This saint foresaw the future course of events in world history and saw into the very depths of human souls. He arranged human destinies and had such power to “decide and bind” that he could even make decisions about the timing of not only healing, but also death. There is a huge amount of evidence that, through the prayers of the elder, people recovered from incurable diseases. To this day, an inexhaustible stream of pilgrims from various parts of our planet reaches out to the elder’s grave.
The external history of the life of Elder Seraphim is not replete with many events. It is divided into three stages:
- the period before tonsure as a monk,
– life in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra,
- the time of eldership in Vyritsa until his blessed death.
Prophetic and Spiritual Poems
Saint Seraphim was distinguished by the great insight that God sent down to him. He could clearly see the destinies of people and predict what awaited the country and the church. One of the greatest evidence of his insight was a poem written by the elder in 1939. It sounds like this:
In the recordings of one of Seraphim Vyritsky’s admirers, the last lines have been preserved, which sound somewhat different from the original. These lines look like this:
This prophetic poem of the elder had very great power. It was passed on by word of mouth for a long time. The rhymed lines of Seraphim also ended up in places where exiles and arrested people were sent.
Many church devotees and martyrs sang it repeatedly to strengthen themselves in their faith. Singing helped strengthen the hope that spiritual life would soon be revived.
The elder also said that over time the lines of this poem will change. He claimed that in the future the first line would read “A thunderstorm passed over the Russian land.”
However, this is not the only spiritual verse written by Seraphim Vyritsky. Another one has survived, which came out from under the elder’s hand in 1946. His lines go like this:
The lines of this poem show how great was the faith of the elder - the great prophet of the church and prayer book, who sincerely grieved for all the hardships of his country and people. The reading of this poem by many righteous people strengthened their faith, gave them strength and hope for a bright future.
Prophecies of Seraphim Vyritsky
Vyritsa is a wonderful village located on the banks of the Oredezha River south of St. Petersburg.
It was once part of the Wittgenstein estates, then it became a favorite summer cottage for St. Petersburg residents. The writer and philosopher Vasily Vasilyevich Rozanov loved to relax here. Paleontologist and philosopher Ivan Efremov was born here. Here the great prayer book and mourner of the Russian land, Elder Seraphim, spent the last nineteen years of his life, canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000. In the world his name was Vasily Nikolaevich Muravyov. He was born on March 31, 1866 in the village of Vakhromeevo, Arefinsky volost, Rybinsk district, Yaroslavl province, into the family of pious Orthodox Christians Nikolai Ivanovich Muravyov and his wife Khionia Alimpevna. Since childhood, Vasily showed remarkable abilities - he independently learned to read and write and mathematics. His first books were the Gospel and the Psalter, the lives of the saints. The role models for the future are the desert hermits Macarius the Great, Mary of Egypt, Pachomius the Great, Paul of Thebes, and Anthony the Great.
The Muravyovs often traveled to the holy places of Russia, and everywhere the young man sought to see the life he dreamed of by reading hagiographic literature.
After the premature death of his father, Vasily took upon himself the burden of caring for the family. In St. Petersburg, he got a job as a delivery boy in one of the Gostiny Dvor shops, worked diligently and sent almost all the money to his family. He dreamed of a monastic feat, but this dream was destined to come true only forty years later. The young businessman often traveled from the northern capital to the capital and always visited the Gethsemane monastery of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, where Elder Barnabas (Merkulov), who became his spiritual father, lived. In 1890, with the blessing of the elder, Vasily Muravyov got married. He was destined to live with Olga Ivanovna for thirty years.
Soon, twenty-six-year-old Vasily Nikolaevich opened his own business - a fur trading office. And very quickly he became one of the five main fur traders in St. Petersburg. At the same time, his family observed the strictest, almost monastic rules of Orthodox life! Does this happen among modern businessmen?..
God gave the Muravyovs a son, Nikolai, then a daughter, Olga, but when Olga died in infancy, Vasily Nikolaevich and Olga Ivanovna decided from now on to live as brother and sister, in a kind of secret monasticism.
The Muravyovs celebrated all Orthodox holidays in their own way: they set rich tables at their place and invited the poor to a meal. The fur trader Muravyov generously donated gifts to monasteries and churches, almshouses and hospitals.
The glorification of Seraphim of Sarov made a special impression on Vasily Nikolaevich. He had long revered Elder Seraphim; moreover, he came from a merchant family and in his youth was also engaged in trade.
The spiritual father of the Muravyovs, Elder Varnava, died in 1906 and before his death he gave the couple the blessing to eventually take monastic vows. At the same time, Vasily Muravyov’s friendship began with Archimandrite Veniamin (Kazansky), the future Metropolitan of Petrograd Gdov, hieromartyr. He became the spiritual mentor of Vasily Nikolaevich.
After the revolution of 1917, Muravyov lost his entire fortune and all his enterprises. He lost it voluntarily, realizing that everything would soon be taken away. He distributed what he had acquired to the monasteries - the Holy Dormition Pyukhtitsa, Iversko-Vyksa, St. Petersburg Novodevichy, Iversky, and Alexander Nevsky Lavra. The family was hiding in a two-story house in the village of Tyarlevo, located between Tsarskoe Selo and Pavlovsk. Vasily Nikolaevich and Olga Ivanovna understood: the time had come to fulfill the behest of Elder Barnabas. In the fall of 1920, with the blessing of Bishop Veniamin, the Muravyov couple took monastic vows. Vasily Nikolaevich became monk Barnabas in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, and Olga Ivanovna became nun Christina in the Resurrection Novodevichy Convent in Petrograd.
Soon Brother Barnabas was ordained as a hierodeacon, putting him in charge of the cemetery office. At this time, murders did not stop in Russia, terror brought its victims to the cemetery every day, and the monk Varnava was destined to constantly see the grief of the relatives and friends of these people. It fell to him to become a comforter for them.
On September 11, 1921, Metropolitan Benjamin elevated him to the rank of hieromonk. His knowledge of commerce came in handy now in his position as a candle maker of the Lavra - after all, he had to become the manager of all the funds of the monastery.
The next year brought special sorrow - Bishop Benjamin, the best friend of Hieromonk Barnabas, suffered martyrdom from the Bolsheviks. Barnabas himself was preparing for imminent reprisals. The time was such that arrest was expected every minute. But the man of God always maintained an imperturbable calm. He repeated that everything is given to humanity according to its sins, and one must not grumble at the will of God.
At the turn of 1926-1927. he accepted the great schema and, at sixty years old, henceforth became Seraphim in honor of Seraphim of Sarov. From this time on, he became more and more known among the Orthodox people as a good adviser and comforter. Laymen, priests, and monks came to him for spiritual nourishment. There were cases when he confessed to people for a whole day, or even more. Among the spiritual sons of Elder Seraphim was the one who tonsured him into monasticism - Archimandrite Nikolai (Yarushevich), who was destined to become Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia in 1941. Seraphim also became the confessor of Archbishop Alexy (Simansky) of Khutyn, the future Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy I.
“Try to protect yourself from snares placed outside and inside a person and covered in every possible way with the semblance of truth. They are easily recognized by the fact that they deprive the soul of a peaceful dispensation. Where there is no peace, there are the machinations of the enemy of salvation. From Christ come truth and holy humility. The peace of Christ is a witness to the truth.”
This is how Elder Seraphim taught his spiritual followers: “No matter how much we run from God, we still won’t go anywhere! Let us beg the Lord to keep us faithful to the Holy Orthodox Church.”
Since the late 20s. The gift of healing began to manifest itself in Elder Seraphim. Cases were passed down from mouth to mouth when he, having anointed a sick person with lamp oil, cured him of his ailments. One day they brought a woman to the priest who could not enter the church - she began to shake so much that she could not even raise her hand to make the sign of the cross. Father Seraphim said: “Let’s pray together,” he led the demoniac to the icons, made her kneel, and stood next to her. After praying, he anointed her forehead with oil from the lamp. The unfortunate woman began to writhe, her screams began to sound like a dog barking. The elder covered her with an epitrachelion and read prayers for a long time until the patient calmed down. From that time on, the demonic possession ended, and the healed woman completely forgot about her recent obsession.
Many other cases of healing through the prayers of the elder are known. And every time he demanded that they thank not him, but Seraphim of Sarov, for with his help these miracles are performed.
One of the most famous prophecies of Elder Seraphim is dedicated to Russia: “Now the time has come for repentance and confession.
The Lord Himself has determined punishment for the Russian people for their sins, and until the Lord Himself has mercy on Russia, it makes no sense to go against His holy will. A gloomy night will cover the Russian land for a long time, a lot of suffering and sorrow awaits us ahead.
Therefore, the Lord teaches us: “Through your patience save your souls” (Luke 21:19). We can only trust in God and beg Him for forgiveness.”
A thunderstorm will pass over the Russian land, the Lord will forgive the sins of the Russian people. And the holy cross with divine beauty will shine brightly again on the temples of God.
And the ringing of bells will awaken all of our Holy Rus' from sinful sleep to salvation, holy abodes will be opened again, and faith in God will unite everyone.
He wrote these poems in 1939.
Having reached the age of 64, Elder Seraphim began to get sick - intercostal neuralgia, rheumatism, blockage of the veins in the legs, congestion in the lungs and heart failure. Doctors advised me to change my place of residence and recommended moving to Vyritsa, a climatic resort. Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov), who in the world had the profession of a doctor, familiarized himself with the conclusion of the medical commission and immediately blessed the move. The humble confessor of the Lavra could only accept this as obedience. Together with him in 1930, his ex-wife, now schema-nun Seraphima, and granddaughter Margarita, who became a novice of the Resurrection Novodevichy Convent, went to Vyritsa.
Since the move, Elder Seraphim stopped seeing doctors, perceiving his ailments as a necessary test, although he experienced severe suffering from blockage of the veins - his legs hurt and sometimes became paralyzed. But he said: “Illness is a school of humility, where you truly know your weakness...” One involuntarily recalls “Selected Passages from Correspondence with Friends” by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, his article on illnesses: “Oh! How we need ailments!.. Not to mention the fact that health itself, which constantly pushes a Russian person to make some kind of leaps and the desire to show off his qualities in front of others, would have forced me to do a thousand stupid things... If it weren’t for such painful suffering, where would I wouldn't get carried away now! What a significant person you imagine yourself to be!.. So you, too, humbly accept any illness, believing in advance that it is needed. Pray to God only that its wonderful meaning and the full depth of its lofty meaning may be revealed to you.”
One of the constant teachings of Elder Seraphim was that there is no need to ask God for anything other than fulfilling the will of the Most High, for the Lord himself knows what to send down to us.
Archbishop of Peterhof Nikolai (Yarushevich) was a regular visitor to Vyritsa. By the beginning of the 40s. he headed the Ukrainian Church, became Archbishop of Volyn and Lutsk, and then Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia. It’s hard to imagine, but in 1941 there were only four metropolitans left - the Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna Sergius (Stragorodsky), Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod Alexy (Simansky), Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia Nikolai (Yarushevich) and Metropolitan of Vilna and Lithuania Sergius (Voskresensky ), and the latter, after the Germans occupied Riga, ended up in occupied territory.
Be that as it may, Vladyka Nikolai considered Stalin a great leader capable of leading the country to victory over fascism. In 1944, he wrote: “In our leader, believers together with the whole country know the greatest of the people our country has produced, who united in his person all the qualities of our Russian heroes and great commanders of the past mentioned above; they see the embodiment of all that is best and bright, which constitutes the sacred spiritual heritage of the Russian people, bequeathed by their ancestors: in it, fiery love for the Motherland and people, the deepest wisdom, the strength of a courageous, unshakable spirit and a fatherly heart were inextricably combined into a single image. Like a military leader, he merged brilliant military skill with the strongest will to win... The name of Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, surrounded by the greatest love of all the peoples of our country, is the banner of glory, prosperity, and greatness of our Motherland.” Probably, Vladyka Nikolai instilled this confidence in Elder Seraphim. And during the war, while under occupation, the Vyritsa elder did not cease to encourage people with assurances that the enemy would be defeated and victory would be ours.
It is common to be surprised that throughout his entire life, Seraphim Vyritsky was never repressed, was not arrested, beaten, or ended up in a camp. But in the first year of the war, Elder Seraphim suffered great grief - the Bolsheviks killed his son! And this is worse than any repression! There is nothing more terrible for a loving parent than the death of his children.
Nikolai Vasilyevich Muravyov was born in 1895. As a student at the Faculty of Law at St. Petersburg University, in 1914, as a true patriot, he volunteered to go to war, served in an aviation company, and was shell-shocked. The hardest blow for my father was that Nicholas deliberately converted from Orthodoxy to Catholicism. As a result, his life turned out somehow absurdly - he tried to go to Yudenich, failed, and began to serve in the Red Army. He got married and had a daughter, Margarita, but the marriage broke up. I wanted to run abroad, but fell in love with a pop artist. As a result, he stayed in Russia and married again. Then a daughter, Olga, was born, but this marriage soon broke up. Nikolai was arrested on a fabricated case, and his artist wife left with her daughter Olga for another artist. After his release, Nikolai married for the third time and had a son, Alexander. The wife and son settled in Vyritsa not far from the house where Father Seraphim lived with Mother Seraphim and Nikolai’s first daughter, Margarita... And Nikolai got himself a fourth wife, with whom he lived illegally; she bore him a son, named Ermingeld in Catholicism. It is amazing that, being the son of such a luminary of Orthodoxy, Nikolai Vasilyevich remained a convinced Catholic! In January 1941, when he decided to visit his legal family, Nikolai was arrested. And those close to him knew nothing about his future fate. And he was shot in Yekaterinburg (Sverdlovsk) on September 4, 1941. A man who could again defend his Fatherland. After all, he was only 46 years old.
Nicholas's family remained living in Vyritsa under Elder Seraphim. His granddaughter Margarita, a strong-willed and brave girl, became his real assistant. More than once she blocked the way for uninvited guests, unwanted visitors. Once she told the security officers: “I won’t let you in!”, and they did not dare to use force against her. But Margarita immediately distinguished those who really needed her grandfather’s support.
Everyone who came to Vyritsa was surprised by the peculiar manner of Elder Seraphim’s communication with people. He loved to kiss, hug, stroke a person, touch him with his forehead, that is, he behaved the way we usually behave with children, especially when they need to be consoled.
Others brought him donations, which he then transferred either to the Pyukhtitsa Monastery or to the Kazan Church of Vyritsa.
“How will I look before the Lord if I keep the money for myself! - he said. - If you have a ruble in your wallet, give it to the poor, leaving a penny for yourself, and you will never have money transferred. Let's do it without regret, then God will reward you! If you regret and grumble, you will lose the latter..."
The memories of people have left us evidence of the great asceticism that Elder Seraphim Vyritsky imposed upon himself. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays he ate nothing at all; on other days he drank tea with bread or ate one potato and a little grated carrot, and sometimes he was content with only prosphora and water. The priests of the Kazan Church came daily to give him communion. .
Among the visitors to Vyritsa there were many world-famous scientists. Contrary to Soviet propaganda, which presented, for example, Academician Pavlov as a complete atheist, Ivan Petrovich remained a deeply religious person until the end of his days. He was terribly worried about the destruction of temples and tried to fight against it in a somewhat naive way, which seemed cunning to him: Pavlov assured the Bolsheviks that after some time scientists would prove that there is no God, and then it would be possible to destroy temples. He hoped thereby to gain time, and then, lo and behold, times would change. So, Ivan Petrovich was a regular guest of Seraphim, including coming to Vyritsa.
Other luminaries of science also came to him - academician of astronomy Sergei Pavlovich Glazenap, professor of pharmacology Mikhail Ivanovich Gramenitsky, professor-homeopath Sergei Serapionovich Favorsky, academician Vladimir Aleksandrovich Fok, known for his works in the field of quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity, academician of biology Leon Abgarovich Orbeli.
There were other visitors too. The security officers came to Vyritsa several times, and once with the clear intention of arresting the elder. But Seraphim “tamed” them in his own way - he affectionately addressed the chief security officer by name, and he, struck by the light of the elder’s eyes, abandoned his intention to make an arrest.
Until the end of his days, Elder Seraphim did not stop performing miracles of healing. Through his prayers, people were even healed from blindness and mental insanity. He healed, as we have already noted, those possessed by demons.
In the fall of 1941, the Germans occupied Vyritsa. From that time on, the elder began to pray with even greater zeal for the salvation of Russia, standing for many hours on the stone, like Seraphim of Sarov. According to the grandchildren’s recollections, “in the garden, behind the house, about fifty meters away, a granite boulder protruded from the ground, in front of which a small apple tree grew. It was on this stone that Fr. raised his petitions to the Lord. Seraphim. They led him by the arms to the place of prayer, and sometimes they simply carried him. An icon was fixed on the apple tree, and grandfather stood with his sore knees on the stone and stretched out his hands to the sky... What did it cost him! Apparently, the Lord Himself helped him, but it was impossible to look at all this without tears. We repeatedly begged him to leave this feat - after all, it was possible to pray in the cell, but in this case he was merciless both to himself and to us.”
Romanian soldiers were stationed in Vyritsa, subordinate to German officers. One day the Germans came to talk to Father Seraphim. When he was a merchant, he had a lot of dealings with Germans and Austrians, spoke excellent German and willingly agreed to talk.
And just as in the Time of Troubles the Monk Irinarch of Rostov predicted the imminent death of the Poles who came to him, so Elder Seraphim boldly declared to the German captain, who asked whether he would soon march along Palace Square: “This will never happen.”
Moreover, he predicted the death of the captain himself, saying that, hastily retreating under the onslaught of the Russian army, he would lay down his head near Warsaw. In 1980, a Romanian officer who served under this captain would come to Vyritsa to bow to the grave of Elder Seraphim and tell him that the elder’s prediction had completely come true.
As soon as Vyritsa was liberated from the Nazis, Metropolitan Alexy (Simansky) came to visit Elder Seraphim, and he predicted his imminent patriarchate. And so it happened: on February 2, 1945, he became the new Patriarch, Alexy I.
In the same victorious year of 1945, his faithful wife, schema-nun Seraphima (Olga Ivanovna Muravyova), died. The elder bequeathed to bury himself next to her. It was an amazing Christian marriage, similar to the marriage of the holy righteous Peter and Fevronia. They loved each other, gave birth to children, then took monastic vows and spent the rest of their lives together as brother and sister...
In recent years, the elder almost never got out of bed, so much did his illness overcome him. On April 3, 1949, with the words “Save, Lord, and have mercy on the whole world,” he passed into eternal life, leaving the temporary earthly vale. During the funeral service, one of the four students of theological schools who were honored to stand at the tomb of the great elder was Alexei Ridiger - the future His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II. And half a century later, during his Patriarchate, in 2000, Elder Seraphim Vyritsky was canonized as a saint of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Among the prophecies of Elder Seraphim there are also ones about future times, which seem to be already approaching:
“The time will come when not persecution, but money and the charms of this world will turn people away from God and many more souls will perish than during the times of open fight against God. On the one hand, they will erect crosses and gild domes, and on the other, the kingdom of lies and evil will come.”
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, at the celebrations dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the death of Elder Seraphim, said this about him: “Fateful events in the life of our family always took place with the blessing of Seraphim Vyritsky, so the memory of the saint is always kept in our family. I always prayed to him in difficult moments of my life. Why did St. Seraphim Vyritsky become a saint? Why do so many come to his grave? Because he corrected people with a spirit of meekness.”
The blossoming of spirituality
Seraphim Vyritsky, like any holy righteous man, was concerned about what awaited the church in the future. And God, through his visions and prophecies, made it possible to know how the church would develop over time.
One of the most famous prophecies about the church is his statement to his spiritual son regarding the future. The elder led the young man to the window and showed him the Gulf of Finland, along which many ships sailed, with the flags of many countries flying. Seraphim explained that spirituality is expected to flourish in the coming times. Temples and monasteries will be opened throughout Russia. He said that at this time even non-believers will sail to Russia on such ships to be baptized. However, such a flourishing will last no more than 15 years, after which the Antichrist will come to the world.
However, the gift of foresight revealed to the elder not only these events in the life of the church. He argued that in due time Russia would experience the procession from the Kazan Cathedral to the Lavra. And this prophecy of Seraphim of Vyritsky came true, since many believers remembered for a long time the Procession of the Cross, during which the newfound relics of Saint Seraphim of Sarov were transferred from the Kazan Cathedral to the Lavra.
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One day, the spiritual son asked the elder Hieromonk Seraphim Vyritsky (in the world Vasily Nikolaevich Muravyov) a question about the future of Russia. “The time will come,” he replied, “when there will be extraordinary prosperity in Russia. Many churches and monasteries will open, even foreigners will come to us to be baptized. But this won’t last for long, about 15 years, then the Antichrist will come.” In 1920, Elder Nektary of Optina said: “Russia will rise up and will be materially poor, but rich in spirit, and in Optina there will be 7 more lamps, 7 pillars.”
In 1930, Archbishop Theophan of Poltava summarized the prophecies he received from elders who were able to see the future: “You are asking me about the near future and about the coming last times. I am not speaking about this on my own, but what was revealed to me by the elders. The coming of the Antichrist is approaching and is already very close. The time separating us from his coming can be measured in years, or at most in decades. But before his arrival, Russia must be reborn, albeit for a short time. And the King will be there, chosen by the Lord Himself. And he will be a man of ardent faith, deep intelligence and iron will. This is what was revealed to us about him. And we will wait for the fulfillment of this revelation. Judging by many signs, it is approaching; unless because of our sins the Lord will cancel it and change His promise. According to the testimony of God’s word, this too can happen.” Other holy fathers also saw our time and the future, and tried to warn their loved ones. Thus, the elder of the Glinsk hermitage, Hieromonk Porfiry, writes: “Over time, faith in Russia will fall, the brilliance of earthly glory will blind the mind, the words of truth will be reproached, but for the sake of faith, people unknown to the world will rise up and restore what has been trampled upon.” So, we see that all the prophecies of these God-inspired people at the beginning of our century speak of the expectation of the restoration of Holy Rus' and even the Orthodox Tsar shortly before the coming of the Antichrist and the end of the world. But this event will have the character of an unusually miraculous rather than an ordinary historical event. And at the same time, it will to some extent depend on the Russian people themselves, since God here acts through the free will of man. Just as after the repentance of the people, Nineveh was pardoned, and Jonah’s prophecy about her death thus turned out to be false, so the prophecies about the restoration of Russia may turn out to be false if the Russian people do not repent. One of the most significant prophecies about the future of Russia before the revolution was known only to a few. It was so bold that church censorship did not allow it to be published. It was found among the manuscripts of Motovilov, known for his famous “Conversation with St. Seraphim on the acquisition of the Holy Spirit.” This prophecy, which has now appeared in print (over the past decades), concerns the future resurrection of St. Seraphim just before the end of the world.
That's what Rev. Seraphim said to Motovilov:
“Repeatedly,” writes Motovilov, “I heard from the lips of the great saint of God, the elder Fr. Seraphim, that he will not lie in Sarov with his flesh. And then one day I dared to ask him:
“You, Father, keep saying that you will not lie in Sarov with your flesh.” So, something, the Sarov people will hand you over?
“I, Your Love of God, poor Seraphim, am destined by the Lord God to live much more than a hundred years.” But since by that time the bishops will be so wicked that they will surpass the Greek bishops in their wickedness during the time of Theodosius the Younger, so that they will no longer believe in the most important dogma of the faith of Christ, then it is pleasing to the Lord God to take me, poor Seraphim, until the time of this temporary life and therefore, resurrect, and my resurrection will be like the resurrection of the seven youths in the Okhlonskaya cave in the days of Theodosius the Younger. Having revealed this great terrible secret, the great old man told me that after his resurrection he would move from Sarov to Diveevo and there he would preach a sermon of worldwide repentance. For that sermon, and especially for the miracle of the resurrection, a great crowd will gather from all corners of the earth; Diveevo will become a Lavra, Bertyanovo will become a city, and Arzamas will become a province. And preaching repentance in Diveevo, Father Seraphim will open four relics in it and, after opening them, he himself will lie between them. And then soon the end of everything will come.”
In one of his other conversations with Motovilov, the Monk Seraphim, speaking about the spiritual state of the last Christians who remained faithful to God before the end of the world, told something very important for strengthening the confessors of Christ: “And in the days of that great tribulation, about which it is said that no flesh, if, for the sake of the elect, those days had not been shortened - in those days the remnant of the faithful would experience something similar to what was once experienced by the Lord Himself, when He, hanging on the cross, being a perfect God and a perfect man, felt Himself so abandoned by His Divinity that He cried out to Him: My God! My God! Why did you leave me? The last Christians should experience a similar abandonment of humanity by the Grace of God, but only for a very short time, after which the Lord will not hesitate to appear in all His glory, and all the holy Angels with Him. And then everything that has been predetermined from eternity in the eternal Council will be accomplished in its entirety.”
The conviction that Holy Rus' is still alive is confirmed by a number of testimonies from some observers of modern Russia. Here's what Gennady Shimanov says:
“Holy Rus' has not disappeared, it has not been buried; it is eternal and victorious, and this last word belongs to the history of our people... Holy Rus' has disappeared only from the surface of modern life, but it continues to live in its hidden depths, growing until the time when it pleases God, and surviving the winter, it will again appear on surface and will decorate the image of the Russian land, which was lashed by fierce and icy hurricanes and storms.”
The word that Russia will bring to the world In the New Testament, in the book of revelation of John the Theologian, the events before the end of the world are described in detail: “And when He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven, as if for half an hour” (Rev. 8: 1). Some explain this passage of Holy Scripture as a short period of peace preceding the last events of world history, namely a short period of restoration of Russia, when the worldwide word of repentance will begin from Russia - and this is that “last and final word”, which, according to Dostoevsky , Russia will bring to the world.
In modern conditions, in which events in any country become instantly known to the whole world, Russia, purified by the blood of martyrs, will truly have the opportunity to awaken the world from the deep sleep of atheism and unbelief. Father Dimitry Dudko and others have said more than once that it is impossible for the blood of countless Russian martyrs to be shed in vain; it will undoubtedly become the seed of the last and bright flowering of true Christianity.
However, it is very easy to just dream about the future of this world and what might happen in Russia. The resurrection of Russia depends on the efforts of each individual soul; it cannot happen without the participation of Orthodox people - our common repentance and our feat. It draws into its sphere not only people in Russia itself, but also everyone in the diaspora and all Orthodox people throughout the world.
Bishop John of Shanghai, in his report to the Council of Bishops Abroad in 1938, spoke about the apocalyptic mission of the Russian people abroad: “By punishing, the Lord at the same time shows the Russian people the path to salvation, making them a preacher of Orthodoxy throughout the universe. The Russian dispersion introduced Orthodoxy to all corners of the world, for the Russian refugee mass (largely unconsciously) is a preacher of Orthodoxy. It has been given to Russians abroad to shine the light of Orthodoxy throughout the entire universe, so that other peoples, seeing their good deeds, glorify our Father who is in heaven, and thus gain salvation for themselves... Abroad must turn to the path of repentance and, having begged forgiveness for themselves, being reborn spiritually, become capable of reviving our suffering Motherland.” Thus, Russians abroad, behaving as befits true Orthodox Christians, will prepare the way for the preaching of worldwide repentance by St. Seraphim.
To some extent, this is what is happening if we pay attention to the fact that parallel to the Orthodox revival in Russia, there is a genuine awakening of Orthodoxy not only in America, but also in other countries outside of Russia. But the whole future depends on us: if we are reborn to the true Orthodox life, then Holy Rus' will be restored; if not, then the Lord can withdraw his promises. Archbishop John ended his report at the Council with a prophecy and hope that the true Easter will come there, which will shine upon the whole world before the end of everything that exists and before the beginning of the universal Kingdom of God: “Shake off the sleep of despondency and laziness, sons of Russia! Behold the glory of her suffering and be cleansed, washed from your sins! Strengthen yourself in the Orthodox faith so that you may be worthy to dwell in the dwelling of the Lord and move into the holy mountain. Arise, arise, arise, Rus', you who drank from the hand of the Lord the cup of His wrath! When your suffering is over, your righteousness will go with you, and the glory of the Lord will follow you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the radiance rising above you. Then lift up your eyes around and see: behold, your children will come to you from the west, and the north, and the sea, and the east, blessing Christ in you forever!” (from the lecture of Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) “The Future of Russia and the End of the World”, San Francisco, August 1981) “The future of Russia is in the hands of Divine Providence. Human efforts cannot destroy or change God’s destinies. Russia is destined for great importance. She will dominate the universe. She will achieve this when her population matches the space... The attack of envious enemies will force her to develop strength and understand her position, which will already constantly arouse envy and intrigues. This will require enormous work, feat, self-sacrifice; but what to do when the hand of incomprehensible Fate leads to them! In the 38th and 39th chapters of the prophet Ezekiel, the power and large number of the northern people, called Ross, are described; this people must achieve enormous material development before the end of the world and conclude with its end the history of the wanderings of the human race on earth ... "
There will be a storm. And the Russian ship will be destroyed. But people also save themselves on chips and debris. A great miracle of God will be revealed. And all the chips and debris, by the will of God and His power, will gather and unite and the ship will be recreated in its beauty and will go its way, intended by God. So this will be a miracle obvious to everyone (Rev. Anatoly Optinsky).
Formidable adversities will subside, Russia will defeat its enemies, and the name of the Great Russian People will thunder like thunder throughout the universe! Rev. Seraphim Vyritsky
The future of the Russian people
Vyritsa, the village in which the saint lived, was captured by the Germans almost immediately after the start of hostilities, or rather, in the fall of 1941. Already at that time, God revealed to the elder the outcome of the hostilities. Seraphim Vyritsky predicted the death of German troops near Warsaw in 1944. The command of the invaders did not like this prophecy, but it came true with utmost accuracy. In the same way, his prediction about the 1917 revolution came true.
After the hostilities ended, many of the elder’s visitors joyfully said that the fighting was over and a time of peace would come. The elder answered one of them that the calm would not last very long. Seraphim predicted that Russia and its people would face another test of war, which would turn out to be even more terrible than the Great Patriotic War. According to the reverend, it will be very difficult for young people who will live during this difficult period to change their uniforms. The elder predicted that those who survive this time will be able to continue to live a good life.
Rev.: Vasily went to the capital to earn money, where he got a job in a merchant's shop.
In the boy’s soul there lived a cherished dream - to go to a monastery. He came to the gates of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, where he was met by the Lavra schema-monk, whose name Father Seraphim did not name. The answer of the perspicacious elder was this: to remain in the world, create a pious family, raise children, and then, together with his wife, devote the rest of his life to monastic deeds. He taught himself to read and write on his own and discovered excellent abilities for science. At the age of 24 he married Olga Ivanovna Naydenova from a peasant family. After the wedding, the owner of the shop gave his beloved clerk a rather large sum of money so that he could start an independent business. Vasily Nikolaevich took up the preparation of furs. Trade went well, not only in Russia, but also in France, Germany, England and other European countries. He became a millionaire, but never forgot about the blessing of the Lavra elder: he tried to do good, helped those in need, and donated most of his income to monasteries, churches, and almshouses. In 1897, Vasily Nikolaevich completed the three-year Higher Commercial Courses in St. Petersburg. The Muravyov family had a son, Nikolai, and then a daughter, Olga. After the death of their one-year-old daughter, the couple, by mutual agreement, lived like brother and sister. In 1903, the couple attended the celebrations of the glorification of Seraphim of Sarov. On commercial matters, Vasily Nikolaevich visited abroad more than once. They say he visited Mount Athos. There is evidence that even before the 1917 revolution he received people, gave spiritual advice, and helped with everyday problems and illnesses with his prayer. He often repeated: “If you lost it, don’t be upset; found, received something - don’t be too happy, but thank God for everything.” In September 1920, Vasily Nikolaevich Muravyov was accepted into the brotherhood of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. At the same time, his wife also took monastic vows and was given the name Christina. In July 1922, he went to his homeland in the Yaroslavl province to visit his mother. In 1927, he adopted the schema with the name Seraphim - in honor of the Monk Sreaphim of Sarov. In those years, he predicted: “There will be a war, and a terrible, worldwide war, it will lead the people of Russia to God. And our same rulers will open churches, although they are now closing them. In 1933, after the closure of the Lavra, the elder settled in Vyritsa. The name of the village comes from the Russian word “vyr”, which means “abyss”, “whirlpool”. The elder called Vyritsa “holy land” and “our northern Jerusalem.” The Kazan church, where Father Seraphim served, was closed by the authorities after Easter 1938. The Germans entered Vyritsa in September 1941, but there were no robberies or murders in the village. Almost immediately after the occupation, the church was opened: during the war years, the Kazan Church was the only functioning church on the front line in the occupation zone. The rear team of Romanians, who often went to the Kazan Church, was stationed in Vyritsa. At first, the parishioners looked askance at the soldiers in German uniforms, but then they got used to it, seeing how they prayed and followed church rules. The team leader was a German captain. The Germans, having heard about the holy elder and his insight, came to him and wondered how the war would end. Father Seraphim (who spoke fluent German) frankly answered that Hitler could not defeat Russia.
During the war, Elder Seraphim, in addition to strict fasts and incessant cell prayer, took on a special feat for the sake of saving Russia and its people from destruction: for a thousand nights he stood on a stone in front of the icon of the Venerable Seraphim of Sarov and prayed with raised hands, imitating the feat of his heavenly patron . The elder’s relatives say: “In 1941, grandfather was already seventy-six years old. The disease weakened him greatly, and he practically could not move without assistance. In the garden behind the house, a granite boulder protruded from the ground, in front of which grew a small apple tree. It was on this stone that Father Seraphim offered his prayers to the Lord. They led him by the arms to the place of fawning, and sometimes they simply carried him. The icon was fixed on the apple tree, and the grandfather stood with his sore feet on the stone and stretched out his hands to the sky. Father Seraphim prayed for as long as he could—sometimes an hour, sometimes two, and sometimes several hours in a row... At that time he was completely transparent. He just lay there, taking in so little food that all that was left was waxy skin and bones. Father Seraphim fasted very strictly: he ate one prosphora and a little grated carrot a day, and drank holy water. Occasionally he came to the Kazan Church and served in the chapel of St. Seraphim of Sarov.”
International relationships
St. Seraphim Vyritsky predicted a lot about what awaits Russia and the whole world in the future, long after his departure to eternal life. The Lord gave him the opportunity to find out what awaited the old man’s country and his people in those times that he did not live to see.
The elder said that the time would come when Russia would be torn into pieces by the European countries of the world. First they will redistribute it, after which they will move on to plundering the wealth that is in the bowels of the Russian land. The process of destruction of Russia will be facilitated by the West. According to the prophetic words of Seraphim, the seizure of Russian territories will be as follows:
- The West will give China the eastern part of the country before the time comes.
- The capture of the Far East will be carried out by the Japanese, and the Chinese will be able to capture Siberia to the Urals. Asians will begin to enter the territory and seize it, marrying with Russians.
Cunning and deceit will allow them to advance far. However, when China decides to continue its invasion and go beyond the Urals, the West will stop it by opposing expansion.
The elder also claimed that many countries of the world would take up arms against Russia. However, the country will survive, although it will lose many of its territories. These events will become the war that is indicated in the Holy Scriptures and about which many prophets spoke. This development of history will be the main reason that all people inhabiting the Earth will decide to unite. Humanity will understand that with such a life all living things will be destroyed, and will decide to choose a unified government. As the monk said, this will be the threshold of the moment when the Antichrist will reign on Earth.
Reverend Seraphim Vyritsky also saw that persecution awaited Christians in the future. The elder prophesied a time when trains would come from the depths of the country. He said that at this time we must be among the first to leave, because those who remain will die.
Regarding the fate of the world, the elder also knew what he could say. He said that the time would come when the entire East would turn to Russia in order to be baptized. He also claimed that the whole heavenly world was praying for the people of the East to receive spiritual enlightenment. Many also remember the words of the saint that the situation in the world will become unstable as soon as the East gains strength. The monk argued that not only their numbers, but also their great diligence plays in favor of the East, while the Russian people get drunk.
Seraphim Vyritsky also prophesied that in the future Jerusalem would become the capital of Israel. And then this place will become the capital of the whole world, since the true center of the earth is located in this place.
Alexander Nevsky Lavra. 1920-1930
Almost immediately after the monk’s tonsure, Barnabas was ordained a hierodeacon, and a year later – a hieromonk. First, Father Barnabas receives the difficult obedience of the head of the cemetery service of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, and then the chief candle maker of the monastery. Here both his experience as a merchant and the gifts he received from God were useful to him. But dark clouds are gathering more and more around the laurel. The Bolsheviks shoot a close friend of Barnabas’s father, Metropolitan Veniamin of Petrograd. Gradually, almost the entire world of the then clergy of St. Petersburg was subjected to arrests, exile and executions. Realizing that sooner or later his fate will come to him, Hieromonk Varnava makes a short trip to his mother to say goodbye to her forever.
But God prepared a different fate for Father Barnabas. He ascends to another cross: he becomes a great prayer book and comforter of the Russian land. Gradually, the gifts of old age and the accompanying gifts of clairvoyance and miracles begin to manifest themselves in him with greater and greater force. The people are groaning more and more under the onslaught of the godless authorities, the flow of sufferers flowing to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra to Father Barnabas for consolation and asking for prayer is becoming ever greater.
The rumor about the spiritual gifts of Elder Barnabas begins to spread more and more. At the same time, the monks of the Lavra themselves begin to receive spiritual nourishment from Father Barnabas. Thus, the recently tonsured hieromonk becomes the confessor of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, a great mourner and prayer book for the people of God. And after some time, Hieromonk Varnava also accepted the schema with the name Seraphim.
Schemamonk Seraphim was the confessor of such Church hierarchs as Metropolitan Nikolai (Yarushevich), Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov), Patriarch Alexy (Simansky), to whom he predicted the future patriarchate. Other prominent church figures also took care of the elder. The elder gave spiritual nourishment to the entire world of the St. Petersburg intelligentsia, who did not accept the godless government. There were cases when Schemamonk Seraphim confessed to people for two days without a break for rest and sleep. Such stress led to Father Seraphim becoming very seriously ill. He could no longer get out of bed, and in such a semi-immobilized state he spent the rest of his life, all the most intense years of his old age.
The Council of Elders of the Lavra, having listened to the recommendations of the doctors, blesses Father Seraphim to move to a new place of residence in the village of Vyritsa. Having made such a decision as obedience, Elder Seraphim will live forever in this small Russian village until the end of his days. And Vyritsa itself will be destined to become the spiritual center of Holy Rus', where a huge number of people will flock, seeking consolation and support. To help Father Seraphim, the spiritual leadership sent schema-nun Seraphim, his former wife, to Vyritsa.
Fate of humanity
God revealed to the monk not only the future regarding the political situation and future wars. Seraphim Vyritsky's foresight allowed him to find out what awaited all people in the future.
Seraphim Vyritsky has repeatedly said that if all of humanity knelt down at once and prayed for five minutes from the bottom of his heart to God for an extension of life, then people would be given time to repent. The elder believed that if the people of Russia do not find their way and repent from the bottom of their hearts, then the time may come when brother will again rebel against brother.
Regarding the future, Seraphim Vyritsky also said that humanity will face a time when people will turn away from God not because of persecution and persecution, but because of the delights and blessings that the world will give. At this time, many more souls will perish than were lost during the fight against God. According to the monk, salvation for humanity will lie in sorrows and illnesses.
His prophecy about the fate of youth gained great popularity among the saint's admirers and followers. Seraphim Vyritsky had very warm feelings towards young people and was glad that young people visited him. The elder repeatedly said that young people themselves would play a big role in the process of revival of the church.
He prophesied that times were coming, the morality of youth would be in decline. Almost everyone will see their impunity and will do everything to satisfy their lust. Young people will begin to unite in groups to engage in debauchery and theft.
However, the moment will come when the Voice of God will sound and the understanding will come that it is impossible to continue such a life. And then young people will come to faith, choosing different paths for this. Young people will have an increased desire for asceticism. Former drunkards and sinners will fill the churches, feeling a great attraction to spiritual life. Many of them will take monastic vows. Churches will be full of parishioners, new monasteries will open. Young people will actively make pilgrimages to holy places. The elder said that the sins of the youth would lead them to more sincere and ardent repentance, like a burning candle.
More terrible than the waves of the global flood: Elder Seraphim’s frightening prophecies about the future
The prophecies of holy people have always aroused genuine interest among believers. The predictions of Elder Seraphim Vyritsky are considered one of the most frightening, many of which make you think about the future.
Reverend Seraphim Vyritsky was born on March 31, 1886 in one of the villages located in the Rybinsk district of the Yaroslavl province. During baptism, his parents suddenly changed his name - from now on he was called Vasily.
Since childhood, Vasily’s mother taught him to love God. He quickly mastered mathematics, and learned the language from the Gospel and Psalter. He preferred biographies of hermits - Macarius, Mary of Egypt, Paul of Thebes - to the then fashionable French novels. Working as a clerk in his youth, Seraphim visited monasteries in different cities. He made donations to churches, and his enthusiasm for helping those in need would be the envy of modern volunteers.
Seraphim predicted the coming of the Antichrist
In 1927, Vasily accepted the schema of Seraphim, thereby paying tribute to Seraphim of Sarov. The first of his predictions to come true was the war with the Nazis and the persecution of Orthodox churches. The elder told one of his students that the golden age of Orthodoxy would come again in Russia, but it would not be possible to preserve it for long. When a student asked him what awaited the country in the distant future, Seraphim advised him to look out the window.
“...The time will come when there will be spiritual flourishing in Russia. Many churches and monasteries will open, even people of other faiths will come to us to be baptized on ships like the ones you see now. But this won’t last long—about 15 years, then the Antichrist will come.”
Saint Ignatius interpreted the words of Seraphim:
“They are coming, they are coming more terrible than the waves of the universal flood that destroyed the entire human race, they are coming waves of lies and darkness, they are surrounding, ready to engulf the universe on all sides, they are destroying faith in Christ, destroying His Kingdom on earth, suppressing His teaching, damaging morals, dulling, destroying conscience, establish the rule of the all-evil world ruler. Let us use the flight commanded by the Lord as a means of our salvation. Where is that blessed ark, like the ark of Noah the righteous, where one could escape from the waves that were enveloping everywhere, where one could find reliable salvation?
A terrible spiritual flood, which everyone should be afraid of, has already begun: young people prefer to hide their lives from adults, most marriages end in divorce, and sincere relationships between people will soon fall into the Red Book.
The prophet predicted the decline in demographics that had already begun.
Seraphim was sure that sooner or later the eastern countries with their cult of high fertility would overtake Christian countries in population.
“When the East gains power, everything will become unstable. Numbers are on their side, and they employ sober and hardworking people.”
“The time will come when Russia will be torn apart. First they will divide it, and then they will begin to rob the wealth. The West will in every possible way contribute to the destruction of Russia and will give up its eastern part to China for the time being. The Far East will be taken over by the Japanese, and Siberia by the Chinese, who will move to Russia, marry Russians, and ultimately, by cunning and deceit, take the territory of Siberia to the Urals. When China wants to go further, the West will resist and will not allow it.”
Seraphim also spoke about a new war - did he really mean the Third World War?
“Many countries will take up arms against Russia, but it will survive, having lost most of its lands. This war, which the Holy Scriptures narrate and the prophets speak about, will become the reason for the unification of mankind. People will understand that it is impossible to live like this any longer, otherwise all living things will perish - this will be the threshold of the reign of the Antichrist. Then the persecution of Christians will come, when the trains leave for Russia from the cities, we must hurry to be among the first, since many of those who remain will die. The kingdom of lies and evil is coming. It will be so hard, so bad, so scary that God forbid we live to see that time. You and I won’t live long enough.”
Like many philosophers, the elder placed all his hopes for saving the future on youth
Seraphim believed that one day young men and women would become bored with constant entertainment and frivolity and would prefer faith to fleeting passions.
“But the time will come when there will be a voice of God, when young people will understand that it is impossible to live like this any longer, and they will go to faith in different ways, and the desire for asceticism will increase. Those who were previously sinners and drunkards will fill the churches and feel a great thirst for spiritual life. Many of them will become monks, monasteries will open, churches will be full of believers. Then the young will go on pilgrimage to holy places - it will be a glorious time! The fact that they are sinning now will make them repent more fervently. Just as a candle, before it goes out, flares up brightly, illuminating everything with its final light, so is the life of the Church. And that time is near.”
One can be skeptical about Seraphim’s words, but it is impossible to refute the fact that he clearly imagined what the modern world would be like.
Other prophecies of the monk
Other prophecies spoken by the perspicacious old man have also reached our time. They concerned both technological progress in Russia and events in the church that were of global importance. God even revealed to him the events associated with the death of the saint and his departure to eternal life.
The followers of Seraphim Vyritsky remember well his words about the Russian land. He argued that God had endowed the country with many blessings:
- lakes;
- forests;
- rivers;
- rich earth's interior.
However, the elder was saddened by the fact that the Russian people live without God in their souls. The monk said that the atheistic government and the enemies of the country do not allow people to return to the mother earth, which gives food and life. Seraphim argued that the revival of the country was not beneficial for Russia’s enemies. Driven by fear, they will interfere with this. However, the country and its people will live from the land.
The elder also spoke with great insight about the path from Vyritsa to St. Petersburg. During the life of the reverend, steam locomotives covered this distance in several hours. He predicted the emergence of electric trains that would cover the distance faster. Seraphim Vyritsky also argued that in the future it will be that trains will depart one after another.
Another prophecy that has reached our time concerned the spiritual life of the country. The monk said that in the future Russia would give salvation to the whole world, and St. Petersburg would become the center of spirituality. The discovery and subsequent glorification of the relics in St. Petersburg will be a joy for the whole world. In addition, many significant and joyful events for the church and the world will happen. At the same time, he claimed that a monastery would open in Vyritsa, where he lived, and the village itself would become a place of pilgrimage.
Another prophecy given to Seraphim by the Lord concerned the development of the Catholic Church. The elder predicted that one day a person who is a Slav will receive the rank of Pope.
