Hieromonk Vasily (Roslyakov). 32 years
Worldly name - Igor Ivanovich. Born in Moscow on December 23, 1960. He graduated from the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University, but never worked by profession. International master of sports in water polo, was a member of the USSR national team, and participated in international competitions in Europe. On one of these trips he met a Dutch translator, with whom he began to correspond. For this, he was accused of “spying with foreign citizens” and was not allowed to compete in Canada. An upset Igor was advised by a believing history teacher to go to church. After that, the young man never left there. Surprisingly, while continuing to play sports professionally, he always fasted and this did not affect the results in any way. “The main thing is to have spiritual strength,” he said.
On the advice of the famous elder, Archimandrite John Krestyankin, Igor gave up sports and entered a monastery. The mother was categorically against it: she even came to her son’s monastery and persuaded him to leave. In the monastery I had to do a variety of jobs: help at a construction site, clean the territory, and be on duty at the monastery gates. Later he bore the obedience of the monastery chronicler. After tonsure and ordination, he became a wonderful preacher and cared for prisoners in a neighboring city. Six years after the martyrdom of her son, his mother Anna Mikhailovna took monastic vows with the name of Vasilisa.
Show me, Lord, my death, Reveal the number of prepared days, Maybe I will be afraid because I live, And no one will overcome my fear.
Open it slightly, and then leave me, So that my soul may mature in earthly sorrow, So that I may be strengthened on the way of the cross Before I leave and I am no more.
(Verse by Hieromonk Vasily)
New Martyrs of St. Optina
Optina new martyrs Hieromonk Vasily, monks Ferapont and Trofim
April 18 - the memory of the murdered Optina new martyrs, Hieromonk Vasily, Monk Trofim and Monk Ferapont. The 24th anniversary of this sad and joyful date. Mournful - because grief is alive both in the monastery from the loss of close “brothers”, and in every Orthodox heart, which contracts at the mention of this satanic massacre of three monks.
But the sorrow is dissolved by Easter joy from the fact that in heaven the Lord glorified His beloved children, who stood firm in their Faithfulness and Love for Him to the end, and three holy lamps were lit in Optina Hermitage.
And we, sinners, have acquired intercessors who, together with the venerable Optina Elders, stand before the Throne of God and pray for us. And by turning to them, by our faith we receive miraculous help, healing, strengthening and great consolation.
CHRIST IS RISEN!!!
On Easter of Christ, as winners, we already stand at the gates of eternity. But there is still a way to go. If we deny our own will, seeking the will of God, the Risen Christ will be with us. If we follow our desires, Easter will leave us. The Holy Fathers say that the greatest punishment for a person is when God leaves him to his own will.
Easter is given to us so that our life becomes Easter. If we do not accept the light of Easter in all our days, as a service to God and people, our life will be useless. If we want the grace of Christ's Easter to return to us again and again, the desire and determination of such service must determine our path. Easter comes by the Cross, and we must die to ourselves in order to become alive so that others can live. Christ says: “Do not be afraid to destroy your soul in this ministry.” Whoever performs such service saves his soul for eternal Easter. If we keep this covenant in our memory, we will fulfill Easter with our lives, and everything vain and petty, empty and sinful will disappear like smoke. Everything will be filled with the light of the Resurrection.
Optina new martyrs Hieromonk Vasily, monks Ferapont and Trofim
about the Optina new martyrs Hieromonk Vasily (Roslyakov), monks Trofim (Tatarnikov) and Ferapont (Pushkarev) . The book “ Red Easter ” is especially famous.
What prompted these young people to take monasticism in our time? All three had extraordinary talents and could perfectly realize them while remaining believers in the world or even serving the Church in the priesthood. Father Vasily successfully graduated from the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University and the Institute of Physical Education. He was given the gift of speech, he wrote good poetry, and had a wonderful voice. He was an international master of sports, captain of the Moscow State University water polo team, and a member of the USSR national team.
Ferapont's father, a forester by training, also had artistic talent. He was so skilled in wood carving that even professional artists learned from him. And Father Trofim was a real Russian craftsman, a jack of all trades. It is no coincidence that in the monastery he served as a senior bell ringer, sexton, bookbinder, painter, baker, blacksmith, and tractor driver.
What was the culmination of the lives of these monks? All three brothers were killed on Easter, fulfilling obedience: the bell ringers Father Trofim and Father Ferapont - during the Easter ringing, Father Vasily - on the way to confession at the monastery. The first, instantly, was killed by Father Ferapont. The next blow was dealt to Father Trofim, who was still able to sound the alarm and alert the monastery. Father Vasily was mortally wounded with the same sword engraved “Satan 666”. The dying man was transferred to the temple, placing the relics of St. Ambrose near the shrine. For a whole hour the life drained from him. All his insides were cut. In such cases, people scream in pain. Father Vasily prayed. And Optina prayed with him, bursting into tears. And on his face, as the monastery confessor said at the funeral service, Easter joy was already reflected.
Why do they enter the seminary, take monastic vows, and become priests? There is a calling from above, when one day the light of Christ’s Easter will shine upon the human soul, incomparable to anything. It's all about always following that light . Because, as St. Macarius the Great, one of the founders of monasticism, testifies, he knew many who were extremely favored by the Lord, and then fell in the most pitiful way.
Monks Trofim and Ferapont
The Optina martyrs remind us of the two most important things: fidelity to the gift of God even to death and that fidelity is achieved through lifelong repentance. Because in repentance, as in martyrdom, there is complete fulfillment of God’s commandments. These monks seem to be saying to all of us: “ Let us be wise and crazy, like real Christians .” Why crazy? Because to be a Christian means to live simultaneously in two times - in the present and in eternity. When we pray at their graves in Optina, the Lord often gives us Easter consolation so that we grow in understanding and attention to how we need to build our lives.
In thinking about the Optina martyrs, let us not forget this word - Easter, which means “translation, transition.” God gave us time to spend on eternity. Eternal Easter. Easter is the love of Christ. Whoever has received Easter will always learn Christ's love. If we want to learn to love our neighbor as ourselves, to live according to the commandments of Christ, this will certainly lead us to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Christ prayed for the whole world. Or to the belfry of the Optina Monastery, where prayer at the Cross of Christ is connected with the Easter victory. And the secret of the Commandment of the Cross will be revealed to us in true depth.
For the same reason, the path of monasticism is all pure repentance. Have the monks really sinned the most and are in greatest need of repentance? We know that by the Resurrection of Christ the grace of repentance is given to the whole world. It is not at all necessary that these be gross sins, which, according to the word of the Apostle, should not even be named among us. Of course, it is better to avoid sin, but repentance, like a flame, can cleanse the soul of every person and restore everything lost .
These three monks were true monks - prayer books and ascetics. They seemed to have a presentiment of their imminent meeting in eternity with the Lord and prepared for it by cleansing their hearts with the last Great Lent in their lives. Especially during Holy Week, which is all like a confession - standing before the Cross and the Gospel.
Shortly before his death, Monk Trofim said to his friend: “I don’t want to be a hierodeacon or a priest. But I want to be a monk—a real monk until my death.”
In the center is Father Vasily
“A few hours before the murder, during the Easter service, the monk Ferapont confessed to me,” says Hieromonk D., “I was then in terrible despondency, and was already ready to leave the monastery, and after his confession it suddenly became somehow light and joyful, as if it was not he, but I myself who confessed: “Where should I go when there are such brothers here!” And so it happened: he left, and I stayed” (“Red Easter”).
Repentance has no end on earth, because the end of repentance will mean our becoming like Christ. “If we are not like Him in everything, how can we be with Him forever?” - asks the Monk Simeon the New Theologian. This is impossible neither for Him nor for us. But Easter of Christ opens for us the path of love and repentance, humility and patience. And another Theologian, the beloved disciple of Christ, John, says: “When we see Him, we will be like Him.”
And the Apostle Paul testifies: “If Christ has not been resurrected, we are the most miserable of all men.” Why? Because the love of Christ in this world is always crucified. Whoever follows the path of repentance will have a life of constant suffering and ever greater communion with the Cross, which brings joy to the whole world.
Because God is Love, and not because it is easier to live with God’s help, they become Christians. In the Christian life we are happy only because of Christ, with the consciousness that He is the Truth, and because of nothing else. Truly, monasticism is voluntary martyrdom, but the highest mercy and honor is to suffer for Christ, even to the point of blood. Father Vasily (Roslyakov) said shortly before his martyrdom: “I would like to die on Easter with the ringing of bells.”
And the monk Trofim, even before entering the monastery, said: “ It is good for those people who accepted martyrdom for Christ. It would be nice for me to be worthy of this too .” It seems that we hear through their last breath: “Lord, has this been given to me?”, as if echoing the exclamation of righteous Elizabeth at her meeting with the Divine Matter: “Where do I get this?”
In the chapel of the new martyrs
We realize how far our lives are from the holiness of these martyrs. But they say to all who seek the Lord: “Do not be afraid.” You shouldn't compare yourself to anyone. Each of us, no matter how small, is great before eternity. God wants to establish a unique and intimate relationship with every person.
It is not surprising that many today of those who, according to the word of the apostle, strive to fight until blood, struggling against sin, turn to them for help. They won with the Passover of the Lord, which gave them eternal life. Until the end of the age, until the Second Coming of Christ, there will be a battle between the forces of evil against the forces of love, the forces of darkness against the forces of light.
This battle becomes especially fierce after the Resurrection of Christ. Its tension will increase as the Day of the Lord approaches—the general resurrection of the dead. You can even sometimes doubt the final outcome - this is how the forces of evil will prevail in the world. But the Resurrection of Christ, His victory over death clearly show that the forces of love will decisively triumph.
Father Vasily wrote poems on the death of Hieromonk Raphael, but they sound as if they were written about himself and about the monks Trophim and Ferapont:
I would find heavy words About life, about the coldness of the grave, And my speech would be so bitter That I wouldn’t say even half of it.
But I want to cry in silence And go out into the world with bright eyes. He who rushed like lightning across the earth is clothed in light under the heavens.
Father Vasily, Father Trofim, Father Ferapont, pray to God for us sinners!
Archpriest Alexander Shargunov
See also: How a church was built in one night and other miracles / Orthodoxy.Ru »
Monk Trofim (Tatarnikov). 39 years
Worldly name - Leonid Ivanovich. Born in the Irkutsk region, graduated from a railway school, worked as a machinist. Then he got a job in the Sakhalin fishery and went sailing for five years. Admiring the beauty of the seascapes, he began to take up photography and even collaborated as a photojournalist with a local newspaper. Leonid's range of interests was wide: among other things, he studied at a yacht club and danced in a folk ensemble. Wanting to bring more benefits to people, he became a shoemaker. But he soon had to leave the workshop - making high-quality shoes and conscientiously repairing them, he almost left his colleagues without work. After that, Leonid worked as a cattleman on a farm and as a fireman. But then he dropped everything and went to his uncle in the Altai Territory. There he came to faith. In 1990, he came to Optina Pustyn with a group of pilgrims and stayed there forever. He worked in a cowshed, a blacksmith shop, managed a hotel, drove a tractor, and was a bell ringer.
“Life has shaken me. I thought: what is all this for? But it turns out that everything was needed so that now here, in the monastery, I could use all my little experience to serve God and people. Glory to You, Lord!”
Epiphany Church Drakes
GEORGE MIKHAILOVICH GUPALOmonks Ferapont, Trofim, hieromonk Vasily
Twenty-seven years have passed since the murder in Optina Pustyn, when three good people died and three holy martyrs were born. I happened to be in Optina at that time, to see the death of Fr. Trofim and lower the three coffins into the damp spring Kaluga soil. A lot has happened over the years, but it seems to me that I remember in detail every moment of that tragedy, so it shocked all the eyewitnesses then. My short story will be about some moments of that great day. I no longer lived in Optina and came to visit on Easter. The pre-Easter evening was quiet and beautiful: the setting red sun painted a lovely warm color and there was nothing alarming about it. It’s even strange that the sunset, despite its redness, could not be called bloody, it was so gentle and pleasing to the eye. Nothing foreshadowed trouble, although trouble was already nearby, next to each of us. The killer had prepared a crime and was just waiting for the push of his “voice that could not be disobeyed.” He was in Optina, nearby, very close, he was looking for his victim. But none of the people knew or guessed about this.
Walking around the monastery, I noticed Fr. Vasily. He stood at the northern entrance to the temple and admired the beauty of the sunset. And I, in turn, stopped and began to admire the picture with his participation: a beautiful monk was standing near a snow-white temple. A hare, slender, athletic, quiet and peaceful, reasonable for his age, clearly future Optina glory.
Hieromonk Vasily (Roslyakov)
Many years will pass, he will become even wiser and more experienced, thousands of people will come to him for advice and consolation, and we will have a new Optina elder. After all, they promised that there would be seven lamps. Maybe this will be one of them. “Oh, how good he is, this is a warrior of Christ,” I thought, “God grant you, dear, not to go out of your way and remain a man, accumulate wisdom and love and bestow them on the people of God.” Father Vasily felt that someone was looking at him, turned around and, seeing me, smiled. We had not seen each other for several months, exchanged bows from afar and decided to keep our state quiet. But his smile, his radiant smile, stuck in my memory and will now live with me until my death.
I ardently urge all of you, my dears, to intensify your common prayers so that the Lord grants us, despite all difficulties, to remain participants in the grace-filled liturgical life of the Church, so that the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist is celebrated and the faithful can boldly approach the true Source of Life - the Holy Mysteries of Christ so that the sick receive healing, and the healthy are protected from dangerous infections. We believe that the Risen Savior will not leave us and will bestow upon us firmness and courage to stand unshakably in faith and save the earthly path to eternal life. I heartily congratulate all of you, my beloved brothers and sisters, on the bright holiday of Holy Pascha and urge you to continually show the image of true disciples of the Savior, setting a good example for those around you and proclaiming the perfection of “He who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Pet. 2:9 ), so that all the days of our lives we may testify with our deeds to the enduring power and faithfulness of the Easter words: CHRIST IS TRULY RISEN!
last interview with Hieromonk Vasily (Roslyakov)
The service has begun. The brethren of the monastery came to the church, including Fr. Ferapont. With o. Nobody was friends with Ferapont. Not at all because he was an evil or bad person. It’s just that, despite the relative youth of his years and early monasticism, he managed to become a real monk - he was not a member of any interest groups or circles that are often formed in monasteries, he lived a very secret and truly monastic life, without quarrels and conflicts, without empty conversations over tea and gossip during obediences. The life of such monks is usually called the beautiful Russian word hidden, as it is said in the letter of the apostle “a man hidden in the heart, in the incorruption of a meek and silent spirit, which is of great value before God.”
Monk Ferapont (Pushkarev)
Fr. came to the temple. Trofim. He was slightly late for work because he worked a lot in the back room. From morning until late evening he was seen either on a tractor or on a walk-behind tractor. Always joyful, energetic, incredibly lively. The complete opposite of the withdrawn and silent Fr. Ferapont. Around o. Trofim was always in full swing with life and work. He had many friends and was a very sociable and positive person. He approached the left choir, where I was standing, smiled his open smile, we hugged tightly and kissed. Quick exchange of news, strong handshakes. Who would have known that a few hours later he would not be alive. Lively, energetic, cheerful. Well, he couldn't die young. There are still many, many years ahead. But man proposes, but God disposes.
monk Trofim (Tatarnikov)
So these three smiles remained in my memory. So different and each beautiful in its own way. And then there were other smiles and they were imprinted in my memory even more firmly.
The Easter liturgy has ended. All the brethren went to the refectory, broke their fast, most of them went to rest, the bell ringers Trofim and Ferapont went to the belfry, and Fr. Vasily to the skete liturgy to confess to the people. At that time I was in the skete and resting in the cell of the monastery leader. The skete liturgy had just begun when there was a knock on the door. The knocking became more insistent and I decided to open the door. The man on duty at the monastery hotel stood on the threshold and in an extremely nervous manner reported that a murder had occurred in the monastery - someone had killed some monks. They called him from the monastery entrance and asked him to warn the monastery leader and the entire monastery brethren. I sent the duty officer to the temple, and I myself got ready and went to the monastery. There was something absurd in the message, how could there have been a murder in the monastery, in Optina?! This is obvious nonsense and someone's stupid joke. Who would have known that at the same time as me, a killer walked along the path, only hiding in the bushes and in the other direction.
Optina was very deserted. After all, no one could even see the killer; everyone dispersed. Having heard about the crime, the brethren began to gather. The first I saw was Fr. Ferapont. He lay on the belfry, pierced through with a short sword made from a car spring. As it turned out later, it is very difficult to “work” with such a tool - you need to have either enormous strength or a lot of training.
The killer Averin was a puny man, but here he was clearly helped by the true eternal killer of people. Only this superhuman force can explain the force of Averin’s blow: in addition to the body, the leather monastic belt was pierced in three places. Having delivered a single blow directly to the liver, he lowered Ferapont’s body to the ground and covered his face with his hood. Why he did this he could not explain himself. Then he quickly stood up and mortally wounded Fr. with a second blow. Trophima. He didn’t even have time to understand anything - both monks stood almost with their backs to each other and Trofim didn’t see what happened, he only heard that the ringing had stopped and turned towards his comrade, but it was too late - a cold, bloody blade pierced his liver. Averin lowered Trofim in the same way, covered his face with his hood and calmly walked towards the monastery, following the departing Fr. Vasily. The third blow and the third man fell to the ground. Then the killer ran behind the house near the monastery tower, threw his terrible sword there, climbed over the fence and ran into the forest. Only three pilgrims could see the running figure in a gray overcoat. No more traces or signs (except for the sword). But already on the third day there was an ambush in Averin’s house and a search was carried out in the nearby forests. (Since then, I know for sure that if our authorities want to solve a murder, they solve it quickly. They can (and maybe could then) do this if they want).
I did not see the murder itself, but Fr. breathed his last in my arms. Trofim. His face was full of sorrow and pain. It was clear that he was in great pain. He walked away quietly. He just froze and that’s it. Father Vasily lived the longest and died in an ambulance on the way to Kozelsk. His trained body resisted death in every possible way, but the wound was too terrible.
Then the police arrived, operational actions began, and all the dead were taken away for an autopsy. A few hours later they were brought to the church of St. Hilarion. As far as I remember, I was the only layman who was present at this first prayer at the bodies of the murdered brothers, I saw their bodies still uncovered, without vestments. According to tradition, lay people should not wear monastic robes, but an exception was made for me. And I thank fate that I was present at this prayer. Believe me, I have never seen or felt anything like this again. First of all, it is necessary to say about the faces of the murdered brothers.
Do you know what struck me then? All three died in terrible agony, from unimaginable pain, and this pain remained on their faces at the moment of death. But several hours passed and I saw completely different faces. They can even be safely called faces, they glowed and shone so much. This was not my exalted perception; everyone noted the strange transformation of their faces - all three had a bright, quiet and peaceful smile. Very calm and confident. It feels like they saw something joyful. Here's what's amazing: the spirit left the body, but transformed it after death. I spoke about these three smiles at the beginning of my story. These are the ones I can never forget. This is clear proof of the existence of the afterlife.
It is difficult to convey in words the state of the brethren of the monastery. I think that the apostles experienced something similar after the execution of Christ and the disciples of the Optina elders after their death. On the one hand, horror from what happened and the bitterness of parting, on the other, joy for his brothers. After all, they are all now at the Throne of God. They began celebrating Easter on Earth and ended it in Heaven. And we believe that there their Easter joy will be eternal. They deserved it with their earthly life and were honored to receive the crown of martyrdom.
Many in the evening of that day said the following words: but I turned out to be unworthy for my sins.
***
Before writing this short memoir, I found a recording of the speech of the Optina hieromonk Theophylact, delivered at the funeral service for the murdered Optina monks. I don’t know if the quote is accurate, but it is very true in essence and conveys a lot from our experiences at that time: “... today something unusual, wonderful and wondrous is happening here... Every Christian who is well acquainted with the teachings of the Church knows that people don’t die so easily on Easter that there are no accidents in our lives, and to go to the Lord on the day of Holy Easter is a special honor and mercy from the Lord. From this day, when these three brothers were killed, the bells of Optina Pustyn sound in a special way. And he announces not only the victory of Christ over the Antichrist, but also that now the soil of the Optina Hermitage is abundantly watered not only by the sweat of ascetics and inhabitants, but also by the blood of the Optina brothers, and this blood is a special cover and evidence of the future history of the Optina Hermitage. Now we know that there are special intercessors for us before the Throne of God.”
According to the site:
Monk Ferapont (Pushkarev). 37 years
Worldly name - Vladimir Leonidovich. Born in the Novosibirsk region. He graduated from vocational school, worked in the forestry enterprise, then as a driver.
He loved to play the guitar, sang in a local ensemble, and was seriously involved in karate. After serving in the army, he went to study to become a forester, as he always loved solitude and nature. After studying, he went to the Khabarovsk Territory and became a huntsman. He spent three years in almost complete solitude, and then suddenly moved to Rostov-on-Don to live with his uncle, whom he had only seen once in his life. He came to faith thanks to a woman he knew who experienced clinical death after an accident. She told him about her experience and recommended spiritual literature. Her words had a strong effect: Vladimir began going to church. Soon he went on a pilgrimage to Optina Pustyn, after which he decided to enter a monastery.
He turned to the Rostov Bishop for a recommendation, saying that for this he was even ready to clean toilets. The bishop decided to test the humility of the future monk and really made it his duty. In 1990, Vladimir was accepted into Optina Pustyn, and a year later he was tonsured into monasticism with the name Ferapont. The monk was obedient in the refectory: he cooked for the inhabitants and pilgrims. He was a jack of all trades: he could easily build a kitchen board or repair a harp that he had never seen before in his life, he wove rosaries, made boards for icons, carved crosses from wood, and was an excellent bell ringer.
- Many people are afraid of death. Apparently, death is unusual for a person, and maybe that’s why the soul does not want to agree with the thought of its non-existence? No, yet the soul does not die, but remains forever.
The Optina New Martyrs are intercessors before the Lord!
In the monastery of Optina Hermitage in 1993, at night, on the bright holiday of Easter, an event occurred that shocked not only the entire Orthodox world, but also the entire country. The Satanist killed three inhabitants of the monastery - Hieromonk Vasily (Roslyakov), and two monks - Ferapont (Pushkarev) and Trofim (Tatarnikov).
A difficult, but at the same time, amazing event. Think about it, in churches people joyfully exclaim: “Christ is risen!”, and at the same time, leaving earthly things on earth, the souls of three monks begin their journey to heaven. This is probably why the Optina new martyrs are called intercessors before the Lord.
According to official investigation data
According to official investigation data, the crime was committed by a certain Nikolai Averin, who had recently returned from a mental hospital and suffered from schizophrenia. That night he took a knife, on the handle of which the number of the beast was engraved, and went to kill. He knew very well that on this Holy Easter night there were festive services, and it would not be difficult for him to escape unnoticed.
The first victims of the bloody massacre were the monks Ferapont and Trofim, who at that moment were ringing the festive chime at the belfry. A little later, not far from the belfry, the criminal dealt with Hieromonk Vasily, whom he attacked from behind. The priest died on the spot, having received several stab wounds.
Despite the fact that the villain managed to escape from the crime scene, he was detained. By a court decision, he was declared insane and sent to a special closed medical institution. It is difficult to say whether he will ever realize what he has done.
Who are they, how did they come to the monastery?
While the investigation was ongoing, different versions were considered. It was also possible that the trail came from the world. During the investigation, it turned out that these were ordinary people who were not involved in crime. It’s just that at some point in time they realized that their place was in the monastery, and their purpose was in serving God. And yet, who are they, how did they come to the monastery?
After the tragedy, April 18 became the day of remembrance of the murdered monks in Optina Hermitage. For many years they have been commemorated daily during services. Pilgrims from all over Russia and even from abroad come to venerate their holy tombs.
Hieromonk Vasily (Roslyakov)
Hieromonk Vasily, in the world Igor Ivanovich Roslyakov, was thirty-two years old at the time of his death. He was born in Moscow, studied to be a journalist, but never worked a day in this field. His passion for sports led him to the USSR national water polo team and participated in international competitions. Because of his acquaintance and correspondence with a translator from Holland, he was banned from traveling abroad, accusing him of espionage.
This situation brought him to the temple. He continued to play sports at a professional level, but always strictly observed all fasts and regularly went to church. On the advice of Elder John (Krestyankin), he left the sport and went to Optina Pustyn.
In the monastery he performed various duties related to construction and cleaning of the territory, and performed the duties of a chronicler. After tonsure, the Lord revealed the talent of a preacher. He often visited prisoners in a nearby town.
Monk Trofim (Tatarnikov)
Monk Trofim, in the world Leonid Ivanovich Tatarnikov, was thirty-nine years old. A native of the Irkutsk region, a railway worker by training. For some time he worked in the Sakhalin fishery and went sailing. I became interested in photography while contemplating the beauty of the sea. He was a very multifaceted person. He was fond of dancing and was a member of the yacht club. The desire to do everything conscientiously led him to a shoemaker's workshop. Unfortunately, he did not stay there for long, otherwise his colleagues in the shop would have been left without work. I also had the opportunity to work as a cattleman and firefighter.
As a result, he gave up everything and went to the Altai Territory to visit a relative. In the year ninety he came to the desert with pilgrims and stayed. His obedience in the monastery was to work in a forge and on a farm. He masterfully drove a tractor and managed a hotel. He was blessed to be a bell ringer.
Monk Ferapont (Pushkarev)
Monk Ferapont was thirty-seven years old at the time of his death. Vladimir Leonidovich Pushkarev was born in the Novosibirsk region. After graduating from vocational school, he worked in the forestry enterprise and as a driver. Despite the fact that he was fond of karate, sang in a band and played the guitar, he really loved the silence of nature. It was this love of solitude and contemplation that led him to the profession of huntsman. For three years he lived as a recluse in the Khabarovsk Territory, then moved to Rostov-on-Don to live with his uncle. A woman who survived a terrible accident helped me think about God. Finding himself with a group of pilgrims in Optina Pustyn, he decided to devote the rest of his life to God.
He was a universal craftsman: he worked with wood, wove rosaries, and coped well with the duties of a bell-ringer. He could repair any thing, even something he saw for the first time in his life. He was also an excellent cook, and this talent of his was useful in the monastery refectory.
Ambulance from the Optina New Martyrs
The Optina new martyrs are intercessors before the Lord and our immediate helpers. Many who turned to them for help, one might say, received it instantly. Even non-believers, after traveling to the monastery and visiting their tombs, changed their worldview and came to faith. The assistance they provide to travelers or those simply on the road cannot be counted.
For inexplicable reasons, fuel appears in the car's tank so that there is enough to get home. The bus arrives when it shouldn't be on the schedule. They help in healing and send the right thoughts. Ambulance from the Optina New Martyrs will not keep you waiting long. Like all saints, they are always nearby.
Reading the biographies of those killed, one can perceive that they were completely ripe for life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, the Lord honored them with martyrdom on the Day of Holy Easter. Having finished their earthly journey, they continue to look after us from the Heavenly abode. How amazing and incomprehensible is the Creator’s providence! How empty and useless a life lived without God can be!
Optina Pustyn - a treasured place
Chapter VII. Three-numbered new martyrs
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit! Christ is Risen! The rite of the Easter funeral service for our three departed brethren – Hieromonk Vasily, Monk Trofim and Monk Ferapont – is approaching the end, brothers and sisters. The memory of Optina Pustyn preserves many funerals and farewells for its inhabitants. There are a lot of written memories of how, for example, the Optina elders were seen off on their last journey in Optina, which we can read about in the biographies of these ascetics of piety. But today something unusual, wonderful and wondrous is happening here. Those who inhabited Optina Pustyn and went to the Lord today bear different names. The Church canonized the Monk Ambrose, and now he is called the venerable and God-bearing Elder of Optina and the wonderworker of all Russia. We commemorate the rest of the elders with the title of blessedly deceased87. But we commemorate these three brothers with the title of those killed.
Every Christian who is well acquainted with the teachings of the Church knows that people do not die so easily on Easter, that there are no accidents in our lives, and to go to the Lord on the day of Holy Easter is a special honor and mercy from the Lord. From the day when these three brothers were killed, the bells of Optina Pustyn have been ringing in a special way. And he announces not only the victory of Christ over the Antichrist, but also that now the land of Optina Hermitage is abundantly watered not only with the sweat of ascetics and inhabitants, but also with the blood of the Optina brothers, and this blood is a special cover and evidence of the future history of Optina Hermitage. Now we know that there are special intercessors for us before the Throne of God.
The death of these three brothers is somewhat similar to the death of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The Lord was also innocently betrayed in the last days of His earthly life into the hands of villains and killed. And these three Optina brothers died at the hands of a murderer whom they did not know, before whom they were not guilty of anything, because the reason for this murder was satanic bitterness, for the devil is a murderer from the very beginning.
Monks cannot be praised during their lifetime. The Holy Fathers say that one cannot praise any person at all; one can only praise a person in a state of despondency. But now, when these three brothers appear before us here with their bodies, and their souls stand today, on the third day after their death, before the Throne of God, we can remember the good things that happened in their lives. We can remember very little, because we are much more comfortable noticing only each other’s vices and shortcomings and are little in line with the Christian dispensation, which requires us to look for positive traits in each other.
The first person we need to talk about is Hieromonk Vasily. He was already in the rank of priest, and it was difficult for him to hide those traits of piety and asceticism that he had internalized and internalized from the first days of his stay in the Optina Hermitage. Everyone who knew him can say that he came to lead a monastic life unfeignedly and never sought to be tonsured or ordained as quickly as possible, but thought about how to acquire the Holy Spirit in his heart. Those who lived next door to him or in the nearest cells can remember that at night through the plywood partition they could hear him reading the Psalter in a low voice, and although in order to bow, he put a padded jacket or a piece of felt on the floor , it was heard that he was saying the Jesus Prayer. He served in Optina Pustyn and in Moscow during the opening of the courtyard at first, which was the most difficult, the most difficult. And although there was a lot there that bent and relaxed internally, he remained unshakable. According to the testimony of his relatives and friends, he was the same in the world. Everyone who knew Father Vasily well somehow internally hoped that he would turn out to be a good priest, that he would turn out to be a real monk, whom they could turn to for advice and who would never leave him. But, apparently, one court is human, and the other is God’s court. And the Lord judged him to cross the path of this land in order to intercede for us there, in the unevening day of the Kingdom of God.
Monk Trofim worked in agriculture while still in civilian life, and here, in Optina Pustyn, great hopes were placed on him in setting up a subsidiary farm, and he justified these hopes. He was distinguished by simplicity, kindness, generosity and forgiveness. His kind blue eyes always shone with inner joy.
Monk Ferapont will remain in our memory as a modest, silent man, as a man who secretly performed the Pentecostal prayer every night with bows. While on general obedience, he worked where the monastery hierarchy assigned him.
But, brothers and sisters, any event should edify us in some way, especially the death of our three brothers. And here another teaching of the Church comes to mind. It is said that the Church cannot but bear fruit, cannot be a dead organism in which there are either those who are being saved, or there are none. And if Christians, and especially monks, live zealously, piously and ascetically, the Church of God enjoys peace and prosperity, but when this spiritual zeal weakens, then persecution, murder begin, and, as a rule, the best sons of the Church perish, for every sin is washed away with blood .
Today, from some lay people who are partly in touch with the life of monasticism, you can sometimes hear such words that today’s monks, at best, are just kind and good people, that for our monasticism, and even more so for Optina monasticism, one very important point is missing - not Enough asceticism. A monk cannot simply remain the person he was in the world; this title calls for more. The Monk Ambrose also said that the essence of monasticism is to raise vexation and reproach; one cannot live in a monastery coolly; it requires special zeal and zeal. And therefore, the death of these three brothers serves as a reproach for me personally, and as an edification for all of us. We all must very seriously reconsider our lives, think about how we correspond to the life of the Gospel, to what extent we correspond to the monastic title.
Now there are the days of Holy Easter, when it is forbidden to lament, grieve, even in the case of a funeral or funeral service. But still there is sorrow in our hearts, and the question arises: how can joy be combined with tears? But the Church answers that it is possible, and this happens not only in a situation like ours today. For example, the Church commands Christians to receive communion on the twelve feasts. But communion is preceded by confession, and confession and repentance are associated with repentance and sorrow for one’s own sins. That is, this happens in the Church when sadness is combined with joy. Very soon, brothers and sisters, at the end of the funeral service you will come up to say goodbye. The rite says that when approaching the deceased, we must say to him: “Christ is risen!” - and this expresses our faith that there is no more death on earth, that our life from the moment of the Resurrection of Christ has acquired an eternal meaning: if people die, then only for a while, until the Last Judgment of God.
We believe: these brethren have now piously inherited the lot of eternal blissful life, because even in relation to worldly persons, and even outside the Easter period, it is said that when killing a person, the killer takes all his sins onto his soul. Therefore, brothers and sisters, they went to the Lord, cleansing their human infirmities with innocently shed blood.
In the history of Optina Hermitage there was something similar on Easter. Even before the revolution, in old Optina, after the early Divine Liturgy, pilgrims rushed to the ferry crossing (there was no bridge over the Zhizdra at that time), the ferry had just set sail from the shore, and in order not to wait for it, the village youth decided to cross by boat. In the general bustle, the boat was overfilled beyond measure and, when they floated out to the middle of the river - and Zhizdra was then in flood - they capsized, the people fell into the cold, frozen water between the rushing ice floes and began to drown. And those of them who cried out: “Christ is risen!” - were saved, and the rest drowned. The mother of one young girl was very sad and came to the Optina elder, who forbade her to grieve for her daughter who died on the day of Holy Easter. And soon the daughter herself appeared to her and said: “Mom, don’t cry, we feel very good here, we are with the Lord.”
And today we are not so much sad as we are rejoicing, because these three brothers successfully began and successfully completed their monastic journey in life, and we address them with a joyful Easter greeting: “Christ is Risen!”
The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church
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Did the murdered monk Ferapont appear to the Tula pilgrims?
How near-church myths are born
Hegumen Ignatius (Dushein)
1. Guest from the sky or night traveler?
First came the film. The copyright of the film belongs to a certain Hierodeacon Abel, from the Tula region.
The film was an interview with a group of pilgrims from Tula, to whom a certain clergyman, who was later considered by them to be the murdered Optina monk Ferapont (Pushkarev), entered a bus parked near the gates of the Optina Pustyn monastery on April 18, 2003 at 4.20 am. Afterwards, leaflets with a corrected presentation of the “phenomenon” began to appear among Orthodox Christians.
Some activists in the dissemination of this information instill in people the idea that this “phenomenon” is almost the beginning of a new era, and that the instructions of the “appearing” are an indispensable guarantee of the salvation of the soul and the revival of Russia.
What do we see on the screen? Some moments of the film immediately raise questions in the attentive viewer and make him doubt that the one who entered the bus is exactly who some pilgrims later believed him to be.
1. On the night of April 18, 2003, the bus was full. In the film we see several people. What does this mean? Is it not that not all pilgrims share the point of view of the “activists”?
2. Immediately “straining” is the emotional agitation of women talking about the “phenomenon.” Unhealthy delight, almost hysterical excitement - can this state be trusted?
3. At 4.20 am in April it is almost completely dark. As you know, all monks are very similar to each other: beards, hoods, vestments - everything is almost the same. How were the pilgrims able to recognize someone whom they had never even seen in a photo before? Actually, the idea that “the one who appeared” – Fr. Ferapont brought them in much later.
4. It is known that Fr. Ferapont was a monk, he was neither a deacon nor a hieromonk. A priest appeared to the pilgrims with a golden (award) cross. Nowhere in the lives of the saints do we see that there is a posthumous ordination in heaven, therefore, it is necessary to immediately reject the idea that the priest who came on the bus - Fr. Ferapont. Recognizing the possibility of posthumous ordination is unacceptable modernism and does not fit into the Orthodox Patristic tradition.
5. The night monk himself, neither by word nor by hint, gave any reason to think that he was a guest from heaven. And the fact that he accepted gifts - pears, bananas, etc. – confirms his earthly address.
2. Additions to the Apocalypse.
This is what concerns the very fact of “phenomenon”. What did the night guest say?
In general, he didn't say anything terrible. First, the “priest” briefly outlined the life of Schema-nun Zipporah. How accurate is not of fundamental importance.
Then followed a heartfelt speech about the Mother of God - there was also nothing in it that could cause bewilderment.
Then came the prophecies: “Such a difficult time will come,” the monk continued, “it will be so difficult that all of Russia, all people will kneel before the Mother of God. Everyone will pray, ask for intercession and help. And before this event there will be a three-day fast, which no one knows. Everyone will kneel and repent. The Queen of Heaven herself will appear to us on the 3rd day of Lent at 10 pm. All evil spirits will fly away in one second, and Russia will light up. Light will spill on Russia, great grace will descend, and Russia will shine. It will be a very good life.”[1].
What is predicted?
1. Hard times (what kind of hardship is not said).
2. General repentance of the Russian people.
3. The appearance of the Mother of God on the third day of Lent (which is not clear) at 10 pm.
4. Instant enlightenment of Russia and “a very good life” (what good means is also not clear).
How realistic are these predictions, and how much are they in the spirit of the Orthodox tradition?
At the beginning they talk about a very difficult time. This is easy to believe. But the following statement is not entirely realistic: all of Russia, all people will kneel before the Mother of God. Alas, the prerequisites are not visible. In reality, about 2% of our population are Orthodox. Where do others get such conscious faith? The severity of the coming times lies precisely in the fact that faith is becoming impoverished and repentance disappears. Fewer and fewer people are potentially willing to kneel down and repent of their sins. By the way, the Apocalypse, describing the last convulsions of the world, not only does not speak about the repentance of people, on the contrary: “The other people who did not die from these plagues did not repent of the works of their hands, ... and they did not repent of their murders, nor of their sorceries their own, neither in their fornication, nor in their theft” (Rev. 9: 20-21); “... and they bit their tongues because of their suffering, and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their suffering and their plagues; and did not repent of their deeds” (Rev. 16; 11).
So, the prophecies of the Apocalypse do not give reason to believe in universal repentance in “hard times,” no matter how much one would like to.
There is no need to comment on the prediction about the appearance of the Mother of God on the 3rd day of Lent at 10 pm - there are no other sources with which it could be compared.
The meaning of the prophetic words is also unclear; all evil spirits will fly away in one second, and Russia will light up. Light will spill on Russia, great grace will descend, and Russia will shine. “Evil spirits” are understood here as something external, not related to people, but in fact it is in the soul of each of us. And in one moment of “enlightenment” it will not evaporate. To get rid of it from the heart is the work of a lifetime, otherwise you will have to abandon all the Holy Fathers-ascetics of the Church. This dream of the advent of paradise in one particular Russia is akin to Bolshevik utopias and chiliastic heresies.
Further, the monk commands to honor this coming appearance of the Mother of God with daily prayer work: “In memory of this event,” the monk emphasized, “pray on your knees every day to the Mother of God at 10 o’clock in the evening. She will appear at this very hour. And in order not to forget, have a small alarm clock with you, set for this evening time.
—Which icon should we pray to? - someone asked a question.
“Pray to the Sovereign Icon of the Mother of God for the salvation of Russia,” answered the monk. The pilgrims asked:
- What to read, how to pray? He replied:
- Repentantly. Whoever can. Or you can, as the ancient saints did: prostrate on the floor in a cross shape and pray in repentance (the spelling of the leaflet is Ig. Ignatius).
- What time to pray?
“The way you live,” he answered.”
3. Is the Gulag coming back?
Next is the monk, who, according to some pilgrims, is Fr. Ferapont, who came down from heaven, says: “But just recently, high officials from the FSB came to us... But you know what our elders are like! And before the power of the shrine they could not lie. Their lips said that persecution against us is ready, all the prisons are ready. Against their will, they began to tell us that everything on Solovki was prepared, everything was barred, and within two days it would be completely converted into a concentration camp and filled... if we do not pray and repent. Handcuffs and shackles are already ready for each of you. They're just waiting for the commands."
The propagandists of the “phenomenon” are not embarrassed by the fact that the monk from heaven says that high officials from the FSB came to us. Did the organs somehow make it to heaven? Or was the monk not from heaven, but from somewhere closer? More likely the second.
The essence of his words: you know what our elders are like! It is known that in Optina there is only one person who can be called an elder. The plural introduces fog into this issue. For what?
Further: everything is prepared on Solovki, everything is barred, and within two days it will be completely converted into a concentration camp. It’s not difficult to check information about Solovki: there is now a monastery there - you can call: is it really barred? But, firstly, this is disinformation, and secondly: there are enough prisons in Russia even without Solovki, is it worth worrying about this? If necessary, they will find somewhere to put him in prison, and there will be enough handcuffs for the whole country[2].
But the revelations of the night guest did not end there: “Don’t believe those who tell you that the end of the world is coming. More births will pass, and life on earth will still continue. The end of the world is not open to anyone.”
But if the end of the world is not revealed to anyone, then how does he know that more births will take place, and life on earth will still continue? After all, this is a direct indication of time! How can one not see this glaring contradiction?
4. A new word in linguistics and “spiritual racism”.
Next, the monk reveals his extensive knowledge of ancient languages: “Then he began to tell us about the holiness of Hebrew writing:
— Every letter of Hebrew writing is sacred. Initially, their roots go back to King David, they need to be kissed. The Jewish people have a very deep faith, from heaven to earth.”[3]
In addition to the unfair attribution of the history of the origin of the Hebrew language to the time of King David (interesting, what did Moses write the tablets on?), there is a most interesting statement about the holiness of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet themselves. It must be said that nowhere in Scripture or Patristic tradition will we find such a statement.
You can talk about the sanctity of the inspired text, but asserting the sanctity of the alphabet itself, which transmits it, is something new. It's not far from magic here. Is it possible that the guest is preaching Kabbalah?
“Two peoples,” continued the monk, “Jewish and Russian,” were not chosen by God by chance. The Jewish people are for their deep faith in God, and the Russian people are for their kind, broad soul. And the total result is the Cross,” continues the monk.
It should be noted that in Orthodox teaching there is no idea about the superiority of one or another people or, conversely, about the inferiority of any nation. Such statements sound incorrect in relation to other nations and preach a kind of spiritual racism.
If the chosen ones of God are only Jews and Russians, then who are the Greeks - our fathers in faith? Where, Georgians, Copts are the same blood of the saints. Antonia and Macaria, Serbs, Romanians, Bulgarians, etc.?
5. What was that?
“Well, now we are all in Easter joy! - the monk finished” - a statement for this day (and it was on the eve of Lazarus Saturday) is more than strange.
“And don’t believe that the world will end!” — the monk said as he got off the bus. Apparently, the Apostle John the Theologian was mistaken - a strange night visitor canceled the end of the world.
After that, getting off the bus, the monk disappeared - either he disappeared in the darkness, or disappeared into thin air - it is not clear, but the ground is ready for the myth. The conclusion of some pilgrims was made unequivocally - it was a celestial phenomenon. Later they were led to believe that the monk Ferapont had appeared.
What can be said about this “phenomenon”? Firstly, that this is not a case about which there is any need to seriously argue. It will not be a sin not to believe in this phenomenon, but if someone believes, there is nothing to worry about.
Personally, I am not going to follow the instruction to pray at 10 pm every day in memory of the appearance of the Mother of God predicted by the monk. But if someone prays, it won’t get worse.
Changing the symbol of faith and adjusting the Holy Tradition to the revelations of the “heavenly guest” is also not worth it.
What was it? Three options: A heavenly phenomenon, a demonic temptation, or a purely earthly matter - a man came to the light.
As for the possibility of a celestial phenomenon, the objections to this option are stated above.
In addition to what has been written, several Patristic quotations can be cited about the correct attitude even towards all sorts of phenomena.
6. Holy Fathers about the apparitions.
Here is what Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov writes about heavenly phenomena:
“Thus, Christian ascetic teachers command not to pay special attention to all phenomena that appear to the mental and physical senses: they command to observe prudent coldness and saving caution in all phenomena in general”[4].
What does it mean? That the less attention we pay to phenomena and miracles, even true ones, the better. We must work to cleanse our soul.
“Concerning voices and phenomena, even greater caution is needed: here the demonic charm is closer and more harmful. Many of the holy and skilled Fathers were deceived by demons, cunningly hiding and exposing their lies and darkness with ghosts of truth and light; the more conveniently they can be deceived now, and the more incomprehensible. It takes a long time and experience to accustom the mind and heart to distinguish good from evil, no matter under what guise evil may be disguised. Therefore, the Holy Fathers commanded that the novices should not entrust themselves to any voices and phenomena, but rejected them and did not accept them, leaving the matter to the court and the will of God, and for themselves they recognized humility as more necessary than any voice and phenomenon. The Voice of Christ is the Gospel; let us listen to him and obey him.”[5].
Extreme caution is needed in these matters. Even the most skilled made mistakes and died, what can we say about us!
7. Disease test.
And yet, I personally think that this “appearance” is neither heavenly nor demonic. It’s just that a certain monk (or even pretending to be one) got on the bus and said his private opinion on some issues. He was mistaken for a heavenly messenger - it happens.
Where does this set of information come from in your head? Anything can happen. I personally know a good, pious monk, by the way, who is simply mentally ill. I can very easily imagine him walking through the forest at night with a censer, saying nonsense to pilgrims, broadcasting about apparitions and miracles.
Actually, this very story of the “appearance” is an indicator of the unhealthyness of our church atmosphere, a morbid appetite for miracles and signs, and the absence of a solid foundation for genuine spiritual life.
Well, what difference does it make for us what time we pray? The main thing is to pray! Without horror stories about camps and handcuffs, can we really not even be brought to prayer?
8. Voice of Optina Pustyn.
What else should I add? Before publishing this article, I called Optina Pustyn. I was interested to know how the Optina residents themselves feel about the noise around the “phenomenon” and the “phenomenon” itself?
The abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Benedict, spoke unequivocally: “We honor our murdered brothers, many people come to their graves and receive help from the Lord through their prayers. But to this “phenomenon”, supposedly Fr. We all have a categorically negative attitude towards Ferapont, or rather, we do not consider this a true phenomenon. Unfortunately, our people are not yet able to recognize false miracles and phenomena. And statements about the Cross as the intersection of the “depth of the Jewish faith” and the “breadth of the Russian soul” are blasphemous. Be sure to write about this and our attitude to this hype.”
There is probably nothing more to add to this topic. We can only hope that the noise will subside, and people alarmed by the “miracle” will concentrate their attention on what, unlike all “miracles,” is of serious importance for their souls: on the daily work of cleansing their own hearts.
[1] Quote from an unnamed leaflet distributed in Obninsk.
[2] By the way, the Solovetsky camp is still the first experience, childish pranks of the Soviet regime compared to the nightmare that began about ten years after the closure of SLON.
[3] Those who have read the books of the Old Testament may have a different opinion about the depth of faith of this people.
[4] Saint Ingaty Brianchaninov T.2 Page. 16-17.
[5] Saint Ingaty Brianchaninov. Letter 129 (221, 59).
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Akathist to the venerable martyrs of Optina, who were killed on Easter, Basil, Trophimus and Ferapont
Kontakion 1
To those chosen by God and who received the crown of martyrdom, who with their blood sealed fidelity to Christ our Master, to you, oh venerable sufferers of Optina, as our daring representatives before the Throne of God, now offering earnest prayer , with inexpressible joy we cry: Rejoice, venerable martyrs Optinstia, Basil, Trophime and Feraponte, quick intercessors for all who flow to you with faith.
Ikos 1
The ranks of Angels have glorified the One in the Holy Trinity, the Life-Giver of our God, seeing the unearthly service prepared for you, but we, rejoicing at God’s wondrous look upon you, will exclaim to the Lord: Rejoice, you who have counted the treasures of the world as nothing.
Rejoice, you who have loved the Lord Christ with all your soul. Rejoice, you who left your relatives for His sake and came to the Optina monastery, Rejoice, you who undertook the feat of humility. Rejoice, you who have acquired silence and meekness in your hearts. Rejoice, fragrant flowers of the garden of Christ. Rejoice, venerable martyrs Optinstia, Basil, Trophima and Feraponte, quick intercessors for all who flow to you with faith. Kontakion 2
The Lord saw the disposition of your hearts to bear with joy the good yoke of Christ, and from your youth he kept you in piety and purity.
Teach us also to guard our hearts and sing praises to God; Alleluia. Ikos 2
You were richly endowed with reason from above, Our Father Violence, Optina praise, even before the time of entering the monastery, you rejected the works of sophisticated writers, and you strove for the Divine Scripture, so also enlighten us, crying out to you like this: Rejoice, thou who was named Igor at birth , imitating the holy Prince Igor of Chernigov in faith and piety.
Rejoice, like that one, he was a diligent reader of spiritual books and learned in singing. Rejoice, you were named in monastic tonsure in honor of St. Basil the Great. Rejoice, through his prayers you received the gift of writing Divine hymns. Rejoice, thou who hast perceived the angelic image with the name of St. Basil. Rejoice, like him, all the red of the world taught to reject their souls. Rejoice, venerable martyrs Optinstia, Basil, Trophima and Feraponte, quick intercessors for all who flow to you with faith. Kontakion 3
The Heavenly Powers marveled at how God gathered you, holy fathers, from different cities to Great Optina, in order to glorify you in the ranks of the three-numbered martyrs, united forever;
We cannot comprehend the depth of His Providence; let us sing to Him: Alleluia. Ikos Z
Your parents, Father Trophime, have thoughts of bewilderment and despair, hearing your two-year-old, incessant cry at birth.
When you were baptized in the temple of God, a miracle happened: your cry ceased at that very hour, and your infant heart was filled with joy. Deliver us also from despondency, who say to you: Rejoice, while you were in the world, you endured tossing and mental torment until you found God. Rejoice, on the day of Alexy, the Man of God born, the true servant of God appeared. Rejoice, upon your coming to Optina Pustyn, having defeated the enemy’s temptations, you firmly decided not to retreat from the shrine. Rejoice, in monasticism you were called Trophim, you appeared to be a zealous pet of the Optina Elders. Rejoice, you drove away sadness from people’s hearts. Rejoice, having been a great faster, having managed to hide this from everyone. Rejoice, venerable martyrs Optinstia, Basil, Trophima and Feraponte, quick intercessors for all who flow to you with faith. Kontakion 4
A storm of bewilderment struck your relatives when they learned about your unshakable desire to serve the Lord in the monastic rite.
You, remembering the words of the Hero of Christ: “Everyone who puts his hand on his forehead and looks back is unworthy for the Kingdom of God,” - in response to all their admonitions, with an enlightened heart you sang to God: Alleluia. Ikos 4
Hearing the call of the Lord, holy Father Feraponte resolutely said to those he knew: “You will not see me on this earth again until I am forgiven by God.”
We, honoring the power of your faith, bless you: Rejoice, you were skilled in many crafts, but out of humility you hid these things. Rejoice, you were revered as a skilled warrior in the army of the earth, you became a courageous warrior of the Heavenly King. Rejoice, great one of prayer, you incessantly called upon the Sweetest Jesus. Rejoice, you have actually fulfilled the instructions of the holy fathers about repentance. Rejoice, in the feat of night prayers you mortified the flesh. Rejoice, you always kept your eyes down. Rejoice, venerable martyrs Optinstia, Basil, Trophima and Feraponte, quick intercessors for all who flow to you with faith. Kontakion 5
The new martyrs Optinstia, Basil, Trophima and Feraponte became like the God-bearing star of nature, when they understood the decay and vanity of this world, and placed their entire trust in the Lord of their Lord Jesus Christ, and we will praise Him with a divine song;
Alleluia. Rejoice, for two of you, like skilled bell ringers, tirelessly glorified the Creator of the Universe. Rejoice, for the third time you offered the Bloodless Sacrifice with the greatest reverence in the holy altar. Rejoice, you who have aroused the envy of the enemy for your unceasing heartfelt prayer. Rejoice, you who have exhausted your body with fasting and vigil; Rejoice, you who have kept the vows of chastity and obedience. Rejoice, you who have shown love and mercy to your neighbors. Rejoice, venerable martyrs Optinstia, Basil, Trophima and Feraponte, quick intercessors for all who flow to you with faith. Kontakion 6
The preachers of the commandments of the Gospel were natural, fulfilling them in practice.
They saw the image of Christ in their neighbors and sought to ease people’s sorrows by righteously singing to the Most Holy Trinity: Alleluia. Ikos 6
The venerables Vasily, Trophime and Feraponte shone like bright stars among the holy saints of God, always having the Pascha of Christ in their souls, and illuminating everyone around with its blessed rays.
Ask us for this Paschal joy, who proclaim it to you; Rejoice, you who graciously accepted various reproaches. Rejoice, you who never held a grudge against anyone. Rejoice, you who were worthy of the gift of clairvoyance for your purity, Rejoice, you who did not condemn anyone by the grace of God. Rejoice, you who have gained peace and silence in your souls. Rejoice, you who kindled the hearts of people for salvation with your zeal for God. Rejoice, venerable martyrs Optinstia, Basil, Trophima and Feraponte, quick intercessors for all who flow to you with faith. Kontakion 7
Our blessed fathers naturally had one desire, to please the Lord, thereby they were obedient in everything to the monastery authorities, understanding that through them the will of God was being done, and they also prepared their souls for the Kingdom of Heaven, where now with the Angels and all the saints you cry out to God : Alleluia.
Ikos 7
A new and glorious miracle was performed according to your faith, Father Trophima, when every Easter you broke your fast with last year’s egg, which was the freshest.
You, marvelous Vasily and Feraponte, had the same unshakable faith; strengthen it with it and us, who exclaim like this: Rejoice, great patience. Rejoice, you who have directed all your thoughts to the Mountainous Fatherland. Rejoice, you who have achieved eternal bliss, Rejoice, you who have cut off all sorts of attachments. Rejoice, you who have loved the splendor of the house of God. Rejoice, you have made your garments white with your blood. Rejoice, reverend martyrs Optinstia, Basil, Trophima and Feraponte, quick intercessors for all who flow to you with faith. Kontakion 8
It was strange to see and hear various signs foreshadowing a terrible test for the Optina Hermitage, the foreigners of which sing to God day and night: Alleluia.
Ikos 8
Withdrew completely into yourself, Father Basil, saying the Jesus Prayer, and everyone who met you thought that they were seeing an angel, so you were quiet.
Your faces, Trophime and Feraponte’s wonderful ones, were already illuminated with an unearthly light. We, understanding this, cry out with trepidation: Rejoice, you who smelled the fragrance of alien villages, Rejoice, you who felt the breath of eternity. Rejoice, you who have lived your lives righteously. Rejoice, you who showed us the image of selflessness. Rejoice, as wise virgins who have met the Bridegroom Christ. Rejoice, you who have entered the Kingdom of Heaven without restraint. Rejoice, venerable martyrs Optinstia, Vasily, Trophime Feraponte, quick intercessors for all who flow to you with faith. Kontakion 9
All the monks and reverent pilgrims naturally wept when they learned about your murder, but you, staying under the cover of your obediences, sang to God until your last breath: Alleluia.
Ikos 9
Human violence falls silent from the horror of what has been done, when the bloody murderer, insolently, despising the Feast of Holy Easter, raised his hand against you, holy fathers, staining the dagger with your righteous blood;
We will joyfully cry out through our tears: Rejoice, you who gave up your souls to God at Easter to the sound of bells. Rejoice, you who have accomplished a good deed. Rejoice, the monks are praised. Rejoice, you have kept the prayer on your lips and in your heart to the end. Rejoice, you who have abundantly watered the land of Optina with your blood. Rejoice, those who dissolved the cry for you with the joy of Easter. Rejoice, venerable martyrs Optinstia, Basil, Trophima and Feraponte, quick intercessors for all who flow to you with faith. Kontakion 10
Having purified your souls through the saving feats of vigil, fasting and prayer, you were mysteriously notified from the Lord about your imminent departure from the mortal world.
Thinking about this, you cried out to the Heavenly Father: Alleluia. Ikos 10
The fiery dawn rose over Optina, when your holy blood reached Heaven like precious beads.
Remembering this unprecedented phenomenon, people exclaim to you with reverence: Rejoice, three-numbered sacrifice, pleasing to God. Rejoice, you who through your wondrous death moved many young men and women to monasticism. Rejoice, you who made the Angels glad. Rejoice, you who have put to shame the hordes of demons. Rejoice, you who have drunk the cup of suffering to the dregs. Rejoice, for the ordeal has passed by lightning. Rejoice, venerable martyrs Optinstia, Basil, Trophima and Feraponte, quick intercessors for all who flow to you with faith. Kontakion 11
The Easter chant sounded at the burial of you, Saints Basil, Trophimus and Ferapont, and the words of Saint John Chrysostom filled the souls with triumph: “death, where is your sting;
hell, where is your victory? And the Christians sang to God in delight: Alleluia. Ikos 11
There was light in the hearts of the faithful, although your loss is irreplaceable.
Remembering that it is a great honor for those who love God to go to Him on Easter, and a double honor to suffer for Him on this day, we will all glorify you by saying this: Rejoice, faithful servants of Christ. Rejoice, your memory endures forever. Rejoice, you who give gracious help and speedy healing. Rejoice, you who have converted your relatives to the faith. Rejoice, you who teach us fervent prayer. Rejoice, you who quietly console in sorrows and misfortunes. Rejoice, venerable martyrs Optinstia, Basil, Trophima and Feraponte, quick intercessors for all who flow to you with faith. Kontakion 12
Ask us for the gift of grace and strong and undoubted faith from the Almighty Christ, blessed Basil, Trophime and Feraponte, for He conveniently bows to your prayer;
and may we be honored through your intercession to enter the Imperishable Palace, where now you and all the saints glorify God with a victorious song: Alleluia. Ikos 12
Singing with love your life and long-suffering death, we loudly cry out to you: Rejoice, true novices, who never grumbled about obedience.
Rejoice, you who laid down your souls for your neighbors. Rejoice, lovers of God and brotherly lovers of all sincerity. Rejoice, you who lived a monastic life in simplicity. Rejoice, you who have condescended to human weaknesses. Rejoice, you who have never rejected anyone. Rejoice, venerable martyrs Optinstia, Vasily, Trophime and Feraponte, quick intercessors for all who flow to you with faith Kontakion 13
O holy and immaculate venerable martyrs Optinstia, Vasily, Trophime and Feraponte!
Hear this prayer and our sighing, and ask the Heavenly King for us humility, obedience, constant remembrance of death and forgiveness of our sins; May your prayers lead us into the joy of our Lord Jesus Christ, where together with you we will be worthy to sing to Him: Hallelujah. (This kontakion is read three times, then the 1st ikos and the 1st kontakion.) Prayer to the holy venerable martyrs of Optina, killed on Easter, Basil, Trophimus and Ferapont
O venerable and ever-memorable martyrs for Christ, our Savior, venerable fathers of Optina: Basil, Trophimus and Feraponte! Hear this prayer of ours, O wonderful sufferers who are now beholding the Most Holy Trinity! Ask us from the Lord Almighty for patience and gracious reinforcement in various sorrows and illnesses, quenching of passions, peace and silence for our hearts. For the Lord soon bows to our intercession, before Whom your martyr’s blood shines like a scattering of diamonds and smells more fragrant than incense. She, saints of God, favorites of Christ, do not abandon us, but always guide us on the true path. And may the spirit of Antichrist not enter into us through your prayers during the days of fierce trials. And may your prayers be worthy of ushering us into the Imperishable Halls of the Kingdom of Heaven, where together with you we will glorify and sing the honorable and magnificent name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen
