Well-known prophecies of wise elders about Russia in recent times are transmitted through the media, spreading from person to person. Orthodox elders have accurate ideas about the future. The forecasts of fortune tellers and astrologers are much more popular, but their reliability is much lower. Orthodox ascetics received access to secret knowledge for pure thoughts and efforts, the desire to turn society towards God. Higher powers gave them an idea of the distant future, known only to the Lord. Psychics are often wrong, but the elders’ predictions about the fate of Russia are always accurate.
Elder Vladislav
His latest prophecies about Russia contain appeals to people, warnings about impending changes.
The following events of the near future are known from the speeches of the Orthodox ascetic:
- Residents of the capital buy with cards; famine will soon come;
- There will be a strong earthquake in the capital. The city was built on 6 hills, but nature will have its own way and level them into one.
- Residents of villages will not have to change their place of residence - in such areas it is much safer, and the quality of everyday life is better than in large settlements.
- There is no point in visiting Diveevo: there are no holy remains of Seraphim there.
- Nothing threatens Muslims, but Orthodox Christians will have to endure difficult times of persecution.
- Power in the country will pass to representatives of the Communist Party.
- Japan, America, Australia will be flooded.
- The ocean will take over all American lands up to Alaska, which will return under the wing of Russia.
- A war will begin in Russia. The Germans will attack along the western front, and Chinese troops will attack from the east.
- The interpretation of one of the seer's wisdom calls for going under the wing of the holy father, expelled from the temple. He will save and help during the period of persecution of the Orthodox faith.
The books collecting Vladislav's revelations tell of his prediction of the outbreak of war. China is initiating the fighting. The enemy troops will receive Chelyabinsk, but by divine power all attackers will convert to the Orthodox faith.
People who happened to listen to Vladislav know: a new Russian-German war will begin. The enemy will come through Serbia. The world will be covered in fire, people's lives will be filled with sorrow, but the country will survive and maintain its independence. Belarus will suffer greatly. After the crisis, she will want to become part of Russia. Ukraine will not support the unification proposal. This will lead to sorrow and suffering for the local population. At the same time, Turkey will go to war with Greece, for which Russia will stand up. The war in Afghanistan will not end.
Vladislav said that the Indian Ocean will cover half of the Chinese south. It is for this reason that Chinese soldiers will come to Russian territory. The Russians will enter into an alliance with the Mongols to defend the lands and expel the invader to their native lands.
The elders’ prediction about the end times sounds ominous: a period of endless war will begin. Conflicts will engulf the entire planet. One day, the authorities of the warring countries will unite to elect a single ruler. Their choice will be the Antichrist. Orthodox countries are prohibited from participating in the coalition.
“A terrible disease” and “a lot of blood”: Prophecies of the holy elders about Russia - what to believe?
Seraphim of Sarov, Nektary of Optina, Nile the Myrrh-Streaming, Stefan of Karul, Paisius of the Svyatogorets - the names of these holy elders are filled with special meaning for every believer. These reverend fathers are known for their amazing lives, full of tragic events and miracles. But not only.
Many elders left behind amazing predictions, the meaning of which baffled their contemporaries. And only decades later it became clear that the holy fathers were talking about real events of the future, no matter how fantastic they may have seemed in the past.
Both world wars, the 1917 revolution, the fall of the USSR and even the coronavirus pandemic - wise elders warned about all this. And of course, the “end times,” that is, the end of the world, occupied an important place in their prophecies.
“Like dogs in the streets”: Gay pride parades as harbingers of the apocalypse
Thus, in the predictions of the Athonite elder Nile the Myrrh-streaming, who lived in the distant 17th century, one can find descriptions of the horror that will occur on the eve of the apocalypse.
Before the end of the world, according to the elder, terrible times will come:
Adultery, fornication, sodomy, murder, embezzlement, stealing, untruth, selling and buying people, buying boys and girls to wander with them like dogs in the streets. And the Antichrist will command the spirits of evil, obedient to him, to bring people to the point where people do ten times more evil than before...
And indeed, today this will not surprise anyone. Especially in the “progressive West”, where gay parades and similar abominations are an “entrance ticket” to the number of “civilized” countries.
For believers it is obvious: all this is the threshold of the reign of the Antichrist, which will be accompanied by the most terrible disasters.
Trouble will come from China: The COVID-19 pandemic was predicted 100 years in advance
The no less revered elder Aristoklius, who lived at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, on the eve of the 1917 revolution, uttered words that became prophetic. Father warned that the country would soon “drown in blood,” and also argued that communism was alien to the Russian people.
But in the distant future, the elder still saw the salvation of Russia, which would not only be reborn, but also become a light for the whole world. True, at the beginning of this path, all powers will abandon us, the priest said, but “as soon as all the rulers leave, people will turn to God again.”
The elder also pointed to a specific threat that could destroy the world - China. If we remember that the new coronavirus came from China and took over the entire planet, the prophecy seems quite real.
Nevertheless, the salvation of the world must come from our country, the Monk Aristoclius was sure. Here's what he wrote about the future:
God will show His mercy over Russia... Everyone will abandon Russia, other powers will abandon it... So that the Russian people will trust in the help of the Lord. You will hear that unrest will begin in other countries... But do not be afraid of anything... The Cross of Christ will shine over the whole world, because Russia will be exalted and will be like a beacon in the darkness for everyone...
Gog-Magog and Moscow-Petrograd - why the “prophecies” of Seraphim of Sarov are called into question
Often believers, speaking about the future of the world and the country, refer to the prophecies of Seraphim of Sarov, despite the fact that officially no documentary evidence of the “prophecies” of St. Seraphim of Sarov exists. However, many sites on the Internet are actively reprinting certain recordings allegedly made directly from the words of St. Seraphim of Sarov by his “servant” N. A. Motovilov. They say that these “prophecies” were kept in the archives of Father Pavel Florensky and spoke about the “last days,” that is, the end of the world.
According to these records, the Monk Seraphim of Sarov (1759–1833) said that after more than half a century, “the evildoers will raise their heads high,” and the Lord “will allow their undertakings for a short time.” But then a terrible disease will fall on the leader of the villains, which will not allow them to carry out their destructive plans. It is possible that these words refer to the Bolsheviks.
As for the end of the world, the elder allegedly predicted that before him “Russia will merge into one great sea with other Slavic lands and tribes.”
According to the “prophecy”, a “formidable and invincible all-Russian kingdom” will arise - Gog-Magog, before which other peoples will tremble.
But everything will change when the Russian Empire receives “one hundred and eighty million into its possession”: the elder allegedly warned about the birth of the Antichrist, who was born “between St. Petersburg and Moscow, in that great city, which, after the union of all Slavic tribes with Russia, will be the second capital Kingdom of Russia." The name of this city is supposed to be “Moscow-Petrograd”, or “City of the End”.
The Russian Orthodox Church, of course, considers all these “prophecies” to be fiction and does not find any compelling reasons to believe them, and the testimony of N. A. Motovilov itself raises doubts among many. However, these days, the difficult economic and geopolitical situation, complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic, forces people to take even the most dubious facts for granted and worry.
The delay of one hundred years has almost expired: Nectarius of Optina’s terrible dream is beginning to come true
Much more trustworthy is the prophecy of the holy elder Nectarius of Optina, who, according to legend, saw a strange dream at the beginning of the 20th century - it named the date of the end of the world and said that “everyone will perish.” They soon forgot about the prophecy, but now they remembered it again and were horrified: the delay of a hundred years had almost expired.
It is known that Nectarius of Optina more than once predicted various events, and these predictions came true. Thus, the elder foresaw that after the revolution the Russian people would turn away from the faith. He also predicted the Cold War and the Iron Curtain, or so his words are interpreted:
Three decades or more will pass, and we will build high walls, and behind these walls the gnashing of teeth will be heard, and there will be quiet but dangerous hostility.
At the same time, the elder, according to the interpreters, was confident that prosperity and spiritual revival awaited Russia in the future - there is an opinion that he meant the time after the collapse of the USSR.
Since ancient times, people have inhabited these holy places. The mild climate, the beauty of amazing places and the wonderful nature of Holy Mount Athos contributed to the settlement and favored the secluded residence of hermits here. Photo: Julian Kumar/Globallookpress
And in 1917, he allegedly told others that he had a strange dream. The Apostle Peter and Jesus allegedly appeared to him in a dream. Peter asked the Savior when the torment of humanity would end. To which the Son of God replied that he gave the term until the 22nd year:
“If people do not repent and come to their senses, then everyone will perish like this.”
As we understand, 1922 has already passed, and 2022 is still ahead. Some interpreters suggest that if the prediction did not come true 100 years ago, then surely everything will come true now. It turns out that we were given a grace period of a hundred years, and it is about to expire? Or the prophecy simply did not come true.
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Also, in many ways, the predictions of Saint Paisius the Holy Mountain, who died relatively recently - in 1994, have come true and continue to come true. In particular, this is how he described upcoming events in international politics:
My thoughts tell me that many events will happen: the Russians will occupy Turkey, Turkey will disappear from the map, because a third of the Turks will become Christians, a third will die in the war and a third will go to Mesopotamia.
The Middle East, according to the elder, will become the arena of wars in which the Russians will take part. “A lot of blood will be shed, the Chinese will cross the Euphrates River, with an army of two hundred million, and reach Jerusalem” - such terrifying prospects, if you think about it, are not so fantastic.
Elder Paisius assigned particular importance to Istanbul-Constantinople: he said that a great war would take place there between Russians and Europeans, and a lot of blood would be shed. The Greek army will not have time to get there, but the city will still be given to Greece.
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Now let's look overseas - what did the elders say about the fate of the USA? Based on the words of the holy fathers, she is unenviable.
For example, the recently published prophecy of the Athonite elder Stefan of Karulsky says: “America will soon collapse. It will disappear terribly, completely.” Salvation will supposedly come from two countries: “The Americans will flee, trying to save themselves in Russia and Serbia,” wrote Father Stefan. He did not specify when this would happen. Unfortunately, Schema-Archimandrite Stefan Karulsky died back in 2001.
However, those who were lucky enough to communicate with the hermit told amazing things. Thus, in 2015, a post by Archpriest Vladimir Gamaris appeared on the Internet about the trip of Kyiv monks to the Athos schema-monk. The old man, who lived in a cave, had no connection with the outside world, did not read newspapers or use the Internet. Moreover, he did not even know the names of current politicians.
However, the archpriest said, to the monks’ question about what will happen next to Russia, the schema-monk gave an unequivocal answer. Although not direct.
Moscow has a ruler. He is the only true Christian among all the other rulers of the world. We must take care of him, we must pray for him,
- the elder told the guests.
The monks were surprised by his answer and even thought that the hermit had not heard or understood their question. They repeated it again, but received the same answer, word for word.
In 2021, Vladimir Putin visited Holy Mount Athos. The visit of the head of the Russian state was timed to celebrate the millennium of the presence of Russian monasticism on the Holy Mountain. Photo: Kremlin Pool/Globallookpress
Having repeated the question a third time, they heard the same thing - about the Moscow ruler. And at the end the elder added: “We need to take care of him: it’s very difficult for him, we need to pray for him...”
By the way, Stefan Karulsky is not the only revered elder who spoke about the special purpose of the Russian leader. Another Athonite elder, Gabriel of Karey, also called on all Orthodox Christians to pray for Vladimir Putin.
As we see, the prophecies of the elders have a lot in common - they all predicted great troubles for Russia, but they all spoke about the salvation of our country, and with it the whole world. But how reliable can these predictions be? After all, those who allegedly made them are no longer alive, and there is no way to verify the authenticity of their words. And Christ warned his followers: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”
Here is what the head of the religious editorial office of Constantinople, Orthodox publicist Mikhail Tyurenkov, thinks about this:
“It is important to understand that the predictions of even the most revered Orthodox saints are not “imperative.” This is their difference from the Holy Scriptures, in particular, the Book of the Apocalypse. Often, the spiritual reflections of Orthodox elders about the future are perceived as “prophecies,” which, indeed, often come true.”
However, Orthodox Christians should not treat these words the way superstitious people treat the “prophecies” of psychics and all kinds of astrological forecasts. The main thing is to understand their spiritual essence, perceiving them as warnings and instructions.
Seraphim of Sarov
Numerous prophecies of the elders about Russia in recent times are known; Seraphim's revelations are the most reliable among them.
The elder foretold:
- Return of the Russian Tsar. He will glorify the Lord, but the country will be engulfed in bloody conflict. There will be opponents of the ruler. God will show his favor to the king and exalt him.
- The Lord will have mercy on Russia and give greatness through the thorny path of suffering. His will is such that the Slavs will unite and become one people living in harmony. Then the time of the Antichrist will come.
- Russian land will be divided. Riots against the authorities will begin; someone will come out in support of the ruler. The monarch will win. This will preserve the integrity of the country and the church. The defeated rebels will be put on trial and executed. Cleansing blood will be shed, power over the Slavic lands will be firmly established.
- The Lord will bless the Slavs for their adherence to the correct faith and loyalty. Wise Orthodox Christians will recognize the Antichrist and reject his messengers. The Slavic power will become the strongest on the planet.
- Russian soldiers, supported by their associates, will capture Jerusalem, Constantinople, and Vienna. The Austrian Empire that will emerge after this will have 7 million inhabitants.
- France will survive the dark dark times because the people of the country revere the Mother of God. There will be 17 million French left, many of whom are descendants of Russians. Reims will become the main city, because Paris will perish in the war.
- The global war will last for a decade.
Many Orthodox elders possessed the divine gift of clairvoyance, so they told their contemporaries who were ready to listen about the future of the state. Their revelations were written down in books, so today everyone can find out what Seraphim was talking about.
Saint Theophan the Recluse, 1894
“How many signs the Lord showed over Russia, delivering it from its strongest enemies and subduing its peoples! And yet, evil is growing. Will we really not come to our senses? The Lord has punished us and will punish us with the West, but we don’t understand everything. We got stuck in Western mud up to our ears, and everything was fine. We have eyes, but we don’t see, we have ears, but we don’t hear, and we don’t understand with our hearts... Having inhaled this hellish frenzy into ourselves, we spin around like crazy, not remembering ourselves. If we don’t come to our senses, God will send us foreign teachers to bring us to our senses... It turns out that we too are on the path of revolution. These are not empty words, but a deed affirmed by the voice of the Church. Know, Orthodox, that God cannot be mocked.”
Elder Matthew
In his visions, the country will have to survive the war. The whole world will rise up against Orthodox Russia. All of humanity will have to pay for this. The war will cause billions of deaths. The reason will be events in Serbia. The resurrection of Russia will lead to World War III. The fighting will begin on the territory of Yugoslavia and cover the whole world.
Matthew predicted victory for Russia. He said that the victorious country would strengthen peace on earth and lead humanity to prosperity. Russian troops will not go to battle against other powers. Former enemies will remain independent and will be able to restore a normal standard of living.
Schieromonk Aristoklius of Athos. 1917-18
“Now we are living through the pre-Antichrist time. God's judgment on the living has begun and there will not be a single country on earth, not a single person who will not be affected by this. It started with Russia, and then further... And Russia will be saved. There is a lot of suffering, a lot of torment... All of Russia will become a prison, and we must beg the Lord a lot for forgiveness. Repent of sins and be afraid to commit even the slightest sins, but try to do good, even the smallest. After all, the wing of a fly has weight, but God has precise scales. And when the slightest good outweighs the balance, then God will show His mercy over Russia... The end will be through China. There will be some kind of unusual explosion, and a miracle of God will appear. And life will be completely different on earth, but not for very long. The Cross of Christ will shine over the whole world, because our Motherland will be magnified and will be like a beacon in the darkness for everyone.”
Venerable Anatoly of Optina, early 20th century
“There will be a storm. And the Russian ship will be destroyed. But people also save themselves on chips and debris. And yet not everyone will die. We must pray, we must all repent and pray fervently... A great miracle of God will be revealed... And all the chips and fragments, by the will of God and His power, will gather and unite, and the ship will be recreated in all its glory and will go its way, intended by God..."
Bishop John of Shanghai, 1938
“Shake off the sleep of despondency and laziness, sons of Russia! Behold the glory of her suffering and be cleansed, washed from your sins! Strengthen yourself in the Orthodox faith so that you may be worthy to dwell in the dwelling of the Lord and move into the holy mountain. Arise, arise, arise, Rus', you who drank from the hand of the Lord the cup of His wrath! When your suffering is over, your righteousness will go with you, and the glory of the Lord will follow you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the radiance rising above you. Then lift up your eyes around and see: behold, your children will come to you from the west, and the north, and the sea, and the east, blessing Christ in you forever!”
Saint Theophan of Poltava, 1930
“The monarchy and autocratic power will be restored in Russia. The Lord chose the future king. This will be a man of fiery faith, a brilliant mind and an iron will. First of all, he will restore order in the Orthodox Church, removing all untrue, heretical and lukewarm bishops. And many, very many, with few exceptions, almost all will be eliminated, and new, true, unshakable bishops will take their place... Something that no one expects will happen. Russia will rise from the dead, and the whole world will be surprised. Orthodoxy will be reborn and triumph in it. But the Orthodoxy that existed before will no longer exist. God Himself will place a strong king on the throne.”
Joseph, Athonite elder, Vatopedi monastery. year 2001
“Now is the beginning of events, difficult military events... The devil will force the Turks to finally come here to Greece and begin their actions. And although Greece has a government, it actually doesn’t exist as such, because it has no power. And the Turks will come here. This will be the moment when Russia will also move its forces to push back the Turks. Events will develop like this: when Russia comes to the aid of Greece, the Americans and NATO will try to prevent this, so that there is no reunification, a merger of two Orthodox peoples... There will be a big massacre on the territory of the former Byzantine Empire. There will be about 600 million people killed alone. The Vatican will also actively participate in all this in order to prevent the reunification and increasing role of Orthodoxy. But this will result in the complete destruction of Vatican influence, right down to its very foundations. This is how God’s Providence will turn... There will be God’s permission for those who sow temptations to be destroyed: pornography, drug addiction, etc. And the Lord will so blind their minds that they will destroy each other with gluttony. The Lord will allow this on purpose to carry out a great cleansing. As for the one who rules the country, he will not be around for long, and what is happening now will not be for long, and then immediately there will be war. But after this great purge there will be a revival of Orthodoxy not only in Russia, but throughout the world, a great surge of Orthodoxy.”
