“Shame on you,” Schema-Archimandrite Ily reproaches the leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation
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Talk about internal party squabbles and the possible collapse of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation received further confirmation. From a long drawer in the secretariat of Gennady Zyuganov, the light of day was pulled out of a document hidden there - a letter from the confessor of His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill, Schema-Archimandrite Elijah.
It is not surprising that the letter was not published anywhere. It would have remained in the archives if Gennady Andreevich’s servants had not begun to take away documents as souvenirs, like souvenirs.
Gennady Andreevich has something to repent for. Photo: Valery Sharifulin/TASS
“I—and I hope you too—don’t trust people who change their views like gloves. Today, unfortunately, there are a lot of such shifters. Yesterday he was an activist in atheistic propaganda, and today he stands in church with a candle. At the same time, he can’t even really cross himself.”
Gennady Zyuganov, former instructor of the Department of Agitation and Propaganda of the CPSU Central Committee
The letter does not require any comments. Even excerpts from it are enough to understand how deeply the elder was able to look into the essence of the country's main communist.
“Let us take a keen look at our present life. You now hardly touch upon the full objectivity of life throughout the territory of the former Russia. You don’t want to look into the full depth of the life of the country, what the entire Russian people and many nations living with us have experienced. What “benefit” and “happiness” have you brought both to the Russian people themselves and to those who are with us?”
“Have you thought about hiding your crimes? You are far wrong that there is no (higher) justice that sees and knows the present, past and future. We feel sorry for you! You thought that you had the dogmas of Marx and Engels, and you want to build Paradise on earth through the false promises of Marxism and Leninism.
I repeat, dear Gennady Andreevich! We know what you want. As you personally, so are the communists with you. You want to destroy the current state of Russia and seize power! This is not the first desire; those who made the revolution and established their power wanted to do this with Great Russia. I will not forget the words of those dreamers who, before the revolution, during the revolution, waited for theirs and rejoiced. A man told me on behalf of himself and on behalf of others who wanted a bright future: “We dreamed how wonderful it would be after the revolution and how far it was from reality to fulfill our dream.” When the catastrophe of Russia occurred through revolutions, we saw where we are and who we are - unhappy people without a Motherland, without God, without life.”
“I turn to you again and again, Gennady Andreevich! Why are you disturbing both the country and our entire people?.. Aren’t you ashamed? If you, loyal and firm communists, do not realize how much Russia needs strong power, peace and tranquility? Why don’t you want peace and prosperity to remain in Russia? Your rebellious actions can only lead to terrible consequences, that is, natural discord between people and differences of concepts, and, naturally, to all sorts of unrest, civil strife, which we had for a considerable period of time and not only in two world wars, but also in the Civil War .
Please! Your atrocities and your concepts are not beneficial. I know you have been waiting for a revolution for a long time! What will he give you? Blood, tears and hunger? Is that what you hope for? You have a terrible hope for a revolution! Is it necessary to list everything that both the revolution and the entire period of this terrible life after the revolution brought? This whole period of suffering, hunger and pestilence. Is this not clear to you? Look at the map of Russia! What it was like before the revolution and what it is like now!”
Just a fact: as of 1914, the Russian Orthodox Church numbered more than 70 thousand parishes. In 1989, there were only 6.8 thousand of them left.
“What can you do if you seize power in Russia? Only ruin, the final death of Russia! First, you will cause confusion, civil strife, and it is possible that a war may break out on the territory of our country. You, dear Gennady Andreevich, are unfamiliar with the Gospel words “peace, love, joy,” which every Orthodox person hears at worship services; you do not recognize them. You like something different. How many Russian people were killed, shot, tortured, and suffered in every possible way from your Red Terror, and, as one might say, our Motherland itself looked pale. Of course, if we still live, our generation of Russia will try to revive the country (at least to some extent) as it was before 1917.
What do you want to achieve if you interfere with the life of Russia. Why do you want Great Russia to again plunge into the abyss of suffering and destruction of souls?
I urge you: do not do evil!
Ilya Nozdrin was destined from childhood to become a “man of God”
Family
Alexey Afanasyevich Nozdrin, was born on March 8, 1932 in the Oryol province in the village of Kolodez, into an ordinary peasant family. In a family where faith in God was honored.
Father - Afanasy Nozdrin,
Mother - Claudia Nozdrina.
In addition to little Alexey, the family had 3 brothers and a sister.
March 8, 1932
Father Elijah's birthday
At the time of Alexei’s birth, his paternal grandfather Ivan was alive. Ivan Nozdrin served as headman of the Church of the Intercession in his village.
In the difficult year of 1942, the Nozdriny family suffered tragic losses. My father died at the front, and my grandfather died the same year.
After the death of Alexei's father, her mother decided to devote herself to her children and family and never remarried.
Alexei Nozdrin was baptized in infancy near the nearby village of Lukino.
From a young age, thanks to the efforts of his mother, the child learned to read books, especially books with prayers were easy for him. Even his boy friends called him “Divine.”
There are always many people around him asking for help. And he doesn't refuse anyone
According to the stories of little Alexey's contemporaries, a case is widely known in his native village: in 1947-1948, Alexey was robbed.
He prayed in tears before the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God and found a hot loaf of wheat on the ground
Years of study
1949 - completed his studies at the Stanovokolodez secondary school.
Further compulsory service in the ranks of the Soviet army.
Military service
Father Eli perceived her as a black streak in life, due to forced entry into the Komsomol
As Father Eli himself believes, this time is a black streak for him. This is due to joining the Komsomol by decision of the military authorities.
After the army, he realized that this was a sin against God. Repenting, he couldn’t think of anything better to do to fix it and simply burned the ticket.
1955-1958 - student at the Serpukhov Mechanical Engineering College.
Studying at a mechanical engineering college. Alexey Nozdrin, future father Ily, in the top row, far right
After completing his studies at the technical school, he was sent to work in his specialty in the Volgograd region, Kamyshin.
The city of Kamyshin was one of the rare cities where an Orthodox church operated in the late 50s.
The road to God
John Bukotkin, the first spiritual mentor of Father Elijah
In the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the future Father Elijah met his first spiritual mentor, John Bukotkin.
At the suggestion and thanks to the help of Father John, he enters the Saratov Theological Seminary.
I have already completed my studies at the Leningrad Seminary, and then my studies at the Academy.
There, in Leningrad, Alexey Nozdrin took monastic vows with the name Ilian, in honor of one of the forty martyrs of Sebaste. Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov) performed tonsure.
1966-1976. Service in the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery.
Pskov-Pechersky Monastery
One of the largest and most famous monasteries in Russia with a centuries-old history.
The name of the monastery is associated with the caves located in it, called “created by God.”
In 1473, the cave church of the Assumption of the Mother of God, excavated by the Monk Jonah in a sandstone hill, was consecrated here.
This year is considered the year the monastery was founded. The hill in which the Assumption Church and the caves created by God are located is called the Holy Mountain.
In the spring of 1976, I already served obedience in the Panteleimon Church, which is located on Mount Athos.
Elder Eli
1989 returns to Russia and, by decision of the Holy Synod, goes to Optina Pustyn to help restore the monastery.
As you and I can see, the biography of Ilya Nozdrin is rich in moving to various churches and monasteries.
In the early 90s, he was tonsured into the great schema with the name Eli.
For 20 years, Father Eli served as an elder in the Optina Pustyn Monastery.
During these years he was called Iliy Optinsky.
Iliy (Nozdrin) served in the Optina Desert for 20 years.
2009 is a new important test; he is the confessor of Patriarch Kirill, with whom he studied at the theological academy.
Patriach Kirill always listens to the wise advice of Elder Elijah
2010 Archimandrite Iliy Nozdrin became a member of the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church and a member of the Commission on the Organization of the Life of Monasteries and Monasticism of the Inter-Council Presence.
In April 2010, Patriarch Kirill elevated him to the rank of schema-archimandrite in the cathedral Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
President V.V. Putin came to the service with Father Ilya
Confessor of Patriarch Kirill
Elder Iliy has been carrying out the honorable mission of confessor to His Holiness the Patriarch since 2004.
During this time, he was distinguished by enormous charitable activities. Thanks to the elder, destroyed temples are restored and new ones are built.
State Duma deputies awarded him the title of “Honorary Citizen of the City of Oryol” for his charitable and missionary activities.
You can get to the temple in Peredelkino by train and bus
- By bus No. 468 from the Odintsovo station to the Peredelkino platform.
- By train (or bus) from Odintsovo station to Bakovka station. Next - on foot, crossing the Minskoe highway, along the asphalt road connecting the Minskoe and Borovskoe highways.
- By train from Moscow to the Peredelkino station from the Kievsky railway station it takes about 20 minutes.
- By car you can get to Peredelkino along Borovskoye or Minskoye highways. From Odintsovo, through Lesnoy Gorodok, exit onto the Minskoye Highway, turn around at the nearest junction towards Moscow, and in the area of the village of Bakovka, turn left (at the traffic light) onto the Budennovskoye Highway and drive about 2 km to Peredelkino.
To get to the Transfiguration Church from the Peredelkino station you need to walk in the direction of the train along the highway, do not cross the path.
At the crossing turn right. Then go through the gate - the temple of the residence will be on your left. You need to enter the patriarchal courtyard through the arch to the left of the temple.
Political Views
It is worth telling at least briefly about the views of the schema-archimandrite. The fact is that in a political sense, Father Eli manages to displease everyone. On the one hand, he is a cardinal opponent of Soviet power and the Soviet legacy.
Lenin is a Russophobe, Stalin is a bandit. Detachments, incompetent orders of Stalin during the Great Patriotic War (despite which they won) - it would seem a complete set of ideological cliches. However, no.
In 2011, Father Iliy spoke out against mass protests on Bolotnaya, calling the protest wave “an attempt at new unrest,” and now he speaks of the need to elect a “faithful president.” And here a certain image of a “guardian” with a corresponding set of ideologies already emerges.
And again, no - Father Ily compares Boris Yeltsin with St. George the Victorious and in one of his interviews convinces of the need to erect a monument to the first Russian president. And a few years later he participates in the opening of a monument to... no, not to Yeltsin, but to Ivan the Terrible.
The most common opinion from people, at least who have warm feelings for Orthodoxy and the Church, about Father Elijah: “Father is simply incompetent in matters of politics, you leave him alone with politics.”
Real stories of Elder Elijah helping those in need
Pilgrims write:
The meeting with Father Elijah took place in the fraternal building, behind closed doors.
There were three of us pilgrims, and each of us could talk relatively calmly with the priest.
I had prepared in advance words in my mind about my internal troubles and everyday troubles, which at that period of my life particularly overwhelmed me, giving rise to icy despondency and indifference to everything in my soul.
I wanted to ask the priest for his holy prayers (after all, the prayer of a strong man can do a lot) and find out how to live further.
When my turn came, I, embarrassed by my physical superiority, knelt before Father Elijah and unexpectedly said to myself: “Father, increase my faith!”
“Faith?” - the priest intoned. I was surprised. Then he smiled well, so affectionately that he immediately warmed my heart.
Words and time have lost their meaning.
Everything except one thing has lost its meaning - to stand like this for the rest of your life next to your father on your knees, and bask in his rays - in Greek his name means Sun.
How long did it last? Maybe ten minutes, maybe an eternity.
From that day on, I began to more vividly understand the words of the Apostle - “cover with love,” having experienced the warmth of true love.”
These were real miracles of the priest.
In the photo are Father Iliy and Lieutenant General Vladimir Ivanovsky. Head of the Main Directorate of Military Police of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
I have to fly to complete the mission, but Father Iliy still won’t let me go... “He begged me off!” - General Ivanovsky admitted
It is believed that the prayer of Elder Elijah has special power.
Here's what those he helped say: once an intelligence officer who was mortally wounded in Chechnya and spent five months unconscious in various hospitals was brought to his monastery.
Schema-abbot Iliy prayed over the officer - and he opened his eyes, consciousness returned to him. After this, recovery began.
Grishin, M. Russian Bulletin from 09/04/2003. Reviews from people about Elijah.
Skhemnik in the world
In 2010, Father Eli accepted the great schema, becoming schema-archimandrite. But at the same time he turned into a public person. And here again is a paradox: monks, having accepted the great schema, take on additional vows and obediences and go even further, so to speak, from the world. With Father Eli, it seems, everything turned out the other way around, again turning out in an unexpected way.
This publicity began to be associated with all sorts of “scandals” and very loud epithets addressed to him in connection with his political statements. Father Elijah is now called differently, either “a perspicacious old man”, or “a false old man” and “an opportunist and a politician.”
Comments
- Irina
:09.09.2019 at 18:25
Good afternoon, maybe someone has already written a note to you, a caption under the photo of the Optina Pustyn - Iliy (Nozrin) served in the Optina Pustyn for 20 years - please write the priest’s last name (Nozdrin) correctly...
Answer
admin
:
09/12/2019 at 07:46
thank you, corrected
Answer
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Neither ours nor yours
But if we analyze all these political statements and actions of the patriarchal confessor, we get the impression that this is a unique form of foolishness: the desire not to join any of the formal or informal political strata, to say things that would not fit into any modern Russian ideological paradigm. After all, for example, Grozny and Stalin are completely identical in the mass consciousness, and expressing hostility towards one, and then attending the opening of a monument to the other, is somehow strange.
And how can all this be combined with a respectful attitude towards Yeltsin, open sympathy for Putin and calls to “prevent unrest” in 2011-2012?
However, in all such actions and words of Father Elijah, a very clear, consistent line can still be traced - increasing the influence of the Orthodox Church in Russia. For him, the Church is much higher than politics, market conditions and any ideology.
And, from this point of view, he is by no means paradoxical, like those clergy, and even Soviet party leaders, against the background of whose activities his life passed.
