Metropolitan Veniamin Fedchenkov: emigrant, Orthodox ascetic, missionary and spiritual writer
Metropolitan Veniamin Fedchenkov is known as a prominent figure in the Russian emigration who returned to his homeland. Abroad he was known as a bishop of the Russian Church, exarch of the Moscow Patriarchate in America, and archbishop. His activities contributed to the creation and development of Russian Orthodoxy abroad.
Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov). Vladyka became famous as an outstanding missionary and preacher, teacher, theologian, writer
In addition, Father Benjamin became famous as an Orthodox ascetic and preacher. He carried out active missionary work, including in hard-to-reach areas, for example, in the Aleutian Islands. The metropolitan's literary activity is well known, as he wrote many books of spiritual content.
essays
- Veniamin (Fedchenkov), Metropolitan.
Vladyka // Notes of the Bishop. - St. Petersburg: Resurrection, 2002. - P. 313-358. - Veniamin (Fedchenkov), Metropolitan.
About the “Catechism” of Metropolitan. Anthony (Khrapovitsky). Correspondence with the archbishop. Feofan Poltavsky // Diaries 1926-1948. - M.: Rule of Faith, 2008. - Veniamin (Fedchenkov) Met.
God's people. My spiritual meetings. - M.: Father's House, 1997. - Veniamin (Fedchenkov), Metropolitan.
Report to Metropolitan Sergius on imyaslaviya (Baltimore, 1938 2/15 VII) // Notes of the Bishop. - St. Petersburg: Resurrection, 2002. - P. 471. - 455-477 p. - Veniamin (Fedchenkov), Metropolitan.
Saint Sorokoust.
- M.: Sretensky Monastery, 2004. - 896 p. — 7,000 copies. — ISBN 5-7533-0308-0. Veniamin (Fedchenkov), Metropolitan.
Letters on monasticism (1956) // Saint Sorokoust. - M.: Sretensky Monastery, 2004. - 745-779 p. — 7,000 copies. — ISBN 5-7533-0308-0. - Veniamin (Fedchenkov), Metropolitan.
New memories of monasticism // Saint Sorokoust. - M.: Sretensky Monastery, 2004. - 779-25 p. — 7,000 copies. — ISBN 5-7533-0308-0.
Father Benjamin was born into a pious Orthodox family
Metropolitan Veniamin, in the world Ivan Afanasyevich Fedchenkov, was born on September 2 (14), 1880. According to other sources, this happened on September 12. Place of birth - the village of Vyazhli or Ilyinka, Kirsanovsky district, Tambov province. Died October 4, 1961.
The future metropolitan was born into a pious Orthodox family. His father, Afanasy Ivanovich Fedchenkov, came from landless serfs in the Smolensk province. He served as a clerk for the Baratynsky landowners on their Tambov estate.
Hieromonk Veniamin in Boratynsky Park. 1900s. The future metropolitan was born into a devout peasant family. His father worked for the Boratynsky landowners as a clerk, his mother was a peasant from a deacon’s family
Mother - Natalia Nikolaevna Fedchenkova, née Orzhevskaya. She is from a deacon family. In addition to the future metropolitan, his mother gave birth to five more children. The family lived poorly, sometimes even begging.
At the same time, Father Benjamin later recalled his childhood as one of the brightest and most joyful periods of his life. The dedication of his parents allowed three children to receive higher education and three more to receive secondary education.
Metropolitan Veniamin Fedchenkov received his primary education in his family
The future metropolitan received his primary education in his family. Thanks to his parents, by the age of six he could already read and write. He entered the zemstvo school, located in a neighboring village, straight into the second grade.
Having graduated from it at the age of nine, he continued his education at the Kirsanovsky district school, where he studied from 1891 to 1893.
Tambov Theological School. 1900s. Valentin Fedchenkov passed the exams at the Tambov Theological School, having failed to study at the Kirsanov School
Veniamin did not finish school, since in his last year of study he passed the exams at the Tambov Theological School. Afterwards he studied at the Tambov Theological School, the Tambov Theological Seminary, and the St. Petersburg Theological Academy.
In total, Father Veniamin’s training lasted 15 years. He graduated from it, graduating from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy with a candidate's degree in theology.
A monarchist by conviction, Metropolitan Veniamin Fedchenkov did not accept 1917
After graduating from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy in 1907 with a master's degree, Hieromonk Benjamin became a professorial fellow in the department of biblical history.
At the end of his fellowship year, he was appointed personal secretary of the Archbishop of Finland and Vyborg Sergius (Stragorodsky).
In addition, in 1910 - 1911, Father Benjamin served as associate professor at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy in the department of Pastoral Theology, Homiletics and Asceticism.
Archimandrite Veniamin (Fedchenkov). 1918 As a monarchist, the future Metropolitan Benjamin did not accept 1917
In 1911-1913, Father Veniamin was appointed inspector of the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary, but he did not hold this position for long, about three months.
He then served as rector of the Tauride Theological Seminary, and on December 26 in Vyborg, Archbishop Sergius (Stragorodsky) elevated him to the rank of archimandrite.
Vladyka Veniamin adhered to monarchist beliefs and did not accept the Revolution.
In addition, from 1913 to 1917, Vladyka served as rector of the Tver Theological Seminary. Became a Knight of the Order of St. Anne, 2nd degree.
Archimandrite Veniamin - rector of the Tver Seminary 1914. Metropolitan Benjamin observed the revolutionary events from Tver, where he served as rector of the Tver Seminary
Archimandrite Veniamin observed the events of the February Revolution while in Tver. A monarchist by conviction, he deeply mourned the fall of the Orthodox monarchy and did not accept the revolution.
The future metropolitan met the October Revolution already in Moscow as a delegate from the Tver diocese to the Local Council of the Russian Church of 1917-1918.
As a member of the Local Council, Archimandrite Veniamin was a supporter of the restoration of the patriarchate and participated in the election of St. Tikhon to the Patriarchal throne.
In addition, he supported the proposals of the cathedral-peasants to oppose the increase in the number of reasons for church divorce.
After his arrest in June 1919, Archimandrite Veniamin Fedchenkov headed the military clergy of the AFSR
During the October Revolution of 1917, Father Veniamin personally saw the clashes between the Bolsheviks and cadets for the Kremlin. Vladyka participated in the work of the Ukrainian
Supreme Cathedral in Kyiv (from December 1917 to December 1918). Here he defended the unity of the church from the encroachments of the Ukrainian church “independents” grouped around the “Verkhovna Rada”.
Government of the South of Russia. Crimea, Sevastopol, July 22, 1920. After Crimea was occupied by white troops, Father Veniamin accepted the offer of Baron Wrangel and became the head of the military clergy of the All-Soviet Union of Socialists. In addition, he also became a member of the Council of Ministers of the Crimean Government as a representative of the Church
In 1919, Archimandrite Veniamin became Bishop of Sevastopol, vicar of the Tauride diocese, and was assigned to the post of rector of the Chersonesos monastery in Odessa. After the occupation of Crimea by the Reds, the ruler was arrested in June 1919 and placed in the prison of the Sevastopol Cheka.
8 days after the arrest and interrogation, at the request of the flock, the archimandrite was released. When Crimea became white and those Cheka officers who interrogated Veniamin’s father were sentenced to death, he managed to get it abolished.
Vladika Benjamin joined the White movement in the spring of 1920.
In the spring of 1920, Vladyka, on his own initiative, joined the White movement. In particular, he accepted the offer of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the South of Russia (AFSR), General Wrangel, to head the military clergy of the AFSR.
At the same time, the bishop declared: for the Church, both whites and reds, if only they are believers, are equally acceptable...”
Flight of whites from Novorossiysk to Crimea. 1920 In 1920, together with refugees and the remnants of the Russian Army transported from Novorossiysk to Crimea, the future Metropolitan Benjamin was evacuated from the peninsula to Constantinople
Father Benjamin repeatedly went to the front, under his leadership the publication of the newspaper “Holy Rus'” was carried out, and as a representative of the Church, Baron Wrangel invited the Bishop to the Council of Ministers formed in Crimea.
At the same time, the Future Metropolitan noted with grief that many white soldiers and their leaders were irreligious.
After the defeat of the White movement in November 1920, Bishop Veniamin was evacuated from Crimea on the battleship General Alekseev, along with the remnants of the Russian Army and civilian refugees.
organizations
He participated in the revival of the Religious and Philosophical Society that existed in Crimea since the 1910s, whose activities eventually ceased. Bishop Veniamin, as chairman, held the first meeting of the Tauride Orthodox Religious and Philosophical Circle (renewed society) on March 4 (17), 1919, and subsequently made numerous presentations at meetings of the circle[2].
Bishop Benjamin participated in the first congress of Russian student Christian youth in Presov, which took place from October 1 to 8, 1923 and laid the foundation for the Russian Student Christian Movement (RSCM).
During the years of emigration, Bishop Benjamin visited many countries
In Constantinople, Bishop Benjamin was invited to join the Supreme Church Administration Abroad. In addition, he is also a member of the Russian Council formed under Baron Wrangel. From 1920 to 1920, Vladyka lived in Bulgaria.
Here he, as Bishop of the Army and Navy, visited churches and parishes established by refugee and military organizations in Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia.
Participants of the First All-Diaspora Council of 1921 in Semskie Karlovtsy. Bishop Benjamin became the chairman of the “diocesan congress” held in Constantinople in 1921, which prepared the holding of the Karlowitz Cathedral
During this period, Vladyka also headed the commission for organizing the church life of the Russian Abroad. He became the chairman of the “diocesan congress” held in Constantinople in 1921, which prepared the holding of the Karlowitz Cathedral.
Despite the fact that Bishop Veniamin made significant efforts to organize independent church administration for the Russian Abroad, he still believed that emigration for him was temporary.
Life showed the fallacy of this belief, and he had to spend years in exile, while visiting a large number of countries around the world.
Vladika Veniamin accepted the “Declaration” of Metropolitan Sergius (Starogorodtsky)
In 1926-1927, Bishop Veniamin lived in Yugoslavia. Here he was found by the famous “Declaration” of Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky), locum tenens of the patriarchal throne.
It spoke about the attitude of the Moscow Patriarchate to Soviet power and called on the clergy of the Orthodox Church to recognize it.
The Bishop decided to join the declaration, but at the same time retired to the desert monastery of St. Sava of Serbia. He remained a monk until 1929 and even accepted the abbotship in Petkovitsa.
Declaration of Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) dated July 29, 1927. Vladyka Veniamin recognized the declaration of the locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, Metropolitan Sergius, but after that he retired to the desert monastery of St. Sava of Serbia
His solitude was interrupted by a call to Paris to his former post of inspector and teacher at the Sergius Theological Institute.
In 1930, Father Benjamin had to leave the institute due to the fact that Metropolitan Eulogius (Georgievsky) broke off relations with the Moscow Patriarchate and went under the omophorion of the Patriarch of Constantinople.
On December 24, 1930, Father Veniamin was appointed temporary administrator of the Russian parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in Western Europe.
In the summer of 1933, Vladyka became Archbishop of Aleutian and North American while remaining exarch of the Moscow Patriarchate in America. On June 14, 1938 he was elevated to the rank of metropolitan.
Cover of the program for the rally and concert at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium on June 22, 1944. The main sponsor is RUR (Russian War Relief). Metropolitan Veniamin headed the work of the Medical Committee for Relief of Russia, which collected funds and medicines for the needs of the Red Army
After the German attack on the Soviet Union, Metropolitan Veniamin called on the Russian emigration to forget their differences and provide assistance to the USSR.
He headed the work of the Medical Committee for Assistance to Russia, which collected funds and medicines for the needs of the Red Army; became a member of the International Committee for Assistance to Russia.
In the summer of 1949, he met with the Consul General of the USSR in the USA, Yevgeny Kiselev, who advised the Bishop to write autobiographical essays “At the turn of two eras.”
sources
- Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov). Service in America. In documents of 1933-1947 / Comp. R.Yu. Prosvetov. - M.: Father's House, 2016. - 920 p. - (Heritage). — ISBN 978-5-906241-20-7.
Footnotes
- Veniamin (Fedchenkov), Metropolitan.
Saint Sorokoust. - M.: Sretensky Monastery, 2004. - 896 p. — 7,000 copies. — ISBN 5-7533-0308-0. - “At the turn of two eras”, 2004, p. 722.
- GARF. F. 6991. Op. 7. D. 27. L. 29.
- ↑ 4,04,14,24,3 Prosvetov R. Yu. The relationship between the bishop and the authorities in the Soviet Union using the example of the ministry of Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov) in 1948-1958. // Bulletin of Tambov University. Series: Humanities. - 2014. - No. 3 (131).
Bishop Benjamin died in his homeland
In December 1944, Metropolitan Benjamin received an invitation from Moscow to come to the Local Council. The purpose of the 1945 council was to elect a new Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' after the death of Patriarch Sergius.
After his trip to Moscow, Vladyka decided to return to Russia. On February 18, 1948, he finally returned to his homeland and was appointed to the Riga department.
Speech by Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov) of North America and Aleutia at the Local Council in 1945. After a trip to the Council in Moscow, Bishop decided to return to his homeland
In March 1951, Father Veniamin was transferred to the Rostov department, where he remained until the end of 1955. The activities of the metropolitan were not liked by the communist authorities of Latvia and in 1955 he was appointed metropolitan of Saratov and Balashov.
The bishop, who cared about the affairs of the Church, constantly came into conflict with the Soviet authorities. In addition, his health condition worsened. Therefore, on February 20, 1958, the Metropolitan was dismissed. His place of residence was the Pskovopechersky Monastery.
Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov) at rest in the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery. To his right is Archimandrite Alypiy (Voronov). After retiring, Bishop Veniamin was left speechless after a stroke. Before his death, he accepted schism and was buried in the caves of the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery
All his life, Vladyka wrote books. In total, he wrote more than 30 of them. They are devoted to explaining the Lord's Prayer, name-glorification, the liturgical heritage of the Church, etc. Among them are: “Letters on monasticism. God’s People”, “About the End of the World”, “At the Border of Two Epochs”, etc.
Shortly before his death, Father Veniamin was left speechless as a result of a stroke. There is evidence that before his death he accepted schism. Died on October 4, 1961. He was buried in the caves of the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery.
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fight for peace
In Latvia, he had conflicts with local representatives of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church N.P. Smirnov and his successor A.A. Sakharov. Veniamin came to the conclusion that there was no freedom for the Church in the USSR, which he stated to the Deputy Chairman of the Council S.K. Belyshev[3].
Commissioner A. A. Sakharov wrote to the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church: “Metropolitan Veniamin continues to maintain active correspondence both with addresses in the Soviet Union and abroad. Maintains correspondence with clergy repressed by the Soviet authorities and imprisoned, and provides them with financial assistance. When clergy who have served their sentences return from exile, they provide them with financial assistance and assign them to profitable parishes... provide financial assistance to the families of clergy who were repressed by the state security agencies of the republic for anti-Soviet activities”[4]:169.
Also, the Commissioner did not like that Benjamin did not want to participate in the “struggle for peace” imposed on the church by the state. The Commissioner reported at the end of 1950: “Metropolitan Veniamin’s statement about the participation of the clergy in the struggle for peace, in particular in the organizations and committees of the Supporters of Peace, deserves serious attention. During one of his visits in November 1950, touching on this issue, Metropolitan Benjamin said that the state of the world does not depend on the will of people; one cannot fight for peace, one can only pray for it. In particular, he pointed out that Metropolitan Nicholas’s speeches on peace issues, in the part where he points out that “the struggle for peace is the fulfillment of the covenants of Christ,” are canonically incorrect. From other sources I know that among the close clergy, Metropolitan Benjamin made harsher statements against the participation of the clergy in the international peace movement”[4]:170. At the request of the Commissioner, Veniamin wrote and distributed throughout the diocese at the beginning of 1951 a congratulation in which he touched on the problem of peace, but not at all in the sense that the Soviet authorities expected from him [4]: 170-171. After this, Commissioner A. A. Sakharov and First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of the Latvian SSR Ya. E. Kalnberzin asked the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church to remove Veniamin from the Riga department [4]: 171. As a result, Met. Benjamin was removed from the Riga See.
