Orthodox faith - Elder - alphabet. What the Orthodox elders prophesied for Russia Orthodox elders

Orthodox elders are considered people with high spirituality and natural wisdom, most often clergy. In ancient Rus', stories about such people were passed on from mouth to mouth, and legends were made about them. There was a huge line of people wanting to get advice and get rid of illnesses.

Famous elders of our time

For a long time, eldership in Orthodoxy is a special institution of spiritual guidance. There are still people living in Russia and Ukraine who have the gift of clairvoyance. Not all monks accept visitors, but some of them can still be visited. Holy modern elders in Russia who are alive at this time:

Elders in Ukraine

There are not many clergy on the territory of Ukraine endowed with the gift of clairvoyance. These include:

• Alypiy (Pogrebnyak) - Archbishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, retired since 1997.
• Elder Seraphim. Lives in Svyatogorsk Lavra. An amazing personality, there are many grateful reviews about him. You can contact him by first specifying the appointment schedule.

In addition, you can visit the Pochaev Lavra. It is located in Western Ukraine (Ternopil region, Pochaev). Several monks live there who have a gift from above. You can talk to them without an appointment and usually there is no wait.

Reviews for help

People who turned to the perspicacious elders in Moscow and Moscow region, share their impressions of the meeting to help others:

On Sunday, Father Eli held a service in the Moscow region (Peredelkino district). Then he approached people and gave instructions. Many thanks to him and good health! Helped my husband and I a lot. We arrived for the first time and got in right away.

Victoria

I was lectured by Father German. It helped in one go. In my temple they said that only he can help. There are no more priests in Moscow with such power.

I went to Father Valerian Krechetov for confession and communion. Now it’s already difficult for the priest to conduct confession, but he conducts services and communicates with people. He often visits the Church of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia. This is next to the Church of the Intercession of the Virgin Mary. During Lent, he can almost always be found in church.

Actual information

Great elders are the same people. No person has yet been able to live eternal life in the material world. Everyone leaves sooner or later. Unfortunately, some clergy passed away not so long ago:

Blessed memory of the great elders, whose whole life was service to God and people. But those who need help should not despair. In Russia and Ukraine, those endowed with the gifts of the Lord are still alive and faithfully fulfilling their duty. Not one of those who turned to these wise people for support has yet regretted their decision.

However, it is worth thinking about the words of the old nun Matrona. She argued that before going to the elder, she should pray to the Lord to give him the correct answer to the question. One way or another, the future depends not only on the orders of the sages, but also on whether these advice will be followed.

These people have always held a special position in our church. Nobody appointed them to high positions or entrusted them with a special mission. But everyone, from a simple parishioner to a patriarch, knew that these people were special. They can prophesy, help, heal, instruct. One of the hierarchs of the Russian Church knows more about Orthodox elders than many others. He tells Trud about amazing encounters.

Metropolitan of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky Pavel (Ponomarev)

He has a bright destiny, in which the elders have an important place. The grandson of an exiled priest, he was born in Karaganda, where he was baptized by Sebastian (Fomin), now canonized. After studying and taking monastic vows at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, he had close contact with another famous elder, Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov). Served in Jerusalem, the USA and Vienna. And when he headed the Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery, the great elders were nearby, and above all the famous John (Peasant). I remember the fateful meetings on the island of Zalit with the ascetic Nikolai (Guryanov), and the communication in the Ryazan diocese with the wise old man Abel (Makedonov), and many other situations in which that mysterious thing that is considered a miracle in earthly life was palpably present.

Sevastian (Fomin)

- Do you remember your first old man in your life?

Yes, and very good. He baptized me in infancy, and died in 1966, when I was already 14 years old. He visited us at home too. Many people came to Father Sebastian in Karaganda for help. And other ascetics lived around him.

- And with your family something did something miraculous happen?

My mother remained alive only thanks to the prayers of St. Sebastian. After the operation, doctors considered it hopeless. She bled to death. And the stroller with it was already sent to the morgue. And at this time her friend came to the temple where Father Sebastian served. Suddenly he comes out of the altar and shouts to the whole temple: Nastya, come here! Here, he says, a prosphora, holy water, run to Annushka! She ran to the hospital and found her mother already in front of the doors to the morgue. The orderlies won’t understand: they give the dead man water or some kind of food?! And mom blinks her eyes - they brought her back. The doctor who performed the operation says: “Someone prayed very hard for you. After such a loss of blood, a person cannot survive.”

John (Peasant)

- About the elders Pskov-Pechersky The monastery generally tells miracles. But you headed the monastery...

This is an amazing monastery. There were such elders there: Father John, Father Alexander, Father Seraphim, and Father Nathanael, whom I found. And miracles with them were simply everyday. One might say, in working mode. This is, for example, a case. We began to build a temple on our Holy Hill. Neither the Ministry of Culture nor VOOPIiK gave us any permission for this - there was such an organization then. And someone snitched on us. They call me: a high delegation from Moscow is visiting you, they are very strict. Arrived. I give them a guide, suggest they explore the caves, then the Assumption Cathedral... And they: no, let's go to the library, and then to the Holy Hill. Well, everything is clear! We are also doing renovations in the library, and also without permission. And the day is so clear and sunny. The snow sparkles. Not a cloud, not a breeze...

I go to Father John: there’s trouble, I say, father, pray!

10-15 minutes passed. We go outside. What's happened? Dark. Snow is falling in huge flakes. Everything's gone. Another 20 minutes passed. The guests have returned. They are swearing: what a weather you have, the sun was only shining, but when they approached the hill, everything was clouded over at once, you couldn’t see anything. We parted ways. This is the prayer of Father John!

Nikolay (Guryanov)

-Have you ever heard predictions or prophecies?

There was such a story. Somewhere at the end of November 1991, Mother Georgia (Shchukina) came to us in Pechory. It turns out that she had a conversation with His Holiness the Patriarch about the possible sending of her to Jerusalem. And she needed to consult with her confessor - Father Nikolai, a famous elder on the island of Zalit. But she was unable to get to the island - the ships no longer operate, and the ice has not yet risen. She then decided to visit Father John (Krestyankin). And he says: “How can I help, mother, maybe we can ask the governor’s father?” They contact me. I say: “What can you do here? You can’t go on a boat, you can’t go by car, even call a helicopter...” And the housekeeper asks me: “So, bless me for a helicopter?” I didn't even know that this was possible. We called the airport - it turned out to be quite accessible. After 40 minutes the helicopter was already at the monastery. And we found a place.

We arrived - and there was nowhere to land. It just snowed nicely. We sat down somewhere in the garden. We see Father Nikolai himself coming. And the mothers run, making noise. Then they told me. It turns out that after the service and meal everyone went to their cells - and suddenly Father Nikolai began calling everyone. He walks around and knocks on cells. Come out, he calls, mothers, guests are coming to us, Mother Abbess of Jerusalem, Father-Vicar and the brethren of the monastery. They say: “Father, are you out of your mind? Who's coming to us? Steamboats don't operate. Lie down and rest." And suddenly - a helicopter, noise. But then, not only were there no mobile phones, there was no connection with the island at all. And after all, Father Nikolai already called Mother Abbess of Jerusalem, although no one knew about her future at all...

Abel (Makedonov)

- And the Ryazan land, the place of your current ministry, is known by elders such as Archimandrite Abel...

When I first arrived in Ryazan, we sat next to him at one of the diocesan councils. And I proposed to make a request to His Holiness Patriarch Alexy to petition the government of the Russian Federation to return the Ryazan Kremlin to us. This was unexpected for everyone, but we made a decision on such a petition. And then Father Abel gets up and falls to his knees with tears. And then he told how, back in those days, when everything was confiscated and closed, the elders prophesied that the time would come and everything would return.

- So what, they returned it?

The Assumption Cathedral was returned. Almost all of them are temples, with the exception of one - Dukhovsky. Gradually everything is coming back. And this is also a miracle.

- There is a story connected with Father Abel in which you participated. Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov) described it in his book. When in your presence the writer Andrei Bitov called Archpriest Vladimir Vigilyansky and told him that his dead mother came to him in a dream and asked him to confess to Elder Abel in the Ryazan region...

Yes, I remember this situation. That's what's important here. Why are we given some unusual turns in life? To shake things up, to help you move away from the hustle and bustle. We have no time, we are spinning. And we need to get out of this hustle and bustle more often. Sometimes literally. As it happened to me in my youth, when I fell off a motor scooter, crashed, and while I was lying in a hospital bed, I rethought a lot and took a new path. Because vanity does not allow you to concentrate on your soul, to think about the meaning of life. But worship allows it.

- So for Bitov, that dream, apparently, was of help?

Yes, sure. But we need to understand these situations and use them. He never got to Father Abel, although he waited for him for a long time. And a few months later the elder died...

Kirill (Pavlov)

- Vladyka, you communicated with many elders. How are they different from ordinary people?

I remember that I was only ordained as a hieromonk on Sunday, and on the following Saturday I was appointed to confess as a confessor in the Lavra. I approach Father Kirill (Pavlov): “Father, I’m worried, how will I confess?” - “What is it?” - “Yes, I don’t even know for what sin to give what penance to whom.”

He looked at me like that. He smiled, hugged and said:

“Father Paul, what kind of penance? Cover everything with love. Our people have already suffered enough. They are so unhappy, their souls are warped. What is their penance?

They are. Love comes from them. I want to be around them all the time and communicate. They are distinguished from ordinary people by a special quality: strictness towards themselves in everything, and love towards people in everything.

Valery Konovalov

Elders have existed at all times, they accepted people and tried to help them. There is church eldership in Orthodoxy today. In the 21st century they are known elders of our time, living now and previously living in post-Soviet territories, namely in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

The very designation “elder” or “city elder” indicates the special abilities of a church minister. For example, such priests have the following unusual skills:

Modern confessors of Russia

Modern elders in Russia, living and accepting people, are scattered throughout the country. The following holy fathers are currently known to the Christian world:

All the elders listed above have their own unique gift which they share with people without fear. Some holy fathers limited the number of visitors due to their advanced age, while others can receive almost 700 people per day. The advice of Orthodox elders and priests is different, but they all agree that the one who turns to them chooses the path for himself, and they only suggest possible options.

Those who are not with us

Father Kirill (in the world Ivan Pavlov) is highly revered in the Christian world. Until February 2017, the elder lived and worked in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, located in Sergiev Posad. The archimandrite was the personal spiritual mentor of two Russian patriarchs, but due to deteriorating health several years before his death, he stopped accepting lay people and limited the circle of visitors. The holy father was born in 1919 in the Ryazan province, and took monastic vows in 1954. Died February 20, 2017

The Venerable Confessor John is known to the Orthodox world for his gift of healing and clairvoyance. Known throughout the world as Ivan Afanasyev, the confessor devoted his entire life to serving God. The elder was born in 1875 and lived until the 20th century. Elder John died in 1961.

It is worth noting the merits of the late Father Naum from the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. The archimandrite could receive almost 700 people per day and tried help all those suffering and those in need of his attention. The only day when Holy Father Naum took a break from visitors was Sunday. Those who attended the reception noted that the elder began meeting with patients at 5 in the morning. The confessor was born in 1927 in Maloirmenka, and left this world in 2017 at the age of 90 in Moscow.

Archimandrite Dionysius received all those in need at the Church of St. Nicholas in the Moscow region. He had a special power of speech, and heaven endowed him with the ability to shepherd. The confessor was born in Moscow in 1952, and in the world he bore the name Vladimir Shishigin. Having decided to devote himself to serving God, the man accepted the rank of deacon in 1974, and in 1990 he became a monk. The old man’s health was undermined by a severe illness, which caused his death in December last year.

Archimandrite Jerome, in the world Viktor Shurygin, was born in the Sverdlovsk region in 1952. It is noteworthy that the elder himself said more than once that he did not intend to become a monk and studied a lot. Archimandrite Hilarion in Abkhazia set him on the path of serving God.

Father Jerome had the gift of great insight and often gave those who turned to him advice on everyday matters. The elder received him at the Dormition Monastery in Chuvashia in the city of Alatyr, Sechenovsky district, where he died at the age of 60.

Schema-Archimandrite John received him at the Ioannovsky Monastery near Saransk until the beginning of this year. The elder of our time had the gift of expelling demons from the human body and cleansing the soul. The future savior of souls, Ivan Slugin, was born in the world in 1941 in the Lipetsk region. From an early age, the future servant of the Lord was brought up in strictness and in the Christian faith, since his mother was a believer. Ordained to the rank of deacon at the age of 29. Archpriest John died on February 2, 2018 and was buried at the Danilovskoye cemetery in Moscow.

Living in the 21st century

Father Herman has long been considered one of the perspicacious elders in Moscow and the Moscow region. The priest lives in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and has the gift of clairvoyance and exorcism. The elder is sure that only reprimand with the holy word-prayer can heal the human soul from suffering. Those who attended his services note that the priest preaches for more than an hour, and all this time the visitors listen to his words with bated breath.

Schema-Archimandrite Blasius (in the world of Peregontsev) welcomes everyone at the Pafnutiev-Borovsky Monastery. Those who attended his reception speak of the confessor as truly enlightened person. His main gift is clairvoyance or insight, and you can turn to him with any problem. It is known that an elder from the city of Borovsk was born in 1934 into a believing family and took monastic vows after leaving the Smolensk Medical Institute, where he was persecuted because of his spiritual beliefs. An interesting fact from the biography of Elder Blasius is that his grandmother also dedicated herself to God and became a nun.

Father Vlasiy previously worked in iridology and that is why he can identify diseases by the iris of the eye. The confessor of the Pafnutyevo-Borovsky Monastery really doesn’t like being called a psychic. It is known that Father Blasius himself also experienced the miraculous effects of prayers and healing places. In 1998, the elder fell ill with oncology and went to Mount Afo for healing. A stay in the Athos monastery of St. Panteleimon put him on his feet, curing him of his illness.

Father Peter from the village of Lukino has the gift of clairvoyance, for which the laity christened him with the name Peter the Perspicacious. The elder welcomes everyone on the territory of the Intercession Convent in the Nizhny Novgorod region. It is known that the archimandrite helps only by appointment, and if there is a need to get to him, then it is worth agreeing on a time in advance.

Schema-Archimandrite Iliy, personal confessor of Patriarch Kirill, lives and works in Optina Pustina in Peredelkino. Due to his advanced age (the old man is 85 years old), today he practically does not receive visitors. The holy clairvoyant, Alexey Nozdrin, was born in the world in 1932 in the Oryol region of the Central Black Earth Region.

In the Turgenev Kazan Klyuchevskaya men's hermitage, one of the thirteen monasteries of Mordovia, Elder Hilarion receives. Father receives people in the village of Turgenevy for confession, and getting to him is relatively easy, the road takes more time, and not everyone has enough money to get to him. The monk himself repeatedly said that when he (in the world Ivan Tsarev) was still very young, Seraphim of Sarov appeared to him and predicted that he would become a priest.

Archimandrite Ambrose, in the world Alexander Yurasov, was born in the Altai region, the village of Ogni, in 1938. From an early age, the future priest already knew that he would devote himself to serving the Orthodox Church. Since 1991, he has been the founder and director of the Vvedensky Convent in Ivanovo. Elder Ambrose receives the suffering there, and heaven rewarded him the gift of clairvoyance and clairvoyance.

The elder of our time, Father Nikolai, receives those who wish to do so at the Intercession-Ennat Monastery of the Republic of Bashkiria, of which he is the abbot. The confessor has the gift of insight, which he actively uses for the benefit of the suffering.

Elder Adrian can also be considered one of the unique people of our time. The archimandrite lives in the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery in Pechory and has the gift of foresight. Due to his age, the monk no longer receives visitors. Was born future clergyman by the name Kirsanov in 1922 in the Oryol region. He accepted monastic orders in 1953 at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and after some time mastered methods of expelling demons from the human body.

Valerian Krechetov, an archpriest from Akulovo, Odintsovo district, Moscow region, receives the sick at the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is noteworthy that the perspicacious elder belongs to the so-called white clergy, that is, he has one of the lowest church ranks.

Valerian Krechetov was born in Zaraysk in 1937. He fought in World War II, after which he firmly decided to become a priest, and in 1949 entered the Moscow Theological Seminary. After developing virgin lands, he was ordained deacon in 1968.

In St. Petersburg, Archpriest John Mironov serves the Lord and the people. The rector of the temple in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Inexhaustible Chalice” on the territory of the ATI plant is a follower and “spiritual child” of Nikolai Guryanov. Having gone through a difficult life path, the elder is currently helping people get rid of bad habits, and his prayer has a cleansing property.

Father John was born in the Pskov region in 1926. He came to serve the church in 1956. Actively participating in the hostilities of World War II, the man was finally convinced that he wanted and would serve God and people.

Archimandrite Plato, the confessor of the Moscow metochion of the Holy Dormition Pyukhtitsa stauropegial convent and the resident of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, is also known for his abilities in the Orthodox world.

The priest known in the world under the name Pyotr Panchenko was born in 1944. He took monastic vows in 1977.

Hegumen Stefan, rector of the St. John the Theologian Church in the village of Zhokino, Zakharovsky district near Ryazan, also has the miraculous power of words. The holy father and great elder of our time, known to the world under the name Mikhail Plyasov, was born in 1937. A teacher by training, Stefan took monastic vows in 1993.

Father Archpriest Vasily Izyumsky is also now known as an elder miracle worker. Previously, the holy father was the rector of the Church of the Nativity in the village of Beseda, Leninsky district. The monk limited his social circle due to his advanced age.

Vasily Izyumsky was born in 1927, his mother I instilled in my son from an early age Orthodox traditions, since she was a true believer and sang in the church choir. Five years ago, Father Vasily resigned due to reaching the age of 75.

Place of power

There is also a place in Russia that is also connected with the elders, Startsev Corner in the Nizhny Novgorod region. Previously, hermit monks settled there, who organized a monastery in that place, not extant. Also in the wasteland there was a winter church, which, as legends say, hid underground from human eyes, protecting the holy fathers from the Tatar raids.

Currently, Startsev Corner has a special, prayed-for power, and holy springs of healing water flow there. Despite the fact that there is no temple in the wasteland, pilgrims and those wishing to be healed and cleansed constantly come there.

Saints of Ukraine and Belarus

Christian contemporaries also include some priests of Ukraine among the famous elders of our time. The most famous of them are:

• Bishop Alypiy;
• Father Seraphim.

In the Donetsk region, in the city of Krasny Luch, Archbishop Alypiy lives and receives people, in the world Vasily Pogrebnyak. The elder was born in 1945, and took monastic vows in 1968. He has the gift of clairvoyance and actively helps those in need of his attention.

In the Svyatogorsk Dormition Lavra, in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, Father Seraphim receives visitors. In order to get an appointment with him, you must sign up for the list at the entrance.

The elder was born in 1953 of the 20th century, and took monastic vows in 1990. He has insight and the gift of healing the sick through prayer.

There is a unique holy father in Belarus. To Archimandrite Mitrofan from the Zhirovitsky Lavra of the city of Slonim once queues formed, now the elder practically does not accept anyone.

It is noteworthy that not only men who have dedicated themselves to the church have the prophetic gift. They are also endowed with the gift of clairvoyance and clairvoyance. some female nuns, which are called old women. Documentary films have been made about many holy fathers and mother prophetesses.

However, even such a holy phenomenon has in its ranks deceivers, called false elders by the church, who pretend to be those who actually help people according to God’s will. Such people existed at all times and, separating from the existing church, created their own sects.

“The New Athonite Patericon” is the name of the book about modern Orthodox elders, in the preparation of which Hieromonk Panteleimon (Korolyov) participated. We talk with him about why the elder is not a magician, miracles are not always useful, and coming to the monastery is the path “not to the walls, but to the confessor.”

An elder without a novice is not an elder

- Father Panteleimon, who are the elders? How are they different from spiritual teachers or simply wise people?

The determining factor here, first of all, is the relationship between the elder and the novice, because just as there cannot be a son without a father, a father without a child, so there cannot be an elder without a novice. This is a very close and absolutely trusting relationship, when a novice is ready, for the sake of Christ, to surrender his entire will into the hands of the elder, and is ready to learn monastic life from him. The elder, unlike the father, is chosen, but once chosen, there is no turning back. It doesn’t matter what kind of old man you are, hot-tempered, not hot-tempered, soft or strict - you don’t care anymore, you love him like your own father. And there can be no other for you. St. John Climacus says: before you choose your spiritual father, you have the right to consider the traits of his character. If you have already become his child, then by looking at him with a critical eye, you are terribly destroying your relationship.

Cross and Temple of the Transfiguration of the Lord on the top of Mount Athos
Photos from the beginning of the 20th century

- Probably, like in marriage: you chose each other, you got married or got married - you won’t get married.

Yes indeed. You got married and suddenly discovered that your other half’s character is a little different than it seemed at first, but you already have a very close relationship and it would be a disaster to abandon them.

Sometimes novices, knowing the peculiarities of their character, deliberately chose very stern elders for themselves. For example, in our book there is a story about Elder Ephraim of Katunak, who had a very strict mentor: he gave almost no monastic instructions, but was always very strict on everyday issues. And for Father Ephraim it turned out to be incredibly useful! He loved his elder with all his heart and took care of him. And when his mentor, Father Nikifor, was dying, he repeatedly asked for forgiveness from his student and said to those around him: “This is not a man, this is an angel!”

It is in such relationships between the novice and the elder that the concept of eldership is most fully revealed. It is difficult to describe the love of a father for his son. And the love with which the elder loves the novice - although it may never manifest itself in these relationships, the elder may be strict and harsh towards the novice - the love that the Lord gives is very strong. On Athos, eldership and obedience to the elder are perceived as a sacrament, and, accordingly, both participants in this sacrament are guided by the Lord. In a relationship with the elder, the novice learns to hear and obey God.

- That is, he perceives the will of the elder as the will of God?

Exactly. The ancient patericon preserved the following words of Abba Pimen: “The will of man is a copper wall that stands between him and God.” And the novice little by little, piece by piece, dismantles this copper wall, obeying his elder, although his instructions may often be incomprehensible or even change every minute. But if, with love for God, with love for the elder, a novice tries to fulfill these instructions, then a special work takes place in his soul, he feels the breath of the Holy Spirit. Often the Lord expects from us those things that we would not like - out of laziness, out of distrust of God: we want them to first explain to us why we need to do this, and only then we will do it. And the elder is not obliged to explain anything to the novice.

There are different relationships. If there is a novice who, with all sincerity, obeys the elder, then the elder receives instruction from God on how to correctly lead him into the Kingdom of Heaven. If the novice turns out to be very obstinate and self-willed, then the elder remains to show the condescension and mercy that God shows to us, tolerating our disobedience and self-will. For example, about one of the elders - Father Cyril of Karey - it is said that he loved to pray at night, performed, in the full sense, all-night vigils, and the novice scolded him for this. And so the elder tried to hide his exploits from him and endured reproach.

Junior eldership

Can we say that monasticism is such a vanguard of Christianity, and eldership is the vanguard of monasticism? People “on the front lines” who pass on their experience further?

In general, yes. There is even an example that describes this. Elder Joseph the Hesychast, famous in Russia, had a very ardent character in his youth and retained his ardor until old age; One day he had a vision that he was on the front line in a battle with demons. And he was not afraid, did not hide behind other people’s backs, but, on the contrary, was eager to fight! Indeed, there are such fiery fighters, and in some exceptional cases they grow up almost without spiritual guidance.
Actually, Father Joseph was one of those who searched all over Athos and could not find a spiritual leader. His associate, Father Arseny, although he was ten years older than Father Joseph in age and monastic feat, did not take upon himself the burden of spiritual leadership, but said to his younger brother: “Please, be an old man, and I promise that I will remain with you.” in obedience to death." It is not so important here who is older in age! Spiritual experience plays a huge role: a person should teach based on his own experience, and not be a “merchant of other people’s wisdom.” Only speaking from their own experience did the fathers understand that their word was effective.
This relationship between the elder and his novice, who are nearby every day from morning to evening, can only to some extent be transferred to the relationship between a spiritually experienced person and the laity, but here, too, trust and obedience play a huge role.

- Does this have to be absolute obedience? Is it possible for a layman?

No, in this case no one demands absolute obedience. But if a person comes with a specific question and the elder answers him, admonished by God, then no matter how strange this answer may be, the questioner should act according to what was said. Otherwise, it turns out that he came to ask God and turns up his nose: “Lord, you are saying something so strange, I will still do it my way.”

Having faith, sincere trust and the willingness to follow advice that may seem strange are very important. Often, if this faith is not there, the Lord does not reveal anything to the elder about a specific person - the lack of an answer will be more useful than an answer that will not be accepted. “God took away the grace of the word from the elders,” says the “Memorable Tales,” “and they do not find what to say, because there is no one who fulfills their words.”

How many people are even ready for such obedience? Or do most of us still listen to the will of God according to the principle “If I don’t like it, it’s as if I didn’t hear anything”?

There are always people who are ready to accept with a pure heart what they hear. And it also happens that someone with great pride takes upon himself the impossible feat of absolute obedience and at the same time puts an unbearable burden on another, because for an elder to bear the burden of his novices is also a difficult feat, the elder must be a really strong man of prayer. Obedience cannot be learned in five minutes. This is a long journey with many falls along the way. Both the experience of elders and a sober look at oneself are important here - “the son of difficult mistakes.” Awareness of one's weakness is one of the key points of Orthodox asceticism. But a person who is just starting to ski is first of all taught to fall correctly - so that he does not get hurt, but is able to get up and move on. It’s the same in spiritual life: under the supervision of our elders, we learn to both fall to death and rise up with youthful zeal.

- Who are the young elders and how to protect yourself from falling into false obedience to them?

Only the Lord our God is truly holy, yet all people, even saints, have certain human weaknesses and shortcomings. Those priests who are appointed by the Church to bear spiritual obedience and direct the spiritual life of people also have some imperfections. Their task is to shepherd the church flock, preventing the sheep from falling into the disastrous abyss of heresies, witchcraft, apostasy and other evil, but also without depriving them of their inner freedom. In many matters, even the Apostle Paul gave only advice, and did not impose his decision - just like the good shepherd does not pass off his human reasoning as Divine revelation. Obedience is a matter of love and trust, not military discipline. But it happens that a priest, due to mixed pride, considers his opinion to be the only correct one and tries to force his child into the Kingdom of Heaven: he makes vital choices for him or points out small things, without receiving any Divine enlightenment.

We must look for a confessor “not with our eyes, but with our tears,” and ask the Lord to hand us over to a good shepherd. Let us first learn to be simple sheep of the flock of Christ, let us love the temple, watch our language and actions, show respect for our parish priest - and if the Lord deems this useful for us, he will certainly arrange a meeting with the elder.

Miracle is not useful for everyone

- They say that the world rests on the elders, on their prayer. Is this true or rather a cliché?
- A Russian proverb says that a city does not stand without a saint, but a village does not stand without a righteous man. This can be seen even in everyday life: there is a person on whom the school rests, and it is not necessarily the director; there is a person in charge of the parish - and this is not necessarily the rector. In both cases it could be Aunt Masha, the cleaning lady, who simply greets everyone kindly and quietly prays for everyone.

At the same time, it is very clearly felt how shaky and fragile everything in our life is; at one moment everything can collapse. And the Lord preserves the world with His mercy through the prayers of His saints: some of them are already in Heaven, and others still live on earth and make their way of ascension.

- Where then does the opinion come from that there are no elders in our time?

Partly because a person wants to see in the old man some kind of, roughly speaking, magician who, with the wave of a magic wand, will solve all his problems. And, not finding something like this, people say: “No, I won’t listen to someone who tells me to do something, to work, I need a seer, a miracle worker! There are no such things nowadays...”

We must understand that not everyone benefits from a miracle - most often we need to roll up our sleeves and solve problems ourselves. If your garden is overgrown, and there are no tractors in this village that would clear it, you will have to take a shovel and hoe and do the work yourself. And if a miracle tractor does all the work for you, then you yourself will become lazy, your life will become simple, but not good.
In some cases, a miracle really needs to happen. So that a hopelessly ill child suddenly jumps up and runs joyfully, and thanks to this, everyone’s faith is strengthened. But this does not mean that whenever a child sneezes, you need to run to the elder and ask for healing. The search for elders who would solve our problems for us is psychologically quite understandable.

- Often the elders were people without education, simple, and this confuses those who come...

- The Lord can make an old man even a not very educated person - he even declared His will through a donkey. You just have to open your ears, open your heart to hear.

Paisius the Svyatogorets, it seems, had only a few years of school behind him, and people were lining up to him for advice!

Reverend Paisius is a man with amazing mental acuity, attentiveness to himself, to those around him, and to nature. The enormous wealth of his soul poured out to everyone, and thanks to his talent for putting instructions in such a witty, visual form, his words were easily remembered. He gave a lot of examples from ordinary life, very vivid comparisons with nature, and spoke very clearly. The oral tradition that underlies the patericons also belongs to approximately this style. Let's say there lived such and such an old man, his life was hidden from human eyes, but sometimes he said or did something bright to teach people. For example, he took a basket, poured sand into it, came to the monastery where the brethren were reproaching each other, and walked around the yard. They asked him: “What are you doing, Abba?” He answered: “I hang my sins behind my back, I don’t care about them, so I walk around and look at other people’s.” Such short instructive stories, also with a dose of humor, are well remembered and often come to mind at the right moment. For example, it is difficult to retell the life of St. Ambrose of Optina, but those short sayings that he often used are easy to remember and can promptly encourage a person and tell him how to act.

Obedience of the Archondaric Monk

The elders are very different; they do not fit into one type. Elder Paisiy was a very simple man with humor, Elder Joseph was a very ardent, extraordinary ascetic. Can you give any other examples?

For example, in our patericon there is a story about one elder who was an archondarite, that is, responsible for receiving pilgrims. But at the same time he was a terrible silent man! That is, by virtue of his position, this elder is obliged to talk with everyone... being himself a very quiet, very modest person. People who came to the monastery of St. Paul were greatly surprised by this. And then... they sent greeting cards to the monks: “Congratulations on your archondarium!” Because, although he was silent and seemingly unsociable, love emanated from him, which everyone felt.

The courtyard of the Church of the Holy Trinity in the New Thebaid desert (Athos). Photo
Valery Bliznyuk

There are also holy fools, whom people took for madmen, but who could sometimes be found, for example, standing in the middle of the street, in rags, barefoot, performing the day's service from beginning to end from memory!

There were abbots who fulfilled all obediences with maternal care and during their entire tenure as abbot they did not make a single reprimand to anyone! They themselves performed the work that needed to be done by other monks, and prayed that the Lord would enlighten them. By their example, they had an even greater impact on the novices than if they had shouted and stomped their feet.
There are stories about amazingly hardworking monks who had golden hands: they grew such tomatoes in their garden that you had to climb a ladder to pick them!
There are also such stories. One person, before coming to Mount Athos, was engaged in spiritualism. And when he decided to leave for the Holy Mountain and went to the last session of spiritualism, the spirits did not appear for a long time and finally said to someone present: “We will not appear until this person changes his decision to go to Athos.” And he, having come to Athos, began to write about the terrible harm that spiritualism brings.

Such different people lived on Athos - a real flower bed of characters and talents!

Ancient lives often paint an ideal image of ascetics. Do you write about modern elders without idealization?

Of course, there are examples of falls and uprisings; the patericon also speaks of the dangers that may lie in wait on the path of excessive achievement. For example, in our book there is a story about one monk who lived as a hermit and was a very strict faster: he ate food once every two days or even less often. In the end, he was somewhat damaged by being so harsh on himself. When he was taken to the monastery to look after him, this ascetic was very irritable, did not want to say a kind word to anyone, he could not pray, everything was boiling inside him - and for him this state, almost abandonment by God, was very painful. He stayed there for several months, understood his condition, made peace with everyone, prayer returned to him, and he rested in peace.
There is a story about a monk who lived on Mount Athos and commanded the workers. Over time, he plunged into the bustle of life, gained weight and abandoned his monastic rule. He returned to his former youthful ardor in faith after one terrible vision, and lived a very worthy monastic life.

These are stories about living, non-idealized people, and this is why they are valuable! These are not coloring books about supermen. It happened that robbers became saints, and monks, after heavy falls, returned to monastic life and even received the gift of miracles.

Therefore, stories from the lives of elders provide sufficiently rich material for making decisions in our everyday troubles.

“I realized that I was home”

- Father Panteleimon, where does such attention to Athos come from in Russia today?
- The fact is that the monastic tradition was not interrupted on Athos. In Russia it was restored mainly from books, but there the tradition has lived for many centuries. And, in fact, the Russian Church has always been oriented towards Athos. If we take such a fundamental book as the Typikon, which defines the rules of our liturgical life, we can see that according to its rules they live more on Mount Athos than in our parish churches: for example, there Matins is celebrated at sunrise, while here we live closer to sunset, and in many other ways, monastic life there is much closer to centuries-old tradition.

Archimandrite Parthenius (Mourelatos) and Schema-Archimandrite
Iliy (Nozdrin)

-Have you ever met people who could be called elders?

I talked a little with Archimandrite Parthenios (Mourelatos), abbot of the monastery of St. Paul on Athos. This is a mountain of a man, in every sense. He gives off a feeling of very deep solidity - this is a person about whom the waves of the world break. At the same time, he is very simple and wise, loving, next to him you feel like a little boy next to a big grandfather who loves you, you experience great respect and awe. You are a little scared - you understand that he already knows everything about you - but at the same time you cannot leave the feeling of safety next to him.

Completely different in character is Schema-Archimandrite Gabriel (Bunge) from Switzerland, with whom I had the opportunity to live for a week. This is a man of the broadest erudition, fluent in many languages, reading the Holy Fathers in the original, a man of German accuracy. Being around him is both joyful and very interesting, and at the same time you are afraid that your insensitivity might create inconvenience or cause dissonance. It is precisely the desire to be “on the same wavelength” with the elder that should be characteristic of the novice - he learns to understand the elder’s word and hurries to fulfill his will.

- How did you come to monasticism yourself?

Everything was somehow surprisingly smooth and painless. If someone can talk about coming to faith through sorrows and difficulties, then it was rather unclear to me how to thank God for the abundance of everything that He gives me! Probably, the countdown can begin with my baptism, at the age of 11. True, churching did not begin with him. However, what remained from the Sacrament itself was an amazingly bright, clear feeling of the beginning of a new life - it was preserved forever.

- Did you decide to be baptized yourself?

No, my mother brought me. Then there was a good school, admission to university, wonderful friends - I don’t remember any difficulties. One day, acquaintances brought me to the Easter service in the church, and standing there, in this cramped space, I suddenly realized that I was at home here. That I am where I need to be, and this place is absolutely dear and joyful to me. And then, little by little, meaningful churching began: I read patristic literature avidly, began to help in the church - just then my studies at the university ended. Somehow, very naturally, in such a “gentle way,” I entered the seminary, then the academy*. And life under the protection of St. Sergius, in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, had a great influence on me. There I found my confessor, who once asked: “If a small monastery appears, will you go?” I say: “I’ll go.” Then a small monastery actually appeared, and I went, graduating from the Academy. This path, it seems to me, was simply covered with carpets!

- Without any doubt?

There were experiences. But they somehow fade from memory, but the tender, loving hand with which the Lord led you - its feeling remains. The experiences are mostly associated with some stupid attempts to turn aside, when it was clear that they were leading in the wrong direction. There were sudden and incorrect movements...

Church of the Holy Trinity of the New Thebaid Desert (Athos)
Photo by Valery Bliznyuk

There is a saying: if you are 99 percent sure of your choice of monasticism, and 1 percent doubtful, then when you put on the mantle, 99 percent of confidence will turn into 99 percent of doubts. Is this really true?

It depends on what you imagine about the monastery. If you have any expectations, then failure to meet these expectations, which can quite naturally arise, will lead to disappointment. Naturally - because you can imagine a certain picture of the monastery, peeking through the keyhole, and then you go in - and everything is different there! And if you don’t particularly expect anything - again, as in the relationship between spouses, you don’t expect that the bride will always cook delicious food for you, keep the house in perfect condition and always be in a good mood - then your illusions will not be shattered by reality, you won't be disappointed. When you get married, a person is important to you as he is, regardless of any external circumstances. The same applies to the monastery: you do not come to the walls, not to the way of life, you come first of all to your confessor. That is, you entrust yourself to him. And you become such soft clay: here I am, mold me into whatever you want, I trust you completely. And if you are hard as a stone, and they are trying to mold something out of you, painful sensations arise.

- Is trust in God manifested through trust in a confessor or an elder?

Trust in God and trust in man are close concepts. You trust God first of all, which means that the Lord will protect you, will not give you offense and will make you worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is not easy to live, trusting, but it is even more painful to live, constantly expecting a catch, fearing everything. Yes, you can exist like a wise minnow, hollowing out a small hole for yourself and not sticking out anywhere, but this can hardly be called life! And a life with trust is a life that is in full swing! You are ready for something new every day. And with such trust, you value less what is held in your hands, and you are less upset about your mistakes and falls.

I have such an association. You are tasked with bringing water in a glass from one end of the field to the other. And you, joyful and confident, take this full glass and go! But once a little water spills, you start to get nervous. A little more spilling - you start to get even more nervous, your hand starts to shake, you completely lose your temper and are ready to throw this glass on the ground and sit down and cry. This kind of attitude happens when you look at the wrong thing. You are told: bring at least some water to the other end of the field. This is your final goal, and the rest is trifles. And it doesn’t matter what kind of person you come - you can get covered in mud, no matter how much water you spill - maybe there will only be a drop left in the glass at the bottom, but you must complete the task. There is One who entrusted it to you. And the less attention you pay to yourself, and more to what is expected of you, the better. And vanity sticks out, you want to bring the glass full. Forget about falling, remember the final goal. What is important is not you and not your failures or successes, what is important is your relationship with God, your trust in Him. This approach, it seems to me, is correct. Your distrust stops you, locks you in on yourself and the glass, but the goal is not visible, and you can sit down and live your whole life at this end of the field, the glass will stand in front of you, and you will be afraid to pick it up and carry it.

Everything you talked about today - both about eldership and obedience - all of this is united by some kind of joy. Finally, please tell me, what place does joy occupy in the life of monks, elders, and even in ordinary Christian life?

There is a well-known phrase: if people knew what joy monasticism is full of, everyone would run to become monks; but if people knew what sorrows awaited them there, then no one would go into monasticism. And if we make a reference to familiar secular texts, then the following song comes to mind: “She goes through life laughing, meeting and saying goodbye, without being upset... but they don’t notice how the one who goes through life laughing cries at night.” Therefore, when there is intense inner life, work, overcoming one’s laziness and reluctance, the Lord rewards all this with joy. And he sends amazing people to meet him. The Lord does not betray the trust you place in Him. This does not mean that there is some kind of settlement with God or with the elder. The experience just appears that confirms you in your chosen intention. Why should we be “beeches” and engage in soul-searching if Christ has risen and the doors of heaven are open to us? We are sitting, despondent, sulking, but the doors are open and the sun is shining through them...

Predicting the future is now the province of futurists like Francis Fukuyama. Their “prophecies” are usually based on the most complex fundamental analysis and the latest information technologies. However, in most cases, their “foresights” (forecasts) do not come true.

On the other hand, the prophetic tradition has existed from time immemorial among the ascetics of Orthodoxy. Of course, the holy fathers did not rely on fundamental analysis and the latest achievements of computer science, but only on Faith in the Lord...

Venerable Seraphim of Sarov, 1825-32

“Before the end of times, Russia will merge into one great sea with the other lands and Slavic tribes, it will form one sea or that huge universal ocean of the people, about which the Lord God spoke from ancient times through the mouth of all the saints: “The formidable and invincible Kingdom of All-Russian, All-Slavic - Gog and Magog , before whom all nations will stand in awe.” And all this is the same as two and two are four, and certainly, like God is holy, who from ancient times foretold about him and his terrible dominion over the earth. With the united forces of Russia and other nations, Constantinople and Jerusalem will be captured. When Turkey is divided, almost all of it will remain with Russia...”

Saint Theophan the Recluse, 1890s

“How many signs the Lord showed over Russia, delivering it from its strongest enemies and subduing its peoples! And yet, evil is growing. Will we really not come to our senses? The Lord has punished us and will punish us with the West, but we don’t understand everything. We got stuck in Western mud up to our ears, and everything was fine. We have eyes, but we don’t see, we have ears, but we don’t hear, and we don’t understand with our hearts... Having inhaled this hellish frenzy into ourselves, we spin around like crazy, not remembering ourselves. If we don’t come to our senses, God will send us foreign teachers to bring us to our senses... It turns out that we too are on the path of revolution. These are not empty words, but a deed affirmed by the voice of the Church. Know, Orthodox, that God cannot be mocked.”

Holy Venerable Seraphim Vyritsky, early 20th century

“The time will come when not persecution, but money and the charms of this world will turn people away from God and many more souls will perish than during the times of open fight against God. On the one hand, they will erect crosses and gild domes, and on the other, the kingdom of lies and evil will come. The True Church will always be persecuted, and it will be possible to be saved only through sorrows and illnesses. The persecution will take on the most unpredictable and sophisticated character. But the salvation of the world comes from Russia.”

Schieromonk Aristoklius of Athos. 1917-18

“Now we are living through the pre-Antichrist time. God's judgment on the living has begun and there will not be a single country on earth, not a single person who will not be affected by this. It started with Russia, and then further... And Russia will be saved. There is a lot of suffering, a lot of torment... All of Russia will become a prison, and we must beg the Lord a lot for forgiveness. Repent of sins and be afraid to commit even the slightest sins, but try to do good, even the smallest. After all, the wing of a fly has weight, but God has precise scales. And when the slightest good outweighs the balance, then God will show His mercy over Russia...

The end will be through China. There will be some kind of unusual explosion, and a miracle of God will appear. And life will be completely different on earth, but not for very long. The Cross of Christ will shine over the whole world, because our Motherland will be magnified and will be like a beacon in the darkness for everyone.”

Bishop John of Shanghai, 1938

“Shake off the sleep of despondency and laziness, sons of Russia! Behold the glory of her suffering and be cleansed, washed from your sins! Strengthen yourself in the Orthodox faith so that you may be worthy to dwell in the dwelling of the Lord and move into the holy mountain. Arise, arise, arise, Rus', you who drank from the hand of the Lord the cup of His wrath! When your suffering is over, your righteousness will go with you, and the glory of the Lord will follow you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the radiance rising above you. Then lift up your eyes around and see: behold, your children will come to you from the west, and the north, and the sea, and the east, blessing Christ in you forever!”

Venerable Anatoly of Optina, early 20th century

“There will be a storm. And the Russian ship will be destroyed. But people also save themselves on chips and debris. And yet not everyone will die. We must pray, we must all repent and pray fervently... A great miracle of God will be revealed... And all the chips and fragments, by the will of God and His power, will gather and unite, and the ship will be recreated in all its glory and will go its way, intended by God. ..”

Saint Theophan of Poltava, 1930

“The monarchy and autocratic power will be restored in Russia. The Lord chose the future king. This will be a man of fiery faith, a brilliant mind and an iron will. First of all, he will restore order in the Orthodox Church, removing all untrue, heretical and lukewarm bishops. And many, very many, with few exceptions, almost all will be eliminated, and new, true, unshakable bishops will take their place... Something that no one expects will happen. Russia will rise from the dead, and the whole world will be surprised. Orthodoxy will be reborn and triumph in it. But the Orthodoxy that existed before will no longer exist. God Himself will place a strong king on the throne.”

Paisiy Svyatogorets, Athonite elder. 1990s

“My thoughts tell me that many events will happen: the Russians will occupy Turkey, Turkey will disappear from the map, because a third of the Turks will become Christians, a third will die in the war and a third will go to Mesopotamia... A great war will take place in Constantinople between the Russians and Europeans, and a lot will be shed blood. Greece will not play a leading role in this war, but Constantinople will be given to it. Not because the Russians will revere the Greeks, but because a better solution cannot be found... The Greek army will not have time to get there before the city will be given to it.”

Joseph, Athonite elder, Vatopedi monastery. year 2001

“Now is the beginning of events, difficult military events... The devil will force the Turks to finally come here to Greece and begin their actions. And although Greece has a government, it actually doesn’t exist as such, because it has no power. And the Turks will come here. This will be the moment when Russia will also move its forces to push back the Turks. Events will develop like this: when Russia comes to the aid of Greece, the Americans and NATO will try to prevent this, so that there is no reunification, a merger of two Orthodox peoples... There will be a big massacre on the territory of the former Byzantine Empire. There will be about 600 million people killed alone. The Vatican will also actively participate in all this in order to prevent the reunification and increasing role of Orthodoxy. But this will result in the complete destruction of Vatican influence, right down to its very foundations. This is how God’s Providence will turn... There will be God’s permission so that those who sow temptations are destroyed: pornography, drug addiction, etc. And the Lord will so blind their minds that they will destroy each other with gluttony. The Lord will allow this on purpose to carry out a great cleansing. As for the one who rules the country, he will not be around for long, and what is happening now will not be for long, and then immediately there will be war. But after this great purge there will be a revival of Orthodoxy not only in Russia, but throughout the world, a great surge of Orthodoxy.”