Saint Athanasius (Sakharov), confessor, Bishop of Kovrov

Afanasy (Sakharov)
(1887 - 1962), bishop b. Kovrovsky, vicar of the Vladimir diocese, confessor, saint Memory of October 15, in the Councils of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church, the Land of Vladimir, Solovetsky, Radonezh, in the Council of Fathers of the Local Council of the Russian Church 1917-1918, as well as in the Councils of Vladimir, Moscow, Poltava (Ukr .) and Rostov-Yaroslavl saints

In the world, Sakharov Sergei Grigorievich, was born on July 2, 1887 in the village of Parevka, Kirsanovsky district, Tambov province, into the family of a Suzdal native, court councilor Grigory Petrovich and Matrona Andreevna, a peasant woman of the Tula province.

At the age of two he was left without a father. From an early age I fell in love with worship, especially the hierarchical service. Even as a child, he said about himself that he would be a bishop. His childhood and teenage years were spent in ancient Vladimir, which became his hometown.

In August 1896 he entered the Shuya Theological School. In 2nd grade there is a re-exam. I was in 3rd grade for 2 years.

In August 1899 he began serving at the altar.

In 1902 he entered the Vladimir Theological Seminary, from which he graduated in 1908. Almost all the time he served at bishop's services as a ripid bearer and subdeacon for Archbishop Nikolai (Nalimov).

On May 6, 1907, he was ordained a reader by the same bishop.

In 1908 he entered the Moscow Theological Academy, from which he graduated in 1912 in the second category with a candidate of theology degree.

Since October 6, 1912 - teacher at the Poltava Theological Seminary in pastoral subjects.

On October 12, 1912, he was tonsured a monk by the rector of the academy, Bishop Theodore (Pozdeevsky).

On October 14 of the same year he was ordained to the rank of hierodeacon and on October 17 to the rank of hieromonk.

On August 28, 1913, he was appointed caretaker of the Klevan Theological School of the Volyn diocese.

Since September 13 of the same year [1] - teacher at the Vladimir Theological Seminary in pastoral subjects.

In May 1917, he was a member of the Vladimir Diocesan Congress from the Vladimir Diocese of the Alexander Nevsky Brotherhood. At this congress he was elected from the monastic members of the All-Russian Congress of Clergy and Laity in Moscow and members of the Vladimir Diocesan Council.

At the monastic congress that took place in the Trinity Lavra, he was elected as a candidate member of the All-Russian Holy Council. On January 20, 1918, he joined the Local Council in place of Archimandrite Varlaam, rector of the Belogorodsky Monastery of the Perm Diocese, who resigned. At the Council he worked in the Departments on Divine Services, on Monasticism and on Church Discipline. He presented reports to the Department of Divine Services “On the preparation of a new edition of liturgical books with the inclusion of all existing both printed and handwritten services for Russian saints” and “On strengthening and legitimizing the honoring of local saints in dioceses.” He submitted a report to the Department on Church Discipline “On the assignment of liturgical distinctions to certain church servants and positions and the prohibition of distributing them as awards.” The latest report has been approved by the Division. At the plenary session he acted as a co-rapporteur on the report on the rules for the canonization of saints in the Russian Church. After the restoration of the Feast of All Saints in the Russian Land by the Council, he took part, together with the professor of Petrograd University Boris Turaev, in compiling the service for this holiday.

After the closure of the Council, he was a member of the Vladimir Diocesan Council from monastics from 1918 to 1920.

On January 20, 1920, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite and appointed abbot of the Vladimir Monastery of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

As an assistant and devoted spiritual son, Fr. Afanasy was Yegor Sedov, a parishioner and then church warden of the church in the village of Lykova, Yuryev-Polsky district, Vladimir province. The circumstances of their acquaintance are unknown, but from the 1920s they kept in touch all their lives: they corresponded, Yegor Yegorovich supported Bishop Afanasy in prison by sending necessary things, food and money, and sent petitions for his release.

On July 1, 1921, he was appointed rector of the Bogolyubov Monastery.

July 10, 1921 [2] - with the blessing of Patriarch Tikhon, he was consecrated Bishop of Kovrov, vicar of the Vladimir diocese. The ordination at the Holy Cross Monastery of Nizhny Novgorod was performed by: Metropolitan of Vladimir and Shuisky Sergius (Stragorodsky); Archbishop of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas Evdokim (Meshchersky); and Bishop of Pechersk, vicar of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese Varnava (Belyaev).

March 17, 1922 - arrested and transported to the Revolution. tribunal. Released on March 18, 1922.

Arrested on March 30, 1922, Holy Wednesday. On May 27, 1922, a show trial was held on charges related to the seizure of church valuables. Sentenced to one year, released under amnesty on May 28, 1922.

Arrested on July 15, 1922. Released on July 25, 1922.

Arrested on September 10, 1922. Sentence: 2 years of exile in the Zyryansky region, starting from November 14, 1922.

Prisons: Vladimir, Moscow, Tagansk (bishop of FEODOSIA), Vyatka. Stages: September 10, 1922 - May 15, 1923.

Gave birth in the Zyryansky region: Ust-Sysolsk, Ust-Vym, village. Korchemye

In the people's court there was a retrial in the case of valuables, the verdict was 1 year in prison. In April 1924, the case was closed due to the length of time.

He stayed in the Zyryansky region without a sentence beyond the term of November 14, 1924 - January 20, 1925.

He returned to Vladimir for church work in February 1925.

September 8, 1925 - arrested in Gavrilov Posad while traveling around the diocese and transferred to Vladimir to clarify his identity. Released on September 10, 1925.

In the renovation magazine "Bulletin of the Holy Synod" there is a mention that Bishop Athanasius, unlike other Orthodox bishops, agreed to attend the diocesan congress, which was convened by the renovationists on September 15, 1925 to prepare for the III Local Council. However, from the further description of this event it is clear that he did not appear there as a participant, but rather as an accuser and accuser.

He did not take part in the prayer and did not bless the meeting, but only made a general bow and declared that he should not be at this meeting at all, and he appeared only at the strong request of the laity, and for this presence at the congress he should ask for forgiveness from Metropolitan Peter. After listening to the report on the upcoming council, Bishop Athanasius began to say that all renovationists must repent before the patriarch or his successor; that the Synodal (Renovationist) Church Administration is uncanonical and graceless; that newly ordained synodal bishops are not bishops, the consecrations they perform are not valid and those ordained by them must be re-ordained, which is what he, Bishop Athanasius, does. They (“old church members”) will not go to the council on October 1. For them, only a council convened by Metropolitan Peter would be authoritative. In case of sincere repentance, it will perhaps be possible to accept the Renovationists in their current rank. Having expressed all this, Bishop Athanasius left [3].

On January 15, 1926, he wrote an appeal to the Vladimir flock about non-recognition of the arbitrary Supreme Church Council headed by Archbishop Gregory (Yatskovsky) of Yekaterinburg. On the same day, he was arrested following a denunciation by priests associated with renovationism. One of them, Hieromonk Alexander (Chechel), arbitrarily appealed to the highest church authorities, and Archbishop Nikolai (Dobronravov), through His Eminence Athanasius, was forced to prohibit him from leaving Vladimir without the knowledge of the bishop located in the city. Bishop Afanasy was accused of misappropriating administrative rights, to which he replied:

«
In the fact that Archbishop Nicholas’s orders were conveyed to my hieromonk Chechel, one cannot see my appropriation of administrative or public legal functions, since at present all the bishop’s relations with the priests are exclusively based on the latter’s recognition of the moral authority of the former
«.

He was released on March 2, 1926.

In November of that year he was appointed manager of the Ivanovo diocese. In December of the same year, he was asked to leave the diocese or cease managing church affairs. Refused to leave the entrusted flock. To the remark: “If you are guilty, judge,” he received the answer: “It is not in our interest to judge you.”

He was arrested again on January 15, 1927 as a member of a group of bishops who used the Church for anti-Soviet purposes. From January 3 to April 30 of that year, he was in the Moscow internal prison.

For belonging to a group of bishops headed by Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) he was sentenced to three years in the Solovetsky camps. Leningrad transit prison - May 1927.

Solovetsky camps - Raznovoloka, Chupa Pristan, Popov Ostrov, Kem. Watchman, household accountant, watchman.

Arrested on December 23, 1929. Sent to the Solovetsky Islands on December 24, 1929. Returned to Popov Island on January 1, 1930.

He suffered from typhus in January - February 1930.

In the Solovetsky camps, according to the sentence, June 1927 - January 2, 1930. Without a sentence beyond the term - January 2 - February 23, 1930.

Transferred to Turukhansk region for 3 years. Prisons: Leningrad Crosses, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk transit and internal - February 23 - April 23. Krasnoyarsk, Yeniseisk, Stanki, Turukhansk, Melnichnoe, Selivanikha, Punkovo.

Arrested in January 1930, he spent January - February 1932 in Turukhansk prison. Released in February 1932.

In the Turukhansk region, according to the verdict of April 30, 1932 - January 2, 1933. Without a sentence beyond the term - January 2 - August 6, 1933

From August 1935 to April 18, 1936 - returned to Vladimir, was free, but did not serve.

April 18, 1936 - arrested. Sentenced to 5 years in the White Sea-Baltic camps. Prisons: Vladimir, Ivanovo, internal and transit, Yaroslavl, Vologda, Leningrad transit, White Sea camps) November 1936 - June 1941.

He worked as a cash collector. For the money stolen from him, 1000 rubles. This amount was collected from him and a period of 1 year was added - December 1936 - January 1937.

He worked at a logging site, on the construction of a circular road, and as a foreman of a lap-weaving team.

In August 1937, he was arrested again without any charges being brought and imprisoned in a punishment cell. Released and returned to work at the end of October 1937.

Arrested without charge and imprisoned in a punishment cell at the beginning of November 1937. Released in December 1937. On the May holidays of 1938, imprisoned in a punishment cell.

At the beginning of the war he was transported to the Onega camps on foot about 400 km. June - July 1941

He was in prison: by sentence April 18, 1936 - April 18, 1942, without a sentence beyond the term of April 18, 1942 - June 30, 1942.

Indefinite deportation to the Omsk region. State farm Golyshmanovo - night watchman in the garden July - November 1942 G. Ishim December 1942 - November 1943

Arrested on November 7, 1943. Prisons: Ishimskaya, Omskaya, Moscow: internal, Lefortovo, Butyrskaya, Krasnopresnenskaya - November 1943 - July 1944.

Siberian camps: field work - August - September 1944. Vacuum truck September 1944 - August 1946

Arrested on August 30, 1946. Mariinsky transit point, Moscow prisons: internal, Butyrskaya, Krasnopresnenskaya August - September 1946.

Temnikov camps - weaving bast shoes. Dubrov, lag. - disabled person unemployed.

On March 5, 1952, at the end of his term of imprisonment, a Special Meeting at the USSR MGB adopted a resolution to release the bishop and send him to a home for the disabled under the supervision of the MGB. But only two years later, on May 18, 1954, the bishop was transported to the Zubovo-Polyansky home for the disabled.

Saint Athanasius Fr.

The bishop's spiritual son and friend Yegor Sedov traveled to Moscow and worked for the release of Bishop Athanasius. Finally, in March 1955, he managed to take the completely ill Bishop Athanasius from the nursing home, taking him on bail. The bishop was completely exhausted and could barely walk. Yegor Egorovich brought him to Tutaev, to his home. The bishop lived in his house until the end of October.

The last years of Bishop's earthly life.
Afanasy lived in Petushki; these were years of seclusion and learned asceticism. Despite his advanced age and the labors and illnesses he had endured, he worked with youthful zeal to study Orthodox worship, the lives of Russian saints, and compiled a detailed work “on the commemoration of the dead according to the charter of the Orthodox Church.” As an expert in the liturgy of the Orthodox Church and Orthodox hagiography, since 1955 he worked as chairman of the Liturgical and Calendar Commission at the Publishing House of the Moscow Patriarchate and made many corrections to the calendar of saints. Before 1957, he had no published works; there were only drafts of various large articles.

Love, warmth and cordiality were felt by everyone who came into contact with the gracious archpastor. Conversations with him were fascinating.

Died on October 28, 1962 at 8:15 am. On Tuesday, October 30, in the house of the saint in Petushki, Abbot Kirill (Pavlov) celebrated a great requiem mass. The face of the deceased was bright and gracious, and the body did not have the slightest sign of decay.

The deceased archpastor left the following will:

«I earnestly ask my friends, spiritual children and everyone whom the Lord destined to serve at my burial that both the burial rite and all memorial prayers be performed, as far as possible, in strict compliance with all the rules of the church charter for the remembrance of the dead. In particular, I ask that on the eve of the burial there will be absolutely no so-called funeral vigil near my coffin. Let only the great requiem be celebrated with immaculate choruses and the full canon.

«.

The will was fulfilled. The funeral service in the Assumption Cathedral of Vladimir was performed by Archbishops Onisim (Festinatov) and Simon (Ivanovsky) co-served by 17 priests. The burial of the saint, which took place with such triumph and without obstacles from the authorities, was a miracle, testifying to his righteousness. Archpriest Vsevolod Shpiller, who returned to Russia in those years after many years of living abroad, said that “ there is no such saint as Bishop Athanasius in any of the Local Orthodox Churches.”

«.

He was buried at the Vvedensky cemetery near the Prince Vladimir Church in the city of Vladimir, to the left of his mother’s grave.

On March 21, 1989, he was rehabilitated by the prosecutor's office of the Vladimir region.

By a resolution of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church dated July 18, 1999, the issue of canonization of the Right Reverend Athanasius (Sakharov) as new martyrs and confessors from the Vladimir diocese was submitted to the next Council of Bishops for consideration.

He was canonized on August 20, 2000. His relics were found on October 15, and on October 29 of the same year they were transferred in a religious procession to the Vladimir Nativity Monastery.

On October 15, 2012, in the city of Petushki, Vladimir Region, a memorial complex in memory of the priest was opened in the house of the saint, which includes a spiritual and educational center and an exhibition display.

About the bishop's stay Athanasius in the schism of “those who do not remember”

In the history of church schisms of the 20s and 30s of our century, Bishop. Afanasy is listed as a member of the so-called “Mechevsky” group of the Danilov schism, which condemned Metropolitan Sergius for the course he took in relation to Soviet power, and believed that the Church would ultimately find itself completely dependent on the atheistic state, and then there would be no possibility without sanctions of the civil authority neither to appoint nor to move bishops, but for bishops to freely govern the diocese and clergy.

According to supporters of this group, Metropolitan Sergius exceeded the rights given to him and thereby deprived himself of those legal rights that he received from Metropolitan Peter.

However, when Patriarch Sergius died and the management of the Church passed into the hands of Patriarch Alexy, Bishop Athanasius recognized the rights of this patriarch, despite the fact that he pursued the same course as his predecessor.

Bishop Afanasy's attitude to this issue can be understood from his letter dated May 22, 1955, which apparently was a guiding document for a large circle of people who trusted him. In this letter he writes:

“apart from the First Hierarch of the local Russian Church, none of us can be in communion with the Universal Church. Those who do not recognize their first hierarch remain outside the Church, from which may the Lord deliver us!”... “In the Church of Christ, grace is poured out and salvation is accomplished not by the clergy, but by the Church itself through the clergy. Priests are not the creators of grace, they are only dispensers of it, like channels... apart from which it is impossible to receive divine grace... The sacraments performed by unworthy clergy come to judgment and condemnation for the clergy, but to the grace-filled sanctification of those who receive them with faith. Only one circumstance - if a clergyman begins openly, publicly from the church pulpit to preach a heresy that has already been condemned at the Ecumenical Councils - not only gives the right, but also obliges everyone, clergy and laymen, without waiting for a council trial, to break off all communication with such a preacher, no matter what high position in the Church hierarchy he occupies...” “Patriarch Alexy and his associates do not preach heresies condemned by the fathers... Patriarch Alexy has not been condemned by any legitimate higher hierarchical authority, and I cannot, I do not have the right to say that he is graceless, and that the sacraments performed by him and his clergy are not valid . Therefore, when in 1945, while in prison, I and the priests who were with me, who did not remember Metropolitan Sergius, learned about the election and appointment of Patriarch Alexy, we discussed the situation that had arisen and decided in agreement that since, in addition to Patriarch Alexy, recognized by all the Ecumenical Patriarchs “, now there is no other legitimate first hierarch of the Russian local Church, then we must lift up the name of Patriarch Alexy in our prayers as our Patriarch, which I have been doing religiously since that day.”

Arguing completely Orthodox, logically and convincingly, until the speech concerns Patriarch Sergius, Bishop Athanasius begins to contradict himself as soon as he moves on to this topic, and immediately loses his usual consistency and prudence.

He seems to forget that Patriarch Sergius did not preach heresy and was not condemned by any legitimate higher church hierarchy, and having decided to elevate the name of Patriarch Alexy, Bishop. Afanasy does not find the strength to admit his previous position is erroneous. Citing a number of examples from the history of the Church, he draws attention to the fact that Christ Himself and the Apostles continued to go to the temple and take part in worship, despite the fact that it was performed by Jewish priests and high priests, whom they denounced. He mentioned the Patriarch of Constantinople in the 17th century, when the Turkish sultans appointed the patriarchate to the one who made the most contribution to the Sultan's treasury, but Christians still did not separate from their archpastors and shepherds, did not shy away from visiting churches where the names of the patriarchs appointed by the Sultan were exalted -Muslim. He also recalled what a temptation for the Orthodox Russian people was Peter’s associate, the leading member of the Synod, Archbishop Feofan (Prokopovich), whose behavior, perhaps, pushed other zealots into schism. He emphasized that it was not schismatics, but those who prayed in churches where the name of Theophan was exalted, who remained in the Orthodox Church and received grace and sanctification.

Everything in his letter is convincing and correct, but only to the point where he begins to justify his opposition to Patriarch Sergius, whom he always calls only Metropolitan.

Judging by this letter, Bishop. Athanasius at first recognized Metropolitan Sergius as the legitimate leader of church life, as the deputy of Metropolitan Peter, but changed his attitude towards him from the moment when Met. Sergius, through the ZhMP, stated that he, the deputy, “is vested with patriarchal power” and that Metropolitan Peter himself does not have the right “to interfere in the administration and correct even the mistakes of his deputy with his orders.” In this ep. Athanasius saw the illegal appropriation of all the rights of the first hierarch during the life of the legitimate canonical first hierarch, Metropolitan Peter, as if forgetting that Metropolitan Peter actually did not have the opportunity to govern the Church, so Metropolitan Sergius did not take away his power, but only performed his duties for him.

At Metropolitan Peter only had the title of Locum Tenens and the right to govern the Church in the event of his return, but to “correct the mistakes of his deputy” from afar, did not have detailed information about the actual situation of the Church - a completely different matter, and Metropolitan Sergius wrote precisely about such interference in his management.

All this is not difficult to understand, and one involuntarily catches the eye that Rev. Athanasius interprets the actions of Metropolitan. Sergius, in a different sense, justifies those who separated, despite the fact that the examples he gave indicate the inadmissibility of such separation from their archpastors, even those who received their power for money through Muslim sultans.

Such inconsistency indicates that Bishop Athanasius was full of deep-rooted dislike for Patriarch Sergius personally, and at the same time he was clearly aware of the need to restore normal relations with the Church and return his followers from the false spiritual path on which they found themselves.

Connecting with Other Church People

• Spiritual children Fr. Alexia and Fr. Sergius Mechevykh: Maria Nikolaevna Sokolova
  (in monastic life Juliana) - an outstanding icon painter;
• Elena Vladimirovna Apushkina
  - helped reprint the bishop’s works;
• Ep. Stefan (Nikitin)
  ;
• prot. Feodor Semenenko
  ;
• archim. Boris (Kholchev)
  .

Proceedings

• The Mood of the Believing Soul according to the Lenten Triodion
  , 1912 (PhD thesis).
• “On the Six Psalms”, Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate
  , 1957, No. 1, pp. 28-29.
• On the commemoration of the dead according to the statutes of the Orthodox Church
  , 1955 (typescript).

In manuscripts:

• “On the commemoration of the dead according to the Charter of the Orthodox Church.” Published in the journal of the Central European Exarchate “Voice of Orthodoxy” for 1962, No. 2.
• Several prayer sequences have been compiled, for example: “For those who want to walk through the air.” “About beings in different situations.” “Thanksgiving for receiving alms.” “About the peace of the whole world and the end of wars”, etc.
• A collection of new (over 100) magnifications and selected psalms.
• Die Furbitte fur die Verstorbenen nach den Ordnungen der orthodoxen Kirche, in: Std0 1962, 2, 40-45.
• O pominovenii usopsich po ustavu Pravoslavnoj Cerkvi, in: Vestnik Eksarchata 66(1969)103-129; 69(1970)38-63; 70/71 (1970)182-214; 73/74(1971)91-111; 75/76(1971)227-239; 77(1972)76-94, 178-188; 85/88(1974)201-274; 89/90(1975)117-129; 203-214; 93/96(1976)159-181.
• Mozno li posescat' chramy Moskovskoj Patriarchii, in: Vest. russ. chr. dv. 106(1972)92-97.
• Darf man die Kirchen des Moskauer Patriarchats besuchen? Aus dem Brief an seine geistliche Tochter, in: Ostkirchliche Studien 22(1973)327-332.
• Several prayer sequences.
• Zealot of the Glory of God: The Life and Works of the Confessor Bishop Athanasius (Sakharov) / Author-comp. G. Katyshev. M.: Sretensky Monastery Publishing House, 2006. 512 p.

Orthodox texts

The content of prayer addresses to Bishop Athanasius can be found in the New Liturgical Texts approved by His Holiness the Patriarch and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Troparion

The glory of God's zealot / and the beauty of the church guardian, / close life and many exploits / to the great hierarch of Alexandria, like St. Athanasius, confessor of Russia, / diligent but let us praise, faithful ones./ This one constantly prays/ for the salvation of his earthly Fatherland/ and for all living in it, / loudly calling out with love: / Holy Rus', keep the Orthodox faith, / / ​​in it lies your confirmation.

Kontakion

Today Saint Athanasius,/ Christ’s confessor and righteous man,/ in the never-evening Kingdom of Glory/ brightly rejoices/ and in the host of all Russian saints,/ singing a victorious song with a united voice,/ adjoining You can pray for us // the Eternal Triune God.

Literature

• “Church. Ved." 1913, No. 36, p. 451.
• "ZhMP" 1957, No. 1, p. 28-29.
• “Church. and Life" (updated) 1922, No. 3, p. 5.
• "ZhMP" 1957, No. 2, p. 20, 1958, No. 11, p. 19, no. 12, p. 9, 1959, No. 1, p. 13, 1963, No. 3, p. 76-77.
• FPS I, no. 121, p. 5, III, p. 2.
• FAM I, no. 38, p. 4.
• “The name list is rector. and inspector. Spirit. Academician and seminaries for 1917,” p. 43.
• Letter from Bishop Athanasius dated May 9/22, 1955.
• Autobiography of Bishop Afanasy (Sakharov). "Vestn. Priest Synod" 1926, No. 7, p. 8.
• Archimandrite John (Snychev): “Church schisms of the 20s and 30s”, p. 384.
• Vest. russ. chr. dv. 81(1966)13-17.
• ZMP 1962, 12, 15-17.
• Es war noch vor der Loealitatserklarung Sergijs.

Studies

It was not easy for the youth Sergius to study, but he did not despair and worked hard. Soon the Vladimir Theological Seminary was waiting for him, then the Moscow Theological Academy, which he graduated quite successfully. However, the young man did not become proud, since he was modest and humble by nature, as befitted a true monk who prayed for all people. In 1912, he was tonsured with the name Afanasy, and soon became a priest.

Bishop Afanasy Sakharov studied issues of liturgics and hagiology especially carefully. He was very attentive to the texts of liturgical books and always tried to understand the meaning of particularly difficult words, noting them in the margins of the books for clarification.

Death and canonization

In August 1962, Vladyka began to prepare for death. Within a few days, the vicar Archimandrite Pimen, the dean Archimandrite Theodorit, the abbot and confessor Kirill came to the blessed one from the Lavra to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of his monastic tonsure. On this day, which was Thursday, the saint was in a blessed state and blessed those present. On Friday, death approached him, and he could no longer speak, only prayed to himself. By evening, he quietly uttered the words: “Prayer will save you all!”, then with his own hand he wrote on the blanket: “Save, Lord!”

In 1962, October 28, Sunday, the day of remembrance of St. John of Suzdal, the pious elder peacefully departed to the Lord. He knew the hour and day of death in advance. Bishop Afanasy Sakharov hid his insight and revealed it only in the rarest cases, and then only for the sake of helping his neighbors.

In 2000, his name was canonized by the Council of Bishops in the ranks of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia. Today in Petushki there is a church where Afanasy Sakharov prayed. His holy and incorruptible relics are also kept there; they help people, through their prayer, to receive help and protection from the Lord.

Detailed information about the life of the saint can be found in the book “What a Great Consolation is Our Faith,” which contains frank letters from the great confessor Saint Athanasius.

Saving Faith

Saint Afanasy Sakharov never lost faith in the Lord and always thanked Him for the great mercy of suffering a little for Him. Work in the camp was always grueling and often dangerous due to the cruel and thieving criminals. One day, while he was performing the duties of a collector, he was robbed, and the authorities imposed heavy penalties on him, and then added a year to his sentence.

On Solovki, Afanasy Sakharov, Bishop of Kovrov, fell ill with typhus, and again inevitable death awaited him, but by the great mercy of God he remained alive again.

In prisons and camps, he invariably adhered to church rules. He even managed to keep strict fasts; he found some opportunity to prepare Lenten food for himself.

For those around him, he became a confessor who simply and sincerely consoled those who turned to him for help and support. He could not be found idle; he was constantly working on liturgical notes, decorating paper icons with beads and looking after the sick.

Hatred and mockery

The revolution, like a terrible hurricane, shed oceans of Christian blood. The newly created people's government began to destroy churches, exterminate the clergy and mock the relics of saints. The terrible prophecies of St. John of Kronstadt came true, and the destruction of the Russian Kingdom came. From now on it turned into a rabble of infidels, hating and exterminating each other.

In 1919, in Vladimir, as in many Russian cities, demonstrative openings of holy relics began in front of the people, which were displayed and ridiculed. To stop these wild outrages, Hieromonk Afanasy, who headed the Vladimir clergy, installed security in the Assumption Cathedral.

In the church, holy relics lay on the tables, and Hieromonk Afanasy and psalm-reader Potapov Alexander, when the doors opened to the crowd, proclaimed: “Blessed is our God!”, and in response they heard: “Amen!” A prayer service to the saints of Vladimir began. This is how the desecration of shrines desired by the crowd turned into solemn glorification. People entered the temple and began to pray reverently, light candles near the relics and bow.

Revolution

Bishop Afanasy Sakharov began his church obediences at the Poltava Theological Seminary, where he proved himself to be a talented teacher. But he acquired the strength of a learned theologian at the Vladimir Seminary, where he showed himself as a convinced and inspired evangelist of the word of God. And then in the Diocesan Council he was given responsibility for the state of preaching in the parishes.

When the revolution thundered in Russia, Hieromonk Afanasy was 30 years old. At the so-called “diocesan congresses,” people who were hostile to Russian Orthodoxy began to raise their heads.

In 1917, the main representatives of all the monasteries gathered in the Lavra of St. Sergius. Hieromonk Athanasius, who was elected to work in the department for liturgical issues, was also present at this Local Council of the Russian Church (1917-18). Around the same time, Saint Athanasius Sakharov was working on his famous “Service to All Saints who have shone in the Russian land.

Viceroy

Soon Sakharov, already in the rank of archimandrite, was appointed vicar of the ancient monasteries of the Bogolyubsky and Vladimir Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. One of the turning points in the life of the bishop then was his appointment as bishop of the Kovrov vicar of the Vladimir diocese. The consecration was headed by the future Patriarch of All Rus', Metropolitan Sergius of Vladimir (Starogorodsky).

But then another terrible problem arose and great pain for the holy feat of Bishop Athanasius, which became more terrible than the fight against the opposition of unbelieving authorities with their targeted destruction and closure of churches - the schismatic movement “Renovationism,” which called for reform of the Russian Orthodox Church.

These seeds were sown even before the revolution. Even then, careful preparatory work was carried out within the walls of theological schools and religious-philosophical societies, which were the lot of a certain part of the clergy who came from among the then intelligentsia. But the leaders of the renovationists relied mainly on conformists and people of little faith.

St. Afanasy Sakharov zealously fought against the Renovationists, not so much for their heretical beliefs, but for apostasy from the Church of Christ, for the sin of Judas - betrayal into the hands of executioners of saints, pastors and laity.

Holiness and new persecution

In his last years, Vladyka found great joy in the services at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, where he was once tonsured. Several times he served with Patriarch Alexy (Simansky). Once, at one of the services, all the worshipers noticed that during the Eucharistic canon, the elder seemed to be carried smoothly by some kind of force - his feet did not touch the floor.

Then came the years of the so-called Khrushchev Thaw, but a new stage of liberal persecution of the Orthodox Church began.

At this time, Vladyka increased his prayers to all Russian saints and the Patroness of Rus', the Most Holy Theotokos. He did not want to deviate from the fight against the approaching evil, and immediately tried to ask to be appointed suffragan bishop. However, his seriously deteriorating health did not allow him to continue his public service. But he did not lose heart. On the contrary, in the camps and prisons he was filled with God's saving grace and energy and always found saving activities for his soul.

It was in the dark and gray dungeons that he created an extraordinary service to all Russian saints in a liturgical sense. It found its completeness after a discussion with fellow hierarchs who were imprisoned with him. One of these hierarchs was Archbishop Thaddeus of Tver, who was glorified by the church as a martyr.

Will

March 7, 1955 St. Afanasy was finally released from the Zubovo-Polyansky nursing home. And he first left for the city of Tutaev (Yaroslavl region), and then moved to the village of Petushki, Vladimir region.

It seemed that he was formally free, but the authorities constantly constrained his actions. In the village he was allowed to serve in the church only behind closed doors and without bishop's vestments. But Afanasy Sakharov was not afraid of anything. Prayers to the Lord gave him consolation and, most importantly, hope for salvation.

In 1957, the prosecutor's office of the Vladimir region again began investigating his case from 1936. The saint was again awaited interrogation. His defense arguments did not bring the desired results and were unconvincing to investigators, so he was not exonerated.