Mikhail Nesterov became famous for his painting “The Vision of the Youth Bartholomew.” After this, he often turned to the image of the saint. In the material of the portal "Culture.RF" read how many paintings the artist dedicated to Sergius of Radonezh, from whom he painted the face for the sketch "The Youth of Sergius" and what are the similarities between this painting and the icon.
Mikhail Nesterov. The youth of Sergius. 1891. Samara Regional Art Museum, Samara
BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD
The Lord chose him from his mother's womb. In the Life of St. Sergius of Radonezh, it is narrated that during the Divine Liturgy, even before the birth of her son, righteous Mary and the worshipers heard the baby cry three times. This happened first, before reading the Holy Gospel. Secondly, during the Cherubic song. And thirdly, when the priest said: “Holy to holies.”
God gave the Monk Cyril and Mary a son, who was named Bartholomew. From the first days of his life, the baby surprised everyone with fasting. For example, on Wednesdays and Fridays he did not take his mother's milk. But on other days, if Mary ate meat, the baby also refused mother’s milk. Noticing this, Maria completely refused to eat meat. In those days, children were accustomed to work from an early age; each had their own household responsibilities: fetching water, herding geese, chopping wood. The family attended church every Sunday.
Studying was difficult for Bartholomew
At the age of 7, young Bartholomew was sent to learn to read and write at a church school with his brothers: the elder Stefan and the younger Peter. But unlike his academically successful brothers, Bartholomew was significantly behind in his studies. In the old days, the alphabet was more complex than in our time. Literacy was then taught not from primers, but from the Psalter and other books of Holy Scripture. Little Bartholomew was not good at reading and writing. The parents scolded the child, the teacher punished him, and his comrades mocked him for his stupidity. He himself prayed with tears, but his studies did not move forward. And then an event occurred, which is reported in all the biographies of Sergius.
Meeting with the schema-monk
Boyar Kirill had several horses. The sons' duties included driving them out to pasture and bringing them back to the stable. One day, on instructions from his father, Bartholomew went into the field to look for horses. During his search, he came out into a clearing and saw an old schema-monk under an oak tree. The monk knelt down and prayed. Seeing him, Bartholomew first bowed humbly. But then he came up and stood close, waiting for him to finish his prayer.
The Elder's Predictions
The elder, seeing the boy, turned to him: “What are you looking for and what do you want, child?” Bartholomew told him his grief and asked the elder to pray that God would help him overcome the letter. After praying, the elder took out the reliquary from his bosom and took a piece of prosphora from it. He not only blessed, but also ordered to eat, saying: “Take this and eat. This was given to you as a sign of God's grace. Know that from now on the Lord will grant you good literacy skills. You will surpass your peers in success. You will also teach others.”
Schemanik visiting Bartholomew's parents
After this, the elder wanted to leave, but Bartholomew begged him to visit his parents’ house. The parents greeted the guest with honor and offered refreshments. The elder replied that first one should taste spiritual food, and ordered their son to read the Psalter. Bartholomew began to read harmoniously, and the parents were surprised at the change that had taken place in their son. During the meal, Bartholomew's parents told the elder many signs. But firstly those who accompanied the birth of their son.
The elder listened and said: “This will be a sign of the truth of my words for you. Firstly, after my departure the boy will have good literacy and understanding of the holy books. Secondly, the boy will be great before God and people for his virtuous life.” Having said this, the elder was about to leave, but finally said something. “Your son will be the abode of the Holy Trinity. He will lead many after him to an understanding of the Divine commandments.” And then they realized that it was the Angel of the Lord, disguised as a monk, who appeared in their house. He came to reveal God's will to them.
From that day on, Bartholomew began to study so well that he soon surpassed all his comrades at school. He loved to pray to God more and more. Already in childhood, he imposed a strict fast on himself. First of all, I didn’t eat anything on Wednesdays and Fridays. Secondly, on other days I ate only bread and water. And the older he got, the more he was drawn to the forest. First of all, to be there completely alone and pray to God. Often at that time, pilgrims went into the dense forests. There they not only built huts for themselves, but also stood in prayer all day long. So Bartholomew wanted to leave like that, but his parents did not allow it.
“I wrote the life of a good Russian man of the 14th century”: Nesterov’s moral ideal
Mikhail Nesterov. Vision of the youth Bartholomew (fragment). 1890. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Mikhail Nesterov. The youth of St. Sergius (fragment). 1892–1897. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
The artist Mikhail Nesterov painted this sketch in 1891. At this time he was working on a large canvas - the painting “The Youth of St. Sergius”; the master spent five years painting it. Today it is kept in the Tretyakov Gallery.
In total, the artist dedicated more than 15 paintings to the hieromonk of the Russian Church Sergius of Radonezh, all of them are united in the so-called “Sergius cycle”. For Nesterov, this saint became the embodiment of a moral ideal - his image worried the artist throughout his life. He said: “I wrote the life of a good Russian man of the 14th century, sensitive to nature and its beauty... who loved his homeland and strived for truth. “I pass on the legend composed in ancient years by my native people about the people whom they marked with love and memory.”
THE BEGINNING OF MONASTIC LIFE
It so happened that Bartholomew’s father lost all his fortune. From a rich boyar he turned into a beggar. And in 1328, in search of a better life, Bartholomew’s impoverished family moved from their native places to the Principality of Moscow, to the city of Radonezh.
Vow to serve God
Brothers Stefan and Peter got married and started families. But Bartholomew vowed to go to a monastery and serve God.
Shortly before their death, the aged parents Kirill and Maria themselves accepted the schema in the Khotkovo-Pokrovsky Monastery, not far from Radonezh. Subsequently, the widowed elder brother Stefan also accepted monasticism in this monastery.
After the death of his parents, Bartholomew also went to the Khotkovo-Pokrovsky Monastery. But striving for solitude, he did not stay here long. Having convinced his brother Stefan, he retired with him to live in the wilderness in the forest. The wilderness was located 12 versts from Radonezh. On the banks of the Konchura River, on Makovets Hill in the middle of the remote Radonezh Forest, they built (around 1335) a small wooden church. They named it in the name of the Holy Trinity. On the site of which now stands a cathedral church also in the name of the Holy Trinity. First they built a cell, and then a small church. And, with the blessing of Metropolitan Theognost, it was consecrated in the Name of the Most Holy Trinity.
But soon, unable to withstand the difficulties of life in a deserted place, Stefan left his brother. He moved to the Moscow Epiphany Monastery. There Stefan became close to the monk Alexy, later Metropolitan of Moscow. A few years later he became abbot of this monastery.
Bartholomew, left completely alone, called upon a certain abbot Mitrofan. And on October 7, 1337, he took monastic vows under the name Sergius, since on that day the memory of the martyrs Sergius and Bacchus was celebrated. He was 23 years old.
There lived in Russia the great Saint Sergius of Radonezh, about whom they said: “Father of the Russian Land.” He was a monk and lived alone in the forest.
One day a hungry bear came to him. Sergius took the bread, divided it equally and gave half to him. From then on, the bear began to visit him. It used to be that he would sit by a tree stump and wait for something to be handed out to him. Sergius will come out and treat him to something. That's how they became friends. It happened that Sergius would give the last piece to the bear, but he himself would remain hungry. The beast protected his clearing from evil robbers.
People called Sergius of Radonezh a saint. A saint is one who serves God, does no harm to anyone and prays for all people, but does not demand anything for himself.
But at first he was not a saint, but an ordinary person.
As a child his name was Bartholomew. He was born in the ancient Russian city of Rostov the Great. When his city was devastated during a brutal feud between the princes, his family moved to the small village of Radonezh near Moscow. Here he began to live with his parents Kirill and Maria and brothers Peter and Stefan.
As a child, Bartholomew could not learn to read for a very long time. For some reason, the letters did not want to form words, and he did not understand what was written in the book. He saw how the guys laughed at him, how his parents were worried and upset for him, but he could not do anything.
One day, in a meadow, he met an unusual man under a tree, dressed in black monastic clothes. The monk held a small precious casket in his hands. Bartholomew decided to approach him and told him about his misfortune. The monk, having listened carefully to the boy, opened his casket and put a piece of prosphora into his mouth. “From now on you will read and understand what is written,” said this unusual monk. From that very day, Bartholomew began to easily and quickly read any book and soon surpassed all the children in learning, and an unquenchable dream was kindled in his heart - to become a monk.
After the death of their parents, Bartholomew and his older brother Stefan decided to go into the forest to live there separately from all people and serve only God. The brothers made their way through deep ravines and thickets for several days until they found a suitable place on the slope of a forest mountain. This mountain was called Makovets. Here they cut down a house-cell from logs, and next to it they erected the Church of the Trinity - in the Name of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The two brothers did not live long together: Stefan said that he could no longer live in the forest, but wanted to go to Moscow to a monastery. The next day he left. Bartholomew, having seen him off with tears, was left alone in the middle of a dense forest. He endured snowstorms and cold in winter, and rain and heat in summer, steadfastly overcoming all the fears and dangers that await a person in such a wild and deserted place, but he had no intention of leaving here.
Here, in a deep forest, Bartholomew's dream finally came true - he became a monk. One rural abbot read special prayers over him and cut a lock of hair on his head. When people become monks, they receive a new name. And Bartholomew became Sergius.
His monastic life began.
During the day, Sergius worked in the forest and near the house: he went to the spring to fetch water, chopped wood, mended clothes, and worked in the garden. Tall pines rustled overhead, a woodpecker tapped loudly with its beak, forest birds fluttered and whistled in the bushes. At night, Sergius also worked at home or in church: he read prayers and holy books.
The pages rustled quietly... You could only hear the crackling light of a resinous splinter, and the hooting of an eagle owl in the thicket... He slept very little.
Years passed, and rumors about Sergius as a fearless and kind monk began to bring to him those who were looking for a solitary monastic life for themselves. Sergius allowed them to settle next to his home. He helped cut logs and build cells. This is how a monastery was formed in the forest - the future great Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
The monks lived hard, enduring illness, hunger, poverty... But together. Each one worked with his own labor and learned to live a clean and peaceful life. And they elected Sergius as their abbot - the head of the monastery and called him “abba,” that is, “father.”
It became known about Abbot Sergius throughout the Russian land. People told each other about the amazing monk from Radonezh and said to each other: “Is it really true that a man has appeared among us, pure before God and helping everyone with his strong prayer?”
At that time, Rus' was under the rule of Mongol nomads who called themselves the Golden Horde. They were cunning and very skilled warriors in battle. The Russian princes quarreled among themselves all the time: some wanted to be the most important, while others sought to rule their principalities separately from the rest. Because of these discords, the princes could not act as a single force; they were defeated one by one and now paid a large tribute to the Golden Horde: gold, silver and valuable furs. Warriors of the Golden Horde carried out predatory raids on Russian cities and villages, sparing neither women nor children, and took many into captivity and made them their slaves.
The Russian people, who lived in constant fear of enemy attacks, tired of princely quarrels, of anger and hatred towards each other, came to Sergius from everywhere. Having found his monastery far in the forest, people saw with their own eyes how peacefully and amicably the monks lived, how they helped each other, and said: “Look, they live like brothers! Why don’t we live the same way?”
Every person, no matter who he was - poor or rich - was greeted by Sergius with love. Many of the ordinary people stayed and settled near his monastery, clearing the forest for buildings and arable land.
One day a peasant came from one village and began to look for the one about whom he had heard so much:
- They say that a great prophet lives with you. I want to look at him.
“Yes, here he is,” the monks answer, “in the garden.”
A peasant sees a thin monk with a hoe in poor clothes in the beds...
“It cannot be that such a great man walks like the last beggar!” Why are you laughing at me?! - he was offended.
At that moment the prince and his retinue rode into the monastery gates and, as soon as he jumped off his horse, bowed at the feet of the thin monk, because this was Abbot Sergius. And after the prince the whole squad bowed.
The peasant took off his hat and stood dumb with surprise...
People asked Sergius to teach them how to live correctly, and listened to his every word.
“We are all children of God,” Abbot Sergius told the people, “which means we are all brothers and sisters.” We will live peacefully, without hurting each other, and no enemies will defeat us. We will be saved through unity and love!
“We will be together as one big family, and God will return our freedom!” - echoed in Russian hearts. People raised their heads, became kinder, united in the hope of throwing off foreign oppression and becoming free.
But the word was spoken, and the day came.
Mamai, ruler of the Golden Horde, rose from the southern steppe. He gathered a huge army and led it to Rus' in order to capture the Russian land forever, and rule over it himself. The steppe began to hum with the tramp of horses and the creaking of many thousands of carts.
Prince Dmitry of Moscow mounted his horse and rode to Sergius for advice:
“We sent big gifts to Mamai. They wanted to come to an agreement peacefully, but he doesn’t want to listen! What do you want us to do?
Sergius approached him and said:
- Gather the Russian army, prince.
He sent two of his monks with him to help: Andrei Oslyabya and Alexander Peresvet. Both of them were famous warriors before coming to the monastery. But it has never happened before that monks were sent to fight. But, apparently, a terrible battle lay ahead of us.
He said goodbye to the prince:
- Go boldly, and you will win.
The princes, having forgotten their previous quarrels, began to gather their squads into a single army. All strong-willed warriors from all over the Russian land gathered with Grand Duke Dmitry on the Kulikovo field, between the Nepryadva River and the Don. Mamai came there with his hordes...
On the day when the fate of Rus' was being decided, Abbot Sergius stood in the middle of the monastic brethren and began to tell them about the course of the battle, as if he himself were there on the battlefield...
Before the battle, the Horde hero Chelubey left the Mamaev army, challenging the Russian warrior to a duel. He was huge and scary, and no one could defeat him. Our hero Peresvet came out to meet him. He was in a monastic robe and with a mighty spear at the ready. The heroes dispersed their horses, struck their spears at full gallop, and both fell dead on the grass. Peresvet only managed to point his hand at the enemy regiments.
This is how this battle began.
With all their formidable might, the enemy wedges broke into our foot regiments, where Prince Dmitry was fighting. Mamai sought to crush and overthrow the Russian squads. They fought desperately in the cramped quarters, the number of dead fell without count... Persistence, rage, the clanking of swords in the battle thundering over the Don... For eight hours, knee-deep in blood, the Russians fought for their Motherland, for their future...
Now Mamai’s cavalry broke through the last thinning formation on our left flank and went to the rear of the Russian army. The enemy was already rejoicing...
But the hour has come! Like lightning from a cloud, an ambush regiment of Prince Vladimir the Brave fell upon them from an oak grove at the command of Governor Bobrok. Hit, knocked down, stunned! Together with them, all Russian regiments launched an attack on the enemies and broke their strength!
Unable to withstand such an onslaught, Mamaev’s army wavered and fled, crushing each other out of fear. They were chased for a long time, destroying the last remnants left and right. Mamai abandoned everything and fled all the way to the Crimea...
The defeat was complete.
Prince Dmitry was hardly found under a pile of bodies. He turned out to be alive, and his armor was covered with dents from the blows.
- Prince, do you hear, your victory!!!
For the victory in this battle on the Don, the prince was nicknamed Dmitry Donskoy.
And in the evening of that great day, Abbot Sergius served a memorial service for the fallen soldiers, calling each hero by name...
Glory descended on Russian land. Freed from the terrible threat, the Russian people perked up and straightened their shoulders.
Prince Dmitry Donskoy more than once turned to Sergius for help in state affairs. Sergius reconciled the princes, extinguished hostility and quarrels between them, and they, leaving behind grievances, helped the Moscow Grand Duke strengthen the Russian state.
Sometimes the prince came to him with a request:
“I would like to have a monastic monastery in my region.” Help, father! Show us where we can arrange it...
Then Sergius left the Trinity Monastery, walked through nearby and distant forests, choosing a place for the future monastery.
And many disciples of St. Sergius dispersed throughout the Russian land, laying the foundation for many new monasteries - repositories of the purity and strength of the people's spirit.
There was not such a family and such a house in Rus' where the name of St. Sergius of Radonezh was not known. People came to him as if they were their own father.
One man walked many sorrowful miles in great hope in Sergius. He brought his dying son to him and laid him on a bench in his cell. They started to light the stove, looked at the child, and he was no longer breathing. The unfortunate father, seeing his dead son, took an ax and went to make a coffin. Sergius, kneeling down, put his palms on the boy’s body and began to pray for him...
There was a tense silence... You could only hear the candle stub crackling slightly in the silence... Suddenly the dead child moved, sighed and opened his eyes...
The father, blackened with grief, came in with a hewn coffin and dropped it from his hands: his little son was sitting on the bench, alive and well.
Many looked to Sergius for truth and protection from evil people.
One day a poor peasant came to him with a grudge against his rich neighbor. This rich man was known for his greed and contempt for the poor. He ordered his men to take the poor man's only pig and slaughter it for himself. At first he promised to pay the poor man for the meat, but then, out of greed, he changed his promise and did not pay him anything.
Sergius called the offender and told him:
“Child, haven’t you heard that for every evil deed we will give an answer before God?” What do you hope for when you offend someone who is weaker than you? Don't you think that the evil you caused to a person will pass you by? Know this: everything acquired by deception will rot into dust and will not bring you anything good.
The rich man asked for forgiveness and left Sergius with the firm intention of paying the orphan for the pig and for the insult he had caused. But on the way, greed flared up in his heart again, and he changed his mind. Arriving at his place, he went into the barn where the pork carcass was stored, and suddenly saw that, despite the frost, it was all covered with worms. Seized with horror, he ordered the money to be immediately given to his neighbor. And for a long time he was afraid to show himself to Sergius.
As the years passed, the Holy Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius rightfully became the spiritual center of all Rus', and then Russia.
People saw how Sergius cared for them and loved him. He served everyone, helped everyone, prayed for everyone. And he always worked: he carried water from the source, baked bread, chopped wood.
Sergius's life reached such purity that much that was hidden from others was revealed to his gaze.
One day Sergius stood before the icon of the Mother of God. He prayed for a long time, not hearing either the ringing of a mosquito or the cries of a night bird... He sat down to rest. But he immediately stood up and said to the monk Micah, who was helping him in his cell:
- Cheer up, child, a wonderful visit is about to come upon us...
“The Most Pure One is Coming!” - a heavenly voice rang out.
He hurried into the hallway, and then froze, enveloped in a strong radiance. He sees the Most Pure Mother of God standing in front of him, shining brighter than the sun. And next to Her are the apostles Peter and John.
The Mother of God touched the bowed Sergius with her hand:
- Don’t be afraid, My chosen one, I came to visit you. Your prayer for the students and the monastery has been heard. From now on, do not worry, I will take this monastery under My protection, providing everything you need, and will not leave it.
And with these words she became invisible.
The shocked Sergius, barely conscious of himself, helped the student, who was barely alive from fear, to rise from the floor. And for a long time both remained in great amazement and awe...
The rumor about the holy life of Sergius and his miracles reached other peoples and countries.
A certain bishop who arrived in Moscow from Constantinople was one of those who did not believe in the holiness of Sergius of Radonezh. He went to the Holy Trinity Monastery to see this with his own eyes. “I’ll see what kind of “saint” they have here,” he thought on the way.
Entering the monastery, he barely glanced at Sergius when he immediately became blind on the spot. In horror, he fell to the ground, crying and begging for forgiveness. Sergius, sighing, touched his eyes with his fingers, and blindness fell from him, like a dark veil. After which that bishop was awarded the honors due to his rank and a good meal. But most of all he was delighted to have a conversation with Abbot Sergius himself. And returning to his city, he told everyone:
“The Lord has vouchsafed me to see a truly holy man!”
People saw many more wonderful things from Saint Sergius of Radonezh.
In the spring of 1392, foreseeing his earthly death, Sergius imposed a vow of silence on himself in order to devote all the remaining time to prayer...
Autumn has come. Hegumen Sergius no longer got out of bed.
When the hour of death came, he turned his gaze to his native Fatherland. He flew around in his mind's eye, endless forests like the sea, free fields and harvested fields, villages smoking with smoke, deep rivers, bright lakes, populous cities and mighty fortresses, the domes of churches and cathedrals, crowned with crosses... As if Sergius saw princes in front of him at a friendly council , and faithful boyars, and suburban and townsman artisans, and a string of peasant weddings, and mothers caressing their children, and patrols of soldiers on the steppe rampart...
To them, as well as to his disciples and to all Russian people - to the living, and to those who still live in their times - the testament of St. Sergius of Radonezh is addressed:
- Live purely, as God commanded us. Keep peace among yourselves and forgive each other everything, as children of one Father. I will pray for all of you, and I will come to the aid of everyone who asks me in faith...
PRIVACY
And for several more years Sergius lived alone among the dense forest. In the autumn it rained, in the winter the hut was covered with snow right up to the roof. Wild animals roamed around. At times Sergius felt terrified, but he prayed day and night and through prayer drove away fear.
Meeting with a bear
One day in early spring, Sergius went out onto the porch and saw - and saw a bear lying near the porch. The monk was not afraid of the terrible beast; he returned to his cell, took out a piece of bread and fed it to the bear. A day later the animal was again sitting at the porch. And again Sergius shared his lunch with him. After a few months, the bear became almost tame. He came from the forest, sat down at the cell and waited for a treat.
Along the path of the first ascetics of Christianity
The Monk Sergius of Radonezh did not spend a single hour of time in idleness. By wisely combining prayer and work, psalmody and reading divine books, he rose in strength. Every day his faith strengthened and his life brought him closer to Christ. St. Sergius followed the path of the ascetics of the first centuries of Christianity. First of all, Saints Anthony and Macarius the Great, John Climacus, Abba Dorotheos and many others.
Firstly, he checked every step of his monastic life with their scriptures. Secondly, the holy elders and hermits of the distant eastern deserts showed the God-loving Russian youth the way to the heavenly abodes. St. Sergius also revered the first ascetics of Russian monasticism. For example, Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk and their many followers. The monk strove to achieve in his life the ideal of holiness that they had already achieved. The ascetics walked to God along the narrow path commanded by the Savior once and for all time. Courageously enduring temptations, Sergius turned his gaze to Gorny. First of all, with all his might he strove for unity with God - the goal of every person’s life.
The Lord sometimes sends special visions to holy people. So it was with St. Sergius. One day, late in the evening, he was praying in his cell. Suddenly he hears a voice: “Sergius!” The monk opened the window and saw a wonderful light pouring from the sky. And some extraordinary birds fly, so beautiful that he had never seen before. And they sing unusually sweetly. The voice that called him said again: “Sergius, look around! The number of birds you see, the number of students you will have! But the main thing is that if they live like you, their number will never decrease.”
Religious subjects in painting
On October 8, the Russian Orthodox Church remembers Saint Sergius, Hegumen of the Russian Land. The famous philosopher-priest Pavel Florensky wrote: “To understand Russia, one must understand the Lavra, and in order to delve into the Lavra, one must peer with an attentive gaze at its founder, recognized as a saint during his lifetime, the “wonderful Elder, Saint Sergius." A similar thought was expressed by the writer Evgeniy Poselyanin: “If Russia has a national hero who best expresses the spirit of Russia, then, of course, it is St. Sergius.” Indeed, there is probably no other saint whose life and deeds were so closely connected with the history of not only the Russian Church, but all of Russia.
Hegumen of the Russian Land - this is how St. Sergius is called. And this is not just an epithet. These words express the feeling of love of Orthodox Russian people for the Radonezh abbot and his monastery. Every person can see in St. Sergius a mentor and leader. The priest will see the example of a devout servant and inspired man of prayer, who was honored with the concelebration of the Angelic forces during the Liturgy. The monk is a role model in solitary life, prayer and obedience. Even as abbot, Abba Sergius continued to serve his brethren, considering himself the last in the monastery. Any Orthodox family will find in the life of the saint an example of mutual love and raising children. Reverends Cyril and Maria of Radonezh - the parents of the Reverend - instilled in their son faith and love for God. From them he received the desire for true Christian life and simplicity. Even a child will see in the youth Bartholomew - this is the name of the Reverend in the world - an ordinary boy, to whom not everything was easy. Only faith and trust in God's help helped him keep up with his peers. Many books have been written about the life and feat of St. Sergius of Radonezh and the history of the monastery he founded. But today I would like to turn to the life of the Reverend, as told by artists. We are all accustomed to iconographic images of the Radonezh abbot, but the image of his ascetic life has reached us not only in the form of an icon. The life of the Saint also inspired artists, who through their works wanted to express the inner spiritual world of the great saint. One of the most prolific authors in this field is Mikhail Nikolaevich Nesterov (1862-1942). Among his paintings there are many works on church themes. But the Abbot of Radonezh occupies a very special place in his work. Mikhail Nikolaevich himself admitted this. His greatest masterpiece is “The Vision of the Youth Bartholomew.”
This painting is not just a milestone in the work of the great Russian artist, it is a milestone in his life’s journey. Mikhail Nikolaevich once said: “It’s not me who will live. “The Youth Bartholomew” will live. Now, if thirty, fifty years after my death he still says something to people, that means he’s alive, and that means I’m alive too.” The picture tells of a miracle when, through the prayer of the elder, book wisdom was revealed to the youth Bartholomew, and he began to read. It was hard for the young heart to endure the strict reproaches of the teacher and the ridicule of his peers, who saw that Bartholomew was not given book wisdom. But what saddened the boy much more was that he could not read the Word of the Lord himself. And so, after meeting with the holy elder, he received the fulfillment of what he fervently prayed for. Let us take a closer look at the figure of the humble youth - the prayerful pose, reverence for the elder schema-monk, meekness and trust in God. The Reverend remained this way throughout his life. The same youth filled with humility appears before us in other works of M.N. Nesterov: “The Youth of St. Sergius”, “St. Sergius of Radonezh” and “The Works of St. Sergius”.
Here the already matured Sergius is addressed to us, having tasted the first difficulties of the hermit’s life. But it is not grief and fatigue that expresses his gaze, but the joy of being with God. Impenetrable forests became his home, wild animals became his closest friends. One day, a bear, weak from hunger, came to the saint’s cell, to which St. Sergius gave his crust of bread.
The next painting by Nesterov shows us St. Sergius in monastic garb. The gentle and calm gaze of the saint, addressed to the viewer and at the same time directed upward, to the sky, seems to call for him. The staff in his hand and the buildings visible in the distance tell us that Saint Sergius is already leading the brethren gathered around him. His feat became known, and many people turned to him for spiritual advice. And here is the Reverend at work together with the brethren of the monastery. He did not want to stand out from others and always set an example of obedience and strictness of monastic life. When the brethren asked him to become abbot, he replied: “I wish to study better than to teach; It is better to obey than to command; but I am afraid of God's judgment; I don’t know what pleases God; the holy will of the Lord be done!”
Along with others, Abba Sergius performed monastic work, built wooden cells himself, carried and sawed logs, carried water, baked bread and cooked food, and sewed clothes. He always wore the same clothes, in any weather - hot or cold. He humbled his body, but his spirit grew more and more.
This is how Apollinary Mikhailovich Vasnetsov (1856-1933) imagined the Sergius monastery: a wooden temple, cells, monastic obediences. Perhaps one of the working monks is the Radonezh abbot himself? M.N. Nesterov and A.M. Vasnetsov - the names of these Russian artists are known to everyone. But the work they started continues today. The life of St. Sergius inspires our contemporaries. A wonderful painting telling about the miracle of the resurrection of a dead boy was painted by Natalya Klimova.
A peasant takes his seriously ill son to the forest to Abbot Sergius, who lives there, and performs miracles through his prayers to God. But the boy dies... The picture conveys the very moment of the miracle - the elder’s hands raised in prayer, the peasant entering his cell with a coffin in his hands. The father, clouded with grief, has not yet seen his son, his thoughts are on something else, but in a moment the inconsolable grief will be replaced by joy.
This is the work of the artist Sergei Efoshkin “The Miracle of the Birds”. “Sergius, you pray for your students, and your prayer is heard. Look, see how many monks are gathering under your leadership!” — the Reverend once heard during prayer. After this, he saw an extraordinary light from the sky and many beautiful birds on the roofs and in the courtyard of the monastery. This picture conveys the miraculous revelation of God to Saint Sergius about the fate of the Trinity Monastery. The birds are all those who continue to gather under the arches of the Monk’s cell to follow his example of monastic feat. But let's go back to the past again. The author of the famous “Military Council in Fili,” Alexey Danilovich Kivshenko (1851-1895), painted a picture of another military council. This is the advice of Grand Duke Dmitry with St. Sergius before the Battle of Kulikovo with the hordes of Khan Mamai. We see the humbly bowed head of the Grand Duke and the blessing hand of the Abbot of the Russian land...
“Go, don’t be afraid. God will help you,” the prince hears from the lips of the Reverend. The two armies have united with each other - the earthly army asks for help from the army who have dedicated themselves to serving God. The sword is in the hands of Prince Dmitry, the spiritual sword - the Cross of Christ - in the hands of St. Sergius. God is not in power, but in truth... The same plot is written by a contemporary author - priest Sergius Simakov.
Painting “Saints Sergius of Radonezh and Dmitry Donskoy” - The monk blesses the prince, sending two heroic monks Alexander-Peresvet and Andrei-Oslyabya to his army. It is not chain mail and shields that adorn the monks - it is monastic robes and firm faith in God. The Monk Sergius reposed on September 25 (October 8, new style) 1392. His life path is from a humble youth to an elder, before whom princes bowed their heads. Abba Sergius addresses us through his life, through icons and, as we have seen, through paintings. If he is the Abbot of the Russian land, then we are all his faithful children, listening to his words. The life of St. Sergius is the life of a person in God. And strangely enough, the ascetic who went into the deep forests turned out to be so close both to those who lived at the same time as him, and to us, who live seven centuries after him. Why? The answer is very simple: the closer a person is to God, the closer he is to others - to those who need his help and living example.
Priest Vasily Kutsenko
www.eparhia-saratov.ru/Articles/2013-10-08-00-18-31-russkie-hudojniki
FORMATION OF THE TRINITY-SERGIUS MONASTERY
Time passed, Sergius had already become accustomed to his loneliness. But after two or three years people began to flock to him and settle near him. Sergius accepted everyone, but warned them that their life would be difficult and full of hardships. Soon 12 people gathered. They cut down new cells, surrounded them and the Church of the Holy Trinity with a fence so that animals would not run in, and made gates. And this settlement became a small monastery. The monks called each other brothers, prayed together, worked together. Sergius set an example in everything: he himself chopped wood, carried water, planted a vegetable garden, and did carpentry.
Transformation of the monastery into the Trinity-Sergius Monastery
A monastery was formed, which in 1345 took shape as the Trinity-Sergius Monastery (later the Trinity-Sergius Lavra) and Sergius was its second abbot (the first was Mitrofan) and presbyter (from 1354), who set an example for everyone with his humility and hard work.
Having forbidden accepting alms, Sergius made it a rule that all monks should live from their labor, himself setting an example for them in this. Gradually his fame grew; Everyone began to turn to the monastery, from peasants to princes; many settled next to her and donated their property to her. At first, suffering from the extreme need of everything necessary in the desert, she turned to a rich monastery.
The glory of Sergius even reached Constantinople. Ecumenical Patriarch Philotheus sent him a cross, paraman, and schema with a special embassy. But most importantly, a letter in which he praised him for his virtuous life and gave advice to introduce kinobia (strict communal living) in the monastery. On this advice and with the blessing of Metropolitan Alexei, Sergius introduced a communal charter in the monastery. This rule was later adopted in many Russian monasteries. Metropolitan Alexei, who highly respected the Radonezh abbot, before his death, persuaded him to be his successor, but Blessed Sergius, out of humility, refused the primacy.
BATTLE OF KULIKOVO
Humility, patience, love for God and neighbors made the Reverend not only a great man of prayer, but also a mourner. First of all, for the Russian land during his earthly life.
Blessing of Dmitry Donskoy for the battle with the Tatars
There was a rumor that the great Horde army of Khan Mamai was coming to Rus'. Never since the time of the invasion of Khan Batu has there been such a strong threat not only to the destruction of the Fatherland, but also to the Holy Orthodox Faith. At that time, the Grand Duke of Moscow was Dmitry Donskoy, so nicknamed for his victory over the Tatars. Prince Dmitry Donskoy planned to free Rus' from the Tatar yoke. He came to Sergius to ask for his blessing for the battle with the Tatars, and the monk blessed him. Firstly, he sprinkled the prince and his squad with holy water. Secondly, he served a prayer service and gave two monks, schemamonk Alexander (Peresvet) and schemamonk Andrei (Oslyabya). Both were warriors before becoming monks. The news of the holy elder’s blessing for the battle spread throughout the army and raised the morale of the warriors.
Battle of Chelubey and Peresvet
Two days later, the Battle of Kulikovo began with a duel between the Tatar hero Chelubey and the Russian warrior-monk Peresvet. Both warriors fell lifeless. And then the two armies clashed in a terrible battle. And at this time the Monk Sergius, together with the brethren of the Trinity Monastery, prayed. They asked God to grant the Russian army victory. Although many Russian soldiers fell in this massacre, the Lord saved Rus' from destruction. On September 8, 1380, on the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Russian soldiers won a complete victory over the Tatar hordes on the Kulikovo Field. Thus, they marked the beginning of the liberation of the Russian land from the Tatar yoke. Dmitry Donskoy returned to Moscow as a winner.
From September 9 to 16, the dead were buried; a church was erected on the common grave, which had long since ceased to exist. The Church has legalized commemoration of the murdered on Parental Saturday of Dmitriev, “while Russia stands.” The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the anniversary of the Battle of Kulikovo on September 21. Since September 21, according to the current civil Gregorian calendar, corresponds to September 8. And this date coincides with the Julian calendar used by the Russian Orthodox Church.
After the Battle of Kulikovo, the Grand Duke began to treat the Radonezh abbot with even greater reverence. For example, he invited him in 1389 to seal a spiritual will legitimizing the new order of succession to the throne from father to eldest son.
PORTAL CONTACTS
The famous philosopher-priest Pavel Florensky wrote: “To understand Russia, one must understand the Lavra, and in order to delve into the Lavra, one must look with attentive eyes at its founder, recognized as a saint during his lifetime, “the wonderful old man, Saint Sergius.” A similar thought was expressed by the writer Evgeniy Poselyanin: “If Russia has a national hero who best expresses the spirit of Russia, then, of course, it is St. Sergius.” Indeed, there is probably no other saint whose life and deeds were so closely connected with the history of not only the Russian Church, but all of Russia.
Hegumen of the Russian Land - this is how St. Sergius is called. And this is not just an epithet. These words express the feeling of love of Orthodox Russian people for the Radonezh abbot and his monastery. Every person can see in St. Sergius a mentor and leader. The priest will see the example of a devout servant and inspired man of prayer, who was honored with the concelebration of the Angelic forces during the Liturgy. The monk is a role model in solitary life, prayer and obedience. Even as abbot, Abba Sergius continued to serve his brethren, considering himself the last in the monastery. Any Orthodox family will find in the life of the saint an example of mutual love and raising children. Reverends Cyril and Maria of Radonezh - the parents of the Reverend - instilled in their son faith and love for God. From them he received the desire for true Christian life and simplicity. Even a child will see in the youth Bartholomew - this is the name of the Reverend in the world - an ordinary boy, to whom not everything was easy. Only faith and trust in God's help helped him keep up with his peers.
Many books have been written about the life and feat of St. Sergius of Radonezh and the history of the monastery he founded. But today I would like to turn to the life of the Reverend, as told by artists.
We are all accustomed to iconographic images of the Radonezh abbot, but the image of his ascetic life has reached us not only in the form of an icon. The life of the Saint also inspired artists, who through their works wanted to express the inner spiritual world of the great saint. One of the most prolific authors in this field is Mikhail Nikolaevich Nesterov (1862-1942). Among his paintings there are many works on church themes. But the Abbot of Radonezh occupies a very special place in his work. Mikhail Nikolaevich himself admitted this. His greatest masterpiece is “The Vision of the Youth Bartholomew.”
This painting is not just a milestone in the work of the great Russian artist, it is a milestone in his life’s journey. Mikhail Nikolaevich once said: “It’s not me who will live. “The Youth Bartholomew” will live. Now, if thirty, fifty years after my death he still says something to people, that means he’s alive, and that means I’m alive too.”
The picture tells of a miracle when, through the prayer of the elder, book wisdom was revealed to the youth Bartholomew, and he began to read. It was hard for the young heart to endure the strict reproaches of the teacher and the ridicule of his peers, who saw that Bartholomew was not given book wisdom. But what saddened the boy much more was that he could not read the Word of the Lord himself. And so, after meeting with the holy elder, he received the fulfillment of what he fervently prayed for.
Let us take a closer look at the figure of the humble youth - the prayerful pose, reverence for the elder schema-monk, meekness and trust in God. The Reverend remained this way throughout his life. The same youth filled with humility appears before us in other works of M.N. Nesterov: “The Youth of St. Sergius”, “St. Sergius of Radonezh” and “The Works of St. Sergius”.
Here the already matured Sergius is addressed to us, having tasted the first difficulties of the hermit’s life. But it is not grief and fatigue that expresses his gaze, but the joy of being with God. Impenetrable forests became his home, wild animals became his closest friends. One day, a bear, weak from hunger, came to the saint’s cell, to which St. Sergius gave his crust of bread.
The next painting by Nesterov shows us St. Sergius in monastic garb. The gentle and calm gaze of the saint, addressed to the viewer and at the same time directed upward, to the sky, seems to call for him. The staff in his hand and the buildings visible in the distance tell us that Saint Sergius is already leading the brethren gathered around him. His feat became known, and many people turned to him for spiritual advice.
And here is the Reverend at work together with the brethren of the monastery. He did not want to stand out from others and always set an example of obedience and strictness of monastic life. When the brethren asked him to become abbot, he replied: “I wish to study better than to teach; It is better to obey than to command; but I am afraid of God's judgment; I don’t know what pleases God; the holy will of the Lord be done!”
Along with others, Abba Sergius performed monastic work, built wooden cells himself, carried and sawed logs, carried water, baked bread and cooked food, and sewed clothes. He always wore the same clothes, in any weather - hot or cold. He humbled his body, but his spirit grew more and more.
This is how Apollinary Mikhailovich Vasnetsov (1856-1933) imagined the Sergius monastery: a wooden temple, cells, monastic obediences. Perhaps one of the working monks is the Radonezh abbot himself?
M.N. Nesterov and A.M. Vasnetsov - the names of these Russian artists are known to everyone. But the work they started continues today. The life of St. Sergius inspires our contemporaries. A wonderful painting telling about the miracle of the resurrection of a dead boy was painted by Natalya Klimova.
A peasant takes his seriously ill son to the forest to Abbot Sergius, who lives there, and performs miracles through his prayers to God. But the boy dies... The picture conveys the very moment of the miracle - the elder’s hands raised in prayer, the peasant entering his cell with a coffin in his hands. The father, clouded with grief, has not yet seen his son, his thoughts are on something else, but in a moment the inconsolable grief will be replaced by joy.
This is the work of the artist Sergei Efoshkin “The Miracle of the Birds”. “Sergius, you pray for your students, and your prayer is heard. Look, see how many monks are gathering under your leadership!” — the Reverend once heard during prayer. After this, he saw an extraordinary light from the sky and many beautiful birds on the roofs and in the courtyard of the monastery. This picture conveys the miraculous revelation of God to Saint Sergius about the fate of the Trinity Monastery. The birds are all those who continue to gather under the arches of the Monk’s cell to follow his example of monastic feat.
But let's go back to the past again. The author of the famous “Military Council in Fili,” Alexey Danilovich Kivshenko (1851-1895), painted a picture of another military council. This is the advice of Grand Duke Dmitry with St. Sergius before the Battle of Kulikovo with the hordes of Khan Mamai. We see the humbly bowed head of the Grand Duke and the blessing hand of the Abbot of the Russian land...
“Go, don’t be afraid. God will help you,” the prince hears from the lips of the Reverend. The two armies have united with each other - the earthly army asks for help from the army who have dedicated themselves to serving God. The sword is in the hands of Prince Dmitry, the spiritual sword - the Cross of Christ - in the hands of St. Sergius. God is not in power, but in truth... The same plot is written by a contemporary author - priest Sergius Simakov.
Painting “Saints Sergius of Radonezh and Dmitry Donskoy” - The monk blesses the prince, sending two heroic monks Alexander-Peresvet and Andrei-Oslyabya to his army. It is not chain mail and shields that adorn the monks - it is monastic robes and firm faith in God.
The Monk Sergius reposed on September 25 (October 8, new style) 1392. His life path is from a humble youth to an elder, before whom princes bowed their heads. Abba Sergius addresses us through his life, through icons and, as we have seen, through paintings. If he is the Abbot of the Russian land, then we are all his faithful children, listening to his words. The life of St. Sergius is the life of a person in God. And strangely enough, the ascetic who went into the deep forests turned out to be so close both to those who lived at the same time as him, and to us, who live seven centuries after him. Why? The answer is very simple: the closer a person is to God, the closer he is to others - to those who need his help and living example.
PUBLIC SERVICE OF Reverend Sergius of Radonezh
In addition to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, Sergius founded several more monasteries. Annunciation Monastery on Kirzhach, Staro-Golutvin near Kolomna, Vysotsky Monastery, St. George's Monastery on Klyazma). He appointed his disciples as abbots in all these monasteries. Moreover, 40 monasteries were founded by his disciples. For example, Savva (Savvo-Storozhevsky near Zvenigorod), Ferapont (Ferapontov), Kirill (Kirillo-Belozersky), Sylvester (Voskresensky Obnorsky), etc. As well as his spiritual interlocutors, such as Stefan of Perm.
Venerable Sergius, Abbot of Radonezh
During his lifetime, the Monk Sergius of Radonezh was awarded the grace-filled gift of miracles and performed many miracles. People came to him from different cities for healing. But sometimes even just to see him. One day he resurrected a boy who died in his father's arms. He died when he was carrying the child to the saint for healing. The fame of the miracles performed by St. Sergius began to spread quickly.
And sick people began to be brought to him not only from surrounding villages, but also from distant places. And no one left the Reverend without receiving healing of ailments and edifying advice. Everyone glorified St. Sergius and reverently revered him on a par with the ancient holy fathers. But human glory did not seduce the great ascetic, and he still remained a model of monastic humility. Gradually, the monks began to witness other similar phenomena. Once during the liturgy the monk was concelebrated by an Angel of the Lord. But out of his humility, St. Sergius forbade anyone to tell about this until the end of his life on earth.
During his angelic life, St. Sergius was awarded such a vision from God. One night, Abba Sergius read the rule in front of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. Having finished reading the canon of the Mother of God, he sat down to rest. But suddenly he told his disciple, the Monk Micah, that a miraculous visit awaited them. A moment later, the entire cell was sanctified by a wonderful light and the Mother of God appeared. She was accompanied by the holy apostles Peter and John the Theologian. From the unusually bright light, St. Sergius fell on his face. But the Most Holy Theotokos touched him with her hands and, blessing him, promised to always patronize his holy monastery.
Looking for a model
Nikolai Dubovskoy. Portrait of Apollinary Vasnetsov. 1886. Memorial Museum-apartment of A.M. Vasnetsova, Moscow
Mikhail Nesterov. Head of a praying young man. Sketch for the painting “The Youth of St. Sergius of Radonezh.” 1891. Bashkir State Art Museum named after. M.V. Nesterova, Ufa
Many people posed for the artist - he was constantly in creative search. Nesterov recalled: “...what I was especially afraid of was Sergius’s face. This face still seemed vague, and I did not have such a reliable sketch for it as for “Bartholomew”... However, this unclear [face] needed to be made clear and convincing. This is where the hours of doubt and anxiety began..."
He planned to paint the face of Sergius of Radonezh from his friend, the painter Apollinary Vasnetsov, who, despite his advanced age, looked very young. But after several unsuccessful attempts, Mikhail Nesterov painted the face of the saint from the face of an unknown girl.
The artist placed the image of Sergius of Radonezh on a neutral background, thanks to which the painting is stylistically similar to the icon. In the lower part of the sketch, Mikhail Nesterov painted bright grass, it resembles manure - this is how the icons seem to indicate earth.
OLD AGE AND DEATH OF THE REVEREND SERGIUS OF RADONEZH
Having reached a very old age, the Monk Sergius of Radonezh, having foreseen his death within six months, called the brethren to him. In their presence, he blessed a disciple, St. Nikon, experienced in spiritual life and obedience, to become abbess. On the eve of his death, St. Sergius called on the brethren for the last time. When he received communion of the Mysteries of Christ, he addressed himself with the words of his testament: “Take heed to yourselves, brothers. First have the fear of God, spiritual purity and unfeigned love...”
On September 25, 1392, the Monk Sergius of Radonezh peacefully departed to the Lord, and 30 years later, on July 5, 1422, his relics were found incorrupt.
Glorification of the Patron Saint of the Russian Land
St. Sergius of Radonezh is the patron saint of the Russian land, founder of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. His life is an example of life in Christ, where the main thing is an example of life in Christ, where the main thing is love for God and neighbor.
As they say in this film, St. Sergius is the image of Russia. In prp. Each of us will find Sergius for our spiritual needs. From whatever spiritual state, from whatever social stratum, from whatever type of occupation a person turns, everyone will find in him as an abundant treasure what his soul needs.
