Who are the elders in Orthodoxy: eldership today, photo

When you hear the word “elder,” a certain image appears before your eyes—white-bearded, with a staff, and infinitely wise. Perhaps he is a hermit, or perhaps a hundred-year-old monk. He knows everything about spiritual life and will always help with good advice. But away from fantasy.

In Orthodoxy, after all, elders are somehow special, their own? Who do they call that? Who are they - Orthodox holy elders from the depths of centuries or are they our contemporaries? Is it possible to see an elder in a photo or video today and communicate with him?

Eldership is when an experienced righteous person instructs another person on the spiritual path

Eldership is a type of spiritual activity, conversations with those who seek advice. A kind of mentoring of a person. An indication of a path that is good for the soul. People with strong inner qualities and a subtle sense of Divine providence do this. They are called elders.

Optina Elder Joasaph in the painting by Saida Afonina

Usually an elder is a monk with great spiritual experience. But not necessarily. He may be an ascetic, an ascetic whose opinion has great authority among believers. In its fullest expression, trust in the views and teachings of the elder reaches such a level that they obey him unquestioningly, sometimes against their will.

The word “elder” indicates not so much age as wisdom and experience.

SENIELITY

SENIELITY,

the direction of monastic life, which is based on advice and teachings taught by an experienced spiritual mentor, an “elder” (in a nunnery, an “elder”);
Such “teaching” conversations can be purely monastic, as if directed inside the monastery, or monastic-worldly, open to the outside. Also on the topic:
MONASTICITY

The foundations of monastic eldership arose already in Egypt in the 4th century, during the initial period of Christian asceticism, when the first monastic communities were formed. The novitiate process itself initially assumed leadership from the most experienced and authoritative members of the latter, those who were called “fathers” (“abbas” - from the Aramaic “abba” or “abba”). The word “elder”, “good old man” (“kaluger” translated from Greek hagiographic texts - from kalos geron) means, first of all, wise experience, and not venerable age, although both of them most often coincide in monastic life. With the development of monasteries - equally in Western and Eastern Christianity - good advice was increasingly directed outward, to spiritual sons and daughters in the world, but this did not yet mean the emergence of eldership as a special ascetic movement or “sense.”

An important stage in this isolation was the flourishing of hesychasm, which perfected the practice of “mental prayer” or “spiritual work,” designed to help the soul free itself from passions through careful, step-by-step internal concentration. Byzantine theories and practice of “mental prayer”, which developed, to name just a few of the largest names, from John Climacus (7th century) and Simeon the New Theologian (10th–11th centuries) to Gregory of Sinaite and Gregory Palamas (14th century) , discovered their deep impact in Rus', having an impact, thanks to pilgrimages to Athos, primarily among the “Trans-Volga elders” (the word “Trans-Volga” was used in relation to the monasteries located “beyond the Volga”, in the lands north of Moscow); Their spiritual head is considered to be Nil Sorsky (15th – early 16th centuries). However, we can fully speak about the self-valuable Russian eldership only starting from the era of Paisius Velichkovsky (18th century); his teaching on perfect prayer appeared especially influential against the background of the sharply defined alienation of the educated part of society from the church.

The same factor of piety against the background of alienation also contributes to the development of the tradition of eldership in the 19th and 20th centuries, which increasingly opened up from within the monastery to the world. A spiritual, often regularly renewed conversation, which combines the features of confession and unobtrusive, individually oriented preaching, often turns out to be more effective than conciliar participation in a church service, although the speeches (or letters) of the elders in no way exclude, but only complement this participation. Containing a wide range of advice (from the practice of prayer and the fight against passions to purely economic issues), the eldership influences all layers of Russian society, including the intelligentsia. An aura of special respect surrounds the councils of the elders of the Optina Hermitage (Makaria, Ambrose, Nektarios, etc.), although many other monasteries were involved in this tradition, outside of which such ascetics as Seraphim of Sarov or Bishop Theophan (Theophan the Recluse) are unthinkable.

During the period of especially cruel persecution of the church (1920–1930s), the Orthodox eldership, requiring only a teaching word and reciprocal attention, sometimes becomes – in “catacomb” conditions – the most convenient form of spiritual nourishment. Increased interest in it, intensified during the period of perestroika, is combined with the spread of the so-called. “Young age”, publicly condemned by the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church (when people who do not have sufficient ascetic experience undertake secret religious “psychoanalysis”).

see also

OPTINA PUSTIN.

The elder gives instructions, but the person himself is responsible for his decisions

The elder guides an inexperienced person in spiritual life, helps him achieve the desired results on the spiritual path. Ideally, the person being taught always has freedom of choice. It is he himself who develops spiritually, not the elder. The elder’s advice is not a restriction of freedom, but a suppression of recklessness.

Therefore, it is important to realize what you are doing and why. The elder only indicates the best solution, in his opinion, and the person determines for himself whether he can accept this advice or not.

Russian theologian Alexey Ilyich Osipov warns against obedience to spiritual fathers who command

In this video, Professor A.I. Osipov warns against unquestioning obedience to categorically commanding confessors. It is important that the elder becomes only an adviser, and not the master of a person’s life. Osipov also urges asking for advice only in the exceptional case if it is truly impossible to find the answer yourself:

Optina Pustyn

The gift of reasoning is placed by the holy fathers above all other gifts. “Not everyone who is old in years is already capable of leadership; but whoever has entered dispassion and accepted the gift of reasoning,” says St. Peter Damascene. “In reality, it seems to me that it is the art of arts and the science of sciences to lead people, these various and diverse creatures” (St. Gregory the Theologian). These words briefly reflect the phenomenon known as senility. The eldership arose and developed in connection with the ascetic questions of young monks and their training in active Christianity. The elder is called to this service by God Himself, undergoes a difficult feat along the patristic path, achieves dispassion, purity of heart, is imbued with the abundant Divine light of the grace of the Holy Spirit, is filled with love, and the will of God is revealed to him. He receives a special gift - to guide souls to salvation and heal them from passions. This special gift of leadership, based on the guidance of people to salvation by the Holy Spirit, is called the gift of eldership and requires from the bearer of this gift wise, loving care for the souls entrusted to him. Eldership is a special gift of the Holy Spirit, a talent that St. The Apostle Paul calls it the gift of reasoning (1 Cor. 12:10).

Eldership as a special spiritual union consists of a sincere spiritual relationship and listening to spiritual children to their spiritual father or elder. This spiritual relationship consists not only of confession before Holy Communion, but mainly in the frequent, even daily, confession by the monk to the elder of not only actions, thoughts and all the slightest passionate movements of the mind and heart, but also in asking for advice and blessings for any actions connected with sincere, firm determination to carry out everything that the elder prescribes. Obedience to the elder is not a constraint on freedom, but a constraint on the arbitrariness of the fallen human mind, which does not understand the all-good, all-perfect will of God, for the sake of the freedom of the true children of God. It is the elder who reveals God’s will to the novice. After all, moral, Christian freedom does not lie in self-will, but in self-restraint, just as political freedom does not lie in anarchy, but in proper governance. The essence of eldership lies in the fact that from among the brethren laboring in the monastery, a monk experienced in spiritual and ascetic life, possessing the gift of reasoning, is elected, who becomes the leader, spiritual father, elder of the entire monastic community. At any time, students voluntarily come to him, reveal their souls, thoughts, desires and actions to him, asking for his advice and blessings. They completely renounce their will for the sake of fulfilling the all-good will of God and unquestioningly, without reflection, obey the elder and carry out all his instructions as a revelation of this will. This senile care helps in the fight against passions, strengthens in moments of despondency, cowardice and doubt, and serves as a faithful cover from enemy storms to everyone who resorts to its powerful assistance. Every Christian walking along the path to eternal life, at the very least, needs an adviser who would help him walk the thorny path of earthly life towards salvation. Salvation is in much counsel (Proverbs 11:14). Neither title nor fortune had any meaning in the eyes of the elder; he only needed the soul of a person. And he was always ready to dissolve his soul in the soul of someone who sought his support and help. He knew how to rejoice with those who rejoice and cry with those who weep; he quickly solved all perplexities and healed mental illnesses. St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), an elder himself, wrote: “I am called to admire human souls” - this intelligent contemplation of the intelligent nature of man was so dear to him. The soul of a man was so dear to the old man that, forgetting himself, he tried with all his might to save it and put it on the true path. Truly, truly, I say to you: unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit (John 12:24). The elder dies every day, laying down his life for all who come to him. Elders receive a special gift of compassionate, sacrificial love - they make other people's sorrows and failures as if they were their own. They are Christian prophets and comforters. Comfort, comfort my people - says the Lord (Isa. 40: 1). People have always been drawn to the elders, just as travelers on a cold night are drawn to a source of light. Source

An elder is a spiritual status, but not an age

An old man does not have to be a seasoned gray-bearded old man with a birch stick.

Firstly, he could be a woman. Then she is called the old woman.

Secondly, elder is a spiritual status, not an indication of old age. You can achieve the necessary experience at any age.

Elder

A man who went through trials and comprehended the spiritual laws of the world

An elder is a person who has gone through trials and perfectly comprehended the spiritual laws of our world. He is a model of godliness. Such a person is no longer an ordinary person in the usual sense, but a more conscious and spiritual being. He has wisdom greater than just worldly experience or seminary education.

Eldership is not a hierarchical degree in the church, but a calling

Here is what Metropolitan Hilarion says about the tradition of eldership:

Hilarion

Metropolitan

“At first glance, the meaning of the word “elder” indicates only age, but in fact, in the usage in which this word entered the church lexicon, and to a large extent the lexicon of our Russian writers, it characterizes spiritual mentors, and far from not everyone. For example, we know who the metropolitan is. Any metropolitan can provide evidence that he is such. We know who the priest, the archpriest, the rector of such and such a church, the abbess of such and such a monastery are. This is the ministry to which the Church appoints. But not a single elder has any certificate stating that he is an elder. This is not a ministry to which one can be appointed, and no bishop can call this or that person and say that he is appointing him as an elder. God Himself appoints an elder.
In the history of the Orthodox Church over the centuries, two hierarchies seemed to exist in parallel: on the one hand, this is the hierarchy of bishops, whose succession through consecration goes back to the holy apostles, but, on the other hand, in parallel there was a chain of spiritual mentors who passed on their experience from generation to generation. generation. Almost always, one or another elder was a student of some elder, and almost always this elder had his own students. This chain of special spiritual charisma that these people possess can probably also be traced back to early Christian times.”

Accordingly, the elder has no influence on the clergy. He cannot give orders even to a simple monk.

The elder is simply a master of his craft, an expert on the human soul.

But this does not give him any advantage within the Russian Orthodox Church.

About eldership and elders

This time we are talking with Metropolitan Longinus of Saratov and Volsk about elders and eldership. We all need the help of spiritually experienced people in our Christian lives. How can you get this help? Is it necessary to look for a “real elder” for this? In general, the elders - who are they, do they exist today? And what danger can be hidden behind the desire to communicate only with the elders, without paying attention to the opportunities that our church life and visiting the parish church provide?

- Vladyka, what is eldership?
— Eldership is a special phenomenon that arose in monasticism and previously related only to monastic life. But in Russia in the 19th century, the elders went beyond the gates of the monasteries - or, more precisely, the world came to the monastery to the elders.

In general, an elder is the confessor of the brethren or sisters of the monastery. The fact is that living in a monastery implies spiritual guidance, the novice revealing his thoughts to the elder - the confessor, the abbot. This is the only way to learn science from sciences—spiritual work. In general, monasticism is something that we learn from each other. And although there are many wonderful books about monasticism that preserve its spirit, they still cannot replace live communication and the transfer of personal experience of struggling with one’s passions. Actually, this struggle is the goal and basis of monastic feat. That is why tradition is so important in monasticism, which is passed on “acceptably to each other” (there is such a Slavic word): from the elders to the younger, from those who have lived in the monastery for a long time to the newcomers.

Eldership assumes that the elder completely guides the beginner in spiritual life. Ideally, a person should not have any thoughts or wishes hidden from a spiritual mentor. He must trust all his actions to the elder, and do everything he does only with blessing. It is in such self-denial and obedience that the monastic tradition is passed on.

In the 19th century, thanks to the activities of the disciples of the remarkable ascetic, St. Paisius Velichkovsky, monasticism flourished in Russia, and one of the centers of the revival of monastic work became Optina Pustyn, which was later known throughout Russia as a monastery. In modern Romania there is the Neametsky monastery, which also became famous thanks to the works of Elder Paisius and his associates. And to this day, the word “elder” exists in the Romanian language, it is not translated. The elder is the abbot of the monastery, the elder is the abbess, the house in which the abbot or abbess lives is the elder.

In the 19th century in Russia, it turned out that lay pilgrims, ranging from simple peasants to famous educated people, began to come to the confessors of Optina Pustyn for confession or for advice on everyday issues. These are the Kireyevsky brothers, and the circle that subsequently formed around the Optina elder Macarius and was engaged in translations of patristic literature into Russian. This is N.V. Gogol, and F.M. Dostoevsky, and L.N. Tolstoy... Although Lev Nikolaevich was the greatest confusion and detractor of the Orthodox Church, nevertheless, he was drawn to the elders. After all, his famous departure from Yasnaya Polyana was not just a departure to Ostapovo station. There his relatives and admirers detained him, because they did not want him to reach his final goal. And he went specifically to Optina Pustyn... This very listing of the names of very famous people who left a deep mark in the history of Russian culture, literature, philosophy, suggests that the phenomenon of old age was of interest to the widest circle of society.

And in other Local Churches, eldership developed in a similar way. In the early 1990s, I had the opportunity to visit the confessor Elder Cleopa (Ilie), well-known throughout Romania, a man of unusual depth, an amazing ascetic for our time. He survived imprisonment and lived in the forest for a long time in the 1940s and 50s, hiding from the authorities during the persecution of the Church in communist Romania. By the 1990s, he was revered throughout the country as one of the greatest elders.

I came to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra when the well-known Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov), a wonderful confessor, a real old man, was still able to do so. Thanks to the book of Bishop Tikhon (Shevkunov) “Unholy Saints”, Father John (Krestyankin) became known, without exaggeration, to all of Russia - but even before that the whole Church knew him. These elders were unusually loving people, patient, gentle in their interactions with those who came - and very demanding of themselves. This is a very important criterion.

And today there are many people (as a rule, these are monastic confessors) who not only fulfill their monastic obedience, but also help people who come to them from the world. In the akathist to St. Sergius there is a poetic comparison: “a vessel full of grace and overflowing.” This is probably how you can characterize every elder.

- This is a very beautiful characteristic. But in the philistine consciousness, an elder is, first of all, a perspicacious person. Just now you were talking about your meeting with the amazing Romanian elder Cleopas, and I really wanted to ask you: “Did he reveal something to you?”

-You know, yes. There were three of us. And when he was informed that three hieromonks had come - students from Russia, he said: “Oh, the metropolitans are coming, let them through.” And two of us are indeed already metropolitans, the third is an archbishop...

But of course I'm joking. I think it was just a joke on his part. But seriously speaking, the most unnecessary thing in the Christian life is the search for insight. Under no circumstances should you strive for this. With this “demand for a miracle,” and a miracle on the go (if they go to the “elder” by bus), we profane everything - we profane faith, eldership as a phenomenon, and Christianity itself in general.

The elder is precisely a spiritual mentor. But any spiritual father must still know the person and be close to him for some time. A remarkable example of an elder of our time is, of course, the Monk Paisius the Svyatogorets, who spiritually cared for the convent in Suroti, now one of the best, most comfortable monasteries in Greece.

Therefore, when someone from the outside comes to an elder - real or simply known as such - and demands an immediate miracle and insights: “Come on, tell me my whole life, and what should I do next,” this is actually blasphemy. Not a single spiritually experienced person will succumb to such requests or claims and, most likely, will quietly and peacefully let such a visitor go home, telling him a few words of consolation. Where such sentiments begin to play along, there is no real spiritual life, no true eldership, and there never has been.

-Are there any elders at all these days?

- I think yes. Even today there are spiritually experienced people in monasteries and parishes. Without them it would be very difficult for the Church. But here you need to be very careful, do everything carefully and with reasoning. And we must be very careful of the type of relationship that is now widespread, including with God, which is expressed in the words: “You are for me, I am for you.”

“Nevertheless, many look for elders precisely in order to receive some special advice, guidance...

- There is a wonderful passage in “The Soulful Teachings of Abba Dorotheus.” Abba Dorotheos cites the words of Scripture: “Salvation is in much counsel,” but emphasizes: not in “council with many,” but “in much counsel” with an experienced person. But here, unfortunately, they like to do this: “Well, I was with such and such an elder, now let’s go to another elder, then to another one.” This is, of course, completely wrong. If we saw a spiritually experienced person and were able to stay near him, this is sometimes more important than long speeches. From the lives of many saints, we know that people, even just watching them from afar, were edified by this more than by words. There are such cases in the lives of St. Sergius of Radonezh, John of Rila, and many other saints. Because a person who has fulfilled God’s commandments and has been granted God’s grace is so different from those around him that he himself serves as an edification. But, I repeat, especially today, in our days, it seems wrong to me to go and look for the elder. At best, it will not bring any benefit. And, of course, an absolutely monstrous practice - when they pack buses for a “trip to the elder.” It's just business.

- As a rule, such trips are still made without blessing...

- No one can prohibit anyone from doing anything. We are free people, we live in a free country - I sat down and went wherever I wanted. Therefore, we - bishops, clergy - do not so much as “forbid” or “not bless,” but we try to explain that spiritual life does not consist in traveling from one elder to another.

You know, sometimes some people have a disdainful attitude towards ordinary priests, like: “I visited the elder - yes! And in our church - what kind of priests are they? They have a wife, children, and in general they are still boys...” Such neglect is essentially a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which is poured out on every priest at the moment of ordination and gives him the power to “bind and decide.”

- Vladyka, you reminded us of Elder Paisius the Holy Mountain. I think that he still ministers to people through his books. Perhaps this is how modern man should seek spiritual guidance?

“I think a modern person needs to go to church, participate in the sacraments, read spiritual literature, including books by those people who were spiritually experienced and enjoyed the favor of their flock during their lifetime. And the Lord will send in due time everything that is necessary—a good confessor, a good church community. And if this is necessary for a person, he will take him to some monastery. And there he will meet a monk, perhaps not a famous one, not one of those to whom “spiritual tourists” go in busloads, but one who can give advice - which this particular person needs, and precisely at this time. And if a person hears this advice and implements it, he will receive the greatest benefit that can be obtained.

Newspaper “Orthodox Faith” No. 12 (608)

Elders heal souls out of a sincere desire to help

Elders are different from preachers and psychologists. For them, helping people is not even a mission, but a way of life. Here is what priest Valery Dukhanin writes to the elders:

Valery Dukhanin

Priest

“Eldership is not a multi-educated sermon, not a highly wise instruction, not psychotherapy, or even a lesson in asceticism, but eldership is a long-term experience of life in Christ. This is the skill of living according to the will of God, so that the elder can no longer do otherwise, cannot help but love, not sympathize, not not pray. People are drawn to it the way they are drawn to the light of the sun, because it shines and warms.”

Monks and laymen go to the elders, some once, some constantly

Most of the elders are monks. That is why they are most often approached by people like them - other monks. They ask their elder brothers for guidance in spiritual life. The laity learn less often about the existence of the elders, but they also visit them if necessary.

For some, just one advice from an elder is enough to change their life once and for all. Someone realizes that they are not spiritually mature enough and tries to see the elder more often. In such situations, the relationship grows from a single conversation into full-fledged spiritual mentoring.

Having become attached to an elder, a person can become his disciple, and then also an elder.

The elder helps solve only personal problems and does not engage in public activities

The elders always sought solitude and did not really like being asked a lot of questions. The fact is that not all people know how to listen correctly. They understand the teachings in their own way, as is more convenient. In such cases, the more said, the less benefit.

The very presence of an elder nearby is already a blessing for a person, but this is not enough.

The person asking for advice must do a lot and understand it himself, otherwise there will be no benefit.

The elder addresses the soul of a person and gives him the most important instructions. But they need to be felt and accepted. A mentor is like water pouring on a dry branch. It is beneficial if absorbed and assimilated.

That is why elders do not engage in public statements. Communicating with everyone at once is of little use. The world's problems are not their concern. The elder is a healer of the soul, and not of the church, country or society.

See also the article What faith are Armenians

How to choose a fur coat

Any woman dreams of a beautiful fur coat from the moment she begins to think about her wardrobe.
And it’s not surprising, because a fur coat not only warms its owner, but also testifies to her taste and, of course, status. Today, the range of fur coats is so large that the question often arises: How to choose a good fur coat? You need to approach the purchase of fur products very responsibly, so that later you do not have to regret the money spent, and not small ones at that. Buying a fur coat
First, you need to decide what kind of fur to choose from.
Products made from mink, fox, and beaver are very popular, products from sable and chinchilla are very expensive and rare, products from coyote and possum are usually used for men's outerwear. So, first we determine what a fur product is needed for
.
Will this be a chic mink fur coat to show off to your friends at parties? Or do you need warm outerwear for every day, and it’s quite possible that a stylish jacket or coat with a fur collar will do? Women who are primarily interested in their image will not be particularly concerned about such issues as the ability of the fur coat they choose to retain heat and how long it will last. Usually the deciding factor here is a well-known fashionable name on the label and an impressive number on the price tag of the product. Those who still prefer practicality, durability and comfort should know that the warmest fur is from sable, fox and mouton
.
Next, according to the degree of heat retention, you should choose among fur coats made from arctic fox, beaver, chinchilla, nutria, seal and mink. The coldest furs are considered to be ermine and marmot
.
A fur coat made from an otter and a seal will last the longest – 20 seasons. If you choose a fur product made from river beaver, it will decorate your wardrobe for 18 seasons. Astrakhan fur and mink will be worn for 10 winters, and fur coats made from arctic fox, sheepskin, fox and sable will delight the eye for 7-8 seasons. Squirrel, nutria, muskrat and fox will serve 4 winters, and rabbit and chinchilla will serve their term in 2-3 years. Next, you need to decide whether to choose a fur coat made from sheared or unshorn fur, dyed or natural. Special treatments, such as fur dyeing, often only increase the cost of the product. Dyed furs are the most fashionable now, and they look very unusual and impressive. If fur dyeing was carried out in accordance with all the rules of the technological process, then this does not affect the quality in any way. Therefore, you should not be afraid to buy a fur coat with tinted back ridges. Furs dyed in bright colors are also worn well - yellow, red, orange and calmer ones: tobacco, purple and cherry. Which fur is better, dyed or natural color is a matter of choice. You need to go shopping, compare the fur coats available for sale, look at their styles, prices and quality. Don't try to keep up with fashion. This, of course, is a matter of taste, but if the purchase is intended to last for a long time, then it is best to choose a fur coat in the classic version. Timeless classic. In any case, you need to buy something that suits you and makes you feel cozy and comfortable. In order not to make a mistake and choose a really high-quality fur coat, you need to study information about different furs. The fur coat should be smooth, shiny, soft, pleasant to the touch, and if you stroke it against the grain, the hairs should not crunch or break. If you squeeze the hem of the product in your hand, good fur will immediately return to its original shape. Next, you need to put on a fur coat and determine whether it is suitable in weight. Isn't it too heavy? But at the same time, the fur coat should not be very light. Convenience is not the only reason why you should choose a fur coat based on weight. In order to reduce weight and save fur, furriers often stretch the fur greatly: the thickness of the skin decreases, but the distance between the hairs increases, and as a result the fur coat becomes cold. The weight of the finished fur product depends on the length of the fur, the quality of the skins and the presence of insulation. It should be noted that recently insulation is either not used at all, or is used only in the chest and back area. Next, when choosing a fur coat, you must check whether the fur coat is well stitched and whether it wrinkles. Fur products, sewn from well-treated skins, are soft and flowing. The lining at the bottom of long fur products is usually not attached, this is a good indicator: it means that the manufacturer has nothing to hide. Tips for choosing a fur coat
• Often we don’t know which fur coat to choose based on the price, how to estimate its real cost. The price of a fur product usually depends on the quality of tailoring, brand, style, quantity and quality of whole animal skins.
The more pieces of skin a fur coat is made from, the cheaper it is, as a rule. Manufacturers can so cleverly glue pieces of fur onto a fabric base that no one will suspect anything. A single piece of skin is considered to be a piece measuring 15 by 15 centimeters. If the area of such a cut is smaller, then the cost of a fur coat should be 20-30% cheaper than the cost of a product made from whole skins. • You need to buy a fur coat that fits your budget. It is better to choose a coat made from beaver fur of excellent quality than a product made from mink of average quality. Fur coats that are sold at incredibly low prices are most likely of poor quality or have some kind of defect. • The quality of the workmanship is checked as follows: the fur needs to be slightly wetted with water, the wetted area should be stretched lengthwise and crosswise with your hands and pierced with the eye of a needle; if the fur is not pierced, then the workmanship is good. But of course you can’t check that in stores, no one will allow it. But if you're smart enough, you can try. Yes, the mink’s undercoat should also be dense and dense. Be sure to run against the grain of the fur, as there are mistakes made by tailors and then bald spots will appear. • It is also important to remember that the manner in which the animal from which the fur coat is made is also killed. Therefore, you need to be very careful about non-factory-made things, especially those that are sold in markets. Fur coat manufacturers, unfortunately, are not always distinguished by high spiritual qualities. Therefore, no one can guarantee that a fur coat bought at the market is not made from a skin skinned from a tortured animal. Such a thing, purchased even for a very modest price, can later cost too much, since the animal furs from which fur products are made have different energies and can have different effects on the people wearing them. Many people are prejudiced about this issue, but... here everyone decides for themselves. So, armed with the necessary knowledge and advice, you can safely go for one of the most important purchases in life. By the way, you also need to keep in mind that, as a rule, the selected fur coat cannot be returned or exchanged, so the buyer has every right to touch, inspect, and try on the fur coat as many times as he sees fit. Sources and additional information
: • mirsovetov.ru - how to choose a fur coat; • A fur coat for severe frosts • The fur of a fur coat should be thick • How to buy a quality fur coat • I recommend a mink coat • What length to buy a fur coat • A fur coat for the autumn-winter period • How to choose a real mink coat

Additionally from Guenon:

• genon.ru - on which sites you can find out your size; • genon.ru - how to distinguish fake pearls from real ones;

• genon.ru - where you can read women’s online magazines on the Internet;

• genon.ru - how Santa Claus should be dressed;

• genon.ru - how to choose the right women's shoes.

Famous elders: Seraphim of Sarov, Bishop Ignatius, Holy Fool Diveyevo

Seraphim of Sarov - hieromonk, communicated with several elders.
His direct mentor is Elder Joseph. Seraphim of Sarov was engaged in asceticism in the Far Desert. For many years he was silent and a recluse. As a result, he himself became an old man, acquired the gift of healing and hosted people for many years. As a result, he is one of the most revered Orthodox saints. Seraphim of Sarov, hieromonk who became an elder after a long retreat

Ignatius of Kronstadt - bishop and theologian. From early childhood I heard the Voice of God. He never refused to help people and led a righteous life. Gained the gift of insight and miracles. It is often remembered precisely in the context of conversations about elders.

Ignatius of Kronstadt, bishop and elder. Had the gift of clairvoyance and miracles

The holy fool Pelageya Diveevskaya is an old woman. Seraphim of Sarov entrusted her with the feat of foolishness. She obeyed: she starved, behaved like crazy, and endured hardships. She lived in the monastery for 46 years and received people. She treated, consoled, gave instructions on the path of salvation. Even in the monastery they did nothing without her advice and approval.

Pelageya Diveeskaya became an old woman after meeting Seraphim of Sarov

As can be seen from the examples, elders are unusual people. They are able to perform miracles and hear the will of God. That is why they are often called saints.

Secrets of Russian eldership

Vyacheslav Bondarenko’s book “Holy Elders” is being published in the famous series “The Life of Remarkable People” by the publishing house “Young Guard”.

When you talk about elders and eldership, a modern person usually either imagines something very distant, from the depths of centuries, or perceives it as a kind of “Orthodox esotericism”, inaccessible to “mere mortals.” He is partly right: the ancient eldership, indeed, dates back to early Christian times, and, of course, this type of Orthodox holiness (usually monastic) has its own secret. But this is only part of the truth.

Over the past centuries, the Russian Church has developed its own eldership, which in many ways is close to the early Christian one, but has its own characteristics. A new book is dedicated to these saints by a friend and author of the Tsargrad TV channel - Minsk historian, writer and screenwriter, author of a number of documentaries, best-selling film novels "Liquidation" and "Kadetstvo", nominee for the 2021 Patriarchal Literary Prize Vyacheslav Bondarenko. Our conversation today about the book “Holy Elders”, which has already been signed for publication, reveals some of the secrets of the Russian Orthodox elders.

The book “Holy Elders” reveals some of the secrets of the Russian Orthodox elders. Photo from the personal archive of V. Bondarenko

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“Tsargrad” : Vyacheslav Vasilyevich, your new book is dedicated to the saints of God, glorified as saints relatively recently, whose exploits mainly date back to the end of the 18th – 20th centuries. In church history, the eldership of the first centuries of Christianity is widely known; to what extent does the “new” eldership of the last two or three centuries go back to the early Christian one? What is the general feature of this type of holiness?

Vyacheslav Bondarenko : I’ll start by answering the second question. Elders are spiritual guides, people through whom the Lord reveals His will. Moreover, an elder can be a bishop, hieromonk, hierodeacon, or monk; coming from the nobility, peasants, bourgeoisie, priesthood; very old in age and a man slightly over forty; deeply educated and who have not received any education; a man revered by everyone, and one who is considered almost a holy fool. But all this “external” is secondary; for eldership, what is important is the gifts that the elder is endowed with from God.

Vyacheslav Bondarenko presents his book “Father John (Peasant)”. 2021 Photo from the personal archive of V. Bondarenko

Yes, we, people of the 21st century, first of all see in the elders what amazes us and cannot be easily explained - the gifts of insight and healing. However, something else is much more important and significant in the elders: reasoning, humility, love, experience in spiritual warfare, in prayer. Of course, the “new” eldership of recent centuries stands firmly on the foundation laid by the great predecessors. After all, the elder never speaks simply “from himself,” he relies on the spiritual experience of the holy fathers of antiquity. But we can still say that our Russian elders of the 18th – 20th centuries are special. It grew at a very difficult time for monasticism, a time of decline in monastic activity, loss of very important meanings.

Those elders who labored, for example, in the 1770s in the Bryansk and Roslavl forests, of course, understood that they were continuing the work of St. Anthony the Great (4th-century Egyptian saint, founder of Christian monasticism), but they could not help but know that they were laying the foundations a new, purely Russian senile tradition. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was joined by the experience of St. Paisius (Velichkovsky), brought from outside, his works, and the monastic charter he compiled. This can be considered the beginning of modern Russian eldership.

Ts .: How fair is the opinion that eldership is almost some kind of “Orthodox esotericism”? They say that if his parish confessor cannot resolve some issue, the elder can solve it, but his blessing is above any law. If he tells you to get married to the first person you meet, you need to do so, get a divorce and go to a monastery, too. Is it so? And what is “young age”, which is also often talked about today?

V.B .: It is certainly impossible to judge eldership as some kind of “Orthodox esotericism”. Such a false idea may arise due to the external aura of “miraculous” that accompanies the elders, church and parachurch legends associated with them, and an atmosphere of unhealthy excitement.

The so-called young age is also connected with this. Patriarch Kirill once said wonderfully about him: you can walk hunched over as much as you like, frown your eyebrows, speak in a quiet voice, and still not be an old man. In fact, this phenomenon is far from new; even St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) in the 19th century called young age acting, a sad comedy. But the fact that it has become widespread right now is quite understandable: this is a consequence of the spiritual turmoil at the turn of the 1980s and 90s, which has largely not been overcome to this day.

As for the true elders, they never imposed their will. The Monk Ambrose of Optina, if they began to argue with him, would only say: “What do I say to the one who does his own will?” – and walked away from the conversation. The Venerable Seraphim of Glinsky, at the slightest hint of disagreement with him, immediately gave in and said: “Do as you know.” Father John (Krestyankin) did the same. The elders never “broke” a person over the knee. They helped him find himself. And then it’s your choice.

Ts .: And how legitimate is the judgment that the elders are almost a “parallel hierarchy” in the Russian Orthodox Church. That they are almost higher than bishops?

V.B .: I think that various factors have always played and continue to play a role here, including purely human ones. And in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries there were bishops who treated the elders strictly, if not pickily, humbled them, and there were also those who deeply revered and consulted on everything. Genuine elders have always been characterized by respect for the church hierarchy; this is natural for someone whose whole life is obedience.

Ts .: Most of your new book is dedicated to the Optina elders, and the Rev. Vasily Ploshchansky, who opened it, was spiritually close to the first of them. Why do you think this particular holy place at the border of Kaluga and Tula lands flourished with a whole constellation of Russian saints in the 19th century? And why did representatives of the Russian intelligentsia of that time so often turn to them for spiritual guidance, from the great Russian conservative thinker Konstantin Leontyev to very liberal figures?

V.B .: It is simply impossible to explain why Optina Pustyn became the spiritual center of Russia in those years. This question is not for a person, not for a historian, not for a researcher. Indeed, even before Optina there were already great, famous monasteries where the Russian elders were born - the Ploshchanskaya and Beloberezhskaya hermitages, but in the 1830s it was Optina that rose to prominence and became the undisputed center... Of course, this is the Providence of God. The choice fell on Optina, and its light illuminated the whole country, the entire Orthodox world.

As for the answer to the second question, I think it sounds more down-to-earth. The Russian intelligentsia of the second half of the 19th century simultaneously looked as if in a mirror - at itself, and at the same time tried to get to know its people, flesh of whose flesh it was, but with which it had lost contact. The appeal to the elders, in my opinion, was an attempt to solve the riddle of the ideal Russian man, to understand him with all his strengths and weaknesses, pros and cons, and at the same time to understand himself, his purpose in the history of the country.

Of course, everyone saw in the elders what they wanted to see, which is why the results were different - from Konstantin Leontyev to Leo Tolstoy. But the trend itself was characteristic of the era.

Ts .: Why did you choose four from the whole host of Optina elders: Saints Leo, Macarius, Ambrose and Nektarios? What are their characteristics and what united them, besides the place of service itself?

V.B .: Venerable Leo is the formation of the Optina eldership, its beginnings. Venerable Macarius – the elders’ first contacts with representatives of Russian culture, Gogol in Optina, Kireevsky, publishing activities. The Monk Ambrose is probably the most beloved and “people’s” of all Russian elders in general, along with Seraphim of Sarov and John of Kronstadt, this is the “golden era” of eldership. And the Monk Nektarios is the beginning of the 20th century, war, revolution, destruction of the monastery, exile, arrest, semi-underground life, and he foresaw all this.

What unites these saints is that in different eras they were the “backbone” of their monastery, elevated it, despite the difficulties, preserved the best traditions of Optina and created their own. And their characters were very different, very colorful: Leo is an old hero, Macarius is a great worker who is always fighting illness, Ambrose, an old fool Nektary... And all of them are our beloved Russian saints.

Ts .: Few people knew about the holy righteous Alexy Bortsurmansky, another “hero” of your book. But the activities of his descendants - the modern Moscow pastor and preacher Archpriest Vladimir Vigilyansky and his daughter Alexandrina - revealed this elder to many. His feat is different from the feat of the same Optina elders; he was not a monk at all. However, does he stand on the same level as them?

V.B .: Yes, there are still debates about whether representatives of the white clergy who reached great spiritual heights and enjoyed general veneration can be considered elders. In my opinion, it is possible if the main thing was present in their activities: spiritual guidance, the goal of which is salvation.

The holy righteous Alexy Bortsurmansky was an amazing saint - a real genius, a loving “father” and then “grandfather” of his spiritual children, deeply revered in the Simbirsk province. “He burns like a star on the Christian horizon,” Seraphim of Sarov said about him. In the near future, a new Life of this saint, prepared by his descendant Alexandrina Vigilyanskaya, will see the light of day (I express my deep gratitude to her for the opportunity to use the finds she made in the archives in the work on the book).

The holy righteous Alexy Bortsurmansky is an example of what a purely Russian eldership could be like, without any impurities, without any philosophizing, as they say, in practice.

Ts .: Probably the same can be said about the holy righteous Alexy of Moscow (Mechev)? Many of his spiritual children and the spiritual children of his son, Hieromartyr Sergius (Mechev), were still alive quite recently, and therefore in Moscow, one might say, the continuity of the spiritual heritage of these saints and their community is alive. He is very often associated with the legacy of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt, do you agree with this?

V.B .: Yes, the holy righteous Alexy of Moscow himself said that if it were not for communication with John of Kronstadt, he would never have become what he became. Before serving together with the Kronstadt Elder, Father Alexy, by his own admission, did not even understand the essence and meaning of what he was doing (although I think that this was said out of deep humility).

The example of Father Alexy is unique, his experience in establishing a “monastery in the world” may have been based on the ideas of Father Valentin Amfitheatrov (another famous confessor of that time, the issue of canonization of which is still being decided - ed.), but the implementation was not at all that is not similar, its own. Moscow needed such a priest at the turn of the era, at the turn of the 1910s and 1920s - and, thank God, it had one. An ardent prayer book, a seer, who fearlessly commemorated Patriarch Tikhon when it was forbidden...

The destinies of Father Alexy and his son Father Sergius are very dear to me, I can learn from them endlessly - courage, perseverance, kindness, and anything else.

Ts .: Venerable Simeon of the Pskov-Pechersky (Zhelnin) - elder of the Pskov-Pechersk Monastery - senior contemporary of Archimandrite John (Krestyankin), to whom your previous book was dedicated. What is special about this holy place and how close is the spiritual connection between these people? As with one of the elders of the Little Russian Glinsk Hermitage - Father Seraphim (Romantsov), with whom your new book ends?

V.B .: The elder traditions of the Pskov-Pechersk monastery are very interesting, since they developed, on the one hand, as if “on their own,” and on the other, they were linked to the traditions of the Glinsky and Optina eldership. The Monk Simeon of Pskov-Pechersk is an example of a purely Russian nugget, when a simple Pskov peasant became a saint, a pillar of the ancient Russian monastery. As a boy, he read about the feat of prayer of Seraphim of Sarov and began, imitating him, to pray on a stone...

When Father John (Krestyankin) first came to Pechory in 1955, the Monk Simeon called him an earthly angel and a heavenly man. He also blessed Father Nikolai Guryanov (a famous pastor and preacher of the 20th - early 21st centuries, whom many revere as an elder - ed.) to do the old man's work. So we can consider these two elders as direct successors of the work of St. Simeon of Pskov-Pechersk.

And the Monk Seraphim of Glinsky is the heir to a long chain of Glinsky saints, dating back to the beginning of the 19th century. A Kursk peasant who went through the First World War, and the White Sea Canal, and hermitage in the Caucasus, and a secret life in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, and service in Soviet Sukhumi. He survived two closures of his native monastery - one can imagine what a tragedy this is for a monk.

It is known that Father John (Krestyankin), even before entering the Pskov-Pechersk monastery, in the late 1950s, when the Glinsk Hermitage existed, visited Elder Seraphim there more than once and expressed the idea of joining the Glinsk brethren himself, because that it preserves ancient traditions. But in 1961, Glinskaya was destroyed and closed. And five years later, in Sukhumi, Father John received tonsure from Elder Seraphim and a blessing to enter the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery.

That is, through Father John, the old Glinsky traditions were partly brought to Pechory. And considering that the first teacher of Father John was the priest Georgy Kossov, a student of St. Ambrose of Optina, we can say that the Optina spirit also came to Pechory. So in the 1960s–80s, when neither Glinskaya nor Optina existed, it was the Pskov-Pechersk monastery that became the real “fortress” of the Russian elders.

Ts .: Not long ago, two confessors of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, who are also often called “elders”, died: Fathers Kirill (Pavlov) and Naum (Bayborodin). Do you see in their ministry, as well as in the ministry of the now living Schema-Archimandrite Elijah (Nozdrin), continuity with the holy elders you described? Does eldership actually exist today?

V.B .: It is traditional to say that now eldership in its former, “classical” form does not exist. Father John (Krestyankin) spoke about this in the 1980s and explained why: because there are no people left who carry out the will of the elders, only “questioners” remain, that is, those who see in them some “magicians, favorites of the gods,” soothsayers , fortune teller. In many respects this, unfortunately, is true. But at the same time, it would probably be too much courage to state unequivocally that the traditions of Russian eldership were interrupted forever.

The Fathers you named Kirill (Pavlov), Naum (Bayborodin), Iliy (Nozdrin), Father Adrian (Kirsanov), who recently left us, the living Schema-Archimandrite Vlasiy (Peregontsev), Archimandrite German (Chesnokov) ... These are our contemporaries, you can see them , hear. Of course, we can say that before the grass was greener and the elders were completely different. But the main thing is that the “golden chain” of eldership is not interrupted, that such people continue to be born and become lamps of the spirit for those around them.

Besides, those who became the heroes of my book are not going anywhere. They have been gone for a long time, but they are with us, we can turn to them and ask for prayerful help. And read about their amazing destinies, where a simple human life quietly and smoothly grew into a high, eternal Life. Well, to the question of what to do if there are no elders, one of my heroes, St. Seraphim Glinsky, answered long ago:

“Everyone has sorrows. They replace the elders, as the Lord allows them, knowing the heart of everyone. No one will help or change if you don’t change yourself. We need to start with attention to language and mind. And we must constantly be careful to blame ourselves and not others.”

Not everyone can be an old man

It is not enough just to be a good psychologist and understand spiritual matters. The elder must really be in contact with higher powers. This is the only way he will receive the support he needs for his mission. Priest Valery Dukhanin writes:

Valery Dukhanin

Priest

“If any of us were given such a load, when lines of people with grief, misfortune, despondency are constantly walking, to listen to as much as the priest heard in these confessions, then our nervous system would simply be strained. And only love that is pure from the bottom of the heart, love in Christ, will not allow you to burn out internally.”

And today there are those who are turned to for advice, but there are a lot of impostors

Famous modern elders live in monasteries. An example is Schema-Archimandrite Vlasy Peregontsev from the Pafnutievo-Borovsky Monastery near Kaluga. People line up and wait for him, sometimes for days. They say his prayers can heal even the terminally ill.

Schema-Archimandrite Vlasy Peregontsev is called a modern elder; they say his prayers heal

But, unfortunately, it is quite difficult to find a wise spiritual mentor on your own. Not only believers know who the elders are, but also dishonest businessmen and unreasonable priests.

Such people, without any real abilities, open a “reception”, pay themselves for reviews, and create a reputation. The “Lime Old Man” can make a very impressive impression. But communication with him will end in disappointment at best, and in emotional problems at worst. The psyche is a fragile thing, and you shouldn’t trust it to anyone.

How can a false elder harm? For example, give some crazy assignment, say, send him to a monastery. Or scare him with some curse. So it is best not to take risks and not seek meetings with such “promoted” devotees. Elders are approached in extreme cases. Most problems in life are solved by other specialists:

priests,
doctors,
psychotherapists, etc.

And if you need to find a truly wise spiritual teacher, then first, talk to several people whom he has already accepted. Find out impressions. Make your own opinion. And also arm yourself with the advice of Professor A.I. Osipova from the video above: make sure the person you are going to trust is reasonable.

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Chapter XV. Eldership and asceticism of the 18th-19th centuries.

The revival of monastic life and eldership in the last quarter of the 18th century. is closely connected with the personality of a strict ascetic and ardent zealot for the ascetic and mystical traditions of the ancient monasticism of the Eastern Church - we mean Elder Paisius Velichkovsky, whose name will forever remain in the history of our Church.

In the world Paisiy was called Peter Velichkovsky. He was the son of a priest. He was born on December 21, 1722 in Poltava, spent his childhood years in the circle of his family, where piety was preserved, where all church rules and regulations were strictly observed in everyday life. Peter was a quiet, silent child, loved to read, and in the house they kept, of course, only those books that corresponded to the pious views of his parents; the most common book at that time was the Book of Hours, which usually served as the first book for children to read, followed by the Psalter and, finally, the lives of saints and ascetics of piety. Young Peter thoroughly studied all this, not out of coercion, but out of good will, according to the inclination and disposition of his soul. At the age of 13 he was accepted into the “brotherly school”. The mother wanted the youngest son, like all his ancestors, like his father and elder brother, to become a parish priest and inherit his brother’s parish, as usually happened at that time. But Peter, already in his early youth, had a desire to go to a monastery and become a monk, and this desire became stronger over the years. The ministry of the parish priest, which he knew well from his own observations, probably did not satisfy him. Reading ascetic works influenced his life plans: a trip to Jerusalem, to Mount Athos, or to some monastery where pious monks labor in monastic solitude - all this attracted him more than the life of a parish priest. In his biography, these pious dreams of the young student were praised by the compiler: “For the Lord granted him the gray hair of reason, wisdom and humility in his youth.”

One night Peter secretly ran away from school, left Kyiv and went on a long journey (1739). Along the way, he stopped at the Lyubech Monastery, near the city of Lyubech on the Dnieper. The abbot of the monastery received him cordially, blessed him to stay in the monastery and even allocated him a cell. Thus, the first step in the implementation of plans was taken, for Peter’s spiritual father, Hieroschemamonk Pachomius, to whom the young man revealed his inclination towards monasticism, advised him to first go to the Lyubech Monastery, where he would be told what to do next. Accepted as a novice, Peter performed various jobs in the monastery.

The story in Paisius's biography about why he left the Lyubech Monastery characterizes the monastic life of that era. From this story we learn how important it was that the abbot of the monastery was a monk suitable for such a position, for often the collapse of a very strong fraternal community was due to the fault of the monastic authorities. Peter had already been living in the monastery for several months when a new abbot was appointed, a willful brute in a monastic robe, who cared little about the ascetic life of the monks and understood his ministry in a completely different spirit. He did not go to the refectory to eat there with the brethren, but ordered himself to prepare special dishes separately and bring them to the abbot’s cell. One day, due to an oversight by Peter, who did not receive precise instructions from the abbot, the abbot was brought the wrong food. In anger, he hit innocent Peter on the cheek. Perhaps, from another abbot and in other circumstances, the young novice would have accepted a slap in the face with humility. But then, in mental turmoil, Peter decided to flee the monastery and look for another, better place for monastic life. He left the monastery and went south.

Fate brought him to Moldova, where, as he heard, many ascetics were saved. And so he came to the monastery of St. Nicholas, located on an island in the middle of the Tyasmin River, already in Moldova. He turned to the abbot and was accepted into the monastery as a novice. A completely different spirit reigned here than in the Lyubech Monastery, and Peter zealously fulfilled his obediences. Some time later, when he was 19 years old, he took monastic vows, first as a ryassophore, with the name Plato. Here he felt good; monastic life contributed to his spiritual growth. But I also had to leave this monastery: persecution began from the Uniates, the monastery churches were closed, and the monks were expelled.

Then Plato decided to return to Kyiv and join the brethren of the Pechersk Lavra, where his spiritual father Hieroschemamonk Pachomius labored. His wish was fulfilled, and Plato became a monk of the most ancient Russian monastery. He was literate, so he was given obedience in the Lavra printing house, in addition, he was entrusted with engraving icons on copper. Although life in the monastery and these activities corresponded to Plato’s spiritual disposition, he did not abandon his previous plans to save himself in complete solitude under the guidance of an experienced monk. An unexpected meeting with a former school friend, with whom Plato often talked about desert life, served as the impetus for a new wandering.

Together with two other monks, Plato again went south, hoping to reach the holy Mount Athos. Meanwhile, the pilgrim’s journey led our pilgrim to the monastery of St. Nicholas, called Treysten. Like the inhabitants of the ancient Palestinian laurels, some of the monks lived here according to the cenobitic rules, while others, elderly experienced monks, took refuge in huts located around the monastery, laboring according to the special rules. Here Plato first prayed during a divine service, which was performed according to the rules of Mount Athos; here he first saw the harsh desert dwellers, strictly observing the rules of idiorrhythms. After some time, Plato, who underwent various obediences in the monastery and became well acquainted with the life of a small, poor monastery, was sent to the Kyrkul monastery. There he continued to grow spiritually under the guidance of the elderly elders Vasily and Onufry. At that time, in the monasteries and monasteries of Moldova, both in communal and special monasteries, monastic life was especially strict. Eldership as a means of caring for monks was extremely widespread, and many monks were under the command of elders. Plato could experience for himself the senile guidance to which he aspired. For three years, until 1746, Plato remained in this monastery, but in the end the time came for which he had been waiting for so long: he got the opportunity to visit Mount Athos. With the permission of his elder and with the blessing of the abbot, Plato, together with another monk, went to the Holy Mountain.

Even in the Kirkul monastery, he listened with excitement to stories about the life of the Holy Mountain residents. According to the biographer, with the resettlement to Athos, Plato’s novice apprenticeship ended and independent asceticism began. After a difficult journey by land and sea, he finally arrived at the Lavra of St. Afanasia. He was given a cell near the monastery. There, in complete poverty, renunciation of the world and silence, many monks and elders were saved. But Plato’s desire to enter under the leadership of the elder was not fulfilled: no one wanted to take him as a novice. “You will not find such according to the judgment of the Lord’s destinies, and you will not receive the obedience desired by your soul, having assigned it to God’s providence for yourself, sitting alone.”

The mental and spiritual state of the young anchorite, who waged spiritual warfare without the help of the elder, is described to us by the monk Gregory (1836), relying, apparently, not on ascetic works and not on his own experience, but on the narrative of the elder Paisius himself, which was kept in a manuscript in the Nyametsky monastery 1284. Life spent in solitude, silence, gathering the soul, with the unceasing performance of the Jesus Prayer, was not easy, but Paisius “struggled and advanced from strength to strength in spiritual strength, setting ascension in his hearts every day and being kindled by Divine zeal for great feats, enjoying the fiery Divine zeal,” writes the monastic author. This lasted three years, after which Plato experienced a joyful meeting for the ascetic: his former elder, Hieromonk Vasily from Moldova, arrived on Athos, and, after talking with the young ascetic, tonsured him into the minor schema with the name Paisius.

At the same time, Elder Vasily advised him to move to a cenobitic monastery, because idiorrhythm and desert living are good for older, experienced monks. From the writings of Paisius we know that later he also became an adherent of the cenobitic rule, but with the preservation of eldership for novices and new monks. The disciples of Paisius, who labored in various Russian monasteries, also sought to improve monastic life by introducing a cenobitic rule, but at the same time they themselves served as elders, accepting individual monks under their spiritual guidance. In addition, among the writings of Paisius we find the “Statement on the Order and Statutes of Cenobitic Communities,” in which he strongly recommends the monastery1285. However, for another three or four years Paisius remained alone, following the path of self-improvement. Then several young monks came to him, and although Paisius himself was still young, they asked him to accept them as novices. These were mainly monks who came from Moldavia and Wallachia or from the Slavic Balkan countries. At their urgent request, Paisius was ordained a priest and became a hieromonk. This happened in 1758, when he turned 36 years old.

Paisius had now entered the second period of his life: he not only waged spiritual warfare for the sake of his own improvement, but also, as an abbot and elder, spiritually led other monks, and these works of his made him a central figure in the revival of genuine monasticism in Russia.

The small brethren who gathered around Paisius constantly grew. Fortunately, he managed to receive from the proto of the Athos Lavra the ancient dilapidated monastery of St. Prophet Elijah, near the monastery of Pantocrator; together with the brethren, he built a church, a refectory and 60 cells - the number of brethren grew to such an extent. Although the new monastery suffered great need, the brethren multiplied day by day, and the monastery premises soon became cramped. But even among monks, jealous envy and other unkind feelings do not completely disappear. The Slavic monastery of Paisius, perhaps because of the excellent order in it and the ever-growing authority of its abbot, aroused unfriendly feelings and unfair rumors about Father Paisius and his students among the Greeks from other Athonite monasteries; the Turkish authorities also created all sorts of obstacles. Then Paisius decided to return to Moldavia to found a new monastery there, among the mountains and forests.

In 1763, Elder Paisius, together with 60 monks and novices, set off and arrived in Moldavia, but did not find a suitable place there. Only in Iasi does he manage to receive from the Metropolitan of Moldavia the Dragomirn Monastery in honor of the Descent of the Holy Spirit. Paisius introduces a hostel here and the liturgical charter of Mount Athos. But the following rule was completely new: in the evenings, between services, the brethren had to gather in the refectory. Paisius came and read to them various ascetic works, making his own explanations. Since the brethren were partly from Moldavia and Wallachia, and partly from Slavic countries, this reading was arranged separately for the Romanians and Slavs, every other day; Divine services were always performed in Church Slavonic. This is how the life of the monks was arranged in the Dragomirn monastery, where Paisius’s senile gift blossomed.

In 1774, after the Russian-Turkish War, part of Moldova went to Austria, and the area where the Dragomirn Monastery was located also went. Fearing for the future of his monastery under the jurisdiction of the Austrian authorities, Elder Paisius decided to move to the part of Moldavia that remained Turkish. He turned to the metropolitan with a request to allow him and his brethren to move to the half-empty Sekul monastery. Paisius received this permission, but some time later the brethren grew so large in number that they became crowded in the new monastery. Then the elder received at his disposal the large Nyametsky monastery, located two hours away from Sekul; he had to divide his brethren into two monastic communities, but both monasteries remained under his control and spiritual leadership. Before his death, there were already 400 monks in the Nyametsky monastery, and more than 100 monks in the Sekulsky monastery.

Paisius himself spent long autumn and winter nights, with the help of two monks who spoke Greek, translating the ascetic works of the holy fathers into Moldavian and Church Slavonic. This is how the translation of the “Instructions” of St. Isaac the Syrian, “Questions and Answers” by St. Maximus the Confessor, “Teachings” of St. Theodore the Studite, the “Instructions” of Abba Barsanuphius, etc. and, finally, the Church Slavonic “Philokalia”. The translation of the Philokalia was completed in 1793; it turned out to be two thick handwritten volumes. This translation was made from the already mentioned work of the monk Nicodemus (according to the Venetian edition of 1782)1286.

Paisius' earthly life, full of fruitful labors, ended on November 15, 1794; at the age of 72, he closed his eyes forever1287.

The last period of his activity lasted 31 years, making his name known far beyond the walls of the monastery; his fame as an elder who had a special gift of spiritual nourishment penetrated into Russia. From the autobiography of Elder Feofan Sokolov we learn that already in the early 70s. Several monks and laymen who were striving for ascetic deeds, having heard about Paisius, went to him in the Dragomirny and Nyametsky monasteries to receive instruction or even stay there forever under his spiritual guidance1288.

One of the first students of Paisius was the elder hieromonk Cleopas I († after 1778), who transferred the foundations of eldership to the Ostrovskaya Vvedenskaya hermitage (Vladimir diocese). Biographical information about this ascetic of piety is very scarce: Cleopas was an example of modesty and humility. Even his disciple, Elder Feofan Sokolov, could not tell much about his former life. Cleopas was from Southern Russia; he spent several years on Mount Athos, where he met Paisius and probably escaped with him to the monastery of St. Prophet Elijah. In 1760–1778 he was the builder of the aforementioned Vvedenskaya hermitage, he was entrusted with putting it in order, internal and external, and thanks to Cleopas, this hermitage truly became a place of monastic deeds. He was one of the first planters of a truly monastic life in Russia and the founder of the eldership in the desert he revived1289. The communal charter introduced by Cleopas in this monastery was later transferred by his students, the monks Ignatius and Macarius, to the Nikolo-Pesnoshsky monastery, but, unfortunately, this charter did not last long there 1290.

And then a whole host of ascetics of strict life appeared - disciples of Elder Paisius. They settled throughout Russia and, wandering from monastery to monastery, from desert to desert, they spread the news of the “pious and wonderful Father Paisius” everywhere, thus gaining new adherents of the eldership, who became their disciples. In the first generation of Paisius's disciples, some names deserve special mention, although initially the circle of their influence was not particularly large; they mainly settled in the smallest and poorest deserts of southern Great Russia - in the provinces of Kaluga, Oryol and Kursk.

Among them was the elder archimandrite Theodosius Maslov (1720–1802). He was born in the city of Glukhov (Chernigov province) in the family of a merchant, at first he was saved in the Svensky Monastery, then, dissatisfied with the life of the monks there, he went to Moldavia, to the famous Moldavian elder Vasily († 1767)1291, whose student, as already said, was Paisiy. In 1767–1778 Theodosius was the abbot of the Tyasminsky and Merlopolyansky monasteries; in 1779 he was invited to the Molchanskaya Sofroniev Hermitage to resume monastic life. There he remained until his death († December 9, 1802). Theodosius introduced the communal rules of Mount Athos into the deserts1292.

Next, two more disciples of Paisius should be named: these are the elders Hieromonk Cleopas II († 1817), tonsured by Paisius, and Hieroschemamonk Theodore (1756–1822).

Cleopas II in 1800 came to the Beloberezh hermitage, where Elder Vasily Kishkin was then rector, here Cleopas met the monk Leonid Nagolkin, who at that time was asceticizing in this hermitage, and together they later visited different monasteries; Cleopas died in 1817 in the Valaam Monastery1293.

Hieroschemamonk Theodore, also a merchant's son, from the city of Karachev (Oryol province), in his early youth left his parental home and went to the Ploshchanskaya hermitage; his parents returned him home, but he fled again, this time to the distant Beloberezh desert. One day, on the way to the Pechersk Lavra, a young novice heard about the “wonderful old man Paisius” - and went to see him in the distant Nyametsky monastery, where Paisius tonsured him, accepting him as one of his disciples. Theodore was very knowledgeable in literacy and helped Paisius by rewriting his translations. Paisius's successor, Abbot Sophrony, tonsured Theodore into the schema and sent him back to the Beloberezh hermitage. But the diocesan bishop asked him to go to the small and poor Cholna hermitage and take over as abbot there, but Theodore rejected this offer and agreed only to become an assistant rector. Thanks to his help, the communal rules of Elder Paisius and the liturgical rules of Athos were introduced here. Meanwhile, so many people began to come to Theodore for advice and guidance that he was forced to leave the desert. He moved to the Beloberezh hermitage, where he remained for eight years. Finally, together with Elder Cleopas II and the monk Leonid (later Optina), he went to the Novozersky monastery, which at that time was ruled by Elder Feofan Sokolov, from there to Paleostrovsky, then to Valaam (here his companion Elder Cleopas II reposed) and finally to the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery, where he remained until his death (April 7, 1822).

One episode from the life of Theodore eloquently suggests that the brethren were not everywhere jealous of the improvement of monastic life. Elder Theophan asked him to go to the Nilo-Sora hermitage, which was founded in the 16th century. Elder Nil, and at that time it was considered a monastery. The level of monastic life there fell very low. The brethren met Elder Theodore with great hostility, and his efforts to restore order in the monastery were unsuccessful1294.

Elder Hieromonk Afanasy Zakharov († 1823) also came from the ascetic school of Paisius. A noble family, captain of a hussar regiment, Zakharov took off his smart uniform to put on a monastic cassock, and came to Elder Paisius, whom he met in Moldova during the Russian-Turkish war. In 1777 we find him already in the Florishcheva Hermitage (Vladimir Diocese), then he was saved in the Ploshchanskaya Hermitage (Oryol Diocese), there he served as an elder, and the future Optina Elder Macarius Ivanov was his novice for 13 years1295.

The fifth student of Paisius was another Athanasius, a former official, schemamonk, who presented Metropolitan Gabriel with a Church Slavonic translation of the Philokalia. He then labored in the forests of Roslavl, in complete solitude and distance from the world, and later in the Svensky Monastery (Oryol diocese), there is no evidence that he served as an elder there († 1811)1296.

The sixth and youngest student of Paisius was Elder Philaret († 1841), who, being the abbot of the Glinsk hermitage (1817–1841), transformed it on the basis of the charter of Mount Athos. He compiled a “Long Instruction for a Newly Consecrated Monk” (1824) and was involved in caring for the elderly monks1297.

Monk Pavel from the Moscow Simonov Monastery1298, monk Gerasim from the Sophronie Hermitage and schemamonk Theophanes from Optina († 1819) were the last representatives of this generation of disciples of Paisius1299. (For the further history of the “school of Elder Paisius” in Russian monasteries, see Table VIII.) For some time, the monk Theophanes from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, a student of the Pechersk Elder Dosifei, later a famous Solovetsky recluse, lived in the Nyametsky monastery with Paisius1300.

All of these disciples of Paisius, themselves or through their students, did a lot to revive ascetic traditions in various monasteries and to introduce cenobitic rules, but there were other zealots of monasticism who associate Paisius with a group of harsh desert dwellers. These were the so-called “elders from the Roslavl forests.” The Roslavl forests are located in the south of the Smolensk province and, together with the Bryansk forests, form a vast, impenetrable, dense forest. In the 2nd half of the 18th century. the forests belonged to the wealthy landowner Bronevsky. The history of the appearance of this group of ascetics is not entirely clear.

The first desert dweller in the Bryansk forests was probably the monk or hieromonk Joasaph (1692–1766), who after several years of desert living was no longer a lonely hermit. The fame of his harsh life penetrated into the Ploshchanskaya hermitage, and Joasaph was offered to become the abbot of this desert in order to bring it out of its pitiful state. Joasaph spent five years there, and then returned to his forest hut. He apparently gained the respect of the peasants of the surrounding villages, and many people flocked to him, seeking consolation and advice. The elder’s communication with the people seemed suspicious to the church authorities - here it should be noted that many schismatics were hiding in the southern part of the Bryansk forests - and the Sevsk Consistory ordered the police to arrest Joasaph, and he was subjected to countless interrogations. Only a conversation with the diocesan bishop saved Elder Joasaph from exile, perhaps even to Siberia, where he could have been sent as a suspicious person without a passport. At the direction of the bishop, Joasaph was released and returned to his forests, where he died in 1766.

At this time, it became known that in the Roslavl forests, with the permission of their owner, several monks and laymen inclined to solitude were being saved, leading the most severe ascetic life. Of these, the most famous are Elder Barnabas with his two disciples Hilarion and Joseph, Nikita († 1793), Theophanes, former hierodeacon Anastasius, a student of Elder Vasily Kishkin (1745–1831)1301, Elder Hieromonk Athanasius, one of the already mentioned students of Paisius, who returned to these forests after a trip to Metropolitan Gabriel, to whom he presented the Slavic text of the Philokalia. Here Basilisk and Zosima entered the ascetic field, who, as we already wrote, subsequently went to Siberia, where Basilisk died; Zosima gained fame due to the fact that he cared for the sister community. Finally, Hieromonk Adrian, who was the elder of Basilisk and Zosima, also labored there; subsequently (1790) he received from Metropolitan Gabriel an order to restore monastic life in the Konevetsky Monastery, on the basis of the cenobitic charter1302. Another desert dweller, named Arseny, was formerly a student of Paisius; he came to the Roslavl forests from Moldova. All of these elders had disciples who subsequently contributed to the revival of monastic life, exerting a spiritual influence on abbots, for example, Anatoly († 1865), abbot of the Maloyaroslav Monastery, and Moses († 1862), abbot of Optina Pustyn. Despite the persecution of these ascetics by the police, who intended to resettle them in monasteries and sometimes forcibly expelled them from their huts, some of them still managed to hide from it: for example, Dorotheus († 1865) lived in the desert in the forests for almost 60 years 1303.