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Easter night

Local residents remember how in recent times, on Easter, detachments of activists went from house to house and, snooping around other people’s homes, as if they were at home, looking for Easter eggs and Easter cakes. Those caught red-handed were later branded at meetings and expelled from work. Perhaps because of these morning searches, it then became customary in these parts to celebrate Easter as New Year. That is, late in the evening on Holy Saturday they sat down to festive table, and after libations they went to the procession.

In short, there was enough work for the police at Easter. But there has never been such a difficult Easter as in 1993 in Optina - a crowded church buzzing with conversations and many drunk people in the courtyard. And at 11 o’clock in the evening, as the investigation later established, the killer came to the monastery.

Optina icon painter Maria Levista says: “On Easter night, many felt an incomprehensible anxiety. And I kept imagining that there was a man standing in the temple with a knife and preparing to attack the priests. I even stood closer to the priests in order to rush to cross him. Suspicion is a sin, and I repented of this in confession. And the priest says: “Mary, don’t throw yourself at the knife, but pray better.”

I remember the incident. A boy, Seryozha, stood on the pulpit at the entrance to the altar and involuntarily disturbed the employees. In the world, this boy served at the altar and now, crowded by the crowd, huddled closer to the altar door. Monk Trofim, who carried notes to the altar, constantly bumped into him and finally, unable to bear it, asked: “Why are you hanging around here?” “I think,” the boy answered, “can I enter the altar?” “No,” said the monk Trofim. “And so that I don’t see you here again.” The boy was very surprised when the monk Trofim later found him in a crowded church and said guiltily: “Forgive me, brother. Maybe this is the last time we see you on earth, and I offended you.” It was really the last time they saw each other on earth.

Nun Irina and others recall that on that Easter night the monk Ferapont did not stand in his usual place, but as he stood at the funeral table, he froze, with his eyes downcast, in prayerful sorrow. The monk was pressed and pushed, but he did not notice anything. They remember how a certain tipsy person asked to light a candle for the repose, explaining that his relative had died today, and he himself, since he was drunk, had no right to touch the shrine. The candle was handed over to the monk Ferapont. He lit it and forgot himself, standing with a burning candle in his hand. They looked back at the monk in bewilderment, but he still stood with his head bowed, with a funeral candle in his hand. Finally, having crossed himself, he put the candle on the eve and went to his last confession in his life.

Hieromonk D. says:“A few hours before the murder, during the Easter service, the monk Ferapont confessed to me. I was then in terrible despondency - and was already ready to leave the monastery, and after his confession it suddenly became somehow light and joyful, as if it was not he, but I myself who had confessed: “Where should I go when there are such brothers here!..” So and it turned out: he left, and I stayed.”

On his last Easter night, Fr. Vasily confessed before the start Procession of the Cross, and then went out to confession in the morning - at the end of the liturgy. A humble person is always inconspicuous, and about Fr. Vasily only learned posthumously that he had already acquired the special power of prayer and, it seems, the gift of clairvoyance. Confessions from Fr. Vasily left an unusually strong impression on many, and in order to convey it, we will break the chronology by talking not only about the confessions on that last night.

Muscovite E.T. says: “Father Vasily was perspicacious, and a few hours before the murder he revealed to me the outcome of one story that was bothering me. The story was like this. I have a friend from my youth, whom I refused to marry at one time. “To spite” me, he immediately married the first woman he met, but he could not live with her. Only much later did he finally have a real family. And on Easter 1993, my friend came to Optina with donations from his organization. And at the meeting he said that he had recently come to faith, but his wife was an unbeliever, and he left the family a year ago.

He had a conflict at home, and out of resentment towards his wife, he asked me to marry him. But I saw that my friend was grieving for his wife and his little daughter. He just doesn’t want to admit it out of pride and is again eager to “prove” something.

All this was so depressing that when I went to confession to Fr. I came to Vasily almost in tears. “Yes, this is a serious temptation,” said the priest. “But if you carry it with dignity, everything will be fine.” “Pray, father,” I asked. Father Vasily silently prayed with detachment, and then said, beaming and with extraordinary firmness: “Everything will be fine!” And so it happened.

The murder on Easter was such a shock, when it burned out everything superficial from the feelings. And my friend returned to the family, writing to me later that he and his wife got married, go to church together, and their little daughter is the most happy, endlessly repeating: “Daddy is back!”

Regent Olga says: “Before Easter, such a temptation happened that I was literally thrown off track. On Easter I had to sing in the choir, and I wanted to confess and receive communion on Holy Saturday.

I stood up at the liturgy to confess to Fr. Vasily, but the line of communicants was so huge that by the end of the liturgy it became clear that I would not get to confession. I even left the queue in disappointment. I'm standing behind Fr. Vasily and I thought: “Well, how can I go to the choir in such a state?” And suddenly Fr. Vasily said to me, turning around: “Well, what do you have?” And immediately took me to confession. After confession, not a trace of my temptation remained, but it fell to me to sing a memorial service for my father on Easter.”

Nun Zinaida tells the story, and at that time a pensioner Tatyana Ermachkova, who worked for free in the refectory of the monastery from the first day of the revival of Optina: “How well Fr. confessed. Basil! Father was kind and loving, and you go after confession with such light soul as if she had been born again.

Before Easter we worked in the refectory and at night. There is no time to straighten up. Where is the rule for Communion here? And so on the morning of Holy Saturday I speak about. Vasily: “Father, I really want to take communion on Easter, but I have no time to prepare.” - “Take communion.” - “What is it like - without preparing?” - “Nothing,” he says, “you will pray a lot later.” And it’s true - how much we prayed at the funeral of our brothers! And to this day I pray for them, my dear ones.”

Hierodeacon L. says:“Before Easter, I was so busy with things that I was essentially not ready for communion. He said this in confession to Fr. Vasily, and he responded: “And you be ready, like Gagarin and Titov.” This was said seemingly as a joke, but I only remembered Gagarin’s sudden death, also in the midst of his labors.”

Icon painter Tamara Mushketova says: “Before Easter 1993, I experienced two big shocks - my grandmother died. She was a nun. And then people close to me slandered me. I closed myself off then. And suddenly she burst into tears in confession with Fr. Vasily, and the priest listened silently and nodded sympathetically.

Previously, I was embarrassed to confess to Fr. Vasily - after all, we are almost the same age. And then it was forgotten that he was young, and everything disappeared except our Lord Jesus Christ, before whom the soul trustingly revealed itself. I was then preparing for communion and said to Fr. Vasily, that with all my desire, I cannot completely forgive the people who slandered me.

- How are you going to take communion? - Fr. was surprised. Basil. - I can’t allow you to take communion if you can’t forgive.

- I try, father, but it doesn’t work.

“If you can forgive, take communion,” said Fr. Basil. And he added quietly: “We must forgive.” Just like before death.

I asked Fr. Vasily prayed for me and moved away from the lectern, trying to evoke a feeling of repentance in herself. But the feeling was far-fetched and empty of resentment towards others. This went on for about ten minutes. And suddenly I cried again, seeing everything and everyone as before my death - I no longer needed to forgive anyone: everyone was so dear and loved that I was only surprised at the worthlessness of the previous grievances. It was such an overwhelming love for people that I realized that this was beyond my measure and came from the priest, through his prayers. And I didn’t hesitate to go to the Chalice.”

Artist Irina L. from St. Petersburg says: “I first came to Optina Pustyn in 1992 for the patronal feast of the Entry into the Temple. Holy Mother of God and went to confession at the nearest analogue. K o. Vasily, as it turned out later.

Before this, I had recently been baptized and did not know how to confess. But, I remember, I suddenly began to cry when Fr. Vasily covered me with the stole, reading a prayer of permission. I was ashamed of tears, but they flowed naturally from the feeling of God’s great mercy. My name is Fr. Vasily didn’t ask, I didn’t call him myself, and therefore I was very surprised when I heard him say my name, “Irina,” while reading the prayer of permission. “How does he know my name? - I was perplexed. “Maybe someone told him?” But there was no one to tell him - no one knew me in the monastery.

It would seem that there was something special that connected me with Fr. Vasily? One confession, one communion and one blessing for the journey. But after his death, he repeatedly appeared in my dreams. One day I see - oh. Vasily stands at the lectern, as if in confession, and says to me: “Irina, you have taken thirty-two splinters out of yourself, but there is still one left.” You usually don’t trust dreams and don’t even remember them. But this dream gave off such a sense of reality that in two years I went to Optina twenty-five times, looking for the thirty-third thorn in myself. And I had no peace until I left the world and went to the monastery with the blessing of the priest, who became my spiritual father here. But at that time I didn’t even know the name of my spiritual father: Fr. Vasily on the fortieth day of his death - on Ascension.”

The Venerable Optina Elder Nektarios wrote: “Our Lord Jesus Christ, praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, is to some extent the image of every confessor in relation to his spiritual children, for he also takes upon himself their sins. What a great thing this is and what he has to go through!”

It is not given to us to know about those inner experiences of Fr. Vasily, when, pressed by the crowd, he stood at the lectern on his last Easter night, beginning to confess with early morning and not sitting down until midnight. And at night there was a moment that was remembered by many: “Look, the priest is feeling bad,” someone’s child said loudly. And everyone looked at Fr. Vasily - he stood at the lectern already in a pre-fainting state with his face pale to blue. Hieromonk Philaret at that time finished blessing the Easter cakes and walked through the church, cheerfully sprinkling everyone calling to him: “Father, sprinkle me too!” In passing, he sprinkled Fr. Vasily and was already moving on when he called out to him: “Sprinkle me stronger. Something’s hard.” He sprinkled it again; and seeing Fr.’s nod. Vasily, sprinkled him so heartily that his whole face was flooded with water. “Nothing, nothing,” sighed Fr. Vasily is relieved. “Now it’s nothing.” And he began to confess again.

So this Gethsemane loneliness of the shepherd stands before our eyes in the crowd, leaning on the lectern with their sorrows, and more often - mourners: “Father, she told me this! How can we live after this?” Nothing, we live. But there is no father...

The dean of the monastery, Abbot Paphnutius, recalls how in Good Friday he suddenly thought at the sight of Fr., emaciated to the point of transparency. Vasily: “No longer a tenant.” The load on the hieromonks was then incredible: Fr. Vasily served and confessed throughout Holy Week, and after a sleepless Easter night he was scheduled to confess at the early liturgy in the monastery, and then at the late liturgy in the Church of St. Hilarion the Great. “Who was to be appointed? - Abbot Paphnutius complained. - Many priests were already sick from overwork, but Fr. Vasily willingly undertook to replace the sick. He loved to serve." The Lord gave him plenty of time to serve in the end, but his face was already visible.

Many people remember that during the procession on Easter, Fr. Vasily carried the icon of the “Resurrection of Christ” and was the only one of all the priests in red vestments. The Lord chose him this Easter as his high priest, who will slaughter the Paschal Lamb at the proskomedia. They remember that the proskomedia of Fr. Vasily always did it clearly, cutting the Lamb's prosphora with a quick and precise movement. But this Easter he hesitated, tormented and not daring to begin the proskomedia, and even retreated for a moment from the altar. “What are you, oh. Basil?" - they asked him. “It’s so hard, I feel like I’m stabbing myself,” he replied. Then he performed this Great Sacrifice and sat down on a chair in exhaustion. “What, oh. Vasily, are you tired? - those in the altar asked him. “I’ve never been so tired,” he admitted. “It’s as if the carriage was unloaded.” At the end of the liturgy, Fr. Vasily went to confession again.

Pyotr Alekseev, now a student at the St. Tikhon’s Theological Institute, and at that time a youth working in obedience in Optina, tells: “At that time I had a music teacher in Kozelsk, Valentina Vasilievna. She is a wonderful person, but like many, it is difficult for her and she has to earn a living by performing concerts. Just on Holy Saturday there was a concert at the House of Officers, and after the concert there was a banquet. Now Valentina Vasilyevna sings in the choir, but then she had just come to faith, but strictly kept the fast, preparing to receive communion on Easter. And when they raised a toast to her at the banquet, she, at the general insistence, took a sip of champagne.

On the way to Optina, she told a Muscovite friend about the temptation with champagne, and she said such accusatory words to her, forbidding her to take communion, that Valentina Vasilievna cried all Easter night. And at dawn Fr. went to confession. Vasily, and she came to him. And now Valentina Vasilievna cries, telling how she sipped champagne, having lost the sacrament, and Fr. Vasily hands her a red Easter egg and says joyfully: “Christ is risen!” Take communion!” How glad Valentina Vasilyevna was to receive communion on Easter! When the next morning she heard about the murder in Optina, she immediately ran to the monastery. And the Easter egg of the New Martyr Vasily of Optina has been cherished since then as a shrine.”

Easter 1993 was unusually crowded and noisy. But the fatigue of the night took its toll - talkative people left the temple. And during the Liturgy of the faithful, the church had already stood still, praying in silence.

There is that moment on Easter night when the inexplicable happens: it would seem that everyone is tired and exhausted from drowsiness. But suddenly such grace strikes the heart that there is neither sleep nor fatigue, and the spirit rejoices in the Resurrection of Christ. How to describe this wondrous grace of Easter, when the sky is open and “Angels are singing in heaven”?

A draft description of Easter, made in 1989 by the future hieromonk Vasily, has survived. But before we bring him, let's talk about that moment of the last Easter, when at the end of the liturgy Fr. Vasily went out to canonish the choir. “Father, but you are tired,” the regent, Hierodeacon Seraphim, told him. - You rest. We can handle it ourselves." “And I am obedient,” said Fr. cheerfully. Vasily, the governor’s father blessed me.” This was Optina's best canonarch. And many remember how, overwhelmed with joy, he canonized his last Easter, saying in a clear young voice: “May God rise again and let His enemies be scattered.” And the brethren sing, and the whole temple sings: “The holy Easter has appeared to us today; Easter is new holy: Easter is mysterious..."

And it’s as if an exclamation bursts from his lips: “May God rise again and His enemies be scattered,” he wrote on his first Optina Easter. - What great and mysterious words! How the soul trembles and rejoices hearing them! What fiery grace they are filled with on Easter night! They are as vast as the sky and as close as breathing. They have a long wait, transformed in the moment of meeting, life's troubles, absorbed by eternity, age-old yearnings of the feeble human soul, disappeared in the joy of possessing the truth. The night parted before the light of these words, time fled from their face...

The temple becomes like an overflowing healing cup. “Come, let’s drink new beer.” The wedding feast is prepared by Christ himself, the invitation comes from the lips of God himself. No longer Easter service goes to church, and the Easter feast. “Christ is Risen!” - “Truly He is Risen!”, cries ring out, and the wine of joy and gladness splashes over the edge, renewing souls for eternal life.

The heart understands more than ever that everything we receive from God is received freely. Our imperfect offerings are eclipsed by God's generosity and become invisible, just as fire is invisible in the blinding radiance of the sun.

How to describe Easter night? How to express in words its greatness, glory and beauty? Only by rewriting the rite of the Easter service from beginning to end is it possible to do this. No other words are suitable for this. How to convey the Easter moment on paper? What can I say to make it clear and tangible? One can only throw up one’s hands in bewilderment and point to the festively decorated church: “Come and enjoy...”

Whoever has lived this day does not require proof of the existence of eternal life, no interpretation of the words of Holy Scripture is required: “And time will be no more” (Rev. 10:6).

The service ended at 5.10 am. And although the sleepless night is behind us, there is such vigor and joy that you want one thing - to celebrate. Almost everyone today is a communicant, and this is a special state of mind: “Easter!” Let us embrace each other with joy...” And upon leaving the church, everyone celebrates with Christ, hugging and inviting each other to Easter cakes.

Everyone is cheerful, like children. And just like in childhood, the eyes notice the fun. Here the short Hierodeacon Raphael shares Christ with the huge Fr. Vasily:

Well, what, dad? - the hierodeacon laughs. - Christ is Risen!

Truly risen! - Fr. beams. Basil.

And the air rings with the gospel, and the bell ringers glorify Christ - Monk Trofim, Monk Ferapont and Hierodeacon Lavrenty. The monk Trofim rejoices and beams in what seems to be unbearable joy, but the monk Ferapont has a shy smile. Before Easter, it seems his eye hurt, and there was a trace of green paint on his eyelid. This time the hood is not pulled down over his eyes, and therefore you can see how childishly open his eyes are. nice face and huge eyes.

And then the celebration spills out into the city. It was a custom among Optina parishioners in those years to leave Optina singing. The people in the villages here are vociferous, and buses went from Optina to the city, where they sang and sang, without getting tired: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and giving life to those in the tombs!”

“Easter is coming,” they said on this occasion in the city, rejoicing at the new custom of singing publicly on Easter. And if the evening of Holy Saturday was darkened, it happened, by drunken fights, then Easter itself in Kozelsk and the villages always proceeded surprisingly peacefully - everyone was smart, decorous, men in white shirts. Everyone goes to each other to celebrate Christ, and even speech on this day takes on a special decorum - on Easter you cannot say a rude word or offend anyone. Easter is a holy day."