Schema-abbot Savva (Ostapenko)
[1] [2]
I consider the meeting with Schema-Abbot Savva (Ostapenko) to be the greatest event in my life. I first met him in 1955 in the monastery building of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, when he was awaiting a reception with the abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Pimen (the future Patriarch of All Rus'). Father Savva was faced with separation from the monastery: immediately after his ordination as a hieromonk, he found himself among those persecuted by the secular authorities, and partly by his brethren. The fact is that Father Savva was constantly surrounded by people; near the monastery gates one could see a crowd of pilgrims who waited for hours for him to leave his cell in order to take his blessing or ask about something very important to them. What force attracted people to him? It seems to me that the power of unceasing prayer, which makes a person like a spiritual magnet. The rumor about the great prayer book spread throughout Rus' and every day more and more spiritual children gathered around him. This was the only and most serious charge against him for the secret trial. Such trials, somewhat reminiscent of the “troikas” of the thirties, were carried out in the offices of commissioners behind closed doors. The persecution of Father Savva continued for several years with increasing force. Lies, threats, oppression, insults, slander fell on him like hammer blows, but he stood motionless, like an anvil. Finally, the authorities demanded that he be transferred to some monastery away from the capital. Father Savva had already received a decree sending him to the Pskov-Pechersk monastery and was awaiting the blessing of the governor to set off.
The beginning of his spiritual life was connected with the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. After the opening of the Lavra, he, while still a civil engineer in the world, participated in the restoration of the monastery. Here he studied at the seminary, but the temple was the real theological school for him. They said that during church services he forgot about everything and was often late for classes. When teachers asked: “Where is Ostapenko?”, the students on duty answered: “At St. Sergius’s prayer service” or: “Reading notes at a memorial service.” Some students thought this strange, and they quietly made fun of him (to which he only responded with a smile), but when exams approached, the jokers were the first to ask him for prayers. Many subsequently recalled Father Savva with gratitude precisely because he taught them by example that the most important thing in the life of a Christian, especially a clergyman, is unceasing prayer.
Now Father Savva had to part with the Lavra monks - his spiritual brothers and co-servants, as well as with numerous children with whom he was connected by inextricable bonds of love; they could not imagine life without their spiritual father. A monk leaving a monastery is like a sailor who leaves the pier of his hometown and, heading towards unknown shores, gives himself up to the vastness of the sea - only a monk gives himself up to the Providence of God, incomprehensible and deeper than the ocean.
What struck me about Father Savva that day? - The fact that he was completely calm, as if everything that was happening did not concern him, as if his whole life was concentrated in the name of Jesus Christ, and he cared little about the rest. He entrusted himself and his treasure - his children - to the will of God and the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos. It seemed to me that if he had been sent not to the Pechersk monastery, but to the steppes of Kazakhstan or to the polar tundra, he would have accepted it with the same peace of mind and readiness as obedience given from God.
I approached him, took the blessing and asked him to give me a few minutes. I asked about what I considered the most important thing: how to learn the Jesus Prayer. Father Savva looked at me carefully. He seemed to like my question. He began to explain to me the teaching of the holy fathers about the Jesus Prayer according to the Philokalia. I was surprised that he remembered entire pages from the patristic works by heart. I had read the Philokalia before, but in his mouth it sounded different. The words of the fathers were, as it were, enlivened and warmed by his personal feat of prayer. I perceived them as if I was hearing them for the first time. It’s as if before, when I opened a book, I saw the notes, and now I hear their marvelous sound. The pages of the Philokalia shone before me with an inner light. It seemed to me as if the ancient ascetic fathers were speaking through his lips. What was I experiencing at these moments? - Some extraordinary living warmth in your cold heart. Then I felt what life and death of the heart meant. I understood with all my being why people went to monasteries and deserts, what spiritual treasure, like a gold-bearing vein, they found there. And it also seemed to me that if Father Savva had told me then: “Leave everything and follow me,” then I would have followed him to the ends of the earth. Then I asked him: “Which father has the most complete and clear teaching about the Jesus Prayer, especially for our time?” He answered: “The Russian monk Dorotheus has it in a book called “Manuscript Flower Garden””[1], but added that this book is very rare and written in Church Slavonic. He talked to me with such attention and participation, as if he was not soon to leave the Lavra, as if his children were not standing at the walls of the monastery, bitterly mourning the impending separation from their spiritual father. It seemed that he had nothing but the name of Jesus Christ, and in that name there was everything. A monk on earth is a beggar, and at the same time he is a king in his domain: his staff is prayer, his crown is the cover of the Most Holy Theotokos, his throne is submission to the will of God.
The spiritual calm of Father Savva was transmitted to me. I felt that he loved me, loved me for Christ’s sake, and that, strangely enough, I was protected by this love and nothing terrible could happen to me. This concerned not only my soul, but also my entire subsequent life: as if from this hour I was under the invisible cover of his prayers.
This is difficult to explain: I gained not a guarantee against what the world considers misfortune, but the confidence that everything that happens to a person is only various circumstances and situations, the shell of life, but not life itself, and that there is only one real misfortune - loss God. I clearly felt that with the grace of God it is not difficult to survive all the sorrows in this world and that the main thing is what the human heart lives with, and the rest is only external, constituting, as it were, the shell of life. Maybe to a small extent, but I felt what was revealed to the saints: “Everywhere is good with God.” Without God, the internal disappears, and the external becomes for a person a field of constant struggle: like a beast, it pursues its victim everywhere and torments its soul and flesh.
When I met Father Savva, I did not feel any special emotional experiences - on the contrary, they calmed down, like the wind to which the Lord said: calm down and stop[2]. I approached Father Savva, and at the same time, it seemed to me that it was he who came up to me and brought with him what I so lacked - the spirit surrounding him was not earthly, but some kind of deep, all-penetrating silence. I felt this silence in my heart. Conversations with theologians, on the contrary, shook my mind, as if I were in a boat rocking on the waves. But here everything turned out to be simple, clear and understandable. The internal contradictions fell silent, the dark forces gnawing at my heart retreated, and it just felt good, as if on a sunny morning I had woken up from some heavy sleep. It was a state of complete confidence in the existence of God, in His presence and in His good Providence for me - just as we are confident that earth and heaven exist. In this state it is impossible to talk about faith, just as it is impossible and absurd to prove that you exist in this world. Grace can be called “the evidence of God.”
When meeting an ascetic, a special flame engulfs the heart. This flame does not burn, does not lead to a state of delight, but reveals to a person that there is still some mysterious “heart within the heart” where the Lord dwells.
How strange: if I had heard the same words that Father Savva said from another person, they would have settled in the memory of my mind, and what Father Savva said went like a sharp blade into the depths of my heart and remained there forever.
The meeting with schema-abbot Savva became for me the most important evidence that there is something great and inexpressible in words - true life with God, without which ordinary life is just a prolonged death.
I kissed Savva’s father’s hand, and some feeling told me that my life would be inextricably linked with him.
* * *
The Lord allowed me, a sinner, to see the great elders of our time. Each of them had their own special spiritual gifts. Just as a ray, refracted through a prism, disintegrates into the colors of the rainbow, so the grace of God acted in one ascetic as a gift of spiritual wisdom, to others it gave the ability to console the sorrowing and sympathize with sinners, and schema-abbot Savva, as it always seemed to me, received from the Lord the gift of grace-filled prayer. However, the word “seemed” is not entirely accurate here: those who communicated with him felt this grace. They felt the power of his prayers with their souls, not only when he prayed in a temple or in a cell, but also when he had a conversation with them or simply listened to them silently. It was that unceasing prayer that goes from heart to heart - a prayer that is not subject to distance and time. The man felt that he had entered the invisible light of the ascetic’s prayer. Whether he is next to Father Savva or thousands of miles away from him, whether he is going through the path of earthly life or has already completed it - this light will not fade or dim, the love of Father Savva will not leave a person alone and abandoned.
When I went to see Father Savva in Pechery, it seemed to me that the elder was already meeting me from afar: he knew that I was going to him, and spiritually he was already with me. When I left Father Savva, I experienced the same feeling: that he was accompanying me with his prayer, that the distance between us was increasing, but he remained as close as when I was in his cell.
I have never seen prayers of such power as Father Savva possessed. He was always joyful, as if he had just received some news dear to him and wanted to share it with all of us, but he was especially transformed during temple prayer. I remember his gaze: radiant, clear and deep, as if penetrating to the depths of my soul. These eyes were pure, like crystals through which eternity shines.
And what a terrible paradox: before I became the spiritual child of Father Savva, at times I had some kind of incomprehensible hatred for him, as if his presence and prayer were shaking the dark bottom of my soul, and a desire similar to a demon appeared to insult and humiliate him . Once such an incident happened to me. I showed signs of an illness that could have been cured by surgery, but I did not want to expose my body and did not see a doctor. And so, during the next attack of illness and a serious temptation against schema-abbot Savva, I said with some anger, as one tells a bad joke to laugh at a person, I said in my heart: “If you are a saint, then heal me,” believing that he won't heal. And suddenly something happened that I did not expect. In response to my blasphemous words, to my amazement, I received healing. This disease never recurred.
How deep is the fall of the human soul! Only in rare moments do you understand what kind of hell is hidden in the depths of the heart. And only the Blood of Christ could redeem and revive this abyss of sin - man.
One woman in Sukhumi[3] asked me: “Do you know Father Savva?” I answered: “Yes.” She said, “No, you don't know him. I had breast cancer. The doctors said that the operation was necessary, I asked Father Savva for prayers. He replied: “You will be healthy.” After that, my tumor began to dissolve, and then disappeared completely. Did you know that he works such miracles? I asked: “Did you tell him about this?” She answered childishly: “I bought two large fish, the best at the market, brought them to the house where he was, and asked him to accept this gift from me. Then I met him in church and when I wanted to tell him about my healing, he touched my lips with his finger and quietly said in my ear: “The Lord, not me.”
* * *
Father Savva more than once repeated the words of St. Pimen the Great: “To have peace in your soul, be in your rank”[4]. Church, family, service - all these are structures where a person must find himself and determine his place. Father Savva did not approve of those abbots and abbesses who, because of false humility, are afraid to show their power: this causes disorder in monastic life. He also believed that a spiritual father should not, under the pretext of mercy, “dismiss” his children and himself become a novice to them. He cited the words of St. John Climacus that a monk, dying, would curse his overly lenient confessor[5].
Once I told Father Savva that I had no spiritual children, and I thought that he would approve of this. But he sternly told me that by refusing people advice and communication, I would not become St. Anthony, and that this was not the product of humility, but laziness, that I was proud of what a priest should be ashamed of. But he immediately added that one must be able to lead spiritual children and, while hiding love, show reasonable severity towards them. He said that a few minutes are enough to resolve spiritual issues and you should not allow people to manage your time, that for proper guidance you need to meet with a person rarely and for a short time, explaining this to him, for example, like this: “I have five minutes for you, take this time, you are not alone”; or you can tell the person to write the confession or questions on paper - no more than one page. Father Savva made an exception for those who came from afar. Very often, without answering questions, he said: “I will pray for you.” And, as a rule, the person received an answer, sometimes completely unexpected.
We can say that Father Savva communicated with people through prayer; the conversation was only a help. He said that a meeting with a spiritual father should be an event for a person, and not an everyday occurrence; that not a single word of the spiritual father, even said in jest, should be ignored. He said that some spiritual children receive more in three minutes of being with him than others in a week.
I once asked him: “What passion is the most dangerous and what sin is the most destructive?” He replied: “Cowardice and timidity. Such a person always lives a dual, false life, he cannot complete a good deed, he is always cunning and, as it were, maneuvers between people. The fearful one has a crooked soul; If he does not overcome this passion in himself, then unexpectedly, under the influence of fear, he may become an apostate and a traitor.” When I asked: “How to overcome this passion?”, he replied: “Overcome it in small ways, do not rely on people, including yourself, but trust in God. Fear of God destroys other fear.” Then he said: “Pray to the Mother of God. She is our Chosen Voivode.”
One hieromonk, wanting to confess to Father Savva, wrote on a piece of paper the sins that he remembered; There were also heavy ones among them. The elder took a sheet of paper and a pencil and began to read. His facial expression resembled a doctor who listens carefully and intensely to a patient in order to determine his illness. He read slowly and intently, as if weighing each sin in the palm of his hand. Through confession, he seemed to strive to see a person’s soul, his spiritual path and hidden inner life and determine the reasons for the sins he committed. Suddenly he stood up and, with a sharp movement of the pencil, underlined one phrase, and then returned the sheet to the hieromonk: he wrote how, out of fear of a person, he had bent his conscience. Father Savva said: “Pay attention to this, cowardice is one of the most serious sins: it is the cause of many other sins and downfalls, because during the persecution people renounced Christ because of cowardice. The Apocalypse says that the fearful will not be saved and will not enter Heavenly Jerusalem[6]. Try to eradicate this sin from your heart.” Then he added: “Leave this leaf, I will burn it.”
The hieromonk returned from Father Savva with a joyful feeling and the feeling that his sins had been burned in an invisible flame.
Father Savva had compassion for every person, but he was strict towards his children and often hid this compassion under external severity. The more he loved a person, the more demanding he treated him: his word sounded imperious. And, on the contrary, he showed condescension and even compliance to the weak in spirit, as to a child or a sick person. Father Savva said that each metal has its own measure of strength. When he gave a blessing for some matter, he did not tolerate objections and disputes. If he saw that a person was weak in soul and exhausted, then he himself removed obedience from him or made it easier; and if he believed that he could fulfill what was required, but hesitated, then he did not listen to his explanations, did not repeat his words, but abruptly cut him off and drove him away.
Father Savva considered Pharisee humility and lies to be the worst kind of pride. If a person came to him with sincere repentance, then he never reproached him, just as a doctor does not reproach a patient for purulent ulcers and wounds, but tries to do everything to heal the disease. The elder seemed to burn away the sins of his spiritual children with the fire of his prayer. But if he saw hypocrisy and cunning in a person, then he was angry with him, cut with words like a knife, and could literally drive such a person out of his cell by the neck. He considered the sin of Pharisaism to be one of the most difficult sins to heal. Therefore, his visible harshness was, as it were, the last resort to awaken a person’s conscience.
The elder treated the proud and disobedient strictly. He forced one vain and self-confident man who came to his cell to stand at the threshold, saying that the cell had just been removed, and he would dirty the floor with his feet. He said to another: “You did not come to ask, but to tempt me, so that you could then argue in whom there is more truth: in me or in your elder, whom you also tempted with questions, and now decided to abandon.” Father Savva said to some: “Have you been to the zoo? If you approach the animals with food, they will carefully watch your every move. The food you throw will not have time to fall to the ground before they grab it on the fly. So you must grab every word of the elder on the fly and remember it.”
Schema-abbot Savva could not stand verbosity. He taught his children to speak as briefly as possible. He gave some the rule to speak no more than a certain number of words per day. The elder sought to preserve inner prayer from scattering, so he preferred that his spiritual children write down their confession - no more than one or two pages. They had to think it over in advance, choose the most important thing and discard the unimportant. Father Savva said that when confessing to your spiritual father, you should not explain or tell the circumstances, indulge in deep introspection and a subtle review of your thoughts - you must point out the sins you have committed, and not write an autobiography. When they approached Father Savva to resolve a particular issue, he also stopped the verbosity: he asked them to briefly and clearly state what the matter was, and to wait for an answer from the spiritual father. The fewer words, the clearer the matter, the more correct the answer the confessor can give. Schema-abbot Savva believed that a person who explains his problem to the elder for a long time wants to convince him to agree with the decision that he himself has already made, and, as it were, forces him to bless what he himself wants. Here there is a kind of internal struggle between the questioner and the answerer: under the guise of additional explanations, such a person presents new arguments in favor of his decision and internally puts pressure on the will of the elder. It turns out to be deception or self-deception. The basis of blessing as trust in the elder is absent here, and therefore the will of God cannot be manifested through the elder. In such cases, Father Savva usually interrupted the conversation. He said: “One woman came up to me and wanted to ask for blessings on some matter and began to talk incessantly. I told her I understood. But she, not paying attention to those around her, did not lag behind me, continuing to talk. Then I took her by the collar and pushed her out of the cell. For some reason this seemed offensive to her. It also happens. A man comes to me and says: “Pray for me.” I nod my head; he goes away a few steps, returns and again says: “Pray for me,” and so on several times. Maybe I will pray for him, but I answer him: “Learn to pray for yourself.”
Father Savva said to some: “Shut your mouth and answer only the questions that I ask you.” He considered verbosity with his spiritual father to be promiscuity. “A spiritual father is for salvation, not for friendship,” he said. “And you talk to me like a neighbor you met on the street.” If everyday questions were not related to spiritual ones, then Father Savva often completely refused to answer them. He cited as an example the words of the Savior, who refused to divide the brothers’ property, saying that this was not what he came here for[7].
And among the people, Father Savva could maintain inner silence. Next to him, I remembered the words of St. Theodore: “Either distance yourself from people, or be like a sword to them.”[8].
(To be continued)
[1] “The book called Flower Garden, composed by the holy monk Dorotheos, containing the commandments of the Gospel and the teachings of the holy fathers” (late 16th - early 17th centuries) was published several times in the 18th century. Now republished in Russian translation. See, for example, the publication of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery, 2005. [2] Cf.: Mk. 4, 39. [3] For a long time, Father Raphael served in parishes in Georgia and Abkhazia. — SEV. [4] See: Memorable tales about the asceticism of the holy and blessed fathers. About Abba Pimen, 71, 167. - M., 2004. P. 646, 667. [5] See: Venerable John, Abbot of Mount Sinai. A ladder leading to heaven. A special word for the shepherd, teaching what a mentor of verbal sheep should be. 14, 4. - M., 2001. P. 500. [6] See: Open. 21, 8. [7] See: Lk. 12, 13-34. [8] Ancient patericon, set out in chapters. Ch. 8. About the fact that nothing should be done for show. - M., 1891. (Rep. edition: M., 1997.) P. 134.
[1] [2]
Books and works
During his long life, Savva wrote many books dedicated to the Lord. For example:
- “A brief explanation of the most important rules and customs of the Orthodox Christian faith”;
- "On Repentance";
- “About earthly and heavenly rewards”;
- “On the main Christian virtues and pride”;
- "On the Divine Liturgy."
Schema-Abbot Savva's book "Light in the Heart"
These works glorified the schema-abbot and brought him closer to God. They address a wide variety of topics and will always be able to help the true believer looking for answers.
New name - new destiny
Soon he took monastic vows.
Got a new name, a new life. And now Nikolai could forget about his worldly name, he is Savva. Oddly enough, little Kolya dreamed of this name, and the Lord heard his prayers. From that moment on, Savva was in inextricable union with God. The priest's life in the monastery was not easy. A huge number of trials, temptations and the like fell to his lot. Father supervised the construction of the temple; he had to take on the most difficult work. For such efforts and desire to develop, he was awarded another obedience, namely, to be the confessor of pilgrims.
Father was very kind, he sincerely worried about the people around him, who did not understand what they were doing. Every day I prayed for people in the world, asking the Lord to grant them enlightenment of mind. He tried to explain the truth of every sinful action; no, he did not scold, but tried to convey the truth with kindness.
Last steps to monasticism
At the age of 48, Nikolai makes an incredibly important decision for himself - to enter a theological seminary. There he became a true example. Diligence, hard work, a sincere and kind heart - this is what helped Nikolai become the best. Spiritual life reigned in him, and thanks to such inspiration, many considered him strange and even tried to joke. But in case of trouble they always ran to him for help. And he never refused or held a grudge against jokes.
After graduating from the seminary, Nicholas was invited to serve in the church, but his childhood dream took over, and he headed to the monastery. Monasticism was a reasonable decision; he wanted to pray for the world and for each person individually. For him it was important, necessary for the soul.
Finally, he came to his dream: Nikolai Mikhailovich was received at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Initially, he was accepted for obedience, but this period was passed quickly and successfully. Obedience was easy, although there were temptations and much more. But how can you betray a childhood dream? What I had been going towards for so long, what my heart ached about. That’s why everything went by in one breath, and those around me saw and understood it.
Fatal incident
Once on one of the cold winter days, Kolya went to the river, where he fell into an ice hole. Naturally, the water was ice-cold, and the boy was wet to the skin. But, thank God, he was saved and sent home as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, it was not possible to avoid a cold. By evening, my temperature had risen, making it difficult to sleep. In such delirium, Nikolai saw a vision in which a man appeared to him in the guise of a priest, and within a few minutes he realized that this man was him. After this, the boy quickly recovered and was soon on his feet.
Instructions
He didn't like verbosity, and there was no need for it. Even the longest story can be told in a few sentences. This is exactly what he demanded. Savva wrote a huge number of books that are aimed at helping a person come to God. The path is far from close, difficult and thorny, but still there is the right loophole, and if you go without turning, you can go out into a beautiful clearing where the Lord will meet his child. This is exactly what he tried to prove by his own example. His path was incredibly difficult. He went through a lot and still remained faithful to his little childhood dream, which created a miracle. Until the last days of his life, the priest remained displeased with the authorities.
On July 27, 1980, Father Savva died, and the ringing of bells notified everyone of this sad news. At that moment, next to him were his spiritual children, who knew how kind and incredible the priest was. With his hands the Lord worked miracles, everyone could feel it. This day turned out to be mournful for the brethren, but at the same time, having gone through a whole series of trials and persecutions, Savva deserved to rest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And his children still sincerely pray for his stay there.
Savva Ostapenko left behind a great legacy. Quotes from the Holy Father still help many to find the right direction on the spiritual path. Father always asked for justice, honesty and selflessness. He taught people that they need to be strict with themselves, but lenient with others. And if anger overwhelms you, then it’s better to leave completely in silence. Schema-abbot Savva Ostapenko gave many teachings. The biography of the holy father was not simple, but these difficulties helped the saint not only come to the Lord himself, but also guide others on the true path.
Labor activity
He worked as a civil engineer, holding this position until 1945. Despite the fact that all these years Nikolai lived in the world, the ordinary life of a person, he did not forget about his own dream and faith in God. He never stopped praying for a day and took small steps closer to his cherished dream.
Soon Nikolai met Elder Hilarion. It was he who became an assistant, mentor and simply a loved one at the beginning of Nikolai’s spiritual path. It was Hilarion who helped make the dream come true.
The fact is that the war brought a lot of grief. People in every family died. It was hard and painful. All these sorrows began to awaken people's faith in God.
The birth of a dream
When Nikolai was six years old, his parents decided to send their child to a church school. Science was easy, the boy had obvious abilities. Therefore, his studies quickly drew him in, and every day his interest grew more and more. Over time, the boy, a little older, began to serve the priests in the church, and also sing in the choir. All this was easy, because he had the ability and a great desire to do just that. These activities gradually brought little Nikolai closer to God, he began to dream more and more about serving the Lord and did everything necessary to fulfill his small, but not at all a childish dream. It was no surprise to anyone that Kolya admitted that he dreams of being a monk. But such dreams were not according to his age, because Nikolai was then just a boy. Such mature intelligence surprised the parents, but they were happy for their child.
Persecution
Soon he became a hieromonk. The power of the priest’s prayer was incredible. Every day more and more people gathered near the temple, dreaming of Savva’s blessing. He lovingly tried to listen to everyone and give advice in a difficult situation. So the fame of this incredible holy father spread throughout the cities. This situation did not suit the authorities. They tried to threaten him, slandered him, and many troubles fell on his head. Subsequently, it was decided to send Father Savva as far as possible. This is how Saint Savva Ostapenko ended up in the Pskov-Pechersk monastery.
But even here there were people who did not understand the priest. It was difficult for him, a lot of suffering befell him. He loved every person. But this love was special, for everyone. Thus, he treated the stronger ones with all severity, trying to elevate their spirituality. But Elder Savva Ostapenko treated spiritually weak people the way they treat people stricken with illness.
Education
More than a year has passed since that vision, time has dragged on, but the cherished dream has not come true. This greatly upset the young man, but he did not stop in his work. He grew spiritually, prayed and continued to help people around him. All this, in small steps, led him to his cherished dream.
This fairly young young man knew the Gospel practically by heart. He especially loved reading the Gospel of John, and at any free moment he would pick up this book.
Already at the age of 13, Nikolai managed to graduate from college. And at the age of 16, the young man was drafted ahead of schedule to serve in the imperial army. If we take into account the service record, then thanks to its chronology we can find out that in 1917 Nikolai entered service in the Red Army. At the end of the Civil War, he decided to continue his military path and therefore entered the military-technical school. After graduating from college, Kolya acquired the title of military technician, and even went to work in his new specialty. In 1932, Nikolai decided to continue his studies, so he was enrolled in the Moscow Construction Institute, which he also successfully graduated from.
