Russia is famous for its heroic deeds and numerous talented commanders, many of whom glorified the power of domestic weapons in various wars and battles. One of these is Admiral Fedor Ushakov.
He forever went down in Russian history as a talented naval commander who did not know a single defeat and won many high-profile victories that allowed Russia to become one of the strongest European powers of that time.
Canonization
At a meeting of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, held in 2004, it was decided to canonize the most famous Russian admiral, who covered himself with unfading glory. The transfer of the relics of Fyodor Ushakov was a significant event for the entire Russian fleet.
He was canonized even earlier, in 2001. He was canonized in the Saransk diocese, which contained the relics of the holy righteous Fyodor Ushakov. Its leadership did not know how the Navy leadership would react to this. But the reaction was, as one would expect, positive, and the meeting of the relics of Fyodor Ushakov was solemn. A large delegation of the command of the Russian and Ukrainian Navies, numerous senior government officials of the two countries, representatives of Greece and approximately six thousand pilgrims arrived at the events associated with his canonization.
Novaya Gazeta published a special report by Irina Tumakova, in which the journalist talks about how the relics of Admiral Fyodor Ushakov have been carried around Russia for several years. Spectrum, with the support of Media Network, publishes the full text of the special report.
“Today has filled the hearts of the sailors with spiritual joy; Admiral Feodor Ushakov himself, the great warrior of our country, who never knew defeat and at the same time a canonized saint, arrived to bless the main naval parade,” announced the deputy head of the synodal department for interaction with the armed forces and law enforcement agencies, chairman of the military department of the St. Petersburg diocese, Archimandrite Alexy (Ganzhin).
Admiral Ushakov arrived on an Il-76 plane at the military transport airfield in Pushkin, a suburb of St. Petersburg, on July 21. According to the website of the Russian Orthodox Church, he was then transported to Kronstadt, and on board the boat “John of Kronstadt” in the Gulf of Finland, the admiral made a tour of the ships that were to participate in the parade on July 26 on the occasion of Navy Day.
To be precise, it was not the whole of Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov who blessed the parade, but individual parts of his body.
Ark with the relics of Admiral Ushakov. Photo: Alexander Demyanchuk / TASS
The great naval commander of the 18th-19th centuries was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 2001. He became the third military leader in Russian history to be canonized “with the rank of holy warrior,” the Ministry of Defense website reports. The first was Prince Alexander Nevsky, he was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church back in the 16th century, the second was Dmitry Donskoy (1988).
The organizer of the movement of the remains of Admiral Ushakov removed from the grave was the Main Command of the Navy. For several years now, the Ministry of Defense, as part of cooperation with the Russian Orthodox Church, has been transporting them around the country. The main part of them is kept in the cathedral church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in the Sanaksarsky monastery in Mordovia.
But servants of the Russian Orthodox Church separated some of the admiral’s particles in order to distribute them to different cities.
As the Orthodox portal “Vera” reports, “particles of his relics are at the headquarters of the strategic Far Eastern aviation, as well as at the Sevastopol fleet.”
We know Admiral Fedor Ushakov as an outstanding naval commander who did not lose a single battle, the founder of the Russian tactical naval school, and the hero of the Russian-Turkish wars. He received his first award and gratitude from Catherine II for the fight against the plague in Kherson in 1783. We owe it to him that Crimea is ours: the Turks failed to recapture the peninsula in the Battle of Kerch in 1790. In addition, Ushakov supervised the construction of the port in Sevastopol.
The Church honors Fyodor Ushakov for his righteous lifestyle: it is believed that his endeavors were successful thanks to “God’s help, which the future holy warrior always called upon,” he began military affairs exclusively after prayer and also ended with prayer. After retiring in 1807 (at the age of 62), Ushakov settled in the village of Alekseevka, Temnikovsky district, Tambov province, on the lands granted to him by Catherine for the victory at Cape Kaliakria. He organized a military hospital in Temnikov, donated a lot to charity, including to the monastery, where at the end of the 18th century his uncle Theodore of Sanaksarsky (in the world Ivan Ignatievich Ushakov) was the abbot. The admiral's last wish was that he be buried in this monastery.
The name of Fyodor Ushakov sounded in a new way in the USSR thanks to Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin. In 1943, the “father of nations” wanted to establish an order named after someone very, very great in the fleet. He became interested in history and learned that Admiral Ushakov was approaching. In addition, a “new course” was proclaimed in the religious policy of the Soviet Union. In 1944, a film script appeared, which was supposed to explain to the Soviet people the historical role of Ushakov and lay an ideological platform under the foundation of the order (director Mikhail Romm would finish the dilogy about the admiral in 1953).
Still from the film “Admiral Ushakov”
Then, in 1944, an expedition went to the Tambov region to look for Ushakov’s grave.
Because the grave was actually lost after the revolution, when the Bolsheviks destroyed the monastery and destroyed the chapel near the burial.
The expedition found the slab, exhumed the remains under it and, based on the surviving parts of the shoulder strap, established that it was Admiral Ushakov who was buried here. In the USSR, streets and ships began to be named after Ushakov (before that, on the contrary, they were renamed; in Sevastopol, for example, Ushakov Street became Marat Street in the 1920s).
Modern Russia again needed Admiral Ushakov; he was canonized, we repeat, in 2001. The identity of the remains near Tambov did not even need to be established, because, as the same Vera portal reports, back in 1944 it turned out that after 127 years they “turned out to be incorrupt” because “the body did not succumb to the natural process of decomposition.”
So after canonization, all that remained was to transfer the incorruptible relics to the shrine. It was exhibited at the Sanaksar Monastery. Judging by the fact that particles of relics are present in at least two other places, the body had to be divided somehow. Probably, some other particles are separated temporarily for transportation across Russia, because the relics managed to visit Rybinsk, St. Petersburg, Voronezh, Kherson, Sevastopol - in total ten cities where the admiral visited during his lifetime. Upon return, they are apparently put back into the shrine - to the rest of the incorruptible body.
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Procession
In honor of this event, a religious procession was also held. It was quite unusual, since many military personnel took part in it, including senior command personnel. Raku with the relics of the famous admiral was met by the Navy orchestra, performing military marches. At the head of the column were officers with St. Andrew's flags in their hands. The shrine, which contained the relics of Admiral Fyodor Ushakov, was carried by the admirals. The guard of honor included cadets and sailors. This event was not complete without a carbine fireworks display. All this turned the church ceremony into a real Navy holiday.
Where are the relics located?
The current location of the holy relics of the righteous Fyodor Ushakov is the Cathedral Church of the Nativity of the Virgin.
You can get to the monastery where the holy relics of the admiral rest on special buses for pilgrims that come from Moscow, Saratov and Voronezh. You can also take a train to the city of Temnikov, and cross a 4-kilometer bridge to get to the monastery.
Reliquary with the relics of St. Theodore Ushakov
Do not forget that the ark with the relics of the saint is carried around the cities of Russia. So, the crayfish was brought to Kronstadt, St. Petersburg, and Sevastopol. Thus, the relics of Fyodor Ushakov follow the path that the saint took during his lifetime.
On a note! Particles of his relics are in the headquarters of the strategic Far Eastern aviation, as well as in the Sevastopol fleet.
More about the relics of Orthodox saints:
- Relics of the Holy Princess Elizabeth Feodorovna
- Relics of Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir
- Relics of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk
Honors in the Navy
In the same year, the leadership of the Russian Navy and the church decided to carry out a set of measures to glorify the hero. Over time, a special service was developed and icons were painted. The relics of Fyodor Ushakov were transported to cities, especially those that were in one way or another connected with the fleet. In Saransk, construction began on a cathedral in honor of the holy admiral. In addition, churches and chapels named after Fyodor Ushakov began to be built in many cities associated with the fleet.
The Russian Navy celebrated the appearance of its new patron saint with special triumph. Religious processions took place in all fleets. A particularly solemn and numerous event was held on the Black Sea. Two large landing ships took part in the religious procession - the Yamal, which was part of the Russian Navy, and the Konstantin Olshansky from the Ukrainian Navy. On one of them were the relics of Fyodor Ushakov.
Since the recognition of this illustrious admiral as a saint, icons with his image can be seen on all ships and places of deployment of the navy, and not only in the crew quarters and barracks of sailors, but also in the cabins and offices of senior and senior command personnel. This is considered useful and strengthens morale, improves the atmosphere in the team. The bringing of the relics of Fyodor Ushakov is always a significant event for any temple.
This saint is revered not only in Russia, but also in many other countries. First of all, in those in whose history Ushakov played a significant role. In particular, this is Greece, because it owes him a lot. In addition, he is revered in Georgia, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. The relics of Fyodor Ushakov are carried around in many churches and temples.
UNKNOWN FACTS ABOUT ADMIRAL USHAKOV
At the beginning of 2021, the Rybinsk Museum of Admiral F. F. Ushakov, the invincible naval commander and the pride of national history, moved to a new building. The museum's exhibition has expanded and lifted the curtain on the mystery of the discovery of the grave and lifetime portrait of Fyodor Fedorovich Ushakov.
1940, school teacher Nikolai Ilyin stood on the site of the destroyed chapel of Father Theodore (in the world of Ivan Ignatievich Ushakov, the uncle of the famous admiral) in the former Sanaksarsky Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God, where there was now a school for machine operators. Among the broken bricks and debris lay a marble column with a memorable inscription: “... HERE REST THE ASHES OF HIS HIGH... REVOLUTIONARY AND HIGH... HONORED BOYARIN OF THE FLEET OF A... RAL AND VARIOUS RUSSIAN AND I... TRANSITIONAL ORDERS CHAVALIER... THEODOR FEODOROVICH USHAKO... OF THE YEAR 1817, SEPTEMBER... AT THE 74TH YEAR OF BIRTH.”
Nikolai Alekseevich Ilyin was born in 1906 in the city of Temnikov, after graduating from the 2nd level school (pedagogical college), he taught physics, mathematics and astronomy in schools in Mordovia. I bought records, books, and magazines with my teacher’s modest income. In the book by A. S. Novikov-Priboy, dedicated to Admiral Ushakov, N. A. Ilyin read that the burial place of the famous naval commander is currently unknown, his grave has been lost. However, Nikolai Alekseevich knew from childhood where the admiral was buried, since he grew up not far from the Sanaksar monastery and visited there several times. N. A. Ilyin wrote to the writer A. S. Novikov-Priboi about what happened in 1940 at the site of the admiral’s grave. Here is an excerpt from his letter: “The grave of Admiral F.F. Ushakov has been forgotten. The marble monument has been toppled and wood is being chopped around it. The monument is destroyed, lying among the rubbish, where the horses are now parked. His grave is located near the wall of the former. Churches of the Sanaksar Monastery 3 kilometers from the town of Temnikov. Part of the inscription is chipped off. None of the teachers of the school of combine operators and the pioneer camp located on the territory of this monastery considered it necessary to pay attention to the grave of the glorious hero-patriot of the motherland.” Nikolai Alekseevich found the writer’s address in Roman Newspaper No. 5 - 6 for 1932, which, upon completion of the publication of the novel Tsushima, contained an appeal to readers and participants in the Tsushima Battle to send their reviews to the author’s address. Ilyin wrote to Novikov-Priboy twice. On August 9, 1940, Novikov-Priboi responded and said that on the issue raised, he contacted the Tengushevsky District Executive Committee and the Naval Museum in Leningrad: “I hope that your initiative will not be in vain and now they will turn to the restoration of the monument to the hero and patriot - Admiral Ushakov attention to those who are in charge of this. Thank you for posting the captions. I shake your hand firmly." On September 24, 1940, a letter arrived from the Central Naval Museum. The teachers were thanked for their attentive attitude towards the monument and asked to report on how its repair would proceed. After the restoration, the monument was installed on the grave, the burial site was landscaped and surrounded by a fence. Ilyin took several photographs and sent them on May 19, 1941 to the Central Naval Museum. When in 1944, before the establishment of the Order of Admiral F. F. Ushakov by the Soviet government, the need arose to reproduce the appearance of the admiral, scientist, pathologist and anthropologist M. M. Gerasimov was sent to the former Sanaksar monastery. He opened the burial of Admiral F. F. Ushakov and exhumed his remains, then, using the skull of F. F. Ushakov, he made a plastic reconstruction of his appearance. The sculptural bust was installed on the monument at the grave of F. F. Ushakov. Would the expedition of M. M. Gerasimov in 1944 have been able to discover traces of the grave of Admiral F. F. Ushakov, if a simple school teacher-patriot Nikolai Ilyin had not sounded the alarm when he saw the destroyed monument and the abandoned grave of the great Russian naval commander?.. In March 1942 Ilyin was drafted into the army and, after training, was sent to the front as a signalman; he died on December 26, 1942 and was buried near the village of Selyavnoye, Davydovsky district, Voronezh region. * * * In the museum’s collection is the first and only pictorial copy of the lifetime portrait of Admiral F. F. Ushakov, painted by Rybinsk artist Olga Tsvetkova. Father Spyridon, schema-archimandrite, rector of the Monastery of the Most Holy Theotokos High on the island of Corfu, discovered a portrait of the admiral several years ago in one of the premises of the monastery. The portrait hung on the wall in a simple wooden frame, without an icon case. The monastery was abandoned for several decades, the glass in the monastery buildings was broken. Rodents, the cold and dampness of Greek winters destroyed many of the monastery's books and archival documents. The portrait of Fyodor Fedorovich was preserved, although birds pecked at it (tempera paint contains egg white, which attracted birds), and traces of bird droppings remained. But the face of the naval commander was intact. During the study of this portrait, interesting facts were discovered. It was possible to date the portrait based on the image of two loops on the sleeve of the uniform, that is, Fyodor Fedorovich had the rank of vice admiral at the time of painting the portrait, which means that the portrait was painted before April 1799. The uniform depicted in the portrait fully corresponds to the uniform depicted on the medal minted by the Greeks in 1800 in honor of the liberation of the Greek islands of Ithaca and Kefalonia by Russian sailors F. F. Ushakov; perhaps the author of the portrait also made a sketch for the commemorative medal. The details of the elements of the uniform, the embroidered medal badges, and Fyodor Fedorovich’s eyes, meticulously painted by an unknown artist, are striking. In the portrait he looks alive. But the appearance in the portrait from the monastery is very different from all other images of the famous naval commander. According to Father Spiridon, the portrait was presented to the monastery personally by Fyodor Fedorovich, who had special, close spiritual ties with this Greek monastery, where the cell building (now called “Russian” or “Ushakovsky”) was built at the personal expense of the admiral and with the hands of Russian sailors. and a cistern for collecting rainwater, still in use today.
Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov (February 13 (24), 1745 - October 2 (14, 1817) - Russian naval commander, commander of the Black Sea Fleet (1790 - 1798); commander of the Russian-Turkish squadron in the Mediterranean Sea (1798 – 1800), admiral (1799). Ushakov's battle tactics were included in all naval combat textbooks. He did not lose a single ship in battle, not a single subordinate was captured. Ushakov won 43 naval battles and did not suffer a single defeat. The world first heard about Ushakov during the Russian-Turkish War of 1787–1791. Among his victories, the most important are: 1788 - victory at the island of Fidonisi; 1790 – victory in the Battle of Kerch; 1790 - victory at Tendra Island; 1791 - victory at Cape Kaliakria; 1798 - 1800 - a successful Mediterranean campaign, as a result of which the Ionian Islands, including Corfu, were taken, the commander’s fleet captured Rome and Naples.
It is believed that the only lifetime portrait of Fyodor Fedorovich Ushakov is a portrait painted at the beginning of the 19th century by an unknown artist, which is kept in the Hermitage. This portrait has also been examined. Firstly, on the uniform there is no Order of Saint Januarius, 1st degree, which was awarded to Fyodor Fedorovich Ushakov in 1800 by the Neapolitan King Ferdinand IV through Emperor Paul I for the liberation of the lands of the Kingdom of Naples. Secondly, Fyodor Fedorovich in this portrait looks too formal and looks like a court nobleman, although the admiral spent dozens of naval campaigns, exposed his face to the sun and salty wind, was sick, fasted, and ate the way they eat on board a warship on a cruise. Thirdly, the moire ribbon for wearing the Order of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky is located under the epaulette, and this needs to be very seriously emphasized. An epaulette can be attached to a uniform in only two ways - either be completely sewn on, or attached with a button and a counter-epaulette. In both versions, it is impossible to stretch a moiré ribbon more than 100 mm wide under the epaulette, which is confirmed by portraits of other admirals of the early 19th century, whose medal ribbon is always above the epaulette. Even from the point of view of wearing a uniform, it is logical to assume that the sash was put on by its wearer last, before putting on the headdress. A photograph of the reverse of the epaulette found in the burial of F. F. Ushakov in 2009 was obtained from the Sanaksar Monastery. This was the first time such a photograph had been taken. No traces of counter-flight were found. The material of the counter-epaulette is similar to that of the epaulette. Since the counter-epaulette is on the epaulette, it would have been preserved. Therefore, it was concluded that the epaulettes were sewn to the shoulder part of the uniform. That is, in any case, the moire ribbon had to pass over the epaulette. But this is not observed in any of the portraits of Fyodor Fedorovich. Everywhere the ribbon goes under the epaulette, which is, in principle, impossible. Thus, it can be assumed that none of the artists who painted the portrait saw the uniform of Admiral F. F. Ushakov and, perhaps, did not understand the details of the naval uniform. The image of Vice Admiral Nikolai Lvovich Yazykov (1805) shows that the moire ribbon passes over the epaulette. The uniform he wears is similar to the uniform of Fyodor Fedorovich Ushakov, “Alexandrovsky”. The conclusion suggests itself that if the artist who painted the portrait made gross mistakes with the depiction of the uniform, then where is the guarantee that he really painted the portrait “from life”? And where is the Order of Saint Januarius? In the portrait from the island of Corfu there is no Order of St. Januarius for the reason that the portrait was painted before April 1799, when F. F. Ushakov was awarded the rank of full admiral, and he received the order in 1800 from Paul I. Sergei Yakovlev, one of the authors reconstruction of the uniform of Admiral F.F. Ushakov, adds that the telescope, which is depicted in the portrait, was used at the beginning of the 19th century by land artillerymen, as it has a hexagonal shape. And indeed, in the portrait from the Monastery of the Virgin Mary of the High, the pipe is cylindrical. Based on a comparative analysis of the images, it was concluded that the portrait of Fyodor Ushakov from the island of Corfu was lifetime.
Based on materials from the magazine "Tourist".
Carier start
Much is known about Fedor Ushakov’s numerous merits and service in the navy. After all, there remains a lot of written evidence of his deeds. Many books have been written about him and numerous films have been made. There was even some mythologization of him, which quite often happens with such great people. But if his service is known in sufficient detail, his last years of life are poorly covered. But it was they who, to a large extent, became the reason for his canonization.
The famous admiral was born into a poor noble family. Since childhood, he dreamed of serving in the navy, and after graduating from the naval cadet corps he was sent first to the Baltic Fleet, and a few years later to the Azov flotilla, which actively participated in the war with Turkey.
Ushakov immediately showed himself to be an excellent commander and quickly began to climb the career ladder. He was respected not only by ordinary sailors, but also by higher management. Over time, he rose to the rank of admiral, leading a brigade of ships of the emerging Black Sea Fleet.
Archive number No. 32 (670) dated August 7, 2007 - News
MYSTERIES OF HISTORY
This year the relics of the holy righteous Theodore Ushakov should be brought to Kursk.
The great Russian naval commander was canonized in 2001. [td]According to Vyrenkova, Admiral Ushakov spent 23 years near Kursk
Our illustrious admiral, the founder of the Black Sea Fleet, did not know defeat and did not lose a single ship in naval battles. Fyodor Ushakov was buried in Mordovia, on the territory of the Sanaksarsky monastery near the city of Temnikov. The inscription on the tombstone reads: “Here lies the ashes of His Excellency and the highly venerable boyar of the fleet, admiral and various Russian and foreign orders, Knight Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov, who died in 1817, September 4 days, in the 74th year from birth.”
Family legend
However, Kursk resident Svetlana Vyrenkova believes that the real grave of Admiral Ushakov is located near Kursk, near the walls of the Church of Joachim and Anna in the village of Dolgoye, near the town of Svoboda in the Zolotukhinsky district. For several years now she has been trying to draw attention to this serious topic. 3 years ago she specially moved from Perm to Kursk to begin an independent investigation.
– I began the research, relying on family legends, which said that in 1817, the adopted niece of Admiral Pavel Ivanovna Ushakova-Brezhnev brought the seriously ill admiral to her estate near Kursk, where he lived for another 23 years and was buried in the Brezhnev family tomb, near the old wooden temple of Joachim and Anna,” says Svetlana Georgievna.
The legend, passed down from generation to generation, was retold to her more than once by her grandmother. To her, in turn, this information was conveyed by her grandmother Varvara Illarionovna Arepyeva-Brezhneva. After getting married, she lived with the admiral for about a year under the same roof, and with Pavel Ivanovna until her death. Ushakov’s niece told her the seemingly incredible story of how the legendary admiral ended up in the Kursk province and ended his days here.
“My grandparents believed that I would live to see the time when the information passed down to them from their ancestors would be appreciated, and the real grave of Admiral Ushakov would be surrounded by attention and honor,” says Vyrenkova.
The Man with Two Graves
According to grandmother Svetlana Georgievna, history took the wrong path, since another Fedor Ushakov, a simple sailor, double namesake and friend of the naval commander, lived next to Admiral Ushakov for a long time. This second Fedor Ushakov came from a peasant background and even served on the admiral’s ship. And then, like his famous namesake, he ended up in the Sanaksar monastery.
There, in the monastery, Fyodor Ushakov died. But not Admiral Ushakov, but his namesake. The naval commander himself, as family legend says, at that time was between life and death. The day before he had a heart attack. The 72-year-old admiral was given unction and communion. He fell into a coma and was mistaken for dead. The “dead man” was washed, dressed in an admiral’s uniform and placed in a coffin. But the incredible happened. The night before the funeral, the admiral woke up. Just at this time his namesake dies. Fyodor Fedorovich decides to bury him as himself, and he and his family retire to an estate near Kursk. Now he need not fear for their fate. The fact is that his relatives, blood descendants of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, experienced persecution in those years. And the name of the admiral who lived with them could attract unnecessary attention to their relatives. But now he is officially dead. This means there is nothing to fear anymore.
“My grandfather, who revered the memory of the admiral, often called him “the man with two graves,” says Svetlana Vyrenkova. According to her, Fyodor Ushakov lived in the village of Shchetinka for another 23 years and died at the age of 96. He was buried at the Temple of Joachim and Anna near the Root Hermitage, where the family crypts of his relatives were located.
“The crypts of the admiral and the entire Brezhnev family near Kursk have still been preserved,” says the woman. “Unfortunately, when in 1946 the cemetery near the Church of Joachim and Anna was demolished to make way for the sports field of a neighboring school, my grandfather, trying to save the tombstones, buried them in a nearby ditch. From my grandfather’s words, I remembered the inscription on the admiral’s tombstone: “Servant of God Fedor, son of Fedor Ushakov. Admiral and holder of many orders. Born on February 13, 1745, died on July 12 (?) 1841.” I remember the date of the admiral’s death inaccurately, but I remember that he did not live a week before Ilyin’s day.
Exhumation added doubt
The fact that another Ushakov is buried in Mordovia, according to Svetlana Vyrenkova, confirms another important fact. When in 1944, the famous sculptor-anthropologist Mikhail Gerasimov, on Stalin’s instructions, opened the Temnikov grave and recreated the image of the admiral from the skull, it did not coincide with the existing lifetime portrait. Several explanations were then found for this. But the Kuryan woman believes that this is precisely the main proof that a completely different person rests in the Sanaksar monastery. In addition, in the burial inspection report there is a note that “when examining the left femur, ... an old wound was discovered, as a result of which severe deformation of the entire upper part of the femur occurred.” According to doctors, a person with such an injury must have had a severe limp. But the great naval commander did not suffer from lameness. At least not a single biographer of his makes any mention of such a fact.
Svetlana Georgievna hopes that her version will be of interest to professional historians, local historians, archaeologists and archivists. After all, only with their help is there a chance to understand this difficult story.
Irina SMIRNOVA, Nelly EFIMOVA
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Fight against the Turks and French
He took an active part in its creation, stood at the origins of the construction of Sevastopol, and did everything to increase Russia’s influence in the Black Sea. In several naval battles with Turkish squadrons, he defeated them, even though their forces were more numerous.
Thanks to his talent as a naval commander, he led the Russian squadron in the Mediterranean, which, acting together with its allies, inflicted a number of serious defeats on the French naval forces and liberated a number of countries from Napoleonic invaders.
The name of Fyodor Ushakov is forever in the monastery of the island of Corfu
A network of family clinics helped restore the portrait of the Russian admiral.
Charity knows no boundaries. So our Pushkino, located near Moscow, is now connected by strong threads of good deeds with an Orthodox monastery on the Greek island of Corfu. A network of family clinics participated in a project to restore the portrait of the great Russian naval commander Fyodor Ushakov. She carried out an important part of the work in finding and restoring the lifetime portrait of the Russian admiral.
How this happened, says Alexander KORYAKOVSKY, Deputy General Director of the Network of Family Clinics in charge of the Pushkin District.
Connection of times and peoples
– Alexander Andreevich, it was interesting to know that last year your medical institution participated in the reconstruction of the portrait of Admiral Fyodor Ushakov, located on the island of Corfu. But where is Greece and where is Pushkino! How did this become possible?
– Several years ago I had the opportunity to visit the island of Corfu and visit the monastery of the Most Holy Theotokos High, whose history is inextricably linked with the name of Admiral Ushakov, a man of deep faith. In general, two peoples meet here spiritually and historically, Greeks and Russians. This is not surprising, because part of the monastery was built by Russian people. The fact is that at the end of the 18th century a Russian garrison was located within the monastery. And Fyodor Fedorovich himself was there, he did a lot for the monastery, close spiritual ties developed between him and the fathers of the monastery.
- But why a portrait?
– Ushakov donated his portrait to the monastery as a sign of respect and spiritual gratitude. The monks carefully guarded this gift. Unfortunately, the author of the work is unknown. Over time, the portrait fell into disrepair. It had already been partially restored once, in 1945, but due to storage conditions it quickly lost its original appearance. And so, in October-November 2021, a group of enthusiasts decided to carry out a complex of restoration work to restore the portrait. Thanks to the efforts of scientists and restoration specialists from Yaroslavl, this work was successfully carried out directly in the monastery itself.
– The Network of Family Clinics took an active part in this work. A little more about this participation?
– Our participation consisted in organizing the financing of the project. The initiator of this project was the head of the Network of Family Clinics Natalia Sergeevna Koryakovskaya. She carried out an important part of the work in finding and restoring the lifelong portrait of Fyodor Ushakov as a representative of the Network of Family Clinics. I was also lucky to participate in this project. And most recently, to speak at the Ushakov Conversations on the topic of research into the life and work of Fyodor Ushakov and his comrades - admirals Alexiano and Sarandinaki.
– Are Ushakov’s readings traditional?
– Yes, they have been held for more than 15 years in different formats, relevantly linking history and modernity, and are usually timed to coincide with the birthday of the great naval commander. The organizer is the All-Russian Fleet Support Movement. This year in February we celebrated the 275th anniversary of the birth of Ushakov. And along with the Ushakov readings, a thanksgiving prayer service was held at the Central House of the Russian Army in Moscow in the Church of the Holy Righteous Warrior Fyodor Ushakov.
Monastery in distant Corfu
– Let’s mentally return to these holy places, to the monastery on an island in the Ionian Sea...
- Then a little history. The Monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Magoulades is one of the oldest monasteries on the island of Corfu with amazing shrines. It is little known to the Russians who come here, it is quite remote from the city of Kerkyra, but it is very much loved by the locals. Many Kerkyreans, as the inhabitants of the entire island call themselves, gather for the patronal feast of the monastery on the day of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Greek Orthodox Church celebrates it on August 15th.
Monastic life in the monastery on the island of Corfu arose in the first quarter of the 10th century. The monastery experienced ups and downs more than once, until in the 16th century life there completely died down. The monastery buildings gradually collapsed.
The revival of monastic life began in 1700 under Abbot Chrysanthes. At first, he was a shepherd from a neighboring village and one day he noticed an amazing light on the top of a hill, and when he climbed up, he was shocked by what he saw - the unearthly light came from the fresco of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was on the wall of the almost destroyed monastery. Having perceived this sign as the Will of God and His blessing, the ascetic sold everything he had, took monasticism with the name Chrysanthus and began to revive monastic life in this place. Gradually a monastery appeared here and a large monastic community was gathered.
- And no one interfered with him in this?
– At that time, the island of Corfu was under the control of the Venetian Republic. The Orthodox metropolitanate was abolished, and Catholicism was in effect. These were difficult years for the island's inhabitants. It was then that the monastery became a great spiritual support for the Orthodox Greeks, but the Venetians were replaced by the French, and the situation of the inhabitants of the island became even more unbearable. In 1798–1800, Admiral Ushakov was appointed commander of the Russian squadron in the Mediterranean Sea. During the campaign against France, his squadron captured the French garrison on the island of Corfu, and the long-awaited freedom came for the residents. This was in the spring of 1799. Before leaving for Russia, in 1800, Ushakov donated his portrait to the monastery.
– It turns out that the revival of Orthodox traditions on the island is connected with the name of Ushakov?
– Yes, after hundreds of years of Catholicism, the Orthodox Metropolis was revived on the island of Corfu, and it operates there to this day. One of Ushakov’s addresses to the residents is kept in the monastery - the admiral asked the Greeks to support the Russians, because they came to the island as fellow believers to liberate them from the French and restore Orthodoxy. From the documents of the Monastery of the Most Holy Theotokos High, we know that in 1799–1800, after the liberation of the island of Corfu from the French by Ushakov’s squadron, a Russian garrison was stationed in the village of Magoulades and in the cells of the monastery. The place for this was not chosen by chance - from here the entire northern coast of the island is perfectly visible.
Fyodor Ushakov especially revered Saint Spyridon - in his church the coat of arms of the Russian Imperial House still flaunts above the western door as a sign of special patronage of Russia. Also, until recently, the Russian Typikon, that is, the liturgical charter by which the church lives, was in effect almost everywhere on the island.
Admiral by the grace of God
– And what, the portrait of Admiral Ushakov was kept in the monastery for almost two hundred years?
- It is still stored there. And he never left the walls of the monastery; he was always especially revered. By the way, the portrait in the monastery is considered the first lifetime image of Ushakov, and there are only two of them, there is another, later one.
It should be noted that the monastery of the Most Holy Theotokos Vysokoya was under the protection of Fyodor Ushakov, as evidenced by documents, including the protective decree of the Russian admiral. Under him, the monastery was significantly updated. At Ushakov’s expense, the western wing of the monastery was rebuilt - a two-story cell building, it was also called the “Russian building”, and a huge underground cistern was built to collect rainwater. The cistern is lined with porcelain tiles in the local tradition; the monastery still uses water from it today.
The monastery houses numerous relics of saints. Miracles of healing are known. And here, on a small plot of land, olives are harvested, olive oil and soap are made, grapes are grown, and incense is made.
– Is the monastery still active today?
“Unfortunately, for several decades now only one abbot has supported it; he is trying to preserve the Russian heritage for posterity. Previously, there were many farmsteads here, now only three small churches remain, in which they serve on patronal feasts. The “Russian building” is in critical condition, and its roof recently collapsed. But the name of Fyodor Ushakov will remain forever in the life of the monastery on the island of Corfu, including through the efforts of our contemporaries.
– And yet, how did you find out about this portrait? What roads led you to the holy monastery?
– Journalists from the Zvezda TV channel first learned about the unique portrait of Admiral Ushakov; they were filming a documentary film “Ushakov. Admiral by the grace of God." They were shown a portrait that Ushakov himself left as a gift to the local monastery of the Virgin Mary. A copy of this portrait is now in the collection of the Rybinsk Museum, in the Yaroslavl region, where the naval commander was born.
The name of the invincible Admiral Ushakov is one of the most revered in our country. During the war, in 1944, Stalin personally approved the Order of Ushakov for awarding officers of the Navy. Many streets, squares, and parks in Russian cities are named after Admiral Ushakov, a man who did so much for Russia that his contemporaries compared his deeds with those of Peter the Great.
There is great interest in the historical and military heritage of Ushakov. His name unites us and sets an example of not only selfless service to the Motherland, but also mutual respect within the Russian and other peoples.
– Pushkin’s land, although far from the seas, also honors naval traditions and honors Fyodor Ushakov.
– Fedor Ushakov occupies a key place in the history of the fleet. And he has many followers and students, despite the years and centuries. For example, students of the Klyazminets young sailors club, which has been led by Leonid Morenov for many years, are keenly interested in the history of the Russian fleet. I think we’ll dedicate one of our meetings with the guys to Fedor Ushakov. And in the churches of the Pushkin deanery there are icons of the holy righteous Theodore Ushakov. In the Trinity Church in Pushkino, in the Passion Church in the village. Artyomovo and Alexander Nevsky Church of the Sofrinsky Brigade of the National Guard of Russia in the village of Ashukino there are particles of the relics of the holy righteous warrior Theodore Ushakov.
With the icon and the name of Ushakov on his lips, Fyodor Konyukhov traveled around the world across the seas and oceans. The very memory of the great naval commander is good!
Nadezhda KOSTYAEVA, Deputy General Director of Family Clinic No. 3 in Pushkino
Galina RATAVNINA
Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov (1745–1817), Russian naval commander, one of the founders of the Black Sea Fleet. In 1798–1800 he commanded a Russian-Turkish squadron in the Mediterranean Sea. He became famous not only for his skill, but also for his non-standard solutions in naval battles. He did not lose a single ship in battles, did not suffer a single defeat.
In 2001, THEODORUS USHAKOV WAS CALLED A SAINTS by the Russian Orthodox Church as a righteous warrior.
In the churches of the Pushkin deanery, PARTICLES OF THE RECENTS OF THE holy righteous warrior Theodore Ushakov reside
Source:
https://inpushkino.ru/materialy/na-nashih-stranicah/imya-fyodora-ushakova-navechno-v-obiteli-ostrova-korfu
Resignation
Fyodor Ushakov devoted his entire life to serving in the navy. He never married and had no children. All this is one of the basic rules of life for monks. After retiring, he could have settled in any large city, but he did not want to do this, although he was a fairly wealthy man. Instead, the famous retired admiral settled in the small quiet village of Alekseevka, which was located in Mordovia.
As Hieromonk Nathanael, who at that time was the rector of the Sanaksar monastery, testifies in his writings, Fyodor Ushakov lived not far from the monastery and regularly provided assistance to it. During Lent, he lived annually with the monks for about a week in an ordinary cell. He stood together with the others for long periods of service. He did not forget about the poor and suffering, whom he regularly helped.
Last years and death
In 1807, when Admiral Ushakov was already over 60, he resigned honorably “with a uniform and a pension,” i.e. with lifelong maintenance from the state treasury. In 1810, Ushakov decided to settle in the village of Alekseevka, which he had purchased, in the Temnikovsky district of the Tambov province, which was located not far from the Sanaksarsky monastery. The place was not chosen by chance: the fact is that the admiral’s uncle, Theodore Sanaksarsky (in the world - Ivan Ignatievich Ushakov), had headed the Sanaksar monastery since the 1760s and made a great contribution to its revival after many years of decline. By 1810, Theodore of Sanaksar had long since rested in peace, but he was, of course, remembered and honored here. Ushakov decides to devote the rest of his life to prayer and charity: he often came to the monastery and donated a lot of money for its improvement.
Help during the Patriotic War and after it
With the outbreak of the Patriotic War of 1812, the retired admiral was elected by the local nobility as commander of the Tambov province militia. But Fyodor Ushakov could not take command, because he was already in his old age, and his health had greatly deteriorated. Because of this, he was forced to resign from this position.
But still, Fyodor Ushakov did not stand aside from the defense of the Fatherland from the invading enemy. He helped form a hospital to help wounded soldiers and gave a significant amount to the newly formed Tambov Infantry Regiment. As noted in written sources of those years, he donated almost all his money to protect Russia from Napoleonic army.
He helped everyone in need even in times of peace. Peasants who lived in villages nearby, as well as city residents, often came to see him. The retired admiral did not refuse anyone; he shared with everyone what he had. He did not forget to cheer up desperate people, saying that all troubles will end sooner or later, and everything will gradually get better for them.
Death and funeral
Fyodor Ushakov died on October 2, 1817. In his last days, as Hieromonk Nathanael testifies, he observed fasting and prayed unceasingly. As the retired admiral wished, he was buried in the cemetery at the monastery.
Fyodor Ushakov was buried in a church in the city of Temnikov, which was nearby. There were a huge number of people at the admiral's funeral, and not only commoners, but also nobles and officers. When the coffin with his body was taken out of the city, they initially wanted to put it on a cart, but people carried it in their arms all the way to his grave, which was located in the Sanaksar monastery. The monks looked after her carefully.
Interesting Facts
In the history of the Russian people, Fyodor Ushakov is famous for the fact that during his entire command he did not lose a single battle and did not surrender a single sailor to the enemy. He emerged victorious from battles even when the enemy forces significantly outnumbered his squadron.
Important! Thanks to the merits of Ushakov, the Russian Empire was able to become one of the most powerful states of that era.
Story
Fyodor Ushakov was born into a noble family, descended from an old family. They did not live very richly, but Fyodor’s parents always instilled Orthodox religious views in their children, instilling in them strict morality and piety. The boy's father, Fyodor Ignatievich, once served in the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. It was also decided to send Fedor Jr. to study at the Naval Cadet Corps in the city of St. Petersburg. He was safely accepted, and for five years the young man learned the basics of maritime affairs.
Having successfully completed school, the young midshipman receives assignment to the Baltic Fleet. In the north he gains valuable practice and experience. Then he goes to the Azov flotilla. Just at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, the Russian Empire began a campaign to regain the Black Sea coast.
In 1785, captain of the first rank Fyodor Ushakov sailed on the ship “St. Paul” to Sevastopol. Two years later, Türkiye entered the war with Russia. On June 29, 1789, the first victorious battle with an enemy squadron took place. Superiority was not on the side of the Russian sailors, but thanks to Ushakov’s talent and his trust in God’s help, they managed to win and put the Turkish ships to flight. It is noteworthy that he never boasted to his superiors when reporting on the progress of the battles. Fedor attributed all the credit to his team.
Emperor Paul I awarded Fyodor Ushakov the rank of admiral
After the assassination of Emperor Paul I, his son, Alexander I, came to power. From that moment on, Admiral Ushakov found himself out of work and on December 19, 1806, he nevertheless decided to resign.
After living in St. Petersburg, Fyodor Ushakov left for the quiet village of Alekseevka, which was located not far from the Sanaksar monastery. During the days of Great Lent, he lived in a cell of the monastery and stood at divine services along with the monks. Having no children or wife of his own, he always helped those in need. He donated almost everything he had to the organization of the hospital during the war with Napoleon and to the maintenance of the infantry regiment. Ushakov donated considerable funds to the needs of the monastery.
Saint Fyodor Ushakov passed away on October 2, 1817. His body was buried next to the grave of his uncle, the famous Orthodox ascetic Fyodor of Sanaksar. This is what the admiral himself bequeathed.
Under the USSR
After the February Revolution of 1917 and the Bolsheviks coming to power in Russia, the Sanaksar monastery, like all other religious institutions in the country, was closed. The built chapel, under which the relics of Fyodor Ushakov were located, was destroyed. The place of his burial fell into disrepair for several decades.
But during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, Joseph Stalin established the Order of Fyodor Ushakov and the question of the burial place of the famous admiral was raised. The country's leadership decided to create a special commission, which opened his grave, located on the territory of an abandoned monastery.
As it turned out, the relics of Fyodor Ushakov turned out to be incorrupt, which was immediately recorded in the documents of the commission. As the Holy Synod later decided, this serves as proof that the admiral was a saint.
Exhumation and reburial
In 1920, as a result of religious persecution in the USSR, the Sanaksar monastery was closed. All burials made on its territory were thus left unattended. In 1940, when the monastery building was already serving as a school for mechanics, thanks to chance, one of the local residents discovered the remains of a tombstone that once stood on the admiral’s grave. He reported the discovery to the local authorities, and thus the approximate location of the burial of the great naval commander was soon established. Since the grave was in ruins, it was decided to restore it. In September of the same year, the Central Naval Museum ordered restoration, and soon the tombstone was repaired and returned to the grave. The grave itself and the adjacent land plot were cleared of debris, weeds, etc., after which a metal fence was created around it.
In 1944, at the height of World War II, when the Soviet government began to create a state military award named after Ushakov (eventually it was called the “Order of Ushakov”), the question arose about the admiral’s appearance, because his profile was supposed to adorn the obverse of the new award. On August 18, 1944, excavations were carried out near the monastery wall, during which the remains of the admiral were discovered, as well as the remains of his coffin and funeral attire - one of the main identifying features was the relatively well-preserved admiral's right shoulder strap with three eagles (the remains of the admiral's uniform were also preserved). Professor Gerasimov, who led the exhumation, reconstructed his appearance from the admiral’s skull, also drawing on his lifetime pictorial portraits and verbal descriptions. The image of Ushakov, recreated by Gerasimov, eventually adorned the obverse of the order of the same name, and the admiral’s body was placed in a new coffin and reburied.
In 1999, during excavation work on the territory of the Sanaksar monastery, burials on its territory were again disturbed. The remains were examined again, using the latest methods and technologies, and a new study confirmed that in 1944 the body discovered and described by Gerasimov really belonged to Ushakov, but his portrait, as it turned out, was restored very inaccurately by Gerasimov - the errors, however, were not Gerasimov’s fault , but a consequence of the insufficiency of the then technologies. In the same 1999, Ushakov was again reburied on the territory of the monastery.
In 2001, however, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized Fyodor Fyodorovich Ushakov as a locally venerated saint of the Saransk and Mordovian diocese. Further, in 2004, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church ordered that Admiral Ushakov be ranked among the general church saints in the ranks of the righteous. Ultimately, this led to the fact that in 2010, Ushakov’s grave was once again exhumed to once again establish the authenticity of the remains, as well as to obtain the relics. A new examination confirmed the truth of the previous two, after which Ushakov’s remains were placed in a shrine and since then his relics have remained in the Sanaksar monastery, but often they, like other relics, are transported around the cities of Russia.
Modernity
The grave in which the relics of Fyodor Fedorovich Ushakov rested, as well as the entire monastery, was restored and taken under state protection. It turned out that even after his death, this talented naval commander was able to do a good deed, because the monastery was preserved, and in 1991 it was returned to the Russian Church.
The famous admiral became the first Russian commander to be canonized. This event created a kind of precedent. Increasingly, they began to express a desire to canonize another great commander, Alexander Suvorov.
Admiral Fedor Ushakov glorified himself in many naval battles and did everything to strengthen the Russian fleet and elevate his country. He also, despite his fame and numerous honors, was a wonderful person and a true Christian who was always ready to help those who needed it. The holy relics of Fyodor Ushakov are revered by many parishioners.
The relics of Admiral Ushakov were found on the orders of Stalin
The holy relic was brought to Kronstadt from Mordovia especially for the holiday. Photo: Evgenia SERKO/kron-pravoslavie.ru
There was a buzz on social media after Navy Day. When the parade ended, the sailors and officers in Kronstadt went to St. Nicholas Cathedral. And there they venerated the relics of Admiral Fyodor Ushakov. They were brought specially for the holiday from Mordovia. The Russian Orthodox Church canonized the naval commander as a saint 16 years ago. For unprepared people, the sight is truly shocking - sailors kissing a skull. But! No one forced the sailors to pray and kiss the relics.
Since there has already been such a debate on the Internet, let’s figure out how Ushakov’s relics were found. And why was the military man recorded as a saint?
The Internet exploded with a photo of people kissing the skull of supposedly Admiral Ushakov. In fact, this is a fake photo that has nothing to do with the relics of the saint. In Kronstadt, the relics were kept under glass (see photo above).
Photo: Twitter.com
How did you find the grave?
During the Great Patriotic War, Stalin wanted to establish an order in honor of the most famous Russian admiral. Fedor Ushakov fit all the parameters. Immediately in 1944, work began on a film about the life and exploits of the admiral. To remind the people of their role in the history of the Russian state. At the same time, the search for Ushakov’s burial place begins. Having shaken off the dust from the archival documents, the expedition sets off to the Sanaksar Monastery. The monastery was closed in 1917 after the revolution. There, near the wall of the temple, Ushakov was buried.
Researchers opened the tombstone. The relics turned out to be incorrupt. The admiral was identified by his surviving shoulder straps. Already based on the skull, Soviet scientists were able to reconstruct Ushakov’s appearance. This is how the admiral became glorified in the USSR. The authorities restored the chapel and took the admiral’s grave under guard. Ushakov was removed from the “forbidden lists”: streets began to be named after him again.
After the parade on Navy Day, the sailors and officers of Kronstadt went to St. Nicholas Cathedral. Photo: Alexander DEMYANCHUK/TASS
Canonized for victories?
He was canonized as a saint in 2004. Ushakov did not lose a single ship in battles, not a single one of his subordinates was captured. The admiral won 43 naval battles and was never defeated. Are the defeated Turks and French really a reason to paint a person on icons? No, the church honors him for other exploits. Spiritual.
Ushakov retired from service in 1807. Three years later he settled near the Sanaksar Monastery. Here the admiral acquired the village of Alekseevka in the Temnikovsky district of the Tambov province. Here Ushakov met the Patriotic War of 1812. Local residents elected the admiral as head of the Tambov militia. But he had to refuse: when Napoleon attacked, Ushakov was already 67 years old. But he donated a lot of money for the creation of the Temnikovsky regiment and the construction of a hospital.
In the last years of his life, Ushakov became quite similar to a righteous old man. He prayed a lot and gave away money to charity. This is how Hieromonk Nathanael recalled about him:
“Upon his arrival from St. Petersburg, he led a solitary life in his own house for about eight years. On Sundays and holidays he came to pray at the monastery, and during Great Lent he lived in the monastery in a cell for a whole week and stood up for every long service with the brethren in the church.”
Ushakov died on October 2, 1817 on his estate. For his righteous death, the church recognized him as a saint. He became the third commander to receive such an honor after Alexander Nevsky and Dmitry Donskoy. In August 2006, the world's first temple dedicated to a sailor was consecrated in Saransk.
Why did the remains begin to be crushed?
The main relics of Ushakov are kept in Mordovia in the Sanaksarsky monastery. They often travel around Russia. And in 2014, the remains of the holy admiral were crushed. Part of it was transferred to the Moscow church in honor of the holy righteous warrior Theodore Ushakov (on Perovskaya Street). Another part goes to the Crimean temple in the village of Novofedorovka, Saki district.
“The first Christians performed divine services on the relics of martyrs who died at the hands of persecutors,” theologian and priest John Terauds . — The number of temples increased when Emperor Constantine brought Orthodoxy out of the catacombs. But how can one find enough relics to perform liturgy everywhere? They had to be kept in every temple. Therefore, in order not to break tradition, the relics began to be split into parts.
Then the relics began to be divided into pieces in order to be transferred to distant cities and countries where the saint was especially revered.
“The presence of relics is an optional component to recognize a person as a saint,” noted Father John. “For example, on Mount Athos, when monks are buried, on the contrary, their rapid decay is a sign that people led a holy lifestyle.
Indeed, some of the relics of the saints are completely incorruptible. But we cannot say that this is an absolute majority. We know that the relics of Saint Alexander of Svirsky and Saint Spyridon of Trimifuntsky were not subject to decay. However, a number of other relics were subject to natural decomposition and drying out. The inclusion of a saint in the church calendar is not associated with the incorruption of holy relics, because the raising of relics occurs after the church recognizes a particular person as a saint.
Icon of Admiral Ushakov.
Photo: ru.wikipedia.org
BY THE WAY
Where are pieces of saints kept?
“Holy relics in the Orthodox tradition are kept in the church,” explained priest John Terauds. “But there are many other traditions of local churches. So, in Georgia, most of the relics are kept in secret - that is, they were not taken out of the graves so that during any military operations they were not subject to desecration. In the Russian tradition, relics are obtained and stored in special crayfish in temple spaces. There is also a tradition that part of the relics are sent to some distant city and placed in an icon or pectoral cross.
IMPORTANT
Patron of ships and planes
Ushakov is called the patron of the Russian Navy and Strategic Air Force. Memorial Day: October 2 - death, August 23 - glorification.
The admiral has an uncle who is also canonized - monk Theodore of Sanaksar.
