Nikolai Guryanov, elder: predictions and biography

What is eldership?

Since ancient times, a special form of serving God, called eldership, has been rooted in Russian Orthodoxy. This is a type of activity that includes the spiritual guidance of believers, carried out by God’s chosen people - the elders. As a rule, they are persons of clergy rank, but the history of the church knows examples when laymen also played this role. Moreover, the very concept of an elder does not imply an age characteristic, but a spiritual Grace sent by God to carry out this feat.

People chosen by the Lord for such a high service are often endowed with the ability to contemplate with their inner gaze the future of the world, and to see the spiritual makeup of each individual person. This gives them the opportunity, with amazing accuracy, to give everyone who turns to them for help and spiritual guidance the only true advice.

Zalit Island

On October 21, 1958, Father Nikolai Guryanov was transferred to the position of rector of the Church of St. Nicholas the Pleasant on Zalit Island. This is a tiny island that belongs to the small group of Talab Islands.

Here the priest will work as an ascetic until the end of his days, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims will come here for the help and prayers of the elder from all over the world.

The video, which captured Elder Father Nikolai Guryanov communicating with believers, is imbued with heavenly peace and wisdom. He liked to say: “Where it’s simple, there are about 100 angels, and where it’s complicated, there’s not a single one.”

Father was honored with the gift of clairvoyance, which he hid under his foolishness. That is, he spoke in precise phrases, but through images.

For example, he often called women in trousers men's names with their patronymics, this indicated that something was wrong in the family, and the wife was trying to dominate her husband.

He didn’t have to ask the man anything; he knew everything about him. He had many spiritual children, among them famous performers: Olga Kormukhina, Alexey Belov, their story of meeting the priest is amazing.

The documentary film “Meeting” was filmed based on it. For several decades, spiritual children collected evidence of the elder’s help, and memoirs about him were published. Father Nikolai wrote poetry, his spiritual instructions have no statute of limitations.

They are relevant whenever we read them: “Take care of your spiritual peace, and there will be order in the world”, “Do not be upset for visiting troubles - they are life companions in our recovery.”

Church Choir Director's Family

The future elder Nikolai Guryanov, whose predictions about the future of Russia have become famous these days, was born in 1909 into the family of Alexei Ivanovich Guryanov, a church choir director who lived in the village of Chudskie Zakhody, St. Petersburg province. Nikolai had three brothers who inherited musical abilities from their father, the eldest of whom Mikhail even taught at the St. Petersburg Conservatory.

But their talent was not destined to develop - they all died during the First World War. The head of the family, Nikolai Alekseevich’s father, passed away in 1914, and only his mother Ekaterina Stepanovna was granted longevity by the Lord. She lived until 1969, helping her son carry out his pastoral ministry.

Life

Nikolai Alekseevich Guryanov was born on May 24, 1909 in the village of Chudskie Zakhody, St. Petersburg province. From an early age he was a servant of the Altar, a singer in the choir. Benjamin of Novgorod secretly tonsured him as a monk at the age of 8.

Guryanov honored the family of Tsar Nicholas and prayed to him, professing their holiness. He was arrested several times - in 1929 he was sent into exile in Ukraine, and in 1931 he was imprisoned a second time for his church-monarchist service. Father also served time in Pskov, Vyatka camps, and then in ITL, Syktyvkar.

Elder Nikolai Guryanov

During the years of persecution of the church, Nicholas was secretly made a bishop, and then accepted the schema with the name Nektarios. At that time, he courageously defended the Holy Places, protected the freedom of the Church from the atheists, and did not accept the Declaration of Metropolitan Sergius.

After leaving the camps, he became a secret hieromonk. He served as a priest in several monasteries and churches. He studied in absentia at the Theological Academy, at the request of his mother, he was transferred to the Pskov Diocese on the island of Talabsk. There he served the Lord for 44 years until his dormition, which occurred on August 24, 2002.

Arriving on the island, the priest faced many difficulties. In those years, the media reported about the imminent victory over obscurantism, so he and his mother looked at him with distrust and wariness. But soon people saw that he was kind, friendly and good-natured.

The church in which Nicholas was to serve was in disrepair. Diocesan structures did not help, so the priest with the parishioners and residents of the Island independently looked for resources for its restoration.

Important! With his own hands, Nikolai built the temple, assembling the walls brick by brick. He also painted and built roofs. When the Liturgies began in the church, he personally baked the prosphora.

In addition to Nicholas's duties as a clergyman, he helped the village residents. Many men were engaged in fishing, so they left their homes for a long time. The priest helped the women chop wood, bring water, and look after children or the elderly. With his love and kind attitude towards people, he won respect and trust.

About other elders:

• Elder Joseph the Hesychast
• Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnitsky
• Elder Gabriel Urgebadze

Orthodox education

Even as a child, Nikolai Guryanov served at the altar. The whole family took part in church life - the father served as regent, three brothers sang in the choir. At the age of 11, Nikolai, together with the rector of the Church of the Archangel Michael, went to the island of Talabsk on parish business. Along the way they visited Blessed Michael. At that time he was ill and wearing chains, he was revered as a seer.

The blessed one treated the abbot to a large prosphora, and the boy to a small one and said: “Gostek has arrived.” His words turned out to be prophetic - in the future, Father Nikolai Guryanov served on this island. He often visited the grave of Blessed Michael and encouraged parishioners to pray to him.

Hagiographic icon of Archpriest Nikolai Guryanov

When Nikolai was 5 years old, his father died. Bishop Benjamin, who served at that time, practically became a father to him. The boy helped the bishop and adopted spiritual wisdom and courage from him.

One day the bishop said, “You are so happy that you are with the Lord,” and handed him the bishop’s cross as a blessing, which Father Nikolai took care of and kept for the rest of his life.

Failed students

Already during the years of Soviet power, Nikolai graduated from a pedagogical college and then entered the Leningrad Pedagogical Institute. But he was soon expelled because he found the courage to publicly oppose the closure of one of the city churches. This happened at the end of the twenties, and the whole country was engulfed in another anti-religious campaign. With his desperate act, he was unable to stop the machine of atheistic obscurantism, but he lost the opportunity to continue his studies and came to the attention of the GPU authorities.

To earn food for himself, Nikolai was forced to give private lessons in biology, physics and mathematics, since he had sufficient training in these subjects. But the main thing for him remained the church. From 1928 to 1931 he served as a psalm-reader in various churches in Leningrad and the region.

Acceptance of the priesthood and service in Baltic churches

During the years of occupation, Guryanov finally decided to devote his life to serving God. At the beginning of February 1942, he was ordained a deacon, and a week later to the priesthood. He accepted this rank as a celibate, that is, he took a vow of celibacy for the rest of his days. Metropolitan Sergius (Voskresensky), who found himself in occupation, also performed the sacrament over him. Having completed theological courses in the same year, Nikolai Guryanov (elder) was sent to Riga, where he served as a priest in the Holy Trinity Monastery for women, and then spent some time as a charter director at the Vilnius Holy Spirit Monastery.

From 1943 to 1958, the period of his ministry in Lithuania lasted in the Orthodox Church of the village of Gegobrosty. There, Father Nikolai was elevated to the rank of archpriest. The memoirs of one of his parishioners have been preserved, in which she writes that Father Nikolai was always distinguished by extraordinary inner kindness and friendliness, rare even for people of clergy.

He knew how to involve people in worship, performing all the prescribed actions with inspiration and beauty. For the parishioners of the church where the priest served, he was a model of truly Christian life. Not being a monk, Father Nikolai was a true ascetic, following Christian norms both in prayer and in his relationship with people.

Biographical milestones

Nikolai Alekseevich was born at the very beginning of the 20th century - May 24, 1909. The boy’s homeland is the small village of Chudskie Zahody. Today, no more than three dozen residents live in this small village in the Pskov region.

Family and childhood

The boy was born into a peasant family, the second eldest son of four brothers. His father sang well in the church choir and led one of them. Mom was an ordinary peasant woman. All her life, until her death in 1969, she actively helped her second son in good works.

All the brothers acquired talents from their father and had good musical abilities. They died during the Great Patriotic War.

The family was left early without a father, who died 5 years after the birth of Nicholas, in the year the First World War began.

Since childhood, the boy served in the temple, joining the church service.

After graduating from school and technical school, the young man entered the Leningrad Pedagogical Institute, but in his first year he got into an unpleasant situation related to public statements against the policy towards the church. For this demarche he was expelled and put on the list of unreliable people.

Condemnation

After being expelled at the age of twenty, he served for 3 years in one of the churches in the city of Tosno. The young man was responsible for the correct singing and reading of prayers, compliance with the rules of worship. During this time, he earns money as a teacher, teaching children in several school subjects.

From Tosno he moved to serve in the temple of the village of Redma. Here he was arrested for religious propaganda and convicted.

He served his sentence in Leningrad prisons. After an unsuccessful escape and capture, the convict was transferred to a camp near Syktyvkar. While in the camp, while doing work on the construction of the railway, he seriously injured his legs. After his release in 1936, he was unable to obtain a residence permit in Leningrad and worked in regional schools.

Baltics

In 1941, Nikolai was declared unfit for service due to the poor condition of his injured legs. He ended up in occupied territory, where he continued his church service as a deacon. Later he moved to Riga, completed theological courses and served as a priest in a convent.

Elder Nikolai Guryanov and Archpriest Valerian Krechetov

After the liberation of the occupied territories by the Red Army and until 1958, a priest, later an archpriest, Guryanov lives in one of the Lithuanian villages, being the rector of a small church with a congregation of 150 people. In the 50s he graduated from theological seminary and studied in absentia at the theological academy.

Service in Talabsk

From 1958 until his death, Nikolai Guryanov invariably served as rector of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. This church, built back in the 16th century, was located in the village of Ostrov-Zalit on the small island of Talabsk in Pskov Lake.

Arriving on the island, the elder settled in a small hut next to the cemetery. Everything around was empty, there was not a tree, and the cemetery fence was lopsided. Over time, Father Nikolai perfectly equipped and settled his place of residence. Collected many plants, shrubs and flowers. He carefully dropped them off. I tidied up the small house and fixed the cemetery fence. The elder loved not only the beauty of plants, he adored animals, was kind and affectionate to them.

Elder Guryanov with guests

In the first years, Father Nikolai had no parishioners. But over time, people flocked to him for his good deeds, help, and love of order and nature.

In the 70s, the priest discovered the abilities of an elder. He treated illnesses, helped with advice, gave useful instructions, and talked about the future.

Pilgrims began to flock to the island. The fame of the elder’s instructions spread throughout the country, and it was also known outside the USSR. Thousands of people came to Nikolai Guryanov’s house every year to get answers to important questions, hear advice or guidance. The elder willingly received everyone, communicating with people cordially and openly, and blessed them.

Posthumous veneration

The elder died on August 24, 2002, at the age of ninety-four. He is buried next to his native church. Today, the burial place, its small house and church are places of mass pilgrimage for admirers and believers.

A prediction that determined future life

Nikolai Guryanov knew how to combine parish service with study. During his stay in Lithuania, he graduated from the Vilna Seminary in 1951, and then continued his studies at the correspondence department of the Leningrad Theological Academy.

According to the recollections of people who knew him closely, having already completed his education, in 1958 Father Nikolai visited a certain elder, whose name remained unknown, and he revealed to him the place that the Lord had intended for future service, and where he had to arrive as soon as possible.

This was the island of Talabsk on Lake Pskov, which received the name of the prominent communist Zilat during the Soviet period. Having submitted an application to the diocesan administration and receiving a favorable response, Father Nikolai arrived at the indicated place, where he spent the next forty years in continuous service until his death.

Always be joyful!

On August 24 we honor the memory of the great elder - Archpriest Nikolai Guryanov (1909–2002). For more than 40 years, the elder served in the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker on the island of Talabsk (Zalit) of the Pskov diocese. Being himself a great elder, Archimandrite John (Krestyankin) said about Archpriest Nikolai Guryanov that he is “the only truly perspicacious elder in the territory of the former USSR.”

Archpriest Nikolai Guryanov. Photo: Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov)

Elder Nikolai Guryanov advised:

“Man was born to talk with God”

“Be always joyful and in the most difficult days of your life do not forget to thank God: a grateful heart needs nothing.”

“Don’t be upset about visiting troubles: these are life companions in our recovery.”

“A believer, he must have a loving attitude towards everything that surrounds him. Lovingly!”

“Man was born to talk with God.”

“We must have pity on unbelieving people and always pray: “Lord, deliver them from this enemy darkness.”

“After all, we are visiting now, and then we will all go home. But only, my precious ones, woe will befall us at home if we were guests and did something bad.”

"Live as if you were going to die tomorrow."

“Go and do good. All love covers a multitude of sins.”

The Elder in the Memoirs of Contemporaries

Archpriest Nikolai Guryanov,
Abbess of the Pukhtitsa Monastery Varvara (Trofimova), recalled Elder Nikolai (Guryanov): “Mother George and I (now the abbess of the Gornenskaya Jerusalem monastery) and I went to the island every year to see Father Nicholas, as to our spiritual father.
Usually we drove through the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery. I really love this ancient monastery and especially Father John (Krestyankin). He and Father Nikolai were very similar to each other: they were almost the same age, and they said almost the same thing. The only difference was that Father John spoke directly, and Father Nikolai acted a little like a fool in conversation, often giving an answer with a spiritual song. Running for human glory, he sometimes wore a beret, his mother’s blouse, and rubber boots. These are my favorite elders! Simplicity and love for people, animals, plants, for everything that God created, set him apart from others... When Father Nikolai arrived on the island, there was an empty space near his house, opposite - a cemetery with a broken fence and not a single tree. And he really wanted to decorate everything! And he collected plants, roots of bushes and flowers from Kyiv, Pochaev, Vilnius, Pyukhtits and planted them on the island. Father lovingly looked after the trees. At that time there was no running water there, and the priest carried water from the lake, 100–200 buckets each. He watered everything himself: the bushes, the flowers, and the future trees. Near the house, the priest planted chrysanthemums, dahlias, and gladioli. Now we see the fruits of his labors: thujas, firs, and larches have turned green everywhere. And where there is greenery, there are birds. How many of them filled the previously empty island with their voices! For them, for the little birds of God, Father Nikolai arranged an “open-air dining room.” With his pure soul, the priest was close to everything that was created by the right hand of God.

Father Nikolai was celibate. In Vilnius, everyone knew him and remembered him in notes as Hieromonk Nicholas. I asked Mother Abbess Nina (Batasheva; Varvara in the schema) about this, and this is what she told me. Father Nikolai said that, if the Lord wills, he will take monastic vows. Mother Nina even kept the clothes that the sisters sewed for Father Nikolai’s tonsure. But during the war, when the convent was heavily bombed, Mother Abbess’s everything was burned, including these clothes. Father Nikolai decided that it was not God’s will for him to become a monk, and did not take monastic vows.”

All creation was after the priest’s heart. He always looked carefully so that neither the flower nor the tree was damaged

Archpriest John Mironov , who had a half-century of spiritual friendship with Elder Nicholas, said: “The courtyard of my father’s modest house-cell was like an illustration to the first chapters of the Book of Genesis: chestnuts, cypresses and other trees, many doves on the branches and roof sitting tightly, like chickens on roost. There are also sparrows and other small birds. And cats and a dog walk peacefully next to the chickens. And the priest tried to warm everyone up and treat them. The cat Lipushka lived with her father for 28 years and became completely human. One day, someone hit a crow with a stone, so the priest came out, cured it, and it became completely tame. Every morning then I met the priest, croaked, flapped my wings and said hello. And everything around – both trees and flowers – everything on the island lived with the priest’s care. Bees, midges, bugs - everything was not alien to him. It won't even hurt a mosquito. All creation was after the priest’s heart. He always looked carefully so that no flower or tree was damaged.”

Vladyka Pavel (Ponomarev; now Metropolitan of Minsk and Zaslavsky, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus; in 1988–1992 - abbot of the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery) told the following story: “Mother George (Shchukina) came to us in Pechory. It turns out that she had a conversation with His Holiness the Patriarch about the possible sending of her to Jerusalem. And she needed to consult with her confessor - Father Nikolai, a famous elder on the island of Zalit. But she didn’t manage to get to the island: the ships no longer operate, and the ice has not yet risen... And the housekeeper asks me: “So, bless me for a helicopter?”... We called the airport - it turned out to be quite accessible. After 40 minutes the helicopter was already at the monastery. We arrived - and there was nowhere to land. It just snowed nicely. We sat down somewhere in the garden. We see: Father Nikolai himself is coming. And the mothers are running, making noise. It turns out that after the service and meal, everyone went to their cells - and suddenly Father Nikolai began calling everyone. “Come out,” he calls. “Mothers, guests are coming to us: Mother Abbess of Jerusalem, Father-Vicar and the brethren of the monastery.” They say: “Father, are you out of your mind? Who's coming to us? Steamboats don't operate. Lie down and rest.” And suddenly - a helicopter, noise. But then, not only were there no mobile phones, there was no connection with the island at all. And after all, Father Nikolai already called Mother Abbess of Jerusalem, although no one knew about her future at all...”

I was amazed by his insight. He foresaw a lot

Archpriest Oleg Teor spoke about the elder: “I appreciated Father from the very first meeting and always respected him very much. I was amazed by his insight. He foresaw a lot and, if necessary, said something that later came true. For example, there was such a case. Father Nikolai always remembered death, his preparation for it, often spoke on this topic and told him what to bury him in. One day he promised one of his spiritual daughters that she would be at his funeral. Another, named Antonina, immediately declared: “And I will, father. I’ll definitely come.” And he says so secretly: “No, you’ll be at home.” And it turned out that this Antonina died. And the one who was promised to attend the funeral was actually there. And my father told me that I would bury him. And so it happened.

Now I also feel his prayerful support. It happens that when I remember him, help comes to me. Father Nikolai also had the gift of healing. His prayer was very effective. One of his spiritual daughters became so seriously ill that doctors diagnosed cancer. She felt very weak, her face was pale and transparent. She worked in a hard job where she had to deal with chemicals that were harmful to her health. Doctors recommended that she move to another job. But Father Nikolai did not bless. The patient obeyed. Many years have passed, but, through the priest’s prayers, she recovered and is still living. When I became very ill, Father Nikolai also very convincingly assured me that the Lord would heal. And indeed, I was healed.

Father Nikolai tried to instill in his children the memory of death

Father Nikolai tried to instill in his children the memory of death. He said that if people knew what was in store for them, they would behave differently. Often, for the sake of understanding and clarity, he showed the guests the icon of the Last Judgment, explaining it and reminding them of retribution for sins. He taught with great conviction, using evangelical words and examples. He indicated in the image where and for what sin the person would have to suffer. This sobered many and made them think and always remember about the hour of death.”

Father Nikolai (Guryanov).
Artist: Irina Gaiduk Archimandrite Ambrosy (Yurasov) recalled: “There were two more people with me.
The elder lightly hit one on the cheek, and then said: “Father, bless.” - “Yes, I’m not a priest!” - “Not father? Yes?" Years have passed. Now that man is the abbot. I brought out music paper to the girl who came with us. She was surprised: why is this? She's an artist. Doesn't sing. Not knows. And now she is the regent at the monastery.” Archpriest Georgy Ushakov shared: “I often saw that even when the priest spoke to a person, his lips moved between phrases. I think that he was a constant man of prayer. This is where his insight and openness to the heavenly world came from. During prayer, the Lord revealed to him the soul of man and His will for him.”

Archpriest Vladimir Stepanov said: “I lived then in Pskov and served as a deacon in the Trinity Cathedral. Next to the cathedral there is a bell tower in which the nun Archelaus lived in the 1970s. I go one day to visit my mother. The conversation turned to Father Nikolai. She tells me that it was very difficult for her, and she prayerfully turned to the priest: “Father Nikolai! Help me! Father Nikolai! Help me…” And so several times. The next morning, the priest arrives in Pskov, comes to Mother Archelaus and says to her from the doorway: “Well, what are you asking me: Father Nikolai, help me, Father Nikolai, help me...”

The Lord rewarded the priest with living faith and unceasing prayer. It was often noticeable that he was saying the Jesus Prayer. I have experienced the power of his prayer myself, more than once. One example: I had a serious problem, and in winter I walked from the highway along the lake to the elder. He listened to me, then stood up and said: “Let’s pray.” Father kneels down in his tiny kitchenette, and I follow him too. A few minutes of prayer. We get up from our knees. Father Nikolai blesses me, and I clearly feel in my soul that my problem no longer exists. God bless!"

Priest Alexy Likhachev recalled: “Father seemed a little naive to me: he kept trying to persuade me to read morning and evening prayers every day. And I was such a diligent student that it seemed strange to me not only that I couldn’t read the prayers, but that I also read the Psalter religiously. “Doesn’t he know that I do this without any persuasion?” But then at the academy I found myself in a circle of young people, experts and adherents of the Greek tradition, who, making fun of our Russian piety, sneered: “Without proofreading this rule, you will not be saved.” So the priest strengthened me in advance so as not to succumb. And one more thing: now, ten years later, I am so burdened with the construction of the temple, as well as family difficulties and everyday troubles, that I sometimes fall asleep without undressing. But the words of Father Nikolai sound today like a reproach.

You still had to be able to understand Father’s language. He revealed such deep things to people, and even in a few words, that they had to be clothed in the form of images or symbols, which became clearer gradually, over time, filled with new spiritual meanings and twists of fate. A certain novice who came to the island with me began to tell the priest about the troubles in the monastery. He gently touched her neck: “Are you wearing a cross?” She took out the cross from her chest. “Here you go.” (A year later she developed a mental disorder.)

And the girl Valya, who asked him if she could go in for horse riding and dancing, Father Nikolai with affection and a smile says: “Let me add some color to you,” and he takes a gray strand from his hair and seems to put it on her . She's laughing, you know. But he hinted at her grief to the point of gray hair.”

Blessing of Father Nicholas

Doctor Vladimir Alekseevich Nepomnyashchikh spoke about the elder: “Outwardly he seemed detached from everything earthly. It was felt that there was a huge distance between us sinners and the elder. For many who came up for blessing, the priest no longer answered questions, but only silently anointed his forehead with oil in the shape of a cross. At the same time, people felt the need for questioning disappearing. However, Father Nikolai talked with those who really had a need, answered their questions and even invited people to his house. He did not answer all questions, but selectively... Undoubtedly, Elder Nicholas knew the will of God and revealed it to the extent that he considered necessary.”

Father Nikolai blessed me with a big cross and said: “You will neither drink nor smoke for the rest of your life.” And so it happened

Andrei Lukin recalled: “From my youth I became addicted to alcohol, and by the age of 26 I realized that I could not live without it for a long time. I started looking for a way out, tried to encode myself - it didn’t help, it only got worse... I started taking vows. He promised before God, on the cross and the Gospel, in the presence of a priest, to abstain from alcohol, first for six months, then for a year and a year and a half. This went on for six years, but the trouble was that as soon as the end of the vow came, literally on the same day I started drinking again, because the passion was approaching and it was impossible to fight it. And so in 1999, in the month of August, I came to Zalit Island to visit Father Nikolai Guryanov. I approached him and said: “Father, bless me not to drink for three years and not to smoke for a year (take vows).” Father Nikolai blessed me with a big cross and said: “You will neither drink nor smoke for the rest of your life.” Seven years have passed since then, and during this time I haven’t even thought about drinking or smoking (thank God!). But I smoked for more than 20 years.

And two years before this wonderful event, my wife, together with her eldest daughter, went to Father Nikolai with the question of whether I should leave my worldly work and work entirely in the church or not. Father, not knowing my name, said to his wife: “I bow deeply to Andryushenka, and ask for your prayers.” What humility the priest has - as he called me, a drunk... And he answered his wife: “There is no need to leave worldly work, but let him work as a regent.” And so it happened: “I worked”, after six months, less, I had to leave the regents. The wife also asked about her daughter: should she continue studying, since her academic success was unimportant, to which the elder said: “Study, study and study. A three and a four are also good marks.” My daughter graduated from school, a secondary specialized institution, and is now studying in higher education, in her fourth year. Upon admission, I received five for the main subject and four for the remaining subjects. But at school I was a C student!”

Elder Nikolai and Olga Kormukhina

Olga Kormukhina, a famous singer, shared: “I must say that at that time I had two serious problems: smoking (I couldn’t quit smoking, although I really wanted to) and I also liked delicious alcoholic drinks. I, one might say, “got high” on the exquisite liqueurs, rums, wines and could not help myself... So we approached the house, we saw: people gathered around the old man in groups; we joined them. And he runs between people and asks: “Do you drink, smoke? Do you drink, smoke? Do you drink, smoke?” But he doesn’t ask me. I think: “This is my problem. But he doesn’t ask me.” I want to say it, but I can’t. I feel like a demon has shut my mouth. I just feel it naturally. The veins in my neck are bulging, but I can’t say a word. But I feel that if I don’t say it now, I’ll be finished. Just the end. That's all! I strained with all my strength and prayed: “Lord! Help me!" And then she screamed: “Father! I drink and smoke! I hate myself for this!” And he seemed to be waiting for this, ran up to me, crossed his mouth and said: “That’s it. You won’t do it again.” And indeed, it was July 19, 1997, since then I have not taken either alcohol or cigarettes.

One mathematics professor, Russian, came with his English friend, also a mathematics professor, a complete unbeliever. And the Russian prayed very much for him to believe. And the Englishman had the thought: “If this old man shows me a miracle, then I will believe.” They arrived, the priest met them, took them into the cell and immediately, from the first words, said: “What miracle should I show you, son?” He went to the switch and started clicking: “Here there is light, but there is no light. Here there is light, but there is no light. Ha ha ha.” They laughed, and Father Nikolai sent them home: “Go, sons, with God, quietly for now.” The Englishman also laughed: they say, what miracles can there be? After all, he is a scientist. They arrived from the island back to the mainland, and there was a crowd of people, police, and workers dragging some wires. “What happened?” - “So for three days now there has been no light on the islands.” And our scientist immediately turned the boat back.”

Anna Ivanovna Trusova recalled: “I came to the island with my nephew. He defended one person who was attacked by hooligans. As a result, he was unfairly accused. The investigator gave him two articles. We went to Elder Nicholas to ask for his holy prayers. Father did not ask why, why, only I suddenly saw how his eyes changed - I had never seen such eyes on anyone in my life. He went far away, he was not present here among us. I actually trembled at this priest’s gaze. I don’t know how long he prayed like that. Five minutes or more, but only then he took a deep breath and said: “They won’t judge. They will acquit.” So in just a few minutes the elder begged the man.”

“Father, in such a cold!.. Why?” - the mothers were scared. “My name is,” the elder said quietly

Lyudmila Ivanova, a church photographer , recalled one incident: “One day Father Nikolai got ready to go somewhere late in the winter evening in a strong snowstorm. “Father, in such a cold!.. Why?” - the mothers were scared. “That’s my name,” the elder said quietly. And, despite the persuasion of the women, he went into the darkness of the night. The wind howled like a fierce beast, the blizzard did not subside. Father did not return for a long time. Run, search - where? All that remained was to pray, trusting in the will of God. Father did not return alone. He brought a frozen man. He got lost in the snowstorm, began to lose strength and even think about death. Out of fear, he prayed to the saint of God, Nicholas the Wonderworker, although he considered himself an unbeliever. Father Nikolai heard.”

Hegumen Roman (Zagrebnev) told how he and his friend came to the elder on the island. The friend, who had no experience communicating with the elders, was confused and did not ask the priest anything. And so, when they were about to leave, Father Nikolai himself stopped the young man: “Tell me, is this really the case? At home you wrote and wrote a charter with questions, put it in your pocket and, without resolving a single question, you left! Is this the case? Now you’ll get into the “Rocket” and sail, but the questions are in your pocket. Come on, get it now. Otherwise, you will swim to Pskov, you accidentally put your hand in your pocket, and your heart will skip a beat. So that it is calm, and there is a need to resolve issues. Understood?!" “My fellow traveler fell at the priest’s feet, tears ran from his eyes, asking for forgiveness and patience to resolve the written questions.”

Emilian Lashin recalled: “The man with whom I had to go to the island of Zalita had recently been released from prison. He lost his mother early, and his stepmother treated him and his sister badly, and they both began to steal, and this continued until he was imprisoned. He was imprisoned two or three times and when he came out he was already very sick with tuberculosis. He had no job, no money, no registration, no housing, and there was no way to get a job in a hospital. Then they decided to go to Father Nikolai. It was in September, at the end of the month - a difficult time for consumptives. I remember that on that day the priest had a lot of different people... And my “ward” stood outside the gate by a large stone and did not dare (or was no longer able) to enter. Father barely glanced at him and immediately called him by name, went out the gate and talked for a long, long time about something with this man. And then he blessed him three times and said loudly: “Everything will be fine.” Needless to say, immediately upon our return this man was taken to the best clinic, as if suddenly forgetting about all the obstacles and arguments that the same people had found just a few days ago. He spent more than six months in this clinic, completely cured of his terrible illness. During this time, registration was obtained, and miraculously, funds were always available for medicines, which cost a lot of money.”

Elder Nikolai Guryanov

Alexey Belov, a famous musician, said: “We witnessed such an incident. One day a terrible storm arose on the island and suddenly calmed down instantly. And when we approached the priest’s cell, his cell attendant said that there was a tornado, the priest came out, crossed himself, and everything fell apart. And then it turned out that he saved the boy from death. This boy went out fishing on a large boat, and during a tornado he could have died, crashed on this boat.

Father actually saved people from death more than once. This was the case with our daughter. In infancy, she had a very difficult time withstanding high fever and began to have convulsions. And then one day the convulsions were so strong that her tongue stuck and asphyxia began, she was already starting to turn blue. Then I shouted to myself: “Father Nikolai, help!” And the tongue returned to its place, she began to breathe evenly.

The monks we met on Mount Athos had photographs of the elder. Everyone respected him very much. When we were at the evening service in Hilandar, in the Serbian monastery, the confessor took my confession. I decided to give him a photo of Father Nikolai, since I took a whole bunch with me to give to people. He took the photo, looked and said: “Father Nikolai!” Then I learned that the confessors of some Athonite monasteries, including Father Tikhon from Hilandar, came to the island to visit Father Nicholas. It was amazing to me. After all, the Holy Mountain has been the center of monastic experience for more than a thousand years. We can say that this is an “institute of eldership”; many elders, including modern ones, have grown up here. And so from Mount Athos the monks traveled to some distant island in Russia to see the saint.”

Hieromonk (now abbot) Nestor (Kumysh), the elder’s spiritual child, shared: “My diaconate was also predicted by him. Before entering the seminary, I, as usual, came to the island, because then I already traveled regularly, I could no longer live without it. I talked with the elder and decided everything that needed to be done. At parting, he tells me: “Soon you will be a deacon.” "When?" - I ask. “Next summer,” answered the elder. With that he left. But I’m perplexed in my soul: what kind of diaconate, when I haven’t even entered the seminary yet? Maybe he was joking, father? In fact, everything turned out according to his word. As a graduate of a university, I was enrolled in the seminary straight into the second grade... Upon completion of the second grade, I was offered to move to the fourth, bypassing the third. Without giving any answer, I went out of town to visit relatives until September of the next school year. And at the beginning of July, they unexpectedly called from the diocesan administration with a demand to immediately appear in the city to pass the exams and undergo confession before the consecration.

At full speed, my engine jammed and the car became uncontrollable

For the successful progress of restoration work on the temple where I served, the benefactor who carried out its restoration gave me a car. “Sell it immediately,” the elder categorically demanded of me when I told him about this. But I didn’t listen and decided to do it after the restoration work was completed... At full speed, my engine jammed and the car became uncontrollable. After two or three terrible minutes I found myself in a ditch with all four wheels up. By the grace of God, everything turned out well, and I escaped with a fright. But since then I did not dare to violate or somehow alter the word spoken by the elder.

I had one sin that caused me a lot of grief and worry. Periodically, I suffered from relapses of gloomy irritability and short temper. It is difficult for a Christian to live with this, since nothing poisons the existence of those around him so much and nothing humiliates human dignity more than the loss of self-control. But the fight against this common disease is not easy. And then one day, upon arriving on the island, I turned to the elder with a rather stupid question, which was also not without hidden vanity. I asked Father Nikolai what special thing I could do to please God more. Without looking at me, the elder answered: “Don’t make a fuss.” Wow, how this word hurt me! I jumped away from the priest as if I had been doused with boiling water. His words hit the nail on the head and deeply wounded my pride. But what to do? For our healing, sometimes we need not sweet pills, but bitter medicine, and Father Nikolai resolutely used them where necessary. Subsequently - as I believe, not without the priest’s prayer - I discovered the main cause of the illness that tormented me and was freed from it.”

Elder Nikolai Guryanov and Archpriest Valerian Krechetov

Archpriest Valerian Krechetov shared: “Father kept repeating: “Everything is fine, yes, everything is fine. How happy we are that we are in the Church, that we receive communion...” The elder was asked about Russia, and he answered: “Russia did not die. Oh, how good it is for us. Glory to You, Lord. The Lord does not leave us."

Priest Alexy Likhachev recalled the last days of the elder’s life and his last meeting with him: “And here I am with the most dear person. Again, as in the first meeting, I sit at your feet. Only the priest... was already different. He diminished, as the Lord once did. He was just like a child. He kissed my hand: you are a priest, and I am no one anymore. When he gave him modest shrines as a gift, the priest asked childishly: “What is this? Cross?" And he cried tenderly. I brought him some cotton wool dipped in myrrh from the icon of the Martyr Tsar. He asked three times what kind of cotton wool it was. I asked him to put a cross on the book with his poems. "Here? Here?" – he asked until I pointed my finger. In obedience to me, the priest tried for about five minutes to draw this cross with his weak hand, his hand was shaking... I also began to cry. All the spiritual things that I knew and expected were no longer there. It wasn't FOREVER. It was clearly felt that the humanity in the priest was already leaving. Outwardly, this was indicated by the unnatural pallor of the face: not a speck of blood! His flesh was held together only by the Spirit - for our sake, by his love and the mercy of God. And only the elder answered all the questions. I answered, closing my eyes and praying, and only in those seconds did I recognize “my father.” Even his tone became firm and authoritative.”

Archpriest Boris Nikolaev recalled: “When the priest was lying in the coffin, his right hand was so warm and alive that the thought crept into my head whether we were burying a living person. The fact is that Father Nikolai was close to the heavenly world. The righteous in special moments, especially after Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, cease to feel the difference between the heavenly world and the visible world, and can temporarily move into another world. Father Valerian often gave the priest communion in recent years and several times noticed that the elder seemed to be dying. The breathing stopped, but the pulse continued to beat. After some time, Father Nikolai came out of his cell to the alarmed Father Valerian and his cell attendants and asked with a smile: “Well, what are you here for?”

"Do not Cry! Now Father Nikolai is praying for us at the Throne of Heaven.”

Priest (now Archpriest) Alexy Nikolin recalled the funeral of the elder: “There were 40 serving priests, two bishops: Archbishop of Pskov and Velikoluksky Eusebius and Nikon, retired Bishop of Yekaterinburg... First the priesthood was forgiven, then the laity went. The monks of the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery arrived, Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov) ... came with his choir. The choir of the Sretensky Monastery sang the funeral service... When the funeral service was over, they lifted the coffin, carried it around the temple with the canon “Wave of the Sea” and carried it to the cemetery.”

Archimandrite John (Krestyankin) consoled the mourners: “Don’t cry! Now Father Nikolai is praying for us at the Throne of Heaven.”

Through the prayers of the saints, our fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us!

Difficulties of the first years

It is difficult to even imagine all the difficulties that the arriving priest faced in the new place. This was a period when the country was engulfed by Khrushchev’s anti-religious campaigns, and the media did not stop trumpeting the imminent victory over obscurantism - as they called the faith that underlies the entire history of our Motherland. Therefore, when Nikolai Guryanov (the elder) arrived on the island and settled with his mother on the outskirts of the village, he was greeted with suspicious looks.

However, very soon his gentleness, meekness, and most importantly, goodwill towards people erased this veil of alienation that arose at the beginning. The church in which he was to serve was then in a dilapidated state, and, not having the slightest support from the diocesan authorities, the priest himself had to find funds for its restoration. With his own hands he laid bricks, re-roofed, painted and performed all other necessary work, and when services began in the renovated building, he baked prosphora himself.

Story No. 962160

Interpretation of N. Guryanov’s prophecy about Putin. “Father Nikolai, who will come after Yeltsin? What should we expect? - Afterwards there will be a military man. - Will it be soon? -...His power will be linear. But his age is small, like himself. The war will destroy him. There will be persecution against the monks and the church. The power will be the same as under the communists and the Politburo. - What will happen next? - And after that there will be an Orthodox Tsar. - Will we survive, father? “You are, yes.”

“Afterwards there will be a military man” - the prophecy came true completely. Putin served in the KGB then in the FSB, in paramilitary forces, so we can call him a military man. “His power will be uniform” - this means that people in uniform will rule through violence. If you look closely, Putin places former security officials, employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB in all key positions. Putin is instilling uniformed power everywhere. In relation to the people, Putin behaves completely in a linear manner and rules in a linear manner, with the help of violence. In Putin's Russia, violence towards the common man is everywhere. Be it police unbridledness and arbitrariness, be it the ban on public rallies, marches and pickets without the permission of the Putin administration. The political opposition in Russia is systematically destroyed, its leaders are put behind bars or expelled from the country. Satanist transplant doctors are given the right to cut out a person’s organs without a person’s consent, and Putin’s food producers are allowed to add harmful palm oil to their products. All these are examples of chase violence against a person, authorized by Putin personally. “But his age is small, like himself.” “His life is short” means Putin’s life will not be long and will suddenly end. “Like himself” - Guryanov does not mean Putin’s height, but his smallness in the spiritual sense as a person and ruler. This also came true 100%. See for yourself how small Putin is in the spiritual sense. Firstly, Putin, like any Jew, is very proud and despises ordinary people, which in itself is a huge sin. Secondly, Putin’s aspirations are selfish and directed only at himself. Putin does everything good exclusively for himself, but not for the people. Putin amassed a capital of $200 billion through criminal, fraudulent schemes and “milking” Russian oligarchs. Putin, according to church rules, committed the sin of adultery - he divorced his legal wife Lyudmila in order to live in adulterous cohabitation with the Tatar gymnast Alina Kabaeva. And according to church rules, sexual intercourse is also a sin. Putin did not prohibit both the ongoing sins of killing innocent Russian babies through abortion, and allowed transplant doctors to kill people and steal their organs in private clinics. Putin condones all theft and corruption in the country. Putin is simply a terrible person, covered in sins and so spiritually small that even a microscope cannot be seen. This is what honest Father Guryanov meant. "The war will destroy him." Putin will be destroyed by a future large-scale war between Russia and Ukraine and its NATO allies. Whether Poroshenko or someone else starts the war is no longer important. During the fighting, some of the Russian military generals will stage a putsch, remove Putin from power, and after mocking him in the mausoleum, shoot him. Somewhere on the site there was even Vanga’s prophecy about Putin, where Putin would be kept on a chain in a mausoleum like a monkey, and there would be a queue at the mausoleum to spit on him or throw a wristwatch at him. No matter how much they mock Putin, the putschists will certainly shoot him. “There will be persecution against the monks and the church. The power will be the same as under the communists and the Politburo.” - this prophecy no longer applies to Putin, but to the military putschists who made a coup in Russia. These putschists will all be communists and the country will be ruled communistically. It is they who will begin new persecutions of the church, will arrest and shoot priests, smash and blow up churches, etc. For these sins, on November 2 of the same year, when the coup takes place, China will attack Russia. And it will occupy all of Siberia and the Far East, exactly along the Volga River. But these are different prophecies, of other saints. And most importantly, remember that even though Putin knows these prophecies and is trying to avoid them, for example, he often changes army generals and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, he will not be able to avoid everything prophesied. No one who had something prophesied by the saints has ever been able to escape what was prophesied, no matter how hard he tried. This is the law. How can we understand that these prophecies are true? You need to carefully observe everything that happens, think and compare. And then you will understand that Guryanov’s prophecy about Putin and Russia is slowly and inevitably coming true!

Life in a fishing village

But, in addition to fulfilling his church duties, Father Nikolai devoted a lot of time to helping everyone he could provide. Since the male population of the village was a fishing team, and their families did not see their breadwinners for a long time, Father Nikolai did not hesitate to help women with housework, he could look after the children or sit with the sick and elderly. This is how the future elder Nikolai Guryanov gained the trust and then the love of his fellow villagers.

The biography of this man is subsequently inseparable from the island, where by God’s will he was destined to accomplish his feat, and where, through his labors, dozens and hundreds of people, torn from it by the godless authorities, were returned to the bosom of the church. It was a difficult journey. In the first years of his stay on the island, the priest had to serve in an empty church. The residents of the village loved and respected him, but did not go to church. Bit by bit, the Word of God had to be brought into the consciousness of these people before this good seed sprouted.

New in blogs

This event happened several years ago, but even today not a day goes by without me remembering it, the prophetic words of everyone’s beloved, recently deceased elder Fr. Nikolai Guryanov about the next ruler of Russia after Boris Yeltsin.

And it was like that. In September 1997, with a small group of pilgrims, after the end of the patronal feast at the Pskov Snetogorsk convent of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I went to the island of Talabsk (Zalita) to the elder Archpriest Nicholas, known throughout the Orthodox world, for spiritual help and advice.

At that time, I was expecting my entire family to move from Magadan to St. Petersburg, I wrote for a long time and could not finish the book, and therefore, on the advice of people, I went to the priest to find out when I should expect my relatives. Each of us pilgrims hoped to learn from the priest about the problem, and therefore the group gathered quickly, and we, without wasting time, set off.

It was quickly getting dark, the weather was deteriorating, a piercing wind blew with rain, and waves rose on the lake. The boat we were sailing in was literally tossed about by the waves. We prayed earnestly, asking God for forgiveness for our sins, considering this weather a reproach and test for us. But then the boat moored to the shore, we entered the island and began looking for accommodation for the night. Of course, it was too late to go to the priest, and the weather did not inspire hopes of meeting him.

Over the course of the night, many of us thought through our questions, abandoned some vain and absurd ones, but others became more laconic and cordial. In the early morning of September 23 or 24, 1997, I don’t remember exactly, we were greeted by completely different weather - a clear, surprisingly clean sky, complete calm and a beautiful sunrise.

We, having prayed and thanked God for everything, went to the priest to his house. Pilgrims were already standing there, some were just approaching the treasured gate. As experienced pilgrims told us, the priest has already gotten up and is praying before going out to the new arrivals. We entered the courtyard and began to wait, watching everything happening around us. Suddenly, everything seemed to come to life: pigeons flocked to the roof of the house, and a few minutes later a white horse approached the gate gate, stopped, stuck its head out over the fence and seemed to be waiting for the priest to greet him... There were about ten of us, many were visiting the elder for the first time, and, of course, we got to know each other, remembering everything that happened around us down to the smallest detail.

And then the door to the house opened, and the priest came out to us for a blessing and anointing with oil. One by one we approached him with excitement and trepidation, briefly told about ourselves: who and where we came from, and asked about our own. I also asked when I should expect my people from the North, to which the priest replied: “Soon. They'll arrive soon." Having received the blessing to write the book and the advice to “don’t rush in haste,” I stepped aside. And only one woman asked the priest not about her own personal things, but about all of us

. I will never forget my father’s answers. — Father Nikolai, who will come after Yeltsin?

What should we expect?

- Afterwards there will be a military man. - Will it be soon? -...His power will be linear.

But his age is short, and so is he. There will be persecution against the monks and the church. The power will be the same as under the communists and the Politburo.

- What will happen next? - And after that there will be an Orthodox Tsar.

- Will we survive, father? - You are, yes.

After these words, Father Nikolai blessed the woman. Following her, each of us, standing aside with bated breath and hearing the words of the elder, once again approached him and was blessed for the return journey. I confess to you that the main thing I remember from the elder’s words is that the new president will be a military man.

Who did we think of at that time? Rutskoi, Lebed, someone else? But a year or two passed, and all of them remained unusable. Over time, the words of Father Nikolai began to be forgotten, but on December 31, 1999 at 15:00 in the afternoon, watching Yeltsin’s “renunciation” on TV, it was as if I woke up from a dream.

The surprising thing is that on this day I was visiting another pilgrim, my old friend, who also witnessed the words of the priest. Together we recalled in detail these prophetic, exactly fulfilled words of Father Nikolai.

Even the word “pogo(a)naya”, as if figurative and ambiguous, immediately became understandable, and now it was completely revealed. My relatives are from the north, as Fr. said. Nikolai, we arrived soon, 2 months after the pilgrimage to our dear priest.

And I still haven't finished the book. And soon the arrival of pilgrims to the priest was limited. But earlier, deputies from Moscow, military men, and officials came to him in large numbers for advice and blessings. I began to ask further about the “running” ruler. At a time when he had already become acting president, I went to one very famous and perspicacious abbot, who now lives in retirement in the oldest monastery in Rus'.

What the abbot said shocked me even more because it exactly corresponded to the description of the new ruler given to him by the late elder Nicholas.

I heard a lot of new things, which were told to me one on one in the cell of the monastery with great precautions that were not clear to me at that time. Now it is clear to me why the abbot was so careful and asked not to mention his name anywhere.

I'll tell you about this another time.
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A miracle revealed through the prayer of a righteous man

During that period, which was the sixties, the persecution of the church especially intensified; under pressure from the authorities, one of the village residents wrote a denunciation against the priest. The commissioner who arrived was rude and rude to the priest, and in the end announced that he would take him away the next day. Father Nikolai Guryanov (the elder) packed his things and spent the whole night in prayer.

What happened next is considered by some to be a miracle, others - by a coincidence, but only in the morning a real storm arose on the lake, which was quiet at this time of year, and for three days the island was cut off from the mainland. When the elements subsided, the authorities somehow forgot about the priest and did not touch him in the future.

Facts about life

From early childhood, Nicholas was called a monk; he loved to retire to his room-cell. There were icons, books and portraits of kings. Among the friends there were guys who supported Nicholas and took part in the religious procession through the village, holding a cross and icons in their hands. The boy served the Liturgy alone.

In the last few years, the priest fasted heavily. His spiritual exploits are comparable to those of the ancient Fathers. In the last five years before his dormition, he did not wash. But no unpleasant odor was emitted. A pleasant fragrance always emanated from him, like the smell of prayer. This could even be observed from the chair on which Father Nikolai Guryanov loved to sit.

Interesting! Holy people say that not only the person himself, but also the place where he stands smells fragrant from prayer.

The doctors were more surprised than anyone - how at this age and living conditions no bad odors emanate from a person. They said: “Clean as a baby.” On rare occasions, he allowed himself to be wiped with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol when he was bitten by insects. He did not kill any living creatures.

A special fragrance is noticeable near the prayer corner. Before the Images to which he prayed. The priest himself said: “I don’t see myself without prayer.”

The prophecies of Nikolai Guryanov came true more than once. For example, when he was asked who would be in power after Yeltsin, he answered - a military man.

The beginning of elder ministry

In the seventies, Elder Nikolai Guryanov, whose predictions came true in an amazing way, acquired unusually wide fame. People from all over the country came to see him, and he did not know a moment of peace. Everyone was indelibly impressed by the external manifestation of the gifts that were bestowed upon him by the Lord in abundance.

For example, turning to complete strangers, he unmistakably called their names, pointed out their long-forgotten sins, which he could not have known about, warned about the dangers that threatened them, gave instructions on how to avoid them, and did much more that defies rational explanation. It is also impossible to count the people to whom he restored health, begging God for healing, sometimes even in cases where medicine was powerless.

Cases of Serendipity

There are a great many stories about cases of the gift of clairvoyance in Elder Nicholas; in almost every memoir of a wide variety of people we find evidence that the priest “saw right through them” - he saw through the past and the future, hidden thoughts and actions. He could address a stranger by name at the first meeting or when meeting after many (ten!) years, and then, with constant crowds, unmistakably address them by name (although at the same time he could ask close people: “What’s your name?”). When asking questions about the circumstances of a person’s life, he himself named the city, street, place of his work, and could name the name of his confessor and close people.

Often, in a secret way, the elder revealed his future share. Significant in this sense are the stories of the abbess of two monasteries - Pyukhtitsa and Gornenskaya in the Holy Land. To the nun Varvara, he unexpectedly began to say to everyone: “Oh, how they will woo Varvara’s mother!” - “Where, father, should I marry you?” Varvara was tonsured into a robe, and - to match? And he again: “Oh, how they will match!” Soon Mother Varvara was summoned to Moscow and “wedded” to Pyukhtitsy as an abbess.35 When mother had already become abbess, the priest began to call her a builder. And soon she really had to build and restore a lot in the monastery.

And the elder predicted the abbess of Mother Georgia more than once: one day he brought her to the island cemetery and ordered: “Bless my mother. Cross the grave." The second time he sent her a letter with the address: “Abbess Georgiy.” And just before her appointment to the Holy Land, in the altar of his temple, he laid a cross on her shoulders.

Elder Nicholas could predict monasticism much earlier than the man himself thought about it, he could name a new name in tonsure. But just as joyfully, he predicted the birth of children, could name the gender of the unborn child, and blessed what name to name the baby. And he took special care to ensure that the marriage union was necessarily sanctified by the Sacrament of Wedding. In general, for all his high talents and insights, the elder generally demanded little from the people who came to him. The main questions he asked everyone: “Don’t drink? Don't smoke? Is the marriage completed?" Or rather, he knew the answers to all these questions in advance (which was demonstrated more than once), but it was necessary for the person to confess his vice and want to improve. And through the prayers of the priest, healings were carried out.

The elder knew in advance who was coming to his island. There is a lot of evidence that he sent to meet a person with a heavy load or himself went out to meet the long-awaited pilgrims. With the same care, Father Nikolai saw off the pilgrims from the island - precisely at the moment when they were supposed to be met on the way and taken with them by a hitchhiker or a late regular bus.

Insight was shown in relation to the offerings that people brought to the island. Often he did not take what was brought, saying: “You yourself need it more.” Or, taking, for example, a box of chocolates, he could say: “I’ll take the sweets (often in order to immediately give them to someone), but take the money.” Although he could not see that there was money in the packed box.

The elder saw with what heart the gifts were brought to him, therefore, rejecting the “delicacies”, he could accept the most modest offering. As one woman says: “Before leaving, my mother gave me a large head of cabbage and said: “Take it to the priest.” I grumbled very much (after all, you can buy it at the market in Pskov, why carry such a weight), but my mother insisted. I had to walk around Pskov with this head of cabbage, and my feet were worn until they bled from the new shoes. But when I came to the priest and after talking with him, everyone, consoled and satisfied, began to offer him the food they had brought, he did not take anything, and just looking at me, with a cheerful smile, he said: “Well, cabbages from home, I’ll take it!” Since I’m leaving home.”36

The elder showed insight not for the sake of surprise at an unusual gift, but for the sake of saving souls. Thus, the priest with spiritual vision could see that the person approaching communion did not have a cross, and removed him from the Chalice; could see and expose secret bad thoughts and actions, warn against a possible fall, a mistake in life. “The ice is thin! Walk carefully! – the priest often warned, thereby exposing a person’s spiritual immaturity. Trying to protect a person from a careless life, the priest often showed visitors to his cell a picture of the Last Judgment and said: “This is the Last Judgment, when some will go to heaven and others to hell. You and I need to get here (that is, to heaven), and not here. Look, there is eternity there, and eternal torment, and what a grief it is to get into this eternity! God forbid!"

God revealed to the priest the time of his death - this was also one of the manifestations of his gift of foresight. Shortly before his death, the priest said to some close people: “We won’t see each other again.” At the last meeting with the oldest priest of the Pskov diocese, confessor of Christ and his spiritual friend Archpriest Boris Nikolaev, the elder suddenly said: “Let’s sing the troparion to the Dormition of the Mother of God.” After the death of the elder, they understood what he wanted to say by this. The elder departed to the Lord during the Dormition Fast, shortly before the holiday.

One day, simple pilgrims asked the elder: “Father, how do you know all this? “To which the priest replied: “So simplicity is needed, because where it is simple, there are a hundred Angels, and where it is sophisticated, there are not a single one.”37 Elder Nicholas with these words outlined the law of the manifestation of clairvoyance in a person, which the Venerable once spoke about. Seraphim of Sarov: “When I spoke for myself, it happened that I was mistaken, but when I gave space to God, there were no mistakes.” The elder greatly revered St. Seraphim and said: “We are spiritually close.” And truly, for the Russian people of recent times, the priest was the same torch of Christ’s love and joy as the Sarov ascetic was more than a century ago.

Wise mentor and teacher

But the main thing of his service was the help that the priest provided to people who wanted to change their lives, arranging it on truly Christian principles. Without indulging in general discussions and avoiding unnecessary words, he knew how to give a person specific instructions that pertained to him personally.

At the same time, seeing the inner world of everyone with whom he had to communicate, and seeing much that is stored in the hidden corners of the soul and carefully hidden from others, the elder knew how to talk about it with extraordinary tact, without causing moral trauma to a person, and even more so without humiliating his dignity. This side of his gift is evidenced by many who visited the island of Zalita.

Elder Nikolai Guryanov was, in the opinion of many of his admirers, perhaps the only truly perspicacious elder in the entire country. His ability to see what was hidden from the eyes of ordinary people was so developed that in the nineties he more than once helped both private individuals and government agencies in searching for missing people.

Reverence

While on the Island, Father Nikolai received a revelation from the Mother of God. He became an elder spiritual father, a comforter, a man of prayer, a miracle worker and a seer. People flocked to him, asking for advice and blessings.

Even during the life of Nikolai Guryanov, he was revered as a holy miracle worker, whose prayers the Lord loves and responds to. After his dormition, the people of God glorified him. People honor the works of Archpriest Nikolai Guryanov, immensely respect his great feat and gracious life with God. Akathists are composed for the priest, icons are painted, worshiped as the Holy One and the righteous.

Memorial Days

The memory of Nikolai Guryanov is celebrated on August 24. This is the day of his death. Another date is his birth on May 24th. On this day they also pray, light candles and remember the national saint.

Relics

Place of the last earthly refuge of Archpriest. Nikolai Guryanov marked it with a stone and showed it to his fellow villagers, parishioners and pilgrims. During his lifetime, he ordered that an ordinary cross be placed on his grave and did not bless the monuments.

The grave of Elder Nikolai Guryanov in the Pskov region

According to the will of the elder from the island, Nikolai Guryanov, his spiritual children and devoted friends were buried in the place where he indicated.

Universal recognition

During the period of perestroika, when the state policy towards the church radically changed, the elders of Russia received greater freedom in their service. Nikolai Guryanov was one of those whose names were often mentioned by the media at that time. This, of course, increased the number of his admirers who came to the island, and often stayed there for a long time.

Nikolai Guryanov (the elder) acquired special authority after another of our most famous ascetics, Father John Krestyankin, who was then asceticizing in the Pskov-Pechersk Monastery, announced him throughout the country. He described Father Nicholas as a bearer of God's Grace, which endowed him with the gifts of insight, wisdom and meekness.

Then, in the late nineties, the predictions of Elder Nikolai Guryanov about Russia became public. They sounded in response to a question from one of the visitors who wanted to know what awaits the country after the end of B.N.’s reign. Yeltsin. The elder was a man of few words, and what he said, apparently, conceals a meaning that we, today’s residents of Russia, are not given the opportunity to fully understand.

Archpriest Nikolai Guryanov about Putin and Russia: “His power will be uniform...”

This event happened several years ago, but even today not a day goes by without me remembering it, the prophetic words of everyone’s beloved, recently deceased elder Fr. Nikolai Guryanov about the next ruler of Russia after Boris Yeltsin. And it was like that.

In September 1997, with a small group of pilgrims, after the end of the patronal feast at the Pskov Snetogorsk convent of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I went to the island of Talabsk (Zalita) to the elder Archpriest Nicholas, known throughout the Orthodox world, for spiritual help and advice. At that time, I was expecting my entire family to move from Magadan to St. Petersburg, I wrote for a long time and could not finish the book, and therefore, on the advice of people, I went to the priest to find out when I should expect my relatives. Each of us pilgrims hoped to learn from the priest about the problem, and therefore the group gathered quickly, and we, without wasting time, set off.

It was quickly getting dark, the weather was deteriorating, a piercing wind blew with rain, and waves rose on the lake. The boat we were sailing in was literally tossed about by the waves. We prayed earnestly, asking God for forgiveness for our sins, considering this weather a reproach and test for us. But then the boat moored to the shore, we entered the island and began looking for accommodation for the night. Of course, it was too late to go to the priest, and the weather did not inspire hopes of meeting him. Over the course of the night, many of us thought through our questions, abandoned some vain and absurd ones, but others became more laconic and cordial.

In the early morning of September 23 or 24, 1997, I don’t remember exactly, we were greeted by completely different weather - a clear, surprisingly clean sky, complete calm and a beautiful sunrise. We, having prayed and thanked God for everything, went to the priest to his house. Pilgrims were already standing there, some were just approaching the treasured gate. As experienced pilgrims told us, the priest has already gotten up and is praying before going out to the new arrivals. We entered the courtyard and began to wait, watching everything happening around us. Suddenly, everything seemed to come to life: pigeons flocked to the roof of the house, and a few minutes later a white horse approached the gate gate, stopped, stuck its head over the fence and seemed to be waiting for the priest to greet...

There were about ten of us, many were visiting the elder for the first time, and, of course, we got to know each other, remembering everything that happened around us down to the smallest detail.

And then the door to the house opened, and the priest came out to us for a blessing and anointing with oil. One by one we approached him with excitement and trepidation, briefly told about ourselves: who and where we came from, and asked about our own.

I also asked when I should expect my people from the North, to which the priest replied: “Soon. They'll arrive soon." Having received the blessing to write the book and the advice to “don’t rush in haste,” I stepped aside. And only one woman asked the priest not about her own personal things, but about all of us. I will never forget my father’s answers.

— Father Nikolai, who will come after Yeltsin? What should we expect?

- Afterwards there will be a military man.

- Will it be soon?

-...His power will be linear. But his age is short, and so is he. There will be persecution against the monks and the church. The power will be the same as under the communists and the Politburo.

- What will happen next?

- And after that there will be an Orthodox Tsar.

- Will we survive, father?

- You are, yes.

After these words, Father Nikolai blessed the woman. Following her, each of us, standing aside with bated breath and hearing the words of the elder, once again approached him and was blessed for the return journey.

I confess to you that the main thing I remember from the elder’s words is that the new president will be a military man. Who did we think of at that time? Rutskoi, Lebed, someone else? But a year or two passed, and all of them remained unusable. Over time, the words of Father Nikolai began to be forgotten, but on December 31, 1999 at 15:00 in the afternoon, watching Yeltsin’s “renunciation” on TV, it was as if I woke up from a dream. The surprising thing is that on this day I was visiting another pilgrim, my old friend, who also witnessed the words of the priest. Together we recalled in detail these prophetic, exactly fulfilled words of Father Nikolai. Even the word “pogo(a)naya”, as if figurative and ambiguous, immediately became understandable, and now it was completely revealed.

My relatives are from the north, as Fr. said. Nikolai, we arrived soon, 2 months after the pilgrimage to our dear priest. And I still haven't finished the book. And soon the arrival of pilgrims to the priest was limited. And previously, deputies from Moscow, military men, and officials came to him in large numbers for advice and blessings.

I began to ask further about the “running” ruler. At a time when he had already become acting president, I went to one very famous and perspicacious abbot, who now lives in retirement in the oldest monastery in Rus'. What the abbot said shocked me even more because it exactly corresponded to the description of the new ruler given to him by the late elder Nicholas. I heard a lot of new things, which were told to me one on one in the cell of the monastery with great precautions that were not clear to me at that time. Now it is clear to me why the abbot was so careful and asked not to mention his name anywhere. I'll tell you about this another time.

Alexander Rozhintsev, Member of the editorial board of the almanac “Orthodox Army” specially for the site www.blagoslovenie.ru, Moscow, 12/31/02

From the Editor: in response to one of the skeptical comments on this prophecy, Alexander Rozhintsev, who wrote it down, responded additionally:

“The author of this article, Alexander Rozhintsev, is writing to you, who heard everything said from Father Nikolai. 1. The article was written in early January 2000, and was posted on the Internet later for technical reasons and not for any other reasons. 2. A military man is a KGB colonel, and also militant in spirit, which we all already know from Chechnya and so on. 3. RUNNING power, not rotten power, means that Putin will trust only the military and people in uniform and put them in power at all key positions in the state. Which is still happening. 4. But his age is small, and so is he. I want to clarify that the priest did not say “yes, and he himself,” but “like himself,” I later remembered this more literally and accurately, and did not correct it in this text. This is an ancient prophetic comparison - to compare the visible with the secret - the invisible, the obvious, with the hidden. The growth of a person is obvious, “his age is small, like himself” means not the length of time in power, but the actions of a person, and they will be small in the eyes of God, that is, all his attempts will be small (insignificant), which means they will or destroyed or changed decisively after him. 5. “There will be persecution against the monks and the church.” Persecution under Putin is the imposition of the Taxpayer Identification Number, the population census, the assignment of numbers to churches and monasteries, unrest and indignation because of this, as well as the expulsion of opponents of the Taxpayer Identification Number from such monasteries, and so on. as well as tax bondage for the Church. In a word, everything that we have experienced and are still experiencing. It was especially hard on the monastics, that is, the monks... 6. “The power will be like under the communists and the Politburo.” Here everything is completely simple - command methods, a narrow circle of decision-makers (the Politburo), the United Russia party and congresses, and, finally, Putin became the chairman of the United Russia party, by the way, quite recently. He also places his party members in all the places in the provinces, etc. So everything came true except the last phrase: “And after that there will be an Orthodox Tsar.” All that's left to do is live until it happens. Best regards, A.R.”

https://www.zaistinu.ru/articles/?aid=1131&comment=7351#c7351

Elder Nikolai Guryanov: predictions about the future of Russia

When asked who would replace President B.N., who was then in power. Yeltsin, he replied that he would be a military man, and he turned out to be right, since the current head of state actually has a military rank. But the meaning of his further words remains a mystery to us, and it is difficult to understand what Elder Nikolai Guryanov meant. The predictions he made about the future of Russia that day foreshadowed the country's future rule, which he likened to communist rule. According to him, the church will again be persecuted, but this will not last long.

The elder ended on a very optimistic note, predicting the coming of the Orthodox Tsar to our world. When asked when this would happen, he said that most of those present would live to see that day. This is the answer Elder Nikolai Guryanov gave about the future of Russia. Without allowing even a shadow of doubt about the validity of his words, we nevertheless note that V.V. Putin, who led the country after B.N. Yeltsin left the presidential post, is more consistent with the image of an Orthodox tsar than a persecutor of faith, perhaps precisely him the old man meant.

During the years of his reign, the church was fully revived after decades of atheism that dominated the country and was the main principle of state ideology. What, then, was the elder talking about? We can only guess about this.

It has been suggested more than once that Nikolai Guryanov (the elder), whose prophecies today cause such open bewilderment, actually saw in those days the new persecutions destined for the Russian church. It is possible that the course of historical events would have led to this. But, through the prayers of zealots of the faith, one of whom, undoubtedly, was Father Nicholas himself, the Lord showed great mercy, saving Russia from the troubles that it had experienced for seven decades. As a result, the elder’s prophecies came true, but the Lord, by His indescribable love for mankind, saved us from a repetition of the nightmare that gripped the country in the 20th century.

The elder saw the Future and kept in his heart the revelation about the fate of Russia, which he had had in his adolescence. From his words we know: that “The Lord has had mercy on Russia, has already had mercy on the Tsar for the Sacrifice of the Cross... But from time to time there has been no more bitter Sufferer.” In the sixties, during the Cold War, he was asked: “What will happen to our Russia?” — In response we heard the unprecedented: “My precious ones! It’s hard for Russia to be the fifty-first state of America!” “Then, no one could believe it, but now we see exactly how the Americans are selling and buying Russia, how they are predatorily stealing not only the land, its bowels and riches, but the most important treasure - the immortal soul of man. The soul of Russia is being sold.

Professor Nedostup A.V. testifies: “Back in 1993, two or three times I heard from Father Kirill (Pavlov) the following words: “Yes, the backbone of Russia has almost been broken.” Out of naivety, we cheerfully objected: “Father!” How? St. Seraphim of Sarov and other saints predicted that there would be a miracle! Russia will rise." - “Yes, we will have a “miracle”, like in the seventeenth year.”

Sometimes we hear: “What is the theological status of the predictions of your elders?” — The answer is obvious, it is contained in the Epistle of the Apostle Paul: “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not disparage prophecies. Try everything, hold on to what is good” ( 1 Thess. 5:19

).
The charisma of prophecy was given to the Church for all times and this cannot be neglected, just as we must not forget that prophecy does not mean predicting the Future. It reveals God's Will for the present time. Therefore, it indicates the right path to the Future. The prophetic word of the fathers heals our blindness, is either a warning or a consolation, or both at the same time. We can say that the prophetic word of the righteous helps us to reveal the “signs of the times”: “You know how to discern the face of the earth and the sky; How can you not recognize this time? ( Luke 12:56
). The revelations of the fathers, bearers of the Holy Spirit, are recognized by the Church: their meaning is to help us find the right path.

Father Nikolai has been sighing often lately: “God! What a pity people. An abandoned people, without shepherds, spiritually darkened. We are approaching the abyss because few people are praying for Russia. And we must pray for her fervently and tearfully! There is just chatter all around, a lot has already been blabbed... I ask everyone - always pray for Russia. Ask the Martyr King, He is our hope. We must shout with all our hearts, and the Lord will hear.” Father Joseph from Vnuto had the same premonitions. He was asked: “Several years ago I heard you say in a sermon: we are not going - we are running towards the abyss. What is wrong with us today? - “Now we are in the abyss.” - “Will we get out?” - "Don't know. We talked too much. Peoples fight. Politicians lie. And no one will say anywhere that we need to pray for Russia. Leave the house, look at the Sky and pray mentally for Russia - this is my personal request to you.” - “And in your opinion, is there a chance for an individual confused person to get out of his own personal abyss?”

- “With God everything is possible. If Christ, the Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit reigned in every soul and heart... They should bring their repentance to comprehend passions and vices. Let me draw your attention to the publican and Moses. The publican stood in the church, even at its threshold, beat himself on the chest and secretly said: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” And Moses led his people from Egypt, who suspected him that he wanted to kill the people. They even wanted to kill him, but he walked reluctantly and silently prayed to the Merciful God. The Lord heard both the publican and Moses, because they cried out with their hearts... It is very difficult for those who are removed from God to live, especially now.”

- “What awaits our Church, what do you think?”

- "Don't know. St. Seraphim taught: persecution is expected, then the Truth will be revealed, but not for long. Now this is the streak.” - “But what do they say all around: rebirth, rebirth?” - “These are just words. In reality, it’s depravity and horror.”

- “Some people say: now there is no strong government; in 1917 they artificially turned Russia upside down.” “I am for the Monarchy, but not for those monarchists who are shown on TV. Oh, Lord, what are they doing! We decided to get settled. John of Kronstadt warned: they will come to insolently dispose of the Thrones of the earthly Kings; those will come who do not know how to manage themselves. They haven’t done anything for Russia, but they still bicker with each other. At one time I wanted to go to Gorbachev and talk a little, for about half an hour. Yes, he was busy then, and I was a bit old.”

On the eve of the February riot of 1917, there was a vision of the Mother of God, and She said with tears: “Many souls go to hell, because no one wants to sacrifice themselves and pray for them with love.” Father Alexander Shargunov says with pain: “Many souls then, but what can we say about the many many today? What do we do? How to save our Russia, how to save our loved ones and ourselves from eternal death among the hell that surrounds us already on earth. Where can we get this love for God and man, which, due to the unprecedented increase in lawlessness in the world, has cooled in more than many, sometimes it seems almost in all?

We have asked Father more than once: “Will our Church expect flourishing and revival?” “He paused, and then - into the very depths, with the edge of a prophetic thought: “Don’t expect any flourishing. The churches are open, there is a place to confess and receive communion... That’s all the heyday. Keep what you have. The Word of God says that persecution awaits all faithful Christians in life, and then the Truth will be revealed, but not for long, “for a little time” - and the Lord will come to judge the world, but “will He find Faith on earth.” Therefore, the main thing is to keep the Faith.”

In our difficult times, we are witnessing the substitution of many sacred symbols and concepts. But we still undoubtedly believe that through the Royal Sacrifice and with the glorification of the Holy Blessed Tsar-Martyr Nicholas and His August Family, the Hope grows that the Lord will save Russia. And She will be reborn in all her spiritual glory and beauty, Patristic, Old Russian, theologically wise, morally strong... Tormented, but Undefeated, as prophesied by our Saints and Father Nicholas of blessed memory, the humble bishop-confessor of the era of persecution of the Church in the Nektarios schema.

Schema nun Nicholas (Groyan)

Instructions of Elder Nikolai Guryanov

In addition to the prophecies mentioned above, Father Nikolai gained fame for the instructions that he gave to people who turned to him for advice and help. Much of what he said was preserved in the notes made by his admirers who came to the island of Zalita.

Elder Nikolai Guryanov first of all taught to live and pray to God as if one were destined to die tomorrow, and, having appeared before the Lord, to give Him an answer in one’s deeds. This, he said, will help cleanse the soul of filth and prepare oneself for the transition to eternity. In addition, Father Nikolai taught us to treat everything that surrounds us with love, because all this is nothing more than the creation of God. He called on non-believers to treat them without condemnation, with pity, and to constantly pray to God to deliver them from this devilish darkness. Visitors received many other wise and useful instructions from him.

WHAT ELDER NICHOLAS SAID ABOUT THE LAST TIMES

"If we are with the Lord,

Antichrist cannot harm us"

Father did not speak empty words about the last times, but only repeated: “In the Word of God, especially in the Revelation of John the Theologian, everything is said about this, and we do not need to invent anything of our own... I will only say one thing: if we are with the Lord, the Antichrist is not can do us harm."

Father Nikolai was very worried that the Church began to participate in judgments about new documents. He said: “We don’t need these numbers and numbers... The Church existed and will exist without them. But it’s bad that we were dragged into these disputes and bickering. This is wrong, this is wrong."

But most of all, Father did not accept the spirit of intimidation and intimidation that accompanied this: “Why frighten people with this abyss of evil and talk about evil all the time?! - he was upset. – Instilling anxiety and fear will not lead to anything good. People won't stand this pressure. The anxiety has already turned into incurable fear. People were seized by horror - and they became slaves to rumors. Panic, fear and horror. This is how a person loses freedom... He loses Faith, courage, Hope... There is no need to talk about Love anymore... Everyone is waiting with horror for the Antichrist and all their thoughts are devoted to him and his stinking deeds... How wrong this is! A person is afraid of everything - physical death, destruction, persecution, loss of loved ones, hunger. Many people have already lost their minds from these fears, but what then?! After all, we were created by God as His image and likeness - and we are so afraid of the Antichrist, completely forgetting that we are God’s!”

“Unclean spirits are a force only in relation to the earth. Heaven looks at them as knowingly defeated by their own evil” (St. Nicholas of Serbia. Prayers on the Lake. M. 2004. P. 175)

I also noticed: “What are you all saying – “This is the time!” “God’s time, the Seventh Day of the Lord lasts... But people, yes... People have become different... Somehow God’s everything is worthless.”

“All these worries about documents are caused by two reasons - spiritual ignorance and fear of sin,” said Father. “That’s why you can’t say either “yes” or “no”!

He also said: “Humility, meekness, gratitude to God and especially to parents are needed at all times. All this adorns a person and will preserve you in the last times.”

“Always remember the Cross of Christ - and you will be saved!”

To questions about the Antichrist he answered: “So why do we talk about the Antichrist all the time, if we are waiting for Christ and turning to Him constantly: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners... And God hears and has mercy on us.”

“We don’t know when the Antichrist will appear. But we know from the Word of God that his seal will clearly be placed on the hand and forehead of his servants - the demons. - At these words, Father stood up, entered the inner cell and returned with the Gennady Bible in his hands. Eighth volume. “If they ask you about the seal of the Antichrist, then show these icons from the Apocalypse... I’ll now put bookmarks here... With the words: “We ourselves know nothing, but the Word of God speaks about it like this” - and show the holy icons.”

The Elder made bookmarks on pages: 468-469 and 476-477. “This is how they will put the seals,” he said.

To the question: “Father! Is the Taxpayer Identification Number the seal of the Antichrist? - answered: “No! No! This is not the seal of the Antichrist... But these numbers are not needed by the Church. We lived without it all the time.” I asked Metropolitan Philaret of Minsky to convey the words through A. A. Senin: “Lord, Vladyka, help you to save the Church from numbers.”

They asked the Elder: “How can we know that this is the seal of the Antichrist, so as not to perish?” He answered: “The Lord will preserve His faithful... If you live according to the Gospel, with the fear of God, piously, you pray to God, He will reveal that this is a seal... Just you don’t need to be wise and interpret on your own... We must believe the Lord that without His Holy Nothing happens by will.”

He often said: “The Lord always reveals to us what is coming... We just have to believe and pray. But real Christians, priests, Elders can be recognized by their deeds... This is true!”

“For us, the gospel should be the basis of all life.”

“If you don’t know what to do, trust in God’s Providence, and the Lord manages everything as He pleases... Just don’t resist. After all, we are so happy that we can talk to the Lord and ask the Queen of Heaven. And this is great happiness, isn’t it?!”

When asked again about the TIN, he said: “What is it - TIN. We don’t know... Does it make you kill, drink, smoke, idle around?! Keep the Faith in everything, protect your immortal soul from sin - and you will be saved. After all, what should an Orthodox Christian do? “He has a loving attitude towards everything that surrounds him, and at work he works honestly and with conscience... He does just that, and he doesn’t need any numbers and can’t change him.”

About products with barcodes: “These products cannot harm us. Read the prayer “Our Father” - cross everything with Faith, you can sanctify it with holy water - and there will be no grief... It is a sin to blaspheme and abhor God’s food.”

Mother Joanna said in response: “But there is such an Elder - Joseph - he throws all the products and things with bar codes into the abyss! This is the real Elder!” - Father crossed himself at the icon and said: “And I thank God that He does not leave me and sends alms through people - bread, a bun, this jar of canned food!” - At these words, he stood up from his chair, took out a jar of cod liver from the bag, which had strokes on it, made the sign of the cross, and asked me: “Mother! Let’s pray and eat what God sent.”

He never tore off or scratched these strokes - he simply did not notice them and did not pay the slightest attention to them... And he never talked about “codes” and “encodings”.

“For the last times we need to “save up” Faith, not food.”

“A person will accept the seal openly and voluntarily... God save everyone from it! They will renounce consciously. Everyone will know that this is a sign of Satan. There will be such torment as has not been seen in centuries! Just don't be afraid. Refuse the seal. You will have to go to the Cross... And then - the Kingdom of Heaven with Christ. What a joy! The suffering for believers who did not take the seal will be short... But it is sweet to die with Christ and for Christ!”

“The Lord will do a lot of mercy for people in those times. A person simply doesn’t need much. Believers will be content with little, and the Lord will nourish His own—wonderfully. And a drop of water will satiate. You just have to keep the true Faith... Kiss the Feet of the Savior... Don’t destroy yourself and the whole earth, the whole world of God with your sins.”

“We must keep the Gospel sacred, especially in our hearts. It is the measure of our entire life. Be sincere, not deceitful. Live clean. Always work with prayer - everyone in their place, obedience... And you don’t need to talk and think about the Antichrist all the time. After all, where your thoughts are, there is your soul. This is very harmful to a person.”

“After all, what kind of Antichrist will you be if you serve God in the Temple and pray? - Father said to the hieromonk, who kept asking him about the seal of the Antichrist. - Trust in God and always think about Him. Keep Him, the Savior, in your mind, heart and lips - and you don’t need to talk about the Antichrist all the time. Especially us clergy. After all, we are always with Christ! With the Lord! And there is no need to be darkened and afraid!”

They arrived with the news: “The Athonite elders said that in October of this year (2001) it will be the end... This will begin... War, a meat grinder, they will grind everyone, we must leave the cities and hide!” - Father Nikolai was indignant in spirit: “They got scared themselves (Father said more harshly, “they crap”, which indicates his extreme rejection) - and poor people are tormented, intimidated, instead of praying, working and trusting in God.” - Excited people objected to him: “Father! But these are the prophecies of the Athonite elders!” “He answered sternly: “These are all lies, not prophecies!” - and did not speak any more and went into his cell.

I will quote here the words that the Holy Mountain Elder Emilian (abbot of the Simonopetra monastery until 2000) spoke about the Antichrist:

At one of the last general conversations he said, “so that we don’t worry. So that we take care to have a living relationship with Christ. And we shouldn’t pay too much attention to the Antichrist, because otherwise he will take a central place in our lives... The Antichrist will become the main thing in our lives, not Christ.”

One of the most famous ascetics among the Athonite Elders, Porfiry Kavsokalivit (1906+1991), added to what was said: “Glory to Thee, God, that I have found at least one confessor who agrees with me. Baby, do you know what [other] confessors have done here in the world? With these electronic passports, numbering 666, they excited people and created a whole bunch of problems, both family and psychological. Worldly people cannot sleep. To sleep, they take psychotropic drugs and sleeping pills.

Tell me what is it? Christ, my child, does not want everything to be like this... Do you want me to tell you something else important? - For us, Christians who live by Christ, there is no antichrist!.. When we have Christ within us, how can the antichrist come into the soul? Can any opposite entity enter our soul? You know, baby, why are we so worried about these electronic passports and the Antichrist now? – Yes, because we do not have Christ in us! When we let Christ inside us, then everything around us becomes Paradise! Christ is everything! That's what you always tell people, baby. That is why we are not afraid of the opposite. Understand?!" (What did Elder Emilian say about the Antichrist? Website: Holy Mount Athos. https://www.isihazm.ru/?id=1794)

“If we have Christ within us, the Antichrist cannot do us any harm.”

“Once I asked the Elder in his cell: “Elder! Lately there has been a lot of talk about the number 666, about the appearance of the Antichrist, which is approaching... Moreover, some claim that the Antichrist has already come, they talk about an electronic notch on the right hand or on the forehead, about the clash between Christ and the Antichrist and about the defeat of the latter, about the Second The Coming of the Lord. What do you say? –

Geronda replied: “What can I say? I’m not saying that I saw the Mother of God, that there will be war and the like. I’ll say exactly this: I know that the Antichrist will come, that there will be a Second Coming of Christ, but I don’t know when... Tomorrow? In a thousand years? - I do not know this. However, this does not bother me... Because I know that at the hour of death the Second Coming of the Lord will come for each of us. And this hour is already very close for everyone...”

“Geronda! If the Antichrist appears in our day, will God allow us to endure suffering? “If we confess, Christ will give us these powers... Do not be disturbed by questions about the last times, the Antichrist and his signs, because know that if we have Christ within us, the Antichrist cannot cause us any harm, even the most insignificant harm.”

“Look,” the Elder continued, “I’ll give you an example: behold, the Antichrist comes and forcibly stamps me with a laser - 666... ​​You ask, for mercy, Elder, isn’t this a sign of the Antichrist? - You know? Yes, if he wrote on me with laser beams and 666 times a thousand times, imprinted it indelibly, I would not be upset...

Why, you want to know? - Why, tell me, were the first martyrs thrown to wild animals, but they signed themselves with the sign of the cross and the lions became lambs? Why were they then thrown into the depths of the sea - they made the sign of the cross, and the sea became solid, and they walked on it as if on dry land. Why were they thrown into the fire? They made the sign of the cross, and the fire became cool. My blessed child, what are we now? Do we believe in Christ? What does our sign of the cross mean?

But listen, why did Christ come then? Didn’t Christ come to earth to strengthen our weakness? Tell all this to your Elder. And you yourself tell people so that they do not fear the Antichrist.

People have forgotten that we are children of Christ, we are children of the Church! (What did Elder Emilian say about the Antichrist? Website: Holy Mount Athos. https://www.isihazm.ru/?id=1795)

The Georgian ascetic Elder Gabriel (Urgebadze 1929+2.11.1995), a holy fool monk, barefoot, in torn clothes, wearing a kamilavka and with a diadem on his head, taught: “In the last times, people will be saved by Love, Humility, Kindness. Kindness will open the gates of Paradise, Humility will lead you there, and Love will show God.” (Diadima of the Elder. Memories of the Georgian ascetic Father Gabriel. M. 2005.P.109)

Schema nun Nicholas

Posthumous veneration of Elder Nicholas

Like many previously deceased elders, Archpriest Nikolai Guryanov, after his death on August 24, 2002, began to be revered by many in our country as a saint, whose canonization is only a matter of time. On the day of his funeral, more than three thousand people gathered on the island of Zalita who wanted to pay their last respects to his memory. And although many years have passed since then, the number of admirers of the elder has not decreased.

In this regard, we recall the words spoken by another famous representative of the Russian elders, the Venerable Father Nektariy, spoken by him shortly before the closure of the Optina Pustyn by the Bolsheviks. He taught us not to be afraid of anything in this earthly life and to always pray to the departed elders, since, standing before the Throne of God, they pray for us, and the Lord will heed their words. Just like those elders, Father Nikolai Guryanov in the Kingdom of Heaven intercedes with the Almighty for those whom he left in this corruptible world.

It is not surprising that throughout his life the humble servant of God, Archpriest Father Nikolai Guryanov (elder), earned the love and memory of hundreds of thousands of his admirers. The island, which was his home for the last forty years of his life, today has become both his monument and a place where Orthodox believers come to worship him.

Soon after the death of the elder, they established a society of zealots of his memory, whose members are already carrying out work aimed at glorifying Father Nicholas as a saint. None of the members of the society doubts that this event will take place sooner or later, and today they call him nothing less than St. Nicholas of Pskovozersk.

Instructions and advice from the elder

The famous church minister is known as the Elder of Talab or the righteous Nikolai of Pskovoezersky. Contemporaries who knew the priest noted the following features in him:

• openness and friendliness;
• natural kindness;
• sincerity, beauty and inspiration in the conduct of the service;
• good management and organizational skills, ability to involve other people in activities;
• commitment to strict order in everything;
• restraint in nutrition, communication, service, relationships with people;
• selfless service to the Lord.

The Talab elder had a great understanding of people. He perfectly saw their state of mind and foresaw the future. Pilgrims and parishioners valued his ability to give clear and correct advice and formulate prophecies.

Father was not a verbose man, but he did not refuse people brief and precise instructions:

“Rely, my dears, on the will of God, and everything will be as you need.”

“Go to the temple and believe in the Lord. To whom the Church is not a mother, God is not a father. Humility and prayer are the main thing. Just wearing black clothes is not humility.”

The 10 main points from the elder’s numerous instructions are simple, but their observance requires spiritual strength.

1. Take care of your soul in this temporary world.
2. Be pure in thoughts and communication. Don't listen to or say bad things about other people. Always tell the truth and don't be afraid of it.
3. Live not only for yourself.
4. A person’s thoughts influence the world around them; they have great power. Think about other people suffering and in need. Prayer will help them.
5. Avoid excessive strictness, it is harmful. Be not a teacher, but a guide. Be simpler and more sincere.
6. Practice obedience from early childhood.
7. Forgive and don't be offended.
8. Don't look for God, he is in us. Believe in him.
9. Keep the spiritual world in order, then the material world will be in perfect order.
10. Be joyful. Attend church, pray morning and evening. Lead a peaceful life.

The reputation of a miracle worker came to Nikolai Guryanov after the sinking of the nuclear submarine Komsomolets in the Norwegian Sea. The tragedy occurred in 1989. Some time after the accident, one of the surviving sailors found the old man on his island, indicating that the image of the priest saved his life. The sailor stated that, while losing consciousness, he saw a gray-haired old man who calmly said: “Swim. I am praying for you. You will be saved!” It was Father Nikolai. On the open sea, the sailor came across a log, which he held on to until rescuers appeared.