristic of his life happened. The Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich was instructed to dissuade the young man from this step. Having met with the young man, he told him that "it is much more honorable to save your soul, remaining in the world" - the thought in itself was not seditious. But the future saint answered with his characteristic categoricalness that “to remain in the world and wish to be saved is, Your Highness, the same as standing in the fire and wishing not to be burned.”

Petersburg Engineering School ("Mikhailovsky Castle"). Artist I. I. Charlemagne, XIX century

This started a very difficult journey. A man from a secular circle, an aristocrat, tried with all his might to penetrate into the clergy, into the church environment. Monasticism itself in the 19th century was for the most part of the common people, and St. Ignatius (then still a novice Demetrius) turned out to be a complete stranger here. He carried this awareness of his “restlessness” with him all his life. Yes, on the one hand, educated society as a whole has broken away from Christian tradition folk life, but on the other hand, for those who wanted to return back, the entrance was also not always open. Therefore, Saint Ignatius could not take root in any monastery for such a long time. Therefore, at least at first he was a spiritual student. Reverend Leo Optinsky, at the end of his life admitted that he was led wrong in monastic life - through exhausting physical labor, outward humility and absolute submission to the confessor. It was normal and habitual for a person from common people, but it turned out to be unacceptable for him, a person who was formed in completely different conditions. It is no coincidence that we read from him: “We do not have inspired mentors today.” And the saint writes this during the lifetime of the famous Optina elders...

Desert Optina. View from the river Zhizdra. 19th century

Although it is not customary to talk about holy people in this way, nevertheless, it seems to me that the saint, in a sense, had a tragic life. He did not fit into the realities of his time. It was as if he found himself on the sidelines of the life of that era: having left secular society, having accepted monasticism, the saint turned out to be a stranger both in the church environment and in the higher, educated strata. Therefore, the Holy Synod did not want to ordain him on the grounds that he did not have the “correct” spiritual education. And only at the personal insistence of Emperor Alexander II, Archimandrite Ignatius was made a bishop.

Reverend Lev of Optina. Engraving by an unknown author, 19th century.

It was this lack of inscription in the social life of the era, combined with the outstanding intellectual and artistic abilities and spiritual gifts of St. Ignatius, that distinguished him from the ecclesiastical and social milieu of the 19th century.

But do we know that, for example, Mikhail Glinka and Karl Bryullov maintained close and warm communion with the saint?

This was just a personal friendship. By the way, the questions of artistic creativity occupied the saint, and he tried to draw in his articles and notes the ideal of a truly Christian culture, possible, from his point of view, only with the inner ascetic self-denial of the artist. And he himself admitted in one of his letters that he was trying to follow the example of Pushkin in the purity and clarity of the language.

Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov

Is it possible to speak of a single, main idea of St. Ignatius, which emphasized his originality, non-inscription in one or another theological tradition?

There was one aspect that fundamentally separated St. Ignatius from the spiritual-academic school of that time. The school insisted that the main and unique theological source, to which it is necessary to appeal when solving certain theological problems, is the Holy Scripture. The patristic heritage, on the other hand, must be tested for its agreement or disagreement with Scripture, that is, one must look at the fathers through Scripture.

Saint Ignatius proposed a different theological model. He said that since it is not enough to know the Gospel, but it is also necessary understand, then one should refer to those whose lives have been the gospel incarnate. According to the saint, these are, first of all, ascetic fathers, authors whose writings were included in. In other words, one must look at Scripture through the fathers.

Philokalia. 19th century edition

In the theology of the saint there was another noticeable feature, completely unique in its own way. In order to understand it, it is necessary to make a small digression. In the 17th century, a philosophical language new in its content was formed in Europe. The language of positive science also appeared (which explained the world from the position of its knowability), in which new discoveries in the field of physics, chemistry, astronomy, and so on were deciphered. language ancient philosophy, on which the theological writings of the ancient Fathers of the Church were written, is a thing of the past. It was necessary to somehow respond to this. It was necessary to understand how to create an "interface" (field of interaction) between the ancient language of theology and new philosophical and scientific languages.

Saint Ignatius was, perhaps, the only thinker at that time who actively connected the language of positive science to his theological reasoning. The saint sought in this way to clothe the theological statement in a form that would be understandable and close to an educated person of his time.

Lesson of the Law of God in the parochial school at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Photo late XIX V.

For example, in a polemic with St. Theophan the Recluse about the nature of the soul, the saint insisted that it (the soul) is also material, albeit very subtle, inaccessible to our senses. Saint Ignatius wrote that the concept of "spirit" or "spiritual" in its entirety refers only to God. All that is created (be it nature, angels, human soul or body) is fundamentally material, and God, Who is uncreated, is Spirit by His nature. And to prove this thesis, he involved mathematics and chemistry, pointing out, for example, that there are substances in the world that are not perceived by the senses, although they are material, or that an infinite series of numbers will never become actual infinity.

It seems to me that the very experience of such an approach, even if it was not always theologically impeccable, may be of interest in our time, given the changes that have taken place in the language of philosophy and science over the past century.

Under the conditions of the synodal era (with its state regulations, standardization), was St. Ignatius subjected to criticism or attacks for one or another of his, perhaps not quite “generally accepted” theological positions?

Rather, it is not about the theological positions of St. Ignatius (although his position in the dispute about the nature of the soul was criticized quite sharply), but about the fact that he, on the whole, did not fit into the realities of his time. I have already said that he was a solitary man who, at the same time, spoke quite unambiguously about his position and the society of that time. So, for example, when Nicholas I personally appointed the saint as hegumen of the Trinity-Sergius Hermitage, so that he would make a “model monastery” out of it, the saint subsequently spoke sharply about the twenty years that he spent here. The monastery itself was located, one might say, in the "passage courtyard" - right on the highway between St. Petersburg and Peterhof, imagine for yourself what it was like for the monks to live in such a place.

Perov V. G. Sermon in the village. 1861

When Archimandrite Ignatius was ordained a bishop, he was appointed to the Caucasian see. And here he soon had a conflict with the archpriests from the local consistory (and in fact he was right), then he opposed the project of the missionary society, which was presented by the Caucasian governor, Prince Baryatinsky, who proposed to stand at its head. In the end, the saint retired. At this time, he was already in poor health. But at the same time, it is important to note that, judging by the letters, St. Ignatius overcame all these hardships with a deep prayerful life. In her he found his main consolation and joy. In this regard, his letter to the artist Karl Bryullov is remarkable - a man who seems to be far from monastic life, to whom he trusts his most intimate religious experiences.

Did Ignatius Brianchaninov have his own social, civic position? How did he see the future of the Russian Empire?

He did not expect much from social change, believing that there is no power without violence and no submission without suffering, and that it will always be so. From this point of view, he also assessed the abolition of serfdom, for which, by the way, he was even awarded an article in Herzen's "The Bell" under the biting title "In Christ, sapper Ignatius."

The Liberation of the Peasants (Reading the Manifesto)." B. Kustodiev. 1907

And regarding the future of Russia, St. Ignatius once spoke in correspondence with the military leader and diplomat Nikolai Muravyov-Karssky. In connection with the defeat of Russia in the Crimean War (1853-1856), the saint wrote that one should not lose heart because of this, since the future of the world belongs to Russia. And no wars, economic or social upheavals can interfere with what is destined, since this "worldwide future" is predicted in the Holy Scriptures. And then the saint gave a reference to the 38th and 39th chapters of the prophet Ezekiel, which refers to the people, which in the 20th chapter are presented as the people of the Antichrist (although this is not directly mentioned in the letter). Thus St. Ignatius cautiously hinted in his letter to Muravyov-Karsky that it was from Russia that the Antichrist would come. And here we again notice this broken line, inherent in the fate and worldview of the saint: in Russia itself, everything was dear to his heart, but he saw its future as tragic, one might say, fatal.

What, in your opinion, from the vast heritage of St. Ignatius Brianchaninov can be the closest to modern man?

It is known that, oddly enough, the novice especially love to read the bishop. Apparently, they are impressed by the categorical and sharpness of the saint's thought, when it seems that everything is clear and understandable: this is black, and this is white. But it is very important to understand that Ignatius Brianchaninov himself basically wrote not for the laity, but for the monks. We can say that its target audience is people who have already reached a certain spiritual maturity.

Saint Ignatius (Bryanchaninov). Ascetic experiences

A person who discovers his heritage should be aware that the very reading and understanding of the divine thought of a saint will require from him corresponding serious internal, not only intellectual, but also spiritual and moral efforts. Saint Ignatius, by the fact of his birth, was an aristocrat and, having become a monk, he remained one - in the best sense of the word, of course, as, for example, Saint Gregory the Theologian was a “spiritual aristocrat”. This must not be forgotten.

St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov), the mark of the icon. Icon painter Alexei Kozlov

For those who feel ready to “enter into communion” with such a text, I would advise you to start with two volumes of Ascetic Experiences. They consist of small reflections in which St. Ignatius gives important advice regarding spiritual life. At the same time, one should not read these books simply out of curiosity or for the sake of broadening one's horizons. The real benefit from the “Ascetic Experiences” of St. Ignatius can only be obtained when, in the process of reading, you understand that you have found answers to those questions that have been troubling you for a long time, when you feel the connection between the thought of the saint and your life.

Saint IGNATIUS (BRYANCHANINOV)
(1807-1867)

Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov - Bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church. Theologian, scientist and preacher. Glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church in the face of saints on Local Council ROC 1988.

Saint Ignatius (in Holy Baptism Demetrius) was born on February 5, 1807 in the village of Pokrovskoye, Gryazovets district, Vologda province, and belonged to the old noble family of the Bryanchaninovs. Its ancestor was the boyar Mikhail Brenko, the squire of the Grand Duke of Moscow Dimitry Ioannovich Donskoy. Chronicles report that Mikhail Brenco was the same warrior who heroically died in the battle with the Tatars on the Kulikovo field in the clothes of the Grand Duke and under the princely banner.

The saint spent his childhood in the family estate of the Bryanchaninovs - the village of Pokrovskoye, Gryazovetsky district, Vologda province (the estate, by the way, has survived to the present day and in 2000 was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Vologda diocese).

In total, the Bryanchaninov family had nine children. Dimitri was the eldest. Among the brothers, he stood out for his outstanding abilities in teaching: he completed his home education, including with an excellent knowledge of Latin and Greek. His parents had high hopes for him.

Even as a child, he felt an inclination towards prayerful labors and solitude. He often liked to stay under the shade ancient trees vast garden and there he plunged into deep thoughts.

When he was 15 years old, in 1822, at the insistence of his father, Dimitri entered the Military Engineering School (now the Military Engineering and Technical University in St. Petersburg), which he graduated in 1826. Dmitry studied excellently and until the very end of the school he remained the first student in his class. His abilities were the most versatile - not only in the sciences, but also in drawing and music.

A brilliant secular career opened before the young man. Origin, upbringing and family ties opened the doors of the most aristocratic houses of the capital for him. During the years of his studies, Dimitri Bryanchaninov was a welcome guest in many high-society houses; he was considered one of the best reciters in the house of the president of the Academy of Arts A. N. Olenin (here, at literary evenings, he met A. Pushkin, K. Batyushkov, N. Gnedich, I. Krylov). Already at this time, the extraordinary poetic talents of St. Ignatius were discovered, which later found their expression in his ascetic works and gave many of them a special lyrical flavor. The literary form of many of his works testifies that their author studied Russian literature in the era of Karamzin and Zhukovsky and subsequently expressed his thoughts in beautiful literary Russian.

Due to many external circumstances, the fate of St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) had to develop more as a secular career than a spiritual service. But even then, Saint Ignatius was sharply different from the surrounding world. There was no blind admiration for the West in him, he was not carried away by the corrupting influence of time and the lures of secular pleasures. Sensitive to any falsehood, Saint Ignatius noted with bitterness that the object of the image secular art is, first of all, evil. He sharply criticized literary works in which the so-called "superfluous people", "heroes" who do evil out of boredom, like Lermontov's Pechorin and Pushkin's Onegin, were sung. Considering that such literature causes serious harm to the inexperienced souls of young readers, the Saint wrote in 1847 for mass publication a sacred story about the Old Testament biblical hero - the righteous Joseph, the image of purity and chastity. In the preface to the story, he wrote: "We wish that many of the followers of Pechorin turned into followers of Joseph."

In search of "eternal property for the eternal man," he gradually came to a disappointing conclusion: the value of science is limited to the earthly needs of man and the limits of his life.

Dmitry takes up the study of ancient and new philosophy, trying to calm his spiritual yearning, but this time he does not find a solution to the main question about the Truth and the meaning of life. Studying Holy Scripture was the next step, and it convinced him that, left to the arbitrary interpretation of the individual, Scripture cannot be a sufficient criterion of true faith and deceives with false teachings. And then Dmitry turned to the study Orthodox faith according to the writings of the holy fathers, whose holiness, as well as the wonderful and majestic consent, became for him a guarantee of their fidelity.

During the years of his studies, Dmitry Bryanchaninov attends divine services at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra and there he finds true mentors who understand his spiritual needs. He meets the monks of the Valaam metochion and the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. The final revolution in life was made by acquaintance with hieromonk Leonid (the future Optina Elder Lev).

Despite belonging to the nobility, the saint had to go through a very special path - serving God in a monastic rank, overcoming all sorts of obstacles along the way. Even before the final exam, he submits a letter of resignation, wishing to become a monk.But the request was not granted, and Dimitri Alexandrovich went to serve in the Dinaburg fortress, where he fell seriously ill and on November 6, 1827 received the coveted resignation.

Immediately after his retirement, he begins his spiritual path as a novice in the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery under the guidance of Father Leonid. Around this time, the future saint wrote The Monk's Lament, about which his contemporary wrote: "It is unlikely that anyone would believe that this book was written by a young man almost underage."

Having been a novice in several monasteries (first in the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery, then in Optina Hermitage), in June 1831, at the age of 24, in the secluded Glushitsky Dionysius Monastery, he accepts monastic tonsure with the name Ignatius in honor of the Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-bearer. A few days later monk Ignatius was ordained hierodeacon , and three weeks later he took the dignity hieromonk(priest). At the very end of 1831, he was appointed rector of the Pel'shemsky Lopotov Monastery.

On May 28, 1833, Hieromonk Ignatius was elevated to the rank abbot and was sent to the Trinity-Sergius hermitage near St. Petersburg, to restore the monastery that had fallen into disrepair.And on January 1, 1834, in the Kazan Cathedral, hegumen Ignatius was elevated to the rank archimandrite . He remained in the position of rector of the desert until 1857, and during this time he managed to put it in order both spiritually and economically. A choir was formed here, advice to which was given by M. I. Glinka.

The circle of acquaintances of Father Ignatius was very extensive. Bishops, abbots of monasteries, monks and ordinary laity turned to him with their requests, knowing that the loving heart of Father Ignatius would respond to their needs. In Sergius Hermitage, visitors of all positions and ranks constantly came to Father Ignatius. Everyone needed to talk, everyone needed time. Quite often I had to travel to St. Petersburg and visit the homes of noble benefactors of his monastery. Despite such an outwardly seemingly scattered way of life, in his heart Archimandrite Ignatius remained an ascetic hermit. He knew how, under any external conditions of life, to maintain inner concentration, to unceasingly perform the Jesus Prayer. In one of his letters, Father Ignatius wrote about himself: “Having spent the beginning of my monasticism in the most secluded monasteries and imbued with the concepts of strict asceticism, I maintained this direction in the Sergius Hermitage, so that in my living room I was a representative archimandrite, and in my office a wanderer.”

There, in a secluded room, Father Ignatius spent sleepless nights in prayer and tears of repentance. But, as a true servant of God, guided by the spirit of humility, he knew how to hide his exploits from the eyes of people.

In Sergius Hermitage, despite being extremely busy, he also wrote most of his works.

The name of Archimandrite Ignatius was known in all strata of society. Father Ignatius corresponded with quite a few spiritual and secular persons. So, N.V. Gogol, in one of his letters, speaks with great respect of Father Ignatius. The famous Admiral Nakhimov, a hero of the Crimean War, reverently accepted the icon of St. Mitrofan of Voronezh sent to him in Sevastopol by Archimandrite Ignatius. His letter to the great Russian artist K. P. Bryullov is remarkable.

October 27, 1857 in the Kazan Cathedral was placed in Bishop of the Caucasus and Black Sea . Although he ruled his diocese for only four years, he managed to do a lot for the development of church life in this region.

A serious illness forced Bishop Ignatius in the summer of 1861 to submit a petition for retirement to the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery, where, after satisfying the petition, he left on October 13 along with several devoted students.

On April 16, 1867, on Easter Day, he celebrated his last liturgy. He no longer left the cell, his strength noticeably weakened. And on April 30, 1867, on Sunday, the feast of the Myrrh-bearing Women, he died.

The relics of the saint rest in the Vvedensky Tolga Monastery of the Yaroslavl diocese.

For modern man Those who wish to pursue their spiritual life seriously, the works of St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) are an indispensable guide. They concentrate the previous experience of patristic ascetic thought, and St. Ignatius embodied this experience in own life. His writings clearly reveal the essence of right spiritual path, and also explains those subtleties of spiritual work that can be misinterpreted when reading ancient ascetic treatises. An example of the exaction of communion with God is the very life of St. Ignatius. Despite the fact that our time differs significantly from the era in which the saint lived, his life path contains a lot of instructive for our contemporaries.

The author himself divided his works into three groups: the first 3 volumes - "Ascetic experiences" , including articles mostly written in the Sergius Hermitage; 4th volume - "Ascetic Sermon" , which includes sermons delivered in the Caucasus; Volume 5 - "An Offering to Modern Monasticism" , that is, advice and instructions to monastics about external behavior and internal deeds, 6th volume - "Fatherman"- was published after the death of Bishop Ignatius. This book contains the statements of more than 80 ascetics on the issues of Christian asceticism and examples from their lives.

The writings of Bishop Ignatius are not the fruit of a theoretical theologian, but the living experience of an active ascetic who built his spiritual life on the basis of Holy Scripture and the moral tradition of the Orthodox Church. In them, St. Ignatius expounds the teaching of the holy fathers on Christian life, "applied to the requirements of modernity." This is an important feature and dignity of his creations.

Even during the life of Bishop Ignatius, his creations were distributed to many monasteries of the Russian land and were highly appreciated. The Sarov Pustyn accepted the "Ascetic Experiences" with special love. IN Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, Optina Hermitage, in the monasteries of St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kazan and other dioceses of creation, the saints were recognized as soul-saving books, reflecting the ascetic tradition of Orthodox asceticism, in relation to the spiritual requirements of monasticism of that time. Even on distant Mount Athos, the creations of Bishop Ignatius gained fame and aroused reverent veneration for their author.

In our days, discussions have repeatedly arisen in which St. Ignatius and his followers are contrasted with the Optina Elders. Of course, the difference in traditions is obvious, but the path of St. Ignatius was as different as the path of St. Theophan the Recluse or St. John of Kronstadt was different. The Lord led those and others, albeit in different ways, but to the same goal. With a difference in spiritual ministries, they became spokesmen for a single ascetic tradition of the Orthodox Church. And most importantly, each holy father of the Church fulfills the spiritual calling that God has given him. While there is much in common between St. Ignatius and the elders of Optina Hermitage, the difference, in our opinion, was as follows. The elders of Optina offered a more active piety, while St. Ignatius offered a secret mental activity with all the subtle features of the inner life. The elders of Optina constantly received the people, instructing them in high morality, and the saint all his life sought silence in the image of the ancient ascetics and taught how to acquire peace of heart and inner silence. Therefore, the main writings of the Elders of Optina are letters with edification to those who questioned on a variety of topics, and the works of St. Ignatius are a generalization of the ascetic experience of the previous holy fathers regarding a person’s inner service to God, verified by the saint on his own experience.

Troparion to St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, Bishop of the Caucasus and the Black Sea, Tone 8
Advocate of Orthodoxy, / a fair worker and teacher of repentance and prayer, / Bishops Inspired adornment, / monastic glory and praise: / in your writings you have made us all chaste. / Spiritual tsevnice, Ignatius God-wise, / pray for the Word of Christ God, You carried it in your heart, // grant us repentance before the end.

Kontakion to St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, Bishop of the Caucasus and the Black Sea, Tone 8
Even if you made the path of earthly life, Saint Ignatius, / both you unceasingly matured the laws of eternal life, / teaching the disciples many words to this, / then follow us, holy, pray.

Prayer to St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov)
O great and wonderful saint of Christ, Father Ignatius! Graciously accept our prayers, brought to you with love and thanksgiving! Hear us orphans and the helpless, falling to you with faith and love and your warm intercession for us before the Throne of the Lord of Glory asking. Vema, as the prayer of the righteous can do a lot, propitiating the Lord. From the years of infancy, you have passionately loved the Lord, and desiring to serve Him alone, all the red of this world has imputed you to nothing. You denied yourself and take up your cross, you followed Christ. You have chosen the path of a narrow and regrettable life of a monastic will, and on this path you have acquired great virtues. You filled with the writings of your hearts people of the deepest reverence and humility before the Almighty Creator, while the sinners who fell wise with your words in the consciousness of their insignificance and their sinfulness, in repentance and humility, resort to God, instructed you, encouraging them with hope in His mercy. You did not reject those who came to you, but you were a loving father to all and a good shepherd. And now do not leave us, fervently praying to you and asking for your help and intercession. Ask us from our philanthropic Lord our spiritual and bodily health, affirm our faith, strengthen our strength, exhausted in the temptations and sorrows of this age, warm our chilled hearts with the fire of prayer, help us, cleansed by repentance, receive the Christian death of this belly and adorn the palace of the Savior get in with all the elect and there together with you bow down to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. A min.

Saint Ignatius (in the world Dimitry Alexandrovich Brianchaninov) was born on February 5, 1807 in the village of Pokrovsky, Gryazovetsky district, Vologda province. The saint's father, Alexander Semyonovich, belonged to the old noble family of the Bryanchaninovs. Its ancestor was the boyar Mikhail Brenko, an armor-bearer of the Grand Duke of Moscow Dimitry Ioannovich Donskoy. Chronicles report that Mikhail Brenco was the same warrior who heroically died in the battle with the Tatars on the Kulikovo field in the clothes of the Grand Duke and under the princely banner. Alexander Semenovich Bryanchaninov kept good old customs in his family. He was a faithful son of the Orthodox Church and a zealous parishioner of the church he built in the village of Intercession.

The mother of Bishop Ignatius was an educated, intelligent woman. Having married very early, she devoted her whole life to her family. Sofia Afanasyevna loved her eldest son Dimitri most of all, distinguishing in him intelligence and beauty.

Dimitri learned to read early. His favorite book was The School of Goodness. This book, which spoke in simple and clear language about the life and deeds of the ancient ascetics, had a great influence on the impressionable soul of the future ascetic. Young Dimitri Bryanchaninov very early loved solitary concentrated prayer. In her he found comfort and consolation.

A very capable and serious young man beyond his years, he received an excellent home education.

When Dimitri was 15 years old, his father took him to St. Petersburg to continue his education. On the way to the capital, Demetrius for the first time openly expressed his desire to become a monk, but his father did not pay attention to this.

In St. Petersburg, young Bryanchaninov brilliantly passed the entrance exams to the Military Engineering School and, with a significant competition, was the first to be enrolled immediately in the 2nd grade.

During all the years of his studies, Dimitri Bryanchaninov was the first student, he was distinguished by rare modesty, sincere piety, and enjoyed the universal love of fellow students and teachers. But the future saint had to endure many sorrows in the school.

A bright star that shone in this darkness alien to him was friendship with Mikhail Chikhachev, who studied at the same Engineering School and, like his young friend, from childhood dreamed of prayer and exploits. Their friendship then continued throughout their lives and is an excellent example of true Christian friendship, because its basis was not some earthly interests, but a common desire to serve Christ the Savior and mutual support on the path of this service. They went to the temple of God together, prayed together.

During the years of his studies, Dimitri Alexandrovich was a welcome guest in many high-society houses. Family ties brought him to the house of the President of the Academy of Arts and a member of the State Council, Alexei Nikolaevich Olenin.
In his house at literary evenings, Bryanchaninov was a favorite reader and reciter, and with his literary and poetic talents he gained the favorable attention of A. S. Pushkin, I. A. Krylov, K. N. Batyushkov and
N. I. Gnedich.

Secular society temptingly extended its arms towards Brianchaninov, but could not catch him. The inquisitive young man was occupied not with worldly entertainment, but with prayer, visiting the temple of God and studying the sciences. He spent more than two years diligently studying the sciences, and when a vast field of human empirical knowledge opened up before the world of his mind, when he studied chemistry, physics, philosophy, geography, geodesy, linguistics, literature and other sciences, he set before The question is: what, in fact, do sciences give to man? “Man is eternal and his property must be eternal. Show me this eternal property, he says, that I could take with me beyond the tomb. But "the sciences were silent."

At this time, the seeker of truth met the monks of the Valaam metochion and the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. It was they who helped to find what his soul aspired to.

Under the guidance of the monks, Dimitri Alexandrovich began to read the works of the holy fathers. Here is how he himself writes about the beneficial influence that the patristic writings had on him: “What struck me first of all in the writings of the Fathers of the Orthodox Church? “This is their agreement, a wonderful, majestic agreement.”

Reading the works of the holy fathers, edifying conversations with the monks of the Lavra, through which he became acquainted with the later famous Optina Elder Leonid - all this revived and finally strengthened in the heart of Demetrius the desire of his childhood years - to go to the monastery.

It was not easy for Brianchaninov to fulfill this cherished desire of his.

After graduating from the Engineering School in 1826 with the rank of lieutenant, Dimitri Aleksandrovich, wishing to enter the monastery, immediately, in the same year, submitted his resignation. But here he had to enter into single combat with many "powers of this world" and "show an example of unshakable courage, martyr's prowess, direct confession." His parents categorically refused to bless him on the path of monastic life. The authorities refused to resign him. Emperor Nicholas I himself was against his dismissal.

Despite convincing requests, personal explanations, firmness of desire and rare tact, Dimitri Brianchaninov did not receive a resignation, and, according to the appointment of his superiors, he had to leave for the Dinaburg fortress in 24 hours.

But when the ascetic's own strengths are powerless in the struggle of life, God Himself comes to his aid and by His wise Providence arranges everything for the good.

In Dinaburg, Bryanchaninov soon fell ill, and in the autumn of 1827 his petition for release from secular service was accepted. Dimitri Alexandrovich immediately perked up; he went to the Alexander-Svirsky monastery of the Olonets province to the elder hieromonk Leonid and joined the number of novices of this monastery. However, soon hieromonk Leonid was forced to move to the Plo-schanskaya hermitage of the Oryol province, and then to Optina hermitage. He was followed by Dimitri Brianchaninov. The novice Dimitry did not stay long in the Optina Hermitage either. The meager food of this subsequently glorified monastery was reflected in his health.

At this time, Dimitri's mother, Sofia Afanasyevna, fell seriously ill. Preparing for death and wanting to say goodbye to her eldest son, she insisted that his father send a covered wagon for him to Optina Hermitage. Being himself in a very serious condition in Optina, Dimitri Brianchaninov visits his sick mother.

The novice Demetrius did not stay long in his parents' house. Soon he retired to the Kirillo-Novoezersky Monastery. Archimandrite Feofan, known for his holy life, lived in this monastery in retirement. The strict charter of the monastery was to the liking of the novice Demetrius, but the harsh, damp climate of the area adversely affected his health. He fell ill with a fever and for treatment was forced to return to Vologda and stay with his relatives. Having somewhat strengthened, with the blessing of the Vologda bishop, he lived in the Se-migorodskaya hermitage, and then in the more secluded Dionysius-Glushitsky monastery.

The years spent in these monasteries enriched him with spiritual wisdom and strengthened his devotion to the will of God.

In 1831, Bishop Stefan of Vologda, seeing the fiery zeal of the novice Demetrius, decided to fulfill the desire of his heart: on June 28, he tonsured Demetrius as a monk in the Resurrection Cathedral and named him Ignatius, in honor of the Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-bearer. To the one who from his youth carried God in his heart, it was most fitting to give this name.

On July 4 of the same year, monk Ignatius was ordained a hierodeacon by Bishop Stephen, and on July 25 a hieromonk.

Seeing the spiritual maturity of Hieromonk Ignatius, Bishop Stefan soon appointed him rector and builder of the Pel'shem Lopotov Monastery, which was already destined for closure. For a relatively short time (about two years), Father Ignatius was the rector here, but in this short period, thanks to his wisdom, strong will and invincible energy, he revived the monastery spiritually and economically. In a short time, the number of brethren increased to 30 people.

The young rector treated the brethren of his monastery, combining paternal severity with touching love. Feeling this love, the inhabitants of the monastery obediently obeyed the rector, despite his relatively young age.

On January 28, 1833, Hieromonk Ignatius was elevated to the rank of hegumen for his diligent efforts to revive the monastery.

At this time, his activities became known in St. Petersburg. At the end of 1833, he was summoned to the capital and he was entrusted with the management of the Trinity-Sergius Hermitage, with the elevation to the rank of archimandrite.

The Trinity-Sergius Hermitage was located on the shores of the Gulf of Finland near St. Petersburg. By the time Archimandrite Ignatius was appointed to it, it had fallen into severe desolation. The temple and the cells came into extreme disrepair. A few brethren (15 people) did not differ in strict behavior. The 27-year-old archimandrite had to rebuild everything anew: churches, buildings, Agriculture; he streamlined the service in the monastery, gathered a wonderful choir.

From 1836 to 1841 the famous church composer, Archpriest Pyotr Ivanovich Turchaninov, lived near the Sergius Hermitage - in Strelna. Deeply respecting Father Ignatius, he responded to his request and took upon himself the work of teaching the monastery choir. Father Pyotr Turchaninov wrote some of his best musical works especially for this choir.

The great Russian composer M. I. Glinka was also a deep admirer of Archimandrite Ignatius; at his request, he studied ancient Russian music and, with his advice, contributed to the improvement of the musical culture of the monastery choir.

The director of the court chapel A.F. Lvov also took an active part in the organization of the choir of the Sergius Hermitage.

Archimandrite Ignatius combined almost incompatible positions: for the brethren of the monastery he was an excellent rector, administrator, and at the same time a benevolent spiritual father. At the age of 27, he already had the gift of receiving the thoughts of his flock and leading their spiritual life. By his own admission, Father Ignatius, serving with the living word was his main occupation, to which he devoted all his strength. The feat of serving his neighbor with a word of edification was for him a source of joy and consolation in the field of his many-sorrowful life. In Sergius Hermitage, despite being extremely busy, he also wrote most of his works.

Since 1838, the circle of activities of Archimandrite Ignatius expanded significantly: he was appointed dean of all the monasteries of the St. Petersburg diocese and could now more widely spread his beneficial influence on the monasticism of the entire diocese. He contributed to the flourishing of the spiritual life of the ancient Valaam monastery, facilitating the appointment of Abbot Damaskin, experienced in the spiritual life, as rector there.

In Sergius Hermitage, visitors of all positions and ranks constantly came to Father Ignatius. Everyone needed to talk, everyone needed time. Quite often I had to travel to St. Petersburg and visit the homes of noble benefactors of his monastery. Despite such an outwardly seemingly scattered way of life, in his heart Archimandrite Ignatius remained an ascetic hermit. He knew how, under any external conditions of life, to maintain inner concentration, to unceasingly perform the Jesus Prayer.
In one of his letters, Father Ignatius wrote about himself: “Having spent the beginning of my monasticism in the most secluded monasteries and imbued with the concepts of strict asceticism, I maintained this direction in Sergius Hermitage, so that in my living room I was a representative archimandrite, and in my office wanderer."

In 1847, Archimandrite Ignatius, exhausted by illness, applied for retirement, but instead received a long vacation and went to be treated at the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery of the Kostroma diocese. On a way
in this monastery he stopped in Moscow and spent several days in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

Father Ignatius stayed in the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery for 11 months, after which he again returned to the Sergius Hermitage. Difficult days began again: the leadership of the spiritual life of the monastic brethren, the reception of visitors, trips to St. Petersburg, the construction of new churches.

According to the memoirs of Archimandrite Ignatius (Malyshev), his spiritual father- Archimandrite Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) had a very different attitude towards visitors, it depended on the mood with which they came to Father Ignatius. His soul had a special ability to see the state of mind of other people. This special property is possessed by almost all blessed people, people of the spirit, and not of the flesh. Archimandrite Ignatius at one glance comprehended the human soul. With the petrified, he was silent. With the evil ones, he sometimes played the fool. But with those who sought salvation, he was frank and talked for a long time, pouring into the soul of the interlocutor the salutary balm of the word of God, patristic instructions and life-tested advice.

In total, more than 800 letters of Bishop Ignatius are currently known.
In the letters, the qualities of the soul of Archimandrite Ignatius are somehow more vividly revealed: his extraordinary goodness, spiritual prudence, a deep and correct understanding of contemporary life.

Years passed. The bodily strength of Father Ignatius was weakening more and more. The thought of retiring in order to spend the end of life in solitary silence appeared more and more often.

In 1856, he undertook a journey to Optina Hermitage, intending to completely move there, but this intention was not realized, for the Lord was pleased that His chosen one would also serve the Holy Church in the episcopal rank.

In 1857, at the suggestion of Metropolitan Gregory of St. Petersburg, Archimandrite Ignatius was consecrated Bishop of the Caucasus and the Black Sea. The consecration took place on October 27, 1857 in the St. Petersburg Kazan Cathedral. The consecration was performed by Metropolitan Gregory with a host of other hierarchs.

Father Ignatius never aspired to the episcopal rank. Not about the episcopal baton, but about the simple staff of the desert-dweller were his incessant dreams. In his speech at the naming, he said: “In the days of my youth I strove into deep deserts, but I did not at all think about serving the Church in any order of the priesthood. To be the bishop of my heart and to sacrifice to Christ the thoughts and feelings sanctified by the Spirit—this is the height to which my eyes were drawn.”

On January 4, 1858, Bishop Ignatius arrived in the city of Stavropol and took over the administration of the diocese.

The recently opened Caucasian diocese was very unsettled. The population was distinguished by a restless warlike character; therefore the first word of St. Ignatius, addressed to the Stavropol flock, was the word of peace. "Peace to this city! .."

For a short time - less than four years - Bishop Ignatius ruled the Caucasian diocese. During this time, he visited many parishes of his vast diocese, put the organs of diocesan administration in order, achieved an increase in the salaries of the clergy of the diocese, introduced a solemn service, arranged an excellent hierarchal choir, built a hierarchal house, transferred the seminary to new and better buildings, and closely monitored for her inner life. In addition, he preached tirelessly. In relation to the clergy and parishioners, Vladyka Ignatius was a true peacemaker: strict with himself, he was indulgent towards the infirmities of his neighbors.

But a serious illness did not leave Bishop Ignatius in the Caucasus, and in the summer of 1861 he filed a petition to dismiss him for retirement in the already known to him Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery. A few months later, the request was granted, and on October 13 of the same year, he, along with several devoted students, moved to the named monastery.

Some time later, he wrote to his friend Mikhail Chikhachev: “Never in my life have I been so pleased with my position as I am now. It seems that my Guardian Angel, at the command of God, dictated to the Holy Synod a decree about me - so this decree satisfies the requirements of my mental mood and bodily health.

The difficult task of managing the diocese was accomplished with dignity by Bishop Ignatius. And now he was going to rest in order to prepare his soul in solitude for the transition to eternity and for feasible occupations for the benefit of others.

Bishop Ignatius arrived at the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery on October 13, 1861. And so the years of solitary life in a little-known monastery flowed.

By the time of the arrival of Vladyka Ignatius, the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery had fallen into an extremely deplorable state. There was not even food, and the monastery had large debts. Many buildings, in particular, the cathedral church, fell into disrepair.

The natural mind and practicality of the lord allowed him to improve in a short time financial situation cloisters and overhaul buildings and build new temple in honor of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God.

IN free time the saint was engaged in revising his previous writings and writing new ones. In the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery, St. Ignatius wrote "The Offering to Modern Monasticism" and "The Fatherland". Many of his edifying letters date from this period.

The author himself divided his works into three groups: the first 3 volumes - "Ascetic Experiences", including articles, mainly written in the Sergius Hermitage; 4th volume - "Ascetic Sermon", which includes sermons delivered in the Caucasus; The 5th volume - "The offering to modern monasticism", that is, advice and instructions to monastics about external behavior and internal deeds, the 6th volume - "The Fatherland" - was published after the death of Bishop Ignatius. This book contains the statements of more than 80 ascetics on the issues of Christian asceticism and examples from their lives.

First of all, it must be said about the creations of St. Ignatius that they all bear the seal of blessed anointing. He wrote his works when the Divine verb touched his sensitive ear, when the word sent by the Lord appeared in his heart.

“There were moments in my life,” he wrote to S. D. Nechaev, “either during heavy sorrows, or after a long silence, minutes in which the “word” appeared in my heart. This word was not mine. It comforted me, instructed me, filled me with imperishable life and joy, and then departed. I happened to write down the thoughts that shone so brightly in those blissful moments. I read later, I read not my own, I read words that descended from some higher environment and remain an instruction. For this reason, Saint Ignatius did not regard his works as his own, but recognized them as "the property of all contemporary ascetics of the Orthodox Church."

The writings of St. Ignatius expound the teaching of the holy fathers on Christian life, "applied to the requirements of modernity." This is an important feature and dignity of his creations.

The theological heritage of St. Ignatius was accepted by the readers with great love and gratitude.

Even during the life of Bishop Ignatius, his creations were distributed to many monasteries of the Russian land and were highly appreciated.

The Sarov Pustyn accepted the "Ascetic Experiences" with special love. In the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, Optina Hermitage, in the monasteries of St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kazan and other dioceses of creation, the saints were recognized as soul-saving books, reflecting the ascetic tradition of Orthodox asceticism, in relation to the spiritual requirements of monasticism of that time. Even on distant Mount Athos, the creations of Bishop Ignatius gained fame and aroused reverent veneration for their author. The best hierarchs of the last century immediately saw in the writings of Bishop Ignatius a comprehensive guide to spiritual life. On April 7, 1867, Metropolitan Isidore of St. Petersburg wrote to Bishop Ignatius: “Having received today 3-4 volumes of Your Eminence’s work, I hasten to express my sincere gratitude to you for your useful labors, which testify to your deep study of the soul-saving teaching of God-wise ascetics of piety and true leaders in monastic life."

In the first year of his stay in the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery, the health of Bishop Ignatius improved somewhat. But soon the disease intensified again, and until his death he stayed here without a break.

The year 1866 came, the 3rd and 4th volumes of his works were being printed. Bishop Ignatius himself became so weak that all those who came to see him were amazed at seeing him. But the master was cheerful in spirit, he was waiting for death, for he devoted his whole life to the service of Christ, and life for him was Christ, and death was gain (Phil. 1, 21).

In the last days of his life, he was imbued with an extraordinary kindness to all, which, it seemed, was dissolved by some kind of pity. But at the same time, unspeakable joy shone on the face of the patient.

On April 16, 1867, the first day of Pascha, Vladyka celebrated the last Liturgy with great difficulty. He no longer left the cell, his strength noticeably weakened.

On the sixth day after his death, the body of Bishop Ignatius was buried by His Grace Joanathan, Bishop of Kineshma, according to the Paschal rite.

5,000 people attended the burial of St. Ignatius.

Everyone was surprised at the softness of the hands and, in general, at the calm position of the body of the deceased, which did not at all emit the usual smell of decay. The funeral of the deceased was more like some kind of celebration than a burial. Involuntarily, the words of the deceased were recalled: “You can know that the deceased is under the grace of God, if, during the burial of his body, the sadness of those around him is dissolved by some incomprehensible joy.”

The coffin with the body of the saint was surrounded around the cathedral and, while singing "Christ is Risen", was lowered into the ground in a small hospital church in honor of St. Sergius Rado-Nezhsky and St. John Chrysostom, at the left kliros.

It is noteworthy that Bishop Ignatius, who devoted almost twenty-five years to the service of the northern monastery of St. Sergius, also found eternal rest in the church of St. Sergius, only in the south.

In the autobiographical notes of M. V. Chikhachev, the posthumous appearances of St. Ignatius by his flock are noted.

So, on the twelfth day after the death of the saint, one of his spiritual daughters, who was in great sorrow because of his sudden death, saw him in an indescribable light in the church. That same night, she heard the wondrous singing of a thousand voices. Thick basses hummed measuredly from a distance, as the ringing of all Moscow bells hums on Easter night, and this hum smoothly merged with soft velvet tenors, with altos crumbling silver, and the whole choir seemed to be a single voice - there was so much harmony in it. And more and more clearly the words stood out: “Defender of Orthodoxy, repentance and prayer to the doer and teacher, a fair amount, bishops inspired decoration, monastic glory and praise; Thou hast made all of us chaste in your writings. Spiritual Tsevnitsa, new Chrysostom: pray for the Word of Christ God, which you carried in your heart, grant us repentance before the end!

The singing of this troparion was repeated for three nights.

The service of Bishop Ignatius with the word of edification did not stop with his death. The teaching of the saint about the spiritual life of a Christian, set forth by him in his works, serves the salvation of Christians of all subsequent generations. Numerous editions of the works of Vladyka Ignatius quickly dispersed throughout the monasteries and individuals, across the face of the entire Russian land.

In the year of the death of Bishop Ignatius, Archbishop Leonid of Yaroslavl wrote: “I hope that the Orthodox Russian people will gradually assimilate the late saint; in his life and writings they will try to find, and will find, what can be common to the salvation of the soul.

Interest in the personality and immortal creations of Bishop Ignatius does not fade even today. In the Orthodox East, Bishop Ignatius is considered an outstanding ascetic and Orthodox spiritual writer.

“All that Bishop Ignatius teaches on matters relating to Christian life, is in full accordance with the Ecumenical Tradition of Orthodoxy, is based on this tradition expressed in the works of the Holy Fathers.

And at present, Bishop Ignatius is the best spiritual leader, the best example of how a person can remain faithful to Christ in the whirlpool of life, constantly kindling in his heart the fire of love and devotion to God.

Bishop Ignatius was canonized for the holiness of life, which is revealed in his works, written in the spirit of the authentic Orthodox patristic tradition. They continue and now effectively exert their beneficial influence on all who seek the path of Christian salvation.

Ignatius (Bryanchaninov), bishop of the Caucasus and the Black Sea, saint (1807–1867)

Biography

Childhood, youth, youth

Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov was born in the village of Pokrovsky, Vologda Province, on February 5, 1807. He came from an old noble family of the Bryanchaninovs, descended from Mikhail Brenko, a boyar, comrade-in-arms and squire of the Grand Duke Dimitry Donskoy. In baptism, the future Saint Ignatius was given the name Demetrius.

Dimitri's father, Alexander Semyonovich, a believer, was once close to the court, but over time, by the time the future Saint Ignatius was born, he became a poor landowner. Dimitri's mother, Sofya Afanasievna, was an educated woman with a good disposition. She got married quite early and since then she has tried to devote her strength to caring for her family.

From childhood, Dimitri was brought up in pious traditions, received a good education appropriate for his age. With his talents, he stood out among his other brothers and sisters. Among other things, Dimitri showed the ability to study languages, draw, sing, play the violin. Probably he could build good career, but he was attracted by something else: already from his youth, a desire arose in him to connect his life with a monastic feat. Dimitri prayed a lot, often visited the temple. However, when he told his father about his desire, he did not express sympathy, and did not take this desire seriously.

When Dimitri was fifteen years old, his father took him to St. Petersburg to enroll in the Main Engineering School. Being a patriot, a hero of the war of 1812, Alexander Semenovich wanted to see his son as a military engineer. And the son did not argue with his father. Dimitri so successfully passed the entrance exams that he was ahead of all other contestants. He was immediately assigned to the second grade. It was 1822.

He studied diligently and throughout his studies more than once admired his comrades and teachers with his preparation. Dimitri's successes made him known even to Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich, Inspector General of the Engineering Troops. In December 1824, Dimitri was promoted to the rank of ensign engineer.

During the years of study, he was well received in aristocratic houses. His origin, family ties, good education and good breeding affected him. In addition, he was an excellent speaker. For example, he met I. A. Krylov, V. A. Zhukovsky, A. Pushkin, K. N. Batyushkov, M. I. Glinka. Despite the opportunities for a good career that lay before Dimitri, he himself was not attracted by such a prospect.

During this period, Dimitri was persistently looking for answers to pressing questions about life. But neither physics nor philosophy could give such answers. He began to turn to the works of the holy fathers of the Church, became close to the monks of the Valaam metochion, the monks of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. His heart aspired to a place where both external glory and material well-being are revered as nothing. In the Lavra, he met Elder Leonid and, with his support, solidified his idea of leaving for a monastery. The father, having learned about the changes taking place with the consciousness of his son, became indignant, turned to the leadership of the school, and Dimitri was placed under supervision.

After graduating, in 1826, from an engineering school, he, to the amazement of many, submitted his resignation. This request was rejected.

In the spring, Dimitri fell ill with tuberculosis. The emperor sent doctors to him, who issued a disappointing verdict: in such a state of health, monasticism is contraindicated for him. Meanwhile, Dimitri nevertheless recovered. Instead of resigning, he was offered the possibility of being transferred to any of the guards regiments located in the southern parts of Russia, which were distinguished by favorable climatic conditions, but he firmly stood his ground. As a result, Dimitri was sent to the engineering unit of the Dinaburg fortress on the banks of the western Dvina.

On the way to monasticism. The Beginning of the Monastic Path

In November 1827, against the wishes of his parents, he retired for health reasons, and soon entered the Alexander Svir monastery. Here he studied spiritual wisdom, performed various obediences: he worked in a bakery, fishing, worked as a driver. His spiritual leader during this period was Elder Leo.

In 1828, Dimitri followed him to the Ploschanskaya hermitage. After some time, he moved to Optina Pustyn. The features of such a new life, including moving, affected the weakening of health, and at the end of 1829, for some time, Dimitri came to visit his parents. They tried in vain to dissuade him from his choice.

In 1830, Dimitri, with the help of Stefan, Bishop of Vologda and Ustyug, entered the Semigorodnaya Hermitage. In 1831 he moved to the Glushitsky Sosnovetsky Monastery.

In June of the same year in the Vologda cathedral Demetrius, at the age of 24, was tonsured a monk with the name Ignatius, which he received in honor of Saint Ignatius the God-bearer. On July 5, he was ordained a deacon, and already on July 20 he was elevated to the priesthood and appointed to serve at the bishop's house. Then he was sent to improve the then desolated Grigoriev Pel'shemsky Lopotov Monastery. In January 1833 he was elevated to the rank of hegumen.

Around this time, the parents, resigned to the will of their son, restored good, trusting relations with him.

In view of the hard work and the unfavorable climate, the health of Father Ignatius deteriorated again. With friendly support, they managed to secure a new place for him, and he was offered the post of abbot of the Ugresh Monastery.

But the highest political power intervened: Emperor Nicholas I recommended him to head the St. Petersburg Trinity-Sergius hermitage, and at the end of 1833 he was appointed its rector, and at the beginning of 1834 he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite. Here he remained until 1857. During his leadership, the desert was transformed, filled with inhabitants, gained a good reputation. The knowledge gained in the world, and the respect that worldly people had for Father Ignatius, also had an effect: many donated significant sums to him.

Since 1838, Archimandrite Ignatius was appointed to the post of dean of the monasteries of the St. Petersburg diocese.

Archpastoral Ministry

In October 1857, Father Ignatius was consecrated as a bishop, and in January 1858 he arrived in Stavropol to take control of the Caucasian and Black Sea diocese. When he arrived in the Caucasus, the diocese was in terrible desolation. Here St. Ignatius encountered numerous difficulties, ranging from lack of funding to the hostility of schismatics, of whom there were many at that time.

During his leadership in the diocese, the proper order of worship was established, enlightenment was improved. Many famous people helped the bishop in his work, but there were also those who treated him unfriendly. In 1861, he submitted a petition for retirement. In August 1861 he was dismissed with a pension.

In October of the same year, the saint settled in the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery. Here, in addition to contributing to the economic and liturgical activities of the monastery, he indulged in solitude, worked on his compositions, received visitors who needed his archpastoral care.

On April 16, 1867, the saint made the last Divine Liturgy. On April 30, 1867, he quietly departed to God. After his death, a few kopecks were found in the pocket of his cassock. That's all material wealth.

creative heritage

Saint Ignatius left for the edification of the faithful many works of various kinds. His published writings include sermons and serious treatises. In addition, many of his messages to private individuals have come down to us (see:). He also wrote about ascetic life (see: ; ), and about various issues of Orthodox Dogmatics (see: ; ; ), and against heresies and schisms, and on other topical topics.

Troparion to St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov), Bishop of the Caucasus and the Black Sea, tone 8

Advocate of Orthodoxy, / a fair worker and teacher of repentance and prayer, / Bishops Inspired adornment, / monastic glory and praise: / in your writings you have made us all chaste. / Spiritual tsevnice, Ignatius God-wise, / pray for the Word of Christ God, You carried it in your heart, // grant us repentance before the end.

Another troparion, tone 8

The chosen one, beloved of Christ, appeared to you, / To him with many sorrows and unceasing prayer, clinging, / having acquired the grace of the Holy Spirit, / you were a teacher of many people. / Remember us, Saint Ignatius, God-bearer of Russia, / let us gain saving repentance with your teachings and prayers / and let us assimilate Christ with heartfelt love.

Kontakion to St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, Bishop of the Caucasus and the Black Sea, Tone 8

Even if you made the path of earthly life, Saint Ignatius, / both you unceasingly matured the laws of eternal life, / teaching the disciples many words to this, / then follow us, holy, pray.

Prayer

O great and wonderful saint of Christ, Father Ignatius! Graciously accept our prayers, brought to you with love and thanksgiving! Hear us orphans and the helpless, falling to you with faith and love and your warm intercession for us before the Throne of the Lord of Glory asking. Vema, as the prayer of the righteous can do a lot, propitiating the Lord. From the years of infancy, you have passionately loved the Lord, and desiring to serve Him alone, all the red of this world has imputed you to nothing. You denied yourself and take up your cross, you followed Christ. You have chosen the path of a narrow and regrettable life of a monastic will, and on this path you have acquired great virtues. You filled with the writings of your hearts people of the deepest reverence and humility before the Almighty Creator, while the sinners who fell wise with your words in the consciousness of their insignificance and their sinfulness, in repentance and humility, resort to God, instructed you, encouraging them with hope in His mercy. You did not reject those who came to you, but you were a loving father to all and a good shepherd. And now do not leave us, fervently praying to you and asking for your help and intercession. Ask us from our philanthropic Lord our spiritual and bodily health, affirm our faith, strengthen our strength, exhausted in the temptations and sorrows of this age, warm our chilled hearts with the fire of prayer, help us, cleansed by repentance, receive the Christian death of this belly and adorn the palace of the Savior get in with all the elect and there together with you bow down to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

By 2018, 30 years had passed since the archimandrite of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Grace Ignatius Brianchaninov, canonized, thanks to the exploits of his strict monastic life and ascetic lifestyle.

Life of a saint

Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov is a nineteenth-century saint, called the beauty of monasticism. His biography was compiled thanks to the memoirs and letters of relatives and students, until the end of the life of the ascetic they remained faithful to the saint, living with him in solitude, which was bestowed by the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery.

Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov

A lot of material was presented by Schemamonk of Sergius Hermitage Mikhail Chikhachev, with whom Bryanchaninov began the path of monasticism, together they went through a difficult road to gaining episcopacy through selflessness for the sake of knowing and confessing God's commandments.

Childhood and family

On February 5, 1807, a son, baptized Dmitry, was born in the family of the nobles Bryanchaninov. The place of his birth was the village of Pokrovsky, Gryazovetsky district, Vologda province.

The chronicle of a noble family began from the time of the famous Prince of Moscow Dmitry Donskoy, whose squire was Mikhail Brenko, the ancestor of the noble family of the Bryanchaninovs. According to the annals of those years, it is to this squire that the feat of death is attributed, which saved Prince Donskoy himself during the Battle of Kulikovo. The brave warrior dressed in Donskoy clothes and led the troops against the Tatars, holding the banner of the prince in his hands. In this battle, Mikhail Brenco died.

The father of the future Archbishop of Stavropol and the Caucasus, Alexander Semenovich Brianchaninov, strictly observed the customs of antiquity. The noble family was faithful to the Orthodox Church, at the expense of Alexander Semenovich the Pokrovsky rural church was erected. Dmitry's mother, Sofia, was raised in an intelligent family, who gave the girl an education in accordance with her status. Sophia Afanasyevna, a noblewoman who married early, gave her whole life to her family.

Noble children were brought up by excellent teachers and mentors, who noted the amazing abilities of Dimitri, from an early age he played the violin perfectly, knew several languages, painted, sang superbly. The talented boy in his heart dreamed of dedicating his life to God, becoming a monk, but in obedience he yielded to the will of his father. At the age of 15, on the orders of his father, a young man who dreamed of becoming a monk becomes a cadet at the Military Engineering School in St. Petersburg.

Years of study

Despite the fact that the engineering profession did not attract young man, he completed the course, showing his talents at the same time, becoming the best student.

His talent and achievements were talked about in the environment of the king.

Interesting! The meeting of the elder Leonid, conversations with him when visiting the Alexander Nevsky Lavra change the life plans of the young Bryanchaninov, he decides to go to the monastery, but his father again intervenes.

2 years the best student of the school is under supervision. At the age of 19, Dimitri, after graduating from a military school, immediately began to ask for his resignation, which was not accepted.

By God's will or by coincidence, a young engineer falls ill with tuberculosis. The verdict of the doctors puts an end to the dreams of monasticism, Dimitri goes to serve in the fortress of Dinaburg, standing on the Dvina River, refusing to leave for the south of Russia, where there is a warm favorable climate. After serving the allotted time as an engineer, Dimitri leaves for a monastery.

From monk to archimandrite

In 1827, a young man arrived at the Alexander Svirsky Monastery, who, in parallel with the acquisition of spiritual knowledge, performed monastic duties:

worked as a baker;
was fishing;
drove people.

Hagiographic icon of St. Ignatius

God appointed Elder Leo, who in 1828 went to Ploschanskaya Hermitage, as a counselor, spiritual mentor for Demetrius, thirsting for the knowledge of His glory. The young monk followed his mentor, and then moved to the Optina desert. After 2 years, Dimitri served in the Seven-City Hermitage, in 1831 he moved to the Glushitskaya Sosnovets monastery.

Monk Ignatius

God sees Demetrius' fidelity; at the age of 24, the young man became a monk under the name Ignatius. The miracles of moving up the ladder of a servant of God are simply amazing.

A month later, a young monk is ordained a deacon, after 15 days a priest with the right to serve in the bishop's house.
After 2 years, in 1833, hegumen Bryanchaninov headed the monastery of Grigoriev-Pel'shemsky Lopotov.

Seeing the will of God in the rapid growth of their son, the parents forgive him for his disobedience and bestow their blessing. For health reasons, hegumen Bryanchaninov was transferred to Uglesh as the abbot of the monastery, but immediately recalled, for he was recommended by Tsar Nicholas I himself to be the abbot of the Trinity-Sergius Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

Rector of the Trinity-Sergius Hermitage

By the will of the Creator, the faithful ascetic of God, Archimandrite Ignatius, from 1834 to 1857, leads the hermitage, which during this period acquired many new inhabitants and the respect of the local population, bringing significant donations for the maintenance of temples.

Since 1838, all of Russia has known the dean of the St. Petersburg diocese, the rector of the St. Sergius monastery. Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow listened to the advice of Archimandrite Ignatius, admiring his way of service and life.

The writer N. Leskov wrote the story "Unmercenary Engineers", dedicated to the biography of the saint.

Important! Thanks to his majestic appearance, nobility, spirituality and prudence, the Saint acquired a flock consisting of many people who were spiritually fed through the sermons of the righteous.

In the simplicity and beauty of Holy Scripture, Ignatius Brianchaninov guided people on the path of moral perfection, showing the truth and greatness of the Orthodox Church.

Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra - the place of service of St. Ignatius

Possessing a great gift of leadership, the newly appointed rector began the restoration of the desolated desert with the restoration of the temple and monastic cells. The 15 inhabitants of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery had long forgotten about the strictness of monastic life, the 27-year-old archimandrite had to start everything from the very beginning.

Soon, not only the well-maintained territory of the monastery, but also exemplary services filled with ancient church melodies began to attract parishioners from the farthest districts.

Interesting! Under the direction of the church composer Father Pyotr Turchaninov, the monastery choir, for which Mikhail Glinka wrote his best works, has become another attraction of the desert.

The archimandrite was open to all parishioners. During his service at the Trinity-Sergius Convent, he had more than eight hundred people under his counsel. Possessing many-sided experience, a special gift to see the world through the prism of spirituality, God endowed him with the gift of prophecy and healing of physical and mental illnesses.

Caucasian department

In 1857, Ignatius began his archpastoral ministry as Bishop of the Caucasus and the Black Sea.

At the beginning of the year 1858, the inhabitants of Stavropol, headed by the governor P. Brianchaninov, Dimitri's brother, arranged a solemn meeting for the new bishop. Being the third Bishop of the Caucasus and the Black Sea, in the conditions of the war being waged in the Caucasus, among the multinational and diverse population, Archbishop Ignatius began his difficult ministry.

Icon of Ignatius Brianchaninov, Bishop of Kavz

The saint placed special emphasis in his ministry on the apostolate and the world, and through divine services he raised the educational level of Christians.

Important! St. Ignatius contributed to the foundation in 1846 of the Stavropol Theological Seminary, which flourished under his archpastorship.

Despite the Caucasian war, Vladyka constantly traveled around the borders of the diocese, constantly being exposed to danger. Realizing that every day could be the last, the archpastor did not part with the monstrance in the event of the last communion.

In 1859, the John-Mariinsky Monastery was opened, founded by the first ruler of the Caucasus, Jeremiah, where in 1861 the Church of the Intercession of the Virgin was founded. Vladyka Ignatius was a real father to his neighbors, he was engaged in raising the salaries of priests, introducing solemn church services, arrangement of the bishop's choir and premises.

The end of the earth's journey

In the same year, as a result of deteriorating health, Vladyka submitted a request for resignation, retired, having received the assigned pension. While living in the Nikolo-Babaevskaya monastery, Saint Ignatius participated in divine services, received those in need of a word and healing, remaining His Grace.

The last Liturgy was held by Archpastor Ignatius Brianchaninov on April 16, 1867; on April 30, he left the sinful earth. More than 5,000 people came to say goodbye to their beloved Bishop.

The relics of St. Ignatius Brianchaninov in the Tolga Monastery

An invaluable legacy for posterity

Throughout his ascetic life, the saint demonstrated the feat of selflessness, the struggle with human passions:

grief;
illness;
tests;
temptations.

By the abundant grace of God, the ascetic Bryanchaninov won the victory, which bestowed on him the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The long-suffering and much-sorrowful procession of the saint to spiritual knowledge and understanding of the guidance of the Creator is respected by descendants through the ages. The saint laid the foundation for a new direction filled with ascetic-theological teaching, which was reflected in literature and Christian life. In his teaching, the ascetic focuses on the inner perfection of a person through his attitude towards other people.

Important! The Bishop of Stavropol and the Caucasus, Ignatius Brianchaninov, in the annals of the Russian Church is called a strict zealot, an outstanding scientist, a peacemaker, the creator of countless epistles who gained immortality.

The poetic gift of the saint was reflected in his creative heritage, which included sermons and treatises. He wrote to both private individuals and churches. Raising questions:

ascetic education;
Orthodox dogma;
visions of spirits;
heresy and schism.

To this day, Bishop Ignatius is an example of a person in whom the interest of Christians does not fade. In his writings, the power of the fire of devotion and brotherly love is drawn, the ability to remain faithful to God in any situation.

Important! In June 1988, by decision of the Council of the Russian Orthodox Church during a meeting in the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, Vladyka Ignatius was canonized.

You can bow to the holy relics at the Holy Vvedensky Monastery in the village of Tolga, Yaroslavl Region.

Life of St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, Bishop of the Caucasus

30.03.2021

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