Do Orthodox elders live in Russia now? Answer from Archpriest Andrei Tkachev

When Father Kirill Pavlov (now deceased) was asked about the elders, he replied that there are old people with spiritual understanding. This is how he defined this title of monks. And he added that the young man cannot be called an old man; he has a lot of energy and little life and spiritual experience. With age, an understanding of one’s own meaning appears, the ability to remove the logs from one’s eyes and a condescending attitude toward other people’s specks and helping to remove them.

I will tell you my point of view, as long as the Church exists, everything that relates to it will live. The Holy Spirit living in the church manifests itself in different ways, including through the eldership. Scripture says that there is one Spirit, but his gifts are different.

Venerable Silouan of Athos (1866-1938) – Holy Mount Athos

Both the great ascetics and the young monks who prayed in the cells of the monastery of St. Panteleimon on Mount Athos agreed that St. Silouan of Athos “achieved the measure of the Holy Fathers.”

The future great elder was born into a family of Tambov peasants in 1866 and from his youth dreamed of becoming a monk. The parents did not oppose their son’s decision, but insisted that he first undergo military service in St. Petersburg. Immediately after the end of the service, Semyon - that was the name of the Monk Silouan before his monastic tonsure - went to Holy Mount Athos and entered the monastery of St. Panteleimon, also called Rossikon.

The Monk Silouan lived in the monastery for 46 years, but despite this he remained “unseen” for most of the brethren - he rarely received visitors and had little contact with the monks, but those who had the good fortune to turn to him with their questions and problems always received consolation, support and the wisest answers - the answers of a person to whom the Will of God has been revealed.

This is how Saint Nicholas (Velimirovich) recalled the Monk Silouan: “He was not strict with the sins of others, no matter how great they were. He spoke about God’s immeasurable love for the sinner, and led the sinful person to the point of severely condemning himself. This wonderful confessor was a simple monk, but rich in love for God and his neighbors. Hundreds of monks from all over the Holy Mountain came to him to warm themselves with the fire of his fiery love. But especially the Serbian monks from Hilandar and Postnica loved him. In him they saw their spiritual father, who revived them with his love..."

Elder

The laity believe that the gift of foresight was given to the elders from above, but they cannot observe the universal future due to their exceptional abilities. Being extremely close to God, the elders are endowed with the ability to look at the world differently, noticing what people who are bogged down in the everyday bustle do not see. Giving life-changing advice, healing, comforting, praying, they just open people’s eyes to what they do not have time to notice and comprehend.

Health problems, obsession with something, infertility, sinful obsession, inability to cope with the problems that have piled up become the reason for a conversation with the elder, by turning to whom everyone should be ready to hear the pure truth, accept it and follow the recommendations of the righteous, otherwise the whole point of communicating with spiritual person.

An elder, contrary to ideas, may not be a monk who has been wise by experience and years, but even a young ascetic who has managed to “grow old” in his exploits and turn his heart into the abode of the Holy Spirit.

An analogue of the Old Testament prophet, an old man, even after death is able to do good, bestowing peace of mind and spiritual joy on everyone who comes to his grave.

Hieromonk Panteleimon (Korolyov) calls the elders the vanguard of monasticism; they teach people who turn to them for help not with the words of “alien wisdom,” but with examples and knowledge from personal experience. Every Orthodox elder must have a novice who is obliged to love him like a father and unquestioningly carry out all his instructions. In turn, the ascetic must bear the burden of his disciple and be a strong man of prayer.

Venerable Nektary (Tikhonov) (1858 - 1928) - Optina Pustyn

The Monk Nektarios (Tikhonov) was one of the most respected, charismatic and charming elders of Optina Pustyn. This amazing man, who undoubtedly acquired God’s grace and possessed the gift of foresight, not only helped his spiritual children in the most difficult life situations, not only suggested the right decisions to those who came to him with questions, but also literally made everyone who had the good fortune to communicate with him fall in love with him. him.

Remembering the Venerable Nektarios, his spiritual children say that he was both strict and affectionate, but always behind his words and teachings there was genuine insight and incredible love for everyone who entered his cell. However, the elder himself was not inclined to consider himself an elder: “Elder Gerasim was a great old man, that’s why he had a lion. And we are small - we have a cat,” he repeated more than once.

The Monk Nektarios also spoke about his prophetic gift with humility and even doubt: “Sometimes I have premonitions, and things are revealed to me about a person, and sometimes not. And here was an amazing incident. A woman comes to me and complains about her son, a nine-year-old child, that he is not getting along well. And I tell her: “Be patient until he turns twelve years old.” I said this without any premonitions, simply because I know scientifically that at the age of twelve a person often experiences changes. The woman left and I forgot about her. Three years later this mother comes and cries: “My son died when he was barely twelve years old.” People, rightly, say that the priest predicted, but this was my simple scientific reasoning. Then I checked myself in every possible way whether I felt anything or not. No, I didn’t foresee anything.” However, no matter what opinion the elder himself held about himself, most of the spiritual children of St. Nektarios left Optina Pustyn with new hopes, dreams and aspirations - and this was precisely his merit.

Brief biography of the venerable elders of Optina Hermitage

Hieroschemamonk Lev (Nagolkin) (1768—1841)

The first founder and inspirer of the Optina eldership. A man of unshakable faith, extraordinary courage, firmness and energy. The entire life of this elder, spent in selfless service to God and his neighbors, was an expression of evangelical love. Through his exploits, unceasing prayer and God-imitating humility, he acquired the abundant gifts of the Holy Spirit. The miracles performed by the elder were countless: crowds of the destitute flocked to him. Death (memory day): October 11/24, 1841
Hieroschemamonk Macarius (Ivanov) (1788-1860)

Disciple and companion of Elder Leo. He lived as an elder in the Optina Hermitage at the same time as the Monk Leo, and after his death, until his death, he carried out the great and holy feat of caring for the elderly. The main virtue that he especially cultivated in people was humility, considering it the foundation of Christian life. “If there is humility, everything is there, if there is no humility, there is nothing,” said the monk. The name of Elder Macarius is associated with the beginning of the publication of patristic works in the monastery, which united the best spiritual and intellectual forces of Russia around the monastery. Death (memory day): September 7/20, 1860 Schema
-Archimandrite Moses (Putilov) (1782-1862)

A meek elder abbot. He showed an amazing example of combining strict asceticism, humility and non-covetousness with wise management of the monastery and extensive charitable activities. It was thanks to his boundless mercy and compassion for the poor that the monastery gave shelter to many wanderers. Under Schema-Archimandrite Moses, old temples and monastery buildings were recreated and new ones were built. Optina Pustyn owes its visible flourishing and spiritual revival to the wise leadership of Elder Moses. Death (memory day): June 16/29, 1862
Schema-Abbot Anthony (Putilov) (1795-1865)

Brother and companion of Schema-Archimandrite Moses, a humble ascetic and man of prayer, who patiently and courageously bore the cross of bodily illness throughout his entire life. He contributed in every possible way to the work of eldership in the monastery, which he led for 14 years. The venerable elder's written instructions are a marvelous fruit of his fatherly love and gift of the teaching word. Before his death, he said: “I would like to console everyone, and if it were possible, I would tear myself to pieces and give a piece to everyone.” Death (memory day): August 7/20, 1865
Hieroschemamonk Hilarion (Ponomarev) (1805-1873)

Disciple and successor of Elder Macarius. Being a zealous defender and preacher of the Orthodox faith, he managed to return to the fold of the Orthodox Church many who were lost and had fallen away from the Orthodox faith. “Only from the moment we recognized him,” the elder’s spiritual child recalls, “we learned what peace of mind is, what peace of mind is...” The elder monastery leader died in prayer, with a rosary in his hands. Death (memorial day): September 18/Oct 1.
1873 Hieroschemamonk Ambrose (Grenkov) (1812-1891)

A great elder and ascetic of the Russian land, whose holiness and godly life God witnessed with many miracles, and the Orthodox believing people with sincere love, veneration and reverent appeal to him in prayer. A disciple of elders Leonid and Macarius, he inherited from them the grace-filled gift of eldership and remained in selfless service to people for more than 30 years. He founded the Shamordino convent, ministered to many monasteries, his letters and instructions are a source of spiritual wisdom for those seeking salvation. The monk had a high, clear mind and a loving heart. Extraordinarily compassionate and gifted with grace, he was especially distinguished by his Christian love. Death (memory day): October 10/23, 1891
Hieroschemamonk Anatoly (Zertsalov) (1824-1894)

The hermitage leader and elder, instructed in the spiritual life not only the monks of the Optina Monastery, but also the nuns of the Shamordino convent and other monasteries. Being an ardent prayer book and ascetic, he was a sensitive father and a patient teacher for everyone who came to him, always sharing the treasure of wisdom, faith and special spiritual joy. Elder Anatoly had an amazing gift of consolation. Rev. Ambrose said that he was given such prayer and grace as is given to one in a thousand. Death (memory day): January 25/February 7, 1894 Schema
-Archimandrite Isaac (Antimonov) (1810-1894)

The ever-memorable abbot of the Optina Hermitage, who combined firm management of the monastery and the subtle art of pastoral leadership with humble obedience to the great Optina elders and high asceticism. Schema-Archimandrite Isaac’s life’s work was to preserve and confirm in the monastery the spiritual covenants of the elders. He knew no peace - the doors of his cell were open to the brotherhood and the poor. In food, and in clothing, and in the decoration of the cell, he observed the complete simplicity of the ancient ascetics. Death (memorial day): August 22/Sept. 4
1894 Hieroschemamonk Joseph (Litovkin) (1837-1911)

The disciple and spiritual successor of the Monk Ambrose, who showed the image of great humility, gentleness, and unceasing heartfelt prayer, the elder was more than once honored with the appearance of the Mother of God. According to the recollections of contemporaries, many, even during the life of Hieroschemamonk Joseph, saw him illuminated by the grace-filled divine light. Rev. Joseph was a man of deep inner activity, who always maintained heartfelt silence and unceasing prayer. Death (memory day): May 9/22, 1911 Schema
-Archimandrite Barsanuphius (Plikhankov) (1845-1913)

The hermitage leader, about whom Elder Nektarios said that the grace of God in one night created a great old man from a brilliant military man. Without sparing life itself, he fulfilled his pastoral duty in the Russo-Japanese War. The elder had extraordinary insight, the inner meaning of the events that took place was revealed to him, he saw the hiddenness of the heart of the person who came to him, lovingly awakening repentance in him. Death (memory day): April 1/14, 1913
Hieroschemamonk Anatoly (Potapov) (1855-1922)

Nicknamed by the people as a comforter, he was endowed by the Lord with great grace-filled gifts of love and consolation for the suffering, insight and healing. Humbly carrying out his pastoral service in the difficult days of revolutionary turmoil and godlessness, the elder affirmed his spiritual children in their determination to be faithful to the holy Orthodox faith even to death. Death (memory day): July 30/August 12, 1922
Hieroschemamonk Nektary of Optina (1853-1928)

The last conciliarly elected Optina elder, who, through the feat of unceasing prayer and humility, acquired the greatest gifts of miracles and clairvoyance, often hiding them under the guise of foolishness. During the days of persecution of the Church, while he himself was in exile for confessing his faith, he tirelessly cared for the believers. Both ordinary laymen and great Saints turned to him for advice and prayerful help. Death (memory day): April 29/May 12, 1928
Hieromonk Nikon (Belyaev) (1888-1931)

The closest disciple of Elder Barsanuphius, an ardent man of prayer and a loving shepherd, who selflessly performed the elder ministry after the closure of the Optina Hermitage, suffered torment from the atheists and died in exile as a confessor. Death (memory day): June 25/July 8, 1931
Archimandrite Isaac II (Bobrakov) (1865-1938)

The last abbot of the Optina Hermitage, who experienced the full brunt of the destruction and desecration of the holy monastery. Carrying his cross of abbot service during the years of trials and tribulations, he was filled with indestructible faith, courage and all-forgiving love. He was imprisoned four times. Shot on January 8, 1938 and buried in a mass grave in the forest at the 162nd kilometer of the Simferopol highway. Death (memorial day): December 26 / January 8, 1938

Elder Zosima (in schema Zechariah) (1850-1936) - Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius

Elder Zosima, who labored in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, was gifted with very special spiritual gifts - both the Lavra monks and the numerous pilgrims who came here from hundreds of cities were more than once surprised at how easily and freely both the past and the future of any visitor were revealed to him. Eyewitnesses say that the old man’s prophetic gift was simply fantastic - he could accurately predict what would happen to a person who came to him and how an unfavorably developing situation could be corrected.

The elder instructed his spiritual children not to treat prayer without due attention and to constantly develop the ability to pray with real benefit for the heart and soul. “My conscience testifies,” said the elder, “that St. Sergius with raised hands stands at the throne of God and prays for everyone. Oh, if you knew the power of his prayers and love for us, you would turn to him every hour, asking for his help, intercession and blessings for those for whom our hearts ache, for our relatives and loved ones living here on earth and those already there - in that eternal life."

Are there elders today?

Who are the modern elders? How do they become them? What do they have in common with pop stars? Is it dangerous for a believer to look for an elder? About all this in our new article.

When you type the word “elders,” the search engine returns a popular Internet query: “elders living now,” and there are many sites to choose from. “Not all monks accept visitors, but some of them can still be seen,” reads one online advertisement. And then the list names the elders, their superhuman abilities (the gift of healing, the gift of insight, the gift of strong prayer, etc.), where they live, and how you can get to them. Moreover, information on the living and deceased is regularly updated.

The Internet is also replete with recommendations on which issues should be addressed to the elders, and which ones should not even be bothered. Well, for example, when asked whether to leave an unplanned child or not, any priest will answer that it is necessary to leave it. And you need to go to a perspicacious elder if the priest in the parish “could not give an answer, or he did not satisfy the person.” And here is a list of situations in which it is necessary to contact the elders:

• serious illnesses;
• obsession or suspicion of it;
• infertility;
• suspicion of a curse on a family or person;
• useless long-term struggle with sin;
• addiction to harmful substances.

Do you want to get an appointment with the elder?

Some websites offer individual and group trips to an “appointment” with the elder we need for a fee. And if you ask whether there will be a guarantee that we will definitely get there on the day of the trip, the organizers assure that since we have paid, then the appointment will be one hundred percent. Those. For a fee you can get access to even the busiest and most difficult to reach elder. And then we will be called not just pilgrims, but benefactors. And benefactors skip the line. Here are some real advertisements from various pilgrimage tour sites (spelling and punctuation preserved):

• “We organize trips to places of spiritual power and to elders for those who want to find their path to God or those who have been walking along it for a long time. The company takes care of all the hassles and organizational issues, and all you have to do is choose the direction and carefully prepare for the meeting.”
• “Individual pilgrimage trips with comfort to the elders from Moscow in Russia 2020.”
• “A trip to the priest without waiting for the charity line.”
• “In order to get an appointment urgently and not have to wait for a charity trip, we can take you for a small amount. You can find out more here."
• “Do you want a miracle? You will see with your own eyes on this trip. Do you want to hear the will of God? You will hear from the elder."

Looks a lot like advertisements for performances by popular artists, doesn’t it? But let’s not rush to throw stones at the organizers of such commercial trips. They simply act according to the laws of the market: when there is demand, there will be supply. Indeed, now the popularity of the elders among church and near-church people can be compared to the adoration of fans of their pop stars. Someone may rightly object that the veneration of elders has been in Rus' from time immemorial. It really was. But modern means of communication and telecommunications have helped to increase the “audience coverage” and “promote” the elders “to the fullest,” even if against their will. Just like a skillful producer manages to “promote” an unknown performer to superstar status.

Who are the elders and how do they become them?

An elder is, first of all, a wise, spiritually highly developed ascetic, to whom, by grace, the will of God is revealed not only for himself, but also for the people around him. Elder is not synonymous with “old,” although most often spiritual wisdom comes with years of prayer.

You cannot become an elder by order or by your own desire. “An elder is a bearer of the “mind of Christ,” an exponent of the inner strength of the Church, like the apostles and martyrs, a receptacle not only of heartfelt experience, but also of supernatural gifts: discernment of spirits, insight, healing,” says Professor Vasily Ekzemplyarsky.

The origin of eldership is directly related to the origin of monasticism in Christianity. Initially, experienced ascetics became elders, to whom students came for spiritual advice. In Orthodoxy, eldership has existed since the 10th century. However, an elder is not necessarily a male monk or clergyman. It can be either a layman or a woman. Like, for example, Elder Pelageya Diveevskaya, who in 2004 was canonized. The elders have access to special spiritual vision, which allows them to see all the passions and virtues in a person, as well as see his past and future.

But it should be emphasized that although the concept of “eldership” is very widespread and often found in Orthodox literature, the modern church does not recognize it. There is no official list of the Russian Orthodox Church, which would indicate by name the deceased and living elders! Most often, people themselves - pilgrims, parishioners - begin to call this or that wise monk or clergyman an elder, noticing various miraculous talents behind him. Thus, the elders are “made” by popular rumor.

Where did the fashion for elders come from?

Initially, people came to the elders exclusively with spiritual questions. The soul was healed next to the elder gradually, thanks to the prayers of the ascetic and the transfer of spiritual power from teacher to student.

Today the elders have been turned into some kind of popular stars, to whom people flock in droves, greedy for miracles and spectacles. And the beginning of such popularization of eldership was laid by the intelligentsia of the 19th century. Returning to the Church, she “discovered” for herself and told the world the names and teachings of the Optina and other elders. The result of such PR was a distortion of the correct understanding of elder ministry. Unfortunately, this still happens to this day. Modern media personalities also “help” to popularize the elders: they share their own experience of communicating with them, film programs about the ascetics and their exceptional talents. Naturally, an ordinary person, having seen and heard enough stories about miraculous healings and accurate prophecies, will also want to know about himself - “what happened, what will happen, how the heart will calm down.”

The popular adoration of modern elders can compete with the love of fans for their pop idol. The fan endows the idol with all the advantages of the world, blindly believes all his statements on a variety of topics, often very far from their professional activities. Many believers (and not so believers) endow elders with exceptional qualities, heavenly wisdom, and even often deify them, forgetting that the elder is only a guide, a guide to God.

False elders/young elders

In the wake of the enormous popularity of eldership, a mass of so-called false elders or young elders appeared. If there is no officially recognized list of elders, then anyone can declare themselves as such and begin to accept people, receiving various benefits from this (from consolation of pride and a sense of power over people to material benefits). But if there is no official list of elders, then there is no list of false elders either. Moreover, one and the same person can be a false elder for some, but for others - practically a holy person.

There are people with suppressed will, and there are many of them among believers. They readily submit themselves to be subordinate to their confessor, sometimes without even thinking about whether he is a true follower of Christ or a false elder, for whom it is not important to fulfill the will of God, but only to the obedience of believers to him. The advice of such an “ascetic” most often diverges from Scripture and the official position of the Church. He is categorical and demands unquestioning submission to himself: do not take medicine, but “trust in the will of God,” get a divorce, sell the house, give me the money.

But true elders will not force anyone, they can only give advice. The main thing always remains the good will and desire of the person himself.

“The elder will not force himself on you. He is extremely sensitive in his advice. But he will immediately want to do everything for you and will do everything so that you no longer suffer. Although in some cases even the elders have to work for a long time on the situation: prayer, advice, constant support of all kinds, but every time such people know how to reveal to us that the Lord is the God of good endings! - St. Paisius the Svyatogorets taught.

Searching for elders as distrust of God?

Now, unfortunately, the main mission of eldership as the transfer of spiritual experience has been discredited. Many Orthodox believers perceive the elders as certain oracles, magicians and predictors who will teach how to get out of trouble and draw up a plan according to which life will flow easily and beautifully.

So why are we looking for elders? So that they show a miracle to confirm our lack of faith? Or answered questions about the future to satisfy our idle curiosity? In fact, it is simply a lack of trust in God. We don’t trust, we don’t believe that the Lord will do everything for us in the best way, that He leads us to salvation, and we just need to trust Him. But no, we want to check, make sure: is everything really like that?

“A person is ready to completely transfer his will to someone and not worry about anything anymore - that is, to relinquish responsibility for his own existence. This is very tempting, because it seems that everything is being decided for you,” Abbot Nektary (Morozov).

Indeed, how easy it is to entrust your will to a wise ascetic (we have dealt with the falsely wise false elders) and live “on everything that is ready.” Like, nothing depends on me, but the elder will say what will happen and what I should do, so I will do it. This is a banal shedding of responsibility for one’s own life, a manifestation of fear to make reasonable decisions and make the right choice.

“Many people do not want advice, but slavery. We look for elders out of laziness. We don't want to put in even a little bit of work. Have questions? Please, how much Orthodox literature there is now! Search, read! But no. I need to go to the priest right away with questions. I want to swallow it right away without chewing,” laments Professor Alexey Osipov.

Any mortal wants to comprehend the truth and find out the will of God about himself. But for this it is not at all necessary to run to the elders.

“Seek the truth. She is everywhere, she is everywhere,” says priest Igor Silchenkov, “If you ask, the Lord will reveal it to you.” The gift of insight is not a static concept. The Lord can tell you the truth through a baby or even through a harlot, as in the case of Ephraim the Syrian. He asked: “Lord, send me someone for spiritual guidance!” And the Lord sent him a harlot. And she told him the wisdom of God. Ephraim the Syrian was amazed at how the Lord hears our requests and how in an amazing and different way he can fulfill everything.”

Seek the truth. Truth is Christ. Christ is love. And love is everywhere. She is always with us, around us. Very close. And you don’t have to travel far to get it. And there is no need to look for elders. The Lord is always with us. He stands and knocks on our hearts. He knocks and humbly waits for us to open it for him.

AUTHOR: Glafira Znamenskaya @glafira_znamenskaya

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Elder Herman (1844-1923) - Zosimova Pustyn

The confessor of Grand Duchess Elisaveta Feodorovna and the sisters of the Martha and Mary Convent, the highest dignitaries of the state and many church hierarchs, Elder German did as much for the development and prosperity of Zosima Hermitage as perhaps no other monk of those who labored here did for it. The fame of this amazingly perspicacious and philanthropic elder was so loud that thousands of Orthodox pilgrims from all over Russia flocked to Zosimova Hermitage, and not one left without good advice from the wise monk.

Elder Herman taught his spiritual children to be strict with themselves, explaining that being strict with oneself is an opportunity to gain God’s mercy. “... the Lord has mercy on me only because I see my sins: my laziness, my negligence, my pride; and I constantly reproach myself for them - so the Lord helps my weakness...” he said.

Russian elders of the 21st century: the pastoral ministry of Schema-Archimandrite Jeremiah (Alekhine)

There is probably no Orthodox Christian who does not dream of meeting a truly spiritual and experienced mentor and elder on his life’s path. However, in the modern world, such bearers and teachers of the living patristic heritage are becoming fewer and fewer every year. Living in the world, being in constant material bustle, it is extremely difficult without paternal spiritual support to keep the covenants of the Holy Fathers and carry out the feat of inner, mental prayer. But there are still untouched corners on earth where these traditions and heritage are preserved intact and pure to this day. Among them, without a doubt, one of the first places continues to be occupied by the Russian Monastery of St. Panteleimon on Athos, where, through the efforts of the 99-year-old abbot of the monastery, Schema-Archimandrite Jeremiah (Alekhine), the ancient Athonite ascetic traditions and incessant prayer are still strictly observed. Father Jeremiah is an amazing and bright personality among modern Orthodox monasticism. He truly is a genuine spirit-bearing elder, through whom Russian Orthodox people in our time have the opportunity to touch the spiritual heritage of the great elders of the past. The life of Father Jeremiah (in the world Alekhin Yakov Filippovich) is full of sorrows, hardships and even persecution for the faith. Through him, a subtle invisible spiritual connection with the former pre-revolutionary Russia, with Holy Russia, seems to be preserved. He was born on October 9/22, 1915 on the Novo-Russky farm (Don Army region) into a pious Orthodox Cossack family. With the coming to power of the Bolsheviks and the beginning of persecution of their faith, their entire family was repressed and exiled to Siberia, where their parents died and Yakov was left an orphan. Being the son of “enemies of the people,” and also a believer, he, unlike most of his peers, could not even think about studying at Soviet universities. Not wanting to renounce his parents, their covenants and his native Orthodox faith, he refuses to join the godless Komsomol. Wandering around the country in the 1930s. he moved to Ukraine, where in 1935 he got a job as a simple worker at a metallurgical plant in Mariupol, while still secretly attending religious services. Yakov Alekhine worked at the plant until 1941, establishing himself as a responsible and hardworking worker. During the German occupation of Ukraine in 1941, he was forcibly taken to do hard work in Germany. In 1945 he was repatriated to his homeland. From 1945 to 1952 he worked as a worker at bakery plant No. 2 in Lugansk (Ukraine). During this period, the future elder had to endure many new trials and even persecutions for his faith, but all this did not break or shake his faith. Moreover, a new wave of atheistic attack on religion under Khrushchev prompted him to make the decision to finally leave the world and completely devote his life to serving God. In 1956, Yakov Alekhine entered the Odessa Theological Seminary (where he studied with the future Primate of the UOC, Metropolitan Vladimir (Sabodan) of Kyiv and all Ukraine - author's note). At the same time, he carried out obedience in the Odessa Holy Dormition Monastery. Already on January 17, 1957, he took monastic vows with the name Jeremiah. And in the same year, on January 25, he was ordained a hierodeacon, and the following year, 1958, on January 27, a hieromonk. Spiritual confessor and mentor Fr. During this period, Jeremiah became an outstanding ascetic, a former inhabitant of the New Thebaid skete of the St. Panteleimon Monastery on Athos, schema-abbot Kuksha (Velichko, + 1964), now canonized. Also in Odessa, Father Jeremiah became close to the repeatedly persecuted confessor and prisoner of the Stalinist concentration camps, Schema-Archimandrite Pimen (Fr. Malachi Tishkevich, +1984), who before his arrest in 1937 served in Chernigov and was an associate of Schema-Archimandrite Lavreniya (Proskur, +1950) . These elders and confessors of the faith left an indelible mark on the soul of Fr. Jeremiah, influencing his spiritual development and his entire subsequent life. In the early 1960s, having learned that some of the monks from the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery would be sent to serve in the Russian Monastery of St. Panteleimon on Athos, Father Jeremiah, on the advice of the former inhabitant of this Athos monastery, Rev. Kukshi Odessky also submits a corresponding petition. But getting to Athos in those years was extremely difficult. For 14 whole years Fr. Jeremiah wait for permission. And yet, despite all the difficulties, on August 26, 1974, in letter No. 432, Patriarch Demetrius of Constantinople reported that of the six declared monks from the USSR, only two were given permission to settle on Holy Mount Athos. Of these two, the next year, in April 1975, only one was able to arrive for permanent residence on Athos - Father Jeremiah (Alekhine). Since then, he zealously and tirelessly labored on the Holy Mountain. In the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos, Father Jeremiah had the opportunity to work tirelessly on its restoration. During this period, the monastery experienced a period of decline. Therefore, his revival is one of the main merits of Father Jeremiah. In 1975, Father Jeremiah was awarded the rank of archimandrite. On April 10, 1976, he was elected by the brethren as the general confessor of the Athos St. Panteleimon Monastery. In December 1978, he was elected deputy abbot, and on June 5, 1979, the Patriarch of Constantinople confirmed him as abbot of the Russian Athos monastery. The ceremonial enthronement took place on June 9 of the same year. In 2006, according to Athonite tradition, Father Jeremiah was tonsured into the great schema. On October 17, 2013, during a visit to the St. Panteleimon Monastery, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople awarded him the right to wear the patriarchal pectoral cross. Despite such an advanced age (almost 99 years), Elder Jeremiah now not only tirelessly carries out the feat of prayer, but also continues to take care of the monastery, and is even preparing, together with the brethren of the St. Panteleimon Monastery, to celebrate the anniversary of the 1000th anniversary of Russian monasticism on Holy Mountain, which will be celebrated in 2021. In our vain age, the feat of service of Father Jeremiah is a rare but striking example of spirit-bearing eldership, inherited through spiritual continuity from the holy new martyrs, confessors of the faith and elders of the past, among whom both Venerables played an important role. Kuksha (Velichko) and schema-archim. Pimen (Tishkevich), as well as the former ascetics and elders of the Russian Monastery of St. Panteleimon on Athos, from whom the priest adopted the living experience and tradition of Athos asceticism and internal work. For almost 40 years, Father Jeremiah has been working tirelessly to revive the St. Panteleimon Monastery on the Holy Mountain. And the current flourishing of the Russian Svyatogorsk monastery is the result of his many years of tireless work, care and prayers. Thanks to the efforts of Elder Jeremiah the Russian on Athos, the St. Panteleimon Monastery has sacredly preserved the ancient Athos charters to this day, making unceasing prayer to the Lord for the salvation of our sinful world. The monastery remains, as it were, an untouched “corner of Holy Rus'”, where the spiritual traditions of both the Holy Mountain and Holy Rus' are still preserved and observed in purity and integrity. While staying in the monastery, praying at night services, communicating with Elder Jeremiah and other devotees of the monastery, according to the testimonies of many pilgrims, they were not left with the feeling that they had somehow moved to “another time”... This is indeed so, because in the St. Panteleimon Monastery, Thanks to the efforts of the abbot of the monastery, all monks are obliged to bear the difficult work of unceasing prayer. And these prayers of Russian Athonite monks transform and protect not only the monastery, but their Motherland, and the whole world, providing a kind of blessed cover over them. Therefore, the words of our great writer F. Dostoevsky are quite applicable to the Russian ascetics of the St. Panteleimon Monastery on Athos, that this world still holds together only thanks to the secret exploits of a few elders, hidden from the world, who day and night in the depths of their hearts exalt their a deep prayer to the Lord and begging Him for our sins and apostasies.

Sergei Shmel , pilgrim

Elder Simeon (Zhelnin) (1869-1960) – Pskov-Pechersky Monastery

In the 50s of the 20th century, the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery, not far from the border with Estonia, became one of the most visited monasteries in Russia. Military and civilians, poor and rich, happy and unhappy people travel here by train, fly on planes and stand in huge queues - and all this in order to see and ask for advice and help from one single person - Elder Simeon.

Eyewitnesses and spiritual children of the elder say that not a single person left his cell unsettled, not a single one doubted the advice of the wise monk. However, like the Venerable Nektarios, Elder Simeon did not consider himself God’s chosen one. “Yes, I’m not a seer at all, the Lord gives the great gift of insight to his chosen ones, but here it’s just that longevity helps me - I entered the house before others, so I know its rules better. People come to me with sorrows and doubts, and an excited person is like a child, he is all in the palm of his hand... A misfortune happens to a person, so he loses the accuracy of his spiritual eyes, falls either into despondency, or into insolence and bitterness. But I know the worldly circle well, and I have lived a long life, and I myself am protected from troubles and temptations by the Lord’s power, and how can I, to the best of my little strength, not support my brother, my companion on the earthly road, when he got tired before I did... - he said.

If there is a church, then it has everything and grace is manifested through people

For a person with grace, who has grace from God, given “for something” or “for something,” obedience is manifested in the Eldership. He helps other laymen heal their souls in the name of Christ the Savior.

If our Christian Church exists, then it has everything. Its vitality and indestructibility are verified by the gifts of grace revealed through Holy people, primarily the Elders.

In recent decades, the church has been demonstrating the fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. My words refer specifically to the Russian Orthodox Church. She lives fully. The Church can justify its name - apostolic, conciliar, holy - only if it has holiness.

Of course there are elders. But chasing them is a futile exercise. In everyday life there are many things that can be called “elders”, mentors, support in life, moral and physical. For a woman, the “old man” is the husband, and vice versa, for the man the wife is the “old man.” The absence of such an elder in life is compensated by marital obedience.

For children at any age, parents are mentors – “elders”. Our path is corrected by life situations that fulfill their “senile” functions. The elder does not pull you by the hand through life, guiding you and avoiding all obstacles. It simply shows the most correct direction of the path and everyone chooses where and with whom to go.

If you are an obedient person, not an inventor and not arrogant, then everything around you will be an “old man” for you. And vice versa. Many run after the elders not to understand the will of God, but to beg from people in authority a blessing for their “I want.” Then they close themselves off like a shield from everyone with the elder’s answer. Even if he said "I'm sorry." This happens for one reason. Love for the Lord is completely absent in a person; it is replaced by a tender feeling for oneself. This deceit is not from the Lord, but from the devil.

WE RECOMMEND: Icon of the Resurrection of Christ.

Ambrose Optinsky noticed that some of his visitors did not come for advice and guidance, but simply to chat. For them, the very fact of communication with the Elder is important. For example, several merchants were passing by the Wasteland. We remembered that Elder Ambrose lived there and decided to stop by just to chat. They sat and waited, not doubting the success of their venture. But the cell attendant came out to them. In his hands he had a glass of water and a spoon. He explained, “Father said that you need to chat,” and handed them what he had brought.

The merchants were perplexed, for a long time they could not understand that Ambrose received a discovery from the Lord - people did not come for a solution to the problem, but simply to chat, to entertain themselves with a conversation with a famous old man.

Unfortunately, more and more people are coming to the elders who do not need them. And those who need to communicate with him are not likely to come. A striking example of this is John of Kronstadt. A “gang” of some crazy “ionites” was constantly spinning around him. These strange women constantly tried to bite the archpriest in order to partake of his blood; they accompanied him with screams and wild cries that John was the Lord of Hosts, who had descended to earth in the flesh.

What is the real need? Elders are needed by those people who want to know the will of God, which is known from the Holy Scriptures, from the traditions of the Church. The will of the Lord is manifested through a person’s conscience, its voice. The hand of God is found in every person's life circumstances.

You will get half the answers by carefully looking at the life around you. But if you go to services, listen to the word of God, read the Gospel, then there will be practically no questions left. A true believer prays for admonition, reads Psalm 142 “teach me to do Your will...”. As a result, all many issues are resolved and the elderly servant of the Lord is not needed.

There are elders, no doubt. But they don't exist for everyone. Pleasing their ego, people are ready to take them apart piece by piece, turning them into a set of souvenirs, and then sell the duckweed torn into a thousand pieces. The main thing is not knowing the desire of the Lord, but the opportunity to boast that I made tea for the old man, washed his feet, talked, touched... As a result, they draw a halo of holiness for themselves.

This is church vulgarity that prevents people who need it from finding the right answer.

INTERESTING: Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.

Elder John (Alekseev) (1873-1958) – New Valaam

Elder John (Alekseev) was the confessor of New Valaam and took care of the pilgrims who came here. Contemporaries remember Father John as a deep and incredibly sensitive person who knew how to console everyone who came to him with problems or questions.

Much of the elder’s spiritual heritage has come down to us in the form of letters—until his last days, Elder John wrote to his spiritual children about how to learn to live according to the commandments and find peace of mind. Here is a fragment of one of these letters: “Try not to judge anyone in anything. What you don’t want for yourself, don’t do to others. Remember that for every idle word we will give an answer before God at the Last Judgment. You cannot serve two masters. Make peace with your opponent so that he does not imprison you. So that there is no enmity with anyone, otherwise the prayer will not be pleasing to God, and will even lead to sin. How will God forgive our sins when we ourselves do not forgive?”

Modern elders: who they are and what they teach

Photo: wpfdc/www flickr. com

“The New Athonite Patericon” is the name of the book about modern Orthodox elders, in the preparation of which Hieromonk Panteleimon (Korolyov) participated. We talk with him about why the elder is not a magician, miracles are not always useful, and coming to the monastery is the path “not to the walls, but to the confessor.”

An elder without a novice is not an elder

- Father Panteleimon, who are the elders? How are they different from spiritual teachers or simply wise people?

— The determining factor here, first of all, is the relationship between the elder and the novice, because just as there cannot be a son without a father, a father without a child, so there cannot be an elder without a novice. This is a very close and absolutely trusting relationship, when a novice is ready, for the sake of Christ, to surrender his entire will into the hands of the elder, and is ready to learn monastic life from him. The elder, unlike the father, is chosen, but once chosen, there is no turning back. It doesn’t matter what kind of old man you are, hot-tempered, not hot-tempered, soft or strict - you don’t care anymore, you love him like your own father. And there can be no other for you. St. John Climacus says: before you choose your spiritual father, you have the right to consider the traits of his character. If you have already become his child, then by looking at him with a critical eye, you are terribly destroying your relationship.

Cross and Temple of the Transfiguration of the Lord on the top of Mount Athos. Photos from the beginning of the 20th century

- Probably, like in marriage: you chose each other, you got married or got married - you won’t get married.

- Yes indeed. You got married and suddenly discovered that your other half’s character is a little different than it seemed at first, but you already have a very close relationship and it would be a disaster to abandon them.

Sometimes novices, knowing the peculiarities of their character, deliberately chose very stern elders for themselves. For example, in our book there is a story about Elder Ephraim of Katunak, who had a very strict mentor: he gave almost no monastic instructions, but was always very strict on everyday issues. And for Father Ephraim it turned out to be incredibly useful! He loved his elder with all his heart and took care of him. And when his mentor, Father Nikifor, was dying, he repeatedly asked for forgiveness from his student and said to those around him: “This is not a man, this is an angel!”

It is in such relationships between the novice and the elder that the concept of eldership is most fully revealed. It is difficult to describe the love of a father for his son. And the love with which the elder loves the novice - although it may never manifest itself in these relationships, the elder may be strict and harsh towards the novice - the love that the Lord gives is very strong. On Athos, eldership and obedience to the elder are perceived as a sacrament, and, accordingly, both participants in this sacrament are guided by the Lord. In a relationship with the elder, the novice learns to hear and obey God.

— That is, he perceives the will of the elder as the will of God?

- Exactly. The ancient patericon preserved the following words of Abba Pimen: “The will of man is a copper wall that stands between him and God.” And the novice little by little, piece by piece, dismantles this copper wall, obeying his elder, although his instructions may often be incomprehensible or even change every minute. But if, with love for God, with love for the elder, a novice tries to fulfill these instructions, then a special work takes place in his soul, he feels the breath of the Holy Spirit. Often the Lord expects from us those things that we would not like - out of laziness, out of distrust of God: we want to first be explained to us why we need to do this, and only then we will do it. And the elder is not obliged to explain anything to the novice.

Monastery of Xenophon on Holy Mount Athos. Photo by Valery Bliznyuk

There are different relationships. If there is a novice who, with all sincerity, obeys the elder, then the elder receives instruction from God on how to correctly lead him into the Kingdom of Heaven. If the novice turns out to be very obstinate and self-willed, then the elder remains to show the condescension and mercy that God shows to us, tolerating our disobedience and self-will. For example, about one of the elders - Father Cyril of Karey - it is said that he loved to pray at night, performed, in the full sense, all-night vigils, and the novice scolded him for this. And so the elder tried to hide his exploits from him and endured reproach.

Junior eldership

—Can we say that monasticism is such a vanguard of Christianity, and eldership is the vanguard of monasticism? People “on the front lines” who pass on their experience further?

- In general, yes. There is even an example that describes this. Elder Joseph the Hesychast, famous in Russia, had a very ardent character in his youth and retained his ardor until old age; One day he had a vision that he was on the front line in a battle with demons. And he was not afraid, did not hide behind other people’s backs, but, on the contrary, was eager to fight! Indeed, there are such fiery fighters, and in some exceptional cases they grow up almost without spiritual guidance. Actually, Father Joseph was one of those who searched all over Athos and could not find a spiritual leader. His associate, Father Arseny, although he was ten years older than Father Joseph in age and monastic feat, did not take upon himself the burden of spiritual leadership, but said to his younger brother: “Please, be an old man, and I promise that I will remain with you.” in obedience to death." It is not so important here who is older in age! Spiritual experience plays a huge role: a person should teach based on his own experience, and not be a “merchant of other people’s wisdom.” Only speaking from their own experience did the fathers understand that their word was effective. This relationship between the elder and his novice, who are nearby every day from morning to evening, can only to some extent be transferred to the relationship between a spiritually experienced person and the laity, but here, too, trust and obedience play a huge role.

- Does this have to be absolute obedience? Is it possible for a layman?

- No, in this case no one demands absolute obedience. But if a person comes with a specific question and the elder answers him, admonished by God, then no matter how strange this answer may be, the questioner should act according to what was said. Otherwise, it turns out that he came to ask God and turns up his nose: “Lord, you are saying something so strange, I will still do it my way.”

Having faith, sincere trust and the willingness to follow advice that may seem strange are very important. Often, if this faith is not there, the Lord does not reveal anything to the elder about a specific person - the absence of an answer will be more useful than an answer that will not be accepted. “God took away the grace of the word from the elders,” says the “Memorable Tales,” “and they do not find what to say, because there is no one who fulfills their words.”

- How many people are even ready for such obedience? Or do most of us still listen to the will of God according to the principle “If I don’t like it, it’s as if I didn’t hear anything”?

“There are always people who are ready to accept with a pure heart what they hear. And it also happens that someone with great pride takes upon himself the impossible feat of absolute obedience and at the same time puts an unbearable burden on another, because for an elder to bear the burden of his novices is also a difficult feat, the elder must be a really strong man of prayer. Obedience cannot be learned in five minutes. This is a long journey with many falls along the way. What is important here is the experience of elders and a sober view of oneself - “the son of difficult mistakes.” Awareness of one's weakness is one of the key points of Orthodox asceticism. But a person who is just starting to ski is first of all taught to fall correctly - so that he does not get hurt, but is able to get up and move on. It’s the same in spiritual life: under the supervision of our elders, we learn to both fall to death and rise up with youthful zeal.

— Who are the young elders and how to protect yourself from falling into false obedience to them?

“Only the Lord our God is truly holy; all people, even saints, have certain human weaknesses and shortcomings. Those priests who are appointed by the Church to bear spiritual obedience and direct the spiritual life of people also have some imperfections. Their task is to shepherd the church flock, preventing the sheep from falling into the disastrous abyss of heresies, witchcraft, apostasy and other evil, but also without depriving them of their inner freedom. In many matters, even the Apostle Paul gave only advice, and did not impose his decision - just like the good shepherd does not pass off his human reasoning as Divine revelation. Obedience is a matter of love and trust, not military discipline. But it happens that a priest, due to mixed pride, considers his opinion to be the only correct one and tries to force his child into the Kingdom of Heaven: he makes vital choices for him or points out small things, without receiving any Divine enlightenment.

We must look for a confessor “not with our eyes, but with our tears,” and ask the Lord to hand us over to a good shepherd. Let us first learn to be simple sheep of the flock of Christ, let us love the temple, watch our language and actions, show respect for our parish priest - and if the Lord deems this useful for us, he will certainly arrange a meeting with the elder.

Miracle is not useful for everyone

“They say that the world rests on the elders and their prayer.” Is this true or rather a cliché?

— A Russian proverb says that a city cannot stand without a saint, but a village cannot stand without a righteous man. This can be seen even in everyday life: there is a person on whom the school rests, and it is not necessarily the director; there is a person in charge of the parish - and this is not necessarily the rector. In both cases it could be Aunt Masha, the cleaning lady, who simply greets everyone kindly and quietly prays for everyone.

At the same time, it is very clearly felt how shaky and fragile everything in our life is; at one moment everything can collapse. And the Lord preserves the world with His mercy through the prayers of His saints: some of them are already in Heaven, and others still live on earth and make their way of ascension.

Elder Damascene Prairer
- Where then does the opinion come from that there are no elders in our time?
- Partly because a person wants to see in the old man some kind of, roughly speaking, magician who, with the wave of a magic wand, will solve all his problems. And, not finding something like this, people say: “No, I won’t listen to someone who tells me to do something, to work, I need a seer, a miracle worker! There are no such things nowadays...”

We must understand that not everyone benefits from a miracle - most often we need to roll up our sleeves and solve problems ourselves. If your garden is overgrown, and there are no tractors in this village that would clear it, you will have to take a shovel and hoe and do the work yourself. And if a miracle tractor does all the work for you, then you yourself will become lazy, your life will become simple, but not good. In some cases, a miracle really needs to happen. So that a hopelessly ill child suddenly jumps up and runs joyfully, and thanks to this, everyone’s faith is strengthened. But this does not mean that whenever a child sneezes, you need to run to the elder and ask for healing. The search for elders who would solve our problems for us is psychologically quite understandable.

— Often the elders were people without education, simple, and this confuses those who come...

“The Lord can make even a not very educated person an old man—he even declared His will through a donkey.” You just have to open your ears, open your heart to hear.

— Paisius the Svyatogorets, it seems, had only a few years of school behind him, and people were lining up to him for advice!

“Reverend Paisius is a man with amazing mental acuity, attentiveness to himself, to others, and to nature. The enormous wealth of his soul poured out to everyone, and thanks to his talent for putting instructions in such a witty, visual form, his words were easily remembered. He gave a lot of examples from ordinary life, very vivid comparisons with nature, and spoke very clearly. The oral tradition that underlies the patericons also belongs to approximately this style. Let's say there lived such and such an old man, his life was hidden from human eyes, but sometimes he said or did something bright to teach people. For example, he took a basket, poured sand into it, came to the monastery where the brethren were reproaching each other, and walked around the yard. They asked him: “What are you doing, Abba?” He answered: “I hang my sins behind my back, I don’t care about them, so I walk around and look at other people’s.” Such short instructive stories, also with a dose of humor, are well remembered and often come to mind at the right moment. For example, it is difficult to retell the life of St. Ambrose of Optina, but those short sayings that he often used are easy to remember and can promptly encourage a person and tell him how to act.

Obedience of the Archondaric Monk

— The elders are very different, they do not fit into one type. Elder Paisios was a very simple man with humor, Elder Joseph was a very ardent, extraordinary ascetic. Can you give any other examples?

— For example, in our patericon there is a story about one elder who was an archondarite, that is, responsible for receiving pilgrims. But at the same time he was a terrible silent man! That is, by virtue of his position, this elder is obliged to talk with everyone... being himself a very quiet, very modest person. People who came to the monastery of St. Paul were greatly surprised by this. And then... they sent greeting cards to the monks: “Congratulations on your archondarium!” Because, although he was silent and seemingly unsociable, love emanated from him, which everyone felt.

The courtyard of the Church of the Holy Trinity in the New Thebaid desert (Athos). Photo by Valery Bliznyuk

There are also holy fools, whom people took for madmen, but who could sometimes be found, for example, standing in the middle of the street, in rags, barefoot, performing the day's service from beginning to end from memory!

There were abbots who fulfilled all obediences with maternal care and during their entire tenure as abbot they did not make a single reprimand to anyone! They themselves performed the work that needed to be done by other monks, and prayed that the Lord would enlighten them. By their example, they had an even greater impact on the novices than if they had shouted and stomped their feet. There are stories about amazingly hardworking monks who had golden hands: they grew such tomatoes in their garden that you had to climb a ladder to pick them! There are also such stories. One person, before coming to Mount Athos, was engaged in spiritualism. And when he decided to leave for the Holy Mountain and went to the last session of spiritualism, the spirits did not appear for a long time and finally said to someone present: “We will not appear until this person changes his decision to go to Athos.” And he, having come to Athos, began to write about the terrible harm that spiritualism brings.

Such different people lived on Athos - a real flower garden of characters and talents!

— Ancient lives often paint an ideal image of ascetics. Do you write about modern elders without idealization?

— Of course, there are examples of falls and uprisings; the patericon also speaks of the dangers that may lie in wait on the path of excessive achievement. For example, in our book there is a story about one monk who lived as a hermit and was a very strict faster: he ate food once every two days or even less often. In the end, he was somewhat damaged by being so harsh on himself. When he was taken to the monastery to look after him, this ascetic was very irritable, did not want to say a kind word to anyone, he could not pray, everything was boiling inside him - and for him this state, almost abandonment by God, was very painful. He stayed there for several months, understood his condition, made peace with everyone, prayer returned to him, and he rested in peace. There is a story about a monk who lived on Mount Athos and commanded the workers. Over time, he plunged into the bustle of life, gained weight and abandoned his monastic rule. He returned to his former youthful ardor in faith after one terrible vision, and lived a very worthy monastic life.

These are stories about living, non-idealized people, and this is why they are valuable! These are not coloring books about supermen. It happened that robbers became saints, and monks, after heavy falls, returned to monastic life and even received the gift of miracles. Therefore, stories from the lives of elders provide sufficiently rich material for making decisions in our everyday troubles.

“I realized that I was home”

— Father Panteleimon, where does such attention to Athos come from in Russia today?

— The fact is that the monastic tradition was not interrupted on Athos. In Russia it was restored mainly from books, but there the tradition has lived for many centuries. And, in fact, the Russian Church has always been oriented towards Athos. If we take such a fundamental book as the Typikon, which defines the rules of our liturgical life, we can see that according to its rules they live more on Mount Athos than in our parish churches: for example, there Matins is celebrated at sunrise, while here we live closer to sunset, and in many other ways, monastic life there is much closer to centuries-old tradition.

Archimandrite Parthenius (Mourelatos) and Schema-Archimandrite Iliy (Nozdrev)

—Have you ever met people who could be called elders?

— I talked a little with Archimandrite Parthenios (Mourelatos), abbot of the monastery of St. Paul on Athos. This is a mountain of a man, in every sense. He exudes a feeling of very deep solidity - this is a person about whom the waves of the world break. At the same time, he is very simple and wise, loving, next to him you feel like a little boy next to a big grandfather who loves you, you experience great respect and awe. You are a little scared - you understand that he already knows everything about you - but at the same time you cannot leave the feeling of safety next to him.

Completely different in character is Schema-Archimandrite Gabriel (Bunge) from Switzerland, with whom I had the opportunity to live for a week. This is a man of the broadest erudition, fluent in many languages, reading the Holy Fathers in the original, a man of German accuracy. Being around him is both joyful and very interesting, and at the same time you are afraid that your insensitivity might create inconvenience or cause dissonance. It is precisely the desire to be “on the same wavelength” with the elder that should be characteristic of the novice - he learns to understand the elder’s word at a glance and is in a hurry to fulfill his will.

— How did you come to monasticism yourself?

“Everything was somehow surprisingly smooth and painless. If someone can talk about coming to faith through sorrows and difficulties, then it was rather unclear to me how to thank God for the abundance of everything that He gives me! Probably, the countdown can begin with my baptism, at the age of 11. True, churching did not begin with him. However, what remained from the Sacrament itself was an amazingly bright, clear feeling of the beginning of a new life - it was preserved forever.

— Did you decide to be baptized yourself?

- No, my mother brought me. Then there was a good school, admission to university, wonderful friends - I don’t remember any difficulties. One day, acquaintances brought me to the Easter service in the church, and standing there, in this cramped space, I suddenly realized that I was at home here. That I am where I need to be, and this place is absolutely dear and joyful to me. And then, little by little, meaningful churching began: I read patristic literature avidly, began to help in the church - just then my studies at the university ended. Somehow, very naturally, in such a “gentle way,” I entered the seminary, then the academy*. And life under the protection of St. Sergius, in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, had a great influence on me. There I found my confessor, who once asked: “If a small monastery appears, will you go?” I say: “I’ll go.” Then a small monastery actually appeared, and I went, graduating from the Academy. This path, it seems to me, was simply covered with carpets!

- Without any doubt?

— There were experiences. But they somehow fade from memory, but the tender, loving hand with which the Lord led you - its feeling remains. The experiences are mostly associated with some stupid attempts to turn aside, when it was clear that they were leading in the wrong direction. There were sudden and incorrect movements...

Church of the Holy Trinity of the New Thebaid desert (Athos). Photo by Valery Bliznyuk

— There is a saying: if you are 99 percent sure of your choice of monasticism, and 1 percent doubtful, then when you put on the mantle, 99 percent of confidence will turn into 99 percent of doubts. Is this really true?

- It depends on what you imagine about the monastery. If you have any expectations, then failure to meet these expectations, which can quite naturally arise, will lead to disappointment. Naturally - because you can imagine a certain picture of the monastery, peeking through the keyhole, and then you go in - and everything is different there! And if you don’t particularly expect anything - again, as in the relationship between spouses, you don’t expect that the bride will always cook delicious food for you, keep the house in perfect condition and always be in a good mood - then your illusions will not be shattered by reality, you won't be disappointed. When you get married, a person is important to you as he is, regardless of any external circumstances. The same applies to the monastery: you do not come to the walls, not to the way of life, you come first of all to your confessor. That is, you entrust yourself to him. And you become such soft clay: here I am, mold me into whatever you want, I trust you completely. And if you are hard as a stone, and they are trying to mold something out of you, painful sensations arise.

Elder Ephraim of Katunak
- Is trust in God manifested through trust in the confessor or the elder?
— Trust in God and trust in man are close concepts. You trust God first of all, which means that the Lord will protect you, will not give you offense and will make you worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is not easy to live, trusting, but it is even more painful to live, constantly expecting a catch, fearing everything. Yes, you can exist like a wise minnow, hollowing out a small hole for yourself and not sticking out anywhere, but this can hardly be called life! And a life with trust is a life that is in full swing! You are ready for something new every day. And with such trust, you value less what is held in your hands, and you are less upset about your mistakes and falls.

I have such an association. You are tasked with bringing water in a glass from one end of the field to the other. And you, joyful and confident, take this full glass and go! But once a little water spills, you start to get nervous. A little more spilling - you start to get even more nervous, your hand starts to shake, you completely lose your temper and are ready to throw this glass on the ground and sit down and cry. This kind of attitude happens when you look at the wrong thing. You are told: bring at least some water to the other end of the field. This is your final goal, and the rest is trifles. And it doesn’t matter what kind of person you come - you can get covered in mud, no matter how much water you spill - maybe there will only be a drop left in the glass at the bottom, but you must complete the task. There is One who entrusted it to you. And the less attention you pay to yourself, and more to what is expected of you, the better. And vanity sticks out, you want to bring the glass full. Forget about falling, remember the final goal. What is important is not you and not your failures or successes, what is important is your relationship with God, your trust in Him. This approach, it seems to me, is correct. Your distrust stops you, locks you in on yourself and the glass, but the goal is not visible, and you can sit down and live your whole life at this end of the field, the glass will stand in front of you, and you will be afraid to pick it up and carry it.

— Everything you talked about today - both about eldership and obedience - all of this is united by some kind of joy. Finally, please tell me, what place does joy occupy in the life of monks, elders, and even in ordinary Christian life?

— There is a well-known phrase: if people knew what joy monasticism is full of, everyone would run to become a monk; but if people knew what sorrows awaited them there, then no one would go into monasticism. And if we make a reference to familiar secular texts, then the following song comes to mind: “She goes through life laughing, meeting and saying goodbye, without being upset... but they don’t notice how the one who goes through life laughing cries at night.” Therefore, when there is intense inner life, work, overcoming one’s laziness and reluctance, the Lord rewards all this with joy. And he sends amazing people to meet him. The Lord does not betray the trust you place in Him. This does not mean that there is some kind of settlement with God or with the elder. The experience just appears that confirms you in your chosen intention. Why should we be “beeches” and engage in soul-searching if Christ has risen and the doors of heaven are open to us? We are sitting, despondent, sulking, but the doors are open and the sun is shining through them...

Archimandrite John (Peasant) (1910-2006) – Pskov-Pechersky Monastery

One of the most famous elders of the 20th century, Archimandrite John (Krestyankin), became a spiritual father for hundreds of thousands of people not only in Russia, but also far beyond its borders. 6 years have passed since the death of the elder, but his books on the construction of confession and prayer, as well as collections of letters and teachings are still passed from hand to hand and printed in huge editions. Many churchgoers and people still on their way to comprehending Orthodoxy discovered this religion for themselves precisely thanks to John (Krestyankin).

Archimandrite John was a resident of the Pskov-Pechersk Monastery for about 40 years, and all these years the number of pilgrims coming to him with their questions and problems increased. Eyewitnesses say that over the years it became more and more difficult for the elder to move from his cell to the temple or dining room, and the reason for this was not age - the reason was that pilgrims surrounded Father John as soon as he went out into the street and literally did not allow him to step step.

This is how Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov) remembers Father John: “... his love for man, faith and hope in God’s Providence were so great that people, coming to him even with seemingly the most insoluble problems, left the priest’s cell filled with just consolation, but new strength for life. This was another rare feature inherent in Father John: he spoke as having the power from God to give life strength and lead after Christ...”

Modern elders

The book “Modern Elders of Mount Athos,” written by Archimandrite Cherubim (Karambelas), tells about the life and deeds of five elders who worked miracles in the 20th-21st centuries. The heroes of his work were the elders Callinicus the Hesychast, Daniel of Katunak, Athanasius of Grigorit, Isaac from the Dionysiatus monastery and Joachim from the monastery of Righteous Anna.

In Russia, the traditional residences of the elders were the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, the Trans-Volga Hermitage, as well as the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, which at certain periods of history was located on Russian soil. Nowadays, this geography has expanded, and you can meet monks endowed with a special gift in different parts of the country.

In the Ivanovo region, in the St. Nicholas monastery in the village of Chikhachevo, Elder Ioannikis serves, to whom people from all over the world make pilgrimages who want to hear from his lips a prayer that helps to recover from drug addiction and alcoholism.

In the city of Ivanovo itself, in the Holy Vvedensky Convent, lives the elder Ambrose (Yurasov), who founded it, who tries with all his might to return prisoners to the true path and supports hopelessly sick people.

Believers come to the St. Paphnutiev Monastery in the city of Borovsk in the Kaluga region, dreaming of communicating with the elder Father Vlasiy (Peregontsev), who, just by looking at a person once, can accurately determine the reason that prompted him to seek help. To those seeking spiritual peace, he, as God’s mediator, gives wise advice, and to those thirsting for healing, he alleviates suffering.

In the northern capital, in the church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “The Inexhaustible Chalice,” Elder John Mironov has been serving for more than 50 years; in Kazan, for advice, you can turn to Klyuchevskaya Hermitage, where Elder Hilarion welcomes everyone; in Zvenigorod, Elder Theodosius helps find a way out of problems, and in the Mari village of Bags - Elder John.

Peredelkino is also always crowded, where Elder Elijah (Nozdrin) lives and receives pilgrims on the territory of the Patriarchal Metochion, after meeting with whom people’s hearts are filled with warmth and hope, and the path is illuminated with light.