Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord on Preobrazhenskaya Square

Railways in Imperial Russia turned out to be unevenly developed. There were almost none of them in the Far East, but they entangled the western part of the state in a dense web.

It was along this web that an old steam locomotive was now moving, pulling a string of carriages. Inside the carriages, people were sitting on benches; outside the window lay the landscape of the European part of Russia.

However, people paid little attention to it, they got used to it, and most of their thoughts revolved around future passengers.

I had to think about what, it was the autumn of 1914 and the war was raging in the world with might and main. The war of the leading world powers for new markets and resources.

Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna, head of foreign diplomacy of the Russian Orthodox Church until 1960, theologian and hero of the USSR, Nikolai Yarushevich

However, the workers of the ambulance train cared little about the root causes of the terrible European meat grinder. They had a hard and responsible job - to take care of the wounded soldiers and take them to the rear.

Also, everyone understood perfectly well that not everyone would survive, and therefore a regimental priest was assigned to each such composition. It was for this reason that the future Metropolitan Nikolai Yarushevich traveled west on this train. To help the wounded and dying, to accompany the already deceased on their final journey.

Father Nikolai was only 23 years old, he had only recently graduated from college and took monastic vows.

A hospital train, then the trenches of the First World War, and then a terrible illness - all these were only the first tests in his fate.

Then the era of Soviet power began. The schismatic church, persecution of disloyal priests, the Great Patriotic War.

But Yarushevich went through all these tests with steadfastness and without grumbling, and until the end of his life he remained a devoted servant of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Young Nikolai graduates from the theological faculty and takes monastic vows

It is immediately worth noting that Boris Yarushevich was born into the family of a priest of the Belarusian diocese. At the same time, his father Dorofey Filofeevich Yarushevich quickly got promoted, and soon the whole family moved to St. Petersburg, the then capital of Russia. Therefore, when the question of education arose before young Boris, the answer was quickly found.

Although he initially entered the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics at St. Petersburg University, he quickly realized that such sciences were not what he desired.

He applies for a transfer to the St. Petersburg Theological Academy.

The request is granted, and Boris begins studying at a new university, which he successfully graduates in 1914.

Upon graduation from the Academy, he receives the status of candidate of doctoral sciences in theology. However, he continues to study and attend lectures on legal matters. In the future he defends his master's degree in theology.

This happens in 1917 after returning from the front. Dissertation topic: “Church court in Russia before the publication of the Council Code of Alexei Mikhailovich in 1649.” Received the degree of Doctor of Theological Sciences for his work “Word and Speech”.

The earliest photograph of Metropolitan Nicholas, taken before the Great Patriotic War

Nikolai’s father’s first doctorate died in besieged Leningrad from a fire.

On October 23, 1914, one of the most important events in the fate of young Boris happened. The rector of the Theological Academy of St. Petersburg, the venerable Bishop Anastasius, tonsured him as a monk.

Anastasius had a strong influence on the worldview of the future metropolitan.

On October 24, Yarushevich was accepted as a hierodeacon, and literally the next day he was elevated to hieromonk. After which he is sent to the front to serve as the father-preacher of the ambulance train.

But Nikolai did not stay there long; after a few weeks he was sent as a confessor to the Finnish Regiment, to the Life Guards. But even there he did not stay long, and after some time, due to illness, he was recalled to the rear. Due to the harsh winter, Father Nikolai developed rheumatism, which caused complications in his heart.

Bishop

On March 25 (April 7), 1922 he was consecrated Bishop of Peterhof, vicar of the Petrograd diocese. Chirtonia in the Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra was headed by Metropolitan of Petrograd Benjamin (Kazan); Bishop Alexy (Simansky) of Yamburg (later Patriarch) also participated.

He had a negative attitude towards the renovation movement, officially recognized in 1922 by the authorities as the Orthodox Russian Church. Together with another vicar, Bishop Alexy (Simansky), he stood at the head of the “Petrograd Autocephaly,” which took a position of non-alignment: it was not subordinate to either the renovationist Higher Church Administration of Metropolitan Antonin, or the “counter-revolutionary” Patriarch Tikhon, who was then under house arrest. After the arrest of Bishop Alexy (Simansky), from October 1922 to February 1923 he headed the “Petrograd Autocephaly”.

In February 1923 he was deported to the village. Ust-Kulom Zyryansky region. At this time he was seriously ill due to exacerbation of rheumatism. In exile, he wrote an akathist to the Mother of God, which he later performed in front of Her icon, called “Mammal.” After the end of his exile, at the beginning of 1926 he returned to Leningrad, settled in Peterhof (40 Krasny Prospekt), and served in the local Peter and Paul Cathedral.

In September 1927 - February 1928 he temporarily ruled the Leningrad diocese, having received an appointment from Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) and the Temporary Patriarchal Holy Synod under him, after the removal of Metropolitan Joseph (Petrov) from the department. He actively supported the line of the Deputy Patriarchal Locum Tenens (Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky)), aimed at achieving “legalization” on the part of the existing regime in the USSR through significant concessions from the Patriarchate. During this period, he opposed not only the Renovationists, but also the Josephite movement, strong since the end of 1927, of supporters of Metropolitan Joseph (Petrovs), who had been removed from the Leningrad see.

Since 1935 - Archbishop of Peterhof. By the end of 1937, all churches in Peterhof were closed, except for the cemetery.

In 1936-1940, while remaining under the title of Peterhof, on behalf of Metropolitan Alexy (Simansky), he ruled the Novgorod and Pskov dioceses. At that time he was forbidden to live in Leningrad; he was forced to move to the village of Tatyanino near Gatchina. He usually served as a priest in the Leningrad St. Nicholas Cathedral.

In the fall of 1940, as a result of misleading the Locum Tenens by Metropolitan Alexy (Simansky), despite his refusal to be appointed, he was appointed Archbishop (since March 9, 1941 - Metropolitan) of Volyn and Lutsk, Exarch of the western regions of Ukraine and Belarus. The appointment against his wishes (his mother was dying at that moment) largely determined the personally hostile relationship with the future Patriarch Alexy I. ( Since neither the Locum Tenens, nor even L.P. Beria had other candidates for work in the western regions, and the monk, when tonsured, takes a vow of obedience and dies for the world - first of all, for mom and dad, the machinations of Metropolitan Alexy seem greatly exaggerated

).

He enjoyed the trust of the Soviet authorities, led the annexation of Western Ukrainian and Western Belarusian dioceses, which were previously under the jurisdiction of the Polish Orthodox Church, to the Russian Orthodox Church. He traveled around the Exarchate, in particular, he served in the Lviv St. George Church. Since March 9, 1941 - Metropolitan.

Activities during the Great Patriotic War

Since July 15, 1941 - Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia, Exarch of Ukraine. With the advance of German troops, he was evacuated to Moscow, not having time to take with him anything except the bishop’s staff. On October 12, 1941, in his will, written before the evacuation from Moscow, Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky), named him the third candidate for Locum Tenens after his death, after Metropolitan Alexy (Simansky) and Archbishop Sergius (Grishin). He accompanied Metropolitan Sergius to evacuation, but after 4 months he returned to Moscow. In February 1942 - August 1943 he ruled the Moscow diocese during the stay of the Patriarchal Locum Tenens in Ulyanovsk; was awarded the medal "For the Defense of Moscow". In 1942, under his editorship, the book “The Truth about Religion in Russia” was published, which denied the facts of persecution of the church by the Bolshevik authorities.

On November 2, 1942, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, he was appointed a member of the Extraordinary State Commission to establish and investigate the atrocities of the Nazi invaders and their accomplices. In this capacity, he affixed his signature to the official Soviet version of the execution of Polish officers in Katyn, blaming German soldiers for this crime.

He took part in the famous meeting of three metropolitans (except for him: Sergius (Stragorodsky) and Alexy (Simansky)) with Joseph Stalin on September 4, 1943, after which the government allowed the election of the Patriarch, the restoration of church educational institutions, and released a number of surviving pastors from the camps.

Since September 1943 - member of the editorial board of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate; then he headed the Publishing Department of the Moscow Patriarchate (until September 19, 1960).

Since September 8, 1943 - permanent member of the Holy Synod. Since January 28, 1944 - Metropolitan of Krutitsky, administrator of the Moscow diocese. The Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Preobrazhenskoye became his cathedral church and place of permanent service.

In March 1944, he went to the front to transfer to the Red Army a tank column named after Dmitry Donskoy, built with donations from believers of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Since March 25, 1947 - Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna.

Metropolitan Nicholas about Joseph Stalin

He publicly praised the personality of Joseph Stalin (in the spirit of official propaganda of that time), and in 1944 he spoke in the church press with the following apology for this statesman:

In our leader, believers, together with the whole country, know the greatest of the people our country has produced, who united in his person all the qualities of our Russian heroes and great commanders of the past mentioned above; they see the embodiment of all that is best and bright, which constitutes the sacred spiritual heritage of the Russian people, bequeathed by their ancestors: in it, fiery love for the Motherland and people, the deepest wisdom, the strength of a courageous, unshakable spirit and a fatherly heart were inextricably combined into a single image. Like a military leader, he merged brilliant military skill with the strongest will to win... The name of Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, surrounded by the greatest love of all the peoples of our country, is the banner of glory, prosperity, and greatness of our Motherland.

— “Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate”, 1944, No. 1

Head of Church Diplomacy

He was the first Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations: from April 1946 to June 1960.

In August - early September 1945, he made a trip to France, where he carried out a mission to join the bishops (Metropolitan Eulogius (Georgievsky) and his vicars of the Western European Exarchate (in the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Throne) and Metropolitan Seraphim (Lukyanov)) to the Moscow Patriarchate; however, after the death of Metropolitan Eulogius (August 8, 1946), his vicars and the majority of the clergy and laity returned to the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

He headed delegations of the Russian Orthodox Church during visits to England, Romania, Czechoslovakia, etc. He was one of the initiators of the Conference of Heads and Representatives of Local Orthodox Churches in July 1948, timed to coincide with the celebration of the 500th anniversary of autocephaly of the Russian Church.

Since 1949 he has been a member of the Soviet Peace Committee; many of his speeches were devoted to peacekeeping issues. He was a member of the World Peace Council and repeatedly spoke on behalf of the Russian Church at its congresses and sessions. He expressed indignation at the “brazen provocations of American reactionary circles” and fully identified with Soviet foreign policy. He was also a member of the Palestine Society at the USSR Academy of Sciences and the Slavic Committee of the USSR. For peacekeeping activities he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1955).

On May 7, 1957, in accordance with the decision of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, he signed a decree on the restoration of prayerful and canonical relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Finnish Orthodox Church, which the Moscow Patriarchate had to recognize in its existing status (as autonomy in the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Throne).

Conflict with authorities and death

In the late 1950s, the previously very comfortable relationship (at least outwardly) between Metropolitan Nicholas and the state authorities worsened. He was unable (or did not want) to adapt to the new domestic political realities of the period of Nikita Khrushchev’s leadership of the country, which was characterized, along with the phenomena of the “thaw,” also by the intensification of the atheistic and anti-church policies of the decision-making bodies. The Metropolitan allowed himself to make public speeches (words?) criticizing materialism and atheism; one of his closest collaborators, Anatoly Vedernikov (then executive secretary of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate), recalled:

Metropolitan Nicholas' sermons in the Transfiguration Cathedral, where he usually served in Moscow, became more and more harsh. Sometimes he just started screaming, which, of course, had an effect on the people. At this time, there was a campaign in the press against the baptism of children; doctors in the newspapers “scientifically” proved the “harm of baptism for health.” Metropolitan Nicholas shouted against them in his sermons: “What pathetic little doctors!” It was known that he told people about Academician Pavlov, whom he personally knew. He said publicly that the academician was not an atheist, as Soviet propaganda portrayed him, but was a believing Orthodox Christian.

In the late 1950s, the leadership of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church feared that, due to the advanced age of Patriarch Alexy, Metropolitan Nicholas could become the head of the Moscow Patriarchate; Thus, in January 1960, the Chairman of the Council, Georgy Karpov, reported to Nikita Khrushchev: “It is certainly better for us if Patriarch Alexy is at the head of the church than Metropolitan Nikolai (who is his deputy), since then there will be very great difficulties for us. Metropolitan Nicholas is very ambitious and even vain. He is a big money-grubber and, while formally declaring that he will be our ally, in reality he is working to incite religious activity.”

At the Conference of the Soviet Public on Disarmament in February 1960, Patriarch Alexy I made a speech aimed at defending the historical role of the Russian Church. The Patriarch’s speech, in particular, said:

The Church of Christ, which considers the good of people as its goal, experiences attacks and reproaches from people, and yet it fulfills its duty, calling people to peace and love. In addition, in this position of the Church there is much comfort for its faithful members, for what can all the efforts of the human mind against Christianity mean if its two-thousand-year history speaks for itself, if all hostile attacks against it were foreseen by Christ Himself and gave the promise of the steadfastness of the Church , saying that even the gates of hell will not prevail against her (Matt. 16:18).

The controlling authorities considered it not the elderly Patriarch who was “guilty” of such a demonstrative speech, but Metropolitan Krutitsky, who took upon himself the authorship of the speech; The top party leadership, in addition, believed that the Chairman of the Council, Karpov, should be replaced by a person not burdened by personal relations with the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church. The new Chairman of the Council, Vladimir Kuroedov, and the leadership of the KGB of the USSR developed and submitted to the Central Committee a plan for the removal of Metropolitan Nicholas from the leadership positions of the Patriarchate. On April 16, 1960, Kuroyedov and KGB Chairman Alexander Shelepin sent a note to the CPSU Central Committee in which, with reference to information from KGB intelligence sources, they proposed to “remove Metropolitan Nicholas from participation in the work of the World Peace Council, the Soviet Peace Committee and remove him from the leadership activities in the Moscow Patriarchate,” to obtain the consent of Patriarch Adexy; in addition, the note stated: “The KGB would consider it appropriate to appoint Archimandrite Nikodim Rotov to the post of chairman of the department for external church relations and nominate him as a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church to participate in the activities of the World Peace Council and the Soviet Peace Committee”; In place of Nicholas as Metropolitan of Krutitsky, it was proposed to transfer Metropolitan of Leningrad Pitirim (Sviridov), which, among other things, was justified “by the fact that in the event of Alexy’s death, he would be one of the likely candidates for the post of patriarch.”

On June 15, 1960, Kuroyedov had a conversation with Patriarch Alexy, during which he “recently has not held a single major event to unite Orthodox and heterodox churches against the reactionary policies of the Vatican, to strengthen the struggle for peace.” Kuroyedov placed the main responsibility for the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church “has not yet taken a leading and organizing role in international church life in the struggle for peace” on Metropolitan Nicholas, who “formally refers to the external work of the patriarchy”, and said more than once that “in Only communists are interested in the church’s foreign activities”; Kuroyedov also noted that many articles in the ZhMP

“they undeservedly praise the role of Metropolitan Nicholas in the struggle for peace,” that the latter “is not sincere, says one thing, but does another.” According to the recording of the conversation, “the Patriarch confirmed that Metropolitan Nicholas is not sincere and is showing duality,” which “many of the clergy told the Patriarch about”; “The Patriarch stated that he does not fundamentally object to the release of Metropolitan Nicholas from the external work of the Patriarchate, but he does not see a figure who could carry out a restructuring of the entire system of external work,” however, naming the candidacy of Archimandrite Nikodim, then Deputy Chairman of the DECR.

On June 17, Kuroyedov had a conversation with Metropolitan Nikolai, to whom he also expressed dissatisfaction with the “shortcomings” in the work of the DECR, to which the Metropolitan expressed the opinion that “the reproach made to him, as the head of external work, should be shared by the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church, since The previous leadership of the Council did not orient the Patriarchate towards the systematic implementation of major foreign policy events.” The Metropolitan agreed that, in view of his workload and deteriorating state of health, it would be correct to put at the head of the DECR a person “completely free from all other responsibilities.”

On June 21, 1960, at the direct request of the new chairman of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church V. A. Kuroyedov, the Synod decided to “satisfy the request of His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Krutitsy and Kolomna to relieve him from the post of Chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.”

On September 9, 1960, the Metropolitan addressed a letter to Nikita Khrushchev, recalling his services to the “Motherland” and asking the addressee to retain him as Metropolitan of Krutitsky, citing the fact that Leningrad was contraindicated for him by doctors; the message began with the words: “Dear and dear Nikita Sergeevich! Like all Soviet people, I am well aware of your deep intelligence, justice, and open heart, and I bow to it. You know about my long-term work for the benefit of the Motherland, in which I did not spare my strength, health and life in the name of peace on earth <...>”.

At a meeting on September 12, 1960, at which, among other things, the issue of “the serious shortcomings of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate” was considered, the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church decided: “It is considered necessary to recommend that Patriarch Alexy relieve Metropolitan Nicholas from the leadership of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate.” " In a conversation with Kuroyedov on September 15, the Patriarch, referring to opinions and concerns in foreign church and Russian emigrant circles, proposed “not to make a decision on the release of Nicholas at the moment, but to give him a six-month leave, and then return to this issue,” to which Kuroyedov replied that the issue must be resolved now. The Patriarch invited him to move to another department - to Leningrad, but he refused and went on vacation to Sukhumi, writing a request for retirement.

On September 19, 1960, the Synod decided: “To release Metropolitan Nicholas of Krutitsky and Kolomna, according to his petition dated September 15 of this year, from the post of Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna.” By the decision of the Patriarch on the same September 19, the Editorial Board of the “Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate” was formed with A.F. Shishkin as the executive editor; the general management of the Publishing Department was entrusted to Bishop Nicodemus.

In a letter dated September 19, 1960, Kuroyedov reported to the CPSU Central Committee: Fulfilling the decision of the CPSU Central Committee of July 25, 1960, the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church under the Council of Ministers of the USSR carried out work to strengthen the department of external church relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. Metropolitan Nicholas in August of this year was relieved (at his request) from leading the external affairs of the Patriarchate, and Bishop Nikodim was appointed in his place. The Department of External Relations has been replenished with a new composition of church leaders who correctly understand the international situation and pursue the necessary line in the external affairs of the Patriarchate. The resignation of Metropolitan Nicholas from the post of head of the department of external relations did not cause much political resonance in church circles either within the country or abroad. The higher clergy in the Soviet Union generally greeted this event positively, mainly because the episcopate does not like Metropolitan Nicholas for his vanity, selfishness and careeristic inclinations. <…> At the same time, it should be emphasized that the Metropolitan himself, after his release from his duties as head of the department of external relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, behaved incorrectly, began to spread provocative rumors among the clergy that he was a victim of a new persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church, appealed to church community within the country and abroad. <…> The issue of the incorrect, provocative behavior of Metropolitan Nicholas was the subject of our repeated discussions with the Patriarch. In a conversation held on August 28 this year. in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, the patriarch said that he had heard rumors that the metropolitan was very painfully experiencing his dismissal from the post of chairman of the department of external relations of the patriarchate, was looking for sympathy in church circles, and was trying to create an atmosphere of mistrust around the new heads of the department of external relations, engages in intrigue. <…> On September 13, Metropolitan Nikolai visited the Council and in a conversation with me expressed the idea that he considered the offer to go to work in Leningrad as an infringement of his position, since he would then no longer be the first person after the patriarch and the patriarchal locum tenens < …>. The Metropolitan talked a lot about his merits, while belittling the role of the Patriarch, slandering him, portraying him as a reactionary church leader, hypocritically declaring that only he, the Metropolitan, restrains the Patriarch from many wrong steps and directs him to progressive affairs. In particular, Nikolai unceremoniously, trampling on the truth, declared that he had long dissuaded the patriarch from seeking a meeting with N.S. Khrushchev with complaints about the alleged new oppression of the church <…>. In this conversation, the dirty, mean, vain, Pharisee nature of the Metropolitan was revealed in all its naked form. September 15 this year in another conversation with Patriarch Alexy, the latter told me that Metropolitan Nikolai was with the patriarch and categorically refused to go to work in the Leningrad diocese. “I’d rather retire,” Nikolai told the Patriarch, “than go to Leningrad or any other diocese.” “The Metropolitan apparently decided,” said Alexy, “to go all in.” In this situation, I was forced to tell the Patriarch about the content of my last conversation with Metropolitan Nicholas and about the machinations that he undertook in order to remain the second person in the church hierarchy. Alexy was extremely indignant at Nikolai’s double-dealing behavior; he repeatedly exclaimed: “What a liar, what an impudence!” “It has never happened,” said the patriarch, “that the metropolitan tried to persuade me not to raise certain church issues with the government. On the contrary, he himself always aggravated these issues and rushed me to resolve them.” The patriarch further said: “I worked with Nikolai for 40 years, but I never had an inner closeness with him. Everyone knows that he is a careerist - he dreams and sees when he will be a patriarch. I only had good external relations with him; just as he was a Westerner, he remains a Westerner” (the Patriarch here refers to the Metropolitan’s sympathy for the capitalist West and the church order existing there). <…> On the same day, the Patriarch summoned Metropolitan Nicholas and invited him to agree to transfer him to work in Leningrad, but Metropolitan Nicholas refused this offer. As a result of the subsequent conversations, Nikolai handed the patriarch a statement with a request to retire him. In the evening of the same date, the Patriarch signed a decree releasing Metropolitan Nicholas from the post of administrator of the Moscow diocese. <…>

In the last year of his life he was virtually prohibited from serving: he participated in public worship only twice and on the first day of Easter 1961 he was forced to serve at home without receiving permission to serve anywhere.

He died early in the morning of December 13, 1961 in the Botkin hospital, where he was hospitalized in early November of the same year with an attack of angina. According to the testimony of relatives, the bishop’s condition had already improved, but he was not released from the hospital. A sharp crisis and death occurred after the nurse gave the bishop an injection with an unknown drug (possibly a medical error, or intentional actions). There is an opinion that his death was not entirely natural (and therefore was martyrdom), but this is not documented.

The funeral service took place on December 15, 1961 in the refectory church of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra (Zagorsk); The burial ceremony was headed by Patriarch Alexy I. He was buried in the crypt of the Smolensk Church in Lavra.

Father Nikolai becomes a teacher and later rector

The Russian Orthodox Church is not accustomed to throwing away valuable personnel, especially those with higher spiritual education. Therefore, as soon as Father Nikolai came to his senses after his illness, he was sent as a teacher to the Petrograd Theological Seminary.

Here he put the basics of theology and liturgics into the minds of young and not quite applicants. He also taught pastoral manuals. In 1916, his duties included services in the Church of St. Nicholas, which worked at the Nikolaev Children's Hospital.

However, Nikolai served in the seminary for only three years. In December 1918 it was simply closed. Yarushevich was sent to act as rector of the Peter and Paul Cathedral in the city of Peterhof.

A year later he was reassigned to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

On December 24, Metropolitan Benjamin of St. Petersburg ordained Nicholas as archimandrite.

During the leadership of Father Nicholas, vigorous social activity developed in the Lavra: “Leaflets” began to be published, additional conversations were held with parishioners, and lectures were given on theological topics.

Seeing all the undertakings and zeal of Archimandrite Yarushevich, the Holy Synod nominated him for the post of rector of the new Petrograd Theological Institute. After some time, on January 23, 1920, the code was officially appointed rector. He didn't stay in office for long, only a week. After which he relieved himself of his duties.

pathological speech

Topics

struggle for peace Joseph Stalin

The Soviet Union rises as an impregnable citadel of the world above the muddy waves of the churned ocean. Our citadel is higher than Mont Blanc and Everest.

The first man of the world always stands on its watchtower. His eyes are sharp, his hand is strong, showing people the path of life, his all-encompassing heart beats rhythmically, having absorbed all the pain of the suffering*, filled with calm, but tireless anger towards the tormentors and great love for people. He will not allow humanity, which he recently saved, to be doomed to new torment[7]:89.

slogans

• Glory to the Great Stalin! [7]:89

Sergian language

Metropolitan
Sergius (Stragorodsky) The Wise Helmsman

: “The Russian Orthodox Church so recently suffered a difficult test in the loss of its wise helmsman - His Holiness Patriarch Sergius”[8].

language of world studies

pathological vocabulary

For, For Peace, Helmsman, Synthesis

Archimandrite Nikolai plunges into intrigue, he is arrested

Seeing what was happening with the Russian Orthodox Church in the country after the Bolsheviks came to power, Yarushevich sought to influence events. The church hierarchs around him also see this.

Bishop Alexy of Yamburg conducted a solemn ceremony for the elevation of Yarushevich to the rank

Therefore, on April 7, 1922, Nicholas was elevated to the rank of Bishop of Peterhof, vicar of the Petrograd diocese. One of the people who conducted the solemn ceremony for the elevation of Yarushevich to the rank of Yarushevich was Bishop Alexy of Yamburg.

Here we need to dwell in more detail on the state of the church for that year. But the thing is that in Russia at that time there were two main directions in which the Russian Orthodox Church was moving.

The first actively opposed all the changes that the Bolsheviks subjected to the church. The second, completely loyal to the young Soviet government.

But a third movement was emerging in St. Petersburg - “Petersburg Autocephaly”. They did not support anyone, they advocated their own independence. And the head of this movement was Bishop Alexy.

But “St. Petersburg Autocephaly” had a significant political drawback. They were not so loyal to the Soviet leadership, for which they suffered. In particular, in October 1922, Bishop Alexy was arrested and Bishop Nikolai took his place.

In 1923, Yarushevich himself was arrested.

He was kept in Leningrad prison for a long time, then he was put on trial and, as a result of the whole case, he was exiled to Ust-Kulom, where he stayed for three years.

Bishop Nicholas’s rheumatism did not disappear anywhere, and during his exile he was seriously ill.

In Ust-Kuloma, Nikolai wrote an akathist to the Mother of God, which he called “Mammal.”

He returned from exile in 1925 to Peterhof, where he served for a short time as rector of one of the local churches. That same year, he was summoned to Butyrka in Moscow, where he wrote a letter from dictation.

The message became the reason for the removal of an influential church figure in Ukraine. The letter itself was later found in the archives, but it did not reach the addressee.

Patriarch Alexy I played an important role in the life of Metropolitan Nicholas, but relations between them remained tense until the end

In 1927, the future Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Sergius appointed Bishop Nicholas as temporary administrator of the Leningrad diocese. This became possible after the removal of Metropolitan Joseph from the see.

Metropolitan Sergius was a flexible politician and seeing that Soviet power was only growing stronger, he made concessions from the Patriarchate. How did the Russian Orthodox Church achieve “legalization”?

events

organizer

• Meeting of the Heads and Representatives of the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches (July 8, 1948)
• The first conference of all Churches and religious associations in the USSR (May 9, 1952)

participant

• Reception I.V. Stalin to the hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church (September 4, 1943)
• Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1945 (January 31, 1945)
• Meeting of the Heads and Representatives of the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches (July 8, 1948)
• World Peace Congress, 1949 (20 April 1949)
• All-Union Conference of Peace Supporters, 1949 (August 25, 1949)
• Celebrating the seventieth birthday of J.V. Stalin (December 21, 1949)
• Conference of representatives of Christian churches in Luhačevice (29 June 1950)
• All-Union Conference of Peace Supporters, 1950 (October 16, 1950)
• II World Peace Congress (November 16, 1950)
• First session of the World Peace Council (February 21, 1951)
• II session of the World Peace Council (November 1, 1951)
• III All-Union Conference of Peace Supporters (November 27, 1951)
• The first conference of all Churches and religious associations in the USSR (May 9, 1952)
• Extraordinary session of the World Peace Council (1 July 1952)
• People's Congress in Vienna (December 12, 1952)
• Session of the World Peace Council. Budapest, 1953 (June 15, 1953)
• Session of the World Peace Council. Vienna, 1953 (November 23, 1953)
• Extraordinary session of the World Peace Council. Berlin, 1954 (May 24, 1954)
• International Conference on Reducing Tensions in International Relations. Stockholm 1954 (June 19, 1954)
• Session of the World Peace Council. Stockholm, 1954 (November 18, 1954)
• World Peace Assembly, Helsinki, 1955 (22 June 1955)
• Extraordinary session of the World Peace Council. Stockholm, 1956 (April 5, 1956)
• Session of the World Peace Council. Colombo 1957 (July 10, 1957)

Yarushevich is appointed archbishop and given control of the western lands

In 1935, Yarushevich was elevated by order of Metropolitan Sergius to the rank of Archbishop of Peterhof. In addition, he was given the duties of a diocesan bishop.

The whole irony of the situation was that, in fact, Vladyka Nikolai became the archbishop of one church, and it was a cemetery. Therefore, he was appointed to lead the Novgorod and Pskov dioceses.

But even here everything was not simple.

By official decree, Nikolai was prohibited from living in the Leningrad region.

Father had to leave for the village of Tatyanino near Gatchina. Alexy, by decree of appointment, separates Nikolai from his mother’s funeral.

In 1940, after Nazi Germany invaded Poland, the territory of western Ukraine and part of Belarus joined the USSR. The leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church was forced to react to the newly acquired flock and created the Western Exarchate.

Father Nicholas is appointed exarch and head of the Volyn-Lutsk diocese. The situation in the new lands was difficult, the Polish Church remained strong there and serious diplomatic efforts had to be made for normal relations.

Nicholas had to travel a lot and conduct services in different churches. In March 1940 he was elevated to the rank of metropolitan.

Images

• Extraordinary session of the World Peace Council
• Extraordinary session of the World Peace Council
• Extraordinary session of the World Peace Council
• People's Congress in Vienna
• People's Congress in Vienna
• People's Congress in Vienna
• People's Congress in Vienna
• In front of the Church of the Three Saints
• In front of the Church of the Three Saints
• In front of the Ascension Church of the Western Rite on Rue Sèvres
• III All-Union Conference of Peace Supporters
• III All-Union Conference of Peace Supporters
• All-Union Conference of Peace Supporters
• All-Union Conference of Peace Supporters
• Metropolitan Nicholas with priests
• The first conference of all Churches and religious associations in the USSR
• The first conference of all Churches and religious associations in the USSR
• Nikolai (Yarushevich)

Father Nikola headed the DECR for 15 years and died in 1960

After the partial revival of the Russian Orthodox Church after the war, the new Patriarch began active activities outside the Soviet Union. He appointed Metropolitan Nicholas as head of the department for external church relations.

Yarushevich, like no one else, came to the right place; he already had experience as a diplomat and a representative of the church during the integration of the Western exarchate. He held this position for 15 long years and retired only in 1960.

Metropolitan Nicholas in the later years of his life, behind him he experienced two world wars and 15 years of hard work in the diplomacy department of the Russian Orthodox Church

With the arrival of Nikita Khrushchev, the policy of the central committee changed dramatically. The cult of Stalin was actively developing in the country. Including the merits of the leader. Churchmen were among the first to suffer.

Relatively friendly relations gave way to sharply negative ones. Funding for the church is being reduced and the scope of its activities is being limited.

Metropolitan Nicholas reacts very sharply to the new situation. His sermons begin to carry an anti-Soviet message and this leads to confrontation with the authorities. The Communist Party put pressure on Patriarch Alexy and he was forced to dismiss Yarushevich.

Such a betrayal undermined the Metropolitan’s already fragile health, and he was hospitalized with a heart attack. The death of Bishop Nicholas is surrounded by rumors and theories; some believe that he was poisoned.

Yarushevich died on December 13, 1961, two days later he was buried in the refectory church of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. He was buried in the tomb of the Smolensk Lavra.

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