Metropolitan Theodosius of Omsk and Tara: We must be united

There are articles on Wikipedia about other people with the name Feodosius and the surname Protsyuk.

Biography

Born on January 7, 1927 in the village of Topolno (now Rozhishchensky district, Volyn region) in the family of a deacon-psalmist, later mitred archpriest John Semenovich Protsyuk (1883-1967), priest of the Poltava Cathedral and rector of the Cross Church at the bishop's house. The family lived poorly. According to the memoirs of the future bishop: “we had white bread at home on holidays, we often could not pay taxes, including to the consistory, so we moved from place to place.” Two brothers of Igor Protsyuk also became priests.

Graduated from primary school. In 1939 he entered the 1st class of the State University. Kosciuszki gymnasium in Lutsk.

In 1943 he graduated from high school in Gorokhov. He passed the exam to become a psalm-reader at the pastoral and theological courses of the Pochaev Lavra and was appointed a psalm-reader at the Dmitrov Church in the town of Druzhkopol.

In 1944, he was accepted into the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate and appointed subdeacon of the Trinity Cathedral in Lutsk.

On March 24, 1945, Bishop Nikolai (Chufarovsky) ordained him a deacon, and on April 1, a priest.

Since 1947 - rector of the Trinity Cathedral in the town of Berestechko, Volyn region.

Since 1949 - rector of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in the village of Kuzmino, Krasilovsky district, Khmelnitsky region.

In 1951 he entered the 3rd grade of the correspondence sector of the Leningrad Theological Seminary. In 1952, after graduating from the seminary, he entered the Leningrad Theological Academy.

Since 1955 - rector of the St. Nicholas Church in Kamenets-Podolsk.

In 1956 he graduated from the Leningrad Theological Academy and was elevated to the rank of archpriest.

In 1959 he received a candidate of theology degree.

In 1961 he was appointed rector of the Intercession Church of Kamenets-Podolsk and dean.

On November 27, 1962, he was tonsured a monk, and on November 28, 1962, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite.

Bishopric

On December 2, 1962, he was consecrated Bishop of Chernigov and Nizhyn. The rite of consecration was performed by: Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy I, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ephraim II, Metropolitan of Leningrad and Ladoga Pimen (Izvekov) and Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov Nikodim (Rotov).

Since March 30, 1964 - Bishop of Poltava and Kremenchug.

On October 7, 1967, he was appointed Bishop of Chernivtsi and Bukovina.

Since February 2, 1972 - Bishop of Smolensk and Vyazemsky.

On September 7, 1977, he was elevated to the rank of archbishop.

Since November 1979 - Master of Theology.

From October 9 to October 20, 1980, as part of a pilgrimage group of the Moscow Patriarchate, he visited Mount Athos.

In 1984 (July 6-21) he made a trip to the Holy Land with a pilgrimage group of the Russian Orthodox Church.

On December 26, 1984 he was appointed Archbishop of Berlin and Central Europe, Exarch of Central Europe.

On July 29, 1986, he was released from the administration of the Central European Exarchate and appointed Archbishop of Omsk and Tyumen. He himself recalls that he “was touched to the depths of his soul by the sincere, kind attitude of the clergy and laity who met me, the visiting bishop, on a late December night. And then I deeply regretted and repented that I had put off the trip for six months and was afraid of Siberia.” At that time, there were only 13 parishes in the diocese[1].

By resolution of the Holy Synod of January 25, 1990, he was named Archbishop of Omsk and Tara.

On February 23, 1997, he was elevated to the rank of metropolitan.

At a meeting on March 12-13, 2002, having considered the report on his retirement, in accordance with the Charter of the Church and in connection with the 75th anniversary of his birth, the Holy Synod decided to ask to continue his archpastoral service at the Omsk See.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of July 27, 2011, he was retired with an expression of gratitude “for many years of work on the revival of the Omsk diocese, expressed in the opening and construction of new churches and monasteries”[2].

Died on May 28, 2021 in Omsk[3]. He was buried in the lower church of the Achair Monastery[4].

Omsk region

Easter liturgy at FBU IK-9

“Parishioners are always kind and sympathetic people and are ready to tolerate the priest if something goes wrong. Of course, we would like to have more parishioners and more active work.”

In 1986, Feodosius was sent to Siberia, as they said then, “for redness.” The bishop was warmly welcomed in Omsk. At that time there were only six parishes in the diocese. During the years of the Metropolitan's reign, much has changed - there are six monasteries, and almost two hundred churches.

Arriving at the Omsk department, Theodosius immediately found an ally - Nina Mikhailovna Genova, who headed the Ministry of Culture at that time. Father Theodosius said that as soon as he and she lit the first lamp, she was immediately called to the carpet by the secretary of the regional committee for ideological affairs. Later, the Metropolitan had a true friend until the end and after his retirement - now ex-governor of Omsk Governor Leonid Konstantinovich Polezhaev. The tandem made a lot of efforts in the revival of Orthodoxy.

Leonid Polezhaev came to say goodbye to the deceased bishop

There are eleven correctional institutions in the Omsk region, and churches were opened everywhere. Metropolitan Theodosius himself traveled and served in them, communicating with prisoners. The church was also involved in charity work and helped the Orphanage for many years. Through the efforts of Orthodox women, home churches were opened in all orphanages in Omsk, in which Liturgies are served. Actively contributed to the revival of the Assumption Cathedral.

We should not forget about the establishment of the Achair Cross Convent. This is the amazing story of the birth of a monastery on the site of Colony No. 8 of the Gulag system. In 1991, Vladyka Theodosius visited these regions. The rector of the Achair St. Nicholas Church, Father Alexander (Gorbunov), told the terrible history of the monastery, showed the location of the former monastery, ditches and ruins of barracks inherited from the Gulag, and a garden planted by prisoners.

Metropolitan Theodosius decided to revive the Achair monastery. He turned to the management of the Rechnoy animal farm adjacent to the village with a request to allocate land to install a cross on it in memory of those who died without repentance and prayer. Together, in 1992, a foundation cross was erected, and Bishop Theodosius performed a memorial service for the murdered and tortured and blessed the construction of a convent in the name of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord.

Awards

• Order of Honor (January 25, 2008)
• Order of St. Seraphim of Sarov II Art. (2007)[5]
• Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, 1st class. (2010)[6]
• Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, 1st-2nd centuries;
• Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh II-III century;
• Order of the Holy Blessed Prince Daniel of Moscow, II degree;
• Order of St. Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna II Art.;
• Order of the Holy Sepulcher of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church;
• Order of St. equal to Mary Magdalene of the Polish Orthodox Church.

Archbishop Theodosius: “Same-sex “marriages” speak of the proximity of the Antichrist”

Anyone who imagines an Arab Palestinian as a true Muslim in a keffiyeh, like Arafat, and even with a Kalashnikov behind his shoulders, will probably be surprised to meet Bishop Theodosius, Archbishop of Sebaste of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church. Portly, dark-haired, blue-eyed, with a thick gray beard and a friendly smile - just like a priest from some respectable domestic parish. Vladyka always welcomes guests and pilgrims from Russia. We talked with him in Jerusalem - in Hebrew.

culture: When did your church begin, Vladyka? Theodosius: Our church was founded by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Other sister churches were founded by apostles, but our church was founded by the Lord himself. He himself baptized our ancestors, and to this day there are villages that have kept the light of Christianity since those times. My family is also one of the ancient Christians.

culture: But Palestinians are mostly Muslims? Theodosius: Yes, after the Islamic conquest, the Palestinians began to gradually convert to Islam. Many did this only in the 18th century, and then Islam became the religion of the majority of our people. But at the beginning of the 20th century, Orthodox Christians made up 20 percent of the population. Now it’s less. They have stopped converting to Islam, but many are emigrating to the USA, Canada, and South America. It is not easy for Christians to live: on the one hand there is pressure from the Jewish state, on the other there is new Islamic fundamentalism. We found ourselves between a rock and a hard place. Although, of course, we are the same Palestinians as Muslims, we have one language, one culture.

culture: You have a Greek, Orthodox name... Theodosius: The Palestinians call me in Arabic Atallah Hanna, as they called me from birth until I was ordained. I was born and raised in the village of Rami, in the Galilee, northern Israel, in a family with deep and ancient Orthodox roots. There are many priests in my family, but my parents were ordinary laymen.

culture: Are there many Palestinian bishops in your church? Theodosius: For a long time I was the only one, everyone else was Greek. Another one was ordained this year, from Jordan. I'm alone in Palestine. Although the laity are all Palestinians, and the lower priests are almost all. It is a pity that the Greeks are wary of us and do not allow us into the synod.

culture: In my meetings with Orthodox laity in Palestine and Israel, I often heard unflattering comments about the Patriarch of Jerusalem and All Palestine Theophilos III and bishops who do not care about the flock and even sell church land to Jewish businessmen. Increasingly, the laity is moving church lands from the power of the patriarchate to the power of the communities - “until the Greeks sold everything to the Jews,” as they say. Theodosius: There is such a problem. The previous patriarch was removed for selling lands. Apparently, more Palestinian bishops are needed to regain the trust of the laity.

culture: You always ask me with hope about the situation of the church in Russia, about the mood in Moscow. What could Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church do now in Palestine and the Middle East? Theodosius: I supported Russian foreign policy on Syria and Palestine. Russia has shown itself to be a true intercessor of Christians, who have suffered and are suffering terribly in Syria. After Russia managed to stop the Americans through diplomatic efforts, Putin and Lavrov began to enjoy enormous respect in the Arab world. Everyone watches Russia Today in Arabic. Now a favorable situation has emerged for the penetration of Russian “soft power” - the creation of spiritual missions, cultural and business centers, and contacts with Arabs in all areas have expanded. This was the case, by the way, before, during the Soviet Union. We Christians want the expansion of Russian influence in the Middle East.

culture: How do Russian diplomatic missions cope with this task? Theodosius: In different ways. For example, the Russian Ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, speaks excellent Arabic and often appears on television - it is not surprising that he is popular here. And if another diplomat not only does not go to church himself, does not meet with Orthodox Palestinians, but also forbids his employees to do this, then this line is not entirely clear. After all, in the past, Orthodox Palestinians served as a support for imperial Russia in the Middle East. When the Soviet Union appeared, they joined the Communist Party. Now the connection with the Communist Party has weakened, but the pro-Russian orientation has survived.

culture: What do you think about the terrorist attacks in Russia? Feodosius: Behind them is Saudi Arabia, which, with its enormous money that it receives from oil sales, is sowing the seeds of Islamic extremism - not only in Russia. The Saudis are building mosques all over the world, but they are not allowing a single church to be built in their own country. And in Palestine, and in Syria, and now in Russia, Saudi money is doing evil...

culture: What can be done about this? Theodosius: There is this idea among Arab politicians and journalists: to “de-Saudi” Arabia. Remove the Saudi dynasty from the throne and divide the country into separate provinces. Hijaz with its holy cities of Mecca and Medina will be handed over to its legitimate rulers, the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, the kings of the Hashemite dynasty. They ruled the Hejaz for hundreds of years until the British drove them away, giving them Jordan as a consolation. King Abdullah II of Jordan would be a good ruler in the western part of Arabia, which is adjacent to Jordan. He came to the Christmas service at church and sent congratulations to Christians. He tries to be a king for all his subjects. The eastern provinces could determine their own political destiny.

culture: What way out of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict do you see? Theodosius: Peace is necessary, you can’t fight forever. But the idea of ​​creating two states, Jewish and Palestinian, no longer has a chance in the modern world. They were under Arafat, but not now. Today on the agenda is the creation of a single democratic state for all residents of the Holy Land: Jews, Christians, Muslims. With a single parliament, government, head of state. If a unified democratic secular state is not created, then Jewish fanatics, on the one hand, and Muslim fanatics, on the other, will come to power.

culture: We can say about you: one warrior in the field. Why don't relationships work out in the patriarchy? You are the only archbishop who is not a member of the synod... Theodosius: Perhaps because the people trust me, and this causes jealousy among other clergy. Representatives of the Patriarchate tell Jews that Theodosius is a Palestinian nationalist and an enemy of Israel, and Arabs that Theodosius is an Israeli citizen and is friends with Jews. So you won't envy me.

In fact, I am a native and citizen of Israel, traveling with an Israeli passport. But because I call for respect for the rights of Palestinians, the Israeli intelligence services consider me an enemy of Israel. What kind of enemy am I? People from Neturei Karta, deeply religious Orthodox Jews who have lived in Jerusalem for a long time, meet with me. They are the most devout Jews you can find - and they visit me often.

culture: In Russian Orthodox circles you often hear about the coming of the Antichrist, and then about the Second Coming. Do you think that the time of the Antichrist has come? Theodosius: Not an easy question... Of course, this is predicted, but no one knows the time of fulfillment of the prophecies. It’s better not to think about it, but to diligently attend church and try not to sin. There is a sign of the proximity of the Antichrist - same-sex marriages. There had been homosexuals in Jerusalem before, but they hid their sin. Now they are proud of him, and this is outrageous.

https://portal-kultura.ru/articles/symbol-of-faith/27518-arkhiepiskop-feodosiy-odnopolye-braki-govoryat-o-blizosti-antikhrista/

Publications

• “Saint Ephraim the Syrian as an exegete of the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament” (candidate’s essay).
• Speech at the naming of Bishop of Chernigov. JMP. 1963, No. 1, p. 20-21.
• Sermon on the 6th week after Pentecost. JMP. 1965, no. 7.
• Sermon on the 9th week after Pentecost. JMP. 1965, no. 9.
• The Word for the Passion on the Week of the Worship of the Cross. JMP. 1966, No. 3, p. 31-32.
• Sermon on the occasion of Holy Easter (1966). JMP. 1966, No. 6, p. 40-42.
• "Savior Church in Poltava." JMP. 1966, No. 7, p. 26-29.
• Teaching on the day of remembrance of the Moscow saints. JMP. 1966, No. 10, p. 22-25.
• A week about Zacchaeus. JMP. 1976, no. 2, p. 29-31.
• "On the feast of the Icon of the Mother of God of Smolensk Hodegetria." JMP. 1977, no. 8, p. 67-69.
• “Renewal movements in the Orthodox Church in Ukraine from 1917 to 1943 (based on materials from the Kyiv, Kharkov and Poltava dioceses).” (Master's dissertation). 1979
• "Pilgrimage to Holy Athos and to the shrines of Hellas." JMP. 1981, No. 5, p. 15-20; No. 6, p. 12-17.
• "Consecration of the temple in honor of the Cathedral of Smolensk Saints." JMP. 1984, No. 10, p. 5.
• "Pilgrims of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Holy Land." JMP. 1986, no. 2, p. 14.
• Separate movements in the Orthodox Church in Ukraine (1917-1943). M.: Publishing House of the Krutitsky Compound, 2004. 635, p., ill.

Literature

• Autobiography from December 1962.
• JMP. 1962, No. 12, p. 12.
• -“-, 1963, No. 1, p. 13-21, 28, 29; No. 2, p. 46; No. 3, p. 8; No. 6, p. 10.
• -“-, 1964, No. 5, p. 7.
• -“-, 1967, No. 9, p. 7; No. 11, p. 5.
• -“-, 1968, No. 6, p. 32.
• -“-, 1969, No. 2, p. 28; No. 5, p. 29.
• -“-, 1970, No. 6, p. 22; No. 8, p. 9; No. 9, p. 20; No. 11, p. 4.
• -“-, 1971, No. 1, p. 31; No. 2, p. 31; No. 6, p. 2; No. 8, p. 45; No. 9, p. 35.
• -“-, 1972, No. 3, p. 2, 26; No. 5, p. 33, no. 7, p. 34; No. 11, p. 27; No. 12, p. 28.
• -“-, 1973, No. 1, p. 33; No. 9, p. eleven; No. 11, p. 9.
• -“-, 1974, No. 4, p. 23; No. 9, p. 9; No. 11, p. 26.
• -“-, 1975, No. 2, p. 31, 34; No. 3, p. 19; No. 12, p. 27.
• -“-, 1976, No. 6, p. 22; No. 11, p. 25, 26.
• -“-, 1977, No. 3, p. 36; No. 10, p. 12, 13-16.
• -“-, 1978, No. 11, p. 2, 7, 36.
• -“-, 1979, No. 4, p. 19, 20, No. 5, p. 12; No. 6, p. 44, No. 11, p. eleven.
• -“-, 1980, No. 1, p. 17; No. 3, p. 22-23; No. 4, p. 10; No. 5, p. 9; No. 9, p. 10, 12, 34; No. 11, p. 6, 8; No. 12, p. 28.
• -“-, 1981, No. 1, p. 14; No. 5, p. 15; No. 7, p. 29, no. 8, p. 35; No. 12, p. 5.
• -“-, 1982, No. 1, p. 9, 20; No. 8, p. 11, 47; No. 10, p. 35; No. 12, p. 34, 36, 123.
• -“-, 1983, No. 1, p. eleven; No. 9, p. 5, No. 11, p. 7, 21; No. 12, p. 9.
• -“-, 1984, No. 1, p. 37; No. 3, p. 51; No. 5, p. 8; No. 7, p. 55, 56; No. 9, p. 6, 8, 58; No. 10, p. 13; No. 12, p. 18.
• -“-, 1985, No. 2, p. 10; No. 3, p. 27; No. 8, p. 6.
• -“-, 1986, No. 9, p. 2.
• -“-, 1988, No. 1, p. 4.

Notes

1. [old.glinskie.ru/common/mpublic.php?num=203 Metropolitan of Omsk and Tara Theodosius, Natalya Poleshchuk: Difficulties come and go, good deeds remain]
2. [www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/1586920.html The Holy Synod appointed ruling bishops to a number of departments of the Russian Orthodox Church.] // Patriarchia.Ru
3. [www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/4481056.html Metropolitan Theodosius (Protsyuk) reposed in the Lord]
4. [omskzdes.ru/media/photo/39307.html#photo-20786 Vladyka Theodosius was buried in the Achair Monastery]
5. [www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/178796.html Patriarchal congratulations to Metropolitan Theodosius of Omsk on his 80th birthday]
6. [www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/1333392.html The Primate of the Russian Church awarded archpastors who celebrate anniversaries and memorable dates in 2010]

Links

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• 	RSFSR	Sylvester (Olshevsky) • Dimitry (Belikov) • Victor (Bogoyavlensky) • Arkady (Ershov) • German (Kokel) • Alexy (Orlov) • Anthony (Milovidov) • Philip (Stavitsky) • Photius (Purlevsky) • Alexy (Panteleev) • Palladium (Sherstennikov) • Juvenaly (Kilin) ​​• Nikander (Volyannikov) • Venedikt (Plyaskin) • Veniamin (Novitsky) • Mstislav (Volonsevich) • Sergius (Larin) • Ermogen (Golubev) • Hilarion (Prokhorov) • Nikolai (Kutepov) • Andrey (Sukhenko) • Methodius (Menzak) • Gideon (Dokukin) • Maxim (Krokha) • Feodosius (Protsyuk)
  	Russian Federation	Feodosius (Protsyuk) • Vladimir (Ikim)

  Bishops of Smolensk and Kaliningrad	Kirill (Gundyaev) (1989—2009)
  Bishops of Smolensk and Vyazemsk	Anthony (Vakarik) (1965-1967) • Gideon (Dokukin) (1967-1972) • Feodosius (Protsyuk) (1972-1984) • Kirill (Gundyaev) (1984-1989)
  Bishops of Smolensk and Dorogobuzh	Sergius (Smirnov) (1944-1955) • Mikhail (Chub) (1955-1957) • Innokenty (Sokal) (1959-1964) • Pitirim (Nechaev) (1964-1965, high school)
  Bishops of Smolensk and Bryansk	Stefan (Sevbo) (1942-1943)
  Bishops of Smolensk and Dorogobuzh	Barsanuphius (Chertkov-Eropkin) (1671-1676) • Simeon (Molyukov) (1676-1686) • Sylvester II (Chernitsky) (1699-1704) • Sylvester (Kraisky) (1707-1712) • Dorofey (Korotkevich) (1712- 1718) • Sylvester (Kholmsky-Volynets) (1719-1720) • Varlaam (Kossovsky) (1720-1721) • Philotheus the Greek (1722-1727) • Gideon (Vishnevsky) (1728-1761) • Parthenius (Sopkovsky) (1761- 1795) • Dimitri (Ustimovich) (1795-1805) • Seraphim (Glagolevsky) (1805-1812) • Iriney (Falkovsky) (1812-1813) • Joasaph (Sretensky) (1813-1821) • Joseph (Velichkovsky) (1821- 1834) • Timofey (Ketlerov) (1834-1859) • Anthony (Amphitheaters) (1859-1866) • John (Sokolov) (1866-1869) • Seraphim (Protopopov) (1869-1874) • Joseph (Drozdov) (1874- 1881) • Nestor (Metaniev) (1881-1889) • Gury (Okhotin) (1890-1896) • Nikanor (Kamensky) (1896-1899) • Mitrofan (Nevsky) (1899) • Peter (Dugov) (1899-1908) • Theodosius (Feodosiev) (1908-1919) • Eusebius (Nikolsky) (1919-1920, v/u) • Philip (Stavitsky) (1920-1924) • Valerian (Rudich) (1924-1927) • Seraphim (Ostroumov) ( 1927-1936) • Modest (Nikitin) (1936-1937)
  Bishops of Smolensk and Mstislav	Kallist (Dorofeevich-Ritoraisky) (1657-1658, second-class) • Filaret (1658-1671)
  Bishops of Smolensk and Chernigov	Isaiah (Kopinsky-Borisovich) (1628-1631) • Abraham (1632-1653) • Lavrenty (1655, v/u)
  Bishops of Smolensk and Dorogobuzh	Theodosius (1592-1605) • Sergius (1608-1611)
  Bishops of Smolensk and Bryansk	Joseph III (1515-1532) • Savva (Slepushkin) (1536-1538) • Gury (Zabolotsky) (1539-1555) • Simeon III (1555-1567) • Theophilus (1568) • Sylvester (deceased 1572-1589)
  Bishops of Smolensk	Ignatius I (1128-1133) • Lazarus I (1133-1135) • Manuel the Greek (1137-1169) • Michael (?) • Constantine (dec. 1180) • Simeon I (dec. 1190-1197) • Ignatius II (dec. 1206-1219) • Lazarus II (1219-1220) • Mercury (?-1247) • Athanasai (XIII century) • John I (XIII century) • Porphyry (first half of the 13th century) • Dionysius (before 1238) • Thomas (1238-1256) • Pachomius (XIII century) • Ignatius III (second half of the XIII century) • Jonah (XIV century) • Daniel (XIV century) • John II (mentioned 1335) • Euthymius I (from 1345) • Theophylact ( Theoktist) (from 1356) • Parthenius (1364-1370) • Daniel II of Zvenigorod (1375-1382) • Michael II (1383-1396) • Cassian (Naasson) (1396 - ?) • Ignatius IV (dec. 1405) • Hilarion (after 1405-1408) • Nikon (1408-1411) • Sebastian (1411-1416) • Gerasim (1417-1433) • Michael III (dec. 1435) • Nathanael (dec. 1440-1445) • Simeon II (1440- 1445) • Euthymius II (XV century) • Misail (Pestrutsky-Drutsky-Sokolinsky-Babich) (1454-1480) • Joachim (1480-1485) • Joseph I (Bulgarinovich) (1494-1498) • Joseph II (Soltan) ( 1502-1509) • Barsanuphius (Khodykin) (1509-1514)

Excerpt characterizing Theodosius (Protsyuk)

“You know her husband, don’t you?” - said Anna Pavlovna, closing her eyes and pointing at Helen with a sad gesture. - Oh, this is such an unfortunate and lovely woman! Don't talk about him in front of her, please don't talk about him. It's too hard for her! When Boris and Anna Pavlovna returned to the general circle, Prince Ippolit took over the conversation. He moved forward in his chair and said: Le Roi de Prusse! [The Prussian king!] and having said this, he laughed. Everyone turned to him: Le Roi de Prusse? - asked Ippolit, laughed again and again calmly and seriously sat down in the depths of his chair. Anna Pavlovna waited for him a little, but since Hippolyte decidedly did not seem to want to talk anymore, she began a speech about how the godless Bonaparte stole the sword of Frederick the Great in Potsdam. - C'est l'epee de Frederic le Grand, que je... [This is the sword of Frederick the Great, which I...] - she began, but Hippolyte interrupted her with the words: - Le Roi de Prusse... - and again, as soon as he addressed, apologized and fell silent. Anna Pavlovna winced. MorteMariet, a friend of Hippolyte, decisively turned to him: “Voyons a qui en avez vous avec votre Roi de Prusse?” [Well, what about the Prussian king?] Hippolytus laughed, as if he was ashamed of his laughter. - Non, ce n'est rien, je voulais dire seulement... [No, nothing, I just wanted to say...] (He intended to repeat a joke that he heard in Vienna, and which he had been planning to put all evening.) Je voulais dire seulement, que nous avons tort de faire la guerre pour le roi de Prusse. [I just wanted to say that we are fighting in vain pour le roi de Prusse. (Untranslatable play on words meaning: “over trifles.”)] Boris smiled cautiously in such a way that his smile could be classified as ridicule or approval of the joke, depending on how it was received. Everyone laughed. “Il est tres mauvais, votre jeu de mot, tres spirituel, mais injuste,” said Anna Pavlovna, shaking her wrinkled finger. – Nous ne faisons pas la guerre pour le Roi de Prusse, mais pour les bons principes. Ah, le mechant, ce prince Hippolytel [Your play on words is not good, very clever, but unfair; we are not fighting pour le roi de Prusse (i.e. over trifles), but for good beginnings. Oh, how evil he is, this Prince Hippolyte!],” she said. The conversation continued throughout the evening, focusing mainly on political news. At the end of the evening, he became especially animated when it came to the awards bestowed by the sovereign. “After all, last year NN received a snuff-box with a portrait,” said l’homme a l’esprit profond, [a man of deep intelligence,] “why can’t SS receive the same award?” “Je vous demande pardon, une tabatiere avec le portrait de l'Empereur est une recompense, mais point une distinction,” said the diplomat, un cadeau plutot. [Sorry, a snuff box with a portrait of the Emperor is a reward, not a distinction; rather a gift.] – Il y eu plutot des antecedents, je vous citerai Schwarzenberg. [There were examples - Schwarzenberg.] - C'est impossible, [This is impossible] - objected another. - Pari. Le grand cordon, c'est different... [The tape is a different matter...] When everyone got up to leave, Helen, who had said very little all evening, again turned to Boris with a request and a gentle, significant order that he be with her Tuesday. “I really need this,” she said with a smile, looking back at Anna Pavlovna, and Anna Pavlovna, with the sad smile that accompanied her words when speaking about her high patroness, confirmed Helen’s desire. It seemed that that evening, from some words spoken by Boris about the Prussian army, Helen suddenly discovered the need to see him. She seemed to promise him that when he arrived on Tuesday, she would explain this need to him. Arriving on Tuesday evening at Helen's magnificent salon, Boris did not receive a clear explanation of why he needed to come. There were other guests, the countess spoke little to him, and only saying goodbye, when he kissed her hand, she, with a strange lack of a smile, unexpectedly, in a whisper, said to him: Venez demain diner... le soir. Il faut que vous veniez… Venez. [Come for dinner tomorrow... in the evening. We need you to come... Come.] On this visit to St. Petersburg, Boris became a close person in the house of Countess Bezukhova. The war was flaring up, and its theater was approaching the Russian borders. Curses against the enemy of the human race, Bonaparte, were heard everywhere; Warriors and recruits gathered in the villages, and contradictory news came from the theater of war, false as always and therefore interpreted differently. The life of old Prince Bolkonsky, Prince Andrei and Princess Marya has changed in many ways since 1805. In 1806, the old prince was appointed one of the eight commanders-in-chief of the militia, then appointed throughout Russia. The old prince, despite his senile weakness, which became especially noticeable during the period of time when he considered his son killed, did not consider himself entitled to refuse the position to which he had been appointed by the sovereign himself, and this newly discovered activity excited and strengthened him. He was constantly traveling around the three provinces entrusted to him; He was pedantic in his duties, strict to the point of cruelty with his subordinates, and he himself went down to the smallest details of the matter. Princess Marya had already stopped taking mathematical lessons from her father, and only in the mornings, accompanied by her nurse, with little Prince Nikolai (as his grandfather called him), entered her father’s study when he was at home. Baby Prince Nikolai lived with his wet nurse and nanny Savishna in the half of the late princess, and Princess Marya spent most of the day in the nursery, replacing, as best she could, a mother to her little nephew. M lle Bourienne, too, seemed to be passionately in love with the boy, and Princess Marya, often depriving herself, yielded to her friend the pleasure of nursing the little angel (as she called her nephew) and playing with him. At the altar of the Lysogorsk church there was a chapel over the grave of the little princess, and in the chapel a marble monument brought from Italy was erected, depicting an angel spreading his wings and preparing to ascend to heaven. The angel's upper lip was slightly raised, as if he was about to smile, and one day Prince Andrei and Princess Marya, leaving the chapel, admitted to each other that it was strange, the face of this angel reminded them of the face of a deceased woman. But what was even stranger, and what Prince Andrei did not tell his sister, was that in the expression that the artist accidentally gave to the face of the angel, Prince Andrei read the same words of meek reproach that he then read on the face of his dead wife: “Oh, why did you do this to me?...” Soon after the return of Prince Andrei, the old prince separated his son and gave him Bogucharovo, a large estate located 40 miles from Bald Mountains. Partly because of the difficult memories associated with Bald Mountains, partly because Prince Andrei did not always feel able to bear his father’s character, and partly because he needed solitude, Prince Andrei took advantage of Bogucharov, built there and spent most of his time there. time. Prince Andrei, after the Austerlitz campaign, firmly decided never to serve in military service again; and when the war began, and everyone had to serve, he, in order to get rid of active service, accepted a position under his father in collecting the militia. The old prince and his son seemed to change roles after the 1805 campaign. The old prince, excited by the activity, expected all the best from the real campaign; Prince Andrei, on the contrary, not participating in the war and secretly regretting it in his soul, saw only one bad thing. On February 26, 1807, the old prince left for the district. Prince Andrei, as for the most part during his father’s absences, remained in Bald Mountains. Little Nikolushka had been unwell for the 4th day. The coachmen who drove the old prince returned from the city and brought papers and letters to Prince Andrei. The valet with letters, not finding the young prince in his office, went to Princess Marya’s half; but he wasn’t there either. The valet was told that the prince had gone to the nursery. “Please, your Excellency, Petrusha has come with the papers,” said one of the nanny’s girls, turning to Prince Andrei, who was sitting on a small children’s chair and with trembling hands, frowning, dripping medicine from a glass into a glass half filled with water. - What's happened? - he said angrily, and carelessly shaking his hand, he poured an extra amount of drops from the glass into the glass. He threw the medicine out of the glass onto the floor and asked for water again. The girl handed it to him. In the room there was a crib, two chests, two armchairs, a table and a children's table and chair, the one on which Prince Andrei was sitting. The windows were curtained, and one candle was burning on the table, covered with a bound book of music, so that the light would not fall on the crib. “My friend,” Princess Marya said, turning to her brother from the crib where she stood, “it’s better to wait... after...” “Oh, do me a favor, you keep talking nonsense, you’ve been waiting for everything, so you’ve waited,” said the prince. Andrey whispered in an angry voice, apparently wanting to prick his sister. “My friend, it’s better not to wake him up, he fell asleep,” the princess said in a pleading voice. Prince Andrei stood up and, on tiptoe, approached the crib with a glass. – Or definitely not to wake you up? – he said hesitantly. “As you wish, that’s right... I think... as you wish,” said Princess Marya, apparently timid and ashamed that her opinion had triumphed. She pointed out to her brother the girl who was calling him in a whisper. It was the second night that they both did not sleep, caring for the boy who was burning in the heat. All these days, not trusting their home doctor and waiting for the one for whom they had been sent to the city, they took this or that remedy. Exhausted by insomnia and anxious, they dumped their grief on each other, reproached each other and quarreled. “Petrusha with papers from daddy,” the girl whispered. - Prince Andrei came out. - Well, what is there! - he said angrily, and after listening to verbal orders from his father and taking the envelopes and his father’s letter, he returned to the nursery. - Well? - asked Prince Andrei. – Everything is the same, wait for God’s sake. “Karl Ivanovich always says that sleep is the most precious thing,” Princess Marya whispered with a sigh. “Prince Andrei approached the child and touched him. He was burning. - Get out with your Karl Ivanovich! “He took the glass with the drops dripped into it and approached again. – Andre, don’t! - said Princess Marya. But he frowned angrily and at the same time painfully at her and leaned over the child with a glass. “Well, I want it,” he said. - Well, I beg you, give it to him. Princess Marya shrugged her shoulders, but obediently took the glass and, calling the nanny, began to give the medicine. The child screamed and wheezed. Prince Andrei, wincing, holding his head, left the room and sat down on the sofa next door.