Hieromartyr Father Philosopher Ornatsky

Philosopher Nikolaevich Ornatsky was born on May 21 (Old Style) 1860. Place of birth of Fr. The philosopher's churchyard was Novaya Yorga, Cherepovets district, not far from the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery. Father Philosopher Ornatsky was a hereditary priest.

On his father's side, he was related to Bishop Ambrose (Ornatsky) of Penza - 1774-1828. And on my mother’s side (nee Belolikova) there were also priests in the family. From this family came the holy martyr Bishop Pimen (in the world Pyotr Zakharovich Belolikov, 1879 - killed on September 16, 1918), who had close contact with Fr. Philosopher.

Education

Starting from the 18th century, all the sons of the Belolikovs and Ornatskys studied at the Kirillovsky Theological School. The philosopher Nikolaevich Ornatsky graduated from the Kirillov Theological School in 1874.

After graduating from college, Father Philosopher took exams at the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary, but did not enter. At the request of his uncle, priest Alexy Belolikov, he was enrolled to re-pass the last class of school at the Alexander Nevsky Theological School in St. Petersburg and then studied at the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary. Studied Fr. The philosopher is successful. In 1885 he graduated from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy with a candidate's degree in theology.

Literature

Polsky M., protopres. New Russian martyrs. M., 1994. Rep. playback ed. 1949-1957 (Jordanville), part 1, p. 184.
Tsypin V., prot. History of the Russian Church, 1917-1997. T.9. M., 1997. P.53.
Synod of persecuted, martyred, innocently injured Orthodox clergy and laity of the St. Petersburg diocese. XX century. St. Petersburg, 1999. P.82.
Antonov V.V., Kobak A.V. Shrines of St. Petersburg. Historical and church encyclopedia in three volumes. T.2. St. Petersburg: Chernyshev Publishing House, 1996. 328 p. P.278.
Act of the Jubilee Consecrated Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church on the conciliar glorification of the new martyrs and confessors of the Russian 20th century. Moscow, August 12-16, 2000
Khodakovskaya O. Archpriest Philosopher Nikolaevich Ornatsky // Vedi. Almaty, 1998. N4-5. P.24-30.
Synodik of persecuted, martyred, innocent victims in bonds of Orthodox clergy and laity of the St. Petersburg diocese: 20th century. 2nd edition expanded. St. Petersburg, 2002. 280 p. P.12.
St. Petersburg martyrology. St. Petersburg: Publishing house "Mir", "Society of St. Basil the Great", 2002. 416 p.

Beginning of public ministry

Fr. Philosopher Ornatsky was ordained a deacon on July 26, 1885 and a priest on July 28 and assigned to the church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Quench My Sorrows” at the Prince of Oldenburg’s shelter for orphans. O. The philosopher served there as a teacher of the law, and then became rector of the church at the shelter. Since 1888 Fr. The philosopher held several socially significant positions:

In 1888 Fr. The philosopher was appointed a member of the Committee of the Orthodox Missionary Society.

May 4, 1892 Fr. The philosopher was elected chairman of the Council of the Society for the Propagation of Religious and Moral Education in the Spirit of the Orthodox Church. On April 22, 1893, Father Philosopher was elected as a deputy to the St. Petersburg City Duma from the spiritual department. In July 1891, he was invited to work on the commission for the construction of the Church of St. Andrei Kritsky during the Expedition for the procurement of State papers; On August 26, 1892, Father Philosopher, at the request of the Expedition employees, was appointed rector of this church, where he served for more than 20 years. In 1894, the publication of the weekly “St. Petersburg Spiritual Messenger” was started, of which Father Philosopher was elected editor. At the place of his last ministry, Father Philosopher is known as the rector of the Kazan Cathedral, which he performed since 1913. Through the efforts of Father Philosopher, with his direct participation, 12 churches with spiritual and educational centers and charitable institutions attached to them were erected in St. Petersburg. In May 1914, a decree of His Imperial Majesty was issued on awarding Archpriest Philosopher Nikolayevich Ornatsky the Order of St. Vladimir 3rd degree, which gave him the right to receive nobility.

Essays

About holiday holidays for trading people. St. Petersburg, 1889.
Russian Orthodox mission and the Orthodox Church in Japan. St. Petersburg, 1889.
About raising children. St. Petersburg, 1890.
About work and holiday rest in the life of working people. St. Petersburg, 1890.
On the Christian education of women. St. Petersburg, 1892.
The significance of the wonderful event of October 17, 1888 in the life of Russian society. St. Petersburg, 1892
Answer to Pashkov's questions. St. Petersburg, 1893.
About suicide before the court of frank teaching. St. Petersburg, 1894.
A word about angels. St. Petersburg, 1894.
A Word about the Cross on the Week of Cross Worship. St. Petersburg, 1898.
Sarov teachings. St. Petersburg, 1903.
The Pashkov sect and the answer to Pashkov’s questions. St. Petersburg, 1903.
Works and days. Sermons, speeches and articles. SPb.-M.: Konstantin-Eleninsky Monastery - Father's House 2021. 544 p.

Activities in 1914-1918

In 1914, the First World War began. Father Philosopher opened an infirmary for the wounded at the Kazan Cathedral, which was maintained only with church funds and donations from parishioners. Parcels were collected in the Kazan Cathedral to be sent to the front. Often, Father Philosopher accompanied convoys with parcels and gave sermons to soldiers to maintain the patriotic spirit. In March 1917, the monarchy fell, which was accompanied by revolutionary chaos in the country.

On May 25, 1917, the Petrograd Diocesan Council began its work. Archpriest Philosopher Ornatsky was elected Chairman of the Council. The work of the cathedral ended with the election of Metropolitan Veniamin of Petrograd and Ladoga (later Gdov). Father Philosopher assisted Metropolitan Benjamin in his activities against the destruction and ruin of the Church.

Between January and June 1918, the All-Russian Society for the Propagation of Religious and Moral Education, headed by Fr. Philosopher, made statements and calls for the defense of the Church. During this period, Fr. The philosopher organizes religious processions from all the churches of the city to the Lavra in order to demonstrate the people's will to preserve the Lavra as a shrine of the entire Church.

From June 11 to June 16, 1918, Patriarch Tikhon visited Petrograd. On June 13, the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, the Patriarch celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Kazan Cathedral. Fr. Philosopher Ornatsky participated in these solemn services and in other events together with Patriarch Tikhon.

Hieromartyr Philosopher Ornatsky: life as a feat

Hieromartyr Philosopher Ornatsky “Life as a feat” is the name of a new exhibition dedicated to the Hieromartyr Philosopher Ornatsky, a famous St. Petersburg shepherd in his time, and his sons: martyrs Nicholas and Boris, who were killed along with their father, presumably on October 30, 1918. Previously, a similar exhibition was held in St. Petersburg - in 2021 it was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the martyrdom of the holy saints of God.

The current project is intended to be shown in other cities - it can currently be seen in Moscow. Like the previous one, this exhibition is also organized by the Konstantin-Eleninsky Convent, whose courtyard is located in the church in the name of St. Andrew of Crete on Riga Avenue - in the very church where Father Philosopher served for a long time. And here, in the courtyard, I talk with the abbess of the Constantine-Eleninsky Monastery Hilariona (Feoktistova).

– Is this year’s exhibition any different from the one that took place in 2018?

Valery Pavlovich Filimonov - The current exhibition is a continuation of the 2021 exhibition, which was on the square near the Kazan Cathedral. It was very important for us then that it be in an open place, visited by many, so that Father Philosopher would return to his temple in the glory of God. And now, using the same material, an exhibition has been prepared for indoor spaces. We planned to hold it in three cities: it has already taken place in St. Petersburg in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, now it has opened in Moscow in the Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery, and the next stage is Cherepovets, since Father Philosopher was born in the Cherepovets district. In Cherepovets, Father Philosopher is greatly revered and loved; the exhibition will be held in the local library, which is used for spiritual and educational projects.

– How did you come up with the idea of making an exhibition about Father Philosopher, how were you collecting materials for it?

– It all started in 2021, when my sisters and I thought that 2021 is the centenary of the martyrdom of Father Philosopher. Accordingly, we have a desire to honor his memory as widely as possible. The work began to be carried out in different directions, and it is still ongoing.

The main expert on the life of Father Philosopher is Valery Pavlovich Filimonov, he prepared materials for canonization, wrote the first book about Father Philosopher - accordingly, he worked a lot in the archives. He designed the exhibition to highlight the entire life and work of Father Philosopher in four parts. A website was also opened on which documents found in the archives related to the life of the Philosopher’s father were posted, that is, it is a kind of virtual museum.

The exhibition is multimedia: you can see documents, many photographs

Our new exhibition is multimedia: you can see documents, a lot of photographs - all of them cannot be placed on regular stands. Video projections are also used. That is, everything is done in a modern style. And we received a presidential grant for this exhibition.

– Why does research continue? After all, it would seem that the biography of Father Philosopher Ornatsky is already well known.

– There are many private aspects that have been little explored. Research also needs to be continued in order to find connections between times and fill traditions with their original meaning. No matter how paradoxical it may sound, the deeds of Father the Philosopher, carried out according to the will of God, with grace, developed even after the revolution. Of course, his name was crossed out and forgotten, but what he began to do did not disappear completely.

The works of Father Philosopher, carried out according to the will of God, developed even after the revolution: enlightenment, for example

For example, Father Philosopher and Boris Borisovich Golitsyn, who led the Expedition for the procurement of state papers, decided to create a technical school. That is, Father Philosopher laid the foundation for vocational technical education in our city, and indeed in the country in general. One of the first such schools was intended for the children of workers of the State Paper Procurement Expedition. She provided secondary education: at that time it was 9 classes - then not everyone could receive such an education - and gave a specialty. Children of workers could continue to work in the same enterprise as their parents. For nine years, Father Philosopher headed this school, that is, he completely taught one graduating class from the 1st to the 9th grades. The school continued to exist even after Father Philosopher was transferred to the Kazan Cathedral.

But after the revolution and to this day, this building is occupied by educational institutions: there was a school, which is now called the Golitsyn gymnasium, - it moved to Drovyanoy Lane; then the Polar Academy, which has now become part of the Hydrometeorological University and continues to be located here as the building of this higher educational institution.

Another example is the “Society for the Propagation of Religious and Moral Education in the Spirit of the Orthodox Church,” which Father Philosopher headed for 26 years and which at one time grew into an all-Russian organization. Their building is located on the corner of Nikolaevskaya (now officially Marata Street) and Stremyannaya streets; it even has a mosaic inscription with the name of the society preserved on it. Now it is a residential building, but it also housed a library, which still exists. We maintain contact with the administration of this library and hold events there dedicated to the memory of Father Philosopher.

And the main question is the martyrdom of the Philosopher’s father and his two sons. After all, neither the place, nor the date, nor the image of this death have yet been established. There is a legend. Of course, no legend exists in a vacuum, but I still want to clarify the details. I think it makes sense to conduct a more extensive search in the archives - after all, something can be established from some indirect evidence. It is necessary to communicate with the bearers of this legend. After all, the Philosopher’s father has many descendants. There are also local historians living in those places - in Strelna. We also know some of the descendants of those people whom Father Philosopher cared for. It seems that everything has disappeared without a trace - but no, there are people whose grandparents or great-grandparents went to this temple, Father Philosopher married them, baptized their children - this is an interesting area of family history. There is also the Ilyinsky Church on Porokhov - the last temple where Father Philosopher served.

But we also need to pray, which is what we try to do. When such living communication arises, the holy man himself helps, if, of course, it is God’s will for that. In any case, the search itself brings great spiritual benefit - something opens up for inner understanding.

The very search for new information about the new martyr brings great spiritual benefit

- What can open up? Here we know: holy man, martyrdom. Isn't this enough?

- Enough for prayer. And research is a labor of love. It is clear that we know almost nothing about many saints, but we know their names, their iconographic appearance, we pray to them, they help us. But love always pushes us to know more, because every feature of someone we care about is also dear to us.

The activity of Father Philosopher at the turn of eras is very important; the example of activity in such conditions is important: what he did, how he approached preaching, what topics he touched on. That is, a theological understanding of his works is still required, and some steps have been taken along this path. After all, Father Philosopher is a disciple of Father John of Kronstadt, which means they have a common approach to pastoral service.

– It seems that Father John and Father Philosopher are very different...

– But in spirit they are united. Spiritual unity does not imply such army uniformity - on the contrary, the personality blossoms. Father Philosopher took a lot from Father John, although he had different life circumstances: a large family, activity mainly in the parish. But it is obvious that he was a man of prayer. It is enough to read his sermons, which reflect his veneration of Seraphim of Sarov, - one feels that Father Philosopher understands what he is talking about. And then, such a scale of activity is impossible without in-depth prayer, without the grace of God, which is given to those who ask.

In such difficult times, it is especially important to understand what God’s will is and to carry it out. Father John of Kronstadt was also at the forefront of the spiritual struggle; he understood what needed to be done, and he did it. The same can be said about Father Philosopher. So there is a connection between them.

– Do you communicate with many descendants of Father Philosopher?

- With a few. The fact is that some descendants of the Philosopher’s father live in Canada, some in the Vologda region, some in other places. Some of them live in St. Petersburg. We communicate most closely with the Philosopher’s father’s granddaughter Tatyana Konstantinovna, the daughter of his youngest son. Thank God, we became very good friends, this acquaintance and communication is very dear to us. She participates in commemorative events.

– Do the descendants of Father Philosopher have any memorabilia associated with him? After all, there were such difficult times...

- Of course, something remains. For example, the family icon of Father Philosopher. This is the property of Tatyana Konstantinovna, but she brought us this icon for the holiday. This is an icon of the martyr Philosopher and Queen Helena - the patron saints of the father of the Philosopher and his wife; perhaps it was given as a wedding gift. Photos also remain in the family archives.

– We are not separated from the earthly life of Father Philosopher by as much time as from the earthly life of some ancient ascetics, but not so little. Can Father Philosopher be a model for a modern parish priest?

– Maybe, of course, and should, and not only for the priest. It seems to me that Father Philosopher is very close, understandable and accessible for imitation, especially with his help - if you pray to him. We noticed that acquaintance with the life of Father the Philosopher appeals to many... After all, young people are also involved in the exhibition, and it all becomes close and dear to them. And there is absolutely no need to do any additional work or explain anything for this. The appearance of Father Philosopher and his activities are understandable to people precisely because they seem ordinary, which is especially noticeable now. In Soviet times, it was impossible to talk about charity, about spiritual enlightenment, but now all this is in demand. In the sermons of Father Philosopher, people are attracted by the uncompromising presentation, at the same time, serious validity, deep culture, and professional command of words. You can read how Father Philosopher formulates problems and proposes solutions; see how he understands the audience: who needs to say what. You can learn all this from him, he is unusually lively! (Smiles.)

– What do you find most important and interesting in the reactions of exhibition visitors?

– The exhibition, of course, does not leave many people indifferent: people come up and ask questions. That is, this is such a reason to start a conversation. And the resonance from the exhibition may not be very noticeable, but this is precisely an indicator that it is positive, because negative resonance is usually more noticeable. After all, when a person begins to express himself aggressively on the outside, this is more noticeable than when a person calms down and finds some answers to his deep questions. A person quietly carries away such peace in his heart, but it gives a positive result in his life itself.

Of course, the exhibition is a reason to talk about what is happening in the temple, why the temple exists. The very idea that a holy man is next to us - here he is, here are specific places associated with his life - makes a very big impression, I have heard about this more than once. And I know cases when people far from the Church, providentially coming into contact with the memory of Father Philosopher, gained faith, repentance, came to the temple and - moreover - began to actively help our monastery. But, of course, what is important is not so much the attention to our monastery as the fact that people find the temple.

Abbess Hilarion (Feoktistova) In the same way, we ourselves, when we realized at one time that our courtyard was a temple where Father Philosopher served for 20 years, began to especially honor him and perform solemn services on the days of his memory. And amazing miracles began to happen. For example, we met Anatoly Lukyanovich without knowing the history of his family in advance. He lives in Voronezh, but his ancestors lived in St. Petersburg, and his great-great-grandfather was the spiritual child of the Philosopher’s father. Anatoly began to study the history of his family. While in St. Petersburg, he was looking for the house in this area where his ancestors lived, and, passing by, he saw that there was a temple here. The door was open - he came in, and it happened just on the day of remembrance of Father the Philosopher. This also greatly influenced Anatoly’s worldview - for example, every year he orders several small icons of Father the Philosopher of Ornatsky and gives them wherever he comes into contact with workers of spiritual enlightenment.

– There will be an exhibition in Moscow, in Cherepovets. What are your future plans?

- Need to think. There is an exhibition, so, of course, we need to look for venues, so we are ready for proposals. An area of about 100 square meters is required. We also organize excursion support; we have trained employees. We have a lot of people who participate in our activities - this, too, seems to me to be the influence of Father Philosopher. Among other things, we also have an Orthodox tour guide school, where they train guides on church topics.

– Do we now pay enough attention to the new martyrs and confessors of Russia?

– I think we need to talk more about them. But, firstly, we must prayerfully honor them. Just Father Philosopher is an example of a new martyr who is now somehow coming out to the people. People really respond to his memory.

In general, our life today is full of information about wars, about violence - maybe that’s why people have a hard time accepting the topic of martyrdom: “Again, some kind of suffering...” Maybe there is a political context here. That is, on the one hand, there is a reluctance of people to come into contact with this, on the other hand, there is a danger of using the memory of the new martyrs for some extraneous purposes.

The new martyrs suffered for Christ - this is important! They wanted to stay with the Lord until the end - and they stayed with Him

The new martyrs suffered for Christ - this is important! They wanted to stay with the Lord until the end - and they stayed with Him. I think that these were not politically oriented people. Yes, Father Philosopher was a monarchist, but he suffered for Christ, confirming his words with his life.

Probably, in their last minutes, the new martyrs were far from earthly things, because what they endured cannot be endured without the obvious presence of God, when the Holy Spirit is already at work, and this can only be in complete rejection of everything worldly, and people turned out to be ready for this. This is the path of any Christian ascetic - they have walked this path.

It is very difficult to talk about the new martyrs in schools, since it is forbidden to talk about any violence there. But you can talk about Father Philosopher, because you can talk about his life and work and present it not just as contradictory facts - they say, the man lived so beautifully, did so much and suddenly suffered. Of course, this was a path of ascent along the beatitudes, which end with the commandment of the beatitude of those suffering for Christ.

Martyrdom of the Philosopher's father and sons

After the Bolsheviks seized power on October 25, 1917, persecution and terror began in Petrograd. On October 31, Archpriest John Kochurov was brutally murdered in Tsarskoye Selo. On January 19, 1918, Archpriest Pyotr Skipetrov, a relative of the Philosopher’s father on his wife’s side, was mortally wounded in the Lavra.

July 19 (Old Style) 1918 Fr. The philosopher was invited to serve the all-night vigil on Okhta in the Elias Church at the gunpowder factory. In the evening Fr. The philosopher was at home with his wife Elena Nikolaevna, sons Nikolai, Boris and Vladimir, daughter Lydia and sister Elena Nikolaevna, the widow of the murdered archpriest Pyotr Skipetrov. Suddenly a sailor and two armed soldiers appeared on the threshold of the house. They conducted a search and demanded that Fr. The philosopher will ride with them. Sons Boris and Nikolai went with their father. None of them returned home: they were imprisoned by the Cheka, and, along with 30 others arrested, were soon executed in Kronstadt. According to legend, the last words of Father Philosopher were: “Nothing, we are going to the Lord. Here, accept my pastoral blessing and listen to the holy prayers.” And, kneeling down, in a calm and even voice, he read prayers for the outcome of the soul.

Used materials

“The Lives of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia in the 20th Century. Compiled by Abbot Damaskin (Orlovsky). May". Tver. 2007. pp. 393-414
DB PSTGU “New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Orthodox Church of the 20th Century”
“The Hieromartyr Archpriest Philosopher Nikolayevich Ornatsky and his slain sons Nikolai and Boris,” calendar page on the Pravoslavie.Ru
:
Orishchenko I. A. comp., “10th generation of the Ornatskys,” genealogical site “Rod of the Belolikovs”:

[1] MNE. Proceedings of the Highest Commission on the issue of improvement in secondary schools. Issue IV. Proceedings of the subcommittees. St. Petersburg, 1900. pp. 61-62.

[2] According to information from the daughter of Lydia Filosofovna Ryumina. According to PSTGU, he was arrested on July 27/August 9, the day of the Great Martyr Panteleimon.

Family[edit | edit code]

Father - Nikolai Platonovich Ornatsky, priest of the Novoyorgovskaya Epiphany Church of the 1st Petrinevskaya volost, Cherepovets district.
Brother - Ivan Nikolaevich, a priest, was married to the niece of Archpriest John of Kronstadt. On February 23, 1936 (1936-02-23) he was sentenced to five years in prison and died in a camp the following year.
Sons - Nikolai and Boris Filosofovich, were shot along with their father in October 1918 and canonized as martyrs.
Wife - Elena Nikolaevna, née Zaozerskaya, daughter of the former subdeacon Metropolitan Isidore.
Brother-in-law - Hieromartyr Peter Skipetrov.

Surname Ornatsky

it was “transferred” to his grandfather Platon Iosifovich by the former Bishop of Penza and Saratov Ambrose (in the world Andrei Ornatsky, 1778-1827), who was retired in Kirillov, who was Philosopher Nikolaevich’s great-great-grandfather.

Arrest and martyrdom[edit | edit code]

He was arrested in August 1918. Together with him, his sons Nikolai (1886-1918, military doctor) and Boris (1887-1918, artillery staff captain) were arrested. Parishioners demanded the release of the priest; the authorities responded by transporting him and his sons from Petrograd to Kronstadt.

Archpriest Philosopher Ornatsky and his sons were shot during the Red Terror, presumably around October 30, 1918. On the way, he read the discharge letter aloud to the condemned. According to some sources, the execution took place in Kronstadt, according to others, not far from the Gulf of Finland between Ligov and Oranienbaum. The bodies of those shot were apparently thrown into the bay.