Father Sergius! If the photograph of 1924 showed three of Pravdolyubov’s shepherds, then the photograph taken in 2000 showed a whole line of clergy. And what - are they all Pravdolyubovs?
- All the Pravdolyubovs and all the archpriests, they represent two branches of our family. To begin with, I will name them in a row (from left to right): Fathers Simeon, Sergius, Vladimir, Andrei, Mikhail, Seraphim, Theodore and another Mikhail. The first, fourth and fifth in a row are the sons of Archpriest Vladimir Sergeevich Pravdolyubov (third from left), who is also here, he is brother my late father. The other four priests, including me (in dark glasses), are also brothers, sons of the ever-memorable Archpriest Anatoly Sergeevich Pravdolyubov. And all of us, of course, are in direct kinship with the newly glorified saints. The photograph was taken in Selishchi near Kasimov, on August 24, four days after the glorification of the new martyrs took place at the Council of Bishops, including the first two Pravdolyubovs, as well as our relative Mikhail Dmitrev - this is our maternal grandfather. In fact, we took a photo near his house in Selishchi.
- What churches do your uncle and cousins serve in?
- Archpriest Vladimir Sergeevich Pravdolyubov in his youth graduated from the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of Moscow State University, and then from theological seminary and academy, and became a candidate of theology. His ministry has been going on for 43 years. With his mother Nina Ivanovna, he raised two daughters and four sons, three of whom entered the priesthood. Andrey is the rector of the Kasimovsky Assumption Church, where our great-grandfather, now the holy martyr Archpriest Anatoly Avdeevich Pravdolyubov, once served. Simeon is the rector of the St. George Church in Kasimov, and Mikhail is the rector of the Church of St. Diomede in the village of Pervo Kasimovsky district.
- I would like to know a little about your siblings...
-Okay, but first - a filial word about our father, Archpriest Anatoly Sergeevich Pravdolyubov. In 1935-1940, he, together with his father and uncle, drank a lot of Solovetsky Dashing. From 1941 to 1944, our future father fought and was seriously wounded during the liberation of the Pushkin Mountains. His church ministry began in 1947 and continued until his death.
I remember my father could play music on the piano or cello for hours, and compose. He was a talented church composer, and only now, almost 20 years after the death of his father, a collection of his works is being prepared for publication. The most important thing is that my father had a great liturgical gift; I have never subsequently met a priest who could even remotely compare in the beauty of performing divine services. My father, for example, believed that the child’s participation in divine services during Lent, Holy and Easter weeks gives a little Christian more than all other means of education combined... My father never forced us to learn the Law of God or anything else of the Church . He introduced us to the world musical, philosophical and literary heritage. And we turned to theology later, on our own.
Now about the brothers. Our common joy is that at one time we were all subdeacons under His Holiness Patriarch Pimen. Much water has passed under the bridge since then... Mikhail has been serving in the capital’s famous Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Sokolniki for the last 10 years, and is a candidate of theology; He and Mother Lyubov have two sons. The other brothers, Seraphim and Theodore, are twins. The first of them is the rector of the largest Trinity Cathedral in the Ryazan diocese in the village of Gus-Zhelezny and the head of the largest family among the current Truth-Lovers: Seraphim and Mother Marina have seven sons and a daughter. Theodore has a very responsible ministry - for a quarter of a century he has been the rector of the Intercession Church in the village of Makoveevo, Kasimovsky district, the temple where our father served for over 20 years. There, near the church wall, is his holy grave.
That's probably all, in a nutshell.
-But you didn’t tell anything about yourself...
- Of course, a lot has been lived and there is something to remember. For example, how, like young Anatoly, my future father, and my grandfather Nikolai, I had to go through a serious moral test. The fact is that during my years of study at the Moscow Theological Seminary, employees of a well-known “office” repeatedly tried to recruit me, promising mountains of gold, the opportunity to travel not only around the Union, but throughout the world... I really wanted to study. And I understood that if I refused to be a sexot, nothing good would await me in the future. And yet I said “no” to the KGB. In the most difficult time for me, I wrote music for the ancient chant “The Supper and Your Secret Today.” It says that a Christian renounces all the blessings of life, his future; even if he ends up unknown where, he will remain faithful to God and Christ until his death.
I think the Lord himself acted as my intercessor then... I remember this because now, according to the decisions of the last Council of Bishops, priests are prohibited from working for the secret services, and clergy can openly declare attempts to recruit them, if any occur. I am convinced that all priests are grateful to the bishops who have established such a position in modern church life.
- Was that your first work?
-No, second. The first was the chant “Now You Let Go.” Both of them were performed by church choirs in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kyiv. I also have a third work, “Solovetsky Martyrs,” the first stichera at the litia, it has not yet been performed publicly.
I wrote the stichera under the strong impression of the photo exhibition dedicated to former prisoners Solovetsky camp. At night I couldn’t sleep for a long time, I closed my eyes - and saw suffering faces, and among them - the Pravdolyubovs. And suddenly, when I was almost asleep, I heard singing. It sounded like a separate musical phrase. Along with the melody, words emerged. And I remembered that this is exactly what happened with the ancient church authors - they simultaneously “heard” the melody and words of the chants... I rushed to the table and began to write down. I remember: it happened on the night of February 11, 1992, it was a special night, a night of extraordinary creative insight.
I hope that my “Solovetsky Martyrs” will definitely be heard. I would like this to happen this year during a solemn ceremony at the Orthodox St. Tikhon’s Theological Institute, where I give lectures. I would like to manage the choir myself, I know how to do it.
- Some of the Pravdolyubov pastors serve in rural areas, others in the city, including two in the capital. Tell me, how do pastors live today? Are they in need or prosperous, if we talk about the material side of things?
- Parish to parish - discord, both in the village and in the big city. In the capital, let's say, there are more people in those churches that are located near the metro or crowded intersections. Such temples are richer. But I want to talk about something else. Yes, there are priests who have a parish in the village, and spend most of their time in the city, engaged in “improving” their personal well-being, but this is rather an exception to the rule (as Judas was an exception among the apostles), and such money-grubbing people are severely rebuked Our Holiness Patriarch Alexy II.
The rule is that the absolute majority of priests fear God and carry out their service with dignity - and in good conditions, and in extremely scarce ones. Because the most important thing for a shepherd is his temple and the throne of God standing in the temple. And let there be a forest, a steppe, a desert around - for a priest it makes no difference, because the main thing for him is daily communication with God and with people.
In a certain sense, it is even harder and more restless for a priest in a big city than for a rural priest. I’ve been in Moscow for many years now, but I still can’t get used to it. Twice he asked to be sent to the provinces, but to no avail.
- You teach in spiritual higher educational institutions. Share your opinion about modern Orthodox students. Are you optimistic about church youth?
- There are wonderful words in the Gospel that God can raise children for Abraham from stones. And so, over the course of many years, I have watched how yesterday’s “stones” miraculously turn into wonderful clergy. The fact is that the Church is not an earthly structure, it is a mysterious divine-human organism. If the Church were only the creation of human hands, nothing would have remained of it long ago. Looking at the recent students ordinary guys from the outback, I see how their faces change and transform very quickly. Because God called these young people to serve, He himself organizes his Church and calls worthy people. And they are given the opportunity to become even better priests than other people from pastoral families. Therefore, when I hear in my community that someone is speaking disparagingly about church youth, I immediately intervene: “Wonderful youth are going to Church, and they will serve wonderfully.”
- Now this is a reasonable question: will young priests from the Pravdolyubov family appear in our churches in the coming 21st century?
- My great-grandfather and grandfather - Anatoly Avdeevich and Sergiy Anatolyevich - were familiar with His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon, received from the High Hierarch a photograph with his dedicatory inscription - “To Archpriests Sergius and Anatoly Pravdolyubov. Patriarch Tikhon, 1924.” Then my ancestors decided that the two names blessed by Patriarch Tikhon should alternate in our family. Little Anatoly was already my future father. Therefore, the name Sergius was prepared for me in advance... I was eight years old when I received an order from my father: “When you grow up, get married and have a son, be sure to name him Anatoly.” Seventeen years ago, my mother Margarita Vladimirovna and I did just that: one of the twin sons was named Anatoly, and the second Vladimir. Now we will wait for grandson Sergius...
I am glad that both my sons became first-year students at the St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Institute and chose the theological and pastoral faculty. In addition, my own nephew Sergius is already a third-year student at the Moscow Theological Seminary (by the way, he is the author of the modern photograph of the Pravdolyubovs). It is possible that some other sons of my relatives and cousins will take the path of church service. However, like our ancestors, we are not going to force our sons to become priests: “a slave is not a pilgrim.”
- And the last question, Father Sergius: if it’s not a secret, what is the family tree of the Pravdolyubovs silently “rustling” about?
- Our “tree” testifies that some Pravdolyubovs, who were not connected with the Church, remained childless, and the children of others did not marry or did not get married. And such “branches” gradually “withered.” But the “priestly branches” continue to “turn green.” Here, of course, there is no reason for pride and arrogance - this is how “chosen” and wonderful we are, because everything eventually ends its existence... Nevertheless, there is definitely some mystery in the observed state of affairs. And if God wants as many Truth-loving people as possible to continue to bear the cross of serving the Church, then it is necessary to bear it. Let us be steadfast in this.
Archpriest Sergiy Anatolyevich Pravdolyubov was born on June 13 (old style) 1890 in the village of Makkaveevo, Ryazan province, Kasimov district. His father is Archpriest Anatoly Avdeevich Pravdolyubov, his mother is Klavdia Andreevna Pravdolyubova (nee Dmitreva).
His childhood passed in the Ryazan province - in the village of Makkaveevo and the city of Kasimov, where, soon after the birth of Sergius, Father Anatoly began to serve in the Church of the Assumption Mother of God.
Archpriest Anatoly Avdeevich not only served in the Assumption Church, but was also an observer of theological schools in the Kasimov district, a teacher at the Theological School and theological schools in the city of Kasimov.
At the age of six, in 1896, a miracle of healing occurred to the baby Sergius. He rescheduled this year serious illness, after which I almost completely lost my hearing. Doctors claimed that deafness would remain for life - it was incurable. In the same year, in September, Father Anatoly Avdeevich was in Chernigov at the glorification of St. Theodosius of Chernigov - at the opening of his relics. He brought with him a small cloth and oil from the relics of the Saint, which he placed on the head of the sick child. This is how Sergius’ son, Archpriest Anatoly Sergievich Pravdolyubov, later wrote in his memoirs about this healing:
The napkin that lay on the relics of Saint Theodosius of God was brought home by grandfather along with oil from the saint’s shrine. He placed it with faith on the head of my deaf father, a sick six year old boy; His grandfather poured oil into his sore ears, and he was completely healed and could hear perfectly all his life.
Father Sergius was a naturally gifted person, but at the same time he received an excellent education. In his adolescence, he graduated from the Kasimov Theological School, where his father taught, then from the Ryazan Theological Seminary and, finally, from the Kyiv Imperial Theological Academy, where he was awarded the academic degree of candidate of theology. The topic of his candidate's essay was apologetics - defense Orthodox faith from heterodoxy.
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In 1913, while still a student at the Theological Academy, Sergiy Anatolyevich married Lydia Dmitrievna Fedotyeva, daughter of Kasimov Archpriest Dimitry Fedotyev. They got married in the small village of Panino, Ryazan province, Spassky district, where relatives of Lydia Dmitrievna Fedoteva served.
The father of Sergius and Lydia Dmitrievna had seven children: Anatoly (later archpriest; 1914−1981), Vladimir (1916−1918), Victor (1919−1943; died at the front), Vera, now living (born in 1922). ), Sergius (1925−1943; died at the front), Sofia, now living (born in 1927) and Vladimir, now an archpriest (born in 1931).
In 1915, after graduating from the Theological Academy, Father Sergius served in Kyiv as a psalm-reader, and then was sent to the Vyatka diocese, where on October 26 (old style) of the same year he was ordained by Bishop Nikandr of Vyatka as a priest to the Savior Church of Sloboda Kukarka. In 1916, he became an archpriest and was transferred as rector to the Trinity Cathedral of Sloboda Kukarka (now the city of Sovetsk, Kirov region) and was appointed dean of the first district of the Yaransky district of the Vyatka diocese, a teacher of law at a nine-grade girls' gymnasium, two men's secondary schools and chairman of the pedagogical council of the gymnasium. Father Sergius at this time was only twenty-six years old.
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Archpriest Anatoly, the son of Father Sergius, later wrote in his memoirs about that time and about his father: “Archpriest Sergius wonderfully headed both the cathedral parables and the council of priests of the entire city and district when it gathered in big holidays. My father was an expert in hierarchal service and all other services - both everyday and festive. He arranged such splendor in the service that everyone liked it then. What was most captivating was the power of his preaching, his natural talent, polished higher education. “Blessed is God, who pours out His grace on His priests...”, “And no one accepts honor to himself, but he who is called of God, as Aaron was” (Heb. 5.4). These divine words came true on Father Sergius.”
But Archpriest Sergius did not serve for long in the Vyatka diocese - in 1923 he moved to the city of Kasimov, Ryazan diocese, where he was appointed rector of the Trinity Church.
Kasimov - small but very beautiful ancient city, known since 1152. It had two monasteries and twelve churches, each of which had a beautiful set of bells. The main cathedral bell weighed 16 tons and was distinguished by a low velvety timbre that could be heard for many kilometers in the area. As contemporaries recall, the sound of this bell seemed to float through the streets of the city; new strikes were almost inaudible - only a softly renewed sound, audible up to fifteen kilometers outside the city. The rural parishes closest to Kasimov began ringing the cathedral bell, and the city itself simply sounded with many bells, especially on Easter week, when every parishioner considered it his duty to climb the bell tower of his parish church and ring the bells at least several times. Such a number of bells in a small town and such a variety of different ringings amazed everyone who came to the city for the first time. One priest who visited Kasimov later recalled these ringings with surprise and said: “The whole city shook!”
But the city of Kasimov was famous not only for its bells. In each of the churches there were many ancient vestments, icons, banners, each church had its own choir of singers, which were led by experienced regents who underwent their training in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
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Archpriest Sergius loved his hometown, and he came here to serve at the request of his father, who wrote to him in the Vyatka diocese: “Return to the land of your fathers; We are old and it’s bitter for us to die without seeing you and our grandchildren, without enjoying communication with you and your family face to face.” And indeed, Kasimov was the city of the ancestors of Father Sergius: Archpriest Anatoly, his father, served in the Assumption Church, his brother, Priest Nikolai, served in the Kazan Monastery, and his wife’s father, Archpriest Dimitry Fedotiev, served in the cemetery Church of All Saints; Father Sergius' uncles served in the surrounding villages - Archpriest Mikhail, Archpriest Theodore and Priest Alexander Dmitrev. Every week on market day, on Thursdays, these numerous relatives gathered in the city on economic needs, and then they considered it their duty to appear at the house of Father Anatoly Avdeevich Pravdolyubov, where they drank tea together, talked, and shared parish concerns.
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When Father Sergius arrived in Kasimov, he became a regular participant in these meetings. Everyone knew his extraordinary gift of preaching, and everyone unanimously asked him every time to preach an extemporaneous sermon on the topic of the upcoming gospel Sunday reading. They listened to him carefully, made corrections and additions, and then in all churches they said approximately the same thing, of course with their own personal characteristics, which always distinguish one preacher from another. Moreover, each priest who listened to Father Sergius at that time had his own attachments to certain sources. Archpriest Sergius himself was very fond of the preaching of Archbishop Innocent of Kherson and St. Theophan the Recluse, Archpriest Anatoly Avdeevich - St. Demetrius of Rostov, Archpriest Dimitry Fedotiev used primarily the anthologies of Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko, someone loved St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, Archbishop Ambrose of Kharkov , Archpriest Rodion Putyatin and so on Further. Nevertheless, it was Father Sergius who was valued as an extraordinary preacher, orator, and apologist not only by fellow priests, but also by parishioners who gathered to listen to him from other churches in the city.
During these years, Archpriest Sergius delivered a very lengthy series of sermons entitled “Explanation of the Divine Liturgy.” Very detailed records of these sermons have been preserved, which still amaze us with the depth of Father Sergius’s faith, the beauty of the words, and at the same time the accessibility for everyone who listens to the lofty theological truths that are set forth in them.
Archpriest Sergius also had to take part in public debates with atheists, which attracted large numbers of people. The authorities themselves obliged the clergy to speak at such debates, but very soon the debates were prohibited, since the atheists invariably suffered crushing defeats.
The renovationist schism, which then spread everywhere, also brought a lot of troubles. But in Kasimov, the renovationists were not successful, largely due to the unity of the clergy, constant preaching from the church pulpit, in which a significant role was played by the firmness of Father Sergius, his conviction that it was unacceptable to introduce into church life those innovations that were proclaimed by the followers of renovationism.
In 1924, Archpriest Sergius, together with his father, Archpriest Anatoly Avdeevich, and brother Vladimir, was in Moscow at a reception with His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon. As a sign of communication with the Kasimov archpriests, His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon presented them with his portrait with his own signature: “To the Archpriests of the Pravdolyubovs.”
The attitude towards Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) was more complicated, especially after his Declaration of 1927. Parishes appeared in which the name of Metropolitan Sergius was not commemorated and thereby actually separated from church unity. Father Sergius always remained faithful to Metropolitan Sergius and convinced others that treating him as the head of the Russian Church was the guarantee of its unity, that loyalty to him would save the Church from its complete destruction.
On February 28, 1928, Archpriest Sergius was awarded a cross with decorations “for the zealous preaching of the Word of God,” and on May 4, 1934, by decree of Archbishop of Ryazan and Shatsk Iuvenaliy (later canonized hieromartyr) - a miter.
In those years, atheistic power had already been established everywhere, and years of repression began. But the Lord protected Father Sergius. One day, a punitive detachment of Red Army soldiers came to the city of the Vyatka diocese where he served. They shot many on the spot, and when they approached the house of Father Sergius in search of the “chief priest,” he himself came out to them and said: “It’s me.” They didn't believe him. Father Sergius looked very simple - bald, with a small beard. The Red Army soldiers answered him: “No, you are not the main priest, you are a simple priest.” Father Sergius replied: “Yes, I am a simple priest.” The punishers left, but found the elderly, unemployed Archpriest Alexy and shot him. Father Sergius prayed all his life for the murdered Archpriest Alexy.
But another time, Father Sergius was arrested and kept in custody for two and a half months. Those arrested were taken to work and called "labor militia", although in reality this was imprisonment.
One day a group of prisoners was taken into the forest and ordered to dig a trench. When the trench was ready, everyone was shot and buried in the ditch they had dug. Very soon another group of people was taken out into the forest, which included Father Sergius. They also ordered to dig a trench, and everyone was sure that they would be shot. While working, everyone prayed that the Lord would accept their souls in peace. When everything was ready, suddenly a train with completely spoiled fish arrived along the railway tracks that passed nearby. The guard ordered four wagons of rotten fish to be unloaded and buried in a trench, after which everyone could be free. People, doing this hard work, rejoiced and thanked God for salvation.
At the end of 1929, already in Kasimov, Father Sergius was arrested and imprisoned. He was sentenced to two years in prison, but, due to numerous requests from believers, he was unexpectedly released on Easter.
However, in 1935, Father Sergius was again arrested and sent to Solovki. More than ten people were arrested with him, among whom were his son Anatoly, a twenty-year-old youth, and two brothers: priest Nikolai (canonized on December 27, 2000 as a martyr) and Vladimir (canonized on August 20, 2000 as a martyr). The reason for the arrest was the compilation by Priest Nikolai and Vladimir Anatolyevich of the biography of the universally revered Matrona Anemnyasevskaya (canonized on April 22, 1999 as a blessed one and confessor) and two locally revered ascetics of piety - Tsarevich Jacob (17th century) and Peter the Hermit (a contemporary of St. Seraphim of Sarov). Compiling such books was considered a crime at that time.
Archpriest Sergius spent five long years in the Solovetsky camp in the most difficult conditions. Together with him, his son and brother, Priest Nikolai, languished in prison. Vladimir Anatolyevich was sent to the Karaganda camp and shot there.
A great support in Solovki for the Pravdolyubovs was their acquaintance with Bishop Arkady Ostalsky (canonized on August 20, 2000 as a holy martyr), with whom they struck up a deep spiritual friendship.
Despite the conditions of the prison, prisoners in those years had opportunities for communication, prayer and even worship. The Solovetsky antimension has been preserved, and the grandson of Father Sergius, Archpriest Sergius Pravdolyubov, keeps the Solovetsky epitrachelion in the form of a simple towel, which was sent to Father Sergius “from the outside,” as a precious relic.
The son of Archpriest Sergius, Archpriest Anatoly, left his memories of the years of imprisonment in Solovki, among which there are stories about undoubtedly miraculous events. So one day, through the prayers of Archpriest Sergius, his son was saved from imminent death.
Solovki is an archipelago: several islands are located close to each other. The prisoners lived on the main island and sometimes worked on outlying islands, traveling there on small boats. At work, prisoners were detained until late at night, and then they had to get to the main island in complete darkness.
And then, on one of these days, the following happened. When the prisoners entered the strait separating the islands, a strong sea wind arose, the outlines of the islands completely disappeared in the darkness, and all the people in the boat realized that they were dying: it was unclear where to row, and the wind quickly carried the boat into the open sea. Suddenly, everyone saw a bright light, like a large fire, laid out on the main island. They leaned on the oars, and it took everyone a lot of effort to overcome the wind, the current of the strait and still bring the boat to this fire. When we approached the main island and went ashore, we were surprised to find that there was no fire on the shore. Only Father Sergius stood by the water and prayed for the people who were at sea.
Another time, Archpriest Sergius warned his brother and son about temptation from an unclean spirit that had gripped everyone around them. One evening, after work, in a prison dormitory, many prisoners were together and peacefully talking, located in groups throughout the dormitory. The Pravdolyubovs also had a general conversation: Father Sergius, Father Nikolai and Anatoly. Suddenly Father Sergius told them: “It flew in!” “Who flew in?” asked his son. “Satan flew in,” answered Father Sergius. “Why do you know this?” Anatoly continued to ask. “But look, do you hear people arguing near the entrance?” “So what does it matter, you never know what disagreements they have among themselves?” Anatoly continued to object to Father Sergius. “No, that's not the point. Now everyone here will swear.” And indeed, as if in a circle, terrible abuse began to spread among people throughout the room. Very soon, all the people without exception were arguing, showing incomprehensible anger towards each other. “You see? You and I would also be arguing now if I hadn’t warned you,” said Father Sergius.
Another incident with Father Sergius suggests that even demons are sometimes forced to testify to the power of God operating in people faithful to Him. There was an Uzbek among the prisoners who liked to tell fortunes using small bones similar to cherry ones: he threw these stones onto some surface and watched how they would be located. By their location, this Uzbek predicted much of what this or that prisoner would experience. Many people liked such fortune-telling; the Uzbek was always surrounded by a crowd of people excitedly discussing this or that prediction.
One day this man approached Father Sergius and asked him for permission to tell fortunes for him. Father Sergius replied: “The law of our faith forbids us to guess. I do not allow fortune telling." The Uzbek walked away from Father Sergius and with a sly look said to those around him: “But we’ll tell our fortunes anyway!” He threw the bones, looked at them and suddenly turned pale and changed his face. With the greatest respect, he approached Father Sergius, bowed before him, folding his hands in a special way, and said: “Allow me to continue the fortune-telling.” “No, I don’t allow it,” was Father Sergius’ answer. The Uzbek walked up to his bones, put some small stick on top of them and said: “That’s it, he doesn’t allow it!” “Come on, go on: just think, some old man is forbidding you!” - the prisoners tried to encourage him. “No, you don’t understand anything! He had the fortune of being a prophet! This is a very rare thing, and no one has the right to tell fortunes about it if he does not allow it,” answered the Uzbek and that evening he stopped fortune telling altogether.
In 1940, Father Sergius was released and he returned to Kasimov. But many temples were already closed by that time. Services were not held in the Trinity Church, where Father Sergius was rector before his imprisonment. There was no priestly place for him, and he was forced to earn his daily bread by fulfilling requirements and replacing regular priests during their illness. And in August 1942 he was again sent to prison for six months. He was accused of “violating blackout rules in wartime,” which he did not violate, for which he was arrested and taken into custody without trial or investigation. Only six months later, Father Sergius was released, and in March 1943 he began to serve in the St. Nicholas Church in the city of Kasimov.
But he did not have to serve for long in Kasimov - already in December of the same year, Father Sergius was mobilized to the labor front and sent as a night watchman to a white stone quarry in Maleevo. This quarry was located not far from Kasimov, but, nevertheless, it was a link. As one of the grandsons of Father Sergius noted, “quarries have always been a place of work for slaves and prisoners.” Father Sergius spent three whole years in the quarries, but all this time he diligently studied the Philokalia, the works of the Holy Fathers, and sometimes he managed to perform all-night vigils, at which exiles like him sang, among whom there was even a church choir director.
Here, in the quarries, he wrote his Testament, which he titled: “To my children and grandchildren on how to fast and prepare for confession and communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.” In its mood, this Testament is very close to the patristic works, and every Christian can consider himself to be the children and grandchildren of a righteous man and confessor if he lovingly perceives his instructions. The will of Archpriest Sergius was published twice in the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate: in the 12th issue for 1985 and the 2nd issue for 2003.
In 1946, Father Sergius was released, but he was forbidden to serve in Kasimov. He became dean and rector of the Ascension Church in the city of Spassk-Ryazansky. But here he served only briefly: from spring to December 1947. Then he was transferred to the city of Lebedyan, which was part of the Ryazan diocese in those years, and in his place - the dean of the Spassky district and rector - they appointed his own son, Archpriest Anatoly, who accepted the priesthood on December 7, 1947. It was a great joy for Father Sergius to see his eldest son as a priest. When he left Spassk, he turned to the parishioners and said: “I’m leaving, but I’m leaving you my son, who will be better for you than me.”
The last three years of Archpriest Sergius’s life passed in Lebedyan. These were years of labor and illness. His health was undermined in prison. Here he suffered a heart attack. At sixty, he looked like an eighty-year-old man.
On December 18, 1950, on the eve of the memory of the saint and wonderworker Nicholas he revered, Archpriest Sergius died. He was buried in Lebedyan, at the southern part of the altar of the Transfiguration Church, in which he served.
The son of Father Sergius, Archpriest Anatoly Pravdolyubov, testified that during the funeral service and burial of Archpriest Sergius, he, to his surprise, did not experience the sorrow usual in such cases, but, on the contrary, a quiet joy, similar to that which happens to believers for Easter. He shared what he was feeling with the old priests, to which they replied: “Don’t you know? This is what always happens when a righteous person is buried!”
By the definition of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II and Holy Synod On December 27, 2000, Archpriest Sergius was glorified as a confessor and included in the Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia.
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With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II, Metropolitan Simon of Ryazan and Kasimov, Metropolitan Methodius of Voronezh and Lipetsk, on October 4, 2001, the honest relics of the holy confessor Sergius were discovered. On October 5, 2001, his relics were transferred from the city of Lebedyan, which is now part of the Voronezh diocese, to the Spassky Church in the village of Makkaveevo, Ryazan diocese. Here, in this small village where the holy confessor Sergius was born, his honest relics were prepared for universal veneration, and on February 5, 2002 they were solemnly transferred to the St. Nicholas Church in the city of Kasimov.
During the visit of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' to Kasimov on the occasion of the 850th anniversary of the city, the relics of Hiero-Confessor Sergius were in the main Ascension Cathedral of the city, where on July 1, 2002, His Holiness celebrated the Divine Liturgy.
On September 15, 2002, after the restoration and consecration of the Trinity Church in the city of Kasimov, the honest relics of the holy confessor Sergius were transferred to this temple for permanent residence. Every week, before the shrine of his venerable relics, a divine service is held with the reading of an akathist to the newly glorified saint.
The memory of Hiero-Confessor Sergius is celebrated on the day of his death - December 5/18, as well as in the Cathedral of All New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, the Cathedral of Ryazan Saints and the Cathedral of Kasimov Saints.
Priest Confessor
Archpriest Sergiy Pravdolyubov
The Pravdolyubov family has been priestly since ancient times; according to some records and legends, the Pravdolyubov priests have been known since the mid-18th century. Already in the first graduating class of the Ryazan Theological Seminary in 1817, Feodor Pravdolyubov was listed. There are four new martyrs glorified by the Church in the Truth-loving family. Anatoly Avdeevich - martyr. His eldest children: Vladimir Anatolyevich - martyr, Sergiy Anatolyevich - holy confessor, Nikolai Anatolyevich - holy martyr. The brother of Father Anatoly’s wife, Archpriest Mikhail Dmitrev, was glorified as a martyr.
Archpriest Sergiy Anatolyevich Pravdolyubov was born on June 13 (old style) 1890 in the village of Makkaveevo, Ryazan province, Kasimov district. His father is Archpriest Anatoly Avdeevich Pravdolyubov, his mother is Klavdia Andreevna Dmitreva. His childhood passed in the Ryazan province: the village of Makkaveevo and the city of Kasimov, where Fr. Anatoly was a teacher of the law and rector of the Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God.
Archpriest Anatoly Avdeevich not only served in the Assumption Church in Kasimov, he taught at the local theological school for many years and was an inspector of parochial schools in the district. To relax his soul, he spent his entire life in floriculture. He was shot in 1937. Canonized as a holy martyr.
At the age of six, in 1896, a miracle of healing occurred to the baby Sergius. This year he suffered a serious illness, after which he almost completely lost his hearing. Doctors claimed that deafness would remain for life - it was incurable. In the same year in September, Father Anatoly Avdeevich was in Chernigov at the glorification of St. Theodosius of Chernigov - at the opening of his relics. He brought with him a small cloth and oil from the relics of the saint, which he placed on the head of the sick child. This is how Sergius’ son, Archpriest Anatoly Sergeevich Pravdolyubov, later wrote in his memoirs about this healing:
“The napkin that lay on the relics of Saint Theodosius of God was brought home by grandfather along with oil from the saint’s shrine. He placed it with faith on the head of my deaf father, a sick six-year-old boy; His grandfather poured oil into his sore ears, and he was completely healed and could hear perfectly all his life.”
Father Sergius was a naturally gifted person, but at the same time he received an excellent education. In his adolescence, he graduated from the Kasimov Theological School, where his father taught, then from the Ryazan Theological Seminary and, finally, from the Kyiv Imperial Theological Academy, where he was awarded the academic degree of Candidate of Theology.
In 1913, while still a student at the Theological Academy, Sergiy Anatolyevich married Lydia Dmitrievna Fedotyeva, daughter of Kasimov Archpriest Dimitry Fedotyev. They got married in the small village of Panino, Ryazan province, Spassky district, where relatives of Lydia Dmitrievna Fedoteva served.
The father of Sergius and Lydia Dmitrievna had seven children: Anatoly (later archpriest, 1914 - 1981), Vladimir (1916 - 1918), Victor (1919 - 1943; died at the front), Vera, now living (born in 1922 .), Sergius (1925 - 1943; died at the front), Sofia, now living (born in 1927) and Vladimir, now an archpriest (born in 1931).In 1918, Fr. Sergius miraculously survived under the following circumstances. A punitive detachment of Latvian riflemen came to Kukarka. At night they went on a raid through the settlement, arresting and shooting the most influential residents. When they approached the house of Father Sergius, looking for the “chief priest,” he himself came out to them and said: “It’s me.” They didn't believe him. Father Sergius looked very simple - bald, with a small beard. The Red Army soldiers answered him: “No, you are not the main priest, you are a simple priest.” Father Sergius replied: “Yes, I am a simple priest.” The punishers left, but found the elderly, unemployed Archpriest Alexy and shot him. Father Sergius prayed all his life for the murdered Archpriest Alexy.
That same year, Father Sergius was arrested and kept in custody for two and a half months. Those arrested were taken to work and called "labor militia", although in reality this was imprisonment. One day, one of the groups of prisoners was taken into the forest and ordered to dig a trench. When the trench was ready, everyone was shot and buried in the ditch they had dug. Very soon another group of people was taken out into the forest, which included Father Sergius. They also ordered to dig a trench, and everyone was sure that they would be shot. While working, everyone prayed that the Lord would accept their souls in peace. When everything was ready, suddenly a train with spoiled fish arrived along the railway tracks that passed nearby. The guard ordered four wagons of rotten fish to be unloaded and buried in a trench, after which everyone could be free. People, doing this hard work, rejoiced and thanked God for salvation. However, Fr. Another blow awaited Sergius - his little son, baby Vladimir, died.
In 1923, Father Sergius and his family moved to the city of Kasimov and, by the determination of the Archbishop of Ryazan and Zaraisk Boris (Sokolov; †1928), was appointed rector of the Trinity Church from September 8.
Kasimov is a small but very beautiful ancient city, known since 1152. It had two monasteries and twelve churches, each of which had a beautiful set of bells. The main cathedral bell weighed 16 tons and was distinguished by a low velvety timbre that could be heard for many kilometers in the area. As contemporaries recall, the sound of this bell seemed to float through the streets of the city; new strikes were almost inaudible - only a softly renewed sound, audible up to fifteen kilometers outside the city. The rural parishes closest to Kasimov began ringing the cathedral bell, and the city itself simply sounded with many bells, especially on Easter week, when every parishioner considered it his duty to climb the bell tower of his parish church and ring the bells at least several times. Such a number of bells in a small town and such a variety of different ringings amazed everyone who came to the city for the first time. One bishop who visited Kasimov later recalled with surprise these ringings and said: “The whole city shook!”
But the city of Kasimov was famous not only for its bells. In each of the churches there were many ancient vestments, icons, banners, each church had its own choir of singers, which were led by experienced regents who underwent their training in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Archpriest Sergius loved his hometown, and he came here to serve at the request of his father, who wrote to him in the Vyatka diocese: “Return to the land of your fathers; We are old and it’s bitter for us to die without seeing you and our grandchildren, without enjoying communication with you and your family face to face.” And indeed, Kasimov was the city of the ancestors of Father Sergius: Archpriest Anatoly, his father, served in the Assumption Church, his brother, Priest Nikolai, served in the Kazan Monastery, and Archpriest Dimitry Fedotiev served in the cemetery Church of All Saints; Father Sergius' uncles served in the surrounding villages - Archpriest Mikhail, Archpriest Theodore and Priest Alexander Dmitrev. Every week on market day, on Thursdays, these numerous relatives gathered in the city for economic needs, and then considered it their duty to appear at the house of Father Anatoly Avdeevich Pravdolyubov, where they drank tea together, talked, and shared parish concerns.
When Father Sergius arrived in Kasimov, he became a regular participant in these meetings. Everyone knew his extraordinary gift for preaching, and everyone unanimously asked him every time to preach an extemporaneous sermon on the topic of the upcoming Sunday Gospel reading. They listened to him carefully, made corrections and additions, and then in all churches they said approximately the same thing, of course, with their own personal characteristics, which always distinguish one preacher from another. Moreover, each priest who listened to Father Sergius at that time had his own attachments to certain sources. Archpriest Sergius himself was very fond of the preaching of Archbishop Innocent of Kherson and St. Theophan the Recluse, Archpriest Anatoly Avdeevich - St. Demetrius of Rostov, Archpriest Dimitry Fedotiev used primarily the anthologies of Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko, someone loved St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, Archbishop Ambrose of Kharkov , Archpriest Rodion Putyatin and so on Further. Nevertheless, it was Father Sergius who was valued as an extraordinary preacher, orator, and apologist not only by fellow priests, but also by parishioners who gathered to listen to him from other churches in the city.
During these years, Archpriest Sergius delivered a very lengthy series of sermons entitled “Explanation of the Divine Liturgy.” Very detailed records of these sermons have been preserved, which still amaze us with the depth of Father Sergius’s faith, the beauty of the words, and at the same time the accessibility for everyone who listens to the lofty theological truths that are set forth in them.
Archpriest Sergius also had to take part in public debates with atheists, which attracted large numbers of people. The authorities themselves obliged the clergy to speak at such debates, but very soon the debates were prohibited, since the atheists invariably suffered crushing defeats.
The renovationist schism, which then spread everywhere, also brought a lot of troubles. But in Kasimov, the renovationists were not successful, largely due to the unity of the clergy, constant preaching from the church pulpit, in which a significant role was played by the firmness of Father Sergius, his conviction that it was unacceptable to introduce into church life those innovations that were proclaimed by the followers of renovationism.
In 1924, Archpriest Sergius, together with his father Archpriest Anatoly Avdeevich and brother Vladimir, was in Moscow at a reception with His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon. As a sign of communication with the Kasimov archpriests, His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon presented them with his portrait with a dedicatory inscription: “To Archpriests Sergius and Anatoly Pravdolyubov. Patriarch Tikhon, 1924.” It was then that the Pravdolyubovs developed a tradition for the two names blessed by Patriarch Tikhon to alternate in their family.
The attitude towards Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) was more complicated, especially after his Declaration of 1927. Parishes appeared in which the name of Metropolitan Sergius was not commemorated. There were also difficulties in the Pravdolyubov family. The eldest son of Fr. Anatoly Vladimir (the future martyr) at one time did not take a blessing from his father, not recognizing the line of Metropolitan Sergius. But life showed that both those who supported the Declaration and those who were against, equally remaining faithful to Christ and His Holy Church, going to death together, preserved church unity in their suffering and torment. Father Sergius remained faithful to Metropolitan Sergius and convinced others that the veneration of the Metropolitan by the Primate is the guarantee of the unity of the Church, and prayer for him will save the Church from its complete destruction.On February 28, 1928, Archpriest Sergius was awarded a cross with decorations - “for his diligent preaching of the Word of God.”
In those years, atheistic power had already been established everywhere, and years of repression began. At the end of 1929, Father Sergius was arrested and imprisoned. He was sentenced to two years in prison, but due to numerous requests from believers, he was unexpectedly released on Easter.
In 1934, Archbishop Juvenal of Ryazan and Shatsk (now glorified as a holy martyr), Archpriest Sergius was awarded a miter. During these years, the talents of Father Sergius, given to him by God, were fully revealed. His natural authority, together with humility and simplicity, the heartfelt words of his sermons and pastoral instructions influenced many, many people. The clergy who came to Kasimov found spiritual support and strengthening in communication with a wise mentor. Even his father, Archpriest Anatoly Avdeevich Pravdolyubov, loved to listen to Father Sergius. And Archpriest Mikhail Andreevich Dmitrev, who was imprisoned in prison with Father Sergius in the winter of 1930, subsequently said: “If Father Sergius were in prison, and with him a prison is not a prison!”
In 1935, Father Sergius was again arrested and sent to Solovki. More than ten people were arrested with him, including two brothers: priest Nikolai (canonized on December 27, 2000 as a martyr), Vladimir (canonized on August 20, 2000 as a martyr) and son Anatoly, a twenty-year-old youth. Anatoly was a musically gifted person. In 1933, Ippolitov-Ivanov himself accepted him into his class, but literally a month later, due to his “priestly origin,” Anatoly was expelled from the conservatory, and he returned to Kasimov, to his father’s house. When his father and uncle were arrested, the security officers, having learned that Anatoly, in addition to music, was also involved in poetry, suggested that he write satirical poems against his priest father. The young man, naturally, refused to do this and, together with his father and uncle, was exiled to Solovki.
The reason for the arrest was the compilation by Priest Nikolai and Vladimir Anatolyevich of the biography of the universally revered Matrona Anemnyasevskaya (canonized on April 22, 1999 as a blessed one and confessor) and two locally revered ascetics of piety - Tsarevich Jacob (17th century) and Peter the Hermit (a contemporary of St. Seraphim of Sarov). Compiling such books was considered a crime at that time.
The biography of the ascetic Matrona Anemnyasevskaya was compiled during her lifetime. The feat of her holiness combines both an example of extraordinary patience, fasting and prayer, and an image of confession (the saint was arrested in 1936 and died in custody).
Matryona Grigorievna Belyakova was born on November 6, 1864 in the village of Anemnyasevo, Kasimovsky district, Ryazan province. Her parents Gregory and Evdokia were perhaps the poorest people in the village and somehow managed their peasant farm. In appearance, they were frail, frail people and seemed somehow underdeveloped. My father drank a lot and was known in the village as a drunkard. They had a large family - six daughters and two sons. Three sisters died in childhood; Matryosha was the fourth in a row.
Until the age of seven, Matryosha was an ordinary child. For some reason, her parents disliked her from early childhood. The life of a child in her own family was unhappy, where she, more than any of the brothers and sisters, had to endure insults, abuse, and beatings; but even greater suffering awaited the girl in the future.
At the age of seven, Matryosha fell ill with smallpox. After this illness, the girl recovered, but remained blind forever. Now her responsibility was to babysit her younger sisters and brothers. It was hard for the blind girl to cope with this matter. One day, ten-year-old Matryosha accidentally dropped her little sister from the porch onto the ground. Seeing this, the mother grabbed Matryosha and began to beat her severely. At that moment, the Queen of Heaven appeared to the girl’s spiritual gaze. Matryosha told her mother about this, but she continued to beat the girl even harder. The vision was repeated three times. During the last vision, the Most Holy Theotokos gave Matryosha a consoling note. Blessed Matrona never spoke about what kind of note it was and what was written in it.
The next morning, the mutilated girl was unable to rise from the stove. From that time on, Matresha began the life of a martyr, nailed to her bed. She forever lost the ability to walk and do anything and never got out of bed for the rest of her life.
So Matryosha lay in her parents' house until she was 17 years old, patiently enduring all sorts of sorrows and insults, and only in prayer finding comfort and consolation. Fellow villagers knew about the girl’s suffering life and treated her with a sense of reverent respect. From the age of seventeen, people began to come to Matryosha.
Over time, these visits took on the character of a real pilgrimage: not only residents of surrounding places, but also distant ones, sometimes even the most remote places our Fatherland. Moreover, they came in a continuous stream for more than fifty years in the amount of several tens and sometimes hundreds every day.
After the death of her parents, Matresha had to endure a lot of grief from her brother and sister, who looked at her solely as a means of income.
Matryosha usually lay in a small separate room of a peasant hut, in a small crib, which was always covered with a curtain.
In appearance, Matryosha was so small that she seemed like a ten-year-old child. Her dress, a gift from one of her admirers, which covered the blessed one completely with her legs, was only 90 centimeters in length. Obviously, from the age of ten, from the time she lost the ability to walk, her body did not grow and forever remained the same as that of a ten-year-old girl. She was able to roll over from side to side, move her arms and grasp small objects. She spoke easily and freely and sang sacred chants in a surprisingly clear and sonorous childish voice.
Nobody knows how she prayed to God. All that is known is that Matrona knew by heart a lot of prayers, many akathists and church chants.
Matryosha, with her inner, spiritual gaze, seemed to see through each of her visitors and gave each of them what was necessary, useful, necessary, depending on his mood, his spiritual infirmities and needs, depending on the conditions and circumstances among which he had to live.
She taught and instructed some, she exposed others and revealed to them their sins and vices, she encouraged and consoled others in difficult circumstances of life, she warned others, indicating the consequences of their erroneous path, aspirations and intentions, she healed others from illnesses and together tried to guide everyone on the true path. , godly Christian life. This explains the diversity of her relationships with visitors. She received some extremely kindly, with joy and sympathy, as her dear and close people. She drove others away from her, which was still very rare. All this happened, as her visitors said, either in those cases when a person came to the blessed one out of idle curiosity, or when it was necessary to correct a person. When such a person leaves Matryosha, he will think about himself and recognize his sins. If after that he came to Matryosha again, she would gladly receive him.
Through the prayers of Blessed Matrona, healings were made from many serious illnesses, when even doctors did not believe the recovery, since they had recently seen an unfavorable outcome. Those who resorted to the blessed one were healed both from drunkenness and from spiritual illness - demon possession.
Matrona was arrested in 1936 and sent to Moscow.
There is scant information about the Moscow period of the life of Blessed Matrona. She lived in Moscow for almost a year. Presumably, she was imprisoned in Butyrka prison. But she did not stay there long, because she became an object of veneration by almost all, without exception, the prisoners, who began to sing akathists and pray. She had to go somewhere. They were afraid to kill, and the example of prison prayers of the prisoners did not allow them to be sent to a camp.
According to other sources, the hopelessly ill mother of the investigator leading the case of Blessed Matrona received healing from Matrona, and the investigator managed to release her as sick and dying. He placed her in a home for the elderly and crippled.
It is documented that Blessed Matrona died of heart failure on July 16/29, 1936 in the House of Chronicles named after Radishchev in Moscow, not far from the Church of the Nativity Holy Mother of God in Vladykino. Since next to the House of Chronicles there was a large Vladykinsky cemetery, partially preserved to this day, we can make the assumption that Blessed Matrona was buried here, in the local old cemetery.
The Holy Blessed Matrona of Anemnyasevo today gives gracious help in response to prayers.
In front of the revered icon of the blessed Matrona, which is located in the temple Life-Giving Trinity in Troitsky-Golenischev, there are always a lot of candles burning, so it’s difficult to find on a candlestick free place. The candlestick in front of the icon is a gift from the family of parishioners, admirers of the blessed one. Believers constantly order holy prayer services; many, having heard about the miracles of Blessed Matrona, come from afar.
There is a large revered icon of the blessed Matrona in the Dormition Cathedral of the Ryazan Kremlin, the third revered icon is in the nearest church to Anemnyasev - the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the village of Gus-Zhelezny, for the annual celebration of which on July 29 of the new style the Ryazan Archbishop and many pilgrims from different regions come, Moscow and Moscow region.
The materials of the 1935 investigative case show that the basis of it, together with the accusations against Blessed Matrona Anemnyasevskaya and the manuscript of the book by Father Nikolai and Vladimir Pravdolyubov, were the ministry and sermons of Archpriest Sergius, as evidenced by the standard question to witnesses: “Please give a description of the sermons Archpriest Sergius Pravdolyubov..."
Archpriest Sergius spent five long years in the Solovetsky camp in the most difficult conditions. Together with him, his son and brother, Priest Nikolai, languished in prison. Vladimir Anatolyevich was sent to the Karaganda camp and shot there. On Solovki, the priest met Bishop Arkady Ostalsky of Bezhetsk (canonized on August 20, 2000 as a martyr), also a Solovetsky prisoner. Using the lists of new arrivals, the bishop determined which of them could be of clergy rank, and, despite the prohibitions of the camp authorities, he tried to help them. Entering the barracks one day, he asked: “Where are the Pravdolyubovs?” They responded. With the words: “Don’t worry, I won’t leave you,” Bishop Arkady handed them fresh cucumber from the greenhouse where he was then working, and then supported and helped them for almost two years, until his release in early 1937. After leaving the camp, Vladyka lived for some time in Kasimov, in the family of Fr. Nikolai Pravdolyubov. In 1937 he was arrested again and shot in Butovo.
Despite the conditions of the prison, prisoners in those years had opportunities for communication, prayer and even worship. The Solovetsky antimension has been preserved, and the grandson of Father Sergius, Archpriest Sergius Pravdolyubov, keeps the Solovetsky epitrachelion in the form of a simple towel, which was sent to Father Sergius “from the outside,” as a precious relic. The son of Archpriest Sergius, Archpriest Anatoly, left his memories of the years of imprisonment in Solovki, which are currently published in the book “Solovetsky Stories”, 2nd edition, M. 2008. Among which there are stories about undoubtedly miraculous events..Another incident with Father Sergius suggests that even demons are sometimes forced to testify to the power of God operating in people faithful to Him. There was an Uzbek among the prisoners who liked to tell fortunes using small bones similar to cherry ones: he threw these stones onto some surface and watched how they would be located. By their location, this Uzbek predicted much of what this or that prisoner would experience. Many people liked such fortune-telling; the Uzbek was always surrounded by a crowd of people excitedly discussing this or that prediction. One day this man approached Father Sergius and asked him for permission to tell fortunes for him. Father Sergius replied: “The law of our faith forbids us to guess. I do not allow fortune telling." The Uzbek walked away from Father Sergius and with a sly look said to those around him: “But we’ll tell our fortunes anyway!” He threw the bones, looked at them and suddenly turned pale and changed his face. With the greatest respect, he approached Father Sergius, bowed before him, folding his hands in a special way, and said: “Allow me to continue the fortune-telling.” “No, I don’t allow it,” was Father Sergius’ answer. The Uzbek walked up to his bones, put some small stick on top of them and said: “That’s it, he doesn’t allow it!” “What are you going to do, just keep thinking, some old man is forbidding you!” - the prisoners tried to encourage him. “No, you don’t understand anything! He had the fortune of being a prophet! This is a very rare thing, and no one has the right to tell fortunes about it if he does not allow it,” answered the Uzbek and that evening he stopped fortune telling altogether.
In 1940, Father Sergius was released and he returned to Kasimov. But many temples were already closed by that time. Services were not held in the Trinity Church, where Father Sergius was rector before his imprisonment. There was no priestly place for him, and Father Sergius and his family had to exist by fulfilling the requirements and replacing regular priests during their illness. And in August 1942 he was again sent to prison for six months. He was accused of “violating blackout rules in wartime,” which he did not violate, but he was arrested and taken into custody without trial or investigation. Only six months later, Father Sergius was released and in March 1943 he began to serve in the St. Nicholas Church in the city of Kasimov.
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Currently, the publishing house of the Orthodox St. Tikhon Humanitarian University in the series “The Word of the Confessors of the 20th Century” has published a book by the priestly confessor Sergius Pravdolyubov (+1950): Priest confessor Sergius Pravdolyubov. About fasting, confession and communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. The will of the Solovetsky prisoner. - M.: Publishing house of the Orthodox St. Tikhon's University for the Humanities, 2008. - 80 p. Circulation 15000.
The current edition has been corrected and the text returned original appearance with the most necessary amendments and editing.
In 1946, Father Sergius was released, but he was forbidden to serve in Kasimov. He became dean and rector of the Ascension Church in the city of Spassk-Ryazansky. But here he served only briefly: from spring to December 1947. Then he was transferred to the city of Lebedyan, which was part of the Ryazan diocese in those years, and in his place his own son, Archpriest Anatoly, who was ordained as a priest on December 7, 1947, was appointed dean of the Spassky district and rector. It was a great joy for Father Sergius to see his eldest son as a priest. When he left Spassk, he turned to the parishioners and said: “I’m leaving, but I’m leaving you my son, who will be better for you than me.”
The last three years of Archpriest Sergius’s life passed in Lebedyan. These were years of labor and illness. In prison, his health was undermined, and during these last years he suffered a heart attack in his life. At sixty, he looked like an eighty-year-old man.
On December 18, 1950, on the eve of the memory of the saint and wonderworker Nicholas he revered, Archpriest Sergius died. He was buried in Lebedyan, at the southern part of the altar of the Transfiguration Church, in which he served.
The son of Father Sergius, Archpriest Anatoly Pravdolyubov, testified that during the funeral service and burial of Archpriest Sergius, he, to his own surprise, did not experience the sorrow usual in such cases, but on the contrary, a quiet joy, similar to that of believers happens on Easter. He shared what he was feeling with the old priests, to which they replied: “Don’t you know? This is what always happens when a righteous person is buried!”
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| The Patriarch at the shrine with the relics. 2002 |
During the visit of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' to Kasimov on the occasion of the 850th anniversary of the city, the relics of Hiero-Confessor Sergius were in the main Ascension Cathedral of the city, where on July 1, 2002, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II celebrated the Divine Liturgy.
On September 5, 2002, after the restoration and consecration of the Trinity Church in the city of Kasimov, the honest relics of the holy confessor Sergius were transferred to this temple for permanent residence. Every week, before the shrine of his venerable relics, a divine service is held with the reading of an akathist to the newly glorified saint.
The memory of Hiero-Confessor Sergius is celebrated on the day of his death - December 5/18, on the day of the Council of Ryazan Saints - June 10/23, as well as together with the Council of all New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia on January 25 / February 7 (if this day coincides with a Sunday, and if it does not match, then on the nearest Sunday after January 25 / February 7).
“So let us arise, take up our cross and follow Christ. And let us walk with a firm step, decisively and without looking back, remembering the words of the Savior: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). And as soon as we start our way of the cross, immediately, immediately help is ready for us. Our Lord and Teacher will approach us invisibly and silently, and put His shoulder under our cross, and walk with us - and our cross will seem so light to us, and it will be so joyful to carry it!” - (from the will of Father Sergius).
The instructions of Father Sergius were carefully and sacredly kept in his family. Two of his sons became priests (two died at the front). The influence of Father Sergius, his spiritual appearance, personality is strong even now - in his children and grandchildren, who also became priests - and is inextricably linked with his confessional feat.
Currently, eight archpriests of the Pravdolyubovs and one deacon, the great-grandson Sergius Mikhailovich Pravdolyubov, perform priestly service.
Of the children of the eldest son of Hiero-Confessor Sergius, Archpriest Anatoly, one is Archpriest Sergius Pravdolyubov, Master of Theology, Professor at the Moscow Theological Academy and the Orthodox St. Tikhon's Theological Institute, taught "Liturgical Theology", is the rector of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Trinity-Golenischev in Moscow. Another grandson, Father Mikhail, serves in the capital’s Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Sokolniki and is a candidate of theology. The others - Seraphim and Theodore - are twins. The first of them is the rector of the largest Trinity Cathedral in the Ryazan diocese in the village of Gus-Zhelezny and the head of the largest family among the current Truth-Lovers: Seraphim and Mother Marina have seven sons and a daughter. Father Theodore is the rector of the Church of the Intercession in the village of Makkaveevo, Kasimovsky district.
The youngest son of the priestly confessor Sergius, Archpriest Vladimir Sergeevich Pravdolyubov, is the honorary rector of the Church of St. Nicholas in the city of Kasimov, Ryazan region. With his mother Nina Ivanovna, he raised two daughters and four sons, three of whom entered the priesthood. Andrey is the rector of the Kasimovsky Ascension Cathedral and the Assumption Church, where the holy martyr Archpriest Anatoly Avdeevich Pravdolyubov once served. Simeon is the rector of the St. George Church in Kasimov, and Mikhail is the rector of the St. Nicholas Church in the city of Kasimov and the Church of St. Diomede in the village of Pervo Kasimovsky district.
Memoir of Archpriest Sergius Pravdolyubov, grandson of the priestly confessor Sergius.
It is known that upon the discovery of the holy relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov had an unusual fragrance, which was recorded in the protocol of the discovery of the holy relics.
Something similar happened when the holy relics of Hiero-Confessor Sergius were returned to his native village of Makkaveevo on October 5, 2001, late in the evening.
We drove all day in two cars from Lebedyan Lipetsk region with the relics, singing prayers as they go. There was not only piety here, but also attempts not to fall asleep at the wheel after a sleepless night and the day of the Finding. 20 km before Maccabeevo, we called the greeters, and they gathered in the wooden chopped Intercession Church and, without turning on the electricity, only by candlelight, prepared for the meeting. Father, who was on vacation in Maccabee, put on his clothes, opened the Royal Doors and went out to the meeting.
Driving into the street leading to the temple, already in complete darkness, we became the light signals of the car, switching all the buttons, as if to salute everyone about the arrival of the holy relics. The car drove up, everyone came out with lighted candles and solemnly accepted the relics and brought them into the temple, placing them in the center exactly as glorified saints are placed - not along the axis of the temple, but across.
We got ready and after short story about the Finding, they served the first prayer service in the homeland of the priest. There was an unusually quiet and somehow peaceful state and extraordinary joy. The entire temple was filled with fragrance, which filled everything to the top of the large high dome. It was reminiscent of the smell of freshly brewed but not yet consecrated myrrh, but with a much greater presence of rose oil.
Since all the gathered brothers were at one time subdeacons of His Holiness Patriarch Pimen and more than once took part in the preparation of myrrh (and when the myrrh is poured into vessels, the resourceful subdeacons collect the last drops from the walls of the cauldron onto cotton wool for pious sniffing), each of the brothers thought of the other – that’s how great it is! Saved it for just such an occasion. And I thought - how good it is that I bought at the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius the Parisian rose oil that was accidentally brought there - so it came in handy, the brothers poured it straight into the tomb.
It turned out that no one had observed anything for the meeting. Nobody opened anything. And my son forgot to load the Parisian rose oil into the car back in Moscow...
When we understood this, we gave glory to God and thanked our grandfather-confessor for the knowledge revealed to all of us. A the feeling of joy, peace and blessing that he begged from God to make us all happy and thank us for our efforts.
The village of Makkaveevo.
Currently, the grandson of the priest Sergius, Archpriest Sergius Pravdolyubov, is finishing work on a book under the working title: Prot. Anatoly Pravdolyubov. “Memories of Solovki” M., Saint Cyprian. The book will include memories of. Anatoly about Solovki, surviving letters from and to Solovki, an investigative file with unique sheets of interrogations of about 5 or 6 famous saints.
Everything is God's will!
I was supposed to read the report on the priest Sergius Pravdolyubov on July 27. I wanted to do it on this day, because... On July 29, the memory of Blessed Matrona Anemnyasevskaya is celebrated, who, when arrested, was involved in the same case with the Pravdolyubovs. I wanted people to know about her too; someone might have prayed to her on her memorial day or ordered a prayer service. But it so happened that the topic of the report that day turned out to be different. I had to postpone my story until next time. Apparently it was God's will.
And on July 29, my mother was in the village. Gus-Zhelezny, Ryazan region, at the festive service in memory of Blessed Matrona Anemnyasevskaya. There she went under the blessing of Rev. Sergius Pravdolyubov, grandson of the priest Sergius. Mom told about. Sergius that I am writing a report on St. Spanish Sergii Pravdolyubov. O. Sergius was delighted and left his phone number so that I could contact him if I had any questions. Father Sergius is the rector of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Troitsky-Golenischev in Moscow. I talked with Fr. Sergius only by phone and e-mail, because he was not in Moscow. Fr. Sergius read my report, made corrections, and also spoke about the fragrance of the relics of the saint. Spanish Sergius on the day of their transfer to the village. Maccabeevo. I am grateful to Fr. Sergius for his help in writing the report. God bless him!
So it turned out well that I did not read the report on July 27, otherwise I would not have had to meet Fr. Sergiy Pravdolyubov, who helped me correct and supplement the report. This is how it happens, everything is God’s will!
Archpriest Sergiy Anatolyevich Pravdolyubov was born on June 13 (old style) 1890 in the village of Makkaveevo, Ryazan province, Kasimov district. His father is Archpriest Anatoly Avdeevich Pravdolyubov, his mother is Klavdia Andreevna Pravdolyubova (nee Dmitreva).
His childhood passed in the Ryazan province - in the village of Makkaveevo and the city of Kasimov, where, soon after the birth of Sergius, Father Anatoly began to serve in the Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God.
Archpriest Anatoly Avdeevich not only served in the Assumption Church, but was also an observer of theological schools in the Kasimov district, a teacher at the Theological School and theological schools in the city of Kasimov.
At the age of six, in 1896, a miracle of healing occurred to the baby Sergius. This year he suffered a serious illness, after which he almost completely lost his hearing. Doctors claimed that deafness would remain for life - it was incurable. That same year, in September, Father Anatoly Avdeevich was in Chernigov at the glorification of St. Theodosius of Chernigov - at the opening of his relics. He brought with him a small cloth and oil from the relics of the Saint, which he placed on the head of the sick child. This is how Sergius’s son, Archpriest Anatoly Sergievich Pravdolyubov, later wrote in his memoirs about this healing:
— The napkin that lay on the relics of Saint Theodosius of God was brought home by grandfather along with oil from the saint’s shrine. He placed it with faith on the head of my deaf father, a sick six-year-old boy; His grandfather poured oil into his sore ears, and he was completely healed and could hear perfectly all his life.
Father Sergius was a naturally gifted person, but at the same time he received an excellent education. In his adolescence, he graduated from the Kasimov Theological School, where his father taught, then from the Ryazan Theological Seminary and, finally, from the Kyiv Imperial Theological Academy, where he was awarded the academic degree of candidate of theology. The topic of his candidate's essay was apologetics - the defense of the Orthodox faith from other faiths.
In 1913, while still a student at the Theological Academy, Sergiy Anatolyevich married Lydia Dmitrievna Fedotyeva, daughter of Kasimov Archpriest Dimitry Fedotyev. They got married in the small village of Panino, Ryazan province, Spassky district, where relatives of Lydia Dmitrievna Fedoteva served.
The father of Sergius and Lydia Dmitrievna had seven children: Anatoly (later archpriest; 1914-1981), Vladimir (1916-1918), Victor (1919-1943; died at the front), Vera, now living (born in 1922). ), Sergius (1925-1943; died at the front), Sofia, now alive (born in 1927) and Vladimir, now an archpriest (born in 1931).
In 1915, after graduating from the Theological Academy, Father Sergius served in Kyiv as a psalm-reader, and then was sent to the Vyatka diocese, where on October 26 (old style) of the same year he was ordained by Bishop Nikandr of Vyatka as a priest to the Savior Church of Sloboda Kukarka. In 1916, he became an archpriest and was transferred as rector to the Trinity Cathedral of Sloboda Kukarka (now the city of Sovetsk, Kirov region) and appointed dean of the first district of the Yaransky district of the Vyatka diocese, teacher of the law of a nine-grade girls' gymnasium, two men's secondary schools and chairman of the pedagogical council of the gymnasium. Father Sergius at this time was only twenty-six years old.
Archpriest Anatoly, the son of Father Sergius, later wrote in his memoirs about that time and about his father: “Archpriest Sergius wonderfully headed both the cathedral parables and the council of priests of the entire city and district when it gathered on major holidays. My father was an expert in hierarchal service and all other services - both everyday and festive. He arranged such splendor in the service that everyone liked it then. What was most captivating was the power of his preaching, a natural talent polished by higher education. “Blessed is God, who pours out His grace on His priests...”, “And no one accepts honor to himself, but he who is called of God, as Aaron was” (Heb. 5.4). These divine words came true on Father Sergius.”
But Archpriest Sergius did not serve for long in the Vyatka diocese - in 1923 he moved to the city of Kasimov, Ryazan diocese, where he was appointed rector of the Trinity Church.
Kasimov is a small but very beautiful ancient city, known since 1152. It had two monasteries and twelve churches, each of which had a beautiful set of bells. The main cathedral bell weighed 16 tons and was distinguished by a low velvety timbre that could be heard for many kilometers in the area. As contemporaries recall, the sound of this bell seemed to float through the streets of the city; new strikes were almost inaudible - only a softly renewed sound, audible up to fifteen kilometers outside the city. The rural parishes closest to Kasimov began ringing the cathedral bell, and the city itself simply sounded with many bells, especially on Easter week, when every parishioner considered it his duty to climb the bell tower of his parish church and ring the bells at least several times. Such a number of bells in a small town and such a variety of different ringings amazed everyone who came to the city for the first time. One priest who visited Kasimov later recalled these ringings with surprise and said: “The whole city shook!”
But the city of Kasimov was famous not only for its bells. In each of the churches there were many ancient vestments, icons, banners, each church had its own choir of singers, which were led by experienced regents who underwent their training in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Archpriest Sergius loved his hometown, and he came here to serve at the request of his father, who wrote to him in the Vyatka diocese: “Return to the land of your fathers; We are old and it’s bitter for us to die without seeing you and our grandchildren, without enjoying communication with you and your family face to face.” And indeed, Kasimov was the city of the ancestors of Father Sergius: Archpriest Anatoly, his father, served in the Assumption Church, his brother, Priest Nikolai, served in the Kazan Monastery, and his wife’s father, Archpriest Dimitry Fedotiev, served in the cemetery Church of All Saints; Father Sergius’ uncles served in the surrounding villages - Archpriest Mikhail, Archpriest Theodore and Priest Alexander Dmitrev. Every week on market day, on Thursdays, these numerous relatives gathered in the city for economic needs, and then considered it their duty to appear at the house of Father Anatoly Avdeevich Pravdolyubov, where they drank tea together, talked, and shared parish concerns.
When Father Sergius arrived in Kasimov, he became a regular participant in these meetings. Everyone knew his extraordinary gift for preaching, and everyone unanimously asked him every time to preach an extemporaneous sermon on the topic of the upcoming Sunday Gospel reading. They listened to him carefully, made corrections and additions, and then in all churches they said approximately the same thing, of course with their own personal characteristics, which always distinguish one preacher from another. Moreover, each priest who listened to Father Sergius at that time had his own attachments to certain sources. Archpriest Sergius himself was very fond of the preaching of Archbishop Innocent of Kherson and St. Theophan the Recluse, Archpriest Anatoly Avdeevich - St. Demetrius of Rostov, Archpriest Dimitry Fedotiev used primarily the anthologies of Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko, someone loved St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, Archbishop Ambrose of Kharkov , Archpriest Rodion Putyatin and so on Further. Nevertheless, it was Father Sergius who was valued as an extraordinary preacher, orator, and apologist not only by fellow priests, but also by parishioners who gathered to listen to him from other churches in the city.
During these years, Archpriest Sergius delivered a very lengthy series of sermons entitled “Explanation of the Divine Liturgy.” Very detailed records of these sermons have been preserved, which still amaze us with the depth of Father Sergius’s faith, the beauty of the words, and at the same time the accessibility for everyone who listens to the lofty theological truths that are set forth in them.
Archpriest Sergius also had to take part in public debates with atheists, which attracted large numbers of people. The authorities themselves obliged the clergy to speak at such debates, but very soon the debates were prohibited, since the atheists invariably suffered crushing defeats.
The renovationist schism, which then spread everywhere, also brought a lot of troubles. But in Kasimov, the renovationists were not successful, largely due to the unity of the clergy, constant preaching from the church pulpit, in which a significant role was played by the firmness of Father Sergius, his conviction that it was unacceptable to introduce into church life those innovations that were proclaimed by the followers of renovationism.
In 1924, Archpriest Sergius, together with his father, Archpriest Anatoly Avdeevich, and brother Vladimir, was in Moscow at a reception with His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon. As a sign of communication with the Kasimov archpriests, His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon presented them with his portrait with his own signature: “To the Archpriests of the Pravdolyubovs.”
The attitude towards Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) was more complicated, especially after his Declaration of 1927. Parishes appeared in which the name of Metropolitan Sergius was not commemorated and thereby actually separated from church unity. Father Sergius always remained faithful to Metropolitan Sergius and convinced others that treating him as the head of the Russian Church was the guarantee of its unity, that loyalty to him would save the Church from its complete destruction.
On February 28, 1928, Archpriest Sergius was awarded a cross with decorations “for the zealous preaching of the Word of God,” and on May 4, 1934, by decree of Archbishop of Ryazan and Shatsk Iuvenaliy (later canonized hieromartyr) - a miter.
In those years, atheistic power had already been established everywhere, and years of repression began. But the Lord protected Father Sergius. One day, a punitive detachment of Red Army soldiers came to the city of the Vyatka diocese where he served. They shot many on the spot, and when they approached the house of Father Sergius in search of the “chief priest,” he himself came out to them and said: “It’s me.” They didn't believe him. Father Sergius looked very simple - bald, with a small beard. The Red Army soldiers answered him: “No, you are not the main priest, you are a simple priest.” Father Sergius replied: “Yes, I am a simple priest.” The punishers left, but found the elderly, unemployed Archpriest Alexy and shot him. Father Sergius prayed all his life for the murdered Archpriest Alexy.
But another time, Father Sergius was arrested and kept in custody for two and a half months. Those arrested were taken to work and called "labor militia", although in reality this was imprisonment.
One day a group of prisoners was taken into the forest and ordered to dig a trench. When the trench was ready, everyone was shot and buried in the ditch they had dug. Very soon another group of people was taken out into the forest, which included Father Sergius. They also ordered to dig a trench, and everyone was sure that they would be shot. While working, everyone prayed that the Lord would accept their souls in peace. When everything was ready, suddenly a train with completely spoiled fish arrived along the railway tracks that passed nearby. The guard ordered four wagons of rotten fish to be unloaded and buried in a trench, after which everyone could be free. People, doing this hard work, rejoiced and thanked God for salvation.
At the end of 1929, already in Kasimov, Father Sergius was arrested and imprisoned. He was sentenced to two years in prison, but, due to numerous requests from believers, he was unexpectedly released on Easter.
However, in 1935, Father Sergius was again arrested and sent to Solovki. More than ten people were arrested with him, among whom were his son Anatoly, a twenty-year-old youth, and two brothers: priest Nikolai (canonized on December 27, 2000 as a martyr) and Vladimir (canonized on August 20, 2000 as a martyr). The reason for the arrest was the compilation by Priest Nikolai and Vladimir Anatolyevich of the biography of the universally revered Matrona Anemnyasevskaya (canonized on April 22, 1999 as a blessed one and confessor) and two locally revered ascetics of piety - Tsarevich Jacob (17th century) and Peter the Hermit (a contemporary of St. Seraphim of Sarov). Compiling such books was considered a crime at that time.
Archpriest Sergius spent five long years in the Solovetsky camp in the most difficult conditions. Together with him, his son and brother, Priest Nikolai, languished in prison. Vladimir Anatolyevich was sent to the Karaganda camp and shot there.
A great support in Solovki for the Pravdolyubovs was their acquaintance with Bishop Arkady Ostalsky (canonized on August 20, 2000 as a holy martyr), with whom they struck up a deep spiritual friendship.
Despite the conditions of the prison, prisoners in those years had opportunities for communication, prayer and even worship. The Solovetsky antimension has been preserved, and the grandson of Father Sergius, Archpriest Sergius Pravdolyubov, keeps the Solovetsky epitrachelion in the form of a simple towel, which was sent to Father Sergius “from the outside,” as a precious relic.
The son of Archpriest Sergius, Archpriest Anatoly, left his memories of the years of imprisonment in Solovki, among which there are stories about undoubtedly miraculous events. So one day, through the prayers of Archpriest Sergius, his son was saved from imminent death.
Solovki is an archipelago: several islands are located close to each other. The prisoners lived on the main island and sometimes worked on outlying islands, traveling there on small boats. At work, prisoners were detained until late at night, and then they had to get to the main island in complete darkness.
And then, on one of these days, the following happened. When the prisoners went out into the strait separating the islands, a strong sea wind arose, the outlines of the islands completely disappeared in the darkness, and all the people in the boat realized that they were dying: it was unclear where to row, and the wind quickly carried the boat into the open sea. Suddenly, everyone saw a bright light, like a large fire, laid out on the main island. They leaned on the oars, and it took everyone a lot of effort to overcome the wind, the current of the strait and still bring the boat to this fire. When we approached the main island and went ashore, we were surprised to find that there was no fire on the shore. Only Father Sergius stood by the water and prayed for the people who were at sea.
Another time, Archpriest Sergius warned his brother and son about temptation from an unclean spirit that had gripped everyone around them. One evening, after work, in a prison dormitory, many prisoners were together and peacefully talking, located in groups throughout the dormitory. The Pravdolyubovs also had a general conversation: Father Sergius, Father Nikolai and Anatoly. Suddenly Father Sergius told them: “It flew in!” “Who flew in?” asked his son. “Satan flew in,” answered Father Sergius. “Why do you know this?” Anatoly continued to ask. “But look, do you hear people arguing near the entrance?” “So what does it matter, you never know what disagreements they have among themselves?” Anatoly continued to object to Father Sergius. “No, that's not the point. Now everyone here will swear.” And indeed, as if in a circle, terrible abuse began to spread among people throughout the room. Very soon, all the people without exception were arguing, showing incomprehensible anger towards each other. “You see? You and I would also be arguing now if I hadn’t warned you,” said Father Sergius.
Another incident with Father Sergius suggests that even demons are sometimes forced to testify to the power of God operating in people faithful to Him. There was an Uzbek among the prisoners who liked to tell fortunes using small bones similar to cherry ones: he threw these stones onto some surface and watched how they would be located. By their location, this Uzbek predicted much of what this or that prisoner would experience. Many people liked such fortune-telling; the Uzbek was always surrounded by a crowd of people excitedly discussing this or that prediction.
One day this man approached Father Sergius and asked him for permission to tell fortunes for him. Father Sergius replied: “The law of our faith forbids us to guess. I do not allow fortune telling." The Uzbek walked away from Father Sergius and with a sly look said to those around him: “But we’ll tell our fortunes anyway!” He threw the bones, looked at them and suddenly turned pale and changed his face. With the greatest respect, he approached Father Sergius, bowed before him, folding his hands in a special way, and said: “Allow me to continue the fortune-telling.” “No, I don’t allow it,” was Father Sergius’s answer. The Uzbek walked up to his bones, put some small stick on top of them and said: “That’s it, he doesn’t allow it!” “Come on, go on: just think, some old man is forbidding you!” - the prisoners tried to encourage him. “No, you don’t understand anything! He had the fortune of being a prophet! This is a very rare thing, and no one has the right to tell fortunes about it if he does not allow it,” the Uzbek answered and that evening he stopped fortune telling altogether.
In 1940, Father Sergius was released and he returned to Kasimov. But many temples were already closed by that time. Services were not held in the Trinity Church, where Father Sergius was rector before his imprisonment. There was no priestly place for him, and he was forced to earn his daily bread by fulfilling requirements and replacing regular priests during their illness. And in August 1942 he was again sent to prison for six months. He was accused of “violating blackout rules in wartime,” which he did not violate, for which he was arrested and taken into custody without trial or investigation. Only six months later, Father Sergius was released, and in March 1943 he began to serve in the St. Nicholas Church in the city of Kasimov.
But he did not have to serve for long in Kasimov - already in December of the same year, Father Sergius was mobilized to the labor front and sent as a night watchman to a white stone quarry in Maleevo. This quarry was located not far from Kasimov, but, nevertheless, it was a link. As one of the grandsons of Father Sergius noted, “quarries have always been a place of work for slaves and prisoners.” Father Sergius spent three whole years in the quarries, but all this time he diligently studied the Philokalia, the works of the Holy Fathers, and sometimes he managed to perform all-night vigils, at which exiles like him sang, among whom there was even a church choir director.
Here, in the quarries, he wrote his Testament, which he titled: “To my children and grandchildren on how to fast and prepare for confession and communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.” In its mood, this Testament is very close to the patristic works, and every Christian can consider himself to be the children and grandchildren of a righteous man and confessor if he lovingly perceives his instructions. The will of Archpriest Sergius was published twice in the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate: in the 12th issue for 1985 and the 2nd issue for 2003.
In 1946, Father Sergius was released, but he was forbidden to serve in Kasimov. He became dean and rector of the Ascension Church in the city of Spassk-Ryazansky. But here he served only briefly: from spring to December 1947. Then he was transferred to the city of Lebedyan, which was part of the Ryazan diocese in those years, and in his place - the dean of the Spassky district and rector - they appointed his own son, Archpriest Anatoly, who accepted the priesthood on December 7, 1947. It was a great joy for Father Sergius to see his eldest son as a priest. When he left Spassk, he turned to the parishioners and said: “I’m leaving, but I’m leaving you my son, who will be better for you than me.”
The last three years of Archpriest Sergius’s life passed in Lebedyan. These were years of labor and illness. His health was undermined in prison. Here he suffered a heart attack. At sixty, he looked like an eighty-year-old man.
On December 18, 1950, on the eve of the memory of the saint and wonderworker Nicholas he revered, Archpriest Sergius died. He was buried in Lebedyan, at the southern part of the altar of the Transfiguration Church, in which he served.
The son of Father Sergius, Archpriest Anatoly Pravdolyubov, testified that during the funeral service and burial of Archpriest Sergius, he, to his surprise, did not experience the sorrow usual in such cases, but on the contrary, a quiet joy, similar to that which happens to believers for Easter. He shared what he was feeling with the old priests, to which they replied: “Don’t you know? This is what always happens when a righteous person is buried!”
By the determination of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' and the Holy Synod on December 27, 2000, Archpriest Sergius was glorified as a confessor and included in the Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia.
With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II, Metropolitan Simon of Ryazan and Kasimov, Metropolitan Methodius of Voronezh and Lipetsk, on October 4, 2001, the honest relics of the holy confessor Sergius were discovered. On October 5, 2001, his relics were transferred from the city of Lebedyan, which is now part of the Voronezh diocese, to the Spassky Church in the village of Makkaveevo, Ryazan diocese. Here, in this small village where the holy confessor Sergius was born, his honest relics were prepared for universal veneration, and on February 5, 2002 they were solemnly transferred to the St. Nicholas Church in the city of Kasimov.
During the visit of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' to Kasimov on the occasion of the 850th anniversary of the city, the relics of Hiero-Confessor Sergius were in the main Ascension Cathedral of the city, where on July 1, 2002, His Holiness celebrated the Divine Liturgy.
On September 15, 2002, after the restoration and consecration of the Trinity Church in the city of Kasimov, the honest relics of the holy confessor Sergius were transferred to this temple for permanent residence. Every week, before the shrine of his venerable relics, a divine service is held with the reading of an akathist to the newly glorified saint.
The memory of Hiero-Confessor Sergius is celebrated on the day of his death - December 5/18, as well as in the Cathedral of All New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, the Cathedral of Ryazan Saints and the Cathedral of Kasimov Saints.
I did not write down my memories of Father John (Krestyankin) for a very long time. It seemed to me that everyone was writing. They will write everything they can! But when I read what was really written by so many, I wanted to write too, especially since for many years in confession I gave people Father John’s opinions on a variety of issues.I worked throughout Lent 2005, finished it by Easter and sent it to Pechory. Father John read these notes and approved them. He didn’t order anything to be removed, didn’t say anything against it, and now these notes are very, very dear to me. After all, Father John read them himself, he agreed with everything! Didn't say I wrote anything on my own. And Tatyana Smirnova, after they read my “creation” in Pechory, called Moscow and said: “We really liked it! Fine! But why is it so little? “Yes, I have almost twenty pages - that’s quite a lot,” I thought, but then, also mentally, I agreed with Tatyana Sergeevna: indeed, one can write and write about Father John! But, unfortunately, he will not be able to read what else can and should be written about him.
So these memoirs, no matter how they were written, are valuable because they were read and approved by Archimandrite John (Krestyankin) himself.
My parents, Archpriest Anatoly and Olga Mikhailovna Pravdolyubov, were always very close to Father John (Krestyankin). When Father John served in the village of Trinity-Pelenitsa (Yasakovo) of the Ryazan diocese, my dad served in the same years in the city of Spassk-Ryazansky. These parishes were closest to each other and my parents often saw Father John. Even then they treated him like an old man, although the age difference between my dad and Father John was only four years. Their relationship was especially close during the time when Father John served in his last parish of the Ryazan diocese - in the St. Nicholas Church in the city of Kasimov. This time was well remembered by us children, who were already quite old then. I remember the long services of Father John - all-night vigils with litia, akathists and very long sermons.
Father John’s ministry in Kasimov was short-lived, but it was remembered as a very large and significant period of our life. I can explain this by the fact that for Father John himself, every day was very important, and therefore time was perceived differently by those around him. That rather short period of time included many events: divine services, sermons, trips of Father John, after which he always organized meetings for which he gathered people close to him: my parents with all their children, my uncle - Archpriest Vladimir Pravdolyubov with his family, and these conversations dragged on until late at night. These were very important meetings for the children: we witnessed conversations between the clergy, discussions of their pastoral problems, and issues of worship.
At one of these meetings, Father John once started talking about monasticism. At the same time, he turned to my aunts, Vera Sergeevna and Sofia Sergeevna, as if pushing them to the idea of taking monastic vows. Before entering the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery, Father John was not a monk, and Vera Sergeevna thought: “What is Father John himself like? “Gray?” After all, he’s not a monk!” Suddenly Father John turned to Vera Sergeevna and said with a smile: “I’m gray, gray! Well, you stay gray for now.”
Father John could sometimes joke subtly. One day after all-night vigil He preached a sermon for a very long time, an hour and a half. Having finished, he approached the singers and asked: “Did anyone fall out of the window?” My aunt, Sofia Sergeevna, immediately answered: “Is it already midnight?” Father John really liked her answer.
In Kasimov, Father John began to perform the sacrament of consecration of oil for everyone. This had never happened before; it was believed that unction could only be performed in severe illness. Father John, agreeing with this attitude towards unction, spent a long time convincing my dad, Archpriest Anatoly, and my uncle, Archpriest Vladimir, that the time had come such that hardly anyone could consider themselves completely healthy - everyone has their own illnesses. Therefore, once a year everyone can undergo unction, and it is necessary to announce in advance in the church that the sacrament of unction has been performed, so that everyone who wants to can gather at the appointed time. Archpriest Anatoly and Archpriest Vladimir agreed with Father John, but for the first time such unction was held not in the church, but in the house of my grandmother, Lydia Dmitrievna. This happened in February 1967.
Two families gathered together: Father Anatoly and Father Vladimir. There were both children and elderly people here. The sacrament was performed by Father John, my dad and uncle. They took turns anointing everyone with oil, the priests anointing each other. After some time, the sacrament of consecration of oil was performed in the St. Nicholas Church and then began to be performed annually. I don’t know how this happened in other places, but this tradition gradually became established everywhere.
About how often one can receive communion, Father John said that once a month everyone can receive communion. He blessed only some to receive communion once every two weeks. I have not heard of him blessing communion more than once every two weeks.
About confession, Father John said that in our time confession, both detailed and brief, is quite acceptable. During Lent, when there are a great many people who want to confess and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, there is simply no time for detailed confession. When there is time, you need to confess in detail, and when there is not enough time for this, there is nothing wrong with confessing briefly.
Father John left Kasimov on the second day of the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, February 16, 1967, but our connection with him did not stop. Father John entered the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery already as a monk - he received monastic vows from the Glinsky elder Schema-Archimandrite Seraphim (Romantsov; canonized as a saint in 2010). I first saw Father John in a monastic robe and hood when I arrived at his monastery. We, the children of Father Anatoly Pravdolyubov, began to visit Pechory very often to receive the blessing of Father John, hear his instructions, and pray at monastery services.
The city of Pechory is located at such latitudes that in the spring and early summer there are real white nights, and in winter time- constant darkness. Around ten o'clock in the afternoon it became light, and at four o'clock it was already twilight. So in the morning you go to the monastery service in the dark, and for the evening service - in almost the darkness of the night. There were especially many pilgrims in the monastery after Father John arrived here. When we arrived at the monastery in summer time, then we definitely met someone we knew - from the Ryazan region or from Moscow. In winter there were significantly fewer pilgrims, so I especially liked coming to Pechory in winter.
The train from Moscow arrived at the Pechory-Pskovskiye station very early - around five o'clock in the morning. The first bus taking people to the city was already standing at the station building and departed while the train was still at the station. After Moscow life, people seemed to find themselves in another world: silence, White snow, frost, sidewalks are sprinkled with sand, not salt, as in Moscow. We approached the monastery, the huge gates of which were still closed. Everyone was silent, no one wanted to speak, they waited for the monk-gatekeeper to open the gate. High above the gate hung a large icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God, and a red lamp always burned in front of it. Finally, the monastery gates opened slightly and pilgrims entered the monastery territory one by one. Upon entering, they made the sign of the cross, bowed and passed through the stone arch of the gateway St. Nicholas Church to where the Bloody Descent began to the ancient cave church of the Assumption of the Mother of God, where the fraternal prayer service was about to begin. In the darkness early morning the figures of monks were visible, hurrying to the beginning of the prayer service.
In the Assumption Church at this time it was always dark, only the lamps were burning, there were even almost no candles on the candlesticks. In the monastery it was customary for both the fraternal prayer service and the midnight office, celebrated immediately after the prayer service, to be performed at natural light lamp. The main thing during the prayer service was the reading of the Gospel - the 43rd from Matthew began: “The Lord said to His disciples: all things have been handed over to Me by My Father...”. The words were especially heartfelt and significant: “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” And in the Midnight Office, of course, the most significant chant was “Behold the Bridegroom comes at midnight...”. Also, in complete darkness, the monks stood in orderly rows in front of the icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God, the main shrine of the monastery, and sang leisurely and simply: “Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight, and blessed is the servant, who will be found vigilantly: but unworthy again, he will be found despondently...”. It seemed as if the monks were meditating on the words of this beautiful chant rather than singing. Father John never missed a fraternal prayer service, and his voice could always be distinguished in this simple choir of the monastery brethren.
After the Midnight Office, Father John went to the altar and stood near the altar - he took out pieces from the prosphora for many people whom he knew and who asked him to pray. He did this strictly until the Cherubic Song, before which he left the altar and did not take out any more particles. One day he shared his feelings during his prayer for people - living and dead. He said: “People seem to be walking past me, the closer to the Cherubic Song, the sooner they want to pass. They hurry each other and seem to push each other on the shoulder so that I have time to remember them...”
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Father John blessed me with the image of St. Sergius of Radonezh to serve in the army. I also received his blessing to enter the seminary. Blessing, Father John said: “Enter the seminary, and then the theological academy.” When I was already working on my candidate’s essay, Father John blessed me with an icon of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian. The topic of the essay was very complex - theological, Christological, and by blessing me with the icon of St. John the Theologian, Father John seemed to make it clear that I could cope with this work.
When the time came for marriage, my future wife Lyubov Dmitrievna and I first of all went to Father John, because we decided to unite our lives only if we had his blessing.
We came to Father John and told him about our intention. Father John told us: “Today, after the evening service, monastic tonsure will take place in the Assumption Church. Come, pray, and then we will decide what you should do - take monastic vows or get married.”
You can imagine with what feelings we left Father John. For the whole day we did not know what his answer would be, and in the evening of that day, as Father John told us, we prayed in the Assumption Church. In darkness, almost in darkness, the monastic tonsure took place. Candles and lamps were burning, the monks were quietly singing “The Embrace of the Father...”, the tonsured man in long white clothes crawled along the stone floor of the temple, the hieromonks and archimandrites, among whom was Father John, covered him with their robes. It was solemn and sad. After tonsure, we went to the house where we were staying, and only in the evening of the next day were we again with Father John.
Without asking anything, he blessed us for marriage with the icons of the Savior Not Made by Hands and the Mother of God “Jerusalem”. At the same time, we received invaluable instructions from him. Father John spoke to us about marriage as a sacrament and said words that we remembered for the rest of our lives. “The family is the home church,” said Father John. – You should always have this picture in your mind’s eye: an icon of the Savior, a wedding bed and a child’s cradle. Marriage is a sacrament. And what a miracle - the birth of children! “Lord, You saw how my flesh was woven!” he quoted one of the psalms in the Russian translation.
Father John also said that in a Christian marriage, love never disappears; on the contrary, it only becomes greater over the years, and the longer the spouses live together, the more and more they love each other.
I also received Father John’s blessing to accept the diaconate. At that time I was a subdeacon of His Holiness Patriarch Pimen. Having blessed, Father John said: “Be in obedience to His Holiness the Patriarch: as he says, let it be.” I waited for quite a long time... Finally, one day, after the all-night vigil in the Elokhov Cathedral, when the curtain had already been drawn, I heard His Holiness Patriarch Pimen calling me from his patriarchal place on the right side of the throne and saying: “Tomorrow I will ordain you.” And so on Sunday of the 5th week of Great Lent, on the day of remembrance of the Venerable Mary of Egypt, April 1, 1979, His Holiness Patriarch Pimen ordained me as a deacon and appointed me to the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Lefortovo.
When I told Father John about this, he remembered the years of his imprisonment. “In 1950, I was in Lefortovo prison,” he said. “And everyone who was with me in the cell heard the ringing of the Peter and Paul Church. It is close to the prison and we always knew about important points services and prayed especially earnestly at this time.”
Now, when I came to the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery already in rank, I would definitely serve together with the monks. When I received the double orarion, the monks brought me from the sacristy a wide archdeacon’s orarion with the words embroidered on it: “Holy, Holy, Holy...”. I also had to serve with Father John. This was a great comfort. And once I served with Father John at the parish - in the village of Yushkovo.
It was Elijah's Day - the parish's temple holiday. The temple with the houses around it looked more like a monastery than a parish church. Father Paisiy, a monk, served here. Several old nuns also lived at the temple. Father Paisius always invited Father John to serve with him on this day, and for many years Father John accepted this invitation. Yushkovo is located fifteen to twenty kilometers from Pechory, and therefore, having arrived in the morning by train from Moscow, I managed to get to this temple before the service began. When Father John saw me at the altar, he was very surprised and asked: “How did you end up here?” “I came specifically to pray with you,” I answered. - “Will you serve?” – asked Father John. - “If you bless me, I will.” - “Be sure to serve!” - said Fr. John.
It was a wonderful day! Before the start of the liturgy, Father John served a prayer service with an akathist to the prophet Elijah and the blessing of water, there were people around him, everyone was singing. After the liturgy - procession with sprinkling of the people and the temple. It was as if Father John was back in the parish. He talked to people - whole groups and families came up to him. And all this in nature, among green grass and trees. The sun was shining and it was very warm - summer is in full swing! After the service and procession ended, Father John went to sprinkle the temple buildings. “Let’s go, let’s sprinkle Mary’s hut with holy water,” he said about the small house of one of the nuns, to which he headed. Indeed, this one small house it looked more like a hut than a house. Everyone had joyful smiles on their faces, and Nun Maria was simply happy that Father John came to her house and sprinkled holy water on her home.
Then there was a meal at the house of Father Paisius. And again – communication with people and very interesting conversations. One of the priests asked Father John if it was possible to consider Chernobyl disaster apocalyptic and isn’t Chernobyl the same “wormwood grass” that is spoken of in the Apocalypse? “I would not directly call this accident on nuclear power plant direct fulfillment of the Apocalypse,” answered Father John. – One must be very careful when interpreting the Apocalypse, and it is no coincidence that the Church does not accept many of its interpretations. There is an interpretation of the Apocalypse of St. Andrew of Caesarea - this interpretation is accepted by the Church, it can be read. The rest are very dubious!” Father John also said that it is very bad when church books and icons are sold in ordinary stores next to a wide variety of goods. "This shouldn't happen!" - he said. He also said that every person should have a close connection with their guardian angel. In a word, the topics of conversation were very diverse, but, unfortunately, the conversation turned out to be short - Father John had to go to the monastery.
Under the hill on which the temple stood, a car was waiting for Father John - a Volga, which Father Paisiy had called for him in advance. We all went down the hill to this car, and Father John, approaching the young driver, gave him some candy. “No, I won’t,” he replied. Father John exclaimed: “What abstinence!” Next to the Volga there was another car, a Niva, and the priest who arrived in it pulled Father John towards this car, asking him to go with him. “Where is your companion, the tall young man?” - Father John asked, because everyone saw this priest in the church during the service, surrounded by a whole group of his parishioners. “Here he is!” – the priest answered and opened the trunk of his Niva. It contained a man of about thirty, literally doubled in height, two meters tall. Father pushed him there in order to make room for Father John. “Are you not ashamed?! What are you doing? How can you mock a person like that?!” - Father John said sternly. “I won’t go with you!” And he ordered me to sit in the back seat of the Volga, he sat down next to me, and so we drove all the way to the monastery, continuing the conversation.
The next day, this priest, seeing me in the monastery, said: “How I envy you: you were traveling with Father John!”
Somewhere in the mid-eighties, the first turmoil about numbers began. Then it was not an INN, but new pension documents. It was necessary to fill out some forms in which you had to enter a specific number, each form has its own number. They started talking about the seal of the Antichrist and the inadmissibility of filling out such forms. I was constantly asked how to feel about this. I thought that there was nothing special about this, but I wanted to know Father John’s opinion. On one of my trips to Pechory, I explained in detail to Father John everything that confuses people. Father John personally answered me this way. There is no need to be afraid of any numbers. Numbers are everywhere: there are numbers on the clock, on documents, on the pages of books, wherever they are! So why be afraid of them now? We need to be afraid not of numbers, numbers and numbers, but we need to be afraid of the sin that we commit, especially the temptations of the last times. If we easily succumb to these temptations, if we easily sin, then the spirit of the Antichrist operates in us, and unbeknownst to us, the seal of the Antichrist, which everyone is so afraid of, may already be on us!
When confusion about the TIN appeared, I also asked about this. Father John answered me, saying that everything that was said to him about pension documents should also be applied to the TIN: there is no need to be afraid of any numbers!
I served in the Moscow Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul for quite a long time - for 11 years. He had already become a protodeacon, served with a double orarion, and had a desire to serve in the priestly rank. Several times I asked Father John for his blessing to submit a petition to the Patriarchate asking for ordination, but he answered: “The time has not come yet, it’s too early.” When they began to call me to the Ryazan diocese, I went for a blessing to move to this diocese. But Father John replied: “No way! Stay put! You will be a priest. When the time comes, everything will happen by itself, without any request from you! And now don’t strive anywhere, it will be a asked-for cross, your own - not from God, but from yourself. For 12 years I was in six parishes - Letovo, Nekrasovka, Borets, Kasimov... but I never aspired to go anywhere, I was always transferred with different formulations: to improve church life, in connection with church necessity... Never myself! So you too – don’t strive for anything, everything will happen in due time. “But,” added Father John, seeing my desire to move to another diocese, “you can do as you please.” “No, Father John,” I answered, “I won’t do anything without your blessing.” It was obvious that Father John approved of my mood.
Several more years passed and what Father John spoke about happened. In 1990, shortly before our temple holiday - memory supreme apostles Peter and Paul - I unexpectedly received a decree from His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II, which stated that upon my ordination as a priest, I would be appointed to the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Sokolniki. And so, on the very day of remembrance of the apostles Peter and Paul, His Holiness the Patriarch came to our church, performed a solemn service, after which he ordained me as a priest. After the liturgy, His Holiness said: “This is my first priestly ordination in Moscow.” Indeed, after his enthronement on June 10, 1990, His Holiness the Patriarch has not yet ordained anyone.
I immediately began to serve in a new place in Sokolniki, and at the first opportunity I went to Father John. I told him everything that happened to me, and Father John, congratulating me on my ordination to the priesthood, only nodded his head approvingly. He expressed his attitude to everything I talked about in just a few words. When he and I came to the service in the Assumption Church, Father John said to the priest standing next to me in the altar: “With Father Michael, everything is done according to the will of God. His guardian angel leads him by the hand.”
By that time, my parents had been dead for several years, and in those years, when I came to Father John, I always felt filial feelings for him. Moreover, now, when I came to him with the news of such a great and joyful event as priestly ordination, I especially strongly felt that I had come as if to my father.
Our meetings with Father John usually took place in his cell. At the appointed time, we came to him, and the first thing he did was stand in front of the icons and read prayers: “To the Heavenly King,” “When he descended, the tongues merged, dividing the tongues of the Most High, and when he distributed the fiery tongues, he called everything together; and accordingly we glorify the All-Holy Spirit”, “Let us never be silent, O Mother of God, in speaking Thy strength to those who are unworthy...”, and we always understood that these were not just conversations, but communication in which we would hear such instructions that we must fulfill, that the answers to our The questions that we ask Father John will be a manifestation of the will of God in our lives. Not everyone has such happiness when you can come to the elder, ask a question, receive a specific answer (for example, about marriage) and be sure that this answer is God’s will for you.
After prayer, Father John sat on small sofa, he usually ordered me to sit next to him on his left side, our eldest son, Seryozha, sat on the right, and little Vanya sat on a small bench at his feet. Lyubov Dmitrievna was always next to youngest son- in front of Father John. And no matter how much time passed after our last meeting, Father John always greeted us as if we had seen each other quite recently. And one day Father John said, after we had not been with him for quite a long time: “Old friends are meeting - I’m very glad!” So we talked: we talked about ourselves, asked questions. Father John was always keenly interested in everything: who studies where, who does what?
He also talked about himself, sometimes saying how difficult things were for him. “I throw away sixty years and leave six,” he once told us.
He also talked about how important it is for a parish priest to treat everyone equally and not allow any special feelings towards this or that person. “Feelings arise in the head,” he said, “they descend into the heart and begin to torment it.”
When the time came for our eldest son to decide how to build his life, Father John asked him: “Do you want to continue the work of your fathers?” - "Yes I want to!" – he answered hotly. “The priesthood is a calling,” said Father John, and this was like a blessing to our Seryozha for the rest of his life.
While we were expecting a child, Father John told us: “You will have a boy. Call him John." Indeed, a boy was born, and we named him John in honor of Father John. We decided that his patron would be the apostle and evangelist John the Theologian, and let his angel’s day be together with Father John - July 13, on the Council of the Twelve Apostles.
I asked Father John a question about clergy: how to approach the problem that arises very acutely in many parishes everywhere - the problem when many priests consider themselves entitled to keep parishioners around them and forbid them to go to confession to another priest.
Father John answered this like this. “It is very important that everything that makes up a person, and this is reason, will, conscience, spiritual freedom, that none of this is violated. And if it is violated, the disease begins. As the Gospel says: Christ healed the blind, the deaf, the lame, lepers... (Father John paused and looked me straight in the eyes) and demons. Yes, this is also a disease, a spiritual disease. And the beginning of the disease is expressed in the fact that a person is deprived of his own will, he himself subordinates it to the will of another person. And then conscience is almost unable to say anything to a person; it is drowned out as a result of replacing one’s own responsibility before God with the responsibility of someone else.”
“What is clergy? – Father John continued. – This is when a spiritually experienced elder took for himself spiritual children numbering no more than twelve. And this was the kind of clergy when the elder literally fed his children from his own hands, and in the event of death he passed them on to another. This is truly clergy! But this cannot happen in our parishes. There should be complete freedom here! The reasons for moving from one priest to another can be very different. Even the fact that one priest has less time and another has more - this can also be the reason for moving to another priest: why would I take up time from a terribly busy priest, I’d rather go to someone who is freer. And you can, without any embarrassment, go to a less busy priest. Or, for example, a priest is transferred. Why should all his parishioners follow him to another parish? They must stay in place and go to the priest who will serve them - in the church that is located next to the house and is the parish of these people. This is what I always told my parishioners in those cases when I was transferred: “Stay where you are, don’t rush anywhere, you now have a different priest. It’s me who is being transferred, not you!” But this is how it happens: in confession you say something, and in response: “But my confessor blessed me to do this.” Which confessor? Where is he, this confessor? It turns out that somewhere far, far away there is a priest - someone’s confessor. Well, why is this? Why any incomprehensible difficulties? Well, in such cases you say: “Do what you want!” And it also happens: people come to the priest and say: “Father, this is the last time we came to you, we are leaving you.” “Well, with God, go!” he answers them. This is right, this is how it should be!”“Division into parishes has always existed, as I remember it was in Orel, where I visited as a child,” Father John continued to say. – But this division was primarily territorial. The whole of Orel was divided into certain areas, which were each attached to their own temple. Some streets belonged to one temple, others to another. The entire city was divided and the priests were not supposed to perform services in areas other than their own. Memorial services, communion, funeral services, christenings... - every street knew its own temple. But everyone prayed where they wanted. It even happened like this: before some holiday, the priest announced from the pulpit that tomorrow, for example, such and such a holiday and we would all pray in such and such a temple - in the one where the throne is. And everyone went there. There should be division into parishes, but we all make up one whole - the Church and we all offer prayers to God as a single whole.”
“Following His Holiness Patriarch Pimen,” Father John once said, “I will say that in our Church we must preserve Slavic language, old style, and with Catholics you can only drink tea.”
At the end of the eighties, Father John spoke of our time as a time of bloodless martyrdom. “You are bloodless martyrs,” he said. – And then it will be even more difficult. Your time is harder than ours, and we can only sympathize with you. But take heart and do not be afraid! Now there is confusion, confusion and confusion everywhere, and it will be even worse: perestroika, shootout, roll call. A time of severe spiritual hunger will come, although everything will be on the table.”
Father John also always saw us off with prayer. We all stood up, prayed, Father John took a brush and anointed everyone with oil from different holy places, then sprinkled everyone with holy water, gave them a little to drink from a small silver candia, which he always had in his cell precisely for these purposes, and then poured out a little holy water on the chest. Then he blessed each one, and we left Father John with new spiritual strength.
Father John's love for God and for all people was to some extent transmitted to us. That is why we always strive so much to go to Pechory - to receive from Father John his gracious, prayerful help and blessing.
