There are not many of us. At the moment, there are not even two dozen - and this despite the fact that quite recently, after a many-year period of calm, several new people have joined our ranks. Each such replenishment is a great holiday for us, which happens very rarely: the demands we place on new entrants are high and constantly grow as we move, so few of those who strive to meet them achieve compliance. And for the same reason, those who aspire to join us appear on our horizon quite rarely.
Who are we? Men and women of different ages and nationalities, people from different cities and even countries, in the past – representatives of a wide variety of occupations, social statuses and levels. One of the main requirements that we impose on those who come is complete material and moral independence, the absence of obligations and debts to anyone (see article). Therefore, all members of the Community are free, non-family people, capable of independently managing their lives. For the same reason, there are no minors among us: based on many years of experience, we have come to the conclusion that before embarking on the Spiritual Path, a person must gain complete independence on the physical plane and mature as a person. Otherwise, any person who shares our views, pursues common goals with us and has reached a certain level in working on themselves can join us. And for us it doesn’t matter at all who he was before coming to the Community - as long as he comes to us with an open heart, a desire to be useful to the common cause and a willingness to learn new things. Of course, the more a person has developed bright qualities and useful skills before joining our ranks, the less time he will spend mastering them in the Community and the more significant his contribution to work for the common good can become.
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Let's say a few words about the general way of our life.
In our Community the principle of unity of command operates and all activities are built on a hierarchical principle. At the head of the Community is the Spiritual Teacher - the founder of our spiritual direction. He is responsible for the work of the Community as a whole and for each of his students, which is each of its members, in particular. First of all, the Teacher strives to instill in us a sense of responsibility for any of our manifestations, independence and a reasonable, creative approach to decision-making. Therefore, he provides us with practically unlimited freedom of action (of course, without violating the Cosmic Laws and not to the detriment of the objectives of the Community), solving only issues of a spiritual nature and those that we could not solve on our own. And therefore, giving knowledge, directing and coordinating our activities, he requires us to understand and be aware of everything that is possible at our level. Of course, our love, trust and devotion to the Teacher are boundless, but blind submission is not welcome, as it is fertile ground for fanaticism, leading to personality degradation and contrary to the very foundations of spirituality.
Each member of the Community is responsible for the area of work entrusted to him, physical or spiritual. Along with working on himself, independently maintaining this area in order is his primary duty, on the fulfillment of which his advancement directly depends. We have already passed the stage when the Teacher had to guide our every step, give detailed instructions for actions and control the result. Now each of us is successfully coping with the amount of work we have taken on, striving to independently bring it to perfection and thereby make our contribution to the work of the Community maximum. The hierarchical principle also applies here: there is only one person responsible for each area of activity; on his own initiative, he becomes the one who can cope with these responsibilities better than others, and it is he who decides all issues related to his area. There is no need to appoint anyone: everyone, seeing opportunities for development in work, strives to use the knowledge and skills they have as fully as possible for the common good.
Let's start with the main thing for which we united: with joint mental messages that cleanse the space and saturate it with light energies. It is for the sake of this activity that the Community was created, and it is to it and the preparation for it that all community life is in one way or another subordinated.
Mental sendings, which we among ourselves call spiritual work, are carried out several times a day at a set time. Only those who have reached a spiritual level participate in this work, since it requires a certain degree of purity, an integral worldview corresponding to the Truth, open centers that endow thought with effective power, as well as sufficient concentration skills and the ability to control psychic energy.
The rest of the Community members (including those who work spiritually) simply pass spatial energies through themselves, coloring them with their feelings and understandings - as much as their level of training allows. There is no specific time allotted for this - a person must be a guide constantly, no matter what he is doing, which is possible only under the condition of stable harmony, openness and inner purity. Thus, each member of the Community makes a contribution to the work for the space, and this contribution is greater, the higher the level of the person. Accordingly, the higher the level of each person, the greater the contribution to the cause of the Hierarchy of Light of the entire Community. That is why, in order not to underestimate the capabilities of the Community as a whole, we place high demands on ourselves in working on ourselves and do not allow into our ranks those who are not ready to live according to these requirements.
The preparatory stage refers to the physical level, so those on it do not participate in mental messages, but devote time to energy practices several times a day. These practices are aimed at cleansing and developing one’s own energy, as well as acquiring basic energy management skills that will be needed in upcoming spiritual work.
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In addition to working on oneself, physical training is mandatory for all members of the Community, strengthening the body and helping to increase its energy conductivity (see article). Since our Teacher is the creator of a unique style of martial arts, we consider this style an integral part of our Path, and its mastery is our duty. Practicing martial arts not only helps to maintain the harmony of the spiritual and physical principles in a person, but allows you to acquire at least basic self-defense skills, which are useful in our time. In addition, during the classes, the qualities necessary for the Path of Light are developed, such as will, self-control, the ability to go to the end, quickly navigate situations and many others. Therefore, with the right approach and understanding, training can significantly accelerate a person’s progress in the spiritual direction.
Of course, we all have different levels of physical fitness, so everyone trains to the best of their ability and ability - fortunately, the style created by the Teacher includes a wide variety of techniques (strikes, throwing techniques, painful holds, grips and releases, unbalancing, as well as work with eight types of weapons), from which anyone can choose what will be acceptable to him. Compulsory martial arts classes are combined with general physical training classes. In addition, by regularly going outdoors, we all learned to swim well. And some, who are keen on hardening and winter swimming, are not afraid of even twenty-degree frost, in which they happily do five-minute swims followed by a walk in the fresh air in only swimming trunks and swimsuits.
Movement along the Path, combined with this way of life, has led to the fact that each of us has long ago completely forgotten about illnesses. By the way, among those same walruses there are people who in the past suffered from serious chronic diseases. Now they have not only completely restored their health, but can easily withstand physical activity that is hardly possible for the average person.
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As for our Community’s contacts with the outside world, we try to minimize them. The main reason is the desire to focus on your tasks without being distracted by unnecessary communication. We are not engaged in social and educational activities, charity, various cultural projects and propaganda of our ideas (this blog was created with the aim of answering questions from our many friends about the Spiritual Path and our Community, but primarily to help our followers). But still, our way of life cannot be called reclusive. We maintain friendly relations with many people walking along the Path of Light in our direction, we meet with them, communicate, correspond, and mutually help each other in any way we can. These people include several of our Teacher’s healing students who live in families and therefore do not set themselves the goal of reaching the spiritual level.
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Speaking about our life, one cannot help but touch on its material side.
Economically, we strive to depend as little as possible on the outside world, so that any processes occurring in the country cannot jeopardize our activities. The community exists on funds from a small business that requires minimal participation on our part and practically does not distract us from our tasks, but does not provide a stable income. Basically, these funds are enough to live on, provided they are distributed economically. Therefore, we strive to do everything possible with our own hands, especially since we have been convinced more than once from our own experience: if you want to do something with high quality, do it yourself. We independently master various professions that are in demand in our lives. We grow vegetables and fruits ourselves, bake bread, sew clothes, make furniture, repair cars, electrical appliances and computers, and carry out all types of construction, repair and finishing work. Among us there is a hairdresser, a massage therapist, and a healer. And - to the joy of domestic animals - there is a dog handler and a veterinarian.
There are few of us, so many community members take responsibility for several areas of common work. In addition, striving for interchangeability, everyone masters several professions for which he is most inclined. Much of what we are doing now is being done for the first time. Despite this, we strive to ensure that everything we create meets the highest level of craftsmanship. The high demands that we place on ourselves allow us to achieve appropriate results in everything we undertake.
When we take on a new task, we first of all collect information about how others do the same work. But we never follow directions blindly, we analyze the knowledge gained, we look for how to apply it specifically in our conditions and within our capabilities in order to achieve the desired result, as a result of which sometimes non-standard, but effective approaches to solving quite standard problems are born. We strive to arrange our life in the most rational way, sparing no expense on projects that will help us avoid unnecessary costs in the future - time, labor, and money. So, for example, we had to invest a lot and work hard to establish a natural farming system on our plot, but after four years the return from it exceeded all our expectations. Not only are there enough vegetables and fruits even for winter harvesting (this is in our zone of extreme farming!), but now only two people can easily cope with the maintenance of this complex plot - one gardener and one gardener.
In addition, we use all the latest technologies and equipment available to us to facilitate physical labor and free up time for core activities. Of course, even with this we have to work a lot on the physical plane, but for us work is a matter not only of survival, but also of our development: we regard it as an opportunity for improvement, as preparation for spiritual work. After all, each new skill expands our consciousness, thereby contributing to its growth. This means that the more we do ourselves, the more diverse skills we acquire, the wider our capabilities will be.
We are not specifically looking for what exactly to do, what to do on the physical plane. Life itself tells us this. More precisely, it simply poses the need to solve certain problems. This is the Law of Karma in action: we find ourselves in precisely those conditions that, with the right approach on our part, can best contribute to our development. By the way, as our consciousness grows, our material situation stabilizes and improves noticeably. This suggests that we are successfully learning the lessons life has given us. And, of course, behind all this the hand of the Forces of Light is clearly visible: even in the most difficult periods, we were never left without a means of subsistence and repeatedly observed how serious dangers passed just half a step away from us, without causing us the slightest harm.
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What do we do in our free time?
Rest in our understanding is a change of activity, and we welcome any activity that contributes to development. Therefore, some people prefer self-education, expanding their knowledge or mastering new skills in areas of interest to them. Some devote their free time to creativity: some do fine arts, some write poetry and stories, some sing and play musical instruments.
The history of our house began in the Pafnutievo Borovsky Monastery, where my spiritual father lives. In the fall of 1998, I sat in his cell, dangled my legs and talked about everything that was in my heart. And there was a lot of things there, and among other things, a house that my parents had been unsuccessfully looking for for six months. My parents decided that before retirement it would be good to sell our two apartments, because the view from the window of the old city “Khrushchev”, frankly speaking, is not very good, and buy a normal house with a small plot of land somewhere in the city limits or nearby, because Although we love nature and silence, we are not fanatical. My parents placed an advertisement in the newspaper, and they told everyone they knew, but the house was still nowhere to be found. That place is somewhere in Tmutarakan with a view of the swamp, then there is no land at all, then something else.
Father listened and listened to me, and then said: “The house will be in the village.” In what other village? We are city people and rarely go to the dacha. He laughs and pats me on the head: “There’s a house in the village, in the village!” I shrugged my shoulders and decided that the confessor wanted to show me that I should not ask questions that did not concern my restless, restless soul.
We each dreamed of our own, but after a conversation with the priest we found each other
Several months pass. Parents call: “When can you come and look at the house?” The house turned out to be large, well-appointed and comfortable. And he was in the village. The owner worked in the city as a railway driver, and the hostess sat at home and dreamed of city life. The housewife was unbearably bored in the village; she slept and saw herself in the city. And in the city at that time we slept and saw ourselves in a large, beautiful, well-appointed house overlooking the river and the forest. We each dreamed of our own, and all this happened in parallel universes, but after a conversation with the priest, something happened, and we found each other. When the owners of the house found out about our two-room apartment, they immediately wanted to move in and offered to exchange.
After some time, I noticed small tissue paper crosses on the wallpaper. It turned out that the son of the former owners of the house was a priest, and he consecrated him...
It turned out to be only 9 km from the city along a beautiful highway, about 15 minutes by car with traffic lights. There is just enough land for everything, including Chinese plums and mother’s roses, but not enough to turn into a slave Isaura. The place is beautiful and quiet. Nearby there is a forest with a beautiful birch grove and a river. In a clean, unpolluted forest, boletuses, redcaps, porcini mushrooms and small, palm-sized milk mushrooms grow, and the river is beautiful, and there is fish in it. In our village there is a good hospital with all the rooms, but without a queue. Excellent kindergarten and ten-year school. A modern sports club with a bunch of different sections, from fitness Pilates to a new rocking chair and a professional mini-football field. Everything is free. Last year they opened a new skating rink with warm locker rooms and free skates. Post office, bank, four shops with assortment and prices as in the city.
At first, the silence in the village was deafening, and politeness frightened
At first, the silence in the village was deafening, and the politeness was frightening. You walk down the street and children greet you. Adults are already shy, but they also nod often. And the children always say hello to everyone. That's how we were brought up. At first we were scared, but then we got used to it and began to live like everyone else. Say hello to everyone, not just your neighbors. Our neighbors are also from the city; they have four stores in Yekaterinburg. At first we were invited for pizza, we drank tea in the garden under the apple tree, but a year later we couldn’t stand the silence. Out of boredom, the neighbor drank bitters and then set the bathhouse on fire. They barely put it out. They sold the house and returned closer to the bustle and morning smog. And we live and rejoice. And the longer we live, the more we like it.
Even time flows differently here. It is not fussy and hectic, but calm and joyful. And the prayer here is also different – thoughtful and unhurried. Why rush if you have everything? And the house, and the river across the street, and the plum under the window.
The village is boring for those who don't like to work. You can't live without work here. Otherwise, the melancholy is mortal. On the advice of our neighbors, we got a cow, Manya. By the next spring, Manya gave birth to twins. Manya was as loyal as a dog. It used to be that you were walking along the river bank to go fishing and came across a herd. As soon as Manya sees you, she forgets about everything and runs after you.
The village is boring for those who don't like to work
But it was harmful, even if you take away the saints! If she doesn’t want to be milked, she will never let her come near her. Mom could persuade the cow for hours. She listened joyfully, was thrilled, but did not allow herself to be milked. Well, the neighbors gave us an idea of what to do in such cases. A cow is not a cat; you need to be strict with her. They tie up the back leg of the harmful beast and lift it to the beam or gently grab it by the nostrils, and then it is like silk, flexible and obedient. Our mother made cream, cottage cheese, and soft, aromatic cheese.
While my grandmother was alive, we kept chickens so that there would always be fresh eggs in the house. They got a purebred rooster. Our Petya was pitch black, his chest was fiery red with emerald green. You go out into the yard and he rushes towards you as fast as he can. One wing drags along the ground, throws back its head and bubbles like a boiling samovar. This means: I can’t live without you anymore, master, I want to be held in your arms! You stretch out your arms and he jumps on them and puts his head on your shoulder so that you stroke his neck. This is his greatest pleasure. And then he jumps to the ground and starts protecting you. And then all the other pets hide in the corners and don’t show their noses. Our huge Ray from the police nursery was hiding from him in a kennel, and the cat went to catch mice. With one blow of his razor-sharp spurs, Petya could cut straight to the bone. You go to the garden, he goes to the garden. You are on the veranda, and he is on the veranda. You go to the store, he goes to the store. He ignored strangers. I considered it beneath my dignity to communicate with them. And he didn’t leave us a single step. Because we are ours, ours. Every morning he woke us up early. Because whoever gets up early, God provides for him.
We all love our cat Styopa for his cheerful disposition. He is also an excellent taster.
We let him try milk, sour cream, sausage and sausages that we bring from the store. He accurately determines which of them are inedible. And we don't buy them anymore. Besides his mother, he loves the neighbors' cats, mice and birds. Cats come to us from all over the area, sit on the roof and wait for him to come out. He always brings birds to his mother, which is why she is silently horrified. And he puts the mice under the roof in the bathhouse. He already has about forty of them there. And he protects them. But with all his merits, Stepa is far from the cat Vasily, who we inherited along with the house. When we brought our dog Bim from the nursery, he was about a month old, and he fit in the palm of our hand. And our Vasily was like his mother and father. I licked him, played with him and raised him as best I could. He left in the evening and returned in the morning with a huge rat in his mouth. Little Bim rolled out onto the porch - and there was a rat. At the sight of a rat, Bim barked loudly, pressed his ears and backed away. But Vasily stood behind him and pushed him back with his paw. Then he turned the rat over with its most advantageous side facing the puppy, showing that there was nothing to be afraid of. And this continued until Bim began to fearlessly play with the rat like a ball.
We also had sheep and Byasha. Sheep are fussy and clueless, and Byasha is a large and intelligent purebred ram. He guarded his small herd like a border guard. As soon as a neighbor’s cat or dog appeared, Byasha would bow his head low and rush at him like a tank. When it came to his native herd, there were no friends or strangers for him. It's scary when a huge powerful ram flies at you. But as soon as you put out a leg or a stick, Byasha immediately stopped, became small and kind again, wagged his tail and asked for sugar. Now Byasha is somewhere in Kazakhstan, and the cow Manya is in an orphanage. When we arrived in the village, there was a herd of 250 heads. And now there are four cows for the whole village. Because livestock in the Russian countryside is a very expensive pleasure. Hay costs so much money that the guard! Instead of cattle, rural residents now have various foreign cars. But in place of the old cowsheds, we now have a modern poultry farm, where chickens are raised for poultry farms. All the locals work there. Salaries are the same as in the city, but you don’t have to travel anywhere. Foreigners come here every month: Germans, Dutch, Poles. They exchange experiences and enjoy Russian nature. They really like it here.
Would you walk past a roe deer crying like a child?
And in the spring, in the evenings, on the other side of the river, roe deer roar. Males fight for females, fight and roar throughout the area. There are many of them in our area. In winter, when we walk with Bim, sometimes we meet them. The roe deer digs a bed under a pine tree and sleeps there, and here we go. Bim doesn't even have time to bark, as soon as she was seen. Once I even pulled one out of the loop. A noose is a savage device that poachers place on the path where roe deer walk. It is made of flexible and strong iron wire, which is tied to a tree and stretched along the path. The roe deer gets its head into the noose, the noose falls and tightens around its neck, it suffocates and dies. One day while on a walk I suddenly heard a small puppy crying somewhere in the bushes. It's so pathetic. I look, and it’s not a puppy, but a roe deer struggling in a noose. Would you walk past a roe deer crying like a child? And I didn't pass. He crossed himself and went to pull him out. I don’t remember how long we fought with her to free her. She almost broke my leg and ribs, but after praying to St. Nicholas she allowed herself to be freed. Beautiful, just a miracle! The coat is dark brown, silky, with white spots. The eyes are black with large eyelashes. And on the head there are small neat horns. She turned her white back and disappeared, as if she had never existed.
But there is no temple in our village and never has been. But we do not lose heart, we pray to at least open a prayer room, and we go to the city for services. Our church grandmothers, who went to church even before the war, tell me that church begins with prayer. There will be a temple. Why is it needed then if no one will pray?
All believers know each other by sight and, when they go to Liturgy in the morning, they greet each other cordially at the bus stop. Not only old people go to work, young people too. My friend Sergei got a job in my native Pokrovsky. There is now a large-scale reconstruction there, and craftsmen are so needed. But my friend has golden hands, he knows how to work with iron, and carpentry, and build. But I couldn’t find a job. I toiled and toiled, and got a job in the church. And now he works during the week, prays, and goes to church with his daughter on weekends. And our parishioner Uncle Sasha breeds bees. And when the time comes for collection, he sells it to all believing grandmothers for pennies. He is a pensioner himself, he knows how difficult it is for grandmothers now. And he takes the best jar of honey, in which the collection from all the year and from all flowers, which is considered the most healing, to the temple for Christ's sake.
One evening I was preparing chakhokhbili from pork. Mom was supposed to arrive the next day, so I put it in her cup and put it in the refrigerator. In the morning, the father, getting ready for work, opens the refrigerator: “Mother?” - “Mothers!” I started cooking sausages. My brother came for lunch and fried himself scrambled eggs and sausage. The daughter-in-law returned from work hungry and cooked dumplings. Mom arrives and goes to the kitchen. Calls for dinner. There is a heated dish of chakhokhbili on the table for me. I say: “Mom, this is for you!” - “Thank you, son, I ate cottage cheese and a cheese sandwich. And I left the meat for you!” That's how we live. Village...
We started going to church two or three years ago, with the birth of our son. Our relatives don’t understand us, my mother can’t see me in a headscarf, she screams that she’ll send me to a mental hospital for treatment.
We live with my mother-in-law, three days ago she bought herself a TV. I don’t want, he says, to live like in a cell. We don’t have an antenna, so we haven’t connected the TV yet, but you can’t get your son out of her room now. He runs around, rejoices, and waits for the TV to be fixed. This played a decisive role in my intention to go to the village. We were invited to an Orthodox community under construction without electricity or gas... I myself have never lived in a village, I only saw cows in a picture.
Husband Oleg is obsessed with the passion of the computer. He agrees to become a martyr, he agrees to be tortured (later, when “the end of the world comes”), but he does not agree to donate a computer to the church (we have already been asked for it). He says that no one in the community will keep me, such an incompetent person, I’ll be kicked out or I’ll run away and become homeless, but now I have a place to live, TV isn’t such an evil thing, why bother? He doesn't want to go himself. Or rather, after a conversation with the priest, he lights up, makes plans, but two days later he forgets everything near the computer. He works at a factory, and in January he moved to a new workshop with a very large (by our standards) salary. It is very difficult for him to leave his job and go graze cows. Father doesn’t bless me and my son to stay in an apartment with a TV, but I’m afraid to go alone.
I beg you to pray that everything will work out for us.
Servant of God Catherine,
Sterlitamak, Bashkiria.
“We invite Orthodox believers...”
Hello, dear editorial office of the Blagovest newspaper!
Father Dimitry and Mother Nadezhda are writing to you from the outback of the Tver region. We have been subscribing to your newspaper for a long time, but this is the first time we are writing. We are grateful to you for such a wonderful newspaper, we read it with pleasure. God bless you!
By the will of God we found ourselves here, in a remote village, with six houses and the St. Nicholas Church. We arrived from Obninsk near Moscow twelve years ago. The temple was restored with great difficulty due to a lack of money, material, equipment and people. They made a roof, domes, restored the iconostasis (though not completely), re-laid the floors in the altars, plastered, whitewashed and painted inside and out. Much still needs to be done, but due to lack of money, work has stopped. We do all the current work on the temple ourselves, there are no assistants, and we are quite old - well over sixty. There are few parishioners in the church, only helpless old people are left in the villages, there are few young people, and they have their own “god” - money, wine. But, thank God, my mother and I do not lose heart. We serve, we pray to God, mother sings and reads in the choir. We are glad that our places are beautiful, there are forests all around, the air is clean.
Maybe some of the Orthodox Christian believers would like to live in the village? Maybe some small community will organize itself; it would be easier to organize life. We have a vacant gatehouse, houses are available for sale nearby and are inexpensive. Come, we will be glad to see you from the bottom of our hearts.
Our address: 172891 Tver region, Toropetsk district, Ozeretskoe village, Metlino village. Priest Dimitry Kravtsov.
Tel. (8-48268) 2-51-47.
Key issues in community care
In this article we will try to outline our modest experience and its analysis, understanding the limitations of our mind and capabilities. We ask everyone who reads it to express their opinion on the issues discussed and share their experience. Write on this site in the comments or in our VKontakte group http://vk.com/club107629594 in the comments under the post dated April 6.
It is intended only for Orthodox Christians who believe that the current time bears great similarity to the description of the pre-Antichrist time in the Bible, and that at this time, for them personally, a possible way to save their soul may be leaving the urban environment and organizing life in a more correct and reliable way.
By the words “for Orthodox Christians” we mean those who have been in the church for at least 3 years, regularly attend the Sacraments, observe all one-day and multi-day fasts, know the text of the New Testament and the Catechism well, keep the commandments of Christ, and are over 20 years old. (Young people, don’t be offended! Your lack of experience and immaturity of decisions will pass over time.)
We consider the following reasons:
a) community is the most natural way of life for Christians; the creation of communities was blessed by many ascetics of the 20th century (see);
b) for those who have a large, friendly Orthodox family, it is quite possible to survive in the village with this family alone; for the lonely, weak, and poor this will be very difficult, but in the community it is quite possible;
c) at the moment, not all even churchgoers understand that it will be very difficult to survive in cities; and when this becomes obvious, it will be too late to start gathering for the village; by that time it would be good to have stable communities and experience of life in nature in Rus'.
d) if the Lord sends the Orthodox Tsar, then he will also receive help from already established communities, because he will need to cultivate the land and survive in military conditions, and strong warriors will not interfere (and not pampered townspeople).
Let us repeat that in our article we are talking only about churched Orthodox Christians. Among them there are people who believe that shrines located in cities cannot be left, or that “leaven” and “salt of the world” should be present everywhere, including in megacities. Most likely they are right. If they really intend to put their lives on this worthy cause, and do not cover up with such lofty words their reluctance to lose city comfort or fear of giving up electronic documents.
In the end, only the Lord decides where He will bless whom to live and die. Someone is now going to stay in the city, but will end up in the forest, and someone is striving with all his might to go to the village, but God will leave him in the city. As the proverb says, man proposes, but the Lord places (everything and everyone in its place).
Let us also clarify that we mean secular communities, without daring to talk about the special path of monastics. However, if the worst assumptions come true, and the inhabitants of the monasteries, like the white clergy and their families, are forced to switch to a new style, serve in Russian, use bank cards, implant chips, etc., then lay communities must be ready to accept monks . We still hope that the monastics understand this danger better than us and prepare for it as the Lord inspires them.
As for the parish family priests, in such circumstances it will probably be more difficult for them than anyone, because... They have many children, they do not choose their place of service, they are financially dependent on the dioceses. Now almost none of them dare to go into the community, but we hope they also somehow think about their situation.
Among God's people as they prepare for possible difficult times, there are people of all ages. Let's start with the older ones, those around seventy and above. They knew about apostasy, prayed intensely, and met with holy confessors back in the last century, when some of the modern “VKontakte” people were not yet alive. They live without Russian Federation passports, tax identification numbers, etc., have extensive experience in church life, remember the hungry post-war years, their rural childhood - in a word, they can teach a lot of useful things to those who are younger. Some of them have houses in the village, some are going to live in cities as God willing, but if there is a community, they can move there too. They already know how to pray! But, of course, they are not on the Internet, so you need to look for them in real life.
People 50-60 years old still have the strength for physical or organizational work and already have experience in church and prayer life, general life experience, including dacha life. They are not burdened with small children, which is a plus, but they often have health problems. They can live in the village permanently, look after the household, and take care of the children of the community, when its younger members are forced to earn money in the city. Few of them are "experienced users", so they need help if they want to search for communities via the Internet. It happens that their children do not share their views, so they need helpers from church-going youth.
At the age of 30-40 there are two different categories of lay people: married and non-family.
It is most difficult for Orthodox families with several children. Mom usually doesn’t work, father has to look for additional income in addition to earning money; Even financially it is very difficult to move from where you live. Not to mention the “link” to a school, clinic, etc. Moreover, when talking about the village, grandparents clutch at their hearts and almost resort to blackmail. (However, there are examples of such families who moved to the village! -) On the other hand, it is the concern for the proper upbringing of children and keeping them outside the clutches of the Antichrist system that makes such families persistent and courageous when looking for a “way out of the city.”
When choosing a community, unfamilyd people of the same age must decide whether marriage is possible for them if a suitable “half” is found, or under no circumstances will they create a family. With the second option, you can go to a community in more harsh conditions, and if marriage and children are possible, you need to look for a community with children.
If your own parents are churchgoers, but for some reason do not leave with you, you need their blessing, their prayers for you. In any case, you cannot leave lonely old people in the city if they need your help, even if they are inveterate atheists. The commandment to honor parents is obligatory! In conflicting situations, you need to pray intensely for guidance on what to do, and also consult with your confessor, if you have one.
Young people over 20 years old are also divided into 2 categories. The first is the children of church-going parents, who grew up in the Church and have the concept of obedience. They coordinate their actions with their relatives and leave the city with them or with their blessing. The second category is young people who are carried away by the ideas of anti-globalism, nationalism, etc., but have no experience of church life, often have not even opened the New Testament, but call themselves Orthodox. Such children need spiritual guidance and churching, the help of older Christians, otherwise their “departure for the community” will lead them either to a sect, or to spiritual seduction, or they will again return to the world of urban passions. And, of course, for young people of this age the question of the possibility of marriage is also important.
There is an opinion that now is not the time to get married and have children. However, we have not encountered such statements from experienced confessors. Perhaps an elder personally blessed someone in this way, seeing this person’s ability for Christian celibacy. But this is not a recommendation for most young people. Why?
Firstly, even in earlier times few people could achieve such a feat; this is a special spiritual calling; for this, people went to monasteries under experienced guidance. Therefore, the assumptions of some young men and women to live in the community in celibacy, or to get married in order to live “like brother and sister,” are erroneous. There is a danger of falling into grave sins. Pray to do according to God's will. If the Lord does not want your marriage, then he will not give you a bride (groom) or will not give you children in marriage. And the general rule is the commandment to be fruitful, multiply and fill the Earth.
Secondly, we assume that very difficult times are approaching, but we do not know this for sure. Perhaps the Lord will postpone them for another decade, and the babies born now will have time to grow in faith and become soldiers of Christ and a support for their parents in their old age.
Thirdly, the Christian family is a school of love, work, patience, bearing the infirmities of others, that is, this is the path of salvation. Women are saved by childbearing if they live in faith and purity. It is in the village that men can become real “patriarchs”, but in the city they are often “out of work”, they do not know how to bear responsibility for themselves alone, let alone for their wife and children.
However, all of the above applies only to young people who have not previously been married (including unregistered ones) and who have kept themselves pure. And if there was already a marriage, but it broke up for some reason, then the secondary marriage is rarely blessed. Whoever marries a “pustitsa” commits adultery, because there are also virgins. And the girl is unlikely to marry a “seasoned man.”
Situations with a second marriage are resolved with an experienced confessor; if we are talking about a community, then with the confessor of this community. It must be remembered that in such a marriage there can be big problems, including with the children who will be born in it. And if children are brought into a new family, and they have a parent somewhere who has not abandoned them, then he or his parents “have the right” to take the child away using the mechanisms of juvenile justice.
So if there are “sins of youth,” then it is better to remain alone and bear penance for them.
6. What to do with the unchurched?
A very common and very difficult situation: a person (maybe your spouse) did not want to know anything about God, did not fulfill the commandments, did not fight his passions; and recently I learned about the impending system of total control, about the danger of turning into a cyborg controlled by someone... Shock. What to do? Where to hide? Maybe among the Orthodox in the community? Dig something there, build something, give them money... And save your life and the lives of your children. Man, unfortunately, does not understand that Orthodox Christians do not save their temporary life, but their immortal soul. And that this requires true faith, deep prayer, forcing oneself to fast, fulfilling the commandments, knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and Tradition of the Church, church history, everyday life, etc. Years of life are devoted to this. It is not easy to join a community of such people; life with them will be full of temptations. And this person doesn’t even understand the meaning of the word “and temptation.” What did he do all his life? Temples have been open for a long time, any literature is available. Why didn’t you want to remember your Creator, His laws? He got himself into a very difficult situation. What should he do? Is there hope for salvation?
There is hope. But this person must decide on a feat: in the shortest possible time, completely change his life. Without the right spiritual guidance this is impossible. Pray and look for a shepherd, try to master the entire spiritual experience of the Church as quickly as possible.
If such an attitude is not revealed in a person, then the community will not become a place of salvation for him. To our greatest regret, some of our loved ones, abandoning the Church of Christ, follow the path of destruction.
7. How to find community?
Anyone who asks themselves this question should understand well that it is very difficult. Without constant prayer to the Lord about this, it is impossible to find a serious Orthodox community (not a sect!). Otherwise, you either won’t get into it at all, or you won’t stay there for long. Prayer comes first in all matters, especially in matters of such importance. Force yourself to pray; and in all requests do not forget: “But not as we want, Lord, but as You want; may Your Holy will be done for everything, and not our unreasonable one.”
Secondly, you need to carefully consider your circumstances and possibilities, discuss your intentions with your confessor (if there is no confessor, with a priest who does not indiscriminately deny the possibility of life in the community, there are such priests).
First of all, think about your obligations to your family if you intend to leave them (to elderly parents, grandparents, if they have only you among their neighbors, to seriously ill brothers, sisters, adult children). If you leave such a person without care, it will be a crime not only before God, but also from the point of view of civil law. In such a situation, you either take them with you (if they agree) or stay with them. Accordingly, you are looking for a community where it will be possible to live with such a person.
In our time, minor children (before they acquire a permanent job and/or their own legal family) cannot be left without care. The age of 18-25 years is the time when young people are just getting on their feet, and responsible parents should help not only with prayer, but also advise, teach, discipline - that is, be there. The best option is the unanimity of children and parents, a joint search for ways out of the city.
Of course, you cannot leave your legal spouse and young children. If the destruction of the family was allowed, which is a great sin, then it is better for the children to live with an Orthodox parent, that is, you should try to take them with you; or better yet, reconcile and restore the family. If this is not possible, then it is unlikely that it will be the right decision to leave without children, because... we need to meet with them as often as possible and raise them in the Orthodox faith. Such difficult situations are resolved individually with the confessor.
When you decide who you should go with, it will become clear what type of community will suit you and how far you can go (that is, the geography of your search will be determined). After processing the Internet data and interviewing everyone who might know something about the communities in the region you are interested in, you need to go there and visit places that suit you (as far as your means, strength, and time allow), meet people, and find out the real situation. Even if you don’t have information about any community in this region, you can still talk to people in churches (start with the aunties behind the box), then you will understand which of the priests you can consult with; ask people at religious processions, at local shrines, springs, etc.
You will understand that there are VERY FEW communities and living conditions are difficult everywhere. Not every community will suit you (your family). But if it is God’s will, then, with serious effort, you will find a suitable option. It is necessary to balance your strengths and not chase unrealistic dreams. The financial side is not as important as prayer, thoughtfulness and persistence in searching (more on finances later).
But it may very well happen that you will not find a ready-made community. Then there are 3 ways: either settle where at least one family of your like-minded people lives; or look for faithful people and create a community with them from scratch; or look for a suitable place, settle down there and pray that God will give over time comrades who will join you.
8. Contours of the community
How many people?
You can leave as two or three people, as one family, that’s already good. But it is more logical to consider a community to be a group of more than 4 adults, optimally 7-12 people in total. Then some can always be in the village, some can go out to work; someone is sick or infirm, and someone works for him. A very large group in one place will quickly attract unnecessary attention. It is better for several small communities to settle nearby and maintain contact and mutual assistance.
What people?
First of all, people of one Spirit (more on this a little later). It seems that it is better for families with children to unite with similar families; for the laity without children - with the childless; single people can join both families and non-family ones. The reason for this division is that with children there is a whole range of problems that are irrelevant for childless people (and children may therefore be perceived by them as a hindrance). But in reality it may not work out that way.
How off the beaten track?
This depends, firstly, on the experience of the people and, secondly, on the number of connections that still connect them to the system. City dwellers unfamiliar with village life, of course, will not be able to immediately move to a village cut off from civilization, much less to a forest. You need to imagine your future life in as much detail as possible. For the majority, at first only a remote village with electricity, at least some kind of road, mobile communications, and neighbors is possible. For some - and this is too difficult, especially for families with children - a village with a store, a school, and asphalt is suitable for them.
It's still much better than staying in the city. Especially if there is a connection with more remote communities. And gradually get used to the forest, tents and dugouts, living in a village that is remote from large cities and roads.
In what region?
Where there are mountains or forests in which you can take refuge if necessary. This is ideal. But in reality - where you have the opportunity. Many cannot move very far from where they live now. Then you need to choose the most remote, deserted and wooded places in your region.
9. The main issue is the spiritual life of the community
The community is part of the Church of Christ, and must be connected with it through common prayer and the Sacraments. We need a temple and a place for common home prayer. We need a priest who has not fallen away from the Church of Christ. This is a very difficult question at the present time - which shepherd the community will consider standing in the Truth. Here the members of the community should not have divisions, otherwise it will fall apart. It is also clear that all communities will not have shepherds who could live there permanently. The priest will come to some communities regularly (through the efforts of this community), while others will have to travel (go) to church or to the pastor for services.
Every day small processions of the cross should be held near their farms, joint at least short prayers, reading of Holy Scripture, Lives - if possible, the community and the blessing of the shepherd.
There is also no doubt that there will always be temptations - both externally and internally. Without strong faith, constant communication with the confessor of the community, the skill of curbing one’s passions, the ability to ask for forgiveness and forgive, to tolerate the infirmities of one’s neighbors - without all this the community will not survive. Therefore, it is advisable to find out more about the life and spiritual experiences of those with whom you are going to live together in advance. Don’t be shy to ask and tell about yourself (not everything, but significant things). This is not curiosity, but a necessary stage of preparation for life in the community.
For the sustainable existence of a community, it must have a hierarchy, routine, discipline, and distribution of responsibilities. A way of making decisions that is understandable to everyone is also necessary. An age hierarchy is natural, but those older in spiritual experience are also needed. This, of course, is a priest who cares for the community, and a “backbone” of 2-3 people who are respected and obeyed by the rest. Organizing such a dispensation is very important and very difficult; it is impossible without God’s help and joint prayer.
10. Finance and management
To figure out how to run a community economy, you need to clearly understand, firstly, what we are striving for, and, secondly, what we are starting from at the moment.
We strive for complete independence from the system, but this is ideal. A closed, completely self-sufficient subsistence economy is impossible in our time. In addition, we do not know exactly how events will develop in the country. Therefore, the goal should be considered to be the creation of an economy that will allow it to survive in conditions of economic devastation. That is, ensure the availability of drinking water, reasonable food (proteins, fats of their own production), housing, heating, clothing, shoes. Plus tools to get all this, seeds, emergency medications. And everything is for worship.
This is what we buy first, at least one year in advance, and better yet, longer. We first spend the available funds (from the family or community) on the purchase (or repair) of housing, a stove, a well, a supply of seeds, medicines, food, tools, transport, animals, an apiary. Of course, there is not enough for everything, so those who can earn money effectively continue to earn money for the community (in nearby villages and towns; for this you can rent housing there if necessary; we are definitely leaving big cities). The only exceptions are families with schoolchildren - they may have to travel to school for exams.
First, one must proceed from the capabilities available to the group (or one person). If there is absolutely nothing, you need to join like-minded people already living in the village and give them your labor or your current salary (for shelter and board). If you have savings or something that can be sold, you can buy a house by chipping away. There is an option to occupy an empty house in a remote village and pray to God that the owners do not show up. Or rent a house by appointment. But such options are more suitable for childless people. There is also the question of documents and registration of house and land, registration of children for school.
For your own needs, you need to grow (and collect) those plants and animals that will provide food in the winter and spring (starting with the least labor-intensive and unpretentious). To make money (sell), it is better to try animal husbandry, apiary farming, picking mushrooms and berries, and preparing dried fruits and pickles. But this is only if there are enough workers.
Work outside the village.
A good master or specialist will always find a job in our time (if he knows something that people really need) even without official registration for work. A stove maker, a carpenter, an auto mechanic, a nurse, a tutor, etc., even an experienced nanny - can earn cash for the community while it is still in use. And when they disappear, then depending on the circumstances, either an exchange in kind, or into the forest. It’s too early to talk about this.
Those who do not have such skills work in the village economy of the community.
Of course, to run a socialized economy you need to trust each other, the ability to appreciate any work, not to envy, and to be content with little. Temptations and “showdowns” cannot be avoided, and you need to be prepared for this.
11. Question of documents
We strive to get out of the anti-Christian system, to escape its way of life; also do not use the banking system, which is prohibited by God, and electronic documents. We want to preserve our Christian name without going so far as to identify ourselves with a number. Some people no longer use all this, others only have such an intention. If it is solid, then you need to think through all the steps to quickly buy a house and everything you need and get rid of banks and email. cards, INN, SNILS. To pay taxes, someone from the community must leave the necessary documents. And if you are ready to occupy an empty house and live without electricity, then it’s even easier. But this option is not suitable for families with children, because... A juvenile looms over them. Therefore, in each case you need to act differently, striving, of course, for minimal communication with the system.
Should I register in the village?
It’s better not to leave your city registration. But if you sold your home there, or want to send your child to a rural school nearby, then you will have to register. Here it is necessary to decide on specific circumstances. The main thing is a firm intention to gradually reduce dependence on the city. Not everyone will be able to break everything in one fell swoop. Everyone needs to pray for understanding on which path the Lord will lead him and his family. The communal way of life provides more room for maneuver in this matter. But only on condition that the community abides in the Spirit of Truth. May the Lord help everyone find the right path, true shepherds, brothers and sisters for joint salvation in this difficult time!
D For Orthodox Christians, community life is the most natural and correct way of life, although many modern Christians have forgotten about this. The spirit of individualism of the surrounding world, poor knowledge of the history of the Church, and the perception of Christianity at the level of rituals, which only “complement” the materialistic system of life, are misleading. But if you ask how the early Christian communities lived, and then the monastic communities; how the village communities of our ancestors survived the harsh Russian climate; if you read about mill community st. Seraphim of Sarov- then the way of life of a modern “fragmented” society will no longer be perceived as the only correct one.
P The parishioners of the city church, among whom spiritual unity is emerging, feel a desire to communicate more in everyday matters, to spend more time together. But in urban conditions this is difficult to do, because everyone has different work hours, their own routes, and family responsibilities. A completely different matter is joint work and close proximity while living in a village, when two, three or more are gathered together in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, not only on a holiday, but every day.
TO Of course, one cannot idealize the life of the Orthodox community in the village. Such a life is not easy, it requires constant work and prayer, curbing selfishness, and patiently bearing each other’s infirmities. But the easy path does not lead to the salvation of the soul. And in these troubled times, community life in the village may be one of the few paths to salvation.
N Some Christians began returning from cities to villages back in the 90s of the last century. Some were settled individually. For example, you can get acquainted with the history of life in the village Vladimir Kipriyanov, about 20 years ago, together with his family, moved from Moscow to the village of Kazhirovo, Kostroma Region. RAINBOW OVER KAZHIROVO
Another article by V. Kipriyanov: FIRST ECHELON. EXODUS OF ORTHODOX COMMUNITIES (from euphoria to...reality).
NThe unique personality of German Sterligov and his family farm, and then the whole “settlement”, attract constant media attention. These experiences (both positive and negative) can also be taken into account. Film "Freedom of Freedom".
WITH There are now communities that strive to live as autonomously and remotely as possible. Some of them do not make themselves known in the media, but something is known about the lives of others, such as, for example, about the community of hieromonk Evstratiy Filippov, who lived first in the Kostroma region, and then was forced to move to the Perm region. Watch videos on YouTube: "The experience of exodus to Orthodox settlements" And "Pressure from security forces on an Orthodox settlement."
N Some communities are accused of sectarianism. One should never forget about the danger of falling into a sect, and therefore it is necessary to firmly remember the Orthodox Catechism and the commandments of the Holy Gospel. If there is any doubt about the purity of the teaching brought by any pastor, special caution is necessary. For example, let's give discussion of community life O. Mikhail Ageev (Pskov region), as well as followers of schemamonk Simon Shiryaev, living in the Shuisky district of the Ivanovo region (opposite points of view: ruskline.ru And ortho-rus.ru).
IN To conclude this section, we will also mention the completely non-Orthodox communities in the villages that now exist in Russia. These are, for example, communities of Old Believers without priests or the so-called “eco-villages” of followers of the famous neo-pagan writer. Of course, we are not talking about such communities on our website.
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